Last Friday night as I sat on my comfy sofa in my air conditioned house, I turned to my Darling Beloved and said, “Do you know where we would have been at this exact time four years ago?” “In a football stadium somewhere sweating to death?” “Something like that.” August is the worst climatological point … Continue reading Retired band parents
I don’t know about you, but I’m a little rusty when it comes to Shakespeare. Ol’ Willie Shakes and I have a history. We had some issues over “Macbeth” back in college (a long and hilarious story for another time), but I relied on his Sonnet 116 to propose to my Darling Beloved. A few … Continue reading Brush up Your Shakespeare
I am living a nightmare. You know the one in which you find yourself on stage or in front of a class or maybe even in a boardroom, performing, lecturing or presenting and you suddenly realize you are in your underwear, or, even worse, completely naked? (I believe the technical term is “naked as a … Continue reading In the spotlight
We at New South Essays have made it our mission to keep you informed of events that both reflect and impact contemporary Southern culture. Such a moment occurred last night (July 24, 2026) when Nashville stand-up comedian Brian Bates dropped his long-awaited, highly-anticipated 30-minute special “Worried” on the Nateland YouTube channel. (Oh, and did I … Continue reading Don’t ‘worry,’ Brian Bates’ new comedy special delivers
I love when a conversation turns Southern. My day job recently had me in our nation’s capitol for a conference. These events are catnip to me. My extroversion explodes. Meeting new people, making connections, networking and engaging in conversations energizes me. About 700-800 people, give or take, attended this conference, and I knew only a … Continue reading When a conversation turns Southern
No one in the New South answers their phone any more. Well, almost no one. I have recently stumbled onto an interesting sociological discovery, and I want to test a hypothesis here and gauge your response. No one who lives in the big city answers their phone any more. Folks who live out in the … Continue reading It’s for you
Today the future governor of Georgia turns 21. Harris Goodman Wallace was born on this date in 2005, and almost from that moment until the present, he’s been campaigning. We didn’t know it at the time, but Harris would become a middle child, heightening his need to lobby for precious resources among his brothers, like … Continue reading On the campaign trail with the birthday boy
There aren't enough hours in the day to consume all of the world's content, and it's a problem. It's especially acute if you are like me and believe that entertainment is not meant to be enjoyed but completed. "Honey, if we work hard, we can finish the latest season of 'Virgin River' by knocking out … Continue reading My podcast cup runneth over
... but I will anyway. On March 30, 2026, Barron Wallace of Lilburn, Ga., proposed marriage to Margaret "Meg" Rooney of Richmond, Va., in a rented, white Penske truck on the side of Interstate 85 just north of Greenville, S.C. She said "yes." The significance of these seemingly mundane details will be clearer momentarily, but … Continue reading It’s not my news to share…
I am old enough to remember a time when kids had to learn to drive with everyone around them blissfully unaware that their life was in danger. It was a simpler time when "road rage" incidents made the local news and didn't have their own category on YouTube. We learned to drive and taught our … Continue reading Please be patient
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