My Projects

This page lists links to artistic and publishing projects I’m working on at the moment. 

Crowded Mountain Press

The HBCU Literary Review

2 Responses so far »

  1. 1

    DAVID COMFORT said,

    August 4, 2009 @ 12:14 pm

    Hi,

    I’m the author of THE ROCK AND ROLL BOOK OF THE DEAD, to be published by Citadel/Kensington at the end of this month.

    I write in detail Elvis Presley. Elvis’s twin brother, Jesse, was stillborn. His mother, Gladys, apparently believed in the Hillbilly superstition, that her live child (Elvis) inherited the soul of his dead brother. (Elvis was even said to speak w/ the ghost of Jesse). Can you elaborate on this superstition or refer me to any literature which discusses it?

    Many thanks!

    Reply
    • 2

      hillbillymfa said,

      August 4, 2009 @ 8:16 pm

      I’m not sure on that one — it could be any sort of superstition from any number of cultures (native American? African-American?) in Mississippi. The only thing that Vance Randolph has to say about twins in “Ozark Magic and Folklore” is that they are generally associated with misfortune and bad luck (pp. 203). I’m not sure if he says much about them in other texts, but if he had much to say in terms of superstition, he would have said it there. I didn’t find stillborns mentioned.

      Reply

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