Arkansas Times - January 14, 2016 by Arkansas Times

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SEMI-FINALISTS IN THE 2016 ARKANSAS TIMES MUSICIANS SHOWCASE

The next highest scoring band from ALL semi-final rounds will be included in the Finals.

A ROWDY FAITH CALEB VELASQUEZ COLLIN VS. ADAM DEFRANCE GALAXY TOUR GUIDES JAY JACKSON LOVE AND A REVOLVER ODDY KNOCKY SATTAKOTA SEA OF ECHOES SEANFRESH & THE NASTYFRESH CREW SOULUTION THE UH HUHS THE WHOLE FAMN DAMILY TREY JOHNSON & JASON WILLMON VINTAGE PISTOL

FOUR SEMI-FINALIST BANDS WILL COMPETE EACH WEEK PERFORMING 30 MINUTES OF ORIGINAL MUSIC. EACH WEEK’S WINNER WILL ADVANCE TO THE FINAL ROUND. SEMI-FINAL ROUNDS ARE HELD THURSDAY NIGHTS AT STICKYZ JAN. 28 FEB. 4 FEB. 11 FEB. 18 SEE NEXT WEEK’S PAPER FOR PERFORMANCE DATES AND TIMES! FINALS ARE HELD AT REV ROOM ON FRIDAY, FEB. 26

Judging Process: Three (3) regular judges plus one (1) guest judge will score each band on the following criteria - Songwriting (1-30 points), Musicianship (1-30 points), Originality (1-30 points), Showmanship (1-10 points) for a total of 100 possible points per judge. The lowest overall judge’s score is dropped. A crowd vote (based on a percentage) is also added to each bands’ final score from the judges. 2

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt

Vintage Valentine’s For Your Sweetheart!

Knowing our clients ARKANSAS’S SOURCE FOR NEWS, POLITICS & ENTERTAINMENT 3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt personally is 201 East Markham Street, Suite 200 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 we do. www.arktimes.com Knowing ourwhat clients

Knowing our clients personally is what we do.

arktimes@arktimes.com Twitter: @ArkTimes Instagram: arktimes www.facebook.com/arkansastimes

personally we do. Kelly Ris Journey, AAMS®, Kelly R.what Journey ADPA®, CRPC® ® ® ®

Oliver’s Antiques

AAMS , CRPC , CRPS® Kelly R, ADPA Journey, AAMS®, Financial Advisor

. Financial Advisor ADPA®, CRPC® 10506 Stagecoach Road Suite C Financial Advisor 10800 Financial Centre Parkway, Ste. 270

PUBLISHER Alan Leveritt

Little Rock, AR 72210 10506 Stagecoach Little Rock, AR 72211 Road Suite C 501-455-5786 Little Rock, AR 72210 .

EDITOR Lindsey Millar

501-455-5786 501-455-5786

SENIOR EDITOR Max Brantley MANAGING EDITOR Leslie Newell Peacock CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Mara Leveritt

Member Member SIPC

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Benjamin Hardy, David Koon

ARK Times-print.pdf

COPY EDITOR Jim Harris

1/11/16

Lots of other goodies, too!

SIPC

501.982.0064 1101 Burman Dr. • Jacksonville Take Main St. Exit, East on Main, Right on S. Hospital & First Left to Burman.

TUES-FRI 10-5; SAT 10-3 OR BY APPOINTMENT

6:12 PM

RIVERDALE 10 VIP CINEMA 2600 CANTRELL RD 5 0 1 . 2 9 6.9 955 | R I V E R DA LE1 0.CO M

ELECTRIC RECLINER SEATS AND RESERVED SEATING

SHOW TIMES: FRI, JAN 15 – THURS, JAN 21

THE DANISH GIRL R | 1:00 3:30 6:45 9:15 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI R | 1:30 4:15 7:00 9:45

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS PG13 | 1:30 4:15 7:00 9:45 SISTERS R | 2:00 4:30 7:15 9:35

RIDE ALONG 2 PG13 | 2:00 4:00 7:15 9:30

SPOTLIGHT R | 1:45 4:10 7:00 9:35

CAROL R | 1:15 3:45 6:45 9:00

JOY PG13 | 1:15 3:45

THE REVENANT R | 1:00 4:00 7:00 9:50

THE HATEFUL EIGHT R | 7:30

THE BIG SHORT R | 1:15 3:45 6:45 9:30 NOW SERVING BEER & WINE • FULL FOOD MENU • GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Will Stephenson EDITORIAL ART DIRECTOR Bryan Moats PHOTOGRAPHER Brian Chilson ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Mike Spain GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kevin Waltermire DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Phyllis A. Britton DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS Rebekah Hardin SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Tiffany Holland ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Jo Garcia, Brooke Wallace, Lee Major ADVERTISING TRAFFIC MANAGER Roland R. Gladden ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Jim Hunnicutt SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING DIRECTOR Lauren Bucher IT DIRECTOR Robert Curfman CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Anitra Hickman CONTROLLER Weldon Wilson BILLING/COLLECTIONS Linda Phillips OFFICE MANAGER/ACCOUNTS PAYABLE Kelly Lyles PRODUCTION MANAGER Ira Hocut (1954-2009)

association of alternative newsmedia

CMY

VOLUME 42, NUMBER 19 ARKANSAS TIMES (ISSN 0164-6273) is published each week by Arkansas Times Limited Partnership, 201 East Markham Street, Suite 200, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, phone (501) 375-2985. Periodical postage paid at Little Rock, Arkansas, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ARKANSAS TIMES, 201 EAST MARKHAM STREET, SUITE 200, Little Rock, AR, 72201. Subscription prices are $42 for one year, $74 for two years. Subscriptions outside Arkansas are $49 for one year, $88 for two years. Foreign (including Canadian) subscriptions are $168 a year. For subscriber service call (501) 375-2985. Current single-copy price is 75¢, free in Pulaski County. Single issues are available by mail at $2.50 each, postage paid. Payment must accompany all single-copy orders. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without the written consent of the publishers is prohibited. Manuscripts and artwork will not be returned or acknowledged unless sufficient return postage and a self-addressed stamped envelope are included. All materials are handled with due care; however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for care and safe return of unsolicited materials. All letters sent to ARKANSAS TIMES will be treated as intended for publication and are subject to ARKANSAS TIMES’ unrestricted right to edit or to comment editorially.

JANUARY 14, 2016

COMMENT

Trump for prez Donald Trump deserves to be the Republican nominee for president. For decades now, Republicans have been trying to give tax breaks and investment incentives to guys like Donald Trump by fighting government regulations of corporations. Why not just completely cut out the middleman by giving Trump the presidency and control of Congress? When President Trump takes over, there will be no need for guys like Ted Cruz and that credit card fraud, Marco Rubio. Corporations will rule America and all the socialistic programs like Social Security and Medicare will no longer be tolerated. Such administrations will be fired and Republicans will finally get what they have said they always wanted, a free market society based upon an Ayn Rand Utopia. Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan will call the shots. There will be no need for a federal reserve system. Janet Yellen will be fired immediately. And the IRS? Fired. Trump can count his own money. Lazy folks will slowly die away in corners, quietly, so as not to disturb the captains of industry. Perfect capitalism! Meanwhile, back here in reality, Ryan is taking on his own Ayn Rand character by maneuvering to establish himself as Republican National Convention chairman. Maybe Ryan can change convention rules and nominate himself the Republican presidential candidate. But who would be vice president? Mike Huckabee? Gene Mason Jacksonville

tax-and-rebate, is the best way government can help. Carol Steinhart Madison, Wis.

Steps toward integration As John Walker prepares his lawsuit, local superintendents make plans to build new white schools. The Little Rock superintendent will balance his white middle school eventually with the proposed high school in Southwest Little Rock. Jacksonville seems unconcerned about balance. The difference between

1954 and 2016 is that state government is using a legal loophole in 2016 (the unitary district decree) to build segregated schools. School leaders forget that in 1954 the Supreme Court decided that separate, no matter how alike you try to make things, was not equal. The state spent hundreds of millions trying to integrate public schools in Pulaski County. The federal government determined that the LRSD did everything possible to integrate schools and awarded it unitary status. Being awarded unitary status opened the door to build a new white school in the west, a new white

6 6 Rally For th annual For 6 Rally For

Presented By

th annual thRally annual

Reproductive Reproductive Reproductive Justice Justice Justice

Presented By

Embrace sustainable energy now “Commit Little Rock to being 100 percent powered by clean energy by 2025” (cover story, Dec. 17) is the biggest big idea of all, but not too big to happen. As Glen Hooks points out, it is happening in other American cities. Many other places, large and small, around the world already generate virtually all of their electricity sustainably: Denmark, Iceland, Costa Rica, Norway, Albania, Paraguay, Bonaire, Kodiak Island and a growing number of cities. A sustainable energy economy is not only possible, it is inevitable, and the sooner we get on with achieving it, the better off we will be. The private sector is making impressive progress toward this goal. A carbon price, preferably a market-driven 4

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

1 pm Saturday, January 23, 2016 1 pm Saturday, 23, 2016 Arkansas January State Capitol Arkansas State Capitol 1 pm Saturday, January 23, 2016

rain or shine

Arkansas State Capitol

rain or shine

bit.ly/rjrally2016

@ACforRJ

ACforRJ@gmail.com

bit.ly/rjrally2016

@ACforRJ

ACforRJ@gmail.com

bit.ly/rjrally2016

@ACforRJ

ACforRJ@gmail.com

elementary school in Jacksonville, and eventually a new white high school in the west. If separate was not equal in 1954, why would the same reasoning not apply today? White people prefer to live in western Pulaski County and select sections of Jacksonville, and each of those areas need new schools. The assumption is that the state did everything it could to integrate schools, got unitary status, so now it can build schools wherever it wants to build them without fear of federal law enforcement action. That assumption (we can build anywhere) gives Walker a good chance to show that the state is now scheming by using charter schools and select construction to defy the 14th Amendment. Briefly, here are some positive steps that could be used toward integration. First, have two districts in Pulaski County — north and south. Plan large (3,000 to 5,000 student populations) villages along traffic corridors served by light rail. The federal government pays 50 percent of light rail cost. Sell neighborhood schools to help pay for the villages. As much as possible, combine village facilities for school and public use outside school time. Large villages placed along rail or bus corridors avoid identification with a particular neighborhood or race. Rather than linked to a certain neighborhood, achievement identifies villages. Transportation serves the schools and the public. Pulaski County comes together to create outstanding, integrated school villages that make our city an attractive place to live. On the other hand, we can continue to manage schools to enable segregation. That behavior (enabling segregation) ensures more millions wasted on legal battles that also cost us our integrity. Richard Emmel Little Rock

Lost a giant Thanks to the Times and Ernie Dumas for the outstanding obit of Dale Bumpers. This is such wonderful, historical reporting. Invaluable. We were so fortunate to have this man as our governor and senator and equally fortunate to have someone like Ernie still with us to remind us all just how much this man accomplished while in public service. We lost our giant. I was a very young Pine Bluff Commercial reporter and drew the short straw election night to cover this “unknown” lawyer. I lucked out and we remained friends forever. I still have a photo from that night. Bill Lancaster Sheridan

From the web in response to an

Arkansas Blog post about the death of Dale Bumpers: In 1970, CBS NEWS had a TV special about the election of new governors in the South who did not use racial issues in their campaigns: Rubin Askew (Fla.), Jimmy Carter (Ga.) and Dale Bumpers. A first, according to CBS. Cato As a kid I remember thinking, Dale who? I suspect his unusual last name had some benefit in building crucial name recognition. He turned out to be the Southern “lion” of the Senate in a way that earned him a reputation for straight-shooting moderate-to-liberal politics that enjoyed a brief moment in Southern history. It’s hard to imagine a Dale Bumpers winning statewide election today, and I know that many readers on this blog agree that that is a tragic turn of events. He was one of the last generation of New Deal Democrats, and one of the few Southern Great Society Democrats, even though he came along a decade too late to support LBJ in his legislative program. Armed Mexican Invader

Having Trouble Trouble Living Having Living withSeizures? Seizures? with JoinJohn JohnTowbin, Towbin,M.D. M.D. to... to... Join • Learn more about seizure types, epilepsy,

• Learn more about seizure types, epilepsy, and available treatment options and available treatment options

• Hear about a treatment option specifically

• Hear about afortreatment option specifically designed drug-resistant seizures designed for drug-resistant seizures

Candice, Tim, & Brenda

Epilepsy Connections™ Ambassadors

Candice, Tim, & Brenda

Epilepsy Connections™ Ambassadors

WHEN: WHERE: LIVE INFORMATIONAL PROGRAM! Thursday January 21, 2016

WHEN: PROGRAM: 7:30PM Thursday January 21, 2016

CALL: 800-332-1375 ext: 2538

St. Vincent Hospital 2 St. Vincent Circle WHERE: Little Rock, AR 72205

WHO:

John Towbin, M.D. Neurologist

St. Vincent Hospital John Towbin, M.D. South Auditorium Neurologist 2 St.FOR Vincent CircleCALL (479) 320-9667 DIRECTIONS, Little Rock, AR 72205

COMPLIMENTARY South AuditoriumS AR E PROV IDED. YOU ARE WELCOME TO BR ING GUESTS . PROGRAM: 7:30PM PARK ING AND REFRESHMENT FOR DIRECTIONS, CALL (479) 320-9667 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON VNS THERAPY V ISIT WWW. SEIZURECONTROL .COM

CO M PL I M E N TA RY PA R K I N G A N D R E FR E S H M E N T S A R E PR OV I D E D. YO U A R E W E LCO M E TO B R I N G G U E S T S .

Program Sponsored by:

TPEPAD15-11-2000

Program Sponsored by:

www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

EYE ON ARKANSAS

WEEK THAT WAS

“The gun lobby may be holding Congress hostage right now, but they can’t hold America hostage. We do not have to accept that carnage is the price of freedom.” —President Obama, addressing the nation last Tuesday in an emotional speech announcing new executive actions on gun control, including stronger and more expansive background check rules. “He has an opportunity to lead and unify but instead the president has opted to attack the Second Amendment and law-abiding citizens through a divisive plan that will not save any lives.” — Gov. Asa Hutchinson, responding to Obama’s address. Along with other Republican officials across Arkansas and the United States, the governor characterized the president’s moderate proposals as an all-out assault on the Constitution. Hutchinson, by the way, once headed the National Rifle Association’s task force on school gun violence that the NRA formed in the wake of the massacre of 20 firstgraders in Newtown, Conn.

The latest abortion battle This week, a federal judge extended until March 14 her temporary restraining order blocking a new state law that would sharply limit access to medical abortions. The law was scheduled to take effect on the first day of the year, but on the afternoon of Dec. 31, Judge Kristine Baker temporarily halted its implementation after Planned Parenthood filed suit earlier that week. The statute would require Arkansas medical providers to follow an outdated dosage protocol on drugs 6

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

Quotes of the Week:

TRIAL BEGINS: Deputies lead Arron Lewis out of the Pulaski County Circuit Courtroom after jury selection in Lewis’ murder trial for the killing of real estate agent Beverly Carter.

used to induce abortion during the early stages of pregnancy, and would require clinics to contract with a doctor with admitting privileges at a hospital. Similar legislation has been used by anti-abortion advocates in other states to effectively shut down abortion providers.

Members only The Little Rock Planning Commission approved a proposal last Thursday by state Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson (R-Little Rock) to convert the Packet House — a historic, vacant house remodeled as a succession of restaurants on Cantrell Road, next to the Dillard’s headquarters — into a private club for businesspeople. (And, presumably, legislators and assorted politicos, considering the Capitol dome is only about half a mile away.) Hutchinson and two business partners have a deal pending to buy the property for $1.3 million from the previous owners. The senator said the “1836 Club” would be limited to 300 members. Assuming the venture gets off the ground, expect lots of wining, dining, cigar-smoking, back-slapping and gossip-mongering.

Tragedy on Kaw Lake

Last week, after a week of searching, authorities in Oklahoma found the body of Craig Strickland, 29, the singer in the Northwest Arkansas country-rock band Backroad Anthem. Strickland and another Arkansan, Chase Morland, 22, set out duck hunting early on the morning of Sunday, Dec. 27, just as a massive storm system was rolling across the middle part of the country (the same storm delivered near-record rainfall to much of Arkansas). Morland’s body was found the previous week, less than two days after he sent the following tweet: “In case we don’t come back, @BackroadCRAIG and I are going right through Winter Storm Goliath to kill ducks in Oklahoma. #IntoTheStorm”

Another $1 billion for charter schools The Walton Family Foundation announced last week that it’s further ramping up its support of charter schools across the nation by spending $1 billion over the next five years. In the past two decades, according to the Associated Press, the foundation spent some $1 billion on K-12 education, much of it on charters.

Never mind that the overall record on charter schools is mixed — most academic studies show they perform no better, on average, than do traditional public schools.

Keeping government safe from the public Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin changed his mind last week over his controversial decision to close the state Capitol building to the public on weekends. Martin said in December that he decided to institute the weekend closures (except in December, during the holiday display) to “provide enhanced security.” But after Gov. Hutchinson and others expressed unhappiness with the move, Martin backed off. So, grab the kids, and go play in the rotunda this Saturday.

OPINION

The people’s Arts Center

he Arkansas Arts Center may no longer be the state’s top cultural institution, but it remains the capital city’s major cultural hub, despite its manifest needs, including a bigger and better building. A brief idea, now shelved, to build a wholly new institution in North Little Rock had allure for its boldness. It also prompted Little Rock officials to act. The result is a tax increase of 2 cents on every dollar spent on hotel lodging in Little Rock. An election Feb. 9 will decide if that new money will be pledged to a $37.5 million bond issue for the Arts Center (and, in much smaller amounts, to the Museum of Arkansas Military History and the surrounding MacArthur Park.) Great cities have great public infrastructure and cultural institutions. This demands support for the only idea on the table for improvement to the Arts Center. I only hope it’s accompanied by more transparency and democracy. Transparency? First, there’s the mat-

ter of who’s running the election show. A committee led by a prominent Chamber of Commerce busiMAX nessman emerged BRANTLEY maxbrantley@arktimes.com as if by magic to campaign for the bond issue. Who appointed them? Who picked the political consultant that is running the show? Who will pay the campaign tab? Those are all secrets for now. Then there’s the election date. Mayor Mark Stodola describes this special election as a way to focus on the issue. Baloney. A special election is a technique used by schools, libraries and others to separate money questions from the broader participation in primary and general elections. I don’t have a problem with the ploy. But I also don’t see any point in blowing smoke about it. The committee pushing the election says it will raise private money to pay

Fear vs. facts

t’s funny how societal fear works (if your humor turns to the morbid). It can be in inverse proportion to the facts supporting it but in direct proportion to the heat of politics and the proximity of elections. Take the recent hysteria over terrorists that followed the Muslim couple’s assault at an office Christmas party in San Bernardino, though this column is about something else, the economy. Excuse the digression. Gun sales, of assault weapons as well as handguns, skyrocketed as people armed themselves against mad Muslims, and calls went out to stop President Obama from allowing desperate Syrian refugees into the country and to force him to send American men and women and more and bigger weapons into the Middle East to settle scores with whomever among the warring sectarian factions — the Sunnis or the Shias — or tribes that at the moment seem most antagonistic to us. Terrorism, concentrated in the

Middle East, is a modern fact of life and it reaches other nations — the United States, Western Europe, ERNEST Russia, even pasDUMAS sive Baltic countries — when the fanatics in the region perceive them to be meddling in their hatreds and vengeances. We paid the price of many lives for President Reagan’s well-meaning incursion into Lebanon to stop the factional blood-letting and then, with the 1993 and 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, for establishing a military presence in the holy land to settle scores with a Sunni dictator who was running a Shiapopulated country. Although the danger of more San Bernardinos will continue unless we decide to just leave the Middle East alone, as only presidential candidate Rand Paul would have us do (he’s demoted into the kiddie corner of the next debate),

for the cost of the special election. From whom? The people who will benefit from construction, bond and attorney fees on the project? Or someone else? And speaking of private money: Backers of the Arts Center expansion swear that there will be a major — perhaps dollar-for-dollar — private match of the public investment. As yet, not a single private contributor has emerged. The election record in Little Rock is littered with undelivered private money promised for public-private partnerships. The most obvious and recent is the Little Rock Tech Park, another Chamber of Commerce idea that, so far, has seen only investment of working stiffs’ sales tax pennies. The dominance of the business establishment is evident in other ways. Leaders of the Arts Center campaign said, for example, that they were certain the Interstate 30 expansion project — the highway department wants to widen the downtown concrete divider to 10 lanes — would have no adverse impact on MacArthur Park. This is more chamber of commerce-manufactured baloney. The park rots on its fringes thanks to existing freeways. If the I-30 project is realized as currently conceived, it will mean still more freeway division. We must save MacArthur Park and the Arts Center lest the urban cancer continues

to metastasize. Success for the Arts Center demands broader support. Despite drawing on mailing lists of members of both park museums, an anemic six dozen or so turned out for the bond election pep rally. The Arts Center is too often viewed as an institution for and by elites (though there’s no greater leveler than art). No wonder. The elite insiders decide who sits on the board of this publicly owned institution. Members of that board also are expected to donate $5,000 to the Arts Center annually. This is not a bad support requirement for a private, nonprofit institution, but no financial tribute should be required for public service, certainly not to govern an institution hoping to get $37 million, plus interest, in public money. Even a democratic and diverse governing body would have little say over the wizard behind the curtain, the private foundation that owns much of the collection on display at the Arts Center. Good luck getting information from it. Which reminds me: Major arts institutions in most cities look first to private philanthropy, not public tax dollars, for major support. It rarely works that way in Little Rock. We need a great Arts Center. But if it is to be publicly financed, it needs to be the people’s arts center.

the United States enjoys relative safety, owing partly to big oceans and a bigger security apparatus than any other nation. With a big election approaching, however, terrorism and Muslims are powerful fuel. Thus they have replaced the economy and jobs as voters’ greatest fear. So let’s get back to the economy. Barring more terrorist attacks, it will creep back as the top talking point, maybe even in the next debates. But it is getting trickier and trickier. You know the refrain since 2009, which reached a crescendo in the presidential debates in the fall: The leftist Obama administration has destroyed the greatest economic machine in the world by raising taxes and government spending, tying the hands of banks and industry with regulations and knuckling under to the Chinese, the Russians, Europe and even South America and the Caribbean. Donald Trump has been the loudest and most effective, but every Republican candidate and much of the media have joined the cause. The real world, however, is not following the script. As 2016 is born, China is crashing and taking much of the world with it. All the economic wizardry the

past month is directed at discerning whether the United States, still the largest and now the most stable growth economy in the world, can avoid the freefall itself. So far, it keeps moving up, not down. Its growth rate surpasses once virile Germany, the rest of Western and Northern Europe and Japan. And what has really happened under the job-killing Obama administration? Remember that he was supposed to have taken a spiraling recession and made it worse. Since around the first of 2010, when the country shored up the financial collapse, it has netted nearly 14 million new jobs — 13,547,000 to be exact — as of Dec. 31. The unemployment rate hovers at the full-employment threshold of 5 percent, new monthly jobless claims since last fall are the lowest in more than 40 years, and nearly every other economic graph except median family income (a more depressing story for another day) has tilted sharply upward for four years. That hasn’t been the story line, however. Most Americans were convinced by all the ads and proclamations that Obamacare and its taxes on investors and some commercial groups would destroy CONTINUED ON PAGE 37 www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

A SPECIAL EVENT BENEFITING

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Get your backstage pass to this unique celebration honoring ten years of Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre performances! Relive favorite AST memories with Emcee Robert Gerard Anderson (Dogberry, Much Ado; Polonius, Hamlet), bid on exciting silent and live auction packages (including some one-of-akind AST mementos), participate in a live community painting with artist Steve Griffith, savor a plethora of hors-d’oeuvres with complimentary wine and beer, and enjoy live music from Rexy’s Midnight Riders. SATURDAY, JAN. 16, 6:30 PM REYNOLDS PERFORMANCE HALL 223 Beatrice Powell Drive Conway, AR

BUY TICKETS AT ARKSHAKES.COM $75 a ticket/$600 per table of 10 COCKTAIL ATTIRE For more information, contact Mary Ruth Marotte at 501.269.9428 or mrmarotte@arkshakes.com

presents…

Richard Smith Thursday January 21 7:30 p.m. The Joint 301 Main Street North Little Rock

Tickets $20

By the time Richard reached his early twenties, both Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed began to refer to him as their “Hero.”

Available at the door or online at www.argentaartsacousticmusic.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

Not again

his just in: Nothing boosts circulation or enhances ratings like a sex scandal. The more prominent the actors and the more prurient the allegations, the better. Whatever factual adjustments become necessary to keep the narrative going, many journalists are eager to play along. For example, how did the current spat between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton over her husband’s wellknown sins begin? Was it when Hillary, unwisely rising to the bait, criticized Trump’s “penchant for sexism?” Or was it earlier, when Trump described her taking a bathroom break during a TV debate as “disgusting?” Most would say Trump’s bizarre insult jump-started things. However, if you watch “Morning Joe” or read accounts of Hillary’s supposedly “enabling” Bill Clinton’s transgressions, it’s pretty much all her fault. Always was. Even the New York Times, in an editorial arguing that “Trump is way out of line bringing up Mr. Clinton’s philandering,” couldn’t restrain itself from scolding her for allegedly attacking Bill’s paramours. “When Mr. Clinton ran for president in 1992,” editors chided, “Mrs. Clinton appeared on television beside him to assert that allegations involving Gennifer Flowers were false. In 1998, he admitted to that affair under oath.” Actually, no he did not. In the famous “60 Minutes” interview, Bill Clinton had acknowledged “causing pain in my marriage.” He added that most adults would understand what that meant. Testifying in 1998, he admitted a single backseat tryst with Flowers, very far from the 12-year relationship she’d claimed. In her own deposition, she testified to earning more than $500,000 posing as Bill Clinton’s mistress. Besides claiming college degrees she’d never earned, beauty titles she’d never won, and even a twin sister who never existed, Flowers also managed to write an entire book without stipulating a single time and place where she and her famous paramour were ever together. Fans of MSNBC’s “Hardball” have evidently forgotten the August 1999 episode in which Flowers was permitted to accuse Bill Clinton of having political opponents murdered, while host Chris Matthews told her how hot she was.

“You’re a very beautiful woman,” Matthews panted. “He knows that, you know that, and everybody GENE watching knows LYONS that. Hillary Clinton knows that!” See, where Monica Lewinsky was a star-struck amateur, Flowers was a seasoned professional. Echoing Trump, who’s been going around describing Hillary as an “enabler,” who “totally destroyed” women that accused Bill Clinton, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd depicted her as a hypocrite for “running as a feminist icon” after smearing women who truthfully maligned him. And who would those be? Dowd provides exactly one example, the unfortunate Monica — the most reluctant “accuser” imaginable. And did Hillary not describe her husband’s paramour as a “narcissistic loony toon?” Apparently so, but in a private communication with her close friend Diane Blair, a University of Arkansas professor whose papers became available after her untimely death. It’s the press that turned it into a smear. If that’s the worst thing a middleaged wife ever said about a young thing who threw herself at her husband, she should get the Nobel Peace Prize. All human beings lie, and sex is one of the commonest things they lie about. Again, sorry, but there it is. Meanwhile, some reporters appear keen to return to those thrilling days of 1998 the way others yearn to experience Woodstock. I recently read a screed by a Vox reporter who was 8 years old when this all went down: Linda Tripp, Kathleen Willey, Michael Isikoff, the “Elves,” Kenneth Starr, the lot. He made a brave show of arguing that it would be “misleading and pernicious” to doubt the ever-changing tale of Juanita Broaddrick, an Arkansas nursing home owner (and Trump supporter) who claims that Bill Clinton raped her 40 years ago, but has also given sworn statements denying it. He appears unaware that a veritable army of jackleg private eyes and right-wing political operatives (many employed by Kenneth Starr) ransacked Arkansas for years without proving a thing. Please, not again.

No laughing matter Bart Calhoun

Dustin McDaniel

Scott Richardson

Attorneys at Law 1020 W. Fourth St., Suite 410 Little Rock, AR 72201 (501) 235-8336

mrcfirm.com

Business Law Family Law Criminal Defense Public Policy Advocacy Personal Injury Law Education Law Administrative Law

THE UNIQUE NEIGHBORHOODS OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS Full of interesting voices and colorful portraits of 17 Little Rock and North Little Rock neighborhoods, this book gives an intimate, block-by-block, native’s view of the place more than 250,000 Arkansans call home. Created from interviews with residents and largely written by writers who actually live in the neighborhoods they’re writing about, the book features over 90 full color photos by Little Rock photographer Brian Chilson.

Payment: CHECK OR CREDIT CARD Order by Mail: ARKANSAS TIMES BOOKS 201 E. MARKHAM ST., STE. 200, LITTLE ROCK, AR 72201 Phone: 501-375-2985 Fax: 501-375-3623 Email: ANITRA@ARKTIMES.COM Send _______ book(s) of The Unique Neighborhoods of Central Arkansas @ $19.95

ALSO AVAILABLE

Send _______ book(s) of A History Of Arkansas @ $10.95 Send _______ book(s) of Almanac Of Arkansas History @ $18.95 Shipping and handling $3 per book

Name ____________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip _______________________________________________________

✁

While recent Arkansas politicians have often shown the ability to deliver a good line or two, former JAY Attorney General BARTH Dustin McDaniel is the sole consistently funny politician in recent years; it was what made him the standout political talent of his generation. But, the demise of political humor is, of course, not just an Arkansas phenomenon (although its absence here is more noticeable because of the long-standing tradition of genuinely funny politicians and public officials). President Obama has good timing in delivering a witty script (including at the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner) and has a genuinely funny snarkiness (“you’re likable enough, Hillary”) that resonates with his fans and annoys his political enemies, but humor is not a core component of his appeal. Of the innumerable candidates now running for president, only former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee regularly incorporates humor into his political rhetoric (though Huckabee’s “zingers” are often more groan-worthy than genuinely funny). The tradition of humor in politics (particularly in the South) had a clear downside. It was one factor that caused politics to often be seen more as entertainment than as an effective mode of social change. However, as was expressed so artfully during Sunday’s memorial for Bumpers, political humor could be an instrument for moving citizens to new ways of thinking and to action. As Clinton put it in his analysis, “Humor should open our minds and our hearts.” It remains a matter of debate whether the absence of genuine political humor is a symptom or a cause of this caustic electoral environment. The former president suggested the latter, noting that absence of the good will that results from good humor is one reason for the depth of anger present in the American electorate at present. His summation in eulogizing the great loss of Dale Bumpers’ purposeful humor: “We’re all mad and mad people make bad decisions.” Those few worrisome words are the best description of 2016-style politics that I’ve heard to date.

✁

ll three of the speakers at Sunday’s memorial service for former Gov. and Sen. Dale Bumpers in Little Rock highlighted Bumpers’ humor as a key to his political success. Veteran journalist and Arkansas Times columnist Ernest Dumas credited Bumpers’ humor (along with an authenticity Dumas called “magical sincerity” and unquestioned public integrity) with his rise and sustained electoral success. From edgy one-liners to long stemwinders, David Pryor regenerated the Bumpers wit and, like Dumas, cited its role in his longtime colleague’s ongoing connection with Arkansas voters. Meanwhile, former President Clinton — who pulled out a page of punch lines, a trick for incorporating jokes into political speeches he learned from Bumpers, as a prop — made the case that Bumpers used laughter as a means to prepare his constituents to hear those things that they needed to hear. “He used humor so the people would listen to him, so he could impart information,” Clinton emphasized on Sunday. Listening to that series of (very funny) speeches making the strong case for humor’s centrality to the Bumpers political magic makes one realize just how rare genuine wit is among contemporary politicians. Part of the demise of humor connects, of course, to the rise of a decidedly more controlled media politics and the diminishment of retail politics that required candidates to interact with voters nonstop. Moreover, the best humor is spontaneous and very little unscripted occurs in a modern politics where any verbal miscue can quickly go viral to the detriment of a candidate. Thus, politicians and their handlers feel that it is better to be safe and avoid deviations from those programmatic scripts. Some of the best political humor also incorporates self-deprecation; candidates fear that any such admission of weakness (even with tongue firmly planted in cheek) can be used as an attack in a polarized political environment. An irony of this being a humorless era for American politicians is that recent years have been a true high point in political satire with talents like Stephen Colbert and John Oliver consistently putting their gifts on display; indeed, some of those comics’ best work has centered on politicians taking themselves way too seriously.

Phone ____________________________________________________________ Visa, MC, AMEX, Disc # __________________________________ Exp. Date __________ www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

PEARLS ABOUT SWINE

Resurgent

Lazy Goat String Band

o rejuvenate and inspire an Arkansas Razorback basketball team that seemed badged with mediocrity, Coach Mike Anderson likely pinpointed the football brethren, a once and past disaster that sprang from the ashes and reversed its course at the turn. Maybe it’ll work. The Hogs are a modest 8-7, but that slew of losses includes some whisper-thin, anguishridden defeats. Once conference play KUAR: Little Rock • Friday 8 p.m. 89.1FM began, Arkansas had to set out on the road and got ravaged by a ranked and offensively skilled Texas A&M team Tune in to Ozark Highlands Radio every week for music and interviews from that is easily the best Billy Kennedy has the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. Hear traditional assembled in College Station. Ozark and roots music played by stars from around the country. Visit our That was a blemish but Arkansas website for links to affiliate stations, archived programs and bonus content benefited, at least apparently, from getnot heard on air. Be a part of the live audience. Recordings of the live ting that kind of thorough whipping. performances begin in April, and season passes are available now. The Hogs returned to Bud Walton Arena last week and obviously considered the OzarkHighlandsRadio.com Aggies’ thrashing one of paramount Tickets or Season Pass: importance for whatever postseason 800-264-3655 fate they might retain hopes of. OzarkFolkCenter.com First bounce-back was a tilt against Cabins at Dry Creek: Vanderbilt, and it went exceedingly 800-269-3871 well. Moses Kingsley’s continued transcendence from project to force hit its apex with another double-double. Even Keaton Miles, the normally punchless swingman, had two big baskets late, which preceded Anthlon Bell’s seemingly heroic three-pointer with two seconds left that had the Razorbacks buoyed for a two-point win in regulation. Instead, Anderson frustratingly signaled for a timeout, which allowed Vandy to trigger in a snowbird from the baseline that star forward Damion Jones caught, then thundered toward the basket with a tying slam. It was not only an emphatic dunk, but had all the feel of being a deflating one. And yet, a team lacking fortitude finally displayed some. Dusty Hannahs, mired in a rough perimeter shooting Annual Open House Now accepting night, sank a crisp floater in the lane to Now accepting Sunday, January 28, 2007 applications for key the Hogs’ pulling away in the extra applications for the the 2007-08 frame. The 90-85 final staked Arkansas 2010-11 school year. Freshman Entrance Exam school year. Now accepting applications for the a .500 overall and league record, but Saturday, February 10, to 2007 mostly it demonstrated that this squad 2014-15 school year. might be better equipped to deal with Annual Freshman Entrance Exam AnnualOpen OpenHouse House Freshmen Entrance Exam CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL tight margins than we had thought. Bell Sunday, Saturday, February 2014 Sunday,January January 26, 24, 2014 2016 Saturday, February 6, 8, 2016 FOR BOYS and Kingsley were again the impetus 12:30 - 2:30 12:30 - 2:30 6300 Father Tribou Street behind the victory, but their scoring Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 Website would have never been enough and 501-664-3939 won’t be as the season winds on. CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL www.lrchs.org That truism was big the following FOR BOYS lrchs.org weekend. Bell was scalding again, put6300 Father Tribou Street ting home five more threes against MisLittle Rock, Arkansas 72205 sissippi State on Saturday, but in this 501-664-3939 game the Bulldogs sagged into the middle in a bid to stop Kingsley. That paid

Tradition. Achievement. Brotherhood.

Tr adiTion The Legacy of Catholic High achievemenT BroTherhood

The Legacy of Catholic High

Now accepting applications for the 2016-2017 school year:

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

some dividends as the junior center struggled to find space in the paint, and only ended up with a respectBEAU able 13-point, nineWILCOX rebound showing after toiling at the line and around the basket late. Hannahs took the cue. He splashed in eight threes, and three or four of those were second-half daggers as seemingly every time Ben Howland’s rebuilt roster surged back into striking distance, the Texas Tech transfer was able to cut around a pick and launch freely. The final 82-68 margin was impressive enough but the team’s scintillating longrange showing was beyond reproach. Hitting 16 of 24 threes proved that this may be the most dangerous batch of shooters we’ve seen in the post-Richardson era, but accuracy means little unless it’s augmented with selectivity. Nobody is slinging it without the proper opportunity and space to square shoulders and get a clean look. The newly disciplined manner of play doubtless stems from the maturity of point guard Jabril Durham, who’s got a bit of a poor man’s Corey Beck vibe as his senior season unfolds. Leading the SEC in assists, pilfering steals, and taking smart and timely shots, Durham’s steadiness is the kind of unanticipated intangible that might make overachievers out of this team yet. He was good for 10 points and 12 assists against the Bulldogs, evidence that he considered all the fuss over Anton Beard’s legal woes to be insulting. He was overlooked as a floor general, but the high quality of his play has validated his worth after his junior year was something of a lost campaign. Arkansas’s best performances may be ahead, too. Beard is slowly trying to adjust to whatever role he will assume going forward. Miles is earning minutes with appreciable dirty work. Trey Thompson still has the appearance of a guy whose stock will soar if he can get one or two quality showings in succession. And Jimmy Whitt’s recent rut can’t last forever — the freshman is too explosive and gifted as a scorer to stay mired in a funk for long. Lamenting the early exits of Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls is wasted breath; their decisions to leave permitted other returnees the chance to take ownership of a team bereft of it.

1/13 – 1/

11200 W. Markham 501-223-3120 www.colonialwineshop.com facebook.com/colonialwines

THE OBSERVER NOTES ON THE PASSING SCENE

Against brunch

allen on tough times recently — old pachinko debts, badly timed investments on the Shanghai Composite, flooding-related losses from our riverside aquaculture holdings — The Observer has had to turn to unconventional streams of revenue. We only wish this was a euphemism for literal prostitution, but no: We’re talking about freelance writing. Every January, the Arkansas Times churns out a glossy issue called the Natives Guide, which is — let’s be frank — composed of gruel that may not be of the thickest consistency. But work is work, and so The Observer asked for an assignment. “Sure, kid,” the editors said. “You’re gonna love this: Make a Little Rock brunch guide. Eat out every Sunday. Mimosas. Gravy. The whole 9 yards.” “Really?” we replied, scratching our head. “Dunno. Us? Brunch? Doesn’t fit.” This came off as petulant. “Oh, poor you,” they said. “Too much brunch. Boo hoo hoo.” They screwed up their faces and made those little facial windshield-wiper motions with balled fists. “Baby doesn’t wanna eat brunch?” After we slammed the door on our way out, we could still hear the snickering. We took the job anyway — times are hard — but this was a bad turn of events. Gracefully writing about food (or music or art) requires genuine fluency with the subject. Fake it, and you’ll end up embarrassing yourself, either by composing a second-grade English lesson on the use of adjectives (“The eggs were … delicious. The toast was … dry.”) or, far worse, by deploying rancid metaphors in a sad attempt to disguise your ignorance (“The yolks were poached to the perfection of magic hour,” etc.). The Observer lives in the arid land of news and politics, and straying outside our beige wheelhouse to write anything with color leaves us terrified — the mousy accountant, out of his depth at the nightclub. But it’s not just that. As The Observer glowered our way from one Sunday to the next, ambivalence about brunch itself set in. Not the actual eating and drinking, but the making a Big Event of the eating

and drinking. Not the decadence, but its fetishization. The twee portmanteau. The theatrical presentation of signature cocktails. The dollop of bourgeois luxury as a sop to the impending demise of another too-short weekend. A little consumerist excess to keep middle class allegiances tied to those of our economic overlords, whereas The Observer feels more at home in the Egg McMuffin stratum of society. Evidently, the concept of a special Sunday meal catering to late-morning Epicurians dates to an 1895 article entitled “Brunch: A Plea” by Guy Beringer, a British writer remembered today for little else. “Brunch is cheerful, sociable and inciting,” Beringer wrote. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” OK. But did the late Victorians never experience the shapeless dread that a truly boozy night can visit upon the following morning? The time slippage, the sense of mortality, the throbbing guilt — all backdropped by a fractured, teetering society devoted to immediate gratification? From the inhabitant of one fin de siecle age of decadance to another, Beringer, your solution is to go out for French toast? When gripped by such a hangover, The Observer may want yet another indulgence, but we don’t deserve one. What we deserve is to suffer. We deserve Old Testament-style wrath. Consider Chapter 6 of the Book of Amos. “Woe to you who are complacent in Zion,” it begins, and then, in verses 4-7, continues: You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.

Dewar’s White Label Label Blended Scotch Whiskey

$34.97

Everyday $39.99

$62.97

Everyday $73.99

$34.98

Everyday $41.99

$39.97

Everyday $46.39

Cupcake Zinfandel, Chardonnay & Sauvignon Blanc

$8.99

Crown Royal Reserve Canadian Whiskey Mount Gay Eclipse Rum

San Simeon 2010 Paso Robles Petite Sirah

Tanqueray London Dry Gin

Everyday $46.99

$24.99

Everyday $29.99

$15.99

Everyday $18.99

$25.99

Everyday $32.99

$21.98

Everyday $26.99

$16.98

Everyday $21.49

$24.97

Everyday $36.99

$16.97

Everyday $25.99

White Oak 2013 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

Belle Meade Sour Mash Bourbon

$39.99

Everyday $11.98

Wild Horse 2013 Unbridled Pinot Noir

Bulleit Bourbon & Rye Whiskey

Wild Horse 2013 Unbridled Chardonnay

Tito’s Hand-Made Vodka Hendrick’s Scottish Gin

Duckhorn 2012 Napa Valley Merlot Beringer Founders’ Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay & Merlot

$13.98

$39.97

Everyday $54.99

Everyday $19.99

BEST LIQUOR STORE

A Growing Economy. For many in central Arkansas, public transit is a dependable route to more employment opportunities. With daily paratransit and bus service across Pulaski County, we offer riders access to thousands of jobs. Whether taking people a few miles from home or to a neighboring city, our buses help hardworking employees get to work safely and affordably. THERE’S A LOT RIDING ON PUBLIC TRANSIT.

@rrmetro

rrmetro

rrmetro.org www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

Arkansas Reporter

THE

IN S IDE R

Bradley Dean Jesson, former chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court and a close friend and adviser of the late U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers, died Monday at his home at Fort Smith. He was 83. Jesson had been in ill health with heart problems for several years. He was in the hospital when he heard of Bumpers’ death Jan. 1 and asked to have another blood transfusion so that he could attend the Bumpers family funeral Monday at Charleston, but he soon lapsed into a coma. He died during the Bumpers funeral. A memorial service for Bumpers was held Sunday at Little Rock. When Bumpers ran for governor in 1970, Jesson was one of his few early supporters and advisers. He was the governor’s legislative staff director during legislative sessions, helping develop legislation and guiding bills through the legislature. Bumpers designated him as chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party in 1973. When Chief Justice Jack Holt Jr. retired in 1995, Gov. Jim Guy Tucker appointed Jesson to finish his term, which ended Dec. 31, 1996. In 2004, the Supreme Court appointed Jesson and another retired justice, David Newbern of Little Rock, to serve as special masters to determine for the court whether the legislature and Gov. Mike Huckabee had complied with the court’s 2002 order to change the funding and supervision of public education so that the schools statewide met the Arkansas Constitution’s mandate that the state provide a suitable, efficient and equal education for all children. Jesson’s and Newbern’s reports were critical to the development of changes that eventually got the state into compliance. Their report is the basis of the legislature’s mandate each year to fund public schools adequately before distributing state funds for other purposes. Jesson was born Jan. 26, 1932, at Bartlesville, Okla. His father was a pharmacist. He graduated from the University of Tulsa, attended law school there and then spent three years in the Army’s Judge Advocate General Corps, most of the time in Japan. He and his wife, the former Mary Ellen Everett of Sand Springs, Okla., moved to Fayetteville, where he finished law school at the University of Arkansas. He was a law clerk for the late U.S. District Judge

‘I can move a wall’ A last interview with Robert Loyd, a fallen lion in the fight for LGBT rights. BY DAVID KOON

eventually supervising a staff of 400 manning tickertape machines. One of his duties was to take calls from the red phone that bore orders from the president, which he was required to deliver personally, accompanied by armed MPs, often riding through areas of heavy fighting. “I didn’t care if I lived or died,” he said. “My life up to that point had been so miserable that I was like, I don’t care. So I wasn’t scared.” Always having dated women — he was engaged three times before he was 21 years old — Loyd left Vietnam in 1969 and was sent to Colorado before being reassigned to a base in Germany. He said he learned what

ou cannot miss the big, pink former soldiers in the family, Loyd Victorian house Robert Loyd said, his parents made the strong sugand his husband, John Schenck, gestion that he join the armed forces called home since 1986. What started when he came of age, even though the as a try at brightening up the dark meat grinder of Vietnam was spinbrown and yellow paint scheme soon became a symbol of stepping out of the shadows and being unafraid to be gay, in a town where that was often verboten and to some degree still is. Loyd, a Damascus nat ive who foug ht tirelessly for the cause of LGBT rights and acceptance in Arkansas after being moved to action by a series of humiliating runins with the Conway Police Department in 2003 and 2004, died suddenly on Dec. 30, 2015, leaving behind Schenck, his partner and husband of almost 41 years. The Arkansas Times conducted one of the last interviews with Loyd and Schenck in the closing months of 2015. The quotes in this article come from that interview. FIGHTING FOR LGBT RIGHTS: Robert Loyd, in uniform, protesting discrimination bill HB 1228 last year. Loyd was born in Germany, the child of a woman who had served in the Gerning in Southeast Asia. gay was from a friend who came to man regular army and an American “My parents decided that I was him, saying that he wanted to commit G.I. who brought her back home to going,” he said. “You can call that suicide because he was homosexual. Arkansas as a war bride when Loyd volunteering on paper. That’s what It was, he said, the first time he’d ever heard the term. “The straight redneck was 3 years old. Growing up, Loyd it says. But it was not my idea.” Loyd said, he never even heard the word joined the U.S. Army, and shipped out who has been engaged three times is “gay,” and never suspected he was to Vietnam in March 1968. He wound hearing what gay people do for the different from anyone else. With two up working in communications, first time,” he said with a laugh. “I CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

BRIAN CHILSON

Bradley Jesson, close Bumpers adviser, dies at 83

New Year’s Resolutions BIG We’d Like to See Kept PICTURE THE

It’s the start of a whole new year, and that means resolutions. Resolutions to eat better and drink less, resolutions to exercise more and watch less TV, to finish the novel and start that deck out back. Around .000091 percent of resolutions are kept, of course, so yours probably have a fudgesicle’s chance in Hell of actually making a dent in your bad habits, but we can dream. Here, just because we can, are a few resolutions we’d like folks to stick with.

God: “Get the Heavenly Hotline fixed so I can call Jason Rapert and tell him what a dick he’s being.” Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Conway): “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all, and if someone else can’t say anything nice, don’t get on social media and talk about how much I wanted to plug ‘em in the Lowe’s parking lot.”

The Fouke Monster: “Steal a convertible and a pair of sunglasses, then cruise past the ‘Squatch Hunter convention in Paragould this July reaaal slow.”

s me

it' Hello,

Gov. Asa Hutchinson: “Win favor with the emotionally vulnerable-recent-divorcee demographic by installing a horn that plays Adele’s ‘Hello’ on the gubernatorial Suburban.” Arkansas Times Editor Lindsey Millar: “Gas up the corporate jet. Also: Buy a corporate jet.”

Razorbacks Coach Bret Bielema: “Find and kill whoever crazy-glued these flip-flops to my feet.”

Random, newly insured low-income Arkansan: “Finally get my rickets, polio and smallpox looked at by an actual doctor, because not dying is f***ing great!”

Josh Duggar: “Find a dark hole and crawl in it. Not the hole you’re thinking of.”

LISTEN UP

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

INSIDER, CONT. John E. Miller of Fort Smith and then established a practice at Fort Smith with G.C. Hardin and Hugh Hardin. He was associated with the firm until his death. He became friends with Bumpers, who was the sole lawyer in the nearby town of Charleston. Bumpers had established a reputation as a brilliant courtroom lawyer and clients at Fort Smith hired him. Bumpers would drive over to the Hardin firm’s legal library to do research. They were on opposite sides in many cases but became good friends. “Juries loved him,” Jesson said of Bumpers in a 2014 oral history. Jesson could not support Bumpers in the 1970 primaries for governor because he was the Sebastian County Democratic chairman and had to remain neutral but joined the effort after Bumpers defeated former Gov. Orval E. Faubus for the Democratic nomination. He came to Little Rock in January 1971 to help Bumpers prepare his legislative program and move it through the General Assembly. The next two legislative sessions, in 1971 and 1973, were two of the most productive in Arkansas history, earning Bumpers the distinction of being the only “great” governor of the 20th century in a 1998 survey of political scientists and historians. Jesson would recall in 2014 that he and another Fort Smith lawyer friend, Doug Smith, met with Bumpers all day at Little Rock in 1974 the day before Bumpers was to announce whether he would run for a third term or for the U.S. Senate. They planned the legislative program for the 1975 legislative session, his third term, which was to be a prelude to seeking the presidency in 1976. Jesson said he went home that day with no doubt that Bumpers would run for a third term and told his law partners, who promptly made contributions to J. William Fulbright. Jesson said he was shocked to hear Bumpers’ announcement the next day that he would run for the Senate. If Bumpers had run for a third term he would have been re-elected easily and then would have been elected president in 1976, Jesson said. Bumpers’ friend Jimmy Carter, the governor of Georgia, ran and won, but Carter, he said, had not been a successful governor and did not have Bumpers’ great capabilities as a campaigner. Jesson served 10 years on the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees.

www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

PRYOR CENTER FOR ARKANSAS ORAL AND VISUAL HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

AT WORK: Gov. Dale Bumpers.

The life and times of Dale Bumpers Excerpts from an oral history. BY ERNEST DUMAS

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

n 2002, four years after Dale Bumpers’ retirement from the United States Senate, the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Oral and Visual History at the University of Arkansas recorded an 11-hour oral history with him. The interviews illustrate a strength — his storytelling ability — that produced a successful 28-year career in politics, as governor and senator. The interviews, done by Ernest Dumas, cover not only his political career but his life in little Charleston (Franklin County), where he was the only lawyer. Bumpers died Jan. 1 at the age of 90. Here are a few of those stories about growing up and coming of age in Franklin County. ***

If Roosevelt can be president, you can, too Your father took you to Booneville to see Roosevelt. That was in ’36? ’38. Hattie Caraway was running for re-election for the U.S. Senate. He was there to endorse Hattie Caraway? That was the purpose of the trip. He was campaigning for her. It was the Rock Island train, which at that time ran from Memphis to Booneville to Amarillo. The Rock Island ran from Memphis to Amarillo and it was later abandoned. That became a big issue in our house. Dad wanted to take his two sons, not his daughter, because it was unthinkable that a woman would be involved in politics, even though Hattie Caraway was the purpose for his being there. But he took Carroll and me to see the president. I was 12 years old. We were literally taught that when we died we were going to Franklin Roosevelt. When he came out on the back of that train, it was just god-like. I had more goose bumps on me than I’ve ever had in my life. I just could not believe that the president of the United States, and especially Franklin Roosevelt, was standing in front of us. It was a momentous occasion, but when he came out of the railroad car onto the platform he was obviously holding on to the arm of his son James. Everybody called him Jimmy, but he was James. I can remember very well tugging on my father’s arm and saying, “Dad, what’s wrong with him?” I knew there was something wrong with him. And he said, “I’ll tell you later.” He was only there

***

Are you any relation to Claude Bumpers? Let’s go back. I want you to tell the story about when you were addressing some high school students and you used that Biltmore story. Well, it was just another case of where I was talking to a high school body and I told them the story about the Biltmore Hotel. [His father had taken him to the Los Angeles hotel in 1937 for a hardware dealers convention, and he recalled having been embarrassed by his shabby homemade clothes amid the finery of guests in the big hall.] The same story I’d told dozens of times. During the question-and-answer session down in front of me in about the middle of the auditorium — I guess there were about 800, 900 kids in the audience — was this good-looking young man, blond. I later learned he was the

PRYOR CENTER FOR ARKANSAS ORAL AND VISUAL HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

for about 10 minutes. He didn’t say anything momentous. I don’t remember a single thing he said except “Mrs. Caraway has told me that this magnificent mountain in the background,” which was Mount Magazine, “is the tallest point between the Rockies and the Alleghenies.” And everybody just went wild, applauding. Well, of course, that was just a myth; there are all kinds of mountains between the Rockies and the Alleghenies a lot taller than Mount Magazine, but we didn’t know that. That was an Arkansas myth. That was the only thing I remember him talking about. I can remember the sadness I felt as that train pulled away because I knew I would never see another president. I felt so sad that I was going to have to go back to my real life. I was also sad that he hadn’t recognized me or my father. I thought he would probably call my father by name since he had been in the legislature. You know, I thought that was a big deal. So I was sort of saddened by all of that. But on the way home, I tugged on my father’s arm because he had said, “I’ll tell you later.” So on the way home he says, “Now boys, let me tell you something. Franklin Roosevelt had polio when he was 39 years old and he can’t walk. He has 12 pounds of steel braces on his legs.” And he said, “If Franklin Roosevelt can’t even walk and has to carry 12 pounds of steel on his legs, you boys have good minds and good bodies and there is no reason why you can’t be president.” I’ve said a lot of times that for my father to say that was tantamount to being nominated.

really had a sobering effect on that student body. That’s the only time I’ve ever consciously put down a student. I was so offended. This kid was obviously a big hero on campus and for him to be making fun of the most bedraggled kid in the student body was really offensive to me. I just wanted them to know that this guy may be selling papers, and this other guy may be president of the paper company. He may be planning something right now to overcome all of this. I hope he is.

BUMPERS IN HIGH SCHOOL

*** quarterback on the football team. All the girls thought he was the cutest thing going. He stood up and asked the first question. He said, “Senator, are you any relation to Claude Bumpers?” and everybody in that auditorium just burst out laughing. When they settled down, I said: “I don’t know whether I am or not, but I’ve never run across a Bumpers that I wasn’t related to in some way or another. Some of them are u-r-s; some are e-r-s, u-s and so on. But we all came from the same place.” And I said: “Is Claude Bumpers in the student body? Where is he? Could he stand up?” Which I shouldn’t have done. But down to my left close to the front, this young, bedraggled 15-year-old kid in overalls — you could tell he hadn’t had a bath in forever — stood up. And when he stood up, everybody laughed again. He was obviously the object of a lot of ridicule. So he was pretty embarrassed, and I told this student body: “You know, I can remember that, when I was a child, after school I would go to the library. I didn’t stop in the cafe or the drugstore, because the teachers were all well dressed and I was in overalls and I was really embarrassed by the way I looked and the clothes I wore. And I walked on up to the library. I was determined to be somebody. And I thought the library was the best place to start. It saved me the humiliation of feeling the way I felt in the presence of other people who were better dressed.” And I said, “You know, Claude Bumpers may be sitting down there right now thinking that I’m going to overcome all of this and I’m going to become somebody. Maybe a lot better somebody than a lot of the people in this student body. You, son, you’re not ever going to make it if you make it at the expense of other people.” I’m not sure those were my exact words, but you get the message. You could have heard a pin drop in that room. I saw the superintendent of that school later, and he told me it was one of the most dramatic moments in the history of that school and it

Sis Fry and the band director Tell me a little bit about the town of Charleston. A lot of prejudice there, as there was in any small town in Arkansas — in the South. Tell me the story about the band director. Well, in order to tell you the story about the band director, I probably need to tell you a story about another man in town first. Sure. Wayne Fry. I never knew his name was Wayne until I was an adult because everybody called him Sis. It never occurred to me why everybody called him Sis. I mean we used to call people sissies. Some guy who wasn’t an athlete, we’d call him a sissy or something. But Wayne’s nickname was Sis. He was the manager of a clothing store there. A clothing and dry goods store called Seaman’s. There were about six, seven or eight Seaman’s stores in western Arkansas. He managed the Charleston store. He was a devout Baptist. He was one of the best-liked men I have ever known in my life; people adored him. But it was assumed in the community that he was a homosexual. There was some debate among the spinsters as to whether that was true or not, but it was just an assumption with most people that he was gay. But nobody cared. He sat on the front row of the Baptist church each Sunday. He was a deacon. As I say, he was universally liked. On the other hand, we didn’t have a band and we played a town in football, a little town about half the size of Charleston, believe it or not. They had a band that was just something. A marvel. Lo and behold, Charleston goes over and hires this band director. He comes to Charleston with his wife and two students from the town he came from. One was a clarinet player and one was a trumpet player. We formed a band and it was the first one that Charleston had ever had. To make a long story short, he

www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

was a wonderful band director. The first thing you know, we were winning every contest we entered. Even went to Hot Springs to the state band contest. We were class C, but we won a blue ribbon. We learned classical music. We used to go to his house. He had a great collection of classical music. That’s where I learned to love classical music and opera, going to his house at night when I was just a sophomore in high school. But there had been suspicions from the very beginning that he, too, might be homosexual. Nobody ever proved it as far as I knew; I was just a child and didn’t really know what was going on. But he was fired and left, and I made the point a lot of times. There was Sis Fry, whom everybody adored. Everybody

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

PRYOR CENTER FOR ARKANSAS ORAL AND VISUAL HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

THE BUMPERS FAMILY: (From left) Dale and his siblings, Carroll and Margaret, and parents, Lattie and William “Bill” Rufus, 1936.

IN CHARLESTON: Dale Bumpers with his sons, Bill (left) and Brent, on the steps of their first home.

assumed he was homosexual but everybody adored him. And they accepted him. Accepted him and loved him. But here was a man who may or may not have been a homosexual. But an outsider. An outsider. And outsiders just couldn’t be trusted. The assumption was that he was, and therefore had to go. I’ve thought a thousand times about how homophobia works. ***

Going to war After high school it’s clear you are going to

be drafted and you went into the Marine Corps. Well, when I graduated from high school I went to summer school at the University [of Arkansas]. Because I wanted to get as much education as I could before I got drafted. My father wanted me to be a lawyer; and he wanted my brother to be a lawyer; there was never any mistaking what we were supposed to be. The reason my father wanted us to be lawyers was that he thought that was the best background to go into politics. In order to be a lawyer, he thought you ought to know a lot of Latin. So that summer at the University of Arkansas, believe it or not, I took 15 hours, 12 of which was Latin. Twelve hours of Latin. We met twice

a day, an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon, five days a week. And three hours of English. It was unbelievable. We translated Caesar, Cicero and Ovid that summer. I couldn’t sleep. I translated Latin in my sleep. It was unbelievable. But then that fall, I could see that I was probably not going to finish that semester but I tried. I went back and attended that fall but I had to come to Little Rock for a physical that October. I was in perfect physical condition. I got my 1A status so I never did go back to Fayetteville after that. I went into the Marine Corps. If I could tell this story about going into the Marine Corps — I’m not sure I can tell it without crying. This was Nov. 3 and I was supposed to be in Little Rock at 8 o’clock in the morning for induction. Charleston had a bus that came through town; a lot of people rode the bus back in those days. The Crescent Drugstore was the bus station. So we set the alarm for 2 a.m. to catch the bus at the drugstore. The drugstore was closed and it was a chilly morning. We stood kind of shivering in the entryway of the drugstore, waiting for the bus. We got there about 3 o’clock and the bus was supposed to be there at 3 o’clock. So we stood there making idle chatter and talk, and I

was really nervous. “I’ll write, you be sure and write often.” And then the lights of the bus. You could see the glare up at the old schoolhouse. It was, I don’t know, close to a half of a mile away. You could see the glare of the lights and then the bus comes crashing over the hill, the lights. He pulled slowly up to the drugstore and my mother started really weeping, sobbing, crying “my baby, my baby …” I told you I couldn’t tell this story. And my father started kind of crying, too … You’d never seen your daddy cry. Never seen my father cry in my life. So, anyway, we hugged and carried on and the bus driver was very tolerant, and I got on the bus and sat about halfway back in the bus so I could wave goodbye as long as possible. As the bus pulled out we went roughly half a mile down the road until we got out of town. Everything took on a different feeling for me. There was the Methodist church, our church. The Catholic church on the left, where Betty and I smooched out in front of her house. Nixon Cemetery. All those things. I was wondering if I would ever see them again. It was not maybe the most, but certainly one of the most, powerful moments

of my life. Because I really felt quite certain, going into the Marine Corps, where we were losing an awful lot of men island-hopping in the South Pacific, trying to get closer and closer to Japan, with airfields. I just felt certain that I would never see them again. But that was a really powerful moment for me. Where were we, Ernie, going into that? Well, as it happens I guess, you were about headed to Japan when they dropped the [atomic] bombs. When the war ended … On your way to Japan … Yes, I had been shipped from Cherry Point, N.C., a Marine Air Base in Cherry Point, N.C., to San Diego to ship out. Everybody, everything in this country was shifting to the West Coast for the ultimate invasion of Japan. I didn’t know where we were going to go and I do not know to this day what our ultimate destination was, but the first bomb dropped the day before we sailed. Incidentally, I went overseas in a small aircraft carrier. They were using every ship around to transport men and get them to Japan for the invasion. But, anyway, the second bomb

Thank you Senator Bumpers for your devotion to our state and nation, for seeking positive change as a leader and statesman, and serving the people of Arkansas as our ambassador. The Bumpers College is proud to continue your legacy of: • Advancing Arkansas agriculture and food industries in the national and global marketplace • Improving Arkansas’ quality of life through child wellness, human development and healthy living choices • Advancing environmental stewardship and sustainability

www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

PRYOR CENTER FOR ARKANSAS ORAL AND VISUAL HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

dropped on our way. We had been at sea about three days and the second bomb dropped. That was in 1945, my 20th birthday … ***

His first five bucks And you go back to Charleston and open a law office. In the back of a hardware store. My father and his partner had this hardware store and we had sold my father’s share to his partner when dad died. When I got out of law school, he had fallen on hard times. He was having a very tough time. He wanted to sell the store and I wound up buying it because I knew it would be a long time before I could make a living practicing law in a town of a thousand people. It turned out that when the smoke cleared I was $10,000 in bankruptcy. Bankruptcy the way I grew up was unthinkable. Nobody took bankruptcy. You were ruined for life. You didn’t make a good deal when you bought it back. It was the worst deal of my life. Here I had come home to teach people how to not get hornswoggled and I was the first one to get hornswoggled. It was the worst deal I ever made in my life, but it was probably the most profitable deal I ever made in my life. It really taught me more than I would have ever learned if it hadn’t happened. It paid rich, rich dividends later on because I was so much wiser than I would have been. It was almost 10 years before I didn’t owe people more than I owned. So you opened a law practice in the back of the store. In the back of the store. There was a little platform that was about 12 by 15. It was about that much higher than the rest of the floor. That’s where the bookkeeper stayed and that’s where the safe and the books were and that sort of thing. I converted that into a law office. I only had about five books that I had brought home from law school. But I had to buy what we call the Arkansas Reports and that’s all I had to start with. But I practiced law from that little cubicle in the back of that hardware store for two years. I believe my gross income [from my law practice] the first year was like $64. Do you remember your first case? Well, I remember the first fee. This old geezer came in and he was selling a farm or some-

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

BUMPERS: In 1962.

They were so proud of themselves that we had integrated that church, which is the exemplification of Christianity. Everybody was tickled to death about it. thing, a house, and he wanted me to draw a deed. I said fine. I’m now in business, and I’m getting ready to make my first fee. I did the deed for him, no title examination or nothing, just a warranty deed. He came back the next day and I handed it to him and he said, “How much do I owe you?” “Five dollars.” And he just went ballistic. “Five dollars? It ain’t nothin’ but a bunch of writin’.” I thought we were going to have a fistfight over that. But I finally made him pay me the five bucks. ***

Charleston and Central High Let’s talk about the school board. The Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education, requiring desegregation of schools in the South, came along in 1954. May of ’54. You were not officially the attorney for the school board, but you were advising the

school board. That’s exactly right. When that decision came down, there was a decision by Charleston to desegregate. I think you had advised them to do that. Well, the board came to see me about it. You know, it really was an awesome decision. There I am just getting that little old office in the back of the bank, just building my practice and beginning to be busy practicing law, but I was the only lawyer in town so they didn’t have anyone else to talk to. I told the superintendent, Woody Haynes, who by the way ought to be in the history books in this state … Woody came to see me, and he wanted to integrate. He thought the board wanted to integrate. I said, “Woody, you can do it now or you can do it later, but you’re going to have to do it. And I think it’s infinitely preferable and to our advantage to do it now.” It never occurred to me that the South wasn’t going to at least make an effort to integrate those schools. I’m skipping a lot of the story, Ernie, but it was about July before school was to start in August or September. The school board voted to integrate the elementary and high school that fall. You had elementary and high school students; the black high school students were bused to and from Fort Smith, were they not? That’s true. We had an all-black school two miles east of town. Now, that was just through the eighth grade. We had a one-room schoolhouse out there and one teacher who taught black students through the eighth grade. Our high school students, ninth through 12th, had always been bused right through Charleston to Fort Smith, to Lincoln High School, which was an all-black high school. So we were going to stop busing students, which cost us quite a bit of money. We had to have a bus driver and run that bus every day to carry just very few students, maybe half a dozen, to Fort Smith. I told them, “You can save the cost of that teacher.” I forget what they were paying her. Probably $2,000 a year, maybe a little more. I said, “You can save her salary. You can save the expense of that bus and the expense of the bus driver. That’s a lot of money for this school.” I was putting it in economic terms, not social terms. I thought, you know, socially we ought to do it, to integrate, but I was putting it to them so they could put it to the people by saying we’re spending $3,000 to $4,000 a year to maintain that school and bus these kids to Fort Smith. So Woody made

ARKTIMES.COM/RESTAURANTS16

ENDS JANUARY 31 2016 marks 35 years that the Arkansas Times first started the Restaurant Readers Choice Awards. You can walk in some restaurants and see a wall full of posters. Voting is all online - arktimes. com/restaurants16 - and the final round ends January 31. Each category has been narrowed down to the top four vote-getters and the winner from last year, making

a total of five restaurants. Arkansas has some great restaurants, nowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the time to show your love. Winners will be announced March 17 and an awards celebration party sponsored by our good friends at Ben E. Keith will be held at the Pulaski Technical Culinary and Hospitality Institute on March 15. Final Round January 7 through January 31. www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

the presentation to the Commercial Club, later the Chamber of Commerce, which met every two weeks for lunch. We want to integrate. He went through the whole schmeer. The night that the school board voted to do that, Archie Schaffer, my brother-in-law, who was on the school board, resigned. The minutes say that Archie Schaffer announced that he was resigning and was going to go to Korea in a federal job for a year. The board then unanimously elected me to fill in for him in his absence. So I had been the board’s attorney and recommending that they take this action and integrate that fall, and now I’m on the board. I was on the board through the whole schmeer after that.

Start a business. Change the world. The 2016 Social Entrepreneurship Boot Camp

will equip aspiring social entrepreneurs to take their startup from idea to reality while staying committed to the triple bottom line.

Application period will open

Feb. 1.

Learn more at www.rockefellerinstitute.org/bootcamp.

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

Charleston, this little town in western Arkansas, becomes the first school district in the old Confederacy, the 11 states of the old Confederacy, to desegregate after the Supreme Court decision. Ernie, we had no idea we were making history. When the smoke cleared, Fayetteville had integrated its high school that fall. Fayetteville integrated its high school two weeks after we had fully integrated the elementary and high schools. So we became the first of the 11 Confederate states. We were the first and one of only two, the other being Fayetteville, to integrate in 1954 after the Brown decision was entered. If you recall, the Brown decision said this order will be implemented with all deliberate speed. That’s the phrase that the Supreme Court used. All deliberate speed. Yet all across the South, people were terribly lackadaisical about it. First, they were terribly upset, but nobody made a move to comply with an order that the court said should be complied with all deliberate speed. We did. And it is a historical thing. As you know, Charleston was selected by the national government, through my efforts admittedly. … One of your last pieces of legislation in the Senate. That’s right. Charleston is now a national commemorative site, because it was the only school to fully integrate in the entire South in 1954.

Things went smoothly, I guess. Just perfectly. Couldn’t have been better. When bus No. 2 rolled up and the black children got off, Betty was teaching. Betty was teaching fourth grade at the time. There has been some dispute about how many black children there were. I don’t know. There were 13 or 21, I’ve heard so many different versions. Nobody seems to know. But things went well. We had one or two football players. I remember Joe Ferguson and the band. The first problem we ran into was that other teams wouldn’t play us because we had a couple of black football players. We knuckled under to that. I’ve always been embarrassed about that. We should have told them we won’t play you. If you don’t want to play us because we have blacks on our team we won’t play you at all — but we didn’t. We left the black kids at home or maybe took them but didn’t let them suit out. The same thing was true in the band contest. We had to leave Joe Ferguson, our trombone player, at home because the bi-state band festival said we couldn’t enter if we were going to bring a black student. So, it presented problems like that because we were alone. Nobody else had integrated. Dardanelle came to see us to ask us how we were going to do it. Some people from Hoxie came to see us to ask how we were going to do it. There were two or three other schools in the state — I think Sheridan was one of them — that voted to integrate, but once it was made public the pressure was so intense that the school board had to rescind the order. I believe there were three schools in Arkansas. Hoxie was one [Hoxie went ahead and integrated], Sheridan was one and I forget where the third one was. They voted to integrate but when the public found out about it they put so much pressure on the board that they had to rescind the order. Three years later, Little Rock desegregated. 1957. Orval Faubus is the governor and makes the decision to call out the National Guard to prevent integration of Central High School. I think it was Labor Day, 1957. What effect did that have on Charleston?

Test one out on our sales floor! I said, 'Woody, you can do it now or you can do it later, but you’re going to have to do it. And I think it’s infinitely preferable and to our advantage to do it now.' It never occurred to me that the South wasn’t going to at least make an effort to integrate those schools. Terrible. You know, nobody in Charleston was paying much attention to what was going on in Little Rock. But I was. I sensed that as this thing began to unfold in Little Rock, tempers began to flare and the volatility of the situation was evident. I knew that once Orval Faubus called out the National Guard to block those nine students’ entry into Central High School, and those mobs gathered in Little Rock, this state … . You know, Orval Faubus had probably an 80, 85 percent approval to do what he did. In my hometown of Charleston, such talk as there was probably not like it was in a lot of places, but even there they sort of championed what Faubus was doing. I sensed that it was setting up a terribly traumatic event for us, because there had been some underlying resentment among some people about what we did. This was going to be their opportunity to undo what we did if Faubus was successful in pulling off the caper in Little Rock. He gauged that. [President Dwight D.] Eisenhower frankly did not want to get involved in that. He didn’t understand it. He was not racially attuned. Herbert Brownell, his attorney general, literally had to force Eisenhower to take the action he took, in nationalizing the National Guard and taking it out from under Faubus’ control. I can tell you I was one who saw nothing but problems for Charleston. And the entire state. I didn’t know where this was going to end. It was getting so volatile and so angry; I could see riots breaking out all over this state. I was one of the people who were frightened. After Eisenhower decided to take Brownell’s advice, you remember, Faubus made a passive effort.

He went up to Newport, R.I., to meet with the president. There was nothing to talk about. He just did that to show that he was trying to resolve the problem, which was not solvable under his terms. So he came back home from Rhode Island with nothing. That’s when Eisenhower nationalized the National Guard and then sent the 101st Airborne Division into Little Rock. I’ll tell you an interesting story. I was highly in favor of what Eisenhower did. I wanted that 101st Airborne in this state. I wanted to prevent the terrible violence, which was about to break out, I wanted to tranquilize the situation. I was trying a lawsuit on the third floor of the courthouse in Paris, Logan County. It was a hot day. The windows were open. It was a jury trial. I remember hearing what to people of Charleston was a familiar sound — of military vehicles going down Highway 22. Fort Chaffee was going to furnish the logistical support for the 101st Airborne. They were headed for Little Rock. I want you to know that was the sweetest sound I ever heard. I felt so rejuvenated to know that the situation was going to be tranquilized. Well, there was an effort in Charleston to roll back desegregation. Once that whole thing occurred, a few rednecks who had really strongly opposed what we did — they never did take any action, but they just didn’t want what we did in Charleston — began to come out of the woodwork. Meanwhile, on the school board, one of the school board members moved that we resegregate and start sending our black children back to Fort Smith. That was absolutely, utterly unthinkable. I told them

2 Freeway Dr Little Rock AR 501-666-7226 • pettusop.com

DOWNTOWN LITTLE ROCK, LOOKING TO GET FIT? Whether you seek to lose weight, tone and firm, train for an event or achieve some other fitness goal, our fitness professionals can help you get better results in less time.

AFFORDABLE SMALL GROUP PERSONAL TRAINING Easy access to I-630 • Free parking • Private showers • 24/7 member access

VICTORY BUILDING • 1401 W. CAPITOL • 501-246-8266

Come in and try Joe’s January wine picks of red and white blends of great value! Best beer selection in Pulaski County! Carlsberg beer on sale for $5.49. Come and see the best premium whiskey selection around! Old Charter 8 bourbon in stock.

☞ REMEMBER! ☞

Wednesday is Wine Day! 15% off ALL wine in the store – “even on wines already on sale!” Hundreds of gift ideas under $25 ASK US ABOUT OUR HUGE WHISKEY SALE! 4281 MCCAIN BLVD, N. LITTLE ROCK, AR | (501) 945-5153 CONTACT US FOR MORE INFO. www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

and they’re shouting and hollering and I don’t know if they have guns or not. They haven’t shot, but Merriam is just scared to death and the children are terrified.” We knew there was no point in calling the local law enforcement offiResegregate. cers; they wouldn’t have done anything I’m sorry. Resegregate. I was sort about it. I said, “Well, Joe, I’m going to of alone because these two hotheads get in my car and I’ll go out there and wanted to resegregate and I didn’t. The sit with you and Mary and we’ll just see chairman of the board said if he had to what happens.” So we did. I had a 1954 he would vote with me just to settle it, so Pontiac. I had bought it used. In a small we could wait until the next election and town like that, everybody knows everyget the fifth member to replace the one body else’s car. So we drove that two and who had resigned. And that he, dependa half miles out east to what they call the ing on the outcome of the election, would settlement. We drove out there and up in Joe’s yard. He and I sat in the swing go either way. They were going to run two candidates. They were going to run on his front porch. We hadn’t been there someone against me, and I was going to 15 minutes when, well, here they came. get someone to run with me to fill that You could hear them up and down the vacant spot. He said if you all win in this road shouting and hollering the epithets election I’ll vote with you, but if you don’t and everything. As they got closer and I’m going to vote with Dale. So I got a saw my car, the din and the shouting young man there in Charleston named began to die out. They went by, and it Ralph Wingfield. Ralph was an uneduwas dark. I couldn’t tell who they were. cated man but he had no particular racial I thought I probably knew who they qualms one way or the other. He agreed were — all the usual suspects. But the to run with me and we’d run as a team IN 2010: Bumpers at in an interview the Pryor Center for Arkansas noise began to die out. I stayed there a and everybody would understand that we Oral and Visual History. couple more hours and they never came were going to keep Charleston integrated. back. I said in my book that I felt like and we’ll get a couple of gallons of turpentine That’s what the election was going to be Atticus Finch — if Atticus Finch was and I’ll give you fellows a couple of those stiff about. The other two found two candidates terrified. I was really frightened. bristle brooms and you, Buel,” who was the to oppose us, and so the election was held in caretaker, “you find somebody to help you. March of 1958. Normally, Charleston would *** Get these brooms and use this turpentine and vote a maximum of 150 in the school election. Integrating the Methodists get that paint off before morning when school Never much to vote on. I guess there were over starts.” And they did. I drove down to the school 500 votes cast in this election. the next morning, because I knew who the culI want to go back to one other point on inteprits were just as well as I knew my name, and gration. That’s the Methodist church. You You won, I think, 308 to 173. helped to integrate the Methodist church I wanted to see the look on their faces when Is that what it was? Well, then my oppothey realized that artwork of theirs on the side nent, I mean my running mate, won almost there in Charleston shortly after the episode of the school building was gone. Sure enough, by the same majority. So that put the thing with the school. Tell me about that. they came and you could just see the look of to rest and Mr. Pritchard, who was the chairI forget how many years ago that was. It disappointment all over their faces. Their big man of the board, voted with us and that was followed the school integration and it also folgreen sign was gone. the end of that story. Except for this. That fall lowed the Little Rock integration crisis. It was Ernie, in that whole episode there was one of 1958, just before we started back to school, one, two or three years after that. The pastor of the Methodist church in Charleston at the somebody, and I knew who the somebody was other thing worth reporting. It’s a little bit self-serving and I’ve probably embellished it a ... . The school superintendent and the school time came to my office. I’m reluctant to say this, caretaker — the janitor we called him — came little. There were a lot of Fergusons in the black but he said, “I want you to give me a hundred to my home about 8 o’clock Sunday night and community. Joe Ferguson was one of the finest dollars to help patch the roof, to put a new roof men. He worked at the brick plant. A lot of the told me that somebody had written in great big on that nigger church.” I said, “Well I’m not blacks in Charleston worked at the brick plant. green block letters all the way across the high going to give you a hundred dollars.” He said, school, which faced Highway 22, the main highThey were the lucky ones. They worked in Fort “You’re not?” and I said no. He said, “If you Smith carrying bricks to the kiln and so on. Joe way through Charleston, “nigger stay home.” don’t give me a hundred dollars, nobody will, and it’s going to cost $1,500 and I came to you was a good friend. He had small children and he School was going to start the next day. This was on Sunday. I said: “Well, I tell you what came to my house one night and said, “There first because I knew you’d give it to me.” I said, we’ll do. We’ll go down to my hardware store, are some people riding in a truck by my house “Well, I’m not going to. We have no business PRYOR CENTER FOR ARKANSAS ORAL AND VISUAL HISTORY, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

the board shouldn’t even be entertaining a motion like this. It got so hot that two school board members resigned. I take that back. One board member resigned. Two wanted to desegregate … .

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

sponsoring that little church. That’s Civil War stuff. We’ve sponsored that little old church forever. We need to invite those people to come to our church.” I said that and I thought he was going to faint. He said, “Oh, if we do that, Mrs. Frensmeir, Mrs. Floyd, Lord knows who all, will quit our church. They’ll get up and walk out.” He mentioned Mrs. Frensmeir and Mrs. Floyd. I said, “No, they’re not going to get up and walk out. They’d be afraid they’d miss something.” We talked about it at length and he said, “Will you take it up at the next board meeting?” I said, “Yes I will.” So the word got out in town that we were going to have a board meeting at the Methodist church and the main topic, the main purpose of the session was going to be to vote on whether to invite the black people of Charleston to come to the First Methodist church. So I got up and made my motion and my presentation, and within 30 minutes we had voted 20 to 2 to integrate the Methodist church the following Sunday. That’s the biggest crowd since my father’s funeral that I had ever seen in that church. You couldn’t shoehorn another person in. They were all there to watch this. So everybody was in their seats. We had reserved seats for the blacks up in the front. They walked in and you could have heard a pin drop. Now this was not all of them, because the Catholic church had already integrated. The Catholic church had taken in two or three families, including the Fergusons, who I just mentioned. Not all of them, but some of them. But these people came in and took their seats. And from then on everything was just as normal as it could be. I was the choir director in the church

and I got a couple of first-class sopranos out of the deal. Ultimately, the black community in Charleston disappeared. There are maybe two families left there now. But everybody felt so proud. They were so proud of themselves that we had integrated that church, which is the exemplification of Christianity. Everybody was tickled to death about it. ***

Wading into politics Your father’s ambition was for you to practice law and get into politics. In 1962, you decided to do that. You would run for state representative in Franklin County against a guy named Michael Womack. Why in the world did you enter that race? I’ve asked myself that question a thousand times. Ernie, to set the stage quickly, Franklin County had two county seats, still has two county seats. But the principal county seat, the leading county seat, is in Ozark. Charleston and Ozark both have court sessions, both have courthouses and both have court sessions. But the Quorum Court meets in Ozark and there are only five precincts on the south side of the river. We only had about 30 percent of the vote in the county; the rest of them were north of the river. By 1962 I had gotten on my feet financially and I thought I could take the time to run. I thought you had to start at the bottom of the ladder. I would start in the Arkansas legislature, in the House, then maybe run for Congress and then for senator. I had no interest whatever in being governor of

Arkansas. Never did have. So I thought, “Well I believe I can pull this off.” Mike Womack was a young fellow who was the county clerk or the circuit clerk, I forget which. He announced and I thought I could beat him. I didn’t realize that he was there for four years greeting everybody who walked into that courthouse. As I say, they were twice as big as the Charleston district. The sheriff, who ran the county, was going to be for Mike Womack. Such a machine as we had was going to be for Mike Womack. He had to be a little bit cautious because he knew everybody on our side of the river was going to be for me and he didn’t want to alienate those votes. But to shorten the story, I knew within two days of filing for the campaign that that was a lost cause. I wasn’t going to have a prayer. But I went through the motions. I would leave my office every afternoon at 1 o’clock and go over in the mountains to campaign. Spend 30 minutes with some guy who would finally in the end tell you he didn’t have a poll tax and couldn’t vote. Or tell you he was committed to old Mike. Mike was running as an orphan. He was 27 years old and his mother and dad were dead, and under that theory I was an orphan, too. But Mike was well liked, popular and a nice guy. So it was like 42 to 58 percent, something like that. So, while I was disappointed, I had conditioned myself to what was obviously an inevitable loss. I really felt I had done what my father wanted me to do and I didn’t ever want to go through that again. I didn’t think I would ever run again. I went back to that law office the next day and started to make money. That was my goal at that point, to make money. I did a pretty good job of it.

Fabulous Finds Antique & Decorative Mall CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAYS Storewide Sale January 8-24 Tue-Sat 10-6 • Sun 12-5 On April 4, 1943, ten American POWs and two Filipino convicts broke out of an escape-proof Imperial Japanese prison plantation. Called the “Greatest Story of the War in the Pacific,” the uncensored truth was lost for nearly seven decades – until now.

Free DocuMeNtarY Movies at Mac arthur •JaN. 20, 6:30-8:30 P.M. 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock • 501-376-4602 • arkmilitaryheritage.com

501-614-8181

2905 CANTRELL ROAD •TUES.- SAT. 10-6 & SUN. 12-5

Minutes from downtown Little Rock • fabulousfindsantiques.com

NOW TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS Every Day LUKSUSOWA POTATO VODKA $22.99 JACK BLACK $44.99 MORTLACH SINGLE MALT WHISKY $119.99 AVION BLANCO TEQUILA $42.99 DIMPLE PINCH SCOTCH $38.99 BOOTA’S CASK GIN $42.99

LITTLE ROCK • NORTH LITTLE ROCK

Every Day SALE! 750ML KORBEL CHAMPAGNE $12.99 $10.99 750ML GABBIANO PINOT GRIGIO $9.99 $7.99 750ML CHATEAU STE MICHELLE PINOT GRIS, RIESLING $11.99 $8.99 750ML CHATEAU STE MICHELLE RED BLEND $14.99 $11.99 WEDNESDAY IS WINE DAY 15% OFF • WINE CASE DISCOUNTS EVERY DAY • WE GLADLY MATCH ANY LOCAL ADS •

175ML 175ML 750ML 750ML 750ML 750ML

SALE! $17.99 $39.99 $109.99 $34.99 $30.99 $34.99

LITTLE ROCK: 10TH & MAIN • 501.374.0410 | NORTH LITTLE ROCK: 860 EAST BROADWAY • 501.374.2405 HOURS: LR • 8AM-10PM MON-THUR • 8AM-12PM FRI-SAT •NLR • MON-SAT 8AM-12PM www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

Arts Entertainment AND

‘Locked room’ game concept comes to Park Hill. BY DAVID KOON

he room, which looks like a rather shabby vice principal’s office, is securely locked, an electronic key pad on the door the only hope of escape without crying for mercy. Inside the room, four students from the William H. Bowen School of Law of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock — Lauren Kuhlmann, Joseph Hoke, Rachel Freeman and James Burris — frantically paw through papers, books and files, looking for the clue that will eventually lead them to a combination lock. Opening that lock will lead to other clues, which lead to other locks, and eventually, hopefully, to freedom. Unseen, the one who built the room looks on through one-way glass, smiling at his victims’ confusion, periodically feeding them frus- PONDERING: James Burris (foreground) and Joseph Hoke try to make their escape. tratingly vague hints via a handheld radio. On a shelf nearby, a from scratch, from writing the script digital clock with blood-red numbers, Though the escape room concept worthy of a movie about a comet on is big in Europe and on the east and to building the puzzles to solve. Their a collision course with Earth, counts room initially had too many props, west coasts of the U.S., the room on down to zero. Every five minutes, the Park Hill is the area’s introduction Rhodes said, with extraneous knickominous drum of a rapid heartbeat to the concept. Admission is $20 per knacks quickly turning into red herperson. The room can accommodate is piped in through speakers, upping rings that threw beta testers off the groups of up to eight, with groups of the tension. Will they escape in time? real trail. While locked-room mystery games four or more recommended for the “We learned a lot in the process,” have been popular on smartphones for best chance to escape. Rhodes said. “When we first started years, there’s something surreal about out, we put a lot into the room. We put Jeremy Rhodes was the man behind watching flesh-and-blood people try to the one-way glass the day we visited way too much. Our beta testers were just grinding to a halt.” With the missolve the real thing. At Central Arkanthe rented storefront, which is next to sas Escape Rooms, located at 109 E. C cellaneous items in the room thinned a massage therapist’s office. With six co-founders, Rhodes opened Central Ave. on Park Hill in North Little Rock, considerably, Rhodes said the current that’s exactly what patrons get: one Arkansas Escape Rooms on Thankssolve rate stands at about 50 percent, thin hour to solve a mystery by folwith half the teams making it out in an giving weekend 2015. They have since lowing a winding series of puzzles hosted around 70 groups for the facilhour. The quickest a group has solved and clues. We won’t spoil the game ity’s initial puzzle, which puts groups the room was a team of computer engiby telling you specifics on what those neers, who strolled out with just over in the office of a fictional paranorpuzzles and clues are, but they are mal investigator who has disappeared 22 minutes to spare. Regardless of succlever and devious. while on the verge of blowing the lid cess, Rhodes said players he’s talked to 24

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

overwhelmingly find the experience fun and rewarding. “We’ve had all kinds of different groups,” he said. “My favorites are the three-generational groups. You’ll have the little kid, and he solves a big part of the puzzle. Then grandpa comes in, and he’s got something. Everybody has a part that they play.” With escape rooms popular for intense team-building exercises, Rhodes said the owners plan to eventually move to a larger facility so they can do more scenarios simultaneously, along with hosting larger groups. He said they’re in talks with the Arkansas Literary Festival to do a book-themed puzzle during the festival in spring, and hope to present intense, five-minute puzzles at local conventions. As the clock ticked down on the four law school students inside the room, Rhodes got positively giddy when he saw they had lucked upon a clue that could have given them a shortcut to the way out and a spot on the leaderboard. Distractions arise, however, and Lady Luck’s shot at glory is bypassed and ignored. With just four minutes and 21 seconds to spare, the group finally found the clue they needed and raced to the keypad, the four friends emerging seconds later, a little frazzled but all smiles. All reported having a great time, which they said was a way to blow off steam after finals. Burris said he was skeptical about the idea but had a great time once he was in the moment. “It was the onslaught of everything,” he said. “You’d get one clue, and you’re starting to look at it, and then somebody would find something else. You’d get distracted, and then you’d think: Well, maybe my clue doesn’t work until we get something else figured out. That was also part of the fun of it, too.” Central Arkansas Escape Rooms is open 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information or to book tickets, visit centralarescapes.com. Tickets are $20 a person. BRIAN CHILSON

THE GREAT ESCAPE

off a dark conspiracy. Rhodes said the plan is to change the scenario every three months, with the next being a magic and science-themed puzzle called “The Alchemist’s Laboratory,” due to premiere in March. Though there are turn-key escape room scenarios that you can buy, Rhodes said that when he and his cofounders started thinking about bringing the concept to Central Arkansas, it was important to them to do it all

Stop Looking. Start Living.

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

A&E NEWS ON THURSDAY, JAN. 21, we’re teaming up with Arkansas Sounds to host the U.S. premiere of Tav Falco’s ambitious and fascinating new film “Urania Descending” at the Ron Robinson Theater, free and open to the public. Falco was born on a farm in rural Arkansas and today lives in Vienna, where he writes books, directs films and records music with the cult art-rock band Panther Burns, whose most recent album, “Command Performance,” was released in March. For many years, Falco lived in Memphis, where he befriended and collaborated with a cast of now-iconic characters that included the producer Jim Dickinson, the photographer William Eggleston and Big Star front man Alex Chilton. Influenced by the German Expressionist cinema of Fritz Lang and F.W. Murnau, the film follows a young woman in Little Rock who travels to Vienna, where she “becomes embroiled in an intrigue to uncover buried Nazi plunder.” Part fable and part tone poem, it’s an eerie and powerful experiment from one of Arkansas’s most distinctive native artists. The film, Falco’s first full-length feature, has been screened at David Lynch’s club Silencio, in Paris, but Falco has held off on American showings until he could premiere the movie in his home state. Falco will attend the premiere and participate in an audience discussion after the screening.

• Professionally Licensed Agents • Professionally Licensed Agents Specializing in Apartments, Corporate Suites, • • Specializing in Apartments, Corporate Suites, Rental Homes, and Condos Rental Homes, and Condos • Personalized Property Tours Available • Personalized Property andand CityCity Tours Available

Tuggle Inc.Inc. Tuggle Services, TuggleServices, Services, Inc. Free provided Tuggle A Free AAService provided byby Tuggle Services, Inc. Free Service Service provided by Tuggle Services, Services,Inc. Inc. Real Relocation Real Estate Estate and Relocation Service Service A RealAA Estate andand Relocation Service

Little Rock Ranked #1 of America’s 10 Great Places to Live in 2013 by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

www.LRAPARTMENTS.COM

501.219.2787 / 800.644.APTS (2787)

& & ARKANSAS’S SOURCE FOR NEWS, POLITICS AND ENTERTAINMENT

N a i s a m r u o N g ia southern gourmsaosuthe&rn Beer Dinner eer Dinner

THE ARKANSAS REPERTORY Theatre announced last week that longtime artistic director Robert Hupp is resigning, following the conclusion of his contract in June 2016. Hupp has been at The Rep for 17 seasons, and will take a new job as artistic director of the Syracuse Stage in Syracuse, N.Y. “It’s been an honor to steward The Rep for these past 17 years,” Hupp said in a press release. “I am especially grateful to the kind and generous patrons of central Arkansas who make creating theatre here fun and rewarding. Little Rock has been a tremendous place to raise a family, and a wonderful place to call home.” According to The Rep, “A search committee is being formed as The Rep’s Board of Directors launches an immediate national search for Hupp’s successor. Before departing, Hupp will plan The Rep’s 2016-17 Season.”

$50 for One, $90 for Two (Gratuity Not Included)

Tickets Available at the restaurant or by calling 501-313-5645

ink good food and beer.

es you to eat and dr Arkansas Times encourag

N ia s a m r u o g n r e h t u soTuesday r e n n i D r e e B JAN.26

1ST

Pork Satay, Javanese Peanut Sauce Shamus Stout

6 :30 p.m.

at the southern gourmasian

219 W. Capitol

$50 for One, $90 for Two (Gratuity Not Included)

Tickets Available at the restaurant or by calling 501-313-5645

2ND

Soto King’s Chicken Soup Aceypalooza Pale Lager

3RD

Chopped Veggie Salad, Coconut & Lime Leaf Dressing Amadeus Vienna Lager

Tuesday

4TH

Nyona Style Fried Fish, Lime Juice & House Worcestershire, Stir Fried Asian Greens Bernoulli’s Belgian Pale Ale

sept. 29 :

6 30 p.m.5TH

Indonesian Spice Cake Ripple Effect Rye

at the southern gourmasian

All of 219 theseW. dishes are inspired by Indonesian and Malaysian dishes. Capitol www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

THE TO-DO

LIST

BY WILL STEPHENSON

THURSDAY 1/14

‘JAZZ: EVOLUTION OF AN ART FORM’ 6 p.m. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.

The Oxford American is partnering with the Clinton School for Public Service and the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center on Thursday to present the symposium “Jazz: Evolution of an American Art Form and Its Place on 9th Street,” which — unwieldly title aside — looks like a fascinating tribute to one of Little Rock’s most vital cultural moments. The event begins with a free panel discussion moderated by local pianist Chris Parker and featuring singer and pianist Amina Claudine Myers (born in Blackwell, now based in New York), John Cain (program manager at KABF-FM, 88.3, and unofficial Little Rock jazz historian) and Nathan Hood (saxophonist based in Hot Springs). This will be followed by a concert at 7:30 p.m. ($10 admission) from Parker, Hood, Yvette “Babygirl” Preyer and the great Little Rock jazz bassist Bill Huntington.

SATURDAY 1/16

YFN LUCCI

9 p.m. Power Ultra Lounge.

My favorite YFN Lucci song is “Piped Dreams.” He raps about his family and going broke and loving his girlfriend and Christmas, and how he wants his music to feel like getting hit by a car. (Sometimes it does, in a good way.) He double-tracks his vocals — so you hear him rapping but also singing distantly in the background, the same words delivered more desperately. He calls himself a “blessing in disguise,” which sounds self-aggrandizing at first but really isn’t, when you think about it. Lucci’s from Atlanta and emerged last year with a mixtape called “Wish You Well.” He was recently signed to the same imprint that launched Rich Homie Quan and Trinidad James, which is good news for him. He had the best verse on Jose Guapo’s odd, dreamy hit “Run It Up,” the video for which has been viewed over 1.5 million times since its release last September. Whether you’ve heard of him or not, in other words, he probably has more high-octane cultural momentum than anybody else playing in town this weekend. 26

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

REINVENTING RADIO: Ira Glass appears at Fayetteville's Walton Arts Center at 8 p.m. Saturday, $18-$48.

SATURDAY 1/16

IRA GLASS

8 p.m. Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. $18-$48.

Ira Glass is the son of a psychologist and an accountant, and the first cousin of minimalist composer Philip Glass. He started his career at NPR as a 19-yearold intern in the late ’70s, and spent years working as a reporter and host on other people’s shows before starting his own hour-long program, “This American Life,” on Chicago public radio in 1995. Over the course of a decade, the

show became remarkably well known and well liked by public radio standards, launching the careers of essayists like David Sedaris, David Rakoff and Sarah Vowell, and becoming synonymous with a certain brand of nonfiction storytelling — personal but understated, wide-eyed and deadpan, curious, self-effacing. As a 2007 headline in The Onion put it, “This American Life Completes Documentation of Liberal, Upper-Middle-Class Existence.” Except this isn’t really fair. At its best, the show has been incredibly successful at making immersive,

important journalism compelling — the best episodes are about car dealerships, prison theater, the housing crisis, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, public schools. And until last year, when its podcast spin-off “Serial” became a huge hit, the show was a shockingly smalltime operation — according to a recent profile, episodes were typically edited at Glass’ desk with the other producers sitting on the floor. This weekend Glass will come to Fayetteville to explain how he was able to accomplish this, in a talk called “Reinventing Radio.”

IN BRIEF

THURSDAY 1/14

SUNDAY 1/17

THE WIZ REVISED

6 p.m., 8:30 p.m. Revolution. $5-$20.

BLOOD ON THE BLUE GRASS: The Legendary Shack Shakers play at the White Water Tavern with the Yawpers at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, $12.

SATURDAY 1/16

LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS 9:30 p.m. White Water Tavern. $12.

Bred in rural Kentucky, championed by Stephen King and Robert Plant, the only band ever to open for both Travis Tritt and Rancid, the Legendary Shack Shakers are like the sonic embodiment of the White Water Tavern: rustic and unhealthy, traditional but ambivalent about it, friendly but vaguely sinister. They make a sort

of wild, raucous psychobilly that combines a reverence for roots music with irreverence for just about everything else. Their new album is called “The Southern Surreal,” and it’s full of aggressive, tentrevival blues-rock, plus ambient snippets of CB radio and a gothic spoken word interlude from Billy Bob Thornton (who calls Shakers front man J.D. Wilkes “one of those genius guys who has only been discovered by a smaller audience”).

MONDAY 1/18

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY OF SERVICE

7 a.m.-3 p.m. Jack Stephens Center, UALR.

Here’s a sentence I’ve always wanted to write: What do Marlon Wayans and Gandhi’s grandson have in common? Turns out they’re the two featured guests at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s 2016 Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. Wayans — brother of Shawn, Damon and Keenan Ivory; co-creator of “Scary Movie” and “White Chicks”; star of the forthcoming parody “Fifty Shades of Black” — will perform a free, family-friendly comedy set.

Arun Gandhi — activist and grandson of Mahatma, in whose remote South African ashram he was raised — will give a keynote speech. There will also be a free interfaith prayer breakfast, with a talk by Gov. Asa Hutchinson and a performance by gospel artist Melvin Williams, at 7 a.m.; a nonviolence youth summit; and an appearance by Eric Braeden, best known for his role as Victor Newman on “The Young and the Restless.” Most importantly, there is the service component: health screenings, job counseling, etc. The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center will also be hosting a day of service, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Like a blues song or a Shakespeare play, “The Wizard of Oz” has long been one of those formational texts that artists feel free to adapt and manipulate and rip off. The first musical version was produced in 1902, featuring presumably hilarious references to John D. Rockefeller and Theodore Roosevelt. Since then, there have been computer games and anime series and sci-fi books and Australian rock musicals, Elton John albums and the 1929 film, debuting Judy Garland. Shirley Temple tried making a version, as did Ashanti. Very few of these, though, have approached anything like the cultural impact of “The Wiz,” originally produced in Baltimore in 1974 and billed as “The Super Soul Musical ‘Wizard of Oz.’ ” How often does an adaptation itself merit further adaptations, as “The Wiz” has over the years? Most notably the 1978 film directed by Sidney Lumet — a visceral, masculine filmmaker then riding high off “Serpico” and “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Network.” At the time, there were serious reservations about this film. The substitution of Diana Ross for Stephanie Mills, who had originated the role of Dorothy on Broadway, was seen as a fatal misjudgment by some. On the other hand, in hindsight, who cares? Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, “Ease on Down the Road”: This is an American classic, full-stop. Its flaws only make it more endearing, and so aren’t even flaws. The musical was resurrected again last month as a live NBC special, with a cast that included Queen Latifah, Common, Mary J. Blige and Camden native Ne-Yo. For those of us who missed it, Revolution and Drummerboyinfinity are presenting two performances of “The Wiz Revised” Sunday night, starring locals Bijoux Pighee, Crissy Pullom, Keith Savage and Michael Dwayne.

The Old State House Museum hosts a lecture by Ralph S. Wilcox, “A History of the Airdome Theater in Arkansas,” at noon, free. Comedian Shaun Jones is at the Loony Bin at 7:30 p.m., $7 (and at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $10). Fayetteville’s Barrett Baber, country singer-songwriter and third-place finisher on the most recent season of NBC’s “The Voice,” plays at Revolution, 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, $15. Mojo Depot plays at the Afterthought, 9 p.m., $5.

FRIDAY 1/15 The Clinton School for Public Service presents a screening of the documentary “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Arkansas,” at Sturgis Hall, noon, free. Monster Jam, the monster truck showcase (featuring trucks with names like Grave Digger, Backwards Bob, Stinger and Midnight Rider), is at Verizon Arena, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $20-$35. Conway’s Jim Mize, who’s earned a cult following over the course of several albums of skewed, emotionally urgent blues-rock (recalling Neil Young or Tom Petty), plays at The Undercroft, a venue below Christ Episcopal Church, at 8 p.m. Country singer-songwriter Bleu Edmondson performs at Stickyz with local rock group deFrance, 9 p.m., $7. Shreveport band Dirtfoot plays at Maxine’s in Hot Springs, 9 p.m., $7. Little Rock indie rock group The Hacking plays at Vino’s with Daughters of Triton and John McAteer and Gentleman Firesnakes. Tyler Kinchen and the Right Pieces play at the Afterthought, 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $7.

SATURDAY 1/16 Sherwood alt-rock band Consumers plays at Vino’s with Maycomb County and Levels. Texas country favorite the Casey Donahew Band is at Revolution, 9 p.m., $20. New Orleans “prog-funk” group Earphunk performs at Stickyz, 9:30 p.m., $10.

SUNDAY 1/17 The Argenta Community Theater Musical Theater Workshop, presented by actor Ethan Paulini, is at Lakewood Middle School, 1 p.m., $25. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” screens as part of Colonel Glenn 18’s classic film series, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., $5.25.

WEDNESDAY 1/20 The Clinton School for Public Service presents a free discussion between Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Director Phillip Mann and seven-time Grammy Award-winning classical producer Michael Fine at Sturgis Hall, noon. www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

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.

DANCE

Contra Dance. Park Hill Presbyterian Church, 7:30 p.m., $5. 3520 JFK Blvd., NLR. arkansascountrydance.org.

EVENTS

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 501-2449690 or search “DYSC” on Facebook. LGBTQ/ SGL Youth and Young Adult Group, 6:30 p.m. 800 Scott St. Monster Jam. Verizon Arena, 7:30 p.m., $20-$35. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.com.

THURSDAY, JAN. 14

MUSIC

Barrett Baber. Revolution, 9 p.m., $15. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www. rumbarevolution.com/new. Frontier Circus. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $7. 2500 W. 7th St. 501-375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.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. 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. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Mojo Depot. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $5. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www. afterthoughtbistroandbar.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. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com/.

COMEDY

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

EVENTS

#ArkiePubTrivia. Stone’s Throw Brewing, 6:30 p.m. 402 E. 9th St. 501-244-9154.

LECTURES

“A History of the Airdome Theater in Arkansas.” Old State House Museum, noon. 300 W. Markham St. 501-324-9685. www.oldstatehouse.com. “Jazz: Evolution of an American Art Form and Its Place on 9th Street.” A panel discussion presented by the Oxford American, followed by a jazz ensemble performance. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 6 p.m. 501 W. 9th St. 501-6833593. www.mosaictemplarscenter.com.

FILM

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Arkansas.” Sturgis Hall, noon, free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

SATURDAY, JAN. 16

MUSIC

RELEASE IT TO THE SKY: Jim Mize plays at The Undercroft, below Christ Episcopal Church, at 8 p.m. Friday. McAteer and the Gentlemen Snakes. Vino’s. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Jim Mize. A performance at The Undercroft. Christ Episcopal Church, 8 p.m. 509 Scott St. 501-375-2342. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Route 66. Agora Conference and Special Event Center, 6:30 p.m., $5. 705 E. Siebenmorgan, Conway. Salsa Dancing. Clear Channel Metroplex, 9 p.m., $5-$10. 10800 Col. Glenn Road. 501-217-5113. www.littlerocksalsa.com. Ted Ludwig Trio. Capital Bar and Grill, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www.

capitalbarandgrill.com/. Tyler Kichen and the Right Pieces. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar. com. Upscale Friday. IV Corners, 7 p.m. 824 W. Capitol Ave.

COMEDY

“A Fertile Holiday.” An original production by The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Shaun Jones. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

GUARANTEED DATE NIGHT 10 TIMES A YEAR SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW

FRIDAY, JAN. 15

MUSIC

All In Fridays. Envy. 7200 Colonel Glenn Road. 501-562-3317. Barrett Baber. Revolution, 9 p.m., $15. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www. rumbarevolution.com/new. Bleu Edmondson, deFrance. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9 p.m., $7. 107 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Dirtfoot. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., $7. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. The Hacking, Daughters of Triton, John 28

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

The hilarious story behind the writing of “Gone With The Wind.”

murrysdp.com

562-3131

Casey Donahew Band. Revolution, 9 p.m., $20. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www. rumbarevolution.com/new. Con-Sumers, Maycomb County, Levels. Vino’s. 923 W. 7th St. 501-375-8466. www.vinosbrewpub.com. Earphunk. Stickyz Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicken Shack, 9:30 p.m., $10. 107 River Market Ave. 501-3727707. www.stickyz.com. Karaoke at Khalil’s. Khalil’s Pub, 7 p.m. 110 S. Shackleford Road. 501-224-0224. www.khalilspub.com. Karaoke. Zack’s Place, 8 p.m., free. 1400 S. University Ave. 501-664-6444. Casa Mexicana, 7 p.m. 7111 JFK Blvd., NLR. 501-835-7876. Karaoke with Kevin & Cara. All ages, on the restaurant side. Revolution, 9 p.m.-12:45 a.m., free. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. 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, The Yawpers. White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $12. 2500 W. 7th St. 501375-8400. www.whitewatertavern.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. 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, 8 p.m., free. 111 W. Markham St. 501-370-7013. www. capitalbarandgrill.com/. Tyler Kichen and the Right Pieces. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 9 p.m., $7. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar. com. YFN Lucci. Power Ultra Lounge, 9 p.m. 220 W 6th St. 501-374-5100.

COMEDY

“A Fertile Holiday.” An original production by

The Main Thing. The Joint, 8 p.m., $22. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501-372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Shaun Jones. The Loony Bin, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.com.

EVENTS

Falun Gong meditation. Allsopp Park, 9 a.m., free. Cantrell and Cedar Hill Roads. Foul Play Cabaret. Maxine’s, 9 p.m., $10-$12. 700 Central Ave., Hot Springs. www.maxinespub.com. 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, helmets and maps. Bobby’s Bike Hike, 9 a.m., $8-$28. 400 President Clinton Ave. 501-613-7001. Monster Jam. Verizon Arena, 7:30 p.m., $20-$35. 1 Alltel Arena Way, NLR. 501-975-9001. verizonarena.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.

LECTURES

Reinventing Radio: An Evening with Ira Glass. Walton Arts Center, 8 p.m., $18-$48. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600.

SUNDAY, JAN. 17

MUSIC

Irish Traditional Music Session. Hibernia Irish Tavern, 2:30 p.m. 9700 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-246-4340. www.hiberniairishtavern.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 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. The Wiz Revised. Revolution, 6 p.m., $5-$20. 300 President Clinton Ave. 501-823-0090. www. rumbarevolution.com/new.

EVENTS

2016 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Bridal Show. Statehouse Convention Center, noon, $10-$45. 7 Statehouse Plaza. Artist for Recovery. A secular recovery group for people with addictions. Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, 10 a.m. 1601 S. Louisiana.

FILM

“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Colonel Glenn 18, Jan. 17, 2 and 7 p.m.; Jan. 20, 2 and 7 p.m., $5.25. 18 Colonel Glenn Plaza Drive. 501-687-0499.

LECTURES

Argenta Community Theater Musical Theater Workshop. Presented by actor Ethan Paulini. Lakewood Middle School, 1 p.m., $25. 2400 Lakewood Rd., NLR.

MONDAY, JAN. 18

MUSIC

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu.

Ernie Biggs. 307 President 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.

EVENTS

Mega Kingfest: A Day of Service. Featuring keynote speaker Arun Gandhi (grandson of Mahatma Gandhi) and a comedy set by Marlon Wayans. Jack Stephens Center, UALR, 7 a.m-3 p.m. 2801 S. University Ave. MLK Challenge. Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. 501 W. 9th St. 501-683-3593. www.mosaictemplarscenter.com.

TUESDAY, JAN. 19

MUSIC

Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President Clinton Ave. 501-3724782. littlerock.erniebiggs.com. Open Mic Nite with Deuce. Thirst n’ Howl, 7:30 p.m., free. 14710 Cantrell Road. 501-379-8189. www.thirst-n-howl.com.

COMEDY

The Joint Venture. Improv comedy group. The Joint, 8 p.m., $7. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com. Tracy Smith. The Loony Bin, Jan. 20-23, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 22, 10 p.m., $7-$10. 10301 N. Rodney Parham Road. 501-228-5555. www.loonybincomedy.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.

FILM

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 River Market Ave. 501-372-7707. www.stickyz.com. Live music. No cover charge Sun.-Tue. and Thu. Ernie Biggs. 307 President 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.

Movies at MacArthur: “4-4-43.” MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 6:30 p.m., free. 503 E. 9th St. 376-4602. www.arkmilitaryheritage.com. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Colonel Glenn 18, 2 and 7 p.m., $5.25. 18 Colonel Glenn Plaza Drive. 501-687-0499.

COMEDY

ARTS

Stand-Up Tuesday. Hosted by Adam Hogg. The Joint, 8 p.m., $5. 301 Main St. No. 102, NLR. 501372-0205. thejointinlittlerock.com.

EVENTS

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

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 20

MUSIC

Acoustic Open Mic. Afterthought Bistro & Bar, 8 p.m., free. 2721 Kavanaugh Blvd. 501-663-1196. www.afterthoughtbistroandbar.com. Brian and Nick. Cajun’s Wharf, 5:30 p.m. 2400 Cantrell Road. 501-375-5351. www.cajunswharf. com. Drageoke with Chi Chi Valdez. Sway. 412 Louisiana. 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.

LECTURES

“A Conversation with Recording Legend Michael Fine.” Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Director Phillip Mann and seven-time Grammy Award winner Michael Fine talk. Sturgis Hall, noon, free. 1200 President Clinton Ave. 501683-5200. clintonschool.uasys.edu.

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.

THEATER

“Kinky Boots.” Walton Arts Center, Jan. 19-21, 7 p.m.; Jan. 22-23, 8 p.m.; Jan. 23-24, 2 p.m.; Sun., Jan. 24, 7:30 p.m., $25-$70. 495 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville. 479-443-5600. Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays. A collection of monologues and short stories about the fight for LGBT marriage rights. The Weekend Theater, through Jan. 30: Fri., Sat., 7:30 p.m., $12-$16. 1001 W. 7th St. 501-374-3761. www.weekendtheater.org.

NEW GALLERY EXHIBITS, EVENTS ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER, MacArthur Park: “Nathalia Edenmont: Force of Nature,” 10 large format photographs, Jan. 19-May 1, talk by the artist Jan. 21; “Lessons from Memphis,” Architecture and Design Network lecture by Tommy Pacello, 6 p.m. Jan. 19, lecture hall, 5:30 p.m. reception; “Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art,” 93 works by 72 artists from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, through Jan. 17; “Life and Light: Photographic Travels

Shop shop LOCAL ARKANSAS TIMES www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

AFTER DARK, CONT. through Latin America with Bryan Clifton,” through Feb. 14. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun. 372-4000. ARKANSAS CAPITAL CORP., 200 River Market Ave., Suite 400: “Printmakers Under 30,” work by Ben Watson, Daniella Napolitano, Catherine Kim, Kristin Karr and Regan Renfro. www.arcapital.com. CANTRELL GALLERY, 8206 Cantrell Road: “Illustrating the Ephemeral,” paintings by Nathaniel Dailey, opens with reception 6-8 p.m. Jan. 15, show through March 5. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 224-1335. MUGS CAFE, 515 Main St., NLR: “The Art of Gum Bichromate,” photographs by Joli Livaudais and students, reception 5-8 p.m. Jan. 15, Argenta ArtWalk.

GALLERY 221, Second and Center streets: New works by Kasten McClellan Searles, through Feb. 27; also work by Tyler Arnold, Kathi Couch, EMILE, Greg Lahti, Sean LeCrone, Elizabeth Nevins, Cedric Watson, C.B. Williams, Gino Hollander, Siri Hollander and jewelry by Rae Ann Bayless. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 801-0211. GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: “Charles Harrington — The Journey,” landscapes, extended through Jan. 30; reception 5-8 p.m. Jan. 15, Argenta ArtWalk. 664-2787. L&L BECK ART GALLERY, 5705 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Landscapes,” by Louis Beck, January show, giclee giveaway 7 p.m. Jan. 21. 660-4006.

WINN

ER Y AWA ! RDS

5 TON

LAMAN LIBRARY ARGENTA BRANCH, 420 Main St., NLR: “Form in Fiber,” mixed media work by Barbara Cade, Jane Hartfield, Marianne Nolley, Sofia Gonzalez, Deborah Kuster, Lilia Hernandez, Louise Halsey, Randi Curtis and Amanda Linn, reception 5-8 p.m. Jan. 15, Argenta ArtWalk, show through Feb. 5. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 687-1061. UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK, 2801 S. University Ave.: “Jobbers, Heels and Faces — Robert McCann,” paintings, Gallery I, Jan. 14-March 3, lecture by the artist 5:30 p.m. March 4; “Awakened by These Dreams,” paintings by Douglas Bourgeois, through Feb. 26, Maners/Pappas Gallery, Fine Arts Building. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, 2-5 p.m. Sun. 569-3182. BENTONVILLE CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, One Museum Way: “Picturing the Americas: Landscape Painting from Tierra del Fuego to the Arctic,” more than 100 paintings by Bierstadt, Church, Cole, Heade, O’Keeffe and others, from the Art Gallery of Ontario, Canada, through Jan. 18, panel discussion about the show headed by curator Mindy Besaw 7-8 p.m. Jan. 14; “Mooz-Lum,” screening of film about African-American Muslim family after 911, 7-9 p.m. Jan. 15; American masterworks spanning four centuries in the permanent collection. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon., Thu.; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed., Fri.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat.-Sun., closed Tue. 479-418-5700.

PRODUCED BY

Barbara and Steve Bova, Jo and Presley Melton

JAN. 22 — FEB. 14 (501) 378-0405 | TheRep.org ARKANSAS REPERTORY T H E AT R E Sponsored By

An Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

Steve Pacek (Boy/Peter) and Faith Sandberg (Molly Aster) in The Rep’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher. Photo by Beth Hall.

BATESVILLE BATESVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL, 226 E. Main St.: “Small Works on Paper,” juried show of work by 37 Arkansas artists, through Jan. 29. 870-793-3382. CONWAY UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS: “Finding Shelter: An Exhibition of Contemporary Fiber Art”; “Maggie Steber: ‘Madje Has Dementia,’ ‘Rite of Passage’ ”; “Mike Jabbur: Point/Counterpoint,” all Jan. 21-Feb. 18, Baum Gallery, reception 4-6 p.m. Jan. 21. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Wed., Fri., 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thu. 501-450-5793. HOT SPRINGS JUSTUS FINE ART, 827 Central Ave.: Paintings by Matthew Hasty, Dolores Justus, Tony Saladino and Dan Thornhill; paintings and wood sculpture by Robyn Horn, intaglio by Kristin DeGeorge, through January. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. 501-321-2335.

NEW MUSEUM EXHIBITS, EVENTS ESSE PURSE MUSEUM & STORE, 1510 S. Main St.: “Purse-onas,” photographs of people and their bags and purses by Jason Travis, through March 13; “What’s Inside: A Century of Women and Handbags,” permanent exhibit. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Sun., $8-$10. 916-9022.

CALL FOR ENTRIES The Arkansas Arts Center is accepting entries to the 58th annual “Delta Exhibition,” open to artists in Arkansas and con-

tiguous states. Entry forms are at ArkansasArtsCenter.org/delta. Deadline is March 11. The exhibition runs June 10-Aug. 28. For more information call 372-4000. The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program and the Arkansas Humanities Council are sponsoring a filmmaking contest for high school students. Films must be between five and 15 minutes long and be about an historic site (including archeological sites, buildings, or other places with historic significance at least 50 years old or older) for AETN’s “Student Selects: A Young Filmmakers Showcase.” Winning films will be screened in May at the Ron Robinson Theater. Deadline is March 18. Find more information at www.aetn.org/ studentselects. The Historic Arkansas Museum will hold a log cabin repair and restoration workshop March 14-18 with Joseph Gallagher of the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies. Tuition is $935 before Feb. 15 and $985 after. Register online at www.campbellcenter.org, at the course list link.

ONGOING GALLERY EXHIBITS BOSWELL MOUROT FINE ART, 5815 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “Drawing Value,” trompe l’oeil charcoal drawings by Trevor Bennett, 20 percent of sales benefit the Friends of Contemporary Craft. 664-0030. BUTLER CENTER GALLERIES, Arkansas Studies Institute, 401 President Clinton Ave.: “Earth Work: Photographs by Gary Cawood”; “Arkansas Pastel Society National Exhibition,” both through Feb. 27; “Photographic Arts: African American Studio Photography,” from the Joshua and Mary Swift Collection. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 320-5790. CHRIST CHURCH, 509 Scott St.: Paintings, mixed media and printmaking by Diane Harper, through Dec. 31. 374-9247. CHROMA GALLERY, 5707 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Work by Robert Reep and other Arkansas artists. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. 664-0880. DRAWL, 5208 Kavanaugh Blvd.: “The Flatlander,” depictions of the Delta by Norwood Creech. 240-7446. GINO HOLLANDER GALLERY, 2nd and Center: Paintings and works on paper by Gino Hollander. 801-0211. GREG THOMPSON FINE ART, 429 Main St., NLR: 664-2787. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM GALLERIES, 200 E. 3rd St.: “Art. Function. Craft: The Life and Work of Arkansas Living Treasures,” works by 14 craftsmen honored by Arkansas Arts Council. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351. LAMAN LIBRARY, 2801 Orange St.: “Beyond Words,” 34 illustrations from the International Book Fair for Children and Youth, through Jan. 25. 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 372-6933. LOCAL COLOUR, 5811 Kavanaugh Blvd.: Rotating work by 27 artists in collective. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 265-0422. MATT MCLEOD FINE ART GALLERY, 108 W. 6th St.: Work by McLeod, J.O. Buckley, Taimur Cleary, Kathy Strause, Alice Andrews, Max Gore, James Hayes, Harry Loucks and Angela Davis Johnson. 725-8508. RED DOOR GALLERY, 3715 JFK, NLR: New work by Matt Coburn, Paula Jones, Theresa Cates and Amy Hill-Imler, new glass by James Hayes, ceramics by Kelly Edwards,

sculpture by Kim Owen and other work. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. 753-5227. STEPHANO AND GAINES FINE ART, 1916 N. Fillmore St.: Carved wood sculpture by actor Tony Dow, through Feb. 8; work by gallery artists. 563-4218. TRIO’S PAVILION ROOM, 8201 Cantrell Road (Pavilion in the Park): “Wet Nose Series,” works by Stephano Sutherlin. BENTON DIANNE ROBERTS ART STUDIO AND GALLERY, 110 N. Market St.: Work by Dianne Roberts, classes. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. 860-7467. CALICO ROCK CALICO ROCK ARTISAN COOPERATIVE, 105 Main St.: Paintings, photographs, jewelry, fiber art, wood, ceramics and other crafts. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tue.-Thu., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. calicorocket.org/artists. FAYETTEVILLE LOCAL COLOR STUDIO GALLERY, 275 S. Archibald Yell Blvd.: Drawings and paintings by Diane Stinebaugh. 5:30-8 p.m. Mon.-Fri. 479-461-8761. FORT SMITH REGIONAL ART MUSEUM, 1601 Rogers Ave.: “Resonance and Memory: The Essence of Landscape,” 25 works by eight contemporary artists, through March 6. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 479-784-2787. JASPER NELMS GALLERY, Church Street: Work by Winston Taylor, Don Nelms, Pamla Klenczar and Scott Baldassari. 870-446-5477. PERRYVILLE SUDS GALLERY, Courthouse Square: Paintings by Dottie Morrissey, Alma Gipson, Al Garrett Jr., Phyllis Loftin, Alene Otts, Mauretta Frantz, Raylene Finkbeiner, Kathy Williams and Evelyn Garrett. Noon-6 p.m. Wed.-Fri, noon-4 p.m. Sat. 501-766-7584. PINE BLUFF

ARTS AND SCIENCE CENTER FOR SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS, 701 S. Main St.: “Arkansas Women to Watch: Organic Matters” work by Dawn Holder, Sandra Luckett, Katherine Rutter and Melissa Wilkinson selected by the Arkansas committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, through Jan. 21; “Pictorialist and Modernist: Howard Stern Photographs from the Permanent Collection”; “Pine Bluff Art League Exhibition”; “Exploring the Frontier: Arkansas 1540-1840”; STEAM Studio and Tinkering Studio. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 1-4 p.m. Sat. 870-536-3375.

HISTORY, SCIENCE MUSEUM EXHIBITS ARKANSAS INLAND MARITIME MUSEUM, North Little Rock: The USS Razorback submarine tours. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 371-8320. ARKANSAS NATIONAL GUARD MUSEUM, Camp Robinson: Artifacts on military history, Camp Robinson and its predecessor, Camp Pike, also a gift shop. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Fri., audio tour available at no cost. 212-5215. ARKANSAS SPORTS HALL OF FAME MUSEUM, Verizon Arena, NLR: 10 a.m.4:30 p.m. Mon.-Sat. 663-4328. CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL MUSEUM VISITOR CENTER, Bates and Park: Exhibits on the 1957 desegregation of Central and the civil rights movement. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily. 374-1957. CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER, 1200 President Clinton Ave.: “Coca-Cola: An American Original,” the art and history of Coca-Cola advertising and bottles, antique Coca-Cola delivery truck, artist’s installation of 3D-printed bottle designs, through Feb. 15; Anne Frank Tree, new installation on the grounds; permanent exhibits on the Clinton administration. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $10 adults; $8 college students, seniors, retired military; $3 ages 6-17. 370-8000. HISTORIC ARKANSAS MUSEUM, 200 E. 3rd St.: Refurbished 19th century structures from original city, guided tours Monday and Tuesday on the hour, self-guided Wednes-

day through Sunday, $2.50 adults, $1 under 18, free to 65 and over. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9351. MacARTHUR MUSEUM OF ARKANSAS MILITARY HISTORY, 503 E. 9th St. (MacArthur Park): “Waging Modern Warfare”; “Gen. Wesley Clark”; “Vietnam, America’s Conflict”; “Undaunted Courage, Proven Loyalty: Japanese American Soldiers in World War II. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-4 p.m. Sun. 376-4602. MOSAIC TEMPLARS CULTURAL CENTER, 9th and Broadway: Permanent exhibits on African-American entrepreneurship in Arkansas. 683-3610. MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY, 500 President Clinton Ave.: “Wiggle Worms,” science program for pre-K children 10-10:30 a.m. every Tue. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun., $10 ages 13 and older, $8 ages 1-12, free to members and children under 1. 396-7050. OLD STATE HOUSE MUSEUM, 300 W. Markham: “Lost + Found: Saving Downtowns in Arkansas,” photographs of eight projects completed or renovated by Cromwell Architects Engineers; “Different Strokes,” the history of bicycling and places cycling in Arkansas, featuring artifacts, historical pictures and video, through February 2016. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 324-9685. WITT STEPHENS JR. CENTRAL ARKANSAS NATURE CENTER, Riverfront Park: Exhibits on fishing and hunting and the state Game and Fish Commission. 907-0636. CALICO ROCK CALICO ROCK MUSEUM, Main Street: Displays on Native American cultures, steamboats, the railroad and local history. www. calicorockmuseum.com. ENGLAND TOLTEC MOUNDS STATE PARK, U.S. Hwy. 165: Major prehistoric Indian site with visitors’ center and museum. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun., closed Mon. $3 for adults, $2 for ages 6-12. 961-9442. JACKSONVILLE

JACKSONVILLE MUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORY, 100 Veterans Circle: Exhibits on D-Day; F-105, Vietnam era plane (“The Thud”); the Civil War Battle of Reed’s Bridge, Arkansas Ordnance Plant (AOP) and other military history. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $3 adults; $2 seniors, military; $1 students. 501-241-1943. MORRILTON MUSEUM OF AUTOMOBILES, Petit Jean Mountain: Permanent exhibit of more than 50 cars from 1904-1967 depicting the evolution of the automobile. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 7 days. 501-727-5427. PINE BLUFF ARTS AND SCIENCE CENTER FOR SOUTHEAST ARKANSAS, 701 S. Main St.: “Exploring the Frontier: Arkansas 1540-1840,” Arkansas Discovery Network hands-on exhibition; “Heritage Detectives: Discovering Arkansas’ Hidden Heritage.” 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 1-4 p.m. Sat. 870-536-3375. POTTSVILLE POTTS INN, 25 E. Ash St.: Preserved 1850s stagecoach station on the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, with period furnishings, log structures, hat museum, doll museum, doctor’s office, antique farm equipment. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Sat. $5 adults, $2 students, 5 and under free. 479-968-9369. ROGERS ROGERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM, 322 S. 2nd St.: “Fun and Games,” the history of golf, roller skating, bowling, tennis and swimming in Rogers. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon., Wed.-Sun., 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Tue. 479-6210-1154. SCOTT PLANTATION AGRICULTURE MUSEUM, U.S. Hwy. 165 and state Hwy. 161: Permanent exhibits on historic agriculture. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. 961-1409. SCOTT PLANTATION SETTLEMENT: 1840s log cabin, one-room school house, tenant houses, smokehouse and artifacts on plantation life. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thu.-Sat. 351-0300. www.scottconnections.org.

Do more. Hurt less. WE OFFER EXPERT ADVICE AND GUIDANCE • Strength and flexibility training • Corrective exercise for pain relief • Fitness programs for injury recovery • Biomechanical analysis of joint function and mobility • Massage therapy

January is... REGENERATION FITNESS KATHLEEN L. REA, PH.D.

(501) 324-1414 117 East Broadway, North Little Rock www.regenerationfitnessar.com Email: regfit@att.net

Win Little Rock Trojans basketball tickets, support the Arkansas Foodbank and win cool prizes all month – just by enjoying a meal at any North Little Rock restaurant. #EatNLR NLRRestaurantMonth.com 501-758-1424 www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

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’ A NEW FOOD TRUCK COURT with indoor seating, flat-screen TVs, free WiFi and an on-site bakery run by Brown Sugar Bakeshop will open at Eighth and Chester streets on Tuesday, Jan. 19. Along with multiple food trucks, the Food Truck Stop at Station 801 will feature a large indoor dining room in what was once a gas station. The 2,000-square-foot multiuse space will also be available for events. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays. Opening week vendors include Hot Rod Wieners, Rick’s Beignets, Stevie’s Fish and Chicken, Jackie’s Mobile Cafe, Red River BBQ and Fish, Southern Salt and Loblolly Creamery. JANUARY IS RESTAURANT MONTH in North Little Rock. Throughout the month, bring a receipt from a January meal at any restaurant in North Little Rock and you’ll receive one free ticket to a University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans basketball game for every $5 spent. There are no limits. The North Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau will also be giving away weekly prizes in January to those who post pictures of food at North Little Rock restaurants on their social media using the hashtag #EatNLR. From Jan. 22 until Feb. 4, select North Little Rock restaurants will also collect monetary donations on behalf of the Arkansas Foodbank.

DINING CAPSULES

AMERICAN

BEST IMPRESSIONS The menu combines Asian, Italian and French sensibilities in soups, salads and meaty fare. A departure from the tearoom of yore. 501 E. 9th St. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-907-5946. L Tue.-Sun., BR Sat.-Sun. BIG ORANGE: BURGERS SALADS SHAKES Gourmet burgers manufactured according to exacting specs (humanely raised beef!) and properly fried Kennebec potatoes are the big draws, but you can get a veggie burger as well as fried chicken, curried falafel and blackened tilapia sandwiches, plus creative meal-sized salads. Shakes and floats are indulgences for all ages. 17809 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-1515. LD daily. 207 N. University Ave. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-379-8715. LD daily. BIG ROCK BISTRO Students of the Arkansas Culinary School run this restaurant at Pulaski Tech under the direction of Chef Jason Knapp. Pizza, pasta, Asian-inspired dishes and diner food, all in one stop. 3000 W. Scenic Drive. NLR. No alcohol, all CC. $. 501-812-2200. BL Mon.-Fri. BJ’S RESTAURANT AND BREWHOUSE 32

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

Lulu’s Crab Boil 5911 R St. 663-2388 luluscrabboil.com

QUICK BITE The seafood boils and oysters on the halfshell are available daily starting at 3 p.m. Don’t be scared off by the various levels of heat indicated by their different sauces; even the “Hot to Trot” is mild enough for a Cajun’s taste buds. HOURS 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. OTHER INFO Beer and wine available. All credit cards accepted.

HOT TO TROT: Lulu’s fried oyster po’ boy.

Lulu’s leaves us in Cajun lala land It’s the latest Heights restaurant from the Chi family.

ulu and Bill Chi and their kin have grown their Asian-influenced restaurant empire in Little Rock during the past 35 years, including recent expansions into the Heights with Sushi Cafe and Oishi and a Chi’s Chinese Bistro in Riverdale. Their newest endeavor, though, Lulu’s Crab Boil, also in the Heights, hits on Cajun and Gulf Coast notes that, when we first heard about the place, seem like a far cry from the Chis’ specialties. But, as Lulu explained to us, Bill’s side of the family has long been serving this type of food in their home country of Taiwan, bringing in hauls from the sea and boiling them up for a big party. So now Lulu and Bill offer similar fare in the Heights in a 50-seat space that formerly housed Haagen-Dazs. The fun of digging into a steaming sack of shrimp, snow crab legs, potatoes and

corn, or whatever else you might select, at the preferred spicing you desire, starts daily at 3 p.m. Before that, however, you can join the masses who have found lunch to be a hit, from gumbo and shrimp etouffee to various styles of po’ boys served on French bread shipped in from New Orleans. We made two trips to Lulu’s to get the full experience. For lunch in the run-up before Christmas, we brought along two New Orleans foodies who felt right at home. We started with an appetizer of meaty, somewhat spicy and abundant crab fingers. We were barely into those before lunch arrived: gumbo, an appetizer basket of fried oysters, Will’s Oyster Po’ Boy, Robert’s Voodoo Chicken Po’ Boy and shrimp etouffee. Lulu’s Gumbo ($6) ranked right up with the best we’ve had in Little Rock,

with a thick, well-spiced, dark broth full of shrimp, Andouille sausage, crab and okra over rice. The fried oysters ($10), too, were among the best if not the best we’ve had around town — creamy, perfectly cooked oysters inside a light, not-greasy beer batter. The sandwich ($12) was dressed with fresh lettuce, tomato and a mayonnaise-based (not creole mustard style) remoulade sauce. But, as good as we found the oysters, the Voodoo Chicken po’ boy ($9) put a spell on us with its balanced blend of hot chicken and cool remoulade. Don’t miss this one. All of our sandwiches and the crab fingers came with Cajun-style fries. If anything fell short, it was the etouffee ($6). The fresh shrimp were large (four in the bowl), but they weren’t “smothered” by a thick sauce, our preferance, and they were bland. Somehow after all that, we weren’t finished, going with a dessert of beignets ($6) that, oddly, were dusted with granulated sugar instead of powered. Still, while we intended to bring most of the order of six home, we left with none. Several days later, after the holiday rush had died down, two of us made a late-night (after 8:30 p.m.) stop at Lulu’s to try one of the boils. Now, we were transported not to New Orleans but rather a coastal hideaway on Florida’s Highway 30A for snow crab clusters and shrimp, new potatoes and quartered corn cobs ($23). We’d already been told: Go with the Rajin Cajin sauce and the “Hot to Trot” or medium heat level, as that would still be mild even for our finicky dining companion who doesn’t like to have her nasal cavity blown away

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

by cayenne. We also figured with our server’s help that one bag of steamed goodness wasn’t going to be enough for two, so we ordered a pound extra of snow crab clusters ($18.95), this time with garlic butter sauce on the side (again Hot-toTrot style). Dining companion had to calm us down from blowing through the crab legs in record time. The shrimp were steamed perfectly. The corn got the brunt of the cayenne (meaning only that it went to OUR side of the tray), but we both enjoyed cutting up pieces of potato and running them through the leftover boil sauce. Lulu’s provides you all the necessary tools, and bibs, to make this fun as well as delicious and not too messy. This was coastal crab- and shrimpboil-eating heaven.

As if we needed more, we were coaxed into the last serving left that night of Uncle Bill’s Mousse ($7), which was decadent chocolate mousse and typical Black Forest Cake with whipped cream and cherries, all crammed into a chilled Mason jar. Of course it was fantastic. Lulu’s also will have crawfish for the boils when in season, as well as blue crab (they had a few the night we were there), while lobster, King Crab and Pacific mussels are always on the menu along with Dungeness crab and Manila clams. Combinations of the seafood range from $23 to $45 per order, with four styles of sauce and three levels of heat. Eat there or take it home and have a party, like they do on the Gulf Coast — or back in Taiwan, as we learned.

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. Chain restaurant’s huge menu includes deep dish pizzas, steak, ribs, sandwiches, pasta and award-winning handcrafted beer. In Shackleford Crossing Shopping Center. 2624 S. Shackleford Road. Beer, all CC. 501-404-2000. BLACK ANGUS CAFE Charcoal-grilled burgers, hamburger steaks and steaks proper are the big draws at this local institution. Also with lunch specials like fried shrimp. 10907 N. Rodney Parham. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-228-7800. LD Mon.-Sat. BOBBY’S CAFE Delicious, humungo burgers and tasty homemade desserts at this Levy diner. 12230 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-851-7888. BL Tue.-Fri., D Thu.-Fri. BOSTON’S Ribs and gourmet pizza star at this restaurant/sports bar located at the Holiday Inn by the airport. TVs in separate sports bar area. 3201 Bankhead Drive. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-235-2000. LD daily. BOUDREAUX’S GRILL & BAR A homey, seatyourself Cajun joint in Maumelle that serves up all sorts of variations of shrimp and catfish. With particularly tasty red beans and rice, jambalaya and bread pudding. 9811 Maumelle Blvd. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-753-6860. LD daily. BOULEVARD BREAD CO. Fresh bread, fresh pastries, wide selection of cheeses, meats, side dishes; all superb. Good coffee, too. 1920 N. Grant St. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-6635951. BLD Mon.-Sat., BL Sun. 400 President Clinton Ave. Beer and wine, all CC. $-$$. 501-374-1232. BLD Mon.-Sat. (close 5 p.m.), BL Sun. 4301 W. Markham St. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-526-6661. BL Mon.-Fri. 1417 Main St. Beer and wine, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-5100. BL Mon.-Sat. CAJUN’S WHARF The venerable seafood restaurant serves up great gumbo and oysters Bienville, and options such as fine steaks for the non-seafood eater. In the citified bar, you’ll

find nightly entertainment, too. 2400 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-5351. LD Mon.-Fri., D Sat. CAMP DAVID Inside the Holiday Inn Presidential Conference Center, Camp David particularly pleases with its breakfast and themed buffets each day of the week. Wonderful Sunday brunch. 600 Interstate 30. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-975-2267. BLD daily, BR Sat.-Sun. CAPERS It’s never been better, with as good a wine list as any in the area, and a menu that covers a lot of ground — seafood, steaks, pasta — and does it all well. 14502 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-868-7600. LD Mon.-Sat. CHEDDAR’S Large selection of somewhat standard American casual cafe choices, many of which are made from scratch. Portions are large and prices are very reasonable. 400 S. University. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-614-7578. LD daily. CHICKEN KING Arguably Central Arkansas’s best wings. 2704 MacArthur Drive. NLR. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-771-5571. LD Mon.-Sat. 5213 W. 65th St. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-562-5573. LD Mon.-Sat. COMMUNITY BAKERY This sunny downtown bakery is the place to linger over a latte, bagels and the New York Times. But a lunchtime dash for sandwiches is OK, too, though it’s often packed. 1200 S. Main St. No alcohol, CC. $-$$. 501-375-7105. BLD daily. 270 S. Shackleford. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-224-1656. BLD Mon.-Sat. BL Sun. CRUSH WINE BAR An unpretentious downtown bar/lounge with an appealing and erudite wine list. With tasty tapas, but no menu for full meals. 318 Main St. NLR. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-374-9463. D Tue.-Sat. DAVE’S PLACE A popular downtown soupand-sandwich stop at lunch draws a large and diverse crowd for the Friday night dinner, which varies in theme, home-cooking being

EVERYDAY SOMMELIER Special Selections at Special Pricing!

SANTA MARGHERITA PINOT GRIGIO Reg $29.99 • Special $19.99 or $16.99ea/Case of 12 “Superior Pinot Grigio at a shocking price.” – O’Looney

BEST LIQUOR STORE

#theeverydaysommelier Your friendly neighborhood wine shop. Rahling Road @ Chenal Parkway 501.821.4669 • info@olooneys.com • www.olooneys.com

LIVE MUSIC

STEAK BBQ CATFISH $ 99

OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK 11am - till

99¢ BEER 99¢

LUNCH

11am - 2pm

LADIES THURSDAYS!

EVERYDAY!*

DRINKS

4-9PM

10840 Maumelle Blvd. (501) 812-0095 • nashvillerockingrill.com *SOME RESTRICTIONS APPLY www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

DINING CAPSULES, CONT. the most popular. Owner Dave Williams does all the cooking and his son, Dave also, plays saxophone and fronts the band that plays most Friday nights. 201 Center St. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-372-3283. L Mon.-Fri., D Fri. DAVID FAMILY KITCHEN Call it soul food or call it down-home country cooking. Just be sure to call us for breakfast or lunch when you go. Neckbones, ribs, sturdy cornbread, salmon croquettes, mustard greens and the like. Desserts are exceptionally good. 2301 Broadway. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-3710141. BL Tue.-Fri., L Sun. DELICIOUS TEMPTATIONS Decadent breakfast and light lunch items that can be ordered

in full or half orders to please any appetite or palate, with a great variety of salads and soups as well. Don’t miss the bourbon pecan pie — it’s a winner. 11220 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-225-6893. BL daily. DIZZY’S GYPSY BISTRO Interesting bistro fare, served in massive portions at this River Market District favorite. 200 River Market Ave. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-3500. LD Tue.-Sat. THE FADED ROSE The Cajun-inspired menu seldom disappoints. Steaks and soaked salads are legendary. 1619 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-9734. LD daily. FLYING SAUCER A popular River Market hangout thanks to its almost 200 beers

JANUARY 15 IN THE

ARGENTA 5-8PM THE THIRD FRIDAY EACH MONTH DISTRICT ARGENTA ARTWALK PRESENTED BY

Rated Four Stars By Arkansas Democrat Gazette And The Arkansas Times! KATV “Rated #1 Steakhouse In Arkansas”

SPONSORED BY 2 Riverfront Place North Little Rock • 501.375.7825

JOIN US FOR ARTWALK AND SHOP OUR SALE ON SALE ITEMS AND MORE! 304 MAIN ST. (INSIDE GALAXY FURNITURE) 375-DESK (3375)

2 Riverfront Place North Little Rock 501.374.8081 • Benihana.com

DRIVERS PLEASE BE AWARE, IT’S ARKANSAS STATE LAW: USE OF BICYCLES OR ANIMALS

Every person riding a bicycle or an animal, or driving any animal drawing a vehicle upon a highway, shall have all the rights and all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle, except those provisions of this act which by their nature can have no applicability.

OVERTAKING A BICYCLE

The driver of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on a roadway shall exercise due care and pass to the left at a safe distance of not less than three feet (3’) and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken bicycle.

AND CYCLISTS, PLEASE REMEMBER... You’re vehicles on the road, just like cars and motorcycles and must obey all traffic laws—signal, ride on the right side of the road and yield to traffic normally. Make eye contact with motorists. Be visible. Be predictable. Heads up, think ahead.

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

(including nearly 75 on tap) and more than decent bar food. It’s nonsmoking, so families are welcome. 323 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-372-8032. LD daily. FOX AND HOUND Sports bar that serves pub food. 2800 Lakewood Village. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-753-8300. LD daily. FRANKE’S CAFETERIA Plate lunch spot strong on salads and vegetables, and perfect fried chicken on Sundays. Arkansas’s oldest continually operating restaurant. 11121 N. Rodney Parham Road. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-2254487. LD daily. 400 W. Capitol Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-372-1919. L Mon.-Fri. GARDEN SQUARE CAFE & GROCERY Vegetarian soups, sandwiches and wraps just like those to be had across the street at 4Square Cafe and Gifts, plus a small grocery store. 4Square does unique and delicious wraps with such ingredients as shiitake mushrooms, and the servings are ample. A small grocery accompanies the River Market cafe. 400 Clinton Ave. No alcohol, all CC. 501-244-9964. LITTLEFIELD’S CAFE The owners of the Starlite Diner have moved their cafe to the Kroger Shopping Center on JFK, where they are still serving breakfast all day, as well as plate lunches, burgers and sandwiches. 6929 John F. Kennedy Blvd. NLR. No alcohol. 501-771-2036. BLD Mon.-Sat., BL Sun. MAGGIE MOO’S ICE CREAM AND TREATERY Ice cream, frozen yogurt and ice cream pizza. 17821 Chenal Parkway. No alcohol, all CC. $. 501-821-7609. LD daily. MARKHAM STREET GRILL AND PUB The menu has something for everyone, including mahi-mahi and wings. Try the burgers, which are juicy, big and fine. 11321 W. Markham St. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-224-2010. LD daily. MCBRIDE’S CAFE AND BAKERY Owners Chet and Vicki McBride have been serving up delicious breakfast and lunch specials based on their family recipes for two decades in this popular eatery at Baptist Health’s Little Rock campus. The desserts and barbecue sandwiches are not to be missed. 9501 Baptist Health Drive. No alcohol, all CC. $. 501-3403833. BL Mon.-Fri. MOOYAH BURGERS Kid-friendly, fast-casual restaurant with beef, veggie and turkey burgers, a burger bar and shakes. 14810 Cantrell Road, Suite 190. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-8681091 10825 Kanis Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-313-4905. LD daily. OLD MILL BREAD AND FLOUR CO. CAFE The popular take-out bakery has an eat-in restaurant and friendly operators. It’s self-service, simple and good with sandwiches built with a changing lineup of the bakery’s 40 different breads, along with soups, salads and cookies. 12111 W. Markham St. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-228-4677. BL Mon.-Sat. BR Sun. RED DOOR Fresh seafood, steaks, chops and sandwiches from restaurateur Mark Abernathy. Smart wine list. 3701 Old Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-666-8482. BL Tue.-Sat. D daily. BR Sat. RENO’S ARGENTA CAFE Sandwiches, gyros and gourmet pizzas by day and music and drinks by night in downtown Argenta. 312 Main St. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-376-2900. LD Mon.-Sat. RIVERFRONT STEAKHOUSE Steaks are the draw here — nice cuts heavily salted and peppered, cooked quickly and accurately to your specifications, finished with butter and served sizzling hot. 2 Riverfront Place. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-375-7825. D Mon.-Sat.

RIVERSHORE EATERY A River Market vendor that specializes in salads, sandwiches, wings and ice cream. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-244-2326. LD Mon.-Sat. ROBERT’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL If you’re looking for a burger, you won’t find it here. This establishment specializes in fried chicken dinners, served with their own special trimmings. 7212 Geyer Springs Road. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-568-2566. LD Tue.-Sat., D Sun.-Mon. SAMANTHA’S TAP ROOM & WOOD GRILL An eclectic, reasonably priced menu has something for just about everyone. Excellent selection of wines and beers on tap. 322 Main St. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-379-8019. LD Mon.-Sat. SHARKS FISH & CHICKEN This Southwest Little Rock restaurant specializes in seafood, frog legs and catfish, all served with the traditional fixings. 8722 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-562-2330. LD daily. SO RESTAURANT BAR Call it a French brasserie with a sleek but not fussy American finish. The wine selection is broad and choice. Free valet parking. Use it and save yourself a headache. 3610 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-1464. LD Mon.-Sat., BRD Sun. STICKYZ ROCK ‘N’ ROLL CHICKEN SHACK Fingers any way you can imagine, plus sandwiches and burgers, and a fun setting for music and happy-hour gatherings. 107 River Market Ave. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-372-7707. LD daily. TEXAS ROADHOUSE Following in the lines of those loud, peanuts-on-the-table steak joints, but the steaks are better here than we’ve had at similar stops. Good burgers, too. 3601 Warden Road. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-771-4230. D daily, L Sat.-Sun. 2620 S. Shackleford Road. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-224-2427. D Mon.-Fri., LD Sat.-Sun. TOWN PUMP A dependable burger, good wings, great fries, other bar food, plate lunches, full bar. 1321 Rebsamen Park Road. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-663-9802. LD daily. TRIO’S Fresh, creative and satisfying lunches; even better at night, when the chefs take flight. Best array of fresh desserts in town. 8201 Cantrell Road Suite 100. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-221-3330. LD Mon.-Sat., BR Sun. WHOLE FOODS MARKET Get barbecue, beer — at a bar or in growlers to go — pizza, sandwiches, salads and more at the upscale grocery chain. 501 Bowman Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $-$$. 501-312-2326. BLD daily. WILLY D’S DUELING PIANO BAR Serves up a decent dinner of pastas and salads as a lead-in to its nightly sing-along piano show. Go when you’re in a good mood. 322 President Clinton Ave. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-244-9550. D Tue.-Sat. YANCEY’S CAFETERIA Soul food served with a Southern attitude. 1523 Martin Luther King Ave. No alcohol, No CC. $. 501-372-9292. LD Tue.-Sat. ZACK’S PLACE Expertly prepared home cooking and huge, smoky burgers. 1400 S. University Ave. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-6646444. LD Mon.-Sat. ZIN URBAN WINE & BEER BAR This is the kind of sophisticated place you would expect to find in a bar on the ground floor of the Tuf-Nut lofts downtown. It’s cosmopolitan yet comfortable, a relaxed place to enjoy fine wines and beers while noshing on superb meats, cheeses and amazing goat cheese-stuffed figs. 300 River Market Ave. Beer and wine, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-246-4876. D daily.

ASIAN

BANGKOK THAI CUISINE Get all the staple

REPORTER, CONT.

can’t tell you how appalled I was!” Loyd said he would later kiss what he called “a cute, blonde German boy” while warming up in a restaurant’s open boiler room on a cold winter’s night. From that moment, he said, he knew that he was gay. After leaving the Army in October 1970, Loyd moved to West Palm Beach, Fla., where he worked as a hairdresser. With clients from New York often wintering in Palm Beach, Loyd would often share notes on cut and color for clients he shared with a Long Island hairdresser named John, a bit of serendipity John Schenck and Robert Loyd didn’t puzzle out until they’d fallen in love. They first met in a Palm Beach dance club. With Schenck having arrived in the company of one of Loyd’s old boyfriends, Loyd said he gave his future husband short shrift. The wheel of fortune had turned, however, and Schenck soon convinced Loyd to move to New York to live with him. On their first trip to New York, Schenck said, he made Loyd a deal. “The deal was, we’d live together for six months,” Schenck said. “At the end of six months, if [Loyd] wanted to stay, great. … This past January was 40 years.” The couple moved back to Arkansas in 1978 to take care of Loyd’s mother after his father fell ill and passed away. Though both had been professionally successful in freewheeling New York, moving to sleepy Damascus was like stepping back to the dark ages. Schenck said he applied at almost every beauty shop in the area, but got not a nibble. Things changed when Loyd’s mother rented them an old gas station on the highway outside of town, where they opened their first Arkansas salon, The Lion’s Den. While the first years were so lean that Loyd said they would often go to buffets and secretly stuff food in their pockets so they’d have something to eat later, the shop eventually became so successful that they opened others in Greers Ferry and Heber Springs. In 1986, Schenck and Loyd moved to Conway, hoping to start a shop there. After the deal to rent a space fell through, they were driving through town when they passed a large Victorian house. When they happened back by 30 minutes later, Loyd said, there was a for sale sign out front. They took it as providence and stopped, eventually buying the home where they lived and worked for most of the next three decades

for $70,000. With the house a dreary brown, Loyd hoped to brighten it up by painting the porch pale lavender. Loyd said he was on top of a ladder painting when a woman approached to voice her disapproval. “Some woman came up and said, ‘I don’t like what you’re doing to the house,’ ” Loyd recalled. “I said, ‘I hate your fucking dress. Get the fuck out of my yard. You don’t like this? Come back tomorrow. It’ll be yellow with purple polka dots.’ ” As a further poke in the eye of locals who disapproved, the color of the porch was changed from lavender to pale pink. As the years wore on, the pink would darken and spread until it covered the whole house, transforming just another house on the corner into the flamingocolored Conway landmark it is today. Their choice in paint notwithstanding, Loyd said that he and Schenck were focused on their business and almost entirely nonpolitical for the next 17 years, quietly taking in scores of kids tossed out of their homes for being gay, but keeping as low a profile as one can when living in a giant pink house in Conway. Even so, Loyd and Schenck said they often didn’t use their porch swing or benches in the yard because of passing drivers shouting “faggot” and “queer.” During the funeral of a former Conway mayor at a nearby church in January 2003, however, Loyd confronted a police officer about people parking in their driveway, later snapping a photo of the officer before rushing back into the house. “They kicked the door in,” Loyd said. “Knocked the frame from its hinges.” Loyd and Schenck were placed in handcuffs, dragged from the house, and put face down on the hood of a car as mourners left the funeral. “They were all walking by, tittering and laughing,” Loyd said. Schenck was detained for six hours, while Loyd was held for nine. That, and later run-ins with the police that they saw as motivated by homophobia, turned them into warriors for the cause of LGBT rights, they said. “I am a German,” Loyd said. “I came from Germany with my family to get away from Nazi treatment, and moved into a nest of them. I am not a quitter. I am not a coward. I didn’t say anything for 30 years. I didn’t do anything. I never stood up for myself or anybody else.” When they kicked in his door, Loyd said, that changed.

After seeing Gov. Mike Huckabee speaking out against gay rights, Loyd and Schenck were angry enough to step out of the shadows, appearing on local TV stations to publicly support gay marriage. They almost immediately paid the price. “As soon as we came out on TV asking for the same rights you have to get married,” Schenck said, “I lost about half of my clients, and he lost about two-thirds.” Many, however, sent Schenck and Loyd thanks for their bravery and willingness to speak up for what was right. “For the first time in my life,” Loyd said, “I was being praised for having a big mouth and saying anything I thought. I never had been before. I was told to sit down, shut up and say nothing most of my life, and I had done so.” It was a shout that became a revolution in Conway, with Loyd and Schenck organizing the first Conway pride parade in 2004, attended by 100 marchers and over 1,000 protestors, an event that was marred by someone spreading six tons of cow manure along the parade route. Undeterred, they’ve continued the annual parade,

held rallies and mass marriage ceremonies, and helped keep the cause of LGBT rights in the public eye. Married in Canada in 2004, Robert and John were, by all accounts, the first same-sex couple in Arkansas to be legally married following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision striking down the prohibition on same-sex marriage in June 2015. Since becoming more political, Loyd said, one of the things he was most proud of was all the friends he’d made. He was also proud of the LGBT kids they had taken into their home and cared for when no one else wanted them, and the work they’d done to help gays and lesbians be more accepted in the state they call home. For Loyd, as it had been from the beginning, life was always about changing hearts and minds for the better. “One of the straight peoples’ biggest surprises, if they actually bother to get to know us, is, we can do more than cut hair,” Loyd said with a smile. “I can move a wall. I can build a house. Give me a staple gun and a roll of tape, and I can rebuild your whole house.” And so he helped to do exactly that in Arkansas.

arkcatfish.com t-shirts, back issues and more

www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

MOVIE REVIEW

DINING CAPSULES, CONT.

‘THE HATEFUL EIGHT’: Samuel L. Jackson finds himself in another Tarantino film.

A bloody fable Samuel L. Jackson and Kurt Russell star in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘The Hateful Eight.’ BY WILL STEPHENSON

few nights ago I went to see Quentin Tarantino’s new film “The Hateful Eight” at Riverdale 10, on Cantrell. The theater had recently replaced its seats with leather recliners, and everyone in the room took advantage of this new luxury. We leaned back and propped up our feet, prepared for a night of physical comfort, if nothing else. But the film stubbornly resisted our plans. Heads were shot off, teeth shattered, blood spat out of dying men’s mouths. The theater quivered sub-audibly at the racist vitriol and cruelty. We were uncomfortable! You know that species of laugh that isn’t really a laugh? That’s more like an attempt to fill space with a sound, just to show that you’re still paying attention and not taking things too seriously? There were a lot of those laughs! My girlfriend, leaving the theater, seemed genuinely furious at Tarantino for what he had shown us. Not the presence of violence or bigotry so much as the mode of its presentation — the wallowing in it, the glee in the face of it. Which raises the question: Is there an intelligent or productive reason for this film to be so unpleasant, and so proud of its own unpleasantness? I’m not sure, but I think the answer is probably yes. As the fiction writer Diane Williams recently put it: “A work of art that can deliver Hell has a purifying effect.” Before I went to see the film, a friend 36

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

pointed out its similarities to “The Thing.” A 1982 John Carpenter movie (adapted from a 1951 Howard Hawks movie), “The Thing” is about an isolated Antarctic research station terrorized by an extraterrestrial that can take the form of any living creature it touches. Naturally the men begin to suspect each other and to give in to paranoia as it picks them off one by one. Who is the alien? There’s no telling. “The Hateful Eight” relies on a comparable tight-knit tension — a sense of not having enough information — its characters all snowed in, anxious, dishonest, convinced there is a killer among them. The film is very successful at creating and subverting this specific type of nervousness. The film’s weaknesses, though, become immediately apparent. Tarantino has always received more awards and plaudits for screenwriting than for directing. Wrongly, I tend to think. Certain pieces of his dialogue — Steve Buscemi’s speech on why he doesn’t tip; Samuel L. Jackson’s ominous recitation of Ezekiel 25:17 — have become detached from their original contexts and float freely as cultural touchstones. It’s clear, in “The Hateful Eight,” that the effect of this cult regard on Tarantino’s writing has been almost entirely negative. His characters now deliver lines as though they were destined for a list of “Classic Tarantino Quotes.” Most of the interactions in the film are given

a gravitas that they do not merit. The jokes and syntax just aren’t as sparkling or vital as he appears to think. But here is the critic E.M. Cioran, writing about an opponent of the French Revolution: “What attracts us is his pride, his marvelous insolence, his lack of equity, of proportion, and occasionally of decency. If he did not constantly irritate us, would we still have the patience to read him?” If Tarantino did not constantly irritate us, would we still have the patience to watch him? Irritating or not, the film has — I think — deeply interesting and even sophisticated things to say about the primacy of racism and plunder in American history. There is a letter from Abraham Lincoln offering a utopian vision of racial harmony — notice the way the letter is used in the film, and what becomes of it. A black Union veteran meets an old, decrepit Confederate general by a fire, over a chess set. What do they talk about, and how does their conversation end? There is a law enforcement official who may or may not carry the legitimacy of the state, an urbane hangman who passes out business cards, an innkeeper whose policies regarding racial discrimination become an important matter for debate. The film wades deeply and dangerously into the muck of the Reconstruction Era, filled with echoes of the present. It stages a kind of bloody fable about Americans with conflicting missions and priorities, conflicting beliefs, conflicting interpretations of the truth, all of them thrust together under a single roof in a snowstorm and forced to sit with their differences. Of course, their priorities and beliefs — their versions of the truth — are finally irreconcilable. It ends with blood and cruelty, because how else could it end?

Thai dishes at this River Market vendor. The red and green curries and the noodle soup stand out, in particular. 400 President Clinton Ave. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-374-5105. L Mon.-Sat. CHI’S CHINESE CUISINE No longer owned by Chi’s founder Lulu Chi, this Chinese mainstay still offers a broad menu that spans the Chinese provinces and offers a few twists on the usual local offerings. 5110 W. Markham St. Beer, all CC. $-$$. 501-604-7777. LD Mon.-Sat. SUSHI CAFE Impressive, upscale sushi menu with other delectable house specialties like tuna tataki, fried soft shell crab, Kobe beef and, believe it or not, the Tokyo cowboy burger. 5823 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-663-9888. L Mon.-Sat. D daily. VEGGI DELI A small cafe in the back of the massive Indian and Mediterranean supermarket Asian Groceries, where vegetarian chaat (South Indian street food) is the specialty. Let no one complain about our woeful lack of vegetarian restaurants before trying the food here. 9112 N. Rodney Parham Suite 102. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-2219977. LD Tue.-Sun. (closed at 7:30 p.m.).

BARBECUE

CHATZ CAFE ‘Cue and catfish joint that does heavy catering business. Try the slow-smoked, meaty ribs. 8801 Colonel Glenn Road. No alcohol, all CC. $-$$. 501-562-4949. LD Mon.-Sat. CORKY’S RIBS & BBQ The pulled pork is extremely tender and juicy, and the sauce is sweet and tangy without a hint of heat. Maybe the best dry ribs in the area. 12005 Westhaven Drive. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-954-7427. LD daily. 2947 Lakewood Village Drive. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-753-3737. LD daily, B Sat.-Sun. WHITE PIG INN Go for the sliced rather than chopped meats at this working-class barbecue cafe. Side orders — from fries to potato salad to beans and slaw — are superb, as are the fried pies. 5231 E. Broadway. NLR. Beer, all CC. $-$$. 501-945-5551. LD Mon.-Fri., L Sat. WHOLE HOG CAFE The pulled pork shoulder is a classic, the back ribs are worthy of their many blue ribbons, and there’s a six-pack of sauces for all tastes. A real find is the beef brisket, cooked the way Texans like it. 2516 Cantrell Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-664-5025. LD daily 12111 W. Markham. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-907-6124. LD daily. 150 E. Oak St. Conway. No alcohol, all CC. $$. 501-513-0600. LD Mon.-Sat., L Sun. 5107 Warden Road. NLR. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-753-9227.

EUROPEAN / ETHNIC

CAFE BOSSA NOVA A South American approach to sandwiches, salads and desserts, all quite good, as well as an array of refreshing South American teas and coffees. 2701 Kavanaugh Blvd. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-614-6682. LD Tue.-Sat., BR Sun. DUGAN’S PUB Serves up Irish fare like fish and chips and corned beef and cabbage alongside classic bar food. The chicken fingers and burgers stand out. Irish breakfast all day. 401 E. 3rd St. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-244-0542. LD daily. GEORGIA’S GYROS Good gyros, Greek salads and fragrant grilled pita bread highlight a large Mediterranean food selection, plus burgers and the like. 2933 Lakewood Village Drive. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-753-5090. LD Mon.-Sat. TAZIKI’S MEDITERRANEAN CAFE Fastcasual chain that offers gyros, grilled meats and veggies, hummus and pimento cheese.

8200 Cantrell Road. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-227-8291. LD daily. 12800 Chenal Parkway. Beer and wine, all CC. $$. 501-225-1829. LD daily. YA YA’S EURO BISTRO The first eatery to open in the Promenade at Chenal is a date-night affair, translating comfort food into beautiful cuisine. Best bet is lunch, where you can explore the menu through soup, salad or half a sandwich. 17711 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-1144. LD daily, BR Sun.

ITALIAN

BRAVO! CUCINA ITALIANA This upscale Italian chain offers delicious and sometimes inventive dishes. 17815 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$$. 501-821-2485. LD daily. BR Sun. BRUNO’S LITTLE ITALY Traditional Italian antipastos, appetizers, entrees and desserts. Extensive, delicious menu from a Little Rock standby. 310 Main St. Full bar, CC. $$-$$$. 501-372-7866. D Tue.-Sat. GRAFFITI’S The casually chic and ever-popular Italian-flavored bistro avoids the rut with daily specials and careful menu tinkering. 7811 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-2249079. D Mon.-Sat. PIZZA D’ACTION Some of the best pizza in town, a marriage of thin, crispy crust with a hefty ingredient load. Also, good appetizers and salads, pasta, sandwiches and killer plate lunches. 2919 W. Markham St. Full bar, all CC. $-$$. 501-666-5403. LD daily. RISTORANTE CAPEO This excellent, authentic Italian restaurant was the trailblazer in the now-hot Argenta neighborhood of downtown North Little Rock, the Isaac brothers opening it in 2003. It remains a popular destination for classic Northern Italian favorites and features an outstanding wine list and cellar. 425 Main St. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-376-3463. D Mon.-Sat.

LATINO

CANTINA LAREDO This is gourmet Mexican food, a step up from what you’d expect from a real cantina, from the modern minimal decor to the well-prepared entrees. We can vouch for the enchilada Veracruz and the carne asada y huevos, both with tasty sauces and high quality ingredients perfectly cooked. 207 N. University. Full bar, all CC. $$$. 501-2800407. LD daily, BR Sun. CHUY’S Good Tex-Mex from an Austin-based chain. We’re especially fond of the enchiladas, and always appreciate restaurants that make their own tortillas. 16001 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-821-2489. LD daily. LA SALSA MEXICAN & PERUVIAN CUISINE Mexican and Peruvian dishes, beer and margaritas. 3824 John F. Kennedy Blvd. NLR. Full bar, all CC. 501-753-1101. LD daily. LOCAL LIME Tasty gourmet Mex from the folks who brought you Big Orange and ZAZA. 17815 Chenal Parkway. Full bar, all CC. $$-$$$. 501-448-2226. LD daily. LUPITA’S ORIGINAL MEXICAN FOOD Mexican, American food and bar specializing in Margaritas. 7710 Cantrell Road. Full bar, CC. SENOR TEQUILA Typical cheap Mexcian dishes with great service. Good margaritas. 10300 N. Rodney Parham Road. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-224-5505. LD daily. 9847 Maumelle Blvd. NLR. 501-758-4432 4304 Camp Robinson Road. NLR. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-791-3888. LD daily 1101 S. Bowman. (501) 954-7780 2000 S. University Ave. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-660-4413. LD daily. 14524 Cantrell Road. Full bar, all CC. $$. 501-8687642. LD daily. TACOS GUANAJUATO Pork, beef, adobado, chicharron and cabeza tacos and tortas at this mobile truck. 6920 Geyer Springs Road. No alcohol, No CC. $. LD Wed.-Mon. TAQUERIA EL PALENQUE Solid authentic Mexican food. Try the al pastor burrito. 9501 N. Rodney Parham Road. Beer, CC. $-$$. 501-312-0045. Serving BLD Tue.-Sun.

7 P.M. THURSDAY, JANUARY 21

RON ROBINSON THEATER

100 RIVER MARKET

WE’RE SHOWING

tav falco’s “urania decending”

FOLLOWED BY POST-SCREENING Q&A WITH TAV FALCO

DUMAS, CONT. jobs by the millions and actually reduce access to medical care. The opposite happened. Hiring shot upward when the law kicked in in 2013, particularly in Arkansas, which implemented the Medicaid option that some 20 other states bypassed. Sixteen million Americans gained health insurance, itself a giant boon to the economy. The Republican debaters last fall told us that the rash of minimum-wage hikes in many states were going to kill jobs and sink the economy. They didn’t. Arkansas, by the way, raised the minimum wage from $6.25 an hour to $7.50 Jan. 1, 2015, and despite Ben Carson’s factoid that every single minimum-wage increase in history had driven unemployment, the Arkansas jobless rate sank from 5.8 percent to 5 percent over the next nine months. More bad news: It went up to $8 an hour two weeks ago. Obama deserves no more than modest credit for the economy and jobs picture (mainly for not making it worse), but that is what largely drives modern

American politics and this election no less than previous ones the past 45 years. Presidents are credited or blamed, and that is the issue that leverages every campaign. While we’re on the point, let’s compare the jobs records of other recent presidents. Obama’s may reach 15 or 16 million by year’s end but China could send it in the other direction. George W. Bush, 1.3 million jobs in eight years; Clinton, 22.9 million in eight years; George H. W. Bush, 2.7 million in four years, Reagan, 16.1 million in eight years; Carter, 10.3 million in four years; Nixon and Ford, 10.8 million in eight years; Kennedy and Johnson, 15.8 million in eight years. All were beset by or aided by conditions beyond their control, but we give them stars or demerits and score our own confidence or fear depending upon our political preferences. Tune in the debates. You will get a different perspective.

1 FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1959! There are many brands of beef, but only one Angus brand exceeds expectations. The Certified Angus Beef brand is a cut above USDA Prime, Choice and Select. Ten quality standards set the brand apart. It's abundantly flavorful, incredibly tender, naturally juicy. 10320 STAGE COACH RD 501-455-3475

7507 CANTRELL RD 501-614-3477

7525 BASELINE RD 501-562-6629

2203 NORTH REYNOLDS RD, BRYANT 501-847-9777

www.edwardsfoodgiant.com

www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

Written by: Mo Gaffney, Jordan Harrison, Moises Kaufman, Neil LaBute, Wendy MacLeod, Jose Rivers, Paul Rudnick, and Doug Wright Conceived by Brian Shnipper

ARKANSAS TIMES MARKETPLACE

Presents Directed by Duane Jackson

November 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, and 22, 2015 Fridays & Saturdays 7:30pm | Sundays 2:30pm $16 Adults, $12 Students & Seniors For more information contact us at 501.374.3761 or www.weekendtheater.org

SOLIMAR EE LLC

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

STANDING ON CEREMONY: THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.

has 6 F/T Temp Farmworker positions (3/1/16-

Gaffney, Jordan Harrison, Written By by:MoMo Gaffney, Jordan Harrison, 11/30/16). Job in Long Branch, TX. $11.15/ Moisés Kaufman, Neil LaBute, Wendy hr. General ranch work. Planting, growing, Moises Kaufman, Neil LaBute, Wendy MacLeod, MacLeod, José Rivera, Paul Rudnick, harvesting, storing clover/hay. Workers andRudnick, Doug Wright Jose Rivers, Paul and Doug Wright guaranteed to work ¾ of total work days. Free CONCEIVED by BY Brian BRIAN SHNIPPER Conceived Shnipper housing provided for those residing outside January 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30, 2016 DIRECTED BY DUANE JACKSON 7:30 pm Friday and Saturday TICKETS: $16 Adults • $12 Students & Seniors by Duane Jackson ForDirected more information contact us at 501.374.3761 or www.weekendtheater.org November 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, and 22, 2015

normal commuting area. 1x transp./subs. expense to job reimbursed by 50% of work contract. All tools/equip provided. Random drug testing post-hire at employer expense. Ability to lift 40lbs. APPLY AT NEAREST SWA/DEPT. OF LABOR OFFICE (512-475-2571) USING JOB LISTING TX3361643.

Fridays & Saturdays 7:30pm | Sundays 2:30pm $16 Adults, $12 Students & Seniors 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.

1001 W. 7th St., LR, AR 72201 On the corner of 7th and Chester, STANDING ON CEREMONY: THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. across from Vino’s. 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.

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

sip LOCAL ARKANSAS TIMES

Arkansas Times has a position open in Advertising Sales. If you

have sales experience and enjoy a fast-paced work environment, then we would like to talk to you. Arkansas Times is published weekly and our arktimes.com website is one of the largest, most successful news websites in the state. You will be selling both print and digital advertising. The Arkansas Times is a fearless, editorially driven publication that stands up for tolerance, treating people equally and advocating policies that further the education, health and cultural advancement of the people of Arkansas. We have the best music, arts and cultural coverage in the state as well as aggressive news reporting. This means readers are engaged with the Times and our advertisers get results. In addition you will be selling a number of annual and quarterly magazines including Arkansas Food and Farm, the Central Arkansas Visitors Guide, Heights, Hillcrest & Riverdale, Welcome Home, Arkansas Made and Block, Street & Building. This is a high-income potential sales position for a hard working sales executive. We have fun, but we work hard. Add to that, the satisfaction you get knowing that you are making something possible that is important in the cultural and political life of Arkansas. PLEASE SEND YOUR RESUME TO PHYLLIS BRITTON, PHYLLIS@ARKTIMES.COM.

ARKANSAS TIMES 38

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES

LEGAL NOTICE

In the matter of name change for Jazmyne Yvonne Weber Commissioner Michael Barth 125 W Washington ST Courtroom 005 Phoenix, AZ 85003 February 11th, 2016 at 10:00am

ARKANSAS TIMES

MARKETPLACE TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION, CALL LUIS AT 501.375.2985

FULLTIME APARTMENT COMMUNITY MAINTENANCE ASSISTANT

Mon-Fri 8 am 5 pm + on call. Applicant must be dependable and motivated. Send resume to: riverdale@sbcglobal.net Call 501-663-2000 • Apply in person.

FULLTIME APARTMENT COMMUNITY MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR

Mon-Fri 8 am-5pm + on call. Applicant must be dependable and motivated. Send resume to: riverdale@sbcglobal.net Call 501-663-2000 • Apply in person.

ARKANSAS TIMES ADVERTISING SALES

The SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS division of the ARKANSAS TIMES has a position open in Advertising Sales with opportunity for advancement to management. If you have sales experience and enjoy the exciting and crazy world of advertising then we’d like to talk to you. We publish 4 publications: SAVVY, AR WILD, FOOD & FARM and SHELTER as well as corresponding websites and social media. What does all this translate to? A high-income potential for a hard working advertising executive. We have fun, but we work hard. Fast paced and selfmotivated individuals are encouraged to apply. If you have a dynamic energetic personality, we’d like to talk to you. PLEASE SEND YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER TO ELIZABETH AT: ELIZABETHHAMAN@ARKTIMES.COM EOE.

Ride the ARKANSAS TIMES

BLUES BUS

APRIL 16, 2016

TO THE JUKE JOINT FESTIVAL IN CLARKSDALE, MS

IT'S ALL ABOUT

THE DELTA!

Enjoy small stages with authentic blues during the day and at night venture into the surviving juke joints, blues clubs and other indoor stages. Reserve your seat by calling 501.375.2985 or emailing Kelly Lyles at kellylyles@arktimes.com

$125

PRICE INCLUDES: + + + + +

Round-trip bus transportation Live blues performances en route Adult beverages on board Lunch at a Delta favorite Wristband for the nighttime events

BUS TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED BY ARROW COACH LINES BUS LEAVES AT 9 A.M. FROM IN FRONT OF THE PARKING DECK AT 2ND & MAIN STREETS IN DOWNTOWN LITTLE ROCK AND RETURNS LATE NIGHT. The Arkansas Times Blues Bus is a related event and not affiliated with Juke Joint Festival or the non-profit Clarksdale Downtown Development Association. www.arktimes.com

JANUARY 14, 2016

“The legal and moral responsibility of the state to provide for the education of all people is an integral part of the public policy of Arkansas. Education, therefore, is the business of every Arkansan. It is impossible to underestimate the influence of a teacher upon the life of a child. It is impossible to overemphasize the significance of public education to the future of this state and this country” — GOVERNOR DALE BUMPERS SPEAKING AT THE 1972 AEA CONVENTION



DURING DALE BUMPERS’ TIME AS GOVERNOR, HE MADE ARKANSAS’S STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS A PRIORITY BY: • Establishing free public kindergarten • Increasing funding for public schools • Establishing a program of free textbooks for pupils in grades 9-12 • Instituting the largest increase in state aid for teachers’ salaries in state history • Increasing teacher retirement benefits by 20%



The AEA was honored to work with Governor Bumpers as together we worked to make public education for Arkansas’s children a priority. His commitment to improving public education helped transform public education in Arkansas. His legacy and work continues.

1500 W. 4th St. Little Rock 501.375.4611 aeaonline.org 40

JANUARY 14, 2016

ARKANSAS TIMES