Calvin Hight AllenCalvin Hight Allen, a native of Rocky Mount, N.C., attended Davidson College. Earning full academic credit, he enlisted in the World Campus Afloat for an around-the-globe study tour on a merchant marine vessel that docked at many fascinating ports. "t was life-changing. I started as an eastern NC redneck and returned as a world citizen." Finishing Davidson with a BA in English, he earned an MA from UNC-Chapel Hill and took various positions in teaching and writing, including a stint as a reporter for the Charlotte Observer. After 13 years as a "head hunter" for managers of heavy construction jobs, he retired in 2011 and currently lives at Givens Highland Farms in Black Mountain, N.C. As an author, he has written about characters with roots in North Carolina. Read More Read Less