Stache - March 2013 by Do South Magazine

stache

march 2013 AtUrbanMagazine.com

featuring

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Catherine Frederick

lifestyle

MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell

entertainment

In Anticiptation of Waning Days

DIY: Lucky You

Beauty in the Rain

Get the Look

Product Review

C2 Home

24 26 28

Urban 8 Lovers, Lies & Butcher Knives The Round House

people

26 30 34 36

Moonlight with Bigfoot Storm Warnings American Horror Story, Dream Come True

taste

A Land of Giants

44 46 48 50 54

Elder Fashion Quiche for a Cowgirl Hey Pop, How ‘Bout a Pie? 21 West End Pie, Beer, Pie

ASSOCIATE EDITOR / ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Melanie Stout CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Marla Cantrell Marcus Coker Kody Ford Catherine Frederick Shawna Mason Aric Mitchell Anita Paddock Jill Rohrbach Melanie Stout Maxine Taylor CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Marla Cantrell Marcus Coker Catherine Frederick Jeromy Price Melanie Stout DESIGNER Jeromy Price WEB GURU David Jamell PUBLISHER Read Chair Publishing, LLC

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick 479 / 782 / 1500 Catherine@AtUrbanMagazine.com Melanie Stout 479 / 414 / 3147 Melanie@AtUrbanMagazine.com

travel

EDITORIAL INFORMATION Marla Cantrell 479 / 831 / 9116 Marla@AtUrbanMagazine.com

58 62

Sprung Back Story: Driving Toward Rain

©2013 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions contained in @Urban are exclusively those of the writers and do not represent those of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. as a whole or its affiliates. Any correspondence to @Urban or Read Chair Publishing, LLC., including photography becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. @Urban reserves the right to edit content and images.

letter from Catherine | 5

photo by Kat Hardin

Activities ramp up for our family around this time, too. The end of basketball overlaps the beginning of baseball. We’re thankful. I honestly don’t know what we would do with ourselves with a free weekend, without a game of some sort. Perhaps I speak for myself more than the rest of the family. I love watching my little man out there on the court or on the mound. I’m the loud and proud mom in the stands. Real loud. The only thing better than ballgames is spring break. We haven’t decided what we’re doing yet, but we are considering several

trips mentioned in our story, “Sprung,” a comprehensive guide to great getaways in Arkansas.

ot. Cold. Hot. Cold. So goes the weather this time of year. You know what they say, if you don’t like the

We also have an adventure for the over-21 crowd. Read “Pie,

weather, wait five minutes, it’ll change! It’s true. As

Beer, Pie” and then make your own plans to dive into one whole

I write this, we’re expecting snow flurries, but hold on tight

day when calorie counting is off the table. Staying home this

because tomorrow it’s supposed to warm up to beautiful 65

spring break? We have a crafty idea that will keep you busy and

degrees. Got to love our Arkansas weather!

give you a one-of-a-kind gift for someone you love.

I do love this time of year. Life seems to ramp up. The landscape,

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Read the story of a local

now dark and brown, will start to gain new life. Already I can see

woman who headed to Hollywood with a plan that’s paying off

a welcomed burst of green in my yard, and the tips of my trees

big. Step into the deep woods of Oklahoma to spend a night

are starting to bud. The green I see is just weeds, I know, but

with Bigfoot, and find out why Fort Smith used to be called the

they’re green! And after months of seeing nothing but naked

Land of Giants. Hint – it has something to do with baseball.

brown limbs and wheat colored grass, I’ll take it. Which reminds me, I have a baseball uniform to wash. Oh I’ve already been readying my soil for this year’s garden.

spring, how I love you!

Couldn’t wait any longer to get my hands dirty. Farmer’s Coop is going to be tired of seeing my face over the next few weeks as I prepare the beds and purchase my transplants. I don’t have the room or the time to grow all of the crops I want to harvest. But a quick trip to the Coop or the farmers market will fill the void.

To reserve this free space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: Editors@AtUrbanMagazine.com

lifestyle | 7

@lines Shawna Mason

The lowbellied moon wastes to thin remembrance as six cedes seven. The revolutions mark her waxing until she stands, a fair-haired, firm-skinned, reflection of myself as we move in elliptical passages. But not just yet. So I pause to kiss the dimples across the back of her hand.

8 | SHOPLOCAL

Dr. Steven Stiles Optometry

hirty-five years. That’s how long Dr. Steven Stiles has been caring for the people of our community. When he started his practice, Steven was committed to three simple principles: style, staff, and service. These three principles still guide the practice today with patient eye health at the center of everything they do. But, Steven believes eyewear is more than just about correcting vision, it’s also an important part of your wardrobe, which is why he brings in the latest selections of eyewear from companies like Tag Heuer, Bvulgari, Tiffany & Co., and Versace. The staff always greet patients with a ready smile and the desire to help find just the right frames to fit their lifestyle. Patients also take comfort in the staff’s dedication and commitment to the latest technology. When he’s not working, Steven and his wife Nancy enjoy traveling together, often with their two children, taking in the arts and listening to live music from Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and other local artists, Boom Kinetic and the Cate Brothers. Dr. Stiles’ office is located at 2401 South Waldron Road in Fort Smith. Visit stileseyegroup. com or call 479.452.2020.

Dr. Steven Stiles

The Goods

habby chic and a lot of unique is what you’ll find when you open the door to The Goods. Owner Sherry Goodrum opened the charming shop last fall. Crafty goodness packs every square inch of this adorable shotgun style house. Most of the items are antiques or previously owned pieces. You’ll also find cute frames and other decorative items, which have been lovingly repainted, refinished or repurposed, beckoning for someone to “relove” something old. For those that love to DIY, Sherry has pieces you can pick up and refinish. She also carries a great line of chalk paint called Maison Blanche and hosts painting workshops to show how to achieve that shabby look. Know what you love, but not so good at pulling it all together? Sherry offers a free one-hour, in-home consultation service to help you make the most of your existing space. Sherry says, “Decorating spaces is all about layering; adding some light here and some greenery there, even if it is artificial, gives the impression of growth and life, which is what you want home to be about.” The Goods is located at 1116 S. 19th Street in Fort Smith. Find them at facebook.com/thegoodshomewares or call 479.434.5057 or 479.461.1789.

Sherry Goodrum

SHOPLOCAL | 9

Unique Boutique

oing into business for yourself can be challenging, but when you have your best friend and high school sweetheart by your side, meeting that challenge is a whole lot sweeter. Dixie and Chris Cook, owners of Unique Boutique, met in junior high, graduated from U of A together, then returned to their hometown, Fort Smith, to start their lives together. Their first business venture was a car wash, then Tan Unique- a tanning salon and Fort Smith staple for over twenty - eight years. Unique Boutique is located just inside the doors of the salon. New arrivals are a constant at the boutique, where you’ll find a wide variety of clothing, accessories and even shoes. But the physical location of the boutique is just one piece of the puzzle. Says Dixie, “I want to bring the boutique into the digital age by using more of our social media such as Facebook and hopefully in the near future, expand our boutique into an online store, to appeal to our growing customer base.” Dixie’s loves that she gets to interact with their customers and help them discover the perfect outfit that is uniquely “them”. Chris handles the business side. “We make a great team,” she says. Unique Boutique is located at 4500 Rogers Avenue in Fort Smith. Find them at facebook.com/uniqueboutiquefsm.com, or call 479.785.1185.

Dixie and Chris Cook

Kuk Sool Won of the River Valley

any only dream of turning a lifelong passion into a career. But Mike Grey, owner of Kuk Sool Won of the River Valley, has done just that. A 5th degree black belt with over thirty years of training, Mike is not only an expert in what he does, but he’s also passionate about teaching this Korean art to children and adults alike. Mike believes that the important lessons of discipline, respect, and responsibility learned in the study of Kuk Sool Won will follow students throughout their lives. It’s not just about learning self-defense; character development is a high priority, especially in the children’s classes. Family time is important to Mike, and he understands that it can be difficult to balance work, school, extracurricular activities, and play, which is why he offers so many class options, including daytime classes, to help busy families stay connected. Mike, and his wife of twenty-five years, Robyn, have worked hard together to build something their entire family can be proud of. Their two daughters are both martial artists. Daughter Ashleigh, currently at Oklahoma State University studying veterinary medicine, is a first degree black belt and their youngest, Hannah, is also a first degree black belt. At just twelve years old, Hannah is working hard, preparing to represent Kuk Sool Won of the River Valley as she competes at the Korea Cup this October, in Busan, South Korea. Kuk Sool Won of the River Valley is located at 3112 Cavanaugh Road in Fort Smith. Visit kswoftherivervalley.com or call 479.649.3542

Mike Gray

10 | lifestyle

A best friend is like a four leaf clover: hard to find but lucky to have. Change the luck of a friend in need. Adopt a dog.

Bailey German Shephard / Bassett Mix (male)

Brinkley Rat Terrier (male)

Jansen American Cattle Dog (male)

Lola Dachshund (female)

Samson Weimaraner Mix (male)

Scout Shepard Mix Puppy (female)

AhimsaRescueFoundation.org

@images Courtesy Tessa Freeman Ahimsa Rescue Foundation, Muldrow, OK Facebook.com/AhimsaRescueFoundation savingpaws@aol.com

Ahimsa Rescue Foundation is an all-volunteer team, founded in 2004, specializing in the rescue and placement of abused, unwanted and abandoned companion animals from eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. All pets are spayed or neutered, micro-chipped and vet-checked before being adopted to carefully screened homes. People have traveled from as far away as California, New York, Oregon and Las Vegas to adopt with Ahimsa. Ahimsaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to place needy animals in responsible homes, provide humane education, and encourage spaying and neutering because not enough homes are available. Contact: Savingpaws@aol.com

12 | lifestyle

Lucky You

DIY adapted from happymoneysaver.com

@story and images Catherine Frederick

hey say it’s better to give than to receive and I’m down

Selecting the items you put into your box is part of the fun.

with that. But let’s get real, who doesn’t love getting

Make it personal. Does the lucky duck you’re giving the box to

a little surprise every now and then? Birthdays and

love a certain candy? The only rule to follow is to keep the items

Christmas only come once a year. So give a little happy when

within the same color family. I found practically everything I

it’s unexpected - it could come back to you tenfold.

wanted for this box at Hobby Lobby, except for the food items. I. Love. That. Place. I could live there. Seriously. Don’t forget

This DIY is as fun as it is easy. And it can be crafted for any

your 40% off coupon if it’s not a sale item! Pull up the coupon

occasion- a unique baby or wedding gift, or make it über manly

on your cell phone before you get to the register from www.

(beer, nuts, coffee, basketball tickets) or downright girly. Simply

hobbylobby.com/coupon. You’re welcome.

choose a color theme for your box of happy and let the fun begin!

lifestyle | 13

How it’s made

Choose a pattern (think shamrocks, hearts, stars, etc.) and trace over your scrapbook paper. Cut out the shapes in various sizes and place them aside for later.

You can place the shapes randomly inside the box as well as on the outside for added bling.

I’m thrifty, so I opted for

of the decorative confetti

a plain brown photo box

if you’re using it.

Select a box. Hobby Lobby carries a wide variety of

plain, craft paper boxes in various shapes and sizes.

Fill the box with the decorative filler. It comes in a variety

of colors. Feel free to sprinkle in a small amount

that was on sale.

chalkboard begged me to

to get that checked. I’ve

finished.

cut outs. Viola! You’ve got

take it home.

found the best place to get

a box full of happy, just

specific colors of candy is

waiting to be delivered.

Who doesn’t love trinkets? Happy, useful trinkets.

Pinwheels remind me of my childhood and this tiny

The kid in all of us loves candy. If you don’t, there’s

probably something wrong with you and you need

Candy Craze. Some for me, some for the box, some more for me.

With a dab of glue, add some ribbon and a few cut outs

to the top of the box, and BLING! You’re almost

Filler up! Add the items to the box, sprinkle on a few

more pieces of confetti and if there’s room, a few more

14 | lifestyle

beauty in the rain @story Marla Cantrell @images Courtesy UpstreamArt

Each month in our Ignite series we bring you stories we hope will inspire you, give you new ideas, and bring you inside the lives of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

lifestyle | 15

he next time it rains, find a storm drain and watch as the water gushes into it. Then, think about what’s in that rainwater. It contains a little of everything it rushed across. Things like lawn

fertilizers, cigarette butts tossed onto sidewalks, trash blown from the back of a pickup truck, motor oil leaked from a car in a nearby lot. For the most part, the runoff goes untreated, flowing swiftly into our creeks, lakes, and rivers. But we rarely think about it as we pass those metal grates, tucked inside concrete curbs. They do little to draw attention, blending as they do into an ordinary landscape, but in Northwest Arkansas it’s getting harder to dismiss them. Local artists have already painted eight storm drains with designs such as lobsters, cave salamanders and butterflies. These drains don’t blend - they beg to be noticed, which is the goal of a program called UpStreamArt. Jane Maginot, with the Washington County Extension Service, plans to add another fifteen artists to the program this year. All are welcome, and Jane is hoping artists from the River Valley will apply for the program. The deadline to fill out the application is March 19. Applicants will go through a juried process on March 25. Selected artists will be contacted on April 9. They’ll then be given a storm drain to paint in either Benton or Washington County. The artists will be provided with high-endurance acrylic paint and the concrete will be primed and then sealed once the work is complete, sometime around the first of May. There will also be a spot for a “Drains to Creek” QR code, which will allow those using Smart phones to log onto a website to learn more about the program, and what we can do to keep our waterways from becoming dump sites. What you’ll learn will likely surprise you. In the city of Fayetteville alone, dogs produce 2-million pounds of waste every year. Quite a bit of that ends up on sidewalks and roadways, and when it rains it’s washed down storm drains. It’s the same story for oil and antifreeze. More oil leaked from American cars in 2011 than was released in the 2010 massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Water from municipal storm drains is treated in only a few select locations, like NYC. Jane says that many people are unaware how the Northwest Arkansas system works, and has even heard of people pouring used motor oil directly into storm drains, unaware that the pollution drains straight into our waterways.

16 | lifestyle

Jane believes if we were aware of our impact on our lakes, rivers,

“Wishing Well” is loud with color. It catches your attention, and

and creeks, we’d do a better job, which is why she works so hard

draws your eye to the concrete slab where rainwater whooshes

to educate the public. She also believes that working with artists

down. And it sends a message to us. Be responsible, it says. Do

to get the message across helps everyone. The artists volunteer

your part to keep our water clean.

their time and talent, but gain exposure through media reports and through events. An upcoming gallery reception at Ozark

It’s a message worth heeding. It’s a message that could make a

Natural Foods in Fayetteville on March 2, at 4:30 p.m. will feature

difference in how we live in years to come.

storm drain photographs representing the 2012 artists’ work and they will be on hand to talk about their projects. The exhibit will be up throughout the month.

To apply as a contributing artist, visit nwaupstreamart.wetpaint.com

The municipal storm drains painted last year ranged in size from 4’ x 6’, to 6’ x 17’. Jane expects them to survive for three to five years, depending on the weather. Once they start to chip, the city will come in, power wash the area and vacuum up the paint chips, so that they don’t end up in our waterways. Hopefully, the UpstreamArt project, just outside the entrance to Crystal Bridges Art Museum in Bentonville, will stand the test of time. Rust Studios in Berryville designed “Wishing Well”. Randy Rust, his thirteen-year-old granddaughter Callista Audet, Laura O’ Rourke, and Crystal Rust worked together on this piece. The heart-shaped pools of water, copper pennies, fish, and butterflies, represent the fragile interconnectedness of all living things. It is

A few ways you can help: 1. Use a carwash. The drains there connect to a wastewater treatment system. 2. Carry disposable bags while walking your dog to pick up and dispose of waste properly. 3. Use lawn chemicals sparingly, if at all. And test your soil to determine how much fertilizer your lawn really needs. 4. Instead of using chemical products, consider compost or natural lawn-chemical alternatives. 5. Keep driveways and sidewalks clean. Remove

so realistic that one passerby tried to pick up a painted penny,

debris and residue that could end up in a storm

thinking it was real.

drain. Never discard trash or yard waste down storm drains or in the street.

18 | lifestyle

@models (from left to right) Kayla Moschner Katie Wright Ashley Ahlert

lifestyle | 19

Make-up Vivid Energy Gloss $22.50 / Rose Color Stick $16 / Bloom Highlight Powder $34 Kayla Moschner

Clothing & Accessories Mini Aztec print blouse $34 / Key lime skinnies $45 / Tan studded booties $38 / Statement necklace $24

Make-up Micro Melon Lipstick $17.50 / Sandstone Eye Trio $30 / Fig Cream Blush $25.50 / Golden Concealer $31 Katie Wright

Clothing & Accessories Cream beachy knit $50 / Multi-color infinity scarf $18 / James Jean $156 / Teal Loafers $30

Make-up Tickled Pink Lipstick $17.50 / Golden Light Powder $43 / Spring Palette $60 Ashley Ahlert

Clothing & Accessories Light pink chevron print peplum dress $35 / Statement necklace $24 / Pink and grey color block heels $62

@resources Make-up: Brow Bar, Clothing & Accessories: Suite One, Photography: Miss Bey

20 | lifestyle

theraderm clinical skin care A simple daily skin care system developed by a plastic surgeon STEP1

STEP2

theraderm cleansing wash soap-free, foaming gel gently cleans skin without drying.

theraderm fruit acid exfoliant clinical-strength lactic acid gently exfoliates and stimulates growth of new skin cells.

$21 $38

STEP3

STEP4

theraderm OPC reparative gel potent antioxidant gel protects skin against environmental damage. 20x more effective as a free radical scavenger than Vitamin C.

theraderm gentle facial moisturizer specially formulated to deliver bio-active ingredients directly to the cell layers for dewy, youthful-looking skin.

$65 $36

Package Price $141 Doctor recommended — @Urban approved! Find Theraderm products at Dr. Ann Passmore’s office at 3017 South 70th Street in Fort Smith. You can learn more about the Theraderm line at passmoreplasticsurgery.com. Or call 479.274.6600 or 800.333.1305.

Have a product you’d like us to review? Contact us at editors@aturbanmagazine.com

22 | lifestyle

o you have a home office? Perhaps it’s a room all its own, or the far end of

Ashley Corey, Owner C Square Home 4155 N. Steele Blvd Fayetteville, AR

your formal dining table.

For some, the home office functions as the spot where you run your business or the spot where you run your life (paying bills, keeping up with

Location

the kids’ schedules, secret online shopping). It

Determine where you work best. Is it a high traffic area in the middle of the action,

deserves to be more than a side table and a

or is it a secluded spot with few distractions?

chair in the corner. Your surroundings impact your productivity, creativity, and energy levels,

Floor Plan

and yet the home office is often the last place

Two important things: function and flow. Your space should provide access to items

we think of decorating. But that doesn’t have

you use on a daily basis and accommodate your needs. For example, my husband

to be the case.

and I frequently utilize the office simultaneously, so the desk is positioned for access from both sides, with two chairs. The space accommodates us both.

lifestyle | 23

Inspiration

Find your inspiration piece and design the home office around it. It could be an area rug, lighting, a piece of artwork, or something you have an emotional attachment to (like the orange fire hydrant vase you received as a gift). Use your inspiration piece to find your general style and color palette. This will also assist you when selecting a paint color for the walls.

Focal Point

It’s the first thing you see when you enter a room. Typically the focal point for the home office is the desk, so add visual impact by hanging artwork, or placing a bookshelf behind the desk.

A Comfortable Chair

Let’s face it, you spend lots of time sitting behind your desk, so a high quality, comfortable chair is essential. But high quality

doesn’t have to mean drab. A little bit of funky fabric can easily recover a seat cushion for an added bit of pop. Do you have occasional visitors to your home office? If so, be sure there is extra seating available.

Organization

The “O” word can be daunting for some. Whether you enlist help from a professional organizer or go it alone, it’s a must. Make sure items you use regularly are at your fingertips. Pens and pencils need a desktop cup, reference books need a bookshelf. Keep what you need close and in a designated place.

Storage

Organization requires storage. A “landing spot” is an important part of your home office. Think trays for mail or papers to file, and shelves for books and binders. This will keep the other areas of your home free from clutter.

Lighting

Sufficient lighting is key. I recommend having two, or possibly three sources of light. A reading or desk lamp is the perfect way to add an additional light source. If you have extra seating, consider adding a floor lamp. Your lighting should express your style and personality. If a standard green banker’s desk lamp just isn’t you, find something that is.

1 Recycled Wood Desk $1199 2 Terra Stool Side Table $199 3 Six Tulips Oil Painting $199 4 Burlap and Linen Oak Chair $899

5 Burlap Throw Pillow $39 6 Nuts and Bolts Edison Lamp $149 7 Rewined Candle $29

24 | entertainment

Submit your events to editors@aturbanmagazine.com

1 2 3 4

34th Annual Wye Mountain Daffodil Festival Weekends in March 9AM-5PM // $Free, donations appreciated Bigelow, AR // 501.330.2403 Daffodils announce the arrival of spring in Arkansas. Hosted by the Wye Mountain Methodist Church, this month-long celebration is sure to delight young and old alike. Walk through the fields of yellow daffodils in many varieties, have a picnic lunch, and take some time to stop and smell the flowers. Wye Mountain Methodist Church is located at 22300 Hwy 113 Wye, AR.

Arkansas River Valley Lawn & Garden Show March 1 – 3 10AM – 6PM // $5 Adults, Kids 12 and under Free Fort Smith, AR // fsgardenshow.com Step into a springtime garden at the 21st annual River Valley Lawn and Garden Show. Learn gardening tips from experts, shop the vendor booths, and enjoy the beautiful indoor garden displays at the Fort Smith Convention Center.

Little Rock Marathon March 3 – 4 // $25+ Little Rock, AR // 501.371.4770 // littlerockmarathon.com Run, walk, or even skip through the historic streets of downtown Little Rock. Choose from a marathon, half marathon, 10k, and 5k Fun Run. Entrants of all ages welcome, so bring the whole family. Prizes and medals awarded to everyone who finishes the race. Race begins in the River Market District.

Mountain View Bluegrass Festival March 7 – 9th // $20 per day Ozark, AR // 870.269.8068 // mountainview-bluegrass.com You won’t want to miss the 11th Annual Mountain View Bluegrass Festival. The musical lineup includes Bluegrass band favorites such as: The Steeldrivers, Monroe Crossing, Doyle Hill & Quicksilver, Cedar Hill, and The Gipson Brothers. Concerts held inside the Ozark Folk Center.

entertainment | 25

5 6 7 8

Subiaco Academy Spring Carnival March 9 @4-9PM // Admission Free, Tickets for games $1 Subiaco, AR // 479.934.1000 // Subiacoacademy.us Head out for an evening of family fun at the Subiaco Academy’s annual Spring Carnival. Play bingo, bid on live and silent auctions, or try your hand at the many carnival games to entertain all ages. Enjoy many of your favorite foods or join the wine tasting. A raffle drawing for a new silver Chevy Sonic to be held at 8:45pm. Events located inside the Green Room of the Academy Field House.

One Night with Queen March 15 @8PM // $25 – $55 Fayetteville, AR // 479.443.5600 // waltonartscenter.org Fans can sing along to famous hits such as, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Will Rock You”, and one of our favorites, “Fat Bottomed Girls”. Performed by Gary Mullen and the Works, this live show captures the spirit of Freddie Mercury and the band Queen so accurately, you’ll think you’ve stepped back in time. Reserved seating is required for this one night only performance at the Walton Arts Center.

Mayor’s Easter Egg Hunt March 30 10AM- Noon Fort Smith, AR // 479.783.5161 // grandfamily.net Bring the whole family and enjoy free food and games at the Mayor’s annual Easter egg hunt. Prizes will be awarded to every child and parents can register to win a grand prize. Sponsored by Grand Avenue Baptist Church, all events including the egg hunt will be at Tilles Park.

World’s Largest Baby Shower March 30 10Am – 1PM // $3 Springdale, AR // 479.521.5566 // worldslargestbabyshower.com You’re invited to attend the world’s largest baby shower hosted by Washington Regional Medical Center. Expectant parents can learn about how to care for their new bundle at the many seminars, including a Daddy Boot Camp. Browse the vendor faire and get ideas on nursery décor, maternity fashions, and advice from community professionals at the Holiday Inn Convention Center.

26 | entertainment featured on Grey’s Anatomy. However, shortly after releasing the record, he found his voice through George Gershwin, Jeff Buckley, and vaudeville. This sound has been honed and polished on his previous albums The Entertainer and The Jester. Throughout the last five years, Shreve has recorded many tracks that either didn’t make the final album cut or just couldn’t fit squarely in his current catalogue. Now he’s released Lovers, Lies & Butcher Knives, a collection of these tunes. While the music covers the gamut ranging from his early singer/ songwriter vibe to his circus-like sound, they are stripped down to minimal instrumentation. Don’t let the macabre title fool you, Lovers, Lies & Butcher Knives is an album of heartbreak (a common theme among his work) and gorgeous melodies. “30 Pieces” follows the Johnny Cash murder ballad tradition and tells a story of a jealous lover. Timothy Grace of The Side Show provides a frantic saloon style piano riff that instills the tune with anxiety and desperation. “Love Don’t Panic” (a song that made me tear up on first listen) is an aching ballad of a man who can’t let go of his lost love. “The Toy” is a leftover track from The Entertainer that has a mischievous streak.

Lovers, Lies & Butcher Knives by Randall Shreve Self-released — 2013: $891 on iTunes

One of the best tracks is his cover of “Hallelujah,” Leonard Cohen’s bittersweet ballad made famous by Buckley. While many artists cover this tune, few actually achieve the level of raw emotional power of the Buckley version. Shreve’s piano-

@review Kody Ford

backed take on the song doesn’t surpass the aforementioned version, but holds its own as a cover of the classic tune.

ayetteville’s Randall Shreve is one of the most unique and innovative musical artists in the state. His raucous

The only criticism that can be directed at Shreve is that a few of

“cabaret rock” has garnered fervent followers who call

the songs are a bit long. However, they are balanced out by some

themselves “Side Show Freaks,” after Shreve’s band The Side

of the shorter tunes. For those who have never heard Shreve,

Show. For those who haven’t caught Shreve live, he is truly an

Lovers, Lies & Butcher Knives is a great introduction. For any “Side

enthralling performer—part Kurt Cobain, part Charlie Chaplin.

Show Freaks”, it is further confirmation that their champion has

He captivates during his live performances, which often feature

got the goods and won’t be losing them anytime soon.

jugglers, fire breathers and burlesque dancers. His albums are elaborate affairs as well. The Cure for Yesterday, his debut album, showed a promising pop songwriter influenced by the likes of Snow Patrol and The Fray, whose music is often

I Rate It

28 | entertainment On a spring Sunday afternoon, Geraldine receives a phone call and leaves to fetch a file from her office. When she hasn’t returned in time to fix supper, Joe and his father begin to worry. “Women don’t realize how much store men set on the regularity of their habits; we absorb their comings and goings into our bodies, their rhythms into our bones,” Joe writes as the now grown-up narrator of the novel. What has happened to Joe’s mother is that she’s been lured to the Round House, kidnapped, assaulted, and doused with gasoline. A wet package of matches prevents her attacker from setting her on fire, and while he leaves to get more matches, Geraldine escapes to her car where she knows an extra key is hidden. When she returns home, she is covered with blood and smells of gasoline. Basil and Joe take her to the hospital, but she has no memory of the event. She retreats to her bedroom, leaving her son and husband to anguish over the evil that has entered their lives. So begins Joe’s search, with the help of his best friend, Cappy, and two other friends, to find the man who attacked his mom. The boys ride their bicycles to the Round House, find clues,

The Round House by Louise Erdrich Harper Collins 317 pages: $2799 Winner of the National Book Award 2012 @review Anita Paddock

discover information told them by a white woman raised as an Indian, listen to tribal tales, and rely on their ancestors to guide them on their hunt. Author Louise Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Whippewa, and the author of thirteen novels, all of which center on Native American life on and off reservations.

his novel is set in 1988 and takes place on an Indian

This is a book that demands your attention. You will learn much

Reservation in North Dakota. Only if a crime is

about the culture and traditions of the American Indian. And

committed on Indian land by an Indian does Indian

you will also learn the depth of love a boy feels for his parents

justice prevail. The title of this beautifully crafted novel refers to a sacred place of worship for the Ojibwe, a tribe that Geraldine, Basil, and Joe Coutts belong to. Basil is a tribal judge, Geraldine works as a tribal enrollment specialist, and Joe has just turned thirteen.

and his friends.

30 | people

moonlight with bigfoot @story Marla Cantrell

people | 31

he world is a mysterious place. Strange lights appear

fell across Troy’s camp and the other campers, one group across

in the night sky, phantom trains barrel down roads

the road and another a little farther away. “I thought, no Bigfoot

that used to be railways, flying objects hover above

would come this close with so many people around,” Troy says.

farmhouses. All these stories we’ve heard before, maybe sitting

Then, the sounds started – twigs breaking, footfalls sounding in

around a campfire deep in the woods, bone-tired from a day of

the woods. Soon, long shadows dropped across their tent and

hiking. We like the thrill of them, the possibility of the magical.

across the two cots sitting outside. At two-thirty in the morning,

But once home, we return to our predictable lives, bombarded

pebbles began to rain down, first on the tent and then on the

as we are by work and family and jobs that keep us up at night.

metal trashcan at the edge of camp.

But Troy Hudson, Texas lawman, former Navy man, is not like you

The three grabbed their night vision equipment and began

and me. He’s drawn to the deep woods, where a different world

to search. Just after three o’clock, Troy walked to his truck.

awaits. There he moves through pine and oak and scrub brush,

Someone or something, about seven feet tall, darted across the

looking for signs of Big Brother, a gentler name for Bigfoot.

road. Troy whirled around. It was not his camping buddies; Dan and Marvin were within sight, sitting outside the tent.

His interest started years ago. Troy, who is part Choctaw and part Cherokee, remembers hearing about Big Brother as a boy,

So Troy headed out to investigate. “My friend calls out to me,”

growing up in Oklahoma. The stories were passed down from

Troy says. “He says, ‘Whatever’s here just turned and went

generation to generation, going back hundreds of years. “They’d

across the creek behind us. I can hear it splashing in the water.’”

say, ‘I heard the story from my grandparents, who heard it from their grandparents, who heard it from their grandparents. Start

Eventually, the three gave up. Dan headed inside. Troy and

doing the math,” Troy says. “As long as man’s been in America,

Marvin fell onto their cots outside. They were nodding off, the

according to the oral history, they’ve always been here.”

fire dwindling, when a tree branch, about three feet long and an inch around, flew through the air and landed beside Troy’s cot.

Troy bristles at the portrayal of Bigfoot as a monster. He sees them as intelligent beings, protective of their young, perhaps

Just then something darted between the trees. Seconds before,

with supernatural powers. “About one in three people who have

cans were rattling in the back of Troy’s truck. The cooler had

a sighting report having a strange experience, like confusion

been flipped open. It’s was after five-thirty before the three

and lost time they can’t account for, feeling the eyes of Bigfoot

settled down again. But sleep was short-lived. Dan woke up.

watching them, reporting that those same eyes glow in the dark.”

Something was jabbing the side of his tent. He slapped at the offender, and felt a finger on the other side. Dan froze, not ready

This past year he logged 1,000 hours on his quest, spending forty-four of the fifty-two weekends in 2012 in forests that are considered Bigfoot hot spots. It was on one of those ventures, last March, when he and two fellow investigators, Dan and Marvin, headed for the Chickasaw National Forest, near Davis, Oklahoma. They were at a campsite that was heavily wooded, their camp near a rippling stream.

for the giggling that erupted from the unexpected visitor.

“In the moonlight, I saw it, and it looked like a child, black from head to toe, and it kind of bounced off into the woods, kind of like a little kid would walk.” Troy awoke. “I see someone that looks about the size of a two-

It was a quiet night; even the leaves on the trees stood still

year-old child turn and go into the tree line, just behind the

without a breeze to move them. The moon was bright, and it

tent,” Troy says. “In the moonlight, I saw it, and it looked like a

32 | people child, black from head to toe, and it kind of bounced off into the

world sees Big Brother the way he does, not as a sensation to be

woods, kind of like a little kid would walk.”

exploited, but as a neighbor who shares this land we call home.

Could it have been something else? A bear, lured to the camp

Bigfoot, Troy says, is far from the last mystery on this great earth.

by the moonlight? Troy says no. He grew up in this kind of

Consider the giant squid that lives in the Pacific Ocean near

country, and he’s seen his fill of bears. The Bigfoot’s proportions

Japan. Four stories tall, eight arms, eyes as big as cantaloupes,

are different, their gait is different, and no one’s ever heard a

spending their days as deep as 3,000 feet down in the belly of

bear laugh. He believes the adult Bigfoot was nearby, watching

the sea. The creature was made famous by Jules Verne’s book

over the little one, making sure it didn’t get into any real trouble.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, published in 1870. Scientists have devoted their lives to finding it, dreaming of a chance to see

Troy’s curiosity is endless. And he thinks they’re equally curious

the undersea wonder in action. The Discovery Channel’s recent

about us, which is why they show themselves to campers and

documentary, Monster Squid: The Giant Is Real, captured the first

hikers and hunters. But curiosity isn’t always a good thing. Troy

living images of the legend. Their success was due in large part

believes that the cash some organizations have offered to bring

to their approach. They’d quit hunting it and decided instead

in evidence of Bigfoot is sending a frenzy of inexperienced

to lure it in with bait and bright lights. Another revelation? The

hunters into the woods.

monster squid is much gentler than folklore suggests.

“I don’t think you’ll ever capture one. They can protect themselves.”

Troy takes comfort in stories like this one. The scientists changed course, put out a welcome mat, and struck gold. It’s the same approach he takes with Bigfoot. He shows up on their turf, sits

The good thing is that hunting is already restricted in most

quietly, and asks permission to enter their world. It’s a method

places where Bigfoot is found, like wildlife refuges, and state

that’s served him well all these years. Does he hope there will

and national parks. The bigger problem, Troy says, is private

be definitive proof of Bigfoot’s existence? Of course he does.

land, where there are sightings. Certain Bigfoot enthusiasts may

But he doesn’t worry too much about it. The world is indeed a

buy up land or ask to do surveillance and bring in weapons.

mysterious place, he says. The world is also miraculous.

The threat isn’t against Bigfoot. “I don’t think you’ll ever capture one. They can protect themselves. But if you get these people in trying to capture one and they see someone hunting in a ghillie suit, (a 3D shaggy camouflage suit that could look like Bigfoot to the untrained eye) you could kill innocent people. When you put people in the woods with guns that don’t know what they’re doing, you’re going to have problems.” He’s heard of one recent incident on private land in Oklahoma where trackers, using surveillance equipment, thought they’d spotted a Bigfoot. “They opened up with automatic weapons and accidentally did damage to the landowners vehicles,” he says, and shakes his head at the recklessness of people. As for Troy, he continues his reverent search, waiting patiently in the hotspots of Bigfoot activity. He hopes for the day when the

34 | people

storm warnings @story Maxine Taylor @image Marcus Coker

Maxine Taylor

orn with an extravagant imagination, at nine, I believed

It was a pity, though, that others couldn’t hear the wires twang

telephone wires talked to me because they made

and twitter, laugh and cry, thrum and trill, keen and yodel. They

unconventional sounds, which I interpreted as weather

were very versatile. On occasion they danced — but not with

predictions. As a result, my life took on a certain rhythm of

me — with the wind. It choreographed their movements and

watching and waiting for them to communicate.

forced them to wriggle and cavort.

Weather may seem to have been an odd choice but I grew up in

The wires could spot tornadoes fifty miles away. On sullen

Oklahoma during the dust storm and drought years of “the dirty

spring days they kept sending thin little warning bleats, which

thirties”. Weather was the main topic — sometimes the only

turned into howls of terror as a tornado approached. I think I

topic — of discussion among farmers and ranchers.

was the first one in the cellar well before anyone else in town. I wish I could have told Junior Burcham about my secret. I might

No one knew about my wires, not even my best friend. I had a

have saved his life. As it was, he died from a 2x4 driven right

hunch that people would laugh at me, so I kept my mouth shut.

into his head.

people | 35 If Blue Northers were headed our way and before the wires

The celestial panorama disappeared some time during the

froze, they made the strangest sound, halfway between a

night and the world didn’t end. Although my science teacher

tomcat’s mating call and a rusty screen door. This gave me time

explained that the Northern Lights were harmless — I still kept

to make special preparations, but I had to have a lot of help

an eye on the horizon nevertheless.

from Mama. I asked for hot chocolate, a batch of pecan brittle (my favorite treatment for anxiety), and a hot water bottle. Then,

Around this time, I acquired Sooner, my first pony. When Sooner

I jumped into bed and pulled the covers over my head, feeling

and I galloped across the prairie, I imagined I was riding along

snug and safe.

the Old Chisholm Trail (I read a lot of Zane Grey’s stuff) with handsome cowboys who made goo-goo eyes at me. Woohoo,

I dreaded those terrible blizzards. I worried about all of God’s

puberty was just around the bend.

creatures, especially new-born critters and all the birds that didn’t have the good sense to fly south. Still do — can’t help it. If the

Cowboys were my obsession until Billy Bowie kissed me in

temperature drops below thirty degrees, I begin to fret and fidget.

the fifth grade. Even though his kiss tasted like stale baloney, I enjoyed it — a lot. So much so that I completely forgot about

I don’t remember what the wires had to say about dust storms.

Blue Northers, dust storms, Northern Lights, and end times, but

What could you do anyway? But I do remember the effects. I

not about my talking wires.

had to wear a wet washcloth over my face as I walked to school and bathe twice a day in a #10 washtub. I always had a runny

They were my connection with a universe of unlimited

nose full of black snot, frequent colds and ear infections —

possibilities. I mourn the loss of them, but that’s the high price

probably due to our polluted environment.

of growing up. I often call out to that little girl of long ago hoping she’ll answer me from somewhere in time lost. It’s because

Dust saturated our clothing and bedding in spite of sealed

there are so many important questions I would like her to ask

windows. Mama had to boil most things in an outdoor wash pot

the talking wires — none of which now are related whatsoever

full of rainwater and lethal lye soap. She hung the sheets on a

to the weather.

backyard clothesline as all the other women did. On Monday morning wash days, all the backyards together resembled an armada of battle-rigged galleons sailing across the prairie.

About the Author

Maxine Taylor was born in Bokoshe, Oklahoma, on July 30, 1921. She’s I’ll never forget the day the wires did not, or could not, send me a

lived in England, Paris, Rome, Tripoli, Calcutta, and Beijing.

bulletin. Late one afternoon luminous loops of regal colors rose high above the northern horizon. Unearthly phosphorescent

Maxine served with the American Red Cross in India, during World

fingers reached down and built a celestial paradise, which

War II. She retired from Northwestern State University in Louisiana as

pulsed like a beating heart. Folks gathered at the feed store

a history instructor in 1998 and moved to Arkansas in 1999.

to discuss the situation. No one had ever seen Northern Lights before. What could they mean?

Maxine started writing six years ago, after her daughter died. “When she died, I had to turn to something to take my mind off it,” Maxine

Religious fanatics declared that the lights were a sign that

says. “And that’s when I really turned to writing because it was such

end times had arrived and none too soon. Church attendance

a comfort. I had to write. And now it’s become an obsession. And you

increased three-fold. Ecstatic church choirs sang, “We’re coming

meet such wonderful people.”

home Jesus, we’re coming home at last.” They were drunk with the wine of the Lord’s good news.

36 | people

american horror story, dream come true @story and images Marcus Coker

people | 37

very year, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences

specifically geared toward hair and makeup for film and

hosts the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, an event to

television. “For hair, we focused on period work. For makeup,

honor excellence in television programming. Last year,

we learned how to make people look like animals and how to

Natalie Driscoll, twenty-eight, who grew up in Fort Smith, was

simulate blood and bruising.”

there as a nominee. At that point, Natalie had to make a decision. “Everybody Natalie was part of a six-member team of hairstylists who

wants to get in the union so they can work on bigger films and

worked on the first season of American Horror Story, a

television shows. Well, it’s the same union, but you have to

television miniseries on the FX network that was nominated for

choose one or the other—hair or makeup. You’re not allowed to

Outstanding Hairstyling in a Miniseries or a Movie. Natalie says,

do both.” Natalie, of course, chose hair.

“Going through it was like a dream. I took my younger sister, and we were like, ‘this is actually happening!’.”

She was able to find work on a few small films, including Jelly, which went straight to DVD. She wasn’t making money, but the

The other nominees were Hatfields & McCoys and Hemingway

experience was enough for her. At the end of 2007, Natalie

& Gellhorn. “Ours was the only show shot in the United States,”

worked on a film called The Devil’s Tomb, which starred Cuba

says Natalie, “so I think a lot of people were rooting for us. When

Gooding, Jr. That was the film that earned Natalie half her

it came time for our category, I couldn’t even tell you who was

union days.

reading, but they said, ‘American Horror Story,’ and my sister and I started screaming.” That’s right—Natalie had just won an Emmy®.

When it comes to unions, there are two ways to get in. The slow way is to work sixty days in one year on a non-union production.

“Before the awards, I kept saying, ‘We’re going to win, we are

That has to be done three times in a five-year period. The fast way,

GOING to win.’ Everyone was worried I would be let down and

which Natalie chose, is to work thirty days in one year on a non-

devastated, but I just had a feeling.”

union production that flips to being a union one. “It’s really hard, because a lot of productions fight going union,” says Natalie.

It’s the same feeling Natalie had when she was growing up, when she wanted to become a Hollywood hairstylist. “I’ve

By the end of 2008, Natalie was in the union and decided not

always played with hair, like Barbie dolls,” Natalie says. “And

to focus on non-union work anymore. “I was unemployed for six

when I was in sixth grade, I had a friend cut all my hair off. My

months straight, living off Ramen noodles.” Eventually, Natalie

mom said, ‘What did you do?’ but I loved it.”

started getting calls. She worked on a movie called Somewhere and one called Real Steal. “It’s hard to get in the movie world

In high school, Natalie lived in the shadow of her older brother,

because a lot of movies have moved out of California. They’re

a football star. “I was always ‘Little Driscoll.’ I loved school

traveling around the world, and it’s less likely that someone will

and never felt left out, but I wanted to make my own name

hear about you. Television is easier.”

for myself.” So after graduating from Southside High School, Natalie went straight to Toni & Guy, an internationally known

And then it happened. In 2011, Natalie was asked to “day play”

cosmetology school near Dallas, Texas.

for American Horror Story. That means she was helping out a couple days a week. “I helped for the first month and a half,

After completing the curriculum at Toni & Guy, Natalie moved

off and on. They’d bring in pictures, and I’d have to recreate

back to Fort Smith in 2005. She laughs and says, “I worked at

hairstyles from the 1920s or 1960s.” But Natalie left when she

three salons in two years. It just wasn’t for me.” So in 2007,

got a full time gig working on the television show Parenthood.

Natalie moved to California to enroll in a four-month school

“I didn’t think I’d hear from American Horror Story, but the

38 | people

department head asked me to come back for season two as his

Natalie rests her chin in her hands. There are small tattoos on

key, which is the second in command. He’s also the one who

each of her wrists. One says 1.2.3., and the other says ABC. She

nominated us for the Emmy .”

explains, “My life revolves around lists. I can’t function without

them. So it’s just something little, like cufflinks. Plus, it’s a good As the department key for the second season of American Horror

icebreaker at work.”

Story, which filmed in 2012, Natalie was often at work by 5:45 in the morning, working fifteen to eighteen-hour days. “It depends

So what’s next on Natalie’s list? “I’m just getting more comfortable

on what’s happening. We had one character we had to make his

in my skin, personally and professionally. I think that’s what

hair look like it had been burnt. So between hair and makeup, it

we’re learning in our twenties. I’d like to build my strength and

could take up to four hours just to get an actor ready.”

confidence and learn the tricks from those who have worked in this business forever.” She mentions the hairstylist who just did

After the initial work was done, Natalie was also responsible for

Oz the Great and Powerful. “She is a genius at hair, even though

something called continuity. That means she had to make sure

she turned me down for a job once. But I don’t care. I’ve seen

everything flowed well in the trailers, and also that an actor’s

her work. She knows what she’s doing.”

hair looked the same throughout the day. “Sometimes we had to keep a hairdo going for sixteen hours.”

And that’s the great thing about Natalie—despite the success she’s achieved in such a short amount of time, she hasn’t let it go

Since her Emmy win and the completion of season two of

to her head. She’s willing to put in the long hours. She’s willing to

American Horror Story, Natalie has had some downtime. It’s one

learn. And with an attitude like that, it’s no wonder she ended up

of the nice things about her job—she can work hard for several

at the Emmy® Awards. Chances are, she’ll be back again.

months and then rest between gigs. So for last Christmas, she brought the Emmy® home to show her family. “I had to beg TSA and bubble wrap it a couple times because it has these sharp wings. Plus, it’s so heavy.” Natalie laughs. “I don’t know what’s in the center, but I just pretend like it’s all gold.”

For more, search “Natalie Driscoll” on imdb.com.

40 | people

a land of giants

@story Aric Mitchell @images Courtesy Fort Smith Museum of History

he day is cool and sunny but traces of gray drift in

You’ve found it. This is Andrews Field.

from the north. Here, on the grounds of the Fort Smith National Cemetery, a caretaker will help as you search

At this moment, history is so close you might catch the roar of

for a place now lost, pointing to a small fenced-in area and a

the crowd or announcer George Rye’s booming voice on the

barren patch of grass. Your eyes move across the road dividing

megaphone. Here, Dizzy Dean’s fastball zipped into a catcher’s

the spot where you stand from where he is pointing. The ground

mitt during a 1940 exhibition and Pittsburgh Pirates manager,

there is green, interrupted by halos of dirt.

Johannes “Honus” Wagner, barked batting tips to the guy on deck.

people | 41 In 1937, Andrews Field attracted Major League Baseball’s New

Still, something about her caused him to speak up and ask her

York Giants. Thousands attended an exhibition involving the big

to dinner. Helen refused his first attempt, and her eventual

leaguers. When the Giants expanded their minor league teams

acceptance came with the caveat they split the check. Ray

southward, Fort Smith made sense.

accepted the terms and continued chipping away at her resolve until finally, close to five months after reporting to Andrews

The first batch of players arrived in 1938. Some were minor

Field for spring training, he was a married man.

league standouts, while others were local youngsters looking for a crack at the Majors. In all, sixty-two showed up for spring

Ray played at Fort Smith for three seasons. His minor league

training on April 2. Manager and former big leaguer, Frank

career shipped him to teams in Kansas, New York, and

Brazill, let the players know that he wouldn’t tolerate loafers.

Oklahoma. Undeterred, he found his way back, working in the

Frank worked the men four hours and ordered them back the

winter for American Express, managing the Muskogee Reds, and

next afternoon to scrimmage. More than 1,000 spectators

later scouting for the Houston Astros.

crowded Andrews that Sunday to catch a

glimpse of the boys in blue - their very

Ray and Helen devoted their lives to each

own Fort Smith Giants.

other, to their three children, and to their community. In 1990, Ray’s son, Ray, Jr., was

Many played for the organization during its

elected mayor of Fort Smith and served

nine seasons from 1938 to 1949 (World War

in the position for twenty years. Ray, Jr.,

II sidelined the squad from 1943 through

coined the phrase: “Life’s worth living in

1945). Some were washouts. Some moved

Fort Smith, Arkansas.” The example, no

on to other towns and teams. However, for at

doubt, started at home.

least two, the stay would prove permanent

and their legacies continue to shape Fort

Like Ray, Sr., Wayne Kistler wasn’t a

Smith today.

Fort Smith native. He moved here from Topeka, Kansas after being discovered

One of the first to make the cut was Charles

in a commercial league. Kistler threw for

Raymond Baker. Ray, a transplant from

the Dr. Pepper team and his hard pitches

Virginia, played centerfield and tagged

impressed the New York scouts, who had

bases faster than anyone on the team. His

him hurling heat at Andrews Field by 1940.

days consisted of batting practice or catching fly balls, but he spent much of his free time at the Westbrook Cafe downtown.

One Saturday night, the twenty-one-year-old had the night off

Ray didn’t go just for the menu. Girls of the day chased the

and decided to drive his seventeen-year-old sweetheart Betty

ballplayers, but Ray wanted something more, and in beauty

Bohannon to Sallisaw, where the two were married. They would

queen Helen Westbrook, he found it.

remain that way for sixty-four years.

Helen, however, was not so easily impressed. In 1937, she

Wayne refused an opportunity to play in Jersey City (and most

signed a contract with Paramount Pictures and starred in two

likely the MLB), opting instead to serve in World War II and

Hollywood stage productions. Helen came home in 1938 and

later for the Fort Smith Fire Department. He and Betty launched

worked at the Westbrook Cafe. She caught Ray’s eye like many

the Gregory Kistler Treatment Center in 1978, named for their

the fly balls he’d snagged in the outfield. Outgoing wasn’t Ray’s

son Gregory, who was injured in an automobile accident when

manner, however. His friends described him as “soft-spoken.”

he was six. The family was forced to travel to Louisiana for

42 | people

the rehab Gregory needed, due to the brain injury and partial

National Cemetery expansion effort. The complex itself was

paralysis he suffered as a result of the wreck. Years later their

demolished in 2008 to make room.

daughter Jennifer gave birth to Michelle, who was diagnosed with spina bifida. The couple once again realized the need for

Today, there are no monuments to tell others the Giants played

a specialized center in Fort Smith to help families in need of

here. Nothing to speak of the days big leaguers like Hank Aaron,

rehabilitation services and emotional support. Since that time,

Willie Mays, and Mickey Mantle dug cleats into its soil. No sign

more than 3,000 children have benefitted from the Center,

that this was the place that brought a town together.

regardless of their ability to pay. Perhaps there should be. Wayne passed away in 2006. Betty followed in 2009. Ray Baker, Sr., Wayne Kistler, and countless others who played

Story written with the generous assistance

here, are reminders that Andrews Field was a land of Giants,

of these sources:

though it would not remain so. »Fort » Smith Museum of History After the 1949 season, the Giants moved to Enid, Oklahoma. The

»Minor, » Barbara. “Baseball.” The Journal of the

Cleveland Indians then stepped in for two seasons and farmed a

Fort Smith Historical Society, Vol. 8, No. 2,

team of their own, but community interest waned, and after 1952,

September 1984.

Andrews lost its connection to professional baseball forever. But

»Southwest » American, April 3, 1938.

in its heyday, it was a place where people cheered and where

»Southwest » American, April 12, 1938.

area children spent time dreaming of a day when they could play

»The » City Wire obituary for Betty Kistler

under the same lights as their homegrown heroes.

»Firsthand » account from Toy Baker, daughter of

Andrews is now a patch of barren earth. Fresh grave markers

»Gregory » Kistler Treatment Center website

Ray Baker, Sr. creep up from behind and will one day overtake it in the

(http://www.kistlercenter.org/v01/)

44 | taste

@image Melanie Stout @recipe Jeff Price, Bar Manager Movie Lounge

2 oz Makerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mark Âž oz St. Germaine 2 dashes Bitters 2 orange wheels 2 cherries Muddle bourbon, St. Germaine, orange wheel, cherry, and Bitters. Add ice, then stir. Strain all ingredients over fresh ice, garnish with orange wheel and a cherry.

Sponsored by Movie Lounge

7601 Rogers Ave, Fort Smith 479.226.3595 | MovieLoungeFSM.com

Enjoy this and other premium cocktails at MovieLounge. Please drink responsibly.

46 | taste

@recipe The Pioneer Woman: Food from My Frontier @story and images Catherine Frederick

must tell you how in love I am with my Emile Henry Artisan

bought), roast the mushrooms, shred the cheese and sauté the

Ruffled Pie Dish from Williams Sonoma. It’s made in France,

leeks, but other than that, it’s a cinch and it was DEEE-LICIOUS!!!

so I feel extra fancy when I use it, but it’s the rustic charm

Everyone loved it, including my 7-year-old who won’t even

that draws me in. It’s shaped from Burgundian clay (which comes

come close to an egg.

from French soil), and it absorbs, distributes, and retains heat evenly, so your favorite dishes bake-up and brown perfectly

I love that quiche can be served at any time of day, and who

every time. That’s the end of my sales pitch.

doesn’t love the occasional breakfast fare for dinner? Depending on your pan, this recipe can easily make two quiches. And it’s

Now, I’d never, ever, cooked a quiche. Sounds all fru-fru and like

adaptable to your taste buds. Don’t like prosciutto? Use bacon

something I wouldn’t eat. And I love eggs, but not covered up by

or ham instead. Veggie lover? Add some broccoli and carrots.

a bunch of other “stuff” - especially “leeks”- I didn’t even know

Cheese connoisseur? Toss in your favorite blend. Make it yours

what the heck those were. Turns out they are pretty much like

and it’s bound to win over your toughest critics, and by that, I

an onion - only dirtier.

mean your family.

This recipe takes a bit of prep since you make your own pie crust (super-duper easy recipe follows - or you can use store

taste | 47

for the Pie Crust:

Makes a 9”, 2 crust pie (you’ll only need half for the quiche) 2 ½ cups all purpose or pastry flour 1 tsp salt 1 Tbsp sugar 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into chunks ¼ cup cold water

Directions:

for the Quiche:

12 oz white mushrooms, washed and sliced 2 leeks 2 Tbsp butter 8 eggs 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 2 cups grated Swiss cheese 8 thin slices prosciutto (or any yummy ham) salt and pepper to taste 1 recipe pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If you like washing dishes, use a food processor to mix up the crust, or be like me and use a large fork and a mixing bowl. In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, the salt, and sugar. Cut the butter into the flour mixture. The mixture should look like large crumbs and begin to cling together in clumps. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour and mix lightly. DO NOT OVERMIX THE FLOUR. It should coat the clumps.

Remove from oven and set aside. The leeks are large and they look weird. Rinse them, chop off the top and bottom portion, then cut in half lengthwise. Slice each half thinly and soak them in cold water for a few minutes to remove and any dirt and grit hiding in the folds; drain and pat dry with a paper towel. In a large pan, sauté the leeks in the butter until lightly browned and they begin to caramelize, 8-10 minutes. Set aside.

Sprinkle the cold water over the dough and mix together until it holds together. Now divide the dough into two equal sections. Wrap one section up for a later use, it will keep for a few months in the freezer, a week in the fridge. Roll out the dough on a mat or parchment paper and place into the pan of your choice.

Whisk together the eggs and cream in a bowl. Stir in the leeks, mushrooms, cheese, salt, pepper and prosciutto. The mixture should be thick. Pour into prepared pie shell and cover loosely with a sheet of foil to keep from over browning. Bake for 45 minutes, remove foil, and cook for 5-10 additional minutes to let the top brown. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Trust me when I tell you this is not just for breakfast and it’s even more delicious topped with a little salsa. Enjoy!

Spray a baking sheet lightly with non-stick spray. Place mushrooms onto the sheet and roast until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

48 | taste

Hey Pop, How ‘Bout a Pie? @recipe and images Melanie Stout

e bet once you read our Pie, Beer, Pie story on page 54, you’ll be craving a little pie of your own. We thought we’d help you out by giving you our own

spin on an old classic. Much like their sister, cake pops, pie pops are just what you’d think - pie, on a stick. What could be better for a spring picnic? Let’s get started.

taste | 49

Ingredients

1 can prepared pie filling (we used apple and cherry)

1 box of Pillsbury pie crust

1 egg beaten (add 2 Tbsp of water)

cold water in a small bowl paper lollipop sticks (found at Hobby Lobby) parchment paper cookie cutter (we used a 3â&#x20AC;? Shamrock)

Instructions Remove dough from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface, roll the dough, starting at the center and work your way out. Using a cookie cutter, cut out two of each shape for each pie pop. Place the first cut out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the lollipop stick in the center of the shape. Take a small piece of leftover pie crust and press around the top of the stick for reinforcement. Place a tablespoon of pie filling in the center of the shape. Place the second dough cutout on top of the first, making sure to match up the edges. Next, dip your finger in the cold water and brush along the inside edges of the layered dough. Press the edges together gently with your fingers or use a fork to create a seal. Using a pastry brush, brush the pies with a wash made from one egg and 2 tablespoons of water whisked together. If you want to add colored sprinkles, now is the time. Bake pops at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

IMPORTANT! Let cool completely before carefully removing the pies from the baking sheet.

Tip: We placed our pie filling in the freezer and let it get not quite solid (still scoopable) to allow for easier filling of the pops.

50 | taste

21 West End

Tuesday – Thursday: 5:30 to 9:00 Friday & Saturday: 5:30 to 10:30

21 N 2nd Street, Ste 102, Fort Smith 479.434.4213 21WestEnd.com

s soon as you step through the door and into the natural stone atrium, you know you’re somewhere special. 21 West End, in historic downtown Fort Smith, is a beautiful restaurant, with warm

lighting, crisp linens, an attentive wait staff, and some of the best food and martinis in the South. Owner Kevin Dorey recently brought in new Chef Eric Lea, who worked his magic on an already solid menu. Chef Lea has an impressive resume, serving as Executive Sous Chef at James at the Mill, Executive Chef at the Philbrook Musuem of Art in Tulsa, and Chef de Partie at Key Biscayne and South Beach’s Ritz Carlton Resorts.

Chef Eric Lea and Owner Kevin Dorey

So by all means, make a reservation, and ready yourself for a meal to remember.

taste | 51

Pomegranate-Lemon Drop Martini Sour Apple Martini { $8 each } We started our meal with a couple of martinis. 21 West End is famous for their selection of martinis, and these were nothing short of perfection. The Pomegranate-Lemon Drop is light and semi-sweet with a hint of twang. Perfect for before or after your meal. The Sour Apple is tart, yet sweet and smooth. Like apple Jolly Ranchers? Then youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll love this.

Prosciutto Wrapped Jumbo Asparagus { $8 } This jumbo asparagus is marinated in Vidalia onion vinaigrette, and then wrapped in Italian Parma ham topped with Meyer lemon basil oil and Modena balsamic glaze. The asparagus is perfectly crisp and the ham adds another level of flavor. Combined with the vinaigrette and balsamic glaze, you have an appetizer that could easily stand alone.

21 Shrimp and Crab Cocktail { $11 } Pale ale boiled Shrimp and jumbo lump crab is served in a West Indies sauce of cilantro, hearts of palm, avocado, onion and tomato. This is far from the expected cocktail sauce. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an explosion of flavors that complement each other in such a way that we will never be satisfied with a traditional shrimp cocktail again.

21 Spinach Salad { $8 } A 21 West End favorite, this baby spinach salad is tossed in house-made raspberry vinaigrette topped with feta cheese crumbles, julienned red onions, and brown sugar cinnamon pecans. The salty tang of the feta plays well off the sweetness of the raspberry vinaigrette and pecans. The pecans are the crowning glory on this dish, but the house-made dressing is a close second.

52 | taste

Danish Bleu Cheese Salad { $8 } Hearts of romaine, crispy Applewood bacon, vine ripened tomatoes, and spicy pecans topped with a creamy Danish bleu cheese dressing. The bacon and pecans add distinctive flavor and crunch. The dressing is a rich finishing touch.

Port Wine Glazed Crispy Duck { $32 } The duck breast is topped with port wine glaze, and served with sweet potato purée, roasted shallots, and sautéed green beans. The flavors of this beautiful duck dish pair perfectly with the deep flavor of the pureed sweet potatoes. The shallots melt in your mouth. If only we could bottle the glaze.

21 Seared Black Angus Filet Mignon { $36 } A fan favorite at 21 West End, this Applewood bacon wrapped center cut filet was seared to perfection, topped with Merlot bordelaise and caramelized onions. So tender a steak knife is not required. It’s served with sautéed green beans and Rissole white potatoes. It doesn’t get much better than this.

21 Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée { $6 } Heaven in a ramekin. Creamy custard lies just beneath a warm layer of crispy spun caramel sugar, which packs just the right amount of crunch. Fresh berries on top. What more could we ask for?

54 | taste

@story Marla Cantrell @images Catherine Frederick

t’s one of those rare days in February. It rained the day before, and it will rain the day after. But on this day the sun shines, the wind settles down, and temperatures reach fifty-five degrees. It feels like the perfect time to forget the diet, turn off the phone, and hit the road.

So we do just that. On the road, the radio plays the likes of Dixie Chicks, James Taylor, and Adele – but we’re too busy having “girl talk” to care. When we see the University of Arkansas high on the hill in Fayetteville, we turn off the interstate and head into town. What we find at the end of our drive is pie, and then beer, and then a lot more pie. Yep, in that order.

taste | 55

Pie

Damgoode Pies

37 East Center Street, Fayetteville | 479.444.7437 | damgoodepies.com Sunday –Thursday: 11-10 | Friday –Saturday: 11-11

You’d better be hungry, because this is some of the best pizza

whipped olive oil. It’s one of nine sauces on Damgoode’s menu.

you’ll ever taste. Damgoode Pies Stuffy Underdog Pizza was named best pizza in Arkansas by Food Network Magazine in

The premise is this. If you don’t want a signature pie, or a basic

2011. Everything’s fresh – the veggies, the dough made daily,

like pepperoni (we added jalapenos), you can create your own,

the meat, which is prepared on site. And the cheese? They use

choosing your crust, sauce and toppings. And on those rare

the best they can find from a company called Grande.

occasions you’re not in the mood for pizza, you can order from a variety of pastas, salads and sandwiches.

The Underdog is a spicy wonder, filled with flavor. Owner Brendan Maxwell admits it looks a little like a pot pie. It’s overflowing

Brendan opened Damgoode Pies in August, 2009, just off the

with ground beef, red and yellow bell peppers, black olives and

Fayetteville Square. He’d worked in pizza places before, even

pink sauce, and topped with another crust, that’s doused with

delivering pies when he was in college. Eventually he made

a layer of sauce. Getting a slice of this pizza onto the plate is a

his way to Damgoode Pies in Little Rock. The business grew to

precarious endeavor. Some of the filling will likely fall out. That’s

three pizza shops, all in the capitol city. But Brendan had plans

what your fork’s for! Don’t let one bite go to waste.

of his own. He wanted to move to Fayetteville and start the first franchise. He talked his siblings into becoming investors –

The Underdog is one of six signature pizzas. There are also three

he’s the youngest of eight kids – and they agreed. “I guess I’m a

crusts to choose from: thin, hand tossed, and stuffy, which is the

pretty good salesman,” Brendan says.

double crust pie. A Razorback favorite? That would be the Hog Pie, which has pepperoni, Canadian bacon, sausage, crumbled

What makes Damgoode Pies so darn good? Brendan sums it up

bacon, and cheddar. There’s something about the pink sauce

like this. “I used to think there was no such thing as bad pizza.

that really sets this off.

Even bad pizza was pretty good. But I’ve become a little bit of a pizza snob. Our pizza is so good, everything’s fresh, and

By now you’re probably wondering what this pink sauce is. Pink

we use top quality ingredients.” He smiles, looking around the

sauce is a mixture of original red sauce and spicy white, which

restaurant that’s filling up with customers. “You eat here once,

has ricotta, parmesan, fresh garlic, basil, crushed red peppers and

you’ll be back. It’s a little bit like pizza crack.”

56 | taste

Beer

Tanglewood Branch Beer Company

1431 South School Avenue, Fayetteville | 479.856.6500 | tanglewoodbranch.com Monday-Saturday: 11 – 10 | Sunday: 5 – 11

What’s not to love about a place that fills a punch bowl with

Beer selections change weekly. There are always sixteen beers

free crispy bacon on Monday nights and hosts Beer and Bacon

on tap, one cider and three in-house varieties. Be sure to check

Happy Hour? This pub, just minutes away from Damgoode

their website as their selections change often. We tried two of

Pies, is owned by J.T. Wampler, who brews beer in the back and

the beers J. T. brewed. The Bourbon Barrel Chocolate Stout is

serves it in the restaurant.

a complex beer with five different malts and cocoa nibs with a mild chocolate aroma and flavor. The beer was conditioned

He opened Tanglewood Branch Beer Company in September,

on Arkansas White Oak chips that were soaked in Kentucky

2011. J.T. spent years working as a photojournalist, but brewing

bourbon to simulate aging in an oak whiskey barrel.

beer was the thing he loved most. He spent much of his spare time learning the craft, and got instruction from an expert brewer.

The Southside Porter is Tanglewood Branch’s flagship beer. It’s

When he finally opened Tanglewood, he couldn’t have been

made with British Maris Otter malt, chocolate malt and roasted

happier. “I love everything about it,” J.T. says. “The science, the

barley. The hops are American Goldings. It’s made in the style

history, the sociology. Brewing beer was why I was put on earth.”

of a proper English Robust Porter and has a rich roasted malt character with a hint of hops. I’m generally not a fan of dark

Today, the pub can go through a keg of his beer in one day.

beer, but this one won me over.

There are other craft beers available, and there’s a full menu, with items like Homemade Hummus Dip, Vegetarian Ruebens,

Tanglewood is a hopping place, with live music, and comedy

and the Chill Hogg, with is grilled bologna with chili, cheddar

troupes. On Mondays at six, there’s free jazz and on Thursdays

cheese, onions and jalapenos on a hoagie bun.

at six, there’s Celtic acoustic music. And on Mondays, don’t forget the Happy Hour bacon.

taste | 57

Pie

Parks Purity Pie Company

617 North College, Fayetteville | 479.530.7136 | parkspuritypiecompany.com Tuesday – Saturday: 11 – 6

If pie makes you happy, Shannon Parks Strickland’s pies will

Shannon remembers cooking when she was only seven, and

make you ecstatic. Housed in an Airstream trailer, this little shop

figuring out the math to double a recipe when she was eight.

served 500 slices of pie, and 100 whole pies, in the first two

But the baking gene was always there. Her great grandfather,

weeks it was opened. That was in late January. Since that day,

Thurston Parks, started Purity Pies in Terra Haute, Indiana in 1925.

two of her customers have shown up every day, thankful that Shannon turned her hobby into a booming business.

The business, now closed, changed hands only once in its lifetime, employed thirty-one people and produced 12,000

The pies are baked inside the Airstream, in an oven that takes

pies a day at the height of its success.

up a good deal of the trailer’s real estate. Shannon and her crew – she’s already hired one of her customers to help bake –

Shannon’s sights aren’t set quite so high. Her goal is quality pie,

offer three kinds of pie each day, which includes varieties like

baked fresh with great ingredients that keep customers coming

coconut, key lime, and other fruit pies. And oh boy, what pie. The

back. She’s been amazed at the response. “There was a line

Dutch Apple is a wonderful concoction of apples, caramelized

here the first day we opened,” she says.

sugar, and a crust that’s the best we’ve ever tried. Drizzled with homemade salted caramel sauce, you’ll be begging for more.

A slice of pie will cost you $5, tax included. Trust us, one piece

It’s a good thing Shannon sells it by the jar.

can easily feed two adults. Coffee and ice cream are available for purchase.

Shannon’s a little protective of the crust. “The crust is my baby,” she says, adding that she uses lard to get the perfection she’s

There you have it. A day devoted to pie, beer, and pie. And let

looking for.

me tell you, it was a very, very good day.

58 | travel

sprung A Spring Break Guide

@story Jill M. Rohrbach @images Jeromy Price and Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

he conversations you have after your vacation are the

Scenery alone makes the Buffalo National River area worth a

true barometers of family fun. Travel Arkansas during

visit. You can view it from water’s edge, from a bluff top trail,

spring break and you’ll be talking about the amazing

or via a canoe as you float along its current. Spring and early

size and colors of the limestone bluffs lining the Buffalo

summer are the prime times to float this waterway, which was

National River, or the panoramic view from Mount Magazine, the

designated the nation’s first national river in 1972. It flows

state’s highest peak at 2,753 feet above mean sea level. Or you

roughly 150 miles and includes nearly 95,000 acres of public

might find yourselves telling ghost stories from your haunted

land along its corridor. The river descends nearly 2,000 feet

hotel tour, or describing how Big Cats devoured their food at a

through layers of sandstone, limestone and chert. Discover

wildlife refuge. The Natural State is truly full of activities that

springs, caves, waterfalls, natural bridges and box-like canyons,

engage and excite all ages. This is an extensive list, but you’ll

where trails are abundant. Watch as elk roam the River Valley.

find even more on our website: AtUrbanMagazine.com.

Numerous outfitters for canoeing, rafting, horseback riding and fishing service the river.

travel | 59

The area is ripe for adventures such as zip lining. Buffalo Outdoor Center in Ponca offers a zip line canopy tour consisting of six zips through the treetops, and a big swing. Nearby, the Horseshoe Canyon Ranch Adventure Package adds wild excitement to the dude ranch experience for kids and adults of

Eureka Springs offers variety for a great spring break. Good food,

all skill levels interested in rock climbing, zip lines and canyon-

unique shops, natural springs and homes built on the sides of

sized swings. It has the state’s longest zip line stretching 2,300

rock cliffs make up this picturesque town. Nestled in the Ozark

feet across a valley.

Mountains, Eureka Springs’ entire downtown area is on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s packed with attractions

Zip lines have gained popularity and can also be found at

such as gardens, caves, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, live

Zippin Griffin at Griffin Park near Hardy, Fort Rock Family Camp

music and train excursion rides. Unique boutiques and galleries

near Saint Paul, Loco Ropes at Ozark Folk Center State Park near

offer antiques, fine art, contemporary and vintage clothing,

Mountain View, The Zip Lines at Ouachita Bend in Hot Springs,

handmade crafts, jewelry and more. Nearby Beaver Lake adds

Rowdy Adventures in Okolona and Timber Lodge Ranch near

water fun to the mix. You can also take ghost tours at “America’s

Amity. Loco Ropes is more than zip lining. Its main features are

Most Haunted Hotel,” the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa.

three ropes courses with more than 30 challenges. You can also climb a 35-foot-tall tower or free fall from it. Ozark Mountain

If haunted historic hotels aren’t your style, Arkansas has

Ziplines at Eureka Springs just opened for business.

fifty-two state parks, many of which have cabins, lodges, and campsites. Stay at the newly renovated lodge at Petit Jean State

60 | travel Park and see why this land inspired the creation of the state

View, is considered among the most beautiful underground

parks system. Relax in a lakeshore cabin at Lake Chicot State

discoveries of the twentieth century. Lighted walkways lead

Park in Lake Village where fishing, boating and bird watching

to stunning limestone formations and massive rooms, one as

are popular. The park offers lake tours and levee tours.

long as six football fields. Adventurous souls can don helmets, lights, gloves and kneepads for a guided wild cave tour into

Resort amenities combined with outdoor fun make DeGray

undeveloped reaches of the federally protected underground

Lake Resort State Park in Bismarck a wonderful place to stay.

system. Reservations are required for wild caving. Blanchard

You’ll find a lodge, campsites, Rent-A-Yurts, swimming, tennis,

Springs Recreational Use Area provides scenic campgrounds,

golf, hiking, bicycling and guided horseback trail rides, plus a

picnic areas, hiking trails, a massive natural spring and a trout-

full-service marina with boat rentals. In Mountainburg, Lake Fort

stocked lake. Several other show caves are open for guided

Smith State Park’s ten new cabins opened for rental on March

tours in the Ozarks region.

1. Village Creek State Park in Wynne lures golfers to The Ridges, the park’s twenty-seven-hole, Andy Dye signature course.

From the dark recesses of the earth, you can head to the

This public course features the rolling terrain of Crowley’s

bright lights of metropolitan areas for plenty of big city fun. In

Ridge, dramatic elevation changes, and the backdrop of the

Arkansas’s capitol city of Little Rock, don’t miss a visit to the

surrounding hardwood forest. Horseback riding is also popular

Clinton Presidential Center and Park, Museum of Discovery,

at this park, which consists of 6,911 acres.

and River Market District. The spa town of Hot Springs is home base to a national park, Mid-America Science Museum, Magic Springs/Crystal Falls theme and water parks, the 210-acre Garvan Woodland Gardens, The Gangster Museum of America, a mountain tower, and a renowned arts community. In northwest Arkansas along Interstate 540 corridor, adjacent cities have a variety of things to do. Visit Terra Studios for an artsy experience in Fayetteville. Root for The Naturals, our minor league baseball team based in Springdale and member of the Texas League serving as the Double-A affiliate to the Kansas City Royals. Whew! There you have it. Tons of fun throughout our great state

Crater of Diamonds State Park offers a one-of-a-kind adventure

to keep you entertained through spring break, and well into the

hunting for real diamonds. It’s the only diamond-producing site

rest of the year. Happy travels.

in the world open to the public. Search over thirty-seven acres of plowed field, the eroded surface of an ancient volcanic crater, for diamonds in the colors of white, brown and yellow. More than forty types of rocks and minerals can be found here too,

Information on Arkansas’s state parks is available at

including amethyst, peridot, garnet, and quartz.

arkansasstateparks.com.

The environment of the Ozarks lends itself to a geologic element that should be on anyone’s must-see lists – show caves. The biggest, Blanchard Springs Caverns in Mountain

62 | back story

driving toward rain @back story Marla Cantrell

his is what the man in front of me has in his buggy: maple

There is no reason for it. I have a freezer full of food at home.

pecan granola, black cocoa, almond flour, Vietnamese

I have a FEMA-approved emergency kit. I have dried food and

cinnamon, ground beef, six sweet potatoes, two bottles

canned food and bottled water and enough energy bars to fuel

of Shiraz.

a swim team all the way through the Olympics.

The weatherwoman is on a massive TV, which is situated above

What I don’t have is company, so I’m here, where people brush

the registers at Telstar Market. Shoppers are gathered around,

up against me and ask me if I live on a hill and wonder if I have

watching her as she swoops her hand like half a snow angel

someone who can help me up my steep drive if the sleet starts

and predicts a frozen Armageddon that will cripple Arkansas,

before I reach home.

Oklahoma, and most of Missouri. “I’ve been doing the weather for six years now, and I’ve never been this worried,” she says.

I do not.

Here’s where you’d expect a frown, but on TV, unless a twister is bearing down, they’re always smiling.

The man in line in front of me turns and looks at my stash. He smiles, and one of his front teeth is chipped, a little triangle

As for me, I don’t believe the snow will drift above my windows

gone from a perfect mouth.

or that ice will snap every power line. Still, I’m here. I like stores before the storm. I like shelves that grow bare in the dairy aisle.

“Here,” he says, and clears the spot in the buggy where toddlers

I like stockers in green aprons who wheel their carts around

typically sit. “We might be waiting a while.”

families huddled near empty displays of sugared cereal. I blush, I think, judging from the fire burning in my cheeks. I didn’t bother with a buggy, so I’m having a hard time clutching

And then I drop the Nutella straight onto the concrete floor. It

my jar of Nutella, a bag of marshmallows, three frozen dinners –

bounces once before it lands beneath a display of breath mints.

all chicken, and a bottle of Coke. On top of the dinners is a tiny teapot, the smallest I’ve ever seen.

He is a tall man with broad shoulders. He looks like a lumberjack, his plaid jacket worn, his work boots scuffed, his hands chapped red as the cinnamon he plans to buy.

back story | 63 He picks up the plastic jar and places it beside the frozen

When Brady left, I felt the way you do when someone dies. I

dinners. “Not a lot to keep you alive if the storm hits the way

didn’t shower. I watched the Home Shopping Network and

they say it will.”

bought things like metal wallets that high-tech identity thieves couldn’t crack. I stayed home from work for a week, until my

“I’m not a big eater,” I say, which, up until a seven months ago,

boss called and said if I wasn’t in the ICU I’d better get my butt

would have been a bald-faced lie.

back in my chair.“You write the checks, Lily,” she said. “Don’t make me make you write yourself the last one.”

“Still,” he says. The truth is, I couldn’t face telling anyone he’d gone. At home, “I don’t know if you’ll last much longer than me,” I say and point to

surrounded by his unfinished projects – a garage door that

his groceries. “Just what do you do with Vietnamese cinnamon?”

leaned against its frame, our bedroom carpet torn out in anticipation of wood flooring – I could imagine him changing

He runs his fingers through his hair. It is brown with gold streaks,

his mind, stranded in a state without me.

like the sun touched it in exactly the same way my hairdresser touches mine, without the $75 charge.

Here’s something people might not tell you about being separated. It can also be exhilarating. You love, you hate, you

“Oh man,” he says. “You’ve never tried this stuff?”

cry, you laugh, sometimes all within a few minutes. You start to feel electric, jittery with emotion. Brady called sometimes,

I shake my head. “In chili. At the very end. Half a teaspoon. A

after a gin and tonic, I suspect, his tongue loosened. He’d grow

pinch of black cocoa.” He kisses his fingertips, the way Italians

nostalgic about us. He’d weep sometimes. I’d weep sometimes.

do in movies. “Heaven,” he says.

He didn’t not love me, he said, which was a confusing statement, but still I held on.

The store smells like fresh baked bread, though there’s no bakery here. I read somewhere that stores pipe in scents to make

We talked about our trip to Paris, about watching a group of

shoppers buy more than they planned to. There’s a wicker basket

questionable men with dirty fingernails roasting chestnuts in a

filled with $4 muffins to my right and I grab one and then another.

trashcan lid outside the Louvre, and how we bought a scoopful, and held them in our hands to stay warm. The snow fell. It

The line moves then, and we inch closer to the cashier. She

floated down on the statues that in turn looked down on us,

is a stout girl, twenty maybe, with purple hair and too much

regal and unyielding and so French we could feel their scorn.

makeup. She calls for backup. “If any of y’all can hear back in the break room,” she says, “get on up here and help a girl out.

“Why’d you leave?” I’d ask him at the end of our calls. Mostly,

We’re backed up all the way to frozen foods.”

he said he didn’t know. But this one time, when he called really late at night, he said this. “It just happened. I was heading to

I run my fingers across the red metal of the tea kettle. I prefer

Yeager’s to get some caulk, the clear kind you always make

brewing tea in a saucepan, but lately I’ve been putting the water

me use even though I like the white kind, and I was driving by

on, turning the fire up and forgetting it. If I’m not careful I’ll burn

Blue Jay Farm, where near about every stalk of corn had turned

my house down, or mine and Brady’s house, if you want to get

brown. It was 115 degrees that day, the fourth 115-degree-day

technical, not that he lives there. Not since last Easter when he

in a row. I rolled down my window for a second and heard the

took the season of rebirth literally and moved to Florida, where

corn stalks rattle in the field. I turned the radio on and listened

he got hair plugs and a job selling time-share condos close

to a report from Little Rock where some roofers got to work and

enough to the beach to see the ocean.

found the bundles of shingles already melted on the rooftop.

64 | back story The whole earth looked brown, the trees all dying. Even the sky

“You have a name?” I ask.

was turning dark, dust blowing everywhere. “Sorry,” he says. “It’s Jackson Finley.” He reaches out and shakes “I felt the drought inside me. My skin burned. Even the leather

my hand. I like how it feels, his hand on mine.

on my shoes had begun to crack. I pulled over at Teensie’s Diner and ordered a jumbo Coke. It didn’t help one bit.

“Jackson Finley,” I say. “My name is Lily. Lily Connell.”

“I knew I’d perish if I didn’t get out of there, and I so I kept

I look around. A white-haired man is coming in the door, holding

driving. I said I’d stop once it started to rain. I’d stop and I’d

his wife’s elbow. It’s so sweet I think I might cry. In Destin, the

call you. But I didn’t, did I?” Brady said, and then he laughed,

high today will be eighty-seven. There’s a forty percent chance

a little too loud. “Do you know where I was when I couldn’t

of rain.

drive anymore?” “How good a cook are you?” I ask, and my heart thumps so “In Florida,” I said.

hard I hear it. I grab the teapot and set it down on a rack that holds Butterfingers. It seems too small a thing to buy, so

“In Century, Florida,” he said, as if I’d gotten the answer wrong.

absolutely singular.

“Just across the border from Alabama. I looked up and the sky was the color we painted the dining room last summer, steely

“Food Network good,” he answers.

blue verging on gray. And then the rain started, big fat drops of rain and the air smelled fresh as laundry on the clothesline.”

The line moves again and we walk together, each of us with one hand on the buggy.

“I guess you thought it was a sign,” I said, trying to keep the sarcasm at bay.

I look out the front of the market. The snow has started. Two kids dart by and run through the front door. They stand in the

“It was a sign,” Brady answered, his voice rising.

parking lot, their arms out, their faces turned up, tongues out to catch snowflakes.

“Which doesn’t explain how you ended up in Destin,” I said. Jackson’s eyes are the same blue as my grandmother’s china. I finally took off my wedding ring on our anniversary in July. I

He’s tapping his right toe, making a clicking sound on the

couldn’t compete with rain, plus, all my family’s here; I wasn’t

concrete floor.

about to go chasing Brady down in Florida. If you asked me who I blame for the divorce, I’d tell you the weather.

I tug at his sleeve, the wool of his jacket scratchy against my fingers. He looks down at me.

The guy with my food in his buggy tugs at my arm. I’ve stopped dead in line, lost as I was, and caused a logjam behind me. “You

“My place,” I say, and I can see him in my kitchen, a tea towel

okay?” he asks, and I nod. “Sure,” I say.

slung across his shoulder, and me on the bar stool taking it all in. I touch his sleeve again. “We should definitely go to

“I’m still worried about that pathetic haul of food you’ve got yourself,” he says. He rubs his chin. “How about this? You let me cook for you. I’m better in my kitchen, but I’d be happy to come to your place, if you’d rather.”

my place.”

Read Chair Publishing, LLC 3811 Rogers Avenue Suite C Fort Smith, Arkansas 72903