Book Reviews+Storytelling
Featured
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Photo courtesy of Vicki Lane
Chapter One: Simeon Ramsey
I am puzzling out the words in my daddy’s old Bible when a stranger sets down next to me. All the others here at the inn is busy drinking or gambling and Lathern, my particular friend, has gone off somewheres, most likely with that gap-toothed girl. Read more
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Gatlinburg's Ogle Family
Gatlinburg, the popular gateway town of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, was named for a notorious figure named Radford Gatlin. However, it is the Ogles, descendants of the first settlers, who have embodied Gatlinburg history. Read more
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Hard Times in Madison County
When I was a boy living in Boonville, North Carolina, my mom once told me that the town tended to vote Democrat, but that many in the countryside were Republicans. The Civil War had caused that divide. Read more
The Awful Immediacy of War On One’s Very Doorstep
“You’ve written a vivid and powerful book,” Tony Earley told me, “one you were meant to write.” It took a while to realize this. I wasn’t particularly interested in Civil War history, even when it was right under my nose. Read more
Apr 1, 2021
Death Be Not Proud
If I were to compile a list of a minister’s pet peeves, it would include funeral planning with family members who have no idea of their departed loved one’s wishes. Read more
Apr 1, 2021
Bill Burris
Photo Essay, April/May 2021
Thanks to all the readers who take the time to share their images for use in Smoky Mountain Living magazine! Read more
Apr 1, 2021
‘My Voice Will Always Be of This Place’
The first story I ever wrote outside of a classroom (I was likely around age eight or nine) was set in coastal Maine. My protagonist lived in a lighthouse. I had never been to Maine, nor been in a lighthouse. It didn’t matter. Read more
Feb 1, 2021
‘Cherokee Was Not the Cherokee of Today’
I don’t remember the day my father died. I don’t remember Lishie standing at the clothesline when the soldier came to tell her the news. I don’t remember the way she nodded her graying head, went back to pinning shirts and skirts, unable to cry. Read more
Feb 1, 2021
My Mother’s Snow Cream
In my childhood, I loved waking up on winter mornings to see the world sparkling white with snowflakes swirling. It was a magical sight. Read more
Feb 1, 2021
Harley Jolley
When Dr. Harley Edison Jolley left this earthly plane on November 23, 2020, he left behind not only a legacy of exemplary higher education and historical research, but also his own personal history of 100 years of positive, productive living. Read more
Feb 1, 2021
The Simple Joy Of A Winter Campfire
As a kid, campfires were not a part of my life. My sister and I were dancers and baton twirlers on many nights, and weekends were spent practicing routines or traveling to competitions. Read more
Feb 1, 2021
