Memphis Flyer - 10.12.23

OUR 1807TH ISSUE • 10.12.23 • FREE

PAUL YOUNG WINS P6 • SHOUT-OUT SHAKESPEARE P13 • BIG ASS TRUCK P14

PHOTO (BACKGROUND): COURTESY STEVE ROBERTS

Al Kapone PHOTOS LEFT TO RIGHT (INSET): COURTESY LARRY CLARK

2nd Level members Tela (l) and Cody Mack (r); So Smooth (l) and Carlos “SixJuly” Broady (r); Peaches & Cream

Gettin’ Real Buck

An oral history of Memphis hip-hop’s early underground.

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS IN OCTOBER & NOVEMBER | 7PM – 10PM Ten winners are drawn every hour to win up to $5,000 cash!

Receive one entry for every 23 points earned.

Plus, get 5X entries on Mondays!

Activate your entries by inserting your Lucky North® Club card into any slot machine

October 12-18, 2023

or at any table game day of promotion. Earn entries October 1–November 25.

Experience it for yourself.

JUST 7 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN MEMPHIS.

SCAN NOW TO BOOK YOUR STAY! 2

See Lucky North® Club for details. Must be 21+. Play responsibly; for help quitting, call 800-522-4700.

GSOU5554_PrintAds_MemphisFlyer_800kFoolsGold_9.35x12.4_Oct23_v1.indd 1

10/3/23 1:14 PM

OUR 1807TH ISSUE 08.12.23 Editor’s note: Flyer writers occasionally share this space.

JERRY D. SWIFT Advertising Director Emeritus KELLI DEWITT, CHIP GOOGE Senior Account Executives CHET HASTINGS 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 LYNN SPARAGOWSKI Controller/Circulation Manager JEFFREY GOLDBERG Chief Revenue Officer MARGIE NEAL Chief Operating Officer KRISTIN PAWLOWSKI Digital Services Director MARIAH MCCABE Circulation and Accounting Assistant

National Newspaper Association

Association of Alternative Newsmedia

HUGE CLEAROUT 20-60% OFF Estate Sale FRI. SAT. 1-5

PACKED MULTI ESTATES! COME BUY FROM AUCTION & ESTATE CENTER!

ALL MUST GO! EVERYTHING FROM BACK OF AUCTION!

aquaTreasures Estate Center AND

TODD’S AUCTION 3449 Summer Ave.

PARK IN REAR Collectibles, Home Decor

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

CARRIE BEASLEY Senior Art Director CHRISTOPHER MYERS Advertising Art Director NEIL WILLIAMS Graphic Designer

FRIDAY OCT. 13/14

901-486-3444 AQUATREASURES.COM

CONTENTS

SHARA CLARK Editor SAMUEL X. CICCI Managing Editor JACKSON BAKER, BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Senior Editors TOBY SELLS Associate Editor KAILYNN JOHNSON News Reporter CHRIS MCCOY Film and TV Editor ALEX GREENE Music Editor MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers ABIGAIL MORICI Arts and Culture Editor GENE GARD, EMILY GUENTHER, COCO JUNE, FRANK MURTAUGH Contributing Columnists SHARON BROWN, AIMEE STIEGEMEYER Grizzlies Reporters ANDREA FENISE Fashion Editor KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher

What’s the opposite of a landslide? Land that doesn’t move? A stable pile of dirt? A hill? There really isn’t a satisfactory answer that I could find. Whatever you might want to call it, the Memphis mayoral election last Thursday was anything but a landslide. It was more like 17 random stones rolling down a driveway.

Let’s get the doleful numbers out of the way first. There are 373,091 eligible voters in the city of Memphis according to the Election Commission. Of that number, 88,668 voted in the mayor’s race, meaning around 24 percent of us who could have voted bothered to do so. That’s some weak sauce, folks. But it gets weaker.

There were, yes, 17 candidates on the ballot, most of whom had no business being there and had no real chance of winning. Some perhaps entered the race because they were bored and/or just seeking attention; others because they are delusional nutcases; others, who can say? Maybe six of those 17 were legitimate candidates. Of these, four emerged as front-runners in the early polling: Paul Young, Floyd Bonner, Willie Herenton, and Van Turner.

I wrote a column three weeks ago about how I was conflicted because as a progressive I was leaning toward Turner, who has genuine Democratic Party bona fides and had garnered the endorsements of several elected officials whose opinions I respect on such matters. But as a pragmatist, I was leaning toward Young because he was leading in the polling I was seeing and PHOTO: BRANDON DILL | MLK50 he seemed like a solid guy with Paul Young business and activist connections and no baggage to speak of. But mainly, I was thinking Young because I was dead set on making sure neither Bonner nor Herenton won — one a cop whose jail had major issues and the other an 83-year-old five-time former mayor whose platform was “I’m Willie Herenton, damn it!”

After that column came out, I got calls, texts, and emails from supporters of both Young and Turner, all of them pitching me on the merits of their guy. In the end, I decided to go with my gut and voted for Turner. He came in fourth, right behind Herenton and Bonner, all three of them drawing in the neighborhood of 18,000 votes. So much for my gut. To sum it up: Young won an election to lead a city of 628,000 people with 24,400 votes, which is 15 percent of eligible voters. Ridiculous.

I’m not saying Young didn’t deserve to win. He won, and he did so fair and square, and probably as convincingly as one could, given the system. But the system is absurd — nonpartisan with no runoff. It encourages rather than discourages various loose fruits and nuts to enter. With 17 candidates and a low turnout any one of them could get lucky and stumble into the mayor’s office.

It’s not like we didn’t try to change the system. Not once, but twice, the citizens of Memphis approved IRV (Instant Runoff Voting), also known as ranked-choice voting, a system in which voters select their top three choices in order, the idea being to assure that a winner gets 50 percent of the vote, and that voters don’t have to make calculated guesses like I did when selecting a candidate.

But, as with so many good things in the state of Tennessee, our GOP legislature decided to kick that bucket over and ban IRV in the state. Because … well, because they could. And it would tick off Memphis, so why not?

But enough Election Day replay.

Paul Young is the new mayor. He’s put NEWS & OPINION in solid work as president and CEO of THE FLY-BY - 4 the Downtown Memphis Commission.

POLITICS - 6 He’s smart. His victory speech was VIEWPOINT - 8 inclusive and inspiring. He’s a family FINANCE - 9 COVER STORY guy, only 44, young enough to walk “GETTIN’ REAL BUCK” onstage after his win to the sounds of

BY JARED “JAY B.” BOYD - 10 “Who Run It” by Three 6 Mafia. Which WE RECOMMEND - 13 is cool, if you don’t read the lyrics, or at MUSIC - 14 least don’t take them literally. But hey, if AFTER DARK - 15 hip-hop can get young people engaged CALENDAR - 16 NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 16 in city politics, I’m all for it — anything ASTROLOGY - 17 that can get more than 25 percent of us NEWS OF THE WEIRD - 18 to the voting booth is a win.

FOOD - 19 Godspeed, Mr. Mayor. You run it.

FILM - 20 Bruce VanWyngarden CL ASSIFIEDS - 22 brucev@memphisflyer.com LAST WORD - 23

3

THE

fly-by

MEMernet

W E E K T H AT WA S

By Flyer staff

Film, Health, & Memphis in May

PAINTED

Young Rock pushes a record high, money for maternal health, and a record low for the festival.

Muralists from the across the country descended on the Ravine and the Edge District last weekend for the annual Paint Memphis festival.

TWEET OF THE WEEK “THANK YOU MEMPHIS!” POSTED TO X

BY PAUL YOUNG

SCARY!

October 12-18, 2023

Edited by Toby Sells

Memphis on the internet.

POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY PAINT MEMPHIS

4

{

Questions, Answers + Attitude

POSTED TO X BY @SONGSBYCHAPLIN

Spooky season is upon us and, yes, we know how some of you feel about the phrase “spooky season.” Either way, amazing yard decorations have sprung up all over town.

One Central Gardens home outdoes itself every year with a blend of horror and political commentary. This year’s design has former President Donald Trump behind bars.

Keep an eye on our Insta this month for a reboot of our series on the best Halloween yard decorations in Memphis. If you know of some good ones, send them please to toby@memphisflyer.com.

MEMPHIS IN MAY The Memphis opinion machine cranked up last week on the news of a record-low financial loss of $3.48 million for Memphis in May (MIM) and a 30-year-record-low crowd at Beale Street Music Festival.

MIM blamed much of this on the redesigned Tom Lee Park. Others online blamed part of it on the Beale Street Music PHOTO: MEMPHIS IN MAY Festival lineup, calling it Memphians attributed BSMF’s record-low attendance on “garbage,” “out of touch,” everything from the park redesign to an “ass as fuck” lineup. and “ass as fuck.”

Festival organizers PHOTO: TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS said that “the return Rico Reed’s strange appeal paid no dividends. to Tom Lee Park was marred by difficulties including: obtaining a lease with the Memphis River Parks remitted to the state and used Partnership (MRPP), problems with access to the park, for public good.” restrictive use of essential park features, designs not meeting agreed-upon specifications, and a park with 40 percent less WEIRD APPEAL useable space.”

LOST IN TOUCHING Memphis subreddit users said the Music Fest lineup did CASE not help matters, calling it “subpar” and “out of touch.”

A man convicted of inappropriately touching RECORD YEAR FOR FILM an 11-year-old relative lost Television and film productions spent more money in an appeal of his case, in which he argued that no evidence Shelby County last year than any other year on record. produced at trial proved “the contact was for sexual arousal The Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television or gratification.”

Commission said the production of Young Rock pushed In 2020, the young victim woke to find Rico Reed, the record-breaking figure. Production offices for the show then 39, “just rubbing [her] private part … on top of [her] opened in July 2022 and closed in February 2023. The series clothes.” The victim ran from Reed and immediately texted put to work nearly 1,500 local cast and crew members. her mother for help.

The commission said the show filled “Downtown hotels Reed, already convicted of sex crimes in Ohio, was and launched Graceland’s exhibit halls as Memphis’ largest convicted in Tennessee last year. His counsel sought soundstage space.” to overturn the ruling, arguing no one could prove the touching was for sexual gratification. A state appeals court CHING’S WINGS PAST OWNER INDICTED affirmed his conviction by a Shelby County court last week.

Veniece Bobo, 65, former owner of Ching’s Wings, was arrested last Wednesday on two counts of tax theft. She was NEW FUNDS FOR MATERNAL booked into the Shelby County Jail.

MORTALITY State officials indicted Bobo last month on charges The state of Tennessee has received more than $4.2 million of tax theft over $60,000. She faces 12 years in the state from the federal government to battle maternal mortality. penitentiary and fines of up to $25,000 for each charge.

Lack of accessibility to care contributes to increased “Investigations, such as this one, should warn retailers maternal mortality rates in Memphis, especially for Black that failing to properly remit all the sales tax monies they women. The funds will be used to expand nurse midwifery collect is a crime,“ said Tennessee Department of Revenue programs at medical colleges here, extra screening for Commissioner David Gerregano. “The taxes collected from maternal mental health, and maternal health research.

Visit the News Blog at memphisflyer.com for fuller versions of customers are property of state and local governments.

Customers have a right to know that the tax they pay will be these stories and more local news.

Climate Suffering {

ENVIRONMENT B y To b y S e l l s

Shelby County ranks among the country’s most vulnerable to climate change.

I

n the U.S., Shelby County is one of the areas most vulnerable to climate change.

That’s according to the new U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index, developed in partnership between the Environmental Defense Fund and Texas A&M University. The study shows which areas of the country will suffer the most as climate change continues and continues to get worse.

Climate change vulnerability is more than just susceptibility to environmental disasters like droughts, wildfires, and floods. The new tool considered 184 sets of public data to establish how communities may suffer under climate change.

“Climate change will cause a range of related risks, including increases in infectious and chronic disease, intensified social and economic stresses, and more frequent extreme weather events,” reads the tool’s website. “Vulnerable groups will be disproportionately affected due to greater exposure to climate risks and lower ability to prepare, adapt, and recover from their effects.”

The U.S. Southeast is particularly vulnerable to climate change, according to the study. Areas in the Northeast, Midwest, and West were scored among the least vulnerable in the country.

Shelby County scored in the 97th percentile of vulnerable counties in the nation. The score put the Memphis area only slightly behind Louisiana’s Cancer Alley for climate vulnerability.

Shelby’s score did not, however, rank it among the country’s top 10 most vulnerable counties. Five of the top 10 counties ranked worse in the study were in Louisiana. Three were in Kentucky.

Sites in Texas and South Carolina rounded out the top 10.

Shelby County did not even rank first for potential climate suffering in Tennessee. It ranked ninth behind counties mostly in East Tennessee.

Shelby County did earn the top spot in one national metric, however.

Shelby had the most census tracts (21) concentrated in one county among the top 100 most vulnerable.

These at-risk communities are in lower-income areas north of Downtown,

like Frayser, Alta Vista, Douglass, and Hollywood.

They can also be found in areas of the county south of Downtown like Riverview, Walker Homes, Valley Forge, and Whitehaven.

Areas inside the I-240 loop deemed to suffer less during climate change are inside the Downtown business and entertainment districts, and those along the Poplar Corridor. Most areas east of and outside of the loop are less vulnerable to climate change, the report said.

Areas less at risk of climate change vulnerability here are predominately more wealthy. One outlier, however, is a section of Collierville, which is seemingly more at risk thanks to the presence of a Carrier Air Conditioning Co. Superfund site.

Shelby County scored high (which is bad) for exposures to harmful materials. Overall, the county scored in the 98th percentile of all U.S. counties for the total amount of toxic chemicals released into an area.

PHOTO: MAXIM TOLCHINSKIY | UNSPLASH

Toxins released in the air are particular threats in Shelby County. The county scored in the 98th percentile for the amount of air pollution regulated by the government. The county scored near the top in categories showing how dangerous those toxic air pollutants and diesel particles are to the body’s nervous system (99th percentile), thyroid (99th percentile), and in increased cancer risk (94th percentile).

The county also scored high for the amount of land that is developed here, the number of payday lenders, affordable housing, traffic congestion, the total number of road miles per person, road quality, indoor plumbing, the cost of climate disasters, residential energy expenditures, and more.

Memphis’ Leading Metaphysical Shop

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

The Best Gift Shop in Memphis!

5off

$

a Full Price Adult Ticket with Promo Code

THEATRE MEMPHIS presents “BLITHE SPIRIT”

By NOËL COWARD n Director JUSTIN ASHER Sponsored by ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS FOUNDATION With Additional Support by JIM AND LINDA BRIGANCE Media Sponsors WKNO 91.1FM and MEMPHIS FLYER

MFLYMSBS

NEWS & OPINION

Gemstones ♦ Singing Bowls Jewelry ♦ Incense ♦ Books Tarot, Aura & Chakra Readings Sound Therapy Sessions Workshops ♦ Gifts and More!

Generous support provided by

in the

WINNER!

901.497.9486 552 S Main St.

Limit four

LOHREY

© 2023

TICKETS 901.682.8323 ONLINE theatrememphis.org

BlitheSpirit.FlyerAd.indd 1

5

9/12/23 11:42 AM

GRACELAND LIVE Election Wrap-Up POLITICS By Jackson Baker

UPCOMING CONCERTS

Mayor-elect Paul Young earned his win.

OCT 13

OCT 14

OCT 19

OCT 20

NOV 10

NOV 11

DEC 3

DEC 16 TICKETS ON SALE NOW

GRACELANDLIVE.COM

October 12-18, 2023

Patients diagnosed with certain medical conditions are needed for preclinical research.

Support the search for potential cures and be paid for your time and effort.

Qualified blood donors may be compensated up to $500 per donation for their time and effort participating in important research.

We are currently seeking blood donors with the following conditions in the Memphis area: • Multiple Sclerosis • Type 1 Diabetes • Lupus • Celiac Disease • IBD - Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

6

CS_2023_PatientStudies_Print Ad.indd 3

Interested in Participating?

Scan the QR code, visit CRiver.com/studies, or call us at (901) 206-8508

In the end, we still don’t know who our mayor-elect is, not entirely. We know his name, of course, and we’ll soon enough have a chance to catch up with his biography and intentions.

In any case, his vote total, though not a majority, was a convincing enough plurality as to make it clear that, running for a year or more against three other solid contenders (and 13 others on the ballot), Paul Young was the People’s Choice.

“I don’t care about politics,” candidate Young would say. “I just want to do the work.”

Well, there’s lots of it to do — regarding, to start with, crime, which we have too much of, and economic development, which we don’t have enough of, at least in the right places. And how the new mayor approaches those two subjects will determine a dozen other outcomes, all of them urgent.

Among the candidates we came to regard as the Top Four, Young was the one we were least familiar with at the start. Essentially he was known as someone who had performed credibly in a number of essential city and county appointive positions. A technocrat, if you will, and that he had so much backing among the influential minority (commercial interests, significant governmental doers) in a position to evaluate him was helpful in getting his campaign — and his fundraising — going.

Once launched, he sustained that campaign with nonstop energy and zeal. He was never off the clock. Needful of developing his name recognition, he made himself ubiquitous.

Given the relative closeness of the leading contenders, one can only wonder what might have happened: if Sheriff Floyd Bonner, previously known as a teddy bear and a top vote-getter in county elections, had not gotten

8/18/23 10:40 AM

branded, fairly or otherwise, as lax in his oversight of inmate safety; if former Mayor Willie Herenton had deigned to stoke his popularity with appearances in more public situations; if former county commissioner and NAACP head Van Turner had been able to activate his role as a Democratic avatar earlier and perhaps less abrasively.

Meanwhile, the city election remains unfinished.

There are three council positions which require a runoff, on November 16th, to determine a majority winner.

In District 2, in northeast Memphis, voters must choose between former Councilman Scott McCormick, whose support base is significantly Republican, and Jerri Green, an advisor to Democratic County Mayor Lee Harris.

In District 3 (Whitehaven, Hickory Hill), the remaining candidates are

PHOTO: JACKSON BAKER

Mayor-elect Paul Young and wife Jamila activist Pearl Eva Walker and James Kirkwood, a pastor and former MPD official. And in District 7 (Downtown, Mud Island, parts of North and South Memphis), incumbent Michalyn Easter-Thomas faces businessman Jimmy Hassan.

In council elections already determined, the key outcome was in the District 5 race between former Councilman Philip Spinosa and activist newcomer Meggan Wurzburg Kiel.

That was a classic showdown between conservative Spinosa (the winner) and progressive Kiel.

NEWS & OPINION

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

2023

WINNER!

7

25

TH

ANNIVERSARY

VIEWPOINT By Wim Laven

Not Again Friends don’t let friends kill innocent civilians.

T THEATRE BY THE LAKE

OCTOBER 13 / 7:00P.M. / FREE!

Rain Plans – Same nite inside BPACC On a mystical isle once ruled by demi-devil Caliban & spirit Ariel, the Duke Prospero & daughter Miranda now rule with magical arts. Prospero seeks revenge when his betrayers appear on the horizon, he causes a tempest to shipwreck them! However, the tragedy transforms into a forgiving “brave new world.”

Shakespeare’s enchanting farewell to the stage, has no intermission – runs 90 minutes.

MORGAN MYLES & JAY ALLEN

Hot New Country OCTOBER 28 / 7:30P.M. Enjoy two acts in one night with country musicians Morgan Myles & Jay Allen from Season 2022 of The Voice, performing their own songs, & ending the show together.

TICKETS & INFO @ BPACC.org

October 12-18, 2023

901.385.5588 — Box Office Hours — 10a.m. to 2p.m. ♦ Michael Bollinger — Artistic Director

8

urn on any mainstream news media and you are guaranteed to see grizzly details of violence transpiring in Israel and Palestine. Interviews with survivors and witnesses describing horrors; observers asking important questions like “how could this happen?” and “why didn’t we stop it?” Sooner or later the politics, the leaders, and the responses become central to the story.

The New York Times reported: Israel’s defense minister said “no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel” would be allowed into Gaza after an invasion by the militant group Hamas.

All I could think was, “Not again!”

I hate seeing the same failed responses. But breaking the narrative is a daunting task.

Attacks on civilians are morally reprehensible — always.

Hamas, however, is not just repugnant in its horrific choice of tactics but counterproductive.

Over and over, we see terror groups using violence against civilians; while it makes the news, it does not achieve desired outcomes.

Simply put, with rare exception, when Hamas targets civilians it is used as justification for an even more violent response, and one that much of the world supports.

No critique of grievances is necessary to make a full condemnation of the violent terrorism employed by Hamas, and the choice to target civilians makes it much less likely for those grievances to be considered at all. “Idiotic” understates the monumental stupidity in such a bad strategic choice.

Hamas, likely, just set the Palestinian resistance/struggle for legitimate grievances back several years. As usual.

Once again.

But what is this about a siege of Gaza?

“No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel” — are you kidding me? Worse, Israel is bombing apartment buildings full of Palestinian families, and hospitals.

How many children or suffering patients does Israel kill before the world throws up its collective hands and stops caring much about either side?

If the U.S. is any friend to Israel, then they must help them to avoid such an unforced error. There is no doubt that such

a blockade would kill innocent civilians, they always do, and they place the most vulnerable at greatest risk. Grandparents and newborn babies have these survival needs; cutting off access to basic human needs … it is just as counterproductive for Israel as terrorism is for Hamas.

And the world sees the Israeli air strikes on civilians and asks, so how is that not terrorism?

Being a friend does not mean standing idly by while your friend makes bad choices. The U.S. has participated in such bad choices too many times, and we have learned these lessons. Killing innocent civilians, whether directly or indirectly, tends to do several things: First, it undermines legitimacy; second, it is used as a recruitment tool for the opposition; third, it causes committed opposition to dig in and become even more entrenched.

PHOTO: RRODRICKBEILER | DREAMSTIME.COM

According to the United Nations, more than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed in four wars since 2008.

In this December 2012 image, a child stands amid the rubble of the destroyed Al Dalu family home in Gaza City. Ten members of the Al Dalu family were killed, as well as two neighbors, by an Israeli air strike that November. Four of those killed were children, and four were women.

The U.S. ought to tell Israel, “Believe it or not, when we dealt with the Taliban in Afghanistan, we always accomplished more with bridges than bombs.” It’s true, the innocent civilians provided great intelligence on the terror group when they came to see the U.S. for doing good.

Never underestimate the achievements you can make when the choice is taking two steps forward instead of two steps backward; in this regard, violence is always regressive.

Wim Laven, Ph.D., syndicated by PeaceVoice, teaches courses in political science and conflict resolution.

FINANCE By Gene Gard

Age Gap Planning Navigating financial planning for couples with an age gap.

2. Timing Social Security Properly planning for Social Security is especially critical for couples with an age gap because the younger spouse has the potential to live significantly longer than the older spouse. This means the younger spouse may need to rely on a survivor benefit for an extended period of time.

If the older spouse is the primary earner, it may make sense for him/her to delay taking benefits until age 70. Doing so allows the Social Security benefits to grow by 8 percent each year, which can also result in a higher survivor benefit for the younger spouse.

In contrast, it may make sense for the younger spouse to begin receiving Social Security benefits as soon as possible, even if that means taking reduced benefits beginning at age 62. By doing so, the couple can receive as many years as possible of the younger spouse’s benefits. Then, when the older spouse passes away, the younger spouse may be eligible to receive survivor benefits at the older spouse’s higher rate.

3. Investment allocation Typically as you near retirement, you

4. Life insurance It often makes sense for an older spouse to implement a permanent life insurance policy that pays a tax-free death benefit to the younger spouse. Some policies even offer a rider to help pay for the costs of long-term care, which can take some pressure off the younger spouse, should the older spouse face health issues later in life.

5. Pension payments If the older spouse is eligible to receive pension payments, it may make sense to elect a joint-and-survivor payout option. While this practice typically reduces the amount of the monthly payment to the household, it also helps ensure the younger spouse can continue receiving payments for the rest of his/her life, even after the older spouse passes away.

6. Estate planning Estate planning for couples with an age gap can be especially complex. It’s important to take steps to ensure the younger spouse will continue to be financially secure following the older spouse’s death.

Work with your wealth manager and estate planning attorney to implement the necessary documents, including wills, trusts, financial powers of attorney, and healthcare powers of attorney. This will help ensure both spouse’s wishes are properly reflected in your estate plan.

Gene Gard, CFA, CFP, CFT-I, is a Partner and Private Wealth Manager with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest Registered Investment Advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management.

For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com

couldn’t have done it without you.

In 1998, we started Independent Bank with a simple goal—to serve our customers heroically. We always knew at the end of the day, this business was not about us, it was all about you.

As we celebrate 25 years of serving heroically, we are proud to be the largest Memphis-headquartered community bank. You have been our priority as we grew, your goals have been our goals, and you are the reason for our success.

So, here’s to you! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be part of your business and personal dreams. Thank you for trusting us with your financial needs, and giving us the opportunity to grow alongside you.

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

1. Staggered retirement dates Couples with a significant age gap may find themselves juggling different retirement dates. The older spouse may be ready to retire while the younger spouse is still enjoying prime earning years. The key to solving this challenge? Don’t even try!

From a financial perspective, there can be significant advantages to staggering your retirement dates. For example, the working spouse may be able to maintain employer-sponsored health insurance until both partners are eligible for Medicare.

And any earnings that continue to come into the household can reduce the need to draw from retirement assets, therefore preserving the couple’s retirement savings.

Of course, if the lifestyle challenges of having one working spouse and one retired spouse are too much, consider a compromise. Perhaps the older spouse takes a part-time job for a few years and the younger spouse wraps up their career a few years earlier than originally planned.

begin to shift your investments from a growth-oriented strategy to a more income-oriented strategy. However, if there’s a significant age gap between you and your spouse, it may make sense to maintain a slightly more aggressive portfolio than your same-aged friends.

Remaining more aggressive provides your investments with additional time to stretch and grow, which will hopefully protect the income needs of the younger spouse later in life. And, because the younger spouse has a longer time horizon, he/she may have a better opportunity to recover from market volatility, should the value of your investments decline.

We truly couldn’t have done it without you!

Your friends at i-bank

i-bankonline.com

NEWS & OPINION

F

inancial planning is never easy, but couples with a significant age gap face additional complexities due to differences in retirement eligibility dates, life expectancies, health issues, income needs, and more.

Following are six challenges for couples with a significant age difference, as well as strategies to help you navigate them.

9

COVER STORY By Jared “Jay B.” Boyd

Gettin’ Real Buck An oral history of Memphis hip-hop’s early underground.

PHOTO: STEVE ROBERTS

Al Kapone performs at the Antenna Club in the early ’90s.

D

October 12-18, 2023

ancing his way into his third major-label album cycle, megastar rapper Hammer, who’d only recently dropped the “MC” prefix, released the bombastic “2 Legit 2 Quit” single and video. The song served as a not-soveiled retort to critical voices from within a growing hip-hop music fandom whose appetite for harderedged reality rap had begun to shift the archetype of success in the genre.

While this renewed and rejuvenated Hammer returned with one of the most expensive and glitzy videos of popular music history — a 15-minute production with staged explosions and a dizzying array of celebrity cameos — he came across as a tougher, more street-wise version of himself. As the party winds down in the song’s latter half, Hammer pauses for a dance break, offering a repetitive chant of “Get buck!” to the beat.

What would’ve been an innocuous phrase to almost all who heard the 1991 song, a platinum seller that peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, was a dog whistle to rap fans in 10 Memphis, Tennessee. It especially pricked the ears of Pretty Tony, who’d

help popularize the chant at numerous talent showcases in the city, releasing his own single titled “Get Buck” on a cassette the year prior.

“I wrote ‘Get Buck’ in 1986. But I didn’t drop it until 1990,” Tony, whose real name is Anthony Davis, says. “I saw something missing in hip-hop, a real, raunchy club sound that wasn’t in the industry.” That sound, he says, was his own attempt to capture the atmosphere of Memphis’ fledgling underground rap scene, where a crop of young performing artists and producers converged with larger-than-life street jocks, whose mixing and hosting skills circumvented the conventions of commercial radio. Behind the doors of night spots like Club Expo, Studio G, and 21st Century, major players provided a proving ground for a new style of rap, and everyone involved worked to find their own way to get it on tape.

Much like the origins of its older, more established siblings in New York and Los Angeles, the Memphis hiphop contingent had been born as an offshoot of a nightclub culture where disco and funk had only recently given way to a slick, synthesized sound.

PHOTO: COURTESY PRETTY TONY

Pretty Tony

T

rumpeter and Somerville, Tennessee, native John Moore credits the shift for changing the course of his life. Setting his sights on Memphis, immediately after graduating high school, he jokes that he was hanging outside Stax Records before his school band could finish “Pomp and Circumstance.”

Shortly after that day in 1974, he began to notice that splitting money on a bandstand in small local clubs was not an easy living. “When disco came, the bands started using keyboards to re-

place the horns. So the Memphis horn sound wasn’t as valuable as it used to be,” Moore says.

With the global dance craze beckoning eager partygoers in clubs across the city, Moore answered the call, enlisting as a DJ at Club Expo on Lamar Avenue. “To me, it was a no-brainer because if I can get 1,000 people in line to see two DJs, I was better off than having to split $200 with 20 guys in a small club,” he says.

“During the disco era, we, pretty much, put bands out [of business]. That was before hip-hop came in. But it was on the way.”

Beginning his tenure behind the turntables with a DJ named Soul Searcher, Moore, who is renowned locally by his moniker Disco Hound, began to recruit other mixers and personalities to increase Club Expo’s profile. Soon, his core of street jocks would include a young DJ Spanish Fly; a Chicago import named Soni D, whose progressive disco stylings introduced Memphis to an early iteration of house music; and a fast-talking lifelong media man and lightweight insult comic known as Ray The Jay. “A lot of club owners were against me for fear that they’d lose their clientele with rap coming in,” Ray The Jay says. “And a lot of the club DJs were doing what club owners told them to do. And the radio DJs couldn’t play it because they were doing what their program directors said. But we got it so hot in the club that [if you came late], you’d only be able to stand at the back.”

Born Jay Raymond Nealy Jr., in Little Rock, the child who would become known as Ray The Jay spent his formative years in Chicago with his father.

But injuries sustained in an automobile accident prompted his mother to move him back South. As a student at Little Rock Central High School, he played basketball alongside future football coach Houston Nutt. In his junior year, he completed a vocational training program that certified him as a licensed radio broadcaster. His special endorsement also certified him to read radio transmitters. The precocious teenager quickly found work on a local radio news program. Just as swiftly, his trajectory was derailed by robbery charges for a crime he maintains he was falsely accused of committing. Today, Nealy states he wasn’t even in the area of the incident when it occurred. Nevertheless, legal troubles sullied his reputation with college basketball scouts, and Nealy finished his senior year intent on making his mark on-air, studying radio, TV, and film with a minor in sales at Memphis State University.

In time, his voice would cut through. Even today, he can recite his common opening, “News and informa-

PHOTO: COURTESY LARRY CLARK

window,” he says. The ring leader of the small audience was Homicyde, and he wanted in on the experience. Joining with other top rappers in the neighborhood, Homicyde and Psycho formed America’s Most Wanted and signed with a manager. Naturally, Homicyde’s twisted, deranged lyrics proved too violent, and Psycho’s ambitious production technique eventually left them on the outs with management and group mates.

“They call me insane because I’m homicidal, fuck Roger Rabbit, Charles Manson is my idol,” Homicyde would rap on the track “Paranoid,” the early ’90s song that he points to as the launching point of his solo career.

PHOTO: COURTESY LARRY CLARK

America’s Most Wanted “When we were in America’s Most Wanted, we’d rehearse outside with speakers. People would come and say, ‘This shit is amazing,’” Homicyde says.

“But after I put the little gangster touch to it with ‘Paranoid,’ everything just skyrocketed, as far as the [more sinister] Memphis sound.”

Both Homicyde and Psycho would leave the group to mentor, influence, and team up with other known quantities in the Memphis rap canon, with Homicyde working closely with the camp that included the likes of Skinny Pimp, DJ Paul, and Juicy J, and Psycho starting a new group called Men of the Hour featuring an emcee named Al Kapone.

throngs to Boyland’s OTS Records in Orange Mound to learn from one another. In the early 1990s, artists affiliated with and signed to the label included the likes of Radical T, Pretty Tony, 8Ball & MJG, and Psycho. However, its flagship artist was Patrick “Gangsta Pat” Hall, son of prolific soul drummer Willie Hall, who played with The Bar-Kays, The MG’s, and The Blues Brothers.

OTS founder Anthony Collier primed Gangsta Pat as its breakout star, a feat Pat would achieve when he became the first Memphis rapper with a major label contract when Atlantic Records reissued his 1990 album #1 Suspect, a year after its original OTS release. Tragically, Collier died as an assailant shot into a vehicle at the corner of Danny Thomas Boulevard and Beale Street in May 1990, prior to Pat’s grand success. The shots rang out mere blocks from Memphis hip-hop mecca, Studio G, a club at 380 Beale Street. Boyland took up the mantle in the wake of Collier’s death.

For those artists, and numerous others looking for a safe haven, a youth center on Winchester Road near Tchulahoma named 21st Century aimed more specifically at providing rap hopefuls with a playground, of sorts, to hone their craft. Following its opening in 1989, an unwitting promoter named Larry Clark stepped forward to manage the venue while its owners filled it with performance and studio spaces.

Among the most popular attractions at weekly talent shows were iterations of America’s Most Wanted and 2nd Level, a group including DJ Jus Borne, Cody Mack, and a soon-to-be standout Whitehaven rapper named Tela.

Homicyde “Homicyde was going from one hood to the next hood, promoting the rap and putting on shows,” Nealy says.

“Homicyde was the first gangster rapper I’d ever heard,” says producer, rapper, and multi-instrumentalist Tyrone “Psycho” Bell. “He had that passion when we were just teenagers.”

Bell, who tried his hand at everything from guitar to piccolo in his school band, moved from South Memphis to Westwood with his family as a teenager. After school, he’d rush home to tinker with four-track recorders, making demos of the ditties he came up with in solitude. With his window open, the sound permeated the streets of his new neighborhood.

“The next thing you know, I’d have a yard full of people at my bedroom

O

n The Strength (OTS) Records CEO Reginald Boyland notes that the switching around of artists from group to group became emblematic of a scene still finding its footing. In it, the roles of the individual artists at this primitive stage had little priority over the whole. “All these cats were around each other, and they really were friends,” Boyland says of the camaraderie of Memphis rap’s early period. “They were young, ambitious, and they were like brothers, and they stayed out of trouble because they had somewhere to go.”

Much like Disco Hound had showed up to Memphis, trumpet in hand, with the hope that standing outside Stax Records might afford him an invitation inside, the young rap faithful arrived in

PHOTO: COURTESY LARRY CLARK

2nd Level Clark, a die-hard Bar-Kays fan, got hip to the music promotion game after connecting with the legendary funk band’s bassist James Alexander, who in the 1980s enjoyed a second career pounding the pavement for several labels — his most steady work coming from Memphis’ Select-O-Hits. Working on projects with Alexander, Clark began carrying a camcorder to document the impact of their activations and promotional displays. The hobby evolved into a public access show for local Cablevision customers called

UGTV, launched in the early ’90s. “It was the only game in town for rap music on TV,” Clark says.

“Everybody in the region would call me and ask, ‘How can I get on your show?’” he says, laughing. “I’d say, ‘Well, if you let me do your music video, I’ll play it on the show!’”

That proposition kept Clark a very busy man, as it did for Ralph McDaniels’ pioneering Video Music Box program on New York City’s public station WNYC-TV years earlier when hip-hop’s first music videos hit television airwaves.

“I knew how to walk right up to the edge without going over the edge,” Clark says. “I would do stuff that I knew I wasn’t supposed to be doing, like putting booty on TV. I’d go to the shake junt, turn the cameras on, film the girls shaking this and that. The folks at Cablevision would say, ‘We can’t show that!’ But I’d say, ‘It ain’t showin’ [that much].’”

E

lsewhere in the land of broadcast media, a rivalry brewed between two jocks looking to earn their piece of the hip-hop spilling over from streets into the office parks that beamed music across the region. Returning to his former station in his hometown market, after a short tour away from Memphis radio, Downtown Jackson Brown stepped behind the microphone at Magic 101 in 1991 with one directive from his station owner: knock K97’s Stan Bell down a peg in the ratings.

Brown, psyching himself up for battle, egged on the station owner, throwing fuel on the matter.

“I told him, ‘Stan is killing everybody [in Memphis radio] at night, he’s talking about people, he’s degrading people, making ’em feel bad because he’s the king of the throne,’” Brown says. “‘In order to fight that, I need to be able to play a lot of Memphis records, because I got an ear to the street.’”

Brown’s station owner obliged. And Brown had his marching orders. He took to the clubs, often emceeing special events in and around Memphis to ingratiate himself with the underground.

“A lot of the club jocks at the time had mixtapes on cassette. You could get them volume by volume by different guys: DJ Spanish Fly, DJ Zirk, DJ Squeeky, and later DJ Paul and Juicy J,” Brown says.

“I took stuff off the cassette tape like ‘Slob on My Knob,’ took it in the studio.

We’d take a reel-to-reel machine, mark, splice, and flip the words out that we didn’t want to play on the radio. DJ Juicy J became bigger than life after that. I did the same with the bad language from DJ Paul’s ‘Where Is Da Bud?’” “That rivalry made me better,” Stan Bell says. “It almost got personal, at continued on page 12

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

tion continues from WMC in Memphis. I’m Ray Nealy, and here’s what’s happening today!” While partying as hard as he was working, he took a colleague up, partly on a dare, to buy his way into a small after-hours spot called The Golden Nugget on South Bellevue, rebranding the club as the deliberately on-the-nose All Night Disco. His knack for radio gave him an in, as he took to cutting commercials with his signature flair. However, it was his penchant for promotions that took over when he began marketing gimmicks for each night of the week. And, when his DJ didn’t show for a gig, his showmanship won out and he created the Ray The Jay persona to entertain his guests.

When his business arrangement at All Night Disco came to an end, he’d hone his repertoire during a brief stint in New Orleans’ French Quarter. After the hiatus, he returned to Memphis nightlife, bouncing from club to club for close to a decade, until he found a home at Expo. On its dance floor, rap was already beginning to bubble.

“All the locals came up with their own songs,” Nealy says. “As soon as they gave it to me, I would play it. If it was good, we’d jam it. If it wasn’t, I’d talk about they ass! I used to check people.” His early favorite, a Westwood rapper named Travis “Homicyde” Townsell, emerged as an influential figure in Memphis’ early rap circle.

11

continued from page 11

GOT A SHADY LAWN?

NEED GRASS?

NOW IS THE TIME TO PLANT FIVE STAR EXTREME SHADE FESCUE SEED NEW LAWN STARTER DESIGNED TO HELP GRASS SEED DEVELOP STRONG ROOTS BAG COVERS UP TO 2500 SQ FT

$29.99 TURF & ORNAMENTAL GRASS & WEED STOPPER APPLY NOW TO STOP FALL & WINTER GERMINATING WEEDS & GRASSES IN LAWNS & BEDS

12 LBS. BAG $19.97

COVERS UP TO 3000 SQ FT

$5. OFF 00

ANY PURCHASE OF $45 OR MORE AT DAN WEST GARDEN CENTERS EXPIRES 10-31-23

2023

WINNER!

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

MUSIC & LIVE ART FESTIVAL

T R BE O

October 12-18, 2023

FEST

HIDEAWAY HERNANDO'S O L D H E R N A N D O R D

3 P M T IL L ..

featuring...

. | 3 2 10

15 2023

Oct

life, explicit explicit MICK K KOLASSA OLASSA life, GRAVE G RAVE LLURKER URKER MICK CASH M MARTIN ARTIN the fast the fast m mothers others CASH $10 cover 3-7pm

12

one point, because we all want to be number one.”

Labeling them playfully as “radio wars,” Bell says, “We used to take shots at each other, saying things like, ‘The real hits are over here.’ It was fun. It was a friendly competition. But it was serious. And the ratings were good.”

Though he may not have had the green light to play some of the more suggestive street records creeping up from the Memphis underground, Bell did find a creative solution to crowdsourcing content directly from the Memphis streets. In the ’90s, he launched his signature segment “The Roll Call,” opening up the phone line for brave callers to freestyle about neighborhood news, shout out to local crews, and deliver dedications to their crushes. And he found an even more express route to Memphis’ youth: through the schools. In 1993, he returned to his alma mater, Northside High School, as an English teacher, breeding a captive audience and de facto street team within the student body.

“They told him they were gonna sue him if he put the record out because I was rapping about outrunning the police,” Boo laughs. “But that’s a joke because anyone with a Suzuki Samurai knows those jokers are slow as hell.”

Pop was like, “Well, we gotta put it out now!”

It was that level of support for his son’s newfound joy of music that found the elder Mitchell shopping his grandson’s tracks to labels in New York, one of which asked that they change the lyrics to their song “This Is Hip-Hop.” “They were like, ‘You can’t say that,’ But what they were basically saying was, ‘Y’all are from the South, and this shit isn’t hip-hop.’”

A

similar exchange between generations facilitated a passing of the torch between multiple Memphis soul legends whose children and their friends made convenient use of the resources left intact by their elders.

Like Willie Hall and Gangsta Pat, James Alexander’s son Phalon Alexander (later known as Jazze Pha) parlayed his charisma and father’s tenacity as a promotions professional into a release distributed by Elektra in the form of 1990’s Rising to the Top. Phalon regularly won talent shows in town with the help of a talented body-rocking sidekick named Act-A-Fool, who’d punch his ticket out of Memphis as a part of MC Hammer’s noodle-legged troupe of dancers. Thus was the link between Memphis’ burgeoning underground and the charttopping pop-rap sensation.

Around the corner from that South Memphis-based clique, brothers Archie “Baldhead” Mitchell and Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell carried on their family business, utilizing their grandfather’s Royal Studios to record their album For Deposit Only in the same facility where Al Green cemented hit-making status two decades prior.

“He was open all the way [to allowing hip-hop in his famed studio],” Archie says of his grandfather, Willie Mitchell. “He’d say, ‘Anything is worth a try. You never know until you do it.’”

Recorded together as M-Team, the brothers’ single “Rolling Samurai,” an ode to Suzuki SUVs, outfitted with custom speaker systems was met with a cease and desist from the Japanese automotive manufacturer.

With 50 years of hip-hop in the books, Memphis rappers routinely top the streaming charts, with Complex magazine regarding our city at No. 5 on their 2023 list of “The Best Rap Cities Right Now.” Boo says this moment in time is “vindication.”

“From being one of the first Memphis rappers and the labels in New York to shun us, for us to be [what I consider] the No. 1 city in hip-hop right now, it feels good. I’m just proud of all the amazing artists who picked up where I left off and ran it up!”

steppin’ out

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

No Fear, Shakespeare Is Here

FREE SHOUT-OUT SHAKESPEARE SERIES: THE TEMPEST , VARIOUS LOCATIONS, SELECT DATES THROUGH OCTOBER 29.

FRIDAY, NOV 3 8:00 PM

In the Duncan-Williams Performance Hall

MEMPHIS HARVEST BAND: A TRIBUTE TO NEIL YOUNG

THURSDAY, OCT 12

6:30 PM, Gates Open at 5:30 PM

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

‘Teenage Tup’ on Tap Cooper House Project, Saturday, October 14, 4 p.m.

In 1995, Something Weird Video released filmmaker Mike McCarthy’s Elvis-obsessed autobiographical bump and grind cinematic oddity Teenage Tupelo, and almost 30 years later, this obscure little cult film continues to be remembered. Now Fantagraphics Books unleashes a mammoth volume dedicated to one of the last underground sexploitation films of the 20th century. Join Burke’s for the book signing and custom beer event.

Also in celebration of the anniversary, the Memphis Listening Lab is playing the Impala soundtrack at 6:30 p.m. on October 12. Then, you can catch a screening, plus a Q&A with McCarthy, at Studio on the Square on October 13 at 7 p.m. On Saturday, 8 p.m., you can enjoy an Impala LP release party at Bar DKDC.

THURSDAY, OCT 19

6:30 PM, Gates open at 5:30 PM

IT’S ALL HAPPENING AT GPAC!

gpacweb.com (901) 751-7500

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES October 12th - 18th Soul of the City Tour Elmwood Cemetery, Friday-Saturday, October 13-14, 5-7 p.m., $22 For 20 years now, Elmwood’s residents have returned from beyond to meet the public and tell a few stories about the loves they fell into and out of, the people they spied on, the people they cheated, the fortunes they built, and the city they lived in.

This year, the residents are bringing out their best stories to celebrate 20 years of storytelling in the finest historic cemetery in Memphis.

Good Groceries Food Truck will be on site both nights. Expanded retail offerings from Paradox at PeCo and Elmwood Cemetery’s gift shop will be available in the Last Chance Gift Shop, and Stacey Williams-Ng will offer tarot card readings.

Walking tours last approximately 60 minutes. Children under 12 are admitted free of charge.

VICTOR WOOTEN AND THE WOOTEN BROTHERS

By Abigail Morici

On select dates through the month of October, Tennessee Shakespeare Company (TSC) invites you to free outdoor performances of The Tempest for the company’s seventh annual Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series.

Though scholars categorize the play as a romance, as Dan McCleary, TSC’s artistic director, says, the story encompasses so much, touching on themes of betrayal, revenge, and love; it even dips into the genre of science fiction as the world of the story is entrenched in magic. “The Tempest starts tragically,” the director says, “but it ends with grace, and along the way, there’s some of the most beautiful poetry.”

And some of this poetry you probably recognize: “brave new world,” “What’s past is prologue,” “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.”

PHOTO: TENNESSEE This year happens to be the 400th anniversary of the printing of Shakespeare’s SHAKESPEARE COMPANY First Folio, in which The Tempest appears first in the collection. Written in 1610Enjoy the seventh annual Free 1611, the work is thought to be one of the last plays Shakespeare wrote alone. “It’s his Shout-Out Shakespeare Series. farewell to the stage,” McCleary says. “And so it’s personal and, like the best science fiction stories, even though it might be in a land of fantasy, it’s quite meaningful. And Shakespeare’s meant to be played, not read. It’s meant to be fun and not every word is meant to be understood necessarily. But it is meant to be enjoyed.”

For TSC’s performances, the company has condensed the play to 90 minutes, “without sacrificing any of the story or any of the music — a good 60 to 65 percent of the play is music. It’s sung or it’s danced or it’s underscored down to the island [the play’s setting].”

The performances, McCleary adds, will also be outdoors, so the sounds of nature and Memphis — airplanes, birds, cars, neighbors passing through — will add to the soundscapes and to the theatrical experience. “The whole notion of [the outdoor performances] is to make it accessible, surprising, and fun,” McCleary says. “We wanted happy accidents with patrons. We wanted to be in a public forum, where we might confound people’s notion of a Shakespeare play and theater space. The whole purpose of this initially was wanting to capture a young person who was, for instance, coming by on a skateboard and just capture that person for five minutes and then maybe they’re on their way, but they had five minutes of hearing and seeing Shakespeare. We hope it brings an immediacy to the storytelling that audiences walk away saying, ‘I’m never going to see something like that again.’”

For this series, in addition to the traditional free outdoor performances, TSC has added two ticketed indoor performances on October 28th and 29th for half-priced admission. A full schedule of performances and more information on TSC’s Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series can be found at tnshakespeare.org/shout-out-tempest.

Monster Market 2023 Medicine Factory, FridayWednesday, October 13-18, free Make plans to visit this weeklong pop-up shop experience featuring odd art, strange home decor, and funky apparel. This freaky pop-up is for weirdos like you.

On opening night, Friday, October 13, 5-9 p.m., you can be the first to shop it all. Plus, enjoy bites by Whisks of Doom and Loaf; drinks

by Cameo, Old Dominick, and Wiseacre; DJ set by St Francis Elevator Ride; and a special AR experience from Creature Studio.

On Saturday, the market is open noon-7 p.m.; Sunday, it’ll be open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and you can catch a Wake & Bake with Whisks of Doom at 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Then, Monday through Wednesday, hours are noon-7 p.m., with a closing reception on Wednesday at 5-7 p.m. The market is card only.

Co-presented by

13

MUSIC By Michael Donahue

All You Can Handle Big Ass Truck celebrates its 30th anniversary with a Minglewood Hall bash and a double vinyl retrospective.

I SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29 SHELBY FARMS PARK | MEMPHIS, TN Event Starts | 1 p.m.

Memorial & Survivors’ Ceremony | 1:30 p.m.

5k and 1-Mile Walk Begin | 2 p.m.

HELP Cure PANCREATIC CANCER

October 12-18, 2023

KICKIT5K.RACEROSTER.COM

14

am proud to say I wrote the first newspaper story about Big Ass Truck 30 years ago. And I remember being worried whether I could get the word “ass” in the newspaper.

Apparently, there wasn’t any problem. The story about the psychedelic/ funk/rock/hip-hop band appeared in my Listen Up column when I was at The Commercial Appeal.

“Before we did our first Listen Up, I sent you a cake — a personalized cake,” says Steve Selvidge, the band’s lead guitarist and co-lead singer with Robby Grant.

Big Ass Truck will celebrate its 30th anniversary with its “All You Can Handle Birthday Bash” at 8 p.m., October 14th, at Minglewood Hall.

The band also will release All You Can Handle, a double vinyl retrospective, the same day. “We couldn’t call it Greatest Hits because we don’t have any hits.”

Selvidge remembers how the band’s name originated. “I was driving home from class at Memphis State one day, and this giant truck came blazing past me.”

The guy who was with him said, “Fuck a big truck.” That “notion of a big ass truck” was always poking around in his head, Selvidge says.

Before Big Ass Truck, Selvidge and Grant were in Fester, but they were “just making noise and improvising.”

But Jared McStay from the Simpletones liked Fester and wanted the band to open for them in an upcoming show at the Antenna Club. Selvidge told him Fester wasn’t going anywhere, but he’d put a group together to play.

The original Big Ass Truck lineup also included Robert Barnett on drums, Joe Boone on bass, Alex Greene (now Memphis Flyer music editor) on keyboards, DJ Colin Butler on turntables, and percussion player Drew Conner.

Antenna’s owner asked Selvidge the name of their new band. “I hadn’t a name.

I remembered that afternoon of a truck going by me. I said, ‘I don’t know. Call it Big Ass Truck.’”

The Antenna gig “went down like crazy. As I remember, Andria Lisle was there that night and asked me if I wanted to do a seven inch.”

They recorded the seven inch, which was on the Sugar Ditch label, at Sam Phillips Recording Studio.

Shortly after that Antenna gig, Big Ass Truck was “tapped the hottest band in Memphis by the [Memphis] Flyer.”

“It wasn’t too long before we were headlining the New Daisy. Which was our first year. It was amazing because most of us had been plugging away for years in

other bands. Just barely getting anything going. And so it was really fun and cool to all of us that suddenly people were coming to our shows. And people were knowing who we were.”

Stephan Crump, who subbed one summer for vacationing Boone, appeared on their self-titled CD, which was recorded at Kiva studio.

Big Ass Truck began getting bookings in Atlanta and Athens, Georgia. “The shows kept getting bigger and bigger.”

Ross Rice produced Kent, which they recorded at Ardent Studios after being signed to Upstart Records, a division of Rounder Records.

Ardent was a big deal. “I grew up there with my dad [late singer-songwriter Sid Selvidge]. This is the top in Memphis. This is the legend.

“I dyed my hair dark blue. I’m running around with blue hair and no shirt on at Ardent. I was living the dream, man.”

PHOTO: BOB BAYNE

On steps (left to right): Robby Grant, Colin Butler, Robert Barnett; on ground: Grayson Grant, Steve Selvidge, Alex Greene Big Ass Truck began to slow down after Boone dropped out of the band.

They continued to play, but, Selvidge says, “It turned into us chasing the brass ring. It lost a lot of that kind of innocence. It was still a blast, but it sort of changed after that.

Then we just continued on until 2001.”

They played their last show at Young Avenue Deli. “It wasn’t like our ‘final show’ or any of that. We didn’t milk it.”

They played other reunion shows with other people over the years, but “the core members — Steve, Colin, and Robby — never left.”

The high point for Big Ass Truck was when the band won the NARAS Premier Players Band of the Year award in the mid’90s, Selvidge says.

Big Ass Truck was their “entry point” as professional musicians, Selvidge says. “I think now about a lot of fun times on the road. I think about a lot of hard times on the road. Stuff you deal with. But we were tight, man. And it was a lot of laughs.”

AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule October 12 - 18

PHOTO (TOP): COURTESY HALLORAN CENTRE

Travelin’ McCoury’s Memphis Music Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Memphis music’s biggest night. $30/orchestra seating, $100/VIP seating (comes with commemorative poster), $200/rows 2 and 3 (comes with poster and VIP reception attendance), $400/front row (comes with poster and VIP reception). Thursday, Oct. 12, 7 p.m.

CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Travelin’ McCoury’s $39.50. Friday, Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m.

THE HALLORAN CENTRE

Wendell Wells & The Big Americans

Free live music, songwriters, musicians, singers, jam session. Saturday, Oct. 14, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

WESTY’S

PHOTO (RIGHT): COURTESY FOLK ALL Y’ALL

Sarah Potenza Emo Memphis: All Hallows Grieve

18+. $10. Saturday, Oct. 14, 9 p.m.

HI TONE

Fading Melodies, Soul Solution, Fates Hates Me $10. Friday, Oct. 13, 9 p.m.

HI TONE

Fear Factory with Lions at the Gate, Mammoth Caravan, Magnolia $25-$30. Thursday, Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m.

GROWLERS

Feel Alive

With DJ sets by FreeWill, DJ Dosie, Pankh, Jay Tokio, and Trblkid. 21+. $5. Friday, Oct. 13, 9 p.m.

STICKEM

Mempho Presents: Big Ass Truck’s All You Can Handle Birthday Bash

Ska-Tober Fest 2023

The Big News, The Lung Darts, Boss Battle, Runaway Ricochet, The Skalors, The Taj Motel Trio, and HotRails are all ready for one hell of a show. Saturday, Oct. 14, 4 p.m.

MEDDLESOME BREWING COMPANY

The Tambourine Bash benefiting Music Export Memphis An unforgettable night of collaboration benefiting MEM. Cedric Burnside headlines.

Also performing are Dirty Streets, Alexis Grace, Deonna Sirod, Mak Ro, Tangela, Ariel Reign, Chris Milam, Alexis Jade, Mighty Souls Brass Band, Qemist, Telisu, Raneem, Alice Hasen, Cory Branan, and Brennan Villines. $15/general admission (early bird), $30/general admission and MEM tee. Thursday, Oct. 12, 7-10 p.m.

OVERTON PARK SHELL

Saturday, Oct. 14, 8 p.m.

Moody Conducts Beethoven 5

The most famous four notes in musical history — don’t miss this performance of Beethoven’s revolutionary work in an intimate setting. $35. Sunday, Oct. 15, 2:30-4:45 p.m.

MEMPHIS MUSIC ROOM

SCHEIDT FAMILY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

The Mixers

Royal Blues Band Jam

Live rock-and-roll music from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and more. $5. Sunday, Oct. 15, 4-7 p.m.

NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM

Friday, Oct. 13, 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 17, 6 p.m.

LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM

Rudy Love & the Encore, Corey Lou & Da Village $8-$10. Tuesday, Oct. 17, 8 p.m.

8th Annual Memphis International Piano Festival and Competition

Several masterclasses and concerts are open to the public featuring internationally renowned guest artists.

Thursday, Oct. 12, 9 a.m.

SCHEIDT FAMILY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

GROWLERS

Sarah Potenza presented by Folk All Y’all + Crosstown Arts The passionate powerhouse of Providence returns. $20/ general admission. Friday, Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m.

THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS

Jad Tariq Band

Sunday, Oct. 15, 6-9 p.m.

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

Keepin It Memphis is an award-winning weekly concert series that promotes the Memphis culture and highlights the works of the Memphis underground arts scene. $20/general admission, $10/admission with a local I.D. Wednesday, Oct. 18, 7:30-10:30 p.m.

MINGLEWOOD HALL

HUEY’S SOUTHAVEN

Medium Walter ft. JP Keith Sunday, Oct. 15, 6-9 p.m.

HUEY’S OLIVE BRANCH

Morrissey

Alt-rock legend Morrissey performs at Graceland Live. $49.50/reserved seating.

Saturday, Oct. 14, 8 p.m.

GRACELAND SOUNDSTAGE

NEEDTOBREATHE

With special guest Judah & the Lion. $29.95. Sunday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m.

LANDERS CENTER

Outlaw Music Festival ft. Willie Nelson, The Avett Brothers, and More

An incredible lineup of artists including Willie Nelson & Family, The Avett Brothers, Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs, Elizabeth Cook, and Particle Kid. Saturday, Oct. 14, 4:50 p.m.

BANKPLUS AMPHITHEATER

TICKETS AVAILABLE ORPHEUM-MEMPHIS.COM/ONSTAGE SPONSORED BY

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Keepin It Memphis

15

CALENDAR of EVENTS: October 12 - 18

Yappy Hour at Edge Triangle

ART HAPPENINGS

Monster Market 2023

Featuring odd art, strange home decor, and funky apparel. Friday, Oct. 13-Oct. 18.

EDGE TRIANGLE

MEDICINE FACTORY

Pots and Proseccos

Life’s candy and the sun’s a ball of butter as Broadway’s Funny Girl takes over the Orpheum’s stage. ent types of tequila. Friday, Oct. 13, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

FESTIVAL

Enjoy some prosecco while you make your very own pot. Monday, Oct. 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Betor Fest

FEDEX CENTER AT SHELBY FARMS

Live graffiti artists painting, with music by Joybomb, Mick Kolassa, Grave Lurker, Cash Martin, and more. $10.

Sunday, Oct. 15, 3 p.m.

ARROW CREATIVE

Sputnik Art Market

Featuring all kinds of art, soundtrack of live music, and food from Blanchard’s Organic Breads. Saturday, Oct. 14, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

FILM

Back to Crystal Lake: The Friday the 13th Movie Marathon

HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY

JOE’S WINES & LIQUOR

Crosstoberfest 2023

Annual celebration of fall, fun, music, crispy lagers, and more. Saturday, Oct. 14, noon-8 p.m.

COMEDY Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com.

PHOTO: EVAN ZIMMERMAN FOR MURPHYMADE

Visit with neighbors in the dog park and enjoy ice cream and pup cups. Tuesday, Oct. 17, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Rod Man

$25-$50. Thursday, Oct. 12, 8 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m., 10 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m., 10 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 15, 8 p.m.

CROSSTOWN BREWING COMPANY

Edge Motorfest

See over 150 cars compete for 20+ awards.

Live music, food trucks, door prizes, and more. Free. Saturday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

CHUCKLES COMEDY HOUSE

Ryan O’Flanagan with Ross Turner

EDGE MOTOR MUSEUM $20. Sunday, Oct. 15, 8 p.m.

DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, HI TONE ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS Fall Festival The family-friendly festival will include face WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S painting, food trucks, a community expo, COMMUNITY ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. Halloween-themed story time, and more.

FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT Mutt Strut 5k Benefitting Dogs 2nd Friday, Oct. 13, 5-9 p.m.

LISTINGS, VISIT EVENTS. Rescue SOUTHWEST TWIN The New Chance York Times Syndication Sales Corporation Bring your family and fur babies for 3.1 miles of MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL. 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 Memphis Tequila Festival fun. Saturday, Oct. 14, 9 a.m.

For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 Party it up at Shelby Farms with over 30 differOVERTON PARK

For Release Tuesday, February 19, 2019

An all-day, nonstop screening of one of the most beloved horror series in movie history. 18+. Free. Friday, Oct. 13, 12:30 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Empty to Enough Short Documentary Pre-Screening

A special pre-screening of a new mini-documentary highlighting issues of homelessness in Memphis. Tuesday, Oct. 17, 6-8 p.m.

CROSSTOWN CONCOURSE

Fright-tober: Ghostbusters (1984)

A group of unemployed parapsychologists go into business as professional ghost neutralizers. Free. Saturday, Oct. 14, 2:30-4:30 p.m.

CROSSTOWN THEATER

Rocky Horror Picture Show: feat.

Absent Friends!

Absent Friends are returning to bring you the cult classic. $10. Friday, Oct. 13, 11:30 p.m.

THE EVERGREEN THEATRE

Taylor Swift: The ERAS Tour

Crossword

October 12-18, 2023

ACROSS

16

29 Underhanded sort

49 With 57-Across, welcome 1 Object of puppy comment at a love 30 Some univ. bar #4 instructors 6 Acid’s opposite 52 Sounds of support 10 Eponymous scale 31 Friend of Harry in the Harry Potter inventor 53 Cousins of books mandolins 14 Skating gold 33 The Cardinals, on 54 Pestering people medalist Sonja scoreboards 56 Words before 15 Big farm workers “smoke” or “the 34 “Hang on!”

16 Country whose air” name can also be 35 Welcome 57 See 49-Across a full sentence comment at a bar 60 Dirt ball #3 17 Welcome 61 One coming to comment at a bar 39 “This is not ___” homecoming, #1 (warning to kids) maybe 19 Lead-in to bank 62 “The Burning 40 Cleverly and Giraffe” and “The ironically 20 “Ooh, ooh, let me Persistence of humorous look!”

Memory” 41 Tina Fey’s “30 21 Cornered, as 63 Boy dolls Rock” role during a fox hunt 64 “Beg pardon!”

22 Milky birthstone 42 ___-1701 (U.S.S. 65 They might make Enterprise 23 Welcome lids difficult to registry) comment at a bar close #2 43 Often-forbidden things to worship 27 Actor George DOWN of TV’s “The 45 Caesar’s first 1 Women’s clothing stabber Goldbergs” chain since 1983 2 Do again, as a ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE radio bit 3 Let off the hook?

T A P E R P A P A A B C S 4 Likewise I L L B E E D E N S L O T D O U B L E C H I N S I N E 5 Casual greetings Y E S O R T O K I N D A 6 Termites and M A G I C K I N G D O M drills T R E A D O N N O E N D 7 Pink-slip R O M P S E T A A R M 8 Maritime milieu A M P J U G H E A D T O E 9 Tolkien tree being P A L E L L E E E L S 10 Tiny opening?

O R F E O G U E S S E S 11 Avenue between S A Y A F E W W O R D S Reading Railroad T U M M Y A U D I W O O and Chance A R E A D I S G U S T I N G 12 Poison-pen L A N D A C N E O W N E R letters E S T A B E T S N O O S E 13 Most sarcastic

Edited by Will Shortz 1

2

3

4

5

6

14

7

8

No. 0115 9

15

17

11

12

13

18

19

23

27

28 31 35

24

25

26

36

33

You can’t miss this incredible demonstration of how to make hearty cornbread dressing with a delectable cranberry compote.

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 6:30-8 p.m.

34 38

40

42

Cooking with Chef Eli Demo

30

37

39

FOOD AND DRINK

29 32

COSSITT LIBRARY

41

43

44

50

45 51

53

54 58

46

47

48

52 55

56

57

60

61

62

63

64

65

59

35 Tabloid twosome 36 Manner of speaking 37 1982 film inspired by Pong 38 Big lighter brand 39 “Were you successful at all?”

PERFORMING ARTS

A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream

Ballet Memphis reimagines the Bard’s tale.

Friday, Oct. 13, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 15, 2 p.m.

PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE

Memphis Matters

Unlock healing, transformation, and joy in Memphis. Saturday, Oct. 14, 7-9 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 14, 7 p.m.

THEATRESOUTH

PUZZLE BY SAMIUEL A. DONALDSON

18 ___ Talks 21 “Shame!”

24 Fashionable 25 Home of The Hague: Abbr.

26 Superman’s birth name 28 Wood in a fireplace 32 Change of locks?

34 Pointed headgear often pictured with stars and moons

The Black Hole Tour

BLACK LODGE

21

22

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

Rare screening of new stop-motion show about a dive bar full of depressed alien alcoholics in outer space. The night will have comedy and live music. Thursday, Oct. 12, 7 p.m.

16

20

49

10

Immerse yourself in this once-in-a-lifetime concert film experience. $13.13-$19.89.

Friday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 14, 3:30 p.m., 7 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 15, 3:30 p.m., 7 p.m.

47 French sweetheart 48 Make a judgment of 50 Rips to pieces 51 The Great Lakes’ ___ Locks 55 3:2 or 10:1, e.g.

43 Some digital chats, informally

57 Independent charity, for short

44 Holy councils

58 Spanish gold

46 How Solomon spoke

59 Clothing chain since 1969

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.

The Real Housewives of Hell

A Friday the 13th special presentation featuring Wednesday Moss, Rebekah Random, Rawki Matrix, Pepper Suesage, Anesa Moss, Stephanie Embark, and Aubrey Ombre.

Friday, Oct. 13, 10 p.m.

DRU’S PLACE

THEATER

Blithe Spirit

A crime writer who has been creatively blocked since the death of his first wife is now tensely remarried to an uptight second wife.

So he summons a spiritualist who summons his first wife’s ghost. Friday, Oct. 13-Oct. 29.

THEATRE MEMPHIS

Funny Girl

This bittersweet comedy is the story of the indomitable Fanny Brice, a girl from the Lower East Side who became one of the most beloved performers in history. Through Oct. 15.

ORPHEUM THEATRE

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus author Shakespeare reshaped the English language. He coined hundreds of words and revised the meanings of hundreds more. Idioms like “green-eyed monster” and “milk of human kindness” originated with him. But the Bard also created some innovations that didn’t last. “Recover the wind” appeared in Hamlet but never came into wide use. Other failures include, “Would you take eggs for money?” and “from smoke to smother.” Still, Shakespeare’s final tally of enduring neologisms is impressive. With this vignette, I’m inviting you to celebrate how many more successes than flops you have had. The time is right for realistic self-praise.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I hope beauty will be your priority in the coming weeks.

I hope you will seek out beauty, celebrate it, and commune with it adoringly. To assist your efforts, I offer five gems: 1. Whatever you love is beautiful; love comes first, beauty follows. The greater your capacity for love, the more beauty you find in the world. — Jane Smiley 2.

The world is incomprehensibly beautiful — an endless prospect of magic and wonder. — Ansel Adams 3. A beautiful thing is never perfect. — Egyptian proverb 4. You can make the world beautiful just by refusing to lie about it. — Iain S. Thomas 5.

Beauty isn’t a special inserted sort of thing.

It is just life, pure life, life nascent, running clear and strong. — H. G. Wells CANCER (June 21-July 22): I read a review that described a certain movie as having “a soft, tenuous incandescence — like fog lit by the glow of fireflies.” That sounds like who you are these days, Cancerian. You’re mysterious yet luminous, hard to decipher but overflowing with life energy, fuzzy around the edges but radiating warmth and well-being. I encourage you to remain faithful to this assignment for now. It’s not a state you will inhabit forever, but it’s what’s needed and true for the foreseeable future.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The published work of Leo author Thomas de Quincey fills 14 volumes. He inspired superstar writers like Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Baudelaire, Nikolai Gogol, and Jorge Luis Borges. Yet he also ingested opium for 54

years and was often addicted. Cultural historian Mike Jay says de Quincey was not self-medicating or escaping reality, but rather keen on “exploring the hidden recesses of his mind.” He used it to dwell in states of awareness that were otherwise unattainable. I don’t encourage you to take drugs or follow de Quincey’s path, Leo. But I believe the time is right to explore the hidden recesses of your mind via other means. Like what? Working with your nightly dreams? Meditating your ass off?

Having soul-altering sex with someone who wants to explore hidden recesses, too? Any others?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo journalist H.L. Mencken said, “The average person doesn’t want to be free. He wants to be safe.” There’s some truth in that, but I believe it will be irrelevant for you in the coming months. According to my analysis, you can be both safer and freer than you’ve been in a long time. I hope you take full advantage! Brainstorm about unexpected feats you might be able to accomplish during this state of grace.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): More and more older people are transitioning to different genders. An article in The Guardian (tinyurl.com/GenderMeaning) describes how Bethan Henshaw, a warehouse worker, transitioned to female at age 57.

Ramses Underhill-Smith became a man in his 40s. With this as your starting point, I invite you to re-evaluate your personal meanings of gender. Please note I’m not implying you should change your designation. Astrological omens simply suggest that you will benefit from expanding your ideas. Here’s Scorpio singer Sophie B. Hawkins, a mother who says she is omnisexual: “My sexuality stems from an emotional connection to someone’s soul.

You don’t have to make a gender choice and stick with it.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian author Mark Twain said that in urgent or trying circumstances, uttering profanities “furnishes a relief denied even to prayer.” I will add that these magic words can be downright catalytic and healing — especially for you right now.

Here are situations in which swearing could be therapeutic in the coming weeks: 1. when people take themselves too seriously; 2. when you need to escape feelings of powerlessness; 3. when know-it-alls are trying to limit the range of what can be said; 4. when people seem frozen or stunned and don’t know what to do next.

In all these cases, well-placed expletives could provide necessary jolts to shift the stuck energy. (PS: Have fun using other surprises, ploys, and twists to shake things up for a good cause.)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In Roman mythology, Venus was goddess of love, desire, and beauty. Yet modern sci-

ence tells us the planet Venus is blanketed with sulfuric acid clouds, has a surface temperature of 867 degrees Fahrenheit, and is covered with 85,000 volcanoes.

Why are the two Venuses out of sync?

Here’s a clue, courtesy of occultist Dion Fortune. She said the goddess Venus is often a disturbing influence in the world, diverting us from life’s serious business. I can personally attest to the ways that my affinity for love, desire, and beauty have distracted me from becoming a harddriving billionaire tech entrepreneur. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. How about you, Capricorn? I predict that the goddess version of Venus will be extra active in your life during the coming months.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Thousands of heirloom food species are privately owned and hoarded. They once belonged to Indigenous people but haven’t been grown for decades. Descendants of their original owners are trying to get them back and grow them again — a process they call rematriation — but they meet resistance from companies and governmental agencies that commandeered the seeds.

There has been some progress, though.

The Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin has recovered some of its ancestral corn, beans, and squash. Now would be a good time for you Aquarians to launch your own version of rematriation: reclaiming what was originally yours and that truly belongs to you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I like Piscean poet Jane Hirshfield’s understanding of what “lies at the core of ritual.” She says it’s “the entrance into a mystery that can be touched but not possessed.” My wish for you right now, Pisces, is that you will experience mysteries that can be touched but not possessed. To do so will give you direct access to prime riddles at the heart of your destiny. You will commune with sublime conundrums that rouse deep feelings and rich insights, none of which are fully explicable by your logical mind.

Please consider performing a homemade sacred ritual or two.

TAYLOR SWIFT THE ERAS OCT TOUR 13,14,15

OCT 14 9AM GLASSES AVAILABLE IN THE MoSH SHOP!

NOW PLAYING

sponsored by ducks unlimited A MOSH EXPERIENCE

The Masquerade Mystery

OCT 13 & 20

3050 Central Memphis,TN 38111 901.636.2362 moshmemphis.com

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

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Indigenous Semai people of Malaysia have an unusual taboo. They try hard not to cause unhappiness in others. This makes them reluctant to impose their wishes on anyone. Even parents hesitate to force their children to do things. I recommend you experiment with this practice. Now is an excellent time to refine your effect on people to be as benevolent and welcoming as possible. Don’t worry — you won’t have to be this kind and sweet forever. But doing so temporarily could generate timely enhancements in your relationship life.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 22): Libran philosopher and writer Michel Foucault aspired to open up his readers’ minds with novel ideas. He said his task was to make windows where there had been walls. I’d like to borrow his approach for your use in the coming weeks. It might be the most fun to demolish the walls that are subdividing your world and keeping you preventing free and easy interchange. But I suspect that’s unrealistic. What’s more likely is partial success: creating windows in the walls.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY By Rob Brezsny

17

SPOOKTACULAR GIVEAWAY UP TO

$450,000 FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS IN OCTOBER 7PM – 10PM*

Over 500 winners will take home their share of up to $450,000 in PENN Slot Play & Prizes, including electronics by Apple, Sonos, HP and Sony!

GRAND PRIZE DRAWINGS: October 14 | October 28

Earn 3X entries on Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus 5X entries on Saturdays!

October 12-18, 2023

32 winners per drawing day!

10 tier points = 1 drawing entry.

*October 28th drawings will be from 9pm - 11pm, all other Saturdays are 7pm - 10pm

1stJackpot.com

662-357-7700 HollywoodCasinoTunica.com 662-357-7700

Must be 21 or older. Gambling Problem? Call 1-888-777-9696.

18

NEWS OF THE WEIRD By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication It’s Come to This New Yorkers have become accustomed (some grudgingly) to the ubiquitous odor of cannabis on city streets and in parks, the Associated Press reported.

In fact, as spectator Diane Patrizio of Southampton, New York, stood in line at Court 17 at the U.S. Open, she remarked, “It’s everywhere. But what are you going to do?” Court 17, which is situated on the periphery of the Flushing Meadows complex, lies right next to Corona Park, and on Aug. 29, the court “definitely [smelled] like Snoop Dogg’s living room,” said player Alexander Zverev. “The whole court smells like weed.” In fact, eighth-seeded Maria Sakkari complained to the chair umpire. However, the USTA found no evidence that anyone inside the facility was smoking, and Sakkari said the odor didn’t affect her loss to Rebeka Masarova. “I mean, it’s something we cannot control because we’re in an open space,” Sakkari said. [AP, 8/29/2023] News That Sounds Like a Joke Barbara Haverly, 62, of Mount Dora, Florida, was running a routine errand this summer when things suddenly got out of hand, The Washington Post reported on Aug. 23. Haverly had stopped at the city library to return a book, but the line was rather long, so she dropped it into a drop box as she’d done many times before. But as she pulled out her hand, she felt a sharp pain in her left middle finger. The top of the finger, starting just below her fingernail, had been torn off. “I was in shock,” she said. Library staff called 911, and one employee got into the book box to retrieve the top of her finger. Doctors performed surgery but were unable to reattach the fingertip. Haverly is still dealing with the aftermath of the incident; she said she is depressed and can no longer do yoga or play the ukulele. Meanwhile, the library has placed a sign over the box that reads, “Please do not place your hand inside this book drop.” [Washington Post, 8/23/2023] Irony Two employees of television outlet Univision Chicago who were filming a piece about armed robberies in the Windy City were robbed at gunpoint around 5 a.m. on Aug. 28, The Washington Post reported. The reporter

and photographer were in the Wicker Park neighborhood when an SUV and a sedan pulled up and three suspects “wearing ski masks and displaying firearms” jumped out. They took the photography equipment and personal items, returned to their cars and fled.

The suspects are still at large; no injuries were reported. [Washington Post, 8/29/2023] Unmanaged Expectations Officials at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point hyped an event scheduled for Aug. 28, tweeting the night before and livestreaming the festivities a la Geraldo Rivera: the opening of a time capsule from the late 1820s. The Washington Post reported that the box was installed at the base of a monument to a Polish military engineer who aided the U.S. during the Revolutionary War. But when archaeologist Paul Hudson lifted the lid, his high hopes flew away like dust in the wind. “The box didn’t quite meet expectations,” he said. Hudson found ... silt. However, upon further examination, Hudson uncovered a small and puzzling treasure: six silver American coins dated between 1795 and 1828 and one Erie Canal commemorative medal. “When I first found these, I thought ... it would have been great to have found these on stage,” he said. Hudson said he would analyze the remaining sediment to find out whether other items inside had been destroyed by moisture. [Washington Post, 8/31/2023] Build the Wall!

No, not that wall. In Norway’s Arctic region, workers are rebuilding a reindeer fence along the country’s border with Russia because the animals keep wandering over the line to find better pastures for grazing. The barrier is 93 miles long; only about 4 miles require repair, the Associated Press reported. But the work is challenging because workers cannot step into Russian territory lest they be charged with illegal entry. Russia has charged Norway huge fines for the days the reindeer grazed in a natural reserve. The work is expected to be completed by Oct. 1. [AP, 8/24/2023] NEWS OF THE WEIRD © 2023 Andrews McMeel Syndication.

Reprinted with permission.

All rights reserved.

FOOD By Michael Donahue

Where There’s Smoke The Black Sheep hot sauces certainly are smokin’.

Lawerence Russell together and brings it to a simmer.

Born in Abilene, Texas, Russell moved to Memphis when he was six months old. He was introduced to grilling by his dad on camping trips. “Just being around fire and that sort of thing.

I’ve always loved the slow-cooking process. Keeping the fire right.”

And “being in Memphis around barbecue” didn’t hurt, either.

“I think I got my first barrel smoker when I was about 25. Up until then I just had a grill. I’d just grill with friends.

Cooking out on football Sundays.”

Russell came up with his smoky hot sauce “kind of on a whim. Part of it was what peppers I could get at the store. Most hot sauces you get peppers, vinegar, water, and salt.”

He wanted something different. So, along with garlic and onions, he began

Couples Massage, Hypnotherapy, Facials, Sound Therapy The largest selection of Tibetan Singing Bowls in the Mid-South

5658 S. Rex Road ♦ Memphis, TN 38119 901-507-2333 ♦ livinghealthdayspa.com

An Oasis In The Heart Of Midtown

Open 7 Days a Week 7am-7pm Happy Hour M-F 5pm-7pm Have Lunch for Dinner!

2023

Same Menu All Day Have it with a happy hour priced beer!

Visit our website for our full menu at otherlandscoffeebar.com

check out our giftshop! pens, wallets, jewelry, purses, soap, and much more.

Open Saturdays 10am-5pm.

Any other time call for an appointment.

641 South Cooper | (901) 278-4994

GET ONE 2 PC DARK DINNER

FREE W/ PURCHASE OF ONE 2PC DARK DINNER & 2 MED DRINKS.

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

WITH THIS COUPON. EXPIRES 12/31/23.

Drive Thru

2520 Mt. Moriah 4349 Elvis Presley 2484 Jackson Ave. 1370 Poplar Ave. 1217 S. Bellevue NO PHOTOCOPIES ACCEPTED!

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

PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE

smoking the peppers, which gave a “smoky flavor” to his hot sauce.

Russell decided to sell his hot sauce commercially about five years ago.

He liked the idea of starting a small business. “Learn the process and go through everything.”

He also loved visiting the local farmers markets. “I always enjoyed being there. I thought if I would have a product, I could be a part of the farmers market.”

Russell got his business license, and began bottling his hot sauce at a commercial kitchen at Crosstown Concourse.

He brought his hot sauce to a farmers market for the first time in 2019.

“I thought I’d sell maybe five or 10 bottles. I sold over 60. We were offering samples: ‘Give it a try.’ Everybody who tasted it bought it.”

Russell now has three hot sauce flavors. Original is great on “everything from eggs and sandwiches to grilled meats and veggies.”

On Fire, a hotter version of Original, is for people with a higher heat tolerance. He kicked up the heat by adding more habanero peppers.

Gone Green, which includes smoked poblano and serrano peppers, is similar to salsa verde, Russell says. “I love it on enchiladas and black beans and rice.”

Russell uses his hot sauce “two to three times a day. I’ll put it on my eggs in the morning for breakfast. If I’m having fried rice or a sandwich at lunch I’ll put it on. And then for dinner whatever I’m having — grilled steak or veggies — I’ll add it to that.”

Among others who love his hot sauce are the cooks at Dory restaurant.

David Krog, who, along with his wife, Amanda, owns Dory, says he serves Black Sheep hot sauces with the staff meals at the restaurant. “We put out the green and then the red with our family meal most every day,” he says.

Krog discovered the hot sauce when Russell gave him a bottle. Their children attend the same school. “I brought it to the restaurant and put it out and we all tasted the red and the green.

The response from all of those cooks was unexpected for me. These guys were over the moon with this product.

This guy’s hot sauce. I told him, ‘I’m in shock. All of my guys think this is an incredible product.’”

Black Sheep hot sauces are available at High Point Grocery, Triangle Meat Market, and Doc’s Wine, Spirits & More.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

T

he Black Sheep might sound like an unusual name for a hot sauce, but founder/creator Lawerence Russell has a good explanation.

“There’s hundreds and thousands of hot sauces,” he says. “The idea was, ‘This is not just another hot sauce.’

Black sheep stand out in the crowd. We do things differently.’”

Russell, 40, owner of Black Sheep Bottling Co., is a hot sauce lover. “And I love cooking food in a smoker. Smoking food. So anytime I would be smoking ribs, pork shoulders, [and had] the extra room on the smoker, I’d throw some peppers on there and make hot sauce out of it.”

He would “just slow smoke the peppers. Once the peppers are smoked, get them off the grill.”

Russell adds roasted garlic, sea salt, tomato, onion, and distilled white vinegar. He then blends everything

19

FILM By Michael Donahue

“Super Thrift” John McCarthy debuts his first film.

J

ohn McCarthy and his friends like the idea of superpowers.

They also like to visit thrift stores to find vintage clothing.

So McCarthy combined thrifting with clothes that have superpowers, and thus “Super Thrift” was born. The 22-minute film, which he wrote and directed, will be shown around 7 p.m. on October 13th at Malco Studio on the Square.

The movie centers around a group of friends, including Lorenzo, played

by Lorenzo Aguirre, says McCarthy, 19, who is majoring in photography and cinematography at University of Memphis. “He’s trying to impress the girl he likes [Nick Shaw], who is one of their old friends. But he doesn’t know how to do it. So he goes to the thrift store and gets a new style to see if he starts to change up a little bit, she’ll soften up a little bit.”

That’s when he spots the shoes.

“They have superpowers. And the shoes give him the ability to float.”

No matter how many times Lo-

renzo ties them, they never stay tied,” McCarthy adds. “You learn the shoes are not only magical, but sentient. The shoes don’t like to have their laces tied because they don’t want to be tied up. It was like handcuffs to the shoes.”

When Lorenzo realizes his shoes have superpowers, he recalls seeing a jacket with the same brand name at the thrift store. But when he goes back to get it, he sees Nick walking out of the store with the jacket. He later discovers it “gives the wearer super-strength.”

Lorenzo found the perfect pair of

PHOTO (ABOVE): JOHN MCCARTHY

Filmmaker John McCarthy on the set of “Super Thrift”

Lorenzo Aguirre, Chris “Deebo” Bailey, Nick Shaw, and Ayden Couch-Smith chilling in the park with the superpower shoes and jacket in “Super Thrift”

size-10 super-powered shoes for his size-10 feet. “We got plain white shoes from some discount store. And we had one of my friends, Ayden [CouchSmith], who does a lot of artwork, paint the design on the shoes. It’s a purple and blue and white kind of swirl. And there’s an ‘S’ kind of hidden in the center.”

Couch-Smith appears in the film, as does Chris “Deebo” Bailey. McCarthy used everyone’s real names in the film.

“I cast my friends with hopes they’re already close. It kind of makes their

2 October 12-18, 2023

PHOTO (LEFT): NYA GOBLE

indie

0

memphis

compatibility on screen more natural.”

He began writing the screenplay last January. “This is the first time I’ve ever done a screenplay. I didn’t know what I was doing at first. My dad showed me how to do a preset to make it easier. He showed me the ropes.”

His dad, filmmaker Mike McCarthy, gave him some tips, but, other than that, stayed out of the way. “Super Thrift” will appear alongside a screening of one of Mike’s films, Teenage Tupelo.

The majority of the story came from John and Aguirre. “With the clothes

2

film

3

festival

CTOBER 24-29, 2023 20

PASSES & TICKETS ON SALE AT INDIEMEMPHIS.ORG/IMFF23

FILM By Michael Donahue having superpowers, that was more my idea. We definitely collaborated on how to show the effect of giving the clothes life pretty much on a short budget.”

Explaining the flying effect, John says, “We would have Lorenzo dangle his feet down and get close-up shots of his legs and feet on the ground. We did get a lot of green screen shots for a little bit of effect. We had him stand in front of this big green panel. And we put a stool down. He would stand on the stool and kind of hover around. Just the raw footage itself looks silly, but after putting it through a key, we were able to make it look like he’s hovering above the ground.”

They scrapped an effect that made the shoes look like they were untying themselves. “We used fishing wire to

[ P U B L I C

pull the laces of the shoe. It worked, but it wasn’t really what we wanted.”

John filmed scenes at Society Skatepark, East High School, Malco Summer Drive-In, and Overton Park, as well as his house.

The movie’s soundtrack was composed by Geepmane.

As for those “Super Thrift” superpowered shoes, John says, “They’re still at my house. More beat up than when we first got them.”

Will they be used in a sequel one day? “It’s possible,” John says. “We really would like to do it, depending on how everything goes with this one.

We’ll take it from there.”

“Super Thrift” will show October 13th at 7 p.m. at Malco Studio on the Square.

N O T I C E ]

SHELBY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING

PUBLIC HEARING FOR: PRO Housing Grant Application Public Comment Period Shelby County Department of Housing (SCDH) will hold public hearings to provide feedback on the proposed plan and application for Pathways to Removing Obstacles for Housing (PRO Housing) Grant Application offered as a competitive grant application process by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Thursday October 26, 2023 at 12:00 pm and 5:30 pm and provide both in-person and virtual attendance options.

In Person Attendance Option: Shelby County Code Enforcement building, 6465 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134. Attendees should enter the Code Enforcement Building through the front entrance facing Mullins Station Rd and the Greenline; upon walking up to the building, attendees will need to follow the signage that leads to the PRO Housing Public Hearing.

Virtual Attendance Option: A virtual option to join is also provided, and participants can join the meeting with a computer, tablet, or smartphone at https://www.gotomeet.me/DanaSjostrom or dialing in from a phone +1 (224) 501-3412, Access Code 169-900-933 at the above noted meeting time.

If you plan to attend the public hearing and have special needs, please contact the Department of Housing at (901) 222-7600 by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 18, 2023 and we will work to accommodate you. Resident input and public participation are strongly encouraged.

Persons wishing to comment on the PRO Housing Grant Application may do so by writing to Dana Sjostrom via email (dana.sjostrom@shelbycountytn.gov), or written comment via mail to Shelby County Department of Housing, 6465 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134. For additional information contact the Department of Housing at 901-222-7600 or TTY at 901-222-2300.

HOME OF THE TIME WARP DRIVE-IN SERIES

The Shelby County Department of Housing does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services. Equal opportunity/equal access provider.

Para mas información en Español, por favor llame Dana Sjostrom al 901-2227601.

Lee Harris Shelby County Mayor

SHOP & SHIP

Gift Cards & Gourmet Popcorn from www.malco.com or in the Malco app

Attest: Scott Walkup, Administrator Department of Housing

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The proposed application will be available for public review from October 10, 2023 through October 26, 2023 online at https://www.develop901.com/ housing/planningReporting

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

The PRO Housing grant application and subsequent implementation will serve to address locally identified barriers to the production of affordable housing units. Shelby County Government in coordination with other agency partners including the City of Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development will utilize these funds to support land activation efforts, construct and/or incentivize the development of new affordable units, improve agency coordination in addressing under-utilized and vacant parcels, and support efforts to make the Housing Policy Plan more actionable for our residents.

The focus for this project centers on equitable solutions for low- to moderateincome residents supporting the development of new housing units.

21

LEGAL NOTICE • BUY, SELL, TRADE

901-575-9400 classifieds@memphisflyer.com

AUTO NOTICE OF SALE THESE ABANDONED VEHICLES WILL BE SOLD ON 10/12/2023 at Null’s Towing, 992 Stage Ave., Memphis, TN 38127.

2007 CHEVY SILVERADO VIN:2GCEC13Z371133556 2006 NISSAN ALTIMA VIN:1N4AL11E46N309807 2018 KIA OPTIMA VIN: KNAGT4L34J5212033

2015 GMC TERRAIN VIN:2GKFLXEKXF6129145 2012 Infiniti G37 VIN: JN1CV6FE9CM200735 2013 DODGE DURANGO VIN:1C4RDJDG7DC677446 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT VIN: 1FMZU67E41UC073158 2011 BMW SERIES 3 VIN: WBADW7C54BE727435 2019 Dodge Challenger VIN : 2C3CDZFJ1KH723817 2017 HYUNDAI ELANTRA

VIN:KMHD74LF7HU086718 2015 DODGE CHALLENGER VIN: 2C3CDZBT0FH704432 2011 INFINITI G37 VIN: JN1CV6AR5BM350270 2009 Infiniti G37 VIN:JNKCV64E89M607257 2017 FORD FOCUS VIN:1FADP3F28HL312168

Laurie Laurie StarkStark

Feat. WENDELL WELLS & THE BIG AMERICANS

Laurie Stark SAT OCT 14, 21, 28

• 29 Years of of Experience • 30 Years Experience

Life Member the Multi • Life •Member ofofDollar the Multi Million Club • 29 Years of Experience

9PM @ WESTY’S

Laurie Stark

Million Dollar Club

FromMember Downtown •• Life of the Multi to Germantown Dollar Club • FromMillion Downtown to Germantown • 29 Years of Experience

+FRI OCT 13, NOV 10, 17

• Call me for your

• From Downtown to Germantown • Life Member of the Multi Real Estate Needs • Call me for your Real Estate Needs Million Dollar Club • Call me for your Real Estate Needs

• From Downtown to Germantown • Call me for your Real Estate Needs

9PM @ TJ MULLIGAN’S MIDTOWN

www.hobsonrealtors.com

www.hobsonrealtors.com (901)761-1622 • Cell (901)486-1464 www.hobsonrealtors.com

(901)761-1622 • Cell (901)486-1464

October 12-18, 2023

AUDI-VWAUDI-VW(901)761-1622 • Cell (901)486-1464 AUDI-VWAUDI-VW-

SEND YOUR BUSINESS SKY HIGH WITH

CLASSIFIEDS We got you covered for Legal Notices, Help Wanted, Real Estate, etc.

CONTACT US AT

22

classifieds@memphisflyer.com

PORSCHE PORSCHE PORSCHE PORSCHE AUDI-VWPORSCHE

Specializing in

AUDI-VW-PORSCHE

Specializing in in in Specializing Specializing

Factory Trained Experience AUDI-VW-PORSCHE Specializing in AUDI-VW-PORSCHE AUDI-VW-PORSCHE Independent Prices

5331 Summer Ave. Memphis, TN 38122

5331 Summer Ave.Ave.Ave. 5331 5331 Summer Summer

(901) 761-3443

Memphis, TN 38122 Memphis, Memphis, TN 38122 TN 38122 5331 Summer Ave. Memphis, TN 38122 www.WolfsburgAuto.com

AUDI-VW-PORSCHE 761-3443 Factory Trained Experience Call today for (901) an appointment!

Factory Factory Trained Trained Experience Experience (901) 761-3443 Factory Trained Experience Independent Prices www.WolfsburgAuto.com Independent Independent Prices Prices www.WolfsburgAuto.com www.WolfsburgAuto.com Independent Prices www.WolfsburgAuto.com

(901) (901) 761-3443 761-3443

Call today for an appointment!

Call Call today Calltoday today for for anfor appointment! an appointment! an appointment!

T H E L A ST WO R D B y Ro b e r t C . Ko e h l e r

The Truth May Hurt

THE LAST WORD

If the right gets its way, maybe in a decade or two, the United States will be free of its slave-owning past.

All gone — gone with the wind. It’s just not taught anymore. Yeah, we had a civil war — about “states’ rights” — and then we moved on: We conquered the West, saved the world first from the Nazis, then from the commies, and remain the greatest country ever. Hurray for capitalism! Any questions?

Oh, one last thing: The commies — aka the Marxists — are still around. They’re everywhere. As Ben Burgis noted, Marxism means “anything conservatives find frightening.” I recently learned, for instance, that they’ve invaded the Smithsonian Institution — specifically, an exhibit about Latino history in the United States. As critics wrote a year ago in The Hill: “A new Latino exhibit at the National Museum of American History PHOTO: BAHADIR YENICERI | DREAMSTIME offers an unabashedly Marxist portrayal of history, religion, and economics. It is, quite frankly, disgraceful.”

Indeed, the exhibit — which focuses on the history of Latino youth movements — is so outrageous, according to the critics, that it clearly demonstrates the need to cut congressionally approved funding for the construction of the National Museum of the American Latino, because … you know, the Marxists. Among their current tactics to undermine the greatest country ever is to write their own version of American history, which focuses on all the stuff we need to forget about.

Everyone knows about the ongoing conservative furor over schools teaching what they called “critical race theory.” This is a name they plunked from the world of academia and turned into an evil, Marxist plot to make (white) American children feel uncomfortable by forcing them to learn about how there used to be systemic racism in this country. That is, once upon a time, white America, in the wake of freeing the slaves and outlawing slavery, maintained its sense of supremacy by legally, and often violently, enforcing, as George Wallace once put it, “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.” And of course, the essence of segregation was separate and unequal — from housing, jobs, and schools to bathrooms and drinking fountains.

From the conservative point of view: poof! It no longer exists, so it never happened. And those who insist otherwise are caught in the grip of Marxists — a term nowadays that simply means the purveyors of absolute evil. Beyond the teaching of history, here are a few other ways that Marxists, according to conservative writers and pundits, have infiltrated America: • Global warming, aka climate justice, which, according to author Jordan Peterson, as quoted by Burgis, is “the new guise of murderous Marxism.”

• Black awareness, aka being woke. Ron DeSantis has described it as “a form of cultural Marxism,” which of course is pervading American schools.

• Gender equality. As AP reported, various Republicans, including DeSantis and Ted Cruz, have used the term cultural Marxism “to characterize fights for gender or racial equity that they argue are ‘woke’ and threaten a traditional American way of life.”

• Racial integration. Ah, the old days. In 1959, according to Current Affairs, protesters surrounded the Arkansas state capitol building in Little Rock, carrying signs that declared: “Race Mixing Is Communism.”

• The prosecution of Donald Trump. According to AP: “Hours after pleading not guilty in federal court, Trump told a crowd of his supporters at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, that Biden, ‘together with a band of his closest thugs, misfits, and Marxists, tried to destroy American democracy.’” He added that, even if the communists get away with this, “it won’t stop me.”

I’m sure there are more ways conservatives envision Marxists are trying to skewer the country’s greatness, or will in the future. For the moment, what continues to consume my attention is the right-wing desperation to control history and not simply challenge but banish any version of it that counters their certainty about who we are.

For instance, Alex Skopic at Current Affairs quotes author James Lindsay, who described efforts to address racial injustice in America as, in actuality, “the tip of a one-hundred-year-long spear that is being thrust into the side of Western civilization.” Ouch!

The present moment comes and goes. Apparently what matters is how — or whether — you talk about it afterwards. In other words, establishing our history creates the present. That’s the reason “critical race theory” is such a nuisance to the right wing.

While I am willing to acknowledge that virtually any version of history is likely factually flawed and politically influenced, I would suggest to conservatives that trying to banish versions they don’t like, and writing them off as Marxist, will not make the truth go away.

History is not some kind of Biblical narrative: “In the beginning, God wrote the Declaration of Independence …” Or whatever. History is deeply complex and full of chaos. Our understanding of it is ever-shifting. Terrible things have occurred that need to be faced, addressed, and, eventually, transcended.

Johanna Fernandez, one of the historians who put together the Latino history exhibit that caused such a stir, said: “We live in La-La Land. White Americans, Black Americans, Latino Americans walking around, really not understanding who we are, why we’re here, and how we got to this place. What’s so dangerous about honestly grappling with the history of this country?”

Grappling with history versus trying to control (and erase) it.

There’s a lot of truth in our past we still need to face, however much it may hurt.

Robert Koehler (koehlercw@gmail.com), syndicated by PeaceVoice, is a Chicago award-winning journalist and editor. He is the author of Courage Grows Strong at the Wound.

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

But we still have to face it.

23

New/Used LPs, 45s & CDs.

2152 Young Ave - 901-722-0095 goner-records.com Voted Flyer’s Best of Memphis Since 2004 We Open at Noon.

We Buy Records!

Nov 11 and Nov 12 10am - 4pm each day!

CROSSTOWN CONCOURSE PLAZA

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

$260 by participating in a

Midtown Lingerie

Spice Up Date Night!

Featuring 140+ local makers, artists, and craftsfolk - join us and Shop Local!

ALL SIZES SMALL → 3X!

Our unique Crafts & Drafts shopping experience showcases a curated group of independent local artists for a fun day of shopping and local brews!

CocoandLolas.com

HOSTED BY

Increase wellness & earn

Coco & Lola’s

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

New Styles at

IG/FB/TW @CocoandLolas

Memphis’ Top Lingerie Shop 710 S. Cox | Mon-Sat 11:30-7:00

MEET

PETE!

FEATURING

U of M research study!

Scan the QR code to screen now!

.

Pete is an adorable Maltese mix, a perfect addition to any loving home. Pete is a social boy, dog and cat friendly.

He’s neutered and current on shots. Pete is eager to learn and please his human. He’s ready to share love, fun, and a wonderful future with you!

MEMPHISCRAFTSANDDRAFTS.COM

TO ADOPT PETE, VISIT: dogs2ndchance.org/ adoption-application-form