AFTER A SUMMER PAUSE, The Monthly has returned—just in time to showcase a few of the stories in our fall issue. We take pride in creating an exceptional visual package, but it’s highly important for our words to resonate. This platform is a prime vehicle for showcasing the strength of our storytelling, shared by a variety of writers who each lend a distinct voice to our Southern perspective.—Blair Knobel, founder & editor in chief
IMAGINE » Craft Culture
For festivals celebrating the handmade arts, Greenville’s Indie Craft Parade sets the bar
By Angie Toole Thompson
YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST INDIE CRAFT PARADE.
Mine was in 2012. It would have been tough to miss the bright-colored pennant flags crisscrossing the sidewalk as I walked up to the Huguenot Mill in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. Inside, more of those colorful pennants rippled above rows of local artists and makers, all showing and selling their handmade wares to a mass of eager, smiling people.
“We only ever planned to do it once,” says Indie Craft Parade (ICP) co-founder Lib Ramos. “We never thought it would be a recurring thing, until we were standing there [looking at] a line of people out the door.” There was a clear cultural appetite for all things handmade in those days—DIY blogs soared; Etsy had just become a household name—and Ramos and her cofounders Erin Godbey and Jen Moreau saw the hand-drawn typeface on the wall. The community of artists, designers, and craftspeople was their community, which meant Indie Craft Parade was more than a craft fair—it was a scene.
The festival has been a stalwart for creative small businesses through their annual main event, a dedicated Emerging Artist section, seasonal markets, and efforts like the WNC Market benefitting artists who were affected by Hurricane Helene. “We have this wonderful, beautiful ecosystem of local businesses that [exchange] support,” says Ramos. That support is more important now than ever. “This year is a hard one for arts organizations,” admits Ramos, noting that procuring grants and scholarships is far more difficult than it was in ICP’s previous years. “It all boils down to community support,” she says.
Read Angie’s article in full on our website.
IMAGINE » Natural Woman
Amanda Shires authentically reflects about her life and new album
By Jac Valitchka
AMANDA SHIRES IS EXACTLY HOW YOU THINK SHE WILL BE: thoughtful, honest, funny, and full of candor. She is as wide open as the vast plains of Lubbock, Texas, where she grew up after her parents’ divorce, “learning which snakes were bad.” And make no mistake, the twinges of self-deprecation she shares are actually the secret handshake of someone who knows exactly who they are.
And who is Shires? She is the former 10-year-old who saw a fiddle in a pawn shop window and convinced her daddy to buy it for her. Then, at 15, the fiddle player who toured with the historic Western swing band, the Texas Playboys. She is a multi-instrumentalist, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and founder of the all-female supergroup, The Highwomen, a painter, and a poet. A mother to her 10-year-old daughter, Mercy. She is also the woman who has written her way out of one of her hardest seasons and is reclaiming her own story apart from her once-shared life with musician (and Mercy’s father) Jason Isbell, who filed for divorce from Shires in 2023.
With the release of her new solo album, Nobody’s Girl, Shires assures us she’s not here to play small—or second fiddle for anyone.
The whole album seems to have far-reaching tentacles beyond your own experience, like a universal touch to the rawest nerve of a soul kind of thing. Has that been the feedback?
Amanda Shires: Honestly, I haven’t talked to a whole lot of folks about it. The goal is to name the feelings, and so many of them are loss and grief and trying to figure out how to find strength when you’re at your weakest. I think the universal things, no matter if it’s a marriage or losing a loved one—I’ve lost a few of those too this year—I think that it’s the most amazing thing when you’re going through it, like, ‘I don’t know how much I can take,’ and then you get through it, and you’re like, ‘God dang, I’m f-ing strong.’
Read Jac’s full interview with Shires on our website. Nobody’s Girl was just released on September 26. Shires will play at The Eastern in Atlanta, GA, on October 29; for more, go to amandashiresmusic.com.
CURATE » Keeper of the Flame
In Burnsville, North Carolina, Keikichi Littleton stokes the glassblowing fires kindled by her grandfather
By M. Linda Lee
DESPITE BEING THE FOURTH GENERATION in a renowned family of glass artists, it was dance, not glassblowing, that fired Keikichi Littleton’s passion as a teenager growing up in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
She graduated from Elon University with a triple major in dance science, exercise science, and arts administration plus a minor in business. “I originally intended to do my doctorate in physical therapy,” Littleton says. “As a dancer, I did a lot of PT, so I was interested in working with a professional dance company both as a physical therapist and an administrator.”
All the while, however, her heritage simmered inside her like molten glass inside a crucible. Her great-grandfather, Jesse Littleton, headed research and development for Corning Glass Works in Corning, New York, and, among other accomplishments, invented Pyrex cookware. Her grandfather, Harvey K. Littleton, launched the Studio Glass Movement in America, teaching artists including Dale Chihuly. Tom Littleton, Keikichi’s father and Harvey’s oldest son, runs Spruce Pine Batch Company, in neighboring Spruce Pine, North Carolina, which Harvey established to manufacture the raw-batch glass mixture now used by artists around the country and beyond.
The import of this lineage dawned on Keikichi during a visit to the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, in 2016. Moved by the display of Eight Heads of Harvey Littleton by Erwin Eisch, Keikichi began to question her career choice. “I was a sophomore in college, and I remember standing in front of these figures of my grandfather and just being struck by his legacy,” she recalls. “For someone to do eight castings that represent the different moods and themes and speeches that my grandfather gave, I was in awe. And I remember asking myself, ‘What am I doing with my life?’”
Read Linda’s full story about Keikichi Littleton and Hearth Glass & Gallery on our website.
CURATE » Well Heeled
Dallas-born Miron Crosby cowboy boots step into the fashion spotlight
By Layton Smith
TEXAS ROOTS AND CRAFTSMANSHIP MEET FASHION-FORWARD DESIGN in every pair of Miron Crosby cowboy boots. Cultural moments such as Yellowstone and Cowboy Carter catapulted Western-inspired looks into trend status, but this luxury brand is anything but a sunset-destined fad.
Sisters Lizzie Means Duplantis and Sarah Means founded Miron Crosby in Dallas after living in New York City, where they wore, and were frequently asked about, cowboy boots of their own design. Lizzie, who was pursuing a career in finance, and Sarah, working in the fashion industry, took note of the interest and saw a gap in the footwear category—no one was making authentic cowboy boots with a focus on fashion.
Masterfully constructed in Mercedes, Texas, and León, Mexico, by a team of experienced artisans, each pair of bespoke cowboy boots made by hand blends time-honored production techniques with fashionable details. The result? A modern and stylish cowboy boot crafted to last a lifetime.
Go to our website for more about Miron Crosby.
DEVOUR » Counter- Intuitive
Every dish tells a story at Counter-, Chef Sam Hart’s stellar Charlotte restaurant
By M. Linda Lee
“IT’S ALWAYS FUN TO SEE SOMEONE EXPERIENCING COUNTER- for the first time because it’s overwhelming. It’s like a baptism of the senses, where you’re submerged.”
This is how executive chef and owner Sam Hart describes the extraordinary experience of dining at Counter- in Charlotte, North Carolina, where each multicourse tasting menu unravels as a story that connects with guests not only through food, but through an all-encompassing sensory experience that includes music and art.
The idea for Counter- was born during Hart’s early days working in corporate advertising, when the nascent chef would frequently cook for friends and clients. “When I was making one of these dinners, this idea popped into my head of ‘What if I paired music with food?’” Hart recalls. Like an earworm, the thought kept playing through his head, and the next day, he quit his job and enrolled in culinary school.
Sprouted at that early client dinner, the seed for Counter- grew to be a series of pop-ups in 2019, finally blossoming into a brick-and-mortar restaurant on September 9, 2020. The name of the restaurant doesn’t only reflect the 18-seat U-shaped concrete counter where diners sit watching a story unfold in the open kitchen; more importantly, it refers to Hart’s wish to be a counterbalance to how fine dining is normally operated.
But the restaurant’s first goal, above any award, is to solve food insecurity in Charlotte. “We firmly believe that access to fresh produce is a right and not a privilege,” Hart says. In a continuing weekly effort, the staff reclaims hundreds of pounds of produce from farmers and markets that would have otherwise been thrown away, and gives it to families in West Charlotte.
For more about Counter-, go to our website.
WANDER » Hidden South
Tucked into Franklin, Tennessee, Leiper’s Fork is a toothsome bite of culture and creativity
By Marianne Leek
CHARMING, CULTURAL, ECLECTIC—the list of words goes on to describe Leiper’s Fork, a small unincorporated village that is part of the greater Franklin area, just 30 miles south of Nashville. A beloved stop on the iconic Americana Music Triangle, Leiper’s Fork offers a plentiful mix of artistry, music, and special stays. Thanks to the vision of a few proactive residents, this rural haven is protected by a Tennessee Land Trust on either end of the village, ensuring it remains natural for years to come.
To the delight of travelers seeking distinctive stays, there are no chain hotels here. Fork & Field has accommodations conveniently located in the heart of the village. These historic cottages feature antiques and handcrafted furniture, along with modern upgrades.
Just around the bend is Southall Farm & Inn, a luxury wellness resort featuring 62 rooms and 16 cottages with a focus on sustainability spanning more than 400 stunning acres. Guests can hike or bike manicured trails, paddleboard or canoe, sip and savor in two farm-to-table restaurants, read a book on the spacious patio, or unwind in the outdoor mineral pool overlooking Lake Mishkin.
Schedule an afternoon tour and tasting at Leiper’s Fork Distillery or visit Crown Winery for a bottle to sip and share creekside before grabbing dinner and catching a show. Leiper’s Fork is known for its vibrant music scene.
Once a country store, Fox & Locke has morphed into an acclaimed venue with a weekly open-mic night—often featuring Grammy-winning artists—that frequently sells out within hours.
The Country Boy, an adorable throwback diner that’s been serving up Southern favorites since 1968, is just across the street. While it’s widely known for its hearty breakfast selections, the restaurant offers a delicious fried-catfish dinner. Don’t miss The Tornado Room, their downstairs speakeasy that doubles as an intimate music venue.
With cooler weather and brilliant foliage, fall is the perfect time to visit this quaint Tennessee town.
Read Marianne’s full story on Leiper’s Fork on our website.
DATEBOOK »
Upcoming events on our radar
Thru Oct 12. Faith Ringgold: Seeing Children. High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA.
Oct 9–12. Tryon International Film Festival. Locations vary, Tryon, NC.
Oct 21. An Evening with Reese Witherspoon & Harlan Coben. Charleston Gaillard Center, Charleston, SC.
Nov 6. Color the Night. Greenville Center for Creative Arts, Greenville, SC.
Nov 13–16. Highlands Food & Wine. Locations vary, Highlands, NC.
