Folly Beach renaissance man, Wesley Moore III, publishes debut novel
by Hailey M. Williams | Contributing Writer
Today, Oh Boy has hit the shelves, and longtime Folly Beach resident Wesley Moore III can add “author” to his list of achievements. In a nod to James Joyce’s Ulysses, Moore set the novel during a single day from the perspectives of Rusty Boykin and Ollie Wyborn, juniors at Summerville High School in 1970. The novel explores the emergence of a counterculture amidst profound local and national turmoil, as the protagonists face “the turmoil of adolescence but in the context of a community that is undergoing pretty massive change.”
“I think you really need a counterculture to have a healthy high school,” says Moore, “I got in trouble in high school a lot, and I got in trouble teaching at Porter-Gaud occasionally, it’s just my rebellious nature.”
Moore’s 34-year long career as an English teacher at Porter-Gaud School, publications in multiple literary magazines and anthologies, and numerous writing awards has left their mark on his long-form fiction.
“T. Coraghessan Boyle has had a major influence on my prose style,” he says giving credit to the PEN/Faulkner Award-winning novelist. “When I write, I don’t really have an outline, I just create characters, give them problems, and see how they respond.”
Amazon defines Today, Oh Boy as “Teen and Young Adult Historical Fiction,” though Moore intended the book to be enjoyed by all ages. Readers in his long-time book club thought of the book as “not for kids but for baby boomers,” aided by the rich cultural allusions ranging from the titular lyrics from “A Day in The Life” by The Beatles to the Vietnam War to high school protocols around hair length.
Though chiefly fiction, Moore admits one autobiographical exception. “I was dismissed from school because my hair was too long … both of my parents worked, so I hitchhiked to my house and gave myself a haircut and hitchhiked back to school.”
When Moore began Today, Oh Boy about twelve years ago in hopes of being picked up by South Carolina-based independent publisher Hub City Press, his life was radically different. Alongside the balancing act of teaching and writing, Moore says, “my wife, Judy Birdsong, became ill with cancer and eventually died. My mother died, and my father died all in that period. So, I just put it away.”
How Today, Oh Boy made it into print is a one-of-a-kind love story. Moore accredits the early days of his relationship with professional editor Caroline Tigner (now Caroline Tigner Moore) as the revitalization point for his novel.
“As part of the sort of wooing process, I said, ‘Hey if you want to know what I was like as a kid, read the first chapter of this novel.’ I was expecting her to say, ‘gosh this is brilliant.’ She read it and said, ‘well, it needs some work.’”
With Caroline’s guidance and the expert eyes of New York Times writer and friend Centra Wilson, Moore clenched a publishing deal with Austin Macauley Publishers. The final touch was the book’s cover, created by Folly’s own David Boatwright. The arts community in Folly Beach has been a welcome source of creative inspiration for Moore, who noted the impact of events like the Songwriter’s Soapbox and collaborative spaces like Chico Feo and the old Folly Beach Brew Pub (now Chico Feo), where he often graded papers in his teaching days.
Though Today, Oh Boy chronicles the shifting tides of conservative Summerville, Moore has seen Folly Beach change over the years, too.
“I’ve been coming to Folly Beach my entire life,” he says. “In those days, there was an amusement park … It was still crowded, and the beach was washing away in the late ’60s, early ’70s. I was a Summerville surfer, and believe it or not the Washout wasn’t the best surf spot, it was 12th Street.”
You can pick up a copy of Today, Oh Boy at Bert’s Market (or through Buxton Books, Austin Macauley, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon). You may also hear Moore read an excerpt from Today, Oh Boy by visiting his multi-media blog, You Do Hoodoo, at www.wlm3.com.
