The kitchen table of our house in Burlington was Gossip Central, with my mother the mistress of ceremonies. The other participants varied, with a half dozen or so regulars. The …
Back When Moonshine Was Still Illegal—and More Fun
These days, at least in Tennessee, the scenery-clotting billboards encountered on any drive include ads touting now-legal moonshine. The fiery drink’s legitimization was quickly seized upon by those who saw …
The Night the Newsroom Became the News
The episode that led to the newsroom being set on fire began with a prank and ended with ax-wielding firemen running up the stairs and bursting into the second-floor quarters …
Armed and Irritable
Late one morning in 1969 I was awakened by a persistent knocking on my front door in Fort Sanders. A quick glance through the bedroom window revealed an official-looking sedan …
A Short History of the Nicknames of Burlington
Apparently if you grew up in the east-side neighborhood of Burlington in the 1930s, a nickname was a requirement. Almost all of my parents’ male friends were known by a …