Margaret Maron, author of the Judge Deborah Knott series, discusses her lengthy process of writing a book. Deciding that her main character would be a judge, she then traveled all around North Carolina, merging together different places to create fictional towns. She includes the coast, mountain area, flatlands, and cities into over 20 of her books.
In this interview, Allan Gurganus speaks about why he returned to his home state from New York, his activism in the gay rights movement of North Carolina in the mid-1990’s, and the continuing role he plays today in social and political activism. He further discusses the role of Trump in America, and how he hopes that his presence and voice can bring about change in North Carolina.
W.O. Saunders was a prominent figure in Elizabeth City in the early 20th century, decades after the Transcendentalist movement swept through New England. Despite this, he is known for his work mirroring the Transcendentalists Walt Whitman and Elbert Hubbard, among others, and that he emphasizes several tenants of the movement: self-reliance, spirituality, man’s relationship with nature, and women’s rights.
In the 1930’s, playwright Paul Green attempted to create a play regarding the Lost Colony of Roanoke in North Carolina. The story known by most people does not include the ending, however, and even today, there is debate about what happened to the colonists. Paul Green changed his endings several times, the last of which in 1980’s left on a more hopeful note. This article goes into detail about what prompted each of these changes and how they were interpreted by the audiences.
Therese Ann Fowler, a well-known North Carolina writer, shot to fame with her novel regarding Zelda Fitzgerald. With another novel coming out relating to Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, she sits down to discuss her success, the show based on her novel, her writing process, and her future plans.
World-renowned chef and author Vivian Howard discusses her journey from writer to kitchen worker to restaurateur, and how she came back home to Kinston, North Carolina to make it happen. With a tv show and a cookbook now published, Vivian Howard continues to bring attention to eastern North Carolina. This piece is part opinion essay, part interview.
This article explores three novels written by Angela Davis-Gardner: Felice, Butterfly’s Child, and Forms of Shelter. All three novels are coming-of-age stories, explore similar themes of vulnerability, catastrophe, and self-reflection.
In this tribute, Gary Richards honors Allan Gurganus. With humor and wit, he discusses the “trouble” he has gotten into over the years because of Gurganus’ work, but also how it makes him laugh while still considering the truth behind the matters at hand.
In honor of Allan Gurganus, these two tributes given at the 2017 North Carolina Writers Conference in Rocky Mount. Describing him as illustrious, dedicated, and talented, Holding and Bonner describe their relationship with the author and how is work continues to touch the lives of everyone who reads them.
After the success of Cold Mountain, the novel written by Charles Frazier, composer Jennifer Higdon decided to rework it into an opera. After almost a decade of planning, writing, and music composition, Cold Mountain opened with major success. It was also the winner of the International Opera Award in 2016 and nominated for two Grammy Awards.
Born in Germany to a North Carolina-native mother, Michael Gotting grew up with his adopted German, white family. He has ties to North Carolina, Berlin, and now Canada. Having roots in all of these places has helped him develop themes for his writing, specifically racism and music.
Garth Risk Hallberg, author of City on Fire, grew up in Greenville, North Carolina. This interview explores a wide-range of topics, including eighteenth-century literature, David Bowie, the punk genre, and the impact that Greenville has had on his life and in his writing.
In this interview, Clyde Edgerton discusses his artwork, novels, and non-fiction writing. He discusses what inspires him, including music, his childhood experiences, flying planes, and becoming a father.
The North Carolina Literary Review, started in 1991, has won several awards for design, writing, and overall quality. The different aspects of the journal-artwork, fiction pieces, and non-fiction articles- all combine to make a visually appealing spread that focuses on North Carolina artists and writers.
The first club in Greenville took root in 1899, and since then, book clubs have been popping up around Greenville in great number. Many of these book clubs have their own identities or themes, however, all focus on coming together, reading books, and socializing. These book clubs have also contributed to several volunteer and charitable programs, as well as help the spread of ideas and new social thought.