It’s a long drive to Little Rock from Charlotte, NC. The setting for my first two novels, When Men Betray and Ginger Snaps and of course, the beginning of my 1997 autobiography, Friends in High Places, recently reissued by my publisher Beaufort Books.
Neither route is particularly exciting. Too many truck for my tastes. If you take I-40 it takes you through Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Asheville, and Charlotte. The southern route takes you through Atlanta, Birmingham, Tupelo, and thought heart of Cotton, Rice, and soybean country better known as the Delta. When Suzy drive with me we try to avoid the Interstates, which takes us through some wonderful towns such as Water Valley, Mississippi (the home of my grandmother), Oxford, Mississippi ( the home of Faulkner and for a while, John Grisham ), and some of the best BBQ and fried fish places one could ever imagine.
I drove to Little Rock and back to attend my 50th High School reunion where I got to see and visit with friends I’ve had and continue to have for over fifty years. One of the great things about true friendship is that one can be separated from a true friend, lose touch with a friend, but when you reconnect it’s like amount a go. One doesn’t miss a step or a beat, and we pick up where it was the last time we see each other.
My autobiography, Friends in High Places, and my novel, When Men Betray both examine that phenomena. We all leave our own indelible mark on the world. The proof is found in our friendships.