Evince Magazine December 2023

The Plot Is

Just To Have Fun

How Gina Marie Adkins’ First Novel CameTo Be p5

Page 2 December 2023

Evince Magazine Page 3

December 2023

Content

5

The Plot Is Just To Have Fun

How Gina Marie Adkins’ First Novel Came To Be

by Paul Seiple

7 What Do

The Writers’ Page– Chapter Ten

Writers Write About In December?

by Barry Koplen

8 December Calender 9

Action!

Inside the Method of Acting Josh Cassell

by Emily Wilkerson

11

To Be One of The Lights Plant Story XIV

by Linda Lemery

On the Cover: Gina Marie Adkins. Photo by Laura Mae Photography.

You 12 Movies Missed from 20 years ago

by Josh Lucia

on a 14 Thoughts Good, Rural Man

by Mack Williams

Presented by Showcase Magazine CEO / Publisher / Andrew Scott Brooks Editorial Director / Paul Seiple editor@evincemagazine.com Contributing Writers Barry Koplen, Linda Lemery, Josh Lucia, Paul Seiple, Mack Williams, Emily Wilkerson Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont) Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349) cindy@showcasemagazine.com Advertising For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.

Lee Vogler Director of Sales and Marketing (434.548.5335) lee@showcasemagazine.com Kim Demont Graphic Design, Marketing (434.792.0612) demontdesign@verizon.net evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly; reveal syn see SHOW

Deadline for this and all other stories, articles, and calendar items is Friday, December 15 at 5:00pm for the February issue.

Please send calendar info to demontdesign@verizon.net.

Editorial Policies

Evince is a free monthly magazine about Arts and Culture in Danville and the surrounding area. We reserve the right to accept, reject and edit all submissions and advertisements.

EVINCE MAGAZINE 753 Main St. Suite 3 Danville, VA 24541 www.evincemagazine.com 434.709.7349 © 2023 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

The Plot Is

Just To Have Fun How Gina Marie Adkins’ First Novel Came To Be

P. 5

Page 4 December 2023

www.VisitSoSi.com

Evince Magazine Page 5

The Plot Is

Just To Have Fun How Gina Marie Adkins’ First Novel Came To Be

by Paul Seiple photo by Laura Mae Photography

W

ords began whispering tales into Gina Marie Adkins’ ear at an early age. “I was always coming up with stories as a kid, but it wasn’t until about 5th or 6th grade that I realized regular people could be writers,” she said. In high school, Adkins fleshed out 2 novels but never wrote “The End” to either project.

readers. She chose Danville.

Adkins continued, “It follows singer Park Mal-Chin and local teacher Sophie Gregory as they slowly fall for each other.” The conflict comes because Sophie doesn’t believe in love. Mal-Chin has a problem as well. “He is hiding from false accusations in his home country while his accuser seeks him out.”

Writing took a backseat to college and a career. In 2020, when COVID-19 shut the world down, the stories started whispering again to Adkins. She listened and began work on her debut novel, Unlovable, But Maybe Not. Just as with many creators, music inspired the spark. Adkins added, “It’s sort of silly, but I was listening to the song ‘Scenery’ by V from BTS, which is a soft love song, and my mind just sort of wandered there as I listened.”

Writer’s Block is a villain in the creation of many stories. But as author Steven Pressfield stated in The War of Art, resistance is the enemy. Resistance takes on multiple identities that lead to selfsabotage. For Adkins, sharing her words with people is difficult. She added, “I tend to be a private person. Letting people into a world I created and knowing there would be feedback, possibly negative, was scary. I struggled at first to tell people what the story was about.”

Adkins described Unlovable, But Maybe Not as “a soft love story with a hint of suspense.”

The setting will be familiar to

Unlovable, But Maybe Not came to light thanks to a strict writing schedule. Adkins blocked

out time every night to pen Sophie’s and Mal-Chin’s story. On weekends, writing usually started around 9:30pm and ended when she “ran out of steam.”

When the story came to Adkins, publishing it wasn’t at the forefront of her motivation. That lack of pressure made the process easier. “I went into it with the idea to just have fun.”

The foundation for a great story is development—character and plot. Adkins spent the first draft getting to know her characters, and they shaped themselves.

“After that, I began really analyzing my characters and what they needed to do.” With Sophie having a timid personality, Adkins needed to make sure she grew as the story progressed. “I also went back and added a side story from the characters John and Minseok because they were originally very flat and showed up when needed.”

Now that her debut novel is out

in the wild, Adkins hopes readers will take an important message away from the story. “I would like for people who think that way to know there is someone out there, romantically or otherwise, who truly does love and care for them.”

Putting the words “The End” to a first novel is one of the greatest obstacles a new author has to overcome. There are countless unfinished first novels buried in drawers all over the world. Seeing “The End” complete your story is clearing a hurdle. It lets an author know I did it once. I can do it again whenever resistance pops up to make a cameo. Adkins has started writing her second novel, which she said is a “little darker.”

You can grab a copy of Unlovable But Maybe Not locally at The Dog-Eared Page, and online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and Walmart.

Page 6 December 2023

Evince Magazine Page 7

The Writers’ Page Chapter Ten

What Do Writers Write About In December?

by Barry Koplen

A

elow is a series of questions I’ve altered to be answered for this holiday season: When did you begin thinking about what you’d write for the holiday season?

Actually, I never stop thinking about writing for the holidays.

It’s that special time when both gift-giving and gift-receiving take place. Stories that generate warm feelings about both are filed away for then.

Assuming you found a story you wanted to tell, did it jolt or surprise you when it came?

disinterest in being featured as a writer for this column. Giving an interview was an unattractive option. Nonetheless, I knew that the story would seem special to almost every author who read it.

were as memorable as this one. Although characters in my story may have been interesting and believable, the characters weren’t, well, three-dimensional as the ones in this one.

What about making it into a short story? Did you suggest that?

What were some difficulties you had to overcome to even think about writing about this?

I thought about doing that because there were only two main characters, one younger, one older. They were profoundly different in so many ways, yet connected in a way that was absolutely unique.

Did the story remind you of a story a famous writer might have told or may have written?

After hearing the story, I thought about using it in this column although I wasn’t sure how I would do that. The story came during a lengthy conversation about my very close encounter with a flying saucer, about the special memory it created.

Indeed, it did! In fact, what struck me about the story was that it seemed to be about an experience that was as unique yet simple as some of the best stories that well-known storytellers may have written.

Did you offer to interview that person for this column?

Had you ever written a story similar to this before?

In a word, yes. But I sensed a

Some were similar, but none

Protecting anonymity. I questioned whether I would have been told this story if I didn’t or couldn’t do that. Some people disdain the limelight, want their life stories to remain very private.

Although I’m not that way, I respect those who are.

Did this story involve one of your favorite writers?

Yes! In fact, that’s why I think the story is important enough to be considered a gift I want to share. Just to have heard it was a wonderful surprise for me. That’s why I connected it to a column about gift-giving. For me, it was a gift I will never forget.

Has this story been published anywhere else?

I’d bet that it hasn’t been. That’s another reason it’s so golden.

Will this be the first and last time you’ll write about it?

I’ve promised myself that it will be.

But I will never forget it.

Finally, do you have any advice for writers who have had a similar encounter?

Just this. Should you receive a story as special as this, treat it with care. Don’t spoil its integrity with embellishment. And, if you share it, be mindful of the parts that must always be only yours to know. Finally, be grateful that you were chosen to receive it.

Being allowed to create and publish the Writers’ Page has been an experience that has delighted me. It’s fitting that this final column will appear during the holiday season. And it’s just as significant that I’ve been able to share my love for writing and for you who take the time to do it with my Writers’ Page.

Page 8 December 2023

December 3

December Calendar of Evince

Roanoke Symphony Holiday Pops Spectacular. $. 3pm. Martinsville HS Auditorium. Piedmont Arts.

276.632.3221.

Riverview Rotary A Superhero’s Christmas Parade. Featuring the return of the Blue & Gold Marching Machine of North Carolina A&T University. 5pm. Main Street, Danville. playdanville.com.

Jazz on Sundays. Featuring pianist Trevor Percario. 11:30am-1:30pm.

Crema & Vine.

December 3 (thru 31)

Live Music. Hosted by Stuart Jennings.

Sundays 2-6pm. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co.

Ongoing

Danville Science Center. Exhibits - Dinosaur Revolution, Go!, Water, Various Dome Shows, Creativity Labs, Experiences & Stream Into The V.O.I.D. www.dsc.smv.org.

Ruby B. Archie Public Library Programs - Don’t miss the programs offered at the Library. Whodunit Book Club, Adult & Tween Arts & Crafts, The Write Stuff, Puzzlers Club, Unrequired Reading – Classics Book Club, Classic Movie Club, NaNoWriMo, DIY Gift Wrap Hacks, Murder Mystery Dinner, Storytellers: Creative Writing 101, Bookworms, Youth Dungeons and Dragons, LEGO Brick Engineers, Gingerbread Ornaments, Mad Scientists, Walt Disney Day, Little Explorers Storytime, Little Learning Lab, Santa’s Workshop, Dumbledore’s Army-Yule Ball, Book Babies.

Ongoing in December Averett Alumni & Friends Trip Registration. South Dakota and Wyoming trip in June. 434.770.3285 or lwilburn@averett.edu.

Thru December 23

Marsh Legacy Exhibition. DMFAH.

Thru January 13

PAA Exhibit. Watercolors by Z.L. Feng, The Journey: Portraits by Dianne L. Greene & Venus Inferred: Annie Waldrop. Piedmont Arts.

276.632.3221.

December 1

Christmas on the Plaza.

Appearances of classic holiday movie characters, carolers, children’s activities, visits with Santa and letters to Santa, hot chocolate, cookies, and more. Tree lighting 5:30pm and music

by Boulé 6-8pm.

Luminaria Trail Walk. Celebrate the season with a candlelit stroll along the Riverwalk. Interact with characters from classic holiday movies, performed by Smokestack Theatre Company, or listen to beautiful holiday music from local carolers and musicians. 5-8pm. 434.857.3384.

North Pole Jingle in! Holidays at the Market, Tree Lighting Ceremony with Santa & Magna Vista High School Choir. 5-8pm. Uptown Martinsville Farmers’ Market.

Winterfest. Santa, games, hot chocolate, outdoor movie and more.

5:30-8pm. Grogan Park, Eden NC. 336.623.2110.

Hometown Christmas & Mayor’s Tree Lighting. Dance groups, food, hayrides, bounce house, marshmallow roasting, and Santa’s workshop. 6-9pm. Reidsville.

Schoolfield 1st Fridays - Visit from Santa, vendors, great food, and plenty of free family fun. 5-8pm.

Schoolfield Village.

GWHS Orchestra Holiday Concert.

7pm. GWHS Auditorium.

I Hear Christmas Olde and New. Darryl Turpin invites us into the holiday season with his instrumental guitar set of beloved Christmas songs, olde and new. 7-9pm. Crema & Vine.

Jingle Jokes & Jams. With headliner John Henton AKA Overton. 8pm. City Auditorium.

December 1 & 2

MSAC Classes. 12/1 Paint a Door Hanger 6pm; 12/2 Poinsettia Watercolor Painting 2pm. $. Main Street Art Collective.. 434.602.2017.

December 1, 2 & 3

Danville Kennel Club Agility Trials.

7am-6pm. 434.432.8026. Olde Dominion Agricultural Center.

Christmas in Historic Chatham.

12/1-Lantern lighting, carols, Yule log, cider & cookies, 7pm, Courthouse; 12/2-Wonderful Christmas Memories parade 6pm, Main Street; 12/3-Christmas Favorites concert with Leslie Mabe and the Ranier Trio, 3:30pm. Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

December 2

Victorian Holiday for Children.

Ages 4-10. 10:30am-12pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History.

434.793.5644.

Merry Christmas Cowboy. Come have hot chocolate and cookies, and have your picture taken with Santa Claus and his (real life) longhorn steer, Crossbow! 10am-12pm, Downtown Chatham.

Fill the UPS Truck Toy Drive. UPS and the police department will be accepting donations of new toys for the annual Santa’s Little Blue Helpers Christmas Giveaway. 125pm, Target. The UPS delivery truck will then be located at the Danville Police Department at 1 Community Way from Dec. 3-19. Donations will be accepted Monday through Friday from 8am-4:30pm. 434.797.8898 x1.

Christmas in Toyland Parade. Floats, musical groups, marching bands, dogs, horses, cars, and more. 5pm.

Main Street, South Boston.

Holiday Market at the Penn House.

Artisans with handmade gifts are set up in this historic house. 9am-2pm.

Reidsville.

Historic Lantern Tour. Walk through downtown ad learn the history. 6pm.

Reidsville.

December 2 (thru 25)

Live Music. 12/1 Wicked Karaoke; 12/2 Kelsey Hurley; 12/8 Craghead; 12/9 Old 97; 12/15 On the Margins; 12/16 Mike Warren & Teddy Crihfield; 12/22 Dos Guitars; 12/29 Wamp Show; 12/30 Poorhouse. 7-10pm. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co.

December 5

Home for the Holidays with Elvis.

Tribute artist, Wayne Euliss, will perform holiday classics and Elvis’ greatest hits! 1-3pm. Ballou Recreation Center.

434.799-5216.

December 6

Wednesday Club Program. An Afternoon of Music by Detra Davis and Anne Lewis. 3:15pm.

Wednesday Club. 434.792.7921.

Bark the Halls. Enjoy the annual Community Holiday Light Show as you and your pup take a walk through the beautiful light displays and end the evening with a holiday themed picture of you and your dog. 5:307:30pm. Ballou Park. 434.857.3384.

December 7 (thru 10)

It’s a Wonderful Life. A Live Radio Play. 7:30pm; 12/10-2:30pm.

Smokestack Theatre. See ad page 13.

December 7 (thru 23)

Community Holiday Light Show.

Children’s Village features pictures with Santa, hot chocolate, a train model display, and various activities for the kids. Displays created by businesses and organizations in the community. Each display designates a non-profit to win a monetary donation if their display places in the “Best in Show” votes by the visitors to the show. Admission. 6-9pm. Ballou Park 434.857.3384.

December 9

Breakfast with Santa. Food, photos, stories, songs, reindeer food, Santa letter writing & crafts. 9am-12pm.

Blairs Baptist Church.

Holiday Pop-Up Shop. Vendors tables, food trucks, free raffles, and visit from Santa. 10am-6pm. Danville Family YMCA. 434.792.0621.

The Golden Jubilee Holiday Tour.

A showcase of a delightful blend of homes, churches, and businesses, each with their own unique history and charm. 11am-5pm.

Christmas at The Farm. Artisan, vintage vendors, food trucks, Christmas festivities. $. 9am-2pm.

The Gentry Farm. 434.483.0232.

Pet Photos with Santa. Including a free microchip clinic. Danville Area Humane Society. 434.799.0843.

Pelham Winter Fest. Breakfast with Santa, Christmas pajama party with food, music, crafts and more.

(Piedmont Triad Visitors Center - make and take ornaments and hot cocoa - 11am-2pm), 9am-6pm. Pelham Community Center.

Holidays with the Family DSO Concert. Celebrate the season with the DSO and guest conductor David Hagy. 7:30pm. Historic North Theatre.

434.793.7469.

December 9 & 10

A Journey to Bethlehem. Bring a chair and join us for a glimpse into Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. 6 & 7pm. Marion Baptist Church. 434.432.2748.

December 9, 16 & 23

Christmas Markets. 10am-5pm. Main Street Art Collective. 434.602.2017.

December 10

Photos with Santa. Bring your little ones and receive two professional photos that can be downloaded through a shared gallery. For a picture of your furry friend with Santa, email gm@danvillebeehotel.com for more info. 2-4pm. The Bee Hotel.

The Danville Symphony Orchestra Christmas Concert. $. 5pm. The Prizery, South Boston.

December 12

Spring to Green Conference Registration Deadline. 336.340.1981, 434.799.6558, or eventbrite.com.

Calls from the North Pole. Danville children ages 3-10 will receive calls from 5-8pm. Registration required by 12/8, 5pm. 434.799.5150.

December 13

Wednesday Club Program. House of Hope presentation. 3:15pm.

Wednesday Club. 434.792.7921.

December 15

It’s A Wonderful Life Showing. This classic movie was first shown at the North Theatre in 1947 when it first opened. Admission. 7:30pm. Historic North Theatre. 434.793.7469.

December 15 & 16

A Christmas Carol. Smokestack Theatre. See ad page 13.

December 16

Wreath Making Class. Sip a glass of wine, nibble on holiday treats, and create your own holiday wreath with KatieDid Florals and Katie WrightThomas. Bring--clippers and gloves. $.

2pm. Historic HW Brown Greenhouse.

Winter Fest. Enjoy family time with a bake sale, crafts, dinner and photos with Santa, raffle prizes. Admission.

4:30-7pm. Mt. Hermon fire & Rescue.

434.548.7804.

Martinsville Handbell Ensemble Christmas Concert. 5pm. First Presbyterian Church.

Keys and Strings Studio Christmas Recital. Bring canned goods for God’s Storehouse. 5pm. Danville Bible Chapel.

December 16 & 26

Magic of Christmas Magic Show.

12/16-7:30pm. 12/26-2pm. Historic North Theatre. 434.793.7469.

December 19

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party / Sip N Paint. Enjoy painting a Christmas truck, sipping locally made wine served by Homeplace Vineyard, and competing in the ugliest Christmas sweater competition. 6-8pm. The Gentry Farm.

December 23

Ugly Sweater Party. With music from The League of Ordinary Gentlemen.

7:30-10:30pm. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co.

December 31

New Year’s Eve Downtown Countdown. Ring in the New Year with us as we turn Craghead Street into Times Square with vendors, food, beverages, music by Megan Doss, Rock Steady, Old 97 and DJ Larry Stamps and more. With the Gold Leaf drop at Midnight. 7pm.

Evince Magazine Page 9

Action!

Inside the Method of Acting Josh Cassell

by Emily Wilkerson photo courtesy of

Smokestack Theatre Co

B

orn in November 1983, Josh Cassell claims he came into the world “weighing 12lbs and 4oz, making me a pain from the very beginning.” Cassell has always had a knack for comedy, which is how his acting journey began.

In the fall of 2022, Cassell came to Smokestack Theatre Company looking for improv classes, which he was interested in because of the character Michael Scott from The Office. (No, he is not joking.) Though Smokestack offers improv classes, he showed up to audition for its annual historical walking tour Ghosts & Gravestones. Cassell gave it a shot since he was already there.

It ended up being a very happy accident.

Since stumbling upon the audition, Cassell has now been in five Smokestack productions and is a member of Smokestack Improv. (He did finally find what he was actually looking for.) In only his second production on the stage, Cassell was lucky enough to be given his dream role of Wadsworth in Clue. He said, “To get the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Tim Curry is something I could never have dreamed of even 6 months before. Rolling, running, and falling flat on my back on that stage is something I still think about at least once a day. I will be able to do the solo rundown of that play the rest of my life.

Though I am glad I don’t still have a pencil mustache.”

Being new to the stage can be tough at first. Cassell has had to quickly adapt and learn what his processes are and continues to hone them. When asked how he prepares for a role, Cassell shared, “I make most of my character decisions at auditions and shape it where it fits once we are all together with the help of the amazing directors. Each character I have played has been a little piece of me already that I just had to pull out.” Though this world may be new to him, it has come naturally. Cassell says he has not fallen victim to stage fright, and in fact, performing is the most exciting thing he has done.

When thinking about the qualities an actor must have, many people’s first thoughts would be talent, projection, memorization, or patience. Cassell thinks otherwise. He said, “Desire is the only quality I think an actor requires. If you can make the

commitment to put in your best, then anything else you bring to the table is a bonus. Every actor brings something different, and every actor has a different process, but the common denominator is easily the love of being there and the desire to support everyone around you.”

In 2024, Cassell is thoroughly looking forward to another year of improv. For him, getting on stage and “making a fool of myself” is something he loves and is very cathartic. He is enthusiastic about finding out his upcoming roles and is ready for the challenge of any part the directors choose to give him. He would also like to share, “No matter if it is acting, or work, or relationships, be yourself, be honest, and be kind. It attracts the people who belong around you and that’s important to fill yourself up with. I wasn’t around the right people for a long time, and I have finally found my weirdos.”

Page 10 December 2023

Evince Magazine Page 11

Plant XIV:

To Be One of The Lights (A Plant Dialogue)

by Linda Lemery

S

cene: Linda has brought Plant to a local restaurant table with a good view of the room. She explained to the hostess that she just bought Plant and didn’t want to leave her live purchase out in the cold car. Plant is on the table with a deep green plastic purchase bag pulled down around the bottom of the pot.

Plant (fluttering its leaves): I have never been to a restaurant before. What a lot of people.

And they are all talking.

Linda: And we’re talking, but others will think I’m on the phone, so we won’t call attention to ourselves. I’ve got you situated in a place where you can see well, yes?

P (pointing a leaf downward): Oh, yes. I love all the colors. And what is that?

L (gesturing): That’s the menu. It’s a list of what we can order to eat.

P: I eat sunlight through my leaves, but it is dark in here.

L (rotating Plant’s pot slightly): I’ve positioned you so that a sunbeam will light up your life momentarily.

P (leaves drifting back into place): Filtered?

L: Of course. I thought we decided that during our recent chat about water purity. * P: And you?

L: Water as well. Half portions of a sandwich and salad. And a cup of coffee.

P (playfully): You need a stimulant when you have moi?

L (eyebrows raising): Precisely because I have toi. Plus, I wanted you to see the holiday colors and textures in person. Or in plant.

Whatever.

P (musingly): Lots of deep, rich reds, greens, blues. You are wearing green velvet, right? A deeper, brushier feel.

L (gesturing with her head): People dress up to celebrate the season. It’s a seasonal ritual.

And you really understand the difference in textures from when we touched your leaves at home with velvet and other fabrics.

P (leaves rising): I do not eat menu food.

P (pointing a leaf): The plants are dressed up, too. Look at the bright gold wrappers around their pots, the bright red of their leaves.

Poinsettias, aren’t they?

L (placatingly): I’ll get some water for you.

L (nodding): Yes. Traditional for this time of year.

P (leaves on either side swaying briefly forward): And look at the floor plants -- someone lit them up.

L (smiling): Yes. Twining cool lights through plants puts another layer of celebration into the visual experience.

P (reflectively): Good to know.

What do you love best about this season?

L (head cocked): I think I love the spirit.

P (attentively): How so?

L: It manifests as giving. People unintentionally give gifts that raise the spirit. For example, the deeper, richer colors and textures are a gift to anyone who sees them. They’re a reminder of generosity, sensitivity, people’s good qualities: their textures, as they are. Kindness, especially, just shines out of some people.

P (its top swaying slightly, then holding still): Perhaps this is a reminder to be one of the lights.

L (eyebrows raised): ... You surprise me, Plant. Yes. Lights inspire us to be more in unexpected ways. I don’t think we consciously recognize that.

P (a leaf rising, then falling): Regardless of what religion people follow, what churches

they go to or whether they go at all, this is a generous time of year.

Plants do not go to church.

L (frowning): But plants are almost always in church. People bring them or give them as part of celebrating the season. And people want to connect, to celebrate in a group. They come together to make music or art or some other event in the name of their spirits and others come to listen, watch, and be inspired.

Which reminds me ... do plants think?

P (straightening): I had not thought about the fact that plants are often in church, and that people bring them there. I am glad you brought me here. I can sense the goodwill in the air.

Regarding whether plants think, I can only speak for myself.

L (staring off into space): In a season like this, we can all be better in some way. We can all be more.

P (pointing a leaf like a maestro): Would that this spirit spread itself all year round.

L (swiveling toward Plant): I think it’s already there. We just have to wake it up and recognize it. *See November 2023 Plant Dialogue.

About the author: Plant and Linda Lemery <llemery@gmail.com> wish Evince readers a very happy holiday season.

Page 12 December 2023

“

Movies You Missed

from 20 years ago

by Josh Lucia

Big Fish (8/10 Rating) Released December 25, 2003 (Limited) For rent/purchase on all major platforms.

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance PG-13: A Fight Scene, Images

of Nudity, and a Suggestive Reference 2h 5m When I think of Tim Burton films, I tend to forget how good his films can be. Then I recall Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Beetlejuice, and…Big Fish. Big

Fish definitely comes up far less than the others and it may be his best work as an overall film.

It is also one of Danny Elfman’s best musical scores, this one nominated for an Oscar. Burton’s movies can be a little too Burton, in my opinion. Here he is subdued, graciously weaving between a realistic timeline and the stories of a dying man’s life.

Ed Bloom, played by the late Albert Finney and in flashbacks by Ewan McGregor, has always told fantastical stories to those around him, including his son Will, played

by Billy Crudup. Will, however, wants the real stories of his dad’s life before his father passes away.

The film tells Bloom’s life story through his own tellings as well as close friends, with most of the tales being close to reality, but filled with embellishments that are expanded by the visuals of Burton. While parents may find issues with a few moments, I would consider this a good family film, at least with older children. It presents opportunities

for discussions about life, death, and relationships in a fantastical way. It would be easy to find comparisons to The Princess Bride or Forrest Gump. The storytelling is presented similarly to the prior and the fictional elements mixed with reality mirror the latter. As stated, the musical score is wonderful, the effects are great, and the acting is superb all around. The plot moves along quick enough to keep anyone entertained with a wide variety of tall tales mixed with real life drama and romance. If this is one that got away, you might want to consider casting a line and catching this Big Fish. Just grab some tissues for the ending.

Also released in December 2003: The Last Samurai, Pride and Prejudice, Something’s Gotta Give, Stuck On You, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Peter Pan, Mona Lisa Smile, Monster, Cheaper by the Dozen, Cold Mountain (follow @jlucia85 for these reviews and more)

Evince Magazine Page 13

KNEE PA I N ?

Sports Injuries Cartilage Restoration Ligament Reconstruction Outpatient Joint Replacement Partial & Total Knee Replacements

200 W. Wendover Avenue • Greensboro, NC 223 W. Ward St. • Suite B • Asheboro, NC 336.333.6443 • www.SMJRortho.com

STEVE LUCEY, M.D.

Page 14 December 2023

Thoughts on a

Good, Rural Man

by Mack Williams

W

e recently lost a truly good “rural man,” whose country upbringing centered him in the tradition of hard work, particularly in working with wood.

His name: Joe Hammack.

He and his family were “one of a kind,” harkening back to simpler, “frill-less” times, and denoted by dedication to the basics of hard work and the Golden Rule.

But at Christmastime, some “frills” did appear!

I heard of Joe’s family when I first lived in Yanceyville around the mid 1970s. At Christmas time, someone said, “Let’s go see the Hammack’s lights!” And to me back then, this phrase sounded as “lovably rural” as when Barney Fife

would say, “Andy, let’s go get a bottle of pop!”

Several trees in the Hammack’s yard were lit with colored lights.

To this, was added a “faux tree,” consisting of an approximately 50-foot-tall pole with a string (connected strings) of lights beginning in a wide circle around the pole’s base, and ascending in an ever-narrowing spiral upwards, ending in a bright, star-shaped ornament at the top.

But the lit decoration which drew the most attention, also high up, was that of Santa, his sleigh, reindeer, and reins all light up, with Rudolph’s red nose blinking, just like Rudolph’ nose in the stop-motion animated Rankin/Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964).

HOLI DAY COA T & FU R SAL E

OPEN 10-6 M-F, 10-5 SAT 559 MAIN ST | DANVILLE, VA 24541 | 434-792-6822 | @RIPPESFASHION | SHOP RIPPES.COM

In contrast to nowadays, when the over-the-top decorations of Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) are seeming to become more the norm. The Hammack’s Christmas decorations were still more than the usual back then, but in good taste.

I remember Joe often wearing plaid shirts like another woodworking man, TV’s Norm Abrams (although Joe’s accent was that of north-central North Carolina, not Massachusetts).

Joe had a carpentry business (becoming part time, after he later began teaching woodworking at Bartlett Yancey High School) which included household additions (both outside and in). Joe turned part of my little family’s attic into a half second floor. Of the beautiful pattern of the stair’s landing he sheepishly said, “I’m sort of proud of the work I did on that!” Anything more boastful than that would have been out of character. And in Joe’s crafting of that extra half story, he seemed to “discover” more room than what was already there.

Joe built his sister a very nice house close to his (I guess when family builds your house, they build

it so you will not be far away).

Joe’s family raised tobacco and hunted deer. One time, my son Jeremy and I were standing in Joe’s yard discussing Native American projectile points (arrowheads) when Joe suddenly looked down at a space of red clay amidst the grass and said, “Here’s one!” Having raised tobacco, Joe learned to discern the presence of an arrowhead poking up from the red North Carolina clay.

On time, my late wife, Diane, daughter, Rachel, and I road to Wilmington with Joe and his wife, Susan to visit Susan’s parents. We headed down in Joe’s crafted RV before dawn. I still remember us sitting and frequently nodding off.

Looking back on my recollections of Joe, especially his working with wood and building that house for his sister, I remembered the Scripture which begins, “In my Father’s house are many mansions....”

With more people hopefully going to Heaven every year, there will probably be a need for good, handy souls, like Joe’s to aid in that Heavenly construction.

Evince Magazine Page 15

Page 16 December 2023