Evince Magazine July 2023

Hair Flying in the Wind and Exploring New

Destinations

by Josh Lucia

by Emily Wilkerson

Presented by Showcase Magazine

by Dave Slayton

by Linda Lemery

by Mack Williams

CEO / Publisher / Andrew Scott Brooks Editorial Director / Paul Seiple editor@evincemagazine.com

Contributing Writers

Barry Koplen, Linda Lemery, Josh Lucia, Paul Seiple, Dave Slayton, Mack Williams, Emily Wilkerson

Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont)

Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349) cindy@showcasemagazine.com

Advertising

For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.

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

Kim Demont Graphic Design, Marketing (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 this and all other stories, articles, and calendar items is Saturday, July 15 at 5:00pm for the July issue. Please send calendar info to demontdesign@verizon.net.

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

© 2023 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

On the Cover: Mark Anthony.

Mark Anthony, a visual artist from Durham, North Carolina, is a single mother of three children. She clarified her unique name, “Yes, my name is Mark Anthony. And yes, it’s bona fide. It’s not some eccentric stage name.” The story goes that Anthony’s dad, along with friends from a party, went to the hospital when her mom was in labor. “My dad was determined I was a going to be a boy because he had the name already picked out. Yeah, it has definitely given me some grand tales to tell.”

Anthony has lived a nomad lifestyle. “I have moved all over, finding that I’m obsessed with my hair flying in the wind and exploring new destinations,” she added. On a whim, she took off to a Caribbean Island, knowing no one. She also spent time in Culebra, Puerto Rico. Explaining the desire to move around, Anthony said, “I just go where I feel like I’m needed.”

Hair Flying in the Wind and

Exploring New Destinations

by Paul Seiple

Becoming a visual artist wasn’t a pinpoint on her career path. But the arts were always on Anthony’s radar. “After going 2 years to college, I ended up having my first daughter and took a job as a producer for a music television show.” The grueling schedule led to the realization that Anthony couldn’t split time between being a producer and a mom.

“So, I chose to be Mom. I had always drawn and sketched, but nothing serious,” she added. Anthony learned to incorporate her love of music into art by painting posters of bands and selling them at shows. She grew her brand by progressing to music festivals like Memphis St. Blues, Floydfest, and Bonnaroo.

“There were many times I said I was going to do something else. But every time I did, God would just throw another creative endeavor my way. It never failed. I finally started realizing that I may not be the best out there, but I am meant to keep doing it.“

Anthony specializes in largescale, musical, and mojo art. Her creative system doesn’t involve preliminary drawings or planning. “I have never done well with planning. That can be analogous to my life as well. I find there’s an element of pure, creative flow when you just throw it on.” For her, the process is about “being a vessel and to keep creating.”

Mood and music are conveyers of how Anthony chooses a subject to paint. If the project is a mural, she researches heavily on the area, town, and community.

“My first instinct is to learn about the musicians in the area or notable people who have made some kind of positive impact on the community. I try to gear it towards music first.”

Anthony studies people and turns aspects of their lives into art. “Humans are my love. I see the beauty in them they don’t see in themselves.” She recalled one of her most memorable inspirations

as “this little old man who came by my booth to tell me the story of hitching a ride across the states to see the woman who had his heart.” Anthony has countless tales of musicians and other artists she has met through her art. She added, “To know them is to know myself. That inspires me.”

Always evolving, Anthony is back in school to complete a bachelor’s degree in corporate communication and marketing. “I am hoping with the skills I have obtained from being a working artist for 20-plus years and fine tuning that, with an academic degree, will help me be a more effective representative of local artists and musicians,” she said. In the future, Anthony hopes to start an organization to “help unify more creative place making in rural communities.”

For more information about Anthony, visit her at MarkAnthonyRocks.com.

photo by Mark Anthony

July Calendar of Evince

Ongoing

Danville Science Center Exhibits

Science Unplugged - Back to basics with hands-on elements demonstrating scientific concepts.

Go! - Highlights the intersection between the physics of machines and biology of the human body.

Water - Discover history trapped in ice, experience clouds first hand, uncover life found in a droplet, plunge to the depths of the ocean, learn about water usage from a towering wall of 2,000+ water bottles, enter a room of rain and don’t get wet, and more.

Crescent Crossing - Train-themed exhibit introduces families to important science, technology, engineering, and math fundamentals, such as creativity, problem solving, and cause and effect. Butterfly Station & Garden – Find out which type of caterpillar certain plants attract, learn the best methods to attract butterflies, and get inspired to create your own butterfly garden. www.dsc.smv.org

Ruby B. Archie Public Library Programs

Whodunit Book Club, Classic Movie Club, Zodiac-Themed Craft, The Write Stuff, Puzzlers Club, Book Lovers Club, Cosmic Crafts, Family Storytime, Unrequired Reading – Classics Book Club, UFO Night - Un-Finished Objects, Youth Dungeons and Dragons, Astrology 101 for Teens, Bookworms, Among Us: Life Size Edition, LEGO Brick Engineers, Adopt an Alien, Mad Scientists - Extraterrestrial Exploration, Planetary Scavenger Hunt, Little Explorers Storytime, Little Learning Lab - Outer Space Edition, Book Babies, Stop Motion Mini Movies, Chalk Space Walk, Space Junk.

Museum Attic Sale Donation Drop Off. Accepting donations of household items, furniture, books and media, decorative items. No clothes, TVs, or computers. Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm. DMFAH 434.793.5644.

Pittsylvania Co. Farmers Market. F 4-6:30pm, Sat 7:30am-12pm. Olde Dominion Ag Complex. 434.432.8026.

Danville Farmers Market. W 1-6pm, Sat 7:30am-12pm. Community Market. 434.797.8961.

Main Street Art Collective Events. 7/8

Watermelon Watercolor Painting, 11am; 7/12 Kids Make Suncatchers, Age 5-7 w/parent, & age 8+, 2 pm; 7/15

Monogram Door Hanger, 11am; 7/19

Puzzle Swap, 11am; 7/21 Kids Stepping Stone, Age 5-7 w/parent, & age 8+, 2 pm; 7/26 Kids Paint Party, Age 5-7 w/ parent, & age 8+, 2pm. MSAC.

Summer Camps

July 2-7, 9-14

Summer Riding. Ages 10-16. Chatham Hall. summerprograms@chathamhall. org.

July 3, 5 & 7

Lights, Camera, Action Week. 1st6th grade. Coates Rec. Center. 434.799.5150.

July 5, 6 & 7

STEM in the Movies. K-4th grade. IALR. 434.766.6700.

July 9 (thru 14)

Science Investigators. Ages 10-14. Chatham Hall. summerprograms@ chathamhall.org.

July 10 (thru 14)

Detective Week. 1st-6th grade. 7:30am-6pm. Coates Rec. Center. 434.799.5150.

Reading Detectives / Cyber Spies. 3rd8th grade. IALR. 434.766.6700.

Limitless Summer Dance Camp. Ages 3-High School. Redeemed Christian Dance Studio. 434.709.9458.

July 10-14 & 24-28

Owen Farm Camp. Ages 5+. 434.728.3410.

June 12-14

Adventure Camp III. Day-camp consisting of hiking, kayaking, zip lining, high ropes adventures and climbing wall challenges. Ages 12-14. 7:30am5:30pm. 434.799.5150.

July 13

Teddy Bear Ballet Camp. Ages 4-9. Jodie Carroll Dance Co. jodiecarrolldanceco.com.

July 13 & 27

Youth Lego Club. 1st-6th grade. 5:30-6:30pm. Coates Rec. Center. 434.799.5150.

July 17, 18 & 19

Volleyball Fundamentals, Build Up, Next Level. 6th-12th grade. Averett North Campus. Oearls@averett.edu.

July 17 (thru 21)

Art Appreciation Week. 1st-6th grade. 7:30am-6pm. Coates Rec. Center. 434.799.5150.

Young Investors & Entrepreneurs. 6th9th grade. IALR. 434.766.6700.

Basketball Camp. Ages 9-13. Averett North Campus. Gregory.hairston@ averett.edu.

YMCA Softball Camp. Learn the skills necessary to play the game of Softball while having fun. O.T. Bonner School. cord.cothren@ymcedanville.org.

July 18 & 19

Otterbots Baseball Camp. Get instruction from Otterbots players. All campers receive a bagged lunch. Ages 6-14. 8am. Legion Field, Dan Daniel Park. 434.554.4487.

July 20

Royal Princess Tea Party Camp

Ages 4-6. Jodie Carroll Dance Co. jodiecarrolldanceco.com.

July 20 & 21

Cougar Elite Volleyball Camp. 9th-12th grade. Averett North Campus. Oearls@ averett.edu.

July 24 (thru 28)

Teen Camp. YMCA. gregory.hairston@ ymcadanville.org.

Young Author’s Week. 1st-6th grade. 7:30am-6pm. Coates Rec. Center. 434.799.5150.

Travel Through Time / Around the World. 3rd-8th grade. IALR. 434.766.6700.

YMCA Swimming Camp. Learn fundamental stroke techniques, flip turns, and starts. YMCA. cord.cothren@ ymcedanville.org.

July 27

Lyle Lyle Crocodile Musical Theatre Dance Camp. Ages 6-9. Jodie Carroll Dance Co. jodiecarrolldanceco.com.

July 29

Paint & Bling Camp. Bring clean sneakers or Crocs to paint. Ages 8-17. 11am-4pm. Deer Run Road.

July 31 (thru Aug. 4)

Splish, Splash Week. 1st-6th grade. 7:30am-6pm. Coates Rec. Center. 434.799.5150.

Thru July 28

Expressions 2023 Exhibit. Work which howcases regional talent featuring an eclectic mix of work such as watercolor, oil and acrylic, mixed media, drawing, photography and sculpture. Piedmont Arts. 276.632.3221.

July 1

Milton Independence Day. Food, parade, art, face painting, cornhole tournament, live music, kid activities. Visitmiltonnc.com. Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 Racing & fireworks. 7pm. South Boston Speedway. 434.572.4947.

July 1 & 2

Extreme Splash, Bounce House & Waterslide Festival. Gigantic waterslides, foam party, obstacle courses, interactive games, & more. 12-6pm. Shewels Parking Lot. 434.251.2059.

June 2 (thru 23)

Live Music. Hosted by Stuart Jennings. Sundays 2-6pm. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co.

July 3 (thru 29)

Danville Otterbots. 7/3 vs Burlington Sock Puppets; 7/8 & 9 vs. Princeton WhistlePigs; 7/10 & 11 vs. Pulaski River Turtles; 7/13-14 vs. Kingsport Axmen; 7/18 & 19 vs Burlington Sock Puppets; 7/26& 27 vs. Elizabethton River Riders; 7/28 & 29 Pulaski River Turtles. 7pm. Legion Field, Dan Daniel Park. 434.554.4487.

July 4

DP&R 4th Celebration. Entertainment, activities, vendors, concessionaires and performance from Danville Symphony Orchestra. 6-9pm. Carrington Pavilion. 434.857.3384.

4th Celebration. Food trucks and loads of family fun with live music, bounce houses, a mist tent, magic show, fireworks and more. 6-10pm. Downtown South Boston.

July 6 (thru 9)

Clue. Adapted from the Paramount Pictures film. Presented by The Smokestack Theatre. 7:30-9:30pm. 434.549.5445.

July 7

DRHA Village Block Party & Concert

Fod, fun and $500 cash prize. 5-7pm. South Side Community Center, Cardinal Village.

July 7 (thru 28)

Live Music. 7/7 Wicked Karaoke; 7/8 Stomping Ground; 7/14 Old 97; 7/15

Andy Burnett Trio; 7/21 Nathan Pope Trio; 7/22 Blue Drive; 7/28 Hudson Red; 7/29 Willow St. 7-10pm. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co.

July 8

Community Fun Day. 10am-3am. Gretna Fire & Rescue. Nelly Concert. A multi-platinum, Grammy-award-winner. 6pm. Danville Harvest Jubilee, Carrington Pavillon. 434.799.5200.

July 11

Michael Jackson Experience. Official impersonator of the King of Pop will have you on your feet as he performs Michael Jacksons greatest hits. 2-3:30pm. West Main Street. 434.799.5216.

July 13

Music at the Market Concert Series - Shelton and Williams. Bring a chair, blanket, and picnic basket for a relaxing evening listening to music. 7-9pm. Community Market-Outdoor Stage. 434.857.3384.

Tossing at the Crossing - Cornhole Tournaments. Blind draw for partners, players can bring their own bags, prizes awarded. Registration required. 7-9:30pm. Community Market. 434.857.3384.

Thursday Paddle. Travel on the Dan River in hopes to catch glimpses of river otters, blue herons, and turtles. Registration required. Ages 8+. 434.799.5150.

July 14

Putts for Paws Golf Tournament Fundraiser for the Pittsylvania Pet Center. 8am.Cedars Country Club. 434.432.1989.

Flip Flop Friday. Bring your lawn chairs and friends to settle in for a fun, relaxing evening. Enjoy music from League of Ordinary Gentlemen, food, & wine. 6-10pm. Homeplace Vineyard. 434.432.9463

Bike Night. Bikers Against Trafficking VA, great food and music. 6:30-10pm. Buffalo Wild Wings.

July 14 & 15

Cowboy Mounted Shooting. Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex. 434.432.8026.

July 15

Main Street To Anglers Kayaking Navigate rapids and paddle around islands in a picturesque portion of the river. Ages 12+. 9-11am.

Watermelon Crawl. Food, drinks, games, giveaways, activities, live music, and watermelon. 8am-1pm. Downtown South Boston. 434.738.7840.

Billy’s A/C Service Night at the Races. 7pm. South Boston Speedway. 434.572.4947.

July 21

Jake Owen Concert. 6pm. Danville Harvest Jubilee, Carrington Pavillon. 434.799.5200.

July 21 & 22

Dino Festival. Dinosaur extravaganza, featuring life size-cast skeletons, dinosaur fossils, dino-themed activities and crafts, face painting, balloon animals, food truck. 10am-4pm. Virginia Museum of Natural History. 276.634.4141.

July 22

Halifax Co. Watermelon Festival. Live music, bounce house, kids activities, watermelon eating contest. 9am-1pm. Halifax Farmers Market. Golden Leaf Bistro Music Fest Celebrating the 10th Anniversary. 10am-11pm. 434.791.3191.

Sippin’ Saturdays. Enjoy music, wine and rockin’ on the screened in, wrap around porch. 12-5pm. Homeplace Vineyard. 434.432.9463.

Shaggin on Fieldcrest. Beach music festival featuring The Embers & Pink Slips. Food, beer garden and more. 2-10pm. Eden. 336.623.2110.

July 28

VA Cantaloupe Festival. Entertainment, non & alcoholic beverages, delicious roasted corn, cantaloupe and ice cream. 5-10pm. Berry Hill Resort. 434.572.3085.

July 29

Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival 12pm. Springfield Distillery, Halifax. 434.575.9317.

Though Josh Lucia was not in his first production until his freshman year of high school, he claims he has been acting since he was born. “I’ve always considered that we are all acting, especially when it comes to our varied circles: work, personal, school, etc.”

Lucia serves as the Managing Director of Smokestack Theatre Company, in addition to running his own videography business, Lucia Video. As one can imagine, running a business and a nonprofit theatre leads to a pretty hectic life. Lucia says, “My brain is a busy place. I am typically thinking about ten things at once. When I am on stage, rehearsing or performing a show, it is one of the rare times I am fully focused on something, and all the other thoughts are gone.”

Lucia has a unique approach to preparing for a role. He says, “The repetition is where I learn the most about a role.” Early in the rehearsal process, he will record the cast reading through the script, and will listen to that audio over and over to help him learn his lines. “I start seeing a character come to life in my head as soon as I start reading the lines. Things may shift as I get deeper into the script, but typically that foundation my imagination creates from the start stays with me.” Lucia is not a big reader, so he likes to get

Action!

Inside the Method of Acting

Josh Lucia

by Emily Wilkerson photo courtesy of Smokestack Theatre Co

on his feet and out of the script as soon as possible so he can begin the physical work and start interacting with his fellow actors.

While many would consider their acting role models to be famous thespians like Robin Williams or Patti LuPone, Lucia prefers to find his inspiration locally. “A lot of my colleagues at Smokestack are my role models. I did not go to school for theater, so I always say, I brought school to me. I have tried to surround myself with people who I consider being more knowledgeable of the craft and full of talent. James Anderson, Kris Dodds Williams, Rachel Timm, Olivia Richardson, Matt Doss. These are all trained well-versed theater performers, and I am thankful that I can soak up their knowledge.”

Lucia’s advice for anyone looking to get into acting is to simply “be a child.”

“Watch younger children play sometime. They get so lost in their imaginations. They don’t care what’s happening around them. They are in whatever world they have in their mind. When you step on that stage, you are gone and replaced with your character. Become that character and leave yourself in the dressing room.”

There are many events coming up at Smokestack where Lucia can be found. He will take on the role of Professor Plum in Clue He is directing the summer youth production called Channeling Grimm and will also be directing

and performing in Smokestack’s 21+ Improv Shows. Lucia shares, “I just hope I can keep up! The next few months are going to be full of a lot of laughter…the reason I got into performing to begin with.”

cene: Linda returns home after being gone for a week. Plant anxiously awaits her arrival.

Plant: …Where have you been?? You were gone. I felt abandoned.

Linda (dropping her suitcases at the door): I’ve missed you, but I’ve been where I needed to be.

P (querulously): You didn’t even say goodbye.

L (hanging up her coat, shaking out her hair, pulling out a comb): But I left you with the nice kitchen plants so that everybody could be watered at once.

P (sniffing): The kitchen was not congenial. I removed myself.

L (halting the comb in midsweep): How? You don’t have legs.

P (leaves fluttering as if preening): I wilted.

L (throwing herself into a chair, frowning, facing Plant): What?

P (leaves perfectly arranged): I restricted my water intake.

L (staring): You can do that?

P: Like humans, I self-regulate. Humans change demeanors to encourage other responses.

L (bewilderedly): …How?

P: You seem unusually slow today.

L (sarcastically): Forgive me. I’ve forgotten what these conversations with you are like.

P (matter-of-factly): Forgiven. Analogy: I have noticed humans cry, then people surround them with caring like you do with me.

L: Human emotional expression often isn’t usually under human control. This relates to you how?

P: I wilted. Plant lady scowled, saying, “You’re not dying on my watch.” Muttering about excess sunlight, she moved me to this room. So, where have you been?

L (sighing): I’ll deconstruct this conversation later. Been up north at a wedding. Long-time friends with bride’s mother.

P: Wedding ritual: Two humans commit to each other, theoretically for life.

L: Yes.

P: Plants do not formalize relationships.

L: But you have other needs.

P: I need to know. About your being away.

L: Drove 12 hours in torrential rain to get there. A low.

P: I fear drowning in my pot.

L: Valid fear. Wedding next day inside. Glassed-in, beachside, venue, raining outside. Walked to the venue wearing FroggToggs rain pants, dress stuffed down inside, raincoat on top. Low. Beautiful ceremony. Gorgeous bride. Lovely meal. High.

P: Why frog rain pants? And do I sense a pattern?

L: Brand, not amphibian. And yes, down-up pattern like a sine curve.

P: Low, high,…

L: Returned to our friends’ home the next day and found that my friend’s mother, 100-year-old Edna, the bride’s grandmother, was dying. Low.

P: Definite low…

L: Our friend’s four children and partners were called back. Bride wore her back-up wedding dress so Grandma could see it. After the last child arrived, Grandma died. She timed it right…to be gone.

P: Grandma paced her death? The family encircled her when she passed?

L: Yes. Crying, they dove into funeral planning. Rabbi came the next morning to discuss the service.

P: A low…

L: Well, not exactly. Second daughter’s birthday party in a park was shortly after the rabbi left. Sandwiches, singing, birthday cake, walk around the lake.

P: A high…

L: Yes, but faster intervals…

P: …between emotional troughs and peaks…then what?

L: Back to the house: cleaning for them, writing for me.

P: Cleaning? Writing?

L: Cleaning: shiva, that night, at the house. Shiva: Seven-day

mourning period from day of death in some Jewish cultures. Writing: They asked me to speak the next morning at the funeral.

P: You? Why you?

L: I’ve known both my friend, and her mother Edna who’d just died, for 55 years. Knew them well. Needed to honor Edna’s memory.

P: Low, high? Big honor.

L: Yes. I did the things one does when someone dies. Cleaning, shiva, funeral, honoring deceased and family.

P: Then what?

L: Ninety-minute car-ride to bury Grandma in another state. Late diner lunch sharing positive stories about Edna. Next day, cleaning

Plant VIII:

Right to Be Gone

by Linda Lemery

up Edna’s nursing home room, lunching at my friend’s house, driving partway home.

P: Low, high, low, high-ish…? An emotional rollercoaster.

L: Range between peaks and troughs was shrinking. Healthy, accelerated grieving. Maybe.

P: You were right to be gone.

L: I think so. Was there, right places, right times.

P: I’m happy you’re back with me now.

L: Home…best place ever. Sanctuary.

About the author: Plant and Linda Lemery llemery@gmail.com welcome reader comments.

Seabiscuit

(7/10 Rating)

Released July 25, 2003

For rent/purchase on all major platforms.

Genre: Drama, History, Sport PG-13: Some sexual situations and violent sports-related images

2h 20m

Movies You Missed from 20 years ago

by Josh Lucia

Sometime after the release of the original Spider-Man trilogy, which I loved, I grew an unwarranted hatred for Tobey Maguire. I cannot say I had a valid reason, other than every time he showed up on a screen I was filled with an unexplainable rage just from

seeing his stupid face. I know… he is probably a great guy in real life…I already said it was an unwarranted hatred. Either way, I avoided multiple movies simply because Tobey was in them. Or, in the case of The Great Gatsby, I sat through a movie and watched with disgust. He had become like a hated ex-wife, someone I once adored, but now could not stand to even find in my peripheral. Then, in 2021, Spider-Man: No Way Home was released, and I remembered how things used to be. I had forgiven Tobey (for what, I still do not know) and we could be friends again. It was time to finally watch The Cider House Rules and other Movies I Missed. Which brings us to 2003’s Seabiscuit, a lovely film about three men and the undersized racehorse that gave them hope just when they needed it most. Tobey Maguire plays the jockey, a sort of kindred spirit to Seabiscuit, one scene depicting them both alone against the world. Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski, Crazy Heart) plays Charles Howard, a man rebuilding his life after

the loss of his son and a career in car making, who becomes the owner of Seabiscuit. Chris Cooper (Adaptation, American Beauty) is the trainer, a loner with instincts for seeing in horses what others may not. Nominated for seven Oscars, it is also a nice period piece and delves a little into the widespread effects of the Great Depression. The opening exposition feels a little out of place and adds to a slightly long runtime, but otherwise most of the film keeps you interested in either the visuals or the plot. This is a nice feelgood movie. It hits all the typical underdog (underhorse?) notes and is pretty predictable for the most part, but if you are looking for something to lift your spirits, give this one a watch.

Also released in July of 2003: Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Bad Boys II, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (follow @jlucia85 for these reviews and more)

Recently, I caught myself not taking my own advice, which is to keep an open mind about wine and wine-food pairings. My task was to match a wine with creamy blue cheese. In my mind, I jumped to the intensely flavored blue cheese. Thinking that a strongly flavored cheese should be matched with an intensely flavored red wine, my guess was Cabernet Sauvignon. Then I read that port wine is a good match, particularly Tawny Port. At first, I was skeptical, but upon tasting it, my taste buds were delighted with this match. Friends tasted this pairing and confirmed it was delicious.

Blue cheeses vary in flavor, texture, and intensity from mild to tangy. The soft creamy blue cheese is not intense and more subtle than traditional varieties. It had a creamy texture, an earthy aroma, and a bit of a peppery flavor with a soft, clean finish.

Just as there is a variety of blue cheese types, there are also a variety of port wines. Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. It is typically a sweet red wine, often served with dessert. However, it also

Following My Own Advice

by Dave Slayton

comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties. Port is classified as a fortified wine, meaning a clear grape spirit (brandy) is added during fermentation. This stops fermentation and preserves most of the grapes’ natural sugars, giving Port its signature sweet flavor profile. But be aware it also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties. Other than Tawny, the most common types of port wine include; Ruby, Crusted, White, Pink, Late Bottled Vintage, Vintage, and Colheita.

For Tawny Port, the aging process is essential. While a Ruby Port will mature for a short time in large wooden vats and then in bottles, Tawny Ports will age for much longer in small casks before bottling. The wines undergo a steady, controlled oxidation process as the color fades from deep, hazy ruby to orange-amber-tawny. Tasting and blending an aged tawny is a continual process resulting in a wine with nutty, caramel, cinnamon, clove, fig, and raspberry flavors.

Let this match be your first Port of call for your next voyage of flavor discovery. Cheers!

photo by Dave Slayton

Auf

Wiedersehen

Erma’s

by Mack Williams

Back in the April edition of Evince, I wrote about a house that is no more. This month, I write about a restaurant that is no more: “Erma’s Restaurant.”

My writing about these two demolitions within a specific range of time only reflects the specific range of time in which they occurred. It doesn’t mean that my writing is now headed in such a singular direction as to cause the public to assume, “Whenever the wrecking ball wrecks, Williams writes!”

Prior to Erma’s closing, I had heard years ago that it was a “biker” tradition. When I first heard that, having spent at least half of my childhood in the 1950s, my “mind’s eye” saw Marlon Brando’s character Johnny Strabler in The Wild One (1953), with a trophy strapped to his motorcycle as a kind of unusual “hood ornament.” The top of the trophy consisted of a rider astride a motorcycle, the whole resembling a kind of “biking Oscar.”

From time-to-time, my travels might take me past Erma’s. At

such times, I would often see men in black and black leather out front standing next to some really fine “hogs” and “choppers.” If you don’t know what those terms mean, I refer you to the film Easy Rider (1969) and the rock band Steppenwolf (whose songs comprised the music of the film’s soundtrack).

But, as not everyone “bikes,” it could be said that Erma’s attracted people who enjoyed just being in the company of others, neighborhood friends going there as a group, or “Erma’s friends,” those only encountered at Erma’s! In that respect, Erma’s was Danville’s version of the English pub or the German hofbrau.

I popped in there wearing a biker vest one time; but I’m sure they saw right through me!

Behind the front counter was a board with a list of proper names with the heading: “The following people are not allowed in Erma’s!” These were evidently individuals who had visited Erma’s and had not respected the good cheer fostered there. As is the “just in case” part of human nature, even though I knew I had never caused a ruckus at Erma’s, I was glad not to see my name listed.

The large “spire-like” metal projection on the roof of Erma’s kind of reminded me of a giant hood ornament. And as to my “spire” reference, it might be said that Erma’s was a cathedral of sorts, where people gathered to promote goodwill.

Erma’s had the message “Air Conditioning” cursively painted on the outside of the building. That, and the building’s style, makes me think Erma’s was built in the

1950s, when air conditioning was a “newer sort of thing.” And as to the cursively written message, sadly, to those who were in recent years never taught cursive, that sign might have been as decipherable as ancient cuneiform!

There are business advertisements which proudly proclaim: “The combined proficiency of our staff represents over 100 years of experience” (usually, unnervingly made by funeral establishments). In that respect, the combined life experiences of Erma’s’ patrons during the course of Erma’s lifetime would push Erma’s origin back as far as that of The Great Pyramid of Giza (another storied monument, but mostly still intact).

I recently visited Erma’s in its destruction; and on its 2nd or 3rd day of destruction that shiny metal “roof ornament” had already been toppled to the ground. Its lumbered backing support giving it the appearance of a movie prop; but Erma’s was real, through and through, nothing of show biz’s phony facade!

I picked up a few pieces of broken, blue-painted cinder block to give to family and friends. They looked like those broken pieces of the Berlin Wall which are still selling on the internet (don’t worry, I didn’t get “ideas”).

Whereas that cinder block wall running through the city of Berlin was built to keep people in against their will; the cinder block portion of Erma’s Restaurant figuratively “nestled” and “hugged” a much sought-out space in which camaraderie and the joy of life were celebrated.

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