S7 Ep04: Under the Oak Tree, Where Stories Were Told and Secrets Were Kept
In this episode of Your History Your Story, we will be speaking with author and college English professor, Gretchen Weiss Dubit.
Gretchen was a previous guest on our show (S2 Ep09) along with her brother Carl & sister Christina. Together, they told the story of their grandfather, Dr. Carl A. Weiss Sr., who was accused of being the assassin of controversial Louisiana Senator, Huey Long in 1935.
During that interview, Gretchen and her siblings presented a case for their grandfather’s innocence and also shared how that horrific event changed their family tree by forcing their grandmother to leave Louisiana with her young son Carl A. Weiss Jr. to escape a hostile environment in their community. They also told, how years later, their dad, who had settled in New York, eventually began visiting his relatives in Louisiana…a tradition that continued as his own family grew.
In today’s episode, Gretchen will talk about her new book, “Under the Oak Tree: Stories of a Southern Family”, a collection of stories and memories from her annual spring visits to see her father’s family in Opelousas, Louisiana. Gretchen, a native New Yorker who now lives in Colorado, will share memories of family reunions, outdoor play, crawfishing, horseback riding and more. She will tell of her special bond with her Great-Aunt Marie who was a wonderful storyteller, a lively and generous host and a living link to her Louisiana Cajun family’s interesting and accomplished history. Gretchen will also discuss the family secrets that were not shared by Aunt Marie or other family members because of the painful and disruptive consequences of the family’s involvement in a tragic incident that also affected American history.
Photo(s): Courtesy of Gretchen Weiss Dubit and YHYS Podcast
Music: "With Loved Ones" Jay Man
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Book purchase: "Under the Oak Tree" please use this link, Amazon
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