George Moses Horton: A Biographical Sketch & several poems; from local sources George Moses Horton George Moses Horton (1797-1893) could rightly be called North Carolina’s first professional poet. Born enslaved by Chatham County yeoman farmer William Horton, young George Moses Horton loved the rhyming sounds of hymns, and yearned to be able to read.
Bob McGahey, the Clerk of SAYMA (Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting & Association), saw what was coming at last week’s 2021 annual sessions. What did he see? Trouble & woe. How do I know? Because he said so, in a Clerk’s letter sent out as the group was gathering (mostly in Zoom) last week. The key … Continue reading SAYMA 2021: The Post-Mortem
To: Jesus, or his Rep out West From: Chuck Fager Re: Need some Leads Look, JC, I know you’re busy, but this: I heard from a nice young family in one of the big cities out there, one of those in the middle of the desert. It’s a familiar story: she’s creamy, he’s dark chocolate, … Continue reading Memo To Jesus: A Friend needs to find a church. Do you Deliver?
One plague this year wasn’t enough: Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting, gathering this week by Zoom, is facing another one: a fever of panic and hysteria over charges of — wait for it — racism. First, though, the vector of SAYMA’s resurgent malady isn’t a lab or wet market in China. Rather, it’s a familiar figure, Sharon … Continue reading Another Sad Season for SAYMA
In the May 30, 2021 New York Times, there was an Op-Ed on military conscientious objectors, or COs. It was gratifying to see it on the brink of Memorial Day. It showed no disrespect for those who agreed to fight and died in war to recognize that a persistent minority has declined to take the … Continue reading Memorial Day for Those Who Said No