Sean Dietrich Articles

Sean of the South | The Introduction Room

OPINION —I used to volunteer at an animal shelter. I loved it.My favorite place in the shelter was called the “Introduction Room.” This was the room where people went to meet the dogs that were up for adoption.The room was supposed to be inviting, sort of like a...

Sean of the South | Valentines Day

OPINION — I’ve seen her climb a mountain. On her birthday. No joke. I was beside her, praying for God to kill me. When we made it back to earth, she was so overcome with emotion all she could say was, “Sumbitch.”To which I agreed, “Sumbitch.”And then we cried.I won’t...

Sean of the South | Please raise your hand

OPINION — “What scares you most?” was the question asked to members of Mrs. Devonshire’s fourth-grade class. The little hands went up. “AI scares me,” said one boy. Mrs. Devonshire was perplexed. “But you’re only nine years old.” “I’m...

Sean of the South | Free

BY SEAN DIETRICH OPINION —Before sunrise. A major Southern city. It’s your all-American sports bar, a room mostly made of wood and stink.There is the obligatory Budweiser sign above the lopsided pool table. The crooked dartboard. There is the classic tavern bathroom,...

Sean of the South | A day at the dog park

Sean of the South | A day at the dog park

Jan 20, 2026

OPINION — My truck cab was filled with three barking dogs and one idiot. The dogs were in the backseat. The idiot was behind the wheel. “Sit...

Sean of the South | A day at the dog park

Sean of the South | Providence

Jan 13, 2026

OPINION —The old timers in my childhood used a word I never understood. The word was “Providence.” The old timers couldn’t give me an exact...

Sean of the South | A day at the dog park

Sean of the South | The Marriage crisis

Jan 6, 2026

OPINION —Marriages are down 60% since the ‘70s. Divorce rates are soaring. And the New York Times reported that more 40-year-olds are choosing to...

Sean of the South | A day at the dog park

Sean of the South | God rest ye merry columnist

Dec 29, 2025

BY SEAN DIETRICH OPINION —A supermarket checkout line. Cheesy holiday music is playing overhead. Not the fun kind of cheesy music, but the kind once...

Sean of the South | A day at the dog park

Sean of the South | Almost Heaven, Charlie Brown

Dec 23, 2025

OPINION — The snow in West Virginia clings to the world like shaving cream, covering every surface, every automotive hood, every interstate...

Sean of the South | A day at the dog park

Sean of the South | How Amazon stole Christmas

Dec 16, 2025

OPINION —The story was told to me by a former deliveryman named John.The Christmas season was the busiest time of year for delivery-persons. Drivers...

Sean of the South | A day at the dog park

Sean of the South | Christmas signs

Dec 9, 2025

OPINION —Tony James stood holding a cardboard sign on the street corner, caught in the cold drizzle.Damp clothes. Sun-beaten skin. Moving around to...

Sean of the South | A day at the dog park

Sean of the South | A Thanksgiving to remember

Dec 2, 2025

OPINION — Wake up early. Still dark outside. It is 30-odd degrees on Lake Martin and I can’t feel my unmentionables. The 1940s cabin is poorly...

Sean of the South | A day at the dog park

Sean of the South | Happy Thanksgiving

Nov 24, 2025

OPINION —It’s a few minutes until Thanksgiving. I thought I’d stay up and watch the clock change. I’m sipping tea, listening to gentle music playing...

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