When Irish Guys Are Smiling by Suzanne Supplee

I gotta get Life magazine off the other line.” He was kidding, of course, but at the time I thought he was serious. When I called him that day, he said, “Hold on a minute. Plus, he wrote the music and lyrics for the Tony award-winning Broadway musical “Big River.” He was so nice and generous with his time and funny. It was over the phone, but still! He wrote Sixteen Tons and so many other famous hits. My most memorable experience was having the absolute pleasure of interviewing Roger Miller for an article. What was your most memorable experience with a country music artist? With that position, you must have met many famous entertainers and songwriters. My eight year old goes to sleep listening to Dolly Parton every night. I love the old stuff and most of the new stuff, and my children like it, too. Shameful, I know! Now I love country music, and I listen to it all the time. To be honest, I didn’t even know who Reba McEntire was, and I grew up in Tennessee. And once I got the job, I had to give myself a crash course in the songs and artists.

At the time I didn’t really care much for country music, although I didn’t mention this during my interview, of course. How did you end up working for the Country Music Association?Ī friend of a friend set up the interview. Yes, I have performed on stage, and I can carry a tune, provided there’s a nearby bucket. It was also great to be in plays and hear that dialogue spoken, invaluable training for a future writer. Out of curiosity, are you a singer/musician? Have you ever performed onstage? My minor in college was theatre, and I loved it. You also provide details about Retta’s feelings while performing publicly. Throughout the book, you include biographical information about successful country music artists. For all you writers out there, just remember this: Somebody is going to publish a book. Seeking publication is just a natural next step. And if I go too long without writing, I’m depressed and anxious and irritable. Sounds cliché, I know, but I have to write.

Does her story relate to your desire to be a writer? If so, how did you find courage to seek publication?Ībsolutely! I think for most writers, real writers, writing isn’t really a choice. But, unlike most dreamers, she actually pursues her dreams – against all odds. In Somebody Everybody Listens To, Retta Lee Jones represents the dreamer in all of us. This month, Supplee graciously took time to talk to Southern Lit Review about her role as an author and the path that led to her publishing success. When Dolly Parton read Supplee’s latest young adult novel, Somebody Everybody Listens To, she said, “Reading about Retta Lee Jones’s journey to Nashville was a lot like reading my own diary, except she had prettier boots.” Suzanne Supplee was first recognized as a talented children’s author with her works Artichoke’s Heart and When Irish Guys are Smiling.

When Irish Guys Are Smiling by Suzanne Supplee