Author Archives: Deborah Fagan Carpenter

About Deborah Fagan Carpenter

The creative and professional life of Deborah Fagan Carpenter has taken many directions: visual merchandiser, decorator, potter, sculptor, modern expressionist painter, photographer, and freelance feature writer. As Contributing Editor at PorchScene, her contributions are fueled by her love of all things beautiful, interesting, edible, and Southern.

This Week’s Southernism, Monday, May 1, 2023

Posted on May 1, 2023 by Deborah Fagan Carpenter

“Spring is made of solid, fourteen-karat gratitude, the reward for the long wait. Every religious tradition from the northern hemisphere honors some form of April hallelujah, for this is the season of exquisite redemption, a slam-bang return to joy after … Continue reading →

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This Week’s Southernism, Monday, April 17, 2023

Posted on April 17, 2023 by Deborah Fagan Carpenter

“Summer is only the unfulfilled promise of spring, a charlatan in place of the warm balmy nights I dream of in April. It’s a sad season of life without growth…It has no day.”   —F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of … Continue reading →

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This Week’s Southernism, Monday, April 3, 2023

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Deborah Fagan Carpenter

“The wrong people always worry. The people who are the real problem never worry about anything.” —James Lee Burke, Wayfaring Stranger Photo: Deborah Fagan Carpenter

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This Week’s Southernism, Monday, March 27, 2023

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Deborah Fagan Carpenter

“Summertime she speaks of winter, she eats ham, but speaks of beef, got a good man but, flirts with another. She might as well go to hell, cause she ain’t gonna be happy in heaven either!” —Nancy B. Brewer, Southern … Continue reading →

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This Week’s Southernism, Monday, March 20, 2023

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Deborah Fagan Carpenter

“Context and memory play powerful roles in all the truly great meals in one’s life.” ― Anthony Bourdain Photo: Deborah Fagan Carpenter

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This Week’s Southernism, Monday, March 13, 2023

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Deborah Fagan Carpenter

“When the gossip got really good, my grandmother would switch from English to French. And the rest would be in French, so that little eavesdroppers couldn’t hear the rest of the story. I knew that one day I would learn … Continue reading →

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This Week’s Southernism, Monday, March 6, 2023

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Deborah Fagan Carpenter

“And so, as quietly as he had lived, he slipped out of town, leaving only a note behind: ‘Well, that’s that. I’m off, and if you don’t believe I’m leaving, just count the days I’m gone. When you hear the … Continue reading →

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This Week’s Southernism, Monday, February 27, 2023

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Deborah Fagan Carpenter

“My parents are from small-town Louisiana. It’s like, if it walk like a duck, talk like a duck, then it’s a duck. And if you ain’t quacking, you ain’t no duck.” —Rapper, Bun B. Louisiana Egret: Deborah Fagan Carpenter

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Happy Valentine Day from Porchscene!

Posted on February 14, 2023 by Deborah Fagan Carpenter

“Live a little, love a lot” — Kenny Chesney, Live A Little. Image: Deborah Fagan Carpenter

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This Week’s Southernism, Monday, February 13, 2023

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Deborah Fagan Carpenter

“Nature has no mercy at all. Nature says, ‘I’m going to snow. If you have on a bikini and no snowshoes, that’s tough. I’m going to snow anyway.’” —Maya Angelou Ice-before the snow photo: Deborah Fagan Carpenter

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