One of the things I miss about working in downtown Burlington is actually being a part of the fabric of what's there. When I worked at the newspaper office on South Main Street I would take daily walks stretching from City Park to the depot. Starting when I returned to Burlington from 15 years on … Continue reading Getting reoriented in downtown Burlington
Book shelf
A few of my favorite things . . .
I can pretty much condense my general interests into four basic categories: Writing, movies, books and sports. I like food and drink, too so throw that in there. But outside of those things, I'm not much for hobbies. I don't build stuff or tinker around on computers. I'm not in to gardening or keeping a … Continue reading A few of my favorite things . . .
Keeping a successful used bookstore in downtown Burlington
I got a message last week from Bennett Harris, the owner of Steam Junction, downtown Burlington's maker space. He was letting me know that Shawna Gentert, our colleague on the Burlington Downtown Corporation Board of Directors and owner with her husband Herb of Persnickety Books, would be leaving the area soon. The family is returning … Continue reading Keeping a successful used bookstore in downtown Burlington
‘The Last Ballad’ is a tragic story from North Carolina’s often forgotten history
"The Last Ballad"; by Wiley Cash; 2017, HarperCollins Publishers; 375 pages. The American South is a minefield of emotions. It's a land of hope, faith and joy intermingled with hatred, anger, and sometimes unspeakable violence. It's a place where understanding and common sense can be overwhelmed by confusion and ignorance -- often sparked by a … Continue reading ‘The Last Ballad’ is a tragic story from North Carolina’s often forgotten history
Book in review: Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Kitchen Confidential’
Written in 2000 and updated several years later, Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly" is well worth revisiting from time to time. It's hilarious, wild and informative. He just may be, as I note in this review written in 2009, the Hunter S. Thompson of food. That's a compliment, by the way. … Continue reading Book in review: Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Kitchen Confidential’
Ultimate truths, wisdom and baseball
A few years ago at the annual Friends of the Alamance County Library Book Sale I uncovered a real treasure. It's a book about ultimate truths. It's a book full of wisdom for the ages. It's a book brimming with best practices of every description. And it's a book published in 1951. And it's a … Continue reading Ultimate truths, wisdom and baseball
Something in the air: Ah yes, the annual Fall Book Sale
Friday I walked up to the small tent set up outside the basement entrance to May Memorial Library in Burlington. "I can shop at the Fall Book Sale today if I join the Friends of the Library, correct?" I asked the two women operating in the makeshift shade on a sunny afternoon. "Aren't you a … Continue reading Something in the air: Ah yes, the annual Fall Book Sale
‘Black Coach’ revisited: Before ‘Remember the Titans’
“Black Coach”; by Pat Jordan; 1971; The Cornwall Press, Inc.; 248 pages. Late summer was dissolving into early fall the first time I walked into Burlington Memorial Stadium to watch a high school football game involving Walter Williams High School. The year was 1985. I began working as a sports writer for the Burlington Times-News … Continue reading ‘Black Coach’ revisited: Before ‘Remember the Titans’
Dan Collins, a ‘Book of Fame’ worthy sports writer
When I was a shaggy young sports writer with a scraggly chin beard that was far more goat than tee, I cut an impressive figure in press boxes and press rows around the Atlantic Coast Conference, so outstanding almost no one noticed me at all. Typically I wore an outsized sports jacket courtesy of my … Continue reading Dan Collins, a ‘Book of Fame’ worthy sports writer
Book review: The Captain Class
“The Captain Class”; by Sam Walker; 333 pages; Random House, 2017. Sam Walker began with one simple question. Through his research, the quest took a new direction. By the time he had completed his journey Walker had produced something both intended but also serendipitous. The outcome is both ironic and coincidental. That’s a rather sloppy … Continue reading Book review: The Captain Class
Madison's Avenue 