Naked and Hungry Makes The News and Record!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

Last week I learned that Naked and Hungry received its first review in a major media outlet. The review made the front page of the Books section of the Sunday, March 18 edition of the Greensboro News and Record.

Titled “Environmental Shenanigans, Southern Style,” reviewer Linda Brinson praises the book for its balance of humor and environmental awareness. The article isn’t yet available online so I’ll provide a brief excerpt below.

“If you had to slot Memory’s slim novel into a fictional genre, it probably would land somewhere in the realm of Southern comedy ‍and satire. Memory, who lives in Pittsboro, knows her territory. She gets the details of 21st-century small-town North Carolina right. She obviously enjoys poking a little fun at such staples as good ol’ boys, restless housewives, hypocritical preachers ‍and slickly crooked politicians. The humor isn’t too heavy-handed, however, ‍and as a result, the book is really funny.”

The same week that I learned of this review, Naked and Hungry was also mentioned in the College Bookshelf section of the spring issue of Arts & Sciences Magazine (page 31) which is the alumni magazine of the College of Arts and Sciences at Carolina.

These mentions wouldn’t have been possible without the loyalty of a growing network of “Naked” fans, who continue to help spread the word throughout the state and beyond. Again, I thank you.

 

Naked and Hungry Returns to Asheboro!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

Join us at the Asheboro branch of the Randolph County Library for the return of Naked and Hungry!

When: Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 7 p.m.

Where: Randolph County Public Library, 201 Worth Street, Asheboro, N.C., 27203

At this special event, which is sponsored by Friends of the Library, I’ll read a short passage from Naked and Hungry, talk about the connection between cooking and the literary life, and reveal one of my top secrets for turning real life into fiction. As always, we’ll give away a crepe pan to one of the lucky attendees. Hope to see you there!

Read more about it.

When is Teacher Appreciation Day? Every Day!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

Upon of learning of the 80th birthday of one of my favorite junior high school teachers, I was curious to learn if there is a national Teacher Appreciation Day. After all, the breadth and depth of national holidays astounds: Sweet Potato Day, Umbrella Day, Hug a G.I. day, there’s even a Peanut Butter Day. To my relief, (please excuse my ignorance), there is indeed a day of celebration for teachers; this year it will be May 8. 

But as I reflect, I wonder if one day is enough? I firmly believe that the teachers I know—my own, my friends and my colleagues at UNC-Chapel Hill—should be honored every day. The gifts they give are the most enduring because of their ability to see the potential in young people and to spark within us a lifelong path of learning. My soon to-be-80 language arts-social studies teacher is special because of his passion for ideas.

Yes, we memorized facts; yes, we diagrammed sentences (ugh); and yes, we wrote papers (thank you), but the knowledge I retained was more profound than that. In his classroom, we were free to talk about ideas previously reserved for adults: politics, death, love, betrayal, even teen pregnancy and addiction. In fact, the examination of ideas was required. Our reading list was edgy, especially for the times: Death be Not Proud, Flowers for Algernon, and Watership Down. But my teacher was brave and he knew that the value of exposing young people to ideas far outweighed the risk.

To be clear, teachers aren’t perfect; they would be the first to decry such a label. They are human and within that scope lies the full range of virtues and foibles. But because of their life’s work, the best of them have a nobility that no other profession can match. I think of another great educator, a man for whom I was fortunate enough to write a speech or two for in my time, the teacher-governor, James B. Hunt. He was fond of quoting that old axiom that goes: “You never stand so high as when you stoop to help a child.”

So here is to my beloved junior high teacher and all the great ones who followed him. Without their influence, and with no disrespect to farmers and truckers, it is safe to say that a great many of us would indeed be sitting at home naked and hungry.