Columns

Everywhere, Like Life, but not Alive

I recently thought back to the old 1980 Carl Sagan Cosmos series on Public TV and his conversations about the possibility of life on other worlds looking different from on earth. He added that such life could be based on other elements than what all life on earth is based on: carbon. Remember, to the... Read More

Essays

May 10, 2023

Inside the Method of Acting with Kris Dodds Williams

Kris Dodds Williams made her acting debut at 6 as Goldie Locks in a school production and has had the acting bug ever since. After being born and raised in Southern Indiana, Williams moved to Danville to study theatre at Averett University. There she played her favorite role of all time, Romaine Patterson in The... Read More

Action

April 26, 2023

Choosing Your Sentences: Simple, Compound, or Complex?

Consider this: if you know what you want to write regarding a particular feeling, thought, or event, how do you put it on paper to make it most clear and meaningful? Of course, the words you choose are critical; you must choose them carefully. But the question remains: how do you best use them to... Read More

Writers' Page

April 20, 2023

Burgundy; The Color and the Region

When we hear the word Burgundy here in the US, most will think of a deep shade of red. Sometimes confused with maroon, it has a red-purplish hue, whereas maroon has, as I understand, a reddish-brown hue. But in the wine world, Burgundy refers to the French wine region in central eastern France. Red Burgundy... Read More

The Wine Spot

April 18, 2023

Movies You Missed: A Mighty Wind

A Mighty Wind (7/10 Rating) Released April 16, 2003 For rent/purchase on all major platforms. Genre: Comedy, Music PG-13: Sex-Related Humor 1h 31m This is the fourth film from Christopher Guest, following This Is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, and Best in Show. If you are familiar with those films, you will certainly recognize most... Read More

Movies You Missed

April 15, 2023

Old Demolished House

The other day I was driving down Danville’s Central Boulevard, when I suddenly saw something different, actually, it was something different from what it used to be. What once was an old house was now a newly formed pile of rubble (same house, different “shape”). Thinking it might be something interesting about which to write,... Read More

Essays

April 13, 2023

Inside the Method of Acting with Connor McAllister

Even at fifteen, Connor McAllister has lived in more places than many people. He added, “I’ve lived in four states, including Washington, Minnesota, New York and now Virginia.” He has an older sister and two younger sisters. “Sadly, no brothers.” Along with his sisters, an array of animals keeps McAllister busy. “My house is like... Read More

Action

March 25, 2023

Movies You Missed From 20 Years Ago: March 2023

Ned Kelly (8/10 Rating) Released March 26, 2003 For rent/purchase on all major platforms. Genre: Action, Adventure, Biography, Crime, History, Romance, Western R: Violence and Brief Nudity 1h 50m Based on the Australian outlaw, Ned Kelly tells the story of a wrongly accused man who becomes the number-one enemy of the Victorian government. From some... Read More

Movies You Missed

March 23, 2023

German Wines: Plenty to Learn

I frequently hear the comment, “All Rieslings are sweet,” which is not valid. They can be dry, sweet, or off-dry. Hearing this has sparked a renewed interest in German wines. If you, like me, are intimated by German wine labels, let’s become more knowledgeable. I hope we can, as the Germans say, “write something behind... Read More

The Wine Spot

March 16, 2023

Fact or Fiction

Before you begin writing, you may want to focus on your list of ideas. Ideas you may have decided are excellent topics. In fact, some of those ideas may serve as shorthand reminders regarding incidents you’re certain are worth developing into a short story or a novel. As excited as you are about beginning, you’ve... Read More

Writers' Page