NF Shelby Foote, "Stars in Their Courses."

Non-Fiction
Now many more memories from the Father-in-Law are coming back.

He claimed that he remembered Blind Jim.
I have no reason to doubt him.

He was aware of Faulkner hanging out on the Oxford Square, but never encountered him.

(Dad in Law). . . had to leave Ole Miss during WW II. ( He joined the Navy)
This guy returned to Ole Miss (part time between jobs) during the late 40's & early 50's.

When he was a senior, the Korean War started.
Back to the Navy he went.

My Father-in-Law had so many stories about what life was like on the Ole Miss Campus , the Town of Oxford, Lafayette County,
and the surrounding areas. ( Memphis, Tupelo, Pontotoc, Batesville, Water Valley, ect.)

Sorry I started rambling.
 
Last edited:
The strange thing about that interview for me is Foote’s very purposeful refusal to acknowledge his daughter, claiming to have only one child, a son, Huger. Yet, he also had a daughter, Margaret Foote, from his first marriage.

It was generally known that he had a falling out with his daughter in the 70s or 80s I think, but that he denies her existence in this interview reveals just how deep that break had been.

It is my understanding that she had become involved in drugs while living in Europe and when returning home even spent time as a stripper in New Orlean’s infamous Big Daddy’s club. I’ve often wondered why more is not known about Margaret. I suspect her story would be something akin to a Tennessee Williams play: a fallen heiress from an aristocratic south gone bad.

Anyhow, she has always been an enigma to me. I wish there was more known about her.

She died in 2016. Here is her obit:

 
The strange thing about that interview for me is Foote’s very purposeful refusal to acknowledge his daughter, claiming to have only one child, a son, Huger. Yet, he also had a daughter, Margaret Foote, from his first marriage.

It was generally known that he had a falling out with his daughter in the 70s or 80s I think, but that he denies her existence in this interview reveals just how deep that break had been.

It is my understanding that she had become involved in drugs while living in Europe and when returning home even spent time as a stripper in New Orlean’s infamous Big Daddy’s club. I’ve often wondered why more is not known about Margaret. I suspect her story would be something akin to a Tennessee Williams play: a fallen heiress from an aristocratic south gone bad.

Anyhow, she has always been an enigma to me. I wish there was more known about her.

She died in 2016. Here is her obit:

I had forgotten about Margaret.

That is indeed a tragic Father/Daughter circumstance.

I doubt we'll ever know the actual facts.
 
The strange thing about that interview for me is Foote’s very purposeful refusal to acknowledge his daughter, claiming to have only one child, a son, Huger. Yet, he also had a daughter, Margaret Foote, from his first marriage.

It was generally known that he had a falling out with his daughter in the 70s or 80s I think, but that he denies her existence in this interview reveals just how deep that break had been.

It is my understanding that she had become involved in drugs while living in Europe and when returning home even spent time as a stripper in New Orlean’s infamous Big Daddy’s club. I’ve often wondered why more is not known about Margaret. I suspect her story would be something akin to a Tennessee Williams play: a fallen heiress from an aristocratic south gone bad.

Anyhow, she has always been an enigma to me. I wish there was more known about her.

She died in 2016. Here is her obit:


This is from a page out of 'A Writer's Life' by Stuart Chapman:


" Late in the summer of 1969, only a month after Foote had been at Hollins to participate in a literary conference, Margaret was involved in a terrible automobile wreck on a Roanoke road, an accident that would land her in plaster and traction for the next year. Foote immediately flew up to be with her, after she was transferred to a Memphis hospital, he spent long hours at her bedside.

His patience with her roguish ways, however, was growing thin. For several years he had worried about her drug use. As early as her first semester at Hollins, her father had begun to note her habit, and after the accident, Foote told Percy that 'Margaret's bedridden depression could be easily alleviated by a few pills and shots as soon as she gets the chance to pop or shoot them'. Perhaps seeing his own former rebelliousness in her, Foote continued to provide emotional and financial support, but she was also playing out her hand with her father. After her recovery and return to Holland's, in late 1970, Margaret called Foote to tell him that she was flying home unexpectedly. Begrudgingly, Foote drove to Memphis airport to meet her. The plane arrived, but Margaret was not on board. Disgusted, Foote told her that he was cutting her off, a decision cemented no doubt by Margaret's subsequent ventures, which included travelling with the Jimi Hendrix entourage on a European concert tour and dancing for several years at the New Orleans Big Daddy's strip club. (Foote's erasure of his daughter was so complete, that in 1994, what ask by C-Span's Brian lamb if he had children he answered "one child, a son"
 
Very sad.

I had never heard any of that.
But I believe it.

I've witnessed very similar situations within a few local old "prominent/aristocratic" families.
Gawd knows how much money those families spent on the best treatment available for their children, but in the end it didn't work.

Rich or poor, from what I've seen . . . the common denominator is always drug abuse.
 
I listened to his talk at the library of Rhodes College [previously known as Southwestern] on one of his volumes of "The Civil War: A Narrative." During a small meet and greet session he was gracious enough to sign my copy of the book, and to share some wonderful anecdotes.

As I have recounted before, he took particular delight in recounting a visit with a female descendant of Forrest. She handed him the General's sword that was in her possession, and he was giddy about swinging it over his head. Priceless memory.
 
I finally got around to watching the interview through to the end. As the OP said it had nothing to do with Gettysburg and was mostly about Foote with some discussion on civil war matters. I enjoyed it and especially liked Footes description of how he wrote, his explanation on why there are no footnotes in The Civil War [which I agree with as their absence makes his tome all the more readable], and his explanation on who he would have fought for in the Civil War and why.
Last year I watched the interview with Foote mentioned in Post #7 by @7th Mississippi Infantry and I enjoyed that as well.
 
Foote brought William Faulkner to Shiloh, and on the way they picked up a bottle of moonshine. Foote said there was a guy getting his shoes shined... and Faulkner said "go over there an ask him where we can get some moonshine"
he took particular delight in recounting a visit with a female descendant of Forrest. She handed him the General's sword that was in her possession, and he was giddy about swinging it over his head. Priceless memory.

If I remember correctly, Foote mentioned both these incidents during his "In Depth" interview on CSPAN.

I think holding Forrest's sword, much less "swirling it over his head" was one of the highlights of Foote's life.

Regarding the Shiloh trip with Faulkner. Foote related that Faulkner was a much older man. Thus a young Foote was very intimidated to be in his company. At least until the moonshine started having an effect.
I think the shoe-shine bootlegger was in Corinth.
( but that may have been in Holly Springs)
Either town . . . Faulkner apparently knew where to buy the stuff.
:bounce:

William Faulkner, Shelby Foote, and a bottle of North Mississippi liquid corn . . . while touring Shiloh ?

How I would have loved to been a passenger in the back seat.
 
Last edited:
The strange thing about that interview for me is Foote’s very purposeful refusal to acknowledge his daughter, claiming to have only one child, a son, Huger. Yet, he also had a daughter, Margaret Foote, from his first marriage.

It was generally known that he had a falling out with his daughter in the 70s or 80s I think, but that he denies her existence in this interview reveals just how deep that break had been.

It is my understanding that she had become involved in drugs while living in Europe and when returning home even spent time as a stripper in New Orlean’s infamous Big Daddy’s club. I’ve often wondered why more is not known about Margaret. I suspect her story would be something akin to a Tennessee Williams play: a fallen heiress from an aristocratic south gone bad.

Anyhow, she has always been an enigma to me. I wish there was more known about her.

She died in 2016. Here is her obit:

Wow I had never heard anything about that. Very sad to hear
 
Great video! (I should know... I uploaded it) lol. It used to be on YouTube, but was removed about a year ago. So I uploaded the copy I had.
So great to see Drew's post about this!! I came across this video yesterday, quite unexpectedly, while listening to a YouTube thing of Willis Alan Ramsey singing "Goodbye Old Missoula." What a find! I was captivated. I've always loved listening to Shelby Foote, and this interview was exceptional.

I've read his biography and most of his novels, as well as two of the shorter volumes (Vicksburg and Gettysburg) of CW history taken from his longer works. In this interview I was struck in particular by his description of his writing process--by hand, with a dip pen, no rewriting or editing since he was able to compose slowly and methodically--as well as what he had to say about the Great Compromise that (then, when he was speaking about it in the 1990s) allowed Northerners and Southerners to respect and care for each other. Things have changed. As he foresaw, violating the Compromise only stirred up bitterness and hatred.

Nice post, Drew!
 
The strange thing about that interview for me is Foote’s very purposeful refusal to acknowledge his daughter, claiming to have only one child, a son, Huger. Yet, he also had a daughter, Margaret Foote, from his first marriage.

It was generally known that he had a falling out with his daughter in the 70s or 80s I think, but that he denies her existence in this interview reveals just how deep that break had been.

It is my understanding that she had become involved in drugs while living in Europe and when returning home even spent time as a stripper in New Orlean’s infamous Big Daddy’s club. I’ve often wondered why more is not known about Margaret. I suspect her story would be something akin to a Tennessee Williams play: a fallen heiress from an aristocratic south gone bad.

Anyhow, she has always been an enigma to me. I wish there was more known about her.

She died in 2016. Here is her obit:

I wondered why he said he only had a son in the C-Span interview. Sad story.😢
 
I've always loved listening to Shelby Foote, and this interview was exceptional.

I've read his biography and most of his novels, as well as two of the shorter volumes (Vicksburg and Gettysburg) of CW history taken from his longer works.
I could listen to him for days on end. I have his self narrated Vicksburg and Gettysburg campaigns on tape, which I converted to mp3, and saved my on computer.

Have you read Foote's Shiloh? I read it in two days... couldn't put it down.
 
I could listen to him for days on end. I have his self narrated Vicksburg and Gettysburg campaigns on tape, which I converted to mp3, and saved my on computer.

Have you read Foote's Shiloh? I read it in two days... couldn't put it down.
It's in my library -- I bought it last summer or fall, I think -- but I have not yet read it. I was curious about the bios you said you have. I have (and have read) A Writer's Life. I know you quoted from that in a post above, but I think you said you have three bios of him. Which others?

I'm quite envious of your signed copies of his books.
 
Back
Top