text and photographs by Dean McCord I sometimes forget how vast Eastern North Carolina is. Flat sandy farmlands extend for mile after mile, with an occasional small town breaking up the tobacco and soybean fields. I forget how southern the…
by Amber Nimocks photographs by Juli Leonard An oval necklace of flat silver rectangles is carefully hinged and clasped together. The finish on each link gradually brightens from gunmetal gray to bright silver. Gold accents highlight the curves, and it…
by Kevin Barrett photographs by Nick Pironio I asked a friend of mine at the bar recently if he had any travel plans coming up. He’s an adventurous guy who always seems to be going somewhere off the beaten path or just…
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson Pulmonarias, or lungworts as they are commonly called, are bold-textured, clumping woodland perennials, prized for their unique silver-spotted, deer-resistant foliage. Long a favorite of shade gardeners in temperate climates, Pulmonarias flower in late winter…
by Jesma Reynolds photographs by Tim Lytveninko Raleighites have options when it comes to clothing consignment shops. These houses of style feature previously owned, often near-mint-quality clothing and accessories at a fraction of their original prices, appealing to those with…
by Tracy Davis photographs by Tim Lytvinenko If there is a modern, downtown version of a Renaissance couple, Skillet Gilmore and Caitlin Cary may be it. They’re both musicians. They’re both artists. They’re both mover-shaker types in the city’s arts…
by Jessie Ammons photograph by Nick Pironio On a recent trip to Sri Lanka, Raleigh native William Moore wandered just a few streets over from the strip of five-star hotels where he was staying. “It was like entering this impoverished secret garden,”…
by Liza Roberts When the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open come to Pinehurst June 12-15 and June 19-22, as many as 400,000 fans are expected to converge on the quaint village known as “the cradle of American golf.” They’ll…
text and illustrations by Frank Harmon The Dorton Arena at the N.C. State Fairgrounds was a technological wonder when it was built in 1952. Its cable-supported roof spanned the length of a football field and comfortably housed 7,600 spectators under…
by Larry Stogner While shooting a story at RDU recently, I recalled the day I returned home from Vietnam in late 1968. There were no jetways then. There were stairs. A 50-yard walk led to the only doorway into Raleigh-Durham…
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson Growing up in North Carolina, it’s not uncommon to see gladiolus growing along country roads through older rural communities. For that reason, I could never reconcile why all the gladiolus I ordered from mail-order…
by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson I was first introduced to Aleurites fordii (also known as Vernicia fordii) through the wood sealer called Tung oil, which is made from the plant. That was long before I met Aleurites fordii in person….
by Shelby Stephenson 2015 North Carolina poet laureate SAYING I NEED AN IMAGE TO MAKE THE WORLD I went back home and held my eyes on the hill and it said You need a word deeper than I so I took…
by David Rigsbee My father came to me in a dream to walk with me around a stadium. Not wearing the jaunty motley of his last months: the patchwork newsboy cap and paneled shirt he wore when tearing around…