Author Archives: mcartwright1957

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About mcartwright1957

I am a member of the senior administrative team at the University of Indianapolis where I have served since 1996. I am married to Mary Wilder Cartwright. We are the parents of four children: Hannah, Erin, James, and Bethany. I currently live in Nashville, IN.

Transient Camps

Posted on December 23, 2014 by mcartwright1957

There are two moments in The Grapes of Wrath that I find most arresting. The first one takes place when Ma refuses to turn around and look behind her as the Joad family leaves their homestead located in Cherokee County … Continue reading →

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“Gone to Shiloh”

Posted on December 23, 2014 by mcartwright1957

The words are saturated with poignancy. Elton John describes the lyrics of the composition that he and Leon Russell are about to sing as “gorgeous” and I think they are. Each time I listen to this haunting melody with Russell’s … Continue reading →

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Tom Joad and the journey back home

Posted on December 22, 2014 by mcartwright1957

The Grapes of Wrath begins with (the son) Tom Joad leaving the Oklahoma state prison in Macalester and heading back to his home located near Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Along the way, he encounters “The Preacher,” with whom he talks about the … Continue reading →

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The Road up to Shiloh Church

Posted on July 28, 2014 by mcartwright1957

Located in the Southern part of Scott County, Arkansas, the cemetery where several of my Cartwright ancestors are buried is by no means easy to find. Even if you have been there before, it can be difficult to find. Although … Continue reading →

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From West to East

Posted on July 25, 2014 by mcartwright1957

I was born in Castro Valley, California in 1957 not far from where the American frontier was believed to come to its end. In fact, the train station in Niles was originally built as the first stop of the transcontinental … Continue reading →

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From East to West

Posted on July 25, 2014 by mcartwright1957

The journey west is the classic American saga of the immigrants. It is the story that frames the lives of the earliest Wooten ancestor (an indentured servant near Jamestown as part of the Virginia Colony) as well as the Sullivans … Continue reading →

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