Author Archives: Gary Wright

About Gary Wright

Gary Wright grew up in the cotton fields of northeast Arkansas where he acquired his deep sense of love for the South and for country living. Always a son of the South and an ardent student of Southern history, culture and lore, Gary Wright found himself tugged by many different cultures and traveled all over the country and other parts of the world. But he always found his way back to his Southern roots. He served a stint in the Viet Nam war as a helicopter pilot, with the U.S. Army’s Studies and Observation Group, then four years abroad for his government as Assistant Customs Attache in Mexico City. He rounded out a thirty-five year career with federal law enforcement with the U.S. Customs Service as a criminal investigator and retired in Mobile, Aabama. He served a six-year stretch with the federal Drug Czar‘s Office. He retired in the small town of Eclectic, Alabama near Montgomery where he lives with his wife Carol and his beloved Great Pyrenees dogs, Sampson and Goldilocks. He remains active in the Episcopal Church and plays country and gospel songs on the keyboard and sings at the Eclectic Senior Center and nearby Tallassee Rehabilitation Hospital. Gary continues to write songs, stories and blogs about a variety of subjects, especially about Southern topics.

The Legend of Prince Madoc

The Legend of Prince Madoc By Gary Wright The hardest thing of all is to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if there is no cat. – Confucius Mobile, Alabama is replete with history and tradition. Reputedly, … Continue reading

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SPOKEN HEREABOUTS

Spoken Hereabouts by Gary Wright “There’s way too much religion in the South to be consistent with good mental health.” — George Carlin Over in No Hope County, Alabama things aren’t often what they appear to be. They take things … Continue reading

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Southern Lamentations

Southern Lamentations by Gary Wright A lot of folks pray for eternal life that can’t occupy themselves on a rainy afternoon. Southerners don’t merely have funerals. We hold death events. Historically, funerals have been held to bury and honor the … Continue reading

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A Broken Wing: A Short Story by Gary Wright

A Broken Wing A Short Story by  Gary Wright “Give to others what you most desperately want.” Old Uncle Albert was always around. He’d been there for as far back as I can remember. I was seven years old before … Continue reading

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A Good Southern Mystery

A Good Southern Mystery by Gary Wright “Some poems don’t rhyme and some stories don’t have a clear ending.” — Gilda Radner Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Whenever we hear a good ghost story we tend to suspend our … Continue reading

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“I owe my soul to the company store.”

The Company Store by Gary Wright “Saint Peter, don’t you call me ‘cause I can’t go; I owe my soul to the company store.” — Merle Travis, ‘Sixteen Tons’ The ‘Company Store’ was probably one of the most vilified institutions … Continue reading

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ACCENT ON SOUTHERN!

Accent on Southern! By Gary Wright A rose by any other name would smell as sweet but it would still be just as thorny.     What is commonly referred to as a “southern accent” in the United States may … Continue reading

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It’s a Jungle Out There!

It’s a Jungle Out There! by Gary Wright Due to the cost of ammunition I no longer provide warning shots. The American South is filled with dozens of ways to meet one’s demise. I have purposely not included perils caused … Continue reading

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That’s What it’s Called

  That’s What it’s Called By Gary Wright “Names are not always what they seem.”—Mark Twain The community of Tightsqueeze, Virginia got its name due to the construction of two buildings close to a road that connected the towns of … Continue reading

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The Great Depression—Not Always Depressing

The Great Depression—Not Always Depressing by Gary Wright Fun can always be found where you look for it. The Great Depression of the 1930’s was, in many ways, the darkest time in the modern world. From 1929 until 1939 the … Continue reading

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