(June 6, 2012) SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — I love this town.
The gorgeous cabin pictured above is the home of Justin and Brie. It’s where I stayed while in Sheperdstown and it was a magical place to awaken this morning. The day was perfect. Blue sky, fluffy clouds, sunshine and a light breeze. I meditated on the deck while waiting for Jeff Cosgrove to come pick me up.
On the way into town I asked Jeff to stop along the bank of the Potomac. I took this photo near the place where I stayed:
Jeff and his wife Sarah and I had breakfast at Mellow Moods, a vegan-friendly cafe on the main street of Shepherdstown. Then we walked around town checking out some of its eclectic shops, including a nice bookstore with a good poetry selection.
Everyone knows everyone here. It’s almost a cliche to write that about a small town, but it’s true. Everyone we passed knew Jeff and Sarah, and Jeff and Sarah knew everyone we passed. In fact, later in the day we were standing outside a restaurant with a small group of people, and several of those people identified who was inside the restaurant by the bicycle parked outside.
I bought postcards in the visitors center to send out to some of the folks who donated to the tour. (You can still do that, by the way, HERE.) Cheryl Keyrouze, who runs the visitors center, had a great line: “I feel like the world is spinning faster and the government isn’t telling us.”
Then we said goodbye to Sarah, and Jeff and I headed over the post office, where we ran into Howard Mills. I don’t know what he does now, but back in the big band era he was a drummer in Indiana. He told us great stories of his days on the bandstand and also of the formation of the music education department at Indiana University. I wish I’d been recording our conversation.
Next we visited the Rumsey Monument, built to honor James Rumsey, who may or may not have invented the steam ship.
(above and below) The view of the Potomac from the monument.
I also took a photo in front of the Little House (below), which is across the street from a restaurant where the Matt Wilson Quartet once played what has now become a famous show in Shepherdstown. You can hear the story in my interview with Jeff Cosgrove, which will be posted on June 13 at thejazzsession.com.
Then Jeff and I went to Morgan’s Grove Park, where we recorded our interview.
After the interview, I needed to pick up something from Justin’s, and Jeff took me up the hill to introduce me to Seth and Laura, two of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet.
Jeff mentioned that Laura was an amazing vegan cook, and no sooner did the words leave his mouth than Laura was bringing us two slices of vegan pot pie, followed by homemade vegan banana ice cream. Both were heavenly. Seth is a very talented photographer — you’ll find his work here. Oh, and he built this, too:
Then it was time to read poetry. Sarah and Jeff and I met Seth and Laura for dinner at Good Natured Market & Vegetarian Cafe in nearby Martinsburg. The food was spectacular, and the CD selection in the market (which also sells food and other goods) was better than 90% of the record stores in New York City. The reading was very intimate. Justin and Brie joined us and it was a small group, so I did it seated with everyone around a couple tables. I’ve never read poetry in that setting before — looking each and every person in the eye and knowing them by name. It made the intimate and revealing nature of my poems that much more real to me. I enjoyed it but it felt more reserved than my readings usually do. You can judge for yourself — there’s a recording of the reading at the top of this diary entry. And here’s a photo of me with Jeff and Sarah:
One other note about the reading: A man and a woman came in midway through and sat at a table near us. When I finished reading, the man commented that he’d enjoyed the reading, particularly “I Cannot Threaten Death”, my erasure poem based on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Beyond Vietnam” speech. That poem always gets a response, and I have to give the lion’s share of the credit to Dr. King.
I mentioned in yesterday’s diary that there’s a guy down the hill from Justin who lives in a wigwam. Tonight I went there to interview him, not for The Jazz Session, but as an addition to this tour diary. I’m not sure I did the interview all that well. I think there was a lot more to the story. But it’s fascinating anyway and has a lot of washtub bass playing. I’ll post it tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s a photo of Scott Schmied:
Shepherdstown is a truly wonderful place. I know this won’t be my last visit. The people, the land, the feeling here all sit well with me and make me feel very relaxed and at home. I wish I didn’t have to leave so soon. But tomorrow, bright and early, I head to Washington, D.C.
(If you’d like to help me keep this tour going, you can make a one-time donation HERE. There are lots of cool thank-you gifts. You can also become a recurring member of The Jazz Session HERE. Thank you.)
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