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W
e are Greensboro, North Carolina. We are the city of makers. We design, build, create. We roll up our sleeves. We get our hands dirty. We get it done. We make it happen. Made in Greensboro celebrates those makers — the entrepreneurs, the artists, the community builders, the next generation of leaders. Made in Greensboro is an initiative of Action Greensboro and the City of Greensboro.
GINA FRANCO, 38 PUBLIC ARTIST You might not know Gina Franco. But if your Instagram game is on point, it’s possible you posed in front of one of her vibrant, pop art inspired murals. Like the Rainbow Alley or any of the rotating lineup of murals tucked behind an empty Davie Street building downtown. She wasn’t planning to be a professional artist. But here she is – one of the most Instagramed artists in Greensboro. Gina attended Grimsley High School and took a practical route with her college education, studying business management and human resources at Guilford College in the hopes of finding a stable career to support her son. But she always enjoyed drawing. And she loved the few art classes she took at Guilford. After college, she got a steady gig serving as a teaching assistant with Guilford County Schools. One year she volunteered to paint a library mural. Her part-time paid hobby as a painter took off from there, with portraits, mural projects, and the occasional logo design. Then she started pitching herself for mural commissions, using a website where patrons post requests for artist proposals all over the
world. Locally, she booked two very visible projects: the murals at Westerwood Tavern and the Interactive Resource Center. The Westerwood project was a placemaking mural. She wandered around the neighborhood to get an idea of what it was like. The mural includes scenes from across the neighborhood. For the IRC project, she worked around a theme – “Housing is a human right.” It’s a series of front doors and one giant key. It was by far the biggest project she had ever done. In the last few years, her part-time gig has boomed. She got commissions in Florida, Georgia, and Colorado. She did businesses in and around North Carolina. In August, she resigned her school gig to make art her full-time job. It was time. Her son was all grown up. Her first big project after the transition: the Rainbow Alley, a project with Downtown Greensboro Inc. The formerly gloomy back alley off Elm Street is now a bright, meandering path worthy of a Dr. Seuss book illustration. It wasn’t even complete and people were already taking pics. “It doesn’t feel like a job,” Gina says.
W W W. M A D E I N G S O. CO M
EXPERIENCE MATTERS IN SENIOR LIVING Join us at our upcoming “Roaring 20’s Returns” event on February 20, 2020 at Proximity Hotel. To RSVP, please call 336.299.4400
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February 2020 DEPARTMENTS 17 Simple Life By Jim Dodson
22 Short Stories 25 Featured Artist By Maria Johnson
41 Spirits
By Tony Cross
43 True South
By Susan S. Kelly
45 Birdwatch
By Susan Campbell
27 Doodad
47 Wandering Billy
28 Life’s Funny
92 Arts Calendar 107 GreenScene
By Ogi Overman By Maria Johnson
31 Omnivorous Reader
By Billy Eye
By D.G. Martin
111 The Accidental Astrologer
35 Scuppernong Bookshelf 37 Life of Jane
112 O.Henry Ending
By Jane Borden
By Astrid Stellanova
By David Claude Bailey
FEATURES 51 The Arrow
Poetry by Ashley Wahl
52 The Love Connection
Meet five couples who share a common passion — and the joy of being together
62 The Many Stages of Tanger By Maria Johnson A photographic record of the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts
70 Creative Crossroads
By Nancy Oakley For artist Kelly Rightsell, home is an ever-changing canvas
81 Almanac
By Ash Alder
Cover Photograph by Mark Wagoner
8 O.Henry
February 2020
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Fine Eyewear, Artwork and Jewelry 327 South Elm | Greensboro 336.274.1278 | TheViewOnElm.com Becky Causey, Licensed Optician Find us on Facebook
M A G A Z I N E
Volume 10, No. 2 “I have a fancy that every city has a voice.” 336.617.0090 1848 Banking Street, Greensboro, NC 27408
Trusted advice to help guide your wealth
www.ohenrymag.com PUBLISHER
David Woronoff Jim Dodson, Editor • jim@thepilot.com Andie Stuart Rose, Art Director • andie@thepilot.com Nancy Oakley, Senior Editor • nancy@ohenrymag.com Lauren M. Coffey, Graphic Designer Alyssa Rocherolle, Graphic Designer CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Cynthia Adams, David Claude Bailey, Harry Blair, Maria Johnson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Mallory Cash, Lynn Donovan, Amy Freeman, Sam Froelich, John Koob Gessner, Bert VanderVeen, Mark Wagoner CONTRIBUTORS
Ash Alder, Jane Borden, Grant Britt, Susan Campbell, Wiley Cash, Tony Cross, Clyde Edgerton, Billy Eye, Ross Howell Jr., Billy Ingram, Susan S. Kelly, Sara King, Brian Lampkin, Meridith Martens, D.G. Martin, Ogi Overman, Angela Sanchez, Stephen E. Smith, Astrid Stellanova
O.H
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O.H
Steve Anderson, Finance Director 910.693.2497 Darlene Stark, Circulation Director • 910.693.2488
Alex Sigmon Branch Manager
Greg Costello Private Wealth Area Manager
806 Green Valley Rd. Greensboro, NC 27408
100 N. Main St. Winston-Salem, NC 27150
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OWNERS
Jack Andrews, Frank Daniels Jr., Frank Daniels III, Lee Dirks, David Woronoff © Copyright 2020. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. O.Henry Magazine is published by The Pilot LLC
Investment and Insurance Products: - NOT FDIC Insured - NO Bank Guarantee - MAY Lose Value Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2019 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved. CAR 1219-01523
10 O.Henry
February 2020
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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Charlotte, North Carolina
A WINTER
WONDERLAND
U.S. NATIONAL WHITEWATER CENTER
C
harlotte has made its mark as a must-see travel destination in the United States. For visitors and locals alike, we invite you to spend time in the Queen City where talent takes the spotlight, culinary artisans spend time honing their craft and everyone from the solo explorer to a group getting away will find adventure around each vibrant corner. Whether it’s a week-long or weekend stay, discover what makes N.C.'s largest city shine.
GOOD ROAD CIDERWORKS
Charlotte has spectacular winter activities – perfect for a family day out or a romantic date night. New to the scene this year is the U.S. National Whitewater Center’s 17,000-square-foot ice skating rink, which even features an on-ice Airstream trailer serving craft beer, coffee and hot chocolate. After hanging up your skates, venture out to the outdoor facility’s Lights installation, a series of immersive light installations spanning a half-mile. Artist Meredith Connelly integrated natural light features throughout the forest including honeycombs, vines and crystals. Culinary connoisseurs are taking the Queen City’s food and beverage scene to the next level. To experience what Charlotte brings to the table, try our city’s staples. Warm up with Southern comfort food at Mert’s Heart & Soul or savor a satisfying brunch at mainstays like 300 East. The city’s restaurant list certainly grew in 2019 with spots like Ace No. 3, a mouthwatering burger joint in the Belmont neighborhood, and Peppervine, which was just voted one of the 20 best new restaurants of 2019, according to OpenTable. No trip is complete without visiting the Queen City’s largest food hall, Optimist Hall. Go for the Spicy Beef Noodles from The Dumpling Lady or a gooey Mac Melt grilled cheese from Papi Queso. If sipping on craft brews is more your speed, check out Charlotte’s 60-plus area breweries and cideries –from Birdsong Brewing Co. to Good Road Ciderworks. And you can’t go wrong with a cozy cocktail. Try the Carolina Apple Cider from Dot Dot Dot, a Hot Toddy from Broken Spoke or the Gettin’ Figgy With It at The Suffolk Punch. Cheers to that. No matter the time of year, there's something for everyone in Charlotte — come see for yourself.
300 EAST
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Simple Life
The Winter Gardener There’s plenty of life stirring beneath the season’s snows
By Jim Dodson
As you read this, the first winter of the new decade is drawing to a close.
Like a certain fabled snowman who danced with the village children until he began to melt away, I rather hate to see it go. Winter, you see, is my favorite gardening season. Perhaps this is because I am a son of winter, reportedly born during the height of a February snowstorm on Groundhog Day way back in 1953. Or maybe my wintry affection stems from two decades of living on a forested hill in Maine, where the snow piled up before Christmas and I learned most of what I know about resourceful living and “making do” — as they say in the North Country — including the art of keeping the home fires burning and loved ones warm. The light of winter is another of the season’s charms. Clear winter stars over our hilltop provided a dazzling show of celestial beauty, and the feel of the winter sun on your face on a cold, clear afternoon is like a benediction in Nature’s chapel. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Whenever I’m having difficulty falling asleep, I remember cold clear nights when I donned my red wool Elmer Fudd coat and toted a 50-pound bag of sorghum pellets to the spot at the forest’s edge. There, a family of whitetail deer waited patiently for their supper in the arctic moonlight during the hardest nights of year — a memory of fellowship with mythic creatures that never fails to ease me into sleep on my own winter nights. It’s possible that my fondness for what poet Christina Rossetti called the “bleak midwinter” is simply written in the stars. Both my parents were Aquarians with midwinter birthdays just days before my own in early February. Ditto my firstborn child, a beautiful baby girl who appeared during a January blizzard that left the world quilted in white as the golden morning sun spread over Casco Bay, moments after young Maggie’s debut. When we carried her home to Bailey Island, our unplowed lane lay so deep in snow we were forced to park at the village post office and slide down a steep hill to our back door just steps from the cobalt blue sea. The memory of my newly arrived Southern mother giddily whooping as she tobogganed down the hill on her bottom still makes me smile. Maggie made the trip all bundled into my arms — and claims to remember the journey to this day. Winter’s other gifts included our annual winter solstice party where February 2020
O.Henry 17
Simple Life friends and neighbors came out of the frigid night to sing and dance for their supper and — because I married into a clan of real Glaswegian Scots — a Hogmanay celebration on New Year’s Eve that included dancing to fiddle reels and toasting with good Islay-made Scotch with Big Ben dialed up on the shortwave radio at 7 p.m. — and sing in bed by nine. The drunks in Times Square could never compete with that.
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18 O.Henry
February 2020
To some extent or another, of course, every one of these seasonable pleasures can be found in North Carolina winter as well, including cold nights, clear stars, holiday lights, good Scotch and fiddle reels and — despite global warming — the occasional surprise snowfall that stops a madding world in its tracks. But winter here has one significant advantage over life on a snowy hilltop in Maine. In the North Country, once the deep cold and snows arrived, I could only tend the fire, browse seed catalogs and picture the ambitious things I planned to do in my garden once the frozen ground thawed and was fully in view again — generally around Easter time, if we were lucky. Thanks to kinder and gentler Southern winters, however, I am able to get to work planning and digging even before Hogmanay arrives. With Nature at parade rest and stripped to bare essentials, I not only can see the architecture of my garden, but also take stock of last summer’s botanical successes and bonehead miscues. This year, for example, with the new decade just hours away, I spent five blessedly solitary hours getting gloriously dirty in my winter garden on New Year’s Eve. To briefly review my loves’ labors, I dug up and transplanted seven rose bushes and nine ornamental grasses; moved a mophead hydrangea to a shadier spot and six Russian sages to a sunnier one. I also planted a splendid Leland cypress, raked up the last of the autumn leaves and spread a dozen wheelbarrows worth of new hardwood mulch. By the time I was finished — and the work finished me — the mistress of the estate required me to strip bare at the side door before entering her gleaming New Year’s kitchen, though she’ll flatly tell you that she never sees me happier than after a few well-spent hours digging in my winter garden, headed for a good soak in the tub or a hot shower. Dig in the soil, goes the old gardener’s ditty — delve in the soul. Even William Shakespeare seemed to find this time of year irresistible for contemplation of life’s passing seasons.
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Simple Life That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. In me thou see’st the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west; Which by and by black night doth take away, Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest. In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire, That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, As the death-bed, whereon it must expire, Consumed with that which it was nourish’d by. This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well, which thou must leave ere long. His theme, of course, is the brevity of life. As February dawns, such wintry thoughts come naturally to my mind as well, for I reach my mid-60s this year and am both amused and astonished how quickly the notion of “old age” has arrived. Save for a pair of dodgy knees that make gardening’s up and down a bit more challenging, I honestly don’t feel a day over 40 — yet I know I’m in the midwinter of my allotted visitation time, with scarce time to waste for being present in my own days, whatever the season. “Tho’ I am an old man,” as Founding Father Thomas Jefferson wrote to his friend Thomas Willson Peale in August of 1811, “I am but a young gardener.” Two and one-half decades ago, when I really was in my 40s, I spent the entire month of February by my own founding father’s bedside, serving as his caretaker as he slipped the bonds of Earth. What a fine and joyful life he’d led — my nickname for him was “Opti the Mystic” — and what a privilege it was to simply sit by his bed talking about this and that, weather and wives, golf and grandchildren, nothing left unsaid, saying thankyou as his life gently ebbed away. The end came a few days into March, after a night of sleet gave way to a stunning spring morning full of sunshine and birdsong. My oldest friend Patrick turned up, seemingly unbidden, suggesting we go play the old goat farm golf course where we learned to play as kids. I have no memory of how we scored or even what we talked about, though it was the perfect thing to do. Opti would surely have approved. That afternoon, I dug up some of my mom’s peonies to take home to my snowbound perennial beds in Maine. I planted them as the spring thaw finally arrived — sometime around Easter. OH Contact Editor Jim Dodson at jim@thepilot.com.
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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February 2020
O.Henry 21
Net Worth
Weatherspoon’s got game this month with the opening of To the Hoop: Basketball and Contemporary Art (February 1–June 7). This intersection of art and sport explores themes ripe for visual interpretation: urban versus rural settings, fashion and merchandising, race, gender, economics — not to mention the balletic grace of athletes. But then, we’ve always known Michael Jordan was poetry in motion. Info: weatherspoonart.org.
Puff Piece
Which is not to imply the lack of substance of a lecture/ workshop at Paul J. Ciener Botantical Garden (215 South Main Street, Kernersville). On February 20 at 10 a.m., Nicolas Askew will present “From Farm to Charm,” a discussion of his life on he family farm and the business of harvesting and storing cotton and creating cotton wreaths. In addition to learning how to use one, and you’ll take home with you an 18-inch wreath, which you can use year round. Cost for the workshop is $80 per person. Space is limited. To register: (336) 996-7888 or cienerbotanicalgarden.org.
With a Song In Your Heart
And on the lips of a tuxedoed quartet of gents from the Greensboro Tarheel Chorus! Time’s a-wastin’, but if you hurry, you might have a chance to send that special someone a singing Valentine on February 12, 13 or 14, courtesy of a genuine barbershop quartet, belting out classics, such as “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” in four-part harmony. Music, after all, is the food of love. To schedule, go to greensborobarbershop.com.
22 O.Henry
February 2020
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
With one exception: Haydn’s “Farewell” Symphony! A musical joke so typical of the maestro, Symphony No. 45, as it’s also known, was composed as a plea among the musicians in the retinue of Niklaus 1, the Hungarian Prince of Esterházy, to end their unusually long stay at his summer palace and return home to their wives. Greensboro Symphony Orchestra will perform the piece on February 20 and 22 at 8 p.m. at Dana Auditorium (5800 W. Friendly Avenue). Before saying good-bye, they’ll entrance you with Puccini’s Capriccio Sinfonico for orchestra and Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Guitar concerto, with guest Artyom Dervoed strumming guitar. Tickets: (336) 335-5456 ext. 224 or greensborosymphony.org.
Va-va-VROOOOM!
One of the world’s greatest love stories is Americans’ passion and devotion to their cars. Express your, uh, auto erotica by admiring the souped-up, tricked out, fancified wheels on display at the Shriners’ Drag Racing & Hot Rod Expo on February 14 and 15, (5:30 p.m. and 9 a.m., respectively) at Greensboro Coliseum’s Special Event Center (1921 West Gate City Boulevard). Admission is available at the door. Info: greensborocoliseum.com.
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
ANDRÉ LEON GRAY, BLACK MAGIC (IT’S FANTASTIC), 2005. NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF ART, RALEIGH. PURCHASED WITH FUNDS FROM THE FRIENDS OF AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN ART, AND WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDS PROVIDED BY NORTH CAROLINA MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY.
Sh rt St ries
Coup de Gras
What’s it gonna be? Étouffé and a filet gumbo? Beignets? King cake? Find out at 6 p.m. by signing up for “Welcome to New Orleans,” at Reto’s Kitchen, (600 South Elam Avenue). The class takes you on a tour of NOLA cuisine as a nod to Fat Tuesday, but what we’ll call Thick Thursday, February 27— before you relinquish any culinary indulgences for Lent. For now: Don a mask, and some purple-green-and-gold Mardi Gras beads, and laissez les bons temps rouler! Tickets: ticketmetriad.com.
Ogi Sez Ogi Overman
Well, now that I’ve broken all those well-intentioned New Year’s resolutions, it’s time to make a new list of more reasonable, doable ones. Ergo, be it resolved that I, Ogi Overman, will attend live music shows and support live music in general more than ever before. Hey, I can do that even though I’m still overweight, haven’t finished my book, haven’t landscaped the backyard, and will never learn to play the accordion.
• February 9, Durham Performing Arts Center: In this month’s installment of “Hurry Up, Tanger!” I present to you the one and only Tony Bennett at DPAC. Mercifully, in a few months we can eliminate those jaunts down I-40 East to see top-level talent. Of course, I’d travel farther than that to see the greatest living crooner.
Bodies Electric
That would be the acrobats, flying through the air with the greatest of ease, twirling aerialists that make your head spin and the pretzel-like twists of contortionists performing in Cirque Diabolo. With added panache of colorful costumes, music sound and light effects, the spectacle, which comes to Carolina Theatre (310 South Greene Street on February 13 at 7:30 p.m., is sure to enthrall. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
• February 11, Cone Denim Entertainment Center: Although there have been a couple dozen Wailers since Bob Marley’s death in 1981, the continuity remains intact with guitarist Donald Kinsey, who performed with Marley and Peter Tosh, as well as such notables as Albert King. They still claim the biggestselling reggae album of all time and continue to be the most popular international touring act of the genre. • February 20, Ramkat: As anyone who saw him at the recent N.C. Folk Festival will attest, Booker T. Jones easily lives up to his Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement. Yes, he plays all the hits — “Green Onions,” “Time Is Tight” and the rest — but his show is a litany of all the hits on which he has played along with fellow legends with whom he has collaborated. And with apologies to Steve Cropper, son Ted Jones is a bona fide monster. • February 21, Upstage Cabaret: While he
Royal Flush
Don your black tie — or not — and bet big on a guaranteed winner: the arts. From 7 to 10 p.m. on February 8, High Point Arts Council is bringing back its fundraiser, Casino d’Arts 2020 at High Point Country Club Emerywood (800 Country Club Drive), featuring casino games, heavy hors d’oeuvre, a cash bar and entertainment. Cash in your chips at the end of the evening for the chance to win a door prize, or bid in a silent auction on furniture, jewelry, vacation trips and more. Aces! To reserve: (336) 889-2787 or highpointarts.org.
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
is not as well-known as Jerry Douglas or the late Mike Auldridge, it is Dobroist (yes, it’s capitalized) Rob Ickes who is the most awarded instrumentalist in the history of the International Bluegrass Music Association. His current touring and recording partner, Trey Hensley, has a voice made for bluegrass. The duo was nominated for a Grammy in 2016. BTW, the venue is the third floor of Triad Stage.
• February 23, Carolina Theatre: OK, after two rescheduled shows, this is the last time I’ll send folks to see Gordon Lightfoot. Still, if you could read my mind, you’d know I’ll be there by sundown. Again. February 2020
O.Henry 23
CROSSROADS OF INFORMATION
Whether you are just beginning or continuing your academic or research endeavors, we invite you to join us for a program or exhibit. Visit us today!
Find your information here.
library.uncg.edu
Featured Artist
"HOMEWOODS, WINTER", 2019, OIL ON CANVAS, 48 X 48 INCHES
Jeremiah Miller: Finding Solitude
J
eremiah Miller used to paint models, posing them in front of windows. Eventually, he became more enchanted with what lay beyond the panes. “I thought painting landscapes was more liberating,” says Miller, “It’s about finding solitude . . . When I’m painting, I’m positing my own personal ideas. That’s the way I communicate.” GreenHill, a Greensboro showcase of North Carolina art, hung three of Miller’s communiqués in its recent Winter Show. For inspiration, Miller wanders the woods around his home in Belews Creek, as his painting Homewoods, Winter, suggests with its striped birch trunks, clinging beech leaves, and veins of shadows stretched across pillows of white. “I’m always fascinated with the color of snow shadows. They go from blue to gray to lavender,” says Miller, whose background in photography helps him to see deeply. His brush follows where his heart leads. “I believe in aesthetic emotions,” he says. “There’s something that might attract me. It might be the pattern of the light or textures. Usually, if I have a really strong feeling about that, it’s going to be a painting I feel good about.” OH — Maria Johnson Info: greenhillnc.org The Art & Soul of Greensboro
February 2020
O.Henry 25
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Doodad
From Custom to Consignment Tailor’s Rack is a perfect fit
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CAITLIN BRAGG
A
rmed with a degree in computer science and music technology from Elizabeth City State University, Dana Williams, 28, was on the fast track with a job at Procter & Gamble. Ascending into management, he was overseeing the production of three brands of deodorant. The money was good but the stress was unbearable, and one day he had a potentially fatal seizure. “I woke up in Moses Cone Hospital,” he recalls, “and the doctor said if I had gotten there two minutes later I wouldn’t have made it.” Stress, the doctor told him, would kill him. So, Williams went to work for Goodwill Industries and then off-price retailer Ross Dress for Less, rising into management at both stores. “At Goodwill I learned the thrift-store process,” he says. “Ross was buying closeout items, and that taught me about buying and pricing in retail. That gave me my foundation.” All this time, Williams was developing a passion for sewing he’d had since childhood, engendered by watching his grandmother make and mend clothes on her pedal-powered Singer. By college he was designing and altering clothes for classmates. “I had my sewing machine right there beside my desk in my dorm room,” he says, adding, “Before long, people were asking me to customize clothes for them and dress them up.” After renting booths at flea markets, and selling his wares both there and online through Etsy, he was ready to take the entrepreneurial plunge and opened a consignment shop in Rockingham, N.C., near his wife, Felicia’s hometown of Hamlet, expanding into a successful consignment-thriftvintage outlet. Moving to the corner of Davie and Friendly, Williams opened Tailor’s Rack on September 28, 2018 (Felicia’s birthday). With the Tanger Center and the new hotel opening, Williams feels confident about his location and his blend of men’s, women’s clothing and household goods, all very reasonably priced. Still, the 48-year-old father of two boys (Landon, 10 in March, and Laydon, 8) foresees his own clothing line in his future. He already has a label, Danaanad, has flown to China to develop relationships with manufacturers, and has the hands-on experience to make it work. “I really want to get back to custom designing,” he mused. “That’s where my heart is.” Plus, one would imagine, it’s a lot less stress on the heart. OH — Ogi Overman
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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February 2020
O.Henry 27
Life’s Funny
Ankle-High Weeding out a CBD treatment
By Maria Johnson
I was at wit’s end.
To shush my mewling left ankle, which I’d aggravated while playing tennis, I’d tried all sorts of remedies: anti-inflammatory pills, gels, and a cortisone injection, which worked — until it didn’t. A doctor sent me to a physical therapist, who showed me how to build up my foot and ankle muscles. My peroneus brevis never looked so good. She ended our sessions by dressing my ankle with a battery-powered patch that pushed some anti-ouchy medicine into the gristle end of my boney-asschicken-drumstick leg — my words, not hers. The relief lasted for a couple of hours at a time, probably because I was so caught up in the cool factor of wearing a battery-powered bandage. It reminded me of the light-up tennis shoes that both of my sons wanted so much, at age 3, that they endured the rigors of giving mom and dad what they wanted — potty-trained sons — in exchange for the fly kicks. Who knows? Maybe if the patch had packed a stronger battery and a flashing dump truck, I’d have been cured. Alas, the wee batteries died, and I went back to being my gimpy, unelectrified self.
28 O.Henry
February 2020
I tried simpler fixes, too, soaking up enough fragrant Epsom salt to pass as a lavender-scented country ham. And, of course, I’d worn out the RICE regimen, which orthopedic folks use as shorthand for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation, but which the rest of us know as Relax In a Chair and Eat the ice cream you got out of the freezer when you fetched the gel pack. I was desperate for relief. So when post-yoga chitchat turned to a new hemp store nearby, and someone volunteered that she’d rubbed hemp oil into her hip to soothe an aching flexor, I was on it. Skeptical, but on it. I hobbled on over to the ol’ hempatorium. Graphics on the windows suggested that CBD — or cannabidiol, a non-la-la-inducing compound in hemp — could be used to treat a wide array of health problems: Anxiety, chronic pain, insomnia, autism, scurvy, rickets, dropsy, hysteria, ringworm, imbalance of the humours. I exaggerate, but not much. The kid who was minding the store was extremely friendly, in a floaty, underwater sort of way. “How . . . can . . . I . . . help . . . you?” he asked languidly. “I was wondering if you have any kind of ointment that might help a strained tendon in my ankle,” I replied. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Life’s Funny “Everyone . . . your . . . age . . . wants . . . topicals . . . instead . . . of . . . smokables . . . and . . . chewables,” he observed in approximately the time it would take me to watch a whole season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I was tempted to say, “Been there, done that. Why, I recollect a concert by them Who fellers back in nineteen and eighty-two,” but I preferred to focus on my ankle while I was still ambulatory. He led me over to a wall of shelves and picked up a small white jar with a smudged label that looked to have come from a home printer. “Full Spectrum Hemp Oil Pain Salve, 500mg/1oz,” it read. Everything was spelled correctly, which I took as a positive sign, medically speaking. “My . . . aunt . . . has . . . bad . . . arthritis . . . in . . . her . . . back . . . and…” “Good for her,” I said. “I’ll take it.” I panned the rest of the seascape: tinctures of oil; packs of multicolored gummies; bottles of lotions; tubes of salve promising to relieve, relax or restore one thing or another; a few textile products woven from hemp fiber; and some prerolled joints. A tray of loose-leaf hemp lay next to the register. “Is it, uh, legal to sell it that way?” I asked. “Yeah . . . as . . . long . . . as . . . it . . . contains . . . less . . . than . . . point . . . three . . . percent . . .THC,” he said, using the initials of Tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical in weed that makes you high. I looked it up later. Hemp, a low-grade strain of marijuana, contains less than 0.3 percent THC, which is currently the legal limit in North Carolina. In states that allow the sale of recreational or medicinal pot, the THC content can be more than 20 percent. Back in the day of “them Who fellers,” it was 3 to 4 percent. I’ll leave it to politicians, pundits and public health folks to hash out whether society’s widespread embrace of cannabis makes sense. But I can tell you that after a few days of rubbing the hemp oil balm on my ankle, the pain faded away. In fairness to cause-and-effect, maybe it was because I’d laid off the high-impact exercise. Or because I’d flexed my foot and ankle muscles into a state of Marvel Comics buffness. Maybe in the year since the original injury, the frazzled tendon had finally mended on its own. Or maybe it was because of the healing properties of CBD. There’s a seed of truth in there somewhere. OH
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Maria Johnson is a contributing editor of O.Henry magazine. She can he reached at ohenrymaria@gmail.com.
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
February 2020
O.Henry 29
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February 2020
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
The Omnivorous Reader
Crime and Punishment Doing justice to a pair of new legal thrillers
By D.G. Martin
Two popular authors of legal thrillers
have close connections to North Carolina. We would like to claim them for our state, but both live in Virginia.
John Grisham’s latest book, The Guardians, has spent recent weeks on or near the top of The New York Times best-seller list. Although he lives near Charlottesville, he regularly visits his daughter’s family in Raleigh and enjoys his second home in Chapel Hill, where his wife, Renee, is active in support of the UNC Press and the performing arts efforts. Martin Clark, author of his fifth novel, The Substitution Order, though not as well known as Grisham, has legions of fans. He has been called “the thinking man’s John Grisham.” Clark lives on a farm near Stuart, Virginia, just a few miles above the North Carolina line and not far from the Winston-Salem hospital where he was born. Both new books feature hardworking, smart lawyers confronting sophisticated corruption schemes in the justice system. Grisham’s story features innocent people who have been convicted and sentenced to lengthy years of confinement. Coincidently, newspapers and movie theaters have been full of real life stories of long-serving prisoners who have been found to be innocent. “After 36 Years in Prison, 3 Men Cleared in Killing,” a headline in The New York Times proclaimed recently. Stories like it have become more and more common as efforts to establish the innocence of people convicted of murder expand throughout the country, including North Carolina. Last year Charles Ray Finch, 81, was freed after being wrongfully convicted 43 years ago of a murder in Wilson County. His release came after a 17-year effort by students in the Duke Law Innocence Project. Why does it take such a long time to undo a wrongful conviction? Grisham gives an answer in The Guardians. His hero is Cullen Post, a lawyer and Episcopal priest who works for Guardian Ministries in Savannah, Georgia. Post lives in a small apartment above the ministries’ office, but spends most of his The Art & Soul of Greensboro
time on the road, visiting prisoners all over the Southeast. Post interviews prospective clients in their prison cells. Most of the time he concludes they are guilty. But for those who have persuaded him of their innocence, he gives his all. He even sits with them as they await execution, sharing their last meal. With others, he tries to unearth facts and connections that might bolster their innocence claims. Back at the office, he helps draft legal documents to persuade courts to open the door for a review of their clients’ convictions. Even after all this hard work the Guardian Ministries has only gained the release of eight innocent prisoners. Grisham paints the portraits of several imprisoned clients who are almost certainly innocent but focuses on an African-American former truck driver, Quincy Miller. Twenty-two years earlier Miller had been convicted of murdering Keith Russo, a small town white lawyer who had done a lousy job representing Miller in an acrimonious divorce. The evidence against Miller was thin and contrived, but the local sheriff was determined to pin the murder on him. Why was the sheriff so motivated? Post’s probing is, at first, inconclusive. Then, as he learns that drug dealing might be involved and that the murdered Keith Russo was involved in the illicit trade, things get scary. Post meets Miller’s original defense lawyer and learns that a drug cartel had subjected him to torture and terror so frightening that he would not speak of Miller’s case in public. When Miller is attacked and almost killed by prisoners on the drug cartel’s payroll and strange men begin to follow Post, Grisham injects his patented skillful storytelling to weave a disturbing tale. While Post makes it clear that his job is to prove that his clients, in this case Miller, are innocent, and not necessarily to find the actual murderers, after all Grisham reveals about the horror of the drug cartels and the local officials involved in Keith Russo’s murder, it disappointed this reader not to have the real trigger man and his handlers brought to justice. Maybe Grisham is just leaving the door open for a sequel. If so, I will be in line to buy the first copy. Meanwhile, there is time to enjoy Clark’s The Substitution Order, which has gained widespread praise. New York Times reviewer Alafair Burke wrote, “In a good legal thriller, the law itself propels the narrative as intensely as any February 2020
O.Henry 31
Omnivorous Reader
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32 O.Henry
February 2020
single character. By that definition, Martin Clark’s ‘The Substitution Order’ is not merely a good legal thriller; it’s a great one.” It opens with its main character and narrator speaking, “For years, I was an excellent lawyer, as honest and effective as you could ever want, and I’m a decent enough person, and despite my mistakes, which — I concede — were hellacious, I deserve better than this misery.” These words introduce us to the plight of Kevin Moore. When a lawyer’s life collapses, it can fall hard, and the devastation can be horrendous. But hard times can make for a good story, and Moore’s sad situation becomes the basis for Clark’s enticing book. Moore was an admired and successful lawyer in Roanoke, Virginia. He was deeply devoted to his wife, but then briefly fell into a short fling of infidelity, drug use and association with drug dealers. The results: disbarment and probation. His wife gives up and leaves him. Hoping to regain respectability and return to a good life, Moore takes a job working in a cheap deli. His circumstances make him the target of sophisticated crooks. A stranger who calls himself Caleb visits the deli and proposes that Moore cooperate in a multi-million-dollar scam to con his malpractice insurer out of millions of dollars. As a part of the scam, Moore would admit that he failed to follow up on a client’s option to purchase a parcel of mountain land for a little less than a million dollars. She lost the property, which later sold for $6 million. If Moore plays along, his lawyers’ malpractice insurer will pay $5 million to his former client, who is part of the scam. When Moore turns Caleb and his colleagues down, they use a corrupt law enforcement official to get a fake positive drug test and plant drugs and a pistol in his car. The resulting probation violation and new charges could put him in jail for a long time. His Job-like experience continues when he suffers a stroke just as his soon-to-be ex-wife takes him off her health insurance coverage. His slow turnaround begins when he calls Dan Duggan, his Davidson College classmate and law school roommate at the University of Virginia, for help. Duggan guides him through the health insurance morass and then, at the end of the book, plays a key role in Moore’s counter-scam to punish Caleb’s colleagues and deny them the fruits of their evil deeds. Martin Clark, the author of this compelling story, recently retired as a Virginia circuit court judge, giving him, we can hope, time to write more “thinking man’s” thrillers. OH D.G. Martin hosts North Carolina Bookwatch Sunday at 11 a.m. and Tuesday at 5 p.m. on UNC-TV. The program also airs on the North Carolina Channel Tuesday at 8 p.m. To view prior programs go to http:// video.unctv.org/show/nc-bookwatch/episodes/. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
We would like to thank all of our clients for allowing us the opportunity to help you pursue your financial goals. Seated (left to right): Allen Hammonds, Vice President/Investments; Chip Pegram, First Vice President/Investments. Standing (left to right): Christopher T. Barbee, CFP®, Vice President/Investments; Robert B. Mitchell, Jr., Senior Vice President/Investments; John G. Scott, Jr. CFP®, Senior Vice President/Investments; Jacqueline T. Wieland, AIF®, First Vice President/Investments; Paul A. Vidovich, CFP®, First Vice President/Investments, Branch Manager; Gregory E. Gonzales, AIF®, Senior Vice President/Investments; Phillip H. Joyce, Vice President/Investments (336) 478-3700 | 629 Green Valley Road, Suite 211 | Greensboro, North Carolina 27408 Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated | Member SIPC & NYSE | www.stifel.com
February Happenings
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Fridays Brewery Tour Sunday, February 9th Yoga - 2:00pm
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O.Henry 33
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Call today for your complimentary consultation. 34 O.Henry
February 2020
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Scuppernong Bookshelf
Let’s Do It!
If birds, bees and educated fleas do it, you can, too — with a little help from book releases in time for Valentine’s Day Compiled by Brian Lampkin
Yes, love and romance.
Of course, chocolates and flowers. But what is it we really want from Valentine’s Day? January and February bring us a proverbial backroom full of new books on sex and sexuality that will help you separate the players from the performers. With these guides and how-tos, you’ll soon sort out what you actually desire from what you’re supposed to desire. What is it we really want from Valentine’s Day? Books on sex! January 7: Topics of Conversation, by Miranda Popkey (Knopf, $24). Miranda Popkey’s first novel is about desire, disgust, motherhood, loneliness, art, pain, feminism, anger, envy, guilt — written in language that sizzles with intelligence and eroticism. The novel is composed almost exclusively of conversations between women — the stories they tell each other, and the stories they tell themselves, about shame and love, infidelity and self-sabotage. February 4: The Queen V: Everything You Need to Know about Sex, Intimacy, and Down There Health Care, by Dr. Jackie Walters (Andy Cohen Books, $27). After twenty years of private obstetrics and gynecological practice, there’s nothing Dr. Jackie Walters hasn’t encountered. And now, in her new book, the widely adored OBGYN invites you to put your feet in the stirrups and investigate. Whether she’s covering libido, contraceptives, labiaplastyor fertility, Dr. Jackie educates readers with her characteristic grace and pragmatism. Both funny and informative, she brings you on a quest through the female reproductive system — answering all the burning (and itching and odiferous . . .) questions you’ve always been afraid to ask. February 4: Seduction: A History from the Enlightenment to the Present, by Clement Knox (Pegasus, $28.95). Moving from the Garden of Eden to the carnivals of 18th-century Venice, and from the bawdy world of Georgian London to the saloons and speakeasies of the Jazz Age, this is an exploration of timeless themes of power, desire, and free will. Along the way we meet Mary Wollstonecraft, her daughter Mary Shelley, and her friend Caroline Norton, and reckon with their fight The Art & Soul of Greensboro
for women’s rights and freedoms. We encounter Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champion of the world, who became entangled in America’s labyrinthine and racialized seduction laws. We consider how after seduction seemingly vanished from view during the Sexual Revolution, it has exploded back into our lives. February 4: The Pleasure Gap: American Women and the Unfinished Sexual Revolution, by Katherine Rowland (Seal Press, $28). American culture is more sexually liberal than ever. But compared to men, women’s sexual pleasure has not grown: Millions of American women experience the sexual malaise clinically known as low sexual desire. Between this low desire, muted pleasure and experiencing sex in terms of labor rather than of lust, women by the millions are dissatisfied with their erotic lives. For too long, this deficit has been explained in terms of women’s biology, stress and age, but in The Pleasure Gap, Katherine Rowland rejects the idea that women should settle for diminished pleasure. Instead, she argues women should take inequality in the bedroom as seriously as we take it in the workplace and understand its causes and effects. February 11: Sex Positive: Redefining Our Attitudes to Love & Sex, by Kelly Neff (Watkins Publishing, $18.95). In this ground-breaking study of modern sexuality, Dr. Kelly Neff explores this new cultural movement and examines LGBTQI issues, #MeToo, female orgasm, the rise of nonmonogamous relationships and robotic sex partners, among many other contentious topics emerging as part of the ongoing social and political shifts surrounding sex, love and identity. February 11: Summer of ’69, by Elin Hilderbrand (Back Bay, $16.99). Sorry. Apparently this book isn’t about what I first thought. But that does remind me that Scuppernong Books will host its 2nd Annual Non-Erotic Reading on February 13 at 7p.m. We’re guided by The Guardian’s annual Bad Sex Awards in Fiction. Here’s a sample from a “winner,” Elizabeth Gilbert’s City of Girls: “Then I screamed as though I were being run over by a train, and that long arm of his was reaching up again to palm my mouth, and I bit into his hand the way a wounded soldier bites on a bullet. And then it was the most, and I more or less died.” Please join us to celebrate the bad so we can recognize the good! OH Brian Lampkin is one of the proprietors of Scuppernong Books. February 2020
O.Henry 35
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FEBRUARY/MARCH HAPPENINGS
Here are our top to do’s! Join us! • Valentine’s Romance Packages: Available all February at ohenryhotel.com or proximityhotel.com. • Blend Your Own Bordeaux Wine Dinner at Proximity | Feb. 7 Tickets printworksbistro.com. • GreenHill Artists Getaway at O.Henry | Feb. 22 ohenryhotel.com • CTG Murder Mystery at O.Henry | Feb. 23 Tickets ctgso.org • Cake Decorating Class at O.Henry | March 14 ohenryhotel.com • Menus: Some featured ingredients at our restaurants include oysters, grits, cauliflower, black rice, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, carrots, leeks, wilted greens, English peas and more... • O.Henry Jazz & Package: Every Thursday from 6-9 PM and Saturday’s from 7-10 PM. See the schedule and book your overnight package at ohenryhotel.com. • PWB Pop-Up Dance Club: Feb. 7, March 6 • Songs from a Southern Kitchen: Schedule: lucky32.com
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Just Desserts
Life of Jane
It takes one to know one
By Jane Borden
In my parents’ home, des-
ILLUSTRATION BY MERIDITH MARTENS
serts are both rewards and consolations, applied as prescription and preventative medicine alike. As such, the procurement of them is as important as the distribution. My mother likes to be prepared.
Shortly after Nathan and I were married, we made an impromptu visit to Greensboro from Chapel Hill. Mom not only welcomed us generously but also threw together an elaborate dinner for four in the dining room. Afterward, she announced, “I’m sorry, but I didn’t know you were coming, so we have nothing for dessert.” Naturally, we insisted: Dessert was unnecessary, and we were thankful for the delicious dinner, not to mention full. This was a response to the gesture behind the statement. And once it was made, I considered the statement itself. Suspiciously, I asked, “Wait, you have nothing for dessert?” When my sisters and I were children, our kitchen pantry was legend. Across different grades and schools, word spread of the snack-food riches therein, making our house the first choice for any playdate location. I’m still not sure who were real friends, and who were mercenaries out for a payday in Little Debbie snack cakes. They weren’t shy. They knew Mom’s organizational system and poked around freely. It was a bit like looking for coins in a video game. One employs a combination of tactics, returning to previously discovered gold mines while also seeking new sources. That was part of the fun. Our friends knew they could open the freezer door and score a few chocolate M&Ms, but also what’s behind that cereal box in the pantry? Is it one of a dozen cans of chicken consommé (a collection always stocked in case, I presume, the municipal water source became tainted and we had to drink it)? No. Is it a jar of relish that expired five years ago (that’s my dad’s organizational
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
system)? No. Is it . . . yes, Girl Scout cookies! Wait, how old are they? Just kidding, I don’t care. The shelves were deep. There was a lot to explore. And it required agility, considering the floor was littered with bottles of Diet Rite. I understand this culture of plenty. I inherited the trait. I go overboard, whether in my shopping cart or on my plate. “That looks good. Do I need it? Probably not. But you never know? Anyway, it might taste good. I like things that taste good. OK I’ll take it.” For example, having a great plenty is what allows one to throw together a dinner for four in a formal dining room on short notice. Appreciation aside, however, I am biologically incapable of missing an opportunity to joke. That is how I came to do the unthinkable: endeavoring to entertain our group by making fun of Mom. “You have nothing for dessert?” I asked, inviting her into the trap. “Nothing!” Mom said innocently. “I feel terrible!” “You’re sure there’s nothing?” I pressed. “Yes!” she said. “OK, I’ll just confirm,” I announced, rising from the table and heading first to the second refrigerator in the laundry room. “Bag of M&Ms in the drawer!” I shouted and, moving a bottle of chardonnay, added, “also a bag of jellybeans. And a box of Godivas.” “Those don’t count,” Mom yelled back. “That’s candy!” I next turned to the freezer: “Fudge popsicles!” “They’re Weight Watchers,” she protested, “fake dessert.” “And what about this homemade chocolate-covered toffee the Hassenfelts gave us for Christmas?” “Jane,” she said, her voice now grave: “You better be careful.” Making fun of mother is a risky venture. The situation must be perfect, or plans require, as revenge does, the digging of two graves. But any great endeavor is susceptible to circumstance, and if, when conditions do allow, our heroes fail to act, we’d never have harnessed electricity, or captured a February 2020
O.Henry 37
Life of Jane
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38 O.Henry
February 2020
giant squid on film. I realize I’ve just compared my mother to a giant squid, but the sound I sought — of her laughing at me laughing at her — is as rare. I don’t mean to suggest her hard or stoic. Mom laughs constantly, and labors to elicit the same from others. She’s an entertainer. She says I get my sense of humor from my dad. Maybe. I hope so. He’s one of the funniest people I know. (Last year, when my parents visited Los Angeles, we took an Uber to Hollywood. After embarking, Dad had trouble with his seat belt, so the driver pulled over to wait. When the lock finally clicked, Dad leaned forward to the driver and cheerily announced, “OK, you can get in a wreck now!”) Regardless, I inherited my desire to entertain from her. She’s a pro. Whether hosting a party in your honor or running into you at the Harris Teeter, Mom makes you feel special. And you can relax meanwhile, because she does all of the work, including the emotional labor. I’m not at her level. But I hope to be eventually. I’m still practicing. Anyway, it’s not my job to entertain when I’m with her. It’s hers. That duty is part of her general position as matriarch. Mom controls everything — including the comedy. If children are serfs, then my aim in mocking her was nothing short of an uprising. But I had her cornered. I knew I was right and, more important, I knew this was funny. I pressed on to the kitchen pantry, where I found candied pecans, chocolate-covered almonds, gummy bears, and four kinds of Weight Watchers treats (caramels, minifudge bars, shortbread cookies, yogurt pretzels). I shouted out each as I found them. “Jaaaane. . . .” she replied, threatening the outcome of my continued pursuit. This was getting worse before it got better. But if I stopped now, I’d have already lost. I had to double down. “OK, I’m opening the kitchen freezer,” I yelled. And then she sighed loudly: resignation, a positive sign. “Jackpot! Two kinds of ice cream, a frozen loaf of banana bread, a Skor bar, and more popsicles — not Weight Watchers.” I returned to the dining room: “17, Mom. That’s a total of 17 desserts in the house.” She stared at me for two or three very long seconds, and then raised her eyebrows, shrugged and chuckled. It was a little thing, and also the best thing. “OK,” she said, somewhat sarcastically. “Very funny.” OH Jane Borden grew up in Greensboro and now lives in Los Angeles, where she currently has nine desserts in the house and gets paid to be funny. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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O.Henry 39
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Rum Discovery
In The Spirit
Straight up sugar cane
By Tony Cross
In the spring of 2018, I was
able to get into the five-year anniversary party at the mezcal bar Gallo Pelon in Raleigh. It was a fun night shared with close friends at one of my favorite bars. What made the evening even more special was my introduction to Oaxacan Agricole rum.
PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY CROSS
Near the end of every year, I place my order online for different spirits that aren’t available through our state’s ABC system (which would be many). It’s basically my Christmas present to myself. Copious amounts. It never dawned on me to search for rums from the Oaxacan region until that night. So I did, and grabbed a bottle from Haiti while I was at it. I drank both bottles bonedry, and couldn’t remember my name or how to do times-tables for three days. I’m lying. I was the first kid in my third-grade class to remember their multiplication tables; that will never fade from my memory.
Paranubes Oaxacan Agricole Rum “Made in the northern highlands of Oaxaca, where a sparsely inhabited sub-tropical climate produces some of the best sugar cane on Earth. Third-generation distiller Jose Luis Carrera works with several local varieties of cane grown organically and minimally processed during distillation, using only the fresh, lightly pressed cane juice.” That’s the first thing I read about Paranubes rum. The next thing I noticed is the whopping 54 percent alcohol by volume. Yeah, I had to give this one a go. When it arrived (along with the other types of spirits I purchased), it was the first bottle I opened. On the nose, I could definitely smell sugar cane as soon as I popped the cork. But once in the glass, there was a peppery smell to it that I couldn’t quite nail down. The next day, my buddy Carter gave it a go, and before his first sip, he said, “Hmm . . . smells like ketchup.” That’s it! I should’ve gotten that; I eat ketchup on almost everything. We both agreed it was a beautiful rum, from the nose, to the back of the palate. Just straight-up sugar cane. No additives. I read on their website that Jose Luis Carrera is able to produce 85 liters a day — the bottle is one liter. He could distill more for a faster production time, but doesn’t want to compromise the balance of his rum. Talk about quality. The first drink I made with this was the classic Ti’ Punch: just a touch of organic cane sugar, lime, and Paranubes rum made my holiday week a little less stressful. I’ll give a recipe below. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Clairin Sajous Haitian Rhum Agricole What struck my curiosity with this bottle were two things: One, it’s only been on the market for a couple of years; and two, I’ve never tasted clairin before. It was introduced to me as an eau de vie, similar to white Agricole rhums. So, what exactly is clairin? In a nutshell, it’s a distilled spirit made from sugar cane juice that is produced in Haiti. It gets its name (kleren in Haitian Creole) from its clear color. This clairin comes from an independent distillery that sits in the northern high-altitude village of Saint Michel de L’Attalaye and is run by Michel Sajous. Just like the distillery of Paranubes, the Sajous Clairin is organically cultivated. Sajous uses the cristalline variety of sugar cane. This type of sugar cane doesn’t yield as much juice when pressed compared to larger production rum companies, but the juice that it does hold has a ton of character. In fact, this type of cane comes from small villages that use machinery without electricity. The sugar cane is also cut by hand and transported by ox carts or donkeys to the distilleries. Wild beasts and sugar cane. That’s it, folks. It smells stronger than it tastes: grassy, slightly fruity, and very clean. Don’t let the 107 proof on the label scare you — indeed, this is high-octane, but there is so much flavor to decipher, and the clean finish makes this a new staple in my bar. I’m ordering three bottles next time. I recommend the Clairin Sajous definitely in a daiquiri, or on the rocks. Are you a fan of rum? I feel like there are two groups: Those that like common, molassesbased rum (Molasses is made by boiling sugar cane juice, and then skimming off the top while it’s boiling. After this process is repeated many times, the end result is a thick and sweet liquid.) and those who like Agricole rhums that are made from sugar cane juice. I say that the first group likes “common rum” because that rum is everywhere and is always sweeter. Agricole rum can be more effluvious or funky, and that’s the rum I prefer.
Ti’ Punch
1 teaspoon organic cane sugar 1 fat lime wedge (not that half-moon, sliver-of-a-lime nonsense) 2 ounces rhum agricole (I use Paranubes) Place sugar and lime into a rocks glass. Gently muddle lime into the sugar. Release the oils of the lime into the juice without pulverizing it. Add rum and ice. Give it a quick stir. Take your time and enjoy. OH Tony Cross is a bartender (well, ex-bartender) who runs cocktail catering company Reverie Cocktails in Southern Pines. February 2020
O.Henry 41
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February 2020
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
True South
Dog Days of Winter Because, well, outside dog
By Susan S. Kelly
You knew that sooner or later, there’d
be a column on dogs. February may seem a strange choice, but when it comes to my dog — a black Lab named Babe — it’s appropriate, because February is a cold, dreary month, and I get a lot of grief about Babe because she’s always outside, no matter the weather. Listen, you strollers and walkers and joggers and drive-bys: She is an outside dog.
My husband and I had a knockdown drag-out about this years ago, with a different Lab, named Sis; so much so that I called the vet to find out the facts. “A Lab is made for cold weather,” he said. “They can go down to 2 degrees.” We’ve tried, I promise. We’ve had the wooden doghouse, with the cedar shavings inside. We’ve bought the expensive plastic “Igloo” house, outfitted it with towels and more cedar shavings, pitched bones and peanut butter-coated chew toys inside. We’ve put a fluffy bed inside the tool shed, next to the water heater, and left the door open so she can come and go. We’ve tried dragging her indoors by her collar. But . . . no dice. Babe has extreme canine FOMO. Babe is like Ariel in The Little Mermaid: She wants to be where the people are. The mailman. The UPS guy. The garbage men. The yard armies. And especially the dog walkers. They know her by name. They bring treats. They let their dogs off leashes so they can rodeo around the front yard with Babe. One dog walker, whose name I’ve never known, moved from the neighborhood but still drives over weekly and brings her French bulldog specifically to hang out with Babe. Babe has more friends than I do. I have to give them Christmas presents. My husband’s daily walks with her around a six-block radius is so regular, making Babe so familiar, that when he’s out of town, and I’m left with the walking task, people stop and ask me if my husband is sick. Babe doesn’t want to go to the dog Hilton if we go out of town. Besides, a legion of neighborhood kids have depended on Babe’s needs for adolescent income. Of course, having an outside dog, especially if the dog is a will-eat-anything Lab, has its problems. Collateral damage, if you will. The French drains,
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chewed to plastic bits, piled in the monkey grass? Dog. The screen door whose lower half is brown from fur dirt? Dog. The terrace furniture cushions, whose corners are raveled and spilling upholstery guts? Dog. The dirt clods scattered all over the driveway/front walk from a recent dig? Dog. The Pieris japonica shrub in death throes with a hollowed-out cavity at its root base? Dog, seeking shade from the summer sun. The multitude of slobber-encrusted, threaddangling knotted ropes and bristle-bones and otherwise unrecognizable pet toys in the natural area/driveway/patio? Dog. Never mind the ruined hoses, which look like 20 yards of bubblegum to an outside dog. Because you can have a decent yard, or you can have an outside dog, but not both. Same applies to packages. A neighbor called to report that the front yard was dotted with scraps of blue fabric and bubble wrap. That was my Rent-theRunway dress for a black tie party. (Despite a dangling cap sleeve, I wore it anyway.) The teeth marks all over the $2-per-card stationery. The borrowedand-returned books with no covers left on them — hardback and paperback. I need a delivery drone that aims for chimneys instead of doors. And if you are delivering, watch where you place your feet, because . . . dog. Go, Dog, Go. And they do. Anywhere. Everywhere. Through five decades of dogs, I’ve always wanted one that, like Lassie, would put its head on my lap and do that “I love you” whine. I’ve finally got one. Babe is such a people-person dog that I can no longer sit on the (raveled, ruined) terrace furniture with a (coverless, chewed) book because she’s got her head in my lap, doing the “I love you” whine and jiggling my arm, and therefore my glass, and I’ve got a half-dozen wine-stained shirts to prove it. It’s been said before in this column but bears repeating: Be careful what you wish for. Still, she’s perfectly happy to gobble down all my boiled peanut shells. She’s perfectly happy to gobble ice cubes, for that matter. And I have a yard full of birds who feel perfectly safe raising their young in my pyracantha and wisteria vines because Babe in the yard means no cats or snakes in their nests. You know those T-shirts that say my parents went to wherever and all I got was this lousy T-shirt? My Master of Fine Arts cost $20,000 and the only thing I really learned or remember is this advice from a Pulitzer Prize-winning professor: No one wants to read about dreams, dogs, or how you lost your virginity. Well. Two out of three’s not bad. By the way, did you accidentally drop your white, knitted toboggan in my yard? Here it is, resembling Swiss cheese. Because . . . (outside) dog. OH Susan S. Kelly is a blithe spirit, author of several novels, and a proud grandmother. February 2020
O.Henry 43
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Birdwatch
Speed Dating and Mating For mallards, timing is everything
By Susan Campbell
For some birds — like mallards here
in central North Carolina — spring comes early. While other birds are simply eating and sleeping to survive the worst of winter, with little else on their minds, the drakes sporting their finest feathers, and the hens are on the lookout for a safe neighborhood to raise the next generation of ducklings.
Mallards are familiar to just about all of us — found nearly worldwide, thanks in large part to their popularity as a game bird. The males, with their glossy green heads, curly tail feathers and well-known, loud voices are perhaps the most readily identified fowl on the planet. Females, on the other hand, are much less noticeable but still readily identifiable given their mottled plumage, yellow bills and stereotypical “quacks.” The affinity for living and nesting near people is unparalleled. Although a large percentage of mallards found throughout our state have been domesticated to varying degrees, many behave more like their wild cousins than barnyard fowl. Truly wild mallards are indeed wary and are unlikely to waddle up to arm’s length for handouts. These so-called “puddle ducks” favor forested areas with ponds and small lakes that provide plenty of emergent and submerged vegetation. While foraging, it’s bottoms up for mallards who are given to feeding heads’ down on leaves, shoots and roots in the shallows. You can also see them diving for food below the surface. They’ll feast on invertebrates when abundant, as well as fruits that may fall into the water. Mallards can also digest mast and so may be seen gobbling up nuts (such as acorns on land) in fall and winter too.
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Like all waterfowl, mallards pair by early winter. Pairs may be seen swimming in tandem, and you may even catch them copulating, early in the calendar year — well before the mercury begins to rise. Also watch for drakes defending their mates from unmated males in duels that can be quite violent as well as loud. As winter turns to spring, expect the behavior to escalate — not unlike their human counterparts. In the world of waterfowl, males outnumber females by as many as four to one — so competition can be fierce. By early March the hens will have found a suitable nesting site. Wandering away from the water’s edge, sometimes as much as a quarter mile, a female mallard will create a simple scrape in a protected spot to start her family. She will lay an egg a day until the clutch is complete. She may lay more than a dozen eggs by the time she’s satisfied with her stash. Each morning, after each egg is laid, she will add down from her breast to the clutch to insulate them from the cold. She will also cover them with pine needles or other vegetation that is present in the proximity of the nest to protect them from the elements. But what’s most important is the blanket that will hide the nest from the eyes of potential predators. Nest placement for mallards is the key to success. Should she be spotted by crows, the eggs will be eaten in short order. If the nest is sniffed out by raccoons or foxes, it will be consumed in no time flat. Therefore, many hens have learned to lay eggs within the thickest of vegetation — or to nest very close to human habitation. I had a mallard nest in the flowerbed literally right outside my front door for several seasons while living on a lake in the Sandhills. So should you happen to witness mallards courting nearby in the coming weeks, it could mean the appearance of fluffy yellow ducklings by early spring. Indeed the days are lengthening and these well-known birds are quite aware of the importance of timing, even in the absence of a calendar — or smart phone. Imagine that! OH Susan would love to hear from you. Send wildlife sightings and photos to susan@ncaves.com. February 2020
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Wandering Billy
Mex ’n’ Match
No less than four new restaurants expand Downtown’s dining scene
By Billy Eye “How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?” ― Julia Child
This month Eye offer up a Bento Box
of brand-new places to dine and shop downtown that you may not have discovered yet.
Los Chico’s
Despite an oddly placed apostrophe, Los Chico’s brings great-tasting Mexican fare back to downtown for those who still yearn for the days of Tijuana Fats. Located in the old Meyer’s building at South Elm and February One, Tex-Mex lunch fajitas at Los Chico’s are a pleasing combination of carne asada strips and multicolored peppers wrapped in freshly made tortillas. I especially enjoyed the rich flavor of their frijoles. Street tacos, sopes, gorditas and tortas (Mexican sandwiches) are authentically prepared and taste muy deliciosos, as is does the menudo and caldo de res (traditional beef soup with potatoes, corn on the cob, squash and cabbage) available on weekends only. Come to think of it, the last time I ate at Los Chico’s I didn’t eat there at all. No harm, no foul — the waiter took my order, that was handled efficiently enough, only my food never arrived so I tossed a few bucks on the table for the salsa and water then wandered farther down South Elm to dine at one of my fave new places, Bonchon. But I’ll be back!
Bonchon
***
A few doors north of Mellow Mushroom, Bonchon is an international Asian Fusion chain best known for their Korean fried chicken. To tell the truth, there are so many other delicious dishes on the menu, I haven’t sampled Bonchon’s signature dish yet. I savored their sesame-ginger salad topped with a crispy cooked serving of salmon. Another time I gorged on delicious bulgogi (thinly sliced marinated ribeye sautéed with mushrooms, scallions, and onions served with rice). Their Bibimbap was rated No. 40 in the 50 most delicious foods according to a CNN Travel reader’s poll. Bonchon’s menu is extensive; finally, a place downtown that serves a proper Udon noodle soup capped with
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
sesame oil, nori and toasted sesame seeds. I particularly like the seafood version with shrimp, calamari and scallops that’ll warm you up from the inside out.
Smohk’d
***
The Sage Mule
***
Located where Ganache once was, more recently LaRue Elm, I’m captivated with this restaurant even though I’m not a fan of smoked meats generally. The flavor profile can at times be overwhelmingly artificial but not at Smohk’d. Their brisket, St. Louis ribs, pastrami, pork shoulder and chicken wings are seasoned with a pleasing combination of garlic and herbs then smoked for about four hours for a well balanced taste. There’s even an “impossible” meatloaf for our meatless friends. Order à la carte or assemble a plate consisting of your choice of protein, sauces, two sides and bread for around $12. I heartily recommend the Texas brisket with a side of homemade horseradish sauce, baked beans, collards, and sweet-and-spicy cornbread. Booths are wide, easily accommodating six to eight diners each with long, hardwood community tables for larger parties, as well as a private dining area upstairs for more intimate affairs. One recent Sunday, our party lucked out when the chef was experimenting with prime rib, which may be added to the menu by the time you read this. If so, ask for the prime rib sandwich consisting of four large chunks of perfectly roasted beef wrapped in a hoagie roll with mayo, lettuce and tomato. Heavenly!
Restaurants can typically take months to build a following, if they’re lucky enough to survive at all. Not so with The Sage Mule, only open a few weeks, this comfy bakery and bistro has been buzzing with excited, hungry patrons from the very start. Forming a triumvirate on Battleground, along with Preyer Brewery and Machete (where Crafted — The Art of Street Food used to be), The Sage Mule is open for breakfast and lunch beginning at 6 a.m. — although I doubt many of you are up that early to milk the chickens or whatever one does at such an ungodly hour. It’s a casual atmosphere, you order at the counter then find a seat inside or February 2020
O.Henry 47
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Wandering Billy on the large outdoor patio. How could you possibly go wrong starting the day with a simple Blue Plate Special, perhaps a breakfast cassoulet (white bean and stout ragout, Carolina chopped pork, fried eggs on focaccia), or avocado toast with poached egg? For lunch a friend and I truly enjoyed the Salmon Niçoise Sammie and old-fashioned flat top burger. Fresh breads and baked goods are also on the menu.
***
In addition to these new eateries, downtown is now home to four barber shops (at Rock’s Hair Shop you can enjoy a cold brew as you get a close shave) while work is nearing completion on a sixlane bowling alley/bar on the corner of East Lewis and South Elm, where that Hoarders-like junk shop had been doing business since at least the 1980s. There’s also an ethically sourced clothing store, Mindful Supply Co., on the only strip of storefronts that survived the devastating 1980s fires that decimated South Davie Street (I can almost hear Old Photo Specialist Bill Heroy saying, “Why is Billy Eye so obsessed with those fires?!?”). A UNC-TV documentary described Mindful’s supply chain as, “Dirt to shirt.” Co-owner David Grubbs tells me, “We offer completely sustainable goods, 100 percent North Carolina Cotton. The message is sustainability, traceability, knowing where your products come from.” Not only is the cotton grown in state, it’s ginned, dyed, and printed locally as well. David Grubbs and partner Derek Glass even design their retro-activewear on the premises at 335 South Davie, including T-shirts that celebrate The Boro. You have to check this place out. There’s something for the entire family.
Cape Lookout National Seashore
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North Carolina’s
southern outer banks
***
Local party band Grand Ole Uproar will be performing at The Crown above the Carolina Theater on February 9th, opening for Nashville’s The Southern Gothic, who were named “Artist on the Verge” in Billboard’s Best Bets after debuting at No. 1 on its Heat Seekers List. Grand Ole Uproar describes their style as a musical gumbo conjuring up, “the Texas twang of Waylon Jennings and Doug Sahm, the electric carnival of Dylan, the improvisational impulses of the Grateful Dead, and the laid-back swampy sound of JJ Cale.” This promises to be a terrific night of original music. OH Billy Eye is a major contributor to a 600-plus page oral history just published by Mikey Bean entitled Phantoms: The Rise of Deathrock from the LA Punk Scene that details the emergence of the Goth scene in America. Go figure. . . The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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9 out of 10 graduates say they were better prepared for high school than other students in their class. And that’s just the beginning. 97% of our graduates say they are successful adults because of their Montessori education. Our school is not about surviving hours of arbitrary homework or memorizing facts for the next test. It’s about completing meaningful work, unleashing academic excellence, and solving real-world problems. Come experience education as it should be.
MIDDLE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE Sunday, February 23, 1-3 p.m.
ALL SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE Sunday, March 1, 1-3 p.m.
Register at gms.org
February 2020 The Arrow I tried to explain Cupid to a 4-year-old today. He was making a Valentine for his grandmother, festooning a pink paper heart with stamps and stickers, writing ‘I love you’ across it in big, shaky letters. Then he asked about one of the stickers: Why does that heart have an arrow through it? How sad. Even after I told him that it was more like being ‘struck by love,’ he held his hand over his chest. I don’t want Cupid to shoot me, he said. That would hurt. I couldn’t disagree. — Ashley Wahl
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The
love
Connection
Avid Aggies and organic farmers. Foodies and Philanthropists. High school sweethearts and high-stepping seniors. Meet five couples who share a common passion — and the joy of being together.
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True Blue & Gold Aggie Love Frank & Vicki McCain
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By Jim Dodson • Photographs by Mark Wagoner
rank and Vicki McCain are living proof that timing is everything in the mysterious ways of love. They met 38 years ago when both were high school students attending a gathering of North Carolina student councils in Raleigh. Frank was president of the statewide organization and president of his senior class in Charlotte. Vicki Hinton was senior class president at Rocky Mount Senior High School Down East. “He was wearing a Kelly green sports coat and looked so confident and handsome,” she recalls with a laugh. “Oh, you better believe I noticed her too,” says Frank with a chuckle. One year later, they were both freshmen at North Carolina A&T State University. Vicki was rooming with a girl from Charlotte, planning to major in accounting. Frank was studying marketing and management. “One evening there was a knock at our dorm door and there was Frank McCain,” she remembers. “You’re that girl from Rocky Mount,” Frank said with a smile. Their love affair began — as many enduring ones do — with a strong friendship, time spent in classes together and conversations around campus. Two years later, Vicki was attending the Aggies’ away football game against N.C. Central with friends from back home, when Frank happened to be there. He offered to drop off her friends at their campus in Durham after the game and give Vicki a ride back to Greensboro. Dropping her off at her dorm, he boldly asked to kiss her goodnight. “Naturally,” she says, “I said no.” Frank McCain is living proof that faint heart never won a fair maid. He kept asking Vicki out, and she finally consented to a first date to Chi-Chi’s Mexican Restaurant in the spring of 1986. On the drive back to A&T, Frank calmly spoke from the heart. “I want you to be my wife,” he told Vicki. “And I want you to have my children.” She was sure her was joking. “I laughed till I cried,” Vicki remembers. “We were just great friends at that point. I couldn’t believe he was serious. But when I looked at him, he wasn’t laughing.” “We’ll see who gets the laugh,” Frank said with a stoic shrug. Upon graduation in ’87, she took an accounting position with Cargill Corp. in Memphis, Tennessee. Frank went to work for First Union Bank in Greensboro. During one of his visits, Vicki informed him that when he left, she was going with him. A more promising job awaited her in Richmond, Virginia. They loaded up her Chevette with her belongings and headed home to Rocky Mount. Vicki soon moved on to Richmond. From December of 1987 to late summer of ’89, the couple managed to see each other every weekend. During a weekend visit to Georgetown, Frank proposed marriage. Vicki told him she needed to speak with her mother, Lucinda “Miss Tab” Hinton, who affectionately called Frank “Hotdog” because of his name. Vicki also said she needed to pray on the proposal. They got married August 12, 1989, at Vicki’s childhood church in Rocky Mount. It was really the first time Vicki had a chance to get to know Frank’s The Art & Soul of Greensboro
extended family. Something lovely happened before the service. Vicki was all alone in a room, dressed in her wedding gown and watching guests arrive, when there was a knock at the door and Frank’s father, Franklin McCain Sr., stepped in to have a quiet word with the bride. Franklin McCain was an American icon, one of the four brave A&T State freshman who staged a peaceful sit-in at the Greensboro Woolworth on February 1, 1960 — a moment broadly regarded by historians as a key moment in the birth of the nonviolent American Civil Rights Movement. “He knew I was nervous and calmly told me ‘You look mighty pretty, Sugar.’” McCain then asked her if she was absolutely sure she wanted to marry his son, she recalls. “He explained that marriage is a serious commitment and that if I had any doubts I was free to change my mind.” She didn’t. This pleased him. “Big Daddy was such a wise and reassuring man. That meant so much to me. We became such close friends.” After the couple exchanged vows, the groom couldn’t resist a gentle dig. “I guess I got the last laugh after all,” he told Vicki with a chortle. Today, Frank McCain carries on the family tradition of public service as vice president of United Way of Greater Greensboro, and Vicki serves as pastor of the Presbyterian Church of the Cross on Phillips Avenue and works as a royalty auditor for Centric Brands. Both are deeply involved in A&T alumni affairs and athletics. In fact, three generations strong, they may be the poster family for Aggie Blue and Gold. After graduating from Ragsdale High with high honors (serving as homecoming queen, varsity head cheerleader and student government president as well) daughter Taylor, 25, attended UNC-Chapel Hill and today works as operations manager for a major snack company in Miami. Son Frank III — whom everyone calls “Mac” — a graduate of Dudley High Academy, is a star footballer whose key interception in the closing moments of the 2017 Celebration Bowl led to MVP honors in a win over rival Grambling State and a perfect 12–0 season for the Aggies. The redshirted McCain picked up two All-America honors and snagged eight interceptions during his first two years, running two of them back for touchdowns, including a 100-yarder against East Carolina for the victory. Last December, Mac McCain helped guide the Aggies to their third straight HBCU national title with a third consecutive win over Alcorn State at the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. After battling food allergies and injuries, he is now in graduate school at his alma mater studying agricultural business and preparing for a fourth season in Aggie Blue and Gold. “We are blessed to have children who are such good people,” says Pastor Vicki. “We’re also proud to be part of the A&T community, which is really our extended family.” “A&T allowed us all to grow,” agrees Frank. “It’s who we are — and who we will always be. Aggie pride is nationwide!” OH
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Providential Pairing Katie Clark & Branyon Spigner By Maria Johnson • Photographs by Bert VanderVeen
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f they get married as planned, Katie Clark and Branyon Spigner won’t have to worry about becoming one of those couples who start to look like each other. They already do. With their broad, easy smiles, their clear blue-green eyes and their rosy 19-year-old faces, they could be mistaken for sister and brother. “I’ve had people say to me, ‘You’re like the same person,’ “ he says. Their differences stood out the first time they met — or became aware of each other. They were in seventh grade, doing a walkathon on the grounds of Mendenhall Middle School in Greensboro. Katie was strolling with friends behind Branyon, who, having already experienced a growth spurt, was 5-feet9-inches tall, by far the biggest kid around. “I was like, ‘Why is there a 16-year-old at our walkathon? And what’s his name again?’ I couldn’t say his name,” Katie recalls. It’s Branyon, rhymes with canyon. They had English class together the following year. “I remember, I heard her talking about a Christian football movie, When the Game Stands Tall. I was like, ‘Hey, I love that movie,’” he says. They were too shy for conversation in person — she hid behind a locker door to avoid making eye contact with him in the hall — but they struck up a friendship by texting, mostly about their faith in God. When Katie’s friends threw a surprise party for her December birthday, they invited Branyon. “Most people gave me gift cards,” Katie remembers. “He gave me a plaque with Proverbs 3:5.” Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. “I thought that was charming,” she says. They talked face-to-face. It was a good sign. “It was like, ‘OK, we can talk without a phone.’” says Branyon. They held hands at a New Year’s Eve party. She invited him to a community theater production of Sleeping Beauty, in which she played the lead role. “It was funny,” Branyon remembers. “The first girl I fall for, I have to watch her kiss a 17-year-old.” Their own first kiss came a few weeks later, on a snow day when school was canceled. They went sledding then walking in the woods with friends. Suddenly, the friends vanished. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
“I think they all planned it,” Katie says of the couple’s instant privacy. “We talked for a while and then he kissed me. It was cute.” They went to a Christian music festival on Valentine’s Day. They became each other’s best friends in high school. Their friends called them Mom and Dad. Or KatieBranyon. Neither drank. Both were on student council and participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and in the faith-based organization Young Life. He joined her youth group at Lawndale Baptist Church. “It was so natural,” she says. “It felt like we’d always been together.” He played varsity football for three years at Page High School, and she stayed until the end of every game, partly because she was in charge of the pep club and partly to get post-game pictures of her and Branyon. “It was nice to have that support,” he says. They planned to go to different colleges, she to Carolina to study psychology, he to N.C. State to study civil engineering. She was accepted by both schools, but State offered her a scholarship, and a campus Christian group reached out to her. She changed her mind about going to Chapel Hill. “It was a God thing,” she says. “It was a bonus that Branyon was at State.” Now, they live in the same dormitory, in suites one floor apart. When he’s done studying, he’ll text her to see if she has time for a visit. Sometimes, they meet in the dining hall. Like any couple, Katie and Branyon quarrel at times. “At first, we didn’t really understand our differences,” he says. “We tried to look past them,” she says. “We needed to understand where the other person was coming from,” he says. “Now it’s more like, “What do you need from me?’” she says. For a while, they thought they would get married in college, but now they think they’ll get engaged while in college and get married right after graduation in 2023, after he starts a full-time job, possibly with the construction company he will intern with this summer. Katie has changed her major to communication, with a minor in Spanish, to prepare for a more flexible career should Branyon’s future employer send him to another city. “All of our ducks are almost in a row,” he says. They look at each other with the same eyes. They smile the same smile. OH
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Planned Spontaneity Paul Russ & Lynn Wooten By Cynthia Adams • Photographs by Mark Wagoner
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ooking, art and philanthropy cinch the relationship for highprofile Triad couple Paul Russ and Lynn Wooten. Food is the extra ingredient: It was in a Triad restaurant that they met and they were married in another, with a celebratory party thrown on a later date at an art gallery. In 2006, Russ and Wooten had a blind date for brunch at Greensboro’s Green Valley Grill. Then they took the blinders off. “It’s unusual, because less than a month before we had seen each other across a room,” says Wooten, with Russ completing the thought “ . . . at a Durham film festival.” With a shock of recognition, the pair discovered they lived parallel lives. They were the same age. The Russ-Wootens simultaneously attended UNC-Chapel Hill with studies overlapping three out of four years. They earned the same degree (Journalism). Russ’ good friend lived next door to Wooten. “And we’d never met!” Wooten exclaims. “We had to have met, at some frat party, or walking across the quad,” muses Russ. “Or on an elevator,” offers Wooten. “Or basketball games at Carmichael,” adds Russ. A bit like the romantic comedy, Sliding Doors, he says. “We were not meant to meet before we did,” agrees Wooten, who invited Russ to a Durham party. “We were inseparable from then.” Synchronicities abounded. Each transitioned from journalism to public relations. When they met, Wooten worked at UNC-Hospital; Russ worked at Hospice and Palliative Care of Greater Greensboro. “We both were involved in nonprofits, volunteering and helping out,” Wooten says. “As corny as it sounds, we both liked giving back,” he adds. Then there was a shared joy of cooking — and eating well. “We love food,” he confesses. “There are very few ways we differ. He won’t The Art & Soul of Greensboro
eat goat cheese and I won’t eat raw tomato,” sighs Wooten. “I can watch cooking competitions ad nauseum,” confesses Russ. Both laugh. The foodies married in 2015 at 1618 West — the restaurant’s first wedding. For the celebration held at GreenHill, Ibby Wooten supplied a Japanesemade cake topper featuring Lynn snapping a selfie — a signature move. Her brother paused for a selfie during the ceremony. “I did it at the end! I pulled out a selfie stick, popped the camera up, and got the photo with everybody behind us. It turned out great.” Russ is now vice president of marketing and development for the newly merged AuthoraCare Collective, formerly hospices in Greensboro and Alamance/Caswell. Three years ago, Wooten became vice president of marketing and public relations for the Well-Spring Group.) In those roles, they meet people who are farther along life’s pathway. “At Hospice I’ve learned more about living than dying,” says Russ. “We’ve met people with the capacity to do great things.” Working with seniors and those with fewer days apportioned to them, they also have learned something valuable. So the couple, who have both done a lot of public service work as volunteers and on various boards — e.g., Triad Stage, Weatherspoon, the Public Art Endowment — discovered the need for “me time.” “Paul rules the finances,” says Wooten. “I do the calendar.” In which he occasionally writes, “Do Nothing.” On those special weekends, they may not leave the house, one filled with antiques, books, and an art collection amassed together. Russ is in the kitchen cooking. Wooten reads or naps. They reserve uncommitted weekends for forays or outings to restaurants they haven’t yet experienced. (A recent such trek was to Acropolis, the downtown Greek restaurant.) “It was great,” enthuses Wooten. They call this, “planned spontaneity.” “We love fun, good experiences. It’s a simple life,” says Wooten. OH February 2020
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Happy Trails Sue Beck & Bill Haney By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by Bert VanderVeen
“Y
ou really gotta like someone a whole bunch to sleep in a tent and walk every day with a pack on your back,” says Bill Haney with a broad grin. But Haney has done just that for most of the 44 years he’s been married to Sylvia “Sue” Beck. “I had always wanted to do hiking,” says Sue, now 83, while Bill, whom she affectionately describes as “just a kid,” at 80, “was interested in wherever we both went.” “Actually, I was interested in her,” he chimes in, his Cheshire Cat grin reappearing. The two met in the mid-1970s when Sue was completing her master’s in music at UNCG and needing some education courses to fulfill teacher certification requirements. She landed in two of Bill’s classes one summer. An avid athlete, Bill’s interests included cycling and rock climbing, and, as Sue would later discover, swimming and diving. “That’s what really got me interested in him. I saw him diving and wow! He was amazing!” she says with a soft, low chuckle. They took their courtship slowly, having both been married before, “and not anxious to get into that mess again,” Sue says with her ready laugh. But they tied the knot in 1975, blending families, and working — Sue with the Guilford County Schools, Bill with the Employment Security Commission. As they approached their late 50s, the couple had heard about classes offered at Guilford College’s Wilderness Center. “Canoeing, backpacking, climbing,” Bill recalls. “So we took the backpacking thing, and I loved it,” Sue waxes, explaining her deep appreciation of the outdoors and the natural world. “I’m an explorer at heart,” she adds, “but I could never have done it without Bill.” While she carried “around 35 pounds,” he would shoulder a heavier 45- to 50-pound pack as the two began to hit various hiking trails in the Southeast. “He just sort of put up with it,” Sue laughs. “There were times when either one of us would have enough for that day and throw a fit,” Bill concedes. Like the time they had run out of food a day before reaching Nantahala Gorge. “I get very grouchy when I’m hungry,” Bill admits. Or the times they’ve been injured, or when their camp stove once blew up. But taking the mishaps — how else? — in stride, Sue remarks, “We’ve had some fascinating experiences and we’ve met some amazing people.” Particularly groups of
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
other hiking enthusiasts they’ve encountered on the Appalachian Trail. In 1988 the two hiked a southern portion of the famed 2,200 route stretching from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine and would periodically hike various sections of it. “We just jumped around. We’d hike for a weekend. Or maybe during a vacation period for 10 days or something like that,” Sue recalls. “And all of a sudden I said to Bill: ‘You know what? We’ve hiked a lot of this trail, why don’t we just do the whole thing?’” Under the trail moniker, “NC Pole Cats,” a nod to their use of ski poles for balance and safety well before it became accepted hiking practice, the two completed their goal, encountering a cast of characters along the way: the Four J’s, three guys and their unseen fourth, Jesus; or The Three Little Pigs, three gals who described themselves as “looking like pigs and smelling like pigs,” says Sue. And the ultimate payoff: Mt. Katahdin. “The end of the trail at Katahdin is spectacular,” Sue enthuses. “There’s a beautiful campground at the bottom. Then you have to hike up, up, up.” She recalls going by a beautiful waterfall. And as they got higher and higher, it turned out to be not so much a trail as a jumble of rocks. “Huge rocks. Car-sized rocks” she says. “And they’re all piled up on the top of this mountain. And just before you get to the very end, it becomes a trail again. It’s very challenging.” Here, Bill’s rock climbing expertise was crucial. “I don’t think I could have done it if he hadn’t been there to explain to me where to put my foot next and my arm next,” Sue observes. By 2001, Bill and Sue earned their AT patches that they proudly wear on the sleeves of their camp shirts, along with their perennially young hearts. They’ve become an example, if not an inspiration to their peers, sharing their experiences with local groups such as the Shepherd’s Center, or Abbotswood, where they live. Its nearby 3-mile loop and regular yoga sessions keep them in shape for excursions to favorite hiking destinations such as Hanging Rock and Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia, with its “beautiful rock formations and wild ponies,” says Sue. They’ve trekked through Canada, New Zealand and Switzerland, and imparted a love of hiking and the outdoors to their grandkids. And though age has necessitated some modifications — no more 50-pound packs for Bill — the two have “a long life to live,” Sue says, laughing, and as long as they’re able, they’ll continue speaking their love language — step by step. OH February 2020
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For Love of Family & Good Food David & Nneka Williams
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By Jim Dodson • Photographs by Mark Wagoner
dozen years ago, David and Nneka Williams made an important decision about their quality of life and young family. “We decided it was time for a healthy change in the food we ate — realizing that what we were eating was simply not making us healthier,” explains David. “It was an epiphany for us.” The roots of this awakening lay in his evolution as a landscaper who, in the early 1990s after graduating from Northwest Guilford High School, started out with New Garden Landscaping & Nursery. Williams eventually opened his own business, having morphed into a specialized personal landscaping designer with a dozen private clients he works with to this day. Out for an evening in 1998, he happened to bump into pretty Nneka Little — pronounced “Nay-Kay” — a UNCG dance major and ballet dancer who grew up in New York City. David was shy. Nneka wasn’t. They swapped phone numbers but she had to call him first. Your classic case of country mouse meets city mouse. “I’m a city girl. If you’ve ever seen the movie Big,” Nneka says with a laugh, “that was supposed to be my life.” Because David grew up on a family farm in Stokesdale, he had no interest “whatsoever” in returning to the farming life — or so he thought. Lightning struck fast. The next year the pair were married at a quiet family ceremony in Stokesdale. When their sons Logan and Gavin were 5 and 3 respectively, it bothered them that both children suffered from allergies and asthma, requiring daily breathing treatments. Nneka also required her own medication for allergies, and everyone in the family was putting on weight. Fearing years of medical issues, the Williamses boldly switched to a vegan diet and experienced a quick and remarkable turnaround. “Healthy organic food was the answer,” says David. “It healed our bodies and resulted in making all of us dramatically healthier. Within a few years, everyone in the household was off meds and had lost weight.” Moreover, their shared passion for healthful food led to an exciting new chapter of life. A backyard, raised-bed organic garden fueled their growing knowledge of organic gardening and in 2011 led to visits to a pair of sustainable farms in Saxapahaw. “That was all I needed to see,” says David, who began meeting with a farm consultant to plan and gather ideas for their future organic farm. For the next two and a half years the couple searched for the right piece of property, eventually settling on a rolling 13-acre parcel off Church Street extension, in the rural community of Midway, just into Rockingham County. A week before Christmas in 2015, the Williamses moved into a handsome The Art & Soul of Greensboro
energy-efficient 3,200-square-foot house they designed and built themselves. Soon thereafter, they completed work on their first high tunnel–heated greenhouse and started building their washing and packing facility, just in time for their first harvest. Sunset Market Gardens was born. Today, its fourth year, the farm boasts three state-of-the-art large greenhouses (plus two smaller ones) filled with a bounty of USDA-certified organic produce that looks almost too good to eat — spectacular Asian greens and several varieties of gourmet lettuce, bok choy, baby kale, radishes, beets, carrots, spinach, scallions, plus turnips and collards. Ditto various herbs, ginger and turmeric, and pasture-raised eggs. As February dawns, new potatoes, summer squash, cucumbers and heirloom tomatoes are already planted in immaculate rows, working their way to market. The Williamses even sell organic bread and have an online store. No surprise that their customer base is growing robustly. The farm’s prime sales venue is the historic Greensboro Farmers Curb Market on Yanceyville Street along with their own ever-expanding farm store, open Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. Sons Logan and Gavin, at 15 and 13 respectively, have grown into impressively polite young men, homeschooled by their mother. They run the farm store and ultraclean packaging operation. Two other mouths to feed and two more pairs of potential helping hands have expanded the Williams family. “It’s not been a easy life but it's such a rewarding life,” says Nneka, as she spoon feeds organic veggies to 5-month-old Kieran while keeping an eye on Falynne, age 2, playing in the gated living room. “David is a perfectionist about the farm — his passion — and the boys are learning valuable lessons about work and life and sustainability. “My mother’s dream was to live in the country and have a farm like this,” she adds with another laugh. “Whenever my parents come to visit, they’re so excited they hardly come in the house because there’s so much to do and see.” “For us, this is really is a dream come true,” adds David, who continues to beautify the property’s landscape with plans to eventually offer farm suppers and special events on the grounds. “To think how far we’ve come in such a short period of time makes me humble and very grateful. That’s something we love to share with people who buy our produce and come out to the farm to see how we grow our food — a love of family and good healthy eating.” OH For more info: Sunset Market Gardens, 346 Woolen Store Road, Reidsville Open: Wednesdays 4 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Phone: (336) 362-1344 | Sunsetmarketgardens.com February 2020
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The Many Stages of
Tanger
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A photographic record of the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts By Maria Johnson Photographs by Lynn Donovan
W
e feel like we’ve been rehearsing for this moment forever. Remember the groundbreaking for the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in April 2017? Neither do we. That was soooo many shovels ago. Now, with the gleaming culture hub set to debut in downtown Greensboro sometime in the next few weeks, we can practically hear people unwrapping their mints before the lights go down. The new $93 million center will host private previews for donors in the days before the public reveal — a date not yet nailed down by center officials. But it’s safe to say the space will be open for business by March 22, when Jay Leno consecrates the hall with laughter. After that, brace yourself for waves of entertainment, with about a hundred performances already booked into 2021. We’re talking Broadway hit shows, symphonies, speakers, singers, comedians, puppets, heck, even The Price is Right Live!, an interactive stage show based on the TV game show. C’mon down, indeed. But first, let’s pause to look back at how we got here. Photographer Lynn Donovan has spent more than two years chronicling the construction of the 108,290-square-foot center, from the bulldozing of a big hole in the ground to the hanging of a high-definition LED marquee that blasts a taste of Times Square across North Elm Street. Donovan’s images remind us how quickly things can change, even when they’re a long time coming.
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April 11, 2018: Dig This After local demolition contractor D.H. Griffin leveled and prepped the site, general contractor Barnhill Contracting of Raleigh took over and started moving earth in February 2018. In this photo, crews have hollowed out a crater for the foundation of the eight-story stage house, the structure over and around the stage. The trench on the left will become the arbor pit, accommodating counter weights and rigging to lift large sets off the stage. The deeper trench in the foreground will be the orchestra pit in front of the stage. The “cellar level” also will house dressing rooms and mechanical control rooms.
February 5, 2019: Craving An Audience Curious about the view from the stage? Here’s an early idea. On the right, you can see boxes jutting from the right wall of the 3,023-seat auditorium. In back, you can see the banked Grand Tier and, over that, the Loge (a.k.a. balcony). Soon, crews will install the framework for more boxes on the left.
June 19, 2019: Pre-Function Junction A crew member works on steel rebar that reinforces the floor of the third-story “prefunction” space over the building’s soaring lobby. Two suites — one named for Brady Trane Services and one for Kontoor Brands, the maker of Lee and Wrangler apparel — as well as the Joseph S. Koury Family Ballroom can be rented for private events. Beyond sight is the Starlight Veranda, an open-to-thepublic terrace.
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June 19, 2019: Tier-Ful Times The concrete floor of the auditorium takes shape with tiers for Orchestra seating (left) and steeper Grand Tier seating (right). Control rooms for lights and sound will be behind the Grand Tier.
June 19, 2019: Vested Interest Standing amid planks and pipes that will be used for scaffolds are several of the principals in Tanger’s construction. Left to right: Rodrigo Cumsille, an architect with H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture in New York; architect Amanda Hodgins of TVS North Carolina; Allen Walker, project manager with Barnhill Contracting of Raleigh; and architect Matt Messick of Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects in Winston-Salem. The Greensboro office of architecture firm Clark Patterson Lee, based in Rochester, N.Y., also was involved in the project.
December 4, 2018: Beam Me Up The so-called topping-out beam in the foreground was signed by most major donors including the center’s namesake, shopping center mogul Steven Tanger, whose family contributed $7.5 million to the cause. For a while, the beam lived in the nearby Greensboro Chamber of Commerce building, the site of several fundraisers. Alas, the autographed beam was used inside a Tanger wall, but the names of more than 250 donors will be displayed on glass panels laid over white oak walls in the lobby.
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July 6, 2018: Down With The Sound The curved wall of the orchestra pit will contain musicians playing more than 10 feet below the Orchestra level floor. Talk about hitting the low notes. The stage, to be constructed above and behind the pit, will be unusually wide, at 70 feet, with a large proscenium opening that can accommodate extravaganzas.
December 5 & December 20, 2019: Be Seated After seat stanchions were bolted to the concrete tiers, they were fitted with seats covered in plush red fabric made by Bentex in Caswell County (inset). Most seats are at least 21 inches wide and provide minimum legroom of 36 inches. Each row is offset from the row in front of it, yielding better views. “The sight lines are the best in the country for a performing arts center,” says Matt Brown, the center’s managing director.
December 12, 2019: Put A Ring In It The Greensboro-based jewelry store Schiffman’s paid $525,000 for naming rights to Schiffman’s Ring of Light, a circle of LED lights suspended from the ceiling by aircraft cable. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the auditorium, the 60 rib-shaped bars, each about 10 feet long (inset), can be programmed to light up in turn, providing a visual countdown to curtain time. The array is purely for dramatic effect, but hey, it’s a drama center.
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September 7, 2018: All The World’s A Stage House Crews bolt and weld together the structural steel of the eight-story stage house, the “tall box” if you’re looking at the center from the outside. Fun fact: The stage house is more than twice the height of the stage opening so scenery can be lifted out of view. According to Wes Weaver, project executive for general contractor Barnhill Contracting, the center consumed about 2,200 tons of structural steel and 7,000 cubic yards of concrete.
March 16, 2019: Wardrobe Check The steel boxes of the stage house, foreground, and the auditorium, background, are getting dressed for the show. For sturdiness and soundproofing, both boxes are wrapped in 12-inch-thick concrete-filled blocks. The auditorium is additionally soundproofed by double walls consisting of three sheets of drywall, a layer of insulation, and another drywall sandwich.
July 19, 2019: Stucco’d On You A crew member uses a trowel to apply the exterior finish to the stage house and auditorium. The three-coat process — a base coat followed by two finishing coats — was done entirely by hand. The finish is a synthetic stucco made with polymers. About 800 construction workers helped to build Tanger, with roughly 175 folks on site every day. Most of them were employed by local subcontractors.
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December 20, 2019: Star Power The center’s final form is emerging. The Carroll Family Terrace named for developer Roy Carroll and his family, lies at the corner of North Elm Street and Abe Brenner Place. At the edge of the terrace, water eventually will glide down three vertical panels of Mount Airy granite. A giant LED marquee will flash with performances to come. The lobby is sheathed in glass and Indiana buff limestone. Inside the lobby — known as Phillips Hall thanks to a large donation from the family’s foundation — eye-poppers will include two floating staircases and suspended multipiece artwork by an internationally known female artist, whose identity will be announced this month. “That’s going to be a phenomenal space when we’re finished,” promises construction boss Wes Weaver. The center’s official address is 300 North Elm Street, but the main entrance faces Abe Brenner Place, which is named for philanthropist Abraham “Abe” Brenner (think Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem). Brenner died in 2011. His son Frank lives with his family in Greensboro. Cutlines by Maria Johnson, contributing editor of O.Henry. She can be reached at ohenrymaria@gmail.com.
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Creative Crossroads For artist Kelly Rightsell, home is an ever-changing canvas By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by Amy Freeman
“I
always have this feeling: It would be great to have this blank place to work where there are no distractions,” Kelly Rightsell admits as she starts a tour of her house near Latham Park, her boisterous yellow Lab, Mary following close on her heels. “I do go through and try to get rid of stuff.” But with her youngest son, Ben at home and a full plate teaching art part time at Canterbury School, the artist admits it’s hard to find the time to “scale back” and start purging. “I probably need to but haven’t,” she adds with a self-deprecating chuckle. But where Rightsell sees a “mess” in her light-filled studio, converted from a screened porch on the second floor of her home of 20-plus years, a casual observer immediately sees a colorful explosion of the artist’s restless muse within. On a compact work counter, jars of paints and paintbrushes flank a small landscape in greens, pinks and grays; more canvases reminiscent of Matisse or Cézanne are propped up on easels or a counter on the wall opposite — a colorful interior scene here, a seascape here, an abstract or figure painting there. Tubs of paints and other tools from the artist’s toolbox and stacks of The Art & Soul of Greensboro
vintage children’s books, such as a dog-eared copy of Uncle Wiggily, (named for the floppy-eared rabbit and main character of popular kids’ books at the turn of the 20th century) fill a couple of bookcases. The art supplies and books are a telltale indication of the long days Rightsell and her husband, Brian, put in for nearly 15 years: creating and selling a line of wallpapers, trim, rugs, ceramic sets, among other items, for children’s bedrooms under the handle Kelly Rightsell Designs. “This is my wallpaper book from years ago,” she says, flipping through a tome of pages with patterns featuring fanciful animals rendered in a light hand — rabbits, bears, lions, frogs — in various settings. “This was one of my favorite ones,” Rightsell says, pausing at a page depicting a cheerful menagerie in an entirely blue palette reminiscent of Delft china. “Then we did catalogs,” she continues, picking up a publication from the late 1990s that includes one of her earliest designs: an elegantly rabbit clad in a Harlequin suit, replete with ruffled collar, and a companion print of an elephant. Rightsell designed the prints about 25 years ago, shortly after her first son, February 2020
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Owen, was born, when the family was living in Kirkwood. “I couldn’t find anything I liked for his nursery,” she recalls. She remembered that her high school art teacher in South Carolina had created prints, so Rightsell reached out to her former instructor and figured out how to mass-produce her own paintings. She and Brian then took them to the gift show in Atlanta. “And we sold $10,000 worth of art,” she remembers. Tapping into an unfilled niche, they expanded the line to include rugs and other home accents sold through children’s specialty stores. The business thrived, with Kelly on the creative side of it and Brian tending to daily operations and marketing. “It was really a neat thing. We could do it together,” the artist reminisces. “We had so many stores all over the country . . . and they just all went out of business.” The Great Recession would require the Rightsells to create a new life. But recreating and revising is part and parcel of any artist’s journey. The family had by then moved to their forever home near the park. Early on, Kelly used its standalone garage as her studio, but relinquished it to accommodate an addition to the side of the house where a spacious den is now situated off an equally spacious kitchen. “Now I kind of miss my studio,” she says, her easygoing laugh returning. “I mean, I love this room, it’s nice. But you know how it is, the grass is always greener.” And who wouldn’t love the airy space, thanks to a series of long windows that let in the afternoon light? Or the comfy sectional and oversized ottoman, animal print cushions, which, along with more of Ritsell’s paintings, many of them abstracts, lend a collective vibe to the classic room with its handsome built-in bookcases? On these are several volumes, family photographs and a series of charming painted, wooden figures. “An uncle carved these people,” Rightsell says, pointing to yet more figures occupying a shelf in a nearby hutch. “We have a whole lot of artists in the family,” she adds, reeling off a South Carolina cousin who makes jewelry, another who paints portraits, and her own daughter, Kathleen, who’s eyeing a career in art therapy. And then there’s Rightsell’s mother-in-law, Helen Farson, who lives in Greensboro, who is also a working artist. The two have taken painting workshops together and often joke that “Our children aren’t going to get anything but art when we die!” Kelly says, laughing yet again. “But that’s fine with me; I love art.” So it will come as no surprise that there are D.I.Y. projects waiting in the wings all around the comfortable house: maybe reverting the dining The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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room just off the front hallway back into a den, as it was when the Rightsells first moved in. “It is so cool to have that fireplace,” Rightsell says of the woodburning feature. She would have to find another place for her grandmother’s furniture — a long dining table and chairs, and a stately china cabinet atop of which sits a smirking Staffordshire dog, both traditional counterpoints to the more casual straw rug, a chandelier from the Red Collection, yet more of the artist’s paintings and what’s this? An old-timey brass cash register perched on a sideboard? “My grandfather was a barber and had this in his barbershop. I couldn’t get rid of it,” Rightsell says, mentioning her fondness for estate sales, dating back to visits to flea markets with her grandparents and cousins. “I’m sure nobody has one in their dining room,” she adds wryly. “But I can’t get rid of this stuff.” Of course not. It’s fodder for that restless muse, who deems the house as much a canvas as those used for Rightsell’s paintings, including the latest inspiration that has taken hold of the artist’s imagination: one day painting a mural in the front hall with motifs of trees and birds similar to those on a chinoiserie vase or screen. But that will have to wait, like a lot of other things, although she loves teaching art to the kindergartners, first-, second- and third-graders at Canterbury. The part-time position is the perfect solution for now to the
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demise of her design business post-recession (Brian has since gone on to work full-time in sales at Browns Summit’s paper-and-packaging giant Morrisette). “It’s nice to have that rejuvenation being around kids,” she says of her charges’ unbridled creativity. She nourishes their budding talents by submitting their works for publication in the newspaper from time to time, recalling the thrill of her own work published when she was a girl. And her efforts are bearing fruit: Their works caught the eye of Downtown Greensboro, which will reproduce them on electrical boxes downtown as a part of a student art project. “They’re so excited!,” Rightsell says, channeling their enthusiasm. She has worked with her students on other community projects, such as soon-to-be-unveiled mural in the women’s wing at Cone Health and a painting auctioned off at the annual JDRF gala a few years ago. Rightsell describes it as an “Impressionistic background” consisting of thumbprints of children with Type 1 diabetes that set into relief figures drawn in her own hand. “I was really nervous,” she says of the gala, “because it was a live auction.” She needn’t have been: The painting sold for the tidy sum of $7,000. “I’ve always wanted to do stuff that helps or affects children,” Rightsell adds. “It’s a great thing to be able to use your talents.” She’s also lent her artist’s brush to United Way of Greater Greensboro’s Handbags for Hope, along with Hands for Hearts, a nonprofit founded by her good friend Kathleen The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Little, that supports research into congenital heart defects. Even so, her muse keeps calling. “Our business was great when it was going,” Rightsell reflects. “But I’m trying to figure out the next big thing,” she says. “It’s such a big range, the things that I do,” she says, nodding at a figure painting of four young girls standing against an open sky, their backs to the viewer. And there may be yet another turn in the artist’s path owing to the one vestige of her children’s line: needlepoint kits for Christmas stockings. Holding up a pattern adorned with a congenial, smiling bear, Rightsell explains that she’s had several inquiries about the festive items. Like any artist, Rightsell expresses what’s in her heart, but having run the design business for so long, suppressing her entrepreneurial instinct is challenging. “What do I want to paint without thinking: ‘What does somebody want? What’s cool?’” Rightsell posits. “It’s hard for me to shut that off, because for so long that’s what I did: What do I have to have new for the next season?” Whatever it is — a rabbit, a frog, a smiling bear — she’ll surely pull it out of her hat to the enchantment of all . . . including her mutable but never muted muse. OH Info: kellyrightsell.com Nancy Oakley is the senior editor of O.Henry. February 2020
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A L M A N A C
February n
F
By Ash Alder
ebruary blossoms make the cold hard to shake. Crocus burst open like paper fortune tellers, hellebores whisper prophesies of spring, and in the backyard, where a speckled bird is kicking up fresh mulch, winter Daphne blushes like bright-eyed maidens in faded terra-cotta planters. All of this, yet winter feels deep-rooted, endless. As if her flowers were cruel illusion. As if your bones could be forever yoked to this chill. Then one day, out of nowhere, a new warmth arrives with the daffodils, a new softness beckoning you outdoors. Beneath the bare-branched sycamore, where the picnic table has all but forgotten its name, February sunshine feels like a warm bath. You’ve brought lunch — a thermos of soup — and as the sunbeams dance across your face and skin, you feel, for the first time in months, as open as the crocus. As if winter might release you. As if hellebores were true harbingers of spring. Beside your thermos, a feathery caterpillar edges toward you. Did it fall from the sky? You look up toward bare branches, wonder where he came from, where he’s going, whether he’ll be the speckled bird’s lunch. He’s closer now, gliding across your idle spoon, and as you observe his wispy yellow coat, you see yourself in this tiny being and in what he might become: Enamored by each fragrant blossom; wide open; ever-seeking the simple grace of light. February sunshine has transformed us, encoding within us the promise of spring. We can feel it now.
The Lenten Rose
When a plant blooms in the dead of winter, it is neither ordinary nor meek. That plant is a pioneer. Also called the “Lenten rose”, the hellebore is a beloved and shade-tolerant herbaceous or evergreen perennial — not a rose — that so happens to thrive here. Some species more than others. Take, for example, the bear claw hellebore, which is named for its deeply cut “weeping” leaves. February through April, this herbaceous perennial displays chartreuse green flowers that the deer won’t touch, and you shouldn’t either (read: toxic when ingested). As the flowers mature, the petal edges blush a soft, pale ruby. Talk about subtle beauty, but more for the eyes than for the nose (its crushed leaves are what give it the nickname “stinking hellebore”). On behalf of every flower-loving soul aching in their bones for the coming spring, thank you, hellebore. You’re a true queen.
Full Snow Moon
The Full Snow Moon will rise at night on Feb. 8, peaking in the earliest hour of the morning on Feb. 9. Also called the Bone Moon, this supermoon (the closest the moon can come to Earth in its orbit) marks a time The Art & Soul of Greensboro
I know him, February’s thrush, And loud at eve he valentines On sprays that paw the naked bush Where soon will sprout the thorns and bines. — George Meredith, “The Thrush in February,” 1885 of heavy snowfall and, in earlier times, little food. If you’re warm and full-bellied, this moon is a good one to share the wealth.
Warm Your Bones
This month in the garden, sow beet, mustard and turnip seeds. Plant your spring salad (loose leaf lettuce, arugula, spinach, carrots, radish, cilantro). But while it’s cold out, soup! The following recipe from DamnDelicious.net is a quickie — all the better for soaking up more February sunshine while the spring garden grows.
Spinach and White Bean Soup Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, diced 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 4 cups vegetable stock 2 bay leaves 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta 2 cups baby spinach 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed Juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in thyme and basil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in vegetable stock, bay leaves and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Stir in orzo; reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender, about 10–12 minutes. Stir in spinach and cannellini beans until the spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately. OH
Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle . . . a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl. And the anticipation nurtures our dream. — Barbara Winkler February 2020
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FEBRUARY
EVENTS 2/13
2/4
DRIVE Book Club: Everything is Figuroutable
Thursday Valentine’s Dinner Chez Genese 5:30 pm
By Marie Forleo Book Discussion Scuppernong Books 6:30 pm
2/14
Friday Valentine’s Dinner Chez Genese 5:30 pm
2/6
2/19
Bonjour, Casablanca! Moroccan Night at Retos
Elevate and Unwind with DRIVE
Cooking Class Reto’s Kitchen 6:00 pm
Networking Event The O’Brien Gallery 6:00 pm
2/7
2/20
First Friday Dinner
Pizza Making Workshop
Dinner Chez Genese 5:30 pm
Cooking Class Chez Genese 6:00 pm
2/7
MGS Presents: Ingram Dinner and Concert
Fundraiser Christ United Methodist Church 5:30 pm
2/8
2020 Griffin Cup Championship Golf Tournament Grandover Resort 10:00 am
2/21
Paella My 2020! Cooking Class Reto’s Kitchen 6:00 pm
2/27
Welcome to New Orleans!
Cooking Class Reto’s Kitchen 6:00 pm
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February 2020 Drive for Show
2/
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February 1
TAR HEEL TUNEMAKERS. 7 p.m. And no, we don’t mean UNC’s glee club but two N.C. duos, Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs and Admiral Radio. The Crown, Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
February 1 & 2
BOUNCERS. 9 a.m. Meaning, the gymnasts competing at the Atlantic Coast Trampoline and Tumbling Invitational. Fieldhouse, Greensboro Coliseum Complex, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets on sale at door. Info: greensborocoliseum.com.
February 1–23
SAAR-INA. The exhibition Mirror, Mirror: The Prints of Alison Saar reveals the printmaking talents of this L.A. sculptor whose works explore history, race, mythology, folklore and more. Weatherspoon Art Museum, 500 Tate St., Greensboro. Info: weatherspoonart.org.
February 1–March 22
IN THE ABSTRACT. And how! See 45 new works acquired by Weatherspoon last summer on view in Finding Meaning: The Power and Possibility of Abstraction Selections from the Gift of Charles Weintraub and Emily Kass. Weatherspoon Art Museum, 500 Tate St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 334-5770 or weatherspoonart.org.
February 1–March 29
WE THE PEOPLE. Catch the Smithsonian exhibit, American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith, interspersed with milestones of democracy in N.C. as a part of Project Democracy 20/20. Greensboro History Museum, 130 Summit Ave., Greensboro. Info: (336) 373-2043 or greensborohistory.org.
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Flying Leaps
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February 1–June 7
HOOP-LA. Sport and art mix at To the Hoop: Basketball and Contemporary Art. Weatherspoon Art Museum, 500 Tate St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 334-5770 or weatherspoonart.org.
February 1 & 2
DINO-MIGHT! T-Rex, raptors, triceratops . . . catch some prehistoric thrills at Jurassic World Live Tour. Show times vary. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
February 2–23
POLL PANDEMONIUM. And you thought our national election is shaping up to be a, well, Donnybrook? Check out the local elections in Hawboro, N.C., in Preston Lane’s 2 Wolves and a Lamb. Performance times vary. Triad Stage, 232 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 272-0160 or triadstage.org.
February 4
ARISTO(JAZZ)CATS. 11:45 a.m. Or rather, jazz royalty: Count Basie and Duke Ellington, featured in Lincoln Center’s concerts, streamed for Lunch and Jazz. High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St., High Point. Info: (336) 885-1859 or highpointmuseum.org. BIZ WHIZ. 6:30 p.m. Join the DRIVE Book Club’s discussion of Marie Forleo’s guide for entrepreneurs, Everything Is Figureoutable. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Tickets: ticketmetriad.com.
February 5
Siren's Songs
ART OF THE HEART. 10 a.m. Be a heartmaker — never a breaker — by creating your own Valentines. Little Red
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Schoolhouse, 1859 East Lexington Ave., High Point. Info: (336) 885-1859 or highpointmuseum.org. CASBAH CUISINE. 6 p.m. Moroccan munchies are the order of the day at “Bonjour Casablanca!” Reto’s Kitchen, 600 S. Elam Ave., Greensboro. Tickets: ticketmetriad.com. BUZZWORTHY. 7 p.m. The Greensboro Swarm is back in town. The Fieldhouse, Greensboro Coliseum Complex, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 9073600 or gsoswarm.com.
February 6
OMBER OCULI. 9 p.m. Otherwise known as Brown Eyed Women, an all-female Grateful Dead tribute band. The Crown, Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
February 7
FARE AND FANFARE. 5:30 p.m. Break bread at Music for a Great Space’s Ingram Dinner (named for founders Henry and Lucy Ingram) before a concert by Manasse Nakamasu Duo, featuring the works of John Novacek, Paquito D’Rivera, among others. Christ United Methodist Church, 410 N. Holden Road, Greensboro. Tickets: ticketmetriad.com. AUTHORS, AUTHORS! 7 p.m. Hear the latest works read aloud by UNCG M.F.A. students. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com. BUZZWORTHY. 7 p.m. The Greensboro Swarm is back in town. The Fieldhouse, Greensboro Coliseum Complex, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 9073600 or gsoswarm.com. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
WALL-EYED. 8 p.m. Catch Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular, a sound-and-light show set to master recordings of the iconic ’70s British rock band. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
February 8
DRIVE FOR SHOW. 10 a.m. And putt for . . . the Griffin Cup. Teeing up entitles you to free range balls, a towel packet, on-course events and appetizers, wine and beer at the 19th hole. Grandover, 1000 Club Drive, Greensboro. Tickets: ticketmetriad.com. LOVE FEAST. 10 a.m. Or rather, “A Little Love Lunch.” Prepare one with your little one (ages 3 and up). Children must be accompanied by a caregiver. Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. To register: gcmuseum.com. SIX-CESS! 6 p.m. Celebrate the sixth anniversary of the Gate City’s beloved independent bookstore. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com. BUSS BOYS. 7:30 p.m. They’ve each prepared a face to meet the faces that they meet: Iconic ’70s rock band Kiss brings its End of the Road Tour to town. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd. Tickets: (800) 7453000 or ticketmaster.com.
February 8 & 22
FERRUM SCARUM. 10 a.m. He strikes at the heart of
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
one of Earth’s hardest metals. The badass Blacksmith is back. High Point Museum, 1859 E. Lexington Ave., High Point. Info: (336) 885-1859 or highpointmuseum.org.
February 9
AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 2 p.m. Meet Press 53 poet Michael Hettich. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com. GSO’S GOTHS. 7 p.m. Hear Nashville rockers, The Southern Gothic. The Crown, Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
February 10
HISTORY HUNTER. 6:30 p.m. Marcellaus Joiner explains how to search and interpret the Freedmen’s Bureau Records in genealogical research. Morgan Room, High Point Library, 901 N. Main St., High Point. Info: (336) 885-1859 or highpointmuseum.org. AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 7 p.m. Poet Tim Garvin reads from his collection, A Dredge in Swann. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
February 11
TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE. 7 p.m. See the consequences of living a lie in the 1950s melodrama, Imitation of Life. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
Arts Calendar
February 12
HOMEROOM. 9 a.m. For a special rate, homeschooling families are invited to Homeschool Discovery Day, where they can peruse the 30,000-square-foot space at the Greensboro Children’s Museum. 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. Info: gcmuseum.com. CHOCO LU-U-UV. 6:30 p.m. Robert Wallace of Wonderland Chocolate will guide you on how to make your own chocolate bar at Adult Cooking: Valentine’s Chocolate. Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. To register: gcmuseum.com. FITZ. AND STARTS. 8 p.m. L.A. rockers Fitz and the Tantrums bring their platinum hits to the stage. Piedmont Hall, 2409 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
February 13
FLYING LEAPS. 7:30 p.m. Try not to gasp at the gravitydefying and graceful moves of acrobats, aerial artists and contortionists of Cirque Diabolo. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com. SMOKIN’! 7:30 p.m. Country star Brantley Gilbert turns up the temperature on his Fire’t Up Tour. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
February 14
AUTHORS, AUTHORS. 7 p.m. Hear yet more works
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Your Greensboro Connection
Arts Calendar
from UNCG M.F.A. students. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com. CLOWN SHOW. 7:30 p.m. Bust a gut laughing at the funnymen and women of Two Guys Named Chris Comedy All Stars. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com. E & T. 8 p.m. As in Em & Ty, local folk-rock duo making beautiful music together. The Crown, Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
February 14 & 15
Sherri Tuck 336.414.2656
Walt Maynard 336.215.9767
Steve Scott 336.772.7430
Scott Aldridge 252.531.7456
HOT WHEELS. 5:30 p.m. & 9 a.m. Don those fezzes, gear heads, and head to the Shriners’ Drag Racing & Hot Rod Expo. Admission at the door. Special Events Center, Greensboro Coliseum Complex, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Info: greensborocoliseum.com.
Kelli Young
February 15
336.337.4850
Bobbie Maynard, Broker, Realtor, CRS, GRI, CSP, Green
Bobbie Maynard
Phone: 336.215.8017/ bobbie.maynard@allentate.com
TAKE A WITH
US!
2020 Scholarship Gala Celebrating Eastern Music Festival
Honoring Sylvia and Norman Samet Saturday, February 29, 2020 7:00 p.m.
SIZZLIN’ WITH YOUR SWEETIE. 6 p.m. Make a seven-course meal with your sig other at “Adult Cooking: Date Night with Moon Tide Sundries.” Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. To register: gcmuseum.com. SOULFUL SOUNDS. 6 p.m. Christian pop artists tune up for Winter Jam. Admission at door. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Info: greensborocoliseum.com. MESSIANIC MUSIC. 8 p.m. Space Jesus lands on the stage. Piedmont Hall, 2409 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
February 16
AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 1 p.m. Meet Scott Withiam, author of Doors Out of the Underworld. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
GreenHill Center for North Carolina Art 200 North Davie Street Greensboro, NC
AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 3 p.m. Meet Nicole Zelniker, author of Last Dance. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
Exceptional Cuisine from 1618 Jazz Music Live and Silent Auction Fund-A-Scholarship Paddle Flash
BARREL OF LAUGHS. 8 p.m. Comedians Mike Epps, Gary Owen, DC Young Fly, Kountry Wayne and Tommy Davidson present the Fabulously Funny Comedy Festival. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
Valet Parking
For more information and tickets: easternmusicfestival.org 336-333-7450, ext. 223
February 17
JAY (WAR)HAWK. 10 a.m. That would be Jay Callaham, historian and re-enactor featured in this magazine last year, who will discuss the Battle of Guilford Courthouse from the British point of view. Greensboro History Museum, 130 Summit Ave., Greensboro. (336) 373-2043 or greensborohistory.org. STRIKE UP THE BAND! 7 p.m. The USAF Heritage of America Concert Band, which will play a mix of orchestral pieces, marches, Broadway tunes, jazz standards and more.
94 O.Henry
February 2020
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Arts Calendar
Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
February 19
ALL IN THE FAMILY. 10 a.m. High Point Historical Society Guild hosts a panel discussing 100 years of familyowned businesses in the International City. High Point Museum, 1859 E. Lexington Ave., High Point. Info: (336) 885-1859 or highpointmuseum.org. BUZZWORTHY. 7 p.m. The Greensboro Swarm is back in town. The Fieldhouse, Greensboro Coliseum Complex, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 9073600 or gsoswarm.com.
February 20
TELL ME A STORY. 10 a.m. Little Red Schoolhouse hosts “Time to Read!” High Point Museum, 1859 E. Lexington Ave., High Point. Info: (336) 885-1859 or highpointmuseum.org. AUTHORS, AUTHORS. 4 p.m. Listen to a reading with Scuppernong Books’ Brian Lampkin (The Tarboro Three) and Rob Lee (A Sin by Any Other Name). International Civil Rights Center & Museum, 134 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com. ALLMAN 2.0. 7 p.m. The sons of Gregg Allman (Devon Allman) and Dickey Betts (Duane Betts) perform classic Allman Bros hits, as well as new, original works. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 3332605 or carolinatheatre.com.
LEARN from the PAST, LIVE in the PRESENT, PLAN for the FUTURE
AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 7 p.m. Meet Meredith McDaniel,
rom the PAST, theofPRESENT, who will beLIVE signingin copies her book, In Want + PLANPlenty: for Waking the FUTURE Up to God’s Provision in a Land of Longing. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
LIFE OF PIE. 5 p.m. Pizza pie, that is. Make it, eat it – along with a salad, and a glass of wine. Then take home the dough to make more at home. Chez Genèse, 616 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Tickets: ticketmetriad.com.
LEARN from the PAST, LIVE in the PRESENT, PLAN for the FUTURE
February 20 & 22
BUH-BYE! 8 p.m. Meaning, Haydn’s “Farewell” Symphony, along with Puccini’s Capriccio Sinfonico for orchestra and Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Guitar concerto, performed by Artyom Dervoed with Greensboro Symphony Orchestra. Dana Auditorium, 5800 W. Friendly Ave., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 335-5456 ext. 224 or greensborosymphony.org.
February 21 2020 with ONST. t your financial path for
BOARD MEETING. 5 p.m. Board games, card games, scavenger hunts and Pokemon Go comprise Family Game ORO | WILMINGTON| GREENVILLE | LEXINGTON Night. High Point Museum, 1859 E. Lexington Ave., High Point.| oldnorthstatetrust.com Info: (336) 885-1859 or highpointmuseum.org. 336-646-6678 RICE IS NICE. 6 p.m. Especially when used in paella. Learn how to make the classic Spanish dish. Reto’s Kitchen, 600 S. Elam Ave., Greensboro. Tickets: ticketmetriad.com.
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Plan and Set your financial path for 2020 with ONST GREENSBORO | WILMINGTON| GREENVILLE | LEXINGTON 336-646-6678 | oldnorthstatetrust.com
February 2020
O.Henry 95
Arts Calendar
AUTHORS, AUTHORS. 7 p.m. Listen to UNCG M.F.A. students read their works. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com. BUZZWORTHY. 7 p.m. The Greensboro Swarm is back in town. The Fieldhouse, Greensboro Coliseum Complex, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 9073600 or gsoswarm.com.
February 21 & 22
CH-CH-CHANGES. 8 p.m. & 2 p.m. It’s getting hot in here as Menopause, The Musical comes to the stage. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
February 22
LE ROUGE ET LE NOIR. 1 p.m. & 5 p.m. Find bliss in a bottle and a bar at the Wine & Chocolate Festival. Special Events Center, Greenboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
3600 or gsoswarm.com. BORSCHT & BISCUITS. 7:30 p.m. Klezmer meets Appalachia in the music of Zoe & Cloyd, followed by a concert by Laurelyn Dossett. The Crown, Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 3332605 or carolinatheatre.com. REWIRED. 8 p.m. Get a jolt from the rescheduled Tesla concert. Piedmont Hall, 2409 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
February 23
TAR HEEL TROUBADOURS. 4 p.m. Listen to a lineup of N.C. talent including Shay Martin, Lyn Koonce and Mason Via at Spotlight Session VII. The Crown, Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 3332605 or carolinatheatre.com. NOTES AND NOVELS. 6 p.m. The Winterbirds and The Difficulties tune up among tomes. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 7 p.m. Meet Ian McDowell for the launch of his book Alphabestiary. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
GORD IS STILL GOLD. 7:30 p.m. Gordon Lightfoot’s rescheduled show from his “80 Years Strong Tour” is a go. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
BUZZWORTHY. 7 p.m. The Greensboro Swarm is back in town. The Fieldhouse, Greensboro Coliseum Complex, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 907-
February 27
NOLA NOSH. 6 p.m. Laissez les bons temps rouler at "Welcome to New Orleans."
Reto's Kitchen, 600 S. Elam Ave., Greensboro. Tickets: ticketmetriad.com DUKIN’ IT OUT. 7:30 p.m. Duke Ellington’s Black, Brown and Beige, that is, performed by UNCG Jazz Ensemble. The Crown, Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
February 28
HAKUNA FRITTATA! 5 p.m. If kids age 8 to 11 want to make the delish egg dish, sign ’em up for “Kids Cooking: Frittatas.” Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. To register: gcmuseum.com. AUTHORS, AUTHORS. 7 p.m. Hear more works by UNCG M.F.A. students. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com. BUZZWORTHY. 7 p.m. The Greensboro Swarm is back in town. The Fieldhouse, Greensboro Coliseum Complex, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 9073600 or gsoswarm.com. TRIPLE HEADER. 8 p.m. That would be a lineup of three musical acts: Magnolia Green, Farewell Friend and Ashley Virginia + The Heard. The Crown, Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
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96 O.Henry
February 2020
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
February 2020
O.Henry 97
Arts Calendar February 29
BUZZWORTHY. 7 p.m. The Greensboro Swarm is back in town. The Fieldhouse, Greensboro Coliseum Complex, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 9073600 or gsoswarm.com. EMF. 7 p.m. Support young artist scholarships at Eastern Music Festival Take a Leap With Us. The gala includes eats, sips, auctions and live entertainment. GreenHill, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336)333-7450 or easternmusicfestival.org SIREN’S SONGS. 7 p.m. Listen to the hits of Grammy Award–winner Lauren Daigle. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com. FLYIN’ LEAP. 8 p.m. Don a costume and come to the Leap Year Fantasy Show, featuring Brad Kenny Band, and Rich Lerner & The Groove. The Crown, Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 3332605 or carolinatheatre.com. OUT OF BOUNDS. 8 p.m. The high energy of hip hop artists Young Dolph and Key Glock fills the room. Piedmont Hall, 2409 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
WEEKLY HAPPENINGS Mondays
BUZZING. 10 a.m. Your busy little bees engage in a Busy Bees preschool program focusing on music, movement, garden exploration and fun in the kitchen (members only). Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. To register: (336) 574-2898 or gcmuseum.com.
CHAT-EAU.
Noon. French leave? Au contraire! Join French Table, a conversation group. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
Tuesdays
READ IT AND EAT! 3:30 p.m. At “Book and Cook,” kids ages 3 to 5 get inspiration from books for meals made from fresh ingredients (2/25–3/31). Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. To register: gcmuseum.com. ’TOONS FOR TOTS. 3:45 p.m. Encourage kids ages 6 to 8 to blend art and story telling at “Techie Kids: Digital Animation” (2/25–3/31). Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. To register: gcmuseum.com. READ ALL ABOUT IT. Treat your little ones to story times: BookWorms (ages 12–24 months) meets at 10 a.m.; Time for Twos meets at 11 a.m. Storyroom; Family Storytime for all ages meets at 6:30 p.m. High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St., High Point. Info: (336) 883-3666 or highpointpubliclibrary.com. PICKIN’ AND GRINNIN’ 6 until 9 p.m. Y’all come for Songs from a Southern Kitchen, curated by O.Henry’s
98 O.Henry
February 2020
own Ogi Overman and featuring live performances of roots and Americana music by Sam Frazier & Eddie Walker (2/4), Warren, Bodle & Allen (2/11), Rich Lerner & Doobe (2/18), and The Meldavians — a special Fat Tuesday show (2/25). Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen, 1421 W. Westover Terrace, Greensboro. Info: (336) 370-0707 or lucky32.com/fried_chicken.htm.
Wednesdays
LEGO LOGISTICS. 3:45 p.m. LEGO League Jr. encourages kids to use their imaginations to design and build structures that meet the needs of the community. Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. To register: gcmuseum.com. MUSSELS, WINE & MUSIC. 7 until 10 p.m. Mussels with house-cut fries for $15, wines from $10–15 a bottle and live music by AM rOdeO — at Print Works Bistro, 702 Green Valley Road, Greensboro. Info: (336) 379-0699 or printworksbistro.com/live_music.htm.
Thursdays
C’OMMM DOWN(WARD DOG)! 3:30 p.m. Kids ages 3–5 learn basic stretches and breathing techniques set to music at “Mini Yogis” (1/7 through 2/11). Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. To register: gcmuseum.com. MAKE AND TAKE TEN . 3:45 p.m. Relieve your little ones from the day-to-day frenzy with “DIY Cook and Create” (through 2/20), in which they learn to slow down and make everyday useful objects from bread to stationery. Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. To register: gcmuseum.com ALL THAT JAZZ. 6 p.m. Hear live, local jazz with the O.Henry Trio and selected guests. All performances are at the O.Henry Hotel Social Lobby Bar. No cover. 624 Green Valley Road, Greensboro. Info: (336) 854-2000 or HYPERLINK “http://www.ohenryhotel.com/jazz.htm” www.ohenryhotel.com/jazz.htm. JAZZ NIGHT. 7 p.m. Fresh-ground, fresh-brewed coffee is served with a side of jazz at Tate Street Coffee House, 334 Tate St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 275-2754 or www. tatestreetcoffeehouse.com. OPEN MIC COMEDY. 8 p.m. Local pros and amateurs take the mic at the Idiot Box, 503 N. Greene St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 274-2699 or idiotboxers.com.
Fridays
THE HALF OF IT. 5 p.m. Enjoy the hands-on exhibits and activities for half the cost of admission at $5 Fun Fridays ($3 on First Fridays). Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 5742898 or gcmuseum.com.
Fridays & Saturdays
NIGHTMARES ON ELM STREET. 8 p.m. A 90-minute, historical, candlelit ghost walking tour of Downtown Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 905-4060 or carolinahistoryandhaunts.com/information.
Saturdays
TO MARKET, TO MARKET. 7 a.m. until noon. The produce is fresh and the cut fleurs belles. Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, 501 Yanceyville St., Greensboro. Info: gsofarmersmarket.org THRICE UPON A TIME. 11 a.m. Hear a good yarn at Children’s Storytime. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks. com. WRITE IS MIGHT. 3 p.m. Avoid writer’s block by joining a block of writers at Come Write In, a confab of scribes who discuss their literary projects. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com. JAZZ ENCORE. 7 p.m. Hear contemporary jazz cats, while noshing on seasonal tapas at O.Henry Jazz series for Select Saturdays. O.Henry Hotel, 624 Green Valley Road, Greensboro. Info: (336) 854-2000 or ohenryhotel.com. IMPROV COMEDY. 10 p.m. on Saturday, plus an 8 p.m. show appropriate for the whole family. The Idiot Boxers create scenes on the spot and build upon the ideas of others, creating shows that are one-of-a-kind — at the Idiot Box, 503 N. Greene St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 2742699 or idiotboxers.com.
Saturdays & Sundays
KIDS’ CRAFTS. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop — unless you enroll Junior in one of three structured activities at Greensboro Children’s Museum: Art Studio encourages making art in all kinds of media; at Music Makers kids can shake, rattle and roll with percussion instruments; while Get Moving! inspires physical activities. Times and dates vary. Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 574-2898 or send an email mailto: marketing@gcmuseum.com.
Sundays
GROOVE AND GRUB. 11 a.m. Chow down on mouthwatering Southern brunch fare (biscuits, anyone?), courtesy of Chef Irvin J. Williams, while students from the Miles Davis Jazz Program serenade you with smooth jazz. The Historic Magnolia House, 442 Gorrell St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 617-3382 or thehistoricmagnoliahouse.com. HALF FOR HALF-PINTS. 1 p.m. And grown-ups, too. A $5 admission, as opposed to the usual $10, will allow you entry to exhibits and more. Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 5742898 or gcmuseum.com. MISSING YOUR GRANDMA? 3 p.m. until it’s gone: Tuck into the quintessential comfort food: skillet-fried chicken, and mop that cornbread in, your choice, giblet gravy or potlikker. Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen, 1421 W. Westover Terrace, Greensboro. Info: (336) 370-0707 or lucky32.com/fried_chicken.htm.
To add an event, email us at
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by the first of the month
ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THE EVENT. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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O.Henry 99
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100 O.Henry
February 2020
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
shops • service • food • farms
support locally owned businesses
when you own your own business, it’s lonely at the top. Join triad local first and connect with your community. visit www.triadlocalfirst.com to become a member
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Burkely Rental Homes client
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.
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February 2020
Join the effort. Visit www.triadlocalfirst.com.
O.Henry 101
WORLD PREMIERE!
2 Wolves and a Lamb By Preston Lane
Arts & Culture
The local elections in Hawboro, NC pit old friends against each other, and special interests rule. This interactive experience allows you to become a participant. Your vote matters and determines the end of the story.
FEBRUARY 2-23, 2020 Buy Your Tickets Today!
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102 O.Henry
February 2020
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
C.P. LOGAN “LAKESIDE PINES TRIPTYCH” • ORIGINAL OIL
Arts & Culture
CAMILLE A. BROWN & DANCERS February 8, 2020 8:00 PM
GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE CONNIE P. LOGAN - ARTIST/TEACHER
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RENÉE FLEMING Soprano February 26, 2020 8:00 PM
DAVEED DIGGS Original Cast of Hamilton April 9, 2020 8:00 PM
Sherry McAdams & Betsy Alexander ARTIST’S RECEPTION
FEBRUARY 28, 6-8PM LUNCH & LEARN WITH BETSY 11:30AM ($20) 307 State Street, Greensboro (336) 279-1124 • www.obriengallery.com
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Tickets available now at ucls.uncg.edu or 800.514.3849 Buy all three for a 10% discount over individual ticket prices, use coupon code SPRING20
February 2020
O.Henry 103
MERIDITH MARTENS, artist
Arts & Culture
Fine Art Animal Portraits
www.meridithmartens.com 910.315.1214
104 O.Henry
February 2020
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
ASHMORE RARE COinS & MEtAlS Since 1987
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Upcoming
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1614-C WEST FRIENDLY AVENUE GREENSBORO, NC 27403 336-272-2032 stitchpoint@att.net
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717 Green Valley Road, Suite 300 • Greensboro NC • 27408
February 2020
O.Henry 105
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106 O.Henry
February 2020
Call 336.617.0090 or email dstark@ohenrymag.com O.Henry Magazine P.O. Box 58, Southern Pines, NC 28388
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
GreenScene Greensboro Holiday Parade Saturday, December 7, 2019
Photographs by Lynn Donovan
Elijah, Elaisha, Ebony & Vickie Hodnett
Kevin, Clara, Violet, Audrey & Debbie Van Voreen
Eryka McDougald, Aniya Kuhn, Jasmine Williams, Ashayla Walls
Elsa, Anna, Tiana, Belle & Rapunzel
Angelina & Gigi Brown
Rasshel Ruiz-Canseco, Austin LeJeune, Ademola Adesanya, Joshua Janczak
Michelle Lutz, Carlisle Shore
Wisdom Leach, Gwladys Monyable, Dexter Sedjro, Brian Afatsawo, Lynda Monyable
Justine Jones, Will Carter
Jan & Evelyn Croatt, Kristy Heller
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Wanda Starke
Berkley & Harper Gordon, Greg & Debbie Branyon
February 2020
O.Henry 107
Taryn Brunson, Tricia Goad, Lauren Rhodes
GreenScene Smôhk’d Grand Opening Wednesday, December 11, 2019 Photographs by Lynn Donovan
Collen Campbell, Jack Red, Marsha Rohrs
Briana Svay, Aubrey Barrett
Ron & Linda Bray
Marion & Peter Price
Matt Crowder, Mason Keck
Aswan Aguayo, Janika Lander
Allison Gentry, Michelle Miles David Oaster, Josh Mann
Dion, Vaughn & Rowen Hild
Gregg Wright, Heavenly Walker, Monshay Young, Richard Danso
108 O.Henry
February 2020
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
GreenScene Greensboro Newcomers Club Holiday Celebration
Thursday. December 12, 2019 Sue Anne Wade, Colleen Kelly, Laura Redd
Sally Marks, Gloria Pardue
Rosa Cantero, Creola Griffin, Janet Sandelli
Karen Robbins, Claudette Austin
Bonnie Schmidt, Pat Reese
Photographs by Lynn Donovan
Linda Fries, Judy Barker, Patty Gusler
Sue & Robert Franco
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
February 2020
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Downtown Greensboro
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February 2020
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
The Accidental Astrologer
The New and the Proud
Transformation is the name of the game By Astrid Stellanova
The new year’s percolating, the stars are circulating and a new you is brewing. . . Or an old you looking like it is walking back, doing the Benjamin Button reverse strut. Time to make self-renewal an inside job, Star Children. It is a brutally difficult process, true enough, but ignore at your own peril. Otherwise, we will be tsk-tsking all of 2020 about how nobody has ever done so little with so much.
Aquarius (January 20–February 18) In simple terms, karma is best put: “Ha, Ha, Ha!” Someone has made your life complicated, and it appears they have wedged themselves into your reality and have started occupying more than a little space in your head. Evict them. Honeybun, you don’t have to be a cactus expert to recognize a real prick. Pisces (February 19–March 20) Hush up, Puppy! You got what you want, and like the dog chasing the car, you gotta figure out what to do now that you’ve caught it. Aries (March 21–April 19) If it’s the thought that counts, Sugar, you could be sitting in jail. You’ve had to face off with a worthy adversary, so now find your inner peace before they shred that, too. Taurus (April 20–May 20) Good heart, bad mouth. That would just about fit on your tombstone. A kinder, gentler world may begin with small things, like you giving up cussin’ and swearin’. Gemini (May 21–June 20) Time to get your own health and life on track to avert scary stuff. The seesaw you’re on has you stewing in your own stress, and believing a balanced meal is a cookie in both hands. Cancer (June 21–July 22) This month offers chances to alter your life from status quo sis boom blah, to va-va-voom! The changes you crave are reachable; begin at the beginning. Choose differently. Leo (July 23–August 22) Yankee or Y’all? Pick a team. Influences have made you question your The Art & Soul of Greensboro
roots, values, sense of self, even your identity. Honey, get grounded, meditate and re-evaluate. Virgo (August 23–September 22) Under threat, you tend to hide in your comfort zone, which is like a sleeping bag kind of comfort; but with no style. Even Norma Kamali couldn’t make over this schleppy look. Libra (September 23–October 22) Obsession looms large for you this month. A hobby overtakes you. Were you crazy even before the goat yoga? Check that tendency to overdo anything worth doing. Scorpio (October 23–November 21 Time to plunge both hands into the cookie jar. Get piggy with it. Allow yourself to get totally wrapped up in something. Immersion will finally cure an old itch for you. Sagittarius (November 22–December 21) Y’all ain’t right. But it has been so much fun playing, you might not want to stop. In the meantime, pay attention to numbers around you. Sugar, seven signifies something. Capricorn (December 22–January19) Attitude adjustment: Yeah? No. Say the word, often and firmly, to a very stubborn close one who thinks they will always, and should always, get their way. It stops now. OH For years, Astrid Stellanova owned and operated Curl Up and Dye Beauty Salon in the boondocks of North Carolina until arthritic fingers and her popular astrological readings provoked a new career path.
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O.Henry Ending
A Manner of Speaking
By David Claude Bailey
If you’ve met me,
you will agree that one of my most unforgettable traits is my down-home Piedmont accent. Think Andy Griffith or a North Carolina Highway Patrolman asking you if you had a particularly pressing reason for exceeding the speed limit.
In my youth, I never gave it much thought — until, I went to New York City at 16 and ordered a burger. The waitress stopped me in mid-sentence and said, “Say that again.” When I did, she broke into uncontrollable laughter and parroted my words with a lame Gomer Pyle impersonation. Granted, I tend to draw out my vowels. I pronounce the sauce (dip) that’s used to mop pork barbecue “Di-yup.” When I say “hog” or “dog,” they sound as if I fattened them up with a few extra syllables. I don’t need to be telling “you all” this if you’ve lived in Greensboro or its surrounds for any length of time. And yet, decades ago when I enrolled at UNCG, 20 miles from my hometown of Reidsville, people thought I talked funny, just my cousins from Madison and Mayodan talked funny. And my wife-to-be, bless her, got an earful when she moved to Reidsville from the Lowcountry of South Carolina. My schoolmates had a field day with the way she said “Sears” (rhymes with “mayors”). Sadly, she lost any trace of a rich and glorious accent that I only get to hear when we visit her relatives. Let’s face it, everybody talks funny compared to someone else, but if you have a Southern accent, somebody’s going to point it out. A press trip to Malaysia with a group of American cookbook writers comes to mind. Two or three of us who had become fast friends would get up early and seek out farmers’ markets, gawking at the unusual viands, such as frogs, bats and sea creatures I’d only seen before in storybooks. Afterwards, we’d drink cup after cup of coffee that had been made in what looked like a sock, thickened with an inordinate amount of sweetened condensed milk. In spite of these shared bonds, one in the troupe still thought it hilariously amusing to affect a Hee-Haw drawl, once chortling out, “Why right’ cheer comes Day-fid Bay-leee.” I simply asked her: “If I were Polish, would you start telling ‘dumb Polack’ jokes? Or if I were Hispanic or Black, would you suddenly start talking like the Frito Bandito or Buckwheat?” She actually apologized.
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On other occasions, I’ve discovered my speech has its advantages. When I was a young college kid hitchhiking through Europe, a group of Italians in a bar thought I sounded just like Bob Dylan and bought me rounds of beer as long as I crooned on about Ruthie wanting me to come see her in her honky-tonk lagoon. And a female publicist in London once kept me on the phone, asking me about what kind of car I drove and was I married. Finally, she said, “Has anyone ever told you that you have a really sexy accent?” Sexy? Er, no. Though a waitress in Philadelphia once sat down at my table to spoon feed me the crème brûlée I’d ordered because, she said, she liked the way I talked. I’m pretty sure that’s not all she liked. Over the years, I’ve come to actually treasure my Southern accent. What continues to bother me, though, is that with the influx of so many people from all over the United States into the Piedmont, I still hear, “say that again.” “Hey,” I think as they laugh hysterically, “I was here first.” Which brings me, of course, to another story. In the early 1980s I was aerospace editor of Cocoa TODAY, which became Florida TODAY, which was a trial run for Al Neuharth’s USA TODAY. I covered NASA for the paper in the months before the Space Shuttle became America’s first manned flight in six years. I had just been Okayed for a trip to Washington, D.C., to write a series about the Shuttle’s cost overruns, a series that eventually won the Aviation and Space Writers’ top award. As I jabbered on and on about the trip with my colleagues, a Brooklyn-born photographer mimicked my pronunciation of our nation’s capital — “Warshington,” I was saying. “Bev,” I said, “where are we?” She looked puzzled, but replied, “In the newsroom.” “Where’s the newsroom?” I continued. “In Cocoa.” “Where’s Cocoa,” I countered. “In Florida,” she said, and then suspiciously, “What is this?” “Just answer my question, please,” and by this time the entire newsroom was tuned in. “What region of the country is Florida in?” “It’s in the South, I guess,” she replied. “No guessing about it,” I shot back. “Florida is in the Deep South, so quit telling me how to talk on my own turf.” Never has the sound of applause been so sweet. OH David Claude Bailey did not pick up any of his mother’s Pennsylvania Dutch accent. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
ILLUSTRATION BY HARRY BLAIR
For this Southerner, it’s drawl or nothin’
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