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The Absent Philadelphia RenaissanceBy Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com Watching “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia” places me directly in the imaginary Philly that lives in my mind. I've only been to Philadelphia twice recently: once for the 2012 Philly 'Zine Festival and once in 2010 to catch a flight to Glasgow, Scotland. Before then, I'd only been as a child, making the city a hazy memory at best. That 'zine fest weekend was definitely the longest I had ever spent in the place that reminded me of a bigger, less Southern-feeling Baltimore. Apart from the hours spent at the festival, the scene I remember best about Philly was spending an evening with a new friend at a dive bar called McGlinchey's. McGlinchey's is a seedy place with rude waitstaff, but that sort of thing has never deterred me from grabbing a dollar hot dog and ice cold Woodchuck at any establishment in the past. The bar is not really one step up from anything and I guess that's part of its demented charm. My friend said that he can always count on the bartenders having an attitude and not giving a $%^& about his order because something about their lives makes them apathetic at best and miserable at worst. McGlinchey's is full of authentic people who are living for themselves, too busy trying to make ends meet. They're not signing up for the rat race because, seriously, who are they trying to impress? They're lucky enough to stumble across a little happiness. Not everyone can have a beach house in the Hamptons. That's the same kind of crowd that hangs out at Paddy's Pub: The Gang. Watching “It's Sunny in Philadelphia” reinforces this myth I've constructed about a city I hardly know. While I find that strangely comforting—I guess everyone likes to be proven “right”—I wish the show would challenge my notion of the place. After all, every city deserves to be represented outside of its stereotypes. Growing up, I always heard that Philly was a dirty, dangerous place, like a smaller, dumpier New York, only it had the Liberty Bell. Now I keep reading about its renaissance. In September 2012, Philly Mag published a condescending essay from a long-time New Yorker who moved back to her native Philadelphia because she couldn't afford her Manhattan/Brooklyn lifestyle anymore. A bit from the now-infamous Susan Gregory Thomas:
And then later, after describing how Philly is apparently not so backwards after all:
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Facebook might kill your love life.By Misty Thomas QuailBellMagazine.com As an anniversary of sorts comes to me, I think about the amount of time that my ex-boyfriend and I spent on our laptops, playing idiotic Facebook games. You see, this September will be the two year anniversary of his death. As the memories of him and of our relationship cross my mind every day when I log onto Facebook and see all of my friends playing Candy Crush, Farmville, or The Sims, I remember the song he made up. He called it "Facebook Gamers" and sang it to the tune of "Jukebox Hero" on Saturday mornings before college football. Yes, that is what he’d sing as we clicked away at these silly games. Mornings upon mornings spent side by side doing so, and then one morning, he shut his computer and said, “Let’s go get brunch. Let’s get off of our butts and do something outside! Look at us. This is not the way I want to remember our relationship.” He was right and as I write this, I find it brutally challenging not to pull up Facebook to see what my friends are talking about. Why don’t I just send them a text or call them? We have turned into a society that no longer gets outside, that no longer makes phone calls, and that no longer writes that phone number on a napkin at a bar. Is Facebook (and other social media) destroying our relationships? Here are some ways it might: Reconnecting with that old flame
Facebook began as a way for people to reconnect with friends from their pasts. Without Facebook, you would not have found that middle school gym teacher who motivated you to become a coach. That college friend you missed saying goodbye to suddenly sends you a Facebook message and what a surprise! Facebook has opened up an entire realm of possibilities, with these sorts of pleasant surprises happening everyday as people find old friends on the network. However, there have been quite a few incidents of jealousy, as well. Let's say your high school prom date finds you on Facebook. The one that got away, you think. You tell your boyfriend all about it because you're so excited to find this guy and just reconnect with a familiar face. Your boyfriend finds a post from this guy on your timeline and goes ballistic. You're convinced that your high school friend just wants to catch up, but your boyfriend thinks otherwise. You never thought that something like this could hurt your relationship, but your boyfriend doesn't see things the same way. Social media has created a new phenomenon known as "cyber cheating." This type of cheating happens when two or more people constantly banter back and forth with each other on Facebook or Twitter. Some people misconstrue a wink or sticker on Facebook as a sign of flirting. Others may see a simple tag on Facebook as a form of flirtation. Many newer relationships are damaged by social media in this way. What seems like a completely innocent conversation via Facebook messaging to YOU might be seen as a sexual invitation by your partner. That's why it's important to keep the lines of communication open with your partner when you find old flames on Facebook. Two words: honesty and trust. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Quick What's and Where's of Commonwealth EstatesBy Brianna Duff QuailBellMagazine.com So you're thinking of exploring Quail Bell Landia? Come to Virginia and check out a few of these magical plantations: Arlington House: Paired with the Robert E. Lee Memorial, this home belonged to the famous Civil War general. Location: Arlington Bacon's Castle: This is one of the few surviving examples of Jacobean architecture in America and dates back to 1665. Location: Surry Belle Grove Plantation: An old 18th-century grain and livestock farm, Belle Grove once encompassed 7500 acres of land. It was build for Nelly Madison, sister of President James Madison. Location: Middletown Berkeley Plantation: This was the site of the first Thanksgiving and the birthplace of President William Harrison and Declaration of Independence signer Benjamin Harrison V. Location: Charles City Endview Plantation: Built in 1769, this house has survived the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. Location: Newport News Evelynton Plantation: This was once the place of Civil War skirmishes in 1862. The original house was burned during the war, but it was rebuilt by relatives two generations later. Location: Charlottesville The Maymont Estate
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The Real vs. The Unreal in America's PrisonsBy Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com I recently finished watching the complete first seasons of “Orange is the New Black,” thanks in part to my horrible Netflix binging habit, but more so because it's a fascinating show. American prison systems—and our societal perceptions of them—need a make-over. Unfortunately, this make-over can't be fixed with a glittery lipgloss and the oh-so-perfect shade of eyeshadow. “Orange is the New Black,” while in some ways problematic, starts a serious dialogue our country should be having instead of focusing on the engagement of One Direction's Zayn Malik. (I promise that wasn't click bait.) Before I proceed, I'm inserting a spoiler alert, so no whining. I warned you. One of the scenes that most resonates with me is the one where Piper's on the phone with Larry after his guest appearance on NPR. Remember how he wrote that “Modern Love” column for The New York Times? The one that demonized all of Piper's jail mates and made her seem like the perfect little W.A.S.P. princess? Yeah, problematic. Piper was horrified because Larry was relating her personal experiences, as if he had the authority to describe a life he had never lived and paint a picture of people he had never met. It's like those fake ethnic memoirs white men have written over the years for what—street cred? Money? Fame? If you're not Chicano, don't pretend to be Chicano, unless you've done thorough research and are writing FICTION. In which case, you're not actually pretending to be anyone but yourself, an author, who does not claim to be your protagonist.
Same goes for pretending to be an inmate. Don't pretend to know what it's like to be behind bars if you've never suffered that kind of misery. Don't go on a national radio show and tell the (mostly) white, educated listeners what terrors your poor, white girlfriend faces in prison. You were invited on the show to discuss how your fiance's sentence has affected your relationship; you were not invited to cast judgment on women whose full stories you know nothing of. In some ways, prison is worse than you can imagine, Larry, and in other ways (admittedly very few ways), it might be better. Did it ever occur to you, Larry dear, that Piper might have warmed up to some of her fellow prisoners? That, because of their shared experience, she can at least start to see these women beyond their crimes and the stereotypes associated with their class and race? Larry is not alone in thinking of so many prisoners as somehow “less” than a person like Piper. Piper is white, thin, college-educated, articulate, and well-read. Or a “nice blonde lady,” as Piper calls herself. She represents our society's image of an upstanding female citizen. This is not the same image our society has created of the average female inmate: black or brown, poor, and a high school drop-out who probably suffers health problems, like A.I.D.s or obesity, to boot. Society has proven time and time again that it believes that women like Piper don't “belong” in jail. Just look at the statistics. Our national imagination isn't very imaginative. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Jared Fanning's Top 10 Most Read Books In The WorldThe Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
My Fashion 2013By Caleon Reed QuailBellMagazine.com Living in a world where new styles are created precipitously, you may quickly feel out of the loop. We are part of the digital age where new styles are constantly being thrown into the mix at all hours of the day by numerous designers, stylists, and average Janes on every social network you can think of. If you’re filthy rich, you might be able to keep up with the ever-changing trends. It’ll only take all of your money and a few personal assistants. So how can a girl get by wearing some vintage duds without looking like yesterday’s yesterday?
If you have an Instagram or Tumblr, I’m sure you’ve noticed a wave of fashionistas who use social media to post their looks. I know my timelines are filled with posts from crisply color-coordinated amateur designers and stylists. Looking at these pics definitely makes me wonder how on earth can they afford to dress this well everyday. Maybe they’re excellent bargain hunters or wealthy, but that doesn’t explain how they’re aware of every new trend the moment it hits the surface. I feel as if I’m missing out on a daily text that sends underhand fashion updates. But as enticed I am by the many threads and brilliant outfits I see, I can’t jump on the “Follow the trends” bandwagon. I like a few new “It” pieces here and there, but I love a good deal on timeless and vintage items. I feel my style achieves a happy balance between trendy and vintage. I like to shop everywhere: department stores, thrift stores, outlet stores, etc. When I’m buying shirts or blouses, I can never go wrong racking up at my local thrift store. I’m bound to either find a top I’m absolutely in love with, or one I see potential in with the right statement pieces. My statement pieces usually include nice jewelry that I find at Charlotte Russe, Macy’s, or my mom’s jewelry box. If I’m buying a new shirt/blouse, I start with the rule of not spending more than $15 (max!) per piece. If I MUST HAVE the piece, I might spend $25 (a rare occasion because I usually talk myself out of most items priced this high). I’m a little picky when it comes to jeans because I decide based on the fit, cut, and wash. I have so many requirements for jeans because I don’t like to buy them often and need them to last. That being said I purchase most of my jeans new. My choices in jeans are usually classic washes that can go with anything. When I do make that special occasion trendy jean purchase (like the newest skinnier than the last skinnier skinny jean), I’m certain not to buy any with prints that I’ll get tired of easily. Sometimes I luck out at the thrift store and find a nice pair of pants, and I either leave them as is or spruce them up by adding some rips or patches here and there, or a nice neat cuff. Every now and then I can find a distinctive pair of shoes at a vintage store. If shoes have a jazzy design, bold colors and/or distinctive shape, and if they're marked at a good price, I get them. The rare shoes that I find at vintage store have regularly become the focus of my outfits. This inadvertently works in my favor because it gives the impression that I started my own trend. Other times, I find an online boutique and choose shoes with a trendy “girly-girl” look (usually heels). Having both a selection of vintage and current pieces, I get kudos as well as unique outfits. Thanks to my mix-match way of choosing my outfits, I rarely have to worry about being in that awkward situation where you see someone wearing your exact outfit. Most importantly I’ve learned when you mix up your wardrobe, you create your own style. After a while it's inevitable to become more comfortable with your own individual style and gain more confidence in yourself overall. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Are you a lady or man of letters?By Starling Root QuailBellMagazine.com You know you're a member of the literati if... • you tried to eat a book as a child because you thought you could absorb the words forever that way.
• you list “quibbling over diction, syntax, and tone” as one of your hobbies on OkCupid.com. • you have resorted to eating ramen for days or even weeks just to save up for the books you want. • you use literary characters and conflicts as examples in everyday conversation. • you actually seek out flyers announcing poetry readings. • you didn't think twice about writing for your campus publication. What else were you going to do—play rugby? • your pet's name comes from a novel or poem, or is a clever play on words. • you ever gave a book to a hobo instead of food. • any of your sexual fantasies have involved books. You know what we mean: Book boners. Oh, baby! • the most likely place your lost keys are hiding is under a pile of books. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Beach Bat, Drowning in SandBy QB Camera Eye QuailBellMagazine.com A bat found outside of Tallahassee, Florida.
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Brief but GlamorousBy Fay Funk QuailBellMagazine.com I went to college in New York City because I wanted my life to be thrilling. It was a captivating, magical place, and I knew it would be life-changing. The music in New York City–that effortlessly cool, impossibly good music–was a big motivator for my move. I wanted to be a part of a musical experience bigger than anything I had done before. I found everything I was looking for, but, not surprisingly, it wasn't what I expected. Now that I don't live there, I have mixed feelings about the music scene/industry in New York City. I put industry and scene together because they are permanently connected in New York and forever influencing each other. On one hand, the mixture of scene and industry has produced some of the most dynamic and original music ever made. On the other hand, the pressure to succeed often creates musicians who are more concerned with marketing and branding than art. I had one musician tell me that the F# minor chord was really "in" right now, and all the up-and-comers were playing F# minor chords. Another time I started a conversation about band names with a different musician:
“’The’ band names are not good anymore,” he said, “It’s all about plurals and puns. You don’t want a ‘the’ in your band name.” It was straight out of Josie and the Pussycats, except this guy was serious. I also saw plenty of exploitive relationships, intense rivalries, and occasionally even darker stuff, like blackmail, drug abuse, and casting-couch syndrome. It was enough to make me seriously question the city I thought was so perfect. My time in the New York City music scene was brief but glamorous. The first show I attended was Beach Fossils at Death by Audio. A perfect venue, Death by Audio was a dimly-lit warehouse with colorful murals all over the walls. Beach Fossils was the epitome of a cool indie band: rocky but with a certain amount of lightness. It was a dazzling night of loud music followed by a party with the other bands, ending around 3 a.m., shivering on a frozen rooftop. I soon learned most nights ended this way. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
From Catwalk to SidewalkI’ve been thinking for a while about doing some kind of study-at-home course to learn more about the history of fashion.When I chose my university major all those years ago, I didn’t choose things which particularly interested me on an intellectual level. I chose something I thought would be fun (I got to live abroad for a year) and would help me get a job at the end of it all. Oh, how I’d do things differently if I did them now! Anyway, I looked at the Open University and other places but nowhere seemed to do a purely academic fashion history course which lets you study from home. So I went onto Amazon.com and had a look to see what I could find out for myself, and I found A Cultural History of Fashion in the 20th and 21st Centuries: From Catwalk to Sidewalk. This book was just the ticket! It gives a comprehensive history of fashion in the 20th and 21st centuries, including fashion trends, influential designers, and much much more! I can’t claim to have read it all yet, but I’m gradually working my way though it and it’s absolutely fascinating. It's also surprisingly readable, a great improvement from a lot of the textbooks I had at uni! I’m hoping to be a real fashion history expert by the time I’ve finished. The second edition of this has just been released which also includes 21st Century fashion influences, trends, and technology. Oh, and it is packed with illustrations and photos too! Anyway, that’s enough chatting from me, I want to get back to reading it… A Cultural History of Fashion in the 20th and 21st Centuries, Second Edition: From Catwalk to Sidewalk by Bonnie English The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
They're adults playing dress-up, really.By Caelon Reed QuailBellMagazine.com In high school I worked as a cashier at Kmart in Williamsburg, Virginia. I’d often have memorable customer encounters, but nothing as memorable as this one day in particular. Picture this: I’m performing my usual duties ringing up stuff for a customer, but I look up to find this is no usual customer. She’s dressed in clothes that make her look like a slave, with a funny hat, and a dull patterned dress plus an apron. My job was not too far from Colonial Williamsburg, a place dedicated to reenacting 18th century history. So I put two and two together and figured she worked there. Here's a bit more that I've learned about historical reenactment since that incident: Historical reenactment is living history, or a performance put on for the public to depict the past. Reenactment groups recreate different historical events or just everyday events. Often in my home state of Virginia, they recreate Civil War battles. These groups' purpose is educational and their presentations are based on extensive research of the history they reenact.
Who's chosen to recreate these scenes usually depends on the venue. Historic sites and museums like Colonial Williamsburg might hire amateurs and provide training for certain roles or they might hire trained interpreters who have formally studied theatre and/or history. They might want to bring a more authentic feel and employ an organized historical reenactment group instead of just going for random individuals. Yes, there are people who dedicate their lives to bringing the best history reenactment they can. Which is very admirable because it takes a lot of time, effort, and research to act like you’re a part of a time period that happened before you were even born. 10th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment is a group that bases their reenactments off of the War of Southern Independence (ahem) through the eyes of infantry soldiers in Shenandoah Valley. Their mission is to give their audience the most educational, historically accurate presentation possible. In doing this they honor their ancestors and preserve historical sites. Most members in this group are descendants of men from the original 10th Virginia Infantry. The 10th Virginia Infantry is made up of eleven volunteer militia companies that originated in the 1850’s in Rockingham, Virginia. Various companies within the group were ordered to Harper's Ferry after the Order of Secessions was passed. At the end of the war, only 45 of the original 1,475 men from the 10th were left. The others died of battle injuries and disease. Another historical reenactment group is the 50th Virginia Regiment Infantry; they are based on the 50th Virginia Company D, a militia organized in late 1861. The original unit was made up of farmers, laborers, and citizens from Grayson County, Virginia. 50th Virginia Company D’s first mission came from the newly formed Confederate Army. They were asked to protect Virginia’s borders from invasion by the United States Union Army. Now the 50th Virginia Regiment Infantry group reenacts Civil War events while honoring the men that served in the original 50th Virginia Company D. This group is active in reenactments in spring and fall seasons by way of events like school education events, and local/national events. If you're interested in joining a group, get to know its mission first. Reenactment groups are special because they are the closet visual we have to our past. They are, in a way, our time machines and I'll take them over reading a history book any day. Unpopular Quail Bell opinion? Maybe. But I stand by it. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Pomegranate Motif(Rotated) Pomegranate illustration from Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé's Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, 1885. The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing shrub, originating from the Middle East and Mediterranean Basin. Throughout history, the pomegranate tree has been used for a variety of purposes. Its bark has been used to cure leather; its rind and flowers have been used as textile dye; and its fruit has been prized for its delicious taste and medicinal properties. Images of the pomegranate have permeated visual culture since ancient times. In Ancient Greek mythology, for example, the pomegranate was the food eaten by the dead in the underworld. In the world of fashion history, the pomegranate has had an extraordinary impact on textiles. Silk from the 15th or 16th century. Museo Civico d'Arte Antica. This textile shows the so-called "pomegranate motif." This stylized design of a central floral image surrounded by wavy stems has its origins in the Ottoman Empire. Under the reign of Süleyman I, also known as Süleyman the Magnificent (r. 1520-66), the arts flourished, and the textile design of a flowering plant such as carnations, blooming palmettes or pomegranates surrounded by a lattice pattern became extremely popular. These textiles made their way across trade routs to Western Europe where they were prized for their elegant patterns and luxurious materials. These motifs were also adopted by Western European artisans and dominated textile design of the Renaissance. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Bye-bye bookshops?By Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com The feminist bookstore in the television show “Portlandia” reminds me of every small bookstore I've ever known throughout my nearly quarter of a century of life: Aladdin's Lamp, the children's bookshop nestled between a jewelry place and a karate studio at the shopping center by my high school in Arlington, Virginia. The famous Prairie Lights in Iowa City that I knew as a freshman at Grinnell College. The vintage and antique bookshop on a cobblestoned backstreet in La Rochelle, France, where I spent a summer afternoon reveling in mustiness before finally buying some French comic books that surprisingly weren't Astérix or Tintin. Politics & Prose, Busboys and Poets, and Olsson's, which I grew to love each time I came to Washington, D.C. to see my parents over school breaks. The charmingly esoteric comic book store in Del Ray that also sells venus fly traps. The Virginia Shop in Old Town Alexandria where I taught two children creative writing amongst Colonial and Civil War tomes and stocking stuffers alike. Chop Suey Books, Velocity Comics, and Richmond Book Shop, which I first encountered while a student at Virginia Commonwealth University. And of course countless other shops I've popped by during my travels. The bookshop that especially reminds me of the feminist bookstore in “Portlandia” is Bluestockings in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. This alternative bookshop and activist center carries anarchist and LGBT literature, plus a plethora of 'zines. It is small and cramped, just as every other independent bookstore I've ever known has been. The floor boards creak. As you flip through a self-published graphic novel from Brooklyn, you wonder what the shop was before it was a bookshop. Was it another shop? A tenement? Was it a cafe or restaurant? And what will it one day become?
When I stopped by Bluestockings in May, my parents actually came with me because I had an event there. My father, a native New Yorker, raised his eyebrows at the sight of stylish bars and boutiques. Crowds of well-dressed twenty- and thirty-somethings strode and stumbled along the sidewalk, depending on how they had spent their evening. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
African Children's Choir: Fight Famine with SingingAll photos courtesy of Lydia Sherwood The African Children’s Choir is composed of children who have lost one or both of their parents due to famine, war or disease. Each child represents different parts of Africa, and together the children are known for putting on a heartwarming concert. The primary purpose of the choir is to raise awareness for orphaned children in Africa and to provide unique training to become strong, confident leaders once they return to their homeland. How's that for awesome? I was fortunate enough to have an exclusive interview with Dorothy Nabwami from African Children’s Choir.
SD:What is your favorite memory of doing African Children’s Choir? DN:I loved meeting new people, and experiencing so may new things, and learning new things that we don’t have access to in Uganda, like taking a subway, flying in airplanes. My choir got to meet Will Smith and Ron Kenoly, and we sang for the American president at the time. Another favourite memory is eating hamburgers, visiting Disneyland, and traveling around the world. Who are your most notable collaborators? Biggest guest you opened for? The African Children’s Choir has sung for the Queen of England and the President of the United States, and with artists like Stephen Curtis Chapman & Josh Groban. Choir 40 hasn’t had the opportunity yet to open for any big guests. How does the money raised help children from Africa? Can you give me an example how it helps kids currently? The money raised let children attend school, provides meals, and receive medical attention that would otherwise not be available to them. The organization supports students from over 35 schools across seven African countries, including Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Ghana. There are currently over 150 children in school at the African Children’s Choir Primary School outside of Kampala, Uganda. These children are given the best educations in Uganda. The children who attend this school consistently score among the top in the country. A one-on-one relationship with their teachers, which is not common in other schools in Uganda. The children are fed properly, which helps their performance in school. What kinds of songs does the choir sing? The choir sings traditional African songs as well as gospel favorites. Do you come into the D.C./Maryland/VA area often? The choir comes to the area every couple of years. Does the founder still play a role with the choir? Ray Barnett, the founder, is currently the president of the organziation, and so is very influential in what happens with the choir and the parent organization, Music For Life. He recently travelled to Uganda and visited with the former choir children, those who are currently attending the African Children’s Choir Primary School and those who are now adults. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Remembering Yesterday for TomorrowAs I sit here listening to Broken Social Scene, I think of the band's name literally—as in, a social scene that is broken. It is fragmented and desperate. I'm not imagining some coming of age story, with a group of childhood friends who disband in the wake of adulthood. Or some mid-size, shitty city that's lost any chance at ever had at achieving a five-star cool rating. Instead my mind jumps to the social ties within a community just coming undone. The knots have been loosened. People are wearing strips of cloth on their wrists and everyone's surrounded by everyone but nobody's touching and nobody has any no idea why. It's “Marco Polo” or “Blind Man's Duff” except that there's no blindfold. Cue creepy children crying in the distance and, bam, there's your post-apocalyptic cliché. Everyone's eyes are wide open—again, literally. Not figuratively. Figuratively, their eyes are squeezed shut; they're in the dark. Neighbors don't know their neighbors. Everyone's a stranger, and there are no end-of-summer block parties to save anyone. Cold air hangs in this digital era and we only ever feel anything when that cold air bites us.
I walk past people everyday. That's normal in an urban setting. Sometimes I say hello and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I make eye contact. Sometimes I smile. Other times, I don't. I'm a worm in my own worm hole, and if there are other worms there, I don't see them. Well, at least I pretend not to see them. No matter how distracted I may be, I'm too observant of a person not to notice my surroundings, to be aware of other human beings. I just hate that I use distraction as an excuse when I know in my heart of hearts that the reality is different. There's racial tension, sexual tension, financial tension, you name it. Tension. It's there. I could say hello, but the tension remains. Some days, perhaps most days, I am strong enough to rise above these tensions. On weaker days, I'm just another zombie in this broken social scene. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
You know, the land of TJ, UVA, etc. Unless you don't know.There is no doubt that Charlottesville, Virginia is beautiful. So if you haven't been there, you've got to go. This is not a suggestion, but rather an order for all of our Quail Bell(e)s, no matter where they live, in Virginia, elsewhere in the United States, or far, far, far away. Tucked amongst the Blue Ridge Mountains, this more modest younger sister of bustling Richmond is its own unique destination. From the sprawling brick campus of the University of Virginia to the number of vineyards scattered amongst its mountains to the Skyline drive that carries you across it all, Charlottesville is worth a visit simply to see the sights.
In addition to its natural beauty, Charlottesville is also rich in history. Named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the wife of King George III, Charlottesville was chartered in 1762, and though it is not quite as ostentatious with its history as Richmond, this city offers a number of chances to see some of her state’s colonial past. Monticello: This plantation home, located just outside the city, was the primary home of Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States and most famous writer of the Declaration of Independence. It is the only American house on the United Nation’s list of World Heritage sights and offers a look at the rooms Jefferson and his family once inhabited, the stunning botanical gardens, and the historical slave quarters. Ash Lawn-Highland: This is the second of Charlottesville’s historic houses. It is the former home of James Monroe, fifth president of the United States, who owned the property from 1793 to 1826. Though less stately than Monticello, Ash Lawn-Highland is also a working plantation and offers a wonderful look Monroe’s world. Montpelier: Montpelier is the third and final of Charlottesville’s presidential houses. It was home to James and Dolley Madison. Its history includes slaves who worked and lived on the plantation, Civil War soldiers who encamped on the property, and a freedman’s family who lived and farmed there after the Emancipation. On a tour, you can see the mansion, the décor as Madison would have had it, and the Landmark Forrest that offers 200 acres for hiking. Michie Tavern: After a day spent visiting these historic homes, why not try out Michie Tavern? Built in 1784, Michie Tavern once accommodated travelers with food, drink and lodging. Today, you can experience the Tavern’s 18th-century past. Servers in period attire offer colonial fare and after, you can tour a section of the tavern left as it was in the 18th century. The Fralin Museum: Thought the museum itself is not historic, not are its collections inside specific to Charlottesville, this museum is located on the historic University of Virginia campus and offers an eclectic mix of history, from European and American painting, photography, African art, and American Indian art. It is worth a visit for an art history lover of any kind! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Wacky and Wonderful WalletsBy Paisley Hibou QuailBellMagazine.com Man, it's not everyday that you get a sweet surprise in your mailbox, but every now and then we get lucky at QB HQ. Two members of The Quail Bell Crew are now happy owners of Dynomighty wallets, thanks to some samples the Dynomighty folks wrapped up and shipped our way. These little suckers are sturdy, stylish, and made by artists from around the world. Based in Brooklyn, Dynomighty fashions wallets out of Tyvek®, a rather strong plastic, using designs submitted by artists themselves. If your design is selected, you automatically become part of Dynomight's artist collective, with the opportunity to see your work in over 60 countries and 1,800 across the United States and, of course, you also get a cut of the sales.
What we adore most is the look and feel of the actual wallets. They're quirky, sometimes strange, but interesting no matter what. Plus, they're made to last. Art + Quality = Good. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Pooping in China: Monthly reflections on living, teaching, and moving bowels abroadBy Brandon Jeune QuailBellMagazine.com Editor's Note: Brandon Jeune is a 25-year-old graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University. He teaches English to children in China. He writes "Pooping in China" and distributes it to friends and family as an email more or less every month. He has given us permission to serialize the emails here. Because we just relaunched our website, we're hurrying to catch up and post all of the emails Brandon's sent over the past few months. Dear America, March is here, Spring is edging her way in to warm the frozen corners of our wintry world, the skies are alive with the flocks returning from their pilgrimages to the southlands…and I’ve already broken my new year’s resolution. I saw a penis. Let me revise that: I saw a shitload of penises. Now that I’ve established a nice, penis-themed framing device for this letter, let’s take a step back. If any of you still have your invisible imagination cap left over from kindergarten, take a moment to retrieve it from that dusty back corner of your mind’s closet, underneath the Creepy Crawlers oven and all those scattered Pogs (for my older readers, I’m not going to claim I know the appropriate references for your generation, though I’d wager you stashed your cap underneath your mind’s elementary school desk, as opposed to the closet, to keep it safe from all the impending Soviet nuclear strikes). Got it? Good. Let’s put on our imagination caps together and pretend we’re stepping back in time, back, back, way into the distant past. The year: 2012. The month: December. The Newtown tragedy is still fresh in our minds, the fiscal cliff still looms ahead, and while we know all those Mayan doomsday prophecies are b.s., on a certain level we can’t help but wonder…what if? All in all, things are rather dark. But amongst the darkness, a glimmer of light; a moment of brilliance to reassure us all that this, too, shall pass; a blossoming romance. A wedding! As I’ve mentioned before, I’m the one dude at work who never has any clue what’s going on around him. This is partly the fault of my coworkers, who never clue me in to what’s going on around me, and admittedly partly my own fault, considering how often I find myself daydreaming about pizza. My boss, Joyce, is a dual Chinese-Canadian citizen, and in order to retain the privileges thereof, has to spend a certain amount of time in Canada every year. So about two or three weeks after I arrived, she left for Canada, with these parting words: “If things go well here, I’ll be back in April. If things don’t go well, I’ll be back in January.” On a Friday afternoon in mid-December, Nick mentioned in passing, “Oh, Joyce is coming back tomorrow.” Uh-oh. Things must be going way worse than I thought. Is this because I pooped my pants? It was a one-time thing, I swear! “She’s getting married in Changsha on Sunday.” Oh, whew. Okay, so nothing’s—wait, she’s getting married? I didn’t even know she had a boyfriend. “And we’re all going to the wedding.” The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
High school drama--and magic!By QB Bookworm QuailBellMagazine.com The Quail Bell Crew's Christine Stoddard recently confessed that she didn't mind Twilight all that much. Does that mean we're going to loosen up and share some of our current YA book picks? Hell, yes! If you're looking for some rousing romance, supernatural powers, and oodles of high school drama, we'd like to recommend Kiss & Make Up by Katie D. Anderson. First off, mad props to another Southern girl debuting her first novel. Anderson attended The Collegiate School in QB HQ, Richmond, Virginia. Now she's living in Oxford, Mississippi, the long-time home of William Faulkner.
But back to the book: Kiss & Make Up is about a lip gloss-obsessed teen named Emerson Taylor. She's tasked with navigating the typical high school maze. You know, grades, tests, homework, friends, boys, boys, and more boys, etc. The difference between her and everyone else is that she can read the mind of anyone she kisses. So, yeah, she's smart (and manipulative) enough to use that to her advantage. Bury your nose in this book to find out exactly how Emerson handles her plight. There's a lot of smooching and it's a quick read. Kick back, relax, and transport yourself to the days when (hopefully) all you had to worry about was forgetting your lock combination. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Denizen - George C.Jeff and I visit the home of George Cumming of The Cumming Home Team for Re/Max Commonwealth Realty in Richmond, Virginia. Located in the Fan district, where most everything dates back to the 19th and early 20th centuries, the apartment freshly interprets Old Dominion style.
First up, the octagon office next to the front foyer. I love the stacked books, piles of various papers, and the bay windows. I have longed for an office like this for some time. It seems like you should be sitting in the amber light of a lamp penning a few words before you head to bed. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Old Schools for Young ThangsBy Caelon Reed QuailBellMagazine.com Life is a learning process. Can't you just hear your Great Aunt Thelma saying that right now? She'd probably add "Go to college" and "Apply for scholarships." In America it's custom to attend grade school, but less than 60% of U.S. students graduate in 6 years. Part of that mythical American dream is to get that degree. Since I’ve graduated high school, I’ve been enrolled in college mainly because it’s an important milestone in our culture. Which led me to wonder about the oldest colleges in the United States. Research, research, research--it's part of college life. For starters, here are the three oldest colleges in the United States: 1. Harvard University- Cambridge, Massachusetts Harvard University was established in 1636, making it the oldest University in the United States. After receiving funding from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Puritans founded Harvard. The college was named after John Harvard, who left the university a library and half his estate. Many U.S. presidents are Harvard boys (John Adams, Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy, and others). Harvard started out with 9 students; today they have more than 20,000 students enrolled. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
More spring, please! (Too bad it's summer and feels like fall.)Spring is my favorite season because it’s naturally all about color. It’s a great time to experiment with happy shades — you’ll never be judged or looked at strangely, even if you normally wear more muted tones. So why's it summer again? Oh, yeah, science.
The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Let me tell you 'bout D.A.R.You’ve probably heard of the D.A.R (Daughters of the American Revolution) – growing up in the triad of Richmond, Jamestown and Williamsburg, Virginia, I certainly had. But who are the D.A.R really? Are they all just older women clinging to the long-gone past? Or are they something more? Read on to find out! What: The Daughters of the American Revolution is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism and preserving American history. At its most basic level, the D.A.R seeks to education and promote our earliest history as a country. The organization, however, does more than just remember the past. They clock more than 250,000 volunteer hours annually for veteran patients and award thousands of dollars in scholarships and financial aid to students and schools for underserved children. They also work with restoring and maintaining historical sites, up-keeping genealogical records and historical documents, locating and marking Revolutionary War patriot grave sites, and celebrating with new citizens at naturalization ceremonies. When: The D.A.R was founded in 1890 and incorporated in 1896 by an Act of Congress. Three Objectives: Historic Preservation, Education and Patriotism
Motto: God, Home and Country Who: The D.A.R boasts 170,000 members and fills 3,000 chapters across the United States and internationally in Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and the U.K. Any woman 18 or older – regardless of race, religion, or ethic background – can join their respective chapters. The catch? You must be able to prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution. This means anyone from signers of the Declaration of Independence to veterans to participants in the Boston Tea Party. As my mom can attest from proving our lineage after hours of genealogy research, its no easy task – but who knows? Maybe you’re related to George Washington or Thomas Jefferson! And, if you are, you can join this group that lays claim to members including First Ladies, actresses, authors, reformers, humanitarians, doctors, engineers, and pioneers in space. Why: If you like doing service for others, particularly service that lends itself to your patriotic side, the D.A.R is the place for you! You can follow in the footsteps of your Washington or Jefferson relative and help make a difference in history and how history is received in today’s communities. How: Interested in joining the D.A.R? Think you have an American Revolution patriot in your family? Check out this site for more information! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Shakespeare of YA Vampire Lit (???)By Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com Okay, I admit it: I finally read Twilight. Or should I say I ate it? I gulped it up like a pelican in an old cartoon. I wolfed it down and left not a crumb to spare for even the most ambitious mouse to find. That's the first confession I'll make. The second confession is that I enjoyed it. I won't say that it changed me and is destined to become the next Anna Karenina. I won't say that I've committed long passages (or even short phrases) to memory. I probably won't be recommending it to my children one day, either. I liked it the same way I like pretzels. It's not dark chocolate, but, damn, it'll do when I'm itching for a snack. And I'm pretty much always craving the written word. It's no big deal that I read a book. I do that just about everyday. I'm hardly a book snob, either. My philosophy has always been to read widely and at all levels simply to gain exposure to different forms of language use and, hopefully, new perspectives, too. What did surprise me is that I liked the book despite all of my preconceived notions that it was some sexist wad of fundamentalist Christian nastiness. I had read article after article, blog post after blog, about Twilight being full of Mormon bubblegum nonsense.That, and the fact that I've never been one to chase after trends, made me avoid it. But like Ugg boots, Facebook, I acknowledged that it might eventually creep into my life, though likely months or even years after it hit the world at large.
That day came when I hit my neighborhood library. I don't go there often, preferring to go to the city's main library, the state library, or the university library, which are all concentrated downtown. My neighborhood library, Ginter Park, is so small that it qualifies as more of a reading room. But I went there not for the book selection; I went there for WiFi. Thanks to Verizon, I had been without home Internet for days. Since I had a long drive coming up, I decided to check out the audio books after checking my email. There weren't many choices. I kept coming across all of these magical YA audio books. I didn't have time to visit one of the bigger libraries before my drive, which meant I had to walk out with one of those teen vampire audio books, something on auto repair or a course in basic Spanish. Thanks, but I have AAA and I'm well beyond gracias and buenos días. |
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