Tim Tingle began listening to his grandmother’s stories at an early age, staying up nights to listen to the family tales about being Oklahoma Choctaw and how Tingle’s great-great-grandfather survived the “Trail of Tears” when a treaty was signed calling for the removal of Choctaws to Indian territory in Oklahoma.
He kept journals for as long as he could remember, writing short stories in junior high and obtaining his undergraduate degree in English literature. One of the stories he always wanted to write about was when some boys threw rocks at his grandmother, cutting her face.
“I don’t know why anyone would throw rocks at my grandmother,” Tingle said. “She was one of the nicest ladies. She would have gone and baked them a pie.”
After selling his successful business, New Canaan Farms, Tingle found a quiet place at Canyon Lake where he could write and then began telling stories based on the stories he had heard as a child.
For 10 years, he worked solely as a storyteller, telling stories based on the tales he had heard as a child. He was also writing stories—based on hundreds of interviews with Choctaw elders. He has since written several award-winning books.
Most recently, the National Storytelling Network recognized Tingle with the Talking Leaves Award. The award is a literary award that is presented to those who have made outstanding contributions to the literary body of storytelling as authors, editors or collectors, said Kate Dudding, chair of the public relations team with the National Storytelling Network.
“Tingle has been collecting Choctaw stories through personal interviews for more than 20 years,” Dudding stated in a press release. “He has interviewed Code Talkers, medicine women, boarding school survivors, and war heroes, as well as everyday Choctaws born near the turn of the last century. He has conducted more than hours of interviews with tribal elders in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, California and Louisiana.”
Tingle will receive his award Oct. 1 at the National Storytelling Awards Ceremony on National Story Night, preceding the 37th annual national Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tenn.
“It’s an enormous honor,” Tingle said. “It’s not given every year. I think this is only the fifth time. In storytelling, you can see the audience bonding with you. But when you write a book, even when you see the reviews, you are never really sure how many people are really reading it. Or if they care. This shows they really care.”
His first book, “Walking the Choctaw Road” (Cinco Puntos Press, 2003, $16.95) was Oklahoma Reads-Oklahoma’s Book of the Year in 2005 and the same year, was named Alaska Reads! Book of the Year. The book includes several stories about Choctaw life, including the story about his grandmother settling into her new home in Pasadena and having rocks thrown at her face (“Saltypie”) and one about his battle with his father (“Archie’s War”)—his version of the Indian Wars.
His second book, “Crossing Bok Chitto” was an Editor’s Choice in the New York Times. He also co-authored “Texas Ghost Stories: Fifty for the Telling” with long-time friend and fellow story-teller Doc Moore.
“When Turtle Grew Feathers,” (August House, May 25, 2007, $16.95) is a children’s book with a twist on the popular tale of the turtle and the hare. Tingle also established the Choctaw Storytelling Festival, now in its seventh year, and has founded several storytelling guilds in Texas and Oklahoma.
Tingle is especially excited about his latest project, “House of Purple Cedar,” which has been eight years in the making and is almost complete.
“This is the best writing I’ve ever done, bar none,” he said.
Tingle said the book is a piece of fiction based on history. The story takes place in 1896 in Choctaw country, way before the land rush of Oklahoma. The non-Indian business people in a thriving town desperately want the railroad to come through their town, Tingle said.
“A fire was set at the Indian girls’ boarding school, and 20 little girls died,” Tingle said. “It broke the back of the whole community. The Choctaws left. There is not even a single foundation left. Imagine if the town the size of Abilene was just wiped off the map. That was just 100 years ago. The only thing still left is the graveyard.”
Tingle interviewed seven families—some villains and some victims—he said, and visited the area several times while researching for the book.
“You know what they named the boarding school? They named the boarding school ‘New Hope Academy for Girls,’” Tingle said.
He added that in all of his writing, he tried to give some element of light to each of his characters, to explain why they were the way they were, no matter how dastardly a deed they might have done.
“I try to show there is still some element of humanity there,” he said. “I try to show that there is a sense of forgiveness in the community. That’s why I write fiction. Because you can create a fiction where people can find that light. It is the difference between a historian and an artist.”
This spring, a children’s illustrated version of Tingle’s story “Saltypie” will go to print with Choctaw artist Karen Clarkson of California providing the illustrations.
“I’ve seen one of the paintings that shows my grandmother with her hands over her eyes and blood running through her fingers. Very powerful,” Tingle said.
The story itself carries a powerful message and ending.
Tingle and Doc Moore also have “More Spooky Texas Tales,” for the upper elementary-age set, going to print sometime this fall. Tingle continues to make guest appearances as a storyteller at storytelling events, schools and workshops.
He urges aspiring writers and storytellers to find the support of others by joining a guild or group.
“Go find a storytellers’ guild or writers’ group,” he said. “The people who are successful are the ones who are always willing to help others.”
Tingle performed last Saturday at the Tejas Storytelling Conference at St. Edward’s University in Austin. For more on the conference, go to www.tejasstorytelling.com. For information on Tim Tingle, go to www.choctawstoryteller.com or send e-mail to timtingle(at)hotmail.com.
