Writer of Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry and Master Photographer
Anyone who has been to a military funeral, or served in the military, or even watched a war movie is familiar with the bugle call, “Taps.” It is a distinctive 24-note tune that has tragic origins in the Civil War and involves a story that is heartbreaking and also likely not true — instead, fabricated…
I’m excited to announce some new changes for the website and the blog. At long last, after going through lists and logo ideas and consulting with family, friends, writers, and artists, I’m glad to present History Pie.com — History One Slice at a Time. The plan is to keep the blog going regularly. That’s worked…
It is that time of year when children get excited, parents get stressed and many poor retail seasons are righted ― it is Christmas. Lest you think Christmas controversies are just a product of modern times, let’s look at the evolution of the holiday in America. It’s always been cause for a little carpet…
[Note: Parts of this story first appeared in Michael’s Soapbox column in The Nashville Graphic] I’ve gathered up some good old North Carolina legends. Most of us have heard about the Maco Light, the Brown Mountain Lights and the Devil’s Trampling Ground; locals know The Trestle in Momeyer. Hopefully, this week I’ve got some stories…
[Note: Parts of this story first appeared in Michael’s Soapbox column in The Nashville Graphic] With Halloween approaching, it is a good time to think about scary stories. What’s interesting is that it is not just American culture that has folktales and urban legends that have been around so long people view them as true,…
Politics are rough these days, but 17th century England was no cakewalk. Sir Walter Raleigh, an important figure in North Carolina history, upset the wrong people and it resulted in his untimely death on October 29, 1618. Raleigh was a soldier, explorer, and author and gained significant political power during the reign of Queen Elizabeth,…
I’m taking a short break from history to put a plug in for my new book, It’s A Time in the Land: The Best of the Soap Box. The book is a collection of 86 of the best columns that I’ve written for The Nashville Graphic over the last nearly 25 years. I…
[Note: This originally appeared as a column several years ago in The Nashville Graphic] Maybe you remember that song that helped start the folk music scene of the late 1950s and 1960s. Maybe you remember the Darlings “scratching one off” for Andy Griffith. Or, maybe you just are into folklore. At…
August 1 marked the first official reading of the Declaration of Independence in Halifax. The Halifax Resolves was a key forerunner of the document. With that in mind, here are Declaration tidbits of interest: •Independence from Britain was officially voted on and approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. The final…
It’s sadly ironic that most of us can name three cartoon characters but not the three North Carolina signers of the Declaration of Independence. I like to think of myself as a historian and I’d struggle to come up with Joseph Hewes, William Hooper, and John Penn. Let it be noted that…