The Georgetowner: March 9, 2022 Issue by The Georgetowner

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GEORGETOWNER.COM

VOLUME 68 NUMBER 6

MARCH 9 - APRIL 12, 2022

Spring Arts Q & A W I TH WO M EN C ULTURAL L E A D E R S

Preview

TH E J OU R N EY O F ALL A ROG E RS

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MARCH 9, 2022

IN THIS ISSUE

ABOUT THE COVER “May I Give This Ukrainian Bread to All People in This Big Wide World,” is a painting created in 1982 by Maria Primachenko (1909-1997) in the naïve art style. A self-taught folk artist, she worked in painting, embroidery, and ceramics. Primachenko is considered a national treasure by Ukrainians at home and around the world. The Ivankiv Museum, north of Kyiv, that housed some of her works burned down last week, and 25 pieces of her art were reportedly destroyed among other priceless archeological and folk items lost. To learn more, visit: • https://nyti.ms/3HS0VeH • https://lat.ms/3CqPN7E

NEWS · 6 - 8 Town Topics

BUSINESS · 9 In’s and Out’s

EDITORIAL & OPINION · 10 Ukraine’s Profile in Courage The Importance of Arts Education Ukrainian Georgetowner Appeals for Help, Understanding

VILLAGE · 11 Allister Chang’s Literacy Goals for State Board of Education

REAL ESTATE · 12 Feb. 2022 Real Estate Sales

ARTS · 14 - 17 Q&A with Women Arts Leaders The Ultimate Spring Arts Guide Afrofuturist Opera at Strathmore, April 28-29 Picasso: Painting the Blue Period, at The Phillips Collection

CLASSIFIEDS · 18 Service Directory

GALA GUIDE · 18 Spring Preview Gala Guide

FOOD & WINE · 19 Latest Dish

IN COUNTRY · 21 Middleburg Is Back, Busy and Buoyant Arts Watch

BOOK CLUB · 22

With a war going on in Ukraine, it seemed frivolous to run a spring arts preview without recognizing the courage and culture of the Ukrainian people. We spoke to Georgetowner Alla Rogers, as she is Ukrainian, speaks both Ukrainian and Russian and has visited the countries more times than she can count. She suggested artist Maria Primachenko’s painting to be on the cover, whose art is currently trying to be saved by Ukrainians as Russians bomb their cultural institutions. Tying into our spring arts preview, the question begs to be asked—what would we do if our arts institutions were under attack? Of course, lives are the top priority but how would we get the countless artifacts to safety?

The Journey of Alla Rogers BY KATE OC ZYPOK Ukraine is on everyone’s mind right now and one Georgetowner of Ukrainian descent, local art dealer and self-professed “international cultural exchange person,” Alla Rogers, has been drawn acutely into the subject. Since 1972, Rogers has lived in the same house in Georgetown on 30th Street NW. In light of Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, The Georgetowner spoke with Rogers about her background and views on the subject. Rogers’ parents Volodymyr and Halyna Bilajiw were born in Ukraine and survived capture by Nazi occupiers following the 1941 German invasion. Rogers was born in Germany and later emigrated to Australia, where she spent her early childhood. Her parents and she eventually sailed from Australia to the United States, settling in Philadelphia with just $15 to their name. “We had Ukrainian sponsors who took us in and gave us a place to live until my parents’ got jobs,” Rogers said. “I would say I grew up in a real diasporic community in Philly — we went to Ukrainian church, and I attended Ukrainian school all day on Saturdays to learn the language properly.” Decades ago, Rogers’s father was part of a provisional government formed so if Ukraine ever proclaimed independence, it would have a government in waiting. He was named Poet Laureate of Ukraine and was Chief of Voice of America Ukraine, starting with the collapse of the Soviet Union until he retired. Rogers’ mother spent 30 years as an engineer designing highways for the state of Pennsylvania. “She was in a male-dominated profession,” Rogers said. “That in itself is a subject, how she managed to work, raise a child, adapt to a new culture and language and within one generation have a child educated.” Everything Rogers’ parents achieved could not have been possible in the Soviet Union, she added.

Kitty Kelley Book Club VISIT GEORGETOWNER.COM FOR THE FULL ARTICLE.

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PUBLISHER Sonya Bernhardt

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert Devaney

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Peggy Sands

MANAGING EDITOR Christopher Jones

FEATURE EDITOR Ari Post FASHION & BEAUTY DIRECTOR Lauretta McCoy GRAPHIC DESIGN Troy Riemer PHOTOGRAPHERS Philip Bermingham Jeff Malet DIRECTOR OF CONTENT & ADVERTISING Kate Oczypok

CONTRIBUTORS Mary Bird Susan Bodiker Allyson Burkhardt Evan Caplan Didi Cutler Donna Evers Michelle Galler Amos Gelb Wally Greeves Christopher Jones Kitty Kelley Rebekah Kelley Jody Kurash Shelia Moses Kate Oczypok Linda Roth Alison Schafer Mary Ann Treger

1050 30th Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 Phone: (202) 338-4833 Fax: (202) 338-4834 www.georgetowner.com “The Newspaper Whose Influence Far Exceeds Its Size” — Pierre Cardin The Georgetowner is published in print monthly with an online newsletter supplement posted twice per week — On Mondays we highlight news and on Thursdays goings on about town. The opinions of our writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect the editorial and corporate opinions of The Georgetowner newspaper. The Georgetowner accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. The Georgetowner reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright 2022.

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BUZZ BUILDS FOR D.C. PRIMARY ELECTIONS JUNE 21 B Y P E G G Y SAN D S In a surprise, Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh has decided not to seek reelection. Courtesy Mary M. Cheh.

UKRAINE SUPPORTERS PROTEST RUSSIAN AGGRESSION AT WHITE HOUSE (PHOTOS) B Y J E F F M AL ET Dianna Shypialo of Bethesda, Maryland, worries about her family. Photo by Jeff Malet.

‘WORRY TO WONDER’ BOOK PARTY PERFECT LENT EVENT B Y R O B ERT D EVAN EY Brooke Fink, Melissa Overmyer and Philippa Bender. Courtesy Melissa Overmyer.

RECENT HIT ONLINE 3,064 VIEWS NATIONAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL IN-PERSON AGAIN; PEAK BLOOM MARCH 22 TO 25 B Y R O B ERT D EVAN EY Cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin in March of 2019. Photo by Jeff Malet.

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FEBRUARY 9, 2022

TOWN TOPICS

NEWS BYTES CO MPI L ED BY ROB E RT D E VA N E Y

TUDOR PLACE NOW FULLY REOPENED As with other museums in the D.C. area, the pandemic suspended, then rearranged Tudor’s visitation schedules. During 2020’s initial shutdown, the mansion and grounds were closed from March to July. The gardens reopened from August to November that year, while the mansion remained closed. Socially distanced self-guided and audio tours of Tudor’s first floor, conservatory and gardens became publicly accessible from April to December 2021. Last week, Tudor Place reopened the full house and gardens to the public on March 3, with guided tours of the first and second floors, and self-guided tours of the garden, from Thursdays through Saturdays. Selfguided tours of the house resumed March 6. For more details, visit TudorPlace.org.

CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL BEGINS MARCH 20; PEAK BLOOM EXPECTED MARCH 22 TO 25 The 2022 National Cherry Blossom Festival will return March 20 to April 17, bringing back “well-loved traditions and new

collaborations.” The post-pandemic, in-person celebration will offer “four weeks of food, fun, culture, and entertainment beyond the fully open Tidal Basin,” according to festival officials. The National Park Service predicts the peak bloom dates will be March 22 to 25. “The National Cherry Blossom Festival, like springtime and the cherry trees themselves, symbolizes hope, renewal, and new beginnings,” said Diana Mayhew, National Cherry Blossom Festival President and CEO, at the March 1 announcement. “The trees, a gesture of goodwill from Tokyo to Washington, D.C., now, more than ever, serve as a reminder of the importance of unifying communities and sharing in the celebration of peace and international friendship.” Mayor Bowser also spoke cheerfully about the festival’s return. “As Mayor of Washington, D.C., I am thrilled to welcome back residents and visitors to rediscover our celebrated and renowned National Cherry Blossom Festival. This year, we’re pleased to finally be back in-person and have the opportunity to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the gift of 3,000 cherry trees given to us by Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki in 1912.”

In time for spring blossoms, Tudor Place opened fully on March 3. Photo courtesy Tudor Place.

C&O CANAL BOAT DEBUT PARTY APRIL 28 The Georgetown Heritage Board of Directors and co-chairs Heather Muir Johnson and Brooke Stroud — along with partners from the National Park Service, District of Columbia, and Georgetown BID — are throwing a party for the new C&O Canal boat on Thursday, April 28, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Lock 3, 1057 Thomas Jefferson St.

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NW. The ticketed event will feature live music, cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres with friends and neighbors, while touring the new boat and participating in the christening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. For details, visit georgetownheritage.org/events. Public rides on the canal boat begin the next day.

GEORGETOWN GARDEN TOUR RETURNS MAY 7 After two years shut down in the Covid19 desert, the Georgetown Garden Tour will return 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, May 7. The tour features eight private gardens from Washington’s most historic neighborhood. (Details will appear in next month’s newspaper as well as online.) Tickets are $40 before April 30 at www. georgetowngardenclubdc.org. On May 1, the ticket price will be $45 on the website and on the day of the tour at Christ Church, 3116 O St. NW. The tour benefits local organizations with emphasis on greenery. Past beneficiaries have included Book Hill Park, Tudor Place gardens, Trees for Georgetown, the rose garden at Montrose Park, Rose Park, Volta Park Habitat Garden, Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy and Georgetown Waterfront Park.

TOWN TOPICS

ANC Report: Crime, Budget, Redistricting BY STE VE HOLTON

PUBLIC SAFETY First on the agenda at this month’s ANC meeting, a public safety briefing from Lt. John Merzig of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Regarding last month’s fatal shooting at 33rd and M Streets NW, MPD has identified a “person of interest” and has ascertained the shooting was not likely random. “There was some sort of correlation between the two individuals,” said Merzig. MPD is still on the search for the shooter and has increased patrols. In conjunction with the U.S. Secret Service, MPD has also increased its presence in Georgetown in anticipation of the truckers’ convoys as well as protests near the Ukrainian and Russian embassies. On the positive side of the report, property crime, theft from auto, and stolen auto are down significantly by 50 percent. “Cold weather usually plays a factor,” said Lt. Merzig, “but continue to lock your car and keep your valuables out of sight.”

A WORD FROM COUNCIL MEMBER BROOKE PINTO Appearing live from her office in the Zoom meeting, Ward 2 Council Member Pinto stated she sent a budget request letter outlining Ward 2 projects and priorities to Mayor Bowser on Feb. 3. Mayor Bowser will send the mayor’s budget letter to the D.C. Council for consideration by March 16 in preparation for July Council hearings and final budget approval by the new fiscal year, starting Oct. 1. Ella Hanson can be contacted at ehanson@ dccouncil.us for budget-related questions. Public safety continues to be one of Pinto’s top priorities with Council Member Pinto sharing residents’ frustrations. “The violence we have to endure is unacceptable,” she said. She’s joined neighbors and MPD for public safety walks and ride-alongs and has put her support behind the MPD cadet training program that trains officers to serve the communities in which they grew up. She also continues to support violence interruption programs. Focusing on schools will assist in improving Ward 2 neighborhoods, Pinto believes. She therefore supports expansion for “out of school time” programs that ensure kids are supervised in meaningful extracurricular activities. In-person school time is critical to young people’s development and she supports adequate funding to eliminate staffing cuts and to improve and modernize school infrastructure. Affordable housing and addressing

homelessness in another top priority. Pinto is working to ensure that the unhoused will be able to move into safe and stable housing. Fortunately, tens of millions of dollars in housing vouchers are available, though deploying the vouchers will take time because the “infrastructure needs to be in place” (including “wrap-around” social services to help the unhoused transition to public housing.) Pinto highlighted the success of the city’s pilot program helping to provide expedited housing and assistance to homeless encampment residents in four locations. Of the four sights, 84 percent of the residents who were living there are now in stable housing. “This is a great model I hope will expand into other sites in the city,” Pinto said. Pinto has also introduced the Recovery Act to convert vacant office space to affordable housing, retail, hotels, greenspace and other uses. Since the pandemic, retail space is underutilized and the jobs and construction generated from the initiative will benefit residents as well. Other priorities include funding for small businesses to help fill vacant ground floor retail space along Georgetown’s business corridors and streamlining the business licensing process for business owners and entrepreneurs. Senior citizens who have been affected by isolation due to the pandemic are a priority as well. Ward 2 doesn’t have a dedicated senior center and Pinto would like to provide one. Pinto has also requested $1 million to fund the renovation of the Hardy Recreation Center located at 4500 Q Street NW.

UPDATE FROM THE ANC REDISTRICTING TASK FORCE The task force’s two representatives, former ANC 2E Commissioner Monica Roache and Burleith Citizens Association President Eric Lagenbacher, provided an update on the redistricting process discussing a plan to redraw Georgetown ANC districting lines. Fortunately, Ward 2 has fewer complications than other city wards. Among a few of the challenges however, each single member district (SMD) is required to contain between 1,900 and 2,100 residents and currently three SMDs are below that threshold. The difficulty of drawing clear lines through the Georgetown University campus is also an issue, since the school’s population is treated as a single data point in the redistricting software. Applying for variances, however, should not be difficult, the task force stated. GMG, INC.

MARCH 9, 2022

TOWN TOPICS

‘Dress It Up Dressing’ From Georgetown’s Sophia Maroon BY C AR RINGTON C. TA R R The girl who grew up on P Street eating salads tossed with her mother’s homemade dressing never dreamed she would one day be selling it in bottles by the hundreds of thousands to stores nationwide. For Sophia Maroon, whose late father Fred Maroon famously photographed the neighborhood for his book “Maroon on Georgetown,” it took the urging of her brother, a bit of luck and a lot of hard work to bring “Dress It Up Dressing” to the marketplace. “The idea of starting the salad dressing business had been floating around for years,” Maroon said recently. “It was actually my brother’s idea.” The dressing, a red wine vinaigrette her mother made without sugar for their prediabetic father, had been a daily staple in their home. The simple ingredients consisted of vinegar (a natural preservative), olive oil, mustard, garlic and salt. Maroon even made huge batches in college that “would last a month,” she said. But it wasn’t until 10 years ago, after the birth of her third child, that she decided to turn her brother’s idea into action, and began distributing jars to friends. Orders poured in, and Dress It Up Dressing was born. One April day at Whole Foods, where Maroon had been picking up wooden crates

to use in her deliveries, an employee asked how she used them. Upon hearing the answer, he insisted that she bring samples in for the store team to try. By November, the product appeared on shelves in the Friendship Heights store. By March, it was in 14 stores. In the months in between, Maroon faced the question of how to fulfill the Whole Foods order. Fortunately, a friend connected her to a facility in Pennsylvania that could produce the dressing, and Maroon began spending countless hours there, overseeing the production. “I basically got a six-month PhD in how to make a salad dressing company,” she said with a laugh. During the company’s launch, Maroon was in middle of a divorce and looked to close friends for initial funding. As the company grew, that circle expanded to include friends and neighbors (this writer included). Through the years, her business has steadily grown, along with the accolades and recognition. In 2018, she launched new bottles, added new flavors, and with her Sesame Tahini dressing, quickly won two of the biggest awards in the food industry. Maroon recently received an award from Pepsi as one of 15 female founders who

Amid Scandal, Duke Ellington School to Transfer to DCPS BY PEG GY SA NDS The Duke Ellington School of the Arts, comprising a large block at 35th and R Streets and Reservoir Road NW, is facing an administrative scandal which will change its unique independent operational structure. Last week, D.C. Public Schools said it plans “to assume full operation of Duke Ellington School of the Arts,” according to News4, which first reported and “raised questions about how the school’s unique relationship with the school district may have contributed to lapses in teacher sex abuse investigations.” Such a move will make Ellington School directly subject to the DCPS oversight system and operational structure. D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee confirmed that the school district is “currently in discussions with the school to create a plan for a smooth transition.” He indicated that the non-profit Duke Ellington School of the Arts Project board of directors would no longer govern the school, according to News4, a change “that would drastically alter the current operating structure that’s been in effect for more than 20 years.… it will 8 MARCH 9, 2022

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no longer govern the school.” The trigger for the transfer were recent revelations about how the mishandling of almost two decades of sex abuse claims against writing teacher Mark Williams were reported but apparently never investigated — nor was he charged or even reprimanded. He resigned voluntarily in 2019. On Jan. 30, stories by News4 I-Team prompted a letter by Ward 2 Council member Brook Pinto and Ward 2 State Board of Education Member Allister Chang to the D.C. State Superintendent of Education Christina Grant about the situation. “This is completely unacceptable,” Pinto and Chang wrote in their letter to Grant. “A [Duke Ellington School] teacher preyed on multiple students evading reprimand and investigation by the school, the District of Columbia Public Schools, and the Metropolitan Police Department.” The two elected officials called for a formal review of the school’s board structure and the addition of an objective person who is a trained Title IX expert.

Sophia Maroon, founder of Dress It Up Dressing pivoted during Covid. The award recognized their work with DC Public Schools and World Central Kitchen, feeding children, the elderly and first responders. Last year, Bon Appetit magazine featured her in a series on women entrepreneurs, which raised the company’s profile even further. And maybe most impressive of all, last year the company doubled its sales, reaching $500,000, and tripled its stores, including all Giant Foods. Alongside Maroon for the last four years has stood another Georgetowner, Hannah Isles, the company’s director of sales. After meeting her as a fellow parent at St. John’s Preschool, Isles began accompanying Maroon on trips to food shows and eventually joined the team. She said one of the keys to the company’s success is Maroon herself. “Sophia’s got on permanent rose-colored glasses,” Isles said. “We’ll be in a meeting, and afterward I’ll say, ‘Oh, it was lukewarm.’ But she’ll say, ‘That was the best meeting ever.’ A lot of her success is due to

her charm, her passion for her product, and her pathological optimism.” One of the more distinctive features of the dressing is its label, drawn by yet another Georgetown native, Inslee Farris, who grew up on 30th street. The drawings feature what Maroon calls “the girls” and shows each sporting ingredients specific to the flavor. The photographs of the vegetables are from the cookbook her father collaborated on with JeanLouis Palladin, the former Watergate chef. And what of the family matriarch? What does Mrs. Maroon think of her daughter’s success in offering this beloved homemade recipe to the masses? “It was just an absolutely basic vinaigrette in any cookbook you could find,” said Suzy Maroon, who still lives in the same house on P street. “But [Sophia] filled a big void on the shelves of the supermarket. You look at any bottle and the first ingredient is water. No one puts water on their salad!”

COMMUNITY CALENDAR MARCH 17

COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS Next meeting at 401 F St. NW, Suite 312. Filing deadline March 3.

APRIL 7

OLD GEORGETOWN BOARD Next meeting at 401 F St. NW, Suite 312. Filing deadline March 17.

MONTHLY

GEORGETOWN NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY Women’s History Month Scavenger Hunts, all-day in the Children’s Room; Tax Assistance at the Library Wednesday’s and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Gentle Yoga: Mondays 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Art and Vision with Nick Cruz Velleman, Tuesdays 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Oneon-One Help with Computer Basics: Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

MARCH 12

CITY TAVERN CLUB Buried Beneath Our Feet: Unearthing History in Georgetown, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

MARCH 16-APRIL 12 WASHINGTON PRINTMAKERS GALLERY

Workshops: Stencilmaking: March 16 and March 23, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Cross Stitch: March 18; Printmaking on April 12, 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

MARCH 26 & APRIL 9 DUMBARTON HOUSE

Chamber Music Concert 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

APRIL 3

DUMBARTON HOUSE Classical Music Concert: “Then and Now,” 4:00 p.m.

BUSINESS

NIKE TO BOLT FROM GEORGETOWN?

The Amazon Book Store and Nike are in the same building at 3040 M St. NW. Georgetowner photo.

BUSINESS INS & OUTS BY R OBE RT DEVA NEY

IN: STICX AND STONX Aung Myint expanded his presence in the Georgetown neighborhood with Sticx, now open at 1728 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Occupying a 2,200 square-foot, 20-seat space, the fastcasual place offers varieties of East Asian street food. Upstairs from Sticx is Stonx, a happily named wine bar — with a choice of more than 200 wines as sake, cocktails and Champagne.

IN: L’ANNEXE REOPENS L’Annexe Cocktail Bar reopened March 1 and told us: “Our team was hard at work this past month creating a refreshed menu with exciting new drinks and dishes.” Besides its drinks at the zinc-topped bar or cozy library, the spot at 2917 M St. NW offers a “menu of bites, featuring dynamic small plates with unexpected pops of flavor and texture under the culinary direction of Mark Ouellet.” First at the bar, Dave and Eric approve.

OUT: AMAZON DROPS BOOK STORES Amazon will be closing all 68 of its physical bookstores, along with pop-ups. The closure includes Amazon Books at 3040 M St. NW. Ironically, the Georgetown book store opened in part of the former Barnes & Noble space in 2018. The company remains committed to its physical grocery stores. The Glover Park Whole Foods reopened last month with hightech transaction devices.

OUT: CONCEPT 31/M, BUT NEW TENANT COMING Concept 31/M, the retail pop-up mix, ended its run at 3077 M St. NW. The corner property at 31st and M Street previously housed Brooks Brothers for years. Landlord Philippe Lanier of EastBanc told The Georgetowner it remains a great

concept and he hopes to find permanent places for the businesses elsewhere, if possible, adding, “With Concept 31/M, EastBanc took advantage of a temporary large format vacancy to promote a new kind of retail by working with dynamic local retailers in small, collaborative formats to add creativity and diversity to the shopping experience. … we paused this iteration of Concept 31/M to make way for exciting new brands coming to the space later this year.”

“Nike missed a deadline earlier this year to exercise a renewal option for its roughly 33,600-square-foot space at 3040 M St. NW, according to a source familiar with the situation,” per the Washington Business Journal. “It’s unclear whether it was an oversight or whether the retailer intentionally missed the deadline with the intention of giving back its space or renegotiating for a smaller footprint in the 44,000 square-foot building, according to the source, who was not authorized to speak on the record about the situation … Its current lease is slated to expire in the first quarter of 2023.” According to the business report, “Lincoln Property Co. is seeking replacement tenants for Nike Inc.’s Georgetown retail store, more than a decade after the athletic apparel giant inked a deal to fill the gap created by Barnes & Noble.” Nike inked its lease in 2012.

EX-KEY BRIDGE EXXON PROPERTY FACES FORECLOSURE The shuttered Key Bridge Exxon gas station property — at 36th & M Streets NW, next to the foot of the Exorcist Steps — was poised to

The former Key Bridge Exxon property at 3601 M St. NW has been vacant and fought over for years. Georgetowner photo. be redeveloped as condominiums as well as a possible spot for the Georgetown terminus of the imaginary aerial Georgetown-Rosslyn gondola. It may be foreclosed March 17. “A foreclosure notice was filed Monday on the property, located at 3601-3607 M St. NW, according to the D.C. Recorder of Deeds. Those documents say there is an $11.46 million balance owed on the note, held by local gas station magnate, part D.C. United owner and budding developer Eyob “Joe” Mamo, according to a related foreclosure affidavit,” reported the Washington Business Journal last month. The land has been the subject of many Georgetowner stories — whether as a site for condos or the landing site for the so-called Georgetown gondola.

OUT: CB2 DECAMPS TO TYSONS CB2, the contemporary home decor retailer from Crate & Barrel, at 3307 M St. NW closed Feb. 20. As with the loss of the Gap, we’ve heard from a few admirers who have expressed retail dismay. CB2 opened at the EastBanc property in 2011.

OUT: PIE SISTERS CLOSE SHOP The Pie Sisters — Alli, Bear and Cat Blakely — left the following note for fans. “Pie Sisters will be closing its doors on Feb 20th … It has been our absolute pleasure being part of the Georgetown community over the past 11 years. … Although the store will be closing, the Pie Sisters brand will continue …”

OUT: CAPITAL ONE BOUNCES MAY 18 Capital One Bank at 1545 Wisconsin Ave. NW will close May 18 at 5 p.m. “for good,” the local banking giant told its clients in a farewell letter, dated Feb. 14. “We understand that this news may be disappointing — please know we did not make this decision lightly.” The corner property at Wisconsin Avenue & Q Street boasts a two-story, federal-style building with a parking lot in the rear. It was built in the 1990s and was at first a Chevy Chase Bank. Capital One Cafe remains at Wisconsin Avenue & M Street. GMG, INC.

MARCH 9, 2022

EDITORIAL/OPINION

Send Your Feedback, Questions or Concerns, Tips and Suggestions to editorial@georgetowner.com or call 202-338-4833.

Ukraine’s Profile in Courage The situation in Ukraine is your classic David-and-Goliath story and, at this moment, it looks as though David may be winning. Or at least holding his own. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who first came to our attention as a key actor in former President Trump’s first impeachment drama, has now stepped into the breach — and spotlight — showing us all what true courage and leadership look like. The Russian blitzkrieg has so far been no match for the Ukrainian hearts-and-minds campaign he has almost singlehandedly waged in personal appearances, social media, selfievideos and patriotic messaging that exhort every citizen to rise up and resist the invasion. As an MSNBC reporter said on Sunday,

Zelenskyy is the embodiment of that old English phrase (some attribute to Shakespeare): “Cometh the hour, cometh the man.” To his people, he says, “We are here.” To U.S. authorities who offered to fly him to safety, he responds, “We need ammunition, not a lift.” To the Russians, he speaks over the head of their leader, and urges them to protest their own government’s actions. Which, amazingly and in great force, they have. Do you think Americans could summon the same fortitude and unity to come together like this for the common good? Recent evidence — pro-Putin statements from people who should know better than to put cult before country — suggest not.

Portrait Ukrainian American Alla Rogers by renowned Ukrainian painter Alexander Pogrebinsky

The Importance of Arts Education Ukrainian Georgetowner Nowadays, we hear a lot about the the students have is infectious! Appeals for Help, Understanding importance of a STEM -- or Science, Despite the many benefits of arts education, Technology, Engineering and Math -education. Some schools have added an “A” to this formula to represent the arts, nicknaming the effort “STEAM.” While adding an A for arts to the other areas of study is welcome, many times that A stands for arts like graphic design. Frequently, creative arts like music, dance and performance are left out of education entirely

STEM vs. STEAM in our nation’s schools. This is often because many schools are underfunded and just simply unable to add the arts to their curriculum. But it’s also due to an unfortunate shift in priorities. The arts teach students so many lessons. According to Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading arts education nonprofit, some of those lessons are “practice makes perfect, small differences can have large effects and collaboration leads to creativity.” They’re not wrong. I have had the opportunity to teach piano lessons to around 40 children and adults over the last eight years. Every spring, I hold a piano recital and it brings me such great joy to see the students perform songs they spend months practicing. The pride and excitement 10 MARCH 9, 2022

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however, not every student has access to the arts. Keeping arts in public schools allows students to continue to develop their language and social skills, decision-making and risktaking and creativity. If art is incorporated with other subjects, students who may not always be engaged become more interested (trust me, it works — in seventh grade History we studied the Revolutionary War. For the end-of-unit project I wrote a play and got my class to play the parts). Students who may have behaviorial issues also benefit from the arts. According to a 2010 study of Missouri public schools, greater arts education led to fewer disciplinary infractions and higher attendance, graduation rates and test scores. Back to the concept of STEM or STEAM — perhaps it’s crucial to keep the A in the acronym. Why? Think about how many notable figures from the sciences were also musicians! Albert Einstein played the piano and violin. Thomas Edison played the piano. Neil Armstrong played the baritone horn. Mae Jameson studied modern dance. The list goes on and on. The point is music and the arts are an important part of teaching skills needed to make excellent scientists and inventors. If we don’t continue to teach the arts in schools, we won’t have the opportunity to hear beautiful music, watch incredible dance shows or laugh with a new musical of the moment from the next generation.

The Georgetowner recently received this letter from a Ukrainian and longtime Georgetown resident Alla Rogers appealing for help in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: How can the average American help? Support relief efforts, pray sincerely for Peace in Ukraine, learn more about Ukraine, visit our local Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox churches. Support the Ukrainian Caucus in Congress. I am a resident of Georgetown and came here in 1968. I conducted a successful art business here for 30 years. My late husband, Warren Rogers, was a distinguished journalist. I share a story with millions of Ukrainians living in the U.S.A. and Canada. I was born in 1947 to Ukrainian parents in newly liberated Germany. They survived life in the USSR until captured as slave labor by the Nazi occupiers of Ukraine in 1942. The most noble of their many achievements was to live in freedom as citizens of the U.S.A. Today, the Ukrainian nation is building a country aspiring toward its own ideals with a foundation deeply rooted in freedom, democracy, dignity and its proud identity with its culture as a single people going back a thousand years. Ukrainians have revealed themselves to the world in the last few days especially, as fiercely freedom loving, faithful people who will fight together as patriots until their

last breath. They are also tender, generous, good humored and very hard working. I hope everyone in world gets to know the real Ukraine, not Putin’s delusional propagandafilled ravings and lies. Learn more about its history and culture, its food, its music its art. If possible, someday visit Ukraine. You will find friends there and a great and noble nation. Pray for peace and the end to this dangerous and senseless war. To help the people of Ukraine, please consider giving to one of these organizations: International Rescue Committee https:// rescue.org/Ukraine Americares https://secure.americares.org/ Global Giving https://www.globalgiving.org/ projects/ukraine-crisis-relief-fund/ Save the Children savethechildren.org/

https://www.

World Central Kitchen https://donate.wck. org/ Fundraiser for Medical Supplies to Ukraine Front Lines https://www.facebook.com/dona te/1790857681112387/3106356842966057/ St Andrew’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral https://www.standrewuoc.org/ Ukraine Emergency Fund by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington: https:// connect.shalomdc.org/ukraine-emergencyfund

Georgetown Garden Tour THE VILLAGE

Saturday May 7, 2022 10:00 - 5:00 Tickets $45 $40 before May 1

Literacy advocate Allister Chang, Ward 2’s representative on the DC State Board of Education. Courtesy Alllister Chang.

Tickets can be purchased online at: georgetowngardenclubdc.org or on the day of the tour at Christ Church 31st and O Streets NW

Allister Chang’s Literacy Goals for State Board of Education BY PEG GY SA NDS One of Georgetown’s rising stars is Allister Chang, 31, Ward 2’s elected representative on the DC State Board of Education (DCSBE). He was elected in November 2020 at a dramatic time. Due to the pandemic, D.C. schools were functioning remotely from March 2020 until September 2021. Last fall, they opened to in-person learning as the highly contagious Omicron variant spread rapidly. Restrictions include testing, vaccine verification, quarantine rules and masking of students, teachers and staff both indoors and outdoors.

Chang helped write the DC Comprehensive Literacy Plan-attached to a $16 million federal grant to improve literacy for students. Not all is well. According to the Washington Post on Jan. 30, “Public education is facing a crisis unlike anything in decades, and it reaches into almost everything that educators do: from teaching math, to counseling anxious children, to managing the building.” In fall 2021, 39 percent of D.C. public school students tested below grade level in math, the Post reported. But only 30 percent of fourth grade students in D.C. performed at or above the proficient level in reading, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress

exam. “That ranks D.C. 47th nationally,” Chang says. A native Washingtonian and the first AsianAmerican to be elected to the DCSBE, Chang focuses especially on reading. He helped to write the five-year DC Comprehensive Literacy Plan -- attached to a $16-million federal grant to improve literacy for students in the District. “Enabling children to become proficient readers is a key educational outcome,” the plan states. “Reading unlocks the world for children, allowing them to encounter new ideas and information, communicate with others, and express themselves effectively in school and daily life.” Chang’s passion for literacy comes from an early age. “My parents came to D.C. from Taiwan as Chinese refugees,” Chang says. By third grade, he had more formal education than they did. Over the years, he has helped his father learn to read. After earning an International Baccalaureate in a public high school in Rockville, Maryland, Chang earned his BA from Tufts University and completed graduate studies at Harvard University’s School of Government. He worked around Europe for UNESCO’s Institute for Lifelong Learning and with the NGO “Bibliothecaires Sans Frontiers” – Librarians Without Borders. He was involved in unique literacy projects across international cultures. In 2020, Chang earned a fellowship at Halcyon Incubator on Prospect Street to develop one of those unique literacy learning ideas into reality: to convert sections of local laundromats into social service and reading centers for clientele waiting for their laundry. He has just organized a non-profit organization to implement a model project. Living with husband Michael across the street from Rose Park offered Chang a community leadership role. As a weekly

volunteer for the Friends of Rose Park farmer’s market, he quickly got support to convert the limited market space for some 12 stalls along 26th Street’s ballpark sidewalk, to a villagelike circle for some 25-30 entrepreneurs and shop keepers. He helped to persuade other Georgetown non-profits to sponsor newcomers to the market and to host music and entertainment. The market became a safe social center during the pandemic. He established reading circles for children, sponsoring among others a D.C. police officer who read her book -- with her dog at her side -- about her canine police service. He coaxed one of his neighbors, Rebecca Kle – the “Numbers Lady” -- to conduct lively math learning sessions while wearing her coned cap and cape. “I am working with colleagues to support literacy learning across the District,” says Chang, who proposed high dosage tutoring for students. But most of all he stresses that instructors in reading must be trained. “Just because you can read does not mean you know how to teach reading,” he advises. “Structured literacy training is essential for everyone who teaches reading.” Chang serves on the Advisory Board of the Library of Congress Literacy Awards. Named on the “30 Under 30” List of the International Literacy Association in 2019, he is also an accomplished pianist.

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Georgetown Flea Market for 50 years of operation!

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GEORGETOWN KENT WESLEY HEIGHTS WOODLEY PARK CLEVELAND PARK FOREST HILLS GEORGETOWN DUPONT CIRCLE NORTH CLEVELAND PARK GEORGETOWN PALISADES GEORGETOWN PALISADES DUPONT CIRCLE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK COLUMBIA HEIGHTS CRESTWOOD WESLEY HEIGHTS DOWNTOWN DUPONT WEST CLEVELAND PARK LOGAN CIRCLE GEORGETOWN DUPONT GEORGETOWN SHAW LOGAN/U STREET CHEVY CHASE LOGAN LOGAN CIRCLE WEST END AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK CHEVY CHASE CHEVY CHASE CENTRAL HILLANDALE MOUNT PLEASANT FOREST HILLS KALORAMA LANIER HEIGHTS CLEVELAND PARK PALISADES HAWTHORNE WOODLEY

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SPRING ARTS PREVIEW

From the Library of Congress to the Kennedy Center to National Gallery of Art, we were inspired to speak to the women that run these cultural institutions, not only as a woman but as a leader. Washington, D.C., has more than 30 theaters, 70 museums, 20 libraries, plus hundreds of monuments and art galleries. Women run most of the art museums in D.C. Over the past two decades, the number of women in such jobs has risen to 45 percent of the 242-member Association of Art Museum Directors, according to Rutgers University. That’s just art museums— the number is far higher when adding in theaters and other museums.

FOR INSPIRATION AND TO LEARN MORE VISIT GEORGETOWNER.COM FOR THE FULL Q&A. 19

Q&A with Women Arts Leaders CO MPI L ED BY KAT E O C Z Y P O K 1. Molly Smith, Artistic Director, Arena Stage 2. Rebecca Ende Lichtenberg, Managing Director, Studio Theatre 3. Diane Coburn Bruning, Artistic Director, Chamber Dance Project 4. Jenny Bilfield, President & CEO, Washington Performing Arts 5. Thea Kano, Artistic Director, Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington 6. Susan Fisher Sterling, Alice West Director, National Museum of Women in the Arts 7. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress 8. Aileen Fuchs, President & Executive Director, National Building Museum 9. Rachel Goslins, Director, Smithsonian Arts & Industries Building 10. Dr. Dorothy Kosinski, Vradenburg Director & CEO of the Phillips Collection 11. Deborah Rutter, President, Kennedy Center 12. Sunny Sumter, President & CEO, DC Jazz Festival 13. Julie Kent, Artistic Director, the Washington Ballet 14. Rebecca Read Medrano, Co-founder/ Executive Director, Gala Hispanic Theatre 15. Anthea Hartig, Elizabeth Macmillan Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History 16. Elizabeth von Hassell, Executive Director, National Sporting Museum 14 FEBRUARY 9, 2022

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17. Melissa Chiu, Director, Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden 18. Stephanie Stebich, the Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum 19. Rhea Combs, Director of Curatorial Affairs, National Portrait Gallery

*MOLLY SMITH, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, ARENA STAGE THE GEORGETOWNER: D.C. should have a “spring awakening” of sorts after 2 long years of Covid. What are you most looking forward to for your institution this season? MOLLY SMITH: That’s easy: “Catch Me If You Can!” It’s a new version of this knock out pleasurable musical, and it’s fabulous and full of joy. It’s a story of fathers and sons, both biological and created. The music, the dancing, the costumes, the set, the sound, the lights—it’s just a thrill to be in rehearsals with these talented artists. GEORGETOWNER: What led you to become a leader in your organization? Tell us a bit about your career trajectory and inspirations along the way? MS: Believe it or not, I first went to college to become a lawyer. A trip to Europe changed everything and cemented my mission to start a theater in Alaska—I decided to follow my heart and not my head. After finishing college and graduate school here in Washington, DC, I moved to back Alaska (where I had spent my teenage

years) with my then-husband who was in the military. We were able to get his army colleagues to help us move 50 used theater seats! I started Perseverance Theatre in Juneau, Alaska, with a mission of, by and about Alaskans. After 20 years there, I was ready for a new challenge, and was fortunate that Arena Stage was looking for an artistic director. I am proud of the work we’ve done at Arena—including building the Mead Center for American Theater. My inspirations are varied—from my fantastic mother, Kay, and her dedication to social work and her love of the arts, to my partner Suzanne Blue Star Boy, a fierce spirt always pushing me to be my best. I am inspired by so many artists, and even more so through this pandemic. The way that artists— especially performing artists who were the most impacted by the closure of live performance— pivoted to continue to make art when everything in their world had collapsed. GEORGETOWNER: What are the biggest challenges for your organization? MS: Edgar Dobie, Arena’s executive producer, says this well: it’s the balance of ambition and capacity. Of course we cannot reach our potential without ambition, but we have to be mindful of our capacity and ability to do the work. We would love to produce HUGE plays, but often that is not the best decision. So I am sad sometimes when we are in the midst of season planning and there is a beautiful, giant, ambitious project that cannot overcome the challenges of both human and financial resources.

GEORGETOWNER: How do you feel being among the first women to lead an arts institution? MS: Well, I was not the first woman to lead Arena Stage. In fact the regional theater movement was founded by women. That said, the role of artistic director has been dominated by men, and so I make it a mission to seek out and highlight the work of other women artists. When I first came to Arena, there were only 4 other female artistic directors of large organizations. It’s changing but not as quickly as I had hoped. GEORGETOWNER: What are you most proud of accomplishing while serving in your position? MS: I am proud of the artists and staff that work for and with Arena. I am proud of building the Mead Center against all the odds. I’m proud of having created one of the largest diverse audiences in the country. I’m proud of the Power Play Cycle where we have commissioned 25 plays, one for every decade of America from 1770 to the present decade. I am proud of the fact that we have focused on American plays, American ideas and American artists and were the first large theater in America to do so. There really isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t see something amazing in the Mead Center, because the people working here are truly arts warriors. Much more continued at georgetowner.com.

SPRING ARTS PREVIEW

THANK YOU TO THE CULTURAL LEADERS THAT RESPONDED. WE ARE STILL IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH OTHERS.

The Ultimate Spring Arts Guide BY KAT E OCZ Y P OK The D.C. arts scene has awakened from its winter slumber. Enjoy performances, art exhibits and more this spring with this arts guide.

PERFORMING ARTS “CATCH ME IF YOU CAN” AT THE ARENA STAGE If you’ve ever seen the 2002 movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, you’ll want to pay a visit to Arena Stage for the musical of the same name. The rousing good time includes lots of humor, catchy tunes and campy dancing. The musical is based on true events from the now 20-yearold movie about a young con man named Frank Abagnale, Jr. MARCH 4 - APRIL 17 AT THE ARENA STAGE

A BRAND-NEW BALLET WITH CHAMBER DANCE PROJECT PREMIERES IN JUNE You may have to wait until June 16, but the Chamber Dance Project is busy prepping for their premiere of their new “Gatsby” ballet. Artistic Director Diane Coburn Bruning says it’s unusual that shadow puppets, films and moving screens will be incorporated into the usual dancers and musicians. JUNE 16, THE GREENBERG THEATRE

RELAX WITH WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS Internationally renowned violinist Hilary Hahn will be performing, joined by cellist Seth Parker Woods and German-Swiss piano virtuoso Andreas Haefliger. Expect such pieces as Kodaly’s “Duo for Violin & Cello, Op. 7” and Beethoven’s “Violin Sonata No. 10 in G Major, Op. 96.” MARCH 29, 7:30 P.M., KENNEDY CENTER

IT’S A BRAND-NEW DAY WITH THE GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF WASHINGTON It is truly a “Brand New Day.” The show of the same name by the Gay Men’s Chorus is inspired by lyrics from the song “The Human Heart.” The concert talks about stories of loved ones establishing acceptance and love from chosen families. Songs from iconic musicals like “The Wiz,” “Mulan,” and “Once on this Island” are featured. MARCH 12, 3 AND 8 P.M., LINCOLN THEATRE

EVERYONE’S FAVORITE COMPOSER JOHN WILLIAMS TURNS 90 Jurassic Park. E.T. Jaws. Harry Potter. Those are just a few of the dozens of movies the great John Williams has composed music for. On June 23, the Kennedy Center is honoring Williams with a 90th birthday celebration. The event will be conducted by Stéphane Denéve and will include the National Symphony Orchestra and special guests Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Spielberg and more. JUNE 23, 7 P.M., KENNEDY CENTER

SEE SHAKESPEARE REIMAGINED Actor John Douglas Thompson (Mare of Easttown) is making his debut at the Shakespeare Theatre Company with “The Merchant of Venice.” He will be playing the mysterious Shylock in the play that exposes issues of fairness, antisemitism and justice. Directed by Arin Arbus and co-produced with Theatre for a New Audience. MARCH 22 – APRIL 17, SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY

STAY ON A SHAKESPEAREAN KICK AT THEATER J “Nathan the Wise” is a funny, timely 18th century Shakespearean play at Theater J on 16th St. NW. There’s something for everyone including foiled romances, mistaken identity, and multi-cultural relationships. The new adaptation by Michael Bloom celebrates being human. MARCH 16 - APRIL 10, THEATER J

A NEW PLAY FROM A NEW VOICE Playwright Kimberly Belflower debuts “John Proctor is the Villain,” at Studio Theatre. The play is set in rural Georgia. Rumors swirl about a student who left abruptly for Atlanta, another student’s father and an English class which has to get through sex ed before they can begin reading “The Crucible.” Teens start questioning what really happened in Salem’s witch hunts and the show turns into an incredible comingof-age tale. APRIL 27 THROUGH JUNE 5, STUDIO THEATRE

VISUAL ARTS CELEBRATE ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS AT THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM “Architecture & Design Film Festival” will dive into timely issues like innovation and creativity in sustainability, historic preservation, the contributions of indigenous architects and more. The D.C. event will be the first completely in-person one after events in New York and Los Angeles were thrown into disarray. MARCH 24-26, NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM

SEE THE CREATIVE PROCESS OF A YOUNG PICASSO In “Picasso: Painting the Blue Period,” explore 1900 through 1904, when Picasso was a young Spanish artist and new painter on the scene. His signature “Blue Period” reveals his approach to issues of sex, class, poverty, charity and more. The Phillips Collection exhibit is the first in over two decades to focus on the early works of Picasso. NOW THROUGH JUNE 12, THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION

THERE’S AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN With “Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight,” guests are treated to a multisensory experience. The exhibit features works from internationally acclaimed artist Preston Singletary. The Raven is the creator of the world and giver of the stars, moon and sun. Expect beautiful glass pieces, traditional Native storytelling and original music. NOW THROUGH JANUARY 2023, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN

CATCH A BREATHTAKING EXHIBIT AT THE HIRSHHORN BEFORE IT CLOSES “Toyin Ojih Odutola: A Countervailing Theory” is on display at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden from now until early April. The 30-something Odutola’s exhibit features a body of work taking the form of 40 large-scale monochromatic drawings that display a myth inspired by the artist. Materials like pastels, charcoal and chalk are used to explore the relationship between drawing and storytelling. NOW THROUGH APRIL 3, HIRSHHORN MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDEN

RELIVE THE ‘70S WITH A SPECIAL WATERGATE EXHIBIT The National Portrait Gallery is taking us back to June 17, 1972 when a break-in at the DNC offices at the Watergate Complex started one of the biggest scandals in U.S. history. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the break-in and subsequent cover-up of White House involvement and President Nixon’s obstruction of justice, the exhibit features photographs, paintings, sculptures and more. MARCH 25 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 5, THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

ENVELOP YOURSELF IN HARLEM CIRCA 1930 Photographer James Van Der Zee’s photographs of life in Harlem in the 1920s, ‘30s and beyond is on display at the National Gallery of Art. Those who lived in the predominantly Black New York City neighborhood often used Van Der Zee’s expertise behind the camera to mark their special occasions. NOW THROUGH MAY 30, NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART

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SPRING ARTS PREVIEW

Afrofuturist Opera at Strathmore, April 28-29 BY R ICHARD S E L DE N Shortly after Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration, two dystopian classics, George Orwell’s “1984” and Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” — the first published in 1949 and the second in 1985 — belatedly surged onto best-seller lists. The Hulu series based on “The Handmaid’s Tale” premiered that spring, making the red cloaks and white bonnets a frequent sight at protests, the Coney Island Mermaid Parade and Halloween. Dystopian fiction, a politicized subgenre of science fiction dating to H. G. Wells’s “The Time Machine,” if not to Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels,” had caught fire. The common thread? Societies overwhelmed by pollution, disease, crime, repression, war and (often) dehumanizing technology. In “1984,” we find ourselves in Oceania; in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” in the Republic of Gilead.

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African American author Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower,” published in 1993, is set in Robledo, not the Sonoma winery but a struggling, racially diverse neighborhood in Greater Los Angeles, walled off from its lawless surroundings in the post-apocalyptic United States of the 2020s. (Relax: the novel’s time period doesn’t start until 2024.) Postponed twice due to the pandemic — which has made it even more timely — a musical adaptation of “Parable of the Sower” by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon, directed by Eric Ting, will be presented at Strathmore on Thursday, April 28, and Friday, April 29. The two D.C.-area performances (the show is touring mostly college venues this spring) are being co-presented by Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Promotional materials call the production

Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower,” published in 1993, is set in the post-apocalyptic United States of the 2020s. Courtesy Strathmore. a “fully-staged opera [that] brings together over 30 original anthems drawn from 200 years of Black music to recreate Butler’s scifi, Afrofuturist masterpiece live on stage.” Led by composer, guitarist and vocalist Toshi Reagon, 58, the 15 performers in the cast sing individually, in small groups and as a chorus in styles ranging from gospel to blues to folk to rock. “I just try to be true to what I’m sonically hearing in my head. I’ve never adhered to genres,” said Reagon in a 2021 Afropop Worldwide interview, following her selection as one of the recipients of a $75,000 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts. Named after the wife of her godfather, legendary folk singer and activist Pete Seeger, Toshi Reagon was raised in Washington, D.C., in the midst of civil rights protesting and music-making; her parents were half of the original four members of the Freedom Singers, a group that toured under the auspices of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Toshi’s mother, “Parable of the Sower” creative partner Bernice Johnson Reagon, 79, founded the all-woman, African American a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock in 1973. After completing a Ph.D. at Howard University, Dr. Reagon taught at American University and worked as a Smithsonian folklorist, continuing to sing with Sweet Honey until 2004. Both were fans of Octavia Butler, who died in 2006, aged 58. Born in Pasadena, California, Butler convinced her mother to buy her a typewriter when she was 10, then got to work. As a Pasadena City College freshman, she won a short-story contest, began to write novels and, mentored by Harlan Ellison, went on to win Hugo and Nebula Awards (the latter for “Parable of the Talents,” the 1998 sequel to “Parable of the Sower”). In 1995, Butler

was the first science fiction writer to receive a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. The two “Parable” novels were meant to be followed by others, which Butler did not complete, in what is known as the Earthseed series. Protagonist Lauren Olamina, who we meet in “Parable of the Sower” at age 15, is the hyper-empathetic daughter of a Baptist minister, the strict, experience-scarred leader of his family and of the Robledo community. After a string of horrific events that destroys both, she becomes a northbound refugee, fighting to survive and seeking to make spiritual sense of humanity’s bleak condition. She calls the religion that begins to form in her mind and in her writings Earthseed. Based on the Earthseed series, among other works, Butler is considered a pioneer of Afrofuturism, defined by curator Ingrid LaFleur as “a way of imagining possible futures through a Black cultural lens.” The Reagons acquired the rights to “Parable of the Sower” in 2014. As they developed the opera, inspired by Butler’s vision and by their own shared past, they chose a frame that enables the ensemble cast to interact freely and invites the audience to become part of the narrative’s embattled, evolving community. Surely, theatergoers deprived of in-person performances for much of the past two years will be receptive to this approach, while finding the dystopian scenario all too relevant. As Toshi Reagon said in last year’s Afropop interview: “Her [Butler’s] clock in the book is so accurate, it’s scary.” Offering some hope, Butler herself once remarked: “These novels are not prophetic. These novels are cautionary tales.” Octavia E. Butler’s “Parable of the Sower” plays at the Music Center at Strathmore April 28-29 at 8:00 p.m.

SPRING ARTS PREVIEW

Pablo Picasso, The Blue Room, 1901. Image courtesy Phillips Collection.

between Barcelona and Paris. The exhibition explores Picasso’s evolving and sometimes controversial depictions of sex, class, poverty, charity, family and even female incarceration. What this exhibition makes clear is that Picasso wasn’t really a stylistic thief — he was more like a sponge. He did more than just copy people. He filtered everything he saw compulsively through his own hand. Most of the paintings in this exhibition look like they were team-painted by Daumier, Toulouse Lautrec and El Greco, with strange but undeniable hints of Japonisme. To that extent, he was like the perfect art student, which on some level foreshadows his astounding success. Throughout his career, he was always seeing things anew, always working through them in real time, always adapting, and it never seemed like he was trying. Prior to this exhibition, I had never thought about how young Picasso was when he painted his Blue Period works, but it now seems glaringly obvious. So much of this work

is contrived, moody, vain and conceited. It smacks of youth. This isn’t to say it’s bad. He had such a deft touch and mature taste that he could make his sophomorically self-serious depictions of heartache and societal desolation look good — often beautiful. The exhibition culminates in Picasso’s emergence from the Blue Period into the Rose Period. As the final gallery makes clear with a collection of sun-bleached, blushtoned portrait paintings, what begins as the exploration of an alternative color palette quickly transforms into an explosion of creative energy that invents Cubism and lays the foundation for art in the modern era. He was 25 years old. One year later he would paint Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. The rest, as we know, is art history. Don’t miss this show. It’s a gem. “Picasso: Painting the Blue Period “will be at the Phillips Collection through June 12, 2022.

Picasso: Painting the Blue Period, at The Phillips Collection BY ARI POS T Pablo Picasso was a painter. However, the reason we know his name is because at some point he came to represent something more than his work. I have never walked into a modern art museum that didn’t have at least two Picasso’s on view. I don’t think I’ve ever engaged in a discussion about the history of art that did not at some point drop his name as a point of reference. Picasso is the immortal sovereign of a small, crowded and highly contested territory in the domain of Western culture. He controls the passageway that connects the old world and the new. Like any beloved monarch, Picasso is despised by the cognoscenti and accused of a litany of legally nonbinding offenses by most who knew him. There are parties who contest his authority. They submit worthy rivals to challenge him — usually Cezanne. (Picasso, for the record, worshipped Cezanne.) But Picasso cannot be overthrown because he is anointed by popular consensus. He is widely adored by the public — by regular people. For my part, I’m indifferent to the issue of whether Picasso is the greatest painter of all time or a shrewd and ruthless megalomaniac who caught the last perfect wave of history, but it’s pointless to deny his cultural supremacy. He is ubiquitous. He is a noun.

The heaviest critique leveled against Picasso is that he copied the genius that surrounded him and claimed it as his own. It’s always been a well-known secret that Picasso was a flagrant plagiarist. He often admitted it. He spoke about it with impish amusement, famously saying, “Bad artists copy, good artists steal.” I find the criticism to be sort of ironic because it was precisely his genius for visual appropriation that sustains his legacy. The critique, I think, goes something like this: All Picasso really did was synthesize Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, Neoclassical, PostImpressionist and Fauvist influences with traditional African, Iberian and non-Western art to create a unique and joyous visual language that appeals to everyone from Arab Sheikhs to nine-month-old babies. So perhaps this is why, despite the radically shifting priorities of the art world, museums can’t stay away from Picasso, and neither can the artgoing public and neither can I. At the Phillips Collection through June 12, Picasso: Painting the Blue Period focuses on the years 1900-1904 — the artist’s early twenties — following the young Spanish painter as he formulated his signature Blue Period style by engaging with the artwork he encountered by Old Masters and his contemporaries as he moved

Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight Now open at the National Mall

Follow Raven on a multisensory journey from darkness into light. Preston Singletary (Tlingit American) tells this Northwest Coast origin story in stunning new glass works. Organized by the artist and Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington. Guest curated by Miranda Belarde-Lewis (Zuni/Tlingit), PhD, and the multisensory visitor experience was designed by zoe | juniper. Generous support for the exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian provided in part by Dr. Quincalee Brown and Dr. James. P. Simsarian, Uschi and William Butler, and Mary W. Hopkins.

americanindian.si.edu The story climaxes with Raven releasing the sun. His human grandfather, fed up with his tricks, holds him over a smoke hole, turning him black. Gagaan Awutáawu Yéil (Raven Steals the Sun), 2008; blown, hot-sculpted and sand-carved glass. Collection of Museum of Glass (VA.2009.28). Photo by Russell Johnson, Courtesy of Museum of Glass

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FEBRUARY 9, 2022

SERVICE DIRECTORY

ST. MICHAELS KITCHEN & BATH

Cabinets that bring joy! 1048 Potomac Street NW Locally owned by a Georgetowner, St. Michael’s Kitchen & Bath has everything your kitchen and bath needs or desires. Come see cabinetry, vanities, countertops, hardware, appliances, outdoor kitchens and grills. We’re the best place to find ultimate comfort for your place! Come see us at our new larger showroom at 1048 Potomac Street NW today! Full design Service www.stmkab.com Email: sales@stmkab.com Call: 202-455-4645 Georgetown: 1048 Potomac Street NW St. Michaels: 100 N. Talbot Street. St. Michaels, MD

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1052 Potomac Street NW Kitchen, Bath, Closet and More Kitchen cabinetry to live-edge river tables to bench-crafted furniture. We can provide cabinetry for the kitchen, bath, closet, hutch, dry and wet bar, home office, bookcase/library, entertainment console, laundry center, window seat, entryway and more. Elegance – Innovation - Craftsmanship www.stmichaelswoodworking.com Email: sales@stmichaelswoodworking.com Call: 202-455-4645 Georgetown: 1048 Potomac Street NW 18 FEBRUARY 9, 2022

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GALA GUIDE

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ANTIQUE TREASURES The Christ Church Thrift Shop, 3116 O Street NW, sells new and antique treasures -clothing, artwork, household goods and more. Open Wednesdays 10:00 to 1:45.

RESCHEDULED Jean Louis Palladin.

Spring Preview Gala Guide BY KATE OC ZYPOK THURSDAY MARCH 10

N ST. VILLAGE GALA 5:30-9 P.M., MARRIOTT MARQUIS, 901 MASSACHUSETTS AVE. NW Attend the gala and auction to hear stories of hope and triumph from N St. Village honorees. WEDNESDAY MARCH 16

THE IRELAND FUNDS’ 30TH NATIONAL GALA 6:30 P.M., THE NATIONAL BUILDING MUSEUM, 401 F ST. NW Celebrating the ties, heritage and friendship between Ireland and the U.S. FRIDAY MARCH 18

WASHINGTON OPERA SOCIETY PRESENTS GOUNOD’S FAUST LA MAISON FRANCAISE AT THE EMBASSY OF FRANCE, 4101 RESERVOIR RD. NW Open bar, dinner and concert. THURSDAY MARCH 24

34TH ANNUAL LOMBARDI GALA   6 P.M. COCKTAIL RECEPTION, 7-9 P.M. DINNER, 9 P.M. AFTER HOURS PARTY, THE ANTHEM AT THE WHARF.

The Lombardi Gala looks a bit different this year — a new venue, no black tie needed and a shorter program with limited seating to keep social distancing. Still with cocktails, dinner and fun afterparty. MARCH 30

THE MODERN SALON SERIES 5:30-11:30 P.M., THE RESIDENCE OF THE AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE, 2221 KALORAMA RD. NW The first Salon RESCHEDULED of the Series is centered around “The Tales of Jean-Louis,” to be filmed as a scene in the documentary film “All the Best Jean-Louis.” Featured chefs and friends of JeanLouis will share stories about bringing French cuisine to America and fostering its growth. THURSDAY MARCH 31

DREAM ON-THAT ‘70S GALA: CELEBRATING 70 YEARS OF ADVENTURE THEATRE HYATT REGENCY BETHESDA, ONE BETHESDA METRO CENTER, 7400 WISCONSIN AVE. The event marks 70 years of Adventure Theatre and the first in-person event in two years.

FOOD & WINE

Andy Brown with his International Pizza Challenge trophy. Courtesy Andy’s Pizza.

THE LATEST DISH BY LINDA ROT H Just Opened: Andy Brown has opened Andy’s Pizza in Adams Morgan at 2465 18th Street, NW where &pizza used to be. There are locations at Atlas Brew Works on Half Street SE, in Shaw at 2016 9th Street NW, in Navy Yard, and at Tysons Galleria. Andy’s Pizza was named the 2021 winner of the world pizza competition at the International Pizza Expo & Conference in Las Vegas. Just Opened: SoleLuna, a coffee (from Ecuador) and pastries shop, at 1787 Columbia Rd, NW in Adams Morgan, where Nicecream used to be. Brought to you by the team behind Al Volo Osteria, Taqueria Al Lado, and Retrobottega in Adams Morgan and Trattoria al Volo in Cleveland Park… traditional Japanese izakaya restaurant, Shōtō, opened at Midtown Center with the largest selection of Japanese whiskeys on the East Coast. Executive chefs are Kwang Kim, who was corporate executive sushi chef at Zuma (12 worldwide locations), and Alessio Conti, who was executive chef at Aman Resorts. Western Market at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave NW has two more food operators serving the Foggy Bottom neighborhood: Falafel Inc., offers classic Mediterranean flavors -- and partners with the World Food Programme, a leading humanitarian food organization, as each $10 food purchase helps feed a refugee. Arepa Zone, allows diners to dig into traditional Venezuelan food such as arepas, patacóns, tequeños, cachapas, and pabellón bowls. Chef Update: Daron Lee was named executive chef of Sofitel Washington DC

Lafayette Square. An alumnus of the University of Central Florida and the French Culinary Institute, he was previously executive chef at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner. Captain Cookie & The Milkman is targeting a Q2 2022 opening in Arlington’s Courthouse neighborhood at 2200 Clarendon Blvd. Originally a food truck operation, owners Kirk and Juliann Francis now have locations in Eastern Market, Brookland and Foggy Bottom. Quick Hits: Gordon Ramsay’s GRNA is planning to open a two-story Hell’s Kitchen at The Wharf’s phase II development in SW D.C. with indoor and outdoor seating…. Founders Table Restaurant Group is slated to open Dos Toros in at 7th and G Streets, NW in Penn Quarter (near its sister operation, Chopt) and at 215 Pennsylvania Ave SE on Capitol Hill where Firehook Bakery used to be. Denver-based Sage Restaurant Concepts is slated to open Baja-inspired seafood restaurant, Hello Betty, in Q2 2022 in the Canopy by Hilton at Pike & Rose in North Bethesda. The 138-seat restaurant includes a 14-seat PDR and 40-ft Delta Deadrise 23-seat boat bar on the patio. Ryan Zemel is the restaurant GM. Linda Roth is Founder & CEO of Linda Roth Associates (LRA), a D.C.-based public relations and marketing firm that specializes in the foodservice and hospitality industries. Follow her at: @LindaRothPR @LRAPR #LindaRothPR or www.lindarothpr.com.

Photo: Mike Mitchell PhotoGraPhy

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Our doors are open, once again

Celebrating it’s 89th year, this annual event graciously opens historic 18th and 19th century homes in Georgetown to Tour attendees. Tickets are $55 per person online in advance, or $60 per person on the day of the Tour. Ticket includes a Parish Tea at St. John’s from 1:30-4:30 pm. Group prices are available. For more information and to purchase tickets online, please visit www.georgetownhousetour.com.

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FEBRUARY 9, 2022

IN COUNTRY

Middleburg Is Back, Busy and Buoyant       BY PEG GY SA NDS It’s a well-known fact that Georgetown and Middleburg, Virginia – an historic village about an hour away in the heart of horse country -- have a special relationship. For decades, many Georgetowners including some of the most renown residents such as the Kennedys and the Grahams, have maintained homes and estates in and around Middleburg. Recently and especially during the past two pandemic years, many more have gone to Middleburg regularly for a change of atmosphere. “All during the pandemic especially in 2021, I’ve seen a steady stream of D.C. families coming to Middleburg for the day, the weekend, for a week’s stay and increasingly, to buy what was to be a second home but increasingly becomes their primary home,” Emily Ristau, a horsewoman, farm owner, real estate agent and former Georgetown O St. homeowner herself, told The Georgetowner

during a lunch at the Oyster Bar on East Washington St., Middleburg’s main street. “They come to enjoy the country atmosphere of Middleburg with more relaxed masking, store, and restaurant regulations.” “I’ve never had such good sales year as 2021,” Ristau admitted. “It continues today but the inventory is very low. Many offers have escalation clauses.” Of course, there were some hard days, especially in 2020. A quick reconnaissance of Middleburg’s main two commercial streets revealed some favorite stores are no longer in business such as the White Elephant exchange shop. But on March 2, there did not appear to be any empty storefronts. Among the favorite survivors include Middleburg’s unique The Fun Shop, a ten-room gift and cook shop. The owners, sisters Page and Patti Allen, still hope to sell it but only to new owners who commit to maintaining its special aspects such as a

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Middleburg spring races at Glenwood Park significant number of horse and hunt, fox and hound themed offerings. A sign by the register reads “Have you ever dreamed of owning a store?” Locals’ two most popular eateries and coffee shops are still open across the street from the Fun House. The post office and Safeway down the block still bustle with local shoppers in jeans and riding boots; the two tack stores are still there. The historic Red Fox Inn & Tavern down the street still entices and across the street, The Second Chapter community bookstore still features the latest books as well as a large selection of fiction and non-fiction tomes by local authors about Middleburg. “Now everything is opening up and there’s so much to do here,” said Lynn Wiley, a board member of the Middleburg Spring Race Association (MSRA). “Most exciting is that the postponed 100th anniversary of Middleburg’s most famous steeplechase race founded in 1911, will take place in-person and live on March 23,” she said. From origins as foxhunting club point-topoint competitions, the Middleburg Spring Race has evolved into a world-class sanctioned event offering almost $200,000 in prizes attracting some of the fastest racing/jumper thoroughbreds in the world, according to the MSRA. The race takes place at Glenwood Park on the edge of Middleburg on a reportedly one-of-a-kind obstacle course comprising every type of jump and obstacle from ditches, banks, brush, timber, and coops. “Tickets have just been opened for the Spring Races,” said Wiley. “But the customary spaces for group

tailgate picnics – often featuring luxurious service items, flowers and gourmet picnic food – have been enlarged and limited in number this year. “Already almost all tickets are sold out.” Other point-to-point local hunt club races will be held in various locations from Warrenton, Virginia to local farms around Middleburg between March 5 through April 24. Two other popular sanctioned steeplechase races are the Foxfield Spring races in Charlottesville to be held April 30, and the popular Virginia Gold Cup at Great Meadows in The Plains outside Marshall, Virginia on May 7. But also an increasing number of cultural events are opening in Middleburg. A “Hunt Country Music Festival” is planned for May 20-22 at the Salamander Resort and Spa just outside Middleburg. On March 20, the famous Whiffenpoofs singers of Yale University will perform there. Plus, a new film festival featuring documentaries called Doc5 is being organized for early June; the weeklong Middleburg film festival takes place in the fall. The 340-acre Salamander Resort and Spa was opened in 2013 with 170 all-view guest rooms, numerous dining offerings, conference and catered spaces, full spa and one of the best equestrian programs in the country including miles of riding trails. It’s added a lot to traditional Middleburg’s social and cultural life, Ristau and Wileu agreed. No doubt old Georgetowners/Middleburgers like the Kennedys and the Grahams would have welcomed it as well.

IN COUNTRY

WHERE TO EAT Breakfast: Cuppa Giddy Up. At 8 E. Washington St., Middleburg, VA 20117. This neighborhood breakfast spot is celebrating 15 years in the community and serves delicious gourmet coffee and bagels. See https://www. cuppagiddyup.com/ or call (540) 687-8122.

View of the Salamander Resort and Spa

Middleburg Weekend Checklist BY KAT E OCZ Y P OK

WHERE TO STAY The Salamander Resort and Spa. At 500 N. Pendleton St., Middleburg, VA 20117. A 5-star luxury hotel just 40 miles outside D.C., taking relaxation seriously and offering many health and wellness packages. See https://www. salamanderresort.com/ or call: (540) 751-3160. The Red Fox Inn and Tavern. At 2 E. Washington St., Middleburg, VA 20117. Around since 1728, their boutique inn rooms, suites and cottages are classic in this lovely

Lunch: Market Salamander. At 200 W. Washington St., Middleburg, VA 20117. Market Salamander is a relaxed café with mouthwatering sandwiches, wraps and burgers. See https://www.salamanderresort. com/dine/market-salamander or call (540) 687-8011. Happy Hour: Gold Cup Wine Bar. At 500 N. Pendleton St., Middleburg, VA 20117. Part of the Salamander Resort, the best of Virginia wines, cocktails, sushi Thursday through Sunday and food. See https://www. salamanderresort.com/dine/goldcup-wine-bar or call (540) 751-3160.

historic inn with some modern flair. See https://www.redfox.com/ or call (540) 6876301. Meadowkirk at Delta Farm. At 38012 Delta Farm Lane, Middleburg, VA 20117. The retreat and conference center serves as the ideal place for an overnight group retreat or conference. Its idyllic setting makes for the perfect cozy and hospitable refuge. See https://www. meadowkirk.org/ or call (540) 687-5565.

Sandwich from the Market Salamander

Dinner: Harriman’s Virginia Piedmont Grill At 500 N. Pendleton St., Middleburg, VA 20117. The traditional American restaurant serves surf and turf, gourmet fried chicken and tasty salads. The Gold Cup Wine Bar offers the best of Virginia wines, cocktails, sushi Thursday through Sunday and food. See https://www.salamanderresort.com/dine/ harrimans or call (540) 751-3160.

WHERE TO SHOP Baileywyck Antiques. At 4274 Loudoun Ave., The Plains, VA 20198. Nearly 5,000 square-feet makes this antique shop one of the largest in the Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia area. See https://baileywyckantiques. com/ or call (540) 687-6097. The Fun Shop. At 115 W. Washington St., Middleburg, VA 20117. If you’re looking for a unique souvenir from your stay in Virginia’s Hunt Country, you’ll want to stop by this fun gift shop. See https://www.thefunshop.com/ or call (540) 687-6590. The Christmas Sleigh. At 5 E. Washington St., Middleburg, VA 20117. Christmas enthusiasts go wild over this shop which Country Living ranked as one of the best yearround Christmas stores in the U.S. See https:// www.thechristmassleigh.com/ or call (540) 687-3665.

Luxe Auto Allure at The Amelia BY SONYA B E RNHARD T The Amelia Concours d’Elegance, now in its 27th year, evoked more than the usual oohs and aahs from car lovers, many of whom arrived via private jet or yacht, at the Golf Club of Amelia Island and the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida. Many were winners at multiple high energy auctions. Celebrating their 24th year as the event’s official auction house, RM Sotheby’s 2022 Amelia Island auction offered best-ofcategory examples across diverse segments of the collector car market. Bonhams held their auction in a custom pavilion by the private airport. Under Hagerty’s inaugural stewardship, the 2022 event crowned two winners on March 6. The Best in Show Concours d’Elegance Trophy was awarded to a Duesenberg J-531 displayed by Harry Yeaggy of Cincinnati, Ohio, and a Cadillac DPi displayed by the Jackson Collection, of Ellicott City, Maryland, took the Best in Show Concours de Sport Trophy. The Amelia’s 2022 honoree was accomplished driver and championship race team owner, Chip Ganassi. For the 27th, The

Amelia gathered eight of the cars that Chip Ganassi Racing competed with throughout his career, including the Dallara which won the 2010 Indianapolis 500 and the Chevrolet Impala which won the 2010 Daytona 500. Continuing with The Amelia’s tradition of celebrating Motorsport, race cars from the 60th Anniversary of the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 70th Anniversary of Sebring were joined on the field by some of the finest examples in the Race Cars Pre-War, NASCAR and Gurney Eagle show groups. Other featured classes included selections from Waterhouse Coachworks and the Rare Aluminum Porsche Race Car genre. The Sports and GT Cars 1958-1972 class boasted 22 cars. The original Hot Rod, with the 90th Anniversary of the 1932 Ford, was celebrated. The Amelia’s collection of motoring events will be held next year, March 2 to 5. Meanwhile, Hagerty announced the debut of the inaugural Detroit Concours d’Elegance, Sept. 16 to 18, at the Detroit Institute of Arts — an all-new, weekend-long tribute to the people who designed, built and drove American car culture.

At the Amelia: Best in Show Concours de Sport Trophy — Cadillac DPi and the Best in Show Concours d’Elegance Trophy — Duesenberg J-531. GMG, INC.

MARCH 9, 2022

KITTY KELLEY BOOK CLUB

‘Home/Land: A Memoir of Departure and Return’ A BRITISH EXPAT RECLAIMS HER ROOTS. REVIEW ED BY KIT T Y K E LLE Y Upon his death in 1938, Thomas Wolfe bequeathed to America’s literary canon a 1,100-page manuscript which, published posthumously, trumpeted a universal truth: “You can’t go home again.” Rebecca Mead now challenges the bard of Asheville, North Carolina, with her third book, “Home/Land: A Memoir of Departure and Return.” A British subject who graduated from Oxford, Mead emigrated to the U.S. in 1988 on a student visa to do graduate work at New York University and stayed for 30 years. She lived in Manhattan, endured numerous cycles of “falling in love, being in love and falling out of love.” Then she met her husband, also a writer, moved to Brooklyn, had a child, and, in 2011, became an American citizen. But she did not live happily ever after. Mead grew increasingly dismayed over Brooklyn’s urban development of rising towers that encroached on her sylvan view: “Birnam Wood was coming to Dunsinane, I thought.” Worse was the right-wing clamor of the Tea

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Party that arose in the wake of Barack Obama’s election. Then came a nationalistic rhetoric that spread like gangrene. Finally, roiled by dystopian fears of Donald Trump, Mead and her husband decided to flee Dunsinane with their young son. They packed 170 boxes of books and flew first class to the U.K. on oneway tickets. Months later, in 2018, Mead, a correspondent for the New Yorker, wrote an article about her repatriation, “A New Citizen Decides to Leave the Tumult of Trump’s America.” She seemed to be road-testing the idea of a future book on “the wrenching choice to return to Britain.” In her essay, she admitted that going home was not ideal: “London is not a utopia; housing, in particular, is debilitatingly expensive… I am under no illusions that the U.K. is a beacon of progressivism. This is a move from the fire into the frying pan at best.” Four years later, “Home/Land” reflects on that frying pan and its cost in terms of

adjustment and accommodation. In his British elementary school, her Brooklyn-born son observes, “Everyone is so white.” Much of what besets the U.S. — political turbulence, gun and gang violence, and immigration issues exacerbated by the pandemic — bedevils the U.K., too, but on a much smaller scale, which provides Mead with a sense of security. Her regrets? Her reliefs? These questions, and more, are asked and answered in penetrating detail by a writer who pans for gold and presents it many times, albeit in sentences that are long and somewhat convoluted. For example, when Mead discovers that her father, as a child, lived in London’s Camden Square, where she now lives, she writes: “And so, as I’d stepped onto the roof deck from the bedroom of the new house the realtor took me to — fantasizing a life in which I’d emerge in the morning with a cup of coffee in my hand and survey the landscape of narrow gardens and the backs of houses before descending to spend the day at my desk — I’d unwittingly been looking directly across at windows from which my father had surely looked out as a young boy in the arms of his mother.” She continues, “To me this collision of the past and the present of Camden Square — the invisible tracery in which the threads of my father’s life and mine have against all odds, crossed and interwoven — is charged, if not exactly with meaning, then with wonder.” Mead enumerates the benefits of trading a noisy, jangled democracy in the U.S. for a quieter life in an island nation about to experience the upset of Brexit, which she predicts will be “dark and chaotic.” For her, Britain’s advantages appear to be free healthcare, remarkably efficient public transportation, and college tuition capped at $12,000 a year (in the U.S., it can run more than $60,000 annually). She feels the move across the pond gives her son a larger periscope on the world and better positions her to cover international

stories for the New Yorker, as was evidenced by her recent trip to Pompeii to profile the excavation of the A.D. 79 ruins from Mount Vesuvius. “I can get on a train… in the morning and be in Amsterdam by early afternoon, having traveled through four countries before lunchtime.” “Home/Land” reads like a polyglot of personal diary and literary travelogue in which a writer meanders back and forth between her youth in America, including “years of psychotherapy,” and her present life in Britain as a woman of 56, an age at which, she bemoans, she feels invisible. Mead delves into the personal by discussing menopause and her humiliation over having hot flashes and experiencing changes in her brain chemistry. Like an archeologist, she leads readers on a literary dig across London, over the open fields of Hampstead Heath, and into Fort Greene Park to discover a mound known as Boadicea’s Grave, named for an ancient British queen. The scholar in Mead instructs readers about the monarch now known as Boudicea and her bloody uprising in A.D. 60, adding parenthetically that “the root of ‘Boudica’ is the Celtic word for victory.” For those itching to return to the present, Mead first insists on more information about the victorious Queen Boadicea as celebrated in a 19th-century poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. She then segues into Iron Age forts like Maiden Castle, where she informs readers that “ancient Britons built concentric rings of ditches and rises upon the slopes of a high saddle-backed hill, with labyrinth entry points so that when it is seen in aerial photographs the site resembles the maze toy my son once had, a wooden disk cut with circular grooves through which he tipped and twisted a steel ball bearing.” (See the warning above about lengthy sentences.) Like any British memoirist born “lower middle class,” she also examines her country’s punishing class system and rightly applauds the state-subsidized education inaugurated in the 1980s as “the most important engine of social mobility.” Rebecca Mead then ends her book like a pilgrim, still seeking to find her place in her new homeland. This review originally appeared in the Washington Independent Review of Books. Georgetown resident Kitty Kelley has written several number-one New York Times best-sellers, including “The Family: The Real Story Behind the Bush Dynasty.” Her most recent books include “Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the Kennedys” and “Let Freedom Ring: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the March on Washington.” She serves on the board of Reading Is Fundamental, the nation’s largest children’s literacy nonprofit.

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