5 - Sense Magazine

department
contents
SENSE GOES MULTI-MEDIA
5
SPOTLIGHT
Edward Ladd recalls the magic of
Mardi Gras
6
THEY SPEAK
Contributors
9
In the Loop
13
the sense of it all
14
MARKETPLACE
The alternative and faster route for locals
18
cuisine
Lucy Buffett’s New Upscale Southern Dining
29
WELLNESS
The juicy news on liquefying produce
32
ARTS
French artist looks at cultures vanishing
41
outdoors life
Ski Resorts Near You!
44
LITERATI
The Girl With The Fire Hair
18
Being there: Must-sees and
have-to-dos throughout the South
cousin leroy speaks
14
32
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 / FEBRUARY 2014
Issues-oriented Sense magazine gives voice to diver se political opinions but does not endor se the opinions or reflect the views
e x p r e s s e d h e r e i n . Yo u a r e w e l c o m e t o s u b m i t y o u r O p - E d p i e c e v i a e m a i l t o e d i t o r @ t h e s e n s e o f i t a l l . c o m .
2 | FEBRUARY 2014
design
22
5
Mardi Gras Magic
ON THE DRAWING BOARD WITH
MARDI GRAS
22
The Beauty of Carnival
BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF A MARDI GRAS
TRADITION
views
and news
30
the why of writing
31
between the lines
38
q&a
Cathy Marie Buchanan talks about how she finally
took the plunge into becoming a writer
Recommended Reading from Page & Palette
Best-selling author Nancy Horan talks about her eagerly
anticipated novel about Scottish writer Robert Louis
Stevenson and his American wife
35
SENSE MAGAZINE | 3
ENSE
eclectic intellect for the soul
PUBLISHERJamie Seelye Leatherbury
VIEWS AND NEWS EDITOR
Stephanie Emrich
ART DIRECTOR Ronda Gibney-Burns
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Guy Busby
Eusebia Logue Fink
Robin Fitzhugh
Emily Hill
Jamie McFaden
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Major Adam Colbert
History Museum of Mobile
Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Olivia Grace Fryfogle
Marlene Rathle
ADVERTISE WITH US
[email protected]
EMAIL [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected]
SENSE OFFICES251 South Greeno Road Fairhope, Alabama 36532
Tel (251) 604-8827
Fax (251) 990-6603
Sense is published and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License by Eco-Urban Media, a division of
Eco-Urbaneering Corporation. Creative Commons defines the spectrum of possibilities between full copyright and the
public domain. For more information go to http://www.creativecommons.org and http://creativecommons.org/about/
licenses/ and http://www.theSenseofitAll.com. All content of Sense is copyrighted. However, Sense also works under
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All rights to works submitted to and published by Sense will revert in their entirety to the respective contributing
authors, artists and photographers 120 days after publication. At Sense, we believe this policy promotes journalistic
independence and fosters mutual goodwill between the publisher and the contributing writers, artists and
photographers..
4 | FEBRUARY 2014
| SPOT L I GHT
MARDI GRAS MAGIC STARTS
ON THE DRAWING BOARD
Float designs have inspired generations of Carnival fans.
TEXT BY GUY BUSBY
A
ny tradition that can thrive after a war should be deemed
magical. Though halted by World War II hostilities for
a time, Mobile’s Mardi Gras resumed more vibrant and
flamboyant than ever. Edward Ladd can recall the very
moment the magic struck. Born just before World War
II, he was too young to remember Mardi Gras before the
celebrations were halted during the hostilities.
In 1946, however, Carnival resumed and young Edward was
on the streets of Mobile. Almost 70 years later, he recalled
the drum beats, mounted marshals riding high, and—above
all—the floats.
The enchantment stuck. Ladd sketched his first design for a
Carnival float in the sixth grade. As a young man, he began
working with float and costume designer Edmond de Celle.
de Celle studied in London and Paris, eventually moving to
Mobile to share his design flair. After drafting floats for the
Order of Myths for 50 years, de Celle retired and the mantle
fell to Ladd.
Before his own retirement 35 years later, Ladd would dream
up and design more than 350 floats from the 1970s into the
21st century. He continues his work promoting the Gulf
Coast’s pre-Lenten celebration as director of the Mobile
Carnival Museum.
Pointing out a 1968 picture of a float on his wall, Ladd
displays photo evidence of the perfect storm of imagination
and magic that go into the process of float design and
construction. The float, a tribute to medicine, included
a giant hand holding a beaker. The hand moved back and
forth on the finished float, an impressive design for the time.
When the float rolled, however, the hand hit an overhanging
light, sheering off at the start of the parade.
Another float from the 1970s portrayed the children’s story
“The Little Tin Soldier.” The toy soldier hit an obstruction,
tilting the head back. Instead of steadfastly looking forward,
the soldier appeared to be gazing into the night sky. “I
don’t think many people noticed, but I certainly did,” he
said, laughing. Despite literally hitting snags and bumps in
the road, the Carnvial floats’ course has been and still is a
wondrous, exciting journey for all involved in the creation.
Over the years, float design has changed. In the beginning,
many floats were built of paper Mache and wood. Today,
building materials include fiberglass and Styrofoam. Colors
are more vivid, moving away from the old school pastels used
in years gone by. Some things, however, have not changed.
“It’s still magic,” Ladd said. “It’s still amazing after all this
time.”
The process begins with an idea. Carnival organization
members meet with the designer and discuss the theme for
the upcoming parade. The next step involves creating floats
that will portray that theme while fitting onto a 35-foot-long
moving platform.
Once the sketches are complete, the design is passed along
to float builders, who complete construction in the krewe’s
float barn, bringing these creative, often fantastical, ideas to
fruition.
“When I started, we didn’t have computers or anything like
that,” he said. “You come up with ideas and ask yourself,
‘Can this be built? Can this work out and can I put people
on this thing?’”
Other questions also come into play. A float has to roll
through Mobile’s downtown streets. Anything taller than
about 16 feet high will not be able to clear the traffic lights
and overhanging oak limbs.
1988 float design from Edward Ladd titled “When In April”
SENSE MAGAZINE | 5
| They Speak
C O N T R I BU TO R S
guy Busby has traveled by glider, hot-air balloon, sailboat, steam
locomotive, Mardi-Gras float and other forms of planes, trains,
boats and automobiles for more than 20 years to cover life on the
Gulf Coast. He has been an award-winning reporter and columnist
for the Mobile Press-Register and other publications. He received
his bachelor’s degree in communication arts from the University
of South Alabama. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Silverhill, Ala.
Robin Fitzhugh, A Mobile native, has called the Eastern Shore
home for more than 14 years and enjoys writing about both sides of
the bay, their communities and the people who make them special.
As a former director of the Eastern Shore Art Center, she has a
particular interest in local art and artists and their contributions to
the quality of life in this special place.
Eusebia Logue Fink has lived in Fairhope for seven years. She
is a graduate of Spring Hill College, a retired commercial real
estate executive, a reader, writer, potter, avid cook, and enthusiastic
grandmother of seven. She has always written for magazines,
newspapers, or just for pleasure. She is a member of a writers’ circle
and two book clubs.
JAMIE MCFADEN is a magna cum laude graduate of UAB, and a
freelance writer based in Mobile, Alabama. She is a self-proclaimed
Pure Barre "bunhead" and poetry enthusiast who digs counterculture,
wine of both cheap and expensive varieties, Alabama football, and
reading novels penned by brilliant (and often tortured) women. She
can't braid or snap her fingers and has difficulty walking in high heels.
WANT TO BECOME A SENSE CONTRIBUTOR?
Sense is always looking for new talent. If you are interested in becoming part of the Sense team,
e-mail us at [email protected].
6 | FEBRUARY 2014
HERE’S WHERE TO FIND US...
MOBILE
Alabama Coastal Foundation
Apricot Lane
Ashland Gallery
Ashland Pub
Atchison Imports
Atlanta Bread Company
Azakea City Physicians for Women
Ballin’s Limited
Renaissance Battle House Hotel
Bay Area Physicians for Women
Bebo’s Springhill Market
Bicycle Shop
Bliss Salon & Day Spa
Blue Rents
Bradley’s
Café 615
Callaghan’s Irish Social Club
Camille’s Grill
Candlewood Suites
Carpe Diem Coffee & Tea Company
Carter & Co
Cathedral Square Art Gallery
Chat A Way Café
Center for Living Arts
Center for Dermatology
Claude Moore Jeweler
Cold Snap @ Old Shell Road
Cold Snap @ USA
Debra’s
Delish’s Desserts & Eatery
Downtown Mobile Alliance
Dragonfly Boutique
Estetica Coiffure
Exploreum Science Center
Fort Conde Inn
Fort Conde Welcome Center
Fuego Coastal Mexican Eatery
Goldstein’s
Hampton Inn Downtown
Hemline
Holiday, Inc
Iberia Bank
Legacy Bar & Grill
LLB&B Realty
Martha Rutledge Catering
McCoy Outdoor Company
Mercedes Benz of Mobile
Mobile Arts Council, Inc.
Mobile Bay Bears
Mobile Infirmary Office Tower
Mobile Museum of Art
Mobile Regional Airport
Mobile Symphony Orchestra
Red Or White
Satori Coffee House
Serda’s @ Royal Street
Shoe Fly
Something New Bridal
Springhill Family Pharmacy
Spoke ‘N Trail
The Bull
The Ivy Cottage
The Union Steak House
Thompson Engineering
Tmac’s Hair Studio
Twists Cupcakes @ Legacy
USA Mitchell Cancer Institute
Wintzell’s Airport
Wintzell’s Downtown
Zoe’s Kitchen
Zundel’s Jewelry
DAPHNE
Baldwin Bone & Joint
Baumhower’s Wings
Comfort Inn
Daphne Library
East Shore Café
Glamour Nails
Guido’s
Hampton Inn
Hilton Garden Inn
Homewood Suites of Daphne
Infirmary West
Lake Forest Shell
Market by the Bay
Moe’s Barbeque
Publix
Rosie’s Grill
The UPS Store
Thomas Hospital
Thomas Medical Plaza
SPANISH FORT
Barnes And Noble
Bayside Chiropractic
Don Pablo’s
Eastern Shore Toyota
Malbis Parkway Pediatric Dentistry
McMurphy Orthodontics
Magestic Nails
Mellow Mushroom
Private Gallery @ Spanish Fort
Tom Bierster Fine Homebuilding
& Restoration
Twist @ ESC
Wintzell’s
SOUTH BALDWIN COUNTY
Beach Club
Bimini Bob’s
Cobalt
Cosmo’s Restaurant and Bar
Jesse’s
Kaiser Realty
Lulu’s
Meyer Realty
M II the Wharf
Prickett Real Estate
The Hangout
Turquoise
Tin Top Restaurant
Villaggio Grille
Private Gallery
Project Mouvement in Art
Publix
Red or White
Sadie’s of Fairhope
Shanghai Cottage
Southern Edge Dance Center
Southern Veranda
Marriott’s Grand Hotel
FAIRHOPE/POINT CLEAR
Agave Mexican
Battles Wharf Market
Bayside Orthopedics
Bean & Bistro
Belle Shain
Boxwood
Bouche’s Cigars
Brown & McCool Gynecology
Chasing Fresh
Coffee Loft
Cold Snap
Dragonfly Restaurant
Eastbay Clothiers
Eastern Shore Art Center
Eastern Shore Heart Center
Estate Jewelers
Fairhope Inn
Fairhope Library
Fairhope Music
Fairhope Physical Therapy
Gigi & Jays
Hair Designs by Ann Rabin
Hampton Flooring & Design
Hampton Inn
Happy Olive
Iberia Bank
Leatherbury Real Estate
Lyon’s Share Gallery
Market by the Bay
Master Joe’s
Page & Palette
Panini Pete’s
Papa’s Pizza
Sense is distributed to over 100 locations throughout Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Because we are in the business of promoting the economy and design in Gulf Coast communities, we distribute through our advertisers and local businesses.
We feel that this brings the opportunity to exchange ideas, encourage conversation, and support the local economy. It will also move us forward by furthering thought for our future and how we wish to design it, resulting in
participation by each of us in weaving the fabric that is our Sense of Community.
SENSE MAGAZINE | 7
| in the loop
TOP
10
FEBRUARY EVENTS
1 Buddy Guy and Johnny Lang
FebRUARY 19 | Mobile, AL
Blues legend Buddy Guy appears at the Mobile Saenger. At 76, Guy is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a major
influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He has received six Grammy awards, 28 Blues
Music awards – the most of any artist, the Billboard magazine Century Award for distinguished artistic achievement, and the
Presidential National Medal of Arts. Rolling Stone ranked him in the top 25 of its “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” Tickets
are $39.50 to $60. For more information, go to www.mobilesaenger.com/events/buddy-guy-johnny-lang/.
2
Fairhope Brewing Company
FEBRUARY 8 | FAIRHOPE, AL
The Fairhope Brewing Company, Lower Alabama’s only craft brewery, is celebrating its
first anniversary from 4p.m. until the party stops. The locally-owned brewery will offer
its four year-round brews – Everydale Ale, Painted Black IPA, Fairhope 51, Section Street
Wheat – in signature anniversary glassware that patrons can take home. Rounding out
the event will be live music from the Grayson Capps Band, the Street Eatz Food Truck,
and in true, first birthday party fashion, a small petting zoo featuring fainting goats.
3
Chili For Charity
February 15 | FAIRHOPE, AL
The 14th annual fundraiser will feature the lively music of Blind Dog Mike and the
Howlers, inflatables and a balloon man for the kids, a bucking bronco for courageous
participants, a variety of homemade desserts for sale and of course, a chance to sample
some of Baldwin County’s best chili. Tickets are $5 for children (ages 3-12), and $10
for adults. All proceeds benefit Ecumenical Ministries’ programs which assist Baldwin
County neighbors facing hardships.
4
Celtic Woman
FEBRUARY 21 | PENSACOLA, FL
Global music phenomenon Celtic Woman comes to the Pensacola Saenger as part
of The Emerald Tour. The all-new stage production will celebrate Ireland and the
Emerald Isle’s Celtic heritage through an extraordinary presentation of traditional Irish
anthems, pop standards and original music by Emm®-nominated music producer, David
Downes. Tickets are $43 to $103 plus service charges. For more information, go to
pensacolasaenger.com/events/celtic-women-the-emerald-tour.
5
Niña and Pinta’s Sailing Museum
FEBRUARY 8 | BAYOU LA BATRE, AL
7
pHOTO by Catt Sirten
Eastern Shore Potters, Artwork for Daily Use
FEBRUARY 1-28 | FAIRHOPE, al
More than 200 pieces of local pottery from prehistoric times to the present. Fairhope
Museum of History on Section Street. Free admission. For more information, call
251-929-1471.
8
Pensacola Symphony: “ A Night At The Movies”
FEBRUARY 15 | PENSACOLA, FL
Academy Award-winning composer Bll Conti takes the baton for a night of music
from his famous soundtracks, including music from Rocky, For Your Eyes Only,
Inferno, and more. The performance begins at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $22 plus service
charges. For more information, go to pensacolasaenger.com.
9
Smithsonian Institution: The Way We Worked
FEBRUARY 15-MARCH 29 | FAIRHOPE, AL
“The Way We Worked” is a Museum on Main Street program produced by the Smithsonian
Institution in partnership with the Alabama Humanities Foundation to bring traveling
exhibits to small towns. Fairhope is one of six communities where the exhibit on work in
America will be on display. Admission is free. For more information call 251-929-1471 or
go to www.cofairhope.com/departments/museum.
10
Homegrown Country Live
FEBRUARY 20 | Biloxi, ms
Kick up your heels on the dance floor with local regional acts as K99 Country and Tin
Roof Brewing Co. present Homegrown Country Live at the Hard Rock Biloxi Hotel &
Casino. Come out and party with Andrew Lawson, Derek Norsworthy and Taylor Made.
Visit www.hardrockbiloxi.com to get your free tickets.
The Niña and Pinta will be touring together as a new and enhanced ‘sailing museum’
and will stop at the St. Margaret’s Catholic Church Dock in Bayou La Batre Saturday,
February 8th. It is a great experience for children and adults to come aboard the ships
and learn about famous explorers. The ships will be open from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and
tickets are $5.00 on site.
6
25th Annual Sandestin Gumbo Festival
FEBRUARY 14-15 | destin, fl
This winter festival favorite is back for its 25th year! Gulf Coast restaurants will be
featuring their top secret recipes! Spend the day sampling a variety of gumbo- dark of
light roux? Chicken & Sausage or seafood? Then, vote for your favorite for the “People’s
Choice Award.” Celebrity judges will name the “Area’s Best,” and award the most
creative set-up as “Best Display.” Enjoy live music and family entertainment. Visit www.
SandestinGumboFestival.com for details.
Submit events to [email protected]
SENSE MAGAZINE | 9
| in the loop
BOOK IT
1
Bobby Deen
February 11 | The Venue
Fresh off the success of his #1 New York Times bestseller, From Mama’s Table
to Mine, Cooking Channel star, Bobby Deen, is back with Bobby Deen’s
Everyday Eats : 120 All New Recipes, All Under 350 Calories, All Under 30.
Page and Palette is thrilled to kick off Bobby’s book tour with a meet and
greet and cookbook signing at The Venue at 6 p.m. Tickets to the event are
$15 and include a $5 coupon toward the purchase of Everyday Eats. Guests
will sample delicious recipes from the cookbook and a cash bar will also be
available. For couples interested in attending the event, Page and Palette is
offering a Valentine ticket special for $30 which includes admission for two
and a $10 coupon toward the purchase of one cookbook.
2
Nancy Horan
February 13 | The Venue
Join us at noon for a Read It & Eat luncheon with New York Times bestselling author of Loving Frank, Nancy Horan. Nancy’s much-anticipated
second novel Under the Wide and Starry Sky, tells the improbable love story
of Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson and his tempestuous American
wife, Fanny. Tickets to the event are $15 and include lunch and $5 toward
the purchase of the book.
3
Robert Bailey
February 15 | Page & Palette
Author Robert Bailey will sign copies of his latest novel The Professor from
1-3:00 p.m. at the bookstore. The first in a series of tense legal thrillers, The
Professor combines the thrills and authenticity of a John Grisham novel for
the audience that flocked to Friday Night Lights.
4
Jen Lancaster
February 17 | The Venue
New York Times best-selling author Jen Lancaster is “as adept at fiction as she
is at telling her own stories” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). And now in
her new novel, reality gets an unreal makeover. Join us at noon as we host
Jen for a Read It & Eat luncheon at The Venue. Tickets are $15 and include
lunch and $5 off the purchase of Twisted Sisters.
5
Cathy Marie Buchanan
February 19 | Eastern Shore Art Center
Join us at 1 p.m. for a Read It & Eat luncheon with best-selling author
Cathy Marie Buchanan as she discusses her historical novel The Painted
Girls. This event is free and open to the public. Bring your lunch or call
the bookstore to reserve lunch from Andree’s for $10.
ENSE
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we look forward to meeting you.
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10 | FEBRUARY 2014
| i n t h e loop
MOBILE COUNTY PARADES
Saturday, Feb. 1
1 p.m. - Krewe de la Dauphine (Dauphin Island)
Saturday, Feb. 8
1 p.m. - Island Mystics (Dauphin Island)
Friday, Feb. 14
6:30 p.m. - Conde Cavaliers (Mobile, Route A)
Saturday, Feb. 15
2 p.m. - Order of the Rolling River (DIP)
2:30 p.m. - Bayport Parading Society (Mobile, Route A)
6:30 p.m. - Pharaohs, Order of Hebe, Conde Explorers
(Mobile, Route A)
Thursday, Feb. 20
6:30 p.m. - Order of Polka Dots (Mobile, Route A)
Friday, Feb. 21
6:30 p.m. - Order of Inca (Mobile, Route A)
Saturday, Feb. 22
2 p.m. - Mobile Mystics, Mobile Mystical Revelers
(Mobile, Route A)
6:30 p.m. - Maids of Mirth, Butterfly Maidens,
Krewe of Marry Mates (Mobile, Route A)
Sunday, Feb. 23
BALDWIN COUNTY PARADES
Friday, Feb. 21
6:45 p.m. - Apollo’s Mystic Ladies (Daphne)
Saturday, Feb. 22
6:45 p.m. - Knights of Ecor Rouge (Fairhope)
Friday, Feb. 28
6:30 p.m. - Mystical Order of Mirams (Orange Beach)
6:45 p.m. - Mystic Order of Persephone (Daphne)
6:45 p.m. - Maids of Jubilee (Fairhope)
Saturday, March 1
11 a.m. - Foley parade (Foley)
Noon - Mystic Revelers (Bay Minette)
2 p.m. - Krewe of Mullet Mates (Mullet Point)
5:30 p.m. - Mystics of Pleasure (Orange Beach)
6:45 p.m. - Shadow Barons (Daphne)
Sunday, March 2 (Joe Cain Day)
2:29 p.m. - Loyal Order of the Firetruck (Daphne)
Monday, March 3 (Lundi Gras)
6:45 p.m. - Order of Mystic Magnolias (Fairhope)
Tuesday, March 4 (Fat Tuesday)
10 a.m. - Gulf Shores Mardi Gras Association (Gulf Shores)
2 p.m. - Orange Beach Parade (Orange Beach)
6:30 p.m. - Neptune’s Daughters, Order of Isis
(Mobile, Route A)
Monday, Feb. 24
6:30 p.m. - Order of Venus (Mobile, Route A)
Tuesday, Feb. 25
6:30 p.m. - Order of LaShe’s (Mobile, Route A)
Thursday, Feb. 27
6:30 p.m. - Mystic Stripers Society (Mobile, Route A)
Friday, Feb. 28
6:30 p.m. - Crewe of Columbus (Mobile, Route A)
Saturday, March 1
11 a.m. - Krewe of Kids (Krewe of Goats Prichard route)
Noon - Floral Parade, Knights of Mobile, Mobile Cadets,
Mobile Mystical Ladies, Order of Angels (Mobile, Route A)
Noon - Krewe of Goats Parade (Prichard)
2 p.m. - Krewe of Mullet Mates (Mullet Point)
6 p.m. - Mystics of Time (Mobile, Route A)
Sunday, March 2 (Joe Cain Day)
2:30 p.m. - Joe Cain Procession (Mobile, Route A)
5 p.m. - Le Krewe de Bienville (Mobile, Route A)
Monday, March 3 (Lundi Gras)
Noon - King Felix III and Floral parades (Mobile, Route A)
1 p.m. - Prichard Mardi Gras Association Parade (Prichard)
3 p.m. - MLK Business and Civic Organization, MLK Monday
Mystics, Northside Merchants (Mobile, Route D)
6:30 p.m. - Infant Mystics (Mobile, Route A)
Tuesday, March 4 (Fat Tuesday)
10:30 a.m. - Order of Athena (Mobile, Route A)
12:30 p.m. - Knights of Revelry (Mobile, Route A)
1:30 p.m. - Comic Cowboys (Mobile, Route A)
2 p.m. - MAMGA Mammoth Parade (Mobile, Route B)
6 p.m. - Order of Myths (Mobile, Route C)
2014
MARDI GRAS
SCHEDULE
Mardi Gras Mural painted by Mobile artist John Augustus Walker.
Photo courtesy of the History Museum of Mobile
Mardi Gras is the carnival celebration before the Lenten season. This mural shows symbols that
have special meaning. The word Felix means the king; the man with the balloons is Folly; the
skeleton represents death; the cat is the symbol for the “Infant Mystics.”
12 | FEBRUARY 2014
| the sense of it all
LEROY
SPE A K S :
O U TS I DE
THE
BOX.
CO U S I N
Eclectic as it is,
Sense is constantly evolving in discovery of how best to serve our community....
Are we Engaging?
TH I N K
c limb
Do we Entertain?
in sid e th e
Are you Informed?
2014 calls for a new approach......let us know, we want to hear from you.
box .
Yours in Community,
[email protected]
t here
is
a
s o lu t i o n .
SENSE MAGAZINE | 13
| marketplace
MOBILE BAY FERRY:
A unique experience
Text by EMILY HILL
T
he Mobile Bay Ferry Service is known for providing
an alternative and faster route for locals and visitors who
hesitate to intertwine with bumper-to-bumper traffic on
Alabama 59 or the Mobile Bayway. However, the ferry also
immerses passengers into the history of the coast while
providing a scenic, relaxing ride.
The ferry began service in the 1980s, said Neil Shanahan,
director of Gulf Coast Operations at Hornblower Marine
Services. The service was privately owned at first, but was
taken over by the Alabama Department of Transportation,
which contracted with HMS Global Maritime to handle
operations. The marine management company has operated
the ferry under ALDOT since June of 2005.
According to Shanahan, the ferry’s convenience is evident.
“If you were to drive from Dauphin Island over to the [Fort
Morgan] landing it’s about 119 miles, so it saves a lot of
miles off of your trip around,” Shanahan said. The distance
14 | FEBRUARY 2014
“It’s easy to see that the
popularity and folks using
the ferry has increased
dramatically.”
from Dauphin Island to Fort Morgan by ferry is about 5
miles and a 30 to 40-minute ride.
HMS operates two ferries. Shanahan said one vessel can
hold 18-22 vehicles, and the other can carry 28-32 vehicles.
Both ferries are 149 passenger vessels which stay active
particularly from May through the middle of September.
During the slower winter and spring seasons only one ferry
operates.
Also during the winter tide levels are low, which sometimes
forces the ferry to decline transporting motor homes. But
the ferry system has seen larger threats, from Hurricane
Katrina in August 2005 to the BP Deepwater Horizon oil
spill about five years later in April 2010.
The oil spill impact is evident in the Gulf Shores and Orange
Beach Tourism statistics. In a visitor profile report that
includes information on the percentage of visitors who visit
SENSE MAGAZINE | 15
“It’s sort of a ride
through history and
through what the
Alabama Gulf Coast
is really all about.”
For schedule and ticket information, visit mobilebayferry.com
16 | FEBRUARY 2014
certain attractions, in the spring of 2010, 9.9 percent
of visitors visited the Mobile Bay Ferry. This number is a
significant drop from the 11.2 percent in the spring of 2009,
and an even larger decrease in visitors from the 14.5 percent
in the spring of 2008. The percentage of visitors who visit
the ferry seems to be on a downward slope, with the spring
2011 percentage coming in at 8.1.
The ridership and profit report for the ferry system was
released and shows data obtained from Jan. 1, 2013 through
Dec. 26, 2013. The report reflects information from both
ferries combined. The number of passengers who boarded
the ferry in Dauphin Island, including walk-ons, children
under 12 and additional passengers, totals 46,119 people.
The number of passengers who boarded the ferry in Spanish
Fort total 53,178, bringing the total number of passengers
on the ferry system in 2013 to 99,297. With passengers,
trailers, motorcycles, automobiles and motor home
transportation prices combined, the ferry system brought in
about $1,387,665 in 2013.
Although visitors appear to be less interested in the ferry,
Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier has seen a heightened
interest from locals. “It’s easy to see that the popularity and
folks using the ferry has increased dramatically,” Collier said.
Collier said due to demand the second ferry was introduced,
and in the last couple of years the ferry schedule has
expanded to make one or two more trips daily during the
in-season period.
The traffic the ferry brings through the coastal area creates
some level of revenue enhancement, but Collier said that’s
something that’s unable to be tracked.
The ride itself across the sparkling Mobile Bay displays
everything the coast has to offer. “You can see everything
from fishing boats, shrimp boats, to the big ships that go
up to the port. You’ve got the lighthouse, obviously you’ve
got historic forts, Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan. And they
(passengers) are actually crossing the waterway where the
Battle of Mobile Bay pretty much took place so there’s a lot
of history there as well,” Collier said.
“It definitely enhances trips, that’s what people tell us,” said
Joanie Flynn, vice president of marketing at Gulf Shores
and Orange Beach Tourism. The ferry is a unique form of
transportation, but it also provides a unique environment.
Shanahan admitted that the ferry service has seen some outof-the-ordinary passengers. Two men roller blading across
the country, a man jogging cross country and a horse (that
ended up being transported in a trailer) are some of the more
memorable riders.
Regular ferry rider Johnny Gibson lives near Dauphin Island
and has a business across the bay, and he has had unique
encounters as well. Gibson was riding the ferry in February
of 2013 when the Carnival Triumph, which had experienced
a fire onboard and lost power, was pulled into Mobile Bay.
“We just circled around it. Everyone was snapping pictures
of it and people were waiving off of the ship, ready to get
off that thing,” Gibson said. He also saw President Obama
board the ferry in Dauphin Island in June 2010. There’s now
a plaque on the ferry in the spot where Obama stood.
SENSE MAGAZINE | 17
| CUISINE
LUCY BUFFETT’S
Love Letter
Text by SABE FINK
PHOTOS BY MAJOR ADAM COLBERT
T
he idea came to restaurateur Lucy Buffett as she
looked at a map of the Gulf of Mexico. She pictured
all the cuisines in all the cultures along that coastline –
from Cuba and the Florida Keys to Vera Cruz and TexMex; from the Vietnamese influence in Mississippi and
Bayou la Batre to the French Creole and Cajun classics of
New Orleans.
What if, she thought, she could fuse all those cultural
flavors into one version of Gulf Coast cuisine?
Buffett is serving that brand of fusion cuisine at Lucy B
Goode. She has enlisted Chef Randall Baldwin, whose local
roots grow just as deeply as hers, to take the culinary lead
in this ambitious undertaking. As a youngster, Baldwin
remembers catching, cleaning and cooking fish, all in
the same day. After growing up in Saraland helping his
mother and grandmother in the kitchen, he trained at the
prestigious Culinary Institute of America. His experience
working in the kitchens of several of Chef Frank Stitt’s
acclaimed Birmingham restaurants, insured that Chef
Baldwin was up to the task.
He wants “tomatoes that are still warm from the afternoon
sun when they come in the back door of the restaurant.”
This shared passion for fresh, local, sustainable ingredients
solidified his working relationship with Buffett and sets the
tone for the Lucy B Goode menu. The centerpiece on any
given day may be a chargrilled black grouper with summer
yellow squash, or a fresh, healthy variation on traditional
Shrimp Creole. This dish is called Large Pretty Shrimp
Gently Simmered with Stewed Okra, Crushed Tomato,
Sweet Onion and Bay Leaf and brings a sophisticated
twist to a familiar dish. Chef Baldwin has a special gift
of introducing new ingredients and new preparations in a
way that seem timeless.
Even with Buffett’s vision and Baldwin’s passionate skills,
Lucy B Goode’s menu remains true to the classics of the
region and features some favorites like West Indies Salad
and LuLu’s famous gumbo. The offerings also include
items and preparations seldom seen in the region. Braised
rabbit with house-made pappardelle and bacon-wrapped
quail with cornbread stuffing aren’t exactly mainstream
home cooking in most kitchens these days. Ribs are
ubiquitous, but Baldwin’s Beyond-delicious Babyback
Ribs are painstakingly braised and glazed with a sticky
18 | FEBRUARY 2014
sauce made with black beans. Baldwin was challenged to
keep the menu fresh, sometimes changing almost daily.
“What looks good in the market that day, that’s what we’ll
be serving,” he said. That makes things interesting and keeps
every level of the staff on its toes. “The cooks come in daily
and ask ‘What am I going to cook today?’ and that sort
of enthusiasm runs through the staff,” said Baldwin. Lucy
B Goode puts an emphasis on “social eating,” with sharing
and tasting among friends encouraged.
Buffett, local personality, philanthropist and foodloving Crazy Sista of the Gulf Coast’s own Jimmy Buffett,
says of her newest venture, “I call this my upscale New
South restaurant. I’ve wanted to do something like this
for some time and, quite frankly, I have reached a point
where I can do it now.” The restaurant’s name, from the
Chuck Berry classic “Johnny B Goode,” is a reflection of
her rambunctious, somewhat rock ‘n roll, nature. “I have
learned to leave the door open to the unexpected and this is
proof of what can happen,” she said.
“I wanted Lucy B Goode to be a
tribute to my parents and how
they raised us. It’s my love
letter to the Gulf Coast!”
SENSE MAGAZINE | 19
| CUISINE
Buffett grew up in the Mobile area where her parents
both worked at the local shipyard. In the summer, she
would split her time between vacation rental houses on
the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay or Gulf Shores and her
grandparents’ homes on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She
took her culinary inspiration from both grandmothers,
each exceptional cooks but with very different styles. “My
Peets grandmother had a more polished palate, because she
worked as the dietician at a girls’ finishing school in Long
Beach. My Buffett grandmother grew up in a boarding
house in Pascagoula so her family meals were gargantuan
feasts with several courses of meats, vegetables, salads, and
sweets. From the time I was a tiny mite, I was underfoot in
their kitchens. It was simply the most fun and interesting
place in the house and some 50 years later, it still is,” she
said, laughing.
Buffett’s love letter is well-illustrated, with her own favorite
corner – where she sits for a quick bite or entertains friends
– adorned with framed family photos featuring her parents
and siblings and her beloved beach. The rest of the space
is full of the work of local artists including such notables
as Jim Laughner, Richie Gudzan, David Tate and Leigh
Copeland. Even the tableware is a nod to the art of the area.
Handmade platters and individual casseroles from Steve
and Dee Burrow’s Sea Oats Pottery in Gulf Shores share
space with square white plates and clear blue Mason jars
that serve as water glasses to add to the coastal feel.
Lucy B Goode seats about 120 inside the light and
open restaurant. The furnishings are an eclectic blend
of reclaimed barn wood and exposed ductwork and
gleaming industrial track lighting. A giant metal shrimp
crafted by acclaimed repo-renaissance artist Bruce Larsen
is suspended from the ceiling and dominates the area
between the bar and the dining space. The weatheredwood colored woven wicker chairs and expansive roll-up
windows add to the airy feeling, and the stainless ceiling
fans provide a continuous, almost imperceptible, soft
breeze. The chandeliers are an ingenious creation, with
clusters of small bulbs inside quart-size Mason jars hanging
over the tables and banquettes. A full bar spans one end of
the open room, and features a cool steel-topped bar surface
and wicker stools.
“After the oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, I was
profoundly reminded of how this beautiful region had
molded and shaped me and my family for generations.
My appreciation deepened for this exquisite coastal
culture and community that I call home. If I had grown
up in Montgomery or Birmingham with less access to the
beaches, bays and rivers, I would be a completely different
person. I wanted Lucy B Goode to be a tribute to my
parents and how they raised us. It’s my love letter to the
Gulf Coast.” she said.
“I wanted Lucy B Goode to be
a tribute to my parents and
how they raised us. It’s my
love letter to the Gulf Coast!”
20 | FEBRUARY 2014
There is a comprehensive wine list, with a nice variety of
wines offered by the glass. Alabama craft beers are front and
center on the beer list, including Buffett’s own Crazy Sista
Honey Ale on draft as well as a selection of domestic and
imported brews. In addition, there is a menu of specialty
cocktails and mocktails – nonalcoholic concoctions with
all the quality and appeal of the stronger beverages – and
daily drink specials.
Lucy B Goode is located at 202 E. 25th Ave. in Gulf
Shores; right next to LuLu’s overlooking the Homeport
Marina, and opens seven days a week at 11:00 a.m. The
restaurant is accessible by boat, with docking facilities
available just outside the door. For information call the
restaurant at 251-948-4101 or visit www.lucybgoode.com
We offer lessons in:
Piano
Guitar
Violin
Bass
Saxophone
Trumpet
Trombone
Clarinet
Flute
Ukulele
Fairhope music
1/4 page ad
We also sell:
Music Instruments • PA Equipment • Miscellaneous Gear
251.455.5335 • Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm
247 S. Greeno Road • Fairhope, AL 36532
Facebook.com/FairhopeMusic
SENSE MAGAZINE | 21
| DESIGN
The Beauty Behind
Carnival Season
Take a look behind-the-scenes at
a Mardi Gras tradition.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HISTORY MUSEUM OF MOBILE
F
loat and costume design takes thousands of hours of
preparation and work; preparations actually begin a
few weeks after Mardi Gras for the next season. Floats and
costumes are designed around the Krewe’s particular theme
for the year and often satire current topics and cultural
events. The preliminary designs are beautiful pieces of art
in their own right.
With Mardi Gras season upon us, we showcase a few designs
from two famous Mobile artists, Edmond de Celle, 18891972, and John Augustus Walker, 1901-1967, who actually
studied under de Celle around 1920.
John Augustus Walker is remembered as an artist who
worked long hours in his North Royal Street studio. Walker’s
watercolors are displayed in many homes throughout
Alabama and he is especially remembered for his murals
in buildings that include the History Museum of Mobile,
Mobile City Hall and the Federal Building Courtroom.
Walker has also earned a reputation as a Mardi Gras float
and costume designer. As illustrated here, many of his float
designs are still displayed in museums.
Right, float design by Mobile artist John Augustus Walker titled
“The Gryf Of Jad-Ben-Otho.”
22 | FEBRUARY 2014
SENSE MAGAZINE | 23
| DESIGN
Credited to Edmund Decelle, 1957
Edmond de Celle’s design of an OOM cape.
24 | FEBRUARY 2014
Edmond de Celle and his wife, Kathryn were prominent
in Mobile’s social, cultural and intellectual life. Edmond
studied in London, Belgium and Paris before moving to
Mobile in 1914. After World War I, he began designing
Mardi Gras tableaux and continued his float and costume
designs for fifty years until he retired and passed the torch
onto Edward Ladd.
Seen here are a few samples of de Celle’s costume designs.
Not just limited to costume design, de Celle’s paintings,
murals and designs can be found in the United States and
Europe in private homes, museums and public buildings,
including Murphy High School.
SENSE MAGAZINE | 25
| DESIGN
So this Mardi Gras season, as the streets are filled with the
sights and sounds of brilliant colored floats and maskers
decked out in vibrant costumes, remember all those ideas
started out as beautiful illustrations that were brought to
life for our enjoyment.
Right, another float design by Mobile artist John Augustus
Walker, 1955
26 | FEBRUARY 2014
Other questions also come into play. A float has to roll
through Mobile’s downtown streets. Anything taller
than about 16 feet won’t fit under the traffic lights and
overhanging oak limbs.
Ladd pointed to a 1968 sketch on his office wall. The float,
a tribute to medicine, included a giant hand holding a
beaker. The hand moved back and forth on the finished
float, an ambitious design for the time.
When the float rolled, however, the hand hit an overhanging
light, sheering off at the start of the parade.
Another float from the 1970s portrayed the children’s
story “The Little Tin Soldier.” The toy soldier hit an
obstruction, tilting the head back. Instead of steadfastly
looking forward, the soldier appeared to be gazing into the
night sky.
“I don’t think many people noticed, but I certainly did,”
he said laughing.
Beowulf was the theme of the first parade for which Ladd
designed floats. Over the years, some of his favorites
included “The Wizard of Oz” in 1977 and “Prince of
Humbug,” a tribute to P.T. Barnum in 1996.
Over the years, float design has changed. In the beginning,
many floats were built of paper Mache and wood. Today,
building materials include fiberglass and Styrofoam.
Colors are more vibrant today. In years past, designed
tended more toward pastels, he said.
Some things, however, have not changed. “It’s still magic,”
he said. “It’s still amazing after all this time.”
SENSE MAGAZINE | 27
28 | FEBRUARY 2014
| WELLNESS
JUICY INFORMATION
Blending Up Convenience and Nutrition
Text by JAMIE MCFADEN
T
hey appear in car cup holders and insulated glasses
peeking out of tote bags. Celebrities swear by them,
and more than a few people dedicate most of their
Instagram to them.
Juices – not just any juices, but fresh pressed, carefully
blended for optimal flavor and nutrients, and not the
kind of thing mixed with champagne for Sunday brunch.
Sippable fruits and vegetables have found their place
among the palates of the Deep South with many regional
farms providing perfectly ripe and in-season ingredients to
create juices worthy of being Instagrammed.
This liquid trend encourages an old-fashioned “eat your
fruits and veggies” mentality while creating an opportunity
for people on the go to get a healthy dose of vitamins,
minerals and antioxidants. Juicing has various benefits
when used as a complement to a healthy diet, said Kristi
Sibert, a 20-year registered dietician and nutritionist with
the Eating Disorder Center of Alabama.
“The benefits are multifaceted and include providing a
beverage loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
and producing a pulp rich in dietary fiber that can often
be added into other foods like soups and baked goods,”
she said.
Juices also allow neglected vegetables to slip into one’s diet
with disliked flavors masked in the mixture. Fiber-rich
beets are not always a favorite, but when blended with
sweeter items like mangoes and apples, someone who
is not usually a fan of beets can enjoy the results while
reaping healthy benefits.
Juices can be a particular benefit for people with digestive
problems, such as Crohn’s disease, spastic colon or irritable
bowel. The blends add the extracted high-fiber fruits and
vegetables available in juices to a diet that includes whole
foods and healthful meals.
While juicing is a popular choice among health enthusiasts,
people should not, in fact, be consuming even the most
healthful foods in liquid form for every meal, Silbert said.
“The primary risk involved in replacing normal meals from
food with juices is the lack of much needed nutrients such
as protein and fat. Although juicing coupled with blending
in proteins from powder, milk, yogurt, and-or peanut
butter can produce a more nutritionally balanced drink,
this should only serve as a supplement or snack, not as a
complete meal,” said Sibert.
Any way people choose to get in a healthy dose of fruits
and vegetables is encouraged, but the American Cancer
Society states that there is no convincing evidence that
extracted juices are any healthier than whole foods. Still,
juicing provides a convenience factor for people who are
constantly on the move, particularly when they can simply
buy a juice prepared for them.
The Sweet Olive Bakery and Juice Bar in Fairhope, provides
such a solution to movers and shakers who are dedicated
to maintaining health despite a busy schedule. The juice
bar at the Windmill Market allows for customers to select
fruits, vegetables and herbs to create a juice that appeases
even the pickiest enthusiasts. The juice bar also provides
mixture suggestions for those who are not sure what they
want to blend.
Sweet Olive sales associate Bekah Davis said that The
Doctor, a blend of carrots, beets, celery, ginger and
cayenne, is a popular choice that can promote digestion
from the beets and natural energy from the ginger. All
of the Sweet Olive’s juices come from local and organic
markets and encourage seasonal consumption. At $4.50 to
$6 depending on size, these juices make for an affordable
and convenient snack.
In Birmingham’s Crestline Village area, The Pantry
by Stonehollow Farmstead provides blended juices in
16-ounce plastic bottles for $10 to $12. The Pantry’s
juice ingredients are sourced and selected depending on
what ingredients are in season to guarantee freshness and
vibrant flavor. The Pantry’s ingredients, which are listed
on the bottles, serve different purposes based on the
nutrients, from promoting glowing skin to boosting the
immune system. As a staple among the health-conscious
community in Birmingham, the treats feature interesting
combinations of fruit, vegetables, spices, and herbs.
Juices produce can be a healthy snack option, but
should not be used to replace solid food meals and is not
recommended in any sort of fasting or cleanse capacity.
“It is impossible to find a moderate balance if food itself is
not being consumed, and the boredom or monotony from
a juice-only diet can ultimately lead to binge behaviors
and/or the concept of disordered eating. Food is not just
nutrition for our bodies, it is also meant to pleasurable and
enjoyable,” said Sibert.
SENSE MAGAZINE | 29
| views and news
THE WHY OF WRITING
BY Cathy marie buchanan
I
Meet cathy marie buchanan
Award-Winning Author of
The Painted Girls
Wednesday, february 19, 2014
read it and eat at 1:00 P.m.
Eastern shore art center
Free and Open to the Public.
Call the bookstore to reserve
lunch from Andree’s for $10
30 | FEBRUARY 2014
’m often asked if I always wanted to be a writer. It’s a
question I answer with a definitive no. I would love to
have a story like Margaret Atwood, who I’ve heard walked
across the high school football field composing poetry, but
nothing is further from my experience. I spent my teenage
years disgracing myself in English, often getting upwards of
20 percent deducted for spelling mistakes on exams. When it
came time to head off to university, one of the criteria I used
for selecting my courses was that there was no writing — that is
spelling — required. I graduated with a degree in biochemistry
without having written a single essay and went on to receive my
master’s degree in business, still very much steering clear of the
written word.
I spent the bulk of my non-writing work life at IBM, at
first in finance and then in technical sales. It was while I was
at IBM that spell-check started to be commonly used, and
all of a sudden my world shifted. I became the departmental
wordsmith, the person charged with giving the proposals the
final read-through before they went off to the customers. I
suspected, though, that this supposed newfound ability to write
had more to do with the fact that my colleagues were engineers
and math and computer science grads, many with English as
a second language, than any particular talent I might possess.
Given my education and corporate work life, it might
come as a surprise to learn that there was evidence early on of
my creative leanings. In high school I was a serious student of
classical ballet, spending four or five nights a week in the studio
or on the stage, and I sewed and designed most of my clothes.
I think now that throughout my teenage years I satisfied my
creative yearnings through the dance and the sewing. While
I was working at IBM, I was always enrolled in a continuing
education course — always something with an artistic bent,
again, I think, appeasing my creative side. I took drawing and
painting and art history and wood working and interior design
and eventually creative writing, but signing up for that first
course was more of a whim than anything else. I was flipping
pages of a continuing education catalogue and thought, ‘Well,
why not give creative writing a try?’ From the outset I was
smitten. Our first assignment was a setting piece — a single
page description of our childhood bedroom. I must have spent
eight hours on that page, and I wanted it to be perfect. I kept
up the regime of full-time work by day and a bit of crammed-in
writing or a class in the evening for four years before I took the
plunge and turned to writing full time.
Both my debut novel The Day the Falls Stood Still and The
Painted Girls found homes on New York Times bestsellers lists.
They’ve been published internationally and translated into
multiple languages. The Painted Girls has been optioned for
a television series, and most recently it was selected as one of
the Best Books of 2013 by Good Housekeeping, National Public
Radio and Goodreads. Am I delighted? Yes. Astonished? Yes.
When I think back to the early days of writing The Day the Falls
Stood Still, my highest hope was that the book would one day
be deemed worthy of publication — that perhaps a few readers
(other than relatives) would pick it up. I had dreamt of neither
an international readership nor the joy of coming upon a reader
holding open my book, eyes steadfast on my words.
About the Author
Cathy Marie Buchanan’s The Painted Girls is a #1 National
Bestseller in Canada, a New York Times bestseller, and has
garnered rave reviews and been showered with special attention
— everything from selection as a People Magazine pick to
inclusion in Entertainment Weekly’s Must List. Her debut novel,
The Day the Falls Stood Still, is a New York Times bestseller and
a Barnes & Noble Recommends selection. She holds a BSc
(Honours Biochemistry) and an MBA from Western University.
Born and raised in Niagara Falls, Ontario, she now resides in
Toronto with her husband and three sons.
B E T W E E N
T H E
L I N E S
REVIEWS OF BOOKS AVAILABLE AT PAGE & PALETTE BOOKSTORE
The Invention
of Wings
by Sue Monk Kidd
Writing at the height of her
narrative and imaginative gifts,
Sue Monk Kidd presents a
masterpiece of hope, daring,
the quest for freedom and
the desire to have a voice in
the world. Hetty “Handful”
Grimke, an urban slave in
early 19th century Charleston,
yearns for life beyond the
suffocating walls that enclose
her within the wealthy Grimke
household. The Grimke’s
daughter, Sarah, has known
from an early age she is meant
to do something large in the
world, but she is hemmed
in by the limits imposed on
women. Kidd’s sweeping novel
is set in motion on Sarah’s
11th birthday, when she is
given ownership of 10-yearold Handful, who is to be
her handmaid. We follow
their remarkable journeys
over the next 35 years, as
both strive for a life of their
own, dramatically shaping
each other’s destinies and
forming a complex relationship
marked by guilt, defiance,
estrangement and the uneasy
ways of love. As the stories
build to a riveting climax,
Handful will endure loss and
sorrow, finding courage and
a sense of self in the process.
Sarah will experience crushed
hopes, betrayal, unrequited
love and ostracism before
leaving Charleston to find her
place alongside her fearless
younger sister, Angelina, as
one of the early pioneers in
the abolition and women’s
rights movements. Inspired by
the historical figure of Sarah
Grimke, Kidd goes beyond
the record to flesh out the
rich interior lives of all of
her characters, both real and
invented, including Handful’s
cunning mother, Charlotte,
who courts danger in her
search for something better.
This exquisitely written novel
is a triumph of storytelling
that looks with unswerving
eyes at a devastating wound
in American history, through
women whose struggles for
liberation, empowerment and
expression will leave no reader
unmoved. ($27.95, Penguin,
On Sale Now)
responsible. They are led to a
rough-hewn lake town, defined
by the violence both of its
landscape and its inhabitants.
There Caleb is forced into a
brutal adulthood and slowly
begins to discover truths
about his mother he never
expected, uncovering dark
secrets connected to the deaths
of his siblings and his religious
father, to whom he had always
felt an alarming distance. And
Elspeth must confront the
terrible urges and unceasing
temptations that have haunted
her since being expelled from
her childhood home, and grow
into the maternal figure that
Caleb needs in order to survive.
($25.99, HarperCollins, On
Sale Now)
The Secret
of Magic
by Deborah Johnson
The Kept
BY James Scott
In the winter of 1897, a trio
of killers descends upon an
isolated farm in upstate New
York. Midwife Elspeth Howell
returns home to the carnage:
her husband, and four of her
children, murdered. Before
she can discover her remaining
son Caleb, alive and hiding in
the kitchen pantry, another
shot rings out over the snowcovered valley. Twelve-year-old
Caleb must tend to his mother
until she recovers enough for
them to take to the frozen
wilderness in search of the men
In 1946, a young female
attorney from New York
City attempts the impossible:
attaining justice for a black
man in the Deep South. Regina
Robichard works for Thurgood
Marshall, who receives an
unusual letter asking the
NAACP to investigate the
murder of a returning black
war hero. It is signed by M. P.
Calhoun, the most reclusive
author in the country. As a
child, Regina was captivated by
Calhoun’s The Secret of Magic,
a novel in which white and
black children played together
in a magical forest. Once down
in Mississippi, Regina finds
that nothing in the South is
as it seems. She must navigate
the muddy waters of racism,
relationships and her own
tragic past. The Secret of Magic
brilliantly explores the power
of stories and those who tell
them. ($26.95, Penguin, On
Sale Now)
This Dark Road
to Mercy
BY Wiley Cash
The Swan
Gondola
BY Timothy Schaffert
On the eve of the 1898 Omaha
World’s Fair, Ferret Skerritt,
ventriloquist by trade, con man
by birth, isn’t quite sure how
it will change him or his city.
Omaha still has the marks of
a filthy Wild West town, even
as it attempts to achieve the
grandeur and respectability
of nearby Chicago. But
when he crosses paths with
the beautiful and enigmatic
Cecily, his whole purpose
shifts and the fair becomes the
backdrop to their love affair.
One of a traveling troupe
of actors that has descended
on the city, Cecily works in
the Midway’s Chamber of
Horrors, where she loses her
head hourly on a guillotine
playing Marie Antoinette.
And after closing, she rushes
off, clinging protectively to a
mysterious carpetbag, never
giving Ferret a second glance.
But a moonlit ride on the
swan gondola, a boat on the
lagoon of the New White City,
changes everything, and the
fair’s magic begins to take its
effect. ($27.95, Penguin, Pub
Date 2/6/14)
The critically-acclaimed
author of the New York Times
bestseller A Land More Kind
Than Home returns with
a resonant novel of love
and atonement, blood and
vengeance, involving two
young sisters, a wayward father
and an enemy determined
to see him pay for his sins.
When their mother dies
unexpectedly, 12-year-old
Easter and her 6-year-old sister
Ruby are shuffled into the
foster care system in Gastonia,
NC, a town not far from
the Appalachian Mountains.
But just as they settle into
their new life, their errant
father, Wade, an ex-minor
league baseball player whom
they haven’t seen in years,
suddenly appears and wants to
spend more time with them.
Unfortunately, Wade has
signed away legal rights to his
daughters, and the only way he
can get Easter and Ruby back
is to steal them away in the
middle of the night. Narrated
by a trio of alternating voices
that are at once captivating
and heartbreaking, This Dark
Road to Mercy is a story about
the emotional pull of family
and the primal desire to outrun
a past that refuses to let go.
($25.99, HarperCollins, On
Sale Now)
SENSE MAGAZINE | 31
| ARTS
Cities of Ys: A Conjunction of Cultures
NOMA exhibit shows parallels between medieval legend
and struggles in modern Louisiana
Text by Robin Fitzhugh
32 | FEBRUARY 2014
F
or centuries, legends have told of magical cultures
being consumed by rising waters and vanishing for all
time beneath the waves.
An exhibit now on display at the New Orleans Museum
of Art looks at two of those stories, one from medieval
France and one from the disappearing wetlands of modern
Louisiana.
“Camille Henrot: Cities of Ys” is a cutting edge exhibition
by French artist Camille Henrot that links the old and new
worlds of French culture through a variety of art objects for
which Henrot is famous.
The exhibition opened in October and will continue until
March 2. The multi-media exhibit draws a parallel between
the legendary, submerged city of Ys in Brittany in Henrot’s
native France and the disappearing wetlands of south
Louisiana that are home to the Houma Indians, whose
language and culture were strongly impacted by French
immigrants of the 18th and 19th centuries. Concerning
her artwork, Henrot has said “art and anthropology
are sites for grappling with the construction of cultural
identity,” a concept she considers to be as fluid as the waters
surrounding the coasts of France and Louisiana.
Henrot is an artist who has never confined herself to
a particular medium. Working as sculptor, painter,
videographer and potter, she blurs the traditional categories
of art history by using a variety of art forms to blend myth
and reality. In “Cities of Ys,” Henrot uses a combination
of video and sculptural work to explore the legends of Ys
as well as the modern problems confronting the Houma
people who are struggling to preserve their culture and
their homeland.
Principal Chief of the Houma Thomas Dardar Jr. said
“Camille really got to the heart and soul of the tribe.”
Cities of Ys is an American solo debut for Henrot, a
35-year-old artist described by Art magazine as “versatile,
solitary, talented.” Currently living in New York and Paris,
she has had exhibitions of her work at the Institute of
Contemporary Art in London, the Centre Pompidou in
Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the Palais
de Tokyo. She was nominated in 2010 for the Prix Marcel
Duchamp and in 2013 was awarded the Silver Lion at
the 55th Venice Biennale for her video “Grosse Fatigue,”
that she developed while working as a Smithsonian Artist
Research Fellow in Washington D.C.
She is currently a finalist for the Hugo Boss Award from
New York’s Guggenheim Museum, a competition that
recognizes significant achievement in contemporary art.
As one of the oldest cultural institutions in a city renowned
for its artistic heritage, the New Orleans Museum of Art
houses over 35,000 art objects that span more than 4000
years of world art. “NOMA has been committed to being
a laboratory for artistic innovation in post-Katrina New
Orleans,” Taylor said.
The New Orleans Museum of Art is located in City Park
and houses 46 individual galleries. Closed on Mondays,
NOMA is open Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday
afternoons. The adjacent Sydney and Walda Besthoff
Sculpture Garden includes work by 60 artists and is open
every day. For additional information on exhibits and
events, call (504) 658-4100 or visit the website at www.
noma.org.
“Camille Henrot’s project for NOMA is in perfect
alignment with our mission of inviting artists to do sitespecific work in New Orleans,” Susan M. Taylor, NOMA
director, said
Images and artwork by members of the United Houma
Nation are also included in the NOMA exhibition. “It
is [the artist’s] hope that by approaching cultures through
their connections rather than their differences, we may
increase our sense of global empathy,” a statement on the
museum website reads.
In an article in “What Now” magazine, published in
Terrebone and LaFourche parishes where the Houma live,
SENSE MAGAZINE | 33
34 | FEBRUARY 2014
| OUTDOORS
Snow Skiing
Galore!
Ski resorts near the Gulf Coast
to fill your void of snow angels
Text by SARAH ELLEN REYNOLDS
SENSE MAGAZINE | 35
| OUTDOORS
W
e Southerners have it pretty good when it comes
to winter. We rarely have to scrape ice off our
windshields or shovel snow off our driveways. In fact, the
only white powder we usually see during the winter months
is sprinkled on top of our beignets.
Missing the Winter Wonderland of the North does have its
drawbacks, though. Namely, we’re given the cold shoulder if
we want to try our hands at sledding, skiing, snowboarding
or those other sports we mostly see every four years during
the Winter Olympics.
But just because no one’s going to build a bunny slope in
Baldwin County doesn’t mean you can’t get your fill of
winter sports. There are several ski resorts only six to 14
hours away by car that have all the amenities for a relaxing
or exhilarating vacation.
More than 2.2 million people skied in Southeastern U.S.
resorts last winter, according to SkiSoutheast.com, an
industry publication. Enthusiasts can choose from among
20 resorts sprinkled throughout Tennessee, North Carolina,
Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.
Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort and Amusement Park in
Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is a popular place for snow lovers.
A mountaintop of endless activities is there for all ages to
participate in such as ice skating, snow tubing, skiing and of
course snowboarding. There are several shops and restaurants
for the ones who would rather enjoy a frothy cup of hot
cocoa than face plant into fresh powder. If you don’t have
equipment or clothes, you may rent from the rental shop or
buy from their mall downtown. Of course buying a season
pass is much more affordable if you need to get your snow
fix throughout the season.
If you thought Alabama was full of sandy beaches and ice
melting temperatures, you must have never been on top
of Lookout Mountain. Cloudmont Ski and Golf Resort is
located in the small town of Mentone, Ala. amidst the rocks
of Lookout Mountain with two, one-thousand foot slopes.
Known to be uncrowded, Cloudmont is the perfect place if
you are just beginning in your snow hobby journey or just
looking for a get-away in the crisp mountain air.
One of the more popular southeastern destinations,
Snowshoe Mountain Resort, is located in Snowshoe, West
Virginia on over 11,000 acres. 251 of those acres is skiable
terrain with jaw dropping scenery of the Appalachian
Mountains and 57 trails to choose from. Not too graceful
on skis? The mountain is packed with endless activities for
vacationers of all ages. With a spa, teen center, shops and a
chapel, you can fill your time if you are too sore from rolling
down the slope.
36 | FEBRUARY 2014
To plan your trip, visit these websites:
www.cloudmont.com • www.snowshoemtn.com • www.skisoutheast.com • www.obergatlinburg.com
Make sure you have your insulated jacket when you visit
Sugar Mountain Resort in Banner Elk, North Carolina. This
glittering ski resort has a whole park designated just for snow
tubing! They also have 20 slopes, an ice skating arena, and you
may even bump into Sugar Bear, Sugar Mountain’s mascot.
There are villages surrounding the mountain with quaint
shops and diners should you continue your exploration off
of the snow-kissed slopes.
As you read above, there are several resorts within a
reasonable driving distance from our beloved Gulf Coast to
give you and your family a thrilling vacation. What could be
more fun than enjoying the winter season by making snow
angels in the fresh powder, face planting when you tangle up
your skis, or cozying up with your loved ones while enjoying
the view of majestic mountains covered in snow. It’s never
too late or too early to start planning your snow adventure.
SENSE MAGAZINE | 37
| views and news
Under The Wide And Starry Sky with Nancy
Horan
From New York Times best-selling author of Loving Frank Nancy Horan comes the eagerly anticipated Under the Wide
and Starry Sky which tells the passionate love story of Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson and his intrepid American
wife, Fanny. At the age of 35, Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne has left her philandering husband in San Francisco to set sail
for Belgium — with her three children and nanny in tow — to study art. It’s a chance for this adventurous woman to
start over, to make a better life for all of them and to pursue her own desires. Not long after her arrival, however, tragedy
strikes; and Fanny and her children repair to a quiet artists’ colony in France where they can recuperate. Emerging from
a deep sorrow, Fanny meets a lively Scot — Robert Louis Stevenson, 10 years her junior — who falls instantly in love
with the earthy, independent and opinionated “belle Americaine.” Fanny does not immediately take to the slender young
lawyer who longs to devote his life to writing — and who would eventually pen such classics as Treasure Island and The
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In time, though, she succumbs to Stevenson’s charms, and the two begin a fierce
love affair — marked by intense joy and harrowing darkness — that spans the decades and the globe. The shared life of
these two strong-willed individuals unfolds into an adventure as impassioned and unpredictable as any of Stevenson’s own
unforgettable tales.
Your New York Times best-selling debut Loving Frank explored the true story behind Frank Lloyd Wright and his
lover, Mamah Borthwick Cheney. What prompted you to turn to the Stevensons next?
Part of it was serendipity. I stumbled upon Robert Louis Stevenson while visiting the Monterey area, where he lived in
1879. Curiosity spurred me on. Why was he there? The more I learned, the more I saw how rich a character he was, how
timely his life might be for contemporary readers. But equally engaging was Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne, the California
woman he fell in love with and pursued. Both Stevenson and Fanny were on their own journeys of discovery when they
met. There were plenty of obstacles in their way, but they managed to marry, and their life together after that was marked
by adventures and challenges worthy of a Stevenson novel. I felt immediately that they were good company, and I knew
from the start they would remain so for the next four or five years — however long it would take to write their story.
At first glance, Robert Louis Stevenson didn’t seem to have much in common with Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne. Yet
he fell passionately in love with her, crossing the Atlantic and the American frontier and risking his life in order to
win her hand. Why were they so drawn to each other?
Louis, as he was known by his family and friends, was attracted to Fanny at first by her appearance. He spied her through
the window of a French inn where she was dining with some of his artist friends, who had arrived before he did. He was
smitten by her earthy good looks, her olive skin, her lack of stiffness. She was entirely unlike the young women his parents
had in mind for him, and that was part of her attraction. She rolled her own cigarettes and carried a pistol. Since he was a
boy, Louis had fantasized about a life of travel. As he grew to know Fanny, he discovered a fellow free spirit who’d had her
own high adventures already. She had lived in Nevada mining camps, and in other ways exhibited the grit associated with
pioneer women. Yet she was a lover of books and art who had artistic ambitions of her own. Fanny was not immediately
drawn to Louis. She thought he was charming and entertaining, but immature, eccentric and a bit melodramatic. As she
came to know him, though, she discovered his great talent as a writer, as well as his genuine decency. Stevenson was much
loved for his kindness and generosity.
38 | FEBRUARY 2014
How did Fanny and Louis shape each others’ artistic lives and accomplishments? Has
researching and writing Under the Wide and Starry Sky changed your view of such
classics as Treasure Island or The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?
Fanny married Louis when he was a relatively unknown travel writer and essayist who
was not yet able to support himself with his writing. He began writing novels after he
was married to her. He trusted her critical opinions of his work, calling her his “critic on
the hearth.” Some biographers believe she meddled too much in his work, yet Stevenson
continued the practice of seeking his wife’s opinion for many years. Robert Louis Stevenson
was a towering literary figure in the 19th century. Possibly Fanny’s greatest contribution to
his achievements (aside from providing a living, breathing example of a complicated woman
for his female characterizations) is the fact that her devoted attentions kept him alive despite
his terrible ill health.
Simply rereading Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has made
me appreciate him much more. The two books are very different. Treasure Island, which was
serialized in Young Folks magazine when it first appeared, was viewed as a boy’s adventure
story, and Stevenson got the reputation of being a children’s author after it was published.
I think that reputation fell away with Jekyll and Hyde, which is dark, dark, dark. It is an
allegory that strikes a chilling chord in most readers. Interestingly enough, most people
today haven’t read it. Yet during the writing of my book, I was struck by how often the
names Jekyll and Hyde appear in print or are spoken in conversation. Even if the story is not
read much today, people understand the theme of it quite well: that in most of us, a duality
exists. We contain within ourselves the potential for both good and evil.
from a couple of respected anthologies of English literature. Though his popularity waned
over the years, a number of great writers defended his work and credited his influence on
them, including G. K. Chesterton, Jack London, Jorge Luis Borges, Ernest Hemingway and
Vladimir Nabokov. Recent scholarship has reexamined his work and has championed his
reputation as a great stylist, an outspoken critic of imperialism and an intrepid experimenter
in genres.
Stevenson passed on his hard-won wisdom not only in his novels and short stories, but
in wonderful essays on a range of topics. His letters — which fill eight volumes — make
entertaining reading as well. My hope is that readers of Under the Wide and Starry Sky will
be inspired to pick up The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or Kidnapped and its
sequel David Balfour, or read Treasure Island to their children, or try out The Beach at Falesa
or some other stories written while he lived in the South Seas. It has been a pleasure to get
to know him and Fanny.
About Nancy Horan
Nancy Horan’s first novel, Loving Frank, chronicles a little-known chapter in the life of
American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was translated into 16 languages, remained on
the New York Times bestseller list for over a year and was awarded the James Fenimore
Cooper Prize for Best Historical Fiction, presented by the Society of American Historians
in 2009. Under the Wide and Starry Sky is her second novel. Nancy Horan has two sons and
Thursday, February 13, 2014
lives with her husband on an island in Puget Sound.
Did Stevenson shape Fanny’s literary accomplishments? In some ways, yes. She had written
magazine pieces before meeting him, though she’d only published one before their marriage.
Later, she wrote several short stories that made it into print. Publication of her stories may
have occurred because of Stevenson’s influence with editors. Fanny and Louis collaborated
on one collection of linked stories, entitled The Dynamiter, and a play called The Hanging
Judge. Nevertheless, I believe Fanny felt frustrated living in the shadow of so popular a
figure as her husband. She longed to be appreciated for something more than her value as
his helpmeet.
Can you talk a bit about the Stevensons’ legacy? What do you hope readers take away
from Under the Wide and Starry Sky?
The perception of Robert Louis Stevenson’s legacy has gone through some changes since
he was at the height of his popularity at the end of the 19th century. After his death in
1894, there were glowing tributes from friends and critics. As early 20th century readers
embraced realism, however, Stevenson’s star fell rather dramatically; increasingly he was seen
by critics as an outdated Romantic. By the late-20th century, Stevenson’s name was excluded
Read It & Eat
Nancy HORAN
Thursday, February 13, 2014
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
The Venue
LUNCHEON
Tickets are $15 and include lunch and
$5 off the purchase of the book!
For more information contact Page & Palette at
251-928-5295 or visit www.pageandpalette.com.
SENSE MAGAZINE | 39
| literati
The Girl with the
Fire Hair
By Joshua Fewell
Images pulse as a heartbeat thunders across the plains
Colors burst and stars fall.
The girl with fire hair looks at me as she smiles
She is beautiful inside and out and reads me like a book
although I do not know how.
She speaks one sentence: “Enjoy the ride”.
I take it in and let life go
I am floating in the world but my body stays neutral.
I hear the sounds of an ocean swell….a bird caws
Enjoy the ride.
Water falls on a pit of dreams
Peace is here and spirits fly high.
Walls surround you like gates and you are alive again
Enjoy the ride.
My nerves adapt to the patterns of melodies
My body reacts in twitches of joy
I hear what drives me, my soul is erupting
Enjoy the ride
I am on top of the Earth now and I feel so alive
My mind has been purified and I am whole again
Things are clear and it took only a few words
I see, I hear, I taste with such limpidness
I say to the world what made me truly happy
If only the girl with the fire hair was standing near me
She would whisper it into my ear.
Enjoy the ride.
LITERATI SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Sense invites you to submit edgy, eclectic pieces. We welcome short fiction, essays, humor, and poetry submissions. Rights to the material submitted remain those of its author, who is protected
under Creative Commons licenses. We reserve the right to choose all materials that appear in the publication. For more detailed submission information, email [email protected].
40 | FEBRUARY 2014