While strokes most often occur in adults 65 and older, they can happen at any age. Recognizing the sudden signs of a stroke and getting medical help quickly are essential for saving a life. When it comes to a stroke, every moment matters.
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9, 2023 c-ville.com
7PM | Starr Hill TRIVIA NIGHT
MAY 5
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MAY 8
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NEWS 11
13 City Council tackles affordable housing and the budget.
15 A look at Youngkin’s possible UVA BOV picks.
17 Real Estate Weekly: Will zoning changes help vulnerable neighborhoods?
CULTURE
5PM | Dairy Market
P.S.
Charlottesville’s News & Arts Weekly
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In “Passion for the plant” [April 19-25], we misspelled Winston Marsden’s last name, and should have said cannabis could only be consumed in private. The “Ellis in NYT” In Brief [April 26-May 2] should have stated that Bert Ellis attempted to destroy a ‘Fuck UVA’ sign on the Lawn. C-VILLE regrets the errors.
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Hello, Charlottesville! Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly. I love cereal—hot or cold— and what goes better with a bowl of cereal than fresh fruit? I grew up enjoying a sliced banana in my Raisin Bran Crunch, or chopped up strawberries in my Kix. (In case you’re wondering about the really sugary stuff, those definitely don’t benefit from the addition of fruit.) As a kid, I just knew this fruit sat in the refrigerator or on the counter; I didn’t consider where it came from. Even as I got older, I only thought of fresh fruits and vegetables as something from a supermarket. I wasn’t thinking about the farmers who actually planted and grew these things.
This week, Erika Howsare profiles Michael Carter, Jr. of Carter Farms (p. 24). Carter isn’t “just” a farmer—he’s a cultivator of people, historical connections, and markets. He’s deeply invested in not just the legacy of his family farm, but in the history of Black farming, in the agricultural character of Africa (where he worked in Ghana), and in serving communities across Virginia. And in building these connections, he also found a market. He identified a large population of African immigrants in Washington, D.C., and a slew of African grocery stores in northern Virginia, then grew the crops that were in demand, like the leafy green managu.
5.3.23
One of the most intr iguing parts of Carter’s personal story was his initial resistance to taking over the family operation, until “the land started speaking to me.” Seeing the connection between his relatives on the farm and the stories of his ancestors who fought for the land convinced him that it was time to come home. I can identify with that, with a calling that arrives later than you expected, perhaps one you initially resisted.—Richard
DiCicco
What separates Jordan from others:
- Cville native, alumnus of M. Lewis, Henley, WAHS, JMU
- Over $16M in annual sales
- Ranked in top 20 out of over 1,000 realtors
Seller Review: Jordan sold our home quickly and helped us select the best offer out of the 8 we received in one weekend on the market. He was wonderful and insightful in what was an extremely stressful event. His ability to market our home was impressive. It never looked better in the pictures he took. The 3D touring technology he used was amazing. Highly recommend Jordan.
The Virginia NAACP is calling for the resignation of Martin Brown, the state’s chief diversity officer, following his statement, “DEI is dead.” Brown made the remark during a speech at the Virginia Military Institute’s annual inclusive excellence training. Since the NAACP’s rebuke of Brown, several others have joined the organization in demanding his resignation, including the Virginia speaker of the House of Delegates, AAPI Caucus, the Legislative Black Caucus, and the Latino Caucus.
On May 6, 100 Black Men of Central Virginia will award $1,000 scholarships to 42 African American high school seniors from the Charlottesville area. The recipients have all achieved at least a 3.0 GPA, participated in 100 Black Men community programs, and will begin college in the fall of 2023. Students from 11 different high schools will be honored.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin visited Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea last week in a trip aimed at bolstering “supply chain relationships” and international investments in Virginia. During his trip, Youngkin met President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. This was Youngkin’s first visit to Asia as governor.
Members only PAGE 15
Charlottesville CitySpace held an expungement clinic on Friday, April 28. Attendees had all charges that did not result in a conviction erased from their record. Only through filing a petition in the circuit court of the jurisdiction where citizens were charged can a person start the expungement process. The commonwealth’s attorney then receives a copy of the petition and can object if necessary.
The University of Virginia Department of Safety and Security and the UVA Police Department have partnered to organize multiple hate crime prevention events.
UVA has been a hotbed for hateful criminal activity, from the August 11, 2017, “Unite the Right” tiki torch rally on Grounds, to the more recent noose placed on the Lawn’s Homer statue.
The university first provided officers with hate crime training so they can better address cases. Now, they are presenting that information to the public.
Transparency and an understanding of practical application were at the forefront of designing these trainings. “We made sure all of our trainings tell a significant story,” says UVA Police Department Diversity Officer Cortney Hawkins.
“Officers and the UVA community will also have the chance to hear from victims so they’ll get to hear conversations from individuals who have experienced hate crimes and have been impacted by it,” adds UPD member Dani Lawson.
By addressing real-life hate crimes, people and officers easily identify future ones. “A lot of times people don’t know that that should be reported as a hate crime and why it’s important to have that labeled as a hate crime,” Hawkins says.
Participants will receive 26 hours of Department of Criminal Justice Services credit—training required to become an officer in Virginia—in the career development, diversity, equity, inclusion, and legal areas.
Current crime-prevention measures include two self-defense classes (one for women and one co-ed); educational seminars on general safety and security, alcohol awareness, illegal drugs, hazing, sexual assault prevention and self defense; and security surveys.
“We understand that we are not building trust, we are attaining trust,” says Hawkins.
The trainings will be held August 9-10 and September 12-13.
Before the first pick of the 2023 NFL draft was announced on April 27, the league held a special ceremony to honor the University of Virginia football players who were killed in November.
Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry were named honorary 2023 season first draft picks. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell handed each player’s family a No. 23 jersey, and posed for photos. Chandler’s family received a Jaguars jersey, Davis’ a Ravens jersey, and Perry’s a Dolphins jersey.
“With the first picks in the 2023 NFL draft,” said Goodell, “we welcome to the NFL family,
“DEI is dead. We’re not going to bring that cow up anymore. It’s dead. It was mandated by the General Assembly, but this governor has a different philosophy.”Martin D. Brown, Virginia’s chief diversity officer, in a speech at the Virginia Military Institute D’Sean Perry, Lavel Davis, and Devin Chandler of the University of Virginia.” UVA Head Coach Tony Elliott and Athletics Director Carla Williams were both at the ceremony. “Overjoyed and thankful to @NFLDraft for honoring three beautiful souls and their amazing families,” Williams tweeted.
Roofcrafters Inc. has earned the home service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award, reflecting an exemplary year of customer service to members of the local services marketplace and consumer review site in 2016.
Roofcrafters Inc. has earned the home service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award, reflecting an exemplary year of customer service to members of the local services marketplace and consumer review site in 2016.
an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade. The SSA winners must also be in good standing with Angie’s List, pass a background check and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines.
an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade, and review period grade. The SSA winners must also be in good standing with Angie’s List, pass a background check and abide by Angie’s List operational guidelines.
434-831-2368
Angie’s List Super Service Award 2016 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include
Angie’s List Super Service Award
2016 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include
“Here at Roofcrafters, in addition to the BOCA Building Code, we adhere to our own set of in-house specifications developed during my
“Here a to the BOCA Building Code, we adhere to our own set of in-house specifications developed during my
OF DEATH INTO LIFE THURSDAY, MAY 18 12 P.M. VIRTUAL VIA ZOOM
Frank Ostaseski will introduce The Five Invitations, principles that show us how to wake up fully to our lives. Best understood as practices for anyone navigating a life transition, coping with loss or serious illness or a personal crisis, The Five Invitations guide us toward appreciating life’s preciousness. Use the QR code to register online!
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forty years as a Roofing Contractor. With over one million squares installed,we have adopted the motto of the sage, “Think like a raindrop.” Whether you’re thinking about replacing your old roof, performing a thorough roof maintenance, or merely fixing a pesky leak, think
forty years as a Roofing Contractor. With over one million squares installed,we have adopted the motto of the sage, “Think like a raindrop.” Whether you’re thinking about replacing your old roof, performing a thorough roof maintenance, or
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The May 1 Charlottesville City Council meeting included a report on area homelessness, funding for affordable housing, and major budgetary allocations.
The session began with a presentation titled Focus on Homelessness: The State of the Unhoused and Unhoused Services, by Misty Graves, director of human services, and leaders from The Haven, People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry, and the Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless. Although council did not vote on any action items related to the presentation, information regarding the ongoing and anticipated needs of unhoused and housing insecure people in the Charlottesville area was provided. Notable takeaways from the presentation included the need for 60 to 70 additional year-round shelter beds, funding for housing departments, and the shifting of Premier Circle into permanent supportive housing.
When discussing the presentation, Councilor Michael Payne said, “I absolutely don’t see … permanent shelter versus housing as an either-or conversation, but 100 percent both-and.” Vice-Mayor Juandiego Wade expressed concern about strengthening housing programs, saying “I know we want to provide more, but I think that if we build a temple, we might get a lot [more unhoused people].” Ultimately, Wade indicated that he was not opposed to strengthening housing programs, but still worried about “the city of Charlottesville doing it all by itself.”
After a brief recess, the meeting reconvened, and budgetary allocations were discussed, followed by a reading of upcoming action items. Items read, but not voted on, include the 2023 City Climate Protection Program—Program Support Grant with LEAP and resolutions to award FY23 Charlottesville affordable housing funds. Several community members spoke
about the need for climate action by the city later in the session.
The action item portion of the meeting was packed with major projects and funding allocations. First, council examined the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission HOME Consortium Five-year Consolidated Plan and the City of Charlottesville Annual Action Plan.
Prior to the vote, presenters noted that the most common local housing issues are cost burden, lack of affordable rentals, substandard housing, and accessibility. Cost burden specifically is a large issue in the Charlottesville area, with more than 39 percent of households spending more than 30 percent of income on housing.
Both the TJPDC and CCAAP plans aim to address ongoing housing issues in the area. To best meet the need, a majority of Housing and Urban Development funds will go toward producing rental units.
Community Development Block Grant funding is also a component of the plans, and will be used for the Charlottesville critical rehab program, resident-centered redevelopment, microenterprise entrepreneur programs, beginning-level workforce development, coordinated entry into homelessness system of care, and permanent and long-term affordable home ownership opportunities.
City Council voted unanimously to approve the measures.
The next action item—a resolution transferring $1,710,854 of unallocated American Rescue Plan funds—was received less warmly by the City Council members. The money will go toward a new HR system for the city, updating the Americans with Disabilities Act transition plan, and more. While the members did not take issue with the items in the resolution itself, there was a lengthy discussion about the process for allocating ARP funding.
Payne in particular took issue with the fact that council was not involved in the actual decision of who would receive the funding. He said, “We never got to see what other possible allocations were left on the table. [We have] heard just tonight from homelessness … health care workers, climate change implementation—that are all ARP uses—and I just feel [we have] left opportunities on the table as a city throughout.”
The resolution was ultimately passed 4-1, with Payne voting against the measure. Both of the remaining voting items— the continuity of government during COVID-19; supplemental changes and ratification and amending the FY24 budget for the city’s contribution to Jaunt— passed unanimously.
Although it was not voted on during the meeting, City Council also read through a motion appropriating $2,000,000 in FY23 capital improvement program funds for the Stribling Avenue Sidewalk and Buford Middle School reconfiguration. It’s anticipated that both projects will make major headway soon, despite upcoming litigation about Stribling Avenue. Deputy City Manager for Operations Sam Sanders said, “there’s a lot of preliminary work … in regard to the design and working out some of the many conflicts that were identified by the city engineer.”
A second hearing on the projects will occur during the next City Council meeting on May 15.
“I know we want to provide more, but I think that if we build a temple, we might get a lot [more unhoused people].”
VICE-MAYOR JUANDIEGO WADECouncilor Michael Payne objected to City Council’s lack of involvement in the process of allocating American Rescue Plan funds.
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Gov. Glenn Youngkin will appoint four new members to the University of Virginia Board of Visitors in June. Among those being considered is a former Jefferson Council advisory board member, according to its executive director.
Responsible for approving the university’s policies and budgets, the BOV is a powerful and storied institution at UVA. The board is composed of 17 voting members, who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Virginia General Assembly. Appointees are limited to a maximum of two four-year terms.
After this round of appointments, up to eight of the 17 voting members will be Youngkin appointees, if confirmed. Although two board members with terms expiring at the end of June are eligible for reappointment, Youngkin will likely seize the opportunity to shift the composition of the BOV with new members.
The BOV has been under intense scrutiny since last year’s first round of Youngkin appointments, which included Bert Ellis. Ellis has faced strong opposition from the UVA community, but remains on the board. Now, Youngkin might appoint another member of Ellis’ conservative alumni group, the Jefferson Council.
According to New York Times writer Stephanie Saul, “at least one member of the Jefferson Council is said to be under consideration” for the BOV. While Saul has not responded to a request for comment, Jefferson Council Executive Director James Bacon indicated that “another indi-
vidual under serious consideration for appointment is a former member of the Jefferson Council advisory board.” Neither Bacon nor Tom Neale, president of the Jefferson Council, revealed the identity of the potential appointee.
Based on archived versions of the Jefferson Council’s website, the possible appointee is most likely either Aubrey Daniel III or Joel Gardner. Both men were previously listed as advisory board members, but were removed from the list within the past year. According to Bacon, the potential appointee stepped down to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
While Daniel has indicated that he is not being considered for the position, Gardner did not respond to a request for comment.
Gardner is a double Hoo, receiving an undergraduate degree in history in 1970 and a law degree in 1974. Since graduating, Gardner has remained involved with the university in a multitude of capacities, including serving as a member on the UVA Committee on Free Expression and Free Inquiry. In 2018, Gardner released From Rebel Yell to Revolution, a book about his time at UVA.
Independent of the Jefferson Council, Gardner has written articles critical of shifting policies and attitudes at the school, including “UVA and the New ‘McCarthyism’–An Insider’s Perspective.” Gardner calls for more intellectual diversity in his report, saying that “the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) trinity [has] achieved a quasi-religious status at UVA.”
Although it is uncertain if Gardner on the final list of potential appointees, his politics align with Youngkin’s education agenda.
silver are still up! now is the time to sell!
Rocky pays more for gold, silver and many other items he can resell
GOLD, SILVER, PLATINUM JEWELRY (EVEN BROKEN)
GOLD, SILVER PLATINUM COINS, BULLION HE PAYS EXTRA FOR GEMSTONES AND DIAMONDS HE CAN RESELL ROCKY WILL PAY UP TO $3000 FOR A GOOD ONE CARAT DIAMOND SOLITAIRE
STERLING FLATWARE, HOLLOWWARE
ANTIQUE GUNS AND AMMUNITION, SWORDS, CIVIL WAR ITEMS POST CARDS, OLD QUILTS, OLD CLOCKS, ANTIQUE FURNITURE SOME GLASSWARE
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SOME POCKET AND WRIST WATCHES LIKE ROLEX, PATEK PHILIPPE, OMEGA, AND MORE RUNNING OR NOT SHENANDOAH VALLEY POTTERY
buying gold silver and antiques daily jewelry repairs done on the premises often while you wait paying $2,000 - $3,000 for ladies Rolex watches and $2,500-$3,500 for men’s two-tone Rolex watches
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GordonsvilleonMain.com
Quintessential Brick Georgian sited on over 88 Acres near the Heart of Charlottesville, in Albemarle County.
Upon entry you are met with the stunning visual of rolling hills, Impressive Brick Manor Home & All expectations of the views of the Blue Ridge. Property features Miles of Trails touring the estate; 6/10ths of a mile along the South Fork of the Rivanna. Enjoy your private outdoors. Natural Beaches, a Campsite Area, Hunting, Fishing and Entertaining in your Saline Infinity Pool, Pickleball Court, Impressive garden, Stocked Pond & endless possibilities. Sprawling Main Level Living at its finest. 7 Bedrooms, 9.5 Bathrooms, Sauna,Dual Master Baths & Cedar Closet, Game Room, Sun Drenched Gym with Sunning Patio. Enjoy the Mountain Views in this Must See Gem only 4 Miles to Downtown
Timber Oaks Subdivision is a shovel ready Mixed-Use Development with a Variety of Housing types as well as 2 Commercial Blocks on Route 33.Conceptual Plans include 2 Entrances; 2 Phases & 3 Blocks. From Route 33 the Commercial block is located at the entrance followed by a Higher Density Residential Block and then Lower Density Single Family Block at Pine Ridge Dr Entrance. This also includes almost 4 acres for Green Space (IE: Park; Playground; Tree Preservation Area). Opportunity Awaits!
By Sean Tubbs
There are many reasons why Charlottesville is amending its zoning code, but a major one is to provide protections to halt, or slow, displacement of Black residents. Yet some are concerned that a plan that increases density will not have the intended effect.
“If you’re saying you are wanting to help a group of people that have been shut out of the process for whatever reason, but everything you’re doing is still keeping them out of the process, then all of this has been wasted,” said City Councilor Leah Puryear at the April 25 marathon zoning work session.
The affordable housing plan adopted by council in March 2021 cites U.S. Census data that shows Charlottesville lost 1,500 low-income houses between 2010 and 2018. The Comprehensive Plan that followed identified specific areas as “sensitive communities” that the future zoning should “allow for additional housing choice and tools to mitigate displacement.”
The zoning under review allows for much greater residential density in existing neighborhoods. In theory, lots zoned Residential-A could have between three and six units, depending on affordability levels. Lots zoned Residential-B could have between six and 12, while Residential-C could have between eight and 16.
The current draft says that higher levels of density can only be obtained if all the units are affordable, but that concept is still being debated.
One current anti-displacement idea in the zoning is to not allow that density in certain neighborhoods like 10th and Page, Fifeville, and parts of the Ridge Street neighborhood. “We’ve created an overlay, and within that it would be no more than one additional unit,” says James Freas, the city’s director of neighborhood development services.
Some members of the Planning Commission pushed back on this concept because it would potentially limit the ability for families to build wealth. “If somebody wants to sell a house, you can’t make them have a penalty because they live in a sensitive community neighborhood,” says Planning Commission member Karim Habbab.
This is one of the many considerations in a zoning adjustment that will change the rules of a market that has already put a premium on land in these sensitive communities.
At the work session, Vice-Mayor Juandiego Wade singled out Ridge Street as an area that’s changing rapidly. Some, but not all, of it is designated as a “sensitive community.”
“A lot of older homes and lot by lot this street is changing. Assessment is going up,” says Wade. “One house across the street is assessed at $260,000, but they’re building a $1.2 million house.”
Wade notes that the structure replaces one that used to have four affordable units.
Other anti-displacement tools include real estate tax relief and expansion of subsidies to pay for construction of new affordable units, but there’s little if anything about educating existing property owners on the worth of their land.
Which poses a question: Who is responsible for making sure property owners know there is a scheme to upzone everything everywhere all at once? Whose job is it to point out that some sellers seem to know the rules while others may not know their worth?
On April 19, an individual bought 814816 Ridge St. for $203,500, which is $102,200 under the 2023 assessment.
On April 24, 916 Page St. sold to a couple for $290,000, almost $100,000 over the assessed value. In that case, it appears the family who had owned it for decades knew what the property was worth.
Both properties could have between six and 12 units on them, depending on how these draft rules turn out.
Gently rolling fenced pastures lead to a comfortable and gracious manor home. Peaceful and quiet! This home features 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms and a 3 car garage. Fabulous kitchen with glass front cabinets and chef quality appliances open to the den. Beautiful primary suite with custom walk in closet. Extensive outdoor living areas; gated courtyard, patio with wood burning fireplace and a screened in porch with audio visual hookup. Property features a pool, 8 stall barn and a charming, 2 bedroom cottage.
Charming 1- level floor plan with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Home offers over 2,700 sq./ft. eat in kitchen, sunroom, skylights and exposed beams. Sunken family room has a masonry fireplace. Wonderful location set on .97 acres in the Murray Elementary School District.
Who is responsible for making sure property owners know there is a scheme to upzone everything everywhere all at once?
Former house of noted local architect Floyd E. Johnson, on the banks of Totier Creek. Thoughtfully renovated and expanded, 5-BR, 3 full and 2 half BA. Guest house, 2-bay garage, pool, equipment shed plus 130 acres of open and wooded land. MLS#639196
$2,745,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
10 minutes west of Charlottesville and situated on a 3.5 acre knoll overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains is this historic and stately manor home. Constructed in the early 1800’s, Hardendale is graced with an attractive kitchen/family room with fireplace, living room, dining room, 3-bedrooms, 3.5 baths, and a spacious master suite above the kitchen. A colonnade on either side of the house provides access to additional bedrooms and an office. MLS#640918 $2,100,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
RED HILL
GREENFIELDS FARM
175 acre grazing farm with 2/3 mile frontage on the James River. Impressive 4-5 bedroom, brick Georgian home, circa 2000 in excellent condition. Fertile James River bottomland for gardens, plus many recreational uses. MLS#632477 $2,495,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076
10 miles south of Charlottesville, a beautiful 283 acres, rolling to hilly, mostly wooded tract, borders Walnut Creek Park, with lake and miles of trails. This land has pastures, trails, creeks and a river! Many homesites, NO EASEMENTS. MLS#634310
$1,995,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076
753-acre country estate approximately 25 miles south of Charlottesville. The property showcases a stately southern residence, built circa 1904, extensive equestrian facilities, recreation opportunities, creeks and a pond. MLS#638899 $6,295,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863 greenfieldsfarmva.com
Spacious and meticulously maintained 4-6-BR, 5.5 BA Manor home on 57 acres of tranquility. Panoramic views of the Southwest Mountains and winter views of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. Located 6 miles from Charlottesville. MLS#638292
$2,575,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076
317 acre estate that has it all: location, views, water, 5-BR residence, event center and more! 15+ acre lake is centered among lush rolling fields of rich grass and unparalleled views exists. Additional acreage Located 25 minutes west of Greenwood. MLS#631962 $8,875,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
WINGATE FARM
Garth Road location. This impressive brick Georgian home is set on 3.57 acres just 5 miles to Barracks Rd Shopping Center & City limits. Well constructed & maintained home features a wide entry hall, formal LR w/FP, separate DR, newly renovated & fully loaded eatin kitchen, study, generous sun room & surrounding terrace. There are stunning formal & informal gardens surrounding the residence. Expansive, gently rolling yard with gorgeous views and a breathtaking setting. Meriwether Lewis Elementary District. MLS#640451
$1,965,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076
22-acre equestrian property, 12 miles from Charlottesville, features a completely renovated 8,575± fin. sf residence nestled on a knoll overlooking the pool and the Mechums River and captures a magnificent view of the Blue Ridge Mtns. in the distance. MLS#640137 $3,195,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
K’DEE FARM
Embodying the essence of country life! 214+/- acre farm with spacious main residence, 3-car garage with apartment, dependencies & farm buildings. Many agricultural & recreational uses. Easily accessible to Charlottesville, Orange, I-95 & DC region. MLS#636896
$1,675,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250
Mostly wooded preservation tract of 81.395 acres next to Frays Mill Subdivision in highly desirable Northern Albemarle. This beautiful gently rolling land has a great, private homesite with Blue Ridge Mt. views, and creek on property. MLS#608509
$995,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076
Pastoral views from this 3-bedroom brick home set on over 159 acres in Southern Albemarle. Ideal for farming with fenced pastures and ample water sources. Property is not under easement and has 4 division rights. MLS#630428 $1,685,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
5-acre lot with mature hardwoods. Great opportunity to build with no HOA. Private building site amongst beautiful woods. Located between Free Union and Earlysville but so convenient to Charlottesville & UVA. MLS#621177 $119,000 Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250
Building lot - 3.3 acres, fronting on a quiet paved county road. Land is mostly in pasture, some woods, creek and elevated homesite with panoramic views of mountains, pond, and surrounding pastoral area. Less than a mile to Harris Teeter at Crozet.
MLS#636349 $450,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076
Well constructed home just four miles north of the City. Set on 1.45 acres - great outdoor space for gardens. Home is in need of some renovation, but given quality construction & excellent location, it’s worthy of the investment. MLS#638788 $545,000 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455
3 separate parcels with commanding Blue Ridge Mtn. views, level building sites 15 minutes from Charlottesville. Sites have been perked, have wells, and ready for your dream home. MLS#632482 $375,000 (7.8 acres), MLS#632490 $275,000 (2.4 acres), MLS#632487 $175,000 (2.0 acres), Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700
FRAYS GRANT
10 miles from town, near Free Union, 100+ acres, division rights, NO CONSERVATION EASEMENT! Spectacular Blue Ridge views from many homesites, several barns, stable, 2 ponds, creeks, FANTASTIC offering! MLS#638858
$4,975,000 Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076
94+ acres 20 minutes from Charlottesville. Originally part of a 188-acre tract, two parcels may be purchased separately or together, with 2 developmental rights each. Mostly maturing pine and very long public road frontage. MLS#635861 $700,000 Tim Michel, 434.960.1124
Just outside Charlottesville near Earlysville. This 4.75 acre lot is situated at the end of a cul-de-sac that provides privacy and a quite setting among towering hardwoods, and is convenient the CHO airport and ample shopping of various kinds. MLS#640510 $125,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
MURPHY’S
Wonderful gently rolling parcel of land with just under 26 acres, 18 miles south of Charlottesville. The land is wooded (mostly hardwoods) with an elevated building site, stream/creek, total privacy, and long road frontage. MLS#619394 $229,500 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
Great building lot in Ivy! Over 2.5 acres less than 6 miles to Charlottesville and UVA. Your future dream home could sit on this beautiful, wooded land, the perfect combination of country and city access. Murray Elementary School District. MLS#634897 $165,000 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
Wonderfully large 1.5+ acre building lot in Ednam Forest. Build your dream home on this elevated, wooded lot located in a single family community, minutes from UVA and within walking distance to Boar’s Head Resort. MLS#598537 $289,500 Steve McLean, 434.981.1863
HATTON
Situated in Southern Albemarle County, and within 2 miles of the James River at Hatton Ferry, this 21+ acre parcel backs up to the Totier Creek Reservoir. Parcel offers a private, elevated building site with open pasture and mature hardwoods. Parcel is within 5 miles of the historic town of Scottsville.
MLS# 637310 $245,000
A RARE find in a spectacular Western Albemarle location! This 120.75 parcel offers magnificent mountain and valley views in all directions. The rolling pastures and beautiful mature hardwoods combined with privacy and convenience (minutes from downtown Crozet) create a one-of-a-kind opportunity.
MLS# 636241 $3,400,000
PENDING
Beautiful 4.93-acre parcel located just outside the quaint town of Batesville. Parcel is divided into two separate parcels and offers an open elevated front parcel with a small shed and shared stream at the rear. The rear parcel offers an elevated wooded building site.
MLS # 634345 $343,000
Absolutely private and pristine deep water lake of 50+/- acres, with (2) miles of shoreline, in Nelson County, surrounded by nearly 800 acres of commercial pine forest, designed for staggered harvests into perpetuity. An incredibly rare recreational paradise. A new lake home, with quality appointments at waters edge, a boat house with (2) lifts and a large steel storage building to house toys and equipment. Internet and generator are in place. Nearly 7 miles of interior roads and trails with mountain views. Includes access to nearby James River!
MLS # 623894 $4,400,000
Just outside Charlottesville, Fray’s Grant offers luxury living in Earlysville, VA. With breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge, gently rolling land, meadows, wildlife, nature trails, and lot sizes ranging from 2 to 74 acres, Fray’s Grant is a beautiful setting to build your forever home. This 21+ acre parcel sits on a culde-sac offering privacy, towering hardwoods, (2) year-round running streams, and natural sloping for building plans with a basement. Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport is 6 miles away with shopping and eateries within 10 miles.
MLS# 637061 $359,000
FRAYS
Gorgeous 6.22 acre building parcel located in beautiful Northern Albemarle County. This parcel offers an open elevated building site with gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounding mountainside. Located on a quiet country lane yet close to both Charlottesville and Ruckersville. One of 6 parcels available in this small country subdivision; parcels range from 4 to 8 acres. It is advised to use 4WD to access parcels until driveways are completed. MLS# 636003 $344,500
Gorgeous park-like wooded parcel located in NW Albemarle County with state maintained roads, underground power, high speed internet through Centurylink, and community stocked lake. Parcel is unique in the fact that there is a 57 acre preservation tract that adjoins this parcel that will preserve the privacy and natural beauty of this parcel. Elevated building site with streams on each side plus rock outcroppings create a very special parcel. HOA review of plans and minimum 2800 sq. ft. home. 4 bedroom perc test on file and 20 GPM well in place.
MLS # 638296 $259,900
Beautiful Langdon Woods - a tranquil, large-lot subdivision featuring public roads, HOA, plus pastoral and seasonal mountain views. This 8.42 acre lot features an elevated building site overlooking the shared stocked lake most of which is located on this parcel, and backs up to a 57 acre preservation tract. This is the only parcel in the subdivision which allows for a dock. Parcel has a drilled well in place. Ten minutes to CHO airport, shopping, NGIC, etc. Bring your builder! Plans subject to HOA approval.
MLS # 638242 $279,000
“I don’t claim to be an overly great farmer in terms of produce, but I grow farmers.”
MICHAEL CARTER, JR. BRINGS THE CULTURE TO AGRICULTURE
o call Michael Carter, Jr. a farmer would just barely scratch the surface. He does raise crops, but mostly what he grows are connections—to history, to other Black farmers, to markets and opportunities. It’s all encompassed in the term Africulture, also the name of the nonprofit he heads. Sitting in a farmhouse in Orange County, on land his family has owned since 1910, he begins his story by connecting the present moment back to events that took place decades ago.
TThe land had gone into probate and nearly left family hands, but during the 1940s, Carter’s great-grandmother and her children committed to paying off the debt. “Her three oldest sons were drafted to go into World War II, and they all sent back $29 a month Army pay for two to three years,” he explains. “And her daughters worked as domestics.” They pooled their income and saved the land. “She wanted to make sure she had a place for her boys to come back to and call home,” he says. “It really came close to us not being able to sit here [today].”
It’s not just this visit from a reporter that might never have happened; in a very roundabout way, Carter’s entire life’s work seems to flow from this land.
Surrounded by relatives who farmed and taught agriculture, he says he was “inundated” with the subject as he grew up, but resisted joining the tradition. “I wanted to be an investment banker or a street cop,” he says. “I was in 4-H and FFA and never found it attractive because I never saw Black people in those activities. As I got older the racial bias and cultural differences become much more glaring. There’s guys walking through with Confederate flags on their belt buckles. I stopped participating.”
Yet he majored in agricultural economics in college and, after becoming an African Hebrew Israelite in 2003, found himself farming on an Israeli kibbutz. Growing food took on spiritual importance.
“One of the first things in Genesis, Adam is placed in a garden, aka a farm, and he’s given instructions to till and keep the garden,” Carter says. “That gave me a different
type of outlook on agriculture” as an honored, ancient occupation.
More travels followed: to Kenya and especially to Ghana, where he lived for five years in the mid-2010s, working on various agriculture initiatives—like helping conventional farmers transition to organic methods. Living in Ghana’s capital, Accra, he began supplying familiar American vegetables to the African American expat community there— things like kale, broccoli, and lettuce. Though growing those crops was a challenge in the Ghanaian climate, the project “planted a seed of creating a niche,” matching specific foods to specific customers. Yet he still wasn’t connecting all these experiences to his family legacy. “I could not see the foundation I was standing on.”
Then, in July 2017, something changed. Carter was home in Virginia for a visit, intending to go back to Ghana, but his father had begun to press him to take over the family operation. At a cookout with his relatives here on the farm, he says, “The land started speaking to me.” Reveling in family camaraderie—and seeing his four sons on the land that his ancestors had sacrificed for—awakened a connection. Even in the days when legal barriers and the KKK tried to put Black land ownership out of reach, Carter’s family had held onto these fields and woods. Now, he felt it was time for him to take up the reins. By September, he’d relocated
By Erika Howsarehis family to Virginia, and in November, he founded a new business called Carter Farms.
“I contacted the owner of a restaurant in D.C. called Swahili Village,” he remembers, “and inquired about growing managu”—a leafy green that’s eaten in Africa. “We’re in the second largest area of African immigrants in the country, the D.C. metro area. [Those immigrants] usually don’t have access to their traditional foods. I did some more market research and found 15 African grocery stores between Fredericksburg and Alexandria. [I said,] ‘Uh oh, that’s a market.’” He started selling crops like managu and taro leaf wholesale, and found he couldn’t keep up with the demand. “I would take stuff to [the stores] and before I got to 95 from Route 1, they called and said they sold out. It was exciting but frustrating.”
Meanwhile, he began to think about a broader mission. “Carter Farms pivoted to growing farmers versus growing produce,” he explains. “We structured Carter Farms to be much more of a business that also farms. We received a beginning farmers grant in 2019 to help out farmers as an incubator and have grown that ever since.” His focus became the larger community of African American farmers. In 2020 he founded Africulture, a nonprofit arm that supports farmers and promotes the history and culture around Black farmers and African crops.
He had already been involved in getting Black farmers connected to customers—including a big one: Aramark, the contractor that services UVA Dining. Aramark’s regional vice president, Matt Rogers, says he met Carter in 2018 through a partnership with the Local Food Hub and 4P, organizations that do support work for local farmers. “We were starting conversations about how to improve our local supply chain purchases and understanding what the barriers are,” Rogers says. Carter became a voice for BIPOC farmers—a group that Aramark, in conversation with UVA’s Working Food Group, had targeted for greater spending.
“This is a demographic that has been well underserved and is a little bit distrusting of large institutional food systems,” Rogers says. “He is of that community and they trust him.” The barriers for small farmers can be as simple as where to park on UVA Grounds when making a produce delivery.
But Carter says he was concerned about the financials, too. “You need to pay a retail price but buy a wholesale volume,” he remembers telling Aramark. “I’m dealing with vegetable farmers, not commodity farmers that can make up for their low margins with volume.” He saw the African vegetables he’d been encouraging farmers to grow as a niche with both economic and cultural value: “We’re going to be growing some things you can’t get anywhere else.” If there was nutritional and educational benefit to Aramark serving ingredients like Nigerian spinach or callaloo, then Black farmers growing those crops could earn a premium.
Carter secured promises from Aramark to pay well and help out with the food safety certification process, which can be burdensome for small growers. The company also offers up-front guarantees to buy farmers’ produce. “I was shocked they had come to this,” Carter says frankly.
His approach wasn’t just to make demands. He also tried to get people excited. “The [Aramark] chefs came out here [to the farm], and we provided them some ethnic vegetables,” he says. “The chefs were inspired and started to create recipes.” He in turn went to UVA to give a presentation about the ingredients, sending students home with recipe cards in their pockets.
One of the crops Carter highlights is already familiar in the U.S.: good old sweet potatoes. But he’s been spreading the word that the leaves, not just the tubers, are delicious and full of nutrients.
It was news to Clif Slade, one of the many Black farmers in Carter’s network. Slade is a third-generation farmer who grows sweet potatoes on 15 acres in Surry County. For years,
he’s been selling “slips”—baby sweet potato plants that other gardeners transplant into their plots in spring. He ships half a million of these around the U.S. every year between May and July, but he’d never considered the leaves to be a crop in their own right.
“I have an acre of plants that basically is worthless come July 15; I can’t sell them anymore,” he explains. “In comes Michael Carter and he says ‘Let’s see if we can sell them.’ We cooked [the greens] and they were very delicious. If it can turn lucrative, we can have these sweet potato greens right on up to Christmas.”
He says that Carter’s marketing savvy adds something important to his operation. “Mike’s a very enterprising young man,” he says. “This is like a byproduct, but it’s very scrumptious. I’m more of a grower than a marketer, and I’m 69 years old. He knows how to use all the social media. If it wasn’t for Mike I wouldn’t even try this.” He’s exploring the possibility of supplying both UVA and William & Mary with sweet potato greens, and says that Carter has plans for a public event at Slade Farms with food trucks and chefs.
According to Rogers, Aramark is already buying from eight or nine BIPOC farmers to supply UVA Dining. It took a few years to get there. “That was fall last year, really having this thing off the ground,” Rogers says. “Everything to that point was more capacity-building.”
Meanwhile, Carter continues to expand the scope of his mission. He sees his support of Black farmers as the preservation of an endangered way of life. “In 1925 in the state of Virginia, there were approximately 50 to 52,000 Black farmers,” he says. “[By] 2017 there were 1,333 Black farmers. That’s a 98 percent decline. This is an extinction-level event. In any situation where you have extinction you have to change the environment. I’ve sought to change the environment.”
As ever, that means attending to culture as much as to the business side. “I learned in Ghana that everything is connected,” he says. He keeps on finding more links: between the African-derived banjo and the gourds it can be made from; between young kids of color and the natural world; between American weeds and the African plants they sometimes resemble. The farm continues to act as a base for Carter to share these moments of expansion with all kinds of visitors. “When people leave here I want them to leave full, not with bellies, but with knowledge and soul being full,” he says.
Carter is teaching an Africulture course at UVA—bringing the connections to an audience on Grounds, even at a moment when diversity initiatives at the school are under attack. “I never expected someone would ask me to consult with a major corporation or teach at a university,” he says.
“I don’t claim to be an overly great farmer in terms of produce, but I grow farmers. And my greatest commodity is my story.”
At Carter Farms, Michael Carter, Jr. plants many vegetables that are native to Africa, and are popular ingredients for immigrant communities in Virginia.Common in Kenya and surrounding regions, managu leaves are often cooked with other greens. Poisonous before cooking, the leaves of the taro plant are a staple in Africa and Asia. This is an African green that’s used in soups and stews in many countries across the continent. A rich leafy green that is frequently made into a popular Caribbean dish of the same name. The classic sweet tuber’s leaves have plenty of nutrients and flavor. Clif Slade is a third-generation Surry County farmer, one of many Black farmers Carter works with. Carter showed him that sweet potato leaves are a delicious crop that can be sold, turning Slade’s “worthless” acre of leaves into a commodity.
We regularly host large parties as well as corporate and nonprofit events. We look forward to welcoming guests for UVA Graduation Weekend & more this month and throughout the summer. Ask about our catering menus.
Summer camps with different themes each week for ages 5-11
M-F 9am-3pm
June 26-30
July 10-14- SOLD OUT!
July 24-28
July 31-Aug 4
Teen Art camp for rising 6th-rising 8th graders
July 17-21 M-F 9am-3pm
Days include: art projects, explore/free choice art time, outside walks, snacks, reading, art puzzles and gallery viewing on the last day
Fridays: Adult Art Classes 5pm-7pm (see
Saturdays: Open Studio time 10-11 Workshops 11:30-1:00
(see website for dates)
Contact: Located off 29N across from Target in the Forest Lakes Shopping Center 1770 Timberwood Blvd. suite 106 Charlottesville 434-310-0525
www.fosterartforall.com
Summer
Camp can last from just a few days or stretch to all summer long. It's well worth the trouble to investigate camp programs before your camper packs a backpack. These questions help you explore the options.
Near or Far?
Where do you want your child to go to camp? Locally or far away? While each camp experience has something to offer your child, this is an opportunity to assess what you value for your camper.
Short or Long Session?
How long do you want your child to remain at camp?
Girls Only, Boys Only or Co-ed? Now may be the opportunity to explore this choice with your camper.
Traditional, Specialty, and Special Needs?
Understanding the strengths in camp focus may help you make your choice.
Reprinted by permission of the American Camp Association. ©2023, American Camping Association, Inc.
About American Camp Association
The American Camp Association® (ACA) is a national organization serving the more than 15,000 yearround and summer camps in the US who annually serve 26 million campers. ACA is committed to collaborating with those who believe in quality camp and outdoor experiences for children, youth, and adults. ACA provides advocacy, evidence-based education, and professional development, and is the only independent national accrediting body for the organized camp experience. ACA accreditation provides public evidence of a camp's voluntary commitment to the health, safety, risk management, and overall well-being of campers and staff. For more information, visit ACAcamps.org or call 800-428-2267.
At: Sojourners UCC, 1017 Elliott Avenue Charlottesville
Campers participate in Irish music, dance, song, crafts and more! No previous experience needed. (One hour each of pre and/or after care available).
More information and registration at: brimstunes.org
NOW THRU MAY 14
Love is complicated, and nowhere more so than the Forest of Arden, where disguised lovers on the run meet cute, and happy endings including four—count them, four–weddings ensue. Catch one of Shakespeare’s most beloved romantic comedies!
NOW THRU MAY 13
A fresh look at a timeless love story! Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost life. “A love letter to the world... magical” (The New York Times).
MAY 17–JUNE 4
Three madcap players weave their wicked way through all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays in one wild ride that leaves audiences helpless with laughter.
SATURDAY 5/6
The first Asia Weekend for All kicks off with a community celebration of Asian art and culture. Founder and organizer Jing Shui of JSVA Art says the intent of the event is to promote intercultural understanding and build strong relationships through art and culture, while having fun and getting to know more about each other. Activities include a live figure drawing session, brief talks about Asian art and culture with Shui and other guest artists, including Robert Bricker, Tori Cherry, Michael Williams, and more. Attendees can then enjoy Asian foods and beverages, and bid on artwork during the silent auction. Free, 10am–2pm. Studio 28, McGuffey Art Center, 201 Second St. NW. asiaweekendforall.com
FRIDAY 5/5
The Oratorio Society of Virginia pairs two contrasting compositions of Latin mass in The Choral Mass: Old & New. First, Gioachino Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle, a large-scale work with “joyful flourishes and masterful counterpoint.” Then, Arvo Pärt’s Missa syllabica, an early example of the Estonian composer’s introspective and meditative musical style. Michael Slon directs, accompanied by several guest artists, including soprano Karli Forte, mezzo-soprano Melanie Ashkar, tenor Jamison Walker, and bass Jacob Surzyn. $10-37, 8pm. St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 401 Alderman Rd. oratoriosociety.org
SATURDAY 5/6
Successful husband-andwife duo Suz Slezak and David Wax of David Wax Museum drop their most radio-ready effort yet. You Must Change Your Life is a catchy, hook-heavy reimagining of David Wax Museum’s signature sound—a Latin-infused take on American folk. The record transitions seamlessly from quirky pop anthems, like the album’s title track, to more traditional Museum songs such as “Luanne,” the first single. The toe-tapping continues throughout the record’s 13-song tracklist. $18-20, 8pm. The Southern Café & Musical Hall, 103 First St. S. thesoutherncville.com
Jazz Small Groups. Relax and enjoy jazz in the amphitheater. Free, noon. The McIntire Amphitheater at UVA, UVA Grounds. music. virginia.edu
Jim Waive. Classic country tunes from the man with a velvet voice and impressive beard. Free, 7pm. Blue Moon Diner, 606 W. Main St. bluemoondiner.net
Karaoke. Jen DeVille hosts this weekly song party. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com
Open Mic Night. Charlottesville’s longestrunning open mic night. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. 234-4436
Say She She. Female-led discodelic soul. $18-20, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
Scoring Human Existence. UVA music graduate students improvise a live score of any and everything from various genres of film, graphics, architecture, live action video games, dance, and more. Free, 7pm. Visible Records, 1740 Broadway St. music.virginia.edu
Sunset Salsa & Bachata. A night of dancing, drinks, food, and beautiful sunset views. $10, 6pm. Quirk Hotel Charlottesville, 499 W. Main St. quirkhotels.com
Pictures & Pages with Glynis Welte. Dynamic arts-related storytimes with Gordon Avenue children’s librarian Glynis Welte. Free (reservations required), 11am. The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA, 155 Rugby Rd. museumoutreach@virginia.edu
The Art Of Cocktails. An afternoon of mixology, education, and, most importantly, tasting. $25, 4pm. Quirk Hotel Charlottesville, 499 W. Main St. quirkhotels.com etc.
Block Night. An informal session for those interested in the art and craft of book and printmaking. Free, 5:30pm. Virginia Center for the Book, Jefferson School City Center, 233 Fourth St. NW. vabookcenter.org
Children of Men Director Alfonso Cuarón’s haunting thriller, set in a dystopian future in which hope, and mankind, are both endangered species. $10, 7pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com
Trivia. Show off your trivia knowledge and win prizes, including gift cards, merch, and free drinks. Free, 7pm. Dairy Market, 946 Grady Ave. dairymarketcville.com
Second Annual Primavera Fest. With Music by Alegria Latin Duo, Otra Vez, and Lua Project. Free, noon. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com
Buzzard Hollow Boys. Featuring Tim Anderson, Jeff Saine, Kurt Dressel, and Sonny Layne. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com
Crozet Jam Band. Seven friends playing popular tunes. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com
David Wax Museum. Touring with a full ensemble in support of an exuberant new album, You Must Change Your Life. $18-20, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
Baby Jo’s. Boogie-boogie music. Free, 8pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com
Berto & Vincent. Good times and good tunes. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com
National Theatre Live in HD—Othello
An extraordinary new production of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedy, directed by Clint Dyer. $11-15, 7pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
outside
Thursday Evening Sunset Series. Bring lawn chairs and blankets, and enjoy live music, food trucks, drinks, and a stunning view of the sunset. $10, 6pm. Carter Mountain Orchard, 1435 Carters Mountain Trl. chilesfamilyorchards.com
etc.
Baby Buds. Meet new parents and caregivers as newborns, infants, and toddlers explore, interact, and play. Free, 10:30am. Virginia Discovery Museum, 524 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. vadm.org
Downtown Flower Market. Plant and flower vendors and free workshops. Free, 2pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. friendsofcville.org
Paulo Franco & The Freightliners. Americana with a Latin flair. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com
The Choral Mass: Old & New. Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle and Pärt’s Missa Syllabica. $10-37, 8pm. St. Thomas Aquinas University Church, 401 Alderman Rd. oratoriosociety.org
The Max Johnson Trio. Virtuoso double bassist and composer Max Johnson presents his trio with Anna Webber (saxophone, flute), and Michael Sarin (drums). $15-20, 7:30pm. Music Resource Center, 105 Ridge St. cvillejazz.org
Friday Night Writes: A Reading Series for Emerging Writers. Emerging writers perform short stories, poetry, and music. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com
Playdates at the Playscape. BYO snacks and buddies and enjoy outdoor play. $20, 9:30am. Wildrock, 6600 Blackwells Hollow Rd., Crozet. wildrock.org
Wild Virginia Film Experience: Window to the Wild. Short films that highlight our rivers, streams, and forests and how we can protect them. Free, 6pm. Online. wildvirginia.org
Broadway at The Paramount. Broadway artists, over 100 students from DMR Adventures, and local talent come together for a performance. $22-42, 2 and 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Artists in Conversation. An artist talk with exhibiting artists Lara Call Gastinger, Giselle Gautreau, and Elizabeth Perdue. Free, 11am. Second Street Gallery, 115 Second St. SE. secondstreetgallery.com
Book Launch for Irène Mathieu’s milk tongue An exploration of what we inherit or pass on, illuminating the gray area between ubiquitous human desires and overconsumption. Free, 4pm. Visible Records, 1740 Broadway St. irenemathieu.com
Rachel Beanland in conversation with Bruce Holsinger. Beanland reads from her new novel, The House Is on Fire. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com
Storytime. Readings of recent favorites and classics. Free, 11am. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com
Bee Camp—Beekeeping for Beginners. A day-long, hands-on beekeeping 101. Free, 10am. King Family Vineyard, 6550 Roseland Farm, Crozet. sillerpollinatorcompany.com Family Camouflage, Sneaking, and Invisibility Day. Learn how to move without being seen or heard, hide in plain sight, and get dirty. $40, 10am. North Rivanna Trail, Charlottesville. livingearthva.org
CONTINUED ON PAGE 41
LOTS OF ATTRACTIONS & TASTINGS FROM:
CASTLE HILL CIDER | CHESTNUT OAK VINEYARD
KESWICK VINEYARDS | MERRIE MILL FARM & VINEYARD
PATCH BREWING CO. | BARBOURSVILLE VINEYARDS
THE BARN AT 678 VINEYARD | BALD TOP BREWING CO.
EARLY MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS | HORTON VINEYARDS
Live Music, Food Trucks, Kids Activity Area & Local Artisans
VIP Pass & General Admission Tickets Available
Saturday June 10th 12-6pm
Early access at 11am for VIP Pass Holders
231fest.com
Signature Sponsor:
Festival Beneficiary:
Details & Tickets
Saturday 5/6
Batesville Day. Activities include a 10K Race, yoga for all bodies, a plant exchange, children’s parade, maypole dance, and more. $160, 8am. Batesville, VA, 6534 Plank Rd. batesvilleva.org
BBBS 10K/5K/half Mile Walk or Run. Benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge’s mentoring programs. $15-40, 7:30am. Free Union. blueridgebigs.org
Playdates at the Playscape. See listing for Friday, May 5. $20, 9:30am. Wildrock, 6600 Blackwells Hollow Rd., Crozet. wildrock.org etc.
Asia Weekend for All. Celebrate Asian art and culture. Free, 12:15pm. McGuffey Art Center, 201 Second St. NW. asiaweekend forall.com
Charlottesville City Market. Shop seasonal local produce, homemade baked goods, authentic cultural foods, wares from artisans of various disciplines, and more. Free, 9am. Charlottesville City Market, 100 Water St. E. charlottesville.gov
JMRL How-To Festival. Short presentations and demos on a variety of topics ranging from tea ceremonies and small press printing to bike repair. Free, 10am. JMRL: Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org
Piedmont Master Gardeners’ Spring Plant Sale. Annuals, perennials, vegetables, fruit-bearing plants, herbs and houseplants, and a large assortment of native plants. Free, 10am. Albemarle Square, 402 Albemarle Square. piedmontmastergardeners.org
Gina Sobel and Matt Draper. Americana and bluesy tunes. Free, 2pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com
Morgan Wade. Crossing State Lines Acoustic Tour. $34-140, 8pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Three Notch’d Road. With soprano Addy Sterrett performing Southern Warmth: Spanish, Croatian, Portuguese and Italian. $10-25, 4pm. Grace Episcopal Church, 5607 Gordonsville Rd., Keswick. tnrbaroque.org
Paint & Sip: Picking Daisies. Paint, sip, and repeat with Catelyn. $35, 2pm. Chiswell Farm & Winery, 430 Greenwood Rd., Greenwood. catelynkelseydesigns.com
Paint & Sip: Sherbet Scenery. Paint, sip, and repeat with Frank. $35, 1pm. Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery, 8736 Dick Woods Rd., Afton. catelynkelseydesigns.com
outside
Rivanna River Race. Paddles ready for this 6.8 mile downriver canoe and kayak race. $45-55, 10am. Brook Hill River Park, 2009 Rio Mill Rd., Earlysville. rivannariver.org
etc.
Book Club: The Next Chapter An early access screening. $12, 1:15pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com
CAT’s 2023 Furball Fair. Live music, food truck fare, a silent auction, and more to support animal welfare in central Virginia. Free, noon. Castle Hill Cider, 6065 Turkey Sag Rd., Keswick. catactionteam.org
CONTINUED ON PAGE 43
Adeeply researched book, The House Is on Fire is Richmond-based author Rachel Beanland’s gorgeous new historical novel, constructed out of the archives and her own narrative license. Set in Richmond, Virginia, in 1811, the book traces four characters and their communities as they struggle in the aftermath of the historic fire that destroyed the Richmond Theater and resulted in the deaths of more than 70 people, including the governor. At the time, it was the largest disaster that had occurred in the United States, drawing national attention for the significant loss of life and far-reaching impact.
“I learned about the Richmond Theater fire on the very first day I arrived in Richmond, way back in 2007,” Beanland says. “I had flown in for a job interview and spent an afternoon driving around town with a realtor. As we were passing Monumental Church, the realtor pointed and said, ‘There used to be a theater there.’ He relayed the basic facts of the fire, and I remember being immediately taken with the story.”
But it wasn’t until 2020 when Beanland decided to write about it. “I had been in the early stages of writing another novel, which was going to require a lot of travel to get right, and when all air travel ceased, I started to get nervous,” she says. “I began thinking about novels I could set in my own backyard.”
This interest ultimately led Beanland to conduct research around the fire—through the Library of Virginia and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, among other sources—which she incorporates throughout the story in large and small ways, carefully balanced with intimately human stories of tragedy and resilience.
“People’s race, gender, and class had much to do with whether they lived or died that night,” she says. “So, as I thought about how I’d structure the novel, I knew I wanted to write characters whose stories encompassed these different points of view.”
The characters whose lives and struggles the author braids together are also drawn from and inspired by recorded history. Beanland says she decided to follow a 14-year-old stagehand, who played a role in setting the fire; a middle-aged widow of means, who is in the expensive (and hard-to-escape) box seats; a young, enslaved maid, who is sitting in the gallery, against her will; and a middle-aged, enslaved blacksmith, who runs to the building to help. ”For me, it is both a challenge and a treat to weave what I really did know about them into the larger, fictional narrative.”
In addition to these protagonists, the novel features a strong supporting cast of characters who are richly embodied by the author’s writing, as well as expert scene-setting in historic Richmond and surrounding areas that locals familiar with the area now will find especially interesting.
Embracing the language of the historical record and exploring the power of the pen, Beanland notes that she “played with syntax [and] … excerpted paragraphs from real inquest reports, newspaper articles, and fliers, so that readers have some sense of what the written word really sounded like two centuries ago.”
The novel interrogates a number of the power structures at work in Richmond at this time, teasing out some of the structural oppressions and horrors faced by enslaved Black men, women, and children, as well as women, generally, who lacked agency and were utterly reliant on husbands and fathers to make legal and medical decisions for them.
“It should be noted that I was also writing this book during the Black Lives Matter protests, and watching them play out in Richmond was not just an emotional experience but an educational one,” says Beanland. “Here I was, doing research on the lives of enslaved people living in the city in 1811, and at times, it felt like I could draw a straight line between what was happening in the city in the early 19th century and what was happening in the summer of 2020.”
In the four storylines that intermingle across the book, the author goes to great lengths to empower her main characters—each of whom is oppressed because of their race or gender—by celebrating their values and ethics, in the cases of Gilbert and Jack, or by filling gaps in the historical record with their speculative heroic actions, in the cases of Sally and Cecily.
Combining the historic record with empathetic characters whose traumas feel painfully contemporary at times, Beanland has crafted a novel that is a fastpaced and enthralling prompt to consider how we act in the face of tragedy.
“Life, in general, felt very fragile [in 2020], and I couldn’t help but channel a lot of my fears and anxieties into these characters, who are living through their own terrible ordeal,” she says. “Calamities—of all kinds—have a way of stripping us bare, of showing us what is essential, and of bringing out the very best and the very worst in us.”
“People’s race, gender, and class had much to do with whether they lived or died that night.”TANIA DEL CARMEN FERNANDEZ
6-month
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PAGE 2 OF 2 MKT-6354G-A-A1 EXP 30 APR 2025 © 2022 EDWARD D. JONES & CO., L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Joan M Carlson Financial Advisor 1010 Ednam Center Suite 102 Charlottesville, VA 22903 434-984-0345 2023 Forum Creating a more connected community through a deepened understanding of race and equity. Thank You to Our Sponsors Gold Sponsor Silver Sponsor 2:00 - 6:00pm Friday, May 12, 2023 The Center @ Belvedere Join colleagues, neighbors, and friends for an afternoon of enlightening and engaging conversations. Attend 1, 2, or all 3 sessions, and continue the conversation at the reception immediately following. Tickets https://bit.ly/envision-forum S chedule Sly Mata Director of Diversity Education University of Virginia Mack McLellan Dean of Students, Diversity & Inclusion Renaissance School Cynthia Murray CEO CME, LLC SPeAKeRS 2:00pm Mack McLellan: “Real Life DEI Navigation” Sly Mata: “Everybody Hurts: the Accumulating Mental Health Impact of Systemic Racism and Racial Violence” 3:00pm Cynthia Murray: “Being the Only ________ in the Room” 4:00pm Reception to follow from 5:00-6:00 pm $20 per session or $50 for all 3 sessions
Financial
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41
Monday 5/8
music
Berto & Vincent. Fiesta. Free, 7pm. South and Central Latin Grill, Dairy Market. south andcentralgrill.com
Gin & Jazz. The Brian Caputo Trio performs in the Château Lobby Bar. Free, 5:30pm. Oakhurst Inn, 100 Oakhurst Cir. oakhurstinn.com
words
Storytime. Words, songs, movement, and bubbles. Free, 10:30am. Virginia Discovery Museum, 524 E. Main St. vadm.org etc.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service James Bond races to stop Ernst Blofeld’s sinister plot to use a team of lethal beauties to destroy the world’s food supply in one of the best 007 adventures ever. $10, 7:15pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com
Tuesday 5/9
music
Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band. Renowned singer, songwriter, musician, artist and best-selling author tours his new album, Spectral Lines. $30-35, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
Mayo and The House Sauce. Original rock and classic covers. Free, 10pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapture restaurant.com
The FABBA Show—A Tribute to ABBA. Direct from the U.K., The FABBA Show is a tribute to ABBA. $27-67, 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Thunder Music Karaoke. Show off your singing skills or just enjoy the show. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. 234-4436
Vincent Zorn. Olé. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com
Vinyl Night. BYO record to play and get $1 off pints. Free, 4pm. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market, 946 Grady Ave. dairymarketcville.com
Paint & Sip: Orange & Blue Sunset. Paint, sip, and repeat with Catelyn. $35, 6pm. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. catelyn kelseydesigns.com
Playdates at the Playscape. See listing for Friday, May 5. $20, 9:30am. Wildrock, 6600 Blackwells Hollow Rd., Crozet. wildrock.org
Three Notch’d Run Club. Log some miles and grab a post-run beer. Free, 6pm. Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery, 520 Second St. SE. threenotchdbrewing.com etc.
Family Game Night. Games for all ages, including corn hole, Jenga, and board games. Free, 5pm. Dairy Market, 946 Grady Ave. dairymarketcville.com
Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night. Teams of two to six people play for prizes and bragging rights. Free, 8pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com
Suspicion Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine star in Alfred Hitchcock’s moody mystery in which an heiress marries in haste and suspects at leisure. $10, 7:15pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com
By Jedd Ferris arts@c-ville.com
It’s a sunny day in Amsterdam when Josh Ritter checks in with C-VILLE, taking a phone call while sitting along one of the city’s many canals. When reached in early April, the Americana tunesmith was on a solo tour in Europe, the country where he first found success, playing with the likes of Joan Baez and Glen Hansard in the early 2000s.
A restless creative, Ritter juggles his prolific musical output with painting and work as a best-selling novelist (his latest book, The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All, came out in 2021), but right now he’s focused on his new album. Spectral Lines. Released on April 28, Ritter’s 11th studio effort finds the poetic lyricist in a deeply reflective state, in songs that first took shape while the singer-songwriter was dealing with the loss of his mother and the uncertainty of early pandemic isolation.
But throughout the album’s 10 tracks, Ritter channels emotional turmoil into an empathetic look at the universal aspects of loneliness and existential uncertainty, and the accompanying music perfectly sets the mood. Working with producer Sam Kassirer, Ritter shapes the songs around celestial piano fills and waves of synth, resulting in atmospheric, free-flowing arrangements that move beyond the roots-based leanings of his earlier work. He’ll perform at the Jefferson on Tuesday, May 9.
C-VILLE: You asked fans to cover your new song “Honey, I Do” before they heard it, giving them the lyrics and basic sheet music, and then asking them to post videos of their interpretations. How did you come up with this unique idea?
Josh Ritter: I personally think when you have a verse you should be able to write it down and have it leap off the page. So I was interested in seeing what people could do with it, and I was blown away. People interpreted it in so many ways, but at the heart of it, it was just for fun.
Heartbreak is something we all feel to a certain degree at some points in our lives, and as a thesis for the whole record I was trying to share how I feel sometimes. I was reaching outwards and starting a conversation and also making a statement that in many ways we’re all the same.
Sonically, Spectral Lines has a mellow, atmospheric mood, with many songs flowing together. How did this musical direction take shape?
This record came together far differently than any other I’ve done. The seed was planted during the early days of the pandemic, so I didn’t know how we were going to record the songs. I wrote [fourth track] “For Your Soul” when I was back home in Idaho while my mom was dying, and at the time I had no way
to get into a studio. I started to share the ideas with Sam Kassirer, who I hadn’t worked with as a producer in over 10 years. I knew he would be the only one who would get them, so in his hands they started to take shape. We decided to work on small batches of songs and create them in a certain style. I wanted them to flow together like a walk down the hallway of my mind at that time. And I wanted to create something that represented that there had been a change in peoples’ lives.
How do you balance different areas of creativity—music, painting, writing prose? Day to day, it’s what you can do with little chunks of time. When I’m home I’ll paint for a couple hours while the kids are at school, or I’ll write for 15 minutes. Then if I get deeper with an album or a novel, collaborators come in or I go where the work
leads me. But those short times during the day are fun and really make me happy.
You worked with the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir on his solo album Blue Mountain. What did you take away from that experience?
He’s a truly generous artist and an inspiration. I got a chance to send him what I consider some cowboy songs that I had written, and he was really receptive. When I was working on those, I was imagining him in a Western movie. He was a kindred spirit in doing what he wants to do and following his wanderlust.
You’re releasing your 11th album dating back to 1999. How has songwriting changed for you in the past decade-plus? Writing of any kind is hard to discern. You just put things down and move on. I can’t describe it from my own angle. I just know I feel an electricity and love writing. I’ve felt that way ever since I was 16 or 17 and realized I could share my own stories and play guitar and sing what I actually felt. That still remains the most profound experience.
“I wanted them to flow together like a walk down the hallway of my mind at that time.”
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library 2450 Old Ivy Rd. “Women Making Books” explores women’s contributions to English and North American bookmaking from the mid-18th to the 21st centuries, “Visions of Progress,” and other permanent exhibitions.
Cavallo Gallery & Custom Framing 117 S. Main St., Gordonsville. Original works on paper and canvas by central Virginia artist Megan Davies. Through May.
Chroma Projects Inside Vault Virginia, Third St. SE. “You Have to Break Your Heart Until It Opens,” works by sculptor Sophie Gibson and painter and collage artist Amie Oliver. Through May 26. First Fridays opening.
The Connaughton Gallery Rouss & Robertson Halls, UVA Grounds. “Healing Nature,” acrylic on canvas and oil on canvas by Henry Wingate and Rick Morrow. Through June 15.
Create Gallery InBio, 700 Harris St., Ste. 102. “BozArts for Literacy” features work
from Betty Brubach, Julia Kindred, Brita Lineberger, Katharine Eisaman Maus, Ellen Moore Osborne, and Shirley to benefit Literacy Volunteers. Through June.
Crozet Artisan Depot 5791 Three Notch’d Rd., Crozet. “Full Bloom,” pottery by Stuart Howe and “Meanderings, Exploration in Acrylics and Pastels,” paintings by Mae Stoll. Through May. Meet the artists May 13 at 1pm.
C’ville Arts Cooperative Gallery 118 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. “Going With The Flow,” jeweler Natalie Darling’s new collection. Through May. First Fridays demonstration at 5pm.
The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA 155 Rugby Rd., UVA Grounds. New exhibitions include “Look Three Ways: Maya Painted Pottery,” “Processing Abstraction,” “N’dakinna Landscapes Acknowledged,” and “Radioactive Inactives: Patrick Nagatani & Andrée Tracey.”
Les Yeux du Monde 841 Wolf Trap Rd. “Axis Mundi,” new work by New York-based artists Dorothy Robinson, Kurt Steger, and Meg Hitchcock. Through June 15. Reception May 13, 4pm.
Loving Cup Vineyard & Winery 3340 Sutherland Rd., North Garden. “Vineyards and Springtime” showcases oils and acrylics by Julia Kindred and Matalie Deane, respectively. Through May 28. First Fridays opening.
McGuffey Art Center 201 Second St. NW. In the Smith Gallery, “Cadence,” mixed-media paintings by Margaret Embree. In the first floor hallway galleries, art from Innisfree Village. In the second floor hallway gallery, the All High Schools Art Show features work from Charlottesville area high school students. In the Associate Gallery, “Green,” works from associate artists. Through Ma 28.
New City Arts 114 Third St. NE. “Fever Creek,” an exhibition of prints by Jackson Taylor. Through May 25. First Fridays opening and artist talk.
Phaeton Gallery 114 Old Preston Ave. “Hope Olson: Art From the Garden,” a solo exhibition showcasing acrylic on canvas and mixed-media works. Through May 20. Opens April 14.
PVCC Gallery V. Earl Dickinson Building, 501 College Dr. In the North and South galleries, the 2023 Student Exhibition. On May 5, the PVCC Pottery Club’s Bowls and Bunuelos Fundraiser. Choose a handmade bowl and get a sweet Mexican fritter.
Quirk Gallery 499 W. Main St. “Trial & Error,” mixed-media works by Frank Phillips. Through June 18.
Second Street Gallery 115 Second St. SE. In the Dové gallery, “House Jungle,” paintings by Brittany Fan. In the main gallery, “Mirabilia naturae (Wonders of Nature),” works by Lara Call Gastinger, Giselle Gautreau, Elizabeth Perdue. Through May 19.
Studio Ix 969 Second St. SE. “GARDENS + VISTAS,” two bodies of recent work by Anna Hillard Bryant. Through May 28. First Fridays opening.
Vault Virginia 300 E. Main St. “Tom Chambers and Fax Ayres: Everything is Extraordinary,” photographs using theater and light to describe the fantastical. Through May 16. First Fridays opening.
Complete the grid so that every row, column, and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
1. [Hey! Over here!]
5. Cacio e ____ (past a dish)
9. Capit al city that rings in the New Year by dropping a huge potato
14. “Future Nostalgia” singer Dua
15. “Too bad, so sad!”
16. Urge forward
17. Face-to-face exam
18. Cube, such as onions
19. Some red carpet dresses
20. Scrolling Inst agram, to some
22. Doesn’t disturb
23. Kind of turn
25. Cut (down)
28. Bad-mouth
33. ____-mâché
35. Day before hump day: Abbr.
36. Do more than just check out
37. Pedicure part, perhaps
39. [I’m out]
41. Run for the hills
42. San Francisco’s ____ Hill
44. Most faithful
45. Literar y character given the task of painting “thirty yards of board fence nine feet high”
48. “Noted”
49. Marketplaces
51. Chap
55. Maternit y surprise ... or, read a different way, this puzzle’s theme
60. Out of gas
61. “Live Without ____” (Van Halen concert video)
62. Split
63. Group that protects a QB
64. One thing after another?
65. ____ Poupon mustard
66. Builds anticipation for
67. Times Square sign for B’way fans
68. Highest point
DOWN
1. “The ____ thickens!”
2. Modern search party?
3. Inbox clogger
4. Account
5. “The Taming of the Shrew” setting
6. Draw out
7. Super saver?
8. Direction opposite WNW
9. First family with the dogs Major and Commander
10. Skip past
11. NASDAQ debuts
12. Novak Djokovic, for one
13. Anything ____?”
21. Revealing, in a way
22. “Think this looks good on me?”
24. Shade of purple
25. It alian name of six popes
26. Nikki Giovanni’s “____ of Friendship”
27. Quinceañeras, e.g
29. ____ operandi
30. Shake hands (on)
31. “Almost!”
32. Didn’t discard
33. “As if!”
34. View from a control tower
38. “End of the Road” group ____ II Men
40. Like a good apple
43. One reading Kerouac or Ginsberg, say
46. Living spaces
47. Least cooked
50. Fashion photographer Herb
51. “Then again,” in texts
52. She plays Frankie on “Grace and Frankie”
53. ____ coffee
54. “Molto ____!”
56. Lydia Ko’s sports org.
57. Surname at the O.K. Corral
58. Branch headquarters?
59. River with a mythical ferryman
61. _____-countr y (music genre)
(May 21-June 20): Georges Rouault was a Gemini painter who bequeathed the world over 3,000 works of art. There might have been even more. But years before he died, he burned 315 of his unfinished paintings. He felt they were imperfect, and he would never have time or be motivated to finish them. I think the coming weeks would be a good time for you to enjoy a comparable purge, Gemini. Are there things in your world that don’t mean much to you anymore and are simply taking up space? Consider the possibility of freeing yourself from their stale energy.
(June 21-July 22): Britain occupied India for almost 200 years. It was a ruthless and undemocratic exploitation that steadily drained India’s wealth and resources. Mahatma Gandhi wasn’t the only leader who fought British oppression, but he was among the most effective. In 1930, he led a 24-day, 240-mile march to protest the empire’s tyrannical salt tax. This action was instrumental in energizing the Indian independence movement that ultimately culminated in India’s freedom. I vote to make Gandhi one of your inspirational role models in the coming months. Are you ready to launch a liberation project? Stage a constructive rebellion? Martial the collaborative energies of your people in a holy cause?
(July 23-Aug. 22): As crucial as it is to take responsibility, it is also essential to recognize where our responsibilities end and what should be left for others to do. For example, we usually shouldn’t do work for other people that they can just as easily do for themselves. We shouldn’t sacrifice doing the work that only we can do and get sidetracked doing work that many people can do. To be effective and to find fulfillment in life, it’s vital for us to discover what truly needs to be within our care and what should be outside of our care. I see the coming weeks as a favorable time for you to clarify the boundary between these two.
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo-born Marie Laveau was a powerful voodoo priestess, herbalist, activist, and midwife in New Orleans. According to legend, she could walk on water,
(April 20-May 20): I’ve selected a passage to serve as one of your prime themes during the rest of 2023. It comes from poet Jane Shore. She writes, “Now I feel I am learning how to grow into the space I was always meant to occupy, into a self I can know.” Dear Taurus, you will have the opportunity to grow evermore assured and self-possessed as you embody Shore’s description in the coming months. Congratulations in advance on the progress you will make to more fully activate your soul’s code.
summon clairvoyant visions, safely suck the poison out of a snake’s jowls, and cast spells to help her clients achieve their heart’s desires. There is also a wealth of more tangible evidence that she was a community activist who healed the sick, volunteered as an advocate for prisoners, provided free teachings, and did rituals for needy people who couldn’t pay her. I hereby assign her to be your inspirational role model for the coming weeks. I suspect you will have extra power to help people in both mysterious and practical ways.
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): What are the best methods to exorcize our personal demons, ghosts, and goblins? Or at least subdue them and neutralize their ill effects? We all have such phantoms at work in our psyches, corroding our confidence and undermining our intentions. One approach I don’t recommend is to get mad at yourself for having these interlopers. Never do that. The demons’ strategy, you see, is to manipulate you into being mean and cruel to yourself. To drive them away, I suggest you shower yourself with love and kindness. That seriously reduces their ability to trick you and hurt you—and may even put them into a deep sleep. Now is an excellent time to try this approach.
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): As she matured, Scorpio poet Sylvia Plath wrote, “I am learning how to compromise the wild dream ideals and the necessary realities without such screaming pain.” I believe you’re ready to go even further than Plath was able to, dear Scorpio. In the coming weeks, you could not merely “compromise” the wild dream ideals and the necessary realities. You could synergize them and get them to collaborate in satisfying ways. Bonus: I bet you will accomplish this feat without screaming pain. In fact, you
may generate surprising pleasures that delight you with their revelations.
(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Some primates use herbal and clay medicines to self-medicate. Great apes, chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas ingest a variety of ingredients that fight against parasitic infection and help relieve various gastrointestinal disturbances. Our ancestors learned the same healing arts, though far more extensively. And many Indigenous people today still practice this kind of self-care. With these thoughts in mind, Sagittarius, I urge you to spend quality time in the coming weeks deepening your understanding of how to heal and nurture yourself. The kinds of “medicines” you might draw on could be herbs, and may also be music, stories, colors, scents, books, relationships, and adventures.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The mythic traditions of all cultures are replete with tales of clashes and combats. If we draw on these tales to deduce what activity humans enjoy more than any other, we might conclude that it’s fighting with each other. But I hope you will avoid this normal habit as much as possible during the next three weeks, Capricorn. I am encouraging you to actively repress all inclinations to tangle. Just for now, I believe you will cast a wildly benevolent magic spell on your mental and physical health if you avoid arguments and skirmishes. Here’s a helpful tip: In each situation you’re involved in, focus on sustaining a vision of the most graceful, positive outcome.
(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Is there a person who could serve as your uber mother for a while? This would be a wise and tender maternal ally who gives you the extra nurturing you need,
along with steady doses of warm, crisp advice on how to weave your way through your labyrinthine decisions. Your temporary uber mother could be any gender, really. They would love and accept you for exactly who you are, even as they stoke your confidence to pursue your sweet dreams about the future. Supportive and inspirational. Reassuring and invigorating. Championing you and consecrating you.
(Feb. 19-March 20): Congratulations on acquiring the Big New Riddle! I trust it will inspire you to grow wiser and kinder and wilder over the coming months. I’ve compiled some clues to help you unravel and ultimately solve this challenging and fascinating mystery. 1. Refrain from calling on any strength that’s stingy or pinched. Ally yourself solely with generous power. 2. Avoid putting your faith in trivial and irrelevant “benefits.” Hold out for the most soulful assistance. 3. The answer to key questions may often be, “Make new connections and enhance existing connections.”
(March21-April 19): Before forming The Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney performed under various other names: the Quarrymen, Japage 3, and Johnny and the Moondogs. I suspect you are currently at your own equivalent of the Johnny and the Moondogs phase. You’re building momentum. You’re gathering the tools and resources you need. But you have not yet found the exact title, descriptor, or definition for your enterprise. I suggest you be extra alert for its arrival in the coming weeks.
Expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes: RealAstrology.com, (877) 873-4888
We’re eager to hear from candidates who share our passion for serving the community for the following position.
Full-time, Part-time, PRN $15-$17 per hour
To see a complete job description for each please visit the careers page of our website. arcpva.org/careers
Offering competitive compensation, paid training, andfor full time staff - an attractive benefits package including health, dental, vision, and more
Free Union Country School, a spirited, closely-knit, good-humored and sharply focused learning community located near Charlottesville in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains seeks an experienced kindergarten teacher to inspire in each and every student an enduring passion for learning, imagining, and solving.
If this is you, consult our full position description at freeunioncountryschool.org/about/ employment-opportunities and as indicated apply to Timothy Baynum, Head of School.
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What led you to the different styles and forms that show up in this book? Are there any that were completely new to you?
Referencing the milky covering that can occur on an infant’s tongue after feeding, milk tongue is a collection that explores parenthood, family, and the intricacies of existence in this world, filled with Mathieu’s precise, embodied language. In “second attempt at going home,” Mathieu muses:
…here is one way to go home: find your brother, find a bench (any), pull the yarn out of each other’s throats until your language finds its hooves again, hear your common gallop over the land.
Playful with form, ranging from traditional Japanese haibun style to more experimental forms, Mathieu remains attentive to the physical space of the page, and committed to examining what it means to be human in the wild, in the world, as we experience climate collapse and other crises amidst the distinct pleasures and routines of being alive. In “clockmelt,” she writes:
…faith is the knowledge that this precise loneliness will circle back around at regular intervals divinable only by the rain that starts at midnight. in a midnight assemblé on my retinas, the future & irredeemable past blaze in and out of focus like this year’s three hundred wildfires—controlled only by the winds.
In “Labor Day,” she considers: it’s hard work remembering to be human, and that’s what we’re here to celebrate today, with chlorine & grill at the edge of a wild we crave.
In advance of her upcoming book launch for milk tongue at Visible Records on May 6, we spoke with Mathieu about the forthcoming collection:
C-VILLE: In what ways has motherhood influenced or changed your writing practice, in addition to influencing some of the themes you explore in this collection?
Irène Mathieu: The poems in milk tongue were
all written before I became a mother, but my writing practice hasn’t changed all that much since my daughter was born. My job as a physician doesn’t leave much time for large stretches of uninterrupted writing, so my practice has always been to jot things down in the margins of my days, and to delve into the work during small windows of time. Logistically speaking, motherhood has simply increased the intensity of that pressured way of writing. Although I
wasn’t a parent when I wrote milk tongue (there are a couple of poems in it that I wrote while pregnant), this book very much arose from a sort of pre-parenting psychic space. That is, the book is evidence of my grappling with the ethics surrounding some of the mundane desires of adulthood, including the desire to have children, while living in a society in which inequality and separation from the greater-than-human world are foundational conditions.
Haibun is a Japanese form that I came across early on in the writing of milk tongue. Traditionally these poems describe a journey, and they consist of a prose poem punctuated by a haiku-like stanza that contains some sort of key insight. A lot of my poetry is inspired by travel, but I was also thinking about the metaphorical journey that is adulting, so I found myself returning to haibun as a way to explore these themes. Other than the haibun, I was mostly experimenting with forms and styles I created as I was writing. I was really interested in how the way a poem is physically laid out on the page can add to its layers of meaning, and to the experience of reading it. I love that in this sense poetry also can be a visual form of art!
How does language meet the challenges of grappling with our warming days, diverging selves, and unreliable histories and futures? How does it fall short?
For me, language is a transformational medium. That is, through writing I discover what I need to (un)learn and how I need to grow in order to make more useful contributions to the world. Penawahpskek lawyer and activist Sherri Mitchell says that 80 percent of social change is visioning and creating the world we want, and I think writing is a tool to do that kind of imagining. Mitchell also has said, “[T]his rising tension [and] anxiety that people are feeling is not necessarily evidence that something is wrong, but perhaps is evidence that something is being righted within us.” Writing gives me a way to explore the tension I feel at this moment in history, and to figure out what is being righted within myself. When the language falls short of doing this work, for me it’s a sign of imaginational failure, and the remedy is generally to listen more—to ancestors, elders, young people, plants, and non-human animals around me—in order to feed my imagination.
