In 1938, thirty-five-year-old James Beard, college dropout and struggling actor, returned to New York City from his home in Oregon to give acting one last try. Residing with a wealthy roommate at 14 Washington Place, Beard’s theater career never got off the ground, but his side hustle catering ... [Continue Reading]
Manhunt by James L. Swanson
On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth entered the State Box at the Ford Theater in Washington D.C, and shot Abraham Lincoln, who was enjoying a performance of Our American Cousin with his wife and their two guests. Booth then dramatically jumped from the State Box to the stage and escaped by the ... [Continue Reading]
Circe by Madeline Miller
A Feminist Spin on a Greek Myth Circe by Madeline Miller The witch Circe, a resident of the island of Aiaia and a rather minor persona in the pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses, is best known for her encounter with Odysseus in The Odyssey. In Homer’s story, Odysseus and his crew arrive at ... [Continue Reading]
Snow by John Banville a/k/a Benjamin Black
About a decade ago, acclaimed Irish novelist John Banville wrote the first in a series of literary crime novels under the pseudonym Benjamin Black. Set in 1950s Dublin, the novels, featuring pathologist Dr. Quirke and his sidekick Detective Hackett, were surprising best sellers. Emboldened by his ... [Continue Reading]
Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith (a/k/a J.K. Rowling)
Galbraith is the pseudonym of J.K. Rowling, but other than the vivid characters and a rather dark perspective, the Galbraith books bear no resemblance to Rowling’s Harry Potter novels. Like the previous four novels in the series, Troubled Blood depicts private detective Cormoran Strike and his ... [Continue Reading]
Price Your House To Sell
You are selling your house, and are super excited because you hear that it is a SELLERS’ MARKET. True, but don’t let that lull you into thinking that you can just slap a For Sale sign in the yard and wait for the money truck to pull in. Even in a hot market, there are homes don’t sell for many ... [Continue Reading]
Nordic Noir
At the end of July, The New York Times Book Review featured a guide to Nordic noir. Categorized by country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden), I was familiar with a few of the authors, but happily there were many unfamiliar names as well. Keeping in mind that dark is the hallmark of the ... [Continue Reading]
August 2020 Sales Stats
Lots of real estate activity in Davidson County this summer! Pending sales, which is the number of properties on which contracts have been accepted in a given month, was 1,606 this month versus only 881 in August 2019. If those pending transactions actually close in the next 30-60 days, it will be ... [Continue Reading]
The Diary of a Bookseller and Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
So You Want To Own A Bookstore? In 2001, Shaun Bythell bought a second-hand bookshop in Wigtown, a tiny town located on a peninsula in southwest Scotland. A few years into the enterprise, a friend suggested that he keep a record of memorable customer interactions and behind the scenes activity. ... [Continue Reading]
Managing Bidding Wars
BUYER TIPS It is hard to imagine that in the midst of a global health crisis, economic uncertainty, and high unemployment we are experiencing bidding wars, but here we are. It certainly supports the old adage that all real estate is local. In Davidson County, the supply of homes for sale is low, ... [Continue Reading]