Fall/Winter 2006  —  85North Carolina Libraries

Dear Mr. Scott, 

At the risk of being both a pedant and a crank, I wish to object to Robert Arndt’s characterization of Timothy Tyson’s 
Blood Done Sign My Name as a “novel” (NCL, Spring/Summer 2006, p. 45), especially since in the same review he 
complains about lack of bibliographical references.  Sounds like sloppy editing to me! 

It may be fine for Ophrah Winfrey to ignore the definition of “memoir” (cf. Jonathan Frey’s A Million Little Pieces), 
but it hardly behooves librarians of all people to give the impression of not understanding the differences between 
the horrible reality of the events that led up to the Oxford riot and imagination, which still occasionally allows us to 
transcend the banality of evil in the modern world. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Jim Carmichael 
NCLA Member 

Letters to the Editor

Civil War Ephemera Stolen from the Public Library of Charlotte 
& Mecklenburg on Sunday, August 27, 2006.  Please contact local 
authorities and the Carolina Room Manager, Joyce Reimann if 
these two items are offered for sale. 704.336.5153.
 

1 -  Hand-written furlough (September 7, 1863) for D.B. 
McLauchlin was excused from reporting to the enrolling board 
in Lumberton, North Carolina for thirty days due to sickness. 
Issued by the Chairman of the Board and approved by 4th 
Congressional District Enrolling Officer Captain William B. 
Swann. Signed by J.T. Chappell. 
 

1 - Certificate of Medical Examination of a Slave Ely, property 
of Benjamin Dunn of Nash County. Enrolling officer Lieut. F.A. 
Fetter, and Surgeon, J.M. Pelot on March 3, 1865 
 

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