By: Avry Zow

Norman McMillan, retired English professor at the University of Montevallo, will be premiering his play “Fireball” at the Parnell Memorial Library in Montevallo.

Performances will be held March 8th and 9th at 7 p.m., a matinee will be held on March 10th at 2 p.m. Tickets will be sold online.

The play is based on the memoir of the same name co-written by Hazel Lindsey and, sister to Norman McMillan, Julia McMillian Walker.

The story follows a Tennessee plowgirl, Hazel Lamb, who tries to overcomes poverty, abuse, and eleven husbands with wit, wisdom, and tenacity.

Here is a snippet of the book:

“My name is Hazel Lamb…Lindsey, but my momma called me Fireball. I am 84 years old. I only got one year of schooling, but I am self-taught. I worked hard all my life. I plowed fields, cut timber, raised hogs, and managed several businesses. I got married 11 times. I buried two of my babies, but I brung up three children of my own and four step children. I met some of my husbands – and lots of boyfriends – while playing guitar, singing, and buck dancing at country jubilees.”

McMillan various other works include:

  • A memoir: “Distant Son: An Alabama Boyhood”
  • Short story collection: “The Gold-Plated Scarab”
  • Plays: “Against a Copper Sky” and “Ashes of Roses”

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