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OUR 1644TH ISSUE • 08.27.20

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JESSE DAVIS

We Buy Houses

WHAT’S BEHIND ALL THOSE CALLS OFFERING TO PURCHASE YOUR PROPERTY?

August 27-September 2, 2020

BELIEVE THE HYPE

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 LYNN SPARAGOWSKI Circulation and Accounting Manager KALENA MATTHEWS Marketing Coordinator

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CONTENTS

CARRIE BEASLEY Senior Art Director CHRISTOPHER MYERS Advertising Art Director BRYAN ROLLINS Graphic Designer

BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN

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 MICHAEL DONAHUE JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers JESSE DAVIS Copy Editor, Staff Writer JULIE RAY Calendar Editor MATTHEW HARRIS Editorial Assistant LORNA FIELD, RANDY HASPEL, RICHARD MURFF, FRANK MURTAUGH, MEGHAN STUTHARD Contributing Columnists AIMEE STIEGEMEYER, SHARON BROWN Grizzlies Reporters ANDREA FENISE Fashion Editor KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher

OUR 1644TH ISSUE 08.27.20 I have a one-legged grasshopper. Well, I don’t actually have him, but he lives in our yard and he’s quite a specimen — a good three inches long, with a lime-green torso and a bright yellow stripe running down his back. I first spotted him munching on a canna lily blossom about three weeks ago. He didn’t move, even as I got within a few inches to take some photos. It was then I noticed he was missing his right rear leg — you know, one of the two big ones grasshoppers use to jump. It didn’t seem to bother him much, though, and after posing for a few more shots, he launched himself and flew away. I figured a one-legged grasshopper probably didn’t have much of a future, but he kept hanging around. A week later, I saw him in the black-eyed Susans, and a few days after that, climbing around on the butterfly bush. Yesterday, as I began to water the tomatoes, he popped out and flew right at my head. Cheeky monkey. I’ve grown a little attached to this guy. Or girl. Something nipped off his leg, but he hasn’t let it mess up his summer. Which, let’s be honest here, is basically all the time on the planet he’s going to get. We’re all living a bit like that grasshopper, aren’t we? We’re all missing something. Big chunks of our lives have disappeared, and we keep having to adapt — to change the way we travel, eat, go to school, go to the store, go to work, and vote. That last item is about to become the most important one on the list. In the last presidential election, 33 million Americans voted by mail. You didn’t hear much about it because it was no big deal. It’s been happening for many election cycles. Residents of 35 states are able to vote by mail as a matter of course. As are military personnel or anyone (by absentee ballot) who will be away from their voting precinct on Election Day. Now, with the COVID crisis, nine more states are allowing vote-by-mail for citizens who fear going to the polls in person, though in many states, a mail-in ballot needs to be requested. It’s fair to say that millions more Americans will vote by mail in 2020 than did in 2016. It’s also fair to say that the Trump administration is doing its best to make it more difficult to vote by mail by knee-capping the U.S. Postal Service — removing sorting machines and eliminating employee overtime in the midst of a pandemic, and two months before a critical election. Meanwhile, the president is openly working to delegitimize the election results in advance. Here’s a nightmare scenario: On election night, millions of mail-in ballots are not counted by the end of the day, meaning final results for many states aren’t known immediately, though we will know who’s leading. But it’s quite possible there could be a few days where we don’t know the absolute final results of the election in several states. We might have a pretty good idea who won, but not with total certainty. Those days will likely be a horror show. If he’s losing, Trump will declare the election a hoax; hell, he’s already doing that. He will summon his attorney general to instigate legal challenges to the results in as many states as possible. He will not concede. He will rally his base; he will stoke unrest; he will give a wink and a nod to white supremacists and QAnon wackos. He will incite chaos. Count on it. It’s what he does; it’s who he is. Early voting in Tennessee runs from October 14th through October 29th. If there is any way you can get yourself to a polling place during those two weeks, I implore you to do it. The primary in-person voting process was extremely safe. Everyone was masked, distancing was enforced, wooden sticks were issued so that your finger didn’t have to touch a voting machine. Pens were given away so you could sign in without contacting something touched by another person. I would extend this advice to those living in other states, as well. Mask up, show N E WS & O P I N I O N THE FLY-BY - 4 up at a polling place, vote as if your life NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 6 depends on it. POLITICS - 8 We are less than 70 days from what COVER STORY will be a very bumpy ride for democracy “WE BUY HOUSES” and justice and the American system BY CHRIS MCCOY - 10 of governance. It’s our moment to SPORTS - 14 show courage, to speak truth to bullies WE RECOMMEND - 16 MUSIC - 18 and crooks, to make certain our votes CALENDAR - 20 are counted. There’s no room for BOOKS - 23 complacency or apathy. We stop this now FOOD - 24 or it all falls apart. BREWS - 25 The time for patience is past, FILM - 27 Grasshopper. Winter is coming. C L AS S I F I E D S - 28 Bruce VanWyngarden LAST WORD - 31 brucev@memphisflyer.com

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Questions, Answers + Attitude 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.

The Feds, TVA, & Dog Parks

U NAUTH O R I Z E D

Agents arrive for LeGend, MLGW starts shopping, and parks reopen. M O N DAY • Shelby County added 229 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 25,275. The death toll was 328.

“Are you in Downtown Memphis and need to buy some shit? Come to A. Schwab’s. We have literally everything you could possibly need for literally fucking pennies.” Posted to YouTube by Ryan’s Shorts, “Memphis Marketing Unauthorized A. Schwab’s Commercial” has instant-classic potential. In it, we find a young man (presumably Ryan) in a paper facemask and Young Avenue Deli T-shirt extolling the virtues of the landmark Beale Street store and its pickles, Elvis gear, barbecue sauce, hats, ass-flavored incense sticks, and much more.

August 27-September 2, 2020

C E N S OTE RÍA!

La Prensa Latina Media, the city of Memphis, and the U.S. Census Bureau introduced a new game to help boost Latinx cooperation in this year’s census. Censotería, a modern twist on the traditional Mexican game of Lotería, will be played on Facebook Live every Sunday at 6 p.m. Get rules, materials, and more at laprensalatina.com/censoteria. TH E M O U NTAI N G OATS A tweet from the band last week read, “Maximum respect to the citizens of Memphis who saw me out and about on the town when we were recording, said hi, and then kept the news hush-hush.”

TU ES DAY • Shelby County added 89 new cases of COVID-19, the lowest daily figure reported in weeks. Six new deaths were reported for a total of 334. • Environmentalists pushed for more renewable power, and critics of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) pushed for any move that would unlink the power provider with Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW). It all came in a public hearing as MLGW Clockwise from top left: Crosstown Concourse celebrates three years, COVID-19 leaders weighed a decision positivity rate falls, Operation LeGend bring feds, and Comic Expo cancels to stay with TVA or begin the process to find a new TH U R S DAY energy partner. • Shelby County added 157 new cases of COVID-19 for a to• The federal government does not need the Memphis tal of 25,664. One new death was reported for a total of 340. City Council’s permission to bring more law enforcement to • Dog parks across the city reopened last week. Overton the city. Park officials asked those visiting its dog area, Overton Bark, That’s what Michael Dunavant, the United States Atto wear a face covering, keep a safe distance, and avoid the torney for the Western District of Tennessee, told council use of shared toys and water dishes. members last week. Dunavant was defending a new violent • Airbnb issued a global ban on parties and events at all crime reduction effort — called Operation LeGend — that of its listings and an occupancy cap of 16 in an effort to stop will bring 40 federal agents to Memphis. the spread of COVID-19. Council member Michalyn Easter-Thomas said she dis• The Tennessee Capitol Commission had no business agreed with federal agents acting here with no local control. trying to remove the bust of slave owner and disgraced Con“This is not Portland,” Dunavant said. federate general Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Tennessee • Another strange and totally predictable thing COVState Capitol, according to the group who donated the bust ID-19 has brought Tennessee is a new task force announced in the first place. last week to tell Tennesseans to not throw their personal The Nashville-based Joe Johnston Camp of the Sons of protective equipment (PPE) on the ground. Confederate Veterans said this in a lawsuit last week. • Crosstown Concourse celebrated its third anniversary WE D N ES DAY last week, virtually, of course. Womp womp. • Shelby County added 143 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 25,507. Five new deaths were reported for a new F R I DAY total of 339. • Shelby County added 147 new cases of COVID-19 for a • MLGW president and CEO J.T. Young recommended total of 25,811. Six new deaths were reported for a total of to the utility’s board that it should find a consultant to shop 346. The weekly average positivity rate fell for the fourth for a possible new power provider, a move that could shift straight week. MLGW away from the TVA. • The Memphis Comic Expo was canceled because … “Every week, every month, and every year that goes by, well, you know why by now. we’re leaving money on the table for our citizens,” said Mitch Visit the News Blog at memphisflyer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news. Graves, MLGW vice board chair.

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August 27-September 2, 2020

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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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The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Saturday, August 18, 2018

CITY REPORTER B y To b y S e l l s

TVA

For Release Saturday, August 18, 2018

TVA’s Combined 28 Cycle natural gas plant in Memphis

ment that 30 provides both an annual 3.1 percent credit on wholesale power rates, as well as the flexibility to selfgenerate a portion of their own power, 31 primarily through renewable energy,” Brooks said. “Since being introduced late last year, 141 of 153 local power 34 companies have chosen to partici3.1 percent rebate to those utilities, pate. Prior to the current long-term 35 Times according to the Chattanooga partnership agreements, several local Free Press. power companies already had 20-year The Southern Environmental Law agreements with TVA, and all had 40 Center (SELC) filed a suit39 challengrolling terms.” ing the contracts in federal court on Of the lawsuit, Brooks said, “It behalf of Protect Our Aquifer, Energy would be inappropriate for us to com42Voices. The ment further on 43the specific allegations 44 Alabama, and Appalachian groups call the contracts “never-ending in the lawsuit since we have not yet contracts, designed to keep local power been served with it.” The SELC said 46 of the distributors captive customers previous contracts were47 for seven years,48 federal utility forever.” offering up periodic opportunities “TVA is using these eternal confor local utilities, like Memphis Light, 50 tracts to stamp out any competition for Gas & Water (MLGW), to renegotiate the next century,” said Amanda Garcia, contract terms or to find another power SELC’s Tennessee office director. source. The new contracts, it says, re52 “These never-ending contracts threaten quire a 20-year notice to terminate and to prevent local distributors from ever renew automatically “so that the length renegotiating their contract with TVA, of the contract never ends.” let alone consider leaving the utility if The complaint alleges that the PUZZLE BY KAMERON it continues to lag behind in transitioncontracts could AUSTIN negatively affCOLLINS ect the ening towards cheaper, cleaner renewvironment, as it could influence TVA’s able energy. These contracts decisions to invest in energy resources, 17 will take 30 the public’s interest completely out of increasing greenhouse gases and other public power.” pollution, and increasing water usage The groups claim the contracts place across the Tennessee Valley. a “harsh cap on the ability of local pow“TVA’s continued reliance on fossil 31impact on 21 power fuel resources has a lasting er companies to use renewable from non-TVA sources, and they seek Memphis’ primary drinking water to guarantee that TVA’s customer base, source, the Memphis Sand Aquifer,” 33 made up of municipal and membersaid Ward Archer, president of Protect owned local utilities, never leaves the Our Aquifer. “The public has a right utility.” for federal agencies to look 34 at alternaScott Brooks, TVA spokesman, said tives when making major decisions, 24 the long-term contracts were developed and TVA deprived communities of that “at the request of our local power comright before asking local distributors pany partners.” like Memphis Light, Gas & Water to 25 “It is a completely voluntary agreesign these never-ending contracts.”

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Notes from the first night of this week’s Republican National Convention: The chair of the RNC, who appeared early on Monday night to ballyhoo her event, is named Ronna McDaniel. Until recently, she was always referred to as Ronna Romney McDaniel. Her uncle Mitt Romney, currently a senator from Utah and former GOP presidential candidate, opposed the election of Donald Trump in 2016, voted to impeach Trump earlier this year, and presumably opposes his re-election. One of the first speakers at the Convention, Tanya Weinreis of Montana, described a bad patch in her life and quoted verbatim the inspiring words she received directly from God: “Keep on working. It’ll be okay.” She said she was “terrified of Joe Biden coming after everything we’re building.” Rebecca Friedrichs, a teacher who supports Trump’s school-choice positions, said that teachers’ unions are “subverting our Republic.” Andrew Pollack, whose daughter was among those slain in 2018 by a gunman at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, took the stage to praise President Trump, whom he’d met with after the shooting, as a “great man and good listener” and blamed the massacre on the emphasis on “restorative justice” by “far left Democrats.” Trump was described by Charlie Kirk, founder of a youth organization called Turning Point USA, as “the Defender of Western Civilization.” Kimberly Guilfoyle, in a high-decibel speech, declared, “He liberates you and lifts you up.” Trump, who had announced he would appear at the convention in some guise on each of its four nights, had earlier Monday addressed a small group of representative attendees at Charlotte, North Carolina, the official site of the convention, though most of the events of the RNC, as of the Democratic National Convention in the previous week, would be virtual. Accepting his formal nomination at the morning occasion, Trump indulged himself in some typically free-associative

rhetoric, praising his own record and warning that Democratic opponent Joe Biden would impose “socialism” if elected. Newly appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was simultaneously appearing at a hearing of the House Oversight Committee, denying that he personally had ordered mailboxes or sorting machines removed. The president appeared before the national television audience Monday night making conversation with two separate groups of citizens — one containing a trucker, two friendly postal workers, and two law enforcement officers — and another made up of detainees who had successfully been returned home from foreign imprisonment. Several members

Donald Trump at the RNC (top); the Bidens at the DNC of the first group had contracted COVID-19 and recovered, giving Trump a chance to claim to have been responsive early on in the coronavirus pandemic. The evening before, the FDA — presumably under persuasion by the president — had authorized emergency trials involving a convalescent plasma. Trump on Monday allowed as how he had dosed himself against the “China virus” with “hydroxychloroquine, Z-pack, and zinc.” During the talk with the repatriated detainees, Trump managed to both bask in the return of one man from captivity in Turkey while praising his relationship with Turkish strongman Recep Erdoğan as “very good.” Speakers on the first night of the convention had been, to say the least, unkind to Joe Biden. In a late speech,

POLITICS

Donald Trump Jr. denounced the Democratic presidential nominee as “Beijing Biden” and “the Loch Ness Monster of the swamp.” The younger Trump departed from his invective long enough to lament the death of George Floyd and to call for an end to racism. In the context of things, that was an unexpected note, as was the action of Sean Parnell, a serviceman wounded in Afghanistan who would reprise a phrase that had been modish at the Democrats’ 2012 and 2016 conventions, a defense of “who you love” against potential censure or criticism. Parnell’s attack on Democrats as “a party of hedge fund managers” was also atypical. Relatively positive notes had been struck by Maximo Alvarez, a refugee from Cuba, whose subject was pride in the U.S.A. rather than the iniquities of the Democrats; and the evening’s final speaker, Tim Scott, the African-American senator from South Carolina, talked hopefully about “the evolution of the Southern heart” and his own family’s rise “from cotton to Congress in one lifetime.” But Scott, too, warned that Biden and his vice presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, sought a “cultural revolution” and a “socialist” future.

• Things had been otherwise, of course, last week, when the Democrats held their all-virtual convention. An early speaker there was Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, whose speech was less a concession than a bona fide endorsement of Biden, the candidate who had bested him in the primaries. Indeed, it was the first example, of many to come in the convention, of what might be called testimonials from the Friends of Joe Biden — a group of illustrious and/or affecting exemplars who could implicitly be compared to the cronies and satraps of the incumbent president. In juxtaposition to Sanders on that first night was John Kasich, the moderate former governor of Ohio who had been in the Republican field of candidates in 2016 and now served to bracket the ticket’s potential from the other side of the political spectrum. Similarly, the friendship between Joe Biden and the late GOP maverick John McCain was pointedly remembered by the Democrats. Then there was Michelle Obama: “Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.” A high point of the Democratic convention was the virtual roller-coaster

ride across America in the form of the live roll-call vote for president, made sequentially from the scene of each of the nation’s 57 states and territories. (The Republicans, too, would do a virtual ride through the states, a quicker one, which featured, inter alia, Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn saying, “The best is yet to come.”) Among the most moving moments of the Democratic Convention was brought by ALS survivor Ady Barkan on behalf of expanded heathcare solutions; 11-year-old Estela Juarez, daughter of an ex-Marine and an undocumented Mexican, crying over her mother’s forced deportation; young Brayden Harrington, who met Biden in New Hampshire and was embraced there as a fellow stutterer, stammering his way through a thank-you and tribute; and former California Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, survivor of a shooting at point-blank range in the back of the head by a zealot with a gun. Former President Barack Obama said: “I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies. I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously; that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care. … Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t.” Still relatively unknown to most Americans, Democratic vice presidential

nominee Kamala Harris had a chance to introduce herself. Smiling, and not without a fair amount of glamor, she described her scrambled ethnic heritage (part Black, part East Asian Indian), her stroller-view of the civil rights revolution, her rise in the legal world as a professional woman, and her simultaneous persona as a stepmother called “Mamala.” Biden’s speech complemented everything else that had been said and done earlier in his convention — in its emphasis on the powerless and the victims of injustice, its determination to transcend the Charleston debacle and fat-cat white supremacy and achieve at long last something resembling racial equity; in its defense of beleaguered public institutions like the Affordable Care Act and the Postal Service; in its determination to revive our foreign alliances and confront the adversaries that the Trump administration has ignored or coddled; in its simple avowal that government is meant to serve and protect the American people. “This is not a partisan moment. This must be an American moment,” Biden said. “This is our moment to make hope and history rhyme.” Trump, of course, will have the final word. After scheduled appearances on Tuesday and Wednesday, he will presumably make a final address on Thursday night, and there is little chance that it will rhyme with anything Biden has said. More about that next week.

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• • • •

We Buy Houses COVER STORY BY CHRIS MCCOY

WHAT’S BEHIND ALL THOSE CALLS OFFERING TO PURCHASE YOUR PROPERTY?

August 27-September 2, 2020

he calls come at all times of the day. “Hi, this is Dana. Hope you’re having a great day. I was reaching out to see if you had any interest in maybe getting an offer on your property. My wife and I are buying homes in the area, so we thought we would shoot you a call real quick to see if you have any interest. We can pay cash. …” “Hi, it’s Ashley again. I gave you a call a couple of weeks ago, and I wasn’t able to reach you. I wanted to reach back out and see if you’re interested in getting an offer on your property. My husband and I have been buying homes in the area, and just wanted to see if it’s anything you were interested in. …” The callers know your name, your address, and seemingly how much your property is worth. When it’s not calls, it’s text messages: “Hi, Christopher. My name is Angela. I was reaching out to see if you were interested in getting an offer. …” People all over the Mid-South have been getting these calls for years, but in recent months, the volume has seemingly accelerated. A Facebook query yielded 115 comments from people saying they have been receiving unwanted calls, texts, letters, and postcards from sketchy strangers wanting to buy their homes. “I get them about once a week,” says Katie Mars. “They call me for my mom’s house,” Cristina McCarter says. “Yes, many robocall voicemails 10 faking as if they are individual calls

JESSE DAVIS

from a local couple just happening by my property and want to know if I want a cash offer. I don’t know how they got my cell, but I often admire their creativity,” says Paul Morris. “I get calls, and I don’t even own a home,” Mac Edwards says. “I think they work with the auto warranty people.” “I got one recently where they said, ‘Hey, neighbor. I just moved into your neighborhood! Thought I’d say hi! By the way, would you like to sell your house?’” Alex Greene adds.

“I asked how they got my number, and they didn’t reply,” says Dana Gabrion. “I had a guy call multiple times. He gave me attitude in messages because I wouldn’t call him back. Another one got upset with me when I asked him how he got my number when he called to ask about the house,” says Gabriel DeCarlo. “Every day for our house, and multiple times a day for our rental property,” Josh Campbell says.

“Every few weeks I get about 20 calls and texts telling ‘Vernon’ they’d like to buy his house,” Cecelia Dean Ralston says. “This has been going on for five or six years. No idea who Vernon is, and I’ve had the same number for 15 years. I’ve told dozens of people it’s not me, but they don’t care.” Meriwether Nichols is a Memphian who now lives in Sante Fe, New Mexico. She uses her former home in Midtown as a rental property. She gets calls and texts about it “nearly every day.

They are from somebody who is a real person, at least from what I can tell, and they use a first name. They do not identify a company.” Inevitably, the callers deny being realtors and claim to be mom-and-pop real estate investors. “They make it sound pretty folksy. And sometimes, if I’m of a mind to, I will call them back or I will text them back and say, ‘What is your purpose? What’s your intention for this property? Are you an investor? Are you a flipper? What company are you with?’” Nichols says answers are rarely forthcoming, but once she got a person calling from a number in the 901 area code to admit he was actually in Bozeman, Montana. “You skiptraced my number through property tax records and called me on my personal cell phone in the middle of a pandemic,” Nichols told the caller. “This feels awfully predatory.”

ho is making these cold calls, sending unsolicited texts, and flooding neighborhoods with postcards filled with identifying personal information? “I don’t think this is realtors who are doing this,” says Kathryn Garland, president of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors. “My suggestion to any homeowner who gets a call like

this is to consult their realtor, because we’re the ones who are the experts in our field. We can tell you what the value is of your home and make sure you’re not leaving money on the table.” Anyone can call themselves a real estate investor, Garland says. “But a realtor is a licensed real estate professional who is part of the National Association of Realtors and abides by a code of ethics.” Realtors have a fiduciary duty to protect the interest of their clients. “So it’s a standard of care,” Garland says. “A ‘real estate investor’ might, with their own money, buy and sell real estate, but they can’t broker it for a consumer, necessarily.” Finding leads is always problem No. 1 in real estate, as in any job related to sales. Cold calls are a tactic to create leads. “There’s nothing inherently wrong with doing this, other than it annoys people,” Garland says. “It raises the question of, ‘Why are you calling me?’ There’s gotta be a scam here, you know? I don’t necessarily think that that’s always the case.” Traditionally, a property owner wanting to sell will contact a realtor to put their home on the market. Cold callers are looking to short-circuit that process and cut out the realtors. Garland says the current flood of solicitations is a reflection of the state

of the Mid-South market: “I will say, this is about inventory being low. That’s basic supply and demand. And so, when supply is short and demand is high, it drives prices higher. That’s why we’ve had such great return, year over year — especially this year. I think we’re like 19 percent over last year on average wholesale price. And we’re in the middle of the pandemic. My point is that investors — they may be paying cash or whatever — but they don’t always pay top dollar for things.”

“You skiptraced my number through property tax records and called me on my personal cell phone in the middle of a pandemic. That feels awfully predatory.”

Garland was one of the few real estate professionals willing to talk on the record about this issue. No licensed realtors I spoke with admitted to cold calling or texting. “I think it’s tacky” was a common response.

“That’s not the first contact I want to have with a client,” says one realtor. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one veteran real estate professional, whom we will call “B,” was more blunt. “Look, it’s hard to make money in real estate. Becoming a realtor is like going to grad school.” There are two groups making these calls, B says. One group “doesn’t know what they’re doing.” The other group is “massive corporations gobbling up single-family homes.” Both groups are driven by a common incentive: massive amounts of money pouring into the speculative real estate market from national and international investors. Take a worldwide pandemic, a borderline depression, soaring unemployment, and a political situation that is, to put it euphemistically, fluid, and that adds up to unprecedented uncertainty. The stock market, a traditional place for speculative capital, is being propped up by trillion-dollar influxes from central banks. “Everyone is terrified,” says B. “They’re trying to find something to believe in.” That “something” is real estate, traditionally the safest of investments. Newbies looking to get rich quick in the hot market are flocking to continued on page 12

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

CHRIS MCCOY

Printed and hand-made signs pop up at intersections (opposite page); cold calls and unsolicited text messages are among the tools used by buyers relying on data-mining (above).

continued from page 11 classes taught by real estate “gurus,” B says. Some of these gurus are telling their students that, while traditional methods of generating leads can have only a one to three percent return rate, data mining companies claim their lists of property owners can deliver up to 40 percent returns. While it is true that a realtor will get you the best deal for your home, there are situations a realtor won’t touch. Maybe an inherited property has too much deferred maintenance, and the owner cannot afford to bring it up to code. The cold callers may be vultures, B says, but “vultures clean stuff up.”

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ngaging with cold callers can be a risky business. Grant Whittle has been inundated with inquiries about his rental property, a Midtown duplex. “Whenever I get a text message, I write them back and I say, ‘I want $190,000, as-is, no questions asked. You pay all the closing costs.’ I think that’s sort of fair value for the house. They normally never write me back because they want to pay like half that.” One day last December, someone did respond. “This guy texted me back and said, ‘Well, let me check.’ And I was like, ‘Whatever.’” The real estate investor unexpectedly said yes to Whittle’s price and conditions, drew up a contract, and put down earnest money. “I still, even at that point, was thinking, ‘I bet this isn’t going to work out.’” Then the investor asked to inspect the house. “And I’m thinking, have you not even driven by it? Cause I think, in general, they don’t,” says Whittle. The day after the inspection, the investor called to say he couldn’t go through with the deal at $190,000. “And I was thinking to myself, I wouldn’t have ever thought you could either, except that you were all insistent on it. Maybe he’s just really green and stupid.” Despite their contract, the investor offered $110,000. Whittle refused. “And then he actually called me again about it about a week later and said, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to sell it for $110,000?’ I was like, ‘No!’ There are obviously people out there who have on their hands a house that is a burden for them. They don’t want it anymore, and it’s not in very good condition. It would be hard to sell, and they just want to get rid of it. Okay, fine. But I’m not that person.” Many of these real estate “wholesalers” do not actually have the capital on hand to buy a house in cash. When they get a hit, as in Whittle’s case, they will try to get the target home under contract for a certain amount. Then they will use the contract’s 30-day duration to shop the property around to their list of investment contacts to sell it for more than the contracted price. If

they can’t make the upsell (30 percent or more), they will simply let the contract expire, having effectively taken the property off the market for a month.

teve Lockwood will soon be retiring after 18 years as the head of the Frayser Community Development Corporation (CDC). Lockwood has been in the housing game in Memphis since the 1970s, when he helped take Cooper-Young from a decaying wreck to one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Memphis. “Homeownership on the macro scale is simply good for neighborhoods,” he says. “Because people are not so much financially invested, which they are, but they’re also personally invested. No one is against rental properties — we’re landlords, too. But there’s pretty strong data that shows that if you’ve got a reasonable percentage of homeowners, the neighborhood is simply healthier, the communication between people is better, neighborhood responsibility works better, and yards get cut.” Lockwood says during the runup to the 2008 financial crisis, “This neighborhood was the absolute groundzero laboratory for predatory lending.” After the crash, a wave of foreclosures ripped through the neighborhood. “Frayser led the state in foreclosures for about 10 years straight.”

“There’s pretty strong data that shows that if you’ve got a reasonable percentage of homeowners, the neighborhood is simply healthier, the communication between people is better.”

Black families, which make up about 85 percent of Frayser, suffered foreclosures at approximately seven times the rate of white families. “Homeownership has not always been the great benefit for Black families that it’s supposed to have been.” Many of those foreclosed homes never resold and were simply abandoned. Under Lockwood’s leadership, it’s been the mission of the nonprofit Frayser CDC to purchase and rehab blighted properties, rent them to low-income Frayserites, and help as many of them as possible to become homeowners. The market conditions in Frayser make it irresistible to wholesalers and cold-callers. “Our home prices right now are 37 percent of the Memphis area median, and our prices are rising faster in general than any other neighborhood in the city.”

“They’re locking these homes, long-term, into non-local ownership. So I’m not completely applauding them, either. And some of them are predators and really bad people.”

side, moving forward. “These people are not all monsters — which is to say, some of them do good work on the house, put families in, and are good managers of the houses. What they have done is contributing to lowering the amount of blight in the neighborhood. I’m not completely cussing these guys. But they are not contributing to homeownership. And in fact, they’re locking these homes, longterm, into non-local ownership. So I’m not completely applauding them, either. And some of them are predators and really bad people.” In order to compete with the datadriven, investment-financed, rental business, Lockwood says the Frayser CDC is looking into adopting the directmail model. “We’re very businesslike, but we’re mission-based do-gooders in this

neighborhood. And we mean that. So we’re trying to learn to play this game on behalf of homeownership, and the good of the neighborhood, rather than how it’s working out now.”

attempted to trace several calls from numbers given to me by respondents to my Facebook post. One call to Memphian Cameron Mann claimed to come from a company called Middle Tennessee Home Buyers. I reached a person at the company in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, who identified himself as Jeremy. He denied his company was behind the call. “We made a decision that we’re not going to do that.” Returning one call from the 901 area code got me a person named Andy who said he was in Scottsdale, Arizona. When I returned calls from voicemails received earlier this year, the numbers had all been disconnected. Last Thursday, as I was at my desk working on this story, I got a voicemail. “Hey, this is Mark, giving you a call. I was driving in the neighborhood and I noticed your house. I was looking to see if you might ever consider an offer for the property, I pay cash and all closing costs, and I’m close right now.” I returned the call within five minutes and was connected to Eric from the National Home Buying Company. He was in Nashville and said his company bought properties all over Tennessee. He

claimed his company did about 20 deals a week. When I asked for an offer on my home, he asked me about the condition of the roof and the HVAC system. He quoted me a price that was 30 percent below the current estimate on zillow. com. When I revealed I was a reporter, he became flustered. Was Mark — his colleague who claimed in the voicemail to be driving by my house 10 minutes ago — real? Of course he was, Eric said. When I asked to arrange a meeting with Mark, Eric said he would pass along the message. Mark never called. Eric, it turned out, was unusually polite. I returned a voicemail from “Ashley,” who claimed she was buying houses with her husband. I got a person who identified himself as Jake Taylor, who said Ashley was currently out of the office “to pick up the baby.” “Typically, we bring the most value to homeowners who are looking to sell their home, but not necessarily wanting to invest any more money into it, and then have to go through a realtor and show it a bunch of times, and then pay commissions and fees. We’ll just come in and buy it as-is,” Taylor said. When I told him my address, Taylor said, “I love that little area.” Then he asked me where I was planning to move to. “I’d rather not tell you,” I said. “Okay, well, fuck you too, then,” he replied.

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

The Frayser CDC owns about 130 properties, which means they are inundated with unsolicited offers. As I spoke to him on the phone, Lockwood pulled 15 postcards out of his trash can — about one day’s haul. “Some of the postcards are real sophisticated,” he says. “They’ve got a picture of your house on it and it says, ‘Is this your house? I’m interested in buying it. Call me up.’ They’re trying to give the impression that they paid some individualized attention to you, in a sense. But obviously they’re just data mining. That allows them to plug in thousands of addresses, get photos off of Google Earth, and punch out these slick-looking postcards. There’s an industry of people who do this for a fee. It’s pretty specialized.” Lockwood says the wholesalers have made it more difficult for his organization to find houses. “We’re steadily trying to buy blighted houses, fix them, and put them back into service. These days we mostly sell to homeowners. But it’s gotten very hard to find houses because these big boys are playing this game and keeping all the good ones for themselves. The real real estate phenomenon going on in Frayser right now is that there are people snatching up all the houses, fixing them up, and then reselling them to investors in California. Then they keep the rental contract. And that’s really where they make their money, on the management

S PO RTS By Samuel X. Cicci

Stalemate

901 FC battles to a draw in Birmingham.

August 27-September 2, 2020

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bottom corner to make it 1-2 in Memphis’ favor. It was comeback complete, but there was still plenty of time left on the clock. Memphis continued to control the game through defensive organization, but continued to create some chances. Gonzalez showed off his crossing ability with a few sweet deliveries into the box, while Mentzingen continued to showcase his game-by-game improvement. One such display came in the 52nd minute when the Brazilian started a run from his own half and slipped in Jennings for a 1v1, but the Central Florida graduate saw his shot smothered by Van Oekel.

COURTESY BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC

here was a slight sense of trepidation as the fourth official held up the electronic board after 90 minutes in Alabama. Nine minutes of stoppage time meant that Memphis still had it all to do against a Birmingham Legion side desperate for a late equalizer. A stout defensive performance had seen Memphis control the match for long stretches, but it ultimately had to settle for a point after a 2-2 draw in a game that clocked in at over 100 minutes. Last weekend, 901 FC blew a twogoal lead to Charlotte in the space of 16 minutes, having suffered a 0-1 loss at home to North Carolina FC the week prior. Something had to change, so Coach Tim Mulqueen reached into his bag of tricks and sent out a new-look lineup. Out came captain Marc Burch (injury), Duane Muckette, and Brandon Allen. Liam Doyle, who had been riding the bench after a few shaky performances to start the season, came in at centerback alongside Triston Hodge, while Raul Gonzalez finally made a full start in midfield. Meanwhile, the industrious Cal Jennings replaced top scorer Brandon Allen up top. Beyond personnel changes, Mulqueen deviated from his usual 4-3-3 formation to shift to 4-4-2. It proved to be the right call; this season, we’ve seen 901 FC try to control the game through possession, but on the road against a strong Birmingham side that had swept Memphis away 3-0 earlier this season, the situation called for more grit. Mulqueen had his men relinquish possession this time around, with two banks of four staying compact to limit any Birmingham chances. Unfortunately, the Legion struck first in the 12th minute, Bruno Lapa collecting the ball with plenty of time to settle and fire past Memphis goalkeeper Jimmy Hague and into the roof of the net for 1-0. But this changed Memphis side wasn’t fazed, and it was the Bluff City’s turn to flip the script. Just a few minutes later in the 18th, Legion keeper Matt Van Oekel spilled the ball after a corner, and Rafa Mentzingen pounced on the rebound to make it 1-1. In the 27th, Jennings embarked on a solo run from inside his own half and drew a penalty. Keanu Marsh-Brown, his body language exuding self-confidence, kept Van Oekel frozen on his line as he dispatched the penalty low into the

Raul Gonzalez, making his first start of the season, tussles with Birmingham’s Jonathan Dean.

Defensively, Memphis was much improved from last week’s second half against Charlotte. Liam Doyle, especially, performed with renewed vigor. Whenever Birmingham did work its way into dangerous positions, I continuously found myself remarking that it was Doyle who was in the right spot to cut out the danger. He was unfortunate to concede the 98th minute penalty, but overall, it looked like a step toward his form from last season’s home stretch. Was the final result disappointing? Yes, but only because, away from home, Memphis was in charge of the game for most of regulation against a top-class opponent (remember, you don’t have to have large possession numbers to be in control of a match). Mulqueen made some bold changes and was vindicated by some excellent individual performances. However, if these good performances don’t start bringing results, that elusive playoff berth will keep edging farther out of reach. For now, focus shifts to next Saturday’s match against North Carolina.

ďż˝ips For Being A Small Business Owner Our COVID-19 treatments are the best, and it works. This treatment kills viruses.

2. Pray, plan, prepare, and pursue. 3. Learn, train and become a professional in the business that is running the service.

12. Before rendering services, make sure that you are fully aware of what you are required to do. A customer should never get a surprise cost; they should know what the cost is, before services are rendered.

4. Be on time, be honest, never try to hit a homerun on pricing/never overprice your customers.

13. Smile and establish relationships. Relationships are everything in business!

5. You must have tough skin and be prepared for rejection; you will get a lot of no's.

15. Never discriminate against a customer, just perform their services.

6. Always respect your customers, even if they are wrong; you will take loses, but treat them as learning experiences. 7. Whenever you are doing a job or service, act as if the cameras are on, because sometimes they will be. 8. (Save) your money because your business will struggle at times. 9. Invest back in your business. Continue to upgrade your knowledge, equipment, technology and supplies. 10. The most important thing, is your employees. Pay them competitively, train them to be a stigma of yourself, and hold them accountable. 11. If you do not meet the customer's demands, give them their money back or accommodate them.

14. Always be open to criticism.

16. Never intimidate a customer; show business licenses and insurance when they ask. 17. Maintain integrity in your work. If a customer asks you to do something, but you are unable to do so, simply tell them that you can not do it. It is better to be honest on the front end, so that you will not hurt your business. 18. Do not let employees know how much you make, or are making for a particular service. Trust me, that will become a problem later on. 19. To last in the business world, you have to let out the INCREDIBLE HULK of determination. Get mad and let the word "no" motivate you and never lose your honesty and integrity. 20. Please understand that running a business is not for everyone. If you have to sacrifice your faith, family or health...Then get out!!!

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Here we are at the usual time, all dressed up and ready to celebrate theater with the coveted Ostrander Awards. Yet this year, we’ll be celebrating at home — together. Elizabeth Perkins, Memphis Ostrander Theatre Awards program director, says that she hopes theater enthusiasts and nominees will get dressed up with her to celebrate the winners. Though, she says, a few things will change with the switch to a virtual format. “We won’t be selling tickets but asking for donations to cover expenses,” says Perkins. “Any funds raised over expenses will be donated back to the participating theaters as they sit out the rest of this intermission.” While the shortened theater season offered a little more than half the usual performances for the judges to consider, the show must go on. No one understands that more than Ann Marie Hall, who will be awarded the Eugart Yerian award for lifetime achievement honoring her many years of artistic contribution to the Memphis theater community. All nominees in every category were announced on YouTube in July. Book of Will (Playhouse on the Square), Detroit 67 (Hattiloo Theatre), Eclipsed (Hattiloo Theatre), and Indecent (Circuit Playhouse) made the cut for Best Production of a Drama. The nominees for Best Production in the collegiate division are A Raisin in the Sun (Southwest Tennessee Community College), Hissifit (McCoy Theatre at Rhodes College), and Inherit the Wind (University of Memphis). Did your favorites get nominated? Join in virtually on Sunday to find out and celebrate excellence in collegiate, community, and professional theater in the Memphis area.

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Break a Leg

Playhouse on the Square’s Book of Will among nominees

August 27-September 2, 2020

City Tasting Box brings local grub right to your home. Food, p. 24

Maybe it’s time to rethink the education system. The Last Word, p. 31

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES August 27th - September 2nd Behind the Scenes with Jared Small uacmem.org, Thursday, August 27, 5:30 p.m. Get up close and personal with UAC artists. Experience the process and celebrate Small’s first large-scale mural at the renovated Renasant Convention Center.

Celebrate 168: The History of Elmwood Cemetery elmwoodcemetery.org, Thursday, August 27, 6:30 p.m. Join the online anniversary celebration via Zoom, featuring a presentation that answers questions about Elmwood and personal staff stories.

“Our Symphony with Animals: The Psychology between Human and Animal Bonds” hollywoodfeed.com, Thursday, Aug. 27, 8 a.m., noon, and 5 p.m. Join Hollywood Feed University and Dr. Aysha Akhtar to examine the rich human-animal connection and how interspecies empathy enriches our well-being.

The Link Up Memphis: Virtual Happy Hour miltonmemphis.com, Thursday, August 27, 7 p.m. Register on Eventbrite for a networking event sponsored by New Memphis. The event will offer Memphians an opportunity to connect with other professionals.

Virtual Cocktail How-Tos eatbabalu.com, Thursday, August 27, 7:15 p.m. Learn how to make one of Babalu’s infused margaritas and sangrias in a virtual class led by drink guru Michelle Laverty. Forrest Spence Virtual 5K forrestspencefund.org, Saturday, August 29, $15 Register to receive a race shirt, race bib, access to the interactive training group, access to a private Facebook page, and awards from the weekend.

Beer and Bagel Run Wolf River Greenway near Walnut Grove and Humphreys, Saturday, August 29, 9 a.m.-noon, register at beerandbagel.com, $45 At the finish line, pick up your swag, then grab a can of ice-cold beer and an individually wrapped bagel. Enjoy the post-race music, food, and fun. Virtual World Championship Hot Wing Contest worldwingfest.com, Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., $15 Crown a 2020 People’s Choice Champion by voting on Facebook. Hear from some special guests while raising funds for Ronald McDonald House of Memphis.

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Iris Movie Night at the Grove Germantown Performing Arts Center, 1801 Exeter, Germantown, Sunday, August 30, 6 p.m. $10 Bring a blanket and chairs for an evening of film featuring Iris Orchestra concert performances from seasons past and food trucks.

Jammin’ for Pets Neil’s Music Room, 5727 Quince, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2-6 p.m., $10 Save1Pet Benefit and silent auction featuring live music by Brad Webb & Friends, British Fog, Dave Bennett & New Generation Band, and others. Classical Creations in Quarantine: “Take Upon’s the Mystery of Things” tnshakespeare.org, Sunday, August 30, 3 p.m., $15 This Literary Salon offers an exploration of famous creations by artists while enduring multiple forms of isolation. Featuring Michael Khanlarian, Carmen-Maria Mandley, Dan McCleary, and more.

“Years of Magical Thinking” David Lusk Gallery, 97 Tillman, davidluskgallery.com, exhibition opens Wednesday, September 2, and runs through October 3, TuesdayFriday, 10 a.m.-5:30 pm. and Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Solo exhibition of new paintings on round birch panels by Kelly S. Williams. View in gallery or online at the gallery’s website and social media platforms. Memphis 901 FC vs. Charlotte Independence AutoZone Park, Wednesday, September 2, 7 p.m. Memphis’ soccer team takes to the field to take on the Charlotte Independence.

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Dixon Talk at Two: “For the Passion of Art and Teaching” with Maritza Dávila dixon.org, Sunday, August 30, 2-3 p.m. Join the Dixon and Mallory/ Wurtzburger artist for a talk on Zoom. Email Linley Schmidt with Dixon Gallery & Gardens at lschmidt@dixon.org to register and receive a link to join.

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Barbara Kopple’s Desert One reveals the story of the mission to free hostages of the 1979 Iranian revolution. Film, p. 27

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 4-7 P.M., EXPOSUREMEMPHIS.COM, VISIT THE WEBSITE TO PARTICIPATE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES THAT MAKE UP THE 901.

because your experience matters most!

Dishing it out at

Turn your love of Memphis into action on 901 Day, otherwise known as September 1st. This year, 901 Day is going virtual, Tuesday, September 1, 4-7 p.m. New Memphis will host Exposure, a free celebration of all things Memphis. The annual event offers opportunities to get involved and give back. This year, it’s virtual. Go online and meet 75+ local organizations and businesses. Commit to volunteering, joining a team, getting involved, and celebrating your city — from a proper social distance. You’ll find Memphis magic around every virtual corner. Listen to live performances, watch live art demonstrations, and ask a panel of Memphis experts anything you want to know about the city. Post what you love about the 901 and tag your favorite organization to enter to win $500 for you and $500 to be donated to that organization. “I love the 901,” says Cynthia Daniels, chief event strategist of Cynthia Daniel & Co. “My absolute favorite thing to do is to go and try the newest local restaurants in the city. We have the most amazing food here and the friendliest people.” Visit the Exposure 901 website to learn more, register, and attend. And don’t forget to post some of your own amazing experiences in Memphis.

A Very Tasteful Food Blog

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By Julie Ray

MUSIC By Alex Greene

Rev. John Wilkins

August 27-September 2, 2020

ac Ives fondly remembers an evening some years ago, as he and his Goner Records colleagues were preparing for a show outside the late, great Buccaneer Lounge. “This big dude rolled up on his motorcycle,” Ives tells me, “helmet on, fringe leather jacket. We were like, ‘Whoa, who is this guy?’” They were taken aback by the answer. “He took his helmet off and it was the Reverend! He said, ‘Hey, what’s going on guys?’ We were going, ‘Oh my God!’” “Oh my God” is an apt reaction to the magnetism and talent of the Rev. John Wilkins. “He’s this sort of iconic guy in town,” Ives adds, and he should know. Goner has booked the gospel blues performer (and pastor at Hunter’s Chapel in Como, Mississippi) for their annual Gonerfest at least three times, and he’s seen the response that the Reverend elicits from listeners. “In fact, one of my favorite Gonerfest memories ever was when he played the last set at sunset on a Saturday afternoon, six or seven years ago. It was one of those magical moments. We got a lot of punk rockers in leather jackets tearing up, watching this totally spiritual performance.” So, while the Goner imprint is more typically associated with punk or alternative music, it’s not a far stretch to imagine the Reverend on the edgy Memphis label. With Trouble, the full-length album due out September 18th, that will become a reality. Amos Harvey, who manages and plays bass for Wilkins, thinks it’s a perfect fit. “We’re excited about being with Goner because they love Rev. Wilkins and it’s local, so they totally get it and respect all the different genres he’s mashing together to make this gospel blues.”

net, it didn’t hurt to have a crack band navigating the changes. “We recorded it with this amazing rhythm section. With Charles Hodges [on organ], Steve Potts [on drums], and Jimmy Kennard on bass. They just locked in. And it was really sweet and fulfilling when each one of them separately said ‘We are enjoying this. This is music that we grew up on.’ I would play a demo like twice, and then they just had it. And of course, Rev. Hodges interpreted what was needed on organ beautifully. His ability to just feel it was amazing.” The sessions, produced by Harvey and engineered by Boo Mitchell, took place in November of 2018, but couldn’t be more timely today. The lead single, “Trouble,” Rev. John Wilkins was released online three weeks ago and will be followed by “Walk With Me,” to be released this Thursday. Both seem particularly salutary in Harvey emphasizes the diversity of influences this year of disasters. on Trouble. While Wilkins is most often associated “He sings ‘Walk With Me’ with Tangela, his middle with the country gospel blues that his father, Rev. daughter,” says Harvey, “and he tells the story of how Robert Wilkins, perfected in the mid-20th century his dad would sing that on the front porch when he (including “Prodigal Son,” covered by the Rolling was young. And his mother would sing with them Stones), his lifetime of playing on blues and soul and beat a tambourine. It moves him just to think records has brought many other flavors to the about it.” mix. Not the least of which are the voices of his And surely such memories have helped the daughters, Tangela Longstreet, Joyce Jones, and good Reverend weather his own personal struggle Tawana Cunningham. this year, detailed in Chris McCoy’s July 29th Flyer “The record is very eclectic,” Harvey says. “He cover story about COVID-19 survivors. Wilkins has wanted to feature his daughters on this record. The first survived his bout with the virus but remains in the record was him and they sang backup on a few songs, hospital for regular post-COVID treatments. He’s but he wanted this to feature them more. And I think seen trouble firsthand, but for all that, he knows we did a good job with that. Not every song sounds the how best to soldier on. And that can help us all. same. It’s almost like a compilation, in a way.” As Harvey notes, “You don’t have to be religious to The end result shows the influence of artists as enjoy this. Rev. Wilkins’ music is moving. He and diverse as Ray Charles, Junior Kimbrough, and his daughters make something happy, something Bill Withers, among others. In casting such a wide that you’re not expecting.”

We Saw You.

with MICHAEL DONAHUE

memphisflyer.com/wesawyou

ADAM HILL

The iconic blues gospel performer is saving us from Trouble.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Flyer’s MeMphis Tiger Blog

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

Tiger Blue

CALENDAR of EVENTS:

August 27 - September 2

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.

Virtual Book Chat

T H EAT E R

Meet up to talk books via Zoom. Register to attend on Eventbrite. Free. Wed., Sept. 2, 7 p.m.

Hattiloo Theatre

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

NOVEL, 387 PERKINS EXT. (922-5526), NOVELMEMPHIS.COM.

Watercolor Florals 101

Shelby Brown, studio artist at Arrow, has made a PDF of steps, techniques, and a 25-minute video tutorial demonstrating 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. 31.

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

The Orpheum

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. 203 S. MAIN (525-3000).

Ostrander Awards

A ceremony honoring the talents of the greater Memphis theater community live on Facebook and YouTube. $20. Sun., Aug. 30, 6:30 p.m.

THE ORPHEUM, 203 S. MAIN (5253000), MEMPHISOSTRANDERS.COM.

August 27-September 2, 2020

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).

Virtual Ostrander Awards, Sunday, August 30, 6:30 p.m. Tennessee Shakespeare Company

Classical Creations in Quarantine, intrepid exploration of famous creations by artists while enduring multiple forms of isolation, featuring Michael Khanlarian, Carmen-maria Mandley, and others. tnshakespeare.org. $15. Sun., Aug. 30, 3 p.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).

OTH E R A R T HA P P E N I N G S

3rd Space Online

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

Behind the Scenes with Jared Small

Experience the process and celebrate Small’s first largescale mural at the renovated Renasant Convention Center. Thurs., Aug. 27, 5:30 p.m. URBANART COMMISSION, 422 N. CLEVELAND (454-0474), UACMEM.ORG.

Chunky Chains Necklace Workshop with BMB Designs

Learn to work with metal and create real, soldered silver jewelry. $85 + $50 materials. Sat., Aug. 29, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ARROW CREATIVE, 2535 BROAD.

Dixon Talk at Two: “For the Passion of Art and Teaching” with Maritza Dávila

Join the Dixon and Mallory/ Wurtzburger artist for an exciting talk on Zoom. Email Linley Schmidt to register and receive link, lschmidt@ dixon.org. Free. Sun., Aug. 30, 2-3 p.m.

“Doodling Around”

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. Visit website for art to color. Free. Ongoing. L ROSS GALLERY, 5040 SANDERLIN (767-2200), LROSSGALLERY.COM.

First Brush of Fall: Plein Air Season at the Garden

Set up your easel through October. Enter your art for a chance to be in the December Gallery Show and Contest. Saturdays. Through Oct. 31. MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN, 750 CHERRY (636-4100).

Memphis Flyer Coloring Book Order your book today benefiting local artists and journalism. $35. Ongoing. MEMPHISMAGAZINESTORE.COM.

THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS, 4339 PARK (761-5250), DIXON.ORG.

WOMAN’S EXCHANGE ART GALLERY, 88 RACINE (327-5681), WEOFMEMPHIS.ORG.

Metal Museum Online

METAL MUSEUM, 374 METAL MUSEUM DR. (774-6380).

Mary-Ellen Kelly chats with Memphis artists via Instagram Live platform, @downtownmemphis/instagram. Free. Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m. Through Sept. 30. MY MEMPHIS VIEW ART & GALLERY, 5 S. MAIN, MARYELLENKELLYDESIGN.COM.

Reader Meet Writer: Heather Bell Adams

Author discusses The Good Luck Stone. Join the conversation via Zoom by registering on Eventbrite. Free. Thurs., Aug. 27, 6 p.m. NOVEL, 387 PERKINS EXT. (922-5526), NOVELMEMPHISCOM.

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.

DAN C E

Get Back to the Barre

All levels invited to join autumn classes. Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., and Mondays-Fridays, 4-7 p.m. Through Dec. 12. BUCKMAN ARTS CENTER AT ST. MARY’S SCHOOL, 60 N. PERKINS EXT. (537-1483).

Introductory Belly Dance Classes

Learn proper posture and movement, increase balance, endurance, core strength, and positive body image. $60. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 5:306:30 p.m. Through Sept. 30. INDIE ACTING STUDIO, 6757 STAGE, KARSILAMADANCE.COM.

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Wednesday Opera Time

OPERA MEMPHIS, 6745 WOLF RIVER (257-3100).

My Memphis View Gallery: Art Chat

Pre-Labor Day SALES

OPERA

Peruse the art and craft of fine metalwork digitally. Featuring past gallery talks from previous exhibitions, interviews with artists, and demonstrations. Free. Ongoing.

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CALENDAR: AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2 Virtual Training & Group Fitness

YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South offers workouts for anyone to try at home. Visit website to join. Free. Ongoing. YMCAMEMPHIS.ORG.

M E ETI NGS

Chamber 101

Brief orientation and networking session with breakfast provided. Thurs., Aug. 27, 8:30 a.m. BARTLETT AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, 2969 ELMORE PARK (372-9457), BARTLETTCHAMBER.ORG.

Churches from the Presbytery of the MidSouth: Sunday Worship Livestream

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

L E CT U R E / S P EAK E R

“Our Symphony with Animals: The Psychology Between Human and Animal Bonds”

Join Hollywood Feed University and Dr. Aysha Akhtar to examine the rich humananimal connection and how interspecies empathy enriches our well-being. Free. Thurs., Aug. 27, 8 a.m., 12 & 5 p.m. HOLLYWOOD FEED, 5502 POPLAR (249-5691), HOLLYWOODFEED.COM.

TO U R S

Memphis Bike Tour

Explore the city and learn a little of its fascinating history along the way. Mon., Wed., Sat., Sun., 10 a.m. Through Aug. 31. BACKBEAT TOURS, 197 BEALE (1-866-392-BEAT).

Metal Museum Audio Tour

Explore the newly updated Sculpture Garden and accompanying audio tour while adhering to safe social distancing. PWYC. Ongoing, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Beer and Bagel Run

At the finish line, pick up a can of ice cold beer and an individually wrapped bagel. Enjoy the post-race music, food, and fun. Sat., Aug. 29, 9 a.m.-noon. WOLF RIVER GREENWAY, THE NEWEST SECTION OF THE MEMPHIS GREENWAY ON HUMPHREYS BLVD. (452-6500), BEERANDBAGEL.COM.

Forrest Spence Virtual 5K

Register to receive a race shirt, race bib, access to the interactive training group, access to a private Facebook page, and awards from the weekend. $15$25. Sat., Aug. 29. FORRESTSPENCEFUND.ORG.

Health and Wellness Series

Weekly healthy living programming streamed through Facebook live and other platforms to support ways to make a healthy lifestyle accessible for all. Free. Sat., Sun. Through Aug. 30. LEVITT SHELL, OVERTON PARK (272-2722), LEVITTSHELL.ORG.

Kroc Center Online Fitness Classes

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

METAL MUSEUM, 374 METAL MUSEUM DR. (774-6380).

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

Tours for Very Small Groups

Our Virtual Yoga Downtown

Elmwood Cemetery’s staff is ready to take you and your very small group on a tour around the grounds in groups of 9. Masks required. $5. Ongoing, 10 a.m. ELMWOOD CEMETERY, 824 S. DUDLEY (774-3212).

S P O RTS / F IT N ES S

Memphis 901 FC vs. Charlotte Independence Wed., Sept. 2, 7 p.m.

AUTOZONE PARK, THIRD AND UNION (721-6000), MEMPHIS901FC.COM.

Combined livestream worship. Visit website for more information and livestream link. Sun., 11 a.m. IDLEWILDCHURCH.ORG.

Read in Peace Book Club: Zoom Edition

Online meeting to discuss monthly book. Register for meeting invite. Proceeds benefit Elmwood Cemetery. $5. Ongoing, 5:30 p.m. ELMWOOD CEMETERY, 824 S. DUDLEY (774-3212).

Virtual-T

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.

The Best Gift Shop in Memphis! 901.497.9486 546 S Main St.

Gemstones ◊ CBD Products Jewelry ◊ Incense ◊ Books Tarot Readings ◊ Workshops Gifts and More!

Adult Virtual Trivia Nights

Each week will have a combination of themes focusing on neighborhoods. Sign up to receive the Zoom link and get ready to win prizes. $10. Thurs., 7 p.m. Through Aug. 27. MEMPHIS PINK PALACE MUSEUM, 3050 CENTRAL (636-2362), MEMPHISMUSEUMS.ORG.

#BeTheChange901

Learn how you can be the change and energize continuous collective action around creating opportunity for everyone in this community. Tues., Sept. 1, 9:01 a.m. UWMIDSOUTH.ORG.

Celebrate 168: The History of Elmwood Cemetery

Saturday Morning Meditation

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

CHURCH HEALTH CROSSTOWN, 1350 CONCOURSE AVE, CHURCHHEALTH.ORG.

Broom Closet

S P E C IA L E V E N TS

DOWNTOWNMEMPHIS.COM.

Unwind and refocus in the Church Health Meditation Garden with Greg Graber. No sign-up is required. Open to all levels. Wear a mask, bring a mat/cushion and hand sanitizer. Free. Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. Through Sept. 5.

THE

OUTMEMPHIS.ORG.

Online anniversary celebration featuring a presentation answering questions about Elmwood and personal staff stories via Zoom. $10. Thurs., Aug. 27, 6:30 p.m.

Join Charlie Baxter Hayden for yoga on IG Live, @downtownmemphis. Tues., 6 p.m.

Us!

Clear the Shelters

Adopt a dog or cat for only $20 in this nationwide campaign to clear the shelters. $20. Through Aug. 31. MEMPHIS ANIMAL SERVICES, 2350 APPLING CITY CV (636-1416), CLEARTHESHELTERS.COM.

continued on page 22

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Visit the Facebook page for live streaming with student instructors. Free. Ongoing.

Classical Creations in Quarantine, Sunday, August 30, 3 p.m., tnshakespeare.com

2020

Vote For

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

University of Memphis Theatre & Dance: Free Livestream Classes

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CALENDAR: AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 2

continued from page 21 Jammin’ for Pets

Save1Pet Benefit and silent auction featuring live music by Brad Webb & Friends, British Fog, Dave Bennett & New Generation Band, and others. $10. Sun., Aug. 30, 2-6 p.m.

A celebration of all things Memphis in a virtual forum. Free. Tues., Sept. 1, 4-7 p.m.

“Just for the Health of it Bingo Challenge”

NEW MEMPHIS INSTITUTE, 22 N. FRONT (527-4625), NEWMEMPHIS.ORG.

Each participant will receive a bingo card with challenges to complete. The activity will be posted on Facebook. For prizes, take a picture completing the activity and email it to ocantre1@utk.edu. Tuesdays, Thursdays.

Lunchtime Meditations with Amy Balentine

Explore a variety of meditation practices designed to help you find balance and reduce stress. Join live or enjoy past meditations online. Fridays, noon. DIXON.ORG.

Matching in Memphis: A Virtual Game Show Virtual game show featuring a panel of Memphis celebrities. Watch, match, and win live online. Thurs., 7 p.m. Through Aug. 27. CERRITOTRIVIA.COM.

August 27-September 2, 2020

Memphis: QueerAF!

Variety show with host Lisa Michaels brings LGBTQ+ performers from around the country to share their talents. 18+ $10. Last Saturday of every month, 9-11:30 p.m. Through Dec. 26.

The Memphis Flyer has created its first-ever coloring book filled with work by local artists and illustrators. Proceeds will be split 50/50 between the Flyer and the artists.

BLACK LODGE, 405 N. CLEVELAND (272-7744), LEGENDOFSHELDA.COM.

Outdoor Scavenger Hunts

Choose an outdoor familyfriendly scavenger hunt. A portion of the proceeds benefit HopeKids. $13-$40. Ongoing. LETSROAM.COM.

visit bit.ly/flyercoloringbook or call 901.521.9000.

ON SALE NOW

Virtual Exposure 901 Day

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM, 5727 QUINCE (682-2300), SAVE1PET.ORG.

EXTENSION.TENNESSEE.EDU.

Looking for a fun, relaxing activity to pass the hours at home? Want to support local journalism and local artists while you’re at it?

Beer and Bagel Run at the Wolf River Greenway, Saturday, August 29, 9 a.m.-noon

Prologistix Job Fair

Seeking qualified and skilled people to work immediately. Over 600 open positions for material handlers, forklift drivers, inventory clerks, and quality control. Visit website or an office between 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Through Aug. 31. PROLOGISTIX.COM.

FO O D & D R I N K EVE NTS

Canoes + Cocktails

Experience a sunset paddle on Hyde Lake followed by cocktails and snacks in a socially distant setting. Thurs., Fri., 7-9:30 p.m. Through Aug. 28. SHELBY FARMS PARK, 500 N. PINE LAKE (767-PARK).

The Generous Pour @ Home

Includes a Stölzle crystal wine glass per entree and a takehome guide, which unlocks access to private short films starring Dave Phinney. $28. Through Sept. 6. THE CAPITAL GRILLE, 6065 POPLAR (683-9291), THECAPITALGRILLE.COM.

The Link Up Memphis: Virtual Happy Hour Register on Eventbrite for a networking event sponsored by New Memphis. Thurs., Aug. 27, 7 p.m. MILTONMEMPHIS.COM.

Memphis Dawah Association: Mobile Food Pantry

A weekly mobile food pantry organized by Memphis Dawah Association and MidSouth Food Bank. Volunteer opportunities available. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. MEMPHIS DAWAH ASSOCIATION, 837 CRAFT (601-672-0259).

Virtual Cocktail How-Tos

Class will be led by Babalu’s drink master Michelle Laverty. $28. Thurs., Aug. 27, 7:15 p.m. BABALU TACO & TAPAS, 2115 MADISON (274-0100), EATBABALU.COM.

Virtual World Championship Hot Wing Contest

Crown a 2020 People’s Choice Champion by voting on Facebook. Hear from special guests while raising funds for Ronald McDonald House of Memphis. $15. Sat., Aug. 29, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. WORLDWINGFEST.COM.

F I LM

Dinosaurs of Antarctica 3D

Sat., 11 a.m. & 1 p.m., and Sun., 1 p.m. Through Aug. 30. CTI 3D GIANT THEATER, IN THE MEMPHIS PINK PALACE MUSEUM, 3050 CENTRAL (636-2362).

Indie Memphis Movie Club

Weekly virtual screening opportunities, plus online Q&As on Tuesday evenings between programmers and special guests. Ongoing. INDIEMEMPHIS.ORG.

Iris Movie Night at the Grove

Evening of film featuring Iris Orchestra concert performances from seasons past, and food trucks. $10. Sun., Aug. 30, 6 p.m. GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1801 EXETER (751-7500).

Jaws

A sheriff teams up with a marine biologist and an old seafarer to hunt down a man-eating shark. $9. Sat., Sun., 4 p.m. Through Aug. 30. CTI 3D GIANT THEATER, IN THE MEMPHIS PINK PALACE MUSEUM, 3050 CENTRAL (636-2362).

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.

Superpower Dogs 3D

Various showtimes. Theater is dark on Mondays. $9. Through Aug. 30, 2:30 p.m.

CTI 3D GIANT THEATER, IN THE MEMPHIS PINK PALACE MUSEUM, 3050 CENTRAL (636-2362).

The Wizard of Oz

“Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” Sat., Aug. 29, 6 p.m. GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1801 EXETER (751-7500).

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the “Thanksgiving Classic.” Now they find they must pay the price for their casually unleashed carnage. The young men feel real enough to reach out from the page and shake the reader. Jones’ horror is rooted in humanity, in the author’s surfeit of heart. His characters are flawed and unerringly human, defined by or in denial of their guilt, which is why it hurts so much to read their stories. “We’re from where we’re from,” Shaney, one of Lewis’ coworkers, tells him early in the novel. “Scars are part of the deal, aren’t they?” The line serves as a warning to the reader as well. Keep reading, if you dare, but be warned — in these pages, even the triumphs are tinged with tragedy. Denorah Cross Guns, Gabe’s driven, basketball ace of a daughter, gives the reader someone to root for — and some serious stakes. For the monsters in The Only Good Indians play by the old rules, and punishments are heaped upon innocent children as much as on their parents, the transgressors. Of late, Jones has been labeled the “Jordan Peele of horror literature,” and the moniker is earned as much for the overall strength of the work as for the social commentary within. If Peele’s Get Out was a masterwork — funny, frightening in ways both immediately visceral and creeping and intellectual, brilliantly composed — so is Jones’ most recent novel. His characters are natural. The book’s plot is a furious page-turner; its message, timely and potent. And The Only Good Indians works as well as a work of environmental horror, warning that to harm our home is to invite its revenge. Jones’ The Only Good Indians is heartbreaking, exciting, and terrifying in equal measure. It’s the clear frontrunner for my favorite book of the year — for its masterful execution, for its humanity and honesty, and because it has haunted me since I turned the last page.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

COURTESY STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES

n two mesmerizing marathon sessions, I read Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians (Saga Press) over the July 4th weekend. There could have been no better atmosphere for Jones’ literary horror novel of revenge, cultural identity, and tradition on a Blackfoot reservation. Amid nationwide calls to address racial inequities, President Donald Trump gathered a crowd of mostly white Americans at a once-sacred site to the Lakota Sioux, one promised to them in perpetuity, to deliver a pro-nationalist, jingoistic tirade against cancel culture. “Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate Stephen Graham our children,” the Jones president claimed, seemingly without realizing the irony of making that statement on that land. Erasure and indoctrination were exactly the fates of Native Americans. So perhaps I was primed to be rattled by Jones’ heartbreakingly powerful novel. Or maybe The Only Good Indians is just that damn good. The novel takes its name from what folklorist Wolfgang Mieder calls “particularly hateful invective” directed at the United States’ indigenous population, and that wry, dark humor informs the perspectives of the novel’s protagonists — four young members of the Blackfoot tribe. The men are irrefutably aware of the terrifying statistics that characterize the lives of so many like them. Their inner monologues are rife with remembered and imagined arrests, friends’ suicides, car crashes, and addiction. They know what society expects from them. Still, for all the social commentary and supernatural fright deftly woven into The Only Good Indians, it’s in the honest portrayal of his characters that Jones truly shines. Ten years ago, Ricky Bibs, Lewis A. Clarke, Gabriel Cross Guns, and Cassidy Thinks Twice went on an illegal elk hunt in the elders’ lands, what the quartet called

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August 27-September 2, 2020

CROSSTOWN ARTS

... is now accepting applications for 2021 artist residencies! Crosstown Arts offers multidisciplinary residencies to visiting and Memphis-based artists and curators working in any creative discipline including visual and performing arts, music, ﬁlm, and writing in all genres. Applications are due September 15.

Learn more and apply at crosstownarts.org

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City Tasting Box promotes local products.

hen her City Tasting Tours stopped because of the pandemic, Cristina McCarter decided to fight back. She began boxing. But not in the pugilism sense. She and Lisa Brown started City Tasting Box, featuring products ranging from barbecue sauce to popcorn — from “local restaurants and local food artisans,” McCarter says. City Tasting Box will begin shipping boxes to the public on 901 Day — September 1st. McCarter created City Tasting Tours four years ago. “It’s a food tour company where I will take people — visitors and locals alike — to different restaurants in Downtown Memphis,” she says. “They get to meet the chefs. I also share with them historical facts and landmarks of the city.” When COVID-19 hit, McCarter decided to “expand the City Tasting brand” a little farther. “I couldn’t do tours anymore.” City Tasting Box seemed like the perfect direction. “We can ship them nationwide and really put Memphis and its culinary scene on the map — and give people something they physically can taste.” She told her idea to Brown, who is with the Memphis Transformed nonprofit. “She really liked it. And she comes from more of a corporate background.” She could see the potential of one day making the business even bigger, “instead of just a local thing.” Brown appreciated McCarter wanting to help local restaurants. “I love the 901 push behind it all,” Brown says. “And it’s a smart way to create new business.” McCarter started with “those who already packaged their things, were already selling them in grocery stores.” Makeda’s Cookies butter cookies were first. “Then I thought about the farmers market and the other chefs I wanted to work with.” Other products found in City Tasting Boxes include Rendezvous barbecue sauce, Fry Me Up seasoning from Tamra “Chef Tam” Patterson of Chef Tam’s Underground Cafe, Grecian Gourmet Greek vinaigrette, The Commissary barbecue seasoning, Jacko’s Pepper Jelly mango pepper jelly, Pops Kernel Gourmet Popcorn sweet caramel popcorn, New Wing Order buffalo sauce, B Chill Lemonade, Nine Oat One granola, Cane

and Herb rosemary-infused simple syrup, Thistle and Bee honey, My Cup of Tea tea bags, and chef Justin Hughes’ Wooden Toothpick spicy peppercorn blend. “They were all very supportive of this,” McCarter says. “They saw this as another way to help with their revenues and get the word out. It’s a win-win for everyone.” “It’s a way to project their brand,” Brown adds. They now offer three boxes: the Official Memphis Travel Box ($74.99 for seven items), Support Local Box ($64.99, six items), and the Ultimate Support Local Box ($119.99, 12 items). Customers sometimes will get “little pieces of artwork” with their order, McCarter says. This month, the first 100 people who order the Memphis Travel Box and the first 50 who purchase the Ultimate Box will receive a Get ARCHd Memphis retro skyline wooden block. Cristina McCarter and Lisa Brown

McCarter began promoting the boxes in July. “I reached out to my City Tasting Tours audience and shared it with them. Then we started making local media posts: ‘Hey, we have this cool box coming. Stay tuned.’” They launched the idea August 14th. Though City Tasting Box is “exclusive to Memphis-made products — Shelby County, at least,” McCarter says, “We are thinking in the near future of expanding to other cities.” But, she says, “The market is going to always be growing here in Memphis. There are a bunch of food artisans out there that we haven’t approached.” Response has been great, Brown says: “Everyone is thrilled. The support has been amazing. People think this is such a great idea. It’s all about Memphis. You know how Memphians are. We love to tout. We want the whole world to know who we are.” For more information on City Tasting Box, go to citytastingbox.com.

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Like losing naptime when you graduate to first grade, you just don’t know what you’ve got until you’ve lost it. Then Mrs. M announced that the fella from Cash Saver had stepped in to buy it and wasn’t changing the name. The fella’s name is Rick James, by the way, and whether he knew it or not, he did exactly what P.C. had hoped for: kept it the same, but better. I’ll admit some selfishness here because I was hoping that he’d recreate that great whacking hall of beer they’ve got in Midtown. Did that, too, up to a point. Obviously, the Little Store is still pretty, well, little. You may not find some random Czech pilsner there, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a Memphis beer that isn’t on the shelf or in the cooler. And Memphis beer-can art is something to behold. To be sure, there are some solid non-local crafts to

choose from, as well as Budweiser and other summer cooler-stuffing brands. It is still the Little Store, but Memphis beer is the star of the show. And there is a lot to choose from. Since this foul year of our Lord went sideways, it’s been hard to keep up with the local craft scene because so much of it involved hanging around the taprooms, which have largely been closed. I’ve made a few attempts to turn my patio into a Murffhaus taproom, but it was just missing something — like other people (including that one guy who takes it a little too seriously) and that kid-in-acandy-shop selection on tap. I was pleasantly surprised at the simple variety being put out locally: standbys like Memphis Made’s Junt and Wiseacre’s Ananda, to newcomers like Beale Street Brewing’s 528hz of Love & Hoppiness. High Cotton has come out with its Oktoberfest, which, because this is Memphis, has a swine in lederhosen on the can. If memory serves, back in the spring October became our backup May before being re-canceled altogether. To recreate a rescheduled and re-canceled May, you can always grab a can of something local and go get barbecue takeout for every single meal for a long weekend and get roughly the same effect as Barbecue Fest. To recreate Music Fest, go to Rachel’s and buy enough garden statuary so that your backyard seems crowded, drink enough so that you think taking your shirt off is a good idea, and then listen to music you thought you liked but really don’t. It’s not a perfect fit, but it’ll do. For everything else that has gone away this year — crowded festivals and bars, schools, common sense, and an even remotely professional concern for personal appearance — the Little Store survived, the same just better. The local beer scene has managed to float along as well. That’s not by luck or government policy (or lack of). That’s just people sticking together through a really bad year. And if that’s not worthy of a toast, I don’t know what is.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

t was my friend P.C. Magness, the brain behind The Runaway Spoon, who said she hoped that someone would buy the old High Point Grocery and “keep it the same, only better.” True, that’s a tall, tricky order, but this is a lady who wrote a cookbook that actually makes you look forward to funeral food. So, anything is possible. As it happens, she got her wish. For anyone who has actually lived in the neighborhood, the small, ’50sera grocery store is almost always known as “the Little Store.” It was quaint, timeless, friendly, and convenient. It looked a little tired, sure, but it was such a fixture, the regulars ignored it. Even embraced it. Then COVID happened, and in April the Little Store closed with nearly everything else. With the lease coming up, and longtime owner C.D. Shirley eyeballing retirement, he made the decision not to reopen.

WE COULD USE YOUR HELP.

August 27-September 2, 2020

I’ve worked for Contemporary Media, Inc. since 2008, beginning as an intern for the Memphis Flyer. Still a senior at the University of Memphis at the time, and a huge Flyer fan, it was the absolute coolest job I could have hoped for. As an intern, I was able to learn from the company’s talented staff of writers and editors. Even better — for me, as a Mississippi Delta native who’d always dreamed of big-city life — through covering news and events, there were endless opportunities to learn more about Memphis from on the ground, by talking to community movers and shakers, artists, activists, entertainers, and leaders.

hrough the years, I’ve worked in various departments within the company — selling advertising, writing advertorial content and editorial features, editing, even taking the helm as “big-E” editor of one publication. Twelve+ years after my CMi journey began, I find myself back where my journalistic dream started, with the Flyer, now as managing editor. I picked up my first copy of the Memphis Flyer

SHARA CLARK Managing Editor

nearly 20 years ago as a fledgling writer — and an outspoken, screw-the-system teenager — on the Eagle Talon newspaper staff at Horn Lake High School in northern Mississippi. It gave me easy access to the big city that then felt worlds apart but lie just across the state line. In many ways, the paper’s voice — edgy, bold, and unapologetic — matched that of mine, even then. Today, it still represents the spirit and grit of the city and its people, covering the curious and quirky, the light and the dark. And it’s perhaps more important than ever to give a voice to the voiceless, tell the hard stories, do the deep digging — and to provide that work to the public for free. Through my work with the Flyer and other CMi pubs, I’ve gotten to know Memphis at its core — its humans, its hardships and successes, its scuffs and scrapes, its beauty. The stories I’ve helped tell, that came to life on the pages of these publications, are the stories of Memphis. There are many more to be told, and I look forward to — along with our outstanding team — sharing them with our readers.

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FILM By Chris McCoy

Desert One The inside story of the Iranian hostage crisis rescue mission.

Director Barbara Kopple scored an interview with President Jimmy Carter (above) for her new documentary, Desert One. political era of Islam. The theocracy scored its first big win when a group of Iranian students broke into the American embassy in Tehran and took 52 of the Marine guards and U.S. State Department diplomats prisoner. One of Kopple’s first big reveals, delivered in an interview with a female Iranian hostage-taker, was that Khomeini didn’t order the storming of the embassy — or as she calls it, the “spy’s nest.” The student activists did it on their own and were willing to release the hostages and withdraw if the Ayatollah ordered it. But Khomeini knew a winning hand when he saw one. President Jimmy Carter had no good options. As a former nuclear submarine officer, Carter was acutely aware of the cost of war. He was not about to risk a conflict that could kill hundreds of thousands over 52 hostages, at least not until diplomacy had been exhausted. The hostage crisis dragged on through the election year of 1980, and Carter’s charismatic challenger, Ronald Reagan, made hay of it at every opportunity. Finally, on April 24, 1980, Carter launched Operation Eagle Claw, a daring special forces mission to rescue the hostages. In Kopple’s interviews with the survivors of the operation, it becomes clear that the plan was more of a harebrained scheme. Using then-new night vision goggles, eight continued on page 28

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as emotionally affecting as Jones channeling the raw life force, but it is still a masterclass in documentary filmmaking. Kopple’s most beloved films are cinema verité — fly-on-the-wall camera with minimal or no narration — but Desert One is a traditional archival doc with talking head interviews, proving the director can do anything she wants. There are inflection points in history that loom larger as time goes on, and the 1979 Iran hostage crisis is one of them. In 1953, the United States and Great Britain, seeking to shore up a Cold War flank and ensure the steady flow of oil, orchestrated a coup in Iran that installed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as absolute ruler. The CIA became the Shah’s most active supporter, and in return the Shah kept the Soviet communists away from the crude. But the situation came to a head in 1979, when a revolution, led by the firebrand imam, Ayatollah Khomeini, deposed the Shah, beginning the modern

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

arbara Kopple is one of America’s greatest and most important documentary directors. She was the Maysles brothers’ assistant on Salesman and ran camera on their seminal Rolling Stones documentary Gimme Shelter. Her first film as sole director, Harlan County U.S.A., is a searing document of a Kentucky coal miners’ strike. Kopple kept her cameras rolling for a full year, as the strike spiraled into violence. The crew were beaten and shot at, and the self-described hippie took to carrying a gun. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1976, and was voted No. 24 in Sight & Sound magazine’s 2014 poll of best documentaries — ahead of both Gimme Shelter and Salesman. Kopple didn’t win an Oscar for 2015’s Miss Sharon Jones!, but it is a powerhouse of a film about the singer fighting for her art and life. I get chills just thinking about the scene when Jones, fresh from cancer surgery, returns to the church where she grew up to belt out a song from the bottom of her soul. Kopple’s latest film, Desert One, lacks a moment

FILM By Chris McCoy continued from page 27 helicopters and six heavy transport planes would fly more than 1,000 miles into Iran and establish a secret base in the desert. There, they would refuel the helicopters and fly Delta Force commandos to a second, secret mountain location. From there, they would be smuggled into Tehran, a city of 9 million people, in CIA-acquired trucks and simultaneously attack two different locations to liberate the hostages. Then, they would capture a soccer stadium, turn it into a heliport, and fly to an abandoned Air Force base, which yet another team of soldiers had presumably secured, and then fly to freedom in another set of transport planes. One soldier who was

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on the flight says he never thought they had a chance. The plan never got past step one. The landing at Desert One was a fiasco for the ages. Kopple recreates the stories of the men who were there using Iranian animators, and the effect is gripping. She uncovered secret recordings of transmissions and phone calls, but the biggest coup of all was getting an interview with Jimmy Carter, who had not spoken publicly about the operation since leaving office. The president comes across as a decent, intelligent man caught in an unwinnable situation. The cost of his loss in the desert, and the subsequent loss to Reagan, is still being measured. Desert One is streaming on the Indie Memphis Movie Club.

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The American education system essentially collapsed five months ago. With zero leadership from Betsy “Privatize It” DeVos and student debt hovering at $1.5 trillion, we’re not returning to business as usual in any form of education in the nation, including higher education. In 1847, City College (New York) was founded as a free public college designed to educate the sons of the proletariat, and later the sons of immigrants. It was free, and pushed forward the nation’s foundational story of social advancement based on merit and study. Though women were not admitted until 1930, City College provided opportunity for bright, ambitious folks including Jonas Salk, Colin Powell, and too many others to mention here. Now, students, their parents, and society are questioning the efficaciousness of carrying $1.5 trillion of collective student debt. The following presents suggestions for ways forward as we reenvision an educational system that does not tie students down in debt but frees them to pursue their future. First, we have to make sure public education is excellent and affordable. Higher education cannot be the domain of the wealthy — all kids who aspire to college should have the opportunity to attend. College is really not so complex. It consists, essentially, of two parts: students and faculty. But we’ve made it enormously complicated by turning some colleges into luxury, all-inclusive cruise ships with astounding administrative overhead — administrative costs that have to be paid by the students and their families. Colleges need to return to focusing on education and not a competition to produce the most bougie dorm rooms. Second, state and local governments must make funding post-secondary education a priority. The shift to building “amenities” is logical, as private (and public) schools compete for the dollars of those who can afford to pay full tuition. Why the drive to compete for these dollars? Because funding for public schools by local and state governments over the past 30 years per enrolled student has dropped by 25 percent. In Tennessee, for example, state government funding of higher education has fallen by nearly 14 percent on a per-student basis since 2008. To ensure the best quality affordable education for our students, state governments must fund at a rate that keeps pace with enrollment. Third, Hispanics (Latinx students) represent about 28 percent of all K-12 students, nearly twice the number from 25 years ago. Hispanics make up about 19 percent of the United States population, on their way to a projected 30 percent in 30 or 40 years. Millions of these kids are going to need to go to college, but Hispanic median income (using figures from 2016) is about 20 percent less than the national average. Thus, we need to figure out a way to fund education for kids who represent the future of this country, since excellent, affordable higher education is critical to our future as a strong, competitive, and socially atpeace nation. Florida International University in Miami offers a model for all of us. It’s a majority minority public campus of 58,000 students. The annual in-state tuition is $6,500! FIU is a strong university with an excellent faculty and a deep connection to the local community. It feels a little like a modern, tropical City College; it’s not free, but $3,200 per semester is manageable for most, and with loans and grants, it’s an accessible higher education option. Closer to home, our friends at Christian Brothers University here in Memphis have prioritized education of the working class, a tradition since the order’s foundation in 17th century France. While tuition there is not cheap, specific targeted funds are provided to support DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students at the college, and they recently posted an ad to hire an advising and retention coordinator to focus on the unique needs of students studying as DACA recipients. CBU’s focus on enrolling those most in need should be the norm among colleges. While the current pandemic has exposed the tenuous financial footing of many colleges and universities, the good news is the crisis could allow for dramatic change in an arena where so much room for growth and change exists. Much of that change must involve our willingness to rethink how higher education is funded, who gets access to higher education, and how we as a society take actual ownership of educating the next generations. We might have to pay more taxes. We might have to be more welcoming to immigrants. We might have to go back to some education basics. Bryce Ashby is a Memphis-based attorney and the Board Chair of Latino Memphis. Michael LaRosa teaches history at Rhodes College.

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TUT-UNCOMMON ANTIQUES 421 N. Watkins St. 278-8965

ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES 21,000 sq ft. 100 + booths • 5855 Summer Ave. (corner of Summer and Sycamore View ) exit 12 off I‑40 | 901.213.9343 Mon‑Sat 10a‑6p | Sun 1p‑6p

1500 sq. ft. of Vintage & Antique Jewelry. Retro Furniture and Accessories. Original Paintings, Sculpture, Pottery, Art & Antiques. We are the only store in the Mid-South that replaces stones in costume jewelry.

WE BUY RECORDS 45’S, 78’S, LP’S

Don’t “give them away” at a yard sale We Pay More Than Anyone Large Quantities No Problem Also Buying Old Windup Phonographs Call Paul 901-734-6111

$CASH 4 JUNK CARS$

Non‑Operating Cars, No Title Needed.

901-691-2687

We carry a variety of CBD products. Full Spectrum oil, sprays, skin care, and even CBD for Pets. Find us at Foozie Eats Clark Tower 5100 Poplar Blue Suede Do’s iBank Building 5050 Poplar Oothones 410 N Cleveland St or online at simplyhemp.shop 901-443-7157