A Southern Missive

I’m officially ready for summer. I’m officially weary of wet and cold. I know spring is coming. I can hear a difference in the morning song birds, the very air itself feels different, I can see weeds (and some grass) sprouting in my yard, I can feel romance stirring in my blood. I am ready for flip-flops and shorts, ready to feel the warmth of the sun. Much work comes with the spring when you own a house, but that is just part of the deal. There will be the annual repair of the air conditioner, I still have some screens for my carpenter friend to construct for my windows, I have landscaping, and I have other chores. The good thing about spring is that it leads me into summer. I need to do some research on how my favorite writers were affected by summer and how they viewed them.

Though I know summers are becoming increasingly shorter for teachers, I intend for this to be my most productive summer ever. Pelican will publish my children’s book, Jim Limber Davis: A Black Orphan in the Confederate White House, sometime in May. When it comes out, I will pack my schedule and burn up the roads doing signings and readings and children’s programs, etc. I need to start working on my calendar now. Wish me luck.

Tomorrow, I’ll be in Winnsboro in Franklin Parish for my second presentation for Battlefield Louisiana: The Civil War in Louisiana. This week we’re evaluating the book about the Louisiana Native Guards and the black experience during the Civil War. Today, back to the salt mine of public education.

Coming soon to Showtime will be a series I’ve looked forward to for some time–The Tudors. As a high school English teacher, I find the subject matter absolutely fascinating. I’m sure it will drive me and my more diligent students into all kinds of research. I especially do hope that my college students will watch the show. The preview information on the Tudor site says this of the series:

Lover. Warrior. Rebel. King. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is Henry VIII as never seen before. THE TUDORS is the epic new Showtime Original Series that reveals the scandalous life of the stunning young monarch, who ruled his kingdom with ruthless abandon. With a lust for power and an appetite for love, Henry’s affair with Anne Boleyn – and obsession with producing a male heir – changed the institution of marriage, and the world, forever. THE TUDORS is the untold story of Henry VIII, the beloved tyrant whose reign was marked by treachery, betrayal and intrigue.
 
Cast: Jonathan Rhys Meyers is King Henry VIII
Starring: Sam Neill, Callum Blue, Henry Cavill, Henry Czerny, Natalie Dormer and Jeremy Northam

I plan on watching every episode, and will comment on them on this blog. If you want to see pics, go to this link: http://assets.m80im.com/webmasters/thetudors/thetudors.html#about
If you’d like to see a good preview video, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w0aNWHLUOU

I’ve been on an Evanescence kick lately, listening to the mesmerizing voice of Amy Lee while driving in my Toyota truck.

My friend E.B. requested I post the words of “Bring Me to Life.” Here they are, retrieved from http://endor.org/evanescence/lyrics.asp?Submit=View+Lyrics&AlbumID=4&SongID=29 This is the unofficial Evanescence Web site, full of lyrics and good stuff about the band, Evanescence.

Bring Me to Life

how can you see into my eyes like open doors
leading you down into my core
where i’ve become so numb
without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold
until you find it there and lead it back home
wake me up inside
wake me up inside
call my name and save me from the dark
bid my blood to run
before i come undone
save me from the nothing i’ve become

now that i know what i’m without
you can’t just leave me
breathe into me and make me real
bring me to life

wake me up inside
wake me up inside
call my name and save me from the dark
bid my blood to run
before i come undone
save me from the nothing i’ve become
bring me to life

frozen inside without your touch
without your love darling
only you are the life among the dead

all this time i can’t believe i couldn’t see
kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
i’ve been sleeping a thousand years it seems
got to open my eyes to everything
without a thought without a voice without a soul
don’t let me die here
there must be something more
bring me to life