Arkansas Times - May 16, 2014 by Arkansas Times

ARKTIMES.COM / MAY 16, 2013 / NEWS + POLITICS + ENTERTAINMENT

A new doc on the late, great Arkansas musician headlines a strong line-up.

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VOLUME 39, NUMBER 37 ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, 200 Heritage Center West, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72203, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, P.O. Box 34010, Little Rock, AR, 72203. Subscription prices are $42 for one year, $78 for two years. Subscriptions outside Arkansas are $49 for one year, $88 for two years. Foreign (including Canadian) subscriptions are $168 a year. For subscriber service call (501) 375-2985. Current single-copy price is 75¢, free in Pulaski County. Single issues are available by mail at $2.50 each, postage paid. Payment must accompany all single-copy orders. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. All materials are handled with due care; however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters sent to ARKANSAS TIMES will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to ARKANSAS TIMES’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially.

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MAY 16, 2013

COMMENT

Health consequences post-spill As a physician from a small community in South Louisiana, I believe that I can speak for my fellow citizens when I state that our most sincere sympathies go out to the residents of Mayflower with regard to their environmental plight. Approximately three years ago the state of Louisiana, along with other Gulf Coast states, experienced the largest environmental disaster in the history of our nation. The environmental impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill has been enormous, with the most productive estuarine complex in the nation being severely affected and with the lives, the health and the livelihoods of many of our community members having been devastated. I have seen and treated over 100 individuals whose health was severely affected by this disaster and many of them will likely remain ill for the rest of their lives. You probably have not heard or read much about these illnesses because the responsible parties have the ability to suppress this type of information and keep it out of the mainstream press. Everyone in your community needs to understand that the chemicals being released by this pipeline rupture are extremely toxic and a sizeable number of people in your community will probably become ill. Some individuals are significantly more sensitive to these toxins than are others, and one neighbor may be extremely ill while the family across the street is perfectly OK. My experience in Louisiana suggests that your local physicians will probably be at a loss to diagnose and treat these problems effectively, as that was certainly the case along the Gulf Coast. As an ear, nose and throat physi-

cian, I am far from being qualified as an expert on this subject. However, I can assure you that the illnesses we have experienced are real, that they are often severe, and in many cases they appear to be permanent. I would be glad to assist your community in any manner possible. I am in the process of recruiting families of victims of the spill from our area, especially the families with ill children, who would be willing to speak to you about their experiences in this matter. Mike Robichaux Raceland, La.

Constitutional ‘must read’ I enjoyed your coverage of our dysfunctional legislature, but one minor thing struck a chord with me — your mention of Joyce Elliott and her drive to ratify the ERA. Perhaps she (and the majority of legislators) don’t realize that Arkansas endorsed the Equal Rights Amendment about a century BEFORE it was proposed. Article 2 Section 3 should be a “must read” for Sen. Elliott and every other Arkansan. It contains simple words with no modifiers or exclusions. It applies to many of the acts currently in or facing litigation. It does a simple thing: it grants all persons equality under the law. That modern sounding “PC” wording was crafted in the 19th century. It is a promise that some choose to ignore. Peter Dahlstrom Little Rock

To the voters of South Carolina Republicans have proven that the only way they can win elections is by lying, cheating, and gerrymandering districts. Even though there are lots of stupid Republican voters, the candidates simply cannot win on issues. Except in the Land of the

Stupid, South Carolina. Mark Sanford is living proof that lying, cheating Republicans are completely electable, and you South Carolinians have once again proven how unbelievably stupid you are by electing him. Bad enough that you put your faith in morons like Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint, the most hateful examples of Republican intractability, but even the backwards Republicans in Arkansas are rolling on the floor at your continued ignorance. Arkies have always been thankful for Mississippi, as that state is usually 50th to our 49th in backwardness, but there is a great sigh of relief rippling through the state at your constant stupidity. I left the Palmetto State in ’91 because even the smart were stupider than anyone else I’d ever met, and you’ve continued the tradition into the new millennium. Thank you, South Carolina, for being the epitome of idiocy. James King Roland

From the web In response to a blog post titled “How can Tim Griffin play both sides of pipeline question”: It’s one thing to take one-time spot readings of toxic fumes levels and declare “It’s safe,” “Mission Accomplished!” It’s another thing to live there, exposed to those levels day-in day-out, especially when the fumes can percolate into homes and become concentrated in, say, a baby’s nursery. The superficial “clean-up” of the neighborhood, e.g. re-turfing the lawns, when the liquid portion of the dilbit soaked much further into the ground, and the unaccountedfor, missing, more-solid portion of the spill mean that there is a health and environmental time-bomb waiting to go off. Exxon’s blithe assurances of safety

GRIFFIN

are callous at best and more likely criminal. To demonstrate their absolute confidence, the families of Griffin and Exxon’s board members should be delegated to live in those houses continuously for several years. In fact, that should be a key provision of any pipeline legislation. YossarianMinderbinder I love lil’ Timmy’s shoveling act as he digs in deeper. Perhaps (who am I kidding?) someone stronger will run against him next time. I send Timmy and Pryor emails all of the time, letting them know how they continue to bring shame to our state. I even say it to their faces when I run into them around town, which happens a lot. They serve us and I’m going to keep reminding them of this until, yes, my head finally explodes. yapperjohn

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MAY 16, 2013

EDITORIAL

EYE ON ARKANSAS

Listen, UA

“ATTORNEY-GENERAL HOPEFUL promises to stand up to U.S.” Why do they hate America? What is it particularly that sets them off? Truth? Justice? What’s wrong with the American Way? You’d think people would at least stay out of the American political process if they despise the country so. But no, yet another anti-American politician announced his candidacy last week, this one seeking the Republican nomination for attorney general of Arkansas. Maybe he believes that as attorney general, he could file a writ or such and block the enforcement of American law. He can’t. It’s been tried before, in 1861 and 1957, and proud, freedom-loving Americans wouldn’t allow it. Every time we read about one of these Americahating yahoos we wonder why they don’t go someplace where America-haters rule — Iran, North Korea, South Carolina — and run for office there. Maybe it’s because most of those places don’t have elections, at least not honest ones. In any case, we patriots would like to see them leave before they do more harm here. The Boston bombers stood up to the U.S. 6

MAY 16, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

JON NICHOLS

ny public-university trustees considering merger of their tax-supported teaching hospital with a Catholic hospital should ponder these wise words from Americans United for Separation of Church and State: “Public health policy should serve the public interest, not conform to the dictates of sectarian lobbies. The U.S. Constitution mandates the separation of church and state. It is wrong to let any religious group impose its doctrines on others through government action. Millions of Americans rely on safe, affordable birth control. The overwhelming majority of American women use contraceptives at some point in their lives. Many women use birth control pills for medicinal purposes. No one should be denied access to medication because of another person’s religious beliefs.” And these from an emeritus professor of medicine at the University of Louisville, after the UL hospital was merged with a Catholic hospital, over loud objections: “While the concept of a ‘hospital within a hospital’ may provide the necessary doctrinal camouflage to allow the enterprise to slip under the radar or be winked at by critical bishops, it is a medical absurdity and intellectually dishonest to pretend that the sexual and reproductive organs of men and women can be detached from the rest of their bodies for the comprehensive practice of modern medicine on any floor of a hospital. “The statement that the medical professionals in the hospital are being asked to respect the Ethical and Religious Directives of the Catholic Church, and the statement that policies on reproductive and end-of-life care will remain the same at University Hospital are mutually incompatible! Either that, or the Roman Catholic Church has taken a bold step out of people’s bedrooms and into the 21st century; that it will now give us control over our own deathbeds, including allowing the withdrawal of artificial hydration and nutrition if so directed by a living will, medical surrogate, or humane medical practice. A [merged-system] Vice President for Mission would no longer be needed to make sure that religious doctrine is enforced.”

A HOOT: Jon Nichols shared this photo of a barred owl on our Eye On Arkansas Flickr group.

Partisan justice

had a nice visit with Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Rhonda Wood last week. She and I had engaged earlier in a little Twitter jousting over some of her political activities. Wood had mentioned on both Twitter and Facebook her enthusiastic attendance at two Republican Party fund-raising events, including a speech by gubernatorial candidate Asa Hutchinson, as well as a speech at the University of Arkansas by Wisconsin’s Republican governor, Scott Walker. I was interested for several reasons. For one thing, Wood was just elected to the Court of Appeals, but the public appearances lent credence to the reports that she was planning a race for an open seat on the Arkansas Supreme Court. Judges can’t formally begin campaigns until one year before the May 21, 2014 election, but they can certainly begin pressing the flesh. For another thing, there was the matter of her attendance at Republican-flavored events. In her first race for Court of Appeals in 2010, Wood relied on robocalling by former Gov. Mike Huckabee to target voters. His message noted she’d been recommended for the bench by a Republican Party committee. Arkansas judicial elections switched from partisan to nonpartisan in 2000. Judicial ethics rules prohibit judicial candidates from claiming a connection to a political party (which Wood didn’t explicitly do). Wood, a former staff member for Huckabee, would be the last to claim anyone brings perfect neutrality to the bench. And, much as I have come to believe “merit selection” is the best course for filling judgeships, I also know that an appointment process inevitably will have political overtones, too. Wood insists her record in Faulkner County illustrates fairness in handling cases involving political party figures. She says her recent attendance at Republican activities was mostly happenstance — that she’d be happy to attend Democratic Party events, too. (Noted in passing: She spoke of the “Democrat” Party, a subtle Republican putdown long used by GOP partisans.) She agrees that judi-

cial engagement in social media can be problematic, but that she avoids statements on issues or beliefs. She defended her attendance at the Scott Walker event on the ground that she’s a native MAX of Wisconsin. BRANTLEY Wood lamented — as did sevmaxbrantley@arktimes.com eral of her Republican legislative admirers, such as Sen. Michael Lamoureux — that the first round of judicial elections are held the same day as political party primaries, when partisan coloration is rampant. Better to have the election in November, they think. Maybe it’s all innocent. But a partisan-seasoned dog whistle can be a plus, particularly if you believe Arkansas is strongly trending Republican. It is the same sort of dog whistle heard in Wood’s pronouncement that she is a “conservative” judge. Voters inevitably read that label as politically conservative, as opposed to, say, judicially conservative. A real judicial conservative is respectful of precedent (Roe v. Wade, for example; or the decadeslong precedent, overturned not long ago by nominal “conservatives,” that the 2nd Amendment should be read in context of the need for a militia). I agree with Circuit Judge Wendell Griffen, a Democratic partisan who speaks more than a judge should on matters of public controversy, that he, Wood and any judge enjoy nearly unbridled 1st Amendment protection from government punishment for speaking their minds, even exhibiting friendliness toward a political party. But just because you can speak freely, doesn’t mean you should. Republicans who lobbied in 2000 for nonpartisan judges (to deprive the Democratic Party of the filing fees that then flowed overwhelming in that direction), plus nonpartisan prosecutors (passed this session) and even nonpartisan sheriffs (failed this year) in the name of a pure justice system, should shut their hypocritical pieholes if they also approve of partisan-tinged politicking by one of their own.

JON NICHOLS

OPINION

Forlorn GOP turns to Benghazi

f you are a beltway Republican, no antidote for the blues matches extended congressional hearings on a real or imagined national horror — that is, if it might heap dishonor on a Democratic administration. If Hillary Clinton will be the dishonoree, so much the better. The news lately could hardly be more disheartening: Barack Obama’s easy reelection, Democratic congressional gains, stratospheric polling for Hillary Clinton in 2016, more horrible polls for congressional Republicans, a rapidly shrinking budget deficit, a 15,000 Dow and improving economic numbers across the board. So what to do but revive the Benghazi hearings. Congressional inquiries last fall on the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya, which killed the U.S. ambassador and three others, did not seem to faze Obama or Secretary Clinton, who soon left the State Department to a chorus of hosannas. The only thing to do is rake the embers and memories of the tragedy once more and perhaps bare a bureaucratic misstep that could silence the Hillary choir or cripple the president in the coming new budget war.

It worked once to perfection, for a while. Some will remember the cascade of hearings on the little WhitewaERNEST ter development DUMAS in Marion County, undertaken after Republicans won Congress in the 1994 elections. The committees held the nation’s attention for more than three years with shocking hints of misdeeds by Arkansans. The country got to know and eventually to despise the overbearing Sen. Alfonse D’Amato of New York, chairman of the Banking Committee, and Rep. Dan Burton of Indiana, chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, who made Joe McCarthy and Roy Cohn look seemly. But the Benghazi hearings represent a different kind of low, the exploitation of a national tragedy for political advantage. Both parties have usually, though not always, avoided that ghoulish business. Every tragedy, whether cataclysmic ones like Pearl Harbor and 9/11 or the thousands of smaller deadly events in

Defending ‘The Dog Whisperer’

“W

hat mighty contests,” ing the room. Forwrote 18th-century sati- tunately, all dogs rist Alexander Pope, “rise “read” human body from trivial things.” The poet had sex in language better mind, although something similar could than many humans be said about Americans and their pets. If grasp theirs. PeoGENE you think people get worked up about pol- ple who have no LYONS itics, say something “controversial” about clue what dogs are dogs or cats. Then prepare for action. communicating never cease to amaze. I Since many dog-lovers imagine their recently got screamed at by a woman terpets as humans in fur coats, realistic rified at the bumbling approach of a basobservations can evoke outrage. Consider set hound intent upon a belly rub. That’s the hubbub over my favorite TV program, like being afraid of a geranium. “The Dog Whisperer.” Cesar Millan is It’s common to see pet owners — a Mexican immigrant whose uncanny mostly women, in my experience — conway with problem dogs has made him a vert dogs into fear-biters by inadvertently star on the National Geographic channel. teaching them to cower from everybody Every week, Cesar visits some of the most they meet. Alas, making similar obserfeckless Southern California suburbanites vations has landed Cesar in trouble. A in captivity and liberates them from the recent New York Times column by Mark tyranny of everything from 120-pound Derr, a self-described dog historian, critiRottweilers to killer Chihuahuas. cized “The Dog Whisperer” for sexism, It’s always instructive, often funny. and worse “a simplistic conception of Cesar’s gift is what the military calls the dog’s ‘natural’ pack, controlled by a “command presence.” A compact man dominant alpha animal (usually male).” who moves like a professional athlete, Derr calls Cesar “a charming, onehe gains instant respect from all but the man wrecking ball directed at 40 years most incorrigible animals simply by enter- of progress in understanding and shaping

the theaters of war or foreign relations, was not over. Six weeks later, Reagan involves human failure, misjudgment or ordered a badly planned retaliatory attack some overlooked opportunity that might on Syrian antiaircraft batteries around have saved the day. Until Benghazi, there Beirut. Syria suffered little damage but were no attempted political crucifixions. the U.S. lost aircraft, men and prestige. Ronald Reagan’s worst saga occurred A deeply disillusioned Reagan withdrew across 12 months in his first term. Under the Marines. the protection of the Israeli military, a Then there were the attacks on the right-wing Lebanese militia entered two Twin Towers and the Pentagon, which Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut and killed not four but nearly 3,000. The for three days raped, killed and dismem- Republican-controlled Congress conbered 800 Palestinian men, women and ducted gentle hearings, long delayed, to children, all civilians. Israeli flares illumi- discover how it could have happened. nated the camps for the murderers. Ariel There was none of the ferocity of the Sharon hornswoggled Reagan’s emissary, Benghazi hearings. Congress handed the who tried lamely to persuade him not to heavy lifting to a bipartisan commission, do it, so America absorbed part of the which got the administration to give it blame in the eyes of a shocked civiliza- only one of the president’s daily secution and an inflamed Arab world. The rity briefings, the Aug. 6 memo entitled event has tortured relationships in the “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.” We would learn a dozen years later that region ever since. As part of an agreement to protect the there were other briefs warning Bush Palestinians in the Beirut camps from of attacks and the use of airplanes. But more murders, Reagan deployed Marines the neocons who had taken over, led by to Lebanon to supervise the departure of Vice President Dick Cheney, insisted that the Palestine Liberation Organization the warnings about Al Qaeda attacks on for other countries. On Oct. 23, 1983, in America were a ruse to divert attention retaliation for the perceived U.S. role in from the real enemy, Iraq. the slaughter of the refugees, a suicide So George Bush screwed up — or terrorist rolled a TNT-laden truck into maybe he screwed up. The Congress, and the Marine headquarters at the Beirut certainly not his party, did not want to airport and blew it up, killing 241 ser- place the terrible burden of that holovicemen. Reagan declared that the U.S. caust on the shoulders of even an inept would not be driven out. But the bungling president. Times have changed. dog behavior and in developing nonpunitive, reward-based training programs, which have led to seeing each dog as an individual, to understand what motivates it.” Once it was the Whole Child; now it’s the Whole Dog. Color my neck red, but I doubt that after eons of human-dog symbiosis, we’re seeing exciting breakthroughs in canine psychology. At best, animal behaviorists may be rediscovering things guys like Cesar have always known. Dogs are not intellectuals or even children, and you can’t reason with them. Cesar doesn’t brutalize dogs. I’ve never seen him hit, hurt or shout at one. But he does let them know who’s boss, even if it takes physical interaction. Maybe it’s simplistic, as Derr charges, to think that most dogs are dominance-obsessed, but it does have the virtue of being true. Supposedly, studies of wild wolf packs show that “dominance contests with other wolves are rare.” That’s because canids are more realistic than people. My wife once rescued a rambunctious 85-pound male golden retriever from the highway. Almost immediately, Big Red attempted a coup by charging the mellow but very powerful German Shepherd-Great Dane mix that handled security at our place. Taken by surprise, Corliss was knocked to the ground. A

brief scuffle ensued, during which the retriever found himself lifted clean off his feet by the scruff of his neck. You could see him changing his mind in mid-air: “OK, I can be No. 2. Two’s good. Less pressure.” Corliss and Big Red lived to a companionable old age together without renegotiating the issue. Here’s “The Dog Whisperer” in a nutshell: Somebody’s going to be in charge, you or your dog. If it’s the dog, you’ve both got problems. (It helps Cesar’s ratings that Los Angeles is chock full of attractive women who don’t get it.) He doesn’t teach dogs to navigate obstacle courses or compose sonatas. He instructs their owners how to prevent them from attacking children, eating furniture and charging city buses. Another solution would be basset hounds for all. Bassets show little interest in dominance. They’re one of two breeds (along with beagles) never involved in a fatal human attack. They’re also stubbornly untrainable. I defy Cesar to prove otherwise. After reading that actress Candice Bergen treats her basset to “foaming mousse” baths and “tree oil aromatherapy” at a Beverly Hills spa, I took mine walking in the country. They bathed in the river. For aromatherapy, they selected dead fish and fresh horse manure. Sweet, harmless, loving, but definitely not human. www.arktimes.com

MAY 16, 2013

W O RDS

Not another tie. The Perfect Gift for Dad

Where or when “Two women were arrested and charged in a robbery where one of the suspects is accused of carrying pepper spray as well as her 10-month-old child.” For a commonplace word, where gets misused a lot. Those women above were really arrested and charged “in a robbery in which one of the suspects is accused of carrying pepper spray … ” Sometimes where appears erroneously in place of when. “Nineteen sixty-eight was a year where assassination was in vogue.”

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make arrests while attempting to issue warrant.” “Judges issue warrants; cops execute or serve warrants,” Hall says.

DOUG SMITH dougsmith@arktimes.com

TMQ (Too Much Qualification) is still with us. Michael Klossner saw a reference to “alleged Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev.” “He was an alleged bomber and a bombing suspect,” Klossner writes. “He was not an alleged suspect because he really was a suspect.”

Jesse was brothers with Frank James: “Shorter, who has been laser-timed at 10.63 seconds in the 100, is cousins with Arkansas cornerback signee D.J. Dean.” Well, he’s a cousin of the cornerback signee. Cousins with is a usage unfamiliar to me. Sounds kind of like they’re going steady, cousins until one of them breaks it off. You can be friends with someone for just a period of time (“I was friends with Shirley until she set fire to the barn”), but cousins are for life.

They thought something might be wrong: John Wesley Hall was bemused by the headline “Family Raises Suspicions After Police Find Two People Dead Inside Home.” Well, duh. Something of a connoisseur of crimerelated headlines, Hall also took issue with this one: “Officers find several drugs,

“For the first time since it was erected, the government body that oversees Stonehenge is offering a very unique opportunity.” Garner’s Modern American Usage says: “Strictly speaking, unique means ‘being one of a kind,’ not ‘unusual.’ Hence the phrases very unique, quite unique, how unique and the like are slovenly.” And nobody wants to be a sloven.

WEEK THAT WAS

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It was a good week for ... MEDICAL SHOPPING. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services released, for the first time, a database of how hospitals nationwide charge for 100 selected procedures and what Medicare reimburses for the procedures, revealing that the cost of procedures has little to do with what hospitals bill for them. TECH PARK BOARD REALITY CHECK. Board members, thrown by their consultant’s flip-flop on what a tech park site should look like and chastised by Mayor Mark Stodola for their poor handling of the process so far, decided to regroup and review what it is they are trying to achieve with $22 million in taxpayer dollars. HOMICIDE. There were five homicides in Little Rock between May 6 and May 11, and another in North Little Rock May 6. Road rage was cited as the cause of the May 11 homicide, in which a man — who had a conceal-and-carry permit for his gun — shot the other motorist to death in front of the motorist’s 4-year-old son. The homicide was the 13th in Little Rock since the beginning of the year. The man charged in the shooting said he pulled his gun because he was afraid of the other man.

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MAY 16, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

A NEW CANDIDATE. After prayerful consideration, Rep. Debra Hobbs, Republican

of Rogers, announced that she plans to run for governor. She’s term-limited, so what the hey? A SHOOTER. Dr. Charles Stearns, the Pine Bluff doctor who decided to play policeman and fire his gun at a getaway car driven by a man who robbed Arvest Bank, but hit a different car instead, will not face charges. Instead, he’s surrendered his gun and permit and will make restitution to the (innocent) owner of the damaged car in an arrangement worked out with the Pulaski County prosecutor.

It was a bad week for … PULASKI COUNTY SPECIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. The state Board of Education extended its control over the district for a third year in a row, using a newly-passed law, and Jacksonville and North Pulaski residents are pushing to separate from the district. COLLEGE STUDENTS. The University of Central Arkansas will raise its tuition 3.59 percent and other state universities are expected to follow suit. Meanwhile, the Arkansas Lottery scholarship, $5,000 at the outset three years ago, is now down to $2,000 for entering freshmen. SCHOOLTEACHERS. The state insurance fund for teachers reported a $60 million shortfall.

From London to Little Rock J U N E 7 T H — S E P T. 8 T H , 2 0 1 3

THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

Jim Something BACK DURING GRAD SCHOOL, way down in Louisiana, The Observer met a man who — and we’re a solid 85 percent sure on this one — was probably in the witness protection program. We can’t remember his name anymore after all these years, but we do remember that it was a name as white as mayonnaise. John Something. Or maybe Jim Something. The last name wasn’t anything as milquetoast as Smith or Jones, but we do remember that it was beige and forgettable, hence our forgetting, and hence the reason we suspect it may have been selected for him. This is a country full of forgettable names, and we’re sure an agency that would go to the trouble of disappearing a whole, live man surely has the best forgettable name generators in the business — supercomputers crunching blandness and spitting out pseudonyms so slick and unmemorable that they slide right back out of your ear the moment you hear them. In spite of his pasty name, Jim Something was, without a doubt, the most Sopranos-grade Italian dude to ever tread the dirt of South Louisiana. Never have we met someone who made us more guilty to describe him, because it’s pretty much inevitable that it will sound like we’re making him up while sticking closely to the basest of stereotypes. He wore tracksuits and a gold chain with a medallion on it. He was muscled and stocky to the point of cartoonishness, with a luxurious and awe-inspiring crop of chest hair. He was devoid of neck. He’s the only real-life person, outside of Scorsese movies, who we’ve ever heard use the plural pronoun “youse.” He was — and this set off some alarm bells — a transfer student from a university in the Dakotas, and seemed to have zero interest in keeping his grades up, even as The Scholar Observer sweated bullets deep down into the night translating Old English into Middle English into Modern English and generally busting ass. He talked incessantly about New Yawk, pining for the women and streets and nightlife and food of that city in a kind of plaintive, heartbroken wail that made The Observer pine along with him for our own home back in Arkansas. His homesickness was conta-

gious and airborne. Even so, as far as we know, he never went back there. As if that wasn’t enough, he had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of criminal behavior, once schooling Yours Truly on the process for turning powder cocaine into crack cocaine. Beyond that, though, Jim Something seemed to be a man without a past. He never spoke of his life before he’d appeared there, never of his family, never of his childhood, never of his dreams as a young man. He was simply a bundle of pained desire, wrapped in white paper. He was a conglomeration of wishes to be elsewhere, and all those wishes orbited around a city to which he seemed unwilling or unable to return. Any time The Observer has read “The Odyssey” since then, at the moment we see Odysseus weeping alone in want of his homeland on the shores of Ogygia, we always see the face of Jim Something: shipwrecked sailor, marooned in a far land, a man who exists solely in the now. When he disappeared from our classes and life at the end of a semester, The Observer came home to Spouse and baby Junior in our tiny, on-campus apartment and said: Jim Something is gone, flown away, but surely not back to where he came from. By now, we thought, he’s Jack Whitebread or John Bland or Steve Nothingtoseehere in some new, safe, Coney Islandless hell, eating his pasta with ragu and watching the Yankees on TV. Memory is a funny thing, and The Observer has scolded himself over the years for making up a dramatic and dastardly past for Jim Something, whose only real crime that we know of was wearing those tracksuits. There’s every chance in the world that he was just some guy with an itch of wanderlust that took him to North Dakota and then South Louisiana. Try as we might, though, we can’t stop wondering whatever happened to him. We can’t stop thinking: He’s still out there somewhere, lost in America, adrift and heartbroken on the becalmed Flyover Sea. We think: By now, he could be anywhere. We think: By now, he could be anybody at all.

Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London

arkarts.com Rembrandt van Rijn Portrait of the Artist, ca. 1665 Oil on canvas 45 3/4 x 38 1/4 in. Kenwood House, English Heritage, Iveagh Bequest (88028836) Photo courtesy American Federation of Arts

become a member of the arkansas arts center today and enjoy a free members-only preview and reception on june 6 at 6:30 p.m. The exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts and English Heritage and is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Artsand the Humanities with additional funding from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. In-kind support is provided by Barbara and Richard S. Lane. This event is presented in Arkansas by Bank of the Ozarks, Harriet and Warren Stephens, Stephens Inc. and the Windgate Charitable Foundation. The event is sponsored in Arkansas by Chucki and Curt Bradbury, Sandra and Bob Connor, Remmel T. Dickinson and Lisenne Rockefeller.

STOP HAIR LOSS TODAY!

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MAY 16, 2013

Arkansas Reporter

THE

IN S IDE R

Hey, mistakes happen. Nonetheless, we must observe that list of tax delinquent properties recently published by the Saline Courier included 10 properties in the original city of Benton owned by Gann House Renovations LLC, with some $8,500 in annual tax bills and penalties owed for 2010. If the money isn’t paid by June 6, the properties will be forfeited to the state. As of Tuesday, the taxes hadn’t been paid, the collector’s office said. Gann House Renovations LLC lists its address as the same address as that of its registered agent, Arkansas Republican Party Chair Doyle Webb. The state record also lists him as manager and tax preparer for the LLC. He has a checkered public record apart from politics: A legal ethical lapse, a complaint by his sister about handling of their mother’s estate and past real estate financial troubles. Irony: His official resume boasts of his reduction of property taxes in Saline County while he was a JP. They weren’t reduced to zero, of course. We asked Webb about the listing by email and ownership of the properties and received this response by email: “Thanks for contacting me for comment. These properties are on the National Register of Historic Places, representing a working class neighborhood from 18801925. The LLC is in the process of obtaining refinancing at which time the property taxes will be paid current.”

Catholic coincidence? A friend notes a news article in the Arkansas Catholic and the coincidence of timing with discussions about a merger of clinical operations of the public University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center. The Diocese of Little Rock is forming an Arkansas guild for the Catholic Medical Association. From the article, “Bishop Taylor said he believes the formation of the CMA guild in the state could also assist the diocese with promoting pro-life causes and strengthening the Catholic identity at Catholic hospitals.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 11 10

MAY 16, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

Tax delinquent list turns up a familiar name

TESTING, TESTING: A worker prepares for “blower door” test.

Tighten up Efficiency program from Entergy Arkansas could do thousands in repairs to your home at no cost to you. BY DAVID KOON

hile you might be waiting on the hot, lazy days of summer with breathless anticipation, one thing you might not be looking forward to is the higher energy bill that comes with the sweltering season. Entergy Arkansas, however, might have a solution for some of those summertime blues: a program that gives rebates and incentives to homeowners looking to make their homes more energy efficient. In some cases, subcontractors working in partnership with Entergy can inspect a home and do thousands in energy-saving repairs like weather stripping, caulking and ductwork repair at no cost to the homeowner. As a bonus, those repairs can save you thousands more on your energy bill in the long run. The Home Energy Solutions program is the flagship of a slate of energyefficiency programs offered by Entergy. Any Entergy customer living in a home or multi-family unit of four apartments or less that has central heat and air is eligible to have their home inspected and possibly repaired if problems are found. The program is offered in two tiers. Tier one includes a walk-through inspection of appliances, weather sealing and other potential drains on the power grid by a home energy consultant, with recommendations on what to do. A list of approved

consultants is available on the Entergy website, and the company will pay for up to $75 toward the cost of this inspection. Tier two is more thorough, and can send workers crawling into attics and crawlspaces to inspect ductwork and insulation, or a “blower door test” in which a large suction fan is attached to an exterior door to create negative pressure inside the house. The amount of air loss in the home can then be calculated by how much air flows into the blower. Entergy offers a minimum of $300 and up to $500 in cash incentives toward the cost of the tier two inspection and testing, and then offers additional incentives to fix problems. If the homeowner selects a contractor who can both inspect the home and do the work, most repairs can be done with zero cash outlay by the homeowner. According to an Entergy spokesperson, 10,725 customers have taken advantage of at least part of Home Energy Solutions program since 2010. A chart on the Entergy website says that the owner of a typical 1,900-square-foot home is eligible for up to $3,537.92 in energy-efficiency rebates and repairs from Entergy, and could save $550 a year on their electric bill and another $635 on their gas bill each year after those repairs are performed. Richard Smith is the manager for Energy Efficiency at Entergy. He said the

program seeks to help homeowners take a “whole house approach” to energy loss. Smith said the Home Energy Solutions program was started on a limited basis in 2007, but was redesigned in 2011 and has been available for all residential customers in the Entergy service area since early 2012. Smith said the program is not paid for by the federal government. “These are programs that are approved and reviewed and vetted through the Arkansas Public Service Commission,” he said. “We cover the cost of these programs through our monthly electric bill.” Smith said homeowners should divide their year’s highest electric bill by the square footage of the heated and cooled portion of their home. If the energy usage is more than .10 cents per square foot, then their home qualifies for a tier two assessment, and could probably benefit from inspection and repair. Homes with energy usage of more than .13 cents per square foot are considered “very inefficient.” Though the cost of repairs is substantial, Smith said Entergy saves money by helping customers become more energy efficient. “These programs are less costly than us building another power plant,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to avoid. If all of our customers can help us avoid that new power plant, and it’s cheaper to do this, that seems like the smart thing to do.” One caveat to keep in mind — unless you don’t mind watching the mail for a reimbursement check — is that some contractors working with Entergy do inspections and repairs on a reimbursement model, with the customer paying up front and waiting for a reimbursement check from Entergy. Others do the inspections and repairs and then bill Entergy directly, meaning no cash outlay for the customer. “They’re looking at it, from their business model, a little bit like: Well, I get money from the incentives [and] for the assessment, and if all those come into play, I can deliver services a lot of the time at little or no cost to the customer,” Smith said. “Other models don’t do it that way. We have home energy professionals who don’t have the whole approach. They can test for you, but they don’t have the capability to do the installation work. In that case, it’s a little different. The customer pays for those and as things happen, we reimburse the customer.” Smith said that the repairs done by Entergy subcontractors since the program started have taught them things about CONTINUED ON PAGE 49

LISTEN UP

OUT OF WHACK HOSPITAL CHARGES How is it that a “major and small bowel” procedure at National Park Medical Center in Hot Springs is billed at an average $333,470, but only $19,740 at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro? Or that “infectious and parasitic diseases with OR procedures” are billed at $257,369 at National Park and $44,446 at St. Bernards? The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services put the spotlight on the arbitrariness of hospital billing — a subject explored at length last year in a Time magazine cover story by Stephen Brill — last week by publishing a database of average billing and Medicare payments at 3,337 American hospitals, including 42 in Arkansas. It’s the first time such information has been made public to American consumers. The relationship of what a hospital may bill, based on its charge sheet, to what it is paid is so out of whack that, at least in one case we turned up, the hospital that charges the least receives payment higher than the hospital that charges the most (see Northwest Arkansas Hospitals and St. Bernards under Major Cardiovascular Procedures below as an example). What the figures don’t show is what uninsured persons are paying for hospital procedures. Hospitals may offer discounts to the uninsured — National Park Medical Center, for example, reduces its charges by a “minimum of 60 percent” to the uninsured, its spokesman said — but thanks to

reimbursement agreements with insurance companies, the uninsured are billed at a higher rate than the insured. If their condition isn’t an emergency, they should shop around. Below are more examples of the variation in average charges and Medicare payments in Arkansas for more common procedures. Mandy Golleher, spokesman for National Park, whose charge prices are the highest in several instances, said this about the wide charge variations: “It is important to understand that hospitals only collect a small percentage of our charges, or ‘list prices.’ We are required to give Medicare one level of discount from list price, Medicaid another and private insurers negotiate for still others. Strange as it may seem, if we did not start with the list prices we have, we would not end up with enough revenue to keep the doors open. Additionally, much of what is not collected is the result of providing charity care or care that is otherwise uncompensated. For most hospitals, this is millions of dollars per year.” You can find the CMS data at www.cms.gov.

THE

BIG PICTURE

MOST HIGHEST LOWEST HIGHEST LOWEST PATIENTS CHARGE CHARGE PAY PAY

HEMORRHAGIC STROKE OR CEREBRAL INFARCTION, with major complications

Baptist Health, 110 patients, average charged $34,539, average paid $10,254

NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital, Jonesboro, 12 patients, average charged $78,076, average paid $17,535

St. Bernards Medical Center, Jonesboro, 59 patients, average charged $14,946, average paid $11,036

NEA Baptist Memorial, Jonesboro, 12 patients, average charged $78,076, average paid $17,535

St. Edward Mercy Medical Center, Fort Smith, 39 patients, average charged $28,324, average paid $9,226

TRANSIENT ISCHEMIA (TIA)

Sparks Regional Medical Center, Fort Smith, 105 patients, average charged $9,775, average paid $4,162

Harris Hospital, Newport, 13 patients, average charged $27,475, average paid $4,123

John Ed Chambers Memorial, Danville, 17 patients, average charged $4,505, average paid $3,954

Washington Regional, Fayetteville, 28 patients, average charged $21,007, average paid $6,624

Arkansas Heart Hospital, 15 patients, average charged $17,146, average paid $3,743

CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE, with major complications

Sparks Regional Medical Center, Fort Smith, 166 patients, average charged $15,405, average paid $6,597

Medical Center of South Arkansas, El Dorado, 15 patients, average charged $46,180, average paid $7,004

John Ed Chambers Memorial, Danville, 16 patients, average charged $7,228, average paid $6,309

Crittenden Memorial Hospital, West Memphis, 23 patients, average charged $35,221, average paid $8,599

Arkansas Heart Hospital, 23 patients, average charged $20,348, average paid $6,105

MAJOR CARDIOVASCULAR PROCEDURES, without major complications

Baptist Health Medical Center, 76 patients, average charged $58,361, average paid $17,863

Northwest Arkansas Hospitals, Springdale, 12 patients, average charged $85,965, average paid $17,739

St. Bernards Medical Center, Jonesboro, 25 patients, average charged $36,254, average paid $18,811

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 43 patients, average charged $56,486, average paid $24,321

Baxter Regional Medical Center, Mountain Home, 40 patients, average charged $50,944, average paid $16,317

Tune in to the Times’ “Week In Review” podcast each Friday. Available on iTunes & arktimes.com

INSIDER, CONT.

Traditional graduation We wrote last week about a controversy in Imboden, Ark., over a tentative plan to have a past graduate speak at this year’s Sloan-Hendrix High School graduation. The would-have-been speaker was Bryant Huddleston, a former TV newsman who’s now a TV producer in California. His father, Steve, president of the School Board, had suggested a speaking role for Huddleston, whose sister is in the graduating class. School Superintendent Mitch Walton mentioned the idea to School Board members and two, Preston Clark and Aaron Murphy, objected because Huddleston is gay. Bryant Huddleston said he had had no intention of talking about his sexuality, but knowledge of his orientation apparently was thought to have been a potential disruptive influence by at least the two school board members. Huddleston wrote a letter expressing unhappiness about the turn of events, but graduation went on without him — without a special speaker of any sort, in fact. Imboden Live, a local news website, reported that the graduation was typical and uneventful. Top graduates spoke, Walton made remarks, diplomas were distributed. The Huddleston name didn’t come up except in diploma presentation. Meanwhile, Huddleston is being sought on the professional speaking circuit to talk about the difficulties of growing up gay — and even being a gay adult — in a small Southern town.

A rare piece of good news Dean Cline is back at work making potato salad and chicken salad according to the recipes of the legendary Cordell’s deli. We’ve confirmed that he’s gone to work on the deli staff at Terry’s Finer Foods at Country Club Station in the Heights. When we last visited with Cline, a deal to supply the salads through a former owner of Browning’s had fallen apart. If you don’t know from Cordell’s, long a fixture in Riverdale, it’s your loss. Time was a tray of thinly sliced roast top sirloin and a tub of potato salad was the tried-and-true Old Little Rock sympathy platter for both funereal and celebratory occasions.

www.arktimes.com

MAY 16, 2013

LITTLE ROCK FILM FESTIVAL

PUSSY RIOT

A DOWNTOWN DREAM REALIZED

Film Festival screens straddle the river. BY LINDSEY MILLAR

COVER PHOTO BY WILLIAM SCHEELE

he plan, so pie-in-the-sky for so long, is finally coming together: In its seventh year, the Little Rock Film Festival has become a downtown festival. Each of the event’s more than 100 films will screen at a venue that’s within walking distance of downtown Little Rock or North Little Rock. Since they co-founded the festival in 2007 with Jamie Moses and Owen Brainard, filmmaking brothers Brent and Craig Renaud have talked longingly about taking over downtown, throwing an event that would expose Little Rock to film culture, and visiting filmmakers to Little Rock culture. The key obstacle has been space. It was hard to imagine anything other than a multi-screen movie theater — like Riverdale 10, which anchored the LRFF for the first six years — accommodating a hundred films. But thanks to a new partnership with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, an expanded relationship with the Argenta Community Theater and some creative uses of non-traditional venues, the new layout will actually accommodate more festivalgoers. The biggest theater at Riverdale could only accommodate 200 people. The Rep can seat 370 and the Argenta Community Theater can hold 275. Thanks to grants and other fundraising by the Arkansas

MAY 16, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

Motion Picture Institute, the non-profit the Renauds co-founded in 2011 to serve as an umbrella organization for all the film festivals in the state and generally promote the film industry, the LRFF has use of projectors and sound equipment to turn nearby non-theater space into screening venues. Walking back and forth between Little Rock and North Little Rock may not be convenient for many, but the schedule is arranged in a way that many of the films will play on each side of the river. The move downtown wouldn’t have happened without the cooperation of The Rep, which will serve as the largest screening venue and house the filmmaker’s lounge in the theater’s second floor lounge, Foster’s. The Renauds and Bob Hupp, artistic producing director of The Rep, first discussed partnering three years ago, but because The Rep books its season a year and a half in advance, the timing wasn’t right. Hupp said the new partnership, which he hopes will continue past this year, fits within the theater’s mission. “When Craig expressed an interest in bringing the film festival to downtown Little Rock, we clearly wanted to be a player because we know the film festival is going to bring thousands of people to downtown Little Rock and that will benefit not only The Rep but all of our downtown restau-

rants and businesses. That’s a big part of our mission, to not just help foster the artistic life of the city but also its economic life.” The Renauds said that, while the new layout has been logistically challenging, it’s exciting to see their plan realized. “It’s invigorating to be using these new spots,” Craig Renaud said. “And cool to see construction on historic buildings nearby. Ever since we made the announcement, people who aren’t part of the typical film fest demographic have been giving us really positive feedback.” The shift downtown is only the latest move in the Renauds’ quest to build a festival that draws from the best parts of the many film festivals they’ve traveled to as documentary filmmakers. They started with a strategic date — just after Sundance, SXSW and Tribeca, three festivals that typically insist on world premieres — that puts the LRFF in position to be the second stop for the most successful films on the festival circuit. From the beginning, they also wanted to be known as a filmmaker’s festival. So they paid expenses for directors and threw them lavish parties. The more filmmakers come and participate in postscreening Q&As, the more audiences enjoy themselves, they figured. Later, they recognized the festival needed to pay special attention to a niche. The Oxford American

made a natural partner for a Southern Film Award. A $10,000 prize made the award a magnet for films (last year, for instance, Oscar nominee “Beasts of the Southern Wild” had a pre-release festival run of Sundance, Berlin and the LRFF). This year, they’ve added a new focus — socially-conscious fare. Heifer International and the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site are co-sponsoring the $10,000 award (the National Historic Site is putting up the cash). The new prize might’ve helped the LRFF land “Blood Brother,” winner of both Grand Jury and Audience awards at Sundance. It’s one of three films screening in competition at Heifer for free. After it plays at 2:15 p.m. Friday, Heifer will host a free cocktail reception with music by Cody Belew of “The Voice.” Also new this year: pre-screening musical performances. The Renauds have long wanted music to be a larger part of the festival. After-parties always feature local talent. Now nearly every screening at The Rep will include a brief performance from a local musician. Matt White, co-owner and booker of White Water Tavern, put together the line-up, which includes a wide sampling of some of Little Rock’s best acts — Isaac Alexander, Rodney Block, Adam Faucett, Iron Tongue and more. White also booked the talent for all the after-parties, which promise to be as raucous as ever (free booze and food to passholders helps). On Thursday, Big Silver plays a party that begins at 10 p.m. at White Water (the only festival venue not in walking distance of downtown). Since the festival’s split between two downtowns, the Junction Bridge will be a fitting place for a big throwdown beginning 9:30 p.m. Friday. Velvet Kente performs. Afterwards, the Argenta Arts Rooftop will host a party exclusive to gold passholders. Saturday features two parties: A barbecue dinner at the Oxford American’s South on Main space with music by Greg Spradlin at 8 p.m. and the “Top of the World Party” at 11 p.m. in the 17th floor of the Bank of America building, which offers panoramic views of the city. The room will be stocked with vintage video games and ping-pong. Sunday brings the annual Arkansas Times Closing Night Awards Gala at the Clinton Presidential Library at 6 p.m., followed by a riverboat cruise on the new Mark Twain Riverboat for filmmakers only and a farewell party at 10:30 p.m. at Crush Wine Bar. Another key party for the festival: a happy hour on Thursday in the River Market at the site of the Arcade, the mixed use space the Central Arkansas Library System is building with other partners. The LRFF will take up permanent residence in the Arcade, and the building’s 325-seat theater will become the festival’s flagship theater in 2014. Every year, bigger and better.

LITTLE ROCK FILM FESTIVAL exchange for their love. 3 p.m. Thursday at 610 Main, 2:15 p.m. Friday at Heifer International. Hoover will participate in a post-screening Q&A each day. LNP.

‘AFTER TILLER’ DIRECTED BY MARTHA SHANE AND LANA WILSON

BLOOD BROTHER

TEN TO WATCH Films not to miss at the LRFF.

BY DAVID KOON, LINDSEY MILLAR, LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK AND DAVID RAMSEY

‘BLOOD BROTHER’ DIRECTED BY STEVE HOOVER

This film opens with nighttime footage of a young American man persuading a grandfather, whose friends are loudly objecting, to abandon a temple ritual and transport his sick grandchild to a hospital on the back of his motorcycle. Forced to stop at a train crossing, the young man, Rocky Braat, looks back and sees the grandfather unwrap the girl from her blanket. Her head flops back, her body is limp. She’s died on back of the bike. Braat, mourning and ostracized by the superstitious Indian community where he works in a hostel for children with HIV, weeps and wonders if he has the guts to stay in India. Braat, who has left home and traveled to Chennai (Madras) to find something “real” in life, finds a harsh, but loving reality among the ailing children, who adore him and call him Rocky-anna (which roughly translates to “Rockybig brother”). Braat embraces these alienated children that others — including filmmaker and Braat’s best friend

AFTER TILLER

Steve Hoover, Hoover confesses — are afraid to touch because of their virus. He engages in horseplay with them, teaches them English, puts them to bed, and watches some of them die from infections their immune systems can’t fight. Returning to India for Rocky’s wedding to an Indian woman (“I am marrying India,” Rocky says), the filmmaker records the near-death of Surya, the little boy Rocky calls his sidekick

because he seldom leaves Rocky’s side. Surya’s skin and lips are sloughing off, and his beautiful brown eyes are glued shut; his chance of survival is 10 percent. Watching Braat care for him is devastating; Surya, unlike so many others beats the odds … this go-round. This child, who seems sturdy enough when we first meet him, illustrates how tenuous life is for these children and the kind of hardships Rocky-anna chooses to endure in

You won’t see the anti-choice members of the Arkansas legislature at this movie about the doctors who, despite the murder of their colleague Dr. George Tiller, continue to risk their lives to offer late-term — after 25 weeks — abortions. So they won’t hear pregnant women talk about the fetal anomalies that mean, for example, that the bones of one fetus are breaking in the womb and if the child survives it will live but a brief time in agony. Or the woman who decides that because her fetus would not be a viable child, the kindest choice would be to let him go, instead of bearing him and having to take him off a ventilator. Or the father who says that allowing the baby to endure a brief life of pain creates as much guilt as ending his life before the pain can begin. Or the 14-year-old who wants to die. Or the return visits of the women to express gratitude toward the doctors. They won’t hear the attorney general of Nebraska call an abortion doctor who once practiced there, whose horse barn, with 25 horses locked in their stalls, was torched by an anti-choice group, a “sick individual.” Or the recollections of the doctors — most of them past 70 — of the women they treated during their medical residencies pre-Roe v. Wade who suffered and died after back-alley abortions. Or the doctors themselves who can’t justify some of the abortions wanted and suggest adoption. These four doctors — that’s it, there are now just four — aren’t monsters “executing babies” as the Fox News anchor declares but men and women who are caring for their patients’ mental and physical health and their unviable unborn. 5:45 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Historic Arkansas Museum. Directors Martha Shane and Lana Wilson will participate in post-screening Q&As. LNP.

‘THE KILL TEAM’ DIRECTED BY DAN KRAUSS

“There are no good men left here,” Army Spec. Adam Winfield wrote his father while deployed in Afghanistan in 2010. Winfield was part of an infantry platoon that became known as the “Kill Team” after reports surfaced of soldiers killing innocent and unarmed civilians for sport, mutilating their bodies and CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 www.arktimes.com

MAY 16, 2013

LITTLE ROCK FILM FESTIVAL | TEN TO WATCH

THE KILL TEAM

taking hokey pictures with the corpses. Winfield, with help from his formerMarine father back in the states, tried to blow the whistle on the soldiers, but the Army was unresponsive. Dan Krauss’ documentary examines the war crimes two years later from the perspective of the soldiers involved. Krauss employs a straightforward style — talking-head interviews, photos and videos from combat, verite scenes of Winfield and his family in pre-trial — but the result is more chilling than a horror movie. The blunt, matter-of-fact approach mimics the cadence of the young, macho soldiers-turned-murderers. One says he thought of the song “Danger Zone” from “Top Gun” during his first firefight (“This is really cool”); another describes early discussion of planting weapons on innocent victims (“Hey dude, I’ve got a couple extra grenades that aren’t being tracked”). Krauss does an expert job exploring the epic boredom of warfare for these amped-up American kids trained to kill. “You can’t shoot somebody because of this reason, you can’t do it because of that reason,” says one soldier, who wasn’t charged with a crime. “It was nothing like what everybody hyped it to be. Part of that’s probably why” — and here he smirks, and it is utterly haunting — “things happened.” The documentary focuses most closely on Winfield, an eager young private so slight of build that he had to drink a gallon of water before his physical to barely make the necessary weight when he enlisted as a teenager out of high school. When platoon mates threatened to kill him, Winfield went silent, and one of the film’s questions is how culpable he was. While the drama surrounds what the Army trial will find, the real question is for Winfield himself, who has been rendered a ghost, so riddled with anxiety, guilt and fear that he can barely get through each sentence. “The Kill Team” is one of the most terrifying 14

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ARKANSAS TIMES

depictions of war you’ll ever see. These are neither heroes nor monsters, but boys with guns far from home. When they say “whatever,” it would sound familiar if it wasn’t alongside “look at these dead guys.” That’s the horror: not what might happen to you in battle, but what you might become. 8:15 p.m. Thursday at Historic Arkansas Museum, 2 p.m. at The Rep. Director Dan Krauss participates in post-screening Q&As. DR.

‘THESE BIRDS WALK’ DIRECTED BY OMAR MULLICK AND BASSAM TARIQ

When filmmakers Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq set out to make a documentary about the elusive Abdul Sattar Edhi, the humanitarian who runs the

largest social welfare organization in Pakistan, he demurred, telling them, “If you want to find me, you will find me among the people.” So Mullick and Tariq sought stories among the Edhi Foundation’s work with the poor. The film is largely centered on an Edhi shelter for runaways and abandoned boys (outside is a crib with a sign which reads: “Leave them in the carriage. Don’t kill children.”). We meet Asad, an ambulance driver whose main jobs appear to be picking up and returning runaways and transferring bodies for burials provided by the charity. “It’s easier to transport dead bodies than to take these kids home,” he says. The film follows Asad as well as Omar, a puckish and world-weary 10-year-old runaway. Omar and the other boys veer between bravado and longing. Many were beaten or neglected at home, yet they feel unmoored without their families. They are obsessed with escape but have nowhere to go. The gorgeous film is more tone poem than traditional documentary, though Mullick and Tariq have the documentarian’s knack for unflinching observation — the portrayal of childhood is startlingly intimate. The camerawork feels immersed in the lives of the children, lurching between aching boredom and bursts of excitement or anger or fear. We see the boys at play and in prayer, roughhousing one moment and deep in metaphysical chatter the next. (“I’ve asked nothing from God,” Omar tells another boy. “I only asked from my parents.”)

They weep openly, sometimes comforting each other and sometimes slapping each other on the head. It would have been easy for Mullick and Tariq to make a social-message movie about poverty in Pakistan, but they’re after something deeper. “These Birds Walk” is a near masterpiece: a mediation on loneliness and home, and a portrait of a place infused with the hope of transcendence and escape. “This country is such,” Asad says, “that everybody runs after a prayer.” 7 p.m. Friday at Heifer International (open to the public), 11 a.m. Sunday at 610 Main. Directors Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq will participate in post-screening Q&As. DR.

‘BRIDEGROOM’ DIRECTED BY LINDA BLOODWORTH-THOMASON

“Bridegroom” starts as a love story, veers through tragedy, and winds up as a profile of the particularly heartless bureaucratic limbo that many gays and lesbians find themselves in when they lose the long-term partner they would have married — should have married — had they not lived in a world where political and religious posturing keeps LGBT people from the protections of legal matrimony. The documentary is the story of Tom Bridegroom and Shane Crone, two young men from flyover country who met and fell in love after they both moved to California. While Shane’s parents were accepting CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

THESE BIRDS WALK

LITTLE ROCK FILM FESTIVAL | TEN TO WATCH

‘AIN’T IN IT FOR MY HEALTH’ DIRECTED BY JACOB HATLEY

“Ain’t in It for My Health,” Jacob Hatley’s excellent film about the late, great Arkansas musician and actor Levon Helm, isn’t a typical documentary profile. There’s a bit of archival footage, but most of it takes place closer to the present, during the nearly three years Hatley shadowed Helm. It covers what might be called the beginning of Helm’s late comeback, following his recovery from throat cancer, when “Dirt Farmer,” his first album in 25 years, was released and the “Midnight Ramble” concerts at his Woodstock farm were in full swing. But most of all, as Hatley said in an interview, “it’s a hangout movie.” Hatley originally came to Woodstock in 2007 to film a short film/music video starring Helm, and found that, as much as he liked the material he got for that project (eventually released as “Only Halfway Home” and worth seeking out on YouTube), the bits he captured between takes — of “Levon hanging out with a couple of sweet corn farmers who lived down the road from him, sitting around talking politics” — were his best material. So he decided to stick around to shoot a longer film. Neither Helm nor Hatley was interested in, as Hatley said, “an A&E-style biography.” They wanted something more organic. But that took time. “There’d be weeks go by and we wouldn’t shoot anything. We wouldn’t see him. Or nothing was happening. Or it wasn’t clicking. There were periods where he didn’t feel up for being in front of a camera.” Initially, Hatley would leave when things got slow to work on other projects, but then he’d hear about things he missed and regret being away. He ultimately decided he was going to stay in Woodstock until he got what he needed for the film. When his money ran out and he couldn’t afford to rent, he and crew members moved into Helm’s barn. “Levon loved, loved having people over. He built that place so it could be a gath-

ering place. For musicians and people to hang out after work. I don’t think Levon would’ve minded if we didn’t film for six months and we were just hanging out.” Just like with the short film, the best moments in “Ain’t in It for My Health,” came from casual conversations. “When you make a documentary about Levon Helm,” Hatley wrote on The Huffington Post, “you root for things not to happen. You root against plot, conflict, inciting incidents, obstacles, and dramatic questions. Basically, you root against anything that could undermine the following shooting conditions: It’s late and you’re sitting around Levon’s kitchen table. It has a hazy glow about it. Crew and cast have slept until at least 11 a.m. that morning. Nothing is scheduled for the next day. Your mind is limber. So Levon just starts talking.” What’s he talk about? Anything and everything — the venomous spur hidden on the foot of a duck-billed platypus. His favorite Sam Peckinpah movie. “Losing seasons” in California from all the sunshine, sushi bars and Hawaiian weed. The “soft, cool dirt” under the porch of his family’s farm home in Turkey Scratch where he played as a child. His anger at The Band being recognized for a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award only after the death of fellow bandmates Rick Danko and Richard Manuel (“It’s engineered by the suits, a goddamn sales gimmick,” he says). “Ain’t in It for My Health” captures other moments of Helm’s bitterness over how The Band fell apart and how its legacy has been handled. (The film’s title comes from Helm’s response to Robbie Robertson, who suggested The Band break up because the road was taking a toll on band members’ health.) Mostly, though, it’s a portrait of a warm, gregarious man with a gift for telling stories and singing songs. It’s filmed almost entirely in Woodstock, but Helm’s Phillips County roots always show. 8:30 p.m. Thursday at The Rep. LM.

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LITTLE ROCK FILM FESTIVAL | TEN TO WATCH

and loving when he came out as gay, Tom’s were anything but, threatening him with hellfire and damnation while insisting he needed psychiatric help. Though Tom found a new family with Shane, promising to marry him when gays were allowed to be legally wed, all that came to a crushing end when Tom fell from a roof during a photo shoot in May 2011 and later died. Though Tom’s parents had basically disowned their son by then, Shane found himself shut out of Tom’s hospital room because he wasn’t “family.” With Tom’s parents calling all the legal shots, Shane was helpless to watch as Tom’s body was carted off for burial in the state he’d fled, with Shane warned away from the service and funeral under threat of violence. A powerful piece of documentary, “Bridegroom” is really two films in one. The first is a film about how falling in love is just as innocent and sappy for gays as it is for straights, a necessary lesson in an age when a significant portion of the American public still sees homosexuality as something deviant, twisted and overly sexualized. The second and more important piece is the object lesson of just how many rights LGBT people lose, legally, because they aren’t able to say “I do.” The thought of being barred from the bedside of the person I love was enough to bring me to tears as I watched “Bridegroom,” and should be enough to give even the harshest homophobe pause if only they will take off their ideological blinders and see the truth: Marriage isn’t about politics, it’s about love. 8:30 p.m. Friday at The Rep, 11 a.m. Sunday at Argenta Community Theater. Director Linda Bloodworth-Thomason will participate in a post-screening Q&A. DK.

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ARKANSAS TIMES

‘12 O’CLOCK BOYS’ DIRECTED BY LOTFY NATHAN

Dirt bikes and four-wheelers roar down the streets of West Baltimore, as young men pop wheelies and engage in all manner of artistic daredevilry. The large crews swarming the lanes — in vehicles illegal to drive on the roads — are known as “12 o’clock boys” for their ability to thrust their bikes up vertically to a nearly 90-degree angle, the front tire pointing toward 12 o’clock. It’s a thrilling spectacle, but also dangerous both to the riders and to pedestrians and vehicles. For

12 O’CLOCK BOYS

with the daredevils begins to seem less about wonder and more about nihilism. “I’ve been on this earth a decade, and a couple years,” Pug says. “So what that makes me? I’m a grown-ass man.” The film’s tragic undercurrent is that Pug’s boast is not so. 4 p.m. Saturday at 610 Main, 11 a.m. Sunday at The Rep. Director Lotfy Nathan will participate in a post-screening Q&A at 610 Main; he’ll be joined by Pug at The Rep. DR.

‘PUSSY RIOT: A PUNK PRAYER’ DIRECTED BY MIKE LERNER AND MAXIM POZDOROV

I love folks with the desire to make over their worlds through art instead of violence, even in the face of almost certain failure. The belief that change can be brought about through peaceful means takes a lot more bravery than believing only in the gun, and we get just that sort of bravery in spades in the documentary “Pussy Riot.” The documentary introduces Western audiences to Russia’s Pussy Riot music collective, a feminist movement of young women who mask themselves in colorful balaclavas and play angry, impromptu, politically-charged punk concerts in highprofile places, screaming for women’s rights, gay and lesbian rights and plain ol’ human rights while decrying the regime of Vladimir Putin. While that was bound to get some attention in Russia, the story CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

NOAH RABINOWITZ

BRIDEGROOM

Pug, a pint-sized streetwise 13-year-old boy with a hard-knock life and a dearth of male role models, the riders are glorious. The police see them as a public nuisance; Pug sees them as free and fearless heroes. Documentarian Lotfy Nathan explores this unique subculture through Pug’s eyes, following him over the course of three years as he aspires to become a 12 o’clock boy. Nathan captures stunning shots of the riders in action, often in dreamy slowmotion but more compellingly in chaotic live action as they avert disaster and the cops (or don’t). Police policy is not to chase them, instead attempting to follow them with the assistance of helicopters. The imagery — young black men yelling “5-0” and running as sirens blare and choppers roar above — inevitably evokes cinematic scenes of the drug war (yes, including “The Wire”). One could almost view it as a healthy outlet (“the right way to do the wrong shit” as one biker puts it) if not for the fatalities and injuries, not to mention the risk of arrest. The riders’ stunts are undeniably beautiful escapism, but it’s all a little heartbreaking too: even boys at play spark an endless war with police. Nathan manages to thread this needle — the film both glorifies the bikers and doesn’t shy away from the troubling implications of this lifestyle for Pug. For all the mayhem on the roads, Pug is the engine that revs the film, an unforgettable, acid-tongued aficionado of the 12 o’clock boys. Over the course of the film, we watch this smart and charming boy harden in adolescence, and his obsession

LITTLE ROCK FILM FESTIVAL | TEN TO WATCH

F O CAL on the

r o a d

DON JON

went international in February 2012, when five members of the collective stormed the altar of Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior during services and tried to play an anti-religious punk song called “God Shit.” Three members, Nadia Tolokonnikova, Masha Alyokhina and Katia Samutsevich, were arrested and charged with hooliganism and religious hatred. As seen in the documentary, the record of their trial, conviction and eventual imprisonment brings to mind some of the worst showtrials of the Soviet era, even as Russia is supposedly leaping forward into a new, democratic age. While watching Vladimir Putin smirk and condescend over the vulgarity of the word “pussy” as three young women face years at hard labor in Siberia for singing a song is enough to make you want to punch him right in his boiledpotato face, seeing Orthodox Church leaders proudly call the three women witches under the influence of Satan and bemoan the fact that they can’t simply be burned at the stake is enough to chill the blood. 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Argenta Community Theater, 4 p.m. Sunday at Historic Arkansas Museum. Directors Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorov will participate in a post-screening Q&A. DK.

‘ZERO CHARISMA’ DIRECTED BY KATIE GRAHAM AND ANDREW MATTHEWS

This one’s for the nerds. Those who’re mildly fluent in nerd-ese might get a kick out of it, too. But if seven-sided dice and the Millennium Falcon mean nothing to you, a good bit of the movie may feel like watching a foreign film without subtitles. Sam Eidson, who looks like a reallife version of The Comic Book Store Guy from “The Simpsons,” stars as Scott Weidemeier, game master of the greatest role-playing game of all time. That Scott, presumably in his 30s, has never had a girlfriend, lives with his grandmother and works at a restaurant called Donut Taco Palace II, doesn’t bother him as long as RPG is in full swing. But when one of his regular players unexpectedly quits the game, and a sort of hipster nerd named Miles replaces him, Scott’s world 18

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ARKANSAS TIMES

is thrown into disarray. Eidson, a longtime fixture in the Austin film scene, lends an impressive physicality to his character’s ever-present virginal rage. There’s much Hulk-smashing and Comic Book Store Guy-style caustic lecturing. We’ve seen these sorts of cinematic characters for years, but always played for comic relief. There’s plenty of humor in “Zero Charisma,” but ultimately it delivers an unblinking portrait of alienation and obsession. 6 p.m. Friday at Cornerstone Pub, 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Historic Arkansas Museum. Directors Katie Graham and Andrew Matthew will participate in postscreening Q&As. LM.

‘DON JON’ DIRECTED BY JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT

Of course Joseph Gordon-Levitt is directing. His career has thus far been a successful mix of blockbusters (“The Dark Knight Rises,” “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”) and headier fare (“Mysterious Skin,” “Lincoln”). Helming a movie was the next logical step towards inheriting the “serious film star who everyone likes” mantle from George Clooney/Matt Damon/Brad Pitt. An advance screener wasn’t available, but “Don Jon” (shortened from the original title “Don Jon’s Addiction”) has gotten a positive response from the festival circuit (Sundance, SXSW, Berlin), and the premise and cast are certainly, um … promising? It stars Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore and Tony Danza. Gordon-Levitt plays Jon, a muscle-bound horndog who’s obsessed with porn and Scarlett Johansson’s character, whose notions of love and relationships come from romantic comedies. Moore plays another love interest, and Danza plays Jon’s tank-top-wearing dad. Gordon-Levitt explained his conceit to the Huffington Post: “I thought the idea of a guy, who watches too much pornography, and a young woman, who watches too many romantic Hollywood movies, was a hilarious way to ask the question: How do the different kinds of media we consume impact our lives and our love lives?” 9 p.m. Sunday at The Rep. LM.

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LOCALLY MADE

The latest from Daniel Campbell highlights LRFF Arkansas program. BY LINDSEY MILLAR

aniel Campbell took the first film he ever made to the Little Rock Film Festival in 2010. He didn’t expect much. He hoped maybe people would laugh in a few places. It turned out he aimed low. That film, “Antiquities,” won the festival’s inaugural Charles B. Pierce Award for Arkansas Film and not only connected him with Central Arkansas’s burgeoning film scene, it gave him entree to heavyweights with local connections like Joey Lauren Adams, Graham Gordy and Ray McKinnon. “If anything ever happens with me and I get to make feature films for a living, I owe it all to that festival,” Campbell said. “It’s helped me get into the door with people.” “People” include a financer who paid for him and Gordy to spend months expanding “Antiquities” into a feature-length script. A producer who worked on HBO’s “Enlightened” is currently shopping it. His second film, “The Orderly,” won the 2011 Charles Pierce Award. While waiting for a script to hit and writing new ones, Campbell worked crew for “Mud” and he’s currently doing the same on the Brandon Burlsworth movie, “Greater,” now shooting in Northwest Arkansas. He’s back in the film fest this year with another short, “The Discontentment of Ed Telfair,” starring Jeff

Bailey (“Daddy and Them,” “Walk the Line”) and frequent collaborator Roger Scott (of local radio fame). Campbell said he was inspired by his favorite film, “Raising Arizona.” “I wanted to do something dark — somewhat of a comedy, but mostly dark. It’s about a mundane middleaged man who’s dealing with a lot of insecurities in his life until he takes matters into his own hand.” Other promising Arkansas films: Musician/filmmaker Amman Abbasi’s “Bad Water” stars Barlow Jacobs (who played Kid in Jeff Nichols’ “Shotgun Stories”) and appears to have a Terrence Malick vibe. “The Van” is a profile of Little Rock homeless outreach advocate Aaron Reddin. The trailer for Nolan Dean’s romantic comedy, “Last Shot Love,” makes the film look funny — it certainly appears to be beautifully shot. I can vouch for “Bump,” the short documentary on this year’s Arkansas Living Treasure, 95-year-old chairmaker Dallas Bump of Royal, because I’ve seen it (and my wife is a producer on the film). Joe York, whose films on Southern food done in conjunction with the Southern Foodways Alliance are second to none, directs. Unlike in years past, when the Arkansas program was dominated by CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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MORE TO WATCH DOCUMENTARIES “Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker” explores the life of the inimitable Booker, who Dr. John described as “the best black, gay, one-eyed piano genius New Orleans ever produced.” “The Death of Kevin Carter,” nominated for the Academy Award for Documentary Short in 2006, tells the story of the award-winning photojournalist who became depressed by the brutality he depicted and committed suicide at the age of 33. The Guardian’s Glen Greenwald, a frequent critic of the nation’s “War on Terror,” called “Dirty Wars,” which examines America’s covert wars in the Middle East under President Obama, “one of the most important films I’ve seen in years: gripping and emotionally affecting in the extreme, with remarkable, news-breaking revelations even for those of us who have intensely followed these issues.” “Fake It So Real” is an engrossing look at the strange world of indie wrestling. There may be no tougher — and heroic — job than public defenders in the Deep South. “Gideon’s Army” follows the stories of three young attorneys struggling to navigate a broken justice system. It’s hard to imagine American popular music without the influence of the “Muscle Shoals sound.” “Muscle Shoals” features legendary producer Rick Hall as well as the musicians that made this sleepy Alabama town a mecca of rock and soul. “We Always Lie to

Strangers” follows four musical families that have made their careers in hillbilly show business in Branson, Mo., the wildly successful tourist trap in the Ozarks. “Our Nixon” is catnip for history buffs, constructed of archival Super-8 footage shot by Nixon staffers that was seized by the FBI after Watergate. It’s a strange and intimate portrait of the White House in the years before scandal brought down the administration. The shocking story of state-sponsored espionage against the Civil Rights movement is revealed in “Spies of Mississippi.” Shot over a year in a remote town in Greenland, “Village at the End of the World” explores a community facing the threat of economic and environmental catastrophe through Lars, the only teenager in the village of 59 people. While the villagers try to reckon how to continue their way of life, Lars dreams of a new life far away. “William and the Windmill” tells the story of William Kamkwamba, who rescued his family from poverty in Malawi by teaching himself to build a windmill when he was 14 years old.

NARRATIVE FEATURES Fans of HBO’s “Girls” will enjoy seeing Christopher Abbott star as a strung-out writer trying to come to grips with a family crisis in “Burma.” Young Brad is whisked away to a juvenile reform facility and finds himself in a “Lord of the Flies” style nightmare in “Coldwater.” “Diary of a Wimpy

Kid” brings Jeff Kinney’s bestseller to the big screen. If you have kids of a certain age, this is a big deal: Stars Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron and producer Brad Simpson will be in attendance. An ensemble drama in the style of “The Celebration” or “The Big Chill,” “Good Night” tells the story of the boozy and heated 29th birthday party of Leigh, who has a surprise for her guests. “Hide Your Smiling Faces” evokes the style of Jeff Nichols and early David Gordon Green with beautiful, meandering shots of rural America and quietly emotional performances. “Junk” offers a crowd-pleasing comedic take on the bizarre world of film festivals. Reality television gets a darkly satiric sendup in “Reality Show.” A floundering history professor takes his estranged family on a reenactment of the Lewis and Clark expedition in “The Discoverers.” From the producer of “Maria Full of Grace,” and the director of “The City,” “The Girl” takes place on the Texas-Mexico border, following a down-on-her-luck American woman and the young Mexican girl she finds herself taking care of. “This is Where We Live” is a portrait of a family in the Texas Hill Country. The subtitle of “Wajma — an Afghan Love Story” is ironic — the first half of the movie is a lushly shot tale of puppy love, but when Wajma becomes pregnant, the story flips to an unflinching look at the horrors of a patriarchal culture. A warning: “Wajma” is not for the faint of heart — the brutality depicted is long in duration and extremely raw.

In “Zombies, Anarchists, Drag Queens and Wimpy Kids,” husbandand-wife producers Brad Simpson

(“Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” “Boys Don’t Cry”) and Jocelyn Hayes (“Lola Versus,” “The East”) discuss the producing process, both in the indie world and navigating major studios. Bill Ross (“Tchoupitoulas”), Rick Rowley (“Dirty Wars), Lauren Wissot (Filmmaker magazine) and Philip Martin (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) will look at how more artistic approaches to documentary filmmaking defy easy categorization between fiction and nonfiction in “Cinematic NonFiction: Not Your Parents Documentary Film.” A distributor spotlight on Oscilloscope Laboratories will feature Joshua Fu and the directors of Oscilloscope’s acquisitions playing at the festival: “12 O’Clock Boys,” “These Birds Walk,” and “After Tiller.” In “Flip the Script: A Combat Soldier Interviews War Reporters,” the panel of Christof Putzel (foreign correspondent Al Jazeera America), Brent Renaud (“Off to War”), and Dan Krauss (“The Kill Team”) will discuss the challenges of war reporting with Sgt. John Fulbright, who did two combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jeremy Scahill will sign and read from his book “Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield,” the bestseller that forms the basis of the eponymous documentary at the festival. David Riker (“The Girl”), Daniel Carbone (“Hide Your Smiling Faces,” and Marc Menchaca (“This is Where We Live”) discuss telling stories and making movies in flyover country in “Stories from the Heartland.” Who better to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the raucous and magical “Making of Beasts of the Southern Wild” than Bill and Turner Ross, the wily brothers whose knack for playful observation made “Tchoupitoulas” a hit at last year’s festival. Bill will be on hand to show and discuss two short films they made on the set of “Beasts.”

Sabercats Arena Football team and struggling with life outside of the spotlight. Mark Thiedeman’s narrative fea-

ture “Last Summer” tells the story of two high school sweethearts, Jonah and Luke, who live in a rural Southern town. Pamela Uzzell’s “Unearthing the Dream” takes on the integration of Malvern schools in the ’60s from the perspective of black students. The documentary “Breaking Through” isn’t an Arkansas film per se, but local audiences will likely flock to it since former state Rep. Kathy Webb has a prominent role in it. The film profiles openly LGBT elected officials at all levels. Larry Foley’s “Up Among the Hills” tells the history of the city of Fayetteville with narration by onetime resident Bill Clinton.

TALKS AND PANELS

L OC A L LY M A DE , C ON T. short films, this year’s festival includes a number of features. Juli Jackson’s narrative feature “45RPM” has good buzz. It’s a road movie about an artist (Liza Burns) who’s trying to find a connection between her art and her estranged father’s music. Her search takes her on a hunt with an obsessive record collector (Jason Thompson) for a rare 45 from the Arkansas garagerock scene. Nolan Richardson narrates what’s sure to be another Arkansas film that draws big crowds, Matthew Wolfe’s documentary “The Identity Theft of Mitch Mustain.” The former Arkansas high school football star, who spent

MAY 16, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

THE DISCONTENTMENT OF ED TELFAIR

a year at the University of Arkansas before transferring to the University of Southern California, is apparently now a back-up QB for the San Jose

ANTON CORBIJN

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BAYOU MAHARAJAH

SCHEDULE Ticket info: The LRFF offers three festival pass options. Entry is granted according to pass priority. Gold ($300) grants first access to all films and parties. Silver ($150) grants admission to most films and panels, but doesn’t include the gala or VIP-only events. Bronze ($50) grants access to films only. The recommended donation for those wanting to see films individually is $10. Gala tickets are $75. Passes are available via littlerockfilmfest.org and at festival venues.

THURSDAY, MAY 16 9:30 a.m. LRFFYouth! 610 Main. 120 min. 10:40 a.m. “World Shorts: The Beginning, The Middle, The End.” Six short films, with filmmakers attending: “Hatch,” dir. Christoph Kuschnig; “Un mundo para Raul,” dir. Mauro Mueller; “Sahasi Chori,” dir. Erin Galey; “MOVIES MADE FROM HOME #6 & #15,” dir. Robert Machoian; “Divine Rite,” Shadae Lamar Smith; “Passio,” dirs. Andreas Feldfos Bargmann and Mette Mikkelsen. 84 min. Cornerstone Pub. 11 a.m. “Wajma: An Afghan Love Story,” dir. Barmak Akram. Documentary feature. 115 min. Argenta Community Theater. 11:30 a.m. “William and The Windmill,” dir. Ben Nabors. Documentary feature. 92 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 11:30 a.m. LRFF Youth! Scholarship Awards Luncheon. 60 min. 610 Main. 12:15 p.m. “Arkansas Shorts: Futures.” Four short films, with filmmakers attending: “Foot Trackers,” dir. Brandon Bogard; “Lasting the After,” Blake Elder; “Death of a Superhero,” dir. Brandon Bristol; “Bad Water,” dir. Amman Abbasi. 54 min. The Rep. Pre-screening music by J.R. Top.

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ARKANSAS TIMES

12:45 p.m.: “Village at the End of the World,” dirs. Sarah Gavron and David Katznelson. Documentary feature. 76 min. 610 Main. 1 p.m. “World Shorts: Quirks.” Seven short films, with filmmakers attending. “The Associate,” dir. Shane Leal-Willett; “The Audition,” dir. Celia Rowlson-Hall; “The Places Where We Lived,” dir. Bernardo Britto; “Die Like An Egyptian,” Matt Mamula; “Catnip: Egress to Oblivion?” dir. Jason Willis; “boy.girl.drum,” dir. Chris Olsen; “Mousse,” dir. John Hellberg. 82 min. Cornerstone Pub. 1:20 p.m. “Our Nixon,” dir. Penny Lane attending. Documentary feature. 85 min. Argenta Community Theater. 1:20 p.m. “Up Among the Hills,” dir. Larry Foley attending. Documentary feature. 55 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 2:45 p.m. “Arkansas Shorts: Heartbeats.” Four short films, with filmmakers attending. “Bump,” dir. Joe York; “Mary,” dir. Zach Turner; “Last Shot Love,” dir. Nolan Dean; “The Discontentment of Ed Telfair,” dir. Daniel Campbell. 69 min. The Rep. Prescreening music by Mark Edgar Stuart. 3 p.m. “Blood Brother,” dir. Steve Hoover attending. Documentary feature. 105 min. 610 Main. 3:20 p.m. “World Shorts: American Dreams.” Five short films, with filmmakers attending. “The Commitment,” dir. Albert M. Chan; “Sweet, Sweet Country,” dir. Dehanza Rogers; “Kalifornija,” dir. Tomas Vengris; “The Acting Lesson,” dirs. Carmen Pelaez and Nicolas Calzada; “An American Mosque,” dir. David Washburn. 86 min. Cornerstone Pub. 3:20 p.m. “Gideon’s Army,” dir. Dawn Porter. Documentary feature. 96 min.

Argenta Community Theater. 3:30 p.m. “Unearthing the Dream,” dir. Pamela Uzzell attending. Documentary feature. 53 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 4:30 p.m. Filmmaker happy hour at the Arcade Theater site. 90 min. 5:30 p.m. “45RPM,” dir. Juli Jackson attending. Narrative feature. 97 min. The Rep. Pre-screening music by Isaac Alexander. 5:45 p.m. “Good Night,” dir. Sean Gallagher. Narrative feature. 85 min. 610 Main. 5:45 p.m. “World Shorts: The Edge.” Six short films, with filmmakers attending. “Bo,” dirs. Kelly McCoy and Dave Schwep; “Root,” dir. Caleb Johnson; “Grasshopper!” Michael Usry and Ryan Roy; “#PostModem,” dirs. Lucas Leyva and Jillian Mayer; “The Giant,” dir. David Raboy; “Organ Grinder,” Chad Crawford Kinkle. 88 min. Cornerstone Pub. 5:45 p.m. “After Tiller,” dirs. Lana Wilson and Martha Shane attending. Documentary feature. 85 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 6 p.m. “We Always Lie to Strangers,” dirs. A.J. Schnack and David Wilson attending. Documentary feature. 109 min. Argenta Community Theater. 8:15 p.m. “World Shorts: The World Outside.” Four short films, with filmmakers attending. “The Children Next Door,” dir. Doug Block; “Eddie Adams: Saigon ’68,” dir. Douglas Sloan; “A Cidade,” Liliana Sulzbach; “Another Corner,” dir. Josh Harrell. 88 min. Cornerstone Pub. 8:15 p.m. “The Kill Team,” dir. Dan Krauss attending. Documentary feature. 79 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 8:30 p.m. “Ain’t in It for My Health,” dir. Jacob Hatley. Documentary feature. 83 min. The Rep. Pre-screening music by Charles Woods. 8:30 p.m. “Hide Your Smiling Faces,” dir. Daniel Patrick Carbone attending. Narrative feature. 80 min. 610 Main. 8:30 p.m. “Last Summer,” dir. Mark Thiedeman attending. Narrative feature. 73 min. Argenta Community Theater. 10 p.m. Party with music by Big Silver. 120 min. White Water Tavern.

FRIDAY, MAY 17 11 a.m. “Village at the End of the World,” dirs. Sarah Gavron and David Katznelson. Documentary feature. 76 min. 610 Main. 11 a.m. “Wajma: An Afghan Love Story,” dir. Barmak Akram. Documentary feature. 115 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 11:15 a.m. “Muscle Shoals,” dir. Greg “Freddy” Camalier. Documentary feature. 111 min. Argenta Community Theater. 11:30 a.m. “Arkansas Shorts: Battles.” Three short films, with filmmakers attending. “Sky Begins to Storm,” dir. Ron Walter; “The Van,” dir. Nathan Willis; “December 1982,” dir. Lyle Arnett. 56 min. The Rep. 12 p.m. “Flip the Script: A Combat Soldier Interviews War Reporters.” Sgt. John Fulbright moderates panel discussion with filmmakers who embed in military conflicts. 60 min. Filmmaker lounge in The Rep. 12:15 p.m. “William and The Windmill,” dir. Ben Nabors. Documentary feature. 92 min. Heifer International. 1 p.m. AMPI Producers Forum with producers Brad Simpson and Jocelyn Hayes. 60 min. 610 Main. 1:15 p.m. “World Shorts: American Dreams.” Five short films, with filmmakers attending. “The Commitment,” dir. Albert M. Chan; “Sweet, Sweet Country,” dir. Dehanza Rogers; “Kalifornija,” dir. Tomas Vengris; “The Acting Lesson,” dirs. Carmen Pelaez and Nicolas Calzada; “An American Mosque,” dir. David Washburn. 86 min. Cornerstone Pub. 1:30 p.m. “Unearthing the Dream,” dir. Pamela Uzzell attending. Documentary feature. 53 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 1:30 p.m. “Gideon’s Army,” dir. Dawn Porter. Documentary feature. 96 min. Argenta Community Theater. 2 p.m. “The Kill Team,” dir. Dan Krauss attending. Documentary feature. 79 min. The Rep, screens with “The Death of Kevin Carter,” dir. Dan Krauss, 60 min. Pre-screening music by Joshua Asante. 2:15 p.m. “Blood Brother,” dir. Steve Hoover attending. Documentary feature.

LITTLE ROCK FILM FESTIVAL 105 min. Heifer International. 3:15 p.m. “Hide Your Smiling Faces,” dir. Daniel Patrick Carbone attending. Narrative feature. 80 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 3:15 p.m. “45RPM,” dir. Juli Jackson attending. Narrative feature. 97 min. 610 Main. 3:40 p.m. “World Shorts: Some Times.” Six films, with filmmakers attending. “When We Lived in Miami,” dir. Amy Seimetz; “Off Season,” dir. Eugene Ioannou; “Black Metal,” dir. Kat Candler; “Ojala,” dir. Ryan Velasquez; “Sleep,” dir. Donald Conley; “113 Degrees,” dir. Sabrina Doyle. 87 min. Cornerstone Pub. 4 p.m. “Arkansas Shorts: Consequences.” 66 min. Four films, with filmmakers attending. “Twinkletown,” dir. Scott McEntire; “Soul Winner,” Jennifer Gerber; “Blood Brothers,” dirs. Jason Miller and Seth Savoy; “Diamond John,” dir. Travis Mosler. Argenta Community Theater. Pre-screening music by Adventures of Jet. 4:30 p.m. Filmmaker welcome reception with music by The Shannon Boshears Band and Cody Belew. 120 min. Heifer International. 5:45 p.m. “Coldwater,” dir. Vincent Grashaw attending. Narrative feature. 104 min. 610 Main. 5:45 p.m. “Bayou Maharajah,” dir. Lily Keber attending. Documentary feature. 93 min. The Rep. Pre-screening music by Kevin Kerby. 5:45 p.m. “After Tiller,” dirs. Lana Wilson and Martha Shane attending. Documentary feature. 85 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 6 p.m. “Zero Charisma,” dirs. Katie Graham and Andrew Matthews attending. Narrative feature. 87 min. Cornerstone Pub. 6:15 p.m. “Spies of Mississippi,” dir. Dawn Porter attending. Documentary feature. 53 min. Argenta Community Theater. 7 p.m. “These Birds Walk,” dirs. Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq attending. Documentary feature. 77 min. Heifer International. 8:15 p.m. “Junk,” dir. Kevin Hamedani attending. Narrative feature. 104 min. 610 Main. 8:15 p.m. “The Discoverers,” dir. Justin Schwarz attending. Narrative feature. 104 min. Argenta Community Theater. 8:15 p.m. “This Is Where We Live,” dirs. Josh Barrett and Marc Menchaca attending. Narrative features. 92 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 8:30 p.m. “Bridegroom,” dir. Linda Bloodworth Thomason attending. Documentary feature. 79 min. The Rep. Pre-screening music by Walter Henderson. 8:30 p.m. “Motivational Growth,” dir. Don Thacker attending. Narrative feature. 105 min. Cornerstone Pub. 9:30 p.m. Junction Bridge Party with music by Velvet Kente. 120 min. 11:59 p.m. Argenta Arts Rooftop Party (Gold Passholders only). 120 min. Argenta Arts Rooftop.

SATURDAY, MAY 18 10 a.m. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” dir. David Bowers and cast members attending. Narrative feature. 120 min. The Rep. 10:30 a.m. “Breaking Through,” dir. Cindy L. Abel. Documentary feature. 86 min. Argenta Community Theater. 10:30 a.m. Filmmaker brunch at Ashley’s. 60 min. Capital Hotel. 10:45 a.m. “The Discoverers,” dir. Justin

Schwarz attending. Narrative feature. 104 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 11 a.m. “World Shorts: The Edge.” Six short films, with filmmakers attending. “Bo,” dirs. Kelly McCoy and Dave Schwep; “Root,” dir. Caleb Johnson; “Grasshopper!” Michael Usry and Ryan Roy; “#PostModem,” dirs. Lucas Leyva and Jillian Mayer; “The Giant,” dir. David Raboy; “Organ Grinder,” Chad Crawford Kinkle. 88 min. Cornerstone Pub. 11:15 a.m. “Our Nixon,” dir. Penny Lane attending. Documentary feature. 85 min. 610 Main. 12:45 p.m. “Arkansas Shorts: Battles.” Three short films, with filmmakers attending. “Sky Begins to Storm,” dir. Ron Walter; “The Van,” dir. Nathan Willis; “December 1982,” dir. Lyle Arnett. 56 min. Argenta Community Theater. 12:45 p.m. “Cinematic Nonfiction: Not Your Parents Documentary Film.” Panel discussion featuring filmmakers Rick Rowley and Bill Ross and critics Lauren Wissot and Philip Martin; moderated by Robert Greene. Filmmaker lounge in The Rep. 1:20 p.m. “World Shorts: Quirks.” Seven short films, with filmmakers attending. “The Associate,” dir. Shane Leal-Willett; “The Audition,” dir. Celia Rowlson-Hall; “The Places Where We Lived,” dir. Bernardo Britto; “Die Like An Egyptian,” Matt

4:15 p.m. “The Making of Beasts of the Southern Wild,” dir. Bill Ross attending. Two short films. 90 min. Cornerstone Pub. 4:20 p.m. “Arkansas Shorts: Heartbeats.” Four short films, with filmmakers attending. “Bump,” dir. Joe York; “Mary,” dir. Zach Turner; “Last Shot Love,” dir. Nolan Dean; “The Discontentment of Ed Telfair,” dir. Daniel Campbell. 69 min. Argenta Community Theater. 4:45 p.m. Reading of “Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield.” Author Jeremy Scahill reading. 45 min. Filmmaker lounge in The Rep. 5:30 p.m. “The Girl,” dir. David Riker attending. Narrative feature. 90 min. The Rep. 6 p.m. “Fake It So Real,” dir. Robert Greene attending. Documentary feature. 94 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 6 p.m. “We Always Lie to Strangers,” dirs. A.J. Schnack and David Wilson attending. Documentary feature. 109 min. Argenta Community Theater. 6 p.m. “Coldwater,” dir. Vincent Grashaw attending. Narrative feature. 104 min. 610 Main. 6:15 p.m. “Burma,” dir. Carlos Puga attending. Narrative feature. 82 min. Cornerstone Pub. 8 p.m. Oxford American Southern BBQ party with music by Greg Spradlin and The Libras. 120 min. Oxford American’s South on Main.

THE DISCOVERERS

Mamula; “Catnip: Egress to Oblivion?” dir. Jason Willis; “boy.girl.drum,” dir. Chris Olsen; “Mousse,” dir. John Hellberg. 82 min. Cornerstone Pub. 1:30 p.m. “This Is Where We Live,” dirs. Josh Barrett and Marc Menchaca attending. Narrative feature. 92 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 1:40 p.m. “Bayou Maharajah,” dir. Lily Keber attending. Documentary feature. 93 min. 610 Main. 1:45 p.m. Distributor spotlight: Oscilloscope Laboratories. Featuring Joshua Fu, head of marketing at Oscilloscope. 60 min. Filmmaker lounge in The Rep. 2:30 p.m. “Dirty Wars,” dir. Richard Rowley. Documentary feature. 86 min. The Rep. Prescreening music by Runaway Planet. 2:40 p.m. “Arkansas Shorts: Futures.” Four short films, with filmmakers attending. “Foot Trackers,” dir. Brandon Bogard; “Lasting the After,” Blake Elder; “Death of a Superhero,” dir. Brandon Bristol; “Bad Water,” dir. Amman Abbasi. 54 min. Argenta Community Theater. 4 p.m. “12 O’Clock Boys,” dir. Lotfy Nathan attending. Documentary feature. 75 min. 610 Main. 4 p.m. Spies of Mississippi. Documentary feature. 53 min. Historic Arkansas Museum.

8:20 p.m. “Good Night,” dir. Sean Gallagher attending. Narrative feature. 85 min. 610 Main. 8:30 p.m. “The Identity Theft of Mitch Mustain,” dir. Matthew Wolfe. Documentary feature. 90 min. The Rep. Pre-screening music by Rodney Block. 8:30 p.m. “Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer,” dirs. Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin attending. Documentary feature. 85 min. Argenta Community Theater. 8:30 p.m. “Zero Charisma,” dir. Katie Graham and Andrew Matthews attending. Narrative feature. 87 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 8:30 p.m. “Reality Show,” dir. Adam Rifkin attending. Narrative feature. 92 min. Cornerstone Pub. 11 p.m. Top of the World Party with vintage video games and ping-pong. 120 min. Bank of America building, 17th floor.

SUNDAY, MAY 19 10:40 a.m. “World Shorts: The World Outside.” Four short films, with filmmakers attending. “The Children Next Door,” dir. Doug Block; “Eddie Adams: Saigon ’68,” dir. Douglas Sloan; “A Cidade,” dir. Liliana Sulzbach; “Another Corner,” dir. Josh Harrell.

88 min. Cornerstone Pub. 11 a.m. “Bridegroom,” dir. Linda Bloodworth Thomason attending. Documentary feature. 79 min. Argenta Community Theater 11 a.m. “12 O’Clock Boys,” dir. Lotfy Nathan attending. Documentary feature. 75 min. The Rep. Pre-screening music by Jonathan Wilkins. 11 a.m. “These Birds Walk,” dirs. Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq attending. Documentary feature. 77 min. 610 Main. 11:30 a.m. “The Girl,” dir. David Riker attending. Narrative feature. 90 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 1 p.m. “World Shorts: The Beginning, The Middle, The End.” Six short films, with filmmakers attending: “Hatch,” dir. Christoph Kuschnig; “Un mundo para Raul,” dir. Mauro Mueller; “Sahasi Chori,” dir. Erin Galey; “MOVIES MADE FROM HOME #6 & #15,” dir. Robert Machoian; “Divine Rite,” Shadae Lamar Smith; “Passio,” dirs. Andreas Feldfos Bargmann and Mette Mikkelsen. Cornerstone Pub. 84 min. 1:30 p.m. “Junk,” dir. Kevin Hamedani attending. Narrative feature. 104 min. 610 Main. 1:30 p.m. “The Identity Theft of Mitch Mustain,” dir. Matthew Wolfe. Documentary feature. 90 min. Argenta Community Theater. 2 p.m. “Muscle Shoals,” dir. Greg “Freddy” Camalier. Documentary feature. 111 min. The Rep. Pre-screening music by Joshua Asante. 2 p.m. Family fun day at the Main Library. Family friendly films, games, Little Rock Zoo animals. 120 min. Darragh Center Auditorium. 2 p.m. “The Making of Beasts of the Southern Wild,” dir. Bill Ross attending. Two short films. 90 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 2 p.m. “Stories from the Heartland.” Panel discussion featuring filmmakers David Riker, Daniel Patrick Carbone and Marc Menchaca; moderated by Levi Agee. 60 min. Filmmaker lounge in The Rep. 2:35 p.m. “Up Among the Hills,” dir. Larry Foley attending. Documentary feature. 55 min. Cornerstone Pub. 4 p.m. “Burma,” dir. Carlos Puga attending. Narrative feature. 82 min. Argenta Coummunity Theater. 4 p.m. “Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer,” dirs. Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin attending. Documentary feature. 85 min. Historic Arkansas Museum. 4 p.m. “Last Summer,” dir. Mark Thiedeman attending. Narrative feature. 73 min. 610 Main. 4:20 p.m. “World Shorts: Some Times.” Six films, with filmmakers attending. “When We Lived in Miami,” dir. Amy Seimetz; “Off Season,” dir. Eugene Ioannou; “Black Metal,” dir. Kat Candler; “Ojala,” dir. Ryan Velasquez; “Sleep,” dir. Donald Conley; “113 Degrees,” dir. Sabrina Doyle. 87 min. Cornerstone Pub. 5 p.m. “Arkansas Shorts: Consequences.” 66 min. Four films, with filmmakers attending. “Twinkletown,” dir. Scott McEntire; “Soul Winner,” Jennifer Gerber; “Blood Brothers,” dir. Jason Miller and Seth Savoy; “Diamond John,” dir. Travis Mosler. 66 min. The Rep. Pre-screening music by Iron Tongue (acoustic). 6 p.m. Arkansas Times Closing Night Awards Gala. With music by Adam Faucett. 120 min. Clinton Presidential Library. 9 p.m. Filmmaker Riverboat Cruise with music by Adam Faucett. Golden ticket required. 120 min. Mark Twain Riverboat. 9 p.m. “Don Jon,” dir. Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Narrative feature. 90 min. The Rep. Prescreening music by Mandy McBryde. 10:30 p.m. Farewell party. 120 min. Crush Wine Bar.

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MAY 16, 2013

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This is the Story of Our Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Struggle. This is Our History.

A Special Supplement to Arkansas Times

f ro m

CIVIL WAR

HELENA

text by erica sweeney

CIVILWAR WAR CIVIL

HELENA HELENA

Battery C A replica of Battery C, one of the major sites of the Civil War Helena Interpretive Plan, is scheduled to open this fall. Battery C was one of four earthen batteries built by the Union army in 1862, and the only one captured by the Confederates during the Battle of Helena in 1863. The Confederates were bombarded by the other three batteries and the U.S.S. Tyler warship, and were later defeated in the battle. The site offers amazing views of the Mississippi River. Highlights of the site will include reproduction artillery and wayside exhibits explaining the battery’s significance, its role in the Battle of Helena, archaeological investigations and the land’s use as a cemetery before the Civil War.

Cr e ating Ci v il Wa r H elena

or generations, stories of Helena’s Civil War history focused solely on the battle there in 1863 and the seven Confederate generals from the town. But, there’s a lot more to Helena’s story, including Union occupation, thousands of freed slaves and the formation of United States Colored Troop regiments. Through an ongoing initiative, led by The Delta Bridge Project (DBP), the complete story of Civil War Helena is finally being told. As a Helena native, City Councilman Jay Hollowell, also a former member of the Advertising and Promotion Commission, said, like most residents, he wasn’t aware of Helena’s complete Civil War history until 1990, when the Delta Cultural Center (DCC) opened. He said the center “spurred” the plan to develop Helena’s story as a source of tourism. “I’ve learned a lot that wasn’t in the history books,” he said. “I didn’t know so many freed slaves came to Helena. It’s ironic how many years after the war we’re just now getting to this.” More than 20 years in the making, the Civil War Helena Interpretive Plan “started as a slow process, without money or a well-thoughtout plan,” said Cathy Cunningham, community development consultant at Southern Bancorp Community Partners. She credits Ronnie Nichols, who was director of the Delta Cultural Center in the early ‘90s, with bringing the importance of Helena in African-American history to the forefront and generating the first ideas for the project. When he was director of the Delta Cultural Center, Nichols said he constantly looked for ways to promote Helena and the whole Delta region, and because Helena was a “real focal point” in Civil War history, it seemed natural to use that to attract visitors. He even had the idea to rebuild Fort Curtis back

then, but the project was only just completed last year. “History can be a stumbling block,” Nichols said, and at first, felt a kind of “hesitancy to dredge up the history of both sides.” “Helena was very prominent during the Civil War,” he said. “There’s not going to be a Ford plant built in Helena, so we need to focus on history, blues and things that are natural to the locale.”

Using History to Promote the Future In 2004, the DBP emerged in Phillips County, an initiative of Southern Bancorp Community Partners, which included a heritage tourism component. This led to the Civil War Helena Interpretive Plan, also an outgrowth of the Delta Bridge Project, a community-led project to revitalize the struggling Delta region. In 2008, the Delta Bridge Project, DCC, and the Helena Advertising and Promotion Commission, contracted with Mudpuppy & Waterdog Inc., a research and preservation consulting firm based in Versailles, Ky. Cunningham said after much research, the consultants determined how to best interpret the Civil War-era sites in Helena.

Helena River Park

Southland College

With a boardwalk leading visitors to

Southland College became the first institu-

stunning views of the Mississippi River,

tion of higher education for black students

this park features wayside exhibits

west of the Mississippi and operated until

focusing on Union encampments

1925. Its founders Alida and Calvin Clark were

on the riverbanks and role of the

abolitionists, and first established the site

U.S.S. Tyler in the Battle of Helena.

in 1864 as a haven for lost and abandoned

The park is also a wildlife sanctu-

black children. The site features a bronze

ary and a great spot for fishing.

sculpture of a child and site interpreta-

A s p e c i a l s u p p l e m e n t f r o m C i v i l Wa r h e l e n a · www. c i v i lwa r h e l e n a . c o m

tion in the Courthouse Square Park area.

Originally, Mudpuppy & Waterdog, owned by Maria Campbell Brent and Joseph Brent, planned to create a driving and walking tour of Helena’s Civil War sites, but quickly realized that a larger-scale project was necessary for the kind of economic development the area needed, said Maria Campbell Brent. In 2009, their completed proposal outlined 27 interactive opportunities for Civil War Helena, and the group has been retained to develop the sites and wayside exhibits, she said. “We’re letting people know what their history is,” she said. “Before, there was an emphasis on the battle and seven Confederate generals. We’ve worked to develop an inclusive, complete story.” Once the strategic interpretive plan was in place, obtaining funding to continue the project was much easier, Cunningham said. She said funding has come from several sources, including grants from the American Battlefield Protection Program (National Park Service), Civil War Trust, Southern Bancorp Community Partners, and Delta Cultural Center, just to name a few. “We’ve been fortunate to be able to piece together small funding sources,”

she said. “It’s very exciting to see how things are falling into place.”

CIVIL WAR

Telling the Whole Story Telling the whole story, including the African-American history, makes Helena rare among Southern locales with Civil War history, said Joseph Brent of Mudpuppy & Waterdog. “What Helena is doing is righting a wrong, by telling the inclusive story,” he said. “A lot got lost in the interval between the Civil War and the civil rights movement.” Nichols, a historian, visual artist and owner of Nichols Consulting, has been dedicated to educating others about the complete Civil War story since he was in high school. As the lone black student in his history class at Little Rock Central High, he said his teacher went through the Civil War lesson “faster than Sherman went to the sea” and left out the fact that “black people participated in their own freedom.” Nichols’ family was also part of this history. His great-great-great uncle went to Helena to gain freedom and served in the Union army. Next year, he will be curator of an exhibit at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock about African-Americans during the Civil War. “It’s a learning process, but it’s our history, our heritage,” said Hollowell. “As tourism in our area has progressed, it has encouraged people to open their eyes. What’s happening now is we’re seeing the full picture, and it’s kind of neat that others are coming to see it.” Over the years, Cunningham said more than 500 people have been involved with the project in some way. Everyone has come together to promote Helena, by telling its Civil War story and attracting visitors to share in its history. “It’s been a great way to bring the community together,” she said. “It gives people a real sense of place. Our history is indeed everyone’s history.”

HELENA

Freedom Park Built near the location of a Contraband camp, Freedom Park is the first location in Arkansas designated by the National Park Service as a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site. Opened in February 2013, the park includes five interpretive exhibits focusing on the refugee slaves who came to Helena during the Union occupation in the 1860s seeking freedom and a better life. Two structures feature illustrative panels and metal silhouettes depicting a plantation where a slave may have escaped and a refugee dwelling.

General Patrick Cleburne An exhibit outside of the Helena Museum pays homage to Helena’s best-known Confederate general, Patrick Cleburne. The exhibit features a life-size bronze statue of Cleburne and waysides discussing his childhood in Ireland, his life in Helena and his military career. General Cleburne is considered by many to be one of the most famous Confederate generals, much loved by his men, as well as a highly skilled military tactician. Each March, about 100 devotees visit Helena to hold a memorial service for him. Cleburne came to Helena in the 1850s as an Irish immigrant. He was an apothecary in a shop, and later bought the business. Cleburne was active in Democratic politics, the Episcopal Church, and was an advocate for freeing and arming slaves to serve in the Confederate Army. He served in the Army of Tennessee and rose through the ranks to become a Major General. Cleburne was killed in the Battle of Franklin in 1864. He is buried in Helena’s Confederate Cemetery.

Visitors can also see a life-size bronze statue of a black Union soldier, with a wayside exhibit explaining the enlistment of freed slaves into the Union army. Exhibits also discuss the Emancipation Proclamation, as well as the modern civil rights movement and the election of President Barack Obama, the country’s first AfricanAmerican president. Earthworks representing the embattlements and metal silhouettes of members of the Second Arkansas Infantry (African Descent), also known as the 54th U.S. Colored Infantry, stand where troops were stationed during the Battle of Helena in 1863.

On the Cover 1

10 11 12

1. Private James Wallace 2. Kathrine Stephens 3. Unidentified soldier 4. General James Fagan 5. General Eugene A. Carr 6. Lieutenant William Williams

7. Sister of Mercy 8. Charles Adams 9. Captain Stuart Williams & Unidentified Woman 10. Governor Henry Rector 11. General Patrick Cleburne 12. Unidentified Woman

Estevan Hall

Tappan-Pillow House

Court Square Park

Built in 1828, this is the oldest house in Helena,

This home was confiscated by Union troops for

Located across from the Phillips County Court-

possibly the oldest in Phillips County. Fleet-

use as administrative offices. It had been left

house, this outdoor pavilion and exhibit features a

wood Hanks built the home on Biscoe Street,

vacant after James Camp Tappan enlisted in

reproduction cannon, bronze statue and historical

and it remained the Hanks family home for more

the Confederate army and his wife, Mary, ac-

markers. Exhibits tell the story of Helena’s Confed-

than 170 years. Outdoor exhibits tell the story

companied him. The home is currently a private

erate solders, early African-American education

of the house and Hanks family, including their

residence and not open for tours, but an exhibit

and African-American participation in Arkansas’s

Civil War experiences. When restoration is

outside discusses the Union army’s occupa-

1868 Constitutional Convention. Today, the pavilion

complete by summer 2014, the house will serve

tion and subsequent damage to the home.

is home to the Downtown Helena Farmers’ Market.

as the Civil War Helena Visitor Center.

A s p e c i a l s u p p l e m e n t f r o m C i v i l Wa r h e l e n a · www. c i v i lwa r h e l e n a . c o m

CIVIL WAR

HELENA

A History of H elena in th e 1860 s

Helena Museum The Helena Museum of Phillips County provides a wealth of Civil War-era history and artifacts, while preserving the culture of the Mississippi Delta for future generations. Civil War collections include a diorama of the Battle of Helena, a desk belonging to General Thomas Hindman, General Patrick Cleburne’s prayer book, a shirt with a bullet hole worn by a soldier killed during the battle of Helena, Civil War currency, a revolver and much more. In addition to the Civil War exhibits, the museum includes artifacts from Native American Indians, Thomas Edison’s belongings, Mark Twain’s documents, fashion, fine art, military uniforms and more. The building housing the Helena Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was once the Hook and Ladder Company, a volunteer fire department, which began lending books and newspapers in 1874. The Women’s Library Association operated a small library there until 1920, when it became the Helena Public Library Association. Soon after, the library began accepting community donations of historic artifacts, and the Phillips County Museum Annex, designed by Helena native Andrew P. Coolidge, was completed in 1930.

ying in a valley of Crowley’s Ridge, Helena’s hilly landscape distinguishes it from the typically flat marshlands of most Mississippi Delta towns. In its early days, Helena saw its fair share of gamblers, adventurers and traders, characteristic of river towns at the time. But its rich, fertile soil and access to the Mississippi made it a prosperous community in the mid 1800s. In the years just before the Civil War, Phillips County was one of the wealthiest areas of Arkansas, home to more than 250 plantations. Many sons of wealthy plantation owners in nearby states flocked to Helena to buy land and make their own fortunes. Cotton was the cash crop, and the demand for it was a boon to Helena’s economy and created “tremendous opportunity for wealth,” said Maria Campbell Brent, co-owner of Mudpuppy & Waterdog Inc., the Versailles, Ky.based consulting firm involved with developing sites for the Civil War Helena Interpretive Plan. Helena was “full of fabulously wealthy people,” said Joseph Brent, co-owner of Mudpuppy & Waterdog. The wealth was largely tied to the land and dependent on slave labor. Most of Helena’s seven Confederate generals were plantation owners, lawyers and politicians, and “wealthy,” he said.

Hell-in-Arkansas After failing to take Little Rock, Curtis set his sights on Helena, likely because of its proximity to the Mississippi River. Curtis’ army arrived with 12,000 soldiers and a few thousand freed and escaped slaves (called Contraband by the Union). The addition of thousands of people to the existing population led to overcrowding, unhealthy conditions and many deaths in the town. The Union occupation made Helena a “remarkably unhealthy location,” Christ said. “The odds of getting really sick and dying were really high.” Many of the soldiers arrived sick and wounded. Union troops from the North and Midwest were not accustomed to the hot weather and mosquitoes of the Mississippi Delta, and this created more illness. Some soldiers were instructed to drink out of the Mississippi River, which also made them sick. Accounts from soldiers tell of sev-

eral men buried each day in Helena because of illness, and regiments of 800 with so many sick and injured that only about 150 were fit for service, said Joseph Brent. The overcrowding, poor sanitation and other extreme conditions in the town made illnesses, like malaria, typhoid and others, more widespread. This prompted soldiers from Iowa to nickname the town “Hell-in-Arkansas.” The Union Army took over most aspects of the town. Curtis set up his headquarters at the home of Thomas Hindman, one of Helena’s Confederate generals. They worked to fortify the town, and began construction on Fort Curtis in August 1862. Once it was completed that fall, Curtis had been replaced by General Benjamin M. Prentiss, and plans to build four batteries on Crowley’s Ridge were in the works. The Union Army arrived with few provisions and needed to provide for its thousands of troops and Contraband. They started scouting missions in the countryside, where they took food livestock and other supplies, Christ said. Scouting was also a way to ensure that Helena’s citizens were not assisting the Confederates. Citizens’ movement in and out of the Helena was closely watched, and they were forbidden to take merchandise they purchased in town to the countryside. The Union Army also attempted, unsuccessfully, to force these citizens to take an oath of allegiance to the United States, Joseph Brent said.

Social Change The Emancipation Proclamation, announced in September 1862, was in effect wherever the Union army was in control. That made Helena a “center for freedom seekers,” in the Confederacy, said Maria Campbell Brent.

Magnolia Cemetery Encompassing 36 acres in a Crowley’s Ridge valley, this African-American cemetery, located on Wire Road in Helena, pre-dates the Civil War. Many of Helena’s African-American leaders and pioneering families are buried here, including W.H. Grey, one of the state’s first black legislators, and Abraham Miller, a successful businessman and also a state legislator, and his wife Eliza, a philanthropist. Many Civil War, World War I and World War II veterans are also buried here. A wayside exhibit discusses the cemetery’s history.

Admission to the museum is free.

In 1860, Helena had the largest slave population in the state at 9,000. The total population at the time was 15,000. Helena’s plantation owners were concerned with protecting their wealth by keeping their slaves tied to the land. The town became pro-secession before Arkansas officially seceded from the Union in May 1861, said Mark Christ, community outreach director for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. Demonstrating their loyalty to the Confederacy, militias, led by Helena’s seven Confederate generals, were formed, some before secession. Soon Helena’s generals and hundreds of men marched off to fight for the Confederacy. This left Helena and its plantations “undermanned” with no Confederate defense when Union troops, led by U.S. General Samuel Curtis, arrived in July 1862, Joseph Brent said.

A s p e c i a l s u p p l e m e n t f r o m C i v i l Wa r h e l e n a · www. c i v i lwa r h e l e n a . c o m

continued

Delta Cultural Center Since it opened in 1990, the Delta Cultural Center in downtown Helena has been dedicated to exploring the history of the Mississippi Delta region. The museum focuses on blues music, Civil War history, the Mississippi River and more.

Re-enactors at Fort Curtis

Thousands of freed and escaped slaves from around Arkansas and other states abandoned the only homes they’d known to go to Helena for a new life. Many felt that whatever fate they met in Helena was better than what they had as slaves, Christ said “The tremendous number of slaves set free saw their status change from being property to being free,” he said. This is an “extremely important development in the Civil War and the death knell of slavery in Arkansas.” No one knows exactly how many slaves sought freedom in Helena, but it was likely thousands at any given time. Left without its main workforce, many Confederate states saw their economies crumble and social structure change forever, said Maria Campbell Brent. “Helena was a city transformed,” she said. “Everything was in turmoil. It was stood on its head. The social order was upset. There were so many changes and repercussions beyond the war.” In the spring of 1863, U.S. Adjutant General Lorenzo Thomas

visited Helena and began recruiting Freedmen into the Union army. Several Freedmen regiments were formed in Helena: the 1st Arkansas Infantry of African Descent, renamed the 46th Regiment United States Colored Troops; the 2nd Arkansas Infantry of African Descent, renamed the 54th United States Colored Infantry; and the 4th Arkansas Infantry of African Descent, renamed the 57th United States Colored Infantry. “It untapped a source of manpower into the Union army and gave them the opportunity to fight for their freedom,” Christ said. Freedmen played an active role in fortifying Helena. They provided much of the workforce in building Fort Curtis and the four batteries, which were all completed by June 1863. When the time came, they took up arms to fight for the United States. Along with the Union army, the U.S. Colored Infantry were ready when the Confederates attacked on July 4, 1863 and the Battle of Helena ensued.

The center is part of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, and focuses on exploring the area’s rich history through education, exhibits and tours. The Delta Cultural Center consists of two museum locations: the Depot and the Visitors Center. The Depot includes exhibits about the earliest inhabitants of the Delta, the first explorers of the area, Mississippi River floods, Union occupation during the Civil War and the Battle of Helena. “Interpretation of the Civil War is part of our mission,” said Katie Harrington, director of the Delta Cultural Center. “A lot of these stories are not really known or appreciated.” The Visitors Center features the “Delta Sounds” music exhibit, with a live radio show and changing exhibits. “King Biscuit Time,” the nation’s longest-running blues radio program is broadcast from the Visitors Center by “Sunshine” Sonny Payne on weekdays, from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. The center has a permanent collection and features traveling and temporary exhibits. Stories are told through photos, artifacts and more. This summer, the “Songs from the Field” exhibit opens exploring slave songs and field hollers, from pre-Civil War to its influence on modern music, Harrington said. The exhibit will include many interactive components, including a listening station and Xbox Kinect gaming system technology putting visitors right in the fields. “We want to ignite a passion and love for Helena for future generations,” Harrington said. “We tell the stories of real people, and have a little something for everyone. Once people get here, I know they’ll have a good time.” Admission is free and tours are available upon request.

Moore-Hornor Home

Kelly Courtyard

Built in 1859, this house belonged to the Moore and Hornor families

Exhibits examine the recruitment of Freedmen into the Union army

for more than 100 years, until the Hornor family gave it to the Delta

in 1863, including why they chose to serve in the Union army, the

Cultural Center. Union General Frederick Salomon made the home his

formation of the 54th and 57th United States Colored Infantry regi-

headquarters during the Civil War, even though members of the Moore

ments and the U.S. Colored Troops regiments that served in Helena.

family remained in Helena. Located on Beech Street, just below Battery C, it was at the center of fighting during the Battle of Helena. Bullet holes in the parlor doors remind visitors of the history of the home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A s p e c i a l s u p p l e m e n t f r o m C i v i l Wa r h e l e n a · www. c i v i lwa r h e l e n a . c o m

BATTLE OF HELENA 150 - Schedule

of Events

Join us May 24-26 in historic Helena. This observance of the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Helena is sponsored by the Delta Cultural Center, the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, CIVIL WAR and the Helena Advertising and Promotion Commission. For more information, contact the Delta Cultural Center at 870-338-4350. HELENA

Friday, May 24

Spectators are encouraged to visit the camps during the day. Registered food and merchandise vendors will be open for business. All Day Reenactor, Artillery and Vendor set up 9 AM – 5 PM Participant Registration Open Delta Cultural Center Depot Noon-7PM Vendors Open at Cherry Street Pavilion Noon-5PM Moore-Hornor Home Open for Tours Noon-Sunset Camps Open for Visitors 5PM After-hours viewing of “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War” exhibit Delta Cultural Center Visitors Center 7PM Battle Briefing at Beth El Heritage Hall (Open to Re-enactors and the Public)

Saturday, May 25

Designated areas will be provided for viewing the assault on the Fort. Some activities are restricted to registered Reenactors only. Spectators will hear distant gunfire moving closer to town as the morning progresses and the activity nears Fort Curtis.

Battle of Helena Reenactment Event 9AM-Sunset Camps Open for Visitors 8AM-10AM Participant Registration Open at Delta Cultural Center Depot 9AM-Noon Moore-Hornor Home Open for Reenactment Tours Living History & Civil War hospital interpretation 9AM Confederate Army begin their march through Crowley’s Ridge toward Helena 9AM-11PM Skirmish atop the ridge road toward Battery C 10AM-9PM Vendors Open at Cherry Street Pavilion 10AM First shots of the Battle of Helena 150 (Confederates start driving in Federal pickets) 11AM-1PM Spectators Witness the Battle of Helena 150 reenactment. Designated viewing area near Fort Curtis 11AM-11:30AM Skirmish on historic Battery C 11:30AM-Noon Attack on Battery C and Fort Curtis (Federal retreat from Battery C to Fort Curtis – Confederates pursue) Noon-5PM Moore-Hornor Home Open for Regular Tours Noon-1PM Final charge onto Fort Curtis Battle of Helena Reenactment concludes 1PM 3PM-7PM Artillery training in Fort Curtis (Registered Reenactors Only)

Battle of Helena 150 Lectures

The reenactment will be followed by a series of Civil War lectures at Beth El Heritage Hall at 406 Perry Street. The lectures are free and open to the public. 2PM Music by Harmony 3PM Dyan Bohnert: “Food and Medicine of the Civil War and Before” 4PM Mark Christ: “The Battle of Helena” 5PM Music by Harmony 6PM Jack Myers: “U.S.S. Tyler”

Downtown Evening Events

Spectators are encouraged to attend the artillery demonstration and free outdoor concert. Sunset Artillery demonstration on levee near Cherry Street Pavilion 8:30pm Civil War concert and dance at the Cherry Street Pavilion

Sunday, May 26

Spectators are welcome to observe the reenactment at Fort Curtis.

Secondary Battle of Helena 150 Reenactment: 8:00 – 9:30am Battle at Fort Curtis 10:00am Worship Service at Cherry Street Pavilion 11:00am Battle of Helena 150 Concludes 11:15am Artillery training in Fort Curtis (Registered Reenactors Only)

Notes: Some activities and events are for reenactors only. Spectator areas will be designated. Please bring your own lawn chairs. Registered food and merchandise vendors will be set up.

A s p e c i a l s u p p l e m e n t f r o m C i v i l Wa r h e l e n a · www. c i v i lwa r h e l e n a . c o m

General Benjamin M. Prentiss

Miscomm unic ations at th e Bat tle of H elena

arly July 1863 was a rough time for the Confederacy. They were defeated at battles in Gettysburg and Vicksburg, within a few days of each other. After an illconceived plan to take Helena, the Confederates also suffered a loss at the Battle of Helena on Independence Day. The Union army occupying Helena, led by U.S. General Benjamin M. Prentiss, had worked to fortify the town and was ready for a possible Confederate attack. By June 1863, Fort Curtis and four batteries (A, B, C and D) had been completed. Helena’s defenses included the U.S.S. Tyler gunboat, land-based artillery, barricaded streets and earthworks extending to the river on both the northern and southern approaches. Cavalry patrols were sent out daily, and each cannon and soldier were issued 200 rounds of ammunition. The Confederate’s plan to attack Helena was based on misinforma-

tion. In mid June 1863, Confederate General Theophilous H. Holmes, Commander of the District of Arkansas, received a report from Brig. Gen. John S. Marmaduke that many Union troops had left Helena for Vicksburg, Miss., about 175 miles away, to reinforce U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant’s army. Marmaduke’s report suggested that it was a prime time for a Confederate attack because Helena was vulnerable. The report turned out to be incorrect. On July 3, 1863, Holmes and four regiments arrived in Helena with nearly 8,000 soldiers ready to attack. Meanwhile, Prentiss ordered the entire Union garrison to be ready and armed by 2:30 a.m. on July 4. Instead of going ahead with the planned Independence Day celebration, he ordered that a single gunshot be fired from Fort Curtis when the Confederates had attacked. That shot came about 4 a.m.

Holmes ordered that the four commanders attack at daylight, but each had a different interpretation of what “daylight” actually meant, said Mark Christ, community outreach director for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. The miscommunication caused the commanders to lead their attacks at different times. Brig. Gen. James F. Fagan and Gen. Marmaduke’s troops attacked at first light. Both commanders unexpectedly ran into trees felled by the Union army, which blocked the roads. Their troops were not prepared. Gen. Sterling Price waited until sunrise to attack, about four hours after Fagan and Marmaduke. Price’s troops were successful in taking Battery C, the

only of Helena’s four batteries to fall to the Confederates. Confederate fortunes were further damaged when Holmes arrived at Battery C and ordered Brig. Gen. Mosby M. Parsons’ Missouri Confederates to attack the heavily armed Fort Curtis. The failure of this attack led the Confederates to break off their attack and retreat. The Confederate attack on Helena was a “desperate plan,” said Christ. He said coordinating the attack proved difficult for the Confederate commanders because of the initial misinformation. The ambiguity of Holmes’ order of when to strike “destroyed any plan of succeeding.” Of the nearly 8,000 Confederates troops that fought in the Battle

A Wor k in progr ess

or the Civil War Helena Interpretive Plan, the best is yet to come. This plan to revitalize the Phillips County region and tell its complete Civil War story continues as a work in progress. As research and development continue and new sites open, more and more visitors are expected in Helena and the area is banking on the economic development it will bring. The goal is to complete interpretation and development, and open the remaining Civil War sites within the next three to five years, said Cathy Cunningham, community development consultant at Southern Bancorp Community Partners, which has led the plan in partnership with the Delta Cultural Center and the Helena Advertising and Promotion Commission. As Civil War sites are unveiled, more tourists are expected, spurring economic growth, said City Councilman Jay Hollowell, also a former member of the Advertising and Promotion Commission. The “trials and tribulations” of Helena’s past has made the town “not as economically viable” as other areas with Civil War history, so the success of the interpretive plan is especially important for growth, and the town has great potential, he said. This fall, Battery C, one of Civil War Helena’s major sites, opens to the public. Of the four earthen batteries built by the Union army, Battery C was the only one captured by the Confederates during the Battle

of Helena. The site will include reproductions of artillery and wayside exhibits explaining its significance. Cunningham expects this to be a major draw for tourists, and even locals. “I can’t wait to see it myself,” Hollowell said. Battery C will be a “heck of an attraction.” Once Battery C opens, there will be an “aggressive” marketing campaign to attract visitors to Helena, said Maria Campbell Brent, of Mudpuppy & Waterdog Inc., the research and preservation consulting firm based in Versailles, Ky., that has developed and interpreted many of the sites. “The Civil War Helena story is still under development and more is to come,” she said. “We’re going to keep at it until it’s finished.” Continuing Civil War Helena means identifying and purchasing land, as well as applying for more grants, an uncertain and often lengthy process, Cunningham said. Upcoming projects include completing an exhibit depicting the Union army’s entrance into Helena and constructing an exhibit relative to the Hindman House, which belonged to Confederate General Thomas Hindman and was seized by the Union army. “The Civil War was the most important turning point in American history, and a lot happened in our state,” said Mark Christ, community outreach director for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.

of Helena, 173 were killed, 687 were wounded and 776 went missing. Only 57 Union troops were killed, 127 wounded and 36 missing, out of the more than 4,100 who fought. When asked if the Confederates would have been more successful at Helena with better organization and clearer communication, historians say it’s unlikely. The Union army was simply better prepared and better organized, said Joseph Brent, co-owner of Mudpuppy & Waterdog Inc., the Versailles, Ky.based consulting firm involved with developing sites for the Civil War Helena Interpretive Plan. “Maybe, but it’s hard to say,” he said “It seems unlikely but we’ll never know.”

The Civil War Helena experience offers “tangible links to the past, and it’s a great opportunity for modern people to see what transpired,” said Christ, who assisted in research for the plan. “People will walk away with an appreciation that these things happened, and this is our story as a state.” Helena Mayor Arnell Willis said the town is already seeing an influx of visitors, many en route to Vicksburg, Miss., which is only about 175 miles away and a destination in its own right for Civil War history buffs. Cunningham and the other organizers believe many tourists visiting Vicksburg will make a short detour to Helena to complete their Civil War experience. In fact, Cunningham said consultants have estimated that once all Civil War sites are introduced in Helena, the area should attract at least 20 percent of Vicksburg’s annual 600,000 visitors. That amounts to about 120,000 additional visitors to Helena, and each spending an average of $50 per day could add an estimated $6 million in annual revenue to the local economy. “When you work toward improving something for visitors, it improves it for those who live here,” Cunningham said. The increased tourism also increases the need for more restaurants, hotels and shops, so the goal is for the project to eventually create more jobs and attract more business to the region. “It’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Willis said. “We’re on the verge of a breakthrough in revitalizing the community.”

CIVIL WAR HELENA CIVIL WAR HELENA

Maple Hill & Confederate Cemeteries A few of Helena’s famous Confederate generals, as well as other Confederate soldiers are buried at the Maple Hill and Confederate cemeteries. Generals Thomas Hindman and James C. Tappan are buried at Maple Hill Cemetery. Wayside exhibits located near their graves discuss their careers and their roles in the Civil War. As a politician, planter and lawyer, Hindman was instrumental in the secession of Arkansas from the Union. He was extremely wealthy and fled to Mexico after the war. He was assassinated in his home shortly after returning to Helena in 1868. Tappan spent much of the war in the Trans-Mississippi region, and participated in the Red River campaign and General Price’s last raid in Missouri. After the war, he returned to Helena, where he continued practicing law and served in the Arkansas legislature. He died in 1906. Nearby, Helen’s most well-known general, Patrick Cleburne, and many Confederates killed in the Battle of Helena are buried at the Confederate Cemetery. The site features a three-panel kiosk telling the history of Cleburne and the cemetery. A wayside exhibit discusses all seven of Helena’s Confederate generals.

A s p e c i a l s u p p l e m e n t f r o m C i v i l Wa r h e l e n a · www. c i v i lwa r h e l e n a . c o m

CIVIL WAR Monroe St

HELENA

Madison St

Civil War Helena Tour

Holly St Franklin St

Museum, 95 Missouri

B 10

7. 9.

Museum, 623 Pecan 11. Beth El Heritage hall, 406 Perry

Helena Harbor

levee onto the levee 16. Tappan-Pillow House, 717 Poplar 17. Battery C, entrance at the end of Yorkshire 18. Battery B 19. Battery A

Confederate Cemetery, entrance on

ver

North Holly

issip pi Ri

14. Levee Walk, above Cherry Street on the 15. Helena River Park, follow Perry east,

Miss

e St Bisco n

13. Kelly Courtyard, 415 Cherry

21. Maple Hill Cemetery &

Straub Ln 2

ans L

Helena River Park

20. Cleo Dunning Park, Cherry and Monroe

Pacific St

Lohm

12. Court Square Park, 622 Cherry Street

River Front

Yazoo St

Hanks Ln

Site of the original Fort Curtis,

10. General Patrick Cleburne, Helena

St. Francis

New Fort Curtis, 350 Columbia

Columbia at Porter

Pontotoc St

lit Mi

d yR

St. Catherine Convent and Academy, on Biscoe at Arkansas

Missouri S t

Estevan Hall, 653 South Biscoe

6. Battery D

Phillips St

Freedom Park, 700 South Biscoe

4. The Hindman House, 320 Biscoe

Elm St

Arkansa s St

8. Moore-Hornor Home, 323 Beech

York St

Moore Pl

Union Army Marches into Helena, 1000 South Biscoe

Rightor St

Cherry St

Porter St

B. Helena Museum, 623 Pecan

Perry St 9

A. Delta Cultural Center Depot

Ohio St

Market St 16

Museums in Green

Walnut St

Columbia St

Miller St

Sites coming throughout 2013 in Blue

Adams St

Beech St

Poplar St

Walker St

Interpretive Sites in Red

Pecan St

College St

LEVE E

Jefferson St

22. Magnolia Cemetery, entrance on Wire Road

For help planning your Civil War trip contact Julia Malinowski with the Helena A&P Commission at 870-714-2844 or julia@VisitHelenaAR.com

monika@arktimes.com

Arts Entertainment

RUSS POWELL, COURTESY OF HEIFER INTERNATIONAL

AND

HUMANITARIAN: Patrick Rothfuss with his son and a lamb.

GEEKS SAVING

THE WORLD Fantasy author’s love of Heifer has morphed into a fundraising juggernaut with a life of its own. BY ERIC FRANCIS

atrick Rothfuss looks at a goat and asks, “What if?” What if it wasn’t just a barnyard animal. What if, rather, it was a small business? One that could give birth to baby small businesses? Since the release of his bestseller “The Name of the Wind” in 2007, and bolstered by its sequel “The Wise Man’s Fear” in 2011, Rothfuss has become one of the best-loved authors in fantasy fiction. And over the past five years he’s channeled that popularity into a singleminded effort to help raise money for Heifer International. His annual Worldbuilders online fundraiser brought in nearly $450,000 this year, and earlier this month Rothfuss and his team made 34

MAY 16, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

their first visit to the Heifer headquarters to meet with the nonprofit’s development team, have a chat with some of his fans, and hang out with some donors at Heifer’s Perry County ranch. “I’ve milked a goat before,” said Rothfuss of one item on the agenda, “but it’s been awhile.” Several things brought Heifer to the attention of Rothfuss almost a decade ago. One was the book “Beatrice’s Goat” — which either he gave to his mother or she gave to him, he said, admitting that he’s not sure anymore which way that transaction went. Another was the video for Sarah McLachlan’s song “World On Fire,” where the singer took a zero-frills approach and donated the $150,000 budget to a number of chari-

ties, including Heifer. “I think that might have been the first time I wandered around on Heifer’s website,” said Rothfuss. “It could even be that I knew about it beforehand, but sometimes you need to be jolted by something for it to become present in your awareness. But once I found out about it, it had everything that you want in a charity. “If you look at what Heifer does,” he said, “you can’t help but see that it’s educational, sustainable, good for the environment, good for society, it’s long lasting, it’s impervious to recession — it’s everything good works should be.” And it addresses the “what if?” question, which Rothfuss said comes naturally to him and his fans.

“Fiction asks ‘what if?’ and no fiction has a broader scope of ‘what if?’ than fantastic fiction,” he told a crowd of about 300 people at Heifer Village last Thursday. “The question of ‘what if?’ draws me to Heifer, as well. What if we did something cool, what if we gave somebody, instead of a handout, a hand up?” Still, his Worldbuilders came about by happenstance. In 2008, Rothfuss found out just how popular his blog had become when he offered a photo contest for his readers and, instead of the few dozen entries he expected, hundreds of people from around the world sent in photos. “I’m like, ‘Wow, a lot of people want to play with me on my blog. How can I use this in a way that’s not just me stroking my own ego?’ ” he said. “I just went on the blog and said, ‘Heifer International is my favorite charity and here’s why, and for the next month if you donate a dollar, I’ll donate a dollar.’ The gimmick was if you donated, for every $10 you kick in you had a chance to get some stuff — I was going to sign some books or whatever.” His initial goal was $5,000 and he hit that in a few days. So he bumped it up to $10,000. Then other authors caught wind and started offering signed editions of their works as prizes, and mentioning it on their own blogs. The donations kept piling up. Then, just a few days before it ended, Rothfuss got a plug on the blog of Neil Gaiman, who offered up a signed, limited edition, author’s review copy of his book “Stardust.” If that last sentence didn’t at least make your eyebrows arch, you’re probably not part of Rothfuss’s target demographic. But take it from a lifelong geek boy — that’s huge, as in Madonna-sangat-my-gay-neighbor’s-wedding huge. At the end of the month, Rothfuss was on the hook for more than fifty grand. “And it was all the money I had,” he said. “Which isn’t a big deal because I’d been poor for my whole life, but I’d never been poor for any good reason and this was a great reason.” And he quickly had Heifer’s attention, as well, and began working directly with the agency, which helped fuel more growth. Now dozens of name authors of sci-fi and fantasy (and many CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

ROCK CANDY Check out the Times’ A&E blog arktimes.com

A&E NEWS LITTLE ROCK NATIVE ASHLIE ATKINSON HAS A ROLE on the upcoming Fox comedy “Us & Them” (it’s a de-Anglicized version of the Brit series “Gavin & Stacey”). It’s a rom-com in which two super attractive people finally get up the gumption to meet in person after making googoo eyes at each other over the Internet. Naturally, they each recruit their respective weirdo siblings (Atkinson and Dustin Ybarra) to come along as wingmen. The two main characters are played by this guy and this woman who were in some other stuff, but who cares about them, because Atkinson and Ybarra look to be way more interesting and funny. Also: small roles for Kerri Kenney and Michael Ian Black! Vulture reports that “Us & Them” will air mid-season sometime. ACCORDING TO DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD, Little Rock native Jeff Nichols will direct an upcoming feature for Warner Bros. “Midnight Special,” written by Nichols, will star the young director’s muse, the intense Michael Shannon. Deadline’s Mike Fleming Jr. reported that the film was described to him “as a contemporary science fiction chase film.” As Collider pointed out, Nichols had discussed his desire to make “a 1980s John Carpenter movie.” Some sort of a combination of “They Live” and “Big Trouble in Little China” perhaps? (Side note: Shannon was great in all of Nichols’ films, but seriously, if you haven’t seen it, watch “Let’s Go to Prison.” The movie really isn’t that good, but Shannon plays a murderous inmate who’s so terrifying he makes Anton Chigurh look like Stanley Spadowski. So if you’re into that sort of thing, there are probably worse ways to kill 84 minutes.) THE KING BISCUIT BLUES FESTIVAL released the lineup for this year’s festival, and the headliners are Marcia Ball, Robert Cray and The Greg Allman Band. Other big blues names on the bill will be familiar to King Biscuit fans: Bobby Rush, James Cotton, Paul Thorn. The full schedule is available at Bluesandheritagefest.com. The festival is Oct. 10-12. THE LITTLE ROCK CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU this week released the lineup for this year’s Movies in the Park, the popular series of free outdoor film screenings that take place at the First Security Amphitheatre (formerly the Riverfest Amphitheatre) along about dusk on midsummer Wednesday nights. This year kicks off June 12 with “Twilight: Breaking Dawn,” which concerns vampires and werewolves or something. The lineup is heavy on feelgood and popcorn-flick fare — “Remember the Titans” (June 19), “The Notebook” (June 26), “The Dark Knight Rises” (July 3), “The Zookeeper” (July 10), “Big” (July 17), “Finding Nemo” (July 24), “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (July 31) and “The Avengers” (Aug. 7).

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MAY 16, 2013

THE TO-DO

LIST

BY ROBERT BELL

THURSDAY 5/16

TOM KEIFER

Revolution. 8:30 p.m. $17 adv., $20 day of.

THOMAS PETILLO

See, here’s the thing about Cinderella: The band is sometimes unfairly lumped in with many of their blow-dried ’80s hair-metal band peers. But “Long Cold Winter” and “Heartbreak Station” are solid, quality rock ’n’ roll albums. Sure, they have their share of period production touches that maybe you’d do differently now. But the songs are tough, coming from a Stones/Faces sorta mold, way more strutty and bluesy than anything by White Lion or Nelson or whoever. Seriously, go blast the first two tracks off “Long Cold Winter” — “Bad Seamstress Blues/Fallin’ Apart at the Seams” and “Gypsy Road” — and tell me they don’t rock. Frontman and founder Tom Keifer recently released a solo album, “The Way Life Goes,” that’s cut from a similar cloth. It’s 14 tracks of bluesinformed, swaggering rock that’ll make you forget everything that happened to mainstream rock radio between 1991 and, say, right now. That could be a very good thing indeed, depending on one’s particular feelings about post-grunge and Nu Metal and whatever it is that followed those two low points. Expect Keifer to play some of the more rocking cuts from the new album (opener “Solid Ground” is great), along with some Cinderella hits. John Corabi, formerly of The Scream and who sang for Motley Crue in the Vince Neil interim, opens the 18-and-older show.

SOLO OUTING: Cinderella’s Tom Keifer plays at Revolution Thursday night.

THURSDAY 5/16

‘J DILLA CHANGED MY LIFE’ 9 p.m. The Joint. $10-$15.

James Yancey — or as he was more widely known, J Dilla — was one of those rare, brilliant musical minds who died too young and whose influence and unique vision wasn’t properly recognized during his time on the planet. The Detroit native had been obsessed with music since he was a child. By the time he was in his teens, he’d already mastered several instruments, started a band and begun experimenting with drum machines and samplers, making forays into the production work on which he would make a career.

Dilla worked with some of the biggest names in hip-hop: A Tribe Called Quest, Erykah Badu, Busta Rhymes, Pharcyde, Questlove, De La Soul and others. He’d long suffered from a rare blood disorder, and he passed away in 2006 at the age of 32. His legacy shows no signs of diminishing, though, with numerous tribute albums, posthumous releases and critical accolades continuing unabated. At this show, Rodney Block & The Real Music Lovers will perform with Damarcus “Blaze Beatz” Pettus, Osyrus Bolly, Fiyah Burnz, Sutter Kaine, Asylum and DJ Swift to pay tribute to the late, legendary musical genius.

RAMBLE ON: The Good Time Ramblers play an album release show at Stickyz on Friday.

FRIDAY 5/17

GOOD TIME RAMBLERS

9 p.m. Stickyz.

THURSDAY 5/16

NATHANIEL RICH

7 p.m. South on Main. Free.

The Oxford American begins its programming at its new South on Main venue with a good’n: author Nathaniel Rich. His latest novel, “Odds Against Tomorrow,” has been praised pretty much across the board. It’s about Mitchell Zukor, a young mathematician who takes a job that puts him at the forefront of corporate hedging, calculating the odds of various disasters that 36

MAY 16, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

might befall society. But soon an actual catastrophe unfolds. It’s sort of a comedy of manners/apocalypse thriller that Vanity Fair called “scarily prescient and wholly original.” Rich will read from the book, and if you have not yet secured a copy of it, WordsWorth Books & Co. will have some on hand, presumably so you can get him to sign his name on it. Little Rock-based writer Jay Jennings will emcee, and The John Burnette Duo will play music.

The Good Time Ramblers are probably a familiar name to most Times readers. The five-piece has spent the last several years honing an Americana sound with roots in the classic rock canon, playing steadily and sharing the stage with some notable country and Red Dirt acts. This is an 18-andolder album-release show for the band’s new full-length, “Bigelow Strange,” the follow-up to the 2009 recording “Nashville Cowboy.” The 8-song album sounds fantastic (it was produced by keyboardist/vocalist Jeff Coleman and engineered by Coleman and Jason

Tedford), especially the keyboards and shimmering pedal steel. “Illegal Things” gets the record off to an energetic start, with tales of youthful hijinks. “Six Feet Deep” finds the Ramblers considering the pursuit of material things and asking whether it was all worth it. “Last in Line” has some subtly sophisticated, Knopfler-esque guitar playing. It’s an earnest, driving rocker and one of the best tunes on the album. “Nothing Left” closes out the album with hypnotic, chiming guitar/keyboard interplay, gorgeous leads and a moving chorus. It’s a bit of a departure from the Ramblers’ signature sound, but it’s a bet that paid off and a fantastic track.

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 5/16 Juanita’s hosts “An Open Book: An Evening with Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October,” 9 p.m., $25. The evening will include a Q&A, reading from his book “Crazy Making” and an acoustic set of never-beforeheard songs. Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Intimate Neighborhood Concert Series wraps up, with an ASO chamber performance featuring Arkansas Chamber Singers performing Mozart’s Requiem, First United Methodist Church, 7 p.m., $10-$35. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse’s production of “Steel Magnolias” continues, 6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. and 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sun., $15-$35.

FRIDAY 5/17

MAD TEACHER: JLaur plays at 607’s Block Monster Party, Saturday at Revolution.

SATURDAY 5/18

607 PRESENTS: BLOCK MONSTER PARTY

9 p.m. Revolution. $10.

This looks to be quite the rager: The unflappable, indefatigable 607 is putting on a huge party for the album release

from his frequent collaborator JLaur. Her new record, “The Mad Teacher,” boasts ethereal synthesizers (“Dumb Girlz”), icy-sounding dubstep touches (“Stranger Danger”) and a club-ready jam about having a double life (“She Wolf”), among others. The album’s title

is a reference to JLaur’s day job as a teacher for the North Little Rock School District. In addition to JLaur, there will be performances from ItsJusBobby, GM tha Boss, Sarah Cecil and TGE, with Shortfuze on the steel wheels and host DJ No Name. It’s an 18-and-older show.

SATURDAY 5/18

8TH ANNUAL STUEART PENNINGTON RUNNING OF THE TUBS 9 a.m. Central Avenue.

Well, it’s that time of year again,

when teams of crazed, costumed contestants get together for the Running of the Tubs. If you’re unfamiliar with the annual event, here are the basics: Teams create bathtubs on wheels, fill them with water and a teammate, and then

race them down Hot Springs’ Central Avenue for the cheering throngs. The audience is encouraged to get in on the fun as well, with water guns, shower caps, robes and so forth. Sounds like a great time.

what is going to happen soon? The 9th Annual Buzz-B-Q Food and Music Festival, that’s what. More than 100 teams will compete in professional and amateur categories to see who can create the most delicious ’cue. And hey, there’s about $5,000 worth of cash and prizes for those who make the best pork, ribs and chicken. All your favorite 103.7 The Buzz hosts will be there, including Tommy Smith, David Bazzel, Roger

Scott, Justin Acri, RJ Hawk, Joe Franklin and Trey Schaap, with Matt Jones serving as emcee. The Dirty White Boys, Canvas and Jeff Coleman and The Feeders will perform. There’s going to be a rib-eating contest, and if there’s ever been a better-sounding way to maybe hurt yourself on purpose, I’ve yet to hear it. Best of all, the event will raise money for Camp Sunshine, an annual four-day camp for pediatric burn survivors.

SATURDAY 5/18

BUZZ-B-Q

11 a.m. North Little Rock RV Park. $10.

Q: How awesome is barbecue? A: Probably more awesome than most other things, but not quite as awesome as having the superpowers of flight and invisibility, which I think we’d all have to admit would be hard for anything to top. Not going to happen to anyone anytime real soon though. But you know

The Political Animals Club hosts Arkansas House Speaker Davy Carter for a look back on the 2013 legislative session, Governor’s Mansion, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., $20 (includes lunch). Little Rock’s finest cover band, The Libras, returns to the White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. Fans of improv comedy, take note: ImprovLittleRock is back with two shows in one night: “Spring Flurries” at 7 p.m. and “Summer Blockbuster II!” at 10 p.m., The Public Theatre, $8 for each show. You can also get your yuks at The Joint, where The Main Thing’s “Wiener Day at the Rollercade” rolls on, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $20. This is your final chance to catch The Weekend Theater’s production of “The Paris Letter,” Jon Robin Baitz’s story of Wall Street powerhouse Sandy Sonenberg, who finds his personal and professional life threatened by the unraveling secrets of his past. It’s Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., $12-$16. Arkansas Festival Ballet presents “The Adventures of Pinocchio” at the Arkansas Arts Center, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, $15-$20.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” fans should be excited to catch a screening of the “Rodrick Rules” installment of the film at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, followed by a Q&A with actors Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron and producer Brad Simpson, 10 a.m., $10. The Little Rock Zoo hosts an autograph signing with Gordon, Capron and Simpson from 2-4 p.m. Discovery hosts rapper Coolio, with DJ Feelgood and MC Cat Daddy, plus DJs Crawley, Sleepy, Platinumb and Brandon Peck, 9 p.m.-5 a.m., $10 before midnight, $15 afterward. Thick Syrup Records celebrates its anniversary in Hot Springs, with Ginsu Wives, Ezra Lbs. and Burnt, Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door. Texas bluesman Chris Duarte plays an all-ages show at Juanita’s, with Steve Hester & Deja VooDoo, Davis Coen and Chris Milam, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of. Weakness For Blondes brings the goodtime jams to White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $5.

www.arktimes.com

MAY 16, 2013

AFTER DARK All events are in the Greater Little Rock area unless otherwise noted. To place an event in the Arkansas Times calendar, please e-mail the listing and all pertinent information, including date, time, location, price and contact information, to calendar@arktimes.com.

THURSDAY, MAY 16

MUSIC

ASO’s Intimate Neighborhood Concert Series. Arkansas Symphony Orchestra chamber performance, featuring Arkansas Chamber Singers performing Mozart’s Requiem. First United Methodist Church, 7 p.m., $10-$35. 723 Center St. Ben Coulter. The Tavern Sports Grill, 7 p.m., free. 17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. www.thetavernsportsgrill.com. Chris Milam. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. Eternal Summers. 18-and-older. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Fire & Brimstone Duo. Browning’s Mexican Grill, 6-9 p.m. 5805 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-9956. www.browningsmexicangrill.com. “Inferno.” DJs play pop, electro, house and more, plus drink specials and $1 cover before 11 p.m. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. “J Dilla Changed My Life.” Tribute to the late producer, with Rodney Block & The Real Music Lovers, Damarcus “Blaze Beatz” Pettus, Osyrus Bolly, Fiyah Burnz, Sutter Kaine, Asylum, DJ Swift. The Joint, 9 p.m., $10-$15. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Jocko Deal. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m., free. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Karaoke. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m. 1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444. Karaoke with Kevin & Cara. MacDaddy’s Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 314 N. Maple St., NLR. Karaoke with Larry the Table Guy. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. Krush Thursdays with DJ Kavaleer. Club Climax, free before 11 p.m. 824 W. Capitol. 501-554-3437. Little Rock Film Festival after-party. With Big Silver. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., LRFF Gold Pass. 2500 W 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Michael Eubanks. Newk’s Express Cafe, 6:30 p.m. 4317 Warden Road, NLR. 501-753-8826. newks.com. “An Open Book: An Evening with Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October.” Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $25. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-3721228. www.juanitas.com. Open jam with The Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994. Sol Def (headliner), Mayday By Midnight acoustic (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Tom Keifer, John Corabi. 18-and-older. Revolution, 8:30 p.m., $17 adv., $20 day of. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com.

MAY 16, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

BIG SOUND: New Orleans veterans The Dirty Dozen Brass Band bring the swinging second-line sounds to Revolution Friday, for an all-ages show, 8:30 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of.

COMEDY

J.R. Brow, Squishy Man. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

Antique/Boutique Walk. Shopping and live entertainment. Downtown Hot Springs, 4 p.m., free. 100 Central Ave., Hot Springs. Ditch the Keys: Better Air, Better Bicycling. Public forum hosted in conjunction with Bike to Work Day in Central Arkansas. Clinton School of Public Service, noon., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5239. www.clintonschool. uasys.edu. “How Can I Afford Retirement?” workshop. Register at gfi.uark.edu. Oley E. Rooker Library, 6:30 p.m., free. 11 Otter Creek Court. 501907-5991. Permaculture Film & Discussion Series. Film and discussion series about permaculture, on the fifth floor of the Main Library, free. 100 S. Rock St. www.facebook.com/ TransitionCentralArkansas. The Price is Right Live! Walton Arts Center, 7 p.m., $44. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. Woodlawn Farmer’s Market. Shoppes on Woodlawn, 4:30 p.m. 4523 Woodlawn. 501666-3600. woodlawnshoppes.blogspot.com.

FILM

“Ain’t in it for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm.” Part of the Gathr Film Series. Market Street Cinema, 7 p.m., $10 for nonmembers. 1521 Merrill Drive. 501-312-8900. www.marketstreetcinema.net.

POETRY

POETluck. Literary salon and potluck. The Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow, third Thursday of every month, 6 p.m. 515 Spring St., Eureka Springs. 479-253-7444.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals. Dickey-Stephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $4-$12. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-6641555. www.travs.com.

BOOKS

Nathaniel Rich. The author reads from “Odds Against Tomorrow,” emceed by Jay Jennings. Oxford American, 7 p.m., free. 1300 Main St.

FRIDAY, MAY 17

MUSIC

Carl Thomas. Montego Cafe, 8 p.m., $10. 315 Main St. 501-372-1555. www.montegocafe.com. Club Nights at 1620 Savoy. Dance night, with

DJs, drink specials and bar menu, until 2 a.m. 1620 Savoy, 10 p.m. 1620 Market St. 501-2211620. www.1620savoy.com. Dirty Dozen Brass Band. All-ages. Revolution, 8:30 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Every Knee Shall Bow, Soul Embraced, Attack the Mind. Vino’s. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Fire & Brimstone Duo. Montego Cafe, 5:307:30 p.m. 315 Main St. 501-372-1555. www. montegocafe.com. Foul Play Cabaret. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $10 adv., $12 door. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www. maxinespub.com. Friday night at Sway. Sway, 9 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582. Good Time Ramblers (album release). 18-andolder. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www. stickyz.com. Indie Music Night. With D-Ray (Grown Man Music Group), Modest, Mad Ark Click, Kel, Duke Stigall, DJ Fatality and more. Downtown Music Hall, 9 p.m. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownmusichall.com. Jason Burnett. Flying Saucer, 9 p.m., $3. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www. beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock. Jeff Coleman. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, May 17-18, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. The Libras. White Water Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 2500 W 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Liquid Kitty. Thirst n’ Howl, 8:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl. com. Steve Bates. Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m. 301 Main St., NLR. 501-376-7468. www.cregeens. com. Synergy, DJ Sleepy Genius. Montego Cafe, 8:30 p.m. 315 Main St. 501-372-1555. www. montegocafe.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Trey Johnson. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501224-7665. www.westendsmokehouse.net. Wes Burnett. The Tavern Sports Grill, 7 p.m., free. 17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. www.thetavernsportsgrill.com. “YOLO.” Featuring four DJs and beach volleyball, 18-and-older. Flying DD, $5. 4601 S. University. 501-773-9990. flyingdd.com.

COMEDY

ImprovLittleRock. Presenting “Spring Flurries” at 7 p.m. and “Summer Blockbuster II!” at 10 p.m. The Public Theatre, $8 for each show. 616 Center St. 501-374-7529. www.thepublictheatre.com. J.R. Brow, Squishy Man. The Loony Bin, 7:30 and 10 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com. The Main Thing: “Wiener Day at the Rollercade.” Original two-act play from The Joint’s resident comedy troupe. The Joint, 8 p.m., $20. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-3720205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

DANCE

Salsa Night. Begins with 30-40 minute salsa lesson. Juanita’s, 9:30 p.m. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

Antique Alley Arkansas Antique Show. Conway Expo Center and Fairgrounds, noon, $3-$5. 2501 E. Oak St., Conway. 501-513-3586. www. antiquealleyarkansas.com. First Security Amphitheatre Dedication. Riverfest Amphitheatre, 10:30 a.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. Grand opening for trinity.simone. Opening of mobile fashion boutique. River Market Pavilions, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 400 President Clinton Ave. 832647-5496. www.rivermarket.info. LGBTQ/SGL Youth and Young Adult Group. Diverse Youth for Social Change is a group for LGBTQ/SGL and straight ally youth and young adults age 14 to 23. For more information, call 244-9690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. 800 Scott St., 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St. Little Rock Parent Summit. Academic achievement forum includes free books and materials in English and Spanish. Our Lady of Good Counsel School, May 17, 6:30 p.m.; May 18, 8:30 a.m., free. 1321 S. Van Buren St. 501-8311435. www.dolr.org/. Main Street Food Truck Fridays. Capitol and Main, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Night Hike for children. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Garvan Woodland Gardens, 8 p.m., $12 per child (accompanying adults free). 550 Akridge Road, Hot Springs. 501262-9300. www.garvangardens.org. Political Animals Club: Davy Carter. A look back on the 2013 legislative session. Governor’s Mansion, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., $20 (includes lunch). 1800 Center St. 501-377-1121. White Street Walk. Visit artists’ studios and homes. Downtown Eureka Springs, 4-10 p.m. 479-253-9318.

POETRY

Tri-School Poetry Slam. Includes students from Chenal, Robinson and Roberts elementary schools. Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, 9:30 a.m. 20919 Denny Road.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield Cardinals. Dickey-Stephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $4-$12. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www. travs.com.

SATURDAY, MAY 18

MUSIC

607 Presents: Block Monster Party. 18-andolder, with JLaur, ItsJusBobby, GB tha Boss, Sara Cecil, TGE, DJ No Name, Shortfuze. Revolution, 9 p.m., $10. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. Cadillac Jackson (headliner), R&R (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Chris Duarte, Steve Hester & Deja VooDoo, Davis Coen, Chris Milam. All-ages. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $12 adv., $15 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com. Chris Henry. Flying Saucer, May 18, 9 p.m.; May 24, 9 p.m., $3. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www.beerknurd.com/ stores/littlerock. Club Nights at 1620 Savoy. See May 17. Coolio, DJ Feelgood, MC Cat Daddy. Also with DJs Crawley, Sleepy, Platinumb, Brandon Peck. Discovery Nightclub, 9 p.m.-5 a.m.,

$10 before midnight, $15 afterward. 1021 Jessie Road. 501-664-4784. www.latenightdisco.com. The Fable & The Fury. Bear’s Den Pizza, 8:30 p.m., free. 235 Farris Road, Conway. 501-3285556. www.bearsdenpizza.com. Fire & Brimstone Duo. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 6-9 p.m. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. The Intruders. The Tavern Sports Grill, 8 p.m., free. 17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. www.thetavernsportsgrill.com. Jeff Coleman. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-3242999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www. khalilspub.com. Karaoke. Casa Mexicana, 7 p.m. 6929 JFK Blvd., NLR. 501-835-7876. Karaoke with Kevin & Cara. All-ages, on the restaurant side. Revolution, 9 p.m.-12:45 a.m., free. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. revroom.com. K.I.S.S. Saturdays. Featuring DJ Silky Slim. Dress code enforced. Sway, 10 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-492-9802. Lucious Spiller. Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St., NLR. 501-376-7468. www. cregeens.com. Pickin’ Porch. Bring your instrument. All ages welcome. Faulkner County Library, 9:30 a.m. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www. fcl.org. Saturday night at Discovery. Featuring DJs, dancers and more. Discovery Nightclub, 9 p.m., $10. 1021 Jessie Road. 501-664-4784. www.latenightdisco.com. Seth Freeman. West End Smokehouse and Tavern, 10 p.m., $5. 215 N. Shackleford. 501224-7665. www.westendsmokehouse.net. Singer/Songwriters Showcase. Parrot Beach Cafe, 2-7 p.m., free. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994. Symphony of Northwest Arkansas: A Tribute to John Williams. Walton Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $28-$48. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. Thick Syrup Records Anniversary Show. With Ginsu Wives, Ezra Lbs., Burnt. Maxine’s, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. Tragikly White. Denton’s Trotline, 9 p.m., $10. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Weakness For Blondes. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $5. 2500 W 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

EVENTS

COMEDY

FILM

J.R. Brow, Squishy Man. The Loony Bin, 7:30 and 10 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com. The Main Thing: “Wiener Day at the Rollercade.” Original two-act play from The Joint’s resident comedy troupe. The Joint, 8 p.m., $20. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-3720205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

DANCE

Little Rock West Coast Dance Club. Dance lessons. Singles welcome. Ernie Biggs, 7 p.m., $2. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-247-5240. www. arstreetswing.com.

9th Annual Buzz-B-Q. Barbecue competition in amateur and professional categories. North Little Rock RV Park, $10. 250 S. Locust St., NLR. Antique Alley Arkansas Antique Show. Conway Expo Center and Fairgrounds, 9 a.m., $3-$5. 2501 E. Oak St., Conway. 501-513-3586. www. antiquealleyarkansas.com. Argenta Farmers Market. Argenta, 7 a.m.-noon. Main Street, NLR. Disaster Awareness Day. Police and fire personnel as well as representatives from Entergy, Centerpoint Energy, AT&T, UAMS, MEMS, the American Red Cross, Little Rock Office of Emergency Management, Home Inventory Solutions and Pulaski County Medical Reserve Corps will talk about disaster preparedness. Pulaski Heights Presbyterian Church, 10:30 a.m. 4401 Woodlawn. 501-258-7757. Dr. Stuart Towns. Towns will discuss his new book, “Enduring Legacy: Rhetoric and Ritual of the Lost Cause.” MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 2 p.m., free. 503 E. 9th St. 376-4602. www.arkmilitaryheritage.com. Eighth Annual Stueart Pennington Running of the Tubs. Bathtub races on historic Bathhouse Row in Downtown Historic District. Downtown Hot Springs. 501-321-2277. Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell & Cedar Hill Roads. Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd. Little Rock Parent Summit. See May 17. Meet the stars of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” Autograph signing with Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron and Brad Simpson. Little Rock Zoo, 2-4 p.m. 1 Jonesboro Drive. 501-666-2406. www.littlerockzoo.com. Moving in the Right Direction: A Hike With Rainbow Friends and Allies. Hiking event, with speakers after the hike. Food and drinks provided. Pinnacle Mountain State Park, 1 p.m. 11901 Pinnacle Valley Road. 501-868-5806. A Pint, A Wedge. Includes craft beer, cheese, sausage, live music and more. Purchase tickets at the Heights location of Boulevard Bread Co. The Bernice Garden, 1-3 p.m., $25. 1401 S. Main St. www.thebernicegarden.org. River Cities Dragon Boat Festival. At Victory Lake, benefiting Children’s Protection Center. Burns Park, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 2700 Willow St., NLR. 501-324-2572. Strides for Slides 5K. Fundraiser for playground equipment. Registration begins at 7:15 a.m. $5 entry for dogs includes entry into costume contest. Hurricane Lake Estates, 8 a.m., $15-$25. 6015 Worth Ave., Benton. www.kidsource5k. com.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules.” Following the screening, actors Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, and producer Brad Simpson will host a Q & A and will present behind the scene photos from the making of the film. Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 10 a.m., $10. 601 Main St. 501-378-0405. www.therep.org.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield Cardinals. Dickey-Stephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $4-$12. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www. travs.com. CONTINUED ON PAGE 40

THURSDAY, MAY 16 5 P.M.

Kickin’ off the summer with a cookout on The Charlotte John Company Porch!

Happy Hour 5-7pm Featuring Grill Master Brandon Finch 5811 Kavanaugh Boulevard. 501.664.5646

charlottejohn.com www.arktimes.com

MAY 16, 2013

GEEKS SAVING THE WORLD, CONT.

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of their publishing houses) support Worldbuilders, flooding its Wisconsin office with swag for the speculative fiction set. So much, in fact, that Rothfuss had to incorporate it as a nonprofit and bring in help so he could get back to his writing. “It was perilously close to becoming my job, which is why I brought in these people,” Rothfuss said. “It can’t be my job; my job has to be writing books. And for four months a year, it consumed my life.” Today Worldbuilders has a staff of six handling the heavy lifting: Gathering autographed books and other merch, coordinating with an impressive array of authors, artists, publishers and others in the speculative fiction field, coordinating with Heifer to keep track of donations, running the lottery and auction and online store, and making sure everybody gets their loot. The Worldbuilders team joined Rothfuss on this trip to Heifer International, which he said has helped them better appreciate just what kind of realworld good their fiction-driven effort is accomplishing. “There’s really crappy things happening in the world all the time, and it’s nice to see that people really do want to do good,” he said. “This is tangible proof that people are good.” All told, over the years Worldbuild-

ers has raised $1.95 million for Heifer and has helped about 5,000 families around the world, said Vicki Clarke, the nonprofit’s director of philanthropy. Clarke described Heifer’s response to hearing about the Worldbuilders effort as “delighted, but curious” at how much sway Rothfuss might have with his fan base. Five years on, the answer is: Lots. “His online auctions, efforts and contest have all been warmly met and every goal has been met or exceeded,” she said. “The fact that he has in previous years personally matched contributions is, well, humbling. Patrick is a man who puts his personal principles and passion behind his very persuasive efforts.” Though he keeps his hand in as president of Worldbuilders, Rothfuss is now focusing most of his effort on the third novel in his Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy — as yet unnamed and with no publication date set, he told his fans, “but I’ve got to get this right.” By the way, even if you missed the most recent Worldbuilders fundraiser, you still have a shot at that autographed Gaiman ARC — each year so far, the person who won it has turned around and donated it back for use in the auction or lottery the next year. This year’s winner simply asked to meet Rothfuss somewhere so she could see the book and hold it, something he is happily arranging.

AFTER DARK, CONT. Central Arkansas Roller Derby: “Divine Secrets of the Ta-Ta Sisterhood.” Big Dam Rollers vs. Tornado Alley Rollergirls of Oklahoma City. Skate World, 7 p.m., $10, free for kids 10 and younger. 6512 Mabelvale Cut Off. www.littlerockrollerderby.com. Girls Rollin’ In The South Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby. The Breakneck Brawlers vs. The Springfield Roller Girls Battle Broads, at the UALR Fieldhouse. UALR, 4:30 p.m., $8 adv., $10 door. 2801 S. University Ave. 501-569-8977. facebook.com/gritsrollerderby.

BENEFITS

Caribbean Cabaret. Benefit for Women & Children First. White attire, tropical drinks and food, live and silent auctions, music from Class of ‘87 and more. 40 Edgehill Road, 6-10 p.m., $75. 40 Edgehill Road. wcfarkansas.ejoinme. org.

SUNDAY, MAY 19

MUSIC

Irish Traditional Music Session. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 2:30 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. Karaoke with DJ Sara. Hardrider Bar & Grill, 7 p.m., free. 6613 John Harden Drive, Cabot. 501-982-1939 . Michael Eubanks. Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon, 7 p.m. 10901 N Rodney Parham Road. 501-227-8898. www.lonestarsteakhouse.com. Successful Sunday. Featuring live music and DJs. Montego Cafe, 7 p.m. 315 Main St. 501372-1555. www.montegocafe.com. 40

MAY 16, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

Sunday Jazz Brunch with Ted Ludwig and Joe Cripps. Vieux Carre, 11 a.m. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.vieuxcarrecafe.com.

DANCE

Stardust Big Band. Arlington Hotel, 3 p.m., $8. 239 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-623-7771.

EVENTS

Antique Alley Arkansas Antique Show. Conway Expo Center and Fairgrounds, noon, $3-$5. 2501 E. Oak St., Conway. 501-513-3586. www. antiquealleyarkansas.com. Bernice Garden Farmers Market. The Bernice Garden, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 1401 S. Main St. www. thebernicegarden.org. “Live from the Back Room.” Spoken word event. Vino’s, 7 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501-3758466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield Cardinals. Dickey-Stephens Park, 2:10 p.m., $4-$12. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www. travs.com.

BOOKS

Books in Bloom Literary Festival. With readings, book-signings, author presentations and more. Crescent Hotel and Spa, noon-5 p.m., free. 75 Prospect Ave., Eureka Springs. 870-423-5300. booksinbloom.org. Seth Andrews. Presentation, book-signing and meet-and-greet with the author of “De-Converted: A Journey from Religion to CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

m ay 1 5 -1 9 , 2 0 1 3

Opening Night Film & After-Party SXSW Grand Jury Prize winner

Short Term 12

directed by LRFF alum Destin Daniel Cretton This film is told through the eyes of Grace, a young supervisor at a facility for at-risk teenagers. This lovingly realized film finds truth – and humor – in unexpected places. Destin Daniel Cretton and break-out star Keith Stanfield will be there for a Q&A and Bonnie Montgomery will perform at the After-Party. Buying a Gold Pass to the festival gets you in, too!

Wed | May 15 | 6pm Tickets are only $25 and include both the film and the After-Party. Get them now at LittleRockFilmFestival.org/box-office Or perhaps you’re the scanning type?

@LRFilmFestival

/LittleRockFilmFestival

AFTER DARK, CONT. Reason” and host of The Thinking Atheist. Arkansas Studies Institute, 2 p.m., free. 401 President Clinton Ave. 501-320-5700. www. butlercenter.org.

MONDAY, MAY 20

MUSIC

Irish Traditional Music Session. “SloPlay” begins at 6 p.m. Public session begins at 7 p.m. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.com. Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

EVENTS

Skeptics in the Pub. The Joint, 7:30 p.m. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

SPORTS

Arkansas Travelers vs. Springfield Cardinals. Dickey-Stephens Park, 7:10 p.m., $4-$12. 400 W. Broadway St., NLR. 501-664-1555. www.travs.com.

TUESDAY, MAY 21

MUSIC

Arkansas River Blues Society Blues Jam Fundraiser. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-nhowl.com. Brian & Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com. Chrome Sparks. 18-and-older. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9:30 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com.

Eyes Set to Kill, Safehouse, This Chaos Inside. Downtown Music Hall, 7 p.m., $10 adv., $12 day of. 211 W. Capitol. 501-376-1819. downtownmusichall.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke Night. Cornerstone Pub & Grill, 8 p.m. 314 Main St., NLR. 501-374-1782. cstonepub. com. Karaoke Tuesday. Prost, 8 p.m., free. 322 President Clinton Blvd. 501-244-9550. Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-315-1717. Little Chief. Bear’s Den Pizza, 8:30 p.m., free. 235 Farris Road, Conway. 501-328-5556. www. bearsdenpizza.com. Lucious Spiller Band. Copeland’s Restaurant of Little Rock, 6-9 p.m. 2602 S. Shackleford Road. 501-312-1616. www.copelandsrestaurantlittlerock.com. Open Jam. The Joint, 8 p.m., free. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Ricky David Tripp. Rocket Twenty One, 5:30 p.m. 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-603-9208. www.ferneaurestaurant.com. Tiger High, Cosmonauts & The Garden. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. 2500 W 7th St. 501-3758400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbar.com. The Virginmarys, Well Hung Heart, Enchiridion. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $5 adv., $8 day of. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

DANCE

“Latin Night.” Revolution, 7 p.m., $5 regular, $7

under 21. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-8230090. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

Retired Gen. Peter Chiarelli. Presentation from the former vice chief of staff of the U.S. Army and CEO of One Mind for Reasearch, a non-profit organization dedicated to curing the diseases of the brain. Clinton School of Public Service, 6 p.m., free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-6835239. www.clintonschool.uasys.edu. Ron Cooper. Cooper will discuss his experiences of walking the Northern Route of the Cherokee Trail of Tears. Faulkner County Library, 7 p.m., free. 1900 Tyler St., Conway. 501-327-7482. www. fcl.org. Tales from the South. Authors tell true stories; schedule available on website. Dinner served 5-6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. Call for reservations. Starving Artist Cafe, 5 p.m. 411 N. Main St., NLR. 501-372-7976. www.starvingartistcafe.net. Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www.beerknurd.com/ stores/littlerock.

FILM

Ice Cream Social. With $5 root beer floats and a free screening of “Raising Arizona.” Vino’s, 7:30 p.m., free. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www. vinosbrewpub.com. “What Maisie Knew.” Part of the Gathr Film Series. Market Street Cinema, 7 p.m., $10 for nonmembers. 1521 Merrill Drive. 501-312-8900. www.marketstreetcinema.net.

SPORTS

H2Open Charity Golf Tournament. Lunch at noon, shotgun start at 1 p.m. Country Club of Arkansas, noon, $75 per person, $300 four-man

scramble. 3 Country Club Circle, Maumelle.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22

MUSIC

Acoustic Open Mic. The Afterthought, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbar.com. FreeVerse Duo. The Tavern Sports Grill, 7 p.m., free. 17815 Chenal Parkway. 501-830-2100. www. thetavernsportsgrill.com. Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Karaoke Extravaganza. Includes drink and food specials and cash prizes. Montego Cafe, 9 p.m., $5. 315 Main St. 501-372-1555. www. montegocafe.com. Karaoke with Big John Miller. Denton’s Trotline, 8 p.m. 2150 Congo Road, Benton. 501-3151717. Karen Jr.. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m., $5 after 8:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www. cajunswharf.com. Live Karaoke and Dueling Pianos. Featuring Dell Smith and William Staggers. Montego Cafe, 9 p.m. 315 Main St. 501-372-1555. www. montegocafe.com. Ricky David Tripp. Rocket Twenty One, 5:30 p.m. 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-603-9208. www. ferneaurestaurant.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-374-7474. www. capitalhotel.com/CBG. CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

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MAY 16, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

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Friday, June 7 · 6–9pm

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WINE

FOOD

JA ZZ

Taste over 200 wines

Reno’s Argenta Café, The Italian Kitchen, Café Bossa Nova, Crush Wine Bar, Argenta Market

6–7:15pm Rodney Block & The Real Music Lovers 7:45–9pm Rex Bell & Kasie Lundsford

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AFTER DARK, CONT.

Real. authentic. Mexican. tacos & toRtas Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm Fri & Sat 11am-10pm

COMEDY

The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Standup Open Mic Night. Hosted by local comedians of the comedy collective Comedi ans of NWA. UARK Bowl, 9 p.m., free. 644 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-301-2030. uarkbowl.com. Tim Homayoon, Tommy Thompson. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy. com.

DANCE 7700 Baseline Rd • (501) 246-3744

Little Rock Bop Club. Beginning dance lessons for ages 10 and older. Singles welcome. Bess Chisum Stephens Community Center, 7 p.m., $4 for members, $7 for guests. 12th & Cleveland streets. 501-350-4712. www.littlerockbopclub.

POETRY

Wednesday Night Poetry. 21-and-older show. Maxine’s, 7 p.m., free. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. 501-321-0909. maxineslive.com/shows. html.

THIS WEEK IN THEATER

“The Adventures of Pinocchio.” Presented by Arkansas Festival Ballet. Arkansas Arts Center, Fri., May 17, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., May 18, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sun., May 19, 2 p.m., $15-$20. 501 E. 9th St. 501-227-5320. www.arkansasdance.org/. “Dearly Beloved.” The Royal Players present a Jones-Hope-Wooten comedy. Royal Theatre, through May 18, 7 p.m.; Sun., May 19, 2 p.m., $5-$10. 111 S. Market St., Benton. “The Paris Letter.” Jon Robin Baitz’s story of Wall Street powerhouse Sandy Sonenberg, who finds his personal and professional life threatened by the unraveling secrets of his past. The Weekend Theater, through May 18: Fri., Sat., 7:30 p.m., $12-$16. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www. weekendtheater.org. “Steel Magnolias.” The widely loved comedy about six Southern women who meet at a local beauty parlor to discuss their lives. Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, through June 9: Tue.-Sat., 6 p.m.; Wed., 11 a.m.; Sun., 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., $15-$35. 6323 Col. Glenn Road. 501-562-3131. murrysdinnerplayhouse.com. “War Horse.” A horse named Joey and a young man called Albert form an unbreakable bond that carries them through the battlefields of World War I. Contains scenes of war that might not be suitable for youngsters. Walton Arts Center, Wed., May 22, 7 p.m.; Thu., May 23, 2 and 7 p.m.; Fri., May 24, 8 p.m.; Sat., May 25, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sun., May 26, 2 p.m., $49-$63. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600.

GALLERIES, MUSEUMS

More art listings can be found in the calendar at www.arktimes.com

NEW EXHIBITIONS, EVENTS

ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “Collecting Southern Art,” Fine Arts Club talk by Greg Thompson, gallery owner, 11 a.m. May 23, $10 non-members (students free), $18 buffet lunch, reserve by May 17; works by Museum School instructors in jewelry and small metals, Museum School Gallery, through June 2; “50 Works / 50 Weeks / 50 Years,” Alice Pratt Brown Atrium, through 2013. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 372-4000. GALLERY 26, 2601 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Prehistoric Daydreams,” recent work by Brad Cushman and Amy Edgington, opens with reception 7-10 p.m. May 18, show through July 13. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 664-8996.

MAY 16, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

GALLERY 360, 900 S. Rodney Parham Road: “Kinfolk and the Apothecary Dream,” drawings and collages of the artist’s family with images of the Elaine race riot by Angela Davis Johnson, reception 6:30-10 p.m. May 17, show through June. 663-2222. GORRELL GALLERY, 401 N. Maple, NLR: “Spring Show,” plein-air paintings by Doug Gorrell, 5-8 p.m. May 17, Argenta ArtWalk, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. May 18, and by appointment. 607-2225. GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “Best of the South,” work by Carroll Cloar, William Dunlap, Walter Anderson, Theora Hamblett, Glennray Tutor, Pinkney Herbert, Guy Bell, Ed Rice, John Hartley, Robyn Horn, Daniel Blagg, Rebecca Thompson and others, opens with reception 5-8 p.m. May 17, Argenta ArtWalk, annual women’s luncheon noon-1 p.m. May 17, $35; panel discussion “What’s Hot in Southern Regionalism?” with artists 1 p.m. May 18, $10; show through July 9. 664-2787. HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: “Beautiful Uprising,” new woodcuts by LaToya Hobbs, through June 8; artist receptions 1:30-3:30 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. May 17, artist talk 11 a.m. May 18, “Relevance of Hair” discussion 1:30 p.m. May 18. 372-6822. LAMAN LIBRARY ARGENTA, 506 Main St.: Selma F. Blackburn, watercolor demonstration, 5-8 p.m. May 17, Argenta ArtWalk. 687-1061. L&L BECK, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Backyard Birds,” through May, giclee giveaway 7 p.m. May 16. 660-4006. M2 GALLERY, 11525 Cantrell Road: “Relic,” new work by Emily Galusha, also work by Lisa Krannichfeld and Dan Thornhill, reception 6-9 p.m. May 17. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 225-6257. MacARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY, MacArthur Park: “Undaunted Courage, Proven Loyalty: Japanese-American Soldiers in World War II,” through August. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-4 p.m. Sun. 376-4602. THEA CENTER, 401 Main St., NLR: “The Argenta Project,” 25 pen-and-ink drawings of Argenta structures by Mary Ann Stafford; “Keep Arkansas Beautiful” poster competition winners, reception 5-9 p.m. May 17, Argenta ArtWalk. 9 a.m.noon, 1-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 379-9512. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK: “Sacred Symbols in Sequins,” sequined Vodou flags, banners, portraits, bottles, May 22-July 26, Gallery I. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat., 2-5 p.m. Sun. 569-8977. BENTONVILLE CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, One Museum Way: “Genre Scenes on Paper from Crystal Bridges’ Permanent Collection,” through Aug. 12; “American Encounters: Genre Painting and Everyday Life,” five 19th century paintings by American and European artists, including two from the Louvre Museum in Paris, through Aug. 12; “American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell,” through May 28, $12 non-members ages 19 and up; permanent collection of American masterworks spanning four centuries. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon., Thu., Sat.-Sun.; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Fri. 479-418-5700. BERRYVILLE 201 PUBLIC SQUARE: “Painter’s Palette Art School,” 10 a.m. May 16. 479-586-4868. EL DORADO SOUTH ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, 110 E. Fifth St.: “A Dose of Serendipity,” pastels and paintings by Sandy Bennett, through May. 862-5474. CONTINUED ON PAGE 48

RIDE THE ARKANSAS TIMES BUS TO SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2013

TIM HURSLEY

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HOSTED BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK, FINE ART EDITOR Join us on our journey to see a vast collection of masterworks in a masterfully designed museum, set into 100 acres of beautiful trail-threaded woodland. Museum founder Alice Walton has assembled one of the most important collections of American art in the country, including paintings, drawings and sculpture from Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colonial period to the present, from Pealeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famed portrait of George Washington to Mark Rothkoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brilliant abstraction in orange. Moshe Safdieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design for the museum incorporates areas for contemplation and study with views of the spring-fed ponds that give the museum its name and the Ozarks.

Norman Rockwell traveling exhibition at Crystal Bridges One of the most popular American artists of the past century, Norman Rockewell was a keen observer of human nature and a gifted storyteller. This exhibition features 50 original paintings and 323 Saturday Evening Post covers. Timed, reserved tickets will be required to view this exhibition. Cost to reserve time ticket is $12 per person. Please reserve ticket time between hours of 1pm-4pm.

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ARKANSAS TIMES www.arktimes.com

2013 best of ARKANSAS BALLOT . t s e B e h T . l a n i g i r O e h T . ! t t s u r i o b F e A k Th l a T e l p o e P The One

Shopping Center ___________________________

Gift Shop _______________________________

Food and dRink

Grocery Store _____________________________ Women’s Clothing __________________________

Carwash ________________________________ Veterinarian _____________________________

Food festival _____________________________

Men’s Clothing ____________________________ Hip Clothing _____________________________

Cleaners ________________________________ Decorator _______________________________

Children’s Clothing _________________________ Vintage Clothing___________________________

Music Equipment __________________________ Shoes __________________________________

Antiques ________________________________ Furniture _______________________________

Bookstore _______________________________ Pawn Shop ______________________________

Garden Store or Nursery ______________________

Funeral Home ____________________________

Hardware _______________________________ Eyewear ________________________________

Retirement Community ______________________ Place to take a yoga class _____________________

Fresh Vegetables __________________________ Outdoor Store ____________________________

Chiropractor _____________________________

Business Lunch ____________________________ Brunch _________________________________ Cocktail ________________________________

Bicycle Shop _____________________________ Gun Store _______________________________ Commercial Art Gallery ______________________ Mobile Phone ____________________________ Internet Service Provider _____________________ Realtor _________________________________ Auto Service _____________________________ Auto Stereo ______________________________ Travel Agency ____________________________ Hotel __________________________________ Private School ____________________________ Public School _____________________________ Apartment Complex ________________________ Bank __________________________________ Barbershop ______________________________ Salon __________________________________ Spa ___________________________________ Jeweler ________________________________ Pharmacy _______________________________ Mattress ________________________________ Auto Dealer ______________________________ Used Auto Dealer __________________________ Lingerie ________________________________ Electronics ______________________________ Sporting Goods ___________________________ Toys ___________________________________ Florist _________________________________ Plumber ________________________________

RecReation

Milkshake _______________________________ Vegetarian ______________________________

French Fries ______________________________ Onion Rings ______________________________

E N I L ON LY Place to Swim ____________________________ Park ___________________________________ Cheap Date ______________________________ Weekend Getaway _________________________ Resort _________________________________ Golf Course ______________________________ Athletic Club _____________________________ Place for Tennis ___________________________ Hiking Trail ______________________________ Place to Mountain Bike ______________________ Marina _________________________________ Local charity event _________________________

Cheese Dip ______________________________ Ribs ___________________________________ Wine List________________________________ Liquor Store______________________________ Sushi __________________________________ Salad __________________________________

Bread __________________________________ Caterer _________________________________ Outdoor Dining ___________________________

N O G N I VOT

PeoPle and Politics

Artist __________________________________ Photographer ____________________________ Politician _______________________________ Athlete _________________________________ Liberal _________________________________ Conservative _____________________________ Worst Arkansan ___________________________ Charity _________________________________ Misuse of Taxpayer Funds _____________________

t s e b / m o c . s e m i t ark une 13! enteRtainment

Band __________________________________ DJ ____________________________________ Place for Live Music _________________________ Place to Dance ____________________________ Live music festival __________________________ Late Night Spot ___________________________ Gay Bar_________________________________ Sports Bar _______________________________ Movie Theater ____________________________ Museum ________________________________ Performing Arts Group _______________________ Place to Gamble ___________________________ Place to See Someone Famous __________________

J y b e t Vo

media

Radio Station _____________________________ Radio Personality __________________________ TV Station _______________________________ TV News Person ___________________________ TV Weatherman ___________________________ TV Sports Person___________________________ Newspaper Writer __________________________ Blog___________________________________ Website ________________________________ Twitter Feed _____________________________

MOVIE REVIEW

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: Carey Mulligan and Leonardo DiCaprio star.

Book report ‘Gatsby’ goes 3D.

A Premier Dining exPerience

BY SAM EIFLING

his summer I read “The Great Gatsby” by Baz Luhrmann. It is an excellent book full of symbolism and parties. One of the main symbols in the book is green lights. Green is the color of hope and the green light on the dock outside of Daisy’s house shows the reader how hopeful Jay Gatsby is that he and she will get together again. Gatsby resembles a tan Leonardo DiCaprio and lives in a house so big it looks like it eats barns between meals. He bought the house just so he could throw giant parties in the hopes that Daisy might wander into one and be impressed with his shirts. We don’t know why Daisy is worth such obsession other than that she is richer than the ocean is wet and she looks like Carey Mulligan with blond hair. Gatsby and Daisy used to date but he had to go to war and she married a very rich man named Tom Buchanan because money talks. Tom plays polo and the field. The best scene in the book comes when he takes the narrator, who looks like SpiderMan, to a small apartment in New York City that turns into a drunken mess for the narrator, Nick. It was only the second time he ever got drunk and it was with flappers, who were like hipsters who actually enjoyed dancing when music came on. They dance a lot because this book has an excellent soundtrack. Jay-Z and Beyonce and Florence + The Machine and the xx and Jack White all add to a sense of decadence during the roaring ’20s. Gatsby and Nick argue about whether you can repeat the past but in any case you can go back to the future with music like this. That was another terrific book, by the way. They say music is the only guiltfree intoxicant but usually in “The Great

Gatsby” it is combined with others such as champagne and gin and whisky and cigars and shimmy-dancers. It is all too much for Nick in the end, which is why he is in a mental hospital in the beginning, talking to a psychiatrist who has diagnosed him as depressed and “morbidly alcoholic.” All of that partying usually leads to a hangover. For the United States of America, that was the Dust Bowl. There were parts of the story that were not as effective. For one it took 143 minutes to get through it, which is a lot, especially when you have to read it in one sitting because your book report is due the next day. The characters were mostly three-dimensional but so was a lot of other stuff — everything was threedimensional, and you feel after a while like this is just a gimmick. Luhrmann’s style is very flashy, with lots of colors and motion, and opulent settings and costumes. In a book where style always threatens to overwhelm substance the choice to go with all this three-dimensionality risks turning it into a cartoon. Maybe Luhrmann wanted it that way but it makes the reader wonder whether the publisher just wanted to charge more for each copy. In conclusion, I would recommend “The Great Gatsby” to anyone who wants to learn about New York City high society in the ’20s and there’s a pretty good love story there as well. This has been a classic book for many years and many men in particular enjoy it. Maybe it is because there is a little bit of Gatsby in anyone who tried very hard to succeed just to impress a woman who winds up with the polo player after all. Baz Luhrmann proves that you cannot repeat the past but you can sure go broke trying.

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MAY 16, 2013

AFTER DARK, CONT. EUREKA SPRINGS CHELSEA’S CORNER CAFE, 10 Mountain St.: “Drink and Draw with Robert Norman,” 7-11:45 p.m. May 22. CORNERSTONE BANK, 152 E. Van Buren: “Meet the Artists,” 5-7 p.m. May 16. MAY 18 GALLERY STROLL, downtown galleries: Randal Thompson, photographs, Eureka Thyme, 19 Spring St., 1-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m.; David Rush, blow-torch paintings on copper, Jewel Box Gallery, 40 Spring St., demonstrating 2-5 p.m. and 6:30-9 p.m.; “Tequila Shots and J.A. Nelson,” wood sculpture and tequila, Artifacts Gallery, 37 Spring St., 6-9 p.m. STUDIO 62, 335 W. Van Buren: “Art as Prayer,” 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Wed. 479-363-9209. WHITE STREET: 23rd annual “White Street Studio Walk,” 4-10 p.m. May 17, open studios will feature work by studio artists and 40 guests. MOUNTAIN VIEW OZARK FOLK CENTER STATE PARK: “Fought in Earnest: Civil War Arkansas,” banners, documents, photographs, maps, paintings, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. May 21-27. 870-269-3851.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

The Fort Smith Regional Art Museum is accepting works for the 65th “River Valley Invitational.” through

June 7. Submissions can be any media, including installation, and should focus on nature. First, second and third place winners will win approximately $10,000 in cash and awards. For more information, go to www.fsram.org/exhibitions.

CONTINUING EXHIBITS

BOSWELL-MOUROT, 5816 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Arkansas Artists & Their Works,” sculpture by Andy Huss, raku vessels by Winston Taylor, collaborative works by Megan Chapman and Stewart Bremner, paintings by Missy Wilkinson. 664-0030. BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “Arkansas Art Educators Youth Art Show,” through July 27; “Creative Expressions,” work by individuals with mental illness at the Arkansas State Hospital, through Aug. 25; “No I’m Not, He Is: A ‘Flying Snake’ and ‘Oyyo’ Comic Retrospective,” drawings by Michael Jukes, through May 26. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5700. CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: 22nd annual “Southern Watercolorists Special Open Membership Exhibit,” through June 22. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 224-1335. CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 509 Scott St.: “Dream Weavers.” 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 8 a.m.-noon Sun. CHROMA GALLERY, 5707 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work

by Robert Reep and other artists. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0880. COX CREATIVE CENTER, 120 River Market Ave.: Arkansas League of Artists’ “Spring Members Show,” juried exhibition, through June 28. LAMAN LIBRARY, 2801 Orange St.: “Portraits in Gray: A Civil War Photography Exhibition,” featuring the collection of David Wynn Vaughan, through June 15. 758-1720. PAINT BOX GALLERY AND FRAME SHOP, 705 Main St., NLR: “Cityscapes,” paintings by Marty Smith; gourds by Dawn Clark. TERRY HOUSE COMMUNITY GALLERY, 7th and Rock Sts.: “Learning to See: Students of Stephen Cefalo,” 46 figurative works by the artist’s students at UALR and the Arts Center, through June 2. 765-7688.

ONGOING MUSEUM EXHIBITS

ARKANSAS INLAND MARITIME MUSEUM, North Little Rock: “Captain’s Cabin Exhibit,” photographs, biographies, sea stories from the crew, and personal artifacts, through August. 371-8320. CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER, 1200 President Clinton Ave.: “Jazz: Through the Eyes of Herman Leonard,” more than 40 original black and white images by photographer Herman Leonard, who documented the evolution of jazz form from the 1940s through post-Hurricane

1/2 PRICE ADVANCE TICKETS

MAY 24-26 2013

AVAILABLE AT

D O W N T O W N

Beers to 40 Years The Friends of KLRE/KUAR Board of Directors invite you to a special fundraising party to celebrate 40 years of public radio in central Arkansas.

Thursday, May 30th 6 – 9 pm Boscos Restaurant & Brewing Co. 500 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock Proceeds from the “Beers to 40 Years” Anniversary Celebration will support the 40th Anniversary Equipment Fund. Tickets cost $40 and are available at kuar.org

MAY 16, 2013

ARKANSAS TIMES

Katrina, with photographs of Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald, through July 21. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $7 adults; $5 college students, seniors, retired military; $3 ages 6-17. 370-8000. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 200 E. Third St.: “Reflected by Three: William Detmers, Scott Lykens and G. Tara-Casciano,” prints, ceramics, sculpture, through Aug. 4; “Painting in the Open Air: Day and Night,” paintings by Jason Sacran, through July 7, “The Curious World of Patent Models,” through Sept. 29; “Treasures of Arkansas Freemasons, 1838-2013,” study gallery, through July 12. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351. MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER, 9th and Broadway: “The Inauguration of Hope,” lifesized sculpture of the First Family by Ed Dwight; “Forty Years of Fortitude,” exhibit on Arkansas’s African-American legislators of the modern era, through June 29. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat. 683-3593. MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY, 500 President Clinton Ave.: “Grossology: The Impolite Science of the Human Body,” through May 26; “Wiggle Worms,” science program for pre-K children 10 a.m.-10:30 a.m. every Tue., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun., $10 ages 13 and older, $8 ages 1-12, free to members and children under 1. 396-7050.

L I T T L E

R O C K

WALGREENS!

riverfestarkansas.com

hearsay ➥ OLIVER’S ANTIQUES in Jacksonville is remodeling, which means savings for you — most of their furniture is marked down to move. ➥ Check out the selection at ACCESS GARDENS’ Friday plant sales, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 17 and May 31 at the ACCESS Group Stella Boyle Smith Campus, 10618 Breckenridge Drive. ACCESS Gardens helps individuals with language and learning disabilities achieve their highest level of independence in activities of daily living, leisure skills, vocational development, social skills and community integration. Students participate in every aspect of the semi-annual sales, from planning what to grow and caring for the plants to pricing and logging inventory and providing customer assistance. Plant sale proceeds benefit the program. ➥ Speaking of gardening and the great outdoors, GOOD EARTH GARDEN CENTER on Cantrell Road has Cabot strawberries for sale. Get ’em while they last. ➥ Get what you can before it’s too late at the Lakewood Village SHOE CONNECTION location in North Little Rock. Their moving sale continues with a new markdown of 50-80 percent off storewide. ➥ GALLERY 26’S latest exhibit is “Prehistoric Dreams,” featuring works by Little Rock artists Brad Cushman and Amy Edgington. Both artists specialize in collages, made from found and recycled materials. The opening reception is scheduled for 7-10 p.m. May 18 at the gallery. The exhibit will run through July 13. ➥ Save the Date: Friday June 7 for CELEBRATE THE GRAPE WINE FOOD & JAZZ FESTIVAL. Join us at the Argenta Farmers Market grounds, from 6-9 p.m. and enjoy hundreds of wines along with food from Argenta Market, Crush Wine Bar, Cafe Bossa Nova, The Italian Kitchen and Reno’s Argenta Cafe. The event is sponsored by Arkansas Times and benefits Argenta Arts District. It is presented by Mercedes of Little Rock, Riverside Subaru and EGP Certified Public Accountants & Consultants. Consultants. Go to celebratethegrape2013.eventbrite.com to order tickets.

TIGHTEN UP, CONT. From page 10 energy loss. In his own home, Smith said, he learned that his walls sit on a shiplap lumber subfloor, allowing air to seep out everywhere there was a crack between boards. In some homes, tiny gaps and cracks can add up to the equivalent of having a small window open all the time, winter and summer. “We have learned throughout the last three or four years that ducts are somewhere on the average of 25 to 30 percent leaky,” Smith said, “with some being totally disconnected and blowing into attics.” Once the ductwork is sorted out and that cooling and heating is going where it’s supposed to go, Smith said, homeowners can start thinking about resizing their AC unit. Entergy offers incentives and rebates for replacing inefficient AC units as well. Rett Peek, who lives in a home in Hillcrest built in 1928, took advantage of the Home Energy Solutions program, and was able to have his house inspected and made more energy efficient with no cash outlay or waiting for a reimbursement check. The subcontractor on Peek’s home was I.Q. Energy, a Texas company working with Entergy. Peek said he e-mailed I.Q. Energy on a Sunday, and was able to get the energy inspection done on the following Wednesday. Peek said that after the inspection, workers wrapped all the duct-work in his attic and basement, wrapped all hot water pipes, put a jacket on his hot-water heater, did extensive caulking of holes and ductwork, weatherstripped all the doors to the outside and to the basement, and filled holes where pipes came through the subfloor. The contractor billed Entergy directly, with all the work done at no cost to Peek. “They did tons of stuff like that,” Peek said. “They were here a little over three hours pretty much wrapping, caulking and spray-foaming to seal up all the little holes.” Peek said the workers told him they would have given him a coupon to put toward more insulation, but he didn’t need it. He believes all the work will lead to lower energy bills. “I saw the meter readings they were doing before and after,” he said. “I won’t act like I know what the numbers meant, but afterwards they were a lot lower and they said I should save between 25 and 40 percent on energy consumption.” For more information on the Home Energy Solutions program, visit the Entergy Arkansas website at: entergyarkansas.com and search for “Home Energy Solutions.” You can also contact their Energy Efficiency Solutions Center at 877-212-2420, or send an email to: homeenergysolutionsEAI@clearesult.com. A PDF copy of the Home Energy Solutions program manual can be found at: tinyurl.com/c859doo.

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