I saw the news yesterday when my wife sent over a link via email to the website Deadline Hollywood. The headline was very specific, unlike those wedged into small newspaper spaces: "Sidney Kimmel to finance & produce Jessica-Sanders-directed 'Picking Cotton.'" The names of the people involved didn't immediately mean much to me. But the title, … Continue reading Picking Cotton: A story that endures
Past imperfect
UPDATE: Congressman Walter Jones: Humility in a town of arrogance
UPDATE: I first posted this on Jan. 28 after learning that U.S. Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina was placed in Hospice care. Today he passed away, his family announced. Rest in peace Walter. My condolences to the family and friends of Rep. Jones. Peace to you all. ------------------------- I saw over the weekend that … Continue reading UPDATE: Congressman Walter Jones: Humility in a town of arrogance
When it comes to blown calls fans have long and bitter memories
New Orleans Saints football coach Sean Payton declared on Sunday that his team will never get over what happened in the Superdome earlier that day when a missed call by game officials opened the door for the opposing Los Angeles Rams just enough to force overtime and ultimately defeat the Saints in the NFC championship … Continue reading When it comes to blown calls fans have long and bitter memories
Christmas in Danbury, where time stands still
I wrote this in 2003 when I was with the Jacksonville Daily News. Still little has changed in Danbury in terms of appearance. There are some tweaks here and there. And the downtown area, what there is of it, was revamped across from the courthouse into a fantastic Arts Place. Over time it took the … Continue reading Christmas in Danbury, where time stands still
The lessons and healing from the Pan-Am 103 bombing continue after 30 years
EDITOR'S NOTE: Today (December 21, 2018) is the 30-year anniversary of the bombing of Pan-Am Flight 103 -- a singular event in global history and a major tragedy for hundreds of families, the village of Lockerbie Scotland where the mid-air explosion occurred and Syracuse University where 35 students perished. My wife, Roselee Papandrea Taylor, was … Continue reading The lessons and healing from the Pan-Am 103 bombing continue after 30 years
Let there be lights: My spouse’s journey to becoming Clark Griswold
The other night I was watching the now iconic holiday movie, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." Somewhere between the time the always wacky Griswold family obtains a Christmas tree only Paul Bunyan could use but before clueless Uncle Louis fries the ginormous evergreen with his cigar, the film's perpetually befuddled and clumsy hero Clark W. Griswold … Continue reading Let there be lights: My spouse’s journey to becoming Clark Griswold
Family histories, unwanted surprises, and don’t call me Meredith
History has dark corners. I think most are aware of this, even if they choose to ignore it. Ignorance is always easier. Family histories are particularly tricky. This is because the narrative is controlled, handed down generation to generation, until it becomes a specialized truth. And some things are just flat ignored, falling in the … Continue reading Family histories, unwanted surprises, and don’t call me Meredith
Then there was that Thanksgiving when my lung exploded
This happened in 2006, on Nov. 22, the day before Thanksgiving that year. I wrote about the experience for the Jacksonville Daily News a couple of months later in January 2007. Five months after that, we moved to Burlington -- that was a lot of stuff going on all at one short period of time. … Continue reading Then there was that Thanksgiving when my lung exploded
Departing the best job ever for an even better one
Last spring I was working on a writing project about the Numen Lumen Pavilion at Elon University. While I was interviewing a student about the role the building plays on campus he had a question for me. "So, do you talk to students and professors about things here at Elon and write feature stories about … Continue reading Departing the best job ever for an even better one
Still thankful for our big, beautiful (and growing) monster
We created a monster. It’s called “The Big Dinner.” Now, what came to be known as “The Big Dinner” didn’t start out that way. Not by a longshot. Eight years ago when this snowball was put in motion by my spouse, her sister and her oldest brother it was relatively small. You couldn’t exactly call … Continue reading Still thankful for our big, beautiful (and growing) monster
Madison's Avenue 