Getting to know a person is like digging through the core of the Earth. Sometimes you find interesting and complex layers; other times, you hit an empty cavity that’s waiting to devour you whole.
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Layers
When love isn’t love
Essays
The Legacy of One of Our Most Important Books
Vanderbilt University Press confronts the racism in its history
This volume helped set the course of the Press. It helped cement our reputation for publishing important, vital scholarship. All the beautiful words in it were devoted to celebrating and eulogizing the legacy of the white supremacist South.
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Cooking Through COVID
On the power of feeding people during hard times
Hard times have always pushed me into the kitchen, a place where I feel comfortable and safe. Feeding other people also makes me feel a little less powerless.
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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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Dog in the Bottoms
A four-legged role model shows me how to live in the moment
Each time I regain consciousness, I look for Zo’s white tail. Usually, I spot it flicking back and forth — ahead of me, to the left, to the right, sometimes behind. If I don’t see that waving beacon, I call. Soon I hear, then see her racing toward me at full speed, 45 pounds of solid enthusiasm.
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Meeting Aunt Z
A memorable first encounter with Tennessee
Uncle K got to be a good provider, as men were supposed to be then, and Aunt Z got to be a good wife. Best of all, they never had to see each other.
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