Mark Kemp is an award-winning journalist who’s served as music editor at Rolling Stone; executive editor at Option; vice president of music editorial at MTV Networks; and editor in chief at two alternative newsmedia outlets, Creative Loafing and SF Weekly. He is the author of Dixie Lullaby: A Story of Music, Race and New Beginnings in a New South, and recently retired after 40 years as an editor, the last six of which he served as senior editor at the North Carolina magazine Our State. He continues to contribute to various media outlets, including this blog as well as the travel blog of his life partner, Thrillermom, and her two lovely and talented daughters, Alora and Vivia.

Visit Mark’s Kempspiel page for his semi-regular writings and commentary on news topics and life events; stories from his archives; and progress reports on new projects, books, readings, and more. And buy a copy of Dixie Lullaby in hard or soft cover at Amazon.com (please avoid the ebook version, though, as it includes errors introduced by original publisher Simon & Schuster). And follow Mark on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky, and Facebook.

Dixie Lullaby: A Story of Music, Race and New Beginnings in a New South

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6 Comments

  1. Hi Mark, my boss is a songwriter and is interested in speaking to you directly if possible! Do you have an email address she can send a message to? Or would it be best if she just send a message the way I am sending one now?

    Thanks,
    Rachael

  2. Hi Mark-I just read your story on Facebook about the Soap Stone mine near Ramseur and It brought back a flood of memories for me. Having spent most of my Wonder Bread years in Siler City back in the 60s and early 70s, my friends and I spent many summer days basking in the sun and plunging in the very cold blue waters of the quarry. I’m not sure if there was shrinkage involved, but probably. The only blemish was the day a kid did a header off the top cliff and landed on the rocks. Luckily, we had just left and were spared the anguish and tragedy.

    FYI, I had an orange VW Beetle with a Craig 8 track player and a set of bodicious speakers in the back blaring out the tuneage of the day, even Black Sabbath. Ah, the “salad days,” stealing a line from Raising Arizona.

    Thanks for bringing a great memory back to the front of my brain.
    Jax

  3. Hi Jax,
    Thank you so much for sharing your rock quarry story. That piece seems to have resonated for lots folks in Randolph, Guilford, Alamance, and Chatham counties. It wouldn’t surprise me if you and I were there on some of those same summer days.

    All the best,

    mk

  4. Hello Mark, how are you? I really liked a review of my compatriot Juana Molina that you wrote.
    I’m about to release an album (previously 3 singles), and I’d like to send you a press kit, Spotify and YouTube links. How can I send you the info?
    Thank you! Greetings!

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