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BOOKWORM: Longer Days, Better Reads

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By Suzanne Nash

Well I think Spring is here…finally, and I am back from my ramblings in Ireland and London with several books I crammed in my bags that I want to share with you in preparation for summer reading. Next month you get the full summer reading list so get ready!

If you can stand to read about A Midwinter Break then you might enjoy this tale from Bernard MacLaverty. Midwinter is the bleak time of year when we all long for escape to something new and Gerry and Stella Gilmore are setting off from their home in Glasgow Scotland for a week exploring Amsterdam. Gerry doesn’t know it but Stella has decided to tell Gerry she is leaving him to try and live a more contemplative life. Originally from Belfast the reader discovers the traumas the couple have endured…leading to Gerry’s drinking and Stella’s need for something more. It is a sad look at how lives unravel and how hard it is to keep partnerships together but that if love exists underneath it there is always hope. This is honest writing that has a subtlety I find beautiful. Ordinary moments are made extraordinary in their tender wistfulness.

What She Saw is a new thriller by Irish writer Gerard Stembridge and it kept me company when I was stuck in an airport for nine hours. It says something that I read the entire thing in one sitting! American, Lana Turner Gibson is going through a manic episode when she decides to leave her husband on holiday in Dublin and fly to Paris on a whim to see a Hopper art exhibit. Due to the fact that she isn’t taking her meds as she should she ends up getting herself in trouble and seeing something she shouldn’t. What follows is a mad race through the streets of Paris to try and find her stolen passport and plane tickets. Sex, drugs and politics all play a part in this novel and if you pick up the paperback take a look at the authors notes at the end. They are worth the read!

Ruth Ware is well known for her thrillers and The Lying Game: A Novel is another one of her blockbusters that was published last summer. When the sickness of her mother causes Isa Wilde to attend Salten House School, she meets and becomes friends with Kate Atagon, Fatima Qureshy and Thea West. This English boarding school, set among the beaches and tidal areas of The Reach, becomes the setting for their game which has the power to touch them even after they have been forced to leave the school. Their reunion, years later, uncovers their darkest fears and secrets. A body has been discovered and the girls know whose body it is …or was!
All of them have something to lose if the truth comes out. It’s a great little thriller!

John Connolly is an Irish writer who normally writes crime drama and mysteries, but he has departed from his usual genre to write The Book of Lost Things which is more of a dark fantasy novel which uses some of the fairy tales you may have grown up with but with rather a grim (no pun intended) twist. His protagonist is a young twelve-year-old boy living in World War II London who is named David. David is trying to cope with the death of his mother. When his father becomes involved in a new relationship David starts to have episodes where he sees visions of a strange world where a Crooked Man wields power and wolf like men attack humans. The characters of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty are all woven into the novel in unexpected ways and while the characters are from fairy tales the subject isn’t childlike at all. This is a clever coming of age novel that takes a boy and shows how he learns to become a caring and responsible person through his struggles and trials. What makes a family? What are you willing to sacrifice to have your desires rule supreme?

These are just a few of the books I discovered on my trip but just wait….next month I will give you a longer Summer reading list to get you started on your poolside pile of reading materials! Try and enjoy the beautiful spring flowers and get yourself prepped for summer weather…it is right around the corner.

ON STAGE: Heritage Theatre Festival’s Season Opener

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Broadway’s Nikka Graff Lanzarone Headline Heritage Theatre Festival’s Season Opening Production of a Chorus Line

Adapted by Keswick Life

Heritage Theatre Festival is well on its way to creating one singular sensation with its 2018 season-opening production of the beloved Broadway classic A Chorus Line thanks to a stellar cast led by Broadway veteran Nikka Graff Lanzarone and an array of national, regional, and local talent.

The production, which will launch the tenure of UVA alumna Jenny Wales as Artistic Director will open on June 22 at Culbreth Theatre. It will also mark a UVA reunion for Wales and director Matthew Steffens, who met as first-years on the steps of Peabody Hall. Steffens, a noted Broadway actor, singer, dancer, director, and choreographer, is returning to Grounds for the first time as a professional and continuing a long and fruitful partnership with Wales that has seen them work together on multiple productions over the last 20 years.

While still six weeks away from their first rehearsal for the show, Wales and Steffens have logged plenty of miles and audition room hours, seeing more than 400 actors in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Charlottesville. The hard work paid off in a stellar cast that combines a critically-acclaimed Broadway actress Nikka Graff Lanzarone, in the lead role of Cassie, with leading national and regional talent as well as some of the best singers, dancers, and actors from Charlottesville and the surrounding area.

Nikka Graff Lanzarone starred on Broadway in the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago and was a member of the original Broadway cast of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Lanzarone’s long and impressive resume includes Off-Broadway and regional theatre credits including roles in Sweet Charity, Seussical, Hello Again, and Zorba; Lanzarone has worked at such theatres as Long Wharf Theatre, The Goodman, Paper Mill Playhouse, and many others.

Lanzarone will be joined by Jim Moscater as Zach, Jesus Sepulveda as Larry, Emma Benson as Bebe, Camden Loeser as Mike, Hannah Kevitt as Connie, Jeffrey Marc Alkins as Greg, Helena Fay Thompson as Sheila, Kade Wright as Bobby, Ainsley Seiger as Maggie, McLain Powell as Judy, Mason Reeves as Richie, Josh Dunn as Al, Cassidy Halpin as Kristine, Gianina Mugavero as Val, Michael Hardenberg as Mark, Julian Sanchez as Paul, Nisa Mercado as Diana , Alisa Ledyard as Vickie, Camden Luck as Trisha, Christine Thalwitz as Lois, and Daniel Kingsley as Roy.

“I think Heritage Theatre Festival audiences are going to be astounded by the talent and heart each of these performers brings to this piece. Time after time we found ourselves seeing and feeling something new from the show thanks to the unique perspective our actors were bringing from their talents and their backgrounds,” Steffens said. “The interest in each city we traveled to blew me away. I felt like I was actually in A Chorus Line, as ten groups of 35 dancers learned combination after combination in the course of a single day.”

Supporting the first-rate cast, Steffens said, is an outstanding design team that brings the same mix of national, regional, and local talent and vision. “Working with our design team on A Chorus Line has been a dream. Our Music Director, Greg Harris is a phenomenal musical talent and skilled collaborator who knows Heritage as well as anyone thanks to his long history of great work here; Lee Kennedy, our lighting designer is a professor at UVA who most recently opened Summer and Smoke at Classic Stage Company in NYC;  Alexae Visel, Costume Designer, has worked at such theatres as Yale Repertory Theatre and Theatre for a New Audience; Scenic Designer Chris Thompson was most recently working as the Assistant Scenic Designer on My Fair Lady on Broadway; Sound Designer Michael Rasbury is a professor at UVA and has worked regionally around the country.  It’s a strong team who is pushing me to think about A Chorus Line in new and innovative ways.”

The 2018 Heritage Theatre Festival season will be dedicated to the memory of David W. Weiss, a founder of Heritage Theatre Festival and former Chair of the Department of Drama.

Season subscriptions are currently on sale for the 2018 Heritage Theatre Festival season at the UVA Arts Box Office. Single ticket sales begin on May 31.  Subscriptions can be ordered in person or by phone at the box office M-F from noon to 5pm through May 1.  The box office will re-open on May 31 at 10am. Subscriptions may be ordered online at any time at artsboxoffice.virginia.edu. For more information, visit www.heritagetheatrefestival.org.

BOOKWORM: The Summer Book Stack

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By Suzanne Nash

Well it is finally here…the Big Summer List of reading materials and I have tried to tackle multiple different genres, so I can bet there will be something to interest everyone’s reading taste. 

From mysteries and thrillers to non-fiction and epic novels, get ready to build your poolside book stack!

In the mystery department I am giving you another dose of a UK setting.  God of the Hive by Laurie R. King is a continuation of a series that revolves around an older Sherlock Holmes and his wife Mary Russell. I have enjoyed previous books in this series and this particular one will not let you down. Follow Holmes and Russell as they race to save the world from another villain with plans to take over the government.

The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips takes place in Cambridge…one of my absolutely favorite English towns and has two plots to follow. London 1672 Charles II’s court has a serious problem. His sister Henriette- Anne has been killed and now his mistress has been poisoned.  Hannah Devlin, a physic, has been called to discreetly make sure the mistress recovers.  Years later in Cambridge Claire Donovan is a guest lecturer at Trinity College and suddenly there is a murder and all of it is connected to the past.  Hannah’s diary holds the key.

I loved The English Wife by Lauren Willig because of its twists and turns as it leads the reader through the old monied world of New York during the Gilded Age. Bayard Van Duyvil is from old family money and when he brings home the lovely Annabelle after marrying her in England their life seems perfect, but then Bayard winds up dead and Annabelle disappears, and no one knows if she has been murdered or is the murderer. 

Edinburgh Twilight by Carole Lawrence is a period mystery set in Scotland. A body of a man has been found in Holyrood park and inspector Ian Hamilton is the one who must figure things out before the body count starts to rise. 

There are quite a few good nonfiction books that would make great poolside reading.

Caroline Blackwood is a journalist who was commissioned in the 1980s to write a story about the aging Duchess of Windsor.  The Last of the Duchess: The Strange and Sinister Story of the final years of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor is the result of her investigation and tells the story of her struggle to find out anything at all about the health and well-being of Wallis once she came under the care of her lawyer Maitre Suzanne Blum.  This is such a weird story that it hardly seems real and whether Wallis Simpson was someone you approved of or not…. the idea that someone can be held captive by a lawyer the way that Wallis was is truly scary.

Another scary person is Belle Gunness who you can learn more about in Hell’s Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men by Harold Schechter.  I knew nothing regarding this woman who ended up being one of the most prolific female serial killer sin the twentieth Century.  If you like true crime stories, then this is a really interesting look at the woman who lured a series of men to her Indiana “murder farm” from 1902-1908. And you thought online dating was dangerous? Well before the internet or social media Belle was trolling for victims in the media.

The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan appealed to me because when I was in college we often took weekend trips to Ashville and I always enjoyed visiting Biltmore.  This is the story of this beautiful home which really is an American castle. The Biltmore is the nation’s largest home and its history is one tied to the family that build it and the area in which it came to be. The author of The Girls of Atomic City, Kiernan does a wonderful job opening up the history of Ashville North Carolina and how the Vanderbilt’s changed it with their magnificent home and money.

Losing Mum and Pup: A Memoir by Christopher Buckley is a funny irreverent look at losing both of your parents and what happens when your parents are the very famous Buckleys.  I thought it was sad, funny and poignant and also took me back to a different age. I loved every minute of it.

If you want your heart to beat a little faster, then you might open up a thriller this summer.

The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney will keep you turning pages as you get absorbed into this psychological drama.  There was a girl before, living at One Folgate Street, before Jane came. And this girl went through a trauma, just as Jane has gone through trauma, and she was chosen, just as Jane was chosen…out of all of the other candidates to live at this award winning minimalist house.  And she fell for the architect just as Jane has.  And she died….  The question is…is Jane next?

Staying in the same theme of houses Broken Harbor by Tana French takes place in an Irish Coastal town where a luxury development has gone to ruin. In this abandoned remote seaside area, a family has been attacked and Mick Scorcher Kennedy and his partner Richie Curran have to find the killer.  The Irish are drawn to the sea and in summer they flock to caravan parks that are scattered along the coastline…and one summer Mick’s mom killed herself in this very same area, so this new murder brings it all back. I actually just stayed in an area similar to this when I was in Ireland, so the story’s atmosphere really drew me in.

I love a good historical novel during the summer and I couldn’t give you a list of summer reads without including a few.

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer is a World War II story that was a New York Times Notable Book. It is Paris 1937 and Adras Levi has arrived to begin studying architecture in Paris.  Originally from Budapest, Andras finds himself adrift in a world he isn’t used to, and he finds comfort when he falls in love with a beautiful dance teacher, Clara. This is a sweeping saga of a family from Hungry who tries to study and get ahead and all of that is cut short by War.  The Nazi’s plans put an end to dreams and sever the families.  Intrigue and lies are needed to keep from being swallowed up in the injustice of the times.

Taking place during the same time period, White Rose, Black Forest is based around the heroes of World War II. When Franka goes into the woods to try and commit suicide she stumbles upon and wounded man dressed in German military garb.  Writer Eoin Dempsey introduces us to a young woman struggling to face the repercussions of being part of the White Rose…an organization that spoke up against the Nazis. Franka has to make a decision about whether to believe this stranger and risk her safety or turn him in to the authorities. John, the stranger, has to decide which side Franka is really on, and whether he can trust her with his life.

COVER STORY: Historic Virginia Garden Week

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By Winkie Motley

Keswick Sites Featured:

The beginning of Historic Garden Week dates to 1927, when a flower show organized by the Garden Club of Virginia raised an impressive $7,000 to save trees planted by Thomas Jefferson on the lawn at Monticello. The Garden Club of Virginia operates as a non-profit organization comprised of 47 member clubs and 3,400 volunteers. Proceeds from Historic Garden Week fund the restoration and preservation of Virginia’s historic public gardens,  provide graduate level research fellowships and a Garden Club of Virginia Centennial project with Virginia State Parks. Since the first statewide tour, over $17 million has been contributed to these worthwhile causes.

This year’s tour takes us to the bucolic Keswick hunt country of Albemarle County. On Sunday, April 22nd the  House and Garden Tour visit properties, including a 1,250-acre estate on the Virginia Landmark Register; an 18th century home with formal gardens and an extensive arboretum-never before on tour; a contemporary, award-winning farmhouse; and historic Grace Episcopal Church. Visitors will travel historic roads amid scenic vistas through part of picturesque Keswick Hunt country, situated in the Southwest Mountains Rural Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992 in recognition of its historical significance to the early settlement of Albemarle County. The district contains a broad range of 18th  and 19th century architecture as well as 20th century estates, all evocative of grand, classically inspired manor homes reflective of its earlier history. Visitors will have access to five of Albemarle County’s finest private, historic properties, dating back to the Jefferson era.  Enjoy estate architecture and stunning gardens that have come to typify Mr. Jefferson’s Central Virginia.

Ben-Coolyn

(Garden Only) Accessible through East Belmont only.

Scottish for “breezy hill,” Ben-Coolyn is a gracious estate set on a rise with commanding mountain views across rolling, well-kept pastures. Large oaks surround the 1870s main house, built on the site of the original late 18th century home of James Clark. The 145-acre farm is part of what was originally known as Clark’s Tract, which dates back to the 18,000 acre Meriwether Land Grant of 1730. There is a c. 1850 chestnut log corn crib, which is one of the largest and best-built in the county. A picturesque balloon-framed bank barn is built on an older rock barn foundation.

Other dependencies include a guest cottage by the pool and a glass greenhouse. The previous owners, Ann and Peter Taylor, spent several decades restoring and developing the park-like grounds and gardens. They created an arboretum in the old front hayfield, with hundreds of high and low canopy trees, and planted many native trees, including 176 willow oaks along the driveways, as well as a vast array of deciduous flowering magnolia cultivars and crosses. Restorations included a nearly 100-yearold boxwood hedge that lines one side of the main drive. Of particular note are the elegant parterre garden rooms surrounding the home, featuring tulips, roses, peonies, flowering trees, water features and many spots to pause and enjoy the views. Peter took the lead in designing the gardens, including an arbor inspired by one he saw in Nantucket. Ben-Coolyn is protected for future generations with a conservation easement held by the Virginia Outdoor Foundation. The Tree Stewards organization will be leading tree walks throughout the day. Katie and Christopher Henry, owners.

Castle Hill

(Accessible via shuttle from tour headquarters only) Through an arched folly flanked by an ancient boxwood hedge, visitors get a first long view of this grand, two-part historic home dating back to 1764. The original clapboard Georgian dwelling was built by Dr. Thomas Walker, a colonial leader and explorer of the west. The stately Federal brick portion was erected in 1823 for William Cabell Rives, minister to France, a U.S. senator and Confederate congressman. Rives’ granddaughter, noted novelist and playwright Amelie Rives, and her husband, Russian painter Prince Pierre Troubetzkoy, made their home at Castle Hill in the early decades of the 20th century.

In addition to its storied history, the property is noted for its extensive gardens and landscaped grounds. Stewart and Ray Humiston, the previous owners of the 1,600 acre farm (what remained of Walker’s original 15,000 acre tract), placed the estate and 600 acres in conservation easement through The Nature Conservancy. They donated an additional 400 acres to The Nature Conservancy to create Walnut Mountain Preserve, and they sold the remaining 600 acres (also placed in conservation easement), which has since become Castle Hill Cider. They spent a decade restoring the home and grounds to its former grandeur. The beautiful home, formal gardens, historic dependencies, a 14-stall horse barn, small cottages, guest cabin and extensive fenced pastures are a testament to their efforts. Their commitment to historic preservation is one that the new owners are eager to continue. On the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. The Tree Stewards organization will be leading tree walks throughout the day. Ann and Peter Taylor, owners..

Chopping Bottom Farm

Keswick Designated Metropolitan Home’s “House of the Year” in 2002 and inspired by Hugh Newell Jacobsen, a prominent Washington architect, the owners designed their house to reflect the Keswick architectural vernacular. It consists of multiple modules in a stylized farmhouse character that mimics farm outbuildings. Along with Charlottesville architect Jeff Dreyfus, they carried the minimalist look inside with contemporary Italian and French furnishings and an all white décor that showcases their American folk art and photography collection. From the all glass front of the house, there is a stunning view of a 70-foot lap pool with the Southwest Mountains as a backdrop. The house has surrounding gardens planted with cutting flowers for Mrs. Vanderwarker’s flower arranging business, Fearless Flowers, as well as a newly expanded shade garden down by the all-weather stream running alongside the property that gives the farm its name. The landscaping is minimal; maples line the drive, Chinese elms bracket the pool, and crabapples flank the house, with cedars transplanted from the property surrounding the courtyard. Mr. Vanderwarker’s writing studio, a 9 ft. x 20 ft. high structure, sits on a knoll overlooking the property. House, grounds and the studio will be open. Chopping Bottom is protected for future generations with a conservation easement held by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. Annie and Tony Vanderwarker, owners.

East Belmont

East Belmont photo by Terri Nicholaou

Enter through the stone columns of East Belmont and you are welcomed with a stunning panorama of lush, rolling fields and mountains in the distance. The main house rests on a knoll about a mile from the highway with views of the countryside in every direction. The main house, dating back to the early 1800s, is surrounded by old Kentucky coffee trees and mature boxwood. A gated formal garden and a colorful cutting garden can be viewed from the new pool house and patio. An orchard of Chinese chestnut trees provides shade for the riding ring during hot summer months. A 100-year-old dairy barn was moved in 2009 from the front of the property to its current location and converted into the family’s horse stable. What was once a stone applebarn is now a guesthouse. Nearby, a former double-sided corn crib c. 1860 has a new lease on life as a charming hunt cabin. The lakeside cottage was recently renovated and boasts incredible views of the lake and farm. Both are open for Historic Garden Week for the first time. Eleven fenced paddocks house the Wheeler’s horses and two Belgian mules along with a Clydesdale named “Bud.” The petting zoo is home to three goats, two donkeys and a pig. Two hundred brood cows graze across the 1,250-acre property. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. East Belmont is protected for future generations with a conservation easement held by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The Keswick Hunt Club will bring their hounds for a demonstration and Plein Air painters will be in the gardens (schedule available at Tour Headquarters). Ceil and Kenny Wheeler, owners.

Grace Episcopal Church

Originally known as the Middle or Belvoir Church, and later as Walker’s Church, this 1745 church was a square framed, wooden building that was plastered, white washed and ceiled inside under the rafters. Visible to the north side of the church are the old horse-mounting stones, which were used well into the early 1900s for those who came to church on horseback. In 1845 the vestry decided to build a new church. Stone was quarried from a nearby farm, Rougemont, but because of lack of funds, construction was not completed until 1855. In the late 1880s, roughly 11 acres of land was acquired through donations and purchases to establish the cemetery at Grace Episcopal Church. In 1895 the church burned, leaving only the bell tower and four walls standing. While the interior was completely destroyed, the 1,575-pound church bell survived and still rings each Sunday. The current stone structure was rebuilt in 1896. The first Blessing of the Hounds service took place on Thanksgiving in 1929 and continues annually to this day. Grace Episcopal Church was the first church in the United States to institute this religious tradition, which originated in France in the 8th century, by St. Hubert, patron saint of hunters. Listed on the National  Register of Historic Places. Docent-led tours of the church and grounds given throughout the day. Floral arrangements  in the Sanctuary and Parish Hall, inspired by the church’s stained glass windows, created by the Keswick Garden Club.

Tour Tickets & Marketplace

Tour Headquarters + Marketplace: Castle Hill Cider, 6065 Turkey Sag Rd. Keswick, VA 22947. Tickets  on tour day available only at Tour Headquarters. The cidery is built on land that was once part of the Castle Hill estate. Shop local vendors at the Tour’s Marketplace and enjoy talks by experts on Keswick history, architecture and horticulture. Maps and directions to all properties available, as well as schedules of special events and demonstrations at the properties. A large scale outdoor Ikebana installation will also be on exhibit. Directions to Tour Headquarters: From I-64 take the Shadwell Exit 124. Go East on Richmond Rd./Rt. 250 for 2 mi. Turn left onto Louisa Rd./VA22 East. Proceed 8.5 mi. to Turkey Sag Rd. Turn left and continue for 0.3 mi. Cidery on left. Parking and Shuttle: This is a driving tour. Onsite parking available at all  properties except Castle Hill, which is accessible via shuttle service from Tour Headquarters only. Shuttles available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; last shuttle will depart from headquarters at 4 p.m. Groups in vehicles larger than 10 passenger vans need to notify Linda MacIlwaine at [email protected]. Properties may be visited in any order, although Ben-Coolyn must be accessed through East Belmont. Facilities: Portable restrooms are available at each property. $18 each. Box lunches prepared by Hot Cakes available by prepaid advance reservation at Grace Episcopal Church from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 22, only. Checks for $18 per person payable to “Grace Episcopal Church,” Attn: HGW Luncheon, P. O. Box 63, Keswick, VA 22947. Pay by credit card online via PayPal. Go to www.grace keswick.org and click on box for Historic Garden Week. Payment must be received by Friday, April 13. Confirmations will not be mailed and luncheon reservations are non-refundable. Grace Episcopal Church is located at 5607 Gordonsville Road/VA-231, Keswick, VA 22947. Complimentary and served throughout the day beside the pool at East Belmont. This tour is not handicapped accessible. Cell phone and GPS service may be unreliable at certain locations on the tour.

LIFE, MAKE IT HAPPEN! Clever Canines

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By Mary Morony

What follows might not have a thing to do with the flu. I can’t be sure and since I can’t, I am going to suggest, if you get the flu, keep the dogs outside. It might save your sanity. In lieu of that option, just don’t get the flu! During the siege, I lay beneath my counterpane contemplating what a miserable spy I would make: I can’t stand pain.  My canine housemates attempted to distract me from the double-barrel suffering of the flu and an almost weeklong dearth of electricity, thanks to the recent windstorm.

As his custom dictates, my Great Dane Hagar will take up a position on Hub’s side of the bed whenever possible. That habit took less than a minute to acquire and, I suspect, will last the rest of his life.  Cold, I attempted to pull the covers—his perfect storm of feathers, bedspread, and sheets—out from under him.  The big lummox pressed down with all 160 pounds of himself. The effort to retrieve my covers left me panting too weary to do anything other than give up the fight.

Hagar’s sister Sophie suddenly appeared from around the corner and shouted, “Get up! It’s time for a walk!” I was sure my fever had returned. I do believe dogs are capable of communicating their desires beyond just scratching at the door and whining. In the past, I have laughed at the clarity of her requests. When Sophie turns her golden-hued, slightly crossed eyes on me with the intensity of a nuclear bomb blast to convey her desire to either A: eat or B: walk, the translation is simple and always depends on the time of day. 

This was a whole different kind of communication. The possibility that my dog was speaking words, like any sane human, I dismissed.  The thermometer dispelled any excuse I might have used—98.6 on the nose—for what I thought I heard. Maybe I dreamt it? A few fitful tosses later I heard. “Come on. Let’s go for a w-a-l-k.”

With a herculean effort, I looked up from my pillow to see my merle girl smiling and doing her let’s-walk dance. Ok, maybe she didn’t say it. As if this additional piece of information clarified a thing, I reminded myself out loud, “Dogs definitely can’t spell.”  Now nose to nose, Sophie looked down her four-inch black and gray speckled snout and asked, “Don’t you want to go?” I swear: as plain as her nose in my face.

My mind, addled by age and virus reasoned, Ha, I got her now. Her lips didn’t move. If she is talking to me, it’s telepathic—as if that were a more rational conclusion. Still unsure if I heard actual words, I asked the dog. “You didn’t just ask me to go for a walk, did you?” The only response I received was an overly eager gold glare and a subtle tap of nails on the wooden floor. Exhausted, I gave up my Doctor Doolittle moment, pulled the covers over my head, and fell into a troubled sleep.

A normal nighttime routine in our house is Hubs and one of the dogs watch television together on the sofa. Which dog is based not on a pecking order but on the time-honored tradition of firsts; after dinner jockeying for the prime entertainment position begins in earnest. Sophie loves to cuddle with Hubs, so she claims the spot early. Hagar, a creature tied to his comforts, decided along the way that losing the coveted berth left him with a decidedly bum deal. Curling up on the drafty floor, plushy dog bed, notwithstanding, did not suit his delicate sensibilities.

Boy dog had equated cold nights with digging into his spot on of the coach with the sticking power of crazy glue. His hunkering in commenced before dinner. No chance snack, it seemed was worth a frigid night of TV because he started to forgo joining us with his plaintive looks at the table. Little sis, meanwhile sat front in center in case a scrap might hit the floor unaware that her brother had outwitted her. His earlier-than-usual claim on the sofa forced Miss Dog to lie on her bed next to the stove. No chilly bed near the TV for this girl, but also no beloved cuddle with Hubs either.

At first, we dismissed the notion that Sophie was up to some nefarious something. It wasn’t until her actions began to form a distinct pattern, did it become impossible to deny. As winter wore on we watched, as she went to the door and asked to go out. When the door opened, she crossed the threshold barking as if a herd of deer had the audacity to lounge on the front steps. Hagar would leap off the sofa and race out with a cartoon-like which-way-did-they-go wobble of his head. Girly girl, already turned toward the door, hightailed it to the coveted seat. Some variation on this theme happened so many times, it was impossible not to conclude there was a whole lot of manipulating going on. After a while, Hagar became wise to the ruse.

Since her subterfuge had stopped producing the desired outcome, sly girl dog hatched a new plot with a new putz. Per usual, she approached the door and asked to go out. I, finally vertical, got up to oblige her. Once the door was opened, rather than go outside, she abruptly reversed direction and beat me back to my chair.

Maybe she really can talk, after all.  Certainly, she’s a very clever canine.

ONLY IN KESWICK: The Unspeakable

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By Tony Vanderwarker

One of my Republican friends recently remarked about the precipitous declines in the stock market, “I don’t know about my boy Trump with these tariff threats, he’s wrecking the market.”

To which another friend who’s a Democrat replied, “I’m not getting into a discussion about Trump with you.”

As a result of the current chaotic presidency, there’s an ever-widening divide between Reps and Dems. While the Dems will spit and fume over the political situation among themselves, they know that bringing up the subject in front of their elephant-loving friends could be incendiary.

So in mixed company, you don’t hear talk about politics any longer. It’s a taboo subject, like bestiality. While politics used to be fair game, you’d hear friends from across the aisle arguing about taxes, Iraq or whatever the hottest political issue was at that time, now you don’t hear a peep. I’ve been to a bunch of parties recently and heard nary a word.

Even if you’re with one of your own, if you want to talk politics, you’d better put your hand up to your mouth and whisper so someone from the other side doesn’t eavesdrop otherwise a fracas might ensue. It’s like everyone’s nerves are rubbed so raw by what’s going on, it’s best not to bring it up. It’s like someone bought a clunker that burns gas and belches smoke, but no one in the neighborhood wants to rub the owner’s face in it.

Sore subject is what it’s turned into. Talking about politics is worse than bringing up Virginia basketball. Or like asking someone who’s been recently divorced, “You must be delighted he’s out of the picture.” Just try and bring up how things would have been if Hillary had been elected, you’d be lucky if you didn’t get a sock in the eye.

It’s too bad, I used to enjoy spirited tirades about politics. In fact, it can get pretty boring when all there is to talk about is the weather and sports. Especially when there are juicy topics like the porn star. I mean something like twenty-two million people watched her on 60 Minutes, but I haven’t yet heard her name brought up in mixed company. C’mon, there’s good stuff there, bars across the country were crowded with people drinking “Dark and Stormy Night” cocktails. Spanking the president with a rolled up magazine? Stuff like this hasn’t happened since the stripper Fanne Fox jumped into the Tidal Basin and wrecked Wilbur Mill’s career. By the way, after the incident, she changed her stage name from “The Argentine Firecracker” to “The Tidal Basin Bombshell”.

This stuff’s so rich, one wag said the Stormy video is the only one he doesn’t have to erase from his web browser history. “I was just checking her out,” he can say to the wife.

But no, you say, there’s too much at stake. There’s nothing funny about it. North Korea’s got nukes pointed at us, kids are getting shot in schools. It’s too dicey, everyone’s on edge about it.

So what am I supposed to do? Sit on the floor and regale my dogs with these stories? Has our sense of humor been put out to pasture?

“It’s just not funny,” you say.

“C’mon, we still made jokes about the blue dress when the president was getting impeached, about Jimmy Carter’s cardigan when gas prices were going through the roof, in the middle of the Cold War, with the Russians threatening to blow us off the map, we howled over, “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”.

C’mon, let’s yuk it up. As Mark Twain said: ‘Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.”

Sure there are some things to take seriously, but there are silly things that happen on both sides. If we laughed at some of these antics, the god-awful posturing, the sanctimonious statements, the nonstop prevarications, the nonsensical answers, maybe politicians would get the message and start flying right.

You can do what you want to do, me, I’m going to walk around the farm chuckling to myself about a porn star spanking the president in his tighty-whitieys with a rolled up magazine.

WHAT’S COOKING: Open Face Chicken Sandwich served on Brioche Bread with Sweet Onion Jam

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By Sam Johnson, Deputy Director of Culinary | 1776

Its Spring time! So, Keswick and beyond let’s get cooking. With Roast Pork and Pineapple Salsa, we can’t forget the coconut rice with dried cranberries and toasted almonds. I make this recipe all the time one of my personal favorites.

Pork

  • 1 or 2 1-2 pounds’ pork tenderloins
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon, lime, or orange juice (or 1 tablespoon of each)
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder also 1 teaspoon of onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a large baking/casserole dish. Pierce tenderloins all over with a fork. Rub oil onto all sides of the meat.
  2. Whisk together Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, chili powder, smoked paprika (if using) and black pepper. Sprinkle mixture over tenderloin(s), patting it onto the surface of the meat on all sides. Place in prepared baking dish and drizzle lemon/lime juice over the top.
  3. Bake for 25-35 minutes until outside is browned and crispy and centers are cooked through.
  4. Spoon juices from the dish over the meat. Allow to rest on a cutting board or in the baking dish for 5-10 minutes. Slice into 1 inch pieces. Spoon any remaining juices from the pan over the slices, garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and pineapple salsa.

Pineapple Salsa

  • 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
  • 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 cup chopped purple onion
  • 1 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 small jalapeño Chile finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of honey

Rice

  • 1 cup Indian basmati rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 ½ tablespoons salted butter
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup toasted almond sliced
  1. Place the rice in medium bowl and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Using your hands, gently swish the grains to release any excess starch. Carefully pour off the water, leaving the rice in the bowl. Repeat four times, or until the water runs almost clear. Using a strainer, drain the rice.
  2. In a medium pot, bring the water, butter, salt, and rice to a boil. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. If the rice is still too firm, add a few more tablespoons of water and continue cooking for a few minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to sit covered for 5 minutes.
  3. Fluff the rice with a fork and season with cinnamon and nutmeg. Also add dried cranberries and toasted almonds.

BOOKWORM: Longer Days, Better Reads

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By Suzanne Nash

I am currently away traveling in England, Ireland and Wales, enjoying the countryside and getting some time to read, reflect and do a bit of writing. I am looking forward to the Spring quickly approaching and nice enough weather to take a few books out into the sunshine. Here are a few ideas for books to enjoy as the days grow longer.

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles is one of my favorites. His writing in this earlier novel is not as eloquent as his later novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, but it is a good story, well written that will capture your imagination. Katy Kontent meets Tinker Grey on a New Year’s Eve out with her friend and roommate, Eve Ross. Suddenly both girls are thrown into the high society of New York in 1937. Katy has remade her Russian immigrant background as she seeks to make her way out of the dead end secretarial pool. A chance encounter with Tinker enables her to start circulating among the upper crust and have a front row seat to all of the excesses of the very wealthy. The title is taken from a book written by George Washington called the Rules of Civility and Tinker has tried to follow these rules throughout his life, though his attempts at following his code only land him tied to a woman he does not love. This story is filled with wonderful period details and lots of cocktails, parties and gorgeous settings. It’s great way to put away the dreary days of winter.

As Good As True is a new novel by Cheryl Reid and follows the story of a Syrian immigrant resettled in Alabama. Anna Nassad finds herself in a bind. She has just recently allowed the first black postman to deliver mail to her house, and even worse, invited him in for a drink of water. This causes a firestorm of reaction from the community and her family, especially her husband, Elias. The next day she wakes to find her husband dead and everyone is pointing the finger at her and wondering if she is at fault for his death. On the long days between his death and burial, Anna looks back at her life and her choices and she fights to regain the trust of her daughter Marina. I love exploring new authors and this a great example of a new, fresh talent.

If you enjoy fact more than fiction, then have a go at reading The Bettencourt Affair: The World’s Richest Woman and the Scandal that Rocked Paris. As heiress to a 40 billion-dollar L’Oreal fortune, Lillian Bettencourt recently found herself at odds with her own daughter, Francois, over Lillian’s decision to patronize an artist, Francois-Marie Banier. For years Lillian and Banier were fast friends and she rewarded him lavishly for that friendship by giving him millions in art and properties. Francois was jealous of this relationship and swore that Banier turned her mother against her. In recent years this disagreement turned into a major court battle with Francois declaring her mother unsound. It was a “he said, she said” case that captivated the entire nation. It begs the question…are you allowed to spend your own money as you please? Are you allowed to leave your money to those you care about? At what point do friends who benefit from the financial gain of wealthy patrons start to take advantage of that relationship?

A Banquet of Consequences is another lovely mystery by Elizabeth George. Barbara Havers is in trouble with her department head and must prove herself in this latest case. A feminist writer, Clare Abbott, is poisoned and Thomas Lindley steps in to solve the crime with help from Havers. Caroline Mackerron was Clare’s assistant, but seems determined to control everything surrounding the case and soon the detectives turn their attention to her life and the apparent suicide of her son, William. There are plenty of twists and turns to this murder mystery and it will keep you guessing from beginning to end.

So, keep your eyes open for the blue skies and prepare for some outdoor reading in our near future. Keep on reading!

ON SCREEN: A Chorus Line, Harvey, The Cocoanuts And The Mountaintop

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Adapted by Keswick Life

New artistic director and uva drama alum jenny wales unveils slate that mixes powerful contemporary themes with classic fun and will feature leading directors and performers from across the country

Wales will mark her official return to her alma mater with a season that celebrates American stories, delivers entertaining and engaging professional theatre, and reflects on our uniquely challenging times.

Wales, a UVA graduate and Drama major, will produce a first season that begins on June 21 with the Tony award-winning, classic musical A Chorus Line. The season will also include the 1945 Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy Harvey, the madcap Marx Brothers musical comedy The Cocoanuts and the powerful contemporary play The Mountaintop.

“In putting this season together, I wanted to focus on the idea of looking forward by looking back,” Wales said. “What that means to me is going back to the 1974 founding of Heritage and its original mission to explore the American canon. We have this extraordinary collection of playwrights and stories that many of us know,” Wales said “and we will look at them through a different lens, allowing us to entertain while shedding light on the sometimes challenging realities of living in today’s world.”

A Chorus Line will be presented from June 21 through July 1 in the Culbreth Theatre. The production will be directed by UVA alum Matthew Steffens, an internationally-acclaimed actor/director/choreographer whose Broadway credits include Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown with Patti LuPone and Promises, Promises alongside Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth.

At the time of its 1975 Broadway debut, A Chorus Line was a groundbreaking, genre-melding force that incorporated documentary elements into the traditional musical theatre format to tell the real life stories of aspiring artists chasing their dreams. With music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, the show would go on to become its very own “singular sensation,” winning fans around the globe with its sizzling dance numbers and collection of unforgettable Broadway hits including “What I Did for Love,” “I Hope I Get It,” and “I Can Do That.”

“We all know A Chorus Line as an incredible song and dance show,” Wales said, “and one of the quintessential modern American musicals. But its themes feel more relevant than ever. At its core, this is a show about the struggle to be seen for who you are and what you can bring to the world and it speaks in so many ways to the moment we are in right now.”

Next up, Mary Chase’s 1945 Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy Harvey, will be presented from July 5-15 in the Ruth Caplin Theatre, and will be directed by Seattle-based director Desdemona Chiang. Chiang’s credits include shows at leading regional theatres and companies across the country including Seattle Repertory Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, California Shakespeare Theater and Playmakers Repertory Company, among others.

Harvey is the charming story of Elwood P. Dowd, a kind and mild-mannered gentleman with a best friend who just happens to be a 6-foot-3 rabbit that only Elwood can see. When Elwood’s sister Veta prepares to launch her daughter into society, the family’s reputation is at stake and the wheels are set in motion for a story that shocks, entertains, and explores a variety of universal issues. “Harvey is about embracing exactly who we are, and about the love, hope and complications that family brings. It is a fun evening and provides us with a space to come together and experience joy.”

Joy is also at the heart of The Cocoanuts, a madcap comedy with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and a book by George S. Kaufman. In this new adaptation by Mark Bedard, The Cocoanuts comes to the Culbreth stage from July 19-29 and marks the Heritage return of actor/writer/director Frank Ferrante, who wowed audiences here in his award-winning one-man show An Evening with Groucho in 2014.

This time, we find Ferrante’s Groucho as the owner of a 1920’s no-star motel trying to bamboozle gullible tourists into toxic land deals as the great crash looms. Once Chico, Harpo, and company arrive on the scene, the comic mayhem meter goes to 11. “I had the pleasure of seeing Frank star in and direct A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum last fall,” Wales said, “and I was completely blown away by his talent, energy, and ability to connect with an audience.” Ferrante’s performance in Forum was recently cited by the Wall Street Journal as one of the top 10 performances of 2017.
The 2018 Heritage season will close with The Mountaintop, which will be presented in the Ruth Caplin Theatre from July 26 through August 5. The Mountaintop will be directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams. Hunter-Williams is a company member and director at PlayMakers Repertory Company and the Associate Director of Hidden Voices, a company committed to challenging, strengthening, and connecting diverse communities through the transformative power of the individual voice.

The Olivier award-winning play from Katori Hall is a fantastical imagining of Dr. Martin Luther King’s last night on earth. The story takes audiences inside room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 3, 1968, where an encounter between Dr. King and an anything-but-ordinary motel maid forces the civil rights icon to examine his own life and work. At turns moving, whimsical, and deeply human, Wales says “Producing this piece during the 50th anniversary year of Dr. King’s assassination and having it close almost a year after the tragic events of August 11 and 12 in Charlottesville, brings the opportunity for robust conversations around Dr. King’s legacy through this poetic re-imagining of his final night.”

The 2018 Heritage Theatre Festival season will be dedicated to the memory of David W. Weiss, a founder of Heritage Theatre Festival and former Chair of the Department of Drama.

COVER STORY: At Long Last Keswick Hunt Club Plans for Renovations

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By Tony Vanderwarker and Winkie Motley

A number of members concerned about the condition of the Hunt Club have stepped forward with a plan and initial funding for a major renovation of the club. In a presentation to the members on February 6, they presented preliminary plans including renovation to the kitchen, bathrooms, HVAC, a teardown of the Huntsman’s cottage and building a new one along with a new barn. Moving the structures opens up space for parking on the property as well as protecting the existing trees. The Board stressed that a major consideration of the renovation was to retain the historic character of the club so any additions will be add-ons not changes to the interior.

The physical condition of the club necessitates a full-scale renovation. The kitchen is in terrible shape and the electrical system is sketchy to say the least. The bathrooms are not handicap-accessible and those deficiencies alone not only make the club unsafe and also limit its potential for rental income.

Instead of financing the renovation by raising dues, the Board is beginning a campaign to raise the funds from the membership and interested members of the Keswick and equine community. Indications are that a portion of the estimated 2.5 million dollar cost has been pledged.

While a construction schedule and finished plans are in the works, the Board intends to begin construction as soon as possible. Hopefully in the near future, the club will be good to go for another hundred years.

he Keswick Hunt Club was established in 1896. In 1898 the clubhouse was built under the direction of Horatio MacGruder. The building has been used continuously as a club house for social events related to fox hunting. The veranda, constructed prior to 1925, surrounds three s ides of the rectangular structure and since the time of construction, has been partially enclosed. The building is in the late Victorian style, with a side gable and an Edwardian bay window.

Dubbed as “A Brilliant Social Event,” the Keswick Hunt Club building was dedicated on this day in 1898. The Daily Progress reported: “Just on the crown of a finely wooded hill near Keswick stands the new and commodious building of the Keswick Hunt Club.”

A detailed description of the building itself included: “The building is ceiled with the best North Carolina pine; has a floor of excellent smoothness, and is plentifully supplied with doors and windows to admit the cool mountain breeze. The situation of the club-house is almost ideal. To the north and west one catches a magnificent view of the southwest mountains, a brotherhood long since made famous by historic old ‘Monticello.’ A country highway passes near the building, a telephone line runs by the door, and the post office and telegraph office at Keswick are scarcely half a mile distant.

The article went on to describe the party that followed the dedication ceremony: “The audience hall was artistically decorated with sweeping draperies of white and red, while flags and unique club devices were gracefully disposed here and there. The music was furnished by an excellent band from Washington, and the entertainment in every detail was a most pleasing and decided success. Refreshments were served during the evening and it was not till half-past 3 a.m. that the bright hours of gayety were brought to an end.

The Keswick Hunt Club continues to operate to this day and, in addition to continuing the tradition of the fox hunt, the club has continuously sponsored the Keswick Horse Show since its inception in 1904 and has supported several local nonprofits.