Elvis Has Left the Building

Here we are inside Graceland, the living room below kept as it was in the 1970s. Check out the stained-glass windows and baby grand piano! Elvis's grave is a pleasant memorial laid around water, but you also learn that he is buried alongside his parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley, and his maternal grandmother. I was surprised to learn they died in reverse natural order, with the older members living the longest! Elivs, of course, died young...

Here's the famous TV room where Elvis would watch 3 TVs at once!

The greatest extrvagance Elvis ever took part in was to fly his jet plane the "Lisa Marie" half way across the country for bacon and PB and J baguettes!

Appalachian Trail

Every year thousands of people walk the Appalachian trail through Tennessee and Virginia. The whole trail is about 2175 miles long and extends from Georgia to Maine!

After walking for a couple of hours along the trail ridges, Charlie sprang back from the path to tell me a bear was up ahead. I took theis news in stride, not even knowing there were bears on the trail, but on learning they can easily outrrun you, and will chase you, the scene changed a little. It was a baby bear that had scrambled across the path, but we certainly didn't want to get between the little guy and its mother!
Here's me with complete proof of the Appalachian Trial - not a sign I brought with me.

Thomas Wolfe's Angel - and I

Thomas Wolfe - not many people have heard of him in America let alone England. The more famous writer Tom Wolfe was actually named after him, but have no fear as to who is the great writer - the man with the full name! Thomas Wolfe was a contemporary of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway and actually shared the same editor, Maxwell Perkins, but has been forgotten unlike his fellow writers, mainly because Wolfe wrote sprawling prose that was hard to group into a novel structure. He essentially wrote one long novel of his life which Perkins had to struggle to make into material the publishing industy could call novels.

Above is me at a memorial to Wolfe's first and greatest novel, Look Homeward, Angel, the title taken from Milton Lycidas. I am in Wolfe's hometown of Ashville, North Carolina, the subject of his novel. The people in the novel were drawn from real life and the townfolk were very upset with Wolfe - except when he became famous and they were suddenly proud to be on the map!

Graduation, May 2008

My mum - Dr. Jennifer Fullerty - and Katie at my Ph.D. graduation.

I had recently completed a Ph.D. at the George Washington University, specializing in British and American twentieth century novels!

Katie trying on my gown!

In the Elephant and Castle pub!

Graduation Day!

Graceland

Dear England, Here's Elvis's home that he bought for $100,000 in 1957 when Elvis was just 20! It's a beautiful plot of land, and the house isn't too showy, but a place that gives off a genuine air when you visit it - not what most people would expect. The gravesite is particular with "If I Can Dream" playing in the background is a moving experience.

Today the rooms - the famous TV room and jungle room - are also preserved as they were in the 70s. Of course there's a toursity side to Graceland but somehow it doesn't overpower the genuine memorial to Elvis it is today (it might be the Memphis heat). But you can even get married at Graceland. Long live the King!