Leland Vietnam veterans Gerald Decker and Eric Mens recently published an anthology of personal stories from around the world and the Cape Fear Region. The book provides insights into the personal struggles of both young and old during the COVID-19 pandemic and its harmful effects on our health, professions, and education. The Great Lockdown of 2020 – An Anthology chronicles people’s lives, including local area students, against a backdrop of well-written introductions by Leland resident Mahlon Anderson and published authors Keith Landry and Bev Haedrich.
Decker and Mens previously published a short biography on local WW II veteran Alex Moskowitz and publish the free monthly papers Cape Fear Voices and The Teen Scene. Both papers provide an opportunity for Cape Fear residents and students to share their creative talents with the community. The Great Lockdown of 2020 – An Anthology is available from Amazon. The authors will be available for book sales and signing at the Belville Riverwalk Fall Festival on Saturday, October 2 (2-7 pm). The Park is located at 580 River Road SE, Leland, NC. Additional book signings will be scheduled at local venues in the near future. For more information, email [email protected] or call (910) 338-6261.
A list of local talents contributing to the book follows below.
Local Contributing Writers & Artists
The Great Lockdown of 2020 – An Anthology
- Mahlon Anderson (Leland, NC)
- Jennifer Argo (Teen Writer, West Brunswick HS)
- Amy Atwell (Proprietor – The Painted Mermaid, Southport)
- Ayla Austermiller (Teen Writer, Town Creek Middle School)
- Carlin Baer (Teen Writer, Town Creek Middle School)
- William Beecher (Journalist and Author, Wilmington, NC)
- Brenda Bozeman (Mayor, Leland, NC)
- Faye Burkhalter (Leland, NC)
- Samuel Cahenzli, (Teen Writer, West Brunswick HS)
- Deja Chambers (Teen Writer, Leland Middle School)
- Sabrina Cherry (Assistant Professor of Public Health, UNC-Wilmington, NC)
- Howard Cohen (Leland, NC)
- Brendan Connelly (Leland, NC)
- Sharon Copland (Wilmington, NC)
- Sally Dabovich (Wilmington, NC)
- Gerald Decker (Leland, NC)
- Pam DeGeorge (Leland, NC)
- Patricia Dischino (Leland, NC)
- Anthony Fallone (Teen Artist, West Brunswick High School)
- Ken Formalarie (Leland, NC)
- Suzanne Foster (Proprietor – La Polena Bed and Breakfast, Southport, NC)
- Lorraine Gilmore (Leland, NC)
- Beverly Haedrich (Author, Wilmington, NC)
- Rev. Jim Hanisian (Leland, NC)
- Sarah Harrell (Wilmington, NC)
- Brittany and Dewayne Hedrick (Proprietors – Southport Tap and Cellar, Southport, NC)
- Wes Hickman (Proprietor – Hickman’s Pharmacy, Leland, NC)
- Shanley Hunt (Teen Writer, Leland Middle School)
- Ana Johnson (Wilmington, NC)
- Z’Kyra Johnson (Teen Writer, Town Creek Middle School)
- L.T. Johnston (Leland, NC)
- Sheryl Keiper (Leland, NC)
- Jane Lang (Leland, NC)
- Leland Cultural Arts Center
- Leland Parks and Recreation Department
- Giovani Leone (Leland, NC)
- Maritime Museum at Southport
- Lee Norman Mehler (Leland, NC)
- Eric Mens (Leland, NC)
- Janet Meuwissen (Leland, NC)
- Teena Miller (Leland, NC)
- Jan Morgan-Swegle (Leland, NC)
- Maryann Nunnally (Wilmington, NC)
- Missy Ronquilo (Artist, Southport, NC)
- Randy, Sadewater (Musician, Southport, NC)
- Pam Sexton (Proprietor -The Cattail Cottage, Southport, NC)
- John Stickney (Leland, NC)
- Janet Stiegler (Leland, NC)
- Jeffrey Stites (Writer and Publisher, Oak Island, NC)
- Catherine Strickland (Wilmington, NC)
- Suzy Tenenbaum (Leland, NC)
- Ruth Thompson (CIS Success Coach, Leland Middle School, Leland, NC)
- Matt Thorne (Proprietor – The Saucy Southerner, Southport, NC)
- Bryce Thorpe (Teen Writer, Leland Middle School, Leland, NC)
- Brian Tully (Proprietor – Better Together Fitness, Leland, NC)
- Stan Washington (Leland, NC)
- Jane Webster (Leland, NC)
- Ronnie Weinstein (Musician, Southport, NC)
- Wilmington Symphony Orchestra
- Susan and Doug Zucker (Proprietors – Bridgewater Wines Leland)
