My mom has a chestnut tree in her new backyard. I know because I came across dozens of little spiky somethings spread on the ground and I was concerned that her dog might step on one (or more) and get hurt. I brought one into her house. We debated asContinue Reading
Hot tea is a very pleasant and beneficial beverage. Its elements produce a soothing aroma and lend comfort and well-being to the throat and body. Hot teas are a helpful drink for the body’s system. I thought I might research some of the teas in my cupboard and divulge whatContinue Reading
My December 2019 side trip off Highway 68 to Ducktown was inspired by Edward Francisco’s “Copper Hill – A Legacy,” posted in September. I also had seen the “moonscape” as a child and swam in the sulfur-scented, olive-tinted water downstream. The mines and processing plants are closed; yet, their legacyContinue Reading
When I was ten, my mother enrolled me in Margaret Howell’s School of Dancing and Etiquette. It was a phase of my male finishing school education designed to rid the savage within and transform me into a Southern gentleman, i.e., Chaucer’s “veray parfit gentil knight.” (For the record, all gentlemenContinue Reading
Our river is the Obed River in southeastern Appalachia. There are five of us. We’re all good friends. We work at the same restaurant and watering hole, the old Sunspot, on the old strip – otherwise known as Cumberland Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee. We are coming of age, living inContinue Reading
A person cannot live in Appalachia or the South without experiencing “hillbilly music,” replaced in 1949 as “country music.” The familiar sonority, accompanied by a melodic, twangy dialect, echoes and reverberates across hills and hollers, flat lands and swamps. It surrounds just about every facet of the region and canContinue Reading
In 2013, Delonda Anderson conducted an interview with David Madden, published in Pellissippi State Community College’s Imaginary Gardens Literary and Arts Review. The following is Part II of that interview. THE INTERVIEW – PART II David Madden (MADDEN) – The interviewee Delonda Anderson (DA) – The interviewer DA: Some writers expressContinue Reading
INTRODUCTION In 2013, Delonda Anderson conducted an interview with David Madden, published in Pellissippi State Community College’s Imaginary Gardens Literary and Arts Review. The following is Part I of that interview, with a tweaked introduction that also accredits work he has accomplished since then. On a frosty winter day, oneContinue Reading
Written by Delonda Anderson Editor A few years ago, I attended the James Agee Conference for Literature and Arts at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tennessee. The event broke into several workshops and sessions that mostly focused on new Appalachian talent with a smattering of old genius. During theContinue Reading
Asthma and allergic diseases increased after children moved from free range outdoor activities to sanitized indoor playrooms and virtual playgrounds. According to the “hygiene hypothesis,” early exposure to germs and allergens is required to develop a robust immune system. As a “Mr. Mom” who prefers bike pedaling to pushing aContinue Reading