I don’t live in your typical small, Southern town. In fact, this small town is quite extraordinary. With a population of some 24,000 persons, it has one of the highest concentrations of residents who are nationally known authors, including Hal Crother, Annie Dillard, Jaki Shelton Green, Allan Gurganus, Randall Kenan, Zelda Lockhart, Michael Malone, Frances Mayes, the late Doug Marlette, Anna Jean Mayhew, Jill McCorkle, David Payne, and Lee Smith, to name a few. On any given day you might find renowned politicians catching a ball game down at the local pub while throwing back a few brews, and I won’t even begin to list the award-winning, nationally celebrated musicians and artists who have hailed from this town and walk the downtown area on a daily basis. The area has been a political and cultural center since forever and it remains so today, with many activities celebrating the arts and history being held almost daily. This town challenges my creativity and I love everything about it.