One of Richmond’s many nicknames is “The City of Monuments” — and
deservedly so. Although first thoughts might go to those along lovely
Monument Avenue, the city abounds in others that merit attention.
And that’s what Glen Allen writer Robert C. Layton and Henrico County photographer Phil Riggan showcase in “Discovering Richmond Monuments: A History of River City Landmarks Beyond the Avenue” (190 pages, The History Press, $19.99).
You’ve probably seen Confederate Gen. Robert E.
Lee and tennis great Arthur Ashe on Monument Avenue, but how about
entertainer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, or civil rights icon Oliver Hill,
or the miniature Statue of Liberty, or Sunday the dog, or former
Virginia Commonwealth University President Eugene P. Trani, all in other
locations?
They — and more than 100 others — are featured in prose and photos in Layton and Riggan’s book, as well as a glossary of art terms, a chronology of the monuments’ placements and even suggestions for future tributes. You’ll find history you likely didn’t know — and a useful guide for a walking/driving tour.
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Virginia is for enthusiasts of all kinds — of history, of nature, and yes, dogs.
In “Fido’s Virginia: Virginia Is for Dog Lovers” (239 pages, The Countryman Press, $18.95), Ginger Warder, who grew up in Northern Virginia, offers a plethora of places travelers can visit with their canine pals, including historic sites, wineries, bed and breakfasts, malls and bodies of water.
A member of the Society of American Travel Writers, Warder specializes in journeys with pets and luxury trips. As she writes, “For the most part, canines are considered to be family in Virginia — except, unfortunately, by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Health Department, which strictly prohibits all but service dogs from the premises of restaurants, including patios and decks.”
But not to worry — “Fido’s Virginia” gives readers a multitude of options for excursions with their best buds.
**********
Given Richmond’s reputation as a city of churches — St. John’s Episcopal on Church Hill and St. Paul’s Episcopal near Capitol Square are particularly noteworthy — it’s not unusual for houses of worship to revel not only in their message but also their history.
Last year, First Presbyterian Church celebrated its bicentennial and this year marked the occasion with “Footprints of the Saints: A Narrative History of First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia, 1812-2012” (348 pages, First Presbyterian Church/The Dietz Press, $40), by former pastor R. Jackson Sadler in collaboration with longtime member F. Claiborne Johnston Jr.
Richly detailed and lavishly illustrated, the book recounts the history of the church and its congregation, its leaders and its mission work, among many other topics. It’s available at the church office at 4602 Cary Street Road. For details, call 358-2383.
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Kevin Powers, whose debut novel, “The Yellow Birds,” vividly depicts the war in Iraq, has been awarded the Anisfield-Wolf Book Prize for First Novel by the Cleveland Foundation.
Powers, who attended James River High School in Chesterfield County, joined the Army when he was 17 and served as a machine gunner in Mosul and Tal Afar in 2004 and 2005. After being honorably discharged, he enrolled in Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated in 2008. He recently received a master’s degree in fine arts as a Michener Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin.
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Also:
• Former Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist and current Boomer magazine editor Ray McAllister adds to his canon about coastal North Carolina with “Ocracoke: The Pearl of the Outer Banks” (242 pages, Beach Glass Books, $19.95), which follows his previous appreciations of Topsail Island, Wrightsville Beach and Hatteras Island. This time out, in addition to exploring the history, charm and residents of the site, he also presents a proposal from Stephen Leatherman, director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University, that Ocracoke become basically car-free. “The proposal is worth serious consideration,” McAllister writes. “Ocracoke could become a smaller Ocracoke again. A quieter Ocracoke. A less crowded Ocracoke. A better Ocracoke.”
• Sarah Kennedy, a professor of English at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, focuses her novel
“The Altarpiece” (224 pages, Knox Robinson Publishing, $27.99), on Catherine Havens, the adopted daughter of the prioress of the Priory of Mount Grace in an English village during King Henry VIII’s attack on the Roman Catholic Church and its properties.
• Henrico County resident Elizabeth Wall Rogers’ historical novel “Yankee Gold” (312 pages, Story Merchant Books, $15.99), is set in New Mexico during the Civil War.
• Two Chihuahuas play detective — and join forces with mutt Jog, mockingbird Moc and loggerhead turtle Big Mama — to foil turtle-egg snatchers on Bald Head Island, N.C., in Falls Church resident Rhoda Canter’s children’s book, “The Adventures of Starfoot and Brown” (119 pages, CreateSpace, $16.50).
• Katie D. Anderson, a Richmond native and a 1989 graduate of Collegiate Schools, has written her first book, “Kiss and Make Up” (320 pages, Skyscape, $16.99), a young-adult novel.
• Retired Times-Dispatch science writer Beverly Orndorff has published an e-book, “George Gamow: The Whimsical Mind Behind the Big Bang” ($6.99), about the Russian-born American physicist.
Jay Strafford
And that’s what Glen Allen writer Robert C. Layton and Henrico County photographer Phil Riggan showcase in “Discovering Richmond Monuments: A History of River City Landmarks Beyond the Avenue” (190 pages, The History Press, $19.99).
They — and more than 100 others — are featured in prose and photos in Layton and Riggan’s book, as well as a glossary of art terms, a chronology of the monuments’ placements and even suggestions for future tributes. You’ll find history you likely didn’t know — and a useful guide for a walking/driving tour.
**********
Virginia is for enthusiasts of all kinds — of history, of nature, and yes, dogs.
In “Fido’s Virginia: Virginia Is for Dog Lovers” (239 pages, The Countryman Press, $18.95), Ginger Warder, who grew up in Northern Virginia, offers a plethora of places travelers can visit with their canine pals, including historic sites, wineries, bed and breakfasts, malls and bodies of water.
A member of the Society of American Travel Writers, Warder specializes in journeys with pets and luxury trips. As she writes, “For the most part, canines are considered to be family in Virginia — except, unfortunately, by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Health Department, which strictly prohibits all but service dogs from the premises of restaurants, including patios and decks.”
But not to worry — “Fido’s Virginia” gives readers a multitude of options for excursions with their best buds.
**********
Given Richmond’s reputation as a city of churches — St. John’s Episcopal on Church Hill and St. Paul’s Episcopal near Capitol Square are particularly noteworthy — it’s not unusual for houses of worship to revel not only in their message but also their history.
Last year, First Presbyterian Church celebrated its bicentennial and this year marked the occasion with “Footprints of the Saints: A Narrative History of First Presbyterian Church, Richmond, Virginia, 1812-2012” (348 pages, First Presbyterian Church/The Dietz Press, $40), by former pastor R. Jackson Sadler in collaboration with longtime member F. Claiborne Johnston Jr.
Richly detailed and lavishly illustrated, the book recounts the history of the church and its congregation, its leaders and its mission work, among many other topics. It’s available at the church office at 4602 Cary Street Road. For details, call 358-2383.
**********
Kevin Powers, whose debut novel, “The Yellow Birds,” vividly depicts the war in Iraq, has been awarded the Anisfield-Wolf Book Prize for First Novel by the Cleveland Foundation.
Powers, who attended James River High School in Chesterfield County, joined the Army when he was 17 and served as a machine gunner in Mosul and Tal Afar in 2004 and 2005. After being honorably discharged, he enrolled in Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated in 2008. He recently received a master’s degree in fine arts as a Michener Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin.
**********
Also:
• Former Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist and current Boomer magazine editor Ray McAllister adds to his canon about coastal North Carolina with “Ocracoke: The Pearl of the Outer Banks” (242 pages, Beach Glass Books, $19.95), which follows his previous appreciations of Topsail Island, Wrightsville Beach and Hatteras Island. This time out, in addition to exploring the history, charm and residents of the site, he also presents a proposal from Stephen Leatherman, director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University, that Ocracoke become basically car-free. “The proposal is worth serious consideration,” McAllister writes. “Ocracoke could become a smaller Ocracoke again. A quieter Ocracoke. A less crowded Ocracoke. A better Ocracoke.”
• Sarah Kennedy, a professor of English at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, focuses her novel
“The Altarpiece” (224 pages, Knox Robinson Publishing, $27.99), on Catherine Havens, the adopted daughter of the prioress of the Priory of Mount Grace in an English village during King Henry VIII’s attack on the Roman Catholic Church and its properties.
• Henrico County resident Elizabeth Wall Rogers’ historical novel “Yankee Gold” (312 pages, Story Merchant Books, $15.99), is set in New Mexico during the Civil War.
• Two Chihuahuas play detective — and join forces with mutt Jog, mockingbird Moc and loggerhead turtle Big Mama — to foil turtle-egg snatchers on Bald Head Island, N.C., in Falls Church resident Rhoda Canter’s children’s book, “The Adventures of Starfoot and Brown” (119 pages, CreateSpace, $16.50).
• Katie D. Anderson, a Richmond native and a 1989 graduate of Collegiate Schools, has written her first book, “Kiss and Make Up” (320 pages, Skyscape, $16.99), a young-adult novel.
• Retired Times-Dispatch science writer Beverly Orndorff has published an e-book, “George Gamow: The Whimsical Mind Behind the Big Bang” ($6.99), about the Russian-born American physicist.
Jay Strafford
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