Tag: interview

Cracker Queen: South Magazine

Posted on by Holly in South Magazine

Grab a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, light up a cigarette, and get ready to meet Lauretta Hannon, author of The Cracker Queen: A Memoir of a Jagged, Joyful Life. Hannon sugarcoats nothing in this collection of stories about the characters and conflicts that have defined her life, starting with her early years in Warner Robins, Georgia, and extending to her current residence in Atlanta, with a few stops in Savannah (Pinkie Masters, anyone?) along the way. Armed with a raucous sense of humor and an arsenal of specifically Southern experiences, Hannon gives us an alternative to the classic Southern Belle: the Cracker Queen. “She cusses, laughs inappropriately, and raises t-total hell when the line is crossed,” Hannon writes. But, more importantly, a queen knows “loss and hurt; these things have made her beautiful, resourceful and, above all, real.”

Read more of this article in the South Magazine.

Power of Pine: South Magazine

Posted on by Holly in South Magazine

Armed with one of the Peach State’s most abundant resources, one Georgia-based company is stepping up with an answer to the world’s energy crisis.

Deep in the South hides a material that could revolutionize the way the United States—and the world—consumes energy. It’s renewable, plentiful and probably in most backyards. It’s the Georgia pine tree. Disbelievers need only ask Ross Harding, senior advisor at Energy Launch Partners, about the power of the pine.

“Georgia has over 24 million acres of pine trees,” Harding explains. “New Mexico has solar energy, Montana has wind energy, and here in Georgia we have the ability to turn woody biomass into cellulose-based energy.” According to Harding, the Peach State lucked out in the natural resource department—unlike other forms of energy, wood can be used to produce not only heat, but also power, electricity and liquid fuels.

Read more of article post on in South Magazine.

Detective, Demystified: South Magazine

Posted on by Holly in South Magazine

After nearly two decades solving Savannah’s mysteries, Private Investigator Ron Palefsky reveals the truth about sleuthing―one story at a time.

Ron Palefsky sits in the dead silence of his recently purchased converter van, swiveling in the captain’s seat, waiting for any movement from within the house he is watching. Hours pass. I want a coke, he thinks. I wish I could run down the street and just get a coke.

That’s impossible—he could miss crucial information and draw attention to himself.  Maybe a cigarette will help. He lights one, watching the cabin fill with smoke. He can’t crack a window to let the cool night air in without giving himself away, so he forces himself to stub it out slowly.

As Palefsky stares out onto the softly lit streets of Ardsley Park, it starts to drizzle. Tiny droplets of water gather on the van’s windows, blurring the view into splotches of colors. In the house beyond, there is no movement. Admitting defeat, Palefsky starts the van and pulls away, leaving the quiet neighborhood behind.

Read more of article post on in South Magazine.