Village Voice: Collected Columns from the Chapel Hill News Book

When author Robert E. Seymour wrote his light-hearted 1995 column on the "corruption" of the Southern sweet-tea tradition "by aliens in our midst," he had no idea that it would ignite an intense (albeit short-lived) community controversy, inspire an iced-tea-tasting contest among local restaurants, and spur a "Southerners for Sweet Tea" bumper-sticker campaign. But, just as Chapel Hill is more than a mere village, Seymour is more than a mere voice. As Ted Vaden, editor of The Chapel Hill News, notes in his foreword, Seymour has become "a local institution," "a community treasure," and, as Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy calls him, "the conscience of our community." A Village Voice collects Seymour's ongoing monthly work as one of The Chapel Hill News' "Village Voices" columnists. Grouped topically rather than chronologically, the collection spans from May 1994 to August 2002. Seymour's subjects range from the whimsical (the aforementioned sweet tea, decrypting the messages of "vanity" license plates) to some of the great issues of our time (the death penalty, gun control, national health care, abortion, campaign finance, welfare reform, mental health, aging). But, no matter what topic, Seymour is a constant champion of truth, morality, integrity, and respect for the dignity of the individual—a quintessentially American voice. All proceeds from the sale of A Village Voice will be donated to the Interfaith Council for Social Service.