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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM 16 UCW DECEMBER 7 - 13, 2022 When Philip Gerard died Nov. 7 in Wilmington, North Carolina lost one of its most productive and multital- ented writers. His students and colleagues in the creative writing department at UNC- Wilmington would remind us of his great talent as a teacher and mentor to other writers. As an engaging fiction writer, he was careful to keep his stories' underly- ing factual basis strictly accurate. For instance, his 2016 novel, "e Dark of the Island," weaves a story line that brings together facts about German submarines and spying along our coastline together with fictional ef- forts to find and exploit oil deposits off those same shores. e main character, Nick Wolf, is a research- er and publicist for the fictional NorthAm Oil Co., which is search- ing for oil off the North Carolina coast. NorthAm sends Wolf to the Outer Banks to per- suade the locals that oil drilling off their coast would be a good thing for them. Wolf 's grandfather was a German immi- grant who died off the coast of Hatteras Island in 1942 reportedly while serving in the U.S. Merchant Marines, but possibly as a part of the German military. Out of this intriguing background, Ge- rard's fiction emerges as an entertain- ing and provocative read. As a talented writer of non-fiction, he knew how to weave the facts into compelling stories that held the atten- tion of his readers. In one of my favorites, "Down the Wild Cape Fear: A River Journey through the Heart of North Carolina," I learned a lot about history, nature, en- vironmental protection and degrada- tion, public policy, human nature, and man's search to find a proper place in the world he did not create. anks to Gerard's great writing, I experienced the drama, the challeng- es, the joys and the setbacks that are the seasonings of any journey through unfamiliar parts. Starting a few miles below Jordan Lake where Haw River joins Deep River to form the Cape Fear, Gerard canoes downstream, passing by Raven Rock State Park before reaching the bridge at Lillington, getting through three sets of dams and locks, all the way to Fayetteville. en, with the rap- ids behind, switching to a powerboat to follow the river as it passes Eliza- bethtown, he is on the way to Wilm- ington and into the ocean beyond Bald Head Island. We can still benefit from Gerard's stimulating writing. In May, Blair/Car- olina Wren Press published his latest book, "North Carolina in the 1940s: e Decade of Transformation." Based on a series of articles Gerard wrote for Our State Magazine, his new book, in 13 short chapters, takes a look at North Carolina in the 1940's. No one book, especially a short one, can adequately cover an entire decade. But Gerard's selection and description of impor- tant topics gives his readers an informed introduction to the entire period. Gerard's small book covers: the 1940 hur- ricane that brought deathly floods to the mountains of North Carolina, the origins of the "Unto ese Hills" (a theatrical extravaganza depict- ing Cherokee life and history); challenges of land ownership for Black North Carolinians; the polio epidemic; construction of the Fon- tana Dam and the painful relocation of local residents; the powerful 1944 storm that lashed the Outer Banks; strikes at Reynolds Tobacco in 1943; Black Mountain College and its shock- ing liberalism in conservative North Carolina; the establishment of the Marine Corps training facility at Camp Lejeune; and the "sensitive, steady, and reliable leadership" of Gov. Mel Broughton. If these topics are not enough for you, there is some good news. Gerard left another book for us, "North Carolina in the 1950s: e Decade in Motion," set for publication in March 2023. Editor's Note: D.G. Martin, a lawyer, served as UNC-System's vice president for public affairs and hosted PBS-NC's North Carolina Bookwatch. Philip Gerard: Great teacher of great writers by D.G. MARTIN FREE HEALTH CARE • for Eligible uninsured Adults call 910.485.0555 LITERATURE D.G. MARTIN, Contributor. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcom- ingweekly.com. 910-484-6200