Lena Geller wrote about the much-anticipated reopening last month of the Wheels roller-skating rink in Durham, which the city purchased and revamped after it closed in 2020. Readers shared their thoughts on the piece and the Bull City landmark’s revival:
From Bluesky user leffjakin:
Maybe the feel-good civic story of the year, one that makes you proud to live in Durham.
@lenarosegeller.bsky.social’s writing is, as always, impeccable in capturing the moment and the joy.
Can’t wait til my kid is old enough to get out there with some rental skates and a walker!
From Bluesky user jenlowe:
If you want to feel good about what government can do, read this about the city reopening a roller skating rink in Durham NC.
This season of The White Lotus features characters who hail from Durham. Chase Pellegrini de Paur called up a linguist to get the official story on whether the actors’ Bull City accents are any good. Readers had a lot to the say about the article—and even more to say on the accents:
From Reddit user Melodic_Werewolf9288:
This is such a satisfying read as a North Carolinian (also spent several years in the Triangle area)—I felt so gaslit by all the comments about how spot on these accents were!
From Reddit user ThisIsMeTryingAgain:
An interesting intellectual exercise but ultimately irrelevant. Most people don’t recognize their own accents/the regional accent of where they live so all the people watching the show who are complaining on here about the accents being “off” likely would be doing so even if that professor said the accents were spot on.
From Reddit user Independent_Golf7490:
I’m 52 and have lived in the Triangle my entire life. I don’t have a Southern accent but both my parents did. I know others my age who also grew up in the area that do have it though.
My friends in my teenage years either came from outside the state or had parents who were from other places. I definitely think that had a big influence on how I spoke. That and my fear of sounding ignorant, which is how I associated the accent to sound. I realize how that seems now, but everyone I knew with that type of accent at the time were people I loathed for various reasons (bigots, racists, etc.)
All that to say, I think the author is on point about how all the transplants have reshaped the cities in NC.
From Instagram user melvin__pena:
i love local news and parker posey
From Instagram user vixenandthekitten:
Thisislocaljournalism
From Instagram user kmckeeunc:
I’m certainly not a linguistics expert, but I’ve lived in Durham my entire life, got two degrees at UNC and have feelings about Duke (which I do not pronounce Dewk). I DO NOT talk like Parker Posey in The White Lotus. To me, she’s way too down South. Sounds more like she’s from the eastern part of the state or even the girls I went to college with from South Carolina. Her accent actually is driving me a bit crazy. To me, it’s what other people think Southerners talk like. Just my opinion on this crucially important topic.
Comment on this story at backtalk@indyweek.com.