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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2011
BARROW JOURNAL
PAGE 15A
Skeltons book focuses on story of survival
Russell holds signing for fourth book
By Blair Spiva Rivkin
mbspiva @ yahoo, com
As a retired physician and
Barrow County Poet Laureate,
Dr. C.B. Skelton now has a
new book to add to his list of
publications. "A Simple Seller
of Noodles” is the true story of
Winder resident SamSan Ouch's
survival under the Khmer Rouge
regime in Cambodia, and his
family's escape to the United
States.
'Tve never heard anything
like it," Skelton said as he dis
cussed the details of the mem
oir. "Another local writer had
originally planned to write the
book, but about 20 years passed,
and pen was not put to paper.
And I thought, ‘this is a story
that absolutely has to be told.’”
And so, Skelton began
compiling information from
SamSan, who has changed his
surname back to his birth name
of Lee, through casual conversa
tions and in multiple interviews.
He said that, because SamSan
is deaf, the process of learning
about his story was particularly
tedious—each question had to
be written down for him to then
answer.
In all, “A Simple Seller of
Noodles” is the product of more
than 25 years of work.
"One reason that it took so
long to finish was that SamSan
was afraid to have his story
told,” Skelton explained. "He
still had family in Cambodia,
and he worried that they could
be harmed if the wrong people
learned about the book."
Even from birth, SamSan
faced obstacles. He was born
very ill because of his moth
er's unavoidable malnutrition.
Because his mother feared that
her son would not be able to sur
vive a journey from Cambodia
to Thailand to start a new
life, SamSan was left behind
in a garbage can. A Christian
Chinese businesswoman learned
of the abandonment and rushed
to rescue the little boy. SamSan
recovered with the help of an
American missionary. Because
of the diversity in languages
that he came into contact with in
the following years, he became
an interpreter, first for a tourist
agency in Cambodia and later
for the Cambodian military.
DR. SKELTON’S
LATEST BOOK
As the Khmer Rouge regime
began to gain power, SamSan
"fell from favor," and he was
arrested and imprisoned for
treason.
"On the one hand, the
Cambodians wanted to kill him
for treason,” Skelton mused.
"But on the other hand, the
Khmer Rouge would kill him if
they found out who he was. He
was a Cambodian army officer,
he worked for the Americans,
he was a Christian and he had
an education. That’s a lot of
death sentences. One of his sons
described it as a situation where
you have a lion on the land, a
tiger in the tree and a crocodile
in the creek.”
Skelton said that SamSan
was eventually released, having
only his prison clothes, a pocket
comb and a crucifix.
"He needed his clothes.
He needed his pocket comb,"
said Skelton. “But he knew
he couldn’t keep his crucifix
because it would have killed
him. Had to get rid of it.”
The trials and tribulations
continued, including being
forced into Pol Pot’s death
march. Somehow, SamSan
survived through everything, a
miraculous feat that both he and
Skelton can only explain as the
hand of God guiding him.
"It’s just a riveting story,”
Skelton said. “Gripping. I like
to use the word ‘scintillating"
when I describe it to people.”
A long-time member of the
First Baptist Church in Winder,
Skelton and the congregation
decided to sponsor a refugee
family. After a few bumps in the
road with the State Department,
SamSan and his family arrived
in Winder as the church’s family
in October of 1980. From that
point on, SamSan and his fam
ily worked their way up in the
world, now owning the Hong
Kong restaurant in the Publix
shopping center.
"They are absolutely wonder
ful citizens of this community,"
Skelton said. “This is someone
who really loves the U.S.”
Though Skelton has two other
self-published books available,
one an anecdotal collection of
stories from his years as a doc
tor, and one a book of serious
and humorous poetry, he said
that this is the first time he has
written something quite like “A
Simple Seller of Noodles,” even
preparing for the job by tak
ing online writing classes to
adequately tell such a powerful
story.
"My disclaimer is that I’m
just a rhymer, not a poet,” he
grinned. "I write to be under
stood. There’s no underlying
meaning. If someone’s looking
for it, then they’re trying too
hard. As the saying goes, 'What
you see is what you get.”'
Skelton said that reactions to
the book have been very favor
able, and that the readers are
deeply moved by such a strik
ing story.
"I hope that people read it and
have their faith stimulated,” he
said. "I hope that people can see
that even through life’s storms,
God can do anything.”
As for SamSan’s reaction to
the book, he said to Skelton,
"You’re a good writer. I felt like
I was there!”
"A Simple Seller of Noodles'"
is available through Dr. Skelton
himself or through the Tate
Publishing Company's Web
site. Two book signings have
been scheduled in the near
future. The first will be held on
Nov. 13 from 1:30-5:30 p.m. at
Constance Manor in Winder,
and the second will be on Nov.
18 from 12-4 p.m. in the lobby
of Barrow Regional Medical
Center. The signing on the 13th
will offer guests an opportunity
to not only meet the author, but
to also meet SamSan himself.
On the 18th, Skelton will be
joined by fellow local author Dr.
John House.
By Lorin Sinn-Clark
lorin@ barrowjournal, com
Sally Russell, author,
Barrow native and niece of
the late Sen. Richard Russell,
returned to Winder last week
from her home in Canada,
long enough to reconnect
with friends and family and
host a book signing. Russell's
fourth book, “Richard
Brevard Russell, Jr.: A Life of
Consequence,” has just been
published.
The book chronicles Sen.
Russell's life from his birth
as Richard Russell, Sr. and
Ina Dillard Russell’s fourth
child and first son in 1897,
through his years growing up
in Barrow County. It goes
on through his education and
early years as an attorney.
RUSSELL’S
NEW BOOK
It then details his long,
productive career as a U.S.
Senator.
He was elected in 1933
and served until his death in
1971. Hailed as a “Senator's
Senator,” over 10,000
Georgians of all colors and
creeds filed by Russell’s bier
after he died.
His niece's book tells
Russell's story in a way that
makes him come alive.
The book signing was
held at the Corner Bookstore
in Winder on Nov. 4.
Conversation was lively, many
memories were shared, and
the Barrow County Historical
Society provided an array of
delicious homemade refresh
ments.
ARTS
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Novemkk 13,2011
5,00"
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AUTHOR RETURNS HOME
Sally Russell was in Winder last week for a book sign
ing at the Corner Bookstore featuring her fourth book,
“Richard Brevard Russell, Jr.: A Life of Consequence.”
The Barrow native is Sen. Russell’s niece. She cur
rently lives in Canada and has written three other
books about her family, country life in Georgia and
Georgia history. Photo by Lorin Sinn-Clark
Russell has penned four
books on life in the South
and Georgia history. They
are: “Latitude of Home:
A Storytelling Journal”
“Shatter Me With Dawn: A
Celebration of Country Life ”
and “Roots and Evergreen:
The Selected Letters of Ina
Dillard Russell.”
Formerly a professor
of French and English at
Gainesville State College,
Russell moved to England
shortly after she married her
husband, Leslie Warrington.
They now reside in
Canada.
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