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The professor has just written a
book on the subject: Shark Tooth
Hunting on the Carolina Coast.
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(Top Left) These shark teeth were among those found along Edisto Beach by noted shark tooth expert Dr. Ashley Oliphant of Denver.
(Top Right) Look at the size of that thing! This shark tooth is enormous. But don’t let that keep you out of the water, folks. Dr. Ashley Oliphant notes that shark attacks have been over-hyped and exaggerated by the media.
(Bottom) More teeth from Oliphant’s
collection are seen here.
(Photos Courtesy of Dr. Ashley Oliphant)
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 | Thomas Lark
Staff Writer |
DENVER, N.C.––With multiple attacks off the Carolina coast these days, sharks are in the news more than ever.
And Lincoln County has its own homegrown expert on the topic of shark teeth. Dr. Ashley Oliphant of Denver is an associate professor of English at Pfeiffer University. Sarasota, Fla.-based publisher Pineapple Press has just published Oliphant’s Shark Tooth Hunting on the Carolina Coast.
A launch party for the book will be held Aug. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Charles R. Jonas Library in downtown Lincolnton. This free event will begin with a short presentation and a chapter reading. It will be followed by a question-and-answer session and an opportunity for the public to interact with Oliphant’s impressive collection of more than 10,000 shark teeth. A reception will also be included, along with a book-signing. Books will available for $10 each.
And the writer will be on hand at next month’s Apple Festival, too. Look for her at the east end of Main Street.
Born in Gastonia, Oliphant lives in Denver with her husband and their 4-year-old son. She grew up in Lincoln County, the daughter of Joe and Beth Yarbrough. She has an older brother, Tony.
Dr. Oliphant is a 1996 Lincolnton High School graduate. She is also a graduate of the universities of North Carolina at Charlotte and Greensboro. A brilliant student, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English at UNCC a scant three years after her high school graduation. Her master of arts in English literature followed at UNCC another three years later. Her 2007 doctorate from UNCG is in 20th-century American literature. Her dissertation concerned legendary author Ernest Hemingway.
“I am entering my eighth year on the faculty at Pfeiffer University,” she said, “and I am currently an associate professor of English and the faculty fellow for the Francis Center for Servant Leadership.”
A hobby you can sink your teeth into
For the past 20 years, Oliphant has combed beaches all along the East Coast in search of sharks’ teeth.
The Carolina shores are brimming with fossil shark teeth. But they can be difficult to find without this unique guide, Shark Tooth Hunting on the Carolina Coast. Readers will learn where shark teeth are, how to spot them and how to identify their species. Oliphant uses an inviting writing style to share her passion and knowledge of hunting shark teeth. This guide makes the fossil-hunting experience fun and uncomplicated. You’ll find out which beaches and which parts of the beach will likely have the most shark teeth, and you’ll learn which seasons and what weather will bring you the most success.
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The book’s easy-to-use reference section offers speedy identification of teeth, from the common blacktip to the rare great white shark. Photographs of each species highlight the distinguishing features.
“I started writing the book when my son was just an infant,” said Oliphant. “The first draft, about 80 pages, rolled out like it had been waiting to be written for years. The whole process of publishing, from first draft through publication, was around two or three years. Before submitting a manuscript, I completed a great deal of research about the publishers that would be most appropriate for my book idea. In the end, I only submitted the manuscript to one publisher, and it was accepted.”
So what inspired the professor to create this book?
“Like many families who live inland in North and South Carolina, going to the coast for a week in the summer was my family’s annual ritual,” she noted. “My dad and I have always been fascinated by things that wash up on the beach, but we were not focused on shark teeth until I was in my early teens. Like so many great hobbies, shark tooth hunting is addictive, and once you start, you really cannot stop. I love it, because there is always something new to find, and very often what you find requires research to identify.”
Oliphant also spoke of the recent wave of shark attacks.
“The Carolinas are above average this year for the number of shark encounters,” she said. “The same thing happened in Florida, about 10 or 15 years ago. My personal opinion is that these attacks are the result of a food chain issue. Everything a shark does relates to finding its next meal. Humans are not at the top of a shark’s menu. Most shark bites are test bites: the animal strikes and realizes that the human is not really what it wants to eat. I have been to the beach several times with my family this summer, and we have gone into the ocean but never into deep water, where we would be unable to fight off an attack. At the beach we are always cognizant of the signs that the food chain is in action: fish are visibly schooling; fish are jumping out of the water; and birds are diving and catching fish. When people see those signs, it is smart to get out of the water for a while.
“Likewise,” she added, “there are many things humans can do to reduce their risk of shark encounters. Avoid the use of boogie boards or surf boards, which can make you look like a seal to a shark below you. Never swim with your dog or when other people have their dogs in the water. Swim in groups and never at dawn or dusk. Avoid swimming near piers or where people are fishing. Do not wear jewelry, such as bracelets, anklets and necklaces, in the ocean. As always, know that if you are in the water, you are on the shark’s turf. I’ve seen several large sharks in shallow water this year. The events of this summer are no reason for panic, though many news outlets have attempted to sensationalize these stories. A shark in the water is not breaking news. The situation with shark attacks in the Carolinas already seems to have calmed down, just as it always does. With all this said, I know the people, especially the children, who were attacked by sharks this summer are in a lot of pain. I wish them a speedy recovery.”
Oliphant continued that her book is available now on Amazon and at dozens of other Internet outlets. In the coming weeks, it will be available in local bookstores and at piers, beach shops and bookstores at the coast.
“If you want the book, and your favorite store doesn’t carry it, ask for it,” she said. “I will be traveling on a small book tour all over North and South Carolina this year. Readers can visit my Amazon Author Central page at http://www.amazon.com/Ashley-Oliphant/e/B00MSBTBZE. That page contains upcoming events and my blog posts.”
Of teaching and writing
In her spare time, Oliphant enjoys live music, motor sports and gardening. She is also an animal welfare advocate, dedicated to euthanasia reform at animal shelters.
As for teaching and writing, the one complements the other, as the professor noted.
“Teaching as a profession is a wild ride, as any teacher will tell you,” Oliphant observed. “I really enjoy working with students, especially those who have had bad experiences with English classes or with writing in the past. Nothing is more rewarding than helping a student realize he or she can do it. Publishing provides me with an interesting counterbalance to teaching. It requires a different kind of energy and creativity. Even when I am frustrated with a paragraph or a chapter, I am always invigorated by the writing process. I feel most alive when I am working on a book project.”
And Oliphant’s readers will be glad of the good news. There’s another book on the way, as she revealed.
“I am working on my next book now,” she said. “It is about Ernest Hemingway, but the topic is top-secret!”
http://lincolnherald.net/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=181&ArticleID=13006
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