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For the Holidays

Renowned Woodcarver Steve Brown The Art + Culture of Hindman Harry Dean Stanton

Instagram influencers

offer Christmas décor tips

Display until 2/09/2021

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in this issue

on the cover Instagram influencer Chelsea Scott added vintage accessories from antique shops to

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give her bar cabinet a warm and cozy Christmas-at-home feel.

Photo by Chelsea Scott

This issue published in memory of Paul Kohl (1933-2020).

featured

DECEMBER/JANUARY

D E PA R T M E N T S 2 Kentucky Kwiz 3 Readers Write 4 Mag on the Move 7 Across Kentucky 8 Cooking 40 Off the Shelf 42 Field Notes 44 Past Tense/ Present Tense 46 Calendar 48 Vested Interest

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12 A Very Influential Christmas Kentucky’s social media influencers find inspiration in local products 18 Lighting Up the Holidays Kentucky’s traditional December light shows spread some much-needed holiday cheer

28 Celebrating Traditions Hindman crafts a hub of Appalachian arts 34 Cancíon Kentucky Friends say Harry Dean Stanton always kept a piece of the Bluegrass State in his heart, even decades after he left

24 The King of Carvers Woodcarving caricature artist Steve Brown draws inspiration from everyday life

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 1

kentucky kwiz Test your knowledge of our beloved Commonwealth. To find out how you fared, see the bottom of Vested Interest.

1. We may assume that we know all there is to know about Abraham Lincoln. The 16th president signed the legislation to allow Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf, to confer college degrees. David Chester French, the sculptor who created Lincoln’s statue for the Lincoln Memorial, had a deaf son.

True or False: Lincoln’s hands in the sculpture are in the American Sign Language positions of an “A” for Abraham and an “L” for Lincoln.

2. Which of pioneer Simon Kenton’s friends was accused of being a turncoat?

A. Simon Girty B. Daniel Boone C. Both 3. Pope Villa, which can be found on Grosvenor Avenue near the University of Kentucky in Lexington, was designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who also designed which other buildings?

Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. What was Sleet’s biggest claim to fame?

A. He was the first Black American to win the Pulitzer Prize B. He took some of the earliest known photographs of Muhammad Ali C. He was a college roommate of Jackie Robinson’s 7. Bob Jones, the father of Old Dominion basketball coach Jeff Jones (a graduate of Owensboro’s Apollo High School), coached Kentucky Wesleyan College to a national championship in 1973.

Which other Apollo grad’s father coached at KWC, winning two national crowns?

A. Bernie Bickerstaff B. Rex Chapman C. Darrell Waltrip 8. Maysville’s Stanley Forman Reed served as associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1938-1957. For what is he remarkable?

A. The White House and the U.S. Capitol in Washington

A. He was the oldest justice ever confirmed

B. The Pentagon and Ford’s Theatre in Washington

B. He did not graduate from law school

C. Lexington’s Memorial Coliseum and Frankfort’s Liberty Hall

C. He once said, “The rule of law should not be drawn from a figure of speech.”

4. Long before the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team played in Rupp Arena, the Wildcats first called which other campus building home?

A. Memorial Coliseum B. Alumni Gym C. Buell Armory 5. The Freight House restaurant in Paducah operates in what kind of building?

A. A freight warehouse B. A freight depot C. A freight wharf house 6. As a staff photographer for Ebony magazine, Owensboro’s Moneta J. Sleet Jr. was known for his photographs of the widows of Martin

9. Asbury University in Wilmore is named in honor of Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury, who established the first Methodist school west of the Allegheny Mountains. But the school originally was known by what name?

A. Kentucky Methodist College B. Methodist College of Kentucky C. Kentucky Holiness College 10. In The Queen’s Gambit, a Netflix series based on the novel of the same name by Lexington’s Walter Tevis, chess prodigy Beth Harmon wins the Kentucky state chess championship at which high school?

A. Bryan Station B. Henry Clay C. Paul Laurence Dunbar

2 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

Celebrating the best of our Commonwealth

© 2020, Vested Interest Publications Volume Twenty Three, Issue 10, December 2020 g January 2021 Stephen M. Vest Publisher + Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Patricia Ranft Associate Editor Rebecca Redding Creative Director Deborah Kohl Kremer Assistant Editor Ted Sloan Contributing Editor Cait A. Smith Copy Editor

Senior Kentributors Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley, Bill Ellis, Steve Flairty, Gary Garth, Jesse HendrixInman, Kristy Robinson Horine, Kim Kobersmith, Abby Laub, Walt Reichert, Ken Snyder, Joel Sams, Gary P. West

Business and Circulation Barbara Kay Vest Business Manager Jocelyn Roper Circulation Specialist

Advertising Lindsey Collins Account Executive and Coordinator For advertising information, call 888.329.0053 or 502.227.0053 KENTUCKY MONTHLY (ISSN 1542-0507) is published 10 times per year (monthly with combined December/ January and June/July issues) for $20 per year by Vested Interest Publications, Inc., 100 Consumer Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601. Periodicals Postage Paid at Frankfort, KY and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to KENTUCKY MONTHLY, P.O. Box 559, Frankfort, KY 40602-0559. Vested Interest Publications: Stephen M. Vest, president; Patricia Ranft, vice president; Barbara Kay Vest, secretary/ treasurer. Board of directors: James W. Adams Jr., Dr. Gene Burch, Gregory N. Carnes, Barbara and Pete Chiericozzi, Kellee Dicks, Maj. Jack E. Dixon, Bruce and Peggy Dungan, Mary and Michael Embry, Wayne Gaunce, Frank Martin, Thomas L. Hall, Judy M. Harris, Greg and Carrie Hawkins, Jan and John Higginbotham, Bill Noel, Walter B. Norris, Kasia Pater, Dr. Mary Jo Ratliff, Barry A. Royalty, Randy and Rebecca Sandell, Marie Shake, Kendall Carr Shelton and Ted M. Sloan.

Kentucky Monthly invites queries but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material; submissions will not be returned.

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Readers Write Basketball Feats

Fond Memories

I have enjoyed reading the Kentucky Monthly. Editor Steve Vest’s June/July column amused me (page 48)! Did you really make/ hit those shots? I played basketball at Somerset High School and Cumberland Jr. College and coached high school basketball for six years and did not hear or see such LUCK!!!

I enjoyed the Woodford Feed article (August issue, page 30). I was born and raised in Woodford County. The name Bobby Cleveland was spoken by my father, Clifford H. Shotwell, many times. I never met Bobby Cleveland, but in my mind, his store was the best place to buy spring chicks and ducks.

James D. Turpin, Ed.D., Zebulon, Georgia

I still own Dad’s farm in Millville, although my youth was spent on the farm owned by my grandfather, Clifford B. Shotwell, at the corner of Elliston Lane and McCowans Ferry.

Captionless I really enjoy every issue of Kentucky Monthly. While reading the June/July issue, I was disappointed that pictures in two articles— “Harvest in the Hills” and “Undercover Artist”— contained no identifying information. It would have been nice to have verbiage accompany the photos.

Thanks for listening.

Martha Boemker, Ludlow

Never Too Old for Higher Ed I found much to identify with in Bill Ellis’ essay about education (August issue, page 44). First, the math gene was never in my DNA. If I had been required to take algebra or calculus to get my degree, I would still be there.

When my mother was 18, she went in horse and buggy to the wilds of Hardin County to board in an unheated farmhouse and teach in a one-room school. After several years of teaching in one-room schools, she taught third grade in Elizabethtown.

Kentucky Monthly always brings a smile to my face. I now live in Michigan. That is something that happens when you attend Georgetown College, meet and marry a Hoosier, then continue northward.

She had no college degree, but when she was 60, she took classes at Eastern Kentucky University and took more classes at Indiana University. In her 80s, she wrote her memoir in longhand called “My Yesterday’s Memories.”

Donna Shotwell Dodd, Rockford, Michigan

Shirley Baechtold, Richmond

We Love to Hear from You! Kentucky Monthly welcomes letters from all readers. Email us your comments at editor@kentuckymonthly.com, send a letter through our website at kentuckymonthly.com, or message us on Facebook. Letters may be edited for clarification and brevity.

The Kentucky Gift Guide Kentucky Monthly is thrilled to partner with Kentucky Proud, bringing to your attention some of the finest handcrafted gifts and treats our Commonwealth has to offer.

Drink Local This handy guide to sipping in the Bluegrass State spotlights local breweries, wineries and, of course, distilleries. Discover unique ways to drink in Kentucky, creative cocktail recipes and more.

v Find more at kentuckymonthly.com.

Use your phone to scan this QR code and visit our website.

C O N N E C T.

UNITING KENTUCKIANS EVERYWHERE. k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 3

travel

MAG ON THE MOVE

These photos pre-date the COVID-19 outbreak, social distancing and mask mandates. Kentucky Monthly supports all safe travel measures.

Take a copy of the magazine with you and get snapping! Send your high-resolution photos (usually 1 MB or higher) to editor@kentuckymonthly.com or visit kentuckymonthly.com to submit your photo.

Kerry and Rita Barnett IRELAND (above) The Radcliff couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a trip to Ireland and a stay at Ballyseede Castle in Tralee, County Kerry.

The Elliott Family FLORIDA (left) Andy and Helen Elliott of Mayfield traveled to Orlando, Florida, to cheer on their oldest granddaughter, Olivia McClure, a senior on the Graves County High School Coed Cheer Team, at the UCA National Championship.

Also pictured is the Elliotts’ grandson, Aaron Vaughn.

4 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

CAPITALCELLARS.COM

PUBLISH YOUR BOOK 859-520-3757

www.reformationpublishers.com

14 S. Queen Street Mt. Sterling, Kentucky 40353 Email rpublisher@aol.com

Top Golden State Visitors — Georgia Burton and Sarah Burton of Monticello and Mary Korreck—originally from Betsy Layne, Kentucky, now residing in Florida— traveled to Los Angeles and Pasadena for the 2019 Tournament of Roses Parade.

They visited the Getty Museum, Reagan Presidential Library and viewed the King Tut Exhibit at the California Science Center.

Middle, from left, Sirgute, Zerusamay and Mike Norville of Louisville toured Cape Town, South Africa, with Amy and Jeff Norville, Kentucky natives who now reside in Marianna, Florida.

Bottom Owensboro residents Jim and Kelly Goetz returning from Guatemala after visiting fellow Kentickian Eric Goetz’s Big Buoy Fishing Lodge in Puerto San Jose.

Colonial Cottage Restaurant 3140 Dixie Highway, Erlanger 859-341-4498 thecottagenky.com

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 5

travel

Pat and Dave Hammer NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA The Louisville couple visited Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 in The Big Easy. This photo was taken beside the Smith-Dumestre Tomb, which is inscribed 37 names—the highest number of of any tomb in the cemetery. Ten more names of family members will be added on the tomb when they pass away.

Kentucky Connections AUSTRALIA (above) Louisville residents Dr. Bernie Strenecky and his wife, Eileen, took a monthlong trip to Australia and New Zealand.

While in Sydney, they visited and attended a production of West Side Story with Kaitlin Hartley, a resident of Versailles working in Australia.

Gayle Waddell and Phillip Jones AUSTRALIA (left) The Danville residents took the issue of Kentucky Monthly featuring the 2019 Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame inductees on a writers walk of Sydney.

6 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

across kentucky

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS 2 Mac King (1959), Hopkinsvilleborn magician with a residence at Harrah’s Las Vegas 7 Martha Layne Collins (1936), governor of Kentucky from 1983-87 7 Jennifer Leann Carpenter (1979), Louisville-born actress best known for Dexter (2006-13) and Limitless (2015-16) 18 Josh Dallas (1978), Louisvilleborn actor, best known as Prince Charming in the television series Once Upon a Time 21 Scott Satterfield (1972), University of Louisville football coach 22 Diane Sawyer (1945), Glasgow-born journalist and television show host 25 Gary Sandy (1945), Cynthiana actor best known Travis on WKRP in Cincinnati 28 John Y. Brown Jr. (1933), governor of Kentucky from 1979-83 30 Trish Suhr (1974), Middlesboro-born comedian, best known as the “Yard Sale Diva” on more than 300 episodes of Style Network’s Clean House and guest-starring roles on Comedy Central’s Reno 911!

30 Chris Mack (1969), University of Louisville basketball coach JANUARY BIRTHDAYS 2 Bryson Tiller (1993), singer/rapper from Louisville, whose 2017 album True to Self debuted at No. 1 on Billboard 4 Patty Loveless (1957), member of the Grand Ole Opry from Elkhorn City 8 Crystal Gayle (1951), Grammy Award-winning singer from Paintsville 11 Naomi Judd (1946), country music star from Ashland, mother of Wynonna and actress Ashley Judd 14 Emayatzy Corinealdi (1980), Fort Knox-born actress best known for the lead in 2012’s Middle of Nowhere 16 John Carpenter (1948), film producer and director from Bowling Green 20 John Michael Montgomery (1965), country music singer from Nicholasville 25 Angie Gregory (1975), Paducahborn actress/writer who has appeared in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, among others

Educators Honored In another first during a year of many firsts, the Kentucky Teacher of the Year was named in a virtual ceremony. Donnie Piercey, who teaches fifth grade at Lexington’s Stonewall Elementary, received the recognition in an Oct. 22 event streamed live. “I’m never someone who cries. Now, I’ve got tears here,” Piercey said from his home during the virtual presentation. “I don’t know what to say.

My kids are cheering for me downstairs right now.”

In addition to the 2021 Kentucky Teacher of the Year, Piercey also was named Elementary Teacher of the Year.

An educator for 14 years, he has been at Stonewall since 2018.

Piercey has gone above and beyond during this challenging year in education. When schools closed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he promptly set up an online hub so that teachers could stay connected to their students. He also set up virtual classrooms for his fellow teachers and instructed them on remote teaching.

During the virtual presentation ceremony, Gov. Andy Beshear praised teachers for the additional work they’ve had to take on because of the pandemic. “I am so thankful for what each and every one of you do,” he said, “and I want you to know that you have my full support.

Also announced during the ceremony were the 2021 Kentucky Middle and High School Teachers of the Year. They are, respectively, Laura Peavley, who teaches eighth-grade math at Jefferson County’s Westport Middle School, and Christopher McCurry, a 12th-grade English teacher at Lafayette High School in Fayette County.

Arts Awards Gov. Andy Beshear announced the recipients of the Governor’s Awards in the Arts on Nov. 12. The awards, which are presented in nine categories, recognize the contributions of Kentuckians and Kentucky organizations to the state’s rich arts heritage.

The 2020 recipients are singer-songwriter and producer Michael Johnathan, Fayette County, Milner Award; author Silas House, Madison County, Artist Award; live music venue Tidball’s, Warren County, Business Award; Artists Collaborative Theatre, Pike County, Community Arts Award; the Paducah Symphony Orchestra, McCracken County, Education Award; quilt expert and author Shelly Zegart, Jefferson County, Folk Heritage Award; the city of Somerset, Pulaski County, Government Award; Spanish language newspaper Al Día en América, Jefferson County, Media Award; and country music icon Tom T. Hall, Carter County, National Award.

The Kentucky Arts Council recommends the award recipients annually to the governor. A virtual award ceremony will be held at a later date.

For more information on the awards and when they will be presented, visit artscouncil.ky.gov. k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 7

cooking

Food recipes provided

by Chef Stu Plush of The Kitchen & Bar at Bardstown Bourbon Company, with cocktail recipes provided by Samantha Montgomery.

Photos courtesy of The Kitchen & Bar at Bardstown Bourbon Company.

Small Bites for Small Gatherings

Entertaining for the holidays in 2020 is distinctively different than it has been for any other year. Most of us likely will celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve with close family only, but that doesn’t mean parties should be any less festive. Chef Stu Plush of The Kitchen & Bar at Bardstown Bourbon Company offers recipes for hors d’oeuvres sure to make any intimate get-together a delectable one, and Samantha Montgomery, the national brand ambassador for the Bardstown Bourbon Company, provides a pair of cocktail recipes that joyfully reflect the season. Happy Holidays!

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Cheers!

The eggnog recipe is a warm and comforting variation on the holiday classic. For those looking for something a bit easier to execute, You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out is the perfect twoingredient cocktail, a fool-proof combo that will have everyone feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

Banana Bread Eggnog 2 ounces bourbon ¾ ounce heavy cream ½ ounce crème de banane ¼ ounce rich demerara syrup 1 whole egg 1 pinch nutmeg 1 pinch cinnamon Cinnamon-sugar mix for rimming glass

Smoked Trout Corn Cake 4 ounces cream cheese, softened

Hot Water Corn Cake

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 small shallot, minced

1½ teaspoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons chopped, drained capers

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons caper brine

Hot water

Salt and freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon baking powder

Chives, cut to 1-inch lengths for garnish

2 tablespoons whole milk

12 hot water corn cakes (recipe follows)

1 egg, beaten

½ pound skinless smoked trout fillet, chopped (I like using Shuckman’s)

¼ cup minced onion

1. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, shallot, capers and caper brine.

Season with salt and pepper.

2. Place a teaspoon of caper cream cheese on each corn cake. Top with the smoked trout and garnish with chives.

¼ cup minced chives

Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin. Dry shake (without ice) for 10-15 seconds. Then, shake with ice for another 10-15 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass rimmed with a cinnamon-sugar mix.

You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out

1. Combine all dry ingredients except baking powder. Pour in enough hot water—about ¼ cup—to make a thick mush.

¾ ounce nocino

2. Add milk, egg and baking powder. Mix together.

1 dash Angostura orange, optional

3. Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture onto hot grill pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook until brown on both sides and cooked through.

Serve straight in a rocks or shot glass.

¾ ounce bourbon

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 9

cooking Scotch Eggs with Bourbon Maple Mustard Eggs: 1 pound bulk pork sausage (I prefer Jake’s hot sausage) ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs ¼ cup pork rinds, crushed 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled All-purpose flour to coat 1 egg, beaten Sauce: 1 cup whole grain mustard 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons bourbon 1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Shape sausage into four equal-size patties. Mix together panko breadcrumbs and pork rinds in a bowl.

2. Roll each hard-boiled egg in flour to coat; place on sausage patty and shape sausage around egg.

Dip each into beaten egg; coat with breadcrumbs to cover completely.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 35 minutes or until sausage is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink near egg.

4. For sauce, in small bowl, combine mustard, maple syrup and bourbon.

5. Serve eggs sliced in half with bourbon mustard. You also can cut them into quarters to make them bite-sized.

Pumpkin Panna Cotta with Bourbon Caramel and Cookie Crumble 1 packet unflavored powdered gelatin (2¼ teaspoons) ¼ cup cold water ¾ cup canned pure pumpkin purée 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar 1½ tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1¾ cups heavy cream ¾ cup whole milk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed.

Run through a food processor or crush in a resealable plastic bag.

1 cup store-bought caramel sauce 2 ounces bourbon 1. In a small bowl, whisk together gelatin and water until combined. Let sit to bloom for at least 5 minutes.

2. Combine the pumpkin purée, sugars, fresh ginger, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and salt in a medium sauté

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pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and the mixture deepens in color and thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.

3. While the pumpkin is cooking, combine the cream and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the softened gelatin and vanilla, and whisk until dissolved. Whisk in the pumpkin mixture until smooth, and then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.

4. Spray 10 4-ounce ramekins with nonstick spray and divide the mixture among the ramekins. Refrigerate for 1 hour uncovered, and then cover the tops with plastic wrap once cool. Chill for at least 4 hours. Can be made two days ahead of serving.

5. Before serving, mix caramel sauce and bourbon together in a small bowl.

6. Unmold the panna cotta by dipping the bottom of each ramekin in hot water for a few seconds and then run a paring knife around the edge, all the way to the bottom, to loosen it. Cover with a dessert plate and invert, give it a good shake, and then remove the ramekin.

7. Sprinkle with crushed cookies and drizzle with bourbon caramel.

Country Ham Crostini 1 baguette

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice baguette on the bias, about ¼-inch thick. Place on an ungreased sheet pan and toast for about 5 minutes or until just starting to brown.

¼ pound Manchego cheese ¼ pound Kentucky country ham, very thinly shaved Turtleback Ridge Farm Gooseberry Chutney, or your favorite pineapple jam

Shrimp and Grits Stuffed Peppers ¼ pound andouille sausage, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil

2. Using a vegetable peeler, shave pieces of Manchego cheese. Place shaved cheese and ham on crostini and top with a dollop of the chutney or jam.

Your Grandma’s Legendary Homemade Gravy…

1 cup water ¼ cup stone ground grits (I like Louismill) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper 12 mini sweet peppers, top cut out (to resemble a canoe) and seeds removed 1 bay leaf ½ pound raw shrimp, 41-50 count ½ teaspoon Creole seasoning Favorite hot sauce Chopped scallions, for garnish 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Add andouille and garlic to pan and heat until andouille starts to brown. Remove from heat.

2. Bring water to a boil. Stir in grits and bay leaf; reduce to simmer. Cover and cook until done, about 15 minutes.

When grits are done, stir in butter, parmesan cheese, sausage and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Stuff peppers with grits and place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for about 5 minutes.

im t e l o h w e h t ….It was us

e.

(don’t tell her we told you.)

Browse our wide variety of gravy mixes and holiday favorites that will have grandma asking YOU for the recipe.

4. While peppers are baking, reheat the andouille sausage pan over mediumhigh heat. Season shrimp with creole seasoning and sauté until they turn opaque.

5. Remove peppers from oven and place on a platter or plate. Add a dash of your favorite hot sauce, top each with 1 shrimp, and garnish with chopped scallions.

at pioneerbrand.com

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 11

@

JCPEats

6

southern food + life

By Abby Laub

interiordesigndropout

A VERY INFLUENTIAL

Christmas 6 diy • thrift • decor

Kentucky’s social media influencers find inspiration in local products absolutely_alli beauty • outfits • accessories

6

Decorating for the holiday season may seem pointless this year without big holiday parties to look forward to or for those on a tightened budget due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the following Kentucky-based social media influencers prove that holiday decorating doesn’t need to be overly complicated or expensive.

Social media influencers are masters at making things look good, so we worked with three of them to get our readers inspired to celebrate this winter, even if those holiday celebrations will be different from what many are accustomed to.

We all need something to look forward to this season.

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In their designs, each of our influencers used Kentucky products, some of which they represent on social media.

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 13

@JCPEATS AND THE EDIBLE TABLESCAPE

6

F

ood can be beautiful, so J.C. Phelps was inspired to focus on the party fare for a tasty and visually appealing holiday get-together featuring items with a nod to Kentucky.

“I chose a functional, edible, food-based table in the spirit of the ‘grazing table’ trend,” said Phelps, a marketing consultant by day and influencer by night. “The display is both easy on the eye and the palate, a winning recipe for any holiday party.”

Phelps represents Ale-8One and used the iconic green bottles in his display, along with Ale-8’s cherry flavor, which is red, for a red/green Christmas vibe.

Winchester’s Ale-8-One also produces a salsa that made an appearance on the table.

Phelps partners with Kroger, from which he sourced brie cheese, dried apricots, grapes, flowers and Mount Sterling-based

Ruth Hunt Candy’s Blue Monday Bars.

A holiday food spread isn’t complete without stellar cheese. Louisvilleproduced Harvey’s Cheese, a past client of his and one of his favorite Kentucky businesses, featured prominently in the edible tablescape. Pictured also are cheeses from Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese in Barren County, including Smoked Kentucky Bleu, Kentucky Rose, Reserve Cheddar, and Chipotle Colby. Phelps paired the cheeses with a French Clovis Tarragon Mustard and Red Clover Lavosh Crackers, which are produced in Louisville.

Aside from Ale-8-One, Phelps chose to quench

“Kentucky-made goods are superior...”

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guests’ thirst with Bluegrass State-based tea blends from Berea’s Kentucky Artisan Center Tea and Elmwood Inn Fine Teas. “Berea is a favorite community of mine in Kentucky,” said Phelps, who splits his time between Louisville and his family’s farm in Russell County. The Elmwood Inn Tea represents his college town of Danville, where the inn is located. “I’m a proud Centre College alumnus,” he said.

For a “spirited” beverage on his table, Phelps selected Jeptha Creed Moonshine, representing longtime client ShelbyKY Tourism.

The look was pulled together with vintage

Louisville Stoneware, now known as Stoneware & Co., made in Louisville.

These pieces fit his philosophy of utilizing “family heirlooms and antiques that are meant to be used, appreciated and enjoyed.”

With the food as the focus, the tablescape was accessorized with primarily red, green and white flowers to amp up the color and add to the inviting look.

Phelps called himself a “true Southerner” and said, “The other philosophies that feed into my classic Kentucky style are that Kentucky-made goods are superior, and decorating should be warm and inviting, not stuffy.”

@INTERIORDESIGNDROPOUT’S OLD-FASHIONED HOLIDAY BAR

6

“I regularly post DIY projects and tutorials to help make daunting projects seem doable, as well as thrift hauls and up-cycles that can transform a space for an inexpensive price point.”

O

ld and handmade products highlighted Frankfort native Chelsea Scott’s holiday décor. Her “old-fashioned holiday bar” combines vintage Kentucky pieces in a unique look that shows off the influencer’s style.

“I wanted to be able to put together a design moment that was festive without being too over-thetop,” Scott said. “My home décor style is BohoScandinavian, so I wanted to stay true to that feel, using the lemon tree with wooden ornaments, foraged pine branches and dried floral accents.”

Scott uses her account to

focus on home updates and décor that can be done on a budget. “I regularly post DIY projects and tutorials to help make daunting projects seem doable, as well as thrift hauls and up-cycles that can transform a space for an inexpensive price point,” she said.

For this project, she did just that, using a faux board-and-batten wall as a backdrop. “This wall was my first larger-scale DIY project and served as the perfect moody backdrop for this holiday décor,” Scott said. “I chose to decorate my bar cabinet, which was an inherited piece from my uncle, who

was born and raised in Kentucky. With the cabinet being in the dining room, it’s the perfect space for entertaining for the holidays with a bourbon on the rocks or an old fashioned.”

Scott, who utilizes her educational background in merchandising, apparel and textiles, sourced the items from Kentucky vintage and antique shops to enhance the décor, including the pillar candlesticks, books, crystal bourbon decanter and wicker tray.

“The wood-and-pine garland was a quick DIY project to add an extra touch of Scandinavian

flare,” she said.

She acquired the “Fast Horses & Fine Bourbon” print from Louisville-based MissHappyPink. The photo of Churchill Downs is by Tonya Harrison Photography. On the bar are Kentucky-produced Bulleit and Basil Hayden’s bourbon.

To save money, Scott made the wooden bead garland with jute and pine tassels, and all the pine was foraged in her backyard. The faux boardand-batten wall and shelf backdrop was painted with Sherwin Williams Grizzle Gray and Sherwin Williams Pure White.

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 15

@ABSOLUTELY_ALLI AND THE COLLABORATIVE CHRISTMAS

6 Influencer and Retailer Tips Allison Lewis has written a book to assist fledgling influencers as well as retailers who have been struggling in a COVID-19constrained shopping era. Released in September, The Business of Blogging and Social Media Influencing encourages retailers trying to sell their products for the holidays to use live videos to engage with customers.

“Live videos get the most engagement, followed by recorded videos,” she said. “Set up a Facebook event a couple days in advance to advertise that you are going live to talk about or show them new products.

“A social media presence is always key.

Having the most up-todate content can really help your business.

Finding your point of difference compared to other retailers can really help you stand out on social. Also, always have a call to action on your social media platforms, making it easy for people to purchase and find where you are located.”

Lewis also offers a corresponding online master class to help entrepreneurs and business owners accelerate their social media.

To order Lewis’ book, or find out more about the master class, visit absolutelyalli.com.

A

llison Lewis of Louisville draws on local favorites and local partnerships for her Kentucky Christmas— including her outfit. A fashion author, lifestyle blogger and talented businesswoman, Lewis focused on her signature color of gold when she decorated her front door for the holidays.

16 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

“I like a lot of gold—it pairs well with the greens for the holidays,” she said, calling her holiday style “more classic.” She said she’s inspired by how “hotels and grand establishments decorate, like the Galt House, Omni Louisville, The Greenbrier or the Biltmore, and even the Gaylord Opryland. I thrive on their over-the-topness. ‘More is more’ is usually their motto for holiday décor.”

Lewis said she always adds gold bows or ribbons, and she took those principles to her front door with the gold glittered garland sourced from Louisville’s Red Tree Nulu,

one of her favorite shops.

For her holiday party outfit, Lewis shopped at Belle Monde Boutique and used @theblushinfluence for styling.

“During the winter, as far as clothing, I gravitate toward black or dark colors like burgundy,” she said. “I like to have a base color and accessorize it with jewelry or a bright-color sweater.

“Shopping at local boutiques is my favorite thing I can recommend for the holidays. Some of my favorite Louisville hometown picks are Work the Metal (@workthemetal), RoxyNell (@roxynell_jeans) and Louisville Salt Cave (@louisvillesaltcave).”

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Kentucky’s traditional December light shows spread some much-needed holiday cheer

y

Here are some ideas for socially distanced fun!

Lighting

Up

the

Holi

By Tracey Teo

18 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

The holidays look a little different this year because of the COVID19 pandemic, but that doesn’t mean you’ll have an Elvis-style blue Christmas. Sure, large indoor parties are a thing of Christmas past, and many people are forgoing risky travel and staying closer to home. For Kentuckians, that’s OK, because home is full of holiday cheer. Thanks to these events across the Commonwealth that deliver family fun while following state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, it’s still the most wonderful time of the year.

d ay s k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 19

Illuminated Evenings

@

Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill

A

t Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, cider-sipping holiday revelers gather expectantly around a towering Christmas tree that seems to pierce a canopy of stars.

Three, two, one … Wow! A merry Mrs. Claus lights the tree, kicking off the Illuminated Evenings festivities.

The annual event offers craft-making opportunities for kids, holiday music and more.

Billy Rankin, vice president of public programming and organizational strategy, said that, despite having to implement the necessary safety precautions, the event is as festive as ever, and he hopes it brings a sense of normalcy to the community.

“This year has been difficult for everyone, and, of course, it has altered how we share Shaker Village with the public,” Rankin said. “We have outdoor caroling rather than indoor performances, and additional fire pits and seating options outdoors allow our guests to soak up the joy of the holidays while staying safe during their visit.”

In addition to traditional Christmas carols, visitors are likely to hear the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts”

that expresses the Shaker principles of simplicity and humility. It’s an example of how “illuminating” this sprawling living history museum can be, aside from the glittering white lights that make a dark December evening merry and bright.

Set on 3,000 acres in central Kentucky, this National Historic Landmark features 34 structures that preserve 19th-century Shaker life. The revolutionary religious society known for its tenets of egalitarianism and pacifism was committed to communal living, celibacy and a dedication to excellence in all things. The word “Shaker” comes from the frenzied dancing that was a hallmark of Shaker worship services.

Illuminated Evenings is the perfect opportunity to see the property after dark, but before you bask in the glow of all those lights, take the daytime Historic Village Tour to better understand the community that once flourished there.

Noteworthy stops include the three-story Centre Family Dwelling, an imposing limestone structure that once was a dormitory but is now a museum featuring exhibits on Shaker occupations, such as furniture

20 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

3501 Lexington Road Harrodsburg 800.734.5611 shakervillageky.org Dec. 5, 12 + 19 5-8PM ADMISSION $7-14 HISTORIC TOUR $7-14

making, and the 1820 Meeting House, which embodies the simplicity and symmetry of Shaker design.

The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic likely will cause a shift away from the holiday materialism of the past, so perhaps this is the year to embrace the simple gifts the Shakers held so dear.

Lights Under Louisville 1841 Taylor Avenue, Louisville 877.614.6342 louisvillemegacavern.com NOV. 13–JAN. 3 Mon/Wed/Thu 6–10PM Friday + Saturday 5–10PM ADMISSION $29.99 per vehicle Purchase tickets and personalized Santa video at lightsunderlouisville.com.

L

ights Under Louisville at Louisville Mega Cavern shines even brighter this year. Cruising through a 120-foot tunnel of multicolored LED lights has always been the big wow factor for this subterranean drive-through light show, but the addition of a second tunnel delivers twice the holiday dazzle. If you didn’t get that enviable Instagrammable shot you were hoping for the first time, you’ll get a second chance.

Also new is projection mapping, a technology that can project video onto any surface, not just a flat screen. In

this case, the cavern walls are transformed into a magical holiday world that almost looks like a movie set, making visitors forget they are deep in the bowels of the Earth.

More than five million lights in 40 themed displays that include “Frozen,” “Disney Princesses” and Charlie Brown’s sad little Christmas tree turn a pitch-black underworld into a sparkling holiday extravaganza.

“Hometown Christmas” is a perennial favorite that captures the essence of the Bluegrass State with a massive Fort Knox tank, a depiction of Cumberland Falls and a tribute to

Louisville’s first responders.

Basketball fans get a thrill out of seeing the state’s two big college teams, the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the University of Louisville Cardinals, lit up in all their glory. A word of advice: If your crew has die-hard fans rooting for opposing teams, put them in separate vehicles to prevent any trash talk that might land them on Santa’s naughty list.

Speaking of Santa, this year, kids can get a personalized video message from the big guy himself.

...other Christmas (De)Lights

Winter Wonderland of Lights Festival Entertainment and a socially distanced visit from Santa.

Free. Nov. 16–Jan. 3, 6PM Central Park, 615 22nd Street, Ashland 606.324.5111 g winterwonderlandoflights.org

Christmas at Panther Creek Drive-through Christmas light exhibit $5 per vehicle.

Nightly Nov. 27–Jan 2, 6–9PM 5160 Wayne Bridge Road, Owensboro visitowensboro.com

Grand Rivers Festival of Lights at Patti’s 1880 Settlement Self-guided walking tour through holiday light exhibit at a recreated 19th-century Kentucky settlement.

Free. Nov. 6– to mid–January 1793 J.H. O’Bryan Avenue, Grand Rivers 270.362.8844 g pattis1880s.com

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 21

y

ADMISSION $25 per vehicle. Nov. 22–Dec. 31, 5:30–10:30PM

4089 Ironworks Parkway, Lexington g 859.255.5727 Purchase tickets at southernlightsky.org.

Southern Lights Holiday Festival

A

t the 27th annual Southern Lights Holiday Festival at the Kentucky Horse Park, a colorful illuminated exhibit depicts racehorses breaking from the starting gate at Lexington’s world-famous Keeneland Race Course, their jockeys crouched low as they coax the highspirited Thoroughbreds to victory in a city known known as the Horse Capital of the World.

The awe-inspiring scene is just one of 220 themed light displays that unfold along this four-mile driving tour.

Non-equestrian displays such as “Disney Princesses,” “Jurassic Park” and “The Wizard of Oz” also are big hits, but it’s the horses that make this light show a one-of-kind event.

The park’s beloved Hall of Champions—think of it as an equestrian retirement home for racing royalty—is also portrayed in lights, capturing the strength and beauty of stars like Funny Cide, the 2003 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner.

So now your little buckaroo or cowgirl wants a pony for Christmas, right? Tell the tyke it won’t fit in Santa’s sleigh, but he or she can ride one at Animal Land (a petting zoo in past years) after the tour. If the child is inclined to travel like the Three Wise Men, riding a camel is another option.

Kids will be chomping at the bit to return to check out the equestrian complex’s four museums and see the Parade of Breeds, a demonstration that showcases horse breeds from around the world.

Christmas in the Trees

P

aducah refuses to let the pandemic rain on its parade.

Instead of canceling the annual Christmas parade that draws large crowds and makes social distancing almost impossible, Paducah Parks and Recreation came up with an innovative solution to keep everyone safe— Christmas in the Trees at Noble Park. The floats don’t move, but you do. This reverse drive-through parade features dozens of dazzling floats designed by local organizations as part of an annual competition. Some of these whimsical creations have music, lights and animation—microcosms of performance art.

In keeping with the theme, each float is required to have a Christmas tree, and many are expected to boast over-the-top yuletide decorations.

Past years have produced Lion King-themed floats, patriotic floats and one with Santa driving a sleigh draped in lights.

For kids, being showered with candy is a parade highlight. They still will get their treats, but in individual goody bags.

Special Events Superintendent Molly Tomasallo Johnson said that, despite adjustments to the event, she’s confident it will bring joy to this western Kentucky community at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers.

“This year may be a bit different due to COVID,” Johnson said, “but we all still need Christmas cheer and the camaraderie that our float building and annual competitions bring—now, maybe more than ever.”

22 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

ADMISSION: Free. Dec. 5–6, 5:30–8:30PM

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The King of Carvers

By Jackie Hollenkamp Bentley

24 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

Steve Brown’s woodcarving art and artistry can be found on his website, sbrownwoodcarving.com.

Woodcarving caricature artist Steve Brown draws inspiration from everyday life

W

ho would have thought that cutting off a finger would end up being a good thing? That’s exactly what happened to woodcarver Steve Brown while working in his father’s Madisonville woodworking shop one Saturday in the late 1970s.

“The table saw and I got in a fight, and the table saw won,” Brown recalled. “It cut three fingers on my left hand, one completely off. So in recuperating, I got my old pocketknife out and started making a few chips.”

Fortunately, Brown’s finger was reattached, and all digits healed. But he sold most of his woodworking

equipment and began to focus solely on carving, specifically caricature figures and dioramas. Over the next four decades, he would perfect his craft, publish two books on woodcarving, and hold numerous seminars on the art and technique of the trade. As is true for many artists, he had a rough beginning.

“I started out on my own, and it was very difficult,” Brown said. “I was using just a knife, and I had seen other guys use chisels.”

In 1978, he attended a seminar in Arkansas, where he met Harold Inlow, who often was called by fellow artists the “Godfather of Caricature Carving ” “I mean, I just fell head over heels about the way he was carving and using the chisels,” Brown said of

Inlow’s work. “So I went back out each year for the next eight years” to learn from the artist. ggg

During those years, Brown was working full time to help run his family’s two nursing homes in Hopkins County. “When they sold the nursing homes [in 1986], I applied at other places … I found it was hard to get a job at [my] age,” he said. “I’d been teaching all those years, and I already had established a clientele in different venues, so I told my wife, ‘Well … shoot, I’ve already got the contacts, so I might as well start [teaching full time].’ ” Brown also was perfecting his pen figures during that time. These

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 25

unique writing tools are carved wooden figures that double as a pen.

He now sells them in kits that enable beginning carvers to fashion their own whimsical pens.

He wrote a book, Carving Pen Figures, for those who wanted to learn more about the craft. Published in 1998, the guide remains in print.

Brown’s subsequent book, the 2003 Carving Figural Kaleidoscopes: A New Twist—Collide-A-Scope, expanded on his use of multifunctional artwork.

He put his own spin on the traditional kaleidoscope, creating carved figurines that double as the timeless reflective-pattern toys. ggg

“Steve is a different carver in the fact that he thinks about a carving in a way that there’s a secondary use out of it,” said Dwayne Gosnell, a fellow woodcarver. “I like the carving to be fun to look at or make a humorous statement. With Steve doing his pen kits, he’s actually getting a function out of the carvings.”

Gosnell met Brown about six years

ago but has followed his work and teachings for nearly 20 years, calling him a “superhero” in carving circles.

“I knew of Steve because he was published in magazines … and when I was young in the carving world, we lived for those magazines,” Gosnell said. “Steve being a teacher around the country, his name would always pop up where classes were being held. I knew of him and his name and his style and just by the work he was doing and having published.”

Gosnell said it was an instant connection the first time he met Brown face to face, and they remain good friends.

“Steve is still a very big influence in what I do in my carving journey,” Gosnell said. “He’s very much a mentor to me. He was the one who showed me how to market myself to a larger audience. With that, I’m grateful because I probably would have still been teaching one or two people.”

Gosnell said that, even though Brown is considered one of the best caricature artists around, Brown

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This exhibit transports visitors back to a time of flappers and suffragists, KYGMC is home to bootleggers a variety of original history paintings by and temperance lobbyists, and real-life legends, Kentucky artist Steve White. such as AlThis Capone and Carry Nation. collection is now on display in our Wormald Gallery Opening January 28, 2021.4, 2020. through January

26 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

never rests on his laurels.

“Steve is one of those guys who—even though at the top of his game—is still learning,” Gosnell said. “I have a deep respect for someone who is as good as he is but

still wants to learn and get better.

For me, that shows he has drive and ambition, even though he’s considered one of the top caricature carvers out there.”

The 69-year-old Brown has won numerous first-place awards in carving shows across the United States, including those at the International Woodcarvers Congress.

He was inducted into the Caricature Carvers of America in 2014. His intricately detailed figures range from 2-18 inches tall.

Brown often is asked for commission work. He said he has done a few commission pieces, albeit reluctantly.

“I just carve what I like, and if it sells, then somebody else liked it besides me,” he said. “They’ll see the figure, and if it’s a piece that makes them laugh or smile, that’s when you know you’ve done your job.” ggg

Where does Brown find his inspiration? He said that, even though he finds ideas on the internet these

days, there is no substitute for great observational skills to help a caricature artist draw out and exaggerate a subject’s features.

“When I first started, it was just everyday life. I’d see somebody in a restaurant, and my wife would ask, ‘Why in the world are you staring at that guy?’ ” Brown said. “I’d pick up just life in general, go with the flow, and come up with my own ideas.”

Born and raised in Madisonville, Brown decided in 2013 to trade bluegrass for ocean sands and now observes life at his new home in Freeport, Florida.

He said he has backed off a bit on woodcarving, but he is still active with the Caricature Carvers of America and continues to host the biannual Renegade Woodcarvers Roundup in Tennessee. Q

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“It is important that kids feel ownership of their traditions and connected to the place where they live. It helps them understand their place in the world.” — Sarah Kate Morgan

Master luthier Paul Williams

28 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

Celebrating TRADITIONS Hindman crafts a hub of Appalachian arts Text and Photos by Kim Kobersmith

Hindman Settlement School When Hindman Settlement School founders Katherine Pettit and May Stone came to this part of eastern Kentucky in 1899, they were inspired by the national settlement movement to both teach and learn. Some of the treasures they found in the local community were Appalachian crafts, music and dance, and they infused arts into the curriculum from the beginning.

W

hen travelers approach Hindman from the Hal Rogers Parkway, they are welcomed to the historic downtown by a large metal sculpture.

Big Blue is a horse with a mailbox body created as a tribute to Irvine Pratt, one of the last United States postmen to deliver mail on horseback. He served as a lifeline for 30 families in these hills into the late 20th century, riding six hours, three days a week, to bring pension checks, magazines and news from Vietnam.

It is fitting that the welcome to the town of Hindman is a piece of public art that commemorates history. The community is steeped in Appalachian art and craft traditions. Perhaps its most noted craftsman was Uncle Ed Thomas, a luthier who created the world-famous Cumberland dulcimer with its signature hourglass shape at the end of the 1800s.

Music is a part of Hindman lore, but many other traditions, such as dancing, blacksmithing and writing, also were part of the fabric of everyday life for years. In Hindman today, two organizations are working to keep these traditions alive. Through a mix of teaching and apprenticeship, opportunity and support, they keep folk arts accessible as an inheritance, a craft and a source of livelihood for the community.

The school’s Folk Arts Education Program continues that emphasis by helping fill the gap in arts education at the Knott and Floyd county schools. Education Director Sarah Kate Morgan leads in-school music and movement programs to expose students to their traditions with games, dancing and singing. Through the Pick and Bow after-school program, 75 children annually learn to play the banjo, guitar, fiddle and mandolin with six local teaching artists. Interest continues even as the pandemic has shifted the lessons to a virtual platform.

In her programs, Morgan gives the students permission to create their own folkways. She likes to lead square dances where students are invited to create their own moves. It might look like a dab interspersed with the more traditional do-si-dos and swings. “It is important that kids feel ownership of their traditions and connected to the place where they live,” Morgan said. “It helps them understand their place in the world.”

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 29

The school also has a long history of encouraging literary arts. The bedrock of the program is the weeklong Appalachian Writers Workshop, now in its 43rd year. Many Appalachian writing luminaries have been on staff, including James Still, Harriet Arnow, Harry Caudill, George Ella Lyon and Gurney Norman.

Kentucky writer Silas House first attended the workshop in 1996 and has returned every year, either as a student or a teacher. “I would not have become a writer without the Appalachian Writers Workshop,” House said. “There, I found the encouragement and support that I needed to sustain me. It’s one of those special places in the world—like a thin place—in that there is some unexplainable power about it.” To House, the workshop plays a central role in the literature of the region.

One of the unique aspects of the Appalachian Writers Workshop is the mixing of students and staff in an integrated and supportive way. A simple practice that enforces that egalitarian spirit is washing dishes together, which everyone is expected to do sometime during the week.

Jayne Moore Waldrop of Lexington has attended the workshop since 2016. For her first published fiction manuscript, she is excited to be working with the Settlement School’s most recent literary endeavor: Fireside Industries, a publishing imprint of the University Press of Kentucky. With House as editor, Waldrop said, “I am fortunate to be working with my literary dream team.”

The intent of Fireside Industries is to publish new and re-released books that diversify the Appalachian voice and provide new insight into the region. The newest release is Even as We Breathe by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle. It is the first published novel by a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

30 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY

Woodworker Jedediah Radosevich meticulously working on his first guitar in the Troublesome Creek luthiery studio

Appalachian Artisan Center The musical and literary work of the Hindman Settlement School is complemented by the creative work of the Appalachian Artisan Center. In its three studios, which teach luthiery, ceramics and blacksmithing, the center introduces people to the satisfaction of creating and, in some participants, developing a deeper passion for the craft.

One of the programs, called Culture of Recovery, serves people in recovery from substance abuse through the Knott County Drug Court and Hickory Hills Recovery Center. Each week, COR participants immerse themselves in one of the studio arts and experience the therapeutic benefits of making something with their hands. It can be transformative. Luthier Paul Williams recalled the statement of one COR crafter: “I have never finished anything in my life before.

Now, I have a piece of functional art that I made.”

The blacksmith studio is reaching out to another underserved population.

The second session of “Metal Works for the Modern Muse” will start when school reopens; its mission is to introduce teenage girls to blacksmithing. Dan Estep, the center’s blacksmith, will be assisted by teenage apprentice Nerissa Sparkman. Estep and Sparkman will guide students in creating jewelry and—a class favorite—fashioning a marshmallow roasting stick.

Estep pointed out that, 100 years ago, metalworking was a self-reliant skill that almost everyone had, to repair plows and shoe horses. “Blacksmithing should be accessible to all,” Estep said. “I find girls have a little bit of a knack for it. They can see their way through it, because they tend to be more intuitive.”

SILAS HOUSE

“I would not have become a writer without the Appalachian Writers Workshop.”

Silas House is the nationally bestselling author of six novels. silas-house.com

The Artisan Center hopes some of the people they introduce to studio work find a passion for one of these hands-on arts. By nurturing local artists, the center is developing successful entrepreneurs with viable businesses and building a creative economy in eastern Kentucky.

Artist Kim Patton of Saving Grace Pottery is one of the center’s success stories. She first came to the Artisan Center as a COR participant and fell in love with pottery. After completing her recovery plan, she rented one of the incubator studios in the center and began teaching the COR pottery classes.

She has found a niche teaching ceramics in the center classroom, such as the October tile ornament class she led.

Patton is also one of the hundreds of Appalachian artists who are juried into the center’s gallery, a multi-room exhibition and sales space. Artists and craftspeople from all 52 Appalachian counties are eligible to apply to exhibit at the gallery, which provides crucial exposure and market access for many rural artists. The gallery receives visitors from all over the country and has an online store for remote shopping.

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For more information on the Hindman Settlement School or Appalachian Artisan Center, visit hindman.org or artisancenter.net.

Hindman Settlement School Education Director Sarah Kate Morgan

Those who develop an interest in luthiery can pursue a different kind of job opportunity.

Troublesome Creek Instrument Company is the first factory ever opened in Knott County, where skilled artisans combine

traditional handwork with modern precision equipment to craft highend guitars, dulcimers and mandolins.

Jeremy Haney has worked at Troublesome Creek for a year. He first

learned luthiery skills as a COR participant. “It’s been a blessing,” he said. “This is what God is calling me to do. It helps me keep looking forward instead of backward.”

Along with graduates of the COR program, Troublesome Creek provides employment for displaced coal workers.

Aspiring craftspeople for Troublesome Creek begin their training at the center’s luthiery studio. On any given day, master luthier Paul Williams guides beginners and apprentices working at their own pace.

Woodworker Jedediah Radosevich was meticulously making his first guitar in September.

He was enjoying learning

new skills in his hobby and discerning whether he might want to join the crew at Troublesome Creek.

The Hindman Settlement School and Appalachian Artisan Center are creating something special—a community where traditional folk arts are celebrated, shared and made new, an expanding notion of who has access to the traditions and what they can create with them, a rural place where art is a viable way to make a livelihood. Whether dancing, writing, forging or woodworking, community members are crafting pride and opportunities in the region. Q

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Friends say Harry Dean Stanton always

BY JOEL SAMS

kept a piece of the Bluegrass State in his heart, even decades after he left

CANCĂ?ON

KEN TUC KY 34 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 35

When Harry Dean Stanton walked out of the desert in the opening scenes of Paris, Texas, he entered a long-awaited stardom far beyond anything he could have imagined during his rural Kentucky childhood.

The film, which took the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1984, would be Stanton’s most lauded role. For decades, however, Stanton had been steadily amassing television and film credits. From early appearances in Gunsmoke, Bonanza and The Andy Griffith Show to mature work such as Repo Man, Alien and Paris, Texas, Stanton, who died in 2017, became known for his complexity, authenticity and, of course, his unforgettable face.

Of all his roles, Travis Henderson in Paris, Texas was Stanton’s favorite. “¡Qué lejos estoy del suelo donde he nacido!” he sings in the film. “So far am I from the land where I was born!”

The song “Cancíon Mixteca” was a real-life favorite of Stanton’s and a fitting meditation on his complex relationship with the Commonwealth. Stanton moved to California in 1949, and, in the eyes of some, he never looked back. In reality, though, Stanton’s Kentucky roots indelibly shaped him as a person and as an artist.

“I see it as when you’re truly home, there’s no more suffering,” Stanton said of “Cancíon Mixteca” in Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, a documentary directed by Sophie Huber. “No more leaf on the wind. No more crying. No more crying to get back to where you come from.”

Harry Dean Stanton as a young man in Lexington. Article photos courtesy of Stanton’s cousin, Jim Huggins Jr.

“HE STILL CONSIDERED HIMSELF A KENTUCKIAN, A N D T H AT O O Z E D THROUGH THE C R AC K S O F H I S C H A R AC T E R I Z AT I O N S .”

— TO M T H U R M A N

36 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

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Born in Irvine in 1929, Stanton served in the Navy during World War II (1944-46) and subsequently attended the University of Kentucky on the GI Bill.

Encouraged to pursue acting by Wallace Neal Briggs, who directed the university’s Guignol Theatre, Stanton moved to California in 1949 to hone his craft at the Pasadena Playhouse. According to one biographer, he worked in tobacco fields to finance his trip.

“I remember Kentucky, but that was a long time ago,” Stanton said in Harry Dean Stanton: Crossing Mulholland, a documentary produced by fellow Kentuckian Tom Thurman (see sidebar on page 39). “I left home looking for work and found it here in California. I made many friends and outlived a lot of them in 84 years. I’ve been in Los Angeles a long time.

Came here in 1949—Pasadena Playhouse. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’m here now. That’s all that counts.”

Stanton’s somewhat evasive response might be related to mixed feelings about his Kentucky upbringing. He told Thurman that, even as a child of 6 or 7, he had decided, “Someday, I’m going to get out of there.”

Get out of there he did, with a career spanning nearly 70 years, roles running the gamut from the

incidental to the critically acclaimed, and a vast network of personal and professional relationships that included names like Jack Nicholson (a one-time roommate), Bob Dylan, Rebecca De Mornay, Warren Oates (also a Kentuckian) and Sam Peckinpah. Even so, Stanton’s Kentucky roots persisted—both positively and negatively. ggg

In a biography of Stanton published by University Press of Kentucky in November titled Harry Dean Stanton: Hollywood’s Zen Rebel, Joseph B. Atkins writes that Stanton’s upbringing, “with its traditions, and its memories, clung to him like a wet suit. It was there even in his rebellion against it, his rejection of organized religion, in his music, his aloneness, even his cigarettes.”

“It’s kind of a Southern story, in a way,” Atkins said in an interview.

“He’s kind of a Southern expatriate.

He left Kentucky to go find his calling, and one of his cousins, Ralph Stanton Jr., says he left and he never looked back. But I think he did look back.”

While Stanton’s relationship with the Bluegrass was complex—in part due to a strained relationship with his mother and the fire-andbrimstone religious culture he experienced during his childhood, Atkins said—he always considered himself a Kentuckian.

“He said that, in just about every movie he did, he would get a little piece of Kentucky in there,” said Jim Huggins Jr., a cousin of Stanton’s who befriended him while stationed in Los Angeles as an FBI agent. “He never lost fondness for Kentucky.”

Giving one example of how Stanton would sneak Kentucky references into his work, Huggins pointed to Fire Down Below, a 1997 film starring Steven Seagal. In the film, Stanton’s character, Cotton Harry, uses the phrase, “I sure God thank you!”—a rural Kentucky phrase Stanton remembered hearing from his uncle’s neighbor.

Another enduring influence of Stanton’s Kentucky childhood was music. Far more than a hobby, music was one of Stanton’s deepest loves.

As a young man, he had sung in a barbershop quartet with his brothers and a friend, and after finishing his studies at the Pasadena Playhouse, he toured with the 24-member American Male Chorus.

“His Kentucky roots were all over his music,” said Jamie James, a guitarist, singer and songwriter who was a close friend of Stanton’s. “His mother used to sing Irish ballads to him, which he still remembered.”

Even when he was an established actor, music remained with Stanton, running parallel with and often intersecting with his acting career.

James, who is lead guitarist for Dennis Quaid and the Sharks and was lead singer of the Kingbees, made several recordings with Stanton that will be released by Omnivore Records on Feb. 12.

“I believe music was Harry’s salvation,” James said. “It was his prayer, his first love, his healer. It wasn’t a business, wasn’t a hobby, wasn’t a side thing. It was something that you and I probably can’t really grasp. It meant that much to him.”

During Stanton’s final decline in the hospital, James learned to sing “Canción Mixteca.”

“I would go in and sing it to him,” James said. “The nurses and the doctors said, ‘Maybe he can hear you; maybe he can’t. We believe he can.’ But I’d sing it to him, and finally, one day, he gave me the thumbs up, standing over his bed with my guitar singing it to him. And I knew that he could hear me.”

Yet another proof of Stanton’s lasting Kentucky connection was his passion for University of Kentucky basketball. “He would always call me when a game was on and say, ‘Hey, are you watching the game?’ ” Huggins said. “I’d say, ‘Yeah, I’m watching,’ and he’d say, ‘OK, we’ll talk later!’ and he’d hang up. Then he’d call back an hour later—‘Did you see that shot?’ We’d watch the game staccato-style. Hang up, call; hang up, call.”

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If Stanton never forgot Kentucky, it’s also true that Kentucky has never forgotten him. People don’t always know his name, but they know his

Proud to call Kentucky home.

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 37

LEARN MORE ABOUT HARRY DEAN S TA N T O N

READ:

Harry Dean Stanton: Hollywood’s Zen Rebel

by Joseph B. Atkins University Press of Kentucky

WAT C H :

Harry Dean Stanton: Crossing Mulholland, a documentary directed by Tom Thurman, and Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, a documentary directed by Sophie Huber LISTEN:

Stanton performed his own versions of American folk songs for the soundtrack of Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction.

Available on Spotify and on CD or vinyl from Omnivore Recordings, omnivorerecordings.com.

V I S I T:

The Harry Dean Stanton Fest harrydeanstantonfest.org

Stanton on set in the 1976 film, The Missouri Breaks.

face, said Lucy Jones, organizer of the Lexington-based Harry Dean Stanton Fest, and the festival’s goal is to connect the two.

Jones, the daughter of former Kentucky Gov. Brereton Jones, believes Stanton’s rich life experience informed his acting and set him apart from many others in Hollywood.

“He had served in World War II, and he had a number of careers,” Jones said. “He grew up in a world where people had real jobs, and he took that with him. Coming from the land and having family that worked on the land rooted him, in a way.”

Jones’ interest in Stanton was sparked after a midnight viewing of Repo Man at the Kentucky Theatre in Lexington. Growing up on a Kentucky farm, she had watched Cool Hand Luke (the only movie in the house) countless times. During the screening of Repo Man, she recognized Stanton’s face and was enthralled by his performance.

“I was 15, and I remember walking out of the movie theater and just being shaken,” Jones said. “I said, ‘Who was that?’ And someone said, ‘Oh that’s Mary’s uncle.’ As a kid,

38 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

finding out that this person was from Kentucky resonated in such a special way. I carried that with me.”

In 2011, the first Harry Dean Stanton Fest headlined Hunter Carson, who played Hunter Henderson in Paris, Texas, and premiered Thurman’s documentary Crossing Mulholland. Subsequent festivals featured guests like director Monty Hellman, Dennis Quaid and the Sharks, Crispin Glover and Stanton himself as the guest of honor in 2014.

The 2020 festival was canceled due to COVID-19, and it’s too early to predict what will be possible in 2021. Regardless, Jones is confident that something will work out. It always does.

“The strange thing about Harry was a sense of magic around him— everything always fell into place when you were in his orbit,” Jones said, describing a series of coincidences that led to the organization of the festival. “There’s a magic that surrounds Harry Dean Stanton, and once you are pulled into it, it’s just a fairy tale.” Q

BEHIND THE S C E N E S with Kentucky Filmmaker Tom Thurman With 36 documentaries under his belt as a producer and director, Kentucky filmmaker Tom Thurman has highlighted many aspects of the arts, from musicians to actors to filmmakers to writers. But it was another form of art that drew him to film.

“I was initially inspired to be a filmmaker because of my interest in painting,” Thurman said. “So, when in high school, after stumbling upon some foreign films on an independent television station in Louisville, I was inspired with the notion of how to make the paintings move. That started it all.”

Thurman has produced or directed documentaries on subjects as varied as independent African-American cinema, traditional mountain music, the 1921 Centre College football team, 19th-century utilitarian art and the Louisville-based Actors Theatre. The majority of his films, though, have centered around people, from Warren Oates to Sam Peckinpah to Robert Penn Warren to Harry Dean Stanton.

While his work is diverse, Thurman says it’s unified by a consistent theme: “That people pay a price to make art, but the payment is returned many times over when you connect with others.”

Harry Dean Stanton was one such soul, marked by solitude and a measure of withdrawal. Thurman said he could be open, prickly, funny and aloof, all in the same interview.

“Harry Dean could keep you at a distance and then let you in when the time was right,” Thurman said.

“He would rarely answer my questions. He would give me a great response that I could use somewhere, but he was very evasive. After accumulating years of his evasions, I realized I had a program.”

An “unabashed Harry Dean fan,” Thurman said he was surprised to learn just how strong Stanton’s Kentucky ties remained. “[The biggest surprise I encountered] was that he indeed had a legitimate tie to Kentucky that was very much a part of who he was, despite the fact that he hadn’t lived

here in many, many decades,” he said. “He still considered himself a Kentuckian, and that oozed through the cracks of his characterizations.”

Stanton had an unmistakable reality about him, Thurman said, an authenticity that was recognizable in the documentary

and in his many onscreen roles.

“So many times on the screen, there are some people that kind of blend into the background, and you confuse with others,” he said. “You never confused Harry Dean with anybody else, and that’s a great talent to have.” — Joel Sams

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 39

off the shelf

Breathtaking Kentucky This striking coffee-table book features stunning photos of Kentucky landmarks such as Mammoth Cave, Cumberland Falls, Carter Caves and Buffalo Trace.

Beautiful vistas, serene paths, trees boasting autumn color, and closeups shots of gorgeous flowers present a visual feast with each turn of the page.

With 130-plus full-color photos, each covering a spectacular spot in Kentucky, readers will have a hard time choosing their favorite.

For photography lovers, Lee Mandrell includes some shop talk at the end of the book. His teenage hobby turned into a career, and he shares with readers information on the photography gear that he and DeeDee used to capture the shots in the book.

Kentucky Across the Land also offers a little background on the Bluegrass State, so readers can learn about the sites covered on the preceding pages. The couple has published other photography books focusing on the Great Smoky Mountains, Indiana and Illinois.

By Deborah Kohl Kremer Kentucky Across the Land, By Lee Mandrell and DeeDee NiederhouseMandrell, Quarry Books, $40 (H)

(P)-Paperback (C)-Clothbound (H)-Hardback

Beautiful Bardstown In-depth Look at Blackburn Kentucky’s Joseph C.S. Blackburn was a true statesman, and this book by his great-great-granddaughter, gives readers a look at his life and times. A native of Woodford County, Blackburn was born in 1838 and graduated from Centre College.

He studied law in Lexington before joining the Confederacy in 1861 during the Civil War. After the war, Blackburn returned home, opened a law office in Versailles, and began his political journey. He served as Kentucky’s state and U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator for a combined 32 years. The chapters encompassing this period are broken down by each session of Congress that describes what took place in the chambers and what was happening in the country. It also includes excerpts of some of his speeches.

Blackburn served on many congressional committees, was nominated for president in 1896, and was chosen by President Theodore Roosevelt as the first governor of the Panama Canal Zone, where he served for approximately four years.

Author Elizabeth Rouse Fielder is an attorney in Lexington.

Although she never met Joseph C.S. Blackburn, he raised her grandmother, who told her stories of him that inspired her to learn more about him.

By Deborah Kohl Kremer Kentucky’s Joseph C.S. Blackburn, Soldier, Statesman and a Friend to All, By Elizabeth Rouse Fielder, Acclaim Press, $29.95 (H)

One simply can visit Bardstown to understand why it has been called “The Most Beautiful Small Town in America” by USA Today and Rand McNally. To get a more enriched and nuanced view of the alluring locale, ask development director Kim Huston, who exudes her own heartfelt exuberance in portraying the community.

As author of an impressive new coffee-table book, called Bardstown, Huston assembled excellent local photographers to showcase 161 images around a town, she writes, that is “as welcoming as a shot of bourbon on a cold winter’s night … [where] southern hospitality and charm of Bardstownians are our greatest features.”

The book is replete with photos of well-preserved vintage homes and churches; charming shops, bars and restaurants; bourbon distilleries; and floral and rural terrain scenes, along with images of gatherings of happy people celebrating community events. The colorful photos provide astute narratives in the seeing and will provoke stirring interest in wading into greater depths of understanding of this central Kentucky hotbed off Martha Layne Collins Parkway.

Bardstown is a Kentucky treasure and so is this picturesque rendering of the town. It follows Huston’s spirited first book, Small Town Sexy: the Allure of Living in Small Town America, which also focuses on Bardstown.

By Steve Flairty Bardstown, By Kim Huston, Butler Books, $35 (H)

40 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

The Eileen Series

By Christine Elizabeth Herren; illustrated by Erin McGuireThompson 24 Hour Books, $9.99 each (P)

Growing with Eileen Kentucky author Christine Herren has begun a series of children’s books about a little girl with auburn curls who loves to dance and twirl. The initial three books of the series were released recently and introduce readers to Eileen and the challenges she faces growing up.

In the first book, Under the Angel Tree, Eileen discovers her guardian angel, whom she visits every day.

Eileen has different ideas than her peers about what is fun, and when her friends are unkind and make fun

of her, she finds comfort with her angel, who reassures her that God loves her and everyone has his or her own special light.

The second book, Eileen Finds a Homeless Puppy, shows Eileen discovering how each person is different, but that all have wonderful qualities. In Eileen Finds Her Voice, she does just that. Having a hard time reading aloud in school causes Eileen to be afraid to speak up. But she finds a caring friend to encourage her and a choir to be a part of, and they give her the confidence to speak aloud.

As always, Eileen’s guardian angel reminds her that God is with her, and, with that knowledge, she can do anything.

A Lexington native with a love of children’s books, Herren is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. Along with her mother, Susan, Herren started a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to firstgeneration female college students at three Lexington universities (see article in the August 2019 issue of Kentucky Monthly, page 32).

By Kay Vest

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 41

field notes

by Gary Garth

Backdoor Neighbors

M

y northside neighbor, Gerald, died recently. I say northside because my wife and I reside in a rural county. We’re not isolated by any means—I can see three houses from my front porch, each within a comfortable walking distance. But we’re not subdivision close. Gerald’s place is to the north.

Gerald and Sandra, his wife of nearly six decades, were the first people we met when we moved into our current home. They weren’t the sellers of the property, but they had something to do with the property transfer. They made us immediately feel welcome. That was worth more than I can explain here.

Although we were neighbors for more than a quarter-century, Gerald and I did not become close friends.

We were neighborly friendly, which, in its own way, supersedes a close friendship. He was a quiet, hardworking man who kept his own counsel, took care of his place, minded his own The Garths’ late neighbor, Gerald business, and expected the same from others.

He was also a guy who, if help or assistance was needed and summoned, would be at your door in 60 seconds— day or night, summer or winter, rain or sunshine—ready to help, no questions asked.

Gerald retired twice: once from his day job of 25 years, and once from the farm he worked as meticulously as the closely trimmed lawn that surrounds his house, barn, outbuildings and pond.

The pond, which has a riprap bank and is so well kept it’s akin to fishing in town, harbors catfish and bluegill.

Some of the catfish are eye-popping size. Gerald fed them regularly. Many of the bluegill are hand-size and scrappy.

Early on, I asked for permission to fish it. Permission was granted and regularly put to use. It’s where my daughters largely learned to fish … and occasionally still do. A child’s request to go to “Mr. Gerald’s” always included a fishing

42

K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

rod. He was always happy to see us.

One neighborly encounter stands out. Several years ago, not long after Gerald’s retirement from his day job, my daughter Rebecca and I had some errands to run. We turned north out of our driveway and drove slowly past Gerald’s house. He was seated in a lawn chair in his front yard cradling a shotgun. Without looking our way, he threw up a friendly wave as we passed. This did not strike me as the least bit unusual, even though I was aware that in some parts of the country such a display would result in a SWAT team response.

My daughter watched Mr. Gerald until we crested a small hill and he vanished from sight.

We rode in silence for a couple of miles.

Rebecca, quiet and introspective as both a child and adult, said nothing. My curiosity finally bested me.

“You don’t see many guys sitting in the front yard with a shotgun,” I ventured. “What’d you think Mr. Gerald was doing?” (It was a trick question. I knew a mole had invaded his yard, and Gerald, who was particular about his lawn, was determined to remove the critter.)

We continued on in silence long enough that I’d begun to think no response was coming.

“I don’t know,” she finally said. “But it’s Mr. Gerald.

So, it’s OK.” As we head into what seems likely to dissolve into a winter of discontent (see also page 44), a season soaked in post-election rage, frustration and political uncertainties while shrouded with the lingering dread and hovering threat from COVID-19, I will miss my neighbor. We could use more folks like Gerald. A lot more. Don’t take these neighbors—ones who cloak their steel-spined dependability with a soft-spoken, quiet demeanor—for granted just because they’re always there. Someday, they won’t be. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Approximately a year before he came to Alice Lloyd College, Shannon Russell was near homeless. He was living in the basement of a friend’s house, sleeping in an old coal room on nothing but a mattress lying on the concrete floor. He recalls a busted-out window, covered with a garbage bag right above his head and riding a bicycle to work with duct tape holding his shoes together.

When Shannon learned that he could attend Alice Lloyd College tuition-free and work off most of his other expenses, he jumped at the opportunity. Here, Shannon was able to rise above his circumstances.

Alice Lloyd College has never turned away a qualified student, who’s willing to work, because of an inability to pay.

For more information on ways to support students at Alice Lloyd College, visit www.alc.edu or call (888) 280-4ALC

Today, Shannon has found opportunity in the business world and currently resides in Richmond, Kentucky with his wife Miranda and their four kids. To help current students have the same opportunities that he did, Shannon has established the Russell Family Hope Sc Scholarship, providing financial support to students in need. Shannon often says that he would not be where he is today if it wasn’t for the love, support, and encouragement that he received at Alice Lloyd College.

past tense/present tense

by Bill Ellis

The Winter of Our Discontent

L

“The crest of our state shows two gentlemen … holding each other firmly by the right hand. The intent of the picture is plain.

So long as they both hold hands, neither can reach for his hardware.”

Native-born Kentuckian Irvin S. Cobb

ast December, I wrote about my addiction to watching A Christmas Story, the Jean Shepherd movie classic. Every Christmas Day, I watch the DVD alone because my family refuses to watch it anymore.

This column is not so sanguine. As a matter of fact, this column is more realistic of our current conditions.

We Americans—more particularly, we Kentuckians—always appear to be discontented in one way or another.

Our state motto is “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.” In reality, however, we have forever been a contentious lot.

Native-born Kentuckian Irvin S. Cobb admitted the same in 1916. “The crest of our state shows two gentlemen … holding each other firmly by the right hand. The intent of the picture is plain. So long as they both hold hands, neither can reach for his hardware,” he chortled.

The title of this article is the opening line of Shakespeare’s Richard III as well as the title of John Steinbeck’s last novel. In both instances, the apparent meaning is that, from the depths of winter’s “discontent,” spring will come to bring better things (possibly, hopefully).

Our history is replete with numerous examples of violence. Why do you think forts were built on the frontier? Native Americans were not enthusiastic about having invaders enter their homelands. Native American history has been slighted in the telling of the history of Kentucky and of the United States generally. As the old saying goes: “History is always written by the victors.” ggg

There has long been lawlessness of one kind or another in our Commonwealth, from the earliest times to the present. The infamous Harpe Brothers, Micaja and Wiley,

44 K E NT U C K Y M O NTHLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

nicknamed “Big” and “Little,” wreaked havoc in the 1790s as Kentucky sought and then won statehood. They killed young and old, even slitting a baby’s throat. After one such episode, a posse cut off Micaja’s head and placed it on a pole along a roadside as a public warning against such villainy. This was an old European practice, warning citizens to eschew violence.

An interesting three-part series about the long-running HatfieldMcCoy feud, “Blood for Blood” by Ron Soodalter, ran in mid-2020 in Kentucky Monthly (the May, June/July and August issues). If you get a chance, read Days of Darkness: The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky by John Ed Pearce, or his entry “Feuds” in The Kentucky Encyclopedia. These episodes occurred not just in Appalachia but also in other Kentucky locations.

And then there was “The Peculiar Institution,” otherwise known as slavery. The debates, the words, the charges and countercharges will go on forever, I suspect, about the nature of slavery everywhere and anywhere but particularly in Kentucky.

Consider the wording of “My Old Kentucky Home.” It is written as a lament of a Kentucky slave sold down South to the laborious cotton states.

The “hard times” have come to the slave master, who had to sell off many of his slaves. However, when the band strikes up “My Old Kentucky Home,” fans at an athletic event will sing lustily, perhaps even with a tear in the eye before shouting in glee as their favorite athletes take the floor, field or track.

These debates will go on forever, I suspect. However, as Abraham Lincoln said in 1858, “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.”

I hear human trafficking and other

forms of slavery are actually more rampant in our nation and our world than ever before. ggg

Lynching was common in Kentucky well into the 20th century, even happening in my hometown of Shelbyville. Kentucky still holds the dubious distinction of being the only state ever to have witnessed the assassination of a governor. Gov. William Goebel was felled by a rifle bullet as he approached what is now the Old State Capitol on Jan. 30, 1900. He died a few days later.

Sadly, there is still much violence in our Commonwealth. I won’t bother you with statistics other than to say that murder, murdersuicides, and violence against women and children occur almost daily. Our state has been the scene of violence against minorities and planned mass murder.

Once in a while, you see on a television newscast or read in the paper of Kentuckians mistreating animals—not feeding them properly, or training dogs to fight.

If someone ever asks you if a Christian nation, as a whole, can fall from grace, descending into uncharacteristic wickedness, the answer is yes. After World War I, Germany fell into a malaise with the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazism.

If you have never had a chance, please read some of the works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

I hope you will excuse a quotation of Lincoln that I paraphrased in my November article.

He visualized dangers confronting the United States in an 1838 speech given just after his 29th birthday in which he stated that we should fear no foreign invader. “If destruction be our lot,” he said, “we must ourselves be its author and finisher.

As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”

Otto Von Bismarck, Germany’s first chancellor, said, “God has a special providence for fools, drunks and the United States of America.”

We hope.

I wish everyone a safe and Happy Hanukkah, a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and a Peaceful Kwanzaa.

kentucky monthly’s annual writers’ showcase

PENNED SUBMIT AT KENTUCKYMONTHLY.COM

attention, writers...

We are seeking submissions for the literary section in our February 2021 issue. Entries will be accepted in the following categories: Poetry, Fiction and Creative Nonfiction.

Submission Deadline

DECEMBER 11

k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 45

calendar Due to COVID-19, please visit the event’s website or call the contact number prior to attending to ensure that it is taking place.

DECEMBER 2020 MONDAY

Ongoing Merry and Bright, My Old

Ongoing Holidays at the Museum,

Kentucky Home State Park, Bardstown, through Jan. 6, (502) 348-3502

BehringerCrawford Museum, Covington, through Jan. 3, (859) 491-4003

6

7

VIRTUAL Jim Brickman’s Comfort & Joy,

TUESDAY The Festival of Lights, downtown Grand Rivers, through Dec. 27, (270) 362-0152

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

1

Brantley Gilbert Acoustic Country Concert, Rupp

8

The Prophecy Show,

16

17

RiverPark Center, Owensboro, (270) 687-2770,

A Wizard’s Christmas: Dinner and Market Place,

<<<

Louisville Palace, through Dec. 27, (502) 583-4555

5

Breakfast with the Grinch,

11

12

County History Center, LaGrange, through Dec. 12, (502) 222-0826

Owensboro Symphony, RiverPark Center, Owensboro, (270) 684-0661

18

19

Rob Morris Historic House Tour, Oldham

<<<

13

SATURDAY

Oldham County History Center, LaGrange, (502) 222-0826

Arena, Lexington, (859) 233-4567

Lexington Opera House, Lexington, (859) 233-4567

FRIDAY

4

<<<

SUNDAY

It’s a Wonderful Life, RiverPark

VIRTUAL Home for the Holidays,

Center, Owensboro, through Dec. 19, (270) 687-2770

21

David Phelps: It Must Be Christmas,

22

23

Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007

29

30

24

25

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

31

Ongoing Christmas at Mustard Seed Hill, Mustard Seed

New Year’s Eve

20

Hill, Millersburg, through Jan. 2, (859) 231-0054

a guide to Kentucky’s most interesting events 46 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

26

Ongoing Christmas in the Civil War, Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site, Perryville, through Jan. 2, (859) 332-8631

JANUARY 2021 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

1 3

Concert with the Stars, New

SATURDAY

2

Lexington Opera Year’s House, Lexington, (859) 233-4567 Day

3

Ralph Stanley II & The Clinch Mountain Boys,

4

5

8

15

Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End, Actors

Double S Entertainment, Flemingsburg, (606) 748-0798

10

Theatre of Louisville, through Jan. 28, (502) 584-1205

11

12

Tiffany with Holly & The Guy, Paramount Arts Center, Ashland, (606) 324-0007

<<<

17

19

18

20

The New History of the Old South, The

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

24

9

21

22

The Price is Right Live!

27

RiverPark Center, Owensboro, (270) 687-2770

23

Nitro Comedy Tour, Mountain Arts Center, Prestonsburg, (606) 886-2623

Filson Historical Society, Louisville, (502) 635-5083

<<<

16

Hillbilly Silly Science Backyard Boom Show,

28

29

Appalachian Wireless Arena, Pikeville, (606) 444-5500

30

31

find more at kentuckymonthly.com k e n t u c k y m o n t h l y. c o m 47

vested interest

extra vested This global pandemic brings out the worst in people. Or maybe it was the election.

Or both.

The following email arrived in my mailbox. “Way to show idiot Kentuckians in random locations across the country, not masked up, and not socially distant. And one was in Florida? THE COVID hotspot of the nation? I consider this irresponsible journalism and I’m glad I don’t subscribe. Mag on the move? No. COVID on the move from KY.” I took a deep breath and responded: Dear Concerned Citizen, From this point until a vaccine is discovered, we’ll label each of the pre-COVID photos that appear in our magazine. If you look at the covers of the magazines pictured, you can vaguely guess when the photos were actually taken. With the backlog of photos we have, we’re still not close to reaching the shutdown (March 2020), and we canceled our magazine-sponsored trip to Italy, but I can see how someone, such as yourself, could think we are all idiots.

Maybe we should put masks on the photographs.

Sincerely, Steve I copied my staff in on my response so that they would know about the complaint and how I’d like it addressed.

No sooner had I sent the message when one eager staffer responded that I was being too nice, and the fellow didn’t deserve such a thought-out response. She ended her message by calling him a not-so-bad but probably not-fit-to-print name that rhymes with “plumb grass.”

The problem is that, when she hit “respond to all,” it included him. Under normal circumstances, she might have been reprimanded for such behavior. That’s not happening, since I’ve been married to her since Ronald Reagan was president.

United We Publish

I

wrote in the November/December 2020 n June 1986, a month after I graduated issue of the publication. from college and started working as a reporter at the McLean County News, S TO P T H E P R E S S E S !

Charles Hayes Jr. launched a magazine The Kentucky Explorer will live on! In called The Kentucky Explorer, inspired by The February, under the able hands and Kentucky Reader, a weekly magazine once editorship of Deborah Kohl used by Kentucky students Kremer, Kentucky Monthly will statewide. “The popularity of continue Hayes’ dream. It The Reader gave proof that such won’t be the 112 pages readers a magazine for adults was have come to expect, but we’ll wanted in Kentucky,” he highlight as best we can what wrote as Explorer neared its people loved about Hayes’ 30th anniversary. “ugly duckling.” He called it “Kentucky Explorer has that, not me. strived to save the valuable While Charles, Elesha and story of Kentucky and her Darlene enjoy some time in people. The magazine has the sun, their readers succeeded in its goals and STEPHEN M. VEST hopefully will become our continues to grow at a healthy Publisher + Editor-in-Chief readers. Instead of Hayes pace. We have readers in every sending out refunds, Kentucky state and many foreign Monthly will arrive in readers’ mailboxes for countries. More than 50,000 people read the duration of their subscriptions.

Explorer each month.”

Standing features, such as “I That was five years ago. Earlier this Remember,” “Strictly Kentucky Genealogy” year, Hayes announced that 2020 would be and “Kentucky Kinfolks,” will remain. his last year as publisher. Hayes wrote and Elesha sent us a large box of stories she edited the first five years of Explorer alone, had not yet used. It included old photos, and then it became a passion he shared handwritten letters, photocopied pages with his new bride, Donna Jean, who from past magazines, and even pages from expanded Explorer from 64 to 112 pages and a reader’s scrapbook full of notes and brought in the talents of editor Elesha snapshots all related to historic floods in Richardson and Darlene Moore. From Kentucky. Also inside were clippings from their office in Jackson, they published 354 newspapers from all over the state—some issues of original and previously published dating back more than 100 years. We’ve materials from a cadre of long-forgotten even ordered special paper to help newspapers, books and magazines. replicate the feel of “our little magazine.”

“Of course, I had hoped The Kentucky From her home in Villa Hills, Deb said, Explorer would continue long after I am “The box has the familiar smell of my gone … but with the deaths of my dear grandma’s cedar chest, and I can’t wait to Donna and my younger brother, John, go through and read it all.” We hope you’ll along with the dreadful effect of this join us for the journey. global pandemic, that hope ended,” Hayes

Kwiz Answers: 1. False; 2. C. Simon Girty, also known as “The White Savage,” originally sided with the Colonists but then with the Loyalists and their Indian allies, and Boone was court-martialed and acquitted of siding with the Shawnee prior to the Siege of Boonesborough in 1778; 3. A. Sen. Latrobe designed the White House and Capitol buildings; 4. C. Every game played at Buell was standing-room only. There were no seats; 5. B. The Freight House rests directly next to a railroad, which was the city’s largest employer in the 1930s; 6. A. Sleet’s photo of Coretta Scott King won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1969; 7. B. UK and NBA star Rex Chapman; 8. B. He was admitted to the bar and two of his sons were lawyers, but he never graduated from law school, making him the latest-serving Supreme Court justice who did not graduate from law school; 9. C. Asbury was called Holiness when it was founded by John Wesley Hughes, who changed the name a year later; 10. Henry Clay High School, the alma mater of both U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

48 K E NT U C K Y M O NT HLY D ECEMBER 2020 g JANUARY 2 0 2 1

10 Consecutive Appearances on

6 Straight Years Advancing to the National

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