S1 E6 – Wiley Cash – Celebrated New York Times best-selling author Wiley Cash joins Lynda to talk about a little known part of Southern history. Sometimes we have to turn to fiction writers to show us a true version of the past. In his new novel, The Last Ballad, Wiley Cash takes us back to 1929 and the Gaston County, N.C. textile mills. In this, his 3rd critically acclaimed novel, Wiley pieces together a moving story about a real person – textile worker, union organizer and balladeer – Ella May Wiggins who was killed during the Loray Mill Strike. Wiley talks about why he wrote this book, how he blends fiction and history to tell a true story and how geography shapes his writing.
 https://www.wileycash.com/

The Mill Mother’s Lament, written by Ella May Wiggins; performed by Pete Seeger. Click here to listen.