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Neil Monroe

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CONTENTS

MARCH-APRIL 2023

our features

20 | Touring Murder in Coweta Country, 75th Anniversary

We take a look back at what is arguably Coweta County's most famous murder. Jackie Kennedy

34 | Keith Dunnavant Profile

Get up to speed with this local sportswriterturned-author as he discusses what keeps him going. Jon Cooper

40 | Books and Authors

Cowetans sure can get creative! We interview six local writers with very different styles, learn about the Hometown Novel Writers Association, discover local book clubs and hunt for books in Coweta County.

82 | Beardens Put Previous Best of Coweta Winners to the Test

Follow two local couples as they reinvent their weekly tradition of dining out by trying restaurants among our Best of Coweta winners. Also, see how winning first place has helped two businesses weather what could have been a couple of rough years in the retail industry. Neil Monroe

86 | Best of Coweta 2023

It’s time to vote! Give your favorite business an opportunity for bragging rights for the year and be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card.

Cover Photo by Beth Neely, see

page 40.

One for the books

Forget March – this entire year has come in like a lion.

Here at Newnan-Coweta Magazine, our business and staff have hit the ground running in every direction with myriad projects and activities. It’s only March, but this year is shaping up to be a busy one already.

We’ve always been an “all hands on deck” type of crew, so whenever one of us needs to take a step back or catch our breath, there’s someone ready to jump in and take care of things.

That’s very much been the case with this issue of NCM.

Late last year, our editor, Jackie Kennedy, tragically lost her oldest son. Ben was only 34 years old. He was a much-loved son, husband, father, brother and friend. His loss was felt by many in his hometown of LaGrange.

Understandably, Jackie took time to be with her family to grieve. All of us here mourned her loss as well.

There’s never a good time to lose someone. All we can do is circle the wagons and carry ourselves forward, which is what we did.

This year, as busy as it already is, will bring us all highs and lows. One thing that always seems to be a constant, at least for me, is the presence of books. A good book can take me away from the hurriedness of life and transport me to the shores of a Pleistocene-era island off the coast of Georgia or let me giggle out loud at the antics of a young boy and his stuffed tiger with my 9-year-old daughter.

This issue is brimming with authors and books from an abundance of local writers. Coweta County is no stranger to skilled writers. From the 75th anniversary of Margaret Anne Barnes’ “Murder in Coweta County” to Keith Dunnavant’s latest biography, “Speed,” this issue covers a wide selection of local talent.

Take a look at what’s happening at Sharpsburg’s annual Book Fair or the monthly meetings of the Hometown Novel Association. Book Clubs have become so popular, there’s now a Facebook Page to keep up with all of them. And thank the Lord, real brick and mortar bookstores have finally reappeared! Both Newnan and Senoia boast hyperlocal shops filled with carefully curated selections. Also, as featured in this issue’s Nonprofit Spotlight, the Newnan Carnegie Library Foundation is on a roll with more programming than ever – the summer programs alone typically host more than 1,500 participants, all free of charge.

As this year has roared in, standing in for Jackie has been both an honor and a privilege. My role in the production usually falls at the very end, with a final round of proofing. After reading every writer’s contributions from start to finish, I can truly appreciate the labor of love each issue takes, and hope that you, our readers, can see that as well.

Happy Spring –

Beth Neely, Guest Editor magazine@newnan.com

At the NewnanStrong event in 2021, Jackie Kennedy, left, and Beth Neely prove that one likes hugs and one does not. Can you tell who's who?

Photos by Chris Martin

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Roll Call

Jon Cooper is a freelance writer who has written for the Atlanta Braves, Hawks, Falcons, Thrashers, Beat (WUSA), and Georgia Tech Athletics. In his spare time, he spins yarns as a Fan Ambassador at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame.

Frances Kidd is a Newnan native who spent most of her adult years working as a nonprofit and marketing consultant. Although she’s an avid traveler, she never lost her Southern accent. If she’s not in Georgia, you can find her out in the country in Italy.

Gail McGlothin is a nonprofit consultant and grant writer. When she’s not searching for starfish on the Oregon coast, kayaking, reading or playing board games with her grandchildren, Gail helps voters get government-issued picture IDs.

Jennifer Dziedzic lives in Newnan with her daughter. The two use their travels as inspiration for stories they create with Jennifer writing and her daughter illustrating. Jennifer believes that everyone has a story to tell, and she loves being a freelance writer and meeting new people.

Susan Mayer Davis lives with husband Larry in downtown Newnan. What she enjoys most about writing for NCM is meeting great people when she researches articles and then sharing their stories. “It’s fun,” she says, “but it’s also a privilege.”

The Rev. April McGlothinEller is the director of Church and Community Engagement at Wellroot Family Services, a ministry of the United Methodist Church. In her free time, she fancies herself a musician, artist and photographer.

Neil Monroe is a retired corporate communicator whose career included jobs with Southern Company, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Delta Airlines and Coca-Cola Enterprises. His roots are in community journalism. He and his wife, Rayleen, live in Sharpsburg where they enjoy tennis, golf and grandchildren.

Blue Cole is a writer and ne’er-do-well who lives in Sharpsburg with his wife, children and other wee creatures.

Caroline Nicholson loves disappearing behind a good book and falling into fictional worlds. She is getting her Master of Arts in English at the University of West Georgia. When she graduates with her Master’s, she plans to become a college English and Creative Writing professor. In time, she hopes to publish her own young-adult novel.

Jenny Enderlin graduated cum laude from Florida State University with an English degree. She enjoys volunteering with the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society, Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Church, Coweta County Democrat Party, One Roof and Backstreet Community Arts.

Published in 2018, “Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy” celebrates Southern author Pat Conroy with stories and loving memories penned by 67 writers. This book could be called the world’s greatest collection of love letters, but it is so much more than that.

Written by those in his inner circle of friends and family, “Scribes” offers a peek into the heart and soul of Conroy, known by his readers only as a gifted wordsmith whose writing we love and books we cherish – books like “The Great Santini,” “The Prince of Tides” and “The Lords of Discipline.”

Conroy was the son of a tough, mean-spirited military pilot father and moved often throughout his school-age years. When he landed in the Lowcountry, specifically Beaufort, South Carolina, he was smitten and never wanted to leave.

To memorialize and immortalize this man who gave so much and whose legacy grows stronger, this collection of stories, edited by Nicole Seitz and Jonathan Haupt, was a daunting project. According to Seitz, it was decided “to order the essays loosely by Pat’s own chronology, each of them winding along his story river…”

“Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy”

Reviewed by GLENDA HARRIS

Well done. Beautifully organized with each story unique, the book is surely destined to be a classic, in-demand resource on Conroy’s influence as a mentor and great friend of the literary community, in Beaufort and beyond.

No one, his friends and fellow writers would tell you, loved to tell a story more than Pat Conroy and, in turn, he listened to your story. So, it was natural he became the cheerleader of hopeful, first-time writers. In this book, you will realize the impact of Conroy and the special friendships formed within the community including random folks he met along the way. You will see glimpses of Conroy as a young man, basketball player, son, husband, writer, friend and teacher.

For fans of Conroy, “Our Prince of Scribes” is a must-have and would make the perfect gift for anyone who appreciates a story that alternately breaks and illuminates your heart, i.e., Southern literature at its best.

Published by The University of Georgia Press, royalties from the book support the Pat Conroy Literary Center and the Friends of Story River Books; 5 stars. ★★★★★

While Angels Were Watching” is a relatively short autobiographical work by Wyvonnia Smith-Gorden. This book includes life lessons of family, love and responsibility and is written from the viewpoint of Christianity, as alluded to in the title of the book.

The hero of the book is not only the author. Multiple heroes include the author, her father and Jesus Christ, to whom the author attributes her belief of angels watching over her throughout situational changes in her life.

Written in first person, “While Angels Were Watching” calls upon Smith-Gorden to test the faith her father, Frank, the son of a “preacher-man,” instilled in her and her six brothers and sisters from birth. Quoting several “Frank-isms,” she tells the story of her father and his dedication to his family and his Christian beliefs.

Included in this work are poems, Bible references and the list of “Frank-isms,” which her father repeated to his family time and time again. “Every life deserves a dream:

Read a good book lately?

“While Angels Were Watching”

Reviewed by MISHA BENSON

You may get sidetracked but you can go on.” That’s just one of many quotes that shaped Smith-Gorden’s life.

From her civil rights activism, college experience, partnerships and motherhood experiences, the author is tested by an array of unhappy events. She overcomes these situations and remains a positive person who passes on these life lessons to her sons and, ultimately, the reader.

The book’s timeline is vague as the main character’s life is explained, but the main goal of this work is clear. “While Angels Were Watching” is a hopeful book. But it is more than that. According to the author, we need to also have faith in God and, in turn, we will receive His protection.

If you’re looking for an upbeat read, a positive record, a story of success in the shadow of turmoil, I recommend you read “While Angels Were Watching.”

“While Angels Were Watching” was published in 2021 by Trilogy Christian Publishing. 4 stars. ★★★★

Hiding Things from Myself

My grandma sent me cheese in the mail when I was in college.

I didn’t think twice about it until a friend explained that people weren’t supposed to send cheese in the mail (though to be fair, she lived in Wisconsin and cheese is their national pastime). Grandma also sent a letter and molasses cookies. She always sent me letters.

To be frank, I am a hoarder of nostalgia to the point of being “cheesy” (see what I did there?) I seem to save every token and trinket given to me – sentimental sap that keeps my heart glued together. Sadly, I’m not organized nor a scrapbooker, so all these mementos of my life were piling up in a dusty cardboard box lacking the loyalty and respect they merited.

So when my grandma sent me cheese in the mail, I didn’t think twice about unwrapping the wax paper covering and cramming it into the unread letter. I didn’t have time to read her letter as I was late for class, so I shoved it in a textbook, reminding myself to read it later.

Snow melted into spring and I was cramming for finals. I opened a textbook to notice some wax paper dog-eared in a corner. It was my grandma’s letter, hidden from myself yet brand-spanking-new in its message with her words bringing a boost when I needed it most.

And thus, a tradition was born. I began hiding loved ones’ words to me – their freshly read postcards, letters, cards and notes – shoving them safely into my cookbooks. I became an unexpected archeologist, discovering their messages during a Christmas cookie baking frenzy or when trying out a new birthday dinner dish. A letter from my dad was embraced by Betty Crocker and pressed flat like autumn leaves, the glue reactivated on the envelope as if he had sent it last week. I read his words of encouragement and pride as if it had been recently sent, hearing his voice speaking to me though he’d been gone for years.

If you keep something in a box, there it will sit, bored and alone, waiting for its fate. Hiding it in a book, however, gives the giver and the receiver a second chance to reconnect, especially if it’s a book you open a lot.

I can’t recall every postcard sent to me over the years. On the fridge they go, eventually to be rotated away. But secretly stashing them? Nothing has tasted better than a postcard sliding onto a flour-dusted counter, the sudden surprise of my brother waving hello with his words: “Wish you were here.”

Of all the things in this world that have weight - from feathers to flesh, stamps to steel - there is no standard measuring system for the weight words hold. They magically can make your steps lighter or your heart heavier.

I blindly pick a page at random, calling to the bears to wake from hibernation and nestle me in their words. I randomly jump into the book’s abyss, never knowing what gems shall be unearthed – sage voices of the past, advice from my mom, a funny story from a friend, or a letter of love.

I hide these letters from myself, willing their words to work – hoping that by hiding, I somehow will be found. NCM

Minnesota made yet Newnan Strong, Faith Farrell is involved with Newnan Theatre Company and Backstreet Arts. Her artwork can be viewed at faithfarrellart.com.

Touring “Murder in Coweta” Country

Written and Photographed by JACKIE KENNEDY Historical Photographs courtesy of MARK PUCKETT

Long before Margaret Anne Barnes wrote “Murder in Coweta County,” I’d heard the story.

I was 14 when the book came out in 1976 and, while it filled in some gaps, I already knew the basics of west Georgia’s infamous mid-century crime: Meriwether County businessman John Wallace killed a farmhand in Coweta County in 1948 and went to the electric chair for it two years later. Coweta County Sheriff Lamar Potts led the investigation, and Heard County fortune-teller Mayhayley Lancaster testified at the trial.

RIGHT

A visitor to the old Meriwether County Jail peers down an old cell block.

The whole thing started over a cow. The story had, and 75 years later still has, all the components of a Southern Gothic novel: a rural landscape, odd characters, flawed individuals, heroes, poverty, violence and, perhaps most notably, villains who portray themselves as innocent victims.

John Wallace was the villain, but he wasn’t an easy villain. While many, then and now, viewed him as hard and cruel, others recognized the prominent landowner as a generous man who donated to churches and neighbors in need. He lived as an oxymoron, saintly and sinister, a compelling character if ever there was one, and with a flair for drama. Indeed, once charged with murder, he played the victim with aplomb.

Lamar Potts was the hero lawman. Like a hungry bloodhound, he stayed on the heels of Wallace, sniffing out the truth, and ultimately arrested the man deemed responsible for the April 20, 1948 death of William Turner.

My daddy was 19 at the time, living on a farm near LaGrange and, like others across west Georgia, was riveted by the story of the farmer down the road charged with killing the help. Daddy worked for Chipley’s Dry Cleaners, in what’s now Pine Mountain, and knew folks who were kin to or worked for Wallace.

I grew up hearing Daddy’s recollections of the crime and the characters involved. Bar none, my favorite of those stories was the one Daddy told about getting stopped by Sheriff Potts after trying to outrun him; during the conversation that ensued, Potts let Daddy go after learning he worked at the Troup County Shop for a mutual friend.

Mama had tales related to west Georgia’s most famous heinous crime, too. She had met Mayhayley Lancaster, the odd character in this Gothic tale. Years before Lancaster testified at Wallace’s trial, my mom accompanied her mother to visit the Heard County

psychic. My grandmother had lost her wedding rings, and Lancaster told her in what room, what dresser, what drawer, and what corner of the drawer she would find them. And that’s exactly where they were.

I loved hearing Mama talk of how she and her mother maneuvered through Mayhayley’s pack of

scraggly dogs to get to the shack where the visionary lived. “A dollar and a dime,” Mama heard the oneeyed oracle charge her mother for the vision. “That’s a dollar for me, a dime for my dogs.”

Decades later, my sensitive and compassionate mother still worried over Mayhayley’s bony hounds: “As scrawny as those poor dogs were, it should’ve been a dime for her and a dollar for the dogs.”

After the trial of John Wallace, Lancaster raised her price for a reading to $2.75. The notoriety had brought even more fame to west Georgia’s best-known woman.

Through the years, I’ve lost count of how many stories I’ve heard from folks born or raised here who were related to John Wallace, or were helped by Lamar Potts, or visited Mayhayley for a reading of their fortune or future. Like attending church on Sunday or frying chicken in a pan, growing up with some link to west Georgia’s most-talked-about murder was practically a given.

The Book

A native of Newnan, Margaret Anne Barnes was in her early 20s when the murder took place. After studying journalism at the

An AP wire transmission from 1948 details the trial of John Wallace in Coweta County.. Wallace is shown at left with his accomplice, Herring Sivell.

Like attending church on Sunday or frying chicken in a pan, growing up with some link to west Georgia’s mosttalked-about murder was practically a given.

Mayhayley Lancaster gained regional fame and national attention for "seeing" what others could not see.

University of Georgia, she came home to Coweta County to practice her craft. She was working as a reporter for The Newnan TimesHerald in 1948 as the story she would later chronicle unfolded yards away at the Coweta County Courthouse.

Barnes’ book was published in 1976 and has been reprinted at least twice since then. It’s currently out of print but still in circulation as copies turn up frequently in used bookstores and online. For her effort, Barnes won the Edgar Allan Poe Society Award for outstanding fact-crime study from the Mystery Writers of America. Her book has been used to teach college-level criminal law and sociology.

Barnes’s account of the murder, abbreviated, went like this: John Wallace fired William Turner after a dispute over payment and kicked the tenant off his property. To even the score, the farmhand stole one of the farmer’s registered Guernsey cows. Wallace found his cow where Turner had pastured it in Carrollton, and the farmhand was arrested in Carroll County and transferred to the Meriwether County Jail in Greenville. Wallace conspired with Meriwether County Sheriff Hardy Collier for Turner’s release from jail at a prescribed time; when the time came, Wallace and his cronies were waiting at the courthouse in Greenville. When they saw the just-set-free Turner pull up in his truck, Herring Sivell, driving John Wallace, took off in hot pursuit, followed by Henry Mobley and Tom Strickland in another vehicle.

Turner led the chase up Highway 27 and into Coweta County with Wallace and company fast behind. Just past the county line, Turner’s truck started sputtering as it ran out of gas, and the frightened cattle rustler swerved into the parking lot at the Sunset Tourist Camp outside Moreland. Eight witnesses

saw a scuffle, and most attested that Wallace cracked Turner over the back of his head with the barrel of a sawed-off shotgun. Before sunset, Turner was dead. A week later, Wallace was charged with murder and behind bars at the Coweta County jail.

Barnes’ book retells the story told in newspaper accounts throughout Georgia and the South – about how Wallace threw the body down a well, then retrieved and burned it; about the search for Turner that ended when bone chips were found on Wallace’s property; about the trial that was covered by Atlanta newspapers; and how Wallace was found guilty and sentenced to death on the testimony of two black men, a rarity in the mid-1900s.

A major linchpin to the story, and hence its title: Had Turner’s truck run out of gas a mile or two sooner, the murder would have taken place in Meriwether County, where Wallace was a prominent businessman and friends with local lawmen who, it is surmised, would not have made a case against him.

But the incident occurred in Coweta, where legend and lore catapulted Lamar Potts to hero status as the sheriff who sought truth and justice.

The Movie

When we heard the moviemakers had hired Andy Griffith to portray John Wallace and Johnny Cash to play the part of Sheriff Potts in the movie reenactment of the crime, my family was certain the casting directors had lost their minds. Why, in the name of Hollywood, would you hire the good sheriff of Mayberry – Opie’s daddy, for God’s sake – to play the part of west Georgia’s meanest-ever man?

And why, in the name of Nashville, would you choose one of the original outlaws of outlaw country music to play Potts? Johnny

TOP Johnny Cash as Sheriff Lamar Potts. MIDDLE Andy Griffith as murderer John Wallace.

BOTTOM

June Carter Cash as Mayhayley Lancaster.

Cash spent a few nights in jail and swore in “Folsom Prison Blues” that he’d killed a man just to watch him die. How could The Man in Black pull off the role of the saintly Sheriff Potts?

While we had our doubts about the leading men, there was one casting that seemed to make perfect sense: June Carter Cash as Mayhayley Lancaster. Like Mayhayley, June had a particular weirdness about her. I’d gone with Mama and Daddy to see her perform with Johnny at Franklin Country Music Park in the early '80s. Her herky-jerky movements on stage were hard to watch; her voice, at least for me, equally difficult to hear. Her long, black, straw-like hair reminded me of Lily Munster, which made it easy to imagine her capturing the witchy aura of the Heard County soothsayer.

Because the Coweta County Courthouse had been modernized with its interior walls painted Pepto-Bismol pink in 1982, the trial scenes in “Murder in Coweta County” were filmed at the courthouse in Zebulon. For days, onlookers got as close as they could to the courthouse to watch Griffith and the Cashs come and go. Locals from all around played bit parts as Cowetans in the courthouse audience.

The made-for-TV movie was among the first important productions filmed primarily in Georgia. There’s certainly irony in the fact that a Coweta County story was west Georgia’s first major flirtation with Hollywood, to which we are now wed, with moviemaking

Wallace’s was one of the first cases in Georgia where a white man got the electric chair on the testimony of black men.

cutline goes here cutline goes here cutline goes here cutline goes here cutline goes here

LEFT

Not currently open for visitors, the old Meriwether County Jail has been renovated into a residence. TOP

This cell might have been the one Wilson Turner was housed in before his release on the fateful day he died.

The late local historian Carla Cook Smith posed in front of the jail cell where John Wallace was housed in Coweta County. The cell was housed at an undisclosed location in Newnan.

The Heard County Old Jail, in Franklin, is home to the Heard County Historical Center and Museum and features numerous items on the county's legendary Mayhayley Lancaster. BELOW

The refurbished Coweta County Courthouse appears today much like it did in 1948 when John Wallace was found guilty of murder at his trial there.

in our region so commonplace it’s sometimes considered a nuisance more than novelty.

The Follow-Ups

For a quarter century, Barnes’ volume was the only book about the murder. In the past two decades, at least three books and a play have been penned about the story or its characters.

In 2001, Dot Moore, who grew up in Heard County and met Mayhayley when she was a child, published “Oracle of the Ages: Reflections on the Curious Life of Fortune Teller Mayhayley Lancaster.” The work of creative nonfiction added flesh to the bones of the psychic by telling of her work as a teacher, lawyer, political activist and numbers runner. A quick and captivating read, the volume earned Moore the 2002 Lilla M. Hawes

Award for best book in Georgia county or local history.

Ten years later, Moore released her second book, this time delving into the life of the story’s protagonist. In “No Remorse: The Rise and Fall of John Wallace,” Moore fleshes out the killer by introducing him as a child exposed early to crime. Her biography follows Wallace into adulthood and, ultimately, to the electric chair.

In April 2016, Jeff Bishop, a Newnan author and historian, brought the story to the live stage. His play, “Flies at the Well: The Trial of the Killer John Wallace,” was performed three times at the Wadsworth Auditorium in Newnan. The musical drama was a retelling of the popular story and included sacred harp music from 19th century Coweta County.

In 2018, Carla Cook Smith

(now deceased) released her book, “Parakeets in Whitesburg,” as an epilogue to the “Murder in Coweta County” story. Her book focuses primarily on William Turner, the man whose murder gave life to this 71-year-old phenomenon.

The Memories

In the summer of 2018, people connected to the case gathered at the historic Coweta County Courthouse for a screening of the movie at the location of the trial.

“Seventy years ago this room was filled up like this,” said Dick Atkins, the movie’s producer.

The 70-year anniversary commemoration featured a panel that included John William Turner, son of the murder victim. During the weekend’s event, he watched, for the first time, the movie that portrayed his father’s death. Like

several others on the panel, it was the first time he’d spoken publicly about the murder.

Also on the panel was Sam Collier, grand-nephew of Meriwether County Sheriff Hardy Collier, who was portrayed in the book and movie as being duplicitous to the crime.

“I didn’t like the way he was portrayed because I knew he was a different type of person,” the nephew said.

Al Brooks also attended the anniversary event. He is grandson of the field hand Albert Brooks, one of two Wallace workers who helped their employer dispose of Turner’s body and then testified against him at trial.

“He didn’t like to talk about what happened,” Brooks said of his grandfather. “He would get mad if you talked about it.”

Albert Brooks and Robert Lee Gates were black men whose testimony played a role in Wallace receiving a death sentence. Wallace’s was one of the first cases in Georgia where a white man got the electric chair on the testimony of black men. Smith firmly believed it was less the

words of Brooks and Gates and more Wallace’s own testimony that did him in.

“He didn’t look good on the stand,” said Smith. “If his testimony was anything like Andy Griffith played it in the movie, it’s no wonder he got the death penalty.”

The Tour

Based in Senoia, Georgia Tour Company hosted its first driving tour devoted to “Murder in Coweta County” in 2019. “A Deadly Run to Coweta County” may take guests through five counties crucial to the story: Coweta, Meriwether, Harris, Troup and Heard.

Smith wrote the script for the tour, which begins in Senoia with the movie playing as the bus driver steers through “Murder in Coweta County” country. As we pass red dirt banks and pine tree forests, the movie shows the scene at Sunset Tourist Court when Wallace beats Turner as an onlooker implores: “Why don’t you just handcuff him?” A crazed-looking Andy Griffith, as Wallace, barks back: “Why don’t you mind your own damn business?”

Smith said she talked with dozens of people who knew or were related to principal players in the drama. Her research led her to make several conclusions, one being that perhaps the line between hero and villain, while penned in permanent ink by Barnes, is not so black-and-white after all.

“If you ask people in Coweta County today what they think of Lamar Potts, 98 percent will say he was great,” Smith said in 2019. “But if you ask the people in Meriwether County the same question, 100 percent of them will say he had a vendetta against John Wallace.”

Smith tends to agree with Sam Collier that his Uncle Hardy actually may not have participated in Wallace’s scheme to undo Turner.

“Hardy Collier was not a sniveling man,” says Smith. “He was a very strong man, and no one pushed him around, not even John Wallace.”

In Greenville, the bus stops at the former Meriwether County Jail where Turner was imprisoned in a second-story cell before he was killed. We step inside the cell believed to be where Turner spent his last night alive. Later in the tour, we visit the Coweta County jail cell where Wallace spent his last days. Again, we step inside to inspect crusty steel and peeling paint.

In between the cell stops, we see the church in Pine Mountain where prominent mid-century Methodist pastor Dr. Charles Allen preached Wallace’s funeral. We visit Wallace’s grave in a nearby Pine Mountain cemetery. Buried in the same cemetery are Mobley, Strickland and Sivell, the jokers with Wallace on the day Turner died.

At Wallace’s grave, one of the unsung characters in the drama is recalled. His widow, Josephine, stood by her man even though by most accounts he was, at worst, abusive to her and at best, indifferent. While he left land and mementoes to other family members and various friends, he left nothing to Josephine. When a friend who read his will brought it to his attention, he crassly replied: “She can get a job.”

And she did. For years, she worked at Mansour’s, a popular department store in LaGrange. She assisted my mother in many transactions, and Mama remembered her as soft-spoken, reserved and sweet.

For the most part, Josephine appears as an afterthought in the “Murder in Coweta County” book and movie. Her life, before and after her husband’s execution, was difficult. Before, he was not kind to her; after, history was not.

John Wallace and his wife Josephine are seated here.

the Details

Josephine has been portrayed as, first, the whimpering wife and then, the weakly widow. In reality, said Smith, she was “a proper Southern lady who exhibited Godly character. She was not daft as she was portrayed in Barnes’ book.” Instead, she was a hard worker with a sensitive soul and kind heart.

And she was a poet.

Josephine lived to be 92 and is buried in the Harris County town of Whitesville. But it is at her husband’s final resting place that she is best remembered. Perhaps the most poetic lines she ever wrote are etched in the concrete pillow at the head of the slab that covers his grave:

The Major Players

John Wallace, the murderer William Turner, the murdered Coweta County Sheriff Lamar Potts, the good cop Meriwether County Sheriff Hardy Collier, the bad cop Mayhayley Lancaster, the psychic Josephine Wallace, the murderer’s wife

The Timeline

April 20, 1948 –William Turner was struck a death blow at the Sunset Tourist Court outside Moreland.

As it is with a Facebook post or phone text, it’s sometimes less the words but how you read them that matters.

I read Josephine Leath Wallace’s words to her husband – and to the world at large – as a tangle of emotions that ultimately reveals her as brave, strong, forgiving and, perhaps more than she ever was with her husband in his life, authoritative in his death.

The way I read it, “Just rest in peace” is a command.

Maybe Josephine, even more than Sheriff Potts, is the true hero in this story. NCM

June 18, 1948 – John Wallace is found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.

November 3, 1950 –Wallace is electrocuted at the State Penitentiary in Reidsville 1976 – Margaret Anne Barnes’ book, “Murder in Coweta County,” is published.

February 15, 1983 – The made-for-TV movie based on Barnes’ book airs for the first time, starring Andy Griffith, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash.

July 17-19, 2018 – The movie’s producer, Dick Atkins, leads an event observing the 70th anniversary of the trial in Newnan.

May 2, 2019 – Georgia Tour Company holds its premier “A Deadly Run to Coweta” driving tour.

The Places

Carroll County, in Carrollton, where William Turner was arrested for stealing a cow from John Wallace

Meriwether County, where John Wallace owned a 2,000-acre cattle and timber farm, and where William Turner was jailed—and let loose—in Greenville

Coweta County, where William Turner was killed at the Sunset Tourist Camp near Moreland, and where the murder trial of John Wallace occurred at the county courthouse in Newnan

Heard County, where the soothsayer Mayhayley Lancaster lived, near Franklin, and told fortunes

Harris County, where John Wallace is buried in Pine Mountain and his widow, Josephine, is buried in Whitesville

Troup County, where Josephine worked after the trial, selling clothes and shoes at Mansour’s department store

Sunset Tourist Court

I KEPT THE PLEASANT MEMORY. JUST REST IN PEACE. J.L.W.

At the final resting place of John Wallace, his widow Josephine's voice is heard: “Just rest in peace.”

Chasing Mayhayley

Written by JODY SLOAT Historical Photographs courtesy of TROUP COUNTY ARCHIVES

Mayhayley Lancaster, the self-proclaimed Oracle of the Ages, remains the most famous woman from Heard County, and one of the most famous from West Georgia, even 68 years after her death.

While she is most known for her psychic abilities and involvement in the trial of John Wallace, she wore other hats. Lancaster was a trailblazer. She was an independently wealthy woman who was as likely to dress in ball gowns as burlap sacks. She practiced law and ran for the state legislature twice after women were given the right to vote. She treated African American and Caucasian clients the same, despite complaints from wealthy, white patrons.

“I don’t know of anyone today who can compare to her,” says Newnan resident Joe Strickland, a distant cousin of Wallace. “She was one of a kind.”

Lancaster and I have a few things in common: We’re Heard Countians, we’re Methodists, we’re teachers, we’re writers, we’re childless. But it isn’t these similarities that spark my interest. It’s a difference: She was unapologetically herself.

I did not discover Lancaster’s allure until recently. I was cleaning out a bookcase (a significant undertaking) and found a copy of “Oracle of the Ages: Reflections on the Curious Life of Fortune Teller Mayhayley Lancaster.” I had written a story for LaGrange Daily News when Dot Moore’s book was published in 2001, but I had never read it cover-to-cover.

To me, Lancaster was an urban legend. I had watched snippets of “Murder in Coweta County” in school. I had heard rumors that weird things would happen if you went to Lancaster’s grave at night, especially if you

Heard County's Mayhayley Lancaster called herself an "oracle of the ages."

“I don’t know of anyone today who can compare to her. She was one of a kind.”

– Joe Strickland

didn’t bring four quarters and a dime, the price she charged for a reading. But the psychic never captured my interest until recently.

I devoured Moore’s book and intensely watched “Murder in Coweta County” and Rick Fowler’s documentary “Mayhayley Lancaster: Legend of an Oracle.” I read as many as I could of 2,000 entries from a Google search. I interviewed others who shared my interests. I visited Lancaster’s grave with the correct amount of change.

I discovered that my own family had stories. My sister-in-law’s mother, Margaret Laster, visited Lancaster in her youth. Lancaster predicted that Miss Margaret would marry twice and have three children. She got the latter part right.

My niece, Sara Kent, and her friend visited Lancaster’s grave at night three times. The friend hit a deer after the first visit, almost hit a cow after the second, and a dog ran out of the woods at them as they got into the car after the third visit. They never left $1.10 on her tombstone.

While stories of Lancaster’s powers are intriguing, I’m drawn to her individuality. She read law books and fashion magazines. She advocated for the rights of women and the poor, and she

farmed cotton and corn. She was the richest independent woman in West Georgia, but she lived in a delipidated home on a dirt road. She was a Christian who took notes during service, and she made money from her predictions and bug (lottery) numbers.

But what impresses me the most is that she didn’t care what others thought of her.

James Davis is the leader of the Carrollton-based band, Mayhayley’s Grave. He grew up listening to stories about the psychic from his next-door neighbor, E.R. Threadgill, the Carrollton police chief who released William Turner, the victim of “Murder in Coweta County,” to Meriwether County Sheriff Hardy Collier. Davis sums up Lancaster: “She was beautifully inappropriate. She made people have to think and question their everyday lives.”

This includes me. I am a recovering people pleaser. Nothing made me happier in elementary school than winning the congeniality award. I sought praise from family members, friends, teachers, professors and bosses. I even earned my doctorate primarily to impress my parents, even though I knew they were proud of me no matter what.

Lancaster, instead, followed her

own path. Strickland remembers sitting with young friends on the courthouse steps during the Wallace trial and seeing Lancaster approach: “She would come down the sidewalk and go into the courthouse. All of the men would say, ‘Here comes the witch,’ and we jumped up and ran. Those men would laugh and laugh and say, ‘Come on back boys. She isn’t going to bother you.’”

Of all the stories about Lancaster, the one that touches me the most comes from the Wallace trial transcripts. Prominent Atlanta attorney A.L. Henson represented Wallace. During his crossexamination of Lancaster, a witness for the prosecution, Henson tried to paint her as an elderly fool. She wasn’t having it.

After repeatedly attacking her clairvoyant abilities, the cocksure attorney asked Lancaster, “And that is what you base your information on – that extra wisdom that God gave you but didn’t give these officers?”

“No,” Lancaster calmly stated. “I feel my importance.”

As I continue to research the life of this extraordinary woman, I feel compelled to follow her example.

NCM

Visitors to Mayhayley Lancaster's grave at Caney Head Methodist Church in Franklin often leave rocks or coins in memory of the soothsayer.

Photos by Jackie Kennedy

More on Mayhayley

Famed Atlanta Constitution reporter Celestine Sibley covered the trial of John Wallace and, by extension, Mayhayley Lancaster. After the trial, Sibley visited Lancaster and asked her about her gift: “It’s not a learned gift,” said Lancaster, “it’s a borned gift. I’ve got some learning – I taught school. I passed the bar in Carroll County and could practice law. But the seeing the future is my art.”

Nellie Dunaway Duke, Carrollton resident and former president/CEO of the Georgia Women’s Institute, began researching Lancaster’s politics in the 1990s. She received a call from a woman in Florida who said: “Mayhayley approves of your work.” Duke hung up the phone, gathered her research into a duffel bag, and placed the bag in the back of her closet.

Troup County native Leslie Winter said her greatgrandfather, Hub Lipham, lived near Lancaster and recalled that she would often drop in on neighbors for dinner. He remembered seeing her pop out her glass eye, clean it on her dress, and pop it back in the socket NCM

Mayhayley Lancaster, right, is joined by her sister Sally, who lived with her and greeted visitors who came for readings.

Lancaster

“It’s not a learned gift, it’s a borned gift.”

WELCOME TO RETIREMENT AT ITS BEST

A close community of great friends. Happy days filled with going, doing and, yes, laughing. An environment as comfortable as it is beautiful. The security of living in a Life Plan Community – with independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing all under one roof. Can you think of anything better?

Stretching the Imagination

NO SUBJECT OR GENRE IS BEYOND THE GRASP OF AUTHOR KEITH DUNNAVANT

Written by JON COOPER

Photo courtesy of Keith Dunnavant

Keith Dunnavant's writing career spans four decades.

Keith Dunnavant never really learned about boundaries or their limitations.

“I get that from my dad,” he says; his father, Bob, started the first state news radio station in Alabama. “The most important thing he taught me was, ‘If you can dream it, you can become it.’”

The 58-year-old native of Athens, Ala., has called Newnan home for the past 31 years. He's still dreaming big and pushing boundaries, having made the journey from award-winning sportswriter, magazine entrepreneur, podcaster and documentary producer to best-selling author of eight books – so far.

Book number nine is in the works. “The biography of a major military figure” is all he would reveal.

Dunnavant’s career path isn’t surprising.

“I grew up in a media family, so I was probably destined to be in the media,” says Dunnavant. His grandfather was in radio, while oldest brother Bob, who passed away in 1995, was his first writing mentor. His brother Jim, the closest to Dunnavant, albeit nine years older, was the family’s first sportswriter and still lives in Newnan. All had careers in newspapers.

“I had five older brothers. I grew up in a house full of adults. I didn’t really want to be a kid,” says Keith.

That maturity and his willingness to speak up led to him “inventing my first real job in journalism” as sports editor at The Journal, the local weekly newspaper.

“I went to the publisher and I said, ‘You’d get a lot more readers for your paper if you had a sports section and I’m the guy to do it,’” recalls Keith, freshly graduated from eighth grade at the time. “She said, ‘I’ll give you a shot.’ For the first few months, I went out and raised my own salary by selling advertising.”

Fearlessly putting himself out there and pushing boundaries has paid off.

In 1988, he won the William Randolph Hearst National Writing Award, earning

a scholarship at the University of Alabama and becoming the first college student to be recognized by the Alabama Sportswriters Association. After graduation, he wrote for the Birmingham Post-Herald, Dallas Times Herald, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution before landing his “dream job” at the Los Angeles Times.

He accomplished all this by age 26, but the boundary stretching was just beginning.

Keith moved into magazines, founding Dunnavant’s Paydirt Illustrated, a regional sports magazine, then launching Sports, Inc. “It was the first sports-business magazine. It was really ahead of its time,” he says. He also got hired as features writer for The National – where he secured the first exclusive interview with heavyweight champion James “Buster” Douglas after his titanic upset of Mike Tyson –and embarked on a book-writing career.

But perhaps his most important move at that time was to Newnan in 1992.

“I needed to be near Atlanta for the new ventures I was starting after transitioning out of the newspaper business,” says Keith.

Since 1996, he has authored eight books, including sports-themed books on legendary college football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant (“Coach,” 1996), Green Bay Packers twotime Super Bowl MVP quarterback Bart Starr (“America’s Quarterback,” 2011), four-time Super Bowl-winning and three-time Super

770.435.7474

“I enjoy rock ‘n’ roll, but sometimes you get to where you want to play jazz.”

– Keith Dunnavant

Bowl MVP QB Joe Montana (“Montana,” 2015). He also chronicled the 1966 11-0 Alabama football team (“The Missing Ring,” 2006), the growing tie between TV and college football (“The Fifty-Year Seduction,” 2004), and “Time Out,” (1999), about a one-year, 120,000-mile journey in which he witnessed more than 250 events.

In 2019, he veered away from sports, authoring “Spy Pilot,” a deeper look into the U-2 spy incident and pilot Francis Gary Powers, written with Powers’s son, Francis Gary Powers Jr., and most recently, “Speed,” (2021), about test pilot Bob Gilliland and his flights with the SR-71 Blackbird.

Keith welcomed the departure from sports: “I’ve told people who didn’t quite understand me moving from sportswriting and sports books into general history books, ‘I enjoy rock ‘n’ roll, but sometimes you get to where you want to play jazz.’”

“I liked getting inside peoples’ heads. You’re able to do that as a feature writer. In writing books, it’s kind of going to that next level,” he says. “I find a tremendous amount of fulfillment taking on someone’s story and trying to figure out what the story is and then how to tell it.”

Telling these stories means using a discerning eye in doing research.

“Just because something is interesting doesn’t make it relevant,” he says. “You have to very carefully determine what the story is – the story you want to tell – and then be extremely disciplined about not veering away from that theme. When I’m researching a historic figure, such as Bob Gilliland, I go to great lengths to learn everything I can about him and the world he inhabited, to feel it, to accurately portray it to the reader. I’m especially looking for moments that I can paint narratively with as much detail as possible. I typically use only maybe five percent of what I learn, but if I’ve done my job right, it’s the five percent that accurately captures the subject and brings him to life on the page.

“‘Speed’ took a delicate touch in another respect,” he continued. “The reader needed to appreciate the remarkable engineering feat of the SR-71 Blackbird. I had to learn about all that technology then make sure the story of the technology didn't overwhelm the narrative. ”

Telling the story can be as painstaking.

“I sometimes spend weeks and even months writing and rewriting important passages such as the opening scene of ‘The Missing Ring,’ which set the tension for the whole book,” he said. “With ‘Spy Pilot,’ I was pushing the edges in a different way – writing the first half of the book as a traditional third-person biography of the controversial pilot and the last half as a memoir of the son he left behind to deal with the baggage of all that history.”

The peace of mind he feels after having settled in Newnan has allowed Dunnavant to freely travel into all these diverse worlds. He said Newnan even contributed to the creative process.

Dunnavant is a regular at the Redneck Gourmet in downtown Newnan. “I came up with the idea for ‘Spy Pilot’ over coffee there,” he says. “I saw a news item while reading the paper that intrigued me. It was the first of many steps toward deciding to write that book.”

Dunnavant has taken the next step in storytelling, anchoring the podcast “American Achievers,” and has created successful documentaries. The acclaimed 2013 documentary, “Three Days At Foster,” is an in-depth look at the integration of Bryant’s Alabama football program, which was a notable step in ending segregation in the South. His next documentary is on the SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane.

“I want to keep stretching myself creatively and challenging myself, like a painter or a musician,” he says.

However the genres may change, one thing will remain constant for Dunnavant:

“I really enjoy Newnan. It’s a great town and people here have been very supportive of my books over the years.” NCM

Keith Dunnavant, left, and Bob Gilliland enjoy coffee in Palm Desert, Calif. Gilliland is the subject of Dunnavant's book, “Speed.”

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AUTHOR DANIELLE THORNE

A Fusion of History and Romance at your Fingertips

Written and Photographed by SUSAN MAYER DAVIS

If you love historical fiction and wholesome romance novels, be sure to check out the books of local author Danielle Thorne. Her newest novel, published by Harlequin, is due out this month. The title is “A Home for the Twins,” and the book was inspired by her twin 4-year-old grandsons, Nic and Dek.

Thorne grew up in a family of six children –four brothers and one sister. “My father is an avid reader and reads all my books,” she says. Her mother was a busy homemaker and mom, while her father worked in sales and marketing for the trucking industry. “Life was simple and we didn’t have much, but they always encouraged us to find our talents and pursue what we felt passionate about,” says Thorne. She and her husband Rob are from Tennessee. They grew up in Nashville, moving to Sharpsburg with their four sons 17 years ago for Rob’s job as an Air Traffic Controller out of Hartsfield Airport. They both love this area and plan to be here for the long haul. Three of their grown sons live in Utah, while one lives in Maine.

She confesses that she is basically introverted, so writing is her best form of communication. Danielle won her first award in seventh grade: Honorable Mention in a National Scholastic poetry contest. She has a few books available in audio format, and she has published a few nonfiction books for young adults. A prolific writer, Danielle published books for school libraries, including biographies of Andrew Jackson and Queen Victoria.

Danielle describes her books as “Southern happily-ever-afters and romantic historical adventures.” Her “Love Inspired” series,

published under the Harlequin name, brings stories of inspirational romance (“A Home for the Twins”), while her historical line includes swashbuckling adventures, such as “A Pirate of Pembroke” (Danielle’s personal favorite book), and “A Smuggler’s Heart or The Privateer” (her first published book.)

In total, Danielle has published 25 books since 2008, all set in small Southern towns.

Her dream is writing historical fiction that may inspire others to believe in themselves, as her heroes and heroines possess character traits of faith, strength, and determination molded into a positive demeanor. Danielle wants to instill courage and a sense of “I can do this,” into her readers. Her favorite authors are Patrick O’Brian of the Master and Commander series, Jane Austen and Tolkien. “I also love bestselling historical authors Amy Harmon and Kate Morton,” she says.

When not working on a manuscript, Danielle loves to be outside. She loves to hike, kayak, and take road trips. She enjoys visiting state parks and historical museums and cemeteries. She admits to loving both dogs and cats and having two “obnoxious cats.” She also admits to being a chocoholic. (No wonder her romances are so sweet!)

Her interests range from thrift shopping to tracing family history and watching football or basketball. College sports are her favorite. Since her grown children are all musical, Danielle enjoys jazz, marching bands, and orchestra concerts. She volunteers for her church and in the community. And of course, Danielle loves to read, especially historical fiction, and watch sci-fi and fantasy movies. NCM

Danielle Thorne describes her books as "Southern happily-ever-afters" and romantic historical adventures.

AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR

KAY BENSON

Bringing the Stories of the Bible to Families

Written by JENNIFER DZIEDZIC

Newnan resident, 73-year-old Kay Benson and her husband Pete, 71, have been married for 50 years. After living around the US, Japan and Singapore, they relocated to Peachtree City with their teenage daughters in 2002 and then to Newnan in 2007.

In her first published book, “Remember and Don’t Forget, Bible Stories for Mom and Me,” Kay wrote, edited, and illustrated with co-author and partner Saundria Keck, who resides in Tennessee. Since there is a distance between them, they would often hold meetings in Chattanooga and use email correspondence.

Kay was on the Mom to Mom Ministry board when she met Keck, who worked for Lifeway Christian Resources. Thus a deep friendship formed along with a shared vision.

After seeing a need for aiding mothers in teaching their children about the Bible, Kay and Keck created the book to help parents and children understand and learn together. Kay says, “I saw the need for ‘Remember and Don’t Forget’ a long time ago.”

“Remember and Don’t Forget” started out of Mom to Mom Ministry, a program that started in Boston where she worked at Grace Chapel, according to Pete.

After their first project, Benson and Keck

also wrote the book “Teach Your Children,” a Bible story book solely distributed to Syrian and Iraqi refugees through an organization called Heart for Lebanon. They ministered to children who had been through wartime trauma. The Lebanese Mission Group requested three curriculums: one was the printed book distributed to students and teachers in Lebanon.

“Kay and Saundria have a lot of Bible knowledge, a lot of teaching knowledge, child development and all that,” Pete says.

Their third project, “The Jesus Story, Because He Still Loves Us,” was created to give parents something simple that any parent could pick up and read as a thread through the Old and the New Testament.

Kay has a background in elementary education and creative arts. Her passion for gardening and time spent living in Japan inspired her striking watercolor and ink artwork. “Being in Japan and learning to do Sumi-E probably influenced me,” she says. Every movement is essential. “That is the theme of The Jesus Story; it is essential,” Kay says. “I’ve always loved color so that was a big inspiration too, and simplicity, and that was brought out in Japan by living there.”

Pete adds, “I do a lot of photography and always have. She was very encouraging to me

to get out and take some shots of this and that and she’d paint from them.”

Kay taught editing for a time at Konos Academy in Tyrone.

Mr. Benson explains: “There are a lot of books out there about Christian themes and all of them are good. It’s just, what Kay’s experience has been is ‘What would you have liked if you were a child or a parent?’ and not, ‘I’m excited about this; let’s put this out.’ It’s more or less about what would your need be if you were in that position. I think that’s what we all try to think about when you’re trying to promote something.” NCM

Photo courtesy of Pete Benson

Kay Benson's inspiration stems from her time in Japan.

AUTHOR KIM CARTER

Award-Winning Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller Novelist

Written by JENNIFER DZIEDZIC

Having grown up in Fairburn, Kim Carter moved to Newnan with her husband Julius seven years ago. Her writing room is adorned with signed photographs and movie memorabilia from Angela Lansbury and actor Ari Lehman, the original young Jason from “Friday the 13th,” among the multitude of macabre decor. A lifesize Michael Myers mannequin leers at Carter from one corner of the room while One-Eyed Willie, the skeleton from the Goonies, sits on an opposite wall, keeping an eye on her writing.

“This is something that my husband had done before he passed away, and I know it’s probably rather creepy to the average person but there’s a lot of really cool stuff in here. I don’t write horror – I’m not a Stephen King or a Dean Koontz,” she explains. “I just love to collect all the cool things. I have a sound machine and I’ll cut the lights off and it’s really inspiring.”

“I think writers are very eclectic, we’re weird people,” she adds. “We write because it’s who we are. It’s what leads us to start fifteen projects at once, even though they may not ever get completed, or even see the light of day.”

Carter says it cracks her up when people ask what she does. “I tell them I’m a writer,” she says. “They always react the same – highly impressed, assuming I am among the less than

one percent of vastly successful, wealthy, and well-known writers.”

Carter started writing in 1999. “It was when an illness left me homebound, that I turned to writing as a form of therapy,” she says. What started with a sentence, a paragraph, and then a couple of pages turned into a book.

“It was my story; it was the beginning of finding myself and retrieving my health,” says Carter.

Friends and neighbors read her first manuscript, that came to them rolled up and held together with rubber bands, and became fully invested in the story and characters. This encouraged her to keep writing. “We all have a story in us. We’re actually living one every day,” she explains.

For her second book, Carter says, “My faithful group came through again and read the book in small sections, rolled up with rubber bands. I had garnered more support by then, especially from my husband, Julius, who was convinced they needed to be published. I’d love to flippantly say, ‘That’s when we were off to the races. But nothing goes as planned. That is one thing of which I’m certain.”

Four books and two publishers later, Carter says her writing career stagnated. “The people who read them seemed to like them, but I wasn’t within reach of a broad audience.”

Losing confidence, writing for deadlines and not for fun, Carter also began experiencing more health problems. “I left several projects incomplete, turned the computer off, and closed my office door. It was no longer therapeutic but too challenging. I was done with writing.” Slipping into depression, Carter says she received a wakeup call from her best friend, Kelly Keylon.

Says Carter, “He said, “‘You’re too good, you’re not going to quit – if I have to get these books out there myself, I’ll do it.’ And he did!”

They revisited her older novels and updated them. Re-inspired, Carter says her hands were soon tapdancing across the keys once again. “My publicist, Catherine Townsend- Lyons, worked day and night for meager wages and we secured the talented Keith Saunders as a cover designer,” she says.

Her seventh and latest release is called “Dark Secrets of the Bayou.” Carter says her eighth book is slated for release in late January, the first in a ‘Clara and Iris’ trilogy.

“Every month Cat (Townsend-Lyons) calls to tell me where my books have been sold, now reaching places I’ve never even visited, the U.K., Canada, Australia, even Japan and Spain,” says Carter, who always loved murder mysteries, going back to her high school days, watching “Murder She Wrote” with her family. Reading various mystery authors helped her develop her own writing style.

Previous educator and close friend Juli Simpson has also been instrumental in helping Carter with her writing and ideas. “So many times I will paint myself into a corner and then I’m like, how am I feasibly going to get out of this where it’s believable?”

Carter never knows what will inspire her with an idea for a book.

“It may be a place that’s both beautiful and creepy, or it may be just something that a person says that triggers me,” she says. “I’ve been to the morgue, the medical examiner’s office, cemeteries in the middle of the night, just all kinds of places that really inspire me. Woody Harrelson’s father, Charles Harrelson, and I became great penpals when he was in a supermax (prison) in Florence, Colorado.” She also reaches out to people at the GBI, Atlanta police department, and various homicide departments.

Carter’s advice to other writers is simple: “I think the key is having your own place to write, surrounded by things that inspire you. Having your own space where you can close it off is really instrumental.” NCM

Kim Carter says she never knows what will inspire her.

Photo by or courtesy of Kim Carter

AUTHOR JOE MACNABB

Small-town Culture, Big-time Thrillers

Written by BLUE COLE

Photographed by BETH NEELY

Since the publication of “The Closet,” retired judge and Coweta native Joe MacNabb hasn’t slowed down – he’s finished a second novel, “The Shed,” which takes place in Catalpa, Ga., the setting of his debut novel.

“The Shed” centers around a writer who’s recently moved to Catalpa, and buys a property with a history. His second novel is currently making the rounds of the finer publishing houses in New York as his agent searches for the perfect publisher.

He’s hard at work on his next novel, writing in the early morning.

“My father always said ‘early morning is the jewel of the day,’ and I’d have to agree. I’ll write for about four hours in the morning, and a couple after lunch,” he says, but concedes, “Most of my words slow down by then.”

MacNabb’s wife, Patty, a retired English teacher, helps him with the initial edits. “‘The Closet’ went through five rounds of rewrites,” MacNabb says.

Tall and lean, MacNabb speaks in a classical Southern cadence. “My mother wanted me to be a preacher when I grew up,” he says, noting that his great grandfather, who lived beside him, was a retired Methodist minister. “As a teenager, I was actually a lay preacher with the Methodist church

and would fill in for ministers who were sick or unavailable.”

He says he finds comfort in writing minister characters.

Writing has always been a family affair for the MacNabbs. In the 1930s, his father, George, ran The Newnan Herald, one of three newspapers in Coweta County, and later became a speechwriter in South Carolina. His mother, Ella, worked for 30 years with The Newnan Times-Herald, doing everything from bookkeeping to editing the Society pages.

Growing up just a block or so away from Newnan’s Court Square provided plenty of interesting characters to draw from. “I could walk to the (Carnegie) library,” he said, and reading mysteries had him hooked at an early age.

“I have a reflection of Newnan in my mind,” he says. “It’s the Newnan that existed 30, 40 years ago, but it’s a starting point.”

Writing isn’t always about putting words on paper, and MacNabb says he enjoys reading Joe Nesbo (Detective Harry Hole series), David Handler (The Cold Blue Blood series), and Michael Connelly (Detective Harry Bosche & others). Most recently, he read “East of Eden,” the seminal classic by John Steinbeck. He tends to write in his office, “but sometimes I’ll move out to the back porch,” he says. Butter, his tan, 3-year-

old

“I enjoy writing. I can get lost in the world of my book and characters,” he says.

Writing three novels over the last few years has taught McNabb several things about the publishing industry, including “gracefully accepting rejection, even if it’s a one-line form letter.”

Other skills that have grown as he’s written include pacing himself and “writing better, more succinctly.”

For aspiring writers, he points to “On Writing” by

horror master Stephen King. “It had a big impact. It’s a book every writer should read.”

Another lesson, one shared by other writers, is publicity. “The publisher might publish it, but that doesn’t mean they’ll market it,” MacNabb says. “Don’t write if you want to be rich,” he adds.

His work certainly adds to the tapestry of local writers.

“We sure do seem to have plenty of them,” he says, and he’s right. Coweta’s rich stories are told in many ways, both by those who are native and newly arrived. NCM

Butter the cockapoo, right, supervises Joe MacNabb on the back porch while he writes.

Photo by Beth Neely

cockapoo, often supervises from a sunny spot on the floor.

AUTHOR DR. WATSON E. MILLS

The Author, the Teacher, the Preacher

Written by KANDICE BELL

Dr. Watson E. Mills is an accomplished father, author/ writer, educator, minister, friend and traveler. He has written nearly 150 books and more than 1,000 articles and reviews in professional journals and reference works.

Mills has been sharing his experiences and wisdom with the Coweta community in his “Off the Beaten Path” column and occasional Bible Series in the weekend edition of The Newnan Times-Herald.

Born in Martinsville, Va., Mills was one amongst four children. His father worked at a defense plant in Virginia and then later opened his own life insurance agency. Mills’ mother had a college degree and taught for a while, but stopped teaching to be a homemaker, although Mills said she occasionally taught piano lessons.

Mills studied at the University of Richmond. When he graduated in June of 1961, he decided to go into seminary at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.

“I had every intention of preparing myself for the parish ministry,” Mills says. “Like most every other student at the seminary, I dreaded the required courses in Biblical languages. To my utter amazement, my experience with Greek was both so exhilarating and enlighting for me that I immediately signed up for several elective courses.”

Mills says his professor took note of him and let him assist with grading papers and teaching classes.

Mills says his interest in the Greek language continued when he began teaching full time as an assistant professor at Averett University in Danville, Kentucky, in 1968.

In 1979, he was appointed to the faculty of Mercer University.

While at Mercer, Dr. R. Kirby Godsey, then-president of Mercer University, asked Mills to spearhead the startup of the Mercer University Press. It was there he published a textbook titled, “New Testament Greek: An Introductory Grammar.”

In 1982, Godsey appointed Mills as the vice president for research and publication, where he served until 1991.

Godsey said he admired Mills’s work ethic. He said with Mills’s interest in writing, he would be perfect for the job.

“It was delightful to work with him,” Godsey says. “He encouraged people to write.”

Mills said soon after his first faculty appointment in 1968, he began to submit book reviews for publications in professional journals.

“After some initial rejections, I began to produce these on a regular basis. My big break came in 1972 when a revision of my doctoral dissertation was published. Not long after that, I was invited to write Sunday school lesson quarterlies. In 1974, I wrote another book that grew out of my doctoral dissertation and it later appeared as a Book of the Month selection in the ‘Religious Book Club.’”

Also in 1974, he initiated a journal to be published by the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion and served as its editor for 19 years. The journal, “Perspectives in Religious Studies,” continues today as a respected international journal aimed to support academics who teach in the area of religion.

Mills didn’t stop there. In 1985, he was appointed as the executive-secretary of the Council of Societies for the Study of Religion. “This appointment brought with it numerous opportunities for writing and editing,” Mills

says. “I also served as managing editor of its central publication, ‘Religious Studies Review.’”

Mills taught a total of 34 years, mainly at the college level.

While teaching university students was rewarding, he found himself missing the opportunity to serve in the pulpit.

“Late one afternoon in July of 1980, I was working in my office at the University when a phone call came in requesting someone to supply the pulpit at Sharpsburg Baptist Church,” Mills said.

He would end up serving for the next 27-plus years, commuting from Macon every Sunday morning.

“When I took phased retirement from the University in 1995 and my teaching load was cut in half, I moved to Sharpsburg and reversed my direction and began commuting to the University two days a week until my retirement from Mercer in 2002,” Mills said.

Mills served at Sharpsburg Baptist until June of 2008. He was recognized as pastor emeritus upon his retirement and still occasionally preaches.

“He had, and still has, a beautiful style to his sermons as they conveyed truths and life lessons and the gift that salvation really is,” Beth Clough says. “His style was and is a welcome and positive shift from the ‘hellfire and brimstone’ style, which never ‘filled my tank,’ so to speak.”

Cleve Kiser worked with Mills at the Southern Baptist Convention.

“People of all ages, cultures, men, women, were included.” he said. “Women became deacons and teachers at a time when the Southern Baptist Convention excluded women from these functions. Mills was clearly recognized as a skilled teacher and relevant preacher of the word. He met congregants in their homes and hospitals as their life situation demanded. He simply met people where they were.”

After retiring from Sharpsburg Baptist Church, Mills began traveling extensively, making about 60 overseas trips in the first eight years.

In addition to traveling, Mills said he also enjoys reading things that are not related to his sermons. In 2017, he started writing columns about his travels for a newspaper in Fayette County. In 2021, he began his “Off the Beaten Path” series, highlighting his travel experiences.

“I have enjoyed continuing my hobbies of coin and stamp collecting,” he says. “Perhaps, best of all, my retirement has afforded me more time to spend with my son and grandchildren. He is a lawyer in Atlanta and my two granddaughters are both at Auburn University, one a junior and the other a freshman.”

Mills will be 84 years old in August. He still works out twice a week and, of course, writes regularly. NCM

Dr. Watson E. Mills holds one book he's written while standing at a bookcase filled with other books he's penned.

Photo by or courtesy of Dr. Watson E. Mills

Dera Frances White Won’t Die Alone

Written by JENNY ENDERLIN

Though Dera Frances White studied experimental video and photography at the Atlanta College of Art (now Savannah College of Art and Design), the Newnanite does not limit herself to one type of expression. She has embarked on a multitude of projects ranging from interior decorating to the noteworthy year-long photo venture, “You are my Wild,” in which she participated alongside 11 other artists. Since then, she has turned her attention to writing, a medium she says she finds healing.

“I like expression in all its forms, which is why I tend to jump from medium to medium. I’ve gone through so many phases: painting, drawing, fibers, papiermâché, photography, experimental sound, film and video, and writing,” she explains. As a result, her expertly curated mid-century home reflects a love for any artistic manifestation and exudes warmth and creativity.

White hails from a family of artists – her mother, father, husband, and brother all graduated from top art schools across the country and make their living as professional artists. A recent collaboration between her and her brother Joe Bennett, who lives in California, yielded a graphic novel titled, “I Will Not Die Alone.” The story pokes at insecurities in a lighthearted fashion while simultaneously offering encouragement. Although White has written in various other capacities, this is the artist’s debut as a book author.

Raised on 25 acres in a remote cabin built by her parents in Fairburn, White jokes that with no cable television or neighborhood kids nearby, it was “fertile ground for breeding creativity – and existential crises!”

“Neither of us is good at small talk,” she laughs, describing her and her brother’s quirky personalities. “I tend to go to the deepest, darkest places right off the bat. It’s not always great for dinner parties, but it made writing a book great fun! Growing up, we did an amazing job embodying the archetypal annoying little brother and petulant older sister. Sadly, I don’t think I realized how talented he was until he came home from college for the first time and showed the family his portfolio. I had no idea he was so good!”

The book emerged after Bennett’s success illustrating comedian Joe Pera’s bestseller, “A Bathroom Book for People Not Pooping or Peeing but Using the Bathroom as An Escape.” His publisher asked for more and Bennett approached his big sister and said, “You write. Will you write this book with me?”

“I jumped at the opportunity,” says White. “I loved working with him. We found a flow state that worked: I’d write the text for the next page, pass it off to him, and he’d read my mind and deliver some excellent images to accompany it. I’d write another book with him in a heartbeat.”

Through a series of one-line self-affirmations juxtaposed with amusing illustrations, White artfully teases out an unexpected storyline peppered with pop culture references. The “existential comedy,” as she calls it, explores how people cope when they find out they only have a few days remaining. Despite tackling such an unwieldy topic, “I Will Not Die Alone” is a delightful, easy read.

“At first glance, it reads only as a guidebook or self-help book. It’s fun watching people get to the halfway point and then seeing the lightbulb go off, like ‘Oh, I get it now!’ I like that they're not expecting a plotline, especially not one that ends the way it does. It was fun being a little sneaky,” she admits. “We arrived at the idea via our ability to make people a little uncomfortable with existential talk. It’s very ‘us.’”

As for whom White would want to spend her final moments with, she says her friends and family – and especially, of course, her brother Joe. NCM

Dera Frances White credits growing up in a remote cabin for her creativity and interesting small talk at dinner parties.

Photo courtesy of Dera Frances White

MARCH 30 - APRIL 27

DEPOT ON BRADLEY I CARROLLTON, GA

For a limited time, come and experience DaVinci’s Last Supper. The interactive exhibit is comprised of individual installations and a full-size reproduction of the High Renaissance classic, The Last Supper. The exhibit includes an audio accompaniment, in both English and Spanish, that walks through the creative choices that gave rise to DaVinci’s poignant recreation of Christ’s final meal with his apostles and the announcement of his betrayal.

Tickets are $20 for adults with reduced pricing for youth and large groups

carrolltonarts.com/thelastsupper

A Novel Idea

Written by FRANCES KIDD Photos Courtesy of SUSAN CRUTCHFIELD

Author Mike Brown decided to return to school after retiring from a career in the air cargo industry. He enrolled in the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and for a decade he worked as a pastor, a teacher and a coach.

Writing as T.M. Brown, he published his first book, “Sanctuary, A Legacy of Memories,” in January of 2018. That work was the beginning of his Shiloh Mystery Series, inspired by memories of his Southern childhood. Brown created the fictional rural town of Shiloh and its cast of memorable characters based on his own childhood experiences along with the stories passed along through his family.

Writing is often seen as a lonely business. There’s usually just a person and a laptop or pad and pencil. Even successful authors like Ernest Hemingway experienced the isolation. He wrote “Writing, at its best, is a lonely life. Organizations for writers palliate the writer's loneliness but I doubt if they improve his writing …”

As Brown began looking for a writing community, he found himself driving all the way to the north side of Atlanta to book and writers events. Seeing the need for something more local, he started setting up author events

every other month at Rogers Bar-B-Que in Hogansville starting in the fall of 2018. That was the beginning of the Hometown Novel Writers Association (HNWA).

In June 2019, the HNWA developed a new partner when the Carnegie Library in Newnan began co-hosting “Hometown Novel Nights,” featuring local writers. That relationship has continued to develop and expand the reach of the HNWA. According to Carnegie Director Susan Crutchfield, “We were very excited for this program because it was a terrific way for local authors to come together and talk about their craft and their books.”

Hometown Novel Nights at the Carnegie were the perfect way to introduce local audiences to local authors south of Atlanta, which is one of the goals of the Hometown Novel Writers Association.

Crutchfield added, “We continued to host them every other month until early 2020 when Covid-19 hit.” After that, they switched to virtual events, which, Crutchfield says, “… gave us a unique opportunity to have people from other states join the fun.” She added, “This also allowed us to record the programs for posterity.” The recordings are available on the Carnegie’s YouTube channel.

Hometown Novel Writer Association founder T.M. Brown, left, leads a Hometown Novel Night in 2018. Presenters are, from left, Angie Gallion, Paul Sinor and Toby Nix.

The every-other-month author nights resumed in person in May 2021. Crutchfield says, “The crowds have remained steady and it’s a delight to see a lot of the same people come to each program.”

Sharpsburg Mayor and author Blue Cole, one of the early writers to join Brown’s efforts, says, “Given Coweta's history with storytellers – and not just writers, but storytellers, famous and infamous – it’s natural that such a group would coalesce. It's natural for writers to come together. As much as we appear introverts, we're starved for attention and sometimes like to talk and complain.”

Brown is delighted that the HNWA now offers a variety of things to help aspiring writers: mini workshops, in-person writing groups, a virtual critique group, author appearances and book signings, and author panels and roundtables.

Jenny Jones’s Corner Arts Gallery, Studio & Gift Shop has become another important partner with the HNWA. Jones sells books by Georgia authors in her shop and often hosts local authors on Friday and Saturday. “It’s a good mix of very local authors and more experienced authors,” Brown says. Jones also hosts Writers Helping Writers, a weekly meeting of creative-minded people seeking to write their story. The meetings offer regular discussions on relevant writing, publishing, and book promotion topics. The meetings welcome writers of all stages.

Cole adds, “What I like is how the group has changed over the years to meet the need. At first, we met to sell books and talk about writing. Then we started talking about writing more and doing more educational stuff. We're also starting to engage with studentssending them to writers conventions, saving money for scholarships, etc.”

Brown’s proudest accomplishment after seeing the Hometown Novel Writers Association’s growth was the success of the 2022 inaugural Sharpsburg Book Fair.

In February 2022, Cole proposed the idea for the Sharpsburg Book Fair. The town of Sharpsburg was the host and sponsored the music for the day. “Fortyone authors paid for tables and welcomed an audience of between 250 and 300 people, many of whom purchased books,” Brown says. Part of the proceeds goes to scholarships for high school seniors to go to the Atlanta Writers Conference; the event also supports the Sharpsburg Old Town Library on Terrentine Road.

Mayor Cole was excited about the success of the event and is helping get the word out about the upcoming second edition. “The 2023 book fair will take place on August 26, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.” Cole says, “I love to bring people to Sharpsburg and to bring writers and readers together. It makes a perfect Saturday morning or early afternoon. We'd like to invite everyone down.”

What’s next for the Hometown Novel Writer’s Association?

Building on the success of the Sharpsburg Book Fair is a primary goal. “In 2023,” Brown says, “we’re not only gonna get bigger, we’re gonna get better.”

Continuing and expanding the success of the Hometown Novel Writers Association and its events is another goal. The group has already experienced growth. Says Cole, “It's been organic. It's grown slowly but steadily, and each writer that's involved tells one or two others. Most of that is due to Mike steadily pushing the organization forward, but part of it is he has cut such a wide path. Beginner? Romance? Self Help? Paranormal? Biography? He's welcomed them all.”

As for Brown, his fourth book, a historical novel, “The Last Laird of Sapelo,” is set for publication by Koehler Books in summer 2023. In addition, readers can follow Brown’s “Southern Ponderings” on his website. NCM

Guests at Hometown Novel Nights purchase books penned by local authors.

Local author Angie Gallion under a presentation at a Hometown Novel Nights event.

Book Club Fun for Everyone

Written by CAROLINE NICHOLSON

In Da (Book) Club

Hillary Moore Christy is a founding member of a book club uniquely named “Da Book Club” often referred to as just DBC.

She says the 12 members all met and got together about eight years ago. “We meet every other month and talk about a book," she says. "It’s just intentional friendship and camaraderie and community; that was our goal from the beginning. We met all different ways. Some of us met through work and some of us came from church..”

The members all take turns hosting the group. But when it comes to picking out which book to read, DBC has a unique way.

“We wanted to encourage each other to read different genres and different things. So, we have a jar where we put strips of paper with our recommendations on what the next month’s book should be,” says Christy. “At the end of each meeting, we draw our next book out of the jar.”

This means that as a group, the DBC has read a wide variety of books, many of which they never would have read or even heard of if it wasn’t for the book club.

What started as a way for them to build friendships and bond over their shared love of books has grown beyond any of their wildest dreams. The group now takes annual vacations together.

This tradition started about five years ago; they’ve been to the mountains, to Savannah, and to the beach. These trips are ways for them to bond with one another, but it’s also a time to get away from the responsibilities of everyday life.

“It’s fun, and there are lots of secrets to share,” Christy confesses. “We cry a lot, but we laugh a whole lot more.”

While there are numerous book clubs across Coweta County, we highlight just a few.

TOP AND ABOVE

Members of Da Book Club enjoy vacationing together on an annual trip.

ReSisters Book Club

In 2019, fueled by a desire to discuss her favorite thing, books, with some of her favorite people, Katie Kinney Anderson started the ReSisters Book Club. In the beginning, the book club started as a way to explore books focused mainly on women and the issues they face. Since then, the group’s reads have evolved, but their purpose remains the same.

Anderson answered the following questions about the ReSisters Book Club:

Q: How would you describe the club and its members?

A: It's a big group of friends that started talking about books and decided to make it official and create a book club. All of the members are really into reading and committed to talking about what they read and sharing their thoughts.

Q: What type of books does the ReSisters Book Club read?

A: We started with books that had women as the primary characters and that focused on issues women face, but since then we have branched out into all different genres. Now, we just read whatever is

A Mutually Beneficial Relationship

With so many book clubs in the Coweta area, a mutually beneficial relationship has formed between the clubs and the local bookstores.

Theresa Decker, the owner of Senoia’s Book Love, started a book club at her shop this year called the Explore the Genres Book Club. She started this club because she says every bookshop should have a book club. But beyond having its own book club, the shop also hosts book clubs and offers a discount to all clubs that register through the shop.

Owner of the Newnan Book Company, Laura Meredith also started a book club while opening her

Book Club with Lola

recommended by the club.

Q: What are some of your favorite titles that the club has read?

A: The first book we read as a club was “Pachinko,” which was a humongous book, but it was such a wonderful and rich book.

We also read “Cloud Cuckoo Land,” which was a really different kind of book that sparked a great discussion among the group. We read Kamala Harris’s memoir, “The Truths We Hold,” in an effort to read more from female authors of color to give a more rounded perspective.

store, and it has been an excellent way for her to make connections with local readers.

But as the number of book clubs increases, it can be difficult to identify just one to join. Hoping to help connect people with local book clubs, Elaine Leighton Matlock created the Senoia and Neighbors Book Club Facebook group. Since starting the group in 2021, six book clubs have been established and showcased on the Facebook page. Anyone looking to join a book club or just talk about books can join the Facebook group, and new book clubs are always welcome. NCM

While a lot of the book clubs in the Coweta area are geared toward adults, the Newnan Carnegie library hosts a book club that caters specifically to children. Lola, the sweet and relaxed host of this book club, is not your average host. With furry white hair and kind black eyes, Lola inspires kids to read more and calms reading-related nerves. Lola, a professionally trained and registered therapy dog, has been meeting with elementary and middle school children for about six years. Ms. Pam, Lola’s handler, has witnessed the book club’s impact firsthand, sharing that kids who have come in reading below their age level read many grades above their level by the end of the year. She also has implemented book challenges to encourage the kids to read more, setting book goals specialized to each child. Proudly, Ms. Pam shared that afterthe most recent book challenge ended, all of the kids read over their goal by around fifty percent. Book Club with Lola is a safe space for children who struggle to read and a place where many kids discover their passion to read.

The ReSisters Book Club meeting in November 2022 featured books and treats.

Lola promotes reading with children.

Book Hunting in Coweta

Written and Photographed by CAROLINE NICHOLSON

Whether tucked in the back left corner of a thrift store or filling floor-toceiling shelves in a bookstore, books are everywhere, sometimes in places you’d least expect them. With an ever-growing community of readers in Coweta County, reflected by the sheer number of book clubs in the county, the hobby of book hunting is growing. In Coweta County, there are tried and true stores where readers can buy books, but there are also places where books hide, waiting for a clever scavenger to seek them out.

THE OBVIOUS

Sometimes the easiest option is the right one; there are a lot of stores in the Coweta area that come to mind when searching for books.. There are, of course, national bookstore chains. But for readers looking for a more curated collection, Senoia and Newnan’s independent bookstores are new gems in Coweta.

Laura Meredith, owner of the Newnan Book Company, which opened its doors in April of 2022, spoke on her place in the book reading community. Not

only does she host a monthly book club to serve local book fanatics, but she is also the first point of contact for many looking for suggestions. “The majority of customers come in looking to talk about things they’ve read,” says Meredith. “That’s awesome for me because it helps me curate the collection. But yes, when people walk into an independent bookstore, they are looking for recommendations or what’s new.”

Meredith also offers blind dates with books. She wraps the books so that the buyer can’t see what book it is and writes a short description on the wrapping paper. This is a great way for readers to discover new books and read something they might not have before, and it makes buying books more exciting.

Theresa Decker, owner of Senoia’s Book Love, which aptly opened its doors on Valentine’s Day of 2022, shared Meredith’s sentiment, saying that some of her customers rely on her to select books for them to read. Book Love also celebrates New Release Tuesday, which is a sort of holiday within the book-lover community. All new books are released on Tuesdays; Decker highlights these new books weekly with a table in the front of the shop.

Blind Date with a Book is offered at Newnan Book Company.

HIDDEN GEMS

For readers on a budget, bargain book hunting can morph into a scavenger hunt at times, but there are plenty of discounted books to be found in Coweta County. To start, just as Goodwill is a great start when looking for secondhand clothes or furniture, it's also a great place to find cheap books. Goodwill doesn’t always have the largest selection, but every once in a while they have the exact book you are looking for at a great price.

When it comes to thrift stores, the Salvation Army Newnan Service Center offers multiple shelves of used books for less than a dollar. On top of that, their books are often on sale for only a quarter each.

The A. Mitchell Powell Jr. Library in Newnan also showcases a collection of used, inexpensive books for sale at the front of the library.

Corner Arts Gallery and Studio in downtown Newnan is a hotspot for books by local authors. On bookshelves in the back of the store, behind all the charming arts and crafts for sale, Jenny Jones, owner of the Corner Arts Gallery and Studio proudly displays an array of books written by authors local to Coweta County. Her shop is a must-stop when looking to support locals.

So whether book hunting on a budget or just looking for your next read, Coweta County has an abundance of places to begin your search. NCM

Little Free Libraries

Over 93 million Americans read at or below the basic reading level needed to contribute to society, and 20% of Americans are below the reading level required to earn a livable wage, according to the Reading is Fundamental website. This has caused a literacy crisis in the United States. Improving literacy can be as simple as putting books in children’s hands. However, for those living in poverty, owning books is a luxury often sacrificed in order to pay for basic needs. Fueled by these facts, Little Free Library was established in 2010. Little Free Libraries are book-sharing boxes that don’t cost anything for the readers; anyone can take or donate books. Thanks to this program, children who would otherwise not have access to books are now exposed to easily accessible, free books. By 2022, twelve years after its establishment, there were 150,000 registered libraries in over 115 countries. In Coweta county alone, there are over 21 Little Free Libraries serving Newnan, Senoia, Sharpsburg, and Grantville children. So, whether you are book hunting or looking to donate, a Little Free Library is a good place to stop.

Senoia Shenanigans

CELEBRATING ST. PATRICK'S DAY

KENNEDY

Senoia is gearing up to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in a big way with green beer, Irish dancers, and blarney to spare.

The fun gets underway on Friday, March 17. Music begins behind Maguire's Irish Pub at noon, followed by various entertainment throughout the day, including a performance by the Senoia Stepettes at 5:30 p.m. Beer tents and food trucks will be onsite all day, along with family-friendly entertainment including a kids play zone, cornhole and more. NCM

Downtown Senoia was the site of St. Patrick's Day events last year that included spirited Irish dancing.

Written and Photographed by JACKIE

Festivities around town offer fun for all ages, including Traci McDearmid and her grandchildren Katie and Kylie,

Throughout Senoia, St. Paddy's Day decorations welcome residents and visitors to the annual March celebration.

Cloverleafs and green attire make a fashion statement at Senoia's St. Patrick's Day Celebration.

Photo by Terry Edwards

The Newnan Carnegie Library saw a huge crowd at last fall's Munchkin Masquerade, where the Carnegie Foundation handed out free books to every child who came Trick-or-Treating.

The Newnan Carnegie Library Foundation

Written by NEIL MONROE

SUSAN CRUTCHFIELD

With a 122-year heritage of service to Newnan and Coweta County, the Newnan Carnegie Library has a unique place in the fabric of our community. Even with that long history, the future of the facility has never been more vibrant.

Strengthened by the ongoing support of the Newnan Carnegie Library Foundation, the library continues to meet the demands of a highly connected, internet-driven society through a diverse combination of programs, seminars, and activities for young and old alike.

Photos Courtesy of

Carnegie Foundation Board members David Farmer, Katie Brady and Gail Zoeller got into the fun handing out books during the 2022 Munchkin Masquerade.

For example, there are book clubs, financial planning workshops, yoga, exercise classes, even programs for meditation and crocheting. There’s a lunch and learn program, hosted by Foundation member Lawrence Reed, that offers presentations from noted authors. And the highly popular Southern Litfest returned last fall.

In the summer, programs for kids include magicians, puppeteers, literacy, cooking, and even a petting zoo. Both the foundation and the Newnan Kiwanis club help sponsor these summer programs, which typically enroll more than 1,500 participants.

According to both Foundation President Michael Scott and Library Director Susan Crutchfield, the library has become a community center with a strong civic presence. This approach has been essential in a world where access to instantaneous data and information has usurped a key historical purpose for all libraries.

“The role of the library is changing rapidly. This variety of programs is essential to success, and it’s important to continue to reach out in the community to people who can realize real value from the library, such as families who home school,” Scott says. “My vision for the foundation is to support the library as a place where ideas are paramount, where we learn together, discuss ideas together, where we bring the community together to understand the challenges of today.”

The Newnan Carnegie Library Foundation provides approximately $100,000 annually to the library in support of summer youth programs operated by the library and programs conduction by the foundation, a 501(c) (3) organization.

As library director, Crutchfield is charged with guiding the facility through the challenges of today’s connected world. She’s proud of the programs the library brings to the community but says the traditional role of a library – books and information – remains an important part of their work.

“The internet hasn’t pivoted the library as you might think,” she said. “For example, we ventured into loaning e-books, thinking there would be interest in those. We tried it for a year. We loaned two. So we discontinued those, but we continue to loan lots of physical books. And we have a presence on YouTube and our website, and if meaningful opportunities arise online, we will take advantage of them. We are an information hub. We also have online access for our users, either with our computers or through WiFi.”

“We’re working hard to create an increasingly valuable community resource here.”

– Susan Crutchfield

Participants in the 2022 Southern LitFest browse tables with books being signed by local authors at the Historic Train Depot.

Dancers from Newnan's Steppin' Out Dance Studio perform in front of the Historic Courthouse during the 2022 Southern LitFest.

One unique quality of the library’s book program: there is no return date when someone checks out a book. Crutchfield says most patrons are honest and there is little issue with books being returned.

So, how is the building itself, now 122 years old, holding up? Very well, Crutchfield says.

In 1987, the library was closed when a new facility was built on Hospital Road, and the building became an extra courtroom for the county courthouse. When a new courthouse was built, the library became vacant, generating a near-immediate civic push to restore and reopen the library. That officially happened in 2009.

“There’s not much of the original structure left,” Crutchfield says. “Two fireplaces, a stairway and some support beams are here. But it’s a wonderful building, and we’re working hard to create an increasingly valuable community resource here.” NCM

Brian Robinson and Tharon Johnson of “Political Breakfast” talked about the Nov. 8 election at a Lunch and Learn event last October at the Carnegie Library.

The Foundation presented author Will Leitch as part of the Edgar B. Hollis Distinguished Author Series.

The Wizard of Oz's Dorothy and Tin Man pause for a smile after receiving books from the Foundation during last fall's Munchkin Masquerade.

Garden Poems

Written by C.R. PHILLIPS

#1

When I step out beyond my door

And see what nature holds

The oak leaf hydrangea bent with heavy bloom

The long-spent azalea awaiting the pruner's knife

There in the straw the wood sorrel

creeping in the dust

Ignoring all the rest of concern

Awaiting only perhaps a glint of sun

A few drops of water

It will outlast us all

Pull it up if you must

And back it comes

Tomorrow and tomorrow

World without end

Indeed

#2

The soil is hard and difficult

And red

Giving way with effort

Pick and shovel

Planting

One in 15 minutes

Four in an hour

Plus heat

Humidity

Sweat in streams

Rain gives a day’s reprieve

But only one

We love these gardens so That we become miners

Of the earth

#3

There are fairies in my garden

2 spots, skippers, tigers, more Gossamer wings

Of colored hews

Yellows, blacks, orange, blues

Flitting, Floating Found

Drinking nectar

There are fairies in my garden

Look for blossoms

Yellow, red

Then you’ll see them

There and there

#4

I read a story

About a leaf

Tips brown all round

From water

More or less

Curled edges

Holds a nest

A spotted rash

Disease and Miners too

The rest still green

And hard attached

There’s work as yet to do

C.R. Phillips lives in Newnan. He is an avid volunteer and writes poetry. Regarding weeds, he observes: "John Ruskin wrote in1874: 'A weed is a plant in the wrong place.' So, that's where we get that. However, he goes on to say: 'A weed is a vegetable with an innate disposition to get in the wrong place... It is not venomous or ugly, but it's being impertinent, thrusting itself where it has no business. That makes a weed of it.' Rather astute, I'd say."

The Heart Tree

Written by KARL McMICHAEL

Wading through beams of morning sun

I search the creek below Hints from yesteryear calling….. Whispers float in morning glow.

Creek or Cherokee, who last was here?

Who left this place of wonder

On the lonesome Trail of Tears?

I’m drawn into the forest floor.

Desire to know, to go explore

When a wondrous thing I see….

An ancient giant on its own

A simple, heart shaped tree.

If only it could speak to me

What would it have to say?

Did those before me cause it

To forever look this way?

Hollowed out completely

Yet very much alive

Its heart a sign or marker

Waiting for friends to arrive?

How I wish the tree could speak

My thoughts are lost it seems

Lost among its branches

Lost in morning sunbeams.

I close my eyes and ponder

Of those who came before

Of how they lived and laughed and loved

Here on this forest floor.

This tree was young when they were here

I’m sure its rings would tell

More than a hundred years gone by –

Thankful it never fell.

Speak to me my heart shaped friend

Speak to my spirit and sing

Sing the songs of Cherokee

Their cries in forest ring.

Pretend its only yesteryear

And you a tiny thing

The forest clean, its floors pristine

Their cries in forest ring.

I sit a while near this massive heart of oak

And ponder the meaning of it all

I’m lost in moments of space and time

Around this tree so tall.

Until it’s time to leave

To go back to my world

And leave the heart behind me

Its bark rough and knurled.

I know where you are now

My tall and heart shaped tree

I’ll come again and visit

When the whispers call to me.

Karl McMichael is a lifelong resident of Newnan and a writer who has published four books.

MELISSA JACKSON:

Portrait of an Artist

Written by AARON OGLESBEE | Photographed by REBECCA LEFTWICH

You might know Melissa Jackson as a published poet and author of two anthologies, or you might have encountered her work in feature writing. You may have even sat in one of her writing or literature classes at the University of West Georgia. But you likely have yet to meet Melissa Jackson, the artist.

It might be surprising to learn she holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Auburn University as well as a master’s degree in Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. During her tenure in New York, she produced and sold works of her own as well as other artists in galleries and exhibitions. And though her reputation in our community is that of a writer or teacher, she is, and always has been, an artist.

While she enjoys painting in a broad range of genres – her abstract work in form, colors, and shapes can be seen in venues such as the Serenbe Showhouse – her passion is portraiture. Given her career in English and literature education, it’s not surprising that she particularly enjoys painting literary figures.

“Painting them is just another way that I can absorb, appreciate, and share the remarkable work they did and celebrate the ways they inform culture and enrich our lives,” explains Jackson.

But as anyone who attempts it will tell you, facial anatomy is notoriously difficult to paint. In recognizing and distinguishing friends, family, and loves from strangers, our brains are hard-wired to note the finest distinctions. As even the most casual observer will agree, in portraiture, “close” is not close enough. Portraying the proportions and details of the human face requires mathematical precision. There are wonderful painters of landscapes who choose not to attempt portraiture simply because they find it too difficult to guide the palette and brush in finding an accurate likeness.

A portrait, though, is more than precision. A reasonably good portrait is precise. A wonderful portrait reveals some of the feelings, thoughts, and emotions of the subject, and Jackson tries to capture these qualities in her paintings.

Melissa Jackson with portraits from her most recent collections.

“So far I’ve done portraits of Frederick Douglass, Flannery O'Connor, and Kurt Vonnegut,” says Jackson. “I’m working now on paintings of John Steinbeck, Zora Neal Hurston, and Shirley Jackson. I’d love to paint Octavia Butler, too. She was just so cool… and Philip K. Dick; he was such a bizarre character!”

Of the portraits she’s painted, one particularly, that of Flannery O’Connor, has special significance to Jackson. During her years as a student at Auburn, she was especially influenced by English professor Robert Overstreet. His influence was so important, in fact, that her oldest son is named in his honor.

“My teaching is largely informed by him,” says Jackson. “I try to extend the patience and faith he had in me to my students.”

As O’Connor, a noted author from Milledgeville, was a favorite of Overstreet’s, Jackson’s portrait of her is not only in memory of the author but also in honor of an educator and mentor who so influenced her life and career.

As an educator herself, Jackson’s efforts in transferring some of her passion for the literary greats to her students has contributed to her enthusiasm for portraiture.

“Since I teach American Literature,” Jackson says, “I revisit my favorite authors each semester with a new group of students. People like Flannery O’Connor, Kurt Vonnegut, and Zora Neale Hurston feel like part of a family tree that I get to introduce to eager new cousins. Since I share their biographies and stories every semester, I’ve come to love them like grandparents who left mysterious journals behind. I feel compelled to paint them if for no other reason than to spend a little more time with their faces. It’s another way of remembering.”

A related niche of “remembrance” painting that Jackson finds satisfying is memorial portraiture. In this style, Jackson creates a portrait of a departed loved one from a recent or vintage photograph. The aim in the painting is not just to show the person in a specific moment of time, but to allow their character and personality to emerge; to look at the portrait is to enjoy a visit with someone you love, whose face you know as well as your own.

Another of Jackson’s more recent efforts involves creating portraits which capture the power of women in the prosaic. This effort, the Warrior Woman project, invites women in the community to allow Jackson to paint them unadorned or, one might say, in the most honest representation least appealing to one’s vanity. As Jackson puts it, “imagine climbing out of bed at six o’clock in the morning and immediately sitting for a portrait.” As opposed to a candid shot that might capture one in an inconvenient moment, it is an act of intentional exposure and confidence. To some this might seem spectacularly unappealing, but several women have accepted this empowering challenge.

If you’re interested in seeing some of Jackson’s portraits – literary, memorial, or Warrior Woman – as well as her work in other styles, you’ll have the opportunity to do so when some of her pieces are displayed at the Boyd Gallery in Newnan in March as well as at the Sharpsburg Community Center in April. NCM

The Warrior Woman project aims to capture authentic portraits of confident women in the community.

“Imagine climbing out of bed at six o’clock in the morning and immediately sitting for a portrait.”

– Melissa Jackson

A Garden in Recovery

Written by DONNA DIETZ and DALE SENKO | Photos Courtesy

DAN DIETZ

The EF4 tornado that made its way through downtown Newnan and other parts of Coweta County in 2021 was brutal in its destruction of homes. Many homes and businesses experienced massive structural damage and, two years later, are still recovering. The centuries-old tree canopy within the path of the tornado is gone forever.

One of the historic homes along Greenville Street escaped some structural damage, but suffered catastrophic damage to the trees and land area surrounding the house. Dan and Donna Dietz, who have owned the 150-year-old historic home for 38 years, remember those seconds of destruction like it was yesterday. As they huddled in their home, they heard the roaring winds and “a” tree fall in the yard. When silence

of

Dan, Donna and rescue dog, Bailey.

The garden of Dan and Donna Dietz opens to the public during a garden tour set for May 20.

fell, in the pitch black of night they went outside with flashlights to survey the damage.

“We ventured outside to see which tree had fallen,” recounts Donna Dietz. “The realization was that what I heard as ‘a’ tree falling was actually most of ours and our neighbors’ trees falling simultaneously. There was so much large tree debris everywhere that it was impossible to get to our backyard. It wasn’t until the sun came up that we realized the extent of the destruction. I know we were so lucky compared to so many others. Our roof was damaged and had to be replaced. The property fence and a storage shed lay beneath the rubble. However, the property that we loved and worked so hard to maintain was now unrecognizable. Our biggest loss emotionally was our decades-, and in some cases, centuries-old tree canopy along with loss of cooling shade and sense of history.”

The Dietzes’ property could have been described as the quintessential “Southern” yard, with about 100 ancient oak, pecan, magnolia, dogwood, pine, basswood and a huge fruit-bearing mulberry tree existing on the property. Donna, an avid gardener and Master Gardener

Extension Volunteer, added perennials, annuals and shrubs to create a beautiful shady oasis, which had been featured on garden tours over the years. All were gone, compliments of the tornado.

Dan and Donna have always been hands-on with their property’s maintenance, so after assessing the damage, they dived right in to begin the clean-up outside. With the help of family and friends, who also provided them

The garden gleams in recovery in summer 2022.

Downed trees filled the Dietz yard after the 2021 tornado.

with meals and hot showers since they had no electricity, they began the lengthy process of dragging debris to the street for collection.

They had to call in the experts with heavy machinery to remove the large trees, stumps and the destroyed storage building.

The process took weeks.

Next, a landscaper installed the framework for the new yard. He graded the nearly two acres where the trees once stood in preparation for their proposed new lawn. Due to Covid-19 and the heavy rains in the southern part of the state where the sod farms are located, it took several months to finally get Meyer zoysia lawn installed.

In the meantime, 61 trees – including Nuttall oaks, river birch, American red maples, Yoshino cherries, Nellie R. Stephens hollies and Thuja Green Giant arborvitae – were planted.

The landscaper also laid a stone-lined dry creek bed to take water runoff down to the back of the yard. A well was drilled and an irrigation system was added to supply watering capability for the lawn, trees and shrubs.

The north side property fence was also reconstructed and extended to add privacy and provide a backdrop for the landscaping.

After about six months, the basics were completed and the Dietzes began adding landscaping on their own.

“We have totally embraced our new reality,” says Donna. “We now have a sun-filled yard and we are planting sun-loving plants. My husband is absolutely loving the full sun he gets in his vegetable garden now. Especially appealing to me are ornamentals, perennials and pollinator plants. Some of the flowering plants I have added are coreopsis, aster, day lily, cone flowers (echinacea), bee balm (monarda), cat mint (nepeta), Spanish lavender, cardinal flower (lobelia), muhly grass, baptisia, rudbeckia, iris, guara, Russian sage, lantana, forsythia and vitex (chaste tree).”

You can see the Dietzes’ new garden taking root by attending the Coweta County Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Garden Tour, May 20, 2023. NCM

A massive oak lies toppled in front of the Dietz home in March of 2021.

Downed limbs and branches destroyed the serenity of a once peaceful setting..

Serenity is restored to this backyard setting at the Newnan home of Dan and Donna Dietz.

Choose Morgan’s Market

We have all the Ingredients for Beautiful Yards and Happy Gardeners

Green Pea Soup with Hot Dogs

Written by GAIL MCGLOTHIN | Photographed by APRIL MCGLOTHIN-ELLER

When I learned my assignment for this issue was to write a cooking column based on Georgia authors and books, well, as a writer who likes nothing better than cooking and reading, I was happier than a pig in slop – otherwise known as ham hocks in turnip greens.

Looking at a list of Georgia authors makes me want to run to the nearest bookstore or library. Their stories are as rich as whipped cream on cheesecake.

Ferrol Sams’ “Run with the Horsemen,” Erskine Caldwell’s “Tobacco Road,” mystery/ detective novels by Karin Slaughter or Laura Lippman, and books by famous personalities like Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Strength to Love” and Jimmy Carter’s “The Hornet's Nest” are books that have taken me out of my everyday, ordinary life into exciting adventures and inspirational calls to action.

Looking at a list of Georgia authors and their books can substantially lengthen a to-read book list. Reading Georgia authors also can substantially lengthen a to-try recipe list.

Good food is an integral part of living in the South, and living in the South is what Georgia authors write about. Sitting around a picnic table, dining room set or breakfast nook, characters discuss, argue, meet, apologize or even murder one another.

“The Great Santini” is one of Pat Conroy’s most talked about books, but the book that sold the most is “Prince of Tides,” my personal favorite. The most memorable dining scene features dog food served to the father for being such a jerk. Count on Conroy, the creative storyteller, to write that “stick to your ribs” entree into a book while enjoying fine cuisine in his world travels.

COWETA COOKS

Crunchy Fried Chicken, see recipe on page 78.

Conroy paired short biography snippets with recipes he developed as he studied culinary arts in a formal setting with a partner. “The Pat Conroy Cookbook” is aptly subtitled “Recipes of My Life” and includes a recipe in which he worked with yeast to make Sweet Potato Rolls.

Lewis Grizzard, another writer from Coweta County, was a humorist whose quotes about food entertained people from around the world. “It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato,” Grizzard said, suggesting to me that everyone should have a garden. He threw in diet advice with, “If you eat something, but no one else sees you eat it, it has no calories.”

When it came to favorite food, Grizzard said about church dinners, “Fried chicken is one of my personal favorites, especially when it’s free.” I don’t fry chicken often, but my family celebrates when I do.

Alice Walker won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for fiction with her novel “The Color Purple,” a book read by middle schoolers and high schoolers all over the United States. She is a pescatarian who loves vegetables cooked with soul, and she adds fish and other seafood to her diet. I might be kicked out of the Alice Walker Fan Club by adding bacon to her pescatarian diet, but Swamp Cabbage can be a meal by itself with a little protein added – with cornbread, of course.

Flannery O’Connor loved Peppermint Chiffon Pie as served at the Sanford House Restaurant in Milledgeville, where O’Connor lived with her mother

until she died. She grew up in Savannah in a strong Catholic family, and her religion shaped her writing. “A Good Man is Hard to Find” is one of her most well-known collections of short stories. Even though she was a storyteller of great renown, her stories are sometimes left on the shelf as they reflect real life and tough situations and may be challenges to read. But there is always a moral to the story.

Enter Sue Monk Kidd with her best-selling, but not her latest, novel, “The Secret Life of Bees.” Honey is mentioned in this book filled with tales of Southern food and drink. Butterbeans and cornbread, salted peanuts and CocaCola, eggs deviled and pickled, and chicken smothered and fried reads like Sunday dinner on the grounds to me. I’m sure she would approve of the Sour Cream Coffee Cake, very rich and moist with a Honey Nut Topping that will make you need a glass of milk or cup of coffee to help wash it down.

An article about Southern authors cannot end without at least a comment about Carson McCullers and a book that will make you curl up and cry –in a good way: “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.” From everything I’ve read, McCullers did not care about cooking or eating. It was said that when eating at the McCullers residence, one dined on her favorite food: green pea soup with hot dogs cut up in it.

My family are my guinea pigs and they all said they would not eat green pea soup with hot dogs, nor did they even want the concoction cooked on our stove. So, I did not.

“I don’t fry chicken often, but my family celebrates when I do.”

– Gail McGlothin

Sweet Potato Rolls

Adapted from “The Pat Conroy Cookbook”

1 package dry yeast

¼ cup warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ cup milk

1½ cups mashed cooked sweet potato

5-6 cups all-purpose flour

Cornmeal

Place yeast, warm water and sugar in the work bowl of a standing mixer and let the combination stand until it becomes foamy, about 5 minutes. Using the paddle attachment, add salt and then beat in the eggs, melted butter, milk and mashed sweet potato until thoroughly combined.

Begin adding flour, 1 cup at a time, up to 5 cups, reserving the remaining cup. Transfer dough to a large, greased mixing bowl and cover. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Lightly flour a clean, dry work surface and transfer the dough to it by inverting the bowl. Punch down the dough and knead until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too sticky to knead. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease round cake pans. Sprinkle cornmeal on them and set aside.

Using a serrated knife, separate dough into halves, then quarters, and then eighths. Cut each eighth into three pieces. Press each piece of dough with the heel of your hand in a circular motion, forming a ball. Transfer the rolls to the prepared pans, cover with a dish towel, and let rise until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. Bake for about 20 minutes until rolls test done. Makes 24 rolls.

Note: In a cool air-conditioned house, finding a warm spot to rise dough can be challenging. I cover mine with a kitchen towel and put it in my car with the windows rolled up. The dough rises perfectly.

Crunchy Fried Chicken

1 (4-5 lb.) fryer, cut into pieces

1 egg

2 cups milk

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons seasoned salt

1 good grind of pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Oil for frying

In a small mixing bowl, beat egg well. Stir in milk. In a large mixing bowl, stir flour, seasoned salt, pepper and garlic powder together. Dip chicken pieces in flour mixture, then milk, and then again in flour mixture. Set each piece on wax paper. Heat oil, about 1 inch up, in a large Dutch oven on high. Throw in one small, floured piece of skin. When the skin starts to cook, roll each piece of chicken in flour mixture again and immediately place in hot oil. When the chicken gets brown, turn it over and turn the temperature down to medium. Continue to cook until done. Drain, turn the heat back up, and start frying the other half. Keep first half warm as you cook the second half.

Note: Cook the meatier pieces, like breasts and thighs, together first, and then fry the backs, wings and legs together.

Peppermint Chiffon Pie

2/3 cup whole milk

2/3 cup water

3 eggs, separated

¼ cup sugar

10 peppermint candy pieces

1 envelope plain gelatin

Red food coloring

1½ teaspoon peppermint flavoring

½ cup powdered sugar

½ cup whipping cream

Chocolate crumb crust

Whipped cream in can

Extra crushed peppermints

Soak gelatin in cold water. Slowly warm milk. Break up candy and dissolve in milk. Beat egg yolks with ¼ cup sugar. Add hot milk to egg yolks ¼ cup at a time, beating constantly. Return egg/milk combination to pan and cook over medium low heat until mixture coats a spoon. Remove from heat and add gelatin. Stir well. Set aside to cool. When cool, add peppermint flavoring and red food coloring, if desired. Beat whipping cream with powdered sugar until stiff. Fold into cooled custard. Pour into pie shell and refrigerate. When ready to serve, use canned whipped cream to pipe stars around the border and sprinkle with crushed peppermint.

Swamp Cabbage

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 slices bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces

½ head white cabbage, chopped in bite-sized squares

½ large green bell pepper, roughly chopped

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 small sweet onion, chopped in small pieces

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1 (16-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained

Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat vegetable oil and bacon. Add bell pepper, celery and onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add cabbage and garlic to the mix, and sauté until cabbage starts to soften. Drop tomatoes into the cabbage mix and stir well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as desired. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes and serve.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Honey Nut Topping

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x9x2-inch pan or 10-inch round pan. Beat butter until fluffy in a large bowl. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir flour, baking powder and baking soda together. Stir flour mixture into the sugar mixture alternately with sour cream. Spread in prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack, cool completely, and then spread top with Honey Nut Topping.

Honey Nut Topping:

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons whole milk

3 tablespoons honey

½ cup chopped nuts

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, milk and honey. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until thick and creamy. Blend in nuts and cinnamon. Cool 5 minutes. Spread over cake.

Have magazine, will travel... to dinner

Written by NEIL MONROE

For several years, brothers Robert and David Bearden, and their wives, Janice and Lela, have been eating out once a week, usually on a Wednesday, at restaurants across Fayette and Coweta Counties.

After a time, their choices narrowed to a few favorite spots, and an age-old conundrum set in: a bit of boredom.

Many of us have been in the exact same situation. We look at a friend, our spouse, our kids and say, “Hey, let’s grab some dinner.” The response is usually, “That sounds great…but where?”

After yet another discussion about where to eat, Janice saw the July 2022 issue of Newnan-Coweta Magazine (NCM) and came up with a somewhat brilliant solution: visiting each of the restaurants from the magazine’s 2022 “Best of Coweta” (BOC) competition.

In the ensuing months, they’ve made a big dent in the list, eating at 15 of the 29 restaurants listed in the competition. They are anxious to hit the ones they’ve missed in coming weeks.

“It’s been an adventure for us,” Janice says. “We go out to eat once a week and plan to keep going until we’ve hit all three first, second and third place winners in each food category, using the ‘Best of Coweta’ rankings as our guide. It’s like a vacation.”

“We all order something different and then discuss the food, the atmosphere and

Robert and Janice Bearden, of Sharpsburg, stop by the NCM office to update us on their “Best of Coweta“ dining experiences.

Photo by Jackie Kennedy

service,” she adds. “We even check out the bathrooms, the building, and talk with management if they’re receptive.”

Not only have the Beardens hit 15 of the 29 BOC restaurants, there is also a written record to prove it. After their meal, the Beardens discuss their visit, and Janice compiles written notes on each restaurant. She shared her notes with NCM, which include comments such as “a few too many tables…good food…lots of memories.” They’ll even discuss parking and the location of restrooms.

Given their thorough approach, the Beardens don’t always agree with the BOC rankings. One unnamed spot, given a number one ranking in its category, did not impress the group. “We all agreed that we could not understand how this place got a first place ranking,” David said. “It wasn’t decorated well, and the food just wasn’t very good. But we still had a great time going. That’s what’s fun about this adventure. We never know what we’re going to find, because nearly all of these places are new to us.”

How dedicated are the Beardens to their goal of hitting all 29 restaurants? Very dedicated. They’ve even gone to restaurants featuring Mexican food, which as a group, they don’t really like.

This dedication to the BOC rankings has enabled them to come to some conclusions about which restaurants do well. “Proximity to the square in Newnan is a big factor,” Robert says. “People enjoy walking the square. It’s just a wonderful place.”

While the group has several stops to go, they have a list of favorites – subject to change, of course.

Their top three restaurants, so far:

• Redneck Gourmet

• Goldens on the Square

• Partner’s Pizza at Summergrove

For a combination of good food, value and lunchtime entertainment, the Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse gets a thumbs up from the group. And for dessert, they’re very impressed with Rock Salt Milk Bar.

Janice and Robert Bearden, left, and Lela and David Bearden, of Tyrone, have documented 15 out of 29 Best of Coweta restaurants at the time of this printing. So far, The Redneck Gourmet tops their list of favorites.

Photo courtesy of the Beardens

“They’re all good, that’s for sure. As for whether we agree with each list, probably not. Some could certainly be rearranged,” Robert says.

Lela encouraged others to use the list to eliminate some of the indecision that many of us face when we’re looking for some place to eat.

“It’s such a fun chance to experience some place you wouldn’t normally visit,” she said. “It gives you a reason to go, and even if it’s not the best, you know you went with a purpose.” NCM

“Best of Coweta” Winners Excel After Big Win

Written by NEIL MONROE

For local businesses, winning a “Best of Coweta” award can have an important impact on their success, even if they're an institution in the local community for more than 50 or 60 years.

That may sound somewhat surprising, but two longtime Newnan companies, Coweta Greenhouses/ Morgan’s Market and Knox Furniture, will quickly vouch for the benefits.

Pandemic + Plants = Number 1 in Coweta

Since 1972, Coweta Greenhouses has cultivated plants and flowers for large retail chains who distribute their products throughout the Southeast. Once a year, the greenhouse would open the 10-acre farm to the public for a single week, drawing droves of local gardeners looking for quality products at a good price.

“After I bought the business in 2017, I saw the support we had from the public during those oneweek sales. It was clear we needed a constant retail presence,” says Tommy Morgan, owner of Morgan’s Market. “So, in 2020, we took the plunge and opened Morgan’s Market.”

While that wasn’t the best year to open a new enterprise, the business worked through the worst of the pandemic with a keen focus on customer service. “From the beginning, we wanted to be able to help each customer understand the nature of the plant they’re buying so they can be successful with it,” Morgan says.

That approach paid off, and in 2021, Morgan’s Market won the first of its two consecutive first place awards for “Best Plant Nursery/Greenhouse.” The result was increased awareness in the community and a surge of new business growth.

“Honestly, we can’t expand fast enough,” Morgan says. “However, our ability to serve the customer is vital, so we’re being conservative with our growth so we can maintain or enhance customer service.”

“We’d love to win for a third time because that means we’re doing something right,” Morgan concludes.

“Best of Coweta” even while recovering from the tornado

Knox Furniture first opened its doors in Newnan in 1955, now serving the community for nearly 70 years. But the tornado of 2021 damaged their long-time building on Greenville Street, forcing them to relocate first to a facility on Savannah Street, and then to their warehouse on Corinth Road.

The disruption has been difficult, but customers clearly value the company and have followed the business through each move. With long-established standards of service and a diverse product line, Knox was voted best furniture store the past two years.

“We’ve been through challenges since my grandparents opened this store in 1955, but nothing quite like this,” says Sara Knox Rund, the store’s owner.

“We were heartened by the support of the community last year, and without question, the distinction of being a Best of Coweta winner has been a very positive asset for us.”

“We appreciate the chance to serve this community,” she adds. “I don’t know if we’ll finish first again, but I do know we’ll do everything we can to do it. And, hopefully by this summer, we’ll be able to enhance our service by being back in our original location.” NCM

Janice and Robert Bearden, left, and Lela and David Bearden, right, have ranked Golden’s as No. 2 of their overall favorites – so far.

Photo courtesy of the Beardens

HOW TO VOTE:

ONLY CURRENTLY OPERATING, LOCALLY-OWNED, COWETA COUNTY BUSINESSES/ENTITIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VOTING. BIG-BOX STORES AND NATIONAL CHAINS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE VOTED BEST OF COWETA.

PRINT BALLOT:

• Please read the rules, and print clearly and legibly.

• Enter the name of one (1) COWETA COUNTY business of your choice next to each category as completely and correctly as possible. If a business has multiple locations, indicate the location to which your vote applies. If you have no favorite for a particular category, you may skip it.

• Drop o your completed ballot in person Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. or mail to:

Newnan-Coweta Magazine, ATTN: Best Of Coweta , 16 Je erson St., Newnan, GA 30263

• Print ballots will also be available in weekend editions of The Newnan Times-Herald during the voting period.

• All print ballots must be received at our o ice by 5 p.m. on March 31, 2023.

PHOTOCOPIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

ONLINE BALLOT:

• Scan the QR code below or visit times-herald.com or newnancowetamagazine.com and follow the link to complete the online ballot.

• In the text box, enter the name of the business/entity you are voting for, following the same naming guidelines stated above. If you have no favorite for a particular category, you must select N/A to continue.

• All completed online ballots must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2023.

ALL PRINT AND ONLINE BALLOTS MUST CONTAIN A VALID AND LEGIBLE FIRST AND LAST NAME, PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS TO BE ELIGIBLE. AT LEAST 50% OF THE PRINT OR ONLINE BALLOT MUST BE COMPLETED TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE DRAWING. ONE BALLOT PER PERSON WILL BE ACCEPTED.

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VOTING CATEGORIES

Please enter only ONE (1) CURRENTLY OPERATING, LOCALLY OWNED COWETA COUNTY business per line in each category.

Please indicate the location (e.g., street name, town, shopping center, etc.) for which you are voting if the business has more than one location. Big-box stores and national chains (e.g., Lowe's, Publix, McDonald's, etc.) are NOT eligible to be voted Best of Coweta.

Please PRINT clearly and legibly, and remember to fill in your contact information at the end.

FOOD & DRINK

Best Breakfast/ Brunch:

Best Southern Food:

Best Pizza: ________________________________________________

Best Burger: _______________________________________________

Best Steak:

Best BBQ:

Best Italian Food:

Best Mexican Food:

Best Antique/ Vintage Store:

Best Jewelry Store:

Best Apparel Shop:

Best Local Band or Musician:

Best Asian Food:

Best Sushi:

Best Sweets & Treats: __________________________________________________

Best Cocktail: ______________________________________________

Best Bar/Pub: ______________________________________________

Best Catering Service:

Best Food Truck :

Best Overall Restaurant:

SHOPPING

Best Gift Boutique:

Best Furniture/Home Decor Store:

Best Plant Nursery/ Greenhouse:

ENTERTAINMENT & LEISURE

Best Local Author: ___________________________________________

Best Live Music Venue: ___________________________________________________

Best Art Gallery or Studio:

Best Local Artist:

Best Special Event/ Wedding Venue:

Best Family Entertainment:

Best Outdoor Recreation:

BEAUTY & PERSONAL CARE

Best Spa: _________________________________________________

Best Massage Therapist:

Best Hair Salon:

Best Nail Salon: _____________________________________________

Best Barber Shop:

VOTING CATEGORIES

Please enter only ONE (1) CURRENTLY OPERATING, LOCALLY OWNED COWETA COUNTY business per line in each category.

Please indicate the location (e.g., street name, town, shopping center, etc.) for which you are voting if the business has more than one location. Big-box stores and national chains (e.g., Lowe's, Publix, McDonald's, etc.) are NOT eligible to be voted Best of Coweta.

Please PRINT clearly and legibly, and remember to fill in your contact information at the end.

SERVICES

Home Repair/ Remodeling: _______________________________________________

Best HVAC Service: ___________________________________________

Best Interior Design Service:

Best Roofing Service:

Best Real Estate Agent:

Best Auto Repair:

Best Tire Shop:

Best Auto Body Shop:

Best Attorney:

Best Internal Medicine/ General Practitioner:

Best Pediatrician:

Best Women’s Health:

Best General Dentistry:

Best Eye Care:

Best Dermatology Services:

HEALTH

Best Financial Services: _________________________________________________

Best Local Photographer:

Best Florist :

Best Yoga Studio:

Best Child Care:

Best Children's Dance Studio:

Best Pet Groomer :

Best Pet Boarding: ___________________________________________

Best Veterinary Hospital/Clinic:

& MEDICINE

Best Chiropractic Services:

Best Pharmacy:

Best Med Spa:

Best Personal Trainer :

Best Assisted Living Facility:

Best Mental Health Services:

Name: ___________________________________________

Phone: _____________________

Email: _______________________________________________________________________

Please mail or deliver to: Newnan-Coweta Magazine, ATTN: Best of Coweta, 16 Je erson Street, Newnan, GA 30263 Must be received by 5 p.m. on March 31, 2023.

BEST OF COWETA 2023 Voting and Prize Drawing O icial Rules

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY.

WHEN TO VOTE: Voting begins on March 5, 2023 at 12 a.m. EST and ends on March 31, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

WHO CAN VOTE: Voting is open only to legal residents of the United States and Georgia who are eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of voting. Employees and independent contractors of The Newnan Times-Herald and NewnanCoweta Magazine are not eligible to participate.

ONLY CURRENTLY OPERATING, LOCALLY OWNED, COWETA COUNTY BUSINESSES/ENTITIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR VOTING. BIG-BOX STORES AND NATIONAL CHAINS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE VOTED BEST OF COWETA.

HOW TO VOTE ONLINE:

During the voting period, visit newnancowetamagazine.com or times-herald.com and click on the Best of Coweta 2023 Reader’s Choice Survey link; scan the QR code on one of the print ads in Newnan-Coweta Magazine or The Newnan Times-Herald; or scan the QR code on one of the promotional posters at any business displaying one. Enter your first and last name, one (1) valid phone number, and one (1) valid email address and proceed to the first voting section.

Enter the name of one (1) COWETA COUNTY BUSINESS of your choice for each category, as completely and correctly as possible, in the ‘Other’ box. If a business has multiple locations, indicate the location to which your vote applies. Proceed through each voting section in the same manner, and click on ‘Submit’ at the end. If you have no favorite for a particular category, you must select N/A to proceed. Online ballots must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on March 31, 2023 in order to be eligible. No online ballots will be accepted after this time.

HOW TO VOTE ON PAPER:

Best of Coweta 2023 paper ballots will be available in the Weekend editions of The Newnan Times-Herald during the voting period, as well as at the o ice of The Newnan Times-Herald and Newnan-Coweta Magazine. Fill in your choice for each category as described in the “How to Vote Online” section above, and fill in your first and last name, one (1) valid phone number, and one (1) valid email address at the end (required). If you have no favorite for a particular category, you may skip it or enter N/A. Please print clearly and legibly. Print ballots may be mailed to Newnan-Coweta Magazine, ATTN: Best of Coweta, 16 Je erson Street, Newnan, GA 30263, or hand-delivered to the same address. Print ballots must be received at The Newnan Times-Herald/ Newnan-Coweta Magazine o ice no later than 5 p.m. on March 31, 2023. No printed ballots will be accepted after this time.

PHOTOCOPIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. ALL PRINT AND ONLINE BALLOTS MUST CONTAIN A VALID AND LEGIBLE FIRST AND LAST NAME, PHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS TO BE ELIGIBLE. 50% OF BALLOT MUST BE COMPLETED TO BE ELIGIBLE. INCOMPLETE BALLOTS WILL NOT BE COUNTED, NOR WILL THEY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PRIZE DRAWING.

The Newnan Times-Herald and Newnan-Coweta Magazine (the “Sponsors”) reserve the right to refuse votes for candidates that are deemed not appropriate for the category for which the votes were cast.

Number of Ballots: One (1) ballot per person will be accepted during the voting period.

WINNERS:

Category Winners: The leading vote recipients in each category will be declared the winner of that category (the “Category Winner” or “Category Winners”). In the event of a tie, a random drawing will be held among the tied Category Winners to determine the final Category Winner. A candidate may win in more than one category, but votes will not be combined across categories.

If a selected winner is not eligible in accordance with these rules, the category win will be forfeited and awarded to another eligible business who has received the next highest number of votes in the same category.

Odds of Winning: Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible votes received in each category.

Winner Notification: Category Winners will be notified by sta of Newnan-Coweta Magazine after April 7, 2023. Winners will receive a window decal identifying them as a winner for each category in which they received the most reader votes (one sticker for each category won). Winners will also be announced in the July/August issue of Newnan-Coweta Magazine. Survey winners must each sign a Media Release form upon delivery of winner’s decal(s). Winners will be photographed at a mutually agreeable date for prize winner and provider. Winners agree to allow use of their name, photograph, likeness and any information provided on the entry form, in any medium of communications, including print, internet, radio and/or television and for any purpose including editorial, advertising, promotional or other purposes, by The Newnan Times-Herald, Newnan-Coweta Magazine and times-herald.com, their a iliates or sponsors, without compensation, except where prohibited by law.

PRIZE DRAWING:

Ten (10) voter ballots will be drawn at random on or around April 7, 2023, from all eligible ballots, for the voter to receive a prize of one (1) twenty-five dollar ($25) Gift Card of the Sponsors’ choosing.

Odds of Winning: Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible ballots received.

Winner Notification: Winners will be notified by telephone and/or email on or around April 10, 2023 in accordance with the contact information supplied on the ballot. If a Newnan Times-Herald/Newnan-Coweta Magazine representative who attempts to contact a prize winner is unable to speak directly to that person within 24 hours of the initial notification attempt, if prize notification is returned to Sponsor as undeliverable, or if prize is refused or cannot be accepted for any reason, that person will forfeit all rights to the prize and an alternative winner will be drawn. Upon forfeiture or refusal, no compensation will be given.

How to Claim: Potential prize winners may pick up their gift cards at The Newnan Times-Herald/Newnan-Coweta Magazine, 16 Je erson Street, Newnan, GA 30263, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Photo ID must be presented for verification. Prize must be claimed by May 1, 2023 at 5 p.m. or it will be forfeited. Potential prize winners must each sign an A idavit of Eligibility and Liability and a Media Release form to be eligible to accept the prize. Prize winners will be photographed at a mutually agreeable date for prize winner and provider, but no later than May 1, 2023. The prize will be forfeited and awarded to another eligible voter if winner does not sign the A idavit of Eligibility and Liability, or if selected winner is not eligible in accordance with these rules.

Potential prize winner must pay their own transportation and/or other expenses to claim their prize, and is responsible for any charges not specifically listed as part of the prize, including but not limited to transportation, parking, gratuities or incidentals. Prize is non-negotiable and not redeemable for cash or credit. No substitution or transfer of the prize will be allowed, except at the sole discretion of the Sponsors. Sponsors reserve the right to substitute prizes of equal or greater value. No compensation will be given for lost, stolen, mutilated, or expired gift cards.

Prize winners are solely responsible for all Federal, State and/ or Local tax obligations and/or liabilities, if any, arising from, or in connection with, their receipt and acceptance of the prize.

Prize winners agree to allow use of their name, photograph, likeness and any information provided on the entry form, in any medium of communications, including print, internet, radio and/or television and for any purpose including editorial, advertising, promotional or other purposes, by The Newnan Times-Herald, Newnan-Coweta Magazine and times-herald.com, their a iliates or sponsors, without

compensation, except where prohibited by law. All decisions of The Newnan Times-Herald and Newnan-Coweta Magazine regarding the Prize Drawing are final.

CONDITIONS AND DISCLAIMERS:

Participation constitutes acceptance of rules and conditions. The Newnan Times-Herald and Newnan-Coweta Magazine are not responsible for votes that are lost, late, incomplete, misdirected, incorrect, garbled, illegible, or incompletely received, for any reason, including by reason of hardware, software, browser, or network failure, malfunction, congestion, or incompatibility at Sponsors’ servers or elsewhere. All ballots submitted, both online and printed, become the property of the Sponsors and will not be returned.

Sponsors reserve the right to cancel, terminate, or modify the survey if it is not capable of completion as planned, including by reason of infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures or any other causes beyond the control of the Sponsors. Sponsors are not responsible for errors in the administration or fulfillment of this survey, including without limitation mechanical, human, printing, distribution, or production errors, and may cancel, terminate, or modify this promotion based upon such error at their sole discretion without liability. Sponsors reserve the right to amend these O icial Rules at any time without prior notice. Sponsors are not responsible for any printing or typographical errors in any material associated with this promotion.

Sponsors, at their sole discretion, reserve the right to disqualify any votes or ballots believed to violate these rules. Sponsors, at their sole discretion, reserve the right to disqualify any business or person tampering with the voting process or operation of the web site, or otherwise attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the survey. O ering potential incentive for voting (e.g., buying votes, o ering services or discounts in exchange for votes, providing entry into a sweepstakes for votes) is prohibited and will result in disqualification of the candidate.

In the event of a dispute, online ballots will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at time of voting. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g. business, education institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.

Collection and use of personally identifiable information will be in accordance with the Sponsors’ Privacy Policy as posted on the Sponsors’ websites.

The use of any automated system to submit ballots is prohibited and will result in the disqualification of all such ballots as well as the voter. This contest is not intended for gambling. If it is determined that a voter is using the contest for gambling purposes, he/she will be disqualified and reported to the authorities.

Each participant agrees to release, discharge, indemnify and hold harmless The Newnan Times-Herald and Newnan-Coweta Magazine and their subsidiaries, a iliates, shareholder, employees, o icers, directors, agents, representatives, advertising and promotional agencies from any liability arising from or related to the promotion, including without limitation, personal injury, death, and property damage, and claims based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion of privacy. Further, participant fully and unconditionally releases all claims of any nature relating to the use of participant’s ballot, name or likeness.

The promotion and all related pages, material and content are copyright of The Newnan Times-Herald and NewnanCoweta Magazine. Copying or unauthorized use of any copyrighted materials, trademarks or any other intellectual property without the express written consent of its owner is strictly prohibited.

We believe that kindness is contagious. It is our mission to rejuvenate you so that you can share your own happiness with others. Our modern, tranquil space allows you to enjoy the natural Aveda aromas, experience the touch of our caring team members and receive the highest quality salon and spa services you will find south of Atlanta.

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2023 Recycling Events

May 6 Paper Shredding

June 3

Paint Recycling

March 25 Electronics Recycling & Sweep the Hooch

April 22

Earth Day

Extravaganza

April 29

DEA Drug Take Back

September 16 Paper Shredding

October 14 Paper Shredding

October 28

DEA Drug Take Back

December 2 Paper Shredding

For more information, visit our website or call: www.keepnewnanbeautiful.org • 678.673.5505

Photo by Glenn Lee

Glenn Lee took this sunset photo of the lake at his home at Lake Redwine.

Sally Ray, of Moreland, shares a photo of a butterfly in her yard.

Photo by Ron Schuck

Ron Schuck’s quick eye captured this photo of a hummingbird as it appears to step into its backyard feeder at the Schuck home in Newnan.

Photo by Wayne Davis

Wayne Davis grabbed a photo of a deer mama and its baby at the home he shares with his wife June near Thomas Crossroads.

2 023 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SPRING

March 4 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

March 24 - Spring Art Walk, 5-9pm

April 1 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

April 16-22 - Downtown Newnan Restaurant Week

May 6 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

SUMMER

June 3 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

June 8 - Summer NewnaNights, 6-9pm

June 16 - Summer Wined Up, 5-9pm

July 1 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

July 4 - July 4th Parade, 9am

July 13 - Summer NewnaNights, 6-9pm

Aug 5 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

Aug 10 - Summer NewnaNights, 6-9pm

AUTUMN

Sept 1-4 - Labor Day Sidewalk Sale

Sept 2 - S unrise on the Square 5k, 8am

Sept 2 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

Sept 22 - Fall Art Walk, 5-9pm

Oct 6 - Oktoberfest, 5-10pm

Oct 7 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

Oct 21 - Spirits & Spice Festival, 2-7pm

Oct 31 - Munchkin Masquerade, 10am-12pm

WINTER

Nov 4 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

Nov 17 - Holiday Sip & See, 5-9pm

Nov 24 - Plaid Friday

Nov 24 - Santa on the Square, 6-8pm

Nov 25 - Small Business Saturday

Dec 2 - Market Day, 10am-2pm

Photo by Tim Smith

Shooting through the chaste tree in his front yard, Tim Smith photographed this picture of the rising sun at his home in Sharpsburg.

Photo by Kristi Westlake

“I took this photo on my property located on Wagers Mill Road with my iPhone,” says Kristi Westlake of Newnan. “It was dusk and the dappled sunlight hit the curlicue just right!”

Photo by Harry Sewell Harry Sewell took this photo of his family’s old home place in Senoia, and his wife Cheryl submitted it for Blacktop.

You Are What You Read

Between making long, usually nonsensical, posts for social media, writing for this magazine and writing for the newspaper, I do a lot of writing.

I also do a lot of reading. I probably do much more reading than I do writing. I think reading must be one of the most helpful tools to writing.

The love of reading was passed down to me from my mother and I caught it very early in life. Encyclopedia Brown and SuperFudge were the two most prominent literary influences in my early life.

I went through a Mad Magazine phase in my teens, which probably comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me as I am not sure how much of that humor I ever grew out of.

But as I got older, I settled on one writer. This will also probably come as no surprise to anyone in the reading area of this magazine because I’d guess many people settled on him as “their” guy: Lewis Grizzard.

I remember when I was young, my father telling me about Lewis Grizzard, and telling me that people would buy the paper just to read his stuff. The name Lewis Grizzard always stuck in my mind way before I ever read any of his work. I was always intrigued by the fact that one person would be tso good that people would get the paper just to read him.

Once I started reading his column, I instantly had a favorite writer. Even though he stopped writing, sadly, much too soon, I never stopped reading. Though the endings never change, I still re-read his books every couple of years.

This will sound like an exaggeration, but I promise you it’s not. Lewis Grizzard can make me laugh out loud and tear up without having to flip the page. He wrote books about his mother and his father that both had that effect on me. He was the first person to be able to do that to me.

There is something very powerful in being able to cover that gauntlet of emotions within the matter of a few hundred words. He was that powerful of a writer.

A few years ago a friend introduced me to David Sedaris – not in person, though that would be amazing. She gave me one of his books and told me she thought I would like his style. She was right.

David Sedaris also has that powerful ability to tell a story that can make me both laugh and tear up. It was actually this friend and her David Sedaris book that made me want to give writing a try.

If you like anything I’ve ever written, you have her to thank for giving me that book. I think Lewis Grizzard and David Sedaris also both played a large role in my writing, even if my writing is no good.

I write because I read. And those are who I read. NCM

Southern-born and Southern-bred, Toby Nix is a local writer who works in law enforcement.

Save energy by turning off the TV and dive into a good book.

Everything you do, no matter how small, can add up to big savings – for you and your neighbors. From flipping a switch to upgrading to CFLs. So take your pick, and save your money. Scan the code with your phone camera to learn more.

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