Welcome to The Literate Pen, a collection of articles, essays and writings by J. M. Brewer
About the Author
J. M. Brewer has worked in local government for over a quarter of a century and enjoys living in a small Georgia community south of Atlanta. His community activities include chairing the boards of an area technical college and the local hospital as well as serving on various state boards and groups. He also owns his own digital media consulting business, is an enthusiastic student of architecture and enjoys reading books, history, wristwatches and art. Married since 1999, he and his wife have a son and their two furry children, a dog and a cat. To read his writings, click on a post to the right. For older writings, check in the archives area of this page.
___________________________________________________________
As I go through life, I observe many things and if I try, I can often find the humor in the things I see or even a deeper meaning than what is superficial. This is about life as I see it with a bit of the humour I find in it along the way. I have many generations of family history to draw on, plus the more recent perspective of being a father to a young child who enables me to see things through his eyes. As a native Southerner, I like to weave all this against a backdrop of a culture unique in the United States that is part of who I am.
I never imagined myself writing a blog, a book or even a newspaper article but have found that I enjoy committing words and thoughts to paper…its like taking stuff out of your mind so you can look at it with your own eyes and see more than just a reflection of yourself in a mirror. Words, when used wisely and skillfully can be used to pursuade and inform, to teach and enlighten and in some cases, they transform us to other places, other times, even other realities. It is my hope that you will find yourself remembering similar stories and things as my writings attempt to take you to places along with me and that you will find the humor that I find in them.
The Literate Pen 
JM, Have you written anything on the old Carmichael house and Carmichael Buggy Company in Butts County? Thanks, Jim Gonia jgonia@icloud.com
“An old historic renovation carpenter”
Yes there is an article on this site about it under J. R. Carmichael House
Mr. Brewer,
I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy reading your articles. I am originally from Memphis, but now live in Phoenix, Ariz. Much of my mother’s family live in the small Mississippi towns of Hernando and French Camp (the latter having only a few hundred residents). Your writings allow me to revisit the times spent in those small towns with relatives during my childhood. They also give such a good picture of the Southern life that I miss….whether in small town Mississippi or in the “big city that thinks it’s a small town” Memphis. I love living here in Phoenix – it is where I have begun my career at (I am only twenty) and hope to begin a family, but do miss the less laid-back, more Christian culture of the South. I have been called rude (and nearly slapped on one occasion) for saying “yes ma’am” and my Christian way-of-life so common in the South is treated like an old-fashioned antique that people enjoy looking at but would never actually bring into their own home. It is refreshing to read your writings and be immersed once again in the land that I call home.
Seasons Greetings,
Joseph Peterson
Thank you Joseph…I appreciate your comments and am glad that you relate to my writings. The old saying is true that you can take a Southerner out of the South but you can’t take the South out of a Southerner. Thanks again for your comments and readership! jmb
I thoroughly enjoyed your articles on the Rosemount Plantation. How does one go about finding information on ownership of this property?