Writer of Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry and Master Photographer
Americans are used to the tradition of the national anthem being played at the start of major sporting events. It was not preplanned. On September 11, 1918, Game 5 of the World Series was scheduled to be played between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs. While it may seem like a modern theme,…
Most people think of the Eiffel Tower as an international icon, the symbol of France, and maybe sometimes, even King’s Dominion amusement park. But that wasn’t always the case. When the tower was being built (1887) for the Paris Centennial Exhibition in 1889, many thought it was an eyesore. It was originally only supposed to…
I’ve made no secret on this blog about my fascination of Zebulon Vance, who served as North Carolina’s governor during the Civil War and later as a senator. He was a flawed person — like all of us — but he was quite a character. But I truly enjoyed learning more about him while researching…
In the summer of 1842, Henry Shoemaker was working as a hired hand on a DeKalb County farm in Indiana. As the day wore on, he realized he’d forgotten to vote. He promised to vote for Madison Marsh, so he rode 12 miles to the polling place and cast his ballot. Marsh won by one…