Former prof takes break from facts with novella

Dr. George Suggs has focused on history for decades, 31 of those years as a history professor at Southeast Missouri State University, from which he retired in 1995.

In that time he's written six books, all nonfiction, all with a historical focus. A few years ago Suggs began work on his first fiction book, "Shady Grove" -- a self-published 109-page novella set in the Great Depression, in a small, fictional Southeast Missouri town called Shady Grove. The story centers on a young couple who long for the glamour of big-city life but end up discovering the appeal and color of small-town living and small-town personalities.

Suggs said he didn't set out to make a case for small-town living over city life, even though he grew up in a small North Carolina mill town and spent most of his life in small towns. His main reason for writing the book was to find a way to occupy his free time in retirement by taking a shot at fiction writing -- and by highlighting small-town culture.

"I see in this couple a discovery that life can be interesting regardless of location if one is fortunate enough to know rich personalities, and that's what happened to me in my small town in North Carolina," Suggs said.

Growing up in a small town didn't inspire him to write "Shady Grove," Suggs said, but did help him with the book.

"It gave me a wonderful background of rich personalities in the small town that I grew up in, and conversations and episodes and incidents that I was either involved in or heard about," Suggs said. Friends who grew up in Southeast Missouri also gave him ideas, making a blend of Missouri and North Carolina small-town culture.

Part of the story centers on the gossip that can be heard in the local barbershop, a centerpiece of small-town life. The shop in the book is owned by Charley Bell, a character drawn from Suggs' North Carolina youth. A man named Charley Bell operated a barbershop in Suggs' small town.

"Oftentimes I went into that barbershop, and a lot of the conversation in the story I actually heard and participated in at Charley Bell's barbershop," Suggs said.

Writing fiction was a liberating experience, Suggs said, one that didn't require him to get the facts straight and compile footnotes to document his research. The retired professor is now looking for a publisher for his manuscript of short fiction stories.

"Shady Grove" can be purchased at the Cape Girardeau Barnes and Noble Booksellers and the University Bookstore. Suggs will appear with his book from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday at Barnes and Noble.

msanders@semissourian.com

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