“In order to tell a story, to really tell a story opposed to making a statement, is to embrace a different kind of logic,” he said.

That approach fueled Bradley’s journey as a creative writer, as he published two novels, “South Street” (1975) and “The Chaneysville Incident” (1981), which received the 1982 PEN/Faulkner Award and an Academy Award from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.

After finishing a 30-year career as a university professor, Bradley, 75, continues to write and give lectures, recently returning home to speak about Bedford County’s Black history, along with an “interrogatory” presentation inspired by Fredrick Douglass’ “Fifth of July” speech, questioning the appropriateness of celebrating the Declaration of Independence when slavery was still enforced.

Writing was an enjoyable pastime for Bradley as a child living in a very isolated community in Bedford, being the only child of the Rev. David and Harriette Bradley.

Bradley

“You could do it anywhere, and you didn’t have to ask anyone,” he said of writing.

His father worked as a minister for 20 years, serving at African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Bradley said working at the church was an act of love for his father, who also conducted church history in the basement and published in a quarterly church magazine.

Associating history with dust and old books, Bradley wasn’t interested in history until later, when he realized that historical figures were real people with backstories.

“You read what the historians write, and there is a story there,” he said.

‘South Street’

After graduating from Bedford Area High School in 1968, Bradley applied and was accepted to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia for creative writing.

Creative writing was an independent major at the time, so Bradley said that he had to develop his own program including both English and writing courses.

He said most of his teachers were good to him, as most were people on the fringes of their departments.

Bradley was always inspired by his surroundings, as one of his school assignments included a 300-page collection of short stories that drew inspiration from Bedford County.

But South Street, located across the river from the University of Pennsylvania, inspired him to write his first novel. In Philadelphia, South Street was the southern border of the city, and when Black families moved north, South Street was one place they primarily settled.

Bradley recalled walking down the streets or visiting nearby bars, which became the basis of his story that was published a few years later.

“It was a small time in the city, and you got to know people and talk to people you wouldn’t usually talk to,” he said.

After graduating from UPenn, he packed his bags in 1972 and went abroad to Kings College at the University of London, where he majored in United States Area Studies. While learning in a new country, he said he practically rewrote his soon-to-be novel.

“I grew a lot, and my book grew a lot, and my understanding of what I knew grew up,” he said.

One year after graduating from Kings College, Bradley finally published “South Street” in 1975. Under the book description on Penguin Random House’s website, it states “South Street is a brilliant, heartfelt portrait of Black urban life and a man grappling with the messy, uncontainable truths of life, love, and survival.”

However, his most iconic piece, “The Chaneysville Incident,” was a labor of love, as he invested a few years of research into the piece before its publication.

Sharing Bedford history

Bradley’s mother, Harriette, helped the Bedford County Heritage Committee write a book called “A Kernel of Greatness” in the early 1970s, detailing how Black people originally settled in the region and the incorporation of the Underground Railroad.

Bradley said his mother discovered that some slaves who used Bedford’s Underground Railroad died by suicide, as they didn’t want to return to their masters when recaptured.

She told Bradley that those slaves were buried at the Imes Cemetery, located off Route 326 near Chaneysville. They didn’t have headstones because no one knew of their names, but they did have markers.

“The people treated them like they were people in death,” Bradley said. “They were probably treated more humanly in life, and that amazed me.”

After graduation, Bradley was living in New York City working as an assistant editor in the trade books division of J.P. Lippincott & Co. and as a visiting lecturer at his alma mater, UPenn. With direct access to historical material, he said he quickly became submerged into Bedford’s story.

He published his second novel, “The Chaneysville Incident,” in 1981 with Harper & Row, now known as HarperCollins. The story follows historian John Washington after he returns to his Pennsylvania roots to investigate the death of his father and the incident involving the deaths of 12 slaves.

“It’s not just about the incident; it’s about the people who find the incident,” Bradley said.

The novel received the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 1982 and widespread recognition, as it was reviewed by the New York Times, Howard University and the Columbia Journal of American Studies.

The New York Times Book Review also selected Bradley’s novel as one of the best books in 1981.

”The man’s a writer,” American novelist Vance Bourjaily wrote in the review. “What he can do, at a pretty high level of energy, is synchronize five different kinds of rhetoric, control a complicated plot, convey a lot of information, handle an intricate time scheme, pull off a couple of final tricks that dramatize provocative ideas and generally keep things going for 200,000 words.”

Leaving his mark

Bradley continued pursuing storytelling at a university level as a professor of English at Temple University for 20 years and an associate professor of fiction at Oregon University for 10 years before leaving in 2013. He now resides in San Diego, California.

He also focused on creative nonfiction with pieces appearing in “Esquire,” “Redbook,” “The New York Times,” “The Los Angeles Times” and “The New Yorker,” among others.

His short story, “You Remember the Pin Mill,” published in 2012 with “Narrative” received the O. Henry Award in 2014.

In his free time, he enjoyed running marathons, as it helped him center his thoughts away from the page.

“It’s a great place to think,” he said. “It gets you away from any distractions and allows you to work through any problems.”

Jessica Sims, executive director of the Omni Bedford Springs Resort, remembered Bradley running through the area as she grew up knowing him.

She said she was excited to welcome him back to the area for the lecture series he participated in recently.

“I think it’s a special moment to bring him back where he’s from and speak about Bedford County,” she said.

Bedford County Historical Society member Kevin Mearkle said that “The Chaneysville Incident” brought awareness to the story of freedom that took place in Bedford County before the Civil War.

He said its subject matter also contributed to his own book, “The Underground Railroad of Bedford County” and other current books, including “Summer of Meteors” by Kris Schaale.

As Bradley continues to visit his hometown each year, he said that he appreciates its extensive history.

“It’s a rich source, and I’m lucky to have it,” he said.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.

The Bradley file

Name: David Bradley

Age: 75

Current residence: San Diego, California

Education: Bedford Area High School, 1968; bachelor’s degree in creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania, 1968-1972; master’s degree in United States Area Studies at King’s College London, 1974.

Novels: “South Street: A Novel” (1975); and “The Chaneysville Incident” (1981)