Evince Magazine November 2020

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Page 6

Viewing Art in a Warehouse Page 7

Lisa Tuite Photo Finish

Listening to Famous Friends

Page 14

See Page 5

Pittsylvania County Public Library

Page  2 November 2020

Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography

Editor’s Note

If you find yourself in the company of Lisa Tuite, who is pictured on the cover, pay attention. She’s a smart lady with very influential, famous friends. OK, for us ordinary folk, some of her well-known friends will only be found between the covers of a book and through the magic of audiobooks. Read her story on page 5.

Listen to others when they speak and you will learn more than if you listen to yourself as you talk to others. If you don’t believe me, read Linda Lemery’s “Listening to Learn” on page 12.

What do you think about matching wine and the sound of music? If you aren’t sure what that means, read “The Wine Spot”

by Dave Slayton on page 9.

Like to read but don’t have the time to sit still? Diane Adkins has a recommendation for a great audiobook in “Book Clubbing” on page 11. A personal storyteller will weave a tale for you while your hands are busy with mundane chores.

November Contents

3 Editor’s Note

5 Lisa Tuite

Listening to Famous Friends

by Joyce Wilburn 6 Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Larry Wilburn

Renovation Reality

by Carla Minosh

7 Viewing Art

in a Warehouse/Warehouse District

by Joyce Wilburn 8 Stained Glass, Pretty Notes, and Spitting Tears

Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg 9 The Wine Spot

How Does Matching Wine and Music Sound to You?

by Dave Slayton 10 Calendar 11 Book Clubbing / review by Diane Adkins

All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny 12 Reflecting Forward

Listening to Learn

by Linda Lemery 13 Around the Table

Meatballs for My Boys

by Annelle Williams 14 Photo Finish On the Cover: Photo of Lisa Tuite by Michelle Dalton Photography

Evince Magazine Page 3

THE

OICE OF LISTENERS

CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com Copy Editors Jeanette Taylor Larry Wilburn Contributing Writers

Diane Adkins, Elsabe Dixon, Lewis Dumont, Rhonda Griffin, Karen Harris, Carla Minosh, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, C.B. Maddox, Dave Slayton, Joyce Wilburn, Larry Wilburn, Annelle Williams, Sonya Wolen

Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont) Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349) Marketing Consultants For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.

Lee Vogler Director of Sales and Marketing (434.548.5335) lee@evince magazine.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 submission of December stories, articles, and ads is Wednesday, November 18, at 5:00 p.m.

Submit stories, articles, and calendar items to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

Editorial Policies

Remember you have been given two ears and one mouth.

Perhaps we should listen twice as much as we talk. Appreciate the gift of sound even if it’s the sound of silence.

Evince is a free monthly magazine with news about entertainment and lifestyle 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

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

For subscriptions to Evince, email info@evincemagazine.com.

Cost is $24 a year.

joycewilburn@gmail.com Credits: Amber Wilson: hair; Catherine Saunders: skin care and makeup; Genesis Day Spa & Salon, 695 Park Avenue, Danville.

Janelle Gammon: nails; Salon One 11, 111 Sandy Court, Danville. Clothing: Rippe’s 100 Years of Fashion, 559 Main St.

Viewing Art

in a Warehouse/Warehouse District Page 7

© 2020 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Page  4 November 2020

Evince Magazine Page 5

“I

t was as if Michelle Obama

were sitting in the car next

to me talking about her life. I learned a lot about her that was pretty cool,” says Lisa Tuite, Director of the Pittsylvania County Public Library. Considering Lisa’s decades-long career working on Capitol Hill for the CIA and later for Senator Byrd of West Virginia, it’s possible that Lisa and the former First Lady could have ridden around Washington together enjoying a conversation.

That’s not the case, however.

Lisa’s recent encounters with high-profile people have been through audiobooks, including Michelle Obama’s reading of her #1 New York Times bestseller memoir, Becoming, and a book by the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Lisa thinks it can be a tricky situation when the author of a book also reads it for the audio version. She explains, “On the one hand, readers know they are getting the emphasis where the author wants it.

On the other hand, hearing a trained voice reading a book can be amazing and you might not get that from an author.” In her expert opinion, author and reader Obama did both exceptionally well.

As the current supervisor of staff and materials in Pittsylvania County’s five libraries and the bookmobile, the Texas native came to the library scene after her first career in the political arena. Over several decades, Lisa earned a degree in foreign affairs from UVA, a master’s degree in National Securities Studies from Georgetown, married Jim, a former secret service agent, and gave birth to their daughter, Rachel. Phew!

She continues her story, “In 1994, we looked for property outside of D.C. and found it in Virginia.” That led to spending many weekends and holidays renovating and updating a house into a home. On the road trips between the two places, the miles flew by as they listened to audiobooks, including the Harry Potter series that their daughter liked. The commute ended when they became full-time Virginia residents in 2001. Comparing the hectic pace of life in D.C. to life in the “suburb of Gretna,” Lisa jokes, “My blood pressure dropped 100 points.”

After relocating and finding extra

Enjoy audiobooks in several ways. Classic: Check out a set of CDs and play. Playaway: Play a book on a battery-operated MP3 player attached to the book. Listen on headphones that can be purchased at the library for $1 or use your own. This is the easiest for children. (top right and children’s book) Digital/Hoopla: Visit www.pcblib.org and set up an account or download the Hoopla app on your phone. (115,135 books are available.)

Lisa Tuite Listening to Famous Friends

by Joyce Wilburn time on her hands, this energetic woman became a part-time employee at Chatham Library and subsequently, a full-time branch manager at Brosville in 2013 and

branch manager of Chatham in 2014. While working, she also studied and was awarded a master’s degree in Information and Library Studies from the University of

Alabama in 2016—the same year she was promoted to Director of the Pittsylvania County Library.

“I’ve always loved libraries and I’m a huge fan of audiobooks. They are an escape from the news and talk shows,” she comments while surveying the rooms of books at the Chatham library.

With that remark, she walks past her famous book friends, Michelle and Ruth, and returns to her office for another day of rewarding work.

The Top 10 Circulated Audiobooks • Dark Sacred Night

by Michael Connelly • Varina by Charles Frazier • Murder in the Reading Room

by Ellery Adams • The Chef by James Patterson

• Almost Just Friends

by Jill Shalvis • The Wife Between Us

by Greer Hendricks • The Cornwalls Are Gone

by James Patterson

• Wolf Pack

by C. J. Box • A Justified Murder

by Jude Devereaux • Sunset Beach

by Mary Kay Andrews

Page 6 November 2020

Renovation Reality

by Carla Minosh

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Larry Wilburn Last month I changed satellite television providers and had to return the receivers. The company would pay UPS for the return shipping, but UPS online information indicated that it would have to be done at a UPS retail store. The nearest store was in Greensboro.

I decided to see what could be done locally in Danville. I arrived five minutes before closing time at the UPS distribution center on Mt. Cross Road. The clerk informed me that she could not issue a pre-paid return label, but, because I had the equipment already in a box, she would pack and tape it for shipment. She offered to do this cheerfully and with no hesitation. This service was beyond anything she was required to do and made me feel like a valued customer. For these reasons I recommend Deniera McCain, Customer Counter Representative at UPS, for the Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Award.

Evince and the Danville Pittsylvania Co. Chamber of Commerce want to encourage and recognize exceptional customer service. When someone gives you exceptional service, please let us know.

In 300 words or less, tell us what happened. Email your story to joycewilburn@gmail.com or chamber@dpchamber.org.

Unlike HGTV shows where home renovations are completed within thirty to sixty minutes, the Victorian house at the corner of Chestnut Place and Main Street in Danville has been under a transformation for nineteen years. This series explores the truth of home renewal from someone who has been there and done that.

If you missed any of the articles, visit www.evincemagazine.com.

I

n the midst of the painting project on the shutters for the double parlors, we came across an offer we couldn’t refuse: a set of three rolling scaffolds for a great price. A bonus feature was they solved a logistical problem that had plagued us from the beginning. Their platforms could be raised six inches higher than our current scaffolding. That meant that with my 5’ 3” frame, I could now help with work on the 12’ 6” ceilings of the first floor. I could comfortably reach the ceilings with some flexibility in movement. We promptly ordered it. At the same time we ordered the Lincrusta we had been dreaming of for the main hall ceiling.

Lincrusta is a paper-pulp based material from the 1880s mixed with linseed oil, flattened, and put on conveyor belts to be rolled underneath huge rollers carved with a negative pattern, imprinting a positive three-dimensional pattern onto this base. The result is a textured surface with a flexible, yet somewhat delicate material that is put up with a

thick paste.

Once installed, the linseed oil dries and leaves behind a durable, thick, strong material that will hide any superficial plaster cracking. It comes in white and has to be painted.

We promptly ordered dozens of rolls of their Amelia pattern-a central starburst connected by ropes of bell flowers encircling a simple flower compressed within a diamond border. It was perfect. We spent a long weekend in a complete frenzy of installation. Having done this before, we had it down to a science: trimming the borders, wetting the backing, setting the timer, applying the paste/mud, and carrying it up the scaffolding. Lining up the pattern is always a bit tricky, but it has some flexibility to wiggle back and forth. The biggest challenge is the weight of the material and having the muscle power to push it against the ceiling while supporting the remainder of the run. There is often a bit of a panic as we get to the end of a run only to watch the beginning of the run start to peel off the ceiling. In the end after rolling the air bubbles, adding extra glue to the edges, and making sure the edges are as securely pressed as humanly possible, we could take a break before moving on to the next piece.

Three days later, exhausted but happy, we climbed down from the scaffolding one last time and viewed our completed handiwork.

Now, the hard work could begin!

(to be continued)

Evince Magazine Page 7 The Eva Weber Group performs at a September Business After Hours in the Warehouse Art Gallery.

Center: Craghead Street Gallery

Jim Mayes stands beside a sculpture in front of a mural of himself drawn by Jimmi Qune on a wall inside the Warehouse Art Gallery.

Viewing Art in the Warehouse/Warehouse District

The Warehouse Art Gallery, located at 15 Campbell Street in Luray, Virginia, is in a building that was constructed in 1910 and formerly housed a wholesale grocery business. Later it was used as a clothing warehouse and by Schewel Furniture.

by Joyce Wilburn

T

he casual observer might not see the similarities between the 10,000 square foot Warehouse Art Gallery in Luray, Virginia, and the tiny art gallery at 536 Craghead Street in Danville, but look a little closer and ask a few questions. You’ll be surprised.

On a chilly Friday in October, Jim Mayes, abstract sculptor and owner of Warehouse Art Gallery in Luray’s historic downtown, welcomed me inside the former warehouse converted into a space for artists, musicians, artisans, and their fans.

His warm welcome reminded me of Rick Barker’s greeting a few days earlier when I toured a small 1899 storefront reimagined as an art gallery in Danville’s Tobacco Warehouse District.

On the local tour, Rick showed me three white-walled rooms under construction. In Luray, Jim gave me a tour of several large rooms and a glimpse into the future and what an embryonic gallery like the one in

Danville could look like after eighteen years of nurturing.

Pictures tell more than words.

A personal visit is even better.

Look at the pictures, read the captions, and plan to visit one or both galleries, but, most importantly, give them your support.

• Beginning Sunday, November 22, Shadow of Place by David Douglas will be on display in the 536 Craghead Street Gallery. Working at the intersection of drawing, painting and photography, Douglas creates large-scale works that explore the power of place. The gallery will be open on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from noon until 8:00 p.m and Sundays from 12:00-5:00 p.m.

There is no admission fee.

• For more information about the Warehouse Art Gallery in the Shenandoah Valley, visit www.warehouseartgallery.com or 15 Campbell Street, Luray, Virginia.

Over 90 local and regional artists exhibit at the Warehouse Art Gallery.

There is something for every taste and budget.

A small gift shop at the entrance to the Warehouse Art Gallery offers a variety of items.

Page 8 November 2020 Dr. Corinth, he doesn’t tell me his Greek myths, the stories of his gods. And I don’t ask. I am Kwon.

Once we drove onto the gravel churchyard, Dr. Corinth/Old Man put a trembled hand through the rolled-down car window. He tested for rain that had already stopped, and I didn’t ask why.

Instead, I came around and opened the passenger side door.

As he slowly stood, Dr. Corinth/ Old Man put one pale hand on my dark cheek then my shoulder to get his balance, as he looked over my head beyond the church graveyard where a forest grew.

“Kwon, when my mother was dying,” he began quietly, “they turned me away. My family did that….Grown man, married, with a child...Ha! And I went away tail tucked like they wanted.”

I nodded as I carefully put his arms into his navy-blue blazer.

He tells these stories now, stoic pain that’s cracked and weeping.

I listen. Back at the motel, I had tied the thin hard laces on his dark brown saddle stitched wingtip shoes, but these laces were sly and sliding apart again.

His crisp white oxford shirt with collars buttoned down almost swallowed his now smaller frame, but somehow he still looked less frail, less sad and weak than a man ought who’s dying.

Late, we went inside to the wedding late. It had started, and we watched like thieves. “Those bastards, they said she didn’t want to see me, her boy. Kept the door to that back bedroom closed and wouldn’t tell her I came. Said I would shame her for fighting about it, and I would have, I would have, fought them, all of them and them tight-lipped and cold as a January riverotter’s ass.” Old Man didn’t cry; his face was fire.

My Aunt Fallen’s evening wedding was beautiful, if melancholy.

The only light was the October sun falling down the port side of the church wall through stained glass. The wedding colors were red-gold and cream. The women in the bridal party wore a deep evergreen that looked almost black. The women were wild, soft, and solemn. We saw Aunt Fallen after she entered, standing there, saying her vows.

She came to him again, Allen, her ex-husband, this time in a long, light-cream dress with no lace, not looking for love, maybe a little protection if he

Stained Glass, Pretty Notes, and Spitting Tears fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg

could provide it. I tried to focus but I was looking for Mama Mandy, Dr. Corinth’s/Old Man’s daughter. Him, I had brought to her, an offering to be burnt on the pyre while I hoped her anger wouldn’t consume me too. When I saw her, I trembled as I wondered how she’ll take seeing her long-lost father.

“Kwon, my mother’s been gone over forty years, and I still miss not saying goodbye to her. It’s a ragged damn hole in me. I hope those that wished me bad maybe they’re dead now. I don’t forgive them. I just wish I could have told them, spit tears in their eyes.”

There was a violin solo then. Some young boy pulled at his collar after he played a love song he really

didn’t understand, but sounded the pretty notes anyway. We saw all this through the glass cutout in the door that separated the vestibule from the sanctuary. And even though I was invited and because I knew that Old Man definitely wasn’t, I started to worry. Maybe this will not be a fairy tale, no happy ending. I also saw Mean Keisha, my mother, looking for me while standing still.

And I felt like a fool, a child. I turned to Old Man; his blue eyes blazed a weakened light. He leaned into me, looking old and brittle and burning all at the same time. “She won’t forgive me, Kwon, your Mama Mandy. And I’m sorry, son, she won’t forgive you either. But I think this goodbye that I am bringing to her is just.” Dr. Corinth looked at me, backlit by the sunset, his eyes

looking ancient, both dead and wise. “Jesus,” I say now, panicking inside, even as I hold Old Man up by his left elbow. “What?” I say; I suddenly don’t feel like I have brought any goodness here, and I thought of Old Man’s family’s revenge. What do I know? Maybe they had a right to it. Dr. Corinth/ Old Man pats my hand, his veins straining even though his grip was weak. “You did right,” he says, before he turned away and looked back to the wedding. “...Shhhh…

Son, mark me; it’s going to be.” Old Man is crying now but smiling, still dying, still looking at the daughter he abandoned years ago, looking at her through that square of glass, in the waning wedding sunlight, about to step forward.

Evince Magazine Page 9

D

o you like to listen to music while you enjoy your wine?

If so, do you match your wine with the theme? Recently Wine Enthusiast published an article entitled “Wine and Music Pairings.”

Here are some of their suggestions for your consideration.

Indie/Alternative and Finger Lakes (New York State) Riesling: “A versatile performer” ranging from sweet to dry with “lemony citrus and green notes, rocking fresh peach and mineral flavors.”

Try it with Nirvana, and you may find it heavenly.

Country music and red California Zinfandel: I guess white zinfandel would pair well with disco, sweet and straightforward, and they both were popular in the ‘70s. We Americans produce and consume so much red zinfandel, we consider it an American invention like Country music. Bold red fruit flavors seem right for Country music. So, try red zinfandel with Garth Brooks. Let that Long Neck Bottle be a bottle of zinfandel.

Classic Rock and Australian Shiraz: An eclectic blend of bright fruit and warm, mouth-filling texture, shiraz straddles power and grace. Next time you’re listening to the Australian group INXS give it a try, but don’t get Elegantly Wasted.

That’s not cool!

Jazz and Oregon Pinot Noir: Oregon producers draw inspiration from pinot’s spiritual home, Burgundy, France, says Wine Enthusiast, but they allow themselves to play (improvise) with the grape’s inherent complexity.

Next time you’re listening to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, try it with an Oregon Pinot Noir. After all, as I understand it, the French like jazz.

The Wine Spot

How Does Matching Wine and Music Sound to You?

by Dave Slayton

a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers

Classical Music and Bordeaux (France): According to Wine Enthusiast, “No wine embodies classic as much as Bordeaux.”

As you know, whether it’s red or white, in Bordeaux, it’s all about the blend. For reds, the main grapes are cabernet sauvignon and merlot.

To me, there is no better match than the structure in Bach’s Six Solo Cello Suites and the structure in a good cabernet sauvignon.

May your music and your wine always be in harmony. Cheers!

Page 10 November 2020

Abbreviation Key

November Calendar

• AU=Averett University, 434.791.5600 www.averett.edu • DMFAH=Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main St. 434.793.5644 www.danvillemuseum.org • DSC=Danville Science Center, 677 Craghead St. 434.791.5160 www.dsc.smv.org • PA=Piedmont Arts, 215 Starling Ave, Martinsville 276.632.3221 www.PiedmontArts.org • The Prizery=700 Bruce St., South Boston, 434.572.8339, www.prizery.com Brosville Library: 11948 Martinsville Highway www.pcplib.org 434.685.1285 Danville Public Library: 511 Patton St. readdanvilleva.org 434.799.5195 DPL Westover Branch: 94 Clifton St. www.readdanvilleva.org 434.799.5152 Gretna Library: 207 A Coffey Street, www.pcplib.org 434.656.2579 Gunn Memorial, Caswell County Public Library: 161 Main Street East, Yanceyville, NC www.caswellcounty.gov/library 336.694.6241 Halifax County Public Library: 177 South Main St. halifaxcountylibrary.org 434.476.3357 History Research Center and Library: 340 Whitehead St,, Chatham www.pcplib.org 434.432.8931 Mt. Hermon Library: 4058 Franklin Turnpike www.pcplib.org 434.835.0326 Pittsylvania County Public Main Library: 24 Military Drive, Chatham www.pcplib.org 434.432.3271 South Boston Public Library: 509 Broad St. 434.5575.4228 www.halifaxcountylibrary.org

Ongoing

Danville Master Gardeners will answer inquiries about gardening, lawns and landscaping on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 434.799.6558 danvillemastergardeners@gmail.com.

Guided Walking Tours: Millionaires Row, Holbrook Street and Tobacco Warehouse District.

434.770.1974 www.danvillehistory.org

DMFAH: self-guided audio tours Camilla Williams Exhibit: Exhibit features her opera costumes including Madame Butterfly. DMFAH Danville Civil Rights Exhibition: The Movement on permanent display. DMFAH Virginia Living Well Research Registry: Researchers at VCU Massey Cancer Center want to understand why some of Southern Virginia’s cancer rates are higher than the state and national averages.

Men and women ages 18 to 84 years are needed. Cancer Research and Resource Center 434.421.3061.

First Saturday Outing: Dan River Basin Association sponsors a 4.5-mile hike on the Cook’s Wall Trail in Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury and Westfield, North Carolina. Participants meet at 9am in the parking lot at the Lake Bathhouse, 2847 Hanging Rock Park Road. Dr. Will Truslow leads this moderate hike that climbs about 400 feet and offers sweeping vistas to the south and west with views of Sauratown and Pilot Mountain. Dress in layers of synthetic fabric, wear hiking boots, be prepared for rain, bring a hiking stick, and pack lunch or snacks and water. Free/open to the public. 336.547.1903, willtruslow@ hotmail.com danriver.org/events/ month/11/year/2020

November 3

November 12

Election Day

November 3 (thru 24)

A Stitch in Time: a yarn art class on Tuesdays 10-11:30am knitting & crocheting, a part of a Yarn Bombing project. DMFAH $5

November 5 (thru 19)

A Stitch in Time: a yarn art class on Thursdays 10-11:30am knitting & crocheting, a part of a Yarn Bombing project. DMFAH $5

November 11

Veterans Day (no parade this year) Improv Games with Smokestack Theatre Company: Danville Public Library Auditorium free 5:30-6:30pm ages 18+ Registration required. 434.799.5195

November 14 & 15

November 2020

S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Open Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays noon-8pm; Sundays noon-5pm. www.danvillemuseum.org

November 26 Thanksgiving

November 28 Attic Sale donations drop-off: DMFAH davidc522@ comcast.net

Save the Date December 1

WE Read: The Art of Gathering

by Priya Parker WE Read provides access to an informal environment that fosters conversations about substantive books that can inspire, develop and empower women in business. noon-1pm Zoom $20 Register at dpchamber.org

We’re

Free Admission Weekend: DMFAH

November 19

Printmaking Workshop: 6:30-9pm DMFAH $20/25

November 20 (thru 25)

Decorating the DMFAH for the Holidays: Volunteers are needed. info@danvillemuseum.org

on Danville!

Donna Gibson Owner

November 7

Shred Out Hunger with God’s Storehouse: Bring personal papers (no paper from businesses) to 750 Memorial Drive. 9am to noon Commonwealth Document Management will shred it in exchange for donations of canned goods, toiletry items/cleaning products or monetary donations. www. godsstorehouse.org 434.793.3663

The deadline for submitting information for the December calendar is Wednesday, November 18, at 5:00 p.m. Please send just the basic information following the format on these pages to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

November 21

Cars & Coffee: See classic cars, sports cars, muscle cars, and more in the parking lot at Crema & Vine, 1009 Main St. Danville 9-10:30am 434.548.9862

November 22 (thru March 28)

David Douglas Shadow of Place Art Exhibit: Working at the intersection of drawing, painting and photography, Douglas creates largescale works that explore the power of place. 536 Craghead Street Gallery.

HOLLEY & GIBSON REALTY COMPANY

339 Piney Forest Rd., Danville, VA 24540

Office: (434) 791-2400 Fax: (434) 791-2122 Visit our website at

www.holleyandgibsonrealty.com

Evince Magazine Page 11

Book Clubbing review by Diane Adkins

All the Devils Are Here

by Louise Penny audiobook read by Robert Bathurst

I have read every book written by Louise Penny—some with my ears, some with my eyes. The first ten were read by actor Ralph Cosham, who won much acclaim, including an Audie as well as Audiophile Earphones and Library Journal awards for best audiobook. When Cosham died, readers mourned and wondered who could fill his shoes.

It turns out Robert Bathurst could! Bathurst, like Cosham, is a British actor, though Cosham emigrated to the U.S. and lived in Reston, Virginia. For Downton Abbey fans, it’s interesting to note that Bathurst played Sir Anthony Strallan, the man who left Lady Edith at the altar. With All the Devils Are Here, Bathurst does his best rendition of Penny’s writing to date. Despite a multitude of characters, Bathurst’s adroit voicing of each is so good that it is always clear to the listener who is speaking.

The book is set in Paris, where Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his wife Reine-Marie have flown to await the birth of a grandchild to daughter Annie and husband Jean-Guy Beauvoir, longtime second-in-command to Gamache. The trip gives the Gamaches an opportunity to spend time with Stephen Horowitz, Gamache’s godfather who has functioned as a true father to him since he was orphaned in childhood. Horowitz is struck in a hitand-run that Gamache witnesses and knows is no accident. Then a body is found dead in Horowitz’s apartment. Gamache, having no jurisdiction, calls on his friend the Paris Prefect of Police to help.

The book is carefully plotted and necessarily so; what looks to be true in a Penny novel often can be deceiving. In this one, the foundational story is one regarding relationships within the Gamache family, never so exposed as they are here. In addition, I loved the fact that Reine-Marie Gamache, a retired librarian, has an essential role in the narrative and in the solution of the key mystery.

Frequent listeners of audiobooks (and I fall in that category) will tell you that the brain processes print and audio differently.

Complicated nonfiction is easier for me to follow if I can flip back and forth in a written text. Novels, however, usually work well in the audio format as long as the characters are richly drawn and distinctly voiced, the plot is layered enough to keep my interest without too many jumps in voice or setting, and the narrative has an arc that keeps me engaged. Louise Penny’s books perfectly work for me in this format. See if you agree.

Diane S. Adkins is a retired Director of Pittsylvania County Library System.

Page 12 November 2020 to the rising pool in the glass.

Perhaps this shrinking distance and shrinking sound chamber resulted in the rise in pitch. I had an epiphany: this must be what it’s like to discover a truth about the world that wasn’t evident before. The epiphany seemed to explain people’s drive to investigate complex phenomena.

The pull toward understanding is almost irresistible.

There is something to be learned from every experience if we take the time in our hurried, distracting world to listen carefully enough. As we gather for a careful Thanksgiving with family or friends, it’s important that we listen and learn from the words being spoken and recognize the experiences that have shaped who the speakers are. Happy Thanksgiving.

Reflecting Forward Listening to Learn

by Linda Lemery

I

’ve always been a listener.

I want to know what others think to decide better what I think.

For example, when our son Dave and his fiancée Jill were getting married, Jill wanted her mother and me to have our makeup done together for the wedding.

Though this is not my thing, I love and trust Jill. Before I knew it, I landed in a chair with a lovely young woman hovering over me waving a dazzling array of makeup and brushes. She shared that she had been an art major in college and that her life had taken some twists and turns.

I listened carefully, trying to stitch together a pastiche of life experiences with educational training as she picked colors and textures from that dizzying array and swiveled my chair this way and that to see me in a different light. When I realized she was painting me just like she would in a class, I commended her on having transferred her

artistic eye and training to the human canvas. She stopped dead and stared at me. She had never thought of her career in that way.

What she was doing was brilliant because she was using her training to support her daughter and herself. That conversation taught me that if we want to be happy, find fulfillment, and continue to grow, we all have to find ways to use well-loved skills that we have honed over time and that create joy.

A second example: Early one morning, I was at the kitchen sink listening to the silence and alternately filling up two identical plastic glasses with tap water.

As I listened, I noticed that the sound of water pouring into the glasses changed in pitch. I refilled the glasses repeatedly to try to understand why. Eventually I had to consult my husband Steve to help clarify my thoughts and the language for this explanation.

As the glass filled, there was a shrinking distance that the water had to fall from the tap

and commeasurably less air in the “sound chamber” from the top of the glass extending down

About the Author: When she’s not thinking about the sound of water pouring from the tap, Linda Lemery llemery@averett.edu works as Circulation Manager at Averett University’s Mary B. Blount Library in Danville. She welcomes reader comments.

Evince Magazine Page 13

Meatballs for my boys!

by Annelle Williams

My grandchildren love meatballs with their pasta, so as a good grandmother I try to oblige. I recently found a new recipe for meatballs that immediately turned into a family favorite. The secret, along with a very good ingredient list, is slow cooking the meatballs in the tomato sauce.

It adds so much flavor to the sauce as well as ensuring tender, moist meatballs.

I’ve made this recipe several times and so far it hasn’t failed. The boys like it over regular spaghetti, but when I fix it for two, I make lasagna rolls and top them with the meatballs and sauce. Either way, it’s a winner!

This recipe gives you four healthy portions. I have doubled it with good results. I look forward to the day all our family will be joined at our table again and I can even triple the recipe!

Annelle’s Meatballs 1 lb. ground turkey or beef 3/4 cup bread crumbs* or panko 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan 1 T chopped fresh parsley 2 green onions, chopped 2 tsp. dried Italian herbs 1 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper 1 egg, beaten 1 T olive oil, plus another tablespoon for cooking.

1/3 cup milk 1 large (24 oz) jar of your favorite pasta sauce 1 lb. spaghetti

*I like to make my bread crumbs but it is completely ok to use panko. I put two or three chunks of bread into my food processor and whirl until I have crumbs. Melt one tablespoon butter in small pan over medium heat. Add bread crumbs, stirring to combine, and continue to stir until beginning to brown.

Heat oven to 300 ° for a very slow simmer. Put the ground meat into a large mixing bowl and use two forks to break it up and spread it out. Add the remaining ingredients, sprinkling or pouring evenly over the meat. With the forks combine everything. The less you compact the meat, the moister and better your meatballs will be.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil to medium heat in a large skillet or pan that can go into the oven. I use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to form the meatballs. Roll gently in your hands and add to skillet. You should have 12-15 good-sized meatballs. Keep turning them until they are browned on all sides.

Pour sauce over meatballs. Add about ½ cup of water to jar and swish it around to get all remaining sauce out and pour into skillet. Stir around to combine and coat the meatballs. Cover skillet with foil. Place skillet or pan into oven and let simmer for around 45 minutes.

Prepare pasta as directed on package and serve with sauce and meatballs.

OR To make lasagna rolls: Break 7 uncooked lasagna noodles in half. Boil in salted water as directed. Drain and rinse. This will make 14 rolls.

Combine 1 cup ricotta, 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 2 tsp. dried Italian herbs and 1 tsp. garlic powder. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture over each half lasagna noodle, roll and place in casserole dish. Cover with pasta sauce and meatballs.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 325° just until bubbling.

Remove foil and top with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella. Return to oven just until mozzarella is melted.

Questions or comments?

Email me: AnnelleWilliams@comcast.net I look forward to hearing from you!

Page 14 November 2020

Photo Finish While Lisa Tuite, Director of the Pittsylvania County Public Library, was occupied having her picture taken for this month’s cover, other people were quietly going about their work nearby.

Pictured here are a few of the many visitors who use the library each day for a variety of reasons.

Anyone living in Pittsylvania County, any of the surrounding cities and counties, including Bedford, Campbell, Danville, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Lynchburg, and Martinsville in Virginia, and Caswell and Rockingham counties in North Carolina can get a Pittsylvania County Public Library card.

Danville Public Library allows anyone living within fifty miles of Danville, including North Carolina, to get a DPL card.

Kristian Anderson, Assistant Branch Manager at the Chatham Public Library, loves to listen to the Harry Potter series on audiobooks.

Jennifer Arthur, Branch Manager at the Chatham Public Library, likes nonfiction and is waiting for the new Jerry Seinfeld audio book.

Cherokee Dixon studies at the library for a test to become a master electrician.

A collection of audio books contains favorites for children of all ages.

Hussein Shata uses the internet to submit applications for a Ph.D. program in mechanical engineering.

Allison Irby stands next to huge blocks in the children’s area of the Chatham Library. She works as a Youth Services Specialist.

Mayghan Presley, a freshman at Longwood University, listens to a review of a lesson on Zoom.

Susan Jones enjoys the great selection of DVDs and especially loves murder mysteries.

The Pittsylvania County Public Library in Chatham is located at 24 Military Drive. Anyone entering is required to wear a mask and keep a six-foot distance from others. All who were photographed here wore masks but removed them for a few minutes for the pictures.

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Page Page 16 16November November 2020 2020