An insightful look in apartheid, South Africa
Sometimes fictional books, when they’re written well, can give the same, if not more, insight to a people and culture than a history book can. Alan Paton’s “Cry, the Beloved Country” (Scribner, 2003, 316 pages) is one of those novels.
Chappell statue unveiled
The Haywood County Public Library recently unveiled a memorial to Fred Chappell at its Canton branch, which honors his literary achievements and dedication to teaching creative writing.
Upcoming readings at City Lights Bookstore
• Friday, May 23 at 6 p.m. – Peter McDade presents his novel “King Cal” in conversation with Christy Alexander Hallberg. Set in the world of music, the novel explores the creative journey of Calvin, a fast-food worker and aspiring musician, as he loses everything in a single day and must decide if chasing his dream is worth the cost.
Asheville poet focuses on the ‘Now’
As a practitioner and student of poetry all my life, I’ve noticed that while there is a lot of poetry written well and with talented reach, at the same time, there is little current poetry that I’ve experienced that one would classify as being “wise” or “transcendent.”
Thoreau found God in the natural world
“We are not human beings on a spiritual journey,
but rather spiritual beings on a human journey.”
Teilhard de Chardin
— from: “Thoreau’s God”
A look at the 30s glitterati in ‘Rules of Civility’
Having read and relished Amor Towles’ “A Gentleman in Moscow,” I picked up the first novel he published, “Rules of Civility” (Penguin Books, 2012, 368 pages) prepared to enjoy it as well. Unfortunately, some satisfying experiences elude repetition.
The search for origins and identity
Having grown up in proximity to a Cherokee community (Little Snowbird in Graham County), I’m familiar with and sensitive to the history and the psychology of Native peoples who have been marginalized and worse from their cultural roots and their homelands.
Hoofing it from DC to NYC
“The simple act of walking and taking in what I saw and puzzling over what I encountered as I went. The rhythm and simplicity of it.”
— Neil King Jr.
Collect books, like precious pearls
When it comes to reading, I can tend to be “the bigger, the better” type reader. I search for thick novels, dive headfirst into fantasy worlds, and am never dissuaded by the word trilogy (or better yet, series).
Let it find us doing ordinary things
The goal of a writer is to pen words that inspire, educate or entertain, but sometimes, when the world feels heavy, it’s challenging to think of a topic that will resonate. As a decade-long columnist for The Smoky Mountain News, my readers have come to mean a lot to me.
