shiver
october 2012 AtUrbanMagazine.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Marla Cantrell Catherine Frederick Mark Mundorff Jim Warnock
DESIGNER
Jeromy Price
WEB GURU
David Jamell
PUBLISHER
Read Chair Publishing, LLC
lifestyle
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Marla Cantrell Marcus Coker Kody Ford Catherine Frederick Laura Hobbs Tonya McCoy Anita Paddock Mary Sangster Jim Warnock
Fog Ignite: Lake Alma Trail DIY: The Fright Stuff
entertainment
Marla Cantrell
7 8 10
12 14 16 20
Now Hear This Urban Reader The Great Cornbread Debate Urban 8
people
MANAGING EDITOR
Catherine Frederick
22 26 28 32
Grim's Paintings I.O. Metro Building a Paper Empire Aniyah's Long Trip Home
taste
Subscribe to @Urban and receive 12 issues per year for only $20. Log on to AtUrbanMagazine.com today.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PRESIDENT
38 40
Spider's Kiss Mushroom Stroganoff
travel
@INSIDE
42 46
Crossing Over in Crossett Raising the Dead
Advertising Information
Catherine Frederick at 479 / 782 / 1500 Catherine@AtUrbanMagazine.com Editorial Information
Marla Cantrell at 479 / 831 / 9116 Marla@AtUrbanMagazine.com Š2012 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
A
crisp breeze, the crunch of leaves under my feet, and the smell of white chicken chili simmering on the stove. Yep, it’s fall. I love this season- except for the fact that I pretty much lose my husband
to football – it’s a good thing I love it too. Combo the food and football with pumpkins and other fall decorating and this girl is in heaven! I spent a ton of little time on Pinterest this month, obsessing soaking up all things crafty and trying out forty-six a few projects to make my house a spooky wonder. I have one of these projects in this issue. Who knew cheesecloth could be so inspiring? Around our house, the talk is mostly of football. We spend every waking moment Saturdays cheering on
my second grader’s team, and getting obnoxious loud and proud at the games. It’s good to have other parents who love the game like you do. It’s great that they wake up hoarse the next morning, like you do, after an early morning of sitting on the ice cold chilly bleachers, calling out things like, “That’s my boy!” In this issue, we have gathered the best and the scariest stories we could find. We’re taking you inside the grand old lady of Eureka Springs to unveil the ghosts who appeared to one of our writers. Not kidding. Showed themselves. She was intrigued scared to death, even days after she came back home. We’re taking you to Crossett to investigate a spooky light, and introducing you to an artist whose eclectic work is gaining recognition around the state. And we’re talking cornbread, the good old Southern staple that is the center of a festival designed to bring folks together. We’re sharing the story of one woman who dropped off the grid to deal with her own demons, hiking a new trail in Alma, and taking you to Vegas with a brand new screenwriter. All this, plus a new album review, a recipe for mushroom stroganoff and a drink called the Spider’s Kiss. So wrap up in that blanket, get yourself a mug of cocoa and enjoy! Oh, one more thing - happy fall, y’all. To reserve this free space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: Editors@AtUrbanMagazine.com
@LIFESTYLE
@lines Mary Sangster
Ghostly tendrils, Ethereal mist, Eddying moisture, Floating will ’o the wisp, The phantom waif diffuses light To foment specters which conjure fright All touched by the untouchable seen Fog spreads her skirts to obscure the gleam From a rising Sea of Tranquility
Gossamer tentacles clutch rocks and trees, Which creep along in quest of thee, And ferret you from sanctuary, Wide eyed and fleeing. Something dogs your frenzied step. Spent, you stop to catch your breath, But hear it’s footfall incessant tread, And feel hot gasps with its nearing, Until terror fills your soul, And leaves your scream un-screamed, As fired eyes and rapier fangs Lurk in the fog of October’s eve.
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diverse mixed hardwood forest, you may spot deer, rabbit, fox, great blue heron, and a variety of songbirds. Watch your step and give right-of-way to the many terrapin turtles that call Lake Alma home. @story and images Jim Warnock
W
On any given day you’ll find families out for a stroll or a nature
hether you’re a parent looking for an easy day hike to
walk and picnic lunch at “sitting-rock” just twenty-minutes into
introduce your children to the gentle pleasures of nature
the trail. Said one father, “I want my kids to know how beautiful
or a trail runner looking for a heart-throbbing, rock-hopping,
and fragile our environment is. When they see Little Frog Bayou
scrambling good time, Lake Alma Trail is for you.
and realize this is the source of our drinking water, they’ll become caretakers and protectors of places like this.”
Chuck Dovish, of Exploring Arkansas with AETN, said, “It’s amazing that so much variety and diversity of scenery is
History buffs will enjoy exploring rock structures located at mile
found right inside the town of Alma.” Step onto this 3.6-mile
1.3. Mystery surrounds the “when” and “why” of these structures
trail and your eyes are in for a treat. You’ll see bluff lines and
which include a small hexagon rock house with fireplace.
moss-covered boulder fields up close. You’ll walk beside clear streams, rocky cascades and small waterfalls. Situated within a
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Continue down the trail and you’re likely to encounter trail
@LIFESTYLE
runners soaring up “little bluff scramble” and churning around the whole loop in preparation for competition. “I love this trail! It allows for an intense workout in a short amount of time and the scenery makes even the hills enjoyable,” said Tommy Griffin, a local runner. Hike early and you’ll see locals trotting slowly and carefully along the rockier paths preparing for future marathons or just enjoying a morning workout and quick dose of nature. The beginnings of Lake Alma Trail can be traced to longtime resident, Harry McWater. The idea of a trail around the lake occurred to him during the late 1990s as a member of the
The best trail maintenance is use! Give your concrete-weary feet
Alma City Council. He mentioned the possibility several times
a break or drop the cumbersome baggage of civilization for a
only to be told that money for such a project wasn’t available.
few hours. Relax beside a clear, cool stream or let your mind
Then, about a year ago during a conversation with the mayor he
wonder about the early inhabitants of the “hexagon house.”
asked, “What if I find volunteers to get that hiking trail built?”
Whatever your reason, Lake Alma Trail is ready to greet you in
Mayor John Ballentine said, “Go for it!” With that, Harry sought
all its beauty.
expertise and labor from the Arkansas Master Naturalists, Ozark Highlands Trail Association and local volunteers, including Alma
Getting There
School District student organizations and scout troops. Students
Take Alma Exit 13 off I-40, then drive north on Hwy 71
were enthusiastic about the project. Nathanael Mickelson, then
to the first light. Turn right onto Collum Lane East then
a senior Student Council member said, “I can’t believe I have a
left onto Mountain Grove Road. Go north past the Alma
hiking trail three minutes from my house!”
water tanks on the left then a quick left at the hiker sign into a picnic area. The trail begins at the fishing dock.
The actual work began in March of 2012 and the forward
Walk the paved Nature Trail north with the lake to your
momentum that followed was undeniable. Since that time well
left. The Lake Alma Trailhead is at the north end of
over one-hundred pairs of helping hands have spent time making
the paved trail where it turns sharply back toward the
this trail a reality. Volunteers blazed and cleared the route. There
picnic area. If you hike the whole 3.6-mile trail, you’ll
was side-hilling, raking, and general cleanup to be done. With
come back to the fishing dock from across the dam. A
each workday, a deeper beauty was revealed. As the route became
shorter family-friendly hike is the forty-minute walk to
established, hikers’ feet helped firm up the trail and keep it open.
“sitting rock” and back. To get more information about
One volunteer said, “It’s like remodeling your kitchen. You use it
Lake Alma Trail and volunteer opportunities, follow
before it’s finished. Maybe it’s never really finished.” The work
updates from the Lake Alma Trail Facebook page.
continues as constant improvements are made.
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@LIFESTYLE
Mummy Pumpkin Step 1
Cut cheesecloth into 4x12-inch strips. Fold strips in half lengthwise. Apply fabric stiffener, following manufacturer's instructions. Apply strips to pumpkin, leaving the top and bottom of the pumpkin uncovered. Let dry.
Step 2 Hot-glue eyes to pumpkin.
Step 3 @story and image Catherine Frederick
A
fter scouring Pinterest® (imagine that), I finally found a Halloween DIY that’s suitable for ages 1 to 100! This
pumpkin will never rot, thanks to his “mummified” state, and he gets high scores for cuteness. The pumpkin is artificial so he can make an appearance year after year. The artificial pumpkin can be a bit pricey ($12 - $15) so be sure to locate a 40% off coupon before you go shopping. Visit HobbyLobby.com for their weekly coupon. You can even pull it up on your cell phone and give the clerk the number to obtain the discount. Ready? Let’s get our spook on.
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instructions.
Step 4 Cover each eye diagonally so a little of each eye peeks out. Let dry.
Step 5 Carve out a small mouth from the layers of cheesecloth using a crafts knife. Paint the inside of the mouth black.
you need to do is brush glow-in-the-dark gel paint onto the
»» Cheesecloth
»» Craft knife
»» Scissors
»» Black acrylic paint
»» Fabric stiffener
»» Paintbrush
»» Artificial pumpkin
»» Glow-in-the-dark gel
»» 1-inch googly eyes
lengthwise. Apply fabric stiffener, following manufacturer's
At last, he’s alive! Want your mummy pumpkin to glow? All
Materials
»» Glue gun and glue sticks
Cut four 4x6-inch strips of cheesecloth. Fold strips in half
paint (optional)
cheesecloth and let dry. What will I make next? Follow me on Pinterest®: Pinterest.com/catfrederick
@ENTERTAINMENT
continued her love of reinventing her favorite songs such as “Sea of Love,” “Satisfaction,” and “She’s Got You.” Marshall has made headlines for her public and often onstage struggles with alcohol and anxiety, which have created a constant thread of darkness and introspection throughout her work. Now, on Sun that darkness is gone. Sun captures the minimalism of her early work while flipping it upside down to create music that, even when discussing heartbreak and loss, remains optimistic. The album opener “Cherokee” sounds like a more radio friendly version of tracks from 1996’s What Would the Community Think. Its sparse, restrained composition highlights Marshall’s voice as she sings, “I never knew pain like this.” “Sun” is steeped in electronic influence and sounds reminiscent
now hear this cat power — sun @review Kody Ford
I
t’s rare that a songwriter who has entered the third
of Marshall’s contemporary—British songwriter Beth Orton. On the Cuban-influenced jam “Ruin,” the jumping baseline and South Beach piano infuses the song with a strong groove that leaves the listener wanting to jump up and dance. “Manhattan” retains some of the melancholy of earlier songs, but still keeps an up-tempo beat that sets it apart.
decade of her career can craft the best album of her
entire catalogue. However, Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) has
Recently, Marshall proclaimed this album to be her “rebirth,” a
managed to do just that.
very apt statement. Her poetic nature remains intact, but she’s embraced the light. The darkness of tunes like “Maybe Not” and
Throughout her career, Marshall has reinvented herself. She
“Good Woman” has been put aside for a belief in herself, her
came onto the scene with 1996’s Dear Sir, a collection of
music, and her future.
minimalist and moody tunes. Gradually she evolved, putting out the folky masterpiece You Are Free and the phenomenal The Greatest, which drew heavily from 60s R&B influences. She also released Jukebox and an EP Dark End of the Street, both of which
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I Rate It
@ENTERTAINMENT
her mother died, Cheryl floundered in grief. She couldn’t get it together; her sadness overwhelmed her, and Cheryl eventually landed in Portland, Oregon. Cheryl knew a lot about camping, but she had never gone on long overnight hikes, so when she decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, a distance of 1100 miles that would begin in the Mojave Desert and end in Washington, she relied on Pacific Crest Guide books to show her how to do it. Cheryl saved her money from waitressing and began to stock up supplies. She packed individual boxes to be sent ahead of time to various places she would rest along her journey. A twenty dollar bill tucked in amongst supplies of batteries, trail mix, water, and dried fruit was the only cash she would have from one
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail By Cheryl Strayed 315 pages @review Anita Paddock
stop to the next. And in each box was a book that she would burn after reading so she wouldn’t have to carry it. The biggest problem Cheryl faced was with her feet. Her boots were too small, leaving her feet covered in bloody sores. She lost five toenails. Her backpack was heavy and rubbed her shoulders and hips, leaving scars that made her skin look like she’d been beaten. In heavy snows, she nearly froze, and she became severely dehydrated in high temperatures.
I
n this true story, Cheryl Strayed found herself at the age of
Interspersed in the story of her courage on the trail (and stupidity
twenty-six a miserably unhappy woman. Her mother had
of attempting such a thing), Cheryl tells her readers about her
died a quick death from cancer at age forty-five, her siblings
life. We feel her devastation at losing her mother. We suffer her
had scattered in different directions, and her marriage to a nice
shame of drug use and sleeping with men she didn’t know by
guy was over. She had to do something that would save her
name. We cheer when she makes it across the Bridge of the Gods
from herself.
that ends her trip. And we understand the term “trail magic,” which means the unexpected and sweet happenings that stand
Cheryl grew up in a fishing and camping area in northern
out in stark relief to the hardships of the trail.
Minnesota where she made good grades in high school and attended college, supporting herself by waitressing. When
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Similar to what we find in the hardships of life.
H
ere in the South, we love our cornbread. Get a group together and we can recite our mama’s
recipe and our granddaddy’s secret to the perfect crust. We can spend hours debating whether you should use buttermilk or sweet milk. And don’t get us started on hot water cornbread.
@story Marla Cantrell @images Arkansas Cornbread Festival
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@ENTERTAINMENT
No matter how you feel about your recipe, one thing’s for sure. It will get you talking about food and family and how you grew up. That’s exactly why Anita Davis, owner of Bernice Garden in downtown Little Rock, decided she should bring a cornbread festival to Arkansas. And she did, last year. She and her events coordinator, Liz Sanders, expected about 800 people to show up. But they were wrong; the first Arkansas Cornbread Festival brought in closer to 3,000 people, all excited about the chance to taste dozens of samples of cornbread from those who entered the cooking competition.
On November 3, Bernice Garden will once again fill with hungry fans intent on trying the best cornbread around. And this year
Liz was surprised by the response, although when she looks
the menu will include gluten free, vegan and cornbread made
back she thinks there were clues that the festival was going
with coconut milk. They’ll also hear live music – all the acts are
to be huge. “Every time we mentioned it, someone would say,
from Arkansas – and shop for products made in our great state.
‘My dad cooks it like this,’ or ‘I put sugar in mine,’” Liz says.
The intent of the festival is to celebrate the culture of Arkansas,
“And everyone thought their recipe was the best. It started a
promote community and maybe learn a secret or two about
statewide conversation on Facebook and Twitter.”
making great cornbread. And any profit made will go toward next year’s festival.
Cornbread, it seems, is the great unifier. People from all walks of life showed up, from the very young to the very old. The
What a great way to spend a Saturday, voting for the cornbread
contestants – twenty amateurs and twenty professional cooks
you think is king. And you might find a few people to talk to
– brought in their cornbread and a side dish. There were a lot
about what should and shouldn’t go into this staple of Southern
of beans and greens and chili, but there was one Citrusy Corny
life. If you lean toward the side that is anti sugar and pro
Cornbread, and Loblolly Creamery went way off script and served
buttermilk, come see me. We may have a lot in common.
buttermilk ice cream as their side. The crowd loved it.
November 3rd, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Ticket holders voted for the winner in the amateur and
Between 13th & 16th Streets on South Main Street
professional categories. And then the voters chose an overall
Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas
winner, which was Old South Cornbread from Eldorado, Arkansas.
$7.00 for adults
They served Big Daddy’s Hot Water Cornbread. The title and the
$3.00 for children 6-12 years of age.
thousand dollars they won helped send them to the New Orleans
To buy tickets and learn more about the competition,
Road Food Festival, where they were able to introduce a whole
visit arkansascornbreadfestival.com.
new group of Southerners to their products.
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Cornbread Waffles
@recipe Arkansas Cornbread Festival @image Mark Mundorff
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 cup milk 3 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 large eggs
Spicy Chili
1 pound lean ground chuck 1 onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper 2 (15-ounce) cans ranch-style beans 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce 1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown ground chuck, until beef is crumbly. Stir in onion, bell pepper, garlic,
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder,
chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir in beans, tomato
sugar, and salt. Add milk, oil, and eggs; stirring until smooth.
sauce, corn, diced tomatoes, and green chiles. Reduce heat
Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and bake in batches. Set
and simmer 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.
aside and keep warm. Serve with Spicy Chili. Garnish with shredded Cheddar, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro.
Add shredded cheddar, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish.
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20
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@story Tonya McCoy @images Courtesy David Grim and Amber Lane Photography
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@PEOPLE
D
avid Grim stands over his creation playing Dr. Frankenstein
He does amazing work, and he’s fast. Sometimes he can finish
to his ‘Bride of Frankenstein.’ He’s tall and lanky, and stoops a
a painting in one day. That’s from concept to canvas. From
little over his easel to doctor a scar he’s painted in acrylics across
sketching his plan, to painting it. Other times it might take him a
her face. He uses a dab of warm, soapy water on the canvas to
couple of weeks, depending on work or family responsibilities.
make a minor correction before adding the final brush strokes to
Two weeks is still quick, especially when you see the precision
his painting of Marilyn Monroe as the Bride of Frankenstein.
and creativity that goes into his work. What’s also impressive is that David is self-taught. He’s learned how to paint through
Fear kept David from painting for a long time. He knew he could
reading books and trial and error.
draw; he’d been doing that all his life. When he was seven he began tracing and sketching Spiderman, Batman and Superman
He admires and studies artists including H.R. Giger, a Swiss
from his uncle’s comic book collection. But picking up that
surrealist artist best known for his Oscar-winning work creating
paint brush now that he was in his mid-thirties was too scary.
concepts for creatures and settings in the movie Alien. He also
He imagined people who had appreciated his drawings saying,
appreciates the work of the fantasy writer and artist known as
'You shouldn’t paint, stick to drawing.'
‘Brom’ (Gerald Brom). Creative minds he respects often have a
dark edge. David says that he’s no Tim Burton, but some of his
“Painting is new to me,” David says. “I was afraid of it for a very
paintings have a similar feel. You can see the likeness when you
long time. Everybody told me I should do it, and I had friends
look at one of David’s new creations called “The Stranger,” an
that painted and they told me all the time that I should… And it
under-sea creature that comes across a bewildering find.
wasn’t the big scary monster I thought it would be. But as with anything in life, I’m limited to location and situation.”
“I thought it would be fun to paint something that in color and form seems slightly cartoonish, but had a kind of odd theme
David’s been painting for about two years and recently moved to
or feel to it. I wanted to paint a creature that lived in the deep
Ola from Russellville. Ola has a little over one thousand people
depths of the ocean who spies something, obviously man-
and while folks there and in other parts of Arkansas admire his
made, that is completely alien to it and that kind of surprises it.
work, buying art isn’t always in their budget. He understands;
It doesn’t know what to make of it. It doesn’t know whether it’s
this single dad who is raising a teenage daughter, works roofing
friend or foe.
jobs, and in the past framed houses, baled hay, and even picked up scrap metal to make ends meet.
“I liked playing with the idea of this mysterious creature that lives in a mysterious place, being completely bewildered at
To make his art accessible to as many people as possible, David
something that everyone else in the world considers normal.
creates smaller pieces, in addition to his larger works. He often
That’s why I went with a Raggedy Ann type doll head because
paints on canvas boards in addition to his usual stretched
there’s nothing dangerous about it, but the creature itself
canvases, and has some paintings available for around $100.
doesn’t know what that it is. It would probably find it very
23
@PEOPLE
strange that there’s this oddity sinking down to its home that has a face and nothing else.” “The Stranger” and his other works can be seen online, but not on Facebook. David deleted his Facebook page because he was receiving “likes” all the time on his creations. This is one of David’s quirks. He hates Facebook “likes.” With David, it’s not the process or the profit that he enjoys most about painting – it’s learning how his art affects other people. He doesn’t just want to know someone likes one of his works; he wants to know why. “My favorite part of painting is when it’s done. I like hearing people’s opinions… Are they going to kind of glance at it? Say something nice? Or are they going to stand there and look at it and try to find out what it means to them? Are they going to tell you about it? Because you never know what you’re going to get. You can do something very simple, and different people will have completely different reactions, and a lot of times its nothing that you yourself even thought of.”
David has a Myspace site set up to showcase his work. To see David’s art, or to contact him about buying a piece log onto myspace.com/davidgrim.
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Christine Howard Creative Director, I.O. Metro
Designing for the Dining
Fall has arrived in all its glory and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. Thus, it’s time to spice up the dining room. During the holidays the dining room becomes the heart of the home for entertaining. It should be a functional space with good flow that feels refined, yet comfortable. This year, rethink the traditional and add classic items with a little edge.
Gather Round The table is the focal point of the dining room. For a fresh new take on the traditional, opt for a table in a timeless, rich wooden stain with some added flair (like a modern turned out metal leg). When selecting your table,
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1
2
remember that it is the chairs that will anchor it. So, don’t let things get too crowded. Generally speaking, leave three feet of space between the chairs and the wall or other pieces of furniture. This will allow you a comfortable amount of room to push back and enjoy the space.
Hang Out
3
Chandeliers are a must have statement maker for any dining room. The style says a lot, but the key to the perfect look is ensuring the proportions are balanced. You don’t want a chandelier that is too small, or on the contrary, one that overpowers the table. A good rule of thumb is to select a chandelier with a diameter that is a foot smaller than the width of the table.
4
Double the Fun A cowhide rug doesn't have to be a singular sensation. When you're working under a rectangular dining table, it’s important to artfully layer your hides (one will be too small). Any way you look at it, a cowhide adds an eclectic touch, and if you want
6 5
something more exotic, go all out with zebra print.
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B
ryce Albertson walks in carrying a box that looks big enough to hold a whole year’s
worth of baseball cards. The box is covered by a cardboard sleeve, and Bryce takes his time opening it. Inside is a first place crystal award from the Las Vegas International Film Festival’s screenplay competition in July.
building a paper empire @story Marla Cantrell @image Catherine Frederick
He won the award for Paper Empires, the first screenplay he’d ever written, which he’d completed for one of his classes at UA-Fort Smith. When his professor, Dr. Mark Burgh, read it he encouraged Bryce to send it out. “He said it was the one of the best screenplays he’d ever read, and he’d been a reader for MGM years ago, and I trusted his opinion because he routinely told me how bad my poetry was.” Bryce had been published before, science fiction stories, horror stories, so he knew that he could connect with a larger audience. After the class ended, Bryce worked on the script for another six months, making small changes and fine tuning the characters. At the same time the thirty-eightyear-old was getting ready for his May graduation, working long hours and waking groggy from too little sleep.
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@PEOPLE
It paid off. The plot of Paper Empires is intense and multi-
He called everyone he could think of and then he started
layered. It revolves around a cardboard refrigerator box, where
making plans. And when July 18 rolled around he was smack
two tweens, a boy named Brian and a whip-smart, street-smart
dab in the middle of Vegas, as excited as he’s ever been.
girl named AJ, go to escape the worst parts of their lives. “I spoke on the stage of the Las Vegas Hotel, the same stage that Bryce admits that Brian is a lot like he was at that age. Bryce,
Elvis rocked,” Bryce says. “I had a VIP neck tag and they gave
like his character Brian, was socially awkward and quiet and
me a bottle of tequila. I got to go to the after parties, hanging
drew the attention of the tough kids. But that’s where the
out with the Irish rock band Preachers Son. Their music video
comparisons end. Brian is also dealing with the death of his
won the Golden Ace award. I got to know the lead singer, Brian
brother and believes he’s in some way responsible for it.
Hogan, at the screenwriters and producers dinner.”
When Brian meets AJ there’s a cosmic connection, and as the
At a time when most people in Bryce’s shoes would have been
story unfolds we learn more about why she’s as tough as she is,
hobnobbing with the filmmakers, actors and producers, he was
and how she’s able to overcome the damage done to her by her
instead with the musicians. It paid off, though, as things seem
abusive father.
to do in Bryce’s life. “I’m writing some lyrics for Preachers Son right now,” he says, aware of how astounding it is that he’s
When the script was ready, Bryce entered the competition and
working with the Dublin band.
the long wait began. He’d marked his calendar with the earliest possible date the winners could be announced. When that
As he tells his story, he’s smiling wide. Having your screenplay
date got closer, he began watching the clock. Every hour was
chosen, the first screenplay you’ve ever written, is that one-in-
like a trial, and every time he clicked on his email and nothing
a-million shot that Hollywood was made for. The win bolstered
appeared he felt less and less sure of his prospects.
Bryce’s confidence, and he’s now sent Paper Empires out again, this time to the Zoetrope competition that Frances Ford
“Several hundred people had entered,” Bryce says. “I’d been
Coppola judges. “If Coppola reads just one page of something
waiting about eight months. In the back of the mind the
I’ve written, then my life will be complete,” Bryce says.
contest was always there, and I thought I had a fifty-fifty chance of making the final rounds but I didn’t think I’d win. I was so
And so the anxious waiting commences again. The Zoetrope
excited when I received the email. It said, ‘Congratulations on
award won’t be announced until February, 2013. “Look at these
being an official selection.’ I ran around the house screaming.”
eyes,” Bryce says. “I’m already not sleeping.”
But even then he didn’t know exactly what an official selection
There was a time when Bryce could not imagine a win like
meant. “I read the email again and it said, ‘Screenplay winners are:
this one. He suffered from Attention Deficit Disorder, though
First Place – Paper Empires by Bryce Albertson,’ and I went crazy.”
he wasn’t diagnosed until he was twenty-six. Back then, it
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@PEOPLE
took all his effort just to
The letter also had some suggestions on how to make the story
concentrate. He attempted
better.” Bryce took the advice. He sent the story out again and
college right out of high
it was accepted by a magazine. “I got paid like five bucks and I
school but couldn’t make
was ecstatic. I quickly sold another for ten dollars.”
it. “I had no follow-through. I couldn’t focus.”
Bryce was hooked. More and more of his work was being published. When he sat down and thought about his life, he
Today, his life is much
knew he needed to finish his degree. He enrolled at UA-Fort
different. He credits the
Smith and started getting great feedback from students and
medication that helped
professors who wanted to read everything he’d written.
him overcome ADD and the teachers who believed
Like most artists, Bryce is still waiting on the big monetary
in him along the way.
payoff.
During his senior year of
continues to create new work. When he talks about the coming
high school his English
months, the years ahead, he lights up. There is so much to do,
teacher saw his talent and
so many ideas he has brewing.
In the meantime he’s coaching other writers and
told him to pursue writing. He didn’t do much with his talent for several years. But once he started taking the medication he
One day he hopes to sit inside a theater and watch the story
needed, he was able to read entire books again and he fell back
of Paper Empires unfurl on the silver screen. He wants his
in love with the written word. “Before, I’d read a sentence and
characters, Brian and AJ, to have a chance to win out over
have to go back and read it again four or five times,” he says.
unthinkable odds for audiences everywhere. But most of all, he wants his story to spark great hope in the lives of those facing
The love of reading made him want to write. The medication he was on quelled his appetite, so he found his lunch breaks at work tedious. Why not write? he thought, and so he did, the pages coming together to form stories full of vivid detail. It became a ritual, an oasis in the workday where he could invent places and people who said and did amazing things. He sent stories out, and the first few were rejected. “Everything I read said to keep plugging along, to keep submitting stories, so I did. And then I got that good rejection letter, the one that says this isn’t right for our publication but this has some merit.
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their own dark demons.
aniyah's long trip home @story Marla Cantrell @images Catherine Frederick
T
he NICU at Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith is dappled with light from machines that blink
steady as a heartbeat. The space is awash in moms draped in hospital gowns, holding vigils over their little wonders. Some are sitting near their babies, touching a tiny chest, or a foot so small it looks like a doll’s. And in a rocking chair is Christina Acton, who is holding her own little miracle, a tiny girl named Aniyah. Aniyah’s been here almost a month, so long her parents forget things like the days of the week and what they last saw on TV. But the hospital stay is almost over. When Christina gets home, she’s taking her little girl and she’s going to climb into bed with her husband and their five-year-old young son. “I’ve been able to leave the hospital most nights to put my son to bed, which is wonderful,” Christina says. “But he’s a mama’s boy, and I miss him. He gets to visit his sister here, and I spend time with him during the day. That helps. But I can’t wait to have all of us together. I tell him and my husband, ‘We may climb in our bed together, snuggle with Aniyah, and not come out for a month.’”
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@PEOPLE
But today she doesn’t have that option. What she does have
“And there’s a kitchen that’s stocked, and you do a lot of talking
is an oasis, one floor up. When she steps onto that floor, the
with other parents while fixing something to eat, and it helps
closest thing to home awaits. There behind a check-in desk
you feel normal. People donate supplies and food so that the
that looks like it belongs in an upscale hotel, is the Ronald
families staying can sit down at night to a home-cooked meal. I
McDonald Family Room. Christina swipes her card key and
write thank you notes every night to those people and tell them
opens the door. Inside is a wonder of a place: cozy couches,
how much it means. It costs so much if you have to eat out
four bedrooms, a dining table big enough for a dinner party.
every night – that would have been so hard for us.”
It is in this sanctuary where Christina recharges.
Christina thinks that her stay may have been a little easier because she had some warning things might not go smoothly.
“I don’t know what we would have done without the Ronald
She was on a prescription medication that she had to take, and
McDonald Room,” Christina says. “We live in Roland. I’m here
there was a chance it could cause problems. As the pregnancy
in case Aniyah needs me, no matter what time it is. You can’t
progressed, Christina clung to the hope that everything would
imagine how comforting that is. If I hadn’t been able to stay
be fine. When Aniyah was born, the doctors told the family they
here, I would have been sleeping in the lobby or in my truck,
wanted to watch her for three days, to make sure there were
because I wouldn’t have left her. You can imagine what a
no complications. The first day went well, as did the second.
comfortable bed every night means to parents in this situation.”
But on the third day, Aniyah started showing signs that she was having withdrawal symptoms.
A soft bed is just the beginning of what the room offers. Parents facing similar challenges come together, sharing stories and
“It broke my heart,” Christina says. “She’d had tremors and she
bolstering each other. The ones who’ve stayed the longest
wasn’t eating. They had to put her on a very low dose of the
counsel the newest members of the group.
medication I have to take, and now they’re in the process of weaning her off. We have two more treatments to go, and then
“I had other parents to talk to, and they knew how I felt. No
we should be good to go home.
one else does, no matter how much they want to help. They have advice; they know the ropes. They can help you feel less
“I know it could have been worse. They were talking about a
afraid because they know, maybe not exactly what you’re going
feeding tube, but it never came to that. I’m so grateful, and I’ve
through with your baby, but they know what it feels like to be
become so aware of the needs our community has. I’m the
here and to worry the way you all do. The first week we were
biggest fan of the Ronald McDonald Room that you’ll find.”
here, I was crying a lot. My eyes were swollen from crying, but the people here, the volunteers and the staff and the other
While Christina is talking, the buzzer from the dryer sounds. She’s
parents, form a little family, and they surround you and you
been doing laundry this morning, another convenience that’s an
never feel alone.
immense help when you have an extended stay away from home.
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@PEOPLE
This thankful mom continues. “One of the ways they raise money involves kids. They save soda pop tops from aluminum cans that are recycled for cash. I’d love for more families and schools to get involved. It’s a simple thing. And l’ll be making casseroles for the families that will be here after we’re at home. I won’t ever forget what the Ronald McDonald Family Room has done for us.”
There are so many ways you can help support the Ronald McDonald Room at Mercy in Fort Smith. You can make a meal, collect pop tops, volunteer, or make a monetary donation. To find out more, visit rmhcofarkoma.org or email ginger@rmhofarkoma.org Another great way to show your support is to attend the Red Shoe Shindig on Oct. 20 at the Phoenix Expo Center in Fort Smith. 100% of the proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Mercy. For tickets, visit redshoeshindig.com.
Aniyah with Dr. Victor Coloso
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@TASTE
Sponsored by Cheers Liquor
1 part Midori Melon Liqueur 1 part Absolut Vodka Juice from 1/2 lemon Chocolate syrup Grenadine Chocolate dipped orange slice for garnish 1. Draw a chocolate web inside a martini glass. 2. Place in freezer and chill for a ghostly effect. 3. Shake all ingredients in a mixing tin then strain slowly into glass.
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4. For a blood effect, drizzle grenadine down the side of the glass. 5. Garnish with a chocolate dipped orange slice. To prep chocolate dipped orange, simply slice a small orange into wedges. I use Baker's dipping chocolate. It’s all ready to go, just heat in the tub in the microwave. Dip only one end of the orange slice into the chocolate. Let sit on wax paper until dry.
Here we are again. It was just a year ago that I was saying to my lovely readers, “Well, here we are...” and I made some nonsensical comment about Snuggies and bunny slippers and the summer of 2011 being a real scorcher. Well, the blazing fury of summer 2012 set a new record, in my book – right before my book burst into flames and incinerated into a pile of solar-scorched ashes. @recipe and images Laura Hobbs
But just as it does every year, summer changes to late summer, and late summer changes to almost fall, and almost fall changes into WOWHAVEYOUSEENTHETREES?, and so on. During these changes in the weather, we notice changes elsewhere, too – our sleeping habits, our wardrobe, our meals. Cravings for juicy fruit and cold summer salads turn into cravings for hot pots of soup and warm comfort foods. I’m aiming for poetic mastery here, but I think I’m just belaboring a point: As the weather changes, so do our eating habits. For me, my go-to chef for fresh and lively comfort food has always been Jamie Oliver. And as I confessed to you back in January, I also happen to have a megawatt crush on this cheeky, disheveled Englishman with an endearing lisp and an even more endearing passion for food. (Hubs knows. Hubs doesn’t care. Hubs rolls his eyes and does his best Jamie imitation using his worst Cockney accent
while
animatedly
flapping his arms about. This too is rather endearing.)
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@TASTE
In Jamie’s cookbook Jamie at Home, there’s this fantastic fallinspired recipe for Wild Mushroom and Venison Stroganoff for Two Lucky People, which I’ve made on several occasions. But since Hubs and I have been on a vegetarian kick lately, I decided to put a different spin on this quick and easy recipe – take out the venison and add more mushrooms. Voila! Mushroom stroganoff. Robust, exciting mushrooms like porcinis and chanterelles can leave you driving all over town on a wild goose chase or taking out a small loan to buy a pound. Please, by all means, if you have the resources, splurge on these rare beauties – they are exemplary specimens and will leave you swooning from meaty texture and depth of flavor. Rather buy mushrooms that are easy to find and don’t cost a small fortune? Go for it. I don’t blame you. In this creamy dish, the starring spice is smoked paprika, which hails from Spain. If you’ve never had it, it brings a deep, smoky flavor to any dish. You may find it in the store labeled pimentón – whatever it’s labeled, grab a jar and don’t look back. Your taste buds are about to embark on a delicious international adventure. For a dish that has a relatively fussy reputation (Hamburger Helper, I’m ignoring your version, you sorry excuse for a – never mind), this meal comes together quickly. In the time it takes to cook the rice, you’ll have a beautiful, creamy, bubbling saucepan full of delectable sauce and tender, meaty mushrooms ready to go. Not a fan of rice? Serve this dish over a heap of egg noodles for a nice variation. You’ll be seeing stars on your first bite. It’s not the mushrooms, don’t worry. Enjoy!
Mushroom Stroganoff 1 cup white rice extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped 1 lb. your favorite mushrooms 1 Tbs. smoked paprika 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely sliced 2 Tbs. brandy 1/2 cup vegetable broth 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped zest of ½ a lemon 2 Tbs. butter 2/3 cup crème fraiche salt and pepper to taste Cook the rice according to package instructions and set aside. In a large sauce pan over medium-low heat, pour in a good glug of olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for about 7-10 minutes, until it’s softened and beginning to brown. Add the mushrooms and toss to coat with the remaining olive oil. Add the smoked paprika, and cook for about 5 minutes longer, until the mushrooms begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Pour the brandy into the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Allow the brandy to cook off, about 1 minute, and then add the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to mediumlow, cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are completely soft and the juices have created a wonderful broth. Remove the cover and remove from the heat. Off the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, butter and crème fraiche, stirring gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve over the white rice.
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@story Marcus Coker @image Jeromy Price
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@TRAVEL
I
t’s midnight on the outskirts of Crossett, Arkansas, and a
from side to side. Sometimes it would be in front of you, then
group of college boys is hoping to see a ghost. Car doors
you’d turn around, and the thing would be behind you. Some
slam, and several sets of tennis shoes plod along a dirt road that
folks say they’ve seen it right up on them.”
seems to stretch out for miles. It’s dark, but the boys make their way off the road and onto the railroad tracks. “This is where it
Many believe the light is actually the brakeman’s wife, a woman
happened,” one of them says. “This is where he lost his head,
named Rose Marie who used to walk to the train to see her
run over by a train.” The rest of the group is skeptical; they don’t
husband, David, off to work. When he slipped while catching the
believe in ghosts. Until now.
train and was decapitated, she ran over to him, held his headless body, and screamed, “I want my David’s head!” Legend says that
No one denies seeing it—maybe a quarter mile down the
after David’s funeral, Rose Marie began carrying a lantern along
tracks—a white light the size of a softball, floating from side to
the railroad tracks, hoping to find what her husband had lost.
side. “He’s looking for his head—the brakeman who fell off the train—that’s him.” Still on the tracks, the boys step toward the
In the early 1980s, Missouri-Pacific removed the railroad tracks
light. But it moves away from them, so the boys stop and turn
where the Crossett Light was most often seen. That removal
around. Once they do, the light reverses directions and comes
changed the sightings. “Now it’s over close to Hamburg, past
toward them.
our airport,” says Scott. “You can still see it in certain places, but not as much as you used to. It’s harder to see because the roads
This is my father’s story. But there are many others. For nearly
are grown over with trees and bushes.”
a hundred years, tales like this one have been told about the Crossett Light, a mysterious light in southern Arkansas that
George Whitlow, sixty-three, lives in Louisiana and has seen the
seems to appear and disappear out of nowhere. The stories
Crossett Light in its new location. “It always starts on the left
started during the early 1900s when Crossett was just beginning
side of the road, and follows that natural swinging pattern of a
as a logging town and the railroads were used to haul lumber.
lantern. Then it goes to the right side of the road, to the top of
Legend says that a brakeman working for the Missouri-Pacific
the tree line, maybe twenty-five feet. Once it came within six
Railroad fell off a train and was decapitated. For decades, he’s
feet of my truck, but when I opened the door, it vanished.”
roamed the tracks, swinging a lantern back and forth in search of his lost head.
Skeptics have proposed more scientific explanations, including swamp gas and a luminous substance called “fox fire” that’s
“If you’ve ever seen an old railroad lantern, that’s what it looks
sometimes found on logs.
like,” says Scott McCormick, who’s fifty-five and the mayor of Crossett. “When I was a teenager, we’d walk along the tracks
According to Carson Davis, a professor of geology and geography
trying to find it. Sometimes the light would glow a green or
at Southern Arkansas University, those theories don’t hold up
reddish tint, and you could see it kind of bobbing along, going
under investigation, but another one does. About eight years
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@TRAVEL
ago, Carson and some of his students researched a number of
it’s alien children, playing around with lights when they see a
ghost lights in Arkansas, conducting their own experiments.
couple of humans. Kind of like we would play with sparklers.”
“Using cell phones, we were able to confirm that each time
So what is the Crossett Light? For some, it’s a simple matter
we saw a light, it was an automobile in the distance. It’s just
of extraterrestrial life. For others, it’s the headless brakeman,
automobile headlights,” says Carson. “People don’t recognize
and possibly his troubled wife. But maybe it is only car lights, a
them for what they are because they are so far away. But we
trick played on the human eye. Most are content to consider it
found that the Crossett Light, like other ghost lights, appears
a mystery, no more harmless than a scary movie—and a great
along a long stretch of narrow road, with trees close on both
opportunity to scoot closer to your sweetheart on a spooky
sides. The human eye is being fooled because it’s simply not
October night. If you’re looking for the truth—much like a
accustomed to seeing that far.”
ghost searching for his head—you may be looking for a long, long time.
But George has his own theory. “With headlights, there’s a beam of light; they spread out. This thing doesn’t spread,” says George. “It’s only my opinion, but I’ve always believed in life on other planets, and I think it’s a UFO, a colony of aliens from another planet in our dimension. The light isn’t scary, and I think
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For more information, including directions that will lead you to the Crossett Light, visit crossett.thorntonausten.com.
I
t’s the night of the Blue Moon, which I could see if the rain wasn’t falling, but the rain is falling, the night is awash
with the sound of it. Water pools near the steps that lead into Eureka Spring’s Crescent Hotel, the grand old lady that was built in 1886 by Irish stonemasons, who praised the quality of the limestone quarried from the White River. They rightly predicted that the eighteen inch walls, fitted without mortar, would stand the test of time. What they envisioned in those days was the building I see now, stately and ethereal, all polished silver and chandeliers, marble fireplaces and wide balconies. But buildings this old have checkered pasts, and the Crescent is no exception. There were hard times when the hotel failed, when other businesses took over, and once, just before its scheduled demolition, it was saved from the wrecking ball by the current owners. The Crescent rose to infamy in September of 1939, on the same day Hitler invaded Poland. On that day, federal agents slipped into what is now the Crescent, and nabbed a man named Dr. Norman Baker, who, since 1937, had been pumping a concoction called Secret Remedy Number 5, which was a combination of herbs, watermelon, glycerin and carbolic acid,
@story Marla Cantrell @images Mark Mundorff
into cancer patients. Baker, who was neither a doctor nor a humanitarian, was arrested for mail fraud. He’d sent out letters saying he could cure cancer without surgery or radiation. The death rate at Baker’s Cancer Curing Hospital proved otherwise. The number of deaths is unknown since all the records were destroyed the day Baker was arrested.
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@TRAVEL
What did survive are the stories passed on from patients’
“I’ve seen photos of little tiny handprints on the velour covers
families, and the sorrow that filled these halls where I am now
at the end of the bed in Room 405,” Barbara says. She takes
standing. Tonight, I wait with a clutch of other visitors and listen
out an EMF detector, the handheld device identical to those
for the ghosts that cannot or will not leave this place.
carpenters use to find wiring during renovations, and ghost hunters use to pick up the electromagnetic fields they believe
Our guide, Barbara Kennedy, feels their presence often. She has
are cast off by spirits, and has a woman in our group hold it to
been touched by them, twice by a bump on the elbow, to get
the banister. The red light blinks, and its steady rhythm pulses
her attention, and she listens as best she can, hoping to draw
as she moves the device to the middle of the solid railing.
them out. “There are two places in the hotel where there’s no wiring and the What she hasn’t been able to produce, the creators of the Ghost
device picks something up,” Barbara says. “This is one of them.”
Hunters TV show have. There on video, taken in 2005, is an image of a man wearing a hat, staring down at the investigators
We follow her to the annex, a part of the hotel that Baker, an
from his spot in Baker’s old morgue. “This is the Holy Grail for
unapologetic man who didn’t like the sound of patients’ groans,
us investigators,” they say. “We had chills when we saw it.”
used to house his sickest wards. “Some people called this the Pain Asylum,” Barbara says, “and I’ve been told he had steel doors
Tonight, the air feels like a damp coat you can’t take off. I wipe
here and steel reinforcement in the walls as soundproofing.”
my brow and breathe deeply. Barbara is just ahead, her long black dress trailing on the thick carpet.
It is in this space, where the Jacuzzi suites are now, that a nurse often appears pushing a gurney that holds a body covered by
The ghosts come from every chapter of the building’s history.
a blanket. The sound awakens guests, who report their findings
Barbara tells the story of The Girl in the Mist, a student who
to the front desk.
died while attending the Crescent College for Women, which operated from 1908 to 1934. She’s often seen on one of the
When Barbara finishes the tale, a woman in our group sags
balconies around 10:30 at night. When she falls, or jumps, no
against the wall. “My aunt, who stayed here, told me the same
one knows for sure, the clouds overtake her and she vanishes
story seven or eight years ago,” she says. “She woke up in the
before her feet find land.
middle of the night to the sound of an old-fashioned gurney and she heard a man’s voice say, ‘One more down.’”
After this story, Barbara walks to the stairwell on the fourth floor and touches the wide wooden pillars that flank the landing. A
The air goes still around us. No one speaks for a minute, and
young girl, the daughter of a woman who worked for Baker,
then Barbara leads us on. She has a photo to show us, from a
fell to her death near here, all the way down to the lobby, and
guest who was about to delete the picture when he turned the
guests report hearing her play here.
image upside down. In the reflection of the TV, which was not
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@TRAVEL
“Are there as many as ten spirits here?” The meter goes crazy, blinking as fast as the lights on a police car flash. Barbara keeps talking to the spirits, standing now near the place called the Parts Room, where pieces of Baker’s victims sat suspended in jars of formaldehyde, long after they had passed. on at the time, is a woman who appears to be seated. She’s
My head is pounding, and my phone, which I shut off specifically
staring at the camera, looking as alive as any one of us.
for the tour, has come to life and is ringing.
The tension builds as we trudge outside into the wet night and
The sound signals the end of the tour for me. I am shaken, and
enter what used to be Baker’s morgue.
I want out of this place. I ask one last question. Is Dr. Baker’s ghost here?
It is dank and sinister, and Barbara pulls out Baker’s mug shot and puts it on a metal prep table where some of the organs
The answer is this. Baker did not die here. He served his time at
used to be examined. “It can get intense in here,” she says,
Leavenworth, bought a yacht off the south coast of Florida, and
standing in front of the room called the Meat Locker, a space
lived to be seventy-five. When the grim reaper came for him, he
where as many as twenty-eight bodies at a time waited for their
was riddled with both cancer and cirrhosis of the liver.
mandatory autopsies. The man next to me says, “Damn straight,” and pumps his fist, She’s had one of us place the EMF meter on the concrete floor.
and we all walk back out into the night.
“No wiring in the floor,” she says, “and limestone underneath. So let’s see if there are any spirits here tonight.”
In the parking lot I look to the heavens. The clouds have parted and the Blue Moon shines. A limousine pulls up and a bride
Barbara turns the lights off and closes the door. She starts asking
steps out, holding up the field of lace that is her dress. Inside her
questions. “Are there a lot of you here tonight?”
groom waits, and beyond him, the spirits stand by, watching the celebration from their places all across this grand hotel.
The meter goes blink, blink, blink. “Are there former patients here who died during the time this
For tour information, visit americasmosthauntedhotel.
was a hospital?”
Tickets are $19.50 for adults and $8.00 for those twelve and under.
Blinkblinkblinkblinkblink.
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Read Chair Publishing, LLC 3811 Rogers Avenue Suite C Fort Smith, Arkansas 72903