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Tuesday, 01 July 2025
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Written by D.G. Martin
It has been almost five years since the last North Carolina Bookwatch program was produced and aired by PBS-NC.
Some people still ask me what programs PBS NC Bookwatch would be airing if the program were still in existence.
Below are several North Carolina related books and authors that would certainly be considered.
Flaco“The Book of Flaco: The World's Most Famous Bird” by UNC-Wilmington professor David Gessner tells the story of Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who, after 13 years confinement, escaped from Central Park Zoo on February 2, 2023, when his cage was vandalized.
According to Gessner “Within days of his release Flaco was becoming known throughout the world, and within a couple of weeks Flaco mania was cresting. In a society that seems to value fame above all else, Flaco had it...The networks all covered Flaco as did ‘Good Morning America.’”
Flaco, by the way, was hatched in North Carolina before being sent to the Central Park Zoo.
Carter Wrenn
Carter Wrenn is a great storyteller, though he may be better known as the late Senator Jesse Helms’s long-time aide. Now he has a book, “The Trail of the Serpent.”
I asked where that title came from. Here is his response: “There is a poem by Irish poet Thomas Moore – it includes a line, 'Some flow'rets of Eden ye still inherit, but the trail of the Serpent is over them all.' That's where the line came from. It's at the front of the book, before the table of contents. And I mentioned it once more on the last page of the last chapter. Basically, I wrote about 'the trail of the serpent' —the devil—and 'the flowers of Eden' across 50 years of politics.”
Elon Musk/ Walter Isaacson
Over the past months we have learned much about Elon Musk from his activities with DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk led a charge against supposed wasteful government spending and his recent breakup with President Donald Trump. We still do not know him. Maybe it is a good time to read again with the 600-plus-page book “Elon Musk” written by Walter Isaacson.
At the end of the book Isaacson wrote the following about Musk: "Do the audaciousness and hubris that drive him to attempt epic feats excuse his bad behavior, his callousness, his recklessness? The times he's an asshole? The answer is no, of course not. One can admire a person's good traits and decry the bad ones.
“But it's also important to understand how the strands are woven together, sometimes tightly. It can be hard to remove the dark ones without unraveling the whole cloth. As Shakespeare teaches us, all heroes have flaws, some tragic, some conquered, and those we cast as villains can be complex. Even the best people, he wrote, are ‘molded out of faults.’
“It was a pleasing concept: an impulse-control button that could diffuse Musk’s tweets as well as all of his dark impulsive actions and the demon-mode eruptions that leave rubble in his wake. But would a restrained Musk accomplish as much as a Musk unbound?
“Is being unfiltered and untethered integral to who he is? Could you get the rockets to orbit or make the transition to electric vehicles without accepting all aspects of him, hinged and unhinged? Sometimes great innovators are risk-seeking man-children who resist potty training. They can be reckless, cringeworthy, sometimes even toxic. They can also be crazy. Crazy enough to think they can change the world.”
Georgann Eubanks
One of this year’s best books is by Georgann Eubanks.
In “The Fabulous Ordinary” shows Eubanks’ great skills is writing about things that might seem simple or ordinary but are too important not to explain and celebrate.
In her new book she turns her readers into fellow explorers as she shares her experiences in her book’s 15 chapters each of which describes an important natural and endangered plant or animal.
William Leuchtenburg
In his latest and final book, “Patriot Presidents,” William Leuchtenburg, with the help of his spouse, editor and writing partner, Jean Anne Leuchtenburg, sets out to narrate and explain the record of the first six presidents, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and John Quincy Adams, our founding fathers.
The book’s opening chapter on the Constitutional Convention of 1787 analyzes how the founding fathers created a unique institution, the presidency. They were determined to authorize an effective chief executive but cautious of monarchy. The presidency that developed over the next generation was fashioned less by the clauses in the Constitution than by the way that the first presidents responded to challenges.
A reader of Leuchtenburg’s remarkable book will treasure his wisdom, clarity, and great story-telling gifts that made him a great teacher and writer.
Editor’s Note: D.G. Martin, a retired lawyer, served as UNC-System’s vice president for public affairs and hosted PBS-NC’s North Carolina Bookwatch.
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Tuesday, 01 July 2025
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Written by Lena Simmons
Autism is as much a part of humanity as the capacity to dream.
—Kathleen Seidel
Fascinate-U Children's Museum opened The Mindful Meadow on June 24. The Mindful Meadow is a sensory-friendly, nature-themed room designed to give children a calm and inclusive space to re-center and experience calmness during their visit to the museum. The exhibit is supportive of children experiencing autism processing challenges, such as anxiety and overstimulation. The tranquil environment consists of soft lighting, weighted animals, sensory-friendly toys, and a compression canoe.
The Mindful Meadow exhibit is available to the public at Fascinate-U Children's Museum, 116 Green Street, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Children ages 1 to 15 are $5, adults are $4. Children under 12 months are free, as are museum members. Wednesdays are donation days during the hours of 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admissions can be waived in lieu of a donation. For more information, contact Amanda Jekel, director of Fascinate-U Children's Museum, at 910-829-9171
The prevalence of Autism in the United States is 1 in 31, and in North Carolina, it is 1 in 39. The frequent sensory characteristics of persons experiencing Autism are heightened or diminished sensitivity to sensory input, hypersensitivity, loud noises, bright lights, strong smells, sensory overload creating meltdowns and shut downs.
A representative concept for the Mindful Meadow is that mindfulness is the state of being in the present moment and awareness. Mindfulness enhances well-being by reducing stress, increasing awareness, and promoting emotional balance. Meadows are associated with wildflowers of vibrant colors. Flowers create a sense of tranquility, peaceful, serene emotions, and a harmonious state of being. Meadows are a location of nourishment, rest, and refuge. The design provides weighted animals and blankets to provide calming pressure and comfort. The soft adjustable lighting creates a peaceful atmosphere. The natural theme of the meadow with forest, open skies, and proprioceptive input promotes a sense of security.
“Sensory-friendly spaces are essential for accessibility and equity. Autistic children and children experiencing sensory sensitivities often process sensory input differently, and our traditional museum environments can be overwhelming,” Jekel said. “A calming place empowers them to regulate their emotions, reduce anxiety, and stay engaged longer. The Mindful Meadow was designed to center both sensory needs and inclusion. Everything in the space, from the soft lighting and muted color palette to the weighted blankets, sensory toys, and compression canoe, was chosen to help children calm and recenter. It is a peaceful room that is open to all, where every child can feel welcome and supported, whether they need a sensory break or a quiet moment to recharge.
“During a meltdown or shutdown, a child needs a calm, safe, non-judgmental environment to regulate and recover. The Mindful Meadow provides a physically separate area from the museum’s high-energy exhibits and has comforting material such as soft seating, dim lights, and proprioceptive tools. The Mindful Meadow benefits children experiencing ADHD, low sensory levels and neurotypical responses.”
Jekel continued, “The inspiration for the Mindful Meadow was based on conversations with the parents. The mini-city environment can be overwhelming with the moving lights, loud sounds, and large crowd noise. We wanted to offer and create a beautiful environment that felt like a breath of fresh air, literally and emotionally, within the museum,” she said. “Nature is the perfect metaphor for recentering. The research entailed consultations with occupational therapists and applied behavior therapists. We created a partnership with Methodist University occupational therapy graduate students to design a room around a nature theme. The Mindful Meadow became the place where kids can leave the city and step into nature. The Mindful Meadow is a reflection of our mission to serve all children, and it is deeply meaningful to create a space where every child feels seen and supported. This is the first major renovation that we have completed within my tenure as executive director. The partnership with Methodist University has been an immense pleasure and learning opportunity. The Mindful Meadow holds a special place in my heart.”
Jekel also shared the impact of the Mindful Meadow on the quality of life in Cumberland County, and the objectives of Fascinate-U Children’s Museum within the next 2, 5, and 10 years. Fascinate-U has been a part of Fayetteville for over 25 years and has been the place where play and learning come together. For families who have children with sensory sensitivities or developmental differences, this room can make a difference between staying five minutes or spending the whole afternoon, reduces stress and sends a powerful message: You belong here.
“The Strategic plan consists of renovating and refreshing key exhibits to enhance visitors’ experience, grow the physical space to become a regional hub for inclusive, play-based learning, serving not just Fayetteville, but families across North Carolina,” she said.
Experience a Fascinate-U Children's Museum play and learn day. Visit the Mindful Meadow room and be peacefully engaged and refreshed by natural settings. For more information, visit the Fascinate-U website at https://www.fascinate-u.com.
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