by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Sixty-five years ago, Ely Green showed up on the doorstep of Sewanee historiographer Arthur Ben Chitty with a suitcase containing 1,200 handwritten pages. Born to a 14-year-old black woman and white prelaw University student from a prominent Sewanee family, Green had heard Chitty was looking for stories about Sewanee. What was in that suitcase is the subject of a new podcast that began as a glimmer in the mind of April Alvarez, School of Letters Associate Director, and coalesced into a pearl with the help of Southern Studies and digital humanities archivist Hannah Huber and Sam Worley, journalist and editor. Worley said of the podcast title, “The Suitcase,” “The literal suitcase is the box Ely Green brings up to the top of the mountain in 1964 that contains his life story. Another theme is how much moving around Ely Green did, often forced by circumstances. He was chased off the mountain with nothing but a suitcase, went to Texas, went to France, went to California. He was constantly in motion, in many cases in reaction to external forces. ‘Never a moment’s rest’ is a prevailing feeling because he’s always running afoul of white supremacists, rural racists on the mountain and police in California. And, then, ‘The Suitcase’ because this is such a big story to unpack.”

“The manuscript itself has a life beyond Ely,” Worley stressed. After many rejections, in 1966 Chitty found a small Episcopalian press to publish the first segment about Green’s Sewanee years. “The publishing market then was crowded with work by black writers,” Huber said, commenting on the difficulty Chitty had finding a publisher. Chitty changed some names, notably that of Green’s father’s family, according to Huber. Other segments were omitted, including some powerful reflections on race. A student of Huber’s discovered the omissions in a class project dedicated to producing a literal transcription of the handwritten document. Whether the omissions were Chitty’s choice or the publishers is unknown, Huber said. In 1970, the University of Massachusetts Press published the full manuscript, “Ely: Too Black, Too White,” with the name changes intact, but more faithful to the original manuscript. Green suffered a stroke, had no part in editing the 1966 edition, and died before the 1970s edition was released.

“The Suitcase papers were written over a period of several months. If Green used diaries and journals as a reference, we don’t know,” Huber observed. During his time in Texas, Green began keeping a diary to improve his literary skills. “Green had only six months of formal education,” Huber said. The diaries, subpoenaed by the courts in a land dispute case, were never returned. By Green’s account, other journals were burned by a lover jealous of his relationship with his daughter.

In fact, Green had two daughters, although he never acknowledges this in his manuscript. Green’s granddaughter, Patricia Ravarra makes an appearance in Episode One. “Pat spoke with us on Zoom,” Alvarez said. “She’s an artist living in Hawaii now. She was a joy to talk with.” Ravarra was unaware her grandfather wrote a book until, by pure coincidence, she saw a copy of “Ely: Too Black, Too White.” The researchers learned from Ravarra that during his Sewanee years, Green fathered two daughters by twin sisters, one Ravarra’s mother who would later follow him to California. “He was a bit of a cad,” Ravarra mused.

The suitcase Green showed up with contained as many questions as answers. In 2020, during what Alvarez calls “the summer of racial reckoning,” Alvarez took a leadership class that focused on “finding your purpose.” “For me, that was telling stories,” Alvarez said. She found herself rereading the 50th anniversary edition of “Ely: Too Black, Too White,” with a forward written by Ravarra, and the lightbulb came on, “We should make a podcast” — we being herself, Huber, and Worley. School of Letters student Worley had enrolled in an independent study with Huber who directed a grant funded program to transcribe the handwritten Green manuscript. The more the three researchers learned, the more they learned there was to know.

In the manuscript, Green gave his mother’s age when she gave birth to him as 17 and his birthplace as Sewanee. Chitty’s notes indicate Green confided his mother was only 14, and she was “sent away” to Winchester to give birth.

Many questions still wait for answers. Green’s mother died when Green was a young child, but where is she buried? A white family Green’s mother worked for treated them with kindness and generosity, yet Green’s father’s family rejected them both. Why? And why did Chitty change their names?

Huber describes the 1966 version as similar to a “novel” in style. Alvarez describes the 1970s version as “cinematic,” perhaps a result of his many years in California where he claimed involvement with the film industry. Elsewhere in the manuscript, Green says Eleanor Roosevelt commissioned him to integrate California airplane factories. Huber could find no mention of Green’s name in the company’s logs, but she conceded, “They did not do a good job of documenting black employees. He may have embellished the Eleanor Roosevelt thing, but I believe he was there working on integration, and it wasn’t documented well.” Records of African Americans are notoriously absent from the historical archive, Alvarez pointed out. “Archives were built for the white class and the wealthy class.”

“This is Ely Green telling his story on his terms,” Alvarez insisted. During his Texas oil field years, Green recounts lobbying for black Texas farmers who lost their property to unscrupulous dealers. Speaking of his military career, Green talks about lobbying for black soldiers to receive the same combat uniform as white soldiers rather than second-rate boots and attire. Sadly, most military records were destroyed in a 1971 fire, but the researchers found Green’s last pay stub. Among other information gleaned from the pay stub, aside from dates and amounts, was documentation of the lower wage black soldiers received.

The podcast is far more than an account of a man’s life. “It’s a story about bigger things in 20th century history which, shockingly, are not more widely known,” said Worley. He emphasizes the importance of contextualization in the podcast’s telling of the story. A shopkeeper mentioned by Green turned out to be the son of a man who attacked an abolitionist senator on the floors of Congress, nearly killing him. Another connection pointed to an Alabama man who amassed a fortune as a slave trader and made a large donation to the University, the Domain’s Armfield Bluff bearing his name.

Although only the Introduction and Episode One have been released to date, the project just received Walter E. Dakin funding to produce three more episodes, with a total of nine planned. Alvarez wants to go to Texas and search for the unreturned subpoenaed diaries. Worley wants to interview descendants of Green’s father, the Wix family. Huber’s four-year grant project transcribed the portion of the manuscript about Green’s Sewanee years, and she hopes to see that work carried on to complete transcription of all 1,200 pages.

“So many know something about this story. We’d love to hear from them,” Alvarez insisted. Stay tuned and, meanwhile, tune in to

https://www.thesuitcasepodcast.com

and start unpacking “The Suitcase.” (Note: To credit everyone involved in the project here would be unwieldy. See the website to learn more.)

All are cordially invited to the 95th anniversary celebration of the Sewanee Woman’s Club at St. Mary’s Sewanee, on Monday, May 12, 2025.

The Sewanee Woman’s Club has been a bond of unity and a source of charitable community support and information for ladies on the mountain since 1930. We are joyous to celebrate the past, present and future members of this special club.

The free program from 12:30–1:30 p.m., will be a walk down memory lane. Several of our members will be wearing ensembles reminiscent of past decades and will be reading exerpts from recent interviews of women living in the mountain area from 1950 to the present decade. The interviews describe life on the mountain through the years from the womens’ perspective. The finale of the celebration will be the cutting and eating of a fanciful, delicious cake which will be washed down by various beverages, some, perhaps, bubbly in nature.

A reservation is needed to attend the program only. Please make a reservation by noon, Sunday, May 4, and specify if you desire to enjoy the program only or if lunch is desired by contacting <reservations.swc@gmail.com>.

The first 60 respondents who wish to join us for lunch, starting at 11:50 a.m. (social hour starts at 11:30) are welcome to purchase a luncheon for $20 and again make a reservation by noon, Sunday, May 4, at <reservations.swc@gmail.com>.

On Sunday, April 27, from 2–4 p.m., the Sewanee Children’s Center (SCC) will be celebrating its 75th anniversary and honoring the 38-year legacy of Carrie Mauzy. Mauzy’s tenure at SCC is the longest in the school’s history, and her influence and commitment have played a critical role in shaping SCC. The festivities will take place in Kennerly Hall and on the SCC playground, and the community is invited to join in the fun. There will be games, face painting, a cookie walk, and other activities, along with food and an SCC birthday cake.

The Sewanee Children’s Center has a long and storied history, counting many members of the community among its alumni. In preparing a history of the Center, long-time board member and treasurer, Sandy Baird, estimated that the school has served 3,600 students in its 75 years of operation. It first opened its doors as the Sewanee Nursery and Kindergarten on Oct. 14, 1949, after an agreement was made with Otey Parish for the use of the basement of the parish hall, and it occupies this same space today.

Until 1967, the school’s attendees were primarily the children of University families, and it functioned as a play/nursery program. In 1966, Martha Lowe moved from her position on the school’s board to become the director; during her tenure, the first formal parent handbook was written, and a focus was placed on the demonstrable benefits of formal preschool and kindergarten education. At the time, the local public school did not include kindergarten, and the Sewanee Nursery and Kindergarten filled the need for such a program. This emphasis on a structured kindergarten education led to the start of a Headstart program and galvanized attempts to diversify attendance through scholarship programs funded largely by the Cartinour-Woods Foundation of Chattanooga.

In 1977, the school transitioned from a morning-only to an all-day program, with the mornings oriented towards kindergarten education and the afternoons as a daycare. This transition followed several unsuccessful community attempts to start an all-day daycare as more women joined the workforce and needed formal care for their young children. At this time, 41% percent of students received scholarships. The Sewanee Community Chest, Otey Parish (St. Mark and St. Paul), and the Cartinour-Woods Foundation have been key supporters of the Center, along with many generous private donors.

In 1983, the name was changed to the Sewanee Children’s Center, and in the years following, SCC was used as a model in Tennessee for nursery and preschool programs. Now, the Center follows the constructivist theory of education, where students are active participants in a relevant and engaging curriculum that encourages critical thinking and problem solving.

The Center owes its success to the unfailing dedication and hard work of all its directors and teachers, past and present, and the many community members who have volunteered time and support over the years to this treasured institution.

The REAL ID Act of 2005 established minimum security standards for license issuance and production. These standards provide an additional level of security to protect your identity. It also prohibits Federal agencies from accepting driver licenses and ID cards from states that do not meet the Act’s minimum standards.

Beginning May 7, 2025, everyone must have a REAL ID or another approved Federally-issued ID, such as a passport, to enter certain Federal buildings, military bases and nuclear power plants or board commercial flights within the United States. For complete information go to
<https://www.tn.gov/safety/driver-services/real-id.html;.

About REAL ID

In 2024, the State of Tennessee launched a new credential design. New REAL ID compliant driver licenses and Identification credentials have a black circle with a star in the top right corner. Non-REAL ID driver licenses and identification credentials display the phrase, “NOT FOR REAL ID ACT PURPOSES” on the front of the credential. Legacy REAL ID compliant driver licenses and Identification credentials have a gold circle with a star in the top right corner of the license. Legacy REAL ID credentials are valid until their expiration date.

What do you need a REAL ID to do?

Tennesseans are not required to obtain a REAL ID compliant license or Identification credential. You do NOT need a REAL ID to drive, vote, purchase alcohol or cigarettes, access hospitals, visit the post office, access federal courts or apply for or receive federal benefits such as social security or veterans’ benefits.

Real ID Required Documents

These documents are required if you already have a Tennessee Driver License or ID and are applying for a REAL ID compliant credential for the first time or if you are a new Tennessee resident and were previously issued a REAL ID in a different state.

NOTE: If your name has changed from what is listed on any of the required documents, you must also bring certified legal documents supporting the name change(s). This could include marriage licenses, divorce decrees, etc.

NOTE: All documents must be originals or certified. No photocopies will be accepted.

You will need to present the following documents when applying for a REAL ID:

1. Proof of U.S. Citizenship or Legal Presence

https://www.tn.gov/safety/driver-services/classd/dlcitizenship.html

2. Proof of Citizenship/Lawful Permanent Residency

NOTE:All documents are subject to further verification with the issuing agency or source. Documents subject to verification may delay the issuance of your license.

NOTE: All items must be original documents. No photocopies will be accepted.

Acceptable Documents for U.S. Citizenship

Official Birth Certificate issued by a U.S. state, jurisdiction or territory (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Swain’s Island, Guam)

Puerto Rican birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010, will NOT be recognized as proof of Lawful U.S. Citizenship.

The government of Puerto Rico has provided information for citizens to apply for new birth certificates

U.S. Government-issued Certified Birth Certificate

U.S. Certificate of Birth Abroad (DS-1350 or FS-545)

Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the U.S. (FS-240)

Valid, unexpired U.S. Passport

Certificate of Citizenship (N560 or N561)

Certificate of Naturalization (N550, N570 or N578)

U.S. Citizen Identification Card (I-197, I-179)

Acceptable Documents for Lawful Permanent Resident Status

Permanent Resident Alien Card (I-551)

Foreign passport stamped by the U.S. Government indicating that the holder has been “Processed for I-551”

Permanent resident Re-entry Permit (I-327)

Arrival Departure Form I-94 with “Temporary I-551” stamp and holder’s photograph affixed

Travel Document issued to Permanent Residents (I-327)

Travel Document issued to Refugees (I-571)

Form I-94 stamped with one of the following statuses: Asylee, Parolee or Parole, Refugee, Asylum, HP-humanitarian parolee or PIP-public interest parolee

3. Proof of your full Social Security Number

4. Two proofs of Tennessee Residency

https://www.tn.gov/safety/driver-services/classd/tnresidency.html;

The documents you bring must show your name and the current residential address you used on your application or the name of your spouse, parent or legal guardian. If the document has the name of a spouse, parent or legal guardian and not the applicant, proof of relationship will be required i.e., a birth or marriage certificate. If you bring a document that contains your name but does not contain your residential address, that document will NOT be accepted.

The documents you present may NOT be from the same source. For example, a water bill and gas bill from the same utility company would be considered the same source. A Tennessee vehicle registration and certificate of title would also be the same source.

All documents are required to be current, issued within the past four (4) months. Internal Revenue Service documents must be from the current tax year.

NOTE: All documents are subject to verification with the issuing agency or source. Documents subject to verification may delay the issuance of your license.

NOTE:: All items must be original documents. No photocopies will be accepted.

5. To Prove Tennessee Residency, Applicants Must Provide the Following:

Two (2) Documents from List A, or One (1) Document from List A and One (1) Document from List B

List A - Acceptable Proofs of Residency

Current Utility Bill – This includes landline telephone, electric, water, gas, and cable bills.

Current Bank Statement - Internet bank statements are acceptable only if taken to the local bank, stamped and dated by teller as an active account. Checks and checkbook information are NOT acceptable.

Current Rental/Mortgage Contract or Receipt including the Deed of Sale for property.

Current employer verification of residence address or letter from employer as long as it is on company letterhead with an original signature. If employer does not have letterhead, then the signature of the employer must be notarized.

Current Paycheck/Check Stub, Work ID or Badge – residential address must be included on the badge or document.

Current Automobile, Life or Health Insurance Policy - Wallet Cards will NOT be accepted.

Current Driver License/ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security to a parent, legal guardian or spouse of applicant.

Current Tennessee Motor Vehicle Registration or Title (may use one, not both)

Current Tennessee Voter Registration Card

Internal Revenue Service tax reporting W-2 form within last 12 months.

Receipt for Personal Property or Real Estate Taxes paid within last 12 months.

In case of a student enrolled in a public or private school in Tennessee, the student may provide a photo student ID and acceptable documentation from the Dean or Bursar’s Office that the student lives on campus.

List B - Acceptable Proofs of Residency

Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) issued by the Internal Revenue Service

Form I-94 issued to the applicant by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service

I-766 or I-551 correspondence issued to the applicant by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. The applicant must bring the form that shows the applicant’s home address. The I-766 or I-551card will not be accepted without the form showing their home address.

Acceptable Proof of Residency for Homeless or Shelter Residents

This affidavit will be accepted as the secondary proof of residency document evidencing your principal residence address in Tennessee. The affidavit is available here <https://www.tn.gov/content/dam...;

Revitalizing the St. Mark’s Neighborhood Swim Pool with a Community Celebration

The Roberson Project on Race, Slavery, and Reconciliation is proud to present the public art event The Air We Breathe Is Not Invisible on Sunday, May 4, 2025 from 2–6 p.m. This vibrant community gathering will reactivate the historic St. Mark’s neighborhood swimming pool, or “Swim Pool” as the neighborhood’s residents called it. Once a beloved gathering place for African Americans from Sewanee and surrounding communities, this site will be revived for a day of celebration, remembrance, and community building. The event follows Vanderbilt University artist Vesna Pavlović’s reimagination of the site in the fall of 2024. Inspired by the “Swim Pool” history and memory, Pavlović collaborated with the Roberson Project and the University’s Facilities Management to turn the pool into a garden of Spanish Bluebells. This event is free and open to everyone. To learn more, please visit: <https://robersonproject.sewane...;.

The St. Mark’s Community Center and Pool will come alive with the anticipated blooming of more than 2,000 bluebell corms, planted this fall to recall the facility’s heyday. There will be music, food, and other lively activities. Attendees can enjoy a live DJ performance featuring music reminiscent of the pool’s past, along with a classic barbecue provided by local community members. Games, ping pong, and other activities will offer entertainment for all ages.

In addition to the festivities, visitors will have the opportunity to contribute their voices and memories through recorded storytelling and photography using disposable and instant cameras, helping to document and preserve the rich history and continuing life of this space. Community engagement will be a central focus, rebuilding relationships with surrounding communities.

“We have long looked for a way to recall and celebrate the joy of the neighborhood swimming pool’s past,” said Woody Register, director of the Roberson Project. “Our hope is that this day of renewed life and play in the neighborhood will do just that.”

Dr. Register continues, “We were inspired by the uplifting words of Pastor John Patton, who grew up in Sewanee’s St. Mark’s neighborhood and now pastors at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Cowan. His words, that ‘the air we breathe is visible in the movement of trees stirred by a breeze,’ we thought was like people’s memories of the “Swim Pool.” The pool itself cannot be seen, but perhaps memories of it can be stirred to life by the watery blue of the flowers and the laughter and voices of the activities that we are planning with the St. Mark’s Community Center.”

“Sewanee may be known for its stone gates, dogs and Sewanee Angels. Inside these gates is a more important history and it is that of the historic Black Saint Mark’s community. Thanks Roberson Project for allowing us to tell our Sewanee history. The “Negro swimming pool” was already a thing of the past when I came along. The shell of it was still visible when I was a kid. A shell that tells the story of segregation, community, gathering, fun and a form of safety. The truth and the whole history cannot be told without the Black history. ‘YSR’” - Evelyn Patton

The Roberson Project on Slavery, Race, and Reconciliation at the University of the South is an ongoing initiative investigating the university’s historical entanglements with slavery and slavery’s legacies. Our Project’s name memorializes the late Professor of History, Houston Bryan Roberson, who was the first tenured African American faculty member at Sewanee and the first to make African American history and culture the focus of their teaching and scholarship. The Roberson Project seeks to honor his inspiring legacies at Sewanee: the devotion to rigorous teaching, the pursuit of scholarship, the dedication to social justice, and the personal example of high moral character. In doing so, the Roberson Project seeks to help Sewanee confront our history in order to seek a more just and equitable future for our broad and diverse community.

Please visit our new website at: <https://robersonproject.sewane...;.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“The membrane filters at the water plant have a life expectancy of 10 years. They’re on their 15th year. They are still working, but they are showing their age,” said Sewanee Utility District manager Ben Beavers at the April 15 meeting of the SUD Board of Commissioners, emphasizing the need for replacing the filters. The board voted to replace the modules in both filtration racks as the more cost-efficient option, rather than replacing modules one rack this year and one next year. The board tabled a proposal for a rate and financial planning study due to the cost.

“When [the membranes] start going downhill they go down pretty quick,” Beavers said. “[replacing them] is one of the things we’ve been saving money for.” Beavers observed that of the 44 modules in the two filtration racks , only one module had failed so far. “If one fails you can cap it off, but your capacity goes down.”

Beavers noted replacing the modules in both filtration racks at the same time amounted to nearly a 20 percent savings (cost for replacing modules in one rack, $130,000; cost for replacing modules in both racks, $223,000). He anticipates a six-month lead time, with the replacement done in September or October over the course of several days. “We’ll need to work two shifts for a week,” Beavers said.

Commenting on the Raftelis proposal for a rate and financial planning study, Beavers said, “Raftelis did a rate study for us in 2008 and updated that in 2014. They did a great job.” Providing background, Beavers explained in 2008 the district was in the midst of a drought, with concern high about adding new customers and how to get more water. Following Raftelis’ advice, the $600 tap fee increased to over $4,000 and included a Water Resources and Water System Development Charge, taking into account present as well as projected future expense. Beavers said Raftelis was one of two national companies that provided in depth financial analysis to water utilities.

Beavers, however, took issue with the $50,000 cost. “I think it’s a lot of money,” Beavers insisted. “I would love to have a rate study, but I don’t know that its worth $50,000. I was expecting $10,000-$15,000.”

Board President Charlie Smith concurred, “The screens [for the water plant] take precedent,” Smith said, but he acknowledged, “We need a rate study.” Smith suggested contacting other vendors.

Citing another possibility, Beavers proposed the board identify a priority area, perhaps reducing the range of the study. Raftelis cited three focuses: financial planning, financial forecast, and rate structure. Beavers also pointed out data currently being collected for SUD’s Asset Management Plan on asset depreciation would be a useful tool in a long-range planning study, if done after the Asset Management Plan was completed.

Beavers will explore the option of a more limited financial analysis with Raftelis and also contact other vendors.

In response to repeated requests for and inquires about new meters at homes under construction, Beavers said, “We are backlogged severely in new meter installations. Please tell people we do them in the order we receive them.”

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

In an act of resistance, at the April 14 meeting the Franklin County School Board passed as resolution affirming willingness to accept a $2,000 bonus for teachers while insisting accepting the funds in no way indicated approval of the Education Freedom Act passed by the Tennessee Legislature in January. Also on the financial front, the board learned about the district’s loss of $100,000 in federal funding.

Explaining the language in the resolution she presented for board approval, board member Sarah Marhevsky said, “I took what the TSBA [Tennessee School Board Association] sent us and worked in part of what was included in the resolution we passed before.” In December 2023, the board passed a resolution declaring opposition to the proposed Freedom Scholarship Act, a voucher-like program. Renamed the Education Freedom Act, the Tennessee Legislature voted to adopt the program in January 2025, adding a provision granting a $2,000 bonus to all certified public school teachers, provided the school district pass a resolution declaring the district “would like to participate in Section 4 of the Education Freedom Act of 2025,” the section providing for the bonuses.

The resolution passed by the board April 14 reiterated the board disapproved of the Education Freedom Act “diverting students and state funds to private actors, disrupting local control of education, and doing more to enhance private schools than public schools.” Under the provisions of the act, private schools will receive more money from the state per student than public schools. Taking a stand of continued opposition to the act, the resolution states, “the Franklin County Board of Education affirms its intention to participate in Section four (4) of the Education Freedom Act of 2025, relative to bonuses for teachers, only because we must for the benefit of our teachers, whom we do support, and not because we support the Education Freedom Act of 2025.”

Marhevsky also called the board’s attention to proposed legislation (HB0662/SB0714) which would allow the state to take over a school district if more than 30 percent of students received a grade of D or F; more than 25 percent were chronically absent; or the local legislative body expressed lack of confidence in the local board of education. Marhevsky cited Tennessee House member Gloria Johnson who observed, “We [the state] want A+ education on an F budget.” “Tennessee is still in the bottom five states for student funding,” Marhevsky said.

Updating the board on finances, Deputy Director of Finances Jenny Phillips said, “The federal government pulled all COVID funding. Many districts had rollover funds they asked to keep. We were fortunate. We paid some local funds back with COVID funds and didn’t ask for an extension. They’ve [the federal government] taken all those [rollover] funds away. But we did have about $100,000 they gave us about three days before they said, ‘Give it back.’”

Director of Schools Cary Holman reported, “The window for state testing opened today. Immediately upon opening, there were a couple schools that had gotten started, and the internet went down.” One school managed to finish the portion of the test begun. At another school students had signed in, but the school decided not to proceed. For elementary level students, the test is paper-and-pencil, so the lower grades were not impacted.

Taking up policy revisions recommended by the Tennessee School Board Association, the board approved amending the policy addressing head lice infestation to include bed bug infestation. “Bed bugs have started to become a problem. Kids are bringing them into school from home. We researched other school board policies. This policy is modeled after that,” said Human Resources Supervisor Roger Alsup. The district also consulted school nurses in drafting the policy. The district procedures have related information to assist school principals.

“Sewanee Purple Phacelia” Identified After Years Hiding in Plain Sight

A vibrant splash of purple that has long brightened the trails of Shakerag Hollow has just been given a name — and it turns out, it belongs to a newly discovered species of wildflower found right here on the Cumberland Plateau.

This month, Sewanee botanist Dr. Jon Evans and his colleague Dr. Ashley Morris (a 1997 Sewanee graduate now teaching at Furman University) published their discovery of Phacelia sewaneensis, also known as the Sewanee Purple Phacelia. The research, which included contributions from recent graduates J.T. Michel, C’24, and Skyler Fox, reveals that two distinct species of Phacelia have been quietly coexisting in the area — a fact that went unnoticed for over two centuries.

“For years, people thought there was only one species of Phacelia in Shakerag Hollow,” said Dr. Evans. “But thanks to detailed ecological and genetic research over the last four years, we’ve confirmed that the purple-flowered variety is actually a separate species.”

The newly named Phacelia sewaneensis can be distinguished by its deep purple blossoms, five-parted leaves at its base, and the presence of pungent leaf glands. Its more widespread cousin, Phacelia bipinnatifida, has blue flowers, three-parted leaves with distinctive spots, and lacks any scent. While P. bipinnatifida can be found throughout much of the eastern and central U.S., P. sewaneensis appears to be unique to the Cumberland Plateau.

This discovery has historical roots as well. The blue species was first named by famed French botanist André Michaux during a botanical expedition in 1795. Although Michaux documented P. bipinnatifida, his records and specimens lacked the detail necessary to distinguish the newly discovered purple variety. Now, official specimens of both species collected in Shakerag Hollow will be preserved in the Sewanee Herbarium as reference points for future botanists.

Naming the new species after Sewanee felt natural to the research team for several reasons. Not only was the flower discovered on the Domain, but its preferred habitat — fallen boulders made of Sewanee conglomerate — reinforces its local connection. The name also pays tribute to the area’s Native American heritage.

According to historians, the word “Sewanee” may have Native American origins, possibly from a phrase used by the Shawnee people who once lived in the region. The team reached out to the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, where language coordinator Scott Miller consulted with tribal elders. One possible origin, they shared, is the phrase Ne ta se wi ne (pronounced “nee tay see wah nee”), which could mean “I’m lost.”

Thanks to this discovery, the Sewanee Purple Phacelia is no longer lost — it was simply hiding in plain sight, waiting to be recognized atop the boulders along the trails of Shakerag Hollow.

Dr. Evans will be leading a hike into Shakerag Hollow on Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22. People interested in attending the hike should meet at the Green’s View parking lot at 4:30 p.m. to see the new Phacelia species. Dr. Evans will be presenting a campus lecture at 7:30 p.m., April 22, in Gailor Lecture Hall, describing the story of how he and his colleagues made this botanical discovery on the Domain.

by Blythe Ford, Messenger Staff Writer

A production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night, or, What You Will”, entirely directed, costumed, designed, and performed by University of the South students is in Sewanee’s Angel Park through April 19. Directed by Ivy Francis Moore and costumed by Roman Belton, this production stars Sawyer Herring as Viola, Annalise Doyle as Olivia, Victoria Ryan as Orsino, and Ella Mitchell as Malvolio.

“Twelfth Night, or, What You Will,” commonly referred to as “Twelfth Night,” is a Shakespearean comedy involving characters in disguise, mistaken identity, and a convoluted web of romantic entanglements; the primary protagonist is Viola, who has disguised herself as a man for safety following a shipwreck in which she was stranded and separated from her twin brother. The plot follows her service to Duke Orsino, who is obsessively in love with the mourning Countess Olivia, who in turn is enamored with Viola and whose arrogant steward Malvolio seeks to marry her.

This production (Moore’s third and biggest directorial project) differs from the standard staging. For one, none of the cast are cisgender men; instead, themes of gender identity and expression are emphasized by the choice of actor for each role. The script has also been cut for length, so while those familiar with the play will miss a few of the jokes, they may also appreciate the focus on the main plot and the one hour forty minute run time.

There is also the fresh take of setting the play in, in the words of director Ivy Moore, “something between Sewanee, a Warhol painting, and a waterpark.” He further explained that the importance of water and water symbolism through the play combined with his love of pop and techno music, and the way they connect to the themes of the play, to produce a summery, beachy aesthetic.

Costume designer Roman Belton worked to create costumes to fit this setting, primarily in cool tones to carry forward the water symbolism, but also incorporating a summer Y2K look with fun T-shirts, tie-dye, and colored sunglasses. Belton also rose to the challenge of incorporating Olivia’s mourning clothes into a bright, contemporary setting. However, they are most proud of Orsino’s costume, which “turned out exactly as [they] imagined it.” They said that they were motivated by the fact that “the actors are doing such a great job playing these characters and [they] really wanted to match that energy in their costumes.”

As is true of most theater productions, it is the characters and the actors that portray them that create an impression; Moore wants everyone to know that the characters in Shakespeare’s works are people like any other, despite the way they speak, and that “The problems and emotions these characters have to tackle are real, relatable, and always relevant, and one of [his] biggest goals for this production is to invite the audience, especially those new to Shakespeare, to see themselves in this story.” The action of the play is fast-paced and chaotic, and this is reflected in the experiences of the characters—the audience knows far more of what is happening than they do.

One great example of this is Orsino, played by Victoria Ryan. Orsino is dramatically, obsessively in love with Olivia, and oblivious to two very important factors: one, that his serving man is actually a woman and in love with him, and two, that his overblown gestures of courtly romance are unwelcome. Ryan explained that he is earnest and believes he knows what love feels like through its portrayals in music and art. “His feelings for Olivia are, therefore, as true as he believes them to be,” she said. The events of the play challenge that belief, revealing to him what the audience knows all along: that’s not really love.

Another character the audience will enjoy knowing is mistaken is Malvolio, Olivia’s steward, played by Ella Mitchell. This role is traditionally played by an older man, however this time both character and actor are young women. Malvolio is something of an antagonist, but a devoted and foolishly arrogant one. She is driven by the desire for self-advancement, is susceptible to flattery, and often acts beyond the limits of her authority, which allows her to be tricked into believing that Olivia wishes to wed her; it seems like a dream come true. While the role is that of a comedic villain, Mitchell said “[she] personally [doesn’t] perceive her as a villain at all,” but instead a vulnerable and insecure character who is tempted by “greatness” and whose devotion to her mistress is genuine. “Because Olivia fulfills Malvolio’s need to have a little bit of power and control, Malvolio is eager for her attention and eager to fulfill her duties as steward and please Olivia. There has to be a level of devotion to Olivia within Malvolio or else Malvolio wouldn’t willingly fall into the trap set for her and willingly hope that Olivia is in love with her.” Malvolio’s downfall is therefore meaningful, if still amusing to the audience. Mitchell hopes that the audience will look beyond Malvolio’s exterior for the human qualities within—and also find the character even funnier as a young woman instead of a stuffy old man.

These characters are just two of many you will enjoy if you attend a “Twelfth Night” performance in Angel Park Friday, April 18, at 7 p.m., or Saturday, April 19, at 2 p.m. Bring a chair or a blanket and reserve your free ticket via Eventbrite <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shakespeares-twelfth-night-or-what-you-will-tickets-1302107511619?aff=oddtdtcreator;. In the event of rain, the performance will be moved to the Studio Theater in the Tennessee Williams Center.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“I’m having more fun than I ever imagined,” said David Newton Baker, singer, songwriter, and poet. Baker is quick to point out he is not David Baker of Indie Rock fame, not the late Jazz musician, and not the former editor of the Kenyon Review, career poet and college professor. In 2014, David Newton Baker then a folk-rock singer-songwriter living in a small Colorado mining town lost his ability to sing following treatment for lung cancer and partial removal of one lung. Desperate to scratch “the itch,” Baker started writing poetry. For Baker “the itch is when something bothers me. It could be good, bad or puzzling. I write to understand and connect with others, hoping they’ll say, ‘I get that’ or ‘I hadn’t thought of it that way.’” Baker, who confesses, “I have trouble calling myself a poet” and who for ten years couldn’t sing, just released his first collection of poems, “Haunting My Own House” and has two gigs coming up, performing both original song and covers at 7 p.m., Sunday, April 13, at the Cowan Arts Center and at 7 p.m., Friday, May 1, at the Tennessee Williams Center. What a long, strange trip it’s been.

Baker spent the first 50 years of his life in the metropolitan Fort Worth/Dallas area. “I’ve always written music,” Baker said. In his day job, he wrote music for film and video, mostly corporate, but also children’s entertainment for PBS and The Disney Channel, including soundtracks for the popular Benji dog movies. “I was never curious about life until I was in my forties,” Baker acknowledged. He retired early and moved to a small Colorado town near Telluride. He played and sang at local venues and produced two studio albums. He describes his life as “a train track with tons of sidelines.” Baker lost his comfortable Colorado living accommodations when gentrification moved into town. “I couldn’t afford to live there,” Baker said. “I was looking for anything I could find.”

His nephew, a student at Vanderbilt, directed him to Sewanee when he mentioned he always wanted to live in a small college town. In what Baker calls “the most impulsive thing I’ve ever done,” he talked with his nephew on Sunday, a realtor on Tuesday, flew to Tennessee on Friday, and signed a contract on Monday, buying a small home in Monteagle. Baker had never been to Sewanee, Monteagle, or the Plateau in his life.

Almost immediately, Baker connected with Spoken Word, a twice-monthly Sewanee open-mic writers’ night. “I read my poetry at Spoken Word for seven years before anyone knew I did music,” Baker said. In “Haunting My Own House,” Baker leads the reader into his imagination to join him in making sense of what neither of them quite understand. In “Heirlooms,” questions Baker asks about himself become questions readers find themselves asking about themselves, as well. In poems such as “Making Love” and “Thimble” the reader joins Baker in making fun of the expression “make love” and squandering the thimble full of love “everyone is given on the day they are born” only to discover there is yet more love and no need to make love, because “love makes them.” Brooks Egerton, head of Sewanee Spoken Word, said of Baker, “David is a Sewanee Spoken Word essential. He’s a terrific writer and musician. I cannot imagine our gatherings without him.”

A year ago, someone asked Baker to read song lyrics at an event. “I thought, I wonder if I could sing that. I did. And it went okay,” Baker said, his voice betraying that he was a little amazed he had a voice again. “I started looking for other songs I could sing.” He confided his secret bucket-list wish to lifelong friend Mark Casstevens, a Nashville studio musician who has performed on more than 800 albums with the likes of Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, Linda Ronstadt, and Johnny Cash. Baker wanted to perform in a session with professional musicians. “I think we can make that happen,” Casstevens told him. Sensing Baker’s shy, introverted nature, Casstevens proposed a radical strategy: a session with a guitarist or keyboard player to lay down a first track of instrumentation, and then Baker working individually with other musicians to flesh-out the song, each musician adding their own creative impetus. “I get to be God for a while,” Baker said, “and the musicians love it. They can be creative and take their time with the leash taken off, without the demands of a high-dollar, intense studio recording session. The vibe is, ‘let’s try this.’”

In his two shows, Baker will sing and play guitar, accompanied by his “virtual band” DNB and Friends, featuring Blair Masters (Garth Brooks keyboardists), Brian Pruitt (Taylor Swift’s drummer), and Jeff King (Reba McEntire’s guitarist), along with other greats including session musicians for Yoyo Ma, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Brooks and Dunn.

When it comes to original composition, music and poetry alike begin with “the itch” for Baker. He admits to not being particularly disciplined about his writing schedule. “I write because I cannot not write,” Baker said.

However impulsive, “the itch” has served Baker well. Find out for yourself. “Haunting My Own House” is available from Amazon and don’t miss an opportunity to spend an evening with DBN and Friends. You’ll be glad you did.

Chief David Green spent more than 50 years serving the Sewanee community through the Sewanee Volunteer Fire Department. Of those years, he spent 39 leading the department as chief. Green was 19 years old and four years deep into the fire service when he first was appointed chief, making him among the youngest fire chiefs in Tennessee. From keeping Sewanee safe during Independence Day to advocating for better equipment in the station to making cross-county connections, Green’s influences on Sewanee and the SVFD during his lifetime are invaluable. So great were his influences that in 2022, the government of Franklin County declared April 26 as David Green Day. He passed away on October 2, 2022. Due to Chief Green’s years of service and commitment to the Sewanee Community and The Sewanee Volunteer Fire Department, Station 1 located at 111 Alabama Ave was dedicated to Chief David Green on Friday, March 28.

Chief Doug Cameron who has served the Sewanee Volunteer Fire Department for more than 50 years was awarded the position of Emeritus Assistant Chief on March 29. The Resolution of Appreciation is as follows:

“Whereas, Doug Cameron has dedicated his life to the education and mentorship of young people, instilling in them a love for science, outdoor adventure, and environmental stewardship; and

Whereas, Doug Cameron has selflessly volunteered with Sewanee Fire and Rescue for more than 50 years, currently serving as Assistant Chief, and has further demonstrated his dedication to public safety as an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and a 32-year veteran of Sewanee EMS, including a term as interim Director; and

Whereas, he has shown unwavering commitment to his community through service on the boards of The Cloud Forest School Foundation, Housing Sewanee (as a founding board member), the Land Trust for Tennessee (as Conservation and Stewardship Committee Chair), the Sewanee Utility District, and Blue Monarch; and

Whereas, his past leadership includes serving on the boards of Sewanee Community Action, the Sewanee Community Council, St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School (as Trustee and Alumni Council Chair), the Tennessee Environmental Council, the South Cumberland Regional Land Trust (as a founding board member), Leadership Franklin County, the American Canoe Association (as National Slalom and Wildwater Chair and Conservation Chair), and the Merrie-Woode Foundation; and

Whereas, he has made significant contributions to the academic and literary world as co-author of The New York Times “Guides to Outdoors U.S.A.,” author of “Under the Sun at Sewanee,” contributor to “Small Craft Advisor,” and advisor for “Biology, An Environmental Approach,” a high school textbook; and

Whereas, in recognition of his extraordinary contributions, the University of the South established the Doug Cameron Award, presented annually to a graduating senior for exemplary emergency service to the community; and

Whereas, his impact on the world of outdoor adventure and conservation has been further recognized through his induction into the Southern Appalachian Whitewater Hall of Fame; and

Whereas, he has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to education, conservation, and service, embodying the highest ideals of leadership and community engagement;

Now, therefore, be it resolved that we honor and recognize Doug Cameron for his exemplary service, his dedication to the betterment of his community, and his profound impact on countless individuals through his work in education, emergency services, environmental advocacy, and outdoor leadership.”

The Sewanee Community-Wide Yard Sales will be from 8 a.m. to noon, on Saturday, April 12. Nearly 20 sales will be at various locations throughout Sewanee, including several at the Sewanee Community Center. Expect to find clothing, toys, books, furniture, art, antiques, and much more.

Maps are available on the Sewanee Community Center porch, 39 Ballpark Road. Maps include the location of each sale and the categories of items available there.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Bringing to a close months of discussion, at the April 1 meeting the Monteagle Planning Commission rejected a proposed zoning amendment to allow all retail and commercial businesses in C-3 commercial zones and, instead, recommended a zoning amendment allowing small box discount stores. The commission also recommended rezoning a 1st Street lot fronting Highway 41 from R-3 residential to C-2 commercial.

Commissioner Alec Mosley spoke out against the proposed amendment to allow all forms of retail and commercial businesses in C-3 zones. “To amend the ordinance as greatly as that to say all retail and commercial uses are now permitted in C-3 would completely eliminate the purpose of zone C-3 which is to allow for businesses which are focused on interstate travel and travelers.”

The proposed zoning amendment arose from a May 2024 request to rezone C-3 property to C-2 or to change approved uses in C-3 to allow a Dollar General Store on a C-3 location. The commission determined changing the zoning to C-2 constituted spot zoning. [See Messenger May 10, 2024]

At a recent workshop, Mosley suggested expanding the types of businesses allowed in C-3 to include small box discount stores.

Taking up a proposed amendment to allow small box discount stores in C-3, town planner Jonathan Rush said, “At the workshop it was brought up having a more narrow amendment would be more appropriate. You wouldn’t be hindering a developer from coming, but you wouldn’t allow all retail. Allowing all retail and commercial opens up a potential Pandora’s Box.”

The proposed amendment defines small box discount stories as under 15,000 square feet, large enough to allow a Dollar General Market type store, Rush explained.

Commission Chair Richard Black objected the amendment was written specifically to accommodate Dollar General. “How do we look at someone else who comes in here and wants to put something in a spot that doesn’t fit and tell them they can’t do it?” Black asked.

Rush pointed out small box discount stores served interstate traffic so were not contrary to the stated purpose of C-3 zoning.

Mosley added the C-3 definition already allowed some unique uses, such as agriculture, telecommunications, and swimming pools.

Black voted against recommending the amendment.

Representing the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee, Pete Stringer asked the commission to rezone the Holy Comforter Episcopal Church property on 1st Street from R-3 to C-1. The church hoped to sell the property, perhaps for a chiropractic clinic.

Rush recommended against rezoning to C-1 as spot zoning, since the entire block was zoned residential. He suggested rezoning to C-2 would be more appropriate since the property fronted Highway 41, and the property across the highway was zoned C-2. The property across the street was a medical facility and may have been “grandfathered in,” Rush speculated. A group home was located on adjacent property. C-2 zoning would allow a medical establishment.

“I’m not sure C-1 or C-2 would make any difference [for the church’s purposes],” observed Commissioner Ed Provost.

“I leave it to the wisdom of the commissioners,” Stringer said.

The commission voted to recommend the zoning change.

Both of the recommended amendments will go to the Monteagle Council for approval.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“I don’t know if Monteagle will appeal. It depends on what the final order says,” said Monteagle Mayor Greg Maloof following the March 31 Monteagle Council meeting when asked how Monteagle would respond to the ruling in the lawsuit filed by RBT Enterprises. During the meeting, Maloof updated the community on the status of the lawsuit. The council discussed the sewer rehabilitation project and a grant to help Monteagle plan for addressing future water supply and sewer needs.

At issue in the lawsuit was whether the vested property rights of the RBT developers had expired due to failure to meet progress benchmarks stipulated by law, and consequently, whether the project would be required to comply with a new stormwater control ordinance. [See Messenger, August 30, 2024] “The chancellor ruled in favor of RBT,” Maloof said. “I don’t know if there is a winner or loser.” “The decision was on technical grounds,” said Vice Mayor Nate Wilson. Explaining the process, Maloof said, “The lawyer of the prevailing side prepares a document, sends it to the other side, they review it, send it to the judge, and the judge issues a final order.”

Reporting on the sewer rehab project to reduce inflow and infiltration (I&I) of rainwater into the sanitary sewer system, Maloof said, Phase 1 was near completion. “They’re slightly ahead of schedule. We all knew [from the outset] Phase 1 would not solve all the problems. There will be additional sewer work when we get through the grant process.”

Alderman Dean Lay pointed out due to the I&I the cost of treating sewer water “could be as much as double what it should be.” Lay asked Utility Department Supervisor John Condra if the rehab work had helped. “Not that much that I can tell,” Condra acknowledged. But Condra added, citing a caution issued by city engineer Travis Wilson, “fixing one big leak puts pressure on other areas [yet unrepaired].”

Maloof stressed a good portion of the work done in phase one involved smoke testing and camera inspection of sewer lines to locate the problem areas. Vice Mayor Wilson noted that deciding what issues to repair was based on “how bad they were and what could be aggregated so it would be cheaper.” He proposed the best measure of progress would be to review historical data on I&I during heavy rain events and compare the I&I then to I&I during current heavy rain events.

In a related area, Monteagle received a Resilient Communities grant providing free professional assistance for mapping out a plan to address ongoing water supply and sewer issues. The grant calls for resident input in a series of meetings over the next 10 months and will allocate up to $25,000 in seed money toward implementing the plan. Residents wanting to serve on the citizens committee should contact Vice Mayor Wilson at (931) 636-8132 or <diospyros42@gmail.com>.

The council approved on first reading an ordinance providing criterion to guide the planning commission and board of zoning appeals when tackling requests for allowing special exception to the town’s ordinances.

Reporting on other business, Maloof said the town was investigating the efficacy of repairing or replacing the emergency alert siren to functional status, given that residents could sign up for email and text notifications. Information on signing up for notifications will be posted on the new website which recently went live.

Responding to a request that a map delineating the location of water and sewer lines be posted in the city hall conference room, Maloof explained the Tennessee Association of Utility District advised against divulging the location of utility infrastructure for security reasons. Viewing the map will be by appointment only.

Remedying the nonfunctioning lights at the interstate ramps was “a work in progress,” Maloof said. He cited replacement of circuit breakers and plans to test bulbs.

Monteagle will host an Easter Egg Hunt, at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 12, at Hannah Pickett Park.

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

“Can’t I just do Children’s Ministry?” asked Rev. Jodi McCullah, negotiating with God about “the calling” to devote her life to ministry. “Why do I have to be in charge? Why do I have to be the target — which as a minister, you are,” McCullah confessed. After serving over 25 years as a minister in rural Tennessee, McCullah could claim both ‘boss’ and ‘bragging rights.’ But instead, the collection of narratives in her memoir resounds with humility and humor. “Here Lies Jimmie’s Arm” recounts her experiences in her first nine years in the ministry. Now retired, McCullah acknowledged people are often surprised to learn she was an ordained minister. More surprising, still, are the stories this “girl” minister has to tell.

At a county wide Thanksgiving service, McCullah and the only other woman pastor were welcomed with the greeting, “Aren’t they doing a fine job, for girls.” For McCullah, whose first career was as an English teacher, writing became a way of understanding those early years as a then unordained “local pastor,” her only monetary compensation payment for expenses like travel and her robe.

McCullah takes the reader with her, walking in the cemetery where Jimmy’s arm was buried with the marker reading, “Here Lies Jimmie’s Arm,” amputated in a car accident. Jimmy would wave his prosthesis in rage, directing the choir, rage Jimmy’s MO. For years McCullah puzzled over why Jimmy was so mean and such a bully. “I didn’t grasp it until I wrote the story,” she said. “He didn’t want us to pity him. He didn’t like people feeling sorry for him.”

Another epiphany followed, when desperate for someone to talk with, she confided to a woman in her congregation she had been abused. The woman betrayed McCullah’s confidence, and told her husband, a Vietnam War veteran. He confronted her, demanding she “get over it.” She responded, “Getting over it is not my goal. I’ll get through it, and I’ll get past it.” He broke down sobbing. In the war, he served as a bomber pilot and killed hundreds of people, among them many innocent children.

“It was a moment of affirmation for me,” McCullah said, “If you create a place of hospitality, a safe place, others will step into it.”

The challenge of a safe place posed itself from the beginning for MCullah. She nearly left unordained minister “boot camp.” Deciding “the calling” was not for her, on the way to the payphone to ask her husband to come get her, she met a man who struggled with the same self-doubt. “I realized being a minister was what I needed to do,” she said. “My husband thought I was nuts.”

McCullah has served at four churches, and except at Morton Memorial Methodist in Monteagle where she served from 2017-2022, she learned the church leaders had told her supervisor, “Don’t send us a woman.” Yet eventually all her congregations welcomed with open arms.

“God kept showing up,” she said with a laugh, seeming amused by her good fortune.

In a particularly grating encounter, a parishioner chased her around her car, and she locked herself in the church to escape from him. When she complained to her supervisor, her supervisor replied, “It’s just part of the job for women.” Later, in a hospital waiting room after visiting with the licentious man’s wife, the man grabbed her and pulled her into his lap. McCullah decided to resign, but the next day the husband of a woman who witnessed the incident contacted her and promised, “He’ll never touch you again.”

“Who else was there?” she found herself asking, who else had he tried to force himself on? Certainly, there were others and very likely she had made a safe place for them, as well.

McCullah’s greatest affirmation for her book had come from the congregation of that first church, pseudonymously named “Potter’s Creek United Methodist,” and from congregants at other small rural churches. “They’ve told me, ‘You help us understand the dynamics, why we acted the way we did,’” McCullah said. Still others have told her, “I love it.” The “characters” in the Potter’s Creek congregation do not fare badly in McCullah’s hands. On the contrary, she takes the reader to meet them as if she were taking them to visit a country neighbor, a person perhaps a bit quirky. As McCullah did, the reader comes to understand those quirky souls and to love them as well.

Asked what her advice would be to a young woman entering the ministry, McCullah stressed, “Make sure you have a good support system, other women in the ministry. I didn’t have that.”

Interestingly, the things women ministers discuss with one another, are often quotidian and practical. How to deal with your bra straps sliding down under your robe. Always to wear dresses below knee length. Why? “Because when you sit in the pulpit facing the congregation, your crotch is at eye level,” McCullah said, explaining the obvious with a sly chuckle.

McCullah homeschooled her two sons. When they reached high school and college age, she decided to pursue ordination and attended Vanderbilt University Divinity School. McCullah’s duration in the ministry and the surprises awaiting her upon ordination form the subject of her next book, a work in progress. Among the things McCullah would learn, being a divorced woman was frowned upon and, an even bigger “no, no,” engaging in prison ministry. “It’s one thing to talk about it,” McCullah observed. “It’s another thing to do it. People find it off-putting. My district supervisor got as far as the door and couldn’t go in.”

McCullah will read from “Here Lies Jimmie’s Arm” at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 5, at 301 Kirby Smith Road, Sewanee. The book is available from Amazon. Those wanting to contact McCullah about hosting a reading or just to talk can reach her at (615) 347-9071. “Here Lies Jimmie’s Arm” is a delightful amalgam of the quirky and unexpected, a journey to within the “fruit bowl” menagerie of a rural congregation where the private and personal bares its soul to show the reader the things that are the most universal and part of everyone’s experience.