Evince Magazine June 2020

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Page 10

The Wine Spot

Red, White or Flexible?

Page 13

Book Clubbing

Overground Railroad 320 Holbrook Street, Danville, VA

Page 14

Take a Road Trip Around Pittsylvania County See Page 4

Page  2 June 2020 #evincematters

Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography

Help Evince and Showcase survive https://bit.ly/2zf6MNO Page 3

Editor’s Note

I’m a firm believer that if Plan A doesn’t work, go to Plan B. Most of us are probably on Plan G or Z by now after two months in quarantine. Evince, The Voice of Flexibility, is perfect for this situation.

Was Plan A to go on vacation this month? Plan B could be a road trip around Pittsylvania County to see the outdoor barn quilts. Find someone who drives a convertible and it’s even more fun. See page 5 for guidance.

Be sure to read Diane Adkins’ review of a new book on page 14 that has a local connection. She writes about traveling in America during a different era and the adaptations African Americans had to make in order to arrive safely.

Laugh with Linda Lemery as she reminds us on page 12: “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not break.” She is the poster child for that movement. “Looking Through a Glass Brightly” on page 9 suggests a site and sight that are upbeat in these trying times. Use what you have is Annelle Williams’ advice in preparing Mediterranean salmon.

The recipe is on page 13. Should you serve white wine, red wine, or flexible wine with it? Read “The Wine Spot” on page 13 for an answer.

June Contents

3 Editor’s Note

4 Take a Road Trip Around Pittsylvania County

by Joyce Wilburn 6 Pane

Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg 8 Renovation Reality

by Carla Minosh 9 Looking Through a Glass Brightly

by Mack Williams 10 Calendar

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Bettina Belles & Henry Huson 12 Reflecting Forward

Blessed are the flexible for they shall not break.

by Linda Lemery 13 The Wine Spot / Red, White or Flexible

by Dave Slayton

Around the Table / Mediterranean Salmon

by Annelle Williams

14 Book Clubbing

Overground Railroad The Green Book and

the Roots of Black Travel in America

by Candacy Taylor / review by Diane Adkins

OICE OF FLEXIBILITY

CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com Copy Editors Jeanette Taylor Larry Wilburn Contributing Writers

Diane Adkins, Bettina Belles, Kim Eaton, Henry Huson, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, Carla Minosh, Rebecca Page, Dave Slayton, Joyce Wilburn, Annelle Williams, Mack Williams

Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont) Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349) Marketing Consultants For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.

Lee Vogler Director of Sales and Marketing (434.548.5335) lee@evince magazine.com Sam Jackson Marketing Consultant (434.709.3528 sam@showcase magazine.com

How to Keep from Growing Old from Green Book Kim Demont (434.792.0612) demontdesign @verizon.net evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly: reveal syn see SHOW Deadline for submission of July stories, articles, and ads is Saturday, June 20, at 5:00 p.m.

Submit stories, articles, and calendar items to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

More readers are finding Evince online at www.evincemagazine. com but paper copies are still available. However you choose to read Evince, we appreciate you. Everything else might change, but that stays the same.

Editorial Policies:

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.

EVINCE MAGAZINE 753 Main St. Suite 3, Danville, VA 24541 www.evincemagazine.com

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THE

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Cost is $24 a year.

On the Cover:

Photo Photo of of the the barn barn owned owned by

by Joey Joey & & Tammy Tammy Bray Bray on on R R& & LL Smith Smith Road Road by by Michelle Michelle Dalton Dalton Photography.

Photography. See See story story page page 5.

5.

© 2020 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 June 2020 #evincematters

G

Time for a Road Trip

et out of the house and into

your car. If you need an

excuse to roam, here it is. Talented artists have created public art for you to enjoy while traveling the major roads in Pittsylvania County. If it’s a chilly day or the car AC is too cold for you, bring along a comfy quilt to snuggle in and then search for barn quilts on the sides of historic tobacco barns. Barn quilts are colorful, square murals with simple geometric shapes painted

Around Pittsylvania County

by Joyce Wilburn on boards and made to look like traditional cloth quilt squares. They are usually 8x8 feet in size and hung on the sides of barns, houses and other buildings.

Barn quilt trails started in Ohio in 2001 and have spread across the nation. Halifax County has more than forty-one quilts on their well-developed trail. Visit

www.GoHalifaxVA.com for more information. Nearby Person County, North Carolina, also has a trail. Visit www.visitroxboronc.com for a map. Caswell County, North Carolina has plans to develop one in the near future.

For a longer road trip, visit the Virginia Quilt Museum, 301 South Main Street, in Harrisonburg, VA. It is scheduled to reopen on June 10. For more information, see www.vaquiltmuseum.org.

Pittsylvania County Barn Quilt Trail

1. Start at 300 Bowman Drive, Dry Fork (GPS might use Chatham) to see the first barn quilt. Coming from Danville, it’s on the right side of the road. You can see it from Route 41. There’s space to drive off the road for a photo. Preservation Virginia restored this barn. Drive 2.2 miles to the next site.

3. 728 Violet Lenora Way, Danville Even at a distance from R & L Smith Road, this maple leaf barn quilt on Mimi’s Barn is striking.

Mimi is Sandra (Seamster) Adams, but she is known as Mimi to the grandkids, Silas Zeidler age 12 and Violet Hilliard age 3. The barn belongs to Sandra and Jeff Seamster. Drive 8.4 miles to the next site.)

2. 3685 R & L Smith Road, Danville This beautiful barn pictured on our cover belongs to Joey and Tammy Bray. With the help of Preservation Virginia it was restored. Drive a short distance on R & L Smith Road to the next barn quilt. #2 before restoration.

4. 6281 Spring Garden Road, Blairs This barn quilt is on the side of the house. It can be seen from the intersection of Spring Garden Road and Dodson Drive. Drive 9.1 miles to the next site.

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8. 2293 Laniers Mill Road, Danville Wayne Ashworth owns this barn saved with grants from Preservation Virginia and JTI.

5. 15957 Old Richmond Road, Keeling You might know this address as the location of Pine Lane ATV Trails owned by David Ingram. Drive 7.9 miles to the next site.

Two Bonus Spots in North Carolina near the Virginia border: 423 William Barker Road, Milton, NC Look for two barn quilts across the road from each other.

6. 2220 Wilkerson Road, Ringgold This barn owned by Bonnie Hill was preserved with the help of grants from Preservation Virginia and JTI. A barn quilt is planned for later this year. From this spot, you can see a barn quilt on a building at the end of the private driveway. Drive 14 miles to the next site.

Underground Railroad Quilt Codes

7. 1020 Moorefield Bridge Road, Danville Preservation Virginia helped restore this barn owned by Katherine Blair. The barns repaired by Preservation Virginia will be a part of a three-county tobacco barns quilt trail to be completed in 2020. Drive1.5 miles to the next site.

According to legend, a safe house along the Underground Railroad was often indicated by a quilt hanging from a clothesline or windowsill. These quilts were embedded with a kind of code, so that by reading the shapes and motifs sewn into the design, an enslaved person on the run could know the area’s immediate dangers

or even where to head next.

• bowtie = Dress in disguise to appear of a higher status.

• bear paw = Follow an animal trail through the mountains to find water and food.

• log cabin = Seek shelter now, the people here are safe to speak with.

To read the complete article, visit the Smithsonian Center for Folk Life and Cultural Heritage website folklife.si.edu.

Page 6 June 2020 #evincematters the call, go from the office into the sanctuary of the old grocery store now church/homeless shelter. It’s there that I find him.

Dr. Corinth, called Old Man around here, is Mama Mandy Blue’s long estranged father, and he sits in the shadows in his rolled-up shirt sleeves and tan khaki pants that look just a little baggy on him. He looks out the storefront window of the old grocery store this place used to be. His friend, LiI Bit, is not here today, and we are both waiting for something to break our silence.

In my heart, I know Mean Keisha will not let her hunch go. She thinks that secrets are just a short jump from lying and both are sugar teats that you need to wean. She will come here and all hell is going to break loose. Mama Mandy will not look at me the same even though I’m not really taking Old Man’s side.

Why am I risking any of this? I look at Old Man and open my mouth to speak.

Pane fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg On a Thursday, my mother, Mean Keisha, calls me on my cell at Roland Street Grace Worship Center a little over two weeks before Father’s Day. She says, “Boy, we be down there next Friday.” That was a surprise, and I made my first mistake when I paused on the phone. The right answer was “Sure, come on,” but I didn’t say that. Mean Kiesha pauses too, taunt, dangerously curious. “Awaaight, Kwon,” Mean Keisha roughs out, “Spit it out, boy. What you into? You safe?”

“Yeah,” I say with hopefully just the right indignation. I have learned it’s better not to lie

directly to Mean Keisha. Once she finishes cussing you out, she would be up here on the next bus. Hell, she’d crawl if there was no other way, and she’d bring Mama Mandy Blue with her. I know, even with me at twenty-five, there is nothing she wouldn’t do--nothing they wouldn’t do--to get to me, protect me, love me. There is no hell they wouldn’t confront for me.

“Hold on, Mandy Blue wants to speak to you.” And I startle before she comes on. We talk; Mama Mandy Blue laughs at something Aunt Fallen’s older daughter has done, something about some galoshes and a missing ice cream cone in said galoshes. I admit it was funny, but I feel the unfamiliar weight of what I can’t say on my tongue. Your long-thought-deadfather’s here. I cannot say. I end

“How long?” Dr. Corinth asks. He is still looking away from me into the night through the old and dusty pane. “Maybe a week, maybe two…

Look, Mama Mandy would probably like...I mean she would be okay to see you.” Old Man just smiles sadly.

“I understand; I’ll have to go.” Dr. Corinth leans back farther into the shadows. A neon liquor sign from three doors down lights his cheeks.

The sign says Open 24 hours. But I don’t want him to go. Who will look after Old Man? Who will tell him to go home when he and Lil Bit laugh too deep into the night? Who will be home for him since his sins put him out of doors? I know it’s not the money; he’s not homeless. He stays in a small apartment over

there on Roseville Street, in a good section of town. I know he doesn’t really need us at Roland Street. But there is some calling here, something calling us all to answer, but I don’t know what it is.

I tell Old Man that I won’t keep any more secrets for him and he nods.

But he and I know I’m lying, and he breathes a little deeper, pushes back thinned hair with a shaky hand. There is something he needs here and he’s old with eyes like a seal long broken; I want him to have this last peace.

Mean Keisha says there ain’t no things we really can’t understand, She says inside we always know but just don’t want to believe we got to choose between the hard ways and hope-to-have. Mean Keisha says most folks are always trying to bind tight to what cain’tno-more and what-gonna-be.

Don’t do that she says because I tell you what gonna be is gonna win, every damn time. It’s only what binds that breaks, just breaks every time. She would say be careful, boy. But I don’t listen.

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Page 8 June 2020 #evincematters

Renovation Reality

by Carla Minosh Unlike HGTV shows where home renovations are completed within thirty to sixty minutes, the Victorian house at the corner of Chestnut Place and Main Street in Danville has been under a transformation for nineteen years. This series explores the truth of home renewal from someone who has been there and done that. If you missed any of the articles, visit www. evincemagazine.com. This month Carla continues the story of a small bathroom renovation.

T

he lighting in the

bathroom was supplied

by a very close friend who had restored a beautiful row house in Baltimore. He had also restored a small antique silvered twisted wire chandelier that consisted of a central light with a cylindrical etched glass shade, flanked by two gas “candles”. The twisted wire was patterned around brightly colored faceted glass jewels, and the overall condition of the piece was excellent. It was his last gift to us. His will requested that we install it in our beautiful Southern mansion.

The shape of the mirror had to be a Turkish arch, necessitating an almost impossible glass cut. Carlos

at the Danville shop, Designs in Glass, was the only one who had the expertise to make it happen.

The Carrara marble surrounding the mirror completes the Turkish look.

For the set of double doors at the entrance to the bathroom (not pictured), we purchased antique hardware with a set of deadbolts that slide into the upper and lower door frame. This allowed one door to be locked or opened while the second door remained stationery. The carpenter working with us at that time clearly had never worked on old double doors. We returned when he finished to discover that he had installed the hardware upside down, with the lockset and the deadbolts mortised in on the wrong doors. In order to open just one of the doors, I had to unlock it and release the deadbolts at the top and bottom. That would be an impossible feat for me. I am 5’ 2” tall and the upper deadbolt was at the top of an 8-foot tall door. Sigh! The dilemma now is whether or not to correct the door hardware. If we don’t do it before faux-painting, we never will.

(to be continued)

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Looking Through a Glass Brightly

by Mack Williams

I

passed a local church the other day on my way to Ballou Park to take my anti-COVID-19 walk. Although it was daytime, some of the church’s stained-glass icons that I passed stood out palely in the sunlight when viewed from the outside. If I had been sitting in a pew inside looking out, those images would have been brilliant; but they were still effective enough when sighted from the road.

These were the typical scenes displayed in churches’ stained glass windows, such as the cross, and the Spiritus Gladius (sword of the spirit) based on the ancient Roman army sword.

There was also a semicircular rainbow in stark contrast to a perfectly round crown of thorns, representing heavenly promises in both Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures.

I knew that even if someone had been sitting inside this small church during the day, those comforting scenes of faith would have still faded into darkness with the setting sun. Then I remembered another church built in Danville some years ago with a different point of view on how and when the public could see the beautiful scenes of faith displayed in stained glass every night of the year. I drove to 1104 South Main Street in Danville, and, because no one was behind me, I slowed to a crawl at College Park Baptist Church. I was reminded of 1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV): “For now we see through a glass, darkly.” I suddenly knew why this congregation had planned for their windowed scenes of hope and faith to always be lit from within, seen in this case by this passerby on a dark, viral night.

Page 10 June 2020 #evincematters

June Calendar

All of the community events that are usually promoted in the Calendar section might not be happening.

Therefore, it’s best to contact the groups that usually sponsor these activities. This list might help.

Piedmont Arts: 215 Starling Ave. Martinsville 276.632.3221 www.PiedmontArts.org The Prizery: 700 Bruce St. South Boston 434.572.8339 www.prizery.com

The Danville Farmers’ Market, 629 Craghead Street, is open on Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. until noon.

The first hour is reserved for seniors and immuno-compromised shoppers.

434.797.8961.

Libraries:

The Caswell Farmers Market in Yanceyville, North Carolina, at 2246 Hwy 86, by Goodwill, will be open on Thursdays, 4:00-6:30pm with safety protocols in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Danville Master Gardeners will answer inquiries about gardening, lawns and landscaping on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call 434.799.6558 or send an email to danvillemastergardeners@gmail.com.

Averett University: 434.791.5600 www.averett.edu Danville Historical Society Guided Walking Tours: 434.770.1974 www.danvillehistory.org Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History: 975 Main St. 434.793.5644 www.danvillemuseum.org Danville Parks & Recreation: 434.799.5200 www.playdanvilleva.com Danville Science Center: 677 Craghead St. 434.791.5160 www.dsc.smv.org

Brosville/Cascade: 434.685.1285 Danville: 434.799.5195 www.readdanvilleva.org DPL Westover Branch: 434.799.5152 Gretna: 434.656.2579 Gunn: 118 Main St. Yanceyville, NC www.caswellcounty.gov/library 336.694.6241 Halifax: 434.476.3357 History Research Center & Library: Chatham 434.432.8931 Mt. Hermon: 434.835.0326 Pittsylvania County Main Library: Chatham 434.432.3271 www.pcplib.org South Boston: 434.5575.4228

Distribution:

The distribution point where you usually pick up Evince might not be open to the public. There is a rack in the lobby of our office at 753 Main Street, Danville. During business hours pick up several copies and take them to your home-bound friends and family. Visit www.evincemagazine.com and search for “find us” to learn where paper copies are available. You can read past issues of Evince under the “virtual magazines” tab.

The deadline for submitting information for the July calendar is Saturday, June 20, at 5:00 p.m. Please send just the basic information to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Becky Bolton, Angela Blankenship, Pam Wilson, and Amber Rainwater pause for the camera before another hectic day.

by Bettina Belles & Henry Huson

We would like to nominate Angela Blankenship and the entire staff of Angela’s Creative Catering for their exceptional customer service especially during these trying times.

We have been ordering Angela’s delicious meals for several years but have been completely blown away by her addition of increased daily and bulk menu offerings. Angela uses the finest local and organic ingredients and most of her offerings can be made glutenfree. She always accommodates dietary restrictions and will email me when I forget to remind her of my own restrictions when ordering!

Her staff (usually the lovely Pam) delivers these meals with a smile and always inquires about my family. She has in fact become like a family member to us. We are not ashamed to say that we order multiple meals a week from Angela’s Creative Catering. If you have not ordered from her, you are missing out on something truly special. She really has stepped up to the plate (pun intended) and is working hard to provide meals to the community. Her food never misses the mark!

Questions? Email angelascooking4u@gmail.com.

Please let us know your experience with exceptional customer service. Email your story to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

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Page 12 June 2020 #evincematters

I

am easily entertained. I love reading, I love grocery shopping and I love repurposing and reusing old stuff. Activities like these relieve stress. The day I found the shelving units, I didn’t know what I was going to do with them. I live with the flotsam/ jetsam approach to life, so whatever washes up on my shoreline is what I work with.

Life requires flexibility and inspiration.

I’d taken over the grocery shopping to protect my husband Steve from exposure to COVID-19 and because I enjoy looking at groceries, planning meals, and especially eating. The night before my weekly shopping foray, I was driving home and there they were, abandoned in the dark by the side of the road: two perfectly good bookcases that someone had discarded.

“Bookcases,” I thought. “I like books. (I’m currently reading Exoplanets.) I need somewhere to put my book avalanche.”

Into the back of the van went the bookcases. I continued home and forgot about them.

Early the next morning, I prepared to go shopping.

COVID-19 has changed how we leave the house. Mask?

Backpack with credit card?

Gloves? Hand sanitizer? Bags?

Keys? List? Check. Off I went.

I perused the whole store, bought a cartload of stuff, and

Reflecting Forward Blessed are the flexible for they shall not break. Jan Woods

by Linda Lemery

Photo by Steve Lemery

then crammed everything in the van’s front passenger seat. The forgotten bookcases took up the whole back of the van.

When I arrived home and saw Steve, I was so excited I was almost speechless. “Books!” I said. “Food!” I pointed. “Shelves!”

I waved my arms. Steve came outside, aghast. “What did you do this time?” he asked. I marched inside with all the food. “Have you lost your mind?” said Steve,

pointing at the back of the van. I went back outside and dragged the two bookcases into the den then stood there and looked at my flotsam – or maybe jetsam – treasure. Two units, five shelves: All I had to do was put them together creatively to solve a problem. I just had to be flexible and figure out which storage problem was most pressing.

Sometimes having a snack stimulates the old brain cells. I

went to the pantry, opened the door, and stared at the mess.

We had the basics, but there was no order. Eureka! I had it.

I knew what to do. I found the measuring tape. We shuffled furniture around and managed to jam the taller bookcase into the kitchen and turn it into an overflow pantry. Steve lined it with precision-cut pieces of a discarded glossy microbrew beer fest banner he’d rescued from a trash heap. (I’m not the only one in this household who likes found goods.) We loaded up the new overflow pantry with essentials like soup cans, crackers, rice, noodles, water jugs, cereal boxes, tinned meat, granola, snacks, and coffee creamer. The main pantry is still a mess, but I’ve put one shelf in order. There’s hope for the rest.

All that reorganizing is exhausting. “I’ll read Exoplanets to relax,” I thought, and sat next to the overflow pantry. Though I don’t understand much of Exoplanets, it’s out of this world, as is my new overflow pantry. I plan to call a friend who has a degree in physics so she can explain Exoplanets to me in a series of Zoom book review meetings while I show off my overflow pantry. Maybe I’ll use the shorter bookcase for books.

Flexibility is everything.

About the Author: When she’s not scouring the countryside for found goods, Linda Lemery llemery@averett. edu works as Circulation Manager at Averett University’s Mary B. Blount Library in Danville. She welcomes reader comments.

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Mediterranean Salmon

by Annelle Williams

March 10 was the first day of our quarantine.

My husband and I went to a dinner meeting and returned home convinced it was time to begin protecting ourselves and those around us from the invading COVID-19. We’ve been quarantining ever since. Thankfully, our children have taken this very seriously as well, so we’ve been able to have recent visits with them and our grandchildren.

Thank goodness for ZOOM. We have FamJam every Sunday to check in with our far-away family. We join in a cocktail hour every Friday with friends in Nashville. Maybe best of all, we enjoy Quarantine Meditation Monday. All our family members join with a friend who is a very good meditation guide who leads us in mindful meditation. We’re spread out in Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia, quarantined, yet together in meditation. It’s powerful.

The miles disappear.

Gingy Caguioa-Blakely shows outstanding flexibility at her Mind Body Wellness Pilates studio, 415 Main Street in Danville. Photo by Dave Slayton.

There’s a lot to be said for flexibility and adaptability in a time of crisis, but it didn’t come easily. We’ve had to work at staying connected and keeping our lives on a positive track. My refuge is the kitchen. I’ve tried so many new recipes, mostly good (like the one below) and a few bad. My husband chose the yard—and you should see the grass!

The Wine Spot Red, White or Flexible?

by Dave Slayton

a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers

I

f a wine can be paired with a broad range of foods, I may say it is versatile. Perhaps, I should say this wine is also flexible.

Suggesting food pairings for different wines can be a challenge for me. So I find Karen MacNeil’s award-winning book, Wine Bible, very helpful. She lists useful principles of food and wine pairings and one is to “choose a flexible wine.” She states, “Think about a wine’s flexibility. Although chardonnay is wildly popular in many parts of the world, it’s one of the least flexible white wines with food. Chardonnays often have so much toasty oak and high alcohol that they taste hard and dull when accompanied by food.”

Occasionally I enjoy an oaky chardonnay, either by itself or accompanying an entrée with a cream sauce. I usually suggest a lightly oak-aged or no oak-aged chardonnay for most entrées.

Such a choice won’t upstage the entrée but, instead, be an excellent supporting player for the meal.

MacNeil goes on to say, “For maximum flexibility, go with a sauvignon blanc or a dry riesling, both of which have cleansing acidity.

Wines with high acidity leave you wanting to take a bite of food, and after taking a bite of food, you’ll want a sip of wine. The perfect seesaw.”

My experience leads me to say, “Absolutely!”

What about red wine? “The most flexible red wines either have good acidity, such as Chianti, red Burgundy, California and Oregon Pinot Noir, or they have loads of fruit and not a lot of tannin,” says MacNeil. Good advice, I believe, but don’t forget other great Italian wines like Nero d’ Avola from Sicily or Lambrusco from central Italy or a primitivo (red zinfandel) from southern Italy. And the list goes on.

My suggestion to wine consumers is this: be flexible in your wine choices and consider this quotation with your next sip of flexible wine, “Intelligence is the handmaiden of flexibility and change.” (author Vernor Vinge) Be smart and enjoy! Cheers!

Mediterranean Salmon (It’s OK if you don’t have all the ingredients. Use what you have and add extras like capers, chopped green onions, or lemon slices.

This recipe can be prepared on the grill or in the oven.)

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 lb. salmon filet 1 1/2 tsp. season salt 1 1/2 tsp. chili lime seasoning 1/4 cup pesto 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 (12 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained fresh dill sprigs parchment paper for oven cooking or cedar plank for cooking on grill

Preheat oven to 375 °. Place large sheet of parchment paper on roasting pan.

Place salmon filet in center of parchment, skin side down. Sprinkle seasoned salt and chili lime seasoning over salmon (only flesh side). Spread pesto thinly over salmon.

Sprinkle with olives, tomatoes and artichokes. Top with dill. Fold parchment paper like wrapping a package and tuck ends under. Place in oven for 30 minutes. Remove. Slide parchment paper to serving platter and enjoy!

If grilling: heat grill for medium heat. Prepare cedar plank by soaking in water and then placing on grill until plank is seared on one side. Flip plank and add prepared salmon to seared side. Close grill top and grill for 25 minutes.

Remove to serving platter.

Questions or comments?

Email me: AnnelleWilliams@comcast.net I look forward to hearing from you!

Page 14 June 2020 #evincematters

Book Clubbing a review by Diane Adkins

Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America

by Candacy Taylor

The Green Book was a guide for African Americans that indicated places safe to stop for services such as dining, using a restroom, or sleeping, while traveling during the Jim Crow era.

Many know something about it thanks to the eponymous movie of 2018 that shined a light on the privileged bubble within which many of us live and revealed a part of our history that has often been overlooked.

Candacy Taylor first encountered a Green Book in a museum. It inspired her to reach out to her stepfather, Ron Burford, to see if he knew more about it. That phone call led her to the research that underpins this book, during which she drove 40,000 miles to scout all the sites documented in the guides. Less than five percent are still in operation; seventy-five percent are completely gone, often victims of superhighways or the process termed urban renewal. Taylor’s photos document what is left of this legacy.

The Green Book was the brainchild of Victor Hugo Green, a resident of New York City and a postal worker. It became, as Taylor notes, a simple, practical, powerful tool that supported black businesses and celebrated black entrepreneurship while keeping people safe as they tried to move about the country. Still, no road trip was easy, and African Americans always packed food, bedding, and other necessities in case there was no place to stop.

Taylor presents each edition of the Green Book from 1936 until the last in 1967 in chronological order, including photos of the covers. Her account of the contents of each edition tells the broader story of what was happening to African Americans then.

The book is more than a salute to the Green Book itself; it tells a story of the struggle to survive, to make a place in a harsh world, to claim what many of us take for granted.

1966-67 is the last edition. 1964 saw the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Less than a decade later, half of the Green Book businesses were closed. Integration was necessary, but it imposed a heavy burden on the black community. Black entrepreneurs rarely had access to the supports they needed— ready capital, for example--to keep their businesses afloat.

Activist Georgia Ayers aptly summarized, “We got what we wanted, but we lost what we had.”

Taylor’s epilogue about post-Green Book American life does two important things. It shows the power of the Green Book in an earlier time. As Taylor says, “Real change can come from simple tools that solve a problem.” But it also connects the dots between past harms to the Black community and the very real current ones. Taylor is showing us what she sees--an America as it is, not what it imagines itself to be.

Diane S. Adkins is a retired Director of Pittsylvania County Public Library System.

• A former tourist home (above) that is not listed in Overground Railroad is located at 320 Holbrook Street in Danville, Virginia.

It was first mentioned in the 1938 edition of Green Book. The 1939 edition included four tourist homes in Danville. Three were on Holbrook Street; one was on North Union Street.

• The International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro, North Carolina, located at 134 South Elm Street in the former F.W. Woolworth retail store, has a display of Green Books.

• Copies of Green Book from 1937-1967 can be seen at the New York Public Library website under Digital Collections.

How to Keep from Growing Old

T

he following humorous advice was printed in several editions of the Green Book. It is also in the book Overground Railroad The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America by Candacy Taylor on page 45.

Always race with locomotive to crossings. Engineers like it; it breaks the monotony of their jobs.

Always pass the car ahead on curves or turns. Don’t use horn, it may unnerve the fellow and cause him to turn out too far.

Demand half the road—the middle half. Insist on your rights.

Always speed; it shows them you are a man of pep even tho an amateur driver.

Never stop, look or listen at railroad crossings. It consumes time.

Always lock your brakes when skidding. It makes the job more artistic.

In sloppy weather drive close to pedestrians. Dry cleaners appreciate this.

Never look around when you back up; there is never anything behind you.

Drive confidently, just as tho there were not eighteen million other cars in service.

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