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“EllieBration!”
“EllieBration!” You know the drill. One of those snowball-from-hell weeks hits with a vengeance. Hopefully, that arena’s played out better for you than for this week’s troubled dad. We’ve all watched...
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“Grief’s Sad & Merry Way”
“Grief’s Sad & Merry Way” Grief’s your old dog…Yesterday’s dashing puppy meets today’s sagging hips; creaking joints replace endless bounce; her eyes’ glimmer fades, yet she knows you like no...
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“The Mystery”
“The Mystery” It’s time for a brain-scratching riddle for the ages. You get one chance, with one word, to describe all of the below: Whatever’s beyond maddening, comically bipolar, and yet, your...
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“The Word (s)”
The Word (s) Still working on your word? Stumped and vexed beyond description? Repentant over the profanity you’ve now hurled at The Mystery? Not me. I can’t think of that one word to fit both puppy...
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“Scratchin’ 101″
“Scratchin’ 101″ Editor’s Note: Far too many of you—Ole Miss Grads no doubt—continue to labor through one of life’s simpler jewels while pestering the hell out of our devoted staff with questions like,...
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Calling My Lady (novel excerpt)
Calling My Lady (rough draft, novel excerpt) “Sure been missing you, Slide.” “So glad you’re back, Big John. Missed you a ton, too Dealing with that wife-beater and then jail must’ve been terrible,...
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“One Outta Fifty”
“One Outta Fifty” My fifteen-year-old girl doesn’t like volleyball—she craves it. So excitement doesn’t brew around our house the week before a tournament—it boils. When my usually sweet wife...
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“Dr. King’s Jailhouse Letter”
“Dr. King’s Jailhouse Letter” Springtime in the South is a wondrous affair. Daffodils crank up the show by flipping a March bird to winter’s fading grasp before azaleas and dogwoods march forth in...
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The South Reporter
The South Reporter Pecking away at my first novel, a recent jaunt led to a few hours of writing in Holly Springs, Mississippi, where a reporter named Sue Watson stopped to say hello. Our visit led...
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“Fire in the Belly”
“Fire in the Belly” Planning a summer fishing trip with my son of fourteen and brother-in-law of nearly seventy, I’ve enjoyed the excitement bubbling from both generations. My son’s been tying flies...
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“That Baby’s Got Teeth!”
“That Baby’s Got Teeth!” As you’re now aware, our Board of Directors recently voted to remove two prior classics—“What the Heck is a Scratcher?” and “Of Scratch and Men”—from our corporate website....
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“Lore Have Mercy”
“Lore Have Mercy” We now reach a point where pity for even Aunt Misry could be in order, for while her apnea-powered freight train roars in bliss, our righteous sister reclines in sleepless rage. Some...
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“Of Quote & Scratch”
Of Quote and Scratch Why the quotes? Bottom line, Scratchers just like ’em. First and foremost, an accomplished Scratcher prefers to quote himself. That’s why you’ll continually witness the legend...
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