Top fives seem to be the trend this year — thank you, Chris Rock. So here are the five pieces I wrote that meant the most to me this year. As always, thanks so much for reading.
Precious Memories (ESPN). This story on Dean Smith, and how his UNC family is dealing with his dementia, ran back in March. I’m still hearing from people about it nine months later — the other day, I got a beautiful email from a basketball coach in Argentina. It’s a blessing when a story leaves those kinds of ripples.
You Can’t Quit Cold Turkey (ESPN). This piece on Jared Lorenzen cut deep with many of people struggling with their weight — and with lots of other addictions. It also gave me the courage to write a book about my own struggles. I’ll always be thankful to Jared for that, and for being so open and honest with his story.
22 Brief Thoughts About That Richard Sherman Interview (Forbes). 4.6 million page views and counting. I still can’t believe it.
Is Charlotte Southern? (Charlotte Magazine). Really enjoyed getting the chance to write down some of the things I’ve been thinking about the city I’ve lived in, and loved, for 25 years.
The Truth of Time (Dazzle Gradually conference, Rock Hill, SC). This is a talk I gave at a great little arts gathering early this year. It sums up a lot of what I’ve come to believe about writing — or any kind of creating, really. And as a bonus, there’s a beautiful poem at the end.