At a recent church gathering, a lady I know asked me to sit with her. “I have something to ask you,” she said. She had recently read Dire Predictions, a book about global warming. I have not read the book, so she pointed out that the authors, Lee Kump and Michael Mann, stated that some scientists do not believe in …
Battle flag: The right to be wrong
Last week a Facebook friend posted a photo from the July 4th parade in Charleston, IL. A pickup appeared bearing the Confederate battle flag. Facebookers were indignant. “Stupid! Copperhead traitors! Disgusting! Dumbass cracker! Just leave him to his wife/sister and their uncle/dad to their inbreeding.” I could have kept out of the fray, but I didn’t. “What part of the …
Fast away the old year passes
It’s time to take stock of the old year and think about ringing in the new. 2011 has been a banner year. I finished my MFA, released my first story collection and took the book on the road to signings and readings. I drew from my experience in graduate school to present research on what makes a story Southern, and …