Ed Cullen
Encyclopedia
Edward Joseph "Ed" Cullen, III (born August 25, 1946), is a features writer for the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate and a frequent contributor to All Things Considered on National Public Radio. A collection of his popular newspaper
and radio
essays was published in 2006 under the title Letter in a Woodpile.
Cullen's first commentary, "Porch Steps Baseball," aired on All Things Considered in July 2001. Since then he has penned humorous sketches about life in south Louisiana including commentaries on Mardi Gras
, family vacations
, science fair
s, and the often unsuccessful attempt to keep cool in what he humorously terms "Guatemala
North".
, the seat of Rapides Parish and the largest city
in central Louisiana
, to Edward Cullen, Jr. (1916–1964), a native of Denison, Texas
, and the former Mildred Bonnette (1917–1960), a department store
worker originally from Avoyelles Parish. His sister, Geneva H. Cullen (born 1950), married Robert Valentio "Robin" Stewart (born 1948) of Pineville
. The Cullens lived on Vance Avenue, and he attended L.S. Rugg Elementary School
and graduated in 1964 from Bolton High School
. After his mother's death, Cullen lived for a time with an aunt and uncle. He then attended Northwestern State University
(then College) in Natchitoches
but left after three semesters to enlist in the United States Navy
. Cullen completed his studies in journalism
in 1972 at Louisiana State University
in Baton Rouge.
Cullen's regular Sunday column, known as Attic Salt, runs on the front page of the features section. He writes primarily on the obstacles and opportunities of daily living. Column topics, for instance, have included a look at the return of flip-flop footwear for the summer or the problems of planting vegetable
garden
s during the spring, a task Cullen himself faithfully undertakes each year. In his youth, Cullen had a paper route and worked at a snow-cone stand. From childhood memories, he recalled a girl who came to the stand and always ordered "Tutti Frutti" flavor. So he wrote an essay entitled "The Tutti-Frutti Girl". What to others might seem mundane or a non-story, Cullen can dig to the essence of life.
too, created demand for the publication of Letter in a Woodpile, the title of which is based on a note that he left for his son with instructions on how to start a fire at the family camp. His most heart-warming essay concerns Christmas
1959, the last Christmas with his mother in which he failed to receive the shortwave radio that he was expecting. In "The Visitor", Cullen tells about a young man "Sean" who drops by to see the house where he had grown up, the Cullen home: "We are drawn to our old houses hoping to find at least one thing that is the way we left it. We may hope to hear the voices that once warmed the walls. Failing that, it is enough to have gone home." (Letter in a Woodpile, p. 128)
Regarding hurricanes, Cullen writes that "South Louisiana loves a hurricane that misses. The relationship between hurricane and homeowner is like the dance between bull
and matador
. It's a thrill to flirt with danger until horn or storm strikes home." (Letter in a Woodpile, p. 72)
Cullen began working for The Advocate as an obituary
clerk while he was attending LSU. Over the years he has been a police
, city hall, and school board reporter. He has worked at no other newspaper, a stability relatively rare in a profession known for mobility.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
essays was published in 2006 under the title Letter in a Woodpile.
Cullen's first commentary, "Porch Steps Baseball," aired on All Things Considered in July 2001. Since then he has penned humorous sketches about life in south Louisiana including commentaries on Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
, family vacations
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, science fair
Science fair
A science fair is generally a competition where contestants present their science project results in the form of a report, display board, and models that they have created. Science fairs allow students in grade schools and high schools to compete in science and/or technology activities...
s, and the often unsuccessful attempt to keep cool in what he humorously terms "Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
North".
Early life
Cullen was born in AlexandriaAlexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
, the seat of Rapides Parish and the largest city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in central Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, to Edward Cullen, Jr. (1916–1964), a native of Denison, Texas
Denison, Texas
Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,773 at the 2000 census; it is estimated to have grown to 24,127 in 2009. Denison is one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, and the former Mildred Bonnette (1917–1960), a department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
worker originally from Avoyelles Parish. His sister, Geneva H. Cullen (born 1950), married Robert Valentio "Robin" Stewart (born 1948) of Pineville
Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census....
. The Cullens lived on Vance Avenue, and he attended L.S. Rugg Elementary School
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
and graduated in 1964 from Bolton High School
Bolton High School (Louisiana)
Bolton High School is a secondary educational institution located in the Garden District of Alexandria, the seat of Rapides Parish and the largest city in central Louisiana. The school is named for its benefactor, James W...
. After his mother's death, Cullen lived for a time with an aunt and uncle. He then attended Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
(then College) in Natchitoches
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
but left after three semesters to enlist in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. Cullen completed his studies in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
in 1972 at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in Baton Rouge.
Adult life
Cullen is married to the former Martha Lynn Colvin (born 1944), also originally from Alexandria. They have two children, Michael Edward Cullen and Emily Cullen Nash. One of Cullen's more popular essays refers to his own neighborhood near the LSU campus, which suffered an increase in noise level when parents purchase residential homes for their college-age students, a newer trend unknown when Cullen himself was a student.Cullen's regular Sunday column, known as Attic Salt, runs on the front page of the features section. He writes primarily on the obstacles and opportunities of daily living. Column topics, for instance, have included a look at the return of flip-flop footwear for the summer or the problems of planting vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s during the spring, a task Cullen himself faithfully undertakes each year. In his youth, Cullen had a paper route and worked at a snow-cone stand. From childhood memories, he recalled a girl who came to the stand and always ordered "Tutti Frutti" flavor. So he wrote an essay entitled "The Tutti-Frutti Girl". What to others might seem mundane or a non-story, Cullen can dig to the essence of life.
At NPR
His NPR essays, carried on the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
too, created demand for the publication of Letter in a Woodpile, the title of which is based on a note that he left for his son with instructions on how to start a fire at the family camp. His most heart-warming essay concerns Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
1959, the last Christmas with his mother in which he failed to receive the shortwave radio that he was expecting. In "The Visitor", Cullen tells about a young man "Sean" who drops by to see the house where he had grown up, the Cullen home: "We are drawn to our old houses hoping to find at least one thing that is the way we left it. We may hope to hear the voices that once warmed the walls. Failing that, it is enough to have gone home." (Letter in a Woodpile, p. 128)
Regarding hurricanes, Cullen writes that "South Louisiana loves a hurricane that misses. The relationship between hurricane and homeowner is like the dance between bull
Bull
Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
and matador
Matador
A torero or toureiro is a bullfighter and the main performer in bullfighting, practised in Spain, Colombia, Portugal, Mexico, France and various other countries influenced by Spanish culture. In Spanish, the word torero describes any of the performers who actively participate in the bullfight...
. It's a thrill to flirt with danger until horn or storm strikes home." (Letter in a Woodpile, p. 72)
Cullen began working for The Advocate as an obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
clerk while he was attending LSU. Over the years he has been a police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, city hall, and school board reporter. He has worked at no other newspaper, a stability relatively rare in a profession known for mobility.