PICK: Bicycle Thieves

Wheeling and dealing: It’s a time of economic desperation in post-World War II Rome as Antonio Ricci sets out on his bicycle to begin a job that will offer some financial relief for his family of four.  But when his back is turned, the bicycle is stolen—and Ricci’s hopes along with it. Fortunately, he does […]

PICK: The Festy

The fest of us: The Festy made its name by pairing killer music with killer views, and this time around the organizers have reinvented it in a beautiful setting where strict COVID safety measures can be taken. The musical experience is spread out through socially distanced small-group seating and a series of show dates, with […]

PICK: John and Chris Kelly

Plays together: The Front Porch continues its Save the Music series with an all-in-the-family edition featuring John and Chris Kelly. The father-son team appeared together on John’s recent release In Between, a collection of rock and folk songs that reflect on social justice issues as well as the importance of family bonds. Chris’ six-member, alt-rock […]

The politics of pie: Cuisine from the American Revolution

Some study history through hieroglyphics or bone fragments. Nancy Siegel looks at what we ate, and the political statements food made about the fledgling American nation during the 18th and 19th centuries. Every school child learns about the Boston Tea Party and the dumping of highly taxed tea into Boston Harbor. Not so well known […]

PICK: Food From Our Farms

Rewarding harvest: A salad of autumn lettuces and herbs, Asian pear, toasted pecans, and Surryano ham crisp with nectarine vinaigrette. Empanadas made from Caromont chevre, butternut squash, and heirloom apples. It’s harvest time in the Blue Ridge, and the menu for Food From Our Farms: 2020 Edition features the bounty of the season while honoring […]

PICK: The Life of William Faulkner

Writer’s digest: Notable biographer Carl Rollyson has covered a range of remarkable lives in his work, from Marilyn Monroe, Lillian Hellman, and Norman Mailer to Susan Sontag, Sylvia Plath, and Walter Brennan. He completes a two-part bio with The Life of William Faulkner Volume 2: This Alarming Paradox, 1935-1962, and celebrates Faulkner’s birthday with a […]

PICK: One Man, Two Guvnors

Lasting laughs: Before he hosted “The Late Late Show with James Corden” and dueted with superstars in his Carpool Karaoke series, Corden was a comedy writer for British television and an award-winning stage actor. He stars as Francis Henshall in National Theatre Live’s HD rebroadcast of One Man, Two Guvnors, a role he reprised on […]