Wesley Moore (aka Rusty) taught English at Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina, for 34 years. Before that, he published occasionally in small literary magazines. His novel, Today, Oh Boy came out on March 31 2023, and according to Kirkus Reviews, “Dazzling characters front this quietly sublime period piece.” His memoir, Long Ago Last Summer, is a Southern Gothic gumbo that embodies the profound paradoxes of Southern culture against a landscape dotted with antebellum plantations, shotgun shacks, suburban subdivisions, Pentecostal churches, and juke joints. Both books are available on-line almost everywhere.
Summerville 70, a short film inspired by Today, Oh Boy, premiered in November of 2025 and has won several awards on the festival circuit. Keep Reading…
Published Books
Today, Oh Boy (2023)
Today, Oh Boy is the tale of one day in the life of Rusty Boykin and Ollie Wyborn, juniors at Summerville High School. The year is 1970, and as a counterculture emerges in their conservative South Carolina community, a cast of characters find themselves in the throes of social upheaval: preppies, jocks, hippies, and belligerent country boys who don’t believe in giving peace a chance.
Long Ago Last Summer (2025)
Long Ago Last Summer is a Southern Gothic gumbo part Flannery O’Connor, part Tennessee Williams with a dash of Delta blues. An array of unforgettable characters come alive on the page: village idiots, eccentric aunts, beloved dogs, and at least one serial killer, Donald ‘Pee Wee’ Gaskins. Moore’s memoir embodies the profound paradoxes of Southern culture against a landscape dotted with antebellum plantations, shotgun shacks, suburban subdivisions, Pentecostal churches, and juke joints.
Summerville ‘70: A Short Film Based on Today, Oh Boy
Summerville 1970 is a 15-minute independent short film written and directed by David Boatwright, based on a chapter from Wesley Moore III’s novel Today, Oh Boy. Set in the titular South Carolina town, the coming-of-age story follows young Rusty, featuring a Vietnam veteran played by Logan Marshall-Green.
The film premiered in September 2025 at the Terrace Theater and won an Honorable Mention (Grand Jury Prize) for Narrative Short in the Fall 2025 Independent Shorts Awards.
Original Art for Sale
In addition to writing, Wesley creates digital collages, printed on canvas. His art is often inspired by various locations central to Folly Beach, South Carolina.
Learn more about Wesley’s art >>
In the News
June 9, 2025
“Long Ago Last Summer,” Folly Current
June 10, 2025
“Wesley Moore Returns,” Fox 24 News Now
April 12, 2024
“Wesley Moore – Today, Oh Boy,” Cover to Cover Book Beat
March 29, 2023
“Interview with author Wesley Moore, III,” The Summerville Journal Scene
March 14, 2023
“”Today, Oh Boy” Author Wesley Moore III,” Fox 24 News Now
February 9, 2022
“Wesley Moore Has Some Choice Words,” Charleston City Paper
You Do Hoodoo 