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Famous Writers Made This Home As published by the Daily News Journal, Sunday, August 22, 2010 By Greg Tucker, President of the Rutherford County Historical Society From different generations, they both knew fame. One came to Rutherford to establish her legacy, and left only litigation. The other came to die.
She was the first woman to receive Grand Master Awards from both the World Science Fiction Society (1977) and the Science Fiction Writers Association (1983). Her best known works are the "Beast Master" and "Witch World" series. Born in 1912 in Ohio, she died in Rutherford County in 2005. Barry Sadler was a soldier, songwriter, author and musician. During the Vietnam War he served as an Army Green Beret medic and staff sergeant. The 1966 recording of his original "Ballad of the Green Berets" was #1 on the Billboard chart for five weeks, sold over a million copies, and was used in a John Wayne movie. He authored the fictional "Casca" series about the biblical character who stabbed Christ during the crucifixion and was condemned to remain a soldier till the Second Coming. Born in 1940 in Carlsbad, NM, he died in Rutherford County in 1989. Alice Mary Norton was born and schooled in Cleveland. "Being a late child," according to one biographer, "she never developed close relationships with siblings or contemporaries." Her parents encouraged her to read, recite and write. While in high school she wrote numerous short stories and her first novel, "Ralestone Luck." At Western Reserve University she studied history, journalism and writing.
Her first published book, "The Prince Commands," appeared in 1934
and "Ralestone Luck" was published in 1938. Also in 1934, she
changed her In addition to her writing, she pursued a career as a librarian, first in Cleveland and later with the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. From 1950 to 1958 she worked for Gnome Press. Following that employment, she became a full-time, professional author.
Norton wrote extensively in several genres of popular literature.
According to one complimentary critic, Norton "captures the readers'
attention in the
For first-time readers, particularly young adults, Norton offered a
universe of other worlds, "wild, beautiful worlds where being
different was no crime
Alienated outsiders undertaking a journey through which they realize
their full potential is a recurring theme in Norton's stories.
Without profanity or Long before Harry Potter, Norton penned "Witch World," and created a fantasy kingdom that produced some 30 sequels. In 1966 Norton settled in Winter Park, Fla., and it was there that she wrote most of her novels and short stories. (The home of this "Winter Park resident and renowned sci-fi/fantasy author" was included on visitor tours of Winter Park.) It was also during this period that she and several literary colleagues developed plans for a "genre writers" research and reference library" that would be Norton's enduring legacy.
Named for the southern region of Norton's fantasy Witch World, "High
Hallack," the library was to be established on "seventy acres in the
mountains of Tennessee" (near Monterey). Norton relocated to
the Tennessee site in the mid-1990s, but a lack of funds and a
cancer diagnosis for one of her In 1996 Norton arrived in Murfreesboro along with her friend and assistant Dr. Rose Wolf Kimbrough. Within a year Norton had purchased residential property on Eventide Drive and a less ambitious "High Hallack" was established in the large garage.
In a 1991 article, Michael Sims described the library: "This
is a library with a twist. The clock to the right of the
computer is shaped like a castle, and "All genre writing-mysteries, ghost stories, westerns, romances, everything in the category of escapist story-driven fiction is represented ... shelves bear fictional classics in every genre ... non-fiction on such details as jewelry, clothing and weapons ... religion and mythology ... natural history and nature-based superstitions and remedies ... biographies, memoirs and diaries ... a library that cuts a wide swathe through the history of literature."
According to Sims, several scholars came to Murfreesboro to use the
research center. Book dealers and librarians visited; several
high school
In a 2001 article about Norton and her library, John Snider
explained that Dr. Rose Wolfe Kimbrough and her husband, Larry
Kimbrough, "live with In 2004, Kimbrough and Stewart had a "falling out" and Kimbrough resigned, leaving Stewart with full responsibility for Norton's business and personal needs. As the author's health declined, Stewart was given "power of attorney" and oversaw closing of the library with most of the contents sold out of state. Eventually, Norton was moved into Stewart's home in Smyrna (expanded with some of Norton's funds). During this period, the Eventide property was sold and Norton's will was revised making Stewart the executor and residuary legatee.
After Norton's death in 2005, a Houston beneficiary under the will
(a longtime friend and fan of the author) challenged Stewart's
interpretation of certain will provisions. Perhaps sensing an
element of "undue influence" on the part of the former housekeeper,
the Rutherford Chancery Court
Completing his USAF duty, Sadler joined the Army hoping for a more exciting military career, and qualified for the Special Forces ("Green Beret"). While serving in Vietnam he was injured on a "punji stick" and developed a severe infection that required months in the hospital and in rehabilitation. During this period, he wrote his famous ballad. "The Ballad of the Green Berets" won a gold disc for Sadler in 1966. Two years later when the book "The Green Berets" by Robin Moore was made into a movie starring John Wayne, a choral arrangement of the ballad was used as the title song for the film. The ballad also gave Sadler his television debut on "The Jimmy Dean Show." Using the ballad as the lead song, Sadler made an album of original songs about soldiers serving in combat. The album sold a million copies in five weeks, but none of the other songs became popular hits.
Two other singles by Sadler, "I'm a Lucky One" (also the title of
his autobiography) and "The A-Team" made the charts but were not big
hits. Unable to score another major song hit, Sadler took to
writing soldier novels. His "Casca" series took his condemned
biblical character, Casca Rufio In 1978 Sadler shot and killed Lee Emerson Bellamy, a country songwriter ("I Thought I Heard You Call My Name") and manager for Marty Robbins, George Jones, Jimmy C. Newman and others. Bellamy, the estranged boyfriend of a woman Sadler was dating, was reportedly harassing or taunting Sadler. Sadler claimed self-defense, saying he thought Bellamy reached for a weapon (the former Green Beret shot first). On a plea to voluntary manslaughter, Sadler was sentenced to five years with the time suspended except for 30 days and two years probation. He eventually served only 22 days in the Tennessee penitentiary.
Sadler moved to Guatemala City in the mid-'80s where he is believed
to have been training Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries. One
night in Sadler was airlifted to the U.S. by friends with "Soldier of Fortune" magazine. He was in a coma for several months, and died a year later at the York VA Medical Center in Rutherford County. Greg Tucker can be reached at gregorytucker@bellsouth.net. |
Andre Norton was a prolific science fiction and fantasy writer with
over 300 titles to her credit under various pen names.
Acknowledged by both 
Sadler's parents divorced shortly after his birth and his father
died of cancer soon thereafter. While a child, Sadler traveled
about the southwest as his mother worked temporary jobs. He
dropped out of high school in the 10th grade and hitchhiked about
the country. At 17 he joined the Air Force, trained in radar,
and was stationed in Japan.