Facetime
Simpson's folly? Nelsonian gets serious about Alaska raceAfter more than a generation as the unofficial ambassador of Nelson County, Russ Simpson suddenly finds himself unrecognizable. The proprietor of a popular roadside stand along U.S. 29 has recently...read more Jan 12th, 2012
Shelter from the storm: Garage founder branches outDon’t worry, nobody’s abandoning the one-car shelter on 1st Street that also happens to be the most charming outdoor music space in Charlottesville. Hill and Wood main-mover Sam Bush is still there...read more Nov 9th, 2011
Scrappy work: Preston recreates '20s in graphic bookIf Caroline Preston had a time machine, she'd take it back to the 1920s. Instead, the Charlottesville author has brought the 1920s to today by channelling a lifelong collecting habit into a new book...read more Oct 20th, 2011
Horsin' around: Galloping Grandfather keeps on ridingHarry de Leyer can fly. Photos of him soaring over seven-foot jumps atop champion steeds line the walls of his trophy-filled farmhouse in Dyke. A painting of him over the fireplace depicts that same...read more Sep 13th, 2011
Rodney's role: 'I am not a wheeler dealer'Rodney Thomas is mad. It's one day after a prominent blogger has accused the Albemarle supervisor of agreeing to "grease the skids" for the construction of the Western U.S. 29 bypass by limiting...read more Aug 19th, 2011
Lawnmower men: Meriweather mows irreverent groundYou've tossed dull corporate newsletters straight in the trash, so why read the one from the yard maintenance company? How about dramatic candor of "The Ooops Issue"? "In May of '96, if you were...read more Aug 11th, 2011
Uncovering the true story of PocahontasHistory buffs have long been skeptical of some of the tales told by English settler Captain John Smith, but few know the Native American perspective on this crucial time in America's history. A book...read more Jul 21st, 2011
Southern skeletons: Author Thompson intensifies his historyJohn Milliken Thompson admits with a laugh that he writes “mainly coffee-table books,” including several titles for National Geographic. But now the Charlottesville author has just come out with a...read more Jun 14th, 2011
Tulip Man(ia): Pick-your-own fest blossomsWhen Jeroen Koeman says he's the Tulip Man, the Madison County resident is just stating a fact. He comes from a line of tulip growers in Holland, where six of his father's eight brothers grow the...read more Apr 7th, 2011
Jacob's voice: UVA MFA grad channels teen angst in debutGender-bending in literature is more than a common convention; some of fiction's greatest works are written in a voice of the author's opposite sex. UVA MFA graduate (2003) and Charlottesville...read more Mar 17th, 2011
Write on: John McNally teaches literary survivalAlmost everyone wants to write a novel. For those who don't want their manuscripts to languish in attics and hard drives, novelist John McNally wrote The Creative Writer's Survival Guide. The author...read more Mar 17th, 2011
The curious daughter: Darznik reveals Iranian secrets"Iranians are good at keeping secrets," says Iranian author Jazmin Darznik, wryly alluding perhaps to our common perceptions of the Islamic Republic, while she characterizes the theme of her recently...read more Feb 12th, 2011
Something in the way she moves: Abbey Road preservationist has C'ville tiesEmily Gee made sure the famous British crosswalk got protected. PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER We say zee-bra, she says zeb-ra. Actually, we say crosswalk, and the one iconically depicted on the cover the...read more Jan 22nd, 2011
FACETIME- MN8U4EA: Erskine named National Book Award finalist Kathy ErskinePHOTO BY JEN FARIELLO Kathryn Erskine has one of those annoying license plates that you can't ignore until you figure it out: MN8U4EA. It says a lot about her in an erudite, pay-it-...read more Nov 11th, 2010
FACETIME- Vintage film: Reifenberger makes movies like wine Bill ReifenbergerPHOTO BY JEN FARIELLO Sometimes, you just don't want to drive the big production van in DC traffic anymore. For Bill Reifenberger, that was a defining moment, when he went from...read more Nov 4th, 2010
FACETIME- Civil career: Pathfinding Garber engineers his exit Nicholas GarberPHOTO BY JEN FARIELLO Dr. Nicholas Garber may finally get some rest. After writing over 80 publications and reports, co-authoring a textbook, receiving numerous awards, and teaching...read more Sep 9th, 2010
FACETIME- Lohman's folk: Hot rods and Brunswick stew Jon LohmanPHOTO BY JEN FARIELLO Quilting, clogging, mandolin playing–- those seem pretty standard folk fare. But how about moonshine-making? Or building hot rods? According to Jon Lohman, they...read more Sep 2nd, 2010
FACETIME- Cole case: Mystery writer not <i>Dead in the Water</i> Meredith ColePHOTO BY JEN FARIELLO Mystery writer Meredith Cole's concedes that her upbringing wasn't exactly traditional, and neither are her two books. "In 1971, my parents moved here to start a...read more Aug 12th, 2010
FACETIME- Going <em>Prospect</em>ing: Bouie leaps into national blogosphere Jamelle BouiePHOTO BY JEN FARIELLO If your reading leans to the left, you might be familiar with nationally-known bloggers Matt Yglesias, Ezra Klein, and Kate Sheppard who each got started at "...read more Jul 22nd, 2010
FACETIME- Fluency, the metaphor: Johnson walks bilingual walk Mike JohnsonPHOTO BY LISA PROVENCE When Mike Johnson, 52, goes south of the border, he's not heading to Club Med. Johnson opts for accommodations in a Spanish language immersion program or in people...read more Jul 15th, 2010