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W
e are Greensboro, North Carolina. We are the city of makers. We design, build, create. We roll up our sleeves. We get our hands dirty. We get it done. We make it happen. Made in Greensboro celebrates those makers — the entrepreneurs, the artists, the community builders, the next generation of leaders. Made in Greensboro is an initiative of Action Greensboro and the City of Greensboro.
CAMERON CONOVER INDEPENDENCE BROKER His passion for wheels started young. By the time Cameron Conover was a young man, he was building a Volkswagen in his Summerfield garage with his mentor, who had worked in professional racing. Cameron, then a GTCC student, worked for pizza. For the last decade, his love of vehicles has taken him around the country, working for professional and amateur Volkswagen and Lamborghini race teams. Now he’s transitioned to a slightly less flashy – but no less important – gig with the Raleigh-based Wheels 4 Hope, a nonprofit that rehabs donated used cars for individuals in need. The Greensboro branch of Wheels 4 Hope works with local organizations like the Greensboro Housing Authority, Delancey Street Foundation and Mary’s House to match people with suitable cars. Cameron’s the guy that makes sure every vehicle is in the best condition for the new owners, who purchase the cars for $500. Each car comes with a six-month warranty, and Cameron has a tight budget to make sure the vehicle is in good condition. They match six vehicles a month with qualified recipients. Cameron works one-on-one with each buyer, delivering them the independence of their own vehicle. “I love it. Coming here has given me a chance to serve people who are very grateful. It’s a very rewarding experience.”
DOM-SEBASTIAN ALEXIS B-BOY He’s a UNCG trained dancer, choreographer, instructor, and artistic director of a Neo-Contemporary dance company. But at heart, Dom-Sebastian Alexis is a B-Boy. A Contemporary StreetDancer ready at any moment to dance/battle alongside his buddies. Dom-Sebastian, a Greensboro native, is the artistic director of TheBBoyBallet, co-founder of the Gate City Breakers, and one of the creative forces behind movement projects seen around the Gate City. “B-Boying is the passion of dance. It’s what you feel at that moment for that particular piece. It’s a concept to promote the body and spirit of dance,” says Dom-Sebastian, who attended both Page High School and the Middle College at Greensboro College. The dance company includes about 10 B-Boys and 5 contemporary dancers who have performed at First Fridays, Carolina Theatre, LeBauer Park, and TEDx Greensboro. DomSebastian also teaches classes at the Greensboro City Arts Center for the Dance Project, at Greensboro Dance Theatre. He recently performed with the Greensboro Ballet in their production of The Nutcracker and continues to spread dance knowledge. “With dancing, you have to try it out – don’t hold on to any stigmas. When I started, I couldn’t dance. It’s all about knowing that if you give yourself patience and time…You have to find your own way.”
W W W. M A D E I N G S O. CO M
711 Sunset Drive The former home of Greensboro philanthropist Joseph M. Bryan, this classic, well appointed brick Traditional was designed by Charles Hartman & situated in the heart of Old Irving Park. Featuring high ceilings, all custom millwork & moldings plus hardwoods throughout. Renovations include kitchen, all baths, an upper terrace & extensive landscaping. With generous rooms, easy floorplan, guest quarters & walkout backyard, this home is ideal for family & entertaining. Three bay garage, front/back stairs.
402 Parkmont Drive Expect the unexpected in this Irving Park home. Arched center hall foyer, gracious living & dining rooms with custom cabinetry & bookcases. Faux fireplace in living room. Sunroom that will take your breath away, stand alone wet bar, glass wall of windows, card room or additional eating area, inner library or den with gas logs, knock out kitchen with honed granite counter tops & top of line appliances. Pecky cypress breakfast room, mahogany studio or office. Generous bedrooms & 3rd floor media, exercise or 5th bedroom. Front/back stairs.
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Piedmont Opera presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s
ThePirates ThePirates of Penzance Piedmont Opera presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s
of Penzance
The very model of a modern Major General Stanley was simply trying to protect daughters from Major the swashbuckling Pirates of Penzance. The veryhis model of a modern General Stanley was simply trying to protect Now the police are involved – who knows how it will end! Gilbert and Sullivan his daughters from the swashbuckling Pirates of Penzance. us once–again to thehow landit of Now the police take are involved who knows willTopsy-Turvy. end! Gilbert and Sullivan take us once again to the land of Topsy-Turvy.
March 23rd at 8:00 PM • March 25th at 2:00 PM • March 27th at 7:30 PM March 23rd at 8:00 PM • March 25th at 2:00 PM • March 27th at 7:30 PM The Stevens Center of the UNCSA • PiedmontOpera.org or 336.725.7101 The Stevens Center UNCSAabout • PiedmontOpera.org or 336.725.7101 Visit our websiteof forthe information our upcoming, pirate-inspired events! Visit our website for information about our upcoming, pirate-inspired events!
Ridethe the Spring Arbor Ride Spring Arbor Greensboro Bus the Opera! Greensboro Bus toto the Opera!
FreePirate Pirate Free Party Party forthe the younger younger for Mateys! Mateys! Ticket buyers and their children are invited to meet the Ticket buyers andenjoy their refreshments children are following invited tothe meet the cast and cast and enjoy refreshments following matinée performance on March 25th!the
matinée performance on March 25th!
Students receive a 50% discount off all tickets sections B-D! off all tickets Students receive in a 50% discount
in sections B-D!
OHenryPirate1.indd 1
Spring Arbor Greensboro takes toopera the opera Spring Arbor of of Greensboro takes you you to the in style for for onlyonly $15.$15. in style Our coach service is offered on March 25th 25th Ourluxury luxury coach service is offered on March and includes curbside service to and from and includes curbside service to and from the Center, an an on-board pre-opera talk and theStevens Stevens Center, on-board pre-opera talk and aa glass of sparkling wine! We eliminate the the glass of sparkling wine! We eliminate headaches of parking and walking in bad weather! headaches of parking and walking in bad weather! (Tickets to the opera are an additional cost.) (Tickets to the opera are an additional cost.)
The address is 4010 Battleground Avenue, Greensboro, NCBattleground 27410. The address is 4010 Avenue, The Spring Arbor Bus departs from Greensboro at 12:45 pm Greensboro, NC 27410. & departs Winston-Salem at The Spring Arbor Bus departs from Greensboro at 12:45 pm approximately 5 pm.
& departs Winston-Salem at approximately 5 pm.
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Hello, Greensboro Country Club It sped by in a blink, a flash, and suddenly, somehow, we’ve only memories: an over-the-top gala, a handsome pictorial history, and charming, oversized, black-and-white photographs lining the halls, depicting the way we were. Blink: 100 years in the life of Greensboro Country Club. Like most organizations —a school, a bank — the club originated with a need in a void. In 1909, a Greensboro resident visiting Maine became intrigued with a game the locals played “with a shiny stick to hit a small hard, rubber ball just as far as they can. Then they try to find the ball and hit it into a hole.” That game was golf, and the Greensboro Golf Club began with 35 members and a rudimentary nine-hole pitch-and-putt course downtown. By 1911 the club was incorporated, and charter members acquired 350 forested acres out in the country, in what was a bold, unheard-of enterprise vision at the time: a residential neighborhood development built entirely around a golf course. (Grazing sheep helped control course maintenance costs.) Today, golfers on the Donald Ross golf course play on fairways and greens in the shadows of both stately mansions, ranch homes, and appealing cottages of the Irving Park neighborhood, which itself has received the National Register of Historic Places recognition. In the 30 years following, Greensboro, along with the rest of the nation, would weather two World Wars and the Great Depression. With peacetime, and the baby boom of the 50s, the club expanded, incorporating amenities and offerings central to growing families — pool, tennis courts, dining, and every kind of entertainment imaginable. The club became a “home away from home.” Meanwhile, back on the (literal) farm, Carlson Farms Country Club was founded on what had been a dairy farm in northwest Greensboro, boasting its own golf course, pool, and clubhouse. In 1969, the two entities merged, and today, GCC members have multiple options for dining, entertainment, and play, including two golf courses, two pools, and indoor/outdoor tennis courts. More than four decades on, and though Greensboro has grown exponentially in area, GCC members still refer affectionately to the two locales as “in-town” and “the farm.” The century mark of 1909 to 2009 has come and gone — though both the club logo and a dining room name hearken back to the date — and with it, six iterations of clubhouses. Club history and institutional memory are an important facet of Greensboro Country Club, meaning that a long tradition of excellence informs every decision and offering, be it an item on a menu or long-range plans. But resting on laurels, and because “it’s always been done that way,” has no place in GCC’s practices. Take a day, any day. From 4:00 a.m. to the wee hours of the (next) morning, something is happening at Greensboro Country Club. In the Fitness Center, diehards are pumping iron and pounding the treadmills in pre-dawn. Group classes begin a 6:00 a.m. Tennis leagues are warming up while children from 6 weeks to 8 years are settling with childcare, craft projects, and pinball. Hot dogs and sandwiches are being prepared in the Halfway House on the Irving Park course; at the farm, a couple is meeting with event staff to plan an unforgettable rehearsal dinner. If it’s Wednesday, the in-town kitchen is setting out untold dozens of eggs and pounds of bacon for the weekly “B for D” (breakfast
for dinner) supper, a go-to social gathering for pre-teens and entire families. The club’s own van is readying parking lot transport for a hundred guests who’ll be descending at noon for a book club author’s appearance. And it’s not even lunch yet. Still, if you’re finishing up a round—or a sauna visit — with an urge for a Bloody Mary, it’s ready for you at one of 5 in-town casual dining venues, including a seasonal outdoor bar, an al fresco space above the fray, terrace fire pit, and, year-round, a stunning view of the rolling golf course. Father-daughter dances. Build-your-own gingerbread house parties. Hay rides and a Halloween carnival. Boat relays, poolside mixers, aqua aerobics, swim team competitions, and supervised hijinks for the three big holidays of summer mean the pools are a constant hive of warm-weather bustle. In winter, the best hills in town and a dedicated staff means entire families hit the slopes with sleds, fueled with grilled hamburgers and steaming cocoa. Tennis, golf, and fitness professionals and trainers furnish lessons and sessions, whether you have a four-year-old with a tennis obsession, or you’ve always wondered what a Pilates reformer is. Member-Guest and Member-Member weekends are scheduled annually for golf, tennis, and paddleboard enthusiasts who hanker for competition that comes with prizes, accolades—and a visit from your old roommate. No matter the season, menus are updated to reflect current trends and local availability of ingredients. Substitute “convenience” for one of those C’s in the Greensboro Country Club logo. Thanks to smartphone apps, a twitter feed, and a website, members can check on—and register for— every activity that day or the months ahead. “Convenience” equals on-site shops for apparel and equipment. “Convenience”, when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, is just a swipe to order a ready-for-pickup turkey dinner (or simply the to-die-for dressing and sticky buns.) Take-out from the Family Grille puts an end to frantic weeknights or lazy Sundays. “Convenience” means that office party, philanthropic fundraiser, bridge luncheon, dinner for a dozen, 40th birthday cocktail buffet, bar mitzvah celebration, or wedding reception is a turn-key affair, organized and executed with elan and experience by event coordinators who’ve seen it all and are looking for the next new thing. If only space allowed… Easter egg hunts, visits with Santa. Super Bowl parties, New Year’s extravaganzas. House-made macaroons and short-rib flatbreads. Bands, balls, speakers, and a bartender who’ll caramelize an orange peel when you feel like an Old Fashioned with a little extra citrus. A toddler’s swim instructor. An exercise regime specifically tailored to a teen. A Thai, Swedish, or prenatal rubdown. A secluded table with banquette seating. Staff who know your name. A hub of activity. A community within a city. A home for families. A haven from the world. Distinguished, accessible, historical, remarkable. Hello, next century. Hello, Greensboro Country Club.
To explore making memories for your family, please contact Lori Frasier at l.frasier@greensborocc.org
March 2018 DEPARTMENTS 17 Simple Life By Jim Dodson 20 Short Stories 23 Life’s Funny By Maria Johnson 25 Omnivorous Reader By Stephen E. Smith 28 Scuppernong Bookshelf By Brian Lampkin 33 A Writer’s Life By Wiley Cash 39 Papadaddy By Clyde Edgerton
41 True South By Susan Kelly 43 In The Spirit By Tony Cross 46 Gate City Journal
1 11 The Accidental Astrologer By Astrid Stellanova 1 12 O.Henry Ending By Carol Lucas
By Maria Johnson
53 Birdwatch By Susan Campbell 55 Wandering Billy By Billy Eye 84 Arts Calendar 103 GreenScene
FEATURES 59 When I love Spring Poetry by Sarah Edwards 60 Cougar Madness By Bill Case
The near-miss glory of the nation’s first regional sports franchise
68 Early Bloomers, By Lynn Donovan
Celebrating the blossoms of a winter garden
72 Cocktails, Anyone? By Cynthia Adams
An extra room leads to a great entertainment space
83 March Almanac By Ash Alder
Photograph this page by Amy Freeman Cover photograph by News & Record Staff, © News & Record, all rights rserved
10 O.Henry
March 2018
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Fine Eyewear, Artwork and Jewelry 327 South Elm | Greensboro 336.274.1278 | TheViewOnElm.com Becky Causey, Licensed Optician Find us on Facebook
M A G A Z I N E
Volume 8, No. 3 “I have a fancy that every city has a voice.” 336.617.0090 1848 Banking Street, Greensboro, NC 27408 www.ohenrymag.com PUBLISHER
David Woronoff Jim Dodson, Editor • jim@thepilot.com Andie Stuart Rose, Art Director • andie@thepilot.com Nancy Oakley, Senior Editor • nancy@ohenrymag.com Lauren M. Coffey, Graphic Designer Alyssa Rocherolle, Graphic Designer CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Cynthia Adams, David Claude Bailey, Harry Blair, Maria Johnson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Lynn Donovan, Amy Freeman, Sam Froelich, John Gessner, Bert VanderVeen, Mark Wagoner CONTRIBUTORS Ash Alder, Jane Borden, Grant Britt, Susan Campbell, Bill Case, Wiley Cash, Clyde Edgerton, Billy Eye, Ross Howell Jr., Billy Ingram, Susan Kelly, Sara King, Brian Lampkin, Meridith Martens, D.G. Martin, Ogi Overman, Romey Petite, Stephen E. Smith, Astrid Stellanova
O.H
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Ginny Trigg, Advertising Director 910.691.8293, ginny@thepilot.com
Hattie Aderholdt, Advertising Manager 336.601.1188, hattie@ohenrymag.com
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336.617.0090, ohenryadvertising@thepilot.com
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©Copyright 2018. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. O.Henry Magazine is published by The Pilot LLC
12 O.Henry
March 2018
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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Springfest presents
grandover
the art of home | the art of golf
saturday, april 28 | 9:30am-4pm
Spend the day with Seasons magazine and Grandover Resort. Hear a thoughtful panel discussion on the Art of Home from area artists and home designers. Or head out to the greens for a swing clinic in the morning with Grandover PGA professionals. The afternoon will feature David Orr, world-renown putting instructor conducting a putting clinic. And all day, golf equipment vendors will be on hand with demonstrations.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit
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Simple Life
Walter’s Saw Cutting through time
By Jim Dodson
Save for a handsaw, an old
pocket wallet and quiet memories, they are all that I have left of him.
The wallet is a fine piece of work, a gentleman’s pebble grain leather breast wallet, beautifully stitched and bearing my grandfather’s initials in gilt lettering: W.W.D. William Walter Dodson was a skilled carpenter and electrician who helped raise this region’s first electrical transmission towers and worked on the crew that wired Greensboro’s Jefferson Standard Building. During the Second World War, he also made cabinets for PT boats and built bookshelves for local public libraries. The wallet is in mint condition, lined with fine silk, its state of preservation suggesting it was scarcely used. I think my dad brought it to my grandfather upon returning from military service in England and Normandy, in 1945. My guess is, Walter rarely used it because he was a workingman who rarely, if ever, dressed up. As I remember him, he was a preternaturally quiet but gentle man in rumpled cotton pants who was either fishing or in his woodshop or massive vegetable garden — the three places I spent most of my time with him. There was always the stump of a King Edward cigar in his mouth. Walter’s handsaw, on the other hand, shows years of steady use, well worn and rusted in places near its simple wooden handle. I suppose it must be 80 years old if a day. Both wallet and saw came my way decades ago and traveled with me to The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Georgia and Maine and back to Carolina in order to complete the sacred circle old elephants and most Southerners observe before they translate to a gentler, kinder place. I inherited the items from my father, who never used the wallet either — too nice, he claimed — but did use that old handsaw for years until power saws showed up in his own woodworking workshop. He made bookshelves and tables for friends and family. Not surprisingly, I picked up the woodworking bug too, clearly something in the bloodline. We hail, after all, from a long line of Carolina woodworkers, at least one of whom was a celebrated cabinetmaker. Walter’s grandfather — my great-great-granddad — was one George Washington Tate, a prominent citizen of Alamance County who helped survey the boundaries of the state’s central counties following the Civil War, but was best known for his grist mill on the Haw River and his skill at crafting fine furniture. Last summer, while attending a seminar at the Museum of Early Decorative Art (commonly known as MESDA) on the Scots-Irish furniture makers who filtered into the Carolina back country during the 18th century, I heard G.W. Tate’s name mentioned in a tone of near reverence by an expert on Piedmont furniture making, who noted that one of his most notable surviving pieces is a handmade wardrobe displayed in a Williamburg museum of early American furniture. Tate Street in Greensboro is named for this man. She was delighted when I informed her afterwards that I knew of a second splendid handwork of Tate’s. My second cousin Roger Dodson and his wife, Polly, had recently had us to supper and showed us a handsome old walnut corner cupboard that bore his distinctive mark “G.W. Tate.” March 2018
O.Henry 17
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March 2018
Simple Life It was his grandson Walter, however, for whom I’m partially named, who first placed a saw in my hand. One Christmas when I was about 6 or 7 years of age, visiting my grandparents in Florida, he gave me a miniature tool box with a small hammer, screw drivers and handsaw. In his modest workshop, he also showed me how to saw a straight line and hammer a nail — small tasks that seemed almost magical at the time. Somehow that kid’s toolbox disappeared over the years, probably because I used its tools constantly to build forts in the woods around our house. I recall using them to build my entry for the annual Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. My car got eliminated early, which was perfectly fine with me. I much preferred building forts and crude furniture. It wasn’t until I was over 30 and living on the coast of Maine that two abiding passions hit me with a vengeance, both of which I trace to a quiet carpenter and gardener in rumpled pants. The first struck when my wife and I built a post and beam house on a forested hill in Maine. I helped the housewrights place the structural beams, but did most of the interior finish work myself, learning as I went. Not only did I lay and peg the 16-inch ancient pine flooring boards salvaged from a 19th-century barn in New Hampshire, I also designed and built the kitchen’s counter and cabinetry from scratch. Ditto the adjoining walls of pine bookshelves in the living room. My distinctly Southern mama, when she first walked into our home, smiled and remarked, “Honey, all this wood is very pretty. But when are you going to finish this house?” The Canadian hemlock beams and pine floors and cabinets cast a golden glow over everything, especially as the sun shone through our tall southfacing windows. Over nearly two decades that followed, I loved the subtle creaks and moans the beams and floors made as the house settled and the wood aged, especially in the dead of winter when the sun struck the beams and the house emitted out a lovely scent of the forest. I thought of this as the house exhaling in a contented way that my late grandfather would likely have approved. Walter probably would have liked the rustic farm table and occasional table I made for the living room, too. The table we gave away when my second wife and I moved home to North Carolina. The occasional table went to my first wife’s house, where it’s still in use and quite loved today. Walter Dodson passed on when he was 64. I was 11, my first funeral, and it was really sad to see him go. He looked remarkably peaceful in his big wooden coffin, dressed in the only suit I ever saw him wear. My grandmother was a serious Southern Baptist, though Walter rarely darkened the doorway of any church. Time on the water or in his workshop or garden were his idea of worship, his way celebrating the gift of life. Anyone who works intimately with wood or tends a garden through the seasons would completely understand. As I write, this Walter is also 64 years old and preparing to build a set of ambitious bookshelves for the cozy room my wife and I have decided would make a splendid library in the old house we’ve been slowly redoing over the past 20 or so months. I have my eye on a fancy new power saw that will do just about anything from the finest trim work to cutting a rough plank flooring. It costs more than my gifted, gentle grandfather probably made in a year. Proof that you can take the boy out of the woodshop but not the other way around, however, resides in the fact that Walter’s handsaw will be hung somewhere in my new woodshop where those bookshelves will be born, a sweet reminder that the hand that shapes the cut was created long before the saw ever touched wood. OH Contact Editor Jim Dodson at jim@thepilot.com.
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
March 2018
O.Henry 19
EMF Salute
Hats off to Joseph Bryan Jr., local scion, tireless champion of Eastern Music Festival and honoree at EMF’s Annual Spring Scholarship Gala, “The Magic of Music,” held on March 2 at Cadillac Service Garage (304 East Market Street). Amid haute cuisine, a live auction and music by the Mile-End Trio, (EMF stalwarts Jeffrey Multer, Julian Schwarz and Marika Bournaki), let’s all be sure to remember the point of the occasion: to raise funds for rising musicians to attend EMF. Keeping the celebration going, and as a part of EMF’s outreach, Mile-End Trio will clock miles, performing a series of concerts at schools throughout N.C. and the Southeast — starting March 3 at Music Academy of North Carolina (1327 Beaman Place). For tickets and info: (336) 272-0160 or easternmusicfestival.org.
The Human Condition
Or specifically, the art of the human condition, which informs Carol Cole: Cast a Clear Light, opening at Weatherspoon Art Museum (500 Tate Street) on March 3. On view through mid-June, the exhibition showcases the work of local and national artist and collector Carol Cole, whose art illuminates our need for nurturing, our foibles, as well as our capacity to “live generously.” You can hear more from the artist at 4 p.m. on March 20 at conversation with George Scheer, director of Elsewhere, and Anna Wallace, a 2018 UNCG M.F.A. candidate in sculpture. Info: (336) 3345770 or weatherspoon.uncg.edu.
Rolling In Dough
PHOTOGRAPH BY SAM FROELICH
You Say You Want a Revolution
Then head straight to Guilford Courthouse Military Park (2332 New Garden Road) to commemorate the 237th anniversary of the showdown between Major General Nathanael Greene and Lord Charles Cornwallis. Fought on March 15, 1781, the Battle of Guilford Courthouse would be largest battle in the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War and a deciding factor in turning the tide against the then-victorious British troops . . . whose next stop was the disastrous Battle of Yorktown, Virginia. From March 14–18, learn more about the conflict by attending lectures and tours of the battlefield, witnessing encampments, re-enactments, demonstrations of farm life, perusing Revolutionary-era crafts, and more. Info: (336) 288-1776 or nps.gov.
Forget the calories and carbs, and get ready to celebrate Easter with a visit to the Ladies Philoptochos Annual Greek Pastry Sale. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 29, drop by the Dormition of the Theotokas Greek Orthodox Church (800 Westridge Road) and fill up on phyllo-laden treats such as baklava, oozing with nuts and honey, spanakopita or its all-cheese version tiropita. And then take home some kourabiethes (butter cookies covered in powdered sugar), Koulourakia (orange-flavored cookies), chocolate almond rolls and anything else that triggers your salivary glands. Your purchases will benefit the good works of the Ladies Philoptochos Society, dedicated to helping the poor and disadvantaged, and anyway . . . a Mediterranean diet is good for you! Info: (336) 292-8013 or dormition.nc.goarch.org.
“THE DISSECTION OF ANI”, FROM THE SERIES “ANI (ANTI-NOTHINGNESS IMAGE)”, 1993. CLAY, EMBROIDERY THREAD, LINEN, SILK, AND SATIN; 10 5/8 X 13 X 4 IN. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST.
Short Stories
Head for the Hillside
Want a sneak peek into the most talked-about renovation in the Triad? Then reserve your ticket now for the Julian Price Designer Showhouse Preview Party and Gala, on Thursday April 10 from 6 until 10 p.m. on the lawn of the former Julian Price Estate, Hillside (301 Fisher Park Circle). The festivities will include drinks, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and of course, a house tour, featuring the work of local, regional and national designers — Laura Redd Interiors, High Point Antiques Design Center, Vivid Interiors, among others. Ticket sales will benefit Preservation Greensboro, which will open the house for tours throughout the month of April. Tickets: julianpricehouse.com.
Cleared for Takeoff
While most of us would rather avoid hanging around on a tarmac, here’s a reason to seek it out: the PTI Run on the Runway. Taking place at 8 a.m. on March 24 on the 9,000-foot runway at Piedmont Triad International Airport (unless the name should suddenly and inexplicably change), the 5K and 10K runs will benefit Second Harvest Foodbank of Northwest North Carolina, plus Greensboro Urban Ministries and Open Door Ministries. And no, you don’t have to have the speed and skill of Usain Bolt to participate: The runway is accessible to kids, baby strollers, wheelchairs or anyone who wants to take his/her time and stroll. Just please leave your bikes, inline skates and four-legged friends at home. Info: ptirun.com.
Crash! Boom! Bang!
Why, Dolley, Madison, you don’t look a day over . . . 249! Join Greensboro History Museum in celebrating the 250th birthday of local heroine and First Lady at a “Dolley and Me Tea” on May 5 at O.Henry Hotel (624 Green Valley Road) with honored guest, N.C.’s own First Lady, Kristen Cooper. Tickets: (336) 3732982 or greensborohistory.org/events.
Ogi Overman Let’s declare the winter doldrums officially over, shall we? Daylight Saving Time begins in March, as does spring. St. Patrick’s Day and Good Friday fall within two weeks of each other, and March Madness and spring training are underway. Oh, and lest we forget, there’s a boatload of mighty fine concerts in our backyard.
• March 2, Carolina Theatre: A
once-in-a-lifetime event comes, well, you get it. Ladysmith Black Mambazo was an African institution long before Paul Simon introduced them to the States. The trained ear may be able to detect nine distinct goosebump-inducing harmony parts; the rest of us will have to settle for four or five.
• March 4, Blind Tiger: Swamp boogie slinger extraordinaire Tab Benoit generally makes a swing through Carolina annually. This time he’s bringing special guests Jeff McCarty and Eric Johanson with him as part of his Whiskey Bayou Records tour. Turn it up, knock it back.
What is it about the endless appeal of STOMP that keeps audiences returning? Maybe it’s because the rhythmic sounds, using unconventional percussion “instruments” — brooms, wooden poles, garbage cans, hubcaps, Zippo lighters and more — satisfy our primal urge to make a racket, whether to relieve stress or express a joyful noise. Join in the fun at Carolina Theatre on March 25 at either 3 p.m. or 8 p.m. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
Save the Date: Hello, Dolley!
Ogi Sez
Meet Your Matcha
Much as we love a steaming hot cuppa with clotted cream and scones over a good chinwag, there’s a lot to be said for a completely different approach to afternoon tea: a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Infused with elements of Bhuddism, chanoyu, or “the way of tea,” is a detailed ritual, consisting, among several other practices, of using the proper ceramic accouterments, preparing a light meal and whisking matcha leaves (green tea leaves ground in powder). Learn more by participating in a traditional ceremony, courtesy of Japanese Tea Practitioners of Durham, who will do the honors at GreenHill on March 11, at 3:30 p.m. Register by March 4 at greenhillnc.org/ traditional-japanese-tea-ceremony.
• March 9, High Point Theatre: Now this is a unique event. Four of Nashville’s finest double-duty artists/tunesmiths are touring as the Heart Behind the Music Songwriters Showcase. They are Teddy Gentry (Alabama), John Berry, Linda Davis and Lenny LeBlanc. You’ll catch yourself saying more than once, “I didn’t know he/she wrote that.” • March 10, Greensboro Coliseum: There are country music superstars — and then there’s Blake Shelton. Even before The Voice catapulted him into cultural icon status, he was sitting atop the Music City heap. If country had an Elvis, he’d be it. • March 17, Eden Ballroom: With St. Paddy’s Day falling on a Saturday this year, the parties are even more prolific than usual. But the one that stands out for me is a beach music party with The Embers. Sure, it’s only March, but summertime’s calling me.
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Life’s Funny
Who the heck is that?
By Maria Johnson
The first time I saw a blow dry bar was last year, when we visited our son in Brooklyn.
We were walking through his neighborhood, on our way to breakfast, when I noticed this storefront that said, “Blow Dry Bar,” only somehow I missed the word “dry,” so there I was, reflecting on this “blow bar” I’d just seen, unable to stop myself from thinking, “Wow, that’s pretty brazen.” By the time breakfast was over, I had managed to console myself by thinking, “Well, this is New York City.” On the way back from breakfast I inspected the shop’s façade more closely, and I caught the word “dry.” I was relieved. Slightly. I was pretty sure that a blow dry bar was a place for wash-and-dry hair styling. No cuts, no color. I resisted the urge to stick my own disheveled head in the door. Several months later, I heard about a new blow dry bar right here in Greensboro. First a cat cafe. Now a blow dry bar. How in the world did we fall off Amazon’s list for HQ2, its second North American headquarters? I don’t get it either. But hair goes on, so I checked out the website of Blasted Blow Dry Bar, which bills itself as the first of its kind in Greensboro. “From ordinary to extraordinary in 45 minutes,” the website promises. I perused the menu of $35 blow out options. Each bore a woman’s name and was accompanied by a picture of a model sporting that look. I settled on The Grace (“Sleek, polished and groomed, for those who want their hair to scream A-list”). Believe it or not, I looked just like the woman modeling in The Grace. If I were 30 years younger. And had green eyes. And full lips. And parted my hair in the middle. And wore a lot of make-up. And could pull off a sultry come-hither look instead of my usual where-thehell’s-my-cell-phone expression. But hey, we both had brown hair. Close enough. Plus, I had a big date coming up: Taco Tuesday at a Mexican restaurant that my husband and I wanted to try. Having A-list hair wouldn’t hurt the ol’ how-about-some-free-guacamole cause, now would it? I made an appointment. Later that afternoon, I entered the salon to a warm welcome. The owner asked if I wanted a complimentary mimosa or glass of wine — don’t mind if I do – and she introduced me to my stylist, a sweet young woman named Ally. As I sat down for a shampoo, Ally asked which service I wanted. “I want to look just like Grace,” I said. “Can you do that?” Ally smiled and clasped her hands in front of her heart. Her eyes were still tabulating if I were serious. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
“We can TRY!” she said. I took the pressure off: “I bet some women think they’re gonna look just like the pictures, huh?” Olive branch received. “Yeah, sometimes, we say that we don’t do plastic surgery here, just hair,” she said as she lathered my locks. I liked this kid. Most of her customers are women on the way to weddings, parties, proms and other special occasions. Some clients are businesswomen who want their hair to look spiffy for a couple of days. Minutes later, Ally ushered me back up front to the “bar,” where she got to work with an assortment of “product”: leave-in conditioner, mousse, blow out spray, and the real key to success for this ’do: a healthy glass of chardonnay for me. Spritz, spritz. Massage, massage. Foam, foam. She dried my hair, combing it with fingers only, until it was barely damp. Then she picked up a small round brush and commenced sculpting the flips and twirls that would bring me close(r) to a state of Grace. I sipped wine and slipped into a blissed-out trance that, as far as I can tell, is possible only when someone else is grooming you. I was feeling remarkably un-self-conscious. Then I realized why. There were no mirrors placed so that anyone sitting in a chair could see herself. Soooooo, I asked, what’s up with the mirrors? “We want you to be surprised!” came the answer. (Translation: We’re not plastic surgeons, but you don’t need to know that yet.) Another question: Aren’t you limited by people’s haircuts? Ally’s answer: “It depends on the layers. You have awesome layers.” There was a time when I would have looked askance at such a compliment. No more. Awesome layers, eh? I sat up a little straighter in my chair. “I’ll be sure to tell my regular stylist,” I said. “Yeah, you should,” said Ally. (Shout out to Wendy at Thairapy, bestower of awesome layers). Then it was done. “Are you ready?” said Ally. “Let’s do it,” I said. She gave me a hand mirror and invited me to walk over to the mirror-mirror on the wall. I’ll be damned. Free guacamole, here I come. “Does she look like Grace?” called out someone from behind the bar. “I think she looks better than Grace,” said Ally. We all laughed. Their lines had the ring of a script, probably one calculated to end with a big tip. It worked. OH Maria “Grace” Johnson did indeed get guacamole at no extra charge that night. It came with the tacos. Contact her at ohenrymaria@gmail.com. March 2018
O.Henry 23
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The Omnivorous Reader
A Generous Voice The distinguished reign of a poet laureate
By Stephen E. Smith I have seen the ones I love leave this world as shadows without wings. The purple martins that come up every year from Somewhere Leave as easily as they jetted into their gourds in March. And I have held my father’s hand as he was dying And my mother’s, lying in her lap like dried peas . . . From Paul’s Hill Shelby Stephenson North Carolina Poet Laureate With the death of Poet Laureate Sam Ragan in 1996, the office of state laureate ceased being a lifetime appointment, and sitting governors began selecting poets laureate (with recommendations from the state’s writing communities) who would promote an appreciation for an often misapprehended genre. Recent laureates have been chosen for the excellence of their work, their influence on other writers, and “an appreciation for literature in its diversity throughout the state.” The revised guidelines grant tenures ranging from a standard two-year term to five years, depending upon the governor’s readiness to select a new laureate and the willingness of the poet to serve. With the exception of a disquieting hiccup during the McCrory administration, governors have chosen poets laureate who exhibit exceptional talent and generosity — and the process has been, thank God, more or less devoid of politics. But the job of poet laureate, the physical act of getting behind the wheel of a car and driving to every corner of the state to give readings and workshops, has turned out to be anything but cushy. In fact, it’s full-time work, offering little in the way of compensation and requiring immense dedication. Beginning with Greensboro’s Fred Chappell, who was the first of the new poets laureate and whose Midquest is the finest book (poem) written by a poet of his generation, and continuing with Kathryn Stripling Byer, Cathy Smith Bowers, Joseph Bathanti and Shelby Stephenson, our poets laureate have been barnstorming nonstop for more than 20 years. From December 2014 to January 2018, Stephenson has given 315 readThe Art & Soul of Greensboro
ings, lectures and workshops, traveling from Hatteras to the Tennessee border, twice, and driving more than 25,000 miles within the state. Stephenson, who officially leaves office when a new laureate is appointed later this month, has gently touched the lives of thousands of North Carolinians, and he leaves us with an ambitious 52-part poem, Paul’s Hill: Homage to Whitman (Sir Walter Press), which is the logical and artistic culmination of his past work framed within the hard edges of the perplexing new world in which we find ourselves. Raised in a large family that farmed in Johnston County, Stephenson is deeply rooted in a rural environment and possessed of a strong sense of longing for a particular time and place that’s never failed to offer the purest vision. His primary subjects, the foundation upon which he’s shaped most of his poems, are family, the natural world, the cycle of life, even the plank house where he was born, and despite a reliance on memory and the intensely personal nature of his poetry, there’s a restrained use of nostalgia in his work. When reading his leapfrogging lyrical lines, the reader is left with an overwhelming appreciation for the life the poet has lived and his eagerness to share his most personal moments. The light plays shadows where once cordwood readied the woodbox. My mother’s lost in the steam of her kettle. I rub my face, as if parting curtains, Wonder if I see myself in the rose-blue feathers smeared on the picture-window. March 2018
O.Henry 25
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Beyond the Casserole
The flag of the Oklahoma-bombing holds one tiny baby, fire-scarred And that September, towering out of words, humble beyond relief, Some hint of lushness — and you among the moon’s heaving night — listening to whispers . . . Judged by productivity, Shelby Stephenson has, for 50 years, created poetry of high quality. Beginning with Middle Creek Poems and moving forward through his 10 books to Paul’s Hill, he’s demonstrated continued growth and has perfected a distinctly individual voice cultivated with a single-minded devotion to his vision of a North Carolina in transition. As he’s matured as a writer, he’s stepped out of the tobacco rows, assuming the role of critic, teacher, reviewer, social commentator — and, most importantly, a distinguished and generous poet laureate. OH
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Stephenson’s early poems took their inspiration from the land, but in the last 25 years he’s dealt critically with the guilt posed by slavery, the destruction of the natural environment, the dangers of romanticism, the relationship of the past to the present, and the twitches and ticks of contemporary life all infused into Paul’s Hill, anchored steadfastly in the present by the inclusion of the mundane elements of daily life and a use of language that dissolves the distinction between precincts of poetry and prose. His is the voice of a man viewing the present with skepticism, occasional distaste and a trace of anxiety.
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Stephen E. Smith is a retired professor and the author of seven books of poetry and prose. He’s the recipient of the Poetry Northwest Young Poet’s Prize, the Zoe Kincaid Brockman Prize for poetry and four North Carolina Press awards.
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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Scuppernong Bookshelf
Write This Way!
Greensboro Bound Literary Festival draws 70 writers to the Gate City in May
By Brian Lampkin
The literary history of
Greensboro, is well-documented — the very name of this magazine embraces our most noted literary criminal: William Sydney Porter. But it’s much more than the twisty short stories of O.Henry that inform Gate City literature. From the poet and critic Randall Jarrell (buried in the New Garden Friends Cemetery) to fiction writer Peter Taylor (Library of America just published a two-volume collection of his work), not to mention the vibrant M.F.A. program at UNCG, which has brought us writers Kelly Link (Pulitzer Prize finalist Get in Trouble) and Nina Riggs (The Bright Hour) along with faculty writers Fred Chappell, Michael Parker, Holly Goddard Jones and many others. The danger of starting to name writers is overlooking those who are equally deserving of attention: Linda Beatrice Brown, Drew Perry, Lee Zacharias, M. Dressler, Jim Dodson and, of course, that rhinoceros of science fiction Orson Scott Card. And on it goes.
In these very pages, novelist and former News & Record columnist Bill Morris observed in July 2013 that Greensboro is one of those “rarest of American places: a town where, it seems, there are as many people writing serious books as there are people reading them. Five years later Morris’s observation is outdated. The inaugural Greensboro Bound Literary Festival (May 18–20, 2018) will prove that the ratio of readers to writers has shifted into a healthier balance. Greensboro Bound expects 10,000 serious book lovers to attend readings, panels and conversations with 70 serious writers. Why will the readers surge into downtown Greensboro in late May?
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March 2018
Because the lineup of writers Greensboro Bound has gathered is thrilling. Cultural icons, award-winners, long-loved established novelists and newly discovered rising stars will meet for the weekend the Greensboro literary community has long deserved. Planning for this event began in earnest in January of 2017 in the crowded back room of Scuppernong Books as 45 people volunteered their time and energy to an idea first planted in our minds by the irrepressible veteran of the Miami Book Fair and new-Triad resident Steve Colyer. He saw, as newcomers often do, what was missing in Greensboro, and brought the energy, determination and suspenders necessary to foster the growth of a book festival. Colyer is quick to point out that Greensboro Bound has used the expertise of existing festivals to steer ours away from pitfalls. Organizers and founders of the Miami Book Fair, Decatur Book Festival, Virginia Children’s Book Festival, and Winston-Salem’s hugely successful Bookmarks have all provided invaluable guidance. Greensboro Bound is an all-volunteer organization (and many more volunteers are still needed — please sign-on at greensborobound.com) operating under the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Greensboro Literary Organization. This volunteer organization has argued from the beginning that we wanted this to be a low-cost festival for the city of Greensboro, and through tireless fundraising efforts and the generosity of donors of all sizes, Greensboro Bound will indeed be free. But what you really want to know is: Who are the writers attending this year’s Festival?! While we’ll release the full lineup in April, we can let O.Henry readers in on 20 of the 70 writers (along with their new books the festival will be promoting). The schedule of times is still subject to change. Here goes: Nikki Giovanni: poet, icon, activist. A Good Cry and I Am Loved. Kevin Powers: novelist and 2012 National Book Award finalist for The Yellow Birds. A Shout in the Ruins will publish in May of 2018. Beth Macy: author of Factory Man and Truevine. Carmen Maria Machado: 2017 National Book Award finalist for Her Body and Other Parties. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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March 2018
O.Henry 29
wElcoming nEw patiEnts
Bookshelf Kaveh Akbar: Iranian/American poet. Calling a Wolf a Wolf. Katie Button: Asheville chef. Cúrate. Joan Nathan: author of 11 cookbooks including King Solomon’s Table: a Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World. Fred Chappell: Bollingen Prize and T.S. Eliot Prize winner. A Shadow All of Light. Lee Smith: novelist and North Carolina legend. Dimestore: A Writer’s Life. Daniel Wallace: author of Big Fish and 2017’s Extraordinary Adventures. Leesa Cross-Smith: finalist for the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction and Iowa Short Fiction Award. Whiskey & Ribbons. John T. Edge: director of the Southern Foodways Alliance. Potlikker Papers.
The Kraska family is grateful for being able to serve in the Triad for the last 13 years. Ryan, Elisabeth, Molly, Myles and Miller Kraska
Gabrielle Calvocoressi: Walker Percy Fellow in Poetry at Chapel Hill. Rocket Fantastic. Stacy McAnulty: children’s author and Kernersville star. Brave and 2018’s The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl. John Duberstein and Lucy Kalanithi: the widowed spouses of the authors of the two great cancer memoirs of the last few years: The Bright Hour and When Breath Becomes Air. John Claude Bemis: North Carolina’s Piedmont Laureate for Children’s Literature. Out of Abaton. Jared Yates Sexton: Greensboro and the Trump campaign intersect in The People Are Going to Rise Like Waters Upon Your Shore. Hal Crowther: the Oxford American’s great curmudgeon. An Infuriating American: The Incendiary Arts of H. L. Mencken. Naima Coster: winner of the 2017 Cosmonauts Avenue Nonfiction Prize, judged by Roxane Gay. Halsey Street.
502 North Elam Avenue, Greensboro, NC Phone: (336) 292-0863 | Fax: (336) 292-2583 www.kraska.com
And that’s just the tip of the writer’s pencil. Expect more surprises and extraordinary panels on a wide array of literary and social concerns. Watch O.Henry magazine for updates and excerpts from festival writers. OH Brian Lampkin is co-owner of Scuppernong Books.
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March 2018
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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A Writer’s Life
Owning the Past For any writer — budding or in full bloom — a great story often begins someplace that’s intimately known
By Wiley Cash
When I teach creative writing, wheth-
er to undergraduates or master’s students or community workshop participants, I always tell my class three things. First, I say that the knowledge I will share with them has been accumulated over my years of sitting at the desk and working very hard to get what is in my mind onto the page. This is my way of going about the task of writing, but it is by no means the way of going about it. Other writers and teachers may give different or altogether conflicting advice. It is the student’s job to wade through that advice to discover what works. Second, writing is difficult, and there are no guarantees that what you are working on will ever see print. I tell them that my first publication came when I was a 20-year-old college sophomore. My second publication came when I was a 30-year-old graduate student, which means that for 10 years I was writing and submitting stories for publication without any success. Third, I tell them that their own lives are worth writing about. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
This semester I am teaching creative writing at the University of North Carolina-Asheville, which is my alma mater and the campus on which I was living when I wrote and published that first short story 20 years ago. On the first day of class, I told my students the above-mentioned three things that I always tell my classes. When I talked about their lives being worth literature, a student raised his hand and said that he was “just a hick from Mount Airy,” and that we could tell by his thick accent. I told him that he did not sound like a hick. He sounded like someone who was from somewhere and that he should rely on his knowledge of the place he is from when writing because you never know what you will come to understand about yourself when you scour your past and investigate the places you call home and the people you knew there. With this in mind, our first assignment was to write a personal essay that portrays the places students called home and to consider the ways in which their views of these places and the people they knew there have changed over time. Part of the assignment required them to draw a map of their neighborhood and label the places that meant something to them: Where did their friends live? Where did they play? Where were the places that scared them? Where were the places where they were injured or did something brave or had their hearts broken? Early in the semester I made a promise to my students that I would write with them, which means I would keep an up-to-date writing journal that responds to the same prompts I gave them. It also meant that I would do things like draw a map of the neighborhood from my childhood and write an essay in response to it. Because I have given this assignment before and spent time drawing maps of my old neighborhood in my hometown of Gastonia, North Carolina, I decided to draw a map of my paternal grandparents’ neighborhood in Shelby, North Carolina, where we spent just about every Sunday afternoon of my childhood. March 2018
O.Henry 33
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A Writer’s Life When I began sketching my map I drew my grandparents’ house, and then I drew the houses around it. An elderly man named Roscoe lived on one side of my grandparents. In my memory he wore spectacles and a cowboy hat and looked a little like Grandpa Jones from Hee Haw. Surely I am filling in someone I cannot remember with someone I can, but if I were to write about Roscoe, then I would have to rely on the image in my mind to do it. On the other side of my grandparents’ house a couple named Narse and Linda lived with their daughter Suzie, who was about eight years older than me. I say that Narse’s name was Narse, but it was probably Norris and my grandparents and my father pronounced it with only one syllable. I cannot remember what Narse or Linda did for a living, but I remember that Narse had a garage behind his house where he worked on cars, and sometimes he would invite my father and me over to check out his work. I drew the garage behind Narse’s house on my map, and seeing it reminded me of something that I had not thought of in years. Behind my grandparents’ house was a huge, dusty patch of garden where they would grow vegetables in long rows. Behind the garden was a stand of trees of some kind. I have a very foggy memory of my father taking my younger brother and me on a walk behind this stand of trees to a shaded area where goats munched on grass. In this memory I am about 4 years old, and my brother, who is in my father’s arms, is about 2. I can remember picking up some kind of fruit off the ground, perhaps apples, and feeding it to the goats. I can remember the feel of them eating the fruit from my hand, the roughness of their horns against my palms, the clangs of the bells around their necks as they moved around us. Where had this memory been for so many years? Would I have recalled it had I not done this exercise, had the image of Narse’s garage not led to my grandparents’ patch of garden? I talked about my memory of the goats during our next class. I asked the students to consider how they would use voice to tell their stories. For example, would they limit their perspectives to the moment of their experience when they were 4 or 10 or 15 years old, or would they move beyond it and tell their stories from the contemporary moment of being college freshmen and sophomores? I asked them to ponder this because a 4-year-old’s powers of observation are not as sharp as a 10-year-old’s, and as authors they have to think about what their characters perceive and how these perceptions will be shared with the reader. I used an exercise to illustrate my point. On the chalkboard I wrote “memory of feeding the goats.” I drew a line on the left and wrote “four years old” above the line. I explained to the class that if I were going to recall this memory from the perspective of my 4-year-old self, then I would only be able to draw on the information I possessed at that time. On the other side of the memory I drew a longer line, and I marked it at several points. If I were to narrate this memory from the perspective of my 15-year-old self, then my voice would probably have an edge of boredom to it: What were we doing out in the backyard feeding goats when I could have been playing video games or shooting basketball or talking on the phone to girls? How would I narrate this memory at 19 after I had lost both my grandparents? Would my recollection of this place that had recently been sold contain an air of nostalgia? Continuing down the line headed away from the memory, I stopped and wrote “thirty-eight,” which is how old I was when I lost my father. If I were to narrate this memory from this vantage point, how would I portray the man I had lost as he held my brother in his arms and told me not to be afraid of the small black goats that milled around us? The line continued a little farther, stopping at 40, the age I am now. There, my back turned to my class, chalk held to the board, I remembered something else that I had forgotten. My grandfather died just before I turned 5. I have memories of knowing he was dying in the bedroom at The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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March 2018
O.Henry 35
A Writer’s Life
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March 2018
my grandparents’ house, and I have memories of adults — my parents and aunts and uncles — shushing my brother and me while we played. We were too young to play outside alone, so my father took a break from sitting by his own father’s bedside and carried my brother and me outside to the backyard. Wanting us away from the house, he decided to show us the goats on the other side of the trees, where our voices could not be heard inside my grandparents’ bedroom. In that moment, standing in front of my students, I realized that my memory of feeding the goats was not the story I would write based on the map of my grandparents’ neighborhood and the memories it conjured. No, I would write about another memory, a memory much more recent, but a memory that involved my father just the same. I am not 4, but 38. It is not my grandfather who is dying, but my father. We are not at my grandparents’ house in Shelby, but at my parents’ house in Oak Island, and it is not my brother and me whose voices are being shushed by the adults tending my grandfather, but the voices of my two daughters in the hallway outside my parents’ bedroom door. In this memory I pick up my youngest, who is barely 2 months old and having trouble settling down for a nap, and I take the hand of my oldest, who is almost 2. We walk out into my parents’ backyard so that my oldest can play and the baby can cry and settle without anyone worrying about her disturbing my father, who we all know is long past being able to hear us. I look up at the windows of my parents’ bedroom, knowing that my father may be gone when I go back inside. Now, as I write this, I wonder if my own father thought the same thing on that day long ago as he held my brother and watched a small black goat eat an apple from my hand. What else could he have been thinking? How good it feels to have the warm spring sun on your face, to feel the heft of a baby in your arms, to hear the sounds of a child laughing outside in the light. These memories have been locked inside me from anywhere from two to 36 years, and they are layered and resonant and difficult to describe. I would struggle to explain how to get them on the page, and doing so would not guarantee anything at all aside from the work it would take. But I do believe these memories are worth writing about, and I do believe that I will stay in that moment, a goat nibbling at an apple in my hand, my newborn daughter asleep in my arms, my father and my grandfather on the cusp of leaving this world, for as long as I can. OH Wiley Cash lives in Wilmington with his wife and their two daughters. His new novel, The Last Ballad, is available wherever books are sold. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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O.Henry 37
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Papadaddy
Roll, Honey, Roll… If you’ve been there, you feel my pain
By Clyde Edgerton
If you’ve been “down in the back,”
ILLUSTRATION BY HARRY BLAIR
raise your hand.
If you didn’t raise your hand, you might find the following about as interesting as a pharmaceutical commercial. But if you’ve been there, then as you read on you may nod your head in agreement here and there. During our early January Arctic cold spell, I ventured under our house to turn off water to some outside pipes. At about six steps in through the low door that leads under the house — bending way over — I looked up and, whoops, felt a sharp pain in the middle of my lower back. A quiet voice said: “That was not good.” I finished with the pipes, got out from under the house and thought, Maybe it’s not too bad. I hauled in a load of wood for the fireplace, built a fire, messed around in the backyard, thinking: Something is wrong with my lower back. But it’ll be better in the morning. Next morning, when I started to get out of bed, a sledgehammer hammered a spike into my lower back. A pain so severe that had it continued over a few seconds I’d been yelling constantly to the high heavens. “Stabbing pain” sort of gets at it, but I feel like I need a new word — not spasm, but: Stabazm! I yelled, and fell back into bed. The universe had attacked. Oh my goodness. Kristina, my wife, who’s had back problems off and on for a decade, said, “If you want to get up, you need to roll. Roll out of bed. Don’t just pull up. You’ve got to roll. And breathe.” After a long struggle and several more stabazms, each bringing a yell and sweat, I got up and slowly made my way — holding onto furniture — to the bathroom and then to the living room couch. Kristina helped me get propped up on my back with pillows under my knees, ice on my back and a laptop in lap for work. While helping me onto the couch, she said, “Roll. You’ve got to roll.” When I was later trying to get back up she again said, “Roll, honey, roll,” and the word roll got funny for some reason . . . to both of us. I started to laugh — but the laughing brought on — yikes! Stabazm!
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
“Please don’t make me laugh,” I whispered through clenched teeth. Next I found that I could not cough without initiating a stabazm. I remained inside the house, hobbling back and forth from bed to couch for one week. I would figure out yet another way to not move, and then: BAM, another you-know-what. After a week, I visited my doctor. She gave me a muscle-relaxer drug, an inflammation drug and said if it wasn’t better in another week to get an X-ray. It got a little better, but not much. I decided to wait two weeks to see if I really needed that X-ray. Inside the house I was using a cane that I was too proud to use outside the house. I finally started driving. A car entrance looked a little like . . . I don’t know — a turtle climbing onto a motorcycle? At the beginning of the third week — two days ago as of this writing — I got that X-ray and then went to UNCW for a faculty meeting. I was somewhat better, no stabazms in three days. I was happy to be up and about — careful about every move. But I was five minutes late to the meeting, hobbling along carefully. I met a student who said, “Hi.” “Hi,” I said. I wondered if I was supposed to know him. He was smiling. “Hi,” he said again. I was a bit confused. I had pencil and pad in hand, ready to go into the meeting. Then he pointed . . . and said what he’d been saying all along: “Fly!” “Oh. Thanks,” I said, grabbed at my pants, dropped the pencil, zipped up and then bent down to pick up the pencil. Stabazm! I was unable to muffle a yell. If you’ve been there, you know how it feels. If you haven’t been there, then when it happens, and you have to get out of bed: Roll. OH Clyde Edgerton is the author of 10 novels, a memoir and most recently, Papadaddy’s Book for New Fathers. He is the Thomas S. Kenan III Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing at UNCW. March 2018
O.Henry 39
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March 2018
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
True South
A Future in Funerals One way or the other
By Susan S. Kelly
My sister and I are exchanging our funeral files. As one does.
We’ve always kept funeral files. That business about never being too rich or too thin pales in comparison with “you can never be too ready.” An addition here, a deletion there, most arising from being horrified, comforted, or awed at a funeral. Or not. One friend decides every thorny issue with a coin toss, including whether to attend a funeral four hours away. Another decides by asking herself, “Would I like (the dead person) to be at my funeral?” Remember that one does not want to be the topic of the post-funeral discussion about Who Had Not Made the Effort To Come. Also in my file is a list of first names of people I’ve heard damned for Not Making the Effort to Come, consulted whenever I feel lazy or ambivalent about attending a funeral. I don’t want my name to appear on someone else’s you-know-what list. The habit of funeral files began years ago, after I’d had some novels published and been involved in some civic stuff. My sister wailed, “Your obituary is going to be three columns and mine will have nothing in it.” To which I responded, “Yes, but your funeral will be standing room only, and I’ll have no friends at mine.” I’ve offended them all. The sister has requested communion at her funeral. To which I said, “Then you’re not going to have any friends either.” Ain’t nobody got time for that. My family finds nothing peculiar about firm, absolute, pre-burial dictates. Thirty years ago, when my father died, my mother told the funeral fellow in charge, “I don’t want any limousines. I don’t want a register in the vestibule. I don’t want any of your people inside the church.” The well-meaning director, who was also a longtime acquaintance, finally just gave up and said, “Can I at least come to the funeral?” Dictates from my file: The minister shall not call out the page numbers. No homily whatsoever. Ministers with a captive audience are liable to go rogue, as once happened at a wedding I attended when the priest rhapsoThe Art & Soul of Greensboro
dized over the upcoming Olympic Games and how they compared to marriage. Just, no. Related question: Do you pay the minister the same way you pay one to perform a wedding? Preferred hymns, prayers, and scripture readings, even though on a day-today basis I don’t know a Revelation from a Lamentation. All are components of a proper funeral file. Plus, tips and notes-to-self such as what to bring to the family. I’ll share: Altoids. No brownies unless they’re stacked on a crystal cake stand with strawberries heaped over them. A not-floristy flower arrangement for the table in the kitchen where food will always be around. Any kind of edible green. Paper napkins, cups, and plates for pick-up family meals — you run out of linens. Wine, duh. As to the garden club friend who brought over a white bow for the front door, well . . . She meant well. Related question. How do you know if you’re a good enough friend to go over and “be at the door”? The file is full of observations of every stripe, too. At a funeral for an elderly woman, her husband, dear and doing his best, and the somehow heartbreaking telltale smudges on his suit lapel, where women have hugged him, leaving their powdery traces. A funeral for the household help and a virtual member of your family for decades, where the congregation — including you — literally waved goodbye to the deceased. The internment at the columbarium, where, when the minister concluded with “God be with you,” the deceased’s daughter lurched through the crowd and corrected him. “Goddess!” And this from Betty, a Winston-Salem pal, remembering how, after her mother died, the grandchildren were entertaining themselves playing spoons in the den while Betty and her siblings received guests. Recalling that her older sister had always wanted their mother’s flat silver, Betty hollered, “Count the spoons!” “Betty,” I laughed, “Y’all are awful.” “Awful is the only way you can be,” she succinctly said, maybe capturing grief better than any file or preparation ever could. OH Susan Kelly is a blithe spirit, author of several novels, and proud new grandmother. March 2018
O.Henry 41
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Sleight of Hand
In The Spirit
Pull these bottles out of your hat at your next cocktail party
By Tony Cross
In your lifetime, I’m
PHOTOGRAPH BY TONY CROSS
sure you’ve heard someone say, “Oh, no. I don’t drink (insert tequila, gin or other spirit here) anymore; it makes me mean!” I’ve heard this among peers, and I’ve been instructed while bartending for guests on what not to use as a base spirit when someone has asked, “Will you just surprise me with whatever you want to make? Just don’t use whiskey, gin or tequila.” If this is speaking to you, then keep reading. A certain spirit has never made me mean; it’s quite the opposite — not having a spirit to sip on at the end of a long day, but that’s another story . . . Here are a few drinks that you should try if you’re the least bit interested in adding those “mean spirits” to your repertoire. And, just for the record, it was probably the ton of drinks you consumed before that shot of tequila that made you make terrible life decisions while you time-traveled. Aside from Aftershock, and Goldschläger, it seems like gin is a shoo-in for third place as the drink that most folks won’t return to after college. For many of you who dislike gin, it’s the London Dry style of gin that is a turnoff. Tons of juniper. You dislike juniper. Nowadays there are myriad distilleries that are turning out delicious (and not juniper-forward) gins. I used to play a trick on guests who wanted something “that tastes good with vodka.” I’d usually whip up a citrus-heavy concoction with Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin. Distilled in Bend, Oregon, and bottled in California, this lemon bomb of a gin has converted the most vehement anti-gin drinkers. Here’s a drink that I created when my little sis turned of age. She bugged me for two years to name a drink after her, so it was only fair that I obliged.
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Heidi Lynne
1 1/2 ounces Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin 3/4 ounce Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur (sub Cointreau if you have to) 3/4 ounce lemon juice 1/2 ounce homemade grenadine* Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Double strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Add a very thin lemon wheel for garnish. *Take 8 ounces of POM pomegranate juice and 12 ounces demerara sugar. Combine in pot over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bottle, and place in refrigerator when cooled. Will last a few weeks.
a
I’m a little biased when it comes to rum. I can’t understand how someone can take a sip from a great rum cocktail and not feel happiness on the inside. In the past I just thought that these people have no soul. And while in certain cases, that statement carries some weight, the others are probably just misinformed, e.g., Bacardi and Coke. I always start with the daiquiri when introducing someone to rum. As I’ve written before, it’s the perfect example of balanced ingredients in a cocktail. Most folks know three kinds of rum: Bacardi, Captain Morgan and Malibu. That’s kind of like saying, “I’ve had a cheeseburger before, but only from McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s.” Then you go to a Five Guys, and your head explodes. Caña Brava is a white rum from Panama that’s aged three years. The 86 Company released this rum alongside a gin, tequila and vodka that are premium spirits with moderate pricing. Some of the biggest names in bartending created this company, and it shows. One of the indie liquor distributor’s former members, Dushan Zaric, had this to say of their rum: “Caña Brava rum is a very clean and fresh blanco with notes of sugar cane and citrus supported by flavors from oak. A balanced note of fresh cut green grass with honey, coconut and molasses. On the palate, it is smooth and clean with plenty of citrus and slight oak notes offering a touch of vanilla, cacao butter and dark chocolate.” Zaric’s recipes for old classics got me into the spirits game, so I believe anything he says. Now, let’s drink. March 2018
O.Henry 43
In The Spirit Daiquiri
2 ounces Caña Brava Rum (or sub Flor de Caña seco) 3/4 ounce lime juice 1/2 ounce rich cane sugar syrup Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, and shake like hell for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. No garnish, or at least I don’t use one. If you’d like to put a spin on this, muddle a few blackberries in your shaker before adding liquid ingredients. Be sure to double strain when pouring into the coupe.
a
I’ll admit that whisk(e)y is one spirit I understand folks passing on. When I was 18, Jack Daniels was not my friend. Even worse, I thought that all whiskey tasted like Jack. These days, Jack and I are cool. I learned that there are (just like with all spirits) different ingredients, different distillation methods, and so on, that result in different flavor profiles. On paper, introducing someone to a bourbon whiskey sour would be a great start in converting a non-believer, but I’d like to suggest the Old Fashioned. I’ve had countless guests declare that they never thought they would enjoy an Old Fashioned but, once again, the balance of spirit, sugar, water and bitters round out this beautiful hooch. The recipe below is a slight tweak from Zaric (formerly 86 Co. and co-owner of New York City’s famed bar Employees Only). Employing a little bit of chocolate in this Old Fashioned adds depth with the bourbon and orange bitters.
Old Fashioned #7
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44 O.Henry
March 2018
2 ounces Smooth Ambler Old Scout Single Barrel Bourbon 1/4 ounce cacao nib-infused rich demerara syrup* 3 dashes Angostura 2 dashes orange bitters Combine all ingredients in a chilled cocktail shaker. Add ice, and stir until you believe you’ve reached proper dilution. Strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a swath of lemon and orange peel. *Cacao nib-infused rich demerara syrup: In a pot, combine 1/2 cup water and 8 ounces (by weight) of demerara sugar. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Place syrup in blender and add 1/4 cup of cacao nibs. Blend on low for 10 seconds. Put into a container and let sit for 4 hours. Strain through cheesecloth, bottle and refrigerate. OH Tony Cross is a bartender who runs cocktail catering company Reverie Cocktails in Southern Pines.
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
March 2018
O.Henry 45
Gate City Journal
Swift Kicks
By Maria Johnson
You’ll hear the students of the Walsh Kelley School of Irish Dancing long before you see them.
You can’t miss the rhythmic hammering of their fiberglass heels and toes, especially as they pummel the hardwood on St. Patrick’s Day at M’Coul’s Public House downtown. On that bonnie day, the local dancers make do, fencing their explosive steps into wee spaces. In competitions, however, with proper stages at their disposal, they cut loose in a blur of curls and Celtic finery punctuated by the firing-range report of feet. Later this month, two of them — 19-year-old Kelly King, a freshman at UNCG, and 16-year-old Amanda Trolle, a student at Northern Guilford High School — will travel to Glasgow, Scotland, for the World Irish
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Dancing Championships. An international tribe in practice if not in name, Irish dancers vie for global honors where lassies and laddies don the black shoes and white socks of the faithful. Also, they require a lot of ballroom space. Hence, Greensboro — emphasis on the green — will host the world championships of Irish dancing at the Koury Convention Center in April 2019. Five thousand Irish dancers from all over the world are expected to thunder into the Gate City, drawing some 25,000 spectators. Greensboro dancers will be hoofing heartily in the coming year, hoping to qualify for the championships in their own backyard. History says they have a good chance. The Greensboro branch of the Charlotte-based Walsh Kelley School has sent about 30 students to the world championships in the last 16 years. Credit their teacher, 48-year-old Colleen Flanigan King, who moved to Greensboro with her husband Jim in 1998, and started taking classes at the school. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
PHOTOGRAPHS BY LYNN DONOVAN
Greensboro steps up in the world of Irish dance
Gate City Journal
Twice a competitor at the world championships, she’d been Irish dancing since she was a kid in Seattle. “It was just a fun sport to do. As I got more into it, my sister and I performed at nursing homes, and at local fairs, and when Irish bands came to town. We’d go to Canada and all over the West Coast to compete. Now, it’s a great activity for me and my daughters to do,” says Colleen, the mother of two girls and two boys. Her boys chucked Irish dancing for soccer. Dancing took with the girls. Kelly King — the regional champ in her age group and one of the two Greensboro dancers headed to worlds in Glasgow this month — is Colleen’s daughter. So is 15-year-old McKenzie, who flew to Killarney, Ireland, last month to compete in the All Ireland Championships. Two other Greensboro dancers joined McKenzie on the Emerald Isle: Trolle and 16-year-old Jillian Fulp, a student at Page High School. All are Colleen’s pupils. Twice a week, they meet for a championship class at the Greensboro Cultural Center. In the mirrored corral of Studio 317, Colleen circles them with the vigor of a border collie, eyes always on the feet. She is compact, athletic, quick to smile, urgent. Fast, higher, clap-clap-clap, c’mon, toes out, knees up, travel farther. She pushes them, sometimes literally, her hand alighting briefly on their backs. Her own feet phrase what she wants to see. The dancers take flight in sorties, sweeping across the black vinyl floor in lines that connect the invisible dots of choreography unique to each school of Irish dancing. At times, their board-straight bodies appear to lean slightly backward and jet forward at the same time. How do they do that? No time to figure it out. Things are moving too fast, prodded by the windy, rollicking music that warbles from an iPod tucked into a speaker at the front of the room. Legs straighten and scissor. Calves cross. Feet slap, slide, stutter and stand on tiptoe, en block. Knees jut into peaks and deThe Art & Soul of Greensboro
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O.Henry 47
Gate City Journal scend with the power of pistons. Heels jab at glutes. Quads flush and crease where tectonic plates of muscle collide. Sweat beads. With arms glued fast to their sides, dancers land like human exclamation points. BANG! At the world championships, Kelly and Amanda will dance at least two rounds in solo competition. Each will do a hard-shoe number and a soft-shoe number. Hard-shoe routines — the loud ones — go with peppy hornpipe music and treble jigs. They last a little more than a minute.
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“I saw the wigs and dresses, and I thought, ‘I want to do this. I want to be that person.’ Soft-shoe pieces — easier on the ears and more about graceful leaping than emphatic stepping — pair with reels, slip jigs and light jigs. They take a little under a minute. Finalists are called back for a third round. Kelly King, who started Irish dancing at age 4, has been to Worlds five times. She has yet to make it to the third round. “Hopefully, this year will be the year, but I try not to set my expectations too high. I just try to go out and have fun,” says Kelly. “Hopefully, my hard work shows up when I’m on stage.” She practices at least an hour a day. Sometimes she drills for two- or three-hour stretches. That doesn’t include the time she spends looking at Irish dancing snippets on Instagram. Video is hard to come by. There are no live broadcasts of championships and recording is not allowed except when winners parade a few prized steps at the end of contests. One reason for the caution is to protect the privacy of the youthful dancers. Another is to guard the secrecy of the steps. “Schools are sensitive about their steps, so they won’t be stolen,” says Kelly. The latest in Irish dancing fashion is more accessible. Kelly and other students follow the The Art & Soul of Greensboro
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
March 2018
O.Henry 49
Gate City Journal
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makers of hand-embroidered costumes. Female dancers complete their outfits with corkscrew wigs — either shoulder-length or in buns piled atop their heads — to accentuate the springiness of their dances. The fairy-tale look captivated Amanda Trolle, who started Irish dancing when she was 6 and lived in Germany. “I saw the wigs and dresses, and I thought, ‘I want to do this. I want to be that person.’” she says. Now she is. She plays lacrosse for her school team, but her heart beats to the up-tempo of Irish dancing. “When I’m not in class, I’m either training at home or doing strength and conditioning work at the gym. It’s a seven-day thing.” Amanda and her fellow dancers relish the travel, friendships, discipline and poise that their artistic sport has brought them. It’s unfortunate, they say, that the ability to shake a leg with a rigid upper body does not translate well to proms and other informal dances. “I have no idea what to do with my arms when I dance other dances,” says Kelly. OH Students from the Walsh Kelley School of Irish Dancing will perform at M’Coul’s Public House on St. Patrick’s Day at 11 a.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. For results of the March 24–April 1 world championships, go to clrg.ie. Maria Johnson can be reached at ohenrymaria@gmail.com. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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52 O.Henry
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Birdwatch
“Konk-a-ree!” The call of the red-winged blackbird heralds spring
By Susan Campbell
The sound of spring, for some,
is the song of the American robin, our melodious and most familiar songster. But for me it has always been the call of the red-winged blackbird. When I first started watching birds in New York State, migration began a lot later than here in North Carolina. And some of the first returnees riding the warmer winds back north are redwingeds. The distant “chucking” coming from the ribbons of birds passing overhead was the very first sign that winter was losing its grip. Not long after, I would be greeted by the first males giving their loud “konk-a-ree!” songs from the tallest of the cattails in the nearby marsh.
Red-wingeds get their name, of course, from the bright red epaulets on the wings of the adult males. These patches are actually set off on the black wing by a patch of yellow feathers just below. Otherwise, the birds are completely dark. Females, not surprisingly, are quite drab. Their brownish, streaky appearance is superb camouflage against the tall grasses in the wet habitat that they tend to inhabit. Young birds are also entirely streaked, which makes them harder to spot as they learn their way around the world, well into their first winter. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
These blackbirds can be found inland in our state year round. However, in the winter months, they gather in large flocks so they are not widespread. Aggregations of thousands of birds can be found closer to the coast from late fall into early spring. But by March, they are returning to localized bottomlands, lakes and ponds to breed. Red-wingeds are unusual in that they are polygymous. Males may have a harem of mates within the territory that they defend. Experienced males will pair with two or more females as early as midMarch. Females will create substantial nests in low vegetation by weaving wet leaves and shoots together to form a dense cup. They will add mud to the inside and then finally line it with fine grasses before laying two to four pale eggs with dark streaks. Although blackbirds are generally known to feed on seeds, of both native and agricultural origins, in the summer they hunt mainly insects. They are known to probe at the base of aquatic plants with their slender bills and are very capable of prying insects from the stems. Young red-wingeds, like so many species, require lots of protein. It is the mother birds that forage for the family. Males spend most of their time defending their territories from high perches, singing throughout the day and fiercely chasing interlopers that venture too close. As abundant as these birds may seem to be, their numbers have been declining for several decades. It is likely due to the continuing loss of wetland habitat throughout their range. Additionally, terrestrial predators are on the rise in areas where they breed — including cats. If you have red-wingeds in your neighborhood this spring, consider yourself lucky and be sure to get out and enjoy their antics as well as that unmistakable song! OH Susan would love to receive your wildlife sightings and photos at susan@ncaves.com. March 2018
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March 2018
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Wandering Billy
Family Fare, Boss Bikes and Movie Memories (And a birthday surprise, to boot)
I was lunching with brother Hank
Ghosts that came a few years later, with raised seats, smaller front tires and frame mounted Stik-Shift levers, are rare collectors items today. In 1972, Glendi moved into his brand-new flagship Schwinn superstore on Battleground, back when 10-speed Paramount racing bikes were hot, featuring now-familiar lowered-below-the-frame, backward bending handlebars. In my adolescent imaginings, Higgins was one of two businesses, Carolina Camera being the other, where the cool kids worked.
Glendi Higgins opened our city’s first bike store on Spring Garden in 1961, peddling the latest Schwinn models like Radiant Red Mark IV Jaguars equipped with chrome headlights and trim, two-tone saddles, and white wall tires. (See the 2014 O.Henry story: issuu.com/ohenrymag/docs/o.henry_december_2014/74.) In the ’60s, kids grooved down boulevards on Sting-Rays (Slik Chiks for the girls) sporting tufted Super Glow banana seats and elongated, upward pointing handlebars making them, “the bike with the sports car look.” Those boss Orange Krates, Lemon Peelers, Cotton Pickers and Grey
A revered diner frequented by just about everybody over the last 45 years, Tex & Shirley’s, was an integral part of an expanding Friendly Shopping Center in the ’60s, originally as Uncle John’s Pancake House, a nationwide franchise. (issuu.com/ohenrymag/docs/o.henry_august_2012/29). In 1969, Slater “Tex” and Shirley Moore were transferred from Michigan to manage the Greensboro location, with its distinctive modern faux-colonial facade found at every other Uncle John’s. The chain began to collapse three years later so the couple bought the eatery and gave it a new name. This casual corner on Pembroke, was for as long as anyone can remember, the kind of place you never needed an excuse to escape to, somehow thriving both as a wholesome family destination and a reliable hangover hangout. The Moores sold the coffee shop to longtime associate Bart Ortiz in 1989. After his father retired, Bart Ortiz Jr. took over the operation; it was nice meeting him on one of Tex & Shirley’s last nights at Friendly Center. Weeks later the building was bulldozed away, with it a lifetime of memories. It seems rising rents, thanks to the success of The Cheesecake Factory, necessitated relocating to their new Plaza Shopping Center location. This split-level spot was Ivanhoe’s restaurant in the 1960s and, two decades later, a seminal live music venue, The Underground. I still miss that club!
By Billy Eye “We are buried beneath the weight of information, which is being confused with knowledge; quantity is being confused with abundance and wealth with happiness.” — Tom Waits
and sister Rives at Oakcrest Family Restaurant, where the food is excellent by the way; their prime rib sandwich and spaghetti come highly recommended. And so very inexpensive, especially when you consider my brother picked up the tab. (Someone had to!) Taking photos outside the entrance, everything has to be documented these days dontcha know, I glanced across the street where, to my surprise, I noticed Greensboro mainstay Higgins Cycle Shop had packed up and gone.
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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March 2018
O.Henry 55
Wandering Billy treating every patient
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That movie theater on Tate Street was one of my fave places back in the 1970s. I wasn’t around when it opened in the summer of ’42 as Victory Theatre but, since 1958 when it became Cinema Theatre, it was managed by Eugene Street, by all accounts a well-liked curmudgeon who always had a stogie hanging from his lips; the guy roasted the popcorn the old-fashioned way, up in his office. Peter Fonda attended a screening of Easy Rider here in 1968. It’s where this teenager caught offbeat films that other theaters passed on like The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Getaway, and A Boy and His Dog. In an era of diminishing screen sizes, it was a treat experiencing motion pictures the way they were intended to be viewed. Cinema Theatre was sold in 1976 to the owner of the Janus and Terrace Theatres to become Janus Wings. Another relaunch in 1980 as College Hill Cinema was short-lived, followed quickly by House of Pizza-Cinema run by Odis Alexious, a fondly remembered joint where movie-goers consumed beer and pepperoni slices with the lights down low. In the afternoons, All My Children was projected on the big screen, according to one account. That venture lasted for about four years before the movie palace closed for good. The building had been abandoned and deteriorating since longtime tenant Addam’s University Bookstore vacated the premises years ago, that is until construction began on the property in January. That fabled theater, along with the former pool hall next door, is once again buzzing with activity, newly refurbished and repurposed as rehearsal and performance spaces for UNCG’s music and drama majors. This outlier also offers an opportunity for students to become more integrated into Tate Street culture, which by my reckoning, comes about half a century too late.
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What a remarkable night this was! Ever attend a surprise birthday party for a friend in a public place but, instead of yelling “Surprise!” when the man of the hour makes his entrance, everyone totally ignores him? A demented idea from provocateur Nathan Stringer led to a surreal moment for unsuspecting airplane builder Brian Burbach as he entered Rioja Wine Bar with girlfriend Colleen Fitzgerald, almost immediately noticing family and friends all around enjoying vino and finger food, yet no one was paying the least bit of attention to him. For a minute or so, Brian and Colleen (who that day graduated magna cum laude from UNCG), sat at the bar attempting to process the situation, a scene right out of The Outer Limits. Has anyone ever been more perplexed? OH Billy Eye can be reached at billy@tvparty.com.
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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O.Henry 57
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Getaway this Spring in your own Backyard. Golf and Spa Packages $329.00 Package includes one night stay for two guests, full breakfast and golf OR spa. Taxes additional. grandover.com | 336.294.1800 | 1000 Club Road • Greensboro, NC 27407 | Just off I-85 & I-73 Get comfortable, you’ll be seeing a lot more of us in the future.
March 2018
When I Love Spring when I love spring geese take off on frothy runways for the north tuxedoed mallards tow mates through v-shaped water dotted clouds of dragonflies flurry over lily pads turtles untuck sleeping noses, rise to feast icy grey-ghost branches show soft nubs quiver like an infant’s hands wake in morning sun — Sarah Edwards
Cougar Madness The near-miss glory of the nation’s first regional sports franchise By Bill Case
U
nbeknownst to all but the closest insiders, professional basketball’s 2-year-old upstart, the American Basketball Association (ABA), was teetering on the verge of collapse in December, 1968, when its commissioner, George Mikan, called an emergency meeting of the league’s executive board in Minneapolis. Awash in a sea of red ink, the owner of the Houston Mavericks had advised Mikan that his team was about to shut down. Reading the tea leaves, the Denver Rockets’ owner indicated that if the Mavericks folded, the Rockets would follow suit. It was apparent to Mikan and the board that the demise of one, let alone two, of the ABA’s 11 teams could have a domino effect on the other franchises that would rapidly lead to the demise of the league and its signature red, white and blue basketball. Given that the league was barely clinging to life, a second matter on the board’s Minneapolis agenda may have appeared as an afterthought. Several North Carolinian buddies hell-bent on acquiring an ABA expansion team for their home state had formed the Southern Sports Corporation (SSC) and requested that the ABA board grant them an audience. The SSC group, headed by 35-year-old Jim Gardner — an early investor in the Hardee’s hamburger chain and a U.S. Congressman — flew to Minneapolis to make their pitch. Prior to the group’s arrival, the ABA’s board members hatched a scheme calculated to use the SSC overture as a lifeline. The first step of the plan was to betray nothing to the North Carolinian businessmen concerning the ABA’s existential crisis, which explains why the board listened with feigned disinterest to Gardner’s presentation. Referencing an October, 1968, Sports Illustrated article by Frank Deford touting the untried notion of a regional pro team playing in multiple arenas, Gardner proposed that the Cougars would play home games in Greensboro, Charlotte and Raleigh. Hoops-mad North Carolina, lacking a dominant major city (Charlotte was less than one-half its current size), would be the ideal locale for a far-flung basketball franchise, he argued, particularly since no major league team in any sport called the state home. The Indiana Pacers’ first co-owner, Dick Tinkham, was among the owners listening to this presentation. “They were trying to sell us on North Carolina and were worried we wouldn’t take them,” Tinkham told Terry Pluto in that writer’s wonderful ABA history, Loose Balls. “Meanwhile we would have thought the North Pole was a great spot for an ABA franchise if there was an
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Eskimo who could buy one.” Tinkham coolly replied to Gardner that, “the price for an expansion team is $500,000, but there is a way you can get into the league for less than that. You can buy the Houston franchise for $350,000 if you agree to finish out the season down there. Then you can move it to North Carolina.” It was a well-orchestrated bluff. Given the league’s predicament, SSC probably could have acquired the Mavericks for next to nothing. But SSC accepted the league’s offer. The cash infusion into league coffers coupled with the salvaging of the Houston franchise probably saved the ABA from extinction. After the woeful Mavericks’ final home game in Houston, played before an unenthusiastic crowd of 89 spectators, the Cougars opened for business. The team located its primary office in Greensboro where it would play 25 games in the Coliseum. The balance of the home schedule would be contested at Raleigh’s much smaller Dorton Arena and Charlotte’s Coliseum. Virtually everyone associated with the Cougars opted to live in Greensboro. Seeking a colorful personality to lead the team, Gardner tapped the legendary and peripatetic former Wake Forest coach Horace Albert “Bones” McKinney to be the Cougars’ first head coach. During his tenure at Wake, Bones had received so many technical fouls for charging referees that he The Art & Soul of Greensboro
finally decided to limit his forays onto the court by seatbelting himself to the Wake Forest bench. Once, Bones was tossed out of a contest after he was unable to decide whether the ref was a thief or incompetent. So he called him both. Taking umbrage at his ejection, Bones demanded an explanation for being given the heave-ho. “Because you called me a thief,” responded the referee. “Oh my goodness, no indeed!” remonstrated Bones. “I gave you a choice.” To maximize the Cougars’ local appeal, Gardner and then general manager, Don DeJardin jettisoned most of the Mavericks’ players and loaded the team with ex-college stars from the home state. Doug Moe, and Bill Bunting from UNC, high-scoring Bob Verga from Duke, George Lehman from Campbell College, and hustling Gene Littles from High Point College became Cougars. Clemson’s Randy Mahaffey was also added to the roster, providing a rooting interest for South Carolinians. The Cougars relentlessly courted “Pistol Pete” Maravich, hoping to land the LSU All-American following the 1970 draft. But Maravich signed with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. Gardner’s long-range business plan (and that of every ABA owner) was to force a merger with the NBA. The NBA possessed a national television contract and a well-established network of established teams and stars. Gardner reasoned that the only way to give the new league leverage in merger discussions was to punch its more established competitor in the face. He started by courting one of the NBA’s biggest stars, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Billy Cunningham. After six years in the NBA and a third-place finish in the league’s MVP balloting, “Billy C.” was earning a paltry $40,000 a year. Gardner offered Billy a 2-year deal for $200,000 annually — five times his 76ers’ salary. Billy accepted the Cougars’ offer in August, 1969. “I kept thinking about all that money,” recalls the UNC alum. “I knew I wasn’t going to play forever and it was time to make it while I could.” But due to the terms of his contract with Philadelphia, Cunningham could not take the floor for the Cougars until the ’72–’73 season. Given the Cougars’ upcoming struggles during their first three seasons, the club’s interminable wait for the services of the “Kangaroo Kid” — subsequently named one of the top 50 pro basketball players of all time — must have seemed an eternity. When George Mikan resigned as head of the ABA in 1969, Jim Gardner became interim commissioner even though he was a team owner. The feisty Gardner authorized aggressive combat against the NBA on all fronts, even luring away that league’s best referees. His aggressiveness set the stage for the Denver Rockets’ signing of University of Detroit underclassman Spencer Haywood as a “hardship case” in defiance of the NCAA’s “4-year rule.” This The Art & Soul of Greensboro
challenge to the status quo ignited a firestorm of criticism engulfing the entire ABA. But Gardner’s hardball maneuvers failed to lead to fruitful merger discussions. Instead, the angry NBA owners dug in their heels and, for the moment, spurned further negotiations. When NBA star Oscar Robertson filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent any prospective merger because it would unfairly eliminate competition for players’ services, hopes that the two leagues would come together drifted away. The Cougars’ first year on the court proved to be moderately successful. Bones McKinney coached the team to a respectable 42–42 record in ’69–’70. The ABA was the first league to employ the 3-point shot — now a staple at all levels of basketball — and the Cougars’ sharpshooting guard, Bob Verga, took full advantage of the rule, averaging 27.5 points per game. Bruising forward Doug Moe took care of rebounding and provided relentless defense. The team squeaked into the playoffs, but their appearance was brief as the eventual champion, the Indiana Pacers, swept the Cougars in four straight. March 2018
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The Cougars’ average attendance of 6,051 — better than many NBA franchises — placed it firmly in the ABA’s top tier. In his January, 1970, Sports Illustrated article entitled “My Baby is Called the Kahlahnah Koogahs,” writer Frank Deford expressed his delight with the progress of a team to which he had helped give birth. A jubilant Deford gloated that the Cougars, the first regional sports franchise in history, had “enjoyed such an auspicious debut that their example is bound to cause repercussions throughout the whole of professional sport. . . . Last year I blew all this smoke as a dreamy theorist. Now I am a hard headed advocate. I have seen Carolina, and it works.” But notwithstanding Deford’s raves, a couple of cracks in the Carolina Cougars’ foundation were surfacing. Air travel to the other ABA cities had proven to be an ordeal. Bill Hass, who covered the Cougars for the Greensboro Record and the Greensboro Daily News, and continued as a sports writer for the merged News & Record until he retired in 2006, recollects that flying by Piedmont Airlines to an away game (teams flew commercially then) against the Kentucky Colonels in Louisville, less than 500 miles distance, called for three separate airport landings. The return flight to Greensboro required four. Logistics for flights to more distant cities normally necessitated at least two and often three layovers. With home games in three cities, the players often bussed from Greensboro to Raleigh and Charlotte. Play at the latter two venues felt like road games. Moreover, the need to have office and marketing presences in all three cities hampered the team’s bottom line. And attendance in Greensboro far outstripped that of the other two cities, particularly Raleigh, where crowds averaged under 3,000 in Dorton Arena, a venue often employed for livestock shows. With no end in sight to the costly conflict with the NBA, Gardner and SSC
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sold the team in October, 1970, after less than two years of ownership. Carolina’s new owner was brusque New Yorker Tedd Munchak. His fortune was derived from the carpeting empire he built from scratch in Atlanta. After Don DeJardin left to work in the 76ers’ front office, Munchak hired former NBA commissioner’s assistant Carl Scheer to be the Cougars’ new general manager. Scheer had a strong Greensboro connection, having graduated from Guilford College and practiced law in the city with his father. Munchak was willing to spend money to improve the Cougars. Handsome former Tar Heel Larry Miller joined the team. The blue-eyed sharpshooter, given the sobriquet “Lochinvar in Lowcuts,” was a heartthrob among female rooters. And the Cougars enticed Atlanta’s all-pro forward “Jumping Joe” Caldwell to ink a contract, paying in excess of $1 million dollars over five years. Though Caldwell’s signing constituted a victory over the NBA, the heavy financial obligation coupled with the team’s commitment to Cunningham, could not be reconciled with the Cougars’ bottom line. But, as Carl Scheer observes, “If we were going to jump off the cliff, we were going to jump off the cliff together [with the NBA].” Caldwell turned out to be a mixed blessing for the Cougars. While unquestionably a great defensive forward with scoring punch, his play suffered when he was upset — and he was upset during much of his time with the Cougars. Teammate Gene Littles recollected that Caldwell “complained that we didn’t stay in the top-of-the-line hotels like the Hyatts. I always thought the places we stayed in were fine, and no one else but Joe complained.” In fact, Littles told Pluto, “He didn’t like the airplanes, the arena — he didn’t like much of anything, because it wasn’t the NBA.” Lenox Rawlings, then a reporter with the Greensboro Daily News, liked The Art & Soul of Greensboro
PHOTOGRAPH BY NEWS & RECORD STAFF, © NEWS & RECORD, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Joe Caldwell, Owner Tedd Munchak, And General Manager Carl Scheer at Pogo Joe’s signing
PHOTOGRAPH BY NEWS & RECORD STAFF, © NEWS & RECORD, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Caldwell well enough but considered him a complex character. “You thought you had him figured out,” muses Rawlings. “Then the next day you realized you didn’t.” Caldwell’s presence on the ’70–’71 squad did not lead to more victories. Team MVP Moe had been traded to the Virginia Squires, and his tenacious presence was sorely missed. The Cougars finished at the bottom of their division. Bones McKinney resigned at midseason after compiling a 17–25 record. Bones’ assistant Jerry Steele assumed command and did no better, coaching the team to another 17–25 mark in the second half. Though the Cougars’ play was forgettable, the season was not without its memorable, if bizarre moments. On November 6, the Cougars hosted the Pittsburgh Condors at Raleigh’s Dorton Arena. Late in the first half, Condor journeyman Charlie “The Helicopter” Hentz, a 6’ 5” forward, leaped high to unleash a powerful dunk. In so doing, The Helicopter tore the rim down. The glass backboard shattered, with shards flying everywhere, including into some of the players’ fashionable Afros. Referee John Vanak thought for a moment “the whole arena was coming down.” A lengthy delay to clean up the debris and find a replacement backboard ensued. The only one available was of the ancient hardwood variety. After it was mounted, the spectators seated behind the wooden backboard were moved elsewhere so they could see, and the game resumed. Late in the second half, Hentz astoundingly shattered the remaining glass backboard with another tomahawk slam. Reportedly, The Helicopter smiled broadly at his handiwork. Basketball’s only “double shatter” prematurely ended the game with the Cougars winning. Then, eight days later following an earlier cattle show, a huge swarm of flies and other insects, greeted the Cougars and Indiana Pacers at Dorton. Most of the fans fled the arena, but the teams endured this “Lord of the Flies” nightmare till game’s end. Hoping to galvanize the underperforming Cougars, Munchak and Scheer hired newly retired NBA veteran Tom Meschery Joe Caldwell drives to the hoop past the Virginia Squires’ Julius Erving to coach the ’71–’72 squad. Good enough for his number 14 to be retired by the Warriors franchise, Tom spent the bulk of his 10-year real promising rookie. And the following year, Billy Cunningham was comcareer playing alongside Wilt Chamberlain. A bit of a nonconformist with a ing over once his contract was up.” Meschery also looked forward to coaching literary bent, Meschery had written a book of poetry and intended pursuing an hard-working Cougars Gene Littles, Wayne Hightower, Wendell Ladner, Ted unconventional post-NBA path by joining the Peace Corps to coach basketball McClain, Tom Owens, and Ed Manning (the son of a sharecropper and father in Venezuela. But that plan fizzled so Meschery was receptive to giving profesof future star Danny Manning). sional coaching a try when Scheer called on him in August, 1971. He signed But Meschery’s hopes were quickly dashed. Joe Caldwell afforded the for $38,000. “It sounded like the Cougars were going to be a good team,” new coach little respect. Jumping Joe (also known as Pogo Joe) complained to said Meschery in Pluto’s book, Loose Balls. He went on to say that he looked Munchak that “we’ll never win a game with this guy [Meschery] on the bench.” forward to the job because the team, “had Joe Caldwell and had just signed Jim Caldwell’s barrage of complaints, some racial in nature, were an ongoing source McDaniels [who had just led Western Kentucky to the NCAA final four]. I’d of dissension, and the team’s play reflected it. Relations with Joe became so played against Joe and had a lot of respect for him. McDaniels was considered a toxic that Scheer considered peddling Caldwell back to the Hawks. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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(Left) High scoring 3 point shooter Bob Verga (Right) Larry Brown in his first coaching gig (Bottom left) Doug Moe, first a player, then an assistant coach for the Cougars
But the grief caused by Caldwell paled compared to the brouhaha generated by prized rookie McDaniels, a high scoring center who, Meschery discovered to his dismay, “couldn’t play a lick of defense.” To compound the situation, McDaniels decided he’d rather be playing for the NBA’s Seattle Supersonics and began claiming that the Cougars had breached his contract. Ultimately, he failed to show up for a February game in Louisville. “Here I am a first year coach,” reflected Meschery,” and my star rookie [averaging 26 points a game] is trying to get out of his contract after four months — and it’s a 25 year contract [for $1.5 million], mind you!”
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PHOTOGRAPHS TOP AND BOTTOM RIGHT BY NEWS & RECORD STAFF, © NEWS & RECORD, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
(Bottom right) Bob Verga, Coach “Bones” McKinney, Calvin Fowler and Gene Littles look forward to a bright Cougars future
Among the bizarre assertions McDaniels’ L.A. agent Al Ross made to justify his claim of a Cougar breach of contract was that the team had supplied a car with a standard steering wheel instead of one that tilted. To continue playing with the Cougars, Ross demanded that the Cougars spread McDaniels’ $1.5 million over 15 years instead of 25. Ross also asked for an immediate $50,000 bonus “for the aggravation of living in North Carolina.” Beset by legal fees, Munchak came to terms with Seattle, letting his headache of a player go to the Sonics in exchange for $400,000. In the end, McDaniels never lived up to the potential he showed with the Cougars. Two The Art & Soul of Greensboro
1970-71 Season - Carolina Cougars - Bob Verga (11), Gene Littles (23), George Lehmann (21), Joe Caldwell (27), Ira Harge (33), Dave Newmark (24), George Peebles (51), Frank Card (13), Gary Bradds (31), Vann Willford (14), Randy Mahaffey (35), Larry Miller (44) years after his jump, he was playing ball in Italy. But the litigation had taken its toll. Prior to the settlement, the Cougars became entangled in five lawsuits involving McDaniels filed as far away as L.A. and Seattle. Indeed, the Cougars proved to be a trial lawyer’s dream during their short existence. Other litigation included included: • A suit between the Cougars and 76ers related to their respective rights to the services of Billy Cunningham; • A claim of breach by Cunningham against the Cougars; • An attempt by the NBA’s Hawks to stop Joe Caldwell from playing with Carolina.
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ong after the Cougars closed up shop, Caldwell would emerge victorious in a decade-long battle with Munchak over the player’s pension. Moreover, the Cougars had to ante their proportionate share of legal fees arising from the ABA’s antitrust case against the NBA and defending the league in the Oscar Robertson suit. What’s more, the team continued to flounder. Team MVP Larry Miller was a bright spot, averaging 18.4 points — a solid season by a solid player. But in one memorable March game at the Greensboro Coliseum against the Memphis Pros, Miller elevated his game to the superstar level. He started the game on fire, canning shots from all over. Sensing something special was happening, his teammates, including Joe Caldwell, began looking for Miller on every offensive possession. Pogo Joe once recalled that, “when Larry got hot, I made sure the ball stayed in his hands. “Miller scored 67 points that night, the most ever in ABA history. But triumph would turn to tragedy. Two days later, Miller’s lakeside house near Greensboro burned to the ground. A lightning strike apparently caused the fire. Miller barely escaped with his life, badly gashing his hand while fleeing the house in his underwear. His two dogs perished in the blaze. After receiving 11 stitches at the hospital, Larry still managed to catch a late plane to New York for the following night’s game with the Nets. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Tom Meschery left after the season (with a record of 35–49) and became immersed in the literary world. He’s still writing poetry and about to publish his first novel. Meschery confides that his year in Carolina made him realize he was not cut out for coaching. Might he have thought differently had he been around in ’72–’73 to coach Billy Cunningham whose play would help transform the Cougars into a winner? “Oh, I don’t know,” says the self-effacing poet. “Billy and I would probably have sat around drinking too much beer.” Munchak took a more active role in hiring the next Cougars coach. At the recommendation of the legendary Dean Smith, he chose former ABA all-star guard, 32-year-old Larry Brown. This would be the first of 13 stops in the vagabond Brown’s Hall-of-Fame coaching career. Brown brought along sidekick and former Cougar Doug Moe as his assistant. Knee surgery had ended Moe’s playing career. General manager Scheer acquired two offensive-minded ABA all-star guards, Mack Calvin and Steve “Snapper” Jones. Combining their talents with those of the defensive-oriented Gene Littles and Ted McClain, the Cougars had overnight assembled an impressive group of guards. And Billy Cunningham finally made the scene. Though he had earlier sought to get out of his contract with the team, he says he had “the time of my life playing for the Cougars.” But there was concern how Joe Caldwell would react to being paired with Billy C., a star whose gifts exceeded even those of the talented Jumping Joe. There were troubles early. On the first day of practice, Doug Moe observed that the sullen Caldwell, a notoriously lackadaisical practice player, was not giving his all. Moe rarely hid his feelings, and he promptly threw Joe out of the practice. “Get your ass outta here,” he ordered. “We only won 35 games last year with you here. We can win that many without you.” In the aftermath, Carl Scheer tried to unload Caldwell, but the moody forward’s hefty salary rendered him unmarketable, so he remained with the team. Though there were worries that Joe’s difficulties could adversely affect the Cougars, his attitude improved once he noticed that his teammates’ hustling play and Larry Brown’s coaching were helping his own game. Brown had installed a jump-switch pressure defense relying heavily on full court harassMarch 2018
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PHOTOGRAPH BY NEWS & RECORD STAFF, © NEWS & RECORD, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Billy Cunningham in action in his memorable ’72-’73 MVP season ment tenaciously applied by his four guards. This tactic resulted in numerous turnovers and easy baskets for Joe and his teammates. Surprisingly, Billy C.’s presence actually benefited Joe’s offense as Caldwell could no longer be double-teamed. And Cunningham was phenomenal, averaging over 24 points and 12 rebounds per game — leading the league in steals. The Kangaroo Kid would be named league MVP over the likes of Julius Erving, Dan Issel, and George McGinnis. Larry Brown proved an ideal leader. Steve “Snapper” Jones later described what made the coach tick. “Larry’s real talent is his knack of walking into a disaster, bringing order and stability and making players happy,” said. Snapper who passed away recently. “I was traded by Dallas to Carolina, and it was a huge break for me to play with a really good team.” Similarly, Lenox Rawlings viewed Brown, “as the kind of person you wanted to do something for. He had great energy.” Carolina was finally riding high and Cougar fever attained new heights as attendance at the Greensboro Coliseum approached, at times, its then capacity of 15,000. Among the team’s delighted onlookers was season ticket holder and Daily News managing editor Irwin Smallwood. Smallwood, whose seats were immediately behind the Cougars’ bench, reflects that every person in attendance almost seemed an integral member of the Cougars’ family. Smallwood admits he was not shy in voicing his displeasure with Larry Brown’s substitutions or referees’ bad calls. “Some night I helped Larry coach. Other nights I helped the referees,” chuckles the former editor. The Cougars stormed to the eastern division title with an ABA best record of 57–27. Carolina mowed down the New York Nets in the first round of the division playoffs, and then squared off against the Kentucky Colonels in the division finals. The Colonels featured perhaps the most dynamic front line in all of basketball. Dan Issel, 6’ 9”, and 7’ 2”’ Artis Gilmore could both score
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Owner Jim Gardner and Billy Cunningham at Billy C’s signing announcement at will and dominate the boards. Lithe Tom Owens was a serviceable center for the Cougars, but the going was tough when he faced the bulk and talent of Kentucky’s two all-pros. Nevertheless, the Cougars, playing inspired basketball, forced a 3–3 split in games heading into the series finale to be played at home. But where was “home” to be? To the consternation of the entire team, the game was played in Charlotte rather than Greensboro. The Cougars had won all four of their previous playoff games held in the Gate City. Bill Hass recollects the Colonels’ Dan Issel expressed relief that the deciding contest would not be played in front of Greensboro’s boisterous rooters. The Colonels won the finale 107–96, and a disappointing end came to a near-miss dream season for the Cougars. Placating Charlotte and its fans may have come at the expense of the Cougars’ winning the division title. Another “what might have been!” Despite having finally built a winning team, Munchak was frustrated. Regular season attendance had only slightly exceeded that of the first year, and the numbers in Charlotte had dwindled alarmingly as the season wound down. “I was told and told last year that if we ever had a winner the fans would be here,” the owner griped to Lenox Rawlings. “Where are they?” Increasingly, Munchak verbalized his dissatisfaction with the level of corporate support in Greensboro. Moreover, promoting and paying for club presences in three cities had proven to be an expensive albatross. “We wanted to be everything to everybody,” says Carl Scheer today. Munchak and Scheer toyed with abandoning the regional concept and locating the team full time in either Charlotte or Greensboro. But due to fears that casting any of the cities out in the cold would backfire on the team’s image and branding, the Cougars commenced the ’73–’74 basketball season with no alterations in the three cities’ home game allocations. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Notwithstanding these business concerns, the Cougars approached the new season with high hopes. All of the team’s key players were returning, and there was optimism that Carolina could capture its first ABA title. But again, fate struck in an unmerciful fashion. Cunningham was sidelined with a serious kidney ailment and sat out most of the season. Though still a competitive team, the Cougars were missing their mojo. The team labored to a 47–37 finish, third place in the east — a full 10 games worse than ’72–’73. An ignominious conclusion to the season took place when the Cougars bowed out with four straight defeats against the Colonels. Even before the conclusion of the playoffs, Scheer announced that the Cougars would be abandoning the regional concept and would be playing exclusively in Greensboro or Charlotte, “or elsewhere.” And then he added, “We’d like very much to stay in Greensboro.” But when the city rebuffed the Cougars’ request for leniency on lease arrangements at the Coliseum, the team’s days in Greensboro were numbered. Electing to leave the basketball business, Tedd Munchak turned his attention to finding a buyer. None surfaced from either Charlotte or Greensboro. Disturbed that the Cougars appeared on the verge of vacating North Carolina, Billy C. decided to go back to the 76ers. “Here the Cougars were supposed to be one of the top four teams in terms of gate revenues, not just in the ABA, but all of basketball, and Munchak was getting out,” Cunningham told Pluto. “I decided it was best to go back to the Sixers.” Munchak, ultimately sold the Cougars for $1 million dollars to two New York-based brothers, Ozzie and Daniel Silna. The brothers decided to move the team to St. Louis, renaming it the Spirits of St. Louis. As a result, there was wholesale turnover. The coaching tandem of Larry Brown and Doug Moe hightailed it to Denver for two years, with Moe returning as the Nuggets’ head coach in ’80–’81, after a 2-year stint with the Antonio Spurs. Carl Scheer, heartsick that the Cougars were leaving his hometown, rebounded to become Denver’s long time general manager. It was Scheer who first conceived of the first slam dunk contest, held in Denver at the 1976 ABA All-Star game. Of the players, only Caldwell, Owens, and Jones became Spirits. Though the Silnases acquired several promising young players and gave young Bob Costas his first pro announcing job, the team’s performance deteriorated drastically in St. Louis. The Spirits plummeted to a 32–52 record in the 74’–’75 season, and a 35–49 ledger in the final ABA campaign of ’75–’76. Then merger discussions heated up again. A primary motivation for the rekindling was the NBA’s desire to bring exciting ABA mega-stars like “Dr. J” Julius Erving, George “Iceman” Gervin and David Thompson into its fold. The two leagues were granted permission by the federal court in the Robertson case to merge provided that players would be permitted to negotiate with other teams once their contracts expired. But it transpired that the NBA would accept only four of the remaining six ABA franchises into its ranks. To the Silnases’ chagrin, St. Louis, along with John Y. Brown’s Kentucky franchise were the odd teams out. The San Antonio, Denver, Indiana and New York franchises were granted admission. However, the NBA expressed its willingness to pay the Silnases and Brown $3.3 million apiece to fold their franchises, thereby allowing the league to disperse Spirits and Colonels players to the remaining teams. John Y. Brown accepted that offer, but the Silnases had a different arrangeThe Art & Soul of Greensboro
ment in mind. The brothers proposed that they receive instead $2.2 million cash plus payments going forward each year in the amount of 1/7th of that portion of NBA’s television rights fees being paid to the Rockets, Spurs, Pacers and Nets. The league agreed. At the time, the NBA’s network revenue was very modest and it appeared questionable whether the Silnases had made a smart deal. But with the advent of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, NBA income from TV skyrocketed, and so did the payments to the Silnases. By 2014, the Silnases had received over $800 million just for agreeing to go out of business in 1976. This transaction was labeled by Forbes magazine as the greatest sports business deal of all time. It is ironic that the only investors to have made significant money out of the Carolina franchise were the ones that moved it, presided over its spiral downward into a losing team and then folded it. Today, the Gate City is privileged to have the Greensboro Swarm, (affiliated with the Charlotte Hornets), a member of the NBA’s developmental G League, in its midst. But if events had unfolded slightly differently, if fortune had smiled rather than frowned on the ill-fated Carolina Cougars, a basketball team at the game’s highest level might still be playing games here in Greensboro. OH When he isn’t following the history of the ABA, Bill Case spends his time contributing to O.Henry’s sister magazine, PineStraw. March 2018
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Early Bloomers, Celebrating the blossoms of a winter garden Story & Photographs by Lynn Donovan
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s the winter days begin to grow longer, the blooms of winter emerge, braving the cold, dark and even snow to add color and fragrance to our gardens. One of the first to flower is bear’s foot, an evergreen perennial, and one of the many types of hellebores. Thriving in woodland conditions, it has dropping, cup-shaped flowers that are yellowishgreen, often with purple edges.
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inter jasmine, another early bloomer, is a deciduous shrub with bright yellow flowers appearing on bare stems. Its cascading branches of tiny flowers add a bright spot on a gray winter’s day.
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ne of the next to bloom, winter daphne, adds the fragrance to the garden that winter jasmine lacks. The rosy-pink buds open to sweetly fragranced white flowers nestled against yellow-margined variegated foliage. This low shrub can be difficult to grow but is well worth the effort. The heady aroma wafts through the crisp winter air reminding all that spring is coming.
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he last to make their winter appearance are Lenten roses, another perennial hellebore. These extremely hardy plants can stand temperatures down to 30 below and bloom from February to April. In hues of lavender and white, red, yellow, pink, green, plum and dark purple, these shade-loving plants beckon you to the garden for a closer look. To each their season, and these four definitely rule the winter garden. OH Lynn Donovan is a contributing photographer to O.Henry.
Cocktails,
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Anyone? An extra room leads to a great entertainment space By Cynthia Adams Photographs by Amy Freeman
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S
tanding in her family’s home of 20 years, Donna Joyce asked herself a tough question, “Are we going to stay here now that we are empty nesters,” she asks, pausing, “and commit to this house?” Like many a Southern home, the exterior of Joyce’s brick house in New Irving Park is traditional. Long ago, the tried-and-true style appealed to the Joyce family, who have a sense of tradition. They view themselves as familycentric and believe in the bonding value of home time and playing together. The golf course is where Donna and her husband, Don Joyce, and their sons most love to connect during holidays and vacations. (They often take trips to famous golf destinations, and the sons and their father hatched a Mother’s Day gift a little over two years ago — a putting green and chipping area right in their own backyard.) To stay, or not to stay? The answer was yes. But it took some pondering to get to “yes,” especially for Donna. “It all began when Ben left for college at N.C. State,” says Donna. “Don, said, ‘It’s time. The house is tired.’” Donna agreed. But, even so, she needed a slight nudge before consenting to living amid the chaos of remodeling. “We’re on our third Lab, and we had raised our three sons,” Donna says, smiling ruefully at how quickly the Joyces’ nest was emptying, with the last of the three sons nearing college graduation. “Donny is 27, Dillon is 25, and Ben is 21.” But just because the curtain was dropping on the Joyces’ first act as a family didn’t mean there wouldn’t be a second act, or a third, or more. Rather than abandoning their nest, they decided to give it a glorious refeathering. The commitment-to-place question, once answered, then triggered a creative avalanche and redo of the entire downstairs, and a refresh of the entire upstairs and bathrooms. One good idea led to many when it came to what swelled into a whole house project. Months later, standing in her better-than-new kitchen in her better-than-new house, Donna reflects on those early choices. “They were excited when we decided to stay,” she says of her understanding neighbors, who were willing to cope with the construction, as the Joyce family had been. The house has shed its darker past, which was en vogue when it was built in 1992. Now redone in spa-fresh, tone-on-tone hues, subtlety rules. A petite woman, who reveals a gregarious side in her work as a professional auctioneer as well as a real estate broker. Donna also has a sense of restraint and quiet tastes. Over time, as she points out, she has seen many houses during listings and showings, and amassed ideas she wanted to apply at home. Yet what Donna wanted more than anything, she stresses, “was to make our home of many years feel completely renewed.” She began by pulling out her favorite design inspirations and finding a designer.
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Greensboro’s Jane Moffitt Beeker, of JM Designs, was engaged early on to give the Joyce couple a consult. Although Don had a vote, as Donna says with a smile, her broker’s intuition had given her a good sense of what she wanted. Beeker immediately understood her tastes, but also guided decisions about the optimum use of space. “I’ve done bits and pieces with designers, but this was a major one. From the time we started the project, Jane listened to me,” Donna says. “I pulled pictures together, greens and blues, and I asked if the designer could make this happen, and by golly, she did. She did her best to fit it into our tastes and our lifestyle. She wasn’t controlling. It’s her baby, yet she has a satisfied client.” There were some unexpected, satisfying incentives, thanks to their collaboration. In the course of the just-completed redo, Donna got something special, “a little extra something just for the gals: a cocktail room.” “That cocktail room,” as she laughs, became the tail that wags the dog. It was among the first of several good ideas to hatch. “Jane looked at the living room, a room we never used, and asked, ‘What about a cocktail room?’” And just like that, an idea was born. Donna had never seen a room dedicated to adult beverages, but trusted Beeker and liked the idea. “It made things flow more easily for entertaining,” explains Joyce. But cocktails weren’t the only things the designer had in mind as she surveyed the 4,000-square-foot house. She helped conceive a plan that doesn’t omit private spaces, either. The refresh extends to the side entry hallway, which has storage cabinets and cubbies, with a handy place to stash coats and pull on shoes. Large limestone tile amplifies the space. The soft taupe colored Brunschwig & Fils wallpaper in the downstairs
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
powder room, combined with new fixtures and fittings and flooring, make for another favorite space. It is punctuated by an antique oak cabinet from Donna’s antiquing days. Even the laundry room got updated. Wolfe Homes was the contractor for the redesign. Now the Joyce home is practically brand-new. What isn’t new has been renewed, refinished or replaced. The Joyces, as the lady of the house declares, are planning to enjoy this remodel for a long time. With a cup of tea in hand, Donna launches an early-morning tour from the kitchen, beginning in the heart of the home. She lingers in the kitchen before revealing the cocktail room that kick-started the whole re-do effort. Her personal favorite is right overhead: the kitchen ceiling. The new beadboard ceiling with beams serves to bounce light throughout the kitchen, which features Carrara marble countertops and pale gray marble subway tile for the backsplash. The white cabinetry (kept as original, but painted white) was extended to the ceiling, a sleight of hand that served “to heighten the room,” says Donna. Birch hardwood flooring was installed, adding contrast to the dominant toneon-tone décor. In the kitchen dining area, an antique table was retained after it was refinished, flanked by new chairs in a soft gray, which contrast with the restained table. Blanc de Chine lamps (from The Carriage House in Golden Gate) flank the buffet — one of the few pieces the Joyces owned prior to the renovation. The majority of the downstairs furnishings are newly sourced with help from Beeker. The designer updated and softened the décor, yet avoided the “showcase
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look” by using finds from antique and vintage shops throughout the Triad. “Jane went to Carriage House and Aubrey Home and the Red Collection. She incorporated some things we had; it’s sort of like a marriage of both,” Donna recalls. “We tried to make it still homey, but not a showcase home.” The result is an illusion of more space and visual calm. While the square footage remains the same, the main living areas have gained a whole new livability and flow. As previously, the kitchen opens into the eating area, which opens into the den. The den, according to the homeowners, feels far more open and pared down. “Clean,” says Donna. “We painted the formerly red fireplace bricks a soothing stone-gray color,” says Donna. “Notice anything here?” she asks, pointing to the fireplace. “We didn’t want the television over the fireplace.” Rather than a TV, a Connie Logan painting has pride of place over the mantel. “So, the television doesn’t dominate the room.” With tweaks, fresh paint, finishes, window treatments, new furniture and furniture placement, everything was opened and enlarged visually: The den now opens into the brand-new cocktail room via new French doors fitted with retro-looking glass knobs. As Donna points out, installing French doors had the surprising visual effect of removing a wall. “The flow is so much better!” she says. Rather than the front room being closed off, when friends gather for cocktails and conversation they can move from room to room ending in the repurposed living room which is now — voilà! — the cocktail room that started it all. It was such a difference, says Donna, comparing the before and after. Occupied by a piano and serious French pieces, the once-staid room living room, as the joke goes, was seldom used by the living. But ooh-la-la! The cocktail room that replaced it is chic. And it is just fun to have a never-used room become a favorite place to be, she adds. Donna’s golf friends inaugurated the space, clinking glasses as they toasted one another. The room sparkled, all dressed up with new molding and architectural detail. A chic black chinoiserie cabinet, another vintage find from the Carriage House, is a repurposed entertainment center and contains the bar. It is a conversation piece and the focal point of the room’s décor, along with the French-
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inspired chandelier and framed wallpaper panels also sourced at Carriage House by Beeker. Donna praises the designer’s practical guidance. “She tried to salvage as many of my pieces as she could, and she kept a lot, like our huntboard from Wind Rose and my sideboard from Carlson Antiques. [Both places have closed.] I’ve got pieces I’ve collected for 30 years. Every piece has a meaning and a story.” Across the foyer, which sports new birch parquet flooring, hand-cut and inlaid with a design by Beeker — is a dining room painted in quiet Benjamin Moore tones. There are neutral upholstered chairs, drapes and plantation shutters, paired up with a French chandelier. For color throughout the rooms, the designer again relied upon artwork, primarily by a favorite Triad artist. “Much of the art in the house is by Connie Logan.” Upstairs, the family bedrooms got paint and more. “We renovated all of our bathrooms, too. We brought the house up to 2018,” Donna allows. “Everything is done now. We tried to make everything cleaner, leaner looking.” Their favorite compliment now that the refresh is complete? “Friends say they just love it. Every detail is covered, from accessories to furnishings. It’s soothing,” Donna says. And it is also personal. “They see the shell collection on the mantel — ones we collected ourselves in the Bahamas,” she says wistfully. There are scattered starfish, helmets and conchs that the family gathered on the beach in Eleuthera and Nassau. “Every time I look at the shells or sea biscuits, I know exactly where we were, and think of the great family time we spent together,” Donna says. “I have this great collection of sea glass, and that reminds me of places we’ve been . . . so I intend to use those too.” Shells and sea glass gathered on the beach . . . In a house newly filled with beautiful things, the Joyce home remains a place where experiences matter most. OH Cynthia Adams is a contributing editor to O. Henry magazine. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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McKinney Sew & Vac Center
HELLO MARCH!
is your Superstore for Sewing Machines, Vacuum Cleaners and Supplies.
Another month closer to warm weather and fresh blooms.
McKinney is proud to be an authorized Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff, Juki and Brother sewing machine dealer. Our trained technicians repair and service all makes and models of sewing machines and vacuums to keep them running like new.
Irving Park
McKinney Sew & Vac has been a family owned business serving the Greensboro, NC area for over 36 years.
Clothing, Accessories
1710 Battleground Ave. • Greensboro, NC
336.274.6793 • www.mckinneysewandvac.com
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1804 Pembroke Rd. • Greensboro, NC 27408 (Behind Irving Park Plaza) • 336.763.7908 Mon. - Fri. 11-5:30pm & Sat. 11-4pm www.facebook.com/Serendipity by Celeste
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You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming. –Pablo Neruda
By Ash Alder
Something primal awakens within you on the first day of spring. You rake the lawn, re-seed bare patches, feed the compost, prune the fruit trees, repair the wooden trellis, and celebrate the new buds on the heirloom azalea. Soon, the banksia rose will be a waterfall of fragrant yellow blooms, and foxglove will swoon from the tender kiss of a ruby-throated hummingbird. Spring is synonymous with life, and each breath is nectar to your soul. As robin exhales mirthful tunes of snowdrop, crocus and daffodil, you find yourself whistling along. Today: songs of iris, thrift and pussy willow. Tomorrow: ballads of blue speckled eggs. When the soil is workable, you sow the first of the peas, spinach, lettuce and leeks, sealing each seed with a silent prayer. Tuesday, March 20, officially marks the vernal equinox. Urban legend has it you can keep an egg balanced upright at the exact moment that the sun crosses the plane of the Earth’s equator. Perhaps. Although you might have a better chance of cutting a deal with the wisteria.
Interview with a Leprechaun
If ever there were an optimal day to spot a leprechaun, surely it would be March 17. That’s what an Irish-blooded friend of mine stands by. As a young girl, Mary would wake with the birds on St. Patrick’s Day morn — the day before her birthday — and lie in the grass in her front yard. “I thought for sure I would spot a leprechaun there at sunrise,” she recently told me. “I could feel it in my bones.” Year after year she tried, but on the day before her 11th birthday, she gave up. Perhaps it was silly to believe in the magic of St. Paddy’s Day. Or maybe it wasn’t. At sunrise on her 11th birthday, something told her to lie in the yard once more. “I saw a quick movement out of the corner of my eye,” she remembers, then ran across the yard to discover a perfect four-leaf clover in the grass. “I still swear a leprechaun guided me there,” she says. Flash forward 20-plus years to a Welsh pony farm in western North Carolina where, this time of year, when the weeping cherry is in bloom, Mary finds four- and five-leaf clovers on a daily basis — sometimes by the dozen.
Halloween of 2015, while scanning a favorite field for an hour and a half, she found 117 four- and five-leafers, which she handed out to trick-or-treaters. “I dressed up as a leprechaun for the occasion.” How on this clover-loving Earth does she find them? “Sometimes I see them as movement, and sometimes I hear their vibration,” she explains. “Nature speaks to those who listen.” If the leprechauns aren’t guiding her, then perhaps the luck is simply in her blood. I’m inclined to believe that both are true. The best thing about finding clovers? “Giving them away,” says Mary. “I love seeing the smile on the face of someone who has never seen a four-leaf clover in person.”
The Lunar Report
Two full moons this month. On Thursday, March 1, celebrate the Full Worm Moon by sowing the season’s first root crops and fruiting perennials. Named by the Native Americans who so intimately knew and loved the land, this year’s third full moon signifies a softening Earth and the return of the robin. A second full moon falls on Sunday, March 31. Celebrate by doing that once-in-a-blue-moon something.
Bird Messenger
In Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic children’s novel, a cheerful robin helps 10-year-old Mary Lennox unearth a rusty key to a long-abandoned garden. The Secret Garden isn’t just a story of forgotten roses and the promise of spring. It’s about the healing properties of the Earth, and how, within and without, love can transmute the bleakest and most dismal places. Listen to the robin: The key is in the soil beneath you. OH
Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush. – Doug Larson
March 2018
LIVE & LET DYE
LADIES WHO LUNCH
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March 1
March1–April 8
AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 7 p.m. Meet novelist John Kessel, author of Pride and Prometheus. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
BIGGERS IS BETTER. See Sanford Biggers: Falk Visiting Artist, a multimedia exhibit exploring, history, culture and identity. Weatherspoon Art Museum, 500 Tate St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 3345770 or weatherspoon.uncg.edu.
March 1–4 HOOPS FOR HER. And we don’t mean hoop skirts, but the 2018 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament. Game times vary. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com. CLAY DATE. Last chance to see Mexican sculptor Kukuli Velarde’s expressive clay figures at the exhibit, Isichapuitu. Weatherspoon Art Museum, 500 Tate St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 334-5770 or weatherspoon.uncg.edu.
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March 1–April 22 PORTABLE. The effect of global travel on daily life is the, heh, stuff of Baggage Claims. Weatherspoon Art Museum, 500 Tate St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 334-5770 or weatherspoon.uncg.edu.
March 2 NATTY. Noon. Or maybe not. Listen to “Nativars: Good, Bad, or Just Beautiful?” presented by Travis Beck, director of Horticulture at Delaware’s Mt.
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Cuba Center. (Nativars, by the way, are unnatural mutant versions of their wild counterparts.) Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, 215 S. Main St., Kernersville. To register: (336) 996-7888 or cienerbotanicalgarden.org. HE’S SO WORTHY! 6 p.m. That would be Garth Robertson (not Algar), who takes the mic at First Friday. GreenHill, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 333-7460 or greenhillnc.org. MUSIC MAKERS AND SHAKERS. 6:30 p.m. EMF honors Joseph M. Bryan Jr. at its annual gala, “The Magic of Music,” to raise money for music scholarships. Cadillac Service Garage, 304 E. Market St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 272-0160 or easternmusicfestival.org. AUTHORS, AUTHORS. 7 p.m. Hear selections from UNCG M.F.A. students Maria Adkins and The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Arts Calendar
FIDDLER’S GREENE
REELED IN
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Hannah Edwards. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com. HARMONIOUS. 8 p.m. Four-time Grammy Award–winners Ladysmith Black Mambazo bring multi-part harmonies to town. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 3332605 or carolinatheatre.com.
March 3 MOVERS AND SHAKERS. 11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. That would be the Ladies of Palmer Memorial Institute, a guided tour of the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum showcasing the driving female forces behind the school’s inception. Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum State Historic Site, 6136 Burlington Road, Gibsonville. To reserve: (336) 449-4846 or chb@ncdcr.gov. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
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March 3 & 17 LIVE AND LET DYE. 10 a.m. Learn how to color eggs using natural, plant-based dyes. High Point Museum, 1859 E. Lexington Ave., High Point. Info: (336) 885-1859 or highpointmusuem.org.
March 3–June 17 GLOWING COLE. That would be Greensboro’s Carol Cole, nationally recognized artist and collector, whose humanistic works are the focus of Carol Cole: Cast a Clear Light. Weatherspoon Art Musuem, 500 Tate St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 3345770 or weatherspoon.uncg.edu.
March 4 SWARM UP. 4 p.m. Get buzzy with the Greensboro Swarm, NBA Development League for
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the Charlotte Hornets. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 7453000 or ticketmaster.com.
March 5 YOU’RE SO VEIN. 2:30 p.m. Demonstrate a little sang-froid at The Paul Ciener Blood Drive. Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, 215 S. Main St., Kernersville. To register: (336) 996-7888 or www. redcross.org (use the sponsor code, Paul J. Ciener).
March 6 AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 7 p.m. Meet Steve Monroe, author of The Pyrate Principles. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
March 2018
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Arts Calendar March 7 THE ART OF CONVERSATION. 5:30 p.m. Or rather, the conversation of art, as practiced by Jeannine Marchand, a veteran of the Core Fellow program at Penland School of Crafts and Leigh Ann Hallberg, art prof at Wake Forest University. GreenHill, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 333-7460 or greenhillnc.org. SWARM UP. 7 p.m. Get buzzy with the Greensboro Swarm, NBA Development League for the Charlotte Hornets. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 7453000 or ticketmaster.com. LADIES WHO LUNCH. Noon. Hear all about the new Ruth Wicker Tribute to Women memorial in LeBauer Park at an International Women’s Day Luncheon. Greensboro History Musem, 130 Summit Ave., Greensboro. Info: (336) 373-2204 or greensborohistory.org.
March 9 FASHION DO-GOODERS. 5:30 p.m. Check out designers’ ensembles reflecting seven decades of fashion at Goodwill Rock the Runway, a fashion show that raises money for Goodwill Industries. Elm Street Center, 203 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Tickets: goodwillrocktherunway.org.
March 9–11 SPIN DOCTOR. See a comic take on the classic Grimm fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin Is My Name, performed by Children’s Theatre of The Drama Center. Performance times vary. Odell Performing Arts Center, Greensboro College, 815 W. Market St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 373-2728 or thedramacenter.com.
March 9, 11 & 12 BOOKED. Bibliophiles, file up for the16th annual Used Book Sale with some 45,000 books, most of which are a mere $4 or less. Times vary. Beth David Synagogue, 804 Winview Drive, Greensboro. Info: (336) 294-0007 or bethdavidsynagogue.org.
March 10 GATE CITY BOMBERS. 6 p.m. Forget Kansas City, it’s Greensboro Roller Derby that’s hell on wheels. Special Events Center, Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 West Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: greensbororollerderby.com or $10 at the door. SHAKE ’N’ BLAKE. 7 p.m. Blake Shelton, that is. Hear the country crooner and star of The Voice, along with Trace Adkins, Brett Eldredge and Carly Pearce. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City
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Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com. SWARM UP. 7 p.m. Get buzzy with the Greensboro Swarm, NBA Development League for the Charlotte Hornets. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 7453000 or ticketmaster.com. SIDE (SPLITTING) SADDLES. 7 p.m. Blazing Saddles, Mel Brooks’s 1974 spoof of Hollywood Westerns, gallops onto the screen. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
March 10 & 24 FORGERY. 10 a.m. After his long winter’s nap, he’s ready to strike: The Blacksmith hammers down. High Point Museum, 1885 E. Lexington Ave., High Point. Info: (336) 885-1859 or highpointmuseum.org.
March 11 NIF-TEA. 3:30 p.m. Participate in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony with Japanese Tea Practitioners of Durham as your guides. Space is limited; cost is $27.50 per person, $25 for members. GreenHill, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. To register: greenhillnc.org/traditional-japonese-tea-ceremony. WHO’S WHO? 6:30 p.m. How do you distinguish one ancestor from another if they have the same name? Larry Cates explains at “Identity Crisis: Sorting Out Identically Named Individuals in Your Family History.” Morgan Room, High Point Library, 901 N. Main St., High Point. Info: (336) 885-1859 or highpointmuseum.org.
Zach Savich (Daybed), and novelist Hilary Plum (Strawberry Fields). Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
March 13–16 BRING DOWN THE MOUSE. UNCG’s North Carolina Theatre for Young People presents a stage adaptation of E.B. White’s classic, Stuart Little. Performance times vary. Taylor Theatre, 406 Tate St., Greensboro. Tickets: vpa.uncg.edu.
March 14 AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 7 p.m. Greensboro Bound presents a special event featuring Kate Moore, author of The Radium Girls. Greensboro Public Library, Kathleen Clay Edwards Bryan Family Branch, 1420 Price Park Road, Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com. AUTHORS, AUTHORS. 7 p.m. Meet poets L.A. Johnson (Little Climates) and Kate Partridge (Ends of the Earth). Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com. LOCAL HERO. 8 p.m. Daughtry, the rock band named for front man and local American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry, kicks out the jams. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
March 15
March 12
BROOK BABBLING. Noon. Attend a Lunch and Learn, “Backyard Stream Repair,” presented by Wendi Hartup, stormwater manager for the Town of Kernersville. Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, 215 S. Main St., Kernersville.
POT BOILER. It’s all the rage in culinary circles; find out what all the fuss is about at “Instant Pot Essentials,” an adult cooking class led by Terri Maultsby. Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. To register: (336) 574-2898 or gcmuseum.com.
DRAW A BREATH. 5:30 p.m. And draw Zentangles and blind contour shapes at an Arts & Wellness class, “Drawing as Meditation + Mindfulness.” GreenHill, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. To register: (336) 333-7460 or greenhillnc.org.
AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 7 p.m. Meet Susan Harlan, author of Luggage. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
March 16
March 13 AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 6:30 p.m. Meet Charlie Lovett, best-selling author who will read and sign from his latest novel, The Lost Book of the Grail. High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St., High Point. Info: (336) 885-1859 or highpointmuseum.org. AUTHORS, AUTHORS. 7 p.m. Meet poet
SWARM UP. 7 p.m. Get buzzy with the Greensboro Swarm, NBA Development League for the Charlotte Hornets. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 7453000 or ticketmaster.com. INHERIT THE WIND. 7:30 p.m. As in, the Women’s Woodwind Ensemble, which takes the stage at Music for a Great Space. Christ United Methodist Church, 410 Holden Road, Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 638-7624 or musicforagreatspace.org. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Arts Calendar March 17 WELL, BUTTER MY BISCUIT! 8–11:30 a.m. At the Biscuit Breakfast Bar. Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, 501 Yanceyville St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 373-2402 or gsofarmersmarket.org. TELL IT, SISTAH! 1 p.m. Learn about the ladies’ contributions to the Gate City at “Greensboro Women Making Herstory,” part of the Living Voices programming. Greensboro History Museum, 130 Summit Ave., Greensboro. Info: (336) 373-2204 or greensborohistory.org. FIDDLER’S GREENE. 7 p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a pint and the sounds of Burlington’s Gipsy Danger. Natty Greene’s Brewpub, 345 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: nattygreenes.com. KATT BIRD. 8 p.m. Standup comic Katt Williams leaves ’em laughin’ in the aisles. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
March 18 REELED IN. 4 p.m. Join a walk-through tour with artist Jan-Ru Wan, who discusses her use of rusty fishhooks, red pepper and cyanotype print to convey the human experience. GreenHill, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 333-7460 or greenhillnc.org.
March 20 SWARM UP. 7 p.m. Get buzzy with the Greensboro Swarm, NBA Development League for the Charlotte Hornets. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 7453000 or ticketmaster.com. ARTY PARTY. 7 p.m. Or more appropriately “art happening,” aka Lovesphere 23, which celebrates the Vernal Equinox. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
March 21 AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 7 p.m. Hear a poetry reading from 2015 National Book Award finalist Ada Limón. Hege Library Art Gallery, Guilford College, 5800 W. Friendly Ave., Greensboro. Info: guilford. edu/events.
March 22 SLOW HOE-DOWN. 2 p.m. Felder Rushing presents “Slow Gardening: North Carolina Style,” courtesy of the NC Unit of the American Herb Society. Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, 215 S. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Main St., Kernersville. To register: (336) 587-5727 or email carlila1st@gmail.com.
March 22–25 KING SING. Hear Brandon Bennett’s take on the King of rock ’n’ roll at “Elvis: My Way.” Performance times vary. Odeon Theatre, Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
March 23 ENCHANTED. 7 p.m. Twenty-five familiar characters join Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofey at Disney Live! Mickey and Minnie’s Doorway to Magic. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
March 23 & 24 LOVELY LEATHERWOOD. Dottie Leatherwood, that is. The painter and author of Impressions of a Southern Girl will show and -share her insights at “Capturing Life in Paint,” consisting of a lunch and learn at 11:30 a.m. on 3/23, an artist’s reception at 6 p.m. that evening, and at a workshop at 11 a.m. on 3/24. Tyler White O’Brien Gallery, 307 State St., Greensboro. Info and registration: 336-2791124 or tylerwhitegallery.com.
March 23–25 HOMEWARD BOUND. Immerse yourself in all things domestic from kitchens cabinets to décor at the Southern Ideal Home Show. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro. Times vary. Tickets on sale at the door. Info: (336) 373-4700 or greensborocoliseum.com.
March 24 DAY TO DAYLILY. 9 a.m. Who knew there was such variation in sizes, colors, patterns and textures among daylilies? Find out more at “Characteristics of Daylilies,” presented by American Horticultural Society – accredited judges Mitch Hagler and Becky Hinshaw. Earth Fare, 2965 Battleground Ave., Greensboro. Info: (336) 456-4509.
March 25 HBD, GSO! 1 p.m. Celebrate the 210th anniversary of the Gate City’s founding with storytelling, crafts and more. Greensboro History Museum, 130 Summit Ave., Greensboro. Info: (336) 373-2204 or greensborohistory.org. HAR-DE-HAR HARDWOOD. 3 p.m. They’re baa-a-ack! The Harlem Globetrotters yuk it up on the
basketball court. Greensboro Coliseum, 1921 W. Gate City Blvd. Tickets: (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com. FASCINATIN’ RHYTHMS. 3 p.m. & 5 p.m. Percussion rules, as STOMP takes center stage. Carolina Theatre, 310 S. Greene St., Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 333-2605 or carolinatheatre.com.
March 27 AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 7 p.m. Meet Robert Mitchell, author of Congress and the King of Frauds: Corruption and the Crédit Mobilier Scandal at the Dawn of the Gilded Age. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
March 28 ART OF CONVERSATION, PART DEUX. 5:30 p.m. Art profs emerita and emeritus, K. Porter Aichele and Setsuya Kotani, chat it up. GreenHill, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Info: Info: (336) 3337460 or greenhillnc.org.
March 29 GREEK AND YE SHALL FIND. 10 a.m. Baklava, spanakopita, chocolate almond rolls and more are yours at the Ladies Philoptochos Annual Greek Pastry Sale. Dormition of the Theotokas Greek Orthodox Church, 800 Westridge Road, Greensboro. Info: (336) 292-8013 or dormition.nc.goarch.org. AUTHOR, AUTHOR. 7 p.m. Meet Eric Wilson, author of Polaris Ghost. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
WEEKLY HAPPENINGS Mondays BUZZING. 10 a.m. Your busy little bees engage in a Busy Bees preschool program focusing on music, movement, garden exploration and fun in the kitchen, at the Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. Preregistration: (336) 574-2898 or gcmuseum.com. CHAT-EAU. Noon. French leave? Au contraire! Join French Table, a conversation group. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
Tuesdays READ ALL ABOUT IT. Treat your little ones to story times: BookWorms (ages 12–24 months) meets at 10 a.m.; Time for Twos meets at 11 a.m. March 2018
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The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Arts Calendar Storyroom; Family Storytime for all ages meets at 6:30 p.m. High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St., High Point. Info: (336) 883-3666 or highpointpubliclibrary.com. PINT-SIZED GARDENERS. 3:30 p.m. Instill in your kiddies a love of gardening and edible things at Little Sprouts (ages 3 to 5 years). Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. To register: (336) 574-2898 or gcmuseum.com. PICKIN’ AND GRINNIN’ 6 until 9 p.m. Y’all come for Songs from a Southern Kitchen: Molly McGinn, Dave Willis and Brent Buckner (3/6); Sam Radials “lite” (3/13); Sam Frazier and Eddie Walker (3/20); Joey Barnes and Courtney Leigh Hudson (3/27). 1421 W. Wendover Terrace, Greensboro. Info: (336) 370-0707 or lucky32.com/ greensboro_music.htm. CREATIVE KIN. 5 to 7 p.m. Moms, dads, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins: Enjoy a free evening of artistic expression at ArtQuest. GreenHill, 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 333-7460 greenhillnc.org.
MUSSELS, WINE & MUSIC. 7 until 10 p.m. Mussels with house-cut fries for $15, wines from $10–15 a bottle and live music by AM rOdeO — at Print Works Bistro, 702 Green Valley Road, Greensboro. Info: (336) 379-0699 or printworksbistro.com/live_music.htm. ONCE UPON A TIME. 2 p.m. Afterschool Storytime convenes for children of all ages. Storyroom, High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St., High Point. Info: (336) 883-3666 or highpointpubliclibrary.com.
Thursdays TWICE UPON A TIME. 11 a.m. Preschool Storytime convenes for children ages 3–5. Storyroom, High Point Public Library, 901 N. Main St., High Point. Info: (336) 883-3666 or highpointpubliclibrary.com. ALL THAT JAZZ. 5:30 until 8 p.m. Hear live, local jazz featuring Dave Fox, Neill Clegg and Matt Kendrick — and guests Jessica Mashburn (3/1), Lydia Salett Dudley (3/8), Howard Eaton (3/15), April Talbott (3/22) and Karen Click (3/29). All performances are at the O.Henry Hotel Social
Lobby Bar. No cover. 624 Green Valley Road, Greensboro. Info: (336) 854-2000 or www.ohenryhotel.com/jazz.htm. JAZZ NIGHT. 7 p.m. Fresh-ground, freshbrewed coffee is served with a side of jazz at Tate Street Coffee House, 334 Tate St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 275-2754 or www.tatestreetcoffeehouse.com. OPEN MIC COMEDY. 8–9:35 p.m. Local pros and amateurs take the mic at the Idiot Box, 2134 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. Info: (336) 274-2699 or idiotboxers.com.
Fridays MINI MAKERS. 11 a.m. Let your child (age 5 or younger) bring out his or her inner Van Gogh at ArtQuest’s Masterpiece Fridays, featuring tales from classic storybooks and artistic activities. Cost is $6 per person. GreenHill, 200 N. Davie St. Greensboro. To register: (336) 333-7460 or greenhillnc.org. THE HALF OF IT. 5 p.m. Enjoy the hands-on exhibits and activities for half the cost of admission at $5 Fun Fridays ($2 on First Fridays).
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Arts Calendar Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 574-2898 or gcmuseum.com.
Fridays & Saturdays NIGHTMARES ON ELM STREET. 8 p.m. A 90-minute, historical, candlelit ghost walking tour of Downtown Greensboro. Tickets: (336) 905-4060 or carolinahistoryandhaunts.com/information.
Saturdays TO MARKET, TO MARKET. 7 a.m. until noon. The produce is fresh and the cut fleurs belles. Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, 501 Yanceyville St., Greensboro. Info: gsofarmersmarket.org. THRICE UPON A TIME. 11 a.m. Hear a good yarn at Children’s Storytime. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com. WRITE IS MIGHT. 3 p.m. Avoid writer’s block by joining a block of writers at Come Write In, a confab of scribes who discuss their literary projects. Scuppernong Books, 304 S. Elm St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 763-1919 or scuppernongbooks.com.
JAZZ ENCORE. 6:30 p.m. Hear contemporary jazz cats Elaine Penn and the O.Henry Trio (3/3), The Mondre Moffett Jazz Society (3/10), Aaron Matson with John Trotta (3/17), Steve Haines, Brandon Lee, Aaron Matson & Sean Mason (3/31) while noshing on seasonal tapas at O.Henry Jazz series for Select Saturdays. O.Henry Hotel, 624 Green Valley Road, Greensboro. Info: (336) 854-2000 or ohenryhotel.com. IMPROV COMEDY. 10 p.m. on Saturday, plus an 8 p.m. show appropriate for the whole family. The Idiot Boxers create scenes on the spot and build upon the ideas of others, creating shows that are one-of-a-kind — at the Idiot Box, 2134 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. Info: (336) 2742699 or idiotboxers.com.
Sundays
MISSING YOUR GRANDMA? 3 p.m. until it’s gone: Tuck into Chef Felicia’s skillet-fried chicken, and mop that cornbread in, your choice, giblet gravy or potlikker. Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen, 1421 W. Wendover Terrace, Greensboro. Info: (336) 370-0707 or lucky32.com/fried_chicken.htm.
To add an event, email us at ohenrymagcalendar@gmail.com
BY THE FIRST OF EACH MONTH PRIOR TO THE MONTH OF THE EVENT
in order for us to get it in the correct issue. If it is a March event we need it by February 1st
HALF FOR HALF-PINTS. 1 p.m. And grownups, too. A $5 admission, as opposed to the usual $10, will allow you entry to exhibits and more. Greensboro Children’s Museum, 220 N. Church St., Greensboro. Info: (336) 574-2898 or gcmuseum.com.
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modern furniture made locally
Visit
➛
online @ www.ohenrymag.com
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
511 S Elm St. | Greensboro NC 27406 | 336.370.1050 areamod.com
D OW N TOW N GR EEN S BO R O . O R G
March 2018
O.Henry 91
vintage • antiques • handmade
534 S. Elm St. • Greensboro, NC 27406 www.antlersandastronauts.com 336.510.8708 hello@antlersandastronauts.com
Come. Sit. Heal. We strive to provide complete care for our patients. Preventive & Wellness Care • Hospitalization Medicine / Surgery • Dentistry • And more ...
Dr. John Wehe 120 W. Smith Street • Greensboro NC | 336.338.1840
ww w .do w n t o w n gre e n sbo ro an ima lhospital. com 92 O.Henry
March 2018
D OW N TOW N GR EEN S BO R O . O R G
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
OSCAR OGLETHORPE
Business & Services
Shop LocaL for Best Prices We Service What We Sell & Offer Personal Attention 336-854-9222 • www.HartApplianceCenter.com
2201 Patterson Street, Greensboro, NC (2 Blocks from the Coliseum) Mon. - Fri.: 9:30am - 5:30 pm Sat. 10 am - 2 pm • Closed Sunday
certified
personal property appraisals antiques, estates, insurance, property division, silver, furniture
gary d. brame c.a.g.a. 336-451-0461 gary@personalpropertyappraising.com
ASHMORE RARE COinS & MEtAlS Since 1987
• 30 years as a major dealer of Gold, Silver, and Coins • Most respected local dealer for appraising and buying Coin Collections, Gold, Silver, Diamond Jewelry and Sterling Flatware • Investment Gold, Silver, & Platinum Bullion
Visit us: www.ashmore.com or call 336-617-7537 5725 W. Friendly Ave. Ste 112 • Greensboro, NC 27410 Across the street from the entrance to Guilford College
94 O.Henry
March 2018
Practicing Commercial Real Estate by the Golden Rule Bill Strickland, CCIM Commercial Real Estate Broker/REALTOR 336.369.5974 | bstrickland@bipinc.com
www.bipinc.com
5th Saturday s t o r e w i d e
s a l e
Saturday, march 31St • 10am - 6pm Discounts throughout the store.
Gibsonville Antiques & ColleCtibles Full of History, Antiques & Charm
106 E. Railroad Ave, Gibsonville, NC • (336) 446-0234 Downtown Gibsonville behind the Red Caboose
GibsonvilleAntiques.com • Mon-Sat 10-6 & Sun 1-5
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Business & Services
MARCH madness
Images are not representative of actual product and all designs shown may not be available. Come see us for more details.
1614-C West Friendly Avenue Greensboro, nC 27403 336-272-2032 stitchpoint@att.net MondAy-FridAy: 10:00-6:00 sAturdAy: 10:00-4:00
Voted Best Menswear Store 2015, 2016, & 2017 Greensboro’s Finest Clothier
Jack Victor Hart ScHaffner Marx Ballin trouSerS Bill’S kHakiS reMy leatHer GitMan BrotHerS Baroni couture cuStoM SHirtS cuStoM SuitS
the HUB ltd 2921-D Battleground Ave. • Greensboro 336.545.6535 | TheHubLtd.com
2222 Patterson St. #A | Greensboro, NC 27407 336.852.7107 | www.houseofeyes.com Only one block from the coliseum.
Monday-Saturday: 11 aM - 5 pM
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
March 2018
O.Henry 95
Paul J. Ciener
Botanical Garden
24 Elm RidgE lanE New Irving Park
Book the Garden
Life & Home
for your Wedding or Special event today.
gracious 4 bed 4 1/2 bath home overlooking Buffalo lake features a cook’s kitchen, 3 fireplaces. master on main. lower level could be guest quarters.
$699,000
Paul J. Ciener BotaniCal Garden 215 S. Main Street, Kernersville 336-996-7888 www.cienerbotanicalgarden.org
336.337.7230 • AskSally@aol.com
M A R ION Tile & Flooring
CERAMIC TILE • MARBLE • VINYL • CARPET • HARDWOOD
Family Owned & Operated For 55 Years
Porcelain & Ceramic Tile • Brick & Stone • Marble & Granite Cork • Hardwood • Luxury Vinyl Tile • Carpet Bathroom Remodeling • Kitchen Floors & Backsplashes Complete Installation Service by Qualified Craftsmen Monday - Friday • 9am-5pm
4719 Pleasant Garden Road, Pleasant Garden 336-674-8839 | www.mariontile.com
96 O.Henry
March 2018
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Empowering Dreams. Embracing Legacies.
MICHELLE PORTER MP
L E T ’ S
G E T
M O V I N G !
...turning dreams into an address
REALTOR®, BROKER, MBA, ABR, CSP, GRI, CRS, SFR, CPM
336.207.0515 • homes@michelleporter.com www.michelleporter.com
©2017 BHH Affiiliates, LLC. An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.
Gathering Friends of
SPEAKER SERIES: SOUTHERN BARBECUE
THE TERRACE AT THE GREENSBORO COLISEUM COMPLEX
Saturday, April 14th, 2018 6 PM Dinner and Program Sponsorships & reservations available at www.earlier.org or 336.286.6620 VIP opportunities available AND First Responder Sponsorships Featuring Brendan McDonough Granite Mountain (AZ) Hotshot and Subject of the Film “Only the Brave” Keynote address: Know Your Why: Finding Purpose in a Chaotic World
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
March 2018
O.Henry 97
shops • service • food • farms
support locally owned businesses
HAPPY & HEALTHY is our businEss
dr. Janine M. oliver
1052 Grecade St. GreenSboro, nc 27408
Conveniently located in Midtown
336.897.1505
www.BAHpetcare.com
Want to flourish in the new year?
Let’s make 2018 your break through year.
ALISHA WIELFAERT WWW.YOKEANDABUNDANCE.COM 336-707-9082
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Furnishing stylish homes in the Triad
M A G A Z I N E
delivered to your home!
FuRniTuRe, AcceSSORieS And giFTS. Tuesday- Saturday 10-5pm 3500 Old Battleground Rd. Suite A (336) 617-4275 • www.aubreyhomedesign.com
98 O.Henry
te $45 in-sta f-state $55 out-o
March 2018
Call 336-617-0900 OR mail payment to P.O. Box 58, Southern Pines, NC 28388
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Join the effort. Visit www.triadlocalfirst.com.
shops • service • food • farms
Greensboro's Locally Owned Kitchen Store since 1985
Friendly Shopping Center, Greensboro, NC 1-800-528-3618
support locally owned businesses
A Life well lived. Summerfield Farms is a working farm and events venue with a focus on memorable celebrations, 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, certified organic produce and whole-body wellness. Visit our store, The Market, 7 days a week or shop online at SummerfieldFarms.com (use code OHENRY for 10% off your first online order or mention ‘O.HENRY’ when you visit The Market and get a 10% discount!).
336-299-9767
www.extraingredient.com
100% GRASS-FED BEEF
CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCE
WEDDINGS & EVENTS
LUXURY LODGING
“I couldn’t be happier with my renters, or my rental income” Brantley White
Burkely Rental Homes client
There are times when it’s smarter to lease than to sell your home. Call me when you think you’re there! I’ll be pleased to discuss how Burkely Rental Homes can help you.
Just 20 minutes from downtown Greensboro 3203 PLEASANT RIDGE RD • SUMMERFIELD, NC • 336.792.5712 • SUMMERFIELDFARMS.COM
M A R K E T H O U R S : M O N D AY– S AT U R D AY: 9 A M –7 P M , S U N D AY: 1 – 5 P M
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
March 2018
Join the effort. Visit www.triadlocalfirst.com.
O.Henry 99
ere Is Sweet Music Here
35th Anniversary Season
Exceptional, Innovative & Engaging Choral Performances for All
Saturday APRIL 14 8:00 pm Monday APRIL 16 7:30 pm
First Presbyterian Church
617 N Elm St, Greensboro
The season’s final concert will excite your imagination as we celebrate Bel Canto Company’s signature choral sound and 35 years of beautiful singing.
belcantocompany.com | (336) 333-2220
Claim your spotlight To advertise here, call 336.601.1188
Tickets: $30, $25 Seniors, $10 College Students, $5 High School Students & Younger
kevin rutan’s
12th annual
SPRING ART SHOW
first time open to the public friday april 20th 1 p m-5p m
saturday april 21st 1 1 a m-5p m
sunday april 22nd 1 2p m-4p m
new paintings
for spring! at t he st u di o 6 12 j oyn e r st g re e n s b o ro, n c all major credit cards accepted
336.312.0099 100 O.Henry
March 2018
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Campers experience the rich environment of the studios through weekly camps, balancing each day with guided instruction, free exploration, stories, games and recess while discovering works of art in the gallery.
KID CRAFTERS
2-D STUDIO
CHIC BOUTIQUE
LITTLE DA VINCI'S
PAINT PARTY
SUMMER CAMPS
MESSY HANDS ART CAMP
Arts & Culture
RENAISSANCE KIDS
DRAW. PAINT. SCULPT.
TH IN E
ANIMAL ESCAPADES
STUDIOS
DINOS + DRAGONS
CAFÉ MONET
Camps are $125 per week. Register before April 13 to receive $10 off!
GREENHILLNC.ORG/SUMMER-CAMPS
200 N. Davie Street | Downtown Greensboro | 336.333.7460
C.P. LOGAN
Classes, Commissions, Party Classes “Beaune” 30x30” Original Oil • COnnie P. lOgan - artist/teaCher
online Classes
www. CPLogan.com The Art & Soul of Greensboro
March 2018
O.Henry 101
GreenScene
Tonjia & John Staton
Memphis or Bust
Piedmont Blues Preservation Society Sunday, January 7, 2018 Photographs by Lynn Donovan
Atiba Berkley, John Amberg, Jeff Farran
Eric Sommer
Drew Brower, Ruth Gillis
Cory Luetjen, Doug Mokaren
Earl Austin, Deon McNeill Lynn Neese, Mike Tolley, Kathi Smith Leigh Griffin, Reina Lawson, Drema Hargett
Gretchen Speedy, Keith Kavanagh Dawn McAlexander, Ronda Bond
Jonathan Link, Whitney Wallace, Scott Marvill
Samantha Bailey, Tom Casey, Seena Perdue
102 O.Henry
March 2018
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
CAPTURING
Life in Paint f e at u r i n g
Dottie LeatherwooD
018 THE 2SON SEA
Shaun Hopper and Joe Smothers
On Golden Pond
Thursday, April 5, 2018 - 7:30 PM
Guitarists Shaun Hopper and Joe Smothers merge musical genres, from alternative to folk, classical to country, Celtic to blues. Sponsored by Gateway Financial.
The Montana Repertory Company presents the story of an aging couple and unexpected young visitor, where family dynamics work to bring healing and hope.
Black Violin
Dawn Wells: What Would Mary Ann Do?
Combining hip-hop, R&B and pop, classically trained violist Will B and violinist Kev Marcus, with drummer Nat Stokes and DJ SPS, redefine the music world.
Part memoir. Part nostalgic journey. Actress Dawn Wells presents The Confessions Tour, based on her 50th Anniversary Tribute book to Gilligan’s Island.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018 - 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 28, 2018 - 8:00 PM
& Learn with Dottie at 11:30am-1pm ($20) MARCh 23, 2018 Lunch artist’s reception 6-8pm (free & open to the pubLic) workshop with Dottie march 24th, 11am-3pm
Arts & Culture
Friday, March 23, 2018 - 8:00 PM
For Tickets, call 336-887-3001 or visit HighPointTheatre.com 307 State Street, Greensboro (336) 279-1124 • www.tylerwhitegallery.com
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Acts and dates subject to change. For the latest news, go to HighPointTheatre.com
March 2018
O.Henry 103
experience holy week WITH FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
PALM SUNDAY, MARCH 25 Palm Processional at 10:30 am Sanctuary & Rejoice! services
HOLY MON, TUES, WEDS 6 PM
MAUNDY THURSDAY COMMUNION 7:30 PM
GOOD FRIDAY TENEBRAE MUSIC 7:30 PM
THE GREAT VIGIL OF EASTER, SATURDAY, 7:30 PM
EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 1 Sunrise Service 7 am
Sanctuary & Brass 8:30 & 10:30 am
Rejoice! Service 10:30 am
617 NORTH ELM • FPCGREENSBORO.ORG
Now Available at
Love Your Skin! Located at Friendly Center next door to Barnes and Noble Mon-Fri 10-8 | Sat 10-6 | Sun 1-6
336-294-3223 Visit our new website… shereesinatural.com for special discounts on SkinCeuticals and brow waxing.
104 O.Henry
March 2018
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
GreenScene
Louise Courts, Shelley Ewing
Young Professional Educators Academy
Guilford Education Alliance & synerG Young Professionals Thursday, January 11, 2018 Photographs by Lynn Donovan
Paige Ferguson, Ned McMillan, Andrea Garrison Keaira Price, Alexis Moore Michele Davis, Brooks Powell
Cochise Lanier, Sara Steinbach
Rebecca Buffington, Kayte Farkas, Shelialisa Callwood
Dot Harper, Angela Draper Julie LeMond, Laura Ellison
Sara Heredia, Brandon Morrison
Donna Whitman, Tiffany Cole, Ebonie Jones
Forrest Howard, Jose A Sandoval
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Cecelia Thompson, Emily McCollum
March 2018
O.Henry 105
40 Years
OF TRUSTED EXPERIENCE
Carriage House Antiques & Home Decor 336.373.6200
2214 Golden Gate Drive • Greensboro, NC Monday-Friday 10-6 • Saturday • 10-5 Sunday 1-5 Carriage_House@att.net
Photo: Daniel Stoner
with families in your neighborhood
JaCob letterman
336-338-0136
Johnnye letterman
336-601-6012
Top Producing Realtors
MERIDITHMARTENS
state of the ART • north carolina
Pink Tulip • Original Artwork • Oil on 300lb gesso paper • 22” x 15” • $750
Giclee canvas reproductions starting at $60 Meridith Martens, fineartamerica.com
www.meridithmartens.com f MeridithMartens.Artist • 910.692.9448
106 O.Henry
March 2018
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
GreenScene Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service The Volunteer Center of Greensboro Monday, January 15, 2018 Photographs by Lynn Donovan
Brenda Mewborn, Renee Rowe
Julia Wagner, Debi Julian Alissa & Karen Walker
Melinda Bernard, Chris Divens, Richard Vance
Jamie Graham, Claretta Witherspoon
Rita Johnson, Christina Christovale
Maurice Griffin, Tonya Baker
Darian Thompson, Patrick Flynn, Justin Rosa
Traci Mclemore, Nadine Malpass
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Millard Gold, Rose Bate
Secoya Thomas, Yolanda McDowell
Crystal Broadnax, Ayse Minor
March 2018
O.Henry 107
GreenScene
Ashlee Smith, Erin Bartlett, Leah Shea Peraldo, Rodney Hazel
Lauryn Fairley, Jailen Williamson
Big Hair Ball — Cirque de Bal The Guild and Junior Guild of Family Services of Greensboro Saturday, January 27, 2018 Photographs by Lynn Donovan
Kate Hewitt, Catherine Vaughan, Cassidy Burel, Jennie Seo
Emma Randall, Madison Reed
Anna Sardzinski, Lily Helms
Agatha Grimes, Marvette Artis, Angela Parker
Sloane Hoefle
Caroline Williams, Sara Ferrel, Ann-Wilson Brown
Lucy Froelich, Mary Campbell Walker, Kate Yarbrough, Tatum Neff Ann-Wilson Brown, Ellis Brown
Maggie Hennigan, Emily Schoonhagen
108 O.Henry
March 2018
MaCray Huff, Brian Stockton
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Irving Park Charm 2 2 0 2 L a fay e t t e av e n u e • g r e e n sb oro, n c
Chesnutt - Tisdale Team 4 Bedro oms • 3 Full Bat hs / 2 halF Baths Fabulous home with classic charm and comfort. Features open, high ceilings, hardwood floors, custom molding, Master Suite on main level. 4 Bedrooms plus Loft. On two lots. Open floor plan. Lucious gardens, pond, and potting shed. Walking distance to GCC or parks.
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Xan Tisdale 336-601-2337
Kay Chesnutt 336-202-9687
Xan.Tisdale@bhhsyostandlittle.com Kay.Chesnutt@bhhsyostandlittle.com ©2017 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.
March 2018
O.Henry 109
n o W
c a r r y i n G
Floral Design Delivery Service Home Décor & Gifts Weddings & Special Events Come visit our retail shop! 1616 Battleground Avenue, Suite D-1 Greensboro, NC 27408
336.691.0051
dover square • 336.851.5025 • mainandtaylorshoes.com
Simply Meg’s Savvy Style. Purely PerSonal.
mcmanus2@bellsouth.net
w w w. r a n d y m c m a n u s d e s i g n s . c o m
Dover Square
NOW OPEN IN OUR NEW LOCATION NEAR MAIN & TAyLOR ShOE SALON 1616-H Battleground ave 27408 • greensBoro, nC 336.272.2555 • 10am-5:30pm-mon.-sat. • www.simplymegs.Com
110 O.Henry
March 2018
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
The Accidental Astrologer
Go Fish!
By Astrid Stellanova
In the swim of things with brilliant, imaginative and elusive Pisces
Cast a net into the sea of life, and marvel at the
roundup of famous Pisceans. As if Albert Einstein weren’t enough, what about Kurt Cobain, George Washington and Dr. Seuss? Throw in Andrew Jackson and Jack Kerouac for a little special sauce, and see who would be best friends and roommates in the great hereafter. If anything is fishy about Pisces in the here and now, it is how they can hide their amazing selves in plain sight. Brilliant in ways you cannot stereotype, they will slip right out of your hands before you ever hook them, these delightfully slippery fish. –Ad Astra, Astrid. Pisces (February 19–March 20) Time was when you were so forgiving (and distracted) that you would let anybody have their way if they were nice and remembered to say “thank you.” In the nicest way possible, you have learned to push back and find your footing concerning a subject that vexed you for most of 2017. Now you have to learn to say: Play me or trade me. Somebody who wants your talents may not realize how valuable they truly are. But, Sugar, you know. Aries (March 21-April 19) A natural wit allows you to come back swinging smartly no matter how deep the wound. But your inner wisdom may be telling you not to head into a knife fight with a stick of butter and a yeast roll. Little Ram, have you been duped? Let that sink in a minute, Sugar. Now, deep breaths. Head up, spine straight, and don’t look back. Taurus (April 20–May 20) A tornado ripped through your life late last year, and you ain’t quite over it. What happened caused you to go right off the rails and then wallow in the ditch. That is not your style, Star Child. If anything motivates you to start over, it is knowing somebody one-upped you. Don’t tear their heart out and eat it with a nice Chianti. Find a way forward. Gemini (May 21–June 20) Could this month get any better? Possibly. You finally pulled your fingers out of your ears and started listening to your own heart and living your own life — not your sister’s, not your daughter’s, not your Mama’s. A special little secret is about to unfold. You’ll be tap dancing all the way to the bank, metaphorically speaking. Cancer (June 21–July 22) It is not that complicated. If you didn’t get what you wanted the last time around, suck it up and take a do-over. You can’t keep your children young and in your grasp forever. But you sure can make the home front happy. That, and take their car keys away. Don’t whine. Be the driver. Leo (July 23–August 22) Your two favorite words this month: refund due. Yes, Sweet Thing, the IRS is going to be your ally. Not for nothing did you lose so much money on Sea Monkeys and Sonic Egg Beaters. Turns out, some kinds of pain are deductible! Restrain your entrepreneurial impulse until you are back in the black.
The Art & Soul of Greensboro
Virgo (August 23–September 22) You’ve never looked better, prompting a lot of folks to think you’ve found new love. Only you know the actual facts (as opposed to the alternative ones): You have found it a lot easier to be inside your own skin. Honey, that new ’tude ushers in one of the best springtimes in memory. Don’t blink and miss the fact that this ain’t a cosmetic fix, but an inside job — and an important development. Libra (September 23–October 22) It is true that money can’t buy happiness, but it dang sure can buy puppies. At last, practical and generous you have funded your own happiness. This recent splurge may be one of the wisest moves you’ve made in ages. Next up: Discover the bliss of not giving a damn what anybody else thinks! Scorpio (October 23–November 21) The bottle before you purred, “Yes, amazing Scorpio, you ARE the wisest and best of all!” You drank that in, didn’t you, Sugar? Well, surprise, surprise. You stayed at the party too long. A little sober reflection might bring you actual wisdom. It stings, realizing your need for affirmation took over. But now you have opportunity to see clearly . . . truly. Sagittarius (November 22–December 21) Recently you have felt sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. That was the exact moment you began to change your life in a very productive way. No need to be all things to all those you love. If you spell resentment, it would look a whole lot like your name, Sugar. Ready to stop? It’s that simple. Capricorn (December 22–January 19) In the anything-worth-doing-is-worth-overdoing category of life, you may have just taken first place honors and won a new badge. Try for second place, Honey. It is admirable that you care enough to over-deliver. But you cannot sustain this kind of effort. Just. Try. Less. Aquarius (January 20–February 18) It was the perfect birthday for you. Now, an important task. More than one person in your orbit relies upon your gentle counsel. It will surprise you to learn who, as you respect them greatly and view them as a spiritual guide. You are an old soul; you know validation comes from within. OH
For years, Astrid Stellanova owned and operated Curl Up and Dye Beauty Salon in the boondocks of North Carolina until arthritic fingers and her popular astrological readings provoked a new career path. March 2018
O.Henry 111
O.Henry Ending
How Green Is Her Valley
By Carol Lucas
The word “homeland” is not
one I typically use, but it sprang to mind on the morning I woke up in my own bed after a weeklong trip to Berlin. The first thing I did was to lace up my sneakers and head to Greensboro’s Greenway.
For some 12 years, I have run or simply wandered on the Greenway’s paths — the Nat Greene, Owl’s Roost, Military Park. And its beauty never fails to soothe my soul. Each season is the best one ever . . . until the next rolls in. What could be more rejuvenating than spring’s bright green leaves filling out the trees and the soundtrack of birdsong to sunlight’s playful dance upon the water? In summer, the same trees provide the perfect shade from the sun turned dancer-to-nemesis, making it bearable to be outside. Fall is pure poetry, with the burnt color of the leaves, no longer green but golden yellow, orange, red and brown — all blown to the sides of the path. In winter, the Greenway, in spite of its name, becomes an other-worldly wonderland of icicles formed in mid-drip from the bare branches, slick spots of ice and steam rising off the lake. As one settles into the Greenway, the wildlife that was once camouflaged slowly comes to view: deer, squirrels, chipmunks and even turkey. On some paths, copperheads and black snakes, blue herons, ducks, geese, fish and frogs
112 O.Henry
March 2018
share the space. Each creature is a mini marvel. Memories float in and out as my feet cover the ground. I think of all of the people I have shared this place with. The many miles I have logged with various running groups talking about upcoming races, recent injuries and post-run food. And some of my best trail hikes are with my husband — and our dogs, off leash, frolicking, swimming and covering three times the distance we do. Then there are the walks with a good friend, sharing all of life’s trials and celebrations. And of course, the out and back runs of all distances with my daughters, who are sometimes silent and sometimes share confidences in a way that happens only when people run side-by-side. A trove of visits and conversations, plus happened here; layer upon layer of memories come back and are revisited. There is something about nature that is both simplifying and purifying. I open my mind and thoughts drift in and out. A troubling notion gnawing on my subconscious has space to sit awhile and gently turn over and over until my mind is ready to let it go. It is a spiritual practice, a returning to roots and waxing of wings. However much I love churches, with their stained glass windows and ornamentation of the altars, I am closest to the Divine on this lush and wondrous running path. Someday, I will have my ashes scattered here in the proverbial cycle of returning to dust and becoming a part of the Greenway. OH Carol Lucas is the owner of Balance and Thrive Coaching and Consulting. Running, yoga and writing help keep her sane — especially as she plans weddings for two of her four daughters this year! This is her first submission. The Art & Soul of Greensboro
ILLUSTRATION BY HARRY BLAIR
A writer’s paean to the Greenway
Half Price Wine – Every Tuesday Now offering lunch, Monday through Friday. Mimosa brunches on the weekends. Chef’s specials every night. Book your upscale events with us, either here or at Rue Bar. 4 0 3 N. E l m Street G RE E N SB O RO | 3 3 6 .2 5 2.2253
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