Category Archives: Journalism

Charlie Daniel’s reluctant retirement party

Former News Sentinel editorial cartoonist Charlie Daniel has so many friends that his retirement party on Sunday had to be divided into two shifts! We were in the early shift: 1:30 to 3:30. Another group came from 3:30 to 5:30. … Continue reading

Filed under: Events, Journalism, Knoxville | 19 Comments

Ken Burns: U.S. needs ‘less pluribus; more unum’

Historian Ken Burns was in Knoxville recently, appearing on behalf of the East Tennessee Historical Society and Lincoln Memorial University’s Duncan School of Law. The $300 per seat dinner at the downtown Hilton featuring Gov. Bill Haslam interviewing Burns was … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Journalism, Knoxville, Media | 4 Comments

Cindy McConkey: ‘Playing in the big leagues now’

Cindy McConkey, groundbreaking sportswriter, public relations professional and non-profit manager, passed away at age 58 last month after a four-year battle with biliary liver cancer. An avid athlete and outdoor enthusiast, she commented proudly to her husband just 10 days … Continue reading

Filed under: Journalism, Knoxville, Media, Public Relations | 14 Comments

Blackberry, Lonesome Dove beckon writers to return

It would be foolish not to believe that a huge part of the draw of the annual Southern Food Writing Conference is the chance to have dinner at acclaimed Blackberry Farm in nearby Walland, Tennessee. And this is a mutually … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Food, Journalism, Knoxville, Media | 14 Comments

Food writing conference whets visitors’ appetites

The Southern Food Writing Conference always brings a bevy of heavy hitters in the journalism and cookbook writing world to Knoxville and this year’s conference, held here earlier this month, was no exception. Writers and editors from Better Homes & … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Food, Journalism, Knoxville, Media | 10 Comments

‘The Final Season’ captures essence of Pat Summitt

I was lucky enough to receive one of the first copies of “The Final Season,” the new book about University of Tennessee Women’s Basketball Coach Pat Summitt’s last season coaching the legendary Lady Vols. The early copy was a gift … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Food, Journalism, Knoxville, Media, Public Relations, UT sports | 9 Comments

Watermelon coolers, raw meat and Swedish women (What a conference, y’all!)

Yes, dinner at Blackberry Farm is a main attraction of the Southern Food Writing Conference every year. But there’s a whole lot of other good eating and drinking during the two-day food fest. The goal of the whole thing: put … Continue reading

Filed under: Downtown, Events, Food, Journalism, Knoxville, Media | 13 Comments

How to impress a food writer. (And me!)

Of course you heard about the International Biscuit Festival earlier this month, but did you know that scores of journalists and other writers were in town a few days before that for the fifth annual Southern Food Writing Conference? Yep. … Continue reading

Filed under: Events, Food, Journalism, Knoxville, Media | 6 Comments

Tar Heel trained, Knoxville’s gain

You wouldn’t think it from reading his editorial cartoons in the News Sentinel, but Charlie Daniel is really a sweet, quiet and unassuming guy. With a wicked sense of humor, of course. I have known Charlie for more than 30 … Continue reading

Filed under: Events, Food, Journalism, Media, Music | 11 Comments

Whittle-ites reunite

The early 1990s were a challenging time for me. I had just left my job as a newspaper reporter and editor at the now defunct Knoxville Journal (sad story for another day), and I was casting about trying to figure … Continue reading

Filed under: Business, Downtown, Events, Journalism, Knoxville, Media | 8 Comments