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A Tale of Two Hauntings

As coastal development displaces long-time residents, one woman discovers that some spirits refuse to be uprooted.

A Love Letter to a Drowned Land

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a young writer chronicles the devastation of her beloved mountain community—and the resilience of her people.

Echoes of Gunfire: Laments

Two Southern poets confront the tragedy of school shootings. Johnson and Lawson’s raw, visceral words help us reflect on the Apalachee High School killings and the broader epidemic of gun violence in America’s schools.

The Survival of the Community, Not of the Fittest

The pandemic left communities in Eastern Kentucky fighting for survival and waiting on government responses that came too slowly, so Misty Skaggs turned to the ancient principle of mutual aid.

Grace Beyond Her Ability

Sherri McCoy’s service to the unhoused people of Atlanta is an exercise in radical selflessness.

Sweet Tea With Emily Dickinson

How a small crew in tiny Whitesburg, Georgia, turned the work of a 19th century New England poet into a touring fundraiser for small-town public libraries in the South.

Takin’ Up a Poundin’

You can give just for giving’s sake. Or you can give to fill a need. A Christmas story from coastal North Carolina.

Used Dishes: A Thanksgiving Story

When he left his native North Carolina to pastor a church in Vermont, he learned a new way in which grace travels back and forth.

Dad Rock

Legions took solitary walks in the woods. Multitudes baked bread. But when COVID hit Birmingham, five suburban guys formed a band. Meet the Kensingtons.

Hurtling Toward the Water

In 2016, when deadly floods devastated West Virginia, they rushed to do the dirty rescue work and to comfort people as they grieved their losses. Then they mourned their own.

Penny: A Sunshine State Eulogy

In Wauchula, they closed down the old folks’ home. And now, the stray dog that hung around the front yard has lost her friends.

The Man Who Was a Town

College towns move us from the world of youth to the world of adulthood. For folks who went to college in Athens, Georgia, William Orten Carlton was the man who welcomed us to the new world.