Blog
“To See Ourselves as Others See Us”: Appalachian Women and Fighting Back (Part 3)
In the second half of Movie-Made Appalachia: History, Hollywood, and the Highland South, author and University of Georgia professor John Inscoe pivots to the portrayal of Appalachian women on the big and small screen.
“To See Ourselves as Others See Us”: Race and Racism in the Southern Mountains (Part 2)
In Movie-Made Appalachia: History, Hollywood, and the Highland South, author John C. Inscoe writes that he was pleasantly surprised when he taught a course at the University of Georgia, showing and discussing a dozen films about Southern Appalachia.
“To See Ourselves as Others See Us”: The Southern Appalachians on the Screen (Part 1)
From Tobacco Road to Deliverance and, in this century, from District 12 in The Hunger Games to the lame screen version of J.D. Vance’s simplistic, self-serving Hillbilly Elegy, the people of the Southern Appalachians have often been ill-served by American popular culture, especially on screen.
Madison County Homecoming
I returned to Madison County for a week to promote the new, paperback edition of “Met Her on the Mountain: The Murder of Nancy Morgan.” Events included in-person readings, discussions, and signings as well as a Zoom event at Malaprop’s Bookstore & Cafe in Asheville.
The Impact of the Shelton Laurel Massacre in Madison County
Almost no one who writes about Madison County can avoid the Shelton Laurel Massacre. I include a section on it in Met Her on the Mountain.
My Thoughts on Recent Thriller “Devil House”
Today, I want to share my recent review of Devil House, a new thriller about a true crime author who takes on a real murder and tries to use his own investigative skills to solve it.
The Popular Appeal of True Crime
With the advent of cable television, streaming series, and radio podcasts, the genre of true crime has emerged as legitimate mass entertainment.
A Validating Source for My Research on “Drifting Into Darkness”
A curious aspect I’ve noticed over the years with nonfiction writing and broadcasting – newspapers, radio, magazines and books – is what information comes to you after publication or broadcast.
The Ponder Brothers
For more than three decades in the latter part of the 20th century, the Democratic political machine led by Zeno and E. Y. Ponder wrested control from Republicans and thereafter controlled pretty much everything in Madison County.
“Met Her on the Mountain”: Prologue
Enjoy a sneak peek of “Met Her on the Mountain” and read the prologue.
“Drifting Into Darkness”: Prologue
Enjoy a sneak peek of ‘Drifting Into Darkness’ and read the prologue.
A Look at Present-Day Mars Hill, North Carolina
Not to be outdone by Marshall, the hilltop college town of Mars Hill has become part of the Madison County boomlet as well.
The Evolution of Madison County
In the years since Met Her on the Mountain was published in 2013, Madison County, North Carolina, has experienced an economic and cultural renaissance.
The Donation of My “Met Her on the Mountain” Research
Decades ago, when I started researching what would become “Met Her on the Mountain” in Madison County, North Carolina, I was advised to seek out the county’s foremost folklorist, Richard Dillingham.
Murder Times Two
On April 5, two of my nonfiction crime books will be released: Drifting into Darkness: Murders, Madness, Suicide, and a Death “Under Suspicious Circumstance from NewSouth Books of Montgomery, Alabama, and an updated, paperback edition of Met Her on the Mountain: The Murder of Nancy Morgan from the University Press of Kentucky.
Book Club Appearances
I've started appearing at book clubs here in Central Florida, a first for me, and it's been fun to get some direct feedback and support. Several weeks ago, at the invitation of a neighbor, I met with her group at a nearby Japanese restaurant. The half dozen women...
Launch & NC Tour
I'm just back from our reading and signing tour of North Carolina. About a week before we left we had a launch party in Orlando at our temple, where we drew nearly 100 -- thanks in part to free food (including my wife's zucchini and banana bread) and a local bluegrass...
Hello to all
Hello to all. Frankly, I’m new to blogging, but presuming anyone out there has any interest in my comings and goings, at least as it relates to Met Her on the Mountain, I’m going to give it a try. I’ll start right after our book launch party Oct. 8 at the Congregation...