Exploring the South

  Truth: that long clean clear simple undeniable unchallengeable straight and shining line, on one side of which black is black and on the other white is white, has now become an angle, a point of view.   —William Faulkner … Continue reading →

“These southerners know the names of what shrubs hang over what creek, what dogwood flowers bloom what color, what kind of soil is under their feet.” —Natalia Goldberg Photo: Deborah Fagan Carpenter

“No one is without Christianity if we agree on what we mean by that word. It is every individual’s individual code of behavior by means of which he makes himself a better human being than his nature wants to be, … Continue reading →

A Southern Christmas Memory by Deborah Fagan Carpenter (First published here in December, 2016)  “Imagine a morning in late November. A coming-of-winter morning more than twenty years ago. Consider the kitchen of a spreading old house in a country town. … Continue reading →

Let’s Cook Something Southern! Our South Facin’ Cook, Patsy R. Brumfield has been under the weather of late, and she’s also recently relocated and is still settling in, so I’m pinch-hitting on the “food scene.” Hopefully, Patsy will be back … Continue reading →

In honor Black HIstory Month, Dr. J. Randall O’Brien has graciously allowed us to use a clip from his recently published book, Would Moses Throw a Chair?     The year was 1979. Johnny Lee Clary, Grand Dragon of the … Continue reading →

Though the treacherous ice storm in Memphis and the Mid-South at the beginning of February reeked havoc and caused nearly 150,000 people in Shelby county to lose power for many days, it was nature’s beauty at its finest. It provided … Continue reading →

  “You should be kissed often, and by someone who knows how.”   —Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind Photo: Deborah Fagan Csrpenter

With the MLK holiday approaching, I decided to focus our second grade Social Studies lessons on the life of Dr. King. At the start of the week, I asked if anyone knew why we would be out of school celebrating … Continue reading →

“No one has ever become poor from giving.” —Maya Angelou   Merry Christmas and Happy Hollidays from Porchscene! Please stay safe! Photo: Deborah Fagan Carpenter

“A lively day, that Thanksgiving. Lively with on and off showers and abrupt sky clearings accompanied by thoughts of raw sun and sudden bandit winds snatching autumn’s leftover leaves.” ―Truman Capote, The Thanksgiving Visitor   Photo: Deborah Fagan Carpenter

When Giants Walked the Earth: The Passing of Civil Rights Movement Icon Robert “Bob” Moses Dr. J. Randall O’Brien, Brenda Travis, Bob Moses I’m not saying there has never been a braver man than Bob Moses. In the course of … Continue reading →

Memorial Day—Did you know? Leading up to Memorial Day, I’ve seen some interesting articles describing how the holiday began, which prompted me to do a little research. The bottom line, of course, is that Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, … Continue reading →

Two weeks ago, the Mid-South was blanketed first with freezing rain, then with two or three rounds of sleet and snow. Butch Boehm’s photographic record of the “white-washing” shows just how beautiful, (while sometimes treacherous and deadly) Mother Nature can be. … Continue reading →

February, Black History Month: A Personal Tribute to Three Mississippi Heroes. As a boy growing up in Mississippi, I read the “Whites Only” signs posted around town. “Whites” and “Colored” designations painted on water fountains, restroom doors, and waiting rooms … Continue reading →

“The horizon leans forward, offering you space to place new steps of change.”  —Maya Angelou Photo: Deborah Fagan Carpenter  

 Pilgrim in a Racist Land By J. Randall O’Brien, Professor and Chair Department of Religion Baylor University, Waco, TX 2000 The story did not begin with me. And long after I am gone, the story will journey on into the … Continue reading →

  He guided our nation toward its best self. Lunch Counter at the National Civil Rights Museum He was the very embodiment of the determined and courageous, young patriots who founded this country.  John Robert Lewis was a son of … Continue reading →

Sheltering in the Garden They live in a garden paradise, so sheltering-in-place has been business as usual. For over 35 years, the natural wonderland that Diane Meucci and Wolfgang Marquardt cultivated from untamed woods has been the home and home … Continue reading →

Downtown Memphis Pre-Covid 19 by Butch Boehm                                                 Photos: Butch Boehm

  Poison Spring by Gary Wright “. . . revenge turns to bitterness and bitterness is the worst poison . . . .” – Sarah Holman Near the town of Chidester, Arkansas, on April 18, 1864, a signal event played out … Continue reading →

“Between the wish and the thing the world lies waiting.” —Cormac McCarthy Photo: Ulla Mansdorfer  

The Arkansas Traveler by Gary Wright “Arkansas, Arkansas, ’tis a name dear. ‘Tis the place I call “Home, Sweet Home.” —Eva Ware Barnett Arkansas is a land filled with mysticism and magic; history and tradition; calm with the folklore of … Continue reading →

Sundays Bring the Flies by Gary Wright Flies have a liking for the sweetest things on earth . . . and, the most foul. They usually eat one right after the other. Scenes of growing up in the rural South … Continue reading →

A true Southerner will never say in two-three words what can better be said in 10-12. —Charles Kuralt

Backroad Curiosities by Gary Wright “Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.”—Margaret Mead Travel the back roads; visit the uncharted; lose yourself in the hinterland, and there, you’ll find the real America. Away from the asphalt, … Continue reading →

  A Railroad Man by Joseph N Goodell   North of Madison, past the Nissan plant and Canton through the thickening forest, Exit 133 directed me east to Vaughan, Mississippi. The brief drive along Vaughan Road is picturesque under a … Continue reading →

Southern Wonders and Curiosities Collected by Gary Wright “I done seen ‘bout everything when I saw an elephant fly,” — From Walt Disney’s movie, ‘Dumbo’ The American South is home to many large and small wonders; its colors and hues … Continue reading →

Family cabin in the Mississippi Delta: where the moon is always full; where the glasses are never empty; where stories outnumber cotton bolls, and laughter chases fireflies; where music was born in the fields and churches; where tears flow from … Continue reading →

    I can, with one eye squinted, take it all as a blessing.” — Flannery O’Connor                                     Photos:: Deborah Fagan Carpenter

Some Southern Boys of Summer by Gary Wright “Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand.” —Leo Durocher Baseball is said by many to be the best sport ever invented. That is debatable today, but in yesteryear, it far surpassed … Continue reading →

There are two qualities that make fiction. One is the sense of mystery and the other is the sense of manners. You get the manners from the texture of existence that surrounds you. The great advantage of being a Southern … Continue reading →

People want to know why the South is so interested in the Civil War. I had maybe, it’s a rough guess, about fifty fistfights in my life. Out of those fifty fistfights, the ones that I had the most vivid … Continue reading →

* “Don’t you just love those long rainy afternoons in New Orleans when an hour isn’t just an hour – but a little piece of eternity dropped into your hands —  and who knows what to do with it?”   … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

Winter in the Mid-South Through the Lens of Butch Boehm

A Christmas Gift at the Arcade by Deborah Fagan Carpenter   After the death of my father in 1962, my Mother and I began a years-long tradition of traveling to Memphis to spend Christmas with my sister and her young … Continue reading →

What They Came and Fought For by Joseph N Goodell It is not entirely clear what the Union Army was after during that seriously brutal encounter in early April 1862 near Shiloh Church. No doubt for increased control of the … Continue reading →

  My cousins had never married (Uncle B. had almost married, but his fiancée returned the engagement ring when she saw that sharing a house with three very individual spinsters would be part of the bargain); however, they boasted extensive … Continue reading →

Autumn in the Mid-South Through the Lens of Butch Boehm                                                             … Continue reading →

“Having personally watched the Voting Rights Act being signed into law that August day, I can’t begin to imagine how we could have all been so wrong in believing that more Americans would vote once they were all truly free … Continue reading →

Our Immortal Mules by Joe Goodell A singular phenomenon, the mule, hybrid off-spring of a donkey (jack) and a horse (mare). The other way around, horse (stallion) and donkey (jennet) gives us the hinny. But time and custom have classified … Continue reading →

The Southern Spread by deborah fagan carpenter  Our culture, our history, our spirit, and our hospitality are some of the ingredients. Southern foods are heavily influenced by African, English, Scottish, Irish, French, and Native-American cuisine, and although most of them are … Continue reading →

From Dyess to Nashville by Joe Goodell The land was vast and rich; the families, in vast numbers, were not rich; they were beyond destitute, they were starving. Both climate and economy, on errands of menace, had conspired to oppress, then … Continue reading →

We apologize for our absence this week but we’ve been having site issues.  We’ll see you next Monday morning for the weekly Southernism, but, in the meantime, click on the blog link here and scroll through our past posts! If … Continue reading →

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 →

We are the sum of all of our history and all of our progress. by Deborah Fagan Carpenter We are informed by our past, but we are not all stuck there. Time stands still; time produces evolution. Some things change; … Continue reading →

Images of Moscow and LaGrange, Tennessee Through the Lens of Butch Boehm                                                         … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

SOUTHERN LANDSCAPES THROUGH THE LENS OF BUTCH BOEHM                                 For information about any of the images contact Butch Boehm at: wrboehm8@gmail.com

“I’m Southern, and I know neurotic behavior.” —Faye Dunaway

  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 →

The Southern Spread   by deborah fagan carpenter Our culture, our history, our spirit, and our hospitality are some of the ingredients. Southern foods are heavily influenced by African, English, Scottish, Irish, French, and Native-American cuisine, and although most of them … Continue reading →

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 →

Flour Sack Clothes by Gary Wright “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” — F.D. Roosevelt Times were tough during the depression of the 1930’s. Throughout American history there have been economic downturns, bank panics, recessions and … Continue reading →

“The spring of that year had been a long queer season. Things began to change and Frankie did not understand this change. After the plain gray winter, the March winds banged on the windowpanes, and clouds were shirred and white … Continue reading →

Remembering the Teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; … Continue reading →

Appalachia by Gary Wright Appalachia: rich land, rich people. Old Black Appalachian Trail, Great Smokey Mountains, Tennessee      There is an exceptional place partially inside the boundaries of the South where people do not speak with a southern twang … Continue reading →

Tacky! Tacky! Tacky! by Deborah Fagan Carpenter I’ve had to moderate my Facebook activity lately because it causes my already clogged arteries to constrict. But, yesterday I was scrolling through my feed, when I came upon a comment from someone … Continue reading →

 MARDI GRAS LAGNIAPPE by Gary Wright ‘We picked up one excellent word — a word worth traveling to New Orleans to get; a nice limber, expressive, handy word — “lagniappe.”’ — Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi   Headed to … Continue reading →

“…that all men are created equal.” by Deborah Fagan Carpenter Memphis, Tennessee has the dubious standing of being the city in which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lost his life to an assassin in 1968. Memphis also has the honor … Continue reading →

Enduring the Great Depression by Gary Wright The Great Depression of the 1930’s was, in many ways, the darkest time in our modern world. From 1929 until 1939 millions lost their jobs, the stock market crashed, bread lines wound around … Continue reading →

All in a Name by Gary Wright “Names have power.” —Rick Riordan, ‘The Lightning Thief ‘ Indeed, there are some unusual place names around the world, but, here in the South we have more than our share of unusual, comical, … Continue reading →

A Southern Raisin’by Gary Wright Southerners have mastered picking, choosing and rationalizing better than their own mother’s fried chicken recipe. — Maggie Young Looking back on my life, I realize that my southern raisin’ was an extraordinary occurrence granted to … Continue reading →

(Mr. Tom Hendrix passed away on February 24, 2017. He was 83 years old. To pay tribute to him and the amazing tribute HE paid to his great-great grandmother, we wanted to re-publish his story.) So He Built a Wall: … Continue reading →

A Bronze Star for Brenda  by Dr. J. Randall O’Brien  Heroes, civil rights heroes and heroines, number in the hundreds, nay thousands — tens of thousands — from the 1960s alone. Immortalized in the pages of American history, many of … Continue reading →

The Southern Spread by deborah fagan carpenter Our culture, our history, our spirit, and our hospitality are some of the ingredients. Southern foods are heavily influenced by African, English, Scottish, Irish, French, and Native-American cuisine, and although most of them … Continue reading →

The Southern Spread by deborah fagan carpenter Our culture, our history, our spirit, and our hospitality are some of the ingredients.  Southern foods are heavily influenced by African, English, Scottish, Irish, French, and Native-American cuisine, and although most of them … Continue reading →

Monumental Heroics by Deborah Fagan Carpenter They came from many states and multiple countries. They were Caucasian, African-American, Oriental, Hispanic, various cultures, origins, and religions. They were police officers, fire fighters, National Guard units, Swat teams, the Cajun Navy, ordinary … Continue reading →

Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Texas as they endure nothing short of a disaster. The tragic events unfolding in towns and cities across the coast of Texas as a result of Hurricane Harvey are a painful reminder of the devastation reeked … Continue reading →

Sullivan’s Hollow by Joe Goodell   The streams, Oakahay and Okatoma gathered strength from the creeks to become wider and deeper, while wandering their steady way through the future Smith County of Mississippi. It was a network of generous waterways, … Continue reading →

Black with Pepper Collected and Edited by Gary Wright   ‘Everybody is ignorant, just on different subjects‘— Will Rogers Some sayings, you only hear in the South, and sometimes even Southerners have never heard them. There are also things people … Continue reading →

Old and New Convergeby Deborah Fagan Carpenter   Once a thriving town on the Illinois Central Railroad line, when the train repair shops relocated in 1930 and mechanization took over farming, Water Valley, Mississippi, like so many small towns, was … Continue reading →

Ode to Billie Jeanby Gary Wright “There is nothing in the world like the devotion of a married woman.It’s a thing no married man knows anything about.”—Oscar Wilde American Country music has no counterpart anywhere in the world. Its father … Continue reading →

Old’ Hank’s Carrby Gary Wright “Everything is so random there must be a pattern.” As the sun was rising on New Year’s Day about 65 years ago, a beautiful, shiny blue Cadillac pulled up the Hill, West Virginia hospital in … Continue reading →

Is there a more magical place? Deborah Fagan Carpenter Guilty! Sometimes I buy books from Amazon, and sometimes I read on a tablet. Hey, it’s fun to anticipate the arrival of a book in the mail, and then to rip … Continue reading →

ME OH MY—JAMBALAYA! by Deborah Fagan Carpenter Mardi Gras! It’s the South’s great party! A prelude to Ash Wednesday and Lent, Mardi Gras originated in Europe, but it began in the U.S. in—still under debate—either New Orleans or Mobile. (In Louisiana … Continue reading →

  Mobile Mardi Gras à la Joe Cain By Gary Wright     Often, things are not as they seem; usually, but not always, more so than ever   Joseph Stillwell Cain, Jr. October 10, 1832–April 17, 1904 Widely known … Continue reading →

Visiting Pluto by Joseph N Goodell As if being led by the hand through a looking glass into this wonderland of Mississippi, Richard Grant’s masterful Dispatches from Pluto genuinely involves a reader into his story. I had no more than … Continue reading →

Part three of The Last Slave Ship. Click here to read part two. http://porchscene.com/2017/01/09/unbroken/ A Far Cry by Gary Wright     An 1861 federal court case, the US v. Byrnes Meaher, was brought against Timothy Meaher and John Dabey, … Continue reading →

Unbroken by Gary Wright   “Unbroken” is part two in Gary Wright’s three-part series, “The Last Slaver Ship.” To read part one, “On a Distant Shore,” click here: http://porchscene.com/2016/11/28/on-a-distant-shore/ The rich, fertile savannah coastal area of West Africa became known as … Continue reading →

    US 49   by Joe Goodell Half an hour north of Jackson, not far from the Big Black River, the casual rolling land gives way to a succession of tall, lush hills one after another, for twelve or … Continue reading →

A Look at 2016 www.porchscene.com Our home—the South—is a beautiful, haunted, place that’s full of contradiction and mystery. Even those of us who have lived here for all or part of our lives have a hard time explaining it, or our … Continue reading →

Merry Christmas, Navy! By Gary Wright  “Atta boy, Clarence,”    —It’s a Wonderful Life   In order to ascribe the fullest meaning to this story, you have to know that every word of the account is true. Christmas 2014 was a … Continue reading →

  The Color of December around the South    Regattas,  beautiful gardens, antique holiday books, historic homes, a Dickens Christmas, drinks in the lobby of the Peabody, and Christmas bonfires on the levee—from New Orleans to Lutcher. There’s plenty to do all … Continue reading →

In a three-part series, Gary Wright tells the story of “Clotilda”—the last slaving ship On a Distant Shore by Gary Wright   “You cannot play God without becoming acquainted with the Devil.” —Jonathan Nolan, ‘Westworld, the Series’ (Remnants of the … Continue reading →

So He Built a Wall by Deborah Fagan Carpenter   We all know the story of the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth. After enduring a harsh year, the settlers prepared a dinner to celebrate their survival, and Native Americans nearby were … Continue reading →

Rodney by Joe Goodell   The ill fortunes of Rodney, Mississippi played out like a marauding storm. There were the yellow fever epidemics, two ravaging fires, the War, of course, and later, the floods of 1927 and 2011. But the … Continue reading →

  Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes NOT! by Deborah Fagan Carpenter   As a child growing up in the 1950s, one of the highlights of an automobile trip, was spotting the occasional roadside fruit and vegetable stand that … Continue reading →

Ghosts of Cahaba by Gary Wright “. . . you deadly little ghostlings . . . Mama says go back to bed!” —Jeaniene Frost, ‘Night Huntress’   Ruins of Fort Morgan Prison The State of Alabama came into being in … Continue reading →

A Fair and Stately Palace by Joseph N Goodell “From that chamber as I fled aghast, a fissure widened and the mighty walls rushed asunder. I heard a tumultuous shouting and saw the deep and dank tarn close sullenly over … Continue reading →

Southern Cuisine— A Cultural Collision   Consideration of our gastronomic practices is essential to any thorough examination of the American South. We enjoy dishes that are uniquely our own, and they play a huge part in how we Southerners define … Continue reading →

Mississippi Musings by Joe Goodell “Mississippi Hot” In Mississippi, “hot” refers to that time of year when the sun behaves as if it were a hammer, and we are its own private anvil. When nerves wilt under that horrific sun, … Continue reading →

It’s Fixin’  to Rain by Joe Goodell The expression “fixin’ to” (never “fixing to”) is characteristically Southern, especially rural Southern, although its use has been reported in Chicago and Cincinnati. It turns out that the term, most often used simply … Continue reading →

Interesting Southern Stuff! by Gary Wright   “History is not necessarily what happened but what is recorded.” —Debbie Terranova   An abundance of negativity has been written about the American South. Indeed, there has been much to lament, from the … Continue reading →

The Power of Reasonable Action by Deborah Fagan Carpenter   Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals. —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.   … Continue reading →

The movie, “Free State of Jones,” was released Friday. It’s bound to be a lot bigger around here than in many neighborhoods, but it’s certainly worth making a trip to the cinema to see. It’s (1) a well written, acted … Continue reading →

Distinctive Dining in Mississippi by Joe Goodell The Dinner Bell/McComb, MS I enjoy collecting restaurants. Not for any sense of ownership, but in anticipation for visiting those where I’ve never been, and for reliving the delectable memories of those where … Continue reading →

Lamentable Southern History by Gary Wright The greatest tragedy of all is the one unremembered On June 29, 1967, blonde bomb-shell and Hollywood star, Jayne Mansfield was on her way to New Orleans from Biloxi, Mississippi, where she had been … Continue reading →

By the Bucketful by Gary Wright Some memories are too painful to remember, even the first time. The Southern Bucket List Bucket lists are things that you really want to do before you–well—kick the bucket. In other words, things, however … Continue reading →

Barbeque, Music, and Southern Made! By Deborah Fagan Carpenter   Barbeque, Music, and Southern Made! Three southern festivals, Memphis in May International Festival, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and Southern Makers in Montgomery, Alabama are unique and innovative … Continue reading →

So . . . You Think You Speak Southern? By Gary Wright Whut I jist said, is whut I jist said! In New Orleans, there are three seasons: hurricane season, political season, and football season. In certain areas around New … Continue reading →

Southern Bucket List by Gary Wright A few alligators are naturally of the vicious type and inclined to resent it when you prod them with a stick.. You can find out which ones these are by prodding them. -Will Cuppy … Continue reading →

THE “S” IN MISSISSIPPI By Joe Goodell Katherine Lee Bates got it right. America is beautiful, as is Mississippi. Her poem describing the wonders of our magnificent country later joined Samuel A Ward’s hymn, America the Beautiful, to become a … Continue reading →

  Holiday Dinner à la New Orleans By Deborah Fagan Carpenter Christmas in New Orleans is much like celebrations of any kind in the Big Easy—scrumptious food is front and center! The unique southern city is brimming with celebrity chefs, … Continue reading →

Curious Names by Joe Goodell The wags enjoy telling it to you straight: “What’s that y’r ask’n, son?” Wh’r do th’ names f’r Mi’ssippi towns come from? Why right off them wat’r tow’rs, that’s wh’r.” Pause. Guffaw! Such insightful wit … Continue reading →

Southerners Gleaning Thistles By Deborah Fagan Carpenter With rare exception, they are sexually abused as children — often by a family member. Shame and low self-worth have become an innate part of their being, and alcohol and drugs are an … Continue reading →

Mississippi Bound by Joe Goodell   With more demand than inquiry, but with earnest sincerity, I am frequently asked, “What brought you to Mississippi?” Late in September, the unrelenting summer sun, a hammer which regards Mississippi as its own private … Continue reading →

SNAPSHOTS Henry Greene By Chip Burson   For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, ….yet trouble came.  Job, KJV, Chapt. … Continue reading →

Katrina was a natural disaster that ravaged the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and a man-made disaster that devastated the historic city of New Orleans. It was an epic event, whose aftermath revealed the very best in human nature — and the … Continue reading →

Summertime…..     An’ the livin’ is easy Fish are jumpin’ An’ the cotton is high Oh yo’ daddy’s rich, And yo mamma’s goodlookin’, So hush little baby, Don’ you cry One of these mornins’ You’re goin’ to rise up … Continue reading →

Most of them were born in captivity, some third or fourth generation slaves — possessions of other human beings. Servitude was all they knew. Their skills were limited to what they had acquired while working on the farms or plantations … Continue reading →

  The common good is often uncommonly bad In every section of the country, colloquialisms are born and then passed on through the generations. The South has produced an abundance of them. Many are more prevalent in rural areas, some … Continue reading →

  It’s crisp; it’s delicious; it’s nutritious — it’s locally grown food. It’s unequaled in freshness, because what’s purchased from a local farmer was likely harvested that very day, or the day before. It’s an education about where our food originates, … Continue reading →

  The Mississippi Delta is a unique and special place.   In my book, Delta Days: Tales of the Mississippi Delta, I quoted writer, David Cohn when he said, “The Mississippi Delta starts in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel … Continue reading →

  Carrying a backpack half her own weight, petite North Westerner, Hilary Leonard took a little Southern walk — from Savannah, Georgia to New Orleans, Louisiana. In January 2015, the Seattle, Washington resident traveled via Greyhound bus across the country … Continue reading →

Gary Wright continues to share his “Southernisms” with us in MORE SOUTHERN SPEAK! Please feel free to add your own favorite “southern speak” in the comments section at the end of this post. Thanks y’all!

  As we celebrate our second year anniversary at PorchScene, we want to thank our loyal readers for continuing to support us as we’ve found our footing. We also want to thank the many contributors who have shared their unique … Continue reading →

  The two Phlox photos were taken by Butch Boehm at Eads Pottery in Eads, Tennessee All other images were taken by Wolfgang Marquardt of Gardens Oy Vey in Arlington, Tennessee (See our 2013 post: Oy Vey! Paradise in a … Continue reading →

  Clarksdale, Mississippi: Home of the infamous crossing of highways 61 and 49, where Robert Johnson allegedly sold his soul to the devil so he could play a “mean” guitar.  Today, Clarksdale is home to the annual Juke Joint Festival, … Continue reading →

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.—The Dalai Lama   They were making a joyful noise that no one outside their building really noticed — that is until a local group of Muslims bought a piece of property … Continue reading →

There is an old and familiar smell wafting through the winter breezes all across the South, the distinctive aroma of grain cooking in copper kettles. I remember well the first time I noticed this unique odor; I was ten years … Continue reading →

What is it about the South? What is it that captivates people all over the world? Yeah, historically we’ve exhibited some bad behavior—and some currently— but it remains one of the most puzzling, yet intriguing places on the planet. So … Continue reading →

You can find it almost anywhere you look in the South. Okay, maybe they have it in other parts of the country too, but frankly we think ours has its own special quality. We Southerners have a deep rooted love … Continue reading →

The holiday season is upon us and celebrations have begun! Though many people still have large family gatherings for the holidays, they are by no means, like the ones of yesteryear. Times are rapidly changing and the type of Christmas celebrations that most … Continue reading →

  He’s a man of the cloth, but today his frock is more likely to be a chef’s apron or a painter’s smock. Monsignor Paul Canonici may have retired from the Priesthood, but his current life is overflowing with colorful … Continue reading →

If it were easy, then everyone would understand Slap my head and call me silly is not an invitation to produce the physical action called for, rather, to call attention to the fact that I have overlooked the obvious and … Continue reading →

There is no established trail, and no one has ever before walked this passage—or at least none of whom he’s aware. But on October 27, Southerner Mark Hainds will begin a journey that originates near El Paso, walking the length … Continue reading →

Wear light colored clothing, long sleeves and pants, and tuck your pants into socks. Long loose hair should be covered, braided or tied when venturing into areas where they are apt to be. Spray your clothing with the appropriate repellant. … Continue reading →

“The past is never dead; it is not even past.” – William Faulkner “Made” This is a general Southern, catch-all word used for everything when you cannot think of a proper word to use or when there simply isn’t a … Continue reading →

June 1, 2014 My yard is a paradise for possums, birds, coons and squirrels. And me. I have a mulch pile in my front yard. The mulch pile is snuggled under the most beautiful magnolia tree anywhere within a few … Continue reading →

May 12, 2014 It baffles me why I enjoy having company so much. It wears me out. My feet swell. The utility bill goes up. The food supply goes down. Something gets broken. The cat throws up on the rug. … Continue reading →

“. . . tomorrow is another day,” by Scarlett O’Hara, a product of the mind of Margaret Mitchell. Author’s disclaimer: Any resemblance to any real person, living or dead in this work is purely the fault of that person for resembling my … Continue reading →

Southerners love their ghost stories, and we all have at least one to tell. With one of America’s deadliest wars fought on our soil, it is not surprising that spirits hold a special place in our past and present. That … Continue reading →

  Rich with natural resources such as pristine maritime forests, undeveloped beaches and wide marshes, there are sea turtles, wild horses, and sand dunes. Cumberland Island, Georgia’s largest and southernmost barrier island, is 17.5 miles long and totals 36,415 acres, of which over … Continue reading →

“How’s your mama’n’them?” How many times have we heard that? Not once do we have to stop and wonder what a mama’n’them is…we know because we’ve been brought up on the South’s unique way with the English language. As our … Continue reading →

Quiet Gentility — LaGrange, Tennessee by Deborah Fagan Carpenter A village so beautiful, even the pyromaniacal William Tecumseh Sherman didn’t set it ablaze. La Belle Village, or LaGrange, as it is better known, rests on the bluffs above the Wolf … Continue reading →

One of my favorite movies is Tim Burton’s Big Fish, a 2003 film about Edward Bloom, a former traveling salesman from Alabama with a gift for storytelling, who is confined to his deathbed. Bloom’s estranged son, Will, attempts to mend … Continue reading →

Recently, I found myself at loose ends and decided to get out of town for a weekend trip. I was intending to go to Mobile, but when I got there I saw that Mardi Gras was in full swing. This isn’t … Continue reading →

I have wanted to explore the Okefenokee swamp’s dark and mysterious waters for years, but trying to convince anyone that a trip to a mosquito infested alligator breeding ground has been tricky. After many refusals from potential travel companions, I … Continue reading →

Eudora Welty, one of the nation’s most cherished and celebrated writers, called Jackson, Mississippi, home. Although she studied outside the state and traveled widely, she wrote essentially all of her award-winning work from the family home at 1119 Pinehurst Street, … Continue reading →

On any given day during juniper berry season, you can find Jimmy Sharp foraging for berries along the Selma highway trying to gather a year’s supply before the birds get them. The red cedar grows throughout the southeast and produces … Continue reading →

Editor’s Note: We have included t-shirt and donations forms for this wonderful project. If you would like to contribute, simply right click on the form and print it from your computer. Today is a good day at PorchScene. We are … Continue reading →

  It’s not just about the snowy white beaches in North Florida!  Of course the most beautiful beaches in the world can be found on the Gulf Coast Panhandle, but there are also deep lush country roads, and “oceans” of … Continue reading →

I love living in a small town. The celebrations that we have here are intimate, home-grown and full of local personality. I know places like New York City have wonderfully huge celebrations such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade and the … Continue reading →

On most southern farms, in days gone by, the first cold snap signaled the end of summer vegetables and the annual hog killing season. Hog killings were very much a time for friends and family to gather. Thanksgiving Day was one … Continue reading →

A large green penguin might deliver the New York Times to your door at 21C Museum Hotel in Bentonville, Arkansas. A flock of the whimsical plastic birds dwell there, and are only one piece of the extensive art collection that … Continue reading →

Editor’s Note: We are excited to introduce an new contributor to PorchScene! Patricia Neely-Dorsey is a native of Mississippi and a poet. Her first submission introduces us to her love of her home state. Ms. Neely-Dorsey has written two collections … Continue reading →

Each fall, I look forward to strapping on some comfortable shoes and stretchy pants to head to the fair. Not the carnival parked in some random lot for a week, but THE FAIR. The kind that requires a “fairground” and … Continue reading →

  What? I am suddenly seeing color again! As the croquet season in the mountains draws to a close I am once again able to enjoy the full abundance of color everywhere. I have been living in a “whiteout” since … Continue reading →

From our swings or rocking chairs, or from the steps of our front porches, we have witnessed joys and misery, and we have watched the world change before our very eyes. Originating as a place to catch a cool breeze … Continue reading →

Oy Vey! Paradise in a Gully! by Deborah Fagan Carpenter One beautiful garden room after another fills the five acres of land, located in a hollow once thick with untended brush and unremarkable trees. Solar panels surrounded by a sun-filled … Continue reading →

Jim Eikner, well-known Memphis Public Broadcasting celebrity, actor, artist, and an active participant in “life’s community ” is our newest contributor. Welcome Jim! In the mid-1990’s I was selected for a television commercial, in which I would portray a hardware … Continue reading →

When I moved back south to Alabama about four and a half years ago from Jackson, Wyoming, I thought I would have to get creative about finding an outlet for my outdoor activities yen. The Greater Yellowstone Area is famous … Continue reading →

  For as long as I can remember I have loved summer.  When I say summer, I mean the true American South summertime with its five months of near 100-degree days and warm, humid nights.  Granted, the advent of air … Continue reading →

I find myself spending more and more time bemoaning the demise of “Southern Culture” as I knew it as a child and young adult.  I long for the days when gas was 19 cents a gallon, the movie cost 10 … Continue reading →

Think hot. No, hotter. Think the sun brightly cutting through humidity high enough to stop most sunny days from happening. Hot humidity. Can you feel the oppressive heat closing in on your body? Your lungs are working now to bring … Continue reading →