Writing and Photography
Asheville artist and educator Derek Rhodarmer set out to create a train with his students for a college holiday party. Rhodarmer chose the Southern 722 Steam Locomotive train for his prototype, based on the prevalence of detailed online photos. The Southern 722 Steam Locomotive was built in 1904 and active in Western NC for nearly five decades.
Unbeknownst to him, the original Southern 722 was sitting in a train yard just 35 miles from his Waynesville studio, waiting to be revitalized.
My latest article tells the story of women inmates who had to transfer to a different prison after Hurricane Helene left them without power and water. They used their new coping skills– learned in college classes they were taking– to help them get through.
Earth goddess or biblical saint? My latest article from Ambassador magazine explores the mysterious phenomenon of the Black Madonna as seen in artwork in Italy.
My latest story in Italian America profiles Sicilian witch Lori Bruno.
My latest story in Italian America magazine explores southern Italian art and architecture.
Unraveling a Family’s Legacy in Silk City: I like to imagine my great-grandma, Anna, at 37 walking home from the silk factory in Paterson, New Jersey, during the late 1930s. Her long, gleaming black hair, never once cut, would be coiled into a bun—sweaty tendrils escaping around her temples. Her olive cheeks would be flushedContinue reading “Bound by Silken Thread”