Spivey's Corner is a little town in Sampson County, North Carolina. I never heard of it until I lived in a nearby county. I passed through it numerous times on my way back and forth to Clinton and was aware of a terrible automobile accident there. A few years ago, Spivey's Corner became famous, featured on the nightly news, written about in news magazines, and visited by people who would never have thought of going there if it had not gained notoriety. That little community, really a mere crossroads, is famous because each year folks get together there to see who can yell the loudest. They don't come just from the surrounding area, but from all over the country for that annual hollering contest. National recognition is given to the contestant who can shout the loudest.

A shout is a loud s…