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VIEWS
EDITOR’S NOTE
IMPEACHMENT SUPERLATIVES By Aaron Yarmuth | leo@leoweekly.com IMPEACHMENT seems to be all the rage these days for Kentuckians. Both Republican U.S. senators from our state, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and junior Rand Paul, continue to play featured roles in Washington, as Donald Trump’s second impeachment heads to trial. Meanwhile, a special impeachment committee has been formed in the Kentucky House to consider a petition to remove Gov. Andy Beshear from office. Recently, two other impeachment petitions have been filed — one against Republican state Rep. Robert Goforth and the other against Republican Attorney General Dan Cameron. Each is special in its own way. If you’re trying to keep up with them, but not sure how, here’s an easy guide to all the impeachments.
MOST OBVIOUS IMPEACHMENT:
Let’s just get this out of the way. Rep. Goforth was arrested and indicted over the summer for allegedly abusing and strangling his wife with an Ethernet cord. Citing the domestic abuse, plus using his office for personal financial gain, 10 petitioners are seeking his removal from office. This feels like it should be an easy one (a guy can’t show up to work if he’s in prison…), but we’ll see.
MOST DELUSIONAL IMPEACHMENT:
The petitioners seeking to remove Gov. Beshear from office accuse him of violating the rights of Kentuckians through executive orders he issued early last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is like trying to pass off a plastic Kroger bag as genuine Prada. The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled in November that Beshear had the authority under the Kentucky Constitution and state laws to issue the emergency orders, which were challenged by AG Cameron. “The governor’s orders were, and continue to be, necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of all Kentucky citizens,” reads the Supreme Court’s decision. Given that this impeachment petition was filed on Jan. 8 — two days after the failed insurrection of the U.S. Capitol (at then-President Trump’s urging), which led to immediate calls for a second impeachment of Trump — this looks and feels like a cheap knockoff.
MOST POPULAR IMPEACHMENT:
The Trump trial will certainly garner most of the media’s and public’s attention. But, while it’s important that the former occupant of the White House be held politically (and eventually criminally) accountable for inciting a riot and insurrection of
the U.S. Capitol, Trump’s impeachment is more theoretically important to Kentuckians — establishing standards and safeguards to protect our democratic processes and institutions — than it is practically important.
MOST IMPORTANT IMPEACHMENT:
The petition to impeach AG Cameron might be the last opportunity for transparency, accountability and justice for Breonna Taylor. Among the petitioners are three jurors from the grand jury trial for which Cameron was the special prosecutor. The integrity of Cameron’s handling of the Taylor investigation has long been in question; in particular, after one of the jurors filed a motion in court asking to be released from their confidentiality so they could publicly dispute Cameron’s account of his presentation to the jury. This impeachment petition, which accuses Cameron of “misdemeanors in office,” could finally compel the AG to provide the kind of transparency he has so far successfully averted. The petitions states, “[AG] Cameron falsely claimed that certain evidence before the Grand Jury did not exist and gave incorrect and inaccurate versions of the actual factual evidence before the
Grand Jury, thereby diminishing the liability of persons potentially criminally liable for wrongdoing and defaming the name and reputation of Ms. Taylor, her friends and family.” Unlike the four petitioners seeking Beshear’s removal (who must have studied law at the same non-existent law school as Rand Paul), these are credible sources leveling serious allegations. Do I think there’s actually a chance Cameron is removed from office? No. Impeachment is a political process, and the Republican supermajorities in the state legislature ensure Cameron’s position is safe. The impeachment process, however, could still prove critical, regardless of whether or not Cameron is removed from office — or an appropriate prosecution is brought against the officers responsible for killing Breonna Taylor. The truth of the AG’s prosecution could glean critical flaws in the justice system and lead lawmakers to enact reforms that ensure transparency, accountability and equal justice in the future. The committee can also ask Cameron why he’s still on the executive committee of the Republican Attorneys General Association — an organization that paid for robocalls to Trump supporters, calling on them to march to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. I just can’t wait to see how many times Republicans can end up on the wrong side of an impeachment. •
LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 3, 2021
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VIEWS
THE MIDWESTERNIST
THE LEGACY OF THE MIDWEST’S FORGOTTEN SOCIALIST NEWSPAPERS By Dan Canon | leo@leoweekly.com MORE THAN 120 years ago, in Greensburg, Indiana, a socialist publisher named Julius Augustus Wayland founded a journal called The Coming Nation. Wayland moved to Girard, Kansas in 1895 and started another socialist weekly called Appeal to Reason. These long-forgotten publications became the mouthpiece for the socialist movement in the early-20th century Midwest; a movement that could have changed America forever. But it didn’t. At its height, Appeal to Reason had a total circulation of up to 4.1 million copies. By 1912, the Socialist Party of America had 118,000 official members, including high-profile celebrities like Jack London and Helen Keller. They were particularly strong in the Midwest, where Hoosier powerhouse Eugene V. Debs tirelessly organized worker strikes for decades. Debs, who frequently wrote for Appeal to Reason, ran for president four times, and in 1912 managed to get 6% of the popular vote. The socialists helped shove the major parties to the left; both Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson made anti-big-business rhetoric a defining feature of their presidential campaigns. The anti-corporatism of Roosevelt and Wilson did America little good in the long run. Just a few election cycles later, Calvin Coolidge proclaimed that “the chief business of the American people is business.” A hundred years later, nearly half of all union voters gleefully cast ballots for a New York grifter who promised to lower taxes on the rich and take health care from the poor. In nearly every other country in the world, an enduring, influential political party emerged from the organized labor movements of the 20th century. Today, the largest American socialist organization has only 86,000 members. What happened here? The question of why there is no socialist political party to speak of in the United States is one that has been asked by social scientists and legal scholars over the last 200 years. There’s still no definitive answer. At least one academic, Robert Tuttle, puts the blame squarely on the socialist newspapers of the Midwest. To Tuttle, although Appeal to Reason “excelled at sensationalism and did not worry about being moderate in its language,” its tepid calls to action pissed
on the fire of American socialism at a time when radicalism might have kept it alight. As Tuttle puts it, “In order to win votes from the middle class, right-wing Socialists repeatedly diluted their party’s program . . . This diluted brand of socialism did not appeal to the middle class, and it alienated the working class.” In looking over old issues of Appeal to Reason, one can see Tuttle’s point. A January 6, 1900, edition says: “The way to build up the unions is to show the power of your unions, and in no way can you do that so thoroughly as to show it by your votes.” This is in keeping with the general tone of the publication for its entire run; it is obsessed with voting. There are few calls to strike, and none at all for anything considered more militant. It stood in stark contrast to the radicalism of the Industrial Workers of the World and other leftist unions of the time. But then, as now, readers asked: Why vote for a third party when you know you’re going to lose? As Tuttle writes, “The Socialist Party failed to recognize that in order to have major electoral success, it had to offer a distinct alternative. It might have been more successful if it had kept more radical demands and tried to establish itself as the worker’s party. . . it instead offered a diluted brand of socialism which appealed to neither the working or middle class. By 1912, the Socialist Party was more interested in obtaining votes than in changing American society.” Most potential socialists were absorbed by Teddy Roosevelt’s progressives, and later by FDR’s New Deal Democrats. The few who were too far left to be absorbed were chased into hiding, jailed or worse. It seems a bit much to lay the failure of American socialism at Wayland’s feet, though. By the time he died, the alarms of capital had already been sounded. Debs got almost a million votes for President in 1920, but he got them while he was in prison for sedition. The Coming Nation’s more militant northeastern cousin, The Masses, was shut down by authorities a number of times. After World War I, thousands of suspected leftists were arrested and held without trial; hundreds were deported to Russia. By the time my generation went to school, people
like Debs and Wayland were erased from history books altogether, along with the IWW itself and all the worker uprisings of the 20th century. Still, it hurts to think of what might have been, especially when Wayland’s publications came so close to getting it right. Wayland wrote: “When you do as the laboring people in many European countries have, you will find all the political parties in this country willing to serve you, they will make such laws as you wish and will enforce them. That is what labor unions in New Zealand have done there in five years.” But what the “laboring people” in early-20th century New Zealand did wasn’t simply voting; it was a combination of striking, agitation and aggressive organizing. The New Zealand Labour Party was officially formed in 1916 — about the same time the wheels were falling off the Socialist Party of America. New Zealand Labour, which today proudly describes itself as democratic socialist, has brought about some of the most progressive reforms in history. Meanwhile, here lies America, the wealthiest country in the world, with an enormous unemployment rate, half a million medical bankruptcies per year, two million
Dan Canon is a civil rights lawyer and law professor. “Midwesticism”is his short-documentary series about Midwesterners who are making the world a better place. Watch it at: patreon.com/dancanon.
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people locked up, and $2 trillion of student debt. It’s safe to say we might have done better. Appeal to Reason and The Coming Nation spoke to workers at a time when they needed a rallying cry; they just didn’t say the right things. Julius Wayland was not a risk-taker. He was of a conservative brand of socialist who thought capitalism should not be overthrown, but eased out the door using the processes already in place in early-20th century America. He seems to have genuinely believed that American democratic institutions, themselves products of classist, racist, imperialist capitalism, could somehow be gently harnessed and turned in favor of the socialists. Wayland and subsequent editors kept right on squeezing the same old lemons, hoping they would eventually produce not just lemonade, but a lemon drop martini with a sugar rim. Ours is a system that stamps out radicalism, and thereby stamps out progress, by design. With the benefit of a century’s worth of hindsight, I’d like to think we’ve learned it can’t be changed by crossing our fingers and hoping for success on Election Day. I’m not sure we have. •
VIEWS
THE TITLE IX GUY
UNSOLICITED NUDE PICTURES AND THE LACK OF LAWS By James J. Wilkerson | leo@leoweekly.com AS TECHNOLOGY continues to develop, Louisville. “I honestly think they believe we’ll be impressed by whatever they have, so do the ways humans interact with one and it will be their golden ticket into our another romantically. From passing “Do you heart and our pants.” like me?” notes in class to paging “143” Uofl Professor of Law JoAnne Sweeny, (translation — “I love you”) to a high school describes sending unsolicited explicit matecrush, advances in technology have brought rial as a form of sexual harassment that’s a changes in communication. “power play.” Today, sexting has become a popular “You’re forcing someone to look at your habit, with 8 out of 10 adults between the penis and treating your victim as a mere ages of 18 and 82 admitting to doing it at recipient,” Sweeny says. “You’re not thinkleast once. And, in many instances, flirtaing of them as a whole person and that kind tious text messages lead to the request of of thinking is dangerous and can lead to erotic pictures, easily taken and exchanged other kinds of abuse.” by smartphones. Receiving a nude picture Sweeny says that sending unsolicited of a romantic interest can be an exhilarating explicit material is the digital version of experience… when the exchange is consensual. But, when that image is unsolicited, it’s flashing. Ellen agrees, saying, “It’s like walking down the street and a man drops his a form of sexual harassment and a criminal pants to expose himself. We didn’t ask for offense in some places. Although, from a it; we’re disgusted by it, and it makes us feel legal standpoint, there’s a long way to go. In January 2021, New York Mets General dirty, despite it not being our fault.” The notion of digital flashing is Manager Jared Porter, became the latest certainly what Texas state Rep. Morgan public figure disgraced for sending unsoMeyer had in mind when, in 2019, she licited nude pictures to an unsuspecting collaborated with the dating application woman. In 2016, Porter worked for the ChiBumble to address those who send unsoliccago Cubs as their director of professional ited sexually explicit pictures. House Bill scouting. While visiting Yankee Stadium in New York, he met a foreign correspondent in 2789, which went into effect on Sept. 1, 2019, forbids technology-enabled sexual an elevator. After his request for a drink was harassment. Sending rejected three times explicit during the day, Porter In January 2021, unsolicited imagery is now a Class proceeded to text the C misdemeanor which reporter 62 times, all New York Mets carries a $500 penalty. of which went unanGeneral Manager Following suit, Caliswered. Porter decided fornia state Sen. Ling to end his harassJared Porter, Ling Chang introduced ment onslaught with a picture of an erect, became the latest a “cyber flashing” bill in early 2020. Like naked, penis. The Mets public figure dis- the Texas law, sending were made aware of the incident on Jan. 18, graced for sending unsolicited explicit images online or via 2021, and by the next day, Porter was fired. unsolicited nude text would be a crime that carries a fine as While this may be the pictures to an punishment. latest story, it is hardly Perhaps other states the only one. unsuspecting and cities will introThe 2016 Singles in duce similar legislation AmericasSurvey saw woman. in the future, but is a participation of more simple fine enough to prevent this form of than 5,500 people across the country. Per sexual harassment? Other countries seem the survey, 49% of the women who reported to think not. While Finnish law currently receiving a picture of a man’s genitals did defines sexual harassment as something that not request it. And the response from recipiinvolves physical touching, ministers are ents is hardly gratifying. working to amend the law to include verbal, “It’s like a cat bringing a dead mouse to text and cyber offenses, as well. It is anticiits owner,” says Ellen, a sales manager from
James J. Wilkerson.
pated that the new law will be submitted later in 2021 before going to parliament for a vote, which would make sending unsolicited images a crime with a punishment of up to six months imprisonment. Meanwhile in Scotland, in 2009, the Scottish government amended their Sexual Offences Act to include unsolicited sexual images. If a person intentionally shares sexual images without the consent of the recipient — for the purpose of sexual gratification, or humiliating, distressing or alarming the victim — they have committed a Section 6 sexual offense. This is punishable by up to two years in prison and being added to the sexual offender registry. In New York City, an anti-flashing bill went to a committee hearing in July 2019. If passed, NYC will be the first city to address unsolicited nude material with a penalty of up to one year in jail, or a fine of up to $1,000, or both for perpetrators. As for jail, Sweeny questions if imprisonment is the right direction for states outlining future legislation. “I don’t know if it should end with jail time, but a probation and fine sounds appropriate,” she says. Ellen agrees saying, a fine would be the easiest way to regulate this issue. As of now, Kentucky currently has a harassing communications law (KRS
525.080), which covers communication with a person that causes annoyance or alarm and serves no purpose of legitimate communication. This law does require a showing of the intent to intimidate, harass, annoy or alarm the recipient, which may be tricky to prove in the situation of unsolicited explicit material. There is no word on when Kentucky or the City of Louisville may introduce legislation that focuses specifically on cyber flashing. Just as no one is thrilled to see what lies underneath the tan trench coat of the stranger on the TARC, the cyber equivalent is just as unwelcome. Perhaps due to the digital nature and overall ease of sending such material, the gravity of the situation is not fully understood. But as Sweeny notes, “While men act like it’s no big deal, it is for us.” And thus, if a sext session leads to the exchange of explicit photos, then fine. But, before you pull your pants down and bring your camera in focus, make sure permission has been granted. Because consent is required in the digital world, just as it is in the physical. • James J. Wilkerson, J.D., is the director of Staff Diversity and Equity and the Deputy Title IX Coordinator at IU Southeast. LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 3, 2021
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NEWS & ANALYSIS
WILL A GRASSROOTS CANDIDATE FINALLY BE MAYOR? By Danielle Grady | dgrady@leoweekly.com
THORNS & ROSES THE WORST, BEST & MOST ABSURD THORN: FOOL ME ONCE… In The New York Times’ “77 Days: Trump’s Campaign to Subvert the Election” — an exhaustive look into Trump’s postelection efforts to overturn the results — Mitch McConnell is portrayed as an innocent, naive bystander, who was fooled by The White House into believing Trump “was only blustering” and not a clear and present danger to democracy, the U.S. Capitol or the lives of McConnell’s congressional colleagues. The story also makes clear that McConnell only cared about using Trump to help win the two Georgia runoff elections and protect his own position as Senate majority leader. This part checks out, but “McConnell the dupe” doesn’t pass the smell test. As Jonathan Chait wrote in New York Magazine, “McConnell has always fashioned himself the canniest man in Washington. His desire to broadcast his own savvy has frequently led him to counterproductively blurt out of his own cynicism…McConnell is now casting himself as a dupe because it is the only escape. He has been implicated in a historic crime.”
Shameka Parrish-Wright (right), a community organizer, is running for Louisville mayor. | PHOTO BY KATHRYN HARRINGTON.
This is the final part of a two part series about grassroots candidates in the 2022 Louisville mayoral race. WHEN Tom Owen ran against “the power brokers and the tall downtown buildings” in the 1998 Democratic primary for Louisville mayor, he nearly beat them. “I think the election came too soon. We were actually building momentum,” he said with a laugh. “I had been on town council as a moderately visible council member for eight years, but [former Kentucky Attorney General] Dave Armstrong had such a — much, much more name recognition than I did. So, he was able to raise almost instantly much more money than I did. But we were catching up on the fundraising, and if the election had been three weeks later, we might well have beat him.” Twenty years later, when Ryan Fenwick, a progressive lawyer, ran a campaign against incumbent Mayor Greg Fischer, he finished with just over 12,052 votes compared to Fischer’s 54,554: far short, he said, but much better than many expected. “And I got those 12,000 votes
spending really just a little bit over $20,000 in the primary,” said Fenwick. “So, in other words, I found 12,000 voters basically spending no money.” A candidate outside the political or business elite, running a grassroots campaign fueled by normallydisenfranchised voters, hasn’t won Louisville mayor’s race since at least before Owen ran. This year, some Kentucky political observers expect more to declare for the Democratic primary than usual because of a community politically energized by Louisville’s racial justice movement and the killing of Breonna Taylor. One already has announced: Shameka Parrish-Wright, a community organizer and bail fund manager who says she wants to be the voice of the people. But, how can a grassroots candidate win? An outsider candidate is still a long shot, according to Owen, but he and Fenwick see a path. It involves uniting voters, creating new ones and savvy fundraising.
Nationally, candidates leading grassroots campaigns have won in different types of races. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a bartender with limited political connections, beat a longtime incumbent by energizing young voters and utilizing social media. Past Louisville mayor’s races have had roadblocks to grassroots campaigns that may no longer be there. Owen needed more time to win his election. Parrish-Wright has that, having announced her candidacy 16 months before the primary. Fenwick was a lone David facing a Goliath. A large field is expected in the Democratic primary, and Fenwick said that might benefit Parrish-Wright. “Now, if you start to look at a primary like the one we’re going to come up with next, with about eight candidates in it or six candidates or 12 candidates, you get a deep primary like that, if someone who’s progressive can find a similar 12,000 voters, it may take even less than to win such CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
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ABSURD: FOOL ME TWICE… McConnell is being lauded, thanked, praised… whatever, for his scathing condemnation of Republican-conspiracy theorist Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. “Somebody who’s suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were pre-staged and that the Clintons crashed JFK Jr.’s airplane is not living in reality,” McConnell said of Greene. If you think McConnell’s principled statement has to do with anything other than trying to regain control of his party and the Senate majority in two years, shame on you. ROSE: LOUISVILLE GUARDIAN OF THE GALAXY Get all the laughs out about the U.S. Space Force, the newest branch of the nation’s military… it’s real. And who else would Louisvillians want protecting us than one of our own? As reported by The Courier Journal, retired-Air Force Captain Richard Yetter, graduate of Atherton High School, is now a Space Force Guardian (“guardian” is the actual nomenclature for Space Force service members). Coincidentally, as of last fall, Yetter’s alma mater needs a new school mascot, as Atherton retired its longtime mascot (the “Rebel”), which was originally a Confederate soldier, before being changed to a Revolutionary War soldier in the ‘70s. This is a sign sent from above… The Atherton Guardians. Go Guardians! And congrats to Guardian Yetter! ROSE: A SHOT IN THE ARM On Tuesday, Dr. Sarah Moyer, director of Louisville Metro Health and Wellness, said the federal government is sending shipments of vaccination supplies to local pharmacy chains as part of a nationwide initiative. A few hours later, a White House spokesperson confirmed the shipments to 6,500 stores in the U.S. will begin on Feb. 11. Although supply remains an issue, it seems like the logistics are falling into place. And every one of these announcements secures a little more hope.
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If you’d like to arrange a consultation 1028 Barret Ave visit themortoncenter.org or call 502-451-1221. Louisville KY 40204 LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 3, 2021
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STAYING SOBER, CONNECTED IN THE LONELIEST YEAR:
THE COVID CURSE FOR THOSE IN RECOVERY By Danielle Grady | dgrady@leoweekly.com
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Group meetings are an important part of Merideth Booth’s life in recovery. During the pandemic, she attends virtually. | PHOTO BY KATHRYN HARRINGTON.
JESSICA Dueñas had been in recovery since 2019 when COVID-19 hit, and she had what she needed to stay sober: A therapist, a serious boyfriend and friends she could still talk to, as well as a new Pyrenees Pit hybrid, Cruz, to keep her going outside on walks. There were gaps, of course: Dueñas, who was named Kentucky Teacher of the Year in 2019, couldn’t get in to see a psychiatrist to prescribe her medication, and she missed the routine and connection that came with her job at Louisville’s W.E.B. DuBois Academy. But, overall, she was surviving in a stressful year that swallowed many in recovery. Then, Dueñas’ boyfriend, who was also in recovery, relapsed. He had to take some pain pills for a medical condition, she said, which might have been fine, but because of COVID-19 he had trouble getting in to see a therapist who could monitor his intake. One day that spring, he told Dueñas he was going to the gas station, but he didn’t come back. Dueñas discovered him two hours later at his apartment, dead of an overdose. That same day, Dueñas went to the liquor store and bought two bottles of alcohol. She was back in the hole. In Louisville, 582 people died of overdoses in 2020, the year that COVID cut people in recovery off from family, friends and resources. There are still 25 pending toxicology results from potential overdose deaths, said Jefferson County Chief Deputy Coroner Scott Russ. For comparison, from 2015-2019, 334 people died on average each year of overdoses in the city. Dueñas said she has known five people who relapsed and died during the pandemic, either from an overdose or by suicide. “COVID has been an absolute curse to people in recovery,” said Dueñas. Dr. Brian Casey, a psychiatrist at UofL Physicians HealthCare Outpatient Center and an instructor in the school’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, said that, in addition to adding financial and psychological
stressors to the lives of those in recovery, COVID-19 has taken away their ability to do the things that keep them well, such as seeing friends and family and going to church and group recovery meetings. When the pandemic struck, some group recovery meetings shut down and others transitioned to an online format. Therapy went mostly virtual, as well. But, not everyone has been able to adapt to this new normal, whether it’s been because there’s something missing for them from the streamed experience, or because they don’t have access to the necessary resources. The solution, according to those in recovery, has been to do whatever possible to stay sober. Dueñas quit her beloved job and moved to Tampa, Florida, to live with her sister, where she’s now been sober for two months. She turns 36 on Thursday. Wesley Craven, 46, of New Albany, started in-person recovery meetings after the shutdown. “My addiction will kill me just as much as COVID will,” he said. “The thing about it with us, with addicts and things like that, isolation is one of the worst things that can happen to us.”
‘THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN’
When Craven was still using drugs, he went through bouts of homelessness, but even when he was staying with others, he would keep to himself. “I had a lot of self loathing,” he said. “I hated myself and thought everyone else should, too, so I just stayed away as best as I could.” This isolation made Craven’s substance use disorder worse. Instead of talking to others, he’d dialogue with him-
Jessica Dueñas.
self, dwelling on the past and blaming himself. Now, after more than a year of recovery, he realizes how important being connected is to staying sober. Connection is the opposite of addiction, is a phrase that people in recovery repeat often, including Dueñas. “So much of recovery is based on the idea of connecting with others,” she said. “You have a mentor who guides you in your sobriety journey because they’ve been able to do it before. You go to support groups and talk about what’s going on. If you’re worried about drinking you call somebody, and they’ll show up at your house. So much of recovery is connection.” Lisa Livingston, the executive director of The BreakAway, an addiction recovery home in New Albany, said that her residents have mostly emerged from the pandemic unscathed. She said she thinks this is because they’ve been able to interact with each other. “It’s actually harder on the ones that are out here trying to stay sober like myself that’s not in a recovery home, because we miss that fellowship and we miss those face-toface, one-on-one meetings,” she said.
VIRTUAL MEETINGS
Merideth Booth, 23, of Louisville has been in recovery since 2017, and group meetings are still an important part of her sober life. So, when the pandemic started, and recovery meetings went virtual, she followed. Social isolation in general isn’t good for people in recovery, but group meetings with others who are sober can be LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 3, 2021
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Lisa Livingston thinks it’s been harder for those who live alone to stay sober than those who stay at The BreakAway recovery home, where she serves as executive director. | PHOTO BY KATHRYN HARRINGTON.
Wesley Craven.
especially important, said Dr. Casey. “It allows people to be a part of a community that they can really be honest with,” he said. “Even if you have family you’re talking to, you may want to cover up some of these issues or not talk bout them. People are more open to talking to people who they know are struggling with similar issues.” Booth said she misses the fellowship of the recovery community in pre-COVID times. She doesn’t get the same feelings in virtual meetings as she did at in-person ones. But, there are some perks: There’s one she participates in that’s 24 hours, so she can pop-in at five in the morning or in the evening. And, there are others that bring together people from across the country, which she enjoys. But, she knows other people in recovery and in 12-step programs, like Alcoholics Anonymous, who have struggled even with virtual meetings, because they don’t have faceto-face accountability. Booth, who works at an addiction treatment center as a business development representative, thinks those in recovery should do what’s best for them to stay sober. “It’s kind of one of those things, like, do I put my recovery first or do I keep myself healthy, like which one’s prioritized more at this moment. And personally for me, my recovery has to come first no matter what,” she said. Dr. Casey said that the costs and benefits of COVID restrictions have to be weighed against each other for people in recovery. He believes people who are lonely and burdened with extra stresses by COVID are at a higher risk of relapse.
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“And for someone in recovery, the chances, the consequences, of relapse are quite high,” he said.
IN-PERSON MEETINGS
When COVID-19 hit, two of Craven’s group recovery meetings shut down: The one at the halfway house he was living at in Corydon, and another at a community church. Immediately, he started a meeting of his own amongst residents of the halfway home, House of New Beginnings. Later on in the pandemic, he started another recovery meeting off-site of the halfway house that people who didn’t live in the home could attend, too. “We had a lot of friends that were struggling,” he said. “I know that we had some friends that relapsed so we decided to go ahead and start a meeting that they could come, too, if they felt safe.” In-person group meetings have been returning slowly throughout the pandemic. COVID-19 became an opportunity for new ones in more distanced settings to start up, such as those taking place outside and one in particular that meets in a warehouse, according to Booth. Then, some already-established groups started opening back up, although they have at times had to turn people away when they’re at capacity, Booth said. Craven has attended virtual recovery meetings, but he hasn’t felt the same sense of connection at those. “You’re staring at a computer screen. The people there, they seem to tend to act a little different in front of a computer, a camera,” he said. “I know when I spoke on one, it felt a little strange to me. I wasn’t able to see the faces and I felt like I was talking to myself.” At an in-person meeting, Craven said, he can tell by people’s body language when they’re connecting to what
you’re saying. Livingston, who is 55, said she doesn’t like virtual meetings as much as in-person ones, either. But, she’s avoided them anyway because of her age and because some people at them don’t wear masks. Craven did eventually catch COVID-19. He said he is not sure where. Luckily, his only symptoms were loss of smell and fatigue. And, as of this week, he is back to work, having finished his quarantine. Without group meetings during the pandemic, Craven said that he would surely have relapsed. “I have no doubt. I’ve had times during this quarantine that were a little rough, and I’ve been in recovery long enough to know what to do,” he said. “But if I hadn’t had my support group and the meetings and the Zoom and all that going on, those thoughts would have took root for sure.”
THOSE WHO CAN’T ESCAPE
While the pandemic has increased the need for addiction recovery services, there are fewer available, said Booth. In addition to group recovery meetings having to turn people away, she knows of recovery centers that have had to limit their hours. Also, people who have lost their jobs, and by proxy, their insurance, have a harder time gaining access to services. “Options are thin when you don’t really have health insurance,” she said. Outpatient therapy offices have limits on the number of people who are allowed in at one time, according to Booth. This is the case for the UofL Center, said Dr. Casey, although the practice is “as busy as ever,” he said. But, Dr. Casey said that the pandemic has been especially hard on his patients who are low-income. Sometimes,
they do not have access to the necessary equipment to participate in virtual appointments, but they’re uncomfortable with an in-person appointment. “We try our hardest to reach them,” said Dr. Casey. “Sometimes we’re willing to have phone appointments, but we’re trying to get away from those because we aren’t getting all of the information if we’re not seeing someone in person.”
STARTING OVER
Only Dueñas’ family and closest friends knew she had a substance use disorder before her latest relapse. She kept her addiction a secret from the people she worked with and many of those who knew her as a successful, Kentucky teacher. “It was really exhausting to try to pretend to be perfect,” she said. “Being Teacher of the Year then working at this amazing school, having done quite a few really positive things in the community, I was putting pressure on myself to present as always perfect.” Similarly, when Dueñas’ partner died, she said she was too proud to ask for help publicly from friends in Louisville. “I didn’t want to feel like a bother,” she said. Dueñas doesn’t remember the first three or so days after she relapsed, except for the end of her binge, when she found herself hospitalized. In the months that followed, she landed in the hospital seven times. Dueñas’ sister asked her to come stay with her, but Dueñas refused at first. “I felt really stubborn,” she said, “because I’ve always done so successfully for myself and my career, and I bought a house for myself. In my head, I’m like, ‘I‘ve done all this stuff by myself, why can’t I just do my grief by myself, my grieving?’ And it was just impossible. It was literally impossible.” Without the distraction of teaching faceto-face with her students, Dueñas said she thinks the death of her partner hit her harder than it would have in non-COVID times. In the haze of relapse, though, Dueñas found moments of motivation to crawl out. “No matter what happened, I would eventually always say I’m going to try again,” said Dueñas. “And I did.” Dueñas has been in recovery since the end of November. She’s been able to keep sober by using a variety of tools: She now regularly attends virtual recovery meetings, including ones that include participants from across the country. She still has a therapist and leans on others. She also medi-
tates, and she’s had to make some drastic life changes. First, she moved to Florida. After being sober for a month, she tried to move back to Louisville, but relapsed. She now says that Kentucky is too traumatic of a place for her to live right now. Then, Dueñas relapsed again over anxieties about going back to work. She realized that the job she loved was too stressful, and she had to quit teaching virtually. Now, she works in sales for a private tutoring company. Finally, Dueñas came out publicly in December with her substance use disorder in a column published in The Courier Journal. This, too, she attributes to keeping her sober. “One of the thoughts that helped me not drink was that I had an overwhelming amount of wonderful, beautiful emails written from people all over Louisville and then some people who randomly came across the article because of the internet from other parts of the country. And honestly, those people’s words were one of the contributing factors to me not drinking that day,” she said. “There were other factors too. But, putting that article out there and really baring my heart and soul, I knew it would make me stronger.” Dueñas now posts about her recovery journey on Facebook. She’s done multiple interviews with podcasts. In this way, she has forced herself to connect to people beyond family and close friends: to acquaintances, strangers and her former students. “I feel like I had lost so much control of myself in 2020, that I feel like the choice to stay sober, the choice to leave Louisville, the choice to leave teaching, that was all a part of myself reclaiming myself, reclaiming my life and reclaiming my narrative,” she said. She’s been able to burst through the COVID bubble of isolation, but she worries that others may be developing substance use disorders during this time, such as people who are drinking more often than they did pre-quarantine. She worries about the longlasting effects of the pandemic on addiction. Dr. Casey said that these effects are yet to be seen but that the answer is “likely yes,” that there will be negative outcomes. And, people in recovery have ideas for what needs to be done: Dueñas calls for the proliferation of Narcan and Vivitrol, Booth says the stigma needs to be reduced first. And, Dr. Casey said it’s an important time to check in with others and see how they’re doing at this time. •
CALL US FOR HELP TODAY!
COUNSELORS AVAILABLE 24/7
(502) 583-3951 sevencounties.org
Seven Counties Services offers a full range of mental and behavioral health services, substance abuse treatment, and intellectual and developmental disabilities services. We provide a full range of addiction services, including: • • • •
Medical detoxification from opioids, alcohol, and benzodiazepines Residential treatment for: men, women, and pregnant women Intensive outpatient therapy services Recovery Supportive Housing LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 3, 2021
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STAFF PICKS FRIDAY, JAN. 5
PRIZM Girls Night Out
PRIZM | 2901 S. Fourth St. | prizmpop.com | $10 | 7-11 p.m. If Saturdays are for the boys, Fridays can be for the girls. PRIZM is hosting a Girls Night Out party with music, karaoke, games, an adult toy booth and sex educaGIRLS NIGHT tion workshops. PRIZM is a Black-owned event space started by two sisters to showcase other Black and people of color-owned brands. CDC guidelines will be enforced, including masks and temperature checks. —LEO
SATURDAY, FEB. 6
Commonwealth Theatre’s ‘Nation in Crisis’ Online | commonwealththeatre.org | $10 | 2 p.m., 7 p.m.
“Nation In Crisis” puts the human story of the Civil Rights Movement at the forefront of this original play written by local playwright and comedian Keith McGill. One CRISIS actress, Jacqui Blue, portrays multiple characters who bear witness to several hallmark events of the 20th century’s Civil Rights Movement and today. The audience is asked to consider not just that these historical events happened or are a fact but that each of them had humanity at its root. It invites engagement at a time when engagement is “Nation in Crisis” lead Jacqui Blue receives instruction so low. —Erica Rucker from playwright Keith McGill.
SATURDAY, FEB. 6
Melanin Market FRIDAY, FEB. 5
4-Week Axe Throwing League
OVRDRIVE | 112 W. Jefferson St. | Search Facebook | $100 | 7-10 p.m. How about an Axe Throwing trophy to replace all those participation awards on your shelf? Well, the winner of the OVR axe throwing mini league gets to take one home. AXED Plus, throwing axes is just... surprisingly fun. Spend the four Fridays of February throwing axes in 1-on-1, three round matches. Plus, you can check out all the entertainment beyond the axe throwing at OVRDRIVE, including racing simulators, virtual reality games and the “Rage Room”… along with some draft beers and an “axeceptional menu.” It’s just an adult-child’s dream. —LEO
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Baxter’s 942 Bar & Grill | 942 Baxter Ave. | Search Facebook | Free | 2-8 p.m. It’s as important as ever to support your local economy through supporting local businesses. It’s also critical to support local Black-owned businesses if we’re BLACK-OWNED ever going to realize equal socioeconomic justice and opportunity. You also need to have a good time, which is what the WYLD Thoughts Melanin Market promises. Shop with Black-owned businesses throughout Baxter’s 942 Bar & Grill — with music, $1 raffle giveaways and drink specials, plus food trucks. It’s the perfect insideand-outside winter event. Funds raised from the event will go to the UofL Breonna Taylor Memorial Scholarship Fund. —Aaron Yarmuth
STAFF PICKS
SATURDAY, FEB. 6
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10
The Palm Room | 1821 W. Jefferson St. | thepalmroomlounge.com $35+ | 7 p.m., 10 p.m.
Online | Search Facebook | $60 | 7 p.m.
Love & Laughter
The “Love” in The Palm Room’s “Love & Laughter” show is Case, the two-time Grammy nominated R&B artist best known for his 2002 song, “Missing You.” The “Laughter” R&B is brought to you by Louisville comedian Meech Dog, who will be hosting the event. Local R&B musician Junior J is also slated to perform. Prepare your emotions for two shows this Friday: one at 7 p.m. and the other at 10. — Danielle Grady
Fall in Love With Double Oaked With a bold flavor profile that’s loaded with subtle notes, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is a winter-time favorite for a lot of bourbon drinkers. This event, hosted BOURBON by Whisky Chicks, pairs Double Oaked and specialty chocolates for a virtual tasting. Each ticket includes a box containing a cocktail, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked tastings, chocolates, a collectible red Glencairn glass, other sweet treats and some surprises. After purchase, details for picking up the boxes and a Zoom link for the event will be provided. —LEO
SUNDAY, FEB. 7
Buzzles: The Ultimate Team Puzzle Competition Mile Wide Beer Co. | 636 Barret Ave. | Search Facebook | Free | 3 p.m.
It’s a proven scientific fact that alcohol makes you better at puzzles. Well, even though that last sentence is completely made up, there’s an FRIENDLY COMPETITION undoubtable amount of fun in a good-old fashioned game night with your crew. That’s why Mile Wide is hosting Buzzles, where teams of up to four square off in a puzzle race to see who can finish first. The winning team receives 2021 memberships to Bernheim Forest. If your bubble is interested in a socially-distanced game night, send Mile Wide a direct message on Facebook to reserve a table. —LEO
THROUGH MARCH 6
‘A Howl Is Also A Prayer’
Georgetown College | 400 E. College St., Georgetown, KY georgetowncollege.edu/galleries | Free How do we heal from the wallop that 2020 gave (and is still giving) us? It’s “a year to survive,” said curator John Brooks ART of Quappi Projects. To “[examine] this topic seemed not just timely but necessary. These varied pieces … explore the role visual art plays in the conversation about the ways in which the individual and society suffer and aim to help delineate paths to recovery.” The group show features many artists from Louisville, including Sandra Charles, Bette Levy and Skylar Smith. —Jo Anne Triplett
‘Your Wall, an Artist and Venice’ by Sandra Charles. Oil on canvas.
LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 3, 2021
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STAFF PICKS
THROUGH MARCH 20
‘Eight Perspectives’
Galerie Hertz | 1253 S. Preston St. | galeriehertz.com | Free
FEBRUARY 4-28, 2021
“Eight Perspectives” is a group exhibition loosely tied together by creativity and expression. The female artists (Elmer Lucille Allen, Lucy Azubuike, Cheryl ChapPERSPECTIVE man, Ton’nea Green, Allie Jensen, Jean Salmon, Taylor Sanders and Guinever Smith) each have something different to say and have the room here to say it. It’s a gallery full of voices. Some examples: Azubuike’s series focuses on the problems of how to be seen and heard, Green’s timely paintings show children experiencing the pandemic and Sanders tackles racial and social issues. —Jo Anne Triplett
25 Days, 11 Award-Winning Films 5 Engaging Guest Speaker Events featuring Special Guest Speaker, Shira Haas, of Unorthodox Visit JEWISHLOUISVILLE.ORG/FILMFESTIVAL for details and tickets. The Louis Levy & Wilma Probst Levy Film and Theater Arts Fund Goldstein Leibson Cultural Arts Fund
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‘Teapot #2’ by Elmer Lucille Allen. Glazed clay.
EVENT GOERS... EVENT HOSTERS...
MUSIC
LEO PLAYLIST
SEVEN RECENTLY-RELEASED SONGS BY LOCAL MUSICIANS By Scott Recker | srecker@leoweekly.com BY NOW, all of 2020’s traits are baked into almost every new song you hear. From hardship to optimism, everything is unsurprisingly emotionally heavy, reflecting on a society that remains ill, and a future that remains uncertain. January is usually a dry month for new music, but here are seven excellent recently-released songs that you need to hear. KARATE, GUNS & TANNING ‘FIRE’ Named after a sign at a strip mall in rural Indiana, Karate, Guns & Tanning is new four-piece psychedelic dream-pop band, with members hailing from Indianapolis and Louisville. Their debut album, Concrete Beach, comes out in March, but the now-available lead single “Fire” gives some insight into what to except from them moving forward. The song mixes experimental punk prowess with a gleaming altpop heart, resulting in a layered and nuanced sonic palette that dips into several styles, but arrives at something unique and catchy. RMLLW2LLZ ‘TURF WARS’ On last year’s EP, Concerto No.9 Movement II.V, Rmllw2llz explored chilly and stylistic soundscapes that pulled influence from Kanye’s 808s & Heartbreak, with lyrics that revolved around personal situations and introspective thoughts. His latest single, ‘Turf Wars’ is a reminder in not only how prolific Rmllw2llz is, but how easily he can morph his sound and subject matter. Here, he leans into a smooth and bright jazzsoul production style that recalls certain eras of MF DOOM, while the lyrics reflect social injustice, systemic corruption, rough streets and perseverance. There’s no chorus, just two verses — one from Rmllw2llz, one from W.I.P. — and that means there’s no filler, only razor-sharp hip-hop poetry. MAMA SAID STRING BAND ‘PEACE OF MIND’ The modern bluegrass sensibilities of Mama Said Spring Band blend roots music and jam influences, which, per tradition, speaks heavily to the balance of sorrow and joy. Here, on “Peace Of Mind,” that materializes in how going through the former helped achieve the latter. It’s a happy
and optimistic song that zooms into what’s important, and the value of appreciating the small, positive moments. It addresses that while relationships are never perfect, and almost always have boiling points, there are certain people that make life unequivocally better. THE HISTRONICS “EXORCISM” The Histronics, a trio who mix ’60s psychedelia with the bite of ‘90s angst, just released their debut record, Static. One of its strongest tracks, “Exorcism,” is about navigating a path in a world full of lies, while sounding a bit like Jim Morrison rose from the dead circa 1995 and recruited PJ Harvey to build an ominous, bluesy avant-grunge band. It’s plodding and calculated, dragging the listener deeper and deeper into a story of despair. The main character of “Exorcism” and the sound being built around the story match up extremely well, combining for an existential horror hellscape that gets dangerously close to the truth. DOM B ‘PRESIDENT DOM’ Last year, with the song “City on Fire,” hip-hop artist Dom B paid tribute to the people marching in the streets of Louisville, those calling for an end to police brutality after officers from the LMPD killed Breonna Taylor. With the single “President Dom,” he jumps back into the sociopolitical landscape, this time delivering his state of the nation, by imagining himself as president. There’s some sharp satire, but there’s also some dead serious moments, tackling social inequity, lack of health care, a corrupt prison system, the tax evasion of the 1% and other major issues. With a golden hook and slick production, it still plays like a party song — it’s just the smartest one you’ll hear all night.
Bloody Valentine before them, the goal seems to be to punch you right in the feelings until your ears bleed. It feels cinematic in that way, with every sonic shift feeling dramatic. There’s a lot going on with this track, but there’s a brief, melodic chorus that acts as an anchor, keeping the song grounded. It uses that moment to burn something into your brain, before flying back into the ephemeral distance.
MELANCHOIR ‘THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS LOVE’ Through swirling shoegaze that shines with beauty and darkness, Melanchoir’s ‘There’s No Such Thing As Love’ uses hushed lyrics and loud instruments to evoke a scene that lives at the edge of dream and nightmare. And, like Slowdive or My
BELUSHI SPEED BALL ‘WE AREN’T THRASHERS, WE ARE HIPSTER POSERS’ Not even a global pandemic could stop the thrash-metal band Belushi Speed Ball’s eccentric theatrics: Last fall, they performed at a drive-in movie theater dressed as Mad Max characters, then they immediately loaded all of their gear into a van and pulled
Karate, Guns & Tanning. | PHOTO BY ANNETTE WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY.
up to local bars and played in front of patios — still inside the vehicle, door open, amps cranked, sometimes still moving. That brings us to Stella 1 and Stella 2, a brand new, full-length album named after the lead singer’s house cats, and the song “We Aren’t Thrashers, We Are Hipster Posers,” a satirical response to a social media comment that made fun of the way the band dresses. In a way, the song reminds me of Jawbreaker’s “Boxcar,” a tongue-in-cheek swipe at the people who try to keep score for how “punk” or “authentic” someone is — the weird and pretentious takes from those who talk about keeping everything weird, but instantly make fun of anyone slightly different than them. The song even goes pop-punk at the end. One last laugh at the wannabe gatekeepers. •
LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 3, 2021
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FOOD & DRINK
RECOMMENDED
WE CELEBRATE OUR IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORS AT ALWATAN By Robin Garr | LouisvilleHotBytes.com WITHIN HOURS after taking office on Jan. 20, President Joe Biden moved quickly to sign executive orders to make life better for immigrants and refugees. He halted construction on the border wall, stopped family separation at the border and pushed for an end to mass deportations. These good things merit celebration with a meal at an immigrant-owned eatery, so I headed for Alwatan. This little spot, which is operating for takeout-only during the pandemic, is owned by Palestinian immigrants. It offers a good variety of Palestinian, panArabic and Mediterranean food, taking full advantage of fine Mediterranean breads from its sibling bakery, which is located next door. Alwatan’s menu is extensive and affordable, with most dishes under $10 and only a handful of beef or lamb entrees rising to $13.99. It includes a few Palestinian specialties along with a broad range of the panMediterranean cuisine. Fifteen appetizers and eight salads range in price from $3.99 (for falafels, stuffed grape leaves and some salads) to $10.99
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(for a dinner salad, topped with lamb gyros meat or a salad combo). Don’t be put off by an appetizer called “foul” — it’s actually a tasty fava bean spread ($5.49) named “fūl” in Arabic. Other Palestinian appetizer favorites include shakshoka ($8.99, eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce); mutabil ($7.99, smoked eggplant with garlic and tahini) and mujadara ($7.99, a delicious mix of rice, lentils and onions that I’ll tell you more about shortly). Each of the nine sandwiches may be served alone — with choice of pita or white bread — or as a combo, adding fries or salad and a canned soft drink for $2 more. The sandwich list includes three kabobs, two gyros, two shawarmas, a falafel and a standard hamburger. Prices range from $4.99 (for the burger, non-combo) to $8.49 (for several of the sandwich combos). Eight entrees are clustered in price from $12.99 (for a chicken kabob) to $16.99 (for a three-kabob mixed grill featuring chicken, beef and ground-beef kofta kabobs). The
The gyros at Alwatan is loaded with chunks of rough-sliced beef-lamb gyros meat, lettuce, tomato, and tzatziki on a grilled fresh pita. | PHOTOS BY ROBIN GARR.
The mujadara at Alwatan is billed as an appetizer but it’s a plentiful, entree-size blend of basmati rice and lentils with sensuous Mediterranean spices.
FOOD & DRINK
DI ST I L L E RY
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BEST LOUISVILLE DISTILLERY
We’ve carved an Alwatan falafel in half to display its generous filling of tender falafel balls, lettuce, tomato, and creamy tzatziki sauce in a fresh, tender pita.
entrees are larger, plated portions of the shawarma, gyros and kabob meat used in the sandwiches, served with rice, salad, and tzatziki sauce. If you’re feeding a crowd, you can pretty much take home the entire menu with the $69.99 Alwatana Special, a feast of three chicken kabobs, three kofta kabobs, lamb and beef gyros, three beef kabobs, a hummus plate, salad and rice, enough to serve eight hungry grown-ups. In accord with Muslim tradition, no alcohol is served. Drink options include tea, bottled and canned soft drinks and Arabic coffee or ayran yogurt drink. There’s no dessert on the menu, but step next door to Alwatan’s sibling bakery and you can choose among a broad selection of Arabian pastries and sweets, as well as fresh pitas, quality olive oils and a small grocery selection. The aforementioned mujadara (“mujah-da-rah”) might not look impressive in a quick glance at the menu. A simple, meatless appetizer, described as “rice and lentils with onions on top?” Yawn. We tried it on good advice, though, and believe me, it was $7.99 well spent. It looked more like a vegetarian main dish than an app — two pounds of deliciousness packed into a round foil takeout dish with a clear plastic top. Extra-long-grain basmati rice was perfectly prepared and tiny brown lentils were mixed throughout, imparting an earthy pop. Succulent onions, grilled brown in fruity olive oil, was spread on top, adding a rich unctuousness. We noshed on it for three days, and I wish we had more. Tabouli ($4.99) was wonderful, too. I’m not a big fan of parsley, an herb that I consider more a decoration than an edible, but I’ll make an exception for Alwatan’s ver-
sion. Fresh, bright-green parsley dominated, chopped fine including the stems, with cracked bulgur wheat scattered throughout as a backup player in just the right amount. Generous portions of fruity olive oil and palate-wakening lemon, plus a few bits of tomato, brought it all together in a juicy, refreshing salad. I’m always ready for a falafel sandwich, and Alwatan’s version ($4.99 for the sandwich only, $6.49 for the combo) is a good one. A house-made pita, soft and pillowy, was split open near one end and packed chock full of the traditional deep-fried, flattened balls of ground chickpeas, with a little parsley and subtle spice. It was loaded with crisp iceberg lettuce and juicy tomato bits, and slathered with creamy, sesame-scented tahini. I wanted to save half but couldn’t stop eating until it was gone. A beef-and-lamb gyro ($6.50 sandwich only, $8.49 combo) was good but didn’t come up to the extraordinary level of the other dishes. The house-made pita was excellent, of course, but the smooth, ground gyro meat, cut in irregular slices, was passable but its flavor didn’t sing. It was served in traditional fashion with lettuce, tomato and tzatziki sauce on the side of the grilled pita. An abundant meal for two, with tax and a 99-cent service fee from the online ordering service, came to $26.93, plus a 20 percent tip. •
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Winning LEO Readers’ Choice Best Thai Restaurant since 2009.
ALWATAN RESTAURANT 3707 Klondike Lane 454-4406 alwatanlouisville.com
Middletown 12003 Shelbyville Rd.
St. Matthews 323 Wallace Ave.
690-8344
899-9670
H a p py H o u r M o n – T hur s | 4: 30 – 7p m C a l l f o r R e s e r v at i o n s w w w. Simp l yT haiKy.co m LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 3, 2021
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | ART
WAXING CREATIVE: ART BOOM, FOR WHOM? By Erica Rucker | erucker@leoweekly.com THIS WAS to be a simple exploration of the gap between art money and Black artists. It sounds so naive. Nothing about the Black experience in America is “simple” and the places where we go to work through our traumas, to dream, to manifest — our arts — are as fraught as the nation we try so hard to be part of. This issue, like all the others, is an octopus, a hydra. There are simply too many heads, too many arms and too many ways to wrangle the centuries-old mess of white supremacy and racism and what that has done (is doing) in this nation, even at the level of local and public arts. So there is no reason to force it. It will take the time it takes. This week, I talked to two artists — who also happen to be Black women. One a researcher, visual and teaching artist Marlesha Woods, who is working on a project with Root Cause Research Center and the other, Toya Northington, an educator, artist and community engagement strategist with the Speed Art Museum. We talked about the original issue, the arts wealth gap, quickly acknowledging that there is no small way to approach the subject. “We haven’t even gotten to the wealth gap,” said Northington, noting the historic economic disadvantage that Black people and Black artists have in America. “We’re still in survival mode.” Setting some contrast and talking about the art world of the elite where the millions live and then zooming in on how that looks here in Louisville is a good place to start. The “art world” of the glitterati is booming with dollars, taking in $64.12 billion dollars in 2019. This “art world” is the Wall Street, suit and tie set calling itself, THE art world. It exists to give very wealthy people the access to beautiful images, creations, performances and sometimes access to the creators. This lets rich patrons feel more interesting, hide their money, or decorate obscene palaces around the world. This art world is the one that let Andy Warhol thrive and make fun of it at the same time. It’s the art world that makes the Rococo-style ceramic, “Michael Jackson and Bubbles” by Jeff Koons, nearly priceless. In this “art world,” sales reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars. The artists involved are often deceased or cut out of any resale residual money. They are also mostly
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white. If you are a Black artist and aren’t Jean-Michel Basquiat, then you remain invisible. The thing is, ultimately, most artists — white or Black — aren’t ever going to fit in that world. In fact, most artists don’t live on simply making art. “That’s like the dirty little secret of the art world,” said Northington. “It pits us against each other as Black creatives because when you see somebody out there and see them exhibiting and people kind of coming up in the art institutions, you think, ‘Oh they’ve got some money.’ They don’t have any money. They have some reputation and their art is out there, but they are not far from you.” In the city of Louisville, private donors and institutions both public and private help fund public art projects, sometimes awarding large contracts to the creators. Some of those creators aren’t local artists, though the capacity to create these works does often exist locally. For Black artists in Louisville, getting one of these contracts is rare, and when they come through, are often awarded at a much lower rate than white counterparts. Some aren’t compensated at all. Marlesha Woods’ research looks deeper at this local gap, because it isn’t just a difference in dollars and cents, it is a gap of metrics. The metrics of survival versus the metrics of who gets invited to the table. “The racial wealth gap is not solely tied to dollars,” said Woods, “but lived narratives that reveal generational trauma. I am confident that no matter what access, opportunities or achievements have resulted from the diligence of carving out pathways to thrive in the U.S. and globally, no raciallyidentified minority lives, works and dies, untouched by that trauma. The question is how to get free and stay free.” Woods’ current research, “Art Embodied: Immeasurable Paint,” in conjunction with Root Cause Research Center focuses on what she calls the “Immeasurable Paint” of Louisville. It is an exploration both of the gap in funding but also how public art can reveal erasure. In Louisville, while “paint” (public art and murals) covers the city, it is often who is doing the painting and getting the contracts for those projects that tells a bigger
Public Art StoryMap | Woods/RCRC
story about the financial breach between Louisville’s white and Black creative communities. “If you’re a West End resident and an amazing artist and have everything in line, you want to propose something that’s going to happen in your neighborhood. That’s great,” said Woods. “That’s not the key. It’s also cool if you have the same access, the same opportunity, the same equal opportunity to paint downtown Louisville, paint East, to paint Prospect. You don’t have to be just stuck in, ‘Oh, the Black people can have a paintbrush over here so we can give them a little bit of dollars.” “The point is that if you’re competent, Art Embodied: Immeasurable Paint (Bellamy) capable and you’re talented, you should be able to have a shot,” she continued. “There is...that we’ve had so many broken promare people who have had shots for years that ises, at some point, you become hopeless,” didn’t even need to have a pitch meeting for said Northington. “So when you’re exposed a grant, and they’ve gotten multiple grants. A lot of them are run out of the same organi- the opportunity, you don’t even believe it.” Northington compares this cycle to claszations over and over again.” sical conditioning with mice and cheese. A simple investigation of the interactive There are only so many times a mouse is StoryMap on the RCRC’s webpage shows going to receive a shock before it gives up where the “paint” is and who the artists are on eating the cheese. This is a good reflecthat were given permission and/or contracts tion of Black artists and their relationships to do these public projects. Hovering over the points on the map will reveal the artist or with local arts entities. “That happens to us over and over, and artists’ identities. we lose that drive” she said. And, while many of our larger arts The question is, how do promises institutions and entities have made promises become reality so that this gap truly closes — and few tangible steps towards equity and how do Black artists begin to trust and in these areas — visibly, the chasm hasn’t take the “cheese?” • narrowed. “The worst promise that has happened
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | ART
WHAT TO SEE
GALLERY ROUNDUP Places to go are few and far between. If you have hit your hibernation, pandemic wall, don’t be discouraged about the lack of safe ways to leave the house. Get creative or at least go and be inspired by creative people. This list is only a selection. HOUSEGUEST GALLERY/ YARDSIDE SUPPERCLUB LAB
2721 Taylor Blvd. Gallery Hours: Friday 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and by appointment. houseguestgallery.com “VIRTUAL PARADISE”
QUAPPI PROJECTS
827 E. Market St. Gallery Hours: Thursday and Friday Noon – 4 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.– 3 p.m. and by appointment quappiprojects.com “IT IS WHAT IS NOT YET KNOWN”
By Jen Dwyer and Gracelee Lawrence Curated by Samantha Simpson Feb. 5 through March 3
By Kiah Celeste Jan. 29 through March 6
The work of artists Jen Dwyer and Gracelee Lawrence feels undeniably powerful. It is both about gender and about the embodied experience. Dwyer is concerned with the female gaze, while Lawrence’s art revolves around fragmentation and the effects of technology. The show brings together two artists working in similar mediums at different scales exploring the human experience, both in modified and altered ideas of reality.
Quappi Projects is beginning its 2021 season with a show by artist Kiah Celeste. A native of Brooklyn, she has lived and worked many places around the world. She currently calls Louisville home. Her work is perhaps best described as assemblage and consists of creating new silhouettes, new ideas out of objects that already exist with their own stories and histories. She borrows their forms and shapes something that hasn’t before existed, though on occasion the new state may feel familiar. The works in this show are part of a larger body of work that Celeste calls “I Find
MOREMEN GALLERY
710 W. Main St. Gallery Hours: Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. moremengallery.com
“4:44” SAMOSA
“11 DAYS”
By José Manual Nápoles Puerto Jan. 22 through Feb. 13 The show features work from artist José Manual Nápoles Puerto as he recounts the stories and encounters of his journey to the United States. The exhibition covers 11 days of his journey where the artist needed to cross the dangerous Darién Gap from Colombia into Panama to reach the United States. Coming Soon at Moremen: New work by artist Rebecca Norton. Running Feb. 19 through March 20 From “Mirabilia” Mitch Eckert LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 3, 2021
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | ART
“WHATS POPPIN” SAMOSA
“Queen of Hearts” SAMOSA
This Stable.”
REVELRY BOUTIQUE + GALLERY
742 E. Market St. Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sunday – Monday 11a.m. – 6 p.m. revelrygallery.com “THE SAMOSA EXPERIENCE”
By DJ Samosa Feb. 6 through March 2 Samosa is a local DJ, but since the pandemic put a halt on her ability to spin
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LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 3, 2021
music, she used the down time to create her first major body of work. Drawing on her childhood love of art and influences such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Samosa presents work that also captures the anxiety and uncertainty of life during a pandemic.
ROOTS 101: AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM
819 W. Main St. Gallery Hours: By appointment/booking only, Monday – Saturday roots-101.org Roots 101 is facing a financial crisis and
is asking the community to visit and donate to its years-long fundraising efforts. For many, opening a museum dedicated to the experiences and history of African Americans in downtown Louisville, which has been the site of some unrest, is an important step in moving the city forward in terms of equity. As is so often the case, these spaces are critically underfunded. The museum has exhibits of artifacts, art, local black press, etc., and while there is not a current opening, there are many reasons to donate, visit and preserve this unique space which will also house the Breonna Taylor memorial exhibit. With a goal of $75,000, they have currently raised just over $27,000.
UL HITE ARTS INSTITUTECRESSMAN CENTER FOR VISUAL ARTS
100 E. Main St. Gallery Hours: Reservations required louisville.edu/art/exhibitions/current
“MIRABILIA: A CABINET OF CURIOSITIES”
By Mitch Eckert Jan. 29 through March 5 UofL art professor Mitch Eckert has spent time in Kosciusko County, Indiana, over the last year, photographing, what the show description calls, a “cabinet of curiosities.” The cabinet contains items of religious and cultural import including artifacts “possibly looted from ancient Egyptian tombs,” cannonballs from Crimean battlefields, fish and mermaid skeletons and rusted metal claimed from nuclear test sites in the Western United States. That’s where the description ends. Making a reservation to the exhibit might answer any lingering questions. •
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | FILM
JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL ENTERS 23RD YEAR WITH HIGHLIGHT ON JUSTICE By Erica Rucker | erucker@leoweekly.com
WE’RE taught to look for our similarities, sometimes at the peril of our differences. We aren’t all placid rivers that roll along uninterrupted, only calm or unwinding. Even the calmest rivers have turns and bubble over rocks, emptying or beginning from a larger body of water. These intersections aren’t accidental. They are necessary for the health of the www.bcplumbing.net aquatic ecosystems. But, this isn’t about water. It is about the human experience. This year’s Louisville Jewish Film Festival, hosted by the Jewish Community Center, is celebrating the intersections of our experiences through this year’s festival experience. *For new clients only. Not to be combined with any other offer. Up to 2 pets per household. Exp. 8/30/14 The festival, founded by David Chack and Louis Levy, serves to “enrich, educate and enterabout equity and justice by choosing sevtain” local audiences and has for 23 years. eral films that speak to how those moveThis year, the festival moved to a virtual ments intersect both the Jewish experience format due to the ongoing pandemic. It and that of Black people. For those who clientsboth only. Not to Black be combined with any other offer. Up to 2 petsthese per household. Exp. 8/30/14. Cashier Code. 700.500 opens on Feb. 4 and will feature 11 films *For neware and Jewish, intersecchosen by the festival committee. tions often go unseen or unacknowledged in these wider conversations. Not so this “We watch lots and lots of movies,” year. said Marsha Bornstein, the director of the This isn’t the first time the festival Louisville Jewish Film Festival. “The only *For new clients only. Not to be combined with any other offer. Up to 2 pets per household. Exp. 8/30/14. Cashier Code. 700.500 Kelly Neat, DVM • Jennifer Rainey, DVM • Emilee Zimmer, DVM • Baly McGill, DVM has touched on these shared experiences, parameter is they must have some Jewish *For new clients *For only.new Not be clients combined other offer. toother 2 pets perUp household. 8/30/14. Cashier Code. clients only.only. Not with to be combined with any offer. Up 2 pets per household. Exp. 8/30/14. Cashier Code. Must 700.500 *Forto new Not toany be combined withUp any other offer. toto2 pets perExp. household. Exp. 6/1/21. Cashier700.500 Code. 700.525 present coupon for discount. but this year’s films present a different content. Sometimes that’s big but someurgency to claim that history, to maybe times it’s very small.” help it build a bridge to fixing long-standThis year, the festival committee, @vca_fairleigh moved by the push for racial justice — ing issues. In fact, the festival opens with a @vcafairleighanimalhospital 1212 Bardstown Road • Louisville, KY 40204 specifically the fight in our city — decided film, “Shared Legacies,” that tells the story www.vcafairleigh.com that it wanted to enter the conversation of the alliances between the Jewish and 502-451-6655 VCAfairleigh.com
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | FILM
@leoweekly Black communities through the civil rights struggles beginning with the founding of the NAACP. “Our festival has always strived to show differences,” said Bornstein. “We’ve always done this. We feel like you can’t pigeonhole Jews in one group, nor any other. We felt like it’s more important than ever because film is so powerful.” “We felt like it’s our mission, through film, to try to really heal some of these wounds and continue to build bridges,” said Bornstein of the new format and the films chosen for this year. “You can do this with the arts. We had this opportunity to reach people.” Going virtual allows for these discussions and conversations to take place regardless of geography, and that’s a positive change for the festival. As is true with any festival planning, all is not roses. Bornstein thought when the festival first decided on a virtual format that it would be an opportunity for those around the country to participate. That hope was short lived. Because of rules and costs associated with distribution, many of the films are geo-blocked to be seen only by
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LEOWEEKLY.COM // FEBRUARY 3, 2021
those in Kentucky and Indiana. For the festival this means earning less money to be used for next year because the spectrum of viewers, many of whom are buying a single ticket and watching with others in their home, is narrower. This feels like a lost opportunity. “When you see these big festivals that they’re open everywhere, they’re paying,” said Bornstein. “The only reason I got Indiana was...I just told them that we’ve got people across the river who are really in metropolitan Louisville.” Bornstein has mixed feelings about the festival happening in a virtual format, because it reduces ticket sales and it takes away from the experience of watching the films that are immediately followed by discussions with friends or fellow filmgoers. To help remedy the loss of those potential discussions over dinner, the festival will be hosting a series of virtual conversations with filmmakers, film stars and other community figures who will chime in on the topics of the festival and its films. One of those will include a discussion with actress Shira Haas who is co-starring in the festival film, “Asia.” The event had to be rescheduled due to Haas’ latest award nomination. She had been previously nominated for an Emmy Award and now has received a Golden Globe’s nod because of her work on “Unorthodox.” Tickets for each film cost $12. A full festival pass, which includes all 11 films and discussions, costs $99. • For more information visit the website: jewishlouisville.org/the-j/j-arts-ideas/ film-festival/.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | COMICS
YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD
COMIC BOOK REVIEWS! By Krystal Moore, David Williams
‘Byte Sized’ No. 1
Writer Cullen Bunn Artists Nelson Blake II and Snakebite Cortez Review by Krystal Moore, The Great Escape
“Byte Sized” No. 1 opens at a mysterious government or military compound, where panic-stricken scientists are realizing the subjects of their experiments have gone missing. Not only that, the subjects sabotaged the vehicles they knew would give chase to them. It’s Christmas Eve, and the scene switches to a family having a serene evening. The youngest girl is wondering aloud if Santa will be able to find them in the snow as her older sister informs her that Santa lives in the North Pole and snow means nothing to him with a roll of her eyes. Gizmo, the family dog, is not the best boy and keeps grabbing presents from under the tree and just generally causing trouble. He’s sent to the bedroom to think about what he’s done. When everyone goes to bed and the house gets dark, Gizmo hears something. Is it Santa or unwelcome fugitives from a government laboratory? This is a four issue limited series by AWA Studios. This little comic company consistently puts out fun, interesting stories. Give this one a chance!
‘Rain Like Hammers’ No. 1 Writer and Artist Brandon Graham Review by David Williams, The Great Escape
“Multiple Warheads” and “King City” creator Brandon Graham is back, taking us on an exciting and fantastic voyage to the sci-fi world of Crown Majesty in his new, oversized five-issue series “Rain Like Hammers,” out now from Image Comics. Our tale begins with Eugene, a newly transplanted citizen of the mobile, desert-roaming city of Elephant. Even in the far-flung, future wasteland of Crown Majesty, the daily grind remains sadly the same. Eugene spends his days working diligently, secretly pining for his cute co-worker, watching his favorite broadcasts and coordinating which tasty plant-based vending machine food to eat while he does so. Despite all of the fancy distractions, ennui and loneliness seep into Eugene’s antiseptic life, with his escapist sense of adventure and curiosity being his only shield against them. Unexpectedly, an alarm rings out! Opossum, another roving city, has fallen victim to a mysterious disaster. Thrust into the aftermath, Eugene finds himself in the middle of a fascinating puzzle, only augmented by his reception of an alluring alien signal that appears part poem, part song, part game. The world-building in Graham’s “Rain Like Hammers” is immediately captivating, brimming with unique and bizarre colony culture and familiar habits of consumption and isolation. Graham’s whimsical designs, intense full-spread panels, muted colors and plaintive pacing invite comparisons to French comic legend Moebius or to the cult anime “Kaiba,” all of which make “Rain Like Hammers” a comfy, refreshing entry in to the fast-paced and crowded world of comics.
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NEWS & ANALYSIS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
a crowded primary,” he said. “So I have are wrong in this city.” a lot of optimism that a candidate like To win, a grassroots candidate would Shameka, with a lot of credibility in the have to significantly broaden their base, progressive circles of our city, I think she said Owen. can do great.” Parrish-Wright already realizes that. If there’s a crowded primary, Owen “One of the things that I’m going to do said he could see the new voter base creis include those voters that are registered ated at Jefferson Square Park (the heart who typically can’t vote,” she said. of the protests) electing a candidate like Since she announced her candidacy, Parrish-Wright. But, he also expects a she’s already been contacted by her “winnowing” of grassroots candidates the 20-year-old daughter’s friends and people closer the election draws. with felonies who recently had their As that happens, the question becomes voting rights restored, telling her that they “how do you winnow without abrasion,” haven’t been voting, but they’ll vote for according to Owen. Because, if you lose her. grassroots candidates Fundraising is also Fundraising is and their supporters an important compodon’t want to back to a successful also an important nent a remaining option, grassroots candidate’s the political outsiders campaign (as it is to component to remain iced out. any campaign). a successful Fenwick believes “There’s going to that the role of have to be some serigrassroots money has changed ous compromising, in elections with the give and take, probcandidate’s prominence of social ably,” said Owen. campaign (as it is media. “And if there would never be a grassroots candito any campaign.) been“There’s more expertise date that would come out of the Democratic Fenwick believes in the city and there’s primary victorious, never been more that the role of there’s going to have potential for kind of to be some genuine through the money has changed breaking compromising and conventional wisdom winnowing and coaliabout needing to in elections with tion building among spend $20 million the prominence of running TV ads until what could very likely be multiple everybody’s absosocial media. candidates.” lutely sick of it,” Fenwick said. Fenwick said that, Fenwick raised money for his camfor a progressive candidate to win the paign primarily through small donations primary, he thinks Louisville’s most leftfrom people with Kentuckians for the leaning voters are going to have to unite behind one candidate who’s really going Commonwealth, the Democratic Socialists to change the city. of America and from other corners of the “Everyone who runs in this primary city. And, he thinks Parrish-Wright can do is going to run as a progressive and a better than he did. lot of the candidates who aren’t, by my Parrish-Wright said she has experience standards progressives, are going to spend with grassroots fundraising, and she plans millions and millions of dollars making to heavily rely on individual donations the point, you know, five, six times a day from all over the city, state and the counon television in 30 second advertisements, try. But, she also wants to approach the that they’re progressive,” he said. “And I wealthy families of Louisville that fund hate to say, that’s going to work on people mainstream campaigns and make her case if, you know, we progressives aren’t willto them, too. ing to get out there, talk to our neighbors “I might not have all the direct connecand really help everyone see that it’s tions from those families, but I’ve been at really in all of our best interest to help many tables with them and I am going to elect somebody who’s really going to be pitch my campaign to them as something focused on the working class and really be that the people believe in,” she said. • able to get to it and fix some of things that
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SAVAGE LOVE
By Dan Savage | mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage
QUICKIES
Q: I’m a 30-year-old straight woman in a three-year relationship with my live-in partner, who is also 30. I love him and he loves me and he wants to make a life with me. However, in this pandemic, the stress is so great that I have lost all desire to have sex. I don’t want anyone touching me right now, not even myself. I feel like I’m in survival mode. I lost the career I love and I’m working four different jobs to make up for it. I have also been coming to terms in therapy with a sexual trauma I suffered, which is making me want to be touched even less. He’s been extremely patient, and says that we can work through it, but I’m really worried that this is the death knell for our relationship. I’m really trying to figure out ways to get myself back in good working order, Dan, but honestly I’m just trying to survive every day right now. Help? Witty Acronym Here A: First, you’re not alone. So many people have seen their libidos tank in response to the overlapping stresses of lockdowns and job losses that sex researcher are talking about (and documenting) a “pandemic sex recession.” So what can you do? You have a long, hard slog in front of you, personally and professionally, and you need to carve out enough time and space for yourself to you get through this. And to do that you’re not just gonna need to reset your partner’s expectations for the duration of the pandemic and/or until you’re back on your feet again professionally and emotionally, you’re going to need to take his yes for an answer. If he tells you he’s willing to tough/rub it out until you’re less stressed out, less overworked, and less overwhelmed, and he’s not being passive aggressive about your lack of desire, then you should take him at his word. If he’s not trying to make you feel bad about the sex you aren’t having right now, WAH, don’t make yourself feel bad about it. There’s no guarantee your relationship will survive this (the pandemic), that (your crushing workload), or the other thing (the trauma you’re working through in therapy). Any one of those things or some other thing could wind up being the death knell for your relationship. But the only way to find out if your desire for your partner will kick back into gear post-pandemic, post-careercrisis, and post-coming-to-terms-with-past-sexual-trauma is to hang in there, WAH, and reassess once your past those posts. Will you two still be together once you’re out of survival mode? Survive and find out. Good luck. Q: I’m a 34-year-old straight woman dating a 32-year-old straight man. When we first met, we
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had both recently relocated to our hometown and were living with our parents. When we first started dating, things were great, however, the sex wasn’t mind-blowing. Foreplay was limited and he always jumped out of bed afterward. I thought this was probably due to the fact that while we had privacy, we were having sex at my parent’s house which isn’t particularly sexy. We finally moved in together nine months ago and now it feels like we’ve been married for decades. He almost always turns my sexual advances down. And when we do have sex, it lasts about five minutes and I do all of the work and get ZERO satisfaction out of it. He will hold my hand on the couch but if I ask him to cuddle he acts like I am asking for a huge favor. I’ve explained to him I need to feel wanted and to have some kind of intimacy in this relationship. And yet, despite the multiple conversations about how sexually, physically, and emotionally unsatisfied I am, he has put in little effort. Otherwise, our relationship is great. We have fun together, I love him, I want to be with him, and we’ve talked about marriage and kids, but I also can’t live this way for the rest of my life. What can I expect from a man who is emotionally and physically unavailable? Intimate Needs That Involve Making A Team Effort A: A lifetime of frustration. You wanna make the sex and physical intimacy work because so much else is working—it sounds like pretty much everything else is working—but you can’t make the sex and intimacy work if he’s not willing to work on it. And even if he was willing to work on it, INTIMATE, even if he was willing to make an effort sexually, there’s no guarantee that working on it will actually work. Some couples work on this shit for decades and get nowhere. Opening the relationship up might make it possible for you to have him and sexual satisfaction too—by getting sexual satisfaction elsewhere—but opening up a relationship also requires effort, INTIMATE, and effort clearly isn’t his thing. DTMFA. Q: My fiancé and I (both male) have been together for six years. I am fully out but he is only out to his close friends and his mom. The rest of his family doesn’t know. His co-workers don’t know. I’ve met his family and co-workers who don’t know and played the “friend” and “roommate” and it kills me but he still won’t budge. It’s also not like homosexuality is taboo in his family. He has a gay uncle and his uncle and his partner are invited to family holidays and welcomed with open arms. Is it even worth continuing this relationship?
Feeling Insecure About Needlessly Closeted Engagement A: Your fiancé has to choose: he can have you or he can have his closet but he can’t have both. It’s not about telling him what to do, FIANCE, it’s about setting boundaries around what you’re willing to do. And for the last six years you let him drag you back into the closet—you were willing to pretend to be his friend or his roommate—but you’re not willing to do that anymore. If he wants to have a life with you, he can choose to come out. If he’s not willing to come out, he’ll have to learn to live without you. mail@savagelove.net Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage. www.savagelovecast.com
CLASSIFIED LISTINGS LEGAL Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to build a two (2) Metal Light Pole Communications Towers. A 46-foot Pole at the approx. vicinity of 1505 River Road, Louisville, Jefferson County, KY 40206. A 46-foot Pole at the approx. vicinity of 1599 River Road, Louisville, Jefferson County, KY 40206. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Alisia Hassler, a.hassler@trileaf.com, 1515 Des Peres Rd., Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63131, 314-997-6111. Notice is hereby given by AAMCO Transmissions #46851 11696 Dixie Hwy, Louisville, KY 40272. 502-933-4747 to obtain title. Owner has 14 days to respond in writing. 2013 BUICK REGAL. VIN#2G4GV5GV7D9236201, owner Kelly Ford 14804 James Madison, Louisville, KY 40272 Humana Inc. seeks Senior Software Engineer in Louisville, KY to develop an understanding of Humana's business needs & translate those needs into web application systems. Pre-employment drug screen & background check required. Apply at jobpostingtoday.com Ref: 65935. Humana Inc. seeks Senior Data Manager in Louisville, KY for data consultation, data strategy & implementation of consumer messaging programs. Background check and drug screen required. Apply at jobpostingtoday. com Ref: 59338
MULTIPLE FACILITIES – MULTIPLE UNITS
Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction at the location indicated: Facility 1: 5807 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40291: February 10, 2021 – 1PM Units: B041, C006 Facility 2: 6708 Preston Highway, Louisville, KY 40219: February 10, 2021 – 1PM Units: 11457, 4017, 404, 514, 529, 548, 788 Facility 3 (ANNEX): 4010 Oaklawn Drive, Louisville, KY 40219: February 10, 2021 – 1PM Units: 9071 Facility 4: 8002 Warwick Ave, Louisville, KY 40222: February 10, 2021 – 1PM Units: 1083, 3251 Facility 5: 4605 Wattbourne Ln, Louisville KY 40299: February 10, 2021 – 1PM Units: 217, 263, 561 Facility 6: 11440 Blankenbaker Access Dr, Louisville, KY 40299: February 10, 2021 – 1PM Units: 436, 668 The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.
Kentuckiana’s Auction Service 6607 Memory Lane Louisville KY 40258 intends to apply for title on a 2018 Tracker fishing boat HIN US-BUJ51087l718 title owner Ronald Spaulding 8414 Roseborough Rd Louisville KY 40228 the owner or lien holder objects in writing within 14 days after publication. Kentuckiana’s Auction Service 6607 Memory Lane Louisville KY 40258. Has intent to obtain title to 2007 Ford Mustang VIN 1ZVHT80N4753314751. Owner of title Hector Herrera 1266 Hanover Rd T7 Delaware OH 43015 And a 1974 Bronco VIN V15GLU48621 Owner of title David Tywman 7318 W Hwy 524 La Grange KY 40031 unless the owner or lien holder objects in writing within 14 days after publication.
Notice is hereby given by J.T. Classic Auto Shop 2341 Millers LN, Louisville, KY 40216 502-309-5980. Owner has 14 days to respond in writing to obtain title to the following: 2004 Honda CBR1000, VIN-JH2SC57064M000657. Owned by Chadwick Boss 9400 Stephenson Rd, Onsted, MI 49265.
Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to build a 35-foot Light Pole Communications Tower at the approx. vicinity of 2240 Boulevard Napoleon, Louisville, Jefferson County, KY 40205. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Alisia Hassler, a.hassler@trileaf. com, 1515 Des Peres Rd., Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63131, 314-997-6111.
PUBLIC NOTICE: Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to build a 43-foot Utility Pole Communications Tower. Anticipated lighting application is medium intensity dual red/white strobes. The Site location is 4123 Lee Avenue, Louisville, Jefferson County, KY 40213, Lat: 38-11-52.80, Long: -85-42-42.03. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Antenna Structure Registration (ASR, Form 854) filing number is A1178182. ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS – Interested persons may review the application (www.fcc.gov/asr/applications) by entering the filing number. Environmental concerns may be raised by filing a Request for Environmental Review (www.fcc.gov/asr/environmentalrequest) and online filings are strongly encouraged. The mailing address to file a paper copy is: FCC Requests for Environmental Review, Attn: Ramon Williams, 445 12 th Street SW, Washington, DC 20554. HISTORIC PROPERTIES EFFECTS – Public comments regarding potential effects on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Ari Zakroff, a.zakroff@trileaf.com, 1515 Des Peres Road, Suite 200, St. Louis, MO 63131, 314-997-6111. Notice is hereby given that pursuant to KRS 359.200-359.250 Morningstar Storage, 646 West Hill St, Louisville, KY 40208 502-434-7537 will sell the contents of the storage units listed below at a public auction at storageauctions.com at 1pm on 2-23-2021. This will not be public, this will only be done digitally at storageauctions.com: Priscilla Roman – Unit #043 Bryan Matthews – Unit 094 Lashonda Whaley – Unit #097 Miranda Jones – Unit #231 Darneill Morris – Unit #278 Charlesetta Thomas – Unit #342 Gordon Jackson – Unit #348 Brian Zeitz – Unit #402 Robin Wade – Unit #406 Willie Foster – Unit #508 Crystal Williams – Unit #525 Reva Tyus – Unit #551 Brittany Sistrunk – Unit #677 Jessica Wiggers – Unit #692 LaQuana Persley – Unit #705 Dominique Tidwell – Unit #715 Reggie Speight – Unit #734 Diana Hayden – Unit #760 Treva Parker – Unit #776 Walter Willis – Unit #800 Walter Newson – Unit #809 Aundrea Thomas – Unit #822
REAL ESTATE - RENTAL Clifton Area, 108 #2, 1 Bedroom, New carpet, linoleum, and paint. Appliances included, C/Air. Intercom from door to upstairs entry. NO PETS. NO SMOKING. $575/mo. Deposit $500. Call for inquiries 502-386-3396.
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