Regarding Richard Chase: Two Memorable Meetings
by Sandy Schuckett, California School Library Association
August 2004
- Miles Wins 2005 Election
- CLA Conference Program Online This Year
- Regarding Richard Chase: Two Memorable Meetings
- $5000 National Library Week Grant Available
- Program Grants Available Through ALA
- Arizona Library Conference Planned
- From the Editor
In 1968 when I was a new (2 years) school librarian in Los Angeles Unified School district I attended a Saturday Book Fair event at an elementary school in Gardena. The keynote speaker was noted folklorist Richard Chase, and it was a joy to hear this national treasure as he regaled us with many of his Appalachian "Jack Tales" in his own lilting accent and voice.
Mr. Chase was in California primarily for the Claremont Young Peoples' Reading Conference, which, at that time was held at Claremont College every year, and it was a real coup for the school district folks to get him for our event. When our Book Fair was over, around 3:00 pm, Mr. Chase needed a ride back to his hotel in Claremont. Claremont is quite a distance from Gardena. It appeared that none of the "big shots" at the Book Fair had the time or the inclination to drive him back to Claremont, so, since I had nothing better to do, I volunteered to be his chauffeur. We had all that time - almost an hour - in my little 1964 MGB convertible just riding and talking and talking and riding.
He talked about the mountains, and where he lived, and how he grew up, and how important the stories had been throughout his life. Even when he was "just chatting" he sounded like a storyteller. His voice was musical, and at times it was all I could do to just concentrate on my driving. He spoke of the oral tradition of the mountains and his research into the origins of many of the "Jack Tales." He was only 64 years old at the time, (born in 1904) but he seemed older and he seemed to have the wisdom of the ages. It was a very memorable experience, and it was so exciting for a new school librarian like me to actually be in the same car with someone of his stature, humble though he was. We arrived in Claremont, parted ways, and I headed back to the freeway marveling over this unique experience and wondering if I would ever have such an opportunity again.
Fast-forward ten years. In 1978 a cousin and I planned a vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains. I found a place called Chataloochee Ranch, which was a group of rustic log cabin buildings up in the hills off the main drag of a little town in North Carolina called Maggie Valley. We drove up the hill on a dirt road that looked like it had gotten stuck in the 1930s - grazing goats, trashed automobiles, wooden shacks. When we reached Chataloochee Ranch we settled in, had a great country-style dinner in the main lodge, and then began reading various flyers and pamphlets describing what was going on in the area.
What luck! There was a Smoky Mountain Folk Festival happening that very week. The festival consisted of myriad events spread throughout many little mountain towns and communities - country music and gospel concerts, clog dancing demonstrations, crafts exhibits, food contests, and. . . storytelling. When I read through the storytelling events, I was amazed to find Richard Chase! Of course we had to go.
Chase was appearing the very next day in one of the little towns in the mountains - a drive of about an hour. According to the flyer, his storytelling session would begin at 2:00 pm. We left in plenty of time, and followed the directions the Chatalootchee manager had given us - driving along narrow mountain roads and passing through one small town after another. When we finally got to the proper town (whose name I do not remember) we spent another fifteen minutes looking for a place to park. It was getting very close to 2:00pm.
We finally parked the car and walked toward the town square where a multitude of people were gathered - clapping, laughing, etc. As I tried to push through the crowd to the front to see what was happening, I suddenly heard a familiar voice - it was Richard Chase telling a story. They had set up what looked like a large boxing ring, raised about five feet above the ground, and he was sitting in one corner on a three-legged stool. Seated cross-legged in front of him, practically on top of each other, were maybe a hundred children looking at him in awe as he wove and almost sang his tales. The time on the schedule we had seen had been misprinted - we thought he was starting at 2:00pm; he had started at 1:00pm. He was telling his last story of the day.
I decided I had to at least greet him, and I pushed my way over to the staircase that led down from this boxing ring contraption. When he finished his story there was loud applause and louder cheering - for what seemed like ten minutes. Richard Chase was obviously a local hero. He finally turned from the crowd and began to descend the stairs. I was standing at the bottom, and I got his attention and was starting to say something like, "Hi - you probably don't remember me, but . . . " when he looked at me and said, "Oh... you're the young lady who gave me a ride when I was in Claremont. Isn't your name Sally?" I was totally floored, and I probably said, "uh, duh, buh, buh..." (or something.) What a memory - ten years later! It was a moment I would not soon forget. But - time passes and important moments DO slip from memory. The article about the found copy of Chase's Jack Tales in the July 2004 California Libraries brought it all back.