Writer of Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Poetry and Master Photographer
By Michael K. Brantley You may have heard an old folk or bluegrass song about “Poor Naomi Wise,” or it may have sounded like ‘Omi Wise or ‘Nomi Wise, but however it was put out, it was about the same lady — Naomi Wise, who was murdered in 1808 in Randolph County, North Carolina. Wise,…
Many fans of Catcher in the Rye would have liked to have seen more from author J.D. Salinger. Much like Harper Lee and To Kill A Mockingbird, there just isn’t much out there by these reclusive authors. However, Salinger’s son and widow are “going as fast as we freaking can” to gather his work and…
By Michael K. Brantley Today, Stanhope is a brief, pass through community on N.C. Highway 97. It is an interesting place and the home of a beautiful old church, as well as a firehouse, a high school, and some old homes. The community was a stop on the Raleigh to Tarboro stagecoach line. It was…
By Michael K. Brantley Of course, the Gold Rush of the 19th century is always associated with western locations, usually California. However, from 1804-1828, all the domestic gold coined at the United States Mint came from North Carolina. Gold was first discovered in North Carolina in 1799 when Conrad Reed found a 17-pound nugget in…
Congressmen being full of hot air is not a recent development. In 1820, Rep. Felix Walker, who was from Buncombe County, N.C., gave a long, rambling speech in the U.S. House. Not much was remembered about it other than it had little relevance to that day’s business. Walker, originally from West Virginia, became known for…
This first appeared in The Nashville GraphicBy Michael K. Brantley Sometimes, I get these great ideas. I follow through, make some people happy and get a real sense of accomplishment. Other times, I get what I THINK are great ideas. They end up blowing up in my face, costing me money or contributing to an…
One thing I always try to do with my classes is apply what we’re doing or what I’m trying to teach to “real life.” While not every single has an immediate or specific use in life, I think it helps to know the point of a lesson. I always appreciated it when I was a…
By Michael K. Brantley Spring Hope is located in Nash County, North Carolina, about 45 minutes directly east of Raleigh. Nash County is shaped sort of like the state of Nevada, flipped sideways. Spring Hope has a quirky history. A man named Crenshaw helped establish the community in the mid-1800s near a series of springs…
I have to admit as a kid I was always puzzled at the line in Yankee Doodle about a feather in a hat being called macaroni. I guess I wrote it off to odd lyrics. After all, there were plenty of odd lines in songs — look no farther than that thing about ashes and…
Nash County was formed out of Edgecombe County — a significant center of wealth and influence in the antebellum era — in 1777. The new county was named for General Francis Nash, one of George Washington’s favorite commanders, who died at the Battle of Germantown (Pa.) on October 4, 1777. Nash was born in Amelia…