Remembering Tony Abbott

Thirty years ago, Tony Abbott was directing Davidson Community Players’ production of Inherit the Wind and needed a set designer. New to North Carolina, I

Cover Story

A few years ago, Hyong Yi had a crazy, brilliant idea for not one book, but two. He had enlisted a group of artists to

Salvation (Forthcoming fall 2021 )

“Salvation explores the tragic mistakes—well-intentioned in some instances, cruelly selfish in others—made by desperate people. But this is not a dark book. There is great

Arriving at Concord

To avoid interstate traffic when I head to Durham to visit my daughter, I travel the backroads and rely on my GPS, but I cringe at the

One Writer’s Sunday

Because my friend Kelsi Bova wondered what writers like me do all day, I thought it might be fun to show, rather than tell. Here’s what last

A Hole is to Dig

Remember Maurice Sendak’s playful pen and ink drawings of children in Ruth Knauss’s A HOLE IS TO DIG? In that book, boys and girls roll in the

Musician’s Pie

You’re probably familiar with Shepherd’s Pie, that stick-to-your-ribs staple with its mashed potato crust, peas, and minced beef or mutton—hardy nourishment for anyone manning fields

Two Blondes And A Truck

A few weeks ago, writer Marianne Sprangers and I hit the road in a super-sized pickup, all in the name of research: Marianne, always wondering if there