department
CONTENTS SENSE GOES MULTI-MEDIA
6
THEY SPEAK Contributors
9
IN THE LOOP
13
THE SENSE OF IT ALL
14
MARKETPLACE Artology
16
TRAVELOGUE Destination Spacations
25
DESIGN Fort Morgan’s Star Fortification
32
ARTS Ark Of India
42
WELLNESS Hormone Therapy
44
LITERATI Forget The Excuse
16
Must-sees and have-to-dos throughout the South
COUSIN LEROY SPEAKS
32 25 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3 / AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
Issues-oriented Sense magazine gives voice to diver se political opinions but does not endor se the opinions or reflect the views e x p r e s s e d h e r e i n . Yo u a r e w e l c o m e t o s u b m i t y o u r O p - E d p i e c e v i a e m a i l t o e d i t o r @ t h e s e n s e o f i t a l l . c o m .
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features 22
65 South PERFORMANCE BRINGS PEOPLE TO LIFE
views 14 22
AND NEWS
36
THE WHY OF WRITING
38
Q&A
41
BETWEEN THE LINES
Abbi Glines talks about how lying became her dream come true
Charles Martin talks about his new book
Recommended Reading from Page & Palette
SENSE MAGAZINE | 3
ENSE
ECLECTIC INTELLECT FOR THE SOUL
PUBLISHER Jamie Seelye Leatherbury VIEWS AND NEWS EDITOR
Stephanie Emrich
ART DIRECTOR Ronda Gibney-Burns CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Olivia Garcia Skeet Lores Ginger Wade Chelsea Wallace
Join us for a Chapel Farm Collection Grand Event November 1 • 9:30am-6:00pm & November 2 • 12:00pm-5:00pm
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jacqlyn Kirkland Library of Congress Lake Austin Spa Resort Beall + Thomas Photography ADVERTISE WITH US sales@thesenseofitall.com EMAIL US editor@thesenseofitall.com SENSE OFFICES 251 South Greeno Road Fairhope, Alabama 36532 Tel (251) 604-8827 Fax (251) 990-6603
251.929.1630 Chapelfarm.com 10894 Highway 181 • Fairhope, Alabama 36532
4 | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
Sense is published and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License by Eco-Urban Media, a division of Eco-Urbaneering Corporation. Creative Commons defines the spectrum of possibilities between full copyright and the public domain. For more information go to http://www.creativecommons.org and http://creativecommons.org/about/ licenses/ and http://www.theSenseofitAll.com. All content of Sense is copyrighted. However, Sense also works under Creative Commons licensing guidelines for works published in Sense by contributing writers, artists and photographers. All rights to works submitted to and published by Sense will revert in their entirety to the respective contributing authors, artists and photographers 120 days after publication. At Sense, we believe this policy promotes journalistic independence and fosters mutual goodwill between the publisher and the contributing writers, artists and photographers..
SENSE MAGAZINE | 5
THEY SPEAK
CONTRIBUTORS Olivia Garcia is a Northern California girl with a love for all things southern. As a product of Spring Hill College, this California flower has blossomed in southern ground. The Sacramento native splits her time between 3 jobs: Nannying, Freelance Public Relations Consulting, and Freelance writing. She dreams of world domination, but would be just as happy to live and breathe somewhere near water with some Russian literature,and possibly her boyfriend and their silly albino white dog.
- Olivia Garcia, Writer Skeet Lores grew up in Baldwin County and obtained a B.S. in chemistry at the University of South Alabama. After working for 25 years as a Research Chemist at the National Institutes for Health and the Environmental Protection Agency, he returned to the University of South Alabama and obtained a doctorate in marine science. He finished his career at EPA as a lead researcher on the ecological problems associated with eutrophication in our nation’s estuaries. Skeet is now retired and is an avid hunter and fisherman and supporter of conservation.
- Skeet Lores, Writer Ginger Wade has called Baldwin County home her entire life. She graduated from the University of South Alabama with a concentration in Communication. For the past 10 years she has worked in the public sector. Ginger is an ardent reader and can spend hours researching and writing on topics of interest. She is married and has two delightful sons. In her spare time she enjoys conversation and coffee with good friends.
- Ginger Wade, Writer Chelsea Wallace spent her first 18 years in Louisiana before moving to Mobile to attend Spring Hill College, from whence she graduated Magna Cum Laude with her bachelor’s in English and journalism. Currently, she freelances her writing and editing abilities, honing her focus on non-traditional health and fitness. She hopes to build a full-time freelancing business while sparing time to nurture her passion for fiction writing. When not working, she vacillates between rabid Netflix binges and extended reading marathons.
- Chelsea Wallace, Writer WANT TO BECOME A SENSE CONTRIBUTOR? Sense is always looking for new talent. If you are interested in becoming part of the Sense team, e-mail us at editor@thesenseofitall.com. 6 | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
S POT L I G H T
Two Great Events Happening in Fairhope
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his fall the Fairhope Film Festival returns to the quaint bayside town of Fairhope, Alabama, to present a full schedule of world-class cinema. Now in its second year, the festival takes place November 6-9, 2014. Over four days, 44 feature films and 20 short films will be shown at four Fairhope venues, from intimate theater settings to state-of-the-art auditoriums. Additional events include moderated panels with filmmakers and industry insiders, a red carpet awards ceremony and plenty of parties brimming with Southern hospitality. The Fairhope Film Festival is a film lover’s festival. Only finalists from national and international film festival competitions of the past year are selected, ensuring that attendees enjoy the “best of the best” in cinema arts. Selections include independent and foreign features, documentaries and shorts—many never shown in mainstream theaters. The festival promises films to make attendees laugh, cry and just be astounded by the human race. The event allows film buffs to interact directly with filmmakers. Directors, actors and screenwriters participate in the screenings and informative panels. Past attendees have included Talia Shire, Paul Sorvino and S. Epatha Merkerson. At one of this year’s panels, a renowned, independent filmmaker from Los Angeles will lead a discussion on “Crowdfunding Film.” This year’s festival introduces several new events, including a Sunday Vanguard feature, two Midnight Madness screenings at the Fairhope Brewery, and an outdoor screening at the Eastern Shore Art Center. Saturday’s Red Carpet Gala at The Fairhope Inn includes the festival awards ceremony. Friday Nov. 7 is also Fairhope’s First Friday Artwalk, a festive evening with food, fun and music in the streets.
C H A P E L F A R M . C O M
SENSE MAGAZINE | 7
8 | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
IN THE LOOP
SEPTEMBEREVENTS GREEN DRINKS
SEPTEMBER 9 | FAIRHOPE, AL Mobile Bay Green Drinks is a community group open to anyone interested in sharing ideas for sustainable living. Their goal is to connect with other progressive people in our area who work to address environmental issues in some capacity. There is no charge to attend, but you are responsible for your own drinks. The gathering starts at 5 p.m. at Fairhope Brewing, 914 Nichols Ave, Fairhope.
TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND SEPTEMBER 11 | MOBILE, AL
In just three years,Tedeschi Trucks Band — the 11-member collective led by husband-wife duo Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi — has taken its roots-rich musical mix to audiences across the globe and become a proven powerhouse on stage. For more information or to get tickets visit www.mobilesaenger.com.
BLUES AND GROOVES MUSIC FESTIVAL
10 TOP
SEPTEMBER 13 | MOBILE, AL
A heart-warming event where several blues bands donate their talent to help raise awareness about Down syndrome with the goal of demonstrating that people with Down syndrome are more alike than different. There will be a silent auction, games, vendors and lots of fun! Sponsored by the Down Syndrome Society of Mobile County. For more information contact Pamela Field at 251-622-3601 or email pammyjcottonfield@hotmail.com.
27TH ANNUAL ALABAMA COASTAL CLEANUP
SEPTEMBER 20 | MOBILE AND BALDWIN COUNTIES, AL The 27th Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, September 20th, 2014, from 8:00 am until noon. You or your organization can make a difference by volunteering to cleanup our cherished coastal area at one of 28 zones throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties. Call 251-9289792 or visit www.alabamacoastalcleanup.com for more information.
THE BRIDES OF DOWNTON ABBEY SEPTEMBER 23 | MOBILE, AL
Please join the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion on September 23, 2014, for a morning coffee/ presentation or in the afternoon for a tea/ presentation. Combining stories of wedding folklore, tiara legends, being presented at Court, behind-the-scene tidbitsfrom the costume designers of the PBS series, Downton Abbey and much more, Amazon best selling author, Cornelia Powell, will entertain and educate guests for a fundraiser at the BRAGG-MITCHELL MANSION. Proceeds from the event will be used for the continued restoration and operation of this grand old home.Visit www.braggmitchellmansion.com for more information.
COLUMNS AND COCKTAILS SEPTEMBER 25 | MOBILE, AL
Historic Mobile Preservation Society invites you to attend Columns & Cocktails on Thursday, September 25, 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the Emanuel-Pake-Staples Building(100 North Royal St.). Join us at this historic downtown venue listed on the National Register for the HMPS Preservation Awards and a live art auction! Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and, of course, cocktails! Visit www. historicmobile.org for more information.
GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN SEPTEMBER 18 | MOBILE, AL
Wind Creek Casino presents Girls Just Wanna Have Fun benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile at the Alabama Cruise Terminal. This “must do” event is an evening for ladies 21 years of age and older and features heavy hors d’oeuvres from local area chefs and restaurants, McTini’s and an unforgettable evening of manicures, makeovers, shopping, entertainment and more. To purchase tickets, please visit www.rmhcmobile.org or call 251-6946873. .
MOBILE FASHION WEEK SEPTEMBER 21-27 | MOBILE, AL
Local, regional and national designers unite to present runway shows with looks from local and regional stores. Proceeds from the event benefit Camp Rap-a-Hope, a summer camp for kids diagnosed with cancer. For more information, visit http:// mobfashionweek.com
BLACK-OUT CANCER BALL SEPTEMBER 26 | FAIRHOPE, AL
The Black-Out Cancer Ball, formerly Baldwin County Gala, is one of the most exciting fundraising events in Baldwin County. The evening is packed with dancing, entertainment, an honoree presentation, dining, auctions and everyone wears BLACK! The event will offer elegant surroundings, scrumptious foods, fragrant wines, and a night of revelry and merrymaking. Visit gala.acsevents.org for more information.
Although we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the Top 10 information, you should always call ahead to conf irm dates, times, location, and other information. Submit events to events@thesenseof itall.com SENSE MAGAZINE | 9
| IN THE LOOP
BOOK IT 1
Scott Berg
SEPTEMBER 9 | FAIRHOPE PUBLIC LIBRARY
One hundred years after his inauguration, Woodrow Wilson still stands as one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century, and one of the most enigmatic. And now, after more than a decade of research and writing, Pulitzer Prize-winning author A. Scott Berg has completed Wilson — the most personal and penetrating biography ever written about the 28th President. Join us at 6 p.m. for a book signing and author discussion with Scott Berg
2
Lou Anders
SEPTEMBER 10 | PAGE & PALETTE
Fantasy fans of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series will embrace this first novel in an adventure-filled, Vikinginspired series by debut author Lou Anders. Join us at 4 p.m. for a book signing with Lou Anders!
3
Charles Martin
SEPTEMBER 11 | CELEBRATION CHURCH
In a tribute to his best friend and an encouragement to root one’s identity in something deeper than football, Charles Martin combines intriguing, emotive narrative with relatable characters worth rooting for, resulting in a classic story of love, loss, forgiveness and redemption in A Life Intercepted. Join us at 6 p.m. for a book signing and author discussion with bestselling author and former college football player Charles Martin. Tickets to the event are free and available to pick up at the bookstore. This $10 value is a gift to the community compliments of Page and Palette and Celebration Church of Fairhope.
4
Abbi Glines
SEPTEMBER 18 | THE VENUE
Join us at 6 p.m. for an author event with local favorite Abbi Glines. Tickets to the event are $15 and include a $5 coupon toward the book purchase. FREE PHOTO BOOTH! In Take a Chance, #1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines gave us the story of Grant, who first captured the hearts of new adult readers in Fallen Too Far, and Harlow, the woman who stole his own. Now comes One More Chance…
5
Peggy Webb
SEPTEMBER 19 | PAGE & PALETTE
Peggy Webb won raves for her debut novel, The Tender Mercy of Roses, with novelist Pat Conroy calling her “a truly gifted writer.” Now Webb has crafted a poignant portrayal of a woman on the edge seeking solace in the past in The Language of Silence. Free and open to the public. Call the store to order lunch for $10.
10 | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
HERE’S WHERE TO FIND US...
MOBILE A & M Yacht Sales Alabama Coastal Foundation Apricot Lane Ashland Gallery Ashland Pub Atchison Imports Atlanta Bread Company Azalea City Physicians for Women Ballin’s Limited Renaissance Battle House Hotel Bay Area Physicians for Women Bebo’s Springhill Market Bicycle Shop Bliss Salon & Day Spa Blue Rents Bradley’s Café 615 Callaghan’s Irish Social Club Camille’s Grill Candlewood Suites Carpe Diem Coffee & Tea Company Carter & Co Cathedral Square Art Gallery Chat A Way Café Center for Living Arts Center for Dermatology Claude Moore Jeweler Cold Snap @ Old Shell Road Debra’s Delish’s Desserts & Eatery Downtown Mobile Alliance Dragonfly Boutique Estetica Coiffure Exploreum Science Center Fort Conde Inn Fort Conde Welcome Center Fuego Coastal Mexican Eatery Goldstein’s Hampton Inn Downtown Hemline Holiday, Inc Iberia Bank Legacy Bar & Grill
FAIRHOPE/POINT CLEAR LLB&B Realty Martha Rutledge Catering McCoy Outdoor Company Mercedes Benz of Mobile Mobile Arts Council, Inc. Mobile Bay Bears Mobile Infirmary Office Tower Mobile Museum of Art Mobile Regional Airport Mobile Symphony Orchestra Red Or White Satori Coffee House Serda’s @ Royal Street Shoe Fly Something New Bridal Springhill Family Pharmacy Spoke ‘N Trail The Bull The Ivy Cottage The Union Steak House Thompson Engineering Tmac’s Hair Studio Twists Cupcakes @ Legacy USA Mitchell Cancer Institute Wintzell’s Airport Wintzell’s Downtown Zoe’s Kitchen Zundel’s Jewelry DAPHNE Advance America Allegri Farmers Market Baldwin Bone & Joint Baumhower’s Wings Comfort Inn Daphne Library East Shore Café Glamour Nails Guido’s Hampton Inn Hilton Garden Inn Homewood Suites of Daphne
Infirmary West Lake Forest Shell Market by the Bay Moe’s Barbeque Publix Rosie’s Grill The UPS Store Thomas Hospital Thomas Medical Plaza SPANISH FORT Barnes And Noble Bayside Chiropractic Don Carlos Eastern Shore Toyota Malbis Parkway Pediatric Dentistry McMurphy Orthodontics Magestic Nails Mellow Mushroom Private Gallery @ Spanish Fort Tom Bierster Fine Homebuilding & Restoration Twist @ ESC Wintzell’s SOUTH BALDWIN COUNTY Beach Club Bimini Bob’s Cobalt Cosmo’s Restaurant and Bar Jesse’s Kaiser Realty Lulu’s Meyer Realty M II the Wharf Prickett Real Estate The Hangout Turquoise Tin Top Restaurant Villaggio Grille
Agave Mexican Battles Wharf Market Bayside Orthopedics Bean & Bistro Belle Shain Boxwood Bouche’s Cigars Brown & McCool Gynecology Chasing Fresh Coffee Loft Cold Snap Dragonfly Restaurant Eastbay Clothiers Eastern Shore Art Center Eastern Shore Heart Center Estate Jewelers Fairhope Inn Fairhope Library Fairhope Music Fairhope Physical Therapy Gigi & Jays Hair Designs by Ann Rabin Hampton Flooring & Design Hampton Inn Happy Olive Iberia Bank Leatherbury Real Estate Lyon’s Share Gallery Market by the Bay Master Joe’s Page & Palette Panini Pete’s Papa’s Pizza Private Gallery Project Mouvement in Art Publix Red or White Sadie’s of Fairhope Shanghai Cottage Southern Edge Dance Center Southern Veranda Marriott’s Grand Hotel
Sense is distributed to over 100 locations throughout Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Because we are in the business of promoting the economy and design in Gulf Coast communities, we distribute through our advertisers and local businesses. We feel that this brings the opportunity to exchange ideas, encourage conversation, and support the local economy. It will also move us forward by furthering thought for our future and how we wish to design it, resulting in participation by each of us in weaving the fabric that is our Sense of Community.
SENSE MAGAZINE | 11
THE SENSE OF IT ALL
L E ROY
S P E A K S :
TH E
BOX.
C O U S I N
O U T S I DE
Seasons Change It is inevitable, whether we like the changes or not. For several years now Sense has published a very popular magazine. We hope you have enjoyed it. We have certainly enjoyed producing it.
T H I N K
CL I MB
With some regret though, this will be our last issue. It was an idea that was formed, designed, and produced for our communities. We published our first issue just as the BP oil spill was happening, (it was luck, but I was rather pleased that we were the first magazine to cover the disaster). It is still not over and the end will be coming for some time. We are now older, with less energy and empty nest. It is a new chapter in our lives and time for a change. We will continue to keep an online presence; both Facebook and our website at www.TheSenseofitAll.com
I N S I D E T HE
We wish and ask that you will continue to support our communities, each other, and our advertisers. Embrace the future, try to see it through, with critical thought and wisdom, and guide us all with ideas balanced and implemented with sound judgment and governance. Understand that not all growth, whether physical, personal, business, or other, is good for the future of us all and our communities. It must be well planned, designed, and implemented with thought to the long term disadvantages that will surely be present, versus the many advantages that might also arise. We wish to thank all of you and especially our advertisers who along with us sponsored the publication of the magazine. May God’s Peace be with you All
B OX .
Yours in Community,
cousinleroy@thesenseofitall.com
THERE
IS
A
SOLU T I O N . SENSE MAGAZINE | 13
MARKETPLACE
WHAT IS
TEXT BY OLIVIA GARCIA
The Power Of Doing The Right Thing Bill Maxwell once wrote the praises of the south in a St. Petersburg Times article “The South is what we started out with in this bizarre, slightly troubling, basically wonderful country—fun, danger, friendliness, energy, enthusiasm, and brave, crazy, tough people.” These words could not be more true of Mobile, Alabama. Mobile is the quintessential southern city, and it’s charm is so sweet and sticky that it could sweeten tea. Some of its streets look just as at home in black and white as they do in color. This is especially true of much of the “Little Easy’s” downtown. One of downtown’s gems may just hold the key to the city’s branding revolution. While it may come as a surprise to some, Art(ology) has “it.” A beautiful home grown gallery, Art(ology) is nestled near Cathedral Square and is flanked by the Basilica. It is at once representative of all the things that have been the lifeblood of the city: art, business,and roots. While the gallery pays homage to roots, Art(ology) is in the business of nurturing sprouting wings. Since being founded by Ardith Goodwin in November of 2010, Art(ology) Inc. has served as a “gallery and gift shop specializing in handmade, mixed media, fine art, jewelry, and gift items for the tourists and residents of Mobile.” The founder simply acted on an unshakeable feeling that the newly available location was ideal for a business and especially so for a gallery. Therefore, in her words, she “networked and gathered seven other female artists to create a corporation.” 14 | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
MARKETPLACE
The voice of the corporation, Goodwin, explains the structure of the notably unique gallery. “We have between 6 and 8 permanent partners. Because we are a corporation, members actually buy in to the company. This requirement sets is apart from traditional co-ops because our partners not only invest in their own art careers but the gallery as a whole.” “The number of whole to half members changes as our membership does but we all work as a team to fill a vacancy so that our bottom line is not affected. Right now we are full and have a waiting list for potential partners.” In a culture that sometimes sees artists as flighting and unplanning, this may come as a shock. In a city that can’t seem to keep certain small businesses from shuttering and similarly, in a nation with high failure rates for start ups in general, the idea of a waiting list of people that are clamoring to collaborate and invest in, of all things, art, can be a little jarring. A testament to its solid foundation, five of the founding members are still partners: Ardith Goodwin, Marsha Sutton, Michelle Foreman Leech, Gail Rancier Wilson and Claire Noojin. Currently, partners on tap include Susan Wertelecki and new additions Bryant Whelan and Yvette Ward. The members share the space where classes are taught regularly. The artists can be commissioned, and the gallery actively participates in the downtown scene, through events that include Art Walk. Total “rehangs” or changes of art displayed take place quarterly. By growing a complex root structure, Art(ology) has managed to make itself into something that is all but living and breathing; something that is beloved. Nurtured by love that has come full circle, the gallery’s success helps facilitate an improved environment in downtown Mobile, quite similar to the centuries old oaks that shade the city and help clean it’s air. The love the city has for the gallery is quite reciprocated. As one member puts it, “We live here. We love creating beautiful pieces of artwork not only for tourists but for our neighbors as well, and it is our way of giving back to a city we adore.”
The roots of Mobile culture nourish the business. According to Goodwin, “Sundays are usually a busy day for us due to having tourists in town and the fact that mass lets out at the Cathedral. Art Walk is always our busiest time of the month unless there is a special event downtown such as Mardi Gras or a convention.” These draws generate significant revenue, but Art(ology) does not let making a profit interfere with it’s mission. For Goodwin, her gallery’s profit structure is based on the power of doing the right thing. “As for profit, each member pays monthly dues so that our operating expenses are covered on the 1st. When we sell, the gallery keeps 15% and the artist keeps 85%, which is a great deal more than the average national gallery commission.” She added, “We do not partner with other businesses except for educational purposes such as St. Pauls and Space 301. Our business model was created specifically for our artists to experience a gallery setting without the extreme costs of overhead and commissions. The gift aspect was chosen to address the needs of the downtown and tourists markets.” If more businesses in the Mobile Bay Area, and even the smaller municipalities operated on the principles of this coop, consumer-vender, constituent-representative relationships would bear more fruit. The Mobile Bay area has all the potential to be an artist colony turned tourist destination of the caliber of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California or Towles Court, Sarasota, Florida. Boasting an essentially tropical climate and a well established culinary culture the area’s vacation potential could be recognized by more than snowbirds. The model for this business sustains itself. Art brings people together. Art elevates society. Let’s evolve.
SENSE MAGAZINE | 15
TRAVELOGUE
Destination Spacation A week of pampering can help you kick-start a healthier, more centered lifestyle.
Take the stress out of your mind and body with a Spacation at one of these luxurious spas that are within driving distance. PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAKE AUSTIN SPA RESORT BEALL + THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY
16 16 | | MAY AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 2014
TRAVELOGUE
Waldorf Astoria Spa at Boca Raton Resort & Club Boca Raton, Florida
B
oca Raton Resort & Club in Florida is proud to house one of the grandest and most luxurious spas in the country. The Forbes Four Star Award-winning, deluxe Waldorf Astoria Spa was built to resemble The Alhambra Palace in Spain and offers over 50,000 sq. ft. of stunning architecture, grand arches, elaborate mosaics and luxuriant surroundings. Discover a world of relaxation and rejuvenation at the Waldorf Astoria Spa. With over 44 treatment rooms and a vast range of signature treatments, Waldorf Astoria Spa provides the perfect Florida retreat. For more information, visit www.bocaresort.com
SENSE MAGAZINE | 17
TRAVELOGUE
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his beautiful 10,000-square-foot spa features eight treatment rooms, including two facial, four massage and two couple suites. Battle House Spa boasts separate men’s and women’s quiet rooms with eucalyptus steam rooms and heated whirlpools.
The Battle House Renaissance Mobile Hotel & Spa Mobile, Alabama
The Spa at The Battle House offers a wide array of treatment options, including body scrubs, wraps, facials, massages and more. For more information visit www.marriott.com
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TRAVELOGUE FEATURE
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Lake Austin Spa Resort Austin, Texas
ake Austin Spa Resort soothes the soul in an intimate, relaxed atmosphere featuring comfortable public areas, peaceful grounds and nature and wildlife trails nestled on 19 lakefront acres in Central Texas’ legendary Hill Country at the foot of the cool, blue Lake Austin. The LakeHouse Spa at Lake Austin Spa Resort offers more than 100 spa and salon treatments and a variety of treatment location options. Activities and spa services are designed for men, women and teens age 14 years or older. For more information visit www.lakeaustin.com
SENSE MAGAZINE | 19
TRAVELOGUE
F
Blackberry Farm Walland, Tennessee
rom its peaceful Smoky Mountain setting to its range of rejuvenating spa treatments and exhilarating outdoor pursuits. The resulting experiences are meant to do more than offer guests a glimpse of an idyllic, well-lived life — they’re intended to inspire them to live their own lives to the fullest. The Wellhouse, Blackberry Farm’s new wellness and spa facility, is rooted in this idea of connecting guests to engaging, fulfilling experiences. More than an indulgent escape, the new facility and enhanced, expert-led programming celebrate wellness and fitness in a refreshing full-circle context. For more information visit www.blackberryfarm.com
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SENSE MAGAZINE | 1
FEATURE
TEXT BY CHELSEA WALLACE
“The world is a complicated place, and there’s a lot of division between people. The performing arts tend to unify people in a way nothing else does.”
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hese words from philanthropist and arts enthusiast David Rubenstein perfectly encapsulate the experience of the performing arts. Innately cooperative and deeply challenging, arts such as music and dance strengthen artists emotionally and physically. As artists grow, their lives change. Luckily for Fairhope, the city hosts a wide assortment of performing arts, catering to a multitude of interests, talents, and abilities. Performing arts throughout the city explore the boundaries of skill, genre, and - in some cases - even gravity. Frank and Jamie Leatherbury have long enjoyed and supported the arts. Knowing many of the performing artists in the Mobile-Baldwin area, they found themselves supporting dance, theater, and music arts more and more. With their offices conveniently located in Fairhope, which included plenty of unused warehouse space, the Leatherburys’ support of the arts only grew. Mia Spicuzza Guzlas got the ball rolling, founding a dance company focused on maintaining the highest caliber of the art of dance. Guzlas acts as the Director of Performing Arts at Southern Edge Dance (SED), a dance studio that now encompasses a 16,000 square foot building devoted to performing arts. 22 | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
FEATURE
Guzlas and the Leatherburys shared a vision for a student facility that encompassed the related performing arts where students, children, and adults would have many choices and have the opportunity to work and play with friends joining them in all disciplines. More people have flocked to the SED studio, and the studio began to house even more avenues of artistic expression. “As word spread and others showed up to teach and take classes, we thought it would be a good idea to bring everyone under one marquis at our facility, and that became ‘65 South.’ We provide the management, the house and the funding,” Jamie Leatherbury said. The facility also includes the Bean & Bistro where performers, parents, and visitors can enjoy healthy food and drinks, as well as coffee or tea, while waiting for the next class. There are also plans and space for another 12,000 square feet for expansion, perhaps for a performance rehearsal theatre. Southern Edge Dance Center is a company based on innovation in performing arts. Founded in 2007 by Mia Spicuzza Guzlas, SED continues to grow and explore new forms of dance and performance, all while creating quality productions for the entire community. SEDC’s Project Mouvement in Art gives advanced dancers of all ages a chance to push themselves and further expand their skill set. “One of my favorite things is to create a production, to put on performances and create these dances and watch them come to life,” Guzlas said. “I felt like there was a need all around Mobile and Baldwin Counties to put on productions and give dancers more opportunity to perform besides doing just ballet.” SED offers students - children and adults alike - a multitude of dynamic, unique classes. From ballet and pointe, tumbling and cirque, to even swing and ballroom, SED’s schedule of arts satisfies even the most adventurous of students. Southern Edge’s Ballet Master Lori Vagheri shares this dream to enhance the dance experience for all dancers. One of the coordinators of the fairly recent organization Project Mouvement in Art (PMIA), Vagheri believes anyone who possesses the desire to succeed in dance should have that opportunity. “We wanted to give students an opportunity to perform that was not in a competition setting,” Vagheri said. “It’s great for kids to be able to perform, and we want to make that opportunity for available to them.” Project Mouvement in Art represents Guzlas’, Vaheri’s, and Leatherbury’s passions for high quality performance art that benefits the entire community. In February 2013, PMIA hosted its inaugural performance “Carnival of the Animals,” performed by the highest caliber dancers ranging in age from eight to 29. Though 65 SOUTH and PMIA took a year off from performing after this initial show, Vagheri and her colleagues hope that PMIA’s performances will grow to be a community staple in the coming years.
One of the ways PMIA opens itself to dancers is in its audition style. Unlike traditional ballet and dance companies, performance hopefuls audition for each individual performance rather than for the company as a whole. “We wanted to make it available to kids who maybe don’t have the perfect ballerina body,” Vagheri said. “We have them audition for each performance instead of trying for this one company and just not making it at all.” Vagheri’s background as the Ballet Mistress with the Mobile Ballet as well as her teaching background with Dunbar Creative and Performing Arts Magnet School has driven her to push her students toward greatness. “Southern Edge is a professionally based school rather than just a dance school,” Vagheri explained. “This is a place that if you want to be a professional ballerina, a professional dancer, we can get you there.” Dance isn’t the only growing form of art in Fairhope. Fairhope Music is also part of 65 SOUTH. Rebecca Barry earned her Masters degree in music at Loyola in New Orleans and interned under Ellis Marsalis. Now, she teaches choir and music appreciation classes at Faulkner Community College. With a background in jazz, she decided to share her musical talents and passions with others. On January 14, she opened Fairhope Music, where she sells instruments and offers private music lessons, even performing with the dancers. Her background in touring across Europe and Canada, as well as performing at local favorites like Bay Fest and the Florabama, puts Barry in a unique teaching position, allowing her to pass on personal wisdom to students. “I perform all over, so I teach from a performer’s perspective as well as a teacher’s perspective, which not everyone can offer,” Barry said. Barry teaches many different types of students, from young children to adults looking to try something new. For Barry, teaching music means meeting the needs and desires of each musician, whatever they may be. “I don’t necessarily stick with just classical. I have some students interested in pop music, and so I cater to that,” Barry said. “My goal is to really cater to my students and what they want.” Looking to bring music to even more lives, Barry hopes to one day provide instruments to aspiring musicians in need, granting them the chance to truly impact their own lives. “A lot of students want to join the band but can’t afford it. One of my goals is to start a foundation [and work with 65 SOUTH] to raise money for these children to have the instruments they need whether purchased, donated, or loaned.” Barry said.
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F E AT U R E
A recent addition to SED includes “Cirque” classes, an exciting form of dance performed high in the air, suspended in colored silk fabrics. Jennifer Smith teaches the class, bringing her experiences in various art forms to the studio. Seeing a local need for a thrilling, breathtaking performance - similar to the theatrics showcased by Cirque du Soleil - Smith began to imagine what teaching the class might be like.
“I had this grand idea in my head of coming up with a class and a performance where we could have people [performing] in the silks, [along with] singers and dancers….And then you can throw in avant-garde things like you would commonly see in Cirque du Soleil-type performances,” Smith explains. “We don’t have anything like that in the South at all, and I thought that would be really neat.” The aerial silks classes and performances do more than astound onlookers: they help the performers, as well. “It’s almost a metaphor for life, for me. You do a lot of diving in the silks, so it’s almost like a metaphor for diving into life and knowing you’ll be caught. I’ve seen such a boost in confidence in girls taking this class, and it’s really phenomenal,” Smith said. “In there, we turn ‘I can’ts’ into ‘I cans.’” Being a part of performance art gives students more than a simple hobby. Music and dance give artists an outlet for personal discovery and self-expression. Just as David Rubenstein said, performing arts unite people unlike any other activity. Whether they dance en pointe, serenade on the sax, or soar in the silks, performance brings people alive in a way nothing else ever can.
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DESIGN
STAR
FORTIFICATION In 1529, the sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti turned the course of history by designing the polygonal defensive walls of a star fort, or trace italienne.
W
hen Michelangelo was asked to be an advisor in the construction of fortifications by the city of Florence, the cannon was a new weapons system that had been developed and used effectively to destroy the old flat faced walls of previous forts and cities. The cannon could fire a basketball sized ball of hand-worked stone. Using only the inertia of the fifty pound stone, without the need of explosives, well targeted shots could skip up to the flat surface of the fortress or city wall and punch a hole. The arrow shaped bastions designed by Michelangelo were some of the first used to help deflect cannon balls off the fortress wall at an angle. This greatly reduced the inertia of the ball and its destructive power. One of Michelangelo’s drawings of the fortification of Florence, Italy. Courtesy of Casa Buonarotti, Florence, Italy
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DESIGN
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DESIGN
Fort Morgan was built on the site of the earlier Fort Bowyer, an earthen and stockade type fortification involved in the final land battles of the War of 1812. Construction of Fort Morgan began in 1819 and was essentially three parts. The first constructed was the central fortification the ten-sided citadel. Next came the pentagonal fort with its five bastions and five curtains of casements on the interior and high walls. The fort itself was surrounded by a broad, dry ditch, outside of which were heavy earthen embankments to protect the walls against direct cannon fire. This broad, dry ditch was surrounded by a steep outer wall. The fort was shaped like a five-pointed star, with bastions projecting out at each of the points. The successful bastion not only protected itself from every place an attacker could strike it but also its adjoining ramparts and - very important - neighboring bastions. The mutual support of bastions, with one being able to lay down protective fire for another, was why this concept became so successful and so widely adopted. Straight sides allowed fire to be directed by defenders along any portion of its sides and out onto the ditch and ground beyond; there was nothing sticking out to interfere with lines of fire, no places to shield attackers.
“FortMorgan02� by Edibobb - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FortMorgan02.jpg#mediaviewer/File:FortMorgan02.jpg
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DESIGN
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DESIGN
The star-shaped Fort Morgan is also recognized for the fine craftsmanship of its brickwork. At the Magnolia River near Foley, Alabama, the land was once a brickyard where enslaved African Americans toiled in the blistering-hot sun all day to make bricks that were then loaded on barges and sent down the Magnolia River into Weeks Bay and then on out into Mobile Bay. The bricks from the old brickyard were used to help build Fort Morgan. Construction proceeded slowly at first, but by 1832 the structure was nearing completion. In that year, a clerk recorded in the construction account book that 30,600,000 bricks had been used so far. The fort was mostly completed by December of the following year.
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DESIGN
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DESIGN
The citadel had ten sides, each side furnished one room 50 by 18 feet and 20 feet high. A porch 10 feet wide was attached to the inner wall of the citadel, and there was a fireplace at the end of each room. Each room had one door which led to the porch through the center of the inner walls. The air was damp in the rooms because the heavy masonry walls were not lined with wood. The citadel was planned to accommodate 312 men and 21 officers. During the siege of the fort August 22, 1864, the citadel’s wooden roof caught fire and the building burned. Today only the outline of the brick foundation is visible. A five-star Michelangelo-designed fort, Fort Morgan and its counterpart, Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island, have defended Mobile Bay for hundreds of years. A total of seven flags have flown over Fort Morgan, including that of France, Great Britain, Spain, the United States, the Alabama Militia (Montgomery Rifles), the Confederacy and the State of Alabama. Fort Morgan, completed in 1834, is a masonry star fort that is regarded by some as “one of the finest examples of military architecture in the New World.”
The citadel at Fort Morgan as it appeared after its surrender following the Battle of Mobile Bay.
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ARTS
Exhibit Promises to Wow Visitors TEXT BY CHELSEA WALLACE DYNASTY COLLECTION, INC. REPRODUCED THE PATIALA NECKLACE FOR THE ARK OF INDIA EXHIBIT, WHICH WAS ORGANIZED BY THE HISTORY MUSEUM OF MOBILE PHOTO BY JACQLYN KIRKLAND
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M
any people dream of traveling the globe, of experiencing new cultures, new faces, and new ideas.
Roderick D. MacKenzie, who lived in Mobile at the close of the nineteenth century, lived that dream. Today, the History Museum of Mobile honors his explorations and his art with its first major traveling exhibit, “Ark of India.” The exhibit, which opens for the public on October 17, showcases more than 100 artifacts that give visitors a glimpse into early twentieth century India through the eyes of a Mobilian artist. Jacob Laurence, Senior Curator for the Museum of Mobile, excitedly described exactly what this exhibit means for the museum and for Mobile itself. “This is the first major traveling exhibit for the museum in its 50 year history,” Laurence said. “Mobile has such a unique history and culture, but there’s not a lot of traveling exhibits, if any, that highlight the city’s story. There’s so much to tell, and we may be taking the first step toward realizing what can be done to tell that story at a regional level.” Highlighting MacKenzie’s 14-year sojourn to India, the exhibit features dozens of paintings, personal belongings, and letters that tell MacKenzie’s story - nearly all of which are owned by the museum itself. Only six items within the exhibit have been loaned to the museum from outside sources: all other items come from the museum’s own collection, which has been in storage for decades and has never before been seen.
ARTS
“This is perhaps the largest single collection of MacKenzie’s Indian works and artifacts throughout the world,” Laurence said. “We at the museum feel very fortunate to have them in our collection.” The Ark of India exhibit has been in talks for about five years, with the real work and preparation happening over the last 18 months. In that time, the amount of support the museum received from outside benefactors proves that Mobile is more than simply a city: it is a community. “Nothing in this exhibit was outsourced outside of our community - everything was accomplished locally from building the exhibits to the printing to art donations,” Laurence explained. “We are attempting to reach out to the community, to be inclusive, and to represent the community, which is our mission.” MacKenzie’s masterpiece, Durbar, the State Entry into Delhi, sits as the centerpiece of the art collection. Depicting a grand processional with thousands of figures cheering to the parade of elephants and royalty, the painting was commissioned in 1902 by the Indian government. The contrasting blues and reds flood the senses, and the grand scale of the scene makes the celebration come to life in a way that one almost expects the parade to continue past the canvas. “This is one of the greatest pieces of internationally recognized art from an Alabamian, and few here have seen it at full scale in full color,” Laurence explained.
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ARTS
The painting will not be alone in the spotlight, though. Tanya and Tommy Cain, who own Dynasty Collection in Mobile, donated what will become quite literally the shining piece of the exhibit: a recreation of the Patiala jeweled necklace, first worn by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. Originally crafted by Cartier of France in 1928, the necklace contains almost 3,000 diamonds and weighs in at nearly 1,000 karats. The necklace boasts not only quantity, but quality. The yellow diamond, the focal stone of the piece, is the seventh largest yellow diamond in the world. The necklace would be valued at nearly $30 million today. “You can’t tell the story of India’s ruling class without touching on the splendor,” Laurence explained. “At the Durbar, everyone was wearing jewels, especially the royalty. And the Patiala fits into the story because it helps us tell the story of the splendor that marked the event. Tommy and Tanya provided that splendor.”
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Normally, the Cains focus their work on Mardi Gras crowns and scepters for krewes along the Gulf Coast. When Laurence approached them with the idea for this necklace, they were stunned but intrigued. “It almost can’t be done, but I’ve been doing this work for about 30 years,” Tommy Cain said. “This necklace is so difficult, even just to make it hang the way it does. It took a lot of brains to figure how to do it.” After the museum commissioned him to recreate the necklace, Tommy Cain studied up, reading about the necklace’s history to see how he could make the replica as accurate and as close to the original as possible. “I learned there are so many secrets that Cartier of France applied to this necklace,” Tommy said. “And I made it so that it was wearable. It has the same movement as the real one does. It doesn’t just sit there.”
ARTS
The Cains worked on the necklace for six months, an astounding period of time when many of their other creations can be finished in as quickly as an hour. Once he completed the necklace, Tommy called Laurence and asked him over for another consult, not revealing that the necklace was actually complete.
More than three years in the making, the exhibit sheds some much deserved light on a local artist of high caliber, revealing a prominent piece of Mobile’s history. After the exhibit opens in October, it will remain with Mobile for one full year before being offered to other state and regional museums.
“So I drive out there and Tommy unveils it, and it blows my mind,” Laurence recounted. “It’s one of a kind, it’s completely wearable. There’s no other reproduction of this necklace. It’s a true showstopper.”
To experience the story of MacKenzie and see the world through his eyes, be sure to visit the Ark of India exhibit, opening to the public on October 17. Viist MuseumofMobile. com for more information.
Indeed, it is. The necklace’s alluring sparkle draws the eye, the first thing one sees no matter where he or she stands in the room. The splendor of the necklace simply cannot be translated on paper or screen - it exists to be seen in person. The necklace is unique in more than one sense. The Patiala will be the only jewel on display within the exhibit, the better to illuminate its stunning, almost glorious beauty. Knowing that the museum could not afford to purchase such a precise reproduction, the Cains donated the Patiala to the museum as part of its MacKenzie collection. “There’s one term I don’t use. I don’t use the term ‘giving back’ to my city. What I like to do is give to my city. Anything I can do to help, like with the museum, I help them,” Tommy said. Laurence and the museum staff have watched the Cains and many others throughout the city give generously to the exhibit, donating more artifacts and paintings as well as funds to keep the project alive. “One group I’d like to mention specifically from among our many community partners is the A.S. Mitchell Foundation for a sizable contribution,” Laurence said. “Tommy and Tanya gave us their workmanship, while the Friends of the Museum acquired much needed original works of art. The Mitchell Foundation provided funds that helped us create much of the rest of the exhibit experience.”
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VIEWS AND NEWS
THE WHY OF WRITING BY ABBI GLINES
Back in the eighties when families sat down at the table for breakfast and dinner, I was faced with the difficult task of making sure my meal time story was better than my older brother’s. You can imagine how difficult this was. He was seven years older than me, and he always had funny stories about his friends and football practices. The things he shared about his day were always beyond entertaining.
BOOK SIGNING AND AUTHOR DISCUSSION
ABBI GLINES Author of
One More Chance THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 6:00 P.M. THE VENUE Tickets are $15 and include hors d’oeuvres and a $5 coupon toward the book purchase.
I hated that. I was the baby, and therefore, I was used to the attention. So, being very competitive and determined to have the best story at the meal table, I embellished on the events of my day. The drama and angst needed to tell a good story were thrown in to my elementary school day. Once I was done telling everyone at the table the events that occurred, I had their complete attention. The laughter that followed wasn’t because of the entertaining day I’d had. Instead, it was because of the ridiculous tale I had just told. Unfortunately, it seemed I was swiftly turning into a liar. This resulted in my mother giving me several notebooks and suggesting I stop telling my colorful tales as if they were fact and, instead, write them down — weave a story with my ideas. So I did. After writing that first story, I was addicted. I realized I could create anything I wanted to on paper, and it didn’t have to be the boring truth. The fantasies in my head poured out and the desire to entertain people was channeled into something much more fulfilling.
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Thanks to my mother, I was saved from a life as a liar and became a writer instead. Today I still have stories in my head. I can see a couple arguing on the street, and I want to create a tale around why they are fighting. What led them to this spot and this moment? It’s an obsession for me. To draw emotion and passion from people with the words I write. When I published my first book in May 2011, I had a goal in my head for two hundred people to read my book. If I could sell two hundred copies I would have accomplished something. I didn’t write that novel believing it would lead to anything else. I just wanted to share a story. One from my imagination that gave someone else a temporary escape. Sitting in my office now, a little over three years later, I am in awe. My shelves are lined with my stories translated into over twenty other languages. I have ten New York Times bestsellers that are framed on my wall. Cards and letters from readers all over the world are kept in a place of importance in a cabinet. All of this was not why I began writing. I just wanted to share a story and have someone enjoy it. And today that is why I still write. That’s why I’ll always write. The stories in my head may not be for everyone, but they entertain me. I love to escape into a good story. Knowing I can give that kind of joy to someone else is a beautiful feeling. Not a day goes by that I don’t sit back, look around my office and feel humbled by my life. I get to write my stories and share them. It’s all I ever wanted to do.
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VIEWS AND NEWS
A Life Intercepted with Charles
Martin
Football legend Matthew Rising had it all — married to his high school sweetheart and one of the winningest quarterbacks of all time, the number one pick of the NFL draft lost it all in an instant. In A Life Intercepted, New York Times bestselling novelist and former college football player Charles Martin beautifully tells the redemptive story of how one man had to lose it all to find it all. In a tribute to his best friend and an encouragement to root one’s identity in something deeper than football, Martin combines intriguing, emotive narrative with relatable characters worth rooting for, resulting in a classic story of love, loss, forgiveness and redemption in A Life Intercepted. What inspired you to write this book? I stood on the sideline last year watching my son play this game that once meant a lot to me. Watching him play surfaced some things in me that I’d not dealt with for a long time. The depth of those feelings – even after twenty years – surprised me. Pretty soon, I found myself working out those feelings and that bled into this book. Which is true with all my stories – it’s where I work out with my fingers what my heart and mind are dealing with. It’s a story I’ve wanted to write a long, long time. What experiences or skills from the football field have most influenced your life? Football is a game with defined boundaries and rules within which you get to play with reckless abandon. Where eleven do what one can’t and never will. It is, quite possibly, the greatest of games. I probably learned more from losing than I did winning (but I liked winning a good bit more). It’s also where I learned to fight through difficulty, pain, and circumstances you can’t control. It’s where I learned that heart, when it counts, trumps talent and skill any day. And it’s where I learned that when things get difficult, and I want to throw up my hands and walk away, I have the choice to quit or not. It’s that simple. As a writer, I’ve endured some major defeats. My first book was rejected 86 times; I’ve seen contracts cancelled, books rejected after I hit the New York Times list, and known days on end when the words just don’t come. Now, if you’re beginning to think that I’m some strong stoic, able to pick myself up by my own bootstraps, don’t. I’ve been beat down and humbled. And I have known defeat. The great thing about football is that it formed something in me at an early age, creating that gumption to buckle up my chinstrap one more time. Your son is currently a star high school quarterback. What do you hope he takes from the book? He was one of the first to read it. If it is in his heart to be good at football, I hope he plays it all out. Plays it with his whole heart. I hope he wins and succeeds and knows the fist-pumping jubilation that comes with great achievement. And when someone beats him – because they will – I hope he goes out with his buddies, eats a cheeseburger, drinks a chocolate milkshake, and then wakes up the next morning with a desire to get better. Lastly, I want him to know that he’s free to walk away from it. He doesn’t have to be me, doesn’t have to love it like I love it. I’m not measuring him by his success on that field, and the scoreboard is not the indicator of his value. It’s a game. That’s all. It’s a great game, but it’s still a game. You’re both an athlete and an artist. Do these two roles conflict with one another? Did you ever feel split between the two? Yes, but that was due to my immaturity. As I’ve grown, and aged, they mesh together pretty well. Both are expressions. This morning, I’m writing. This afternoon, in about three hours, I’ll go for a run. I need both. And I’m not sure I’d be very good at one if I didn’t have the outlet of the other. I’m grateful God allows me both.
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VIEWS AND NEWS
What do you hope readers take away from this story? Love does what hatred cannot – and never will. I hope readers like my stories. I hope they’re entertained. I hope they pass them around and talk about them. But more than that, when the lights go out and they’re facing a tough tomorrow, I hope that something about my story reaches down inside them where the world has dinged them, in the dark places they don’t talk about, and whispers the words they alone need to hear. At a speaking event, an audience member called out, “You write like a girl!” How is it that you are able to write novels that appeal so strongly to women? Is there something in your background that has influenced this aspect of your writing? I grew up with three sisters, a mom, a female parakeet and a female black lab. Maybe that had something to do with it. It used to ding me when readers waved my books in my face and stated, “You write love stories.” Made me feel like a windswept Fabio should be posing on my covers. I’d scratch my head and glance over my shoulder. “Why can’t I write cool, guy-stuff like Vince Flynn, Clive Cussler, Robert Ludlum, W.E.B Griffin, or Louis L’Amour? What’s wrong with me?” But while I enjoy those stories and admire those writers, deep down I don’t want to write like them. It took me a while to see that. To be okay with being me. I like what I write. That’s why I write it. I used to joke that I write like me cause I can’t write like them. I quipped, “If I could, I would.” We both know that’s not true. I’m writing the stories in me that I can’t NOT write, regardless of how they come across. When that lady stood up and screamed, “You write like a girl!” she was affirming that I write with emotion. That I don’t bury it. That I say things that her heart and others’ hearts need and want to hear. And yes, that goes for me, too. And I’m okay with that. Us guys are good at living out of one side of our hearts but we stumble when it comes to living fully out of both sides. (This goes for me, too. Just cause I’m talking about the idea doesn’t make me a pro.) We’re good at storming the castle, at slaying the dragon, but we ain’t too good at dinner table conversations in the weeks, months, and years ahead. “Good with sword and spear” does not necessarily equate to “good at listening to wife” or “good at engaging with kids.” Maybe my stories are my attempt to awaken this part of my own heart.
Hanging above my desk is a sign that reads, “Imagination is evidence of the divine.” I like that. I also believe it’s absolutely true. God thought me up and shared with me the ability to dream, think, create, and to do so independently of Him. If you let that sink in, that’s an amazing Creator. I used to give long drawn out answers to this. Let me skip all that and invite you into my prayers. When I pray about my life and specifically my career and writing, I ask the Lord to let my books stand, as C.S. Lewis and others have said, “as road signs to Jerusalem.” I pray they do that. Secondly, Psalm 45. Read it for yourself. I pray that at the end of the day my stories “make His name known to generations.” His glory. Not mine. Lastly, I pray that on that day when I’m there standing before Him, that He knows me, finds me worthy (and because of Him I am), and then leads me by the hand into His personal library. He points to a stack of well-worn books on His desk and says with both a smile and tear, “Look what I’ve been reading to my angels.”
About the Author Charles Martin is a New York Times bestselling author of nine previous novels, including his most recent book Unwritten. When not writing, his hobbies include bow hunting, working out (a blend of old school stuff and martial arts, called Fight Fit), and Tae Kwon Do, in which he currently has a black belt, though he notes he is “the least flexible person you’ve ever met.” His work has been translated into 17 languages. He lives with his wife, Christy, and their three sons in Jacksonville, Florida.
New York Times bestselling author
CHARLES MARTIN A Life Intercepted
Thursday, September 11, 2014 6:00 p.m. Celebration Church of Fairhope 8180 Dyer Road
What does the writing process look like for you? Books don’t write themselves. It looks like a lot of time in this chair. I’m very comfortable spending days on end right here and seldom coming up for air. Being able to do that is a gift – God gave it to me. Like Eric Liddle said, “It’s where I feel God’s pleasure.”
Tickets to the event are free and available to pick up at the bookstore. This $10 value is a gift to the community compliments of Page & Palette and Celebration Church. For more information contact Page & Palette at 251-928-5295 or visit www.pageandpalette.com.
What role does faith play in your writing?
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7540 Cipriano Court • Suite C • Fairhope, AL 36532 www.brownandmccool.com 40 | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
VIEWS AND NEWS
B E T W E E N
T H E
L I N E S
REVIEWS OF BOOKS AVAILABLE AT PAGE & PALETTE BOOKSTORE
WILSON BY SCOTT BERG
subterfuges around it were among the century’s greatest secrets, the result is an intimate portrait written with a particularly contemporary point of view—a book at once magisterial and deeply emotional about the whole of Wilson’s life, accomplishments, and failings. This is not just Wilson the icon—but Wilson the man. ($22.00, Penguin, Pub Date 9/2/14)
roll. As always with Follett, the historical background is brilliantly researched and rendered, the action fastmoving, the characters rich in nuance and emotion. With the hand of a master, he brings us into a world we thought we knew but now will never seem the same again. ($36.00, Penguin, Pub Date 9/16/14)
style, Andrews introduces these principles and offers all the tools necessary to make lasting changes in your life. ($19.99, Thomas Nelson, On Sale Now)
IN THE KINGDOM OF ICE BY HAMPTON SIDES
One hundred years after his inauguration, Woodrow Wilson still stands as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, and one of the most enigmatic. And now, after more than a decade of research and writing, Pulitzer Prize-winning author A. Scott Berg has completed Wilson—the most personal and penetrating biography ever written about the 28th President. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of documents in the Wilson Archives, Berg was the first biographer to gain access to two recently-discovered caches of papers belonging to those close to Wilson. From this material, Berg was able to add countless details—even several unknown events—that fill in missing pieces of Wilson’s character and cast new light on his entire life. From the scholar-President who ushered the country through its first great world war to the man of intense passion and turbulence , from the idealist determined to make the world “safe for democracy” to the stroke-crippled leader whose incapacity and the
THE LANGUAGE OF SILENCE BY PEGGY WEBB
EDGE OF ETERNITY BY KEN FOLLETT
Edge of Eternity is the sweeping, passionate conclusion to Ken Follett’s extraordinary historical epic, The Century Trilogy. Throughout these books, Follett has followed the fortunes of five intertwined families–American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh— as they make their way through the 20th century. Now they come to one of the most tumultuous eras of all, the enormous social, political, and economic turmoil of the 1960s through the 1980s, from civil rights, assassinations, mass political movements and Vietnam to the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Presidential impeachment, revolution—and rock and
THE SEVEN DECISIONS BY ANDY ANDREWS
In this revised and repackaged version of Mastering the Seven Decisions, master storyteller and life coach Andy Andrews has fast-forwarded the concept of success and what it takes to make it stick. Seeking out what separates the ordinary life from the extraordinary, Andrews has spent much of his life dissecting countless biographies and spending time with some of the most successful people on the planet in an effort to understand the principles that propel them toward greatness. The result: seven simple principles that—when applied consistently—render extraordinary lives. Through his entertaining, down-to-earth
Nobody in the family talks about Ellen’s grandmother Lola, who was swallowed up by the circus and emerged as a woman who tamed tigers and got away scot-free for killing her husband. When Ellen’s husband, Wayne, beats her nearly to death, she runs to the only place she knows where a woman can completely disappear—the same Big Top that once sheltered her grandmother. Though the circus moves from one town to the next, Wayne tracks it, and Ellen, relentlessly. At the same time, Ellen learns more about her feisty, fiery relative, and the heritage that is hers for the taking—if she dares. With her violent husband hot on her trail, Ellen must learn to stand up and fight for herself, to break the cycle of abuse, and pass down a story of love and redemption to her children. ($16.00, Simon & Schuster, Pub Date 9/9/14)
In the late 19th century, people were obsessed by one of the last unmapped areas of the globe: the North Pole. In 1879 an expedition led by a young naval officer, George Washington DeLong, aboard the USS Jeannette sailed from San Fransciso and ventured into the barren uncharted waters of the Artic. This small band of experienced sailors and scientists were eager to extend the limits of their own knowledge of the Arctic and bring glory to their country. This gripping and vivid recollection provides intimate details of the extreme dangers and hazards faced by these men. The adventure takes a more ominous turn as the Jeannette sinks and the sailors are faced with a horrendous journey across the ice. With twists and turns worthy of a thriller, In the Kingdom of Ice is a spellbinding tale of heroism and determination in the most unforgiving territory on Earth. ($28.95, Random House, On Sale Now)
SENSE MAGAZINE | 41
WELLNESS
What is Pellet Therapy? TEXT BY DR. ANGIE MCCOOL
H
ormone pellets are compounded medications in the form of estrogen and testosterone. They are compressed into a small form a little larger than a grain of rice and inserted underneath the skin. This delivery allows for a more steady state distribution of the medication throughout the bloodstream. The form of estrogen and testosterone that we use is considered bioidentical. This simply means that it is the same compound that we have in our bodies. In our experience, patients have reported relief of menopausal symptoms and a renewed sense of well being with pellet therapy. Pellets are one of the many forms of hormone replacement therapy that we offer patients when they present with complaints related to possible hormone deficiency. In our clinic, hormone levels are monitored by blood draws and dosing is variable. Dosing is based on the individuals levels, weight, height and medical history. The average dosing interval is every four months. There may be misconception or controversy about replacing testosterone in women. Testosterone plays a role in combating fatigue, mental fogginess, and low libido in both men and women. Other cited benefits include relief of hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and urinary urgency or incontinence. Although testosterone use in women is limited, a number of studies suggest these potential benefits. While men produce ten times more testosterone than women, in the early reproductive years women have ten times more testosterone than estrogen in their bodies. Many experts now believe that it is the loss of testosterone, and not estrogen, that causes women in midlife to gain weight, feel fatigue, lose mental focus, lose bone density and muscle mass as well as libido. Adequate levels of testosterone are necessary for physical and mental health in both sexes.
42 | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
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SENSE MAGAZINE | 43
LITERATI
FORGET THE EXCUSE BY GEORGIE “GIGI” HACKFORD
For what ever reason..... forget the excuse. Flowing flimsy justifications Passing the proverbial buck Insulting the moments wadded up and tossed into the winds trapping morbid propensity to sloth and procrastination... We beg you...forget the excuse... Let’s be honest about it... does “lie” ring a bell ? A little white one... not red orange yellow green blue indigo violet... The entire spectrum... does not color the little white lie... under the clever covers of... excuse... And what prompts this dodging the ball... A myriad of justifications... pyramids hollow emptiness... founded on folding fans flicking faceless For whatever reason...forget the logic...flip the consequences... feign the sincerity...bad acting at its best... In the habit of appeasing...think you’re pleasing... The audience is asleep anyway. But you never know...the One Awake... it only takes One To recognize the act...that little white three letter word... will come back and bite you in the three letter word... Can you...will you....try ( another three letter word ) to forget the excuse...Why ?(3) Because the “excuse” is one of those inexcusable Linguistic inventions... inexhaustibly accepted. What you can do is ...forget the excuse... Not to use or abuse...just lose... Better yet ... forget the excuse... and face the linguistic challenge... Be clear and honest ( if you can ). Drop the excuse into the forgotten flower pot of promises where potential sprouts of honesty will reach for the light. Forgot to water ? Forget the excuse...
LITERATI SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Sense invites you to submit edgy, eclectic pieces. We welcome short fiction, essays, humor, and poetry submissions. Rights to the material submitted remain those of its author, who is protected under Creative Commons licenses. We reserve the right to choose all materials that appear in the publication. For more detailed submission information, email editor@thesenseofitall.com. 44 | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014