North Carolina Books

Writing at UNC-Chapel Hill.He is also a long-time member of the Red Clay Ramblers, one of North Carolina's premier string bands.For most, though, he is a writer.His canon covers fiction, non-fiction, history, mystery, and environmental odes to North Carolina's vast natural resources.For many he embodies North Carolina and has won multiple awards that add to his reputation, including becoming a member of the NC Literary Hall of Fame.Simpson is known for stories about his upbringing in coastal North Carolina.In his new book, Clover Garden, Simpson invites his readers to learn about Clover Garden, a community situated a few miles west of Chapel Hill.Clover Garden is real, and if Simpson is to be believed (as he should be), his neighbors are an entertaining bunch.What makes this memoir really jump off the page is how Simpson turns the natural beauty of his surroundings into the main character.This is not just a memoir, but something that the author calls "a great wonder in my life" (p.5).In a time of constant movement for many people, Simpson has managed to establish deep roots in Clover Garden.Over the course of the book, we are privy to over fifty years of life and growth on his property.Although to hear Simpson tell it, it took some getting acclimatized to his new home and neighbors throughout the area.