Stephen King once advised aspiring writers, “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings — even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart — kill your darlings.” What did popular culture’s most prolific horror writer mean by that? That good storytelling often requires nixing superfluous parts, no matter how much the author loves them. Each month when we publish the Advocate magazine, photos and anecdotes we adore are often left scattered about the figurative cutting-room floor. Please allow us to indulge our egocentric little hearts as we share the more fascinating photos and tidbits from 2014 that almost lost their lives in the interest of brevity and limited page space.
Photo by Danny Fulgencio
Baby blue
July
I thought I’d just be photographing a baby floating in a pool, as if in wait of rescue. Then Preston Hollow resident Linda DeSanders, Dolfin Swim School owner and director of the Texas Drowning Prevention Alliance, said, “Should we push her under?” My first thought was, That’s not a very nice thing to do, but then I heard myself say, “Sure!” Watching this adorable infant frog-kicking underwater was a sight to behold. But shooting underwater isn’t easy. Simply finding the camera’s viewfinder is a challenge; fumbling with controls, even more so. This is to say nothing of the anxiety of submerging a $6,000 camera in little more than a glorified Ziploc bag. In the end, there were few tears — from either our semi-aquatic talent or the photographer watching her — and we came away with more unique photos than we could run, including this one. (Words and photo by Danny Fulgencio)
Photo by Kim Leeson
Dancing queen
February
Known as the “queen of quarters and shot glasses,” Neenah Crocker is the resident belly dancer for the Bachman Lake-area restaurant Stratos Greek Taverna, featured on our list of offbeat date-night ideas for Valentine’s Day. She’s also a government CPA and holds two master’s degrees. “For me, dancing is the best outlet for stress relief,” she says. “I sit at a desk for 10 hours a day.” Her elaborate performances often involve veils, swords and fire. Belly dancing is more than just a hobby for Crocker. The mother of three has been at it for 34 years in Dallas and jokingly calls herself “one of the old ladies” at Stratos. She runs a local belly dancing academy and recruits new performers, emphasizing the importance of team building. “You can’t learn this by watching a YouTube video,” she says. Her close bond with the Stratos owners has kept her going. “I love Nick and his family. If it weren’t for them, I’d be retired already.” Photo by Kim Leeson
Photo by Larry Young
Coming home
October
Days before making an incredible catch that led to a victory against the Seattle Seahawks last October, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams stopped by his alma mater, W.T. White High School. Students asked him via Twitter to visit the campus and, just like that, he did. He even had dinner with the kids before the Longhorns’ Friday-night football game. Williams graduated from W.T. White in 2008. After an impressive run with the Baylor Bears, he was drafted to the Cowboys in spring 2013. Sports writers and analysts have been buzzing about the athlete ever since, but he hasn’t forgotten his roots in our neighborhood. This photo originally ran online and became the Advocate’s most-read post of the month.
United Methodists
March
After 53 years of courtship, two men were married in our neighborhood, if only symbolically. Jack Evans and George Harris, longtime members of Northaven United Methodist Church, exchanged vows at the nearby Midway Hills Christian Church because such ceremonies are prohibited from occurring inside Methodist walls. The Rev. Bill McElvaney, a retired Northaven UMC pastor, officiated the service while seated, as he was in poor health, and risked losing his credentials. McElvaney, 86, died of liver cancer several months later. Just before television news crews swarmed the wedding reception at Northaven UMC for comments from the couple, Evans and Harris (pictured in the embrace near the center) shared some tender and less chaotic moments with loved ones.
Photo by Danny Fulgencio
All the pretty hats
March
Linda Humphries, pictured at center in the gray suit, sashays to the old jazz tune “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody” during the Easter parade portion of the Mad Hatter’s Tea at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church. “We were all parading and prancing around,” Humphries says. “Most everyone wore hats. This year, I happened to have an old fedora. I took a man’s hat and bestowed it with flowers and ribbons.” The annual event features handmade hat contests and a silent auction to raise money for missions. More than 230 women turned out for the occasion — the highest attendance yet. The cause is one near to Humphries’ heart: the Vickery Meadow Learning Center. Decades ago she chaired the committee that decided VMLC would become the church’s flagship mission.
Photo by James Coreas
Photo by Jennifer Shertzer
Breaking a sweat
February
Nothing keeps these athletes from their sport, not even Mother Earth. Each winter, Jesuit College Preparatory School brings rowing indoors for the Southwest Ergometer Amateur Tournament (SWEAT). The event attracted more than 500 high school, college, master and adaptive rowers from across the region. Although the competition lacked the outdoor elements of a traditional race, it was no less intense. Exhausted Jesuit rower Eddy Calderon, who has since graduated, is at the center of the photo. The man shouting commands over Calderon’s shoulder isn’t the coach. It’s his fellow crew member, Conar Ehring, who is now a Jesuit Crew captain. Athletes chose a peer coach to motivate them through the competition.
