Books and leftover salad by the pool. The perfect day. Autumn is finally here and our summertime was fairly quiet. No hurricanes ( so far) and no travel. My lesson learned this summer is that authoring books isn’t for the fainthearted. The follow-up marketing and sales is difficult for creative types and I struggle with…
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This story first appeared in Lagniappe News, Mobile, Alabama. Children and football players, please step back in time with me to my kindergarten classroom, when Little Bradley, better known as “The Spitter,” thought he could launch a slimy missile onto the face of another child. The Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Carter and the University of Florida’s…
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Years ago, I taught in the Pre-Kindergarten program in an inner-city public school, and realized the students were confused when we read stories about Santa Claus. I finally grasped that it wasn’t the Jolly Old Elf who puzzled them, but the concept of a fireplace was totally foreign to a group of children who lived…
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We’ll take Dixieland Delight First printed in Lagniappe News, Mobile, Alabama To my friends who cheer for the University of Alabama, As a longtime resident and native Alabamian, who is also a graduate of Florida State University, I’ve come to collect the spoils of battle. Don’t panic, all I’ll take is a one-year lease on…
Read MoreHere’s another replay from 2018 for all of you sending your darling off to college. Attention all parents who are planning on launching a child off to college next fall — if they don’t already know how to do their own laundry, make a basic pot of mac and cheese and sew a button on…
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Here’s a replay from my 2019 column for everyone taking a daughter to college this month. Whether it’s grandma’s silver gumbo spoons, a tiara or a spinning baton, Southern girls have always been drawn to sparkly things. That’s why the trend to “bling-up” the dormitories of co-eds around the South has taken off like wildfire.…
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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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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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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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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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