Margaret

Literally. My mother’s very best friend is Susan Smith, co-founder and co-owner of the Cafe and Then Some, one of the most notorious places in Greenville and absolutely one of the most successful establishments in the Downtown area no matter what for the last twenty-five years. My mother and father met because of this place. I am who I am because of it.

Legend has it that my mother and Susan were supposed to be doing a show (back in the day, the Cafe was open for lunch and mom and Susan did a really short bit on stage) the day I was born. She called Susan to tell her she wouldn’t be able to make it.

Every single show performed in the Cafe is original, written by Ron Whisenant (and a very small handful by my mother). The shows are side-splitting funny, and the company is made of people who are smart, funny, successful and kind. The characters in the shows are local celebrities. I cannot tell you how many times I have been with my mother or Susan or both and had people come up and say, “Oh my Gawd, it’s NORMA JEAN!” or “Look y’all, it’s Ms. Louise Spiffey.” Local politics, local social scandal, national politics, celebrities, the South…nothing is off-limits, and if you think making fun of people is mean, the Cafe and Then Some is not the place for you.

The food is great, the shows are hysterical, and the place is an absolute staple of Downtown Greenville. What more could you want?

The photograph above is of an original portrait by the late Suzanne Greene, done in watercolor in the mid-1990s. The portrait features Susan Smith (left) playing Norma Jean and Yvonne Mason (my mother, right) playing Ruby Nell, Norma Jean’s mother. The portrait hangs in the Cafe, as do several of Ms.Greene’s other watercolor depictions of favorite characters.

you just might experience the most romantic time of your life. Russ and I didn’t go for the tiny Eiffel Tower or the house of mirrors (just don’t waste your money on that one, OK?) We went for the view-and it was amazing. The leaves were afire and yellow, and sitting on one of the benches in the park with Russ is one of the single most youthfully beautiful and romantic moments of my life. I’ll never forget it.

Also, you get to ride this fun cable car up the hill!

Cream cheese and pineapple on white.

My mother enrolled in school here in 1974. Thirty years later, I did the same. Despite some really fucked up things that are happening to me because of this choice, I do not regret it and I know I will always remember this place, as my mother still does, as place that was nothing short of home for four incredible years. It’s not for everyone, and a lot of people drop out or transfer because of this, but when a student and SAPC find a match with each other, it’s a beautiful fusion. Unique people tend to appreciate the unique education they find here. However, LAX players and sad bleach blonde high school all-stars tend to feel that it is sixth on their list of “TOTALLY AWESUM PLACES 2 PARTEEEEEE.” St. Andrews has a terrific writing program, and that’s why I chose to matriculate here. I’m glad I did—now I’m the only 21-year0old I know with a dozen outside publication credits and two years of editorial experience in a nationally distributed lit. magazine, CAIRN. I graduate on May 3. Perhaps my child will set foot on campus in 2034.