Contributors

Escape to the SANDHILLS

Th e Home of American Golf® beckons all visitors. From world-class golf to local shopping and dining, our welcoming Southern hospitality is why people have been coming home to the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area for more than 125 years. Plan Your SANDHILLS Escape today!

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CONTRIBUTORS

GIDEON YOUNG / WRITER A member of the Carolina African American Writers’ Collective, Young’s work has been in Journal of Black Mountain College Studies, Modern Haiku, and North Carolina Literary Review. His debut haiku collection, my hands full of light, was published in April 2021. A Curious Honeybee, his multimedia literacies film, was commissioned by the Arts Education Partnership and the Education Commission of the States. Gideon is a Fellow for A+ Schools of North Carolina, a K-12 Literacy Specialist, and stay-at-home dad. “Many stalks of this essay sprouted in conversations with editors, writers, and colleagues over the last year. I’m thankful for the opportunity to unify ideas and embrace the presence of Grandma’s spirit.”

LORI D. ROBERTS WIGGINS /

WRITER Wiggins delights in telling the stories of people, places, and things. Her work spans three decades of reporting and writing across various mediums throughout the Southeast, including Midtown Muse, a weekly column in The News & Observer. Meeting Tonya Council was a “wow” experience for Wiggins, who fondly remembers Mama Dip’s Kitchen as a student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “We treated ourselves to dinner once a week, and often found ourselves there. Self-care at its best!”

JUSTIN KASE CONDER/

PHOTOGRAPHER With clients that span the spectrum from Otis Elevator to Nickelodeon, it’s the local, fun, quirky stories like these that fill editorial and commercial photographer Conder’s cup most. “I absolutely love that I live in the South and have the pleasure of sharing this story! The time, energy and enthusiasm these Queens dedicate to their craft is beyond exceptional — we had so much fun!” More of Justin’s work can be seen at his newly launched website, jkase.com.

GERRY O’NEILL /

ILLUSTRATOR The youngest of six kids, Gerry O’Neill always had someone to outdraw, outwit, or outrun. With a degree in commercial art, O’Neill worked in Washington, D.C., advertising agencies before striking out as a freelance illustrator. He put down roots in Durham in the ‘90s and his love for North Carolina only grows stronger. The state’s landscape has been a compelling muse, which he trys to to capture in oil paint. “Each painting or illustration offers me an opportunity to engage with a new place or viewpoint and bring a piece of myself in capturing its essence. Jim Dodson’s writing evokes a sense of wonder and humor that I’m privileged to bring my own wonder and humor to.”