AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wrote this column in June of 2015 upon the death of J.A. Freeman, the longtime educator, first principal at integrated Cummings High School and a political leader. It reminded me of a similar figure from my youth growing up in Stokes County -- John L. Hairston. When I heard last Sunday about … Continue reading Throwback Thursday column: Memories of two leaders and their sacrifices
Column archive
The green vase
For the past few years I have posted this over Memorial Day Weekend. It's the strongest memory I have from my newspaper life at the Jacksonville Daily News in North Carolina, the home of Camp Lejeune, the largest Marine Corps installation on the East Coast. I'll always remember. The vase is still with me. ---- … Continue reading The green vase
A Mother’s Day throwback column: The path not taken
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This one was published in 2015 in the Times-News. My mom didn’t set out to be the “Welfare Lady.” It just worked out that way. No, what my mom wanted to be when she grew up was a writer and a journalist. Not sure exactly what order she would place those two. Certainly … Continue reading A Mother’s Day throwback column: The path not taken
How I got into the business of writing
For those interested, this is a column I wrote a few years ago for the Burlington Times-News describing how I became attracted to the business of writing and journalism. Call it the smell of ink, the lure of air-conditioning and the taste of Coca-Cola. I'll post archive columns from more than 30 years of newspaper … Continue reading How I got into the business of writing
Madison's Avenue 