About Sheila Morris
Sheila Morris is a personal historian, essayist with humorist tendencies, lesbian activist, truth seeker and speaker in the tradition of other female Texas storytellers including her paternal grandmother.
In December, 2017, the University of South Carolina Press published her collection of first-person accounts of a few of the people primarily responsible for the development of LGBTQ organizations in South Carolina. Southern Perspectives on the Queer Movement: Committed to Home will resonate with everyone interested in LGBTQ history in the South during the tumultuous times from the AIDS pandemic to marriage equality.
She has published five nonfiction books including two memoirs, an essay compilation and two collections of her favorite blogs from I'll Call It Like I See It. Her first book, Deep in the Heart: A Memoir of Love and Longing received a Golden Crown Literary Society Award in 2008. Her writings have been included in various anthologies - most recently the 2017 Saints and Sinners Literary Magazine. Her latest book, Four Ticket Ride, was released in January, 2019.
She is a displaced Texan living in South Carolina with her wife Teresa Williams and their dogs Spike, Charly and Carl. She is also Naynay to her two granddaughters Ella and Molly James who light up her life for real. Born in rural Grimes County, Texas in 1946 her Texas roots still run wide and deep.
As the Gay Liberation Movement fired opening volleys in the cultural wars in large cities on the East and West Coasts of the country in the late 1960s following the Stonewall uprising in 1969 in New York City, I continued … Continue reading →
Posted in Humor, Lesbian Literary, Life, Personal, Random, Reflections, Slice of Life, The Way Life Was
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Tagged gay liberation movement, living and working in seattle in the late 1960s, southern baptist church, southwestern baptist theological seminary in ft worth texas, stonewall in 1969, tax season for the cpa firm, the uber rich, winter weather in seattle in the 1960s
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When Adrian and I arrived in Seattle at the end of September, 1968 we rented a cheap motel room for a week in a sketchy part of the city south of the downtown area. The Buick Skylark seemed as relieved … Continue reading →
Posted in family life, Humor, Lesbian Literary, Life, Personal, Random, Reflections, Slice of Life, The Way Life Was
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Tagged bellevue, CPA, finding a job, finding friends at new job and in new church, flying home for christmas, getting involved with the pastor's wife, lake union district in seattle, life in seattle, living alone, missing my texas family, thanksgiving away from texas family
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The trip with Adrian to Seattle from Houston was the beginning of my venture into unfamiliar territories. Since neither of us had time constraints or very much money, we planned our course around Adrian’s friends and family locations. Our first … Continue reading →
Posted in Humor, Lesbian Literary, Life, Personal, Random, Reflections, Slice of Life, The Way Life Was
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Tagged bay meadows race track, big sur, evergreen state, grand canyon, grimes county review, harry belafonte, hearst castle, highway 1 in california, huntington beach california, las vegas, pacific ocean, santa barbara california, surfside beach in brazoria county texas, washington oregon state line
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The 1968 Buick Skylark was a sweet ride. My daddy always bought either a Chevrolet from Mr. Dickey at his dealership in Anderson, Texas, or a Ford from Virgil Cook in Shiro. My granddaddy always purchased Fords from Mr. … Continue reading →
Posted in Humor, Lesbian Literary, Life, Personal, Random, Reflections, Slice of Life, The Way Life Was
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Tagged baby boomers need for instant gratification, buying 1968 buick skylark as first real car, buying on credit, credit cards, looking for love in early twenties, moving 3000 miles from texas to washington state, nash rambler
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“George, here comes Sheila for her shave,” said Old Man Tom Grissom, who was already in his favorite spot in the barbershop by the time I got there. Ma, my grandmother who had been married to Barber George Morris for … Continue reading →
Posted in family life, Humor, Lesbian Literary, Life, Personal, Random, Reflections, Slice of Life, The Way Life Was
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Tagged barbershop, general store clerk, grandmother understanding sexual orientation of granddaughter in 1950s, grandparents, growing up in 1950s rural texas, old men whittling and gossiping, old spice after shave, one barber chair bought in 1930s by rural barber
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From our first trip together to Cancun, Mexico in 2001… …to a recent outing 22 years later with our granddaughters at a local Mexican restaurant… …Pretty and I have considered Mexican food to be nectar of the gods Viva! Viva! … Continue reading →
Posted in family life, Humor, Life, Personal, photography, Random, Reflections, Slice of Life, The Way Life Is, The Way Life Should Be
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Tagged granddaughters in 2023, mexican food, mexican restaurant, nectar of the gods, pretty and me in cancun in 2001
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(l – r) Molly, Ella and Caleb Our granddaughters sixteen-month-old Molly with three-year-old big sister Ella plus their ten-month-old first cousin Caleb had a room with a view in our Memorial Day weekend place in the mountains of the South … Continue reading →
Posted in family life, Humor, Life, Personal, photography, Random, Reflections, Slice of Life, The Way Life Is, The Way Life Should Be
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Tagged children tell a story, memorial day weekend in the mountains
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Every time I think of youI always catch my breathAnd I’m still standing here, and you’re miles awayAnd I’m wondering why you leftAnd there’s a storm that’s ragingThrough my frozen heart tonightI hear your name in certain circlesAnd it always … Continue reading →
My most recent interview with Dianne Barrett for the B-E Collection is now available on the website under Coming Out stories. I think it’s probably my best of the three I’ve had with her. Certainly my most relaxed. If you … Continue reading →
Yes, Nana a/k/a Pretty had a birthday party on her birthday Sunday, May 21st. at Drew and Caroline’s house where she had the best time! Three-year-old Ella and sixteen-month-old Molly love a birthday party, too so they had almost as … Continue reading →
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