Arkansas Times - December 11, 2014

NEWS + POLITICS + ENTERTAINMENT + FOOD / DECEMBER 11, 2014 / ARKTIMES.COM

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COMMENT

Beau don’t know Bo As an Ole Miss graduate and a diehard Rebel fan, I would like to comment on Beau Wilcox’s column “Resurgence” (Nov. 27). All credit to Arkansas for their 30-0 whitewashing of Ole Miss. The Hogs played a great game, with their defense causing six turnovers and stifling a potent Rebel offense. However, Wilcox is way off base when he declares “you can bet that Ole Miss will have more offensive stability when their signal caller changes next fall. He’s not a natural scrambler, misses reads and is just not capable of making decisions under duress.” First of all, may I remind Wilcox that Bo Wallace led the Rebels to victories over Arkansas in 2012 and 2013. Moreover, he was a three-year starter for Ole Miss who set all sorts of school records during his career. He played a key role in making the Rebels a force to be reckoned with in the SEC West. Yes, he isn’t a “natural scrambler” and “misses reads” like all quarterbacks do. But I think during his time at Ole Miss he definitely proved he could make “decisions under duress.” Starting every game from 2012-2014, Wallace led the Rebels to come-from-behind victories and what will turn out to be three bowl appearances. Against Mississippi State, Wallace played with a bum ankle and guided the Rebels to a convincing 31-17 victory. In the process, he threw for nearly 300 yards. For the past three years Bo Wallace has been the face of Ole Miss football. He hung in there and provided Rebel fans with many memorable moments. To say he wasn’t capable of “making decisions under duress” is just plain wrong. Finding a replacement for Wallace for the 2015 season will be no easy task for head coach Hugh Freeze. Go Rebels!

Jimmie Purvis Little Rock

by agreeing that the beer that was available was the best beer.

Doug was one of my favorite writers.

I loved his honesty.

Wayne Jordan Little Rock

Giving up privacy With all of the new technologies promising to make our lives faster, easier and more organized, most of us are becoming more public with our lives than ever before. We go about our day with “smart” devices sending location data

out for navigation routes, search terms for returning webpages, or using apps to find a nearby hangout. Often, we don’t realize just how critical this data can be.

Privacy rights have been vanishing since 9/11 with the creation of the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act gives the government unprecedented authority to spy on United States citizens. The general consensus seems to be “I’m not doing anything wrong. Why should I care?”

Imagine for a moment that you are an average law-abiding citizen writing a short suspense thriller during the time you have off from your day job. Some

Let us find your underground utilities before you do.

Lessons from Doug When I arrived at the Arkansas Gazette newsroom in 1966, I had several lively conversations with reporters over a two- or three-month period. We discussed how to gather news, interview technique, etc. It was very informative to me as a 27-year-old rookie. Doug Smith and I had those kinds of chats, and we also discussed how important it was to report the truth as we could tell at the time we gathered the data. That was sacred, because we valued our relationship with our readers. But we did have one disagreement: What was America’s best beer. We quickly resolved that issue 4

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common search terms you might use writing this story could include topics such as poison, types of firearms or creating a fake ID. Couple this with your normal jogging route through the rural part of the county, constantly sending location data to what is essentially the same data set as your search results from earlier.

This kind of information could be used to force you to confess to a crime you didn’t commit. In 2010, “Bill,” a New York resident, was wrongfully accused of downloading child pornography. This accusation surprised Bill so much that he fainted during questioning. Bill lost his job, his home, and was shunned by some of his best friends for something that he never even did.

Even you could find yourself being questioned for conspiracy to commit a crime. If you had to go to legal battle with the FBI, CIA, NSA or any other “alphabet soup” organization, would you be prepared?

Michael Tomlinson Sherwood I remember when Ronald Reagan was elected a friend of mine wore a black armband and said bad things were going to happen. He was right. Reagan let the federal budget get so out of control, he became the first U.S. president to budget for over a trillion dollars. Reagan also attacked working Americans by labeling hundreds of thousands of Americans as “double dippers” and stealing their Social Security benefits. Reagan demonstrated that Republicans could take away Social Security and be lauded as heroes. Arkansas has not learned from history.

The 2014 Republican sweep of Arkansas and the Congress was not the result of a TV show contest or a political game. The political cycle was a lifeand-death struggle between the Great Society and robber barons. No sports metaphor suffices. LBJ’s Great Society has been strapped to a chair with wheels and left to rot by the fireplace. FDR’s New Deal is being replaced by (insert next Republican president’s name)’s raw deal.

Here is how it will happen. The next Republican president will borrow heavily from the Social Security fund, declare the social program bankrupt, and win support from states like Arkansas to privatize Social Security, whereby creating a system that steals life from the poor and gives to the rich. George W. Bush almost succeeded in doing this.

Billionaires now rule Arkansas.

Social Security cannot survive.

Gene Mason Jacksonville

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EYE ON ARKANSAS

WEEK THAT WAS

Quote “You know, to them, they’re being brave and showing off bravado but really, they’re just yellow cowards because only a coward would do that.”

— St. Francis County Sheriff Bobby May following the arrest on animal cruelty charges of two duck hunters who shot housecats for sport. The pair was caught after they posted pictures to Facebook of themselves holding up the dead cats as trophies.

More hogs on the Buffalo?

A joint meeting of the legislative Public Health and Agriculture committees declined to vote on a proposed rule that would have stopped new medium-tolarge-scale hog farms in the Buffalo River watershed. The rule would not have affected existing operations of C&H, the 6,500-head swine farm near a tributary of the river, yet the Farm Bureau and pork producers aggressively pushed back. Citing concern over property rights, most legislators sided with manure over the environment.

Stop the vote Students at the University of ArkanVOTE! sas are one bloc of voters who were likely t o support Fayetteville’s civil rights ordinance Tuesday (see column, opposite page), since polls show younger people favor LGBT equality by much higher margins than older folks.

But over the weekend, the UA administration prevented the school’s graduate student government from running a shuttle bus from campus to a polling location at the county courthouse.

Transportation was to be provided to any student who wanted to vote either for or against, of course.

Why? It’s not because the university opposes the ordinance itself: Chancellor David Gearhart took a laudable stand in favor of it, in fact. But that 6

DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

PLAYING FOR TIPS OR DOG TREATS: Photo by Stuart Bowles from our Eye on Arkansas Flickr group.

public stance generated some uncomfortable heat for the UA from conservative state legislators in Northwest Arkansas. Sounds like the administration felt the need to dampen further legislative criticism by dampening student turnout.

A farewell to Pryor Outgoing U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor delivered a final address to the Senate on Monday in which he condemned the “hyperpartisanship” that he said has rendered the institution “broken.” He called for cooperation and reaching across the aisle. The new Republican majority, he said, must, “turn off the rhetoric and … turn on the governing.” And, he added, “Democrats should help them govern.”

By the numbers: 321,000 — The number of jobs the United States added in

November. If hiring trends continue apace into December, 2014 will be the best year for job growth since 1999. $30,000 — The amount of a grant rejected by the Jonesboro City Council from Cities of Service, a nonprofit that promotes volunteerism and civic beautification projects. Because the group is largely funded by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, a social liberal, Jonesboro Councilman Gene Vance said taking the money would be tantamount to “sell[ing] my soul.”

34 — The percentage of Arkansans who say they’ll never play the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, according to a report from consulting firm Camelot Global. Of those, fewer than half cited religious or ethical objections as their reason for not playing; most said they simply don’t believe the odds are in their favor.

Hedging our bets — on our own kids What was the point of creating a lottery again? Oh yeah — to fund college scholarships. As lottery revenue has declined since its inception five years ago, the money available for students has also shrunk.

It’s a real problem, but a bill

filed by Sen. Jimmy Hickey (R-Texarkana) takes the wrong approach: Degree-seeking high school grads on the lower end of the academic eligibility curve (a GPA between 2.5 and 3.25 and an ACT score under 22) will only receive a scholarship after they’ve successfully completed their freshman year. Hickey’s rationale is that a majority of students in this range lose their scholarships after their first year at college anyway because they often can’t keep their grades up. In other words, kids in the middle of the pack would automatically be placed on a probationary period before the state considers pitching in to help with the cost of their higher education. Poor and minority kids would be hit disproportionately, since academic performance tracks such demographics, broadly speaking.

Yes, university dropout rates are troublingly high, but that indicates deficiencies within the education system. Placing scholarships further out of reach won’t help. If Hickey is concerned about the number of freshmen struggling in college, one would think he’d focus on improving the quality of Arkansas’s K-12 schools — not on creating more disincentives to seeking a degree in the first place.

OPINION

Civil rights history book

W

e went to press before votes were counted in Fayetteville’s referendum Tuesday on its civil rights ordinance.

I expect its defeat. If so, it will be a banner victory for the hate groups that worked to defeat it. Even Fayetteville supports legal discrimination against gay people, they’ll say.

Perhaps the supporters tried to do too much — to be too specific in protections. Even some supportive of equity seemed to think so.

It won’t go down easy for me. I’ve heard a tape of the out-of-town preachers who rallied in Fayetteville, talking in demeaning terms about gay people.

I’ve heard Steve Clark, the Chamber of Commerce leader and advance scout for a son-in-law’s future mayoral bid, shovel bogus legal arguments. I prefer not to take legal advice from someone forced out of public office for stealing tax money in a massive expense account

scandal.

I’ve heard Dean Danny Pugh at the University of Arkansas offer a lame pretext to MAX scrap a shuttle bus BRANTLEY maxbrantley@arktimes.com planned by a student government association to take voters to the polls. No, it wasn’t a partisan shuttle bus. But the legislators who raised hell with the university lobbyist about the activity (which I discovered through a public documents request that the university attempted to discourage) are no friends of equality.

Clark and others said it would be bad for business to adopt an ordinance discouraging discrimination. Yet most of the Fortune 500, including Walmart, have nondiscrimination policies of their own.

Would a creative information-based company like Apple (with its gay CEO) rather locate in a city with an anti-dis-

Racism: More than cops

E

very report of police overreaching with black males — the national spectacles like those involving Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner and the local ones that catch only passing notice in the press — summons a memory from my distant youth.

It was 1954 and, as a callow high school kid from the woods pressed into service as a reporter for the local dailies, I was sent in the evenings to the El Dorado police station, where a little news for the morning paper was most likely to occur. The patrols usually brought a haul of drunks and vagrants, an abusive spouse, a wreck or two and perhaps a liquor-store robbery.

Two policemen brought in a skinny and aging black man, so drunk and docile that he could barely stand. One of the cops was having fun with him, poking him in the ribs with his nightstick and using the racial epithet so common to our culture.

Before herding him to his cell, they emptied his pockets and put the refuse on the desk sergeant’s counter. Seeing his billfold lying on the counter, the old man reached instinctively for it. The cop with the nightstick slammed it hard on the hand, surely crushing the bones. The man fell to the floor with a wail. The arresting officers and the desk sergeant laughed and then dragged and prodded him back to a cell, where he vomited on them, which brought another volley of whacks and epithets. I would see many variations of

the scene, always involving black men.

A drunken white man earned a little more respect.

Though having ERNEST grown up amid DUMAS every vestige of segregation (I went to school and my black playmate didn’t), it was for an unobservant white boy the first recognition of the unjust social order in which he lived. He began then to see it everywhere.

When I returned to the Daily News office and described the incident to J.D., the night editor, a middle-aged bachelor who was good to me and valuable for my career, he got a kick out of it. “That’s why we have cops,” he said.

The policemen were not especially to blame. We were all racists.

If we are to have a national dialogue about race and the law, which is the usual refrain after a spate of killings of unarmed black men or some such incidents, it ought to involve more than the edgy cops who do the deeds that our polite society finds acceptable and even worthy.

Like the rest of the South and Northern cities as well, Arkansas has a rich history of experience with this matter of race and the law that it can bring to bear if a pointless national dialogue indeed were to occur.

Some years ago, my friend Bob Lancaster and I started to work on a book

crimination ordinance or one that voted to restore legal discrimination?

If the ordinance is repealed, the status quo will return. It will be no worse — and maybe even slightly better — in Fayetteville than in other cities. But this doesn’t mean an absence of discrimination. It happens in large and small ways every day in Arkansas. Just last week at Quitman High School, a homecoming maid’s intention to mention she was proud of coming out to her parents led to a silencing of all maids at the event. A teacher told KARK-TV, Ch. 4, this was done for “safety reasons.”

It is hard to believe hearts are kind in a place where a declaration of sexual orientation is deemed unsafe.

All this is headed to the history books.

Some of those who screamed loudest against equality might have cause, like George Wallace, for regret someday.

The historical imperative was in evidence just this week, when stories about the Baseball Hall of Fame vote on former star Dick Allen (he fell one vote short) all recounted the ugly greet-

ing he received 51 years ago as the first black player to break the color line for the Arkansas Travelers. Racists picketed the Little Rock ballpark. Orval Faubus, at the height of his segregationist popularity, threw out the first pitch. Allen was segregated at meals and lodging. Some think it contributed to the aloof man he became. No wonder.

I am pessimist enough not to expect too much too soon on human rights for LGBT people, and not only because of the angry resistance in somewhat progressive Fayetteville. See race.

Racial strife is far from over. The city of Little Rock blindly defends cops who killed a man minding his own business in his apartment when they blundered inside. The Arkansas attorney general is fighting payments to a black man wrongly incarcerated for 11 years on the word of a dirty cop. By most important measures, blacks still receive disparate treatment in the legal system.

The past isn’t past for black people.

And they have nominal equal legal status that gay people can’t yet claim.

that would be a collection of articles from Press of his torture and burning by a the 172 years of the old Arkansas Gazette screaming crowd of 1,000 took up three that would catch the flavor of the Gray full columns of the paper’s front page.

“At 3 o’clock he was tied to a stake near Lady and the state’s colorful history. The project ended, for my part, in grief over the Iron Mountain roundhouse, saturated what the book would have to include: with oil, and burned to death, Mrs. Jewell, the great newspaper’s rich accounts the outraged woman, applying the torch,” of lynchings, vigilantes and posses that the paper’s correspondent wrote. “He died people thought kept them safe from the protesting his innocence, though he was identified to the very fullest extent.” uncivilized minority.

The stories sometimes came almost Four months later, an editorial in the daily and were written with verve and Gazette praised a posse that had captured attention to sickening detail. Some a “negro brute” who was accused of objectivity crept into the stories well molesting a child in the home where he into the reign of the Gazette’s longtime worked, hanged him to a telephone pole owner and editor, Ned Heiskell, and the and riddled his body with bullets. paper came around to opposing lynch law “There are times when that higher law editorially. which discards legal forms, and marches The stories ended with excited in a straight line to the execution of its descriptions of the black man’s end. awful decrees, supersedes all other Young Jim Beavers was grabbed by a tribunals, and, swift and relentless, hurls posse after a “young white lady” said he the thunderbolts of vengeance against is had accosted her on the street in Wilmar victims,” the editor waxed. “The brute when she was walking to school. who assaulted Maggie Doxey yielded his “The brute was captured about 3 o’clock worthless life to this higher law.” this evening about a mile below Wilmar and But that is old stuff and we are all was taken back to near the place where he better than that now, aren’t we? It’s only committed the deed and hung to a limb. Fifty the occasional Texas congressman or or sixty shots were fired into his swinging public official who uses racial slurs in carcass. It runs in the family. Jim Beavers talking about the president of the United is brother of Jeff Beavers, who was hung States (like the New Hampshire police here about a year ago for a similar offense.” commissioner who recently called him There was the case of Ed Coy, “the “that f****** nigger”). negro brute who outraged Mrs. Henry The loathing of the last century has Jewell, a respectable woman,” at her home given way to mere fear of black men and in Texarkana. Separate jubilant accounts by kids who, as Mike Huckabee said, have the Gazette’s reporter and the Associated thuggish attitudes. That’s much better. www.arktimes.com

DECEMBER 11, 2014

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Rolling Stone now publishing fiction

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ike the best crime fiction, Rolling Stone’s infamous article about a purported gang rape at the University of Virginia was vividly written. I’m embarrassed to say that it almost convinced me.

My first reaction to the article’s premise was incredulity. Seven UVA students assault a total stranger at a fraternity party, knowing that if she goes to the cops or anybody gets a guilty conscience they all go to prison? The victim’s friends, after finding her covered in blood outside the Phi Kappa Psi house, urge her to keep quiet lest it wreck their chances to attend frat parties?

“Animal House” meets “The Shining”? I wouldn’t go to a movie with such cartoon villains.

Then I saw author Sabrina Rubin Erdeley on TV, and found her persuasive. So I read the article with mounting dismay: “She remembers how the spectators swigged beers, and how they called each other nicknames like Armpit and Blanket. She remembers the men’s heft and their sour reek of alcohol mixed with the pungency of marijuana. Most of all, Jackie remembers the pain and the pounding that went on and on.”

Without even finishing, I sent a link to my wife Diane, who read it in one horrified take. Having met and married at the University of Virginia, we have only good memories of the Charlottesville campus.

Even Thomas Jefferson’s architecture had a powerful impact: the visible expression of his optimistic 18th-century rationalism. He took more pride in founding UVA than being president. Jefferson’s public and private sins notwithstanding, walking up the lawn to the rotunda can still be an emotional experience.

We had long talks about the Rolling Stone piece. Had American culture really coarsened to where college boys could rape with impunity? Were campus administrators really more interested in protecting the university’s prestige than its women students? Put that way, it seemed possible.

As it happened, we’d known several members of the fraternity where the alleged atrocity took place through my time playing rugby. The team captain and his brother both belonged to Phi Kappa Psi — terrific fellows.

Otherwise, as graduate students, we’d had little contact with UVA fraternities. But what we did know, we didn’t like: Arrogant, entitled fops and snobs, we agreed, although when I’d mention particular individuals, she’d demur.

“Well, no,” she’d say. “Not him.”

Preppy WASPs, of course, are America’s last acceptable crimiGENE nal class. A jourLYONS nalist can “profile” them all she wants with no fear of chastisement. On a recent Slate podcast Erdeley explained she’d decided to write about UVA’s heavy-drinking “elitist fraternity culture” even before she’d met “Jackie,” the alleged victim.

“Southern” was a big part of it too.

The good news is that it was feminist writers Hanna Rosin and Allison Benedikt of Slate’s XX column who first expressed incredulity that Erdeley made no serious effort to contact Jackie’s supposed assailants — and that Rolling Stone editors apparently let her get away with it.

Does Rolling Stone employ no lawyers?

No publication I’ve ever written for would let me accuse identifiable individuals of serious felonies without giving them a chance to speak.

Then Washington Post reporters went to work. What they found should shock every working journalist in the U.S.A., and lead to everybody involved in the Rolling Stone piece being drummed out of the profession.

Erdeley’s turns out to be a one-source story, based entirely on Jackie’s say-so.

What’s more, blow away the smoke from people blathering about “rape culture” and insisting that women (almost) never lie about such things, and there’s no firm evidence that anybody at Phi Kappa Psi (or anywhere else at UVA) ever laid a hand on the poor child.

It’s simply impossible to know.

If Rolling Stone’s story reads like a Stephen King novel, that may be because it’s largely imaginary.

UVA pledge events take place during spring semester, not September. The side door Jackie escaped from doesn’t exist.

Her three friends say they encountered her about a mile from Phi Kappa Psi that night, telling a lurid, but very different story involving forced oral sex. Jackie had no visible wounds. It was she who insisted on keeping quiet.

They also say Erdeley never interviewed them.

Jackie’s alleged seducer “Drew” never belonged to the fraternity and denies ever dating Jackie — an easy alibi to break, unless true.

A racist system

I

n the wake of the killings of Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Sean Bell, John Crawford, Tamir Rice, Ernest Hoskins, Jordan Dunn and others at the hands of police officers, security guards and self-appointed vigilantes, I’ve heard people ask the following: If black men know the system is unfair to them, why do black men do things to get in trouble?

This question forgets how systemic racism is in America. At its foundation, we are a nation that was established by white men drafting rules and laws from their point of view. The mistreatment of people of color has never been an isolated incident. It’s a continuum of purposeful, often legal, actions to keep people of color in a constant state of second-class citizenship. As noted by Ta-Nehisi Coates in his article “The Case for Reparations,” America’s history includes 250 years of legally justified slavery, followed by 90 or so years of lightly challenged Jim Crow polices, overlapped and followed by 60 or so years of separate-but-equal doctrines, and followed by almost 40 years of statesanctioned economic policies that control where or if black people could own homes. Today, thanks to the effects of the so-called war on drugs, we’re living in a new era of Jim Crow. Although rates of drug use are comparable across racial lines, police and prosecutors disproportionately target people of color for arrest and prosecution. The U.S. jails a higher percentage of its black population than did South Africa at the height of apartheid, according to Michelle Alexander in her devastating book, “The New Jim Crow.”

“Once you’re labeled a felon,” Alexander writes, “the old forms of discrimination — employment discrimination, housing discrimination, denial of the right to vote, denial of educational opportunity, denial of food stamps and other public benefits, and exclusion from jury service — are suddenly legal. As a criminal you have scarcely more rights, and arguably less respect, than a black man living in Alabama at the height of Jim Crow.”

Why are we then surprised that a system constructed and tweaked over the course of hundreds of years to ensure control over a second class would take more than a generation or two to dismantle? It’s naive to think that these historical actions have not continued to evolve or that they don’t currently impact social policy.

America labels black boys and black men a threat or a problem shortly after we are born. Studies from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have shown that zip code and race are strong predictors of life expectancy. For a great many of us,

our life outcomes are determined, and sometimes judged erroneously, before we are born.

For black boys and SAM black men, this O’BRYANT labeling continues from elementary school all the way through graduate school. We’re branded as less than human as we acquire employment and seek loans for a mortgage. This labeling persists whether our pants are sagging below our waist, whether we are wearing lab coats or if we are impeccably dressed in a tailored Hart Schaffner Marx suit. Neither our college degrees nor our professional titles and accomplishments grant us immunity from this labeling and disrespect.

Introduction to the system does not require trouble. Introduction to the system doesn’t begin with a police encounter. It does not begin with an appearance before a judge. It begins at birth. Black men are born into a larger system that doesn’t recognize their full humanity. As a result, it puts limits on our future attempts at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Of course, one can purposely insert himself into the criminal justice system by committing crimes. But there are a number of black males who, by merely existing, also face arrest and adjudication in an unjust system just by fitting a description.

In front of every gateway to opportunity is a gatekeeper that likely is not black. This doesn’t mean that they are evil or dislike black people. It just means that there is no frame of reference to review when someone of color seeks access to that opportunity. Their denial of opportunity is likely based on an inability to see someone of color as they see themselves. Yes, my sons will encounter greater hope and change and love and acceptance and opportunity than their grandparents and even I have seen. There has certainly been great progress. However, there are still those they will encounter who will deny them opportunity, unreasonably fear them, or, worse — all because of the color of their skin and an inability to see them as deserving of equal opportunity.

November 10 – January 7

T

he lens of photographer Johnny Cash Gordon Gillingham June Carter provides backdoor perspective Elvis Presley Roy Rogers on the longest running radio Patsy Cline program in the world, the Minnie Pearl Grand Ole Opry. During the Chet Atkins 1950s, Gillingham captured Hank Williams Jr. the carousing spirit of the … MORE! era, both on- and off-stage.

Many of these remarkable photographs have never before been published or reproduced. The Grand Ole Opry exhibit unveils this insider’s view of a vital hallmark of American culture in historical context, including audio snippets of the radio show itself.

A program of ExhibitsUSA, a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance with The Arkansas Arts Council and The National Endowment for the Arts.

ARGENTA BRANCH 420 MAIN STREET • NORTH LITTLE ROCK 5 0 1 - 6 8 7 - 1 0 6 1 • W W W. L A M A N L I B R A R Y. O R G W I L L I A M F. L A M A N P U B L I C L I B R A R Y S Y S T E M

Sam O’Bryant serves as deputy director of SchoolSeed, a public education foundation in Memphis. As a former resident of Little Rock, Sam was instrumental in developing community-based programs with a focus on anti-poverty, youth development, and college access. www.arktimes.com

DECEMBER 11, 2014

9

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ARKANSAS TIMES 10

DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

s has become custom in the overlap of seasons, this bag of Pearls is a mixed one. We’ll first address postseason for the gridiron Hogs, a favorable Texas Bowl slotting with onetime rival Texas on Dec. 29 that has more intrigue than any game between 6-6 alsorans would normally merit.

Texas scraped into bowl consideration after Charlie Strong’s first, tumultuous year in Austin despite four of its six losses being utter routs. The Longhorns were throttled by BYU, Baylor, Kansas State and TCU, but managed to do some things right along the way, too, escaping Big 12 play with a winning mark, though none of their five league victories come close to being as impressive as the Hogs’ two in SEC play.

Arkansas native Strong, hot off a quality stint at Louisville, spent the better part of the season weeding out disciplinary problems and learning whether he had playmakers at all. He ended up shepherding a turnover-prone (-1 cumulative for the year, largely a product of 15 lost fumbles) bunch, and discovering that the defensive side of the ball, where he cut his teeth, is feisty but lacking. The Longhorns are every bit as middling as their record suggests, with a young and gifted quarterback named Tyrone Swoopes, who actually played pretty well most of the year until a fourinterception finale against the dominant Horned Frogs sullied his overall numbers a bit. John Harris was a dynamic receiver who logged four 100-yard games; the running back tandem of Malcolm Brown and Jonathan Gray is far from flashy, but nonetheless had fair production.

The Horns labored in the fourth quarter, yielding 114 total points after being fairly stingy through the first three, and the lack of experience and depth on either side of the ball ensnared them. To their credit, when the schedule lightened up in November, Texas seized on the chance and pasted Texas Tech, West Virginia and Oklahoma State by a combined 95-36 before the TCU blasting dampened their spirits. In a way, their trajectory was eerily close to the one Arkansas mapped out: The Hogs got their bearings late, too, and had to settle on 6-6 after a final-game disappointment.

There’ll be a more detailed preview of this game in the Christmastime issue, but for now, it’s precisely what we reasonably could have envisioned: a yardstick for program advances against a longtime foe in a locale that presumably will persuade Hog fans to leave their own backyard for a quick road trip.

On to basketball for the first time this season: Arkansas has dipped in and out of the Top 25 with BEAU the same pace that WILCOX Mike Anderson ironically fancies on the court. After a 6-0 start that featured no real signature moments, save for the requisite Mike Qualls aerials in cavernous Bud Walton Arena against lower-tier foes, the Hogs got two golden chances to show just how far they’d allegedly come and proceeded to squander both in an all-too-familiar way.

The first leg was to play Fred Hoiberg’s dagger-firing Iowa State Cyclones.

Arkansas promptly fell behind by double digits within minutes, and even its own offensive virtues (better 50 percent from the floor and decent long-range marksmanship all game long) weren’t enough to offset a true no-show defensively.

It could have just been chalked up as the Hogs going up against a better opponent at the wrong time, but alas, the encore was a 68-65 overtime defeat at Clemson where the Razorbacks sputtered in every conceivable way, notably collapsing miserably in the final minute to the thoroughly mediocre Tigers. As had been the case for the first few games, Qualls and Bobby Portis both appeared, combining for 39 points and 13 rebounds.

The supporting cast flubbed it. Rashad Madden particularly earned the ire of fans with critical turnovers and a complete goose egg in the scoring column over 31 empty minutes, but again there were bizarre personnel choices underscoring that deficiency. With Madden was so terribly out of sync, why did he see that much action? Anton Beard and Manny Watkins weren’t too helpful but barely cracked 10 minutes of floor time, and junior college transfer Jabril Durham continues to sit while the likes of Madden and Alandise Harris are floundering.

And there’s the ever-present, and at this point, comically rhetorical question about why Anderson seems stubbornly defiant about playing Portis and raw but talented Moses Kingsley simultaneously. The latter has star potential since Portis’ offensive gifts are so diverse and draw so much defensive attention; Kingsley’s minutes and production, though, are barely up a tick.

Could be another season of frustrating flashes of brilliance and absurdity, and if it’s heavy on the latter, Anderson’s time here may be shorter than hoped.

THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

Show, don’t tell

W

hat you’re holding in your hands (or, as the case may be, staring at on a digital screen) is our soon-to-be-annual Fiction Issue, which contains the results of our recent contest for Arkansas writers. The Arkansas Times used to publish plenty of fiction and poetry back in the 1970s, so this is actually a return to form, not to mention an attempt to shine a well-deserved spotlight on just a few denizens of the community of writers in Arkansas.

The Observer is a longtime scribbler, and not just of stuff that gets printed in the newspaper. We started writing fiction back in seventh grade, after our ambition to become the modern-day Walt Whitman got hopelessly entangled in our inability to keep it short and economical. The Observer sits down at a keyboard and out it comes, like a sweater-unraveling thread. Such is the length, breadth and depth of our blessing and curse. If you’re writing journalism and have the room to run, that can be a good thing.

If you’re writing “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”? Not so much.

Though it might alarm you to know that many of the purveyors of newspaper facts and figures are closet fictionalists, such is the case with a lot of reporters. Actors secretly want to direct, cobblers’ apprentices dream of shoving the master off the stool and making the shoes of their dreams, and scads of reporters quietly long to spin the artful lies of fiction. Mark Twain, back when he was plain ol’ Sam Clemens, worked as a reporter.

Hemingway, too. So it can be done.

As The Observer has discovered, however, it’s damn hard to force yourself to make pants meet chair at your writing desk in the evenings after you’ve spent the past eight hours doing the same thing at work. Somehow, though, we manage.

The Observer, a long-ago graduate of a writing program up in the corn country, also teaches creative writing

out at UALR. Semester after semester for 13 years now, we’ve parked it in well-lit, industrial-beige rooms and tried to impart the unimpartable: how to reach down into the guts of your guts and do the work of the artist, that beautiful transubstantiation of large blocks of mortal time into a bare handful of immortal words. Hopefully immortal, anyway.

It’s a cliche, but in our time teaching, The Observer has easily learned more from our charges than we ever taught them. That being said, reading the stories of beginning writers is like a slog through the primordial jungles of Burma. You know it’s going to be hellish. But once in every thousand miles, you might stumble up on a lost city, where beautiful monkeys hold sway and all the godlike statues sparkle with rubies and emeralds. The Observer has found a student builder of lost cities a time or two, someone who is doing things you just can’t teach and doing them by instinct, God having reached down and turned that person’s mind into a Swiss watch that tells the world what’s wrong with it along with what time it is. That’s when the hardest work of the teacher begins: trying to adjust that watch without breaking it. That’s frightful hard, children. Lay Awake and Sweat hard, though another thing we’ve found is that a lot of teaching someone like that is just telling them it’s OK to say what they want to say and then stepping off the tracks.

There we go again, running on. As we said: blessing and curse. What are you reading this for, when you could be hip deep in the fiction found on the next few pages? Go on. Lose yourself for a while. Crawl inside someone else’s head. That’s what reading is good for, friend — The Paper Vacation — along with the greatest gift fiction writers can bestow: the understanding that no matter what feeling, fear or secret lust you hold inside you, you are not alone.

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

11

Arkansas Reporter

THE

IN S IDE R

Despite ethics law, lobbyists still wining, dining lawmakers Amendment 3, which has taken effect, prohibits gifts of any sort by lobbyists or from someone who employs or contracts with a lobbyist.

Yet, Mullenix and Associates lobbying firm, one of the leaders of the opposition to the ethics amendment, hosted a steak-and-shrimp feed at the Capitol Hill building for legislators on Monday night.

The new ethics amendment allows for outside groups to pay for food and drink at “a planned activity to which a specific government body is invited.”

The Arkansas Times has written repeatedly that this would be a loophole big enough to drive the whole legislature through. Get out of the way. A semi-truck loaded with steaks and booze is bearing down on the Arkansas legislature this week. Already meals and drinks have been provided by the Arkansas Grocers and Retail Merchants Association, the Arkansas Manufactured Housing Association, the Arkansas Petroleum Council, the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association, CenterPoint Energy ARKLA, Impact Management, Phillips Management & Consulting Service, the Arkansas Hospital Association, the Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas, Noble Strategies, the Arkansas Forestry Association, the Arkansas Timber Producers Association, the Arkansas Forest and Paper Council, the Arkansas Bankers Association and the Poultry Federation.

With events sponsored by the Arkansas Beverage Association, the Society of Association Executives, the Arkansas Society of Professional Lobbyists and the Arkansas Health Care Association.

Term limit reset?

Speaking of the ethics amendment, Randy Zook, boss of the state’s biggest business lobby, the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, said at a Monday panel on the new ethics law that good lawyers believe its term limits provision restarts for all legislators the counting of years served toward term limits.

The sponsors of the amendment, Rep. Warwick Sabin (D-Little Rock) and Sen. Jon Woods (R-Springdale), think he’s wrong. The Arkansas Times think he’s wrong. The supporters of term limits who opposed the amendment think he’s wrong, though they don’t like the amendment. There was never a discussion of this amendment that included an outlook that past service wouldn’t count if this amend-

Edina Begic, on top of state athletics UALR volleyball player was part of greatest Trojan team ever.

tered multiple career records and finished as a three-time conference player of the year, but his team didn’t win a post-season game. Former Harding University basketball player Matt Hall and Kayla Jackson, a former University of Arkansas at Monticello softball star, also both won multiple conference player of the year and All-America awards.

In Division I women’s sports, former UCA basketball player Megan Herbert comes closest to Begic. Herbert, a three-

BY EVIN DEMIREL

O

n Saturday night, the career of Edina Begic, one of the best athletes ever to attend an Arkansas university, ended with what she called a “heartbreaking loss” to Oregon State University.

Begic was part of UALR’s most powerful team in program history, the Sun Belt champions with a nation-best 24-match winning streak. The team went to the NCAA Tournament in Topeka, Kan., on Friday, Dec. 5, knocking out the host No. 11 University of Kansas in the first round.

But on Dec. 6, the Trojans lost an excruciatingly close contest to Oregon State, which is part of the volleyball powerhouse Pac-12 Conference. “My hat’s off to Arkansas-Little Rock,” said OSU Coach Terry Liskevych, former head coach of the United States’ women’s national volleyball team. “They’ve got a really good team. There’s not much difference in the two teams.”

Senior outside hitter Begic had led UALR through a 20-0 tear in conference play, the most dominant in Sun Belt history, and to the brink of the NCAA Sweet 16, reached by only one Sun Belt team in 22 years. “We feel so empty,” Begic said after the loss to Oregon State.

All the same, the 22-year-old Begic can take solace in the history her team made.

UALR won five sets (each match is bestof-five) after winning zero sets in four previous NCAA Tournament appearances. That flourish topped off a career unsurpassed by any other student-athlete playing a team sport at an Arkansas university this century. Consider these Begic bona fides: • Three-time Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year (most in conference his-

TOP GUN: Begic’s career is unsurpassed in state, including a No. 1 kill ranking in 2012.

tory).

• Last year, set an NCAA record by winning a conference player of the week award seven times, five of them back to back.

• Broke that record this season by winning the award eight times.

• In 2012, ranked No. 1 in the nation in kills (an attack not returned by the opponent, resulting in a point) per set.

• In 2013, ranked No. 3 in kills per set and paired with teammate Sonja Milanovic to form the nation’s top spiking duo (with 9.09 kills per set).

• Consensus top hitter in program history, finishing first in career kills, second in digs and fourth in service aces.

Begic isn’t one to relish individual accomplishments. The 6-foot-2 Bosnia native gives much credit to her coaches, trainer and teammates’ strong play. Still, her overall career brilliance puts her in a class of her own. Henderson State University quarterback Kevin Rodgers just finished a career in which he also shat-

time conference player of the year (who should have won it all four years), was one of the nation’s most prolific rebounders despite standing 5-foot-10. But she never led a team nearly as impressive as Begic’s 2014 squad, and her Sugar Bears never broke into the NCAA Tournament.

On the Division I men’s side, former Razorback Darren McFadden had some legendary games against elite competition, and he twice won the nation’s award for best running back, but his overall gameto-game running statistics were not as impressive as Begic’s kill statistics.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock doesn’t have many athletic programs clearly better than the Razorbacks’. This season, volleyball qualified as one. The Trojans ranked higher in national polls than the Razorbacks, who were beaten decisively by Kansas in a regular season match.

Now that Begic’s career is over, can UALR preserve this in-state supremacy and its emerging mid-major power status?

Next year, with seven returning playCONTINUED ON PAGE 46

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

THE

Arkansas Fiction: the survey

PICTURE

We asked local literary figures for Arkansas novels they wish were better known. Here are a few of the results:

BIG

M

y favorite “A r kan sas novel” of recent years isn’t by an Arkansan at all (the author was born in Louisiana) — though it will delight anyone who’s familiar with the phrase “Lord God Bird.” “Where Things Come Back,” John Corey Whaley’s 2011 debut, is about a small community in Arkansas — the fictional Lily, which sounds a lot like real-life Brinkley — where things get weird when a birdwatcher spots the thought-to-be-extinct Lazarus Woodpecker. Meanwhile, the 17-year-old protagonist has bigger things on his mind: girl problems, family problems, the task of growing up. The story is funny, poignant, and surprising — everything you want from a novel, whether you’re 16 or 60. — Eliza Borné, Oxford American “Had I suspected the orgy of bloodshed upon which we were about to embark, I should then and there, in spite of my bulk and an arthritic knee, have taken shrieking to my heels.” Thus begins “Murder à la Richelieu” (1937) by Anita Blackmon of Augusta, one of the most popular practitioners of the “Had I Been Known” school of mystery writing so popular during the 1920s and 1930s. Two of her Adelaide Adams books, including “There Is No Return” (1938), have been brought back into print by Coachwhip Press, and both are delightfully overwrought and dramatic.

Pine Bluff native Mars Hill published his first and only book, “The Moaner’s Bench” (1998), in his late 70s, as if he’d been saving up a lifetime of wisdom and grace for this one work. A fictional memoir, it tells the story of Sun Hughes, who grows up in a prosperous black merchant family in the Arkansas Delta, relatively innocent of the larger world until the Depression hits. Hill’s lyrical writing carries the reader along in a beautiful coming-of-age story that evokes the French aphorism, “To understand everything is to forgive everything.”

“Living in Little Rock with Miss Little Rock” (1993)

by Jack Butler is one of those larger-than-life books people either love or hate. Narrated by the Holy Ghost (HoG, for short), and with many real Little Rock people and places barely disguised by other names, it tells the

story of Charles Morrison (“lawyer, CPA, and fool for love”) and his wife, Lianne (“the former Miss Little Rock of nineteen-sixty-oops”), good Southern liberals both.

Butler’s novel is part soap opera, part murder mystery, and all free-wheeling meditation upon the nature of reality, love, sex, belief and evil — Ulysses with a drawl.

— Guy Lancaster, Encyclopedia of Arkansas To his avid readers, it’s no secret that Donald Harington produced some of the most extraordinary novels of the last 50 years — great, tender, joyful, ribald books of such exceptional dynamism and humanity that their characters seem to sail in high arcs off the page, landing deep inside the living world.

His debut, “The Cherry Pit,” was published nearly half a century ago, in 1965, and his last, “Enduring,” in 2009, shortly before he passed away. In between, he wrote 13 other novels and one sui generis travelogue about the lost towns of Arkansas.

What follows are my own five favorites from this rich catalogue of work. (Fair warning, though: A few years ago, when I was corresponding with another Harington obsessive, we discovered that our personal top-five lists contained not a single overlapping title.) Harington’s book jackets frequently quote Fred Chappell as saying, “Donald Harington isn’t an unknown writer. He’s an undiscovered continent.” Well, if the continent of Donald Harington is one on which you’ve yet to set foot, any of these novels might offer a fine spot to come ashore: 1.) “The Cockroaches of Stay More,” the Harington novel I most treasure, but also an outlier in his body of work: a strange and touching story of love, disillusionment, and the perils of religious faith, modeled after “Tess of the d’Urbervilles,” that just so happens to be situated amongst a large cast of cockroaches; but if you would rather your characters be human beings instead of insects, you might try — 2.) “The Choiring of the Trees,” a historical novel set in 1914 and based on actual events, whose central romance, between a prisoner condemned to death CONTINUED ON PAGE 45

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INSIDER, CONT. ment were to be adopted (surprise, it was!) and counting would begin anew.

But it’s true that under Arkansas law, there is no official record of legislative “intent” by which the Arkansas Supreme Court may interpret a statute except the plain language of the measure.

The new law amended, but did not replace the old limit of six years in the House and eight in the Senate. It said no member of the General Assembly shall serve more than 16 years in total (except for a senator who had a lucky draw after redistricting, for two more years). Could Nick Wilson come back and start a new run of 16 years from Pocahontas? There doesn’t seem to be any wiggle room.

But if a court does rule in such a fashion, it will set on fire the term limits people who are even now considering another amendment drive to roll back this change in the law. We also predict the Supreme Court in years ahead is likely to be much too finely attuned to the popular will to do such a thing.

Central Flying and TAC air working on potential deal

TAC Air, a fixed-base operation at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, has reached a tentative agreement to purchase a part of Central Flying Service’s operations.

Dick Holbert, CEO of the familyowned Central Flying, said there was a letter of intent and the two companies were working on a purchase agreement, but details were not yet complete. In it, Central would divest itself of line operations — fueling and hangars — to TAC. Central would continue aircraft sales, charter flights, flight training and aircraft maintenance, which includes everything from interiors to avionics and paint.

Central has 21 hangars on 77 acres at the airport. Holbert said TAC would assume the land leases and buy the hangars, then lease space back to Central. TAC would be the sole fuel supplier under the deal. Holbert cautioned that the deal might not be completed.

TAC Air, a Truman Arnold company, purchased the assets of Supermarine of Little Rock earlier this year and started operating in Little Rock, its 14th fixedbase operation.

Central Flying, in business since 1939, calls itself the world’s largest fixed-based operator.

Holbert was anxious to dispel rumors that Central was being sold in its entirety.

“We’re in our 75th year and we intend to be here a lot longer,” he said. www.arktimes.com

DECEMBER 11, 2014

13

2014 ARK ANSAS TIMES

Fiction Contest For our first-ever Arkansas Fiction Contest, we put out a call for previously unpublished stories by local authors that, in some significant or minor way, engaged the question of what it means to live in Arkansas in 2014. We received over 75 submissions from all over the state in response. The stories were passed on anonymously to our guest judge, Little Rock novelist Trenton Lee Stewart, who selected the winner, “Waltz.” The Times staff also picked an honorable mention, “Carnival.”

OUR JUDGE

Trenton Lee Stewart

14

DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

Waltz

By Seth Eli Barlow

T

omorrow when the authorities find Timothy Manning’s body, the 16 year old will be face down at the edge of a cornfield at the end of Corning Road. Aside from the bullet wound to his head and a scratch to his face caused in the fall, the body will be untouched, the animals will not have found it yet.

T

···

he Lapham family has been here since before the War. Jed had come back from France, the only of his brothers to do so.

Some people said he came back a

hero, having saved three men. But in the afternoons, after church, in the parlors and foyers of the big houses in town, some of the women and even more men would whisper that he had been a deserter. In the schoolyard boys taunted each other with dares to fetch his wooden leg or glass eye or metal hand. All things they had never seen, but had imagined him to have.

Jed Lapham never spoke of the War. He came into town only rarely, to the butcher, the general store, the mill or smith when his mule needed shod. He would slink though the place, always standing under his

own shadow. He always came on foot, walking the miles from his farm.

Sixty acres he had with his mother, fifty-nine of them tobacco, an endless reach of leaves and dryers.

His mother died in winter. She was foul and no one missed her. For months, no one saw Jed in town. In the spring he reappeared and married. The girl wasn’t local and no one knew from where she came. She was a frail thing. Waifish and all but translucent. She hung on her feet, little more than a stand of clothes drying in the breeze. They had a baby and then another, both boys, Jed Jr.

and Dennis, four years apart.

A day on the road in the wagon, Jed, his wife and their boys. They moved forward, a speck on the road, inching ahead. Dennis sat on his mother’s lap, the pale skin of his knees turning pink through the holes in his pants. Jed held the reins while Jed Jr. walked along side, brandishing a stick and striking out at the rare beetle that dared cross his path.

On the far horizon another speck formed, something dark and lumbering coming toward them. Another wagon, a 10-horse team carrying logs. Two men drove the wagon, their CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 www.arktimes.com

DECEMBER 11, 2014

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2.125"

11.25"

dark skin shining under the noon sun, their wide brimmed hats bobbing as their team pulled them over the rutted earth.

Jed steered his mules to the side of the road as the larger team approached. Behind the logs, another length behind the first wagon, was a second. Jed thought he saw a family, their wagon filled with chairs and curios and all the other things he thought might make a home.

Jed Jr. looked up at the black men as they drove their horses. The wagon trundled on, its wheels creaking through the road. And then a tear, the sound of ripping, of ropes unbinding. The lengths of the logs shifted in the back. They slipped loose. Wood groaning with gravity. It started at the top, a sudden rolling, something underneath had given way. They fell slowly.

Jed looked on at the rolling logs, each one bouncing down the wagon’s side. They thudded into the dirt of the road, orange dirt clouding up around them. They rolled to where Jed Jr. stood. They overtook him.

They rolled over his small frame and he was gone.

His wife screamed, the loudest sound she had ever made. She stood halfway and clutched Dennis, still in her lap, even closer to her small breast. Jed sat, the reins stills in his hands, the logs still rolling down.

When the last of them had come to rest at the wheels of his wagon, only then did Jed open his mouth. The log pile was silent.

The two black drivers hopped down. “Sorry,” the taller one said.

“Haulin’ logs for the family,” he said, nodding to the smaller wagon coming up the road. “Didn’t mean to startle you, ma’am,” said the shorter.

Jed found the strength to stand.

“My boy,” he said. He pointed to the roll of logs. “My boy, he’s there. Under there.” The two men looked at each other, slowly coming to understand.

“Run back and tell Mr. Manning,” the taller said, and the shorter one took off. “Come on and help me,” he said to Jed. He put himself at one end of the nearest log, and told Jed to take the other. He bent down, and wrapped his hands under the bark.

He grunted and the tree lifted. At the other end Jed struggled to lift the tree. “Come on now,” the man said,

LISA LEE & JUSTIN MOORE Book Signing Thursday, December 18th, 12PM 11500 Financial Centre Parkway Little Rock (501) 954-7646 Join the acclaimed author and the Arkansas singer/songwriter as they sign copies of this entertaining history of the Academy of Country Music Awards, which includes rare photos and candid reflections from legends like Reba McEntire and Garth Brooks.

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

“give it everything you got.”

They heaved again and the log rolled back, away from the pile. Jed stepped back. “It’s too heavy. I can’t lift them all.” He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against his wagon.

“I know they’re heavy, sir, but you have to try,” the driver said. “Only way your son has a chance is if we can move these right now.” He wiped sweat from his brow. “Now, let’s start with this smaller one. You get on that side and let’s try.”

Jed did as he was told, and as the driver counted they heaved and rolled back another of the logs.

“Good job now,” he said. “Just a couple more.” They rolled another log and then another, till finally Jed stumbled back into the road.

“I can’t.” His chest was heaving and his shirt was soaked through, now just another translucent layer of skin.

He reached back into the wagon and grabbed the brown bottle that sat half empty at his wife’s feet. She was quiet and crying, her eyes closed, not wanting to see.

The second wagon was now upon them, and a tall man in shirt and boots stepped down. The taller driver stepped forward to explain.

They huddled and whispered, each taking slow glances at the wagon, the pile, and the sobbing man taking long pulls from his bottle. When their conversation was finished, the tall man stepped forward and took off his hat.

“Well, this is unfortunate.” He extended his hand, his face waxen and taut. “Ezra Manning. These are my wife Delores and our boy Peter.”

He nodded back to the woman sitting at the wagon’s front under a parasol and the boy asleep in its back. His face relaxed as he scanned the road in each direction. “Heartbreaking.

An act of God, this is.” He wiped his brow with the kerchief from his breast pocket. “Terribly upsetting, I can only imagine.”

“Joseph, Willam.” The drivers came forward. “You work on clearing these logs.” Ezra turned to face Jed directly, put his arm on his shoulder, turning him away from the mess.

“These logs were being moved for our store. We plan to build out on the old tram road.”

Jed stared at the man, tried to listen to his words, to comprehend. “My

boy,” he began to speak.

“Yes, Joseph said you believe your boy might have been struck in the fall.

Well,” Ezra said, “obviously this a terrible accident. You must be in shock.

Come and let me help you.”

He guided Jed to the rear of his wagon and fished out a bottle that he palmed into Jed’s unfeeling hand.

“Nothing wrong with it at a time like this. Some for the missus, as well, God bless her.”

Jed said thank you, but he wasn’t sure why.

“Now tell me your name, sir,” Ezra said.

Jed told the man his name, and answered the rest of his questions: where he lived and what he did.

“Right,” Ezra said, “Corning Road, I know it.” Jed couldn’t tell if the man was now smiling or squinting from the sun. “Now please listen to me, Mr. Lapham,” Ezra said, looking into his eyes. Jed tried to shift his gaze elsewhere, but found it impossible to look anywhere but at the man or his son, now sitting up in the wagon.

“It’ll be a few months yet before we get our store open for business, but when we do, I want you to please accept this.” He took a folded sheet of paper out of his pocket. “That is five dollars credit for you and the missus. It’ll help get you back on the right foot from this.” He shoved the paper into Jed’s hand, and again Jed said thank you.

“None necessary,” Ezra said, and he walked Jed back to his own wagon.

“We help one another in times of suffering. You would do the same.”

He tipped his hat to Jed’s wife, now staring silently out across the fields.

“Now let me get on to town. As soon as we arrive I can have more of my men come out to help with the logs.”

He reached out his hand, and when Jed’s didn’t rise to meet it, he leaned in and shook it where it hung limply at his side. Ezra turned to walk back to his wagon. “God be with you,” he said, and his horses stepped forward.

P

···

eter Manning inherited the store on Highway 165. He opened every morning but Sunday at eight, parking his Bel Air just off the side of the building, where

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it would catch the morning sun and transform into a dream for every short bed owner for three counties.

It was summer and his son Robert was in the corner, two dolls and an empty whisky box keeping him occupied. He was eight, that tender age when the first wisps of understanding begin to take hold. He sat there in the corner, a doll in each hand, the navy of his button-down reflecting in the linoleum floor.

Peter kept his place at the register.

Outside a rusting truck pulled into the lot, expelling a tall thing of a man, tattered and worn. The bell above the door sounded and the stranger entered and stepped to the counter.

“Morning. What can I do for you?”

Peter said.

The man propped himself against the counter, eyes dull. “Seagrams. A fifth.”

Peter scanned him. Knew him. “A fifth. Four dollars.”

“God-fuck, four dollars!” the man stammered, still holding onto the counter. “It was three seventy-five last Friday!”

Robert put down the dolls, eyed the exchange from the corner.

“Well, it’s four dollars today,” Peter said. “If you don’t like it, try Davidson’s up the road.”

The man stepped back and shook his head, his tumble of hair falling down over his face. “No. No. It’s fine.

Just put it on my credit.”

Robert watched the man, his weight shifting from leg to leg, like he couldn’t decide at what moment he should run for the door.

“Alright, what’s your name?” Peter took his debt records from beneath the counter, the leather-bound notebook coming to rest just inches from where the man held onto the counter.

“Dennis. Dennis Lapham.” He was sweating.

“Right, yes. Your Tom, he’s in my Robbie’s class at school, I think.”

Peter flipped through the pages. Dennis didn’t answer.

Robert knew Thomas, the boy who sat at the back of the class. He didn’t have shoes.

“Well, Dennis, I have here that your credit is already at thirty dollars. I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that until you pay . . .”

“Well,” the man interrupted, “you see, I just got back from Seoul.” He

was shaking now. “Work’s a little slow right now.”

“Well, certainly, I understand, but —” “I was injured, see.” The man hooked down the collar of his shirt that maybe once had been white to show a red rippling of skin across his shoulder. “Shrapnel. See?” He held out a hand to brace the counter but fell short and tipped forward. Peter stepped back, his finger never leaving the man’s name in his records. “Fine.

Fine. I’m fine.”

“Would you like some water,” Peter said. He was in the cloud of musk the man had brought with him. “There’s a spigot round back.”

“Please,” the man said, spittle ejecting into the hairs of his mustache, “just the Seagram’s. A pint? A half?” He struggled into his pocket, and showed a jangle of coins. “I have enough for that — three seventy-five.”

Robert stood up, moved down the aisle, past the scissors, aluminum foil, writing tablets. He carried a doll in one hand, a bulbous thing, oversized head and eyes. The plastic face was both a baby’s and a creature’s. Auburn curls hung down, crossing its forehead.

“No,” said Peter, his voice hard and grey. “Dennis, I think it’s time you head on home.” Dennis flashed and jerked. The coins in his hands rained down onto the tile. He leapt up, reaching over the counter to the shelf of glass bottles on the wall. He missed and landed half on the counter, his face hungry and fearless. He lashed out again, knocking over cans of soup, which came banging down the aisle to Robert’s feet. Peter tore around the counter and grabbed the man in a great bear hug, pinning his arms to his side, while he still writhed and squirmed for the bottles.

Robert stared at the men. He had never seen his father as anything but a doting parent. But now, as his father wrestled the man though the door and out into the parking lot, he saw all the power of a man and all the danger that comes with power, and everything that he had the potential to be.

Peter pushed the man out and into his truck. Told him to leave. To never come back until he had the money to pay. Dennis reached into the seat beside him and lobbed one of the empty bottles out the window.

It sailed pitifully into the grass, missing Peter, the Bel Air, everything else.

The rusty truck trundled onto the road, a steady stream of curses wafting in its wake. Rubber burned as the trucked swerved before finally settling into a single lane.

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he Lapham house at the end of Corning Road had no neighbors for a mile in any direction, save a tessellation of rice and soy and cornrows. Samantha lived at the back of the house, her window overlooking a steady plateau of corn stalks that ran until the pine and cypress bumped up into the riverbank.

It had been her grandfather’s and her grandfather’s father’s before that.

Now she sulked alone in her room, a corner tucked into a part of her family history that had not been forgotten, but ignored. The house was small enough that, even had the walls not been almost gossamer thin, she would have heard her parents.

They were shouting again. The same words, or maybe different words, she couldn’t remember. As they always were. Their voices rising and falling. The familiar thud of skin, a scream, a slammed door, the subtle clink of a glass bottle. She looked out her window. Her mother climbed into her truck, eye already blackening, and disappeared into two red beams of light.

“Sam,” he called. “Get in here!”

She came, shuffling. “What?”

He was studying the place where his shoes met the floor. “Your mom…”

He wobbled.

“I know,” she said.

“She’ll be back.” The last word slurring into itself. His eyes were still down. She stared at the top of his head, freckled and half seeded with brindle hairs. They stood there, in the same space, four feet and the smell of spilt whiskey between them.

“Okay.” She turned and left him, locking herself back into her corner.

She idled the sunlight away, watching as the disk of the sun dipped under the horizon, slipping deeper into the soil where her family began.

When the sky bloomed with stars she heard the gentle rattle of her window. Timothy standing just outCONTINUED ON PAGE 18

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

17

side. She opened it and kissed him through the space, pulling him up and into the room. They toppled onto her bed. They had been dating for four months, and in love for three.

“Shhh,” she said. Timothy knew to be quiet. He had seen her father’s truck in the drive, knew that her parents weren’t like his.

He bit her lip and drew her into him. The bed bounced under their weight. Not since Samantha was four and her mother had slept there had there been two bodies in it. It groaned under them, sighing them into it, into themselves.

They lay together, arms and limbs intertwining. She told him her mother had gone again.

“When do you think she’ll be back?”

“A few hours,” she said. “She doesn’t have anywhere to go but here.” She didn’t say “none of us do.” She didn’t have to. Her life had been decided before she knew she had it.

“Where would you go?” he asked.

She looked at him blankly. “Really, where would you go, if you did have somewhere to go?”

“What are you asking me?”

“I’m just saying. I have a truck, a little money. Maybe you could . . . find some money from your dad.

We could make it to Memphis or Little Rock. Probably even New Orleans if gas is cheap enough.”

“Tim ...” She didn’t want to stop him, but she had never liked to play pretend. “We have a history test tomorrow.”

He slipped his hand into hers. “ Histor y ’s t he sa me, no mat ter where you learn it.”

Th e y l a y t h e r e , br e a t h i n g together, getting lost in separate futures, both of them orbiting back onto the bed. Finally, when the river shone white with moonlight, he left her, sliding again out of the window. Telling her he loved her and that tomorrow they would run away. She smiled and said okay, knowing that instead they would go to school and then back to here.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

It was a question and a fact.

“Yeah,” she said, more to agree than to answer. She closed the window and turned back into her room.

In the kitchen Thomas sets his glass down on the table. Moonglow casting yellow across the table, across his face. He hears a rustle in the field. Not the brief f lurry of the breeze, but the steady beating of limbs on leaves. The deer again.

They’ve been ransacking the field all summer. He takes his rif le from the closet and steps onto the porch.

His thumb f lexes and the spark catches thunder across the delta.

The gun rocks against his shoulder.

In the distance he hears a satisfying thud and a crash of branches.

He’ll take care of the deer in the morning, or maybe the next day. He takes a drink. Probably the next.

GROW grow LOCAL ARKANSAS TIMES

LEGAL OPTIONS FOR IMMIGRANTS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18 AT 10:30 PM In Spanish with English subtitles

Seth Eli Barlow is a native of Rison, who now lives in Little Rock. This is his first published story.

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18

DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

Michel Leidermann Moderator

aetn.org

Friday, December 19 7:00pm Unitarian Universalist Church 1818 Reservoir Rd.

Including Performances By: • Gender Illusionists • Musicians • Poets • Singers • And So Many More

We will be sharing 15% of the evening’s proceeds with the Living Affected Corporation to support their HIV/AIDS advocacy/prevention work.

The remainder of the proceeds will be used to provide resources for The LMH Youth Center at CAR—Arkanas’s only LGBTQ youth drop-in center.

There will be concessions available.

Tickets are on sale now! Sliding scale from $8-$15 Email kat.n.crisp@gmail.com or (501) 244-9690 to purchase your tickets. Tickets will also be available at the door.

You can also find this event on Facebook: • DYSC’s 5th Annual HoHoHo • Big Gay Variety Show! www.ArtisticRevolution.org

www.arktimes.com

DECEMBER 11, 2014

19

We invite you to join us and share the holiday cheer for a great cause!

There will be entertainment by Julia Buckingham, scrumptious hors d’oeuvres, oh-so-fine wine from Glazer’s, beer from Diamond Bear and a delicious dessert spread by Sweet Love. Not to mention opportunities to bid on fantastic silent auction items from local artists and sponsors.

Tickets are $40 and include a free microchipping voucher for all pets in your household, courtesy of Landers FIAT!

SEHABLAESPAÑOL El Latino is Arkansas’s only weekly circulation-audited Spanish language newspaper. Arkansas has the second fastest growing Latino population in the country, and smart business people are targeting this market as they develop business relationships with these new consumers.

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20

DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

Carnival

By Missy Moore

O

ur carnival grounds have fallen to a field of brown stalks, the rides felled, a sparkling harvest of metal reaped with remnants of recycled laughter. Memories cling as tightly as the gum smacked to the underside of seats, pressed firmly to protect the acceleration of time from causing asphyxiation.

Cattle slice their tongues on tumbled tilt-a-whirls and crumpled cotton candy stands. Ambling quietly over a clown’s face-paint tin, their low moans vibrate air once shaken by carney’s sharp cries, once ripened by slick sticky barbeque sauce.

Not a day of childhood passed without staring at the decaying yard. Each trip to town imprinted some strange history on us. Our faces pressed hungrily against the glass of the car window, we searched for a hint of life in the dark corners. Even as we aged, the others may have forgotten, and kept theirs eyes on the road, but I strayed. Waiting and hoping for a small striped foot to peek out from the heaps of metal, ready to lead a dance down the grassy road to hidden tent show, or a gloved hand to point to a sign freshly repainted, hearkening the carnival’s reopening.

The owners attempted to hide the slow fade of the place from us. Here and there, they sold rebel flags, flung over bags of dubiously labeled fresh shellfish. No one ever appeared to tend the wares, but once or twice eyes peeped from the trailer on the corner of the property, only to vanish with contact. Herds of dusty black kittens wove through constantly wet, rotten

steps, searching for handouts from these phantoms.

All the rides were long derailed — we never saw them fully functional.

Pastel awnings and plastic seats, rusting chains draped over faded signboards flaked into obsolescence.

I could close my eyes and f ling the pieces together, whipping the shredded ribbons of the awnings together, the fabric brightening, full of traveler’s tales, as the sun set. By some fairground mystery, the grounds never tasted as desperate as they appeared. The desolation made it tangible and complete, to fill with one’s own magic. I suppose we could not see the place until it was gone, and we had missed the chance to harness the wildness within.

No documentation remained after the razing of the carnival. No pictures, no broken wheels hidden in the heaving earth, no bright popping bulbs we now prayed would light up and point an arrow to an alternate path. The ancient cattle keep watch, soon to sink their bones amidst the tatters of the carnival. I find my eyes resting on the sunset there more often than any other touchstone on my drive home, watching for the rides to rise again.

Missy Moore hasn’t used her writing skills as much as she’d like since graduating with an English degree from Hendrix College, but she gladly accepts appeasing the carnival folk with an homage to their impression on her childhood.

2015 ARKANSAS TIMES

MUSICIANS SHOWC ASE The search is on.

Deadline for Entry JANUARY 1

It’s the return of the annual Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase with performers competing for an array of prizes. All acts that have at least four songs of original material are encouraged to enter. All styles are welcome.

ARKTIMES.COM/SHOWCASE

CASH PRIZE TO WINNING BAND! PLUS MUCH, MUCH MORE! 2014 Winner Mad Nomad

ARK ANSA S TIMES MUSICIANS SHOWC A SE ENTRY FORM

Semifinalists will compete throughout January and February at Stickyz.

NAME OF BAND

Weekly winners will then face off in the finals at the Rev Room in March.

HOMETOWN

SEND THIS ENTRY AND DEMO CD TO:

DATE BAND WAS FORMED

Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase 201 East Markham St, Suite 200 Little Rock, AR 72201

AGE RANGE OF MEMBERS (ALL AGES WELCOME) CONTACT PERSON

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ADDRESS

Enter online and upload your music files at showcase.arktimes.com

CITY, STATE, ZIP PHONE

For more info e-mail willstephenson@arktimes.com

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FACEBOOK LINK HAS YOUR BAND ENTERED THE SHOWCASE BEFORE?

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Please attach a band photo.

IF YES, WHAT YEARS?

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

21

ARKANSAS TIMES SOCIAL MEDIA

IS YOUR BUSINESS SOCIAL?

The third installment in Arkansas Times’ new film series collaboration with the Little Rock Film Festival at the CALS Ron Robinson Theater.

S

ocial media is not as simple as setting up a Facebook page or starting a Twitter account. Running a successful social media campaign takes time, and lots of it. It takes a combination of marketing, communication and customer service skills. Chances are that your staff doesn’t have the time or the skills necessary to take full advantage of these powerful marketing tools that will help your business grow. That’s where we come in.

WE HELP YOU GET NOTICED ONLINE, FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS.

WE OFFER A RANGE OF SERVICES INCLUDING: Social media strategy • Studio photo shoots Monthly analytics data • Targeted advertising 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 18 • $5 CALS Ron Robinson Theater • 100 River Market Avenue

CONTACT LAUREN BUCHER, SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR, AT 501.375.2985 EXT. 311 OR LAURENBUCHER@ARKTIMES.COM. 22

DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

DECEMBER 11, 2014

Holiday

Gift Guide

W

ith only two weeks left until Christmas, it’s the homestretch for finding the perfect gift for those on your list. Now is the time to ramp up and this week’s holiday gift guide is full of interesting, sometimes unique, items that would be perfect underneath the tree.

A cut above other gift ideas, KREBS BROTHERS RESTAURANT STORE is the place to find knives for the chef in your life. All their in-stock knives, including brands like Victorinox and Wusthof, are buy one, get one half-price until Christmas.

They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend and if that’s true of the women in your life, look no further than KYLEROCHELLE JEWELERS. For over 30 years, they have specialized in diamonds and custom jewelry manufacturing. Go see them on the mezzanine of the Lafayette Building for an experience to remember.

Speaking of the women, EMBER in the Heights has been helping women embrace their own sense of style since 2009. It’s the only stop you need for gifts and for getting party-ready this season.

A nice bottle of wine or whiskey is always a great gift. SPRINGHILL WINE AND SPIRITS has gone Pappy for the holidays. Every week in Decem-

ber, customers can put their names in for a chance to buy a bottle of the rare Van Winkle Whiskey. Drawings are held at noon each Saturday. Entrants must be present for the drawing; so while you wait, shop their great holiday prices.

Show some local love at STATES OF MIND CLOTHING CO. Find oneof-a-kind tees showcasing Arkansas, the Razorbacks, other states and more at their recently opened brick-and-mortar location in Argenta.

Since Arkansas is known as the Natural State, what better place to shop than at OZARK OUTDOOR SUPPLY? Find great gifts for the outdoorsy person and while you’re there, be sure to register to win a $100 gift card to the store that will be given away right before Christmas.

As Little Rock’s largest independent bookstore, WORDSWORTH BOOKS has a fantastic selection of fiction, nonfiction and local interest books. Located in the Heights for 20 years, the friendly and knowledgeable staff can help you find the right item for the book lovers in your life.

For 90 years, JONES BROTHERS POOL TABLES has been the tops in game room excellence and can help make any man cave complete. Home to more than fabulous pool tables, find

other games like darts, foosball, table tennis and more in store.

BELLA VITA JEWELRY continues to be a great place to shop to support the work of local artists. Owner Brandy Thomason McNair has handmade, oneof-a-kind baubles as well as gift items like soaps, handmade scarves and candles. Schedule an appointment with McNair outside of normal store hours by calling 479-200-1824 or emailing brandy@bellavitajewelry.net.

CYNTHIA EAST FABRICS is a design enthusiast’s paradise. Shop gorgeous fabrics, candles, pillows, accessories, artwork and more at this boutique in the Riverdale Design District.

Make a visit to O’LOONEY’S WINE AND LIQUOR for those hard to please.

As the state’s only sommelier-owned liquor store, they specialize in carefully curated selections that can please any palate.

Shop the CLINTON MUSEUM STORE for adults and kids of all ages.

Whether it’s someone who appreciates local, artisan jewelry and scarves, a booklover or a FoB, there’s something for everyone. Also find unique gifts for children here.

Proud Southerners can show their love of the region with gifts from THE SOUTHERN FOX. Located inside Gal-

axy Furniture in Argenta, find items like aprons and prints from artist Ben South and Ala Carte grits products.

If you’d like to give gifts that give back, head to BOX TURTLE where they are known for carrying a wide array of items where a portion of the proceeds go to various charities or where products sold provide fair wages in developing communities around the world.

Another way to be charity-minded in your gift giving is to support the mission of HEIFER INTERNATIONAL by purchasing an animal for a family in need.

Experience the Living Market at Heifer Ranch on Dec. 13 from 5-8 p.m. and Dec. 14 from 3-6 p.m. to visit the show barn and meet these animals.

Wrap up your shopping in one place at the LAST MINUTE SHOPPING DASH on Sunday, Dec. 21 at the Gene Moss Building in Benton’s Tyndall Park from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Door prizes and a big selection of gifts means you can check everyone off your list at one stop.

While you’re out running those last holiday errands don’t forget to stop by COLONIAL WINES AND SPIRITS for great gifts and supplies to help you keep your own sanity.

Get all your shopping done at the *Last Minute Shopping Dash* Sunday 12/21/14 10am – 7pm Gene Moss Bldg., Tyndall Park, Benton FREE ADMISSION Door Prizes

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Springhill Wine and Spirits Maker’s 46 Rich in color and flavor, Maker’s 46 is the first new whiskey produced by the Maker’s Mark Distillery in 54 years. Its unique flavor comes from the use of toasted French Oak staves inserted into a standard Maker’s barrel and a longer aging process.

Bella Vita Jewelry Vintage Lockets and Personalized Charms, $35-$60 Check out these amazing vintage lockets, available in large and small sizes. To make the gift even more special, get them personalized with a custom stamped charm. Find these unique one-of-a-kind pieces and more at this local jewelry boutique. Perfect for any occasion!

523 South Louisiana St., Suite 175 (Lafayette Building) » 479.200.1824 bellavitajewelry.net

Woodford Reserve Sonoma-Cutrer Finish They take a fully mature Woodford Reserve batch and finish it in Pinot Noir barrels that have been freshly emptied and shipped from the Sonoma-Cutrer Winery in California. With a sweet and subtle spicy oak taste, this 90-proof bourbon is the perfect marriage of sweet and spicy.

4281 McCain Blvd., NLR » 945.5153 springhillwineandspirits.com

Cynthia East Fabrics Pizza Sculpture, $36 Add a huge slice of whimsical style to a kid’s room or elsewhere with this cardboard pizza box sculpture. It can be used as an end table, stool, etc and holds over 100 lbs. of fun.

The Southern Fox Lollia is an exquisite bath and body product line that has graced the stage of Oprah as one of her favorite things and is also sold at Neiman Marcus. Buy any three of these amazing products and get the Eau De Parfum for 50% off. The Southern Fox also has plenty of clothing, jewelry, southern grits products and more. This is your one-stop shop for Christmas.

304 Main St., NLR (Inside Galaxy Furniture) 375.3375

WordsWorth Books & Co. Books & Bookends WordsWorth offers a huge collection of hardto-find books for the entire family, they also carry an exquisite selection of bookends.

The ideal gift to add a flourish to any book lover’s library. Choose from our best selling bulldog ends, the beautiful polished mineral book ends or stop in to find the perfect gift for the person who loves reading. They also carry an assortment of unique items making WordsWorth the perfect place to shop for a gift for the person that has everything.

5920 R St. » 663.9198 wordsworthar.com » facebook.com/wordsworthbooks

Collapsable Chopsticks, $14 Nothing says “Sushi Sophistication” like whipping out your stylish collapsible chopsticks. Works equally as well with Moo Goo Gai Pan.

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

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“An Arky” Tri-Blend Crew Tee, $28 Show your love for Arkansas with this Missy Lipps custom designed tee from States of Mind Clothing. Their focus is to bring trendy, fashionable clothing to a hyper-local level. Whether from Gurdon, Seattle, Portland (ME) to points in between, you’ll find cool designs and comfortable styles. Women’s shirts are available in many of the designs and are a chic gift idea. Be sure to check out the “Collegiate” line of products.

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

25 25

Smart Event Managers

Colonial Wine & Spirits

Last Minute Shopping Dash Want to finish your holiday shopping in one “Last Minute Shopping Dash?” Join us Sunday, Dec. 21, at the Gene Moss Building at Benton’s Tyndall Park from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. for loads of shopping fun. Buy wow-worthy gifts for everyone on your list from one of the many local vendor booths. Admission is free and there will be pictures with Santa, door prizes, raffles and more. This event is FUN for the whole family!

Your holiday wine and spirits headquarters!

Look for the Colonial Gift Guide in this issue and the Dec. 18th issue of the Arkansas Times!

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They supply up to a ton of milk a year (used also to make cheese, yogurt and butter), leading the way for better nutrition in impoverished communities. Because they have two to three kids a year, it’s easier for Heifer families to pass on the gift of a goat to another family.

Water Buffalo, $250 One of the toughest animals out there, water buffalo lead a family out of hunger by providing milk to drink and sell, the strength to till soil and plant rice. A farmer can plant four times more rice with the help of a water buffalo than he can by hand. Strong enough to haul heavy loads to the market, Heifer families often rent out their buffalo to neighbors to earn extra income.

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

27 27

hearsay ➥ There’s lots of cool stuff going on at Cantrell Gallery: right now they have a WILLIAM MCNAMARA print sale going on, with all limited edition and giclée prints 20 percent off through the end of the year.

This is the perfect time to get a McNamara print for that special someone (or yourself).

Check out the website to see the complete collection: www. mcnamarawatercolors.com.

But be sure to stop by soon – the gallery will close at 2 p.m.

Dec. 24 and won’t be open again until 10 a.m. Jan. 2.

If you can’t make it over there this year, make plans to visit in January – Cantrell Gallery will celebrate its 45th anniversary throughout 2015, and they’re planning on starting the festivities with a 45th birthday party/big group show. Mark your calendars now for this special opening night celebration of a group show featuring about 30 local/regional artists, scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Jan. 9.

Several of the artists will be in attendance and the exhibit will consist of art by the artists represented by the gallery.

If you can’t make it that evening, the group show will continue through Feb. 28, so you will have plenty of time to go by and check it out. ➥Will one of your New Year’s resolutions be running the Little Rock Half Marathon? Do you need accountability when you train during those cold, dark and rainy winter months?

FLEET FEET/EASY RUNNER’S HALF PROJECT is the perfect way to set goals, become a part of the running community and have some fun.

The program will start at 6 p.m.

Dec. 16 and meets weekly until the March 1 marathon. Cost is $80. For details, visit www. fleetfeeteasyrunner.com. ➥ The Shoppes on Woodlawn have a new vendor, ANGELS UNLIMITED. They had photos of some cute Arkansas themed throw pillows up on the Shoppes’ Facebook page. It’s worth taking a look at them.

Kyle–Rochelle Jewelry 14k white gold hearts and stars chandelier earrings set with .25 carats total weight round brilliant cut white diamonds Harold Murchison, Owner

14k yellow gold vintage hand engraved bangle bracelet set with an emerald cut Ametrine

18k yellow gold fashion ring set with a six carat Blue Topaz and .80 carats total weight of round brilliant cut diamonds

Help us stuff Santa’s Sleigh for foster children this Christmas. Bring a toy and enter a drawing for a chance to win a pair of diamond stud earrings!

Winner will be drawn Christmas Eve.

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

Designer set: 14k yellow gold dangle earrings set with 29.20 carats total weight round Smoky Quartz and a matching ring set with a 23.97 carat total weight round Smoky Quartz.

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Ozark Outdoor Supply YETI Tundra 35 Cooler The original and still the best heavy-duty cooler around, the YETI Tundra 35 cooler is the ultra-portable model of YETI’s Tundra line. It is small enough to easily carry, while still packing in up to 20 cans.

Although sold out in most locations, you can find this and many other great gifts for all outdoor enthusiasts at Ozark Outdoor Supply.

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Krebs Shown in photo, from left to right: Fletchers Mill Handcrafted Pepper Mill, guaranteed for life. Cook, grill or serve food on top of the Himalayan Salt Plate to impart a milder flavor than when using ground salt. Works wonderfully in the oven, on the grill, on a gas range, or even chilled in the refrigerator or freezer for presenting cold foods. Bring out extra flavor with Gourmet Village Seasonings and Rubs.

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Available in an array of styles and colors, Jones Brothers Pool Tables is your one stop shop for all things gaming this holiday season.

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

29 29

Arts Entertainment AND

DEATH OF A ROCK STAR Little Rock music community mourns the loss of TC Edwards.

BY LINDSEY MILLAR

PUNKERS VS. ROCKERS: Edwards at a flag football game held at Deaf Leopard Field in Little Rock in his honor in March.

T

erry Charles “TC” Edwards, the lead singer of TC and The Eddies, TC and The Ponies and The Piranhas and one of the most familiar and beloved faces in the Little Rock music scene over the last 25 years, was found shot to death Sunday, Dec. 7, according to friends. He was 43. At press time, police had yet to identify Edwards as the homicide victim.

The news of his murder prompted hundreds of social media tributes and nights of toasts at bars across Little Rock, including his regular hangout, Pizza D’Action. Friends remembered that he knew their birthdays. That he knew the history of their hairstyles. That he knew that when they were young they had a red tricycle and liked to play kickball, or

had blonde pigtails and were ballerinas.

That he loved to rest his hand on their elbows and guess their weight. That he loved wrestling. That he loved sneakers — so much so that if he found a size 6 or 7 that he really liked, he would endure the pain of squeezing his size 9-and-ahalfs inside. That he loved to give bear hugs. That he loved to smoke weed. But most of all, that he loved metal.

After a fifth-grade teacher gave him a copy of Hit Parader with the band Dio on the cover, heavy metal and hard rock became an obsession that he carried with him the rest of his life. “I bet you used to be metal,” he would say to strangers by way of introduction. Whether he was washing dishes at a restaurant or performing onstage,

he dressed like a rock star. That often meant suffering for fashion. He would wear a black leather biker jacket in the summer. If he had a new tattoo on his arm, he’d wear a cut-off ’80s metal band T-shirt in the winter. Friends remember him manning a pizza oven in leather pants.

When he talked about his favorite bands, a heavy metal encyclopedia would spill out of him, starting with AC/DC and Accept (’80s German heavy metal) and half an hour later ending with Zebra (’70s New Orleans hard rock).

“If people could have a singular pursuit and love like TC did, they’d be a lot fucking happier,” Mike “Sterno” Keckhaver, his longtime friend and bandmate

in TC and The Eddies, said. “I envied him.”

“He loved to sing. He loved to play.

He. Loved. To. Rock,” another bandmate and friend Krel Philssen said. “Life is so hard. Whenever he got to the stage or the studio, everything else fell away.

He was in the moment. He was that moment. That was the only thing that mattered. He was there and he was rock god No. 1.”

TC and The Eddies specialized in what later bandmate Bill “Jag” Jagitsch called “experimental, freeform metal.”

Live, that meant The Eddies didn’t know what song to play until Edwards started singing. “He had 5,000 songs in his head,” Keckhaver said. And he always wanted his band to play all of CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

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WE’LL SCREEN DAVID LYNCH’S powerful and deranged 1986 classic “Blue Velvet” on Thursday, Dec. 18, as part of the Arkansas Times Film Series, co-sponsored by the Little Rock Film Festival. The Los Angeles Times has called the movie “the most brilliantly disturbing film ever to have its roots in smalltown American life” and the New York Times deemed it “an instant cult classic … one of a kind.” This movie has it all: mystery and intrigue, severed ears, PBR, Roy Orbison.

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MUSICIANS, THE SEARCH IS ON for the 2015 Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase, to be held at Stickyz throughout January and February. Performers of all genres will compete for an array of prizes (including money!) and any acts with at least four songs of original material are encouraged to enter.

The finals will be held at the Rev Room in March. Our friends at KABF-88. 3, FM, will be hosting this year, and an esteemed panel of judges will be announced in coming weeks. The deadline for entry is Jan. 1, and any interested artists can apply online at showcase.arktimes.com or via snail mail by sending an entry form and a demo CD to Arkansas Times Musicians Showcase at 201 E. Markham St., Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72201. For more information, email will@ arktimes.com.

HOT SPRINGS WANTS A NEW RADIO station, and supporters are asking for our help in raising their very specific goal of $9,790 to get started. KUHS-97.9, FM, will be a community station and, incidentally, will be the only solar-powered radio station in the state.

Station Manager Zach Smith presents a familiar argument against corporate radio in a fundraising video posted on their Kickstarter page, complaining that the FCC helped turn music into “goo.” In contrast, KUHS will be “off the grid” and “running off the sun” and will presumably play good music, too, in addition to being a public forum (“the voice of Hot Springs”) and an outlet for the local culture scene. Their Kickstarter is in its final days; at press time Tuesday $6,502 had been raised.

SLIDE THE CITY, A TRAVELING WATER carnival that unfurls a 1,000-foot-long, padded, dual-lane, side-bumpered mega-version of the old Slip ‘N Slide down the middle of a city street, is coming to Little Rock and Fayetteville soon. So says its website, anyway (slidethecity.com). No word yet on a date (in bathing suit weather, surely), but pages for both cities are currently open for pre-registration, which allows a would-be slider to save $5 off the regular admission.

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

31

THE TO-DO

LIST

BY LESLIE NEWELL PEACOCK AND WILL STEPHENSON

FRIDAY 12/12

MYTHBUSTERS: BEHIND THE MYTHS

4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. $30-$125.

“Mythbusters” is a long-running hit TV series hosted by Jamie Hyneman, a special effects expert who frequently wears a beret, and Adam Savage, a dead-ringer for novelist George Saunders. In one episode, President Obama

asked the hosts to investigate the ancient Greek legend of Archimedes’ Death Ray. “Figure this out and report back to me,” the president said of the circa-200 B.C. myth, which involves the use of mirrors to sink a battleship.

(The myth was busted.) In another episode, the team exposed a group of cockroaches to deadly amounts of Cobalt-60 radiation for a month in order to test the cliche that cock-

roaches could survive a nuclear holocaust. The roaches died. In a two-part, James Bond-themed episode, they tried stopping bullets with a wristwatch, exploding a propane tank with a 9mm pistol, decapitating a statue with a metal-brimmed hat, making a bomb out of a ballpoint pen and biting through a cable with metal teeth. All of these “myths,” too, were busted. That was around the time I started to really

hate this show. They’ve walked over hot coals (and gotten burned), recruited martial artists to catch arrows midflight (failed), tested the famous coffinpunching scene from “Kill Bill” (impossible). They have literally taught new tricks to an old dog. There is no cultural meme or imaginative feat too beloved or inspiring for them to smother. They will discuss this and more at the Walton Arts Center Friday night. WS

FRIDAY 12/12

2ND FRIDAY ART NIGHT, CONCERTS AND EXHIBITS 5-8 p.m. Downtown. Free.

SURRENDER TO LOVE: Kindred the Family Soul is at Juanita’s 9 p.m. Friday, $25.

FRIDAY 12/12

KINDRED THE FAMILY SOUL 9 p.m. Juanita’s. $25.

In the early aughts, the Black Lily music series at Philadelphia’s Five Spot club was an institution, a showcase for local celebrities The Roots, 32

DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

Jill Scott and Erykah Badu and for other emergent neo-soul artists in the same vein, like Floetry and Jaguar Wright. There was also Kindred the Family Soul, a husband-wife R&B duo in the tradition of Ashford and Simp-

son, who released their debut, “Surrender to Love,” in 2003 after being discovered by Scott. Their music is by turns socially conscious and inoffensively sensual, modern soul for anyone with KOKYas a radio preset. WS

Celebrate the holidays ecumenically on 2nd Friday Art Night with a visit to the Ron Robinson Theater (100 River Market) to hear the Meshugga Klezmer Band and the Dave Rosen Big Band (7:30 p.m.), the Historic Arkansas Museum (200 E. Third St.) for the 10th Ever Nog-Off competition, and the Old State House (300 W. Markham St.) for the Arkansas Chamber Series Holiday Concert (7 p.m., also performances Saturday and Sunday). Don’t forget Art Night’s art: At the Butler Center galleries, see photography by Geoff Winningham, the annual juried Arkansas League of Artists show, a small show on Johnny Cash and Native American artifacts from the University of Arkansas Museum. HAM opens two new exhibitions: “Capturing Early Arkansas in Depth: The Stereoview Collection of Allan Gates” and “this is the garden; colors come and go,” paintings by Rachel Trusty. Friday will be the last chance to see “People, Places and Things,” works by Kathy Strause and Taimur Cleary at Arkansas Capital Corp. Group (200 River Market Ave.).

The Cox Creative Center (120 River Market Ave.) continues “Who LivesWho Dies-Who Decides,” works about capital punishment by Kenneth Reams and Isabelle Watson. Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center (Riverfront Park) will be open and showing junior duck stamp designs, StudioMain (1423 S. Main St.) will show AIA Design Awards, and Stratton’s Market (405 E. Third St.) will have paintings by Barry Thomas and a wine tasting. LNP

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 12/11

SUNDAY 12/14

ART OF THE BAR: A HANDMADE HOLIDAY MARKET 2-8 p.m. South on Main.

It’s year number 2 for the popular holiday popup show and sale of Arkansas-made products at South on Main. Altered Polishes, Art by Lois, Erin Lorenzen, Jason Jones, Little Biscuits, Sulac, Roll & Tumble Press and others will be selling ornaments, art, pottery, totebags, nail polish, letterpress prints and other goodies. Shop while sipping David Burnette’s eggnog and noshing on hors d’oeuvres from chefs Matthew Bell and Matthew Lowman, all to the tunes of John Willis. There might even be a sing-along, once the nog kicks in. LNP

SATURDAY 12/13 THE THUNDER ROLLS: Garth Brooks is at Verizon Arena at 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, $73.25.

9 p.m. White Water Tavern. $12.

FRIDAY 12/12-SUNDAY 12/14

GARTH BROOKS

7 p.m. Verizon Arena. $73.25

Dewayne L. Blackwell is 75 years old and lives in Rosarito, Mexico, though in a former life he lived in Nashville and wrote country songs. He was the author of “Mr. Blue,” a 1959 hit by The Fleetwoods, and of David Frizzell’s classic “I’m Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home.” His bestknown contribution to American literature, however, is unquestionably a 1990 song he wrote with a friend of his named Earl Bud Lee. They were eating lunch one day and Lee realized he’d forgotten his wallet. Blackwell asked him how he’d pay, and Lee responded, “Don’t worry, I have friends in low places. I know the cook.”

It’s not easy to recall a time when Garth Brooks looked like a threat to country music, rather than a once-in-a-generation, Michael Jackson-level innovator, but that was the way some people saw it back then.

Waylon Jennings represented this school of thought when he called Brooks “the most insincere person I’ve ever seen.”

TH’ LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS

And you can see why someone like Waylon would see it this way — sure he did “Friends in Low Places,” but Brooks also covered Billy Joel and KISS and named his first child after James Taylor. “He thinks it’s going to last forever,” Jennings said.

“He’s wrong.”

Only Brooks wasn’t wrong, and he very obviously will last forever. If Jennings and the Outlaw generation helped country cross over for certain fan bases previously averse to the whole idea, Brooks played the same role but on a much more awe-inspiring scale. His records both were and weren’t what Charles Portis once described as “Southern white workingclass music.” By numbers, he’s the bestselling albums artist of the SoundScan era (roughly, the period since 1991) and the second best-selling solo artist of all time (behind Elvis). “I never took it that personal,” Brooks said later of Jennings’ criticism, taking the high road. “I just think he was addressing … the changing of the guard.” WS

J.D. Wilkes, founder of Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers, calls himself a “Southern surrealist” and, occasionally, a colonel (technically true — the governor of Kentucky bestowed the title on him several years ago). Wilkes has played harmonica with Merle Haggard and written a book on the history of barn dances and jamborees in Kentucky, though the Shack Shakers are clearly his crowning achievement, the culmination of all his warped and wilding aesthetic and historical influences. The Shakers’ music embodies the same kind of growling, paranoid, Southern psychrock that infused Credence Clearwater Revival (at its strangest) or Tom Waits’ “Rain Dogs.” WS

Poetry collective Foreign Tongues hosts a Poetry Night at the Oxford American Annex, 7 p.m., $5. Comedian Valerie Storm is at The Loony Bin at 7:30 p.m. $7 (with shows at 10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, $10). The Red Octopus Theater’s new original sketch show, “Pagans on Bobsleds! Let It Show! Let It Show! Let It Show!” is at The Public Theater through Saturday, Dec. 13, at 8 p.m., $10. Opera-turnedcountry singer-songwriter Bonnie Montgomery is at White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. Local indie rock bands Open Fields, My Brother My Friend and Whale Fire are at The Joint, 9:30 p.m., $5.

FRIDAY 12/12 The 10th Ever Nog-Off, a long-running local eggnog competition, is at the Historic Arkansas Museum, 5 p.m.

Gen. Wesley Clark gives a lecture based on his new book, “Don’t Wait for the Next War” at the UA Clinton School of Public Service’s Sturgis Hall, 6 p.m. The Arkansas Chamber Singers perform their holiday concert at the Old State House Museum Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. The Arkansas Sounds Holiday Concert, featuring Meshugga Klezmer Band and the Dave Rosen Big Band, is at the Ron Robinson Theater, 7:30 p.m. Sketch comedy crew The Main Thing presents its holiday production, “A Fertile Holiday,” at The Joint Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., $22.

War Chief hosts its annual benefit for The Van at Stickyz, 9 p.m., $5. Trophy Boyfriends and Street Arabs play at a memorial for TC Edwards at Pizza D’Action, 10 p.m., donations (all proceeds go to Edwards’ family). Instrumental jazz-funk ensemble Funk A Nites are at White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., and guitarist Eric Sommer is at Midtown Billiards.

SATURDAY 12/13 The Central Arkansas Roller Derby kicks off at Skate World at 6:30 p.m.

Ballet Arkansas presents “The Nutcracker” at the Maumelle Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. (and on Sunday at 2 p.m.), $20-$52. Chris DeClerk plays at Another Round Pub at 6 p.m. and Integrity is at the Afterthought Bistro and Bar at 9 p.m., $10-$15.

TUESDAY 12/16 Vino’s Brewpub Cinema screens “The Killer Shrews” at 7:30 p.m., free.

The Joint has Stand-Up Tuesday hosted by Adam Hogg at 8 p.m., $5.

Kevin Kerby and Isaac Alexander are at White Water Tavern at 9:30 p.m.

www.arktimes.com

DECEMBER 11, 2014

33

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

POETRY

Foreign Tongues Poetry Night. Oxford American, 7 p.m., $5. 1300 Main St.

FRIDAY, DEC. 12

MUSIC

THURSDAY, DEC. 11

MUSIC

WAR’M CHIEF: War Chief hosts its third annual “cold-weather supply drive” for The Van at Stickyz, 9 p.m. Friday, $5 or a clothing donation.

Rick McKean. Another Round Pub, 6 p.m. 12111 W. Markham. www.anotherroundpub.com.

RockUsaurus. Senor Tequila, 7-9 p.m. 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-224-5505.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 7:30 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-370-7013. www.capitalbarandgrill.com.

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Valerie Storm. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m., $7. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www. loonybincomedy.com.

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7 Toed Pete (headliner), Alex Summerlin (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m.

2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Bonnie Montgomery. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Frontier Ruckus, Justin Kinkel-Schuster. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 8:30 p.m., $7. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.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.

Irish Traditional Music Sessions. Dugan’s Pub, 7-9 p.m. 401 E. 3rd St. 501-244-0542. www. duganspublr.com.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

Karaoke. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m., free. 1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444.

Krush Thursdays with DJ Kavaleer. Club Climax, free before 11 p.m. 824 W. Capitol. 501-554-3437.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-372-4782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Mediaeval Baebes. This women’s caroling group will sing holiday carols in Middle English, Medieval French and Cornish. Walton Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $10 - $25. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600.

Open Fields, My Brother My Friend, Whale Fire. The Joint, 9:30 p.m., $5. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

Open Jam. Thirst n’ Howl, 8 p.m. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com.

Open jam with The Port Arthur Band. Parrot Beach Cafe, 9 p.m. 9611 MacArthur Drive, NLR. 771-2994.

Paul Benjamin Band, The Casual Pleasures, Chris Michaels and Friends. Vino’s, 8 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub. com.

All In Fridays. Club Elevations. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501-562-3317.

Arkansas Chamber Singers. Annual holiday concert. Old State House Museum, Dec. 12-13, 7 p.m.; Dec. 14, 3 p.m., free. 500 Clinton Ave. 501-324-9685. www.oldstatehouse.com.

Arkansas Sounds Holiday Concert. Featuring Meshugga Klezmer Band and Dave Rosen Big Band. Ron Robinson Theater, 7:30 p.m., free. 1 Pulaski Way. 501-320-5703. www.cals.lib.ar.us/ ron-robinson-theater.aspx.

Buh Jones. The Lobby Bar. Studio Theatre, 9:30 p.m. 320 W. 7th St. 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.

Eric Sommer. Midtown Billiards. 1316 Main St. 501-372-9990. midtownar.com.

Funk A Nites. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m.

2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Garth Brooks. Verizon Arena, Dec. 12-14, 7 p.m., $73.25. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com.

Ghosttown Blues Band. Another Round Pub, 9 p.m. 12111 W. Markham. www.anotherroundpub.com.

Handmade Moments. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $7-$12. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com.

I Was Afraid. Vino’s. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

Kindred the Family Soul, Noel Gourdin.

Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $25. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.juanitas.com.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-372-4782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Mister Lucky (headliner), Richie Johnson (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m.

2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Rodney Block and The Real Music Lovers. Sway, 9 p.m., $10-$15. 412 Louisiana. 501-907-2582.

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Center, 6:30 p.m., $5. 705 E. Siebenmorgan, Conway.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-370-7013. www.capitalbarandgrill.com.

Trophy Boyfriends, Street Arabs. A night for TC Edwards. Pizza D’Action, 10 p.m., donations.

2919 W. Markham St. 501-666-5403.

War Chief. A benefit for The Van. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $5. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com.

COMEDY

“A Fertile Holiday.” An original comedy by The Main Thing. The Joint, through Dec. 20: 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

“Pagans On Bobsleds! Let It show! Let It Show!

Let It Show!” An original sketch show by Red Octopus Theater. The Public Theatre, through Dec. 13, 8 p.m., $10. 616 Center St. 501-3747529. www.thepublictheatre.com.

Valerie Storm. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

DANCE

Ballet Arkansas, “The Nutcracker.” Maumelle High School, Dec. 12-13, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 13-14, 2 p.m., $20-$52. 100 Victory Drive. 501-851-5350.

Ballroom Dancing. Free lessons begin at 7 p.m.

Bess Chisum Stephens Community Center, 8-11 p.m., $7-$13. 12th and Cleveland streets. 501221-7568. www.blsdance.org.

“Salsa Night.” Begins with a one-hour salsa lesson. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $8. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

10th Ever Nog-off. A competition for the best eggnog in town. Historic Arkansas Museum, 5 p.m., free. 200 E. Third St. 501-324-9351. www. historicarkansas.org.

Fantastic Friday. Literary and music event, refreshments included. For reservations, call 479-968-2452 or email artscenter@centurytel. net. River Valley Arts Center, Every third Friday, 7 p.m., $10 suggested donation. 1001 E. B St., Russellville. 479-968-2452. www.arvartscenter. org.

LGBTQ/SGL weekly meeting. 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. LGBTQ/SGL Youth and Young Adult Group, 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St. MYTHBUSTERS: Behind The Myths.

“Mythbusters” hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage will present on-stage experiments and tell behind-the-scenes stories. Walton Arts Center, 4 and 8 p.m., $30 - $125. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600.

LECTURES

General Wesley Clark, “Don’t Wait for the Next War.” Sturgis Hall, 6 p.m. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501-683-5200. clintonschool. uasys.edu.

SATURDAY, DEC. 13

MUSIC

Chris DeClerk. Another Round Pub, 6 p.m. 12111 W. Markham. www.anotherroundpub.com.

Club Nights at 1620 Savoy. See Dec. 12.

Garth Brooks. Verizon Arena, through Dec. 14, 7 p.m., $73.25. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501975-9001. verizonarena.com.

Integrity. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $10-$15. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.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. 7111 JFK Blvd., NLR. 501-835-7876. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m., free.

1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444.

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. www.rumbarevolution.com/new.

K.I.S.S. Saturdays. Featuring DJ Silky Slim.

Dress code enforced. Sway, 10 p.m. 412 Louisiana. 501-492-9802.

Legendary Shack Shakers, Brother Andy and His Big Damn Mouth, Listen Sister. White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $12. 2500 W. 7th St. 501375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-372-4782. littlerock.erniebiggs.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.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 9 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-370-7013. www.capitalbarandgrill.com.

Third Degree (headliner), Gregg Madden (happy hour). Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 and 9 p.m.

2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

COMEDY

“A Fertile Holiday.” An original comedy by The Main Thing. The Joint, through Dec. 20: 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

“Pagans On Bobsleds! Let It show! Let It Show! Let It Show!” An original sketch show

by Red Octopus Theater. The Public Theatre, 8 p.m., $10. 616 Center St. 501-374-7529. www. thepublictheatre.com.

Valerie Storm. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road.

501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

DANCE

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Ballet Arkansas, “The Nutcracker.” Maumelle High School, through Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m.; through Dec. 14, 2 p.m., $20-$52. 100 Victory Drive. 501-851-5350.

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.

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EVENTS

Argenta Farmers Market 5th annual Christmas Market. Handmade gifts, produce, 8 a.m.-noon, 6th and Main St., NLR. 501-8317881. www.argentaartsdistrict.org/argentafarmers-market.

Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell and Cedar Hill Roads.

Hillcrest Farmers Market. Pulaski Heights Baptist Church, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. 2200 Kavanaugh Blvd.

Historic Neighborhoods Tour. Bike tour of historic neighborhoods includes bike, guide, CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

35

AFTER DARK, CONT. helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 9 a.m., $8-$28. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-6137001.

Lil’ Wild Ones. The Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center, 2 p.m., free. 602 President Clinton Ave. 501-907-0636. www. centralarkansasnaturecenter.com.

Pork & Bourbon Tour. Bike tour includes bicycle, guide, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 11:30 a.m., $35-$45. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001.

SPORTS

Central Arkansas Roller Derby. Skate World, 6:30 p.m., $5. 6512 Mabelvale Cut Off.

BENEFITS

Santa Paws Cocktail Party. Trapnall Hall, 8 p.m., $40. 423 E. Capitol Ave.

SUNDAY, DEC. 14

MUSIC

Arkansas Chamber Singers. Annual holiday concert. Old State House Museum, 3 p.m., free. 500 Clinton Ave. 501-324-9685. www. oldstatehouse.com.

Garth Brooks. Verizon Arena, 7 p.m., $73.25.

1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com.

Karaoke. Shorty Small’s, 6-9 p.m. 1475 Hogan Lane, Conway. 501-764-0604. www.shortysmalls.com.

Karaoke with DJ Sara. Hardrider Bar & Grill, 7 p.m., free. 6613 John Harden Drive, Cabot.

501-982-1939.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

DANCE

Ballet Arkansas, “The Nutcracker.”

Maumelle High School, 2 p.m., $20-$52.

100 Victory Drive. 501-851-5350.

EVENTS

Traits for Winter Survival. The Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center, 2 p.m., free. 602 President Clinton Ave. 501-9070636. www.centralarkansasnaturecenter. com.

36

DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

MONDAY, DEC. 15

MUSIC

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Monday Night Jazz. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com.

Open Mic. The Lobby Bar. Studio Theatre, 8 p.m. 320 W. 7th St. Richie Johnson. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

TUESDAY, DEC. 16

MUSIC

Brian and Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf.com.

Jeff Ling. Khalil’s Pub, 6 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com.

Jim Dickerson. Sonny Williams’ Steak Room, 7 p.m. 500 President Clinton Ave. 501-324-2999. www.sonnywilliamssteakroom.com.

Karaoke Tuesday. Prost, 8 p.m., free. 322 President Clinton Blvd. 501-244-9550. willydspianobar.com/prost-2.

Karaoke Tuesdays. On the patio. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 7:30 p.m., free. 107 Commerce St. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com.

Kevin Kerby, Isaac Alexander. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Music Jam. Hosted by Elliott Griffen and Joseph Fuller. The Joint, 8-11 p.m., free. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

Tuesday Jam Session with Carl Mouton.

Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com.

COMEDY

Stand-Up Tuesday. Hosted by Adam Hogg.

The Joint, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

AFTER DARK, CONT.

DANCE

“Latin Night.” Revolution, 7:30 p.m., $5 regular, $7 under 21. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501823-0090. www.littlerocksalsa.com.

EVENTS

Trivia Bowl. Flying Saucer, 8:30 p.m. 323 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-8032. www. beerknurd.com/stores/littlerock.

FILM

“The Killer Shrews.” Vino’s, 7:30 p.m. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 17

MUSIC

ABK, Big Voodoo. Juanita’s, 9 p.m., $20. 614 President Clinton Ave. 501-372-1228. www. juanitas.com.

Acoustic Open Mic. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-6631196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.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. MUSE Ultra Lounge, 8:30 p.m., free.

2611 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-6398.

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com.

Open Mic Nite with Deuce. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-3798189. www.thirst-n-howl.com.

O

Roy Hale. Another Round Pub, 6:30 p.m. 12111 W. Markham. www.anotherroundpub.com.

Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 7:30 p.m., free. 111 Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com.

COMEDY

The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group.

The Joint, 8 p.m., $7. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

DANCE

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 and Cleveland streets. 501-350-4712. www. littlerockbopclub.

EVENTS

Happy Hour Game Night. The Lobby Bar. Studio Theatre, 5 p.m. 320 W. 7th St.

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.

NEW GALLERY EXHIBITS, EVENTS

New exhibits, events in boldfaced type

BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: Featured artist Carol Ann Wilbourne, music by the Meshugga Klezmer Band and the Dave Rosen Big Band, 5-8 p.m. Dec. 12, 2nd Friday Art Night.

Also “Of the Soil: Photography by Geoff Winningham,” through Feb. 28; “Johnny Cash: Arkansas Icon,” photographs and recorded music, Underground Gallery, through Jan. 24; “Echoes of the Ancestors: Native American Objects from the University of Arkansas Museum,” Concordia Gallery, through March 15, 2015; annual juried Arkansas League of Artists exhibition, West Gallery, through Dec. 27. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5790.

ARKANSAS CAPITAL CORP. GROUP, 200 River Market Ave.: “People, Places and Things,” paintings by Kathy Strause and Taimur Cleary, jewelry by Christie Young, reception 5-8 p.m. Dec. 12, 2nd Friday Art Night. 374-9247.

BELLA VITA, 523 Louisiana St., Suite 175: Handmade jewelry and gifts, 5-8 p.m. Dec. 12, 2nd Friday Art Night.

COX CREATIVE CENTER, 120 River Market Ave.: “Who Lives-Who Dies-Who Decides: The Art Event on Capital Punishment,” works by Kenneth Reams and Isabelle Watson, through December, open 5-8 p.m.

Dec. 12, 2nd Friday Art Night. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 918-3093.

HEARNE FINE ART, 1001 Wright Ave.: Gallery tour and discussion of “Bitter Medicines and Sweet Poisons,” mixed media assemblages by Alfred Conteh and Charly Palmer, 3 p.m. Dec. 13, 4:30 p.m.

Dec. 14, show through Jan. 17. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 3726822.

HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 200 E. 3rd St.: “10th Ever Nog-Off,” sampling and judging of many nogs, 5-8 p.m. Dec.

12, 2nd Friday Art Night, also opening receptions for “Capturing Early Arkansas in Depth: The Stereoview Collection of Allan Gates,” Dec. 12-April 5, and “this is the garden; colors come and go,” paintings, sculpture and mixed media by Rachel Trusty; “Under Pressure: The Arkansas Society of Printmakers Exhibition,” through Feb. 4; “The Great Arkansas Quilt Show 3,” juried exhibit of contemporary quilts, through May 3; “A Beauty on It Sells: Advertising Art from the Collection of Marsha Stone,” 13th annual Eclectic Collector exhibit, through Jan. 1; “Arkansas Made,” ongoing. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351.

M2 GALLERY, Pleasant Ridge Town Center (11525 Cantrell Road): “Holiday Sale,” 5-9 p.m. Dec. 12. 225-6257.

MARSHALL CLEMENTS, Pleasant Ridge Town Center (11525 Cantrell Road): Reception for artist Trey McCarley, 5-7 p.m. Dec. 11. 954-7900.

OLD STATE HOUSE MUSEUM, 300 W. Markham: “Arkansas Chamber Series Holiday Concert,” 7 p.m. Dec. 12-13, 3 p.m. Dec. 14, free; “Different Strokes,” the history of bicycling and places cycling in Arkansas, featuring artifacts, historical pictures and video, through February 2016; “Lights! Camera! Arkansas!”, the state’s ties to Hollywood, including costumes, scripts, film footage, photographs and more, through March 1, 2015. Museum closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 3249685.

Happy Holidays

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

37

READERS CHOICE AWARDS 2015

Overall New Italian Chinese Japanese Mexican “Fun” Indian Other Ethnic Food Truck Vegetarian/Vegan Bakery Barbecue Sandwich Breakfast Brunch Catfish Fried Chicken Deli/Gourmet to go Hamburger Pizza

Since 1981, Arkansas Times has asked readers to vote for their favorite restaurants. Our annual Readers Choice Restaurant Awards are the first, and most renowned restaurant awards in the state.

We’re introducing new rules for the survey this year: From Jan. 5 through Jan. 23, vote online at arktimes.com/ readerschoice2015 for your favorite restaurants in Central Arkansas and around the state in the 35 categories listed here. You may only submit your votes once, but you can return to your ballot as often as you need during the voting period. Only online votes will be accepted.

After Jan. 23, we will determine the top four vote getters for each category. Those four and last year’s winner will then advance to a final round of voting that will run Feb. 10 through Feb. 27.

The winners will be announced in the April 9 issue of the Arkansas Times, and the awards party will be held prior to the issue date at the Pulaski Technical Culinary and Hospitality Institute.

We’re excited about this new voting system and look forward to your participation and the final results.

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DEATH OF A ROCK STAR, CONT. mother. He called my sisters his sisters.

He was my brother.”

Poe, a filmmaker, shot years of footage of Edwards and his friends and fans for a planned “rockumentary.” He organized massive concerts featuring TC and The Eddies and semi-annual flag football games called TC’s Punkers vs.

Rockers at the Arkansas School for the Deaf football field (a.k.a. Deaf Leopard Field). He took Edwards on trips to see bands in New Orleans, Hollywood and Austin, Texas.

The Hollywood trip was a turning point for Edwards, Poe said.

He got to get onstage with the L.A. glam metal group Steel Panther and won a battle with the singers in a scream off. He got to see all the places where Motorhead’s Lemmy Killmister hung out. “I said, ‘This is where a rock star sits. Wherever he goes around town, he gets his drinks paid for, he gets his food paid for, he has people smacking him on the back.’ ” Poe said. “I said, ‘That’s you in Little Rock, Arkansas. You’re Lemmy.’ His attitude completely changed after that.

He was already a rock star in his own town.”

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AT KISS: In 2009 in North Little Rock, Edwards caught Paul Stanley’s pic during his favorite song, “Black Diamond.”

them heavier and faster.

Later, Edwards formed The Piranhas with Adrian Bozeman, Jeremy Brasher and Andrew Darezzo. It drew from all of Edwards’ favorite influences, “hair bands, the new wave of British heavy metal, maybe a little thrash,” Brasher said. At one show, Edwards led the band through all of its songs. When they got to the last one, Edwards kept playing.

“Following his cue, we played every one of our songs again. Once we finished the second set, TC was still going strong.

We unplugged our instruments and became members of the adoring crowd.

TC played for 20 or 30 more minutes.”

Edwards’ ability to shine onstage was especially impressive considering the fact that he was autistic, his longtime best friend and partial caretaker Mike Poe said. His condition went undiagnosed until 2005, when Poe helped Edwards, who’d been arrested for resisting and possessing drug paraphernalia after police found him sleeping on a friend’s front porch, secure a lawyer and see a psychologist. The diagnosis had followed a string of unfortunate events for Edwards — a lost job, an eviction, another arrest — that might have been avoided had someone intervened to explain his condition. Thereafter, Poe became that person, a protector and near constant companion of Edwards’.

“More than any other friend I had, he was in my life,” Poe said. “We told each

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FEATURE

THE MAGICAL, DOOMED WORLD OF C.L. BLEDSOE The Arkansas novelist returns with ‘Man Of Clay.’

BY MATT BAKER

“M

y name is Emet, and within my name lies my death” is how the narrator in Arkansas native C.L. Bledsoe’s gripping new novel “Man of Clay” (published last month

by Main Street Rag) introduces himself.

Emet, which means “truth” in Hebrew, begins the novel with his journey across the ocean, chained and boxed on a slave transport ship. He describes the horrific depravity, which reads very much like a slave narrative. On the ship Emet is introduced to an Anansi, a trickster god whose natural form is a spider, but can take the shape of a man, and inhabits West African and Caribbean folklore. Thematically, the stage is set.

The setting is the Civil War, and Emet, a golem — a porcelain-colored magical being rooted in Jewish folklore — has traversed the Atlantic Ocean and ends up on an East Arkansas plantation owned by a Master John Crowley. Upon meeting his mythical creature, Crowley cheers, “Welcome to Arkansas!” He then closely examines his new possession, amazed by its human-like form, yet his lack of body hair inspires Crowley to glue two eyebrows to his face, soft hairs taken from the family cat. He then immediately puts Emet, in all his supernatural glory, to work.

Literary fiction traditionally orbits the familiar universe of unexceptional triumph over personal sabotage, the plot often hinging on a uniquely private insight harvested from a white lights epiphany, or from, say, watching a trash bag blow in the wind. But how does a character who is actually damaged, has no personal freedom, is unable to speak, and doesn’t even fully grasp its existence, reconcile these harsh facts and find solid ground from which to stake his claim of self-worth and identity? In “Man of Clay,” such a character attempts to answer these existential questions.

Shortly after arriving in Crowley’s lopsided world, Emet learns his fate. Crowley needs Emet’s superhuman strength 40

DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

and tireless endurance to assist in building a replica of Stonehenge, among other ostentatious projects only a wealthy crank could undertake. Crowley is fascinated by celestial origins and speculates about the

will act calmly and rationally, which sets you above Mr. Winfrey in this regard, and you will act intelligently, which also sets you above Winfrey. Does this appeal to you?” Emet, who can’t speak, composes his response on his miniature chalkboard, telling Crowley that he’ll do whatever pleases him.

Emet befriends Othello, learns his way around the plantation, and then Crowley reveals his newest rich person adventure: building a hot air balloon so that he and his son, Zeno, who is off fighting in the Civil War, can hop over to the Andes Mountains to soak up savage wisdom from the natives. But that trip won’t happen for several reasons, one of them being that Crowley’s son has been killed, and that’s when the story jumps up two gears and accelerates. As news of the Confederacy’s disastrous losses reaches the plantation, various interpersonal conflicts over-

heat, and long repressed truths surface, the novel shifts into an anxious, pre-catastrophic mode. The reader senses the first rumbles of doom early in the novel, and the closer we get to it, the harder Bledsoe pushes on the gas, until it’s too late to get out of the way.

Bledsoe, who grew up on a rice farm in East Arkansas and studied at the University of Arkansas, is a gifted storyAN UNFORGETTABLE: C.L. Bledsoe (above right) teller, so it’s not surprising tackles the plantation era and folk history. that “Man of Clay” is abound moon’s habitability. His wife is long dead. with folktales from different cultures. He His daughter, Clara Bell, lives on his propclearly has been influenced by storytellerty, along with Othello, his slave driver; ing’s power to define the unknowable. the Winfreys, a trio of overseers consistBledsoe expertly threads multiple literary ing of a father and two sons ablaze with genres through the novel: slave narrative, poor white hatred, and a host of slaves and magical realism and science fiction/fanservants. He’s the portrait of grand megatasy. But, ultimately, it doesn’t matter what lomaniac Southern aristocracy. Crowley literary style, narrative voice, set pieces or explains that he’s going to train Emet in genre ethos Bledsoe exploits, because his the operation of the entire plantation, and imagination is persuasive and he’s writthat Emet will be in charge when he’s ten an unforgettable and engaging novel. gone. “Do you know why I will entrust In the end, we learn that Crowley this to you? Because you are not capable instructed Emet to tell his story before of thought. You will simply do exactly as his memory completely disappeared, I say without hesitation or question. You which has already started to happen by

the novel’s conclusion; and, yet, this fast approaching blank slate could very well be the answer to his predicament, and the solution to how he can finally achieve freedom.

I spoke to Bledsoe recently about the novel and about Arkansas fiction: What was the inspiration for “Man of Clay”?

It came together as a couple different story ideas. I wanted to write a Civil War-era plantation story set in Arkansas. I wanted to write a golem story in America.

I wanted to write a kind of folk history of Arkansas.

How would you characterize Arkansas fiction?

Arkansan writing tends to have a folk element. Donald Harington is our best example of this. Arkansas is a place of legends and tall tales, which permeates our writing. Another commonality in Arkansas writing is the outsider, the troublemaker, the wanderer. Donald Hays writes great stories about these kinds of characters, as did John Fergus Ryan, and, of course, the great Charles Portis. All of this is because of the culture these writers come from. Arkansas encourages that oddball, loner mentality, for better or worse, or we could say “individualism,” if you want to go less inflammatory. Arkansas is the underdog, the local boy struggling to make good. But we stick together and support our own, which also makes us stronger.

If you could have dinner with any five Arkansans — living, dead, real, or imagined — who would they be?

Louis Jordan, Vance Randolph, Daisy Bates, J. William Fulbright, the Fouke Monster.

If you could mandate that all Arkansans read three books, what would they be?

“Architecture of the Arkansas Ozarks”

by Donald Harington, “The Dixie Association” by Donald Hays and “Living in Little Rock with Miss Little Rock” by Jack Butler.

What are you working on now?

I just turned in the first draft for the third book in my urban fantasy series, “The Necro-Files.” These are funny, new adult urban fantasy books with a quirky sensibility. They’re similar to the TV show “Grimm,” or all the vampire shows, but mine are funny. I also recently finished edits for a horror novel called “Sorting the Dead.” I also have a poetry collection I consider a kind of sequel to [my book] “Riceland” called “Driving Around, Looking in Other People’s Windows” coming out next year. I have several other novels I’m shopping around.

I write every day.

‘THEORY OF EVERYTHING’: Felicity Jones (left) and Eddie Redmayne star.

‘Theory’ of love How Hawking came to know the universe.

BY SAM EIFLING

“T

he Theory of Everything,” the biopic about cosmologist Stephen Hawking and his first wife, Jane, works handsomely as a movie about a genius, one who tried to understand the universe at the deepest levels and then tell us about it in an airport paperback. Eddie Redmayne plays Stephen, improbably and rather brilliantly, all the way from his early days at Cambridge to the pinnacles of science celebrity some 30 years later. You will see a gangly, bespectacled young Stephen Hawking scribbling equations in unsteady chalkmanship on a blackboard to the strains of stringed instruments, and you will get self-effacing descriptions of how simple it all is, the universe in its elegance. You know, your typical math/space genius flick.

This being Stephen Hawking, however, you know the shy but chipper student — coxswain on the crew team, reluctant dancer — will soon be stricken. That the real-life scientist remains productive as he nears his 73rd birthday plays in relief, pun intended, to the moment in this film, at age 21, when a doctor explains to Stephen that he has a degenerative neural disorder that will rob him of all voluntary motor functions, including, horrifically, speaking and swallowing. His prognosis: two years to live, at a point when his Ph.D. could not seem that near. “The Theory of Everything” is stirring, then, as A grave disability flick, and a convincing one at that. Redmayne, seen two years ago as the dashing revolutionary heartthrob Marius in “Les Miserables,” crumples himself into the long-lived ALS patient, his limbs contorted, his face collapsing. It’s a spooky transformation, worthy of mention with Jamie Foxx in “Ray” or Robert De Niro in “Raging Bull.”

The deterioration brings to the fore the romance that truly moves “The Theory

of Everything” — natural, perhaps, given that Anthony McCarten, the screenwriter, adapted it from Jane Hawking’s memoir of her life with Stephen. Felicity Jones plays Jane here, also through the decades, with an emotional arc that comes to dominate the story around the time Stephen’s speech all but melts down. After the couple’s second child, she joins a church choir, seeking respite from juggling the kids and a wheelchair-bound husband.

There she meets a widower (Charlie Cox) who offers to help with the literal heavy lifting of family life. He spends enough time with the Hawkings, even on holidays, that by the third child, suspicions linger as to who truly is the man of the house.

Director James Marsh leaves such questions to answer themselves quietly, giving respectful distance to people who are still living and, after all, did consent to the movie rights. Even as we come to inhabit this marriage, we are never far from the mysteries of the universe; visually, the interplay of light and dark recurs, to strong effect. But what becomes increasingly clear is how our understanding of the cosmos owes to Stephen Hawking being alive and well, and how that owes to such a quotidian sublimity as the love of a good woman.

Stephen Hawking is an exceedingly brilliant fellow, and by all accounts seems engaging, but when he cannot mount so much as a single stair alone — scaling a flight of them in the early stages of his disease mimics hand-to-hand combat — the need for human connection trumps the life of the mind. Had he been an insufferable S.O.B., no one might’ve provided for him to pursue a unifying theory of relativity and quantum physics.

For the universe not to be such a dark place, someone has to cook the dinner.

Someone must uncap the beers. www.arktimes.com

DECEMBER 11, 2014

41

Dining

Information in our restaurant capsules reflects the opinions of the newspaper staff and its reviewers. The newspaper accepts no advertising or other considerations in exchange for reviews, which are conducted anonymously. We invite the opinions of readers who think we are in error.

B Breakfast L Lunch D Dinner $ Inexpensive (under $8/person) $$ Moderate ($8-$20/person) $$$ Expensive (over $20/person) CC Accepts credit cards

WHAT’S COOKIN’

Kiyen’s

THE SOUTHERN GOURMASIAN, the much beloved local food truck (often raved about in the pages of Arkansas Times), is amid a crowdfunding campaign to raise $15,000 to cover the cost of building out and furnishing the dining room of a brick-and-mortar restaurant of the same name. Chef/owner Justin Patterson had raised nearly $5,000 on Tuesday at our print deadline of his $15,000 goal on Kickstarter. The Southern/Asian fusion restaurant will be located at 219 W. Capitol. Patterson has not set an opening date.

THREE FOLD NOODLES AND Dumpling Co., a new restaurant specializing in traditional Chinese food, will celebrate a soft opening Dec. 15 at 215 Center St., the former home of Your Mama’s Good Food. The menu will include handmade dumplings, steamed buns and hand-stretched noodles.

DINING CAPSULES

AMERICAN

1620 SAVOY Fine dining in a swank space, with a menu redone by the same owners of Cache downtown. The scallops are especially nice. 1620 Market St. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$.

501-221-1620. D Mon.-Sat., BR Sun. ADAMS CATFISH & CATERING Catering company in Little Rock with carry-out trailers in Russellville and Perryville. 215 N. Cross St. All CC. $-$$. 501-336-4399. LD Tue.-Fri. AFTERTHOUGHT BISTRO AND BAR The restaurant side of the Afterthought Bar (also called the Afterthought Bistro and Bar) features crab cakes, tuna tacos, chicken tenders, fries, sandwiches, burgers and, as entrees, fish and grits, tuna, ribeye, chicken and dumplings, pasta and more. Live music in the adjoining bar, also private dining room. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar. All CC. 501-663-1196.

ALL ABOARD RESTAURANT & GRILL Burgers, catfish, chicken tenders and such in this trainthemed restaurant, where an elaborately engineered mini-locomotive delivers patrons’ meals. 6813 Cantrell Road. No alcohol. All CC. 501-975-7401. LD daily.

ALLEY OOPS The restaurant at Creekwood Plaza (near the Kanis-Bowman intersection) is a neighborhood feedbag for major medical institutions with the likes of plate lunches, burgers and homemade desserts. Remarkable chess pie. 11900 Kanis Road. Full bar. All CC. $-$$.

501-221-9400. LD Mon.-Sat. ASHER DAIRY BAR An old-line dairy bar that serves up made-to-order burgers, foot-long “Royal” hot dogs and old-fashioned shakes and malts. 7105 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol, No CC, CC. $-$$. 501-562-1085. BLD Tue.-Sat. ATHLETIC CLUB SPORTS BAR & GRILL What could be mundane fare gets delightful twists and embellishments here. 11301 Financial Centre Parkway. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$.

501-312-9000. LD daily.

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

17200 Chenal Parkway 821-7272 kiyens.squarespace.com QUICK BITE Like many Japanese restaurants, Kiyen’s offers a bento box lunch special daily that includes sushi, rice and a rotating choice of entrees for $9.95. It’s a great deal for a midday feast.

HOURS 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday; noon to 2 p.m. Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

OTHER INFO All major credit cards accepted; full bar

KISS OF FIRE ROLL: A tuna lover’s dream at Kiyen’s.

Ignore Kiyen’s clutter, enjoy its sushi A new Japanese restaurant in Chenal.

K

iyen’s Japanese Restaurant is an odd-looking place. There’s the typical hostess station setup at the entrance, but piled all around that are tables, chairs and other dining room ephemera that serve as a wall to block off half the dining room. Apparently, the part that is blocked off was originally designed to accommodate tableside hibachi cooking, left over from the previous occupant, Papa Sushi. It seems Kiyen’s has decided not to go that route.

The open side of the dining room is free from all clutter, though, and provides a nice space for lunch or dinner.

We bring up the entrance because we have to admit that our first impression of Kiyen’s wasn’t a great one. In addition to the rummage sale look by the front door, there was only one server for the busy dining room, which meant we spent quite a bit more time with our menus than was necessary.

When our poor, harried server did

finally make it to our table, she apologized immediately for the wait, took our order and spent the rest of the meal steadily changing that bad first impression into something quite good through a generous dose of hard work.

Our moods brightened even further when our food, an assortment of sushi, came. The basic tuna roll ($7) was filled with large pieces of fresh, ruby red tuna, wrapped in the sort of lightly seasoned, slightly warm rice and seaweed. The spicy tuna roll ($7) didn’t fare quite as well — the tuna was minced and a touch mushy — but it still tasted good. A final tuna-themed roll, the Kiss of Fire Roll ($12), was a combination of the other two: minced tuna and cucumber wrapped in rice and seaweed, then topped with more fish and a spicy sauce — a tuna lover’s dream. Some of the wraps fell apart, but we managed.

On a follow-up visit for dinner

we branched out and tried some of the non-sushi portions of the menu.

A plate of chicken fried rice ($7.99) came out piping hot and chock-full of goodies. A bowl of miso soup ($2.99), sadly, suffered from some separation issues that left a layer of clear water on top and all the miso at the bottom.

The dish of the night was the oddly named “Heading to the Mountain” salad ($9.99), which piled seared tuna and fried noodles atop a bowl of spring mix to great effect, and was only made better by the addition of a tangy dressing. Not being able to go without sushi completely, we made our way through a California roll ($5) and a spider roll ($12), and were pleased by both, especially the delicious tempura-battered soft-shell crab in the spider. The dining room wasn’t nearly as chaotic on this second visit, and our server — the same as before — took excellent care of us.

Kiyen’s is tucked away in the Centre at Chenal shopping center on the east side of Chenal Parkway just south of the mammoth Promenade at Chenal — meaning that it may not stand out from the gilded crowd. The cluttered and understaffed dining room issues certainly don’t help this. The kitchen is talented, though, and everyone was so friendly on both our visits that we think Kiyen’s has the potential to become one of Little Rock’s top restaurants for both traditional Japanese food and Asian fusion cuisine. We saw things on the menu that we’ll try when we return — and for us, that’s the best sign of a good restaurant we can think of.

BELLY UP Check out the Times’ food blog, Eat Arkansas

T

H

E

DED R FA OS R E S TA U R A N T E

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whiskey on tap, plus boneless wings, burgers, steaks, soups and salads. 225 E Markham St. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-324-2449. LD daily.

BOBBY’S COUNTRY COOKIN’ One of the better plate lunch spots in the area, with some of the best fried chicken and pot roast around, a changing daily casserole and wonderful homemade pies. 301 N. Shackleford Road, Suite E1. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-224-9500. L Mon.-Fri. BOGIE’S BAR AND GRILL The former Bennigan’s retains a similar theme: a menu filled with burgers, salads and giant desserts, plus a few steak, fish and chicken main courses.

There are big-screen TVs for sports fans and lots to drink, more reason to return than the food.

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DINING CAPSULES, CONT. B-SIDE The little breakfast place in the former party room of Lilly’s DimSum Then Some turns tradition on its ear, offering French toast wrapped in bacon on a stick, a must-have dish called “biscuit mountain” and beignets with lemon curd. 11121 Rodney Parham Road. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-716-2700. B-BR Sat.-Sun. BAR LOUIE Mammoth portions of very decent bar/bistro fare with an amazingly varied menu that should satisfy every taste. Some excellent drink deals abound, too. 11525 Cantrell Road, Suite 924. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-228-0444.

LD daily, BR Sat.-Sun. BIG WHISKEY’S AMERICAN BAR AND GRILL A modern grill pub in the River Market District with all the bells and whistles: 30 flat-screen TVs,

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DINING CAPSULES, CONT. 120 W. Pershing Blvd. NLR. Full bar. All CC. $$.

501-812-0019. BD daily.

BOOKENDS CAFE A great spot to enjoy lunch with friends or a casual cup of coffee and a favorite book. Serving coffee and pastries early and sandwiches, soups and salads available after 11 a.m. Cox Creative Center. No alcohol.

All CC. $-$$. 501- 918-3091. BL Mon.-Sat. THE BOX Cheeseburgers and french fries are greasy and wonderful and not like their fastfood cousins. 1023 W. Seventh St. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-372-8735. L Mon.-Fri. BUFFALO GRILL A great crispy-off-the-griddle cheeseburger and hand-cut fries star at this family-friendly stop. 1611 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, CC. $$. 501-296-9535. LD daily.

CAFE 201 The hotel restaurant in the Crowne Plaza serves up a nice lunch buffet. 201 S.

Shackleford Road. Full bar. All CC. $$. 501-2233000. BLD Mon.-Fri., BD Sat., BR Sun. CATFISH CITY AND BBQ GRILL Basic fried fish and sides, including green tomato pickles, and now with tasty ribs and sandwiches in beef, pork and sausage. 1817 S. University Ave. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-663-7224.

LD Tue.-Sat. CHEERS IN THE HEIGHTS Good burgers and sandwiches, vegetarian offerings and salads at lunch, and fish specials and good steaks in the evening. 2010 N. Van Buren. Full bar. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-5937. LD Mon.-Sat. 1901 Club Manor Drive. Maumelle. Full bar. All CC. 501-851-6200. LD daily, BR Sun. CHICKEN KING Arguably Central Arkansas’s best wings. 5213 W 65th St. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-562-5573. LD Mon.-Sat.

CHICKEN WANG & CAFE Regular, barbecue, spicy, lemon, garlic pepper, honey mustard and Buffalo wings. Open late. 8320 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-5621303. LD Mon.-Sat. COLD STONE CREAMERY This national chain takes a base flavor (everything from Sweet Cream to Chocolate Cake Batter) and adds your choice of ingredients or a combination of ingredients it calls a Creation. Cold Stone also serves up a variety of ice cream cakes and cupcakes. 12800 Chenal Parkway. No alcohol.

All CC. $. 501-225-7000. LD daily.

CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE Chain-style home-cooking with plenty of variety, consistency and portions. Multiple locations statewide. 3101 Springhill Drive. NLR. No alcohol. All CC. (501) 945-9373. BLD daily.

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DAVE AND RAY’S DOWNTOWN DINER Breakfast buffet daily featuring biscuits and gravy, home fries, sausage and made-toorder omelets. Lunch buffet with four choices of meats and eight veggies. 824 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol. $. 501-372-8816. BL Mon.-Fri. DAVID’S BURGERS Serious hamburgers, steak salads, homemade custard. 101 S. Bowman Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-227-8333.

LD Mon.-Sat. 1100 Highway 65 N. Conway.

No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. (501) 327-3333 4000 McCain Blvd. NLR. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$.

501-353-0387. LD Mon.-Sat. E’S BISTRO Despite the name, think tearoom rather than bistro — there’s no wine, for one thing, and there is tea. But there’s nothing tearoomy about the portions here. Try the heaping grilled salmon BLT on a buttery croissant. 3812 JFK Boulevard. NLR. No alcohol. All CC. $$. 501-771-6900. L Tue.-Sat., D Thu.-Sat. FLIGHT DECK A not-your-typical daily lunch special highlights this spot, which also features inventive sandwiches, salads and a popular burger. Central Flying Service at Adams Field.

Beer and wine. All CC. $-$$. 501-975-9315. BL Mon.-Sat. HILLCREST ARTISAN MEATS A fancy charcuterie and butcher shop with excellent daily soup and sandwich specials. Limited seating is available. 2807 Kavanaugh Blvd. Suite B. No alcohol. All CC. $$-$$$. 501-671-6328. L Mon.-Sat. JASON’S DELI A huge selection of sandwiches (wraps, subs, po’ boys and pitas), salads and spuds, as well as red beans and rice and chicken pot pie. Plus a large selection of heart healthy and light dishes. 301 N. Shackleford Road. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-954-8700.

LD daily.

JIMMY JOHN’S GOURMET SANDWICHES Illinois-based sandwich chain that doesn’t skimp on what’s between the buns. 4120 E. McCain Blvd. NLR. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-945-9500. LD daily. 700 South Broadway St. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$.

501-372-1600. LD daily.

KITCHEN EXPRESS Delicious “meat and three” restaurant offering big servings of homemade soul food. Maybe Little Rock’s best fried chicken. 4600 Asher Ave. No alcohol. All CC. $-$$. 501-666-3500. BLD Mon.-Sat., LD Sun. LASSIS INN One of the state’s oldest restaurants still in the same location and one of the best for catfish and buffalo fish. 518 E 27th St. Beer and wine. All CC. $$. 501-3728714. LD Tue.-Sat. LINDA’S CORNER Southern and soul food.

2601 Barber St. 501-372-1511.

Enjoy live music, classic cocktails and a special New Year ’s menu

by C h e f Ti m o t hy M o r to n a n d h i s te a m Call to book your reservation 501-221-1620

DINING X CATERING X COCKTAILS 16 2 0 M arke t St re e t , L i ttl e Ro c k, A R 72 2 1 1 | 1 6 2 0s avoy.co m

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DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

ride Ride LOCAL ARKANSAS TIMES

ARKANSAS FICTION: THE SURVEY, CONT. for a rape of which he was falsely accused and the staff artist from the Arkansas Gazette who champions his release, is perhaps the most moving that Harington ever depicted; though if your taste runs to slender character studies, I would recommend — 3.) “Lightning Bug,” Harington’s second novel but the first to spring from the soil of Stay More, the fictional Ozark town to which all his subsequent novels returned, and the book that introduced the postmistress Latha Bourne, one of his most indelible characters and the presiding feminine ideal of his work; though if you enjoy more experimental novels, you might consider — 4.) “Some Other Place. The Right Place.,” a book in four movements plus an overture and a finale, about sex, death, poetry, reincarnation and finding one’s home in the world, and also the novel which Harington himself chose (in “The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books”) as the one by which he wished to see his work represented; and finally, if you’re in the mood for a good ghost story, you should read — 5.) “With,” the most accomplished novel from Harington’s late flowering of productivity, a survival tale about an abducted girl, isolated alongside her captor, who befriends a menagerie of wild animals and the ghost of a young boy who once lived nearby, and a book which, like all of Harington’s others, admirably fulfills what he considered to be the signal mission of literature: offering an escape from the world that makes the world itself, when you return to it, more magical, bearable, or understandable. — Kevin Brockmeier, Writer

Here are two gems of fiction

by Arkansas writers that unfortunately have been elbowed off the bookshelves, yet still deserve to be around for a long time to come.

The first is “Transferences” (University of Arkansas Press, 1987) by James Twiggs, a Missouri native who grew up in Arkansas and later settled in Fayetteville. It’s a haunting novel that examines the field of psychotherapy through the eyes of three characters: therapist Wanda North, her husband Robert Martin, and a former patient, Tim Jenks.

Jenks’ letters to North, while deranged and obsessive, apply some brilliant insight into the relationship of patient to therapist. This highly charged work trends to the dark side of human emotions but also contains some sharp humor and is gracefully written.

Next up is “The Dixie Association” (Simon & Schuster, 1984) by Donald “Skip” Hays, a native of Van Buren who taught in the MFA writing program at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

This first novel is the story of a minor league baseball team from Little Rock called the Arkansas Reds. The team is

managed by Lefty Marks, a one-armed, former major leaguer who runs a farming cooperative on the side and gets picketed at the ballpark by churchgoers who think he’s a communist.

Hog Durham, a funny and cynical ex-con, plays first base for the Reds and narrates this gritty baseball story populated by misfits and dreamers. It’s a good ole boy tour de force, told in a masterful style, and describes a battle between the forces of repression and the outlaw spirit that helped forge the American landscape. — Rod Lorenzen, Butler Center For Arkansas Studies

THE PARTY AT CACHE

W I T H

P A R T Y

P L A N E T

Toast the New Year and dance the night away at Cache The dining room will offer a 4-course dinner with seating options at 5:30pm or 8:30pm Tickets are $75 per person and provide entry into our signature event - alcohol not included Call for reservations

The upstairs lounge will host our signature event starting at 8:00pm

The Party at Cache featuring the music of Party Planet Tickets are $50 per person and available through the Cache Facebook page Must be 21 to attend

#CacheNYE2015 501-850-0265 | 425 President Clinton Ave. | Little Rock, AR 72201 | cachelittlerock.com

www.arktimes.com

DECEMBER 11, 2014

45

EDINA BEGIC, ON TOP OF STATE ATHLETICS ers, UALR should again contend for a conference crown. Milanovic, a junior, and Megan Mathis, a sophomore, last month joined Begic on the Sun Belt alltournament team. It had been nine years since a UALR player had made an alltournament team. That player, Amilia Barakovic, returned to her native Bosnia-Herzegovina and told a young Begic about UALR and its coaching staff’s experience working with foreign players. The teenage Begic loved what she heard.

Begic’s longtime goal has been to play pro volleyball, which is far more lucrative in Europe than in the United States.

(Begic has heard some veteran players in Turkey fetch up to $100,000 a year). But she didn’t want to go pro immediately after graduating from her Sarajevo high school. She wanted better education and training. “The opportunities at home are not as good as here,” she said. “The gyms are not as nice, we don’t have as much equipment. ... I thought that [UALR] is perfect for me for going to another level.”

She never considered another school, and joined a UALR team that now has five Bosnians, a Serb and an Australian.

No other Sun Belt team has more than one player born outside of the United States. The team’s international flavor is due in large part to the time UALR head volleyball coach Van Compton and her assistants have put into developing relations with foreign coaches since recruiting their first Bosnian in 1994. Compton said her department spends about $5,000 every other year on recruiting trips abroad.

In some circles, the internationalization of college sports is a controversial one. Some complain that foreign student athletes take taxpayer money for spots that would otherwise go to locals. Others point out that U.S. colleges invest in the best foreign student athletes only to see them later join their native national teams and beat the U.S. in international competition. Smaller schools, though, have found foreign stars provide their best shot at leveling the playing field.

Although Baylor’s men’s tennis team is now among the nation’s best, in the late 1990s its coach, Matt Knoll, struggled with a mostly American team. He tried to close the gap by recruiting top American high schoolers, but lost hope in signing them when elite programs like Stanford, Duke and UCLA entered the ring. He told the Kansas City Star in 2006 that Baylor “can’t beat them for these kids. … So do we let Duke beat our brains in because we’re taking third-tier Americans while they’re picking from the first tier? Or do we get first-tier [foreign] kids and try to beat them? What would you do?”

46

DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES

NOTICE OF FILLING APPLICATIONS FOR SMALL FARM WINERYMANUFACTURER AND SMALL FARM WINERYWHOLESALE PERMITS

Notice is hereby given that the undersigned has files an application with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division of the State of Arkansas for permits to manufacture and sell wine at wholesale on the premises described as: 3021 East Broadway, North Little Rock 72114. Said application was filed on October 30, 2014. The undersigned states that he/ she is a resident of Arkansas, of good moral character; that he/she has never been convicted of a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude; that no license to sell alcoholic beverages by the undersigned has been revoked within five (5) years last past; and, that the undersigned has never been convicted of violating the laws of this State, or any other State, relative to the sale of controlled beverages. Name of Applicant: Margaret J Raimondo.

Name of Business: Raimondo Winery LLC. Sworn to before me this 8th day of December, 2014.

Linda L. Phillips, Notary Public. My commission Expires: September 28, 2016. #12350768.

NOTICE OF FILLING APPLICATIONS FOR SMALL FARM WINERY SMALL FARM WINERETAIL PERMIT

Notice is hereby given that the undersigned has files an application with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division of the State of Arkansas for a permit to sell wine produced at Small Farm Wineries, to be carried out and not consumed on the premises described as: 219 River Market Little Rock 72201. Said application was filed on October 30, 2014. The undersigned states that he/she is a resident of Arkansas, of good moral character; that he/she has never been convicted of a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude; that no license to sell alcoholic beverages by the undersigned has been revoked within five (5) years last past; and, that the undersigned has never been convicted of violating the laws of this State, or any other State, relative to the sale of controlled beverages. Name of Applicant: Margaret J Raimondo.

Name of Business: Raimondo Winery LLC. Sworn to before me this 8th day of December, 2014.

Linda L. Phillips, Notary Public. My commission Expires: September 28, 2016. #12350768.

ARKANSAS TIMES MARKETPLACE ❤ ADOPTION ❤

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Household Manager/Personal Assistant to the Elderly.

Provider of services such as: companion, accompany to doctors appointments, run errands…etc.

14 years experience.

Call Phyllis for details at 501-398-3522.

ETL Specialist: Works in a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)driven organizational framework & provides expertise in Informatics ETL, data mapping of source to target systems & dimensional modeling. Responsible for analyzing data, creating ETL mappings, dvlpg SQL statements, routines & procedures to integrate data from multiple sources. Create & maintain Informatics ETL routines & procedures for various Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) & States Systems. Dvlp & configure Informatics s/ware to process data web services &/or conversion. Create mappings & mapplets in Informatics. Work w/ technical & functional analysts to translate functional & technical reqmt, into a dsgn, & a dsgn into a realized & tested solution. Create data mappings & models to integrate data from multiple sources. Conduct analysis problem solving to dvlp, deploy & maintain processes & methodologies. Analyze & modify existing prgms to improve existing prgm performance. Review & update technical dsgn docs. Write & maintain documentation to describe prgm dvlpmt, logic, coding, testing changes & corrections.

Create ad hoc reports & work & provide expertise w/ data mining methodologies. Work in an Agile dvlpmt to create data mappings from source systems to the Architects, Dvlprs, & Business Analysts to create data mappings from source systems to the target systems, data warehouses & data marts. Maintain industry/technical knowl base & facilitate/maintain industry relationships. Demonstrate commitment to providing customer-focused quality service. Respond to client requests w/in agreed upon timeframes. Perform other relevant duties based upon exp. Reqs: MS in comp sci, s/ware engg, or rltd field w/ 2 + yrs of informatics dvlpmt exp. ETL exp. Relational dbase exp. BI exp. Extensive exp in multiple life cycle implmtns of BI projects from system landscape, data modeling, dsgn & dvlpmt, ETL, validation, reporting, & security. Ability to dsgn, dvlp, & deploy the ETL processes & performance tune ETL prgms/scripts. Strong technical background in using Informatics multi-dimensional modeling & analysis, dsgng dashboards & dvlpg complex reports. Exp w/ Java/ J2EE (incl EJB, JSP, JDBC) Websphere. Must be able to see tasks through to completion without significant guidance. Excellent oral & written communication skills & ability to clearly articulate to all project members & stakeholders. Must be a team player who works well w/ technical & non-technical resources. Proven ability to build collaborative relationships. Ability to quickly adapt to a changing envrmnt. Strong working knowl of MS Outlook, Excel, Word, Visio, & Access. Other reqmts: Critical thinking, analysis, dvlpmt, problemsolving, decision-making, interpersonal communication, leadership, mentoring, quality assurance, strategic planning, stress tolerance & flexibility. Job is in Little Rock, AR. Send resume to EngagePoint Inc. Attn: Felicia Gross, Sr. HR Business Partner, 3901 Calverton Blvd., Ste 110, Calverton, MD 20705.

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D

N TE S A

E TY

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IN

N OU C E

2155 Deerwood Dr. Hensley, AR 72065

Presents

3 miles off Sheridan Hwy 167 left on Springlake

Pet Obits Your Pet Passages

FOR SALE

BY OWNER

1800 sq.ft. and a full basement unfinished of 1800 sq.ft. w/8 acres

Issue Dates: Thursdays Material Deadline: Mondays, same week of publication. ...

"The most richly enjoyable new play for grown-ups that New York has known in many seasons…" -- New York Times

A divided family, a memoir and a long-held family secret…

Directedby

by Ralph Ralph Hyman Directed Hyman

December 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, and 20, 2014

December 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, and 20, 2014

Tickets: $16 Adults $12 Students and Seniors Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm For more information contact us at 501.374.3761 or www.weekendtheater.org Fridays & Saturdays 7:30pm • $16 Adults / $12 Students & Seniors

• 3 bedrooms/ 2 baths; 42 years old • Insulated well, low monthly electric/water bills • All 4 sides of the house are surrounded by woods and very private • Large insulated metal shed

Feature your pet with a photo.

Ad Size 1/16 1/8 1/4

Dimensions 2.12 W x 2.62 H 4.5 W x 2.62 H 4.5 W x 5.5 H

Rate $70 $150 $300

For more information contact us at 501.374.3761 or www.weekendtheater.org

1001 W. 7th St., LR, AR 72201 - On the corner of 7th and Chester, across from Vino's.

Other Desert Cities is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

Originally produced by Lincoln Center Theater, New York City, 2010.

Support for The Weekend Theater is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, and National Endowment for the Arts.

Feature your pet without photo Ad Size 1/32 1/16

Dimensions 2.12 W x 1.18 H 2.12 W x 2.62 H

Rate $35 $70

Wonderful neighbors and a great place to raise children and to have inside or outside dogs!

For more info, call or text 501-607-3100

1001 W. 7th St., LR, AR 72201 On the corner of 7th and Chester, across from Vino’s.

Support for TWT is provided, in part, by the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the DAH, and the NEA.

Contact luis@arktimes.com 501-492-3974

YOUR ULTIMATE FAMILY PUPPY!

Jasper (black) is a great little puppy we picked up on the Buffalo River near the town of the same name. He loves to play with our dogs, cats and other farm animals.

He is a great cuddler and bed partner with our kids. He is house broken, very smart and learns quick. He needs lots of room to run a play and is extremely social both with people and other animals. We have four other dogs or we would keep him. We think he is really special and needs a forever home. He has had his first round of puppy shots and has been wormed. He is extremely healthy and just a few months old. We are asking $25 to cover the cost of his puppy shots and medication.

Call Kaytee

501.607.3100 WE ARE IN NORTH PULASKI COUNTY, 11 MILES WEST OF CABOT NEAR HWY 107.

C U S T O M F U R N I T U R E tommy@tommyfarrell.com ■ 501.375.7225 www.arktimes.com

DECEMBER 11, 2014

47

Kyle-Rochelle JEWELERS

The Premier Diamond Broker… since 1980 • W E B U Y D I A M O N D S & E S TAT E J E W E L RY •

FO R FO S T E R C H I L D R E N T H I S C H R I S T M AS HELP US…

Bring in a N E W T OY for your chance to W I N a pair of diamond stud earrings!

Stuff theSleigh

• Valued at $2800 • 1 carat total weight solitares A winner will be drawn Christmas Eve!

523 South Louisiana, Suite M100, Little Rock, AR 72201 • M-F 9am – 5pm

501-375-3335

www.kylerochellejewelers.com 48

DECEMBER 11, 2014

ARKANSAS TIMES