Uncle Jim: 101 Selected

About the Book

Uncle Jim is a composite character based on people, their personalities, actions, and adventures in Wayne County, Tennessee, especially in the town of Clifton. I mainly knew these people during my childhood or when I was a young adult. Most of the Uncle Jim stories have some semblance of truth, some more than others, of course, but very few of the stories are totally fictional. If asked what these stories are about, I would mention the love of the outdoors as shown by Corey Ford, the feeling of being lost as reflected in the Nick Adams stories by Ernest Hemingway, and the ironic humor found in the writings of Mark Twain and O. Henry. But, as the reader will discover, regardless of the influences, Uncle Jim is his own man. These stories were originally published in the WAYNE COUNTY NEWS and CLIFTON LEDGER (defunct since 1980). A special “thank you” is extended to the Gillham Foundation.

About the Author

Caldwell Davis (1949- ) born Caldwell Davis, Jr., in Toledo, Ohio, calls Clifton, Tennessee, his hometown. His parents, originally from Wayne County, Tennessee, returned to the South when he was three-years-old. Mr. Davis dropped the “Jr.” from his name years ago due to his father’s death, but since he was born a “junior,” he acquired the nickname “J. R.,” which is what most people call him. Mr. Davis grew up in Clifton and graduated from the public school there. He holds a B. S. degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a M. S. degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, a staff writer for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and is now a retired educator from the Wayne County, Tennessee, school system. He also served in the United States Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.