You don’t have to like country music to live in Nashville, but it 'sho 'nuf don't hurt none. My love of country music is rooted in the good ole days. The days when Loretta Lynn sang with Conway Twitty whose hair was bigger than hers and not oh-so-cool rocker Jack White. When Dolly Parton worked with Porter Wagoner, a man who sparkled more than she, and when Johnny Cash was the only Man in Black and Will Smith was just a snot-nosed kid. Country music was heartbreak, outlaws, poverty, railroads, death, and occasionally redemption. In those days, Nashville liked country music stars flawed and more than slightly dysfunctional, just like us. That’s the country music I love.
There are two things I give my kids every day, without fail: books and songs. So when I read that John Carter Cash would be at the Southern Festival of Books, I knew I'd have to take them to this event that draws hundreds of authors, illustrators and publishers to town every year. It's the perfect opportunity to meet your favorite authors, and maybe even get an autograph. This year the kiddies and I met three unforgettable men, and I've got the pictures to prove it (I will reveal two more encounters in coming posts, so, Ya'll come back now, ya hear?).
My little Indian/Irish children (I like the term 'Indish') have been known to break into classics like “Ring of Fire” or "Jolene" in the grocery store. These kids know country music. When I told them they might meet John Carter Cash they popped like firecrackers all the way to the van. We arrived fashionably late, and missed his reading of Momma Loves Her Little Son
, a children’s book based on his mother's favorite declaration. The three of us piled into one chair in the back row and listened as John Carter Cash read from Anchored In Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash
. It was beautiful to hear him read his own words about his mother as I sat crushed into the chair by my own little anchors of love. His descriptions of family gatherings at the Virginia home, singing together, and wooded walks with June Carter was a sweet moment I was glad to share with my kids. There were some questions and discussion of his upcoming work. There are several interesting projects underway, including a work of fantasy fiction that I'm looking forward to reading. 
After the session, John Carter Cash signed books and posed for some photographs. Being in a rush and wrangling two preschoolers helped me forget my camera, but one is never at a loss if a friend is at hand. My new friend, Shannon, a school teacher from East Tennessee was kind enough to take a photo and later email it to me (What a woman!). 
, a children’s book based on his mother's favorite declaration. The three of us piled into one chair in the back row and listened as John Carter Cash read from Anchored In Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash. It was beautiful to hear him read his own words about his mother as I sat crushed into the chair by my own little anchors of love. His descriptions of family gatherings at the Virginia home, singing together, and wooded walks with June Carter was a sweet moment I was glad to share with my kids. There were some questions and discussion of his upcoming work. There are several interesting projects underway, including a work of fantasy fiction that I'm looking forward to reading. 
After the session, John Carter Cash signed books and posed for some photographs. Being in a rush and wrangling two preschoolers helped me forget my camera, but one is never at a loss if a friend is at hand. My new friend, Shannon, a school teacher from East Tennessee was kind enough to take a photo and later email it to me (What a woman!). 
John Carter Cash was friendly and talkative while he personalized the books I had for my own Little Son and my husband. I hope he didn't notice when I started to stare. It dawned on me all at once and was a little startling: John Carter Cash looks like my father, a lot like my father. We could be brother and sister posing for the camera. Could it be that my love of music comes from a branch on the family tree that I hadn't even considered? Maybe John Carter Cash and I will share similar writing success along with our red hair, love of music, and Southern Roots.
