It’s the first week of the year, and if you’re like me, it’s important to know now what the weather and moon phase will be on March 26. (That’s warm with scattered showers and first quarter on the way to waxing gibbous, by the way.) How did I know that with 88% certainty? The Old … Continue reading Preparing for 2026 with The Old Farmer’s Almanac
Life presents us a dizzying array of choices on a daily basis. Invigorating to some and debilitating to others, probing our innermost desires to come up with a decision can be stressful. Or, it can be great fun. In recent weeks two forms of the same parlor game have been circling in the orbit of … Continue reading Games of choice
Theoretically, summer affords time to read. We have been programmed since childhood to make time to read during the summer to keep our minds sharp and to give our caregivers a moment’s peace. Publishers would certainly have us stock up for the summer, preying on our romantic notions of sitting waterside under an umbrella with … Continue reading My summer reading list
You can tell a lot about people by what you find lying around in their home. As was well documented in last week’s installment on lighting, (if you did not read that hilarious post, do yourself a favor and go back and do so now before proceeding. It’s OK, we’ll wait…) the gradual influx of … Continue reading Books, lip balm, reading glasses and toothpicks
On April 3, 2025, I enticed Carla and our friend Heather to join me in violating the no. 1 rule of our influencer-driven, celebrity-obsessed culture: Never meet your heroes. Landon Bryant and his lovely wife, Kate, are the rare exception. We were among the first to arrive at Eagle Eye Books in Decatur that night … Continue reading Landon talks… to me
A look back at the year that was in 2024 for New South Essays.
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
New South Essays 