Looking for the Florida DUer who helped Faulkner build his sailboat, the Ringdove.
IIRC, said DUer was a professor at a college in the Florida Panhandle. He posted me this about 10 years ago on DU:
"In the Summer of 1956, while I was a student at Ole Miss, my brother and I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Faulkner on the restoration of his sail boat, "The Ringdove". The project lasted about two summer months. We did the work in the yard of "Rowan Oak".
He was a soft spoken, courteous gentleman. During the many hours of work with him, I don't recall any conversation about literature or art. For the most part, we discussed the boat project. I do remember that on one occasion, my brother and I, who were jazz musicians, were discussing the fact that we had to run by our homes and "pick up our axes for a gig we were playing that night". He was curious to know what the terms "axe" and "gig" meant. We explained that "axe" meant musical instrument and that a "gig" was a dance or party job for which we provided the music. He immediately related the tie in between "gig" and the French dance form "Gigue". Subsequently, he remained interested in every jazz slang word that we used.
When the boat was ready, we towed it to Sardis Reservoir for the first test run. His daughter Jill, her husband Paul, Mr. Faulkner, my brother and I piled into Paul's jeep for the slow tow job to the lake. As we were launching the boat near the mouth of the Tobi Tubby Creek, we met an old black man. As Mr. Faulkner was conversing with him, I heard the old man ask Faulkner, "Ain't you the one that wrote the book"? Personally, I've often wondered how he knew that bit of information.
Shortly after that summer, Mr. Faulkner began spending time in Virginia. We rarely saw him in Oxford. However, I do recall the last time I saw him. He was entering Grundy's Cafe and saw me across the street. He stopped and sort of shouted across the street, "How is your brother"?"
Like to talk more about this!
Mac
BTW: DU people are the most interesting people in the world. Period. Can't make this shit up.
Faulkner's Barn at Rowan Oak
= new reply since forum marked as read
You sure have a great supply of them, along with your photos!
