The Great American Authors

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Governor Jim Hunt of North Carolina and Award Winning Journalist Peter Arnett, A Tribute, Special Edition (plus dedication to Dr Fred Norman of Myrtle Beach )

2025-12-3151:27

Send us a text This episode of our podcast is a tribute for a giant figure in the history of North Carolina. Governor Jim Hunt served for 16 years and he led the way in education reform in our region of the country. The modern North Carolina owes much to his leadership in the state. It also is a tribute to one of the great reporter of our time, journalist Peter Arnett. He had a distinctive voice that you recognized from the moment he spoke his first words in any report. He was on the fr...

HAPPY NEW YEAR (A) - The 2025 Tribute Show, Dedicated to Brian McCarty former Lander University College Republican Chairman

2025-12-3040:49

Send us a text Happy New Year 2026!! In this episode we say farewell to many iconic figures on the national scene, and here locally where we record this show. Sadly, we had so many passings in 2025 we are having to divide the New Year show in half this year. This episode we look back at the many people we lost this year. This episode is especially dedicated to a good friend from my college days at Lander University, who was also my first party Chairman in the College Republi...

Episode 416 The GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 14) Ernest Hemingway ( C ) : Thee Houses and a Boat - Key West, Cuba, the Pillar, and Idaho

2025-12-3001:15:50

Send us a text Ernest Hemingway's life was a testament to his belief in living authentically and drawing from rich, personal experience for his writing. His three primary homes in Key West, Havana, and Ketchum were more than just residences; they were essential backdrops and sources of inspiration for his work, each intrinsically linked to his lifestyle and creativity. Unifying these locales, and a symbol of his deep connection to the sea, was his beloved fishing boat, the Pilar. In ...

Episode 415 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 13) Ernest Hemingway ( B )

2025-12-2947:23

Send us a text Questions or comments at , Randalrgw1@aol.com , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/ Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcasts Thanks for listening!!

Episode 414 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 12) Ernest Hemingway (A)

2025-12-2801:10:17

Send us a text This episode is the first of three episodes that centers on the biggest star in all of American Literature, the great Ernest Hemingway. Ernest Hemingway's writing tips center on a minimalist style, a disciplined work ethic, and his famous "Iceberg Theory" (or theory of omission), which suggests that the deeper meaning of a story should be implied rather than explicitly stated. Here are his core writing tips and advice: Style and Technique Be brief and use simp...

Episode 413 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 11) Sinclair Lewis, Key West, and Tennessee Williams

2025-12-2354:53

Send us a text Two Great authors and one inspirational city are the focus of this episode. Sinclair Lewis Sinclair Lewis's writing advice, often delivered directly to his students or in letters, focused on the practicalities of a writing life and the raw discipline required. Some of his most memorable guidance includes the reminder that "real writers" are unstoppable and the emphasis that writing is simply hard work. Focus and discipline Don't fool yourself. Lewis advised wr...

Episode 412 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 10) Today's Best Sellers Give Their Advice : Curt Vonnegut, Walter Mosley, Stephen King, Lee Child, John Grisham, Carol Oates,

2025-12-2101:06:40

Send us a text This episode gathers some great advice from the best authors of our current time. It is a fun episode. The collective writing advice from these authors emphasizes core principles of discipline, clarity, honesty, and reader engagement, while acknowledging that individual processes can vary (e.g., plotters vs. "pantsers"). Common and Diverse Themes Discipline and Consistency: King, Mosley, and Oates all stress the importance of a regular, consistent writing schedule, often ...

Episode 411 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 9) Pat Conroy, South Carolina's Own

2025-12-1857:03

Send us a text Pat Conroy’s writing tips focus on using personal experience to craft honest, passionate prose. His advice emphasizes deep exploration of one's inner world, dedicated hard work, and the importance of reading widely. On finding your subject Write to understand your own life. Conroy wrote to make sense of his own story and invited readers to join him in the journey. He believed a writer's "central agony cowers in the limestone cave, licking its wounds, awaiting my discovery...

Episode 410 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 8) The British Invasion - Ian Fleming and J. K.. Rowling

2025-12-1601:09:49

Send us a text James Bond meets Harry Potter in this episode of our series. Two favorites of mine from across the pond in this special edition. Ian Fleming's writing tips emphasize speed, research, clarity, and sensory detail to keep the reader engaged and "turn over the page". He wrote primarily for "pleasure and money," aiming to create compelling thrillers rather than "Literature with a capital L". Here are his key writing tips and habits: The Writing Process Write Fast...

Episode 409 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 7) William Faulkner

2025-12-1401:01:42

Send us a text In this episode we look back at the man who can lay claim to having written the longest sentence in American Literature. He also wrote the story, "A Rose For Emily" which is a play that our host, Randal Wallace, once played the part of Homer Barron, the unfortunate beau of Ms. Emily, who they would later find dead in her bed years after he disappeared. William Faulkner offered extensive advice on writing during his time as a writer-in-residence at the Univer...

Episode 408 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 6) Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville

2025-12-1148:50

Send us a text In this episode we examine the life and work of two authors who actually knew each other and corresponded as they wrote their literary masterpieces. Nathaniel Hawthorne From a modern perspective, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing tips emphasize the importance of deep psychological exploration, moral complexity, and meticulous craft. His advice challenges writers to move beyond simple storytelling and engage with the more difficult truths of the human condition. Embrac...

Episode 407 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 5) The One Hit Wonders: Harper Lee, J. D. Salinger, and Margaret Mitchell

2025-12-0901:17:24

Send us a text These three writers all wrote just one novel of renown but they were gargantuan titles. We celebrate their impact on American Literature in this episode. Harper Lee offered several writing tips centered on persistence, humility, and the importance of craft over reward. She emphasized a love for language and a dedication to writing for oneself. Key Writing Tips from Harper Lee Develop a thick hide Write for yourself A writer worth their salt writes to please...

Episode 406 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 4) Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou

2025-12-0701:13:24

Send us a text This episode looks at two literary giants and includes their writing tips. It also features the only writer in our entire series our host, Randal Wallace, actually met, Maya Angelou. Mrs. Morrison was at the time of her passing, America's only living Nobel Laureate for writing. This is an inspiring episode for any aspiring authors and for everyone else too. Toni Morrison Toni Morrison advised writers to embrace the revision process, to write without considering an a...

Episode 405 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS (Part 3) John Steinbeck, Thomas Wolfe, and Mark Twain

2025-12-0401:12:55

Send us a text This episode looks at three giants of American Literature who all wrote about the struggles of forgotten America. One of them, Mark Twain, is considered the Father of American Literature. John Steinbeck is known for sharing six practical writing tips in a letter to a friend in 1962. These rules prioritize flow, discipline, and authenticity over immediate perfection: Focus on the daily work: Write one page each day instead of thinking about the entire length.Write ...

Episode 404 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS {Part 2) The Extremes - Edgar Allan Poe and Dr Suess

2025-12-0145:25

Send us a text Is there a more terrifying writer in the world than Edgar Allan Poe, nor a more fun one to read with a child with than Theodore Geisel, "Dr. Seuss" ? I don't think so. In this episode we chronicle two of the most extremely different authors of our entire series. Edgar Allan Poe wrote some of the strangest and most horrifying stories ever written. "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" "The Mask of the Red Death" The Fall of the House of Usher", "Tell Tale Heart", The...

A tribute to my Aunt Margie Wallace and Uncle Kenneth Huggins both of Hartsville S.C. , and dedications to several local people in our home community of Myrtle Beach S.C. (Special Edition)

2025-11-2727:03

Send us a text In this episode our host honors two of his family members who passed away in recent times. Aunt Margie Wallace - My Aunt was a substitute teacher in Darlington County for two decades after finishing a 30 year career at the sewing plant there. She was known to all the students there as "Grandma" and they turned out to her funeral in mass. She was a delightful, thoughtful lady and it is an honor for our show to remember her with this broadcast. Uncle Kenneth Huggins -...

Episode 403 THE GREAT AMERICAN AUTHORS Episode 1: F. Scott Fitzgerald

2025-11-2501:08:40

Send us a text Welcome to the first episode of our special Holiday Season, "The Great American Authors", Bob Dole's series will return in January 2026. In this episode we welcome you to our series, an introduce you to our host, Randal Wallace's, English teacher Mother, Gloria Bulmer. She was also a writer and as part of a writing class, had some of her writing published in only one book by Coastal Carolina University, as part of a writing class in 1983, also one of her short stori...

Former Vice President Dick Cheney Remembered from the Eulogies at the Washington National Cathedral (Special Edition)

2025-11-2352:42

Send us a text In this our second episode honoring the life of Former Vice President Dick Cheney we listen to the various eulogies from his funeral in Washington D.C. at the Washington National Cathedral. They range from his cardiologist, former Press Secretary, a Former President of the United States, his grandchildren and daughter, a former Congresswoman in her own right. This is a moving selection of addresses. Questions or comments at , Randalrgw1@aol.com , https://twitter.com/rand...

BOB CAUDLE 1930 - 2025 The Voice of Our Childhood A Tribute , and a tribute to the Pro Wrestling greats that made Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling, great fun!!!

2025-11-2201:19:01

Send us a text On Sunday, November 15, 2025, I woke up to the news that legendary Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling Host Bob Caudle had died , peacefully, in his sleep at the age of 95. I can’t explain it but this one was like losing a lifelong friend because in a way it was. Bob Caudle’s voice is as familiar to me as any on Earth, he has been a fixture in our home for my entire lifetime, each Saturday for my entire childhood straight through to early adulthood I heard him say "Welcom...

The Great American Authors Special Season Preview

2025-11-2122:13

Send us a text Join us starting November 25, 2025 for a Christmas Holidays Special 16th Season as we venture into new territory. Over the end of November and through out December we will spend 16 episodes looking at the Great American Authors, From F. Scott Fitzgerald to Stephen King and all points in between. We hope you will join us as we take a little break from American Political History and take a deep dive into American Literature, its history, and learn some writing tips from some of t...

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