Haley, Gail E.

Wright, Christina

Charlotte, North Carolina

J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives

2007-02-16

1 audio file (1:58:25) : digital, MP3

sound recording-nonmusical

spoken word

eng

Gail E. Haley was a 67-year-old woman at the time of interview, which took place in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was born in Charlotte in 1939. She was educated at Richmond Professional Institute and the University of Virginia; and was employed as an author, illustrator, and college teacher.

Gail Haley, an author and illustrator of children's literature born in Charlotte, North Carolina, recounts her career during the late 1970s. In this sixth of sixteen interviews, Ms. Haley relates working on The Green Man (1979). Ms. Haley describes her initial discovery of the Green Man as a figure on pub signs. She recalls the way the images resonated with her, which in turn motivated her to research the character at locations such as the Cecil Sharp House. Eventually she decided to create a book inspired by her research. Throughout the interview Ms. Haley discusses the many variations of the Green Man and his connection with stories of wild men, the Green Knight, Hamlet, and other archetypes. She also recounts her theories on the usage of masks in conjunction with the Green Man and customs connected with his character across traditions. In addition to describing her research and ideas, Ms. Haley explains the techniques used to create illustrations which reflected her vision of the Green Man by mimicking the style of Medieval tapestries through the use of acrylic paints, canvas, and rubber resist. Other themes in this interview include the importance of nature, rituals, her personal experiences while completing the book, and the enduring nature of the Green Man in her life.

MP3 access copy created on ingest from WAV preservation master. Interview originally recorded on minidisc and digitized using a Digidesign 003 rack.

Authors
Illustrators
College teachers

Haley, Gail E.
Cecil Sharp House (London, England)

Acrylic painting
Children's literature
Folk literature
Green Man (Tale)
Illustrations
Nature
Pub signs http://id.worldcat.org/fast/1081960

England--London

Interviews
Oral histories

1970-2010

Interviews with Gail E. Haley

Gail Haley papers, 1842-2005, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

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audio/mpeg

OH-HA0531