The Mockingbird’s Song

This is the landing page for our upcoming short story collection, Where I Come From. We’ll be updating information on the book here. “Leave this world better” from Where I Come From.   Front Cover Image   This is the image for the front cover of: Where I Come From: Stories from the Pineywoods CURT ILES ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Where I Come …

Wow!  I wrote my first book, Stories from the Creekbank, in 2000. Not only is it still in print, but it’s a steady seller. I’m so grateful for friends and readers like you who’ve kept my thirteen books “evergreen.” Evergreen is the book-selling term for a title that continues to sell long after its publication. We’ve been blessed in this. …

A word from Curt Enjoy! Be Grateful! LISTEN TO Audio Podcast of this story My Mother is Named Mary   Jesus and His Mother Mary: It’s a reminder that even when your child is perfect(ly obedient) you may not understand him or her.   I’ve been thinking a lot about Mary this week. I love learning more about my wonderful …

Transparency is a Good Thing. “But he (Jesus) said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”  -Paul in I Corinthians 12:9   There’s just something about a fire in the woods. …

A word from Curt This story, from The Mockingbird’s Song, features one of the most touching stories from the terrible events of September 11, 2001   A Tight Rope . . . Held by a Tight Friend   World Trade Center North Tower New York City September 11, 2001   Stairway 27C of the North Tower of the World Trade …

A word from Curt The story below is a departure from my African stories. I write what my hearts tells me to. This story was both conceived and born yesterday. Enjoy! Be Grateful! Read “Beth’s Satellite Phone” from our latest newsletter. You can be directly involved in helping with the South Sudan Crisis.  My Mother is Named Mary  You can …

A Friend named Ivory From the book, The Mockingbird’s Song by Curt Iles “The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing … not healing, not curing … that is a friend who cares.” –Henri Nouwen “A …

The Mockingbird’s Song By Curt Iles A Review by Michelle Williams This book offers a unique glimpse inside the heart of a person who is struggling with depression and winning the battle. Curt Iles opens up his heart and shares the soul searing depths of his clinical depression. He also gives his prescription for hope and healing for those afflicted …

Sample Chapter: The Mockingbird’s Song by Curt Iles To see more, visit http://www.creekbank.net Chapter Eight: A Tight Rope Held by a Tight Friend World Trade Center North Tower New York City September 11, 2001 Stairway 27C of the North Tower of the World Trade Center was a space of both life and death on the morning of September 11, 2001 …

                          The Mockingbird’s Song by Curt Iles Chapter Four: The Thin Red Ribbon of Hope pages 8-15 My first thought was, “Hey, who turned out the lights?” Here I was in the woods between the main campgrounds and “The White House.” The White House is our adult center …

Preface: The Mockingbird’s Midnight Song -But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them (Acts 16:25). It’s the middle of another restless and sleepless night. Being exhausted both physically and mentally, yet unable to get the thing you need most – sleep, is so frustrating. So I finally wearily …

Dedication: To Ricky, My Friend for Life Writing a book about the dark times of one’s life is difficult. It is in our human nature to shy away from revealing the depths of our soul, especially when the subject matter is painful. This book of essays concerning my struggle with depression has been hard to write. Rather, let me rephrase …

The Challenge… The lady stood over me with her hands strategically placed on her hips as I sat at a table in the camp dining hall with her hands on her hips and a wrinkled scowl on her face. My earlier years from being a high school principal had given me a sixth sense of when a good eating out …

Burned, yet Blessed, by the Fire This is one of my reader’s favorites. The original story is in Wind in the Pines. This updated version will be in my new book, The Mockingbird’s Song. (It is due out in early 2007.)         The once green pine forest, now charred and blackened, lifelessly stares back at me. As …