Evince Magazine August 2022

Maurie Van Buren Stories in Brick and Stone p7

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Maurie is passionate about architecture, and she’s sparking curiosity in her campers by sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with them.

Editor’s Note

he first time I visited Danville was for a job interview. I don’t remember the trip, except for when I reached Millionaire’s Row. Physically, I was driving.

Emotionally, I was with my late grandmother, in her rowhome in Richmond’s historic museum district. Because of her, I will always love beautiful, old architecture in a way that I cannot put into words.

T

Maurie Van Buren can put it into words. She loves old

architecture down to her bones and can’t not tell people about it. She organized a whole summer camp just to do that—teach children about the wonder of Danville’s historic built environment.

I learned recently that knowledge must precede curiosity. You can’t be curious about something you know nothing about, but once given a taste of something interesting, you want to know more.

I’m passionate about mental health. I think it’s possible to live a good life that is not weighed down by shame.

I share what I’ve learned, hoping it sparks curiosity in people about better ways to treat themselves and others.

What do you know about?

What is your expertise or passion? Lots of subjects are intimidating from the outside, but you could be a bridge.

What can you prime others to be curious about?

Kendall Ratliffe is the editor of Evince Magazine and a results coach at www.tryonething.co. Read this full piece at www.tryonething.co/writing.

On the Cover: Photo of Maurie Van Buren by Jameel Austin Photography.

Content

11

Cultivating an Appreciation of Wine and Vegetables

27

Building Your Style

by Darrius Johnson and Kendall Ratliffe

Spirit 12 2022 Awards

by Kendall Ratliffe

8 10

August Calender

by Berkley Pritchett

the Artist 23 Meet Te’Yonna Skipper

24 Movies You Missed From 20 years ago

by Josh Lucia

A Different Look at Culture (A Mamie and Solly Story)

by Linda Lemery

to Play 26 Here Not Win

by Harvey Minnick

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

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

Has farming or the mill shaped your family culture? Send a writeup of no more than 150 words (pictures encouraged!) to kendall@evincemagazine.com.

Deadline for this and all other art, stories, articles, and calendar items is Thursday, August 11 at 5:00pm for September issue.

Local Author’s 22 ASense of Place

7

Contributing Writers Berkley Pritchett, Darrius Johnson, Dave Slayton, Harvey Minnick, Josh Lucia, Linda Lemery, Mack Williams, Maurie Van Buren, Sarracia Dalton, Te’Yonna Skipper, Wayne Alan

Kendall Ratliffe Account Executive kendall@evincemagazine.com

by Dave Slayton

Maurie Van Buren Stories in Brick and Stone

Editor / Kendall Ratliffe kendall@evincemagazine.com

Lee Vogler Director of Sales and Marketing (434.548.5335) lee@evincemagazine.com

August 2022

5 Editor’s Note

CEO / Publisher / Andrew Scott Brooks

Distance by Kathy Shealy

28

What’s in a Name?

by Darrius Johnson and Kendall Ratliffe

Opening of 31 The Auntie Em’s Door

by Mack Williams

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 © 2022 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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Evince Magazine Page 7

Maurie Van Buren

Stories in Brick and Stone

by Kendall Ratliffe photo by

Michelle Dalton Photography

M

aurie Van Buren moved to Danville from San Diego, California. From one coast to another, she could have moved to any home that she found on the website cheapoldhouses.com, but “Danville has the best architecture, of anywhere,” Van Buren says.

Van Buren wants to impart her appreciation for Danville’s unique architecture. She created a summer camp to introduce children to architecture, which ran through the month of July.

Van Buren’s goal is that the campers can be the teachers in their families, pointing out and explaining architecture to their parents.

She took time from the busy schedule to be interviewed in front of the campers. The students spent mornings learning architectural concepts in the Green Street Peace Center, then walked through Danville, finding, and photographing examples.

Homeowners generally get excited when someone takes an interest in their home. “They invite you in for sweet tea and tell you stories about the house,” Van Buren laughed.

When documentation lacks, the architecture tells the story. For

example, many homes in the Old West End are Victorian. They have “playful roofs,” Van Buren says, with lots of angels, that are typical of the turn-of-the-century. In contrast, homes in Forrest Hills are from later, the early automobile era.

Part of Danville’s story is told in the city’s layout. Green Cemetery has Black, White, Freedman’s, and Jewish sections, showing the diversity and division in Danville’s story. Campers visited Oak Hill Cemetery, in the historic Black neighborhood of Almagro, and experienced hands-on the intersection of story and preservation. An angel statue memorializing two children who died in a fire was covered in moss. “From a preservation perspective,” Van Buren said, “moss is always bad.” Producing a water bottle and toothbrush, Van Buren showed the campers how to safely remove the moss, and everyone had a turn to clean the monument. Gravesites everywhere are in need of care; Van Buren told the campers. This, she went on, is a way to honor one’s ancestors, and bring their stories into the present.

Van Buren has always been inheriting stories, starting with her name. In her family, a new baby is to be named after

last departed soul. Van Buren was therefore named after her grandfather Maurice, who passed away two weeks before she was born.

She and her son, who is disabled, live in the house. They are both glad to be here. He can walk to the library, grocery store, and doctor. This is Van Buren’s tenth home renovation and she thought she was done with that process. But like she told the campers, never count something out.

Van Buren has lived in Taos, Arizona, on the side of a hill. In Atlanta, Georgia when it was a city of 500,000, before it swelled to five million. She studied archeology in Nuremberg, Germany, before realizing that track wasn’t for her. Also an artist, Van Buren loves the beauty of architecture. When asked by a camper what her favorite color is, Van Buren referred to her art, all of which contains gold, though her favorite color is blue.

In saying this she gestured widely to a multicolor explosion on the wall behind her, which revealed itself, at a step back, to be a pair of angel wings, multitracks of blue shades highlighted with the occasional gold. “Don’t you just love blue?” she added, turning back to the campers.

When recalling this switch from archeology to architecture, she underscored to the campers the importance of trying new things.

She loves a house with good bones, and loving old houses is in her bones. “I love old houses. I wouldn’t take a mansion over old houses,” she said in response to another camper’s question. Asked the difference between San Diego and here, said she’d never be a homeowner in California, because a small house would cost $1,000,000 to purchase. That number drew a big response from the campers. And likewise, all the campers’ questions caused a big reaction in Van Buren. Later in the week they would practice interviews, but they were already showing the curiosity needed to ask good questions.

One camper asked Van Buren what her favorite window is, and she lit up with her now characteristic enthusiasm as she answered, “Palladium!” Matching this energy came replies from the campers of, “That’s what we saw today!” If Van Buren’s goal is to pass on the story of architecture to the next generation, it seems that she is well on her way.

Page 8 August 2022

August

Calendar of Evince

August 30 - Adult Arts and Crafts: Yarn Butterfly Decoration.

Abbreviation Key

• CP = Carrington Pavilion, 629 Craghead Street • DMFAH = Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main St. 434.793.5644 www.danvillemuseum.org • GML = Gunn Memorial Library, 161 Main St, Yanceyville, NC, 336.694.6241 • MSAC = Main Street Art Collective, 326 Main Street, 434.602.2017 • The Prizery = 700 Bruce St., South Boston, 434.572.8339 www.prizery.com MainStreetArtCollective.com • RBA = Ruby B. Archie Public Library, 511 Patton Street, www.readdanvilleva.org • SS = Smokestack Theatre Company, 319 Lynn Street, Danville, VA 24541

Ongoing

Museum Attic Sale Donation Drop Off: DMFAH Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm; Sat-12-5pm; Sun 2-5pm no clothes,

no electronics, furniture accepted with appointment davidc522@ comcast.net 305.766.2979.

Teen Club: Thursdays at 3:15pm.

GML Tween Club: Fridays at 3:30pm. GML Free Ti-Chi: on the DMFAH lawn each at 11:00am.

each Wednesday.Fruits and Vegetables, Crafts, Baked Goods and more. 1:00pm-6:00pm. 434797-8961. 629 Craghead Street, Community Market Parking Lot

Thru October 31

Danville Farmers’ Market: Fruits and Vegetables, Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Jams and Jellies, Eggs, Honey, Baked Goods, Crafts, and more. Saturdays, 7:30am-12:00pm. 434.797.8961.

Community Market, 629 Craghead St.

Thru August 31

Danville Farmers’ Market: Open

August 2 & 16

The Write Stuff – Writers’ Group. 18+.

Registration (434) 799-5195. 6:007:00p.m. RBA.

August 4

The Health Collaborative Community Conversations: Healthcare providers and administrators are invited to discuss the Health For All Action Plan.

Locations throughout Danville, Pittsylvania, Caswell. Register at thehealthcollab.com. 4-7pm.

Thru September 22

Caswell Farmers’ Market: Presented by the Caswell Local Foods Council. 4:00-6:30pm. Bright Leaf Square (by Goodwill) 2246 NC Hwy 86 N, Yanceyville. More info at CaswellLocalFoods@gmail.com or Facebook.

thehealthcollab.com. 4-7pm.

August 1(thru 5)

Disney Prince and Princess: For ages 6-11. 9:00 am - 12:30 pm. The Prizery.

August 2

The Health Collaborative Community Conversations: Healthcare providers and administrators are invited to discuss the Health For All Action Plan. Locations throughout Danville, Pittsylvania, Caswell. Register at

Annual Pencil Party/Out of the Darkness Walk Kickoff: Writing positive messages on pencils to donate to our local schools. 5:30 PM – 7 PM. Ballad Brewing, 600 Craghead St, Danville, VA 24541

August 4 (thru 7)

“Firebringer”: Summerstack Youth Production. Tickets on Eventbrite.

August 5

2nd Annual Suds, Swine, Sippin’ & Song – Fundraiser for the DCC Educational Foundation to support DCC students. It will feature barbecue selections, specialty flavored bourbon

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of professional musicians that have toured with local and internationally renowned bands in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region/ 7:30 pm.

The Prizery.

July 25 (thru 29)

Forms in Clay Ceramic studio classes: Session 4: The Forms In Clay class is designed for beginners to advance students. The Swanson Studio is equipped for hand-building and wheel throwing, and utilizes an electric kiln for firing. DMFAH.

5Parkstudio: Bring a picnic blanket for art, music, poetry and a celebration of summer neighborhood parks and local talent. Lead band will play 3:30pm5pm. 10am-5pm. Pumpkin Creek.

August 29

Unrequired Reading – Classics Book Club. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare.

18+. Registration 434.799.5195.

6:00-7:00p.m. RBA.

August 30

Adult Arts and Crafts: Yarn Butterfly Decoration. 18+. Registration 434.799.5195. 5:30-6:30 p.m. RBA.

Upcoming drinks, craft beer and live music from Jus Cauz. A separate V.I.P. Bourbon & Chocolate Tastings is available at the Lodge while supplies last.

Atkinson Farms. 5:30-10 p.m. Must be 21+ to attend. To order tickets, visit https://secure.acceptiva. com/?cst=a2MuWz

September 1

Puzzlers Club: Discuss and decode ciphers, riddles, and logic puzzles.

Email millerm@danvilleva.gov to submit your own brain teasers. 18+.

Registration 434.799.5195. 5:30-6:30 p.m. RBA.

Coloring and Conversation Join us to color, relax, and meet new people. Create a colorful design and chat about your goals, aspirations, and what inspires you.

18+. Register at (434) 799-5195.

No fee. 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Ruby B. Archie Public Library.

August 15

Genealogy 101: Learn how to get started researching and documenting your family history.

18+. Registration 434.799.5195.

5:30-6:30 p.m. RBA.

September 8

August 18

Adult Arts and Crafts: No Sew Fleece Octopus. 18+. Registration 434.799.5195. 5:30-6:30 p.m. RBA.

August 27

Rock Painting for all ages: FREE. 11 am- 12:30. MSAC.

Puzzlers Club Put your thinking caps on and join us to discuss and decode ciphers, riddles, and logic puzzles. Email millerm@danvilleva.gov to submit your own brain teasers for the group to solve. 18+. Register at (434) 799-5195. No fee. 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Ruby B. Archie Public Library.

August 6

The Holiday Band – The Holiday Band blends soul, blues, funk, and Carolina Beach music. They offer something for everyone! 7:30 pm.

The Prizery.

August 6 (thru 21)

Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History Yearly Attic Sale. An Upscale Tagged Event for Bargain and Treasure Hunters. Finding hidden value in ordinary things: Explore Danville’s best Auction items at bargain Prices. Free admission to museum during sale! M-F 10am4pm, Saturdays 9am-4pm, Sundays 1pm-4pm. Half Price 8/19, Box Sale 8/20, Box Sale (final day) 8/21.

August 9

The Recc’ing Crew – Book Lovers Group: Discuss your current favorite books and leave with a list of great books to read. Everyone goes home with a free book. 18+. Registration 434.799.5195. 5:30-6:30 p.m. RBA.

August 20

Cars & Coffee: 9am-11am. 1009 Main St, Danville.

5Parkstudio: Bring a picnic blanket for art, music, poetry and a celebration of summer neighborhood parks and local talent. Lead band will play 3:30pm5pm. 10am-5pm. Coates Park.

Kadencia – Bomba, Plena and Afro-Caribbean Music.

12-piece orchestra comprised

September 24

August 11

The Health Collaborative Community Conversations: Healthcare providers and administrators are invited to discuss the Health For All Action Plan.

Locations throughout Danville, Pittsylvania, Caswell. Register at thehealthcollab.com. 8:3011:30am.

Bright Leaf Hoedown

Kadencia

Bright Leaf Hoedown: Activities for kids and adults. connects us with our agriculture heritage and helps us pay tribute to the past, while also embracing the future of our agricultural-based community.

‘Kids Kountry’ complete with a stage of live entertainment, arts and crafts, a balloon making clown, bounce houses, games and more. For adults, crafts, music, booths. Street dance at dusk. Town Square, Yanceyville, NC. 9Am-dusk.

Page 10 August 2022

A Different Look at Culture

(A Mamie and Solly Story)

by Linda Lemery

M

amie, now that we’re retired, I’ve been reading about area cultural events,” said Solly over the breakfast table in the sunny, yellow kitchen. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“

“Solly, in front of me I see a slender man, with graying hair standing on end, curiosity in his eyes, and a smile as cute as when we got married over 40 years ago. Wait. Let me get my decaf.” Mamie reached for her cup. “Want some fruit?”

“I don’t get how you are even alive in the morning with decaf.”

Solly ran a hand through his hair, making it worse. “Have you cut up the fruit? Why decaf?”

“I found all that single-serve decaf squirreled away, and I’ve been meaning to use it up.”

Mamie shoved a small bowl his way. “Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, banana, orange, granola. Already cut.”

“I get the overcrowded cabinet thing,” said Solly, taking the bowl.

“I already filled it back up with tea.

But why use up the decaf? We store everything else.”

“Solly, you are a clutterer. I liberate space; you clutter it up.”

“Mamie, while I’m a mere footnote, you wrote the textbook on clutter,” said Solly.

Mamie let that statement glide right past her. “I’m liberating prime kitchen real estate,” she repeated, “And my college roommate decaffeinated after her heart attack. Said it would help prevent another one. So, now I’m decaffeinating.”

“Fifteen years later? Seems a little late. Are you still drinking coffee at the gym?” Solly spooned yogurt and granola onto the fruit.

“I’ve been busy, okay? I’ve just now gotten around to decaffeinating. And at the gym I dilute it.” Mamie took a sip.

“You’ve been rushed from taking on too many projects most of your life, Mamie. And people usually drink coffee for the caffeine. You’re an odd duck, but I love you just the same.

“Solly, you twist my thoughts, and you shake up my brain,” said Mamie. “I like clear meaning, simple and plain.

You make me think, I’m on the

brink, always thinking, who are we now?”

“A continuing question, no doubt, which brings me back to that cultural series. Think we’d enjoy it?”

“As long as there’s variety.

Solly, I think we’re our own little cultural series. We’re probably an acquired taste even among our friends. Good thing we love and trust each other. After all this time, that’s a strong part of our culture in this house.”

About the Author: (llemery@averett. edu) works as Circulation Manager, Blount Library, Averett University, Danville, VA. She welcomes reader comments.

Readers, as discussed in June 2022 Evince, culture relates to many things. From this short piece, we can deduce that Mamie and Solly’s microculture values respect, curiosity, and playfulness. As readers contribute to the What Is Culture series (see the latest prompt in the red box in the Table of Contents!), I look forward to learning more about the microcultures of the Danville area.

Evince Magazine Page 11

Fifth, dairy: The palate-coating tendencies of cheese, butter, and cream allow for a broader range of pairing options. Crisp whites are still an excellent choice, although richer, oaked whites and light, tannic reds, such as a Chianti, also become options.

Sixth point, difficult matches: Asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and artichokes. These vegetables are challenging due to chemical compounds within the vegetables that can change the perception and enjoyment of the accompanying wine. For asparagus, try grüner veltliner or sauvignon blanc. For Brussels sprouts, try a dry chenin blanc; for artichokes, try a sparkling wine or a dry rosé.

Chianti by Peggy Cotta

Cultivating an Appreciation

May your wine and vegetable pairings be a Jolly Green match.

Cheers!

of Wine and Vegetables

by Dave Slayton

a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers

P

airing steak and cabernet sauvignon seems so obvious we don’t give it much thought. But how about vegetables? Fiona Beckett says Austrians love asparagus—there are whole asparagus menus in the spring and early summer, paired with the white wine, grüner veltliner.

In the article “6 Tips for Pairing Wine with Vegetables” for Kitchn magazine, Jayme Henderson points out essential things to consider when pairing wine with vegetables.

First, selection: Lighter vegetables, such as peas, celery, fresh greens, or green beans, pair well with sparkling or crisp, un-oaked white wines.

Savory, earthy vegetables, such as mushrooms (though technically a fungus, of course), sweet potatoes, or lentils, pair well with richer white wines, rosés, or even light red wines.

Second, raw or cooked: A crisp white wine is your go-to when serving raw vegetables, but other considerations come into play when your vegetables are cooked.

Third, cooking method: How your entrée, whether protein or vegetable, is prepared is vital in selecting a wine to accompany it. Is it poached, grilled, fried, baked, or broiled?

Fourth, sauces: Sauces can change an entire dish’s characteristics. Is your sauce rich or cream-based? Consider a complimentary rich California chardonnay or a contrastingly crisp Oregon pinot gris. Does your sauce pack a spicy punch?

Reach for an off-dry (semisweet) German riesling from the Mosel region. What if your sauce is herbaceous, like a pesto? Try a rosé from Provence or a sauvignon blanc from New Zealand.

Avocados by Karen Cotta

Page 12 August 2022

Evince Magazine Page 13

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Page 14 August 2022

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Evince Magazine Page 15

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Page 16 August 2022

ROBERT WOODALL AUTOMOTIVE Appreciates All of Your Votes!

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Evince Magazine Page 17

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Evince Magazine Page 19

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Page 22 August 2022

A Local Author’s

Sense of Place

By Berkley Pritchett

T

ime and place are important elements in any book. A novel set in Paris during the French Revolution will have a different tone from a Parisian tale set in peacetime. A story about caretaking an empty hotel in Colorado will have a different feel than if the story were set in an island bungalow.

Bill Guerrant. Photo by Berkley Pritchett.

For local author Bill Guerrant, Dan River Mills provides both muse and setting for his stories.

Guerrant is a local farmer who has published three books, all set in the Danville region.

Guerrant’s book Bertie & Charlie is a love story between two young people who work for Dan River Mills in the early 1900s.

While a mill may seem like an unlikely backdrop for a love story, Guerrant’s tale reflects the mill’s significant place in the community’s history.

“Every time I give a book talk, there’s people there who say, ‘I worked in the mill,’ or ‘I worked there for fifty years,’ or their mother did, or father did,” Guerrant said. “I think that’s one thing that’s contributed to the success of the book. People can see their family’s story in it.”

Historic Barn. Photo courtesy of Preservation Virginia.

Barn and Field. Photo courtesy of Preservation Virginia.

However, readers may find the mill of the early 1900s alien to the mill they remember. In the early 1900s, the workweek lasted from Monday to Saturday. Workers worked ten-hour shifts and had a lunch break that lasted less than 30 minutes.

Mill workers were a conspicuous lot too. They carried so much lint with them out of the mills that the locals called them lintheads. The mills produced so much cotton that balls of the material could be seen floating down the Dan River.

And like many during that time, Bertie and Charlie started working at the mill before they were even 18-years old.

“I was surprised to find out how many of the workers were children,” Guerrant said. “I didn’t realize that at any given point in the early 1900s, over half of the workers on that floor were under 14-years old. The rule was you had to be 10-years old to get paid. So obviously, a lot of people said they were 10, whether they were or not. But if you were under 10, your mother was still encouraged to bring you with her to help her do her job. So, you

had eight, nine-year-olds in there working too.”

Child labor laws didn’t take effect until the 1930s. But Bertie and Charlie never complain about mill life—it is simply their reality.

Guerrant explores the region’s agrarian culture in his debut book, Jim Wrenn, which spans the Piedmont and includes the mill. Farming undergoes major changes in the book, from a way of life to a regulated industry filled mostly with part-timers.

Guerrant just released a third book, Let a Pillar Arise. While keeping his local setting, Guerrant expands his scope by setting the novel during the Revolutionary War. One of Guerrant’s strengths as a storyteller is character. He tries to portray people as they really are. They go through their ups and downs. If his books have a theme, it’s the value of working with one’s hands, generosity, and resiliency in the face of hardship.

Something that our region, almost its own character in his books, knows well.

Image by Casey Sparks, a Tobacco Barn Preservation Art Contest Winner.

Photo courtesy of Preservation Virginia.

Evince Magazine Page 23

Meet the Artist

Te’Yonna Skipper

C

her work matches the mix of media she uses—a typical piece is painted on a 2”x4” plank or a child’s overalls.

Painting cartoon characters, stylized letters, and even ultrasounds all keep her busy. The whimsical content of

Te’Yonna’s art is collaborative.

She runs a Facebook group for her business, where she posts her works-in-progress and complete creations. She solicits ideas from the members and asks for feedback on new concepts (this is what led to the

aswell native Te’Yonna Skipper has been painting since she was in third grade.

She loves creating designs. She keeps her inspiration and pipeline full by taking commissions with her company, T.Creations.

ultrasound paintings, and in under a month!).

At the time of her Evince interview, Te’Yonna wanted to venture into painting shoes. But, fast mover that she is, Te’Yonna has already painted several pairs in the meantime.

Connect with Te’Yonna at T.Creations on Facebook.

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Download our FREE River District Distrx App for a business directory, event calendar, and walking tours.

WWW.RIVERDISTRICTASSOCIATION.COM

Page 24 August 2022

Movies You Missed from 20 years ago

by Josh Lucia @jlucia85 artwork: “Signs” by Tamara Lovelace Lucia

Signs (8/10 Rating)

Released August 2, 2002 Streaming on Prime. For rent/ purchase on all major platforms.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi Rated PG-13: Some Frightening Moments 1h 46m

Mel Gibson plays a former reverend and widower raising his young children (Rory Culkin & Abigail Breslin) with the help of his brother (Joaquin Phoenix). Their simple rural life is interrupted by the arrival of mysterious crop circles. What do these signs mean? WriterDirector M. Night Shyamalan teams up with cinematographer Tak Fujimoto (The Sixth Sense) and composer James Newton Howard (The Sixth Sense & Unbreakable). This film is part Close Encounters of the Third

Kind and part The Birds. From the moment the opening credits begin, the music is amazing. The cinematography to follow is beautifully filmed, with a lot of suspense built up throughout. This movie shines when it lets our imagination do the scaring and gets creative with showing the “monsters.”

You will likely not forget the birthday party scene. Phoenix’s performance in that scene just enhances the experience.

The mix of suspense and comedy is perfect and shows Shyamalan’s talent, regardless of future letdowns. Rewatching any movie from the early 2000s typically exposes some pretty rough CGI. This film could easily be a 9/10 had they used more practical effects and creatively obscured shots near

the end, but the majority of the effects work very well. If you are someone that likes to see the monster on screen every minute, this one is not for you.

By the time this movie came out, most average moviegoers knew the name Shyamalan was synonymous with twist endings, and I personally feel it affected the experience for many people. The ending still works for me and provides a little hope…that all things happen for a reason.

Also check out Lovely and Amazing, Full Frontal, Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, Blue Crush, One Hour Photo, S1m0ne, Undisputed (follow @ jlucia85 for these reviews and more)

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your-own-adventure movie set in the days before gunpowder.

I know of which I speak. I first encountered D&D way back in the 1970’s when I was working as a manager in a hobby shop that happened to sell D&D and the many related items and figures. The people I met during the hundreds of adventures I have taken part in over the years have become some of my oldest and closest friends.

Facing life and death by dragon can do that to you. It’s all just for fun baby!

Here to Play Not Win

by Harvey Minnick

One Roll Away, by Harvey Minnick

Harvey Minnick, Yevrah 12th level berserker and longtime GM.

ou descend down a well-worn stairway into a 10 X 10 stone foyer. The air is damp with the stench of mildew. A torch burns to your right and a heavy door bars the left. Before you rumbles a darkened tunnel. What do you do?

Y

and the monsters, which enhances the experience but isn’t necessary to the game. Type “D&D” into Etsy.com or any online retailer and you’ll see swaths of creative output channeled into figurines, playbooks, and dicesets for sale.

Should you find yourself in this scenario, fear not. You are most likely playing Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), and there are no wrong moves. Dungeons and Dragons is one of the most unusual games ever invented. It is also one of the most misunderstood games.

A large part of the misconception about the game is caused by the fact that demons and devils are represented in the game as monsters to be defeated. Vampires, werewolves, angels, dragons, and hundreds, maybe thousands, of other lessor monsters and creatures are also represented but no one seems to get excited about them.

Demons and devils are in no way necessary or even in most adventures. You can play for years and never encounter one if your group plays that way.

It is unusual in that everyone wins and ideally the players cooperate, because the object is to have fun.

Players’ choices determine the outcome, and players do not have to even know the rules. If they can see an action happening in their mind’s eye, they can do it, probably— depending on the whims of the Dungeon Master (DM). Also called a Game Master, the DM acts as tour guide and umpire, describing the world around the characters and judging the results of their actions.

Back at that stairway, you tell the DM what you intend to do. Your outcome is determined by the DM, the laws of probability, and a roll of a specialty, jewel-shaped dice set.

Being a game based on fantasy, all sorts of mythical things are included, including magical weapons, spells, and creatures. Parts of the real world are also represented, such as horses and ancient weapons. Some groups use figurines to represent the players

If the game still doesn’t make sense, think of D&D as a live-action, choose-

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Building Your

Style

by Darrius Johnson and Kendall Ratliffe

fashion. So, ladies, take your chances. If you’re already letting your hair down for the weekend, put on a skirt but pass on the blouse and pair it with a graphic tee. You can do a polka dot with cheetah print or a pinstripe right now. Overlap your prints and your colors. We should definitely take our chances because that is actual fashion. The trends aren’t it. Fashion exists because there is some designer who took a chance on the runway.

Mik, by Kei Pittrell @helloxboogie

D

Darrius Johnson wants you to embrace yourself and embrace fashion. In this conversation, Darrius shares tips on creating a look that is both you and stylish.

Kendall Ratliffe: Do you buy a look or build a look?

Darrius Johnson: Oh, I definitely build. I have been known to go through friends’ closets to put an outfit together. I love going to Goodwill and finding that timeless vintage piece.

Because then you have the challenge of trying it on, then putting it together, to make a look that’s in-line and cohesive.

KR: Some people might hesitate to shop vintage or thrift because they don’t want to look dated.

DJ: I think fashion is more about feeling good. Yes, I know we have our trends, and we want to feel contemporary and in

Follow Darrius Johnson on Instagram @styledbyjoseph84 the mix. But it’s also about what makes you feel good, and it’s just a different expression of who you are. And that’s why sometimes of course, things are dated but hey, who cares?

Black tie and pearls have never done out, right? So why not add other, older pieces to the mix.

Like, if I have a jacket that is old, but I love it, or I see something dated, but it really catches me, nine times out of ten I will wear it. And when I am in something that is really on-trend, I will add my flare to actually make it different. It is ok to customize and go out there. It truly is.

KR: What are some ideas for the next time we’re staring at a clothes rack?

DJ: I love to see contrast and unexpected. Show me a girl with a nice, pleated skirt, and then she’s got on a pair of Converse sneakers. I love that mix, that having fun with your

Darrius Johnson. Photo by Selena Roberts.

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What’s in a Name?

by Kendall Ratliffe and Kathy Shealy Like art, facial expressions can be in the eye of the beholder. Each of Kathy’s portraits was titled by Evince staff, based on our first impressions.

What would you title each? Send your suggestions to kendall@ evincemagazine.com.

Interest

Wisdom

Distance

Shock

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The Opening of

Auntie Em’s Door

by Mack Williams

M

My late wife Diane always enjoyed family vacations to Busch Gardens, King’s Dominion, or the North Carolina mountains. August is usually the hottest part of the year. I often remember Diane, my daughter, Rachel, and me (this was prior to Jeremy’s birth) standing underneath a perforated pipe with watery mist streaming down upon our hot selves at King’s Dominion.

(Rachel says the mist pipe is still there now.)

Diane taught at Oakwood Elementary school in Yanceyville. I think she needed that “vacational charge” before being ready to return to school and meet her vocational charges, a new class of students.

Recalling those past vacations, a park on Beech Mountain, North Carolina, came back to me.

Not the ski slopes, but a summer vacation place: “Land of Oz.” Yes, that Oz, the one envisioned by L. Frank Baum and traversed by Dorothy.

Land of Oz was a more contemplative and musical theme park—no wild rides, just a walk down a “road” (made of yellow brick, of course). I still have its brochure, long slipped into the pages of some book in storage— the type of book that also serves as a preservation place for flowers saved from a wedding, funeral, or graduation, possibly with a “pressed” silver fish keeping them deathly company.

I had seen some internet sites dealing with deserted shopping malls and theme parks, so I googled “Land of Oz” to see if some scenes of a no-longerextant theme park might also be posted. (A process and motivation

Reach for the Stars by Felice McWilliams

not unlike checking the Sunday paper for obituaries.)

I learned that Land of Oz is still in fairly good shape, although it is only open once a year, for now-grown children to walk the Yellow Brick Road again with their still-surviving parents.

On one trip in the early ‘80s, we walked the Yellow Brick Road, experiencing “Broadway-esque” performances of the park’s main characters along the way, topped off by an on-stage performance of all the actors at the end (no doubt, Appalachian State University Music Department and Theatre Department students working their summer jobs).

It could be said this show had been taken on “the road,” while remaining in one location.

Earlier in our walk, we passed under a tree canopy. Leaves and a partially clouded sky overpowered the usually dominant sun. But at the end

of the walk, the overhead forest opened up. A clearing displayed the renewed sun, bright and hot.

Waning clouds managed to get a few drops of rain on us before exiting stage left.

I remember a scene of my young daughter Rachel in that solar glare, her eyes half-sealed with a squint, while using a tiny hand for shade.

Suddenly, the Yellow Brick Road seemed golden. Colors previously hampered by shade were revealed in rich fullness.

I thought back to the 1939 movie, where a dim, black-and-white world ended with Dorothy’s opening of Auntie Em’s door, after which the rest of the film was seen in Technicolor glory.

Standing there, drenched in light and color, after walking the “Yellow Brick Road” of tree-blocked, cloudblocked sun, it seemed that atop Beech Mountain’s “Land of Oz,” Auntie Em’s Door had finally swung open.

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DEDICATED TO DEVELOPING

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE

Pictured Above: Center for Manufacturing Advancement, Danville, VA

www.dewberry.com

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