Chapter 16
A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

Joe Pagetta

Just the Way We Were

Remembering a friend, 30 years later

One of my friends looks exactly as he did 30 years ago: skinny, black shaggy hair, beige corduroy pants, untied Hush Puppies, a wrinkled dress shirt, and a loosely knotted knit tie. He is still 19 years old. That is when he died.

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A Wayfaring Experiment in Democracy

Kim Trevathan revisits the Tennessee River from a new direction

In Against the Current: Paddling Upstream on the Tennessee River, Maryville College professor and nature writer Kim Trevathan travels the length of the waterway a second time to discover “how the river had changed in twenty years, and how the passing of two decades had changed me.” Trevathan will discuss Against the Current at a virtual event hosted by Union Ave. Books in Knoxville on February 25.

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St. Jeter the Kitty Cat, Pray for Us

Sometimes transcendence comes during a marathon of potty breaks and toddler demands

There are certain things in life that are inevitable, which means that over time, the Litany will likely get longer. If the tradition continues for my daughters, well into their adulthood, it’s very possible that I, should they choose to promote me, may make the Litany myself.

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Where I’m Coming From

Does the way we talk tell us who we are?

By the time I moved to Nashville, I had laid the groundwork to not immediately sound like I was from New Jersey, if I wanted. It also left me open to picking up a Southern inflection or two. Do I say “y’all” every now and then? Sure, I do.

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Handyman Blues

An unhandy DIYer considers the question of when to try again

In spite of my failures, I haven’t given up my handyman aspirations. I still believe I can fix things.

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Honey and a Ham Sandwich

Remembering the comforts of a grandmother’s love

If I’m ever in the unfortunate position of having to choose my last meal, I will choose a ham sandwich on lightly-toasted Pepperidge Farm bread and a cup of tea with milk and sugar. This is what I ate for lunch with my grandmother most afternoons when I was in grammar school.

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