It’s been a minute since I’ve written in this space, dear readers. Time both drags and zips by, and I hope you’ve all been well in the interim. For anyone who has followed my columns since April when I broke my foot, I’m excited to report that I’m walking again — without training wheels, so to speak. I ditched the orthopedic boot a month or so ago. I battled with and lost to the ankle brace — it was uncomfortable and none of my shoes t over it, so it was sent to early retirement.
e wheelchair and walkers have been locked in the vaults of my mind, a memory I hope to never revisit (except when I return those items to their rightful owners — thanks for the borrow, y’all!). I’ve nished week four of physical therapy, and I’m able to walk — in supportive shoes — with minimal pain.
SHARA CLARK
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I say minimal. It still hurts, but compared to what I’ve endured since spring, this stage is a walk in the park. ere’s nerve damage — a constant dull burn and numbness. My foot still swells if I’m up and about, even around the house, for more than a few minutes. And there are ligaments that feel like tight rubber bands pulling toward a snap with each step. I can’t seem to walk down a set of stairs — my foot doesn’t want to work that way — but I can walk up them.
I was thinking about a form I lled out at my last physical therapy appointment. It asked to rate things like putting on socks and shoes or walking a mile on a 1 to 5 scale of difculty. I answered “little di culty” or “no di culty” on a few items, which, in hindsight, I still have quite a bit of di culty doing. But as I gave each task a score, I was mentally comparing them to how I felt two or three months ago. e fact that I can even do these things feels like a miracle now. (Still no hopping, jogging, or running, which all received a sidescribbled “N/A” on the scale.)
Another miracle is that I’ve gotten back to my almost-daily ritual neighborhood walks. ose sacred meditations in motion where I can see the seasons change in the leaves, admire the sunlight shimmering across puddles, feel the cooler breeze against my skin. It seems I missed all of summer stuck inside mostly immobile, and my body knows it. My muscles have had to put in extra work just to be upright — my back, shins, and calves aching from a measly mile walk. But I’m gradually adding more distance, more time with shoes to pavement, taking care not to overdo it.
On a recent stroll, crisp leaves scattered the sidewalk in little cyclones, and the wind bent branches on decades-old trees towering overhead. I stopped, as I always have, to photograph owers and butter ies and sprouts peeking through cement cracks. I spoke to my favorite old neighborhood dog, who, although she acknowledged me with a side-eye from her lounging spot in the yard, was too cozy in a sunning session to be bothered to rise and greet me. My lungs were full of fresh air and my soul lled with gratitude. For a while I walked with one earbud in listening to quiet tunes, but then there was a louder sound. Not the whir of speeding cars on the nearby thoroughfare or the chatter of neighbors conversing on their front lawn. It was a pulsing in my ear — my heartbeat. I paused the music and listened to my body’s life force, felt the drumming in unison with my steps. Reminding me that the past — that held so much pain — is gone. at my body — this extraordinary machine — is mending as it should. at this aching — this ring of blood and muscles — is necessary to fully heal. at my internal drum — pounding as I march ahead — forges on. As the last long sighs of summer give breath to fall, this path — right now (right now, right now) — is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Shara Clark shara@memphis yer.com
PHOTO: SHARA CLARK A bit of nature
THE fly-by
MEM ernet
Memphis on the internet.
e MEMernet celebrated some huge (and hilarious) anniversaries recently. Let’s have a look back.
SAUCY SITUATION
e MEMernet was obsessed this time two years ago with a truck accident that spilled enough Bertolli Alfredo sauce to temporarily close I-55.
#NOTMYJOB
{WEEK THAT WAS By
Flyer staff
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Edited by Toby Sells
Black Business, Coletta, & Snakes
Black Chamber of Memphis, a new riverfront leader, and a breakthrough at the Memphis Zoo.
BLACK BUSINESS
e Black Business Association of Memphis (BBA), a 50-year-old organization founded by Black merchants with the intent to support African-American business owners in their endeavors through advocacy, is looking to expand their vision and purpose.
BBA will take on a “chamber of commerce” model and will now be known as the Black Chamber of Memphis.
POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY
Richie EsQuivel’s sad/ hilarious Facebook post went around the world this time last year, picked up by WMCTV, e Guardian, and the New York Post. His photo showed a dead raccoon painted over by a road crew laying new tra c stripes along Getwell. It raised so many questions, but one thing was clear to EsQuivel. It was “#notmyjob,” he wrote. “Memphis, Tennessee, baby. But Getwell Road looked real nice, tho.”
#BUTTHOLEGATE
e Buttholegate scandal was born seven years ago last month and internet scientists have yet to calculate the cumulative hours sunk into the hilarious, Memphis-only rabbit hole. For details, grab a snack and search #buttholegate. en, #neverforget.
COLETTA STEPS DOWN
Carol Coletta announced she will step down as CEO of the Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP) and the board will soon begin a nationwide search for her successor.
Coletta, a Memphis native, has helmed the organization since 2018. During her time, the group completed four major projects — River Garden, Fourth Blu Park, River Line, and Tom Lee Park. Together, the projects totaled more than $80 million. Coletta told MRPP board members those projects were delivered “on budget and on time.”
“We have done amazing work together,” she said. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to work with you, our fantastic team, and our generous donors to begin the work of making a riverfront worthy of our magni cent river.”
SNAKE BREAKTHROUGH
Scientists at the Memphis Zoo announced last week that they — for the rst time in the world — successfully produced the rst reptile o spring using frozen semen and arti cial insemination.
e team achieved the feat through its work to preserve the Louisiana pinesnake. To do it, the scientists collected, froze, and later thawed semen, which was then used to successfully inseminate a female Louisiana pinesnake.
METAL MUSEUM PROJECT BEGINS
Metal Museum o cials broke ground last week in Overton Park to renovate the former Memphis College of Art building for the museum’s new home.
e designs are complete, and construction is ready to begin, with a projected completion date of 2026.
“We’re restoring the 350-seat auditorium,” said Krissy
Buck Flickinger, senior associate architect with LRK, a Memphis rm working on the project. “We’re reimagining the library and the cafe space. … And we’re letting the once art studio spaces live on as art gallery spaces. … And the second vital piece to this project is the addition of the innovative metalworking facility with its own expressive design that draws inspiration from and complements Rust Hall.” e museum’s current site at 374 Metal Museum Drive will eventually be converted into a space to host an artist-inresidence program, as well as an events space.
SEN. TAYLOR DOXXES DEFENDANT
A West Tennessee prosecutor has requested a state investigation into a Memphis senator for allegedly breaking state law by posting documents online containing a defendant’s personal information, possibly a er obtaining it from the Gibson County Sheri ’s O ce.
District Attorney General Fred Agee said he led a complaint with the Comptroller’s O ce and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, asking them to investigate whether Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) put information on X showing a man’s birth date and Social Security number, which would be a Class B misdemeanor accompanied by nearly six months in jail.
Taylor said he replaced the documents with redacted versions once he discovered the originals had been “passed around more than a joint at a Willie Nelson concert.” Tennessee Lookout contributed to this report.
Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.
e Memphis Zoo demonstrates potential in reptile conservation; the Metal Museum takes next step in renovating its new home in Overton Park.
{ CITY REPORTER
By Kailynn Johnson
MATA Budget Crisis
Groups
Riders and citizens are calling on city leaders to intervene regarding the e ects of the Memphis Area Transit Authority’s (MATA) newest budget.
ese comments come days a er the $67 million budget was approved unanimously by the agency’s board of commissioners. Prior to the approval, interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin and her team had been open about how the budget would a ect both riders and personnel with routes being suspended and more than 200 employees being laid o .
While MATA had been vocal about these proposed changes, this didn’t make it easier for the public to accept, and groups are calling on the city to intervene. In a statement released by the Moral Budget Coalition, Bennett Foster, executive director of Memphis For All, said these changes will a ect “tens of thousands of Memphians,” and the city “has the power to prevent that.”
late. If MATA is cutting their employees in half, cutting their service by 30 percent, we’re gonna lose access to federal funds; we could lose formula funds that match our budget and we’re gonna get into a debt spiral.”
e public also made comments during this month’s meeting. One attendee said they didn’t agree that the agency was out of options for revenue and suggested that the city tax airplane passengers, real estate transactions, and football and basketball tickets, as well as o ering Beale Street transportation.
“If you don’t think this is a desperate situation, I’m telling you it is,” the attendee said.
Funding has long been an issue for MATA since the pandemic. During last Tuesday’s board meeting, Mauldin stressed this saying that the agency struggled to receive consistent funding since CARES funds ran out.
“Chronic underfunding has already led to reduced transit services, hitting hardest in majority Black neighborhoods that depend on public transportation the most,” Foster said in a statement. “ is situation jeopardizes public safety, economic mobility, and racial justice. Enhancing MATA is not only vital for connecting residents to jobs, healthcare, and education — it is also crucial for the economic growth and overall quality of life in Memphis.”
e Moral Budget Coalition has asked for Mayor Paul Young and the Memphis City Council to allocate at least $20 million to MATA. ey have several recommendations such as increasing property taxes, re-allocating portions of rainy day funds, and increasing vehicle registration.
MATA o cials have noted that the city has historically been their primary funding source. During this year’s budget season, Memphis City Council allocated $30 million for Fiscal Year 2025. It was also during this budget season that ofcials said they would be more involved in MATA’s budget moving forward.
Members of the coalition spoke about how citizens are dependent on public transit for their transportation needs. Foster said the city is primarily responsible for maintaining transit service, and that he felt MATA had not been a priority in current and previous administrations.
“We are here to make sure that cycle of chronic disinvestment in public transit and public services begins and ends here,” Foster said. “If we don’t take action now, it’ll be too
“MATA has operated for a number of years without any increases in the amount of operating funds made available to it,” Hamish Davidson, external CFO of J.S. Held LLC, said during last Tuesday’s meeting. “It has managed to survive and indeed grow beyond its means through the provision of the CARES Act funds made available post Covid.”
Davidson said MATA cannot sustain itself without the increase of funds, and they receive 95 percent of their funding from federal, state, and local funds. e other 5 percent comes from advertising and farebox revenue. Davidson said that historically funding has not stayed static, but it has reduced with no regard to in ation, and that the last two budgets were de cit budgets.
In addition to rising operating costs a majority of MATA’s costs stem from employee compensation and bene t packages. Davidson also said they have reached a new collective bargaining agreement for union members.
PHOTO: JUSTIN FOX BURKS More than 200 employees have been laid o .
CARRY NARCAN
POLITICS By Jackson Baker
Showdown!
City and state seem headed for serious con ict over the gun issue.
It is no accident that many savants in the legal/political universe regard the 1962 Baker v. Carr decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to be second to none among landmark judicial decisions.
is decision was brought on by a suit from Charles Baker, chairman of what was then the Shelby County Court, precursor of the present Shelby County Commission. On behalf of Shelby County, rapidly urbanizing at the time, as was the nation as a whole, Baker sought relief from undemocratic districting guidelines imposed by the state of Tennessee that unduly favored the state’s rural population.
e court held in essence that the Fourteenth Amendment required that the principle of one person-one vote be applied in the determination of legislative district lines.
While the decision had immediate and lasting repercussions on determining matters of voter eligibility, both in Tennessee and elsewhere in the nation, it has by no means eliminated gerrymandering based on partisan politics (e.g. witness the Republican legislative supermajority’s strip-mining away of Democratic Party rights in Nashville’s Fi h Congressional District), nor has it much diminished the edgy relationship between urban and rural interests in policy-making.
e latter issue has ared up again in the quarrel over whether Memphis voters should be allowed to vote their preference on several gun-control measures embedded in a referendum proposed by the city council but now endangered by the action of the county Election Commission in removing it from the November ballot.
In so acting, the Election Commission — dominated 3-2 by GOP members according to state mandate — has clearly responded to overt threats from the state’s Republican leadership to withhold from the city some $78 million in state revenues, if the referendum should go through as scheduled.
is was some of the “sti resistance” promised by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, who articulated things this way: “Local governments who want to be progressive and evade state laws will lose shared sales tax funding.” e speaker likened the city’s referendum plans to “subversive attempts to adopt sanctuary cities [and] allow boys in girls’ sports.”
Some Memphians were expressing concern that the state’s retribution could
also be visited on various large local projects dependent on previously pledged state subsidies, like those involving the zoo, FedExForum, and Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
It is worth recalling the actual import of the endangered referendum, authorized earlier by the council’s unanimous vote. In the words of its chief sponsor Councilman Je Warren, “Memphis voters will be asked whether they approve amending the city’s charter to require a handgun permit, restrict the storage of guns in vehicles in many cases, ban assault weapons sales a er January 1, 2025, and enact extreme risk protection orders, sometimes called Red Flag Laws.”
All the referendum would do is solicit voter opinion, it would seem. Sexton chooses to see it otherwise, as a direct challenge to state authority.
Whichever interpretation is correct, the ongoing confrontation between city and state over a host of policy matters, of which gun safety is only one, is rising to fever pitch, as evidenced the rhetoric employed last week by Council Chair JB Smiley and various supportive council members, who announced their intent to sue the Election Commission to reinstate the ballot measure.
“Memphis has been shot and is bleeding out,” said Councilwoman Jerri Green. “We won’t back down, and we damn sure won’t be bullied,” proclaimed Smiley.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young meanwhile seemed to be trying to position himself at the nonexistent calm center, saying he understood the council’s “frustration” but expressing the view that the referendum ultimately would be “futile.”
PHOTO: CITY OF MEMPHIS JB Smiley
By Bruce VanWyngarden
A New Season
Women have the power to set things right.
“All the months are crude experiments, out of which the perfect September is made.”
— Virginia Woolf
We began September in Memphis with our annual holiday. No, not Labor Day. Sure, we celebrate that, but so does the rest of the country. I’m talking about the fact that here in the Blu City we have in recent years begun celebrating “901 Day” on September 1st, a ri on our 901 area code. It’s grown to include a great many celebrations around town, from Beale Street to breweries to parks and music venues. One presumes a good time was had by all this year, even if there was a bit of intermittent rain to dodge.
internet addiction, but it’s so di cult, especially when the source of our distraction — our phone — is always close at hand. Looking around the optometrist’s o ce the other day, I noted there were 19 people, 18 of whom were looking at their phone. e other guy was probably blind. e problem is that we’ve learned that there is always a reward of sorts waiting for us when we swipe open our dinging little pocket pals: “likes” on our social media posts, a fresh email from a friend, a nudge from our favorite news app, a game to nish, and, of course, the sweet, cocaine-like buzz of con rmation bias and righteous indignation.
e woman hath too many cats.
September also marks the end of summer here in the 901. Even though we’re still a few weeks away from the true end of the heat, the signs of autumn are there if you look. On my morning walk in the Old Forest of Overton Park on Monday, leaves were beginning to ll the wooded trails, wet and so underfoot — the gold palms of the tulip poplars, the brown- ngered oak fall — their presence no doubt triggered by the recent dry spell, but unmistakable harbingers of the change to come, nonetheless.
Summer’s end always brings mixed feelings. And the seasons change faster now, or so it seems as I blossom into codger-hood. But everything is faster for everybody these days. According to folks who study such things, we’re wiring ourselves that way. I listened to a podcast last week about the decline of the human attention span. e average person checks the internet more than 100 times a day — scanning emails, various websites, news sources, and social media feeds. I’ve never counted, but I suspect I’m in that neighborhood, at least.
I’m trying to be conscious about my
We progressives savor the latest absurdities from MAGA-land like gooey chocolate-chip cookies, fresh from the oven: Did you read that Donald Trump changed his stance on abortion four times in 48 hours? Did you see that he reposted vile, misogynistic, sexual tweets about Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton?! Did you read that he had the nerve to announce that his administration will be the “greatest ever” for women?! OMG!
And then there’s Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance. What a piece of anti-feminine work this guy is. Seldom does a day pass when he is not saying something more Neanderthal-ish about women than he did the day before. e creepy would-be veep has made it clear, over and over again, that he thinks women are put here on Earth only to have children until they can’t anymore. And when they reach menopause, their role is to help raise their grandchildren. It’s their biological destiny, don’t you know? Childless career women are frustrated and angry because “they passed the biological period when it was possible to have children.” ey are “miserable people who have no real value system,” and “struggle to nd meaning in their lives.” Also, they have cats. Also, childless people shouldn’t be allowed to be teachers.
And on it goes, day a er day. irty days hath September, and 31 hath October, and ve hath November until the Day of Reckoning. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” wrote English playwright William Congreve in 1697. ere’s a reason that saying has stayed in the English language lexicon for 327 years, and methinks Donald Trump and J.D. Vance and the rest of their clueless GOP enablers are about to nd out why.
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Funding Your 401(k)
Are you contributing enough?
If you’re making regular contributions to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), congratulations! You’re taking steps toward a more secure nancial future. However, even those who participate in a 401(k) plan may worry they’re not contributing enough to achieve their retirement goals.
Unfortunately, as with so many nancial planning challenges, there’s no single guideline to ensure you’re putting enough aside. Even if you have an idea of the dollar amount you’ll need to comfortably retire, the amount you need to save varies based on a wide range of factors, including when you start investing, your portfolio allocation, market events, lifestyle goals, spending habits, in ation, etc.
A general rule of thumb is to invest 15 percent of your income in a retirement account, but your exact savings requirements may di er widely from that number. Rather than focusing on a speci c percentage, consider implementing the following tips to help maximize your employer-sponsored retirement plan bene ts.
3. Increase your contributions by 1 to 2 percent each year.
Once you’re contributing enough to receive your full employer match, consider increasing your contributions each year or whenever you receive a raise. Even a 1 to 2 percent annual increase can have a big impact on your savings over time, and you’re unlikely to even notice the impact on your take-home pay.
4. Diversify your contribution types. Many employer-sponsored retirement plans o er the option of contributing to a traditional (pre-tax) 401(k) or a Roth (a er-tax) 401(k).
• Traditional 401(k) contributions provide the bene t of lowering your taxable income during the year in which they’re made. However, these assets and their earnings are taxed as ordinary income when you withdraw them in retirement.
Once you are retired and reach a certain age, the IRS requires you begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your pre-tax retirement accounts. ese withdrawals are subject to ordinary income tax.
1. Start contributing early. Thanks to the power of compound interest, it’s typically more advantageous to start contributing to a 401(k) as early as possible, even if you’re only able to commit to a small amount.
2. Maximize your employer match. If someone offered to give you $3,000 each year with no strings attached, would you take it? Of course you would! Yet many people pass up retirement savings opportunities by not contributing enough to their 401(k) to receive the full value of their employer’s matching contribution. That’s essentially saying no to “free” money.
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• Roth 401(k) contributions don’t provide an immediate tax bene t, but assets can be withdrawn without federal income tax as long as you’ve reached age 59.5 and held the account for at least ve years.
In addition, Roth 401(k) contributions aren’t subject to RMDs, which means your assets can continue growing within the account throughout retirement.
Contributing a portion of your retirement savings to both types of accounts o ers a combination of tax bene ts, including:
• An opportunity to lower your current taxable income when you’re in a high tax bracket by making pre-tax contributions
• Flexibility and tax-planning opportunities in retirement that allow you to draw from accounts with di erent tax treatments, based on your changing needs, market conditions, and tax exposure.
Gene Gard, CFA, CFP, CFT-I, is a Partner and Private Wealth Manager with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest Registered Investment Advisory rms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s nancial life are working together. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.
Whether you’re looking to update your current home or you’ve found your forever home, we can help. Contact us today or apply online for mortgages, home equity loans, and home equity lines of credit.
PHOTO: KENNY ELIASON | UNSPLASH
The festivities of the season have already begun. Fa Fairs & Festivals
COVER STORY
By Abigail Morici
Along with the change in temperatures (or, really just the changes in the calendar) comes the return of fairs and festivals. Yes, that means your favorites are back, but so are some new ones, and maybe some that just haven’t been on your radar. Don’t worry, babe, we’ve got you covered here in this guide.
SEPTEMBER
Orion Free Concert Series
I don’t know why you say “Goodbye,” I say “Shello, shello, shello,” to the Orion Free Concert Series’ lineup of free concerts. Overton Park Shell, various dates in September and October
Delta Fair & Music Festival is festival is a fair shot at a great time, with games, rides, and all your fair classics. Agricenter International, through September 8
30 Days of Opera irty days of free opera? at’s music to my ears. And surely it’s music to
your ears, too.
Various locations, through September 30
Germantown Festival
Weenies are all the rage at the Germantown Festival, where the annual dachshund race takes place along with arts and cra s, rides and games, live stage entertainment, car exhibits, and more.
Germantown Civic Club Complex, September 7-8
Goat Days Festival
If loving goats is baaaaad, I don’t want to be good. A er all, the Goat Days Festival
is all for the love of the goat, with a goat beauty pageant and a goat show, plus some non-goat activities.
Millington Sports Complex, September 7
Medical District Wellness Festival
Well, well, well, what do we have here?
A wellness festival with heath-focused activities, community outreach, and live entertainment.
Morris Park, September 7
Southern Heritage Classic Cultural Celebration
Sure, there’s the rivalry football game be-
tween Arkansas-Pine Blu and Tennessee State, but there’s also a ton of non-football events to check out, from the parade to an exhibit at the National Civil Rights Museum to a concert starring Tamia & Joe.
Various Locations, September 12-14
Mighty Roots Music Festival
Might I interest you in a mighty good time? Full lineup at mightyrootsmusicfestival.com.
Stovall, MS, September 13-14
Cooper-Young Festival
At the corner of Happy and Healthy — wait this isn’t Walgreens — at the corner of Cooper and Young is the festival where happiness and a healthy amount of art, music, and cra s ourishes.
Cooper-Young Historic District, September 14
Memphis Fitness Fest
You’re gonna want to t this festival into your schedule. It’ll have workouts, nutrition insights, inspiring speakers, a marketplace, and more.
Ambishun Fitness, September 14
Mid-Autumn Festival
Celebrate the beauty of Asian culture with live music, traditional lion dance
PHOTO: COURTESY MEMPHIS YOGA FESTIVAL Memphis Yoga Festival
PHOTO (BELOW):
COURTESY SOUTHERN HERITAGE CLASSIC
Southern Heritage Classic
performances, a fashion show, and more. Crosstown Concourse, September 14
Memphis Yoga Festival
It’s not a stretch to say that this festival will have all the yoga you could ever dream of. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, September 15
Mid-South Fair
Life isn’t fair, but life is better when there’s a fair around. e Mid-South Fair is a prime example, with rides, entertainment, and the best fair fare. Landers Center, September 19-29
Memphis Greek Festival
Celebrate this fest’s 65th anniversary with Greek food, free Greek dancing lessons, vendors, and more.
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, September 20-21
Oktoberfest(s)
Listen, I’m going to be real with you: ere are several Oktoberfests happening around town, and for me to write each one out and give them their own little blurb is just soooo much work. So here’s a short list because not to include any Oktoberfest would be a disservice to you, my reader.
• Oktoberfest | Soul & Spirits, September 21
• Wiseacre Oktoberfest | Wiseacre Brewing Company, September 28
• Zootoberfest | Memphis Zoo, every Saturday and Sunday in October
• Oktoberfest | Grind City Brewing Company, October 5
• Crosstober Fest | Crosstown Brewing Company, October 12
• Overton Square Oktoberfest | Overton Square, October 12
Fantasy Faire
Once upon a time, in a faraway land called Cordova, a library hosted a fantasythemed fair, with a story time, local artists and vendors, demonstrations by the Memphis Armored Fight Club, a costume contest, cra s, games, and more. Cordova Library, September 21
51st Annual Pink Palace Cra s Fair
In the words of the great Chappell Roan, I’m gonna keep on dancing at the Pink Palace Cra s Fair. (I’m pretty sure those are the lyrics.) With a petting zoo, choo choo train ride for the kids, artist demos, live music, food trucks, and more than 125 master cra speople and artists, everyone will nd something to dance to. Audubon Park, September 27-29
8th Annual Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series: e Comedy of Errors
You make me want to shout! Shout Shakespeare, that is. is year’s Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series features e Comedy of Errors
Outdoor stages throughout West Tennessee and indoors at TSC, September 27-October 20
Tambourine Bash
Music Export Memphis presents a night of Memphis music collaborations you won’t soon forget.
Overton Park Shell, October 10
Soul of the City
Romance isn’t dead, but the residents at Elmwood Cemetery are. Yet this year’s Soul of the City won’t let their love stories die, as crowd-favorite characters regale you with tales of passion, devotion, longing, and a dash of heartbreak and scandal.
Elmwood Cemetery, October 11-12
Edge Motorfest
Memphis Bacon & Bourbon Festival Bacon, good. Bourbon, good. Memphis Bacon & Bourbon Festival, very good. Metal Museum, September 20
High Point Arts Fair
I’ll get straight to the point: artists, artisans, cra s people, and food. e Point, September 21
Inaugural Memphis Pizza Festival
Take another little piece of my heart now, baby, but don’t you dare take another little piece of my pizza, especially at the inaugural Memphis Pizza Festival, where local makers will make all types of pizzas.
Agricenter International, September 21
Latin Fest
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with live Latin music, Latin food and drinks, activities for kids, and vendors. Overton Square, September 21
Memphis Comic Expo
is expo shines a spotlight on artists and writers in the world of comics, bringing the best local and regional talent.
Agricenter International, September 26-27
Gonerfest 21
Oh, yeah, you’re gonna wanna go to this fest with a unique and wide-ranging bill from Memphis and around the world.
Railgarten, September 26-29
ird Annual Memphis Black Child
Book Fair
Promote literacy with authors from across the country and 100 Black Women of Memphis.
Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, September 28
OCTOBER
Bartlett Festival
Expect music, arts and cra s, a car
show, children’s activities, a barbecue contest, a 5K, and more.
W.J. Freeman Park, October 4-5
Black Arts & Wine Festival
Experience visual art by Black creatives and sample wines and liquors from Black brands.
Museum of Science & History, October 5
Mempho Music Festival
Headliners Jack White, Trey Anastasio & Classic Tab, and Cody Jinks will take the stage for this festival.
Radians Amphitheater, Memphis Botanic Garden, October 4-6
V&E Greenline Artwalk
You can talk the talk, but can you walk the Artwalk? Yeah, you can! e event is full of artist booths, entertainment, children’s activities, artist demonstrations, and more.
V&E Greenline, October 5
Wine on the River Memphis
Jesus didn’t turn water into wine for nothing, so drink up at the Wine on the River where you can sample wine from national and international vineyards.
Tom Lee Park, October 5
King Biscuit Blues Festival
Hear ye, hear ye, King Biscuit Blues Festival is back for its annual three-day event, complete with lots of blues music — on six stages.
Helena, AR, October 9-12
Vrooom, vrooom, MFers (read: Memphis Flyer readers). You’ll be on the edge of your seat as more than 150 cars compete for 25 di erent awards.
Edge Motor Museum, October 12
Paint Memphis 2024
Sometimes making plans can be a paint in the butt, but when Paint Memphis is happening, you’re painted in a corner ’cause you gotta go. A hundred or so artists will be painting murals all day long and it’s a spectacle to behold.
Willet and Lamar, October 12
Ska-Tober Fest 2024
What even is ska? Find out at this fest. Meddlesome Brewing Company, October 12
Memphis Pickle Fest is fest will tickle your pickle with picklethemed drinks and pickle-themed food. Growlers, October 13
Deep Blues Festival
Hopelessly devoted to the blues? is festival is for you. It goes deep. Clarksdale, MS, October 17-20
Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival is one is for the players and the play lovers. Enjoy screenings, lectures, and performances.
Clarksdale, MS, October 17-19
Fall Fest
Bene ting Room in the Inn, this festival will have live music including a performance by 38 Special, a barbecue contest, a cash ra e giveaway, a car show, vendor fair, food truck fair, carnival, and more.
St. Brigid Catholic Church, October 18-19
Wolf River Conservancy Fall Fest
Take part in an arboretum scavenger hunt, meet some creepy crawly critters, participate in a costume parade, and more.
Wolf River Greenway, Shady Grove Trailhead, October 18
Spirit Fest
Don’t get too spirited away at this metaphysical and holistic expo.
Agricenter International, October 19-20
PHOTO: COURTESY EDGE MOTOR MUSEUM Edge Motorfest
PHOTO: COURTESY HEMLINE RiverArtsFest
Cooper-Young Beerfest
Beer me, this festival brings all your favorite regional breweries to town.
Midtown Autowerks, October 19
RiverArtsFest
Ain’t no river wide enough, to keep me from getting to RiverArtsFest, the largest juried artist market and urban festival in the Mid-South.
Downtown Memphis, October 19-20
Memphis Tequila Festival
If tequila makes your clothes fall o , you’re gonna have a real problem at this festival where 50-plus types of tequila and mezcal will be available for tasting.
e Kent, October 25
Chêne Film Festival is festival kicks o with a concert featuring Jordan Davis followed by the premiere of ve short lms showcasing the waterfowl community.
Live at the Garden, October 26
NOVEMBER
Broad Ave. Art Walk
Any old broad will tell you that the Broad Ave. Art Walk is the place for artists and makers, live music, a cra area, and fun
activities. Listen to that broad. Broad Ave. Arts District, November 2
Día de Los Muertos Parade and Festival
Honor your ancestors and celebrate the cycle of life and death at this festival of art-making, face-painting, music, performances, and more.
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, November 2
Memphis Japan Festival Celebrate Japan at this family-friendly, interactive, and hands-on experience of Japanese culture featuring food, entertainment, games, cra s, and more.
Memphis Botanic Garden, November 3
Memphis Monster Con is graveyard smash will catch on in a ash. ere will be food trucks, the cast of Return of the Living Dead, merchandise, cosplay, an artists alley, panels, and much more.
Pipkin Building at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, November 9-10
Memphis Cra s & Dra s Festival: Holiday Market is festival cra ed the perfect experience; no, this isn’t a rough dra . Cra s & Dra s showcases local artists and makers for you to shop from for all your holiday gi ing needs. Crosstown Concourse, November 9
India Fest
Enjoy vibrant displays, Bollywood dancing shows, henna painting, Indian cuisines, shopping, and more.
Agricenter International, November 9
Indie Memphis Film Festival
You look like a movie, and I could watch you all day long. at pickup line probably won’t get far at this fest, but you will be watching movies all day long.
Various locations, November 14-19
Holiday Spirits: A Christmas Cocktail Festival
Have yourself a merry little cocktail, so says the tagline of this festival since that’s what you’ll be doing.
e Kent, November 22
DECEMBER
Raised by Sound Fest
Sound the alarm! Raised by Sound Fest is back. at means free live music all the day long, culminating in a fundraising performance.
Crosstown Concourse, December 7
AutoZone Liberty Bowl is is THE Liberty Bowl, where football, parties, and more happen.
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, December 27
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews
Ten Minutes
By Abigail Morici
A lot can happen in 10 minutes. at’s 600 seconds. For Emerald eatre Company (ETC), 10 minutes is all it will take for one vignette to be performed in the 7th Annual 10 Minute Play Festival, which will have 10 vignettes total.
For this year’s festival, all the one-scene plays adhere to a theme, “Remember When,” with the playwrights having been asked to set their plays in a moment of historical signi cance.
e resulting original plays, which were selected by a panel from ETC’s annual open-call playwriting competition, range from the 14th century to the present day. “ e great thing for this particular play festival this year is that some people will not be familiar with some of these moments in history, and then several will be,” says Hal Harmon, ETC’s co-artistic director. “So those of us who are a little long in the tooth can remember things that happened in the ’70s and the ’60s.”
But more o en than not, these plays are not about the historical events during which they’re set, but rather about people whose lives were a ected by them. Take the bent-identity parody Chasing Rainbows by California-based Christopher Wiley, who placed rst this year; it’s about two ’80s/’90s Hollywood movie icons who “morph into … two U.S. Navy investigators in search of an unidenti ed woman named Dorothy who organizes networks of gay servicemen.”
Like Wiley, all of the playwrights are from out-of-state, but the directors and actors are all local, which in turn encourages collaboration between Memphis and the rest of the country. It’s been this way since the festival’s inception. In fact, when it all began in 2016, Harmon says, ETC even received international entries from England and New Zealand.
is year’s festival opens the company’s 28th season. Looking back to ETC’s start, Harmon recalls, “Emerald was created to give a voice to the LGBT community. … We wanted to give more of a voice to gays and lesbians because the shows that we were seeing were basically about [stereotypes]. Like all the shows that dealt with gay men usually dealt with AIDS and people died. We’re so much more than that. So that’s why Emerald was created. … Over the years, we’ve grown and grown and grown, and we’re so happy and we’re so thankful that society and most of society’s views towards alternative lifestyles changed for the better. Sadly, so much legislation, though, has taken us steps backwards, but, as viewpoints have grown for the better, we have worked and changed our mission statement to be more encompassing of all people, regardless of sexual identity and so forth.”
Indeed, most, but not all, of the shows in this year’s 10 Minute Play Festival touch on LGBTQ issues.
“We’re happy that we have made it literally 28 years, super excited and proud of that. We don’t see ourselves stopping anytime soon. We have an incredible season ahead of us.”
For more on ETC and the 10 Minute Play Festival, go to etcmemphistheater.com.
7TH ANNUAL 10 MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL: REMEMBER WHEN …, THEATREWORKS, 2085 MONROE AVENUE, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6-7, 8 P.M. | SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2 P.M., $23.18.
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES September 5th - 11th
“Andrea Morales: Roll Down Like Water”
Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, 1934 Poplar Avenue, opens ursday, September 5
“Roll Down Like Water” features 65 photographs spanning a decade of work by the Memphis-based, Peruvian-American photographer Andrea Morales. ese images re ect the collective change of Memphis and the surrounding region over time, a place that o en just eludes de nition by the many storytellers, poets, and songwriters that have lived in or passed through this area. Morales’s talent is looking directly, earnestly, while creating space for the essence of this place — the magic of it — to enter her lens. is exhibition represents Morales’ rst major museum exhibition and catalogue, and it will be on display through January 2025.
48th Annual Home & Garden Tour
Central Gardens, Sunday, September 8, 1-5 p.m., $20-$30 Tour a variety of unique and exquisite homes throughout walkable blocks of historic Central Gardens. is year’s tour will showcase the elegant and historic homes along Peabody Avenue and the surrounding area north of Peabody, providing a unique glimpse into some of Memphis’ nest residential architecture and interior design. is area north of Peabody has not been included on the Home Tour since 2015.
e much-loved Hospitality Center is also back and will feature food from Good Groceries Mobile Diner, Tipsy Tumbler, Voodoo Co ee, and MemPops. Enjoy entertainment by Stax Music Academy, Opera Memphis, and more as you relax and savor the vibrant atmosphere.
e Southern Heritage Classic: Celebrating 35 Years of an HBCU Memphis Tradition National Civil Rights Museum, 450 Mulberry, Wednesday, September 11-February 28
is exhibition showcases artifacts, periodicals, and footage from the collection of the founder of the Southern Heritage Classic, Fred Jones Jr. e exhibition begins the week of the Classic, which runs September 12th to 14th and culminates with the football game between the University of Arkansas at Pine Blu and Tennessee State University. is is the rst time an exhibition has been dedicated to the Classic. e exhibition will tell the story of Jones and share his vision of founding and expanding the popular sports and entertainment event held each year in September.
PHOTO: COURTESY ETC
Last year’s festival theme was the “7 Deadly Sins.”
MUSIC By Alex Greene
Celebrating Donald Brown
Two back-to-back events will honor the jazz piano virtuoso and educator.
This coming weekend brings some overdue recognition to one of the city’s true jazz giants, Donald Brown. e pianist was born in Mississippi but raised in Memphis before going on to study at Memphis State (now the University of Memphis), where he was one of the “Memphis ree,” the trio of genius-level ivory-ticklers who emerged in the 1970s that also included James Williams and Mulgrew Miller. Of the three, Brown was arguably the most eclectic, ranging from classic straight-ahead jazz piano to more funk-in uenced recordings over the course of 18 studio albums, plus appearances on records by the likes of Donald Byrd and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. rough most of that time, he was a much-loved educator at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville from 1988-2020. is Friday, September 6th, at 7 p.m., he’ll receive a Beale Street Brass Note and a tribute to his life in music at the Museum of Science & History (MoSH), complete with a concert by the Memphis Jazz Workshop (led by Steve Lee, one of
Brown’s former students). And Saturday, September 7th, at 6 p.m., the Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center will host a reading by Valeria Z. Nollan from her upcoming biography of Brown. It’s a pair of events be tting a career as distinguished as Brown’s, and yet the cruel irony is that he won’t be playing at any of them. at’s due in part to his aging. “I’ve been having problems with my hands, so I haven’t really performed for the last seven years, so it’s been kinda rough,” he says with some resignation. Yet, at 70, his mind is as sharp as ever, which bodes well for Nollan’s biography, slated for release in 2025.
Brown’s life since college has been single-mindedly focused on his mastery of the piano, but it wasn’t always thus. “I came to jazz kind of late,” he says. “Originally, I was a drummer, and then I played tuba in the marching band, baritone horn in the concert band, and trumpet in the ROTC band. rough high school [at South Side High School], even though I was playing trumpet and drums, I still knew enough about piano and harmony
that I was arranging for my high school marching band. Playing trumpet probably in uenced my writing more than my improvising, but playing drums de nitely in uenced me more as a pianist.”
And then there were the keyboardists who showed him the way, in uences that came pouring out once Brown took to the piano as his main instrument when starting college. “All the great players that were in Memphis at the time just made me want to play the instrument. Booker T. [Jones] was a big in uence. Marvell omas, Sidney Kirk, and other guys that were contemporaries of mine.” Like most Stax-a liated players, these were virtuosos who were equally at home in jazz or pop settings. And that was true of Brown, too, as he progressed through college and began working more steadily.
“I played in a lot of top 40 bands and a lot of studio work,” Brown explains, “so I was in uenced by the music of Motown and Philadelphia International, players like Bernie Worrell with ParliamentFunkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, Prince. I was really into the group Yes and
Rick Wakeman. So it was a very diverse amount of keyboard players and pianists that in uenced me.”
A grounding in funk is re ected in some of Brown’s greatest jazz work, where strong le -handed bass gures can be key, as in two of his tributes to civil rights leaders, “A Poem for Martin” and “ eme for Malcolm.” Yet even those reveal Brown’s subtle mastery of classic jazz piano as well, which comes to the fore in his piece “Phineas,” a tribute to the greatest of all Memphis pianists, Phineas Newborn Jr. Looking back on his storied life in jazz, Brown himself can hardly believe it. “I was blessed to have worked with so many other legends, like Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Donald Byrd, Toots ielemans, and Johnny Gri n. But still, the highlight for me was playing with Art Blakey. I still have to pinch myself when I see recordings or videos and see that it actually happened. Even though I haven’t been there walking the streets with Bird and Bud Powell, I tell my students that that’s about as close as you can get to the source.”
FRIDAY
GATES @ 5PM
SATURDAY
GATES @ 1PM
CALENDAR of EVENTS: September 5 -
11
Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com.
DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS
WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT LISTINGS, VISIT EVENTS. MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.
ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS
“All Rise: Memphis Bar Association at 150”
Through arresting objects and powerful images, the exhibition showcases the Memphis Bar Association’s historical significance and continuing relevance. Through Nov. 10.
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
Andrea Morales: “Roll Down Like Water”
Sixty-five photographs spanning a decade of work by the Memphis-based Peruvian-American photographer. Friday, Sept. 6-Jan. 31.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Corkey Sinks’ “ABZ2”: Artists’ Books, Prints, and Zines
Spotlighting contemporary approaches to print media with an emphasis on self-publishing. Through Oct. 4.
BEVERLY + SAM ROSS GALLERY
“Imagine”
Works by Suzanne Evans and Connie Lampen. Weekdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Through Sept. 27.
WKNO DIGITAL MEDIA CENTER
“Rest, Play, Repeat”
Ariel Dannielle (Atlanta, GA) and Alexis Pye (Houston, TX) celebrate moments of pleasure and joy. Through Sept. 21.
SHEET CAKE
“Southern Heritage Classic Exhibit”
Learn of Fred Jones Jr., founder of the Southern Heritage Classic. Wednesday, Sept. 11-Feb. 28.
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
ART HAPPENINGS
“Imagine” Artists’ Reception with Suzanne Evans and Connie Lampen
Celebrate the “Imagine” exhibit at the WKNO Studios. Free. Saturday, Sept. 7, 2-4 p.m.
WKNO DIGITAL MEDIA CENTER
Memphis Artists For Gaza Charity Art Show
Presented by the Palestinian American Community Center of Memphis and the Memphis Art Salon, a benefit for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. $15/general admission. Saturday, Sept. 7, 7 p.m.
MEMPHIS ART SALON AT MINGLEWOOD HALL
“Outliers:” First Thursday Gallery
Opening
These outlier artists, through their refusal to conform, offer a new lens on the meaning of art. Free. Thursday, Sept. 5, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
ARROW CREATIVE
BOOK EVENTS
Anne Byrn: Baking in the American South
A new cookbook with 200 recipes from 14 states. Tuesday, Sept. 10, 6 p.m.
NOVEL
Brad & Kristi Montague: Fail-abration!
Celebrating the way failing is just part of the process of learning. Sunday, Sept. 8, 2 p.m.
NOVEL
Willy Bearden: Mississippi Hippie Bearden reads from and signs copies of his memoir. Thursday, Sept. 5, 6 p.m.
BURKE’S BOOK STORE
COMEDY
Comedy Open Mic
John Miller hosts. $10. Tuesday, Sept. 10, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Saturday Night Showcase
A diverse and interesting lineup each week.
$15. Saturday, Sept. 7, 7 p.m.
MEMPHIS CLOVER CLUB
COMMUNITY
48th Annual Central Gardens
Association Home & Garden Tour
Unique and historic. Sunday, Sept. 8, 1-5 p.m.
CENTRAL GARDENS
ACROSS
1 Metallic waste
6 Isn’t a bystander
10 Longtime Syrian leader
15 Preferred seating request
16 Get ready for planting
17 In ___ (developing)
18 Understood
19 Ithaca, to Odysseus
20 Odysseus, to Ithaca
21 Les ___-Unis
22 Patent preceder
23 Girder type
24 Lineage-based women’s grp.
25 “___ be my pleasure!”
27 “Star Trek: ___” (syndicated series of the ’80s-’90s)
29 Draft org.
30 Pizza chain
31 Stumblebum
ReStore Grand Opening Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis opens its second ReStore in Collierville.
Friday, Sept. 6, 11 a.m.
HABITAT RESTOREPOPLAR
FESTIVAL
Delta Fair &
Music Festival
With live music, theme days, petting zoo, children’s parades, livestock shows, craft demos, pageants, competitions, and art contests. Through Sept. 8.
AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL
My Big Backyard Back to School Bash
Celebrate My Big Backyard’s 15th anniversary and kick off the start of a new school year. With music by Andrew Best. Saturday, Sept. 7, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
FILM
The Low-Phe Life
Documentarian Kurt Sensenbrenner screens his series on victims of inherited metabolic conditions, with empathy and humor. Free. Thursday, Sept. 5, 6-8 p.m.
THEATREWORKS AT THE EVERGREEN
Crossword
33 Rare craps throws
36 Like Mercury among all the planets
41 Legendary Manhattan music club
45 “Here comes trouble!”
46 Distance for Captain Nemo
47 ___ package
48 Big name in mortgages?
49 TV host Ryan
51 Singer Carly ___ Jepsen
52 Hide away
54 Place to go to swim, informally
55 Mythical figure known for ribaldry
57 Writer Edgar ___ Poe
59 Places where streams flow
60 Indirect comment … or a hint to this puzzle’s circled letters
66 Org. for students in uniform
67 Danish money
68 Blackberrys, e.g., for short
69 Spread in a spread
70 27 Chopin works
71 Bombard
72 Acorn, essentially
73 Deals with
74 Indulged to excess, with “on”
DOWN
1 Like the slang “da bomb” and “tubular, man!”
2 Vaquero’s item
3 Award for Washington and Lee
4 Pupil of a lizard, e.g.
5 Becomes established
6 Garden pest
7 Dummkopf
8 “Personally …”
9 Worry about, informally
10 The Charioteer constellation
11 Bit of theater detritus
12 Tennis Hallof-Famer with a palindromic name
13 Arts and hard sciences, e.g. 14 Sides of some quads 26 Pictorial fabric 28 Studying aid 30 Grp. that gets the show on the road
PHOTO: COURTESY MEMPHIS BOTANICAL GARDEN
Celebrate the new school year at My Big Backyard’s 15th anniversary party.
The Red Shoes
This 1948 Powell and Pressburger classic, winner of two Oscars, focuses on Vicky, a young ballerina. $5. Thursday, Sept. 5, 7 p.m.
CROSSTOWN THEATER
FOOD AND DRINK
Art on the Rocks: Garden Cocktails and Craft Beer
A fun evening in the Dixon gardens. $55/nonmember, $45/member. Friday, Sept. 6, 6-9 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Food Truck Garden Party
Food, games, and music by Rowdy Franks. Dogs welcome. Wednesday, Sept. 11, 5-8 p.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Zoo Rendezvous
Support the zoo’s mission. 21+. $200. Saturday, Sept. 7, 7-10:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS ZOO
Edited by Will Shortz No.
32 Recipient of media complaints, for short 33 Some turkeys
[Yawn!] 35 1-1 37 Well-organized 38 Eponymous physicist Ernst
39 Horrid sort
Chop ___
Made the rounds, say?
50 “The Tale of ___ Saltan” (RimskyKorsakov opera) 53 Like some golf
and most bread
It varies from black to white 44 Ballpark purchase 49 N.B.A. Hall-ofFamer with four rap albums, informally
ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL
OCT. 12 / 7:30P.M.
Asleep at the Wheel is a legendary band! They bring their toe-tapping, two-stepping country-swing with songs like “The Letter That Johnny Walker Read” & “Miles of Miles of Texas.” Always a Blast…
Brian Duprey Sings SINATRA
NOV. 9 / 7:30P.M.
Brian Duprey, as Ol’ Blue Eyes, is remarkable. He sings Frank Sinatra’s hits like; “Fly Me to the Moon,” “New York, New York,” “That’s Life,” & “My Way.” Nancy Sinatra said, “He’s got it down.”
SEGER SYSTEM
Bob Seger Tribute OCT. 19 / 7:30P.M.
Seger System creates the look, feel, and sound of Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band. Experience songs like “Old Time Rock and Roll,” “Against the Wind,” “Main Street,” “Still the Same,” “Like a Rock” & more.
BRIGHT STAR
By Steve Martin & Edie Brickell
DEC. 6, 7 / 7:30P.M.
DEC. 8 / 2:00P.M.
“Bright Star,” the bluegrass musical, tells a true story of love & redemption set against the 1940’s American South. With beautiful songs BRIGHT STAR is genuine & daringly hopeful. Not to be missed!
JOHN MCEUEN & THE CIRCLE BAND
“May the Circle Be Unbroken” NOV. 16 / 7:30P.M.
BPACC hosts founding member of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, John McEuen. Concert includes old time music to John’s original & Nitty Gritty songs to a “Circle” album tribute. Acoustic music on overdrive!
RUMPELSTILTSKIN
Based on Grimm’s Fairy Tales
OCT. 26 / 2:00P.M.
The King makes a young girl spin straw into gold. To escape, she turns to magical companions, & a mischievous Elf – Rumpelstiltskin. Will this lead to disaster, or happily ever after? Great family fun!
Marshall Charlo ’s
THE PURPLE XPERIENCE
Tribute To Prince JAN. 25 / 2:00P.M. & 7:30P.M.
Marshall Charloff & his dynamic band perform Prince’s greatest hits like; “Little Red Corvette,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Raspberry Beret,” “1999,” & “Purple Rain” with all the passion & energy of a true Prince concert.
OTHER OUTSTANDING SHOWS
CHAPEL HART CHRISTMAS
NOV. 22 - 23 / 7:30P.M.
Chapel Hart returns with a show of original & traditional holiday songs, plus their signature upbeat country. Seen on America’s Got Talent & Grand Ol’ Opry. These ladies are heading sky-high!
SANDI PATTY
FEB. 8 / 7:30P.M.
Contemporary Christian singer, Sandi Patty, is known as “The Voice.” She has 40 Dove Awards, 5 Grammy’s & 30 Albums. Sandi has incredible vocal range, versatility… can do it all. Only at BPACC.
We Saw You.
with MICHAEL DONAHUE
It was called “ e End of the World Party,” but the closing night soirée for Black Lodge at its 405 North Cleveland Street address, which was held August 24th, wasn’t the end of the line, says Matt Martin, Black Lodge creator and co-owner. He’s “working to open another location,” Martin says. He’s already looking at a couple of places.
e movie collection and the screenings will de nitely move, but he’s not sure of the “club nights,” Martin says. And 901 Wrestling will move to another location.
About 1,000 people attended the party, which began at 7 p.m. and ended at 6 a.m. “Black Lodge has always been Memphis’ underground cultural crossroads for artists, musicians, movie makers, taste makers, lovers of night life,” he says. “It’s always been that. Even before we had a new place. Twenty- ve years we’ve been that.”
People realized Black Lodge was going to “leave that home,” he says. “A lot of them had already fallen in love with that place and wanted to have one last giant party and have fun in it.”
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE above: (le to right) Mars McKay; Madd Keys below: (le to right) Ellington omas, Ariel omas, Ilya Green, and elonious omas; Azim Minareci and Kaylee Haggart; Matt Martin; Trey McGovern and Laura Robertson bottom row: Parks Dlugach
AUGUST 29
MADE IN ENGLAND: THE FILMS OF POWELL & PRESSBURGER
SEPTEMBER 5
THE RED SHOES
SEPTEMBER 12
MAMA’S SUNDRY presented in collaboration with the filmmakers BRODY KUHAR + JOSHUA CANNON with a panel discussion moderatedby TOM SHADYAC
SEPTEMBER 19
BEING THERE
SEPTEMBER 26
WESTERMANN:
MEMORIAL TO THE IDEA OF MAN IF HE WAS AN IDEA presented in collaboration with RHODES COLLEGE
OCTOBER 3
YOU’RE THE LIFE OF ME presented in collaboration with STAX MUSEUM
OCTOBER 10
AMADEUS presented in collaboration with OPERA MEMPHIS and the MEMPHIS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
NOVEMBER 7
THE FILMS OF STAN BRAKHAGE with live score accompaniment by CLOUDLAND CANYON
Coconut Cake
Melda Beaty’s look at the lives of four retirees and their hidden depths.
Ten years ago, my ex-husband and I lived with his grandfather, a 92-year-old patriarch of the family. He was routine-oriented, and for many years he made a habit of meeting up with friends once a week for co ee and breakfast at a local fast food joint, usually Hardee’s or McDonald’s. e setting of Hattiloo eatre’s production of Coconut Cake couldn’t be more relatable, as it portrays a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of four retirees who meet every Monday at McDonald’s. Here’s the thing, though, these characters aren’t just meeting up to drink co ee — they’re here to spill the tea.
Coconut Cake is a (mostly) quiet, intimate look at the lives of three Black friends, plus the somewhat out-of-place white brother-in-law named Hank but nick-named “Republican,” played by Bart Mallard. e characters — all men — slowly reveal they are each going through hardships that end up driving them apart, despite the fact that their individual struggles could bring them closer. e event that throws their lives into disar-
ray is the arrival in town of a mysterious woman, who, because of her beauty and sophistication, becomes the subject of fascination for the quartet. e other wild card in Coconut Cake is the unhoused man dubbed “Gotdamnit” because of his penchant for repeating the word. Played by Jesse L. Dunlap, Gotdamnit is the type of character who whirls in and steals the show. He is a source of comic relief, though there are moments of emotion and a struggle with mental health that are poignantly delivered.
While the characters may at rst seem like stock characters, a theme becomes apparent as the show progresses: All people contain hidden depths. Mallard has been acting since high school and speaks to the process of the characterization of Hank: “My character is hiding some truths about himself from even those closest to him. So I am asking myself deeply and honestly, what do I keep hidden away … is there a truth that I have not allowed to be seen … is there a truth in my heart, soul, and gut that I need to or could bene t from shining a bright light onto?”
One notable aspect of the play is that, though it is comprised of an entirely male cast, the playwright Melda Beaty is a woman. Watching a play that is about the male experience, but depicted by a woman, was a fascinating experience. I’ve grown up inundated by female characters who are poorly and unrealistically dreamed up by men. e internet is full with memes criticizing how women are rendered by male writers, so I found it refreshing to see a play that ipped the script — pun intended. Beaty’s frank and honest portrayal of these men is what makes the play so gripping. Here is a place where they are allowed to be vulnerable, and it’s obvious how meaningful that refuge is. Symbolism is rife in Coconut Cake, from the sanctuary represented by the innocuous setting of McDonald’s, to the game of life portrayed in a chess board.
ough on the surface Coconut Cake is a simple dialogue-driven play, it is a piece of theater that should not be looked over. Accurately cutting out a slice of life that remains deeply entertaining without ever compromising its realism is no mean feat, but Beaty has managed to do so with success. is play comes with a message that audiences will be hard-pressed to miss, as Mallard puts it, “ e deepest intention is to shine some light on the truth that the act of openly, truthfully, and patiently walking your path will allow for you to nd your own truth and light and then to honestly stand in it … to take the stage.” Coconut Cake runs at Hattiloo eatre through September 8th.
PHOTO: MARLINDA SHORTER | UNSPEAKABLE JOY PHOTOGRAPHY ese retirees meet to spill the tea.
Authentic Mediterranean & Persian Cuisine
At Sufi’s, we invite you to savor the rich and versatile flavors of our Mediterranean and Persian cuisine. Known for fresh, wholesome ingredients and exquisite taste, our o erings are sure to delight your palate. Whether you choose to dine in or carry out, you must experience the taste and mysticism of our delectable cuisine.
ood Groceries Market & Cafe is good news for foodies.
e business, owned by Leah and Chad Getchel, is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. It’s at 585 South Cooper, where Mo’Bay Beignet Co. previously was located and, before that, a Muddy’s Bake Shop.
“Our grand opening was on July 7th,” Leah says “We had two bands. We had Real Good Dog Rescue. We had the Compost Fairy there. … We adopted out three dogs that day, which was awesome.”
It probably goes without saying, “We love the community,” Leah says.
ey began their Good Groceries Mobile Diner food truck during the pandemic. Chad had been chef de cuisine at River Oaks Restaurant. Leah was a personal chef and also did catering. “ e food truck is still running. We never stopped. We started that in 2020.”
But, she says, “ e food truck is too small to do all the food that we do.”
PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE e Getchel family
It was time for a brick-and-mortar. “We needed a commercial kitchen.”
So, Good Groceries now o ers breakfast between 7 and 10 a.m. “And that includes a continental breakfast bar, so people can come in and do the breakfast bar or have to-order items.”
e continental breakfast bar includes sage-roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs, gravy, and choice of beef or duck sausage. “And we have all our bread items — biscuits, mu ns, sometimes croissants.”
eir brick-and-mortar fare is “the same as the food truck menu.” ey o er items, including the duck con t sandwiches, the smoked brisket BLT sandwiches, a crispy tofu sandwich, and salmon burger.
eir grab-and-go items are o ered all day. “We have premade sandwiches, salads, soups, and take-home make-andbake-and-eat meals — grab-and-go meals, family-style.”
She describes their menu as “to some degree seasonal, but fairly standard.”
ey include gluten-free items because of her health issues, Leah says. “Just about everything is gluten-free.”
People who have to eat gluten-free won’t have to “feel like they’re singled out: ‘Oh, I have to eat from the sides menu.’
Because that’s what I have to do.”
Regular and gluten-free desserts are also featured. Depending on the day, these may include brownies, chess and other pies, and cakes, including Leah’s butter crumble cake and three-layer chocolate cake. “And Chad’s making ice cream. He started that just a er we opened. He makes the mix himself and he uses the commercial ice cream maker.”
e Getchels began their rst wine pairing dinner August 29th at Good Groceries, and Good Groceries still caters. “We’re doing intimate birthday parties to big parties.” ey can do o -site or inhouse events.
e name “Good Groceries” came from her former ancé, Leah says. A er he tasted dinners she made for him, he said, “ ese are some good groceries.”
When she told that to Chad 20 years later, he said, “Oh, that’s good. at’s got potential.”
Now, the name is used for their food truck, cafe, and sauces, which they make. “Mango, pesto, the green tomato relish. And we sell them in the shop.”
ey also make their own teas and lemonades, including lavender lemonade made with fresh lavender.
e location between Peabody Avenue and Central Avenue is the perfect spot for what the Getchels want to do. “We’ve got a good mix of neighbors that are like us: parents with kids and folks who just want to come and hang out and play. ere’s a big yard out there.”
ey also o er “kid-friendly” menu items.
e couple’s 6-year-old twins — Albert and Oscar — also take advantage of the yard. Leah wants to instigate some outdoor events, including movies, this fall. “And just have kids come out and sit and watch and play and do whatever.”
Good Groceries has already become a neighborhood spot. “ ere are several o ces and things around there. We have someone who comes in almost every day from the dialysis center. It’s a nice break for folks who just want to come in. We have some people who come in and study until we close.”
Leah describes the cafe/market as a “homestyle kind of business. And it’s not so mainstream.”
SHELBY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING
CONSOLIDATED PLAN FOR
FY 2025-2029 AND FISCAL YEAR 2025 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN PUBLIC HEARING
Shelby County Department of Housing will hold a public hearing to discuss Shelby County housing and community development needs in preparation for the Consolidated Plan for FY 2025 through 2029 as well as the Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Action Plan (HUD Program Year 2024) with both in person and virtual attendance options on Thursday, February 29, 2024 from 12:00-12:30pm and 5:30-6:00pm.
In Person Attendance Option: Shelby County Code Enforcement, Training Room, 6465 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134. Attendees should enter the Code Enforcement Building through the Training Room entrance; upon walking up to the building, attendees will need to follow the signage that leads to the Training Room.
Virtual Attendance Option: A virtual option to join is also provided, and participants can join the meeting with a computer, tablet, or smartphone at https://www.gotomeet.me/DanaSjostrom or dialing in from a phone +1 (224) 501-3412, Access Code 169-900-933 at the above noted meeting time.
If you plan to attend the public hearing and have special needs, please contact the Department of Housing at (901) 222-7600 by 4:30 p.m. Thursday, February 22, 2024 and we will work to accommodate you. Citizen input and public participation is strongly encouraged.
The consolidated planning process for FY 2025-2029 serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities that align and focus funding from the CPD formula block grant programs Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program. The FY 2025 Annual Action Plan establishes the basis for the use of entitlement funds for the period of July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. The primary purpose of this hearing is to receive comments on community development needs in order to consider them in the consolidated planning process for the FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan as well as for the FY 2025 Annual Action Plan. Shelby County anticipates receiving level funding for the upcoming program year; $1,169,819.00 in CDBG and $472,756.00 in HOME funds in Program Year 2024/Fiscal Year 2025. Shelby County expects to submit the Consolidated Plan for FY 2025-2029 and the Annual Plan for FY 2025 to HUD on or before May 15, 2024 following a 30 day review and comment period.
The hearing will also provide an update on current activities under the CDBG and HOME Programs, information on Section 3 contracting opportunities; and will provide information on other programs operated by the Department of Housing.
Persons wishing to comment on the Consolidated Plan for FY 20252029 and/or the FY 2025 Annual Action Plan may do so by writing to Dana Sjostrom via email dana.sjostrom@shelbycountytn.gov or mail Shelby County Department of Housing, 6465 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134. Shelby County will schedule an additional public hearing in April 2024 to present the draft Consolidated Plan for FY 2025-2029 and the Annual Action Plan for FY 2025 for public comment before it is submitted to HUD. For additional information contact the Department of Housing at 901-222-7600 or TTY at 901-222-2300.
The Shelby County Department of Housing does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services. Equal opportunity/equal access provider.
Para mas información en Español, por favor llame al 901-222-7601.
Lee Harris Mayor
Scott Walkup, Administrator
Shelby County Department of Housing
THE AWARDS
AND
THAN
Vote for your favorite family-friendly services and businesses in the Mid-South! To vote, visit memphisparent.com/ awards. We’ll share the results in our December 2024 issue!
BALLOT
AUG 26 SEP 15 THRU
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 2015, a large earthquake struck Nepal, registering 7.8 on the Richter scale. It was so powerful, it shrunk Mt. Everest. I mention this, Aries, because I suspect you will generate good fortune in the coming months whenever you try to shrink metaphorical mountains. Luckily, you won’t need to resort to anything as forceful and ferocious as a massive earthquake. In fact, I think your best efforts will be persistent, incremental, and gradual. If you haven’t gotten started yet, do so now.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): We don’t know the astrological sign of Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, who ruled from 51 to 30 B.C.E. But might she have been a Taurus? What other tribe of the zodiac would indulge in the extravagance of bathing in donkey milk? Her staff kept a herd of 700 donkeys for this regimen. Before you dismiss the habit as weird, please understand that it wasn’t uncommon in ancient times. Why? Modern science has shown that donkey milk has anti-aging, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory qualities. And as astrologers know, many of you Tauruses are drawn to luxurious and healing influences that also enhance beauty. I recommend you cultivate such influences with extra verve in the coming days.
can admire the symbolic statement of not being overly attached to objects one loves. But I don’t recommend that approach to you in the coming weeks. On the contrary, I believe this is a time for you to express extra care for the tools, machines, and apparatus that give you so much. Polish them up, get repairs done, show them you love them. And if you need new gizmos and gear to enhance your self-expression, get them in the near future.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Centuries before the story of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, there was a Greek myth with similar themes. It featured Persephone, a divine person who descended into the realm of the dead but ultimately returned in a transfigured form. The ancient Festival of Eleusis, observed every September, honored Persephone’s down-going and redemption — as well as the cyclical flow of decay and renewal in every human life. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to observe your own version of a Festival of Eleusis by taking an inventory: What is disintegrating and decomposing in your own world? What is ripe for regeneration and rejuvenation? What fun action can you do that resembles a resurrection?
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
In all of world history, which author has sold the most books? The answer is Ag atha Christie, born under the sign of Virgo. Readers have bought over 2 billion copies of her 70-plus books. I present her as a worthy role model for you during the next nine months. In my astrological opinion, this will be your time to shine, to excel, to reach new heights of accomplishment. Along with Christie, I invite you to draw encouragement and inspiration from four other Virgo writers who have flourished: 1. Stephen King, 400 million in sales from 77 books. 2. Kyotaro Nishimura, 200 million in sales from over 400 books. 3. Leo Tolstoy, 413 million from 48 books. 4. Paulo Coelho, 350 million from 28 books.
cording to my reading of the omens, it’s important for you to avoid the thrills and ills of alcohol. I am completely in favor of you pursuing natural highs, however. I would love you to get your mind blown and your heart opened through epiphanies and raptures that take you to the frontiers of consciousness.
memphisparent.com/ awards
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In two trillion galaxies stretched out across 93 billion light years, new stars are constantly being born. Their birth process happens in stellar nurseries, where dense clouds of gas coalesce into giant spheres of light and heat powered by the process of nuclear fusion. If you don’t mind me engaging in a bit of hyperbole, I believe that you Geminis are now immersed in a small-scale, metaphorical version of a stellar nursery. I have high hopes for the magnificence you will beget in the coming months.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The planet Mars usually stays in your sign for less than two months every two years. But the pattern will be different in the coming months. Mars will abide in Cancer from September 5th to November 4th and then again from January 27th till April 19th in 2025. The last time the red planet made such an extended visit was in 2007 and 2008, and before that in 1992 and 1993. So what does it mean? In the least desirable scenario, you will wander aimlessly, distracted by trivial battles and unable to decide which dreams to pursue. In the best scenario, you will be blessed with a sustained, fiery devotion to your best and most beautiful ambitions.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Famous rock musicians have on occasion spiced up their live shows by destroying their instruments on stage. Kurt Cobain of the band Nirvana smashed many guitars. So did Jimi Hendrix, who even set his guitars on fire. I
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The coming weeks will be an excellent time to take inventory of your community and your network of connections. Here are questions to ask yourself as you evaluate whether you already have exactly what you need or else may need to make adjustments. 1. Are you linked with an array of people who stimulate and support you? 2. Can you draw freely on influences that further your goals and help you feel at home in the world? 3. Do you bestow favors on those you would like to receive favors from? 4. Do you belong to groups or institutions that share your ideals and give you power you can’t access alone?
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
“Progress was all right. Only it went on too long.” Sagittarian humorist James Thurber said that, and now I’m conveying it to you. Why? Well, I am very happy about the progress you’ve been making recently — the blooming and expanding and learning you have been enjoying. But I’m guessing you would now benefit from a period of refining what you have gained. Rather than even more progress, I feel you need to consolidate and integrate the progress you have so robustly earned.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The people of Northern Ireland have over 70 colorful slang terms for being drunk. These include splootered, stonkied, squiffy, cabbaged, stinkered, ballbagged, wingdinged, bluttered, and wanked. I am begging you, Capricorn, to refrain from those states for at least two weeks. Ac-
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Beginning 11,000 years ago, humans began to breed the fig. It’s the world’s oldest cultivated food, preceding even wheat, barley, and legumes. Many scholars think that the fig, not the apple, was the forbidden fruit that God warned Adam and Eve not to munch in the famous biblical passage. These days, though, figs rarely make the list of the fruits people love most. Their taste is regarded by some as weird, even cloying. But for our purposes, I will favorably quote the serpent in the Garden of Eden: “When you eat the fig, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God.” This is my elaborate way of telling you that now may be an excellent time to sample a forbidden fruit. Also: A serpent may have wise counsel for you.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The coming weeks would be an excellent time to file lawsuits against everyone who has ever wronged you, hurt you, ignored you, misunderstood you, tried to change you into something you’re not, and failed to give you what you deserve. I recommend you sue each of them for $10 million. The astrological omens suggest you now have the power to finally get compensated for the stupidity and malice you have had to endure. JUST KIDDING! I lied. The truth is, now is a great time to feel intense gratitude for everyone who has supported you, encouraged you, and appreciated you for who you really are. I also suggest you communicate your thanks to as many of your personal helpers and heroes as you can.
Experience over a dozen festivals every year
• 9/13-14 – Mighty Roots Music Festival
• 10/9-12 – King Biscuit Blues Festival (Helena, Arkansas)
• 10/13 – Clarksdale Super Blues Sunday
• 10/13 – Pinetop Perkins Homecoming
• 10/17-20 – Deep Blues Fest
• 10/ 17-19 – Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival
• 10/24-27 – Hambone Festival
• 10/25-26 – Cruz’n The Crossroads Car & Truck Show
• 12/31 – Clarksdale’s New Year’s Eve Weekend 2025
• 1/24-26 – Clarksdale Film & Music Festival
• 03/29 – TATER SuperBad Blues Festival
• 4/10-13 – Juke Joint Festival & Related Events
By Kailynn Johnson
The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
Tina
Mabry’s complex portrait of Black women’s lives brings hope.
One of the most di cult tasks lmmakers have is catching the complex dynamics of female friendships. From revenge-seeking rst wives to teenagers sharing a magical pair of pants, writers have tried to discover how to frame such stories. It’s not uncommon for these movies to convey the idea that these relationships are essential to tackling adversity, portraying femininity as a bond that can transcend both time and the nature of their unique situations. But these themes are not monolithic; they are dependent on setting, societal norms, and race.
ese themes can be more challenging when directors try capturing the magic of Black female friendships — speci cally those that have stood the test of time. Director Tina Mabry decides to take on this narrative with no inhibition in Hulu’s e Supremes at Earl’s All-You-CanEat, based on a 2013 novel of the same name written by Edward Kelsey Moore. e lm follows a trio whose friendship has withstood 30 years of laughter, transformation, and tragedy. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor narrates the story as Odette, the gutsy, outspoken woman whose fearlessness would not only usher in the group’s bond but also prove to be an inspiring theme throughout the movie. Odette’s power is supplemented across the screen by Clarice (Uzo Aduba, of Orange Is the New Black fame), whose grace and desire to save face can sometimes be detrimental. e friendship is completed when Odette and Clarice decide to welcome introverted Barbara Jean (Sanaa Lathan) into their fold a er intervening in her abusive home life. Known lovingly as “ e Supremes”
at their local diner (Earl’s All-YouCan-Eat) due to their inherent glow and beauty, the ladies navigate their complex lives, o en pulling strength from each other. With a friendship birthed in the 1960s, the lm follows a “now-andthen” structure, told through both ashback and present-day perspectives.
As a Black woman, I was a bit trepidatious, thanks to my former experiences with Black-female focused lms. e word “strong” is o en used to describe a Black woman’s life experience both on and o the screen. While this term can be used to positively evaluate tenacity, it can also be scary when lmmakers express their characters’ strengths through trauma. I identify with many of the young women in my generation who are still traumatized by Lee Daniels’ Precious, which, it turned out, was not a hopeful story about a teenage girl. Many lms and shows seem to compete to nd out “How much can we put a Black woman through on screen?”
that God “is always picking on her,” given everything she’s been through from losing her mother who su ered from alcohol abuse to losing her son to racist violence and hate. She’s faced with the decision either to become a victim of her circumstances, as her mother did, or to grapple with her destiny by intervening on her own behalf.
Uzo Aduba, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Sanaa Lathan star as friends.
It’s not to say that we wish for a euphemistic model of storytelling. e beauty of life is enhanced by how we emerge from life’s troubles. Director Mabry, a native of Tupelo, Mississippi, doesn’t shy away from this challenge. Odette says, of Barbara Jean’s trials,
Part of the beauty in Mabry’s story is that we see the cards these characters are dealt. At times, their fates seem unavoidable. But Mabry’s storytelling is realistic and balanced with joy. ese Black women are not solely characterized by hardship.
e director makes aging and growing look appealing, even rewarding. It’s refreshing to see these Black women growing older in a way where they can enjoy life. Odette is set
to grapple with the likelihood of having a future, with her inclination to tackle destiny on her own terms, pausing occasionally to touch grass. Clarice learns that it’s never too late to break our own habits, no matter how much we’ve sacri ced. In the end, the movie is a remarkable take on perspective, as life doesn’t necessarily have to happen to us; it grants us the opportunity to take charge.
Mabry has le me hopeful that a new era of more complex storytelling for Black women is upon us, where we are de ned by more than just our strength.
e Supremes at Earl’s All-You-CanEat is streaming on Hulu.
Our critic picks the best films in theaters. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Tim Burton’s 1988 classic gets a sequel. Winona Ryder returns as Lydia Deetz, the goth girl of your dreams all grown up. She’s the host of Ghost House with Lydia Deetz and the mother of Astrid (Jenna Ortega), a teenager who’s just as gloomy as Lydia once was. When they return to their old home in Winter River, Astrid discovers the portal to the afterlife in the attic and releases Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton). Catherine O’Hara returns as Delia, Lydia’s art dealer stepmother, and Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, and Justin Theroux are along for the supernatural ride.
The Front Room
Brandy returns to the big screen as
Belinda, a mother-to-be who is expecting her first child with husband Norman (Andrew Burnap). Just as the couple is building their nest, they have to take in Solange (Kathryn Hunter), Norman’s stepmother who was long estranged from his family. Now, they will realize why and deal with the consequences. Max and Sam Eggers, brothers of The Northman’s Robert Eggers, direct this A24 film from Susan Hill’s short story.
It Ends With Us
Blake Lively stars as Lily Bloom in this hit adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller. Lily is caught between Ryle (Justin Baldoni), an intense neurosurgeon, and Atlas (Brandon Sklenar), her old flame. Can she stop her family’s generations-long cycle of abuse?
THE LAST WORD By
Patricia Lockhart
Back to School
School’s only just started and we need a break.
Moment of honesty: ese rst few weeks of school have thoroughly and unapologetically kicked our butts.
e kids are 16, 12, 12, and 10. e adults are 40 and 39. Waking up at 5:30 a.m. to stretch, because the body I went to bed with isn’t the same body I wake up with, is meh. Trying to help the kids remember which days are “even days” and which are “odd days” according to their respective school calendars is confusing. At this point, may the odds ever be in their favor. Hubby is getting tired of restating the importance of completing one’s homework before pickup. And Life360 tells us every time y’all make a detour to McDonald’s. So a er a successful professional development, the turning in of late assignments, permission to proceed with their STAR Tutoring program, and the start of ballet season, we decided we needed a break!
Cellar Tabletop Games & Comics
I’m a big proponent of literacy. Kids need to know how to read and comprehend what they’ve read. And I’m a rm believer that reading shouldn’t only take place at school or be a form of punishment. at’s why, when the kids needed a break from school but not from reading, we headed to our local comic book store. Comics are great for increasing vocabulary in kids and adults. Plus, they’re really, really interesting!
We went to the Cellar Tabletop Games & Comics. As it was a Saturday, the place was packed! ere were Pokemon games going on, as well as Dungeons & Dragons. My kids went straight for the Marvel comics, while a DC comic, Nightwing: e Secret Origin of Bea Bennett, caught my attention. My husband gushed over the Superman comics and tried earnestly to get the kids’ attention. ey were almost about to fall for the bait until they found an Animal Crossing comic. ey couldn’t resist a comic with their favorite video game characters. e kids also scored some Scott Pilgrim comics. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what your teen or tween is reading, as long as they’re reading. Comic books? Great! Lego instructions? Wonderful! Reading the back of a cereal box? Cool! Reading the cheat codes to your favorite video game? Even better! Reading the Memphis Flyer to nd events to add to the family calendar? Get to it!
Aldar Cafe
I remember when I was in 10th grade, someone told me, “Prior proper planning prevents a poor performance.” So in order to have a good week, I like to take time to plan out things that need to be done and add items I’d like to remember to my calendar. is has worked really well for me. So I’ve decided to get the kids used to this same habit. So we went to Aldar Cafe on Summer to plan out our week and read. I ordered the sensible Arabic breakfast with red tea since it was 9 in the morning. Hubby had a latte and pieces of my breakfast platter. e kids, on the other hand, ordered a vanilla milkshake, a strawberry milkshake, a cream cheese croissant, and a slice of cheesecake.
We organized our calendars, adding a er-school meetings and activities, Mario Kart tournaments, sewing clubs, and important assignment due dates. e kids also got into good games of Uno and Jenga. All of our shoulders relaxed and we smiled. Now as soon as we got home, pajamas were in full e ect.
And yes, we’re still buying school supplies! A moment of transparency: We did not purchase everything on the kids’ school supply list. We pulled mostly from our supply stash and reused old binders. We made sure they had pencils and paper, but our wallets truly dictated when and what supplies we bought prior to school starting. But those aren’t what we’re still shucking out money for. We are now in the band dues phase. We are parting with our dinero for leotards and jazz shoes for dance class. We’re saying au revoir to our wallets for STEM supplies. And the 16-year-old’s college art class necessities are costing a crisp Benjamin! Luckily, his professor created an Amazon cart of all the supplies needed, and his art teacher vetted the list and told us local places to nd the items even cheaper. (Now Mr. Benjamin Franklin doesn’t need more friends.)
And we will continue to ensure they have whatever they need to be successful in school. ey might not get it when they want it, but they’ll de nitely have the supplies when they need them. Meanwhile, don’t forget to take your own break from back-toschool busy-ness!
Patricia Lockhart is a native Memphian who loves to read, write, cook, and eat. By day, she’s an assistant principal and writer, but by night … she’s asleep. @memphisismyboyfriend
PHOTOS: PATRICIA LOCKHART (top) An Arabic breakfast with red tea; (bottom) picking out reading material
