Interview with Thomas D. Clark, June 27, 1986

Partial Transcript: Dr. Clark we, uh, we had said we'd talk this morning, uh, for, for a while anyway, about, uh, your career as a, as a writer.

Segment Synopsis: Thomas D. Clark talks about his early experiences with writing, including his high school and college newspapers, as well as the practice he received in a college English class.

Keywords: Associate editor; College newspaper; County newspaper; English language; Freshman Theme Review; High school newspaper; Practice; Professor A. P. Hudson; Publishing; School newspapers; Writers; Writing

Subjects: Authorship.; College publications; College student newspapers and periodicals; College students--Conduct of life.; College teachers.; College teaching.; Educators; Journalism, College; Universities and colleges--Faculty.

Partial Transcript: Well once I got started in the field of history I came here.

Segment Synopsis: Clark talks about beginning to conduct research and write his thesis in the field of history after coming to the University of Kentucky. He talks about the original idea he had for his thesis and why it changed.

Keywords: Duke University; History; Interests; Kentucky; Ohio Valley; Primary documents; Railroads; South; Surveys; Thesis

Subjects: Academic writing.; Authorship.; Historiography.; Universities and colleges--Research

Partial Transcript: I began work on Kentucky history.

Segment Synopsis: Clark talks about the lack of textbooks on the subject of Kentucky history which led to his writing "A History of Kentucky." He talks about the research he conducted for the book, and discusses its publication.

Keywords: "A History of Kentucky"; "Exploring Kentucky"; Carl Witke; Dr. James Tuthill; Facts; Lee Kirkpatrick; Prentice-Hall Publishing; Publication; Sources; Subjects; Topics; Truth; Writing

Subjects: Authors and publishers.; Authorship.; College students--Books and reading.; College teachers as authors.; College textbooks; Historiography.; Kentucky--History; Prentice-Hall, Inc.; Universities and colleges--Research

Partial Transcript: W--let me ask you, if, if you don't mind, why--say twenty years ago in 1965, 1966, did you consider doing a project like that?

Segment Synopsis: Clark talks about his research on the newspaper "The Spirit of the Times" which led to his writing a manuscript that later became "The Rampaging Frontier: Manners and Humors of Pioneer Days in the South and Middle West." He talks about the reviews the book received.

Keywords: "Spirit of the Times"; "The Rampaging Frontier: Manners and Humors of Pioneer Days in the South and Middle West"; Frontier; Haggin Farm; Humor; Manuscripts; Publishers

Subjects: Authors and publishers.; Books--Reviews.; College teachers as authors.; Manuscript preparation (Authorship); Universities and colleges--Research

Partial Transcript: Then I st--uh, was casting around. Had two or three things that I was interested in.

Segment Synopsis: Clark talks about how he came to write a book on the Kentucky River called "The Kentucky." He talks about the research he conducted for the book, including his efforts to locate moonshine stills which led to his participation in a raid in Garrett County with the State Revenue Service. He talks about his efforts to locate an illustrator for the book.

Keywords: "The Kentucky"; Artists; Constance Lindsay Skinner; Constance Rourke; Elmer Sulzer; Garrett County (Ky.); Illustrations; John Spelman III; Manuscripts; Moonshine stills; Moonshiners; Pistols; Radios; Raids; Rainstorms; Rivers of America Series; State Revenue Service

Subjects: Books--Reviews.; College teachers as authors.; Kentucky River (Ky.); Manuscript preparation (Authorship); Rivers--Kentucky; Universities and colleges--Research

Partial Transcript: Well by that time I had, uh, a bee in my bonnet.

Segment Synopsis: Clark talks about his motivation to write, and discusses the difficulty of writing along with his other duties. He talks about the types of books he likes to read.
[An interruption in taping occurs during this segment.]

Keywords: Authors; Creativity; Culture; Demanding; Fiction; Frontier; Interests; Motivation; Novels; Politics; Publication; Publishing projects; Reading; Writers; Writing process

Subjects: Authorship.; College teachers as authors.; College teachers--Workload

Partial Transcript: You know, your, your generation of historian, I guess, uh, uh--this might--I think this is a fair statement: uh, you were able, uh, in your work to look at large topics.

Segment Synopsis: Clark talks about how writing and publishing on the topic of history has changed over time, becoming more specialized and more difficult to get published.

Keywords: Constraints; Generality; Historians; History; Publishers; Publishing; Specificity; Subjects; Topics; University presses; Writers; Writing

Subjects: Academic writing.; Authorship.; College publications; College teachers as authors.; Historiography.

Partial Transcript: So where, where are we headed in your viewpoint?

Segment Synopsis: Clark talks about the audience he was writing for when working on his books. He talks about book reviewers and some of the reviews he has received.

Keywords: Assistant professors; Audience; General readers; Interests; Reviewers

Subjects: Authors and readers.; Authorship.; Book reviewing.; Books--Reviews.

Partial Transcript: I, I--you haven't asked me but I want to get on to what, in many ways, was one of my most exciting, uh, uh, adventures in writing: the "Pills, Petticoats, and Plows."

Segment Synopsis: Clark talks about the process of writing his book "Pills, Petticoats, and Plows" and his focus on the human element surrounding country stores as a part of the community.

Keywords: "Pills, Petticoats, and Plows: The Southern Country Store"; Changes; Community; Family; General stores; Human element; Personality; Southern economy; Writing

Subjects: Authorship.; Books--Reviews.; College teachers as authors.; College teachers--Leaves of absence; Historiography.; Universities and colleges--Research

Partial Transcript: Let's, uh, let's stop right here in the mid-forties then.

Segment Synopsis: Clark gives his opinion on whether college professors should conduct research and publish along with their teaching duties. He talks about encouraging other members of the history department to write and publish in his role as chairman of the department.

Keywords: Abilities; Budgets; Colleagues; Department chairman; Dr. Albert Kirwan; Encouragement; History department; Pressure; Professor Charles Talbert; Professor James Hopkins; Publication; Quality; Reputation; Standards; Status; University Press

Subjects: Academic writing.; Authorship.; College teachers as authors.; College teachers--Leaves of absence; College teachers--Rating of.; College teachers--Salaries, etc.; College teachers--Social conditions; College teachers--Workload; College teaching.; Educators; Historiography.; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Finance; Universities and colleges--Research; University of Kentucky. Department of History; University of Kentucky. Press

Partial Transcript: Let me ask you, uh, you, uh, you had a good friend and a neighbor who was a writer--

Segment Synopsis: Clark talks about his relationships with other writers, including his neighbor Bud Guthrie, members of the Book Thieves Club at the University of Kentucky, and other Southern historians.

Keywords: "Bloody Ground"; A. B. Guthrie, Jr.; Agrarian historians; Book Thieves Club; Doc Chambers; Effects on writing; Generations; Historians; J. Winston Coleman; John F. Day; Journalists; Mississippi Valley Historical Society; Novelists; Problems; Southern Historical Association; Stimulating; Sunny Day; William Townsend; Writers

Subjects: Authorship.; College teachers as authors.; College teachers--Social conditions; Historiography.

Partial Transcript: Uh, one thing that, uh, I want to mention, that-------?? people are always asking you what your favorite book is.

Segment Synopsis: Clark talks about receiving a grant to publish a series on travel in the South. He talks about working with a group of historians to write the series, discusses its publication, and the reviews it received. The interview concludes abruptly.

Keywords: Bibliographical; Discussions; Favorite book; Grants; Historians; Historical literature; Publication; Rockefeller Foundation; South

Subjects: Academic writing.; Authorship.; Book reviewing.; Books--Reviews.; College teachers as authors.; Historiography.; Universities and colleges--Research