Scattered & Covered
By Brian Panowich The past two years did a number on me. I mean a full-on Las Vegas size chorus line to my brain and trust me when I say that is no easy task. I’ve always thought of myself as a freight train under pressure. I take the bad and the worse and spin…
Read MoreBy Mac McCall As I fled New York City through Covid-infested airports, I looked like hell; disheveled, sleep deprived, and drinking too freely. Aside from a handful of trips to Brooklyn, my existence had for months been confined to the 13.4 by 2.3-mile coffin-shaped oblong of Manhattan. Weeks of relentless preparation for my law school…
Read MoreAnd that’s a shame really, because other than my father – or maybe Batman – my big brother may be the closest thing to a hero I’ve ever had. Sure, he may have been one of the biggest antagonists I had growing up and he picked on me constantly and without mercy, but I can…
Read MoreWith the University of Georgia football’s opener against Clemson quickly approaching, August 23 marked one year since my grandfather’s death. It’s unsurprising that his passing occurred in the last weeks of August, when college and high school football seasons are gearing up across the country. A quarterback at Davidson in his undergraduate years, he nurtured…
Read MoreMay 8th marked the 76th anniversary of V-E Day, commemorating the end of World War II in Europe. The day passed with little fanfare compared to last year’s 75th anniversary. The cataclysm of World War II drifts further into the past, as those who remember continue to dwindle into twilight. Memories fade, and myth takes…
Read MoreOn January 20th 2021, I ventured out into a city under armed occupation. Barbed wire, fences, and concrete barriers constricted movement. The equivalent of two divisions of masked soldiers patrolled silent, deserted streets, wielding shiny M4 rifles, equipped in riot gear, and supported by armored vehicles. Personnel hailing from over 20 different law enforcement agencies…
Read MoreBy Brian Panowich The year 2020. It has definitely been one for the books. I cannot remember another more tumultuous time in my life, in the lives of my family and friends, or possibly in the world itself. I’ve seen and experienced the entire gamut of emotion and have come face to face with some…
Read MoreBy Brian Panowich Throughout my tenure as the columnist for “Scattered & Covered” here at Augusta Magazine, I have never used this wonderful platform they gave me for any kind of political commentary or to forward any sort of slanted hidden agenda — either to the left or the right. So, understand that I’m not…
Read MoreBy Brian Panowich Those three “L” words are being used to describe my new novel, Hard Cash Valley, which should be on shelves as you read this, and my editor here at Augusta Magazine was kind enough to let me use this space to give y’all a peek behind the curtain of my return to…
Read MoreBy Brian Panowich | Illustration by Kat McCall My son turned nine years old several years ago and my family went to the fair to celebrate. We had a great time. Toward the end of the evening, as the sun faded and the fairgrounds really came alive, I looked out at my wife and kids…
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