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River LightBy Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com Click here to check out our previous feature on Richmond, Virginia's Rice House.
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Loving the Hazards of Love By Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com All right, so the Hazards of Love is an album that has been out since 2009. I know that. But I've just rediscovered it and have remembered how much I enjoy it. And how fitting it is for a Quail Bell(e). The Decemberists' fifth effort is a grandiose concept album, a twisted fairy tale in which the vocalists play characters. Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond sings the part of Margaret who falls in love with shapeshifter William, the Decemberists' lead singer Colin Meloy. William's jealous and vindictive adopted mother, a fairy queen, is voiced by Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond. She and the Rake, who murdered his three children, add conflict to what would be a simple love story between Margaret and William. The basic plot alone sounds like the making of a Grimm's fairy tale. The Hazards of Love presents a more ambitious, intense sound than the Decemberists' usual folksy fare. Shara Worden is a particularly strong example of this with her powerful, emotion-wrought vocals, notably in “The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing” and (my personal favorite) “The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid.” Worden embodies the Queen and owns her angry reaction to William and Margaret's love. And listening to “The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)” is a transcendent (I'm not exaggerating) experience. It never fails to give me goosebumps, the sign of a not just good but truly great song. In essence, the Hazards of Love provides a rich musical experience. It's combines the pleasure of reading a book or hearing a story and listening to music. And that should be enough to satisfy any Quail Bell(e). The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Happy 90th, dear Richmond Poe Museum!By Quail Cam QuailBellMagazine.com The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Necessary 'nutsBy Paisley Hibou QuailBellMagazine.com Screw health consciousness. Next time your gut's rumbling, grab an old-fashioned doughnut. That's right, that guilty pleasure which, in its mass-produced, flavorless, mealy textured incarnation, isn't worth all the fat and calories. But at Country Style Doughnuts, where every doughnut is homemade, you don't have to worry about a pastry plagued with dryness or a strange aftertaste. It's pretty hard to regret a single bite of one of these babies.
This hole in the wall in Richmond, Virginia's East End offers 38 kinds of doughnuts, 24 hours a day, everyday of the week, except for Monday. Quail Bell(e)s are particularly encouraged to try the Boston Cream and the humongous apple turnover. Of course, you can get whatever you want, especially since a single doughnut only costs $0.96 and you can snag a dozen for $7.99. Oh, and don't be surprised if all the sugary delights are sold out when you stop by. With pastries this good, it's bound to happen. Country Style has been, in their words, "deliciously addictive since 1968." Consider them another one of the city's (unofficial) historic landmarks. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Cobblestones be damned!By Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com If cobblestones and stilettos were never meant to kiss, these two fashion birds were never privy to the fact. They teetered to and fro over the stones until they made it to the slightly more even, brick-paved sidewalk. And for what did they make this heroic (albeit foolish) sacrifice? Richmond, Virginia's Cinco de Mayo festival, locally known as ¿Qué Pasa?
Shockoe Slip's not only the city's Design District; it may be the loca district, too. But bless these bell(e)s. The mariachi was as killer as their shoes. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Queen of Horror Fiction By Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com Today, Stephen King is one of the most popular horror writers, known for uniting the real and the otherworldly in his stories. Richard Matheson, author of Hell House and I Am Legend, has experienced similar success. Where did they get their inspiration? None other than Shirley Jackson. Born in 1916, Jackson was a Renaissance woman, a jack-of-all-trades. In addition to being a devoted wife and mother of four, she wrote both domestic humor and horror fiction. Despite the contrast in her topics, all of her writing is noted by its dry and matter-of-fact tone which lends itself to surprisingly evocative and compelling mood. Her fiction is subtly but unnervingly dark.
Even though she gained popularity during her life, Jackson often refused interviews and avoided the press. Instead, she lived in small-town Vermont, focused on her family. As indicated by her amusing memoir Life Among the Savages, she and her husband Stanley Hyman, a literary critic, collected thousands of books and cultivated a literary atmosphere in their home. Even though she is probably best-known for her short story “The Lottery,” Shirley Jackson was no one-hit-wonder. If you can't read her entire collection (as I have!), at least peruse these: The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
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A poignant birthdayDear Josie,
Happy birthday! You would've been 24 years old today, had you not tragically died 6 months ago. Talented, spirited, and quirky, you embodied the true Quail Bell(e) philosophy of being. We miss you as our Managing Editor, contributing writer, and--above all--friend. Quem di diligunt, adolescens moritur. Feathery hugs forever, The QB Crew The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Bell(e) of the Week: April 30th By Tykeya O'Neil and Lindsey Story QuailBellMagazine.com You have until Thursday, May 3 at midnight EST to cast your vote! We'll announce the winner on Friday, so please check back, fledglings <3
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Hey, what's that little button?You may have started seeing this button more and more often on QB: Well, you know why it's there: QB's asking for donations (please, please, please). But why do we need your help? QB is run entirely by college students and recent grads--poor young people with big dreams. It costs money to run a website. Not only do we have to pay for our domain name, we also pay for an account with the website we use to edit our website. That's not to mention the money we pay for other online tools or even the various equipment we use to produce QB content, from digital cameras to scanners. Then there's also the print work we do, and print work is expensive. Each copy of Quail Bell Express costs nearly $3 to print. We also print flyers for our events (like Imagimania!) and just general promotional materials, too. As for our Photo Tales and videos? Those involve doing hair, make-up, getting costumes (which we can't always borrow from stores), and feeding our crew. These are just a few of the many costs associated with running QB. Please consider that as you visit our website and think about how you can help. We appreciate donations of all sizes. If you have other ideas for how to help us, please contact us. Thank you so much for your time and extra thanks if you decide to donate. |
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