Legendary Outlaw Comes To Watauga County Library By Mike Shands Gary Carden has been telling stories since he was a child. High Country residents can enjoy one of Carden’s favorite stories next month at the Watauga County Public Library. Actor Milton Higgins will portray outlaw and legend Lewis Redmond in Gary Carden’s one-man play, “The Prince of Dark Corners,” Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Watauga County Public Library. Actor Milton Higgins will perform Carden’s one-man play, “The Prince of Dark Corners,” Saturday, Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. in the library. The play deals with regional outlaw and legend Lewis Redmond, a real-life 19th-century bootlegger in North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina, who was often referred to as the Jesse James of the Mountains. Redmond lived during the post-Civil War period when some residents of the economically ravaged Appalachian region turned to making moonshine as a means of survival. He developed a moonshine operation in Transylvania County that spread into Buncombe, Swain and Jackson counties and south to Atlanta. Redmond was captured in 1881 and served almost four years in prison before Wade Hampton, governor of South Carolina, petitioned United States President Chester Arthur for his release. Redmond then moved to Walhalla, S.C., where he was asked by the government to manage a federal distillery. He died at his home near Seneca, S.C., in 1906. A storyteller and writer, Carden grew up and lives in Sylva. His book, “Mason Jars in the Flood,” received the Appalachian Writers Association’s Book of the Year Award. Some of his other creations include “The Raindrop Waltz,” “Birdell,” “Nance Dude,” “The Uktena,” “Blow the Tannery Whistle” and the script for the film, “Willa: An American Snow White,” which won a Carnegie medal. Carden said many of his books and plays are based on personal folklore. “There is very little difference between theatre and storytelling, and it is natural for stories to become plays,” he said. “With me everything starts with storytelling. The stories that I tell are also the basis for my plays.” He said “The Raindrop Waltz” is autobiographical, “The Uktena” is based on a Cherokee legend, “Land’s End” relies on fact and fiction, “Blow the Tannery Whistle” is about growing up in Appalachia and he drew the script for “Willa” from his love for traditional folklore and old movies. Carden, who lost his mother and father before the age of 2, was raised by his grandparents. He thinks that’s one reason he likes storytelling so much. Storyteller Gary Carden is author of “The Prince of Dark Corners,” which Milton Higgins will perform Saturday, Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. in the Watauga County Public Library. “Clarissa Pecola Estes, one of the world’s great storytellers, says that anybody who has lost one or both of their parents before the age of four is what she calls one of ‘the skinless people,’ who feel and remember everything,” Carden said. “She says they make great teachers and storytellers because they have a sense of value – everybody is listening to them. “I enjoy storytelling because I like the attention.” He also grew up listening to a lot of folklore, both Cherokee and Appalachian. Then there were the movies. “I used to go to the Saturday westerns at the Ritz and entertain my friends at school by recounting the adventures of Lash La Rue, Johnny Mack Brown, Bob Steele and Gene Autry,” Carden said. “I attended the movies armed with a cap pistol and entered into the fray when there was a shoot-out. They called me ‘The Front-row Kid.’ ” Story ideas abound everywhere and could include the first day at school, the first bicycle, first cigarette, first kiss, a house full of strange uncles or a Red Ryder air rifle. Inspiration for stories might also come from a grandmother, a pet or a toy. “There is nothing unique about a storyteller’s life except an ability to remember, embellish and lie,” Carden said. “You don’t have to remember what happened, but perhaps you remember what should have happened, or could have. “The ability to ‘stretch the blanket’ is essential to being a good storyteller.” He said aspiring storytellers shouldn’t spend too much of their time trying to be funny. “That is easy,” Carden said. “The hard part is the ability to weave heartbreak and laughter together – otherwise you might as well be one of those stand-up comedians. “Not many people do it well. Garrison Keillor is the greatest.” Carden went to Western Carolina University and taught English and drama for 15 years. He also worked for the Cherokee tribal government for 15 years before becoming a full-time storyteller in 1984. A newspaper columnist and lecturer on Appalachian culture, Carden lives in his grandparents’ old farmhouse. He is a contributor to a new book, “The Appalachians: America’s First and Last Frontier,” that will be a public television special this fall. For more information about Carden look online at www.tannerywhistle.com. Higgins, a Burnsville resident, has appeared in at least two of Carden’s productions – “The Raindrop Waltz” and “Birdell.” Library Book Discussion Faith Andrews Bedford will discuss her book, “Barefoot Summers: Reflections on Home, Family and Simple Pleasures,” Tuesday, Oct. 11 at the library at 6:30 p.m. Bedford is author of “Country Living” magazine’s “Kids in the Country” column. The library is located on the corner of Queen and Depot streets near downtown Boone. For more information about the programs call the library at (828) 264-8784.