intentional pompadour
intentional pompadour …southern culture in images and words…
…southern culture in images and words… is a free quarterly zine based out of Augusta, Georgia and published by Betsey Venom submissions accepted by southern creatives and subscriptions are available for $10/year send your work or subscription request in the body of an email to: betseyvenom@yahoo.com if you are published, you will receive a copy of the issue in which your work is featured and you will retain all rights to your work issue 3 spring 2018 find intentional pompadour online at: intentionalpompadour.wordpress.com facebook.com/intentionalpompadour issuu.com/intentionalpompadour find Betsey Venom online at: betseyvenom.wordpress.com facebook.com/betseyvenom instagram.com/betseyvenom
spring 2018
FREE
INTENTIONAL POMPADOUR Welcome to the third issue of Betsey Venom’s intentional pompadour - a zine that features words, art, and more - celebrating the South’s creative culture. This issue is chock full of goodness, including a few things from me. I hope you enjoy it! In this issue, Harlem, Georgia artist Birdy Connolly makes her debut with a gorgeous drawing entitled “RustyBird: Voyage.” Our resident chef Bridget Reilly Long from Cumming, Georgia shares another of her wonderful, original Southern recipes. This time, she serves up a squash casserole. I’m excited to feature an interview with Aiken, South Carolina Army Veteran and rockabilly guitarist, Dwight Bradham, Jr. Read what makes this twang-master rock! T. Leon Bigham of Cumming, Georgia presents his poem entitled Forsaken. Augusta, Georgia rock and roll legend Johnny Hensley shares info on his upcoming 60th Anniversary Red Hots show coming to the Imperial Theatre on Saturday, July 28! Savannah, Georgia resident Echo LaVeaux offers up a moon poem. Enjoy three haikus, all penned by Kathy Kotz from North Augusta, South Carolina. Author Victoria Hardy from Edgefield, South Carolina shares an excerpt from her outstanding novel, Kicking The Goat Silly. I am happy to introduce you to the amazing Augusta, Georgia photographer Pete Wood and his business H.O.T Photography. Read his inspiring story and the meaning of H.O.T. And last but not least, I’m pleased to introduce our musical feature, the local Augusta, Georgia jazz great Bill Karp. Learn more about what keeps the jazz singing in his heart. Would you like to see YOUR work in print? If so, send your - poem, essay, song lyrics, photos, drawings, you name it - to me at betseyvenom@yahoo.com. As this is a small one-person project, I am unable to pay in $ but will mail you a hard copy of the issue where your work is featured. You retain all rights to your work. If you are looking for a fresh place to explore the most creative and independent Southern minds, then stick around. I’m sure you’ll find your place among the pages of this slim volume. Thanks for coming along. Enjoy the ride.
Cravings and Withdrawals – Squash Casserole An original Southern recipe by Bridget Reilly Long I am a traditionalist and a sentimentalist. I think that is what makes me a good Southerner. We like old things, aged whiskey, coon dogs on porches and antiques of any sort. These are the fibers of our being. I know, I know, change is good, but some things are not meant to be changed and when faced with change I will resist, I will not go gentle into the night of change. One of the few recipes I know by heart, because it’s part of my heart, is Squash Casserole. It’s my mother-in-laws’ recipe and I love it. Janie Cochran, she was one of the finest Southern women I have had the honor and privilege of knowing. I may play at being an Iron Chef, but tradition always calls me home. Squash Casserole 2 bags frozen squash ½ bag of herbed stuffing (I prefer Pepperidge Farms, Janie did too) 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 – 8oz container sour cream 2 cups sharp cheese shredded 1 small can of water chestnuts, optional (Janie always added, I do sometimes, sometimes I’m too cheap to buy them) 1. Boil squash in salted water until tender but not overcooked, drain. 2. Mix stuffing with next two ingredients add 1 ½ cups cheese and mix again. 3. Add squash and mix to incorporate all ingredients. 4. Pour into 9x13 baking dish sprayed with non stick or lightly buttered. 5. Top with remaining ½ cup cheese. 6. Bake @ 350° for 30 minutes.
Southern Sights and Sounds Featuring Bill Karp Jazz
They've been married 42 years and he can't imagine performing that romantic, smooth jazz without looking into her eyes. Check it out at his next performance. You'll see Nancy somewhere in the room; just follow Bill's eyes. They have two grown children and three beautiful grandchildren. To find out more about Bill and The American Jazz Combo, visit billkarpjazz.com. If you are interested in seeing the total picture and finding a weblink that explains the relationship of Bill's jazz to his Augusta University career, visit wbkarp.com. The relationship of jazz, art and science is explained in his TEDx talk. As one of his reviewers wrote, "A wonderful event, made special by an awesome entertainer. Can take a room, any room, and place in the palm of his hand. A special talent!"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Bill Karp began his jazz career when he was 4 years old. His grandparents managed several famous jazz clubs in New York and he grew up surrounded by most of the wellknown jazz musicians of the time. They encouraged his grandparents and parents to develop his jazz vocal talent by associating him with a well-known New York child talent agency. Very quickly, Bill was on the Borsch Belt, on TV and on stage. In his late teens, his jazz trio, The Bill Warren Trio, was playing gigs throughout New York City and the surrounding area. After graduating from college, Bill decided to further his education and earned his Ph.D. from Ohio State and D.M.D. from Augusta University. He has been a faculty member at Augusta University for the past 47 years. All the while, he has continued performing his jazz. Bill specializes in American jazz, the jazz of Tony Bennett, Michael Buble', Sarah Vaughan, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mercer and many others, He has been voted "Best of Augusta Jazz" for a number of years by readers of Augusta Magazine. Bill performs either by himself, using specially-produced high-quality backing tracks, or with The American Jazz Combo (the Trio or Quintet) or Augusta Big Band (ABBA). Each of these scenarios gives people options for bringing jazz into their own natural environments, whether it's for business or personal events. He performs at art exhibit openings, galas, corporate events, wine tastings, rehearsal dinners, in restaurants and at parties and dinners in homes, country clubs and most of the large event spaces across the area. He likes the challenge of introducing jazz into non-traditional environments. If you ask Bill about his jazz, he is quick to tell you that American jazz is the thread which runs throughout his entire life. Some people interpret life by it's sights, it's smells, it's touch...for Bill, it's sounds...the sounds of American jazz. His audiences enjoy hearing him perform because they also feel Bill's love for American jazz. Bill is quick to point out that when he performs, the most important person in the audience is his wife, Nancy.
The Poet’s Corner Forsaken
By T. Leon Bigham
A man once carried deadwood up a hill, burdened by his mortality he chose to leave a legacy of ill-will, perfection the goal, the reward a rose. Like some pandemic mental plague this mold spread. Destroyed nations, tribes, cultures, so few escaped the gentle Christ ministers fold without guilt or shame. A select few knew whose names were graven in white stone above, priests chosen, so they said, to hear God's words for you, who lack the sense to hear that dove, your spiritual ears being full of curds. this abattoir called church is mistaken today, they, not us, will be forsaken. “I earned my Masters in March 2011 at University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL. I have been writing poetry since fifth grade, fifty years of words needed for catharsis.” - T. Leon Bigham
Rock and Roll – Southern Style Raz and Roll, Y’all!
RustyBird: Voyage By Birdy Connolly
https://www.reverbnation.com/theraz ****************************** Respect Your Elders…Feel The Twang! ********************************************
FIRST QUARTER MOON A Poem by Echo LaVeaux
www.kingcatandtheelders.com
Sister Moon, your infant light Shimmers on the horizon Catching wishes and dreams, filling Hearts with hope, hearts with love Opening your arms to the universe Sending our desires into the cosmos Working magic on our behalf From “Echo LaVeaux’s Book of the Moon,” available on Amazon
The Harv’s Pick of The Litter
Shake, Rattle and Roll A Conversation with Rockabilly Guitarist, Dwight Bradham, Jr.
In this issue, The Harv contemplates the human condition. I wonder what it would be like to be human. Contemplating further, why lower one’s standards and status? Being a supreme being is what life is all about. No need to devolve. Meow. Got a question you’d like to ask the cat? Email The Harv at betseyvenom@yahoo.com and if you’re lucky, maybe he’ll pick your question next. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Betsey’s Best: Southern Eats Soy Noodle House
Asian cuisine inspires me, and Soy Noodle House never disappoints. Soy Noodle House 1032 Broad Street When you enter the restaurant, warm red walls invite you into a world of cultured culinary delights. The menu features everything Asian, from Chinese to Japanese to Korean to Thai. Soy Noodle House also offers up an extensive selection of sushi. Their Pad Thai is amazing, full of flavor and spice…everything nice! Appetizers make a meal in themselves. A particular favorite of mine are the fresh basil rolls. Holy smokes what a treat. The rolls are huge and the accompanying teriyaki dipping sauce sends me into orbit. These are a must-try. Get your chopsticks ready and dive into a delicious dish at Soy Noodle House. Tell ‘em Betsey at intentional pompadour sent you. soynoodlehouse.com
Photo by Pete Wood/H.O.T Photography Betsey: How long have you been playing guitar, and did you teach yourself or take lessons? Dwight: A long time ago, in a county far, far, away (1968, Clarendon County near the town of Manning to be exact!) I got a glimpse of a guy wearing all black (leather) and playing a guitar. It was December 3rd, and Elvis’s “Comeback Special” was airing on TV. I remember watching with my family and hearing my Mom giggle, and it hit me that this guy looked like he was having a lot of fun! I started asking my folks for a guitar, and when I was ten years old I got an acoustic Norma (I believe made by the same company in Japan that created all those cool Teisco Del Ray electrics) that seemed like (to a 10year-old) it was strung with baling wire and the strings were two feet off the neck! I began taking lessons from an older cousin in town who owned a music store, and went through the standard Mel Bay beginnings – Stella By Starlight, Red River Valley, etc… played that guitar until my little fingers got all red and then bled. Didn’t sound a thing like that cool cat on TV, so after about a year or so I moved on to bike riding (jumping my
Tonka trucks, little brother, usual stuff) and doing what eleven-year olds do. But on Saturday mornings I always watched Scooby-Doo and then the Porter Wagoner show to check out all the cool guitar players and singers and of course DOLLY PARTON (wow, just wow…). Sunday afternoons after church, Dad would work on the car, and I would hang out with him and play some of the 45’s and 33’s he and Mom had – early Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty, Johnny Cash, Lefty Frizzell, Hank Snow, Johnny Horton (my folks had some cool tunes!) but I digress…I thought maybe if I got one of those electric guitars I saw played on Saturday’s maybe I could be more like Elvis? Move forward five years and the family had moved to Aiken. I’m downtown with the family when I spy a music store and hanging in the window is a big old blond electric guitar with “f” holes – looked just like (to me) what Elvis played those years back and wham! I get hit by the guitar bug again! Rode my legs off delivering newspapers so I could come up with half the money (Dad paid the other half) and she was mine (Guild Starfire VI). Either I had gotten stronger fingers, or it was easier to play that electric, but either way I was off! I took lessons for about a year and a half (from some local legends – thanks Mark Jerry “Jero” Earnest!) then punk rock hit and I went into DIY mode. I have been picking ever since (though the instruments have changed through the years…)
Wagonmasters (he had that big ole guitar with “f” holes!) and everyone’s favorite – Chuck Berry. Then I got into Generation X (punk), Stiff Little Fingers, The Clash, Andy Summers from The Police blew my mind, then Brian Setzer and the Stray Cats came along and I was back to square one! I went digging and found Cliff Gallup with Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Grady Martin and Paul Burleson with the Rock and Roll Trio. My “musical older brother”, Ben Newman, then turned me on to the Vaughn brothers (Jimmie with the Fabulous Thunderbirds and his little brother, Stevie Ray Vaughn) followed by Marty Stuart. I’m somewhere at the musical crossroads of country and blues – which is where Rockabilly was born! As we take the music of King Cat & The Elders out for people to hear, my hopes for the future are to get their toes tapping, their fingers snapping and their legs to dancing! Sharing and updating a style of music that some say is “frozen in time” and creating our own blend of 21st Century Rockabilly for the masses!
*********************************************************
Johnny Hensley and the Red Hots 60 Anniversary Reunion – The “Going Home Tour” At the historic Imperial Theatre! th
Betsey: You served many years in the US Army. Thank you, Sir, for your service! When you were deployed, how did music sustain you? Dwight: Thank you for that, and a big THANK YOU to all who have served! During my first deployment (OIF ’03-’04) I would have the chance to come down to Camp Doha and they had an MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation) site where you could check out instruments and go play. When/If I got the free time, I would always try and go over and jam with other service-members, it was fun and kept me going. During my deployment to Afghanistan (Dec ‘11 – Mar ’13) things were a little tougher and more austere. My unit got into an ambush while out on a mission, some of our troops got hurt and we lost one of our locals – morale went real low for a while. I had been wishing for a guitar really bad, and some great guys (Michael Eubanks, my musical band mates in “Anybody’s Guess”, church friends and family) got together with Rock Bottom music and got me a nice Fender ¾ acoustic. It showed up about a week and a half after the incident, and when I got it that afternoon I don’t think I stopped playing until after midnight! I shared it with my unit, taught one or two of the guys to play some “cowboy chords” and it really lifted everyone’s spirits! God keeps sending me Angels for sure! Betsey: Who are your biggest musical influences and what do you envision for your band, King Cat and The Elders? Dwight: Elvis (and later finding out his guitar player Scotty Moore) kicked it off for me, then in the 70’s with Johnny Horton, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash’s picker Luther Perkins, Don Rich from Buck Owen and the Buckaroo’s, George McCormick from the
It’s going to be a great night filled with classic rock and roll hits with proceeds to benefit Natalie’s Light.
Tickets $30-$38 Saturday, July 28, 2018 at 8pm Tickets on sale NOW at the Imperial’s website: www.imperialtheatre.com
Spotlight on Independent Southern Novels
An excerpt from Kicking the Goat Silly by Victoria S. Hardy From the Author: “Kicking the Goat Silly was my first novel, and my favorite. It started with one sentence, “Abbey raked the straw into the dirt yard and kicked the goat as he reared up on his hind legs.” After that I was chained to the keyboard for the next forty days. “The novel is about child sex trafficking, and the lead character, Abbey, is a survivor. She is one of my favorite characters, foul-mouthed, tough, but compassionate and gentle with animals. “Sex and child trafficking is a tough thing to write about, and I used the goat as a bit of comic relief in a story that would not typically have any humor. I can say I didn’t start out to write about such issues, and I was amazed as the pages added up as my back hurt from sitting in the chair so long, poised over the keyboard like Schroeder in the old Peanuts comics over his piano. I believe that some of the best passages from the book are between Abbey and the goat and the dogs. Although animals don’t speak as we do, she has a way with animals, and even though she has to kick the goat at times to stop him from hurting her, she’s learning how to deal with people who do seek to hurt her.”
“I’m not sure you recognize the difference between humans and animals, you speak to them as if you really expect them to answer.” “Oh, I recognize the difference, animals are a lot easier to get along with than humans.” She laughed, opening the gate to the barnyard to see the big goat up on his hind legs, prepared to hit her with his hard head again. He charged her, and she slipped around, not spilling any feed out of the pitchers she carried. “You’re just pissed because I kicked you in front of company today. It’s okay, we all get our asses handed to us at times.” She roughly rubbed the nubs on his head where fresh horns were beginning to cut through his skin. He moved away, nudging a chicken and tossing it away from the water bowl. “You’re never going to make friends that way,” she stated, pouring out the food. He stepped on a duck, sending it running into the house. “There is no prize at the end of the line for being the biggest dick, Silly.”
Please enjoy a sample from the book:
He turned, pushing his head into her thighs, slowly propelling her backwards. She rubbed his head. “I know, I know,” she soothed, and slid away before he pushed her into a tree. “I’m nice, Silly, but I’m not stupid.”
“You do know animals can’t understand what you are saying?” asked her husband, a psychiatrist.
Victoria’s books may be purchased locally at the Book Tavern in downtown Augusta or online at Amazon.com.
“Yes” “Then why are you talking to them?” “Because they like it.” “How do you know they like it? They’re animals, Abbey, not people” “I know they like it because their tails wag and they smile.” “Animals can’t smile, Abbey.” “Sure they can,” she insisted.
Pete Wood & H.O.T Photography
Betsey Venom’s Thrifting TipS If you follow my blog (betseyvenom.wordpress.com) you already know how much I enjoy treasure hunting at thrift stores. If you love to thrift as much as I do, then you will enjoy this brandnew feature in intentional pompadour. In each upcoming issue, I will share a tip or two that I have learned over the course of many years on how to make the most of a scavenger hunt at the thrift store. I will also drop a hint at where to go to find the best stuff. Unlike some people, I like to share the wealth of knowledge I acquire. And besides, I’m sure not everyone is looking for the same stuff that I am. So, let’s begin, shall we? Betsey’s Tip Number One: Don’t be afraid. Just GO! It doesn’t matter which one you go to, just go. Most of the big “chain” thrifts (like the stores I’ve visited in the CSRA) are well lit, clean and organized. There is rarely a funky smell, so no need to worry about the fabled stink factor. In fact, there is really no worry at all in shopping thrift. If anything, you may come away with a treasure or two. Just find a local thrift store near your home and go in. I admit that it can be quite overwhelming. Most thrifts are packed with donated clothing. You will find racks and racks of clothes. Some people are put off by this. However, I look at the sea of threads as the possibility of finding something truly unique. My closet can attest to this.
H.O.T Photography is named in memory of a friend tragically taken from this world by a drunk driver. H.O.T stands for Herd of Turtles, her favorite saying. Shortly before her death she pushed me to start chasing my dreams seriously. Her death sparked an awaking in my soul and I have never looked back. This sleepwalker has woken to the beauty in life! Supporting local music, fundraising, my own creative works, and honoring the memory of Tricia Kurtanik; is what drives me. Consider donating, if you are a musician that I've had the pleasure to shoot. Consider purchasing some of my work, or perhaps allowing me to work with you on a project. Contact me for more information. My goal to send 10% of all funds to a children's mission that Tricia supported in Seabright, NJ; her hometown.
For your photographic needs, contact Pete at @Herdofturtlesphoto on Facebook. Be sure to tell him that Betsey sent ya.
If clothes aren’t your thing, look throughout the entire store. Start somewhere easy, like the housewares or book departments. Give yourself time to browse properly. Thrifting requires time as well as patience. For your first trip, just go in and look around. This adventure may not appeal to you at all, but you will never know unless you try! You may walk out empty handed, but then again, you may not. Enjoy the process and keep an open mind. Good luck on your hunt!
Three Haikus – By Kathy Kotz
Spring Visions from the Garden
Bobby’s Wisteria cardinals again in our Bobby’s wisteria makes me so happy!
New Life
Photography by Betsey Venom
Valentine’s 2018 always hesitate to throw away the flowers again I replace…
The Visitor morning dragonfly too early in the season but here anyway
Guardian of the Night By Betsey Venom
Kiss Da Buddha
The Back Page Pick up your copy of intentional pompadour at the following businesses: In Augusta, Georgia at The Book Tavern and Joanie Lamb Hair Salon, both located on Broad Street downtown as well as 4P Studios at Washington and Pleasant Home Roads. In Aiken, South Carolina at The New Moon CafĂŠ in downtown Aiken and at The Red Pepper at 725 Silver Bluff Road. Please thank David, Joanie, Regina, Chris, and Suzi for supporting all things local!
thank you for picking up and reading this issue of intentional pompadour if you enjoy what you see here and would like to be included, drop me a note at betseyvenom@yahoo.com subscriptions - $10/year - email betseyvenom@yahoo.com next issue: summer 2018, to be released on or around the summer solstice ~ june 21, 2018