The real-life Lottie Deno was born a "Southern belle" in 1844 as Charlotte J. Tompkins on a Kentucky plantation. But, how did the mild-mannered Charlotte transform into one of the Wild West's greatest characters?
Join us for this episode as author Frank Thurmond discusses his historical novel Lottie Deno: A Novel of the Civil War & the American Southwest.
Several years ago, a friend mentioned to author Frank Thurmond that she found a 19th century namesake who was an outlaw. A few months later when the pandemic hit, Frank began researching the historic 'Frank Thurmond,' and to his surprise found out that 'Thurmond' was married to the infamous lady gambler, Lottie Deno, the basis for Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke and Laura Dembow in the movie Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Looking for a subject for his first novel, Thurmond decided to focus on Lottie as the lead character for a story set in the Wild West rather than his namesake.
The novel is told through the perspective of Lottie:
"The second time I nearly got shot was the day John Henry "Doc" Holliday showed up. It was a busy night at the Bee Hive Saloon in Fort Griffin, Texas, on a crisp spring evening in 1858. For certain reasons I will return to later, I found myself there following a time of drifting after that unfortunate incident in San Antonio. (I will come back to that , too.) But there I was at the Bee Hive, just minding my own business flipping the pasteboards at my Faro table when in walked Doc."
Author Frank Thurmond grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and holds graduate degrees in English from Southern Methodist University and Oxford University.
His books include the memoir Before I Sleep: A Memoir of Travel and Reconciliation (Et Alia Press), a collection of short fiction titled Ring of Five: A Novella and Four Stories (Et Alia Press) and his poetry chapbook Remembrance and Other Poems (Braddock Avenue Books).
In addition to writing, he is a musician and filmmaker, and his script for his short film “The Dealer’s Tale” won the Best Screenplay award at the El Dorado Film Festival.
The book, Lottie Deno: A Novel of the Civil War & the American Southwest, is published by Parkhurst Brothers Publishers, and he has adapted the novel into a screenplay.
Thurmond teaches literature, composition, music and screenwriting at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
We are pleased to introduce the Arts & Letters Radio family to Milly Raccoon, the musician featured in this episode.
Trained by campfires and tavern jams all over the world, Milly Raccoon’s musical stylings seem to have travelled out of the past, blending classic country, early jazz, and other antiquated Americana. There is a connecting thread of spirituality, healing and liberation weaving through her work. Raccoon lives in Nashville, TN.
Many thanks as well to composer and musician Brian Nahlan, and thanks to Sam Brown and Frank Thurmond for the ballad.
Thanks to actors Frank Thurmond, Drew DeFrance, Michael Fuller, Bobby Fuller, and Milly Raccoon as Lottie Deno.
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