From left, Tom Earnhardt, Ann Cary Simpson, Scott Taylor and Bland Simpson. Photo: UNC Press
“North Carolina Land of Water, Land of Sky,” by Bland Simpson, Photographs by Ann Cary Simpson, Scott Taylor and Tom Earnhardt, 240 pages, 103 color plates, UNC Press.
Gail Arneke
Bland Simpson’s latest book is a melange of travelogue, autobiography and references to old and new books and articles by and about North Carolina and its citizens, about the state’s environment and past. The research is thorough.The photographs are exquisite.
The book is divided into three sections, covering the coast, Piedmont and the mountains. Simpson is from the coast, spends a great deal of time in the Piedmont and his love for the mountains is clear.
The book’s route across the state is laced with Simpson’s memories. His father, local experts on everything from music to ghost stories to fishing spots, Lyndon Johnson and Al Gore, University President Bill Friday are all here in Simpson’s stories.
The book has an elegaic feeling at times. An older person looks back on his full life. But there is no sadness here. There is an eye to the future and an enjoyment of the present.
The book also has moments of personal memory and rediscovery for those of us who have lived in North Carolina for all or most of our lives. A picture of the Forest Theater at UNC Chapel Hill brings up forgotten parties. Gimghoul Castle recalls long runs through town and out to the Castle’s magical views. Yes, there’s the North Carolina fen, the only upland fen in the Southern Appalachians. And nearby are the incredible frescoes in two small Ashe County churches. The very mention of Bertie County makes me nostalgic.
I spent time in Windsor in the 1970s and was written up in the local newspaper as the first woman lawyer to appear in Superior Court there. I wish the book had included a picture of the huge magnolia tree near the courthouse, if it’s still there. A true natural wonder. And I too would love another chat with Tony Rand. Or another hour in former chancellor Bill Aycock’s federal jurisdiction class. (He once told the class, in a wistful tone, the only time students ever marched on his house was when he fired basketball coach Frank McGuire.)
So the book inspires memories, and inspires travel to the places Simpson describes. Off to the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge or Thalian Hall.
“North Carolina Land of Water, Land of Sky” goes beyond loving descriptions of people and places. It includes serious discussions of problems with our water supply, the shifting coastland and the need for conservation. It provides commentary on racial issues and on state politics. It is chock full of resources helpful to further study.
As might be expected, music plays a role, too. Poetry, North Carolina fiction and nonfiction all find a role here. This book is a compact reference guide to many of the places, ideas, history and people making North Carolina what it is.