Evince Magazine July 2022 by Andrew Brooks Media Group

Rachael Miller Writely So p5

Page 2 July 2022

Evince Magazine Page 3

She and I had already lost—she a church filled with families and me the magical places of childhood. I suspect that our losses had been growing for years. But a small, steady drip of loss can be denied or ignored, in a way that 50 tiny chairs by a truck or a tree inside a library cannot.

Editor’s Note

actually like change,” Rachael Miller said as I interviewed her at the Rubie B. Archie Library for the cover story. In Mack Williams’ piece, “Saturday in the City,” he has thought on change over time, as he sits in a consignment-store chair.

“

Change and chairs. The first time I saw the changes made to my childhood library, I left the building in tears. My friend, a youth minister, was overseeing the donation of

chairs from his dying church to new, younger churches. Last minute, he removed a cluster of chairs that a congregant had hidden away in a back room. My friend was expecting conflict from the woman, but instead she stood next to him during the donation, looking at the dozens of tiny chairs covering the lawn. “I remember when they were all filled with children,” she said. So, it wasn’t really about change or chairs. It was about loss.

Did I not mention that? During story-time at the Bon Air Library, children can now sit under a fanciful tree that stretches to the ceiling. How magical! If I were a child, I’d never want to leave. Maybe there are times where we could shift the lens from “resistance to change” to “mourning for loss.” It’s never really about the chairs. Kendall Ratliffe is the editor of Evince Magazine and a writer. Read this full piece at www.tryonething.co/blog

On the Cover: Photo of Rachael Miller by Michelle Dalton Photography.

Culture

from Childhood by David Worrell

July Calender

Salmon 11 The Are Running! You 12 Movies Missed

from 20 years ago

Is 13 What the Most

Important Food You Make All Year? by Linda Lemery

by Kendall Ratliffe

to 6 Letters Home

by Leslie Conway and Kendall Ratliffe

14 Saturday in the City 10

Meet the Band Town Mountain by Corey Williams and Phil Barker

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

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

by Dave Slayton

by Josh Luciaby

Rachael Miller Writely So

Contributing Writers Corey Williams, Dave Slayton, David Worrell, Josh Lucia, Leslie Conway, Linda Lemery, Mack Williams

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

Content 7 Building a Reading

Editor / Kendall Ratliffe kendall@evincemagazine.com

Kendall Ratliffe Account Executive kendall@evincemagazine.com

July 2022

3 Editor’s Note

CEO / Publisher / Andrew Scott Brooks

by Mack Williams

What’s something you don’t miss until you travel? 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 Wednesday, July 13 at 5:00pm for the August issue. Editorial Policies

Evince is a free monthly magazine about Arts and Culture 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 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 July 2022

BECAUSE BUILDING A BETTER WORLD STARTS WITH LITERACY.

Ruby B. Archie Public Library 511 Paaon Street · readdanvilleva.org OPEN SIX DAYS A WEEK Featuring over 64,000 tles including new releases, best sellers, graphic novels, old favorites, DVDs, books on CD, and more! Services include children and adult programming, genealogy and newspaper databases, reference services, prinnng, copying, fax, notary, and more! Home delivery coming soon. Call 434-799-5195 to see if you qualify. MON - THUR 10 AM to 7 PM | FRIDAYS 10 AM to 5 PM SATURDAYS 10 AM to 2 PM

KNEE PA I N ?

Sports Injuries Cartilage Restoration Ligament Reconstruction Outpatient Joint Replacement Partial & Total Knee Replacements

200 W. Wendover Avenue • Greensboro, NC 223 W. Ward St. • Suite B • Asheboro, NC 336.333.6443 • www.SMJRortho.com

STEVE LUCEY, M.D.

Evince Magazine Page 5

Rachael Miller

Writely So by Kendall Ratliffe photo by

Michelle Dalton Photography

s a child, Rachael Miller snuck into the library. At the time, the Ruby B. Archie Library did not allow children downstairs. So, on each visit, Miller would sneak into the stacks and read until she was caught and herded upstairs. “Those poor librarians,” Miller laughs, thinking about the work she put them through. Miller comes from a family that loves words, in books and storytelling. Miller now works as an adult library services specialist in the same library of her childhood, and she writes on the side. She has always been writing, Miller recalls, with her mother performing the scribing until Miller learned her letters. Miller is the sort of person you want running programs at the library; she loves being surrounded by words, and she also loves change. It makes sense that Miller loves the near opposites of static words and change, because she’s a pretty opposite person herself. Miller is both enthusiastic and calm. She shows her excitement for new ideas not with tone or volume but, unsurprisingly, with words. Miller’s enthusiasm and love for writing combine in a bi-monthly writers’ group that she runs at the library. The Write Stuff has been meeting since September 2020, only a few months after Miller started her job. The pandemic meant the group started small, which Miller appreciates because

“it made it easier for participants to set the direction.” Miller wants to be what people need, she says. In the almost two years that The Write Stuff has been meeting, Miller has been “amazed by the talent and range of genres” of the participants, she says. As the convener, Miller really can be what the writers need. Before the library, Miller worked for the Danville Science Center in programming, so she knows how to organize, promote, and run a group. Her bachelor’s degree in theatre from Virginia Commonwealth University taught her performance, feedback, and vulnerability. As for the range of genres presented, chances are Miller understands them, no matter how obscure. One participant writes in the very specific style of 1950s’ pulp science fiction. Miller can give precise feedback because...1950s’ pulp science fiction is the shelf she snuck to as a child. Although she can give genrespecific feedback, Miller is always kind. She understands the vulnerability required to write and to share. Some people never read their work aloud but learn from watching the process. The writers’ group is a comfortable, not critical, space. Another fun opposite to Miller’s kindness is her sarcasm. She writes short stories that darkly subvert the

overly sweet sayings inside Dove chocolate wrappers. When asked if, as a writer, being surrounded by the world’s literature is intimidating or inspiring, Miller pauses and thinks. She says instead that it is comfortable. In a way, Miller is doing for other writers what her mom did for her—she’s encouraging their efforts by holding space and asking for more. “Yes” and “more” are features of being around Miller. She wants her participants to write more of the excerpts they bring to The Write Stuff. And she wants more people to write. “I love writing, as a noun, verb, and concept. I love talking about writing, reading about the craft of writing, discussing each other’s writing,” Miller says. Miller loves writing, so she consumes it and creates it. Whatever you love consuming, Miller wants you to create it too. When the work gets difficult, “just keep going,” she says. But don’t worry if what you create is good or not. “Life is hard. You shouldn’t have to be good at something to enjoy doing it.” Join The Write Stuff on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 6:00 pm at the Ruby B. Archie Public Library. For more information, email playdanvilleva@danvilleva.gov.

Page 6 July 2021

Letters to Home

by Leslie Conway and Kendall Ratliffe

etters to Home connects readers with our friends who have moved away, while spotlighting what they took with them. This column is a celebration of hometown heritage and new possibilities. I just read the Letters to Home article with my friend, Betty Pugh Mills. I wanted to let you know about a group of us that returned to Danville for our Girls’ Trip last month. There were 16 of us, and we all graduated from GW in 1982. We came from Richmond, Roanoke, Greensboro, Kernersville, Wake

Girls’ Trip in front of JTI Fountain by Leslie Conway

Forest, Charlotte, Columbia, Hilton Head, Atlanta, and Bonita Springs, Florida. Four members of our group currently live in Danville. Kendall Ratliffe: What made you all decide to visit Danville over other places? Leslie: My mom still lives in Danville, and I visit her frequently since it is a short drive from Greensboro. I have watched the many exciting changes and additions to the River District.

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

420 Patton Street | Danville, Virginia 24541

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

We discussed visiting Nashville, the beach, or the mountains as a group. Instead, we decided to support our hometown and spend our dollars in Danville. Sondra: We visited Danville because we are from there, and we wanted a low-key downtown Danville experience. It made sense for our first trip to revisit our roots. Jane Scott: We decided on Danville because it was the obvious choice. It is our hometown. It is where our roots are, and some of our parents still live there. Danville is where we met and created this lifelong bond we all share today. We wanted to visit and invest in the place that helped make us into the women we are. We love and appreciate Danville! It is a very special town filled with wonderful people, loads of history, magnificent architecture, beautiful old homes, tradition, and warm Southern hospitality. Belinda: We had tossed around a couple of locations in our early conversations. We settled on Danville because we had all heard about the city’s renovations and were curious to see what improvements had been made. Also, some of us had not visited in a while, and the fact that we were reuniting with high school friends, it only made sense to convene at our old stomping grounds. KR: Are there any changes that you all were excited to see (particularly artistic, aesthetic, or cultural)? Leslie: When we were in high

school, the facades of the downtown buildings were covered. It is amazing to see the original facades and architecture of those buildings. There is beautiful architecture in the River District. We also walked around Bridge Street and Craghead Street, which is something that we never did in the early 1980s. The Bee was a perfect location for us. We loved the addition of a boutique hotel to Danville. We were able to walk to the restaurants in the River District. We spent Saturday morning on the Riverwalk and walked to one of our “old school” favorites, Biscuitville. And of course, we had to visit Midtown to buy our favorite chicken salad. Sondra: I think we were all happy about the current changes downtown with the restaurants, bars, Riverwalk, and shops. So far, it appears as though Danville is putting money into revitalizing downtown. Belinda: Very excited to see the changes in the downtown area. Many of us had not ventured down Craghead Street prior to our reunion and what we saw was beautiful! Leslie: We enjoyed our weekend so much that we are talking about scheduling our trip for next year to Danville. It was so nice to go back to a place we all loved, and that loved us back even more. Submit your own LTH interview with picture and up to 350 words to kendall@evincemagazine. com!

Evince Magazine Page 7

ookEnds, formerly Friends of the Danville Public Library, is working with multiple organizations this summer to bring books to the underserved population with 6 Book Summer. Almost twenty organizations across Danville, Pittsylvania County, and Caswell County have joined together to launch the 6 Book Summer initiative. Funding was generously provided by the Danville Regional Foundation and the Womack Foundation.

Building a Reading Culture from Childhood by David Worrell

Most people generally understand that reading is essential, and many people are aware of the “summer slide,” which is the loss of reading skills over the summer. The summer slide causes 67% of the reading gap between more privileged and underserved kids. Reading just six books every summer can prevent this. Children reading 10 books can increase their skills over the summer.

the region this summer to offer the resources to reach the 6 Book Summer goal, starting June 13th, 2022.

The goal is to empower parents, relatives, and community members with this life-changing information. Books will be available for FREE at multiple locations throughout

Bookmarker by Tyisha Hicks @tyishahicks22

There’s no means-testing or paperwork. Email bookendscommunity@gmail.com or visit us on Facebook for more information or to pick up books for multiple children.

The 6 Book Summer Initiative will empower our region with the knowledge needed to help develop our children's minds, highlight existing summer reading programs, and provide thousands of books for our children to read. Books are going to be available for FREE at multiple locations throughout the region this summer to offer the resources to reach the 6 Book Summer goal. This initiative begins NOW and runs through the end of the summer!!

MAKE THIS A 6 BOOK SUMMER!! For more information visit us on Facebook, Instagram, or email bookendscommunity@gmail.com

Page 8 July 2022

July

Calendar of Evince River Walk trai clean-up.

Abbreviation Key

• CP = Carrington Pavilion, 629 Craghead Street • DMFAH = Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main St. 434.793.5644 www.danvillemuseum.org • GML = Gunn Memorial Library, 161 Main St, Yanceyville, NC, 336.694.6241 • MSAC = Main Street Art Collective, 326 Main Street, 434.602.2017 MainStreetArtCollective.com • RBA = Ruby B. Archie Public Library, 511 Patton Street, www.readdanvilleva.org • SS = Smokestack Theatre Company, 319 Lynn Street, Danville, VA 24541

Ongoing

Museum Attic Sale Donation Drop Off: DMFAH TuesdayFriday 10am-5pm; Sat-12-5pm; Sun 2-5pm no clothes, no electronics, furniture accepted with appointment davidc522@ comcast.net 305.766.2979. Teen Club: Thursdays at 3:15pm. GML Tween Club: Fridays at 3:30pm. GML

Thru October 31

Danville Farmers’ Market: Fruits and Vegetables, Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Jams and Jellies, Eggs, Honey, Baked Goods, Crafts, and more. Saturdays, 7:30am12:00pm. 434.797.8961. Community Market, 629 Craghead Street.

purchase. 3:00pm-dark. Free. Yanceyville Pavilion, Cole & Main Street, Yanceyville, NC.

July 4

July 4 Celebration: Free entertainment, music, fireworks, and activities. Food for purchase. 6-10:00pm. CP. July 4th Celebration: children activities, mist tent, magician, balloon guy, Uncle Sam, singers, bands, great food. 6-10pm. Fireworks 9:30pm. downtownsobo.com. 434.575.4208 Constitution Square, 100 Main Street, South Boston.

July 7

Page and Screen: Discussion of “Where the Crawdads Sing,” the upcoming movie, and a raffle to win tickets. 18+. Register at (434) 799-5195. No fee. 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. RBA.

July 7 (thru 10)

“Rumors” by Neil Simon: Tickets on Eventbrite. SS.

July 9

Basics of Outdoor Survival: Essential survival skills and items you should always carry. Register at (434) 799-5195. No fee. 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Anglers Park.

July 1

Independence Day Fireworks and Festival: Live Music, food for

July 18

We Make History Everyday Speaker Series: Local speakers who represent the culture, entertainment and history of our area, including Porchia Russell, Maureen Belko, and more. 18+. Registration is required (434) 7995195. 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. RBA

July 19

Connecting Caswell Networking Breakfast: Beetoobi IT Solutions at CoSquare (new shared workspace facility) 8:00am9:30am. Free. 106 Court Square, Yanceyville, NC 27379.

July 20

Puzzle Swap: Bring some puzzles to swap with others. Must have 100% of pieces & boxes taped shut. 11-11:30 am. MSAC. Overbooked: Teen Book Club. A free copy of the book will be given out to the first newcomer to register a month before the meeting. July 20 - “The Librarian of Auschwitz” by Antonio Iturbe. Grades 9-12. 4-5pm. Register 434-799-5195. RBA

July 21

Thru September 22

Caswell Farmers’ Market: Thursdays June-September 22 Caswell Farmers’ Market: Presented by the Caswell Local Foods Council. 4:00-6:30pm. Bright Leaf Square (by Goodwill) 2246 NC Hwy 86 N, Yanceyville. More info at CaswellLocalFoods@ gmail.com or Facebook.

Tickets $40. 5-8pm, DMFAH, 434-793-5644. Tickets on sale at Museum or eventbrite. com, Karen’s Hallmark (mall), Gingerbread House. Summerstack Play Readings: Read a role, read along, or just watch. Families 2pm-4pm. Adults 6pm-8pm. FREE. SS.

Paint a Lighthouse: 11 am-1 pm $35. MSAC.

July 16

Cars & Coffee: 9-11 am, info 434.548.9862, Crema & Vine, 1009 Main Street, Danville. Museum Meets Margaritaville: cookout, adult beverages, DJ beach music, silent auction, parrot head contest door prizes.

Riverwalk Readers – Walking Book Club: Discuss the books you’ve been reading, exchange suggestions, and get some exercise. Register early to receive reading suggestions for the month. 18+. Registration (434) 799-5195. 6 -7p.m. Anglers Park.

July 25

Unrequired Reading – Classics Book Club: “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson. 18+. Registration (434) 799-5195. 6 -7p.m. RBA.

July 23

TEEN Ring Class: Make 4 Wire rings. 11am-12 pm. $35. MSAC. ADULT Ring Making: Make 4 Rings using Wire, Beads & Buttons. $40. 12:30-1:30pm. MSAC.

July 30

Basket Weaving: Choose to make either a Mail or Door Basket. 11 am-2pm. $40. MSAC.

Upcoming August 4

Coloring and Conversation: Color, relax, and meet new people. 18+. Registration (434) 799-5195. 5:30-6:30 p.m. RBA. “Firebringer”: Summerstack Youth Production, playing August 4-7. Tickets on Eventbrite.

August 5

2nd Annual Suds, Swine, Sippin’ & Song: https://secure.acceptiva. com/?cst=a2MuWz for tickets.

August 9

The Recc’ing Crew – Book Lovers Group: Discuss your current favorite books and leave with a list of great books to read. Everyone goes home with a free book. 18+. Registration (434) 7995195. 5:30-6:30 p.m. RBA.

August 11

Puzzlers Club: Discuss and decode ciphers, riddles, and logic puzzles. Email millerm@danvilleva.gov to submit your own brain teasers. 18+. Registration (434) 799-5195. 5:30-6:30 p.m. RBA.

August 15

Genealogy 101: Learn how to get started researching and documenting your family history. 18+. Registration (434) 799-5195. 5:30-6:30 p.m. RBA.

Evince Magazine Page 9

Page 10 July 2022

Meet the Band

Town Mountain by Corey Williams and Phil Barker photo by Corey Williams

here’s no better way to kick off the summer than a good, old-fashioned musical festival, especially after a two-year hiatus. Over the Memorial Day weekend, Rooster Walk hosted its 12th annual music and arts festival, with dozens of bands and musicians playing across multiple stages. Town Mountain made its appearance on Saturday night at the New Belgium Pine Grove Stage. Performing together for almost two decades, the band has made huge strides in their shared time, including collaborating with Tyler Childers. I had the pleasure of speaking with Phil Barker, the band’s lead songwriter and mandolin player, to discuss the band’s history, how it feels to be back playing live music, and some other upcoming projects. Corey: Thank you so much for joining me, Phil! How did you all meet & how did the band form? Phil: Thank you for the opportunity! We all moved to Western North Carolina around the same time, 2005 or 2006. There was a great bluegrass scene, still is, in the area. A lot of bluegrass names. We all just kind of got together. Having similar taste in music and personalities made us fit together. The band started as a summer project, got a good reception, and took off from there. One of our first trips was to Colorado, actually, and of course, the Asheville and Boone areas.

CW: Where did the name Town Mountain come from? PB: It kind of rolls off the tongue and pays homage to Asheville, where our roots are. There’s actually a mountain in Downtown Asheville called Town Mountain. There’s also this wordplay on “town” and “mountain,” a hat-tip to our joint country and urban influence. A nice blend, just like our style of music. CW: How would you describe your sound? PB: There’s definitely some bluegrass influence; it’s got roots in honkytonk, country, and alternative, almost dark, country. We focus a lot on the songwriting perspective to be able to connect with our fans. We’re all songwriters who want to play original material, and we all take a lot of time to focus on putting energy into the show. CW: Tell us about the project you have coming up. PB: We just finished a record. One of the good things about quarantine, we wrote a bunch of new material. We’d been shopping around for a label and have now signed on with New West Records. We’ve got some singles coming out this summer and fall. Corey Williams is a local writer, educator, content creator and community activist. Follow Corey on Instagram @coreyrunswild. Town Mountain can be found across all streaming platforms & social media platforms @townmountain – stay tuned for more updates on them & their endeavors!

Corey Williams and Phil Barker

Evince Magazine Page 11

The Salmon Are Running! by Dave Slayton photo by Dave Slayton

nd they’re running with wine and song. Chris Mercer, writing for Decanter Magazine, says, “High consumer demand means that farmed Atlantic salmon has become much more prevalent on dinner tables.” He adds that cultivated varieties tend to have a fattier texture than their wild cousins. So which wine should you choose for which variation? The old adage says white wine with fish and red wine with meat. According to Mercer, a possible exception to this rule is seared farm-salmon. He quotes Food and

Wine Pairing writer Fiona Beckett as saying a slightly chilled Pinot Noir is a good choice in this case. But this is not the only possible pairing to consider! Add cadence to your cups by throwing in a music pairing as well. Wine Enthusiast suggests jazz as the match for Pinot Noir, particularly Madeleine Peyroux’s rendition of “Dance Me to the End of Love.” Grill your farm-raised salmon to seared or blackened, while drinking with Pinot Noir and listening to Madeleine Peyroux. Sounds yummy to me! By the way, you could substitute a Chardonnay if you wish.

Mercer says that a dry Riesling is a good bet for smoked salmon, as he quotes Jolanta Dinnadge, head sommelier at Corrigan’s Mayfair restaurant in London. A possible alternative would be a Chardonnay-based sparkling wine. Wine Enthusiast suggests something indie/alternative for music, like the song “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” by The Smiths to accompany a Riseling. Amy Glynn of Paste Magazine recommends Ella Fitzgerald as an accompaniment for sparkling wine. Perhaps her “Blue Skies” would be the best. I’ll take Ella and the sparkling wine. If serving salmon with an herb sauce, Mercer suggests Sauvignon Blanc, and if offering with a cream sauce, he proposes a lightly

oaked Chardonnay. UK magazine Novel Wines advises light classical piano by Chopin or Debussy for Chardonnay’s accompaniment. Both standard-bearers of their genres, “Claire De Lune” by Claude Debussy would make for a fitting pairing. For salmon served with a spicy sauce, Mercer says to give a Pinot Gris from the Alsace region of France a try, as it enhances the combined flavors of the salmon and seasoning. The triple-layered flavor profile of spices, salmon, and Pinot Gris deserves an equally intricate accompaniment, so try Stevie Wonder’s “Summer Soft.” Whatever your salmon, wine, and music combinations are, may they always be in perfect harmony. Cheers!

Page 12 July 2022

Movies You Missed

from 20 years ago by Josh Lucia @jlucia85

artwork: “Road to Perdition” by Tamara Lovelace Lucia

Road to Perdition (7/10 Rating) Released July 12, 2002 Streaming on Netflix, Prime, Paramount+. For rent/purchase on all major platforms. Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller Rated R: Violence and Language 1h 57m

Director Sam Mendes followed up his first film, American Beauty, with this dark gangster film starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, and Jude Law, among many other respected actors. It is one of the better films of 2002, but it sadly vanishes in the genre of gangster films. Several elements stick out as a reason to watch, and typical gangster-film factors that are lacking make it a worthwhile revisit. A notable feature lacking

is fun. This film is set during the Great Depression, and it shows. The film never has enough fun, which is, darkly, something you can generally hope to see in a gangster film. For good or bad, most of these movies make the gangster lifestyle look enticing and a bit fun, even if deadly or evil. However, that may be the point here because other notes in the film fall flat. For instance, Tom Hanks almost feels wasted in this role. He does the character well, as expected, but the character is just dull—not fun, you might say. Paul Newman is fantastic as the bad guy, and unlike in other gangster movies, not a likable one. I prefer him in more likable roles, especially with this being his final screen appearance. This is a

darker movie, where the gangster lifestyle is a vehicle for a story about father-son relationships and the legacy they leave behind.

There are some fun moments (aha, we’ve been waiting for them!), but they are infrequent and late in the movie. In one nod to the gangster genre, Jude Law is fun. However, in keeping with the overall darkness of this film, he is quite sadistic. His role does give the film momentum, however. We also get to see Daniel Craig before taking on James Bond, here playing the son of Newman. Their relationship parallels Hanks and his son, played by Tyler Hoechlin, later the brooding alpha werewolf in MTV’s soapy drama Teen Wolf. The cinematography and score are great, the acting is as good as it comes, and the story interesting. Still, this is a movie I revisit as a fan of the spy genre, not for a fun binge. The piano piece played by Hanks and Newman was performed by the actors. Cinematographer Conrad L. Hall also worked with Newman on Cool Hand Luke and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, among many other films. This was also his final film. Also check out Sunshine State, Eight Legged Freaks, K-19: The Widowmaker, Austin Powers in Goldmember, Halloween: Resurrection, Zig Zag (follow @jlucia85 for these reviews and more)

Evince Magazine Page 13

What is Culture? Each month, Evince posts a question in the table of contents about an aspect of culture, and we will share reader responses in later editions. We hope you will feel surprise, delight, and kinship with the tapestry of cultures that surround you in our little corner of Southside Virginia.

What Is the Most Important Food You Make All Year? by Linda Lemery

o many favorite holidays, so many favorite meals. On reflection, I realized the most important food I make all year is any time we have family or friends at our home for a meal, regardless of the occasion. At our house, we extend our family by defining friends as the family we choose. For example, our neighbor lives alone and doesn’t travel during holidays. She has a standing invitation to have any holiday meal with us when we are home, whether we’re cooking, or part of the meal is ordered out. Other friends come for holiday meals if they’re not with their own families. For example, my medtech school roommate Mary was here over Mother’s Day. Our elder son Jason and his wife Chelsea, who live in Durham, had Mary and me over when I picked her up at RDU Airport. Chelsea had wanted to meet Mary, who has been such a mainstay in my life. As a surprise, Jason provided 3 tickets for Steve, Mary, and me to go to see the Van Gogh Immersion exhibit in Raleigh (which was fabulous) as a Mother’s Day gift. Jason and now Chelsea view Mary as family. Done deal. Normally, if someone we knew was alone for a holiday here, we invited him or her to the holiday meal. COVID modified that somewhat. We have a house made smaller by curiosity, multiple interests, training, and the things that support them. Our dining room is an office space with no dining room table (some readers may have read my columns about struggling with decluttering). So, I try to limit inside holiday gatherings to 6 people so we can space ourselves well apart. If we’re outside, there’s no problem except figuring out the logistics of how and where we’re going to feed people, lighting, and how to or whether we can keep bugs at bay. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Memorial Day–lots of favorite foods, but it’s the gathering and conversation that really matters. Memorial

Day involved a son, his wife, a neighbor, my husband Steve, and me. The meal: hamburgers, hotdogs, deviled eggs, storebought broccoli-cauliflower casserole, homemade dairy-free and dairy-laden macaroni and cheese casseroles, baked beans, watermelon, dairy-free seven-layer salad, store-bought coleslaw, homemade butterscotch oatmeal cookies, Midtown’s oatmeal cookies, homemade dairy-free strawberry-blueberry shortcake, and mint lemonade. The food was great. Connecting in person through conversation was priceless. What is the most important meal you make all year? Send your response of up to 400 words, pictures encouraged, to kendall@evincemagazine.com.

Demont Design

Page 14 July 2022

Saturday in the City by Mack Williams illustration Tiled Stories by Anna Timm

n a recent Saturday, my children (in law and in love, some might say) and I met in Greensboro to eat and shop. The restaurant we visited reminded me of the re-used historic buildings I cherish in Danville’s admittedly smaller downtown. The restaurant’s ceiling had old-style decorative tiles, which reminded me of the sections of my Grandmother Williams’ pie saver doors (but of course, minus the pin-point hole designs). Curious about the place, I asked the waitress about the building’s history. I learned it had been many things in its over-100-year history: shop, dance studio, several other businesses I can’t recall, and now, of course, a restaurant with a bar. The restaurant’s walls had not been totally scraped clean from their old brick base. Sections of some of the building’s former lives were kept “preserved” on its walls. There were raised “blotches” of plain cement, along with sections of a smoother, more white porcelain covering, which by the series of crisscrossing gray lines made me think it was true mosaic. But my son, Jeremy, said it looked more like a faux mosaic, the lines “between” the squares looking painted on. If one’s eyes lingered upon the bricks and remnants there, in that place into which he had never before stepped, “memories” of prior commercial “re-imaginings” were evoked. For a while, there was only one waitress on staff, and she was rushing around in a hurry (but sometimes, life rushes around in a hurry). Afterward, we visited a consignment shop (consignment shops seem to be places where someone has weighed memory against money and found memory wanting). My hips are replaced, and I try to

walk every day, but sometimes the stop-and-start of leisurely shopping makes for a little sciatica. My daughter Rachel pointed out a wrought-iron chair placed to one side of the entrance. As the chair was outside and without a price tag, I felt it was okay to sit there. Anyway, in a large city, no one notices an old man sitting in a chair, even adjacent a store entrance, unless he asks a passersby for money (which I didn’t). I did quell an urge to provide some entertainment for the entering and exiting customers via Italian folk songs. Rachel wisely advised that it depends on what the particular audience wants. Sitting there, I looked down at a true mosaic at the shop’s entranceway (from when it was a long-ago manufacturing store), contrasting it with what I had seen on the restaurant wall. The individual stones had been pressed down by the accumulated weight of past customers, some even looking a “hair tad” bent out of alignment. Sitting there, I saw young people passing by dressed in what might be termed “1960s-70s revival” (much tie-dye!). Some said to each other: “Where are we going now?” or “Have you been there yet?” Across the way from where I sat was the restaurant where we had eaten. Our former waitress was bringing food to those who had chosen to sit at the outside serving tables. Having formerly waited upon us, she was now waiting upon others. In their present and future “incarnations,” these businesses will be visited by new customers and dedicated patrons, the overall mix making each group different from those which came before. And each group’s venture into “life-tasting” and “life-shopping” will be finitely defined and time-driven. [But I’m just an old man, sitting in a consignment shop chair].

Evince Magazine Page 15

Page 16 July 2022