Billy Bob’s Corner
In June, weekly audio releases of Billy Bob’s stories will commence. The full collection and the print versions will be available later in the summer.
Scroll down for story notes and more!
Meet Jim Patton, Our Narrator
Jim Patton, the voice of the Angel at large, has received coaching with Joel Froomkin, Julie Wilson, PJ Ochlan, Johnny Heller, Paul Alan Ruben, and Chris Ciulla. Some of Jim’s other projects include A God of Hungry Walls, written by Garret Cook, Into Modern Times with O.Henry, and a Civil War series by Knud Hermansen.
Jim grew up in Colorado and spent his early career as an international electrical field engineer, working in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Italy, and Egypt. In this capacity Jim spoke French and Spanish with sufficient fluency to direct construction crews. JimI later earned a doctorate in electrical engineering and taught at the University of Maine for many years before becoming the Provost and Chief Academic Officer at National Technological University (now absorbed into Walden University).
Jim acted in high school and college. Jim played Hamlet in a college production and acted in community theater before becoming interested in audio drama and audiobooks.
When Jim is not recording, he is cooking, hiking with his dogs, or working on his mobile sound studio (camper van).
Story Notes
The Angel William Robert Travis
Live Oaks (Quercus fusiformis) are everywhere in Texas. This is not the one where our poor Luke Campbell met his end, but I thought you might like to see a really grand one. This is the Big Tree on Goose Island down on the coast. If you ever get a chance to visit, tell Big Tree I said hello. The Angel William Robert Travis began as a flash fiction piece in a now defunct online magazine called Lenox Avenue. That short piece caught my imagination more than I expected, and so began my journey of writing stories about Billy Bob in various epochs of Texas history. If you’re listening to Angel at Large episodes, welcome to Billy Bob’s Texas. Whether you like your tea sweet or unsweet, you’re welcome here!
Christmas Parade
Edith Louise Marshall missed her chance to be in the Christmas Parade, but the Christmas Parades of course must go on.
On The Road
The Goliad Massacre at Presidio La Bahia in March 1836 happened after the more famous Alamo massacre. On Palm Sunday, Texian captives consisting of forces from Texas and other southern states were slaughtered on the road outside the presidio. Francita Alavez, the “angel of Goliad”, was a real woman. The real Francita was either the second informal wife of Captian Alavez or simply his mistress. Whatever her social standing, wherever she went during the Texas revolution, she petitioned for the rights and welfare of both military prisoners and non-combatants.
The current presidio is a recreation of the original fort, but worth a visit if you’re in the area.
