Christine Black Szarzynski

Christine Black Szarzynski has published work in Sojourners Magazine, The American Journal of Poetry, English Journal, The American Spectator, and others. With her husband, she works on their cattle farm near Raphine.

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Culture

Cowboys in Virginia

“Yes, ma’am, we’ll get him,” said Scott Talley when he arrived one fall Sunday to the 60-acre woods adjacent to our Rockbridge County cattle farm. After a tree downed a section of fence, several calves got loose along with a giant, gentle bull I had grown attached to—my woolly friend, I called him. His huge, […]

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Top 10 Fall Festivals in Virginia 2025

Alexandria – 23rd Annual Alexandria Art Festival Sept. 13–14: Stroll Old Town’s John Carlyle Square Park as it’s transformed into an outdoor art gallery for this fall festival. Admire the work from more than 200 juried artisans from around the globe. VisitAlexandria.com Virginia Beach – VIRGINIA BEACH NEPTUNE FESTIVAL Sept. 26–28: The 51st anniversary of […]

by Madeline Mayhood

The Story Behind the Moonshine Explosion in Rocky Mount, Virginia

It was during the early days of the Great Depression, and Virginia’s statewide prohibition was still in effect, banning all sales of alcohol. Meanwhile, in Franklin County, the area was laying the foundation for its future title: the Moonshine Capital of the World. Nestled among the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains, the Turner Motor Co. […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

A Couple’s Small-Town Makeover

After a successful career in investigative services in Washington, D.C., Terri Wesselman and her husband, Julien Patterson, decided to settle down in Irvington. Initially drawn to the area by the Tides Inn, the couple had been weekending in the Northern Neck since the late ’90s. “There was something about the area that was quiet but […]

by Stephanie Ganz