January O.Henry 2024

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January 2024

DEPARTMENTS 11 Chaos Theory

By Cassie Bustamante

13 Simple Life

By Jim Dodson

FEATURES 43 ADVENTURE

Poetry by Shelby Stephenson

44 A Teetotaling Toast to the New Year

16 Sazerac 21 Tea Leaf Astrologer

By Zora Stellanova

23 Life’s Funny

By Maria Johnson

26 The Omnivorous Reader

By Cassie Bustamante

Local bars serve the latest buzz — nonalcoholic cocktails

By Stephen E. Smith

50 Creatives on Creativity

By Wiley Cash

By Cynthia Adams

How four locals work artfully

56 Cornered By Flavor

28 Creators of N.C. 35 Home Grown

By Cynthia Adams

39 Birdwatch

By Maria Johnson

Appetizing aromas draw foodies to two new restaurants reclaiming a busy Greensboro crossroads

By Susan Campbell

62 The Collected & Collaged Home

88 Events Calendar 106 GreenScene 112 O.Henry Ending

By Cassie Bustamante

An artist pastes together his story

75 January Almanac

By Ashley Walshe

4 O.Henry

40 Wandering Billy

By Billy Ingram

By Ashley Walshe

Cover Photograph and Photograph this page by Amy Freeman

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

Happy New Year from The Jaree Todd Team!

Melanie Soles | Jaree Todd | Carol Rush In the spirit of the season, we raise our glasses not just to the New Year but to the incredible individuals who make our work meaningful – our clients!

At the Jaree Todd Team, we understand that your dreams are the heart of our business, and as we enter 2024, we celebrate you and your dreams.

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M A G A Z I N E

Volume 14, No. 1 “I have a fancy that every city has a voice.”

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www.ohenrymag.com PUBLISHER

David Woronoff david@thepilot.com Andie Rose, Creative Director andiesouthernpines@gmail.com Cassie Bustamante, Editor cassie@ohenrymag.com Jim Dodson, Editor at Large jwdauthor@gmail.com Miranda Glyder, Graphic Designer CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Cynthia Adams, David Claude Bailey, Maria Johnson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Mallory Cash, Lynn Donovan, Amy Freeman, Bert VanderVeen, Mark Wagoner CONTRIBUTORS

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O.Henry Magazine is published by The Pilot LLC

8 O.Henry

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

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chaos theory

Starting Over The magic of wiping the slate clean — at any time

By Cassie Bustamante

A new year is the perfect time to wipe the

slate clean and make a fresh start. Over 20 years ago, I learned just how to do it in Austin, Texas.

In 2002, Chris, now my husband, and I moved to a new apartment on the north side of the city, relocating for his job with Abercrombie & Fitch. His role as district manager came with perks, including a brand-new company car. And not just any vehicle. It was my dream car: a Jeep Wrangler.

He traveled a lot for work and when he left one weekend for an out-of-state business trip, unbeknownst to the powers-that-be at A&F, he handed me the keys to his ride.

With Jimmy Eat World blaring from the speakers and the soft top rolled down, I blissfully cruised south like a Texas cowgirl without a care in the world to the now defunct Highland Mall, where I’d taken a job as a manager for J.Crew. Being new, I was determined to make a good impression despite it being a boring job.

My hours on the clock ticked slowly by. Finally, 5 p.m. struck and my shift was over. Freedom, the kind you feel when you’re blissfully young and the wind rushes through your hair, awaited.

However, when I stepped out of the mall doors, dark gray, threatening clouds were rolling in.

Chris hadn’t shown me how to put the Jeep’s soft top back up before he’d jetted off, but how hard could it be? I did my best and was pretty sure I had it right. Five miles along at a clip of 75 mph, the rain about to burst from the clouds, the front of the vehicle roof caught the wind, reared up into the air like a hand waving at incomers and nearly ripped right off the Jeep. Whoops.

I pulled over and wrestled with it. And it wrestled back. (I’m a writer and not an engineer for many reasons.) In the end, I limped home with sweat instead of wind in my hair, grasping the steering wheel with one hand and barely managing to hold the roof in place with the other hand as rain began to pelt the top.

Back at our apartment and feeling like a royal idiot, my arm tingled and ached, and I dreaded calling Chris to tell him that rain had soaked the seats — surely the Texas heat would have them dry in no time, right? So I didn’t. Instead, I poured myself a glass of wine and decided tomorrow was another day, and I’d be driving my own car, a reliable, practical Volkswagen Jetta. But sometimes The Art & Soul of Greensboro

the universe has a good laugh at our expense, doesn’t it?

The next day, as I began my 20-minute trek to the mall, I felt a sudden thud, thud, thud. A flat tire. Are you kidding me? Once again, I resisted calling Chris, but I did manage to convince a good friend of his, a fellow Demon Deacon who lived nearby, to come to my rescue, giving me a lift to work while my car was being towed into a garage.

Sweaty and flustered, I arrived to the store late, immediately hopping on the sales floor. As it turned out, I was scheduled with my favorite associate. Pam was a woman in her mid-30s, who seemed older and wiser to my naive 22-year-old self.

Reading my expression, Pam offered a calming smile and asked if everything was alright. On the verge of tears, the words spilled out in a jumble: the roof nearly ripped off Chris’ brand new Jeep in the rain and then the flat tire. The floodgates opened and I told her about the immense isolation I felt in a city where I knew no one with Chris being frequently away and my not wanting to bother him. And what was going to happen next?

“It’s just been a really bad 24 hours,” I said.

Pam looked at me, her face serene and soothing. “Take a deep breath and just start over,” she said. “Right now.”

Just start over? That’s your solution?

Seeing bewilderment on my face, Pam nodded encouragingly. “Yep, just start over,” she said. “You know, I’m a recovering alcoholic. And on my journey to sobriety, there were days that I’d slip, but it didn’t mean that things couldn’t get better, that it was over for me. Because the beauty of starting over is that you can do it any time.” She paused. “Like right now.”

I took a deep breath. I hadn’t been hurt. Nor were either of the cars permanently damaged. Chris would be back tomorrow, and I sure had one good friend who knew just what to say.

Three children later and a long list of things gone awry that have proved to be so much worse than a flat tire or a cantankerous Jeep top, Pam’s comforting words and her serene smile have come back to me many times.

Just start over. Right now. Wise words from a woman who understood and had lived their meaning. OH Cassie Bustamante is editor of O.Henry magazine.

O.Henry 11

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simple life

A Welcome Loss Sometimes less really is more

By Jim Dodson

At the end

ILLUSTRATION BY GERRY O'NEILL

of 2022, I decided I was going to give myself either a new left knee or lose 30 pounds before the end of 2023.

Well, miraculously, I managed to do both. I actually dropped 50 pounds and discovered that my formerly dodgy knee works just fine, almost good as new. No replacement needed.

In the most well-fed nation on Earth, losing weight seems to be our truest national pastime. But for me, the first 25 pounds came off quickly.

There’s no big secret to how I managed to accomplish the feat: I did it the old-fashioned way. I simply ate less of everything I thought I couldn’t live without — ice cream, real ale, double cheeseburgers, crusty French bread, pizza, jelly beans, diet soda and my talented baker-wife’s insanely delicious pies, cakes and cookies. (To my surprise, once I cut back, my craving for them diminished.) I also walked more and drank enough water each day to fill a small bathtub.

Then, in early summer, my family doctor suggested I go on a new wonder drug intended for borderline and Type 2 diabetics, a The Art & Soul of Greensboro

disease I inherited a few years back from my dad and sweet Southern grandma.

The new drug is a weekly injection you take via an EpiPen-like device by poking yourself in the thigh or abdomen.

By helping your pancreas produce more insulin, it lowers your blood sugar.

This drug, however, has some side effects that experts have been exploring. One report suggests that it may have positive outcomes for treating alcoholism and depression. But what has really caught the public’s attention is that it can cause significant weight loss. While visiting my daughter in Los Angeles recently, I learned that it’s in such high demand for this side effect that it’s being bought up by the caseload. Health authorities have expressed concern that this practice could result in people who really need it not being able to get it.

I can attest to that. To date, I’ve lost another 25 pounds on it, principally because it reduces your appetite for anything, which means you eat less and enjoy what you do eat more — or at least I do.

Could it be a new wonder drug?

At a time when the FDA and makers of modern drugs and O.Henry 13

simple life vaccines are often under attack, it’s worth remembering that sometimes, these wonder drugs do, actually, exist. And we’ve seen them before.

Those of us who are old enough to remember the scourge of polio know how it terrorized domestic American life. When I was a kid, it was the most feared disease in America.

To this day, I still think about a sweet girl named Laurie Jones who sat behind me in Miss Brown’s fifth grade class. She wore a crisp Girl Scout uniform every Wednesday for her after-school scout meetings. Laurie’s thin legs needed braces as a result of battling polio since the third grade, but she had the sunniest personality of any kid I knew. I sometimes walked with Laurie to her school bus to help her get safely onboard. She told me she planned to become a nurse someday.

One day, Laurie Jones didn’t come to school. Miss Brown tearfully informed us that she had passed away. The entire classroom sat in stunned silence.

A short time later, the entire school lined up in the auditorium to take a sugar cube dosed with the latest Salk vaccine. It was the week before school let out for Christmas. They played music and gave us cupcakes and little hand-clickers — perhaps the original fidgets — labeled “K-O Polio.” Funnily enough, my dad was on the advertising team that came up with the plan to promote the new vaccine in public schools across North

Carolina. Those hand-clickers drove parents and teachers across the state nuts for months.

But, according to the CDC, just since 1988, more than 1.5 million childhood deaths have been prevented with the vaccine.

So maybe that’s why I’m so ready to believe in this new wonder drug. Thanks to modern science and my own desire to have less of me to love, I’m off blood pressure medicine and my sugar count is perfectly normal. I haven’t physically felt this good since I was driving my own mother nuts with the K-O Polio clickers.

I really have only one silly problem now: none of my old clothes fit. Losing four pant sizes makes me look like Charlie Chaplin minus the top hat and cane.

Until several pairs of new jeans and khaki trousers arrive, I shall uncomplainingly do as T.S. Eliot’s J. Alfred Prufrock did as he walked through the evening dusk of a town filled with memories: I grow old . . . I grow old . . . I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

At unexpected moments, I still think about sweet Laurie Jones, who lost her life before the Wonder Drug saved her, wishing I could have said goodbye. OH Jim Dodson is the founding editor of O.Henry.

Happy New Year 2024!

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14 O.Henry

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

New Year’s Resolution?

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SAZERAC

"A spirited forum of Gate City food, drink, history, art, events, rumors and eccentrics worthy of our famous namesake"

Sage Gardener The Sage Gardener had a simple question: What’s the hardiest, hardest-to-kill houseplant you’ve ever had? The answers, as you’ll see, were anything but simple, but first thing first: A majority of respondents insist that for pure can’t-kill-it endurance, nothing beats a snake plant, aka devil’s tongue, good-luck plant or mother-in-law’s tongue. “Thriving, impossibly leggy and ugly,” complains O.Henry columnist Cynthia Adams, who gave hers away “because it just wouldn’t give up the ghost and die.” But they are by no means immortal. My poet and playwright friend from New Jersey sniffs: “My husband killed my snake plant just after we met. I’d had it for about 32 years when we met. Gone.”

Along with some precious oxygen in their house. “According to NASA’s Clean Air Study,” a former colleague from Florida pointed out to me, “the snake plant is so effective at producing oxygen that if you were locked in a sealed room with no airflow, you would be able to survive with just six to eight plants in it.”

She says NASA recommends 15–18 medium-to-large-size plants for an 1,800-square-foot home for optimum air quality. When you ask O.Henry’s founder, Jim Dodson, about plants, you, of course get a dog story: “We have a beautiful tree fern that has been ravaged by our one-year-old wildling, a Lab-English-spaniel.

The tree fern made two comebacks and is now safe in a sunny, remote guest bedroom. Its will to survive is an inspiration.”

Another writer, name withheld to protect the guilty, reports “any interesting successes with houseplants involve previous marriages, so I don’t think my mentioning them would play especially well in my household.” A friend from Asheville says she has three peace lilies, which are notoriously temperamental, that are thriving: “one from my grandmother’s funeral in 1995, one from my dad’s funeral in 2016 and one from my mother’s funeral in 2021. I don’t have the heart to get rid of them so I nurse them along.” A former neighbor tells about a peace lily her husbandto-be “clung to as the only living thing he had after moving away from an abusive relationship and to a new town and a new job.”

Once they became a couple, the lily survived poor lighting in

16 O.Henry

Michigan, aphids in Georgia, cramped space during grad school: “This peace lily became a barometer for our collective prosperity and . . . literally . . . our peace.” Until “we began the sad trajectory of replicating the marriage my partner had tried to escape. It was a decline for all three of us. Attempts to recover, or even salvage, failed. After almost 20 years, the peace lily died. It took fewer years for the marriage.” On a brighter note, O.Henry’s Maria Johnson says that “probably my longest-lived plant is a next-to-the-house plant, a Boston fern that summers on a metal stand next to the garage.” As spring turns to summer, it bursts into verdant glory, and “its lacy fingers brush the side of my car when I pull into the garage. It reminds me of the way a friend might touch the arm of another while chatting, a gentle way of connecting.”

Several respondents voted for ubiquitous and hardy pothos: “It wilts to say, ‘Water me, Seymour!’” says O.Henry’s editor, Cassie Bustamante. But a hiking buddy’s has perhaps the most practical and enduring solution to fading and expiring house plants: “Plastic,” she says.

— David Claude Bailey The Art & Soul of Greensboro

sazerac

Unsolicited Advice the lady of gold, silver, bronze and “just honored to be here” when the Olympics kick off in late July.

While your dogs licks up the last of the sequins and your hangover succumbs to a little hair of the dog, an anti-post-holiday malaise cure is in order.

To stave off the NYE — New Year Ennui — we’ve made a list of things we’re looking forward to in 2024.

It Ends with Us. Colleen Hoover, a New York Times-bestselling author, is on fire — not literally, of course — and this 2016 title is her most popular by far. The film adaptation hits theaters on February 9. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, which we’re not looking forward to.

Summer Olympics. The City of Light has another nickname — La Dame de Fer, aka The Lady of Iron — thanks to the iron Eiffel Tower. She’ll become

February 29. It only comes around once every four years, folks.

Seize the moment by doing something you rarely do. Like balancing your checkbook. Your what?

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Call it vegan, if you will, but the circus is back in town, animal-free and flipping through the Coliseum in early February. Sorry, Hugh, but this is “The Greatest Show.”

Snow White. In March, just when we’re ready to move on from the idea of snow, Disney releases its live-action adaptation of this classic fairytale, sure to make us melt. Cue the songbirds.

Window to the Past

PHOTOGRAPH © CAROL W. MARTIN/GREENSBORO HISTORY MUSEUM COLLECTION

A trolley travels through a wintry scene along Summit Avenue, circa 1900s.

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

Letters

To Jim Dodson in response to his September 2023 “Simple Life:” My husband, who will remain nameless (but folks of a certain age always ask him how Durwood Kirby is doing), shares your view of squirrels.

One morning, after observing a varmint munching on the bird food outside our bedroom window, he moved stealthily to grab his black powder pistol, cock it and open the window. Leaning out, he shot that squirrel and left him on the ground for a day as a warning to those in his tribe. In our new neighborhood, he has used his BB gun to dispatch three others.

Don’t get me wrong. We’ve tried the live trap and actually caught a possum one time, but the squirrels couldn’t be bothered to investigate the bait. Arghhhhh! Our Golden Retriever, Scout II, is no help whatsoever. He’d rather play with them and seems disappointed that they don’t hang around.

I know that squirrels have to eat, too, and they must serve some purpose other than in Brunswick stew, but damned if I can figure out what that purpose is. Maybe driving otherwise peace-loving folks to violence? As for squirrels in the middle of the road, my ecology professor called them Kamikaze squirrels. Still, I cannot abide the crunch of their tiny bones under my SUV tires. Call me an old softie.

— Alice S. Moore O.Henry 17

Seabolt Upholstery Thomas Seabolt always knew he wanted to work with his hands for a living. A former hockey player, he’d hoped it would be on the ice with gloves and a stick.

Instead, he put his dexterity to use in an upholstery shop, where he began with removal and prep work before mastering fine furniture restoration and the craft of upholstery.

In 2008, Seabolt began his business in a backyard shed after an apprenticeship at Murphy’s Upholstery. The company has grown to include 10 employees, whose focus is customer satisfaction. “I have to mention the team at Seabolt Upholstery,” Thomas says. “In reality, without them this business isn’t possible. Plus they are all a joy to work with.”

With a desire to be a good steward for what God has blessed him with — wife, kids and a business he loves — Seabolt provides his customers with thousands of fabrics to choose from as well as leathers, vinyls and specialized treatments to protect their investment.

With client satisfaction its top priority, Seabolt Upholstery has the ability to custom-make upholstered sofas, beds, chairs, outdoor cushions and furnishings — you name it.

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Just One Thing “My first pieces sold; I just thought I was always doodling,” Charlotte native Nellie Ashford, a visual storyteller and a self-proclaimed folk artist, says in the short documentary titled Nellie Ashford: Reckoning with Ties to Slavery at Davidson. “I started doodling as a serious artist when my grandson and I, we would get on the floor and we would draw — together.” Now 80, she’s been exhibiting her work across North Carolina for well over 20 years, including her first solo exhibit in 2016. Through a combination of painting and collage that often features vintage fabrics that bear meaning to the work’s subjects, Ashford creates art that represents everyday people in the community — children, families, dancers, musicians — as well as her own memories of growing up in the Jim Crow era South. Found at GreenHill Center for NC Art’s annual “Winter Show,” where all pieces are available for purchase, A Walk to the Farm to See My Aunt & Uncle (2023) depicts four little girls running toward the open arms of their relatives against a vivid orange sky. “We’re thrilled to be able to include Nellie Ashford for the first time at GreenHill, especially because she is a pre-eminent North Carolina folk artist, one of our state’s most well-known on a national level, and has been widely exhibited in museums and artist collections,” says GreenHill executive director Leigh Dyer. “This is a wonderful opportunity for collectors to access her work.”

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

O.Henry 19

Celebrate Big!

50

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TH ANNIVERSARY

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TH ANNIVERSARY

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(December 22 – January 19)

They say a caterpillar turns to soup before taking new form.

Transformation is a messy business. Although it’s soup season for sea goats, trust that something delicious is simmering — specifically in the House of Pleasure. Let things be playful. And savory. Maybe a little spicy. When Mercury enters your sign on January 13, prepare for a grand emergence. There’s no going back to the chrysalis.

Tea leaf “fortunes” for the rest of you: Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)

Phone:336-508-7159 928 Summit Ave, Greensboro, NC 27405

It’s time for some radical honesty.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

Breathe before you speak.

Aries (March 21 – April 19)

Try sitting with the discomfort for a minute.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)

Resolve to Start the New Year Right with a New Needlepoint Project!

Two words: natural light.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

Ever tried vocal toning? Look it up.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

Spit it out already.

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

Trust your own (adorably neurotic) rhythm.

Virgo (August 23 – September 22)

Smells like codependence.

Libra (September 23 – October 22)

Don’t forget the key.

Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)

Thank you to our customers for your support in 2023!

Prepare to surprise everyone. Including yourself.

Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)

Less screen. More routine. OH

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O.Henry 21

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22 O.Henry

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

life's funny

g n i k n i h T e d i s Out Box thee of fraud —

r Bewa t too much but no

By Maria Johnson

The package on our

doorstep was large, maybe 2 feet by 2 feet.

Too big for the paper bathroom cups I’d ordered. Way too big for the wooden floor vent due to arrive any day.

“Did you order anything this big?” I asked my husband.

He shook his head.

I checked the label.

It was addressed to me.

I looked at the return address. The sender was something called Muji in New Jersey.

“MOO-gee?” I said slowly. “What’s a MOO-gee?”

I looked at my husband.

“Emoji?” he said.

“Not emoji. A MOO-GEE,” I said, acting as if the words sounded nothing alike.

I proceeded with caution, grabbing a pair of scissors, carefully slitting the packing tape and slowly opening the cardboard flaps.

You never know what a Muji from Jersey might send. A packing slip lay atop some crumpled brown paper.

I unfolded the slip to see a manifest of the contents: “Item.”

“Item.”

“Item.”

No prices were given.

Okaaaaaaay.

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

I set aside the slip and lifted a layer of the packing paper to reveal a clear plastic storage box with a lid.

In-ter-est-ing.

Under that, another layer of paper.

I gingerly lifted the wads.

Two stackable plastic trays. Or, as we used to say back in the day, an in-box and an out-box.

How quaint.

And weird.

I picked up the packing slip again. It gave no website for Muji.

No phone number.

Just a fuzzy QR code.

“Maybe you should scan the code,” my husband suggested.

Hmph. I’d read way too many scam stories, received too many “urgent” text alerts about nonexistent bank accounts and listened to too many voicemails regarding my request for a business loan — huh? — to fall for this.

And yet, a part of me would feel guilty about keeping these plastic accessories I had not paid for.

Equally bad, I imagined someone out there, sitting at a desk strewn with the disorganized chapters of the next Great American Novel, just waiting for a 2-by-2 box that never arrived.

Danged human emotions. Danged scammers for preying on them.

Why, just the week before, I’d received two cunning, if clumsy, emails that I found myself reading and responding to in my head.

O.Henry 23

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24 O.Henry

One was an email from my long lost friend Jimmy at PayPal, as proven by the fuzzy company logo below his message.

Never mind Jimmy’s personal Gmail address.

“Hi,” he wrote. “I hope you’re doing well and reading this message.” (Yes to both, Jimmy, though who can say how long either will last?)

“We haven’t caught up in much too long.” (Like, ever.)

“I’ve been missing our amazing connection and our discussions.” (We’re talking about PayPal, right? But, yeah, it’s true. I’m a good listener.)

“I wanted to get in touch with you and start off again.” (I do like a good repair attempt.)

“We can communicate via email, video call or in-person meeting . . . ” (In person?

To talk about my PayPal account? I dunno . . .

This seems . . . Well . . . Maybe over coffee?)

“Till we cross paths again, be well and never forget that you are missed.” (Do you really expect me to have coffee with a man who uses the word “till” in a business letter?

It’s over, Jimmy.)

Then there was this flattering note with “ART INQUIRY” in the subject line.

“How are you doing? My name is Paul Arthur from Atlanta, GA.” (That’s a lot to cram on a birth certificate, Paul Arthur of Atlanta, GA.) “I have been on the lookout for some artworks lately in regards to I and my wife’s anniversary which is just around the corner. I must admit your doing quite an impressive job.” (Artworks? You must be talking about the flower pots that I’ve been encrusting with orphaned earrings, a sort of hot-glued reminder of lobes past. I saw it on Etsy. They’re cute, aren’t they? And you are obviously a man of taste. Though your spelling and grammar need work. It’s “you’re,” not “your,” and technically you should have said, “my wife’s and my anniversary.” Or even better, “I’ve been looking for some artwork to buy my wife for our anniversary.” Much simpler.)

“You are undoubtedly good at what you do.” (Paul. You charming devil.)

“I would like to purchase some of your works as a surprise gift to my wife in hodThe Art & Soul of Greensboro

life's funny ing anniversary.” (Hoding?)

“My budget for this is within the price range of $500 to $5,000 dollars.”

(H-O-D-I-N-G?) “I look forward to reading from you in a view to knowing more about your pieces of inventory.” (Do you mean the paper anniversary? Or the cotton anniversary? Or maybe the pottery anniversary?)

The point is, it’s easy to get sucked into these things even when you know they’re fakes.

I stared at the Muji box. I wasn’t about to scan the splotchy QR code and potentially open the door for a malicious actor to commandeer my device and do Godknows-what with my dog pictures.

I double checked my outstanding internet orders. Had I ordered desk accessories in my sleep? Was this a sign from my subconscious that I needed to literally get my stuff together?

Zippo.

I was stuck. Finally, my husband offered an idea: “Just throw it out.”

What? Throw away a perfectly good plastic storage bin and two filing trays that probably cost 10 cents to manufacture?

No way. I would recycle them. No, wait, even better, I would donate them, take a small tax write-off and keep alive the chance that the person who’d ordered these things would find them at Goodwill.

That would solve it. Clean conscience all around.

I put the box by the door. The next time I left the house, this puppy was going in my trunk.

About 30 minutes later, our son in New York texted.

“I may have accidentally had a Muji package sent to you rather than here. If it shows up, would you be able to forward it to us? No rush.”

I did what any loving mother would do.

I asked him a security question. OH Maria Johnson is a contributing editor of O.Henry magazine. Email her at ohenrymaria@gmail.com.

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O.Henry 25

omnivorous reader

The Scars of Our History Will revisionism invade the book world?

By Stephen E. Smith

The world is surely shift-

ing beneath our feet. What was Fort Bragg is now Fort Liberty. In many small Southern towns, the obligatory statues memorializing the Confederate dead have come tumbling down with a predictable thud. Even the most revered Southern monument of them all, the edifice of Gen. Robert E. Lee, a bronze equestrian statue with the South’s greatest general mounted on his horse, Traveller, was unceremoniously plucked from its imposing pedestal and melted down for scrap.

So here’s the question: In a new world where book banning, the most blatant and least effective form of censorship, is all the snazz, how do revisionist attitudes affect the publishing of books about the Civil War? It’s probably too early to say, but two new offerings are testing the market. Elizabeth R. Varon’s Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South, and On Great Fields: The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, by Ronald C. White, are waiting on bookstore shelves.

Those unschooled in Civil War lore and history need only know that Longstreet was Lee’s second in command, referred to by Lee as his “old war horse.” A graduate of West Point, he fought in the Mexican War, was friends with Grant and played a pivotal role in the Southern rebellion. He’s most remembered for his participation — or lack thereof — in Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg, where he disagreed with Lee’s determination to attack the Union position on Cemetery Ridge. Varon asks the question that has persisted over the years: Did his (Longstreet’s) misgivings about Lee’s plan translate into battlefield insubordination? Did he deliberately delay Lee’s attack, thus dooming it to failure? Gen. Pickett asked Longstreet if he should proceed with the advance, and Longstreet merely nodded. Scholars and Civil War buffs have spent the last 160 years

26 O.Henry

attempting to discern Longstreet’s motives.

After the surrender at Appomattox, Longstreet moved to New Orleans, a Unionheld city that supported a large anti-secession population and a well-educated Black community, a place where Reconstruction might have succeeded. Longstreet threw himself into Republican Party politics and promoted Black suffrage. He helped establish a biracial police force, sat on the New Orleans school board, which was racially integrated, and was instrumental in fostering civil rights laws.

But violence soon enough became endemic in the South and in Reconstruction Louisiana.

Longstreet attempted to suppress it, but terrorist groups such as the White League and the Knights of the White Camellia held sway. In 1874, the White League attempted to overthrow the state’s Reconstruction government. Longstreet sided with the militia and police, but only the intervention of federal troops restored order. For the remainder of his life, Longstreet continued to speak up for Black voting rights, which earned him condemnation from his former brothers-in-arms.

No statue of Longstreet existed in the South or on the Gettysburg battlefield until the 1998 unveiling of “a decidedly unheroic” likeness of the general riding “an undersized horse, positioned on the grass rather than atop a pedestal, on the edge of the battlefield park, blocked from view by trees.”

So why aren’t there more monuments to Lee’s “old war horse”?

Longstreet’s embrace of Reconstruction rendered him unfit as a symbol of the “Lost Cause,” thus proving, Varon observes, that the small-town Confederate statues were not simply monuments to heroism but “totems to white supremacy.”

“We like to bestow praise on historical figures who had the courage of their convictions,” she writes. “Longstreet’s story is a reminder that the arc of history is sometimes bent by those who had the courage to change their convictions.”

There’s no dearth of statues honoring Gen. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. A bronze likeness stands in Chamberlain Freedom Park in Brewer, Maine. A second statue was erected in Brunswick, Maine, not far from Bowdoin College, where he served as president following his participation in the Civil The Art & Soul of Greensboro

omnivorous reader War, and a third statue of the general overlooks the Gettysburg Battlefield, facing outward from Little Roundtop.

Chamberlain was lifted from obscurity by Michael Shaara’s 1974 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Killer Angels and Ken Burns’ 1990 documentary The Civil War, both of which rehash Chamberlain’s and the 20th Maine Infantry’s crucial defense of Little Roundtop during the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Ronald C. White’s On Great Fields: The Life and Unlikely Heroism of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is the latest biography to explore Chamberlain’s remarkable and complicated life.

Rather than concentrating on Chamberlain’s Civil War exploits, White delves deeply into the general’s personal life, both pre- and post-war. He examines Chamberlain’s deep Calvinist faith and his love of music and learning — he was fluent in nine languages — that dominated his adolescence and shaped his adulthood. His lengthy and difficult courtship of and marriage to Fanny Adams is explored in sometimes agonizing detail, and his time as president of Bowdoin College and as governor of Maine is fully explicated.

Although he was much admired in Maine, Chamberlain’s post-war years were anything but tranquil. His marriage was troubled. He and Fanny were at one point estranged, and she implied that marital abuse may have been a factor in their separation. Chamberlain never denied the accusation. In January 1880, Chamberlain was called upon to prevent violence in the

state Capitol during the gubernatorial election. The Maine State House had been taken over by armed men, and the governor appointed Chamberlain to take command of the Maine Militia. He disarmed the insurrectionists and stayed in the State House until the Maine Supreme Court decided the election’s outcome. White goes on to expand on Chamberlain’s role as an entrepreneur, his ventures into Florida railroads and land development, and various New York businesses.

On February 24, 1914, succumbing at last to infections caused by an old war wound, the 85-year-old Chamberlain died at his home in Portland, 50 years after a minie ball ripped through his body at Petersburg. He had lived most of his life with excruciating pain caused by the wound, refusing opioids that were legal and readily available.

Near the conclusion of Burns’ The Civil War, the death of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is announced: “The war was over,” the narrator says. Given the lessons implicit in these new biographies and the skullduggery of contemporary politics, readers are likely to question that simple declarative sentence. OH Stephen E. Smith is a retired professor and the author of seven books of poetry and prose. He’s the recipient of the Poetry Northwest Young Poet’s Prize, the Zoe Kincaid Brockman Prize for poetry and four North Carolina Press Awards.

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O.Henry 27

creators of n.c.

Ben Mabry and Brent Holloman

Restless Musical Energy The moving sound of Beta Radio

By Wiley Cash Photographs By Mallory Cash

Ben Mabry, lead singer of the Wilm-

ington-based, two-man band Beta Radio, was 8 years old the first time he was moved by music.

“My mom gave me this old tape from my aunt’s church,” he says. “And it was some kind of gospel. I don’t even remember the name of it, but I remember feeling the movements of the music and just knowing something was happening inside me.”

That something kept happening to Ben, whether it was in response to Christian music, Pearl Jam or the classic rock

28 O.Henry

he listened to with his dad. As a teenager, while attending summer camp in the mountains, he met someone who responded to music the same way. It was Brent Holloman, a fellow Wilmingtonian Ben had never met before.

“I remember Ben being this funny prankster,” Brent says, cracking a smile while recalling their time at camp.

“He would carry around a spray bottle and walk up behind people, fake a sneeze and then spray their necks.”

“I just thought you were cool because you could play ‘Stairway to Heaven,’” Ben says. He laughs. “Brent was the first person I knew who was really good at guitar.”

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creators of n.c.

We’re standing in their studio high up in the art deco Murchison Building in downtown Wilmington. The room’s windows peer out on a gray day during a fall holiday weekend.

Guitars and banjos are resting in their racks along one wall; a drum kit is set up nearby.

Everywhere you look are scribbled scratches of songs, mementos fans have sent, boxes of tea and snacks: the detritus of two old friends who’ve spent long hours making music together.

After their friendship formed at summer camp, it continued when they returned home to Wilmington, and they began playing music together, with Brent joining Ben’s band on bass.

The band was all electric guitars and drums, but after practice Ben and Brent would get together to play acoustic, realizing their shared love for artists like Simon & Garfunkel. Nearly two decades later, Beta Radio is still primarily an acoustic guitar band, and with nine albums to their name and hundreds of millions of streams across various music platforms under their belt, it’s safe to say they are now the ones moving others with their music.

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O.Henry 29

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creators of n.c.

Over the years, American Songwriter has claimed the band is “evoking serenity” with “orchestral experimentation” to “emit an incandescent optimism,” and The Vogue has written that their “lyrics and music carve out a space in your head and find a way to fit into your own cosmology.” The praise is both heady and ethereal, much like the band’s previous albums, many of which are dominated by a gorgeous, yet restless, musical energy and lyrics that never quite settle on answers. That sense of struggle reflects the years

of spiritual yearning Ben experienced as a younger man searching for answers during time in college and the military, and later during travels through Peru, Hawaii, Costa Rica and the desert Southwest. He was writing lyrics the whole time.

“I think it was 2009 when he went to Hawaii and ended up getting inspired by something there,” Brent says. “He’d send me these a cappella voice memos of songs, and I would write the guitar parts. And then I went to Ireland and picked up the banjo, and when I came back we started adding banjo to a few of the songs. Soon we had five or six songs, and we thought, ‘Hey, these are pretty good. Maybe we should record them.’ And by the time we got into a studio we had seven or eight.”

And then the real work began. The newly minted Beta Radio had official letterhead made, and they spent hours packaging CDs of their debut album, Seven Sisters, and sending them off to music blogs and magazines, hoping for

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reviews. They also submitted songs to the new streaming services, at the time dominated by Pandora, with Spotify’s reign soon to come.

“Friends were telling us, ‘Hey, I heard your song the other day on some coffeehouse playlist,’” Brent, says. “And other people were saying, ‘I heard you on the Mumford & Sons channel.’”

People weren’t just listening to Beta Radio on streaming services; they were hearing the band and immediately downloading its album.

Over the next 10 years, Beta Radio released follow-up albums at a steady clip, all of them bolstered by the millions and millions of times its songs were listened to on streaming services. Most bands have to tour voraciously in support of their records, but Beta Radio was able to stay home, working on new music.

As the pandemic emerged in 2020, the band began writing and recording the songs that would end up on 2021’s Year of Love. Once the world went into lockdown, Ben’s geographic searching came to a standstill and forced him to investigate exactly what it was that he’d been looking for. The songs on that album are mystical explorations of various forms of love, the music often swelling into sonic walls of strings and guitars, marked by gorgeous, ethereal lines like “In my soul, there’s something I want to say.” These lyrics open the album, and they set the tone for its themes of the intangibility of love and the many ways we search for it while struggling to find the language to express it.

If Year of Love is about searching for something — language, answers, love — 2024’s Waiting for the End to Come is about finding it. The songs feel urgent, tactile, narrative-driven and grounded in a physical space. This album marks the first time Ben and Brent have co-written songs with others, and the experience of spending time in Nashville and sharing ideas with fellow songwriters brought them closer while elevating what they could do musically. The two kids from Wilmington who’d been moved by music found them-

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

creators of n.c. selves moved once again.

“There’s just no other way to say it: I began to vibrate,” Ben says of those days writing songs with Brent and others in Nashville. “Just like that guitar would if I were to strum it; I was vibrating because I was the energy.”

“That whole week flew by,” Brent adds, “and it was like we were living on a high. It was the first time we co-wrote with other people, and it was the first time we were writing songs this quickly.”

One song birthed from the co-writing experience is “This One’s Going to Hurt,” which will be released as the album’s first single this month. The line itself was written by a co-writer named Henry Brill, and its honesty and directness struck Ben. “I would never write that line,” he says, “but I love it because it’s an admission, it’s an acknowledgement. And in all the prior stuff — Year of Love, for example — so much of the music up to now was me knowing that I had something to say but being afraid to fully say it.”

The three of us have left their studio space and taken the elevator down to Front Street. We’re sitting at a table inside Drift Coffee, where Ben and Brent regularly drop in for coffee during the week.

I wonder if the people around us, most of them young hipsters wearing headphones and ear buds and no doubt streaming music, would be shocked to learn that a band who’s part of their regular streaming rotation is sitting so close by.

As our conversation wraps up, I say goodbye and make my way back to the counter for a refill to-go. I happen to know the barista, so I tell him who I’ve been sitting with for the past hour.

“Those guys are in Beta Radio?” he says.

“Brent and Ben? They come in here all the time. I had no idea. I love that band.”

Another person, moved by the music. OH Wiley Cash is the executive director of Literary Arts at the University of North Carolina at Asheville and the founder of This Is Working, an online community for writers.

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home grown

Taking a Breather A nose that worked on the company dime

By Cynthia Adams

I leaned close to the restroom mirror,

examining my nose. With the company newspaper I edited (the last in the state) going to press, I took a breather. A breather — ironic given my breathing had been permanently altered following a painful childhood swing incident. Nosebleeds and sinusitis became commonplace.

But after 20 years, that would finally change when I decided I’d see a doctor about my nose. A few weeks later, I remained mostly silent while a surgeon studied my X-rays, pointing out the years-old damage that led to a deviated septum.

Merely 2.5 inches of cartilage and bone gone wrong. Easily corrected, he explained.

Seeking out a surgical remedy had been set in motion after a human resources exec visited my office, requesting we publicize a company-wide insurance campaign, specifically to encourage outpatient surgery — not yet commonplace. It would save the company, which was self-insured, significant money. As an incentive, company insurance would cover the entire cost of outpatient surgery — every dime.

“Find someone who needs outpatient surgery and write an article about it,” the HR guy said matter-of-factly.

My mind raced as he stood there waiting to be congratulated for his brilliant idea. Who the heck was going to volunteer for surgery?

“How the . . . ?” I began, but stopped before insulting the same person who okayed my raises.

So I mumbled, “Well, I . . . ” Then I surprised us both by blurting out there was a possibility of someone: Me! He brightened.

“Great! Just be sure it’s medically necessary.”

I was already wearing adult braces to correct a misaligned jaw and bite; maybe it was time to address another problem. My constantly blocked nose.

I agreed to a consultation with an ENT who was experienced with trauma surgeries. It was during the second consult he presented my X-rays. Pointing to damaged cartilage and bone, The Art & Soul of Greensboro

adding sunnily, “There’s complete blockage!” He sounded exactly like a plumber.

With a notepad in hand, I asked nuts-and-bolts questions and made notes. The surgery was called septoplasty. The benefits included fewer infections and nosebleeds, and, with mouth breathing remedied, no snoring.

But I looked down as he spoke and wrote the question, Will he break my nose?, heavily underscoring the last three words.

Mentally, I sketched an enormous mallet, a target inked onto my schnoz, and me, a hapless fool, reluctantly holding still.

But I took a small step back when the surgeon explained the how of the surgery: It would necessitate internal incisions and a tiny flap opened up over my nose in order to clear the passages.

I revised my mental cartoon: not so much a mallet; more like miniature miners excavating a cave with tiny picks and shovels. Except, excavating cartilage. And, perhaps a little bone, he added. I must have blanched.

“You won’t feel the procedure,” he reassured.

How would I not feel that? With fearful misgivings, I shakily booked a date for surgery.

An older friend had a deviated septum corrected years before.

She, too, couldn’t breathe properly; she also snored (to the great irritation of her former partner, a cranky artist).

Over drinks she told me about the worst of the aftermath, nearly swallowing the gauze packing her nose when she dozed off once home. Of course, she didn’t choke to death, but she did have a frantic ER trip.

At the pre-dawn check in for surgery, my blood pressure was elevated (terror will do that), but this didn’t halt the procedure. I remember my nostrils being swabbed with something to staunch bleeding. Then an IV was inserted.

Blissful indifference streamed into the veins of my wrist.

Picks? Shovels? Bring them on, I mumbled to the nurse, who smilingly reassured me they would use neither.

I remembered nothing until the nurse called my name, telling me the procedure was over. Still blissed out, she helped me sit and, soon, stand. When my mother met wobbly-legged me in reception, she looked stricken.

“Hey, Mama! I’m fine and dandy!” I chirped with drugged-up enthusiasm. “Actually, I’m gonna bake these nice people a cake!”

The nurses tittered knowingly behind me, according to my O.Henry 35

home grown

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mother. I never baked anything more ambitious than box brownies.

Indeed, there was packing extending deeply into my nasal passages, the thing I feared the most. My under eyes were lightly bruised. But, in my happy daze, I was mightily relieved it was all over.

Days later, during a post-surgical visit, I waited with other patients. But this was the A-team, apparently, who had opted for the more thrilling cosmetic procedure: rhinoplasty.

A nose job.

I curiously scrutinized them with a side eye. Some wore tiny casts over their softly feminine, narrow noses. Each had a refined tip.

They had all been given a celebrity nose; specifically, they had supermodel Christy Turlington’s nose. (That was then.

Now, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, has the most requested nose.)

Though it intrigued me that ordinary folk could alter their face to look like a star, I was there to report on my less thrilling, non-cosmetic surgery. But — a nose was a key feature! I obsessed with how they would look once all swelling resolved, imagining them on a catwalk, a procession of proud noses, raised high.

After my brief check, I stood stock-still on the sidewalk, inhaling; was that great smell the restaurant a block away?

The corners of my mouth tilted upwards following my gauze-free nostrils. A world of fresh air and sensations awaited; I followed them straight to a lunch spot.

The former Ham’s on Friendly was a greasy spoon I’d frequented before — but this was next level. Seems I had never really tasted the deep-fried fries. Bliss again!

Pausing to sniff the catsup (a condiment that didn’t smell so much after all, I discovered), I savored my lunch as if it were a Michelin Star experience. What could Christy Turlington possibly eat that could top this, I wondered, happily popping fry after fry into my mouth.

Like my nose, possibilities seemed wide open. OH Cynthia Adam is a contributing editor to O.Henry magazine.

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O.Henry 37

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birdwatch

A Winter Visitor The handsome yellow-bellied sapsucker

By Susan Campbell

Woodpeckers abound in central

North Carolina, even more so in the Sandhills.

On a given day, you might see up to eight different species. Only one, however, is a winter visitor: the handsome yellow-bellied sapsucker. This medium-sized, black-and-white bird is well camouflaged against the tree trunks where it is typically found.

It also sports red plumage on the head, as so many North American species do. The female has only a red crown, whereas the male also sports a red throat. And, as their name implies, both sexes have a yellow tinge to their bellies. However, young of the year arriving in late October to early November are drab, with grayish plumage and lacking the colorful markings of their parents. By the time they head back north in March, they too, will be well-patterned.

There are four sapsucker species found in North America.

The yellow-bellied has the largest range and is the only one seen east of the Rockies. Sapsuckers do, in fact, feed on sap year round. They seek out softer hardwood trees and drill holes through the bark into the living tissue. This wound will ooze sap in short order. Not only do the carbohydrates in the liquid provide nourishment to the birds, but insects also get trapped in the sticky substance. Holes made by yellow-bellied sapsuckers form neat rows in the bark of red maples, tulip poplars and even Bradford pears in our area. Pines, however, not only tend to have bark that is too thick for sapsuckers to penetrate but rapidly scab over, rendering only a very brief flow of sap.

The injury caused by sapsuckers is generally not fatal to the tree, as long as it is healthy to begin with. Infection of the wound by fungi or other diseases may occur in older or stressed trees.

Although the relationship is not mutually beneficial, sapsuckers need the trees for their survival. It is also interesting to note that others use the wells created by sapsuckers. Birds known to have a The Art & Soul of Greensboro

“sweet tooth,” such as orioles and hummingbirds, will take advantage of the yellow-bellied sapsucker’s handiwork.

The species breeds in pine forests throughout boreal Canada, the upper Midwest as well as New England. We do have summering populations at elevation in western North Carolina. It is not unusual to find them around Blowing Rock in the warmer months. As is typical for woodpeckers, sapsuckers create cavities in dead trees for nesting purposes. They use calls as well as drumming to advertise their territory. The typical call note is a short, high-pitched, cat-like mewing sound. They use more emphatic squealing and rapid tapping of their bills against dead wood or other suitable resonating surfaces to warn would-be competitors of their presence.

In winter, yellow-bellieds quietly coexist with the other woodpeckers in the area. They will seek out holly and other berries in addition to feeding on sap. These birds will feed on suet, too, and may be attracted to backyard feeding stations. Generally, the yellow-bellied does not drink sugar water, since feeders designed for hummingbirds or orioles are not configured for use by clinging species. Of course, as with all birds, it may be lured in by fresh water: another reason to maintain a birdbath or two — even if you live on a lake.

Seeing a sapsucker at close range is always a treat, so keep an eye out for this unusual woodpecker. OH Susan Campbell would love to hear from you. Feel free to send questions or wildlife observations to susan@ncaves.com.

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wandering billy

The Keys to the Gate City Ben Blozan tunes into his passion for pianos

By Billy Ingram

“I dreamt of you last night — as if I was playing the piano and you were turning the pages for me.” – Vladimir Nabokov

I’ve wandered past the charming

Home to a mom-and-pop grocery store in the 1920s, today the two east-facing display windows are lettered with “Mosaic Piano Service” on one side, “Inside Pianos” on the other. It’s quite a feat for such an uncommon business model to survive over a quarter-of-a-century embedded inside this rapidly evolving South End corridor.

It was at this very location back in 1998 that proprietor John Johanson began his apprenticeship in the art of refurbishing pianos for high dollar clients under the illustrious John Foy. He then made this space his own in 2010, when he founded Mosaic after Foy relocated. It’s in this spot that Johanson spends days in a cavernous workspace engaged in everything from soundboard repair to hammer replacement, rebuilding concert grands and other fine pianos from the pedals up if necessary.

I made an appointment one weekday afternoon to speak with a more recent occupant, Ben Blozan, who started Inside Pianos just about a year ago, performing essentially the same tasks — but with a twist. While Johanson and Blozan are both highly-skilled artisans when it comes to rehabilitating classic pianos, “We’re not in conflict because he’s doing this to return pianos to their own-

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ers,” Blozan notes. “I’m doing it to sell. So I’m renting this front area as a showroom/workshop from John.”

Blozan’s love affair with the 88s began as a 4-year-old.

“Playing an instrument like the violin or the piano, typically you have to have had an early childhood foundation,” he says, noting that you also need dedication to a continual learning experience. “Just this year I learned a piece that I’ve always wanted to play.”

With a doctorate in music from UNCG, for over a decade Blozan was a rehearsal pianist for Greensboro Opera and, for many years, an instructor at High Point University’s music department. “I would say that the schools themselves are changing,” he points out when asked about the current state of musical instruction. With less emphasis on the old conserThe Art & Soul of Greensboro

ILLUSTRATION BY MIRANDA GLYDER

Mayberry-esque storefront adorned with antique instrumental bric-a-brac at 612 S. Elm St. hundreds, perhaps thousands, of times since moving just a couple of blocks from Hamburger Square in 1997. Not an ivory tickler myself, I was aware 612 had something to do with pianos, but it never struck a chord somehow until now.

wandering billy vatory model, “Popular music is being taught,” he says. “Music technology’s being taught. There’s an attempt to move with the times and be less classically exclusive.”

Until recently, Blozan focused on his recording studio in Glenwood.

Currently he dedicates his energy almost entirely toward locating and restoring exceptional pianos, then flipping them.

“I love it,” he tells me. “It’s been really satisfying to watch the pianos choose the buyers. I’ve only done this for a year, but it’s already been far more successful than the recording studio, to be honest.”

Why purchase a used piano rather than a brand new model? “Pianos are built to last,” Blozan explains. “As a matter of fact, the chief competitors to Steinway as a current company are used Steinways because they hold up so well and they were built so well. In some cases, the build quality was better than current pianos.” He points to an 1896 Steinway Model A in a Rosewood case that has been brought back to like-new condition: “This gets a little bit ethereal, but there’s a soul to old pianos.”

Painstaking attention to detail is one element of what Blozan finds so rewarding about his craft. For instance, on that 1896 Steinway, “I leveled the keys,” he says. “I brought all of the action adjustments into regulation because there are, oh gosh, maybe eight or so adjustments per key that can be made.” He works with the tone of the instrument, changing the texture of the hammers when needed so that when they hit the strings, the desired sound is emitted. It’s a process called voicing. “I really love for pianists to get wowed instantly. That’s something that I try to offer, pianos that get an uncommon amount of refinement so that a pianist can come in and know automatically what the instrument is capable of.”

Blozan fingers a bit of Tchaikovsky, perhaps Chopin — what do I know?

— on the keys of an exquisite black Yamaha, gleaming like new. “I would say most concert stages in America have

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

Steinways, but many recording studios particularly have Yamahas,” he says.

“This is a more budget conscious instrument, but it benefits from Yamaha’s deep pockets for research and development.

Yeah, it’s a beautiful piano.”

Blozan’s already established YouTube channel (Inside Pianos, natch) has been crucial in extending his reach way beyond the Triad. “There was a guy who lives in Arkansas who bought a piano, sight unseen, based on the video,” he says.

“Because of my recording background, I’m able to make some nice product videos where someone can get a sense of what the instrument sounds like.” His latest production showcases a $62,000 instrument. “It’s possible that I’ll sell it locally, but I want to cast a wide net.”

Where is the best value for someone looking at buying a vintage piano? “I do a lot of Baldwins,” Blozan explains. “Some people even prefer them to Steinway.

They’re very underpriced since there are

no longer new Baldwins on the market.”

On the other hand, the demand for pianos has cooled considerably, leading to a glut of unwanted uprights, abandoned baby grands. “Honestly, it’s almost a nuisance how many calls I get,” Blozan says. “Sadly, I do a lot of grief counseling — people having to part with their childhood pianos when they were supposed to be something that kept their value.”

Though raised in Maryland, Ben Blozan says his family migrated to the mountains of North Carolina and he subsequently made the decision to attend college and set down roots in the Gate City. “I was happy to have the chance to get geographically closer to my family. I feel like Greensboro has a lot of opportunity for people who want to do their own thing,” he says. “You can carve out your niche here.” OH Billy Ingram is the author of 6 books and the creator of TVparty.com.

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O.Henry 41

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The Art & Soul of Greensboro

January 2024 ADVENTURE Because she was fast in her way And he followed her suit, They launched horizon’s fruitful gaze To fortify their fruit.

In short parlance, ahead of him, She was a gushing bride Until gray moods turned dark to bend Their rivers for her tide.

They never had one dissension.

He lived his love the same Beyond single thought’s contention.

Her body chemistry!

A drinking fountain salutes thirst, Instant bubble, wet lips.

Then comes what earthly love holds first, Her muscles fell to slips.

So he slept and woke up alone, For she was processioned In Smithfield Manor Nursing Home, Tenacity, a test.

His eye-lids open every morn.

The bones to him creak rise.

The sun’s obeying crown adorns Remembrances, her sighs.

— Shelby Stephenson Shelby Stephenson was North Carolina’s poet laureate from 2014-16. His most recent volume of poetry is Praises.

The Art Art & & Soul Soul of of Greensboro Greensboro

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A Teetotaling Toast to the New Year Local bars serve the latest buzz — nonalchoholic cocktails

By Cassie Bustamante • Photographs by Amy Freeman

After a month of (over)indulgence, we’re ready to wipe the palette clean — while still tickling the palate. Whether you’re a committed nondrinker, a little sober-curious or just taking a hiatus from the hard stuff, we’ve got six alcohol-free beverage recipes from local mixologists who deliver all the tastiness without the tipsiness.

Only Resolutions With a last name like Emerson, is it any wonder that Daniel Emerson, bartender at newcomer Bitters Social House, took his inspiration for this drink from a book? Only Resolutions is the nonalcoholic counterpart to a Bitters cocktail with a name that echoes Only Revolutions, a road novel by Mark Z. Danielewski, one of (Daniel) Emerson’s favorite authors. His concoction is a “blend between opposing botanical flavors that . . . carries those champagne notes at the end so you have that celebratory taste in your mouth.” In a nutshell, he says, this mocktail, which features ingredients found at Bitters, tells the world, “I know how to party; I just don’t have to drink.”

For an added festive touch, Emerson rims the glass with edible glitter. “Everybody loves sprinkles at a celebration, right?”

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1/4 ounce lemon juice 1/4 ounce simple syrup 3/4 ounce blueberry basil shrub 1 dash alcohol-free cardamom bitters 4 dashes alcohol-free plum bitters 3 ounces nonalcoholic champagne Lemon twist Edible glitter Shake first five ingredients together with ice. Strain into martini glass and top with champagne. Serve with a lemon twist and an edible glitter rim (if desired).

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

Old Fashioned Wisdom “Will you be my guinea pig?” wondered Mark Weddle, beverage manager at 1618 West, to a friend who had been 15-years sober when he first began experimenting with nonalcoholic spirits. The result? “I suddenly have a lot of memories of sitting in a bar in New Orleans flooding back!” his friend told him. Weddle calls that association to the real thing high praise. The restaurant’s Old Fashioned Wisdom is a nonalcoholic take on the classic old fashioned, a bedrock cocktail.

How close to the real thing does it taste? “The parts on their own are not exactly true to flavor, but when you combine them, it gets pretty close to an actual old fashioned.” He laughs and adds, “I don’t want to trigger anybody, but trigger warning!”

2 ounces Lyre’s American Malt, nonalcoholic 1 ounce Dr Zero Zero AmarNo (nonalcoholic amaro) 1/2 ounce Demerara syrup 2–3 dashes All the Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters Ice cube Orange twist Combine first four ingredients with ice and stir until well chilled.

Strain into a double old fashioned glass over a large ice cube and garnish with an orange twist.

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Blueberry Lemonade Freeman’s Grub & Pub proprietress Emily Purcell has crafted a creative nonalcoholic menu featuring plays and the inevitable fun puns on some classics, such as the Nojito and the Nontucket. But Purcell, who has co-owned the restaurant with husband Kevin since March 2022, cites the establishment’s pun-free Blueberry Lemonade as the fan favorite, as well as her own, hands down. “We fresh squeeze our lemons and make our simple syrup in house. We add some frozen blueberries in there, so as you’re drinking the cocktail, you get more of that blue color.” Bonus, the frozen fruit makes this drink a year-round flavor-quencher.

2 ounces lemon juice 2 ounces simple syrup 2 ounces water 2 ounces frozen blueberries (about 10) 1 lemon slice Mix lemon juice, water, frozen blueberries and simple syrup together well. (Simple syrup is made by combining equal parts of water and sugar. Sweet!) Pour over ice and garnish with lemon slice.

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The Art & Soul of Greensboro

Mulled Wine Don’t mention “mocktails” around Machete general manager Kevin Ash. He prickles at the word. Why? It implies “a fake in a certain sense,” he sniffs. “No and low proof” is the order of the day at Machete’s sleek and well-stocked bar. After all, he points out, these drinks are not lesser — but alternative versions. For instance, his mulled wine combines oranges, spices, water and Giesen zero percent merlot, made in the traditional manner then dealcoholized using something called a rotovap (rotary evaporator). “A lot of people like to enjoy a warm drink during the winter doldrums,” he says. “it’s fun to be able to offer something that is nonalcoholic wine-based with spices being the backbone of the drink itself.” Simply serve in a mug and curl up by the fire.

1 blood orange, peeled and juiced 1 navel orange, peeled and juiced 4 bottles of Giesen 0% alcohol merlot 1 cup of sugar 4 cinnamon sticks 35 cloves 4 star anise 2 cups of water In a crockpot, combine half of each orange’s peel, the juices of both oranges and the remainder of ingredients. Set the crockpot on low and let sit for four hours before serving, stirring occasionally to ensure that the sugar has dissolved.

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Midnight Spritz Dram & Draught touts itself as “a place for the whiskey fanatic, the craft beer fan, the cocktail enthusiast, the wine tippler and more.” The “and more?”

Perhaps its spirit-free cocktails. Why? “Because it is still a labor of love,” says director of marketing and events Edie Alexander. “We put a lot of effort and time behind making them. So we want them to be a little more elevated than the typical quote-unquote mocktail.” The Midnight Spritz is a riff on the classic Aperol spritz and has become a Dram & Draught fan favorite. “It still has some of the same light, refreshing citrus notes,” says Alexander. Plus, “it’s sparkling and a little bit festive.” Cheers!

1 1/2 ounces Lyres Italian Spritz, Non-Alcoholic 1 1/2 ounces verjus blanc 1/2 ounce lemon juice 1/2 ounce simple syrup Soda water Orange slice Add first four ingredients to a shaker tin with ice and shake well. Dump into a wine glass and top with soda water. Garnish with an orange slice.

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The Art & Soul of Greensboro

The Hot & Sober Marg Borough Market & Bar owner Kam Culler knows what she likes. Something a little spicy, a little sweet, a vibe that’s reflected in the “market” part of her establishment. Her drink of choice? The margarita. So when she created a sober drink menu at the end of last summer, the Hot & Sober Marg, made with house-crafted candied jalapeño syrup, was a must-sip. And customers seem to agree, as this drink — and its alcoholic version — are the top sellers on their respective menus. What sets this alcohol-free margarita apart from others? According to Culler, it’s the quality of the nonalcoholic spirit. She tried other brands and just wasn’t sold. “And then I tried Ritual,” she says. Bar manager Olympia Hensley concurs. “Every time someone orders a Hot & Sober Marg, they’re always impressed by how much it tastes like a margarita,” she says. “That’s really the Ritual tequila popping in there.”

1 1/2 ounces lime juice 1 ounce orange juice 1 ounce jalapeño-infused simple syrup 1 1/2 ounces Ritual Zero Proof Tequila Alternative Salt, sugar or Tajín seasoning (recommended) Candied jalapeños Edible flower Edible glitter Add first four ingredients to a shaker tin with ice and shake well. Pour over ice in glass rimmed with salt, sugar or Tajin if desired.

Garnish with candied jalapeños, edible flower and edible glitter.

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By Cynthia Adams

How four locals work artfully Photographs by Bert VanderVeen

U

NGG Professor Emeritus Billy Lee asked what creative people think about creativity. A renowned sculptor who writes about art, his question begged answers.

Is creativity as Einstein believed, as simple as intelligence at play, or as Steve Jobs said, a matter of connections? A variety of Triad artists responded.

Linda Lane handles interior design projects for various clients. Brianna Campbell, welder by day, is an aspiring songwriter and vocalist. Harry Blair illustrates books when not working on artistic assignments for this magazine. Textile designer. Muralist Dana Holliday paints large and small scale, traveling to seek out fellow artists.

They share how they work, what inspires them and how they sustain creativity.

In other words, how they perceive their artistic practice.

Linda Lane, textiles and interior design Linda Lane, who began her career as both a textile and interior designer, seeks inspiration in the greater world.

She is especially focused upon surface patterns, discovering “inspiration everywhere as I am out and about . . . manhole covers, plantings while walking my dog, a fallen branch or seed pods. Nature always inspires, never disappoints and teaches me about color palettes.”

Lane keeps a dedicated workspace, where she goes irregularly. But, she says, “Lately I am taking a different approach and dedicating daily time to ‘work’ on whatever I wish.

That can include a lesson on YouTube, a seminar on Zoom or cataloging my hundreds of photos for inspiration and to use them further in developing an idea.”

Her workspace may appear chaotic to others — “but not to me! I like visible stacks or piles spread out around me to

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move from one idea or medium to another: sewing, printing, drawing, mood boards and music help me sustain a productive period.”

Once committed to an idea, Lane uses various methods “to see how it holds together,” such as reviewing former concepts with fresh eyes.

“Sometimes I revisit my sketchbook after years have passed.” Lane mentions how her mother nurtured her art, saving childhood artwork. They remind her that the young artist “is still inside of me and needs help to rise to the surface and to not be constricted by perfectionism.”

When a work in textile or home design is completed, she periodically asks if it has met the test of time.

“Time is the best teacher. If it holds up after months or years then it doesn't have a ‘sell by’ date on it.”

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Brianna Campbell, singer Brianna Campbell recalls how her grandmother, “a really charitable person,” encouraged her to sing. Beyond that, she taught her granddaughter how to sign for the deaf so that she could sing in sign language. “I look up to my whole family,” says Campbell gratefully. “They give me the purpose to create.”

Now she writes her own lyrics, often singing while on the job at Friedrich Metal Products building industrial smokehouses and chillers. It’s a job that sees her frequently traveling to installations across the country. (Campbell is currently studying laser welding.)

While a student at Greensboro’s Weaver Academy, she attempted sculpture welding for the first time. Competing against 2,600 students at the 2017 SkillsUSA Leadership and Skills State Conference, she won first place. Campbell subsequently earned a full scholarship to Tulsa Welding School in Jacksonville, Florida, where she was among few female students.

Before SkillsUSA, she’d never tried welding sculpture, but possibilities were opened. “I went to nationals after that. And all roads lead to Rome. Your creativity, your will and devotion can get you further than anything in life.”

As she sees it, “creativity is everywhere.”

Campbell explains creativity is “problem-solving,” much as Jobs believed.

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“It’s seeing what everyone else has seen,” she says. “But thinking what no one else has thought.”

Artistic ideas occur to Campbell most often while traveling, walking in the woods or enjoying music. “It’s very chaotic to most people, but I just feel like when you are an artist, the inspiration is visible to you at random times and you never know when it will be.”

While she seeks inspiration from her surroundings, she usually writes her songs in silence. But that’s not to say it’s a silent process: “I am alone a lot, but you can almost always see me singing to myself,” says Campbell. “It’s always a new song I’m working on.

Occasionally, when writing music, I will change the lighting to write the song because light affects your mood and so does your environment.”

Campbell figures out the instrumentation for the song and whether she wants harmonies. When lyrics later come to mind, Campbell uses any surface available — even her wrist.

“Everywhere, people and their stories inspire me . . . music is a shared experience because it’s usually relatable to the listener in some way and it’s powerful enough to be part of our identity.”

Campbell will soon complete a yet to be titled album in early 2024, electing to find a local artist to produce the album cover.

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

Harry Blair, illustrator As a child, Harry Blair drew and doodled in school. A science teacher noticed and, rather than punishing him, hung his sketches up in the classroom.

He believes the truest answer to where creativity comes from, and how, is unknowable. Children, he suggests, seem to innately possess it — unless, of course, it is squelched.

“It’s always seemed to me children, 5–6 years old, are the perfect example of creativity, having not been taught what is the wrong way or right way of doing something,” says Blair.

“That is what I strive for — that freshness, the magical quality of drawing something never seen before. Kids are ruined by first grade because they look at the kid next door to see what they drew.”

He thinks he escaped that ruinous fate, thanks to his own innate sense of knowing what is true and that creativity is doing something new.

How do his drawings emerge? “I visualize things that I think are flying around in the air . . . That’s where the magic comes in . . . I watch a drawing being drawn without consciously drawing it.”

Once an idea enters Blair’s head, he’ll do a quick sketch that brings into focus what he sees with his mind’s eye.

Sometimes he evaluates a sketch and throws it away.

“Other times it takes a 24-hour look-see. At that point I generally know if it’s good or not.”

He works at an antique table that is the center of his creative universe, a table that he believes is a century old.

“It came from Grimsley High back when they had drafting classes. Heavy. Beautiful. You don’t see them anymore.”

Fifty years ago, when they were cleared out, he asked to buy one. “And they said, ‘Take one!’ I was teaching art at the time at Page.”

He keeps reminders of past work while at work positioned on the same desk near a window. There’s a (figurative) camel displayed from when he did agency work promoting Camel cigarettes. “I have to be comfortable and well lighted.”

What does he credit as the source of his creativity? Blair’s unsure. “I saw Keith Richards recently — maybe on Jimmy Kimmel, and he asked how Keith did a riff . . . Keith said, ‘I don’t know.’”

Blair chuckles. “That’s a true answer.”

“There are days when I struggle, when it doesn’t flow like a river. I have to put it down and do something else.” He adds that such days are few.

Yet he’s grown kinder and gentler with himself. He’s less self-critical. And he doesn’t hold himself to a routine.

Although he taught art early in his career, Blair firmly thinks creativity is ineffable.

“I don’t think you can teach creativity . . . I don’t think you can teach someone who’s a pretty good artist to be a better artist.” Creativity, he explains, arises; “it happens or not.”

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Dana Holliday, mural artist Thomasville artist Dana Holliday is just off a patchy international call with her mother, Sue Canoy, who is in Nepal “on a yoga and walking trek.” (Canoy, like her daughter, also draws and paints. Both seek global inspiration for their work.)

Within Holliday’s extensive portfolio are specialized trompe l’oeil installations and murals for a variety of showrooms at the International Home Furnishing markets.

She finishes what she starts. Holliday once completed a massive commission for Currey & Company at High Point Furniture Market with one arm in a cast after falling from a scaffold. “I was painting a lady getting shot out of a cannon.” She jokes dryly, “How ironic.”

Holliday often works on three different projects at once. She believes creativity “is being able to paint a mural or painting from scratch without a clue of what it will become.”

She is inspired by both internal and external ideas, “usually drawn to nature, trees and other organic objects. And then, dreams. Even bad dreams.”

Typically painting in her studio (“It’s organized chaos!”) on a fixed schedule from 11 a.m.–5 p.m., she finds a routine solidifying. The artist frequently shows her personal work, including encaustic paintings using wax. Holliday often seeks out experts in techniques, absorbing the ways others have perfected their practices, “wanting to make it my own.”

Her artistic family offers commentary.

“Last year, my brother, Cary, reeled me in and said, ‘You’re getting fancy.

You’re not speaking to light and shape.’ And he was right.”

Challenging herself to create a new, minimalistic group of paintings, she stripped away inessentials. “That was really difficult for me, but I decided to do it and I did it.”

Influenced by Impressionism and the works of Georgia O’Keeffe, her travels have caused her to seek out artists in Europe, South America and New Zealand. Holliday, who also works in abstracts and portraiture, recently studied artist Ezshwan Winding’s encaustic and abstract painting techniques at her studio in Miguel San Allende, Mexico.

In 2023, she studied in western Ireland with Lora Murphy and Alicia Tormey. Tormey, an encaustic artist, pioneered the form. Murphy creates both oil and cold wax portraits.

She repeatedly checks finished work, asking, “Is this what I started out to do?”

Holliday asks, “Why did I choose to be an artist?”

Was the artistic life a choice at all, she wondered, or a compulsion?

Scientific American’s “Messy Minds of Creative People,” defined certain traits— plasticity, emergence, divergence — concluding that creativity “was messy.”

Rick Rubin decided the creative life wasn’t messy at all. Mysterious yet intentional. “Art is choosing to do something skillfully, caring about the details, bringing all of yourself to make the finest work you can. It is beyond ego, vanity, self-glorification and need for approval.”

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Alexis Hefney

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The Art & Soul of Greensboro

Cornered

By Flavor

Appetizing aromas draw foodies to two new restaurants reclaiming a busy Greensboro crossroads

By Maria Johnson Photographs by Bert VanderVeen

T

he pandemic stuck a fork in the restaurant life of Latham Park.

The Iron Hen — a lunch-brunch favorite that leaned on fresh, local ingredients — and its chain-driven neighbor, Dunkin’ Donuts, always good for a pop of caffeine and sugar, both shuttered during the shutdowns.

Local bellies rumbled for salads dotted with creamy goat cheese medallions and for confections crusted with rainbow sprinkles — though not necessarily at the same time.

Now, a new crop of flavor has sprung up at the corner of West Wendover Avenue and Cridland Road, thanks to two locallyowned restaurants: Saint Louis Saveurs, which fills the former Dunkin’ space, and Ava’s Cuisine & Catering, which occupies the Iron Hen’s old roost.

Both places serve down-home chow with a delicious twist: The owners come from different places, so their flavors are distinctly diverse, and their menus expand the rich, multi-ethnic flavor of Greensboro.

Still, their stories are remarkably similar.

For Mouhamadou “Mo” Cissé and his wife, Bator, both in their early 40s, home is the west African country of Senegal, specifically the coastal city of Saint Louis, which is about the size of Greensboro and which they pronounce the same way the region’s French colonizers did: san lou-EE. Saveurs means “flavors” in French, so, literally, the Cissés serve up the flavors of their hometown, most notably the warm, homey notes of garlic — an ingredient brought by the French — mingling with the sweet earthy tang of onions and peppers.

The piquant aroma hovers outside the restaurant, signaling that this is no slapdash joint; someone inside knows their way around the kitchen.

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Mouhamadou “Mo” and Bator Cissé

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“The experience, the love of cooking and making something really, really good, that’s what makes the difference,” Bator says.

“It’s all about the depth of the flavor.”

You can taste her practiced hand in dishes such as djolof, a fried-rice entree made with your choice of fish, chicken or lamb.

Each protein is cooked slowly and separately.

“That’s the traditional way of cooking back home, for safety, so the food is well-cooked,” says Mo, adding that the method concentrates flavor.

The protein dictates which kind of homemade onion sauce is used in the dish, and each meat gets its own array of vegetables. For example, the lamb is paired with carrots, peas and corn, while the fish swims with cabbage, carrots, yams and eggplant in season.

Yassa, made with white rice, uses some of the same ingredients as djolof, but the outcome is singular. “The order of cooking is different,” says Mo. “And the quantities of ingredients are different.”

Saint Louis tweaks some American favorites, too.

“Our burger is not going to be the burger you buy anywhere else, I can guarantee that,” Mo says proudly.

The Saint Louis Special Burger boasts a thick beef patty that’s mixed with jalapeños, eggs and cheese before hitting the griddle to coax out the juices.

The restaurant’s cheesesteak is a savory marriage of marinated beef or chicken, melted cheese, and a generous drizzle of homemade vinaigrette-based sauce on a sub roll. Customers yearning for crunch can ask for a garden finish of crispy lettuce or cucumber.

“That’s something you don’t see everyday on a cheesesteak,” says Bator.

Their down-home offerings extend to a zesty homemade ginger-pineapple drink and a scarlet-hued hibiscus tea known as bissap.

Bator, who directs the kitchen — “I want the food to be 100 percent” — learned to cook as a child. “At the age of 12, I started cooking lunch for the whole family,” she says.

Even more important in her business, she absorbed the Senegalese ethos of teranga, which means warmth and hospitality. She embodies teranga with her megawatt smile.

She also reflects the discipline she learned by playing center on her high school and university basketball teams. Wearing a sporty pullover and a Nike ball cap over her tied-back hair, she radiates the confidence of an athlete who knows how to give and take in the paint.

“I was always a hustler, and I always believe in myself,” she says. “Anywhere I am, I’m gonna make it.”

Mo, who earned a Master’s degree in accounting in his hometown, worked for a bank before coming to the United States for more education and work opportunities.

Bator left her extended family and a three-bedroom home, where she had a housekeeper, to join him in New York City.

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eats at the restaurant every few weeks. To enter, he steps under an clerk, and Bator rung up orders at Burger Heaven on Manhattan’s awning depicting the distinctively scalloped Faidherbe Upper East Side, travelBridge in Saint Louis and pulls on a fat “D-shaped” ing an hour by train from door handle, a vestige of doughnut days gone by. a small apartment in the On the bright yellow walls — the color appears in Bronx, then logging 13Bator, who directs the Senegalese flag and is also a favorite of the Cissés’ hour shifts before commutyounger daughter, Fatima — Bator and Mo have hung ing home. the kitchen — “I want reminders of home: a wooden map of the world, where “It was really, really hard,” they sometimes point out Senegal to customers, and she says. “I believe God sent the food to be 100 colorful, flat baskets woven by Bator and arranged in us a test.” percent” — learned an artful display.

A Senegalese business Feeling more comfortable already, Papa Seck contact suggested that Mo to cook as a child. “At slides into his native language. Behind the counter, move to Greensboro, where Bator catches the lilt of home and returns his greethe lived, and take classes the age of 12, I started ing with enthusiasm. at N.C. A&T. The couple Teranga. relocated and again found cooking lunch for the Papa orders his usual, mafé, a white-rice dish laden themselves working menial whole family,” with bites of beef, cabbage, carrots and yams, all under jobs and unable to save a creamy peanut sauce made sassy by onions, garlic and money. Their first daughter, she says. peppers.

Aminata, was born.

Waiting at one of a few bar-height tables, Seck says Something had to there is no other place like Saint Louis in this area. change.

“Reminds me of home,” he says.

Bator had an idea.

Newfound friends in Greensboro paid her to do what she loved to do anyway: create extra plates of Senegalese food, which is known throughout Africa for its quality. wo doors away — the restaurants are separated What if she and Mo opened a restaurant, something small, by a convenience store — customers feel a similar mostly take-out? warmth at Ava’s Cuisine & Catering, where there’s Mo was on it. He scouted spaces for rent. also a ready supply of smiles, plus an ample helping The Dunkin’ niche, an appendage of a Circle K gas station at of nods and “heys.” the bustling intersection, was empty of anything that suggested Former Iron Hen diners will notice several changes immedifood prep. The couple traveled to restaurant auctions to pick up ately. Gone are the tables. Take-out is the theme here, though kitchen equipment. voracious diners are welcome to sit on benches inside and outside They opened Saint Louis Saveurs for lunch and dinner in 2022. and dig into their clamshell boxes with plastic ware.

Ten to 15 percent of their orders come through food delivery Most of the concrete floor — remodeled with an epoxy finish services such as DoorDash and UberEats. Evenings find drivthat resembles black marble — is given over to a line of people ers standing outside the restaurant, waiting for their fragrant waiting for their turn at a cafeteria style hot bar. The choices dispatches. are vast — usually 12 meats, 20 side dishes and a selection of Walk-ins come from all over. homemade pound cakes — and they recall the homestyle food Some work at nearby Moses Cone Hospital; in the medical ofthat owner Alexis Hefney, 30, ate while growing up in Charlotte. fices along Wendover Avenue; or in downtown Greensboro, a few She modeled the hot bar after a Piccadilly cafeteria, where she minutes away. inched along, in a steamy, chatty queue with her family after Some customers are visiting Greensboro and discover Saint church. Behind glass, a line-up of salads, vegetables, meats, desLouis by googling African restaurants. serts, breads waited for diners to nod and point their choices to Others live nearby, in the well-heeled neighborhoods of Irving aproned servers.

Park, Latham Park and Fisher Park.

“I can vividly remember the macaroni-and-cheese and the red “Being in this restaurant, I realize that a lot of people in velvet cake,” Hefney says.

Greensboro travel,” says Bator. “I have people coming in here, tellHer mother and grandmother taught her how to cook. Her ing me about my country. I’m so happy to hear that. Greensboro mother, an insurance adjuster, also taught her daughter how to is a very diverse place. That’s why I love it,” she says. calculate risk and reward.

Another mainstay of the restaurant has been the African Her stepfather, a marketing specialist for companies including community in Greensboro, estimated to be at least 9,000 people, Food Lion and Red Lobster, imparted the importance of image according to the Center for New North Carolinians at UNCG. and trend.

Papa Seck, a Greensboro resident who’s also from Senegal, Hefney honed her sense of value and fashion by working at

T

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The Art & Soul of Greensboro

“We put our own twist to it,” Hefney says. “They do have a the Community Thrift Store near her high school. The store little bite to them.” was a typical second-hand shop, but occasionally people donated Another hot seller is smothered turkey legs, which are seasoned furs, designer handbags and other pricey pieces. Hefney routinely and baked until they’re falling off the bone then served with checked the back of the store, where the better quality pieces were chicken gravy over mashed potatoes or rice. displayed.

The deep-fried chicken relies on a family recipe with a couple Lesson: “You can mix nice pieces with cheap pieces and pull it of unusual ingredients, which Hefney keeps to herself. all together,” she says.

“The way we season our food is what makes it a little bit differShe added restaurant skills by working as a server at Smokey ent,” she says with a smile.

Bones, TGI Fridays and a fish house while studying at UNCG. And Ava’s best-selling side dish? The macaroni-and-cheese She majored in biology with an eye toward becoming a dentist. made from a blend of cheddar cheeses, elbow noodles and a An internship revealed an important obstacle. white sauce with butter and eggs that form a golden, cheesy crust “I realized that I absolutely hated teeth,” she says, laughing. when baked.

She pivoted by snaring a Master’s degree in secondary educa“From the time you walk into the restaurant, you can feel the tion and getting certified to teach science at Dudley High School, love we put into the food,” Hefney says. where she worked for several years.

She runs her catering business out of the restaurant’s kitchen.

It was emotionally satisfying work. Financially, not so much.

The front of the house is open Thursdays through Mondays for “Let’s face it, teachers don’t make much money,” she says. lunch and dinner, with the other days given to hosting private Hefney — by then, mother to Ava, the restaurant’s namesake — tastings in the updated space. took stock of her skills and passions, which included cooking for Improvements include a new stone-clad counter, LED menu friends and family. boards, upholstered bench seating and the pièce de résistance: a Her apartment was often the site of Friendsgivings and other double-wide Rococo-style throne, covered with pink upholstery holiday gatherings. People jumped at a chance to sample her canand tufted with chunky rhinestones. died yams, fried chicken or macaroni-and-cheese.

Wise to the power of selfies and TikTok videos with a recogniz“Most of all, I love people. Number two, I love food,” she says, able backdrop, Hefney nabbed the throne online. spelling out her logic. “Food brings people together.”

“I ran across this and I was like, ‘Oh, yeah.’ I wanted someShe drew up a detailed plan for a catering business, focusing thing that was like, ‘Wow,’” she says. “Social media is everything on cost efficiency. now. It’s like instant advertising.”

She spent some of her savings on a truck and trailer that had A fashionista who’s mindful of comfort, Hefney is wrapped in been used to sell Mexican food in Texas. a long, fuzzy, pink sweater over She advertised her services on Thumbtack. a white T-shirt and dark jeans On weekends, she hauled a prescribed amount grounded by a pair of popular of food to her clients’ weddings, graduation parmulticolored Nike Dunks. ties, birthdays, anniversaries.

The deep-fried Her restaurant reflects the Positive reviews brought more bookings, and changing times, too.

Hefney moved operations to The City Kitch, a chicken relies on a Ten years ago, opening a cook-sharing space inside a former cafeteria in family recipe with restaurant in Greensboro would Greensboro’s Quaker Village. She rented a 10-byhave meant offering sit-down 20-foot office off South Holden Road to host a couple of unusual service, perhaps with a sideline tastings for clients. of take-out. Post-pandemic, more She continued teaching at Dudley until fall ingredients, which customers are comfortable with 2022, when the catering business was prosperous grab-and-go, a boost for budding enough for her to give up the county paycheck.

Hefney keeps to restaurateurs who are looking to Another turning point came last spring, when herself. keep costs low and traffic high. she hosted a food tent at the Dreamville Festival, On Thursdays, ox tail days, a rap and R&B event in Raleigh.

250 people will stream through “People were raving about Ava’s Cuisine,” she Ava’s, Hefney says. says. “That’s what pushed me to say, ‘Hey, I think Long deprived of the aromas of home, folks in the area are we should open up a restaurant.’” grateful. Some stopped by during the renovation to see when Ava’s Cuisine & Catering, the walk-in space, debuted in Ava’s would open.

September 2023.

“People were excited to see us,” says Hefney. “I had one lady The biggest crowds show up for the Thursday special, ox tails. comment on our Facebook page, ‘Thank you so much for bringBraised, seasoned and served over rice, the tails — which are ing the smells to our neighborhood.’” OH similar to beef short ribs — could be described as Caribbean soul food.

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

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The Art & Soul of Greensboro

The Collected & Collaged Home An artist pastes together his story

By Cassie Bustamante • Photographs by Amy Freeman

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

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J

ust beyond the front door of Perry Boswell’s downtown Summit Avenue condo hangs a large collaged canvas created by the artist himself. The Dandy is a collection of black-and-white images from the late 1800s and early 1900s, including three photos of suited Black men — one with a handlebar mustache — and a photo of a behatted Black woman adorned in fur.

Why these images? “I would find pictures that had no story and, for whatever reason, they would tell me they need a story,” Boswell says.

So he got to work, cutting and pasting, weaving in advertisements and minstrel music from the same era, plus notebook writings of his own.

“And here is the thing about putting your comments in a different time,” Boswell says of working with old ephemera, “you can say something really pertinent — what needs to be said about things.”

At a show of his collage work, Boswell once overheard a friend comment on The Dandy to a gallery visitor, “You know what, if you knew him, you would realize it is also a story about him, too.”

While the canvases decorated with his own two hands are created as a means to share a bit of his story, he’s drawn to art that does the same. Beyond the entry, his home unfurls like a gallery, art, thoughtfully curated, and one-of-akind treasures inviting the visitor to pause and take it all in. One of his quirkiest pieces is a carnival-colored painting of a two-headed man he purchased at the Fearrington Folk Art Show.

Painted on an old door, one face features dark shaped brows, pale blue eyes, a serious expression and is as dapper as The Dandy, down to the handlebar mustache. The other, its opposite, wears a toothy grin, bushier brows and dark eyes. The humor, color and use of recycled salvage drew him to it immediately. But what made him purchase it? “I was figuring me out and it spoke to me in a way that we’re all two-headed because we’re many people in one,” he says.

And has he figured himself out? Dressed in a gray shawl-collar, chunky wool sweater, dark denim and stylish black glasses, Boswell, a retired Davidson County High school art teacher, is,

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

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like his house, carefully put together. The effect? Refined ruggedness — a phrase that could easily describe his home, too. What his ensemble can’t illustrate on its own is the comfort he feels in his skin. But just as creating art or a home is often a slow and sometimes challenging process, so has it been with his inner journey.

That passage, he says, has involved “a lot of change. It’s age. It’s a divorce. It’s a lot of things,” says Boswell. Still, he says he feels as if he’s approaching his destination “because I can be at ease with all the things I am.”

Since growing up in his parents’ house, built on his grandparents’ 100-acre Thomasville tobacco farm, Boswell has called a few other places home in his 61 years. As a newlywed fresh out of college, he purchased his first house, a charming 1930s bungalow in Welcome. Later, when a son was born, the family packed up and headed to suburbia. And when that son flew the coop, he and his former wife moved to Greensboro into a 1920s Latham Park home, complete with a backyard art studio.

“I like a place that has a story, a soul,” says Boswell. So it’s no surprise that when his marriage ended, a topic he opts not to touch upon, he knew exactly where he wanted to land — the 1922 Flatiron Building on Summit Avenue. Designed by Jefferson Standard Building architect Charles Hartmann, the structure, originally intended to house four family-sized apartments, now features eight units and, of course, Flat Iron cocktail bar and music venue.

66 O.Henry

At a potluck dinner hosted by fellow Sternberger Artists Center tenant Molly Amsler, who lives in one of the eight units, Boswell immediately felt a strong pull toward the building.

“When I stepped into it, I knew I was going to live here,” he says.

“I just knew it.”

The stars aligned and a street level unit with a porch view of the Greensboro History Museum popped up on the market just when Boswell needed it. But, he adds, it was by choice that he made the purchase.

A stone’s throw from his studio space at Sternberger, his new Summit Avenue home is within walking or, as he points out, trolley distance, to some of his favorite haunts: the public library, the museums and the booming coffee shop scene. “It seems like downtown is becoming little Seattle,” Boswell quips gleefully. Or, he can simply sit on his porch and enjoy the cast of characters that walk by.

That thriving downtown cultural scene is fuel for this artist’s soul. “I can, on a Saturday night, go down here and hear Latin music and see families dancing with each other. How wonderful that is!” he says. “Hearing different stories but seeing the commonality of it is important to me.”

As a retired teacher, where does he find the funds to support his collecting and coffee shop habits? Of course, he has a pension, but he chose to get a part-time job as well. During his 30 years in the classroom, he often worked side hustles — painting houses with his

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

father or designing High Point showrooms — and relishes in the opportunity to interact with people. Shoppers, he says, love to talk to him while he works, allowing him to meet interesting people that might inspire his artistic work. Plus, “I know how to work an apron,” he jokes of his role as stock boy at Bestway Marketplace at UNCG, where he earned both his B.A. and M.F.A. Is there a common thread that ties together the quirky art and vintage pieces that make his condo as much a museum as a home?

He laughs: “There is a fine line between collector and hoarder,” but the furnishings placed throughout his condo and adorning his walls are clearly curated to tell Boswell’s own story. When making a purchase for the home, he doesn’t consider whether something will “match.” Instead he asks himself, “Will it give me something positive?”

68 O.Henry

As someone who has been to High Point Furniture Market as both a guest and showroom designer, Boswell says, “There are beautiful, wonderful, expensive things . . . but you don’t feel anything about it.” And as an artist who admits to a studio space where creativity is born of chaos, he’s made his home more of a gallery than a workplace, filled with art, antiques and oddities that give him what he calls “good energy.”

Back in the single bedroom of his unit, Boswell, who has traveled quite a bit in his lifetime, purposefully created a retreat that feels like an old European hotel. On its gray walls, his appreciation for fashion, especially vintage, is on display. Genuine 1920s drawings from Paris fashion houses, gifted to him by a friend, add a sprinkle of vibrant color to the serene space. And next to his antique oak highboy, a framed salesman’s sheet of sample bowties The Art & Soul of Greensboro

from, he guesses, the 1940s is paired with its perfect complement, discovered later at a flea market — a vintage sketch of a dapper gentleman in a bowtie, smoking a pipe.

Anchoring the space, an antique brass bed with simple white bedding is flanked by a pair of sleek mahogany-colored vintage nightstands. Above the headboard, on either side of a Frenchinspired sconce scored at Adelaide’s, two muted but colorful German prints featuring Arts-and-Crafts-era pottery and candlesticks hang, a souvenir from his many summers spent teaching at Reynolda House’s summer enrichment program. “I got as much out of it as the kids did,” he muses.

The bedroom’s counterpart, his white kitchen, is where he shows off his fondness for folk and outsider art. A set of clay tiles featuring farm animals created by local artist Leanne Pizio fills The Art & Soul of Greensboro

a skinny strip of wall by his back door. He takes one down and flips it over, revealing a simple saying on the back. “I love these for the tiles and the writings,” says Boswell. As luck would have it, he also scored a couple of bright Leanne Pizio chicken paintings at a second-hand shop.

Boswell opens his pantry door to reveal a hidden gem. “This is a Mary piece,” he says. Featured on PBS, Mary Paulsen is a coastal North Carolina creator who makes folk art out of found objects.

Boswell’s “Mary” is a verre églomisé — backward painting on glass — merman. Art lovers from as far as Europe now come to buy her work, so he’s happy to have one hanging in his home and hopes to acquire more.

Across the hall from the kitchen, the dining room’s furnishings piece together, much like a collage, his own family’s history.

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A green-based farm table was rescued from his grandparent’s farm and served him as an art table for many years, moving with him from house to house. The table, Boswell knew, had been built by his great-grandfather and formerly used in a smokehouse to hold hams. He loves to imagine all of the conversations his ancestors have had around this very table. “Wow,” he muses, “if this thing could talk.”

Now, it serves as a place for Boswell to take his turn hosting monthly artist potlucks. At 700 square feet, according to Zillow, “My home is not big,” he says without a hint of humor at the understatement, “but I can have dinner parties.”

And what’s a dinner party without the perfect cocktail corner? Serving as his bar, a tool chest that belonged to his father holds various glassware. “When I found this, my father’s badge from work was in here,” he says, tears pricking the corners of his blue eyes. He opens the drawer and, with admiration, shows off his father’s Western Electric photo ID card. “Now, my father didn’t drink. He would probably have a stroke about this,” he says with a chuckle.

On the wall just above the cabinet? More quirky art, naturally. A colorful piece passed down from a friend features a

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bar scene that reminds Boswell of a Van Gogh work. When he placed it over the tool-chest-turned-bar, a chorus of yesssss rang through his head.

An unassuming, elongated octagonal ironstone platter on display in an open dining room cabinet boasts an unexpected story.

“Maya Angelou lived in Winston-Salem and I went to the estate sale!” says Boswell, who paired his undergrad art degree with a minor in literature. Showing up on the last day, not a whole lot was left to choose from, but in the garage, hiding on a shelf, he spotted the plain white platter, which had a large chip. “I paid 25 bucks for it,” he says, and then took it to Replacements, Ltd., which, in turn, recommended a local couple who could repair it. He had it mended, but requested it maintain a little knick.

“The imperfections of things make them much more livable and homey to me.”

Ever the collector, Boswell recently purchased an old glass cabinet from a Pittsboro shop, though it originated in an Albemarle farmhouse as a kitchen upper. Inside is a collection of vintage books found locally at Bargain Box. An avid reader, he bought the whole set and has been making his way through reading them — Thoreau, Oscar Wilde, Emerson and more classics.

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In the hallway, which runs the length of his living and dining rooms, Boswell has turned the narrow passage into an art exhibition featuring more of his collected pieces plus a couple of his own. He points out a recent acquisition, a French lithograph featuring a rural autumnal scene. Across from it, hangs a lone photograph of Boswell himself, a gift from a filmmaking friend. In the image, he was caught unawares, head-down at a table in WinstonSalem’s Joyner’s Bar, sketching with an old fashioned, his cocktail of choice.

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The Art & Soul of Greensboro

His rarest find, his pièce de résistance, sits at the very end of the hallway underneath a vintage mirror. A memory jug is a form of African-American folk art that pays homage to the dead and is crafted from bits and pieces of their life, almost like a mosaic. “I’ve never seen one outside of a museum,” he says.

Although this piece is likely valuable, that’s not the reason he bought it. So why does he call this particular piece his pride and joy? It’s simple — the story it tells.

“The storytelling part of all this old stuff is what is important,” he says. And Boswell continues to tell his story to the The Art & Soul of Greensboro

world through his paintings and collages. But perhaps his biggest piece of collage art to date is this very home: a series of bits and pieces meticulously crafted together into what has become his favorite — and likely his last — residence. “Our story is all we have to give each other. We come into this world alone, we leave alone and we’re lucky to have people to love in between. But if this is all there is, our story is all we’ve got to give each other.” OH Perry Boswell’s work can be found at Sternberger Artists Center and on his own website: perryboswell.art.

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74 O.Henry

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The Art & Soul of Greensboro

A L M A N A C

January

By Ashley Walshe

J

anuary is a sacred pause, a rite of passage, a miracle in the dark.

As the Earth sleeps, a brown thrasher sweeps through the dormant garden. Gray squirrels skitter across naked gray branches. A grizzled buck disappears into the colorless yonder.

These bitter mornings, you study the critters beyond the window until the kettle calls out. Back and forth, you putter from stovetop to window, marveling at the movement amid the still and desolate landscape.

You open your journal, turn to a fresh page, watch your thoughts wax introspective.

Sifting through the humus of last year — the upsets, obstacles and lessons — you procure a wealth of nourishment.

Glimpses of who you’re becoming. Morsels of wisdom to carry forth.

So much is stirring beneath the surface. Surely the crocus feels this way. Growth isn’t always visible.

At once, the thrasher breaks your focus with spontaneous song.

You put on the kettle, fill up your thermos, step into the freshness of a brand-new year.

The buck has shed his antlers at the forest’s edge. Gray squirrels skitter from cache to cache.

Each critter is a holy mirror.

The darkest days are behind us.

Within the ancient quiet of winter, a secret world awaits discovery. Those searching for spring will never see it. Those looking within will find the key.

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

Milk Flower Among the earliest spring bulbs to bloom, the common snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) dazzles in large drifts, especially when planted beneath deciduous tree canopies.

A birth flower of January, the snowdrop’s Latin name translates as “milk flower.” Emerging from a cold and sleeping Earth, the delicate flowers are, in fact, sustenance for the winter-weary, symbolizing purity, hope and new beginnings.

Reaching a height of just 3 to 6 inches, the dainty white blossoms of this hardy perennial resemble tiny teardrop chandeliers.

German folklore tells that, before snow had a color, it asked the flowers of the Earth if it could borrow one of their radiant shades. When all the other blossoms denied the snow’s request, the humble snowdrop offered its white hue to the snow. Grateful for this kindly gesture, the snow vowed to protect the snowdrop from the icy grip of winter. Thus, snow and snowdrop remain true and lasting friends.

Don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous. — Rumi

Stone Soup You’ve heard the old folk story: Everybody gives, everybody wins.

Soup Swap Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of January.

Launched in Seattle in the early 2000s, this unofficial holiday has inspired soup enthusiasts across the globe to gather their tribes — and their Tupperware — and get to simmering.

It’s simple.

Pick a soup, any soup: Vegetable stew served with homemade bread.

Cream of mushroom topped with cracked pepper and fresh thyme.

Roasted cauliflower brightened with a squeeze of lemon.

The possibilities are endless.

Cook a king-size batch, ladle into containers, then distribute to your broth-loving friends.

Leave the party with as much soup as you doled out. Everybody gives, everybody wins. OH

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OH PROfiles The People & Businesses That Make the Triad a More Vibrant Place to Live and Work!

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to best ensure a memorable dining experience for each and every meal.

“Food and dining build community and family,” Dumke says. “It’s important. We’ve got a terrific team here dedicated to making sure it’s done really well.”

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Born and raised in Greensboro, these identical twins founded their enterprise in 2020. With wares from more than 30 vendors and over 100 consignors, Twin Brothers Antiques features a wide variety of carefully chosen and imaginatively

curated exquisite estate furnishings and accessories. Doug and Bruce follow the golden rule of shopping: “We treat every customer the way we would want to be treated.”

With new merchandise arriving daily, Twin Brothers Antiques is all about fulfilling its customers’ wish lists when it comes to home decor and collectibles. Discover for yourself the wondrous world of one-of-a-kind heirlooms and elegant antiquities awaiting you!

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LAWRENCE PETERSEN

FOUNDER

Lawrence Petersen always enjoyed exploring the woods, fields and creeks where he grew up. His compassion for wildlife blossomed as he learned how essential habitat is to the diversity of life — and the displacement that occurs when habitat is lost.

Petersen is the founder of Compassionate Wildlife Removal, a team of licensed, insured Wildlife Exclusion Specialists focused on solutions that protect people’s homes and do no harm to wildlife.

These professionals begin with an assessment that includes a preliminary inspection, followed by a detailed recommendation and an estimate to complete the work, plus a two-year guarantee.

“Having wildlife like bats, rodents and raccoons nested in people’s homes creates a lot of anxiety and that’s why we’ve developed solutions that are not only effective, but they are also safe for humans, pets, wildlife and the environment,” explains Petersen.

Petersen and his team of innovative specialists are also passionate about safe and simple ways to create wildlife habitats. For example, they’ve installed dozens of bat houses in clients’ backyards to naturally reduce mosquito populations.

The overarching message of Compassionate Wildlife Removal––whether they’re removing wildlife or creating habitats––is that we can live side-by-side with our wild neighbors, happily and harmoniously.

RockyaRaccoon@gmail.com 336-525-5531 CompassionateWildlifeRemoval.com

DR. STEPHEN GIORDANO, DO

CEO & OWNER | CAROLINA AGE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

Dr. Stephen Giordano has always had a passion for aesthetics and art.

This medically licensed, board-certified physician opened the Carolina Age Management Institute (CAMI) in 2013. Offering aesthetic medicine and minimally invasive surgeries, “Dr. G” and his 45-member team are also experts in all injectables, hair restoration, skin tightening and Smart Lipo.

What started as a small, one-room business slowly expanded into three locations — Huntersville, Concord and Greensboro — thanks to Giordano’s honest and transparent reputation. “As we continue to grow, I’m striving to make a difference by being candid with my patients about the services they’re seeking.”

The practice of what Giordano calls “old school medicine” is what sets CAMI apart from its competitors. Developing patient trust and being available by phone outside business hours are just some of the ways CAMI seeks to serve its patients in the community, something Giordano considers his privilege.

“I think that we are the most honest and transparent aesthetic practice around,” says Giordano. “We are not in it just for the money – if someone comes in with an inspiration pic that’s using clever lighting, angles or filters - I’m going to give them a realistic expectation - and my honest opinion - of what’s best for them.”

1507 Westover Terrace, Suite B, Greensboro, NC 336-738-0099 www.carolinaagemanagement.com

804 Green Valley Road, Suite 100, Greensboro, NC 336-574-5731 sardzinskivanorewealthmanagement.com

GREG SARDZINSKI

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

ANDREW VANORE

VICE PRESIDENT Greg Sardzinski, senior vice president of wealth management, and Andrew Vanore, vice president of wealth management, recently joined Raymond James. Both have Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor designations while Sardzinski holds Certified Private Wealth Advisor and Certified Portfolio Manager accredidations.

Sharing similar values about client care and establishing relationships, the duo teamed up in a practice around seven years ago. Over that time, they’ve built an advisory practice focused on individuals and families interested in strengthening their financial situation or outlook. Because there’s more to family wealth than simply portfolio management, their clients include business owners, corporate executives, families or individuals nearing retirement, and those encountering sudden wealth.

Vanore and his wife, Riegel, have three children — Maria, Bo and Lola — two in high school, one in college, plus two dogs, Cash and new addition Jalen. Married for 30 years, Sardzinski and his wife, Leslie, have three adult children — Bennett, Paige and Anna — along with a yellow Labrador, Bella.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC

REV. OTTO D. HARRIS III

SENIOR PASTOR

Reverend Otto D. Harris III considers himself both a consensus builder and a facilitator of community. As senior pastor of West Market Street United Methodist Church (WMSUMC), Harris seeks to contribute to racial, cultural and social healing in Greensboro.

Raised and educated in primary, secondary, and postsecondary schools in Greensboro, Harris relishes in serving the city he considers home through his third career. After serving in the Marine Corps and attending college, later earning his Doctorate from UNC-Greensboro, he worked in corporate America, but discovered he had a heart for service and sharing hope. A pastor in the United Methodist Church since 2004, Harris is also the current director of United Methodist Studies and an adjunct faculty member at Hood Theological Seminary.

“Founded in 1830, WMSUMC seeks to share the heart of God from the heart of downtown Greensboro,” says Harris.

“Our pioneering spirit has been a part of founding churches, ministries and initiatives throughout the city.” With 17 employees serving WMSUMC and an additional 28 devoted to its Early Childhood Center, Harris leads the church to spread joy, hope and love while impacting positive social change.

302 West Market Street, Greensboro, NC (336) 275-4587 www.westmarketchurch.org

KIM WILSON | REALTOR Kim Wilson’s love of people, homes and design was instilled in her at a young age. Raised in the furniture industry, Wilson earned her B.F.A. in interior design and architecture from the University of North Texas. After working in the furniture industry throughout the Carolinas, she met the love of her life, Scott, in Greensboro, where the couple raised their two daughters.

Founded in 2022, Kim Wilson Homes was created in partnership with BHHS Yost and Little Realty. Wilson leads five agents, an operations manager and a marketing coordinator who all share the same sense of professionalism and commitment to providing extraordinary experiences by doing the unexpected extras. This collaborative team services all areas of residential real estate, from first-time home purchases to luxury real estate.

Adopting a client-centered approach, Kim Wilson Homes provides hands-on support. Its “Client for Life” program keeps agents connected with clients, who often become good friends.

After a successful first year, Wilson is forward-focused: “We are running into 2024 with open arms. Our goal is to continue to grow with the support of our BHHS Yost and Little family so that we can better serve the community we love.”

1007 Battleground Avenue, Suite 101, Greensboro, NC

336-662-7805

KimWilsonHomes.BHHSCarolinasCompanies.com

FRANK McCAIN

PRESIDENT & CEO As president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG), Frank McCain is devoted to improving our community and the lives of its residents. “At United Way, we are leading Greensboro’s Bold Goal strategy, a movement to elevate 3,000 households out of poverty by the year 2030. Every day, we organize, strategize and mobilize to build community partnerships that create pathways to self-sufficiency for families and promote a shared prosperity for our entire community.” McCain is inspired by the results of the organization’s work and the positive impact it is having for so many in our community: “It serves as my continued inspiration for us to create lasting change for residents in our community.”

McCain articulates the ethos driving this effort, stating, “As a child, I was taught that the world is bigger than me and that sometimes you have to be the voice for the voiceless and that can sometimes be rocky, and you might even have to walk it alone. There are over 88,000 (17.0%) people in Guilford County living in poverty that need me to be their voice at the table…this is not a responsibility that I take lightly.”

1500 Yanceyville Street, Greensboro, NC 336-378-6600 UnitedWayGSO.org

MARY & MARK GUNYUZLU | OWNERS While in their 20s, Mark and Mary Gunyuzlu bought a 1910 South Carolina farmhouse and barn that required massive updating, which they undertook themselves.

“From building cabinets to planing the old pine flooring,” Mary tells us, “we remember those times as happy and productive years.” That experience opened the doors to many successful home transformations. So teaming up with nationally recognized Paul Davis Restorations to open the Triad-East franchise was a natural fit for this can-do couple.

Mark, an actual rocket scientist who worked on solid rocket fuel motor programs for both the Air Force and Nasa, and Mary, a ceramic sculptor with a keen visual eye, bring their combined skillset to the job. Owners of a company with an Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, Mark is a N.C. licensed building contractor and both Mark and Mary hold certifications for N.C. lead renovation, applied structural drying, water damage restoration, mold mitigation, crime scene and trauma clean-up and fire and smoke damage mitigation.

With a vision to provide extraordinary care while serving people in their time of need, they also partner with many large retail, senior and daycare facilities where safety is priority number one. As they say, “People first, property next.”

108 South Walnut Circle, Greensboro, NC 336-707-3018 triad-east.pauldavis.com

DR. ALLI WOLFE, MD

FAMILY PHYSICIAN

Family medicine physician, Dr. Alli Wolfe of Triad Direct Primary Care, started out practicing rural family medicine in Texas with the intent of doing medical missions in the future.

The year of 2019 brought many changes including moving to Greensboro and a few years later lead to her starting her own Direct Primary Care practice.

Triad Direct Primary Care is family medicine reimagined. We simplify medicine by taking the “middle man” (insurance) out of the equation and instead use a membership-based model.

Patients pay a monthly membership fee and receive all the primary care they need. Patients enjoy unlimited office visits with no co pays for routine, preventive and chronic care, prescription medications at wholesale cost; significant discounts on labs and imaging studies; and direct communication with Dr. Wolfe via phone, text, and e-mail.

The best part is access and time. Dr. Wolfe loves this model of medicine as it allows the time to develop relationships and truly take good care of patients.

Dr. Wolfe lives with her husband, James, and four children, sharing their little plot of Eden in Summerfield with dogs, chickens and a barn cat and plans to add pigs and sheep in the near future.

She’s an avid runner, loves Jesus and making adventures all over God’s marvelous creation.

Triad Direct Primary Care Triad Direct Primary Care, PLLC 1321 New Garden Road, Greensboro, NC 336-398-3841 Triaddpc.com

4915 Piedmont Parkway Suite 107, Jamestown, NC 336-975-8380 WindowWorksStudio.com

AMY MEINECKE & AMY BARADELL OWNERS

From their bustling workroom in Jamestown, Amy Meinecke and Amy Baradell, owners of Window Works Studio, offer their clients decades of experience designing and fabricating window treatments in addition to all manner of soft goods such as bedding, pillows and cushions.

Meinecke earned her color certification with The Design and Staging Academy, while Baradell graduated magna cum laude with a degree in clothing and textiles from UNCG. They met in 2003, when Meinecke, who’d founded the High Point Chapter of the Window Coverings Association of America, was recruiting new members. At the time, each had her own separate window treatment business, but, in 2009, the two joined forces.

Together, they now oversee a complete, turnkey operation, from initial concept, manufacturing and production through the completed installations to add that “Wow!” factor.

Continually growing, pursuing the latest imaginative and creative approaches, Window Works’ eight-person team, including seamstresses and design consultants, is uniquely equipped to work with even the most challenging projects, seamlessly merging form and functionality for the finest quality results.

January

Please verify times, costs, status and location before attending an event. Although conscientious efforts are made to provide accurate and up-to-date information, the world is subject to change and errors can occur!

2024

To submit an event for consideration, email us at ohenrymagcalendar@gmail.com by 5 p.m. the first of the month one month prior to the event.

Weekly Events SUNDAYS BARRE CLASS. 10 a.m. Strengthen, tone and stretch your way into the week. Tickets: $10.

Grandover Resort & Spa, 1000 Club Road, Greensboro. Info: grandoverresort.com.

FOOD & FLOW. 10–11 a.m. Begin your day with a relaxing yoga practice and a mimosa.

BYO mat and needed props. Tickets: $5. Elm & Bain, 117b W. Lewis St., Greensboro. Info: southendbrewing.com/event-directory.

TUESDAYS PELVIC HEALTH YOGA. 8:30–9:30 a.m.

This Vinyasa-style flow class works toward lengthening and strengthening the pelvic floor and surrounding muscles. Free, registration required and donations accepted. Triad Pelvic Health, 5574 Garden Village Way, Greensboro.

Info: triadpelvichealth.com/classes.

RUN CLUB. 6 p.m. All levels are welcome to join Little Brother Brewing’s run clubs and earn incentives such as beer and swag.

Free. Little Brother Brewing, 348 S. Elm St, Greensboro. Info: littlebrotherbrew.com/runclub.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CAROLINE ALMY

WEDNESDAYS WINE WEDNESDAY. 5–8 p.m. Sip wine, munch pizza and enjoy the soothing sounds of live jazz. Free. Double Oaks, 204 N. Mendenhall St. Greensboro. Info: double-oaks.com/wine-wednesday.

LIVE MUSIC. 6–9 p.m. Evan Olson and Jessica Mashburn of AM rOdeO play covers and original music. Free. Print Works Bistro.

702 Green Valley Road, Greensboro. Info: printworksbistro.com/gallery/music.

THURSDAYS JAZZ AT THE O.HENRY. 6–9 p.m. Sip vintage craft cocktails and snack on tapas while the O.Henry Trio performs with a different jazz vocalist each week. Free. O.Henry Hotel Social

88 O.Henry

Piedmont Winterfest 01.01, 04–08, 11–15, 18–22, 25–28.2024 Lobby, 624 Green Valley Road, Greensboro.

Info: ohenryhotel.com/o-henry-jazz.

WALK THIS WAY. 6 p.m. Put on your sneakers for a 2–4 mile social stroll or jog with the Downtown Greenway Run & Walk Club, which is open to all ages and abilities. Free. LoFi Park, 500 N. Eugene St., Greensboro. Info: downtowngreenway.org/events.

THURSDAYS & SATURDAYS KARAOKE & COCKTAILS. 8 p.m. until midnight, Thursdays; 9 p.m. until midnight, Saturdays. Courtney Chandler hosts a night of sipping and singing. Free. 19 & Timber Bar at Grandover Resort & Spa, 1000 Club Road, Greensboro. Info: grandoverresort. com.

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS LIVE MUSIC. 7–10 p.m. Enjoy drinks in the 1808 Lobby Bar while soaking up live music provided by local artists. Free. Grandover Resort & Spa, 1000 Club Road, Greensboro.

Info: grandoverresort.com.

SATURDAYS YOGA. 9:30 a.m. Don’t stay in bed when you

could namaste in the spa studio. Tickets: $10.

Grandover Resort & Spa, 1000 Club Road, Greensboro. Info: grandoverresort.com.

WATER AEROBICS. 10:30 a.m. Make a splash while getting a heart-pumping workout at an indoor pool. Tickets: $10. Grandover Resort & Spa, 1000 Club Road, Greensboro.

Info: grandoverresort.com.

January Events 01–31 SCAVENGER HUNT. Think you know the Downtown Greenway? Participate via Facebook or Instagram, testing your knowledge in a month-long social media scavenger hunt featuring weekly prizes plus a grand-prize winner. Info: downtowngreenway.org/events.

FIELDS & FEATHERS. 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Discover photos and artifacts at Fields & Feathers: Hunting at Deep River Lodge, 1895-1935.

Open through January 2024. Free. High Point Museum, 1859 E. Lexington Ave., High Point.

Info: highpointmuseum.org.

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

january calendar WINTER SHOW. GreenHill Center for NC Art’s annual Winter Show returns featuring North Carolina artists’ works for purchase and viewing. Greensboro Cultural Center, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Info: greenhillnc.org/winter-show-2023.

01, 04–08, 11–15, 18–22, 25–28 PIEDMONT WINTERFEST. Times vary.

Glide, twirl or stumble your way across the ice rink with friends and family. Tickets: $15.

LeBauer Park, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro.

Info: piedmontwinterfest.com.

05 FIRST FRIDAY. 6–9 p.m. Enjoy live entertainment, a cash bar and open studios in ArtQuest. Free. GreenHill Center for NC Art, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Info: greenhillnc.org/events.

09 AS IF. 7 p.m. Embark on a ’90s teenage journey through self-discovery with Alicia Silverstone’s Cher in Clueless. Tickets: $8. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Info: carolinatheatre.com/events.

11 KATHERINE SNOW SMITH. 7 p.m. Enjoy wine and dessert while North Carolina writer Katherine Snow Smith joins O.Henry’s Cassie Bustamante and Jim Dodson in conversation about her new memoir, Stepping on the Blender & Other Times Life Gets Messy. Free. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: scuppernongbooks.com/event.

12–21 INTO THE WOODS. Times vary.

Community Theatre of Greensboro presents a modern take on timeless classics featuring the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim.

Tickets: $15+. Starr Theatre, 520 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: ctgso.org.

12–13 STEVE GILLESPIE. 8:30 pm. The comedian whose album hit No. 1 on the iTunes Comedy Charts delivers a night of laughs. Tickets: $15.

The Idiot Box, 503 N. Greene St., Greensboro.

Info: idiotboxers.com.

12 JEWEL. 8 p.m. The celebrated singer-songwriter who began her career as a homeless teen takes the stage with her guitar and ’90s hits. Tickets: $7.50+. UNCG Auditorium, The Art & Soul of Greensboro

408 Tate St., Greensboro. Info: vpa.uncg. edu/home/ucls-23-24.

13–20 WEEK OF SERVICE. Honor Martin Luther King throughout the week by participating in local volunteer opportunities. Info: volunteercentertriad.org/mlk.

13–14 MONSTER JAM. Times vary. Experience the thrill of big trucks performing exhilarating feats right in front of your eyes. Tickets: $20+. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Info: greensborocoliseum.com/events.

13, 20, 27 BLACKSMITH DEMONSTRATION. 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Watch a costumed blacksmith in action as he crafts various iron pieces. Free. Historical Park at High Point Museum, 1859 E. Lexington Ave., High Point. Info: highpointmuseum.org.

13 SYMPHONY DIRECTOR CANDIDATE. 8 p.m. Accompanied by soprano Gina Perregrino, the third music director candidate, Leslie Dunner, leads the symphony for what could be the first of many nights.

Tickets: $35+. Steven Tanger Center, 300 N. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: greensborosymphony.org/events/list.

BIKE SHOW. 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Full Throttle Magazine hosts a custom bike show, featuring live music, a Harley-Davidson fashion show, a tattoo booth and more for the motorhead. Tickets: $20+. Greensboro Coliseum Special Events Center, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Info: greensborocoliseum.com/events.

GOAT AWARDS. 7 p.m. FASK (Families Against Senseless Killings) presents its annual GOAT awards show during the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, declared a ceasefire by the mayor. Tickets: $18.50. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Info: carolinatheatre.com/events.

EMMA LANGFORD. 7:30 p.m. The Limerick-based songwriter shares her brand of new wave Irish folk with a night of musical storytelling. Tickets: $20+. High Point Theatre, 220 E. Commerce Ave., High Point.

Info: highpointtheatre.com/events.

14 WHITNEY HOUSTON TRIBUTE. 7 p.m.

Belinda Davids pays tribute to Whitney Houston in The Greatest Love of All. Tickets: $15+. Steven Tanger Center, 300 N. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: tangercenter.com/events.

DAY OF SERVICE. 1–4 p.m. Honor Martin Luther King Jr. with service projects, children’s activities, a food drive, a nonprofit fair and a community art project. Free. Barber Park, 1500 Barber Park Drive, Greensboro.

Info: volunteercentertriad.org/mlk.

15 MLK MEMORIAL. 7:30 a.m. The Human Rights Commission hosts its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Event. Tickets: $20. Sheraton, 3121 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Info: greensboro-nc.gov/departments/humanrights/commissions-committees-andtaskforces/human-rights-commission/ annual-mlk-memorial-event.

16 ON YOUR FEET. 7:30 p.m. The story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan comes to life through a musical production featuring familiar hits. Tickets: $29+. Steven Tanger Center, 300 N. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: tangercenter.com/events.

17 FURNITURE HISTORY. 10 a.m. The High Point Historical Society welcomes Eric Medlin, author and history instructor at Wake Technical Community College, to discuss his new book, Sawdust in Your Pockets, which surveys the economic and social history of the North Carolina furniture industry.

Free. High Point Museum, 1859 E. Lexington Ave., High Point. Info: highpointmuseum.org.

18–22 NEW PLAY PROJECT. The winner of Creative Greensboro’s New Play Project, One Third by Larry Bliss, is brought to life on stage. Info: creativegreensboro.com.

18 SHEN YUN. 7:30 p.m. Embark on a theatrical experience into a multidimensional, inspiring journey through one of humanity’s greatest treasures — the five millennia of traditional Chinese culture. Tickets: $90+.

Steven Tanger Center, 300 N. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: tangercenter.com/events.

19–21 THE MOUNTAINTOP. Times vary. In this gripping theatrical reimagination, Civil Rights

O.Henry 89

january calendar activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reflects on his life after delivering one of his most memorable speeches. Tickets: $15+. Mountcastle Forum, 251 N. Spruce St., Winston-Salem.

Info: ltofws.org.

19 HOLLER CHOIR. 8 p.m. The Asheville group led by guitarist and singer-songwriter Clint Roberts celebrate the release of its latest album, Songs Before They Write Themselves.

Tickets: $15+. Flat Iron, 221 Summit Ave., Greensboro. Info: flatirongso.com/events.

JAZZ FOR GOOD. 7:30–9:30 p.m. The UNCG School of Music Miles Davis Jazz Studies Program teams up with Music for Love in a concert performed by the school’s Jazz Ensemble I to raise funds for student musician scholarships. Tickets: $5+. UNCG Auditorium, 408 Tate St., Greensboro. Info: vpa.uncg.edu/all-events.

Greensboro Symphony Orchestra for a night of harmony. Tickets: $35+. Steven Tanger Center, 300 N. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: greensborosymphony.org/events/list.

BIG HAIR BALL. 7–11 p.m. The most hairraising fashion show of the year, benefitting Family Service of Greensboro, bids adieu at its “Couture Finale.” Tickets: $250. Sheraton Four Seasons, 3121 W. Gate City Blvd. Greensboro.

Info: fspcares.org/bighairball.

TREE TOSS. Watch the animals enjoy the unsold trees from Cranberry Tree Farm. Tickets: $20+. Animal Park at the Conservators Center, 676 E. Hughes Mill Road, Burlington. Info: animalparknc.org/ events/treetoss.

20

CARL MARTINDALE. 8 pm. The multi-time Idiot Box Ultimate Comic Challenge finalist, whose comedic journey began in the Gate City, will have you in stitches. Tickets: $15.

The Idiot Box, 503 N. Greene St., Greensboro.

Info: idiotboxers.com.

STEEP CANYON RANGERS. 8 p.m.

The Grammy-winning bluegrass band that hails from the Tar Heel State joins the

DECODA. 7:30 p.m. The artist-led collective performs a concert that spans time and place.

Tickets: $25; $20 students. Watson Hall, 1533

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S. Main St., Winston-Salem. Info: uncsa.edu/ performances/index.aspx.

SOUP’S ON. 10 a.m–4:30 p.m. Cozy up at the Hoggatt House fire to enjoy watching costumed interpreters make a hearty soup with baked bread and homemade butter.

Free. Historical Park at High Point Museum, 1859 E. Lexington Ave., High Point. Info: highpointmuseum.org.

21 JESSE COOK. 7 p.m. The renowned Canadian guitarist whose career spans a quarter of a century takes the stage for an evening of strumming melodies. Tickets: $25+. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Info: carolinatheatre.com/events.

21 & 28 IMPROV 101. 1–2:30 p.m. Learn how to master the art of improv in a five-part series of Sunday workshops. Tickets: $175. The Idiot Box, 503 N. Greene St., Greensboro. Info: idiotboxers.com/classes.

STAND-UP 101. 3–5 p.m. See if you have what it takes to be a stand-up comedian in this five-

Join us for a special book event with wine and dessert!

Embrace adventure with confidence — because everyone deserves to explore the world without limits.

THEME PARKS, CRUISES, ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORTS

SCUPPERNONG BOOKS THURSDAY, JANUARY 11 AT 7 PM

Trade Winds Travel is a Certified Autism Travel Professional

Katherine Snow Smith will be in-conversation with O.Henry Magazine’s Cassie Bustamante and Jim Dodson about her new memoir, Stepping on the Blender & Other Times Life Gets Messy.

Journalist Katherine Snow Smith returned to her native North Carolina after her last child left the nest and a 24-year marriage ended. With more baggage and less time on the clock, she thought of fellow Tar Heel Thomas Wolfe’s book: You Can’t Go Home Again. She writes with vulnerability and humor about forging an unexpected path, parenting, dating, reporting, aging, loss and launching the next act in a full life. Oh yeah, she stepped on a blender minutes before leaving Florida for this latest chapter. Sometimes you just have to prop your bloody foot on the dashboard and put it in drive.

336-603-8419 | info@tradewindstravel.com www.tradewindstravel.com

90 O.Henry

The event is co-sponsored by Tyler Redhead & McAlister’s Susan Boydoh and Hilburn Michael.

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

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The Arts

Patti Callahan Henry on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times-bestselling author of 17 novels, including Becoming Mrs. Lewis, Once Upon a Wardrobe and Surviving Savannah. Her newest novel, The Secret Book of Flora Lea, was released in 2023 and its paperback version hits shelves this spring.

Look for more information soon on our website and in our February issue.

92 O.Henry

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

january calendar part workshop series. Tickets: $200. The Idiot Box, 503 N. Greene St., Greensboro. Info: idiotboxers.com/classes.

23 TO CATCH A THIEF. 7 p.m. The Alfred Hitchcock heist starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly hits the big screen for a 1950s theater experience. Tickets: $8. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Info: carolinatheatre.com/events.

25 JOHN BAUMANN. 8:30 p.m. The acclaimed songwriter, whose work has been performed by Kenny Chesney, hits the stage with guest Will Overman. Tickets: $15+. Flat Iron, 221 Summit Ave., Greensboro. Info: flatirongso.com/events.

26–28 MY FAIR LADY. Times vary. The Lerner and Loewe musical based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion will leave you feeling like you could have danced all night. Tickets: $29+. Steven Tanger Center, 300 N. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: tangercenter.com/events.

26–27 LACE LARRABEE. 8 pm. The beauty queen, actor, semifinalist in the America’s Got Talent competition whose debut album, White Trash Cinderella, topped comedy charts, stops in for two nights of funny business. Tickets: $15. The Idiot Box, 503 N. Greene St., Greensboro. Info: idiotboxers.com.

26 TWO BANJOS. 7:30 p.m. Fiddle & Bow welcomes bluegrass artists Alan Munde and Bill Evans to the Crown for their show, What’s Better Than Two Banjos? Tickets: $25+. In the Crown at the Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Info: carolinatheatre.com/events.

27 PRISM QUARTET. 7:30 p.m. After a residency at UNCSA, the saxophone group delivers an adventurous concert. Tickets: $25; $20 students. Watson Hall, 1533 S. Main St., Winston-Salem. Info: uncsa.edu/ performances/index.aspx.

place. Tickets: $30+. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Info: greensborocoliseum.com/events.

28 MOZART. 3 p.m. UNCSA faculty-artists celebrate the 268th birthday of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with a program featuring the composer’s chamber music. Tickets: $25; $20 students. Watson Hall, 1533 S. Main St., Winston-Salem. Info: uncsa.edu/performances/index.aspx.

30 SILENT FILM. 7 p.m. The 1925 iconic silent film Body and Soul is accompanied by acclaimed organist Mark Andersen on the only remaining Robert Morgan Pipe Organ in the state. Tickets: $8. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Info: carolinatheatre.com/events. OH

WINE & CHOCOLATE FEST. 1 & 5 p.m.

Celebrate two of life’s greatest pleasures in one

Handmade In House

121-A WEST MCGEE ST. GREENSBORO, NC 27401 WWW.JACOBRAYMONDJEWELRY.COM 336.763.9569

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

O.Henry 93

Practicing Commercial Real Estate by the Golden Rule Bill Strickland, CCIM Commercial Real Estate Broker/REALTOR 336.369.5974 | bstrickland@bipinc.com

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Living Information For Today

(L.I.F.T.) L.I.F.T. is a social support program that helps surviving spouses adjust to the loss of their partner. It gives participants the opportunity to socialize with others who share similar feelings and experiences. This program is both entertaining and educational, with speakers on a wide variety of topics.

For more information on the L.I.F.T. program, please contact Hanes Lineberry Funeral Services at 336-272-5150.

Happy New Year Open seven days a week!

6428 Burnt Poplar Road • Greensboro (336) 662-0544 • triadantiques.com @ampgreensboro @antique_market_place

“YOUR TIME IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT CURRENCY YOU WILL EVER POSSESS. WHERE IT IS SPENT WILL DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE.”

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Build Muscle, burn Fat, feel great.

Gift certificates available 2116 Enterprise Rd. Greensboro NC 27408 336-324-1140 www.tfwgreensboro.com

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A R E A IND EPEN D EN T

SCHOOLS Our area has a wonderful selection of independent schools with a variety of educational models. Look at what these schools have to offer and see what’s right for your child.

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The Art & Soul of Greensboro

Building Great Futures For Students With Learning Differences 2024-2025 school year application is now open - priority deadline is March 31st.

Since its founding in 1987, Noble Academy has empowered students in grades 2-12 with learning differences and attention difficulties to pursue their highest potential within a comprehensive, supportive educational environment.

Their students are gifted, intelligent, artistic, athletic, and are simply seeking a place where their learning differences do not impede their academic and social growth. They serve students with a highly accredited full-day program where the five steps to Building Great Futures - the

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

Noble Academy Way®- are interwoven throughout. But the real measure of difference is a faculty that works collaboratively with each student to develop an individualized and targeted plan to meet their specific learning needs. Noble has the experience, tools and, most of all, highly trained faculty to meet each student’s unique needs. To learn more, scan the QR Code.

3310 Horse Pen Creek Rd | Greensboro NC, 27410 | 336.282.7044

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B’nai Shalom Day School: We’re one of a kind, just like you.

Welcome to an educational journey like no other, where small is not just a number, but a deliberate choice. Serving students 8-weeks through 8th grade, B’nai Shalom Day School is the only Jewish independent school in the Triad.

B’nai Shalom is deeply rooted in their mission to inspire curiosity, critical thinking, confidence and connection to Jewish values. Their state licensed preschool engages students in hands-on activities that push them to think critically and creatively, in a developmentally appropriate way.

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In their Lower and Upper School, student-centered classrooms provide learners opportunities to take risks, think outside the box, and deepen their understanding of the world around them.

Explore the exceptional at B’nai Shalom, where small truly is beautiful, and where every student is seen. Welcome to a world of endless possibilities. Welcome to B’nai Shalom.

804-A Winview Dr. | Greensboro, NC 27410 | 336.855.5091 | bnai-shalom.org The Art & Soul of Greensboro

When it comes to education, your child deserves every opportunity!

Greensboro Day School is a private, coeducational school with approximately 950 students, located on a beautiful 72-acre campus. We have earned a reputation for academic excellence by offering the best, most well-rounded educational experience in the Triad.

Our dynamic academic program keeps students interested, active, and engaged.

Academic challenge is matched with support from an expert and caring faculty.

With a wide variety of extracurriculars, athletics, and arts opportunities, students can pursue their passions and discover new ones.

We believe in a community based on Respect, Kindness, Integrity, and Responsibility. Our students are encouraged to connect classroom learning with real-world issues in Greensboro and beyond. At GDS, we strive to provide a diverse community of belonging where every student is known, respected, and valued for their authentic self.

Come see what’s possible at Greensboro Day School! Schedule a personal tour today!

#1 Private K–12 School in the Triad and #1 Private High School in Guilford County!

The Art & Soul of Greensboro greensboroday.org | 336.288.8590 | gdsadmission@greensboroday.org

Voted Favorite Preschool, Private School, and Summer Camp in Greensboro!

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To Know & Live the Truth STRONG FOUNDATIONS ARE BUILT HERE

For more than 50 years, Wesleyan Christian Academy’s mission to equip students “to know and live the truth” has been the guiding force behind all that we do. We understand that every child has God-given gifts and talents. So our teachers get to know each student as a unique individual, nurturing their abilities and discovering their untapped potential. In partnership with parents, Wesleyan provides excellent academics at every learning level, competitive athletics, award-winning fine arts, an engaging campus life, and an active spiritual life so that our graduates are prepared to serve Christ and influence the world.

At Wesleyan, your child will experience a loving Christian environment as they

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progress through seamlessly aligned curriculum—both theologically and developmentally—from kindergarten through 12th grade. They will have access to our enrichment program for children with diagnosed learning differences, and challenged by our extensive honors, advanced placement, and dual enrollment programs.

They will also enjoy fulfilling spiritual life and service programming in every grade.

Today, close to 1,300 students, and their families, have entrusted us with laying a strong foundation for their future. We invite you to schedule a campus visit today to explore life as part of the Wesleyan family.

The Art & Soul of Greensboro 1917 N. Centennial Street | High Point, NC 27262 | 336.884.3333 | www.wcatrojans.org

Experience the Caldwell Difference Schedule a Tour Today.

Your desire is for your child to thrive in their learning, friendships, and faith. For nearly 30 years, Caldwell Academy has equipped students to think, speak, and love well.

Students benefit from: • TK - 12th Grade School • Small Class Sizes • Emphasis on the Great Books, rhetoric, debate and thesis writing • Instruction in Latin and formal logic • Honors and AP Courses • Engaging Electives • Competitive Athletics Program • First-class Fine Arts Program

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• Support for Diverse Learning Needs • Pursuit of knowledge, wisdom and virtue

Learn more at www.caldwellacademy.org/admissions

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Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School's primary mission is to develop students holistically and equip them to live and serve in a world in need of peace, love, and justice.

We encourage students through academic and co-curricular opportunities to excel personally,

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academically and spiritually, as they build their own unique mission in life.

Kernersville, NC 27284 336-564-1010 / www.bmhs.us

Bishop McGuinness is fully accredited, and a college preparatory hight school that is widely recognized for

The Center of It All

high academic standards, extensive extra curricular activities and championship athletic teams. Students are guided by an exceptional faculty and college counseling team, not only as they work towards college goals, but in all aspects of their experience at Bishop.

We offer a full AP program, aviation STEM courses, a thriving arts program with over 40 courses, Learning Support program and on-site tutoring services.

We are located in the center of the Triad and have transportation available. We offer tuition assistance as part of our commitment to making a Catholic education affordable for families.

Visit our website to schedule a private tour or to register for a Villain Walk, and immerse yourself in the Bishop experience. All faiths welcome.

For additional information contact the Admissions Office at 336-564-1011 or psmendoza@bmhs.us, or visit www.bmhs.us.

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Whether toddler or teen, your child is our curriculum.

Your child is like no one else, and their educational journey should be about unleashing their full potential ... about building integrity, independence, and initiative just as much as intellect.

each individual’s needs. Our alumni are a testament to our approach: 97% of our graduates say they are successful adults because of their Montessori education.

Schedule your visit today at gms.org.

At Greensboro Montessori School, we authentically engage each aspect of our students’ development — cognitive, social, emotional — and provide them with the skills and courage to grow into the people they’re intended to be. Our teachers personally know their students and intentionally prepare their curricula, classrooms, and community to meet

The Art & Soul of Greensboro 2856 Horse Pen Creek Road | Greensboro, NC 27410 | 336.668.0119 | www.gms.org

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Photography by Liz Grogan

CHALLENGING THE MIND. NOURISHING THE SPIRIT. The Triad’s only Episcopal day school, serving students from age 3 to 8th grade.

Schedule a tour and start the conversation today.

5400 Old Lake Jeanette Road, Greensboro, North Carolina | canterburygso.org | 336. 288.2007

Moral, Academic, Artistic & Athletic Excellence Westchester Country Day School is a PK12 college preparatory school that teaches students how to learn, think critically and solve problems creatively. Students get abundant exposure to technology, design thinking, expository communication and the arts through a classical, liberal arts curriculum taught by experienced faculty mentors. The classroom experience is challenging, dynamic and supportive of each student’s personal success. Students also pursue interests in sports, robotics, theatre, music, esports and more. Westchester is a nonsectarian school welcoming families of diverse cultures and celebrating what is learned from a variety of perspectives. The 53-acre scenic campus

is within about a 20-minute drive from most of the greater Triad area.

100% college acceptance 7:1 student-to-teacher ratio Faculty average 18 years of experience Private music lessons and theatre program Athletic teams in 10 sports Bus and after-school care are available The best way to discover what Westchester has to offer your child is to see it for yourself. Visit our website or call and schedule a tour today.

The Art & Soul of Greensboro 2045 N. Old Greensboro Road | High Point, NC 27265 | 336.822.4005 | westchestercds.org

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GreenScene Setting the Stage Celebration Carolina Theatre of Greensboro

Miguel Brito, Jr, MD & Denise Brito, Regina Glaspie

Dr. Irish Spencer, Taylor Butler, Alicia Williams

Altina Layman, Keith Holliday, Freddy & Susan Robinson

Brian Gray, A. Robinson Hassell

Pat & Pete Cross, Hugh & Mary Lou Williams

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Tuesday, October 17, 2023 Photographs by Lynn Donovan

Dawn S. Chaney, Lois & Charlie Brummitt

Lynn Burgio, Sherry Bullock, Cotton Moring, Betty Cone

Tim Rice, Pete & Pat Cross, Carolynn Rice

Locke Clifford, Sam Hummel

Horace & Denise Sturdivant

Betty Cone, Joann & Floyd Nesbitt

Dave & Marty Leeper

Davis & Mary Ann McDonald

Denise & Keith Napier, Melissa & Tony Huffman

Lisa & JP Swisher

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shops • service • food • farms

GreenScene

support locally owned businesses

Collage Concert Dinner Home of Bruce McClung, Dean of UNCG College of Visual and Performing Arts Saturday, October 28, 2023 Photographs by Mike Micciche

Rod & Linda Mortenson

Pat Cross, Eleanor Procton, Pete Cross

Charles Young, Laura & Christopher Tew

Carl Seager, Terri Relos, David Huskins

Pam & David Sprinkle

Bruce McClung, Dean of the UNCG College of Visual and Performing Arts

shops • service • food • farms

Jerry & Susan Schwartz

support locally owned businesses

There are times when it’s smarter to lease than to sell your home.

Call me when you think you’re there! I’ll be pleased to discuss how Burkely Rental Homes can help you.

“I refer investors and renters to Michelle.

I trust they are in good hands with her“.

Katie Redhead

336-549-8071

MichelleS@burkelycommunities.com Sterling Kelly - CEO

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Join the effort. Visit www.triadlocalfirst.com.

GreenScene Ruben Sings Luther with the Greensboro Symphony Tanger Center Saturday, October 14, 2023 Kim & Sam Smir

Photographs by Sam Froelich

Mary Simson, Denise Rone, Elizabeth Heard, Kelly Southard

Paul Kilmartin, Carl Seager

Andrea & Mark Grunenwald

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Nick Piornack & Lisa Allen

Carole & Jordan Clapp

Kay Chesnutt, Mary Ingram, Beth Hickey

Elizabeth Heard, Laura Kilmartin

Peggy Bardelli, Jennifer Noble, Anna Bardi, Nicole N. Kaufman, Kimm Rountree

Karen Hundgen, Richard Valitutto, Claudia Badick

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

Mike Wallace, Charley Lanza

Brenda MacFadden, Mary Fish

Juan Dark, Enjoly Murray, Erin Fuller, Flo Conner

Al & Ginny Lineberry

Laura Green, Patrick & Beverly, Beth Hickey

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

Pauletta Root, Mar Skenses

Katie, Tom & Cindy Bates

Cathy & John Noseis

Flo Conner, Enjoly Murray

Brooke Fields, Kimm Rountree, Vanessa Skenes

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The Art & Soul of Greensboro

GreenScene Triad Local First’s 13th Annual Community Table Event: Blue Jeans, Bourbon & the Blues Gardens at Grey Gables in Summerfield Sunday, October 8, 2023 Photographs by Ivan Saul Cutler

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

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o.henry ending

Queen of Bath It’s a bit of a stretch, sure. But this dream tub sorta works

By Ashley Walshe

If you’re a bath person

like me — that is to say, someone who soaks ritualistically — then perhaps you’ve spent time imagining what life could be like if your tub was just a little wider; a little deeper; a little more picturesque.

An elegant garden tub aglow with flickering candles. A cast iron clawfoot laced with salt and rose petals. An hourglass drop-in complete with whirlpool jets.

Such visions used to rule my mind.

Now, having spent the last two years living in a 32-foot travel trailer with my husband and my canine shadow, my dream tub has but one requirement: I can bathe in it.

Which brings me to my current situation.

A standard bathtub holds about 70 gallons of water. Suffice it to say that our RV tub does not. Think farmhouse sink with bobsleigh undertones. Bigger than a breadbox, smaller than a storage tote.

I’ll be honest. It took a while to see potential here. The tub’s fun-size dimensions combined with our 6-gallon hot water heater don’t exactly add up to a space for quiet contemplation and long, soulful soaks. Quick showers are fine. But when baths are your primary indulgence, you consider all your options.

My first bath attempt was, frankly, valiant. I’m no bobsled pilot, but given my daily yoga practice, I was deftly able to navigate the tub’s shallow waters. A knees-to-chest pose, for instance, followed by seated pigeon, a gentle variation of boat pose and — after a bit of ocean breathing — a legs-up-the-wall inversion.

Despite this series of postures, most of my body was not, in fact, wet. Still, half baths are better than no bath in my book. I lit a candle and resumed my lazy pigeon.

All of this was fine. Really. But when the ankle-deep water began cooling with unholy swiftness, my efforts seemed altogether fruitless.

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“I wish we had more hot water,” I mumbled as the basin drained.

“We can try using the electric kettle next time,” my husband offered from the living space. “I’ll even be your bath butler.”

I felt my lips explore the foreign words.

“Bath butler.” I liked the sound of it.

My bath butler has changed my life.

Weekly, per my request or his proposal, I luxuriate in what I’ve taken to calling my Queen’s Bath — a modified version of a full bath, sure, but a yogi can dream.

Pre-kettle, I add a swirl of Epsom salt into the finger-pour of steaming water, get the candle going, flip off the lights and climb in.

If I fits, they say, I sits.

By now, my bath butler has mastered water control. He knows that, after adding a kettle to my bath, it’s time to heat up the next one. Sensitive and compassionate, he keeps things strictly professional, a trait any honorable bath butler should possess.

“How’s the temperature?” he might ask. Or, “May I bring you a beverage?” Most often, he simply pours and gives a courtly head bow. Role playing at its finest.

Four kettles in, the water nearly hugs my waist. By kettle five, I’m beginning to feel like a Greek goddess. Kettle six? I could not ask for more.

You don’t opt for camper life without sacrificing some modern comforts. Still, we have everything we need: clean, running water; electricity; full bellies and warm hearts.

My butler is the bath bomb on top.

If it’s true that gratitude is the quickest path to happiness, I think I’m already there. As for my husband?

“I’m happy to bring you water,” he assures me. Although he insists on maintaining his professional butler pose, I pry.

“What’s in it for you?” I ask.

He pours the kettle, shrugs, then clears his throat. “I guess I like the view.” OH Ashley Walshe is a former editor and regular contributor of O.Henry magazine.

The Art & Soul of Greensboro

336-852-7107

We accept FSA and health savings cards

2222 Patterson St, Suite A, Greensboro, NC 27407 Serving the Triad’s eyewear needs for over 40 years