Delocated Unmasks the Humor Behind Reality Television
An American testifies against the Russian mob, forcing him and his family to enter the Witness Protection Program, move to New York City and … make a reality show about it! This is the premise of Adult Swim’s sleeper hit Delocated (midnight Thursdays, Cartoon Network). Creator, comedian and TV writer Jon Glaser stars as “Jon,”…
The Pinstripes Poke Their ‘I’ Out
Local Ska/Reggae/Soul group The Pinstripes are throwing themselves a well-deserved release party in honor of their solid sophomore LP, titled simply I, this Friday at Bangarang’s of Covington (in the old Mad Hatter space). Firecracker-hot Chicago Soul/Funk band JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound joins eclectic local Indie group SHADOWRAPTR and Funk/Soul/Pop crew Sassafraz as…
Openness and Opportunity
Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of profiles on the four new members elected to Cincinnati City Council. In preparing to interview newly elected Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, I was repeatedly visited by the temptation to ask him, “Are you as squeaky-clean as you seem?” In 2010 I listened to…
Killing Them Softly
T he good girl in the Tom Petty song loves her mama, Jesus, America, horses and her boyfriend, too. Petty doesn’t specify if the order is a ranked one, but does equate them all to something centrally pure, something uniquely American. The horse is not on the list by accident. Whether doodled with rainbows on…
Space Invaders!
I n mid- to late-October of 1973, just days before tens of thousands of costumed kids were to hit the streets of Cincinnati and surrounding communities for Halloween night, southwest Ohio was under invasion — an invasion that seemingly came from the heavens, and police and government officials across the region were on edge. The…
EcoSculpt Returns to Fountain Square
Remember last spring when the Square was taken over by environment-conscious art? EcoSculpt will be back April 13-29, exhibiting large-scale sculptures made entirely of recyclables.—- If you like to get down with re-purposing junk in the name of art, apply at myfountainsquare.com. Works should be big (10×10-foot limit), sturdy and weather-proof. The structures are not…
Electric Avenue, Acoustic Soul
O ne spin through Pete Dressman’s new album, Vol. II, might give the impression that the Cincinnati singer/songwriter and his band, the Soul Unified Nation, are unrepentant lovers of contemporary classic Rock icons like Pearl Jam who wouldn’t be the least bit out of place opening for locally-based Psych Rock trio Buffalo Killers. And you’d…
The More the Academy Changes…
Let the games begin. For audiences tired or uninterested in the arcane goings-on of the numerous guilds and critics organizations all attempting to exert some power and influence over the hearts and minds of Academy voters, Tuesday, Jan. 24, must have seemed like the arrival of Christmas after a series of unimaginable postponements and botched…
Knockin’ Off the Girl Scouts
Over the past couple of years I have developed a fascination (a minor one: more “How the hell is The Big Bang Theory one of the most popular shows on TV?” than “How do magnets work?”) with store-brand versions of popular grocery store items. Growing up, “generic” offerings at the supermarket were downright comical, their…
Honey (Review)
President Obama gave his State of the Union last week and even though he says we’re getting stronger, there’s a lot of uncertainty out there. Hell, even the weather seems to be uncertain these days. Know a perfect remedy for uncertainty? Comfort food. When I was a kid and dad was out of town for…
ETC Actor Excels With Solid Direction
When you go to the theater, I suspect you focus on the actors. That’s as it should be, but it’s important to bear in mind that it’s the director who pulls a production together and evokes performances that add up to the larger whole. This came to mind for me as I watched Ensemble Theatre…
Valentine’s Gifts Around the World (and Back)
It's two weeks until Valentine's Day, and we've got a few suggestions on how to celebrate. To women, nothing says ‘I Love You’ quite like a big, fat cockroach on Valentine’s Day. That's right, for just $10, you can name a special bug living at the Bronx Zoo after your sweetie – because like love,…
There’s Still Hope
Thom Shaw, the great Cincinnati artist who died in 2010, has the last word in Beyond Emancipation at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center — and it’s not what you might think. Shaw was known for his stark woodcuts, drawings and paintings that depicted drug use, urban violence and the personal hell of his diabetes and…
The Outlaw Album by Daniel Woodrell
He calls his own prose “country noir” and writes about a very unique kind of American: people living their lives with nothing left to lose and operating on a level that many have described as “desperate.” Now, with the publication of 12 devastatingly gritty and somewhat surreal short stories in The Outlaw Album, 57-year-old Daniel…
Hear Heartless Bastards’ ‘Arrow’ LP Now
Cincinnati-bred/Austin-based rockers Heartless Bastards' new album Arrow is due in stores on Valentine's Day (Feb. 14), but you can hear the long-player in its entirety right now via NPR's website (here). The NPR promotion is just the latest in the build-up to the excellent album's release. Arrow — the fourth HB full-length overall and first…
The Beauty and The Sorrow by Peter Englund
In his compelling new history, The Beauty and The Sorrow: An Intimate History of the First World War, historian Peter Englund has chosen firsthand accounts from 20 very different and disparate individuals who either fought in the war or were touched in some fashion by “The Great War,” as it has been called. The result…
Library Gets a Top National Honor
The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has been selected as one of the Top 10 Children’s Libraries in the United States by a national website. Livability.com chose the main library as No. 10 on its list partially because of its Children's Learning Center, which features child-sized tables and chairs, a saltwater aquarium and…
Estelle
Born in London to a mother from Senegal and a father from Grenada, R&B/Hip Hop star Estelle had a tough entry into this world. The singer/songwriter/MC/producer’s birth nearly killed her mother, something Estelle ensured she’d never forget by naming her 2004 debut album The 18th Day (after a harrowing delay, baby Estelle was finally welcomed…
George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
When George Clinton founded the Parliaments, he had the standard issue ’50s Doo Wop look — clean shaven, slicked back hair, sharp suit. At 2010’s Grammy Awards, Clinton looked like a gene spliced voodoo priest/tie-dyed Zulu shaman/bearded rooster on a mescaline drip. What’s happened to — and because of — Clinton in the 50-plus years…
Music: Larry Kirwan
It’s a safe bet that not even Alex Trebek’s research brainiacs could conceive an entire category’s worth of answers on the subject of Contemporary Celtic Rockers, unless they cheated and did three on U2 and one each on the Pogues and Black 47. And that’s odd because Larry Kirwan and Black 47 could fill the…
Music: Anthrax
Three decades can either reinforce or break down a band. Or sometimes, as in the case of Anthrax, it can do a little of both. The Metal giants have a messy history when it comes to lineup changes. Still, Anthrax has continued to record and perform for its fans for over 30 years. The group…
Music: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic
When George Clinton founded the Parliaments, he had the standard issue ’50s Doo Wop look — clean shaven, slicked back hair, sharp suit. At 2010’s Grammy Awards, Clinton looked like a gene spliced voodoo priest/tie-dyed Zulu shaman/bearded rooster on a mescaline drip. What’s happened to — and because of — Clinton in the 50-plus years…
Art: Forms of Authority
The Russian Constructivists, early pioneers of geometric abstraction, saw their utilitarian shapes as the pinnacle in universally accessible, democratic art. After all, who doesn’t understand the meaning of a square? But geometry also has a dark side. It’s ridged, cold, and impersonal; not unlike the totalitarian societies that often sprout from utopian aspirations. Through March…
Events: Cesar Millan
Esteemed dog trainer and star of National Geographic Channel’s “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan visits Cincinnati to demonstrate his amazing techniques. With appearances on programs such as Oprah and The Today Show, Cesar has become an internationally acclaimed pop culture icon. During the show Cesar will touch upon his own experiences as a professional dog trainer…
Events: Let Them Eat Cake_MF
To some it may have seemed that I was one of those kids that was always falling. But I saw it differently — I thought of it as trying to fly. I was never happy moving my legs in a straight line or keeping my arms to my side. After enough times of getting gravel…
Squeeze the Day for 1/31
Music Tonight: On this last day of February comes the first political event with a cool local music component in Cincinnati, as singer/songwriter Serenity Fisher, Margaret Darling (pictured) from The Seedy Seeds and Jason Wells of folky, evocative Indie band for algernon team up for a special collaborative performance at Sitwell's in Clifton. The local…
Morning News and Stuff
What’s up with politicians claiming ignorance of the law? Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich has run afoul of Survivor (the ‘80s band, not the TV show) for using its song, “Eye of the Tiger,” without the band’s permission while campaigning. Of course, numerous other candidates in recent years have faced similar dilemmas including Ronald Reagan,…
ArtSeen: Spotlight on Kristy Kemper
Kristy Kemper, a senior at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, creates visually beautiful works of art filled with vibrant, lovely colors and stylistic, flowing Art Nouveau shapes and forms. The artist draws attention to the world of animals and their behaviors drawing us into a magical, beautiful and sometimes dangerous world.—- For more information about…
Art: Brighton First Saturdays
The Brighton arts district has been killing it lately, and this weekend’s monthly First Saturday art crawl offers three more exhibitions at independent artist-ran spaces for your art viewing pleasure. The recent additions of Museum Gallery / Gallery Museum (MG/GM, 2161 Central Ave.) and Third Party Gallery (2159 Central Ave.) to the neighborhood — not…
Events: Cincinnati Brew Ha-Ha!
A typical Saturday night might include a few Buds or Miller Lites — maybe a Blue Moon or Killian’s for those feeling adventurous. But for those true beer drinkers out there whose palates yearn for more, Brew Ha-Ha is the place to be. Booths will feature a variety of the finest craft brews from around…
Events: Arty Mardi Gras Party
Let the good times roll and bring Bourbon Street to Cincinnati at the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Arty Mardi Gras Party. Dance to live Cajun and Zydeco music, feast on New Orleans-style hors d’oeuvres and drink at the cash bar before your night in the Big Easy. The Museum will transform The Terrace Café into a…
Music: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound
JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound knows Soul and folds into its musical mix healthy chunks of Garage Rock energy, smooth R&B style and frenetic Punk swagger, tapping into the best aspects of their Chicago roots, Detroit’s Rock and Soul heritage and Philly’s towering R&B/Soul tradition. After just two albums — 2009’s Beat of Our Own…
Comedy: Louis Katz
They say there’s an advantage to knowing at an early age what you want to do with your life. For comedian Louis Katz that discovery was made at the age of nine when he submitted several jokes to the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The host read two of Katz’s gags on the air and…
Art: Beyond Emancipation
Thom Shaw, the great Cincinnati artist who died in 2010, has the last word in Beyond Emancipation at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center — and it’s not what you might think. Shaw was known for his stark woodcuts, drawings and paintings that depicted drug use, urban violence and the personal hell of his diabetes and…
Simpson Wants Youth Job Improvements
Cincinnati City Council is set to approve $960,000 to fund this year’s Summer Youth Employment Program, but the councilwoman overseeing the process wants to begin collecting data to track outcomes and increase efficiency. Council’s Budget and Finance Committee this afternoon heard a presentation from city staffers about plans for the 2012 program, which is designed…
Squeeze the Day for 1/30
Music Tonight: There are probably several fans of the Roots Rock/AltCountry movement still recovering from seeing the genre's king, Ryan Adams, during his sold out appearance at the Taft Theatre over the weekend. And I bet a lot of them are rushing their recovery so they can make it to see/hear another giant in the…
SAG Awards Recap
The Screen Actors Guild Awards took place last night, a ceremony where actors essentially pat one another on the back. Also, Mary Tyler Moore was honored. It was a real blast. The Help was clearly a favorite, nabbing awards for Female Actor in a Leading Role (Viola Davis), Cast in a Motion Picture and Female…
Morning News and Stuff
Newt Gingrich made the rounds of some Sunday morning TV political talk shows and made it clear he wouldn’t drop out of the contest for the Republican presidential nomination even if he lost Tuesday’s primary in Florida. Gingrich says he will remain in the race until the GOP’s convention, which begins Aug. 27 in Tampa,…
Riverbend’s Summer Country Lineup Announced
It is shaping up to be a great summer in Cincinnati for fans of popular, contemporary Country music. First it was announced that the giant Tim McGraw/Kenny Chesney tour (with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals opening up) would come to Paul Brown Stadium on July 1. Now, Riverbend has unveiled an impressive lineup of some…
New Year’s Resolution: Meatless Mondays
Who says New Year’s resolutions have to be followed 365 days a year? Meatless Monday, a public awareness campaign that advocates a “semi-vegetarian” lifestyle, asks its pledgees to give up meat one day a week. With the support of schools, hospitals and restaurants across the globe since 2003, they aim to improve the public’s health…
Old St. George Gets Cited
Next month marks the fourth anniversary of a fire that destroyed parts of the historic Old St. George Church in Clifton Heights. But the structure remains vacant and building inspectors this week cited the owners for conditions at the site. The city’s Property Maintenance Code Enforcement Division posted a citation Wednesday on the fence in…
Tough Week for Queen City Hoops
It was a disappointing week for both UC and Xavier as the past seven days have seen the teams go a combined 0-4. While both teams faced tough opposition I would have expected both to at least earn one win out of the two games they played.—- Xavier had its four-game winning streak snapped at…
Longtime Music Booster Johnny Schott Dies
Last night, Fox 19's website reported that veteran local musician, talent booker and event promoter Johnny Schott passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday morning in his home in Tennessee.—- Schott played with many groups in the Cincinnati area dating back to the ’60s. He started singing with The Radicals and The Black Watch, which led to…
Stage Door: Weekend Theater Roundup
Each week in Stage Door I offer theater tips for the weekend, sometimes with a few pieces of theater news. The Whipping Man opened on Wednesday at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati. The show made a big splash at Manhattan Theatre Club in New York last spring with Andre Braugher in the central role of Simon,…
Morning News and Stuff
Let’s start the morning roundup with a truly radical idea: How about using Paul Brown Stadium as a homeless shelter during the roughly 340 nights a year when the Bengals aren’t using it? That’s just what might happen with the new Marlins ballpark or the Tampa Bay Rays' Tropicana Field in Florida if two state…
Squeeze the Day for 1/27
Music Tonight: Pop Rock group Jack's Mannequin, the brainchild of Andrew McMahon, former frontman for successful Emo Pop group Something Corporate, performs at Bogart's with special guests Jukebox the Ghost (pictured). Showtime is 8 p.m.; tickets are $33.80 (including fees). JM is on the road supporting its third album, People and Things, which came out…
Local Hip Hop Artist Puck Unveils Latest Video
Last night, gifted Cincy Hip Hop MC Puck (real name: Austin Puckett) unveiled a new music video for his song, "Turn My Music Up." The track by the Cincinnati Entertainment Award-nominated MC who doesn't let his Muscular Dystrophy interfere with his ability to deliver on-point rhymes (as you'll see, he performs in a wheelchair) is…
Nominee Resources
Download badges and other materials here to promote your Best of Cincinnati® nomination.
Vendors Sought for Fountain Square
Tuesdays will be market day at downtown’s Fountain Square beginning in late spring and lasting until early fall. And to fill the market, the group that manages the plaza is accepting applications from interested vendors. The Cincinnati City Center Development Corp. (3CDC) will operate the market for 21 weeks, from May 1 to Sept. 25.…
Larry Kirwan
@font-face { font-family: “Arial”; }@font-face { font-family: “ＭＳ 明朝”; }@font-face { font-family: “Cambria Math”; }@font-face { font-family: “Cambria”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: black; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 10pt; font-family: Cambria; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSectio It’s a safe bet that not even Alex Trebek’s research brainiacs…
Anthrax
@font-face { font-family: “Arial”; }@font-face { font-family: “Arial”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; line-height: 115%; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: black; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 10pt; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSect Three decades can either reinforce or break down a band. Or sometimes, as in the case of Anthrax, it can do a little…
Cheyenne Marie Mize
Louisville native Cheyenne Marie Mize has played within her local Indie music scene for quite awhile. Her first round of attention came from a musical collaboration with fellow Louisville artist Bonnie “Prince” Billy (aka Will Oldham). The collaboration, an EP called Among the Gold, featured American “parlor songs” and introduced Mize to Oldham’s international fanbase.…
Q&A with Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels is a one of a kind crossover superstar who has transformed himself from hard rocker to big partier to reality television star. Best known for his nearly 30 years with rockers Poison (giving us such Rock & Roll staples as “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn”, “Talk Dirty to Me” and other arena mega…
Tim and Eric Movie Now On Demand
If you don't engage in recreational drug use late-night channel surfing, you may have never experienced the hilarity and sheer terror that is Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Creators Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim star in Adult Swim's sketch comedy show, which squeezes the maximum amount of crazy into 15 minutes. The skits…
Squeeze the Day for 1/26
Music Tonight: From the land of Bob Dylan comes Thomas Kivi and Sarah Pray, a Minneapolis-based Folk duo styled after Dylan and Joan Baez's collaborative performances and similar to contemporary duos like Gillian Welch and David Rawlings or current breakout stars The Civil Wars. The twosome performs a free, 9 p.m. show tonight at Sitwell's…
Morning News and Stuff
It’s yet another gloomy, rainy morning in Cincinnati, so let’s let our minds take a voyage around the Internet and see what is going on in the world during the last 24 hours. House Speaker John Boehner is probably cringing at a CBS News poll that found an overwhelming majority of Americans like the proposals…
UC Creates Journalism Dept.
Beginning Aug. 1, the University of Cincinnati (UC) will have its own Journalism Department. The university’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved a proposal Tuesday to create a separate, stand-alone Journalism Department at the institution.—- Currently UC’s journalism program is housed administratively within the Department of English and Comparative Literature. There are 218 journalism majors and…
Bluegrass Fans Rise Up for Appalachian Uprising
Not that long ago in an Ohio town called Scottown (or maybe “East Egypt”) there was a farm called Eden Valley. It was decided that on the rolling hills of that farm a stage should be built and upon that stage an endless stream of Bluegrass bands should play. Friends and neighbors were invited to…
Online Pirating: An Old-School Gamer’s Only Option?
Last week I blogged about SOPA, or the Stop Online Piracy Act, a bill being proposed in Congress that, if passed, would allow both copyright holders as well as the US Department of Justice to severely restrict access to and advertising on any website accused of facilitating copyright infringement. Needless to say the bill’s sparked…
Just Announced: Slipknot, Slayer … and Manilow!
Two big-time concert announcements came down the chute today, representing the broadest of broad spectrums of musical stylings. The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival returns to Riverbend for the fifth straight year on July 24. Metal fans will find this year's Mayhem lineup to be the best yet, with headliners Slipknot and Slayer alone making…
Reece Wants Election Monitors
A state lawmaker from Cincinnati is asking U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to send federal election monitors here to ensure all provisional ballots cast in the November election are counted. State Rep. Alicia Reece (D-Bond Hill) sent the letter this week. She stated that concerns about how provisional ballots were treated in the 2010 race…
Music: Humming House
It’s fitting that “Gypsy Django,” a lively, swinging ode to pioneering “Gypsy Jazz” guitarist Django Reinhardt, is the first song on the debut album by Nashville ensemble Humming House. It’s the song that started it all. A group of musicians who had met at one of singer/songwriter Justin Wade Tam’s Irish music jam sessions were…
Art: Metamorphism
In a globalized environment, no one city can lay claim to the mantle “center of the art-world.” But for all intents and purposes, New York City is still first among equals. That’s why artists continue to flock to the metropolis in droves; including local painting student Evan Halter. Fresh from a four month-long residency in…
Events: Chinese New Year with Lang Lang and CSO
Join the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and esteemed pianist Lang Lang Friday in celebration of the Chinese New Year. Praised as the “hottest artist on the classical music planet,” Lang Lang displays his mastery of the piano with pieces such as Wagner’s spirited Flying Dutchman overture and Brahms’ extraordinary Fourth Symphony, accompanied by conductor Jun Märkl.…
Onstage: Luna Negra Dance Theater
It might be cold outside, but it’s time for some hot dancing this weekend at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater: Luna Negra Dance Theater of Chicago. Offering more than simply entertainment, Luna Negra examines the human condition as it celebrates the richness and diversity of Latino culture. Presented as part of Contemporary Dance Theater’s Guest…
Art: Art After Dark – Zinzinnati Masters
Whoever said you can’t have a kick ass party at an art museum? The Cincinnati Art Museum proves that you can by continuing its tradition of planning cool events with Art After Dark. All art galleries will be open to the public along with live music from local Cincinnati favorite, Jake Speed and the Freddies.…
Comedy: Christian Finnegan
Politically savvy comedy fans may recognize Christian Finnegan from his many appearances on Current TV’s Countdown with Keith Olberman. Viewers of that program however, shouldn’t expect a great deal of political humor in his stage act. “I find a lot of political comedy to be awful,” he says. “It’s corny. It’s usually just dick jokes…
Screen Actors Guild Awards Live Chat
Low-budge and kind of masturbatory, the Screen Actors Guild Awards show is a celebration of actors in television and film, by actors in television in film. It's the 18th Annual SAGAs and our 1-year live chat anniversary. Let's pop some bottles and get SAG-y with it! <a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=58cd21ba6b" >SAG Awards Live Chat</a>
Morning News and Stuff
The big news this morning is President Obama’s State of the Union address, which revealed an assertive, populist side to B-Rock that’s largely been missing during the first three years of his term. Will Obama keep his promises to go after Wall Street excesses and reckless financial firms, or is it mere election year posturing…
Squeeze the Day 1/25
Music Tonight: When the "An Acoustic Cafe Evening Tour" — featuring acclaimed singer/songwriters Kelly Joe Phelps, Carrie Rodriguez (pictured) and Erin McKeown — hits Lexington this Saturday, tickets will cost fans at least $15; when the tour hits Chicago Feb. 2 (with Pieta Brown replacing McKeown), tickets are $22. But when Phelps, Rodriguez and McKeown…
Jan. 18-24: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY JAN. 18 Wikipedia today protested all the acronyms trying to make it a real pain in the ass to upload, download and watch pirated material online by blacking out its English-language articles for 24 hours. Wikipedia, and many other internet companies, worry that passage of the Stop Online Piracy Act or other legislation like…
Portlandia Presents Spot-On Sketch Comedy
Lake Superior State University recently released its annual List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness. Annoying terms such as “baby bump,” “man cave” and the worn-out “amazing” made the list. Now, I can’t argue with the retiring of these words, but I’d like to add one to the…
Ed Conley 1927-2012
Covington native and legendary bassist on numerous crucial sessions done for Cincinnati’s King Records, Ed Conley, passed away on Jan. 5 at the age of 84. Following the private memorial for family a couple of weeks ago, friends and admirers this Thursday will gather at the Gwen Mooney Funeral Home (inside Spring Grove Cemetery at…
It’s True, Good Things Come to Those Who Wait
M ore than a decade after Cincinnati voters decided they wanted to change the way the city’s Police Department operates, they’re finally seeing real, significant results. Back in November 2001 voters approved Issue 5, an amendment to the city’s charter that gave the city manager the authority to hire and fire the chiefs and assistant…
Media Help Reveal the ‘True’ Ron Paul
Dwelling on any presidential aspirant’s personal history, proposals and promises invites accusations of bias that mainstream news media fear most. That might explain reluctance to hammer Ron Paul for views he espouses now or previously published. So it was with joy that I found the leftwing Nation’s columnist Katha Pollitt and the neoconservative Weekly Standard’s contributor…
Onstage: The Whipping Man
Go to Ensemble Theatre’s new play and you’ll be transported back to the spring of 1865. A Confederate soldier whose family was Jewish returns home to Richmond, Va. He’s badly wounded, his family is gone and grand house they lived in is in ruins, inhabited only by two former slaves, Simon, who raised Caleb, and…
