Monday, October 20, 2008

Quick hits: Writing about Ocracoke's charms, Appalachia's borders - and honoring those that write

Ocracoke, off-season
"When the seasons cool, we tumble into the car with our dog – Blue – and head to the coast. We've had New Year's at Ocracoke and Christmas at Pawleys Island, S.C. Ocracoke is our family favorite," says the Charlotte Observer.

"The beach seems wider, the sky more blue, and there's quiet in the village except for the wind whispering down Howard Street. There's more room to run, more space to ride bikes, and there's more time to do everything or nothing at all. ..."


Bush redraws boundaries of Appalachia
"Tabbatha Tubbs laughs at the thought of Washington politicians decreeing her hometown Appalachian. After all, there’s not a mountain in sight from this gently rolling countryside best known for its thoroughbred horse farms," says the AP.

"This is picturesque Bluegrass country: Black wooden fences surround grazing thoroughbreds. Golden stalks of tobacco hang from tiered barns. And herds of fat beef cattle mow their way across fields of green grass.

"It’s hardly the heart of Appalachia, the rugged hills where President Lyndon B. Johnson declared war on poverty some 44 years ago. But like it or not, Tubbs and her neighbors are now residents of the impoverished region, at least in the eyes of the federal government. ..."


Writers, historians honored
"Three people were inducted into the N.C. Literary Hall of Fame on Sunday afternoon," said the News & Observer.

"Durham poet James Applewhite, Chapel Hill historian William S. Powell and Hillsborough novelist Lee Smith were inducted in a ceremony at the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities in Southern Pines. ..."

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