Behind the Curtain: May 2021

These monthly blog posts started as a way to talk about what was going on when I wasn’t traveling. But that’s obviously changed in the last year. It’s become my only post on this site most months as I don’t have much to discuss in the travel realm.

But as writers like myself are shifting to newsletters and paid Substack platforms, I’d like to use this blog as that space. I’d like to share the articles I’m reading, the shows I’m watching, and the podcasts I’m listening to.

They’ll remain free to read but if you’re looking for a way to support my work, buy my book, read my articles, or sign up for my courses. Thanks again for following along! Be sure to share what you’re loving this month below! 

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Reading

In terms of books, I’m still reading Where the Crawdads Sing. I also purchased The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek at Bookmarks, an incredible non-profit in North Carolina. A friend just sent me Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile, one of my favorite musicians.

I post most of the links to articles I’m reading over on Twitter if you want to follow there. But a few highlights that I read this month include Jacobin Magazine on Walmart’s influence on Bentonville, Arkansas, Conde Nast Traveler on adult gap years, and The New York Times on a small-town amusement park for sale.

I read about the rise of college-aged egg donors in Teen Vogue, the horrors of abuse victims not being believed in GEN, babies switched at birth in Newfoundland in The Atavist, and the rise of Frenchie dogs on Vox. This story for The Marshall Project on author Sara Gruen was also a wild ride.

I also watched this troubling Vice video of the social media-generated videos from the insurrection. It’s especially ironic since one of the original Vice founders, long since gone from the company, started the Proud Boys, one of the groups at the Capitol. I also wondered what it was like to be on these flights as passengers or flight attendants headed to DC.

To see what else I’m reading, check out my Goodreads Profile here (which is also my author page!).

Listening

My phone is usually full of the same podcasts, typically true crime and dating with a few pop culture and news. A couple of friends posted about Be There in Five in the past. I’ve listened to a few of her episodes (The Bride Tribe series is great) but they are usually around 2 hours, which I can’t always commit to. But her deep dive on Rachel Hollis, the problematic author of Girl, Wash Your Face, is a must-listen.

Host Kate Kennedy connects Hollis and her appeal to the girl power energy emitted in the wake of the 2016 election, the influence tactics used by grifters like Tony Robbins, the multi-level-marketing and “girlboss” industries, and purity culture.

I’ve also started listening to Your Own Backyard after the updates in the Kristin Smart case in California. Camp Hell is an intense story about a “wilderness therapy” camp in Georgia. There are also new seasons of Slow Burn and Swindled, two of my favorites.

Watching

I always pick something new to watch when I give platelets since I’m in the chair for two hours. Lately, it’s been Operation Varsity Blues, a fascinating look at the college admissions scandal, and The Serpent, a series about a real-life serial killer of backpackers in Southeast Asia in the 1970s.

Next on my list is Russian Doll and Everything is Okay. Any other recommendations? I also have been rewatching New Girl (my go-to), Happy Endings, and UnReal.

Loving

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I’ve honestly been spending a lot of time at home doing projects. We got some new plants for the yard. I’ve ventured out to attend one of the first games of the Braves season, a party for Pabst Brewing, and a rooftop media dinner. I’ve also spent time with my friends new babies, something I never get sick of.

I also love the idea of my childhood fave LeVar Burton becoming the new host of Jeopardy. If you also want to see him take the reigns, sign this petition!

Causes

I’m adding this section in to support organizations and people during the month. After the horrific shooting here in Atlanta, I donated to Red Canary Song, which works with Asian and migrant sex workers.

It feels like groundhog day on the heels of another mass shooting and the police killing of an unarmed Black man so I’m also supporting Everytown for Gun Safety and the Minnesota Freedom Fund.

Because of the truly backward legislation happening in Arkansas, I’m supporting Lucie’s Place, a group that supports unhoused LGBTQ+ individuals.

I’m also supporting The Echo Project, which I’ve been working on a story about for many months, which is transforming a former haven for white supremacists to a center for racial healing. Read more about it and donate here.

I’m sure you’ve also heard about the voter bill in Georgia. I’ve purchased these awesome “Move Kemp, Get Out the Way” stickers, which donates its proceeds to the New Georgia Project. Get yours now!

Working

I think I’ve been talking about one of the stories I’ve been working on for months but I can finally say that it’s done. This was maybe the scariest thing I’ve ever written because of the breadth of the research and the pressure to get it right.

I first learned about the town of Laurens and its ties to white supremacists when I was an extra in a movie about it. You can read it on The Bitter Southerner and also become a member to support longform stories like these!

I wrote my second story for InsideHook about a unique golf destination in rural Alabama and about the National Quilt Museum for Southern Living. For Simply Buckhead, I once again declared my love for the Mississippi Delta. For Matador Network, I shared my favorite Georgia small towns.

I’m currently working on stories on Tennessee whiskey (the drink, not the song), a Mississippi-based distillery, a history-focused story also from the Magnolia State, the quirky towns of rural New Mexico, and a charming North Carolina coastal town.

I’m also working to find a new home for a recently killed story, pitching my memoir to agencies, picking back up a Nanowrimo project, and updating old content over on my other site.

If you’d like to see more of my work, visit my professional website, CarolineEubanks.com, for more information. If you got a copy of my book, review it on Amazon or Goodreads. Or you can sign up for one of my online writing classes.

Traveling

Now that I’m FULLY VACCINATED (cue airhorn), I’m slowly starting to plan a few trips. I went on a handful in the last year but all of the events and trips that were canceled in 2020 are getting put back on the books.

Last month, I went up to Winston-Salem to hold my friend’s first child and drink beer. I’m taking a very quick trip to Mississippi for an article I’m working on. Then I’ll be heading up to a cabin in the North Carolina mountains to celebrate my sister’s birthday.

I’ve also got a few other plans in the works, including a conference back in North Carolina, another writer’s retreat, and a long-overdue weekend in Savannah. Who knows what the rest of the year holds? I just renewed my Global Entry so anything is possible.