Book Reviews+Storytelling
Featured
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David Cohen illustration
A Tractor Reborn for Christmas
The 1957 D-17 Allis-Chalmers tractor, faded by the sun and long unserviceable from languishing for years in the old machine shed, has recently been brought back to life by my cousin Gilbert. Read more
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Living On the Road Less Traveled
For years now, Wayne Caldwell has been writing a creative fictional history for Western North Carolina. His new book River Road is something of a sequel to his earlier collection of poems. Read more
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Travis Bumgardner illustration
An Appalachian Christmas Tree
In the way back woods of Appalachia circa 1978, everyone I knew had a special place where they procured a tree for the holidays. A place where perfection is cultivated. Read more
The Smell of Wood Smoke
On winter mornings, the smell wood smoke in the air reminds me of my family’s wood stove. Our wood-fired cook stove stood in the dining room near the table. It was cast iron and had several cooking eyes, a water reservoir, and a baking oven. Read more
Sep 24, 2024
Reunion Brings Cataloochee Descendants Home to the Valley
Shadows and seasons are the main markers of time in Cataloochee Valley, a remote corner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park located more than 20 miles from the closest town and reachable only by a windy, narrow gravel road. Read more
Sep 23, 2024
Gatlinburg's Hospitality History
Author and historian Brian McKnight’s latest book, “Lost Motels of Gatlinburg,” is a trip down memory lane of the time before corporate chain establishments dominated the town. Read more
Sep 23, 2024
Trick-or-Treating in Appalachia
Secured with a thin rubber band that bit into the back of our heads, the masks were pre-formed plastic, a one-size-fits-all designation, which, we all recall, didn’t fit a single one of us. Read more
Sep 23, 2024
The Critter Kegger
Here at the farm, we’ve had an influx of undesirable critters. I don’t know who posted a “Welcome” sign at the entrance of our property, but Poppa and I would be much obliged if the critters would just move on out and mind their own business. Read more
Aug 1, 2024
Our Last Hike
Years ago, my family and I spent a lot of time on Garden Creek Road in McDowell County, North Carolina, visiting my grandmother in the white frame house where my father’s family settled after they moved from East Tennessee to Western North Carolina. Read more
Aug 1, 2024
