Like birds blown off course, the characters in these stories need a place to roost-somewhere to settle long enough to repair their ragged hearts-and they find it near the banks of the mythical Sissipahaw River. In the centerpiece story, an eighteenth-century Eno Indian tells of the fiery fate of his adopted father, English explorer John Lawson. In the surrounding stories, the age-old conflicts between newcomer and old-timer play out as twenty-first century retirees, carnies, runaways, heartbroken women, and farmers stumble into new lives and new insights in Ambler County, North Carolina. "Hudson's prose is pure as birdsong," says novelist Doris Betts. "These fine stories of change and discovery are a field guide to the human species in transition."

The well-loved standard reference for bird-watchers and nature lovers in North Carolina and South Carolina, Birds of the Carolinas collects information on all avian species known to have occurred in the region since 1900. This thoroughly revised second edition describes more than 460 individual species, including more than 60 new species that have been recorded since the publication of the first edition in 1980. Updated entries for all species reflect the current status of bird life as well as major changes in taxonomy and nomenclature. Each species account indicates when and where the bird is most likely to be found in the Carolinas, its nesting habits, feeding habits, and descriptive information useful in identifying the species. Generously illustrated with 350 color photographs, this comprehensive guide to regional birds and their behavior will quickly earn a prominent place on the bookshelf of every bird-watcher in the Carolinas.

The definitive book on birds found in the Carolina Piedmont. Birds of the Central Carolinas is more than just a bird book. It is an invaluable tool for anyone who wants to discover the fascinating history of birds in the region and to understand their status and distribution today. Vastly more informative than a field guide, this work presents historical material previously unpublished in any book and deftly incorporates firsthand accounts by Piedmont birders. Birds of the Central Carolinas establishes a benchmark for birders to build upon throughout the remainder of the twenty-first century. ¿Covers almost 400 species of birds documented in the Piedmont of both North and South Carolina¿Provides detailed analysis of all records for the Central Carolinas, an area that lies at the core of the Carolina Piedmont and also at the center of the Piedmont Ecoregion--as mapped by The Nature Conservancy¿Incorporates the results of the Mecklenburg County Breeding Bird Atlas--the first county-level atlas project in the Carolinas¿Shares firsthand accounts of bird observations over the past 150 years¿¿a book that is both beautifully crafted and an invaluable resource for ornithology and conservation in the Carolinas.¿ ¿Dr. R.O. Bierregaard, ornithologist, Research Associate at Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University¿[Birds of the Central Carolinas] tells a story we need to pay attention to.¿ ¿Jim Garges, Director, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department¿Birds¿ futures and fortunes are inextricably twined with those of humankind. Seriff knows intimately how the inhabitants of Piedmont skies are changing.¿ ¿Amber Ververka, writer, Keepingwatch.org, UNC Charlotte

Some of us understand place in terms of family and community, landscape, or even the weather. For others, the idea of place becomes more distinct and particular: the sound of someone humming while washing dishes, the musical cadence of a mountain accent, the smell of a tobacco field under the hot Piedmont sun. Some of North Carolina's finest writers ruminate on the meaning of place in this collection of twenty-one original essays, untangling North Carolina's influence on their work, exploring how the idea of place resonates with North Carolinians, and illuminating why the state itself plays such a significant role in its own literature. Authors from every region of North Carolina are represented, from the Appalachians and the Piedmont to the Outer Banks and places in between. Amazing Place showcases a mix of familiar favorites and newer voices, expressing in their own words how North Carolina shapes the literature of its people. Contributors include Rosecrans Baldwin, Will Blythe, Belle Boggs, Fred Chappell, Jan DeBlieu, Pamela Duncan, Clyde Edgerton, Ben Fountain, Marianne Gingher, Judy Goldman, Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Randall Kenan, Jill McCorkle, Michael McFee, Lydia Millet, Robert Morgan, Jenny Offill, Michael Parker, Bland Simpson, Lee Smith, Wells Tower, and Monique Truong.