Scottsboro Literary and Culinary Society Redux

Last night we resurrected the Scottsboro Literary and Culinary Society--with a bang!

It was a beautiful evening at Riverbluff Farm, overlooking the Cumberland, with a lovely sunset turning into a brilliant crescent moon with attendant stars--are those Venus and Jupiter? Jane talked about painting, its guarantees of both failure and success, and how the painter lives in the moment, stretching out time.

I read some Bells Bend poetry, and, once again, was struck by the thoughtful attention poetry audiences seem to generate. It seems as though people are hungry, eager, to enter into another world, a suspension of life as we know it, and dwell there for a few minutes silently, fully engaged with these few words floating towards them. I'm grateful for this gift. Thank you.

The Scottsboro Society was founded in 1984 by three couples with ties to the area, and for many years met to cook, dine, and listen to a guest presentation. We heard discussions of Irish history, weaving, and the history of pepper, just to name a few. Then one couple moved away, and, finally, when the great Charley Ray, our animating spirit, died a few years ago, the Society fell into oblivion.

We are resurrecting it in modified form--in fact, so far, in no form at all! The next event will be our neighbor Kathleen talking about her book about diabetes and leading us through a cooking demonstration.

And, once again, thank you to our hosts, Bill and Jane, and to our neighbors and friends, whose intellects and spirits range both deep and wide.