Charlotte Observer Logo

David Payne’s reading riveting | Charlotte Observer

×
  • E-edition
  • Customer Service
  • Advertise
  • Newsletters

    • News
    • Local
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Election
    • Politics
    • Nation/World
    • Special Reports
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Corrections
    • Columnists
    • Retro Charlotte
    • Your Schools
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Sports
    • Carolina Panthers
    • Charlotte Hornets
    • That's Racin'
    • High Schools
    • College Sports
    • Charlotte Knights/MLB
    • Other Sports
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Inside the Panthers
    • Inside the NBA
    • Prep Insiders
    • Scott Fowler
    • Tom Sorensen
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • RNC 2020
    • Business
    • Banking
    • Stocks Center
    • Top Workplaces
    • National Business
    • What's in Store
    • Development
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Living
    • Religion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Family
    • Home & Garden
    • CLT Style
    • Travel
    • Living Here Guide
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • I'll Bite
    • Kathleen Purvis
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Arts/Culture
    • Events
    • Movie News & Reviews
    • Restaurants
    • Music/Nightlife
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Rewards
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Kevin Siers
    • Letters
    • Submit an Op-ed
    • Submit a Letter
    • Viewpoint
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • O-Pinion
    • You Write The Caption
    • Taylor Batten
    • Peter St. Onge
  • Celebrations
  • Obituaries
  • TV Listings

  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Virtual Career Fair
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Place an ad
  • Mobile & Apps

  • MomsCharlotte
  • Carolina Bride Magazine
  • South Park Magazine

Reading Matters

Reading Matters

David Payne’s reading riveting

By Dannye Romine Powell

dpowell@charlotteobserver.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

August 22, 2015 05:51 AM

It’s always a risk to invite my husband along to a reading. Most of the time, he’d rather be watching the Panthers or re-runs of “L.A. Law.” But last week, we were both in for a unusual treat at Park Road Books.

Hillsborough’s David Payne was reading from his memoir about his brother’s death, “Barefoot to Avalon,” and it turned out to be a riveting and enlightening evening.

Payne read -- a group of his former Queens University MFA students was on hand -- a dramatic scene about the actual death of his brother Georga A. Vivid. Breathtaking. Heartbreaking. I looked over at my husband. Completely absorbed.

Afterward, Payne took questions and answered, as far as we could tell, with openness and a kind of elegant simplicity.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Someone mentioned a guest column he’d written a couple of days before for the New York Times. He said it was about group therapy, which you don’t hear discussed very often. He spent six years with eight other clients and two leaders in group therapy in Chapel Hill. He swears it’s the only thing that ever led to permanent personality changes. Why Group Therapy Worked

The memoir, reviewed Sunday on the Observer’s book page, is fantastic. I give it unrestrained kudos.

  Comments  

Videos

NC State’s Wes Moore talks about the Wolfpack’s loss to Notre Dame

Immigrants and supporters call for end of ICE

View More Video

Trending Stories

DNA testing needed to identify mystery animal that attacked and killed NC teacher

February 18, 2019 07:37 AM

A 6th grader asked a billionaire for tickets to the All-Star Game. His school got 30.

February 17, 2019 01:44 PM

How 5Church came to host Lebron James & Co. at All-Star Weekend’s most-buzzworthy bash

February 17, 2019 09:44 PM

Who won the NBA All-Star Game? The city of Charlotte, which did itself proud.

February 17, 2019 11:18 PM

Bladen County operative ‘told us what we were to say’ at hearing, worker testifies

February 18, 2019 06:00 AM

things to do

Read Next

Review: Wiley Cash’s latest is his best, a model for how to turn fact into fiction

Reading Matters

Review: Wiley Cash’s latest is his best, a model for how to turn fact into fiction

By Dannye Romine Powell dpowell@charlotteobserver.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

September 24, 2017 10:56 AM

NYT bestselling author Wiley Cash’s new novel, ‘The Last Ballad,’ is his best

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE READING MATTERS

Dazzling line-up of writers for AAUW luncheon

Reading Matters

Dazzling line-up of writers for AAUW luncheon

March 28, 2017 06:00 AM
Hoping for sequel to Charlotte lawyer’s debut novel

Reading Matters

Hoping for sequel to Charlotte lawyer’s debut novel

March 24, 2017 06:00 AM
Novelist Sue Miller to read in Davidson

Reading Matters

Novelist Sue Miller to read in Davidson

March 23, 2017 06:00 AM
Edgar to talk on American Revolution in the Carolina Backcountry at Winthrop

Reading Matters

Edgar to talk on American Revolution in the Carolina Backcountry at Winthrop

March 21, 2017 06:00 AM
Conroy, Rash, Frazier: Lots of book news

Reading Matters

Conroy, Rash, Frazier: Lots of book news

March 20, 2017 09:15 AM
Grit was not my thing until I read David Joy’s 2nd novel

Reading Matters

Grit was not my thing until I read David Joy’s 2nd novel

March 09, 2017 06:00 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Charlotte Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story