Author Archives: Sheila Morris

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.

1969 – Not Every “L” Knew She Was Being Liberated (from Not Quite the Same)


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 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Sleepless in Seattle – Part 3 (from Not Quite the Same)


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 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Sleepless in Seattle – Part 2 (from Not Quite the Same)


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 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Sleepless in Seattle – Part 1 (from Not Quite the Same)


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 | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Sheila Gets a Shave (from Deep in the Heart)


“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 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

find your happy place


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 | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

memory makers over Memorial Day


(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 | Tagged , | 8 Comments

I will be missing you, Tina Turner


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

Posted in Life, Personal, Random, Reflections, The Way Life Is | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Calling All Lesbians – Time to Speak Out!


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

Posted in Lesbian Literary, Life, Personal, Random, Reflections, Slice of Life | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Nana, is your birthday over yet?


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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