"Why do they [write] for their money? Why do they [work] for short pay? They ain't getting nowhere and they're losing their share. They must have gone crazy back there." — Michael Burton (paraphrased)
By MONTE DUTTON Click here. It did everything but rain on Clinton High School in Inman, S.C., on Friday night. I got up Saturday, trudged through a wretched account of Chapman’s 45-13 victory — I shall not lie; I left the game early — and just wanted to go out and see something wholesome. Watching …
Continue reading Listening to the rhythm of the falling rain
By MONTE DUTTON A comic-book football game erupts into supernatural chaos as a goat, owl, and melting players join the action. Click here. Perhaps one reason writers struggle is that truth is getting progressively stranger than fiction. Journalism is not really about telling the truth. It’s about getting as close to the truth as possible …
By MONTE DUTTON Friendly animal characters share a meal together Click here. I’m slowly getting used to my mountain home. Brevard is about the same population as Clinton and Laurens but seems a tad larger. Already I’ve seen one of those goofy Tesla “trucks” on a street for the first time. It should be called …
By MONTE DUTTON A bewildered England fan navigates vibrant, diverse World Cup fan celebrations. Click here. My first task in watching the World Cup on TV is to determine which team is which. The uniforms often have little to do with the colors on a country’s flag. It helps to read the names on the …
By MONTE DUTTON "A man! A plan! A canal! Panama!" (Monte Dutton photos) Click here. Friday was such a great day. I didn’t want to drive to Lugoff, or Elgin, or wherever Lugoff-Elgin is. I wanted Clinton High School to win the Class 2A state championship at home, where their hearts are, with a crowd …
By MONTE DUTTON People gather in a busy laundromat folding clothes and waiting for laundry cycles. Click here. What is the scribe to do when it’s Saturday and the Red Devils are rained out? Oh, it’s not so bad. I enjoyed a total of four quality conversations at the Waffle House and the laundromat. Let’s …
By MONTE DUTTON A vintage car drives past a rustic BBQ joint on Route 66 at sunset. Click here. It’s Sunday, and I’ve wrapped up the photos and story on Clinton High School’s latest baseball triumph and am presently surfing back and forth between the NASCAR all-star race and the PGA golf tournament. I’m going …
By MONTE DUTTON A man reacts in shock to soaring inflation and rising prices of everyday items. Click here. On Sunday morning, I got up, drove to a drive-through and bought the same thing as the week before. I can’t remember the restaurant. I just remember it had golden arches. Usually, I get something that …
A young woman -- apparently one with three arms --- angrily reacts to her computer crashing and losing internet connection. Click here. Superficial knowledge. That’s what we got from technology. I am neither unaffected nor blameless. I write mostly about sports for an increasingly modest living. I don’t know as much about sports since I …
By MONTE DUTTON A man looks stressed while managing multiple devices and documents at a busy desk The waitress had her back turned. She was doing something at the grill. “How many days are there this month?” she asked to no one in particular. I’ve a little in common with those guys in the commercials …
