Memphis Flyer 6/25/20 by Contemporary Media

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OUR 1635TH ISSUE • 06.25.20

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June 25-July 1, 2020

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CARRIE O’GUIN Advertising Operations Manager/ Distribution Manager JERRY D. SWIFT Advertising Director Emeritus KELLI DEWITT, CHIP GOOGE Senior Account Executives MICHELLE MUSOLF Account Executive JASMINE GARNER Advertising Coordinator DESHAUNE MCGHEE Classified Advertising Manager ROBBIE FRENCH Warehouse and Delivery Manager JANICE GRISSOM ELLISON, KAREN MILAM, DON MYNATT, TAMMY NASH, RANDY ROTZ, LEWIS TAYLOR, WILLIAM WIDEMAN Distribution THE MEMPHIS FLYER is published weekly by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 Phone: (901) 521-9000 Fax: (901) 521-0129 memphisflyer.com CONTEMPORARY MEDIA, INC. ANNA TRAVERSE FOGLE Chief Executive Officer ASHLEY HAEGER Controller JEFFREY GOLDBERG Chief Revenue Officer BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Editorial Director KRISTIN PAWLOWSKI Digital Services Director MOLLY WILLMOTT Special Events Director TABITHA WADKINS Events Coordinator LYNN SPARAGOWSKI Circulation and Accounting Manager KALENA MATTHEWS Marketing Coordinator

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CONTENTS

BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Editor SHARA CLARK Managing Editor JACKSON BAKER Senior Editor TOBY SELLS Associate Editor CHRIS MCCOY Film and TV Editor ALEX GREENE Music Editor JULIA BAKER, MICHAEL DONAHUE MAYA SMITH, JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers JESSE DAVIS Copy Editor, Staff Writer JULIE RAY Calendar Editor JEN CLARKE, LORNA FIELD, RANDY HASPEL, AYLEN MERCADO, RICHARD MURFF, FRANK MURTAUGH, MEGHAN STUTHARD Contributing Columnists AIMEE STIEGEMEYER, SHARON BROWN Grizzlies Reporters ANDREA FENISE Fashion Editor KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher

OUR 1635TH ISSUE 06.25.20 “We handled it really well for many weeks, even through Phase 1. Then it’s almost like a light switch went off and we stopped taking it seriously.” That was Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland earlier this week, talking about the recent rise in local COVID-19 cases during Phase 2. Similarly, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris expressed concern that a move back to Phase 1 could happen if infection rates continued to rise. Harris added that he thought it could be avoided “if everyone will do their part.” That would include abiding by the city’s reinvigorated “Mask Up” program and rigorously maintaining Phase 2 regulations. Memphis and Shelby County aren’t doing badly in the grand scheme of things, but things could get out of hand quickly. We need to wear our masks in public spaces, no exceptions, even in our red suburbs. And it’s worth noting that the average age of those testing positive in Shelby County is skewing younger: A sample of one week in April, May, and June revealed an average age of COVID persons at 58, 43, and 40 respectively, according to information released earlier this week. The examples set by other states and cities that have dealt with this health crisis on a much more devastating scale have made clear that there are no shortcuts to beating this disease. So why do so many Americans still not believe in medical science? Why are so many Americans still ignoring precautions, refusing to wear a mask, refusing to pay attention to social distancing? The answer is pretty obvious. They believe the president of the United States, who has downplayed this health crisis from its inception. He’s said it would just … go away. He refuses to wear a mask or encourage others to do so. He’s said we’re testing more than any country on Earth. (Per capita? Not even close.) In fact, under Trump’s failed “leadership,” the United States is now the world’s epicenter for the disease. His oftstated plan for reducing the infection level is to not to test so many people: “If we didn’t test so much, we wouldn’t have so many cases.” Genius. Does that work with pregnancy tests, as well? What kind of idiot thinks this way? During the greatest global health crisis of our lives, the only real question is whether the American president is evil or stupid. Even worse, leaders of the Republican Party have tied themselves to Trump’s moronic policies, apparently believing that he retains some sort of political magic that may possibly even extend to the curing of a disease? Why else would they still fear him and follow his lead, rather than heed the advice of countless infectious disease experts here and around the globe? Trump’s magical thinking has infected almost the entire Republican Party. Even local Trump sychophant, Congressman David Kustoff, was tweeting gushing praise of the Fearless Leader at Trump’s flaccid Tulsa rally. What do these people use for backbones? Or brains? Blind faith in Trump — or fear of him — is why the rate of COVID-19 infections in the red states of Florida, Alabama, Texas, Arizona, and South Carolina is skyrocketing. The GOP governors of those states have dutifully followed the president’s lead: Masks are for sissies; virus fears are overblown; open the economy as fast as possible. How has this strategy worked? Not so great. In a press conference on Monday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that recent spikes in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations were “unacceptable … and must be corralled.” Yeehaw. Texas is now averaging 3,500 new cases a day, more than double the average from a month ago. Unfortunately, Governor Abbott doesn’t intend to actually do anything other than “encourage” better behavior. He offered no plans to scale back business activities or reduce public gatherings. And, of course, he wasn’t wearing a mask during the press conference. Meanwhile in Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis was saying, “Hold my beer!” Not really. But in the face of rapidly rising hospitalizations, DeSantis did ask that only patients in ICU who were getting “intensive care” be counted as actual COVID patients. He is apparently unclear on the meaning of “IC.” Like Abbott, DeSantis shows no sign of retreating from his “keep the state open for business” position, even though, as in Texas, Florida’s cases are rising to N E WS & O P I N I O N new highs almost every day — and even THE FLY-BY - 4 though Florida is home to millions of NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 5 senior citizens. (Not that being young is POLITICS - 8 much of a protection: In Orlando, 152 COVER STORY cases were just linked to a bar near the “COVID BLUES” campus of Central Florida University.) BY MICHAEL DONAHUE - 10 Hint: That’s gonna hurt business, Ron. FINANCE - 15 WE RECOMMEND - 16 Trump’s magical thinking and his MUSIC - 17 clownish routines about ramp-walking CALENDAR - 18 and water-drinking have become the BOOKS - 23 subject of much well-deserved ridicule. FOOD - 24 But the truth is, none of this is funny BREWS - 25 anymore. FILM - 26 Bruce VanWyngarden C L AS S I F I E D S - 28 brucev@memphisflyer.com LAST WORD - 31

THE

fly-by

MEMernet

June 25-July 1, 2020

Edited by Toby Sells

W E E K T H AT W A S By Flyer staff

A roundup of Memphis on the World Wide Web.

Memphis in May, Immigrants, & Mask Mandate

NCRM SHINES AT N A S C A R ( Y E S , NASCAR)

Fall events canceled, groups seek virus protections, and city council approves mask rule.

Denny Hamlin’s #11 FedEx Camry had a new look when he took to the Talladega track last weekend. The all-black paint scheme carried but one logo on the hood: the National Civil Rights Museum. “I promised to listen and that’s what I’m doing,” Hamlin said in a tweet. “Today you will see my #11 car will not carry the traditional paint scheme that you usually see. @FedEx and myself instead want to give that voice to the @NCRMuseum.” The tweet came along with photos of Hamlin inside the Memphis museum.

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Questions, Answers + Attitude

The move came a week after NASCAR banned Confederate flags from events. The steps forward came with a huge move back as a noose was found in the Talladega garage of Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s first black driver. MASK UP MEMPHIS A new website went live last week in an effort to distribute preventative literature and masks to the “underprivileged.” Mask Up and Live comes largely from the work of Rep. Karen Camper and Senator Raumesh Akbari “to dispel misinformation about wearing masks to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 among African Americans.”

COVID -19 CAN C E LS MEMPHIS IN M AY Memphis in May (MIM) 2020 was canceled last week. Here’s what MIM officials announced: “The difficult decision was made based on information in consultation with local health officials who advised that it would not be reasonable to host festival events as planned in 2020. The health and safety of our patrons and participants is always our top priority. Clockwise from top left: Memphis in May, Latinos are among most vulnerable “We are disappointed that for virus, Memphis City Council Zoom meeting, virus numbers swell we are unable to reset for the fall as planned and that A chart from the Shelby County Health Department last Memphis in May now joins the growing list of outdoor week shows the positivity rate was at its lowest (4.5 percent) festivals and events that have been forced to cancel. the week before Phase II of Back to Business began on “The annual Memphis in May is an important part of the Monday, May 18th. cultural fabric of our city, but this pandemic has impacted That average grew in the four weeks following: 5.6 large-scale public events worldwide and Memphis is no percent, 6.8 percent, 7.8 percent, 9.1 percent. For this, and exception,” said James Holt, MIM president and CEO. other reasons, county officials stalled the plan to further Ticket holders, teams, and registrants will be offered reopen the area’s economy last week. a full refund or can opt to use their tickets or entries for the 2021 festival events. Participants will receive an email C O U N C I L M A S K M A N D AT E early this week with specific information for their ticket or With the number of COVID-19 cases continuing to rise registration and can also visit memphisinmay.org for details. here, the Memphis City Council passed an ordinance last week requiring masks be worn in public spaces within I M M I G R ANT P R OTECTI O N S O U G HT the city. A group of Latino-serving organizations across the state sent The council voted 9-4 in favor of the ordinance, with a letter to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and local governments council members Ford Canale, Frank Colvett Jr., Chase last week asking for protection and resources for the Carlisle, and Worth Morgan voting no. immigrant community amid the coronavirus pandemic. The ordinance applies to public spaces, including While Latinos comprise 5.6 percent of Tennessee’s all essential and non-essential businesses, government population, they represent 35 percent of the COVID-19 buildings, public and private elevators, healthcare facilities, cases here, according to the letter. public transit, and ride sharing vehicles. In Shelby County, 25 percent of those testing positive are According to the ordinance, masks don’t have to be Latino, who comprise 6.5 percent of the county’s population. worn when one is in a private office or car, when eating or Groups based in Memphis that signed the letter include drinking at a restaurant, and during outdoor recreation. the Mid-South Immigration Advocates, Latino Memphis, Children under 12 and adults who have been advised CasaLuz, and Memphis Wesley Foundation. not to wear a face covering for medical reasons are exempt. Violations of the ordinance would result in a warning on the V I R U S R AT E S G R O W I N G first offense and community service on the second offense. The average rate of positive coronavirus cases in Shelby County has grown gradually since the beginning of the Visit the News Blog at memphisflyer.com for fuller versions of second phase of the Back to Business plan that further these stories and more local news. loosened restrictions on gatherings and some businesses.

For Release Monday, August 13, 2018

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Crossword

Crossword ACROSS

Edited by Will Shortz

No.

No. 0710

Classy articles 68 “… or ___!” 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 of neckwear 69 Engine additive 1 Reamer or 14 15 1 37 Wrist exercise since 1954 wrench at a candy 5 Danglers on 70 Far from 17 18 1 factory? luggage extravagant 43 Highest point in 20 21 22 11 Cruise amenity 71 Consider to be an orbit 14 Where icicles 23 24 25 26 27 28 44 Region may hang DOWN 45 Swizzle stick 15 World ___ 29 30 31 32 1 Computer crash (October event) 49 Fame investigator, 33 34 35 36 16 Center of a 51 Chest exercise informally poker table at a vintner’s? 37 38 39 4 2 Where Waikiki 17 Arm exercise at 54 Itching desire Beach is a dairy farm? 43 44 55 Small whirlpool 3 Exceed, as 19 Engine one’s bounds 56 What a relaxed lubricant 45 46 47 48 49 50 soldier is at 4 See 31-Down 20 “Ben-___” 51 52 53 54 58 One of four for 5 “Ah, now that’s 21 Fruit in a a grand slam, in clear” holiday gift box 55 56 57 5 brief 6 Coffee choice 22 Hawaiian coffee 61 Face on a fiver before bed 61 62 63 64 65 region 62 What the 7 Cape Cod 23 Any boat 66 67 68 exercise resort town 25 Shoulder regimen in 17-, FREEIt’s thin on top 69 exercise at a 70 71 25-, 37- and R E N8 of T cutlery store? 51-Across is ASK US HOW Everest 9 Hair goo worth? 29 Clip, as a PUZZLE BY JOHN LAMPKIN coupon 66 Traditional 10 Serpent’s Father’s Day gift warning 32 Jeers 30 Apple eater in 57 The “ 41 Use a Singer Genesis Abbr machine 33 Currier and ___ 67 Wise sayings 11 Parodies 31 With 4-Down, 12 Route map 42 Result of 59 Milita ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE “To Kill a start sunning Mockingbird” 60 Groc 45 Gymwear A B L A R E T W I N K L E 13 “Finally!” writer comp B E A T O N S H A L E O I L 18 Blueprint detail 35 Campfire treat 46 Choice morsel U N F O L D T A L K T O M E 22 Package for a 62 Beav 36 Marlboro 47 Seriously · No Long Term Lease · Apartment Style Living model plane J A M E S W A T T S K I N offering, embroiled 63 Pred M A Y A S A Y S B U S T A 24 Shed door informally · We’re Pet Friendly · Fully Furnished reply 48 King: Sp. feature A M E N S C I S S O R altar 38 Wyatt of Dodge · FREE Utilities & Cable TV 50 Good lookers? 26 River that L I T T L E K N O W· Siegel N F Rewards A C T Program City passes through 64 Pop I T T A L Y N I N P H O 52 Wetlands plant 39 Decline Lake Geneva K E T O G TE HT LHY E RR A T E S W E EE KP LSY I &T M ON 40 Totalitarian 53 Business 65 “And H E G O A T S H E A T 27 1970s TV’s control successes prove “Welcome A P S E S B I O P E R P S Back, ___” S A W N D A N K M E M E S Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,00 28 Like Little I D I O L E C T A S A S E T puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Bo-Peep’s A R M L O C K S J O S I A H sheep 7380 Stage Rd. Bartlett, TN 38133 | www.siegelselect.com 5 Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com M E S S B O Y A S K S T O 29 Brief swim ACROSS

31 Health class subject

1 Grp. from which many people are drafted

32 Actress Kemper of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”

5 Twosome on TMZ

33 Alpine goat

9 Longtime members of the bar?

34 “Guernica” artist

36 It goes from 0 to 14, in chemistry

13 Clumsy sorts 14 ___ Scotia

39 Lab assistant in many a horror film

15 Old print tint

16 Groundskeeper’s supply

42 Periodically tugging on one’s ear, say

19 Narrow passage for ships

43 Hearty breakfast order

20 “Aquí se habla ___”

47 Actors McShane and McKellen

22 “Play it by ear” or “see eye to eye”

48 Follow

26 “Do my eyes deceive me?!”

I N D E E P

I S E E

D E C A F

T R U R O

P O I N T A

A T L A S T

S T E A W N B A S E

I T E M

9 Blissfully serene

10 Expression of opinion from all sides 11 Big name in DVRs 12 It’s rigged

15 March honoree, for short

51 57

PUZZLE BY ALEX EATON-SALNERS

23 Tea choice 24 “Voulez-vous coucher avec ___?” 26 Consider in detail, as options 27 Censured 28 Didn’t stop 29 Kindled anew 30 Prez, e.g.

8 Earned

4 Lay into

7 Preceding day

21 Crafty

6 “Piggy”

15 18

3 In the distance 5 Inculcates

2 Sight at a golf 17 Moves like a course or grocery crab

S P O K O K L I F O O T S T S T T W I E A R R E N O Y E N S E R Y S Q U S E L T D E

56 Concert pianist Rubinstein

A G S I E S R L S

1 Some holiday concoctions

R H S C O M I N O G E R E S S E A I D D L D A G E O D E S H A R P E R

65 Pictures created with needles, informally

31 Pig roast need 35 Throws on the floor?

37 Nonkosher deli offering

38 Nancy Drew, for one 41 What a tree’s rings signify 44 ___ nous

45 Night school subj.

46 Free from a cage 49 Lip or cheek

50 Huey, Dewey and Louie, e.g. 51 Lots of fluff? 53 Ambience

54 “___ that something?!”

55 Eliot of the Untouchables

58 “www” address

59 “This is not the last clue in this puzzle,” e.g.

Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay.

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T I D B I T

L E E S P H E A C S P E A R R E P Y D A M

64 Conveyance used either lying down or sitting up

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O V E R S D E T I V E P E P

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63 Groundskeepers’ supplies

52 Reach

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE T E C H

61 Arizona’s Agua ___ National Monument

DOWN

49 Alarm

25 “Dragnet” force, briefly

60 Military action that includes a blockade

62 Ash containers

40 Birth-related

18 Rome’s ___ Fountain

57 Hit 1980s-’90s sitcom … or what the circled letters in 16-, 26and 43-Across represent?

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S TAT E W AT C H By Maya Smith

Abortion Ban Rebuke One pro-choice leader called the Tennessee vote a ‘truly stunning display of hypocrisy.’

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A recent pro-choice rally at Memphis Civic Center Plaza

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In the early hours of Friday morning, the Tennessee General Assembly passed what pro-choice groups are calling the most restrictive abortion ban in the country. The legislation criminalizes medical professionals who perform abortions after six weeks, while restricting the reasons a women can get an abortion. It also requires women seeking an abortion to have an ultrasound, in which the doctor decribes the image and gives the woman the option to view the image. The bill also prohibits abortion at multiple points throughout pregnancy, so that if the six-week ban is struck down in court, access to abortions will still be taken away at later points in the pregnancy. The bill will become law and take effect immediately after it is signed by Gov. Bill Lee, who has already expressed his support of the bill. Katy Leopard, director of external affairs for CHOICES, said one of the many issues with the bill is that it bans abortion before most women even know they are pregnant. “Thursday night while most of us were asleep, Tennessee’s primarily Republican legislators passed an antichoice bill that bans abortion as early as six weeks — before many people even know they are pregnant,” she said. “The bill contains no exceptions for victims of rape or incest and forces providers to give patients misleading and non-medical information about abortion reversal.” Less than 24 hours after the bill passed, four groups challenged the legislation in court. The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Tennessee, along with the Planned Parenthood Federation of America,

and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed an emergency lawsuit Friday asking the court to block the bill. The lawsuit specifically asked the court to determine that the bill is unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment, which ensures the right to due process, privacy, and liberty. “The courts have long held that politicians cannot interfere in someone else’s personal, private decision to end their pregnancy,” said Thomas H. Castelli, ACLU of Tennessee legal director. “In Tennessee, people of color, people in rural areas, young people, and people with limited incomes already face significant barriers to healthcare, and they are the very groups that will bear the brunt of this legislation. We filed this lawsuit because we cannot allow politicians who want to push abortion completely out of reach to implement yet another law that stands in the way of necessary, constitutionally protected abortion care.” Leopard called the passing of the bill by the General Assembly a “truly stunning display of hypocrisy.” “While they refused to fund $6 million in postnatal care for TennCare recipients, they were willing to spend millions of the state’s dollars to defend clearly unconstitutional abortion bans,” Leopard said. “These decisions are quite the opposite of pro-life. These bills are anti-life, anti-woman, anti-Black lives, anti-poor, anti-children, anti-reason.” Leopard continued, saying Tennesseans do not want elected officials “to control our bodies in this way, especially during a time when they should be working to keep our community safe. Abortion is still legal in Tennessee today, and CHOICES is open and seeing patients.”

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Don’t imagine that what goes on in the back rooms of the state Capitol in Nashville doesn’t directly impact the fate of local governments and livelihoods hundreds of miles away. In some ways, this is obvious: A case in point was when the state Senate’s Republican majority, in the wee hours of last Thursday night, long after they’d sealed the state budget, contrived to bring out a dormant anti-abortion bill and quickly got a climactic floor vote and final bill passage while Democratic resisters were still, as it were, getting their pants on. That bill, HB2263/SB2196, bans abortions upon the first sign of a fetal heartbeat (at roughly six weeks after conception), admits of no exceptions in cases of rape or incest, and punishes abortion providers with up to 15 years in jail and a $10,000 maximum fine. It also mandates a process for canceling out the effect of the so-called “abortion pill.” Democrats contended the bill, a near-identical version of which was halted the previous year by GOP Senate Speaker Randy McNally, was never printed nor formally put on notice, and that they were told in advance that they had only planned to move legislation that was time-sensitive, related to coronavirus, or necessary to pass the budget. Clearly, this was a case in which some sort of procedural sleight-ofhand or subterfuge made possible passage of the bill, which owned a cherished spot on the agenda of Republican Governor Bill Lee. And clearly also the effects of passage will be far-reaching and statewide. But that wasn’t the only case in Nashville last week in which suspicious actions taken outside the public eye had palpable effect elsewhere in the state. There is the curious case of the $200 million infrastructure bill. This was a measure, first enacted in March, that

provided for aid to each of the state’s counties and municipalities, meted out in proportion to their size and population, and restricted to specific infrastructure purposes or projects directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, in the runup to the legislative session’s imminent closure, the Senate put the final touches on its version of the state budget and, to deal with what Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) deemed the “dire circumstances” confronting the state’s local jurisdictions, removed the limiting restrictions on the money’s uses. This meant, among other things, that the share allotted to Shelby County government, some $7.7 million dollars, which had tentatively been attached by the Shelby County Commission to the construction of a new Juvenile Justice Center, could be freed up for other purposes and used to buttress the county’s fund balance or reserve fund to assist the commission, which for months had been locked in an epic struggle to arrive at a balanced budget. And indeed the commission wasted little time availing itself of the serendipity, voting last week to include the $7.7 million sum in its general fund as it headed into the culminating stage of its own budget process, which had already been one of the most grueling in county history. But meanwhile the historically competitive streak in the General Assembly’s two chambers — a rivalry which, in its way, was as intense as combat between the two political parties — had been activated, transforming the landscape. The state House, preparing its own budget, took a different approach to the $200 million infrastructure fund. It, too, called for the lifting of prescriptions, but it altered the sums to be made available to specific localities. In the House version, both Memphis Commissioners Mark Billingsley, Edmund Ford Jr., and Van Turner struggling with budget numbers at a webinar

POLITICS and Shelby County were saddled with hard caps of $5 million, the city losing $9.3 million of its original allotment and the county $2.7 million of its. (It could have been worse: At one point, the Shelby County share was actually slated to be reduced to $2 million.) Ultimately, there would be a conference committee, in which members of each chamber attempted to resolve the discrepancies in the two bodies’ outlook on the matter. A member of that committee was House member Mark Wright, a Republican representing the mixed urban/rural District 83 in southeast Shelby County. During debate on the altered House allotments, Wright had been sanguine about the consequences if the House’s budget figure should stand. “We’ll always take care of Memphis,” he said. “We’re now getting $5 million that wasn’t on the table to begin with. So we’re $5 million ahead.” White said he thought the federal government would end up taking the strings off the COVID-related CARES Act funds it had previously allocated to Memphis and Shelby County, giving city and county an additional source of freed-up money to use, and that it was important meanwhile to use the liberated infrastructure money to take care of the distressed counties of rural Tennessee. During the resultant conference committee negotiations, however, White, no doubt feeling the sting of local response, busied himself trying to regain as much as possible of the Memphis allotment. The eventual conference report would indicate that Memphis’ allotment from the freed-up infrastructure fund

would be upped another $5 million, putting its total at $10 million. But, despite some reports indicating that Shelby County would regain its lost $2.7 million, the county would remain under the original $5 million cap. “I got so busy with Memphis I may have overlooked the county,” White acknowledged. Here’s the history of the Shelby County infrastructure allotment — $7.7 million in March and initially last week, when the Senate took restrictions off the amount; a reduced amount of $5 million under the initial House cap; and a retained $5 million cap after the conference committee report. That could be contrasted with the fate of less heavily populated Knox County (456,185 residents compared to Shelby’s 937,005), whose original allotment in March and by the Senate last week was $4,108,218. Instead of being capped by the House, Knox’s share was actually upped to $5,151,750, in excess of Shelby County’s share, and Knox ended up with that amount in the conference committee report. Meanwhile, the city of Knoxville (pop: 187,500) got $4,167,837. Well, what happened here? One suspects that the Knox County bonanza was not unrelated to the fact that the area is represented in the House by both House Speaker Cameron Sexton and House Speaker Pro Tem Bill Dunn. Shelby County is not so well represented among the potentates. Meanwhile, back at the ranch: Shelby County’s commissioners, who had already endured numerous all-day-into-the-evening budget sessions, would be sweating out a last nine-hour marathon session on the county budget on Monday night. Hours were spent trying to peel away expenses of far less than $2.7 million (the amount lost in the county’s infrastructure allotment) to balance the budget. One of the proposed suggestions was to increase

the shift time of county jailers from eight hours to 12 hours. The commissioners surrendered half the amount of the $2.6 million allocated to them for community enhancement grants. Money was shaved from the county’s parental leave fund. The Juvenile Justice Center and the Med (Regional One) were forced into a Solomonic competition for the same reduced sums. The county’s elected officials all saw reductions in their departmental budgets, some of them down to the bone. The administration of County Mayor Lee Harris saw itself as disproportionately penalized. “We’re robbing Peter to pay Paul,” county CAP Dwan Gilliom observed trenchantly. As the clock ticked from Monday night into Tuesday morning, after hours of reaching for cuts of $50,000 here, $100,000 there, the commissioners finally emerged with a Shelby County budget for fiscal year 2021 of $1,446,275,764. It did so with the use of $9.5 million from the county’s reserve fund, and with numerous divisions of county government perched on the cusp of unsustainability. It should be said that the commissioners did not avail themselves of proposed solutions other than the frenzy of budget-cutting. Harris had earlier offered a budget based on an increase in the county wheel tax. This was rejected, and, as late as Monday night, so was a proposal from Commissioner Reginald Milton that the county tax rate be adjusted from $4.05, a figure he said was based on an arithmetic error, and raised to $4.13. “We’re digging a hole to use the earth to fill up another hole, but we still have a hole,” Milton said. That may or may not be the reality. What is unavoidable is that the missing $2.7 million from the legislature made the digging more grueling than it otherwise might have been.

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Why dream it when you can drive it?

COVID Blues AL KAPONE IS BACK WITH A NEW ALBUM AND A NEW NAME.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF AL KAPONE

June 25-July 1, 2020

COVER STORY BY MICHAEL DONAHUE

During his long career, Kapone has written more than 1,000 songs, including, “Whoop That Trick,” which was in the Oscar-winning soundtrack of the 2005 made-in-Memphis movie, Hustle & Flow, directed by Craig Brewer. He’s using “AK Bailey” as his name on the album. “With the blues project, I’m trying to carve out a different brand.” Kapone, whose real name is “Al Bailey,” is going back to his roots, in a way. Music was his first creative expression, says Kapone, who was born in Memphis. “My grandmama and mama said it came in when I was a kid, before I even remember. When I was 2 years old, I’d say I was doing James Brown moves and singing songs like ‘Shoeshine Boy’ by Eddie Kendricks.”

(above) Al Kapone, Craig Brewer circa $5 Cover; (below) “Lyrical Drive By” days

TO THIS DAY, I NEVER REALLY WANTED TO BE A SOLO ARTIST.

Kapone moved with his mom to Bakersfield, California, when he was in the third grade. That’s where he began writing — but it wasn’t songs: “The elementary school I went to encouraged us to write a story. They said, ‘You can write whatever story you want to write.’ I remember writing this story. Something about being in the

ocean. Something about a fish. It was something crazy, but I got really into the story and it hit me then that I was into characters.” About a year and a half later, Kapone moved back to Memphis, where he joined the newspaper staff at Lauderdale Elementary. “I was into the school newspaper. And I started

learning more about the craft of writing. I was a little reporter and didn’t realize it. I was into story writing, just telling the story. Just a cool story people can read and get caught up in.” Kapone later translated the basics of writing a news story to performing. “When I’m on stage, it’s a story. ’Cause you got the beginning — it has to grab you. Then you got to take the audience into the journey in the middle. And it has to end with the right ending.” He began performing in funk groups when he was in the fourth grade. “We used to have these little dance groups. You’d be out in your front yard. Once you get the routine down, you’d perform it in the neighborhood. People were so happy to see these little kids doing these dance routines.” Later, Kapone was impressed with some provocative dance groups. “They were always men. They’d do all the provocative moves and the women would scream. I’d watch them: ‘Man, I want to do that.’ But I didn’t know how to dance. “By the time I got into hip-hop, it wasn’t just being a rapper or getting on stage with a mic and rapping, walking back and forth and rapping, you’ve got to put on a performance. That’s always been part of my makeup.” Kapone was introduced to hip-hop through the music of LL Cool J and Run-D.M.C. “I knew hip-hop was the right thing for me ’cause I couldn’t sing. I always wanted to perform, but I can’t sing. So hip-hop was like, ‘Oh, shit. I can do this. I can be an artist because it’s not about singing. It’s about telling cool stories and the rhymes. I could tell cool stories and I could perform them. I could do this in rhythm and rhyme.’” And, he says, “I fell in love with the culture. The breakdancing. The deejaying. Graffiti. The way hip-hop people dress. I was into all of that. I was engulfed in the hip-hop culture. If it wasn’t for hip-hop, I’d probably never have been a performer.” He joined the Peewee Emcees when he was in the sixth grade. “We all delivered groceries at Lauderdale Sundry. That was the first time I officially became a rapper.” In junior high, Kapone joined a rap group called Jam Inc. Leno Reyes, a former drummer for Rick James who had moved from New York to Memphis and started a funk group, “kind of took us under his wings.” Reyes gave them a valuable piece of advice: “You go on stage, you are controlling the crowd.” “He said it in a way where I really felt it. It was like he translated power to me when he said it. ‘When you go on the stage, you are the master.’ And continued on page 12

COVER STORY m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

l Kapone wrote “COVID Blues” and “Hustle Up” shortly after the quarantine began a few months ago. But as time progressed, Kapone, 48, wasn’t sure the songs would fit his new album, Hip Hop Blues, which he will release June 24th. “I wrote those while we were really in the thick of it,” Kapone says. “I’d say mid-May. I wrote them based on what was going on from the time it hit to that point. A lot has evolved since then. In a way, those songs are dated. They’re not as current as where we are now.” Both songs — which didn’t make the cut but are slated to be used in upcoming films — are “basically talking about when it literally started taking off. About how one moment we were hearing about it overseas and the next moment, ‘Holy shit! It’s coming to us. It’s here.’ And it happened so fast nobody was really ready.” The message in both songs is, “Through it all, we gotta hustle our way back into society. Fight the pandemic. Get finances together. We’re going through all this. We got to fight back.” But, he says, “After I wrote those two songs I started revisiting some of the blues hip-hop songs I’d already done.” “Blues hip-hop” is a song with “super heavy blues guitar rhythms.” But it can be diverse. It could be “blues hip-hop” or “rock hip-hop,” he says. “I like all styles of music. I tend to create different styles of music through hip-hop.” Among the songs on the new album are “Drunk as a Skunk” — about “getting drunk as hell” — that he wrote with Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi All-Stars. “Rock Me Baby” is a remake of the Melissa Etheridge song. “She had given me the blessing to use it. And with Uriah Mitchell, we reworked it and made sure it had that hip-hop feel.” “Dead and Gone,” a collaboration with Eric Gales, is “basically saying you need to right your wrongs before you’re dead and gone.”

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TOGETHER WE CAN SHAPE OUR FUTURE IN MEMPHIS. COMPLETE THE CENSUS ONLINE, BY PHONE, OR BY MAIL BY JUNE 30TH. Visit 901counts.com or 2020Census.gov Dorian Spears, Momentum Nonprofit Partners — dspears@momentumnonprofit.org

Eric Gales (left) collaborated with Al Kapone on “Dead and Gone.” continued from page 11 it felt so powerful that whenever I went on stage from that point I knew I’m in control. I’m the master. “I don’t need the audience to give me the energy. I give them the energy. I’m going to take the audience on a journey with me. And my goal is to outperform anybody that’s going to perform that day. “I built up my name. I’d go up on stage and perform almost like a rock star. And that resonated with the audience.” He was “one of the first rappers to perform in rock venues” at the age of 16. “Even though I was hip-hop, I had that rock star mentality.” Kapone joined a group called Men of the Hour, which performed with “other up-and-coming rappers,” including DJ Spanish Fly and 8Ball & MJG, at the 21st Century Youth Club. They recorded at OTS Records in Orange Mound. “That’s where Gangsta Pat had blown up. Me and 8Ball would record songs trying to outdo each other. We were developing the Memphis rap sound at that time. That was the genesis of it.” Kapone became a solo artist after Men of the Hour broke up. “That’s where I literally became Al Kapone, and everybody knew who I was ’cause I had this song, ‘Lyrical Drive By,’ which blew up in Memphis and regionally. I was doing shows in Memphis, Mississippi, Arkansas, and experiencing the real fans.” But, he says, “To this day, I never really wanted to be a solo artist.”

That’s when he said, “I need a cool solo rap name.” He was watching the 1932 movie, Scarface, based on mobster Al Capone. “I said, ‘That’s my name.’ It just grabbed my attention. That name is the shit. My name is Al anyway.” Kapone went by Scarface Al until he discovered the Ghetto Boys had a group member named Scarface. So, he became Al Kapone, but he says, “Of course, Al Capone is associated with gangsters, the whole gangster world. At some point I’m still just a songwriter, a guy from the projects and the hood.” Kapone says now that he didn’t want to be pigeonholed into just writing gangsta songs. “I wanted to write different types of songs. Not just stuff that goes on in the streets, in the hood. I’m a writer. I can write about anything. “I used to piss audiences off. My songs had nothing to do with being a gangsta on the street. It was human life struggles. Black struggle shit. “People were like, ‘I want to hear “Drive By,” dammit, and you’re talking about struggling as a black man. What the fuck. I want to hear some shooting and stuff. You’re talking about trying to better yourself.’ That name got in the way.” But, he says, “I could never come up with anything. I was already known at this point.” Kapone had been an independent performer for 14 years and says he had become “stagnant” when Hustle & Flow came along. “When Craig gave me the opportunity to do my music, and once they accepted me and the movie came out and blew up and everybody talked

Al Kapone (left) and Isaac Hayes

WE WERE DEVELOPING THE MEMPHIS RAP SOUND AT THAT TIME.

good to me. Not because I have to.” During the quarantine, Kapone discovered that a video made by Running Pony using his rendition of “Eye of the Tiger” had won the No. 1 intro in the country by National Association of Collegiate Directors of Marketing (NACMA). He recorded it with the University of Memphis’ Mighty Sounds of the South band at Royal Studios. “Uriah Mitchell did vocals with me, and we made it happen.” The win was “a ray of light in a way,” he says. “It gave everybody a sense of pride when they heard about that news. I feel that pride was much-needed, especially in Memphis, going through what we’re going through. It lifted a lot of people’s spirits. Memphis — we’re still out here making noise in spite of everything. Know what I’m saying? We’re David beating Goliath still.” Royal Studios owner Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell says Kapone “always manages to stay current throughout his creative process.” He stays relevant, “pushing himself as an artist and doing something cutting-edge that nobody else has done before.” Stax co-owner/record producer and songwriter Al Bell says Kapone is “very aware of the shoulders on which he stands: the veteran Memphis musicians from Stax Records, Hi Records, and others who helped create ‘The Memphis Sound.’ Those musical roots are very important to him, and I think that’s one of the factors that make his style so entertaining.” And, Bell says, Kapone “has proven that he can move from the underground status younger audiences tend to follow, to more mainstream works that often tend to celebrate Memphis in various ways. He was born in Memphis, lives in Memphis, and loves Memphis. Al is Memphis.” To hear Hip Hop Blues, go to akmemphis.com.

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COVER STORY m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

about the music in the movie, it gave me a whole other level of attention.” Hustle & Flow put Kapone “in a situation to write more songs for other artists. Writing songs for different movies. And labels were calling me for a lot of songwriting and stuff like that, but at some point it became like an assembly line. It’s not fun anymore. It becomes robotic. And I was like, ‘This is not how you write songs.’ You write songs from a feeling of creativity. Not someone throwing you something and saying, ‘Write. Write. Write.’ I kind of shied away from the music business for a while ’cause I wasn’t feeling like that.” But, he says, “When I stopped being a part of the music business, I started listening to music as a fan again. The same way I did when I was in elementary school when I became a fan.” Kapone knew he wasn’t going to quit show business. That “reassured me to not leave it. ’Cause I felt the good feeling I felt from being creative again. “I’m blessed with a level of creativity and blessed with being able to express it. And blessed to put it out when it feels

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Charting your path to financial freedom requires a plan.

inancial planning tends to focus on retirement planning — that holy grail where we ride off into the sunset (literally, to some beach chairs) and never work again while living comfortably off of retirement plan savings and income. Retirement planning is a nice ideal and important, but there can be much more to financial planning than preparing for our last 25 to 30 years. A broader financial planning discipline may have more appeal to you — financial independence. It’s fairly self-explanatory: The concept is to reach a point where your financial assets can support your living expenses, so you no longer need to work or depend on earned income. Essentially, your time is your own. Shifting from retirement planning to financial independence helps move the financial concept from a daunting, long-term goal to a process with benefits along the way. It also addresses those blessed people who love their businesses or jobs. In those situations, a full-stop retirement date may not have an appeal, but they still want the freedom to work when, where, and how they prefer — in other words, independence. What steps can you take to start the road to financial independence? Let’s start with the foundational equations of finance. For annual income, savings equals income minus expenses, and for financial position, net worth equals assets minus debt. In the annual income equation, expenses and savings deserve equal attention. The rule of thumb is that you can safely withdraw 4 percent of your investment assets each year, make increases for inflation, and still have assets remaining after 30 years. By inverting the 4 percent withdrawal rule, you should target accumulating 25 times your annual living expenses (e.g. $60,000 annual spending x 25 = $1,500,000 target investment assets). It is important to dial in your spending number to provide an accurate, realistic target. I advise my clients, regardless of income level, to establish some sort of budget plan. Knowing expenses allows the opportunity for review and adjustment.

There are articles that extol the benefits of cutting out Starbucks coffees, but the real focus should be paid to the big three — home, vehicles, and food. Making conscious decisions like staying below the housing cost guideline (housing costs less than 28 percent of income) and making reasonable vehicle purchases help keep expenses at a moderate level and allow for increased savings. Another important factor is avoiding lifestyle creep, in which expenses instead of savings grow with income. The traditional retirement savings target is 10 percent to 15 percent of annual income. That savings rate over a career should ensure that you can retire and maintain a similar lifestyle in retirement. A 15 percent savings level should be the baseline, with increases shortening your time to financial independence. There are people who take it to another level, such as the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement that aims for a 40 percent to 50 percent savings rate. Prioritizing savings to that level may not be practical or feasible, but anything over 15 percent will accelerate your timeline and immediately impact your financial position. There is a hierarchy of savings that helps maximize efficiency while taking advantage of the tax code. After reserving an emergency cash fund (three months to six months worth of living expenses), prioritize savings to 401(k) or 403(b) plans that offer a matching contribution. Next, target any higher-interest loans (anything above 6 percent). Then, contribute to health savings accounts and Roth IRAs if you are eligible. Last, save to brokerage accounts up to your targeted savings rate. Saving is simple. Sometimes all you need is the right advisor in your corner to assist with an individualized plan that you can follow. With these tips and a little guidance, reaching financial independence is possible, regardless of your age and salary. Plan now and enjoy your freedom later. Tim Ellis, CPA/PFS, CFP, is senior investment strategist and wealth strategist for Waddell & Associates. He can be reached at tim@ waddellandassociates.com.

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NEWS & OPINION

F I N A N C I A L F E AT U R E B y T i m E l l i s

steppin’ out (& stayin’ in)

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

We Saw You. with

MICHAEL DONAHUE

memphisflyer.com/blogs/WeSawYou

By Julia Baker

Although friends and families can’t celebrate Independence Day exactly the same way they may have in the past, that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy a socially distanced outing by the river. Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRRP) and Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC) present the first Quintessential Summer Celebration, featuring five days of independent celebrations for families to enjoy the full suite of amenities that Downtown Memphis has to offer. “Usually the Memphis River Parks Partnership and Downtown Memphis Commission put on a Downtown Fourth of July celebration,” says Helen Hope, program associate with MRPP. “But this year, obviously, we can’t have 3,000 people all in one space in one day. So the idea we came up with is a socially distanced event with socially distanced activities, things for people to do to still celebrate. It will look a little bit different, but I think it could also be pretty fun.” Attendees can pick up special lunch and dinner deals from Kayaking on the Mississippi Downtown restaurants and head over to Tom Lee Park, where there will be socially distanced areas for families and groups to picnic by the river. Groups will also be able to take advantage of recreational activities like kayak and stand-up paddle board rentals, Explore Bike Share rentals, and more. “This is an opportunity for people to see a different Downtown and a different riverfront,” says Penelope Huston, vice president of marketing and communications for DMC. “And we’re really excited about marrying this standard Downtown experience with all these new green tourism aspects of Downtown. You can be at the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum in the morning and be on the river in a kayak in the afternoon.” QUINTESSENTIAL SUMMER CELEBRATION, WEDNESDAY, JULY 1ST-SUNDAY, JULY 5TH, 9 A.M.-9 P.M., FREE.

June 25-July 1, 2020

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES June 25th - July 1st

Blockprinting via Zoom with Kait Harris Powered by Arrow Creative arrowcreative.org/communityeducation, Thursday, June 25th, 6-8 p.m., $35 Kait Harris guides attendees through creating their own block prints, covering designing, image transfer, carving, inking, and printing by hand. Class members can use these skills for creating their own stationery, greeting cards, T-shirts, and more. EXILE with AndyRedrum exiledjs.com, Friday, June 26th, 8 p.m.-1 a.m., free Before COVID-19, DJ Justin Hand presented monthly events at CANVAS. Now, EDM fans can check out EXILE Quarantine Editions online. This week, Hand and DJ Mike McConnell will bring on special guest AndyRedrum.

Wild Bill’s Stay Safe at Home Live Stream facebook.com/WildBillsMemphis, Friday, June 26th-Saturday, June 27th, 8:30-11 p.m., free, donations payable to @wildbillsmemphis on CashApp Until we are able to visit Wild Bill’s Juke Joint again, the museum and bar is bringing the live music experience to you. During weekly live streams, catch local bands The Juke Joint AllStars and The Sensation Band playing rock-androll, soul, and Motown covers. Virtual Beale Street Artcrawl dearmusicnonprofit.org/bsac-virtualartcrawl, Saturday, June 27th, all day, free The community event has moved online. Shoppers can view listings of participating artists from Memphis, Nashville, and surrounding areas.

Our Yoga Downtown (Virtual Edition) instagram.com/downtownmemphis, Tuesday, June 30th, 6 p.m., free In its fourth year of Our Yoga Downtown, Downtown Memphis has taken its free weekly classes, typically hosted at River Garden, online for enthusiasts of all levels to enjoy. Join instructor Charlie Baxter Hayden as she guides participants through various asanas. Where Do We Go From Here: To the Polls facebook.com/Keepersof306, Tuesday, June 30th, 6:30-8 p.m., free Keepers of 306, an action initiative of the National Civil Rights Museum, lead a live-streamed event featuring local and national leaders discussing the value of voting as an achievable call to action for every Memphian and American.

MEMPHIS RIVER PARKS PARTNERSHIP

Fourth Fun

M U S I C F E AT U R E B y A l e x G r e e n e

Brother Robert New memoir reveals Robert Johnson as his family knew him. patent leather shoes,” Anderson recalls of that Memphis night in 1938, and you can almost smell the barbecue. A short while later, a telegram informed them Johnson had been killed. If it all reads as if Anderson is sitting next to you, telling her stories, that’s because she is. In 2018, her 92nd year, having made an educational career for herself in Boston, she felt it was time to correct the myths. Well aware of Johnson’s musical legacy, and how others had either robbed her family of royalties or rendered them invisible through all the myth-making, she reached out to author Preston Lauterbach, known for his vivid histories of Beale Street, whose interview transcriptions beautifully capture her wit and eye for detail. An interview between Anderson, Lauterbach, and

authors Elijah Wald and Peter Guralnick sheds further light on the story. The result is a breathtaking look into the provenance of one of the 20th century’s great musical minds, the social warp and woof of Black Memphis in the 1920s and ’30s, and, in spite of racial violence that continues to this day, the persistence of family and the power of music.

m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

family at play that the book provides a quick guide to their various connections. Charles Dodds, who added the name Spencer when escaping a near-lynching in Mississippi, is always at the center, having reinvented himself in the Bluff City, raising crops on vacant lots and caring for all manner of family and friends. Through it all wanders Robert Johnson, the affable young man to whom Sister Carrie happened to give a guitar. He holds it in the book’s newly revealed photograph, and Anderson shares many vivid memories of Johnson playing it for the rest of his short life, from practicing on the porch to holding court at house parties, dancing while he played. Indeed, such was young Annye’s last memory of Brother Robert, as the family gathered at Sister Carrie’s to hear Joe Louis fight Max Schmeling on the radio. “You should have seen him in his white sharkskin suit, Panama hat, and

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“I

still think of how it felt to hug him,” Annye Anderson says of her stepbrother. “Walking with him to Third Street, Highway 61, where he’d hitch a ride across the Harahan Bridge, going over the Mississippi River. … He put his skinny arms around me. His clothes felt starched and pressed. His face felt smooth. He smelled like cigarettes and Dixie Peach.” It could well have been yesterday, just another family farewell in Memphis. But hitching a ride on Highway 61 takes on a new meaning when you know she’s speaking of blues legend Robert Johnson. Johnson’s story has been so shrouded in myth that most only imagine him hopping freights or wandering the Mississippi backroads at midnight. Some even imagine Satan waiting at the crossroads, selling guitar lessons for the price of a soul. That’s why Anderson’s new book, Brother Robert: Growing Up With Robert Johnson (Hachette Books), is so significant. While Johnson’s fans are legion, few of us imagine him living in Memphis with a loving, supportive family for much of his life, or that he was such a fanboy himself — of Gene Autry. Now, the myth of Johnson’s life melts away like a mirage, as we learn the pithy details of life on Georgia Avenue, in the bustling home overseen by Johnson’s stepfather, Charles Dodds Spencer, and his third wife, Mollie. From the time he was seven, Johnson lived with Spencer in Memphis. Though he was 18 when the Georgia Avenue home was acquired, and he was already prone to the peripatetic life of a musician, he continued to gravitate to his stepfather’s home, or the homes of other family members in the neighborhood. The young Annye saw a lot of him. We see this milieu through the eyes of a child, starting with the lanky Brother Robert carrying stepsister Annye, or Baby Sis, up the stairs into their new home. “We weren’t blood,” Anderson notes. “We were family.” And her extended family, living in Mississippi or in a few square miles of Memphis, may be the true subject of this book. It’s a tribute to the tightly knit bonds of kinship and resourcefulness that the African-American community relied on to thrive, and there are so many interwoven threads of

CALENDAR of EVENTS:

June 25 - July 1

Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com or P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101. DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY.

Beale Street Virtual Art Crawl, Saturday, June 27th, 1-7 p.m.

Beale Street Virtual Art Crawl

(878-0652), DEARMUSICNONPROFIT.ORG.

Call to Artists: “Art United – Together We Stand”

(212-226-4151), NYARTCOMPETITIONS.COM.

Call to Artists for “Unresponsive”

Hattiloo Theatre

God’s Trombone, enjoy the original production of inspirational sermons by African-American preachers reimagined as poetry, reverberating with the musicality and splendid eloquence of spirituals. Virtual. Ongoing. Sarafina!, past production about human rights in the 21st century, written by Mbongeni Ngema. Ongoing. Iola’s Southern Fields, online past performance drawn from the writings of Ida B. Wells. Free. Ongoing. 37 S. COOPER (502-3486).

Kudzu Playhouse

Kudzu Playhouse Virtual, join Kudzu social media for donation-based classes, games, scholarship opportunities, and more. Download the app for more fun theater activities and information. Ongoing.

203 S. MAIN (525-3000).

Playhouse on the Square

Playhouse on the Square at Home, a series of digital content through POTS website and social media platforms. View past performances, engage in quizzes, enjoy digital playwriting, and more. Free. Ongoing. 66 S. COOPER (726-4656).

Tennessee Shakespeare Company

Decameron Project, a live streaming effort from the Tabor Stage in which artists will bring live readings, inspirational poetry, famous speeches by Shakespeare, fun

stories, and more. Inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio, who escaped the plague in the 14th century and wrote 100 stories while in seclusion. tnshakespeare.org. Free. Ongoing, 10:15 a.m. 7950 TRINITY (759-0604).

Theatre Memphis

Online on Stage, a Theatre Memphis Facebook group that serves as a clearinghouse for performers wanting to share their talents. Featuring storytime, readings, or performance art. Ongoing. 630 PERKINS EXT. (682-8323).

can register on website or call. Through July 31. MEMPHIS HERITAGE, 2282 MADISON (272-2727).

3rd Space Online

Visit Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn for exciting activities and relief efforts from the local creative community. Ongoing. 3RDSPACEARTS.ORG.

Arrow Creative Online Store

All sales benefit local creatives. Shop locally made jewelry, candles, greeting cards, soaps, and more. Ongoing. ARROW CREATIVE, 2535 BROAD, ARROWCREATIVE.ORG.

OT H E R A R T HAPPE N I NGS

2020 Virtual Door Dash The annual kickoff for Adapt-A-Door fundraiser in November. Peruse pictures of available doors or other items to make into furniture, art, or other adaptive reuse. Artists

Seeking work in solidarity with the Black community of Memphis. Submit new works of visual art, music, spoken word, and writing to be included in a large-scale, open-call exhibition and performance event when Crosstown Arts reopens to the public. Through July 31. CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE, 1350 CONCOURSE, STE. 280 (507-8030).

Artists from across the globe are invited to enter a free art competition sponsored by Agora Gallery in New York. Selected artists will receive prizes and opportunities. Free. Through July 31.

Arrow Creative: Positively Creative Quarantined Convos

NYARTCOMPETITIONS.COM.

ARROW CREATIVE, 2535 BROAD.

DAVID LUSK GALLERY, 97 TILLMAN (767-3800).

Inspiring conversations live on Instagram with creatives. Free. Tuesdays, Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. & 8 p.m.

Metal Museum Online

Peruse the art and craft of fine metalwork digitally. Featuring past gallery talks from previous exhibitions, interviews with artists, and demonstrations including “Beauty in the Boundary,” the museum’s exhibition of gates and railings. Free. Ongoing. METAL MUSEUM, 374 METAL MUSEUM DR. (774-6380).

Call to Artists: “Nasty Women Memphis: War Paint”

Seeking work for the Memphis exhibit in Fall 2020 at Crosstown Arts in the Concourse benefiting Planned Parenthood. Visit the website for more information and submission. Through July 31.

David Lusk Gallery Daily Special

A new piece of art from a gallery artist pops each day at 12:01 a.m. Check daily for new art offerings. Ongoing.

Open on Main: My Memphis View Art & Gallery

Visit artist Mary-Ellen Kelly online for “My Memphis View” products including books, prints, T-shirts, drink coasters, and posters. Featuring virtual gallery tour. Ongoing. MY MEMPHIS VIEW ART & GALLERY, 5 S. MAIN, MARYELLENKELLYDESIGN.COM.

continued on page 20

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Order your book today benefiting local artists and journalism. $35. Ongoing.

CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE, 1350 CONCOURSE, STE. 280 (270-8409), NASTYWOMENMEMPHIS.COM.

Call to Artists: “Inspiration from Isolation”

June 25-July 1, 2020

P.O. BOX 47 (888-429-7871).

Orpheum Virtual Engagement, join Orpheum staff, artists, and students for activities, interviews, and more on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Visit website for more information. Ongoing.

Memphis Flyer Coloring Book

MEMPHISMAGAZINESTORE.COM.

In loving memory of Agora Gallery former Executive Director Eleni Cocordas, who passed away due to complications from COVID-19. $15. Through June 30.

The Orpheum

Download art by gallery artists to print out and color. Post on social media and tag the artists and gallery. Brighten your day and stay connected through art. Free. Ongoing. L ROSS GALLERY, 5040 SANDERLIN (767-2200), LROSSGALLERY.COM.

Supports local and traveling visual artists, entrepreneurs. Free. Sat., June 27, 1-7 p.m.

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is for takeout and free delivery within a 4-mile radius!

“PT” offers a small menu of authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas and salads. Tuesdays-Fridays: noon-7:30 pm | Saturdays: 11:30 am-8 pm See menu and order online: pizzeriatrasimeno.com

CROSSTOWN ARTS

CROSSTOWN ARTS N E W S L E T T E R

Tonya Dyson is the real deal in the revival movement and the new soul underground. She seamlessly blends gospel, jazz, and R&B, instantly rebooting Memphis’ soul legacy.

at crosstownarts.org to stay updated on future video premieres, as well as artist Q&As, virtual events, and more!

CROSSTOWNCONCOURSE.COM/EVENTS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The video will also be available at crosstownarts.org after the premiere.

m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

On FRIDAY, JUNE 26 at 6:30 pm, join us on the C R O S S T O W N A R T S Facebook page for the full concert video premiere of Tonya Dyson performing at The Green Room at Crosstown Arts.

C A L E N D A R : J U N E 2 5 - J U LY 1

continued from page 18 Pinot’s Palette Virtual Paint

June 25-July 1, 2020

NOMINATE YOUR LOCAL FAVORITES

It’s now more important than ever to support your favorite people, places, and products. Show them some love by nominating them in our 2020 Best of Memphis poll. Top 8 nominated in each category will make the final ballot!

Nominations open June 29 on memphisflyer.com

Register online for Zoom invite and an emailed supply list. Don’t forget the wine. Visit website for dates and times, $15. Ongoing. PINOTSPALLETE.COM.

Soul Practice Chops Series

Practice online with music director Paul McKinney. Sessions include tutorial videos and sheet music that any student can use to practice. Free. Ongoing. STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC, 926 E. MCLEMORE (9462535), STAXMUSICACADEMY.ORG.

Watercolor Florals 101

Shelby Brown has made a PDF of steps, techniques, and a 25-minute video tutorial to teach you how to make watercolor florals. $10-$50. Ongoing. ARROW CREATIVE, 2535 BROAD.

Woman’s Exchange Virtual Art Gallery

Annual fundraiser featuring original work in mixed media, glass, sculpture, jewelry, woodturning, and more. View on website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or make an appointment. Through Aug. 21. WOMAN’S EXCHANGE ART GALLERY, 88 RACINE (327-5681), WEOFMEMPHIS.ORG.

OPERA

“Opera Speed-Runs” Series by Jake Stamatis

Tales of Hoffman on YouTube by Handorf Company artist. Free. Ongoing. OPERA MEMPHIS, 6745 WOLF RIVER (257-3100).

Sing2Me

Mobile operas will come to your neighborhood or place of work to perform a themed concert for you and your neighbors or co-workers. Visit website for details. Ongoing. OPERA MEMPHIS, 6745 WOLF RIVER (257-3100).

Woman’s Exchange, Virtual Art Gallery, weofmemphis.org, through August 21st Wednesday Opera Time

Join Opera Memphis every Wednesday on Facebook for an assortment of live events including “Opera for Animals,” Bingo Opera, and more. Free. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. OPERA MEMPHIS, 6745 WOLF RIVER (257-3100).

DAN C E

Let’s Dance

Summer dance classes featuring tap, jazz, and musical theater dance. Dance experience is recommended. $25$200. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, 7 p.m. Through July 9. DESOTO FAMILY THEATRE, 5205 AIRWAYS (662-280-6546).

Neko Mew’s Belly Dance Classes

Need to stay active while social distancing? Local artist and belly dancer Jen Russell offers weekly video tutorials via Facebook Live. Donations accepted, payable through Venmo. Available via Facebook group Neko Mew’s Belly Dance Classes. Viewers can also receive individualized instruction by donating $5 for the first video lesson and $10 for each subsequent video. Wednesdays.

Social Dis-Dancing

Local dance instructor Louisa Koeppel aims to keep people up and moving with her Facebook group where members are encouraged to share videos of made-up dance phrases, routines they’ve known (like the Macarena), or imitations of dance moves seen in viral videos. Free. Ongoing.

University of Memphis Theatre & Dance: Free Livestream Classes Visit the Facebook page for live streaming with student instructors. Free. Ongoing.

UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS, UNIVERSITY CENTER THEATER, 499 UNIVERSITY, MEMPHIS.EDU.

C O M E DY

Virtual & Online

“What You Doin, Nothin?,” comedy and parody series created by the artists of Unapologetic, a Memphis based record label and creative company. Visit YouTube for first two episodes and details for more. Ongoing. WEAREUNAPOLOGETIC.COM.

B O O KS I G N I N G S

Booksigning by Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue

Authors will discuss and sign What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Us the Secrets to a Happy Life. Ticketed virtual event moderated by Action News 5’s Joe Birch. $33. Thurs., June 25, 6 p.m. NOVEL, 387 PERKINS EXT. (922-5526).

LECT U R E /S P EA K E R

“Migration in 2020”

Allison Wannamaker, a local immigration attorney, will discuss some of the unique issues and challenges of migration in 2020. To access the Zoom link, RSVP to the event at meetup.com. Free. Sun., June 28, 1:30-3 p.m. MEMPHISFREETHOUGHT.COM.

Zoo Dude

Hosted by Chief Zoological Officer Matt Thompson, Memphis Zoo updates. Free. Wednesdays, Sundays, 8 a.m., and Saturdays, noon. MEMPHIS ZOO, 2000 PRENTISS PLACE IN OVERTON PARK (333-6500), MEMPHISZOO.ORG.

C A L E N D A R : J U N E 2 5 - J U LY 1

Alison's Alcove

Voted Best Antique Store in Millington! Readers’ Choice

2020 202 0

New Location on Hwy 51 Now Open!

Over 50,000ft2!

Antiques, Collectibles, Furniture, Home Décor, Fresh & Silk Flowers, Jewelry, Ladies Fashion, Specialty Soaps, Greeting Cards, Candles, Homemade Decorated Cookies, Jelly, Jam, Honey,

& More!

Presented by 100+ Vendors!! Ask About Our Painting & Craft Classes!

Explore the newly updated Sculpture Garden and accompanying audio tour while adhering to safe social distancing. Pay what you can. Ongoing, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. METAL MUSEUM, 374 METAL MUSEUM DR. (774-6380).

“My Elmwood”

Visit Elmwood’s social media for talks and tours by Elmwood staff, board members, and enthusiasts. Subjects range from nature found at Elmwood to historical events and people. Through Aug. 31. ELMWOOD CEMETERY, 824 S. DUDLEY (774-3212).

Tours for Very Small Groups

Elmwood Cemetery’s staff is ready to take you and your very small group on a tour around the grounds in groups of nine. Masks required. $5. Ongoing, 10 a.m. ELMWOOD CEMETERY, 824 S. DUDLEY (774-3212).

Urban Adventure Quest Virtual Games

Series of small games that will take you on a virtual tour of a state from the safety of your home. Free. Ongoing. URBANADVENTUREQUEST.COM.

E X POS/ SALES

Online Spring Plant Sale

Order your plants from the nursery online and pick up curbside. Visit website for available plants and more information. Ongoing. MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN, 750 CHERRY (636-4100).

S P O RTS / F IT N ES S

Ballet Memphis Online Pilates and Ballet Classes

Visit website for more information. Classes offered include Espresso Flow, Stretch & Burn, Fascial Fun, Intermediate/Advanced Bal-

let, Intermediate Mat Flow, and Get Moving. $10. Ongoing, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Memphis Innovation Corridor Project Virtual Public Meeting

Featuring the progress made since November 2019, including station locations, architecture concepts, bus lanes, safety features, and an overview of what to expect next. Through June 30.

BALLET MEMPHIS, 2144 MADISON (737-7322).

MEMPHISINNOVATIONCORRIDOR. COM.

Kroc Center Online Fitness Classes

Read in Peace Book Club: Zoom Edition

THE SALVATION ARMY KROC CENTER, 800 E. PARKWAY S. (729-8007).

ELMWOOD CEMETERY, 824 S. DUDLEY (774-3212).

Classes will be offered free and online. From mediation and yoga to Bootcamp and kickboxing, find the right class for you. Free. Ongoing.

Virtual Training & Group Fitness

YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South offers workouts for anyone to try at home. Workouts include yoga, barre, bootcamp, exercises for active older adults, and Les Mills training. Visit website to join. Free. Ongoing. YMCAMEMPHIS.ORG.

Wheelie Awesome Bike Challenge

Any logged trip by bike will be eligible to win weekly $50 coupon raffles toward Medical District restaurants and businesses. Each person who posts a selfie at one of the Medical District improved streets will win $15 credit at Mo’s Bows. Through July 3. MEMPHIS MEDICAL DISTRICT COLLABORATIVE, 656 MADISON (5524781), MDCOLLABORATIVE.ORG.

M E ETI NGS

Churches from the Presbytery of the MidSouth: Sunday Worship Livestream Combined livestream worship. Visit website for more information and livestream link. Sun., 11 a.m. IDLEWILDCHURCH.ORG.

Large Meeting/Party Room Available - Free to Community Organizations Girls’ Day Out | Birthday | Employee Appreciation Party Packages Available Visit our Man Cave, Disney Booth, Projects Booth, & Other Specialty Booths Free In dep sungla sses to endence Da y first 15 0 cust on July omers 4th!

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Sun: 1-5 | Mon, Tues, Thurs: 11-6 | Fri-Sat: 10-7 | Closed Wed 8323 Hwy 51N • Millington, TN 38053 901 - 317 - 9137

Online meeting to discuss monthly book. Register for meeting invite. Proceeds benefit Elmwood Cemetery. $5. Ongoing, 5:30 p.m.

Virtual-T

Proven Formula for all Mid-South Lawns

Weekly Zoom gathering for anyone 18+ who identifies as a member of the trans or GNC community. For login information, email ahauptman@outmemphis.org. Tuesdays, 6 p.m.

Long-lasting 20 lbs. bag $29.98 covers 5000 SqFt Feed your entire yard with ferti•lome complete plant foods

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S P E C IA L E V E N TS

Bartlett Business Opening Updates

Visit the Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce for updates on businesses opening and access. Through June 30. BARTLETT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, 2969 ELMORE PARK (372-9457), BARTLETTCHAMBER.ORG.

Black Owned Pop-Up Experience: Flowerbox A timed, ticketed experience that’s an ode to the best things about spring, created by a collaboration of local artists. Thurs., June 25.

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Breakout Games’ Dispatch

Enjoy treasure hunts, secret agent assignments, murder mysteries, and more. Breakout Games has four different box sets that can be ordered online to bring the escape

continued on page 22

Nominate us for Best Garden Center

2 Locations: 4763 Poplar at Colonial • 767-6743 | 12061 Hwy 64 • 867-2283 DanWestOnline.com

m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

Metal Museum Audio Tour

Metal Museum Audio Tour, Metal Museum Sculpture Garden, ongoing, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TO U R S

C A L E N D A R : J U N E 2 5 - J U LY 1

continued from page 21 room to your living room. $45-$130. Ongoing. DISPATCH.BREAKOUTGAMES.COM.

Explore Memphis Reading Challenge

Summer reading program. Read 20 minutes a day and track your reading online for For all ages, but does require an adult to sign up those under 13. Free. Through Aug. 1. BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY, 3030 POPLAR (415-2700), MEMPHISLIBRARY.ORG.

Grind City Designs and Dixie Picker T-Shirt Benefit

IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH PERSONALIZED CARE

Local businesses have put together vintage finds and fresh designs for T-shirts. Each shirt sale provides 24 meals provided through MidSouth Food Bank. $25-$29. Ongoing.

• • • •

IdaMae Family Foundation Donation to COVID-19 Nurses

GRINDCITYDESIGNS.COM.

Wellness & preventative care Surgery & dental cleanings Grooming & boarding Vaccines, parasite prevention & microchipping

Custom gift bags filled with necessities for the University of Memphis Hospital COVID-19 and Emergency Room nurses will be given in appreciation. Thurs., June 25, 10-10:45 a.m.

Mention this ad and get 15% off your first grooming appointment

June 25-July 1, 2020

733 E. Pkwy S. 272-7411 memphisanimalclinic.com

Letters of Love for Senior Citizens

Send positive messages to seniors in quarantine. Mail letters to 4674 Merchants Park Circle, # 432, Collierville, TN, 38017, or drop them into the property’s onsite mailbox located near Barnes & Noble, 4610 Merchants Park Circle, # 521, Collierville, TN 38017. Ongoing. CARRIAGE CROSSING, HOUSTON LEVEE & BILL MORRIS PKWY.

Live at the Garden Online Auction

901-361-1403 www.edharrisjewelry.com 22

METHODIST UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, 1265 UNION (773-484-0663).

While the Live at the Garden 20th anniversary season is canceled, special items will be auctioned throughout the season including a Ron Olson original painting. Visit website to participate. Ongoing. LIVEATTHEGARDEN.COM.

Virtual 1 Million Miles for Justice Civil Rights Race, civilrightsmuseum.org, through July 15th Outdoor Scavenger Hunts

Choose an outdoor familyfriendly scavenger hunt. A portion of the proceeds benefit HopeKids. $13-$40. Ongoing. VARIOUS LOCATIONS, SEE WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION, LETSROAM.COM.

Pink Palace Online

Visit website for fun, at-home Museum offerings including The Sun, Our Living Star planetarium show, America’s Musical Journey movie, Curator’s Choice highlighting Museum pieces, activities, and more. Free. Ongoing. MEMPHIS PINK PALACE MUSEUM, 3050 CENTRAL (636-2362).

River Garden Guides

Download River Garden Field and Bird Guides and explore Mississippi River Park. Ongoing. MISSISSIPPI RIVER PARK, OFF RIVERSIDE DRIVE, MEMPHISRIVERPARKS.ORG.

St. Jude Courses and Cocktails

Enjoy upscale Southern fare, live music and golf-themed games. Guests may bid on exclusive auction items. $125. Sat., June 27. ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL, 262 DANNY THOMAS PLACE (495-3300), STJUDE.ORG.

Tennessee R.E.A.D.S.

Use your library card to check out ebooks and audiobooks. Includes Big Library Read connecting readers around the world with the same book at the same time. Ongoing. READS.OVERDRIVE.COM.

United Way of the MidSouth: Driving The Dream

For those impacted by COVID-19. Puts callers in contact with essential services, without individuals having to repeat the circumstances for the call. Follow-up ensures those connections were made. Mondays-Fridays, 8:30

a.m.-5 p.m. (888-709-0630), CALL.DRIVINGTHEDREAM.ORG.

Virtual 1 Million Miles for Justice Civil Rights Race

FO O D & D R I N K EVE NTS

Make It a Malco Night: Freshly-Popped Popcorn

Call between 11 a.m.-9 p.m., choose your pickup location from most Malco theaters, or have delivered from Grub Hub. Same-day orders filled before 6 p.m. Visit Facebook for more information. Ongoing. (350-5975), MALCO.COM.

Muddy’s Fun House: Super Fantastic at Home Bake-a-long and Variety Show Visit blog for a new episode each week hosted by Kat. Thursdays. MUDDY’S COFFEE & BAKE SHOP, 585 S. COOPER (683-8844), MUDDYSBAKESHOP.COM.

F I LM

Indie Memphis Movie Club

Weekly virtual screening opportunities, plus online Q&As on Tuesday evenings between programmers and special guests. Visit website for more information and schedule. Ongoing. INDIEMEMPHIS.ORG.

Oxford Virtual Film Festival

Presentation includes 24hour rental period and filmmaker Q&A. New releases until the end of the year. $10, $40-$175 virtual passes. Ongoing. OXFORDFILMFEST.COM.

Quarantine Cat Film Fest

Watch feature-length feline films at home benefiting local independent theaters. $12 weekend pass. Through July 3. ROWHOUSE.ONLINE.

BOOKS By Jesse Davis

Heart of Gold

S. A. Chakraborty’s Daevabad Trilogy conclusion. Red Wolf and Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, much of the Daevabad Trilogy’s intrigue is fueled by the hidden history of the djinn world. Daevabad’s citizens are still acting out feuds and alliances dating back to the magical city’s earliest days. A misinterpretation of Suleiman’s prophecy is the primary argument in support of the cruel but legal segregation of the half-djinn Shafit. It’s a plot device that syncs nicely with the current moment, when information is increasingly politicized and there exists a growing call to address centuries-old systems of inequity. As in the real world, the thorny social ills of Daevabad have deep and tangled roots.

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m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

“You and I are not the worst of our ancestors. They don’t own us. They don’t own our heritage,” Nahri tells Ali. The Empire of Gold finds them on a voyage of discovery, untangling their families’ histories, and at last learning more about the ancient magical beings that have previously existed primarily in the margins of Chakraborty’s magical lands. It seems a tricky proposition to keep much of the mythos of a fantasy world occluded until the final installment of a trilogy, but Chakraborty makes it work — and work for her. The tension between what Nahri and Ali know and what they suspect about their ancestors — and the ancient god-like elementals with which they made pacts — works as a substitute mystery to the politics and palace intrigue that drove The Kingdom of Copper. The Empire of Gold pays off all the promises made in the trilogy’s first two novels. Where The City of Brass introduces readers to the world of djinn and The Kingdom of Copper complicates the morality and gives the characters greater depth, the final installment of the Daevabad Trilogy is a nonstop rollercoaster of reveals, magical action, and long-awaited reunions.

DO GOOD. BETTER.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MELISSA C. BECKMAN

raditionally, fantasy sequels take an excruciatingly long time to hit the shelves. Fans of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series have waited almost a decade for The Winds of Winter. Devotees of Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicle series have waited just as long for the followup to that series’ second installment. Maybe it’s the page count, since they usually clock in well past the 600 mark. Or maybe it’s a delicate task making sure not to contradict the mythos of the previous novels. Fantasy fans are, after all, notoriously eagle-eyed when it comes to spotting inconsistencies. Whatever it is prolonging the process, author S. A. Chakraborty seems not to have gotten the memo. The Empire of Gold (Harper Collins), the third and final installment in the Daevabad Trilogy, is due to be released June 30th, just three years after Chakraborty’s debut with The City of Brass. And for all the speed with which the young author has completed her story, its conclusion is no less satisfying. Chakraborty’s Daevabad Trilogy follows the Egyptian con artist and amateur healer Nahri, who learns, much to her surprise, that she is the long-lost heir of the magical city of Daevabad’s original rulers. In the trilogy’s first two installments, Nahri goes from a hustling healer to royal physician, straining against the ancient customs and royal and religious expectations of Daevabad all the while. The Empire of Gold picks up immediately after the events of the second instalment in the Daevabad series. Nahri and Ali, the second son of King Ghassan al Qahtani, have halfway succeeded in thwarting Manizheh’s attempted coup of Daevabad. Manizheh has control of the city, true, but Nahri and Ali have stolen Suleiman’s seal, the magical ring and symbol by which the ancient prophetking Suleiman controlled the djinn, and whisked it away to Egypt. Unfortunately, Ali is injured in the process, and by removing the seal ring from Daevabad, it appears the two unlikely heroes have somehow broken magic. As in Marlon James’ Black Leopard,

FOOD By Samuel X. Cicci

Planting a Seed

New Frayser farmers market sets sights on sustainability.

A Very Tasteful Food Blog Dishing it out at .com.

June 25-July 1, 2020

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efforts will continue to stretch beyond the farmers market, however. “We want to do as much good in the community as we can by also providing education and teaching people how they can be selfsufficient,” says Moore. Community members can visit the farmland and create their own raised beds to grow produce. Another planned initiative is for Abundant to host “eco demos,” which will focus on ecological issues relevant to Memphis, like recycling. “Our recycling is so dirty and contaminated that they can’t do anything with it,” says Moore. “So, it’s still going to a landfill, which makes no sense.” The icing on the cake for Abundant is the full commercial kitchen at the organization’s 4,000-square-foot headquarters. “Here in North Memphis, we’re smack dab in-between the two largest food deserts in the Mid-South,” says Moore. “This will be the only farmto-table kitchen around.” Ester Moore

The fresh meals made there can be boxed and delivered to people around town. Abundant has partnered with Steven Bradley, current director of child nutrition for KIPP Delta Public Schools, to create healthy meal plans. “Ninety-seven percent of most illnesses are environment- or foodrelated,” says Moore. “When you look at the African-American community, there are issues like diabetes or high blood pressure, which are food-related. With this, we can help people manage their health through eating. “We’re also decentralizing the food network system, and you don’t have to go a mile and hitch two buses to the store. Now, you can go to your local farmers market or community farm. That’s the type of system we’re wanting to set up in our community, and to make sure that no one ever goes hungry again.” Good.Works Farmers Market is at 847 Whitney Avenue.

COURTESY ABUNDANT EARTH GLOBAL CDC

hen Ester Moore broke ground on the new farm for her nonprofit, Abundant Earth Global CDC, she found a surprise just below the surface. The site had formerly hosted an apartment building, which had been knocked down and covered in soil. When she and her team got to digging, debris popped up all over the 1.2-acre plot in Frayser. Despite the setback, Moore was unwavering in her commitment to provide sustainable food for the neighborhood. Abundant Earth Global CDC is aimed at solving a food crisis prevalent in many Memphis neighborhoods. “While there’s a Superlo nearby,” says Moore, “when I look both ways down the street where I live, there’s nothing. In a community where many people don’t have vehicles, it’s a daunting task to get back and forth from a grocery store.” Abundant tackles the issue from multiple fronts: The land Moore took over has been repurposed into a farm, and they’ve partnered with the Memphis & Shelby County Office of Re-entry to teach urban agriculture to those coming off incarceration or parole. The newest venture is Good.Works Farmers Market, which held its first event last Friday. While the pandemic meant that Moore needed to switch gears, she persisted with the originally scheduled opening date. “We decided to stick to this date; coronavirus or no, people are still going hungry,” she says. There will be no on-site vendors for now, but customers can go online to create their own box (with produce, bread, eggs, preserves and jellies, and herbs), which can be picked up or delivered. Some boxes will be available for walk-up purchasing, and any leftover stock will be donated to a nearby shelter. While Abundant has its own farmland next door, early markets will use food aggregated from local farmers through its Tri-Delta cooperative. Abundant will also showcase vendors online and through a newsletter. “The point of a farmers market is to know where your food is coming from or who grew it,” says Moore. “So, we’re going to keep that aspect alive … in a digital environment.” Good.Works Farmers Market is planned to run weekly until the end of the year, but on-site vendors will return only when it seems safe to do so. Abundant’s

BREWS By Richard Murff

Four for Summer A nice flight of brews for a hot day.

Breaking regulation, I went facenude into the first beer of the flight. I’ve reviewed High Cotton’s Thai Pale Ale before, but it bears revisiting when a brutal combination of heat and humidity makes the weather go all “Bangkok.” It’s a beer singularly made for the climate, with both flavor and presence, while staying light on the palate. I don’t recall it getting bitter in the heat, but that may be because it was a small glass and I really quaffed it. Although, if you really wanted an authentic Thai beer buzz, you wouldn’t be drinking ale but a light pilsner. And speaking of light, my second stop on the flight was a Frost Kölsch. Now, this is a great light craft: refreshing, crisp, and a civilized ABV. The sort of thing that Mrs. M might go in for, had she not been heroically called back into the office, like a grown-up. A few summers ago, I was

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RICHARD MURFF

A flight of four fresh brews on the patio of Hammer & Ale

down in Birmingham, and nearly every brewery in the city had its version of Kölsch. It’s so perfect for the summer heat — and for people not sold on craft beer — that I’m always a little surprised that more locals don’t brew up a version of it. For the next beer, Hammer & Ale’s David Smith pulled me something called Lovebird, from Nashville’s Jackalope Brewing. This was an exercise in trust: It’s a wheat beer flavored with strawberries and blueberries. I’m not an unqualified fan of wheat beers and am really suspicious of fruit beers, but this one works. And works well. The wheat base and the fruit play nicely together because the brewers have kept it light. The real key to Lovebird is that Jackalope has used real fruit in their brewing process — as opposed to a syrup — which keeps the aftertaste clean and not too sweet and clingy. Which is probably the part I can’t stand about fruity beers. Smith also suggested a limitededition IPA from Hutton & Smith over in Chattanooga — Locked Lips. Now the good people at H&S pass themselves off as granola beer nerds. And, quite frankly, that is exactly what you want in a brewer. A word of caution — don’t drink it outside. If I have one problem with Locked Lips, it hinged on a tactical error on my part: I saved it until the last to sample. Taste wise, it is very good — big, hoppy, and balanced, without being bitter. Or at least it doesn’t start out that way. The issue is drinking outside when it’s 96 degrees. When it warms up, Locked Lips gets “bigger” and starts to boom the way those stronger IPAs will. It’s not even that it ever got bad, just a little too big to be drinking on an unshaded patio that used to be a parking lot. Or inside a steam-injected oven, for that matter. I only wish that I still smoked. Sitting alone in the middle of the day drinking and sweating with a cigarette in my brooding hand, I might be able to pass myself off as some sort of poor man’s philosopher. Without one, I just looked like a sweating, friendless idiot. Cheers.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

just couldn’t write another column from my patio. And tales of drunkenness and derring-do across Hell’s halfacre are hard to come by when you haven’t been anywhere lately. So, there I was, in the middle of the afternoon on a Thursday — surrounded by exactly zero of my closest friends — out in front of Hammer & Ale, drinking a flight of summer beers. I was plenty distanced, socially speaking. A keen observer might even say I was all lonesome. Sunlight is supposed to put a hurt on the COVID, and there was plenty of it turned up high. I just couldn’t reckon how to drink a beer with a bandana tied around my face or take notes with my glasses all fogged.

FILM By Chris McCoy

The Watchmen How the HBO series predicted the world of 2020.

June 25-July 1, 2020

lan Moore named his 1986 comic Watchmen after a line from the Roman poet Juvenal: Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? “Who watches the watchmen?” When Moore was first pitching DC on his idea to update some moribund Charlton Comics characters, the Reagan ’80s were in full swing in America, and Margaret Thatcher was imposing austerity in the artist’s native Britain, and the NATO Able Archer military exercise had almost caused an accidental nuclear war with the Soviet Union. The work he created with artist David Gibbons was suffused with apocalyptic fear and profound disillusionment. The institutions we had created to protect us were out of control and threatening to destroy human civilization. It would later be called “the moment comics grew up.” Moore’s thesis, that the comic book superheroes we loved were secretly fascist thugs, was echoed in the other big comic book hit of 1986, Frank Miller’s Batman reboot The Dark Knight Returns. But Miller celebrated violent vigilantes because it made for cool images on the page. Watchmen was Moore’s warning

(above) Regina King’s Sister Night is at the center of theWatchmen’s wheels within wheels; (below) Doctor Manhattan is both super-powered nuclear deterrent and dispassionate observer. after a decade of war, intervention by the quantum superhero Doctor Manhattan (played in different stages of life by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Zak RotheraOxley, and Darrell Snedeger) made it America’s 51st state. The superhero Ozymandias (Jeremy Irons) ended the threat of nuclear war by destroying New York City with a simulated attack by a giant interdimensional alien. Instead of conservative former actor Ronald Reagan becoming president in the 1980s, the liberal Robert Redford is in charge. The most vibrant and poignant of the sprawling cast of characters is Sister Night (Regina King), a former officer in the Tulsa police department who now fights crime as a costumed vigilante. The Commissioner Gordon to her Batman is Judd Crawford (Don Johnson), the Tulsa chief of police whose suspicious suicide by hanging sets off an investigation that will expose both a deep-seated white supremacist movement in government and a plot to regain the power which created Doctor Manhattan. Masks have always been central to Watchmen’s symbolism, which explored the dichotomy between the humans who wear them and the super-heroic images they are trying to create. The masked

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about a fascist future. When HBO tapped Lost producer Damon Lindelof to create a series to serve as a sequel to Watchmen, he cast around for a contemporary issue that would resonate as deeply as the reckless rush to nuclear war had in 1986. Moore was out of the picture — he has not endorsed any film adaptation of his work since the disasters that were the The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen films. Besides, Watchmen was explicitly a comic designed to comment on the comic book medium. Even though the 2009 Zack Snyder adaptation of Watchmen was most successful when it strove to faithfully reproduce scenes from the comics (I cried when Doctor Manhattan went into exile on Mars), it was still blasphemy as far as Moore was concerned. Lindelof decided to focus on the persistence of racism as an organizing principle of American society. Now, nine months after the series debut, with Black Lives Matter protests sweeping the country, the producer looks prescient. The story takes place in an alternate 2019 that is the logical, but surprising, result of the end of Moore’s comic masterpiece. Instead of leaving Vietnam in chaos

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out to be a stroke of genius. Our heroes begin the story believing The Seventh Kavalry had been defeated in a postracism world, but as Chief Crawford says, the forces of racist reaction have only been hibernating, waiting for their moment to strike back. Since comic book superhero narratives have become the dominant onscreen form in the last decade, it’s a relief to see something as meaty and timely as this. I’ll fully admit that I was extremely skeptical of the endeavor — let’s just say I have not been a fan of Lindelof ’s previous work — but this Watchmen is a most worthy successor to Moore’s masterpiece. Watchmen is available for streaming via HBO.

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superheroes who had been outlaws three decades earlier have since been accepted as adjuncts of law enforcement. All cops started wearing masks after an incident in which the racist terrorists The Seventh Kavalry, who are inspired by the posthumous release of the Watchman Rorschach’s paranoid writings, murdered officers in their homes. Now that masks are de rigueur in the real world, it connects the fiction to our own apocalyptic atmosphere. But the series’ critique of race relations in America is what really resonates in the long, hot summer of 2020. Opening the series with a recreation of the Tulsa Massacre of 1921, in which white supremacist gangs destroyed an affluent neighborhood known as “Black Wall Street,” turned

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FILM By Chris McCoy

J uu nn ee 2 5 - -J uJ luyl y1 1 , 2020

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THE LAST WORD by Shara Clark

Big, Loud, Quiet, Calm

m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

I’ve walked nearly 300 miles over the course of quarantine. I’ve explored practically every accessible nook and cranny of my neighborhood several times over. I’ve come to know the jagged stretches of sidewalk, what houses have the best front-yard gardens, and what hours to expect the old dog Beau to be on backyard watch, dutifully canvassing the edges of his chain-link fence, limping over to say hi when folks pass. I don’t know his owner’s name, but I greet Beau and his sister Lucy (according to their name tags) several times a week. I now have favorite trees — the ones that tower triumphantly, anchored with massive trunks, whose roots and branches know the history of Normal Station better than any of its current residents. I have favorite houses — the ones with bungalow roofs and big front porches with swings. I miss my coffee shop, Avenue Coffee, which closed early on during the COVID crisis; grabbing a pick-me-up there at the start of a journey was a pleasant routine. I’ve lived in this neighborhood more than a decade, so taking a stroll here wasn’t a new thing. But during quarantine, the walks morphed into something more than just a stretch of the legs or a break from the laptop during work-from-home hours. More than just a time to soak up some much-needed vitamin D or clear the head. They have served all those purposes, but now I’ve really seen my neighborhood and gotten to know it more intimately. I stop to photograph little bursts of beauty: a particularly wondrous flower, a patch of moss, an interesting cluster of mushrooms growing on a stump. I stand in awe when the sun’s shooting through limbs and leaves, casting shadows that dance erratically across the sidewalk. If I venture toward the University of Memphis, I pause when a train comes through at Southern, letting the blaring horn beat against my eardrums as it announces its arrival, followed by the clacking of its wheels on the tracks, and then the whir that, within moments, drifts into near silence as it passes. Big, loud, quiet, calm. Trains aside, I think a lot of us have felt the big and loud parts of the past few months. From the panic and fear surrounding coronavirus to the protests that hit our streets following senseless killings at the hands of law enforcement — we’ve been flooded with overwhelming information, immense emotions, a desire to do something, to speak out, while simultaneously perhaps feeling helpless. What do you do when you feel helpless and overwhelmed? I often admire my dogs as they lounge in the backyard, lying in a sunspot, gazing off into the distance or ears perked at the buzz of a bee or the sight of a squirrel. They’re so perfectly in the moment at times — just being. I envy that. But I’ve found a new sense of being on my many walks — a deep gratitude for the people and creatures that inhabit our space, a better connection to my own thoughts and feelings. A long walk tends to help a person sort through what’s going on in their mind and heart — in some ways, to cope. At least that’s the case with me. Have you ever stopped to watch branches sway in a warm breeze? Or followed the clouds as they move across the sky when a storm’s approaching? Or honed in on the shadow of your dog, tongue out, as you lead it (or it leads you) on an afternoon adventure? Have you followed the calls of birds to the source, to find a nest of squawking hungry babies poking their tiny beaks out in search of a bug or worm? I hadn’t paid too much attention to those types of things before. Not in the way that I do now. Pre-quarantine, my camera roll was filled with random outings, concerts, gatherings of friends — and I miss that so much. I do. But scrolling through my photos since mid-March, I’ve seen so much beauty, really seen it, because I was made to slow down, to — as cliché as it is — stop and smell the roses. Even amid a worldwide pandemic, even with horrific injustices happening all too often, there’s a flower in bloom somewhere, a bird perched on a limb, just outside your doors. For even a brief moment, something as simple as that can bring you a small measure of inner peace, if you’ll let it. Shara Clark is managing editor of the Flyer.

THE LAST WORD

SHARA CLARK

Looking outside — and within — during trying times.

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