Since the fall of 2020, a glass-topped display case has been sitting next to the checkout desk in my library. Strewn across a piece of artfully arranged white fabric is a handful of what’s left of the contents of a time capsule buried on June 20, 1970, on the grounds of the courthouse lawn. There was much pomp and circumstance in the burying. Tuxedoed pallbearers with top hats … [Read more...] about Secrets From a Time Capsule
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Losing the Southern Stereotype But Not the Moonshine
In the early 1940s, when my parents decided to build a restaurant in a small community near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, they plugged into the pop culture of the time. The establishment needed a theme, something to make their business stand out. At the time, the biggest show on Broadway was the musical “Lil Abner,” and the top comic strip was “Snuffy Smith.” They … [Read more...] about Losing the Southern Stereotype But Not the Moonshine
Cast Iron Cookware; A Tradition of Southern Life
If you are a reader of The Southern Voice, you are unarguably also a fan of Southern* cooking. Nothing speaks of Southern cooking like cast iron cookware. It brings back memories of a previous generation, cooking on woodstoves and those early electric stoves with eyes heavy enough to build a house on. Cast iron cookware is an heirloom that many of us covet. I was curious about … [Read more...] about Cast Iron Cookware; A Tradition of Southern Life
Homespun-Volume Three
The dreaded tool of interruption rang, and that strange vibe that signals trouble ran up my spine. This man can sense danger quicker than a firefighter can sniff out a hot spot that’s ready to flair. “You gonna answer that?” Better Half asked between bites of scrambled eggs. “Nope,” I replied. “It’s our oldest daughter wanting to put me to work. Who told her I wasn’t flying … [Read more...] about Homespun-Volume Three
A Hollywood Worthy Life Story; The Incredible Holt Collier
Some people live a life so large, so filled with overcoming, achievements, brushes with greatness, and building an unparalleled legacy that condensing their story into one article becomes a serious challenge. Such is the case with Holt Collier. Collier was born into slavery around 1848. His parents, Harrison and Daphne, were the third generation of their family to be enslaved … [Read more...] about A Hollywood Worthy Life Story; The Incredible Holt Collier
