–Kevin Hamilton, bassist for the acclaimed South Carolina group Ranky Tanky, which just kicked off its winter/spring tour and is profiled in the new issue of G&G.

Courtesy of Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Co.

No one knows exactly how Chincoteague Island’s wild ponies arrived on the Virginia barrier island, but for centuries the animals have won the affection of their human neighbors. “They are an American treasure,” Darcy Cole, a photographer devoted to their study, recently told CNN. Last fall, however, seven of the horses had to be euthanized after contracting pythiosis, a disease typically found in Latin America and states on the Gulf coast. Sometimes called “swamp cancer,” the difficult-to-treat infection causes lesions and can swiftly compromise the immune system. Though the outbreak appears to have quelled with dropping temperatures, concern has also arisen for the herd’s Outer Banks counterparts, a population of wild horses equally beloved and likely as vulnerable. “The warmer winters and increased precipitation we’ve experienced in recent years has increased the risk of a pythiosis outbreak in North Carolina,” the Corolla Wild Horse Fund posted on its Facebook page last week. “It’s rare, but not inconceivable that we could see an outbreak here.” The group hopes to catch any potential cases early and is urging visitors to report horses showing suspicious wounds or other signs of infection. If you’re planning a visit this year, make sure to check the group’s page, where they’ll be posting info and images.

On this day in 1929, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta. In addition to the national holiday this coming Monday, a number of special events across the South will honor the civil rights leader, who would have been ninety. This weekend, Atlanta’s National Center for Civil and Human Rights debuts Fragments, a new installation featuring illuminated engravings of King’s writings in his own hand. Also in Atlanta, the King Center will hold a commemorative church service at Ebenezer Baptist Church on Monday morning, while in Washington, D.C., the annual MLK Peace Walk and Parade include participants from more than 300 organizations and schools. And in Memphis, the National Civil Rights Museum will be hosting a full day of performances, talks, and service opportunities. Be aware that as the government shutdown continues, sites including Atlanta’s Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site (including King’s birth home) and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in D.C. remain closed. 

G&G is teaming up again with Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, South Carolina, to host a year-long Artist in Residence program, with a different creator leading discussions and giving hands-on seminars each month. This year’s stellar lineup features chefs Asha Gomez and Vivian Howard, as well as Made in the South Awards honorees including Austin outdoorsman and woodworker Dustin Scott and Charleston distillers Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall. Be advised that space is limited. See the full lineup and get tickets here.

Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens
“The most heartfelt and most beautifully written book I’ve read in a long time. How the author describes the flora and fauna of the [North Carolina] marsh and the ache and love you have in your heart for Kya is what makes this a great book escape.” —Melinee F.

Other books that received multiple mentions:

Dispatches from Pluto, by Richard Grant
“My relatives were in East Mississippi, but I see them so clearly in these Delta people!” —Laura E.

The Best Cook in the World, by Rick Bragg
“Any book by Rick Bragg is a best book.” —Jacquelyn P.

The Soul of America, by Jon Meacham

Salvage the Bones, by Jesmyn Ward
“Incredible story of a family in crisis as Hurricane Katrina approaches. Instant classic.” —Erik M.

Natchez Burning, by Greg Iles
“Great installment in a series that demonstrates how the shadows of the old South cast a pall over life in the new South.” —Chip A.

The New Iberia Blues, by James Lee Burke
“Just out. Vintage Burke!” —Jerrie J.

Commonwealth, by Ann Patchett
“Brilliant and un-put-downable.” —Sydney R.

Meet Me at the Museum, by Anne Youngson 
“It is a relatively short book told in letter form but set in the modern day. I read it based upon the recommendations of my favorite bookshop in Houston, the Blue Willow Bookshop (and no, I don’t work there or have any affiliation with them aside from being a loyal customer).” —Lauren B.

The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion 
“My dog of 14 years passed on this summer, and this book helped me better relate to others and understand the emotional roller coaster of grief.” —Karen C.

Thanks to all who responded. 

Tickets go on sale for an all-star salute to Loretta Lynn. On April 1, to celebrate the legendary singer’s 87th birthday, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Margo Price, Darius Rucker, Kacey Musgraves, and more will all take the stage at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

The Florida Panhandle’s 30A Songwriters Festival welcomes more than 175 musicians and songwriters—including such G&G favorites as Amanda Shires, Rosanne Cash, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, and Aaron Lee Tasjan—to more than twenty-five venues across Walton County.

Happy 210th birthday, Edgar Allan Poe! The Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, the city where the author spent much of his life, is throwing a day-long bash from noon to midnight.

Poets join forces at the annual Palm Beach Poetry Festival in Delray Beach, Florida, for a week of workshops, readings, panels, and parties. Special guests this year include Pulitzer Prize winners Tyehimba Jess and Sharon Olds.