FLAVOR OF THE COAST, THE SLAVE DWELLING PROJECT, AUTHOR RON RASH LEE BRICE TALKS MUSIC AND HOME, ARTIST PAUL PUCKETT, THE FARM REIMAGINED WORLD’S BEST MOONSHINE, PIPE DREAMS, INTERVIEW: GOVERNOR HALEY
True Blue Four fresh recipes featuring our favorite crustacean, see page 50
IT’S FINALLY SPRING. WARM UP YOUR STYLE.
-THE FRENCH SAILOR’S SHIRTGUARANTEED SEASON AFTER SEASON
Contemporary apparel and accessories for the modern woman
Historic Downtown Summervile, SC 1 1 4 A Ea st R i c h a rd so n Ave. a n d o n l i n e a t flymodernapparel.com
PALMETTO MAGAZINE
F E AT U R E S SPRING/SUMMER
2015
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62
70
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THE F L AVOR OF T HE COAST
SLAVE D WELLING PR OJECT
FISH TALES
LEE BRI CE TO RCH SIN GER
However you prefer to eat them, there’s nothing tastier than a fresh blue crab.
One man’s quest to save the South’s slave dwellings and the legacies that reside.
Sumter’s native son talks about his music and deep pride in his home state.
Crowd Control Lee Brice works the crowd at a show in Nashville, TN
Photograph Ryan Smith
How wildlife artist Paul Puckett fished his way to the salt waters of South Carolina, one painting at a time.
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CONT E N T S
Spring - Summer 2015
23 88
43 27 08 Editor’s Letter 10 Contributors 13-20 FIELD NOTES A brief look into South Carolina culture 14 The Interview Governor Nikki Haley 16 The Scene by Peter Frank Edwards 18 Etiquette The Lost Art of the Thank-You 20 Mixer The Peach Garden OUR SOUTH 23 Southern Narrative Dark Corner Distillery 27 Southern Narrative ArtFields
31 Southern Narrative Pipe Maker: Adam Davidson 35 Southern Narrative Sea View Inn 38 Southern Narrative Author: Ron Rash
41
COLUMN 41 Out Of My Mind Love Thy Neighbor by Susan Frampton
38
Something Rich and Strange by Ron Rash
O N T H E C O V E R : A blue crab pulled fresh from Lowcoutry waters / Photograph by Dottie Langley Rizzo 8
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31 43 THE STATE HOUSE A builder in Varnville has reimagined the farm. COLUMN 88 Southern Theology Blunder at the Pulpit by Will Browning
20
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EDITOR’S LETTER
grandmother’s stories—ones she told with such pride— that same sense of pride lives in me. South Carolinians are acutely proud of their home, with a sturdy sense of place, and a deep respect for a history built on a bedrock of family, faith, and environment. From the honest fervor of the music and literature, to the distinctive simplicity of the food, to the ardent spirit of the people—South Carolina is authentic. Intentionally authentic. There are not many places that I can think of where folks immortalize their state flag with stickers on their cars or by flying it proudly over their houses. Even those who have moved here from other communities are proud to say that they have been transplanted into such a great place. Working Out The Palmetto staff photographed near Charleston last November.
Palmetto magazine was born out of a wistful desire to share the stories of the people of South Carolina—to explore the sights, sounds, and cultures that make the Palmetto State so captivating and to commemorate her with every issue.
Welcome Home Greetings from a new neighbor
Every year, as far back as I can remember, my family met at my grandparents’ home in Charleston for Thanksgiving. Our trip only took about half an hour, as we only lived across town. The aroma of turkey and sweet potatoes filled the rooms. The music from the marching bands of the Macy’s Parade created a soundtrack for our holiday—that and my grandfather’s snoring as he slipped in and out of sleep in his recliner. But, when I was nine years old, we moved away. I spent the next ten years on the east coast of Florida. Those trips from Florida every November became a pilgrimage of sorts. When we finally reached Exit 33 (the exit on I-95 leading into Charleston), I felt like I was coming home from an extended vacation. I enjoyed my time in Florida, but South Carolina was always home. It was more than home. It was a part of who we were. Generations of my family, on both sides, had worked the land of this state. And probably because of my
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South Carolinians are acutely proud of their home, with a sturdy sense of place, and a deep respect for a history built on a bedrock of family, faith, and environment.
" Our family’s Thanksgiving tradition has changed over the years. My grandfather passed away a while back, and my grandmother moved to Columbia. But, with change comes new traditions. And now my children are making new memories. Memories that will impact their lives, like memories of my grandparents’ home did for me. And lucky for them, these are not just any old memories. These are made in South Carolina.
Will Rizzo Editor in Chief
Something profoundly else. This is an invitation to you. To dig deep and get your hands dirty. To rediscover what matters most. Nature. Community. Health. Wellbeing. And the unprocessed, unfiltered beauty of the Lowcountry. Welcome to Summers Corner. A new community in the garden with beautiful new homes and Dorchester District Two schools. Starting from the high $200s. Coming to Summerville this summer.
|| Learn more at SummersCorner.com
s u m m e rvi l l e , sc
CONTRIBUTORS
JANA RILEY ~ Writer
Jana is a writer and editor living in Summerville, SC, with her husband, Dan. Jana enjoys adventures with her three favorite kids, Noah, Jude, Forest, and their dog, Alfie.
SUSAN FRAMPTON ~ Writer Susan is a writer who has happily called South Carolina home for over thirty years. When not at her desk, she spends as much time as possible with her hands in the dirt, or thinking up new projects for her husband, Lewis—who wishes she would spend less time thinking.
GRACE NELSON ~ Writer
JASON WAGENER ~ Illustrator
Born and raised in Blackville, SC, Grace studied mass communications at the University of South Carolina. She has worked for the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor for seven years, currently as the Director of Marketing & Communications. She currently resides in the Fort Mill area with her family, and is particularly fond of road trips, Gamecock football, boiled peanuts, and the History Channel.
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Jason began his illustrious art career when he won a coloring contest in third grade, subsequently entitling him the proud owner of a Mickey Mouse dry erase board. He moved to the Lowcountry in 1990, and save an education at the Savannah College of Art and Design, has remained a faithful transplant ever since.
KATIE DEPOPPE ~ Writer
A South Carolina native, Katie is a writer, developmental editor, and former book publicist, who also serves as the Editor at Large for both Azalea and Palmetto magazines. A lover of coffee (and cliches), Southern gothic literature, family heirlooms, and conversations on faith, she lives with her husband, son, four dogs, and a gaggle of fowl on a lake near Charleston.
WILL BROWNING ~ Pastor / Writer Will serves as the Lead Pastor at Journey Church, a multi-site church in the Charleston area. Will is a native of South Carolina, born and raised in the home of a crop farmer and an elementary teacher in Barnwell. He is a coach to church planters, avid sports fan, triathlete, college professor, and a binge Netflix watcher. Will is married to his college sweetheart, Tarah, and is the biggest fan of his three kids, Piper, Ethan, and Jedidiah.
Courtesy of SCWF
NA RE TI CO ON M AD AL MEN VE GE DE N T OG D UR RA BY E PH IC
HISTORIC SHRIMPING VILLAGES & MARSH CREEKS
Will Rizzo
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Dottie Rizzo
MANAGING EDITOR
Katie DePoppe
E D I T O R AT L A R G E
Contributors
BLACKWATER CREEKS & SWAMPS
Elizabeth Donehue Peter Frank Edwards Susan Frampton Rob Karosis Joseph Llanes Grace Nelson Jana Riley Ryan Smith Jason Wagener
South Carolina National Heritage Corridor BARRIER ISLANDS & INDIAN RUINS
P UB L I S H E R
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s c 1788
State Bird
CAROLINA WREN
The Palmetto State
Some facts about South Carolina’s state symbols that you might not know.
Our state birds are monogamous, and breeding pairs may stay together for life. State Fruit
PEACH Colombus brought several peach trees to America on his second and third voyages. State Dog
BOYKIN The Boykin is one of the rare breeds named after a specific person. State Drink
MILK
Home delivery of milk started in 1942 as a war conservation measure. State Tree
SABEL PALMETTO The palmetto has been a symbol of South Carolina since the American Revolutionary War when it was used to build a fort on Sullivan’s Island that withstood British attack.
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F IE L D
N OTES
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SEASONAL
OBSERVATIONS
OF
CAROLINA
CU LT URE
I N T E RV I E W
Nikki Haley 116th and current Governor South Carolina
How have your Southern roots shaped your life? What was it like growing up in a small town? Growing up in Bamberg taught me the greatness of the American dream. Bamberg was a small, southern town that accepted an Indian family despite our differences. For my family, it was—as it remains to this day—a town of faith, values and patriotism. We never knew what we didn’t have in Bamberg, thanks to the strength and grace of my parents who always said, “whatever you do make sure you’re great at it and people remember you for it.” They loved the fact that only in America, we could be as successful as we wanted to be and nothing would stand in our way. What did you lean from a small community that aids you as a leader? We were the first Indian family in Bamberg, a town that at the time only knew black and white. We didn’t fit either category. But our parents reminded us every single day how blessed we were to live in this country. They showed us the value in bringing people together. Our differences, they taught my brothers, my sister and me, are nowhere near as powerful as what unites us—and those lessons guide me every day as governor. How would you describe South Carolina to someone who has never visited? We are a fiercely proud state, a state with rich history and abundant natural resources, a state where the intensity of our individualism is surpassed only by the shared joy we draw from being, collectively, South Carolinians. There’s no place like it. What’s your favorite southern food? Barbecue Tea: sweet or unsweet? Sweet Is there a motto that you live by? When we took office in January, 2011, I put a plaque on the door to my office that says, “Can’t Is Not An Option,” because I wanted everyone who entered—legislators, staff, constituents—to know 16 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
Capital Couple Governor Haley with her husband, Michael
we’re not going to stop fighting until everyone in our state can achieve their hopes and dreams. Who are you a fan of? Governor Carroll Campbell, whose portrait hangs above our fireplace, believed that if you give a person a job, you take care of a family. That is something I always keep in mind, and it’s why we are proud to be able to say that, in announcing more than 63,000 jobs in 45 of our 46 counties, we have been able to take care of a lot of families. Margaret Thatcher, who broke countless class
and gender barriers, has always inspired me. One of my favorite quotes is one from Lady Thatcher: “If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” What is your favorite style of music? 80’s music What do you enjoy doing in your free time? My little ones—daughter Rena, our cheerleader, and son Nalin, our basketball star—make me proud of my most important role: mom. Mi-
chael and I treasure the fact that, even as public service keeps us on the move, we have been able to continue our favorite pastime, “Haley Family Fun Night.” Whether it’s ordering a pizza, playing video games, watching a movie or taking in a basketball game, “Haley Family Fun Night” is the best way to spend the weekend after a week of work.
“Haley Family Fun Night” is the best way to spend the weekend after a week of work. Is there anyone that you have met that made you a little starstruck? For me, it doesn’t get any cooler than Joan Jettone of the first female rockers when female rockers weren’t accepted. Joan embodies strength, talent, passion and courage, her music always helps me through tough times, and Michael and I couldn’t have been more excited or thankful to be able to meet Joan last year. How would you like to be remembered? Four years ago, we had a perception problem inside and outside of our state, our economy was sluggish, and elected officials had forgotten who it was they worked for. However, we knew, as my parents taught me, that in our challenges lie tremendous opportunity. And we set out to seize that opportunity, change the image of our state, kick start our economic development engine and make state government accountable to the people it serves. Working hand in hand with Team South Carolina, we have been able to do many those things. The celebrations of the last four years - announcing tens of thousands of jobs, seeing more of our people working than ever before, delivering historic education reform—have truly made it a great day in South Carolina, but we’re just getting started.
THE SCENE
L O C AT I O N
West Ashley Greenway PHOTOGRAPHED BY
Peter Frank Edwards The West Ashley Greenway is a 10.5 mile hiking and bike trail located in West Ashley, just outside of downtown Charleston, SC.
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F IE L D
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SEASONAL
OBSERVATIONS
OF
CAROLINA
CU LT URE
ETIQUETTE
ELIZABETH DONEHUE Arbiter of social graces, with a heart for simple hospitality and a tendency for adventure, Elizabeth lives in Summerville with her husband, Wesley, baby boy, Harlowe, and yorkie, Gucci.
" Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
" Marcel Proust
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The Lost Art of the Thank-You Antiquated or not, thank-you note writing is a tradition worth keeping. Let’s revive gracious living and bring back those magic words
T
There are few words more elementary or more welcomed than please and thank you. Even as children, we learn the grace of these “magic words” and the art of using them at appropriate times.
It is a simple concept, but the reality is that gracious living is being compromised in the digital age. While it is easier than ever to stay connected, one of our most gracious traditions, the thank-you note, is a dying art. A thank-you note is a gesture of appreciation for a thoughtful act, expression, or gift, and its creation need not be a daunting task. Stationery, proper postage, and black ink are all the materials required. Here is a simple recipe for a proper thank-you:
Greet the Giver “Dearest Grandmother,” Express Your Gratitude “Thank you for the sun hat.” Discuss Use “It gets quite warm and sunny here, so it will get a lot of use when summer comes.” Mention the Past, Allude to the Future “It was great to see you at my birthday party, and I hope to see you at the family reunion in October.” Be Gracious “Thank you again for the gift.” Close Kindly “With Love, Jane” Send It Add a stamp and drop your letter in the mail.
Welcome to Summerville, “The Birthplace Of Sweet Tea,� where charm and Southern hospitality blend gracefully with a modern and progressive outlook. We invite you to come and experience a place where history is happening.
visitsummerville.com
F IE L D
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SEASONAL
OBSERVATIONS
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CAROLINA
CU LT URE
MIXER
Fresh Mix The folks at Chattooga Belle Farm share one of there favorite warm-weather concoctions The Drink
THE PEACH GARDEN INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 cups water 2 large ripe peaches, halved, pitted, and cut into 1-inch slices 7 mint leaves, plus garnish Ice, for serving 4 cups peach wine (we used Chattooga Belle Farm Peach Wine) 1 liter cold club soda DIRECTIONS Bring sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add peaches and mint leaves, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Cover, and let cool. Discard mint leaves. Peel peach slices, if desired. Transfer peaches with syrup to a container; cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Place 2 peach slices and about 1/4 cup syrup in 8 icefilled glasses. Add 1/2 cup Chattooga Belle Farm Peach Wine to each; top with club soda. Garnish each with a sprig of fresh mint, and serve immediately.
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C H AT T O O G A BELLE FARM A 138-acre working farm and event barn located in beautiful Long Creek, South Carolina. chattoogabellefarm.com
s u m me rv i lle , s c
j oi n u s for t he
spring home collection debut model homes open in April • mid $200s to $400+
Visit the Front Porch Info Studio at I-26 & 17A • nexton.com • 843-900-3200 So fresh, so familiar. Nexton is introducing a new kind of place designed for life today. Where the homes mix Lowcountry flavor with high technology. And where everything from a state-of-the-art elementary school to your morning swim is just a short stroll or bike ride away. Prices, specifications and availability subject to change without notice.
COME DISCOVER THE LESS SALTY SIDE OF SOUTH CAROLINA As an alternative to the traditional coastal vacation, the Mountain Lakes Region of South Carolina offers over 1,700 miles of breathtaking freshwater shoreline. Our lakes, rivers and waterfalls are nestled among unsurpassed scenic beauty and offer a wide variety of water-based recreational activites.
PLUS, WE’VE HEARD TOO MUCH SALT IS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH. WWW.
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SOUTHERN NARRATIVE
World’s Best Moonshine
Paying homage to the history of South Carolina moonshine, a Greenville distillery offers up the best unaged whiskey the earth has to offer by
•
Jana Riley
GREEN V ILLE,
SC
•
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L
ong ago, in the early formative years of this great land, scores of people migrated from Europe to settle in America. Bringing with them the wisdom and knowledge of their ancestors and homelands, each sought to make a home for themselves somewhere in the vast North American landscape. One particular group, known as the Ulster Scots, left Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Borderline England and headed for the Pennsylvania colony in America, arriving at Philadelphia and Chester in the 1700s. They took part in the Great Wagon Road migration, heading west, venturing south, and traveling down through the Carolinas. Eventually, many of them chose to settle in the Appalachian hills, nestling their homes amongst the rolling peaks and valleys of northeast Greenville County. Known for being fiercely independent and immensely proud of their heritage, these Celtic descendants quickly set to work, using the recipes of their ancestors to distill grains for whiskey and curative tonics, which held a high monetary value in the era’s bartering society. Some of the settlers made whiskey for the government, while many others took advantage of a Native American grain—corn—and used it in their home-distilled spirits. After the Civil War, a Federal excise tax was levied against private distilleries. The settlers began moving their home operations into the forests and valleys and working only at night (by the light of the moon), to avoid detection from the law. Hence, “moonshine” became the common name for homemade unaged whiskey. Over time, the area of Greenville where the independent, slightly rebellious Ulster Scots settled became known as the “Dark Corner,” a place with as many rumors as people and where moonshine was always stocked, even during Prohibition. Joe Fenton grew up in the Dark Corner, and tasted his fair share of various moonshine recipes over the years. An ever-present part of Fenton’s life, he developed a true taste for moonshine and often researched recipes and distilling methods as a hobby. He graduated from Clemson University with an electrical engineering degree and later found himself working for the world’s largest spirits provider, Diageo, installing bottling lines at their New York facility. Watching the process was “the kick in the butt” Fenton needed, according to his wife, Roxy, and he began designing a plan to open the place of his dreams—a South Carolina-based moonshine distillery. He set to work raising funding, and finally in 2011, with the help of friends and family members, he opened Dark Corner Distillery, South Carolina’s first legally operating whiskey distillery since Prohibition.
walls, where customers can follow along as they watch the distillers practice their craft. Afterward, the tasting bar beckons, where for just four dollars, visitors get a shot glass and can choose six different products to taste and compare.
Tucked away on Greenville’s bustling Main Street, the distillery occupies a cozy storefront separated into two sections: the merchandise room and the tasting room, the latter only accessible by patrons of legal drinking age. Ambient lighting and wood floors create a warm, welcoming feeling—one mirrored by the staff as visitors enter the space. In the tasting room, the tasting bar and wall of whiskey barrels are definite points of interest, but it is the glass-walled distillery that steals the show. The birthplace of every bottle of spirits the company produces, the distillery features an 80-gallon copper still, originally designed by Fenton, and heated by an open flame to pay homage to traditional distilling methods. Placards detailing the process line the
Dark Corner Distillery’s flagship product is their “World’s Best Moonshine,” an aptly-named unaged corn whiskey that has won more awards than any moonshine in the US – thirty-three, to be exact. Second in popularity are their flavored whiskeys, like Apple-achian Shine, Butterscotch Shine, and Carolina Peach Shine, all mixed with their World’s Best Moonshine and made with only natural flavorings like apple and peach juices. The distillery also tried their hand (and succeeded) at making an aged whiskey in the form of their Lewis Redmond Bourbon. Named after a folk hero of Appalachia deemed the “moonshining Robin Hood,” the whiskey is aged in charred American white oak barrels for approximately two years until it is ready for
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Dark Side of the Moon Starting with South Carolina-grown corn and ending with a smooth finish, Dark Corner’s unaged corn whiskey came home with awards from thirty-three competitions so far. Opposite: Founder Joe Fenton stands in front of the distillery’s only copper still—one he designed himself; Spirits line the walls at Dark Corner Distillery
Dark Corner Distillery’s flagship product is their “World’s Best Moonshine,” an aptly-named unaged corn whiskey that has won more awards than any moonshine in the US—thirty-three, to be exact. drinking. Afterward, the barrels are re-used to make a wheat-based “Stumphouse Whiskey,” a favorite among whiskey aficionados for its complex flavor and silky overtones. Perhaps most treasured, though, is the distillery’s Journeyman’s Reserve. This aged gin is an unusual and unique product, and each run, given a subname like “Elder Tiger,” only consists of a few dozen bottles. Hand-labeled and only sold in the Greenville distillery, the rare bottles are a collector’s dream.
“We truly are making small batch whiskey,” says Roxy, also general manager of Dark Corner. “You come into this distillery on Main Street, start tasting at the bar, and you can see the copper still that your spirits came out of. It’s right here, just like the farms where we source our corn, the workers we employ, and even the moonshine-based jams, jellies, and soaps we sell in our merchandise store – everything that can be local is local and we plan to keep it that way.”
Currently, Dark Corner Distillery is made up of one copper still, eight employees, and two buildings (the distillery and a warehouse for inventory), but that will soon change. The company is currently under-going an expansion, but they say they are committed to remaining a small craft spirits company.
Dark Corner Distillery’s products can be purchased at their distillery at 241-B North Main Street, Greenville, SC, online, or at various liquor stores in South Carolina, Washington, DC, Maryland, Georgia, Florida, and Texas. A store locator and online delivery options are available via www.darkcornerdistillery.com. palmettomagazine.com
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OUR IDEA of
FOWL LANGUAGE
THE NATURAL PLAYGRO UND OF THE LOWCO UNTRY
The tranquil and pristine beauty of Dorchester will take you away from the chaos of everyday life. Here, “fowl” language is a part of everyday conversation.
COME PLAY IN OUR PLAYGROUND www.dorchestercounty.net
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SOUTHERNNARRATIVE Art Fields:Art
Small-Town Metamorphosis
Art and agriculture meet on Main Street of a once-declining tobacco town by Katie DePoppe
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C I T Y,
S O U T H
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over the last century as a hub for tobacco, strawberries, and beans. But, it was only when inklings of what eventually became a metamorphosis began roughly three years ago, that those who made their home in the close-knit community started to see the tangible impact the arts could have on the local economy and the culture at large. The end result has been a reinvention of a small, sleepy Southern town to an artistic and cultural hub beyond what anyone expected. Paint the Town Inspecting the art; A work in progress
•
ntil recent years, while walking the sidewalks of downtown Lake City, South Carolina, the last thought on anyone’s mind was art. A crossroads for agriculture since 1856, which coincided with the arrival of the railroad, Lake City has been known at different points
Since roughly 2011, Lake City has seen tremendous resurgence in investment from business owners, investors, town leaders, and civic associations, alongside native philanthropist and business woman, Darla Moore, who led the initial revitalization charge. The ArtFields Festival, in particular, was one of Moore’s greatest contributions, and has been one of the unequivocal reasons Lake City is back on the map. For the last three years, the nine-day event and artistic competition with the largest prize purse in the Southeast, has tripled the town’s population of 8,000 each April. Open to artists from any of the Southeastern United States, the $100,000 in awards (prize-winning art stays in Lake City) has drawn attention worldwide. With professional judges palmettomagazine.com
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"
The end result has been a reinvention of a small, sleepy Southern town.
"
Streetscape For nine days, the historic district of Lake City is transformed into a massive exhibit of Southern art
from numerous facets of the art realm, including renowned museums, art academies, the Smithsonian, and private collectors, ArtFields has quickly become known as one of South Carolina’s most touted events. Moore summarized the overall initiative to inspire and bolster infrastructure, education, and industry—of which ArtFields is just a piece —during the inaugural ArtFields festival when she said, “When you try to reinvent an economy, you have to look at all the foundations. You can’t do just one thing—bring in a festival—and say it’s fixed. The success of the whole venture will depend on community involvement. Anybody can come in and build an arts center or a museum or a library. The key is community. ArtFields is one of a multitude of components in reinventing, recapturing, if you will, this place.” Case in point: three years ago, what is now the Jones Carter Gallery was an abandoned 1920s feed store. After a $1.4 million renovation that included climate control, fire suppression systems, and ADAcompliant floors (Americans with Disabilities Act), among numerous other improvements, the investment allowed the gallery to meet the strict criteria set by the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibit Service. The end goal to host the first Smithsonian traveling exhibit of William H. Johnson’s iconic jazz-age work, estimated at $23 million, 30 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
was met. In a more interesting twist, the exhibit, which ran from September 21 to December 29, 2013, proved to be a “coming home” of sorts for Johnson, who spent his childhood near Lake City. At present, the Gallery is hosting the only Southeastern exhibition of Francisco Goya’s Los Caprichos. While ArtFields refers to the art competition and surrounding activities, including ArtFields 365, of which the Jones Carter Gallery exhibitions are a part, and ArtFields Jr., a year-round program designed to foster creativity in 5K-12 students, the rest of Lake City’s cultural investment is shepherded by the town’s Community Museum Society. Initiatives independent of the ArtFields Festival, but in tandem with revitalization efforts, include construction of the Inn at the Crossroads, a new fifty-seven room boutique hotel on Main Street, replete with original art and valuable antiques, and the fifty-acre Moore Farms Botanical Garden that embraces its Southern pastoral setting through informal, expressive design that includes numerous rare and exotic plant species. ArtFields 2015 runs April 24 through May 2, 2015. For more information, visit www.artf ieldssc.org. To learn more about Lake City, visit www.lakecitysc.com.
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Run by Nonprofit Leaders for Nonprofit Leaders
The South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations is the state’s leading association solely focused on nonprofit matters within the Palmetto State. Make sure your nonprofit is a member! Join today!
SO UTH C AROLINA N O NPROFIT SUM MIT March 9-11, 2016 • Spartanburg, South Carolina
scanpo.org
SOUTHERNNARRATIVE Adam Davidson:Craft
Pipe Dreams
The art of pipe making is reignited in Adam Davidson’s workshop
sanders, that the South Carolina pipe maker can most often be found. There is a Zen-like quality to Davidson. Nothing like the professorial, tweed-elbowed type one might imagine, he is surprisingSet of Pipes An ornate finished piece; ly young; and in a black T-shirt, jeans, and square black Davidson in his workshop glasses, the thirty-four-year-old could easily be mistaken for a college student or, perhaps, a rock musician. A closer look reveals that something of an old soul lurks beneath the surface.
by Susan Frampton
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B E A C H ,
S O UT H
C A RO L I N A
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Adam Davidson is in the zone. With a cup of tea in one hand and a pipe clenched in his teeth, he opens the door to his garage workshop. The latest Beck album plays in a continuous loop on the stereo, and the space smells of wood shavings and pipe tobacco. It only takes a glance to recognize that this is the workroom of a master craftsman. When not at his day job at one of the world’s largest online purveyors of pipes, tobacco, and cigars, it is among the lathes and drill presses, grinders, and
“Does anyone mind if I smoke a pipe?” he asks. As he begins to speak, his hands automatically begin the ritual well known to those who follow the culture. He carefully places ribbons of Peter Stokkebye Luxury Twist Flake from a humidor into the bowl, packs and tamps the tobacco, lights, pauses, and relights. Gently puffing, he moves through the aromatic smoke toward a shelf stacked with oddly shaped chunks of wood. The misshapen blocks are called briar wood. They are the roots of the heath tree, and the type of wood from which almost all pipes are made. Originating from tumor-like outgrowths that develop between the root and stem of the low shrub found primarily in Mediterranean areas like Italy, France, and North Africa, the wood can be up to 250 years old, and must be soaked in clear water after harvesting to remove the bitter palmettomagazine.com
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tannins collected over time. This particular assembly of briar has come to Davidson from a cutter in Italy, who is known as one of the best in the world. Another shelf holds short stalks of bamboo. Most of these have come from China, but Davidson admits that he has a few secret spots in South Carolina where he harvests his own. These will be used to elongate the stems of some of the pipes he will create. Though there is nothing to outwardly differentiate the individual pieces, Davidson knows the origin of each piece of briar and bamboo. He picks up another bamboo piece and holds it out for inspection. “This is from Virginia,” he says. He points to the raised joint on a stalk with multiple, closely spaced joints, “This is called a knuckle. The closer together the knuckles, the more interesting it makes the pipe; the more desirable and the more expensive. This is a ridiculously good piece.” As appreciation for hand-crafted and vintage items have grown, the pipe smoking culture has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. Davidson’s pipes start at around $550, and depending on size, shape, and custom34 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
izations, can go for as much as $1,500. The beauty of his creations is obvious, and the precision with which they are made has catapulted his reputation to a worldwide audience of collectors, though he considers himself to be more of a craftsman than an artist. “An artist can be creative with many things,” Davidson says, “but a craftsman has to make something work.” Davidson’s industrial design degree from Purdue University and his un-
Taking Shape Davidson’s workshop is filled with exotic woods, power tools, and lots of good music
easily applying one to the other. canny knack for both form and function help him to draw the very best from the thick blocks of briar, and have contributed equally to his success in the field. Though he has only been at his craft since 2007, his understanding of the structural elements critical to pipe design has brought him international notoriety, and signature shapes like that of his “fig” design have allowed him to find a niche alongside longtime masters in the field.
The work is a labor of love for one whose interest in pipes dates back to childhood trips to antique stores with his parents. When Davidson steps to the grinder in his workshop with a block of briar, the wood seems to come alive beneath his hands; preening and posturing against the spinning disk in its effort to help him release the shape that has laid waiting inside for centuries. Within minutes, amidst the roar of the motor and shavings that fall softly to the concrete floor, the pipe’s form begins to emerge.
While he estimates that there are probably thirty or forty American carvers, he allows that there are only about ten who do work at this level, and he is the only one in the state. He has traveled to Japan to study with masters, and has also hosted masters here in his workshop. Surrounded by specialized tools pioneered to perfect his craft, estate pipes he has collected, and pipes in various stages of construction, his conversation is peppered with equal parts of history and technology;
There will be many hours of sanding and drilling ahead, and at this moment the future for this block of briar is not immediately clear. It may ultimately wear a collar of silver, or a band of mammoth bone; travel across the ocean to a collector in Russia or Japan, or be proudly displayed on the desk of an upstate South Carolina pipe smoker. But for the present, there is no better place for the hunk of hard wood destined to become an Adam Davidson pipe. palmettomagazine.com
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to breathe in the rarefied air that blows from the sea.
SOUTHERNNARRATIVE Sea View:Travel
Sea Breeze and Pimento Cheese
The Sea View Inn serves up peace and quiet with a little bit of delicious on the side.
The Sea View Inn has held court here since 1937, looking out to the ocean before her, with the salt marsh of a tidal creek over her shoulder. Less than four miles long and one of the East Coast’s oldest summer resorts, Pawley’s remains blissfully out of touch with the outside world. And that is exactly what keeps the faithful returning year after year—to the island in general, and the Sea View Inn in particular.
Those looking for miniature golf and water parks need not linger; they will not find what they seek here. This is the kind of place their grandparents and parents might have vacationed back in the day, and with by Susan Frampton no filling stations or stores on the island, it seems almost like a portal to an earlier time. Long before televisions, tablets, and phones imposed • PA W L E YS I S L AN D , S O U T H C A RO L I N A • themselves on family vacations, there were mornings spent here on the n the southern end of South Carolina’s Grand Strand lies a porch watching dolphins frolic in the early light, and golden afternoons spit of land called Pawleys Island, and it is just wide enough spent napping in hammocks; marathon Monopoly games under slowly to accommodate a two lane road and one house. A spot that turning ceiling fans, and long walks on the beach at dusk. Happily, the harkens the eternal summers of youth, it is a place Sea View Inn’s policy of electronics-free spaces has allowed Beach Retreat where many generations have made their annual pilgrimage The back porch overlooks for these memories and more to remain everyday occurrences.
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Though there is an area where guests can kitchen staff rings the bell three times a day to check emails and touch base with the outside provide fare that is good for your soul – if not world, owners Brian and Sassy Henry want for your waistline. Reservations for those not the emphasis here to be on tranquil, quality staying at the inn must be made twenty-four time for those who come, whether for a week hours in advance. or a weekend. In addition to giving guests the opportunity to channel their inner beach bum, It is in this kitchen that Sassy’s longtime the inn’s peaceful atmosphere has fostered the pimento cheese recipe took the Lowcountry by imaginations of artists and authors. Watercolor storm. Prepared as an appetizer for guests by Air portraits of the staff adorn the dining room Open family friend and Sea View Inn cook, Vertrella Clockwise: Vertrella prepares collards for dinner; The screened walls, products of a yearly artist’s workshop, porch; Saloon doors of the guest rooms, Beachfront deck Brown, the delicious spread Sassy branded and it is not unusual for a book to arrive in the “Palmetto Cheese,” was quickly in high mail with an acknowledgement that it was written from the Sea View demand. Soon, visitors began purchasing multiple tubs of the specialty Inn’s comfortable and cozy porch. cheese bearing Brown’s image. Now available in over 5,000 stores across the country, Palmetto Cheese is the Lowcountry’s equivalent to the Barefoot feet have worn a velvet-smooth path up wooden steps that finest caviar, and it is enjoyed best when spread amongst friends. lead to bedrooms, charming in their simplicity, and sunlight from ocean or marsh views wash the walls with the soft colors of the shoreline. Although Palmetto Cheese is available year-round, the Sea View Inn Louvered doors allow the sea breeze to flow throughout, and guests are is a warm weather getaway destination—open the weekend before lulled to sleep by the sound of the surf a short distance away. Half- Easter and closed after Thanksgiving. Holiday meals are served for both bathrooms are en-suite, with showers a short walk down the hall, though occasions, and often require reservations up to a year in advance. There many guests choose to wash the sand from their suits in one of the are also weekend packages available for girls’ getaways, nature retreats, private outdoor showers downstairs as they come from the beach. For and spa weekends. those who need a bit more creature comfort, rooms in the adjoining cottage offer both heat and air conditioning. Time may have forgotten Pawleys Island and the Sea View Inn, but it is a place that will be long-remembered by those who visit—with memories And then there’s the food. Serving up a combination of Sunday-lunch- of sandy feet and sun-drenched days, of long walks and belly laughs, and at-your-grandmother’s and upscale haute cuisine, the multigenerational of sea breezes and pimento cheese. 38 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2015 Family Circle Cup Stadium • Daniel Island, SC 5k run / walk • 1 mile fun run / walk • kids dash Save the date and join us on October 17 as we gather as a community to embark on a day of celebration and our commitment to finding the cures. While our annual Race for the Cure is our cornerstone event, it does not define us. The Race is part of a movement - a movement to put an end to breast cancer. So as you’re faced with option after option for races remember that the Lowcountry Race for the Cure is more than just a race.
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sure. On the other side, I also write about people in extreme situations. So, I think what he’s saying is that while the language is ‘gorgeous,’ the subject matter is about people in brutal or tough situations. While your stories are rooted in the South, there is a universal appeal – a “something” that regardless of the region, people can relate to. Where do your ideas for these meaningful vignettes come from? There is a quote by Eudora Welty: “One place understood helps us understand all places better.” And I try to think and write about the answer to the question: What is it to be alive in the world? While I tell stories about my place, whether in North Carolina or South Carolina, I’m trying to get at something that is true of all people. How will people react? Is it human? I write about human ways that disappoint us or make us feel positive. I think that’s being true to all other places too. Something Rich and Strange HarperCollins $27.99
Tell me about your writing process. I am very disciplined. I write six days a week for about four to six hours each day. If it’s going well, I might write for eight to ten hours. Writing is a natural part of my day, and there is a natural rhythm – that makes it easier. There are days where it doesn’t go well. Some days I feel there is nothing to say, but almost always, eventually, something starts to percolate. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Later than most writers I know. In college, I know I was preparing to be a writer. I like to read, and I’ve always been comfortable being alone. Growing up, I spent a lot of time alone in the woods. I’m an introvert, so it all levels itself to being a writer.
SOUTHERNNARRATIVE Ron Rash:Literature
Rich and Strange An Interview with Ron Rash by Katie DePoppe
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“Something Rich and Strange” is the newest work by Ron Rash, and features thirty-four short stories, only two of which have not been published previously. How did you arrive at the title for your most recent collection, Something Rich and Strange? Was there a process to whittle what stories you’d share? Something Rich and Strange is made up of stories that represent every stage of my career so far. I wanted to pick my very best. I’ve written over 100 short stories, and these thirty-four were the best I’ve done. You’ve been called a “gorgeous, brutal writer” by Richard Price. What does that mean to you? I think what he’s getting at is that language is very important. I try to make the language I use memorable. I’m also a poet. There is beauty if the language is right, and that can give the reader plea40 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
From where does the inspiration for your stories come? Tell me about how they develop. Many stories come out of reading. To write well, you need to read people better than you are. I’m a voracious reader, and I don’t know any good writer who is not. Like anything else, [being a good writer] is a matter of putting in the time. I was a slow-developing writer. It wasn’t good for a long time, but I was learning. I published my first book at age forty. I think people who will be good writers give up too soon. [laughing] I don’t really know where my stories come from – sometimes they will start with an image. Serena began with just the image of a woman on horseback. The more I write, the more mysterious it is. Two movies based on your novels, Serena and The World Made Straight, debut this year. Did you have anything to do with the making of those? Not at all. Some writers do, but I wanted to stay out of it. I have enough to do between my novels and short stories. I’ll stick to what I know. You have to accept that a movie is not going to be your novel. It’s going to be different—it has to be. Once you agree to a film adaptation, the best part is that is brings readers to the book. Book sales have done well now that more people know movies are being made. What should people in South Carolina know about you? My first two novels and my first book of poetry are set in South Carolina. I was born in Chester. My parents met at the Eureka Cotton Mill there. My father later became a high school art teacher in Chester, and we moved to North Carolina when I was seven. I graduated from Clemson, and I was a visiting writer to the University of South Carolina [laughing] – which means that whoever wins is the one whose side I’m on at the time.
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Illustration by Jason Wagener
Love Thy Neighbor
Whether we meet them at the mailbox or over the fence, good neighbors share much more than simply an address
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hen I pull into the driveway, my neighbor from across the street waves at me, and points toward the roof of my house. I step from the car to meet him in the middle of the street. On the way, I notice that our roof is pristine, without a leaf or pine needle in sight.
“He did it again. He was up there with the blower, just goin’ to town.” “Did he at least tie himself to the chimney this time?” I ask, eyeing the
steep pitch of our second story roof. “Nope. But I watched him, and kept the phone in my hand just in case. He only gets up there when you aren’t here to catch him,” he says, referring to my husband’s obsessive compulsive need to court disaster each time he cleans off the roof. “He’s crazy, you know.” It is a clear case of the pot calling the kettle black, and I shake my head. The bright yellow of the “For Sale” sign in his front yard catches my eye, and my heart sinks a little. I am going to miss this man who has been palmettomagazine.com
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my husband’s cohort in crime, and the one who gleefully relates their escapades when they return from the woods scratched and battered and grinning from ear to ear. For twenty years I commuted almost an hour each way to work, and my husband mostly worked out of town. We rarely saw our home in daylight, and were hardly there enough to even qualify as residents. The people across the street were just smiles and waving hands in cars, as we all scurried off in different directions. But a few years back we left the rat race, and discovered the treasures that had been right there under our noses all along – our neighbors. I realize that it might not have worked out that way, and it doesn’t for everyone. You can very rarely pick your neighbors, and it can go terribly wrong, leaving you nowhere to run. (We had a downstairs neighbor once that actually squished me between partially closed doors to chew me out for walking too loudly.) There are neighbors who cannot get enough of your business, and won’t let you get the mail without a cross-examination, and those who “borrow” your stuff, never to return it. There are the creepy kinds that you suspect might have a body under a tarp in the trunk, and there is nearly always one who has thirty-two cats, and is oblivious to the fact that most of them use your flower pots as port-o-lets.
But continuity is a luxury in today’s neighborhoods, and even though we knew it was coming, the day the yellow sign went up across the street, my husband and I looked at each other with our lips all but trembling. “I guess they’re really serious,” my husband sighed. I nodded my head, “They’re breaking up with us.”
You can very rarely pick your neighbors, and it can go desperately wrong, leaving you nowhere to run.
So it is an unexpected blessing when you find the perfect fit. I think back to the folks who have lived next door to my parents for over fifty years. Over the course of those years, they and my parents celebrated weddings and births, mourned tragedies and losses, and shared the everyday minutia that makes up a lifetime of living side by side. Hardly anyone stays in one place long enough to have that kind of connection any more.
When we moved into our neighborhood, the folks across the street were elderly. We rarely saw them and didn’t know them very well, and I worried about them because they were very frail. When I received a frantic phone call from the husband one day, I immediately assumed they needed help. As it turned out, he was calling to tell me my husband was passed out in the front yard from chopping tree roots on a blistering hot day. When I ran out the front door, they waved and smiled from their picture window. All too soon, he was gone and with too much house for her to keep up alone, the house went on the market and was sold to a lovely couple with two girls—the youngest right about our daughter’s age. We were delighted, but work and school, and ballgames and cotillion and weekends
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at the lake kept us on the go, so we never really made a connection. It wasn’t until my husband retired and I began working from home that we were home enough to get to know them, and to realize what we had been missing. Since that time, we’ve been blessed to experience the kind of kinship my parents had with their neighbors. We, too, have celebrated weddings and births, mourned tragedies and losses, and shared the everyday minutia.
Our neighbors are only moving across town, and they are the kind of friends that we will forever hold dear, but it won’t be the same. There is something about meeting at the mailbox with sleep still in your eyes, or in the middle of the street with arms loaded with groceries, which makes the shared moments feel more intimate. There will be other neighbors in the house across the street. I am sure they will be lovely people, but they may not think it’s their job to keep watch when you-know-who gets on the roof. They won’t have known our daughter as a little girl, or remember the huge pine tree that once leaned perilously toward our house. They won’t know how long it took to get the puppy house broken or that it is okay to make fun of me to my face when I’m in sweaty, nasty yard clothes.
We won’t know their grandchildren’s names or where their daughter’s new house is, or whether or not they can bake a rum cake that makes your mouth water just to think about it. But the fact of the matter is that it probably won’t be long before we start thinking about downsizing, so we probably won’t have the benefit of years of shared experiences with the new owners anyway. And eventually, we’ll move some place and become the new folks someone else will wonder about and wish were more like the people that lived there before. It has been said that we become neighbors when we are willing to cross the road for one another. We’ve crossed the road many a time – fourteen years is a good, long run by today’s standards. We’ll cross other roads down the line; most of us will cross many before our days are done. May we all find such good neighbors waiting on the other side.
Natural Design
A country boy builds a home that celebrates his family’s land by Jana Riley
Photography by Rob Karosis
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Inside Out Heart pine creates a seamless interior, while large windows open the home to the outside.
A country boy at heart and contractor by trade, Heirs owns nearly 150 acres in Varnville, South Carolina—family land with a rich history and natural beauty. For decades, he made mental plans for the home he would one day build, filing away design elements, material types, and small details that would eventually make up his dream home. During those same years, Heirs graduated Clemson with a building sciences degree, ran the local hardware store, and opened his own contracting business, which eventually led him to meet Atlanta architect, Robert M. Cain, while they worked on a farmhouse renovation together. Cain’s talent, work ethic, and attention to detail impressed Heirs from the start, and he knew that one day, he would call upon the architect to help him with his lifetime project.
The most fundamental point of building a home is to separate oneself from the outdoors; to provide privacy and isolation from the elements, opening up to the outside world only slightly in the form of windows, porches, skylights, and doors. When Wally Heirs began planning his dream home many years ago, he took a slightly different approach—he wanted to bring the outdoors in. 46 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
Years later, Heirs found himself walking the grounds of his Varnville land with Cain, discussing where to build a house for his family of five. The contractor and the architect were enamored with an old borrow pit that once provided dirt for a nearby road, as well as a large, open dove hunting field bordered with live oaks to the west and a double row of slash pines to the east. Standing north of the open field at a high point to the east of the borrow pit, they imagined the home situated among the trees at the top of the land, with views including the long, seemingly endless dove field and a lake to the west, transformed from
Natural Connection Clockwise: The home’s many exterior spaces allow for a communal feeling with nature; Lofted ceilings open up the space; Glassenclosed dogtrotstyle porches connect the three wings of the home
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Good Natured Clockwise: A man-made lake with custom dock provides a space for reflection; The gabled and supported roof lends an interesting silhouette; An old dove hunting field creates a beautiful alley of trees, Visible from all three wings
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Winging it Three wings separate the three living spaces of the home—the master wing, the living and dining space, and the children’s wing.
the former borrow pit. Here, they proposed their building site, and Cain began drawing up the master plan.
While the exterior of the home is made of western red cedar, inside, heart pine abounds— much of it reclaimed by Heirs from nearby decaying antebellum structures.
Cain, who specializes in modern farmhouses, based the Heirs home on Southern vernacular architecture, connecting three staggered shotgun wings with transparent dogtrot bridges. Composed of mostly steel, glass, concrete block, and wood, the 3,500 square foot home includes views of the land from nearly any spot in the house, and truly maximizes its space. By orienting the home eastwest, placing windows on all sides to capture breezes, and extending the eaves and gables down to minimize solar gain, the home rarely needs air conditioning in the spring and fall—a feature important to Heirs. Additionally, Cain realized that the trees surrounding the home shelter the site from direct late-afternoon sun exposure, so the architect adjusted the plans slightly to capitalize on this discovery, reducing the daily overall sun exposure. The result was an energy-efficient home that, according to Cain, “feels like it belongs where it is on the land, and feels so much bigger than it is because you’re involved in the exterior
wherever you go in the home.”
The master plan for the Heirs’ home took three years to design and another three to build, largely a result of both the contractor and the architect’s attention to detail. When construction finally began, Heirs’ crew consisted of only finish carpenters to build the home—no rough construction was necessary or desired. Details include three continuous lines that run around the interior and exterior of the home, which line up perfectly—an exercise in precision and symmetry. To Cain, the lines “create a sense of order to the house.” The architect sought to create a natural symmetry within the home, a sense of rightness that would be felt and understood by all who enter, regardless of design knowledge. Heirs and Cain also placed a strong emphasis on using salvaged or reclaimed materials when possible. While the exterior of the home is made of western red cedar, inside, heart pine abounds—much of it reclaimed by Heirs from nearby decaying antebellum structures. Salvaged
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The large dining room table is held in place with steel tubes and stainless steel cables, and gives sweeping views of the exterior landscape.
steel is used for the beams. Additionally, Heirs wanted the home to be built around certain pieces of stationary, immovable furniture. The master bedroom bed, for instance, is situated to give a forward view of the master deck and lake, and low-slung windows to the side allow for views of the land even when laying down. The large dining room table is held in place with steel tubes and stainless steel cables, and gives sweeping views of the exterior landscape. This brings back the original plan of Heirs—to bring the outside in, to become entwined with the land rather than separate from it, and it is evident throughout the entire home. With large glass windows on all sides, vaulted A-frame ceilings, four porches, and a strict “no curtains” rule, the overall feel from within the house is much like living outdoors. For Heirs, a custom-built home on his family’s land was a lifetime goal, and one he achieved in spades with the help of an immensely talented architect. Though it may look simple, the Heirs family home is anything but, celebrating the natural beauty of the land with a quiet, intentional, and intuitive design.
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Heritage ATTRACTIONS
T HE F L AVO R OF THE COA ST G R A C E N E LS O N Photography by D O T T I E L A N G L E Y R I Z Z O Painting by P AU L P U C K E T T Introduction by
Crab is weaved into the culinary fabric of just about any place with a coastline. The most common type found here on the East Coast is the blue crab, named for its sapphire-hinted appendages. Known for its sweet meat, it is the only commercially available crab that can be eaten in its soft shell form. Crabbing became a popular source of income in South Carolina as the profitability of rice faded following the Civil War. On many of our barrier islands, it was a way for the formerly enslaved to make a living before it eventually turned into the considerable local industry it is today.
website to find information on getting your saltwater recreational fishing license and to find any public fishing dock in the area. Don’t forget to read up on the restrictions. Grab some gloves, a crab pot or two, oily bait like a chicken neck or a fish head, and a bucket.
Harvesting season in southerly cities can begin as early as April and can last through the summer—perfect timing for vacationers here, who can enjoy a huge variety of home-caught crab dishes like the fried soft shell crab sandwich and she-crab soup.
Do as the locals do and check out some of the crab-centric events like Port Royal’s Soft Shell Crab Festival in April, the Little River Blue Crab Festival in May, and the Blue Crab Festival every October in Awendaw.
Not only a valuable fishery in economic terms, it is plain old family fun to catch blue crabs yourself. If you’re after a truly authentic beach town experience, grab your gear. For ideas on what to do with them after you’ve brought in the day’s catch, browse the recipes we’ve prepared from our test kitchen to give you a taste of summer in South Carolina.
It’s worth the ferry ride out to Daufuskie Island to buy their famous deviled crabs. The centuries-old recipe is known by only a few of the locals, and you can get them fresh from their front porches. Most of the restaurants on the island also serve them, and the Old Daufuskie Crab Company will ship by request.
Here are some tips on navigating South Carolina’s own underground crab culture:
If you’re near Murrells Inlet, also known as the Seafood Capital of South Carolina, stop by the Crab Cake Lady Co. or Harrelson’s Seafood for mouth-watering crab cakes that have satisfied customers for over forty years.
Check out the South Carolina Department of Natural Resource’s
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BAKED CRAB DIP I N G R ED I EN TS
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 4 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons diced green onion 1 teaspoon salt 12 ounces fresh crabmeat 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons hot sauce 1/2 tablespoon horseradish 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce Paprika, for garnish D I R EC TI O N S
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, green onion, salt, crabmeat, lemon juice, hot sauce, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce. Transfer to a cast iron skillet or baking dish. Garnish with paprika. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with crackers or pita wedges.
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SHE-CRAB SOUP I N G R ED I EN TS
1/2 stick butter One small onion 1 clove garlic minced 1/4 cup flour 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth 1/2 cup cooking sherry 3 cups half-and-half 3 cups heavy cream 2 teaspoons Worcestershire 1 teaspoon paprika 1 1/2 lbs crab meat Crab roe (optional) Salt and pepper Hot sauce D I R EC TI O N S
Melt butter in a large stock pot. Dice onion. Add onion and minced garlic to melted butter and sautĂŠe until onions are clear. Slowly add 1/4 cup flour and whisk 2-3 minutes. Stir in broth. Add sherry and stir. Add half-and-half, heavy cream, Worcestershire, and paprika. Stir constantly and bring to a low boil. Add crab and roe if available. Reduce heat. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste.
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YELLOW CORN CRAB CAKES I N G R ED I EN TS
3 tablespoons butter 1 clove garlic, minced 2 teaspoons diced yellow onions 1 pound crab meat 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs 1 egg 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper salt to taste 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup vegetable oil D I R EC TI O N S
In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and simmer for 2-3 minutes until tender. Pour into large bowl, and add crabmeat, corn, breadcrumbs, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, parsley, pepper and salt. Mix well. Divide into 12 portions and form into patties. Place on dish and chill for 1 hour. In a large skillet heat remaining butter and oil on medium-high heat. Dredge crab cakes in the cornmeal and sear for 3 minutes per side. Put crab cakes on baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with cocktail or tarter sauce.
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FRIED SOFT SHELL CRAB SANDWICH I N G R ED I EN TS
1 soft shell crab cleaned 1 egg 1 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning Salt and pepper Bun Lettuce (optional) Tarter sauce (optional) D I R EC TI O N S
If your crab has not been cleaned, using scissors, cut out the gills, remove the apron and remove the face. Beat egg in a bowl and set aside. Mix flour and Old Bay in a shallow dish. Dredge the crab in the egg until it is evenly coated. Dredge the crab in the flour mixture until it is covered and season with salt and pepper as desired. Heat oil in fryer or pan to 375 degrees. Place breaded crab in the hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Remove crab from fryer and drain on paper towel. Place fried softshell, lettuce, and tarter sauce on bun. *If soft shell crab is out of season, check with a reputable seafood market such as Crosby’s Seafood in Downtown Charleston.
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S L AV E D W E L L I N G P R O J E C T
O N E M A N ’ S Q U E S T T O S AV E T H E S O U T H ’ S S L AV E D W E L L I N G S A N D T H E L E GA C I E S T H AT R E S I D E
written by
SUSAN FRAMPTON
photos by
DOTTIE LANGLEY RIZZO
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were merely a side note in the narrative of the Drayton family’s home and plantation outside Summerville. Today, thanks to McGill’s Slave Dwelling Project, they and many others speak with a voice of their own—chronicling the lives and contributions of those who lived within their walls. Inside Cabin B, the Gardener’s Home at Magnolia Plantation, the aroma of an ancient wood fire wafts from the simple brick fireplace. Floors laid in the 1850s have been sanded smooth by the soles of countless feet, and outside the open window, a scarecrow watches over a meager kitchen garden. From a straight-backed chair in the center of the dimly lit room, McGill seems lost in another time until the roar of an airplane passing overhead brings him back to the present. A light fog hangs over the grounds of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, and the grass glistens with morning dew, as Joseph McGill walks toward a row of wooden cabins. Throughout much of the United States, unassuming buildings such as these have prevailed against weather, war, and time, patiently waiting their turn to tell us a story. Some are brick, and reside among the walled gardens and paved avenues of cities. Others, close to tidal creeks and rivers, wear a veneer of oyster shells and sand, blended together to form a concrete-like material called tabby.
This cabin was designed to house two families, one on either side of the center wall, with separate doors from the outside. With cooking done communally outdoors, the inside space was used primarily for sleeping. “Families were not guaranteed the luxury of knowing what tomorrow would bring,” McGill says, “and a bad year for crops or a lost card game could break up a family.” If the family was multigenerational, the elderly would stay behind with the children as the adults toiled through their sixday workweek.
Some live in quiet dignity off the beaten path; the harsh light of a million noonday suns reflected on their whitewashed boards. For many years they
This particular dwelling was used beyond emancipation, he explains, and the newspapers plastering the walls and ceiling were used for insulation.
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Well Preserved From left: A cabin window; a row of slave cabins on Magnolia Plantation; Joseph McGill; a hearth that devides the cabin into two living spaces
Many dwellings like these gave way to sharecroppers after slavery was abolished, but many more have fallen into disrepair, their historical significance lost. In his work with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, McGill knew that often the plantation and antebellum buildings were associated with slavery in some way—either slaves built the buildings or they provided the wealth for them to be built. He recognized that despite their efforts, these dwellings fell into a void in the organization’s goal to save iconic and architecturally significant places. McGill felt strongly that without acknowledging the contributions made by those enslaved, a part of history was being ignored. As a Civil War reenactor, McGill had seen firsthand that the events in which he participated made people curious and brought history to life, thus making people want to interact more. What better way to bring attention to the rest of the story than to combine his two interests—reenactment and preservation? He began to look for slave dwellings across the nation, and to ask the owners if he might spend the night in them. It was a sensitive subject, but he found that the attitudes of property owners he contacted were overwhelmingly positive, and the concept that would ultimately become the Slave Dwelling Project began to form. “My original intention was to sleep in a few [dwellings] in the state of South Carolina to satisfy that curiosity, or scratch that itch, and I would be through with it, but when I started, it became quite popular, and I started
getting calls from other states about the entities and organizations, and they wanted to apply this concept to their own properties, and to provide the means to do it,” says McGill. There were nights in the beginning that he stayed alone with his thoughts. He thought of those before him who had laid their heads down in these same places—mothers who gave birth and were then stripped of any right to their child, those who toiled six days a week from sunup to sunset, and those who thought of running away. He realized that these simple dwellings were the only place of solitude in a regimented way of life over which the residents had little or no control. McGill says that prior to the project, or any knowledge of the accomplishments of the enslaved ancestors, the history handed down to him was incomplete, and his attitude toward the institution of slavery was very negative. “It took my own research to go beyond what I was taught, to know that the folks brought here from Africa came with knowledge, came with skills that would help shape this United States into what it is now,” says McGill. “It is a past rooted in slavery, but in that were people who would do great things for this nation—would help build it physically with carpenters and iron workers and grow rice. They were often brought here specifically for those reasons.” p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m 67
By researching rivers and the successful agricultural production along their paths, McGill uncovered areas where large populations of slaves had once lived. In many cases, their familiarity with crops, such as rice, was critical to their land’s success, and it has helped make him and others more prideful that their ancestors were brought to this nation for more than their labor or their brute strength. “The slave dwellings scattered across the country exist to tell that story. Now people want to know who lived in these buildings; they also want to know about the lives of these people—and that’s a positive thing. Especially for African Americans who are interested in their genealogical past, it is personal. They take pride in knowing that these places still exist,” he says. Four years into the Slave Dwelling Project, McGill has now stayed in sixty-two dwellings in fourteen states; but he cannot say how many cabins there are across the country, as some have been incorporated into the main structure, or have become guest houses, pool houses, or storage spaces. He estimates that there are between fifty and 100 in Charleston alone. And though he is aware that there are purists in the preservation community that might take offense at the way some of the buildings are now used, McGill is not dismayed. “I initially thought that all of these places should be made into museums, but I have come to the conclusion that that is a very bad idea. These places should be allowed to live and breathe, and be whatever the owners want them to be. I only ask that they interpret them as what they started out to be. It is sort of nice to see life continuing, because these dwellings have a life; they have a spirit that lives on. They evolve, and we should allow them to evolve.”
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Although most of the dwellings McGill has visited have been in southern states, there have also been a significant number in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. He says that many people are surprised by this: “I have to explain to them that these states don’t get a pass. It just didn’t take a civil war and the Thirteenth Amendment for them to end slavery in those states; they did it legislatively. But we, as a nation have been deprived of that information—or we are in denial. We would much rather those states be associated with the Underground Railroad or be the Northern saviors who came down to end that institution, but no, there’s more to it than that. They were heavily involved.” McGill explains his research further: “Some of the folks associated with that [slave] industry are our heroes; and they’re still heroes, but the whole story of those heroes was just not told. This project is uncovering some of that. Not only did they practice it [slavery], but they have descendants that were born of slave women. That’s the thing—if a lot of folks shake their family tree, they’ll be surprised at what falls out.” It is rare to be able to associate ancestry with a specific place because of the lack of records, but in many instances, descendants of the original property owners have stayed alongside those whose ancestors were enslaved. McGill rarely stays alone anymore. In fact, there is a waiting list for those wanting to share the experience. Often, the conversations between those who sleep over are rich, and address issues taboo in other settings. “On one of my stays in Connecticut, three other people joined me. Two were white, male descendants of slave owners, and one African American
Living History A family outside the cabin they called home circa 1862
female was a descendant of a slave owner and one of his slaves. That is powerful. That is healing, and it is a good place to go—we can only move forward from that in a positive way. I didn’t go into this project expecting a lot of the good things that have happened, but those are the kinds of relationships I get to build with this project.” Though he recognizes there are those, black and white, who would rather see these places go away, McGill hopes he is bringing them along slowly. His next goal is to assess as many dwellings as possible within South Carolina, and he is doing so with the assistance of a structural engineer brought on board through a grant from the South Carolina Historic Preservation Office. “I think that’s beautiful,” McGill says with a smile. “And we’re going to use the information we gather to encourage other states to do the same. It will help to answer the question of how many slave dwellings there are. It
won’t be definite, but it will be a start to knowing what we have, and the work we have to do to make sure these places are preserved. “This is all about the space, the space where the ancestors lived; and making sure that these places will be here far beyond, because I want everybody to be able to interact with these spaces the way they see them. “We are living out that famous saying of Martin Luther King, Jr., ‘…one day the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood.’ “We are actually doing that—we’re putting his words into action, and that’s a good thing.” For those interested in donating, volunteering, or learning more about the Slave Dwelling Project, visit www.slavedwellingproject.org.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE SPACE, THE SPACE WHERE THE AN C E S T O R S L I V E D ; AN D M A K I N G S UR E T H AT T H E S E P L A C E S W I L L B E H E R E F A R B E Y O N D , B E C AU S E I W A N T E V E R Y B O D Y T O B E A B L E TO INTERACT WITH THESE SPACES THE WAY THEY SEE THEM. palmettomagazine.com
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> Artist Paul Puckett in the marsh behind his studio
How wildlife artist Paul Puckett fished his way to the salt waters of South Carolina, one painting at a time.
< â&#x20AC;&#x153;the kingâ&#x20AC;? sharpie marker
by Grace Nelson Photos by Dottie Rizzo
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Beth’s Rainbow, watercolor
wildlife and their surrounding landscapes. The end result is both simple in subject matter and complex in detail, and is an absolute celebration of life on the water. A process and passion that formed amidst the varying pathways he trod in life, Puckett grew up fishing in Texas with his grandfather and fell in love with the fish as much as the sport itself. Early on, he discovered he also had a knack for drawing and painting, and spent time admiring the work of wildlife and sporting artists at the Collectors Covey in Dallas, noting the works of Mark Susinno, Mike Stidham, and Eldridge Hardie, as three of his greatest influences. How do art and life imitate each other? It’s been pondered for centuries by the likes of Oscar Wilde and Aristotle, but you don’t have to look very far to find an example in the heart of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Paul Puckett is a painter whose specialty is all things nautical and natural, with an unconventional spin. His process is rather straight-forward: He heads out on the waterways and photographs everything that could possibly capture the moment, from the fish and their anglers, to the lighting and the clouds. He then takes the photos as inspiration and transfers them to paper or canvas, creating life-like action shots of 74 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
After studying graphic design at the University of North Texas, Puckett produced the first of his signature “Catch and Release” paintings, the foundation of his now-business. After taking live-action photos, he reproduces in stunning detail, the colors, the movement, and even the light in the moment of capture through his paintings—sometimes including only the fish, and at other times, the anglers’ hands. “[The ‘Catch and Release’ paintings] are the foundation for everything I do. They gave me the confidence and practice to become a better painter. They gave me the ability to call myself an artist. But, it was strange at first doing a painting for someone and actually getting money for it,” he says with a laugh.
Tail Lights, oil
On The Move, oil palmettomagazine.com
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Eruption, watercolor
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Late Decision, oil
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Kings Armor, oil
Puckett in his studio
Not long after the creation of the “Catch and Release” project, Puckett’s love for the outdoors led him cross-country. He spent a long stint in Wyoming before his adventures took him to Atlanta. It was there where he found yet another outlet for his passion. After doing some work for Patagonia and True Flies, he set out to create a clothing line himself. As the idea took form, Puckett worked in partnership with Will Abbott, who he met through a local fly shop. Eventually Abbott moved to Beaufort, South Carolina, and not long after, Puckett decided it made sense to move to the Lowcountry as well, specifically Charleston. “While living in Atlanta, I showed in SEWE [Southeastern Wildlife Exposition] in Charleston, and grew to love the town,” says Puckett. “It also helped that I had friends living there from my Wyoming days. After eight years in Wyoming, it was time to be around redfish and take my art to the next level.” With Puckett and Abbott collaborating on both creative and business sides, they successfully launched Flood Tide in 2011, a clothing line rooted in the outdoors. “It’s hard to have a business with a saltwater identity and not live, feel, and breathe in the salt water every day,” says Puckett. “It makes the brand a lot more believable and true, and I think 78 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
Silver and Green, oil
that shows in the product.” Puckett may prefer a day of fishing over a day in the office, but somehow he’s made all facets of his life work together by focusing on what is at the heart of everything he does—his art. He splits his days between the clothing business and painting in the studio. “On my painting days, though, that is my time to not have to worry about anything and just focus on the painting,” says Puckett.
Just being in the marsh, the waters, and the tides—it’s always changing; there’s never anything that’s the same about it. Now that Puckett is an official and proud Charleston resident, he finds everything he needs right here at home. His fly fishing base is at the Lowcountry Fly Shop in Mount Pleasant, while his studio in West Ashley doubles as the Flood Tide office. But, regardless of where he finds himself for the day, he’s never far from the water. “We have a
Alaskan Rainbow, watercolor
A Good Spot, oil
marsh out the office window that attracts a good amount of birds. I try to get out and fish at least once every couple weeks. Just being in the marsh, the waters, and the tides—it’s always changing; there’s never anything that’s the same about it,” he says. “I feel inspired all day to paint and see all the wildlife that comes and goes on a daily basis.” Charleston’s famed cobblestoned streets and lush salt marshes have always been a favorite home-base for artists, but Puckett credits the local people and culture for drawing him in: “The greatest things about living in South Carolina are the lifestyle, being around the water, and the type of life that gives. It is very similar to the mindset in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where people just want to live, work hard, and enjoy their lives. This town has done amazing things for my career. It is more community-based, very inspiring, and a great place to live,” he says. For now, Puckett feels at home in the Lowcountry and plans to bring it to life through his artwork for a long time to come. “Eleven years ago I decided that I was going to give ten serious years to my art,” he says. “It’s now been one plus year, and I’m very happy with where I am, and I don’t ever plan on looking back.” For more of Paul Puckett, visit www.paulpuckettart.com. p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m 79
SUMTER’S NATIVE SON TALKS ABOUT HIS EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO HIS MUSIC AND DEEP PRIDE IN HIS HOME STATE. You grew up in Sumter. What was it like growing up in a small town? Well, I guess it was a lot like most small towns across the country. I did a lot of hunting, and a lot of fishing. A lot of working with my daddy. We didn’t have a whole lot. I’ve got a brother, and we had each other and that’s about it. We worked for a living. Looking at your photos and watching your performances, you seem so familiar – as though we might have just run into you around town. You have a universal appeal that crosses age and gender. Do you think that has given people a sense of ownership of you, as a kind of everyman’s best friend? I hope so, because I am that guy! The truth is, that is one of the goals—to connect on a level that lets everyone know, I am just like they are. That allows me to say other things, and to be a voice for the dudes that don’t know what to say, or how to say it. Your lyrics do seem to help make it okay for tough guys to put their emotions out there, and the New York Times called you a “stoic brute.” What do you think of that designation? Well, I guess I am a little dramatic [laughing]. That part of me—that is just how I was raised. I was raised in church, so my natural preference in songs when I was growing up was for things that were a little under-toned and more emotional, like ballads. So even when I got to liking secular music, I enjoyed that kind of stuff more, and it’s turned out to be the kind of thing that I write. It’s harder for me to write a song that doesn’t have a lot of depth or emotion. The fun stuff – the party, good time stuff, is a lot harder for me to write. [laughing] And I guess I just can’t help being a big ole brute. Besides gospel musicians, who were your biggest musical influences? Early on, it was whatever Daddy listened to: Alabama, The Oak Ridge Boys, George Strait. It was country radio and Randy Travis, and then later, when I got to high school, I started finding out that there was other music out there than country and gospel. Then, it was Pearl Jam and Guns and Roses, Whitney Houston and Brian McKnight, and Boyz II Men, and so I got into those worlds. Obviously as I grew up, my range of music did too.
They were all very musical, and my Daddy sings like crazy. It’s like Mama got all these crazy communication skills singing, like in church, and Daddy has all this crazy range. So I like to think I got the best of both of them. Now you’ve gravitated back in that direction? I have, and I don’t think anybody could help that. I think they’re gonna do what comes natural to them, and what’s natural is writing about things that I love; and that’s home and that’s South Carolina, that’s my wife and now my kids and my family, and my raising—that’s who I am, and so that’s what I like to write about. There are lots of “Southern” country singers out there. Is there anything about growing up in South Carolina specifically that you feel makes you uniquely different from the others? You know, I’m kind of like somebody from Texas. They’re so proud of where they are from, and I’m that way about South Carolina. I think there are a million ways South Carolina has influenced me in my writing. A lot of them are the intangible kind that you can’t put your finger on, but I’ve written multiple songs about South Carolina—about missing it and loving it and growing up there and being there again, so there is no doubt that it has influenced my music. You’ve written a new fight song for Clemson University that has caught fire with the fans. You walked onto Clemson’s football team as a lineman in 2001, and earned yourself a scholarship. How did that happen? I played a lot of football growing up, and I got to play at Clemson, which was my big dream, but I’ve been writing songs since I was ten years old, so it was always that for me—football and music. At Clemson, I was an invited walk-on, and I went through the walk-on process. They pulled me up about halfway through it, and they said, get yourself a starting position, and you’ll get a free ride. And I did. It was my life’s goal at that moment—to earn my way to a starting spot, and I did it. That was almost like the goal of my whole life—to be validated and to able to say, “I played for Clemson.”
Did you grow up in a musical family?
I got hurt shortly after that, but it didn’t really break my heart, I guess, for a couple of reasons. I felt like I had met my goal and I felt like at that time, that football was becoming a job. So when you realize that your passion has become a job—that’s when you realize what you are really passionate about. Football was awesome, and it was fun, but it was time to follow what my true want and love was.
Yes, my mother’s side of the family was very musical. She and her sister grew up singing together, and you know… [silence]
Did you drive into Nashville with the same determination that you walked onto the field at Clemson?
Oh, man, I just yawned! I’m so sorry! [laughing] I’ve been working my butt off, and my little boy was up all last night.
Yeah, for me it was like there was just never any other option. I gave myself no out. It didn’t really matter if it took months or if it took years – that’s the kind of determination you have to have to make it in this town, because 99.9% of the time, folks don’t run up on something this quick. I was fortunate, you know. But you gotta come to town to do the work, and not just pick up and move out here. You gotta put in the time.
Anyway, anytime they all got together, they were always singing. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas and holiday, or really every time they got together at all. I mean really singing. So, I heard the different parts and I’ve been hearing all the parts ever since I was born. That’s what I’m doing now, when I’m writing. Hearing all of the parts and the instruments; those are things I’ve heard my whole life, so it just comes naturally to me now – to hear what is missing and fill those gaps. 82 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
Last year you played the South Carolina State Fair? How did it feel to come back home in such a big, public way? It was awesome. First of all, there’s nothing like coming back home to play,
"I’M KIND OF LIKE SOMEBODY FROM TEXAS. T H E Y ’ R E S O P R O U D O F W H E R E T H E Y A R E F R O M , A N D I ’ M T H AT WAY A B O U T S O U T H C A R O L I N A . I T H I N K T H E R E A R E A M I L L I O N WAY S S O U T H C A R O L I N A H A S INFLUENCED ME IN MY WRITING."
especially because, number one, I just miss it, and number two, because it’s a fun show for me because I’ve got such a great, devoted fan base in my home state. So, the show itself is inevitably just more exciting. It’s just rockin’. It’s like I’m a different Lee Brice here than anywhere else in the country. I get to be like…Garth Brooks on that stage. Speaking of Garth Brooks, did you ever dream that you’d hear your words coming out of his mouth? No, I didn’t, but I will say that I had envisioned it, and I dreamed it, and I saw it. That’s kind of how I’ve lived my life—imagining things that were so out there, and out of reality that they probably won’t ever happen. But to me, it’s weird, and when it does happen, you feel kind of like you drove yourself to it. Recently, I went to see one of his shows – the first one since I was seventeen years old. I was in Connecticut after one of my shows, and had a Make-A-Wish event between there and Boston, where he was playing. We got in touch with some of his folks, and they arranged a backstage meet and greet. So I’m talking to him, and he asks, “Hey, do you feel like working tonight?” And I just about lost it. I kept thinking: Are you kidding me? He got me up there to sing More Than a Memory on his stage. I had never heard him do my song live, and here I was singing it with him on stage. It was insane! After spending the last year or so touring with Luke Bryan, you and Chris Young are co-headlining your own tour? Yes we are! When I came off Luke Bryan’s tour, the question was: Where do I go from here? Chris and I had both been on that tour, and were both in that weird spot between being able to sell an entire arena on our own, or continuing on other people’s tours. So we talked about it, and it seemed like a cool option to go in together and have a little bit firmer floor to stand on, and it’s working out really well. We’re selling out. Does being a headliner change the tour experience for you? Is it tougher carrying the ball for the tour? Completely different. It’s a lot harder to carry it, but also a lot more fun. Being out with Luke Bryan last year was so special and awesome, and we got so much from that. But it is extremely cool to be able to say they’re coming to see us, and you can slow down your set and be able to soak in the moment—the kind of thing you’ve dreamed about. You’re married now, and your two boys are six and one. Does your wife, Sara, and the boys go on the road with you? Every once in a while they’ll come out and be with me for a weekend, but we try to keep a routine at home. Sara is such a wonderful mama, and that’s the kind of stuff that she believes heavily in, and so do I. If I have a long stint where I’ll be gone for two or three weeks, I’ll usually try to break it up and come home in the middle. I don’t want to be gone from them that long.
Photograph Ryan Smith
I CAN’T WAIT TO COME BACK TO SOUTH CAROLINA. I LOVE IT, AND I SURE MISS IT. I MISS MY MAMA, SO I’VE GOTTA GET BACK HOME SOON. What’s on your playlist these days? Other than what involves my work, I end up having to listen to my own stuff a lot because I’m working at creating it. I’ve got some friends in the business, though, who I listen to. Friends who I not only respect, but I love their music, like Jerrod Niemann and Randy Houser and Jamey Johnson. They’re just great stuff in my world, and out of my world. I love Bruno Mars, and I love John Legend. I love Coldplay, and that’s the kind of stuff that reverts back to what I said earlier about how it used to be Boyz II Men and Whitney Houston and the ballads of Guns N’ Roses. When I listen to the outside world, Bruno Mars is really doing it for me. He’s such a great, great talent. Are we going to see you bustin’ any Bruno Mars moves on the tour? [laughing] I don’t know about the moves, but you might hear some songs. So what can we expect from Lee Brice in the coming year? I’m getting ready to start on my next record, and there are a few records [for other artists] that I’m working on. One of them is on my record label, and they’re a duo called American Young. We’re finishing up their album, and then there’re these three girls that are an act out of Texas – these three girls who are amazing, and we’re working on their record. And then, I’m so, so excited to be working with my little brother, Lewis Brice. We’re about halfway through with a record. He’s working his tail off, and he’s all over the country playing just like I did, and he is great. He’s such a great act, and such a great guy, too. It’s really cool to be able to work on something with your brother.
You’re producing all of these? I am. I’ve always had an ear for music, and I’ve always produced my own music – ever since I was a kid at home. For me, you know, the production part really comes from experience, and I use that experience I’ve had with people and instruments to put out a record in a fresh, new way. With all of the irons you have in the fire right now, when can we hope to see you back in South Carolina? I don’t know when I’ll get home again. These days I hardly know where I’ll be in the next ten minutes, but I can’t wait to come back to South Carolina. I love it, and I sure miss it. I miss my mama, so I’ve gotta get back home soon. South Carolina seems to be growing a strong brand of its own these days. Absolutely! Are you happy to be a part of that? Oh yeah! That’s one torch that I would be proud, proud, proud to carry – and I would happily carry it!
Brice’s latest album, I Don’t Dance, is a showcase for his painstaking approach to writing and recording, with his distinctive musical fingerprints clearly emblazoned on every element of the album. Brice relished the role of producer-with-flair-for-experimentation, as yet another way to mold and shape his songs to match the sounds he’d been chasing in his head. “I wanted to have control over every drumbeat, every lick of the bass part,” he explains of his meticulous approach in the studio. “It was a lot of really sitting down and thinking about every little piece that goes into it.”
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nfortunately, words are like toothpaste—once they’re out of the dispenser, they’re not going back in. The biggest preaching blunder of my career involved words I wish I could take back. I stood facing the largest crowd our new church had ever seen. They had all gathered to listen to my most controversial sermon. A few months earlier I had foolishly decided to preach a series of sermons entitled, Burning Questions. One of my leaders suggested, “Will, why don’t we start a website and let anyone on the Internet ask questions? The most frequently asked questions will be the subjects of each sermon.” Sounds like a great idea, right? When I received the final list of questions, my heart sank. The most frequently asked question: What is allowable in the bedroom for a Christian couple? You know that feeling in your stomach as you ascend the Tower of Terror at Disney? Yeah, that was what I felt. Stomach in knots, I led the congregation in a quick prayer. And for some reason my mind went to a conversation with an older lady in a former church. Mrs. Betty had burst into my office. “Will, you need to dress more appropriately.” I quickly looked down at my outfit, uncertain. She then told me a story from her childhood: “Here you are in shorts. I will never forget the moment when, as a little girl, I first saw my pastor with shorts on. Seeing his legs felt scandalous. I came to a conclusion that day: A pastor 90 p a l m e t t o m a g a z i n e . c o m
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Illustration by Jason Wagener
should never be seen in anything other than pants that fully cover his legs.” I stood facing the large crowd gathered to hear me address this burning question, and I began to pray: “God, you know this subject is one that I am embarrassed to address. While you are the author of sexuality, it seems unsuitable to talk about this in church. [Thinking about my conversation with Betty, I continued.] Lord, there are people here at church today who just aren’t used to seeing their pastor without his pants on.” Completely unaware of my blunder, I continued, but nothing else I prayed after that mistake mattered. You can imagine everyone, their eyes closed as they listened to me pray, thinking, What am I going to see when I open my eyes? This fact remains: We all make mistakes, pastors included. Although, I aim to be perfect—to be like Jesus, I am fully aware that perfection is not in the cards for me, or any of us, for that matter. Fortunately, we have something else in common as well. God is willing to forgive all mistakes, big or small. Sometimes in life we have to take a long hard look at ourselves and make some life changes. At other times, we just need to laugh and take Taylor Swift’s advice and “Shake It Off.” And no, my pants were not around my ankles. It was an unintentional blunder. One that I, and now you, will likely never forget.