Evince Magazine April 2022

Rae-yao Lee

Life Coming Into Focus p5

Page 2 April 2022

Evince Magazine Page 3

Editor’s Note

I

f you are lost in the woods, stay put.

Why?

How do you figure out the right path when you’re that kind of lost? In my opinion, you can’t.

The planning part of your brain is offline.

Rescuers find you faster if you’re still. If you move in the wrong direction, you could make everything worse.

But that doesn’t mean you should stay still, as if you’re lost in the woods.

I coach people who feel lost at life. Do you know that feeling? Everything has built up, you are overwhelmed, exhausted, and have no idea how to untangle the mess.

Pick a direction, and go.

Make one reasonable guess at a time. Try a thing, see if it works. Do more if it does, do something different if it doesn’t.

The goal when you’re stuck isn’t to find the right thing, it’s to find the next right thing. The goal is to move.

Check out the cover story to see this approach in action. At a critical crossroads in her life, Rae-yao Lee did not wait for the perfect path. She moved forward, and the right path caught up and found her.

Kendall Ratliffe is the editor of Evince Magazine and a results coach at www.tryonething.co.

CEO / Publisher / Andrew Scott Brooks Editor / Kendall Ratliffe kendall@evincemagazine.com Contributing Writers Linda Lemery, Darrius Johnson, Telisha Moore Leigg, Kendall Ratliffe, Corey Williams, Mack Williams Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont) Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349) Advertising For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.

Lee Vogler Director of Sales and Marketing (434.548.5335) lee@evincemagazine.com

On the Cover: Photo of Rae-yao Lee by Michelle Dalton Photography.

April 2022

Content 3 Editor’s Note

Kendall Ratliffe Account Executive kendall@evincemagazine.com

11

Moore Intrigue Valkyries Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg

You 12 Movies Missed from 20 years ago

by Josh Lucia

7 Color, Comfort, Confidence Spring Fashion:

8 5

Rae-yao Lee Life Coming Into Focus

by Kendall Ratliffe

10

Building a Reading Culture Spotlight on Project Literacy

by Linda Lemery

evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly; reveal syn see SHOW

How do YOU make tea?

Send your writeup of no more than 150 words (pictures encouraged!) to kendall@ evincemagazine.com.

Deadline for this and all other stories, articles, and calendar items is Friday, April 15 at 5:00pm for the May issue.

Editorial Policies

by Darrius Johnson and Kendall Ratliffe

April Calender

Kim Demont Graphic Design, Marketing (434.792.0612) demontdesign@verizon.net

Evince is a free monthly magazine with news about entertainment and lifestyle in Danville and the surrounding area. We reserve the right to accept, reject and edit all submissions and advertisements.

Hours In: 13 12 Danville, Virginia

by Corey Williams

14 “Miraculous” Faces

by Mack Williams

EVINCE MAGAZINE 753 Main St. Suite 3 Danville, VA 24541 www.evincemagazine.com 434.709.7349 © 2022 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Page 4 April 2022

September 30.

Once home to the city’s iconic Danville Register Bee newspaper building – reimagined for today’s traveler.

FEATURES & AMENITIES: Free high-speed WiFi | Mini-fridge and Microwave Keurig Coffee Maker | Premium Bath Amenities Iron and Ironing Board | Pet-friendly | Fitness Center Rooftop Deck (seasonal) | Free Parking Large Apartment Style Suites Available

420 Patton Street | Danville, Virginia 24541

T: 434-234-9440 www.danvillebeehotel.com

Evince Magazine Page 5

Rae-yao Lee

Life Coming Into Focus

by Kendall Ratliffe photo by Michelle Dalton Photography

a good kind of stress,” Lee says.

“It motivates you to do something that you care about. But then there’s the bad kind that wakes you up in the middle of the night.”

F

red Rogers. How does that name make you feel?

Calm, safe, understood?

Imagine feeling that way every day.

Enter Rae-yao Lee, the Coordinator of Social and Emotional Health at Sacred Heart Catholic School. Instead of Mr. Rogers’ cardigan she wears a lanyard. Like Mr. Rogers’ home, Lee’s classroom is safe and inviting. Soft area rugs are edged by colorful floor lamps that gently illuminate the room. Messages like “You are safe here” and “Yes, you matter” dot the walls.

Books with diverse faces show all students that they are welcome.

Overloaded students can take a mental break with coloring books, kinetic sand, and other materials at a sensory station. “I intentionally made it a homey space. I love my classroom almost more than my own living room!” laughs Lee. Like Mr. Rogers, Lee begins each class with a ritual. Where Mr. Rogers would change into house shoes, Lee’s students check-in using hand signals. In a glance,

Lee can gauge how her students feel that day. A student having a bad day can look around and see that he is not alone. Lee’s students learn skills to help them self-manage in a complex world.

“I don’t tell them what to think or feel. I help them find the words for what they’re experiencing,” Lee says.

While Lee sometimes feels like she fell into this work, her life story reads like an unfolding path that led her to exactly where she needed to be.

As a teenager, Lee had a powerful experience with trusting to her instincts. Although desiring to move far away for college, a persistent feeling tugged at her, telling her stay close. Lee’s mother passed away her freshman year.

Lee had stayed close, and she was grateful.

After working in Danville for three years, Lee reflected on her job.

She realized that it offered an excellent career track, just not for her. She started recognizing that stress comes in two forms. “There’s

Recognizing her feelings and trusting her instinct, Lee was convicted of her next step. She had to leave her job. And after that? Unknown. “I was searching for the thing that I loved,” Lee said, “not really knowing what it was.” She felt fear and excitement, but not worry. Faith grounded her conviction. “I knew that I was searching, I knew that something would come next, and I knew that I had to make room for it.”

Internally, Lee sought clarity.

Externally, she kept moving forward and saying yes. Lee got a job mentoring at-risk girls using martial arts as therapy. This job pulled on several threads from Lee’s past. As a child, Lee learned Tae Kwon Do and began teaching it when she was 14. As a musician, Lee and her sister received grants to perform and teach music in inner-city schools.

This developed flexibility, curiosity, and openness in Lee. “I learned to start with asking my students, ‘What do you love about this instrument? What kind of music do you want to play?’ And sometimes they didn’t know what they wanted, so I found a balance of pushing them and letting them guide me.”

During this time Lee also worked at a wedding venue. The excited

hope of the soon-to-be-married balanced Lee. It strengthened her for the heaviness that sometimes accompanied mentoring, which was difficult but rewarding, Lee recalls. “You never know what you’re walking in on any given day, especially with a martial arts class. There’s so many ways to teach anything. You have to figure out what the student actually wants and let go of what you want them to want. If I had to put a word to that time in my life,” Lee said, “it would be growth.”

A former principal of Sacred Heart heard about Lee, and puzzle pieces starting coming together.

“Covid has been hard,” Lee said, “and the school recognized that students needed someone who was just there to support them, who wasn’t a teacher or an administrator. And the crazy thing is, I had been feeling a pull towards school counseling, and I was looking up graduate programs. I met with the then principal and it was like the last piece of the puzzle.”

Lee was hired, and everything she has experienced she brings to her students: insight, faith, compassion, balance, and flexibility. She sees how she fits into a bigger picture. “Sometimes what feels like a twist of fate was meant to happen, but you can’t see it at the time,” Lee says.

“Where I am now didn’t all come easy, but I think life molds itself to make things happen. You just have to listen for it and follow.”

Page 6 April 2022

Evince Magazine Page 7

Spring Fashion

Color, Comfort, Confidence

by Darrius Johnson and Kendall Ratliffe photos by Jameel Austin

I’ve been seeing lot of play with materials. This winter it was puffer jackets like Missy Elliott wore back in the day. For summertime, you can think about playing with materials like mesh and netting.

D

arrius Johnson wants you to embrace yourself and embrace fashion. In this conversation, Darrius shares tips on the style trends he sees emerging this spring, and how to integrate them into your wardrobe.

KR: What is your interest in fashion?

DJ: I am very passionate about fashion, always have been, and I especially love intricacy and details. As a young person I did stay on trends, but I always found a way to make a look “me.” As a wardrobe specialist, I pull my passion and experience together to style men of all sizes with clothing that makes them feel good.

KR: What trends are you anticipating for spring/summer?

DJ: I think everything is going to be really expressive. Looking in Vogue Magazine, décor, and furniture, people are getting green sofas, painting green accent walls. There’s a whole psychedelic, 1970s Austin Powers vibe. I’m excited to see how these bright colors in décor are going to influence clothing and shoes.

I think we’re going to see more color blocking. Color blocking is

wearing colors that go together, but wearing them in big solid pieces, not prints. So what you see is blocks of color. For instance, navy blue, red, and white go together. So to color block you could wear red pants, white shirt, navy jacket, or navy pants, red jacket, white shirt.

We’re going to keep seeing what I call Little House on the Prairie dresses. Expect a lot of crop tops and bandanas too.

Everybody’s ready to get back out and get to the beach. It’s been a hard two years and people are ready to just lay out and have a good time.

KR: Any word for people who are insecure about their pandemic bodies? Do you have to wait until your body is different?

DJ: I wouldn’t wait. Do what makes your body comfortable.

And if you want to cover up, there are so many options that weren’t on the rack 10 or 15 years ago. You have full body bathing suits, full-coverage bikinis, cute cover-ups, or you can even grab a long t-shirt. Gentlemen have the whole onesies, shorts jumpsuits thing right now. And you can get creative with it. There are so many options out there that I would love you to have an attitude of hey, let’s try it, let’s make something new work. I know you want to stay in what

makes you comfortable, but I’m telling you there is something new out there that will look better on you than anyone else.

Follow Darrius Johnson on Instagram @styledbyjoseph84

We’re

on Danville!

Donna Gibson Owner

HOLLEY & GIBSON REALTY COMPANY

339 Piney Forest Rd., Danville, VA 24540

Office: (434) 791-2400 Fax: (434) 791-2122 Visit our website at

www.holleyandgibsonrealty.com

Page 8 April 2022

March

Calendar of Evince Abbreviation Key

• DMFAH = Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main St. 434.793.5644 www.danvillemuseum.org • DSC = Danville Science Center, 677 Craghead St. 434.791.5160 www.dsc.smv.org • PA = Piedmont Arts, 215 Starling Ave., Martinsville 276.632.3221 PiedmontArts.org • MSAC = Main Street Art Collective, 326 Main St, Danville, 434-602-2017, MainStreetArtCollective.com • GML = Gunn Memorial Library, 161 Main St, Yanceyville, NC 27379 336-694-6241

Ongoing

Danville Farmers’ Market: Saturdays through March 26, 9:00am - 1:00pm. 629 Craghead Street, Community Market Room.

Winter Vegetables, Jams and Jellies, Honey, Baked Good, and Crafts. 434.797.8961.

Camilla Williams Exhibit: Exhibit features her opera costumes including Madame Butterfly.

DMFAH Danville Civil Rights Exhibition: The Movement on permanent display.

DMFAH Mindbender Mansion: an eclectic place full of puzzles, brainteasers, and interactive challenges guaranteed to test the brainpower and problemsolving skills of puzzlers Gather hidden clues and secret passwords found by solving key puzzles. DSC. Pollination Investigation: 14-poster series that takes participants on an exploration of the who, what, when, where, why, and how of pollination by interpreting the unique relationship between pollinators and flowers. March 26-May 7. PA. Teen & Tween Clubs: Teen Thursdays at 3:15pm; Tween Fridays at 3:30pm. GML

The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass

April 1

Americans preserving and playing Appalachian old-time string band music, which was an intricate part of Black communities and formed the foundation of American music of today. Reception at 6:30 pm. Performance at 7 pm.

PA. piedmontarts.org for tickets, $20 General Admission.

Author Talks!: Tierra Bethel shares Let There Be Sound, her story of overcoming hearing loss. Don’t miss this inspirational story from an amazing young lady. Refreshments before the program. 11AM. Halifax CountySouth Boston Public Library, 509 Broad St, South Boston, VA 24592.

April 8

April 19

Weave an Easter Basket: 11am, $45, MSAC

Racin’ & Tastin’: All you care to eat BBQ. Open bar. Entertainment by Mended Fences. $35 individual. $400 Corporate table. Community Market. 5:3010:30pm. 434.793.4636

April 22

Ring Making: Make 4 Rings, 6pm, $40, MSAC

April 23

April 2

Stained Glass Suncatcher: 11:00 am $45, Main Street Art Collective Fused Glass Dish: 2:30 pm $55, Main Street Art Collective Charity League Spring Bargain Fair 2022: Furniture, clothes, toys, holiday, books, housewares, sporting goods and much, much MORE!!

8 AM – 2 PM. 242 Franklin St, Martinsville, VA 24112-2706

April 7

Earl White String Band: An original and founding member of the famed Green Grass Cloggers, Earl White is one of few Black

Kids Spring Break Fun: Paint & Games. 1pm-3pm, $25, MSAC

April 9

2022 Bridge2Bridge Race: Support Danville-Pittsylvania Cancer Association. Run, walk, bike, and kid-friendly options from 5k-60 mile. Prices and registration at bridge2bridgedanville.com. 8 AM – 12 PM. Community Market, 629 Craghead St, Danville, VA 24541.

Books & Bunnies: Easter Egg hunts, crafts, fun activities, and FREE books for children ages 0-12 years old! Presented

by The Harvest Youth Board, a completely student-led organization creating youth initiatives in Henry County.

9AM-12PM. Smith River Sports Complex, 1000 Irisburg Rd, Axton, VA 24054.

Pictures with Easter Beagle: Join the SPCA and Dawson Photography for our Pictures with Easter Beagle. $10 for a 5x7 picture. Walk-in event, no appointment needed. 9 AM – 1 PM. 132 Joseph Martin Hwy, Martinsville, VA 24112-8111

Earth Day Family Day: Celebrate Earth Day at this fun Family Day for all ages. Create crafts using recycled materials.

Complimentary snacks. Free.

11 AM-2PM. Gravely-Lester Art Garden at PA. Paint a Gnome Statue: 11am & 2pm, $30, MSAC

April 28

JeopardBee Spelling Competition.

Fundraiser for Project Literacy, which provides free one-on-one tutoring for adults. Up to 15 pre-registered teams will compete for titles of Spelling Bee Winner, Most Creative Spellers, and Most Enthusiastic Team. Also Silent Auction and 50/50 Raffle.

Nana Karen’s Food Truck on site.

2 Witches Winery and Brewing Company, 209 Trade Street, Danville, VA. 5:00 to 9:00 PM. Spelling Competition starts at 6:00 PM. Adult Arts and Crafts - Yarn Flowers: Registration is required.

Call (434) 799-5195. 5:30 PM. Ruby B. Archie Public Library 511

Evince Magazine Page 9

Patton St, Danville, VA 24541 Moana, Movies at the Crossing: FREE movie night under the stars with games and family activities.

Food available for purchase at on-site food trucks. 8:30PM. Carrington Pavilion, 629 Craghead Street, Danville, VA 24541.

April 30

String Art Lighthouse: 11am, $40, MSAC

Danville River View Rotary Rods & Ride: Rods & Rides is a wonderful chance to dust off your favorite rods and rides and hang out in beautiful Ballou Park in Danville, VA. Cars will be placed on the front lawn in the park under the shade of the many trees!

Registration / Check-in begins at 9:00 am with the show winding down at 2:00 pm. Registration is $20. Pre-registration can be

found online at Msreg.com/ RiverviewRODS-RIDES. $10 -Shirts are available for pre-registrations only. Sponsored by URW Community Federal Credit Union and Woodall Auto.

The Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass Concert: Iinternationallyknown eleven-piece ensemble breaks barriers between genres.

Averett Frith Fine Arts Center, 150 Mountain View Ave. 7:30 p.m.

Cash/check at the box office $30 adult or $15 student age 18 or younger. Also, eventbrite.com; Karen’s Hallmark, Danville Mall; Gingerbread House, Memorial Dr.; 326 Main St. Art Collective Danville Concert Assoc. 434.770.8625 danvilleconcert.org

DRESS DAYS

Stunning Spring Selection 400+ Dresses In Stock Casual, Career, Occasion Solids, Prints, Novel Fabrics Sizes 2-22|most $55-$284

Upcoming May 6

Trolls World Tour Movies at the Crossing: FREE movie night under the stars with games and family activities. Food available for purchase at on-site food trucks.

8:30PM. Carrington Pavilion, 629 Craghead Street, Danville, VA.

May 7

Stained Glass Box: 11am, $52, MSAC

Open 11-5 M-Sat | 559 Main Street Danville, VA 24541 | 434.792.6822 Shop Online - rippes.com | @rippesfashion

Since 1953, Sacred Heart has been a strong member of our community. For over 65 years, Sacred Heart, and Danville, has grown but SHCS still remains the first and only Catholic School and the oldest non-public.

In person classes Online Application & Enrollment

Visit our website at https://sheartschool.com and visit our admissions page or scan this code to learn more about how to apply and for more information.

A new, re-imagined preschool program.

Check out our Facebook for more information!

Latest technology PRE-K 3 - 8th Grade

OUR 2022-2023 APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN

540 Central Blvd, Danville, VA 24541 434.793.2656 dsullivan@sheartschool.com

Page 10 April 2021

Ms. Powell’s take-home messages: “Evince readers are highly literate,” she said. “We need your help to spread the word about Project Literacy and JeopardBee. We welcome sponsorships and donations.”

Building a Reading Culture

A former teacher strongly interested in education, Mr. Todd Helms became Project Literacy director in 2021. His excitement about literacy stems from his own joy of reading--and sharing that joy--along with his sense that citizens must read fluently to survive and prosper in today’s world. Recent positive effects he’s seen include a high school graduate who learned to sign his name in cursive and a former Project Literacy client who became a tutor.

Spotlight on Project Literacy

by Linda Lemery

Mr. Helms started “Book Buds,” a book group for people who already read, but need more help with understanding. Book Buds meets on Tuesdays at 4:30 PM at The DogEared Page in downtown Danville.

Laura Powell. Photo by Linda Lemery.

F

riends, I declutter because it helps me make space for meaningful activities in my life, like volunteering with Project Literacy. Project Literacy provides free, one-to-one tutoring to low-literate adults (“clients”), after which clients can transfer to the city’s adult education program to continue growth.

Project Literacy is a 501(c)3 organization housed in West Main Baptist Church through the church’s generosity.

Laura Powell, Ed. S., is a huge fan of Project Literacy.

Having worked as tutor and developmental educator at Piedmont- and Danville Community Colleges, tutoring for Project Literacy was a natural fit. She became director in 2019 and board president in 2021.

She learned about community and agencies through tutoring at Goodwill, participating in Dan River Nonprofit Network, and earning a Certificate in Nonprofit Management through the Danville Regional Foundation/Duke University Office of Continuing Studies. She’s also president of Luncheon Pilot Club of Danville which focuses on brain health awareness. I asked Ms. Powell about the need for Project Literacy.

“Our city’s low-literacy rate of 18% means nearly one out of every five people,” she said. “Low-literacy limits job opportunities and can compromise a whole family’s health and wellbeing. Having low-literacy parents affects children and grandchildren, especially when a low-literate mother has difficulty reading.”

“Often children in low-literacy families don’t own books,” Ms. Powell continued. “Children need books to build reading fluency. Project Literacy’s volunteer tutors work on these which helps clients progress.

The best way to improve reading is to keep reading.”

Ms. Powell shared information about the corporate-sponsored JeopardBee. “Community member Nancy Jiranek started Project Literacy in 1986 when she identified the need for its services. The JeopardBee annual fundraiser raises money while embodying Project Literacy’s mission—teams compete in a spelling bee.

This is a community event and spectators are welcome. One of the prizes is for ‘most creative spelling,’ so this isn’t just your traditional spelling bee!”

Mr. Helms has built a large Project Literacy library with novels, magazines, cookbooks, and more that are free to clients to help build reading skills and enjoyment. “People first read what they’re interested in reading,” he said.

“We encourage reading [by offering choices].”

Regarding tutoring, the Project Literacy office has resources like acrylic shields to help tutors and clients interact safely. Warm, welcoming, and print-rich, the office has current technology and games to encourage reading. Tutors and clients negotiate when and where they will meet, including virtually.

When I asked Mr. Helms what motivates him to read, he referred to a Frederick Douglass quote featured on one wall: “Once you learn to read, you’ll be forever free.” Mr. Helms shares that that quote also applies to writing, math, technology, and more; that reading enjoyment leads to experiencing magic with reading and understanding; and that he wants to share that magic.

For more information about Project Literacy, becoming a tutor or client, and the JeopardBee, call Project Literacy at (434) 483-7994 or email projectliteracydanville@gmail. com.

About the Author: Linda Lemery llemery@ gmail.com is a Project Literacy board member, tutor, and 2022 JeopardBee planning committee member. “Reading is magic” works for her!

Evince Magazine Page 11

“Moore Intrigue with Telisha Leigg”: A Monthly Fiction Column

Valkyries

by Telisha Moore Leigg

A

llen, When I tell you that Mean Keisha came by our home again against your wishes, that she just strolled past the living room into the hallway to our bedroom door and stood there tapping her foot and snickering. “Where lover-boy at?” (then looking at my mostly flat belly). Mean Keisha hollers out, “Y’all gone make another one?” (when she knows we can’t).

She’s tall, dark black; she’s a 45-year-old, right-punch-swinging, Juicy Fruit popping; Sweet Tart crunching menace.

off-key, crazy-coded cussing to protect little ears. Son of a… bi….stupid…b-ig dog! You will never be out of control like Mean Keisha, who once broke a storefront picture window, who busted up two old pianos and the owner with a baseball bat in a bad neighborhood to protect me, the homeless girl, from a pimp who wanted another young girl for ego, money, and the world’s might-makes-right general sadness all around-when if you looked into her eyes-you knew no one ever had protected her.

In times of peace….

But if you want a fight….

It’s no use to tell Mean Keisha to stop coming over. She won’t stop.

And recently it’s no use to ask how she got in. I already know. I can see from the sink that our Aurora Jane, 5, our resident rebel-with-alollipop, is hiding behind the sofa with her head just barely poking out. She is in awe of Mean Keisha.

You will never stop the Mean Keisha that broke skin and a knuckle on the face of Fathead Swanson, the boy who had this huge afro but a long skinny face, who thought it would be cool to try to mess with me and then tell his friends. How he didn’t get the chance because Mean Keisha broke his nose in front of his girlfriend, not me. And talked junk about his...junk. And how she told all this in righteous glory in the abandoned Maylin park.

She’s not much older than me, yet she was the protector. Mean Keisha says that life is a bunch of cabbage out too long that you gotta eat anyway ‘cause there is not a damn thing else. And she’s right, mostly Allan, except for you and the girls.

you won’t find Mean Keisha…

I have thought all day, how I am going to explain to you, Allan, that this time she brought both a flathead and Phillips screwdriver and went to our bedroom door and took the old glass door knobs off with a wicked smile.

“Why, Keisha?” I sigh. I don’t try to stop her. It never stops her.

“You tell yo man, Keisha wuz here?” she chortles, flips the flathead in her right hand, and winks at our other daughter Sara, who though two years older is shyer, not a fighter in that way.

Our Sara drops her eyes. But not our Rorie, who crawls out from behind the sofa, hurls herself at Mean Keisha, and swings on Mean Keisha’s left arm--head back screaming with laughter and joy. or Aurora Jane.

Allan, when you find out, you will quietly stomp, pick up and slam down with careful effort a box of Cheerios, but Mean Keisha will keep coming and you will let her. When you curse, you will do that quiet-yell, the

if you need to battle…. If you need bone-crunch, battle stormers, those that don’t run.

Allan, are you really going to kick out the Mean Keisha who went to get her gun on the man who raped me, who told you where he was hiding and you think I don’t know what y’all did… but shhhh…some hate is just..and best unsaid? This is the same Mean Keisha, the same one who told me to my face in the hospital when I was dying or bleeding out trying to gut-push Aurora Jane out to just get to pushing or get to dying. And I was so tired. And how you almost punched her when she leaned into my face and smirked, “Fallen, this one mine less you wake up” And I

woke up, bleeding, too weak even to hold her, but knowing Mean Keisha was dead-damn serious. And Rorie Jane was howling, and you were tending to me and worried about how our Sara would take it if I passed.

Just then, Mean Keisha looked at me, her black face shining like hell, and looking at the baby said, “Like know like” indicating with a dip of her chin my sweet baby.

And I remember cursing her out, breath and blood both leaving as she sat down in a chair away from me crooning to my baby as they sewed me up. I lived; she gave me back my baby, but she keeps coming by here, Allan.

They have what you’re looking for.

So, no, you and I know the truth, we ain’t the fighters. But Mean Keisha and our Rorie, they are Valkyrie born, like the old Norse handmaidens who walked among the dying, picking who went to heaven, and who stayed bones.

“This has got to stop, Fallen. I mean it,” you say when I tell you.

You stab that finger at me again, slam the bedroom door with no doorknob, and I feel bad but

not bad enough when you ask me what I was doing while she did this. Because…I did nothing, Allan. I never told her to stop.

Today, Mean Keisha, she took that doorknob off from both sides and gave one to our Sara like a figurine rose to put with her dolls, but she taught Rorie how to swing it like a soldier with the part that sticks out, and Rorie learned again laughing.

“Go on, now, Rorie-girl, ‘fore your Daddy takes it from you.” And our Rorie Jane clutched it to her chest like gold, went promptly out to bury it in the backyard in a tin box with her other treasures and beside her dead hamster, Ralph.

Later, at dinner with Allan present, over chicken, carrots and peas, Rorie Jane takes Mean Keisha’s hand during prayers and Mean Keisha allows it, but they both keep their eyes open.

I worry about Mean Keisha’s like know like; I think this bond may be trouble and you do too--but you surprise me in that you don’t seem angry or sad. Just be--for as long as you can--a fence too high to jump, and too wide to keep them from tending for the wild.

Love, Fallen

Page 12 April 2022

Movies You Missed from 20 years ago

by Josh Lucia

I

n the last 20 years, on average, over 600 movies have been released theatrically each year. Each issue we look back at a movie released 20 years ago this month. You may not like every choice, but our goal is to show you a movie you might have missed, perhaps one you just forgot, or maybe one you were not old enough to see.

We will also be including a few honorable mentions that may suit your taste better than the main review.

- Josh Lucia @jlucia85

Frailty Released April 12, 2022 Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller Rated R: Violence and Language 1hr 40m

The late Bill Paxton directed only two movies during his life: The Greatest Game Ever Played, a family friendly drama about golf, and Frailty, the story of a single father raising two boys... with a commandment from God to destroy demons posing as humans. Frailty stars Paxton as the father and Matthew McConaughey as one of the sons recounting his childhood to an FBI Agent played by Powers Boothe.

What you get is part The Shining, part coming of age family drama, and part investigative thriller. The concept feels a bit absurd until you look at many biblical stories that many believe to be true, and

ask the question, “What if?” Paxton does well as both actor and director, keeping you questioning whether the father is crazy or truly doing God’s work. The child actors really make the story work, particularly the younger version of McConaughey’s character.

The plot may come across as cheesy to some, but if you buy into it a little it’s a fun ride. While the violence is not filmed to be extremely gory, it still can feel intense at times given the way in which some of the killing takes place. This movie could be considered horror and may be offensive to some.

While scouting filming locations in Pasadena, director Bill Paxton met a homeless man and offered to give him some money. The man did not want charity, so Paxton instead offered to buy the use of his name for this movie. The homeless man’s name was Otis.

This film was given high praise by directors James Cameron, Sam Raimi, and author Stephen King, with King calling it one of the best horror movies of the year.

Rating: 8/10 Streaming on HBO Max. For rent/ purchase on all major platforms.

Honorable Mentions: My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Jason X, Joshua, The Salton Sea, The Scorpion King

Evince Magazine Page 13

12 Hours In: Danville, Virginia

by Corey Williams photos by Mary Motley Photography

Corey and Atticus in front of the downtown HOME sign.

S

pring break is right around the corner!

With gas prices rising, exploring your hometown is a fun way to save money and support your local economy. I have lived in Danville for roughly five years and watching its transformation has been incredible – recovering from a fallen economy, revitalizing and reimagining its downtown area, and rebranding the entire city to be a safer and more inclusive space.

In this mini-series, 12 Hours in a City, I’ll be providing tips and recommendations that can be used whether you’re just passing through or making a day trip. What better place to start than right here in our own little Rivertown? Here’s how you can spend 24 hours in Danville: • Our small but bustling downtown offers of spots that serve breakfast and coffee.

Start the day off right with the most important meal of the day, plus you’re going to need the fuel to continue the day’s adventure!

• One of the biggest selling points for Danville is the

beautiful river that flows right through the middle of the city. Take a mid-morning stroll on our Riverwalk and if you’re really feeling adventurous, rent a bike or scooter and exploring all fourteen miles of the trail! Also feel free to venture out to Dan Daniel or Angler’s Park for more trails and outdoor activities.

• For lunch, head back to our River District or our North Main District to visit one of our local spots; we have a wide variety of food in our region but southern charm seems is the central ingredient for all of our restaurants.

• We have a number of shops and boutiques downtown.

After lunch, browse through, meet some of our local small business owners, and hear their stories. We also have an art and history museum and a newly renovated science center. Perfect for kids, families or anyone who just appreciates art and science!

• Need an afternoon snack?

Head to one of our ice cream or frozen yogurt spaces. If you’re lucky, you may catch our local ice cream man. But

don’t look for a truck, because he rides a bike!

• For dinner, we have a number of restaurants that offer some sort of outdoor dining or patio seating – bonus point if you dine at a restaurant near the river.

• As you wrap up the evening, grab a beer or glass of wine at one of our local breweries or wineries. If drinking isn’t your preference, get another frozen treat! You’ve earned it.

Follow me on Instagram @ coreyrunswild to see some of my favorite haunts, and if you’re in the area, feel free to meet me for coffee or a beer and say hello!

Corey Williams is a local writer, educator, content creator and community activist. When he isn’t grading papers or studying for his doctoral program, Corey enjoys reading, writing, running and exploring new cities and places.

Corey somewhere in Danville’s river district—can you guess where??

Page 14 April 2022

“Miraculous” Faces

by Mack Williams photo by Tyisha Hicks

Three Moons Over Keen Street by Tyisha Hicks Instagram @Tyishahicks22

A

number of Covid masks are coming off, whether paper or cloth. Seeing a known face again is kind of like seeing the full moon’s face once more after it’s gone through its fragmentary phases; although, we’ve been used to the moon’s series of “coverings” as far back as people can remember.

Just imagine if the pace of the moon’s phases had been slowed down so much that the passage of time from new moon to full moon had taken one year; then full moon back to new moon would have been another year (equaling the approximate amount of time

we’ve been enduring Covid).

Wearing a “Phantom of the Opera” mask wouldn’t have done much for viral protection; but its division of the face “longitudinally” rather than “latitudinally” would have at least made recognition of friends a little easier. The particular (or “peculiar”) gait of some friends and acquaintances sometimes helped in the recognition of a covered face “hobbling” or “sauntering” by.

Seeing the faces of friends revealed again is rather exciting!

On the old TV wrestling shows which I watched as a child with

my father, the audience became excited when the “good guy” wrestler tried to unmask the “Great Bolo!” But the Bolo’s mask was so terrifying to me that I feared that what lay beneath it may have been even worse!

Perhaps it’s just me, but I’ve noticed a strange sort of “miracle” connected with friends’ faces revealed again.

It seems that many of my now bare-faced friends look younger than when they donned their masks!

Two of them, both cancer survivors now look younger in their un-masked state than before. And both had

“gone under the knife” some years before they “went under the mask!”

Their smiles seem brighter, too!

Maybe people’s masks, and in some cases, face shields protected their faces from the aging effects of summer sun, wind-blown grit, and winter’s wind-blown snow (after the fashion of welder’s glasses and goggles).

It could be a trick of my septuagenarian perception or subliminal messages sent to me from my own imagination.

Who knows?

Evince Magazine Page 15

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Right price.

Right here in town.

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Call me today.

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

State Farm Bloomington, IL 2001290

Saturday, April 30, 2022 10:00am-2:00pm Centra Danville Medical Center 414 Park Avenue Danville, VA 24541

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Page 16 April 2022