Creekbank Stories Curt Iles, Storyteller

“Catfish Lies” When is the truth a lie? We talk about “little white lies” and half-truths. Is there such a thing? Here is one of my favorite stories. You decide for yourself if the parties involved told the truth or a lie: American catfish farmers of the South are having a hard time economically. As is true in so many …

The Pine Knot Pile: A Lesson on Earthly Treasures All of a sudden, the February wind picked up and turned out of the south. Instantly what had been a small controlled fire in my back field became a raging monster. The flames spread rapidly through the dead knee high grass – as fast I as I could, I ran ahead …

      Aunt Eliza in the Congo The following fascinating article is from a Beaumont Daily Journal article in November 1920. It features a letter from the Belgian Congo, Africa written by my great-grandfather’s sister, Eliza Iles:                           Headline: Miss Eliza Iles writes of trip to Congo, …

      92 Dry Holes   A story on perseverance and resolve   Several weeks ago DeDe and I visited Ft. Worth, Texas where our son Clay, his wife Robin, and our grandson Noah live. Among the places they took us was the Amon Carter Museum of Art. It featured wonderful examples of Western Art, especially the sculptures and …

A Word Called Resolve It is one of my five favorite words.* It is the word resolve. There are several uses of the word, but I love the definition that speaks of persistence and grit. Webster’s defines it as “to act with determination, boldness. To be steadfast and faithful.” Resolve is a trait found in the lives of all great …

The Rich Life of Carl Ford Sunday, October 15, 2006 They buried one of my heroes today. In a steady rain, Carl Ford was laid to rest by an Air Force honor guard at Shiloh Cemetery. The 21 gun salute and playing of taps both echoed off the pine trees and emotionally touched everyone present. Carl, a retired Air Force …

Burned, yet Blessed, by the Fire This is one of my reader’s favorites. The original story is in Wind in the Pines. This updated version will be in my new book, The Mockingbird’s Song. (It is due out in early 2007.)         The once green pine forest, now charred and blackened, lifelessly stares back at me. As …

Ready to move out This summer DeDe, Terry, and I took part in a youth camp in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This area of majestic mountains, covered with vast stands of tall Ponderosa Pines, is one of my favorite places in America. To get to camp, we wove deeper and deeper into the Hills following a long snaking …

Info on my new book… The Mockingbird’s Song The wheels are turning for the release of my fifth book, The Mockingbird’s Song. Tentative release is scheduled for November 2006. This new book by Curt Iles from Creekbank Stories will be printed by Wise Printing of Sulphur, LA. To learn more about this book and my other works, visit www.creekbank.net This …

Two friends: Sept. 11, 2001 “I am staying with my friend…” Of all of the soul-touching stories from September 11, 2001, I believe the story of two friends named Abe and Ed is the best. It is gleaned from the excellent book, 102 Minutes, by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn (Times Books copyright 2005) When the first plane crashed into …

The Battle of the Dragon and the Yellow Jacket Thursday, September 7, 2006 Today is a special day of remembrance. It’s been four years since my friend Ricky Gallien died. His family and thousands of friends still miss him… and always will. On this day, I want to relate one of the finest and funniest stories he ever told: It …

Le petit baton rouge* By Curt Iles Creekbank Stories copyright 2006 Of all of the memorable places to visit in my home state of Louisiana, Avery Island is one of my favorites. Situated on the coastal marsh below Lafayette, “The Island” is an elevated area that rises above the surrounding flat marsh. It is not really an island but is …

Stuck on Devil’s Tower . . . I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time.       On October 1, 1941 parachutist George Hopkins did something incredibly stupid. He parachuted onto the top of Wyoming’s Devil’s Tower. Recently while visiting this impressive national monument, I read about Hopkin’s stunt. He did it to get attention and …

Today is Tuesday, August 22. I am working today on a re-write of my upcoming book, The Mockingbird’s Song. Listed below is the first chapter. I hope you enjoy it. All comments are welcomed. Which of the sub-titles do you like best? P.S. If you know someone depressed or discouraged, share this with them. There is more at our website, …