Journey back in time with me to that glorious season from the third week of November through December 20 when anything you didn’t want to deal with at work could just wait until “after the holidays.” If you’re like me, you had “circle back after the new year” on copy-paste for emails you didn’t want … Continue reading Circle back time is now
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was laid to rest this week on Jan. 9, 2025, after passing away Dec. 29. Since he first began receiving hospice care in February of 2023, tributes, retrospectives, reminiscences, and all manner of eulogies have been posted and published. As a former journalist and resident of Georgia since 1992, I … Continue reading Three encounters with President Jimmy Carter
On January 7, 2025, one of my longest and best friends will celebrate a milestone birthday. Words of appreciation have gone unspoken for too long. Today’s post attempts to rectify that. I met Robert I. Perkins Jr. in 1987. At the end of my junior year of high school, I interviewed for the high school … Continue reading Friends and milestones
A look back at the year that was in 2024 for New South Essays.
Dear Faithful Readers and Adoring Fans (all three of you), Because of the overwhelming demand for more insider gossip from the first family of New South Essays, I am once again releasing the official Wallace family Christmas letter through this wildly popular platform. Last year’s clickbait edition generated so much traffic that it’s clear our … Continue reading The Official Wallace Family Christmas Letter 2024
The element of surprise contributes mightily to the joy and wonder of Christmas. My celebration this year has been largely devoid of this crucial component thanks to technology. That’s right, efficient and convenient online tools have robbed me of another of life’s simple pleasures. I have very inefficiently and inconveniently labored to counteract these tools … Continue reading Not-so-secret Santa
Don’t “@me.” I know what “literally” means. It means “figuratively.” It used to mean “literally” but people don’t know what words mean anymore, so now it means the opposite. I am using the term ironically. Anyway, I digress. My point is Christmas is coming to a home near you and quickly. Seriously. Super fast. It … Continue reading Christmas is literally tomorrow
Every year when the holidays roll around I face an internal struggle between capturing the magic of the past and experiencing something fresh. No two Christmases have been exactly alike, but there has been enough of a thematic throughline that my boys have expectations that we do specific activities in a certain order: Thanksgiving, breakfast … Continue reading This year will be different
Thanksgiving week is upon us, and as we prepare our feasts and plan our shopping, the inevitable flood of nostalgia descends, flavoring our post-meal conversations with reminiscence. Always eager to indulge my inclination toward nostalgia, I offer these brief stories of Thanksgivings past to prompt you to remember and share your Thanksgiving memories. Our spread … Continue reading Memorable Thanksgivings
Spoiler alert: Do not read any further if you do not wish to have knowledge that spoilers will ruin your ability to enjoy reading books, going to plays, watching television or spending the evening at the cinema. This post is a spoiler alert about the existence of spoiler alerts. You have been warned. Read further … Continue reading Spoiler alert
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