By Catherine M. Welch
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/whqr/local-whqr-504217.mp3
Wilmington, NC – Our series Mondays with Claude pulls out of the archive some of Claude Howell's most beloved commentaries along with reflections from the people who knew him best.
Born in 1915, Claude Howell was a Wilmington resident who lived most of his life in room #44 of the historic Carolina Apartments.
A painter who captured on canvas the light and life of North Carolina, Claude Howell was widely considered the Dean of North Carolina painting.
But Claude was also a compulsive writer, a man who starting at the age of 10 meticulously wrote journals filled with everything he did. More than 300 of those journal entries were turned into commentaries recorded for this station.
Historian and New Hanover County librarian Beverly Tetterton and Claude had both traveled to Sarajevo, she was there in the early 70's and Claude was there in the 50's.
Once Claude discovered her love for the Bosnian capital he started what became a Tuesday night tradition of reading to Beverly and her husband from his Balkan diaries. He did this for nearly two years.
Beverly remembers a lighter moment when Claude was caught sunbathing on his balcony.