If you read the reviews on this site regularly, there is a good chance that you read the Canterbury Tales at some point. You may even be familiar with other "frame" tales. You probably know the story of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. This "meddlesome priest" was murdered in the cathedral and quickly became a cult figure in the Middle Ages. You know that Chaucer's pilgrims (common, everyday people) were headed to Canterbury to pay their respects and decided to tell stories to entertain themselves along the way. All this happened 900 years ago. Can it be modernized, and what would be the appropriate venue?
These are the questions Sharyn McCrumb began contemplating in graduate school. But, who would be the martyr? Perhaps Elvis? Princess Diana? Mother Theresa? Elvis was somewhat removed in time. Diana was too fairy tale-like. Mother Theresa, who died soon after Diana and who is on the fast track to real sainthood, was largely ignored in her passing.
These are the questions Sharyn McCrumb began contemplating in graduate school. But, who would be the martyr? Perhaps Elvis? Princess Diana? Mother Theresa? Elvis was somewhat removed in time. Diana was too fairy tale-like. Mother Theresa, who died soon after Diana and who is on the fast track to real sainthood, was largely ignored in her passing.
Then, on February 16, 2001, Dale Earnhardt crashed (It appeared to be a relatively gentle crash for someone going 180 miles per hour.) into a wall at the Daytona 500, The Great American Race. The next day, the headlines in the Charlotte, NC Observer, according to McCrumb, were larger than they had been for any event since Pearl Harbor. He was, you see, practically a hometown boy, living just a few miles up the road in Mooresville, and race fans had real love-hate feelings for him.
Fans of NASCAR, even those who did not like The Intimidator, were in shock. The story led the evening news for days throughout the states where NASCAR is king. His emblem, a white 3 in a black circle, sprouted angel's wings overnight and began to appear on cars and trucks throughout the racing world. Thousands of mourners, and they were truly, sincerely mourning, traveled to the headquarters of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI) to lay flowers and comfort one another. In the subsequent races, everyone stood on the third lap and held up three fingers. A waitress in Daytona Beach would count change: one, two, Dale, four. . .
Fans of NASCAR, even those who did not like The Intimidator, were in shock. The story led the evening news for days throughout the states where NASCAR is king. His emblem, a white 3 in a black circle, sprouted angel's wings overnight and began to appear on cars and trucks throughout the racing world. Thousands of mourners, and they were truly, sincerely mourning, traveled to the headquarters of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI) to lay flowers and comfort one another. In the subsequent races, everyone stood on the third lap and held up three fingers. A waitress in Daytona Beach would count change: one, two, Dale, four. . .
This was it, McCrumb realized. Such a novel would be a major departure from her two previous series, one comic, the other a dream-like setting the Appalachia. The common thread would remain, showing that smart, right-thinking Southerners belied the image of slothful layabouts. She knew nothing about racing, thought it was nothing more than turning left for 500 or so miles. But, she recognized the elements of a pilgrimage and the apotheosis of a common man into something approaching sainthood. After all, his business, DEI, said it all.
The novelist Cassandra King said in a recent discussion about Southern literature: "The setting almost becomes another character." So it is in St. Dale. The first chapter opens on a dark country road on the way to the small town of Mooresville almost a year after Earnhardt's death. Justine is lost, and her car breaks down. A black car pulls up and a seemingly familiar looking man ["mustache, sunglasses and all (sunglasses?) beneath a red and black Goodwrench cap"] comes up and fixes her car. The scene is set for a mysterious, perhaps ethereal experience.
The novelist Cassandra King said in a recent discussion about Southern literature: "The setting almost becomes another character." So it is in St. Dale. The first chapter opens on a dark country road on the way to the small town of Mooresville almost a year after Earnhardt's death. Justine is lost, and her car breaks down. A black car pulls up and a seemingly familiar looking man ["mustache, sunglasses and all (sunglasses?) beneath a red and black Goodwrench cap"] comes up and fixes her car. The scene is set for a mysterious, perhaps ethereal experience.
Harry Bailey (Bailey Travel) has organized a Dale Earnhardt Memorial Tour. It begins at the short track in Bristol, Virginia and ends at the super speedway in Daytona, Florida. Ex-racer Harley Claymore has agreed to lead the tour, primarily because he wants to reconnect and find a ride. The plan is to lay a wreath at various tracks between Bristol and Daytona. As it turns out, each "pilgrim" shares a story explaining in part what brought each to this very real pilgrimage. Each is seeking redemption in some form as each comes to terms with Earnhardt's death.
The parallels with Chaucer are beautifully realized. Chaucer's pilgrims departed the Tabard Inn run by Harry Bailly, innkeeper. Each group is headed to a particular place (Canterbury - Daytona) to mourn a beloved figure (Becket - Earnhardt). Bill Knight (the Knight's Tale) is an Episcopal priest from Canterbury, New Hampshire where young Adam Petty, a fourth generation racer died shortly after his arrival. Knight's great passion is a study of the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela, another famous frame tale. Ray Reeve is in Agro-business in Nebraska. Jesse Franklin is a county auditor in Michigan.
The parallels with Chaucer are beautifully realized. Chaucer's pilgrims departed the Tabard Inn run by Harry Bailly, innkeeper. Each group is headed to a particular place (Canterbury - Daytona) to mourn a beloved figure (Becket - Earnhardt). Bill Knight (the Knight's Tale) is an Episcopal priest from Canterbury, New Hampshire where young Adam Petty, a fourth generation racer died shortly after his arrival. Knight's great passion is a study of the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela, another famous frame tale. Ray Reeve is in Agro-business in Nebraska. Jesse Franklin is a county auditor in Michigan.
