LEO Weekly Nov 9 2022

FOUNDER

John Yarmuth EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Scott Recker, srecker@leoweekly.com

A&E EDITOR

Erica Rucker, erucker@leoweekly.com

DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR

Ethan Smith, esmith@leoweekly.com

STAFF WRITER

Josh Wood, jwood@leoweekly.com

STAFF WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER

Carolyn Brown, cbrown@leoweekly.com

ART DIRECTOR

Talon Hampton, thampton@leoweekly.com

CONTRIBUTING VISUAL ARTS EDITOR

Jo Anne Triplett, jtriplettart@yahoo.com

OFFICE MANAGER

Elizabeth Knapp, eknapp@leoweekly.com

BY TALON HAMPTON

CONTRIBUTORS

James Wilkerson, Robin Garr, T.E. Lyons, Krystal Moore, Marc Murphy, Felix Whetsel, Tyrel Kessinger, Dan Savage, Dan Canon, and the students of Olmsted Academy South

Writer Illustrations by Yoko Molotov ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Marsha Blacker, mblacker@leoweekly.com

EUCLID MEDIA GROUP

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Andrew Zelman

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS

Chris Keating, Michael Wagner

VP OF DIGITAL SERVICES

Stacy Volhein

www.euclidmediagroup.com

WIN OR LOSE, RAND PAUL’S CAMPAIGN WAS IRRESPONSIBLE

By Scott Recker | srecker@leoweekly.com

AS I’M writing this, you have information that I don’t. For me, it’s Monday night, about 20 hours before the polls close on Election Day. For you, it’s Wednesday morning or after, and the results of who won the races and the fate of the ballot amendments are likely well established. Did Craig Greenberg cruise into the mayor’s seat? Did Morgan McGarvey even break a sweat on his route to Congress? Is Rand Paul returning for a third term? Or were there upsets? How compromised is the future of abortion access in the Commonwealth? You probably already know (at least some of) those answers, but one of the only things that I know so far is that the aforementioned incumbent Republican U.S. Senator, Rand Paul, ran a cowardly and dangerous campaign against his progressive counterpart Charles Booker.

Days after Paul missed the deadline to accept an invitation to a candidate forum hosted by KET in early October, and it became clear he was not going to answer Booker’s calls for a debate, the senator worked to flip the narrative by releasing an inflammatory ad. It was a doom-and-gloom video suggesting Booker befriends violent people, and that the challenger wasn’t actually interested in an exchange of ideas, despite calling multiple times for exactly that.

It’s a loaded and gross ad that is accusatory toward several prominent local Democrats, but the tagline at the end is the most explosive aspect: “It’s clear: Charles Booker doesn’t believe in civil discourse, only violence.”

Booker, who ran a campaign on unity and hope, was framed as aggressive and militant. Paul choose to fan the flames and heighten the political temperature through partisan dogwhistling, which, in the current climate, is extremely dicey and irresponsible.

In an appearance on Fox News shortly after the attack on Paul Pelosi, Rand Paul spoke of the parallel between the Speaker of the House’s husband’s recent hospitalization after being hit by a hammer during a home invasion, and his own experience of being tackled and severely injured by his neighbor in 2017. At first it seemed that Rand Paul — who has been unnecessar-

ily made fun of about the attack on him — was going to be level-headed during a time when misinformation was spreading like wildfire. While he didn’t lean into deep conspiracy, he, after trying to initially sound empathetic, almost instantly made the situation about politics, accusing the Dems of creating a “misdirection.”

“I think we should have some compassion for Paul Pelosi and not make everything about politics,” he said on Fox News. “But I see today, and yesterday, all the leftwing is doing, all the Democrats are doing, are trying to make this about politics and I think this is a misdirection thing to get away from all of the things they are doing so terribly with the economy, with crime and everything else.”

How do you contradict yourself that hard in less than 100 words? He thinks he’s throwing out feints within feints here, but this is just blatantly egregious political pandering. There’s no buffer between the show-some-compassion-this-is-about-morethan-politics part and the Democrats-areruining-America part.

This isn’t a low-stakes situation. In terms of the Pelosi attack, there’s a disinformation campaign centered around a man who committed a crime after being radicalized from disinformation campaigns. Several right-wing politicians and pundits are spreading it. The richest person in the world — who now owns a major social media network — posted a link to a debunked conspiracy theory about the attack.

It was an opportunity for Rand Paul to rise above that. He failed.

Even looking back at Paul screaming at Dr. Anthony Fauci during the peak of COVID, it was clearly political theater, more of a PR stunt than a conviction contest. He was campaigning. A viral batshit video is essentially a free campaign ad when you’re trying to inflame a certain base.

To me, it’s clear that Paul is floundering as he’s morphing into something that he once claimed to hate: a career politician who spends their time playing the game instead of working for the people. And he’s diving in hard during a significantly dangerous time to do so. •

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PREPARE?

By Dan Canon | leo@leoweekly.com

LAST MONTH The Atlantic ran a piece called “How to Save Democracy.” This was just one of hundreds of similar articles from the past two years, all of them variations on one central question: How do we make things “normal” again? To the extent that these pieces are prescriptive at all, they mostly prescribe simplistic-but-radical changes in the way we do everything. End gerrymandering! Stop the spread of disinformation! Learn to get along with the fascists who want to erase you! In other articles, the rescue measures are egregiously oversold. Call your representatives! Check your voter registration status! Plant a tree!

Those pieces do not answer the original question. That’s because there is no answer.

This is not solely a commentary on the current state of electoral politics. I’m writing this column the weekend before Election Day, and I don’t know if Democrats held onto the House or the Senate, or who won the Governor’s races, or the Secretary of State races that will determine the shortterm future of fair elections. I won’t know until after this issue goes to press. It’s not quite right to say “I don’t care” about the outcome of the midterms (in fact I do care very much). What I mean is: The democracy cookie is crumbling, and it is unlikely that we can halt the process.

Let’s think this through. Even if Democrats had a clean sweep this year, they’ll become an easy punching bag for the GOP. If they can’t head off the appeal of rightwing populism by mending the wealth gap (spoiler: they can’t), they lose the presidency in 2024. But let’s say the Dems fix everything in the next two years — they pass a Green New Deal and Medicare for All, increase the minimum wage, wipe out student debt, the whole progressive package. The courts will erase all of it, even as they enable red-state legislatures to do whatever they like. And Republicans will still take the White House by consensus, judicial fiat, insurrection or otherwise.

In short, antidemocratic forces are poised to get their way for the foreseeable future, and at this point there isn’t much we can do about it. Scholars and well-informed pundits have been saying as much for years. We stood agog, watching the comet destined to strike America hurtle millions of miles through space, and now it’s finally close

enough to touch.

It’s strange, then, that of all the energy expended by thinkpiece writers on how they’d like to quantum leap back to the safe-and-sane 1990s, almost no ink has been devoted to what is surely a more important question by now: What are we doing to prepare for the inevitable death of American democracy?

Maybe that’s because it’s so hard to see what The Empire looks like after it burns. Lots of bad things are probably going to happen, but it is not inevitable that we will end up in a totalitarian hellworld, our every emoji monitored by morality bots, an fMRI machine installed in our heads to detect dissent, our neighborhoods separated by razor wire. This is not your grandparents’ fascism, after all. Examination of our most powerful conservatives reveals a cabal of barely functioning failsons whose mothers never hugged them. These people do not care about governance. They seem barely cognizant of the existence of other humans at all. There is no coordinated master plan to wipe out one race or another, no grand ideology which might be said to drive the whole thing. So far it’s mostly a directionless cash grab at the expense of the ill-defined enemies of the hour. The engineers of democracy’s end will loot and pillage what they can, leaving the rest of us to fight for what’s left.

Assuming that the artifices of the state collapse, how long do we need to mourn?

“Normal,” for us Xers and Millennials wasn’t all that pretty. An orderly, coordinated America started hundreds of wars, installed dictators, imprisoned millions, erected torture chambers, poisoned waterways, segregated, overcharged, displaced, bulldozed, killed and killed and killed some more. We could do without all that.

Consider, too, that there have always been humans without governance, without hierarchy, without leadership of any kind. This mode of living is not confined to early hunter-gatherer societies, but has been a lived reality for people all over the world at various times, and remains so today. Historian Peter Marshall writes, “In Africa, most people have managed their lives communally outside or despite their corrupt and dictatorial governments.” All of Catalonia was run by syndicates of workers for a few years

in the 1930s. During an economic crisis in 2001, Argentinian activists set up their own trade systems. And in Chiapas state, indigenous activists kicked out the Mexican army in the 1990s so that they could do what the government wouldn’t: Provide clean water, pave roads, and build working hospitals and schools. The army never came back.

Philosopher Colin Ward wrote: “A society which organizes itself without authority, is always in existence, like a seed beneath the snow, buried under the weight of the state and its bureaucracy, capitalism and its waste, privilege and its injustices, nationalism and suicidal loyalties, religious differences with their superstitious separatism.” People on every continent still prepare meals, read to their children and dance at weddings without thinking too much about who is running things, or whether things are being run at all. Maybe we’ll be alright on our own. Maybe even better off.

home? Should we fortify our houses to keep them safe from marauders, duct-taping pots and pans to the windows? Stockpile rifles and canned beans? Build catapults to fight off the drones? Should we buy up medical textbooks and loot imaging devices so that we can play doctor to our aging parents? Should we disappear into our screens, becoming Sims in a virtual world that we can make into whatever we’d like? Or should we learn to eschew weapons, computers and all other tools, wishing instead to feel the earth and grass sifting between our fingers as we plant seeds and dig for grubs? These are difficult, unpleasant considerations. But it seems to me that we can we are better served by asking how we can consciously craft the kind of society we want in the future rather than repeatedly asking how we might salvage the old one. •

Dan Canon is a civil rights lawyer and law professor. His book “Pleading Out: How Plea Bargaining Creates a Permanent Criminal Class” is available wherever you get your books.

FIGHTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN KENTUCKY

James Wilkerson | leo@leoweekly.com

DESPITE human trafficking being an oftendiscussed crime, it still remains a global epidemic, generating an estimated $150 billion worldwide per year, according to a 2021 U.S. State Department report. The Commonwealth has its share of cases, with one of the latest arrests happening in Bowling Green on Aug. 11, after authorities said a man and a woman forced another woman into engaging in sexual activities with several men.

Local experts state that understanding not only the warning signs of human trafficking but also the root causes of trafficking in Kentucky is the foundation needed to properly fight this prevalent crime.

KENTUCKY TRAFFIC

One of the barriers to a cultural change with trafficking is uncertainty of the situation. Thus, to properly respond to trafficking, we must be able to understand exactly what the crime looks like. While movies like 2008’s “Taken” might come to mind, Louisville attorney Soha Saiyed says trafficking usually looks much different. “One misconception about trafficking victims is that they are chained up in a basement somewhere,” says Saiyed, the founder of Stop Traffic Kentucky, which provides education and raises money for victims of trafficking in Kentucky. “Sometimes victims are returning to their homes every night but are still being sold for sex or labor in their community,” she continues.

Saiyed also notes the connection between trafficking and the opioid crisis.

“Data collected by the Cabinet of Health and Family Services shows that in larger cities like Lexington and Louisville, trafficking tends to be coordinated by a pimp or organized gangs,” she says. “In the rural parts of the state, however, trafficking is often a form of currency in the opioid crisis. If mom or dad has a drug problem, they can’t pay off their debt, and they have a child they can trade for a couple of hours, that becomes a way for them to fuel for their habit.”

Understanding the misconceptions about trafficking in Kentucky is equally important in maintaining focus. Amy Nace-DeGonda is a 12-year anti-trafficking professional and serves as the assistant program director for Catholic Charities of Louisville’s Bakhita Empowerment Initiative, which provides

direct services to survivors of trafficking. She says: “People put a lot of emphasis on major events that attract tourists and out of town guests, but there is nowhere in the data that actually specifies that trafficking increases at those events. A University of Louisville study revealed that the promotion of commercial sex in places like Backpage increases during big events, but there is nowhere in the data to show that it’s trafficking.”

TRAFFIC SIGNS

Identifying the warning signs common with victims is key to overcoming the barrier of uncertainty. While a person’s lack of personal effects, inability or fear of social interaction, and mood not matching their surroundings are all indicators, Saiyed points out other potential red flags. “Carrying hotel key cards to multiple hotel rooms at a time is an indicator someone may pick up on if they are engaged with a potential victim,” says Saiyed. “The regular use of words and phrases associated with the commercial sex industry, like ‘living the life, or, being in the business,’ could also be an

alarm,” she says.

Nace-DeGonda also points to warning signs that serve as the overall foundation of the trafficking problem. “When we are talking about root causes, we’re talking about homelessness, racial inequity, poverty; things that make people vulnerable that traffickers are using to exploit,” she says. “The community at large wants to eradicate trafficking, but you are not going to end anything until you are addressing what is the root cause of it happening.”

ROADS TO RESOURCES

The National Human Trafficking Hotline has the distinction of being a key intervention resource in suspected trafficking situations. “The hotline already has connections throughout Kentucky to professionals trained in anti-trafficking and also keeps data that can uncover localized patterns,” Saiyed says.

Nace-DeGonda also recommends utilizing the hotline rather than engaging in direct intervention: “Don’t ever approach someone you suspect of being trafficked because A) they may not be being trafficked, B) you

James

may be putting yourself in danger, or C) you may be putting them in greater danger if they are in fact a victim,” she says. Instead, she stresses the utilization of the hotline, which can dispatch the appropriate professionals to a suspected situation. Beyond reporting, bystander intervention to trafficking must also include working to disrupt poverty, homelessness and racial inequity from an advocacy standpoint. As Nace-DeGonda says, “If you really want to help, you must focus on the root of the problem. Because if we don’t attack trafficking at its root, then it will never go away.” •

If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, you can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

James J. Wilkerson, J.D., is the director of Staff Diversity and Equity and the Deputy Title IX Coordinator at IU Southeast.

J. Wilkerson.

NOV 10

THE ENGLISH BEAT

NOV 11

Ian Munsick

NOV 11 Puscifer*

NOV 12

NOV 12

NOV 13

NOV 15

NOV 16

NOV 17

NOV 18

NOV 18

NOV 19

Dead Letter Office: R.E.M Tribute BABYFACE*

teddy swims

jinjer jackyl

NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me*

Best Night Ever: A Dance Party of Your Wildest Dreams - 18+

Bailey Zimmerman*

tHE mENZINGERS

FULL SCHEDULE AT LIVENATiON.COM

*AT THE LOUiSViLLE PALACE

Gimme Gimme Disco: A Disco Dance Party

Inspired by ABBA (18+)

Nightrain: The Guns N' Roses Tribute

tHE wILD fEATHERS & mICHIGAN rATTERS

THE DOLLY DISCO: The Dolly Parton Inspired Country Western Dance Party (18+)

Nutcracker In A Nutshell*

tHE ROCK & ROLL PLAYHOUSE: tHE ROLLING STONES

WAMZ Acoustic Jam*

Disney Princess the Concert*

Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland*

Giovannie & The Hired Guns

The Beach Boys & The Holiday Vibrations Orchestra*

Louis C.K.*

25

9

11

WHERE SIX LOUISVILLE UNIONIZATION EFFORTS STAND

By Josh Wood | jwood@leoweekly.com

THORNS & ROSES

THORN: RACISM ON UK’S CAMPUS

In a video that quickly went viral and made national and international headlines, University of Kentucky senior Sophia Rosing was seen repeatedly and relentlessly hurling racial slurs at a Black student employee. According to Rosing’s arrest citation, she told police that she “has lots of money and [gets] special treatment.” According to police, she also kicked and bit the o cer who arrested her. Rosing, who was seen in the video trying to swing at the Black student, is charged with 4th degree assault, 2nd degree disorderly conduct, 3rd degree assault on a police o cer and alcohol intoxication in a public place.

THORN: HOMOPHOBIC POSTS BY RESTAURANT OWNER

According to the Courier Journal, one of the owners of the Olé Restaurant Group (which counts La Bodeguita de Mima, GuacaMole and Taco Luchador among its holdings) is facing backlash over memes posted on his personal Facebook page that “questioned the sexual orientation of Paul Pelosi, the husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and made light of a recent assault at his California home that left him hospitalized with a skull fracture.” The owner, Fernando Martinez, told the CJ that the posts were a joke and that he had “always been a champion of being who you are as a person whether it involves race, sexual orientation, and/or sexual preference and always someone that has said be proud of who you are.”

THORN: MUDDYING THE WATERS ON ABORTION VOTE

UNIONS are back.

At a time of rising economic inequality and inflation — and fresh from experiences during the height of the pandemic that left some employees feeling like expendable commodities while giving others a taste of better working conditions when offices were emptied — American workers are increasingly turning to unions.

According to the National Labor Relations Board, in fiscal year 2022, petitions for union representation were up 53% from fiscal year 2021 and were at the highest point since 2016.

Meanwhile, 71% of Americans approve of unions according to recent polling by Gallup, representing the highest level of union support since 1965.

Those national trends are also

being seen here in Louisville, with workers from a diverse range of industries organizing into unions.

As of the time of writing, workers from Louisville businesses have filed 12 union representation petitions with the NLRB’s Cincinnati regional office so far in 2022, up from four in 2021 and six in 2020.

“I think that a tighter job market made people feel less risk averse or less afraid of retaliation, so more willing to try to better their working conditions,” said Ariana Levinson, a labor law professor at UofL’s Brandeis School of Law. “I think that people just want to to be treated with dignity and there’s a lot of emulation going on.”

While there has been a boom in unionization efforts in Louisville, there has also been, for the most part, pushback from employers, who have

largely demanded employees vote rather than voluntarily recognize unions.

Amid the local and national increase in unions, LEO Weekly took a look at the status of several recent Louisville unionization efforts and what led workers to organize.

STARBUCKS

In March of this year, workers at the Starbucks store on Factory Lane in the East End announced that they intended to unionize under Workers United (an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union), writing in a letter to the coffee giant’s CEO that they felt voiceless and could no longer “wait on the company to fix itself.”

Since that unionization push was announced, three more Starbucks stores in the Louisville area — two

In the run-up to the Nov. 8 midterms, Kentucky Republicans tried to muddy the waters surrounding Constitution Amendment 2, the ballot question that would amend the Commonwealth’s constitution to say: “To protect human life, nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.” Anti-abortion Republicans — including Attorney General Daniel Cameron — have bitterly complained that warnings that the amendment would ban abortion are “misinformation.” Instead, they argue, it simply takes the question away from the courts and puts it solely in the hands of the legislature (which, as you might know, has already banned abortion). Some have also sought to present a “yes” vote on the ballot question as a measure to save taxpayer money.

ABSURD: WARNINGS OF ‘SATANIST, MARXIST TIES’ TO NO ON 2 CAMPAIGN

A press release sent to LEO Weekly by The Family Foundation warned of “Satanist” and “Marxist” ties to the opposition to Constitution Amendment 2. Lol. What?

THE WORST, BEST & MOST ABSURD

Heine Brothers’ barista Peter Hyle at a union rally in Louisville in July. | PHOTO COURTESY OF SEIU 32BJ.

NEWS & ANALYSIS

in Kentucky and one across the Ohio River in Clarksville, Indiana — have also announced their intent to organize.

Fern Potter, a worker at the Factory Lane branch, said they contacted union organizers after seeing other Starbucks stores across the country unionize.

“I think the number one factor for everyone and their decision to unite was the recognition of the fact that the company doesn’t care about us,” they said. “And they make that abundantly clear with how they treat us.”

Since a Starbucks store in Buffalo, New York became the first to unionize in December of last year, more than 200 Starbucks across the country have organized.

Potter, 19, said that harassment of staff — both by customers and co-workers — was something they wanted more protections from. They also described employees surviving paycheck to paycheck, struggling to financially get by. They added that they felt working at Starbucks weighed negatively on the mental health of many employees.

“One of the factors behind that is we’re just not treated like people, we’re treated like a commodity,” they said. “We’re treated only as good as the value of our labor is to them.”

Factory Lane store workers voted to unionize in May. Potter said they recently had their first bargaining session with Starbucks, but they said it was not productive.

Potter said other Starbucks in the Louisville area were looking into organizing, but declined to name them.

HEINE BROTHERS’

In September, Heine Brothers’ Coffee workers in the Louisville area voted to unionize.

According to the Service Employees International Union 32BJ branch spokesperson Emily Walker, more than 200 workers from 17 Heine Brothers’ stores in the Louisville area voted to unionize,

making it the largest barista bargaining unit in the country behind Colectivo Coffee, a chain of coffee shops in Illinois and Wisconsin.

The Heine Brothers’ union’s first bargaining date is set for Nov. 16, Walker added.

Jonathan Musselwhite, 40, started working at Heine Brothers’ in 2003, passing through many roles in the company including barista, store manager and now, a warehouse associate at the company’s Portland headquarters. While he wasn’t involved in the initial organizing push, he felt it was important to back the union when he found out about it.

“I chose to support the union because it just seems I owe it to everyone else that I had worked with and do work with now to help make the company a better company,” he said.

Musselwhite added: “Living wages, paid sick leave and fair scheduling practices are the primary things that we’re seeking to change, to improve.”

SUNERGOS

Sunergos barista Clove Harrington, 23, told LEO that employees were motivated to unionize by the wave of coffee shop unions both here in Louisville and across the country.

“It was seeing all of these other baristas all over the country standing up for their rights and what they deserve that made us feel like we could do the same thing and that we deserved to do the same thing,” they said. “And I think it’s just: Working people have had enough, especially in these low-paying jobs with horrible work conditions and not a lot of protection. It’s just time to change things.”

According to Harrington, Sunergos baristas filed for an election in late September but had yet to reach an agreement on an election date with the company.

Sunergos currently has four stores in the Louisville area employing 42 baristas, according to Harrington.

NEWS & ANALYSIS

They said they thought of quitting soon after they started working at Sunergos, realizing that they would not be able to survive on an $8.25 an hour starting wage. But determined to continue working in coffee — and feeling a camaraderie with co-workers — they said they decided to stay and try to make their workplace better.

“I felt a commitment to myself and also to my co-workers in order to make Sunergos a better place,” they said. “Because at the end of the day, I love working in coffee and I don’t want to leave this industry. I just think there needs to be a lot of drastic changes and a lot of things improved in order for it to be a sustainable career, a sustainable job, for all of us.”

COURIER JOURNAL

It’s not just workers in the service industry who are unionizing.

After the Pulitzer Prize-winning Courier Journal lost more than 30 staff members over the course of two years, remaining newsroom employees announced in August that they would be unionizing.

“Unit members believe that Gannett, the company that owns The Courier Journal, must be held accountable for the staff bleed during the pandemic and chronically low wages at the paper,” read part of an Aug. 30 Courier Journal Guild press release.

“Thirty-four staffers have left The Courier Journal over the last two years alone, leaving fewer eyes on community issues that readers care about.”

Since the union was announced, several more journalists have left the paper.

The announcement came shortly after Gannett, the largest newspaper publisher in the United States, initiated a new round of layoffs. Last year, Gannett shut down the Courier Journal’s printing press. And this year, the company stopped

publishing an in-print Saturday paper and sold the Courier Journal’s downtown headquarters.

The paper won a 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting for their coverage of controversial pardons made by former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin as he left office. In 2021, the paper was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for its reporting on the March 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor.

In the August press release announcing the union, Courier Journal food reporter Dahlia Ghabour said: “No one who works full-time at this paper, or any paper, should have to work a second job to make ends meet. All of us work incredibly hard and it’s beyond time we demand equitable pay and benefits that support quality of life for our staff.”

Then-education reporter and current politics reporter Olivia Krauth echoed that.

“I don’t want to have to choose between the career that I love, my home state and having some sense of financial security,” said Krauth, according to the press release.

The Courier Journal Guild asked Gannett to voluntarily recognize the union, saying they had a “supermajority of the newsroom’s eligible staff” on board.

However, Gannett did not recognize the union, forcing a formal vote. Union votes are scheduled to be tallied by the NLRB’s Cincinnati office on Nov. 18.

According to the Pew Research Center, the United States lost 40,000 print journalism jobs between 2008 and 2020 amid a corresponding death of local newspapers. The result is overlooked issues and the growth of “news deserts” — both of which contribute to an environment in which it’s easier for misinformation and disinformation to proliferate.

(LEO Weekly is not immune to the turbulence in the industry:

NEWS & ANALYSIS

The paper was recently informed by its corporate ownership that the number of editorial staff would be reduced to three.)

PIZZA LUPO

While other Louisville unions were born out of grievances, that was not the case at Butchertown restaurant Pizza Lupo, according to union member Katie Barry.

“I’ve worked in the service industry for a few years, and what drew me to Pizza Lupo is the very clear care and empathy for employees and also the guests that come in the door,” she said. “I’ve noticed in my time serving and working that there’s a big difference between corporate entities and small businesses. And Lupo embodies what a small business seeks to have: clear communications, guidelines, a really great product to put out there and excellent employees to put the product out.”

When a colleague approached Barry about unionizing, she was all in. While she didn’t have the kinds of grievances people at other unionizing Louisville workplaces did, Pizza Lupo was growing on the back of its own popularity and she wanted to ensure that there were resources and processes available to support staff and address the needs of employees.

On Oct. 29, Pizza Lupo employees wrote their management a letter about their intent to unionize and inviting them to voluntarily recognize the union. While it’s common for companies to rebuff these letters and demand an NLRB vote while discouraging employees from joining a union, Pizza Lupo took a different route and recognized the union in an Oct. 31 letter.

In an email to LEO Weekly, Pizza Lupo co-owner Sarah Balliet said that the restaurant’s management was “prounion” and had always sought to take the staff’s needs into consideration when making decisions.

“We are aware of the biases that exist around unions, but employees have a right to organize and we would never stand in the way of that,” she said. “We’ve simply agreed to listen with an open mind and we hope to grow the restaurant while maintaining the best interests of everyone involved. We’re proud of the environment we provide, and we are always looking for ways to improve. It feels natural to include our employees in decisions that affect them.”

Pizza Lupo organized under Restau-

rant Workers United, a union that began operations in 2020. The Butchertown pizza shop is the union’s first foothold in Louisville.

“Be on the lookout, because it could be someone else’s restaurant that’s next to join a union and create this great change. It’s a huge deal,” said Barry. “We’re all really proud of it.”

PUBLIC DEFENDERS

Attorneys from the Louisville-Jefferson County Public Defender Corporation voted to unionize in a 32-5 vote in January, citing “unmanageable” caseloads and high turnover.

However, despite the vote, public defenders in the union and their International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 369 attorney say that negotiations have not yet been productive.

Additionally, they filed charges with the NLRB over the Public Defender Corporation’s initial refusal to bargain at all — or to provide information related to wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment to the union.

IBEW attorney Ben Basil said the Public Defender Corporation eventually entered negotiations, but only after charges were filed.

“That’s not enough to get them out of legal trouble,” he said. “It’d be like if I stole your wallet and wouldn’t give it back to you and then the police came and then I was like ‘Well, he can have it.’ Too late, I’ve already done the thing. That’s kind of where we are.”

An NLRB hearing to determine whether the Public Defender Corporation violated the National Labor Relations Act was held in early November. Basil said he expects a judgement in the case sometime next year.

Speaking to LEO Weekly in September, public defender and union member Blake Gerstner said in his first year as a public defender, he handled nearly 800 cases. He said he had 266 active cases at the time he spoke to LEO.

“I don’t think there’s an attorney in my office who believes that they are fully meeting their ethical, their constitutional, obligations to each of these indigent clients,” he said. “I’ve brought these concerns directly to my supervisors: I do not feel like I can represent 266 [cases] at a time in a totally competent manner.” •

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Illustration by John J. Cobb

Illustration by John J. Cobb

EARLIER this month, 17 seventh graders from Olmsted Academy South wrote and read letters about what they hope the next Louisville mayor can accomplish to the offices’ two leading candidates: Republican Bill Dieruf and Democrat Craig Greenberg. Even though by the time this issue hits newsstands on Wednesday morning Louisville will likely know who its next mayor will be, LEO is excited to reprint some of the children’s letters. They provide a poignant look at the concerns of the city’s youth.

These “Dear Future Mayor” letters were written in a collaborative project between Young Authors Greenhouse and Olmsted Academy South. Young Authors Greenhouse is a non-profit that inspires students ages 6-18 to recognize the power of their voices and stories. To learn more and support this work, visit www.youngauthorsgreenhouse.org

Dear Future Mayor,

My name is Hawa and I’m 12 years old in 7th grade. What matters to me is that I’m protected by my family, friends, and my school.

What I love about Louisville is that even if a lot of people don’t like Louisville, there are still people who try to be fair and make fair laws.

But personally, I feel like people who are a different religion than you doesn’t mean you should treat them like they are any different than you. I think people should treat everyone equally, even if they are not the same as you. People should respect our religions, because some religions preach the goodness of truth and moral living, love and compassion.

We should respect all religions in the same manner, as we respect our own religion and who we are on our own. Some religions do not get the same respect and fair laws just depending on who they are and what they believe in.

People think it’s weird when me and people of my religion eat different foods. And the way we dress. How we celebrate religious holidays. This makes me feel upset because it’s normal when they do it? But suddenly when it’s me it’s not normal.

What I think you should do to change this problem is, make a special effort to involve businesses, schools, houses of worship, politicians, chil-

dren, and members of targeted groups. Let victims know you care. Surround them with comfort and protection. Speak up on situations that include hate towards others because in the end we are all equal.

Good luck on your job now and the future, Hawa Hey Dear Future Mayor,

I’m Nevaeh. The things I love about Louisville are the waterfront and the places you could go, like the restaurants. Even though a lot happens here, it is still a fun place to be. We know not everyone is perfect and no one will ever be. Sometimes we have to acknowledge the fact that we live in a bright, full-spirited city.

But, Future Mayor, I want to know why there are so many violent things going on in our city?

It feels like everywhere I go to enjoy myself and have fun, there is always something or someone that just shuts the whole party down.

Guns and pocket knives are being sold to anyone. It doesn’t matter your age.

You could walk down the street or even look at your phone and see a 14, 15, or maybe even 13 year old holding a fully-loaded gun in their hands. Why?? These weapons are getting sold anywhere to anyone without any background check whatsoever. It is so dangerous and scary, because you never know what might happen.

I just want to solve this issue and I’m asking for your help, dear future mayor.

I know it is a lot of responsibility, but it would help a lot of young lives.

On July 2, a boy named Allen Wilson was shot. He later died in the hospital. This is very sad and gruesome.

We need to have some way of keeping guns off the streets.

A lot of violence happens in states and cities every single day. But you cannot change what is going on in other cities, but you can change ours.

We should be able to go places without having to have police officers and security everywhere. It is not fair for kids, but it is also not fair for families and loved ones who want to go out and have a great time.

I also feel like parents should not have weapons around kids. According to the news, on

Republican Bill Dieruf. | ALL PHOTOS BY CAROLYN BROWN.

Democrat Craig Greenberg.

We all have big, important roles to play, but you have an even bigger role to play than us. You can change things in ways that we cannot. So I’m just asking you, and only you, how can you help make this city a better place?

Thank you, Dear Future Mayor.

Sincerely, Nevaeh

Dear Future Mayor,

Hi, my name is Inaas and I am 12 years old. I go to Olmsted Academy South.

I love Louisville and all the amazing buildings and statues surrounding you. It truly is an amazing place.

I would like to tell you about something that matters to me: cultural representation.

Most people don’t look at it. I celebrate Eid sometimes during school time and I have never really missed any days without getting it excused. Christian Americans celebrate their holidays without having to be absent. Everyone just gets the day off.

What about us? Why do we have to excuse our holidays?

Let’s talk about holidays! I know we all at least celebrate one of them. Most people celebrate Christian Holidays in the United states.

I know that there are a lot of different religions. I know that we can change the fact that there is only one culture and religion that is prominently shown in Louisville.

Do you want that to represent us?

We all know that there are LOTS of different types of people in Louisville.

Most of us come from different parts of the world.

We all should be representing everyone, not just one religion and culture!

Why do we have to be counted absent for something we celebrate and

April 24, 2022, a two-year-old accidentally shot himself.

Republican Bill Dieruf.

not you? Why do we have to? Why don’t Christians have to do the same?

I know we can change. Let’s not just try, but let’s succeed.

Muhammad Ali is one of the most known people in Louisville. He is a great example of cultural representation. We need more of that.

Diwali was on October 24. I have a friend from India and she is Hindu. She had to get a note prepared to miss school on this holiday.

Why does she have to do it?

How is this fair? How can you help? Dear Future Mayor, how can you change this? Not for me, for the people.

Why does this have to be a free country for only one kind of person?

Good luck and stay well, Inaas

Dear Future Mayor,

I am 13 years old and I enjoy Louisville. I think that the area I am in is safe and the schools are educational and welcoming, but personally I think we have a few issues.

I dont think it’s addressed much but coming from a girl point-of-view, I think that hygiene and care for women should be talked about, especially concerning menstruation.

Women are most likely to spend around $4,752 in their lifetime just on pads. We buy the products we need, wincing and groaning at the price tag. We are forced to pay the price for being a woman.

Most women get their period at a certain age. Even little girls at the age of 11-13. But it’s not something we choose.

Periods might be physically uncomfortable, but the worst part is that we have to pay for tampons, pads, and other hygiene items to keep ourselves clean, healthy and safe while our bodies do what they do.

This is what we need, not want.

Louisville should try and focus on these things. I suggest these things that women need and are important should be free for anyone in need. Even leaving pads, tampons, and deodorant around in public bathrooms/ areas would be helpful. It would reduce stress on women’s shelters, and reduce waste.

Congratulations on your new job. I hope it goes well for you in the present and the future.

Sincerely,

A Seventh Grader

Hello Future Mayor!!

Let me introduce myself if I may!

My name is Aaliyah and I am in the seventh grade at Olmsted Academy South.

Something that matters to me most is the people I am surrounded by.

I would never want to lose one of my family friends. Or my friends, who I am slowly growing up to be with.

I like Louisville mostly. I love driving on bridges and looking at the water below.

But now to the actual message and what I truly want to say. There have been some issues that have been on my mind regularly. One of the issues is

police brutality. Did you know that some police have been targeting Black people and people of color?

Police are quick to use violence against Black citizens even when it is later provided they have done nothing.

Police brutality can include beatings, racial abused, unlawful killing, torture, and even descriminate use of riot control tactics.

People, children, have been killed by the people supposed to protect society.

Black people like George Floyd, Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, and many more.

Did they deserve the death of people they thought would help them?

Do people deserve this? Should justice be solved truthfully? Should we ignore actions that could be happening right now at this very moment?

I feel like this is very unfair. Not just to Black people but to everyone that is affected by it

I want to help stop these brutal actions but I know that I can’t.

Could you help me? Could you help us ?

Though I know these questions may not be answered

I hope you can help us. You could help change the cause.

Have a good time as mayor.

Sincerely,

Aaliyah

Dear Future Mayor,

Hello my name is Karen and I go to OAS. I am 12 years old in the 7th grade.

I feel like the world is slowly falling apart everyday but we are doing our best to stop it. There are many people out there who don’t care about our world and act in unreasonable ways, despite this, Kentucky is still a happy place.

I am personally concerned about safety in schools. Kids are dying because of school shootings, not just here in Kentucky, it’s all around the country.

Democrat Craig Greenberg

Sexual assaults are another thing I’m here to talk about. According to RAINN, 13% of all students experience sexual assault through physical force, or violence (among all graduate and undergraduate students).

Usually kids in middle school or high school are the ones who commit suicide because they are being harrased by certain people. I found out on the 27th of May 2022 that a classmate of mine had committed suicide.

I feel like this type of violence should stop. I feel like coming to school is not very safe, and I know I’m not the only one.

I feel like you as the mayor should put more focus on children in schools, although many other people are already taking care of that problem bit by bit, the mayor should still pay more attention to school safety. I hope you listen to all the peoples opinions.

Congratula ons on being the Mayor, Karen

Dear Future Mayor,

I feel that people in the LGBTQIA+ community can be mistreated. I feel this because many people in the community are patronized and even have hate crimes done to them because they are themselves. I even experience this because I am trans, my grandparents are quite transphobic, homophobic, and even racist.

Also, according to NBC News, in just 2020 alone, hate crimes motivated by gender bias rose by 20%.

Many people commit suicide because they aren’t accepted by those around them. According to The Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to consider suicide seriously.

Teens and adults ages 13–24 attempt suicide every 45 seconds in the United States alone.

Why should we go through being scared to show who we are?

Why do we have to be told we are wrong for being born in the wrong body?

When will we get accepted by those we should look up to?

Why are some of us neglected and even kicked out because of how we were born?

Some of these questions won’t be answered, because that will never happen.

Although The Trevor Project is out there, many people still don’t have access to the internet. Even though people might have access to the internet, they can be monitored heavily so they can’t reach out.

Many don’t believe we should have rights, due to us not being the gender we were born as. I never asked to hate what I look like and wonder why I was born like this. I don’t want to wonder why I’ll never be loved by those I should look up to because of who I am.

But, I do.

I know this may not happen soon, but I just wish for things to be out there to encourage us, help us be brave, and be strong so we can get through this.

You could teach kids that being themselves and respecting others is okay.

If you do this you can spark hope in many children, teens, and adults who are struggling with rejection.

Sincerely,

STAFF PICKS

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9 John Moreland

Headliners Music Hall | 1386 Lexington Road | headlinerslouisville.com | $20-$30 | 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOV. 12

Live Podcast with Laurel Hightower and Graveyard

Co�fee Talk

Butcher Cabin Books | 990 Barret Ave. | horrorbookstore.com/eventss | Free | Book signing 4-6 p.m., podcast recording 6-7 p.m.

ALT-COUNTRY

Through his searching, razor-sharp folkadjacent songs, John Moreland can translate sadness, grief, longing and the dangerous side of nostalgia into these explosively sad, yet completely magnetic songs that can masterfully pull listeners into the deep waters of his mind. His rst solo record, 2013’s In the Throes, is one of the best alt-country records I’ve ever heard, and he’s expanded his sound ever since, tweaking things in di erent directions by incorporating elements of electronica and hip-hop. Early on in the grind, he got a boost from being featured on “Sons of Anarchy” and opening for people like Jason Isbell. Now he’s ying. Christoper Paul Stelling opens. —Scott Recker

THURSDAY, NOV. 10

Kelsey Waldon

Zanzabar | 2100 S. Preston St. | zanzabarlouisville.com | $15 | 8 p.m.

Specialty bookstore Butcher Cabin is o to a roaring start, and now it faces its rst challenge: postHalloween. Just as some trick-or-treaters swear o candy after their bellies declare there’s been too much sugary indulgence, there’s reason to ask whether horror fans and the merely curious will keep emptying the store’s shelves as the general seasonal consumer vibe shifts toward tofurkey and then mistletoe. Storekeep Jenny Kiefer’s response is beyond business-savvy—it’s pure in spirit. The store is lling up its calendar with events that demonstrate belief that seeing indie horror in print, elevated horror onscreen, etc., are signs that this is a creative and artistic niche with staying power. A prime example: Lexington author Laurel Hightower is coming to town to promote her latest novella. The much-praised “Below” has funcreepy potency (is that the Mothman out on the road tonight?) but doesn’t shirk from exploring matters of a woman’s trust lost-and-maybe-regained. Following the author’s afternoon reading/signing, there’ll be a podcast recording at the bookstore. But room for live attendees is limited. (No, that’s not a horror pun!) Check store website for details.—T.E. Lyons

THROUGH NOV. 13

‘Group Of One: Paintings By j.a. cowan’

Whether she’s being introspective, speaking to societal trends or singing about desolate old towns that have been neglected and left to rot, Kentucky’s Kelsey Waldon has the grit and vision to create something completely striking. I remember the rst song of hers that I heard — 2014’s “High in Heels” — which still blows me away all of these years later — it captures desperation and hypocrisy in a way few artists can. It’s the epitome of her talent, and her discography is packed full of similar examples. —Scott Recker

HIGH IN HEELS

Surface Noise | 600 Baxter Ave. | Search Facebook | Free Louisville is welcoming artist j.a. cowan to town with his new exhibition “group of one.” The series of paintings took four years and three states to complete. As to the meaning of the work, cowan feels it is up to the viewer to interpret. “I take the position that it is not my place to force my intent or my vision or my understanding on you. Our visions, our shared understandings, will always be ltered through separate lenses. There is no contract or commitment.” The closing reception is on Saturday, Nov. 12 from 6-9 p.m. —Jo Anne

Triplett

‘Seabright (Fire Sky 1)’ by j.a. cowan. Acrylic on canvas.

Author Laurel Hightower.

John Moreland.

Kelsey Waldon.

PICKS

THURSDAY, NOV. 17

Kenan Thompson’s Ultimate Comedy Experience

Louisville Comedy Club | 110 W. Main St. | louisvillecomedy.com/shows | Tickets start at $20 | 8 p.m. What’s up with that? Famed

Saturday Night

Live star Kenan

Thompsons started a contest for comedians to nd the funniest comedian in America. On this night, the venue will crown the funniest person in Kentucky. Comedians will take the stage with the hope of getting enough laughs and enough votes to move on to the next round in New York City with Kenan Thompson. Comedians will also get a showcase at Caroline’s Comedy Club, a night at SNL and other prizes. Local funny folks, bring your best material.

—Erica Rucker

UPCOMING EVENTS

THURSDAY, NOV. 17

Louisville Film Society Short Film Slam

Speed Art Museum | 2035 S. 3rd St. | speedmuseum.org/cinema/ | $12 general admission, $8 Speed/Louisville Film Society members | 7-9 p.m.

ALL THAT FILM

Up-and-coming lmmakers from the Louisville area will show short lms (each 15 min. or less) and take questions from the audience. A jury will also award $500 to the lmmaker with the best movie of the night.

—Carolyn

Brown

Kenan Thompson.

SATURDAY, NOV. 19

Louisville Cosplay Walk — Winter Edition

Big Four Bridge | facebook.com/groups/louisvilleanime | Free | 4-7 p.m.

DRESS UP

“One Piece” and all anime fans, join the Louisville Anime Community in the bi-annual cosplay walk. It started as a way to meet other anime fans for photos and dinner, but it grew as a great way to share fandoms within anime and beyond. The event is open to the public, and cosplayers will gather around 4 p.m. If you’ve been saving your Gundam Wing mobile suit or your Monkey D. Lu y costume, this is for you. Don’t ask questions. Don’t be shy. Be in costume and ready to strut your otaku goodness all over the Big Four Bridge. The group does ask that if you are ill, feverish or contagious to please wear your costume at home. —Erica

Rucker

SATURDAY, NOV. 19

Louisville Potters 48th Annual Holiday Pottery Sale

Holy Trinity Clifton Campus | 2117 Payne St. | louisvillepotters.org | Free | 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

POTTERY

Now that Halloween is over, it’s time for Christmas (sorry Thanksgiving). I don’t need Black Friday to tell me it’s the buying season — I wait for the news that the Louisville Potters’ holiday pottery sale is happening again. This annual event features 12 local artists, including Amy Elswick, Wayne Ferguson and Susan Hatcher, selling their handcrafted ceramics. The group is also accepting donations for the Shamrock Pet Foundation to help dogs and cats in need.

—Jo Anne Triplett

Clay vessel by Tonya Johnson.

‘When I Grow Up, I Want To Be A Kid’

By Alex Trainor

Revelry Boutique + Gallery | 742 E. Market St. | revelrygallery.com | Free

NOSTALGIA

Being an adult is hard. Louisville artist Alex Trainor says we need to ease up. His solo exhibition features his latest series on how to see the world with childlike eyes. Trainor’s paintings and drawings shows us industrious grownups the need to reconnect with fun and innocence again. But it’s fundamentally about having an open mind. “The artwork in my youth was always a journey towards laughter,” he said.

—Jo Anne Triplett

‘Leonardo’ by Alex Trainor. Acrylic on canvas.

Drop off toys during pizza week at these 2 locations!

MUSIC SONIC BREAKDOWN

‘BLOODBUILDER’ BY ANDY MATTER

By Tyrel Kessinger | leo@leoweekly.com

TICKETS AT LOUISVILLEPUBLICMEDIA.ORG/WAIT

Host Peter Sagal leads a rollicking review of the week’s news in NPR’s comedy news quiz show.

ANDY MATTER, aka Andy Washburn, is a man who does things his own way. He’s also a man who is always looking for new ways to do them. As with everything and everyone, the pandemic lockdown forced us all to readjust our lives and routines, but for Washburn, it was a chance to shake up his usual equation. Taking lemons and making the proverbial lemonade, Washburn designed a new music-making routine which led not only to “Bloodbuilder,” but a whole slew of songs that would eventually form his 2021 album, Lounge

“For me, ‘Bloodbuilder’ serves as a milestone of when I began to feel comfortable in a new method of delivering a familiar sound,” said Washburn. “COVID19 provided me a rare opportunity to perform office duties and record my music in the same basement within minutes of one another, and so I would record as soon as I had clocked out — a loop pedal for a band and an 8-track and a laptop for a studio.”

“Bloodbuilder” is soaked in nuanced dissonance, flecked with touches of early ‘90s indie rock with its revelation in sharp, glass-shattering guitar noise, and would fit right at home in a psychedelic noir mystery movie. And while, in the past, Washburn has generally favored singing on his music, on “Bloodbuilder” (and the rest of Lounge) he

decided it was time to instead let the music do the talking.

“I was just dipping my toes in the waters of instrumental music, having freed myself of the ballast of vocals and lyrics. Does a 40-something Caucasian dude with an electric guitar really have anything new to say anyway? And it turns out I give myself more creative license with titles without having a forced refrain tied to it. This one is named after a vitamin supplement my wife and I discovered. It’s a fun, loose, shuffle in an E chord ad nauseam. It can go three minutes; it can go 13. It opens itself up to any accompaniment I want.”

While most artists generally look to the actual lyrics or the meaning/message in their songs when naming them, Washburn took another, more imaginative route.

“For years, my wife and I have collected imagined song titles and artists’ names in a paperback notebook we keep in our living room. This is the first and, so far, only instance of my having raided the book for a title, with her blessing, of course. My apologies to Imagination Station, the artist we had originally tacked the song ‘Bloodbuilder’ to.” •

Andy Washburn aka Andy Matter talks “Bloodbuilder” with Tyrel Kessinger. | PHOTO FROM BANDCAMP

RECOMMENDED LUPO’S PIZZA IS TOPS… AND THAT’S NOT ALL

By Robin Garr | LouisvilleHotBytes.com

I DID a quick double-take when I heard that Pizza Lupo had won “Best Pizza” honors in LEO Weekly’s Readers’ Choice awards.

Not that it isn’t worthy. Lupo’s woodfired, leopard-spotted pies with their quality toppings are a go-to for me whenever I have pizza in mind. After all, “Pizza” is the restaurant’s first name.

What’s more, one of the first things you see when you enter the charming dining room of this renovated 160-year-old redbrick Butchertown building is a towering stack of takeout pizza boxes.

But in contrast with many of the region’s other top pizza spots, Lupo offers much more. It’s a top-tier pizzeria. And it’s a splendid Italian/international eatery with an impressive kitchen and, by the way, an exceptional bar. It’s a winning combination, and it makes Lupo one of my favorite restaurants.

I didn’t even go with pizza in mind the other day. Nope. Lupo’s Facebook Page nabbed me with its post: “Colder weather brings richer dishes back to Lupo. Gnocchi parisienne in taleggio cream with sage from

our garden and roasted pepitas.”

Can you say “yum,” boys and girls?

I thought you could. So we came for the gnocchi, but of course we got pizza, too: Not just any random pizza but a beautiful Neapolitan-style pie loaded with local mushrooms and fine Italian cheeses.

Lupo’s menu doesn’t go on for pages. It’s a simple sheet with food on one side and an impressive selection of reasonably priced artisanal beverages on the other. Rest assured, two pages allow plenty of room for a selection of excellent choices.

On the food side, the first column offers eight wood-fired sourdough pizza options. These 16-inch pies range in price from $21 (for a classic margherita or vegan marina made with soleggiati sun-dried and milled organic tomatoes) to $26 (for a cheesestuffed pizza fiore, available only Mondays through Thursdays). Add cheese, meat or veggie toppings from an extensive list for $1 to $6 each.

Column Two, titled “From the Kitchen,” adds a choice of ten items including entrees, small plates and a single artisanal gelato

“Funghi” is Italian for “mushroom,” and Lupo’s funghi pizza is loaded with fancy specimens from local Frondosa Farms, along with four Italian cheeses. |

PHOTOS BY ROBIN GARR.

Looks like scallops, and good ones too! But it’s actually Lupo’s feather-light gnocchi parisienne in taleggio cream with crunchy roasted pepitas and sage from the restaurant’s own garden.

dessert ($7), ranging in price from $6 (for a plate of Castelvetrano olives with housemade fennel pollen togarashi spice) to $20 (for a seasonal gnocchi dish or spaghetti and meatballs made with 3D Valley Farm beef). The gnocchi parisienne ($20) came out in an attractive, high-sided blue-gray dish, and for a minute there I thought they’d made a mistake and brought us scallops instead.

Fourteen inch-wide rounds, thick and flattened and browned on top, were dead ringers for perfect bay scallops right off the day boat.

They were the real thing, though, like little silken no-meat scallops. Gnocchi parisienne are made not from the traditional potato-flour mix but from pâte à choux, the feather-light dough that’s used for cream

puffs and éclairs, most likely poached, then seared. They were so light that it seemed they could have lofted up to the clouds, but their rich and aromatic cheese sauce kept them safely tethered to Mother Earth.

The gnocchi and earthy Northern Italian taleggio cheese sauce worked together with crunchy pepitas and crisply fried sage leaves to yield a dish that was subtle, creamy and filling. You really could not pick out one single dominant flavor from an orchestral chorus that made me want to jump up and cheer.

And then we got into the pizza, which demanded a second ovation. Normally I’m a pizza traditionalist and prefer pizzas built with the customary tomato sauce and cheese. Indeed, the last time I reviewed Pizza Lupo, not long after its 2017 opening, I went straight for the classic margherita and rated it “toward the top of Louisville’s pizza derby.”

This time, though, the lure of roasted locally grown mushrooms from Frondosa Farms in Simpsonville drew me in, along with an imposing four-cheese mix of that creamy, funky taleggio plus mozzarella, buttermilk ricotta and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

A resounding success, it was one of the best pizzas I’ve met recently. The crust

didn’t offer me a distinct sourdough flavor, although you can find hints of sour scent if you pay attention. You’re given ample puffy edges that open to reveal a pure white interior with large bubbles that suggest a wet, well-cured dough. Pale-tan on the exterior, its traditional dark-char “leopard spots” reveal the work of the wood-fired oven.

The mushrooms — oyster mushrooms, I believe — were earthy, in a good way, and sang the melody line of this culinary chorus. The combination of cheeses worked nicely, too, making a thick and much more fascinating topping than just plain mozzarella. Tiny amber puddles of olive oil and a few crinkly crisp basil leaves added subtle complexity.

With a generous pour of Esencia Rural Pampaneo Arién, a natural white wine from Spain ($10 for a glass, $38 for a bottle), a lovely dinner for two came to $58.30, plus a 25% tip. Pizza Lupo is open seven days a week, evenings only. •

PIZZA LUPO

1540 Frankfort Ave. 409-8440 pizzalupo.com

Pizza Lupo’s management proudly announces the restaurant’s recent “Best Pizza” selection in LEO Weekly’s Readers’ Choice awards.

ALPHONSE MUCHA AT THE SPEED: BEYOND THE AESTHETIC APPEAL

By Erica Rucker | leo@leoweekly.com

ALPHONSE MUCHA is perhaps the most famous poster and decorative artist of the Art Nouveau era. He was certainly much more profound and prolific than his famous posters, and what he understood about design, branding and grabbing the attention of viewers, has been studied and dissected many times over by students of art and historians.

The Speed Art Museum is one of two museums in the country to share the “Alphonse Mucha: Art Nouveau Visionary” show. Many of his most famous works are on view there until Jan. 22, 2023.

How did Mucha become one of the most sought after graphic designers of his time? A bit of luck, and a bit of legal and cultural change in France.

“When you see something like this, posters up until this point have been incredibly popular,” said Kim Spence, director of collections and exhibitions and curator of works on paper, as she introduced LEO to the exhibit. “The laws in France changed around 1881. There had been these restrictions that you couldn’t put posters on walls. You couldn’t put advertisements on walls. They changed the laws, and all of a sudden, commercial companies and theater companies… everybody was trying to advertise something. They started hiring really great artists because there was this incredible competition where you had to grab people’s attention.”

Mucha’s compositions were unusual, bold and for sure grabbed attention with his large female figures, framed by Byzantine clothing or textures and surrounded by rich florals.

Alongside period contemporaries like Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Jules Chére, Eugène Grasset, the American William H. Bradley and the English Aubrey Beardsley, Mucha’s innovations influenced and expanded what was shaping up to become Art Nouveau.

Alphonse Mucha was a painter born in Moravia, an area in what we now know as the Czech Republic, but was living and working in Paris. When actress Sarah Bernhardt wanted a new poster for her play, “Gismonda,” she made a call to Maurice de Brunhoff, the manager of the publishing firm Lemercier. De Brunhoff needed an artist

on short notice as none of his usual artists were available. Mucha had seen Bernhardt and even sketched her in 1890 for “Cleopatra” for Costume au Théâtre. De Brunhoff contacted Mucha and asked him to design the new poster. Mucha gave them something unexpected and completely new. At the time, Mucha was living with fellow artist Paul Gauguin and living the late 19th century artist life, and when he shared the idea with De Brunhoff, the response was not what Mucha expected. De Brunhoff hated it, but he had no choice except to turn the idea over to Bernhardt.

“So Alphonse, as he tells the story in his memoir, he kind of walked home through the snow feeling that he’d blown his one shot at success,” said Marcus Mucha, great grandson of the artist. “Imagine — it’s horrible. He got back to his apartment and there was a note on the door saying, ‘Come to the Théâtre de la Renaissance immediately, orders of Madam Sarah.’”

Marcus Mucha and “Alphonse Mucha: Art Nouveau Visionary” curator Tomoko Sato stopped in Louisville for the opening of the show at the Speed this October. During their visit, along with Spence, they discussed many of the works and facets of Mucha’s fascinating life.

One of the innovations of Mucha was the way his posters were composed, often taking two landscape sheets and making a large vertical that made it feel as if the actress were standing on the street next to you. It was visually stunning and became quite a popular collectible amongst people in Paris.

“What would happen is, people would go and bribe the bill stickers to let them take a copy of it home. Or people would go out with a razor blade, cut down the poster and take it away,” says Marcus Mucha.

The Speed took great care in presenting “Alphonse Mucha: Art Nouveau Visionary.” From the coordinating colors and wall textures used in the exhibit to the items of the Art Nouveau era from the Speed’s collection added to the exhibit, the audience is given a dreamy window into the time and feel of the Art Nouveau and the “Belle Époque” of France and Europe during the late 19th century, a time before the world wars that would change Europe forever.

The show shows an artist who, despite living in Paris, kept very close to his Moravian and Byzantine roots. He often added the motifs of his homeland into his compositions.

“He grew up as a member of a discriminated-against Czech-speaking minority in that empire,” said Marcus Mucha. “There were already rumblings of a kind of Czech-Slovak independence movement. And there were ways in which people were trying to encourage the Czech language to come back. It had been banned for a while. There was kind of a Czech nationalist revival trying to get the language to come back. Mucha’s Czech roots were really important to him.”

Throughout his work, even in the works commissioned by Bernhardt, Mucha managed to pull his heritage and roots into the compositions. Another aspect of Mucha’s work was that his compositions almost always featured women as central figures and depicted them as symbols of power and strength. In this way, he offered a feminist tone to his view of the female in contemporary culture.

His work with Bernhardt solidified his fame but he actively worked with other companies and produced cigarette ads like the famous “Job” poster and perfume ads

Marcus Mucha, the great-grandson of Alphonse Mucha talks to museum members. | PHOTOS PROVIDED BY THE SPEED.

Curator Tomoko Sato talks with visitors at the opening of the “Alphonse Mucha: Art Nouveau Visionary” show.

amongst others before beginning to seek fulfillment in his work in other ways.

He, like many artists, felt that industrialization and mechanization had too large a place in the world.

“All of these Art Nouveau artists reacted to it, and they actually wanted to say, ‘Let’s return to nature.’ And Mucha completely agreed with that. That is his aesthetics, and also it is his ethos,” said show curator Tomoko Sato.

“That’s what you see in the decorative arts pieces from our collection,” said Spence. “In addition to the Otto Eckmann, you see all of these references to nature that are so characteristic of the Art Nouveau. You see it in this wonderful tall glass by Tiffany that takes the form of a tulip.”

One of the fascinating aspects of exploring this show was the connections Mucha had to other artists. Tiffany and Mucha actually knew each other.

“One bonus here is Mucha was friendly with Tiffany,” said Sato. “They met in Paris, and when Mucha came to America, he revisited Tiffany’s workshop, and there was a record, actually; Mucha might have been commissioned [for] some design.”

In 1900, Mucha was at the height of his influence, wealth and power as an artist but he was largely unhappy. His unhappiness stemmed from the knowledge that as Paris was gearing up for a World’s Exposition where he was commissioned to paint murals for the Bosnia-Herzegovina pavilion, he learned about the oppression of Slavic people in these regions. Instead of making a political statement, however, he used this assignment to celebrate the heritage and cultural diversity of the region. Then, because

he was unsatisfied with this representing the full picture of Slavic peoples, he began his 20-panel work, the “Slav Epic.”

These paintings are so large that they are unable to travel with the exhibit but they are included in a large video near the end of the exhibit walkthrough.

There is much more to say about this exhibit, but it’s probably best to end with the fact that it is not to be missed. Mucha’s work is much more than decorative and much more than beautiful.

Mucha left Paris near the end of his life. He wanted to be in his homeland, helping his people seek independence. He died of pneumonia, caught during an arrest by the Nazis. Mucha’s son, Jiří, had fled the area because he was Jewish. When Mucha died, his family had to ask the Nazis to allow a funeral for the artist, as he was a national hero.

“My family, they petitioned the Nazis to be able to have a funeral and to inter him at the national monument. The Nazis said yes, but only the immediate family could attend,” Marcus Mucha said.

“We think that the idea was that my grandfather would come back and then they would seize him. So my grandfather did come back, but rather than listening to the Nazis, over 100,000 regular Czech people came up and lined the streets of Prague to the National Monument to bid farewell to their national artist. And, that was one of the last big public acts of protest before the dark years of the Nazi occupation.” •

See “Alphonse Mucha: Art Nouveau Visionary” at the Speed Art Museum now through Jan. 23.

Visitors at the opening of “Alphonse Mucha: Art Nouveau Visionary” show at the Speed Art Museum. |

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE SPEED.

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COMIC BOOK REVIEWS!

By Krystal Moore and Felix Whetsel | leo@leoweekly.com

“Dark Ride” #1

Written by Joshua Williamson

Art by Andrei Bressan

Love or hate Disney? Love or hate amusement parks? Then this is the story for you. Arthur works at an amusement park, but dreams about being an Imagineer. His dreams aren’t about fairy tales or talking animals, though. He loves all things scary, and he believes he and others like him would love to have a place to go to get scared for fun. His bosses, though, don’t feel the same and Arthur gets fired.

What happens next sets Arthur on a path to the realization of his dream. His park has Murder Mountain, Werewolf Woods, Vampire Village, Zombie Zone and many other spooky attractions. But, after years, it’s all getting a little stale for Arthur and his paying customers. The park is falling on hard times. Arthur needs the excitement again, for his family and his finances as well as for himself. Then, we meet Owen. He’s like a young Arthur. He loves everything about the park, and his excitement about working there makes his coworkers roll their eyes. At the end of his first day, Owen gets pranked by them. Or does he? What exactly is happening on the Dark Ride? What is Arthur willing to do to fix things? I can’t wait to see where the ride takes us in Issue #2!

“The Approach” #1

Written by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley Art by Jesús Hervás

From “The Shining” to “The Terror,” there is an element of horror to being isolated by, and attempting to survive, the freezing cold. Boom Studio’s “The Approach” is just another addition to the trend of exploring just what can go wrong when your only option is to wait and see.

Mac and Abigail are airport employees tasked with clearing the runway to accommodate a flight diverted by a sudden blizzard. Just as they’re making sure the passengers are settled into their lodgings within the terminal, a second plane emerges from the storm and slams into the runway. Not only does the lone survivor have something inhuman about him, the plane they pulled him from had disappeared 27 years earlier. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for those trapped by the unrelenting storm.

If watching a group of sitting ducks get hunted down by a parasitic lifeform in “The Thing” was right up your alley, then so is “The Approach.” As each page reveals how dire their situation is, there is the eerie disquiet of not knowing just what all is hiding behind the mysterious series of events. As we begin to head into winter, you might want to grab this off the stands for a seasonal scare.

New York Times

Magazine Crossword

SOFT OPTIONS

BY BYRON WALDEN | EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ No. 0417

79 ____ 3000, half of the hip-hop duo Outkast

80 Persuade with patter

84 A majority

86 Offensive football positions

88 Ruby of ‘‘The Jackie Robinson Story’’

89 Edgar Rice Burroughs novel, with ‘‘The’’

94 Talk Like a Pirate Day outbursts

95 Dormer section

96 Turn aside

97 Actress Amanda

98 Taking a bow at the symphony?

99 Waif

100 ‘‘A warehouse of facts, with poet and ____ in joint ownership’’ (‘‘The Devil’s Dictionary’’ definition for ‘‘imagination’’)

101 Its motto is ‘‘Agriculture and Commerce’’

104 Opposite of exo-

105 Woe for a speeder

106 ____ Blinken, Biden’s secretary of state

107 Bit of ‘‘kit chat’’

108 1974 spoof with the tagline ‘‘Would you buy a used secret from these men?’’ 109 Bits of machinery

110 Latin phrase meaning ‘‘based on forecasts’’

1 Having legs

2 Cool shade

3 Weakness

4 Sledge, wedge, etc.

5 Sports org. with the Pittsburgh Maulers and Philadelphia Stars

6 SFO setting: Abbr.

7 Sang hosannas to

8 Car part the Brits call a ‘‘wing’’ 9 Heading for commonly sought info 10 Capote nickname 11 ____ light 12

92

boomers

101 Grads-to-be: Abbr.

102 Not prescription, in brief

103 Scottish negative

SAVAGE LOVE

By Dan Savage | mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage

LOADED QUESTIONS

Dear Readers: I’m away this week, so we’re re-running a popular Q&A from a few years back. This column originally appeared in late June of 2018. I’ll be back next week with a brand-new column. — Dan

Q: I am a 24-year-old straight guy who recently broke up with my girlfriend of more than four years. One of the reasons we broke up was a general lack of sexually compatibility. She had a particular aversion to oral sex—both giving and receiving. I didn’t get a blowjob the whole time we were together. Which brings me to why I am writing: One of my closest friends, “Sam,” is a gay guy. Shortly after breaking up with my girlfriend, I was discussing my lack of oral sex with Sam, and he said he’d be willing to “help me out.” I agreed, and Sam gave me an earth-shattering blowjob. I was glad to get some and had no hang-ups about a guy sucking me. Since then, Sam has blown me three more times. My problem is I am starting to feel guilty and worry I am using Sam. He’s a very good buddy, and I’m concerned this lopsided sexual arrangement might be bad for our friendship. Sam knows I am not into guys and I’m never going to reciprocate, and I feel like this is probably not really fair to him. But these are literally the only blowjobs I’ve received since I was a teenager. What should I do?

Totally Have Reservations Over Advantage Taking

A: Only one person knows how Sam feels about this “lopsided sexual arrangement,” THROAT, and it isn’t me.

Zooming out for a second: People constantly ask me how the person they’re fucking or fisting or flogging feels about the fucking or fisting or flogging. Guys write to ask why women ghosted them; women write to ask if their boyfriends are secretly gay. And while I’m happy to speculate, I’m not a mind reader. Which means I have no way of knowing for sure why some woman ghosted you or whether your boyfriend is gay. Or in your case, THROAT, I have no way of knowing how Sam feels about the four norecip blowjobs he’s given you. Only Sam knows.

And that’s why I wrote you back, THROAT, and asked you for Sam’s contact information. Since you were clearly too afraid to ask Sam yourself (most likely for fear the blowjobs would stop), I offered to ask Sam on your behalf. I wasn’t serious—it was my way of saying, “You should ask Sam.” But you sent me Sam’s contact info, and a few minutes later I was chatting with Sam. “Yes, I have been sucking my straight friend’s cock,” Sam said to me. “And I am flattered he told you I was good at it. That’s an ego booster!”

Sam, like THROAT, is 24 years old. He grew up on the

East Coast and met THROAT early in his first year at college. Sam came out at the end of his freshman year, to THROAT and his other friends, and he now lives in a big city where he works in marketing when he isn’t sucking off THROAT.

My first question for Sam: Are you one of those gay guys who gets off on “servicing” straight guys?

“I’ve never done anything with a straight guy before this,” said Sam. “So, no, I’m not someone who is ‘into servicing straight guys.’ I have only ever dated and hooked up with gay guys before!”

So, why offer to blow THROAT?

“I didn’t know until after he broke up with his girlfriend that he hadn’t gotten a blowjob the whole time they were together—four years!” Sam said. “When I told him I’d be happy to help him out, I was joking. I swear I wasn’t making a pass at my straight friend! But there was this long pause, and then he got serious and said he’d be into it. I wondered for a minute if it would be weird for me to blow my friend, and there was definitely a bit of convincing each other that we were serious. When he started taking his clothes off, I thought, ‘So this is going to happen.’ It was not awkward after. We even started joking about it right away. I have sucked him off four more times since then.”

For those of you keeping score at home: Either THROAT lost count of the number of times Sam has blown him—THROAT said Sam has blown him three more times after that first blowjob—or THROAT got a fifth blowjob in the time that elapsed between sending me his letter and putting me in touch with Sam.

So, does this lopsided sexual arrangement—blowing a straight boy who’s never going to blow him back— bother Sam?

“I suppose it is a ‘lopsided sexual arrangement,’” said Sam. “But I don’t mind. I really like sucking dick and I’m really enjoying sucking his dick. He has a really nice dick! And from my perspective, we’re both having fun. And, yes, I’ve jacked off thinking about it after each time I sucked him. I know—now—that he thinks it is a bit unfair to me. But I don’t feel that way at all.”

So, there is something in it for Sam, THROAT. You get the blowjobs, Sam gets the memories. (Memories that he jerks off to later.) And Sam assumes that at some point, memories are all he’ll have.

“He will eventually get into a relationship with a woman again, and our arrangement will end,” said Sam.

“I only hope nothing is weird between us in the future because of what has happened in the past few weeks.”

I had one last question: Sam is really good at sucking cock—he gives “earth-shattering” blowjobs, according to THROAT—but is THROAT any good at getting his cock sucked? As experienced cocksuckers know, a person can suck at getting their cock sucked: They can just lay/stand/sit there, giving you no feedback, or be

too pushy or not pushy enough, etc.

“That’s a really good question,” Sam said. “I have to say, he is very good at it. He really gets into it, he moans, he talks about how good it feels, and he lasts a long time. That’s part of what makes sucking his cock so much fun.”

questions@savagelove.net

Listen to Dan on the Savage Lovecast. Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage.

Go to Savage.Love to read the rest. Beginning next week, November 14th, Savage Love will be exclusively available online at Savage.Love. Find Dan there!

RAISE A HEALTHY FAMILY. Are you interested in raising vegan children but don’t know where to start? Contact me at www.traciwagner.com for whole-food, plant-based coaching with a board-certi ed pediatrician.

AT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to modify an existing wireless telecommunications facility on an existing 93-foot tall smokestack located at 2561 Grinstead Drive, Louisville, Je erson County, Kentucky (N38° 14’ 59.4”; W85° 41’ 46.8”) at an approximate centerline height of 89 feet above ground level. AT&T Mobility, LLC invites comments from any interested party on the impact the proposed undertaking may have on any districts, sites, buildings, structures, or objects signi cant in American history, archaeology, engineering, or culture that are listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Comments may be sent to Environmental Corporation of America, ATTN: Annamarie Howell, 1375 Union Hill Industrial Court, Suite A, Alpharetta, GA 30004 or via email to publicnotice@eca-usa.com. Ms. Howell can be reached at (770) 667-2040 x 405 during normal business hours. Comments must be received within 30 days of the date of this notice. 22-004100/JJG

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Meet our adorable little shorty, Bella! Bella is a seven-year-old Hound mix who came to the Kentucky Humane Society when she wasn't getting along with the other pets in the home. Now this gorgeous gal is looking for a family who will spoil her as their one and only! Bella is a super sweet, chunky lady who weighs 49 pounds but should weigh closer to the 40-pound mark. She would love a family who will play with her and take her for lots of long walks to help her shed the extra pounds! Bella loves belly rubs, treats, playing with toys and being told what a beautiful girl she is. Her former owners say she is crate trained, house-trained and a wonderful pal to have around! Bella has shown that she needs a home where she can be the only pet and she is nervous around young children and some new people. Because of this, Bella needs a home with kids 10 years and older and she would like to meet the whole family to make sure everyone is happy and comfortable. If you're looking for a short and stout lady to love forever, you've found her! Come meet Bella at our East Campus, 1000 Lyndon Lane, or learn more at, https://tinyurl.com/BellaKHS1. Bella is spayed, micro-chipped and up-to-date on all vaccinations.

Meet Helio! This sweet lady is a two-year-old Tortoiseshell mix who came to the Kentucky Humane Society when her owner was no longer able to care for her. Before coming to KHS Helio did have some kittens and was a fantastic mom who raised them well until they found their furever homes. Helio is an affectionate kitty who loves to rub against you for pets and snuggles. Her previous owner says that while she is affectionate she can also be a fairly independent cat who is content to just lay by you while you watch your favorite shows. Helio has lived with other cats before and did well. However, she is not a fan of dogs and requests that her new home be canine-free. Helio is spayed, micro-chipped, and up-to-date on all vaccinations. If she sounds like she could be the one for you, come meet her at our Main Campus, 241 Steedly Drive, or learn more at https://tinyurl.com/HelioKHS

BELLA HELIO