Author: Maeve Hayden

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Arts Culture

Five documentaries that will stay with you

Descendant. All images courtesy of the Virginia Film Festival.

Descendant 

The United States outlawed international slave trade in 1808, but more than a half century later a ship called the Cotilda smuggled a group of enslaved Africans into Mobile, Alabama. The expedition was illegally chartered by a plantation owner named Timothy Meaher, who ordered the Cotilda be burned and sunk to hide all evidence of his crime. 

Now, most of the descendants of the Cotilda have settled in Africatown, a small community just north of Mobile. Margaret Brown’s documentary, Descendant, follows residents of Africatown as they come together to search for the Clotilda, reclaim their ancestors’ narrative, and demand accountability. A discussion with subject Kern Jackson and moderator Robert Daniels follows the screening. November 5, Violet Crown Cinema

Imagining the Indian: The Fight Against Native American Mascoting

Despite the ongoing movement to remove the use of harmful and exploitative stereotypes of Native Americans from the sporting world, appropriation of Native American culture still runs rampant. While teams like the Washington Commanders and the Cleveland Guardians made tardy name changes, others, like the Chicago Blackhawks and the Atlanta Braves, cling to their reductive imagery. 

In Imagining the Indian, directors Ben West and Aviva Kempner chronicle the movement to end the use of Native American logos, mascots, slurs, and names. A discussion with Kempner, documentary subject Rhonda LeValdo, and moderator Adriana Greci Green accompanies the screening. November 6, Violet Crown Cinema

Dani’s Twins

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dani Izzie became one of the first quadriplegics to give birth to twins. Dani’s Twins follows the Madison County resident as she navigates her unique pregnancy, grapples with biases faced by women with disabilities, gives birth to her children at UVA Medical Center, and begins the journey of parenthood. 

A discussion with producer Angie Gentile, subjects Dani and Rudy Izzie, and Dr. Robert Fuller is moderated by Eric Swensen, and accompanies the screening. The documentary will be presented with open captions, and on-stage presentations will include ASL interpretation. November 3, Culbreth Theatre

Hazing

Filmmaker Byron Hurt explores the history and culture of hazing with sensitivity and care in his new documentary. “As a filmmaker who is a fraternity member (I am a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated) and someone who has been hazed and has hazed young men, I feel uniquely qualified to make this film,” says Hurt.

Hurt examines the sometimes-deadly practice from all sides, conducting heartfelt interviews with survivors and families who’ve lost loved ones, while also delving into issues of systemic racism, toxic masculinity, and groupthink culture. Hurt will discuss the film with subject James Vivenzio and moderator Angie Miles. November 4, Vinegar Hill Theatre

Eternal Spring

Whimsical, exhilarating, and ominous, Eternal Spring is not your average doc. Told through alternating present-day footage, first-person recounts, and 3D animation, the official Oscar-selected flick follows comic book illustrator Daxiong, a member of outlawed spiritual group Falun Gong. In an attempt to counter the government’s narrative about its spiritual practice, Falun Gong hijacks a state TV station, forcing Daxiong to flee the country. Now, 20 years later, Daxiong sets out to retrace the events of the hijacking through his artwork, but finds his views challenged by another surviving hijacker. November 5, Violet Crown Cinema 

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Myth busters

Was Mean Girls based on Western Albemarle? We may never know... Photo: Paramount Pictures.

For such a small city, Charlottesville sure has an insane amount of celebrity connections. Ask any townie and you’ll hear so many conflicting tales it can be hard to sort fact from fiction. Take the late playwright Sam Shepard, who lived in Scottsville with Jessica Lange in the mid-’80s. Rumor has it he did his writing at The Virginian, got banned from Miller’s, and had a standing squad car ride home from Dürty Nelly’s. Here’s a breakdown of some more of our favorite celeb rumors buzzing around town.

Does Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson live in Charlottesville? 

Well, not quite. The wrestler-turned-actor actually owns a large farm in Orange County, about 30 minutes outside the city—and he’s there more often than you’d think. In 2019, Johnson tweeted that “the great state of Virginia has quietly become my home for years now,” and he and his family frequently visit the farm to “recharge, recalibrate, and reset.” Social media posts show Johnson fishing for bass, hanging with thoroughbreds, and working out in perhaps the greatest home gym to ever exist—talk about a staycation. Back in 2017, before Johnson’s home gym, aka the Iron Paradise, was built, he could be found pumping iron at the old Gold’s Gym, where he recorded a viral video of himself chatting with a few lucky fans who spotted him post-workout. 

Did Jennifer Aniston get married at Pippin Hill? 

In 2013, rumors began swirling on celeb gossip sites that Jennifer Aniston got married on the DL to then-fiancé Justin Theroux in a quickie wedding at Pippin Hill Farm & Winery. An elusive comment from a Pippin Hill employee at the time that neither confirmed nor denied the claim fueled gossip, and the unnamed tipster even claimed to know who the caterer was. Though the picturesque vineyard is certainly the perfect place for a private and exclusive celebrity wedding, turns out there’s no truth to this rumor. Jen and Justin actually tied the knot two years later in an intimate Malibu ceremony ordained by Jimmy Kimmel.

Russian royalty?

Does the name Anastasia Romanov sound familiar? You probably know the Russian Grand Duchess from the Disneyfied version of her story, as told in the 1997 film, Anastasia. Her real life is far more tragic. The youngest daughter of the last Tsar and Tsarina of Imperial Russia, Anastasia was murdered, along with her entire family, by a group of Bolshevik revolutionaries in 1918. Rumors immediately began circulating that Anastasia had actually escaped the murder attempt and was in hiding. Two years later, a woman now known by the name Anna Anderson came forward and declared herself the lost grand duchess. Long story short, Anderson was actually a Polish woman who was institutionalized in a mental hospital in Berlin at the time she made her claims, and she would go on to become the world’s most notorious Anastasia imposter. With the help of her supporters, Anderson made her way to America, and in 1968 settled down in Charlottesville, where she married history professor J.E. “Jack” Manahan, and lived until her death in 1984. You can still visit her grave at the University of Virginia Cemetery and Columbarium—just look for the tombstone labeled H.I.H. Anastasia of Russia.

Did Tina Fey write Mean Girls about Western Albemarle High School? 

It’s common knowledge that the comedian and actress was at least partly inspired by her alma mater, UVA, when she wrote the Mean Girls script—the name Cady comes from her college roommate, Cady Garey. There’s also a lesser-known rumor that one of Fey’s old roommates (who still lives in Charlottesville) went to Western Albemarle, and the roommate’s tales of cliques at the local school are what partly inspired Fey. We’re not sure how well this word-of-mouth whisper holds up, especially when Fey has admitted to drawing from her own experiences as a mean girl, and from the nonfiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes. It would be so fetch if it were true, though.

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2022 Best of C-VILLE Staff Picks

Second chance

Erin James and Seth Herman opened High Tor Gear Exchange to get people outside—and be kind to the planet. Photo: Eze Amos

Nothing beats the feeling of scoring a sweet secondhand find. Whether you think of thrifting as an art, habit, hobby, or lifestyle, here are the best places to pop some tags.

Rethreads Charlottesville: A multi-room boutique with eclectic apparel (and more!) for modern- and vintage-lovers, with size- and gender-inclusive options.

Twice is Nice: You can always score a fashionable vintage dress here, plus modern wearable clothes, accessories, and shoes. 

High Tor Gear Exchange: Nab lightly used name-brand athletic apparel at this Allied Street shop, as well as used outdoor gear and equipment. 

Low: The city’ OG vintage shop, find everything from costume jewelry to perfectly worn-in denim to romantic lingerie. 

SPCA Rummage: The highlight here? The rummage store’s glass and kitchenware. 

Arsenic & Old Lace: The folks at this downtown shop stick to vintage rules (it must be 40 years old). Find cool clothes and funky décor.

Schoolhouse Thrift Shop: Clothes for men and women, plus a robust kid’s section, set in a charming schoolhouse off Rio Road.

Natalie Dressed: Contemporary clothing and accessories for men, women, and children.

Darling & Dashing Boutiques: From Linnea White (of Darling notoriety) recently came Dashing—a secondhand clothing for men.

Agents in Style Luxury Consignment Boutique: Luxury and designer—think Chanel! Louis Vuitton! Marc Jacobs!—handbags, shoes, and women’s clothing on the Downtown Mall.

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2022 Best of C-VILLE Staff Picks

Let’s talk cheddar

Feast! cheesemonger Elias Reyes says, when it comes to cheese, goat’s the GOAT. Supplied photo.

Picking the right cheese can be overwhelming—there are so many choices—so we had a quick cheesy chat with local cheesemongers Ivan Rodriquez from Foods of Nations and Elias Reyes from Feast!, on what they look for in the perfect fromage. Hint: Manchego for the win.

C-VILLE: Cow, sheep, or goat’s milk cheese?

IR: To me, I would have to say sheep cheeses are the best. My favorite quality is the nutty flavor typically found in most sheep cheese. Unlike goat cheeses, they aren’t usually tangy but consist of a buttery richness that is very approachable to the majority of people interested in cheese. Sheep cheese has something to offer to every cheese-lover.

ER: All are unique, but goat’s milk is my choice because it has a more powerful flavor that shines through when cooking and making a cheeseboard. Our goat gouda is my favorite and is always a hit with children and adults. The local dill and garlic chevre is a customer favorite spread on our housemade crostini. 

What’s one must-have cheese you have at home? 

IR: Truffle manchego to me is an absolute must-have. Manchego is one of the best cheeses in the world and comes in a variety of ages and flavors, but truffles take this to another level. Truffles add a nice mushroom flavor with a wonderful aroma to the cheese itself. 

ER: With our broad selection I can’t keep it to just one, so… My must-have-at-home cheeses are the one-year aged Vermont Shelburne cheddar for making grilled cheese sandwiches for my son, and our Reserva Spanish manchego for the rich, nutty flavor of sheep’s milk that goes great with an after-work beer.

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2022 Best of C-VILLE Staff Picks

Fundraising, but make it fun

For its annual fundraiser this year, Live Arts took a cue from The Legend of Georgia McBride, and hosted a Boozy Drag Brunch at The Bradbury on a Sunday morning in March. Supplied photo.

On a Sunday morning in March, Jason Elliott woke up feeling excited and prepared. Makeup and garment bags—five, to be exact—in hand, he headed downtown to begin a crazy day of work as the master of ceremonies at Live Arts’ Boozy Drag Brunch. 

Jason began working with Live Arts when he was hired as the drag consultant on The Legend of Georgia McBride, which follows a young Elvis impersonator who makes a living by becoming a drag queen. Inspired and awed by the colorful costumes and drag culture depicted in the production, Live Arts saw an opportunity to do something completely new with its yearly fundraiser, and the Boozy Drag Brunch was born. 

No detail was spared at this eleganza extravaganza. Held beneath the soaring ceilings of Vault Virginia, attendees enjoyed a fabulous array of fun, games, food, and beverages. Brunchers first stopped by the bank to pick up their currency for the afternoon—Drag Bucks. The colorful bills with RuPaul’s face could be used to tip performers, participate in games, or purchase a mystery box. The Bradbury provided an unlimited buffet stocked with brunch favorites, and a Bloody Mary bar meant drinks were available all afternoon.

After greeting and directing guests, and enjoying the morning’s carnival-like atmosphere, it was time for the main event—drag—and Elliott’s first outfit change. Now wearing a bedazzled jacket, cape, and matching cap and sunglasses, he got to work entertaining and introducing the queens, who came ready to slay. 

On the main stage they performed everything from fierce, acrobatic dance numbers to raunchy, tongue-in-cheek monologues. Michelle Livigne, founder of Driveway Drag Show in Richmond, helped recruit local talent and performed three numbers of her own. Sweet Pickles hit the stage in a flurry of bright colors and crazy patterns, and brought a whimsical, doll-like vibe, and Javon Love wowed with dancing queen leaps and splits while wearing a seafoam blue mermaid-inspired look, complete with a shell bra. Also working the crowd were Bebe Gunn and Cherry Poppins. 

A couple of outfit changes later, it was time for Elliott to host the silent auction. A former drag queen himself, Elliott is no stranger to performing or emceeing, but auctioneering was a new challenge. 

“My favorite part of the entire event was when we got into this groove of one of the prizes, a hot ticket item. The price kept going up and up, with three people in a bidding war,” Elliott says. “I think I blacked out. I ended up ripping off my jacket and I was dripping sweat. Energy was bursting out of that ballroom and spilling onto the Downtown Mall.”

Elliott ended the show in his favorite fit—a Boozy Drag Brunch souvenir T-shirt—feeling proud of his community, the beautiful future they locked in for the theater, and the way Live Arts came together to honor and elevate, not replicate, the art of drag. “They did the research and they asked the questions,” Elliott says. “They made sure they weren’t using the queer community to their benefit, but showcasing the beauty of the queer community.”

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2022 Best of C-VILLE Staff Picks

C’ville’s got talent

The title novella in Jocelyn Johnson’s My Monticello—which Colson Whitehead called “a badass debut”—will soon be adapted for Netflix. Photo: Eze Amos

Is it just us, or does it seem like lately there’s been an abundance of our friends and neighbors on television? From a singer and a chef, to an author and a dog, here’s who you may have seen recently on the small screen.

Yes, chef

It’s safe to say Siren chef Laura Fonner is the champion of Flavortown. Back in 2019, Fonner was the winner of her episode of Guy Fieri’s Food Network show, “Guy’s Grocery Games.” Her win earned her a place in the tournament of champions, “Summer Grillin’ Games,” where Fonner duked it out with the best of the best. Fonner’s final task was to create the “ultimate grilled feast” using frozen peaches, Worcestershire sauce, and corn. Her simple take on Mexican street corn and surf and turf won over the celebrity judges and she went home with the $25,000 prize.

Pop star

It took less than two minutes for Crozet native Kenedi Anderson to solidify herself as the stand-out star of “American Idol” season 20. Her acoustic rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Applause” wowed judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie so much that they awarded her one of three coveted platinum tickets, sending her straight to the second round of Hollywood Week. Her later performances of “Talking to the Moon” and “Human” made her a clear favorite to win. But, after recording her Top 24 performance, Anderson announced she was leaving the competition due to personal reasons. We doubt this is the last we’ll see of the local star—recently, Anderson’s Instagram showed her busy in a recording booth. Could new music be on the way?

Love games

Charlottesville native Salley Carson made a memorable entrance and a swift exit on the 26th season of “The Bachelor.” Described as “a real-life Meredith Grey looking for her McDreamy,” the surgery robot operator was engaged shortly before she joined the competition, but she didn’t let that stop her from charming eligible bachelor Clayton Echard. Sparks flew after their initial meeting, and Echard offered Carson the first rose of the season. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be for the two lovebirds. Not emotionally ready for a new relationship, Carson turned down the rose and left the competition before night one.

Answer…

University of Virginia student Megan Sullivan’s dreams came true when she made it onto the “Jeopardy! National College Championship.” The classics major knew her trivia chops were up to snuff, so she decided to work on buzzer skills—an overlooked but important aspect of “Jeopardy!” gameplay. Sullivan’s quick reflexes paid off—she made it all the way to the semifinals. 

The underdog

Envy is the local Jack Russell terrier who was the smallest competitor on season two of the A&E show “America’s Top Dog.” The pooch competed with her owner Patricia Howell, tackling obstacle courses and going head-to-head with other dogs. Though Envy had the confidence to keep up with the big dogs, she didn’t make it to round two. She sure is a good girl though.

Coming soon 

Jocelyn Nicole Johnson released her debut collection of short stories, My Monticello, to national acclaim. Colson Whitehead called it “a badass debut,” it was a Kirkus Prize finalist, named one of Time magazine’s 10 best fiction books of 2021, and a Netflix adaptation of the title novella is in the works. “My Monticello” takes place in the midst of a societal collapse caused by ecological disaster. White supremacists are taking over Charlottesville, and First Street resident Da’Naisha Love and her neighbors and family find safety by driving a Jaunt bus to Monticello. No word yet on a release date, but with Johnson serving as executive producer we’re pretty sure the small-screen adaptation will satisfy fans of the book.

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Arts Culture

Style counsel

Style consultant Khalilah Jones (front) says her image work on the outside builds a client’s internal perspective, resulting in “unapologetic self-acceptance and confidence.” Photo: JDee Imagery.

Khalilah Jones wears many fashionable hats as owner of Chic & Classy Image Consulting. She’s a style curator, image consultant, graphic designer, brand ambassador, fashion show coordinator, and advocate for the marginalized and underrepresented. She sums it all up with two words: atmosphere shifter. 

There’s no cookie-cutter approach to shifting a client’s atmosphere—each consult, or chic chat, requires Jones to come up with a unique game plan. “I am very intentional about providing a person-centered experience for each individual that I work with,” she says. “Each experience is customized and caters to my client.”

Through wardrobe consulting and styling, she helps clients look their best so they can feel their best. Two common fashion faux pas Jones says she sees often are impulse buying and not letting go of the past. “If you feel like you peaked in high school and you’re still wearing off-the-shoulder graphic tees, cuffed Jordache jeans with a braided skinny belt, slouch socks, and Keds” you’d probably benefit from a closet audit. 

Jones is also an Ix Art Park advisory board member. She’s been busy organizing the Soul of Cville three-day celebration of Black culture that kicks off on Friday (see p. 21), which features film, fashion, music, dance, food, and The Phoenix fashion show.

Clothing is key, but “it’s so much more than just the wardrobe,” says Jones. “I truly feel I’ve done my job, not when they can craft a look using my formula, but when they walk in any room like they belong there. It’s the fierce, radical, and unapologetic self-acceptance and confidence. It is not thinking, ‘I hope they like me.’ It’s knowing you’ll be okay even if they don’t, because you’ve got enough love for yourself to last 1,000 lifetimes.” 

Jones’ support extends beyond image. When a client was diagnosed with cancer, and lost her hair, she had a hard time getting out of pajamas. After a special-occasion styling with Jones, she says she found new confidence. “I never thought I’d wear clothes again or even look in the mirror without crying. … All night I kept hearing [Jones’] voice say ‘always wear your invisible crown.’” 

That positive attitude is something Jones works hard to drive home with every client: Wear your invisible crown, she says, and “visualize your highest self and start showing up as her. You’ll find that you gradually develop a signature style that evolves as you do.” 

“You know,” muses Jones, “the most rewarding part [of my job] is when I follow up with clients and see so much growth and development in their life overall … the almost palpable confidence, the boldness. I can never get enough of that.“ 

Soul of Cville takes place at Ix Art Park from August 12-14. Learn more at ixartpark.org.

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Arts Culture

Epic metal

Artistic blacksmith Ellen Durkan’s Wearable Ironwork workshop takes place at the Virginia Institute of Blacksmithing in Waynesboro from May 23-27. Learn more at vablacksmithing.org. Photo: Joe Hoddinott.

In an industry divided by art and craft, blacksmith Ellen Durkan is forging her own path. Durkan creates intricate, complex, wearable art, known as “forged fashion.” 

She was drawn to blacksmithing while pursuing a master’s degree in fine arts at Towson University. No one in the program was a blacksmith, but that wasn’t a problem for Durkan. She started messing around with metal and scored a blacksmith assistant position at Peters Valley School of Craft in the summer of 2008, which gave her a taste of what forging could be.

With no background in fashion and half a summer’s worth of ’smithing experience, Durkan got to work on her thesis—a runway show that combined her newfound love of blacksmithing with her passion for figurative work and performance art. The finished show featured six women in fabricated dress cages, complete with metal shoes. Durkan is open about the beginner quality of her early pieces. “They weren’t forged or fabricated particularly well, and they weren’t structurally sound, but you’ve gotta start somewhere,” she says. “I have to credit the exploration of crappy stuff that fit poorly and was extra stabby and all over the place.”

Today, Durkan’s wearables are dynamic, accessible, and significantly more comfortable thanks to clever leatherwork. Her portfolio includes copper collars with ruffles so smooth they look like fabric, armor-like bodices, curling skirts, soaring headpieces, and more. She makes all of it at Iron Maiden Forge, her one-person shop in Delaware.

Ellen Durkan working on a piece of her forged fashion. Photo: Ric Frane.

Durkan’s work takes inspiration from numerous sources, including gothic architecture, Celtic knotwork, and Alexander McQueen. One of he favorite creations features a fitted neck piece and face covering. “I really like that piece because it’s conceptually dynamic, and on a technical level it’s dynamic,” she says. Inspired by triptychs, the face piece features three layers. The top layer is a cage-like steel face covering, which hinges open to reveal the second layer—a nose and mouth formed out of copper. The face looks like it could be from a mold, but Durkan actually hand-formed it using a chasing repoussé technique, where a design is created on the front side of a piece of metal by hammering the back side, and chasing involves pushing back metal on the front side to define a design. 

The final layer opens to view the wearer’s own face. “I like working with pieces that the model can manipulate on the runway. The face piece goes with a skirt that has hinging doors and a tryptic opening that’s based on gothic architecture, and a rose window inspiration in the center,” says Durkan. “The model can open the doors on the skirt and on her face, so she’s in control of what she’s representing.” 

Her work is a beautiful, impressive feat by itself, but it comes alive with new meaning when it’s worn. It gives power to the wearer, acting as literal and metaphorical armor that invites vulnerability, inspires confidence, symbolizes strength, and literally takes strength to wear. You can see the finished products—bodies wrapped in metal—at runway shows. One of the last shows Durkan held was in 2019, and it featured 45 minutes of original music, aerial performers, and 16 models from ages 15 to 72. The oldest model was a friend of a friend. “She was very reserved,” says Durkan with a smile, “and then as soon as she hit the runway she was just owning it. And she kept her piece on all night, the heels and skirt.”

Photo: Joe Hoddinott

This confidence is something Durkan also sees in students’ workshops, where she works with them to design and forge something to fit the neck or chest. It’s a class that not only teaches students about blacksmithing, but about themselves. 

“It’s a personal exploration as well as a forging exploration,” says Durkan. “Most people aren’t super in tune with their bodies, and in order to make these pieces, they’re allowing me to help them. We get personal about stuff, their stories.” It’s an intimate process, forming metal around the curves of the body, and Durkan can see peoples’ confidence grow as they fit pieces to themselves, sometimes to cover insecurities, other times to embrace them. 

From May 23-27 she’s teaching a five-day workshop at the Virginia Institute of Blacksmithing in Waynesboro—the only artistic blacksmithing school certified to operate by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. VIB offers a variety of classes that require no experience, like Durkan’s, as well as a Certificate of Artistic Blacksmithing, taught by co-founder Dale Morse. 

Despite making art that’s undeniably badass and takes an extraordinary amount of skill, not everyone sees what Durkan is on to. In graduate school, Durkan says she was told not to pursue the direction she did, and today, she still faces pushback from a male-dominated industry. “I think it’s a little better now, but 12 years ago there was such a divide between art and craft, and you were just shoved into one of the dimensions,” she says. “If you have crossover, which I kind of do, the art world is like ‘well this is too much craft’, and the craft world is like, ‘there’s naked women, she’s dealing with emotional issues through metal, we don’t know what to do.’ But I just kept doing what I wanted, and eventually people came around and were like ‘Oh shit, maybe she’s doing something that other people might be interested in.’”

Durkan is still doing what she wants, and expressing herself through any art form she can get her hands on—ceramics, drawing, makeup, photography, pinup. “I don’t feel like I should be pigeonholed into just one thing. It’s all part of the same artistic expression. Do whatever you want to do.”

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Arts Culture

Book looks

Laura Gao speaks about her graphic novel at Making Sense of the World: Making Sense of Ourselves, a virtual event on March 20. Photo courtesy of VA Festival of the Book.

Rust Belt Vegan Kitchen cooking demo 

March 18, 2pm | Virtual event

When Meredith Pangrace decided to go vegan as a teenager, her grandmother made sure she was still included at family dinners. “She didn’t judge me, didn’t criticize,” writes Pangrace in her new community cookbook, Rust Belt Vegan Kitchen, “and she lovingly accommodated my choice with extra servings of potatoes, pasta, and, of course, cabbage when I came for dinner.” 

Rust Belt Vegan Kitchen takes culinary favorites and staples of the Rust Belt and makes them accessible for vegans. A true community effort, the cookbook features recipes and stories from home chefs and professionals, including Dave Huffman of “Bitchy Vegan Homo” and Dustin Vanderburg of Vegan in the Hood. Inside, you’ll find recipes for desserts, hearty casseroles, party food favorites, and renowned regional dishes, including Cleveland-style Polish boys, Chicago deep dish pizza, Detroit-style coney dogs, Cincinnati chili, and more. 

“More than anything, this book is not going to criticize you for whatever choices you make in your diet,” writes Pangrace. “It will encourage you to open your mind and enter the Rust Belt Vegan Kitchen. Trust us, it’s a delicious place to be.” 

Pangrace shares a cooking demo of one of the recipes from this community cookbook of Rust Belt culinary favorites, updated for today’s vegan diet.  

Making Sense of the World, Making Sense of Ourselves: Graphic Memoirs

March 20, noon | Virtual event

Laura Gao was born in Wuhan, China. When she was 3 years old, she and her family immigrated to a small town in Texas. No one had heard of Wuhan. Until 2020, when COVID hit. “What used to be innocent confusion has been replaced with disgust and pity. However, I’m done hiding away this time,” writes Gao in her viral web comic, “The Wuhan I Know,” which addresses anti-Asian racism and gives insight into the culture, people, and history that she knows and loves. 

Messy Roots is Gao’s debut book—a coming-of-age graphic memoir that explores her identity as an Asian American and queer person, and gives readers an intimate, personal look at her hometown after it became famous for all the wrong reasons. Gao illustrates Wuhan with shades of buttery yellow, glowing orange, and earthy green—a stark contrast to the washed out browns of her Texas or the calm blues of San Francisco.  “This is the Wuhan I knew. Infinite rice paddies…peaceful lily pad ponds…and my cousins and me, with no internet and too much energy.”

Gao and author Courtney Cook (The Way She Feels: My Life on the Borderline in Pictures and Pieces) explore how growing up and living life is hard enough, let alone with the added spotlight of a pandemic or the effects of borderline personality disorder.

Secrets, Sisters, and Spies

March 18, 7pm | Jefferson School African American Heritage Center

Kellye Garrett is a pro at brainstorming ways to commit murder. The crime writer worked in Hollywood for eight years, writing for the CBS drama “Cold Case” and observing all the interesting personalities that flock to the movie capital of America. 

Garrett’s writing has a captivating cinematic quality. Her Detective by Day series is humorous and light, filled with fun characters and fast-paced mysteries that make for a perfect weekend read. Her new novel, Like a Sister, is a darker whodunit, set in the modern world of social media influencers and reality TV stars.

Desiree Pierce, a disgraced reality TV star, is found dead on a playground in the Bronx. The police and media call it an overdose and leave it at that, not interested in looking any further into the death of a Black woman. Desiree’s estranged half-sister, Lena Scott, knows something isn’t right, and embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth. Garrett deftly examines race, class, and gender in this authentic story about family, fame, and sisterhood. 

Join mystery authors Garrett, Naomi Hirahara (Clark and Division), and Alma Katsu (Red Widow) in person as they share their latest work. Each novel reveals different facets of American culture, and the heroines work to solve inexplicable deaths and long-hidden secrets.

Bodies in Space & Time: Identity in Sci-Fi & Speculative Fiction

March 19, 2pm | Virtual event

“One of my favorite types of writing is magical realism,” says author Ryka Aoki. “Others may have their definitions, but for me, magical realism is a style that highlights what is sublime about everyday living—then enhances it with a bit of magic or religion or even the stuff of nightmares.” 

In Aoki’s Light from Uncommon Stars, the mundane is made magical and the possibilities are endless. It’s a story about queer love, making deals with the devil, and alien donut makers. Shizuka Satomi is a renowned violin teacher who made a bargain to deliver seven souls to hell. She’s got one more left, and time is running out. Katrina Nguyen is a young trans runaway who finally made it to Los Angeles and escaped her violent father. Lan Tran is an alien refugee who runs a donut shop. These three lives collide in a story that’s both fantastically fun and staggeringly real in its depictions of transphobia, racism, and violence. Aoki’s deeply moving writing invites readers to understand the power of found families, music, and delicious donuts. 

Aoki, Micaiah Johnson (The Space Between Worlds), and Lincoln Michel (The Body Scout) discuss the explorations of race, gender, and identity posed in their science fiction and speculative fiction.

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Arts Culture

Modern magic

In A Thousand Steps Into Night, Traci Chee creates a fantastical new world with a language all its own, glossary included. Photo courtesy of VA Festival of the Book

For a genre that’s supposed to blow past the boundaries of what’s imaginable, fantasy can be predictable. The genre historically suffers from a lack of diversity on all fronts, and features a plethora of common tropes rooted in racist and sexist ideologies. (And some fans like it that way: When the cast of Amazon’s “The Rings of Power” was announced, the showrunners weathered a barrage of complaints that racial diversity was inauthentic to Tolkien’s made-up world.) 

Traci Chee is part of a new generation of writers changing the landscape of the genre. Her latest young adult novel, A Thousand Steps Into Night, takes place in the Japanese-influenced world of Awara, and follows an ordinary girl, Miuko, as she embarks on a quest to reverse a curse that transforms her into a demon. It’s a fun story full of magic, demons, and adventure that also invites reflection on real-world problems. 

“One of my favorite parts about writing fantasy is that you can pull together a lot of different inspirations and creative impulses,” says Chee. “[It’s] both a fun folk-tale road trip through a Japanese-influenced fantasy world populated by all manner of demons and spirits, and also an interrogation of American patriarchy and the many insidious ways that sexism manifests in our everyday lives, from microaggressions to social ostracization to violence.”

Dreaming up a whole new world wasn’t enough for Chee—she took things a step further by creating her own original folklore and language. She developed a syllabary, glossary, and basic grammar for the language of Awara, which includes gender-neutral pronouns (hei/heisu). As for the folklore, Chee was inspired by the Japanese children’s stories of her childhood. “I had so much fun daydreaming up bits of humble magic—like tree goblins that live in wood beams and shapeshifting magpie spirits obsessed with shiny things,” says Chee. “My favorite creature is actually one that almost got cut!” The tskemyorona, or heebie-jeebie spirit, is a centipede-like creature with fireflies for eyes. If you just got a chill up your spine—sorry! 

A Thousand Steps Into Night is fantasy for the young adults of today—and everyone else who reads YA (it’s never too late to start). It’s dark yet playful, creative, and takes readers along on Miuko’s journey of self-discovery, transformation, and growth. “I think there’s something so compelling about being a teenager—it’s such a fascinating time, when you’re figuring out so much about yourself and about the world and about who you want to be and what kind of a world you want to make,” says Chee. “What a privilege to be able to write about that.”

Chee will discuss A Thousand Steps Into Night on March 16 at 7pm, and her acclaimed novel, We Are Not Free, on March 17 at 7pm. Both events take place at the Irving Theater in the CODE building. More information at vabook.org.