Research Guides: Literary Beacon: The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash_ Discussion

WNCW Interview with Great Granddaughter of Ella May Wiggins

WNCW-FM Podcasts

Friday Feature: Ella May Wiggins stood for labor rights & justice

"In this heart-felt Friday Feature Interview of the Week, the great granddaughter of Ella May Wiggins, Kristina Horton of Asheville, talks about Ella's legacy before her tragic death in the late 1920's. Ella May Wiggins lived in Gaston County, NC and was a strong leader for those willing to stand up for equal rights (for employees) in the textile industry with little respect and small wages. This included rights for African Americans. Horton has written a book in Ella's memory and there's also a CD that includes many songs written by Ella, who was also a gifted song writer, who put to words the struggles of the people."

Information submitted by the host of The Friday Feature Interview of the Week, Paul Foster, WNCW Senior Producer, News and PSA Coordinator, Morning Show Host

Other Books on women in the labor movement

Read-alikes for The last ballad from NoveList Plus

	Germinal Zola, Emile, 1840-1902 Reason: Both based on infamous events in labor history, these compelling stories of working-class life center on the arrival of young newcomers who inspire downtrodden laborers to demand fair wages and working conditions. -- Michael Shumate
	Serena Rash, Ron, 1953- Reason: These novels set during the Depression explore workers' rights from different perspectives. Serena is violent and dark while The Last Ballad is moving and inspiring; both examine the courage and cowardice of players on each side of the labor movement. -- Halle Eisenman
	Sea Glass Shreve, Anita Reason: These affecting historical novels portray textile-mill-union organizing and consequent violence during the 1920s. The North Carolina-set Last Ballad places a real-life singer at the center of its plot, while Sea Glass imagines the fate of a New Hampshire couple. -- Katherine Johnson
	The Cold Millions Walter, Jess, 1965- Reason: Each of these atmospheric, compelling historical fiction novels revolve around labor union movements in the early 20th century and feature authentic, sympathetic characters struggling to make a better life. Both incorporate a chorus of secondary voices for additional perspectives. -- Andrea Gough
	Crown Jewel Boissiere, Ralph de, 1907-2008 Reason: These novels feature labor strife in 1930s Bermuda (Crown Jewel) and 1920s North Carolina (The Last Ballad). The books also share rich details, vivid characterization, race prejudice, and clashes between economic classes. -- Katherine Johnson
	*The Bridge* Marlette, Doug, 1949- Reason: These historical novels portray attempts to suppress union organizing in North Carolina. The Bridge features a modern newspaper cartoonist who explores his family's history, while the more literary The Last Ballad focuses on a real-life singer and activist. -- Katherine Johnson
	Call Your Daughter Home Spera, Deb Reason: Issues of class and race in the 1920s American South come to the fore in both novels centering on strong female characters. Call Your Daughter home takes place in South Carolina; The Last Ballad, in North Carolina. -- Autumn Winters
	The Four Winds Hannah, Kristin Reason: These books are dramatic and compelling, and they have the genre "historical fiction"; and the subjects "families," "labor movement," and "labor unions."
	The Women of the Copper Country Russell, Mary Doria, 1950- Reason: These books are bleak, and they have the genres "historical fiction" and "biographical fiction"; and the subjects "labor movement," "labor leaders," and "labor unions."

The Mill Mother's Lament

Ella May Wiggins wrote several songs about the life of the mill worker during the late 1920s. "The Mill Mother's Lament" is one of the first songs she wrote. Here's a version sung by Pete Seeger.

Lyrics

We leave our homes in the morning
We kiss our children goodbye
While we slave for the bosses
Our children scream and cry

And when we draw our money
Our grocery bills to pay
Not a cent to spend for clothing
Not a cent to lay away

And on that very evening
Our little son will say
I need some shoes mother
And so does sister May

How it grieves the heart of a mother
You everyone must know
But we can't buy for our children
Our wages are too low

It is for our little children
That seem to us so dear
But for us nor them dear workers
The bosses do not care

But understand all workers
Our union they do fear
Let's stand together
And have a union here

Source: Musixmatch

Wiley Cash Discusses The Last Ballad

The Last Ballad Discussion Questions

Book Discussion Questions

What daily challenges did Ella May Wiggins face in struggling to provide for her family?
Describe the working conditions of the mill. What recourse did workers have in defending themselves against unfair treatment?
How did these conditions eventually lead to a workers’ strike?
How did the workers respond to Wiggins’s songs at the rallies? How do music and history influence each other?
Did the union leadership’s political affiliations affect how the strike was viewed by the general public? (Note the reaction of the communities around Gastonia to the strikers as well as the reaction of lawmakers in Washington, D.C. when Ella May’s group stops them on the street.)
Even though the strike at Loray Mill was not successful, what impact did it have on the labor movement in the United States?
Why do you think Cash decided to use the voices of Wiggins’s daughter, the mill-owner’s wife, a Pullman porter, and the old man who pulls the “dope wagon” to tell the story? What does each bring to the story that gives it a unique perspective?