Sean Dietrich Articles

Christmas Prayers

The side-of-the-highway café was decorated for Christmas. Plastic balsam trees on formica tables. Beside the napkin dispenser, a nutcracker soldier with a Sharpie graphic drawn on his unmentionables, lending new meaning to the unfortunate soldier’s station in...

Sean of the South

Relax, you're going to be okay You’re going to be okay. That’s not an opinion. It’s not a guess. This isn’t some trite little catchphrase from some crappy motivational book that reads like it was written by a greasy televangelist.You’re going to be okay. It’s the...

The 11-year-old in the house

BY SEAN DIETRICH There is a little girl in my house. She is 11. She is currently playing piano in my office. She is blind, so she plays by feel. She has no idea what she’s doing on the instrument. But she actually sounds pretty good.I do not have kids. I’m not a smart...

From the files of ‘Dear Sean’

BY SEAN DIETRICH DEAR SEAN:I’m not sure what to do. My teenage son died in an accident three years ago. … A few months ago one of his good friends started hanging out at our house…We’ve become really close. He doesn’t have a very present mother. And I find myself...
Lightning Bugs

Lightning Bugs

It’s a quiet night in Avondale. The sun is low in the western sky. The air is lit with lightning bugs. There are a few neighborhood kids, playing in...

read more
Little Voice

Little Voice

Hi there. This is that Little Voice inside your head speaking. Yeah, I know. It’s been a while. But how are you? How’s life? How’s the fam? You...

read more
Mountains

Mountains

By SEAN DIETRICH The Alabama mountains look good today. The evening sun is cresting over the hillsides. I’m watching an Appalachian spring overtake...

read more
Mountains

The Country Gentleman

By SEAN DIETRICH Danny and the band arrived late to the nursing home. They were running behind schedule because of traffic. But they were here, and...

read more
Mountains

Bar Food

By SEAN DIETRICH I am at a bar. It’s loud. There is live music. And cheeseburgers. I missed dinner tonight because I was making a speech at a dinner...

read more
Mountains

The Good Old Days

By SEAN DIETRICH I have a confession to make. I am addicted to my cellphone. I’m not proud of it. I don’t like admitting it. But I’m coming clean,...

read more
Mountains

Dadeville

I can only pray. That’s all I know how to do. I am nobody. I am not particularly smart. I am not savvy when it comes to political discourse. I am...

read more
Mountains

The Phone Call

By SEAN DIETRICH The call came late afternoon. “May I speak to Sean?” said the child’s voice. Speaking, I said. “Is this a bad time, Mister Sean?”...

read more
Mountains

Opry Kid

By SEAN DIETRICH The phone rang. My wife and I were in the kitchen, cooking an elaborate gourmet dinner. I was chopping garlic. My wife was sauteing...

read more