Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 7

40
YEARS
We're honored to recognize our very
own Kurt Rheinheimer, Editor-in-Chief,
as he celebrates his 40th anniversary
with LeisureMedia360. He has been
editor of this magazine for 35 years, with
an interlude from Cara Ellen Modisett,
who was part of the staff from 1998 until
2012. She served as managing editor
of Blue Ridge Country from 2005 to
2010, before Kurt resumed his role at
the helm. Her work as a teacher, writer
and pianist inspired a calling in another
direction, and she is now a priest in
the Episcopal Church in Staunton,
Virginia. Cara Ellen shares this about her
treasured mentor:
CARA ELLEN MODISETT:
It may sound dramatic, but it is not
inaccurate to say that my time at Blue
Ridge Country magazine changed my
life, and Kurt Rheinheimer, my editor and
mentor, was a big part of that. I remember
coming to Roanoke for the first time to
interview for a summer internship at the
publisher, about to graduate from college,
having written for the school newspaper
with some really excellent editors for four
years. I was a little bit starry eyed about
journalism and telling the untold stories,
and Blue Ridge Country was exactly the
kind of magazine I wanted to work for -
exploring small towns in the mountains,
traveling the back roads and listening to
OF EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE
Our Editor-in-Chief celebrates a major milestone.
people's stories. When Kurt told me I'd
be able to write that summer, not just
make coffee and copies, I said yes to three
months that became 14 years.
I still remember the first story draft I
turned in to Kurt, thinking I'd see the
edits in a few days. A little while later, he
brought it back to me, with thoughtful,
reflective, and likely a few wry, comments,
and I learned more about narrative
writing from that first draft than I had in
the past four years.
Kurt taught me how to tell stories in a way
that would draw the reader along on the
journey, sit them down next to musicians
and great-grandmothers and innkeepers
and potters. My work for the publications
he so carefully guided introduced me to a
wide range of small worlds throughout the
southern mountains. Kurt strengthened
in me a deep respect for the people and
culture of the Appalachian mountains.
There were two words Kurt said we would
never use in the magazine: one was
" Appalachia, " because of the derogatory
stereotypes associated with that term
(he also taught me how to pronounce it
- " Apple- atcha, " not " Apple-aycha " ). The
other was " tourist. " We were not writing
about our region as bystanders or as
observers, but as and for people who lived
in and loved the mountains.
Congratulations to Kurt on 40 years of dedicated, profound, caring work!

Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024

Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 3
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 4
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 5
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 6
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 7
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 8
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 9
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 10
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 11
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 12
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 13
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 14
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 15
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 16
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 17
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 18
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 19
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 20
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 21
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 22
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 23
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 24
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 25
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 26
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 27
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 28
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 29
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 30
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 31
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 32
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 33
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 34
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 35
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 36
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 37
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 38
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 39
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 40
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 41
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 42
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 43
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 44
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 45
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 46
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 47
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 48
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 49
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 50
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 51
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 52
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 53
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 54
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 55
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 56
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 57
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 58
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 59
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 60
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 61
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 62
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 63
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 64
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 65
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 66
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 67
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 68
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 69
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 70
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 71
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 72
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 73
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 74
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 75
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 76
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 77
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 78
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 79
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 80
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 81
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - 82
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2024 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/brc-jf-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-nov-dec-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-sept-oct-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-march-april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-sept-oct-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-march-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/BlueRidgeCountryMarchApril2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCND21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCSO21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brcja21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_11_12
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130708
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com