Some songs you never forget. They are written on your heart. In the rural South and beyond, many of those songs were sung on the Gospel Singing Jubilee. Thousands of people answered the invitation to the happy "jubilee" every week from the1960s to early 1980s to hear redback hymnal classics like "I'll Fly Away" or … Continue reading The anthems of faith in the rural South
Discovering the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail
Travel is more than just relaxing on beaches and enjoying delectable cuisine. Travel is an education, a way to learn more about the people and places around us. While in Plains, Ga. in July 2021, we experienced a history lesson and a science lesson in one beautiful story. It starts with a former First Lady … Continue reading Discovering the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail
The bears of Carrabelle, Florida
Some crazy things have happened to us on our journeys through the South. But I don't think there is anything as crazy as what happened to us on the way to Carrabelle, Florida one December night. I resisted the urge to start this story with "it was a dark night." But it was. Steve and … Continue reading The bears of Carrabelle, Florida
Paradise Gardens and the legacy of Howard Finster
The house at 200 Lewis Street in Summerville, Ga. fits in with all of the other frame houses on the street. But inside and behind that house is the story of a man who followed his own vision and in doing so, became something of a folk hero. Howard Finster”s idea for Paradise Gardens came … Continue reading Paradise Gardens and the legacy of Howard Finster
How livestock and produce started a theatre
I love a story with an interesting beginning. This one begins with a pig. Well a pig, some other farm animals and other things you would find on a typical farm. And it includes some famou actresses and actors and some you may not have heard and some who probably should be famous. Oh, and … Continue reading How livestock and produce started a theatre