Stories

Researched narratives from Knoxville’s past
Literature’s Influence on Knoxville’s Christmas
December 11, 2015
Charles Dickens never visited Knoxville, but may have had a bigger influence on our culture than any mayor. Until Dec. 20, Clarence Brown Theatre presents the holiday favorite,...
Christmas vs. the Holidays: A Little Perspective on Our Favorite Schism
December 9, 2015
America’s resourcefulness about sources of outrage is inexhaustible. Is “Happy Holidays” a modern heresy of this secular-humanist century? Many Americans, when they...
A Short History of the Tennessee Theatre
December 4, 2015
The Tennessee Theatre is always busy in December, as it is this year, with major musical attractions, a Broadway show, a classic film, and a favorite ballet. First opened...
Middle Knoxville: Adventure Tales Work Best When They’re Real
December 2, 2015
I often find myself in the middle of a conversation about Game of Thrones, House of Cards, The Walking Dead, and don’t know what to do. I do my best to keep up—it is, I gather,...
How to Research the Story of a House
November 30, 2015
You still have time to consider an inexpensive and unusual Christmas gift for a close friend or relative who lives in an old house. Surprise them with a history of their...
The Redemption of Alex Haley
November 25, 2015
On a rainy night in a crowded restaurant in the Old City, University of Tennessee Professor Robert J. Norrell and I may be the only middle-aged people in the whole room who didn’t...
Autumn Leaves: A Few Notes About Our Changing Seasons
November 25, 2015
It’s been an odd fall, and not just because I still have a yellow flower on my surviving tomato plant. This past weekend its leaves still smelled like July.  In the Old City,...
Frances Hodgson Burnett, the Knoxville Years
November 18, 2015
Frances Hodgson Burnett is often considered a British writer. However, she began her professional writing career when she lived in Knoxville. Her name is known around the world....
America’s First Black Governor: William Hastie, 1904-1976
November 11, 2015
The William Hastie Natural Area, part of the Knoxville Urban Wilderness, is named for a federal judge who pioneered civil rights and was arguably America’s first black governor....


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