by Joe David Rice Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from Joe David Rice’s recently released thriller/mystery novel, An Undercurrent of Murder. The e-book is available for purchase on Amazon, and a paperback version is forthcoming. CHAPTER ONE Charles Dickens got it half right. It was the worst of times. Period.…
by Joe David Rice Worldly readers are likely to assume this is some sort of unexpected reference to a certain metropolis in southern California. And they will be wrong. For many Arkansans, L.A. is shorthand for Lower Arkansas — or the south-central section of the state. In rather loose terms, it’s the area…
by Dustin Jayroe There’s no getting around the fact that El Dorado has produced far more than its share of overachievers. The late novelist Charles Portis was born in this fine Union County community, as were star athletes Lou Brock (National Hall of Fame baseball player) and Goose Tatum (basketball icon for the Harlem Globetrotters).…
All Hail the Queen by Joe David Rice Here’s a question for Arkansas-oriented trivia lovers. What do Martin Scorsese, Grapette sodas, Hernando de Soto and Camark Pottery have in common? The answer? Camden. That’s right, Camden — the Queen City of the Ouachita River and the county seat of Ouachita County. This…
By Joe David Rice Photos courtesy of Historic Searcy County Arkansas Backstories: Snowball America has slightly more than 25,000 cities, towns and villages scattered across its 3.8 million square miles. Only two in this vast array of human settlements are called Snowball. One’s in central Minnesota, about equidistant between Minneapolis and the Canadian…
Arkansas Wall Hanging by Joe David Rice With the holiday season fast approaching, some AY About You readers may still be searching for that perfect gift for a special friend or relative. Something they can’t find in stores or order online — and ideally with a personal touch. Here’s an idea: an Arkansas…
By Joe David Rice // Photos by Casey Crocker Mention Lake Village to an Arkansas foodie, and you’re likely to be met with a knowing smile, a quick nod, and one word: Rhoda’s. A culinary fixture in southeast Arkansas now for 35 years, Rhoda’s Famous Hot Tamales is known far and wide for its eclectic…
By Joe David Rice // Photos courtesy of Vanderbilt University Press Michael Ray Taylor probably won’t appreciate a description of him as a Renaissance Man. But this 61-year-old professor at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, chair of the Communications and Theatre Arts Department, is a solid candidate for this rare title. He studied under…
By Joe David Rice I’m still trying to figure out what it is about cypress trees that makes me so partial toward them. While I enjoy and appreciate other native species such as redbuds, dogwoods, maples and magnolias, it’s the bald cypress occupying the top spot on my tree list. Their distinctive silhouettes…
By Joe David Rice After years of traveling from one corner of Arkansas to the next and giving this matter considerable thought, I’ve concluded that Russellville is arguably the best-situated city in the state. “Russellville?” You ask. Here’s why. It’s conveniently located in west-central Arkansas on Interstate 40, almost exactly halfway between Little Rock…
