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The Ghost Business By Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com I have to say, this Halloween was just not a very good one. As a cold rain poured from a pissy sky, all I wanted to do (and I’m sure most trick-or-treaters and their parents felt the same way) was bundle up with a hot drink and a good book. However, more adventuresome enthusiasts of the holiday, such as the Richmond famous Scott and Sandi Bergman, were busy peddling their Halloween goods, in the form of city ghost tours.
The Bergmans own and operate Haunts of Richmond, which runs a variety of public tours six months out of the year. They range in title from "Shadows of Shockoe" to "Church Hill Chillers" to "Uncivil Wards." Any native of Richmond, Virginia would immediately recognize these familiar names, though few might actually realize the historical background and alleged spiritual activity associated with them. Scott and Sandi, for a small price, can enlighten and frighten anyone interested. In fact, the two entrepreneurs were kind enough to take time out of their ghastly holiday schedules and answer some of Quail Bell's questions: The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Happy Halloween! Despite The QB Crew's current grieving period, we hope that you were able to enjoy your Halloween! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
You can't cut the strings By Luna Lark QuailBellMagazine.com On this day of zombie runs and vampire dances, remember that Socrates died. Caesar died. Romeo died. Elizabeth I died. Napoleon died. Sydney Carton died. Kennedy died. Martin Luther King, Jr. died. Twitching its fingers and undulating its wrists, Destiny played them, too. So bow before the puppet master. You cannot cut the strings. Just ask the ghosts. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Introducing W.W. Poole By Jade Miller QuailBellMagazine.com The best thing about living in city as old as Richmond, VA is the folklore that comes with it. On Halloween, one tends to shift interests into the spookier side of a city’s history. Of course, Richmonders consider Poe and the Civil War old hat, but how about the Richmond Vampire? The legend goes that on October 2, 1925, there was a huge tunnel cave-in in the Church Hill Tunnel on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroads line. This collapse buried many men alive. Shortly after the cave-in, a figure emerged from the wreckage, covered in blood, the red and viscous fluid dripping from its jagged teeth. Strips of flesh hung from the creature’s body, seemingly freshly removed from the men beneath the clay. This creature fled towards the James River and was tracked until it disappeared into the tomb of W. W. Poole, located in Hollywood Cemetery, more than 20 blocks away from the disaster site. By Rachel Jones As fantastical as the story sounds, the Richmond Vampire’s background as a man is really quite ordinary. Born in Mississippi, the second born of five sons, William Wortham Poole moved to Virginia in the 1860s and became a clerk in a tobacco factory in Manchester. From there, he worked as a private secretary as well as a bookkeeper, and did the traditional thing of getting married and having children. He seemed to die unremarkably in 1913 at the age of 80. Yet, if this man was the Richmond Vampire, what interesting circumstances about his death have been kept under wraps? Who did he meet the night he died to go from aging bookkeeper to creepy creature of the night? Unfortunately, not much has happened on the vampire front since the initial sighting in the early 1920s. All modern glimpses of this vampire, aside from the mysterious times the door to the mausoleum has been unlocked and left ajar, echo the original tale, leaving one to wonder if the vampire was really seen at all. The only worthwhile news was when Poole’s bones decorated the hill behind his tomb in a Satanic symbol, prompting the big wigs at Hollywood Cemetery to place Poole’s bones elsewhere. Their current location is a mystery. Despite the yearnings of Quail Bell(e)s for things to go bump in the night, this vampire’s reign is not as immortal as one would come to believe from vampire lore. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Good-bye, dear friend Dear fledglings, Halloween is supposed to be a fun holiday, but this year the day carries a different tone for members of The QB Crew. Those of you who don't follow our About blogroll may not be aware that our Managing Editor, Josephine Stone, was killed by a valet driver in downtown Richmond, VA this past weekend. Josie was only 23 years old. We knew her to be an intelligent, creative, and spritely young woman. Her infectious laugh, natural friendliness, and unquestionable sincerity made her an even more lovable human being. Please check our About blogroll as we keep you abreast of the case concerning her tragic death. More importantly, we plan to continue posting writings and photos in honor of our lovely Josie. We are also deciding how best to memorialize Josie with a QB legacy project in Richmond. Lastly, because Halloween was Josie's favorite holiday, we hope to keep posting Halloweeny stories even after the day has ended. (After all, fledglings wouldn't mind if it were Halloween year-round, right?) Thank you for your kindness and understanding during this difficult time. Sincerely, The Quail Bell Crew The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Your Instant Queue Just Got Quail Belled By Starling Root QuailBellMagazine.com Got Netflix? Put these very "Quail Bellish" picks in your instant queue now! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Buyable Creations We have a CafePress store full of goodies, from T-shirts to mugs to tote bags and more. Check it out! Every purchase supports QB and its socially-minded community arts & historic preservation endeavors, too. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Fairy Food: Violet Cream Cheese Sandwich By QB Chef QuailBellMagazine.com When you're a fairy, finding flowers should be a cinch. (If not, your magical garden's in seeerious trouble.) There's probably a flower to your right, a flower to your left, even one below you and maybe one above you. You're probably touching a flower at any given moment. So gathering a bunch of violets shouldn't be a problem. As for the cream cheese part of your violet cream cheese sandwich? Well, you might have to milk a field mouse. Finding bread is just a matter of watching a mortal's windowsill long enough (at least if life is like the cartoons.) Once you've acquired the aforementioned ingredients, get to...sandwiching. Pluck the leaves and stems off the violets before sprinkling them onto the sandwich bread and adding cream cheese. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Famous for Fairy Tales By Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com Artists--perhaps more so than any other category of people--are painfully familiar with the hopelessness and despair that finds company with broken dreams. (Either that or black clothing's good for hiding coffee stains.) Prone to developing grandiose illusions, artists often set unattainable goals, only to plummet into the angst of reality. Writer Hans Christian Andersen knew this free-fall hell quite well. From childhood onward, he spent his days longing for a career in theater. Instead of playing with other kids, young Hans huddled up with a little puppet theater his father had built. He entertained neighbors with stories and songs. But Hans was a clunky child who grew into an even clunkier man.
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Gearhart the Gentleman: Salutations!By Sir Gearhart QuailBellMagazine.com Dear fledglings, My name is Sir Gearhart and I am unequivocally a gentleman. I thrive upon the 1810s London social scene, where I wine and dine with the finest minds, hearts, and faces that come to England. It is not out of false modesty that I assure you how inferior my own personal qualities are compared to these beautiful and brilliant men and women. Having observed their eloquence, wit, and charity, I feel privileged that I am able to comment intelligently upon the most succulent philosophy of my era. By Christine Stoddard I understand that you come from the future and that you, being delightfully inquisitive, possess many intriguing questions about my time and place. I also understand that more notably you come seeking my advice on the very matters that would concern a Regency gentleman such as myself. You lament that vulgarity and malice of all sorts have poisoned your very period in history and, for that, I am deeply sorry. Therefore I am uproariously happy that I may be of some service to you. Should I assist you in restoring dignity to your sinful land, I would be obliged to thank God himself for the opportunity.
With that, I pray that you write me soon, asking any and all questions pertaining to life and its delicious mysteries. As previously stated, I would feel fortunate to come to your aid. Most sincerely, Sir Gearhart The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Check your heart and guts at the front door.By Ani Mikaelian QuailBellMagazine.com Every year, Knott’s Scary Farm Haunt at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Vista, California begins on the final Friday in September and lasts through Halloween. The park's packed with a total of thirteen mazes, three scare zones, and seven different shows. Three of the thirteen mazes are brand new this year. “Invasion Beneath” takes place at the park’s well-known Calico Mine Ride, but twists and turns literally fill the adventure. “Delirium” shows you just how insane your worst nightmare could be whilst revealing how much your own present sanity is lacking. Another new maze, “Endgames,” throws you into an apocalyptic world where anyone and everyone in your path is an enemy. An eclectic variety of seven shows—from a hypnosis to a hanging and even the pranks of celebrity magician, Ed Alonzo--merge together for additional volumes of horror.
Four scare zones mark the park, with creatures scattered all over the grounds. “Necropolis” brings you vampires, where you’ll have to run to keep your blood safe. “Carnevil” is a freak show gone terribly wrong, and now the clowns want more than applause and laughter. “Ghost Town” loses you in its smoke, and you just might come out soulless yourself if you’re not careful. Finally, with “Gypsy Camp,” remember that while the Roma may charm you, looks can be deceiving. Knott’s has put together quite the ensemble of performers this year, filled with the few who come at you personally and others who simply glare at you from afar. The park has come a long way from what its tamer origins in 1973. What makes the experience? Everything, high and low, prompts a haunting chill. Knotts.com The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Such Scandalous Language!By Christine Stoddard All those images of ribbon and lace have probably convinced you that the Victorians cared more about modesty, propriety, and all that other boring stuff than they did good ol' sensuality. Well, that's not as spot on as you think. Pick up a little Rossetti and your perception might change. Victorians may have been more naïve about sex than today's parties, but they still had it. (Otherwise, you wouldn't be here.) They talked about it, too. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Then You Must Be a Quail Bell(e).By Starling Root QuailBellMagazine.com If you love history, then you are a Quail Bell(e). If you love magic, then you are a Quail Bell(e). If you love oddities, then you are a Quail Bell(e). If you love stories, then you are a Quail Bell(e). If you love the intersection of the imaginary, the nostalgic, and the otherworldly, then you are a Quail Bell(e). The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Make Your Own Creepy Collage Self-portraitBy Paisley Hibou QuailBellMagazine.com There's still plenty of time to change your Facebook profile picture to something gruesome, fantastical, or just plain creepy in honor of Halloween. Begin by sifting through all the photos you have of yourself. Scan prints or find digital files you fancy. Then let the Photoshop ax-wielding commence! Adjust the brightness and contrast to cast weird shadows across your face and figure. Play around with the hue and saturation to give yourself an abnormal complexion. Green, yellow, and purple skin tones are usually safe bets for icky, monstrous looks, whether you're going for Medusa, Frankenstein, or simply generic zombie. Don't be afraid to touch those brushes or use filter effects, either. Cut up other photos and collage them into the image, either using the traditional scissors and glue method or by doing it in Photoshop. Once you've completed your bizarre masterpiece, feel free to share it with the editors of Quail Bell Magazine (submissions@quailbellmagazine.com)!
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LA’s best haunted house yet! By Ani Mikaelian QuailBellMagazine.com It’s that time of year again. October calls for the darker nights, chilling winds, and the haunting of houses. Or in this case—the haunted play house known as Delusion. Delusion has opened its doors to daring audiences in Los Angeles, running from October 19 to the 31st. An organization known for its live and theatrical stunts, Haunted Play, produces the haunted house. No doubt this is all thanks to owner and professional stuntman Jon Braver, who has worked on "Ironman," "Star Trek," "Transformers 3," and "Indiana Jones 4." Delusion focuses its plot on Dr. Frederick Lowell, the top physician at Agnews Insane Asylum in 1906. His colleagues have noticed the new treatments he’s been forcing on the patients and it’s enough to foresee a grave future—literally? That was the same year an earthquake shook the asylum and took Dr. Lowell and his patients to their graves.
Now in present day, you and your fellow guests are set on the path to realize what you’ve just heard is false. Dr. Lowell and his patients may have experienced death that day, but 105 years have come and gone to prove that their remains can be found in an abandoned mansion in the outskirts of Downtown Los Angeles. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Gents, consider yourself properly attiredBy Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com For creeks of blood and old-time charm flowing through the veins of one sharp-toothed beast, meet the steampunk zombie. He's stylishly gory and handsomely macabre. Be careful when he kisses your hand—he might just gnaw it off. If your beau or brother still needs a costume idea for Halloween '11, sell him on this one. The steampunk zombie look gives him “danger” and “debonair” in one Edwardian package.
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O Tannenbaum: Old World German ChristmasBy QB Social Butterfly QuailBellMagazine.com Check out what events the beautiful Hunter House Victorian museum in Norfolk, VA has to offer this Christmas season (yeah, yeah, we know Halloween isn't even here yet): By Chris Martin Nov. 19 & 20, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.: An Old World German Christmas
The atmosphere of a traditional European Christmas mart is created inside of the museum with local artists renown vendors offering a variety of uniquely craft items: German wooden holiday pyramids and figurines, glass ornaments, painted china, embroidered gifts and more. German sweets and treats also available. The Christmas Angel visits with children on Saturday for a sweet craft. Dec. 11, Noon-4 p.m.: Waiting for Father Christmas (Open House) Join us as we celebrate this Christmas season with a German accent. Dec. 14, 15 & 16, 2 p.m.: Merry Christmas Afternoon Teas Take a few moments for yourself to relax and enjoy a hot pot of tea and an array of afternoon tea sweets and savories. Please make reservations for this holiday treat. Dec. 17, 2 p.m.: Christmas Storytime Tea This afternoon tea for youngsters features the stories of Hans Brinker and Silent Night, along with, of course, cocoa and treats; reservations are required. Youngsters must be 5 and older and accompanied by one adult, please. Dec. 18, 2 p.m.: A German Gingerbread Tea Germany is famous for its gingerbread and you will sample it in many varieties along with other traditional German sweets; favorite holiday music performed on a heavenly harp. Please make reservations for this holiday tea. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Bad Bettie or Good Bettie?By Paisley Hibou QuailBellMagazine.com Porn used to involve pubic hair. And bangs. And a certain white-toothed wholesomeness. In fact, the vast majority of what commonly circulated between eager teenage boys and jaded middle-age men in the 1950s would not qualify as porn today. Most of us would probably categorize it as sweetly erotic kitsch. Does that mean there's a vast difference between a modern young lady dreaming of becoming the next Bettie Page versus the next Jenna Jameson or Sasha Grey? The way I see it, the answer doesn't really swing either way. Bettie might seem chaste to today's average American or Brit, but she wasn't exactly a cooing baby doll, either. So...yes and no.
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RVA's Latest Slew of Scary StoriesBy Josephine Stone QuailBellMagazine.com With Halloween just around the corner, what better way to get prepared for the haunts that lie ahead than to curl up with a collection of horror tales written for the people, by the people of Richmond, Virginia? Richmond Macabre is an assortment of 15 tales of terror from Richmond locals (natives and transplants), all based in Richmond. "There is a broad spectrum of stories…They go from really calm, slow-reveal stories to running from zombies stories," says Beth Brown, author of Wicked Richmond (The History Press) and editor of Richmond Macabre. She and fellow editor Phil Ford gathered the content in the latter using Craigslist, flyers and word of mouth. Phil Ford is also a Richmond writer as well as a radio DJ for local station WRIR and a Henrico County Public Library Bookmobile staffer.
After going to a reading for the books Richmond Noir and Wicked Richmond, Phil noticed the true lack of Richmond horror fiction. That observation, combined with the force behind Beth's independent publishing company, Iron Cauldron Books, made it possible for Beth and Phil to create their publication in less than a year. That book, Richmond Macabre, allowed for many unpublished writers to break out onto the literary scene. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
What do you want to flap on your back?By Luna Lark QuailBellMagazine.com Yes, fairy tales are pretty fabulous--so fabulous that you probably want to celebrate them this Halloween. Of course, it can be difficult to choose which fairy tale character to honor. Is there really just one myth or legend you want to pay tribute to in your costume? Probably not. So embrace your indecisiveness and go with a generic fairy costume. Take a look at some of these wings:
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Chan Kim has stars in her eyesBy Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com At age 35, Chan Kim has experienced about five times more hardship than most people ever will. Though a fictional character, author Ilan Herman brings to life the suffering caused by the Vietnam War through her in his latest novel, appropriately titled Chan Kim. Unlike many authors, though, Herman explores the experiences of the Cambodians under the cruel reign of the Khmer Rouge, the ruling Communist party in Cambodia. A few years into the war, American troops invaded neighboring Cambodia to use it as another means of access to Vietnam. In doing so, fighting became an everyday affair for many Cambodians. Chan Kim opens up with the native teenage soldiers of the Khmer Rouge violently forcing the title character and the rest of her village to evacuate. On the devastating trek to nowhere, old and young are killed. Chavy, Chan Kim’s baby and the only link to her deceased husband, dies along the way, leaving the woman heartbroken and bitter.
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Don't Pay More For Goreby Josephine Stone QuailBellMagazine.com Halloween is my all time favorite holiday. Nothing beats it. I spend all year looking forward to the all-encompassing holiday that is October and, after the fun, fleeting moments have passed, I immediately begin to think about what I will be next year.
Autumn's arrival, with the smell of fallen leaves and the cold that causes my joints to stiffen after bike rides through the city, brings the anxiety of coming up with a unique but cheap costume that will either gross-out or inspire others. I usually shoot for the former, but if this stroll down Halloween memory lane (the nicest street in my cerebral 'hood) can help with the latter, great! The procrastinator in me keeps the realization of my brainstorming to a minimum, most creations coming alive the week of the big, bone daddy day. This leads to thrift store scrambling and attic crawling. I have not, however, for the past 6 or so years since I have lived in Richmond, VA, bowed down and bought a pre-packaged costume. Alright boys and ghouls, below is my Halloween past, with costume descriptions and price estimations as a fiendish favor... The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Good Eats on Ghost DayBy Jade Miller QuailBellMagazine.com Your Halloween party has a killer soundtrack, all the makings for your favorite fairy punch, and it goes without saying that your costume is absolutely amazing and you look gorgeous. Then you realize–-no snacks! Every party calls for food to nibble on; even pixie princesses and frog princes need to eat. Here's Quail Bell to the rescue, with some tasty treats to serve up to your party guests. By Christine Stoddard Frozen Frog Egg Pops (Serves 8) Needed:
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Memories of Little Nothings in Your BreadBy Starling Root QuailBellMagazine.com Imagine all the things you remember about people that they don't even remember about themselves. You catalogue the mundane because you are human. Idiosyncrasies—from your uncle's lint-picking habit—to moments in passing—like that time a toddler gave you a single wink on the city bus---become fodder for your mind. Your memory brims with multiple trivialities that, when packed and patted together, form loaves and, over time, a bakery of substantial thoughts. This is how stories are born: Your subconscious walks into this bakery, peruses the loaves, grabs the ones it fancies at that particular time, places said loaves on a dolly cart, and wheels the cart out to the front counter. From there, your subconscious slices, decorates, and displays the loaves however it wishes. Day by day, the bakery's display case changes. Stories are the bread of life, meaning they are all the same in that sense, yet no two loaves are identical. One is wheat; one is pumpkin. Another has icing or chocolate chips. Some are round; others, more rectangular. The expression on your young love's face when you first kissed him and the shape of his ears hum in one loaf. The texture of your mother's hand and what she did or didn't do to celebrate your birthday hum in another. These facts, on their own, may or may not tell a story. But if you take a bite of that young love loaf and then a bite of that mother loaf, you may suddenly taste the narrative that weaves those facts together on your tongue. We reserve certain loaves for special occasions, while the majority of them are just the loaves of everyday. There are dramatic loaves that speak of trauma, anger, and longing. Then there are more mellow loaves. Sometimes we need to remember the sound of our first grade teacher's voice, so we take a bite from the loaf that reminds us. That same loaf might put a picture of that teacher's favorite sweater in our heads, too. We might be several loaves in before we remember how that teacher used to pull us into her lap at recess and let us cry into her soft chest after the other children had thrown spiky seed pods at us. Her name was Miss Mitchell and her neck felt like suede and she always sat with us at lunch and she always gave little Gemma Hall milk money because Gemma's family was so poor and--- Some loaves are very filling, while other loaves will never, ever fill you up. Come Halloween, the bakery's display case glows with touches of orange, yellow, and black. At Christmastime, that same case sparkles with sugar crystals and festive stakes in red, green, and gold. Normally, though, the case shows a spectrum of browns. Yes, some loaves are more delicious than others, but your bakery must carry every shape and flavor to satisfy your cravings. And if not your cravings, your sanity. |
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