Ben Steelman
StarNewsOnline
Wilmington, NC, United States
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Past articles by Ben:
Poignant memoir recalls days when Black servants lived with white families
Charlotte author Judy Kurtz Goldman tries to come to terms with a complex situation. → Read More
Former Kure Beach mayor publishes late wife's dissertation on the end of slavery
The academic book might be intimidating to some readers. Still, she discussed issues that prove surprisingly timely. → Read More
Murder haunts N.C. author's mystery 'In a Lonely Backwater,' which invokes UNCW
"In a Lonely Backwater" is the latest thriller from Reidsville, North Carolina, writer Valerie Nieman. → Read More
Wilmington writer Philip Gerard, who helped bring 1898 into the open, dies at 67
Gerard was perhaps best known for "Cape Fear Rising," his 1994 historical novel based on the Wilmington coup and massacre of 1898. → Read More
Wilmington-set novel looks at love in the time of COVID
In 2019, N.C. author Mary Flinn published "Lumina," a novel set in Wilmington and on Wrightsville Beach in 1928. "Playing by Heart" is the follow-up. → Read More
Wilmington psychic offers advice on navigating dreams in new book
Former StarNews contributor Samantha Fey has a new book: "The Awake Dreamer: A Guide to Lucid Dreaming, Astral Travel and Mastering the Dreamscape" → Read More
Leland author heads South for his well-told murder mystery 'Blood on the Bayou'
Leland resident Douglas J. Wood uses the Big Easy as a backdrop for his new crime thriller, "Blood on the Bayou." → Read More
How America is becoming more Southern, and why that might not be a good thing
In "The Southernization of America," Frye Gaillard and Cynthia Tucker see America as a whole adopting the politics of the segregated Jim Crow South. → Read More
Is patriotism dead? In new book, Wilmington philosopher Tom Morris explores the question
Just in time for an election year, Morris takes up the topics of patriotism and citizenship in in "The Everyday Patriot," now out in paperback. → Read More
New Hanover County Library spotlights Wilmington author Jason Mott's 'Hell of a Book'
Plus, developer Gene Merritt chronicles downtown revitalization in "DARE to Dream" and historian Richard H. Triebe focuses on Confederate soldiers. → Read More
UNCW grad mixes romance with magical realism in new novel 'The Holloway Girls'
"The Holloway Girls" not only makes for delightful summer reading, but it also has an enlightened approach in regard to its LGBT characters. → Read More
Wilmington author's book 'The Haunted Life of Lura' is worthy of a 'Dateline' episode
Flake is a first-time novelist, and it shows. Still, one keeps on reading the based-on-a-true-events tale, largely because the core story is so good. → Read More
Book 'Surfing the South' explores Southern-style endless summer, visits Wrightsville Beach
"Surfing the South: The Search for Waves an the People Who Ride Them" includes stops at Wrightsville Beach and Flaming Amy's Burrito Barn. → Read More
Biltmore-set romance 'The Wedding Veil' more substantial than most summer beach reads
"The Wedding Veil," Kristy Woodson Harvey's new novel, is centered around Asheville's famous Biltmore Estate. → Read More
In 'The Coastal Chronicles: Vol. 3,' scenes from Cape Fear history come to life
"The Coastal Chronicles Volume III" is the latest in a long-running series on Wilmington history, and aficionados should find it fascinating. → Read More
In novel 'Wildcat,' UNCW grad writes about mean girls and motherhood in the Instagram age
"Wildcat," which spends much of its time on social media, is a sharp, tight debut, marking Morris as a writer to watch. → Read More
Wilmington businessman and benefactor Bucky Stein dies at the age of 96
He is perhaps best known as the namesake for Thalian Hall's Ruth and Bucky Stein Studio Theatre, which is named for Stein and his late wife. → Read More
N.C. author's debut novel tells tale of surviving The South while The '20s roared
"The Girls in the Stilt House" by Kelly Mustian tells a story of women's resilience on the edge of a wilderness — with a dash of murder thrown in. → Read More
New biography of UNC President Frank Porter Graham profiles a titan of education in N.C.
Although Graham was considered progressive for his time, and promoted interracial understanding, he never seriously challenged segregation. → Read More
New novel 'The Vietri Project' from UNCW grad is a smart, sexy, globe-hopping mystery
"The Vietri Project" is the latest in a string of successes for the University of North Carolina Wilmington's Department of Creative Writing. → Read More