June 25th, 2008
In Profile: Thomas White—Writer, Editor, and Bed and Breakfast Proprietor
Thomas White lives in Tennessee, where he runs the historic Miner’s Rest Bed and Breakfast. He is a member of the Tennessee Writers Alliance and the Appalachian Writers Association. You can find his work in Southern Hum, Write Side Up, The Dead Mule, and Muscadine Lines: A Southern Journal. He also has a story forthcoming in Birmingham Arts Journal.
First, tell everyone about the precious pup in this picture.
It’s me. I’m really a dog genius. Just kidding, the dog was smarter that I am. (That would make a good game show–”Are You Smarter Than Your Dog?”.) He had me well-trained.
It’s Randy. He was our Westie. He lived to the ripe old age of 11 (that’s 71 going by the chart) despite having Addison’s Disease and Pancreatitis. I thought it would be nice to give him a few minutes of immortality here.
Recently, you turned your focus to Appalachian fiction. What exactly is Appalachian fiction? Is it work from writers living in the region, or is it a distinct style? Or both?
Any work about or from the Appalachian mountains can fall under the heading. Because the mountains stretch from New York to Georgia, this covers a lot of terrain. I can tell you about my experiences living in Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky, but it’s just a small part of what it means to be from the Appalachian mountains. Think about this: Thomas Wolfe, Carl Sandburg, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and O. Henry all lived and worked in and around Asheville, North Carolina. Each is famous for a different kind of work. What joins them together is the region. It’s interesting to study how this finds its way into their work.
Many of the great contemporary Appalachian writers aren’t known outside the region. This is a sad reflection of the mentality that the only real literature comes from New York City. Try reading Ann Patchett, Rick Bass, Ron Rash, William Gay, ZZ Packer, or Tim Gautreaux and not be moved.
I read everything that catches my attention. If it doesn’t appeal to me, I try to find the reason it appealed to someone and found its way onto the page or the screen. I believe there is value in all things written. There is something to be learned no matter what.
What were you into before Appalachian fiction?
I was adrift. By late 2007, my reading standards had drifted dangerously close to defending PARADE magazine as great writing. I used to read certain books on an annual basis, but I stopped when I became angry that books I loved weren’t getting the attention and respect they deserve. To Kill A Mockingbird is a good example. Current novels like it didn’t fit the “New York” mould (I should say “mold”) for literature, so they didn’t make the cut. Who says New York gets to hold the scissors? That realization brought me back. I stopped looking at failures and started digging for successes. They’re out there.
What’s on the annual list?
New Stories from the South (Current year and rotating through past years)
Best American Short Stories (Current year and rotating through past years)
Charles Dickens (At least one novel)
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Cormac McCarthy (At least one novel)
The Dollmaker by Harriet Arnow
Are you a “Southern” writer?
I don’t have any other choice. If I try not to be, it shows in the work. My few publishing credits have come from observations and experiences close to home. One has to be true to the talent and voice from inside. The hard part is to accept this graciously, recognize the strengths in it, and work from there.
How has living in the South shaped you as a person?
There are many great places in the world, but I doubt I could survive outside of a Southern environment. I’m like a dishtowel saturated with sweet tea. You might be able to wring me out, but I’d still be stained. “Stains” are the experiences that shape our identity. The process begins at birth and never ends. Of course, this is different for every writer. You could say there’s an awful lot of dirty towels out there and none of them match. (My mother-in-law is grabbing her bleach and yellow rubber gloves right now.)
You attend many writer conferences and readings in your area. What do you get out of them?
It’s not so much the conference as it is the people. Writing conferences in the South are like family reunions. You develop relationships with other writers that you only see a few times a year. People often work on the same writing project throughout the year and work on it at the conferences. A great deal can be learned by being witness to the changes other writers make in their short stories, poems, and novels.
You also develop relationships with the Lecturers and Presenters. They hold you accountable. I learned quickly that if you take more than one class by the same person in a year that you need to be ready. Everyone remembers a good line and expects a follow-up that’s even better. It makes you think “what made this line of a poem or dialog the star of the class?”
In college, you studied 20th century American literature. Who are your favorite 20th century authors? How does contemporary literature differ?
From college: Eudora Welty, Shirley Jackson, Harriet Arnow, Harper Lee, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Zora Neale Hurston, Gunter Grass, John Steinbeck, Willa Cather, and Jack Kerouac.
I find literature to be fluid. Every new thing written draws on the past, so it’s more of an evolution than a difference. Comparing any two points in time, or even contrasting multiple points, would make a great thesis, but I’m not going to do it. The important thing is to be smart enough to recognize the direction of the river and paddle downstream, not up.
I’m not saying this to be lazy, but to be smart. Look at how your work fits in with what is being published and dive in. The day will come when you’re so famous that you can publish anything. That’s when you pull out the “salmon swimming upstream” novel and change the direction of the river.
You’ve been an associate editor at SmokeLong Quarterly since the second issue. That’s amazing! How has the journal changed over the years? To what do you attribute its longevity?
I don’t think SLQ has changed a great deal in the way it operates on a day-to-day basis. We’ve tried some things that didn’t work and others that did. We tried to go Bi-Monthly at one point and the journal suffered a little then because we couldn’t keep up.
Changes for the better have always involved the addition of staff. We used to handle interviews as a group until Randall Brown joined SLQ. His focused interviews really brought out the intent of our writer’s work and helped improve the overall quality of SLQ. He’s handed the pad and pencil off to you with great success and I’ve been amazed at how you keep up with SLQ and the work you do here. If you or Randall ever leave, I guess Dave will have to get Barbara Walters under contract.
Randall is handling the “Features” section now and I’m excited by the responses to his first installment. Be sure to check it out and get in on the fun.
The addition, Marty Ison’s artwork has had a huge impact. His vision brings a distinct identity to SLQ. I don’t think the journal could be separated from Marty’s art anymore. It’s that important to what SLQ does.
Joe Young recently joined SLQ. He someone I’ve admired since the very first tiny perfect micro of his that I read. His ability to present a complete vision in the fewest perfect words amazes me. It’s a skill that’s vital to Flash and his insight is invaluable.
I’m letting a cat out of the bag, but another former staffer is returning. Keep your eyes peeled folks because one of the first people who encouraged me in writing and at SLQ is back.
Dave’s vision for what an on-line journal can be is incredible. I hadn’t put much effort into writing on-line until he asked me to join the staff. He’s made SLQ accessible and effortless both for writers and the staff. His magic system for making all submissions immediately available for the entire staff to read blind as soon as they arrive has been one of the big keys to SLQ’s longevity. We can all respond at the same time and the ability to discuss a submission in real time keeps the commitment to quality at the forefront.
The Guest Editors have also been vital to SLQ’s success. Each new editor brings a different perspective and introduces new writers to us and to the world. Unlike other publications, the GE is right in the trenches with us working through the submissions. This makes a big difference because we develop a relationship and everyone learns from it. It shows in the Flash we publish. It also results in the subtle and organic themes that come out in each issue.
The Fish Fellowship has been another great addition. Not only does it honor one of our best “alumni,” it helps a new writer along the way and creates competition allowing folks to be a part of SLQ for a year. The Fellow works on more than just stories for SLQ, and it’s great to see those pieces get accepted at other venues. Both the Fellow and the staff benefit from the relationship and everyone learns something.
What about your own role at SmokeLong? Dave Clapper brought you on board early on, and you’ve been there for him, and the journal, for nearly five years. That means a lot.
Ha! It means Dave puts up with a lot. I’m kidding. I think I’ve only pitched one temper tantrum. Dave is a genius when it comes to running an on-line journal. SmokeLong wouldn’t be what it is without his vision. I’m glad he’s let me run amok as long as he has. I think I also vote against more submissions than any of the other editors. The longer a person reads for a journal, the higher the bar becomes. It can also become stale. This is part of the “river” stuff I talk about in another question. Luckily Dave lets folks come and go as needed. It keeps the quality high and the voices fresh.
Tell us about the beautiful Miner’s Rest Bed and Breakfast you own and operate.
Thank you, but it’s not so beautiful right now. We currently renovating the front porch and adding two bathrooms upstairs. State code requires a private bath for each bedroom (unless the property was an existing B&B prior to the enactment of the code.) We lost one bedroom as a result of turning it into two bathrooms for other rooms. We’ll end up with four bedrooms each with a private bath.
Each bedroom already has its own independent thermostat control so guests will never be too hot or too cold. We’ve also had each room wired for fiber optic cable/internet, but the area provider (there’s only one) has not been reliable, so we’re looking at options.
Once that’s finished, it’s on to the kitchen which is the last major room renovation. State code complicates renovation for the kitchen also. We have to add a separate hand sink, but this is not too complicated as we are adding counters and cabinets including two dishwashers. The big problem is venting the stove because there’s not a sub-space between floors (this has also led to complicated upstairs plumbing.) We will be able to actually open once the kitchen has been finished.
We have a small house on an adjacent property that we operate as a guest cottage. It has been a great way to learn about operating a B&B. We’re already getting repeat stays on it, so we must be doing something right.
My biggest plans are to have Writers’ Retreats at the B&B. I want people to have a place to escape to and talk with other writers.
Writers’ Retreats! That’s a fantastic idea. Do you have any more details?
No firm details yet. My vague plan is to have a guest-speaker to present one or two sessions, some think-tank and discussion time, a side trip or two, and plenty of free time for folks to actually write. And lots of good wine and food!!
How long have you owned the B&B? How did you get into the business?
We purchased the house in July 2003. The original plan was to begin looking and buy something in about 5 years. It happened in 5 months. And this was even with seeing a lot of really bad properties.
What’s tucked away in the nooks and crannies of your home, your bed and breakfast?
Unfortunately just spider skeletons. The house was in foreclosure and had been stripped clean. We’ve found one miner’s ID tag, one lamp, two Civil War bullets, and a few tools.
Contact Thomas: twhite AT smokelong DOT com
Read:
Trailer Trash
published in The Dead Mule
The Train
published in A Southern Journal
First, tell everyone about the precious pup in this picture.
It’s me. I’m really a dog genius. Just kidding, the dog was smarter that I am. (That would make a good game show–”Are You Smarter Than Your Dog?”.) He had me well-trained.
It’s Randy. He was our Westie. He lived to the ripe old age of 11 (that’s 71 going by the chart) despite having Addison’s Disease and Pancreatitis. I thought it would be nice to give him a few minutes of immortality here.
Recently, you turned your focus to Appalachian fiction. What exactly is Appalachian fiction? Is it work from writers living in the region, or is it a distinct style? Or both?
Any work about or from the Appalachian mountains can fall under the heading. Because the mountains stretch from New York to Georgia, this covers a lot of terrain. I can tell you about my experiences living in Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky, but it’s just a small part of what it means to be from the Appalachian mountains. Think about this: Thomas Wolfe, Carl Sandburg, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and O. Henry all lived and worked in and around Asheville, North Carolina. Each is famous for a different kind of work. What joins them together is the region. It’s interesting to study how this finds its way into their work.
Many of the great contemporary Appalachian writers aren’t known outside the region. This is a sad reflection of the mentality that the only real literature comes from New York City. Try reading Ann Patchett, Rick Bass, Ron Rash, William Gay, ZZ Packer, or Tim Gautreaux and not be moved.
I read everything that catches my attention. If it doesn’t appeal to me, I try to find the reason it appealed to someone and found its way onto the page or the screen. I believe there is value in all things written. There is something to be learned no matter what.
What were you into before Appalachian fiction?
I was adrift. By late 2007, my reading standards had drifted dangerously close to defending PARADE magazine as great writing. I used to read certain books on an annual basis, but I stopped when I became angry that books I loved weren’t getting the attention and respect they deserve. To Kill A Mockingbird is a good example. Current novels like it didn’t fit the “New York” mould (I should say “mold”) for literature, so they didn’t make the cut. Who says New York gets to hold the scissors? That realization brought me back. I stopped looking at failures and started digging for successes. They’re out there.
What’s on the annual list?
New Stories from the South (Current year and rotating through past years)
Best American Short Stories (Current year and rotating through past years)
Charles Dickens (At least one novel)
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Cormac McCarthy (At least one novel)
The Dollmaker by Harriet Arnow
Are you a “Southern” writer?
I don’t have any other choice. If I try not to be, it shows in the work. My few publishing credits have come from observations and experiences close to home. One has to be true to the talent and voice from inside. The hard part is to accept this graciously, recognize the strengths in it, and work from there.
How has living in the South shaped you as a person?
There are many great places in the world, but I doubt I could survive outside of a Southern environment. I’m like a dishtowel saturated with sweet tea. You might be able to wring me out, but I’d still be stained. “Stains” are the experiences that shape our identity. The process begins at birth and never ends. Of course, this is different for every writer. You could say there’s an awful lot of dirty towels out there and none of them match. (My mother-in-law is grabbing her bleach and yellow rubber gloves right now.)
You attend many writer conferences and readings in your area. What do you get out of them?
It’s not so much the conference as it is the people. Writing conferences in the South are like family reunions. You develop relationships with other writers that you only see a few times a year. People often work on the same writing project throughout the year and work on it at the conferences. A great deal can be learned by being witness to the changes other writers make in their short stories, poems, and novels.
You also develop relationships with the Lecturers and Presenters. They hold you accountable. I learned quickly that if you take more than one class by the same person in a year that you need to be ready. Everyone remembers a good line and expects a follow-up that’s even better. It makes you think “what made this line of a poem or dialog the star of the class?”
In college, you studied 20th century American literature. Who are your favorite 20th century authors? How does contemporary literature differ?
From college: Eudora Welty, Shirley Jackson, Harriet Arnow, Harper Lee, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Zora Neale Hurston, Gunter Grass, John Steinbeck, Willa Cather, and Jack Kerouac.
I find literature to be fluid. Every new thing written draws on the past, so it’s more of an evolution than a difference. Comparing any two points in time, or even contrasting multiple points, would make a great thesis, but I’m not going to do it. The important thing is to be smart enough to recognize the direction of the river and paddle downstream, not up.
I’m not saying this to be lazy, but to be smart. Look at how your work fits in with what is being published and dive in. The day will come when you’re so famous that you can publish anything. That’s when you pull out the “salmon swimming upstream” novel and change the direction of the river.
You’ve been an associate editor at SmokeLong Quarterly since the second issue. That’s amazing! How has the journal changed over the years? To what do you attribute its longevity?
I don’t think SLQ has changed a great deal in the way it operates on a day-to-day basis. We’ve tried some things that didn’t work and others that did. We tried to go Bi-Monthly at one point and the journal suffered a little then because we couldn’t keep up.
Changes for the better have always involved the addition of staff. We used to handle interviews as a group until Randall Brown joined SLQ. His focused interviews really brought out the intent of our writer’s work and helped improve the overall quality of SLQ. He’s handed the pad and pencil off to you with great success and I’ve been amazed at how you keep up with SLQ and the work you do here. If you or Randall ever leave, I guess Dave will have to get Barbara Walters under contract.
Randall is handling the “Features” section now and I’m excited by the responses to his first installment. Be sure to check it out and get in on the fun.
The addition, Marty Ison’s artwork has had a huge impact. His vision brings a distinct identity to SLQ. I don’t think the journal could be separated from Marty’s art anymore. It’s that important to what SLQ does.
Joe Young recently joined SLQ. He someone I’ve admired since the very first tiny perfect micro of his that I read. His ability to present a complete vision in the fewest perfect words amazes me. It’s a skill that’s vital to Flash and his insight is invaluable.
I’m letting a cat out of the bag, but another former staffer is returning. Keep your eyes peeled folks because one of the first people who encouraged me in writing and at SLQ is back.
Dave’s vision for what an on-line journal can be is incredible. I hadn’t put much effort into writing on-line until he asked me to join the staff. He’s made SLQ accessible and effortless both for writers and the staff. His magic system for making all submissions immediately available for the entire staff to read blind as soon as they arrive has been one of the big keys to SLQ’s longevity. We can all respond at the same time and the ability to discuss a submission in real time keeps the commitment to quality at the forefront.
The Guest Editors have also been vital to SLQ’s success. Each new editor brings a different perspective and introduces new writers to us and to the world. Unlike other publications, the GE is right in the trenches with us working through the submissions. This makes a big difference because we develop a relationship and everyone learns from it. It shows in the Flash we publish. It also results in the subtle and organic themes that come out in each issue.
The Fish Fellowship has been another great addition. Not only does it honor one of our best “alumni,” it helps a new writer along the way and creates competition allowing folks to be a part of SLQ for a year. The Fellow works on more than just stories for SLQ, and it’s great to see those pieces get accepted at other venues. Both the Fellow and the staff benefit from the relationship and everyone learns something.
What about your own role at SmokeLong? Dave Clapper brought you on board early on, and you’ve been there for him, and the journal, for nearly five years. That means a lot.
Ha! It means Dave puts up with a lot. I’m kidding. I think I’ve only pitched one temper tantrum. Dave is a genius when it comes to running an on-line journal. SmokeLong wouldn’t be what it is without his vision. I’m glad he’s let me run amok as long as he has. I think I also vote against more submissions than any of the other editors. The longer a person reads for a journal, the higher the bar becomes. It can also become stale. This is part of the “river” stuff I talk about in another question. Luckily Dave lets folks come and go as needed. It keeps the quality high and the voices fresh.
Tell us about the beautiful Miner’s Rest Bed and Breakfast you own and operate.
Thank you, but it’s not so beautiful right now. We currently renovating the front porch and adding two bathrooms upstairs. State code requires a private bath for each bedroom (unless the property was an existing B&B prior to the enactment of the code.) We lost one bedroom as a result of turning it into two bathrooms for other rooms. We’ll end up with four bedrooms each with a private bath.
Each bedroom already has its own independent thermostat control so guests will never be too hot or too cold. We’ve also had each room wired for fiber optic cable/internet, but the area provider (there’s only one) has not been reliable, so we’re looking at options.
Once that’s finished, it’s on to the kitchen which is the last major room renovation. State code complicates renovation for the kitchen also. We have to add a separate hand sink, but this is not too complicated as we are adding counters and cabinets including two dishwashers. The big problem is venting the stove because there’s not a sub-space between floors (this has also led to complicated upstairs plumbing.) We will be able to actually open once the kitchen has been finished.
We have a small house on an adjacent property that we operate as a guest cottage. It has been a great way to learn about operating a B&B. We’re already getting repeat stays on it, so we must be doing something right.
My biggest plans are to have Writers’ Retreats at the B&B. I want people to have a place to escape to and talk with other writers.
Writers’ Retreats! That’s a fantastic idea. Do you have any more details?
No firm details yet. My vague plan is to have a guest-speaker to present one or two sessions, some think-tank and discussion time, a side trip or two, and plenty of free time for folks to actually write. And lots of good wine and food!!
How long have you owned the B&B? How did you get into the business?
We purchased the house in July 2003. The original plan was to begin looking and buy something in about 5 years. It happened in 5 months. And this was even with seeing a lot of really bad properties.
What’s tucked away in the nooks and crannies of your home, your bed and breakfast?
Unfortunately just spider skeletons. The house was in foreclosure and had been stripped clean. We’ve found one miner’s ID tag, one lamp, two Civil War bullets, and a few tools.
Contact Thomas: twhite AT smokelong DOT com
Read:
Trailer Trash
published in The Dead Mule
The Train
published in A Southern Journal
Filed Under: The Writer Profile Project |
June 26th, 2008 at 9:40 am Oh, I do love me some Tommy White! I wish there was more of this. I’d love to hear more about the relationships that’ve been fostered at the various conferences, for example. Great stuff!
July 1st, 2008 at 7:50 am I so enjoyed reading this, I want to come to your B and B and write and relax and go for walks and just be. Maybe just be stained. Thanks so much for sharing all of this. Wonderful interview.
Love this.
I’m like a dishtowel saturated with sweet tea. You might be able to wring me out, but I’d still be stained. “Stains” are the experiences that shape our identity. The process begins at birth and never ends. Of course, this is different for every writer. You could say there’s an awful lot of dirty towels out there and none of them match.