Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Pie OH MY!
40 52
IN PIE WE CRUST DO UBL E EX PO SUR E
Pie oh my, indeed, friends. After untold calories— What do Andy Warhol, Crystal Bridges and
and so much research—we’re finally ready to dish on one Southern funeral homes have in common? They’ve
of our favorites. Fair warning: Pie puns abound all been photographed by one man: Tim Hursley
As told to Bonnie Bauman and Mariam Makatsaria By Jordan P. Hickey
Photography by Arshia Khan Portrait by John David Pittman
18 80
Front Porch Dispatches
13 FIVE THINGS FIRST 31 FROM LITTLE ROCK
Bird spotting, beard growing, Healing with the help of
bowling score-keeping, birth- a friend
day brewing and the little-
36 FROM LITTLE ROCK
known history of African-
Voices from a forgotten
American athletes
desegregation
20 BIG DAM PHOTO
A sign to stay in the Ozarks
22 PERSON OF INTEREST
Arkansas’ new head of tour-
Table
90
ism, Jim Dailey, sells us on
the state 73 FIRST TASTE Taking a
spin around the new Leverett
Lounge
Life/Style 78 CRAVINGS We’re not lazy, Venture
we’re efficient: getting din-
25 WELLNESS Racing, past
ner to-go -
the finish line 80 THE FEED A foodie love- 83 AFIELD Don’t drone on— “I don’t know if anyone
28 ASK THE EXPERT State-
letter and a reason for mo’
moscato
drone up!
can express how it feels
88 CULTURALIST Bon temps,
ment lighting worthy of
exclamations black power and the Triplets of
to be ignored for so
Belleville many years.”
90 HOMETOWN Know what page 36
72 you want? What you need?
Well, Batesville’s got it
-
I
’m a Michigan transplant who was reared in the melting pot of
Northwest Arkansas, so I like to think I didn’t truly become an something delicious wrapped
up in the stuff of memories. “The Apple of Our Pie”
Arkansan until I enrolled at the University of Arkansas. But if
Sweet and simple.
I’m being honest, the true conversion took place a year later and a
couple blocks down the street from the registrar’s office.
And about that Tri-Delt Pie— “The Slice Is Right”
how’s this for simple: Beat two
I became an Arkansan at 920 W. Maple St., aka the Tri-Delt house.
eggs in a bowl, then blend in a
cup of sugar, a half cup of flour,
Suddenly, my friends weren’t from California and Chicago and “Days Gone Pie”
a stick of melted butter and a
Kansas City like they’d been when I was growing up near Walmart
teaspoon of vanilla. Stir in a
HQ. I quickly learned that Ashdown’s near Texarkana and Hamburg’s cup of pecans and 6 ounces of
down by Louisiana and that El Dorado is somewhere in the middle. chocolate chips, pour into an “Pie All Means”
I learned about DeWitt’s Demolition Derby and that if you’re from unbaked pie shell and bake at
Brinkley, you know rice. I learned other things, too: how to say y’all 325 degrees for 50 minutes.
with abandon, and how to differentiate “seal” from “sill” absent of Serve to your favorite tried-
context. (It’s subtle, but there’s an ever-so-slight difference if you and-true Arkansans with a glass “Eyes on the Pies”
really listen.) I learned, much to my dismay, that true Arkansas girls of sweet tea. I’m sure they won’t
know football. I also learned to love pecan pie. soon forget it.
“We Only Have Pies for You”
It was something that had never graced my northern grandmothers’ Cheers,
tables, something that no relative had ever requested for Thanksgiving Feedback? We’d love to hear from you!
“supper.” And it didn’t look like much—there was no pleasantly Email us at katie@arkansaslife.com, tweet us
braided crust or jewel-toned filling oozing out. But it was on our @ArkansasLife or send us some snail mail to
dining tables every formal chapter dinner and it was often still warm P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR, 72203.
V.P./CIRCULATION
SCOTT STINE
LARRY GRAHAM
Champagne! With oysters,
fried chicken and potato Favorite snack?
Interesting pie tidbit?
the air. Which NICHE PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR STACI MILLER FRANKLIN
There’s a place in Mexico
chips. Raw cashews.
dBBBBee “I’ll watch Friends with
romantic RETAIL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
SHAVE
THE DATE
The Root Cafe/
Arkansas Times’ annual
beard and mustache
contest is back this
month and hairier
than ever
T
here’ll be a lot to see come Feb. 10 at SoMa’s Bernice And before that, Jessie Owens
Garden. Goatees and French forks. Mutton chops and Van “The Black Razorbacks surprised me—still surprise me. It was a was being pushed into the
Dykes. Waxed beards, Santa Claus beards, dyed beards, faux group of teenage African-Americans native to Fayetteville in the political realm when the U.S.
beards, polka-dot beards, 2-foot-long beards. But look a little closer late 1920s [who] began scrimmaging against their white neighbors wanted him to run in Nazi
and you’ll see a fellow off to the side—you’ll know him by the who lived in the same south-Fayetteville neighborhood. And as Germany. And now, some in
graphite-gray backdrop he’s standing behind, and the camera in H Think you have the best they grew older, the African-American boys joined a community society are acting like that’s
mustache? Best groomed
his hand. That’s photographer Rett Peek, and for the past six years, team—and became known as “the Black Razorbacks” in the white- not kosher.”
beard? You can register on
since the founding of the annual Root Cafe/Arkansas Times Beard & site the day of the contest.
owned newspaper. And the reason was because the Razorbacks
Mustache Contest, he’s been immortalizing Little Rock’s bristliest More info? Call (501) 414- gave them hand-me-downs, and so did the [Fayetteville] Bulldogs. For more information about
beards and the men who grow them (and the women and kiddos who 0423. The Black Razorbacks would scrimmage against the same group of Evin’s book, visit thesportsseer.
don them). Here are a few of his favorite snaps from contests past. white players who were then at Fayetteville High School. And the com.
BIRD BY BIRD
It’s a big job, keeping track of all our fine-feathered
friends. Here’s how you can pitch in during this year’s
Great Backyard Bird Count
M
aybe you’ve spied a curious cardinal on your fence post
or seen a pair of doves roosting in the eaves. If you have,
you’re already halfway to helping the scientists at the
Audubon Society keep track of the feathered set who call this
neck of the woods home. For four days each February, the society
enlists the help of regular joes—seasoned birdwatchers and novices
alike—to collect real-time data, which helps them better grasp the
“big picture” bird population. (Last year, that picture was quite big:
data trickled in from more than 180,000 checklists tallied in more
than 100 countries.) To take part, all you need’s an eBird log-in
(follow the link below), a good eye and a working knowledge of
the types of birds that might be hanging around your feeders. To
help, we asked Arkansas Audubon Society’s conservation director
Dr. Dan Scheiman to give us some insight on the 10 species we’re
most likely to see in Arkansas backyards. —kb
No_5
HOPPY BEERTHDAY!
Getting a slice of the keg at Paris’
Prestonrose Farm and Brewing Co.
S
ome places just know
how to birthday.
No_4
The second weekend
of this month (Feb. 8-11),
the folks at Prestonrose Farm
and Brewing Co. are gonna be
hosting a bash to celebrate their H Can’t make the birthday bash?
Make plans for the Valentine’s Day
second “Beerthday,” pulling out
four-course beer-pairing dinner at the
H The Big Lebowski knows
all the stops over the course of farm.
how to keep score when a long weekend.
bowling. Do you … Dude? Given the opportunity, we’d
totally spring to make the
(rather substantial) trek out
as possible. So if after slinging two balls down the lane, you’ve only to Paris each of the four days,
LET’S ROLL taken out three pins, you’ll jot down three points for that frame—or
round—of the scorecard.
(house-made charcuterie on
Friday? King cake, beignets statewide. This is, after all, a
place whose ingredients often
and Cajun fare on Sunday? All
Keeping score in bowling can be tough to pin down HERE’S WHERE IT STARTS TO GET CONFUSING, THOUGH. of the yeses). But, friends: If grow right underfoot. The
Special bonuses are earned for knocking down all 10 pins during a you’re only able to make it there hops in an English IPA? The
turn. If you manage to clear the lane on the first roll—a “strike”— once, make it Saturday. Liz and chamomile in their chamomile
your turn ends. It ain’t easy, friends, but doing so will net you 10 Mike Preston, the owners of the brown? The peppers in the hot-
“S
mokey, this is not ’Nam. This is bowling. There are points for that round. Plus, you’ll get to tack on the points from the place, are gonna be cramming pepper hefeweizen? All their
rules.” next two rolls you make. To note this on the scorecard, you’ll mark that thing with lots and lots doing and growing. (Note:
We’ll likely be quoting The Big Lebowski’s Walter the strike with an “X” in the box at the top of that frame. Don’t of locally raised beef brisket, We’ve also heard tell that there
Sobchak around the office as that happiest of hours nears each write anything below—not just yet, anyway. On your next turn, you’ll heritage pork, local pasture- might be a special beer that’s
evening—Dust Bowl Lanes & Lounge has officially opened just record the number of pins knocked down—let’s say, 3 and 4—at the raised chicken, an as-yet-to- been brewed for the occasion,
about a block from our building in downtown Little Rock. This top of the second frame. Then you’ll add the total—7—to the 10 you be-determined fish and some but they’re keeping things
retro-inspired bowling alley has it all: vintage ’70s decor, a full bar got from the strike, marking “17” at the bottom of that first frame. housemade tofu made from under wraps.)
(White Russians for all!) and snacks ranging from burgers to poutine Arkansas soybeans. As you might expect, the
to something called “totchos.” They even have a karaoke room! STILL WITH US? OK, LET’S TALK ABOUT SPARES. Buttttttt that’s all kinda availability and variety of
And while The Dust Bowl is equipped with the modern automatic If you’re able to knock down all 10 pins in two tries, you’ll earn a secondary. most all the brewery’s rotating
scoring systems we’ve all become accustomed to, why not embrace spare. To record it, you’ll note how many pins you got on the first Thing is, for as great as the beers kinda hinges on what’s
the retro nature of the place and do things the old-fashioned way roll—say, 5—in the top left of the frame, then draw a forward slash food is—just about all of which available. But if there’s one
with pencil and paper? If you want to avoid angering the Walters in the box next to it. Whatever you get on your next roll—say, 4— is raised locally, and even on thing we’re certain of, it’s
of the world, though, you’ll need to know the proper way to fill in you’ll then add to the spare, which is worth 10 points. In this case, the farm itself—Prestonrose this: With all of Prestonrose’s
the scorecard’s frames. Here’s how you do it: that’ll be 14. has earned a devoted following plans to expand—f rom
their Beer Farm Bistro to a
FOR THE MOST PART, YOU’RE JUST TALLYING HOW MANY FINALLY: whole slew of events—there’s
PINS YOU’VE KNOCKED DOWN. If you manage to score a strike or a spare on the 10th and final never been a better time for
Each player gets two rolls to knock down as many of the 10 pins frame, you’ll gain one extra bonus roll. —ww celebration. —jph
SEEING
THE
SIGNS
Photography by Taylor Piva
PERSON OF INTEREST
JIM DAILEY
The new director of Arkansas Tourism knows a
thing or two about selling folks on The Natural
State
By Mariam Makatsaria | Photography by john david pittman
WELLNESS
GIVE IT A REST
You’ve put in the hard
work and reached the
finish line—now it’s time
to put your feet up
By Mariam Makatsaria
KEEP IT IN PROPORTION.
THE MODERNIST: JILL WHITE The size of the fixture also
depends on the size of the
room—smaller rooms need
-
1. Precision large pendant by Kelly Wearstler. 2. Halcyon linear pendant
-
by Kelly Wearstler. 3. Precision large pendant by Kelly Wearstler. 4. 1. Calais chandelier by Niermann Weeks for Visual Comfort. 2. Pagoda lantern by Coleen and Company.
Melange sconce by Kelly Wearstler. All available through Jill White Designs. 3. Lynn wall sconce by Aerin Lauder for Visual Comfort. All available through B. Interiors.
“W
as I a burden?”
his sister, whom I also knew; and the boy who had just dumped His bed, brown jersey sheets, was tucked It was, perhaps, the
him. His hair was the kind of brown that turned almost blond in into a corner against the wall. question I’d been most
the summer or in the winter, or maybe just depending on the light. “You get the inside,” he said. afraid to ask. At the time, to ask for what
- Finally, our salads were delivered, distracting us from the only
subject that we had, by now, failed to broach. We made busy in our
meals, dancing our forks above the leaves. “So,” he said finally, “how
“Fine with me.” I shed my shirt and slid
my jeans down my legs, little hairs fluttering
down from my thighs behind them. I was
I wanted felt like such an imposition. To
dare ask of him that he share his bed, his
warmth with me, when all I had to offer was
“When you’re sick and did this happen?”
I looked up at him and shook my head. “I have no idea.” I began
thankful that he chose that moment to
go brush his teeth. Already, my body was
my own broken body in return seemed crass
and unimaginable.
someone looks at you, they recounting the tale. The lump, the tests, the needles, the blood work,
biopsies, the goodbyes and the move. “And now I’m here. And,” I
paused, “I guess now I just try not to die?”
beginning to change. Where the weight had
shrunk from my cheeks, it gathered around
my waist, and with every movement, new
He looked at me the same way he had
spoken to me that first morning—“no,
Boo”—a tone of why would you even ask, or
never really see you. To “Well, that would be ideal,” he said. tufts of hair would fall loose from my arms
or legs or chest and lose themselves upon
of course the sky is blue. When even your own
body is revolting against you, it becomes so
projection of their own that once my diagnosis was made public, the way people
looked and talked to me would change, it was a concept that I found
impossible to understand until it happened.
inches between us the entire way down like
you were spending the night at an aunt’s
house and were forced to sleep with the
myself, so easy for him to make, yet such a
foreign concept for me. For all survivors, I
think. We’ll always be the crime that crossed
crumblings were your fate When you’re sick and someone looks at you, they never really see
you. To them, you are their own eventualities reflected, a projection
cousin you rarely saw.
We made small talk for a while, about
us, at least in part.
of their own crumblings were your fate theirs. They see themselves college and grad school, Little Rock and
theirs.” as the sick one, what they might look like if they were to be the
unlucky one. For them, you’re just a walking reminder of their own
the people we both knew. We talked about
the boys we had dated and wondered aloud
JUNE 28, 2012
- mortality. In an effort to avoid this, they will stop looking at you. if we’d ever really been in love. We talked
I
stopped and picked up burritos
That is a relief. The tired and frightened eyes of the healthy were until our voices faded and sleep held us, and
for dinner. On my way to his house,
a pressure I struggled with—their constant not knowing what to when my eyes opened, I was only surprised
driving across town, I wondered if I was
say or how to act. that I’d never noticed falling asleep.
normal. If I was typical. If I was statistically
But not him. And that’s why he matters. Because when so many I leaned over to check the clock, still an
significant. My mind searching for the
chose to look away, he looked at me, saw only me. And to have hour before the alarm would ring, and still
color of shallow shipwrecks, a blue that edges green in the shadows, moment when it all began, that one instant
someone look at me, see themselves and keep looking was more an hour before I had anywhere to be. In an
like waves on an angry sea, shading sapphire to emerald, lapis to than I ever knew to ask for. effort to combat my ever-changing body when the first cell decided to turn against
jade. He looks at me like it’s a silly question, like it’s not worth the In some ways, it was and still is the most intimate relationship temperature, I had turned the ceiling fan up me. What was I doing when my body first
weight I’ve let it carry, but also like he understands and that maybe I’ve ever had. To be loved by someone when you’re dying, when they to its highest setting, and now, seven hours decided to commit mutiny? I’ll never know,
he knows that in asking the question of him, I’m really asking myself. know there’s a very good chance that things won’t turn out well is, I later and battling someone who insisted on but I hope I was happy, was outside enjoying
think, one of the biggest sacrifices someone can make for you. When wrapping themselves in as much fabric as the sun, was with friends and that I was
you’re sick, it’s so easy for people to just fade away. After all, that’s was available, I was regretting that decision. laughing.
DEC. 8, 2011 what they expect of you. I wondered what he felt like. It had When I got to his house, the Cubs were
been so long since anyone had touched me on. We ate in silence. The pensive and
rustling silence of not knowing what to say,
I
t took us several weeks, but we finally made a date to have without wearing gloves. My body ached. My
dinner. It was December then, and my first chemo appointment FEB. 22, 2012 skin, atom by atom, strained in his direction. how to broach tomorrow. He was braver.
was the next day. I had told him a few days earlier that I was sick. I had never needed anything so badly. He spoke first.
We had been talking on Facebook, and somehow typing the words, “In all of this, I’ve been scared, but I’m
W
e were having a sleepover, our version of a night on the “Would it make you uncomfortable if I
the gentle patter of fingers on keys replacing voice, seemed safer. town: ice cream, easy-bake cinnamon rolls and late-night put my arm around you?” I whispered it, not worried anymore.”
I had tried not to tell many people, just my closest friends and the TV. The night had become morning, and finally we gave almost hoping he wouldn’t hear. His voice “You were scared? When?”
people in D.C. I knew would miss me once I’d moved back home in to our tired bodies and got ready for bed. He asked me if I’d be was quiet and restful. He looked at me. “Every day in the
to Little Rock. Saying the words, seeing their expressions change, OK on the couch. I said yes and walked over to the closet that held a “No, Boo.” hospital. I didn’t know what would happen.
seeing myself die in their eyes—it was something I wasn’t yet able to stack of blankets. He rose off the couch and tossed his empty bottle My hand slid down and across his torso, I didn’t want to lose you.”
do. Moving my lips, making sounds, it made things real. Somehow, into the recycle bin; it clinked among a dozen others. He turned my face nuzzled into the nape of his neck. “Yeah,” I said putting down the bowl
in the deepest reaches of my imagination, I was still able to believe up the staircase, each step sighing under the weight of his foot, and I rejoiced in his physicality, touching each of ice cream. “Me, too.” The batter on the
that if I never said the words aloud, they would cease to be true. stopped halfway up, his brow just disappearing behind the ceiling, hair with my fingers, each mole with my television struck out and walked back to
We met at a little corner restaurant that served salads and pizza and turned back to me. “Boo, come up.” thumb. Freckles galaxied out across his his dugout. The camera panned up through
and gelato and pretended to be Italian. He was wearing a peacoat I downed the last of my beer and shut the closet door. “OK.” back, tracing the subtle curve of his spine the crowd, thousands eating popcorn, hot
turned up against his neck, and he hugged me like it hadn’t been It was a little name we’d taken to calling each other, “Boo.” I’d first down to where it met my chest, pressing dogs, beer. Each one with smiling, happy,
a year since we’d last seen each other. We went upstairs to a table called him that when I met him at his home, on the front porch of constellations into me and melting into my careless faces. All connected with a singular
and ordered salads and tried to make small talk about anything we a rented carriage house. The light above us was dark. skin in the way that the sky skims beneath emotion projecting onto the field. In groups,
could think of. “What are you doing all Boo Radley-like in the shadows?” I’d the sea at the curve of the Earth until they we thrive, a thousand bouncing energies
I looked at him, and he stared back—not in the devastating way asked. become indistinguishable. converging and diverging, replicating and
A
nd there we were, five years later and finally, over a plate full of sandwiches, I’d
table and ran water over them, washing away gotten answers to the questions I’d always wanted to ask. It was only then that I
the delicate glaze the melted ice cream had realized the answer, as it so often is, wasn’t the point.
left. He came up behind me and wrapped For years, I’d been searching for a name for us, some term or classification that would
an arm around my shoulders. define exactly what we were and what he was to me.
“Let’s go.” Is he what it’s like to have a brother? As an only child, I’ll never know. Savior seems such
We walked up the stars, the second step an awkward word, full of camp and kitsch, but what else do you call someone who was, at
from the top letting out its usual groan. one perfect moment, everything you needed? “Why is English the worst?” He doesn’t know
I turned into the bathroom to brush my a word for us, either.
teeth, while he undressed and turned out He was necessity. I couldn’t have done this without him. Angel, soul mate, savior, friend,
the lights. A moment later, I crawled into whatever you want to call it—in the end, don’t they all play the same part? They save us.
bed beside him. Instinctively, he crossed They make us better. They show us the best in us so that we can go another day.
over me, enveloping me in himself, the I can’t say that he cured me because he didn’t. The doctors did. But he did save me, not
only protection he knew he could offer. just my bones and body, but everything else—my mind, my heart and my soul. The same
My breath left me in a shudder, and with as being alive and existing are two separate things. Existing is what your body does. Keeps
it went the world, or at least the portion your heart beating, eyes blinking, pulsing whatever electrodes we have in our brain to make
of it that I had heaved upon my shoulders it work, your physical presence on this Earth. But being alive, feeling and loving and hurting
throughout the day. “Let it out, Boo. Let it and caring, having an emotional connection to the outside world—that has nothing to do
go. You’ve done everything you can to beat with how healthy your body is or isn’t.
this. Tomorrow is just getting proof of that.” And that’s what he did. He made it easy to stay alive, even when my body didn’t. I don’t
I turned to look at the dark shadow line know what it was, the hand-holding, the hugs, the sleepovers, whatever. He was there. And
on his face that I knew was hiding his eyes. he loved me, and I loved him, and somehow that worked.
I wanted to speak back, tell him how puny Sitting across from me, he’s still the goofy guy I met in college and still the man who
and stupid his words sounded. To tell him saved my life. I’ll never see a simple side to him, and I suppose that there will always be
that there were no words for him to say, a part of me that searches for how to put who he is and what he did for me into words.
no thought in his mind or touch in his Getting up from the table, we make plans to see each other the next day. With him, there
body that could counterbalance the crush will always be a tomorrow.
of Forever as it sat upon my chest. My
mouth opened, but before I could speak,
the dappled light of the moon through the Now five years cancer-free, Seth Eli Barlow is a Cleveland county native who works as a writer
blinds caught the tear track on my cheek, and sommelier in Little Rock. He and “Boo” will celebrate a decade of friendship in 2018. They
and his lips were brushing against my hair, still root for the Chicago Cubs.
M
y name is LaVerne Bell-Tolliver. I attended Forest Heights anxious, pretty nervous, even though she when it was minus 5 degrees. I happened to
Junior High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1961. … didn’t say anything during that time. She arrive at school … so early that the doors of
I was the only one to attend that school for the first two drove me to school. the buildings were locked. … She saw me
“O
n May 23, 1961,” Dr. LaVerne Bell-Tolliver writes in the
years, the seventh and eighth grades. In the ninth grade, two other That day I remembered her holding my standing against the wall trying to just find a
opening lines of her new book, “the Little Rock School Board
students attended with me, but [for] those first two years, I was the hand. … This school … was in an affluent way to keep warm. … Initially she unlocked
designated twenty-five students to be the first African-
only African-American student there. area. … Children of privilege were attending her door and was preparing to walk in, and
Americans (then called “Negroes” or “Coloreds”) to attend four of the five
public Little Rock junior high schools.” For the next 18 pages, the story is that school. So there was not outwardly on … turned around, and just told me to come
Did you know the other two students who came in your that first day the name calling or yelling or on into the room. She never said a word to
straightforward, easily digested. Although it deals with a branch of history ninth-grade year before they attended? jeering or any of that. … When we walked me or anything [during that time]. It was
that’s been largely overshadowed by its counterpart—the desegregation of
through the crowd that was standing around my teacher, by the way. … But she never said
Little Rock Central High School in 1957—the overview that these pages I knew one of them. … She lived a few blocks over [from my house]. the door, waiting for the school to open, a word to me. But she allowed me to come
provide is clear and concise and lays a contextual foundation for what’s The other student, I did not know. one little child said “Hi.” … I could tell into the room where it was warm. That was
to follow. It’s an account that is, in tone and timbre, like so many others. that my mother was calmer right then. … a kindness.
The second part, however, is what makes it stand apart from so many And you completed all three grades there? She left, but that was the last time that
histories of that era. If the first section was a photograph, then the second child said anything to me. No one else said Did you attend a predominantly white
section—appropriately titled “Our Stories”—is where the formerly still Yes, I did. anything … on that particular day. … The high school as well?
image starts to move, speak, come to life. For just over 200 pages, we hear, other memories that I have are of people
firsthand, from 18 of the 25 students who integrated the once exclusively What … were your experiences … with the white who would … push one person onto me and Yes, I did. … I attended Hall High School,
Pie Love:
CHOCOLATE FUDGE
BROWNIE PIE
�
my husband and I both kind
of tore into the pie. We just
stood at the counter, not even
Pie Lover: bothering to sit down or get a
plate or anything. It was just
REX NELSON
� Pie Love:
so delicious. You really can’t go
wrong with a brownie that has
a pie crust on it. It’s got this
BLUEBERRY PIE
Pie Lover: crunchy top on it that looks
EVETTE BRADY crinkly. You get into it, and it’s
Pie Love:
“I grew up in southwest
Arkansas, in Arkadelphia.
My dad was a big fisherman
this soft, rich chocolate. But
then you get that pastry crust
EGG CUSTARD PIE so we would go to Lake that’s flaky and cuts through
Ouachita, and we would stay the sweetness of the filling.”
Oh, Honey
“I remember going
Franke’s Cafeteria in
Little Rock with my mom
to Pies (shown
above and
at left). They
at the old Shangri-La Resort
in Mt. Ida. I grew up eating
their homemade pies. They’re
Kelli is the owner of Sweet
Love Bakes in Little Rock, but
Sweetie
and my family as a kid, getting couldn’t be any wonderful, the best I’ve had her newest venture, Cathead’s
in line and then getting to the more perfect, in the state. If I had to pick Diner, opens this spring in Little
thanks to a favorite—and I’m glad I Rock’s East Village. On the
desserts. Oh my god, I couldn’t
owner Sharon don’t have to—it would be the menu: Pie. And biscuits. And
wait to get to the desserts. I
Woodson’s blueberry pie. You don’t see donuts. Read more on page 80.
always got the same thing: the
egg custard pie. I want to say and executive blueberry pies at a whole lot of
I was about 8 or 9 years old pastry chef places. It has a rich, sweet, gooey
�
pies
Anne Wood’s berry taste, and it’s got what I
when I first had it. I’m 60 now,
know-how. consider to be a perfect crust.
so I grew up on that pie. It was
(Just flip back What is so wonderful about the
the best thing in the world. I
mean, oh my goodness. Just
to the cover if Shangri-La Resort is that it’s Pie Lover:
you need any like stepping back in time. It STEVE SHULER
heaven. I think a lot of people more proof.) looks now just the same as it
would say that it’s almost like
a flan, because it has egg yolks
did back in the 1960s—like a
movie set. So it’s the experience
Pie Love:
and heavy cream and a hint of PEANUT BUTTER PIE
as a whole, and it’s as close as
nutmeg. And butter—tons and I can get in Arkansas to going
In which a baker’s dozen
of Arkansas foodies reveal
tons of butter.”
�
it, so it was something I wanted
to check out. It was in a garage,
and as far as I could tell, there
Pie Lover: was no refrigeration. We got a
coconut cream pie. Hers had a
JOËL ANTUNES
regular pie crust, coconut cream
Pie Love: with toasted meringue on top.
crust and everything ready. Do you know that child fixed them and they
PARADISE PIE Scott is the executive chef of
looked prettier than mine’s, everything just as smooth and even. So I These interviews were conducted by Sherri Sheu on behalf of the Southern Joël is the executive chef at One Yellow Rocket Concepts, which
said, ‘How did you learn that?’ She said ‘Watching you.’” Foodways Alliance. For more information, visit southernfoodways.org. Eleven in Little Rock’s Capital
Hotel. “T he pie that’s most adored—
one that’s been in my
family for generations—is
owns and operates Big Orange,
Local Lime, Lost Forty Brewing
Co. and ZaZa Fine Salad and
Editor’s note: This pie is not the Paradise Pie, also called Wood-Oven Pizza Co.
No Hard
1 cup sugar
fillings
Cafe in December 2013, she 1 cup shredded coconut
started making pies. Which is
astounding. Because to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream
this coconut cream pie—the sugar and butter until light and
dollop of cream whipped in- fluffy. Add flour, then add eggs one
… but this pie? The one whipped up house, the crust a feat of flaky at a time. Mix in vanilla and milk.
in teensy Wilson by Shari' Haley of perfection, the coconut filling Stir in coconut. Add mix to your
… Good heavens, that cococut prepared pie crust and bake until
Wilson Cafe? It might just be the filling—you’d think she’d spent firm, about 40-50 minutes. Top with
best we’ve had a lifetime getting it just right. whipped cream.
“I was probably in
when stumbled upon
my 30s
Pie
a couple. Back in the car, I
made it a wonderful experience.” took a bite. And you know
that scene in Ratatouille when
Allen is an author, television Anton Ego, the food critic,
host, entrepreneur and
takes a bite of the ratatouille
conservationist focused on
and is instantly transported
organic gardening, green
back to his childhood? That’s
design and garden-to-table
what happened to me. That
chart
cooking.
bite brought me right back to
my grandmother’s kitchen in
Gurdon, and she’d just handed
� me one of her chocolate pies, a
simple, humble pie made with
Honey Pies'
Apple Pie
Pie Lover: just four ingredients: dough,
“Heart follows belly in matters
Around the Arkansas Life
cocoa, confectioners sugar and
LOUIS PETIT butter. And it was warm and
of pie. So while there are many offices, sweets are more
pies that I’ve loved and longed
the chocolate was molten and than just dessert—they’re
Pie Love: it tasted like the best chocolate
after since taking up residence
in Arkansas, the apple pie from science. Here, a statistical
DUTCH APPLE PIE chip cookie you’ve ever had. Honey Pies has my heart. Likely
because I once ate an entire Cafe Bossa Nova’s breakdown of our go-to
That. Pie.”
Four-layer Pie
“D
thing over the course of an
o you know Community
afternoon.” —Jordan P. Hickey
Arkansas slices
Baker y? They have Kat is a food and travel writer “There’s a lot to love about Little
wonderful apple pies. Most based in Little Rock, and has Rock’s Cafe Bossa Nova: the cheese
apple pies that you buy in stores written the book on pie in bread, the caipirinhás, those chicken
are very sugary and sweet. It’s Arkansas—Arkansas Pie: A crêpes. But if I’m being honest? It’s
When Charlotte's Delicious Slice of the Natural this creamy, chocolaty, shortbread-y
cloying. I don’t like it when Eats & Sweets pie I’ve got on my mind each time I
State—and is currently working
there’s so much sugar that it says "mile-high on a follow-up as well as an talk my friends into joining us there
tastes like an apple mousse. The meringue," AETN documentary titled Make for dinner—not that it’s a tough sell.”
pies at Community Bakery— they're not Room for Pie. Both debut in —Katie Bridges
you can taste more of the fruit. playing around. March.
��
Pie Lover:
VINCE PIANALTO
Pie Love:
MILE-HIGH BANANA
CREAM MERINGUE PIE
��
Pie Lover: “T he meringue was like a
glacier on top. It was my
birthday, and when the waitress
nuts than it needs, but it is so
STEVEN BROOKS at Charlotte's Eats and Sweets
delicious. So delicious.”
in England recommended pie
Pie Love: Steven is the host and executive for dessert, we were all kind of
NUT BUSTER producer of the AETN’s Cooks lukewarm about it. We were all
with Brooks as well as the just like, OK, pie. We’ve all had pie.
��
pies in the lineup. I remember favorite slice factor. It was light and fluffy
sinking my fork into a slice and fall pie the and springy. And the banana
falling in love, and it has been wayside? Did filling had that homemade
my go-to ever since. I’ve got
one in my kitchen right now,
Pie Lover: we turn a
blind pie to a
banana-custard taste to it. And
the crust was crunchy and really
and I’m going to go treat myself MATTHEW MCCLURE transcendent stood up to the cream and the
to a slice. Oh my goodness! Oh tart? Reach out
my goodness! It’s chocolaty and Pie Love: to us on Twitter
meringue. The only bad thing
about the experience was I had
you can taste all three of the SWEET POTATO PIE or Facebook
to share. But we all ended up
nuts—the toasted almonds and let us
going home with a whole pie
“I
and pecans and walnuts—and was driving back f rom know.
each—it was that good.”
the decadence of the drizzle of a cooking event in
white and dark chocolate. It’s Mississippi and after about Vince is a chef instructor
sinful. This is like a chocolate- two hours on the road I for pastry at Brightwater: A
pecan pie that’s been taken to became ravenous. I also had Center for the Study of Food in
the next level and given more a headache. There’d been a Bentonville.
O
the renowned
architectural
photographer
has developed
a portfolio of
clients with
p
names like
Warhol, Gehry
and Safdie,
while his
personal work,
U
in contrast, has
taken him into
brothels and
o funeral homes.
But spend time
with him, and
you understand
it’s all the
same
B s
L r BY JORDAN
P. HICKEY
E
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY TIM
HURSLEY AND
PORTRAIT BY
e JOHN DAVID
PITTMAN
The colors
didn’t match.
The sky
was natural.
The sand
was natural.
decades since he'd taken up 1990. sometimes it takes spending time with someone to get an adequate with two identically positioned, yellow-complexioned figures—each in the lab of the Pine Bluff Mortuary, taking photographs of a place
residence there. Most telling, however, are look behind the curtain. with their right hands raised in salutation—outlined different aspects that, just a few minutes before, had been occupied by the deceased.
Those poster-sized his archives. Behind a door at of the human circulatory system. And to Tim’s left, just outside the There wasn’t anything especially compelling about the place,
The Network
photographs of New York’s the end of a narrow corridor, frame, was Avery Alexander, the owner of the lab, who was very neither from the inside nor the outside. It was a small brick building
Museum of Modern Art? That a former darkroom is climate- Oprah Winfrey much alive, though visibly skeptical about Tim’s project. across the street from a train yard and a delapidated cottonseed oil
was him. The black-and-white controlled and filled with black was playing in the embalming lab. Two empty stainless-steel gurneys “So, I got that one,” Tim said, “but I want to do one of just the mill. Two white hearses languished out back, leafy weeds creeping
photograph of Andy Warhol file cabinets whose handwritten filled the majority of the tiled fluorescent-lit room. It smelled like one—would you call it a gurney?” along the tread of their wheels from the white gravel drive. A chapel
positioned on a bookshelf beside labels show names like Gehry baby wipes, which, as it turns out, is also what embalming fluid “Mhm,” Avery said. across the way, which had once been a meeting place for a plumbers'
the Mr. Cool sign? Him. The and Safdie. These are the smells like. The muffled hum of a ventilation system played behind “If we push this one back, I’m just going to step in here and get union, had a main room filled with stacks of chairs and three alcoves,
books about the Rural Studio negatives from the nearly 30 the dialogue, which injected into the otherwise silent space an odd a closer-up of that one.” with dimmable multicolored lights. A small showroom in the back
and the brothels of Nevada? years Tim has spent crisscrossing artifice of tension and drama. “I want you to lie on the ground,” the television continued as was lined with coffins braced to the walls, along with a bicycle and
Also him. Even the most the globe, photographing some “And you knew he did the same thing to us,” the television Tim and Avery navigated the gurney out of the frame and started a large photo of Avery’s mother.
curious of the taxidermy—the of the world’s best-known declared, “my resentment is so strong …” to discuss the placement of a bucket. Undeterred by the lack of Like virtually all of the funeral homes Tim had photographed
aforementioned two-headed architecture. The Guggenheim The camera clicked. attention, the television continued to speak over them. “I want you for the series, he’d come across this one purely by chance. When
calf and a glass-enclosed in Bilbao. Andy Warhol’s studio, Tim Hursley, glasses on the bridge of his nose, wearing an orange to put your belly to the Earth.” we’d left Little Rock for Pine Bluff that morning, there had been
diorama with stuffed squirrels— The Factory, in New York. The hat embroidered with the word “SILO,” the letter “I” replaced with a Now it has to be said that it was a strange thing to find oneself in a no fixed schedule, no overarching plan for how the day would go.
make their own contributions Clinton Presidential Center crumpled silo that looked like a half-inflated windsock, was standing place where we all end up but never see. And it was even stranger still There were a few places he knew of, a few owners he’d reached out
to the story: They appear in a here in Little Rock. at the back of the room, looking at the image that the wide eye of to watch as one of the world’s foremost architectural photographers to. Once there, he’d ask if they knew of anyone else in town, and
photograph that won Tim the No doubt, there’s a great his camera had just captured. Tubes snaked in and out of cabinets. approached the interior of the embalming lab with the interest and could they put in a word for him? Aside from needing to meet two
58th Annual Delta Exhibition’s deal to be learned about a Tweezers and scissors and brushes and mascara and lipstick cluttered scrutiny as he might have a new multipurpose high-rise near the key qualifiers—that the place in question was a funeral home and
Grand Prize in 2016 and which person from their work, from an expandable makeup box on a counter beside a small rectangular Ben Franklin Bridge or the newly constructed Asia Culture Center the owner had allowed him inside—the threshold for giving a place
led to his first solo show since the spaces they occupy, but tub of translucent rose-tinted liquid. Along the back wall, two posters in Gwangu, South Korea. But here he was, Tim Hursley, standing a shot was fairly low.
Both series
Not every visit had been
depict when a tornado tore through Hale County in rural Alabama and
successful. Far from it. Of the environments left the silo’s steel ribs mangled, which is exactly how Tim Hursley
40-plus funeral homes he’d had found it in 2006.
shot since starting the series in that, while at On a cloudy day in early spring, he’d been driving on Alabama
2011—when he’d found two very different Highway 14, somewhere between Marion and Greensboro. He’d
white hearses on a desolate been doing work for the Rural Studio, an architecture program that,
stretch of downtown Helena— ends of very since 1990, has provided innovative, student-designed structures
relatively few had yielded results different for low-income residents. Since meeting the founder, Mississippi
worth showing. Some had, architect Samuel Mockbee, in 1994, Tim had documented the
though. And there’s a reason for spectrums, project and had eventually released a book. Even after Mockbee’s
this: Tim approaches his work, represent death in 2001, Tim continued to make visits to the studio, three to
personal and commissioned, all four times a year, often exploring the area by driving back roads.
the same—with an openness, some of the On that day in 2006, he’d seen the silo from the road. In a video
clear eyes and curiosity, an
awareness that structure,
most intimate produced by the Oxford American’s SoLost series about the silo seven
years later, he recalls thinking that it was “completely sculptural
everything, courses with a sense actions a and reminded me of what could be an early Frank Gehry project.”
of rhythm, and that light hits For four years after coming across the silo, Tim regularly drove by
a funeral home with the same
person can the site. In 2010, when it was at risk of being torn down for scrap,
amount of deference as it does a experience he bought it from the owner and worked out a deal where he’d rent
multimillion-dollar skyscraper the land the silo was on. Not long after, he installed the camera so
arrowing into the sky. in life—and that he could get shots of it without actually having to be there. The
Or, say, a silo. after. frequency, he told me later, wasn’t necessarily about the volume of
photographs—it had never been his goal to accumulate a million
of them. It was more about resting easy that, with a photo being
E v e r y 12
taken every 12 seconds, there was less a chance something would
be missed. For someone simply glancing over the frames, the silo in
seconds
those photos seems unchanged, photo to photo. But if you’ve seen an
object like the silo confronted with so many different environments,
for a year and a half, there was climates, external stimuli, as Tim has, there must be a difference
a new frame. Dark. Light. Day. from one frame to the next.
Night. Birds. Storms. For just “The serial nature of it, I think, is what makes it so interesting,”
about a million frames, the said David Houston, executive director of the Bo Bartlett Center at
surveillance camera mounted Columbus State University, in the Oxford American video. “What’s
on a two-by-four documented different about those million frames? Well, think of the casual
the simple rural setting before snap-shooter, and think of the photographers we admire: What
its lens in all seasons. At center, makes them great? Obsession. What’s the obsession? It’s returning
though, it was constant: an old to a few ideas, or a few places, and getting underneath the surface
grain silo, bent over at the waist, and mining the depths of those places. And that’s exactly what Tim
crippled a few decades before has done here.”
For many
FIRST TASTE
LEVERETT LOUNGE
A Fayetteville neighborhood
eatery puts a new spin on
things
By Bonnie Bauman
Photography by Arshia Khan
I
t’s a Saturday in
mid-January, the
sky is gray, the
temp is 30 degrees
below what I deem
acceptable, and I’m
in desperate need of a pick-
me-up—something to pull
me out of the downward
spiral of post-holidays/
pre-spring doldrums.
T
he dining room is toasted pine nuts, golden raisins and Zirbenz pine
There, Ben fell hard for ezme, 737 N. LEVERETT AVE., FAYETTEVILLE
packed. Nonetheless, (479) 249-6570 liqueur. It tastes like hope. Clearly, this is a chef
a spicy tomato-based Turkish my husband and I grab who knows how to treat a veggie.
dish, which he’s thinking of a just-vacated high-top with BEST DISHES Lastly, dessert: zabaglione, or raspberries,
somehow incorporating onto a great view of the small open Garlic grits with remoulade; Spanish
blackberries and blueberries bathed in a Marsala
the restaurant’s upcoming new leeks with romesco sauce and bacon;
kitchen. After liberating myself Richard’s coconut beer-battered wine custard. This sign-off to the meal is just what
menu, set to launch later in the from my cocoon of outerwear, I shrimp; patatas bravas; Catalonian I want it to be: bright and refreshing with a hint
month. settle into the table and begin spinach; cordon bleu; three-cheese of decadence, thanks to the custard.
“Some of the stuff that we do to thaw, thanks in no small part lasagne; seared cod; ribs; zabaglione
After we’ve settled the bill, we linger a bit, loath
is just classic French cooking, to the Latin music that fills the h Much like the environs, KID-FRIENDLY? to leave the warmth and cheerfulness of our corner
like the cordon bleu,” he told air and the bustle and clink of Leverett Lounge’s dishes Sure. But only the non-picky table. As I look around, I realize the place is still
me later. “I’m not going to the dining room. “Funky chic” are elevated but still ones who appreciate a perfectly brimming with diners, most, like us, finished with
change it or do anything fancy is the best way to describe the unabashedly comfortable— executed country pâté.
dinner but content to hang out and bask in the
to it because it’s good enough as space. Festive runners lie over the proof’s in the pudding
PRICE RANGE warm glow of what Hannah and Ben have created
is. But other dishes, I’m having white table clothes. A quirky (er, zablagione).
$4 to $17 here. Once we finally bring ourselves to leave, I
fun playing with, especially assortment of what could only brace myself as we step outside for the chill I know
bringing in sauces that people HOURS
be called “stuff ”—old-timey Mon. to Sat. 5-10 p.m. is coming, but when it does come, it’s not so bad.
aren’t familiar with.” And, portraits, an eclectic plate It feels kind of invigorating.
WHAT’S COOKING
MOSCATO: THE OG only want to drink “serious wines,” moscato d’Asti deserves its place
on the dinner table. In the hands of the right winemaker using time-
OF THE ASTI DOCG honored techniques, one of the most aromatic and delicate wines
in the world can be produced. Moscato is the Italian pronunciation
of the grape muscat blanc, one of the oldest grape varieties in the
By SETH ELI BARLOW
Photography By Arshia Khan
world. It was a favorite of the ancient Greeks, and its popularity
DEAR VALENTINES,
WELL BUTTER
continued with the Romans, who planted it all over their empire.
The best moscatos in the world come from Italy’s Piedmont region,
especially the hillsides surrounding the small mountain town of
Wanna know the way to our hearts? It’s (duh) through our
bellies. Ideally in the form of these locally made sweets:
Grown in the Italian town of Mango (yes, really), this wine comes from
one of the most well-known moscato vineyards in all of Italy, the hillside
Sori Gramella vineyard. Delicious on its own, this wine is even better
when poured over fresh Arkansas strawberries and blackberries.
“I
t’s OK if I cry,” I tell the woman taking my order. She
Summer in a glass, this moscato is full of tropical notes of peach,
looks at me a little strangely but nods her head. I’m placing papaya, pineapple and plumeria. I can’t open a bottle of this without
a to-go order for one of my favorite dishes in Little Rock:
POWER HOUR
being transported back to a vacation I once took to Zanzibar. I can
the pork dumplings at downtown Little Rock’s Three Fold. My almost feel the sand beneath my feet when I drink this wine. Pair it with
preferred spice level? Double poison. spicy ramen, and prepare to be wowed.
With pizzas as good as those being fired at Raduno Brick “Are you sure?” the server always asks, and I’m always sure. “Trust Cocchi Asti DOCG, $18
Oven & Barroom, it’s easy to focus on the first part me,” I want to say. “I’m a professional.”
Here’s the thing—I’ve got a secret weapon waiting for me in the A true sparkling wine, this is Champagne’s fun and flirty best friend.
of the restaurant’s name and neglect the “barroom” Notes of honey, wildflowers and ripe pineapples give way to the surpris-
fridge: a bottle of moscato d’Asti DOCG. It’s a perfect pairing, the
part. No longer, friends—not with Raduno’s new happy- ingly complex flavors of guava and nectar. If sunshine were ever bottled,
complex spice of the dumplings and the subtle fizz of the slightly you could imagine it tasting like this
hour lineup, which has turned our fave pizza place into sweet wine. It’s a match made in heaven, or at least in a small
a rotating wonderland of boozy bargains. Tuesdays? northwestern Italy valley. Why does it work so well? It’s the balance
They’re now for $6 gin-and-tonics and $5 whipped- of sweet and heat. When the amount of sugar in a wine matches the
feta apps. Wednesdays? Liter wine carafes for $30. spice level of a dish, the two cancel each other out while highlighting
Thursdays? Draft beer specials. In other words: We’ll the intricate flavors of each.
see you there. Like, a lot. (radunolr.com) While sweet wines may get a bad rap, especially from those who
AFIELD
READY
FOR LIFTOFF
It’s a bird! It’s a plane!
It’s … a remote-con-
trolled unmanned
PHOTO BY JORDAN CRAIG
aerial vehicle?
By wyndham wyeth
F
rom science-fiction want to avoid flying in residential
changed a handful of times over areas as well, lest you battery only allows for about 12 minutes
fodder to hot-button the past couple of years, but as inadvertently violate Arkansas’ of flight time.
political-military topic, of this writing, all drones must voyeurism law. Make it easy on
the evolution of drones over be registered with the Federal yourself, and download the FAA’s DJI Spark
the past several years has been Aviation Administration. As long official B4UFLY app, which uses
as you’re not a commercial drone $399
both fascinating and fast— your GPS location to provide real-
pilot, you can register your drone
and here in Arkansas, no one as a hobbyist under a special
time information about airspace
“If you want to enter the more precision-
knows this better than Robert restrictions and other flying
model aircraft designation, which requirements. controlled and semi-pro camera arena,
Davis of aerial video production requires the aircraft to weigh users should look to the DJI product line
company Arkansas Aerials. between .55 and 55 pounds and
found at most major retailers,” Robert
“Five years ago, there was me be labeled with a registration
number. Registration can be JOIN THE CLUB. says. “If the budget is tight I would
and one other guy in the state recommend the DJI Spark.” It should be
done via the FAA’s website for
doing it, and we were flying our a fee of $5, covering all your Robert joined the Arkansas noted that the Spark doesn’t come with a
own custom systems,” Robert aircraft for a period of three Sky Tigers in Maumelle when remote, but is instead controlled via your
says. “Now you can buy one at years. For the record, that’s he first started flying remote- smartphone or even hand gestures, though
Walmart.” practically nothing compared controlled model planes, back
to the potential civil penalty of
a remote can be purchased separately if
Really, the fervor surrounding before drones came along. “It’s
up to $27,500 or a criminal a very safe, very controlled you want a bit more piloting precision.
drones isn’t all that surprising: fine of up to $250,000 and/ place to learn and have fun with
They’re fun, they’re futuristic or imprisonment for up to three your aircraft, and you’ll meet a Drone Kits
and they can provide us with a years if you fail to register your bunch of people,” he says. “The $100 to $3,500+
perspective not usually available drone. In most cases, though, neat thing about this hobby is
to humans with such ease. But the FAA will attempt to educate that it encompasses all walks Brave enough to DIY? You’re going
offenders rather than prosecute of life.” Visit the Academy of
if you’re thinking about taking them.
to wind up saving probably 20 to 30
Model Aeronautics website
flight, there are a few things you (modelaeronautics.com) for a
percent, Robert says. Plus, you won’t
need to know about recreational directory of clubs in your area. have to concern yourself as much with
drone use. For that, we turned FOLLOW THE FEDERAL AVIATION the proprietary repair restrictions of more
to Robert for tips on how to ADMINISTRATION’S RULES. professional drone lines. Robert suggests
straighten up and fly right. visiting hobby sites like hobbyking.com
You can find a full list of the and hobbytownUSA.com for a variety
FAA’s regulations regarding of kits ranging from RTF (Ready to Fly),
drones on their website (faa. which come pretty much assembled in
gov/uas), but Robert says the
three most important things to the box, to ARF (Almost Ready to Fly),
remember are as follows: Fly which will require a bit more building
below 400 feet, always keep and possibly some additional purchases.
h Drone cameras your aircraft in your line of sight, “I would recommend looking at the
are typically made for and never fly over people or near $400-price-range kits that match your
shooting video with still buildings.
technical-construction comfort level,”
PHOTO BY JORDAN CRAIG
photography as more of
an afterthought. But as
Robert says. “You’ll wind up with a
you can see, that doesn’t reliable copter you’ll have intimate
mean you can’t still get construction knowledge of for easy fixing
some breathtaking shots. during a mishap.”
2.10
SoMardi Gras Parade and Festival
on Little Rock’s South Main Street
2.10-11
2.11
THAT NASHVILLE SOUND
The Tate Modern-curated exhibition Soul of a Nation: Art
in the Age of Black Power makes its stateside debut at Crystal Barkus on Main on Little
Bridges, bringing with it 63 works created by black
Rock’s South Main Street
artists between the apex of the Civil Rights movement
in 1963 and 1983. It’s a powerful look at how the black If you’re a little more Maren Morris than Mozart, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Music City Hit-Makers might be just
2.13
experience shaped art-making, and also a way to ensure the show to expand your orchestral horizons. A trio of Nashville songwriters who’ve produced Grammy winners
that the art itself gets some much overdue respect. Fat Tuesday Crawfish Boil at for the likes of Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton and Lady Antebellum join the ASO for two nights of singer/
(crystalbridges.org) Faded Rose in Little Rock songwriter-meets-symphony performances and good ol’-fashioned Southern storytelling. (arkansassymphony.org)
FEBRUARY 2018 88 Arkansas Life FEBRUARY 2018 89 Arkansas Life
Dee’s been in Batesville 40
years or so, and she knows where
to send me. “You should see the
aquatic center. Of course, it’s
cold now, so they might not
be open. And you need to go trophies, and I learn that Mark
downtown. They’re doing a lot Martin’s a NASCAR driver
of good things there. And go from Batesville—and that he
to the Mark Martin Museum, was sponsored by Viagra. And
’cause this is his hometown. that he has signed baby clothes
And there’s a dirt racetrack 5 for sale in the gift shop.
miles down the road where he Must. Not. Make. Joke.
got his start.” Laura suggests I go to the
So I head to the Mark Martin Spah Grill at the top of the hill
Museum. I find its location on for lunch, but Dee told me that
my phone, but unfortunately, if I crossed the river and took
it doesn’t tell me who Mark a left at the fifth stoplight, I’d
Martin is. get to see Batesville’s historic
That’s right, I don’t know homes on my way downtown.
who Mark Martin is. But Dee I’m a sucker for historic homes,
just dropped his name so matter so I follow Dee’s advice.
of factly that I was ashamed of I pass Antebellums and Arts
my ignorance. I figure he’s a and Crafts and Victorians. I’m
After a roller-coaster
racer of some sort. Dirt bike? not sure where I want to park
existence, the Melba
Four-wheeler? I have a friend to sashay down Main Street,
Theatre is finally back in
lights. cabin, and it’s freaking amazing. who goes to dirt tracks every
Unrefined timbers supporting weekend for motocross events.
The Pinto Coffee & the roof provide a perfect I know it’s a thing. I’m just not
Comida? Yeah, we’ve display from which to dangle into that particular thing. BATESVILLE
bean. wicker baskets and polished But the Mark Martin
T
HOMETOWN he London Bach Choir’s just finished telling me I can’t gourds. Refinished wood plank Museum is, I find, located at a POPULATION:
always get what I want as I finally, thank goodness, get to floors support the bookshelves Ford dealership. And there’s a 10,497
ROLLING
some hills just outside Batesville. U.S. 167 North had been that house hot-pink Hello race car out front.
mind-numbingly flat for so long, the Stones were the only source COUNTY:
Kitty gloves and tables that Ah. Independence
WITH IT of entertainment for this Boston Mountains-bred girl. I don’t know
if rolling terrain is what I wanted or what I needed, but either way,
I got it.
hold driftwood cutting boards
and chairs that cushion
In the museum’s guest book,
visitors have signed in from DRIVING DISTANCE
Stormtrooper and Darth Vader Kentucky and Mississippi and FROM LITTLE ROCK:
Finding what you I’m approaching Batesville from the south, and before long, I’ve and Yoda Christmas stockings. North Dakota and Louisiana 95 miles
found myself in Southside, a formerly unincorporated suburb that, “Come in if you can get in!” and Florida. This Mark Martin
need in Batesville after opposing annexation by Batesville in 2014, officially became a woman calls to me, and I guy must be pretty well-known. WHY YOU’RE GOING THERE:
Arkansas’ Newest City. At least, that’s what the sign says. The sign Second oldest
By Heather Steadham see Dee Prince, owner of the Laura Pelley, womanning the municipality in Arkansas
Photography by Arshia Khan also reads, “If you lived here, you’d already be home.” shop (“but not the building,” information desk, tells me that
Indeed. she clarifies). She’s also the during Mark’s last “Race 4 FORMER MONIKERS:
In Southside, you can find Southside Elementary School, Southside proprietor of the hair salon set Hope” event (he started Hope Napoleon and Poke Bayou
Resale, Southern Charm Framing & Engraving, Southside Grill, up in the back room. “I did a for Arkansas last year, which
Southern Traditions Antiques … there’s so much South here I can’t lady’s daughter’s hair who lived supports children’s advocacy CLAIM TO FAME:
believe I have to go north to Batesville to reach Southern Belle Flea in Colorado. She couldn’t wait efforts) at the Batesville Motor Home of Lyon College
Market, my first stop for no other reason than the mental image of to go back and tell people she Speedway, there were 450
a corseted woman in a hoop skirt willfully associating with a “flea” got her hair done at the flea people who came through the MARK YOUR CALENDAR:
tickles my fancy. Arkansas Scottish Festival (April
market.” museum’s doors. 13-15) and the Southern Food
But I do. That’s something I’d brag I stroll through, looking at Festival (June 30)
When I get there, I see that Southern Belle Flea Market is a log about, too. race cars and race suits and race
MAIN STREET
SMARTS
Making the most of
Batesville’s recently
reinvigorated downtown
Melba Theater
This carefully renovated single-screen
theater started life as an opera house
in 1870. It’s now the centerpiece of
downtown’s rehabilitation—as well as
a spot to take in a $4, second-run flick.
(115 W. Main St.; melbatheater.org)
109 Main
We’re pretty sure you won’t see items
like panko-crusted fried artichoke
hearts with ginger sriracha on most
small-town-eatery menus, which is
what makes 109 Main such a welcome
The White River
surprise for visiting foodies. But it’s
rolls through
not all pinkies-up—expect live music
most weekends and what is arguably but when I see Paper Chase Batesville just
a stone’s skip
Batesville’s best burger. (109 E. Main bookstore, I stop. Immediately.
St.; facebook.com/109MainBatesville) away from the
I am a writer and an English
freshly rehabbed
teacher, after all. downtown.
Mayfen Thomas has owned
Gallery 246 the place for 20 years. They
Featuring work by more than 30 have a book club meeting every
artists from across the Batesville area, month, and when they read A
this artists’ co-op supports both artists Man Called Ove, “some of us
and art-lovers through exhibitions wanted to kill him ourselves.” I “Old School Iron”).
and art classes. On view at any given
time: everything from oil paintings read the book this past fall, and But it’s Gallery 246 that makes my jaw drop. Paintings and
and hand-thrown pottery to jewelry I share that sentiment. Mayfen collages and ceramics—there must be thousands—by local artists
and photography. (243 E. Main St.; has a used section and a new are available for purchase. One vase in particular catches my eye:
gallery246.com) section and even a yarn section. It’s tortoiseshell brown and embossed with chevrons and ivy and is
I buy, oh, $36 worth of books truly a work of art. I want to buy it, but I’ve already spent my free
(don’t tell my husband) and funds on books.
Village Adventures/
head on up the road. When I lived in Italy, I always looked for street art, for collectibles
There’s so much worth made by locals, for pieces that would make me recall the wonderful
Polk Bayou
Sleepy Polk Bayou meanders through stopping for here: the Batesville places I’d been: Istanbul, Tunisia, Lichtenstein. But as much as I’ve
downtown Batesville just north of Area Arts Council Gallery been traveling in Arkansas lately, I haven’t done the same. And there
Main Street before emptying into (where I’m obsessed with a truly is a wealth of artists to support here, with works every bit as
the White River. Dip your toe in necklace by Michelle Rhodes) meaningful, every bit as beautiful as anything I found overseas. I
by renting a kayak or a stand-up
and Old Towne Mall (where can’t believe that it took just one trip north of my hometown of
paddleboard from this charming
outfitter housed in the old pharmacy they serve f ried pies) and Conway to realize that Arkansas is as rich and diverse and worthy
on Main. (286 E. Main St.; Chuck’s Main Street Gym of remembering as any exotic destination I can name.
villageadventures.com) (where you can get your fix of In Batesville, I’ve learned I have indeed got what I need.
A l at e r,
She laughed.
“That was his intention when he did that,” few hours Tim
said Lloyd, Irene’s husband, of his uncle, was deep in the grass. The tall, tall grass bowed
who’d built the funeral home from the ground stiffly at the knee and, once the photographer
up. had passed, slowly regained some of its lost
“To make it churchlike?” his wife asked. height. It never rose all the way, though,
“Uh-huh.” in the way that something broken never
“All chapels look churchlike to me,” she feels quite the same after it’s been mended.
said. “Most of ’em.” Locusts were buzzing in the grass. The pulpy,
There was a moment of rather boiled-greens smell from Pine Bluff ’s paper
uncomfortable silence before Tim said, mill was heavy on the air. It was 93 degrees.
“That’s a familiar looking picture of Jesus.” Upon reaching a point where he could set
“That picture’s been there 50 years,” Lloyd up the camera, apparently oblivious to the
said. “Hanging on that wall 50 years.” heat, Tim threw a dark cloak over himself
Silence again took hold. There was no and the camera. A few dragonflies whirled
television to fill the gaps. Irene returned to overhead in drunken loops. In a creek that
the front office. Lloyd watched as Tim tried lay just on the other side of the fence where
to capture this place that he’d worked for Tim had positioned his camera, a snapping
nearly 50 years. As Tim worked on getting turtle the size of a toddler performed the
the shot he liked at the front of the chapel, breaststroke in its watery shadows. But none
only the lens of his camera visible behind the of that was of interest to him.
large curtain, I asked Lloyd about his life and “You’re seeing that I want to get that shot,
how he’d gotten into that line of work. huh?” he’d told me a few minutes before
“When I was young, I wouldn’t go near wading off into the grass.
a hearse or a funeral home,” he told me. If you were to follow the line of Tim’s
“When I decided to come to school up here, camera, this is what you’d see: Across the
my mother told me, you got an uncle up ravine, there was a low brick building. It
there in Pine Bluff. Get with him, and maybe was the embalmer’s lab where we’d been
he can find you a part-time job. I say, well, earlier in the day. Had you walked along
what does he do? She said, he manages a the side, you would have gotten a faceful
funeral home in Pine Bluff.” Eventually, of baby wipes as the scent wafted through
Lloyd said, one thing led to another, and he the vents. Beyond the building, there was
found himself in the business. an old mill that processed cottonseed oil,
He was a tall man, affable and well-dressed a long, silver, rust-bitten building running
with a good sense of humor. He showed parallel to the railroad tracks, large industrial
me a copy of “The Dead Beat,” a regional buildings that gave the appearance of having
newsletter for funeral-service workers that been abandoned long before. To the right of
Know real estate, bills itself as “The Caregiver’s Soapbox.” He the small brick building, there were two long
said that he enjoyed reading it but always white cars, a hearse and a limousine. They
mortgage or insurance agents started with the “Chuckles” section. He then were older looking. Weeds sprouted up and
recounted one of his favorite jokes from choked their wheels. On the concrete patio,
who deserve recognition? that month’s issue. (The punch line: “Which there was a McDonald’s cup Tim had set
virgin was mother of Jesus? The virgin Mary down and never retrieved.
or the King James virgin?”) He later showed A silver pickup truck started making its
Nominate your favorites in us his collection of miniature hearses, which way along the gravel drive.
he often keeps under lock and key so the “Avery!” he called out over the ravine.
Arkansas Life’s children of patrons don’t play with them. “Don’t hide your hearse!”
“I don’t think people know what funeral Avery, apparently seeing the older man
Top Agents Contest. homes really look like,” Tim said from across waving his arms, backed out and parked on
the room, where he’s setting up the shot. “So, the other side of the building. When Tim
this could be a book, and it’d show them what came back to the car, his hair was sweaty,
they look like.” plastered to his forehead below the orange
CAST YOUR VOTE: “You’re right,” Lloyd said. “Most people, bill of his silo hat. As he took down the tripod,
when you’re talking to them, they don’t want he said, “I like moodier light, but if there’s
arkansaslife.com/agents to go in a funeral home.” Having set up a no hearse there, there’s no photograph.”
Look for the results in the May issue of Arkansas Life. joke he’d told me a few minutes before, he
then said: “And sometimes, people coming
The entry deadline is Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. in to pay their insurance and stuff—have a To see more of Tim’s work, visit timothyhursley.
seat. No, I don’t wanna sit down. If I stay too com, or on Instagram @timhursley.