Interview

 

Interview

STZ: How/When did you start sharing your skills as a storyteller?

MG: I suppose that would be traceable to early childhood. One of my earliest memories is my family sharing how I would simply make up the words to familiar songs with seemingly no knowledge I was doing so. Take the old gospel song Bringing in the Sheaves, since I did not know what a sheave was I replaced it with Sheep, made sense to me…

Looking back I am reminded that as a child I often used stories in explaining my thoughts to others, validating through example.

STZ: Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

MG: Inspiration is all around. It’s the woman in the checkout line at the grocery, the older man with the Vietnam Vet cap, but by far it is the oral histories of Appalachian or “mountain” people relating what their life was like. Growing up I was surrounded by adults who told stories, my father’s side of the family were farmers and horse traders from eastern TN going back to the Civil War and on my Mother’s side mountaineers from the area around Ashville, N.C. who still carried the tales from Scotland, treasures they pulled out during family gatherings. My family on both sides did not adhere to the adage that children were made to be seen and not heard, but whole heartedly encouraged adolescent participation.

STZ: Who are some of your favorite storytellers that have influenced your work?

MG: Besides family members who must not be left out; one of my oldest would be Jerry Clower a storyteller and humorist from the 1950-60’s, I was given a tape by him as a teenager and can still hear him changing the tone and inflection of his voice to match the story. Another who comes in through the back door to a certain extent is the musician John Prine, almost every song he wrote is a story set to music. A couple of favorites would be Sam Stone, a Vietnam Vet returned home and Paradise

When I was a child, my family would travel
 down to Western Kentucky where my parents were born
, and there's a backwards old town that's often remembered. 
So many times that my memories are worn

A couple of journalists who fall into the category of influencers would be Sam Venable of the Knoxville News Sentinel who wrote a column each week relating stories of East Tennessee Outdoors, and Lewis Grizzard of the Atlanta Journal whose work taught me it is okay to laugh at yourself.

STZ: I was first introduced to your work as a poet. But you have also organized events that showcased other storytellers, whether spoken words, singer/musicians, poets, or writers. Who were some of the local regional artist that you enjoyed working with through the years?

MG: Peggy Douglas, poet, playwright, musician will be first and last on this list. She is currently writing plays about different periods in Chattanooga regional history but has a past that ranges from civil rights activist to being married to a WWE wrestler. I stand behind my statement, “She is the most interesting person I ever knew.”

STZ: Can you tell us anything about projects you have in the works? 

MG: I have three current projects. A book length manuscript named The Promised Land which incorporates stories from Western N.C. during the Hurricane Helene recovery which is still going on, a chapbook of poetry, Dirt, focused on people of the earth, and a personal memoir collection for my son who once asked me, “Dad what was it like in the good old days, you know, back in the 1990’s?”

STZ: Is there anything else toy would like to tell the readers?

MG: Don’’t forget to listen… the story of life is all around you. In my case listening is far more important than telling.