Contents
Contributors
Contents
Contributors
12 WHERE IS IT? 13 SUBSCRIBE
16 Steve Plessinger ~ by Ryan Stacy
20 Kevin Ault & The Seasons ~ by Boris Ladwig
26 Anne Ryan Miller ~ by Bob Gustin
30-31 Photos by Anne Ryan Miller * 32 Calendar
Bob Gustin worked as a reporter, photographer, managing editor, and editor for daily newspapers in Colorado, Nebraska, and Indiana before retiring in 2011. He and his wife, Chris, operate Homestead Weaving Studio. She does the weaving while he gives studio tours, builds small looms, and expands his book and record collections.
Joe Lee is an illustrator and writer. He is the author of The History of Clowns for Beginners and Dante for Beginners and illustrator of six other titles, including Dada and Surealism for Beginners, and Music Theory for Beginners. He is an editorial cartoonist for the Bloomington Herald Times, a graduate of Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Clown College, and a veteran circus performer.
Ryan Stacy is a content writer at Monroe County Public Library, and also enjoys writing about Brown County. He and his wife live in Bloomington, where they can often be found chasing movies, good food, and cultural events. His other interests include reading, photography, and music.
Mark Blackwell no longer makes his home in Brown County where“ the roadway is rough and the slopes are seamed with ravines and present a meatless, barren, backbone effect.” He now resides within sight of the sixth green of an undisclosed golf course. He was born in the middle of the last century and still spends considerable time there.
34 Kara Barnard Cartoon
38 FIELD NOTES: Ephemerals
~ by Jim Eagleman
42 Old State Building ~ by Jeff Tryon
Jeff Tryon is a former news editor of The Brown County Democrat, a former region reporter for The Republic, and a former bureau chief for The Huntsville Times. Born and raised in Brown County, he currently lives with his wife, Sue, in a log cabin on the edge of Brown County State Park. He is a Baptist minister.
Julia Pearson wrote for a Franciscan magazine for ten years and served as its human interest editor. She and husband Bruce now reside in Lake Woebegone Country for life’ s continuing adventures. Julia enjoys traveling and visiting museums of all types and sizes, with her children and grandchildren.
46 Deep Musical Roots ~ by Julia Pearson
50 Sampler Collection Book 51 Park in National Register
54 Stories, Gossip, & Tall Tales ~ by Mark Blackwell
56-58 INFO PAGES
Cover: The Courthouse Dogwoods ~ by Cindy Steele
ourbrowncounty. com ourbrown @ bluemarble. net
Also online at issuu. com / ourbrowncounty OR search in the mobile app ISSUU and on Facebook for OUR BROWN COUNTY
P. O. Box 157 Helmsburg, IN 47435( 812) 988-8807
Jim Eagleman, recently retired DNR naturalist, and his wife Kay, enjoy hiking the many natural areas, preserves, and land trust sites in Brown and neighboring counties. His FIELD NOTES have appeared in this publication for several years. Contact Jim with comments and inquiries at < jpeagleman @ gmail. com >.
* Anne Ryan Miller, lives and works in Brown County. Her studio is located on the historic artist home and studio of Dale Bessire. She is known for her stained glass landscape creations, inspired by her many photographs and memories of the forests and hills of Brown County. View her work at < anneryanmillerglassstudio. com >.
copyright 2021
Boris Ladwig is a Columbusbased journalist who has worked in print, online and TV media in Indiana and Kentucky and has won awards for features, news, business, non-deadline news, First Amendment / community affairs and investigative reporting.
Thanks to Kara Barnard for the cartoon.
Cindy Steele is the publisher and editor of this magazine. She sells and designs ads, sometimes writes, takes photos, and creates the layout. For fun, she likes to play the guitar or banjo and sing.
10 Our Brown County March / April 2021
Thanks, Mom, for making it happen!