Episode 13: Unravelling Mysteries With Michael Malone

When writer Michael Malone moved back to his native North Carolina, he discovered that fiction came pouring out of him, as did other creative pursuits—plays, songs, imaginative parties, and fundraisers. He was the impresario the small, formerly quiet town of Hillsborough had been waiting for. Among the work inspired by his new hometown was a young adult (YA) story, entitled “Uncle Tatlock and the Town Clock.” Set in a fictionalized version of Hillsborough, the story explores a small town’s past, from its revolutionary roots, to its Civil War surrender, to its contemporary complications and small victories. The town clock has been through it all.

Michael Malone was the author of 12 internationally acclaimed novels, including the classic Handling Sin; Dingley Falls; Fool’s Cap; and The Four Corners of the Sky. He also wrote the popular “Hillston” mysteries, set in a small North Carolina town. The three novels are narrated by two incompatible Piedmont homicide detectives, Justin Savile V and Cuddy Mangum, who over their years of working together forge a close friendship. Michael also published a collection of short stories, entitled Red Clay, Blue Cadillac, as well as two books of nonfiction, one on American movies, one on Jungian psychology. His television writing credits include daytime dramas on ABC, NBC, and Fox. His stories, essays, and criticism have appeared in a wide range of publications, including The Wilson Quarterly, Mademoiselle, Harper’s, The New York Times, The Nation, The Partisan Review, and Playboy. His short works have often been included in anthologies, and his novels have been translated into many languages. Michael also wrote plays, songs, and poems. Among the many prizes he was awarded over his career are the O Henry, the Edgar, the Writers Guild Award, and an Emmy for ABC’s “One Life to Live,” where he was head writer for nearly a decade. He taught at Yale, the University of Pennsylvania, and Swarthmore. Most recently, he was a professor in the theater and English departments at Duke University.

His story, “Uncle Tatlock and the Town Clock,” is a young-adult prequel to his novel, The Last Noel. The Tatlock story appears in Eno Publishers’s anthology, 27 Views of Hillsborough: A Southern Town in Prose & Poetry.

Michael died in August 2022 at the age of 79.