Wild Horse of Shackleford Banks, part of Cape Lookout National Seashore
Shackleford Banks, Beaufort, North Carolina, United States

'Pferde' #FotoVorschlag

openstreetmap.org/#map=15/34.6…

Taken on 2025-03-15 12:26:07 with Fuji 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 on Fuji X-H2 with exposure 1/350s @ f/5.6 @ 134.5mm @ 160 ISO

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shacklef…

A previous post with a different banker horse: pixelfed.social/p/tcgoetz/8075…

Critiques welcome. Thank you for taking the time to look at my photo.

#Photography #AmateurPhotography #MyPhoto #PhotoOfTheDay #OuterBanks #Nature #NaturePhotography #WildLifePhotography #FujiFilm #FujiXSeries #FujiPhotography #OBX #OuterBanks #NorthCarolina #PhotoCritique

Tom Goetz

2025-03-18 11:13:54

Wild Horse of Shackleford Banks
Shackleford Bank, Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina, United States

This was the only one I saw that had a white mane. Most were red brown with a brown mane. I also saw one that was almost black.

Shackleford Banks: outerbanks.com/shackleford-ban…
Photo location: openstreetmap.org/#map=17/34.6…

Taken on 2025-03-15 12:24:54 with Fuji 55-200mm F3.5-4.8 on Fuji X-H2 with exposure 1/220s @ f/5.6 @ 121.8mm @ 160 ISO

Critiques welcome. Thanks for taking the time to look at my photo.

#Photography #AmateurPhotography #MyPhoto #HandHeld #Hiking #NationalPark #WildLifePhotography #FujiFilm #FujiXSeries #FujiPhotography #OBX #OuterBanks #CapeLookoutNationalSeashore #NorthCarolina #Horses

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap is a map of the world, created by people like you and free to use under an open license.

^{OpenStreetMap}

Coffee shop jazz hands!

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

Every year since 1999 Anne and I have taken one road trip to a different part of the United States and seen attractions, wonders, and events we didn’t have back home. From 1999 to 2003 we did so as best friends; from 2004 to the present, as husband and wife. After years of contenting ourselves with everyday life in Indianapolis and any nearby places that also had comics and toy shops, we overcame some of our self-imposed limitations and resolved as a team to leave the comforts of home for annual chances to see creative, exciting, breathtaking, outlandish, historical, and/or bewildering new sights in states beyond our own. We’re the Goldens. This is who we are and what we do.

For 2023 it was time at last to venture to the Carolinas, the only southern states we hadn’t yet visited…

…which are now crossed off our list. We enjoyed our stroll around downtown Asheville, North Carolina, though we had no idea of the dark events in its future. At the time, all we know is we had fun and found quite a few eateries to our liking — two local establishments and one eastern-U.S. chain we’d never encountered before. After Hurricane Helene hit in September 2024 their staffs scattered to the four winds as they had to seek refuge elsewhere until things got better. More than one of them had GoFundMe campaigns going for a time while they waited weeks for power and water to be reconnected. As of March 2026 I’m happy to see all three are still going strong today.

Our southbound walk down Broadway Street led us to Mellow Mushroom Pizza, a psychedelic purveyor of pizza pies and fungus-forward fun. They originated in Atlanta back in 1974 and have expanded to over 160 locations as of this writing. We were totally unaware there’s one up in Carmel, a half-hour from our very own home that we’ve yet to lay eyes on. All we knew was their exterior was freaky and we hadn’t had any pizza all week.

More restaurants should have gardens out front.

Sidewalk mushroom art.

…and this is how the dining room looks when you’re not in an altered state.

The overhead music was old-ish, including some disco. I took a bathroom break accompanied by “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”.

Like an old TGIFriday’s with a more flamboyant aesthetic and no self-restraint.

No, you couldn’t insert a quarter and ride this.

For me, a build-your-own calzone with anchovies, tempeh, and their “roasted mushroom trio”. I hope Ben Wyatt would be proud.

For Anne (with my help), the Holy Shiitake Pie — roasted shiitake, button and portobello mushrooms, mozzarella, aged white cheddar, chives, a swirl of garlic aioli and a spritz of black truffle oil. For Anne’s sake we probably had them hold the caramelized onions.

This wouldn’t be our last Mellow Mushroom trip. Three months later we had late dinner at the one in downtown Atlanta after a long Dragon Con weekend. It seemed less decorated than the one in Asheville, but I was pretty punchy at the time, so maybe I just overlooked all their pieces of mushroom flair.

2024 just so happened to be Mellow Mushroom’s fiftieth anniversary when Helene disrupted any celebration at the Asheville location. They reopened nearly a month later, when the water was running again but not yet potable, so they had to keep bringing clean water in containers from elsewhere until the boil order was lifted in November. In the interim, they spent weeks post-Helene dishing up free pizzas to any and all comers still in town, and en masse to charities and organizations — not just in town, but also to community centers in Barnardsville, Swannanoa, and other neighboring areas. A combination of MM home-office assistance and local donations helped repay their kindness.

(What didn’t help matters was an incident involving some out-ot-town bozo who showed up one day, looking for YouTube diatribe-cred by harassing folks in line about some conspiracy theory involving Helene, FEMA, space weapons, and North Carolina lithium mines. Just…wow. Never grow up to be THAT GUY, kids.)

Later during our walk, we stopped for snack-drinks at Double D’s Coffee and Desserts, a double-decker bus converted into a coffee shop. They weren’t offering to let anyone inside that day, but we dug the whimsical format. Luckily for us there was virtually no line, partly because their “CASH ONLY” sign turned away more than a few would-be sippers. We only had to wait behind a single other family, whose obnoxious teenage son was berating Mom for trying to order a plain black coffee that he insisted they could buy anywhere. Because how dare she buy something that brings her joy without his approval.

While we waited, a nearby busker ran through his repertoire, which included covering “Sympathy for the Devil”. I’d plug him here, but the hashtag on his signage appears to have been scrubbed from the ‘net.

The other side of their bus.

Their menu as of June 2023.

The Big Lebowski tributes continue with The Dude and Jesus up front…

…and Walter riding in the back.

For me, the salted caramel affogato. I did not berate Anne for ordering just a vanilla ice cream cone.

After Helene, Double D’s was closed for weeks until clean water returned to town. In the meantime, owner Jeff Lazzaro spent weeks of that downtime walking around town with a portable setup, handing out hundreds of free cups of coffee and collecting donations for a local food bank. They were back up by the end of October, joining other businesses in the collective Doors Open Downtown initiative that hopefully helped restore some sense of normalcy in time for Halloween.

We were exhausted by the time we walked the full length of downtown back to our hotel. We sorted the day’s purchases, including what we bought from the gift shop at the South Carolina State House — a jar of F.R.O.G. jam and an empty vial, which Anne had hoped to fill with beach sand as a souvenir for her mom. By nightfall we were still shaking remnants from Isle of Palms Beach out of our socks and shoes. It more than sufficed.

DAY SIX: THURSDAY, June 29th.

We skipped the hotel’s breakfast, checked out, and instead fetched our favorite form of travel vittles: local donuts!

Vortex Doughnuts, proud pastry purveyors since October 2014.

Neo-Cubist side mural.

Vortex was located on Asheville’s “south slope”, a bit beyond downtown in a neighborhood where streets changed name every few blocks and abrupt turnoffs frightened and confused Google Maps. After Helene they had no power or water for days, among other unspoken complications. They didn’t reopen till the following February, under new ownership. We can definitely vouch for the previous owner’s wares, at least.

Our haul, from upper-left: cookie butter chocolate chip, the Vortex (cinnamon sugar and chocolate icing), key lime, and espresso. The cookie butter donut won.

For me, a Gold Star Latte with ginger, turmeric, honey and cayenne.

Then Anne realized she’d forgotten her favorite lumbar pillow back at the hotel. It’s quasi-knitted and all-white, and easily blends in with generic all-white hotel sheet sets. We headed back that way, made countless wrong turns, and faked it till we made it back. Fortunately housekeeping had recognized it as a foreign object, tucked it in a bottom dresser drawer, and let her come in to fetch it.

We regrettably had to take our leave of North Carolina, though it’d be nifty to return some day. Last call for Tarheel State sightseeing on the way out:

Roadside Oompa-Loompas!

Points awarded for best-dressed bar.

Plant mural.

Graffiti mural.

Wonder Woman! Thumbs-up to artists Dustin Spagnola and Megan Kelly.

To be continued!

* * * * *

[Link enclosed here to handy checklist for other chapters and for our complete road trip history to date. Follow us on Facebook or via email sign-up for new-entry alerts, or over on BlueSky if you want to track my faint signs of life between entries. Thanks for reading!]

Midlife Crisis Crossover!

2026-03-21 03:33:13

Our 2023 Road Trip #19: Asheville Before Hurricane Helene

The Asheville Art Museum as of June 2023.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

Every year since 1999 Anne and I have taken one road trip to a different part of the United States and seen attractions, wonders, and events we didn’t have back home. From 1999 to 2003 we did so as best friends; from 2004 to the present, as husband and wife. After years of contenting ourselves with everyday life in Indianapolis and any nearby places that also had comics and toy shops, we overcame some of our self-imposed limitations and resolved as a team to leave the comforts of home for annual chances to see creative, exciting, breathtaking, outlandish, historical, and/or bewildering new sights in states beyond our own. We’re the Goldens. This is who we are and what we do.

For 2023 it was time at last to venture to the Carolinas, the only southern states we hadn’t yet visited…

…and with South Carolina behind us, at long last it was North Carolina’s turn for a visit. Our Tarheel State itinerary, not nearly as long as our Charleston checklist, began with spending a cozy Wednesday night in Asheville. Little did we know the catastrophe to come fifteen months later.

QUICKLY, ROBIN! TO THE…

First things first: for those who know Asheville, no, we did not visit Biltmore. More than a few folks asked us about it and recommended it. The brochures look pretty, but (a) mansion tours aren’t among our vacation must-sees, and (b) we spent so long at the beach and in Columbia that most tourist attractions were closed by the time we pulled into town. As kindasorta makeup homework, six months later we watched a Hallmark Christmas movie set there, mostly because it featured two of the funniest Star Trek actors around. The fact that it was partly shot in Biltmore — which, yes, looked rather luxurious inside — was incidental, but not a deal-breaker.

The drive from Columbia to Asheville wasn’t my favorite, though. A combination of road construction, rush hour congestion, and mountainside curves left my nerves so frayed that by the time we reached our exit, we ended up driving the same stretch of I-240 twice before I could figure out the tucked-away turnoff to our hotel.

Our hotel room gave us an expansive view of…the very same stretch of I-240 that had just vexed me minutes earlier.

We dragged our luggage into our room and rested for a few before setting our hearts on spending the evening walking through downtown, which began across the street. A couple dozen senior citizens in the lobby parted without resistance as we exited through them, and we were soon on our way down Broadway Street for glimpses of art, culture, and/or commerce. I was disappointed to find zero bookshops or record stores nearby — mostly we saw a mix of art galleries, restaurants, coffee shops, and empty storefronts. I counted four street musicians in three blocks among the mixed populace of fellow tourist families, skater kids, several unhoused, and more.

Among the businesses we passed after closing time:

The Moogseum! Learn about synthesizers, theremins and other specialty instruments.

Sample art gallery.

To the east, Asheville City Hall.

The Thomas Wolfe Memorial Visitor Center. We haven’t read Look Homeward, Angel anyway.

Related: the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Angel, presented by, er, the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Also related: Thomas Wolfe, the metal art version.

Mind you, I don’t know for sure how Asheville looks today. On September 26-27, 2024, Hurricane Helene struck the area and much of the eastern seaboard with devastating effects all around. We were horrified to hear of the fatalities and to see news footage of nearby interstates that’d been destroyed and wouldn’t be rebuilt for months. Most areas were without power or water for days. Downtown’s soft grand reopening came 3-4 weeks later as the community made its comeback. The following winter, the Art Museum proudly presented a local-artist exhibit in honor of those who made it through to the light at the end of the tunnel.

The places we saw largely seem to have persisted to this day. The Moogseum reported their awning frame was torn off and crashed into their windows, but the awning itself remained attached and just drooped like a curtain for a bit. Though finances were a major concern, they found a unique means of getting back on their feet: they held an online raffle whose grand prize was a Minimoog autographed by Peter Gabriel. After selling over 2700 tickets to fans in 31 different countries, things were looking much brighter.

We haven’t been back since, but we can tell you as of June 2023 it looked like so:

Sample mural.

Legacy of Design by Dennis Smith.

A portion of a 2002 animal-based installation by Margery Torrey-Godwin called Crossroads.

Another view of Crossroads.

The former site of a Confederate monument to North Carolina governor and anti-secessionist slave owner Zebulon Vance that was removed in 2021 after a unanimous council vote.

The Fine Arts Theatre, proudly showing Asteroid City.

(As of the very weekend I’m writing this in March 2026, the Fine Arts is now showing Sirat, nominated for two Academy Awards and enthusiastically endorsed by this writer.)

The apparent mascot of Manicomio Pizza, which closed in June 2025 but was later reopened by different owners under a new name.

Street-side fountain.

Road chalk art.

Childhood by Jim Barnhill.

Birdie!

Bunny!

Groovy sun.

A rarity in our travels: a bell that isn’t a Liberty Bell replica.

Unexplained sidewalk angel.

…but wait! There’s more Asheville to come! To be continued!

* * * * *

[Link enclosed here to handy checklist for other chapters and for our complete road trip history to date. Follow us on Facebook or via email sign-up for new-entry alerts, or over on BlueSky if you want to track my faint signs of life between entries. Thanks for reading!]

Fall 2024 Raffle: Vintage Minimoog Signed by Peter Gabriel! - The Bob Moog Foundation

The Bob Moog Foundation is excited to announce its fall fundraising raffle for a fully restored vintage Minimoog signed by the legendary Peter Gabriel. The raffle runs from October 7, 2024, at 7 am (EST) to October 28, 2024

^{michelle (The Bob Moog Foundation - Igniting creativity at the intersection of music, science, history and innovation.)}

The Asheville Art Museum as of June 2023.

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

Every year since 1999 Anne and I have taken one road trip to a different part of the United States and seen attractions, wonders, and events we didn’t have back home. From 1999 to 2003 we did so as best friends; from 2004 to the present, as husband and wife. After years of contenting ourselves with everyday life in Indianapolis and any nearby places that also had comics and toy shops, we overcame some of our self-imposed limitations and resolved as a team to leave the comforts of home for annual chances to see creative, exciting, breathtaking, outlandish, historical, and/or bewildering new sights in states beyond our own. We’re the Goldens. This is who we are and what we do.

For 2023 it was time at last to venture to the Carolinas, the only southern states we hadn’t yet visited…

…and with South Carolina behind us, at long last it was North Carolina’s turn for a visit. Our Tarheel State itinerary, not nearly as long as our Charleston checklist, began with spending a cozy Wednesday night in Asheville. Little did we know the catastrophe to come fifteen months later.

QUICKLY, ROBIN! TO THE…

First things first: for those who know Asheville, no, we did not visit Biltmore. More than a few folks asked us about it and recommended it. The brochures look pretty, but (a) mansion tours aren’t among our vacation must-sees, and (b) we spent so long at the beach and in Columbia that most tourist attractions were closed by the time we pulled into town. As kindasorta makeup homework, six months later we watched a Hallmark Christmas movie set there, mostly because it featured two of the funniest Star Trek actors around. The fact that it was partly shot in Biltmore — which, yes, looked rather luxurious inside — was incidental, but not a deal-breaker.

The drive from Columbia to Asheville wasn’t my favorite, though. A combination of road construction, rush hour congestion, and mountainside curves left my nerves so frayed that by the time we reached our exit, we ended up driving the same stretch of I-240 twice before I could figure out the tucked-away turnoff to our hotel.

Our hotel room gave us an expansive view of…the very same stretch of I-240 that had just vexed me minutes earlier.

We dragged our luggage into our room and rested for a few before setting our hearts on spending the evening walking through downtown, which began across the street. A couple dozen senior citizens in the lobby parted without resistance as we exited through them, and we were soon on our way down Broadway Street for glimpses of art, culture, and/or commerce. I was disappointed to find zero bookshops or record stores nearby — mostly we saw a mix of art galleries, restaurants, coffee shops, and empty storefronts. I counted four street musicians in three blocks among the mixed populace of fellow tourist families, skater kids, several unhoused, and more.

Among the businesses we passed after closing time:

The Moogseum! Learn about synthesizers, theremins and other specialty instruments.

Sample art gallery.

To the east, Asheville City Hall.

The Thomas Wolfe Memorial Visitor Center. We haven’t read Look Homeward, Angel anyway.

Related: the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Angel, presented by, er, the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Also related: Thomas Wolfe, the metal art version.

Mind you, I don’t know for sure how Asheville looks today. On September 26-27, 2024, Hurricane Helene struck the area and much of the eastern seaboard with devastating effects all around. We were horrified to hear of the fatalities and to see news footage of nearby interstates that’d been destroyed and wouldn’t be rebuilt for months. Most areas were without power or water for days. Downtown’s soft grand reopening came 3-4 weeks later as the community made its comeback. The following winter, the Art Museum proudly presented a local-artist exhibit in honor of those who made it through to the light at the end of the tunnel.

The places we saw largely seem to have persisted to this day. The Moogseum reported their awning frame was torn off and crashed into their windows, but the awning itself remained attached and just drooped like a curtain for a bit. Though finances were a major concern, they found a unique means of getting back on their feet: they held an online raffle whose grand prize was a Minimoog autographed by Peter Gabriel. After selling over 2700 tickets to fans in 31 different countries, things were looking much brighter.

We haven’t been back since, but we can tell you as of June 2023 it looked like so:

Sample mural.

Legacy of Design by Dennis Smith.

A portion of a 2002 animal-based installation by Margery Torrey-Godwin called Crossroads.

Another view of Crossroads.

The former site of a Confederate monument to North Carolina governor and anti-secessionist slave owner Zebulon Vance that was removed in 2021 after a unanimous council vote.

The Fine Arts Theatre, proudly showing Asteroid City.

(As of the very weekend I’m writing this in March 2026, the Fine Arts is now showing Sirat, nominated for two Academy Awards and enthusiastically endorsed by this writer.)

The apparent mascot of Manicomio Pizza, which closed in June 2025 but was later reopened by different owners under a new name.

Street-side fountain.

Road chalk art.

Childhood by Jim Barnhill.

Birdie!

Bunny!

Groovy sun.

A rarity in our travels: a bell that isn’t a Liberty Bell replica.

Unexplained sidewalk angel.

…but wait! There’s more Asheville to come! To be continued!

* * * * *

[Link enclosed here to handy checklist for other chapters and for our complete road trip history to date. Follow us on Facebook or via email sign-up for new-entry alerts, or over on BlueSky if you want to track my faint signs of life between entries. Thanks for reading!]

Midlife Crisis Crossover!

2026-02-14 03:20:06

Our 2023 Road Trip #18: Columbia House

Welcome to the statehouse!

Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:

Every year since 1999 Anne and I have taken one road trip to a different part of the United States and seen attractions, wonders, and events we didn’t have back home. From 1999 to 2003 we did so as best friends; from 2004 to the present, as husband and wife. After years of contenting ourselves with everyday life in Indianapolis and any nearby places that also had comics and toy shops, we overcame some of our self-imposed limitations and resolved as a team to leave the comforts of home for annual chances to see creative, exciting, breathtaking, outlandish, historical, and/or bewildering new sights in states beyond our own. We’re the Goldens. This is who we are and what we do.

For 2023 it was time at last to venture to the Carolinas, the only southern states we hadn’t yet visited…

…and we wrap up the South Carolina core of this trip with our last stops in its capital of Columbia, where we ventured inside the State House. Public access was limited, but we availed ourselves of the permissible exhibits.

A historical marker by the back door.

Mandatory upward rotunda view.

The lobby centerpiece is a statue of John C Calhoun, whose grave we’d just seen the other day and who reminds me of an old DC villain called the Fadeaway Man.

A second-floor landing that was off-limits held a stained-glass state seal.

Sample staircase up to a few open areas.

Hangout spot upstairs.

Historical artifacts on display include a super-sized copy of the South Carolina Declaration of Secession.

Other immortalized figures include famous statue subject Robert E. Lee.

David E. Finley, who served as a state and U.S. Congressman. I’m unsure of his significance beyond the state line.

Mandatory American Revolution painting.

Other prominent painting subjects included renowned educators Wil Lou Gray and Mary McLeod Bethune.

Our least worst shot of civil rights leader Modjeska Monteith Simkins.

We picked up a few items from their gift shop, including a jar of F.R.O.G. jam (fig, raspberry, orange, ginger) that I’d get to savor for a good while after we got home. When we asked about lunch spots, the clerk recommended a sub shop south of the statehouse called Beezer’s. It was an ideal pit stop for anyone craving something affordably priced besides corporate chains.

I welcome any alternative to my old nemesis Subway.

Their sports-themed interiors are covered with souvenirs, memorabilia, quotes, and other decorative flourishes such as the logo for USC’s Gamecocks.

No, we didn’t take photos of our subs. They were good, but you probably know what subs look like. I had their bestseller, the Godfather, topped with Genoa salami, capicola and Virginia ham, plus a cup of potato salad. Anne had the Gobblerman’s Classic, with a double helping of turkey and alfalfa sprouts, plus a jumbo kosher dill pickle on the side. Well done, no complaints, would seek out again.

We had the pleasure of chatting with them for a bit and were happily surprised to learn the family that owns it are from our own home state — all Purdue grads (like my son!) and originally from Delphi (tragically a familiar name to true-crime podcast fans, which we did not bring up). Small world!

And with that, we took our leave of the aptly nicknamed Palmetto State and headed for the border. We had one more Carolina to go.

To be continued!

* * * * *

[Link enclosed here to handy checklist for other chapters and for our complete road trip history to date. Follow us on Facebook or via email sign-up for new-entry alerts, or over on BlueSky if you want to track my faint signs of life between entries. Thanks for reading!]

Midlife Crisis Crossover

Midlife Crisis Crossover. Gefällt 90 Mal. Aging mind hosts pointless fight scenes among cultures of pop, geek, and faith

^{www.facebook.com}

Sierra Nevada’s Springfest IPA captures that electric in-between moment when winter loosens its grip and spring starts stretching its arms.

As the days grow longer and the nights shorter, there’s a new brightness in the air — but let’s be honest, the prospect of snow still lingers like an occasional threat on the horizon. Springfest IPA is brewed for exactly that kind of season: bold enough to warm you after a surprise cold snap, yet bright and lively enough to toast the first truly sunny afternoon.

Pouring a radiant golden hue, this IPA bursts with fresh citrus and pine aromatics, layered with notes of grapefruit zest, floral hops, and a subtle crackery malt backbone. It’s crisp and invigorating, with a balanced bitterness that feels like a cool breeze cutting through the last chill of winter. Each sip is clean, refreshing, and just robust enough to remind you that sweater weather isn’t completely gone.

Crafted in the adventurous spirit of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Springfest IPA celebrates the season of contrast — muddy boots and blooming trails, patio plans and surprise flurries. It’s a beer for longer afternoons, backyard gatherings, and that hopeful feeling that brighter days are finally here.
#photography #california #northcarolina #beer #ipa

More thoughts
Out of the can Springfest produces a shaving cream-white head on a bed of clear straw yellow. Receding, there remains an antique curtain of lacing inside the glass, and a soft blanket on the surface.
Swirling and sniffing, we recover notes of stone fruit, orange zest, gooseberry, and some floral.
Sipping, we recover notes of cooking herbs and some black peppery spice, along with pine, rich earth, and grapefruit citrus and some orange citrus, along with a bit or caramel. Overall, Springfest has a medium mouthfeel, noticeable alcoholic warmth, and a lingering bitterness that is both pine and grapefruit.

Introduction

Within the State of North Carolina are many of the highest elevations located east of the Mississippi River within the United States of America. While Mount Mitchell represents the highest natural point in the State of North Carolina as well as in the east in general, neither the Eastern Continental Divide nor the Great Smoky Mountains divide between the States of North Carolina and Tennessee contain the official highest point. Mount Mitchell is, in fact, situated directly in between the two, east of the Tennessee state line but entirely west of the Eastern Continental Divide, thus associating with the Tennessee Valley first by way of associated river tributaries in the region of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Additional Mountains of Intersst

Apart from Mount Mitchell, two of the other most notable mountain peaks in the State of North Carolina include Kuwohi (formerly Clingman’s Dome) and Grandfather Mountain. While Kuwohi is the highest point of the Great Smoky Mountains and of the North Carolina and Tennessee state line, Grandfather Mountain contains the geographical high point of the Eastern Continental Divide through the United States of America. Also associated with the Blue Ridge Mountains, albeit north of the Great Smoky Mountains, is the highest natural peak in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Mount Rogers, directly within the limits of Grayson County and within reach of the Town of Independence.

It's not often that I have to take a break from a book, but I needed three days off from page after page of purple prose about people neither pleasant nor entertaining nor interesting.

Wolfe's 1929 Bildungsroman, a coming of age in North Carolina novel, was once thought to put Wolfe on a level with Hemingway or Faulkner.

Not many critics would hold him in such esteem today; I believe this revaluation is well deserved. Wolfe never used one word when he could cram in ten, preferably with much "poetic" diction and overuse of alliteration. Not every writer has to write the stripped down prose of Hemingway, not every darling has to be murdered, but an editorial slaughter would have been welcome here.* Wolfe also lacks the insight and imagination exercised by Faulkner with regard to race in the South.

Getting to the end of the 500 plus pages of wordy self indulgence this afternoon felt like the end of an ordeal.

Am I being unfair? Wolfe is sometimes described as an author best appreciated by young men. I admit that I might well have been impressed had I read him as an adolescent; I'm glad I did not, as the book might have done irreparable damage to my prose style.

#Books #ThomasWolfe #LookHomewardAngel #USLiterature #AmericanLiterature #20thCenturyLiterature #NorthCarolina #Bildungsroman