Comments for Tom Poland http://tompoland.net Writer Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:20:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ Comment on Shag Book Underway—Big Apple, Carolina Beach Excerpt by Joan Bassett http://tompoland.net/experienc/new-books-underway/#comment-86 Joan Bassett Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:20:00 +0000 http://tompoland.net/#comment-86 Judy and Joan Bassett grew up in Fairmont, NC during tobacco season which was 50 miles from Cherry Grove. We had the last house on the oceanfront at Cherry Grove in 1954 that Hurrican Hazel took. The Anderson boys from Mullis lived behind us so our parents got us an X-Arthur Murray dance teacher to teach the shag in our living room in 1957. My sister Kay Cameron and Linda Kinlaw were shagging at the Pad in 1954 so I grew up listening to The Platters, The Ink Spots, Nat King Cole and other black musicians. My mother would take us to OD Pavillion every night to start and then we'd go to the Pad at OD and then end up at Sonny's Pavillion. She would sit on the bleachers and watch us and only the older reliable life guards could take us home sometimes. We danced in Weejuns and Pappagallos on the oceanfront so we got pretty sweaty. I had to glue my spit curls to my face so they wouldn't droop with sweat. After tobacco season was over we would transfer to Miami where we would finish the school year. Once in a while a boy from NC would show up to dance with or we would teach our boyfriends how to shag. I dated the manager of the Pad, Jim Jayroe, one summer and he and I or Donnie Christenberry and I would make up steps on Sunday afternoons. Sunday was called the changing of the guards because a new crop of tourist would come in for the week and you would go down to Sonny's and pick out a dance parter for the week. I met Ronnie Joyce in 1964 who I consider to be one of the best dancers that has ever come out of NC or SC! He and Mike Osbourne are from Charlotte and they are in the Hall of Fame and rightfully so as they were my favorite partners of all time. After spending all summer dancing I went to Peace College in 1965 and they would come up to Raleigh and we go over to NC State or Chapel Hill and go to fraternity parties and the people would circle around us to watch us Shag. I am now 62 yrs. old and my dance partner, who is 28 yrs. old, for the last 3 yrs. has been Zack Smith who began dancing at 5 yrs old and is one of the new young dancers that have taken Shag to a new level! Judy and Joan Bassett grew up in Fairmont, NC during tobacco season which was 50 miles from Cherry Grove. We had the last house on the oceanfront at Cherry Grove in 1954 that Hurrican Hazel took. The Anderson boys from Mullis lived behind us so our parents got us an X-Arthur Murray dance teacher to teach the shag in our living room in 1957. My sister Kay Cameron and Linda Kinlaw were shagging at the Pad in 1954 so I grew up listening to The Platters, The Ink Spots, Nat King Cole and other black musicians. My mother would take us to OD Pavillion every night to start and then we’d go to the Pad at OD and then end up at Sonny’s Pavillion. She would sit on the bleachers and watch us and only the older reliable life guards could take us home sometimes. We danced in Weejuns and Pappagallos on the oceanfront so we got pretty sweaty. I had to glue my spit curls to my face so they wouldn’t droop with sweat. After tobacco season was over we would transfer to Miami where we would finish the school year. Once in a while a boy from NC would show up to dance with or we would teach our boyfriends how to shag. I dated the manager of the Pad, Jim Jayroe, one summer and he and I or Donnie Christenberry and I would make up steps on Sunday afternoons. Sunday was called the changing of the guards because a new crop of tourist would come in for the week and you would go down to Sonny’s and pick out a dance parter for the week. I met Ronnie Joyce in 1964 who I consider to be one of the best dancers that has ever come out of NC or SC! He and Mike Osbourne are from Charlotte and they are in the Hall of Fame and rightfully so as they were my favorite partners of all time. After spending all summer dancing I went to Peace College in 1965 and they would come up to Raleigh and we go over to NC State or Chapel Hill and go to fraternity parties and the people would circle around us to watch us Shag. I am now 62 yrs. old and my dance partner, who is 28 yrs. old, for the last 3 yrs. has been Zack Smith who began dancing at 5 yrs old and is one of the new young dancers that have taken Shag to a new level!

]]> Comment on A Southern Writer by Malinda Rutledge http://tompoland.net/#comment-84 Malinda Rutledge Sat, 28 Aug 2010 02:25:48 +0000 http://tompoland.wordpress.com/?page_id=3#comment-84 A great writer and a true southerner in every sense!! Preserve thyself. A great writer and a true southerner in every sense!! Preserve thyself.

]]> Comment on Shag Book Underway—Big Apple, Carolina Beach Excerpt by Kay Hatcher http://tompoland.net/experienc/new-books-underway/#comment-82 Kay Hatcher Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:37:25 +0000 http://tompoland.net/#comment-82 I too remember dancing at Fat Jack's as a teenager/college age young lady. It is interesting to read your book and learn more about the dance I have grown to love so much. I grew up about an hour from Myrtle Beach, so day trips and date nights were easy and always enjoyed. Most of the dance places had plywood, sand gritty floors, so the suede bottomed shag shoes of today would have taken quite a beating. We danced and sweated in the open air bars with no AC, with the beach breeze blowing all around us. I guess in those days we didn't even have AC in many of our homes, so it didn't matter. We just knew we were happy making friends and enjoying the great music. I too remember dancing at Fat Jack’s as a teenager/college age young lady. It is interesting to read your book and learn more about the dance I have grown to love so much. I grew up about an hour from Myrtle Beach, so day trips and date nights were easy and always enjoyed. Most of the dance places had plywood, sand gritty floors, so the suede bottomed shag shoes of today would have taken quite a beating. We danced and sweated in the open air bars with no AC, with the beach breeze blowing all around us. I guess in those days we didn’t even have AC in many of our homes, so it didn’t matter. We just knew we were happy making friends and enjoying the great music.

]]> Comment on Shag Book Underway—Big Apple, Carolina Beach Excerpt by Pat Tyler http://tompoland.net/experienc/new-books-underway/#comment-75 Pat Tyler Fri, 06 Aug 2010 22:25:51 +0000 http://tompoland.net/#comment-75 Loved reading this first offering....love shag and people around it. Was present at very first SOS...danced night and day all weekend..once at Fat harold's surrounded by a crowd urging us on....Question?.....Why no mention of Fat Jack's? danced holes in many pairs of shag shoes there too. Pat T Loved reading this first offering….love shag and people around it. Was present at very first SOS…danced night and day all weekend..once at Fat harold’s surrounded by a crowd urging us on….Question?…..Why no mention of Fat Jack’s? danced holes in many pairs of shag shoes there too. Pat T

]]> Comment on Shag Book Underway—Big Apple, Carolina Beach Excerpt by Allen S. Henry, Jacksonville, FL, First Coast Shag Club http://tompoland.net/experienc/new-books-underway/#comment-66 Allen S. Henry, Jacksonville, FL, First Coast Shag Club Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:06:40 +0000 http://tompoland.net/#comment-66 Tom, I love your writing style. I was born in the Mississippi Delta and have many cousins still left in MS to this day. born 3-2-1936, in Ruleville MS., but grew in Memphis, TN and graduated from Whitehaven High School. In school we listened to a radio station program "Red Hot & Blue". Danced to the songs from that station. Did not learn the "shag" until 1992 in Atlanta, GA. Tom, keep up the good work with Mr Phil Sawyer, one of my dearest friends. Allen Tom, I love your writing style. I was born in the Mississippi Delta and have many cousins still left in MS to this day. born 3-2-1936, in Ruleville MS., but grew in Memphis, TN and graduated from Whitehaven High School. In school we listened to a radio station program “Red Hot & Blue”. Danced to the songs from that station. Did not learn the “shag” until 1992 in Atlanta, GA. Tom, keep up the good work with Mr Phil Sawyer, one of my dearest friends. Allen

]]> Comment on Shag Book Underway—Big Apple, Carolina Beach Excerpt by Charlotte Moore http://tompoland.net/experienc/new-books-underway/#comment-62 Charlotte Moore Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:59:05 +0000 http://tompoland.net/#comment-62 Great subject, good reading......waiting for more. I had to turn my radio sound low at night in my bedroom to keep my parents from hearing that "awful suggestive stuff"..............I loved it then and love it now. Still shaggin'. Charlotte Great subject, good reading……waiting for more.
I had to turn my radio sound low at night in my bedroom to keep my parents from hearing that “awful suggestive stuff”…………..I loved it then and love it now. Still shaggin’.
Charlotte

]]> Comment on Shag Book Underway—Big Apple, Carolina Beach Excerpt by Judy http://tompoland.net/experienc/new-books-underway/#comment-61 Judy Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:45:30 +0000 http://tompoland.net/#comment-61 Interesting topic. I look forward to reading more. Interesting topic. I look forward to reading more.

]]> Comment on Shag Book Underway—Big Apple, Carolina Beach Excerpt by Dianne Stone Norton http://tompoland.net/experienc/new-books-underway/#comment-60 Dianne Stone Norton Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:34:38 +0000 http://tompoland.net/#comment-60 Interesting. I remember Ocean Drive in the 70's. Excellent writing as always. Interesting. I remember Ocean Drive in the 70′s.
Excellent writing as always.

]]> Comment on A Southern Writer by Steve Morse http://tompoland.net/#comment-59 Steve Morse Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:10:58 +0000 http://tompoland.wordpress.com/?page_id=3#comment-59 Great site Tom. Good to hear from you. Can you beleive we have a Dooley in Knoxville coaching the vols. I'm still using everything you taught me to write. Thanks for un-doing all the nasty things I learned about writing in and English 101 class in Park Hall at UGA. GO DAWGS! Steve Morse, Ph.D. Director & Economist, Tourism Institute University of Tennessee - Knoxville Great site Tom. Good to hear from you.

Can you beleive we have a Dooley in Knoxville coaching the vols.

I’m still using everything you taught me to write. Thanks for un-doing all the nasty things I learned about writing in and English 101 class in Park Hall at UGA.

GO DAWGS!

Steve Morse, Ph.D.
Director & Economist, Tourism Institute
University of Tennessee – Knoxville

]]> Comment on A Southern Writer by Judy http://tompoland.net/#comment-58 Judy Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:16:34 +0000 http://tompoland.wordpress.com/?page_id=3#comment-58 Nice picture of you and the banner:) Nice picture of you and the banner:)

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