Memphis Flyer - 9/17/2020

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FRESH STORIES DAILY AT MEMPHISFLYER.COM THE DIY PANDEMIC P3 • VAN DUREN P17 • MULAN P27

OUR 1647TH ISSUE

09.17.20

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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 MARGIE NEAL Production Operations 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

WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

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 1647TH ISSUE 09.17.20 I remember vividly where I was on September 11, 2001, and I bet you do, too. Everything stopped. We were in shock, battered by one revelation after another. Commercial airliners used as weapons. Tall buildings collapsing like Jenga towers. Tales of heroism in the sky and on the ground. Images of destruction and death filling our senses for days. We lost 3,000 American citizens that day. In the aftermath, the country rallied together. The president’s team formulated a plan of action. We now know it was a horrible plan of action, one that didn’t even target the right perpetrators, but we responded as a country, united at least in the belief we needed to take a stand, to do something! National emergencies usually do bring us together — to heal communities after a mass shooting, to help fellow Americans rebuild after disasters, to fight fires and hurricanes and floods in blue states and red. In 2020? Not so much. For the past six months, we’ve been losing around 1,000 American lives a day to a pandemic that our president refuses to take seriously — the equivalent of 67 September 11ths and counting. So we wallow along, some of us wearing masks, some of us making fun of people wearing masks, some of us not even believing there is a pandemic. Some of our leaders take the disease seriously. Some don’t. Some schools are open. Some aren’t. Should we go to the movies? Eat in a restaurant? Ehh, your call. It’s the DIY pandemic, and it’s going to continue to kill thousands of us every week until there is a coordinated national plan to take it on, as has happened in most of the civilized countries of the world. One day last week, Canada had zero deaths. England, Spain, Italy, etc. are averaging less than 15 deaths a day. But here in TrumpWorld, we’re H. L. Mencken just letting it roll, baby, encouraging morons who don’t believe the disease even exists because in America masks take our freedom. Our own national Centers for Disease Control has been politicized with a spokesperson, Michael Caputo, who posits bizarre conspiracy theories about CDC undercover scientists, who says the “shadows are long” in his apartment, and that he fears being assassinated by leftist death squads. This is madness. Quite literally. No one’s at the wheel. We are splintered, careening from one appalling revelation after another, with no letup in sight. Trump eats the news cycle. We’re all reduced to just reacting to his impulses — frogs sitting in water that’s about to reach a boil, and we have no idea where to jump. We are distraught and angry and sad and exhausted by it all. At least, most of us are. Then there are the working men in Ohio who were interviewed by The Economist this week. Here’s a sample: “He’s done a great job, he’s got everyone back to work. I’m pretty much 100 percent for him,” said Kyle, a 30-year-old electrician. “He shoots his mouth off but at least that shows he’s honest,” said Jason, a pipe-fitter, who said he especially liked Mr. Trump’s commitment to reducing the national debt. “He’s done more for our country than the past 10 presidents put together,” said an older builder, Jeff, skimming wet concrete on a new road. “He’s made — who is it, China or Japan? — pay our farmers millions of dollars. He got healthcare done, which the Democrats could never do. He built the wall.” Whatever “news” ecosystem these fellows are consuming has filled their brains with misinformation and mush, and they’re quite happy about it. There are millions of people like these in America. And they vote. I leave you with the words of the newspaper columnist H.L. Mencken, writing for the Baltimore Evening Sun in 1920 — 100 years ago: “In small areas, before small electorates, a first-rate man occasionally fights his way through, carrying even the mob with him by the force of his personality. But when the field is nationwide, and the fight must be waged chiefly at second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious N E WS & O P I N I O N and mediocre — the man who can most THE FLY-BY - 4 adeptly disperse the notion that his mind NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 6 POLITICS - 8 is a virtual vacuum. FINANCIAL FEATURE - 9 “The presidency tends, year by year, COVER STORY to go to such men. As democracy is “EAT YOUR VEGGIES” perfected, the office represents, more and BY FLYER STAFF - 10 more closely, the inner soul of the people. WE RECOMMEND - 14 We move toward a lofty ideal. On some MUSIC - 17 CALENDAR - 18 great and glorious day, the plain folks of BOOKS - 24 the land will reach their heart’s desire at FOOD - 25 last, and the White House will be adorned FILM - 27 by a downright moron.” C L AS S I F I E D S - 28 Bruce VanWyngarden LAST WORD - 31 brucev@memphisflyer.com

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THE

fly-by

MEMernet A roundup of Memphis on the World Wide Web. WH O PO OTE D? Flyer columnist emeritus Chris Davis clapped eagle eyes on this Memphis beauty last week, posted behind a fence facing Danny Thomas Boulevard. Then, he thankfully posted it to Facebook.

I quote: “40 Yrs. of Straight Turd Chasin’.” B EST O F N E XTD O O R “Wanted everyone to know that this morning while at Dollar General, I was called a bitch by the cashier.” POSTED TO NEXTDOOR BY MELISSA BOWERS

“So, this is super weird, but this morning I found a skull on my front porch??” POSTED TO NEXTDOOR BY KYNDAL ELLZEY

“There is a terrible outdoor sign next to Chipotle on Union Ave. showing a picture of what looks like a human foot rotting.”

September 17-23, 2020

POSTED TO NEXTDOOR BY SARAH MCKEEVER

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Just to put this next one in context: Someone posted about a bad, coronavirus-related experience they had at I Love Waffle Cream, the new ice cream shop in CooperYoung. The comments were what you think they’d be until this lady blasts in like Leeroy Jenkins. “Y’all, please stop talking about rudeness and danger at this place. Don’t they serve store-bought Blue Bell ice cream? The warm weather is almost over and y’all are wasting precious calories on Blue Bell ice cream that’s been at Kroger since Jesus died on the cross. Please get yourselves to Sweet Magnolia Gelato downtown on South Main. DELICIOUS! I mean just DELICIOUS!!” POSTED TO NEXTDOOR BY NICHOLE SAULSBERRY-SCARBORO

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Questions, Answers + Attitude Edited by Toby Sells

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

Bikes, Virus, & Save Our Stages Bike share cheaper, COVID-19 numbers slide, and a bill to aid live music venues. VI R US C O U NTS D EC LI N E Monday: Shelby County added 125 new cases of COVID-19 for a total of 28,332. The death toll in Shelby County was 397. Tuesday: Shelby County added 146 new cases for a total of 28,478. Wednesday: Shelby County added 69 new cases, the lowest number of new cases in many weeks. The death toll breached the 400 mark, with a total of 404. Total active cases fell below the 2,000 mark with 1,646. Thursday: Shelby County added 105 new cases for a total of 28,652. One new death was reported for a total of 405. Active cases fell again to 1,572. Clockwise from top left: Rep. Cohen backs Save Our Stages Act, Explore Bike Share Friday: Shelby County lowers price, MLGW and a power outage, and a fire at Kajie’s Cup added 102 new cases and five new deaths. The weekly average rate fell below 10 percent The shop is located close to the corner of Winchester and for the first time in weeks. About 9.8 percent of all tests were Millbranch and was started by local activist Keedran Franklin. positive for the week of August 30th, down from the 11.4 Kajie’s Cup will continue to operate its mobile shop called percent positive rate on tests the week before. The Check-In. The total number of active cases fell to 1,440. DAR K D OWNTOWN LO N G R I D ES, LOWE R P R I C ES An underground network fire left swaths of Downtown Explore Bike Share (EBS) data showed its customers were rid- Memphis dark last week, including AutoZone headquarters, ing longer, so the agency lowered the prices. the FedExForum, and the National Civil Rights Museum Riders can now rent bikes for two hours for $5. The pricing (NCRM). Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) restored option replaces the original option: $1.25 per 15 minutes. power within 24 hours. EBS said over 12,500 trips were taken from March through August by 4,979 users. The average ride is 4.58 miles, a mile SAVE O U R STAG ES longer than the same six-month period in 2019 (3.57 miles). Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis) joined a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers last week to co-sponsor a $10 billion bill C OVI D -19 C LOS I N G S to help independent entertainment venues stay afloat during Five businesses — all along Winchester Road — were closed the pandemic. over the Labor Day weekend on violations of COVID-19-related The Save Our Stages (SOS) Act has broad support from directives from the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD). congressional leaders, particularly those from districts or These included the Indulge Lounge and Dubai Hookah Bar. states dependent on live music for tourism, like Memphis Eight other businesses — the bulk of them in Overton Square and Tennessee. Lawmakers fanned out at live venues across — were reviewed after complaints but were found compliant the country earlier this week to push the bill. with health orders. They included Golden India and Local. The Senate version of the SOS Act would allow the Small Business Administration to make grants of up to $18 milCOFFEE SHOP FIRE lion to an eligible operator, promoter, producer, or talent Owners of the Kajie’s Cup coffee shop were told arson was representative. Visit the News Blog at memphisflyer.com for fuller versions of the cause of a fire that destroyed the building and everything these stories and more local news. inside it.


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by Will Shortz Pandemic Crossword PILOTEdited

Crossword ACROSS 1 Dreamhouse resident 11 Food portmanteau 15 He’s nothing special 16 Get fit, with “up” 17 It gets you what you need 18 Analogous 19 Schooner feature 20 Secretary of state after Muskie 21 Times, Post, News, etc. 22 Stole, maybe 23 Neighbor of Djibouti 25 Gorp ingredients 29 Actress Kirsten 30 About to go 31 One might be by the water cooler

ACROSS

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Really busy

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DOWN 1 Topical treatment 41 Kibble form 2 Running shoe 42 From that, brand formally 3 Short spins? 44 Getty oil, e.g. 4 One who’s 45 Sword grips happy about 46 Portuguese acquiring a few woman’s title extra pounds, informally 48 Check out, in a 5 Janis with the way 1975 hit “At 52 Hydroxyl-bearing Seventeen” compound 6 Activity for a 53 Like cooking that basket holder goes whole hog? 7 Bacardi brand 8 Tourist city in ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE Ventura County F I R S Y A C H T U S S R 9 Got access, in a E D I T A L L A H M I L O way S E C R E T C O D E P D A S 10 Catwoman T A H I N I D E S I E V E portrayer Meriwether F U T Z S U C C E S S A L B E R T A N N E R F 11 Not bite off more than one can L I L E L I O T T O F F S chew O M O O E R I E S P E E P U B O L T E R E C T C T A 12 Place where lots of calls are made D E N S E U R O S T A R 13 Star ___ (pho L A Y O U T S P I N T flavorer) I B M T O T S M A R T I N S O A R N E X T P L E A S E 14 Intelligence community? P U R E E L S I E E L L A S T Y X S E W E D P E E R 21 Colorful seasoning that Note: The answers DUD, ETSY, SNEER, TANKS, originated near OHMS and HAL have each letter shifted one space the Himalayas later in the alphabet to make EVE, FUTZ, TOFFS, 22 Pipe fittings and etc. such 40 Not built up

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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 Friday, August 24, 2018

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

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24 Play from which the word “robot” comes 25 Alternatives to marinades 26 For one 27 At one’s best 28 Creatures that divers sometimes swim with 31 “Time ___ …” 32 Pleasant pace 33 Chuck wagon fixin’s

35 Divided barrier 38 Language similar to Thai 39 Knocks loudly? 41 Storyboard parts 42 “Five-finger discount” 43 Five-letter capital written as two words in its native language 47 2017 Tony winner for Best Play 48 Other: Sp.

Get all twisted up Itches

Our tax break frenzy continues unabated.

Its business is 1 2 3 4 5 6 booming 13 14 Nerve 16 17 Expired 19 20 Term of respect in old 23 24 westerns 27 28 Wrap up Loan 30 specification 31 Boil Memphis and Shelby County economic bills for monied developers and corpora33 development leaders have given coronavitions. Taxes pay for the police and fire 34 Piano trio? rus hardship grants to local businesses, but services and everything else their property

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SHELBY COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROWTH ENGINE

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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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they are peanuts compared to tax breaks 35 company, given to just one multinational one that’s posting big profits because of pandemic-era e-commerce. 39 Last week the Memphis and Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) touted the fact that it has 42 given $721,700 to 129 businesses in the county. They are “throughout Memphis’ most vulnerable neighborhoods, 46 ” and 105 of the businesses are owned by minorities and/or women. “Since we opened back50 up, our sales are down 60 percent-75 percent for this time of year,” Area 51 Ice Cream owner Stephen Cubbage said in a statement 52from EDGE. The business received $5,000 from EDGE. The funds come from EDGE’s Neighborhood Emergency Economic Development (NEED) Grant. The fund is PUZZLE BY specifically for “small businesses, located in Memphis’ most vulnerable neighborhoods that have been affected 17 by the COVID-19 outbreak.” The money can be used for rent or mortgage payments, payroll, supplier and vendor payments, insurance, and utilities. Depending on the situation, businesses can qualify for21 $5,000-$10,000 in NEED grant funding. So far, the money has been spread to 30 businesses in the Medical District, Cooper-Young, Crosstown, and Overton Square, 27 businesses in the Hickory Hill area, 16 in Whitehaven, 13 24in Orange Mound, and 11 in Binghampton, according to EDGE. 25 EDGE’s main function, however, is to land new business here by lowering the tax

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“Hummina 0 CD follower 39 Ancient city hummina!” rediscovered in 2 Symbol of 2 Onetime Ebert 1870 change, in partner math 40 Blackballs 3 Sources of 3 Picks some tremors 41 Royal Catherine 4 Pick 4 “Mrs. ___ Goes to Paris” (Paul 6 First pope to 42 “Duck ___” Gallico novel) be called “the (classic Warner Great” Bros. short) 5 A bushelful 6 See 7-Down ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE 7 With 6-Down, Monday-Saturday 11am-7pm • Sundays 1pm-6pm R A Z Z P I Z Z A F I Z Z what may 410 North Cleveland, Memphis, TN 38104 A L O E O B E A H O R E O follow Indiana 901-287-9102 | info@oothoons.com G L O B P I E C E Y O R E or Illinois www.oothoons.com N I M6 R O D S H A V E N O T 8 Like the best A N S A R I D O R M E R streams? R O O E V E N N O W I S O 9 Protection O N U S A L O O F S K I P 1

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will enjoy. The agency’s payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) program reduces the tax bills for these developers and companies, usually by about 75 percent and, more 40 often than not, for years and years. Since the pandemic arrived here in March, EDGE has told these companies 43 44 they can keep a collective $63.1 million that would have gone into city and county tax coffers. Want to raze47 that warehouse 48 on Broad Avenue and build condos? Here’s a $17.6 million discount on your taxes. Want to buy some new manufacturing machinery? Here’s a coupon for $269,984. How about 240 apartments at Poplar and Highland? You can keep $14.7 million in city and county taxes. All of this in a pandemic and while thousands lost their jobs and Memphis Light, Gas & Water shut off people’s power because they couldn’t pay KAMERON AUSTIN COLLINS their bills. The biggest PILOT winner this pandemic season has been 30DHL Supply Chain. Two tax break deals for them will cost the city and county $20.4 million in taxes to help it build an $85 million campus near East Holmes and Tchulahoma. 31 situation like But this wasn’t a NEED-grant those local businesses. DHL posted record profi 33ts last year of $4.8 billion, up 30 percent over 2018. In its second quarter (late spring) DHL posted a “significant increase” in34 profits, driven mainly by the “strong growth in e-commerce,” according to the company’s news release at the time. In those three months, DHL — the company we gave $20 million to — made a profit of $912 million.

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Give up Material Style of Southern hip-hop

Ova, e.g.

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The Memphis Flyer is here for you in the best times, and in the most uncertain times. Friends, these are uncertain times — but we’re certain about a few things. We’re always independent. We’re always free. And we strive to keep you informed about and connected to our city. We’re asking for you to kick a little support toward the Flyer ’s work. Even a little helps a lot.

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POLITICS By Jackson Baker

Thinking It Over Commission takes gingerly look at some Sheriff ’s Department policies.

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three nays, and four abstaining. A similar ambivalence was the fate of the second ordinance, which had to do with proscribing the acquisition or use of military equipment by the sheriff ’s department. Bonner agreed with the aim of the ordinance and made what seemed a convincing argument that his department didn’t want any such equipment and didn’t use any. Vote: 5-4-3. The third ordinance would prohibit the “excessive” use of chemical agents (Bonner said, “We don’t use tear gas,” and that such milder chemicals as the department did use were necessary substitutes for “handson” action in emergency situations). A second and less controversial thrust of the ordinance was to ban “fraternization with inmates.” Vote on this one was three ayes, five noes, and two abstentions. Clearly, the ultimate fate of all three ordinances is in the balance. • One of the more well-regarded political figures in recent Shelby County history was Curtis Person Jr., the long-term state senator and subsequent Juvenile Court Judge, whose funeral last Wednesday at Memorial Park drew a large and politically diverse crowd of mourners. Person had served in the legislature as both a Democrat and a Republican and was a pivotal figure in negotiations between the parties. Last week’s service was one of the first such observances, during this time of the pandemic, to take place not virtually but in real space, though all the mask and social distancing safeguards were upheld.

JACKSON BAKER

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Monday was a day of transition for the Shelby County Commission, beginning with a ceremony acknowledging the retirement of longtime County Clerk Ed Stanton Jr. and continuing with the formal transfer of the commission chairmanship from Republican Mark Billingsley to Democrat Eddie Jones. The changeover was a confirmation of what seems now a restored habit of alternating partisan identities at the chairmanship level, after recent years during which various upheavals disrupted that gentleman’s agreement. The major agenda matter that followed — the disposition of three items regarding possible curtailment of Shelby County Sheriff ’s Department prerogatives — reflected the determination of the commission’s members to agree to disagree more or less amicably. Not that the items, all ordinances, received any real disposition. All got the first of three readings, and only the votes — and attitudes — reflected on the third and final vote will count. The votes on the three ordinances were each scattered in such a way as to render moot at best any predictions on an item’s final fate. The first had to do with the issue of “excessive force” on the part of sheriff ’s deputies — with the ordinance worded so as to pin down that transgression and ensure that anyone guilty of it would be suitably branded in the archives of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certification maintained by the state. Sheriff Floyd Bonner argued that his department was already seeing to that end with its problem deputies and cited numbers — 28 deputies decertified and 26 pending — to prove it. Commissioner Tami Sawyer, the prime mover of the law-enforcement reform measures, vented her displeasure at some of the more egregious examples of deputy misconduct, as well as at the indignities she had endured as a focal figure in the struggle for reform. She and the sheriff agreed to have more direct conversations about the problem. Commissioner Mick Wright availed himself of the opportunity to apply the term “excessive force” to some of the recent mandates of local government — including the required wearing of masks during the current coronavirus pandemic. The principle, he said, was “How much power should the government have over you?” The vote on that measure was four ayes,

Graduation Day: County Clerk Ed Stanton Jr. (right) was honored by the Shelby County Commission Monday as he entered retirement after a county government career that began in 1972. Commissioner Eddie Jones, enjoying a milestone of his own on his first day as chairman of the county commission, did the honors.


F I N A N C I A L F E AT U R E B y S e a n G o u l d

Home dreams Open Enrollment come true.

Retirement plans are a valuable benefit that impact your future financial wellness. Many companies now offer HighDeductible Health Plans (HDHP) to help reduce employees’ monthly premiums, as the HDHP plans have higher deductibles and outof-pocket expenses. An HDHP is typically combined with a Health Savings Account (HSA). Think of an HSA as a healthcare retirement account: Contributions are taxdeductible, earnings are tax-deferred, and withdrawals are tax-free when used for qualified medical expenses for your family. The maximum contribution amount for 2021 is $3,600 for individuals and $7,200 for families, and another $1,000 catchup is allowed if you are over age 55. If your company offers a qualifying HDHP but not an HSA, you can open a separate HSA account with another provider.

Other health insurance plan options include the more common Preferred Provider Organization plan (PPO) or Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO). When deciding between a PPO (or HMO) and a HDHP, compare your expected annual healthcare expenses under a PPO to the HDHP premium savings and what your company contributes to your HSA. If you expect healthcare costs to be low for 2021 and have the cash flow to pay for unexpected medical costs, a HDHP combined with an HSA might be your best option. Any unused HSA balance rolls over each year. No matter which plan you chose, always confirm that your preferred doctors and hospitals are still in-network. Don’t assume that your current providers are covered, as this can be a costly mistake if they are out-of-network. Your company may provide a dependent care Flexible Spending Account (FSA). The FSA allows tax-free reimbursements for eligible daycare or custodial care expenses, including preschool and before-andafter school care for children under age 13. This account can also be used for adult dependents if they rely on you for their care. The maximum annual contribution is $5,000 per household, and like an HSA, contributions reduce your taxable income through payroll deductions. However, unlike the HSA, this account is use-it-or-lose-it, so if you do not use the funds by the end of the plan year, all funds in the account are forfeited. Retirement plans are a valuable benefit that impact your future financial wellness. Most 401k plans allow changes throughout the year, but I recommend using the enrollment period to review your plan details, verify your beneficiaries, and revisit your selected investment mix. If your company offers a matching contribution, it would be wise to contribute at least enough to get the maximum match. Determining the best coverages for your family during open enrollment can be challenging, but finding the right benefits mix can help you save a lot of money over the years. Take time to learn what your company is offering so you can maximize the benefits and avoid costly mistakes. Sean Gould, CPA/PFS, CFP, is a Senior Wealth Strategist with Waddell & Associates.

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s we approach the final months of 2020, many companies are preparing to kick off their employee benefits enrollment period. Open enrollment allows employees to change and renew their benefit options. Companies that were hit hard financially from COVID-19 are looking for ways to reduce costs, which means your benefits could be changing. Choosing the right mix of benefits for your family can be confusing and stressful. I will review a few items to consider as you navigate your 2021 benefit options. For most employees, the largest piece of their benefits package is health insurance coverage. Unless you go through a qualifying event (e.g., marriage, divorce, or childbirth), open enrollment is the only time you can change your coverage each year. It’s important to keep your individual and family medical needs in mind when considering how to pick a health insurance plan. As companies make significant changes to their benefits, your spouse’s benefits may now be a better option.

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COVER STORY BY FLYER STAFF

Eat Your Veggies ‌

LAURA JEAN HOCKING

Pho Binh, Lemongrass Tofu

A

s any vegetarian or vegan will tell you, meat is not an essential ingredient in a hearty, satisfying meal. Around town, a multitude of options abound. From ramen and pizza to nachos and hot dogs, you can cure just about any craving with a veggie-packed dish. Here are a few of our staff favorites, procured from local restaurants.

Crazy Noodle, Miso or Vegetable Ramen Getting a pick-up order at The Crazy Noodle on Madison (the sit-down booths at this Korean-themed Midtown eatery are still unavailable because of the pandemic) is a 10 reminder of two matters: (1) There are things to do with noodles (er, udon)

other than make spaghetti. And (2) Korean cuisine favors spicy dishes. The popular Miso Ramen is a case in point. A soupy mix of spinach, tofu, onions, carrots, zucchini, cabbage, and the aforementioned udon stirred

Vegetable Ramen

Portabella Mushroom Sandwich

JACKSON BAKER; ROGER SAPP

September 17-23, 2020

Eleven great vegetarian dishes from Memphis restaurants.


SHARA CLARK; MATTHEW J. HARRIS; SWEET GRASS; SAMUEL X. CICI; JULIE RAY

Central BBQ, Portabella Mushroom Sandwich You’re sitting at Central BBQ surrounded by meat, but you don’t want meat. Try the portabella mushroom “barbecue” sandwich. It’s a hefty sandwich with portabella instead of pork. A portabella already tastes a lot like meat, but the folks at Central add barbecue sauce, slaw, and other fixings and — voila! — you’ve got a faux barbecue sandwich. The sandwich was born when they were “looking for a vegetarian item” to serve, says Roger Sapp, one of the owners. Fellow owner Craig Blondis suggested a grilled portabella mushroom. “We marinate it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar,” Sapp says. “Then we throw it on the grill and serve it like you would a barbecue.” They top it with smoked Gouda cheese and serve it on a bun. If you’re vegan, ask them to leave off the cheese. Craig’s wife, Elizabeth Blondis, likes the portabella mushroom sandwich with Central BBQ’s mustard sauce. “It makes it not so sweet,” she says. “Just a little bit more savory.” — Michael Donahue Multiple locations including 2249 Central, 272-9377

RP Tracks, BBQ Tofu Nachos Pre-COVID, my sister, who admittedly isn’t the most adventurous eater, tried tofu for the first time at RP Tracks — the BBQ Tofu Nachos, to be exact — and loved it. Crispy on the outside with a soft center and tossed in a sweet barbecue sauce, the tofu nuggets are layered underneath loads of lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, cheddar

(clockwise from bottom left) RP Tracks, BBQ Tofu Nachos; Golden India, Palak Paneer; Sweet Grass, General Tso’s Cauliflower; The Doghouzz, Beyond Memphis Dog; and Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant, Yetsome Beyaynetu

cheese, and black bean chili (be sure to request the bean chili rather than meat for the full-on vegetarian version). All that veggie goodness is piled high on a bed of tortilla chips and topped with a dollop of sour cream. It’s a generous, shareable helping for the price ($10) and a great starting point for the tofucurious. Really, who doesn’t love a good nacho? There are plenty of other veggiefriendly dishes on the menu, but don’t sleep on the tofu version of Pedro’s Wings. Strips of fried tofu are covered in your choice of wing sauce, and believe me when I tell you, it’s surprisingly close to the real thing. They’ve even got vegan ranch to dip ’em in. — Shara Clark 3547 Walker, 327-1471 Golden India, Palak Paneer When I was a freshman in college, I made a short, unsuccessful stint of going vegetarian. Though I quickly gave in at the first hint of pulled pork at a football tailgate, the experience did cement my love for Indian cuisine and for one dish in particular: palak paneer. The dish, also incorrectly referred to as green paneer depending on where you are in the U.S., is a spinach curry composed mainly of a mix of Indian cottage cheese, or paneer, and puréed spinach. The dish is then served over rice with a side of naan, creating a fairly light but filling meal. In town, Golden India makes some of the best palak paneer. With mild, medium, and hot — and dear lord is it hot — their palak paneer can please just about any palate. My go-to meal is palak paneer, garlic naan, and a mango lassi. — Matthew J. Harris 2097 Madison, 728-5111 The Doghouzz, Beyond Memphis Dog If it looks like a dog, feels like a dog, and tastes like a dog, then it’s probably a regular ol’ hot dog, right? Wrong. The Doghouzz’s full menu can take any selection and swap out an all-beef frank for a Beyond Meat dog. It’s all the hot-diggity-dog goodness of a regular dog bundled up in a nice, vegan package. If you want to keep it quintessentially Bluff City, there’s no going wrong with the classic Memphis Dog. Packing in some staples of 901 dining, the Memphis Dog is slathered with barbecue sauce and smothered under a bed of coleslaw, for good measure. And to provide that last bit of extra kick, don’t get it without the serving of sliced jalapeños. Perhaps the highest compliment, from this longtime carnivore, at least, is that I couldn’t tell I wasn’t munching on a “real” hot dog. The Doghouzz’s vegan twist on a long-standing fixture of American dinners, festivities, and events makes the “dog” more accessible continued on page 12

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

into a tangy bean paste broth, this dish awakens the palate and is hearty enough to be a complete meal. Another good bet is the Vegetable Ramen (pictured), with similar ingredients, including shiitake mushrooms and Korean radish and just the right amount of red pepper — not so much as to make you take breaks between bites but not so little as to escape your notice. Both dishes are $9.99, and service on the pick-up orders is quick and thoughtful. — Jackson Baker 2015 Madison, 272-0928

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continued from page 11 than ever. — Samuel X. Cicci 1349 Autumn, 207-7770 Sweet Grass, General Tso’s Cauliflower Food swaps aren’t fun. Zoodles for noodles? Okay, but c’mon. Tofurkey? I get it, but geez. The General Tso’s Cauliflower ($12) at Sweet Grass ain’t that. I don’t order it because I can’t have or don’t want fried chicken. (I always want fried chicken, btw.) I order the cauliflower because it’s got-damned delicious. The Sweet Grass General Tso’s is generously coated in tempura and fried, giving the dish a meaty heft that’s substantial under the knife. Then it’s bathed in that classic, orange-brown sauce. Sweet Grass didn’t go haute cuisine on this. The sauce is that sweet, sticky, tangy, slightly hot stuff you know and love. Together, the tempura and the sauce tenderly hug it all in a flavor parka. Then the whole thing is snuggled down on a bed of coconut rice and tucked in with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Oh, and there’s cauliflower inside all of that. — Toby Sells 937 Cooper, 278-0278 Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant, Yetsome Beyaynetu Open the doors to Abyssinia and you are transported to a friendly village in Africa. In this village, the porous injera bread made from teff, a mineral-rich, gluten-free whole grain high in protein, is abundantly stacked in poly bags for takeout. Owner-operator Meseret “Missy” Abdi serves a visually tantalizing palette of color synonymous with

George Hunt Memphis in May artwork — only with food. A menu item called Yetsome Beyaynetu overflows with split spicy red lentils, split yellow peas, collard greens, mixed vegetables, potato salad, and beet salad. It is beautiful and tasty with flavorful spices. Abdi says the menu item is vegan, too. Dining in Ethiopia is characterized by the ritual of breaking injera and eating from the same plate. Bring friends and partake in this custom signifying the bonds of loyalty and friendship over melded flavors of exotic spices, sweet and savory vegetables, and curiously sour yet nutty injera bread. — Julie Ray 2600 Poplar, #115, 321-0082 Soi Number 9, Crispy Ginger Tofu Inside the unassuming takeout box is a lunch ready to launch my taste buds on a meatless, ginger-tinged journey to FlavorTown. I open the folded cardboard lid and steam escapes. I got my lunch delivered (GrubHub for the win) from Soi Number 9. On more than one occasion, I’ve snagged a mid-festival lunch from the familiar orange food truck, so a dish from Soi Number 9 is a little like having a mini-festival in my kitchen. In this year of no gatherings, well-prepared comfort food gives reason enough to celebrate. Though the Thai street food vendors started with a food truck, they also operate a brick-and-mortar business inside the UT Health Science Center Food Hall. This is the first time I’ve tried the Crispy Ginger Tofu ($9.75), and it does not disappoint. The dish is made with seasoned tofu strips and stir-fried vegetables served with ginger soy, steamed jasmine rice, and cucumbers. The ginger gives the rice, in perfectly sticky clumps, a faint sweetness. The

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thinly sliced strips of tofu are light and crunchy. The fat slices of carrot may be the star of the show, though. Their crunch complements the crispy-on-the-outside, soft-inside tofu and the sticky rice. For up-to-date information on the whereabouts of the food truck, check Soi Number 9’s social media pages. — Jesse Davis 920 Madison, 448-3443 Tamboli’s Pasta & Pizza, Veggie Verdura Pizza Tamboli’s has become one of our regular go-to takeout options in recent months. Locally owned (chef and owner Miles Tamboli is an alumni of the Flyer’s 20>30 Class of 2018), the restaurant is located in the former Fuel space on Madison. We’re particularly fond of Tamboli’s hand-made pizzas. There are actually

Global Café, various dishes With three counters sporting the cuisines of Syria, Sudan, and Venezuela, it makes sense that the Global Café’s vegetarian game is strong. If you’ve had tabbouleh elsewhere, you may expect a lot of bulgur wheat. But, as a Lebanese anthropologist once told me, tabbouleh is really all about the parsley, and that’s very much the case in the Syrian version here. A more authentic example of the dish would be hard to find. The hummus and falafel plate is also quite fresh, with a strong tahini flavor. Both are vegan. The menu notes that the spinach pie is not vegan, as it’s brushed with egg, but old-school vegetarians can still

PINK PALACE WWW.MEMPHISMUSEUMS.ORG

Global Café enjoy that or the cheese pie alternative. Be aware, though, that these do not resemble the classic Greek spanakopita, which uses phyllo dough, but are more like stuffed bread rolls. Finally, I sampled some Venezuelan potato and cheese empanadas, or small, fried dough pockets (which can also be ordered with black bean filling). These are remarkably airy, and the garlic sauce served on the side complements them well. — Alex Greene 1350 Concourse, Suite 157, 512-6890 Pho Binh, Lemongrass Tofu People from outside Memphis never believe you when you tell them we have really excellent Vietnamese food here. It goes beyond the preconception of Memphis as a barbecue and hot wing town. But there has been a thriving Vietnamese community in the Bluff

create

City since at least the 1970s, and our cuisine has benefited enormously. Before the pandemic, Pho Binh, the modest, family-run Vietnamese restaurant on Madison Avenue, functioned as Midtown’s lunchroom. You’d see suited bankers rubbing shoulders with vegan crust punks and Black moms at the crowded buffet. Their vegetarian offerings are always top-notch. Whether sautéed in a rich black bean sauce or stir-fried with green beans, nobody does tofu better than Pho Binh. The queen of the Pho Binh menu is the lemongrass tofu. Everyone is equal when they’re sitting at a table, picking at the remains of their buffet plate, waiting for the kindly cook to bring out a fresh pile of the dusky tofu cubes. Then, as she returns to the kitchen with an empty chafing dish, the vultures descend. Forget Antifa agitators, if there’s a riot in Midtown, it will start over lemongrass tofu. What makes it so great? The texture is perfection: firm, but not rubbery; a little juicy, but not soggy. The uniform tofu blocks are heavily tossed with Pho Binh’s secret lemongrass concoction and fried. Serve over sticky white rice, and that’s it. No sauce or additional ingredients required. Perfection itself. It’s even better as takeout, because you don’t have to fight for it. — Chris McCoy 1615 Madison, 276-0006

CRAFTS FAIR POP UP SHOP Open Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays Crafters on the Mezzanine on Saturday

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

TAMBOLI’S; ALEX GREENE

Veggie Verdura Pizza

three vegetarian options: a savory cheese; the Cacio e Pepe (herbed ricotta topped with fresh mozzarella, pecorino Romano, cracked black pepper, and white truffle oil); and our favorite, the Veggie Verdura. Here’s how the menu describes it: “Topped with our savory red sauce, olive oil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, red onions, Bluff City Fungi’s shiitake mushrooms, Kalamata olives, ricotta, and a drizzle of roasted red pepper aioli on 14” artisan dough.” The menu neglects to mention that it’s “tasty as a mug,” even if you’re not a vegetarian. It’s $14.25, and worth it. — Bruce VanWyngarden 1761 Madison, 410-8866

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steppin’ out (& stayin’ in)

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews By Julie Ray

Looks like we are going to enjoy some beautiful weather in upper 70s this weekend. It’s just the kind of weather that makes you glad that Glide Rides are back. What’s a Glide Ride? According to the organizer Lindsey Pender, research and evaluation specialist at The Works Inc., “We have a few routes through and leading out of South Memphis. Sometimes we head Downtown, visiting MLK Plaza and Martyr’s Park. Sometimes we go to the Metal Museum, Stax, or neighboring areas like Glenview. We switch it up, hang out, and have fun.” You’ll meet Pender and the other riders at the South Memphis Farmers Market, so come early or make time after the ride and shop the South Memphis Farmers Market. Pender makes a point to emphasize that this fun, easy community bike ride is intended for all ages and experience levels from all areas of the city. While all bicycle riders are welcome, children must be accompanied by an adult. Participants will ride for about an hour at an easy pace. Arrive early if you would like to borrow a bike or air up your tires. There are a limited number of adult-sized bicycles available to borrow on a first-come, first-served basis. Be ready to roll out at 10:40 a.m. The group leaves with or without you. While you enjoy your scenic view through the South Memphis area and beyond, Pender asks that you consider how to improve bicycle facilities and connectivity within the South Memphis area and share your thoughts. GLIDE RIDE, MEET AT SOUTH MEMPHIS FARMERS MARKET, 1400 MISSISSIPPI, SATURDAY, SEPT. 19, 10:30 A.M.

Kia Robinson-Jarrett’s KiaKakes pound cakes are a sweet treat. Food, p. 25

On Gov. Bill Lee (above), the coronavirus, and freedom to play football The Last Word, p. 31

September 17-23, 2020

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES September 17th - 23rd

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Julie & Julia Germantown Performing Arts Center, 1801 Exeter, Thursday, September 17, 5 p.m., $10 Movies for foodies hosted by chef Ryan Trimm. Featured movie is about Julia Child’s story intertwined with blogger Julie Powell’s 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child’s first book. Reader Meet Writer: Margaret Kimberley novelmemphis.com, Thursday, September 17, 6 p.m., free with registration Author of Prejudential discusses her work that aims at exploring our nation’s complicated and often shameful treatment of Black people.

“My Favorite Music” operamemphis.org or wknofm.org, Thursday, September 17, 7 p.m., free Six Memphis singers are asked what they love to sing more than anything else. Hear their answers broadcast live on the Opera Memphis Facebook page or listen on WKNO FM 91.1.

Yellow Fever: A Tour of the Plague at Elmwood Cemetery Elmwood Cemetery, 824 Dudley, Saturday, September 19, noon, $20 Join Amanda Knight for a walking tour through the cemetery grounds and learn the stories of this dreaded epidemic and how the people of Memphis managed.

Family Night: Sing Germantown Performing Arts Center, 1801 Exeter, Friday, September 18, 5 p.m., $10 A hustling impresario’s attempt to save his theater with a singing competition becomes grander than he anticipates. Mempops and Smurfey’s Smokehouse will be available food options.

Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival deltabluesms.org, Saturday, September 19, noon, free A celebration of the contributions Mississippi Delta Blues culture has made to the American story. Blues musicians, including Bobby Rush, will be live-streamed from the festival’s Facebook page.

Makeda’s Block Party Makeda’s Cookies, 488 S. Second, Saturday, September 19, noon, free The Makeda’s family celebrates 21 years of baking up sweet treats and butterrific love. Enjoy cookies, food trucks, and more. Novel at Home: Kyle Mills with The Real Book Spy novelmemphis.com, Saturday, September 19, 4 p.m., $10 Join author and guest book reviewer The Real Book Spy as they discuss Total Power, a Mitch Rapp Novel, via Zoom.

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Glide Ride

Glide Ride takes cyclists on an easy-going tour of the Bluff City.


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True story. Back in the heyday of Memphis gaydom — anyone here remember GDI on the River? — a friend organized a couples danceoff at a local disco. The winning couple had a wardrobe malfunction as they were accepting their standing ovation and awards. In front of God and everybody, a male bosom was exposed — from the Missus. This caused a huge scandal in that the competition was supposed to be for man/woman couples only. Not that it was explicitly spelled out in the rules or anything. Turns out the Missus and Mister were really two Misters. Judges and sponsors lost their minds, and the couple was disqualified. That’s a big old “boo to you” for the Memphis mindset at the time regarding gay rights. What happened next only happens in John Waters’ movies — and Memphis in the early ’80s. The winning gal came back to the disco in full drag with a peashooter. Her chauffeur did donuts in the parking lot while she shot rounds in the air from the convertible’s boot, yelling a litany of expletives. My friend, who shall remain anonymous to protect the guilty, said, “It was the most horrific, surreal, and hysterical thing I’ve ever seen in my life. It was great.” You’ve come a long way, baby. These days, Memphis celebrates all kinds of diversity. Memphis Pride will kick off with a Drag N Drive double-feature. Join Memphis Pride at Malco’s Summer Drive-In. You’ll get a fantastic drag show sandwiched between screenings of Birdcage and Milk. Wardrobe malfunctions encouraged.

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DRAG N DRIVE, MALCO SUMMER DRIVE IN, 5310 SUMMER, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 23, 7 P.M., MIDSOUTHPRIDE.COM, $25 PER CARLOAD.

Walking Tour and Ghost Hunt The Broom Closet, 546 S. Main, Saturday, September 19, 8 p.m., $20 Part walking tour and part ghost hunt. Meet for a walking tour of the South Main district and investigate a well-known site which was the scene of the brutal murder of a patrolman in 1918. Mid-South Pride Vendor Marketplace marketplace.midsouthpride.org, starts Sunday, September 20, $35 vendor fee Find all your favorite Pride Fest vendors online in one place or become a vendor.

Voter Rights, Engagement, Apathy and Suppression: A Conversation with the Experts memphis.edu/benhooks, Tuesday, September 22, 6-8:30 p.m., free Panel discussion, featuring Daniel Kiel of the U of M Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law as moderator. Facebook Live audience can address questions to the panel. Disney Movie Trivia Cerrito Trivia @ Malco Summer 4 Drive-In, Tuesday, September 22, 6:45 p.m., free with $25 carload entry to the movie Join Kevin Cerrito in the tent by concessions, bring your own writing instruments, and play for a chance to win Disney prizes.

La La Land Germantown Performing Arts Center, 1801 Exeter, Wednesday, September 23, 5 p.m., $10 Enjoy a movie in The Grove plus live music by Deborah Swiney and Ed Finney, with food by Yippie Trippie & the Porkstars food truck. Memphis Heritage Virtual Preservation Series: Beale Street memphisheritage.org, Wednesday, September 23, 6 p.m., $10 This one-hour lecture is led by Lydia Warren, director of the Morton Museum of Collierville History, who will discuss the history of Beale Street, followed by a Q&A.

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In Disney’s live-action Mulan remake, Yifei Liu (center) fights to bring “Honor to Us All.” Film, p. 27

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FACEBOOK/MEMPHIS PRIDE FEST

By Julie Ray

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MUSIC By Alex Greene

Van Duren

Van Duren, circa 1970s

Memphis Flyer: The political/social commentary song seems like a new direction for you. Van Duren: Yeah, maybe so. Previously, on the Loveland Duren records, it’s been more about familial things. Family and abuse, things like that. And there are a lot of love songs or out-of-love songs, which has been my thing for decades. But yeah, the new single’s very topical and gets more so every day. We had a song on our last record, from 2016, called “Not Allowed in the House Anymore.” And it’s exactly the same theme, really. Nothing changes, it’s only gotten worse. MF: Was that song and the others from the upcoming Loveland Duren album influenced by last year’s tours, where you promoted the film Waiting by revisiting your early work? VD: Touring behind the film last year in Australia, we went back to those songs from 40 years ago. And that

forced me to go back and play keyboards again, which I hadn’t done since 2013, when Vicki and I started working together on records. So that opened up a different avenue to writing that I had kinda shut down. Because I didn’t want those things, seven or eight years ago, to start sounding like the things I’d done 40 years ago. Well, when it came to this one, since I’d been playing piano on that tour, it opened me up to playing piano. I hadn’t forgotten. MF: I imagine it’s been emotional, seeing the old stuff come out. Especially the second album, Idiot Optimism, which was simply shelved. VD: The first album was released in 1978 and it actually sold well for a new independent label. The album came out in March, and we toured in the spring and into the summer. And the experience of playing live for great crowds in the northeast really made me want to do less ballads and acoustic-oriented

things, and a lot more band-oriented things. So we started recording in October 1978, and it took until January of 1980 before we had the thing completely done. At that point, the label had changed names and a couple of the original owners had left. I was hanging on for dear life. Everybody except for me and one other guy had converted to Scientology. The pressure was on to go to the mission and take out bank loans for unbelievable amounts of money to pay for courses and all that. I just put ’em off and tried to be nice and buy some

time. When the record was mixed, I got a cassette of the mixes and I walked. I just left. One thing led to another over the years, and then Omnivore did the soundtrack ablum for the film last year. It was a natural progression, and we decided to do these records right. I had a heavy involvement in everything this time. It’s hard to believe that, 42 years after the fact, these two records are coming out like they were supposed to. Jeff Powell mastered it for vinyl, and the fidelity is just astonishing. I can hear all my mistakes.

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

SETH TIVEN

V

an Duren isn’t resting on his laurels, though he has accumulated over 40 years’ worth of them since releasing his first power-pop masterpiece — Are You Serious? — in 1978. That album and its follow-up have enjoyed renewed interest of late, especially since the 2019 release of the film Waiting: The Van Duren Story, made by Australian super-fans who became obsessed with Duren’s Memphis-grown, post-Big Star approach to the perfect pop gem. Now, after international reviews of both the film and Duren’s performances to support it, the attention has culminated in reissues of both of Duren’s late-1970s works, fully remastered and with new liner notes, to be released by Omnivore Recordings next month. But when I speak to Duren about all this, the first thing he wants to talk about is the new single he and Vicki Loveland released digitally in late August. “A Place of No Place” features Duren’s Stonesy guitars under Loveland’s angry, impassioned singing of lines like: “Tell us we’re unpatriotic/We question despicable deeds. … You’re keeping children in cages/Doubling down on your hateful speech.” Recorded at Royal Studios, its flourishes of soul horns give it an unmistakably Memphis sound.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Memphis’ golden age of power pop lives on.

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CALENDAR of EVENTS:

September 17 - 23

T H EAT E R

Hattiloo Theatre

God’s Trombone, enjoy the original production of inspirational sermons by African-American preachers reimagined as poetry, reverberating with the musicality and 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.

203 S. MAIN (525-3000).

Playhouse on the Square

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

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).

Clough-Hanson Gallery

First Brush of Fall: Plein Air Season at the Garden

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

MEMPHISMAGAZINESTORE.COM.

Metal Museum Online

Peruse the art and craft of fine metalwork digitally. Featuring past gallery talks from previous exhibitions, interviews with artists, and demonstrations. Free. Ongoing. METAL MUSEUM, 374 METAL MUSEUM DR. (774-6380).

My Memphis View Gallery: Art Chat

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.

Novel at Home: Kyle Mills with the Real Book Spy

Join author and guest book reviewer as they discuss Total Power, a Mitch Rapp Novel No. 19, via Zoom. Free with registration. Sat., Sept. 19, 4 p.m. NOVEL, 387 PERKINS EXT. (922-5526).

PINK PALACE WWW.MEMPHISMUSEUMS.ORG

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575 S. MENDENHALL (578-2787).

ARROW CREATIVE, 2535 BROAD, ARROWCREATIVE.ORG.

MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN, 750 CHERRY (636-4100).

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.

September 17-23, 2020

All sales benefit local creatives. Shop locally made jewelry, candles, greeting cards, soaps, and more. Ongoing.

Kudzu Playhouse

The Orpheum

“Unfolding: The Next Chapter in Memphis,” exhibition of visual art by local Memphis artists, curated by Kenneth Wayne Alexander. artsmemphis.org. Ongoing.

Arrow Creative Online Store

37 S. COOPER (502-3486).

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

ArtsMemphis

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

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.

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.

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.

Open on Main: My Memphis View Art & Gallery

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

Pinot’s Palette Virtual Paint

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

Reader Meet Writer: Margaret Kimberley

Writer discusses Prejuden-

tial: Black America and the Presidents via Zoom. Free with registration. Thurs., Sept. 17, 6 p.m. NOVEL, 387 PERKINS EXT. (922-5526).

Watercolor Florals 101 Shelby Brown, studio artist at Arrow, has made a PDF of steps, techniques, and a 25-minute video tutorial to teach you how to make watercolor florals. $10-$50. Ongoing. ARROW CREATIVE, 2535 BROAD.

WE Boutique

Handcrafted jewelry, scarves, masks, hats, and more by Dorothy Northern, Dinah Makowsky, and Lisa Mergan. Through Sept. 24. WOMAN’S EXCHANGE ART GALLERY, 88 RACINE (327-5681).

“Overlay” by Lisa Weiss at L Ross Gallery, through Saturday, October 10th O N G O I N G ART

Art Museum at the University of Memphis (AMUM)

“Africa: Art of a Continent,” exhibition of African art from the Martha and Robert Fogelman collection. Ongoing. “IEAA Ancient Egyptian Collection,” exhibition of Egyptian antiquities ranging from 3800 B.C.E. to 700 C.E. from the Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology collection. Ongoing. 142 COMMUNICATION & FINE ARTS BUILDING (678-2224).

“Interiors: A Study of Domestic Quarantine,” exhibition of work by Art 260: Curation in Context artists Paula Kovarik and Sophia Mason. Curated by Jenna Gilley. Visit Facebook page to view virtually. rhodes. edu. Ongoing. “Quarantine Couple,” exhibition of work by Art 260: Curation in Context artists Lacy Mitcham Veteto and Gregory Allen Smith. Curated by Ben Aquila. Ongoing. “Second Life, Third Life,” exhibition of work by Art 260: Curation in Context artists Meredith Potter, Melissa Wilkinson, and Emily C. Thomas. Curated by Roland Donnelly-Bullington. Ongoing. “Eyesolation: Seeing and Looking in Quarantine,” exhibition of work by Art 260: Curation in Context artists Melissa Dunn, Alexander Paulus, Emily C. Thomas, Mary K VanGieson. Curated by Katie Clark. Ongoing. “Home is Where the Art Is,” exhibition of work by Art 260: Curation in Context artists Nick Peña, Ryan Steed, and Nancy Cheairs. Curated by Julia Conway. Ongoing. “All by Myself,” exhibition of work by Art 260: Curation in Context artists Jesse Butcher and Emily C. Thomas. Curated by Marlo Morales. Ongoing. “Landscapes in Isolation,” exhibition of work by Art 260: Curation in Context artists Clare Johnson, Maysey Craddock, and Susan Maakestad. Curated by Caroline Koch. Ongoing. “Playground,” exhibition of work by Art 260: Curation in Context artists Elizabeth Alley and Susan Maakestad. Curated

Movie Opening September 19, 2020


CALENDAR: SEPTEMBER 17 - 23 RHODES COLLEGE, 2000 N. PARKWAY (843-3000).

The Dixon Gallery & Gardens

“For America,” exhibition of paintings from the National Academy of Design visually documenting the Academy’s membership and a singular history of American painting from 1809 to the present. Through Sept. 27. “Journey,” exhibition of printmaking by Maritza Dávila. Through Sept. 27. “Made in Dixon / Hecho en Dixon,” exhibition of artwork by Dixon program participants of all ages, diverse cultural backgrounds, and interests. Through Dec. 20. 4339 PARK (761-5250).

Fratelli’s

“See Me, Save Me,” exhibition of abstract paintings highlighting the plight of pollinators by Michelle Peel. Through Sept. 30. 750 CHERRY (766-9900).

Jay Etkin Gallery

“A Little Long,” exhibition of selected paintings by Mary Long. View during gallery hours or by appointment. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Through Sept. 26. Permanent Collection: “The Flow Museum of Art & Culture,” ongoing. 942 COOPER (550-0064).

L Ross Gallery

“Overlay,” exhibition of mixed-media works on paper by Lisa Weiss. Visit during gallery hours or by appointment. Wednesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Through Oct. 10.

Music

“Beautiful Souls: Joel Brodsky and the Faces of Stax Records,” exhibition of some familiar faces and famous Stax album cover photographs. Through Sept. 30.

5040 SANDERLIN (767-2200).

926 E. MCLEMORE (946-2535).

Memphis Botanic Garden

Tops Gallery

Luther Hampton, exhibition of 17 sculptures made between 1968 and 2000. By appointment. Through Dec. 31.

“Southern Stories,” exhibition of flower and landscape paintings by Libby Anderson. Through Sept. 30.

400 S. FRONT.

750 CHERRY (636-4100).

Tops Gallery: Madison Avenue Park

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art

“Arts of Global Africa,” exhibition of historic and contemporary works in a range of different media presenting an expansive vision of Africa’s artistry. Through June 21, 2021. “Drawing Memory: Essence of Memphis,” exhibition of works inspired by nsibidi, a sacred means of communication among male secret societies in southeastern Nigeria by Victor Ekpuk. Ongoing. 1934 POPLAR (544-6209).

Memphis College of Art

“Intrepidly Yours,” exhibition of Spring 2020 BFA work by last graduating class. mca2020bfa.com. Through Feb. 28, 2021. 1930 POPLAR (272-5100).

Stax Museum of American Soul

Luther Hampton, 17 sculptures made between 1968 and 2000. Through Dec. 31. 151 MADISON (340-0134).

OPERA

“My Favorite Music”

Memphis Heritage

“Newman to Now” Virtual Exhibit, exhibition of historic photographs taken by Don Newman between the 1940s and ’60s and contemporary photographs of the same sites taken by photographer Gary Walpole to explore continuity and change in Memphis’ built environment. memphisheritage.org. Ongoing.

“Life/Work,” by CBU art faculty. By appointment after September 7th. cbu.edu. Through Sept. 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m. CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY, 650 E. PARKWAY S. (321-3000).

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

“Opera Speed-Runs” Series by Jake Stamatis

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

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

Wednesday Opera Time

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

DAN C E

Get Back to the Barre

From creative movement for 3-year-olds to advanced, preprofessional training under the guidance and direction of Mandy Possel. All levels invited to join Fall 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, 5:30-

continued on page 21

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

2282 MADISON (272-2727).

“A Little Long” by Mary Long at Jay Etkin Gallery, through Saturday, September 26th Ross Gallery

Six Memphis singers are asked what they love to sing more than anything else. Hear their answers broadcast live on Facebook, WKNO FM 91.1, or wknofm.org. Free. Third Thursday of every month, 7 p.m. Through Dec. 17.

Sing2Me

We Saw You.

with MICHAEL DONAHUE memphisflyer.com/wesawyou

50 % OFF ALL CBD OPEN EVERYDAY 10A - 8P

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

by Dresden Timco. Ongoing.

19


September 17-23, 2020

THANK YOU for voting for your local favorites! Winners announced in the October 29 Best of Memphis issue

memphisflyer.com 20


CALENDAR: SEPTEMBER 17 - 23 continued from page 19

SON (272-2727), MEMPHISHERITAGE.ORG.

6:30 p.m. Through Sept. 30.

Voter Rights, Engagement, Apathy and Suppression: A Conversation with the Experts

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

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

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

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

Memphis Heritage Virtual Preservation Series

Caroline Carrico, supervisor of exhibits and graphics services at the Pink Palace Museum, will discuss the history of the Pink Palace. $10. Wed., Sept. 23, 6-7 p.m. MEMPHIS HERITAGE, 2282 MADI-

MEMPHIS PINK PALACE MUSEUM, 3050 CENTRAL (636-2362).

Les Passees Stock Exchange

The Hooks Institute presents an in-depth discussion on topic streamed through the Ben Hooks Institute Facebook live page. Free. Tues., Sept. 22, 6-8:30 p.m.

Buy or sell consignment items benefiting Harwood Center and Les Passees Kids on the Block. Through Sept. 30.

(678-974), MEMPHIS.EDU.

(410-7956), LPMEMPHIS.ORG.

Zoo Dude

Marketplace at Wolfchase: Literary Pop-Up Market

Hosted by Chief Zoological Officer Matt Thompson, Memphis Zoo updates. Free. Wednesdays, Sundays, 8 a.m., and Saturdays, noon. MEMPHIS ZOO, 2000 PRENTISS PLACE IN OVERTON PARK (3336500), MEMPHISZOO.ORG.

TO U R S

Central Gardens: Home Tour Detour

Self-guided virtual retrospective of more than 100 homes from the past 20 years of CGA Home Tours. Walk, drive, or bike while using interactive map. Take selfies for prizes. Through Sept. 27. CENTRAL GARDENS, ALONG CARR AVE., CENTRALGARDENS.ORG.

Ghost Walk

Join the Historical Haunts Investigation Team and explore the macabre and dark history of Downtown Memphis. $20.

Fridays-Sundays, 8 p.m. THE BROOM CLOSET, 546 S. MAIN (497-9486), HISTORICALHAUNTSMEMPHIS.COM.

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

Tours for Very Small Groups

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

Urban Adventure Quest Virtual Games

Series of small games that will take you on a virtual tour of a state from the safety of your home. Free. Ongoing. (805-603-5620), URBANADVENTUREQUEST.COM.

Walking Tour and Ghost Hunt

Tour the South Main district and investigate a well-known site which was the scene of the brutal murder of patrolman Edward Broadfoot in 1918. 13+. $25. Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. THE BROOM CLOSET, 546 S. MAIN (497-9486), HISTORICALHAUNTSMEMPHIS.COM.

Yellow Fever: A Tour of the Plague at Elmwood Cemetery Join Amanda Knight for an

Voter Rights, Ben Hooks Institute Facebook page, Tuesday, September 22nd, 6-8:30 p.m. all-walking tour through the cemetery grounds and learn the stories of this dreaded epidemic and how the people of Memphis managed. $20. Sat., Sept. 19, noon. ELMWOOD CEMETERY, 824 S. DUDLEY (774-3212), ELMWOODCEMETERY.ORG.

E X POS/SA LES

Crafts Fair Pop-Up Shop Featuring 30-plus artists and brands from Memphis and the surrounding areas. From paintings and home decor to jewelry and candles in a safe

Featuring book signings and more. Contact Yvonne for vendor space. Every other Sunday, 12-6 p.m., and every other Friday, Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Through Nov. 1. WOLFCHASE GALLERIA, 2760 N. GERMANTOWN (907-6828), YVONNEJAMES.COM.

Mid-South Pride Vendor Marketplace

Go online and celebrate MidSouth Pride at the only vendor marketplace. Or become a vendor for $35. Sept. 20-27. MIDSOUTHPRIDE.ORG.

Southern Flea Market

$2. Sat., Sept. 19, 8 a.m., and Sun., Sept. 20, 9 a.m. LANDERS CENTER, 4560 VENTURE, SOUTHAVEN, MS (662-280-9120).

continued on page 22

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Dermatologist-made Skincare Line Try our Anti-Wrinkle Moisturizer

GlycoShea Facial Cream Cruelty-Free - Organic & All-Natural

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

Neko Mew’s Belly Dance Classes

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

INDIE ACTING STUDIO, 6757 STAGE, KARSILAMADANCE.COM.

and socially distanced pop-up experience. Fridays, Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., and Sundays, 12-5 p.m. Through Dec. 27.

21


CALENDAR: SEPTEMBER 17 - 23 continued from page 21 F EST IVALS

Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival

The annual festival will be streamed live from the Blues Festival’s Facebook page. Free. Sat., Sept. 19, noon. WASHINGTON COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER, 1135 DYCUS (662-3320488), DELTABLUESMS.ORG.

Virtual Latin Fest 901

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month featuring Latin dance classes, artistic presentations, and conversations with experts on topics relevant to the community. Through Sept. 30. (846-5640).

S PO RTS / F IT N ES S

Ballet Memphis Online Pilates and Ballet Classes

Classes offered include Espresso Flow, Stretch & Burn, Fascial Fun, Intermediate/ Advanced Ballet, Intermediate Mat Flow, and Get Moving. $10. Ongoing, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. BALLET MEMPHIS, 2144 MADISON (737-7322).

Kroc Center Online Fitness Classes

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

S P EC IA L EVE NTS

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

Birds of Prey Program

Meet some of Tennessee’s native birds of prey. Registering guarantees a spot. Adding a donation helps provide food and care for the birds. Free with registration. Saturdays, Sundays, 3 p.m.

Memphis 901 FC vs. North Carolina FC Wed., Sept. 23, 7 p.m.

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

Our Virtual Yoga Downtown

MEEMAN-SHELBY FOREST STATE PARK, NATURE CENTER, NATURE CENTER, TNSTATEPARKS.COM.

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

DIG Memphis Mysteries While at home, do some investigative work to solve a mystery from a collection of images in the digital archives. New photo posted weekly. Ongoing.

DOWNTOWNMEMPHIS.COM.

South Memphis Glide Rides

Meet at the South Memphis Farmers Market for a fun, community bike ride. All bicycle riders are welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult. Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. Through Oct. 10. SOUTH MEMPHIS FARMERS MARKET, CORNER OF MISSISSIPPI BOULEVARD AND SOUTH PARKWAY EAST, THEWORKSCDC.ORG.

Sunset Yoga Downtown

Join instructor Bridget Danielle on Fourth Bluff or on Facebook Live for a weekly yoga series. All ages and experience levels are welcome. Free. Sundays, 6:15 p.m. Through Oct. 25. MEMPHIS PARK (FOURTH BLUFF), FRONT AND MADISON, DOWNTOWNMEMPHIS.COM.

Taijiquan with Milan Vigil This no-impact exercise

BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY, 3030 POPLAR (415-2700).

Disney Movie Trivia integrates the mind, body, and breath, promoting relaxation, balance, bone density, and aerobic benefits. On the South Lawn, weather permitting. Free with admission. Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. Through Dec. 19. THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS, 4339 PARK (761-5250).

Virtual Training & Group Fitness

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

Free. Ongoing. YMCAMEMPHIS.ORG.

M E ETI NGS

Churches from the Presbytery of the MidSouth: Sunday Worship Livestream

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

Virtual Dixon Book Club

Interactive discussion on great reads. Third Thursday of every

Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival, Blues Festival’s Facebook, Saturday, September 19th, noon month, 6-7:30 p.m. THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS, 4339 PARK (761-5250), DIXON.ORG.

Virtual-T

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

Trivia is free with the purchase of a $25 carload ticket to any double feature. Tues., Sept. 22, 6:45 p.m. MALCO SUMMER 4 DRIVE-IN, 5310 SUMMER (681-2020), CERRITOTRIVIA.COM.

Grind City Designs and Dixie Picker T-Shirt Benefit

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

OUTMEMPHIS.ORG.

CLOUD 9 SMOKE & VAPE SHOP HAS ALL YOUR SMOKING ACCESSORIES & GIFTS!

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September 17-23, 2020

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3986 Park Ave. 901-509-3760

Collierville:

396 New Byhalia Rd. 901-316-5619

Bartlett:

2125 Sycamore View 901-249-6741

Crosstown/Midtown:

376 N Cleveland St. 901-585-0941


CALENDAR: SEPTEMBER 17 - 23 Just for the Health of it Bingo Challenge

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. EXTENSION.TENNESSEE.EDU.

Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus and Andromeda

A lighthearted and imaginative retelling of one of the most famous constellation stories (either the story of Orion or Perseus and Andromeda) using a colorful laser light system. $9. Tues.-Sat., 5:30 p.m., and Sun., 4 p.m. Through Sept. 20. AUTOZONE DOME PLANETARIUM, MEMPHIS PINK PALACE MUSEUM, 3050 CENTRAL (636-2362).

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.

Memphis Pride Fest: Drag and Drive

Birdcage and Milk with a drag show in the middle. $25 per car. Wed., Sept. 23, 7 p.m. MALCO SUMMER 4 DRIVE-IN, 5310 SUMMER (681-2020), MIDSOUTHPRIDE.COM.

Nominations for the Quarterly Pick Award

Quarterly winners receive a cash prize and trophy. Nominations from all four quarters are considered for annual award. Nominate a hospitality professional for outstanding customer service. Through Oct. 20. WELCOMETOMEMPHIS.ORG.

Outdoor Scavenger Hunts

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

Reptile Program

Meet some of Tennessee’s native reptiles. Register to guarantee a spot. Free. Saturdays, Sundays, 3:30 p.m. MEEMAN-SHELBY FOREST STATE PARK, NATURE CENTER, NATURE CENTER, TNSTATEPARKS.COM.

River Garden Bingo

Download a bingo card or make your own for a fun game while enjoying Mississippi River Park. Free. Ongoing. MISSISSIPPI RIVER PARK, OFF RIVERSIDE DRIVE, MEMPHISRIVERPARKS.ORG.

River Garden Guides

Seasonal Stargazing: Our Sky Tonight

Hop through constellations, learn cool star names, and groove to planetarium space music in this full-dome audiovisual experience. $8. Tues.Sat., 1 & 4 p.m., and Sun., 1 p.m. Through Sept. 20. AUTOZONE DOME PLANETARIUM, MEMPHIS PINK PALACE MUSEUM, 3050 CENTRAL (636-2362), MEMPHISMUSEUMS.ORG.

Tennessee R.E.A.D.S.

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

United Way of the MidSouth: Driving The Dream

For those impacted by COVID-19. Puts callers in contact with essential services, without individuals having to repeat the circumstances for the call. Follow-up ensures those connections were made. Mondays-Fridays, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (888-709-0630), CALL.DRIVINGTHEDREAM.ORG.

Download River Garden field and bird guides and explore Mississippi River Park. Ongoing. MISSISSIPPI RIVER PARK, OFF RIVERSIDE DRIVE, MEMPHISRIVERPARKS.ORG.

FOOD & DR I N K E V E N TS

Bartlett Farmers Market Saturdays, 8 a.m.-noon.

BARTLETT STATION MUNICIPAL CENTER, 5868 STAGE, BARTLETTSTATIONFARMERSMARKET.ORG.

Memphis Dawah Association: Mobile Food Pantry

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

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

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

INDIEMEMPHIS.ORG.

Julie & Julia

Family: Sing

A hustling theater impresario’s attempt to save his theater with a singing competition becomes grander then he anticipates. Mempops and Smurfey’s Smokehouse will be available food options. $10. Fri., Sept. 18, 5 p.m. GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1801 EXETER (751-7500).

Great Barrier Reef 3D

$10. Sat., Sept. 19, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m., and Sun., Sept. 20, 1 p.m. CTI 3D GIANT THEATER, IN THE MEMPHIS PINK PALACE MUSEUM, 3050 CENTRAL (636-2362), MEMPHISMUSEUMS.ORG.

Dinosaurs of Antarctica 3D

Meet the newest dinosaurs and other creatures. Featuring reassembled skeletal structures, computer graphics of the newly discovered species, and a glimpse into the world of scientific field research. Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m., 1, 4 & 5:30 p.m. Through Sept. 18.

La La Land

Movie plus live music by Deborah Swiney and Ed Finney and Yippie Trippie, plus the Porkstars food truck. $10. Wed., Sept. 23, 5 p.m.

Oxford Virtual Film Festival

Harry Potter Movie Series

Each weekend leading up to Halloween watch a different Harry Potter movie in the series from the Sorcerer’s Stone to Deathly Hallows. Saturdays, Sundays. Through Oct. 25.

Indie Memphis Movie Club

GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1801 EXETER (751-7500).

GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1801 EXETER (751-7500).

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

FI LM

Movies for foodies hosted by local chef Ryan Trimm. Film is about Julia Child’s story intertwined with blogger Julie Powell’s 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child’s first book. Thurs., Sept. 17, 5 p.m.

Weekly virtual screening opportunities (for brand-new films and classics), plus online Q&As on Tuesday evenings between programmers and special guests. Visit website for more information and schedule. Ongoing.

Presentation includes 24-hour 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

From hurricanes, earthquakes, and avalanches, canine rescuers use their incredible super senses to locate and rescue victims of disasters. Various showtimes. Theater is dark on Mondays. $9. Sat., Sun., 2:30 p.m. Through Sept. 23. CTI 3D GIANT THEATER, IN THE MEMPHIS PINK PALACE MUSEUM, 3050 CENTRAL (636-2362).

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BOOKS By Jesse Davis

Deep Dive

Richard Grant does Natchez in The Deepest South of All.

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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? 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.

visit bit.ly/ flyercoloringbook or call 901.521.9000. 24

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ritish travel writer and journalist Richard Grant penned an instant bestseller when he wrote about his misadventures in impulsive homeownership in the Mississippi Delta in Dispatches from Pluto. Grant’s accounts of his time in Holes County, “the poorest county in America’s poorest state,” were marked by a keen eye for details and the author’s lively sense of humor. The same can be said for Grant’s most recent work, The Deepest South of All: True Stories from Natchez, Mississippi (Simon & Schuster). I spoke with Grant to learn more about what drew him to study Natchez — and how he found it to be a timely example of today’s America, in its contradictions, eccentricities, and in the way it’s haunted by its past. Memphis Flyer: What drew you to Natchez as the subject for a book? Richard Grant: It’s one of the most haunted places I’ve ever been. I came into town past the old slave market and there was an impoverished Black neighborhood that had grown up around the old slave market. Then these mansions came into view. The place feels really haunted by slavery. It’s kind of beautiful and tragic at the same time. You have these gorgeous mansions that are built on slavery. MF: That description sounds like it could be applied to all of the U.S. right now. RG: At first it just seemed really eccentric and incredibly Southern, but the more time I spent in Natchez, it just seemed like a distillation of the national situation. I mean the whole nation is haunted by slavery. We’ve never really addressed what that means to our history. In Natchez, people were asking these questions and having these discussions. They’d been having them intensively for quite a few years before I got there, and then it kind of felt like the rest of the country started catching up this year. MF: And some aspects of Natchez that you

saw as contradictory intrigued you as well? RG: A lot of the prominent white families dress up their children in Confederate uniforms and they put on hoop skirts. So that kind of made Natchez sound like a bastion of the Old South. Then I found out that they had elected a gay Black mayor with 91 percent of the vote, which made Natchez sound like an extraordinarily progressive place for the Deep South. MF: Will you talk about the Southern eccentricity you mentioned? RG: In this book we’ve got a woman named Ginger Hyland. She decorates 168 Christmas trees in a costume jewelry collection at Christmas. She’s got a collection of 500 antique eye wash cups. She lives in an Antebellum mansion that she believes is haunted. Natchez is very accepting of a person like that and, I think, enjoys a person like that. There’s a strong streak of eccentricity running through it. I think that’s the way that the brothel was tolerated in the middle of town for 40 years or however long. I think people in Natchez enjoyed the fact that they had a brothel madame riding around town in a white Cadillac with a white poodle on her lap and a pistol. It provides lots of good material for cocktail party storytelling. MF: Is there anything else you want to make sure I bring up? RG: I want to mention the story of this West African prince who was enslaved in Natchez for 40 years. That’s a pretty important thread in the book, and I think it tied the whole thing up. I wanted to find a way to get into slavery since Natchez wouldn’t exist without it. All its wealth was built on slavery, but there’s very little in the records from the slaves’ point of view. So I seized on [Abd alRahman Ibrahima], who ended up in the White House and going back to Africa. It was very interesting to meet his relative in present-day Natchez, one woman who was descended both from him and the family that enslaved him.


FOOD By Michael Donahue

Pound for Pound

THIS WEEK AT

Mini KiaKakes pack a punch.

“Mine are not dense and dry like other people’s pound cakes. Mine are super moist and sweet and buttery. They melt in your mouth.” Now a physical therapist, RobinsonJarrett began her pound cake business earlier this year. Her friend ran into one of Robinson-Jarrett’s old boyfriends, who said, “Oh, Kia. All she was good for was making good pound cake.” Robinson-Jarrett thought, “He’s still a jerk, but he’s got a point. If I can do that one thing well, I should do it. I said out loud, ‘I’m going to be a pound cake mogul.’” Robinson-Jarrett tweaked the recipe her sister gave her. “I wanted to make as

SPREAD OUT WORK OUT EAT OUT FIND SOME B R E AT H I N G ROOM CROSSTOWN

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Crosstown Arts: Against the Grain — an online platform where viewers can watch new, made-at-home performance videos by Memphis musicians — now features more than 150 local musicians. View their videos for free, or show your support with a donation. 100% of donations on an artist’s page will go directly to the artist.

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MARY KATE STEELE

Kia RobinsonJarrett

good or better a recipe.” Three batches later, she created her giant muffin-sized KiaKakes. “I still manage to keep that moist, velvety texture.” She made a Facebook post announcing the debut of KiaKakes, which she sells for $5 each. “People immediately wanted to try it.” She delivered them all around Memphis for free. “It just really blew up to the point where I couldn’t keep up with it.” When COVID-19 hit, RobinsonJarrett was working 50 percent of the time as a physical therapist, so she had more time for KiaKakes. “This voice said, ‘Start shipping.’ “People started asking me, ‘Does this come in lemon?’ That sounded absurd to me. What a crazy thing. Putting flavors in my world-famous pound cake? It’s like desecrating a national treasure.” Her husband Corey said, “It’s not what you like, but what everybody likes.” So she started with lemon and added Strawberry Swirl and Blueberry Lemonade. Her business really took off when she started doing photo shoots and posting the pictures of herself with her cakes online. “For my Tropical Series, I turned my backyard into this tropical oasis.” Robinson-Jarrett, who now works out of a commercial kitchen, offers 10 flavors, but not all at the same time. Her Summer Series included Kia Lime Pineapple, Kia Lime Peach Cobbler, and Orange Oasis. Upcoming flavors include Pumpkin Latte and Salted Caramel Rum Cake, which has a glaze made from Ole Smoky Tennessee Salty Caramel whiskey. “In the Pink Series, I’m going to be coming out with Pink Lemonade, Pink Cotton Candy, and New Orleans Wedding Cake, a vanilla almond wedding cake.” KiaKakes are now available at Bazaar in Collierville, Cordelia’s Market in Harbor Town, and Buster’s Wines and Spirits. “I want to be all over Memphis and, really, all over the South and the nation.” Robinson-Jarrett, who says her entire family helps in the business, doesn’t want a brick-and-mortar bakery. “I don’t want a storefront. I don’t want to have to go and stand at my counter and wait for people to come in. I want to mass-produce as many as possible and get them to everybody.” Visit kiakakes.com to order KiaKakes online or call 210-2005. Delivery is still free. Ships anywhere in the nation.

crosstownart s.org/againstthegrain CROSSTOWNCONCOURSE.COM/EVENTS

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

K

ia Robinson-Jarrett never was known as “the cook.” “I never knew how to cook,” she says. “I remember asking my mother, ‘How do you make tuna salad?’ She said, ‘Boil the eggs.’ I said, ‘How long do you boil an egg?’ She was patient.” But, Robinson-Jarrett says, “If there was one thing on earth I could do well, it was make good pound cake.” Robinson-Jarrett now is owner of KiaKakes — where she cooks up mini pound cakes in a variety of flavors. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Robinson-Jarrett originally majored in broadcast journalism at Langston University, but she graduated with a physical therapy degree. Her sister Grace taught her how to make her first “foolproof ” pound cake. “I made that cake for every occasion. If your baby was born, you got a pound cake. If you were graduating, you got a pound cake. Christmas. Thanksgiving.

25


WE COULD USE YOUR HELP. This is my twentieth year as the editor of the Flyer. I’d planned to retire as full-time editor in March and focus on writing a column and feature stories. Then things changed and I’ve stayed around to help the paper get through the COVID crisis. I did it because I’m proud of what the Flyer has achieved and what it does — and I want it to survive. America’s news media have taken huge hits in recent years and it’s important that we not let this pandemic deliver a knockout blow to local media.

September 17-23, 2020

I

’m proud that the Flyer is the only newsmedium in town that still offers a free print product and free website. In a city like Memphis, where poverty is endemic, access to a free source of local news is vital. And I’m proud that the Flyer is — and always has been — the city’s only progressive

BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Editor

media voice, standing up for equality and justice, and speaking truth to power without fear. I know the Flyer makes a difference in this city. People care about this little paper. I know because I hear it all the time, in person and via emails and texts. And I know because so many readers have become “Frequent Flyers,” supporting us with their dollars each month, asking only that we keep doing what we’re doing. Our advertisers aren’t big box stores with Sunday inserts; they’re local merchants — providing what we eat, drink, wear, drive, where we go for live music. Our advertisers are local, just like us. They believe in us. So do our readers. And I couldn’t be prouder to play a part in creating this paper, and helping it stay around for the next 20 years.

FUEL THE FREE PRESS M E M P H I S F LY E R . C O M / S U P P O R T

26


FILM By Chris McCoy

Fight Like a Girl Can Mulan save Disney from the pandemic?

Anything you can do, Mulan can do better — Yifei Liu (above and below) jumps at the chance to swing a sword for her country in Mulan, now streaming on the Disney+ platform. Directed by Niki Caro, and budgeted at a breathtaking $200 million, Mulan is the first of Disney’s live-action remakes not to feel like an egregious waste of time and resources. The musical elements have been removed and the dragon sidekick has been replaced with a phoenix that the heroine occasionally hallucinates. Instead, the story gets a straight wuxia treatment — the Chinese story genre whose name translates to “marshall heroes” in which kung fu fighters are blessed with superhuman powers through their mastery of the life force, “qi.” Hugely popular in China, wuxia is familiar to Western audiences through the high-flying wire work of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Mulan is played by Yifei Liu, a Chinese-American actor and model who is well-known in China. Director Caro puts her through the Hero’s Journey paces, with one notable exception. In Joseph Campbell’s formulation, the hero must first hear the call of adventure, then refuse it, before finally being forced into action by forces beyond their control. Mulan never refuses the call. She is already being held back from her destiny by the patriarchal forces of traditional Chinese society, as personified by the village matchmaker (Pei-Pei Cheng, a veteran of both the Shaw Brothers’ legendary Hong Kong studio and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.) When her aged father Zhou (Tzi continued on page 28

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is a logistical challenge rivaled only by military mobilization. Now that projects are returning to shooting, pandemic precautions are adding upwards of 25 percent to budgets. Even worse for Disney, the pandemic shut down their theme parks, a major cash cow — initial estimates put the loss for the year at $280 million. Iger did the math and decided to go out on top and leave it to others to save the day. Mulan was the biggest Disney release consigned to pandemic limbo. It is the epitome of the international strategy pursued by the studio. When you drop $200 million on a movie, it has to have very, very wide appeal. And since there are a billion people in China, many of whom have newly minted middle-class incomes, setting your movie there just makes good sense. “The Ballad of Mulan” was first written down in about 550 CE, but it is believed to be much older. Hua Mulan, the female warrior who disguised her gender to fight for her emperor, is as deeply ingrained in Chinese culture as Robin Hood in English folklore. In other words, she’s the perfect protagonist to build a Disney movie around. And indeed, she already got the animated musical treatment in 1998, complete with a dragon sidekick.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

O

n February 25th, Bob Iger unexpectedly resigned as CEO of Disney. During his 15-year tenure, he oversaw the rise of the House of Mouse into the most powerful entertainment company in the world. In retrospect, his 2009 decision to acquire Marvel Entertainment, and the 2012 acquisition of Lucasfilm Ltd., led to Disney dominating the box office to an extent never seen before in the history of the film business. So why, on an unassuming Tuesday in February, did he quit “effective immediately”? I think it’s because he saw COVID coming. Disney, like all the Hollywood studios, have long focused on breaking into the Chinese market. In February, the reports out of Wuhan were dire, and it was clear that the disease was poised to spread unchecked across the world. Two weeks later, the rest of America figured it out, too. The coronavirus pandemic has done huge damage to the film industry. Theaters, a high-risk environment, were shut down immediately. They have only recently reopened overseas and are still closed in many parts of America. Film production at the scale of Mulan

27


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FILM By Chris McCoy

LEGAL NOTICES

continued from page 27 Ma) is called up to protect the realm against invasion by the forces of Böri Khan (Jason Scott Lee) and the witch Xianniang (Li Gong), Mulan jumps at the chance to swing a sword in drag. Unlike some movies in the $100-million club, Mulan puts the money on the screen. There are sweeping vistas of bamboo forests and a sprawling set-piece battle that takes visual inspiration from the climax of Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus. Like Daisy Ridley’s Rey in the Disney-fied Star Wars, Liu hits her marks with a flawless physicality, but never emotes much more than a dutiful jaw-clench. Caro knows how to deploy the Spielberg punch-in to keep the action coherent,

though things do get a bit muddled at the end as Mulan races to save the emperor (Jet Li). While expertly made, the whole thing seems bloodless and restrained, and definitely conservative. With the theatrical situation uncertain, Disney decided to punt on Mulan in America, releasing it as an add-on to the Disney+ streaming service, and go with a full theatrical release in China, where the virus is under control. The streaming numbers are unknown, but the Chinese audiences so far have not shown up. Mulan is an artistic success, but Disney, who six months ago was at the helm of the global film business, now seems rudderless. Mulan Now streaming on Disney+

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THE LAST WORD by Jesse Davis

Schrödinger’s Leaders We’ve been in this pandemic for six months. Six months of changing plans — from “Safer at Home” to “Back to Business” — of disinformation spouted from the highest office in the land. Six months of Schrödinger’s infection. Since testing is limited and, at many sites, unavailable unless you have symptoms, and because we know that the novel coronavirus lends itself to asymptomatic transmission, we have to behave as if we have the virus. Wear a mask, distance, refrain from unnecessary trips, all so you don’t accidentally spread something you didn’t know you had. But, just in case we’re not carrying silent death, we have to act like we can still contract the virus. It’s the world we’ve all been living in, and for families with students at out-of-state schools with, shall we say, more lax social distancing guidelines, it’s been a constant worry. Well, the good news is, now I don’t have to wonder anymore. My girlfriend’s younger sister, let’s just call her K, a student at an out-of-state university still holding in-person classes, contracted the coronavirus. Before you jump to conclusions, K has not been partying. She’s a student athlete with a 4.0 grade average, and partying, even pre-pandemic, was never high on her priority list. I’m fairly certain that K got the virus from her housemates. Over the past few weeks, I’ve listened as phone calls came in. Her housemates went to a party. They had guys over. A gang of them stayed up drinking. Pretty normal college stuff — potentially annoying to the straight-A student athlete worried about hanging onto her scholarships, but not life-threatening. Of course, nothing is normal these days. So on top of the usual stress of grades, living far from home, endless practices and drills and time spent working out, scraping by on money saved from summer and winter break catering jobs, K has shouldered the fear that she would contract a disease despite taking every precaution. It’s too much to ask a young person, someone in their late teens or early 20s, to be responsible for policing three housemates. Just like it’s too much to expect 328 million Americans to get through this neverending crisis safely without leadership. We were all asked to simultaneously become experts at risk assessment and viral vectors and to slog through a knee-capped economy with a one-time $1,200 check as our only aid. We’re all juggling family and careers and safety and deferred milestones, and it’s all happening while our federal government refuses to fight a sophisticated and expensive foreign disinformation campaign. Not only has help been withheld, but actively dangerous threats are being ignored. This never should have happened, but it feels like it was always going to happen. It feels as though the Senate has been on vacation for months. It seems as though K’s university’s plan began and ended with “collect the tuition checks.” “I was tired, but I’m always tired, so I didn’t think anything of it,” I heard her say over the phone last night. When her housemates tested positive, the university didn’t step in to provide accommodations. No, they were quarantined with K, who had, at that point, tested negative. The university that’s profiting off of K’s athleticism locked her up with infected people. It’s no surprise that she tested positive soon after, at one of the routine checks she has to take in order to keep playing soccer. I don’t know what help I can offer K, but I can say that the abdication of leadership that left her unprotected seems to be an acrossthe-board phenomenon. President Trump is on tape admitting he knew about the severity of COVID-19, but he chose to claim it would disappear by Easter. Closer to home, our good ole boy Gov. Bill Lee can’t work up the guts to issue a life-saving statewide mask mandate, condemn the president’s lies, disburse federal funds to families in need, or to fight the virus and the economic downturn it continues to cause in any meaningful way. Instead he’s focused on an unconstitutional anti-abortion bill and an executive order to allow contact sports. Football, he says, is a way of life. An autumn without football would be unimaginable, a tragedy. Well, call me crazy, but almost 2,000 Tennesseans dying of a preventable disease is a tragedy. College athletes sacrificing their lives and future health to provide unpaid entertainment is a tragedy. Let’s demand more of our leaders, who will fight to our deaths to protect their freedom to watch football but remain silent when we ask for the freedom to live free of disease. Jesse Davis is the Flyer copy editor, book editor, and a staff writer.

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

Governor Bill Lee

THE LAST WORD

Americans are fighting a pandemic from the bottom up.

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Memphis’ Top Lingerie Shop 710 S. Cox|901-425-5912|Mon-Sat 11:30-7

MEMPHIS MADE BREWING CO.

OPEN FOR TO-GO BEERS 4-7 PM | WEDNESDAY - SUNDAY 768 S. Cooper * 901.207.5343

CURBSIDE PICKUP TUE thru FRI 11A‑2P a 4‑9P SAT 1‑9P | SUN 11A‑9P See Menus online at CELTICCROSSINGMEMPHIS.COM. BYOGROWLER TO TAKE HOME BEER! GUINNESS CANS ALSO AVAILABLE. CALL 901‑274‑5151 TO ORDER BROUGHT TO YOUR CAR UPON ARRIVAL

Congratulations!!

Cheers! We can now deliver some delicious alcoholic drinks right to your door alongside your to-go meal or have them available for curbside pickup! Don’t want to leave the house, that’s okay - twobrokebartenders.com will be happy to deliver it to you. You may also buy gift card for all locations online. We are going to make it through this together.

GRILLdroids — 1st Place Winner World Championship ‘Virtual’ Hot Wing Contest

“Thank You Memphis - Back Bigger Than Ever In 2021”

Address: 320 Monroe Ave • Entrance on Floyd Alley • Park in Stop345 Lot on Madison • West of Danny Thomas • 901.730.0290 • Take Sally to the Alley..

GONER RECORDS Visit Us Online At Goner-Records.Com Local Pickup Available (901) 722-0095

Visit www.worldwingfest.com to join in on the fun! Follow us on FB Benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis Charities of Memphis.

ALL ABOUT FEET $35-$55

Mobile foot care service, traveling to you for men & women, ages 50+. Over 25 years of experience. Traveling hours M-F, 9a-6p. Call now 901-270-6060

*TEAM CLEAN*

All natural cleaning for your home • office • studio environment Contact Candace @ 901-262-6610 or teamcleanmemphis@gmail.com

TUT-UNCOMMON ANTIQUES ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES

421 N. Watkins St. 278-8965

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 BUY RECORDS

We’ve Reopened, But We’re Going Out of Business Open Tues - Sat 10a-5p

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


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