Category: Books

Carolina Comments: Novel, Play & Dinner

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In this post, I share my thoughts on Elizabeth Strout’s latest Maine novel, report on seeing a powerful and timely play, and share a tidbit about dinner at a very local eatery.

MAINE LIVES

Author Strout (spectator.co.uk)

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

Sharing individual’s stories and lives through the seasons, Elizabeth Strout’s latest novel, Tell Me Everything, returns to Crosby, Maine, and a cast of familiar characters.  Olive Kittredge is now 90 and still crochety and direct, while novelist Lucy Barton is her friend and recipient of Olive’s tales.   Lucy lives with her ex-husband, William, but meets Bob Burgess regularly for long walks and talks.  

Attorney Bob still does some legal work and is married to his second wife, Margaret, pastor at the local church.  When Matt Beach’s mother, a former teacher and the butt of her students’ cutting humor, is murdered, Matt is the primary suspect. Bob Burgess takes the case and slowly unravels that family’s history and relationships.

While Olive, Lucy, and Bob are the central figures, their spouses, families, and friends are integral to the various stories being shared.  It’s a peek into smalltown life and a depiction of regret, grief, and love that almost everyone experiences to some degree.  

“Oh” seems to be Strout’s favorite word as it’s regularly voiced, “Oh, Bob, “oh, Lucy,” anytime someone is subdued, hurting, or unsure.  Despite its overuse, I still found things to like about this novel.  It isn’t my favorite Strout book but engaging enough to keep me reading.  (~JWFarrington)

THOUGHT-PROVOKING DRAMA

What the Constitution Means to Me (Playmakers Repertory Company, Chapel Hill)

Julie Gibson as Heidi (playmakersrep.org)

Heidi Schreck’s play, What the Constitution Means to Me, is a powerful piece of drama.  One might think, given its very relevant content, that it was just created.  In fact, it was first presented on Broadway in 2019 and was nominated for two Tony Awards.  It had runs across the country and was named Best Play of the Year by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other publications.

Two characters dominate the first two-thirds of the play set in 1998, Heidi recreating her 15-year-old self and the Legionnaire who is MC of a contest about the U.S. Constitution.  What starts out as some factual questions on the specific sections of the document quickly devolves into Heidi’s reflections on the rights that are or are not granted to women, Blacks, and others.  She shifts into the present and digresses on the lives of her mother and her grandmother and their experiences of abusive men.  She then shares some of her own life choices.  

Later, both characters transition to the present, and there is a live debate between actress Julie Gibson and high school senior Amari Bullett.  The audience is encouraged to react to what’s being said, and one person is chosen to be the deciding judge. 

We found the opening 15 minutes setting up the contest to be drawn out and verging on tedious.  However, once Heidi got immersed in her family and how individuals’ rights are limited, we were fully engaged.  Playmakers is based at UNC, and performances run through November 3rd.  Well worth seeing!!

DINING OUT

Istanbul Restaurant & Cafe, Cary

Chicken shish kebab

Istanbul is literally right outside our door, and we had been meaning to try it.  We went for an early dinner and were very pleased.  I ordered the chicken shish kebab which came with bulghur and a mixed salad.  The Chief Penguin had the adana kebab (chopped lamb and beef with spices) which also was accompanied by bulghur and salad.  The portions were generous and tasty.  

We were tempted by the fried calamari but will try that appetizer on another visit.  While Istanbul does not have a liquor license, they were happy to provide glasses for wine.  Open for lunch and dinner and takeout seven days of the week.  Recommended! 

Note: All unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Carolina Moments: Reading, Wandering & Eating

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It seemed appropriate with the upcoming election to be reading this week about Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

On our latest Raleigh Ramble, we stopped by the Raleigh Capitol and admired some historic architecture. Add in a good meal and the result is a most satisfying combination of food for mind and body.

RECENT READING

Ketanji Brown Jackson (wikipedia.com)

MEMORABLE BIOGRAPHY: Lovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson

In Lovely One, the newest Supreme Court Justice and the first Black woman justice provides an intimate account of her upbringing and her career.  It is both poignant and heartwarming.  Ketanji Brown Jackson’s parents bore the scars of pre-civil rights days. But they were smart and determined individuals who became schoolteachers.  They instilled strong values in their daughter, gave her an important appreciation of her African heritage, and spurred her to do her best and excel.  

Jackson shares her experiences of frequently being the only Black person in her classroom or workplace.  While popular in high school, and both a class leader and a star on the debate team, she was always conscious of her difference.  Although she had studied in largely white environments, her first year at Harvard without any family nearby was hard and isolating.  Nonetheless, she excelled, later returning to Harvard for her law degree and serving as an editor on the Harvard Law Review.

Meeting Patrick Jackson, husband to be, was transformative for her.  Together they faced the challenges of an interracial marriage between two individuals from very different social classes and navigated the complexities of demanding, high-powered careers.  Jackson is candid about the stresses of motherhood while working in a big law firm with a husband putting in his own long hours in surgery. 

I found this memoir more personal than others I’ve read about public figures.  I particularly enjoyed learning about Jackson’s various mentors from her high school debate coach to the judges she worked for, to her stint as a clerk to Justice Stephen Breyer.  She is generous in her accounts even while occasionally noting someone’s shortsightedness.  

Overall, this is a very good read and gives one a fuller appreciation of what is required to be an effective judge.  Recommended!  (~JWFarrington)

RALEIGH RAMBLE #3

AROUND THE CAPITOL

This week our short ramble, Abroad at Home, included historic architecture, a fun shop, and food.  We started outside the North Carolina Capitol building and noted its soaring World War II memorial.  

Across from the Capitol is the history museum (on the list for a future visit) flanked by various banners including this relevant one about voting.  

Walking on, I was impressed by two churches in different architectural styles.  First Baptist Church, organized in 1812, opened in 1859 in a Gothic Revival style building designed by English architect, William Percival. This cream stuccoed building is scored to give it the appearance of stone.  Its lovely spire is 160 feet tall. 

First Baptist Church
First Presbyterian Church

Just down the block, also on Salisbury St,. is the red brick First Presbyterian Church. Established in 1816, this church building, although renovated several times, dates to 1900.  It has a very present bell tower and is in the Romanesque Revival style.

Interior of Lucettegrace

In our stroll, we also encountered Deco, a slightly funky colorful shop with everything from greeting cards to occasional dishes and the like, and Lucettegrace, a welcoming patisserie with punches of yellow.  I bought several cards in Deco, and the Chief Penguin succumbed to some treats for breakfast at the bakery.   

TAPAS FOR LUNCH

On our way to our lunch destination, we took a slight detour and purchased toffee at Videri Chocolate Factory.  

Lunch at an outside table at Barcelona Wine Bar in the Dillon was all we had hoped it would be.  A warm welcome and efficient waitstaff— even to the point of arranging umbrellas to ward off the noontime sun!  Plus, a fun menu of choices.  We are not particularly fond of brunch, so were pleased to find tapas that didn’t include eggs.  

The patatas bravas, a must order for the Chief Penguin, was a generous plateful.  We loved the piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese, the spiced beef empanadas, and the ham and manchego croquetas.  We also sampled the salt cod bunuelos (round fritters on a chive aioli).   Add in a glass of red or white Spanish wine and you have a very tasty meal!

We miss our favorite tapas restaurant in Manhattan (closed after Covid) and are delighted to have this gem close by!

TRICK OR TREAT!

Ready for Halloween in the park!

Note: All unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Carolina Moments: Abroad at Home

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STAYING LOCAL

It’s October and this is usually the month when the Chief Penguin and I spend some weeks abroad:  in Italy, France, Chile, New Zealand, or even Madagascar in 2009.  This year, as newcomers to the area, we are instead exploring our new neighborhood and venturing into Raleigh, the Oak City, and North Carolina’s capital. Our goal is to try a new restaurant for lunch every week this month and likely into November.

RALEIGH RAMBLE

This week we had lunch reservations at Whiskey Kitchen, an industrial looking dining room, in the Fayetteville Street District.  

To make things stress free, we took Lyft in and arrived early to explore the few blocks around the restaurant.  

Some years ago, my niece introduced us to Videri Chocolate Factory.  We located it again and were able to check out the coffee roasters in this same building, the Raleigh Depot.  The chocolate shop wasn’t yet open, but we wandered around outside the building enticed by the fragrant smell of chocolate.   

The depot was built in 1912 to receive railway freight through large steel doors.  It also had a doorway for horse-drawn carriages. In 2003-2004, the building was restored. 

We heard a passing train and realized we were very close to Raleigh’s Union Station.  We picked our way around a bit of construction before we found a walkway to the station entrance. The station was almost empty, but modern, clean, and attractive.  

We consulted with the man at the ticket window and learned that the fare to ride the train from Cary to Raleigh is only $5 one way!  You can also ride the Piedmont line to Greensboro and Charlotte. 

Nash Square

We strolled into Nash Square, a compact green space with shade trees and perennials and crisscrossing walkways.   In the center is a bronze sculpture, North Carolina Firefighters Memorial, honoring those killed in the line of duty.  Plaques along a low brick wall around the statue list their names.  The work was dedicated in 2006.

Close-up of firefighters memorial

The square is named for Abner Nash, who served during the Revolutionary War from 1780-1781 as the state’s second governor and subsequently as a member of the Second Continental Congress.

Lunch at Whiskey Kitchen met all our requirements.  

Friendly service and delicious food in an attractive setting.  We both ordered the day’s special blackened mahi sandwich and had a side of cole slaw or a green salad.  We also sampled one of the wines on offer.

On Martin and Davie Streets, we discovered several other restaurants we want to try.  Across from Videri Chocolate is The Pit, a barbeque joint, and farther on in The Dillon are both La Terrazza and Barcelona.  La Terrazza is on the 9th floor and has an indoor seating area and an expansive terrace overlooking Raleigh’s skyline.  

Raleigh skyline from The Dillon 9th floor

This restaurant is only open in the evenings, but worth a return visit.  Down at street level, Barcelona Wine Bar serves tapas at night and is open for brunch on the weekends.  It beckons us to make a date soon!

READING:  ESCAPING ON THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI

James by Percival Everett

Author Everett (spectator.co.uk)

Percival Everett has written several notable novels, so I was surprised that I had not encountered his writing until now.  James is a re-telling of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, but from Jim’s perspective.  It is funny, perceptive, and a searing depiction of how one person’s appearance (be he be born Black or wearing “white face” over black skin) determines how that person is treated.

Knowing he is to be sold and moved to New Orleans, away from his wife and daughter, Jim runs away.  Huck, who was taken in by the Widow Watson and whose father is mean and nasty, also escapes.  Huck finds Jim and the two of them travel on the Mississippi River together, mostly by night, hiding by day, and catching catfish to eat.  Jim has multiple reasons to need to escape; boy Huck is mainly fleeing his violent father.  

They have adventures together and then get separated.  Jim makes a friend, Norman, who appears white and pretends to own Jim.  One of the funniest moments in the book is when Jim is recruited by a troupe of white men who perform in Black Face.  Their faces need blackening, while Jim needs some whitening around the eyes.  

Overall, it is a captivating and stunning portrayal of Jim, self-dubbed James, who endures physical and emotional brutality, while cherishing books.  The gift of a pencil enables him to begin to write his own life story.  Highly recommended and one of the best books I’ve read this year, it is a finalist for the Booker Prize. If I were a high school teacher, I’d assign in my English classes.

Readers may also be interested that Everett is the author of Erasure, the novel on which the Academy Award nominated film American Fiction is based.

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.). Header photo is a sign in the Raleigh train station.

Carolina Comments: Having Fun!

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KINDS OF FUN

With all the tension in the world and around the upcoming election, it can be helpful to have an outlet that distracts us, makes us laugh, or gets us up and moving around. This week, you get a TV series, a fun novel, and Olympics for the mature set.

ADVENTURES IN WINE MAKING, KIWI STYLE

Under the Vines, Season 3 (Prime Video)

William, Louis, & Daisy (primevideo.com)

In this latest season of Under the Vines, Daisy and Louis, co-inheritors of Oakley Wines, are challenged by the arrival of obnoxious William, who claims to own part of the winery.  Their focus is on scheming both legally and otherwise to get him to leave, while Daisy plans her upcoming wedding.  

The supporting cast includes the mostly silent, but talented winemaker Tippy, their local friends Nic and Vic who are awaiting the arrival of twins, and Gus, who returns when his relationship with movie start Griff collapses.  Add in their chief competitors Don and Marissa and the somewhat flaky Hilary, fortune teller and devotee of the occult, and you have a spirited ensemble.  

 This comedy-drama is fun and occasionally silly, an energizing change from crime shows.  It’s best to start with the first season, but I think this one is the best.  Recommended!

FINDING ONESELF THROUGH FOOD

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl

Reichl (austin.eater.com)

Ruth Reichl’s The Paris Novel has a bit of everything: scenes of Paris, that famous bookstore Shakespeare & Company, and appearances by literary figures like James Baldwin, John Ashbery, and Allen Ginsburg. And of course, food and cooking.  Knitting it together is Stella’s somewhat delayed coming-of-age story.  

At her mother’s death, Stella is left with money and the directive, “Go to Paris.”  She has lived a sheltered, controlled life.  She wasn’t close to her mother, she works as a copy editor, and she hasn’t ventured out of her comfort zone.  Paris overwhelms her, and Stella flounders a bit until Jules, a kindly older art collector and widower, takes her under his wing.  

She discovers the bookstore, drops in there, and reluctantly becomes a Tumbleweed, those who help in exchange for the privilege of staying overnight in an alcove.  Stella’s main quest has to do with finding out about a piece of art (Jules is helpful here). Secondarily, she wonders about the mystery father she never knew or was told about.  In the process, she samples all manner of French dishes and is pleased to learn that she has a discriminating palate and perhaps even talent in the kitchen.

There’s a lot going on in this novel, probably too many strands, but it’s a fun adventure—watching Stella expand her horizons while vicariously savoring all those luscious French meals.  For those who might not know, Reichl was the editor of Gourmet magazine for ten years. Bon appetit!

MATURE OLYMPICS

Brightspire Olympics

Who would have thought that senior living communities would host an annual Olympics?  Well, to my surprise and skepticism, four Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) in North Carolina compete each fall in a host of activities, both physical and mental.  There are some obvious events like bocce ball, pickleball, and walking races, but also timed puzzle contests and a quiz bowl.  Residents sign up in the summer for their preferred event and practices are held.  There are even cheerleaders, decked out in short skirts and tops with pompoms ready!

For those of us, like me, who were spectators only, highlights included cheering the arrival of the other teams midst band music, the opening parade of all the competitors (lead athlete with a torch, of course), chair dancing and line dancing performances, and witnessing the nail-biting last round of the quiz bowl competition.  A spirit of fun and camaraderie reigned all day at Glenaire.  It was hard not to get caught up in it!

Showcasing Olympic smiles

Note: Unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)