C-VILLE Weekly | September 20 - 26, 2023

so many

All of us want to thank you, our valued customers, who have expressed their heartfelt well-wishes, condolences, and memories. Rebecca’s has been a Charlottesville institution since 1987; we’ll miss you all.

Jack & Wendy Brown

Lynn & Kenny Brown • Pam & Frank Edmonds

Chris & Brad Eure • Janna & David Gies

Elizabeth & Joe LeVaca

Julie & Geoff Montross • Susie Morris

CULTURE 31

Hashing it out

Charlottesville’s News & Arts Weekly

CIRCULATION: 20,000 WEEKLY

P.O. Box 119

Charlottesville, Virginia 22902

www.c-ville.com

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EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Richard DiCicco richard@c-ville.com

CULTURE EDITOR

Tami Keaveny tami@c-ville.com

NEWS REPORTER

Catie Ratliff reporter@c-ville.com

COPY EDITOR

Susan Sorensen

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Maeve Hayden

INTERN

Nicole Milanovic

MAGAZINE EDITOR

Caite Hamilton

CONTRIBUTORS

Rob Brezsny, Matt Dhillon, Carol Diggs, Brielle Entzminger, Mary Esselman, Shea Gibbs, Mary Jane Gore, Will Ham, Erika Howsare, Justin Humphreys, Kristin O’Donoghue, Lisa Provence, Sarah Sargent, Jen Sorensen, Julia Stumbaugh, Courteney Stuart, Paul Ting, Sean Tubbs, David Levinson Wilk

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

ART DIRECTOR

Max March max@c-ville.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Tracy Federico designer@c-ville.com

ADVERTISING

advertising@c-ville.com

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Gabby Kirk (434) 373-2136

gabby@c-ville.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Lisa C. Hurdle classyexec@c-ville.com

Brittany Keller brittany@c-ville.com

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & MARKETING

Stephanie Vogtman

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Faith Gibson ads@c-ville.com

BUSINESS

PUBLISHER

Anna Harrison anna@c-ville.com

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Debbie Miller debbie@c-ville.com

A/R SPECIALIST

Nanci Winter (434) 373-0429

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Billy Dempsey circulation@c-ville.com

C-VILLE

Bill Chapman, Blair Kelly

C-VILLE is published Wednesdays. 20,000 free copies are distributed all over Charlottesville, Albemarle, and the surrounding counties. One copy per person. Additional copies may be purchased for $1.99 per copy.

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That’s the percent of C-VILLE Insta-poll respondents who prefer hash browns to home fries.

THIS WEEK

Hello, Charlottesville! Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly. There’s no place like a diner. The thick menus, heaping portions, and always-ready coffee warm the heart and feed the soul. It doesn’t matter where the diner is—up North or down South, East Coast or West, on the side of the road or right around the corner—every single one has a unique and special character that can make your day.

9.20.23

This week, we celebrate Charlottesville’s many diners (p. 22), where people go to order their usual, make friends with the waitstaff, and hang out for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Some of these spots specialize in morning or evening service, some host open mics and karaoke, and others hang animal heads on the walls. All of them exude that undeniable “diner” vibe, and through our write-ups by Mary Esselman, Maeve Hayden, Tami Keaveny, and Susan Sorensen, I hope you’ll feel like you’re almost there, taking in the scent of pancake syrup and sizzling bacon.

Diners and late-night eats have been a fixture in my life for as long as I can remember. From Richmond to New York, I’ve loved settling in to a place with cozy booths and cozier food. I was delighted that we were able to feature some of my favorite local spots this week, and I hope you find your favorites (and perhaps some favorites to-be) in our pages. Richard DiCicco

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 EMILY WOLFE WITH SHAGWUF

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 CONSIDER THE SOURCE WITH THREESOUND

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

CHATHAM COUNTY LINE WITH THE BAND LOULA JUST ANNOUNCED!

OCTOBER 21-ON SALE NOW FILMS ON SONG, COR DE LUX & GIRL JAIL

ANNOUNCING OUR 2024 THEME: TOGETHER

This April 17-21, we’ll gather for a celebration of music, art, and ideas that spills throughout Charlottesville over a magical week.

It’s all about our interconnection, and our shared future. Amidst the fun, connection, and synchronicity, we’ll join forces, work collaboratively, bridge divides, and start to dream some new dreams for our hometown.

TOGETHER STARTS NOW

Tom Tom is the pinnacle of a year of planning and collaboration with hundreds of local organizations, artists, and visionaries. We’re community-planned and community-powered, so consider this your invitation to co-create Tom Tom with us.

Come join the party!

tomtomfoundation.org/get-involved

UVA MUSIC EVENTS

Date/Time/Place Event

Thursday, 9/21, 6pm

Carr’s Hill Field

Friday, 9/22, 3:30pm 107 Old Cabell Hall

Saturday, 9/23, 7:30pm

Old Cabell Hall

Sunday, 9/24, 3:30pm

MLKPAC at CHS

* denotes free events

Cavalier Marching Band: Spies of Hooville (open rehearsal) *

Voice Machines: Listening Within (discussion) *

Charlottesville Symphony: Schubert's Unfinished Symphony

Charlottesville Symphony: Schubert's Unfinished Symphony

Friday, 9/29, 3:00pm Hunter Smith Band Bldg. Trombone Masterclass with John Sipher *

Friday, 10/6, 6:30pm

Carr’s Hill Field

Sunday, 10/8, 3:30pm

Old Cabell Hall

Friday, 10/13, 6:30pm

Carr’s Hill Field

Cavalier Marching Band: Latin Icons (open rehearsal) *

UVA Chamber Music Series: Mixed Ensembles

Cavalier Marching Band: Fall Showcase (open rehearsal) *

Follow uvamusic on social media

All artists, programs and venues are subject to change. Office: 434.924.3052 | music.virginia.edu Box Office: 424.924.3376 | artsboxoffice.virginia.edu music.virginia.edu/events

student-athletes and commerce students,

NEWS IN BRIEF

Funding futures

At A Black and White Affair on September 15, eight local minority-owned businesses received $40,000 in grants from United Way of Greater Charlottesville and the Minority Business Alliance of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Congress. This year’s list of recipients includes everything from fitness classes to food trucks, with bakernobakery, Beyond Fitness with Sabrina, Cavalier Barbershop, Eudamonia, justified by Netta, Khadija’s Kitchen, Loyal Beyond Beauty, and Rita’s Bright Beginnings all receiving funds.

Closing time

After 36 years of business, Rebecca’s Natural Food will close its doors on September 30. Founded in 1987, the health food and supplement store has been a staple in the Charlottesville area for years. Until closing, the business will offer 25 percent off everything in store. In a public statement, owner Norman Dill thanked the community and employees for their support. “Although we feel a sense of loss during this time of change, we are equally proud of our achievements in promoting well-being in our community,” he said. “Thank you for all your support over the years, and we hope to serve you to the end.”

Fashion Square shooting

An Albemarle teenager was arrested for the September 13 Fashion Square Mall shooting, which resulted in two people and a dog seeking medical attention. The suspect, 19-yearold Jalontae Percer, has been charged with malicious wounding and use or display of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Percer is currently out on bond, and is scheduled to appear in Albemarle General District Court for a preliminary hearing on November 2.

Resilient Together

To combat the local impacts of climate change and better prepare for natural disasters, the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the University of Virginia are collaborating on a new program, Resilient Together.

In a September 15 press release announcing the project, the group highlighted how each jurisdiction’s independent climate efforts will be boosted through the collaboration. “Locally, we are experiencing longer, hotter heat waves, more destructive storms, wildfire smoke, and invasive pests,” shared the group.

“Collaborating will help us to produce better, stronger results.”

Anticipated to last approximately 18 months, Resilient Together will occur in five phases—Discover, Define, Design, Decide, and Do—with the goal of creating and adopting complementary action plans for both the city and county.

Recall runs ashore

After a summer-long recall campaign, the effort to remove Don Polonis from the Lake Monticello Owners Association Board of Directors has failed.

The recall election—which was prompted by a number of anti-LGBTQ comments and against-policy social media posts by Polonis—brought out a record turnout at the lake, with 2,480 total ballots cast in the election.

While a majority of voters opted to remove the director, the recall fell 143 “yes” votes short of the 2,256 required to oust Polonis from the board. Only 291 members voted to retain Polonis.

Beyond researching specific climate challenges faced in Charlottesville and Albemarle, the initial Discover phase will also be an opportunity for project members and the community to form connections.

Throughout the process, the group plans to listen to and incorporate input from the community, nonprofits, businesses, and other local players. According to the press release, “Creating effective climate adaptation and resilience plans for the city and county that serve our community requires meaningful collaboration among local government, partner organizations, and you.”

To jumpstart involvement in the project, Resilient Together will host a community kick-off and open house on September 26 from 4 to 7pm at Carver Recreation Center.

“This tally of votes, with 46 percent of households voting for removal, shows a clear rebuff to the conduct of Director Polonis,” said Board President Larry Henderson in a statement to LMOA News. “While it may seem undemocratic that a vote of 85-15 percent in favor of removal failed to succeed, the board reminds the residents that this is due to the rules laid down by the Virginia Nonstock Corporation Act.”

With no remaining avenues to remove the controversial director, Polonis will be allowed to serve the remaining two years of his term.

“Our

among others, will have terrific new spaces in which to practice and learn for many years to come.”

— Jim Ryan, University of Virginia president, on alumnus Ramon W. Breeden Jr.’s $50 million gift to support UVA’s business

The attempt to oust Don Polonis from the Lake Monticello Owners Association Board of Directors failed.

Rebecca’s Natural Food will close its Barracks Road store on September 30.

Plan of attack

Residents air opinions on draft zoning ordinance

By Catie Ratliff reporter@c-ville.com

After years of effort, the Charlottesville Planning Commission finally entered the formal review process for the draft zoning ordinance. Though the city has emphasized community involvement throughout the project, the September 14 public hearing to discuss the draft lasted more than five hours. City leadership hopes to adopt the zoning ordinance by the end of 2023, but Charlottesville residents remain divided on how to best balance affordability, density, and current communities.

The city has been working since 2017 to address the area’s progressively worsening housing crisis through changes to zoning, including priorities outlined in comprehensive and affordable housing plans.

Planning Commissioner Hosea Mitchell opened the public hearing by emphasizing that the meeting would not be a dialogue, but rather a listening session for community members to voice their thoughts on the draft zoning ordinance.

Before opening the floor for public comment, Director of Neighborhood Development Services James Freas said that though the project has come a long way, much work remains. “I don’t believe this draft that we have before us is our final draft,” he said. “As we hear new ideas, as we hear new perspectives, I think it’s important that we are able to respond and make tweaks as necessary or as appropriate.”

City Council chambers were at capacity at the start of the meeting, and residents came prepared to comment.

Opponents of the current draft admitted that while it would increase the amount of affordable housing available in the area, increasing density and allowing for more areas of mixed use could negatively impact existing residents. They expressed concern about the plan’s impact on neighborhoods, traffic, parking, tree cover, land value inflation, and more.

Diane Walkett, who lives in the Greenbrier neighborhood, showed up with a signed petition from her neighbors that urged the commission to not change the current zoning. “[It’s] a family-focused part of Charlottesville that is populated by those who want their children to safely walk to Greenbriar Elementary School, who want to walk their dogs and ride their bikes along the road without having to dodge cars that drive fast … who want to have yards and space to live in,” she said.

“To change this street and to subject our families to more traffic, less safety, the

density of multiple unit complexes, and to change the nature of our property is not a wise, appropriate, or necessary decision by the Planning Commission.”

“My worry is that the impact of the zoning is gonna change our entire Greenbrier neighborhood. It’s so safe right now,” said Gerry Scott. “It’s just a good neighborhood. And good neighbors.”

Other critics of the current draft zoning ordinance support the project’s work to improve access to affordable housing and address inequities, but are concerned that well-intended provisions may not be as effective as imagined without further protections against gentrification. “Increased density across the city does not necessarily mean increase in affordability,” said Al Pola. Comparing the proposed Dairy Market expansion and Cherry Avenue developments, Pola claimed the plan does not adequately address infrastructure and protect communities.

But many proponents of the draft ordinance said it takes key steps in addressing the area’s housing crisis.

Speaking in support of the plan, Liam Keough argued against allowing “the privileged desires of older residents to outweigh the needs of potentially thousands of new residents, low-income residents, and non-

white residents.” He added that “dog whistles such as protecting the safety, the charm, and the peace of their neighborhoods inhibit the change. We cannot let these dog whistles also dissuade the change needed to address the vast increase in population in Charlottesville. We cannot let quaint neighborhoods impede change.”

Andrew Shelton, a lifelong Charlottesville-area resident, spoke about being priced out of town. “The existing housing market is simply not sustainable for young people who don’t have existing investment in their home that’s been built for 30 years,” he said. “We don’t have enough housing for the amount of people who want to live here. … I would like to live in town, the town I grew up in, I’m not able to.”

With the current state of housing in the city, Shelton urged the commission to not only adopt the plan, but to consider the recommendations outlined in the housing coalition letter released earlier this year. “I would like to ask you to particularly pay attention to the need to not displace further Black neighborhoods, and to hopefully expand density in the neighborhoods that have historically had exclusionary zoning.”

The commission anticipates that consideration of the zoning ordinance could continue into October.

“As we hear new ideas, as we hear new perspectives, I think it’s important that we are able to respond and make tweaks as necessary or as appropriate.”

JAMES FREAS, DIRECTOR OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

For the draft zoning ordinance to move forward, the Planning Commission must recommend it to City Council for a hearing and a vote.

Following suit

ACPS anti-racism policy case heads to the Virginia Court of Appeals

By Catie Ratliff reporter@c-ville.com

On September 12, Albemarle County Public Schools representatives were in court to defend against allegations its anti-racism policies are discriminatory.

Previously dismissed with prejudice in April 2022, the case, Ibañez v. Albemarle County School Board, went before the Court of Appeals of Virginia in the chambers of the Virginia Supreme Court for oral arguments after the plaintiffs—a group of local parents concerned about the curriculum—appealed the dismissal. The parents allege that ACPS’ anti-racism policies are discriminatory and indoctrinate children through critical race theory, a graduatelevel framework for discussing the interactions between race and law.

The complaint against the anti-racism policy, first filed in December of 2021, asked the Albemarle County Circuit Court to issue a judgment effectively labeling the policy unconstitutional, ending enforcement of the policy, providing an option for parents to opt out of the anti-racism instruction, and providing compensatory and other damages to the plaintiffs.

In the complaint, specific content from the curriculum highlighted as problematic included a Courageous Conversations slide with text reading, “In the absence of making anti-racist choices, we (un)consciously uphold aspects of white supremacy, white-dominant culture, and unequal institutions and society.” The suit also takes issue with schools’ discussion of white privilege, and instruction that “the dominant culture is White and Christian and therefore responsible for racism.”

Though the suit was dismissed with prejudice—which means the complaint can’t be refiled—by Judge Claude Worrell, legal representatives of the parents immediately indicated they would appeal the dismissal.

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The parents—Carlos and Tatiana Ibañez, Matthew and Marie Mierzejewski, Kemal and Margaret Gokturk, Erin and Trent Taliaferro, and Melissa Riley—are represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group. While the ADF describes its work as “advanc[ing] the God-given right to live and speak the Truth,” the organization has been labeled an anti-LGBTQ hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

In a client profile for the ADF, the Ibañezes shared their background and explained the impetus for the suit. Originally from Panama City, Panama, the couple said their daughter was distressed after watching an anti-racism video at school. “One of the videos said basically that you had to be white to be successful. People of color were not gonna be able to live in a big house or get a good education,” said Tatiana Ibañez. “Just based on the color of their skin.”

“We never agreed that we were going to co-parent our children with the school administrators or school policies or the school board,” said Carlos Ibañez.

“Albemarle Schools is violating students’ civil rights treating them differently based on race, and by compelling them to affirm and support ideas contrary to their deeply held moral, philosophical, and religious beliefs,” says ADF Senior Counsel and Director of Parental Rights Kate Anderson. “We are hopeful the court recognizes that parents have a right and responsibility to direct the upbringing of their children and that the Albemarle County School Board is trampling on this right. As we wait for a ruling from the court, Alliance Defending Freedom will continue to uphold the civil rights of parents and their children in school.”

At press time, both the Virginia court case information system and the ADF list the case as active, but no future hearings have been scheduled.

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Newly Finished Albemarle County Home on 5 Acres with Stream and level private yard. ALL NEW: Roof, Kitchen Appliances, Stack Washer & Dryer,Pella Double Hung Windows, Open Kitchen with gorgeous Wood Counters, Beautiful cabinets & open wood shelving; with mounted microwave. Laundry area off rear covered Deck leads to beautiful private yard. Your 5+ Acres consists of level grassy area leading to wooded private acreage which continues to a natural stream. You cannot beat this property and located just a few miles from Scottsville, North Garden & Walnut Creek Park. Come see today!

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What’s in a name?

New UVA residence halls to be named for Paul Gaston and Ruhi Ramazani

By Sean Tubbs

When the first students arrive at new residence halls on Brandon Avenue next summer, they’ll move in to buildings that carry the names of two professors whose lives were entwined with some of the struggles of the mid-20th century.

“It is the custom at the university to name residence halls after esteemed faculty members,” says Colette Sheehy, senior vice president for operations and state government relations at UVA.

Historian Paul Gaston taught at the University of Virginia for four decades and helped create the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African American and African Studies. In 1963, Gaston was among the people beaten for staging a sit-in at Buddy’s Restaurant to protest the establishment’s refusal to serve Black customers. The owner would close the building four years later rather than desegregate. UVA tore down the structure and an adjacent gas station in late 2011 as part of its expansion.

Gaston died in 2019 at the age of 91.

Rouhollah “Ruhi” Ramazani and his wife fled persecution in Iran in 1952, and eventually arrived in Charlottesville where he received a law degree in 1954. He taught at UVA until 1998 and served as an adviser to former president Jimmy Carter during the Iran hostage crisis. Ramazani died in 2016.

There will be around 350 beds in the two structures that make up the second student living space to be built in the Brandon Avenue corridor. The first new residence hall built there was named for Julian Bond, the late civil rights champion who was a professor in UVA’s history department for two decades before his death in 2015.

The University of Virginia Foundation gradually purchased the land for the cor-

ridor’s expansion, the same way land on Ivy Road has been purchased to support UVA’s physical growth. The Board of Visitors’ Buildings and Grounds Committee signed off on the names of Gaston House and Ramazani House last week. They also cleared the way for more buildings on Ivy Road to be demolished to make way for the Karsh Institute of Democracy.

The namings come at a time when other educational facilities in the community are in the process of re-examining namesakes.

Several Albemarle schools have new names, such as Journey Middle School for the facility that honored Jack Jouett. The names Broadus Wood, Greer, and Murray remain on elementary schools, but the county dropped Meriwether Lewis and Paul Cale.

Earlier this year, Charlottesville renamed Clark and Venable Summit Elementary and Trailblazer Elementary, respectively. When $90 million of renovation and additions at the lone middle school are complete in 2025, the building will carry the name of the city, after the school board voted unanimously on this in June.

“This recommendation follows the current trend to move away from school names that honor individuals,” says city schools Superintendent Dr Royal Gurley.

UVA is currently in the midst of a planning study for an initiative to have enough space to house all second-years on Grounds. It has set aside $7 million for planning efforts.

Five approved lots ranging from 2 to 51/2 acres. All surveying, engineering, plots, and paved road completed. Stunning Blue Ridge views to the west. Far reaching vistas define this property, Monte Sereno. Perfect for building a spectacular estate home on a total of 13.68 acres or a unique subdivision, with your own covenants and restrictions. High speed internet available. Located in Northern Albemarle. Less than 10 minutes to all conveniences. One owner is a Virginia licensed real estate broker. $1,500,000

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“It is the custom at the university to name residence halls after esteemed faculty members.”

COLETTE SHEEHY, UVA SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

Two new UVA residence halls on Brandon Avenue that are currently under construction are scheduled to be filled with students next fall.

Stunning 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath home with 4,115 square feet of immaculate living space situated on over 2 pristine and landscaped acres only 5 miles west of the City of Charlottesville. MLS#641366

$1,295,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076 or Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455

HIGHER GROUND

Palatial country estate situated on magnificent 27 acre mountaintop setting at 4,100 foot elevation, surrounded by 9,000 acres of permanent wilderness. Exceptional custom home over 11,400 square feet featuring large spacious rooms, finest quality materials and construction, 8 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, many outside terraces, decks, with 360 degree breathtaking views from everywhere! 10 miles to famed Omni Homestead Resort, 2 miles to the airport. MLS#645527 $4,250,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

LAFAYETTE

Beautifully appointed Keswick estate on 92 acres with first floor suite and five additional BRs. Gourmet kitchen with stone hood and cherry cabinets, great room with coffered ceiling, home theater, and covered porch with FP. Oversized garage with guest suite.

MLS#643578 $3,195,000 Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

OAKFIELDS

An 87-acre equestrian paradise with beautiful mountain views, lush fields, 15-stall barn, outdoor riding ring, charming 3 bedroom and 2 bath house. This pristine land offers endless possibilities, free from conservation easement. MLS#645686 $3,200,000 Court Nexsen 646.660.0700

MEADOWLARK FARM

22-acre equestrian property, 12 miles from Charlottesville, features a renovated 8,575± sf. residence nestled on a knoll overlooking the pool and the Mechums River and captures a magnificent view of the Blue Ridge in the distance. MLS#640137

$3,195,000 Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

MILL HOUSE

Former house of noted local architect Floyd E. Johnson, on the banks of Totier Creek. Thoughtfully renovated and expanded, 5 BR, 3 full and 2 half BA. Guest house, 2 bay garage, pool, equipment shed plus 130 acres of open and wooded land. MLS#639196

$2,475,000 Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

GREENFIELDS FARM

Impressive 753 acre country estate approximately 25 miles south of Charlottesville. The property showcases a stately southern residence, built circa 1904, extensive equestrian facilities, recreation opportunities, creeks and a pond. MLS#638899 $6,295,000 Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

WEST LEIGH

Beautiful home, fully renovated, dream kitchen with Carrara marble, open floor plan with spacious family room and wood-burning fireplace. Well-appointed living and dining rooms. Two bedrooms on main floor plus fantastic mudroom, covered patio, expansive and fenced-in lawn, detached garage. Primary suite on second floor, two additional bedrooms and a full bath, laundry room, recreation room. Set privately on 1.5+ landscaped acres in the Western school district. MLS#645500 $1,450,000 Court Nexsen 646-660-0700

DOWNTOWN PENTHOUSE

In the heart of Belmont, 5 min. walk to Downtown Mall, is this dramatic, 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath condo with 3,158 fin. sf. Beautiful open floor plan, large rooftop terrace with urban and pastoral views! One of Charlottesville’s best condos! MLS#634149 $1,790,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

GREEN ACRES

Pastoral views from this 3 bedroom brick home set on over 159 acres in Southern Albemarle. Ideal for farming with fenced pastures and ample water sources. Property is not under easement and has 4 division rights. MLS#630428 $1,685,000 Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

WOODLANDS ROAD

RED HILL

10 miles south of Charlottesville, a beautiful 283 acres, rolling to hilly, mostly wooded tract, borders Walnut Creek Park, with lake and miles of trails. This land has pastures, trails, creeks and a river! Many homesites, NO EASEMENTS. MLS#634310

$1,995,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

RUNNING DEER DRIVE

One-level brick home on 3.25 acres. Convenient one level floor plan with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Total kitchen update, hardwood floors, new roof, and oversized deck. Level, partially fenced lot. Easy access to Charlottesville, UVA, I-64. MLS#643033 $469,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.125

FAIRWAY DRIVE

Wonderful 3.5 acre waterfront parcel behind renowned Keswick Hall in the gated and picturesque Keswick Estate. Bring your own architect and builder. Located 5 miles from Martha Jefferson Hospital and 10 miles from UVA. MLS#641712 $540,000 Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

ARDWOOD ROAD

Well constructed home just four miles north of Charlottesville. Set on 1.45 acres - great outdoor space for gardens. Home is in need of some renovation, but given quality construction and excellent location, it’s worthy of the investment. MLS#638788 $495,000 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455

HIDDEN FOX FARM

10 miles from town, near Free Union, 100+ acres, division rights, NO CONSERVATION EASEMENT! Spectacular Blue Ridge views from many homesites, several barns, stable, 2 ponds, creeks, FANTASTIC offering! MLS#638858 $4,400,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076

OXFORD HILLS

Well maintained 5 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2-story residence with 2,203 finished square feet of living space - super convenient to the shopping areas of Greene and Northern Albemarle counties, NGIC and only 13 miles to the City of Charlottesville! MLS#645604 $399,900 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455

LYNX FARM LANE

Great building lot in Ivy! Over 2.5 acres less than 6 miles to Charlottesville and UVA. Your future dream home could sit on this beautiful, wooded land, the perfect combination of country and city access. Murray Elementary School District. MLS#634897 $165,000 Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

GREENTREES

94+ acres 20 minutes from Charlottesville. Originally part of a 188-acre tract, two parcels may be purchased separately or together, with 2 developmental rights each. Mostly maturing pine and very long public road frontage.

MLS#635861 $700,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124

SIMMONS GAP/ ESTES RIDGE

10 acres of mature woods. Property has long road frontage and consists of two parcels being combined and sold as one. No homeowners association! Design and build your dream residence on this very wellpriced parcel. MLS#621178 $189,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250

BELMONT GEM!

Move right into this renovated, expanded and updated sunny home featuring 3 bedrooms, including first floor master, 2.5 baths and great charm. Lovely, landscaped yard and gardens, front porch, new terrace, outbuilding, driveway and Ting internet. MLS#645498 $635,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124

WEST MAIN STREET CORRIDOR

Investment/Assemblage opportunity between University of Virginia and Charlottesville’s dynamic Downtown Mall. Property is being targeted to be classified to RX-5 in the new city zoning ordinance. MLS#30850340 $875,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124

EDNAM FOREST

Wonderfully large 1.5+ acre building lot in Ednam Forest. Build your dream home on this elevated, wooded lot located in a single family community, minutes from the University of Virginia and within walking distance to Boar’s Head Resort. MLS#598537 $289,500 Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700

Walking in to a busy diner is an exciting sensory experience. The clang of silverware and dishes banging around, orders called from front-of-house to back, and air laden with the savory perfume of the kitchen. Trays go by filled with warm toasty waffles, deliciously greasy bacon and eggs, chicken-fried steak, Reuben sandwiches, turkey melts, and thick slices of lemon meringue pie. The anticipation builds until you’re seated, a server splashes coffee into a thick china cup, and asks, “What can I get ya?”  Charlottesville has plenty of formal restaurants, but lucky for us, the city also abounds with (too many to count!) diners that deliver a nostalgic dream of American mealtime, where the food feeds the soul and the folks feel familiar.  Here’s a roundup of some of our favorites. Post your go-to on our Facebook page and tell us why you love it.

BY MARY ESSELMAN, MAEVE HAYDEN, TAMI KEAVENY, AND SUSAN SORENSEN

DON’T SKIP DESSERT

Doodle’s Diner | 1305 Long St. | facebook.com/p/Doodles-Diner

Hiding in plain sight just before the Locust Avenue exit off 250 West sits the best little diner you’ve never noticed: Doodle’s. Walk through the door, and you’re in an American time capsule of clean, comfy, country ease: brightly lit booths and tables, homey decorations, and a sweetheart of a server named Kim. Since she was 14, Melanie “Doodle” Lohr wanted to run a restaurant, she says, and for the past 10 years, she, her

mom, and her Aunt Barbara have brought that dream to life. Morning regulars devour the breakfast combos and omelets, while evening folks come for the specials: salmon cakes, catfish dinner, hamburger steak, and Wednesday-night spaghetti. Popular desserts include three-tier cakes like the Sunshine (orange with mandarin oranges, whipped cream, and diced pineapple), chocolate chess pie, and bread pudding.

Almost as big a draw as the food is Kim, beloved for making everyone feel at home. When a grandpa comes in with his young grandson, Kim asks how their sleepover went the night before, and takes their drink orders. The boy asks for a soda, and Kim says, “Well, is that okay with Grandpa?” Grandpa smiles, “I don’t care, he won’t be with me today,” and Kim jokes back, “Oh, so a Mountain Dew then, huh?”—ME

SOULFILLING STATION

Mel’s Cafe | 719 W. Main St. facebook.com/MelsSoulFoodCafe

Like its longtime proprietor Mel Walker, this legendary Charlottesville landmark exudes an aura of relaxed excellence. Stop by near lunchtime, and you’ll find a line out the door, giving you a chance to peruse the menu taped to the window. Will you opt for breakfast, served all day? Perhaps the George Omelette: ham, cheese, onions, green peppers, and diced tomatoes, topped with chili beans? Or is lunch calling you to the fried fish sub or that BBQ rib sandwich?

Your stomach and heart rumble in anticipation of stick-to-the-ribs ecstasy, and already you know what you’ve heard is true: Mel’s, with its humble, homespun name, offers food for the soul.

SING WITH YOUR SUPPER

Holly’s Diner | 1221 E. Market St. | facebook.com/HollysDinerCville

Holly’s is a nighttime diner, offering comfort food and friendly fun from 5pm to 2am, Tuesday through Saturday. The place is funky and cute, with an industrial-meets-farm chic, and a honky-tonk happy soul.

An older crowd comes early to claim swivel-stool seats at the long concrete bar, or to grab a spot at the hidden outdoor patio. There they throw back signature cocktails like the Belmont Sweet Tea (Southern tea with a kick), while enjoying Holly’s most popular dinner dishes—homemade meatloaf, chicken poblano pot pie, Brussels sprout hash, and fried green tomatoes.

After 9pm, a younger crowd fills the tables and booths near the small stage that sparkles with live

music on Fridays and Saturdays, Thunder Music Karaoke on Tuesdays, Open Mic Night on Wednesdays, Game Night on Thursdays, and, on occasion, Goth Takeovers with DJs. Folks who work and party into the wee hours love Holly’s late-night handheld options, like the catfish po’boy, Reuben sandwich, and the Hangover Burger (gently dressed with bacon, fried egg, pepper, pepper jack cheese, special hot sauce, and lettuce).

Even the olds often hang around for dinner and “a show,” just to chat with beloved manager, Morgan, and to soak in the diner’s welcoming vibe.—ME

Community photos cover the walls inside, along with tributes to beloved friends (and to the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins). A sign above the cash register reads: “Family, where life begins, and love never ends.”

Life and love never tasted as good as the fried chicken you order once you reach the counter and ask for Mel’s most popular dish. Hot, moist, and crunchy, it’s made to order and worth the 15-minute wait. Creamy mac and cheese, followed by Mel’s famous sweet potato pie complete the out- of-body experience.—ME

Mel Walker

WEEKLY SPECIALS

Mondays-Fridays

Oktoberfest This Fall

September 8 - October 29, 2023

Introducing our new pumpkin ale and offering food specials including bratwurst, flammkuchen, loaded fries and more. Join us every weekend for live music, great wine, beer, cider, and delicious food.

Friday, September 22: Erynn Legna McLeod 5-8

Saturday, September 23: Cake Fight 1-4

Friday, September 29: Heidi Riddell 5-8

Saturday, September 30: Stan Hamrick & Dan Sebring 1-4

Sunday, October 1: Live Music TBA 1-4

Fridays

Friday, October 6: Sue Harlow 5-8

Saturday, October 7: Stan Hamrick & Dab Sebring 1-4

SCAN FOR WINERY CALENDAR

STACK 'EM UP

Tip Top Restaurant | 1420 Richmond Rd. | tiptoprestaurant.com

Somehow Tip Top manages to be both a Southern and a Northeastern diner.

Head in for breakfast, and you’ll find corn cakes (“a true Southern delight,” declares the menu) and a country ham special that includes two eggs, home fries, and grits. A cheerful waitress greets you with “Good morning, honey!” and a hot mug of coffee (better than Starbucks but not as good as JBird Supply).

You might try the popular buck-

wheat pancakes (“Tastes like you’re in Texas”), or the two biscuits with sausage gravy and two eggs, about as Southern as you can get.

Show up for lunch or dinner, however, and you’ll feel the “Seinfeld” vibe of Jerry, George, and Elaine’s NYC diner, Monk’s Café. Owner Terry Vassolous, originally from Greece, has crafted a menu full of Greek and Italian specialties, from grape leaves, souvlaki, and moussaka to

TWO TAMMYS AND A SIDE OF LOVE

The Korner Restaurant 415 Roosevelt Brown Blvd. korner-restaurant.business.site

Around the corner from UVA Medical Center, the Korner Restaurant has been feeding Cherry Avenue and Lee Street folks for over 50 years. “A good place to eat, where two streets meet,” proclaims the menu, and that’s what you find at the Korner, from 5:30am to 4pm, hefty, low-cost portions of hearty homemade food, with a side dish of neighborly love.

Philip Templeton runs the place that’s been in his family since 1950, arriving at 3:30am to prepare from-scratch dishes like macaroni salad, cole slaw, potato salad, and BBQ. Once the breakfast rush starts, he’s at the counter with his regulars, who show up every day.

Two Tammys and a core Korner crew keep the place humming. Tammy One greets you like your favorite aunt, bringing you heaping portions of home fries and grits, and keeping the strong coffee coming. A Korner mainstay for decades, she lights up describing customer favorites: the juicy burgers (fresh ground beef, never frozen), stuffed subs, tangy wing dings, and homemade chicken salad. Tammy Two handles the griddle, the register, and any diner thing that needs doing.

Wahoowa-proud, the Korner loves the community it serves.—ME

lasagna, manicotti, and fettuccini alfredo. The meatballs are sublime, and the pizzas stand out for their Greek-influenced toppings, like the peasant’s feta cheese, fresh tomatoes, black olives, scallions, bell peppers, and pepperoni. There’s even a “big salad” (one Greek, one chef).

Any time of day, Tip Top feels sparkling and friendly, a haven for weary families, workers, students, and Route 250 travelers.—ME

A NEW MOON

Blue Moon Diner | 606 W. Main St. | bluemoondiner.net

Blue Moon Diner has evolved many times since its inception in 1979: owners Laura Galgano and Rice Hall took the reins, a lengthy closure, thanks to years of construction, COVID-19, and now a new service model. But some things never change.

Last month, the midtown diner switched to a coffee shop-style service. No more reservations, just walk in and choose your stickered booth (during the weekend brunch

madness you’ll still have to put your name on a waitlist), then order through QR codes or up at the counter using a self-serve kiosk—and don’t forget to drop your dirty plates in a bus bin when you’re done.

Though ordering looks a little different, it’s still the same heavenly Blue Moon food coming out of the kitchen—like the ever-popular Hogwaller Hash with a side of home fries, or crispy beignets topped with powdered sugar—and the restaurant is full of familiar faces running food and making drinks, including Galgano.

Blue Moon’s coffee selection continues to reign supreme, with bottomless Trager Brothers Blue Moon Blend for $3, and canned Snowing in Space nitro cold brew for $5.

And, of course, Wednesday evenings are still for Jim Waive. The local musician brings the classic country tunes, Blue Moon shakes the cocktails and not-tails, and diners enjoy eggs all night long.—MH

EARLY BIRD GET THE FIRST CUP OF THE DAY WHEN THE KORNER RESTAURANT OPENS AT 5:30AM.

EZE AMOS

BUCKS AND PUCKS

Moose’s by the Creek | 1710 Monticello Rd. | facebook.com/moosesbythecreek

If you’re looking for the classic country diner experience—with a twist—gather your herd and head to Moose’s by the Creek.

Tucked inside an unassuming building off Monticello Road, the family-owned eatery serves breakfast all day, juicy burgers, and specialty sweets for a reasonable price. Loyal patrons stop by every week to tuck into their tried-and-true favorites, like the Maine Moose (eggs, home fries, and your choice of meat and carb for $8) or the CVille Way (French toast topped with whipped butter, eggs, home fries, and a protein for $12). The pancakes are delightfully fluffy, the Mimoosas are bottomless for only $20, and it’s one of the few restaurants in town that serves scrapple as a side.

THE OG WITH COCKTAILS

The Nook | 415 E. Main St., Downtown Mall thenookcville.com

Waiting in line for a table at The Nook during the weekend brunch rush is one of those quintessential Charlottesville experiences. One of C’ville’s OG diners, The Nook opened in 1951, and offers an elevated diner experience with local and seasonal offerings and specialty cocktails. A Nook brunch is best experienced at one of the coveted outdoor patio seats— just be prepared to wait in line (pro tip: Send one person to the restaurant 20 minutes before you’d like to eat to put your party’s name on the list). Though the wait can sometimes be up to 30 minutes, it’s not unpleasant. The hosts juggle and flip tables with ease, waiters bustle back and forth carrying steaming plates that make your stomach growl, and if you’re lucky, a busker’s accordion rendition of “Toxic” by Britney Spears will drift down the mall.

As you peruse the menu and begin sipping on your mug of coffee, keep these three things in mind: the breakfast potatoes, which are perfectly seasoned and served with peppers and onions, are some of the yummiest in the city, brunch pairs best with a boozy cocktail, like the Spiced Apple Mimosa, and you have to try the eggs benny at least once.—MH

You can’t talk about Moose’s without mentioning the elephant in the room, which in this case is a moose—and a bear, and a turkey, and a deer. Yep, you read that right. Moose’s multiple dining rooms are tastefully decorated with busts of taxidermied animals. If that’s not your thing, they do offer takeout. In addition to housing racks of antlers (with one that patrons stand under for the ubiquitous Moose crown), the restaurant also has a hockey sports bar in one of its back rooms, complete with foosball, pool, signed memorabilia, and, come hockey season, a room full of Caps fans rooting for Ovi to score another goal.—MH

KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

THE

The Villa Diner | 1250 Emmet St. N. | thevilladiner.com

Something wonderful is going on at The Villa Diner. And it’s not just the joy we felt when The Wahoo (buttermilk pancakes, eggs, and sausage) and Super Big Complete Breakfast (bacon, hash browns, biscuits, and cheese on the scrambled eggs, please) arrived at our table. We’re talking about an epidemic of paying it forward at the popular

Emmet Street eatery. Just ask Mike, a local unhoused man. Or the Albemarle High School track team.

Or the random person who’s caught the attention of a couple of UVA football players who regularly buy a stranger breakfast.

“It happens all the time,” says Jennifer Beachley, who’s co-owned the Villa with her husband Ken

since 2005. One long-time customer buys everything from a veggie omelet to a Philly cheesesteak or grilled turkey melt (three of the diner’s most popular items) for people she’s never met, several times a month. “She says it’s the best part of her week,” according to Beachley, who gave the woman a map of the restaurant so she could give the cashier specific table numbers when paying her bill.

As if a Reuben and fries for under 10 bucks isn’t enough, imagine your delight when, after polishing off a plate of steak and eggs, you get to the register and learn that the guy who might score the winning touchdown at Scott Stadium this weekend has picked up the tab for your meal.—SS

HANGOVER HELPER PLAYED HARD? EASE THE AGONY WITH THE NOOK’S TATER TOT POUTINE PILED WITH CHEESE CURDS, BACON, SAUSAGE GRAVY, AND CHIVES

TRISTAN WILLIAMS

TRISTAN WILLIAMS

SOMAEZE

CULTURE

SATURDAY 9/23

SONIC MEMOIR

Joy Oladokun documents her life in songs. Her new record, Proof of Life, takes stock of her journey thus far, from examining her experiences as a proud queer Black person, to celebrating the simple pleasures of being alive. “My lyricism is very open, and I’m able to dip my toes into genres and styles I’ve always loved,” says Oladokun, who collaborated with Mt. Joy, Chris Stapleton, Manchester Orchestra, Maxo Kream, and Noah Kahan on songs like the apocalyptically catchy “We’re All Gonna Die” and the earnest “Sweet Symphony.” $22–25, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com

108 REASONS TO LEAVE THE HOUSE

SATURDAY 9/23

POUNDING PAVEMENT

In 2014, Andrea Lytle Peet was diagnosed with ALS at 33 years old. She was told to get her affairs in order, so she did, and she waited. Eventually, Peet got tired of waiting and decided to start living. The documentary Go On, Be Brave follows Peet for more than three years as she sets herself an ambitious goal: to become the first person with ALS to complete a marathon in all 50 states. Peet will also take a tour of the town with Prolyfyck Run Crew on September 22, starting at Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. $17–42.50, 7pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

SATURDAY 9/23

FAREWELL TOUR

It’s your last chance to dance with the 180 Band. Following a 25-year career, the local seven-piece is retiring with 400 gigs under its guitar strap. Grab a bite from Mexican Tacos and Sliced Cake Bar food trucks, then groove to three sets of dance and rock ‘n’ roll covers from the ’60s through today. With a dynamic rhythm section, electric cello, and multiple guitars, the band performs favorites from The Beatles, Gloria Gaynor, REM, Dave Matthews, and more. Free, 4pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com

including Madonna Tickets! Dave Matthews Signed Poster!

$$$$ in Restaurant & Winery Gift Cards

OBX Beach Vacay! Boar’s Head! Chesapeake Bay Getaway!

PRESENTED BY ROCK STAR SPONSORS

PRODUCER SPONSORS

SONGWRITER SPONSORS

FAN SPONSORS

Aromas Cafe Bella Terra Landscape Carpet Plus David Ferrall, Nest Realty Elizabeth Ferrall, Energy Healer Frost Montessori Jack Kayton DDS

Jemstone Technologies

Kathleen Quinn & Kate Fraleigh

Kathy & David Verell

Parkway Pharmacy

Plow & Hearth

Rhoback

Rock Paper Scissors

Roxanne & Bert Woodhouse

Sapon & Swisher Dental

Skyline Cleaners

Burke Enterprises IN

Station C

Stick’s Kebob Shop

Tip Top Restaurant

Vivace

Catherine Zuver Tanner-Chitwood Family Fund Dick and Donna Vinal

Whit Douglas

Wednesday 9/20 music

Beleza Duo. Funkalicious samba soul. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

Emily Wolfe. A triple-threat singer-songwriter-guitarist on a mission to breathe new life into classic rock. $15–18, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesouthern cville.com

Hard Swimmin’ Fish. A midweek music boost. Free, 6:30pm. The Whiskey Jar, 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thewhiskey jarcville.com

Jane Bunnett & Maqueque. The saxophonist is joined by her all-female band. $15-20, 7:30pm. Unity of Charlottesville, 2825 Hydraulic Rd. cjs.ticketbud.com

Jim Waive. Classic country tunes from the man with a velvet voice and impressive beard. Free, 7pm. Blue Moon Diner, 606 W. Main St. bluemoondiner.net

Karaoke. Have a drink—it will sound better. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

Karaoke. Tunes, wine, beer, cider, and food. Free, 4pm. Keswick Vineyards, 1575 Keswick Winery Dr., Keswick. keswickvineyards.com

Open Mic Night. Charlottesville’s longestrunning open mic night. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. 234-4436

Tash Sultana. The gender-fluid multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter got their start busking the streets of Melbourne.

$45–52, 7pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. tingpavilion.com

dance

Shuffle Dance. A dynamic class that will leave you with a strong foundation, fun combos, and very sweaty clothes. $25, 7pm. BalletSchool, 2409 Ivy Rd. goodtimes onlyva.com

words

The Vanishing Schools of Franklin County, Virginia. With William Gibson and Abe Gibson. Free, 1pm. Virginia Humanities, 946 Grady Ave., Ste 100. virginiahumanities.org

classes

Paint & Sip: Vibrant Sunset. Paint, sip, and repeat. $40, 6pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. catelynkelseydesigns.com

The Art of Cocktails. An afternoon of mixology, education, and, most importantly, tasting. $25, 4pm. Quirk Hotel, 499 W. Main St. quirkhotels.com etc.

Fashion As Art. Celebrate global artists and designers impacting the world of fashion. $11–13, 6pm. Violet Crown Cinema, 200 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. uvafralinart museum.virginia.edu

Saw/Saw II Double Feature. Go back to Jigsaw’s grisly roots. $10, 7pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Tour The Paramount Theater. Dig into the historic theater’s history on a backstage tour. Free, 11am and 5:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Trivia. Show off your knowledge and win prizes. Free, 7pm. Dairy Market, 946 Grady Ave. dairymarketcville.com

Quiet time

Lowland Hum delivers melodic introspection on new record

By Erin Lyndal Martin arts@c-ville.com

In an Earlysville log cabin, Lowland Hum’s husband-and-wife duo has been finding new ways to make the thoughtful art-folk that’s gotten them this far. Daniel and Lauren Goans have prolifically released their own music (including gutsy projects like a full-album cover of Peter Gabriel’s So), and their latest project, From Self With Love, comes out September 21.

From Self With Love is a melody-heavy meditation delivered mostly in Lauren’s warm, nurturing voice. Though a lot of the songs were written while caring for their mentor, Al Brilliant, they’re not full of darkness and grief. Instead, compassion and acceptance floods the album that’s more invested in our relationships as a whole.

Maintaining that spirit is a tribute to Brilliant, who Daniel met in 2009 while playing guitar at his bookstore. Their friend passed away in 2022 at 86, though Lauren says the age gap was never a factor in the relationship.

“Al was our best friend and our conversations were always profoundly clarifying and illuminating,” Lauren says. “Having such unusual open access to the heart and mind of someone who has lived through so much history was a kind of wealth we will probably never be graced with again. He maintained creative energy his entire life long, continuing his creative work up until the final three months of his life.”

During “the heaviest and hardest time of caring for our friend, we were both so

depleted and wrecked and heartbroken,” Lauren remembers. One night she had a dream that brought solace and inspired the album title. “I dreamed we were in the largest airport in the world, and in the middle of it was a huge botanical garden, and in the middle of that there was a secret tea room,” she says. “Someone just walked up to me and gave me the key. I woke up feeling loved and cared for and like that dream was a gift from myself.” In “The Secret Tea Room,” a meditative drone fuzzes in the background as Lauren speak-sings the story of the space.

“The record is From Self With Love, as in you’re speaking to elements of yourself and telling them it’s okay to come back,” Daniel says, putting the record in context of transformation. “The songs ‘Sandrine’ and ‘Island Eyes’ are reaching out to parts of ourselves that we’re not sure have made it through everything. It’s about wondering if those things are still intact or if they can be preserved or if they are still buried. It’s obviously appropriate for things to ebb and flow within us. But certain things you want, certain things that are integral to who you are, that you don’t notice as much in your current state.”

“There is a kind of joyful lightness on the record. We felt freer musically. The songs created space for us to find new things about ourselves and how we put music together,” says Daniel. Initially, it was a challenge to have a new process. Earlier, they’d work on songs simultaneously in the same room. But as parents now of young children, being in the same room so much wasn’t viable, and they began sending a lot of files back and

forth. “Together (In That Way)” is an orchestral waltz that Daniel and Lauren sing together in lovely harmony. The lyrics work equally well as interpreted to be about their new music-making process and also the way they connect in all relationships.

“Half Here” and “Half Gone” explore personal transitions and how, in a way, couples come to have less to offer each other. “Half Here” is a fingerpicked song that Lauren delivers with graceful vulnerability over soft percussion. Daniel sings “Half Gone,” an acoustic guitar ballad with Lauren singing backing vocals.

From Self With Love boasts a number of musical styles that share the same immaculate production and overall attention to detail. The Goans believe that quietness is underrated in contemporary concert and media contexts. With their own “quiet music,” they hope to showcase the depth and complexity of the form.

“It’s a mixture of challenging environments and our own experiences with people who make quiet music being heard in loud spaces or chatty crowds,” Lauren says. “We prefer to play the Southern because the crowd can be chatty at the Southern. There’s already a lot of space in the world for loud things. Festivals don’t want quiet music, and the music in TV and movies and on the radio usually isn’t quiet,” Lauren says.

The pair dreams of having a festival devoted to quiet music. It’s not in the cards for them now as parents, but they’re already considering what kind of lineup they’d like to have.

From Self With Love is the newest album by husband-and-wife duo Lowland Hum.

Saturday, September 23 7:30pm Old Cabell Hall

Sunday, September 24 3:30pm

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Performing Arts

Center

JOYCE Side by Side

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Concerto for Oboe and Strings with Kelly Peral, Oboe

SCHUBERT Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished”

MUSSORGSKY Night on Bald Mountain

CULTURE THIS WEEK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

Thursday 9/21 music

Berto & Vincent. Good times and tunes. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

Cavalier Marching Band: Spies of Hooville. Bring a picnic and a blanket and watch the band in rehearsal. Free, 6pm. Carr’s Hill Field, UVA Grounds. music.virginia.edu

Consider The Source. The sci-fi fusion trio performs live and sells its popular hot sauce. $15–18, 8:30pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesouthern cville.com

Pride Karaoke Night. Sing your heart out. Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com

Sugar Leaf. Leave a sweet taste in your ears. Free, 7:30pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottes ville.com

Thomas Rhett. Performing the Home Team Tour. $25.50 and up, 7pm. John Paul Jones Arena, 295 Massie Rd. johnpaul jonesarena.com

Thursday Music Series: Sue Harlow. Gather your friends and family, grab your favorite beverage, and enjoy live music and food. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

words

Shadwell Speaker Series. Featuring Georgia Hunter, author of We Were the Lucky Ones. Free, 6pm. Jefferson Scholars Foundation, 112 Clarke Court. jefferson scholars.org

classes

Baby Buds. Meet other new parents and caregivers as newborns, infants, and toddlers explore, interact, and play. Free, 10:30am. Virginia Discovery Museum, 524 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. vadm.org

Daytime Combo: Fiction and Creative Nonfiction. An eight-session workshop. Free, 1pm. WriterHouse, 508 Dale Ave. writerhouse.org

Toddler Art Class. C-Street Preschool teacher Minou leads toddlers through singing, dancing, storytelling, and artmaking. $10, 10am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St., Ste. C. scrappyelephant.com

outside

Plantation Archaeology Walking Tour. A 90-minute walk into the woodlands to explore how we use archaeology to better understand the plantation and the lives of those who lived and labored there. $10–32, 2pm. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. monticello.org

Thursday Evening Sunset Series. Bring lawn chairs and blankets, and enjoy live music, food trucks, drinks, and a stunning view of the sunset. $10, 6pm. Carter Mountain Orchard, 1435 Carters Mountain Trl. chilesfamilyorchards.com

Friday 9/22 music

Chatham County Line. An original blend of string instrumentation, three-part harmony, and story-based songwriting. $15–20, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

Erynn Legna McLeod. Sip on wine and enjoy live music. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwood farmandwinery.com

Ian Gilliam & The Fire Kings. Rock ‘n’ roll, blues, rockabilly, and country. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. 234-4436

Ken Farmer & The Authenticators. Rocking good fun. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com

Melissa Carper Trio with Sally Rose. Oldtimey roots music. $20–25, 7pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.org

Sunset Soirée with Aaron Evans and Friends. Live music, food from Blue Ridge Pizza, wine, and mountain sunset views. Free, 6pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com

The Legwarmers. The ultimate ‘80s tribute. $22–25, 9pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jefferson theater.com

Voice Machines: Listening Within. A discussion of Bonnie Gordon’s new book, an exploration of the castrato as a critical provocation to explore the relationships between sound, music, voice instrument, and machine. Free, 3:30pm. Old Cabell Hall 107, UVA Grounds. soundjusticelab.org

words

Gallery Talk With Conservator Scott Nolley. Conservator at the Hirshhorn Scott Nolley talks about his conservation project. Free, noon. The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA, 155 Rugby Rd. uvafralinartmuseum. virginia.edu

Martin Clark: The Plinko Bounce Celebrate the release of Clark’s new legal thriller. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbook shop.com

outside

Plantation Archaeology Walking Tour. See listing for Thursday, September 21. $10–32, 2pm. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. monticello.org

Jane

Arts From Underground. Artmaking, drinks, and karaoke in The Looking Glass. Free, 7pm. Ix Art Park, 522 Second St. SE. ixartpark.org

In-Gallery Conservation. Conservator Scott Nolley reveals the true colors and forms of Joan Mitchell’s seminal painting, “Untitled.” Free, all day. The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA, 155 Rugby Rd. uvafralinart museum.virginia.edu

Bunnett & Maqueque

Benjamin Rous, Music Director Kate Tamarkin, Music Director Laureate

Underwritten in part by the Vesta Lee Gordon Fund at the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation Kelly Peral’s appearance is made possible by the Angus Macaulay Visiting Artists Fund

etc.

A Glimpse Behind the Scenes of UVA Women’s Basketball Facility. Join Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton for a unique women’s basketball facility tour. Free (RSVP required), 11am. John Paul Jones Arena, 295 Massie Rd. engagement.virginia.edu

Arrival on Grounds: An Embodied Journey and Celebration. Explore UVA’s landscape with artist-duo Nocturnal Medicine. Free, 5:30pm. South Lawn, UVA Grounds. arch.virginia.edu

Charlottesville-Albemarle Black Business Expo. A celebration of local Black-owned businesses, with vendors, discussions, and live music. Free, 2pm. Ix Art Park, 522 Second St. SE. blackbusinessexpo.org

In-Gallery Conservation. See listing for Thursday, September 21. Free, all day. The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA, 155 Rugby Rd. uvafralinart museum.virginia.edu

Saturday 9/23

music

Anders Osborne Duo. Soulful vocals and expert guitar work. $35–45, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

Berto. Enjoy the sounds of Brazil, Spain, and Latin America. Free, 11am. Tavern & Grocery, 333 W. Main St. tavernandgrocery.com

Cake Fight. Enjoy live tunes with your wine, cider, and beer. Free, 1pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwood farmandwinery.com

Driftwood Radio. Complex guitar compositions, existential lyrical impulses, and boomerang loop arrangements. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com

Joy Oladokun. Performing The Living Proof Tour. $22–25, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com

Paulien Quartet. A blend of jazz and popular French music of the 20th century. Free, 5pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com

Saturday Night Special with 180 Band. Live music and food from Mexican Tacos and Sliced Cake Bar. Free, 4pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com

Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. The Charlottesville Symphony performs works by Molly Joyce, Vaughan Williams, Schubert, and Mussorgsky. $10–46, 7:30pm. Old Cabell Hall, UVA Grounds. cvillesymphony.org

The Gladstones. Originals and covers. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

dance

Ballroom Dance. Come for the class and stay for the dance. $5–10, 7pm. The Center at Belvedere, 540 Belvedere Blvd. usadancecville.org

words

Katharine Schellman: Murder at Midnight in conversation with Stacie Murphy. A reading and conversation. Free, 4pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com

Mala Leche: Uncovering/Apocalypse. A panel conversation with several participating artists from the “Mala Leche: Uncovering/Apocalypse” special-edition zine. Free, 11am. The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA, 155 Rugby Rd. badmilkpress.org

Storytime. Readings of recent favorites and classics. Free, 11am. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com

Digging into sound

Bonnie Gordon’s Voice Machines is sensory, contemplative, and visionary

By Sarah Lawson arts@c-ville.com

In Voice Machines: The Castrato, the Cat Piano, and Other Strange Sounds, Bonnie Gordon explores the castrato as a cultural phenomenon and a critical mode of inquiry into the technological relationships that have existed between humans, machines, sounds, and instruments, from early modern to contemporary times. We interviewed the UVA professor of music and co-director of the Sound Justice Lab to find out more about this gorgeously sweeping, multidisciplinary book that is equal parts historical and visionary.

C-VILLE: From Greek myths and Monteverdi to Donna Haraway and Nick Cave, from sound theory and queer theory to posthumanism and the politics of desire, your new book looks at the voice as a technological and theoretical intervention that has shaped history and culture. The book’s scope is immense, each chapter a divergent constellation that reads like it could be a book unto itself despite being deeply connected to the whole. You write that, “The castrato is a critical provocation for asking several questions about the interrelated histories of music, technology, sound, the limits of the human body, and what counts as human.” Could you describe how such expansive research evolved over time?

Bonnie Gordon: I gave my first academic paper on the castrato when I was pregnant with my twins. [Voice Machines] came out after their sophomore year of college. A book that takes so long must take conceptual twists and turns. I thought I was writing a book on castrati in 16th- and 17th-century Roman festivals. And then I took my first archival trip to Rome. I spent hours wandering the streets with little twins in a double stroller. I entertained them by chasing modern Roman spectacles, looking for il Papa, visiting the Swiss Guards, watching fireworks, splashing in fountains. The kids turned me on to the sensory world of Rome and enticed me to think about the city as a vibrant, living space.

I found it endlessly fascinating to feel the multiple layers of history; to sit on a yellow plastic bench next to a Baroque church on top of an ancient building. The book had to incorporate those layers, it had to capture the sensory experience of castrati as somewhere between a mythological past and an imagined future.

You also note opportunities for “historiographical reharmonization” around the study of castrati, writing, “Sound in this book is not just acoustical resonance, much less is it just musical or vocal. Rather it constitutes an interface.” Could you discuss how musical metaphors as well as structures like harmonies and refrains influence your work?

The book digs into sound; not just music but the way the world sounded before car alarms and microphones, and it understands sound and listening as central to the way humans experience their worlds. But I don’t think of music-inflected language as metaphor. I’m trained as a classical musician and a traditional music historian, so my mind works in those terms. For example, if you reharmonize

a tune you essentially play the same melody with a different chord progression. It can feel totally different and usually it’s a little more gritty; a bit more uncomfortable. This is what I do when I take a text from the 18th century that describes the castrato procedure that has been read as if it is a description of a medical procedure and instead read it as a satire directed against Italians.

But also, I suspect I’m drawn to theoretical approaches that seem musical. The concept of refrain comes from Giles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. They use the concept of musical refrain to think of history as a series of possible relations to the past. And in some fundamental way the castrato does—in this book at least—turn out to be a figure created by stories or refrains that sound across time and space.

Finally, you write about the effects that life, as well as local and world events, had on your work. You reflect, “I’ve been doing a kind of sonic witnessing… Knowledge production, it turns out, isn’t just what you read; it’s where and with whom you happen to be.” How does this show up in your work?

The most direct answer is that my scholarship pivoted when I started teaching at UVA in 2007, which was the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement. I was organizing a conference at my former institution for a different 400th anniversary—the premiere of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo—and needed a score of a Handel opera. The library search engine sent me to Special Collections, which seemed odd for such a popular tune. Unfamiliarity with a new search engine had led me to a piano reduction from Thomas Jefferson’s music collection. Since that archival accident, I’ve made a practice of collecting sonic snippets that connect the music history I study and teach to local history and the present. The phrase “sonic witnessing” came from my colleague and mentor Deborah Wong. In 2018, I gave a keynote lecture about Zora Neale Hurston. Then, as now, I found myself thinking about the experience of trying to do scholarship in the wake of the horrific white nationalist violence of 2017. I wanted to replace the sounds of white supremacy that I had witnessed with sounds of resistance. Deborah says, “Rather than store away such witness for my personal, liberal humanist interpretation and research, I walk, listen, and record, and then I do it again”. Or to put it differently: It is often easier to study the past than to contemplate the everyday. I try to do both.

“The book digs into sound; not just music but the way the world sounded before car alarms and microphones and it understands sound and listening as central to the way humans experience their worlds.”

SUPPLIED PHOTO

CULTURE THIS WEEK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35

Saturday 9/23

classes

Nature’s Sketchbook: Florals and Petals. A watercolor class. $30, 2pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St., Ste. C. scrappy elephant.com

Responding to Nature: Mixed-Media Floral Workshop. Led by Laura Wooten. $10–15, 11am. Second Street Gallery, 115 Second St. SE. secondstreetgallery.org

Sewing Machine 101. Learn the ins and outs of your sewing machine. $20, 10am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St., Ste. C. scrappyelephant.com

outside

Butterfly Hike. Explore native butterflies and learn how to identify them. Free, 10am. Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm, 1780 Earlysville Rd. ivycreek foundation.org

Community Bridges 5K Run/Walk. UVA President Jim Ryan is joined by 1,000 other runners and walkers. $25, 7:45am. Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, 233 Fourth St. NW. runsignup.com

Loop de ‘Ville Festival. Guided walks, runs, and bike rides all weekend long. Free, all day. Rivanna River Company, 1518 E. High St. rivannatrails.org

Plantation Archaeology Walking Tour. See listing for Thursday, September 21. $10–32, 2pm. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. monticello.org etc.

Big Blue Door. Twelve improvisers entertain with comedy. $10, 7pm. Cardinal Point Winery, 9423 Batesville Rd., Afton. bigbluedoor.org

Big Brothers Big Sisters Fall Fair. Live music, dunk tanks, eats, and more. $5–45, 10am. The Shops at Stonefield, 2100 Hydraulic Rd. givebutter.com/bbbsfallfair

Crozet Car Show. Enjoy some classic cars, food, wine, and live music. Free, 11am. Pollak Vineyards, 330 Newtown Rd., Greenwood. facebook.com/crozetcarshow

Charlottesville City Market. Shop seasonal local produce, homemade baked goods, authentic cultural foods, wares from artisans of various disciplines, and more. Free, 9am. Charlottesville City Market, 100 Water St. E. charlottesville.gov

Chess. All ages and skills welcome. Free, 10am. The Center at Belvedere, 540 Belvedere Blvd. thecentercville.org

Go On, Be Brave One woman’s race against time and her attempt to become the first person with ALS to complete a marathon in all 50 states. $17–42, 7pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II Harry, Ron, and Hermione prepare for the final showdown with Voldemort. $10, 11am. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Tour The Paramount Theater. See listing for Wednesday, September 20. Free, 11am. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Sunday 9/24 music

Blowbirds. Blues and jazz. Free, 2pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com

Celtic Music Concert. Featuring Alex Davis, Tes Slominski, Sherry Olander, Katherine James, and Ethan Hamburg. Free, 5pm. St. John’s Episcopal Church, 410 Harrison St., Scottsville. events.c-ville.com

Freak Show: Jordana with Dev Lemons. Touring her new EP, I’m Doing Well, Thanks For Asking. $15–18, 7pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesouthern cville.com

Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. With conductor Benjamin Rous and Kelly Peral on oboe. $10–46, 3:30pm. Martin Luther King Jr. Performing Arts Center, 1400 Melbourne Rd. cvillesymphony.org

Session Sundays with Cleidsner. Live music and oysters. Free, 1pm. Stinson Vineyards, 4744 Sugar Hollow Rd., Crozet. stinsonvineyards.com

Sunday Session—Crooked Creek Misfits. Live bluegrass. Free, 1pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvine yards.com

Wake Me Up Drag Show. Bring out your inner emo and rock out to some classic alternative hits. $20, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. tickettailor.com/events/ dragshowscville

Voctave. The a cappella sensation’s most recent release is an album of lullabies, Goodnight, My Someone. $29–44, 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

classes

Intro to Watercolor for Adults. Learn various watercolor painting techniques. $30, 11am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St., Ste. C. scrappyelephant.com

Paint & Sip: Daisy Wineglasses. Paint a floral design on a pair of wineglasses. $40, 3pm. Chiswell Farm & Winery, 430 Greenwood Rd., Greenwood. catelynkelsey designs.com

outside

Loop de ‘Ville Festival. See listing for Saturday, September 23. Free, all day. Rivanna River Company, 1518 E. High St. rivanna trails.org

Plantation Archaeology Walking Tour. See listing for Thursday, September 21. $10–32, 2pm. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. monticello.org

etc.

Barry Lyndon A scoundrel climbs the ladder of 18th-century English society in Stanley Kubrick’s enthralling epic. $10, 11:30am. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Mad Max: Fury Road Black & Chrome Edition. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron star in the action thriller, presented in dynamic black-and-white. $10, 4:30pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

The Mummy Movie Party. An interactive showing of the Brendan Fraser/Rachel Weisz adventure. $13, 7pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. draft house.com

Monday 9/25

music

Berto & Vincent. Fiesta. Free, 7pm. South and Central Latin Grill, Dairy Market. south andcentralgrill.com

Gin & Jazz. The Brian Caputo Trio performs in the Château Lobby Bar. Free, 5:30pm. Oakhurst Inn, 100 Oakhurst Cir. oakhurst inn.com

words

New Frontiers in Black Placemaking. A panel with descendant activists, planners, preservationists, and scholars from historic Black Western settlements. Free, 5pm. Campbell Hall 153, UVA Grounds. arch.virginia.edu

Storytime. Songs, movement, and bubbles. Free, 10:30am. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. vadm.org

classes

Club Create. Students explore a variety of arts and crafts, including painting, drawing, clay, and sewing, while meeting other creative kids. $200, 4pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St., Ste. C. scrappyelephant.com etc.

The Mask of Zorro Antonio Banderas leaves his mark on a tyrant in this rousing adventure, co-starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Anthony Hopkins. $10, 7pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Tuesday 9/26

music

Karaoke Night with DJ Azazil. Cold drinks, hot pizza, water pong, and karaoke. Free, 9pm. Crozet Pizza at Buddhist Biker Bar, 20 Elliewood Ave. crozetpizzacville.com

Sugar Leaf. A stirring musical duo that delivers seemingly effortless power, harmony, and riffs. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

Thunder Music Karaoke. Show off your singing skills or just enjoy the show. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. 234-4436

Vincent Zorn. Olé. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

Vinyl Night. BYO record to play and get $1 off pints. Free, 4pm. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. dairymarketcville.com

words

Profs & Pints: Leonardo da Vinci’s Way of Seeing. Learn about the Renaissance genius’ combination of art and science as a model for thinkers today. $13–17, 5:30pm. Graduate Charlottesville, 1309 W. Main St. profsandpints.ticketleap.com

classes

Embroidery Embellishment. Bring a new or well-loved hat, clothing item, canvas tote, fabric swatch, or anything with you to embellish with embroidery. $20, 10:30am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St., Ste. C. scrappyelephant.com

outside

Three Notch’d Run Club. Log some miles and enjoy a $5 post-run beer. Free, 6pm. Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery, 520 Second St. SE. threenotchdbrewing.com etc.

Family Game Night. Games for all ages, including corn hole, Jenga, and board games. Free, 5pm. Dairy Market, 946 Grady Ave. dairymarketcville.com

Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night. Teams of two to six people play for prizes and bragging rights. Free, 8pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com

Go for Beginners. Learn about and play the ancient strategic Chinese board game Go. Free, 2pm. The Center at Belvedere, 540 Belvedere Blvd. thecentercville.org

The Wolf Man Curses! Lon Chaney Jr. is bitten by a wolf and transforms into a werewolf whenever the full moon shines in this classic 1941 chiller. $7, 7pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com

Raising the bar The many aspects of Martin Clark living

By Lisa Provence arts@c-ville.com

If you’ve never heard of Martin Clark, you haven’t read The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living, a cult classic, at least in this reporter’s book group. And you probably aren’t aware that Clark, a former circuit court judge, was the first judge in Virginia to remove from his courtroom a portrait of a Confederate general—J.E.B. Stuart—in namesake Stuart, Virginia.

Now retired, Clark, 64, has more time to write, and to speak freely, with anecdotes about Rita Mae Brown, Jay McInerney, and of course, fellow legal thriller writer John Grisham. When The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living came out in 2000, The New York Times called Clark “the thinking man’s John Grisham, but, maybe better, the drinking man’s John Grisham.”

“I’ve never asked him about ‘the thinking man’s John Grisham,’ which I’ve dined out on for years,” says Clark in a phone interview from Stuart. He’s a big fan of Grisham, and says that people tend to discount how talented he is, and how hard it is to write a “strong, compelling muscular story” every year.

Clark describes himself as a “slow pen,” and has just released his sixth novel, The Plinko Bounce. Corruption, fraud, and behind-thescenes manipulation are common devices in legal thrillers, including his own, says Clark. However, he’s a big believer in the integrity of the legal system, and wanted to tell a story in which there’s no corruption, but because of a legal technicality or constitutional issue, “we get an outcome that doesn’t track.”

In the case of The Plinko Bounce, a confessed murderer and all-round reprobate may walk. “So many people believe the legal system is corrupt,” says the former judge, who spent nearly three decades on the bench and who received the Virginia State Bar’s Henry Carrico Professionalism Award in 2018. “It’s not corrupt when you get a decision that’s controversial. It’s a good system that works 99 percent of the time.”

Clark grew up in Stuart, in Patrick County, where all his novels are set, and after schooling at Woodberry Forest, Davidson, and UVA law school, he returned to practice law, and became the state’s youngest judge when he was appointed at age 32.

But writing was always his first career choice, and he has 20 years of sometimes “hysterical” rejection letters before he got published. His favorite came from Rita Mae Brown. During those long years, he decided it would be “genius” to get a literary sponsor, and one night with a friend, put an early Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living manuscript in Nelson County resident Brown’s mailbox, along with a bottle of scotch.

Three weeks later, she replied: “It occurs to me you’ll either be a half-assed lawyer or a half-assed writer, because writing is a fulltime profession.”

“I got good vibes from that rejection letter,” he recalls.

The vibes weren’t so good when he removed Stuart’s portrait in 2015, a year before Charlottesville began to grapple with its own Confederate iconography issue. “It was the right thing to do,” he declares, calling it a “no-brainer,“ both legally and morally.

“That decision remains unpopular where I live and I remain a villain to many people in the community.” He points to other unpopular decisions—women’s and African Americans’ right to vote, gay marriage—that were also the right thing to do.

The day after January 6, 2021, Clark, a self-proclaimed “Barry Goldwater/Bill Buckley conservative,” wrote an open letter to his congressman, Morgan Griffith, also a lawyer, scolding him for supporting Trump’s false claims that the election was

stolen: “Your feckless, self-serving actions in Congress have given vitality to a dreadful lie, and in doing so, you have damaged a bedrock institution in our country, the court system… Succinctly put, you have invited people to disregard the rule of law simply because they disagree with it. We got a nice dose of that yesterday in Washington. I am ashamed of you.”

“I could do that now that I’m retired,” says Clark.

Clark was so desperate to get The Many Aspects of Mobile Home Living published that he promised God he’d give all the proceeds to his church. Stuart Presbyterian has been the beneficiary of that book’s proceeds, a pledge Clark says he didn’t dare go back on.

The protagonist in Many Aspects is also a judge, albeit a heavy drinking, pot smoking jurist. Clark says many people showed up to his readings expecting the “fun, free-wheeling Judge Evers Wheeling,” not a “buttoned up, boring judge.”

Publisher Alfred Knopf sent Clark on his first book tour with Jay McInerney, author of the cocaine-fueled Bright Lights, Big City, to show him the ropes. Says Clark, McInerney was “a delight to work with,” who was very handsome, had groupies and stalkers, and who offered to let debut novelist Clark be the headliner.

At a reading in Atlanta, a camo-dressed guy informed Clark that he could tell he wasn’t a pot smoker, because “pot didn’t make you hallucinate,” recalls Clark.

“The reason I could write Many Aspects is because I live in such a small town that everybody knows me,” says Clark. “The folks who wiped my nose and tied my mittens are here. If I were a drinker and stoner, everybody would know it. There’s no way you could do my job and be Evers Wheeling.”

Author and retired judge Martin Clark will read from his latest thriller, The Plinko Bounce, at New Dominion Bookshop on September 22.

SUPPLIED PHOTO

SUDOKU

Complete the grid so that every row, column, and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.

#1 solution

#1 #4

#2 solution

#3 solution

#2 #5 #4 solution

Cue the music

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

ACROSS

1. Squander, as cash

5. J. Edgar Hoover Building org.

11. Milk carton amts.

14. ____ fide

15. Drove

16. One-eighty

17. *It has a stem and a black head

19. NAACP co-founder ____ B. Wells

20. Sunak who took over as British P.M. in 2022

21. Soft mineral powder

22. Super uptight

23. “Reckon so”

25. In a little bit

27. Skip out (on)

28. Ointment amount

31. Heavenly beings

32. Bygone Mach 1 breaker, in brief

33. Inclusive acronym that was nominated for the American Dialect Society’s 2020 Word of the Year

35. Jury ____

36. *2022 Oscar winner for the documentary “Summer of Soul”

38. NSFW stuff

40. Virtual greeting

41. Karaoke need, for short

44. Shushes

46. “Good” cholesterol initials

47. Lower layer of the earth’s crust

48. Turmoils

50. Pesters, Chihuahua-style

52. Mogadishu-born supermodel

53. Mandatory college courses, in brief

56. Dispensary fill

57. Do more than nudge

58. Instruction to start playing ... or a phonetic hint to the starred clues

60. Inc., in France

61. #49 on the periodic table

62. Wrestler/actor John

63. Fabric measures: Abbr.

64. Uses a Zoom alternative

65. Paradise

DOWN

1. Cookout entree, in brief

2. Adams and Alcott

3. How kebabs are cooked

4. Artist nicknamed the “Pope of Pop”

5. ____ Kwon Do

6. Offended

7. Active Sicilian volcano

8. April 1 victims

9. “You ____!”

10. Suffix with ox- or chlor-

11. *The Spice Girls, e.g.

12. How current events may happen?

13. Some mattresses

18. “____ the season to be jolly ...”

22. Bicker

24. Falco with four Emmys

26. A 2009 Los Angeles Times crossword clue for this answer was “Available from Netflix, say” (haha!)

29. Semicircular church area

30. Make a mess of

33. Rams like rams do

34. Dressed (in)

36. *”Bohemian Rhapsody” band

37. Air France hub

38. Raisin brand

39. They’re not real

41. Applied incorrectly

42. Word at the center of a mosaic in Central Park’s Strawberry Fields

43. MRI alternative

44. *2018 documentary co-directed by its subject’s daughter, Rashida Jones

45. William who co-wrote “The Elements of Style”

47. Neaten (up)

49. Like a dive bar

51. Naval VIP

54. *Rapper with the album “Amplified”

55. Elisabeth of “Cocktail”

58. Prefix with gender

59. Ambulance letters

The show entails about 13 different animals ranging from reptiles, birds and mammals. It is fast-paced, with a great balance of fun and facts!

dedicated students for their performance! She Kills Monsters is a surprisingly sweet tale of friendship, loss, and acceptance.

By Rob Brezsny

Libra

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): My favorite creativity teacher is author Roger von Oech. He produced the Creative Whack Pack, a card deck with prompts to stimulate imaginative thinking. I decided to draw one such card for your use in the coming weeks. It’s titled EXAGGERATE. Here’s its advice: “Imagine a joke so funny you can’t stop laughing for a month. Paper stronger than steel. An apple the size of a hotel. A jet engine quieter than a moth beating its wings. A home-cooked dinner for 25,000 people. Try exaggerating your idea. What if it were a thousand times bigger, louder, stronger, faster, and brighter?” (PS: It’s a favorable time for you to entertain brainstorms and heartstorms and soulstorms. For best results, EXAGGERATE!)

Scorpio

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If you buy a bag of popcorn and cook it in your microwave oven, there are usually kernels at the bottom that fail to pop. As tasty as your snack is, you may still may feel cheated by the duds. I will be bold and predict that you won’t have to deal with such duds in the near future—not in your popcorn bags and not in any other area of your life, either literally or metaphorically. You’re due for a series of experiences that are complete and thorough and fully bloomed.

Sagittarius

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Writer George Bernard Shaw observed that new ideas and novel perspectives “often appear first as jokes and fancies, then as blasphemies and treason, then as questions open to discussion, and finally as established truths.” As you strive to get people to consider fresh approaches, Sagittarius, I advise you to skip the “blasphemies and treason” stage. If you proceed with compassion and good humor, you can go directly from “jokes and fancies” to “questions open to discussion.” But one way or another, please be a leader who initiates shifts in your favorite groups and organizations. Shake things up with panache and good humor.

Capricorn

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Novelist and astrologer

Forrest E. Fickling researched which signs are the worst and best in various activities. He discovered that Capricorns are the hardest workers, as well as the most efficient.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Virgo

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “These are the bad facts,” says author Fran Lebowitz. “Men have much easier lives than women. Men have the advantage. So do white people. So do rich people. So do beautiful people.” Do you agree, Virgo? I do. I’m not rich or beautiful, but I’m a white man, and I have received enormous advantages because of it. What about you? Now is a good time to tally any unearned blessings you have benefited from, give thanks for them, and atone by offering help to people who have obtained fewer favors. And if you have not received many advantages, the coming months will be an excellent time to ask for and even demand more.

They get a lot done, and they are expeditious about it. I suspect you will be at the peak of your ability to express these Capricornian strengths in the coming weeks. Here’s a bonus: You will also be at the height of your power to enjoy your work and be extra likely to produce good work. Take maximum advantage of this grace period!

Aquarius

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The British band Oasis has sold over 95 million records. The first song they ever released was “Supersonic.” Guitarist Noel Gallagher wrote most of its music and lyrics in half an hour while the rest of the band was eating Chinese takeout food. I suspect you will have that kind of agile, succinct, matter-of-fact creativity in the coming days. If you are wise, you will channel it into dreaming up solutions for two of your current dilemmas. This is one time when life should be easer and more efficient than usual.

Pisces

(Feb. 19-March 20): “When sex is really, really good,” writes Piscean novelist Geoff Nicholson, “I feel as though I’m disappearing, being pulverized, so that I’m nothing, just particles of debris, smog, soot, and skin floating through the air.” Hmmm. I guess that’s one version of wonderful sex. And if you want it, you can have it in abundance during the coming weeks. But I encourage you to explore other kinds of wonderful sex, as well—like the kind that makes you feel like a genius animal or a gorgeous storm or a super-powered deity.

Aries

(March 21-April 19): So it begins: the building-and-nurturing-togetherness phase of your astrological cycle. The next eight weeks will bring excellent opportunities to shed bad

relationship habits and grow good new ones. Let’s get you in the mood with some suggestions from intimacy counselors Mary D. Esselman and Elizabeth Ash Vélez: “No matter how long you’ve been together or how well you think you know each other, you still need to romance your partner, especially in stability. Don’t run off and get an extreme makeover or buy into the red-roses-and-champagne bit. Instead, try being kind, receptive, and respectful. Show your partner, often and in whatever tender, goofy way you both understand, that their heart is your home.”

Taurus

(April 20-May 20): From May 2023 to May 2024, the planets Jupiter and Uranus have been and will be in Taurus. I suspect that many Taurus revolutionaries will be born during this time. And yes, Tauruses can be revolutionaries. Here’s a list of some prominent rebel bulls: Karl Marx, Malcolm X, activist Kathleen Cleaver, lesbian feminist author Adrienne Rich, Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, artist Salvador Dalí, playwright Lorraine Hansberry, and dancer Martha Graham. All were wildly original innovators who left a bold mark on their cultures. May their examples inspire you to clarify and deepen the uniquely stirring impact you would like to make, Taurus.

Gemini

(May 21-June 20): Gemini writer Joe Hill believes the only fight that matters is “the struggle to take the world’s chaos and make it mean something.” I can think of many other fights that matter, too, but Hill’s choice is a good one that can be both interesting and rewarding. I especially recommend it to you in the coming weeks, Gemini. You are poised at a threshold that promises substantial breakthroughs in your ongoing

wrangles with confusion, ambiguity, and enigma. My blessings go with you as you wade into the evocative challenges.

Cancer

(June 21-July 22): Author Crescent Dragonwagon has written over 50 books, so we might conclude she has no problem expressing herself fully. But a character in one of her novels says the following: “I don’t know exactly what I mean by ‘hold something back,’ except that I do it. I don’t know what the ‘something’ is. It’s some part that’s a mystery, maybe even to me. I feel it may be my essence or what I am deep down under all the layers. But if I don’t know what it is, how can I give it or share it with someone even if I wanted to?” I bring these thoughts to your attention, Cancerian, because I believe the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to overcome your own inclination to “hold something back.”

Leo

(July. 23-Aug. 22): In her book Undercurrents: A Life Beneath the Surface, psychologist and author Martha Manning says she is more likely to experience epiphanies in “grocery stores and laundromats, rather than in the more traditional places of reverence and prayer.” She marvels that “it’s in the most ordinary aspects of life” that she is “offered glimpses of the extraordinary.” During these breakthrough moments, “the baseline about what is good and important in my life changes.” I suspect you will be in a similar groove during the coming weeks, Leo. Are you ready to find the sacred in the mundane? Are you willing to shed your expectations of how magic occurs so you will be receptive to it when it arrives unexpectedly?

Expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes: RealAstrology.com, (877) 873-4888

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Art in progress

Art conservator Scott Nolley is breathing new life into “Untitled,” American artist Joan Mitchell’s seminal painting at The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA—and you can see it happen live. Nolley, who is head conservator at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum, is slowly peeling away layers of settled dust and other accumulations to reveal the abstract painting’s true colors and forms. Swing by the gallery September 21–22, 29–30, and October 12–13