SWEET EXPOSURE: “Dumpster Honey,” a poem by Davis McCombs, associate professor of English at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, appears in The New Yorker magazine issue dated Monday. The poem was inspired by a colony of bees that set up a hive on an outer wall of the building where his office is located. The bees became territorial when people walked nearby.
“My colleague John DuVal said, ‘I’ve heard of apple blossom honey, but never of dumpster honey,’” explains McCombs, who loved the phrase and was inspired to write a poem using that title. Another of McCombs’ colleagues, Michael Heffernan, urged him to submit it for publication to the prestigious magazine, which regularly publishes poetry. Visit tinyurl.com/nl2cgh6 to read the poem and hear McCombs recite it.
PLUCKING A WIN: Kevin “Blake” Goodwin of Conway (Conway High, Class of 2007) recently won the 2015 Canadian Fingerstyle Guitar Competition in Kingston, Ontario. The 26-year-old scored a $3,000 Stonebridge guitar with an endorsement packet and entry into the international fingerstyle guitar competition set for mid-September at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kan. His bigger win? After experiencing a divorce, landing in a hospital from an accidental overdose on his 24th birthday and losing his best friend to an alcohol-related overdose, Goodwin is working toward his second year of sobriety.
Visit tinyurl.com/q4u5hfx to hear him play and visit kevinblakegoodwin.com to read more about his story.
GOLDEN TICKET FRENZY: The full-blown audition for the final season of Fox’s talent competition show, American Idol, takes place Saturday, and the folks at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock are preparing for the craziness sure to accompany the hopefuls. The staffs of the arena and the show have discussed anticipated issues.
“We have visited with them on past events and discussed things we need to be prepared for, such as early arriving contestants the night before the first day,” said the area’s marketing director, Jana DeGeorge. “We will have security personnel and police officers present throughout the event.”
The arena’s staff also has factored the weather into planning for the audition. Central Arkansas is usually hot and humid in August, as has already been seen this year.
“We expect to have a great turnout and provide a fun, safe environment for all involved,” she said.
HER ARKIE TREE: TLC’s Who Do You Think You Are?, a genealogy show featuring celebrities exploring their family histories, recently followed actress Ginnifer Goodwin (HBO’s Big Love, ABC’s Once Upon a Time) as the Memphis native searched for her paternal ancestors. The actress’ search, chronicled in the episode “Not What I Expected,” led her to visit Batesville, where her ancestors once lived, and then to Little Rock for more research.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 399-3636 or lhaymes@arkansasonline.com