Lawrence Reveley Burton. Tales of Old Patrick: Enchanting Tales, Mysteries, Poems and Stories. Stuart, VA: L.R. Burton, 1997.

Lone Ivy, Virginia | Summer 2009

At this time of Thanksgiving, I feel it’s appropriate to highlight a collection of short stories that highlights a time in my life for which I am especially grateful. Four years ago in August, I moved to Patrick County, Virginia, to work in the high school as a college counselor for the UVA College Guide Program (now the Virginia College Advising Corps). I arrived not knowing a soul and left with the best circle of friends that a girl could have ever imagined. The two glorious years that I spent there is just one example of how special Southside Virginia is. If you ever have two years to spare, I will give you the rundown, minute by minute, of how fantastic my time really was.

In August of 2007, though, I didn’t know how the next two years would transpire. I rented a basement apartment from the dearest retired guidance counselor, Ella Sue, shared a closet... er, office with the friendliest supervisor, Susan, who invited me to be part of her incredible family and friends, and had two of the most fun fellow College Guides, Sachi and Parisi, in nearby Martinsville. Still, I wanted to really get to know the people and places of Patrick County, and that let me to - of all places - the library!

I’m sure I left with an armload of books, but the one that was the most exciting was entitled Tales of Old Patrick: Enchanting Tales, Mysteries, Poems and Stories by Lawrence R. Burton. As the submitted warned, I was instantly enchanted by the collection of short stories that was published in 1997. I learned all about the history of Patrick County including anecdotes about local people, places, and events.

List of Southside Authors: Current

Do you ever find yourself looking for a book to read by a local author? Poetry, short stories, nonfiction - anything could fit the bill as long as it is by a Southside author? The following list represents some of the talent in our part of Commonwealth. As time goes on, I will continue to add to this list to help expose you to Virginia writers.

Author	Southside Connection	Genre
Craig Challender*	Farmville (Prince Edward)	Poetry
Kelly Cherry^*	Halifax (Halifax)	Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry
Linda Hamlett Childress^ Martin Clark^ Scott M. Foran*	Brookneal (Campbell) Stuart (Patrick) Halifax (Halifax)	Memoir Fiction Fiction, Poetry
Chapman Hood Frazier* Ann Davison Garbett*	Farmville (Prince Edward) Danville (Pittsylvania)	Poetry Fiction, Poetry
Marion Higgins Margaret Hoffman^*	Blackwater River (Franklin) Danville (Pittsylvania)	Humorous Essays Fiction
William Hoffman^	Charlotte Court House (Charlotte)	Fiction, Short Stories
Frances Hallam Hurt*	Chatham (Pittsylvania)	Fiction
Dean E. Hybl^ Helen D. Melton*	Keysville (Charlotte) Chatham (Pittsylvania)	Fiction, Sports Fiction
James W. Morrison*	Moneta (Bedford)	Fiction, Poetry
Fred Motley*	Danville (Pittsylvania)	Poetry
Becky Mushko*	Penhook (Franklin)	Poetry
Tom O'Grady^*	Hampden-Sydney (Prince Edward)	Poetry
Grace Simpson*	Hampden-Sydney (Prince Edward)	Poetry

^ denotes that a publication by the author is in the Charlotte County Library.

*I compiled the initial list from the Virginia Commission for the Arts directory entitled Writers in Virginia. I am not certain how authors are added to this list, but it appears as though the program has been canceled due to budget cuts.

Is your favorite Southside author missing from this list? Please introduce us to our local talent!

What should I read first?

Here is a list of books I am considering reading this week. What do you think would be a great first book to blog about?