Category: People to Meet

Jim Laurent relaxes with a book in the straw-filled “home” he and his wife share in the cavernous exhibit hall. Their area is tidy and swept, and a crockpot of chili simmers on a cloth-covered portable table. The background noise is a constant and comfortable lull—the bellow of goats, pigs, and cows. One of the…

For those who don’t know the quiet thrill of sliding down a mountain—carving out turns and leaving tracks in the snow, relishing the scenery and the solitude—it is exhilarating. And always a little bit out of my comfort zone. When I try to imagine doing this with one leg, no sight, or without the ability to use…

Since moving to Nashville, I spend more time listening to live music in a variety of venues around town. After all, this is Music City.  Aside from raw talent and lots of practice, I never think about what else makes for an outstanding show.  According to Chris Pence, a sound engineer with country and pop…

Eager to care for her brand new granddaughter, Barbara Heilman’s first order of business was to shop for a car seat.  She couldn’t operate the model her daughter, Becca Davison, owned, and she wanted something easy to use.  However, when Barb and Becca returned from their shopping trip, Barb was frustrated and slightly panicked.  She…

Showing me around her meticulously organized and overflowing art studio, I have a hard time keeping up with Xima Lee Hulings.  Amidst pens and paints and textiles and even a blow torch, she talks about her life and paintings and projects in her rapid-fire, exuberant way.  Inspiring and educational, she motivates me to make a…