Let’s take a trip! It’s my favorite thing to do.
Fiction Gets Real
Here are three award-winning works of fiction with real-world messages that matter. I shared them this month on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6. Demon Copperhead By Barbara Kingsolver I’ve loved Barbara Kingsolver for decades. The Poisonwood Bible. The Bean Trees. This newest book, Demon Copperhead, recently won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Heartbreaking,…
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Domestique is Serving Coffee and Communities
There’s a saying on the Domestique Coffee website: Beyond the mountains, more mountains. It’s a Haitian proverb about perseverance, resiliency and hope in the face of challenges—no matter how many challenges arise. Nathan and Michael Pocus are not intimidated by mountains of any sort, or even more of them. In fact, the brothers and co-founders…
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The Beginning of Summer Reading
Here are three books that I shared this month on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6. One has a local connection. One will get your creative juices flowing and the other one is 52 years old and oh so timely. African Town By Charles Waters and Irene Latham This book for teens by Birmingham…
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Delicious Food, Historic Space in Beautiful Magnolia Springs
There’s a lot that’s unique about Magnolia Springs. But two things come to mind immediately. This small town in south Alabama is the only one in the entire United States that gets mail delivered by boat year-round. (There are nearly 200 boxes on the Magnolia Star River Route.) And Magnolia Springs is the home of…
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New York Filmmaker with Birmingham Ties
Birmingham filmmakers continue to capture the public’s attention and win awards. Alabama native, Davis Browne, is currently celebrating accolades for his new film, Capsules. Browne, who grew up in Mountain Brook and attended The Altamont School, co-wrote and starred in the indie film that is now streaming on Apple TV+. The film premiered at The…
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Celebrating Local
Here are three books with local ties—a cookbook from a favorite restaurateur, a book of poetry from a beloved poet and historical fiction set here. Truly something for everyone, and I shared them this month on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6. Ashley Mac’s Kitchen: Refined Southern Recipes for Every Occasion’ By Ashley McMakin…
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A Community of Creative Women
“There’s something that is true in this town: Collaboration wins over competition every time,” says Jennifer Ryan, owner of BLUEROOT Co. “And the people who figure that out sooner, understand Birmingham.” Ryan, from Southern California by way of New York City, figured this out pretty quickly when she came to the Magic City six years…
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A Trip to Germany That was a Quarter Century in the Making
Before I get to the details of our time in Germany, I’ll share why I wanted to go in the first place. My grandfather, my Opa, was from Munich, and I grew up hearing about him hiking in the Alps. My Oma was from Nuremberg, and I grew up hearing about that historic city’s landmarks,…
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Celebrating Women
Women’s History Month is upon us so here are some books by women and about women to make life better and more inspiring and hopeful. I shared them on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6 this month.. Emily Post’s Etiquette Updated by Lizzie Post and Daniel Post Senning There’s a lot of incivility in…
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American Comfort Food with a Czech Accent
Watching Chad Slade make kolaches is surreal. The man is big—a former offensive lineman for Auburn, he also played for eight years in the NFL—so seeing his huge hands gently fill and shape the little pastries is riveting. But the owner of American Kolache in Vestavia knows how to whip up some baked goods, and…
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For the Love
It’s in the air. Here are three books that touch on love. Love of the natural world around us. Love, as in love. And love gone wrong. I shared them on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6 this month. Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard By…
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Gulf-Fresh Seafood with a Side of Blues
Shady Street looks a little … umm … shady (and not in a tree-lined way). But do not be deterred. At the end of this off-the-beaten-path road—down by the Alabama River and very near downtown Montgomery—you’ll find Capitol Oyster Bar. (Again, do not be deterred.) This white, corrugated metal building is way more than it…
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A Day in Oxford, MS
Continuing my “new to me in ’23” experiences, I went to Oxford, Mississippi, for the first time. Yes, I know. How can that be? It’s so close! It has that wonderful bookstore! Well, it has a lot of things, and I made the most of my half a day there while Rick was riding his…
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A Year of Newness: One Week at a Time
I’m not usually one for New Year’s resolutions, but I do love new experiences. So my goal for 2023: one new-to-me experience each week all year! This goal is wide open. New foods to cook (and eat), new authors to read, new food trucks and restaurants to try, new movies to watch, new cities to…
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New Year, New Lots of Things to Read and Do
I’ve decided to do one new thing a week for this entire year. It sounds daunting, but I don’t think it will be all that hard. I’ve opened this exploration up to all sorts of things like new recipes, reading an author I haven’t read yet, trying a new food truck, hiking a new trail,…
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