Nyle DiMarco. All images courtesy of VA Festival of the Book.
A Romance Salon: American Royalty
Tracey Livesay’s steamy rom-com American Royalty is the first in a new series inspired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s real-life love story. Rapper Danielle “Duchess” Nelson turns the palace upside down when she falls for reclusive Prince Jameson. Livesay will discuss her work, answer questions, and sign copies at this informal salon. March 23, 11am, Central Library and virtual
Deaf Utopia with Nyle DiMarco
Is there anything Nyle DiMarco can’t do? The deaf activist’s smoldering good looks and killer dance moves earned him first place on “America’s Next Top Model” and “Dancing with the Stars.” And with the release of Deaf Utopia: A Memoir—and a Love Letter to a Way of Life, he’s a New York Times bestselling author too. In conversation with Wawa Snipe. March 24, 2pm, The Paramount Theater
No Ordinary Crimes:A Thriller Hour
Whodunit—the vigilante anti-hero, the cartel hitman, or a group of women assassins celebrating early retirement? Find out when E.A. Aymar, Gabino Iglesias, and Deanna Raybourn discuss their respective thrillers: No Home for Killers, The Devil Takes You Home, and Killers of a Certain Age. March 25, 11am, Central Library
Newbery Authors Panel
Local author Andrea Beatriz Arango, whose Iveliz Explains It All earned a 2023 Newbery Honor award, is joined by fellow Newbery medalist Meg Medina, author of Merci Suárez Plays It Cool, to talk about writing books they wish were on shelves when they were in middle school. March 25, 12:30pm, Central Library
Crowns & Claws: Coming of Age in YA Fantasy Fiction
Debut authors Emily Thiede and Andrew Joseph White join local educator Amber Loyacano to discuss Thiede’s This Vicious Grace, which follows Alessa as she balances saving her home, finding love, and harnessing her power, and White’s Hell Followed With Us, about trans teen Benji, who finds refuge in a LGBTQ+ center in a post-apocalyptic world. March 25, 4pm, New Dominion Bookshop and virtual
Alliteration and anarchy abound in Zach Weinersmith’s graphic novel retelling of Beowulf. Images courtesy of VA Festival of the Book.
Writing a book is an admirablyimpressive feat in its own right, but adapting an Old English epic—that happens to be quite violent—into a tale palatable for children? Yeah, Zach Weinersmith did that.
Bea Wolf (pronounced Bee-wolf) is Weinersmith’s illustrated, comedic retelling of Beowulf that follows a gang of troublemaking kids as they defend their treehouse from Mr. Grindle, a fun-hating adult who can turn kids into grown-ups with the touch of a finger.
Where many children’s and middle-grade books are (rightfully so) vehicles to entertain and teach valuable life lessons, Bea Wolf is a story in which kids rule supreme. It’s utter anarchy, but in the best way possible. When asked to sum it up in three words, Weinersmith went with “kids being bad.”
“I do think there’s maybe not as much of a place as I’d like for stuff that’s just trying to be ridiculous and fun and artistic,” says Weinersmith.
The Beowulf archetype might seem like an unusual choice for a fun tale about the tragedy of growing up, but Weinersmith makes it work with admirable ease.
“So I am an English literature major,” he says, laughing. “I enjoy Milton and Shakespeare and all these boring dead people. They’re wonderful to me, and the oldest long poem in an English language is Beowulf, and by sort of luck and chance it happens to be one of the great ones.”
“[Beowulf] is perceived to be kind of dusty and stuffy,” he says, “but it’s actually pretty readable. There’s a lot of monster fighting, and when it’s not monster fighting, it’s people fighting, and you know, it’s quite bouncy!”
Weinersmith wasn’t just inspired by Beowulf’s plot for his retelling, he also drew inspiration from the way it was written, keeping the alliteration found in the original Old English and incorporating kennings, or word riddles.
You can find both at play in a passage where Bea, the hero of Weinersmith’s epic, recounts her victory over a horde of lake monsters: “On they came, clasping, clawing, catching nothing / each famished but unfed, flushed back by my furious force! / Hating me as I heaved them down the cola-dark deeps, / never to rise more, lest they know the nap of the knuckle.”
Charming black-and-white illustrations from French cartoonist Boulet accompany Virginia-based Weinersmith’s witty words, imbuing an already funny tale with even more hilarity, heart, and plenty of visual Easter eggs.
Though the children poke fun at all the terrible aspects of being teenagers and adults—homework, mortgages, cable TV—it never feels egregious, and adult readers will also get a kick out of Weinersmith’s celebration of idealized childhood, where candy consumption is unlimited, bedtime is a whim, and working as a cashier at a grocery store is basically a death sentence.
Virginia-based author Zach Weinersmith will appear at Telegraph Books Uptown on Saturday, March 25.
Last fall, Kalela Williams hit the ground running as the new director of the Virginia Center for the Book—she only had six months to organize the Virginia Festival of the Book, a process that usually takes well over a year. Williams came to the festival from Philadelphia, where she previously worked for Mighty Writers and the Free Library of Philadelphia. In her spare time, she’s writing her debut YA novel, The Tangleroot Papers, coming next year from Feiwel & Friends. Now, the 2023 festival is a week away, and boasts a lineup of bestselling authors and page-turners from the likes of Matthew Quick, Nyle DiMarco, and Rebecca Makkai. The Virginia Festival of the Book (vabook.org) takes place from March 23-26. Stay tuned for our festival coverage in next week’s C-VILLE.
Age: 44.
Pronouns: She/her.
Why here: I live in Staunton because it’s cute, small, and cool.
Worst thing about living here: The hills—they give you a challenging walk!
Best thing: The hills—they give you amazing vistas!
Favorite restaurant: My house. My boyfriend’s cooking could win a reality show.
Favorite hangout spot: Redbeard’s in Staunton. There’s always people you know and usually something fun’s going on.
Bodo’s order: Whatever my colleagues bring to the office. I like carbs, so I’ll take ’em any way I can get ’em.
Who is your hero: My ancestors. All of them.
Best advice you ever got: Bring a jacket.
Biggest lie you’ve ever told: I don’t need a jacket.
Proudest accomplishment: Getting a publisher.
Describe a perfect day: It would involve eating, hiking, writing, and drinks.
Do you have any pets: Three ridiculous cats: Courage, Trapezoid, and Wheatley.
Favorite writers: Oof, that’s a really tough one. I especially like works that engage with the past, whether it’s one’s own lineage or history in a broader sense, because that’s what I write. So I read a good bit of old letters and diaries, but in terms of more familiar authors, it’s perhaps Geraldine Brooks, Annette Gordon-Reed, Li-Young Lee, Nathaniel Philbrick, and Jacqueline Woodson.
Favorite book: If I had to choose, The Good Lord Bird by James McBride. The Age of Phillis by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers is also a big one for me.
Most embarrassing moment: I have this recurring nightmare that I go out in public with no pants on, and then I’m like, “Oh, wow, why did I think it was okay for me to wear this?” Or rather, not wear this. And in my weird dream, I’m sneaking around, trying to hide behind ferns and stuff. So I woke up in full “Gah!!!” mode the other day, relieved it wasn’t real, but you’d think I would’ve taken more care getting dressed. Nah. I put my pants on backwards, and didn’t realize it until the middle of my workday after a bunch of meetings. There I was, just strutting around with my back-pockets forwards. I should’ve found myself a ficus tree and planted myself there. (Ha! Planted. My jokes are another source of embarrassment.)
What are you listening to right now: Elevator music.
What’s a song you pretend you don’t like because it’s embarrassing that you love it: Maybe it’s a genre. I have a little soft spot for country.
Who’d play you in a movie: Amber Ruffin.
Celebrity crush: I don’t crush on celebrities anymore, but my girlhood loves include Cary Elwes (as you wiiiiissssh!), the boys in a short-lived ‘90s group, The Boys; the guy who played Lando Calrissian, and David Bowie in Labyrinth (but ONLY in Labyrinth. Outside of that? Meh).
Most used app on your phone: MS Outlook (sigh).
Last text you sent: “I have exploding head syndrome when I’m exceptionally sleep-deprived but aliens are new to me.”
Most used emoji: A heart.
If you could be reincarnated as a person or thing, what would you be: I would be a ridiculous house cat so that I could bask in the sun all day, demand that people rub my belly, then bite them for no good reason.
Subject that causes you to rant: Banned books.
Best journey you ever went on: A solo trip to Toronto, which I took because the Royal Ontario Museum had a special exhibition on blue whales: a skeleton AND its plastinated heart.
Next journey: Wherever my next writing research project takes me.
If not yourself, who would you be: No one. I love being myself because it always makes things interesting.
Favorite word: “Gah!”
Hottest take: Avocados are gross and olives are the devil’s eyeballs.
What have you forgotten today: Gah! Probably everything!
Clinical social worker and doula Kelly Cox (left) saw a hole in the market for breast milk. Now, with her business partner Celia Castleman, she’s connecting breast milk to parents in need through her app, Share the Drop. Photo: Eze Amos
How do we feed our babies? It’s a question Kelly Cox has been fielding from new parents for over a decade.
Cox, a licensed clinical social worker, registered prenatal yoga teacher, and birth doula, has hands-on experience helping moms through every stage of pregnancy. After six years of working as a therapist with mainly domestic violence sexual assault victims in Charlottesville, Cox went on to open Bend Yoga in 2010. The studio specialized in children’s and pre- and post-natal yoga, and held free weekly lactation support groups until its closing in 2020.
It was during those 10 years running Bend that Cox became aware of one of the biggest stressors new moms experience: breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is no easy feat, and every mom’s experience is different. “Some women have an amazing time feeding, and they produce more than their babies can even use,” says Cox. “What I saw more of was mothers who, for some reason, couldn’t produce milk.” Going on medications for medical issues or for mental health, stress, and even returning to work can affect a nursing mother’s milk supply, according to Cox.
Cox would help connect moms with a surplus of breast milk with people in need of the liquid gold. She would also direct people to a number of milk sharing groups on Facebook, but she found the search process to be clunky and cumbersome.
Then one night, inspiration struck from the most unlikely of places.
“I was emailing two clients late one evening. One of them had milk she needed to get rid of before she moved, and one of them had just been diagnosed with breast cancer and knew that she couldn’t produce. As I was emailing them to introduce them, a notification went off on my phone from Bumble saying that I had matched with someone,” says Cox. “If we can go on our phones and order a car, and rent a stranger’s house, if I can meet my perfect match, why couldn’t families use this?”
Cox and her business partner, Celia Castleman, decided to make this idea a reality when COVID struck. The two started working with Shockoe, a Richmond-based app development firm, to create Share the Drop, a free app that connects milk donors with recipients. The development process was made even more urgent when Abbott, a baby formula manufacturer, issued a recall of several formula products, resulting in a nationwide formula shortage.
Share the Drop offers a streamlined search process for anyone in need of breast milk, and it’s completely free to use—no download or registration fees.
To use Share the Drop, users have to agree to follow Eats on Feets four pillars of safe breast milk sharing: informed choice, donor screening, safe handling, and home pasteurization. Recipients can then search for milk donors by distance, age, and other specific criteria, including dietary restrictions and allergies, and donors can upload recent test results for an added level of safety.
Though the FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics warn about risks associated with informal breast milk sharing, Cox says Share the Drop is a tool that families can decide to use for themselves. “It’s all based on informed consent,” she says.
Currently, Share the Drop can be accessed through the Google Play store, or through sharethedrop.com. Cox says many families who can’t afford breast milk use the service, in addition to same-sex couples and breast cancer survivors. “I am a breast cancer survivor, and I’ve made it my mission locally to make sure that any other woman who has lost all of her mammary glands is able to find human milk if they need it.”
Cox and Castleman are still waiting on approval from Apple’s app store, which they hope to receive soon.
“I don’t think the formula crisis is going to end anytime soon,” Cox says, “so we are just really trying to get the word out about this resource.”
Director Ti Ames is booked and busy. The lifelong thespian, who first encountered musical theater at Live Arts as an 8-year old, is directing the community theater’s production of Crumbs from the Table of Joy, a touching memory play about a Black family, told through the eyes of 17-year-old Ernestine Crump as she comes of age in Brooklyn in 1950. Ames, who also acts and sings, serves as Live Arts’ education director, and will be directing Charlottesville Players Guild’s production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom this summer. Crumbs from the Table of Joy opens March 3. livearts.org
Age: 27
Pronouns: They/them
Hometown: Technically Baltimore, Maryland, but I’ve been in C’ville since I was 8 years old
Why here: My current full-time job brought me back home
Worst thing about living here: Subtle racism, queerphobia, and performative allyship that really ain’t all that subtle
Best thing about living here: My maternal ancestors were enslaved here and settled here after emancipation, so I love being closer to them, and nothing can beat these Blue Ridge Mountain views
Favorite hangout spot: My room
Favorite restaurant: Pearl Island and Yuan Ho carryout
Bodo’s order: Cinnamon raisin bagel with light cream cheese (a compromise for my lactose intolerance) and lemonade
Where do you start and end a night out: Start: usually work. End: my bed.
Who is your hero: Any Black person who chooses rest over work
Best advice you ever got: “It makes no sense to work in a different mindset than how you live. Give only 100 percent to yourself.”
Biggest lie you’ve ever told: I had a happy childhood (thank God for therapy and better communication skills)
Proudest accomplishment: Winning a national Shakespeare competition in high school and studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Describe a perfect day: I’m tryna rest more these days: wake up early-ish, make breakfast, take a nap, get up to watch Netflix/sing a bit/take a walk, then a night in/out with friends.
Do you have any pets: None of my own, unfortunately. I just want another cat, man!
Most embarrassing moment: Y’all don’t need to know everything…
Bride and Prejudice. Image courtesy Miramax Films.
Celebrity crush: Two: Winston Duke and Sara Ramirez
Winston Duke. Image courtesy Walt Disney Pictures.
Favorite writer: bell hooks, Amiri Baraka
Favorite book: I’ll go for play—“The Slave,” by Amiri Baraka
Who’d play you in a movie: Dear God, I have no clue
Most used app on your phone: TikTok
Last text you sent: “Thank youuuuu”
Most used emoji:
If you could be reincarnated as a person or thing, what would you be: A domesticated house cat, hands down
What song are you listening to right now: Current hyper-fixation is “My Queen is Harriet Tubman,” by Sons of Kemet
Rio. Image courtesy 20th Century Fox.
What’s a song you pretend you don’t like because it’s embarrassing that you love it: “Hot Wings (I Wanna Party)” from the Rio Soundtrack
Subject that causes you to rant: Neurodivergence in Black culture
Best journey you ever went on: Driving from London to Edinburgh/attending Edinburgh Fringe
Next journey: Grad school?
Favorite word or curse word: I work with kids, so Ima chill on this one. I use the word beautimous (pronounced “bootimous”) quite a bit.
Hottest take/most unpopular opinion: It’s your responsibility as an adult to heal your trauma and seek out help to do so, no matter who caused it. Stop hurting people just ’cause you’ve been hurt.
What have you forgotten today: My brain, in four different places around town
Nowadays, it seems like current lighting trends lean more toward minimalist shapes and neutral palettes. While a slender floor lamp or simple pendant chandelier can certainly tie a room together, they sure can be boring to look at.
Tired of basic lighting options, artists Abby Kasonik and Kiki Slaughter pooled their talent to create a collaboration of statement lamps that take home lighting to new heights.
Kasonik and Slaughter are contemporary artists with an inclination for the abstract. Both originally from Charlottesville, they met through the local art scene years ago.
Kasonik, who studied sculpture at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, creates a variety of ceramic pieces, including lamp bases, vases, urns, mirrors, and plates. Her painting work ranges from the purely abstract to more abstract landscapes. “I probably lean a bit heavier on the abstract landscape side of it,” says Kasonik.
Slaughter went to UVA and started painting as soon as she graduated. “My work is very abstract, with lots of large-scale oils on canvas with color and texture,” she says. “Sometimes there’s a little bit of realism; the Blue Ridge Mountains sneak into my work a lot.” Driven by her motto, “art everywhere,” Slaughter translates her original artwork into wallpapers and textiles. “It’s about taking my art beyond the canvas onto other parts of the home. That’s why this lamp collaboration is a perfect thing to do with Abby.”
The idea to do a collaboration was a bit of a light bulb (no pun intended) moment for the artists. “I was having my house shot for a house feature and I needed to spiff it up a bit, so I asked Abby if I could borrow some of her lamps,” says Slaughter. “When I went over to her studio, we were both like, wait, why aren’t we collaborating together? Abby was having trouble finding beautiful lamp shades for her incredible lamps, and I wanted a way to expand what I was doing.”
Supplied photo.
For this first collaboration, the duo designed nine one-of-a-kind lamps. The shades were created using textiles with Slaughter’s original artwork, and Kasonik sculpted the bases and wired the hardware. The lamps are works of art in their own right, and they can be incorporated into a variety of decor styles, serving as functional centerpieces in a neutral-toned or minimally decorated room, or fitting into a maximalist aesthetic with mismatched patterns and shapes.
“Coral Form” features a bright, pleated linen shade made from Slaughter’s painting “Moments / Rainbow.” Organic brushstrokes in a rainbow of colors fill the shade, which pairs perfectly with a turquoise base formed to look like an organic coral formation.
“Circus Pony” is a whimsical, over-the-top maximalist dream. A colorful, blotted shade and a striped blue urn-style base sits on top of a tall black and white pedestal.
Lamps from the original collection are available for purchase on Kasonik’s and Slaughter’s websites, and are priced upwards of $1,500. The duo also accept commissions to remake a particular lamp design. Later this year, Kasonik and Slaughter also plan on releasing a second line of lamps with new colorways and bases.
Shop the Abby Kasonik x Kiki Slaughter collaboration at abbykasonik.com and kikislaughter.com.
When First Fridays rolls around, Visible Records is a must-visit for gallery hoppers looking for compelling, distinct works in a variety of mediums. Every month the artist-run gallery and studio space collaborates with an impressive lineup of local and visiting artists, including Fumi Ishino, Dana Washington-Queen, Jackie Sumell, and the February 2023 artist, Kevin Jerome Everson. Visible Records also hosts a variety of community events, including letter-writing workshops, concerts, and lectures. Assistant Director Mahanoor Samee joined the Visible Records team in November of last year. “I see Visible Records as a catalyst from which radical and creative thought arises, specifically to strengthen community power and pursue justice,” Samee writes. “I want it to be a refuge for us all to feel safe and supported. But I also want it to be a place to turn up and have a good time.” Learn more at visible-records.com. (Answers have been edited for length.)
Age: 23
Pronouns: she/her
Why here: I came for school and stayed for my job at Visible Records
Worst thing about living here: This town is mad boring please put me on to some shit to do
Best thing about living here: It’s peaceful and the nature is gorgeous
Favorite hangout spot: Tonsler Park
Favorite restaurant: Box’d Kitchen
Bodo’s order: Currently a cinnamon raisin with honey walnut cream cheese
Who is your hero: Musa (as). Duron Chavis. My Didi.
Best advice you ever got: The purpose of your life is to experience living—My younger brother Aadam If you do what makes you happy, it’ll lead to doing more of what makes you happy—Ely Sibarium
Proudest accomplishment/achievement: I worked hard as hell to learn myself, and to be happy and at peace. There’s nothing I cherish more.
Do you have any pets: Ziggy! My dog.
Favorite book: Don’t have one, but a recent joy has been The Year of Blue Water by Yanyi
File photo
What songs are you listening to right now: “GOD DID” by DJ Khaled and “Cicada” by Anju
What’s a song you pretend you don’t like because it’s embarrassing that you love it: “Knife Talk” by Drake. Though I don’t hide it well.
Who’d play you in a movie: A younger Kajol
Most embarrassing moment: One time when I was 18 a guy asked for my number. And I just stared at him, mouth agape, looking utterly terrified, for like five minutes. He didn’t know what to do so he just kept saying “It’s okay, it’s okay, you don’t have to give me your number”. When I finally stopped glitching I looked him dead in the eye and said “I- I’m sorry. I’m getting an arranged marriage”. And then I never spoke to him again. Poor guy.
Biggest lie you’ve ever told: I had just turned 6, and got an Ariel cassette as a birthday present. I knew I wasn’t supposed to, but I got curious and impulsively pulled all the tape out and ruined it. I cried. And when my mom came, I blamed it on my brother. He got in so much trouble, I still feel guilty about it.
Describe a perfect day: I would be with my best friends or my siblings in Pakistan. And we would go on a hike at sunrise and get lost and end up somewhere magical. We would talk to intriguing strangers about their lives. Then we’d stumble upon a mind-blowing street concert and stop to watch. Then we would go home, nap, and wake up at the same time. We would gather in the living room, drink perfect chai, and argue over something random that leads us into a deep Wikipedia dive or a 20-minute YouTube video on something we will never reference again. We would make something together—a song or TikTok dance or brownies. And we’d build a blanket fort to sleep under, stocked with turkey sandwiches and Kit Kats and clementines and hot Cheetos and just in case ginger ale. And when everyone in the house is asleep we would whisper stories to each other and stifle our laughter in our massive fuzzy blankets. We would fall asleep laughing.
Most used app on your phone: Instagram or FaceTime
Last text you sent: i can not sleep bro like i literally cant sleep to save my life
Most used emoji:
is so versatile
Subject that causes you to rant: “Community”
Best journey you ever went on: Pakistan! Or Tanzania.
Next journey: I don’t have one planned but I would honestly love to go to Pakistan again and visit the north
File photo
Favorite curse word: I actually do cuss a little. Probably fuck.
Hottest take/most unpopular opinion: Intention matters more (or at the very least equally as much) as impact
What have you forgotten today: How would I remember if I forgot
It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center opened its doors. It’s a milestone achievement that wouldn’t be possible without the steely determination of Executive Director Andrea Douglas, whose hard work has solidified the historic school firmly in the heart of Charlottesville. Under Douglas’ leadership, the JSAAHC offers a variety of rich cultural programming, including art exhibitions, lectures, live music, theater productions from Charlottesville Players Guild, and more. jeffschoolheritagecenter.org
Age: Legal
Pronouns: She/her
Why here: Grad school
Worst thing about living here: Stores don’t open before 10
Best thing about living here: I eat well
Favorite hangout spot: Crush Pad Wines
Bodos order: Egg cheese plain bagel
Favorite restaurant: Bizou
Where do you start and end a night out: Crush Pad Wines
Who is your hero: My mother
Best advice you ever got: Mind your business
Biggest lie you’ve ever told: I don’t lie
Proudest accomplishment/achievement: Being part of JSAAHC’s accomplishments
Describe a perfect day: 95 degrees
Do you have any pets: Nasi
Most embarrassing moment: I own my stuff, so not embarrassed
Favorite writers: Nikki Giovanni
Favorite book:The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Most-used app on your phone: Instagram
What song are you listening to right now: Pat Benatar, “Shadows of the Night”
What’s a song you pretend you don’t like because it’s embarrassing that you love it? Again, I don’t get embarrassed
Last text you sent: Yeah
Most-used emoji: Thumbs up
If you could be reincarnated as a person or thing, what would you be: Butterfly
Best journey you ever went on: All of the cross-country trips I have ever taken
Tucked away in a quaint little storefront in Gordonsville is Folkling, an oasis of vintage clothing, heritage textiles, and American-made goods. Folkling is a sustainable venture dedicated to finding old things new homes, creating quality goods with makers, and taking life slow. The mastermind behind it all is Leney Breeden.
Breeden grew up in the Fan District in Richmond, where she had her hands in numerous creative ventures. Through her photography business, A Girl Named Leney, she shot portraiture work and weddings. She curated clothing for various shops, and at one point even had her own fitwear business, for which she designed and created collections.
During this time, Breeden created the Folkling Instagram account. “It started as homewares,” says Breeden. “I love curating and designing vignettes.” Breeden would thrift items from around the city, create small still lifes, post the photographs, and sell the items through Instagram.
A nomad at heart, Breeden decided to hit the road in 2017 to pursue more photojournalistic projects. Over the next two years, she’d head out for days, weeks, or even months at a time, in her Subaru Outback named Blue Moon.
“Folkling is what kept me going between photo jobs,” says Breeden. “Once I was on the road it centered more on clothing, particularly Western Wear, Native American jewelry, and old denim—really beautiful pieces that you don’t necessarily find on the East Coast.”
Then the pandemic hit, and everything stopped. All of Breeden’s photo jobs got canceled, and Folkling was all she had left. “I put my all into it, and it kind of blew up.” It got to the point where Breeden could no longer work out of her second bedroom. Then one day on a drive through Gordonsville, she saw a “for rent” sign on Main Street and knew the small town was the perfect place for Folkling to settle.
Photo: Eze Amos
The Folkling brick and mortar opened in December of 2020, and it’s chock-full of clothing and goods that Breeden’s acquired from people and places during her travels. “I would find some things thrifting on occasion,” Breeden says. “But I also just started meeting people all around the country who had stuff that they didn’t know what to do with, or things that they loved and valued, but just wanted someone to appreciate the story that went along with it, and appreciate the beauty in these old things.”
Showcasing the beauty in the old, mundane, and imperfect is part of Folkling’s mission. “We try to help people appreciate things that are worn and imperfect,” says Breeden. “Finding beauty in the imperfection of things that have withstood the test of time.”
Each item in the Folkling shop has a story, many of which Breeden researches and documents for her archives, a process that can take months depending on an item’s condition. Folkling’s inventory is constantly being refreshed as new items are ready to be sold, so you never know what you’ll find on the racks and shelves.
Vintage clothing that caters to a variety of aesthetics from the ’70s and earlier is always in stock. You might find a fun ’30s playsuit, a well-worn pair of jodhpurs, or some sturdy Levi’s. Folkling also sells antique homewares, handmade items, and American-made goods that are responsibly produced, including ceramics, rugs, and clothing made from deadstock fabrics.
Breeden curates a monthly collection of quilts from the ’40s and earlier for the shop, too. Each one is a work of art, and she tries hard to identify and document the patterns before listing them. “The quilts I find represent so much of an untold story of the women who made them,” says Breeden. “The women who made them weren’t really allowed to make art, and so they turned this utilitarian thing into a beautiful art piece. It’s a story I’m constantly captivated by.”
Folkling is open for in-person shopping Fridays and Saturdays, and online orders from folkling.co usually ship within one week.
Hailey Ballard has an unusual job. When she’s not teaching first grade, she brings a bit of magic to local kids as a princess. Well, a queen, to be precise.
Back in 2020, Ballard started working for the Albemarle County Public School District in the middle of the pandemic. The district organized a drive-by character parade for students, where teachers dressed up, decorated their cars, and drove and walked around local neighborhoods. “I decided I was going to go all out, and I dressed up as Elsa,” says Ballard. One of Ballard’s co-workers noticed her costume, and a year later asked if Ballard would come to her daughter’s birthday party dressed up. It was a light-bulb moment for Ballard.
“That was my first party,” says Ballard. “I thought, ‘Why haven’t I been doing this all along?’ I have the background of working with kids, and I did a lot of theater and music in middle school and high school, and I’ve always kind of missed doing that—performing.”
That year Ballard founded Character Connections, a company that allows her to bring her love for performing back into her life in a meaningful way.
Character Connections currently offers eight movie-inspired characters who can make appearances at birthday parties, including the Ariel-inspired Mermaid Princess, the Tiana-inspired Bayou Beauty, and the Rapunzel-inspired Tower Princess. Ballard offers a variety of party packages for every occasion, with the most basic starting at $155 for a 30-minute appearance from one princess.
The most popular package, the Royal Princess Party, features a one-hour visit from one to two princesses. The Royal Princess Party kicks off with a storytime (princesses always come prepared with a book or two), and a special coronation ceremony, where the birthday kid is presented with a keepsake rhinestone tiara and an autographed certificate. Then it’s time for all the guests to get glitter tattoos, which Ballard has found to be a huge hit with kids and adults alike. The princesses’ appearance wraps up with photos, dancing, and, of course, a royal rendition of “Happy Birthday.”
Other packages include party games, makeovers, and manicures, but Ballard also offers custom parties for people looking for something specific, or who want appearances from three or more princesses.
In the one year Character Connections has been open, Ballard has already brought on six other performers to help meet the demand, many of whom also work with children in their day jobs. “Our cast is amazing,” says Ballard. “They’re all so professional. I’ve been lucky to find this niche of workers.” Each character has its own intricate costume, wig, makeup, and accessories, but it’s the enthusiastic performance and charm of the actors that gives kids an unforgettable experience.
Ballard’s favorite character to play is the Snow Queen, an Elsa-inspired character. “She’s our most popular character,” says Ballard. “She’s always so much fun, and I love being able to get a little bit better at playing her at every party.” Getting to perform is a highlight for Ballard, but the best part of the job is giving kids a truly magical experience. “It is an absolute joy to bring this to kids. This is what I look forward to all week, getting to have these moments. The kids are overjoyed when we walk in. They can’t believe it, they’re so excited.”
Ballard has big plans to keep sharing the magic. On top of birthday parties for all ages, Character Connections can perform at company events and weddings, and the princesses regularly appear at community gatherings, such as the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, the Grand Illumination, and more. She also hopes to introduce more characters to the lineup, including superheroes, and would love to one day have a permanent space to host tea parties and special events.
