March 10th, 2011 issue #1010
March 10th, 2011
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'Bottoms' up: Who will play Georgia in Childress' 7th?
The heroine of Mark Childress' latest book, Georgia Bottoms, would be offended at a reporter's crass question about how a genteel Southern belle ended up "turning tricks," informs Childress. -
Books in the time of Twitter: Hook's hot lit picks for 17th festival
The world has changed since the first celebration of the book here in 1995. Back then, no one seriously considered the feasibility of a computer replacing bound pages for one's reading pleasure. In 2010, however, Amazon sold more e-books than old-fashioned paper ones. Bookstores were struggling then, when big chains were seen as the major threat. Locally, the ones that survived the arrival of Barnes & Noble mostly are still around. -
CSI: Transylvania: Jenkins unlocks vampire forensics
How do you perform an autopsy on the undead? For author Mark Collins Jenkins, his new book, Vampire Forensics, explores misunderstandings about the various stages of physical decomposition– and may explain how the vampire legends arose in Europe centuries ago. During the Middle Ages, explains Jenkins, before embalming became widespread, people who reopened fresh graves discovered that some corpses were not behaving as expected. -
Dangerous debut: MFA grad says hello to Birdie
"I had the idea of a character, Birdie, who's an actress who stopped being able to tell when she was acting," says author and 2003 UVA MFA graduate Jenny Hollowell. Birdie, the young protagonist of Hollowell's first novel, Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe, is a liar. But she's also a Hollywood actress– a career that, coincidentally, involves a form of lying. -
In God we trust? John Fea explores America's Christian (?) foundations
Want to pick a fight? Bring up politics or religion. In his new book, Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?, historian John Fea tackles both. The book explores the heated debate over whether or not America was designed to be Christian and, if so, has it remained that way? -
Really forbidden love: My name is Ray, and my book is about necrophilia
Somewhere between the gothic eccentricities of filmmakers Tim Burton and David Lynch and the witty intellectualism of authors Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo, emerging writer Brian Ray is exploring an empty building and trying to understand the sick mind of the necrophiliac. Is he crazy? Eccentric might be the better term for the UNC Greensboro PhD student, although risk-taker, coffee-drinker, and rhetoric enthusiast might all accurately describe this 28-year-old author.
4Better Or Worse
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4better or worse: The week in review
Biggest sticker shock: Gas prices jump locally by 40 cents a gallon in the past month to an average of $3.41 at press time, according to AAA.
The Dish
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Chang finally returns
The wait is over. Elusive chef Peter Chang has returned, bringing his special brand of Szechwanese cuisine with him. Chang's work was on full display at an invitation-only ...
Essays
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Rome burning? Then it's time for the impossible
Economist M. Scott Taylor and actress Emily Blunt– or rather the character she plays in The Adjustment Bureau– are peas in a pod. Recently, while The Adjustment Bureau ...
Real Estate - $old
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Property transfers
ALBEMARLE 7/6Annette Gibbs, trustee, to Adrienne C. Chisholm, 206 Brentwood Road, Woodbrook, $225,600.Carrington Paul Bragg to Patsy L. Fisher and Eugene E. Jones Jr., 5.20... -
Property transfers
ALBEMARLE 7/1Biao Sun to Donna J. Somerville, 3217 South Chesterfield Court, Chesterfield, $331,000.Johnie R. Muncy, trustee, to Self-Help Venture Fund, 901 Stonehenge Road...
Real Estate - On the Block
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Greenleaf good life: Cape Cod screams Ozzie and Harriet
Address: 1510 Rose Hill DriveNeighborhood: GreenleafAsking: $335,000Assessment: $332,400Year Built: 1950Size: 1,663 fin. sq. ft.; 1,600 unfin.Land: 0.25 acresAgent: Phyllis...
Real Estate - Update
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Still available
APPEARED IN THE HOOK: October 28, 2010 in issue 0943ADDRESS: 1652 Harris Creek Road (aka 1777 Harris Creek Way), First Colony Winery ASKING PRICE: $624,900 (was $649,...
Real Estate Property auctions
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Property auctions
March 10 at 9am at the Albemarle County CourthouseProperty: 190 Yellowstone Drive unit 101Debtor: Frank J. RadicsAmount owing: $233,900Bidder brings: 10 percent sale price...
Art Features
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Bugging out: Braun finds splendor in the grass
Most people know local painter Robin Braun for her realistic and evocative seascapes. Now and then, though, she returns to painting tiny scenes, viewed at ground level, whe...
DR. HooK
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Bringing up blood: Esophageal tears need fast repair
Starvin’ like Marvin! Yes, don’t we all feel that from time to time? You know you shouldn’t eat it, but it taunts you. It whispers to you, “C’mon. Eat me. You’r...
Movie Reviews
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2D miracle: 'Rango' is animation at its best
Rango is some kind of a miracle: an animated comedy for smart moviegoers, wonderfully made, great to look at, wickedly satirical and (gasp!) filmed in glorious 2D. Its bril...
News
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Buck stops here: Former mayor settles throttling case w/client
The trial for the assault charge against attorney Frank Buck for throttling his client in court ended quickly March 3 in another courtroom, without the former mayor getting... -
Familial hope: After East Coast Rapist arrest, Harringtons push for DNA
"Why haven't you picked me up sooner?" -
Final tally: Officials seek $24 million more from Dowdell's minions
With the prosecution winding down its decade-long work on the Terry Dowdell Ponzi scheme– one of the world's largest until Bernie Madoff took such crimes to new depth... -
Trial set: Eric Abshire pleads not guilty to wife killing
The Greene County man accused of killing his wife and staging her death as an automotive hit-and-run pleaded not guilty to first degree murder at his arraignment Thursday, ...
On Architecture
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Dust and promises: Amtrak lot finally getting paved
Good-bye dust devils and potholes.
The Brazen Careerist
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For St. Pat: You should make your own luck
To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, acknowledge that you’re not a leprechaun and that you have to create your own luck. Sure, luck can make or break a career, but those who m...
Sports Doctor
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BYU shines: One college follows its rules
What do you like to do when you're at home sick? Read trashy novels, watch a Jersey Shore marathon or a bunch of Star Wars movies back to back? Maybe you like you...
Strange But True
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Tail tale: What give cats their balance
Q. Cat lovers, what's the "tale of the tail" that would be most gratifying to physicists, kinesiologists and tightrope walkers carrying a long pole? –J. Fariello A. A ...
Letters
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Thanks for the water stories
It is long overdue to thank the Hook and editor Hawes Spencer for shining the light on the curious matter of our community water proposal. For over three years, on more tha...
Black and White
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Threading the needle
Motored back to Virginia Sunday, March 6. Sat still on Interstate 66 near Marshall Virginia in a driving rain as rescue crews reopened the highway. We were within seconds...