This week marks the film release of Cormac McCarthy’s “No Country for Old Men”.
Cormac's had a big year- his book "The Road" won him the Pulitzer Prize; he was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey (although probably a dubious honor in most literary circles) and now the release of the much anticipated film version of his 2005 novel "No Country for Old Men". I always get a little rush when I see Cormac’s name on television (or in the newspaper or in bookstores) because Cormac was one of my father’s best friends growing up in South Knoxville. Personally, I’ve never met the man. However, through my father’s recollections, I feel as if I, like Dad, knew him back in the days before he became what the Houston Chronicle has deemed "America's Greatest Living Writer".
Cormac McCarthy grew up in the Vestal section of South Knoxville. He and his family relocated from Knoxville to the house on Martin Mill Pike while he was a young child. As a teenager, Cormac fell in with my father (who lived just down Neubert Springs Road from Martin Mill) and several of his running buddies. Cormac, or "Charlie" as he was known then, was a couple of years younger than Dad, and, as Dad admitted in a 2001 Metro Pulse article, was somewhat more intelligent than most of his peers.
Cormac McCarthy grew up in the Vestal section of South Knoxville. He and his family relocated from Knoxville to the house on Martin Mill Pike while he was a young child. As a teenager, Cormac fell in with my father (who lived just down Neubert Springs Road from Martin Mill) and several of his running buddies. Cormac, or "Charlie" as he was known then, was a couple of years younger than Dad, and, as Dad admitted in a 2001 Metro Pulse article, was somewhat more intelligent than most of his peers.
Dad always said “Charlie was a little different; he had the blackest eyes I’ve ever seen and he always looked at things from a different angle than anyone else”. I could tell this was meant as a compliment rather than a critique, and "Charlie" was definitely no outcast among the roughnecks of Vestal. Throughout his life Dad would vividly recall countless adventures, and misadventures, he shared with "Charlie" and the rest of their crew in and around South Knoxville in the 1940's. A number of landmarks from their old stomping grounds, and more than a few details from their various experiences, would eventually find their way woven into the intricate plots of Cormac’s books.
The setting for his first novel, The Orchard Keeper, was drawn directly from the old peach orchard that ran along the crest of Brown’s Mountain around the turn of the century. (My grandfather’s property ran up the north face of Brown’s Mountain and the orchard road was the property’s southern boundary). The old road is still there, following the same route up the ridgeline to the "turnaround" at the highest summit of the mountain. From here you gain a gorgeous view of the Smokies to the south. Several years ago, having seen bulldozers up there and several acres of land cleared off, I was sure someone was planning to develop the property on the south side of the mountain. However, whatever development was planned at the time seems to have stopped, at least for the time being, as no further land has been cleared.
The turnoff of Martin Mill Pike leading up to the "turnaround" marks the semi-fictional location of the unfortunate "Green Fly Inn" that collapsed and slid off the side of the mountain in the novel. (This was apparently based on an actual event that had occurred at or near that location around the turn of the century, though I really can't recall any further detail from Dad's comments on it). An FAA signal station was erected on the site of the turnaround nearly 40 years ago and remains there today.
The setting for his first novel, The Orchard Keeper, was drawn directly from the old peach orchard that ran along the crest of Brown’s Mountain around the turn of the century. (My grandfather’s property ran up the north face of Brown’s Mountain and the orchard road was the property’s southern boundary). The old road is still there, following the same route up the ridgeline to the "turnaround" at the highest summit of the mountain. From here you gain a gorgeous view of the Smokies to the south. Several years ago, having seen bulldozers up there and several acres of land cleared off, I was sure someone was planning to develop the property on the south side of the mountain. However, whatever development was planned at the time seems to have stopped, at least for the time being, as no further land has been cleared.
The turnoff of Martin Mill Pike leading up to the "turnaround" marks the semi-fictional location of the unfortunate "Green Fly Inn" that collapsed and slid off the side of the mountain in the novel. (This was apparently based on an actual event that had occurred at or near that location around the turn of the century, though I really can't recall any further detail from Dad's comments on it). An FAA signal station was erected on the site of the turnaround nearly 40 years ago and remains there today.
Along the road there are two concrete pits; one directly alongside the roadbed and another about 25 yards into the woods near the turnaround. The pits, each originally about 6 feet deep, were used by workers at the old orchard for mixing the insecticide that was applied to the peach trees lining either side of the road. Dad tells of he and his friends coming upon one of the pits while hunting at dusk dark one evening and, gazing down, seeing white ribs poking up through the rotten leaves and mire. While it was quickly determined that the corpse was that of a dead pig someone had conveniently discarded into the pit, the event obviously made enough of an impression on young "Charlie" that the image would later morph into a slightly more sinister scene in "The Orchard Keeper".
In Cormac's novel "Suttree", the main character happens upon an old mansion on the south bluffs of the Tennessee River and surprises a group of young vandals. This was the old Peter Blow Mansion; the abandoned home of a deceased Knoxville industrialist and a favorite haunt for boys of the area at the time. The home stood atop the bluffs overlooking what is now Cherokee Boulevard across the river. The Speedwell estate now occupies the property.
Cormac's many descriptions of South Knoxville contained within that particular book capture perfectly that brokedown but still vibrant feel of the area during the 50's and 60's. We used to visit my grandmother there when I was young, and the book conjured for me many of the old feelings and impressions I had of Vestal and of South Knoxville even in the late 60's and early 70's. Of course, his eye for detail and the degree to which his descriptions contribute to the texture of his stories is where Cormac's genius truly lies.
Dad last saw Cormac in probably one of the least auspicious locations imaginable- the McDonald's out on Cedar Bluff Road. Dad was on his way to a church function and Cormac, who had apparently been visiting here in town, had stopped in on his way back to points west. They visited briefly, catching up as best they could for two men whose lives had diverged so completely over the years. After saying goodbye, Dad turned to my mother and said "You know, I never would have recognized Charlie if it hadn't been for those black eyes".
I really wish Dad could have lived just another year. As much as he loved literature, it would have been particularly gratifying for him to see his old friend finally win the Pulitzer.
In Cormac's novel "Suttree", the main character happens upon an old mansion on the south bluffs of the Tennessee River and surprises a group of young vandals. This was the old Peter Blow Mansion; the abandoned home of a deceased Knoxville industrialist and a favorite haunt for boys of the area at the time. The home stood atop the bluffs overlooking what is now Cherokee Boulevard across the river. The Speedwell estate now occupies the property.
Cormac's many descriptions of South Knoxville contained within that particular book capture perfectly that brokedown but still vibrant feel of the area during the 50's and 60's. We used to visit my grandmother there when I was young, and the book conjured for me many of the old feelings and impressions I had of Vestal and of South Knoxville even in the late 60's and early 70's. Of course, his eye for detail and the degree to which his descriptions contribute to the texture of his stories is where Cormac's genius truly lies.
Dad last saw Cormac in probably one of the least auspicious locations imaginable- the McDonald's out on Cedar Bluff Road. Dad was on his way to a church function and Cormac, who had apparently been visiting here in town, had stopped in on his way back to points west. They visited briefly, catching up as best they could for two men whose lives had diverged so completely over the years. After saying goodbye, Dad turned to my mother and said "You know, I never would have recognized Charlie if it hadn't been for those black eyes".
I really wish Dad could have lived just another year. As much as he loved literature, it would have been particularly gratifying for him to see his old friend finally win the Pulitzer.
