Back Porch Talkin'-Livin' Country (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780615604688)

William "Uncle Bill" Hornickel received his B.S. and M.S. in Secondary English Education and Journalism from Indiana University and completed a writing fellowship through the Indiana University Southeast Writing Project. During the completion of his writing fellowship, William discovered his affection for writing about his farm heritage and rural history through the voices of the many characters from his childhood. This farm boy-turned-high school English teacher's love of rural heritage and history is evident in his recollections of 50 years of growing up and living on a farm in Southern Indiana. During his youth, Uncle Bill studied the art of storytelling and yarn-spinning from the many unique people that surrounded him, spending hour after hour listening to the older folks sharing gossip and tall-tales. William's unique commentary style and country-born introspection is a product of that rural up-bringing and the hours spent in the company of the many rural characters from his past, ultimately giving birth to Back Porch Talkin'. Some of Uncle Bill's earliest farm memories are rooted in his love and passion for old tractors, an affection that he lovingly refers to as a "Tractor Thing." It was also during his rural adolescent years that Uncle Bill met his alter ego, Wally P. Hoglash; a naïve, simple-minded, good-old-boy from down-on-the-farm whose basic views on life offer a unique perspective and voice to what livin' country truly means. Uncle Bill still resides on the family farm with his wife, Carolyn, who provides her insight on life through Little Bits of Country Wisdom. Each year, Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Bill make numerous appearances on the Back Porch Talkin' sound-stage, taking his unique style of country humor and commentary out to live audiences all around southern Indiana. In addition to his writing and teaching, he still works the family farm with his dad, Ralph, raising corn, soybeans, hay, horses, and cattle. As Uncle Bill is fond of saying: "Back Porch Talkin' isn't just a bunch of stories; it is a way of life!"