Summer plans

Here’s a quick note to tell you about a few upcoming author events and a short – temporary leave of absence.  First of all, if you are in the area of Fairhope, Alabama this coming Saturday, June 21st, you’re invited to attend my writing seminar at the Eastern Shore Presbyterian Church Arts Atelier – From…

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Keep Fairhope Funky

Even those who are unfamiliar with my hometown of Fairhope, Alabama, may find this story about efforts to save The Poet of Tolstoy Park’s house interesting. It’s a strange house with a unique literary twist. And of course . . . our small town is abuzz! There’s always something stirring in Fairhope, be it fact,…

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There is a river

The quote below from Andy Andrews’ Instagram page reminded me of a story about my cousin, Dr. Kenneth Harrison, who passed away last January at the age of 92.  My father’s first cousin, Kenneth Harrison, was raised on a farm, then attended Florida State University where he earned a degree in chemistry and later enrolled…

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Red Velvet Panic; A Southern Crisis

It’s official: the government has found more artificial coloring in our beloved Southern Red Velvet Cake than in the entire soprano section of the Methodist church choir. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy has vowed to rid American food of toxic ingredients, which is noble, but it seems Southerners may have to…

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A good lesson from a bad egg

It rained the day of my second-grade Easter egg hunt, so our room mothers hid all the eggs inside the classroom. This was back in the day when we called it an “Easter Egg Hunt,” not a “Spring Fling” or other such nonsense. Only one child won a prize for finding the Golden Egg, and…

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The Easter Quilt

I wrote this story in 2016 for AL.com newspapers. Happy Easter! The Easter Quilt It was Christmas day 1998 when I took the scissors and cut my grandmother’s quilt into pieces, but looking at one of the remaining scraps now, always brings to mind the beauty of Easter. The quilt was originally started by my…

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Hooked on Homeworthy

(And a Fairhope House Tour!) My hot entertainment for the moment is the YouTube decorating fix, Homeworthy. It’s a runaway success that has surpassed the likes of old-guard design shows on HGTV and PBS. Airing on social media platforms instead of traditional television, it provides a format for everyday people to give tours of their…

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Oh no, it’s April Fool’s day

I think it’s all fun and games, except when “trusted” news sources try to trick us. I think there has to be some small source of reliability in the world. But then again, this April 1st trickery has been going on a very long time. Click to watch this video I worked on with NY…

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Welcome to Club Scrutiny

A new television commercial seems to make men uncomfortable. A handsome man has an arrow pointing to the area around his eyes as the camera zooms in for a horrific close-up view. The voice-over declares, “Most men over 40 look in the mirror and see this.” It pauses dramatically, then triumphantly announces, “when they could…

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A gathering of writers

Above, you’ll see author, editor and publisher, Sonny Brewer, and his little friend Bobby, along with singer/songwriter Grayson Capps and the 2025 Truman Capote Award winner, Suzanne Hudson. And yes, they are all from Fairhope. I’m not sure who took this photo – I found it on Suzanne’s facebook page. My pictures weren’t so great…

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