LEO Weekly April 12, 2023

Book

Excerpt: “Half-Blown Rose”

By Leesa Cross-Smith

Volume 32 | Number 26 LOUISVILLE ECCENTRIC OBSERVER

DIGITAL

Elizabeth Knapp, eknapp@leoweekly.com

‘LOUISVILLE, YOU’RE IT’: THOUGHTS ON THE MASS SHOOTING IN LOUISVILLE

By Erica Rucker | erucker@leoweekly.com

IT’S MONDAY, April 10, press day for LEO, and today in Louisville we began our day with the news of an active shooter. Not even five miles from our staff offices, six people (at press time) that we might know or be connected to in some way are dead, and at least six more are in the hospital with their conditions unknown. Louisville is too small a city for this not to touch all of us. It’s a terrible game of tag that we play in this country. Today, Louisville is it.

How does America continue to rationalize the casualties of this war? We don’t even let the bodies of one mass shooting get cold before we’re off to the next, and then the next round of political posturing, to, ultimately, not do a fucking thing to change or prevent it.

We’re pawns in a political game — and you know what? We have no one to blame but ourselves. We do not have to tolerate it, we don’t, but we do.

The Second Amendment was created to protect us from tyranny, yet we’ve let our bullets become the weapons of the tyrant. We shoot each other in the streets, en masse, and cry to the tyrant to make the change while they peddle the nonsense that keeps gun manufacturers lining their pockets with green. “It isn’t the gun. It’s the person.” And the “person” is armed to the teeth with weaponry and full up on the ideology that the gun is how we solve problems in Amerikka because politicians say it’s okay and celebrities shoot beer cans on social media.

The brainwashed minions of these politicians are on the internet right now, as I type, deflecting blame to Democratic mayors, crime in Chicago streets, and Black gun violence, when none of these things bears any direct relation to this event — but ignorance is a virus that spreads like dandelion seeds.

As we find ourselves, yet again, in mourning, asking each other why and wondering if and when this will ever stop, politicians stroll casually by the rivers of American blood, counting their special interest dollars and planning their next tropical vacations as they sell away our families and our safety.

Just know that they won’t change until we make them change. Just as these new families today will join a club they never wanted

to be a part of where they will cry until their chests cave in from grief and lose sleep, each politician in the statehouses around this nation should never have a peaceful day until something happens, and until Americans aren’t the price for their luxury.

“Elaine and I are devastated by the news coming out of Louisville this morning. Thank you to LMPD and our first responders for your bravery at the scene. We send our prayers to the victims, their families, and the city of Louisville as we await more information,” tweeted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Louisville resident, and National Rifle Association darling to the tune of over $1.2 million.

McConnell’s fellow Republican, Rand Paul, though somewhat less popular with the NRA, sends his thoughts and prayers, “Kelley and I are praying for everyone involved in the deadly shooting in downtown Louisville this morning. Our hearts break for the families of those lost.”

Thomas Massie, the other Republican congressman representing the state, tweeted an op-ed about school shootings encouraging teachers to carry guns — and didn’t even mention the tragedy unfolding in his backyard.

Kentucky Republicans have offered little to no help in controlling the escalating gun violence in America, much less their own state and here we are again, another tragedy with only their “thoughts and prayers” or silence.

Democratic officials of the state have had more substantial words and actions as this tragedy has unfolded. U.S. Representative Morgan McGarvey spoke with local news at some length about the shooting and said he will be coming home to Louisville to be with his city and help with resources.

Governor Andy Beshear came to the city after the event and will work on the ground in Louisville in the aftermath of the shooting. Beshear told the media during his press conference this morning that he had lost close friends in the shooting. Everyone here is affected and will be affected by this loss.

Louisville, we love you so very much and we are hurting with you.

Not a lot else to say for America. As a country, we’re a fucking embarrassment. •

SOAPBOX

WHERE WE KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING

WE LIKE IT WHEN YOU TALK TO US, EVEN IF YOU’RE UPSET. THIS SPACE IS FOR YOU. SOMETIMES, WE TALK BACK.

MARRIED PRIESTS

sassyfoxconsignment.com

Introducing the adorable, Eventide! This 14-pound cutie came to the Kentucky Humane Society from an overcrowded shelter and is hoping the next place he travels is home! Eventide is seven years old and has gorgeous white and orange fur that is soft as can be. He would love a home where he can be spoiled with plenty of toys, treats, and pets, and in return, Eventide promises to be the best kitty he can be! We have not seen Eventide around other animals, but he may do well with another kitty friend in his home. If Eventide sounds like he could be the purr-fect addition to your family, come meet him at our East Campus, 1000 Lyndon Lane, today, or learn more at www.kyhumane.org/adopt/cats! He is neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on all vaccinations. All he needs is you!

I listened to a “news” story on WDRB that Pope Francis is entertaining the idea of MARRIED priests. I always nd it interesting that the Church denies the married priests already in their midst.

Though their relationships are not recognized by the Church, alongside many a successful minister is a successful and healthy partnership/ relationship with another person. I was one of those partners. My husband and I met each other through ministry. We grew together as mentors, teachers, and partners over eight years until a time when we no longer wished to keep unspoken our love for one another.

our legal union was not valid and therefore we lived in sin.

As far as we were concerned, the 500 people of God who attended our celebration were witnesses to our vows to one another. From that day forward, we continued to minister as parish musicians (only a few parishes welcomed us), and as advocates for the vulnerable and those with no voice including “orphaned elderly,” blind and visually impaired adults and children, lgbtq+ community, immigrant families, individuals and families impacted by suicide, and more.

He's handsome, he's smart, and he's friendly. Riff is almost as perfect as you can get! This sweet Border Collie mix came to the Kentucky Humane Society from an overcrowded shelter. He spent a few weeks with our behavior team to learn some new skills and to get to know him better. Now he's ready to move on and find his permanent place. Riff loves other dogs and is a great helper in playgroup or with the shy dogs that need a friend. He's tolerant of puppy play and gentle when he needs to be. He's an active boy and likes to be busy. He would do great in an active home or a home that likes to do training and dog sports. He absolutely loves the flirt pole and will go home with his very own. While Riff loves a good butt scratch, he's a little sensitive in some areas, especially around his neck. He will need to go home with adults or older children that can be aware of this sensitivity. Once he gets to know you he gets even snugglier and loves to give hugs. Riff keeps his kennel clean and appears to be potty trained. He's neutered, microchipped, and up to date on vaccinations. Stop down at Main Campus, 241 Steedly Drive, to meet Riff today or learn more at www.kyhumane.org/adopt/dogs!

We were not as covert as we wanted to believe. Friends, family and the people of God recognized the energy we brought to our respective ministries—especially when we worked together teaching music in Catholic worship to parish ministers, composed music and ministered at liturgy.

In my opinion, we were as married as two partners could be before and after we legally tied the knot. Following his leaving priesthood, we chose not to go through the process of leicization. This formality would put my husband in the position of saying that his years as a priest were a lie. Therefore, the Church denied us to be married in the Church. In its eyes,

So, the Ponti can talk about “allowing” married priests in the future and priests can talk about the sacredness of celibacy, but I can tell you there are very good priests today who live within that vow and some damn good ones presiding outside that vow in partnership with another person.

Not every minister should be married. If celibacy makes you a better minister—go for it. But it’s time the Church stop teaching the People of God that partnered ministry is a sin.

It’s time the Church acknowledged these valued ministers as well so they can continue to do the amazing work they do without condemnation.

— Anonymous Agreed.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT ON WALDEN AND ST. X

By James Wilkerson | leo@leoweekly.com

EACH April the teal ribbons are pulled from their drawers, social media campaigns are launched, and Take Back the Night candles are lit. Established in 2001, Sexual Assault Awareness Month has raised public awareness and educated over two decades worth of college students on sexual assault prevention. While prevention trends in the month of April, a handful of local schools have added yearlong lessons on sexual misconduct to their curriculum in efforts to prepare their students for their journey in higher education. This month, we look at two more schools that have stepped to the front line.

WALDEN SCHOOL

For Pam Zipper, sexual assault prevention education plays a vital role in a student’s education, especially in the post-pandemic world. “With the pandemic’s in-person learning restrictions, our students got a little behind socially,” said Zipper, the 7th – 12th grade director at the Walden School. “So now that we are back in the classroom, we need to help catch them up and close the gaps,” she continues. “What is sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and consent? These are the conversations we need to be having.”

And for Zipper, the sooner these conversations are had, the better.

As The Walden School has students from K-12, Zipper is able to start teaching these lessons as early as eighth grade. In an introductory workshop, eighth and ninth grade students learn how their current actions have consequences that follow them into adulthood. Zipper said the purpose of educating students this young is to prepare them for their adult life. “By the time students reach adulthood, media has sent millions of messages, sending them in the wrong direction,” she said. “We approach students in a way where they don’t feel threatened by the information, but they are still educated and the earlier we do it, the better adults we are putting into this world.”

As for her upper classmen, sophomores learn about the bystander effect and the mechanics of intervention, while juniors and seniors participate in sessions on consent. “Consent on a foundational level is easy to

define,” said Zipper. “But it is important for students to take into account all of the different variables present when they find themselves in an actual situation.”

With these workshops set to be a regular fixture at the school, it’s hoped that sexual misconduct prevention will be an embedded skill by graduation. “We sometimes wait too late to have these very important conversations, sometimes not having them until the students are adults, and to me, that’s way too late,” said Zipper. “We need to start having these conversations more and more so we can help our students navigate these uncharted waters.

ST. XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL

At St. Xavier High School, sexual misconduct prevention is closely aligned with the school’s principles. “Our standards as a Catholic school includes teaching students responsibility for self, ethical decision making, advocacy skills, and being able

to assert one’s self when necessary,” said school counselor Amber Wissing. “It is also in our school counseling standards to cover different social and emotional pieces with our students and sexual misconduct prevention is one of them,”she said.

While sexual misconduct is a topic that’s taught in the school’s theology courses, the counseling department’s recent 11th and 12th grade workshops, have added elements of college culture to the comprehensive message. “It’s important that the students hear about sexual misconduct more than once and in different ways from various people,” said Wissing. She states that by adding elements from college life to their workshops, students will be better prepared to handle the real situations that await them in their undergraduate lives. “The reality is that our students will be faced with many situations, some with alcohol involved, some where they are bystanders,” she said. “So, we need to talk about what’s happening on college

campuses and what the right decisions are in the different scenarios they’ll encounter.” Wissing said the student response to these lessons has been wholly positive. “The majority of the students have said that these lessons are needed and they appreciate how down to Earth and relevant the topics of consent and bystander intervention are for them,” she states.

As St. X prides itself on being an institute of college preparation, Wissing hopes that these workshops will continue that very mission. “Anytime you think a scenario through, it makes you better prepared to live that scenario. So now that they have examined these scenarios that occur on college campuses, and they’ve been given tools to navigate those situations in a healthy way, then when and if needed, they will be better equipped to pull those tools out and use them.” •

James J. Wilkerson.

@leoweekly

MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN KENTUCKY: AN UPDATE

By Scott Recker | leo@leoweekly.com

THORNS & ROSES

THE WORST, BEST & MOST ABSURD

THORN: A big BOO to the Republican-led hatred campaign across the United States but, in particular, the blatantly racist behavior of our neighbors to the South in the Tennessee State House, which expelled two Black Democratic representatives for holding a protest for stricter gun regulation after six people were killed at a Tennessee school last month. Three representatives took part in the protest, but only the Black members, Justin Pearson of Memphis and Justin Jones of Nashville, were expelled. The white representative who joined the protest, Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, survived expulsion by one vote.

THORN: To alerts of an “active aggressor” in downtown Louisville on press day, Monday, April 10. 8:30 a.m. is too early for American nonsense and people’s lives being interrupted. We don’t have much information yet, but it is certainly disheartening that, in America, we turn to guns to solve problems.

ABSURD: The term “active aggressor” is a cute way of ignoring the issue of gun violence in America or tamping down the optics of the American shooter. It’s dumb, it’s America, and we know there’s a gun involved.

KENTUCKY became the 38th state to approve medical marijuana during the 2023 General Assembly, a years-in-the-making win for advocates, although the Commonwealth’s program is expected to be one of the most restrictive in the country.

Senate Bill 47 cleared Kentucky’s Republican-controlled legislature on the final day of this year’s session, March 30, and was signed by Gov. Andy Beshear the next day. It will allow eligibility for patients with at least six conditions, including those with cancer, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, chronic nausea and post-traumatic stress disorder. Cardholders must be 18 and over, or the caretaker of an eligible child.

During the press conference

where he signed the bill, Beshear praised lawmakers for their action, but he said it was ultimately the people who opened up about their personal stories of suffering from devastating medical conditions, and how marijuana access would help them, that finally pushed legislation through the General Assembly.

“It was brave of them to step

up and offer their voices for themselves and others, and today they have made the difference,” Beshear said right before he signed the bill.

It’s been a winding and complicated path to medical marijuana in Kentucky, so here’s what you should know about the act as it currently stands.

The program won’t go into effect until 2025, as some details have yet to be worked out. Medical marijuana in

ABSURD: Kelly Craft’s ad campaign against Daniel Cameron. Craft’s ads attack Cameron and call him a “teddy bear,” and attempt to align him with Democrats or being too soft on Democrats. When two cartoons, equally ridiculous, face o , nothing but comedy ensues. Daniel Cameron and Kelly Craft are both terrible candidates. The choice here is between Bugs Bunny and Da y Duck. Neither is actually worthy of the o ce of Kentucky’s next governor and both are troublesome in their own way.

ABSURD/ROSE: Derby season is about to kick o . Thunder over Louisville is coming soon, as is the season of Louisville being pants down drunk in public for two full weeks because of a two-minute horse race in May. But, it’s a party and who are we to judge? We might not be belly up, toasted on a sidewalk every day, but we will certainly be out with you, enjoying the Derby season.

“It was brave of them to step up and offer their voices for themselves and others, and today they have made the difference,” Beshear said right before he signed the bill.

Kentucky will be operated and regulated by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which will determine the rules and licensing for growers, dispensaries and consumers. A Board of Physicians and Advisors will be established, where the members will serve without compensation, and will be able to review and recommend standards and changes — such as adding or removing qualifying medical conditions or methods of consumption — to the General Assembly. Currently, the bill says registered qualified patients and designated caregivers will be able to purchase up to what is determined as an “uninterrupted” 30-day supply during a “given” 25-day period. A visiting qualified patient can purchase up to what qualifies as a 10-day supply during a “given” 8-day period. After the board is established, they will determine what amount of marijuana constitutes each of the supply timeframes.

A violent or drug-related felony offense within

the last five years might disqualify people from the program.

Under the bill, a person is not allowed to become a cardholder if they have been convicted of a felony that would classify them as a violent offender under Kentucky law, or if they have violated a state or federal controlled substance law that resulted in a felony, and have not completed the terms of their sentence five or more years ago. There are exceptions for if the new bill “would likely have” prevented a prior

conviction in Kentucky, or if the case was prosecuted outside of the state.

The bill does not allow medical marijuana to be smoked, although it does allow patients to vape and take edibles. If a qualified patient is caught smoking marijuana in public, they could be charged with a crime and the cabinet could also revoke the person’s cardholding status.

Medical marijuana cannot be stored within arm’s reach while driving a car. Not being allowed to oper-

The bill does not allow medical marijuana to be smoked. Although it does allow patients to vape and take edibles. If a qualifıed patient is caught smoking marijuana in public, they could be charged with a crime and the cabinet could also revoke the person’s cardholding status.

NEWS & ANALYSIS

ate a motor vehicle after consuming marijuana is unsurprisingly part of the new bill, but the legislation also states that patients won’t be allowed to posses “medicinal cannabis that is within the operator’s arm’s reach or requires less than a two (2) step process to access while operating, navigating, or being in actual physical control of an aircraft, vehicle, vessel, or any other device known, or hereafter invented, that is powered by machinery and that is or may be used to transport persons or property.”

It’s completely separate from Gov. Beshear’s executive order.

Last November, Gov. Beshear announced an executive order that went into effect on Jan.1, that automatically pardons Kentuckians with 21 medical conditions, who legally obtain up to eight ounces of marijuana out of state and bring it back to the Commonwealth — provided they have documentation of their medical condition and keep the receipt for the marijuana. The order didn’t establish a medical program with dispensaries in the state, but instead it says that qualifying people who bring back and use legally-obtained marijuana would receive a pardon if needed. The caveats are that the patient or caregiver who buy the marijuana need to keep their receipt and they must have documentation of the qualifying medical condition from a licensed health care professional. The governor’s office also said it provided “palm cards” to state

law enforcement agencies to advise them on the rules of the order.

In a December LEO cover story that was co-reported with former LEO news writer Josh Wood called “Gov. Beshear’s Medical Marijuana Order Enters Uncharted Territory,” some advocates said the action was an incremental improvement, but several sources — including two state politicians, one on each side of the aisle — pointed out confusing and problematic aspects.

The governor himself has called the order “imperfect.”

Right before he signed the bill into law, Beshear reflected on the day he announced the executive order and how working with the General Assembly to pass legislation was his ultimate goal.

“That day and the many days that followed, I talked about that executive order being imperfect, and that we needed legislative action and last night the General Assembly delivered,” Beshear said during the press conference.

But since the state medical marijuana program via the recent bill won’t go into effect until 2025, the preemptive pardon system created by the governor’s executive order will likely be the only thing those with qualifying medical conditions can lean on for the next two years. •

In a December LEO cover story that was co-reported with former LEO news writer Josh Wood called “Gov. Beshear’s Medical Marijuana Order Enters Uncharted Territory,” some advocates said the action was an incremental improvement, but several sources

— including two states politicians, one on each side of the aisle — pointed out confusing and problematic aspects.

The governor himself has called the order “imperfect.”

Book Excerpt: “Half-Blown Rose”

By Leesa Cross-Smith,

Which Releases On Paperback April 18.

By Leesa Cross-Smith

LOUISVILLE Author Leesa Cross-Smith is releeasing her fifth novel, “Half-Blown Rose” on paperback April 18. The hardback was released in 2022. Ahead of the release LEO was lucky enough to get an excerpt of “Half-Blown Rose” to share with our readers.

INT. MODERN ART MUSEUM - LATE AFTERNOON

It is autumn in Paris, City of Light. Vincent’s in her scarf — the one she always wears — wrapped twice like death.

NARRATOR (V.O.)

Loup takes his time gathering his things: the pale wooden pencil upon the table, the black sketchpad and well-squeezed paints with bright, flat caps. Vincent watches him, keeps watching him, until he notices her and she looks away. Her friend Baptiste, who teaches modern art history and a course in color down the hall, stands so close she can feel his breath.

“Café?” he asks, and Vincent nods. She wants to know if Loup is still looking at her, but she can’t bring herself to check. What if he isn’t? She’ll die on the spot in the almost-empty classroom. “On y va,” Baptiste says, stepping in front of her, knowing she’ll follow. She wants to turn and look at Loup again. Is that what she’ll do? Only to be crushed? No. The room blurs and she walks straight out, staring at the back of Baptiste’s head.

When he stops, she runs right smack into him. “Sorry. I’m sorry,” she says.

“Loup-dog, you coming?” Baptiste says, turning. Vincent continues staring ahead, at the back of Baptiste’s blazer this time—velvet, the rich shade of the Bolognese she’s simmered all day in the slow cooker in her apartment. Vincent feels Loup behind her, smells his pencils.

“Yes, I’m coming,” Loup says by her ear, and she files it away some- where hot and dark.

They are both next to her now. She doesn’t look at Loup as they walk down the hallway, out the door, across the busy street to the café. In her periphery, Baptiste is adjusting the bag on his shoulder, laughing easily with his friend. They know each other well, but Vincent always forgets exactly how. She listens to the two of them speak in quick clips of French and English.

Author Leesa Cross-Smith. | PHOTO BY MICKIE WINTERS

“Quiet little mouse,” Baptiste says to her, frowning in his funny way.

When they find a small table out front and put their things down, Vincent watches Loup walk inside, disappearing into the bathroom corridor.

“You know I don’t want him here! Why did you invite him?” she growls, lighting her cigarette as soon as she’s in the chair.

“Oh, pshh, why do you do this? You like Loup.”

“You know I don’t want him here,” Vincent says again. She and Baptiste go to the café together all the time; Loup never comes along. “Bonjour. Deux cafés et un café au lait, s’il vous plaît. Merci,” she orders quickly from the radiant, blushed waitress. Is every woman in Paris so effortlessly beautiful she’ll never die? Only blink, then flicker to haunting? Every time Vincent visits the city, for at least a few days after arriving she has to stop herself from staring at the women she

encounters. Young and old, they all somehow look like an entirely different species. She forgets this when she’s in the United States but remembers quickly upon returning.

This time she’s been in Paris for three months.

“Please. You think he’s delicious. You want to eat him up like he’s a cake,” Baptiste says, pulling out his phone and texting. Tippity-tappity quick-quick.

“I’m forty-four,” she says.

Baptiste looks at her, saying nothing. “He’s twenty-four,” she says.

Nothing.

“I’m literally twenty years older than he is,” she says. Baptiste begins texting again, silent.

“He’s a child,” Vincent says. “Un bébé! I could be his mother.” Nothing from Baptiste.

“Va te faire foutre!” She smokes. “Who are you texting?” She mocks his face, his annoying fingers, his precious phone.

“Mina!” he says, smiling slyly. His wife.

“Va te faire foutre,” she says again. Baptiste tsks at her, kisses the air. This is how she and Baptiste always talk to each other. They share a birthday— same date and year—and they were friends from the moment they met three months ago.

Born to Ghanaian French parents, Baptiste grew up in Paris and is fluent in Twi, French, and English. He is six foot three, skinny and strong, royally handsome, fantastically nerdy, and stylish in a casual way. With his velvet blazer, he is wearing a pair of slim black pants that stop right at his ankles, no socks, and a pair of clean white Stan Smiths with navy-blue heel tabs. Sometimes people actually stop him on the street to take his photo for their sartorial Instagram accounts and blogs. What he and Vincent partici-

pate in is friend-flirting and nothing more. He loves his wife ferociously and what Vincent feels for him matches up almost exactly with what she feels for her brother—a sugary adoration that smooths out any flaws.

* * *

Loup returns not half a moment before the waitress with their coffees. Vincent goes to snub out her cigarette, but Loup extends his arm for it. She passes it across the table and looks into his twenty-four-yearold eyes. He smiles sweetly, as if she hasn’t been ignoring him at all.

“Voilà! There you are! Hello, Vincent,” he says with her lipstick stain in his mouth. She feels as if she has rocketed into space.

They smoke and drink their coffees, and it isn’t long until Baptiste says he has to go meet Mina and leave the two of them to fend for themselves. But yes! He will finish his coffee first.

“I love their coffee,” Baptiste says, mmm-ing to Loup and Loup only. Vincent drinks hers. The coffee is hot, the wind cool, and she loves her thick, warm scarf—the wasabi-colored one her brother brought with him on the train from Amsterdam last month.

“Thank you for the cigarette,” Loup says to her. “You’re welcome,” she says. Baptiste leans over and kisses her cheeks; Loup stands as he leaves. “Right, sure. Au revoir, Baptiste,” Vincent says dramatically and waves as he walks away, like she won’t be seeing him again at the art museum in the morning.

“A woman called Vincent,” Loup says like a sigh once they are alone. Loup, who smells like summer and dark green, reminding her of Kentucky forests back home. But how? Is there some sort of tree oil he’s mixed with lemon water, spritzed and walked through? Do twenty- something-year-old guys spritz? Maybe he rubbed it under his arms, into the bushes of hair he has there; she saw flashes of it—dark and thickish— during the ungodly heat wave. And she doesn’t want to, but she also remembers his white pocket T-shirt and short shorts, the plain gold chain he sometimes wears around his neck. His summer shoes, Nike Killshot 2s with midnight-navy swoops. The cream-colored knots of ankle above them. How she feels like an electric wet rope when Loup leans back in his chair in class and crosses his legs, puts his sketchpad on his knee.

* * *

“I can’t stay long . . . I’m having people over for dinner. I’m making pasta,” Vincent says. So far, ninety percent of the time, Loup only gets this snippy interpretation of who she is. Bah. Nothing to be done.

“Is Baptiste coming? Mina?” “No . . . they have a thing.”

“I don’t have a thing and I love pasta,” Loup says. “It’s not special. Everyone loves pasta.”

“Can I have pasta with you for dinner tonight?” he asks easily, like those words alone will jiggle her doorknob loose. His hair is wild and romantic, hanging past his earlobes; he tucks some curly strands behind one of them. His jacket is unzipped and Vincent glances at the loose collar of his shirt—in the oranged almost-evening sun, his necklace twinkles like it’s electric.

“Loup—”

“I still can’t believe Vincent is your real name,” he says.

A clatter from inside the café: the crown of a waitress’s head as she bends and stands, bends and stands. Vincent watches her through the window, digging the fingernails of her right hand into the palm of her left under the table.

“You keep telling me this. Call me Ms. Wilde instead.” “What kind of pasta, Ms. Wilde?”

Vincent finishes her coffee. The waitress asks if she’d like another and she says non, merci. Loup says oui, merci to the refill, even though his cup is half-full.

“I considered puttanesca at first . . . and now well, it’s a bastardized version,” she answers him, the sauce already on her mind. Baptiste’s blazer was Bolognese, her scarf wasabi. She looks at Loup, sharply ravenous.

“Ah, prostitute spaghetti” is his reply. “Who are you having over for dinner?”

“You’re asking a lot of questions,” she says after pausing too long. “That’s a problem, Ms. Wilde?”

“And that’s another question.”

Cigarette and coffee—Vincent lights another; her cup sits empty. “I have to go,” she says, not moving.

“You have a husband? I asked Baptiste and his answer was vague. You don’t wear a wedding ring,” Loup says.

“So not only do you ask me a lot of questions, you ask Baptiste a lot of questions too.”

“I do about you . . . sometimes.”

Vincent looks at him and mouths the word wow. “You like prostitute spaghetti?” she asks.

“I like prostitutes.”

“I like prostitutes too,” Vincent says, defensively.

“Your husband will be at your dinner party tonight? It’s his place also?” “Why do you assume I have a husband, even when I don’t wear a wedding ring?”

“Well, you do wear this ring,” he says, tapping the big cloudy moonstone on her index finger.

“Right. A ring. It’s clearly not a wedding ring.” “But it is a ring.”

“Wow, insightful. Yeah, I really have to go,” Vincent says. “Too rude for me to invite myself along? I’d like to come.” “Loup—”

“J’ai faim! Feed me, please. I’ll help. I’ll earn my keep!” he says from the other side of the table, taking a posture of prayer.

The apartment is her parents’. In the past, she and her siblings have popped in, using it whenever they’re in the city, whenever it isn’t already occupied by renters. Now Vincent is the “renter,” although her parents would never let her pay for it. Her parents don’t need the money; they live on the wind, making their home wherever they find themselves. Right now, it’s Rome.

Vincent’s guests aren’t expected for another hour. Loup does most of the talking on the walk to her place, and he and his brown Chelsea boots bound up the stairs next to her, like an excited puppy about to pee itself. She imagines telling her sister about him, how much they’d snort when they laughed about this puppy-boy. One of their favorite things to do together? Laugh at men. They love to laugh at Cillian when he is being ridiculous. Vincent is thinking of Cillian as she opens her door—he and Loup have the same damn Chelsea boots. So does Prince Harry. Prince Harry’s and Loup’s are the color of peanut butter; Cillian’s are chocolate. Apparently she’s reached the stage of hunger where she can only think about food.

“I’m only letting you be here because I don’t want you to starve. It’s my duty to feed another human being. It’s in the Bible . . . look it up,” she says, hanging her bag, coat, and scarf on the hook next to the door. The Bolognese is ready and perfect, she can tell from the smell that met them in the hallway.

“You’re a good Christian, Ms. Wilde,” he says. He takes his jacket off and folds it neatly over the arm of the couch.

“Ugh. Drop the Ms. Wilde. Too weird. Go back to Vincent,” she says, walking into the kitchen, feeling like she’s sprung a leak. She will get her period a whole week early, all because of Loup’s rangy, dark tenderness in her apartment, behind her, filling the spaces between.

She takes the lid off the slow cooker and stirs the sauce with a wooden spoon. Tastes it. So good, she thinks angrily, nothing else matters—past, present or future—except this sauce, and blames it on PMS brain.

Loup is in her apartment; they are alone. How did it happen? She seriously considers the idea that she has reeled through time. Zapped from the United

“Half Blown Rose” By Leesa Cross-Smith, Which Releases On Paperback

States to France over the summer, then zipped to an- other dimension where she lets twenty-something-year-olds come back to her place in their slouchy striped shirts to hurt her feelings with their violent youth and attractiveness and deeply chaotic sexual energy. Loup has sequences of moments when he’s always moving around everywhere, like a wasp invasion. So much! He never stops. Can he do a backflip? Run a six-minute mile? Ride a horse? Do those complicated dyno rock climbing moves Cillian had been all too eager to show off once he’d mastered them?

Instead of dwelling on Cillian, she imagines Loup’s body doing those things.

Vincent hears the floor creak beneath him in the living room. He seems to be everywhere at once out there until he pops into the kitchen with her scarf around his neck, holding the amber glass skull he’s taken from the window ledge.

“Memento mori,” he says, clinking it softly on the countertop. “Right on. It smells so good in here, Vincent.”

He emphasizes her name, always making a big deal out of it. First day of journaling class in the summer, she’d introduced herself and given her students their assignment.

Make a list of words you love. This can be very simple. For example, I love the word brush. Brush is not a fancy word, but to me, it’s beautiful. Keep writing words for as long as you can, in whatever language you’d like. And if there’s a special reason you love the word . . . if there’s a special memory attached, include that. If the word reminds you of a song or a color or a movie or a specific person or moment, include those things too. We will paint them later.

Remember, it’s a museum class. Stay or leave. Talk or don’t. You’ve paid your money. What you do or don’t want is up to you. We’re all adults here. Enjoy!

When she was finished, Loup had raised his hand. She acknowledged him and he said her name like it was a

question.

“Correct.”

“Like . . . Van Gogh.”

“Yep. Exactly like Van Gogh.”

“You teach art and your name is Vincent, after Van Gogh.” “Correct.”

“Vincent . . . that’s one word I like,” he said.

“All right. Thank you,” she said, her face warming. “Are your parents artists?”

“Yes. Both of them.”

“They are successful artists?” “Yes. Very, actually.”

“What are their names?” he asked. Several students continued listening; others were already sketching and writing.

“Um, their names are Aurora Thompson and Solomon Court . . . Soloco is what my dad uses for work.”

“I’ve heard of them. Your mum planted herself in a greenhouse for the winter and your dad did all of that graffiti and neon album art for those funkadelic bands . . . I forget some of the names . . . but I recognized your parents’ names easily. Isn’t that funny?” he said.

“It is. It is funny,” Vincent said with an atomic thrill.

Another student mentioned having heard of Soloco as well, saying he was “a lot like Basquiat.”

Not only did her dad do the neon album art for those bands, he was also a songwriter who’d penned a batch of killer spacey funk hits in the midseventies and early eighties. Those songs were still used in commercials, movies, and TV shows, and a huge chunk of her parents’ fortune was owed to that fact.

“Yes. And boom, now I’ve heard of you too . . . their lovely daughter,” he said. His comment was followed by a low ooh from one of his classmates.

“That’s plenty,” she said. “And since we’re doing names, what’s yours?” “Loup. As in wolf.”

“Wolf,” she translated herself. “Wolf,” he repeated, and shoved his tongue between his teeth. •

STAFF PICKS

FRIDAY, APRIL 14

Monet’s Style Acrylic Painting Class

YouTube | tinyurl.com/mvcf6eay | Free | 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

SUNDAY, APRIL 16

Geodes and Crystals

Falls of the Ohio State Park | 201 W Riverside Dr, Clarksville, IN 47129 | Facebook.com | Free | 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.

ROCK SOLID

I don’t know all there is to know about crystals, but I’ve always loved collecting them as a kid. On Sunday, April 16 rock-collecting kids-at-heart like me have the chance to learn more about where these beautiful pieces of nature come from. It’s free to the public and you get a geode to take home with you. I’d say this event rocks. —Giselle Rhoden

THE JOY OF PAINTING

Looking for some artistic fun to wind down from a stressful week of work? Join Artists Palette Durham for this free painting class! Learn to paint with a step-by-step video from the comfort of your home. And don’t worry, if you can’t make the live recording it will still be available to stream afterwards. – Gracie

Vanover

SATURDAY, APRIL 15

Silent Disco at LouCity FC vs San Antonio FC

Lynn Family Stadium | 350 Adams St. | loucity.com/tickets | $14+ | Game starts at 7:30 p.m.; disco from halftime to 11 p.m.

SUNDAY, APRIL 16

Mellwood Art Center’s Spring Fling

Mellwood Art Center | 1860 Mellwood Ave | https://tinyurl.com/43t5675e | Free | 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

BREAK OUT THE BELL BOTTOMS

Just about every LouCity game at Lynn Family Stadium is noisy, but this is something di erent. Starting at halftime this Saturday, Louisville Silent Disco will host one of its namesake parties, where guests can listen to their choice of provided music options on wireless headphones, in the fan zone. Headphones are free while they last. — Carolyn

Brown

SPRING

Start the Spring season right with Mellwood Art Center’s Spring Fling! This market has unique selections like handmade goods and sweet treats featuring artists and shops from Mellwood. There will be free spring crafts for kids and the event is pet friendly as long as they are leashed. Did I mention there’s free parking? – Gracie Vanover

Geodes and Crystals at the Falls of the Ohio State Park.

MONDAY, APRIL 17-24

Louisville Taco Week

Locations vary | tacoweeklouisville.com | $2.50/taco (3+ tacos required per order) | Times vary

TACOS 4 ALL

It’s funny — I was assigned this same sta pick two years ago when I was an intern. I never actually got to try the tacos then, even though I wanted to, and I de nitely still do — there’s a birria taco with queso at Agave & Rye, a corned beef taco at Happy Belly Bistro, and more, all for $2.50 each. (Disclaimer, though: you have to get at least three tacos per order.) The more tacos you eat (and record on the app), the higher your chances of winning the grand prize of $250 in gift cards and themed swag. —

Carolyn Brown

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

Party in the Yard

Copper & Kings Distillery | 1121 E Washington St, Louisville, KY 40206 | Facebook. com | Free | 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Thunder Over Louisville is right around the corner, and what better way to kick it o than with courtyard games, food and music. Copper & Kings Distillery has just the thing for all ages who are ready to bring in the warm weather for Derby weekend. Did I mention it’s free? —Giselle

Rhoden

Spark memories of old and new at the largest annual fireworks show in the country. Find the best viewing locations:

• North Great Lawn, Waterfront Park (Opens at 9 AM)

• Chow Wagon, featuring great food, Beer Garden and Full service bars and live entertainment (Opens at 11 AM)

• UPS Flight Deck, at the Overlook at Waterfront Park (Opens at 9 AM)

• Meijer Family Fun Zone, Big Four Bridge (Opens at 11 AM)

Each location is FREE admission with a 2023 Pegasus Pin ® .

more information, visit

PRESENTED

Copper & Kings.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22ND

Je�fersontown Spring Art Festival

Je ersontown Farmers Market Pavilion | 10434 Watterson Trail| Free | 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

LOCAL ARTS & CRAFTS

The city of Je ersontown is teaming up with the Je ersontown Farmers Market for this family-friendly gathering. Check out works by local artists and craftspeople, explore locally grown produce and products, shop from a variety of vendors, enjoy cuisine from local food trucks and more!—

Amy Barnes

THROUGH APRIL 25

‘The Evolution’ By Rick Moore

Pigment Gallery | Mellwood Art Center, 1860 Mellwood Ave. | mellwoodartcenter. com | Free

EVOLVED

Rick Moore didn’t start out as a visual artist but evolved into one. His years working in the Air Force and Homeland Security, with side gigs as a bass guitarist, has led him to this creative moment. He doesn’t seem shy about using various media, including acrylic paint, rope and mirrors. Or, as he said, “Whatever’s on hand. Art has been awakened in me through humble interest that has blossomed into a passion. With each new project I nd the limits of my artistic methods and my own creativity.” —Jo

Anne Triplett

“Endless Journey” by Rick Moore. Acrylic and leather.

STAFF PICKS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26

Waterfront Wednesday with Durand Jones

Big Four Lawn | Waterfront Park | Free | 5 p.m., music at 6 p.m.

PARTY BY THE WATER

WFPK’s free outdoor concert series returns to the Big Four Lawn Wednesday, April 26. Local alt/rock trio Producing A Kind Generation kicks o the event (6 p.m.), followed by Brookyn alt/indie folk duo Ruen Brothers (7:30 p.m.). Louisiana Singer/saxophonist Durand Jones (9 p.m.) is the evening’s headliner. New to the series is Waterfront

KidsDay — a dedicated area for kids and families to enjoy hands-on activities and fun from 5-8 p.m.—Amy Barnes

THROUGH APRIL 30

‘Win, Place, Art Show’

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

Yup, it’s almost Derby, with the galleries getting in on the action with Derby-related exhibitions.

Revelry Gallery is in the forefront with its cleverly titled “Win, Place, Art Show.” This annual group show, with 15 artists, features many styles and media. Revelry asks that viewers bet on their favorite piece of art to determine what works will win, place or show. Could there be a trifecta?—Jo

Anne Triplett

THROUGH MAY 13 ‘REDEFINED’

Little Loomhouse | 328 Kenwood Hill Road | littleloomhouse.org | Prices vary

The Little Loomhouse is a hidden treasure.

Founded by weaver Lou Tate

Bousman in the 1930s near Iroquois Park, it’s now a nonpro t ber arts organization and historic site with three cabins. It occasionally has exhibitions of weaving and other textile media. The organization LAFTA (Louisville Area Fiber and Textile Artists) was invited by the Little Loomhouse to take traditional Kentucky coverlet patterns and “rede ne” them. The 15 artists have done just that, putting their own personal spin on the historic designs. —Jo

Anne Triplett

“Aspen” by Ewa Perz. Oil on canvas.

“Alexandria” by Karen Buckingham. Cotton,

WEAVED

DERBY ART batting, thread, machine pieced.

3550 Springhurst Commons (502) 749-6847

ALSO LOCATED AT 9909 Taylorsville Rd 1534 Bardstown Rd

HOURS OF OPERATION

Sunday through Thursday 11am to 9pm

Friday and Saturday 11am to 10pm

TINGA

Chipotle base chicken with pico de gallo, crema and queso fresco.

MASITAS

Slow cooked marinated pork with cilantro and onions.

VEGETARIAN

MANGO MARGARITA ON THE ROCKS

El jimador Lime margarita on the rocks

$6 EACH

Grilled onions, pico de gallo, black beans, plantains, queso fresco and crema.

2204 STATE STREET, NEW ALBANY, IN WWW.SLEEPYROOSTERMK.COM

UOFL/CHURCHILL | OKOLONA | CLARKSVILLE WWW.EATATIGUANAS.COM

100 West Washington Street www.zombietacolouisville.com (502) 874-4331

MUSIC ROUNDUP

By LEO Weekly Sta�f |

KICK OFF DERBY EVE AT FOURTH STREET LIVE! WITH AWARD-WINNING DJ DIPLO.

7773 HIGHWAY 311, SELLERSBURG, IN WWW.ELCATRINMK.COM

April 17-23, 2023

ADobo bbq chicken taco pork carnitas taco spicy quinoa taco el jimador tequila special

202 E. ELM STREET, NEW ALBANY, IN WWW.LACATRINAMK.COM

Taco specials will not be available evening of 4/20 or all-day 4/22

MEXICAN KITCHEN

10000 BROWNSBORO RD. | (502) 423-4604 WWW.LIMONYSAL502.COM

TACO AL PASTOR

Marinated pork and grilled pineapple taco, garnished with onion, cilantro and sour cream, all on a warm corn tortilla

SHORT RIB TACO

Seared and braised beef short ribs,

ASADA TACO

Seasoned steak on a corn tortilla with cilantro and onions. lime and hot sauce on the side. Our most popular street taco!

CHICKEN TACO

Shredded chicken mixed in guajillo sauce on a soft corn tortilla, topped with lettuce and cheese. Lime and hot sauce on the side.

AL PASTOR TACO

Seasoned pork with pineapple, grill onions, cilantro, dice onion; lime and hot sauce on the side. A flavorful taco for your palate.

Luna's Mexican Rotisserie

5213 PRESTON HWY SUITE B | LOUISVILLE, KY 40213 (502) 962-8898

LUNASROTISSERIE.COM

HOURS: 9AM-11PM MONDAY TO SATURDAY

Tupelo, Miss. DJ and co-creator of electronic dancehall project Major Lazer, Diplo will bring his innovative dance party beats to Fourth Street Live! on Derby Eve, Friday, May 5. The event is part of its Derby Week Concert Series. The series also includes a Thursday, May 4 show by Granger Smith featuring Earl Dibbles, Jr., and an after-Derby show on Saturday, May 6 featuring DJ Ryan Coxx.

Diplo is member of supergroup LSD (Labrinth, Sia and Diplo), a member of electronic duo Jack Ü with Skillrex, and creates as a part of Silk City with fellow DJ Mark Ronson. Diplo founded and manages record label Mad Decent, and the Australian nonprofit organization Heaps Decent with Sydney-based DJs Nina Agzarian and Andrew Levins.

DIPLO

Fourth Street Live (411 S. 4th St.) | Friday, May 5 | Doors at 6 p.m. and show at 8 p.m. 21+ | Tickets are $20 and available online. —Amy Barnes

FUNK ICON GEORGE CLINTON TO PERFORM IN LOUISVILLE THIS SUMMER WITH PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC

On Saturday, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m., the frontman of funk music George Clinton is coming to Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall (724 Brent Street) with Parliament Funkadelic. Tickets are on sale now.

In the ‘70s, Clinton’s band introduced the music world to a more complex style of funk, inspired by science fiction, humor, psychedelia and paired with outlandish and flashy outfits.

Clinton is the founder of Parliament Funkadelic, a funk group born in the 1960s. His work has been recognized in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and he, along with his bandmates, received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. .

The “Atomic Dog” songwriter and bandmates joins the Kentucky Performing Arts, Midnite Ramble series, a yearlong series embracing Black arts from jazz nights, to step shows to poetry slams. Opening for Clinton and Parliament will be legendary punk-funk band Fishbone. —Giselle Rhoden

DJ and music producer, Diplo. | PHOTO BY AIDAN CULLEN.

Funk Legend, George Clinton.

MUSIC THE 2023 RAILBIRD FESTIVAL SCHEDULE IS HERE

Railbird Festival released its 2023 schedule.

After a one-year “pause” and a venue change, the two-day music festival will return to Lexington on Saturday, June 3, and Sunday, June 4, at Red Mile. Tickets start at $139 for a day pass or $225 for a two-day pass and are currently only available through Ticketmaster’s Verified Resale.

HERE’S THE SCHEDULE. ALL TIMES LISTED BELOW ARE P.M.

SATURDAY, JUNE 3

1:30-2:15 — Madeline Edwards (Elkhorn Stage)

1:30-2:15 — Wayne Graham (Burl Stage)

2:15-3 — Neal Francis (Limestone Stage)

2:45-3:30 — The Local Honeys (Burl Stage)

3-3:35 — Lucius (Elkhorn Stage)

3:45-4:45 — Jenny Lewis (Limestone Stage)

4-4:45 — The Heavy Heavy (Burl Stage)

4:30-5:30 — Charley Crockett (Elkhorn Stage)

5:15-6 — Bully (Burl Stage)

5:30-6:30 — Sheryl Crow (Limestone Stage)

6:15-7:15 — Whiskey Myers (Elkhorn Stage)

6:30-7:30 — Valerie June (Burl Stage)

7:15-8:15 — Marcus Mumford (Limestone Stage)

8-9 — Morgan Wade (Burl Stage)

8:15-9:30 — Weezer (Elkhorn Stage)

9:30-11 — Zach Bryan (Limestone Stage)

SUNDAY, JUNE 4

12:45-1:30 — Calder Allen (Elkhorn Stage)

1-1:45 — Brit Taylor (Burl Stage)

1:30-2:15 — 49 Winchester (Limestone Stage)

2:15-3 — Sierra Ferrell (Elkhorn Stage)

2:15-3 — Flipturn (Burl Stage)

3-4 — Ricky Skaggs (Limestone Stage)

3:30-4:15 — Cole Chaney (Burl Stage)

4-5 — Nickel Creek (Elkhorn Stage)

4:45-5:30 — Town Mountain (Burl Stage)

4:45-5:45 — Amos Lee (Limestone Stage)

5:45-7 — Goose (Elkhorn Stage)

6-7 — Molly Tuttle (Burl Stage)

6:45-8 — Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats (Limestone Stage)

7:30-8:30 — Charles Wesley Godwin (Burl Stage)

8-9 — The Head and the Heart (Elkhorn Stage)

9-11 — Tyler Childers (Limestone Stage)

—Carolyn Brown

The Gangsta

The Gangsta is bursting with flavor and attitude! Our Mexican Rice is the perfect base for our signature Birria and Elote, with White Cheddar and Queso for a cheesy kick. We top it off with Serrano Chipotle Créme, Cilantro, and a Tajin Lime for a flavorful finish with a hint of spice. Get prepared to tantalize your taste buds with The Gangsta.

Mother from Another

The Mother from Another packs a unique and unforgettable flavor punch! Our Mexican Rice is the base for Chipotle Roasted Corn, Queso, Crispy Black Beans, while Spicy Carrots provide a defining finish. Get ready for a vegetarian taco experience like no other!

The Misfit

The Misfit will take your taste buds on an adventure! Mac N Cheese Beignets, Crispy Chicken and Crumbled Sweet & Spicy Bacon make up the base, while Habanero Maple Syrup and Chopped Strawberry Chutney provide a sweet and spicy kick. Hold on tight for a taco that is truly unique!

1020

(502) 777-6593

E Washington St

Gluten Free & Vegetarian option Available Outdoor Seating | Take-Out Available

WWW.HAPPYBELLYBISTRO.COM

Brussel Me Patrick: soft flour tortilla, corned beef, caramelized onions, Irish beer brown gravy

The Veg Head (gf/v): soft corn tortilla, sautéed broccoli, carrot, house black bean purée, fried kale

Pollo Loco (gf): soft corn tortilla, braised chicken, jalapeño, fresh red cabbage

Railbird Festival. | PHOTO BY TRACY MAY

RECOMMENDED IS THIS PARADISE? INDIAN BUFFET IS BACK

By Robin Garr | leo@leoweekly.com

REMEMBER back before Covid when restaurant buffets were commonplace? Lots of people love a buffet meal, and why not? You get abundant choice, all you can eat, and there’s no wait for a server and chef to do their work before you can pitch in.

That’s a lot to like, but a lot of people are wary of the buffet, and with good reason. In the best of times, you’re getting food that’s been sitting over heat, overcooking and softening; and you’re relying on management (with the Health Department looking over its shoulder) to ensure that sneeze guards are in place, proper temperatures maintained, food replaced while its fresh, and people aren’t casually exchanging germs with strangers via serving spoons or careless touches.

All that, and then came COVID19 and doubled down on all the negatives. Even after restaurants reopened, buffets remained a no-go, with good reason. It’s hard to maintain social distancing in a buffet line, and sharing serving spoons? Nuh-uh.

But now an Indian buffet is back, and I’m there for it. Let’s give a warm welcome to Paradise American-Indian Cuisine in Middletown. It opened January in the Middletown shopping center space that previously housed Millions Crab.

Its menu features a broad selection of Indian dishes (mostly priced between $12 and $18) and, for that one person in your party who won’t do Indian, an American menu loaded with burgers, sandwiches, pastas, wings and more (mostly from $5 to $15).

In a salute to buffet lovers everywhere, it runs a modest but appealing lunch buffet from 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. A dinner buffet is served from 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays.

I was surprised at first to see no sneeze guards, but on closer inspection, everything except for a few brightly colored chutneys and a basket of crunchy papads was safely housed in warming pans with individual covers that you have to open

to dip out your food with a large serving spoon.

I counted 24 items on the Indian lunch buffet. We managed to sample them all, and also summoned a couple of tall yogurt salty lassis. which unfortunately were almost too salty to serve their intended purpose as a hot-stuff antidote.

Thin rice-lentil papadums on the first table were fresh and good, admirably crisp and dry. They were also the most hot-and-spicy papadums I’ve ever tasted. I considered this a plus, but some may not. You have been warned. This table also held bowls of spicy onion and mint chutneys and a fiery red sauce.

My overall view is that the food was good, not great. I rarely expect “great” in a buffet setting. Just about all the dishes brought the same level of spice – not fiery but with ample heat – and many of them shared a consistent flavor. It was a good Indian flavor, and I enjoyed it, but I didn’t find a lot of individuality or those sudden bursts of taste surprise that I love in Indian fare.

A reddish chunk of tandoori chicken, a couple of bites of chicken tikka masala atop basmati rice, crunchy-fried sh pakora and a quarter of naan bread ll a plate after a bu et run. |

PHOTOS BY ROBIN GARR.

A tall and very salty lassi yogurt drink and a goblet of water, o ered without ice, stand ready to cool the res of spicy Indian fare.

The bu et at Paradise American-Indian Cuisine, seen from behind, o ers an unexpectedly nautical look with masts and naval ropework, an inheritance from Million Crab, its predecessor in the space.

Several of the vegetarian dishes – dal padka, veggie korma, and dal makhani –were exceptionally soupy, requiring one to wade through a deep pan full of savory broth to find a few lentils, green beans, and other tasty goodies lurking at the bottom.

Lamb curry came as big chunks of back or neck bone separated by bits of meat. A thick, spicy-hot brown gravy dominated the dish and worked well over a bed of longgrain basmati rice.

In addition to that pure white rice, fluffy and delicious, a veggie biryani option added bits of onion, yellow and green peppers and spice to a spicy basmati blend.

Amrisati fish pakoras, an iconic streetfood dish from Northern India’s Punjab, may have been the star of the show. Breaded and crisply fried, they looked a lot like chicken fingers, but were firm, mild white fish that had been marinated with ginger, garlic, red chiles, and other aromatics.

Chicken tandoori was the standard item: white and firm chicken meat, yogurtmarinated, tinted red with spices and charred from the tandoor oven. Chicken tikka masala, like the vegetarian dishes, were mostly sauce, with uniformly cut cubes of firm, dense chicken meat hiding at the bottom of the pan.

Chickpea chana, another traditional northern Indian dish, came in a reddishbrown sauce that upped the fiery quotient a notch or two. So, surprisingly, did dahi bhala, a fluffy lentil-flour fritter bathed in creamy yogurt with a startling dose of hot chile flavor.

Pakoras — vegetable fritters — were

milder in the spice department but oddly chewy, as were otherwise estimable naan flatbread quarters.

We finished with two traditional Indian desserts: not-too-sweet gulab jamun – Indian “doughnut holes” – in sweet syrup, and gajar halwa, a concoction of chopped carrots and cardamom.

With two yogurt lassis ($3.99 each) and two lunch buffets at $15.99, an ample lunch for two came to $42.36, plus a $10 tip. •

PARADISE

AMERICAN-INDIAN

CUISINE

12951 Shelbyville Road 230-7121

paradiseamericanindiancuisine.com Also on Facebook and Instagram.

NOISE LEVEL: Decibel levels during our visit were mostly around a loud but bearable 70dB, with frequent louder bursts that could hamper conversation.

ACCESSIBILITY: The entrance and free-standing tables appear accessible to wheelchair users, but booths are up a step.

GOING TO A DISPENSARY IN A LEGAL STATE: AN ABBREVIATED GUIDE

By Mayor Wando | questions@mayorwando.com

GET your bags packed, get ready to hit the high road and travel to a state where recreational cannabis is legal... aaand GO!

As it stands right now, cannabis is currently illegal for recreational consumption in Kentucky. That’s also true of some of its neighbors. It’s currently illegal in Indiana and Tennessee. In Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia, it’s decriminalized or regulated for medical use only.

But with recreational sales flourishing in Illinois, and newly permissible in Missouri, Kentucky residents who want to partake can simply head west.

What next?

The most critical piece of information that I can impart to you is that if you have experimented with cannabis before and ever had a less-thanideal time, you’ll want to spend a little extra money and have a CBD-only vape pen handy. CBD helps to dilute and slightly counteract the euphoria associated with THC consumption.

Now, before you need that CBD, you’ll want to buy some cannabis.

After showing your ID and waiting your turn, you will be greeted by a dispensary employee who will answer any questions that you have. A budtender is like a bartender or a barista for cannabis. They will ask you questions to help determine what type of experience you want to have.

A side note: Cannabis is still illegal under federal law, so don’t get hung up on brands, or strains, or types of hardware. This is still a fluid industry, one in its infancy. It’s not like going to Radio Shack to get the latest cellphone or newest gaming headphones. Some states and farms do better than others, and some brands have put more investment in making the experience feel like, well, buying a smartphone.

Until cannabis can be descheduled from Schedule I, scientific research is limited. Specific names and strains can be a marketing device more than anything.

Still, what we are discussing here should be a solid primer.

GETTING HAPPY, GETTING SLEEPY OR AIMING FOR BOTH

There are three categories of cannabis: indica, hybrids or sativa. Each has a purpose.

Let’s say you’ve come to Illinois or Missouri from out of town, work has been crazy, you want to hang out at your rental for the day and just chill with the people with you. So, you’ll want a strain that leans more sativa — something that’s uplifting. Just for fun, let’s say you also want something that is fruity and delicious. The budtender would get you a sativa that is currently available and would ask qualifying questions to help you narrow down the type of experience you want. Remember, it’s an approximation, depending on your state of mind, hydration levels, and mood — it’s all all about educated guesses.

Your other main option is indica, which is usually associated with “in da couch.” That’s the sleepytime, chillon-the-couch type experience. It may not make sense for a party rental; most people use an indica-dominant strain to chill out. (A hybrid, naturally, offers a mix of the two experiences.)

I would head over to Leafly.com if you wanted to dive deeply into the flavonoids and terpenes of different cannabis strains. My continuing educational work is deeply rooted in the belief that cannabis, like other plants — hops and bananas, for example — is an ever-evolving process. The more we grow, explore and push these plants, the more they change and push back. The bananas we know today are not the same bananas as 100 years ago. Blight, popularity, and the roulette of genetics has changed them. The hops we have today are not guaranteed to be available in 50 or 100 years, in the same way the beers brewed 100 years ago might have used a mash bill of items we don’t have access to anymore. But, I digress.

In truth, today’s cannabis market offers thousands of crossbred hybrids, so each description is an assumption made by the person sampling and writing the descriptions. Again, we aren’t yet to the definitive part of the naming process. Every single batch of grown and cultivated cannabis can offer differing experiences. Like bourbon, every

The most critical piece of information that I can impart to you is that if you have experimented with cannabis before and have ever had a less-than-ideal time, make sure to spend the little extra money and have a CBD-only vape pen handy. CBD helps to dilute and slightly counteract the euphoria associated with THC consumption.

FOOD & DRINK

batch can be subtly different. Cannabis isn’t an A+B+C experience. It’s more of an ethos than a scientific certainty. The search bar on leafly.com even has a disclaimer: “These results are based on user reviews and are not a substitute for professional medical advice.”

3 WAYS TO A HIGH: FLOWER, EDIBLES & CONCENTRATES

Flower is the technical term for the traditional, most widely known part of the cannabis plant. Yes, when you are smoking weed, you are burning the flower part of the plant.

Even so, the experience of smoking flower can vary widely. For instance, if the dispensary you visit has Durbin Poison, you can see on leafly.com that it’s a very popular sativa with over 3,600 ratings. Users have reported that it leaves them with feelings like energetic, focused and uplifting. Some of the negatives that have been associated with it are anxious or paranoid feelings and that it leaves a very dry mouth. Different growers or differing farms from one state to the next make a side-by-side comparison nearly impossible, but one of the known pluses with this strain is that the dominant terpene, terpinolene (fruity), gives an herbal, floral terpene that is also found in apples, lilacs, and nutmeg.

Say that instead you want a flower that’s more indica dominant, something to give you that chill experience. One strain likely to provide that is Peyote Cookies, an indicaleaning strain created by mixing Peyote Purple and Cookies Kush. You won’t want to have much planned while imbibing this. Know that the dominant terpene is pinene (pine), which is found in rosemary and other herbs, and so it smells like a pine forest. The pluses are that it will likely make you sleepy, chill, and maybe a little buzzy. The downsides could be dry eyes and mouth.

Naturally, there’s more to buy at recreational dispensaries than just flower. Many users now prefer edibles, which could be gummies, desserts made with canna-butter, drinks, or even additives like salt made with the addition of THC. Edibles take longer to kick in because they are processed through the liver. Allow up to two hours before taking more and have that CBD vape ready to counter the THC if you, ahem, overindulge. Your third option, concentrates, take the form of shatter, dabs, THCA crystals, diamonds, or live resin. Concentrates usually need a specialized dab rig or can be used via vape pens. As they are concentrated, take it slow and find out where your tolerance is. If you take too much, relax and take a nap. Ibid. Have the CBD pen ready if needed. It’s a lot of information. What’s important to remember is that the ins-and-outs of cannabis consumption differ from person to person, can change over time, and, for the casual consumer, need to be stair-stepped into for the best experience. Cannabis use varies person by person, so not everyone’s experience is the same. Take your time and enjoy the ride.

Canna-curious and have some questions? Email and Ask the Mayor! Email: questions@mayorwando.com

Remember, we’re not telling you to use cannabis, but if you do, be informed. •

In truth, there’s thousands of crossbred hybrids, so each description is an assumption by the person sampling and writing the descriptions. Again, we aren’t yet to the defınitive part of the naming process. Every single batch of grown and cultivated cannabis can offer differing experiences.

Like bourbon, every batch can be subtly different. Cannabis isn’t the A+B+C experience.

LIKES THIS ONE: AT THE SPEED CINEMA

By Tracy Heightchew | leo@leoweekly.com

HILMA

HILMA af Klint was a Swedish artist whose gender and spiritual practices kept her from being recognized as the inventor of abstract art. She painted throughout her long life (1862-1944) despite the lack of encouragement from the art world at large, and left behind a massive body of work. That work was put in storage upon her death, and resurfaced in 1964. Slowly her reputation grew over the next decades until, finally, a blockbuster exhibition at the Guggenheim in 2019 brought her to the forefront of art history, and she has displaced Kandinsky as the first abstract artist.

“Hilma” the narrative film shows us the events and people who influenced the artist, and reveals the personal side of her Bohemian life. The daughter of a celebrated naval family with a great name, but very little means, af Klint’s artistic path was always restricted, by both her gender and her social standing. Her fascination with Madame Blavatsky and the fashionable Theosophic Movement connected her to her art school friends, a female collective she named “The Five.”

It is through this close knit group that af Klint’s breakthroughs are born, and it is here that a majority of the film is focused. The camera follows Hilma as her artistic eye opens, but also gives more credit to

her collaborators than she did in life. It is fascinating to see how The Five incorporate spiritualistism into their art practice, and a delight to see the beauty that Hilma and her friends put in the world, a world they create outside the normal conventions of their time. Though heartbreaking to watch, the aging Hilma, rejected by her male relatives, and her hero Rudolph Steiner, works tirelessly to find a home for her paintings in a world that does not understand them. All of this is told through a camera that loves the landscapes, buildings, and people of her homeland, with small experimental flairs that bring attention to the history behind the art.

Long fascinated with the legend of this Theosophic artist, Swedish director Lasse Hallström, together with his wife Lena Olin (who plays Hilma later in life) and daughter Tora Hallström (who plays Hilma the Younger), have brought her to life. Hallström is a Swedish pop treasure on his own, having made the iconic music videos of Swedish supergroup ABBA. His filmography is full of heartfelt, appealing, and well-acted films like “My Life as a Dog,”

“Chocolat,” and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” and this family-made project lives up to the standards set by those films. But it does not surpass them, which is unfortunate for a subject as interesting and powerful as

Image from the lm “Hilma”.

Biopics often follow a certain formula. A life is established onscreen with an experience revisited at the end of the film, an older version of our subject remembers back to their childhood. Milestones mark the passages of time; the death of loved ones, the life-defining arguments, the passionate love and betrayals along the way, with a peppering of historical players to make the viewer say ‘oh yes, I know them.” “Hilma” follows this formula, rather prettily, and is a nice introduction to the artist and the world she inhabits. Hallström is a classicist and that makes for a nice Sunday watch. But af Klint was an artist who painted for the future, and her life is sure to one day be illuminated by a director who will create for the future too. This safe biopic is a primer on the direction

and ideas behind af Klint’s work. It is exponentially better when viewed in conjunction with the 2019 documentary “Beyond the Visible – Hilma af Klint” (streaming on the Criterion Channel and Kanopy). Both are even better if you can see her work in person. Alas, that highly sought after, and now revered body of work will not be in Louisville any time soon though!

“HILMA”

Speed

Cinema

Friday, April 21, 6 p.m. Saturday, April 22, 3 p.m. & 6 p.m. Sunday, April 23, 3 p.m. speedmuseum.org/cinema $12 | $8 Speed members

KEEPING SECRETS WILL DESTROY YOU

There will be, for one night only, and only in Louisville, an immersive music and film presentation designed to recalibrate your relationship to both. Beloved musician Will Oldham and film artist Ryan Daly are exploring the concept of listening to music as a narrative experience. We go to see movies. Can we go to hear records?

We the audience are invited to listen to Bonnie Prince Billy’s newest record Keeping Secrets Will Destroy You for the first time in a cinema setting, with the music accompanied by the visuals of Daly, who has created visuals for Wax Fang, Damo Suziki, Ritchie White Orchestra, Sapat, and many more bands. For this happening, Daly will draw upon his vast 16mm archive to assemble an original work set to the recording. In this way, this event is the opposite of a live score, wherein the band plays music to accompany a film. Instead we will see film remixed to music, using the theatre setting to

create a collective experience, and listening to long form music in a dynamic and immersive way.

Recorded in the winter of 2022-2023 by Nick Roeder, KSWDY features guest artists Sara Callaway, Dave Howard, Dane Waters, Kendall Carter, and Drew Miller. Doors open at 6 p.m., with live music from Louisville Academy of Music students at 6:30 p.m., prior to the headlining experience at 7 p.m., and a discussion to follow. Proceeds benefit LAM’s need-based scholarship fund.

WILL OLDHAM AND RYAN DALY

Speed Cinema

Thursday, April 20, 7 p.m.

speedmuseum.org/cinema/ $20

Ryan Daly.

Will Oldham.

THE ROLLING SEA: IDA B. WELLS IN LOUISVILLE’ TAKES

OFF AT FIRST UNITARIAN AND SOUTHWICK COMMUNITY CENTER

By Marty Rosen | leo@leoweekly.com

ACCORDING to an old saying, “history is written by the winners.” I think it’s more accurate to say that history – the real stuff – is more likely to be erased by the winners. There is plenty of evidence for that in the legacies of exclusion that have marginalized non-white, noncis-male history in US education, culture, and arts. And the urgent rear-guard panic rising around the country around ideas like critical race theory around the apparent horrors of having inclusive books in school libraries is just one more desperate gasp from folks who think that the way to control the future is to hide from the past.

If the winners are erasing history, who, then, is actually writing it? I think it’s the folks who stand outside the winners’ circle looking in with a critical eye and the will to look beyond the smoke and mirrors of patriotic fairy tales. And though some of those folks are making their stand in academe and in politics, many of them work in the arts.

And many of those folks work in the theatre, where the barriers to doing important work are few. Theatre can tell a powerful story on a shoestring budget. Theatre doesn’t require a proscenium arch, or fancy lighting, or an expensive sound system – although those things are nice. All you need for theatre is a story to tell, a script, a group of willing performers, and a place to perform.

Playwright Michael Tee, who moved to Louisville about six years ago, has been acting, producing and directing plays for some forty years, mostly in the northeast before moving here, where he staged several plays at the First Unitarian Church before the pandemic put the brakes on his work.

Much of his work is rooted in history, and based on a combination of deep-dive

research and imagination. In Louisville, he has previously presented plays looking at figures like Frederick Douglass, Paul Robeson, Rosa Parks, and (just before the pandemic) a speculative fiction looking ahead to the first female American President.

Over the next couple of weekends, Tee returns to the stage at the First Unitarian Church and at the Southwick Community Center with a play produced by Community Control: Now Louisville that explores a critical moment in the history of the U.S. Civil Rights movement – and highlights the ways in which during the early years of the twentieth century Louisville was one of the epicenters of that movement.

The play, “Let It Resound Loud As The Rolling Sea: Ida B. Wells In Louisville,” is an imaginative reconstruction of events that could plausibly have occurred around 1905.

1905 might not strike most of us as a key moment in the history of the Civil Rights movement, in an interview, Tee pointed out that it’s forty years after the end of the Civil War, and a moment when the postReconstruction backlash and the rise of the myth-based so-called “Lost Cause” move-

A young actor in a Louisville play about the life of Ida B. Wells.

ment is in the ascendancy and progressive movements around racial and gender justice are moving forward through thickets of competing visions and aspirations.

Said Tee, “This is the midst of a period that saw a wave of white nationalist terrorist lynching around the country. Kentucky was affected by that violence, but most of it took place outside of Louisville – which is one of the reasons that the Black population concentrated in Louisville.”

And, said Tee, “Not enough light has been shed on the role of Kentucky and Louisville in the history of the Civil Rights movement,” noting that both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis (President of the Confederate States of America) were both born here.

After delving deeply into the history of the era – and the history of Louisville, Tee found that the role of Kentucky – and of Louisville in particular – in shaping the history of a tumultuous era that saw waves of Northern migration remains largely untold. “It’s a time when a lot of folks from other parts of the South and from Kentucky welled up in Louisville. And it’s a time when black people in Louisville were involved in all the varied political and intellectual movements of the time. It’s a time of social complexity and contradictions, and Louisville was a part of that. And although people pigeonhole Black people from that time as all holding the same views, that’s not the case. It’s a time when Black people have contending ideas about goals and strategies and tactics.

And that is the story Tee is exploring in this play, which imagines Louisville as place where figures both famous and lesser-known

come together in a clash of ideas. Tee didn’t want to disclose too much of the plot, but here are some of the characters:

Ida B. Wells, an emancipated person born into slavery who became one of the central figures in the history of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, is played by Ali Gautier. George Woodbey, also an emancipated person born into slavery, who became a Baptist Minister and a writer and political leader affiliated with the Socialist Party of America, is played by Jesse Gonzalez. Tee, himself, plays Booker T. Washington. Madison Grant, a “scientific racist” and eugenicist of the period. Madam C.J. Walker, the AfricanAmerican entrepreneur who built a fortune around cosmetics and hair care, and became an influential philanthropic supporter of the NAACP and other justice causes, is played by Mariel Gardner. William Monroe Trotter, journalist (founder of the Boston Guardian newspaper) and activist, is played by Vincent Gonzalez. Other parts are played by Deajanae Elliott, Journey Guyton, Jamie King, Mahlon Heuman, Jesse Williams, Weston Bradshaw, Kinisha Carey, Nicole Doty, and Bilal Grant. •

Three performances are scheduled. First Unitarian Church, 809 S. 4th Street: Saturday April 15, 2:30 p.m. ($15) Southwick Community Center, 3621 Southern Avenue, Friday April 14, 7p.m. (Free) For information:: 502-232-2742; or email communitycontrolnowlou@gmail.com

Actors perform in “Let it Resound loud As The Rolling Sea: Ida B. Wells” | Photos provided by Tee

The New York Times

Magazine Crossword

SOME LIGHT READING

BY JEREMY NEWTON | EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ No. 0703

79 What a raised hand might mean

80 Avid war campaigner

81 [What a snoozefest!]

82 Car in the Beach Boys’ ‘‘Fun, Fun, Fun’’

84 Sweater fuzz, e.g.

85

It can be detected using the ‘‘bite test’’ or ‘‘vinegar test’’

89 Noted slacking speedster

90 Not stay undefeated

93 Certain spa treatment

95 Trim

96 1988 No. 1 country album named for its singer

97 Roman god often depicted with a radiant crown

98 Zenned out

101 Two-player board game with spies and bombs

103 Bust midcrime

105 —

106 Lover of psychedelics, informally

107 Words to a silly goose

108 Putting on the heat?

109 Mascot who made his Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade debut in 2017

110 —

111 Cinq x six

1 Hawkeye

2 Stand for a photograph

3 Guard

4 ‘‘Oh, shove it!’’

5 Fruity refreshments

6 What nervous eyes might do

7 Big name in cloud computing

8 Roofer’s power tool

9 Gargoyles are often depicted with them

10

Draw upon again

11 Sponsored content, essentially

12 Twisting on an axis

13 Some ice cream purchases

14

SAVAGE LOVE

By Dan Savage | mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage

QUICKIES

Q: My partner wants me to give him a ruined orgasm. Where do I go to learn that?

A: Ruined orgasms are pretty easy — they’re so simple, in fact, that people sometimes give them to (or inflict them on) their males partners by accident. Here’s how you do it: bring your partner to the point of orgasmic inevitability — get him to that point where there’s no stopping his orgasm; even if Marjorie Taylor Greene were to burst into the room, he’s going to come — and then cease all stimulation. Take your hand off his dick, take his dick out of your mouth, lift your pussy or ass off his dick — whatever you were doing to get him close, stop. He’ll come, but it won’t be anywhere near as pleasurable or intense as his usual orgasms, i.e., the orgasms he has when his cock is stimulated to and through the point of orgasm.

Q: How can I be more fuckable? I put myself out there, but no one bites. I’m done being a 31-year-old gay virgin. I am a clean person, shower every day, wear clean clothes, and was voted “most likely to brighten up a day” in school.

A: Maybe you’re doing something wrong — but I couldn’t tell you what that might be without meeting you, getting to know you, and making polite inquiries about your voting history. But I can tell you what I would do if I were in your shoes: I would hire a brutally honest “life coach,” a personal trainer, and a hooker, but in reverse order.

Q: What’s your #1 tip for someone who has never been to a sex party before? It includes a wide range of ages, genders, orientations & proclivities, and many nervous newbies on the invite list.

A: Bathe.

Q: Can a person who has always had open sexual relationships become monogamous?

A: Yes.

Q: I never visualize having sex with my husband anymore. In my mind, it’s always someone else. Is that bad?

A: No.

Q: Why is anonymous sex — in places like bathhouses and gloryholes — so enticing to queer people like me?

A: Lesbians aren’t exactly crowding into bathhouses or around glory holes — nor are asexuals, demisexuals, sapiosexuals, etc., etc., etc. So, I’m gonna assume you’re a gay man. Before I write another word: not all gay men find anonymous sex and/or public sex environments enticing. But the ones who do… they’re not doing it because they’re gay. They’re doing it because they’re men. I mean, if you told straight men there were places where walls had holes in them and women were kneeling on the other side of those walls waiting to suck them off, straight men would go to those places. There’s nothing gay men do that straight men wouldn’t if straight men could but straight men can’t because women won’t. As for why women won’t… the answer is equal parts disinterest (on the part of most women) and an entirely reasonable fear of male sexual violence (on the part of all women).

Q: What do you do when you’re bored with the sexual smorgasbord and just want a few quiet nights in?

A: You spit the dick out and go home.

Q: Quick etiquette question: Can I use my fucking machine in a hotel room?

A: You’re allowed to fuck in hotel rooms. But fucking machines — at least the ones I’ve been in the same room with — are pretty fucking loud. They start loud, they stay loud. People fucking, on the other hand, typically only get loud toward the end of the fucking; once you can hear two people fucking in the room next to yours, you know it’s almost over. So, while I think we all have to

put up with a little noisy fucking in the next room from time to time, I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect the guests in the next room to put up with the noise of a fucking machine.

Q: I’m in love with my roommate. I think he likes me too. I just fear losing his friendship if I tell him. Any thoughts on how I should handle this?

A: If you don’t open your mouth… your roommate can’t stick his dick in there. Just don’t open your mouth and say, “I’m in love with you,” as that will instantly dial the emotional stakes up to 11. Instead, tell your roommate you’re attracted to him and reassure him — before he can even respond — that you will get over the awkwardness (and him) if he doesn’t feel the same way about you.

Q: How can I help a quick shooter have a slower draw? This D isn’t lasting long enough for me!

A: Some medications seem to help premature ejaculators — excuse me: some medications seem to help persons experiencing premature ejaculation (PEPE). Additionally, some PEPEs can train themselves to last longer by jacking off a few hours before sex with a partner, strengthening their pelvic floors, and edging themselves endlessly. But if nothing helps — and sometimes nothing does — and delaying penetration until after you’re satisfied doesn’t work (because only a good, long, hard fuck can satisfy you) and your guy isn’t insecure about how his dick works, you should get a strap-on dildo. They’re suddenly everywhere in gay porn… and we all know what that means. (It means straight people will be giving each other strap-on dildos as wedding presents by next summer.)

Q: Top tips for being a good/smart third when playing with a couple?

A: Be clear about your expectations — what you’re into, what you’re not, what you’re comfortable with, what you aren’t — and politely decline if they aren’t clear about their expectations.

Send your burning questions to mailbox@ savage.love Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love!

Leo's Towing & Recovery, LLC at 715 S Jackson Street, Louisville, Ky 40203 with phone number of 502-643-4570 has intention of obtaining title to a 2005 Blue Ford Expedition bearing Vin#1FMFU16575LA67512 registered in the name of Marvin L. Smith last known address of 5404 Heafer FM Ln.102 Louisville, Ky 40219. Lien holder:None. Owner or lien holder has 14 days after last publication of this notice to object. Objections must be sent in writing to the above address.

2016 Nissan Altima Vin# 1N4AL3AP6GC139931

Owner: Ronesha McClain Lein Holder: American Financial/American Car Center Rick's Collision and Paint 5210 Cane Run Rd Louisville, KY 40216 502-494-2262

STATE OF INDIANA )) SS: COUNTY OF VANDERBURGH )

FATHER NOTICE OF ADOPTION

Terrance Holt is noti ed that a Veri ed Petition for the Adoption of a child named Lanise Holt, DOB December 15, 2010, born to Lynn Holt, was led in the o ce of the Clerk of the Vanderburgh Superior Court, 1 NW MLK Jr. Blvd, Room 129, Civic Center, Evansville, IN 47708, cause # 82D04-2303-AD-000033. The Veri ed Petition for Adoption alleges that your consent to the adoption is not required pursuant to IC 31 19-9-8 because you have failed without justi able cause to communicate signi cantly with the child for a period of one year or more when able to do so and/ or you have failed without justi able cause to provide for the care and support of your child for one year when able to do so as required by law or judicial decree and/or you are un t and/or you have abandoned your child.

If Terrance Holt seeks to contest the adoption of this child, Terrance Holt must le a motion to contest the adoption in accordance with IC 31-19-10-1 in the above-named Court not later than thirty (30) days after the date of service of this notice.

If Terrance Holt does not le a motion to contest the adoption within thirty (30) days after service of this notice, the abovenamed Court will hear and determine the petition for adoption. The consent to the adoption by Terrance Holt will be irrevocably implied and Terrance Holt will lose the right to contest either the adoption or the validity of Terrance Holt’s implied consent to the adoption.

No statement made to Terrance Holt relieves Terrance Holt of Terrance Holt’s obligations under this notice. This notice complies with IC 31 19 4.5 3 but does not exhaustively set forth a person's legal obligations under the Indiana adoption statutes. A person being served with this notice should consult the Indiana adoption statutes.

This notice was prepared by Attorney Keith M. Wallace, 1 SE 9th St., Ste. 101, Evansville, IN 47708

REPOSSESSION SALE

These vehicles will be o ered for sale to the highest bidder at the time, date and place stated below. Term of sale is cash only. Seller reserves the right to bid and purchase at said sale. Dealers welcome.

2010 CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2CNALFEWXA6296421

2006 BUICK LUCERNE 1G4HD57266U240341

DIXIE AUTO SALES

(502) 384-7766

APRIL 26TH, 2023, 11:30A.M. 7779 DIXIE HIGHWAY, LOUISVILLE, KY 40258