T. K. Wallace

Profile / Biography

T K Wallace was born in Belle, Missouri. The largest town in Maries county it boasted a grand populous of 1000 people. His grandfather, O. W. Wallace was an entrepreneur who owned a barber shop, and soda fountain shop attached to an apothecary, and the Belle movie theater.

He crawled and walked in the movie house as he watched and learned a lot about humankind and what they thought of as entertainment. In church and school were extra entertainment events in the form of passion plays and pageantry. He and sister Lorain were volunteered for everything from choir performances to May Pole windings. Belle also hosted county fairs and annual Carnivals for mass entertainment. It was small town show business at its rural best.

At the age of 15, and after the marriage of his only sister, his parents moved to Savannah, Georgia. It was 1968 and the deep south was socially and culturally behind the rest of the nation. But artistically they were ahead and it was here that he first began to write short stories, plays, and poetry. The shorts were written for the high school newspaper. Plays and poetry were written for personal release.

Stage theatricals were also opened to him through the high school and local theater groups. His first play was Billy’s Phone. It was produced by the little theater and performed at an outdoor festival. Content concerned the financial aspects of living alone in college years. That same year of 1970 was the first acting role as a guard in the background of Madea.

College began in the form of a massive pre medical education. Entertainment continued in the newspaper and radio form. The local college welcomed him with a full page in each week. The Spirit of the Age, or Zeitgeist Bazarrie, offered humor and facts from the multiple news wire agencies.

The two radio stations he worked were WTOC and WEAS. Both were FM stations. But one was easy listening waiting room and elevator music. The other was free form rock. He and two others convinced the program director to let them have a six hour time slot from midnight to 6am to promote album oriented radio. The public response was favorable.

Beginners college was attending DeKalb Community College. He was awarded a performing arts scholarship, which required him to act in three shows a year, and help produce two more. Three more one act plays were created during this time. Serious college began at the University of Missouri where he undertook a dual major of Journalism and Theater. Several one act plays came forth via class work but only one was produced.

After graduation T K moved back to Atlanta to work for the Alliance Theater Company and the Atlanta Children’s Theater. The 1980 season in Atlanta brought him in contact with several professional players and writers. All of whom encouraged him to go pro. So, at the end of the season he packed and moved to the city that never sleeps.

During many following years T K worked in every nook and cranny of show business available. He became dissatisfied with acting and chose technical work as a better way to earn a living. According to him actors worked a few shows a year but competent technical people worked all the time. And it gave him more exposure to the creative side of not only theater, but film and television as well.

The writer lurking in the background was collecting product and experience as he made his way through the business of show business. Longer stories and scripts began to emerge as a product of a full and happy life,

Then at his 55th birthday party he was telling a story which amused his friends. One asked if he had taken the time to organize his adventures in written form. He confessed that he had given the idea little thought. But, he took the question as a compliment and began the process. It took five years to gather all the materials, and another five to wade through the publishing process for the first book, Water Songs, to come forth.

The second book, Earth Tales, has been submitted and is underway. He has two more plotted. Fire Signs and Air Play will follow in due time.

T K has given all this and more at my request for a profile. He also wishes his readers well and hopes that you will enjoy the times of his life and imagination.

Written by Ellen Shaver after interviews with the author