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Marla CantrellAdam ClayMarcus CokerKody FordCatherine FrederickLaura HobbsAnita PaddockWhitney RayJim Warnock

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Read Chair Publishing, LLC

MANAGING EDITOR

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©2012 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions contained in @Urban are exclusively those of the writers and do not represent those of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. as a whole or its affiliates. Any correspondence to @Urban or Read Chair Publishing, LLC., including photography becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. @Urban reserves the right to edit content and images.

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@INSIDE

The other night at dinner, I overheard a friend and his momma taking about how much snow we were

in for this year. They’d seen the signs. First, we have tons of acorns falling. And then there was the

persimmon. Evidently, my friend’s momma had cut open a persimmon and inside was a kernel, shaped

like a shovel. It could only mean one thing she said - lots of heavy, wet snow in our future.

Snow! Can you believe it? I remember one Thanksgiving not too far back when all the men had been

ushered out of the kitchen to the backyard, bellies full to the brim, wearing T-shirts and shorts. I don’t

know about you, but I’ll take a little snow over a warm Thanksgiving any day. Not too much though; we

have too many places to go and too many things to do!

In fact, there’s so much going on that we’ve expanded @Urban by sixteen pages. The increase came after listening to you, our readers.

You wanted more stories, more tips on places to see, AND FOOD, you said. Give us more food!

Well, we have! In this issue alone, we’re taking you on a hike in some of the prettiest land Arkansas has to offer. We’re devouring

alligator and pork sausage. And we’re sharing a Southern love story that unfolded in Savannah.

Want more? How about some of the best recipes in the South? How does a rustic apple and pumpkin tart sound? Delicious, right?

We’ll show you how to make it. And I’ll be taking you inside my kitchen for a lesson on how to make a cupcake look like roast turkey.

Yep, you read that right!

Still not enough? We’re giving you the inside scoop on improv comedy, introducing you to a non-profit that’s changing veterans’ lives,

and giving you some great decorating tips.

So, stick around, and start thinking about that Thanksgiving feast. Heck, we don’t care if you call it “stuffing” or “dressing,” or whether

you mix it up with or without the toasted white bread- to us, your family – and we’re mighty thankful you sit down and read the pages

of @Urban every month. Happy Thanksgiving.

To reserve this free space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: Editors@AtUrbanMagazine.com

@LETTER FROM CATHERINE

@lines Adam Clay

Previously publishedin Linebreak

The sidewalk split open to reveal the dirt

underneath it, the sky sometimes splitting open too,the way an entire rack

of school supplies tumbles over and on top of you. We are always swallowing our laughs.

We are always admitting to ourselves far too late

that dusk is a joke and we are the punch-line. The morning grows biblical in the dull street-light haze. An orchard.

What sea fell from the sky? What sky can turn from blue

to the pure color of an Asian pear — no matter, it falls too.Sometimes at the market I forget

who I am, as if lost in a field of corn, not a maze, but it might as well be. And when you grab my hand — for just a second — I am not sure who

you are. Looking for a mirrorout of the corner of my eye, and out of the corner of my eye,

it is Fall and like the redbud we planted months ago in the yard,

I am lucky to be alive.

7

@LIFESTYLE

in school at John Brown University where he plans to finish his

bachelor’s degree and then continue until he earns his master’s.

Just three years ago, Caleb was an E5 sergeant serving in Iraq,

in charge of 123 other Marines. He worked twelve-hour days,

seven days a week in a place where there was no running water.

The only electricity was supplied by generators, and at night the

only light came from the stars.

“Nothing will make you appreciate what you have more than

seeing the way others have to live,” Caleb says. “Even people

here, who are having a really hard time, have it better than the

people I saw in Iraq.”

Caleb, now twenty-five, joined the service right out of high

school. He believed the military could teach him skills he could

transfer when he returned to the private sector. And he’d always

worked, starting at age eleven when he lived in Bentonville.

That’s when he began mowing lawns, a business that grew

throughout junior and senior high. When he left home, he had

123 clients, so many his step-dad took over and continues

operating the service today.

When he left the Marines, he came back to Arkansas and

enrolled in school. At the same time, he was also looking for

a job. “The unemployment rate is dismal for veterans. But I

thought it would be easier for me. At twenty-three, I’d been in

charge of more than 100 men. I made E5 in two years. I thought

with all that experience someone would want to hire me.”

A local company did want to hire him, but before that happened

there was a hiring freeze and the position disappeared. The

man who’d interviewed him called to tell Caleb the news, and

Caleb Dover stands inside a semi trailer at SA Concepts in

Springdale, and begins the work that will leave this trailer

in pieces. Most of the metal he and four other veterans harvest

today will be used to create aerodynamic side skirts for semis

still on the road. The process is labor intensive and the work

hard, but Caleb is glad to do it. Working here is keeping him

@story Marla Cantrell@images Catherine Frederick

8

then encouraged him to contact SA Concepts and see if they

could help.

“I came for an interview and spoke with the executive director,

Don Vanhooser, for about forty-five minutes. We talked about

my service and what I wanted to do. At the end of the interview

he told me I was hired. I can’t tell you how grateful I was.”

Caleb was exactly what SA Concepts was looking for. The non-

profit, which started hiring earlier this year, targets veterans

who are in college and need a flexible work schedule. In return,

SA Concepts takes the financial burden off the employees,

paying them $40,000 a year for working twenty-five hours a

week. Considering Arkansas’ average yearly wage is $36,000,

it’s a great opportunity.

But SA Concepts has another mission. They are looking for ways

to help clean up our environment by repurposing materials.

The first product they developed was the semi-truck side

skirt, which keeps the wind off the back axles. It is made from

aluminum they glean from semi trailers, along with the rubber

off old conveyor belts they gather from a mining operation. The

aerodynamic properties cut down on fuel cost and its design

reduces splash back on the road, making highways safer for the

truckers and nearby drivers.

It wasn’t long before Walmart made a donation of thirty

trailers that had been retired from the company’s fleet. The

SA Concept team, including Don’s son Drake and family friend

and environmental attorney, Jon Hamlin, were happy to get

them. But soon they realized they had an even bigger market.

Walmart began sending them wooden outdoor play sets that

had been returned to the stores. They made a template for

9

@LIFESTYLE

Adirondack chairs and got to work disassembling the pieces.

Now, in one corner of the warehouse, there are stacks of chairs

ready to be sold.

They also started thinking about the parts of the semi trailers

they weren’t using. The beds are made of thick strips of wood,

often oak, that could be turned into furniture. They went back

to the drawing board, coming up with designs for oversized

chairs – Ruth Chris Steak House in Rogers has already bought

two – coffee tables and even a conference table. Recently, the

Green Submarine Espresso Café and Sub Shop in Fayetteville

ordered all its tables for SA Concepts.

The hardest part is getting the wood out of the trailer. They

have to cut the tops of the bolts off and then pry out the

remainder. And then the process of planing the wood begins.

The equipment they use is taking a beating but the results are

impressive. Word is spreading and now they’ve begun to do

custom work for designers and customers who can’t find what

they want in furniture stores.

The possibilities they see are endless. Tons of metal and wood

are being repurposed. And the veterans are working toward

degrees that will help them the rest of their lives.

“I just signed the papers on my first house,” Caleb says. “My

family is secure.” He pulls out his phone to show off a photo

of his little girl, who was born while he was in the Marines. His

face lights up. “She’s wonderful,” he says. “My wife is happy. I’m

doing well in school. And it’s because of this place.”

Behind him, his four buddies are working hard. No one appears

to have any rank over anyone else, and that seems to be just

fine. They work easily together, these men who have seen the

worst life has to offer. They work and they study and they plan

for a future that looks brighter with every paycheck.

To find out more about SA Concepts, visit saconcepts.org

@LIFESTYLE

10

How amazing would these be on your table

for Thanksgiving? Perhaps next to a place

card? Imagine the surprise when everyone

discovers they aren’t just for looks. They are

100% edible cupcakes!

My inspiration for these adorable turkey

cupcakes came from the ingenious minds of

Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, creators of

the books, Hello Cupcake, What’s New Cupcake,

and the latest Cupcakes, Cookies and Pie, Oh

My! You’ll find easy to follow, step-by-step

directions so you can whip up some mind

blowing sweet treats!

@story and images Catherine Frederick

12

12 vanilla cupcakes baked in orange paper liners

1 can (16 oz.) plus ½ cup vanilla frosting

Green and yellow food coloring

1 cup cornflakes

72 soft caramels (Kraft), unwrapped

12 wheat sticks (Wheat Thin brand)

½ cup crushed corn flakes or 1 granola bar, crumbled

2 tablespoons green nonpareils or green sprinkles

These are not difficult to make, but assembly will be much

quicker if you prep the pieces in advance. Let's break this

project down into workable pieces.

Baking the cupcakesBake them ahead of time, even the day before. I use box cake

mix, which works well, just avoid any with pudding in the mix or

angel food mixes, since cupcakes require a firm cake.

I replace the number of eggs called for with 4, and replace the

water with 1 cup of buttermilk. Add the amount of vegetable oil

called for on the box.

To make them come out level, fill the liners 2/3 full (the cake

should not be higher than the liner when baked). I also place

my batter in a ziplock bag to fill the liners. Here’s how. Place a 1-

quart freezer-weight Ziplock bag in a plastic or glass container.

I use a tall glass and fold the opening of the bag over the

container’s edge. Pour half of your batter into the bag, lift up

from the container, press out the excess air and zip shut. Snip off

a 1/4 –inch corner from the bottom of the bag and fill the liners

two-thirds full. Bake as directed.

Making the Lettuce Spoon ¼ cup of vanilla frosting into a Ziplock bag, seal and

set aside. Tint another ¼ cup of the vanilla frosting with the

green and yellow food coloring. Heat the tinted frosting for a

few seconds in the microwave (until the consistency of lightly

whipped cream). Pour the tinted frosting over the corn flakes

and gently stir to coat. Pour the coated flakes onto a cookie

sheet lined with wax paper to dry. Use your fingers to separate .

Making the turkey skins { Part 1 }Soften 4 caramels at a time in the microwave. You want them

to be soft, not runny. Press the caramels together and with your

hands roll them into a ball. Place the ball onto wax paper and

then cover with another piece of wax paper. Roll the ball of

caramel into a 3 ½ circle. Each circle represents one turkey, so

repeat this process until you have the number you need. Place

the circles in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up the

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@LIFESTYLE

caramel, making it easier to cut. Like the cupcakes, the skins can

be made a day or more in advance- just store in the refrigerator.

Making the turkey legsCut the wheat sticks into

2 inch lengths. Soften a

caramel in the microwave.

For the turkey leg, press the

caramel around 1 inch of the

wheat stick and form it into a

drumstick shape. Repeat this

process so you have enough

legs for all of your turkeys.

Making the turkey skins { Part 2 }Remove the caramels from the refrigerator. Place the turkey

skin template over the wax paper and lightly press around the

template to create a guideline for cutting (I used a pizza cutter.)

Repeat until you have the number of skins you need.

Spoon a big dollop of frosting on the tops of the cupcakes

to make a mound. Place a caramel turkey skin on top of each

cupcake. Tuck the edge of the caramel in ¼ inch from the

edge of the cupcake. Using a small knife or mini spatula, push

the caramel into the frosting, making the turkey body appear

nice and plump. Pinch the ends of the caramel at the opening.

Some of the frosting will squeeze out of the opening. Press the

crushed cereal or crumbled granola into the frosting to look like

stuffing and add the green sprinkles to look like herbs.

Adding the turkey legsLightly brush the caramel on each side of the stuffing with a

drop of water. Attach a turkey leg to each side of the opening

(see photo for placement). Repeat for remaining turkeys. Snip

a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Put a few

dots of frosting at the end of each wheat stick to look like the

end of the leg bone.

Adding the lettuceAdd the green cereal as lettuce around the edge of the turkey.

Use dots of frosting to secure it if needed.

Gobble gobble, it’s dinner time! Or is it dessert? No matter

when you choose to unveil your creations, they’re sure to elicit

laughs and will have guests asking, “How’d you do that?” I also

recommend having some “regular” cupcakes on hand as many

guests will find these too cute to eat.

14

TurkeyTemplate

Use the template below to constructthe skin of your turkey cupcake.

@LIFESTYLE

15

Jumpstart your holiday season at the Holiday Expo. Tons of gift ideas,

crafts, food, fun, a walk-through Winter Wonderland, and gift wrapping.

The only thing better than Shrek The Movie is Shrek The Musical! Meet a

feisty princes, a chatty donkey and a dozen other fairy tale misfits who

meet on the stage with Shrek, for a night your family won’t soon forget.

150 American craft beers from 30 breweries, food from Cregeen’s Irish

Pub, Cornerstone Pub & Grill and Argenta Café, and lots of live music.

Dickey-Stephens Park is the "in case of rain" location

Sample cornbread by both amateur and professional cooks, and

the side dishes they prepare. You can even vote for your favorite.

Arkansas-made arts and crafts, a kids area with games and live music!

NWA Holiday Expo

Shrek: The Musical

Craft Beer Festival

2nd Annual Arkansas

Cornbread Festival

Holiday Inn Convention Center, Springdale

Walton Arts Center

Argenta Farmers Market, Little Rock, AR

South Main Street Little Rock

nwaholidayexpo.com

argentadc.org

arkansascornbreadfestival.com

When: November 2nd – 3rd Cost: $5 adults

When: Now – Nov. 4th, 5pm Cost: $39 – $59

When: Nov. 2nd, 6pm – 9pm Cost: $35 in advance, $40 at Event

When: Nov. 3rd, 11am – 5pm

Cost: $10 adults | $5 kids 6 – 12 | Kids under 6 free

waltonartscenter.org

16

Singer/songwriter James McMurtry is the son of acclaimed author Larry

McMurtry (Lonesome Dove, Terms of Endearment). Stephen King says

James may be the truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation. In 2011

his song, "We Can't Make It Here" was cited among 'The Nation's' "Best

Protest Songs Ever."

Ready for a mini vacation? Head to Mountain View, stay in the Cabins

at Dry Creek and eat at Skillet Restaurant. Now that you’re settled in,

get ready for some of the best blue grass music you’ll ever hear. Part

of the proceeds goes toward teaching school kids traditional music on

acoustic instruments.

Renowned performer Steve Lippia takes on the music of Frank Sinatra.

He’ll sing both holiday songs and other classics made famous by Ol

Blue Eyes. It should be one of the best nights of the year!

Don’t you love this time of year?

Great music, fun festivals and

holiday shopping. So bundle up,

get the kids in the car and head out

to make some great memories!

Ooh and aaah over the talents of over 30 performers in Cirque Dreams

Holidaze, a dazzling, energetic, holiday-themed show. The cast

includes circus artists who balance on tightrope, spin from the ceiling

and fly over a snowy landscape all while costumed as snowmen,

reindeer, gingerbread men, penguins and toy soldiers. Suggested for

ages 8 and up.

An Evening with James McMurtry

Annual Fall Bluegrass Festival A Simply Sinatra Christmas

Fort Smith Symphony

Cirque Dreams Holidaze

UAFS Second Street by Second Street Live in Downtown Fort Smith

Ozark Folk Center, Mountain View Arkansas Best Corporation Performing Arts Center

Robinson Center Music Hall, Little Rock

Secondstreetlive.com

mountainview-bluegrass.com fortsmithsymphony.org

When: November 17th Cost: $25

When: Nov. 8th – 10th Cost: See website for details

When: December 1st, 7:30pm Cost: See website for details

When: Nov. 27th – 29th Cost: See website for details

celebrityattractions.com

17

with Dan Flavin’s minimalist sculpture featuring fluorescent

tubes. Flavin (1933-1996) used only commercially available

fluorescent tubing in standard sizes, shapes, and colors, to

create monumental works of art.

Be sure not to miss “No. 210/No. 211 (Orange)” by Abstract

Expressionist Mark Rothko. Rothko, who was born in Russia in

1903 and immigrated to the U.S. in 1913, is known for his soft,

rectangular forms floating on a stained field of color. “Orange”

is one of the museum’s newest acquisitions. It had been in a

private collection since the 1960s and was only exhibited

publicly on two other occasions before Crystal Bridges brought

it to Arkansas.

The second exhibit will help you understand the majesty

of Crystal Bridges. Moshe Safdie: The Path to Crystal Bridges

showcases the architect’s masterful use of light in the building

that blends seamlessly with the rolling hills and valleys that

surround it. Each of Safdie’s previous projects, including the

Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, helped light

the way for the work he did in Bentonville. There are models,

architectural drawings, photographs and videos that will walk

you through the world of architecture, and the design elements

that make Crystal Bridges a national treasure.

After you’ve seen the exhibits, be sure to stop by Eleven, the

café inside Crystal Bridges. It’s Southern food with flair, and

boasts a separate kids menu.

To plan your trip, please visit crystalbridges.org. The museum is closed on Tuesdays. There is no cost for admission.

With colder weather moving in, we’re on the lookout

for great indoor activities. How lucky are we that this

year we get to add Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in

Bentonville to the mix? Even better - admission is free.

Right now, the museum is hosting two temporary exhibits

focusing on light as a source of inspiration for works of art and

architecture. Both will be on display until January 28.

The first is called See the Light: The Luminist Tradition in American

Art. It focuses on the importance of light for American artists.

This exhibit walks you through works from the masters of the

nineteenth century, including Martin Johnson Heade, and ends

see the light at crystal bridges@story Marla Cantrell@image Mark Rothko, 1960, photograph by Edward C. Robison III

18

@LIFESTYLE

“No. 210/No. 211 (Orange)” by Abstract Expressionist Mark Rothko

with the games, let there be no mistake but I’ll see you the next

time around.”

“Oh Brother” uses upbeat guitar riffs and stellar lyrics to dish

out advice like this: “Try to be sure to make more love than hate.

Oh Brother, once you realize that you’re a star, you’re going to

shine so bright.”

He even references his father, saying, “We get some old time JT

right here,” and for a second it is as if he is James Taylor remade

for a new generation.

For me, the highlight of this album is “Not Alone.” You feel the

ache and the power in Ben’s voice. “You may be a lot of things,

but you’re not alone… I draw you in with every breath. Same

song, same sky, so far away I sing along to make the time go by.”

He has fun with an upbeat song called “Dirty.” It feels like he’s

stretching here, with lyrics that include the word obsequious,

something you don’t expect to hear in a pop song.

The entire album is wonderfully mixed and mastered. Ben’s voice

is enticing, sometimes mournful and sometimes playful. He says

the songs are “little windows into the last four years of my life.”

We’re lucky he’s writing songs like this, and that we have the

chance to walk with him on his musical journey. You need to keep

up with Ben Taylor. He gets better with every album.

Listen to "Not Alone" by logging on to AtUrbanMagazine.com

It’s been four years since singer/songwriter Ben Taylor

released a full-length album. The good news is, Listening

is worth the wait. Taylor, son of music royalty James Taylor and

Carly Simon, is a talented musician, a stellar songwriter, and has

a voice that’s as addictive as Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Ben does sound a little like his father, but that’s a very good

thing. The difference is that Ben combines so many styles

that he’s hard to pin down. On Listening, you’ll hear a country

influence, rock and roll, folk and a whole lot of soul.

In “Next Time Around,” Ben grows introspective, singing about

the lessons he’s learned. “I counted my blessings and burned

my mistakes, and I’ll see you the next time around. I’m done

now hear thisben taylor — listening

@review Marla Cantrell

I Rate It

20

@ENTERTAINMENT

This lovely written novella, once packaged in a beautiful case

along with A Christmas Memory, has occupied a place in my

heart every November for close to fifty years. It’s the story of

Buddy and Miss Sook, the same characters found in A Christmas

Memory, my all-time favorite book.

The story begins: “Talk about mean! Odd Henderson was the

meanest human creature in my experience.” Odd was twelve

in 1932 and was in the second grade with Buddy. Odd was

tall for his age, a skinny boy who terrorized Buddy in a small

elementary school in rural Alabama. All the kids feared him,

even those his age or older.

Buddy lived with distant relatives, three elderly cousins and

their bachelor brother. He and Sook, who acted as housekeeper,

cook, and gardener for her siblings, were best friends and were

happiest when hidden away in the kitchen with its big black

stove or outdoors gathering ferns, herbs, and other greeneries

to beautify their lives.

Thanksgiving was a joyful time when relatives and friends

arrived with an assortment of casseroles and desserts to go along

with the five turkeys Sook baked. The house was decorated with

chrysanthemums from Sook’s flower garden, and some of them

were “as big as a baby’s head.” She also described them as

lions: “Kingly characters that I always expect to turn on me with

a growl and a roar.”

Sook knew that Odd Henderson bullied Buddy at school, so she

decided to call on Mrs. Henderson (Odd’s father was in jail for

bootlegging) to invite Odd to be Buddy’s guest for Thanksgiving

dinner. Buddy, of course, was horrified, but Sook thought the

invitation would promote a friendship between the two.

That year, Thanksgiving dawned with on-and-off showers. Guests

arrived by horseback, mule drawn wagons, shined up farm trucks,

and one mint-green 1932 Chevrolet driven by rich Mr. Conklin

who brought along his wife and four beautiful daughters.

Buddy, as well as the rest of the guests, were enchanted by the

Conklin girls who sang and played the out-of-tune piano prior to

the meal. But his joy quickly faded when Odd Henderson arrived.

I’ll close with the simple ending I always used when I was a sixth

grader writing book reports: Read the book to find out what

happens. You’ll be glad you did. And may your Thanksgiving

table be graced by chrysanthemums that roar!

The Thanksgiving VisitorBy Truman Capote63 Pages@review Anita Paddock

22

@ENTERTAINMENT

@story Marc

us C

oker

@images C

ourte

sy Jo

el Culb

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24

Arkansas, the Natural State, is famous for a lot of things —

the Ozark Mountains, President Bill Clinton, even cheese

dip — but improvisational comedy isn’t one of them. However,

a new group of comedians from Fort Smith is hoping to

change that. The group is called Naturally Improv-able and has

recently started meeting on Sundays for what they call Sunday

Night Live, an evening of howls and laughs and who-knows-

what-will-happen.

Sunday Night takes place at Movie Lounge in Fort Smith. The

show, similar to Whose Line Is It Anyway?, starts at seven p.m. and

has no cover charge. The format is always the same—two teams

of actors compete against each other, each being given different

challenges to act out. That could mean pretending to be a four-

year-old eating cotton candy or a pair of burglars trying to steal

a litter of weenie dogs. The scenes aren’t rehearsed, and the

actors don’t have scripts, but one thing’s for certain—the cast

will do anything for a laugh, including crawling on the ground,

jumping into each other’s arms, and contorting their bodies like

circus performers.

Doug Shadell, who’s fifty and has been working as a stand-up

comedian for the last six years, is part of Naturally Improv-

able. He says, “Stand-up and improv are as different as day and

night. With stand-up, you’re working as a single person to make

people laugh. With improv, you’re working as a group, playing

games, and you never know what’s going to be thrown at you.”

“For a performer, the experience of improv is priceless,” says

Luke Perkinson, the thirty-year-old founder of Naturally Improv-

able. “It’s an opportunity to hone your skills and learn from

others. It’s basically youth group for comedians.”

Luke, who graduated from Greenwood High School, started

Naturally Improv-able in 2010 after spending three months in

Chicago studying at Second City, the first ongoing and perhaps

the most famous improv theater in the U.S. He’d wanted to work

in the entertainment industry as a comedian, maybe make it

onto Saturday Night Live, but knew that was a long shot. That’s

when he came back to Fort Smith. “The area is growing, and the

arts are growing,” says Luke. “The talent here is phenomenal. I

knew that if I didn’t start an improv group, I’d be auditioning for

someone else’s group ten years down the road.”

It took a couple years for Naturally Improv-able to get going, but

just a few months ago they started holding weekly workshops

at Lost Beach Bar and Grill to improve their improv skills. They

opened the workshops to the public, both for participation and

viewing. Luke says, “We never turn anyone away. If someone

wants to be a part of our group, we can use them, and it’s our

goal to create a format for everyone to succeed.”

The workshops were an instant success; the spectators had

such a good time, that the would-be practices quickly became

@story Marc

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@images C

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@ENTERTAINMENT

performances. “One of the reasons improv works is that the

audience gets to be part of the show. They give us ideas and

sometimes get called up on stage,” says Luke. “People like

having input into something. That’s what makes it succeed.

One of the great things about doing this in Fort Smith is that

we aren’t just starting an improv group, we are creating a whole

scene.”

All the actors in Naturally Improv-able are volunteers, ranging

in age from twenty-one to sixty-six. Summer Ferguson, who’s

twenty-four, is one of the only girls in Naturally Improv-able. “I

didn’t have any training and didn’t think I’d be any good,” says

Summer. But to watch her, you’d never know it; she’s quick-witted,

creative, and doesn’t mind being silly. In other words, she’s

perfect for improv. “I don’t know where it comes from. I guess you

can’t overthink it. You just have to go up there and let go.”

Of course, the actors don’t always get the laugh they’re shooting

for. But Luke says that’s okay. “Improv includes failure. Like

anything else, it’s a process. You have to figure out what works

and what doesn’t.”

That’s one of the beneficial things about improv—it teaches

a lot of life skills. Since starting Naturally Improv-able, Luke’s

been hired by a number of corporations to teach those skills in

the office place. “Think about it,” says Luke. “In business, you

have limited resources, you’re sometimes working with people

you’ve never met, and yet you’re expected to succeed. Improv

is the answer—being flexible and being willing to maneuver

around to meet the goal.”

Luke believes you can’t learn those lessons too early. On

November 10, Luke and Naturally Improv-able will be offering

a workshop at the Fort Smith Public Library to teach improv-

based teamwork to area youth. Then, on November 17, they’ll

be collaborating with the Young Actors Guild as part of YAG’s

fall theater classes. Luke sees it as a way to give back to the

community, help grow the arts, and teach aspiring actors how to

work from the hip and increase their self-confidence.

Clearly, being funny is something Naturally Improv-able takes

seriously. With any luck at all, it won’t be long before Arkansas

adds improv to the list of things that put us on the map.

For more information, including live footage of Sunday Night Live, visit naturallyimprovable.com.

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@ENTERTAINMENT

breaking dawn, pt 2@story Kody Ford@images Courtesy Nick Holmes and Lionsgate Films

Marlane Barnes time at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville taught

her one very important thing —she wanted to act. That decision led her to her role in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2, which will be released on Nov. 16.

28

Marlane plays Maggie, a member of the Irish vampire coven.

For those unfamiliar with Twilight, The Volturi, the vampire

authority, send Maggie and the other members to learn more

about Bella and Edward’s daughter Renesmee. Maggie and her

cohorts later side with the Cullens against the Volturi.

Marlane had wanted to act since childhood, but it always seemed

like a dream. After graduating from Southside

High School in Fort Smith, she planned to

go to college and become a lawyer. Still, the

acting bug never left her.

“Living in Arkansas I had no idea how you

would go about it,” Marlene said. “The only

people I knew who were actors did it for the

local community theatre after their day job

at the bank.”

But while studying theatre at the U of

A, Marlane got to work with some of the

university’s best theatre instructors.

“They do theatre at a level that is the same

or exceeds any of the great theatres in this

country. Arkansas is really lucky to have them.”

After graduation, Marlane headed to Austin where she earned

an MFA in Theatre at the University of Texas. The capitol city has

been a hub for independent filmmaking since the 70s and many

acclaimed directors and actors hail from there.

Such a bustling film scene gave Marlane experience on camera,

which allowed her to move to Los Angeles in 2010 with a

sizable reel of her film roles. During her time in grad school, the

most important break came from the UT showcase in New York,

when she signed with Consortium Entertainment. She soon had

an audition for her first gig, an episode of iCarly. This exposure

led to her the audition for the role of Maggie.

They gave her lines of dialogue from the book to learn.

She did some Wikipedia research on her

character and watched the first two Twilight

films. Going into the audition, Marlane had

two advantages—she looked the part and

had learned to speak with an Irish accent

convincingly during grad school.

“I try to audition as though that thirty seconds

in the room is the job, so Twilight was a really

enjoyable audition to do,” she said.

The call came three days later while she was

vacuuming her house. She’d gotten the part.

“I was completely shocked,” said Marlane. “I

never in one million years thought it would

be me! Why would it be me? But then again,

why not? Someone has to get it. So I jumped up and down a lot

and called everyone who would even remotely care. That was a

good day.”

Filming for Breaking Dawn took place in Louisiana and

Vancouver. While Marlane had film experience, she had never

been on a big-budget production. She welcomed the change

and said that it’s much easier.

@PEOPLE

29

“There was always someone to tell me where to be and when,

make my face look nice, help me with my shoes and jacket, make

sure I had a good breakfast, a cup of coffee, whatever it was,”

she said. “Those production, makeup, and wardrobe assistants

are saints in disguise.”

At first, she found herself undergoing culture shock and

felt shy like the first day of school. However, supporting cast

members were housed together and they quickly became like

family. Over the course of two months, they went to the movies

together, explored the locales, and ate Japanese food at a roof

top restaurant ironically named Tsunami.

“It turned into a kind of weird summer camp/high school

retreat with a lot of inside jokes and things to keep ourselves

entertained during down time,” said Marlane. “There was always

something going on, so I had to balance having fun with being

ready for a five a.m. call. If I had it to do over again, though, I

might have gone out even more.”

She spent a lot of time on set filming with the core cast who

played the Cullens, particularly Robert Pattinson and Kristen

Stewart. However, she only got to shoot with Taylor Lautner for

a couple of days. She described Lautner as “a sweet kid, was

quiet and very professional. Every bit as handsome in person.”

“Rob is thoughtful and caring and seems to have a lot of interests

outside of film,” said Marlane. “I had a close ‘field position’ with

Kristen and got a chance to get to know her a little. She has to

be careful, even on-set, and has security with her all the time.

She is very wry and sharp and passionate about finding good

projects to work on and she gives her whole self to the search

for that. I look forward to seeing the choices they all make after

this movie now that they will have more flexibility as actors.”

Looking back, Marlane is still humbled by her time on set. “It's

hard to sum up an experience like that because there were so

many people and so much going on all the time and so much to

think about, so many talented and passionate people with such a

variety of interests,” she said. “Pretty strange for it to have been

my first experience on a major set, because it was such a huge

production both in scale and hype. But I think that's the best way,

probably. Just jump right in and see what happens! I'm still alive.

Not only that, but it's pretty special that there are a few people

from the production who I will probably keep in contact with for

years to come. That's the most you can hope for, I think.”

Marlane recently finished an independent film called Sake

Bomb and is slated to appear in a dark comedy called Stuff It.

Her spare time is devoted to animal rescue. She is also writing

a young adult supernatural adventure fantasy set in fifth

century Ireland. No word on whether the main character is a

vampire, but she is well equipped to do the audio book when

it’s published.

You can follow Marlane on Facebook.com/marlaneMarlaneoffical or on Twitter: @marlaneMarlane.

30

@PEOPLE

32

1 In Motion Canvas Art – $399.952 Derby Lamp – $199.953 Paisley Pillow – Orange – $79.954 Gates Cuddler Sectional RHF - Boucle Stone – $1999.955 Whirlwind Metal Art – $199.956 Palmer Chair Udder Madness – $599.957 X-Range Mirrored Sideboard – 4 Door – $1299.958 X-Range Coffee Table – $599.95

1

Looking for an easy makeover for the season? Adding fall

colored accessories will change the mood of your room

in an instant. And as always, autumn’s it color is orange.

Take a serene space and rev up the energy by adding

orange patterned pillows, accessories, and art.

Orange brings out the rich brown tones of wood. It works

especially well with metallics and black and white.

If you use lots of orange, be sure to use various shades, to

make the color interesting, not overpowering.

Neutral walls and dark furniture make a perfect backdrop

for a bold shade. Using pops of orange will make your

room glow.

No matter the hue, orange is a warm color that is both

revitalizing and calming. During the day oranges are bold

and energizing, but at night they become warm and cozy.

Christine HowardCreative Director, I.O. Metro

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@story Marla Cantrell@images Courtesy Dave Holocomb

36

2008 was a year of reckoning for graphic designer Dave

Holcomb. The TV station he worked for in Dallas faltered

and then fell, filing bankruptcy and shutting its doors, another

casualty of the Great Recession.

While the news was bad, it did offer Dave a chance to decide

what to do with his future. He’d been working in TV since

1984, and he was tired of the stress that came along with it.

Once he decided to take another path, the decision to leave

Dallas came easily.

But where would Dave go? He’d starting thinking about

Arkansas. He’d been here before, floating the Buffalo River and

visiting friends in northwest Arkansas. He made another trip,

landing in the tiny town of Winslow, population 391, and found

of piece of land where he built a cabin in the woods.

“When I saw this place, it reminded me a lot of rural Alabama

where I’d grown up,” Dave says. “When I was unpacking I came

across my paintbrushes and art supplies. For so long I was

focused on making a living, and art had fallen by the wayside.

But now I was working from home, doing web and graphic

design, and I started experimenting with my art.

“I do think working as a designer in a commercial context helped

my work. You do learn discipline. You learn to finish something

and move on to the next thing. I have a tendency to want to

go back and revisit. Nothing kills anything more than trying to

perfect, going back day after day to work on something. I had

a sculptor friend who used to compare it to drinking. You have

one drink and then a second and when you start to pick up the

third drink you know it’s a bad idea.”

Still, Dave struggles with the need for perfection. Even when he

cooks he gets sidetracked, trying to chop the carrots into exact

pieces. It’s one of the reasons he started doing assemblage

projects, using found objects. “You have to roll with it a little

bit,” he says. “Things depend on whether the glue sticks or the

paint dries properly or a piece of wire coils in a certain way. You

can’t direct it on a very direct path; you have to let it wander.”

Dave’s work is stunning. On some of his pieces, there are

images of children, their innocence bright against the layered

backgrounds of torn newsprint and paint. On others, he’s uses

37

@PEOPLE

papier-maché, bits of

metal, even Styrofoam.

And in one, there are

three photos of himself

from childhood. In each

he is climbing off his

tricycle, the succession

of his attempts captured

in black and white photos

so endearing it’s hard to

turn away.

“Everyone gets the idea of a child trying to get the hang of

something,” Dave says. “It’s unimportant that the photos are of

me. I believe not telling the story all the way through, leaving

things unfinished, lets people put themselves in there and they

get to be part of it.”

What he tries always to do in all his work is start a story that

begins with him and ends with the viewer.

“I want people to say things like, ‘That reminds me of something

else.’ Or, ‘That reminds me of when I was twelve.’ I want them

to fill in blanks. I think the story we end up with between us is

a little more interesting than the one we would have if I told it

all by myself.”

His art and stories continue to unfold in the hills of Arkansas. At

his cabin, all along the porch, are containers with found objects,

from Styrofoam to bits of string, he’s either gathered or other

people have brought to him.

One of his best finds was during a walk near Winslow’s train

tracks. He looked down and saw an irregularly shaped piece of

metal that was likely a patch welded onto a train car at some

point. He picked it up, studied the edges that looked like waves

on the sea, and knew he had to use it in one of his projects.

Days like that remind him how different his life is now. He

is able to slow down, to notice something as simple and

profound as dappled light falling across a sugar maple in the

woods near his house.

And light has always played an important role in Dave’s life.

“When I lived in Birmingham,” he says, “there was this apartment

building made of yellow brick, ten stories high. I remember it was

late in the afternoon, and I’m walking along and it’s dim where I

am. The sun is still hitting the top of that building against a blue,

blue, blue sky. I remember stopping in the middle of the street

and just staring at this thing. You get moments like that, that feels

like connection, and you want to share it.

“In the winter here, I’ll go walking. Sometimes you’ll see the

slope of the ground through the trees and rocks. A piece of

broken glass might catch the light. You get the sense that there’s

a narrative there. That there’s a story and I want to pick the story

up and carry it a little further.”

And so he continues to work. At fifty-four, he thinks he has

enough experience to keep him steady and the same love of

art he had when he started college. Back then, people told him

art should be viewed only as a hobby. He now knows none of

that was true.

To see Dave’s work, visit Ozark Folkways in Winslow or turningupbones.com

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@PEOPLE

Tusk and Trotter, an American Brasserie opened in 2011, is nestled just one block off the square in downtown

Bentonville. From the outside, it looks a lot like an English pub. Inside you’ll find a casual atmosphere and an eclectic menu. It even boasts an extensive selection of micro brews, wines and house infused cocktails.

The menu features Southern comfort food with a European twist. Owner and executive chef, Rob Nelson, who trained in France after attending the University of Arkansas, works with chefs David Bradford and Scott Riedesel to come up with dishes like Fried Chicken and Waffles, Crispy Pig Ear Salad, and Maple Bacon Brittle Ice Cream. And that’s just the beginning. Welcome to Tusk & Trotter.

Monday – Thursday 11:00am to 9:30pmFriday – Saturday 11:00am to 11:00pm

Sunday 10:00 to 9:00pm

Chef Riedesel Chef BradfordChef Nelson

110 SE "A" St., Bentonvilletuskandtrotter.com

479.268.4494

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Gator Dog { $12 }This dish combines ALLIGATOR with pork sausage topped with

a Creole sauce. It’s served on a housemade brioche hot dog

bun with a side of pommes frites, which are like french fries

that fall down on your plate from heaven. The gator/pork combo

had a slight kick, but it wasn’t too spicy. The Creole topping

adds another layer of flavor, and the pommes frites are crispy

without the least bit of greasiness.

Maple Bacon Brittle Ice Cream { $6 }What’s that you say? No way? Yes way! You’re combining two

foods we adore: bacon and ice cream. What’s not to love?

The ice cream was spot on, with tiny chunks of pralines and

ribbons of maple. Then you taste it. The saltiness of the bacon.

It’s pure perfection.

Beans and Cornbread { $25 }Definitely not your mama’s beans and cornbread. Housemade

duck confit, duck pastrami, corn casserole, cassoulet, and duck

cracklin vinaigrette.

What a memorable dish! The duck, sitting atop the delicious

corn casserole, pulled easily away from the bone and the duck

pastrami was some of the best food we’ve ever eaten.

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@TASTE

On your trip to Tusk & Trotter, take note of the story on the front

of your menu. It’s the story of how the French recipes ended up

in Chef Rob’s hands. It includes Jacques Nelson (Rob’s ancestor),

a lost recipe book, pirates, and a woman so overbearing her

husband took to the sea to try to escape her.

Tusk and Trotter definitely got our attention, and it seems we’re

not alone. Their food recently gained the attention of the James

Beard House in New York. The chefs have been invited to cook

there in October of 2013, making Tusk and Trotter one of the

top 200 restaurants in the U.S.

@Urban is looking for the next great restaurant to review. Contact us at editors@AtUrbanMagazine.com.

Mixology

Mixologist, Scott Baker, is the winner of the 2012 Arkansas

Bartender of the Year Award from the Arkansas Hospitality

Association. They say the proof is in the pudding. This time the

proof was in our Pickle Bloody Mary. Next time, we’re going for

the Peach Whisky Manhattan, which is just one of their house

infused cocktails.

Valrhona-Callebaut Chocolate Cake Dare we say this was the best chocolate cake we’ve ever eaten?

This French chocolate chiffon cake is filled and glazed with a

dark chocolate fudge sauce. While the staff obtains the majority

of their ingredients from within a 150 mile radius, the chocolate

is imported from France. A luscious chocolate cake that’s not

too sweet and pairs perfectly with their French Press.

{ $6 }

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@TASTE

@recipe and images Laura Hobbs

44

Thanksgiving is a time for fun family gatherings and delicious food. Thanksgiving

is not a time for gloppy pecan pies, mealy

pumpkin pies and other desserts that our

family members think are appropriate – and

edible – choices. For the many Thanksgiving

meals I’ve participated in, I’ve leaned

toward simple recipes that are flavorful and

pleasing to a wide array of palates, without

being overly fussy or complicated.

That being said, I’m a firm believer in a

little elbow grease going a long way. In

these times of convenience, efficiency and

go-go-go, where it’s much easier to pick

up a $6 apple pie at the grocery store than

it is to take an hour to make one, any effort

you make in the kitchen will be noticed

and celebrated, and you’ll be placed on a

pedestal. OK, so you’ll at least get lots of

praise and maybe even a few hugs.

With apples and pumpkins in season,

apple-flavored and pumpkin-infused

goodies abound – so why not combine

both of these autumnal flavors into one

delicious dish? Why not celebrate fall’s

bounties with a dessert that epitomizes

the season’s falling leaves and crisp air?

Why not wow your Thanksgiving crowd

with something that looks fussy but is, in

fact, as easy as…pie.

The dough is an easy-squeezy recipe that

comes together in the blink of an eye

with the help of the always-handy food

processor. While the butter-licious dough

chills, you can focus on the filling.

For the filling, choose whatever apples

you like best; I prefer Granny Smiths for

baking because they’re tart and keep their

shape when cooked. As for the pumpkin,

this is a personal choice, too – standard

pie pumpkins are perfectly delicious

(and appropriately named), but going for

an heirloom variety, like blue hubbard or

kabocha, can be fun too.

The tart’s flavors are complemented with

fall spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg and

clove, and a liberal sprinkling of crunchy

turbinado sugar covers the buttery

crust. After an hour in the oven, you’ll

witness a browned and bubbling beauty

emerge. Serve this rustic tart with a dab

of sweetened cream or a scoop of vanilla

ice cream, and let your family sing your

praises. Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers

– and enjoy!

@TASTE

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For the dough:1 ½ c. flour2 tsp. sugar½ tsp. kosher salt½ c. cold butter, cubed1/3 c. cold water

For the filling:1 ½ lbs. pumpkin, sliced and peeled3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced1 tsp. cinnamon¼ tsp. each ground nutmeg, cloves and salt3 Tbs. flour1/3 c. brown sugar 1 ½ c. sugar2 Tbs. bourbon or whiskey2 Tbs. coarse turbinado or decorating sugar

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Make the dough: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and whirl to mix. Add the butter and pulse into pea-size pieces. Drizzle the cold water over the crumbs and pulse until just moistened. Turn dough out on a floured work surface and gather into a ball, turning to combine any dry crumbs. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 375° and put an oven rack on the bottom rung. On a greased baking sheet, place the pumpkin slices in a single layer. Roast, turning once, until tender when pierced with a fork, about 12 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix the apples, spices, salt, flour, both sugars and bourbon or whiskey until evenly coated. Add the roasted pumpkin and toss gently to combine.

Set the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface and roll into a large disk, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Pour the apple/pumpkin filling into the center of the dough, leaving at least 1 ½ inch border. Fold the edges over the fruit, allowing the dough to pleat as you go. Dip a pastry brush in water and brush the folded edges of the dough. Sprinkle the edges with the coarse sugar.

Bake the tart until browned and bubbling, about an hour. Allow to cool before cutting.

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@TASTE

Sponsored byCheers Liquor4000 Rogers Ave.Fort Smith479.782.9463 Cheers of Fort Smith

¾ oz Vodka

¾ oz Fulton’s Pumpkin Pie Liquor

½ oz Amaretto

¾ oz Irish Cream

Cinnamon Stick

Fill a lowball glass with ice. Combine vodka, Fulton’s Pumpkin Liqueur, amaretto, and Irish Cream. Stir well and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Enjoy responsibly with friends!

48

@TASTE

@story Whitney Ray

@images Courtesy Elizabeth Osterberger, Lizard Eye Photo

50

We were late for dinner, or so she thought. For most of

the day time had crept by like coal turning in to a fine

diamond, but now, somehow, time sped up. Minutes seemed

like seconds. We approached Madison Square in Savannah. My

phone, which I had strategically placed on vibrate, buzzed in my

jacket pocket. The sun was setting. Our pace quickened.

A month before, I'd planned the whole thing. The third smartest

thing I did, besides finding the woman of my dreams and asking

her father's permission, was hiring a professional photographer.

Lizard Eye Photo was complicit in my scheme. Together we

planned, emailed, worried. I had to surrender control. The

photographer was in Savannah. I was hours away in Tallahassee.

I searched the internet, studied maps and plotted. The

photographer visited the squares. Considered their benches,

the surrounding buildings, statues. Savannah has eleven

squares, each with its own history. Some are haunted, others

are immortalized in novels and paintings. One had a special

place in my heart.

Savannah was our first trip as a couple. Elizabeth Cate and I had

been dating less than a month and on a whim, I'd suggested the

city of Southern sorcery. Days later, I learned just how magical

this city could be. Savannah has the largest historical housing

district in the US, more than three square miles. Many, like the

world famous Mercer House, were built during the Civil War.

Some date back to the American Revolution. All have histories,

some, according to locals, have ghosts.

On our first trip, we walked for hours on the brick streets and

sidewalks, past houses, hotels and museums. When we tired

of walking we sat on a bench in a shaded square. The sun went

down as Elizabeth and I gazed at a statue of a confederate

soldier hoisting the Stars and Bars, standing amid leaves and

limbs of the magnolia trees that framed the sculpture. I watched

Elizabeth as she watched the people passing by. I fell in love.

I kept it a secret. It was too early. We were too new. In the

beginning, a relationship is like an egg balanced on a spoon; there's

room for the egg to wobble, but move too fast and the egg crashes

to the floor where it can never be salvaged. I let the moment pass.

Instead I snapped an arm's-length photo of us with my cell phone.

Not a month passes where I don't scroll through my phone

and look at that picture. The quality is weak, but the emotion

An Arkansas guy meets a girl in Florida and they fall in love in Georgia. This is their story.

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@TRAVEL

percent. I called Lizard Eye. She told me the showers had been

spotty and any rain wouldn't last long. Sunset was due at 7:30.

My faux reservations were for 7:00. If we were running on time

(and it didn't rain) I'd have thirty minutes to pop the question

and pose for pictures before we lost light.

On the day of my caper, rain chances fell to ten percent. It was

sunny and comfortable for September in the South. Elizabeth

took me to lunch, ice cream and a walking tour. At 3:00 we

headed back to the hotel to watch the Hogs. This was the

perfect excuse to allow Elizabeth to rest a while and give her

plenty of time to get dolled up. I told her after dinner we would

go to a Jazz club, with a posh dress code. I put on my best

sport coat and my black cowboy boots. I hid the ring in my sock.

Elizabeth wore a black lacy dress.

remains strong. So fresh are those memories, I decided it was

time to take the next step in our relationship.

I looked at the picture. I knew what I had to do, but I didn't know

where to begin. All the squares in Savannah have benches.

Most have statues. It had been more than a year since our first

trip to the small Georgia city and my picture revealed few clues.

I searched frantically online. I Googled "Savannah Squares"

and "Savannah Statues." Each query created a new search,

uncovered a new question. I viewed online maps, used satellite

images to zoom in on every bench. After several days I narrowed

my search to just two squares. Then after reexamining my

picture, Eureka! Only one bench on my whittled down list was

surrounded by shoulder high bushes. I had found the perfect

place to propose.

My birthday was near. An unassuming distraction. I played it

loose, causally suggesting Savannah for the celebration. She

agreed. I booked a hotel across the street from Madison Square.

The square where I fell in love. I told Elizabeth I wanted to have

my birthday dinner within walking distance of our hotel, and to

leave the dinner reservations to me.

With two weeks left, I decided this proposal needed some horse

power. I contacted Dee Thompson, owner operator of Madison

Tour Company, and told her my plan. Dee arranged a horse and

carriage to meet me in the square after my proposal. Lizard Eye

Photo helped add some flare by securing a bouquet of bright

flowers and a bottle of our favorite champagne, Rosa Regale,

which in Savannah you can drink right out in the open.

I checked the weather daily. Ten days out and the forecast

showed no rain. Five days later the rain chances grew to thirty

52

Five minutes till 7:00. I texted Lizard Eye, "Leaving in 5. R U

there?" My phone buzzed. "Here and Excited!!! Good Luck!"

We had exchanged cell phone numbers and pictures days

before the trip. Her job was to arrive in Madison Square early

and hold our bench. As we entered the square, slightly late

for our dinner reservations, but on time for our future, our

photographer recognized me from the picture I sent.

We made eye contact. I winked. She stood up and walked

across the square. I turned to Elizabeth and asked her if she

remembered the bench. She didn't. She was in a hurry. She

tried to keep walking. I grabbed her hands. From across the

square our image was captured, two lovers at a crossroad

in a historic square. I explained to Elizabeth why the bench

was special and told her how much I loved her. My intentions

became clear. I dropped to one knee. Our photographer came

out of hiding and continued snapping pictures. A tourist yelled,

"Look." Elizabeth began to shake. She said yes.

Moments later tourists asked to see the ring. Then I explained

to Elizabeth that the photographer wasn't random. There were

tears. We kissed. We posed for pictures. She stared at the ring.

Our carriage arrived. I uncorked the champagne, gave Elizabeth

the flowers, and toasted our future.

We boarded our carriage and rode through the historic streets,

under moss-covered trees, drinking our bottle. A newlywed

couple in a passing carriage wished us well. The horses’ hooves

clipped and clopped on the brick streets as the warm Southern

breeze picked up. We headed toward our future on the happiest

night of our lives.

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@TRAVEL

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@TRAVEL

@story and images Jim Warnock

56

There’s a treasure waiting for you in Franklin County, near

the small town of Cass. One local backpacker recently said,

“Hiking there is like walking through a beautiful cathedral!”

Those who have experienced the Marinoni Scenic Area would

completely understand this statement.

Imagine a place with twisting waterfalls, arching rock bluffs and

towering trees. Walk along a gentle stream that flows over rocks

into quiet, clear pools. The sounds of gurgling water, windblown

trees, and a variety of songbirds will soothe your soul. Leave

your cell phone in the car because there’s no coverage here;

who wants to hear cold digital sounds in this acoustic setting?

The Marinoni is beautiful in every season. Fall colors glisten

and shimmer, appearing as stained glass atop pools of water.

Winter brings the possibility of stunning ice formations and

frozen splash patterns around waterfalls. Spring brings dwarf

crested irises peeking out from the most unlikely cracks and

crevices. Their violet-to-purple hues sparkle against damp

stone walls. During any season, you’ll find lush green moss-

covered sandstone and lichen-speckled bluffs. Your greatest

challenge on this hike might just be keeping your footing as

you gaze up, entranced by the beauty.

Access to this jewel of a place used to be difficult and limited

to strong, long-distance hiking legs. The Ozark Highlands Trail

Association (OHTA) held a weeklong work camp in March of

2011 and built a .6 mile spur trail that connects to the Ozark

Highlands Trail (OHT) just west of the Marinoni Scenic Area.

You’re now able to hike a couple of miles and find yourself in

one of the most beautiful places in Arkansas.

“Well worth a 3-hour drive,” says Dale Fudge, a hiker from

Oklahoma City. Dale goes on to say, “The Marinoni Scenic Area

is one of the most intimate and inspiring sections of the OHT.

It’s secluded and packed full of dramatic landmarks. The area

is now more accessible than before with the addition of the

Dawna Robinson Spur Trail at Indian Creek, making for one of

the best day hike opportunities in the entire region.”

It’s fitting that this area feels like a sanctuary and that it

memorializes the lives of two special individuals. Paul A.

Marinoni was from Fayetteville and was involved in volunteer

efforts with Tim Ernst’s father. Tim, renowned outdoor

photographer and author of the Ozark Highlands Trail Guide

says, “My dad had his first heart attack when I was only six, so he

was unable to take me to the woods like he would have wanted

to. When I was seven, I began spending a lot of time with Paul

Marinoni, hunting and camping during annual retreats into the

woods. Paul was a real character, one of the most down-to-

earth and honest people you would ever meet.” Given Tim’s

sentiments, it seemed proper to name this area after a man who

influenced others to appreciate the Ozarks.

The short trail allowing us to enter this natural area is named

in memory of Dawna Robinson. Dawna and her husband,

Bob, spent years maintaining sections of the OHT. She was

well known for her love of the trail and her desire to share it

with others. “When the new Indian Creek Spur Trail was first

proposed, Dawna's spirited personality and dedication came

to mind as a fitting tribute to memorialize how the entire trail

came into existence through the hard work and perseverance of

volunteers,” says Mike Lemaster, President of the OHTA.

In many ways the Marinoni Scenic Area reflects qualities of these

two lives. Sitting at the edge of Briar Creek, you’d think these

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bluffs had always been as they appear today but this valley

was shaped by centuries of water and ice. There’s an honesty

and straightforwardness in its beauty. Giant rocks stand like

monuments of strength where they folded down to the creek

years ago. Although fragile, there’s a sense of permanence here

and although subtle, the beauty is deep and unmistakable in

any season.

If you’ve never visited the Marinoni Scenic Area, it’s an

experience not to be missed. If you have hiked the area, you

will want to return again and experience an even deeper

appreciation of its beauty. So, lace up your walking shoes!

Let’s go visit an Arkansas natural cathedral and pause there as

it becomes our own special place of sanctuary and reflection.

Getting there: From Hwy 23 just north of Cass, turn onto Hwy

215 east. Travel 7.4 miles to Indian Creek Canoe Launch and

OHT Access. The trail is on the north side of Hwy 215 and begins

at an opening in the fence directly across from the Indian Creek

OHT Access sign.

The spur trail is marked with 2x6-inch blue metal blazes. You’ll

hike .6-miles to the OHT and then turn right, hiking another 2

miles to the Marinoni Scenic Area marker at the base of a bluff.

Hiking out-and-back gives you approximately 5.2 miles. With a

shuttle you can hike through to the Lick Branch Trailhead which

will be a 5-mile hike and cover even more scenery.

For More Information: Ozark Highlands Trail Association ozarkhighlandstrail.com Ozark Highland Trail Association Facebook page Ozark Highlands Trail Guide by Tim Ernst

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@short story Marla Cantrell

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It was blowing up a storm when we started to practice, our

bluegrass band called Sweet and Lowdown, but that don’t

stop Effie. He thinks you got to play no matter what. If the

tornado sirens go off down in town and one of our old ladies

calls up here at the hunting cabin we all share, Effie’ll say, “Ya’ll

can go get in your fraidey holes if you want to. Me, I’m playing

my fiddle.”

Well, you can’t go to the storm cellar with your tail between

your legs, so we stay, me and Layman and King, even though

King, who plays the washtub, lost his house in the tornado of

’96 and he still shakes when the sky rumbles. And then Effie’ll

start in on some song like “When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder,”

just to put his spin on how things might turn out if a twister

does find us.

So we’re playing, me on the guitar, and we’re looking out the

window, where you can see the sky turning the color of a two-

day bruise, and King’s sweating and Layman’s got his eyes shut

like he does when he plays mandolin, and Effie, truth be told,

can be a flat-out bully. So he’s getting the show list together

and acting like everything’s business as usual.

“I think we should start with ‘Sitting On The Front Porch,’ Effie

says. “Crowd pleaser, every single time. And then, ‘Baby’s Little

Shoes.’ And then ‘Walking With Clementine’ for the old folks.

We’ll finish with ‘God Bless the U.S.A,’ since the veterans’ home

is bringing a bus.

Lightning is hitting closer, the sky like the Fourth of July. King’s

sat down, and he’s turned white as milk. King’s a big man. He

can’t even button his overalls up all the way on the side, so

when he doubles over and then falls out of his chair, none of us

knows what to do.

“I ain’t doing mouth-to-mouth,” Effie says, while the rest of us

are trying to right him.

King comes to soon enough, and he leans up on his elbow,

looking like ten miles of bad road. And just then, the hail starts

and it sounds like gunfire when it hits the tin roof.

“My new truck,” King says, and covers his eyes.

Our pickups are parked outside, and they’re getting blasted. I

see my old Dodge, the one I’ve had since May left me in ’81.

The hail, big as cotton bolls, is hitting it, and it makes me sick

to death.

Effie’s truck, his is under the old lean-to carporch we threw up

last summer. Well, sure it is, I think.

Then Layman, who is usually as peaceful as a Sunday morning,

says, “Heck Fire Fuzzy,” and hits the wall with his fist. We all go

quiet. We ain’t seen nothing like this before, and it feels like the

storm is moving inside with us.

Outside, the rain flashes down. Pounding everything, soaking

through what used to be my back windshield.

“Mercy sakes alive,” is all I can say.

King tries to stand, grabbing my arm to do it. He’s about as wide

as he is tall, and he near about pulls me down on his way up.

“I’m off like a prom dress,” King says, “so don’t try to stop me.”

62

But then he stands still for a second, and pulls himself up as tall

as he can, like he does when a pretty woman walks by on the

avenue. He’s trying to push his chest out farther than his belly,

which ain’t no easy task.

“You’re about as helpful as the U.S. Congress,” he says to Effie.

“We should send you to Washington, D.C., where you could bow

up like a mad dog every time somebody has a good idea, and

then vote against it.”

We don’t talk politics, not since we got into a knockdown drag-

out when Clinton ran for governor that second time, but King

don’t seem to be abiding by any rules today. I take a step

toward him, in case I need to referee.

King just keeps going.

“You act mighty high, like you’re the backbone of Sweet and

Lowdown,” King says. He points to Layman. “But Layman here,

he might not play as good as you like, but he’s the one got the

news folks out here to do that story calling us the best bluegrass

band in Arkansas. And he books every show, and when you get

drunk, let’s just be honest here, when you get drunk, you can’t

play worth a dang.”

Effie’s a little banty rooster of a man, but he’s been known to

fight mean, and when he lunges at King, it takes me and Layman

to stop him.

We’re holding Effie by his scrawny arms, and he’s kicking, his

cowboy boots flying off the wood floor.

“You are a liar and a snake,” King Brammel,” Effie says. “A liar

and a snake. You’re going to go straight to hell. And just so you

know, when you do, I plan to play the fiddle on your grave.”

King looks like he could put Effie in the ground right then and

there, his own self. I start to butt in, but then Layman steps in,

which is hard for him, I know, because he don’t like fighting.

“Ya’ll cut it out,” Layman says. “Ain’t nobody going to hell. Effie,”

he says and then points right at him, “you and King need to quit

showing your behinds. That gig on Saturday pays $100, plus

they feed us. We ain’t had a set-up like that since we played

that Blue Magnolia shindig for the rich ladies who wanted to

dress up in thousand dollar boots and wear tight jeans and

drink beer in front of their husbands.”

And then Layman swells up, like I never seen him do before.

“And Effie, we ain’t playing ‘Walking With Clementine,’ he says.

“The old folks can do without it for one dang night. I wrote my

own song and I want to sing it. It’s called ‘She Broke My Heart

And Stole My Wallet.'"

I’d known Layman forty-two years, and that was the first I’d

heard of his songwriting. His ex-girlfriend, the one who brought

over the Mexican casserole when Layman’s wife died two years

ago, was probably the inspiration for this new tune. Word was,

she was over in Branson now, hooked up with a cowboy singer

who wore a bolo tie and colored his hair.

Effie’s face is scarlet; even his ears are red. He looks like he

“You’re about as helpful as the U.S. Congress,”

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might ignite at any minute. But he backs down soon enough,

his shoulders falling. He looks at all of us, me and King and

Layman, and then he says, “Fine, that’s fine as a feather. I been

carrying you ya-hoos for way too long.”

King is towering over Effie, and for a minute he looks like he

don’t know what to do. He eyes me and then Layman, and

shakes his head.

The wind is still howling, and the windows rattle. Finally, he

cuffs Effie on the shoulder, and then the two shake hands, and

the rain keeps falling, and the wind whistles down the chimney.

Effie has a bottle in his fiddle case, and he goes to get it.

“Ain’t nobody driving till the rain stops,” he says. “And that

includes you, King.”

And then we sit down, and pass the bottle until Layman starts

singing. “I loved a girl from Minnesota. Loved her with a passion

true. And then she stole my dad burn wallet, took it out and

followed you. You must be a handsome cowboy. You must look

like Johnny Cash. But Dandy Heartthrob, I forewarn you, she is

fishing for your stash.”

We are laughing now. Effie brings out his fiddle, and I pick

up my guitar, and Layman his mandolin. King drags out the

washtub, and we get back at it, the boys from Sweet and Low

Down, and we start to play, better than we have in a long time,

maybe better than we ever will again.

Want to have your short story published in @Urban Magazine in January? The deadline for our Get Published in 2013 fiction/poetry contest is November 10 at midnight. Details under our Contests tab at AtUrbanMagazine.com.

We ain’t had a set-up like that since we played that Blue Magnolia shindig for the rich ladies who wanted to dress up in thousand dollar boots and wear tight jeans and drink beer in front of their husbands.”

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