Blue Ridge Chronicles:: A Decade of Dispatches from Southwest Virginia

by Rex Bowman

Many of the highlanders in Virginia's western mountains live in small communities with names such as Stonebruise, Novelty, and Wangle Junction, and here their stories are chronicled by one of their own, Floyd County native and Pulitzer-nominated journalist Rex Bowman, roving reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Colorful characters abound, from folks in Independence who have a decades-old tradition of racing outhouses, to the brawlers in St. Paul who once gave the town a reputation for world-class wickedness, to the purveyors of Roanoke's Texas Tavern who have never in seventy years put ketchup on their hamburgers. Blue Ridge Chronicles is a delightful look at how the lively have lived in Southwest Virginia's backcountry.

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2008

Reviews

[Lisa Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent storytelling from the region I call home.

[Stacy Deyerle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving this to read because I have read most of it (though not cover to cover), and it is something that I am keeping on the shelf by my favorite chair for when I just need a little something to read). (Each entry is self-contained.)
Lovely little dose of local flavor from parts of VA near where I grew up.

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While the author wouldn't know me, I sort of know him. I know his mom and stepdad pretty well, and I was good friends with his little sister back in the day.
I'm pretty sure he must have been grown and out of the house by the time I started hanging out with his sis, but it is still always cool to say "I know the author (sort of)."

I started by leafing through and picking the pieces that most interested me first. I will go back now and finish reading the rest.
A neat little volume.