Literary Trails of Eastern North Carolina - by Georgann Eubanks (Paperback)

About the Book

Literary Trails of Eastern North Carolina: A Guidebook

Book Synopsis

This concluding volume of the Literary Trails of North Carolina trilogy takes readers into an ancient land of pale sand, dense forests, and expansive bays, through towns older than our country and rich in cultural traditions. Here, writers reveal lives long tied to the land and regularly troubled by storms and tell tales of hardship, hard work, and freedom. Eighteen tours lead readers from Raleigh to the Dismal Swamp, the Outer Banks, and across the Sandhills as they explore the region's connections to over 250 writers of fiction, poetry, plays, and creative nonfiction. Along the way, Georgann Eubanks brings to life the state's rich literary heritage as she explores these writers' connection to place and reveals the region's vibrant local culture. Excerpts invite readers into the authors' worlds, and web links offer resources for further exploration. Featured authors include A. R. Ammons, Gerald Barrax, Charles Chesnutt, Clyde Edgerton, Philip Gerard, Kaye Gibbons, Harriet Jacobs, Jill McCorkle, Michael Parker, and Bland Simpson.

Literary Trails of North Carolina is a project of the North Carolina Arts Council.

Review Quotes

"A valuable resource and a wise investment by the state in preserving its literary heritage and fostering interest in North Carolina's history." -- North Carolina Historical Review

"Another fun way to plan a mini-vacation." -- Southern Pines Pilot

"Bravo to the North Carolina Arts Council for these guidebooks, which encourage both natives and visitors to explore our state's rich literary landscape." -- Ron Rash, North Carolina author of the New York Times best seller Serena

"Georgann Eubanks leaves no stone unturned as she chronicles the many writers born of and influenced by this state. And her masterful storytelling allows us to feel we have witnessed it all firsthand. I am particularly thrilled with this latest volume to see the area I know as home so beautifully documented. It is rendered with a sharp curious eye, a strong sense of place, and a great respect and love for the written word." -- Jill McCorkle, author of Life After Life

"I thought I knew a lot about the literary history of my part of the state, but it turns out, with Georgann Eubanks as my guide, I did not know the quarter of it. Eubanks's research is exhaustive but never exhausting, for her prose is clear-eyed and crisp and her attention to writers who have not gotten their due is especially enlightening. This book is an invaluable resource to all of us, but especially to those who assume that the only culture east of Interstate 95 is agriculture." -- Michael Parker, author of The Watery Part of the World

"The sheer volume of detail Eubanks brings to bear is staggering." -- Wilmington-Star News

"With this book, Georgann Eubanks concludes her monumental trilogy. Rich with anecdotes, photographs, and snippets from dozens of writers, she ends appropriately at the Outer Banks where our literary history began. Every school library in our state should have a copy on its shelves." -- Margaret Maron, author of Three-Day Town

About the Author

Georgann Eubanks is a writer, teacher, and consultant to nonprofit groups across the country. She is director of the Table Rock Writers Workshop, was a founder of the North Carolina Writers' Network, and is past chair of the North Carolina Humanities Council. She lives in Carrboro, N.C.