Few who
knew Clyde Edgerton during his childhood would have
predicted that he would grow up to be a writer. Odds
would have been placed on his being either a professional
baseball player or a rock musician, or, if his parent's
wishes had been fulfilled, a missionary or a concert
pianist. He loved to hunt and fish and hang out with
his “good buddies.” There was little indication that
he had the slightest literary leanings.
Edgerton
was born May 20, 1944, in Durham, North Carolina,
and then lived in a small community, Bethesda, on
the outskirts of the city. He was the only child
of Truma and Ernest Edgerton. Even though his immediate
family was small, he lived near a total of 23 aunts
and uncles and many cousins. He visited in their
homes and saw them at reunions, at grave cleanings,
and on other special occasions. His mother's family
were primarily cotton farmers, and his father's
family grew tobacco. His parents were among the
first of the family members to leave the farm.
Growing
up in a rural area, Edgerton had a happy childhood.
His outgoing personality and keen sense of humor
contributed to his popularity in the community.
"Drama during this period," Edgerton recalled,
"came from baseball, hunting, and playing Robin
Hood with my friends in the woods." He was
particularly proficient in baseball. For nine summers,
including his  freshman
year in college, Edgerton played on some type of
baseball team. Even though he spent more time with
his mother, he was very devoted to his father who
taught him to hunt in the wooded areas near his
home. His interest in music was due to his mother's
insistence on his taking piano lessons when he was
seven.
Edgerton's
choice of English as a major in college at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill evolved slowly.
Though he was a good student who enjoyed literature,
his reading had been somewhat sporadic. During high
school he remembers being impressed by Emerson,
Thoreau and Twain. But, after reading Hemingway's
A Farewell to Arms as a college sophomore,
he decided to be an English teacher. He wanted to
share his excitement for such literature with others.
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 During
his undergraduate years, Edgerton was a student in
the Air Force ROTC program, where he learned to fly
a small plane. Upon graduation in 1966, he received
a commission and entered the U. S. Air Force. For
the next five years he served on active duty as a
fighter pilot based in the United States, Korea, Japan,
and Thailand.
After his return from the Air Force, Edgerton decided
to complete a master's degree before starting a teaching
career. With this degree he accepted a faculty position
as an English teacher in his old high school. He was
an outstanding teacher, willing to try innovative
and creative strategies in the classroom. Because
of his success as a teacher he was encouraged to return
to the University to begin a doctoral program. As
a graduate student he worked as a teaching assistant
in the program designed for prospective teachers of
English.
 Edgerton's
decision to be a serious writer was a very deliberate
one, but somewhat of a surprise even to him. He had
been keeping a journal, jotting down ideas, feelings,
characters, and events on paper. He planned to use
this resource in case he continued to write. In May
1978, Edgerton watched Welty read one of her
stories on public television. That night he wrote
in his journal: " May 14, 1978 —Tomorrow, May
15, 1978 —I would like to start being a writer."
That was the beginning of a career that has resulted
in the creation of eight novels: Raney, Walking
Across Egypt, The Floatplane Notebooks, Killer Diller,
In Memory of Junior, Redeye, Where Trouble Sleeps,
and Lunch at the Picadilly. His first
non-fiction book is a memoir of his flying years called
Solo: My Adventures in the Air. The critical
reception to his work led to his receiving a Guggenheim
Fellowship, a Lyndhurst Fellowship, the North Carolina
Award for Literature, a Distinguished Alumni Award
from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Education
Department, and five notable book awards from The
New York Times. Because of his ability to bring
his literature to life in readings, he continues to
be very much in demand as a speaker and reader of
his own fiction.
By R. Sterling Hennis
Excerpted from CONTEMPORARY FICTION
WRITERS OF THE SOUTH, edited by Joseph Flora and Robert
Bain. Greenwood Press, 1993
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