Author: Stepheny Forgue Houghtlin

Stepheny Forgue Houghtlin grew up in Evanston, IL. and is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. She is an author of two novels: The Greening of a Heart and Facing East. She lives, writes and gardens in NC. Visit her: Stephenyhoughtlin.com

A White Lady With Camera Again: Happy Hill Left To Sit In It’s Ashes

Thomas Street When I first discovered Happy Hill a few years ago, I felt something stir. Not just in the architecture, but in the rhythm of the place. Along Star, Harris, and Vyne Streets, the shotgun houses still stand. Some are tired, some are empty, but all of them speak to me. With each visit, … Continue reading A White Lady With Camera Again: Happy Hill Left To Sit In It’s Ashes →

A White Woman with a Camera: My Happy Hill Mission

Star Street I don’t rattle easily. But last Thursday evening, after sharing a slice of pizza and plenty of laughs with Denise, the energetic Fun Director at Sky-Vue Skateland, I drove to the Happy Hill neighborhood in Rocky Mount. I had my phone camera in hand, planning to check on the state of things since … Continue reading A White Woman with a Camera: My Happy Hill Mission →

Rocky Mount: When the Spotlight Finds No One Ready – 7-29-25

Mainstreetrockymount.com is where I write about preservation, community, and the stories that hold our past and future together. I write about values, vision, character, and courage, that revitalization always needs. As I write about saving the past to build a better future for Rocky Mount, the National Democratic spokesmen cheer for everyone but America.  As … Continue reading Rocky Mount: When the Spotlight Finds No One Ready – 7-29-25 →

Stepheny Checking In From My Fishing Hole On Monday

The Taste of a Summer Plum The taste of biting into a summer plum brings me home to a time of bare feet, buzzing cornfields, and moments that seemed small then but glow bright in memory now. I stood at the sink this morning, eating a plum, its sweet juice running down my chin. And … Continue reading Stepheny Checking In From My Fishing Hole On Monday →