Sean Dietrich Articles

Sean of the South | A familiar accent in an unfamiliar place

Maryland. The old cafe is mostly empty this time of night. Music plays overhead. Pedal steel guitar. The cook is cleaning his flattop. The waitress is reading a magazine. Thank God magazines still exist in our AI Age. I smell cured pork and onions. There are globe...

Sean of the South | One afternoon at Winn Dixie

OPINION — He was a good kid. You could just tell.He was maybe 11. Twelve at the most. He was in the supermarket. He had his little sister balanced on his hip. You don’t often see boys carrying toddlers out in public.The kid was filling a shopping buggy. He was...

Sean of the South | Sweet Georgia Barbecue

BY SEAN DIETRICH OPINION — Columbus, Georgia. I was eating at a barbecue joint not far from the state line.My cousin, John, insisted that this joint serves the best barbecue in the state of Georgia. He made me promise to try it.I ordered the ribs.I ate them without...

Sean of the South | Shaking your butt

BY SEAN DIETRICH OPINION — Mount Airy. The Earle Theater was crowded, the room smelled of popcorn, and I was onstage shaking my butt.I don’t mean to say I was shaking my hindparts metaphorically. But worse, I was actually shaking them.Namely, because derriere-shaking...

Sean of the South | My “dumb phone”

Sean of the South | My “dumb phone”

Feb 25, 2025

My phone finally arrives in the mail. It’s small. Ugly. It’s “dumb.” And it looks like it was invented during the Herbert Hoover administration....

Sean of the South | My “dumb phone”

Sean of the South | On life and Heinz ketchup

Feb 18, 2025

BY SEAN DIETRICH OPINION — I miss glass bottles. I come from a generation of glass.And therein lies a fundamental difference between my generation...

Sean of the South | My “dumb phone”

Sean of the South | A few things I love about America

Feb 11, 2025

OPINION — A mericans are arguing right now. And believe me, I get it. There is a lot going on. Everyone has differences of opinion. But I...

Sean of the South | My “dumb phone”

Sean of the South | The hunt for ink and paper

Feb 4, 2025

BY SEAN DIETRICH OPINION — All I wanted was a newspaper.It was a small town. Somewhere in the Southeast. Big shopping complex, off the interstate....

Sean of the South | My “dumb phone”

Sean of the South | El Camino de Crazy-O

Jan 28, 2025

I’ve never seen London. I’ve never seen France. Consequently, I’ve never seen anyone’s underpants. But in a few months my wife Jamie and I will fly...

Sean of the South | My “dumb phone”

Sean of the South | Jan. 23, 2025

Jan 22, 2025

Snow in the South OPINION —From the archives: March 2022 “Snow?” said my wife. “Snow,” I said.“You’re joking,” she said.So I showed her the...

Sean of the South | My “dumb phone”

Sean of the South | Jan. 16, 2025

Jan 14, 2025

Newspapers Newspapers have a smell. If you’re lucky enough to find a physical newspaper in our digital world, you’ll notice the smell first. Fresh...

Sean of the South | My “dumb phone”

Sean of the South – A new year with a blind dog

Jan 8, 2025

Jan. 1, 2025: I brought in the new year with a blind dog. She was seated beside me, wagging her butt. I think she could feel the energy in the air....

Sean of the South | My “dumb phone”

Sean of the South | Jan. 2, 2025

Dec 31, 2024

A boyhood Christmas break OPINION — Christmas break. There were little-kid toys scattered around the house, fallen in the line of duty.A friendship...

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