Something about a rainy winter day fires up the imagination. For some. By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net I have long admired the work of a fighter pilot turned writer. He wrote under the pen name James Salter. James Arnold Horowitz volunteered for combat duty in Korea and flew moreContinue Reading

By Sarah Ostergaard November is a season we are reminded to count our blessings and express gratitude. There are so many people who enrich our community through their efforts in education. Behind every student’s success stands a network of educators: teachers, aides, school secretaries, counselors, custodians, librarians, coaches, nurses, cafeteriaContinue Reading

By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net Photo: The ash door to the smokehouse in Historic Brattonsville. To some, the smokehouse remains a symbol of the impoverished, rural South. Not me. I see it as a rustic savior, and I thank the late Harry Crews for my column’s title. I recalledContinue Reading

By Eileen Renders Many people struggle with sleep and occasional anxiety, and some look to natural remedies for support. While certain herbs and supplements have been traditionally used to promote relaxation and sleep, they may not work the same for everyone. Always consult a healthcare provider before beginning any supplement,Continue Reading

My lost geisha By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net It was the photograph in my father’s war album. Her white kimono. Hair black as onyx. Pale, serene face. Perfect bone structure. Gloss, a sheen upon her hair. On one side, a nameless GI. On the other, my father, not muchContinue Reading

By Radley West The Two Most Detrimental and Overused Phrases in American Culture Today: “It’s Not Fair” and “I Deserve It.” In a time when motivational quotes plaster our screens and self-help slogans promise quick fixes, two seemingly harmless phrases are quietly chipping away at the very fabric of resilienceContinue Reading

By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net Photographs speak if you listen to them. That curling, cracked Polaroid of your deceased uncle and aunt tells a story as surely as the photos of Iwo Jima and V-J Day in Times Square images do. A world entire lives inside the four wallsContinue Reading

By Mike DuBose In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, unwanted phone calls, texts, and emails have become more than just nuisances — they’re serious threats. From relentless telemarketers to cunning scammers, cyber thieves, robot callers, and criminals are constantly devising skillful ways to invade our privacy, steal money, and exploit personalContinue Reading

Red, messy, slick, and a trademark of the American South. By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net Drizzle drifted and spritzed as if it were January except it was October. Mists coated my camera. In its viewfinder red mud glistened in rain that slickened it to slip-sliding away status and thatContinue Reading

The front entrance to New Hope Baptist Church, Lincolnton, Georgia. By Tom Poland, A Southern WriterTomPoland.net For the first time in my life I was alone in my church. The old Regulator wall clock ticked away as I ticked away the families who had walked through their last door. Ivys,Continue Reading