4

Looking Up

by Catherine Spangler

The stars have inspired humans since the beginning of time. When we look up, we see endless possibilities. Three stargazers share their thoughts about the universe and our place in it. “The Cosmos is all that there is or ever was or ever will be. Our feeblest contemplations of the Cosmos stir us—there is a tingling in the spine, a catch in the voice, a faint sensation, as if a distant memory, of a failing from a height. We know we are approaching the greatest of mysteries.” -Carl Sagan MUSIC Dreaming by Lee Rosevere Cloudburst by Jeff Thall

4

As it comes

by Margaret Cheatham Williams

A portrait of family. A set of grandparents, a small collection of dogs, two loving parents, and one amazing little girl... The Motley residence is made up of many moving parts. I spent almost four months getting to know them, though it took more than a glimpse to come to know and appreciate the subtle nuances that makes them family. Kileen and Von met as students in the same paralegal class, and following a few dates, they discussed spending their lives together. Not long down the road, they welcomed their first child, a beautiful little girl that they adore. Though Von is undergoing a female to male transition, their love for each other is uncompromising. "Von is who she is, Von is who he is, and nothing that I do is going to change that," Kileen said. Though they are now legally recognized as man and woman, and eligible for marriage in North Carolina, they vow to remain champions for the rights of all couples to be married. In fact, after being together for nine years…

4

To See the Body

by UNC | Carolina Photojournalism

Death is a way of life for Jeff Hartsell. As a child, he lived in the second story of the funeral home then run by his father. Now he runs the family business and works side by side with his own children. Although he once dreamed of being a fighter pilot, Hartsell loves the work and rarely takes a day off. This story is an essay on death from the perspective of someone who deals with it every day. Video and Production by Terri Flagg

4

keys to the city

by Mimi Schiffman

Tom Merrigan is a part time piano mover in addition to his role as architect, father and musician. "Putting the piano in a plaza or on a sidewalk kind of creates a focus where there wasn’t one before," said Merrigan of his brainchild the Durham Piano Project, "It makes for little rooms and little stages and little audiences in the city...and if people don’t like it and they keep walking then you just keep playing." Merrigan's idea to make his instrument mobile was met with a great deal of enthusiasm. In the summer of 2011 he launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the purchase of a new-to-him piano and the rig to cart it around. The pledges of support more than doubled his modest asking amount. To track down Tom and his piano follow him on Twitter @DurhamPiano or like the Durham Street Piano Project Facebook page.