My dear husband was on the road yesterday and reported hearing two commercials from a small radio station in Mississippi.
The first was: “Here’s the Funeral Report, brought to you by the Piggly-Wiggly.” Do you remember the Piggly-Wiggly stores? Oh, I do! And I recall funeral reports from the radio when I was a child. I picture old women sitting around the radio, leaning forward, avid to hear who has died, and sorrowful but maybe a little gleeful at times, too.
The second was: “Shop your home-town Save-More Pharmacy, where you can ask for Frank. He’ll come in the night and open up for you.” Good Lord, there’s my town of Valentine! And people call my books fiction.
Little Town, Great Big Life
The Valentine radio station showed up in my last book, Chin Up, Honey. I had more fun with it! Not much was made up out of whole cloth but came from direct experience. In Little Town, Great Big Life, Winston grandly hollers out over the airwaves: “GET UP, GET UP, YOU SLEEP-Y HEAD! GET UP AND GET YOUR BOD-Y FED!” I took that from a big-city radio station in Oklahoma City. Some near twenty years ago, I was heading into my son’s bedroom to wake him up for school. Just as I walked through the door, his radio alarm went off, volume full-blast: “Get up, get up, you sleepy-head. Get up and get your body fed!” Liked to have scared me to death. For years afterward, our family would shout the refrain at each other.
Chin Up, Honey
Our lives are made up of these small, seemingly inconsequential moments, ones we carry with us. We do well to keep the good moments, and let the not-so-good fade.
Reviews are starting to come in of Little Town, Great Big Life. One is from my mother, who said: “The best and funniest yet.” Hey, when a girl pleases her mother, she’s done well.
A more non-biased review from Publisher’s Weekly: “Readers should hold on to their hearts; losing them to these unforgettable characters is a real possibility.” You can read more of the Publisher’s Weekly review at my website.
I think the mirror should be tilted slightly upward when it’s reflecting life–toward the cheerful, the tender, the compassionate, the brave, the funny, the encouraging, all those things–and not tilted down to the gutter part of the time, into the troubled vistas of conflict.” ~Greer Garson.
Fiction is made up of troubled vistas, but it also makes sense of them, and in Valentine, everything comes out right.
Blessings,
CurtissAnn
Curtiss Ann Matlock 
I forgot, for the record, I did NOT wear panties under my pantyhose!
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Dear Curtiss Ann, I just had to let you know that I have finally had a chance to really start reading Chin Up, Honey. I am only halfway through it, but I have to know………when were you eavesdropping on my life?? I can not believe the similarities. Maybe it is the time period, and being married for 41 years. From eating dinner on TV trays to disagreeing about sex and listening to each other…… and our first car was a Ford Galaxy 500!!!!!OMG… Of course some chapters were a bit embarassing to read while on a plane. I wonder who noticed the tears streaming down my face??….I am anxious to see what else you know about my life. Thanks again for the wonderful gift!!
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Can’t wait to read the new novel! I’m so happy it’s coming out.
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I own all your books so far and count them as my very favorite, but for some reason didn’t think of checking to see if you have a blog until today. I’m looking forward to reading all your entries.
You probably don’t remember me, but I wrote you an email a few years ago and you graciously responded. Lots has happened to me since then, and your books have been provided solace and encouragement. My only complaint is that I can’t move to Valentine in real life!
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Patti– thank you so much for taking the time to let me know you enjoy my stories. You know, everyone, including me, regret that we cannot move to Valentine. But many a small town is close!
CurtissAnn
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Hi, I just read about the radio station giving obits and the little old ladies sitting around listening….well girl, you should live in Boonville, Mo. because we do that three times a morning, 7-8&9…also give the garage sales for the week and community calendar to let you know what is going on around the county and then at 9:30 we have the Back Fence on the radio where you can call in a birhtday, anniversary, or sell something you want to get rid of and then our pharmacy will also open up after hours if you are in dire need of an RX. A lot of folks in the city would call this hookey, we call it convenient. ha Our town is 8,000 and 20 miles from Columbia, Mo. where Univ. of Mo. is located. WE have the Missouri River running by and the Isle of Capri Casino which has brot in a bunch of money for the town…didn’t think I would ever see so many fools part with their money…we go to eat the buffet once in a while.
So just started to tell you about the radio thing & here I written a book Look forward to your new book. Marilyn
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I’m eager to see what Winston is up to these days! Maybe I like those folks in Valentine so much because I see so many people I grew up with in them.
By the way, the local radio station in our county still has a funeral report.
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Nola– Praise God for local radio stations!
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