by Kent Priestley (Author), Jon Elliston (Author), Constance E. Richards (Editor)

The definitive collection of North Carolina's odd, wacky, and most offbeat people, places, and things, for North Carolina residents and anyone else who enjoys local humor and trivia with a twist.

Back Jacket

Your round-trip ticket to the wildest, wackiest, most outrageous people, places, and things the Tar Heel State has to offer!Whether you're a born-and-raised North Carolinian, a recent transplant, or just passing through, North Carolina Curiosities will have you laughing out loud as Jon Elliston, Kent Priestley, and Constance E. Richards take you on a rollicking tour of the strangest sides of the Tar Heel State. Visit DINO-Kinetics, a fascinating collection of life-size welded-steel pterodactyls and other dinosaurs that belch smoke, roar, and rattle.Learn how dozens of dachshunds dominate a town on Weiner Dog Day; how Christmas in July is a hot holiday to celebrate; and how locals make melodic mouth music at the International Whistlers Convention. Meet an out-of-this-world "ufologist"; a quirky exotic-animal-collecting rancher; and a real-life pirate and his homemade ship--definitely a treasure to behold!

Author Biography

Jon Elliston is news editor of the Mountain Xpress, western North Carolina's most widely circulated independent weekly newspaper. He has won national awards from the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies and the Society of Professional Journalists for his investigative reporting in North Carolina. As a writing editor, Elliston continues to delve into little-known state and national history for several publications. He lives in Asheville.

Kent Priestley is a staff writer at the Mountain Xpress. His writing and photography have appeared in the North Carolina magazines Our State, North Carolina Boating Lifestyle, and Carolina Country. Priestly spends his free time playing traditional music, hunting wild mushrooms, and exploring the region's back roads. He lives in Asheville.Constance E. Richards is a freelance writer, journalist, and interpreter based in Asheville, North Carolina. She has written for Time, the London Daily Telegraph, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, Conde Nast Traveler, and many other national and international newspapers and magazines.

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