Working on Essay for Garden & Gun's First Book

Garden & Gun is working on its first book [HarperCollins; fall 2013].

The book will be titled something like [Garden & Gun presents] Soul of the South: How to Live the Good Life the Southern Way. The idea is a kind of manual/meditation with topical chapters full of fun, voicey service and short and long essays (like mine). If Garden & Gun does it, you know it will turn out beautiful and be an inspirational, informative, entertaining read, as timeless as possible, still fresh 20 years from now.

I'm working on an essay tentively titled "The Tradition of the Southern Garden" Hopefully, it will be inspirational celebration /meditation on the perfect southern garden.

Pulpwood Queens Literary Tour of the South, Oct 11th - 15th

BREAKING NEWS! Kathy Patrick, THE Pulpwood Queen, is taking her book club members, from across the nation, on a literary tour of the SOUTH, October 11th - 15th!

They leave from Shreveport, Louisiana, stops at Jackson, MS (visiting Eudora Welty's home) then on to Oxford, MS for some Faulkner at Rowan Oak an Square Books then on to Nashville, and Franklin TN. This tour is for authors & booklovers alike who want to be part of THE southern booklover's adventure of a lifetime! Please send Kathy L. Patrick your email if interested (authors too!)

Grand Finale will be the Southern Festival of the Books in Nashville's The Pulpwood Queen Presents panel with authors, Amy Hill Hearth, Lynda Rutledge, Jenny Wingfield, Robert Leleux and a special visit w/ Robert Hicks (that's me) at my cabin 'Labor in Vain' in Franklin, along with a private tour of Historic Carnton Plantation. If you love southern authors and books, this is the trip for YOU! 

Finally, you will return back to Shreveport via Memphis where there will be much fun. 

A Walk Among the Dead

One February night, some years ago, arriving at Colleville sur Mer / Omaha Beach after it had closed, I scaled the fence-hedge around the American Cemetery.  and walked among the 9,387 dead. In the light of a full moon, the crosses & Stars of David seemed to glow. To my surprise the carillon still played on the hour despite the cemetery being closed. It played for the dead and for me that night. 

In all, I've been there 5 times now, but no time has ever been  as meaningful as when I walked among the dead that night as the carillon played 'Rescue the Perishing, Care for the Dying.'

Today is an important day for all of us. With Normandy, the war began to turn in our favor. With the sacrifice of all those boys and so many others, Hitler and his vision was wiped from the earth. 

I am grateful for the evening among the dead and for all the other times I have been there. Mostly, I am grateful for those boys. 

One February night, some years ago, arriving at Colleville sur Mer / Omaha Beach after it had closed, I scaled the fence-hedge around the American Cemetery.  and walked among the 9,387 dead. In the light of a full moon, the crosses & Stars of David seemed to glow. To my surprise the carillon still played on the hour despite the cemetery being closed. It played for the dead and for me that night. 
In all, I've been there 5 times now, but no time has ever been  as meaningful as when I walked among the dead that night as the carillon played 'Rescue the Perishing, Care for the Dying.'
Today is an important day for all of us. With Normandy, the war began to turn in our favor. With the sacrifice of all those boys and so many others, Hitler and his vision was wiped from the earth. 
I am grateful for the evening among the dead and for all the other times I have been there. Mostly, I am grateful for those boys.