There was high drama locally and nationally; ultimate answers in the presidential race were elusive.
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SHARA CLARK
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I’m writing this on election day. A steady, light rain is trickling down outside my window, the pitter-pattering a calming sound. e sun shines beyond the clouds, but the blue sky is obscured. It’s both gray and bright, with a smattering of yellow and orange leaves in the foreground, ready to shed for the season.
is morning, many of my Facebook friends are sharing in jest what side dishes they’ll bring to the Civil War. Some are posting the reasons they’re steadfast in their choice of voting for Kamala. On the other side, I’ve seen, “If you were looking for a reason to delete me: TRUMP 2024.” While I have my own thoughts and moral standings regarding this presidential election and its candidates, I won’t shout those out here. Each of us is entitled to an opinion, and there’s not much I can do to shi yours. Between endless news coverage and social media, we’ve already been inundated with political ads and info meant to sway us in one direction or another — or more so, to deepen the divide between this country’s citizens.
I grew up in the Mississippi Delta, and much of my family still resides there. Many of them are Trump supporters, or at least staunch Republicans. (And I’m the relative that works for “that liberal paper.”) I know this has to do with generational beliefs passed on through the years and from a perspective that may not be the most informed; perhaps just di erently informed. Some people aren’t as open to new ideas as others. Some blindly follow. Some believe what they believe and that’s that. And while we may not agree on many things, and the complicated “why” behind their reasoning for backing certain stances may not make sense to me, I will not be “deleting” them. Should I confess this in the Flyer, a progressive publication? Perhaps not. But I hope you all will try to understand my “why.”
roughout the past few months, as campaigning reached its peak, I’ve seen more hate spewed — from both sides — than usual. Social media especially can already be a dark and winding environment for those with passionate convictions or high anxiety. It’s easy to get angry, scared, or sad, scrolling through all the muck and misinformation. It’s even easier to argue with those who disagree with your views, to put them down for not sharing your beliefs. It’s o en an irrational and brash place.
I’ve seen this hate coming from people who I know are not hateful at their core — good people who give to charity and volunteer, who rescue animals and deeply care for others, even outside of their families. From empathetic people who push for acceptance and inclusion, for human rights and democracy, but viciously bash those who don’t see things their way. Is hate the appropriate response? Is banishment? I may stand slackjawed at some of what I’m seeing shared on my social feeds from family, friends, and acquaintances, but my reaction is more one of confusion and compassion. (I’ll admit, though, I’ve made use of Facebook’s “snooze” feature during election season to quiet some of the chaos.)
We’re all esh and bone. We all share the ability to feel emotions. And we each have ideals, aspirations, and experiences unique to us. I assume, too, we’ll all be waiting with bated breath as election results slowly roll in.
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Whatever news we go to bed to tonight, or wake up to tomorrow, I expect the outcome to be both gray and bright — as life o en is. We don’t yet know what the future holds — we never do. Whatever the result, though, we can always ensure we’re doing all we can to keep shining light in the dark and through the clouds, to advocate and educate, to further freedom — to bring together, not divide.
I’ll leave you with this line from poet Mary Oliver, a mantra we all can call to when things feel overwhelming or grim: “It is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in the broken world.”
Shara Clark shara@memphis yer.com
Memphis on the internet.
MEMPHIS REDBIRDS
e Memphis Redbirds teased on Facebook last weekend that “something big is coming.” e post’s image had big, vague shadows cast on the eld. Guesses in the comments included a Cardinals game here in March, Deck the Diamond, aliens, price increases, a winning season, and more.
e MEMernet — like the internet everywhere — got a little tense last week. Board game bar Board to Beers launched a GoFundMe to move into a new space in Poplar Plaza. e owners said three air-conditioning units ($10,000 each, the owners said) have been stolen and replaced by them at their Chickasaw Crossing location.
Some Memphis subreddit users blasted the move, like u/memphisthrowaway9876 who said, “Make more money or realize your business model isn’t working out.” On Facebook, owners cast shame on “hateful” comments and asked, “What have you done for your city?”
‘SLIDESHOW’
Meet the folks who leave those tire tracks all over the city in a YouTube video called “I WENT TO THE MOST DANGEROUS SLIDESHOW IN MEMPHIS!” by YouTuber SRT JD.
Edited by Toby Sells
By Flyer staff
A nightclub closes Downtown, crime rates fall again, and school costs could rise once more.
Atomic Rose Club and Grill, a popular nightclub that hosted drag shows and brunch, closed last week.
A Facebook post from the bar said that new owners are scheduled to occupy the space in December and hoped that the building would stay a “safe place” and be “better than ever.”
A new universal schoolvoucher proposal will be the rst bill led for Tennessee’s upcoming legislative session, signaling that Governor Bill Lee intends to make the plan his number-one education priority for a second straight year.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) said he’ll le his chamber’s legislation on the morning of November 6, the day a er Election Day. He expects House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) will do the same.
e Memphis crime rate showed a “very signi cant drop” from January to September of 2024, according to new data from the Crime Commission and the University of Memphis Public Safety Institute.
e major property crime rate fell more than 20 percent in the rst nine months of 2024, compared to the same period last year. ese crimes are burglaries, vehicle the s, and other felony the s (like the s from vehicles). e biggest drop came in the vehicle the rate, down more than 35 percent. Burglaries were down nearly 20 percent. Other felony the s were down nearly 13 percent.
e major violent crime rate fell, too, in the rst nine months of the year. ough, they did not fall as dramatically as property crimes.
e murder rate fell by more than 11 percent. Rapes were down nearly 9 percent. Robberies were down by more than 22 percent. However, aggravated assaults rose more than 2 percent.
e cost of tuition at Tennessee’s public universities could rise again as the Tennessee Higher Education Commission
(THEC) reviews rates this week.
THEC gets about $1.5 billion from the state each year. But the system’s total budget is about $3.3 billion.
State universities get 57 percent of their money from student tuition and fees. Tennessee community colleges get 40 percent from them, and colleges of applied technology get 33 percent, according to THEC. e rest of their funds come from the state budget.
To cover revenues, THEC sta will suggest commission members consider a tuition and fee increase between 0-5 percent for the next school year.
With a 1-percent increase suggested for next year, tuition at a school would increase by $107 to $10,835. Tuition and fees at the University of Memphis (U of M) have risen 8.1 percent over the last ve years, now costing students $10,728. at’s up from $9,924 in the 2019-2020 school year.
Tuition at Tennessee Technological University (TTU) increased 22 percent over the last ve years, the largest increase of any THEC school. University of Tennessee Chattanooga (UTC) has raised tuition by nearly 13 percent in that time.
Tuition at University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UT) remains the highest in the THEC schools at $13,812.
THEC was slated to meet Friday to review a change to the tuition increase range. ey’ll likely set concrete rates in a future meeting.
Tennessee Lookout contributed to this report.
Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.
By Kailynn Johnson
Ford Motor Company’s BlueOval City, a project that was announced in 2021 as a part of an investment in electric vehicles and sustainable manufacturing, is expected to bring both new jobs and residents to West Tennessee in 2025. As a result, housing experts are urging the state to examine residential approval processes in the area. With the planned expenditure of $5.6 billion, the project is expected to create 6,000 jobs for Tennesseans in Haywood County. e University of Memphis recently received a grant to explore transportation challenges ahead of the project’s opening, examining public transit systems such as xed-line buses, ondemand micro transit, and more.
they applied for a project. e authors mentioned that since the 1935 zoning law doesn’t mention these rights, it can result in the courts getting involved or local o cials making decisions.
Information from the United States Census Bureau said as of July 1, 2023, Haywood County had 8,274 housing units for a population estimate of 17,328. Close to 60 percent of these houses were occupied by homeowners.
A policy brief published by Charles Gardner and George Dean is lled with recommendations for the state’s housing market. It noted that housing prices in the state are on the rise, with many middle-class buyers not being able to keep up with the market. In Memphis speci cally, renting has become a more viable option for those seeking housing due to prices increasing drastically in 2021.
“A main contributor to this shortage of a ordable housing is the challenge of obtaining subdivision approvals and nal permits for both single-family and multifamily housing,” the brief said. “ e current housing crisis obligates Tennessee’s policymakers to examine the means for speeding up housing production. One approach is through targeted reforms that streamline the land use approvals process.”
e census reported that as of 2023 Haywood county had 17 building permits. Gardner and Dean explained that the state doesn’t strictly regulate building and zoning, leaving those
who give out these permits a lot of freedom. As a result, these permits can take a long time, with no guarantee of approval. e authors added that Tennessee’s current procedure is “archaic and not well understood.”
To remedy this, Gardner and Dean make several recommendations to streamline the decision-making process and to improve transparency by basing the approvals on solid evidence as opposed to in uence from a local government.
e brief criticizes Tennessee Vested Property Rights Acts, stating that it has “plagued” the state for decades. Under the law, developers can rely on the zoning laws that were in place when
“In Tennessee, it is not uncommon for public backlash or objections from local o cials to arise a er a building permit is issued,” the brief said. “O en, those who object to the project quickly introduce a bill to the city council to change the underlying base zoning in a way that renders the construction noncompliant. Typically, these new zoning regulations are adopted much more quickly than the permittee can nish a substantial part of the construction.”
e Tennessee General Assembly recognized this and enacted the Vested Property Rights Act of 2014 which guarantees that a developer’s building permit or project approval will have guidelines and rules that will stay in place for a number of years.
While this addressed a key issue, the policy brief recommends amending the act so that development rights are protected when plans are submitted as opposed to when they are issued. ey also ask that zoning rules don’t change “in a manner that reduces development potential.”
In addition to this, Gardner and Dean recommended reforming variances and conditional use permits, replacing the writ of certiorari, and boosting board member trainings.
AT LARGE By Bruce VanWyngarden
Seeing clearly what lea ess branches show.
November is the Rodney Danger eld of months. It gets no respect, no love, except maybe a few laughs.
ere are no great songs about November, and poems about the 11th month always seem to be dreary things — odes to cold wind, fallen leaves, gray skies, death, etc. Sure, there’s a big holiday near the end of the month, but no one would really care if it got moved to September.
November is a transitional month, a boring layover in our annual trip around the sun, coming as it does just a er October’s crisp blue skies and glorious autumnal foliage, and just before the crushing avalanche of December’s major holidays. November is meh. Six hours at the Omaha airport.
I decided to see if I could nd anything good written about November because I’m a nerd at heart and that’s the way I roll. I went to Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations and found November getting kicked around like a rented mule by various literary lights through the centuries, from D.H. Lawrence to omas Hood to Sir Walter Scott, who wrote:
November’s sky is chill and drear, November’s leaf is red and sear …
See what I mean? And in 1562, Richard Gra on (you remember ol’ Richard, don’t you?) penned these immortal words: irty days hath November …
Now there’s a man who went out on a limb, poetically speaking. e best thing he could nd to write about November was that it had 30 days! Sadly, a few years a er his death, the poem was amended to the more familiar “ irty days hath September …” And now they’ve got all those sexy months — September, April, May — up there at the top of that piece of doggerel. Like I said, November gets no respect.
Except for in presidential election years, when the word “November” is bandied about for months, as both a
beacon of hope and a harbinger of doom, depending on what poll you last saw or which pundit you most recently read. e column you are reading right now went to press on Tuesday — Election Day — so I have no idea what kind of mood you will be in when you read this. You could be lled with joy and hope for our country or you could be pondering a move to the sunny coast of Portugal. All of which makes me want to o er you a bit of beauty to use as solace or in celebration. It’s a poem by Molly Peacock called, well, “November.”
Novembers were the months that began with No.
“Oh no.” ey died in embers. Above were V’s of geese in skies lit from these low Even res. e res of fall were Mirrors for the feelings I felt before Being. I’m telling you now I feel I Exist for the rst time! Neither the bareness nor Roughness demoralize — I realize I See much clearer what lea ess branches show.
It’s a zen-like puzzle-box of a poem. You can read it over and let the words slide around and small tricks and secrets reveal themselves. I found it comforting and calming. And I’m wishing as I write this that Molly’s poem — and the events of this longawaited November Tuesday — bring us all some kind of joy, some sense of peace.
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There was high drama locally and nationally: ultimate answers in the presidential race were elusive.
The 2024 election season had its share of both suspense and drama.
at was certainly true of the quadrennial national election for president (arguably the most momentous one since the Civil War), which went down to the wire and frazzled millions of nerve endings before a winner could be discerned.
As all prognostications had it in advance, the presidential picture seemed headed for a resolution later than election night itself.
At the center of the suspense were the three so-called “blue wall” states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. It was presumed that a victory for Democrat Kamala Harris in all three of these habitually Democratic states would give her the presidency, but just barely. A victory for former GOP president Donald Trump in any of them could drastically derail that
prognosis.
Nor was drama absent from the local side of the ballot. ere is little prospect of the local results being challenged, as is always possible with
the presidential numbers, but their e ect may linger and, in some cases, simmer.
is is especially true of the series of referenda that Memphis voters were
asked to pass judgment on. As of late Tuesday evening, election commission totals had all the referenda winning handily.
e most signi cant ones — the outcome of which was never much doubted — had set city against state and enraged the guardians of statehouse authority well in advance of the individual items receiving a single vote.
In brief, the o ending referenda items of Ordinance 5908, asked city residents to approve (1) restoration of permits for the right to carry rearms, (2) a ban on the sale of assault weapons in the city, and (3) a “red ag” proviso empowering the local judiciary to con scate the weapons of demonstrably risky individuals.
All of the items are “trigger laws,” to be activated only when and if state law should permit them.
Even so, the Republican Speaker
of the state House of Representatives, Cameron Sexton, had made bold to threaten the city of Memphis with loss of state-shared revenues unless the o ending referendum package — unanimously approved by the city council — was withdrawn from the ballot.
at was enough to make the Shelby County Election Commission blanch, but the council itself was not cowed and, led by Chairman JB Smiley Jr., sued to have the measures restored. Chancellor Melanie Taylor Je erson obliged.
Other referenda passed on Tuesday would: strike down the city’s existing ban of runo s in at-large elections (Referendum 5884), impose a two-year residency requirement for Memphis mayoral candidates (Referendum 5913), and authorize the city council to determine the salaries of the mayor, council members, the city chief administrative o cer, and division directors (Referendum 5893).
All in all, it was developing into a good night for the referenda, as well as for the council itself.
Perhaps predictably, the form sheet was holding for elective o ces, with incumbents of both parties doing very well indeed.
Republican U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn held o a challenge statewide from Knoxville state Representative Gloria Johnson, her Democratic opponent, though in heavily Democratic Shelby County, Johnson was leading, 156,303 to 104,633.
Another Republican incumbent, 8th District Congressman David Kusto led Democratic challenger Sarah Freeman by a 2 to 1 margin, 61,230 votes to 27,502.
Meanwhile, 9th District Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen was overwhelming his perennial Republican opponent Charlotte Bergman even more dramatically, 127,154 to 40,803.
On the legislative scene, the muchballyhooed District 97 state House race saw Republican incumbent John Gillespie edging out his Democratic challenger Jesse Huseth, 14,230 to 13,020.
And, in another state House race where Democrats nursed upset hopes, in District 83, incumbent Republican Mark White was holding o Democrat Noah Nordstrom.
Most attention — locally, nationally, and even worldwide — remained on the showdown between Trump and Harris.
As late as the last weekend before this week’s nal vote, the presidential race was being referred to as a dead heat, a virtual tie, a sense of things apparently corroborated by a string of polls in the so-called “battleground” states — the Rust Belt trio of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin; the Sun Belt states of Nevada and Arizona; and the
competitive Southern states of Georgia and North Carolina.
A freakish outlier poll in the presumably red state of Iowa showing Harris with a last-minute edge over Trump in Iowa, though, was an indicator of possible unexpected volatility.
at the presidential race had even gotten so measurably close was a re ection of a political stando in which halves of the nation had seemingly cleaved against each other in a variety of di erent and sometimes paradoxical ways.
is was not the same old story of Democrats versus Republicans. Both of those coalitions had undergone profound changes over the years. No longer was the “working class” (ditto, the “middle class”) to be grouped in a single body. Upward mobility had revised people’s notions of class, then stalled in such a way as to confuse them further. Generational change was rampant, and ethnicity was no longer a dependable metric for determining political attitude. Disagreement over social matters like gender identity and abortion policy had
It was developing into a good night for local referenda.
sundered the old divides.
e center could not hold. It was not only, a la Yeats, that the falcon could not hear the falconer. Social media and impatient ways had created multitudinous new sources professing to be the latter.
e nation’s two-party political system had atrophied to the point that, seemingly, neither was able to generate a dependable bench of A-list players. Donald J. Trump, the Republicans’ once and would-be future president, had come from the worlds of seat-ofthe-pants commerce and TV showbiz to reign over a hodgepodge of timeservers, has-beens, and sycophants in his party, and Democratic incumbent president Joe Biden, a survivor of his party’s dwindling corps of traditionalists, headed up the Democrats.
at’s how things were at the end of the early-year primaries, and there were no few voices wondering aloud: Was that all there was, this uninspiring rematch of moldy oldies?
To give Biden his due, he had done his best to wreak from overriding
political inertia some promising legislation, especially in the rebuilding of the country’s decaying infrastructure. To give Trump his due, he had recovered from a stupefying series of misdeeds, including, arguably, an aborted coup against the political system, to regain his political stature.
When the two met on a late-June debate stage on the eve of the two party conventions, the 81-year-old Biden, who had fared well in the earlier presentation of his State of the Union address, crumbled so visibly and profoundly that to many, probably most, observers, the presidential race seemed over then and there, especially when the 78-year-old Trump would go on to de antly survive a serious assassination attempt two days before the opening of the GOP political convention in July.
But desperation in the Democrats’ ranks had meanwhile generated a determination to replace the compromised Biden at the head of the party ticket. Enough pressure developed that the incumbent nally, if reluctantly, had to yield, and realistically, given the lateness of the hour, the most feasible outcome proved to be that of elevating Vice President Kamala Harris, the erstwhile California senator and former prosecutor, in Biden’s stead at the Democratic convention in August.
Once the matchup between Trump and Harris got established, it quickly settled into an even-steven situation, a kind of free- oating draw in which the two sides always stayed within reach of each other.
From the Democratic point of view, this would seem something of a miracle. Nikki Haley had based her runner-up GOP presidential race on the conceit that a female could win the presidency, either herself or, with the aging Biden still a candidate, his vice president, Harris, still regarded at that point as a nonentity. It was Haley’s way of mocking the opposition.
Indeed, even in Democratic ranks, Harris was long seen to be something of a liability, a drag on the ticket. at this was due to the way she had been used — or misused — by the incumbent president (in the ill-de ned role of “border czar,” for example) became evident only when she was freed to become her own person.
On the stump in her own right, she proved to be a natural, with unsuspected reserves of charisma and an appeal that was forti ed by her selection of the pleasantly homey governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, as her running mate. (Trump’s choice as potential veep, the edgy Ohio Senator JD Vance, was clearly head-smart and continued on page 13
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acceptable to Trump’s base among the MAGA faithful but kept bumping up against his own innate arrogance.)
The change in tone among the Democrats was almost instantly evident. It came to be symbolized in the concept of “joy” and in Harris’ slogan, “a new way forward.”
While coming across as a certifiable New Thing, she was also able, credibly, to posit herself as the defender of constitutional values against the alleged schemes by the usurper Trump to override them in the interests of personal power.
“We are the promise of America,” she would say, uniting her own purpose with those of her audience members.
Against this, against Harris, the ebullient rock-star presence on stage, Trump seemed buffaloed. In his fateful June debate duel with Biden, he had seemed vital, a hurricane of restless energy hurling scorn and unchecked charges at his befuddled opponent. Now it became more and more obvious that he, too, was a near octogenarian, with no new promise of his own to offer.
The shift in positions was fully demonstrated, post-conventions, in the follow-up debate with Harris when, matador-like, she had baited the bullish Trump with mockery of his rallies (which, in fact, were becoming more and more disorganized and less and less focused and empty of real content). His red-eyed response, that Haitian immigrants were eating the dogs and cats of Middle Americans in Ohio, was perfectly framed for the television audience by the split image of Harris’ gleeful wonderment at this out-ofnowhere non sequitur.
It was not long afterward that Harris’ progress was slowed somewhat, as much by a petulant media’s insistence that she submit to interviews as a sign of her seriousness as anything else. Dutifully, she did, and emerged with appropriate talking points — a middle-class tax cut, subsidies for small business and new housing starts, and legislation to suppress price-gouging. These would become highlights of the “to-do” list which she would juxtapose against what she characterized as the brooding Trump’s ever-multiplying enemies list.
It became a cliche of press coverage that the former president’s seething ire at an imagined “enemy from within” was displacing what his would-be handlers wanted him to discuss — a supposedly intractable inflation and the pell-mell overcoming of the nation’s borders by a horde of illegal invaders. Both menaces, as it happened, were in something of an abatement — the former by a plethora of relatively rosy economic indices, the latter by fairly resolute, if delayed, executive actions
taken by the lame-duck president in the summer and fall.
What Trump’s audiences were getting on the stump instead was the overflow of his ever more naked id, a witches’ brew of resentment and machismo — insults against his adversaries, threats to use the machinery of government against them, and improvisations on themes ranging from Arnold Palmer’s junk size to nostalgia for “the late, great Hannibal Lecter.”
Partly, this was due to what Harris characterized as her opponent’s presumed “exhaustion,” but partly, too, it was Trump’s instinctive reliance on what had always been the source of his appeal, an exposure of pure personality, a willingness, for better or for worse, to let it all hang out, to be The Show, a cathartic vehicle for release of his followers’ emotions.
It was this penchant, after all, that had allowed him to sweep past a stage full of practical Republican politicians during the primary season of 2016 and, later that year, to surprise the calculating and overconfident Hillary Clinton at the polls.
Against Harris, the ebullient rock-star presence on stage, Trump seemed buffaloed.
GOP eminences — even those who, like Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, despised Trump, or, who, like senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, had been vilified by him, learned that they were no match for his carnivallike presence and resolved to use him for their own purposes, only in the end to be used by him instead for his.
It remained a fact that, for all his defects, real and imagined, Trump was able to sustain a plausible hope of regaining the office he had lost to Biden in the pandemic-inflected campaign year of 2020.
And, beyond the presidential race itself, Republicans still nursed hopes of holding onto their slim majority in the House of Representatives as well as of capturing the Senate outright. At stake were such matters as healthcare, climate change, and reproductive policy domestically, as well as of meeting the economic challenge of China and in the conduct of foreign policy in the Middle East and vis-a-vis Russia in its challenge to NATO in Europe.
By Abigail Morici
Calling all the monsters. ’Tis time for the rst-ever Memphis Monster Con, a two-day horror extravaganza happening this Saturday and Sunday.
e convention will have more than 15 celebrity guests, more than 100 vendors and artists, food trucks, cosplay and cosplay contests, panels, photo ops, and more.
“Memphis has a good comic con with the Memphis Comic Expo. It’s got a really good anime convention with the Anime Blues [Con],” says Jaime Wright, one of the event’s organizers and co-owner of 901 Comics with Shannon Merritt. “One thing Memphis has never had is a dedicated horror convention, so we felt it’s an itch that needs to be scratched.”
Wright fell into horror as a kid who wanted to watch what his older brother and late sister were watching. “I distinctly remember they were watching the movie Phantasm on TV one night in the late ’70s,” he says. “It gave me nightmares, but I had to get more.”
Wright expects others feel the same about horror. “People like being scared,” he says. “ ey like being taken out of their comfort zone.”
Memphis artist Cameron Holland made limited edition posters for the con.
For the horror convention, guests will get to meet Tyler Mane, the now-retired professional wrestler who played Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s Halloween; C.J. Graham, who was Jason in Friday the 13th Part VI; Brett Wagner, who did the rst kill in the 2003’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre; scream queen Felissa Rose from Sleepaway Camp and Death House; and more. “We’re doing a Return of the Living Dead reunion with ve of the cast members [ om Mathews, John Philbin, Beverly Randolph, Miguel Núñez Jr., and Allan Trautman].”
Ken Foree, who starred in Dawn of the Dead and also appeared Rob Zombie’s Halloween, will also be there. Wright calls him a “horror legend.” Like other celebrities at the event, Foree will give a panel talk (Sunday at 1:50 p.m.). “I’m gonna tell stories to the audience and talk about what I’ve been doing,” he says. “I’ll go into Q&A and let them ask questions. I have a great time doing that.”
Other panels include “ e King’s Reign: Celebrating 70 Years of Godzilla” with Beale Street Monster Club, “Darker Side of Disney” with the Memphis-based podcast I-Scream Queens, and “History of Horror Comics” with 901 Comics’ Shannon Merritt.
A full schedule of events can be found at Memphis Monster Con’s Facebook page.
MEMPHIS MONSTER CON, PIPKIN BUILDING AT SIMMONS BANK LIBERTY STADIUM, 940 EARLY MAXWELL BOULEVARD, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 9:30 A.M.-7 P.M. | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 9:30 A.M.-5 P.M., $25/SATURDAY PASS, $20/SUNDAY PASS, $40/WEEKEND PASS, $40/WEEKEND PASS, $100/VIP WEEKEND PASS.
MEMPHIS MONSTER CON AFTERPARTY, HI TONE, 282-284 N. CLEVELAND, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 8 P.M., $15.
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES November 7th - 13th
Parallel Lives
eatre Memphis, Next Stage, 630 Perkins Extd., Friday-Saturday, November 8-9, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, November 10, 2 p.m.
Two actresses play men and women struggling through the common rituals of modern life, like teenagers on a date, sisters at their grandmother’s funeral, and an encounter at a countryWestern bar. e show opens as two supreme beings plan the creation of the world with the relish of slightly sadistic suburban housewives. Re ecting on their work, they are afraid women will have too many advantages, so they decide to make childbirth painful and give men big egos as compensation. As characters and scenarios change we see comedic situations that create boundless laughs.
Purchase tickets at theatrememphis.org. Parallel Lives runs through November 23rd.
Memphis Cra s & Dra s Festival Crosstown Concourse, 1350 Concourse, Saturday, November 9, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
It’s the best holiday shopping event of the year! Join us and some of the best area artists, cra ers, and makers for our annual Memphis Cra s & Dra s Festival Holiday Market. is free event showcases the best creatives in the area; plus, enjoy our specially curated Cra s & Dra s Beer Garden and all kinds of family fun at Crosstown Concourse.
Blue Suede Vintage Fall Market
Blue Suede Vintage, 427 N. Watkins, Saturday, November 9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Shop a vintage-only market featuring men’s, women’s, and kids’ vintage clothing, accessories, and home goods. More than 20 vendors are coming in from all over the MidSouth to pop up for one day only.
Scott A. Carter: “Energy States” e Dixon Gallery & Gardens, 4339 Park, through January 19 Memphis artist, educator, curator, and musician Scott A. Carter makes objects and environments that exist somewhere in the spaces between sculpture, architecture, design, and sound. Collaged, semi-transparent wall reliefs that look, at rst glance, like abstract paintings, modular installations that utilize recycled and repurposed scraps or le overs, and “furniture adjacent” objects that bear passing resemblance to vintage mid-20th century television or radio cabinets are all part of his oeuvre. Carter labels his art “semi-functional” with “varied levels of usefulness.” What remains constant in the works on view are grid-based compositions that explore processes and materials through repetition, layering, re ection, and transparency.
MUSIC By Michael Donahue
elanie Pierce has two Tina Turner wigs. She describes one as the “big hair ’80s” wig and the other, the “short, bouncy with curls” wig.
Turner’s later curly hair style still had “a rock-androll feel, but more of a classy rock-and-roll feel,” says Pierce, who, along with LaShon Robinson, are founders of Elevation Memphis: A Tina Turner Tribute Experience. ey will be part of the Beale Street Brass Notes Walk of Fame ceremony honoring the late singer November 3rd at 3 p.m. at Alfred’s on Beale. Memphis guitarist, songwriter, and recording artist Robert Allen Parker also will be featured at the event.
ere’s probably nothing you could ask Pierce and Robinson about the late singer that they can’t answer. It all began when they went to see Tina: e Tina Turner Musical in February 2023 at the Orpheum eatre. Both women were familiar with Turner, but they were awestruck a er they went to the show.
“I am a child of the ’80s,” Robinson says, recalling when she saw the 1984 video for Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” “I was like, ‘Woah. My God. Who is this mature lady? She’s walking with all this con dence in this video. I’ve got to nd out more about her.’ And from there I became fan.”
A native of Grenada, Mississippi, Robinson, a sergeant in the Army National Guard, already had an alternative band, Elevation Memphis. “We do covers of all genres — from ’60s to today’s hits. And we also have original music.”
A er the Tina musical at the Orpheum, she thought, “Hey, let’s add Tina.” Robinson plays ute, tambourine, and a little percussion, and Pierce plays bass and the African djembe drum in the cover band. “Our keyboardist Derrin Lee has played an integral part in all of the arrangements for our Tina tunes. And he’s been with us almost since day one. And it’s been almost four years.”
e band also includes core member dancers and musicians. “We have great dancers and we do have some of the best musicians in Memphis,” Pierce says. Robinson and Pierce write the originals. “We currently have six originals out right now streaming,” Robinson says.
Almost immediately a er they put the Turner tribute together, she and Pierce were referred by Memphian Richard Day to perform their show at the Tina Turner Museum at the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville, Tennessee. ey met Turner’s granddaughter, great-grandson, and a lot of her rstcousins, Robinson says. “And they all look just like her.”
Robinson and Pierce became friends with the family members and they began Facebook-ing each other.
More and more people began asking them to play at their venues, she says.
“I have more confidence because I’m having to play a very confident woman.”
And “next thing you know” they were invited to perform at the Brass Note ceremony, Robinson says. “We will perform 25 minutes of Tina’s biggest hits.”
Robinson doesn’t portray Turner in the tribute show. “I don’t do Tina. I wear a wig, but Melanie de nitely has the look. And when I tell you she studies day in and day out to perfect her — I’ve never seen anybody put in so much work and dedication.”
“I’m learning her every day,” Pierce says. “Her elegance. e way she carries herself on stage. Her con dence on stage.”
And, she says, “Anybody would love
to impersonate Tina just because of who she is and just the name. Everything about her.”
Asked how she’d describe Turner, Pierce says, “I would say that she’s very calm. Looking at her interviews, she’s very educated. She just has a peace when you listen to her speak.”
Pierce studies Turner’s voice. “I do try to talk like her. I have made some songs where my sound is similar to her, but I think because I’m bringing the look and that con dence and that presence on stage, sounding like her is not even the thing. ‘I can feel Tina in you.’ ‘You are the next Tina.’ at’s the type of feedback that I get.
“But I do work really hard to talk like her when I am talking in the microphone. I would say Tina’s stage voice is so powerful. It’s raspy. It’s very rock-and-roll.”
And, she says, “Tina Turner has the best legs. I de nitely don’t compare to her legs, but I think I have pretty nice legs. I don’t need insurance on them, though. Tina de nitely did.”
A native of West Memphis, Arkansas, Pierce got into singing three and a half years ago. “It was just karaoke from time to time.”
Robinson, who worked with her in an o ce back then, invited her to try out for her Elevation band. “She asked me to come and audition because she heard me playing the djembe with my friend,
jamming out at my house. And we had a video on Facebook [of us] jamming out. She said, ‘I really want you to sing. Do you sing?’ I said, ‘No, I’ve never been in a band. I don’t know anything about it.’”
Pierce sang but “just for fun around the house. But not thinking about growing up and being a singer.”
A er being coached by Robinson, Pierce got in the band.
When they began getting ready to do the Turner tribute, Pierce began working on the Turner look. “I started o just ordering my rst wig o of Amazon. Just because I needed something.”
When ordering it, Pierce says, “I just put in ‘Tina Turner’ and this big hair wig came in.”
Now, she says, “People make me custom wigs.”
In addition to her “rock-and-roll hair,” Pierce dresses like Turner. She describes the look as “female, classy, but sexy rockand-roll. She wears the dresses with the tights. With the shnet tights. With the high heels. I do dance in heels.”
Portraying Turner carries over into her daily life, Pierce says. “I have more con dence because I’m having to play a very con dent woman.”
Pierce changes her persona from the cover band to the Turner tribute. “I get in ‘Tina’ mode as soon as I hit the stage. I’m ready to go. Ready for whatever crowd, whatever genre of music we do.”
And, she adds, “Tina is always ready. She’s bold. She’s daring. She’s a visionary. She’s fearless.” ey perform their Turner tribute at Memphis locations, including Neil’s Music Room and Lafayette’s Music Room, but not very o en. “We don’t want to water it down here in the city,” Robinson says. “So, we’re just starting to go outside Memphis. Arkansas last weekend. St. Louis. Nashville.”
ey’d love to one day take their Tina Turner show to Las Vegas. “People have already reached out.”
So, what do they think Tina Turner would think of their band if she were still alive? “I think that if Tina saw us from day one till now, she would de nitely say she is very proud of us,” Pierce says. “She can see how hard we’ve been working to improve our show. And she would tell us we have what it takes to be the best Tina Turner tribute band of our time.”
Rod Wave - Last Lap Tour
Ashton Riker & The Memphis Royals
ursday, Nov. 7, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Blind Mississippi Morris
ursday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Earl “The Pearl” Banks
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Eric Hughes
ursday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Flic’s Pics Band
Led by the legendary Leroy “Flic” Hodges of Hi Rhythm.
Saturday, Nov. 9, 4 p.m. |
Sunday, Nov. 10, 3 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
FreeWorld
Friday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m. |
Saturday, Nov. 9, 8 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
FreeWorld
Sunday, Nov. 10, 6 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Soul St. Mojo
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
The B.B. King’s Blues Club Allstar Band
Friday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m. |
Saturday, Nov. 9, 8 p.m. |
Monday, Nov. 11, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Vince Johnson
Monday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m. |
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
DJ Spinna and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez
DJ Spinna has collaborated with Eminem. Gonzalez is one half of Masters at Work. Both love Stax and Hi Records!
Saturday, Nov. 9, 9 p.m.
EIGHT & SAND
Judy Collins Live in Concert
e Grammy-winning songstress excels at sublime vocals, vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and a rm commitment to social activism. Wednesday, Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m.
ORPHEUM THEATRE
Live at the Tracks: Shufflegrit
ursday, Nov. 7, 6:30-9:30
p.m.
EIGHT & SAND
Live & Local Music
Live and local music, every Wednesday night on the all-weather patio. Wednesday, Nov. 13, 7-10 p.m.
MOMMA’S
Memphis Songwriters Series | Hosted by Mark
Edgar Stuart
Featuring Matt Isbell, Gia Welch, and Reggie Dewayne.
$10. ursday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.
HALLORAN CENTRE FOR
PERFORMING ARTS & EDUCATION
With special guests Moneybagg Yo, Toosii, Lil Poppa, Dess Dior, and Eelmatic. Saturday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m.
FEDEXFORUM
The Orchestra Unplugged: Leonard Bernstein — More Than Maestro
Robert Moody leads another edition of e Orchestra
Unplugged with this tribute to the great American conductor, composer, and cultural icon. Friday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m. THE HALLORAN CENTRE
Deb Jam Band Tuesday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Elizabeth Wise & Her Guys Sunday, Nov. 10, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S POPLAR
Paul Brock Band Live at the Central Library
e Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library proudly presents e Paul Brock Band on the lobby stage. Friday, Nov. 8, noon-2 p.m.
BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY - MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARY
TaikoProject You won’t be able to beat this journey tracing the history and lore of the ancient Japanese drums. $35.
ursday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.
BUCKMAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Van Duren
e singer/songwriter, a pioneer of indie pop in Memphis, performs solo. ursday, Nov. 7, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
MORTIMER’S
Black Kat Boppers
With the 714s [Small RoomDownstairs]. ursday, Nov. 7, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Bluff City Vice
With Sunweight, Dinosauria Friday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m. BAR DKDC
Bodywerk
With VJ projections by Corbin, Graham, and Kip from Cloudland Canyon. Saturday, Nov. 9, 9 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Chinese Connection Dub Embassy Memphis’ own masters of reggae, dub, and dancehall.
Saturday, Nov. 9, 8 p.m.
RAILGARTEN
Denver Massey
ursday, Nov. 7, 6 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Direct Measure
With A Kiss Before Dying, Anaphylactic Shock, Chalice [Small Room-Downstairs].
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m.
HI TONE
Don Ramon Latin Rock
Saturday, Nov. 9, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
HEELS
Memphis Monster Con
A erparty [Big RoomUpstairs]. Saturday, Nov. 9, 9 p.m.
HI TONE
Jadewick
With Humid, Slum Dog [Small Room-Downstairs].
Friday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Joe Restivo 4
Guitarist Joe Restivo leads one of the city’s nest jazz quartets. Sunday, Nov. 10, 11 a.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Ken Carson - 2024 Chaos World Tour
Trailblazing rising artist Ken Carson will perform live.
Saturday, Nov. 9, 8 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Mama Honey
ursday, Nov. 7, 8 p.m.
RAILGARTEN
Marcella Simien
Friday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m.
RAILGARTEN
Matty O’ and The Ghosts of the Insane
With e Big Shredder, Justin White. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.
GROWLERS
Memphis Dance Music
Association
With Aberrant, Jos.Heat, DJ Fatherdad. Sunday, Nov. 10, 10 p.m.
B-SIDE
Memphis Knights Big Band
e 17-piece orchestra (plus two singers) features standards and popular hits in driving arrangements. Monday, Nov. 11, 6 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Modern Masters Jazz Series: Rex Gregory and The Ted Ludwig Trio A Seattle-based saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, Rex Gregory has performed and/or recorded with a diverse array of luminaries. Wednesday, Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Mystrio
Sunday, Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m. B-SIDE
Paul McKinney and The Knights feat. Jamille “Jam” Hunter. Grounded in the musical experience of the Black Church, e Knights salute the contributions of traditional jazz artists and composers. Friday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Radar Blips
With e Bakers Basement, Godmilk [Small RoomDownstairs]. Wednesday, Nov. 13, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Rice Drewry Collective Friday, Nov. 8, 6 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Salo Pallini
With Peewee Jackson. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 8 p.m. B-SIDE
PHOTO: COURTESY GPAC
Valerie June
Thumpdaddy
Friday, Nov. 8, 10 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Vinyl Happy Hour
With Guest DJs every Friday. Friday, Nov. 8, 3-5 p.m.
MEMPHIS LISTENING LAB
Dallas Burrow
Friday, Nov. 8, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Delta Ondine Blues
Brunch feat. Doug Macleod
Sunday, Nov. 10, 1-3:30 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Jennifer Knapp
ursday, Nov. 7, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Kevin Daniel With Rainey Eyes. Saturday, Nov. 9, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
LJ Cates’ Folk Magick With Joe Austin & e
Tallahatchies. Wednesday, Nov. 13, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Shara’s Songwriter Showcase
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 6 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
SlamHound
With A er Eden, RANT, Fate Hates Me [Small RoomDownstairs]. Saturday, Nov. 9, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Sonidero Gotico: Banales
With DJs La Femme Radical, Mala Leche, Kid Mestizo. Friday, Nov. 8, 9 p.m.
HI TONE
Sounds of Memphis: Yobreezye presented by the Overton Park Shell
An energized evening of dancing with beats from Yobreezye. $12/general admission. ursday, Nov. 7, 6-8 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Spiter
With Diabolus [Small RoomDownstairs]. Sunday, Nov. 10, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
The Java Trio
Sunday, Nov. 10, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S MIDTOWN
The Shed! Open Mic
Part of Stax Music Academy’s youth open mic event series. Free. Friday, Nov. 8, 5:30-8 p.m.
SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The Super 5 Saturday, Nov. 9, 9 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
The Swamp Dogs e Swamp Dogs bring their blues all the way from the U.K.
All Ages. Free. Sunday, Nov. 10, 4 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
Brian Duprey Sings Sinatra
$40. Saturday, Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m.
BARTLETT PERFORMING ARTS AND CONFERENCE CENTER
Iris Collective Chamber music celebrating melodies of warmth and gratitude in anticipation of the anksgiving season. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 6:30 p.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
Jazz in the Box: Joe Alterman Trio e hottest little jazz club around is GPAC’s Jazz in the Box! $40. Friday, Nov. 8, 7-8:30 p.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Last Chance Jug Band
Sunday, Nov. 10, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S OLIVE BRANCH
Sarah Burton
Sunday, Nov. 10, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S MILLINGTON
Singer Songwriter
Sundays
Enjoy some of the area’s best local musicians every Sunday. Sunday, Nov. 10, 4-6 p.m.
MEDDLESOME BREWING COMPANY
The Bugaloos
Sunday, Nov. 10, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S GERMANTOWN
Valerie June
A skillfully woven tapestry of folk, soul, gospel, country, blues, psychedelia, and symphonic pop. $20/general admission. Saturday, Nov. 9, 8-9:30 p.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS
Alexandra Baker: “Healing Through Color”
e St. Mary’s alum has been celebrated for her visionary, abstract expressionism. rough Dec. 16.
BUCKMAN ARTS CENTER AT ST.
MARY’S SCHOOL
“All Aboard: The Railroad in American Art, 1840 - 1955”
is exhibition examines the o en-symbiotic relationship between painters in the United States and the passenger and freight trains that populated cities, towns, and countrysides across the nation. Sundays 1-5 p.m.; Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; third ursdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Mondays. rough Jan. 26.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“All Rise: Memphis Bar Association at 150”
rough arresting objects and powerful images, the exhibition showcases the Memphis Bar Association’s historical signi cance and continuing relevance. rough Nov. 10.
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
Andrea Morales: “Roll Down Like Water”
Featuring 65 photographs spanning a decade of work by the Memphis-based PeruvianAmerican photographer. rough Jan. 31.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
“Beyond the Surface:”
The Art of Handmade Paper, Part I
Featuring handmade paper creations showcasing a variety of techniques that expand our understanding of the medium, created at Dieu Donne, a leading arts organization in New York. rough Dec. 15.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Billy Renkl: “Corporal Gestures”
Renkl works with vintage and antique paper. “It is almost like a body, the way that it ages, gets scarred, bears the marks of what has happened to it, who has owned it and how they used it,” he says. rough Nov. 16.
DAVID LUSK GALLERY
“Bracelets, Bangles, and Cuffs: 1948-2024”
A remarkable collection of contemporary bracelets. rough Nov. 17.
METAL MUSEUM
Carol Adamec: “In a Japanese Garden”
An exhibit of owers, kimonos, and gardens in oil on canvas and acrylic gouache on rice paper and panel. rough Dec. 30.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Gallery 1091:
“Connected Through Art”
WKNO Channel 10, in partnership with Creative Aging of the Mid-South, presents “Connected rough Art – A Leonardo da Vinci-Inspired Exhibit.” rough Nov. 27.
WKNO-TV/FM
Huger Foote: “Two Rivers”
“If you look through Huger’s photographs backwards and forwards, you can feel the tension of a mysterious hidden story, one that keeps emerging and vanishing.” – Bernardo Bertolucci. rough Nov. 16.
DAVID LUSK GALLERY
Justin Bowles: “Green Fountain”
An ecstatic rendering of a fantastical garden, with a pool surrounded by animals, plants, and crystal rock formations, depicted in three intricate collage works. rough Feb. 16.
TOPS GALLERY: MADISON AVENUE PARK
Kevin A. Williams:
“Native Son” Williams is one of the most celebrated gurative storytellers of this era, with his collection of paintings being the most widely circulated urban ne art series in the world. rough Dec. 15.
HYATT CENTRIC
MadameFraankie:
“Intertwine” New mixed-media works that invite the artist’s family into her photographic practice. rough Dec. 13.
BEVERLY + SAM ROSS GALLERY
Master Metalsmith
Preston Jackson: “A Hidden Culture” is exhibition “reveals history that has been buried, forgotten, or deemed unimportant by society.” rough Jan. 26.
METAL MUSEUM
“Meeting Room:” The 6 Points Artists
Featuring six artists — Sharon Havelka, Mary Jo Karimnia, Paula Kovarik, Carrol McTyre, Jennifer Sargent, Mary K. VanGieson — at the Bornblum Library. rough Nov. 27.
SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
“Natural Histories: 400 Years of Scientific Illustration” Showcasing hidden gems and unique masterworks from the American Museum of Natural History’s rare book collection. Interactive components highlight the history of scienti c illustration. Sundays 1-5 p.m.; Tuesday through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; third ursdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Mondays. rough Jan. 26. THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“Pissarro to Picasso:” Masterworks from the Kirkland Family Collection
Featuring 18 art treasures from the family’s collection. rough Jan. 26.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Preston Jackson: Tales of the River Cities
A large metal casting featuring narrative vignettes that speak to Jackson’s family history near the Mississippi River. rough Jan. 26.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Sayali Abhyankar:
“Dhara (Mother Earth)”
Inspired by the beauty of nature, Abhyankar’s acrylic paintings feature vibrant colors and intricate patterns based in two traditional Indian folk art styles. rough Nov. 27.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE
HISTORY
Scott A. Carter:
“Energy States”
Memphis artist, educator, curator, and musician Carter makes objects and environments in the spaces between sculpture, architecture, design, and sound. Sundays 1-5 p.m.; Tuesdays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; third ursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed Mondays. rough Jan. 19.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Southern Heritage Classic Exhibit
Celebrating 35 years of an HBCU Memphis tradition, the exhibition tells the story of Fred Jones Jr., the founder of the Southern Heritage Classic. rough Feb. 28.
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
“The Funny Pages” Art Show with MidSouth Cartoonists Association
An art show dedicated to comics and cartoons. See the shows, buy the art, meet the artists. It’s a great time to shop for art for all your gi -giving needs. Tuesday, Nov. 12-Jan. 17.
GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY THEATRE
ART HAPPENINGS
21st Annual St. George’s Art Show Opening Reception
With featured artist Nancy Cheairs and over 70 other regional artists. Friday, Nov. 8, 5-9 p.m.
ST. GEORGE’S INDEPENDENT
SCHOOL
Artists’ Link Winter Art Show Opening Reception
Artists’ Link, a nonpro t group of over 150 visual artists, announces its annual Winter Art Show. Saturday, Nov. 2, 2-4 p.m.
ST. GEORGE’S ART GALLERY AT ST.
GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com.
DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT LISTINGS, SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.
& GARDENS
“Energy States” features works by artist, musician, and educator Scott A. Carter.
COURTESY BUCKMAN ARTS CENTER , part of Alexandra Baker’s “Healing rough Color” exhibit
Gallery
Artist Reception
WKNO Channel 10, in partnership with Creative Aging of the Mid-South, presents “Connected rough Art – A Leonardo da Vinci-Inspired Exhibit.” Saturday, Nov. 9, 2-4 p.m.
WKNO-TV/FM
Candy Justice and Bryan Cottingham: World vs. Bob Chilsolm: Surviving Small Town Radio
In 1958 Winona, Mississippi, the new manager/news director/announcer of station WONA had no idea what was in store for him. ursday, Nov. 7, 6 p.m. NOVEL
Eva Payne: Empire Of Purity: The History Of American’ Global War On Prostitution e author will chat with Cookie Woolner about her latest work, showing how the policing and penalization of sexuality was used to justify American interventions around the world. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 6 p.m. NOVEL
Junie B. Jones
Junie B. Jones will be autographing books and posing for photos, with activities and a ra e. Presented in partnership with Circuit Playhouse.
Saturday, Nov. 9, 10:30 a.m. NOVEL
Taj Chander: Grail e author will read from his new poetry collection, with an ambient music set to enhance the experience of the poetry. Wednesday, Nov. 13, 6 p.m. NOVEL
Cocktail Chronicles
A monthly bartending class with sips through time. ursday, Nov. 7, 7-8 p.m. BAR HUSTLE AT ARRIVE MEMPHIS
Cultivating Changemakers Through School-Museum
Collaborations
A teacher workshop on how collaborative e orts between school and museum educators can create meaningful and impactful learning experiences that encourage students toward civic engagement. Saturday, Nov. 9, 9-11 a.m. NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
Drop-In Art Studio: Holiday Greeting Cards
All art-making materials will be provided. Local artist Sayali Abhyankar will o er step-by-step instructions for illustrating a cardinal in the Madhubani style of painting, or create a unique design. Free. Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-noon.
Opening for Alexandra Baker: “Healing Through Color”
e St. Mary’s alum has been celebrated for her visionary, abstract expressionism. Friday, Nov. 8, 5-7 p.m.
BUCKMAN ARTS CENTER AT ST. MARY’S SCHOOL
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
continued on page 20
continued from page 19
Figure Drawing (Clothed Model)
Learn about figure drawing. $12/member, $18/general admission. Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-noon.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Holiday Helper Gnomes with Becky Zee
Learn how to build your very own gnome from a simple slab of clay and some extra bits and pieces, and how to make candy canes, holly leaves, and whatever else your gnome needs. $77. Sunday, Nov. 10, 1-4 p.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Lunchtime Meditations
Looking for something relaxing to do to clear your mind and improve your overall health? Visit the Dixon’s free meditation sessions every Friday. Friday, Nov. 8, noon12:45 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Macrame & Mimosas: Pumpkin Wall Hanging with Kristina Tubinis
Make a vibrant, handcrafted fall piece that adds a touch of festive flair to your home.
$49/general admission. Saturday, Nov. 9, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
ARROW CREATIVE
Mahjong at the Museum: Lessons and Open Play
Join Cassie Lazzo, The Mahjologist, for a lesson on how to play American Mahjong. Game supplies not provided. $40/per table. Sunday, Nov. 10, noon-2:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Open Studio
After taking one of Metal Museum’s blacksmithing classes, continue to practice the skills you have learned. Fee includes one five-gallon bucket of coal and use of a forge, anvil, and hammer. Sunday, Nov. 10, noon-5 p.m. METAL MUSEUM
Queer & Allied Theatre Troupe
An LGBTQ+Allied theater group for young people ages 14-21. Thursday, Nov. 7, 5 p.m.
PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE
COMEDY
Saturday Night Showcase
This underground comedy show, hosted by Tylon Monger, boasts a diverse and interesting lineup each week that cracks smiles, shakes heads, and causes uproarious laughter. $15. Saturday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m.
MEMPHIS CLOVER CLUB
COMMUNITY
116th Holy Convocation
An annual gathering for The Church of God in Christ, Inc. (COGIC). Through Nov. 10.
RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER
NOVEMBER 7 - 13
Celebrate What’s
Right: Public Space for Common Good
Every city has varied civic assets — parks, libraries, trails, museums, community centers, and more — but great cities understand the potential for magnetic, animated urban public space. $10/individual, $90/table of 10. Wednesday, Nov. 13, noon-1:30 p.m. THE KENT
Come Tell A Story: Family
Three storytellers will speak of a time when the family of God showed up and showed out, came through in a pinch, and made them feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Free, $10/ donation. Thursday, Nov. 7, 6:30-8 p.m.
COSSITT LIBRARY
Grand Opening: Haven of Hope Eating Disorder Care Center
Haven of Hope Eating Disorder Care Center invites the community to its Grand Opening Celebration. Thursday, Nov. 7, 3-7 p.m. HAVEN OF HOPE EATING DISORDER CARE CENTER
Memphis Farmers Market Harvest Gala
A night benefitting the Memphis Farmers Market. A three course dinner, silent auction, and performance by Graber Gryass. Saturday, Nov. 9, 5-9 p.m.
CENTRAL STATION HOTEL
Veterans Day
Free admission for veterans and active duty military members. Monday, Nov. 11. MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Veterans Day at Logan’s Roadhouse
Free meals for all veterans and active-duty military personnel. Monday, Nov. 11, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
LOGAN’S ROADHOUSE
DANCE
Creative Aging Concert Series: Ballet Our Way with Collage Dance Collective
The Creative Aging Concert Series for arts lovers ages 65+ presents Ballet Our Way, a
PHOTO: COURTESY MARIA
MONTESSORI SCHOOL
The International Food Tasting and Silent Auction benefits the Maria Montessori School.
lecture and performance that invites the audience to learn the history of ballet. Wednesday, Nov. 13, 1:30 p.m.
THE SALVATION ARMY KROC CENTER
Flamenco Memphis
Recently celebrating its oneyear anniversary of presenting flamenco music, singing, and dance, Flamenco Memphis will bring an afternoon of art aiming to inspire and captivate audiences. Wednesday, Nov. 13, 1:30 p.m.
THE SALVATION ARMY KROC CENTER
Line Dancing with Q Line dancing lessons. 21+. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 6 p.m.
DRU’S PLACE
Salsa for Beginners
Put more sizzle in your week. $70. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 6-6:45 p.m.
CAT’S BALLROOM
Shrek Rave
“It’s dumb. Just come have fun! Who cares? Cool is dead.” If you know, you know. 18+. $15, $25. Saturday, Nov. 9, 9 p.m.
GROWLERS
EXPO/SALES
Bulb Sale for Fall Planting
With daffodils, crocus, muscari, amaryllis, and more. Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Palladio Interiors & Garden’s Holiday Market
With gorgeous gifts, tabletop decor, holiday decorations, and pop-up vendors, featuring fresh greenery and wreaths, poinsettias, and fun outdoorsy gifts. With live music Thursday Nov. 7-Nov. 9.
PALLADIO INTERIORS
Princess Party
Featuring Princess Tiana, Rapunzel, and Cinderella, visits from Miss Memphis & Miss Memphis Teen, a fairy-tale carriage, and photo opportunities. Costumes for children are encouraged.
Saturday, Nov. 9, 4-6 p.m.
OVERTON SQUARE
Stax Free Family Day
Featuring special crafts, games, and a drop-off spot for canned goods and wellness hygiene packs. Live music by Soul CNXN. Saturday, Nov. 9, 1-5 p.m.
STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC
Story Time
Enjoy stories, songs, art activities, and creative play that connect with Collierville history. Friday, Nov. 8, 10:30 a.m.
Second Saturdays at Chickasaw Oaks
Every second Saturday of the month at Chickasaw Oaks marks an exciting art market showcasing a diverse group of talented local artists and makers. Free. Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
CHICKASAW OAKS
901Hacks - An AllMemphis High School Competition
Free registration and $1,250+ in prizes. Saturday, Nov. 9, 8:30 a.m.-noon.
WHITE STATION HIGH SCHOOL
AUDITORIUM
Hernando’s Dickens of a Christmas
Experience the Victorian era with performances, free ice skating, horse drawn carriages, a vintage car show, a kiddy train, and much more! Friday, Nov. 8, 4:30 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 9, 9 a.m.
HERNANDO COURTHOUSE SQUARE
Homeschool Discovery Day: Japanese Garden
Students will participate in hands-on activities and discovery stations that focus on Japanese culture such as a tea ceremony, origami, a chopstick challenge, and much more. For homeschoolers K-8. $8. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 10 a.m.-noon
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Kids in the Garden (ages 7-10)
This fun, hands-on gardening workshop teaches kids the basics about horticulture and the flora around them. $10. Saturday, Nov. 9, 10:30 a.m.-noon.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Magic Carpet Presents Percussion Palooza with Stax Music Academy Bring the kids for a morning of fun. $5. Saturday, Nov. 9, 10-10:45 a.m.
BUCKMAN PERFORMING ARTS
CENTER
Mini Masters (ages 2-4)
Introduce your little ones to the arts and nature with crafts, movement, and more. $8. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 10:3011:15 a.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
FILM
A Celebration of Dietrich Bonhoeffer Coach Bill Courtney interviews Todd Komarnicki, director of Angel Studio’s film Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin, producer of Elf, writer. Free. Thursday, Nov. 7, 6:30-8 p.m.
SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Brave
A free screening in the Chimes Square courtyard on Trimble Place. Blankets and folding chairs welcome; no outside alcoholic beverages. Thursday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.
OVERTON SQUARE
James & the Giant Peach
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
Story Time at Novel
Recommended for children up to 5 years, with songs and stories from both brandnew books and well-loved favorites. Saturday, Nov. 9, 10:30 a.m. | Wednesday, Nov. 13, 10:30 a.m.
NOVEL
Super SaturdayIndigenous Heritage Month
Learn about artforms that Native American artists have used through history and in contemporary art, and how abstract shapes have shaped Indigenous art. Free. Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Blue Suede Vintage Fall Market
Shop 20-plus vintage vendors from across the Mid-South.
Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
BLUE SUEDE VINTAGE
India Fest
The festival hopes to provide a greater understanding and appreciation for the diversity of India’s culture. $12. Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL
Memphis Crafts & Drafts Holiday Market
2024
It’s the best holiday shopping event of the year. Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
CROSSTOWN CONCOURSE
Memphis Monster Con
Memphis Monster Con is the city’s premier horror convention with guests Tyler Mane, Ken Foree, Felissa Rose and more. Vendors, artists, panels, food trucks, and cosplay. $40/weekend passes, $25/ Saturday passes, $20/Sunday passes, $100/VIP weekend passes. Saturday, Nov. 9, 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. | Sunday, Nov. 10, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. PIPKIN BUILDING
Forced to live with his cruel aunts, James finds a way out of his bleak existence when he discovers an enormous enchanted peach. $12.75. Saturday, Nov. 9, 4:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
Space: The New Frontier 2D
From self-assembling habitats, commercial space stations, and rockets without fuel to the Lunar Gateway to deep space. Through May 23.
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
Spanish Cinema Now+ 2024: The Girls Are Alright (Las chicas están bien)
Four actresses and a writer spend a week in an old mill to rehearse a play. During those days, the girls will get to know each other and measure themselves through the materials that the work presents Free. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 5-6:30 p.m.
RHODES COLLEGE
The Night of the 12th A Wider Angle, the monthly independent global cinema series, will screen the 2022 French mystery thriller by two-time César Award-winning director Dominik Moll. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 6-8 p.m.
BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY
FOOD AND DRINK
Celtic Crossing’s Cider Fest
Enjoy build-your-own cider flights, homemade mulled cider with or without booze, cider cocktails, food specials, live music from Trevor Berryhill and Curtis B. Scott, prizes, and more. Saturday, Nov. 9, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
CELTIC CROSSING
Fall Wine Dinner
An evening at Teton Trek Lodge with Memphis Chef Michael Patrick. Savor a specially crafted menu with wine pairings. $125. Thursday, Nov. 7, 5:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS ZOO
Greenway Soiree
A benefit for the Wolf River Conservancy with a live and silent auction, dinner, and cocktails. Saturday, Nov. 9, 6 p.m.
FEDEX CENTER AT SHELBY FARMS
International Food Tasting and Silent Auction
This fundraiser for the Maria Montessori School takes you around the world: delicacies from Global Cafe, Cocozza, Grecian Gourmet, Casablanca, and Abyssinia. Live music and more. The school’s students are from over 14 nationalities.
$50, $80/pair, $75/VIP. Saturday, Nov. 9, 6-10
p.m.
MARIA MONTESSORI SCHOOL AMPHITHEATER
Yokai Sushi Pop Up: One Year Anniversary
Showcasing food by chef Darren Phillips. Thursday, Nov. 7, 6 p.m.
HI TONE
AND FITNESS
Goat Yoga
Relax your body and mind while surrounded by little goats. Some of the goats will even jump up on you. Saturday, Nov. 9
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Slow Your Roll | Saturday Morning Meditation
A serene start to your Saturday with some morning mindfulness, led by the experienced mindfulness educator Greg Graber. Free. Saturday, Nov. 9, 8-8:30 a.m.
CHICKASAW GARDENS PARK
Taijiquan with Milan Vigil
Led by Milan Vigil, this Chinese martial art promotes relaxation, improves balance, and provides no-impact aerobic benefits. Ages 16 and older. Free. Saturday, Nov. 9, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Yoga
Strengthen your yoga practice and enjoy the health benefits of light exercise. Free. Thursday, Nov. 7, 6-6:45 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
LECTURE
Munch and Learn: Steel Rains and Southern Tales: Collierville’s Enduring Bond with the Railroad
A presentation by Neecole Gregory, collections and special projects coordinator, Morton Museum of Collierville History. Wednesday, Nov. 13, noon-1 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Phoebe Cook Lecture: Staci Catron Catron is the associate editor of the Magnolia Garden History Journal and director of the Cherokee Garden Library in Atlanta, Georgia. Tuesday, Nov. 12, 11 a.m.-noon.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
The Little Garden Club of Memphis
Presents Mary Celeste Beall
A curated shopping experience followed by a talk by the proprietor of Blackberry Farm. Proceeds benefit the LGC Community Fund. Thursday, Nov. 7, 1-4 p.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
PERFORMING ARTS
The Grace of Grace: Shining a Light through Shakespeare’s Broken Villains
A first reading of TSC’s Enhanced Literary Salon, titled The Grace of Grace: Shining a Light through Shakespeare’s Broken Villains, featuring Dan McCleary and Lauren Gunn. William Shakespeare felt compelled to create his cast of fully-human “villains.” Why do we still revere them, and what makes them archetypal? Sunday, Nov. 10, 3-4:30 p.m.
TENNESSEE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
Undiscovered Memphis
Curated by LaShonté Pop & Fly Reezy, with music by DJ EA and special guests Kendrick P, Dottie, SOS Buck, Ace Picasso, and Parkway Lee. Witness history as some of Memphis’s dopest independent artists shut down the stage!
$15/General Admission. Sunday, Nov. 10, 6 p.m.
ECHELON NIGHT BAR AND GRILL
SPORTS
Girls on the Run Fall 2024 5K
Girls on the Run Memphis is hosting its Fall 2024 5K Extravaganza. Sunday, Nov. 10, 2 p.m.
OVERTON PARK SHELL
JX2 Team Roping
The National Team Roping League has turned team roping into a family sport and is the largest USTRC affiliate program in the nation. Saturday, Nov. 9.
AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL
Mamba 100 Ultra Race
With 100 mile, 100K, and 50K races. Course route includes Wolf River Trails. Friday, Nov. 8, 7 a.m. | Saturday, Nov. 9, 7 a.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Washington Wizards
Cheer on the Grizzlies. Friday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m.
FEDEXFORUM
Memphis Hustle vs. Mexico City Capitanes
The G-League Affiliate of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies calls the Landers Center home. See the next generation of NBA stars! Monday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.
LANDERS CENTER
Junie B. Jones: Toothless Wonder Junie B. Jones is losing her first tooth and didn’t get invited to Jim’s birthday. Will she get an invitation, and what happens when her tooth falls out? Find out in this fun adventure. $25. Friday, Nov. 8, 8-9:45 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 9, 2-4 p.m. | Sunday, Nov. 10, 2-4 p.m.
CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE
Parallel Lives
Two actresses play men and women struggling through the common rituals of modern life like teenagers on a date, sisters at their grandmother’s funeral, and an encounter at a countryWestern bar. Friday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 9, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, Nov. 10, 2 p.m.
NEXT STAGE
Rhodes Theatre Guild Presents: Mystery at Greenfingers
#NFStrong 5K Walk/Fun Run for Neurofibromatosis
Striding Toward a Future Without NF 13th Annual #NFStrong 5K for Neurofibromatosis. Sunday, Nov. 10, 9 a.m.
OVERTON PARK
Rhodes Theatre Guild kicks off its 9th season with a dotty rendition of J.B. Priestley’s chaotic comedy, directed by Julie Reinbold, with assistance from Gabe Kestrel. In this intriguing murder mystery set in the ’80s, the staff of the Greenfingers Palace Hotel find themselves snowbound before a mystery reveals itself. Friday, Nov. 8, 7:30-10 p.m. | Saturday, Nov. 9, 7:30-10 p.m. | Sunday, Nov. 10, 2-4:30 p.m.
MCCOY THEATRE AT RHODES COLLEGE
Edited by Will Shortz No.
ACROSS
1 One, in a onetwo punch
8 Game show with a moving set
15 Doing great
16 Juice brand owned by Minute Maid
17 Pacific land west of Fiji
18 Tiki bar orders
19 Stick into a post, say
20 Office room: Abbr.
22 Ideas that spread
23 Some old delivery trucks
24 Commitment-
26 Buggy locale
27 Artful
28 Some deal with trust issues
30 Ore. setting for part of the year
31 What a recovering hospital patient may move to
33 Japanese bowlful
35 Loser in the 1872 presidential election
37 Trendy jeans material
39 Speaking part
40 Nereids’ home
41 Take time to consider
46 Female flower parts
50 Ten-year-old business, say 52 Futuristic travel method
53 Dish that may be glazed or served with cooked apples
1 Intimates
2 Smooth finish
3 Fellow who might go “Squee!”
4 T T T
5 Steinbeck’s Ma or Pa
6 Music genre prefix
7 Rosé relatives
8 Be more important than
9 Lovelace of computing fame
10 1960s fad dance, with “the”
11 Criticized severely, with “on”
12 Hush one’s mouth
13 Ones supposedly eligible for, but never yet seen in, the Miss Universe pageant
14 Kind of hound
Pugs, e.g.
It’s fit for a
Wore down
Relating to part of the
Instruction in a
“What a nice thing to say!”
Picking
“Meat” rhymes with “eat,” so that’s apropos for the “Meat Me in Memphis” gala. Everyone was encouraged to eat.
e gala is the annual fundraiser for the Monogram Foods Loves Kids Foundation.
Monogram founders Karl Schledwitz and Wes Jackson, and their wives Gail and Suzanne, were at the food tasting event, which was held October 21st at the Renasant Center.
About 700 attended the gala, which, in addition to cuisine from 12 food stations, featured music by Sound Fuzion from University of Memphis and both live and silent auctions.
“We believe this year’s Monogram Loves Kids Gala raised the most money from one event in the history of Memphis,” Schledwitz says. “Over $1.1 million.
“ is was our 14th year and each year it keeps getting bigger and better. And this year was no exception. It was phenomenal.”
and Elisha Gold circle: Kurt Kaiser and Kimberly Bolan below: (le to right) Hunter Brown and Kaytie Price; Michael Frances and Halle Frances; Joel and Tracy Gallagher; Mikayla and Felicia Batchelor
right row: (top and below) Billy Dunavant and Mark Genereaux; Belinda and Calvin Anderson and B.J. Worthy bottom le : Liz and Michael Parsons
FOOD By Michael Donahue
Keith
It says something when a restaurant is named “Best Hotel Restaurant” twice.
It also says something when that restaurant’s chef held that title during both wins.
Chez Philippe at e Peabody was named “Best Hotel Restaurant” last September in USA Today’s annual 10 Best Travel Awards. And Keith Clinton was chef de cuisine both times the restaurant received the honor.
“ is is the second year we’ve won in a row,” says Clinton, 36.
Asked how he felt when he heard the news, Clinton says, “It felt good and made me proud of my theme and made me proud of our local growers we source from. We rely on that a lot to drive the script of our menus.”
And, he adds, “It’s kind of like music. ey’re lling in all the chords and we are just playing them.”
According to the news release, “Chez Philippe is known for its modern American cuisine with classical French presentation and as one of the most romantic dining experiences in Memphis.”
It also points out Clinton’s “passion for incorporating local and seasonal ingredients into his culinary masterpieces.”
People think what goes on in a kitchen is a “magical process.”
In a 2023 Memphis Flyer interview, Clinton told how he goes the extra mile for his diners — and not just with the food. Chez Philippe patrons are researched a er they make their reservations. Using information from LinkedIn and other sources, Clinton likes to surprise his diners with information about themselves. Like telling them where they’re from, where they work, where they went to school. It’s a great way to personalize someone’s dining experience.
Recently, a woman dining at Chez Philippe told Clinton, “I’ve done my research on you.”
“And I said, ‘I’ve done my research on you, too,’” Clinton says. He already knew she was in the fashion and clothing business.
Clinton also uses information he gathers from servers, who overhear conversations during dinner. “Like they came here in 2019 or they were
married at e Peabody 20 years ago. We know it’s their anniversary because they put that in their guest notes. Who they are and where they’re from.”
And servers are good about picking up bits and pieces of information. One server overheard a couple talking about how they got married at the old location of Felicia Suzanne’s Restaurant. Clinton asked them how long it’s been since they were at the restaurant. ey said they hadn’t been since they were married. So Clinton hired a carriage ride for them to take a er dinner. ey got to drive past the venue where they were married. “People are just so blasé about what they are saying and don’t think people are listening.”
But last January Clinton added another twist to the Chez Philippe dining experience. He calls it the “Kitchen Course.”
About halfway or more through their meal, diners are invited to the kitchen. eir server says, “ e chef has invited you to the kitchen to do a quick course with him.”
People think what goes on in a kitchen is a “magical process,” Clinton says. So when it’s time for the meal’s intermezzo, the diners, if they choose to, are escorted by the maître d’ to the kitchen where they eat the intermezzo,
which might just be a one-or-two bite granita, and “hang out and chat for ve or ten minutes.”
e maître d’ then escorts them back to their table. “It’s kind of a hybrid of a ‘chef’s table,’ where the guest is eating in there the whole time.”
Clinton’s kitchen course “makes it so exclusive” to one table. “ ey feel special because they were invited.”
As for his food, Clinton says, “I’m always pushing myself.”
Currently, Clinton o ers a 14-course menu, which incudes “surprise canapés.”
And, he says, “We change one thing a week instead of doing a seasonal menu.”
Instead of changing all 14 items, the one item he does change usually depends on what is in season at the farms he uses for a particular food. Clinton is loyal to the growers. So whenever his grower runs out of the blackberries or whatever he buys from that particular producer, Clinton doesn’t try to nd blackberries from somebody else. “When he’s done, I’m always done,” he says. “I’m exclusive to them.”
e only menu item that has not changed since Clinton began is tuna, pomelo, and avocado. “My favorite of all time.”
If any of his diners want to turn the tables and do some research on Clinton, they might discover he’s from Memphis, went to Bartlett High School, and, when he was in his 20s, played drums in an indie band, e Incredible Hook.
“It was music rst and then it became both and then it became all cooking.”
Clinton still has a piano at his house. “It’s a very old, but very nice, extremely heavy piano. We just moved and it was so heavy it broke their dolly.”
But he only plays it now “in a passing manner.”
His wife Meredith, who was the sous-chef for almost a year at Bog & Barley, now works at Ben E. Keith Foods, a food purveyor.
ey both cook at home. “It’s kind of like whoever is o that day. I’m o ; I will cook. She’s o ; she will cook. And if we’re both o , we go out.”
He also takes o his chef’s hat — guratively speaking — to make time for their son Carter, 8. It’s “di cult to turn it o ,” but Clinton knows he “has to be a good father.”
ey do everything from picking strawberries together to playing video games together. “So that helps motivate me to turn it o and on.”
METAPHYSICAL CONNECTION By
Emily Guenther
e Earth’s temporary “mini moon” holds a he y amount of symbolism.
In our modern world, life is always busy and there is always a lot happening. In the metaphysical community, many believe that what happens in our lives mirrors what is happening in the heavens — as above, so below. Just like our lives, there is always something happening in astrology. Right now, there are four planets and one asteroid in retrograde: Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter, and Chiron, respectively. ere is also an asteroid orbiting the Earth right now, caught in our planet’s gravitational pull.
Although it’s being called a “mini moon,” it’s actually an asteroid named 2024 PT5. e asteroid, which will remain in Earth’s orbit from now until November 25th, is rather small, about the size of a bus. Because it is so small, it can only be seen by the largest telescopes. Our planet’s gravitational pull attracts asteroids like this every so o en, according to astronomers.
is a unique event that might not happen again in their lifetimes. “What’s interesting about the mini moon is that it arrived smack-dab in our current eclipse cycle,” says astrologer Stevie Goldstein. “We had a whopper of a full moon eclipse in Pisces on September 17th and another one on October 2nd just days a er the mini moon’s arrival.”
While Earth has had plenty of mini moons before — there are a lot of asteroids in space — this one is special because it’s sandwiched between several powerful celestial events. And according to Goldstein, that’s why it contains a he y amount of starry symbolism. “It’s almost like a planetary nod from above to take this eclipse cycle and the themes that come up during it seriously,” she said in an interview with Bustle magazine.
is “mini moon” has been dubbed Odin’s Eye. In Norse mythology, Odin craved knowledge so much that he was willing to sacri ce one of his eyes to obtain it. Odin made a deal with the giant who protected the well of knowledge. e giant guarding the well was enviously protective of the knowledge that the well gave, and knew that letting someone drink from it could be dangerous — knowledge can be a dangerous thing. e giant nally made an o er that he thought Odin would refuse. He asked that Odin cut out one of his eyes and leave it in the well in exchange for one drink of water. Odin took him up on that o er. A er his one drink, Odin became the wisest of the gods and the second wisest being alive.
Although in Norse mythology Odin’s eye remains at the bottom of the well, having this “mini moon” has given us the chance to embrace the trending Norse culture and assign this asteroid a cool name. Asteroid 2024 PT5 has captured the hearts of the mainstream. For some, it
Traditionally, new moons are a time for manifesting and goal setting, full moons are all about endings and letting things go, and chaotic eclipses are for lying low and letting the universe sort itself out. e fact that this second moon has arrived in the middle of it all could be a reminder to truly let go. With two moons in our sphere, it could also mean that two complex feelings will ring true simultaneously, says Goldstein. “Having a pop-in from a moon-like planet feels like a ripe moment to consider that this time in your life might contain lots of complexities and multiple truths all at once.”
When planets are in retrograde, the world around us continues to move forward, but we are invited to bring space into our days wherever possible. We are asked to clear away the unnecessary, the noise, the extra, and instead create space for inner journeys. Add in the “mini moon” and the rest of this year seems to be a time of releasing, clearing out, and listening to yourself. For the next two months, think about how things might not be as black and white as they seem, and how your life’s biggest questions might not have clearcut yes or no answers.
Emily Guenther is a co-owner of e Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.
Qualifying Agencies are:
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
By
Least Competent Criminal
When 33-year-old Ravesh Rabindranauth attempted to steal a Corvette in a Miami Beach, Florida, parking garage on Sept. 17, he encountered a little trouble, Local10-TV reported. He got stuck inside the car, which is where its owner, Julio Solano, found him. “Can I get out?” Rabindranauth asked Solano as Solano recorded the incident on his phone. “No, you can’t get out. We’re calling the police.” Solano said the car’s security system wouldn’t allow the thief to start the car or escape. “He didn’t know about the manual door release under the seat,” Solano said. Rabindranauth was held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $2,500 bond. [Local10, 9/18/2024]
Crème de la Weird
Literally. Sean Edward Uribe, 35, was arrested on Sept. 12 in the wake of two incidents over the summer at Miami clothing stores, The Smoking Gun reported. During the first encounter, at a Ross Dress for Less in June, Uribe allegedly used a medical syringe to squirt a substance on the back of the shorts of a juvenile as he recorded with his phone, police said. Witnesses alerted store employees and the victim as Uribe fled the scene. In late August at a Marshalls store, Uribe allegedly struck again, this time targeting an adult woman to “spray an unknown substance on the victim’s left buttocks area,” police said. When Uribe was taken into custody, he confessed and said the liquid in the syringes was moisturizing lotion. Then he called his father, as police listened, and instructed him to go to his house and remove hard drives. “Put them under lock and key,” he said. Officers got there first and seized the drives, along with loaded syringes. So far, he’s been charged with battery on a child, two misdemeanor battery counts, and tampering with evidence. [The Smoking Gun, 9/19/2024]
A Scandinavian Airlines flight from Oslo, Norway, to Malaga, Spain, was diverted to Copenhagen, Denmark, on Sept. 18 after a mouse crawled out of a passenger’s in-flight meal, the BBC reported. Jarle Borrestad, who was sitting next to the passenger whose meal harbored the rodent, told the BBC that people on board remained calm, but
he put his socks over his pant legs so the mouse couldn’t crawl up his leg. Oystein Schmidt, SAS spokesperson, said such events happen “extremely rarely”; passengers were transferred to another plane and went on their way.
[BBC, 9/20/2024]
Oops
On Sept. 24, as the Kamloops, British Columbia, city council met in the council chambers, someone zooming in online queued up a pornographic video clip while sharing their screen, the CBC reported. The council’s public participation segment of the meeting allows people to ask questions or comment on agenda items, but Councilman Bill Sarai said Tuesday’s incident was the final straw for him. “It’s really swayed far, far away from what it’s meant to be,” Sarai said. He wants to eliminate the public portion of the meeting and ask the public to interact through email or in-person meetings.
[CBC, 9/25/2024]
Awesome!
In November, Stack’s Bowers Galleries in Boston will offer an extremely rare three-pence coin from 1652 for auction, CBS News reported. The coin, which was minted in Boston at the Hull Mint, was purchased from a shop in the Netherlands. It is one of only three known coins like it, one of which was stolen and hasn’t been seen since. Store manager Stanley Chu expects it to fetch well over $1 million. [CBS News, 9/20/2024]
Socorro Camacho, 54, died in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Sept. 23 after getting into a dispute with another man over a song played on a jukebox, WSVN-TV reported. The argument started in the wee hours at Antojitos Mexicanos restaurant when Camacho insulted the other man over his song choice, witnesses said. The insulted man “pulled his weapon and started shooting,” Mauro Bonilla said. Fort Lauderdale police are investigating and trying to identify the gunman. [WSVN, 9/23/2024]
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
© 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I rarely recommend acquisitive behavior. But my analysis of the astrological omens tells me you now have cosmic authorization to indulge in a sublime version of voracity. We might also refer to it as a license to practice a spiritually correct variety of greed. Here’s the fine print: You should NOT interpret this as permission to amass materialistic treasures and status symbols. Instead, the things you gather will be rich feelings, encounters with inspiring beauty, epiphanies about your divine purpose, and exquisite states of consciousness. You can also ask for and receive colossal supplies of love and affection.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The last time I ate a hamburger was in 1994. I doubt I will ever eat another. Why? The taste is not enjoyable to me, and no matter how well I chew it, my stomach always rebels. There’s an additional problem: For several reasons, cattle farming is a significant factor causing the climate crisis. I would rather not contribute to that decimation. Does my attitude toward hamburgers mean I am a judgmental, close-minded zealot? No, it doesn’t. I don’t proselytize to those who relish burgers, especially if they take other measures to reduce their carbon footprint. In this horoscope, dear Taurus, I am illustrating an approach I hope you will cultivate in the coming weeks. Be extra zealously devoted to your ideals and proclivities without condemning and dismissing those who don’t share them.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): There are numerous approaches to getting good results from meditation. One is to sit silently and still in a tranquil sanctuary. Another is to lie on the ground under a dark sky and beseech the stars to bestow inspiration. One of my personal favorites is to sing rowdy hymns to birds, insects, and trees while hiking vigorously in nature. How many other varieties can you imagine, Gemini? The coming weeks will be a favorable time to develop and expand your meditation skills. Here’s a key consideration: How can you achieve maximum fun while meditating? I recommend you free your mind to experiment with a host of interesting approaches.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): If there was ever an appropriate time for you to indulge in creatively rowdy thoughts and inspirationally unruly behavior, it would be now. Life is giving you license to de-emphasize decorum and formalities — and to emphasize boisterous enthusiasm and plucky adventures. For the sake of your mental health, I believe you need to engage in experimental improvisations that include maverick expressions. What areas of your life need liberation? What feelings need to be released from their constraints?
By Rob Brezsny
What worn-out old theories and opinions should be abandoned?
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Are your talents even slightly underrated and overlooked by others, Leo? Have your gifts received less than the full appreciation they deserve? Could you be of greater service and inspiration to your fellow humans if only your offerings were better known? If you answered yes to any of those questions, I’m pleased to tell you that the coming months should bring remedies. Life will be conspiring with you to help spread your influence and boost your clout.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I wish it were true that the forces of darkness are lined up in opposition to the forces of light. Life would be so much easier for you. But I’m afraid it’s not that simple and clear. In my view, a more accurate metaphor might be that the energies of smoky gray are squaring off with the energies of dusky beige. Each side has a touch of both wrongness and rightness, a bit of ugliness and beauty. So what is the most honorable role you can play in this showdown? My suggestion is to develop a third side, an alternate way.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the early part of his career, Libran author Mario Puzo wrote short stories and novels, but never a screenplay. At age 49, he was asked by director Francis Ford Coppola to co-write the script for the film The Godfather. It turned out to be a sensational rookie effort. He was ultimately awarded an Academy Award for it, and later garnered another Oscar for his screenplay for The Godfather Part II. It was only then that Puzo realized he had found his calling and decided he should study the art of screenwriting. In the first chapter of the first book he bought about the subject, he read with great amusement that the ideal screenplay was the one by Mario Puzo for The Godfather. I bring this story to your attention, Libra, because you are approaching a time with resemblances to Puzo’s situation before Coppola solicited his work. Trust your rookie instincts!
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Brian Wilson, co-founder of the Beach Boys, is one of the most innovative and imaginative songwriters ever. Many of his compositions have become bestselling hit tunes. But he had a rough start in his craft. The first song he ever wrote was “Surfin.’” He submitted it to fulfill an assignment in his high school music class, but his teacher gave it an F, the lowest possible grade. Fifty-eight years later, Wilson returned to the school for a visit, and the new principal changed his original grade to an A. I foresee a comparable event occurring in your life sometime soon: a vindication, restitution, or reparation.
SCORPIO (Oct.
23-Nov. 21): In the life cycle of a butterfly, the earliest stages are larva and pupa. As a larva, the future beauty crawls around as a caterpillar, cramming itself with nutritive substance. After it transitions into the pupa state, it’s inert for a while, working on the inside of its cocoon to transform itself into its ultimate form. I don’t want to be too literal about the comparison, but my sense is that your time as a larva will last another two months, whereupon you will begin your pupa phase. When will you emerge as a winged creature? It depends on how earnestly you work as a pupa, but I expect no later than March 2025.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Earlier this year, 79-year-old rock singer Rod Stewart performed his greatest hits during a multi-city tour in many countries. “I shall never retire!” he proclaimed. Can you guess what astrological sign he is? Capricorn, of course. Many members of your tribe age very well, displaying stamina and vitality into later life. I bring this to your attention because I think you are close to discovering new secrets and tricks that will serve you well as you ripen. Here are some meditations that might be helpful: 1. What haven’t you been ready to do before, but might be soon? 2. What fun things would you love to be doing years from now, and how could you seed their future growth?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Scientists have discovered the fossil remains of over 700 dinosaur species buried underground. But the experts agree there are many more down there. Previously unknown species are still being unearthed every year. Let’s use these facts as a metaphor for your life in the coming months. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you could learn a host of fresh truths about your history. You may have imagined that your past is finished and finalized, but it’s not. I encourage you to have fun hunting for revelations and investigations that will transform the story of your life.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You haven’t fully tapped into all of your vast potentials, Pisces. Latent talents and aptitudes within you may still be at least partially dormant. It’s even possible that some of your future powers are so foreign to your self-concept that they will feel like magic when they finally come into full expression. Now here’s the very good news: The coming months will be an excellent time to figure out what you need to do to express a more complete version of yourself.
FILM By Chris McCoy
Will & Harper explores what it means to be transgender in America.
arper Steele and Will Ferrell started working on Saturday Night Live on the same day in 1995. ey soon learned that their senses of humor were very compatible. Steele wrote many of the sketches that made Ferrell SNL’s standout star of the ’90s. Years in the SNL pressure cooker at 30 Rock built their camaraderie, and their friendship continued a er 2002, when Ferrell le the show to pursue his movie career and Steele became the show’s head writer. ey went on to collaborate on several lms, including 2020’s Eurovision Song Contest: e Story of Fire Saga
During this time, Steele had a secret. She was constantly battling gender dysphoria. A er going through a messy divorce in the mid-2010s, Steele started journaling about the persistent feelings. en the pandemic hit and like many people during that time of turmoil, Steele came to the realization that when it was all over, something would have to change. In 2022, Steele started writing emails to her family and friends announcing that she would be transitioning. e new name she chose for herself was Harper, a er novelist Harper Lee. e revelation was less than shocking for many people who had known Steele for a long time. Soon a er Ferrell received his email, while he was on the set of a movie, an idea was born. Steele was notorious among friends for going on long, meandering road trips, stopping at greasy spoons, roadside attractions, and small-town dive bars. Steele was fear-
less, but now as a trans woman, America looked quite di erent. e small towns Steele loved to visit aren’t exactly known as beacons of tolerance for transgender people. So the two friends decided to embark on an epic, 16-day, 3,000-mile cross-country road-trip from New York City to Los Angeles to introduce the newly transitioned Harper Steele to the country, with Will Ferrell along as moral support.
Production-wise, Will & Harper is a bare-bones a air. It’s just the two stars in a vintage Jeep Grand Wagoneer, followed by a production van captained by director Josh Greenbaum. Originally, the idea was to do comedy sketches at various points along the way, but that plan was pretty much instantly abandoned. Instead, the two friends just have deep conversations in the car and visit the kinds of places they had gone to many times before while going amok in America. Along the way, they cover topics that are familiar to anyone who has ever had a friend come out as trans. Ferrell asks questions about what
it’s like to suddenly have boobs (it’s awesome, according to Steele) and whether she’s going to date men or women (at age 61, Steele is ambivalent about it).
Greenbaum’s direction is clean, focused, and o en subtle, picking up on little moments like the time when the two friends are chilling with some cheap beer in a West Virginia Walmart parking lot, and a passerby yells, “Will! You’re still the man!”
“And she’s the woman!” Ferrell yells back.
Surprisingly, the pair encounter very little overt transphobia in real life, even when Steele goes alone into an Oklahoma dive bar with “Fuck Biden” signs on the wall. ey go to an Indiana Pacers game, where they sit courtside and meet Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. He
is friendly, as a politician normally is, but later they learn that he has signed a bill banning gender-a rming treatment for minors. In Peoria, Illinois, they meet a trans woman named Dana, who has lived openly in the small town for years and recounts a mixture of acceptance and fear among her neighbors. In Steele’s Iowa hometown, they visit her sister, who was immediately accepting, and Steele rides a unicycle while wearing heels. But their luck runs out in Amarillo, Texas, where they stop at the Big Texan steakhouse. As they eat their meal, the patrons crowd around and take pictures with their phones. Later, Steele reads o a litany of hateful online comments the pics generated.
And that, to me, is one of the lessons of Will & Harper. Social media makes it easy to hate. It transforms esh and blood people into images and archetypes. It makes dehumanization into a sport and reduces identity to demographic categories to be pitted against each other. is increases platform engagement at the cost of our sanity. Of course, transphobia has always existed in real life, but it’s harder to hate someone in person. at’s why this election season, with its constant background of transphobia designed to activate Republican voters, has been so awful and dispiriting. Will & Harper is a great documentary that proves the way to defeat hate is through courage, love, and a liberal dose of laughs.
Will & Harper is now streaming on Net ix.
Our critic picks the best films in theaters.
Anora
Director Sean Baker’s latest is the first American film to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 13 years. Mikey Madison stars as Anora, a stripper living in Brighton Beach, New York. As the only Russian in the upscale gentleman’s club where she dances, she’s the favorite of Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the youngest son of a Russian oligarch who is in America to study. When he pays her $15,000 to pose as his girlfriend for a week, things get real. Will this star-crossed romance survive the attention of the Russian mafia?
Heretic
Two Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton
(Chloe East), knock on the door of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), a reclusive Englishman who turns out to be much more than just a normal nonbeliever. A Quiet Place writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods codirect this anticipated A24 horror film.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
The classic 1972 novel by Barbara Robinson, a frequently performed school play, makes its way to the big screen in time for the holidays. Everyone knows the Herdman family is trouble. The six siblings are unruly, disrespectful, and generally a nuisance in the small Midwestern town. When they are cast in the church’s Christmas pageant, everyone expects disaster. Can the play’s director Grace (Judy Greer) direct their chaotic impulses to teach the town the true meaning of Christmas?
THE LAST WORD By
Patricia Lockhart
In this episode of Memphis Is My Boyfriend, we focus on the basics.
I’ve heard that a parent’s goal is to raise their kids to be independent and not reliant upon them. While I wholeheartedly believe this, sometimes I wonder if any of my life lessons are sinking in. My kids are 11, 12, 12, and 16, and sometimes I have to remind them of bare care necessities. But if I had to teach them three life lessons, they would be: know when to step away, how to have your own relationship with God, and how to x things.
Life Balance
My kids work really hard in school. Some of them work hard on their academics, while others work hard on their social skills. In between PSATs, constructing cell cities, reading How to Kill a Mockingbird, and illustrating the water cycle, I noticed that the kids got … quiet. ey came home and immediately withdrew and went to their own spaces. When I tried to engage them in conversation, I was met with short, one-word replies. en it dawned on me. I haven’t really emphasized the importance of stepping away before everything becomes too much. So I decided to tap into their inner child. Children love two things: parks and snacks. In the middle of the week, I le work early to pick the kids up from school and bypassed all the a ercares. All of the kids were excited, with the exception of my high-schooler — I intruded on his hangout-time with his girlfriend. Nevertheless, we loaded the car and picked up a few sweet treats. Our rst stop was Sugar Ghost Ice Cream and Bubble Tea. e kids got ice cream, but I had my eyes on another treat. Second stop, Muddy’s Bake Shop! I initially went in for a Rice Krispies treat (best in the city), but I couldn’t turn down a gingerbread man or two. We bagged our treats and headed to Overton Park, where we laid out our picnic blankets and … breathed. e kids ate and began to chat. I took this time to explain the importance of “stepping away.” And here’s the advice they would like to share when life gets tough:
• Play video games: It’s nice to play games. You get to be in control of everything.
• Make videos: It’s just fun.
• Go outside: Nature sounds good and the breeze is nice.
• Get your emotions out: Even if it’s loud.
Life Church: Axis
Getting away from it all and xing what you’ve broken
I rst became interested in Life Church because I was looking for a group of women I could speak with about life and the Bible. During my research, I learned about Axis. Axis is a tweens/teens ministry, but I wasn’t unsure about the logistics. A er visiting one Sunday, I got a text from a “Maybe: Josh.” at’s literally what it said on my caller ID. He stated that Axis is a time for just teens. And I replied, “So I can send the kids to Axis and enjoy a date night?” “Maybe: Josh” said, “Absolutely! I encourage it!”
So we packed up the Lockhart tweens and teen and headed to Axis. Upon arriving, I noticed they had a variety of dads on the grill, groups of teens hanging out, and some playing catch with Pastor Josh. e atmosphere seemed relaxed. As we walked up, we were approached by Pastor Josh. He said, “Hey! You’re who I’ve been texting with!” Ahhhhh, okay, so he wasn’t a bot.
Pastor Josh gave the kids a quick introduction which consisted of: We have snacks, video games, and …well, actually that’s as far as he got before the kids said “cool” and walked into the building.
A er picking up the kids two hours later, their eyes were wide! ey enjoyed themselves, but it was a little shocking for them too. “ at’s not like any church I’ve been to!” “Yeah. I’ve never been to a concert before, but I’m sure that should count as my rst one!” Once we were home, the Lockhart teen and tweens talked amongst themselves. ey decided to go back, but with one addendum: Although the Axis service doesn’t start until 7 p.m., they need to arrive at 6 p.m., for playing purposes. And just like that, Axis became a vital space for my kids to be themselves, deepen their faith, and build friendships. ey made friends, developed their own style of worship, and found a place they can serve and be leaders.
Life Skills
e last life skill is the ability to x what you’ve broken. My daughter is a little bit of a mad scientist. She loves mixing things. ere’s still a white stain on her wall that feels oddly so , and her carpet is permanently ruined. at’s why we told her all science stu , including the making of slime, must be completed in the dining room. We did not anticipate the damage this would have on our dining room table. My hubby thought that this would be a great learning opportunity. He and our daughter went to Home Depot and bought supplies to refurbish the dining room table. And now she knows how to use a sander and restain wood!
Patricia Lockhart is a native Memphian who loves to read, write, cook, and eat. By day, she’s an assistant principal and writer, but by night … she’s asleep. @memphisismyboyfriend
