Writer Harry Middleton like French philosopher Simone Weil found spiritual enlightenment from blue-collar work.
Middleton, whose devoted fans revere his books on fly-fishing, worked as a garbage man in suburban Birmingham on his last job. He died in 1993 at age 44, suffering a heart attack while swimming with his family.
Battling severe depression throughout his life, what he called "the gut-bucket blues," Middleton went into a tailspin after his firing as a columnist for Southern Living magazine. He previously wrote for Louisiana Life magazine.
A graduate of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La., and recipient of a master's degree in western history from LSU, Middleton in his last days also worked as a factory janitor and grocery store stocker.
In his book "The Bright Country," Middleton expresses affection for his fellow sanitation workers and gives a heart-rending account of futilely seeking treatment for his depression. He rivals Weil as a writer who seeks spiritual fulfillment in everyday work.
Middleton's most fervent praise comes from fly-fishing acolytes who consider him one of the best chroniclers of the sport as a mystical quest.
The little-known writer receives an overdue homage in the current issue of "Garden & Gun" magazine, which consistently publishes compelling articles on Southern culture, branching out to places outside of the region that have a Southern connection.
Writer and University of Kentucky professor Erik Reece's "Deep Creek Communion" follows the paths traveled by Middleton in the book "On the Spine of Time: A Flyfisher's Journey Among Mountain People, Streams & Trout," which details a fishing trip Middleton took across the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Published in 1991, "On the Spine of Time" describes Middleton's encounters with colorful characters and presents philosophical reflections on the journey from Abrams Creek on the park's western boundary to Big Creek on the East.
In the Garden & Gun article, Reece and his cousin Tye return to the places that Middleton visited. Reece cites relevant passages from "On the Spine of Time" and gives his own vivid impressions of the park's natural beauty. Gorgeous oil paintings by artist Gordon Allen illustrate the article.
I imagined Harry's spirit guiding Reece and his cousin toward their "deep communion."
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