Tidbits: Watching & Chapel Hill

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WATCHING

Still Relevant 60’s Musical

Hair

It’s hard to believe that I’d never seen a stage production of Hair until this week.  I certainly knew many of the songs and something about the basic premise.  Seeing it at the Asolo Theatre was a powerful experience.  

The time is 1968, the place the streets of Greenwich Village, and the Vietnam War is raging.   This gang of hippies, or wolf pack as they dub themselves, celebrates peace and love while promoting and participating in anti-war protests.  Individually like Claude, or collectively, they must struggle with the realities of the draft.   

The performance is energetic and almost electric, and the singing boisterous.  It set my toes to tapping. The magnificently disordered set appropriately reflects both the inner and outer disruption in these young people’s lives.  Despite its age, I found parts of Hair relevant to today.  The show runs until January 1.  Highly recommended!

Black & White in the 1920’s

Passing (Netflix)

Clare & Irene (okayplayer.com)

This black and white film is being aired both in movie theaters and on Netflix.  Irene and Brian are a well-off Black couple living in Harlem with their two sons.  Claire is Irene’s sort-of friend from school days who’s married to a white man and living her life as if she were white.  When the two women encounter each other in a restaurant, Clare builds upon their previous relationship and inserts herself into Irene’s life.  She regularly travels up to Harlem to visit and to go out with Irene and Brian.  How each woman deals with her multiple roles (wife and mother) and creates her place in society makes for a complex and haunting film.  Shadows abound while tension lurks beneath the surface.  Recommended!

CHAPEL HILL AND ENVIRONS

Shopping

We spent several days in the Chapel Hill area over Thanksgiving, and both shopped and ate well.  A frequent outing is browsing the art galleries and shops in Pittsboro.  Established in 1785, Pittsboro is a charming small town, and soon became the Chatham County seat. 

Chatham County Courthouse (en.wikipedia.org)

One main shopping street runs into a traffic circle around the historic county courthouse, built in 1881.  The building has been altered and renovated several times but remains an imposing and attractive example of late Victorian architecture.  Many stores were closed because of the holiday, but our family group still browsed and bought. 

Another must stop on this visit was a trip to McIntyre’s Books in Fearrington Village.  Founded in 1989, it is truly a booklover’s paradise.  The store’s multiple rooms and alcoves are inviting, and the inventory includes the latest fiction and nonfiction, classics, cookbooks galore, many, many mysteries, and a room devoted to just children’s books.  It’s a real treasure, and true to form, I made several Christmas purchases.  

Eating

Wednesday lunch was at The Mod, short for The Modern Life Deli & Drinks.  The menu at this Pittsboro café included a wide selection of sandwiches and pizzas.  My turkey rosemary pesto panini was very satisfying as was the Caesar salad on the side.  Very good value! 

Appealing fare at The Mod (tripadvisor.org)

On our last night, we dined at Mosaic Café & Bistro in Carrboro. As its name suggests, Mosaic offers a mix of small plates and larger entrees, some vegan or vegetarian, others what we might call regular cuisine (here that meant gluten-free).  The Chief Penguin boldly ordered Ethiopian roasted parsnips and carrots as well as the vegan meatballs.  The meatballs were made of seitan and served in a slightly spicy tomato sauce.  If you didn’t know, you’d think they were really meat!  These were small plates, but not truly small portions.  Also popular with our companions were the sea scallops, escargots, and French onion soup.  Playing it safe, I ordered the shrimp skewers and avocado.  Mosaic is an attractive space with rust-colored walls and framed art.

In downtown Greensboro earlier in the week, we had a tasty lunch at Jerusalem Market on Elm.  They offer takeout or ordering at the counter for eating in.  Among the four of us, we sampled the shawarma, chicken kebab, falafel, and hummus.  Flavors were fresh, portions ample, and we were happily satisfied.  The restaurant is an affiliate of a local food market founded in 1989; when customers wanted more prepared foods, the sons of the owner decided to create this downtown restaurant.  It’s a recent addition to the dining scene.

Jerusalem Market offerings (happy cow.net)

Note: Header photo of the Asolo Theatre set for Hair is courtesy heraldtribune.com.

On the Road: Greensboro, NC

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We spent Thanksgiving week in Carolina visiting family in Greensboro and then Chapel Hill.  It was lovely to see fall colors and to scuffle and crunch along in the fallen leaves.  Thanks to Ann and Paul, in Greensboro, we enjoyed several outdoor attractions plus a museum. Here are some of the highlights.

ATTRACTIONS

Greensboro Arboretum

Chimes in Greensboro Arboretum

The 17-acre Greensboro Arboretum combines paved paths for easy walking and a host of special plant collections ranging from conifers to hostas to a rhododendron garden and a shade garden.  For us in late November, little was in bloom, so what was most appealing were the tall trees holding on to yellow gold leaves.  Adding to our enjoyment were several sculptures, one tall one with chimes.  It was quiet and serene on a Sunday afternoon, and we only passed one other visitor.

Fall foliage in the arboretum

Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

Guilford Courthouse, a small village, was the scene of a critical battle in the Revolutionary War in 1781.  Although the Americans were defeated, Major General Nathanael Greene lost only a few soldiers.  Nearly a quarter of British Lt. General Cornwallis’ troops died in this battle, resulting in a change in course for the Southern Campaign.  Cornwallis was reputed to have said, “Greene is as dangerous as Washington.  I never feel secure when encamped in his neighbourhood.”     

Continental Army camp follower

The park’s small museum has exhibits describing the key players in the battle, figures dressed in the uniforms of each side, and facts about life in this rural area.  We watched a 10-minute introductory film which provided a very helpful animated depiction of where the American and the British troops were positioned and how the battle played out.  

Outside we wandered around the battle site noting the occasional sculpture or memorial marker.  It was an informative morning and much more interesting than I had anticipated!

Golden woods at Guilford Courthouse

Green Hill Cemetery

Opened in 1877, this large city-owned cemetery is full of history.  Many prominent families in Greensboro purchased plots here.  Many of the family plots are circular ones, a popular style in the 19th century, which allowed for a central piece of sculpture such as an obelisk to be ringed by individual headstones.  

View in Green Hill Cemetery

At Guilford Courthouse, we noted a pedestal dedicated to one of the founders of the military park along with the names of two other men.  In the cemetery, we wandered, took photos, noted some exotic tree species (Chinese parasol tree, for one), and found the gravesite of one Guilford Courthouse’s founders.  It was a lovely afternoon with splashes of sunlight, and the surrounding trees were especially beautiful!

Glowing fall foliage

LUNCH OUT

Osteria

Osteria is in a small shopping strip.  We had eaten here before with my sister and brother-in-law and were delighted to return.  Their menu includes salads, homemade pasta, and more substantial entrees.  Several of us began with the house salad or the panzanella and both were very good and good sized.  Their mushroom soup was also pronounced excellent.  I really enjoyed the strozzapreti pasta with creamy tomato meat sauce while others sampled fettucine with peas and prosciutto and gnocchi pesto.  Not only was the food very tasty, but it was also a good value!

BOOK SHOPPING

Scuppernong Books

A visit to Greensboro is not complete without some time to browse and buy in Scuppernong Books.  An independent bookstore with a café (offering wine), it both feels and smells like a bookstore should!  In stock are the latest fiction and nonfiction hardbacks, newly released paperbacks, and an extensive and well-curated children’s section.  In the back are two walls of gently used books.  

We browsed and lingered and even bought!  For the curious, the store is named for a Southern grape used to make a sweet wine.

Interior of Scuppernong (downtowngreensboro.org)

Note: All unattributed photos ©JWFarrington. Header photo is of metal silhouettes of soldiers at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park.

Snippets for Late November

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WATCHING

Family Business (Acorn)

Astrid, Audrey, Sofia (amazon.com)

This French series features an all-female legal firm practicing family law.  Think marriage contracts, divorces, custody issues, and adoption.  Two of the three lawyers are a mother, Astrid, and her daughter, Audrey, plus Sofia, the second partner.  Both partners are single, while Audrey has two children and a somewhat hapless husband.  The cases are serious, but also sometimes bizarre:  a custody battle over a stubborn bulldog, for example.  

Add in a large dollop of sex and you have moments that are fun and frivolous.  Note the fashionable clothes and the always in vogue, stiletto heels.  There are at least two seasons and I’m about a third of the way through Season 1.

READING

Both/And:  A Life in Many Worlds by Huma Abedin

Author Abedin (slate.com)

Many people know Huma Abedin, longtime aide to Hillary Clinton, mainly because of her husband Anthony Weiner.  But there is much more to this woman than her role as a suffering spouse.  With an Indian father and a Pakistani mother, she was raised Muslim and grew up alternating between Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  Her father’s scholarly work and academic career meant they traveled abroad extensively.  Starting her post-college life as a White House intern, Huma quickly advanced to more responsible positions until she became one of Clinton’s closest staff members.  I am about one-third into the book and have yet to meet her future spouse.  

I’ve enjoyed learning about her childhood experiences and reading the details of what it’s like to be an advance person or a trip coordinator for a high-level politician.  Thus far, her perspective on Clinton is positive and almost affectionate.  She is fair and not at all mean spirited about others in her work orbit.   I imagine Abedin’s charmed life will become less so as events unfold.  

DINING REPRISE

Bonefish Grill in Bradenton 

Bonefish Grill is a chain restaurant, founded and headquartered in Tampa, and a consistently very good one.  We frequently dine at their Cortez Road location about a 5-minute drive from home and are seldom disappointed.  The prices are reasonable, there are weekly specials, and the fish is fresh.  

The Chief Penguin is a big fan of their ahi tuna sashimi and the Wagyu beef dumplings, while I like the grilled shrimp and scallop combo or salmon with mango salsa.  The Caesar and house salads (the latter with hearts of palm and black olives) are also good.  If you’re feeling decadent, forget calories with their famous Bang Bang Shrimp.  For drinks, have a glass of Chardonnay or indulge in a smoked old fashioned. The wait staff changes frequently, but the food is always reliable!

Crime, Music & Great Books

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VIEWING: CRIME IN THE UK

Shetland (BritBox)

Sandy & Tosh with Jimmy (radiottimes.com)

Jimmy Perez is back! I missed the Scottish crime series Shetland, when it went into hiatus after five seasons.  I was delighted to discover that Season 6 is now available on BritBox, not sure about on other online services.   New episodes are released on Tuesdays.   The Chief Penguin and I eagerly watched the first episode, and were not disappointed.  Detective Jimmy Perez is at his mother’s funeral when his colleague Tosh notifies him of the death of a prominent member of the community.  As in other seasons, the investigation begins, but is not completed in one episode.  As I think of the many crime series I’ve watched over the past few years, this one ranks among the best! 

The Long Call (BritBox)

Brethren members with Detective Matthew Venn (thescottishsun.co.uk)

While browsing new offerings on Amazon Prime, I came upon this other offering through BritBox.  It’s another crime series set in England, and it’s based on work by Ann Cleeves.  Ms. Cleeves is the very successful author of the Shetland series mysteries and ones featuring detective Vera (also a series, but not one I’ve watched).  Here detective Matthew Venn, a gay man, is estranged from his family.  He grew up in a closed, tightly ordered religious society and left about twenty years ago full of bitterness, anger, and sorrow.  When a young girl in that community goes missing, he and his police colleagues are tasked with locating her.  Like Shetland, this is a compelling drama of relationships as much as it is about crime.  There are 4 episodes in this season.

VIEWING: MUSICAL HISTORY

Oratorio (PBS, etc.)

Scorsese sitting in Old St. Patrick’s (pbs.org)

In the lovingly told documentary, Martin Scorsese brings to life the history of an 1826 opera concert in Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.  Scorsese provides background on the historical figures, Mozart’s librettist, for one, who were central to the concert, and details the concert’s role in forming the city’s cultural life.  The re-creation of this event in 2018 for a modern audience is the motivation for the film.  

Scorsese grew up near the cathedral and has fond recollections of the neighborhood and the role of this church in his life.  As concert plans and preparations are underway, there are interviews and clips with the maestro and soloists of Teatro Lirico Cagliari of Italy who will perform.  Overall, it’s a fascinating piece of history. And, if you are so inclined, you can separately watch the 2018 performance also on PBS.

AWARD BOOKS:  A GREAT READING ASSIGNMENT

I receive Washington Post book reviewer Ron Charles’ e-mail newsletter, Book Club, each week.  His take on new literature is always informative, often quirky, and piques my interest in what I might read next. In this week’s issue, he detailed an assignment his high school teacher spouse gives her students.  I think it’s a great assignment and so, I’m sharing it and at the end the books the students will be evaluating.  You can read another issue of his newsletter here.

My wife, Dawn, has started one of her favorite projects with her 11th graders. She brings in copies of the five finalists for the National Book Award in Nonfiction and breaks the class into five groups. Each group reads the first chapter of one of the finalists. Then the students devise criteria for a winning book and explain to the class how well their finalist meets those standards. 

Next Wednesday, just hours before the National Book Awards ceremony, her students will vote on which title they think should win. It’s a fun way to introduce these kids to the country’s best new nonfiction books.

You can follow along, too. The NBA ceremony will stream on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. ET. (free, but donations appreciated). I’ll be there (virtually) to introduce Nancy Pearl, winner of this year’s Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community.

NONFICTION FINALISTS

Hanif Abdurraqib, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance

Lucas Bessire, Running Out: In Search of Water on the High Plains

Grace M. Cho, Tastes Like War: A Memoir

Nicole Eustace, Covered with Night: A Story of Murder and Indigenous Justice in Early America

Tiya Miles, All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake