A L W A Y S
ISSUE 2 May 2022
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UI historians shed light on
Recipes and wine recs for
On the road with
Geneviève Salamone
the Dark Ages
princes and paupers
Ren faire performers
centers Indigenous sound
GREATER DES MOINES BOTANICAL GARDEN
Café au Lait Rose dahlia
THURSDAYS • JUNE 16 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 29 June 16 The Sheet
August 11 Jay Allen
June 23 Tank Anthony
August 18 Adé & The Soul Brothers
June 30 The June Bugs
August 25 Tyler Richton & The High Bank Boys
July 7 Jake Simon
September 1 Max Wellman
July 14 Kick
September 8 Parranderos Latin Combo
July 21 NOLA Jazz Band
September 15 Gina Gedler Duo
July 28 Damon Dotson
September 22 Rachel Brook
August 4 Jesse Daniel
September 29 The Feel Right
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EDITORIAL
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Bard-wrangler
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May 2022
Genevieve Trainor
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Here ye, here ye! Our wee village
Emma McClatchey
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bids wolkom to Ren faire season
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wi’ adventures in Iowa-made mead, Knight of Smooth Experience
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WELL MET, YE MERRY BAND OF BARDIC GESTES!
artist in Iowa. They like to paint and watch birds with their catmate, Lilith. Meanz Chan is a Chinese Interdisciplinary artist in Des Moines who loves to experiment with themes like: isolation, nostalgia, miscommunication and exploration of personal identity. Michael Edward Moore is Associate Professor of Medieval and European History at the University of Iowa.
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editor@littlevillagemag.com FORTS Bardic guests of May
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Audrey Brock, Avery Gregurich, Dana
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James, Darien Maxwell Sloat Robins,
Iowa City, IA 52240
Avery Gregurich is a writer living
Victoria Harris is an Iowa-based
and writing at the edge of the
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Iowa River in Marengo.
deep passion for food, culture and history.
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MEDIEVAL ILLUSTRATIONS
om Tomorrow, Victoria Harris
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1
Pg. 5: Le livre de Lancelot du Lac & other Arthurian Romances, Northern France ca. 1275-1300.
2
Pg. 46: Medieval depiction of dog, unknown origin
3
Pg. 19, 40: German engraving ca. 1555, Rijkmuseum
Iowa City, IA SOCIAL CAULDRON
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319-855-1474 Emma McClatchey 1
4
Pg. 22: Arabic artist’s depiction of Pedanius Dioscorides, ca. 1229, Topkapi Palace Museum
5
Pg. 20: Smithfield Decretals, southern France, ca. 1300-1340
6
Pg. 29: Dragons inspired by my dogs, ca. 2022
7
Pg. 30: Roman de la Rose, ca. 1325-1353, Bibliothèque nationale de France LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2 May 2022 5
LittleVillageMag.com
Top Stories Catch up on Little Village’s most-viewed headlines from last month. Read more at LittleVillageMag.com.
Before I-235, Des Moines’ Center Street district was a bastion of Black
4/20 in 2022: Iowa GOP leaders entertaining ‘no discussion
commerce and culture
whatsoever’ on marijuana reform
By Paul Brennan and Courtney Guein, April 8
By Paul Brennan, April 19
By the time its final section opened to traffic in late 1968, I-235 was
More than a year after an Iowa Poll showed 54 percent of Iowans favor
already part of the fabric of Des Moines. Cutting across the city and
legalizing marijuana for recreational use and 78 percent want to see the
running just north of downtown, it’s the most traveled roadway in Iowa.
state’s Medical Cannabidiol Program expanded, Gov. Kim Reynolds and
But like many stretches of highway built through cities, the construction of
the Republicans who control the Iowa Legislature show no sign of doing
I-235 did damage that was largely ignored at the time and has continued
either.
to go unacknowledged.
Meet Lefty, the three-legged dog that became a Des Moines icon
Interview with Sara Terry, director of ‘A Decent Home’
By Lily DeTaeye, April 26
Video by Jason Smith, April 27
Specially-Abled Pets Day is May 3, but Anne Mathey doesn’t need a
The new documentary A Decent Home tells the story of
holiday to lift up Lefty, the small white dog she adopted from Animal
mobile home park residents, including those in North Liberty’s
Lifeline in 2008. She named her Des Moines music venue after Lefty in
Golfview, as they try to preserve their communities and their
2016, and the three-legged legend was a common presence at the club in
homes after the parks are bought by private equity funds
his younger years.
and other investors determined to maximize profits at their expense. Ahead of its sold-out screening at FilmScene, director Sara Terry sat down with Little Village to discuss what she
WATCH Interview with Sara Terry
learned during the six-and-a-half years she worked on the film.
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Letters & Interactions LV encourages community members, including candidates for office, to submit letters to Editor@LittleVillageMag.com. To be considered for print publication, letters should be under 500 words. Preference is given to letters that have not been published elsewhere. A response to “Split City” from issue 001 KUDOS AND MANY THANKS to both Paul
FAMILY OWNED LOCALLY LOVED 4040 UNIVERSITY IN DSM
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2749 100TH ST IN URBANDALE
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Brennan and Courtney Guein on their wonderfully informative story. Tears came to my eyes as I read about both my talented Uncles Seymour and Howard Gray. My father Rufus M. Spates played with both of them in and around Des Moines for many years. Daddy was also inducted into the Iowa Jazz Hall of Fame in 2013....one of the most dynamic sax players ever! My mother Edythe Gray Spates shared a beauty/barber shop with my uncles on E 17th St near Maple St Baptist Church for years before she relocated to 13th and Carpenter with her own shop. I wish my aunt Gladys Bates had been mentioned in their piece... she owned a number of great soul food restaurants near Center St and her food was superlative..
Mom was also a graduate of Mrs. Humphreys beauty school. Due to the blatant racism of the 30s and 40s my mother couldnt land a sales job in any downtown department store due to the darker hue of her skin. So she said what the heck and went to beauty school Good luck and continued success with your new magazine! —Peggy M Spates, Maryland Before I-235, Des Moines’ Center Street district was a bastion of Black commerce and culture (April 8) I am 60 years old, was educated in rural Iowa, and I have learned more in my adult years than I ever did when I was young and in school, that is WRONG! This article, and sooo many others, are part
F U T I L E W R A T H
S A M LO C K E WA R D
HAVE AN OPINION? Better write about it! Send letters to: Editor@LittleVillageMag.com
of this state’s history, and NEEDS to be taught! How I wish REAL history had/was being taught in schools, we miss so much when it isn’t. —Billie M.M. Fascinating article. Thank you, LV, for digging in & writing this. CR placed 380 through Black neighborhoods too, but also targeted the Czech immigrants down near J Ave on the SW side. This history should be known & acknowledged. Keep shining light. —Genie M. Iowa Supreme Court puts Abby Finkenauer back on the June primary ballot (April 15)
Emma McClatchey 2
I could excuse the lower court’s ruling if the ISC ruling was split. But when it comes back
LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2 May 2022 9
I N T E R A C T I O N S unanimous this certainly sends a red flag as to the lower court’s bias. —Billy B.
The Nut
Gabriel Greco
Pretzel bites worthy of a May Day basket. BY CORAL THEDE
S
ometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name. One of those places for me is the Walnut (1417 Walnut St, Des Moines), which started as the food truck (the Spot) before maturing into a full-grown bar and and grill in a converted 1920s garage. It’s downtown but just off the main drag and a great spot for a pre-show meal (or shot). A friend of mine used to live in the East Village and we would go there regularly during the week. We’d meet around happy hour, order some apps and get the Mediterranean Pita or West Coast Burger. It was a simple sort of unplanned plan we always had. When he moved, I missed those regular unscheduled hangs. During the early days of the pandemic, the Nut’s menu was to-go only. I would order from time to time and occasionally, I’d pull what I called a “Walnut Wednesday,” where I’d order pretzel bites and drop them off on a friend’s porch. Ding-dong ditch meets ding-dong-dine. One time I ordered an entire meal right before I had to be onstage, and Matt literally brought it over to Teehee’s mid-show. It was golden. I appreciate those little moments of regularity and familiarity, now more than ever. It always makes me smile when the tables are full and the drinks are flowing and the atmosphere of this industrial-meets-modern restaurant has echoes of laughter bouncing off its tall ceilings. Plus, they have a patio. As we near warmer and brighter days, I look forward to a cool refreshing local beer or slow slips of a morning after Bloody Mary. Cheers! (Post not-sponsored by the Walnut but definitely worth a trip for pretzel bites, Mahi Mahi tacos or anything on the menu. Really.) 10 May 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2
4/20 in 2022: Iowa GOP leaders entertaining ‘no discussion whatsoever’ on marijuana reform (April 19)
/LittleVillage READER POLL: What medieval drawing accurately describes your weekend plans?
It’s almost refreshing to hear a Republican openly admit they don’t represent the will of the people. —Ben S. For those who could truly benefit from it, Iowa’s existing medical marijuana program is exactly about as Goddam useful as tossing a 40 pound dumbbell to somebody drowning in a lake in the hopes that it’d at least give them something to occupy their hands with while they sank
STRESS FRACTURES
16.5%
7.8%
40%
35.7% JOHN MARTINEK
IT’S JUST A FACADE. MidAmerican Energy proudly leads its marketing with sleek material highlighting how many wind turbines it’s built. But behind the stock photos of blue skies and wind turbines is a dirty truth: • MidAm is the biggest carbon polluter in Iowa. • MidAm burns coal at 5 massive coal plants across Iowa. • MidAm is one of the largest utilities in the country with no commitment to reduce carbon emissions. Emma Colman -Organizing Representative emma.colman@sierraclub.org (515)314-5592
IG: @sierraclub_iowabc FB: @sierraclubiowabc Twitter: @IABeyondCoal
WO RT H R E P E AT I N G “I think there needs to be a deterrent in the law, but I understand via the logic Steve Holt of having discussions about what the appropriate penalties should be and that sort of thing. But in terms of making marijuana legal, that is something I would never support. … This is the law, and the law exists because we’re trying to decrease what we believe is the use of something that could be harmful.” —Republican Iowa Rep. Steve Holt, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, telling the Iowa Capitol Dispatch cannabis decriminalization is off the table “Queer history matters. And the minutiae of everyday life in Iowa matters. It gives LGBTQ youth, and people who are newly coming out, proof that we’ve always been here, and that we’ve always existed, and that we’ve always found ways to survive, regardless of what’s happening politically or culturally.” —Aiden Bettine, executive director of the LGBTQ Iowa Archives and Library “Being 10 years old and seeing Michael J. Fox on the skateboard, it just seemed cool at the time … [skating] shaped a lot of who I am today from the
experiences that I had, the friendships that I developed, confidence, creativity, perseverance … since then, it’s been a passion project of mine to put Des Moines on the skateboarding map and really give our local skaters an opportunity to shine and showcase what they can do.” —Norm Sterzenbach, president of Skate DSM “It’s funny because I run into people randomly, like in Walmart or something. And they pin me down and say, ‘Oh, you’re the Lefty’s lady! Tell me about the dog!’” —Lefty’s Live Music owner Anne Mathey on fans of her Des Moines-famous threelegged pup, Lefty “When you talk about the issues of systemic racism, we start to look toward solutions, and I think the solutions were radical to people and threatened them in a way that made them feel like talking about the problems in the first place was not right. So they tried to stop the problems from being discussed so that the solutions wouldn’t come.” —Anyiel Akec, a Dowling Catholic High School senior protesting laws targeting education in Iowa, to the Des Moines Register
via Norm Sterzenbach
Have an opinion? Better write about it! Send letters to Editor@LittleVillageMag.com 12 May 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2
I N T E R AC T I O N S
/LittleVillage READER POLL: Which is the best medieval interjection?
“Zounds!” 33.3%
“Egad!” 33.3%
“Wellaway!” “Fiddle-faddle!” 27.8% 5.6% underwater. Which part of the “liberties” and “rights” boasted about on our flag is this kind of prohibition supposed to represent, exactly? Especially considering the fact that millions of other Americans already have unhindered access to both medical and recreational marijuana? —Yale C.
MOMBOY
Claiming Biden’s border policies are ‘destroying our country,’ Gov. Reynolds joins a new ‘strike force’ (April 22) Good lord that’s cringe. —Jeffrey J.J. Who is running against her? Seriously. I haven’t even heard, which does not bode well for us. —Richelle
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Community
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Making Momentum Community Support Advocates activates its village to provide opportunities for artists with disabilities. BY JOHN BUSBEE
M
omentum. The impetus gained by a moving object. Kelsey Kleinow does not lead a static life—she lives the life of the art studio she runs: Momentum. Her life and her mission are on the move. She and the community she serves intersect in the creative epicenter of Mainframe Studios in downtown Des Moines. Her passion and work reflect those of Christina Smith, founder and president/CEO of Community Support Advocates (CSA). (Momentum is a CSA program.) Smith’s vision for Momentum is embraced by all connected through this innovative and impressive program. Kleinow, as Momentum program coordinator, is the catalytic point person for this studio of creativity and art production. The CSA tagline is “Hope. Resilience. Possibilities.” When these descriptives are applied to an environment of creativity, the results are inspirational. Momentum’s origins Smith founded CSA 25 years ago. It provides support for individuals with a wide range of disabilities, including intellectual and other developmental disabilities, brain injury, mental illness and substance abuse problems. Services are provided in Polk, Warren, Story and Jasper County. Smith recalls an early, memorable interaction with a new client, an artist before his mental health struggles. She encouraged his reconnection to art. He responded, leading to his participation in an art show. This exhibition was the first of many positive successes, and this artist was able to engage with people who saw him as an artist, not someone who was sick. That immersion into an open exchange with patrons and fellow artists engaged him, revived him, she said. “That fueled his mental health recovery,” Smith shares. “Having others view him in that different light was transformational for him.” This instigating event led to the artist’s return to school, to work and to a productive path for bettering his mental health. Smith influenced him—and he influenced her. The experience affirmed for Smith that art and creativity could
14 May 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2
Momentum Studio artists participate in a Bob Ross style painting workshop. Kelsey Kleinow
be a catalyst for others. Eighteen years ago, the Momentum seed was planted. It started with that art exhibition, which saw her first artist flourish, and which became an annual event. When Mainframe Studios opened, Smith instinctively knew that this was the place where Momentum needed to sink its roots. “I gotta be there,” Smith recalled thinking. “I want Momentum to be within the greater arts community.” That quantum creative leap forward was in 2017. When Momentum established its studio in Mainframe, the first year saw 500 people connect with the program. Momentum in Our Community CSA’s Momentum program welcomes anyone who identifies with having a disability. Those who come seeking support are accepted. This studio provides its clients the chance to benefit from the transformative power of art. “We have artists who come in who are freakishly talented,” Kleinow shares. “And, we have artists who come in who have never picked up a paintbrush.” Those in this range of talent and experience share a common bond: Each understands that art is an expressive outlet and guide for their own journeys. “We foster that healing and ability to express oneself through art,” Kleinow continues. “That’s what Momentum is about. Binding comfort, stress relief and healing through artwork. It’s really about the creativity process; being able to express yourself, being able to be in a safe space.
“My coworker [Angela Ayala] and I have extensive art backgrounds, so we can help in any way, in any medium. The cool thing about Mainframe is that if they want to try something that we don’t have experience with, we sure can find somebody that does,” referring to the diversity of artists with studios there. Applying the “it takes a village” adage, Kleinow adds “we have an awesome village (in Mainframe and its artists).” “The endgame ... is not selling their artwork or becoming a famous artist; it’s really just for healing.” Kleinow continues, telling how their clients’ “confidence grows, their social anxiety diminishes, because they’re talking about something they’re so passionate about. That is so neat.” One of the artist clients on their website’s video says, “No matter what happens outside these doors, never comes in here. It’s like the place that’s safe, you’re free, you can be yourself.” She adds with a confident smile, “And I like it like that.” Momentum gladly accepts any donated art supplies for their program. John Busbee works as an independent voice for Iowa’s cultural scene, including producing a weekly KFMG radio show, The Culture Buzz, since 2007. He received the 2014 Iowa Governor’s Award for Collaboration & Partnership in the Arts.
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coronavirus pandemic brought about business closures and cutbacks and revealed child care crises and many other things that affected employees’ ability to work. The Iowa House and Senate approved Iowa H.F. 2355, a bill to reform unemployment, but legislators have disagreed on whether to institute a one-week waiting period before Iowans could begin collecting benefits. The bill, which contains the following provisions, among others, is on Reynolds’ desk for approval (unsigned as of print time). Courtesy of Black Iowa News
The Fractured State of Iowa Nice
The Unemployment Hammock Myth Cutting benefits just hurts the already vulnerable. BY DANA JAMES
I
lost my job when the U.S. housing market collapsed in 2008 and unemployment soared, pushing homeowners into foreclosure and the nation into crisis. For the first time in my life, I filed for unemployment benefits, which would keep me afloat for nine long months. A bachelor’s degree didn’t insulate me from financial distress nor help me find a job, and everyday, waves of worry dominated my thoughts and tormented me late at night. Relief washed over me when my unemployment benefits kicked in and I began receiving about $300 a week. I could buy food, I could keep my utilities on—but not much else. I applied for jobs I was qualified to do, jobs I wasn’t qualified for and much lower paying jobs. I just wanted a job and an end to anxiety-filled days and nights as I watched my unemployment funds shrink and my debt rise. During Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ 2022 Condition of the State address in January, she said: “There are so many reasons for the worker shortage, but we need to recognize in some cases, it’s because the government has taken away the need or desire to work. The safety net has become a hammock.” Reynolds and the Republican-controlled legislature this session slashed unemployment. Some Democrats decried the cuts as a method to manage Iowa’s so-called worker shortage and as a way to push Iowans back to work after the
16 May 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2
• Creating a one-week waiting period before benefits begin • Reducing weekly benefits from 26 weeks to 16 weeks • Reducing the maximum benefit payable from 39 weeks to 26 weeks for individuals whose employers have gone out of business • Requiring Iowans receiving unemployment benefits to accept “suitable” lower-paying jobs earlier in their job searches
work indefinitely. As to be expected, Blacks makeup a greater share of those who are unemployed. According to the most recent federal employment data, the unemployment rate for Blacks is consistently double that of whites—and much higher for certain subgroups, according to economic research and federal unemployment data. • The U.S. unemployment rate is 3.8%. • The U.S. Black unemployment rate is 6.9%. • Iowa’s unemployment rate is 3.5%. • Iowa’s Black unemployment rate is 6.2%.
Black men, in particular, face a higher unemployment rate due to systemic racism and other factors, according to the Center for American Progress. During the height of the pandemic, the unemployment rate for Black men soared to 16 percent in 2020. In 2021, the typical length of unemployment was 16.1 weeks for white men, but 20.1 weeks for Black men, according to the organization, which researches and develops progressive policies to facilitate national change. For an individual or family receiving unemReynolds last May also prevented Iowans from receiving the extra $300 a week from fed- ployment, each week without pay matters. “Yet this economic recovery is revealing the eral unemployment pandemic funds before the impacts of continuing systemic racism, ageprogram was slated to end. The word hammock implies laziness. I doubt ism, and ableism on the labor market,” accordmany Iowa families would choose a few hundred ing to center authors of “Black Men and the dollars of unemployment—a pittance—over U.S. Economy: How the Economic Recovery Is Perpetuating Systemic Racism.” Like the 2008 real esTHE WORD HAMMOCK IMPLIES LAZINESS. tate market crash I lived I DOUBT MANY IOWA FAMILIES WOULD through, the coronavirus CHOOSE A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS OF pandemic hit employers and employees hard. It UNEMPLOYMENT—A PITTANCE—OVER helped knowing I could STEADY JOBS TO CARE FOR THEIR FAMILIES. access financial resources to remain afloat until conditions improved. After steady jobs to care for their families. But wait. nine months of receiving benefits, I found work, According to Reynolds and Republicans, it’s OK ironically enough, at a mortgage company helpfor Iowans who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine to ing homeowners apply for loan modifications get unemployment benefits. I guess it’s OK for to forestall foreclosure. My first paycheck hit anti-vaxxers to lie in their hammocks all day and at nearly the same time my final unemployment payment was posted. enjoy the social safety net. Unemployment compensation served as a welcome safety net during those tumultuous • • • times. Not a hammock. Cutting benefits hurts the already vulnerable. According to a Brookings Institution explainer, unemployment has only typically replaced about 40 percent of lost wages on average during the Dana James is founder of past 20 years. Hardly enough to avoid going to Black Iowa News.
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Stuck in the Middle The medieval times of our imagination only scratch the surface. BY MICHAEL EDWARD MOORE
18 May 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2
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A
n enormous forest extends for thousands of miles in every direction, with rivers that the traveler—whether pilgrim or trader—must cross on foot, leading a tired horse. The tracks of bears and wolves are often seen. Elk swim in the cold lakes. There is an eerie absence of people. Following the sound of someone chopping wood, the traveler might come to a monastery, with monks busy at manual labor or praying in the chapel. In the scriptorium a small, precious library is preserved, which allows for a limited, but crucial, learned culture, based on the Bible and an odd assortment of ancient writers such as Ovid, Cicero or Boethius, all in Latin. Or the traveler might happen on a small settlement in an isolated clearing. Here, a local lord rules over the village of peasants and slaves, while they labor each day to obtain a meager harvest from wheat, hogs and cattle. The community faces a constant risk of famine. Serfs work without pay, and without personal freedom, to feed the lord’s family and keep the fields, roads and bridges of his estate in good condition. In the early Middle Ages, circa 500 to 1100, Europe was also dotted here and there with cities left by the Romans—but ruined stone buildings were covered in vines and trees. The new population built wooden huts among the ancient stone columns. Nevertheless, in such a place our traveler can purchase goods in the market, obtain a fresh horse and pray in the cathedral.
LV Recommends
SACRED TEXTS
There’s always something new to learn—or unlearn— about the Middle Ages. Here are six books recommendations that serve to recontextualize medieval times.
H
arald Gormsson, a 10th century Viking king, is mostly remembered for two things: uniting various parts of
Scandinavia and appalling oral hygiene. The latter is why you’ve heard of Harald, even if you don’t realize you’ve heard of him. In 1996, Jim Kardach needed a name for a new technology that “unites” various devices, and he remembered Harald. He’d first read about Harald in Frans G. Bengtsson’s novel The Long Ships, in which an elderly (and often naked) Harald is desperate The Long Ships (NYRB, 2010) Frans
G. Bengtsson
Kardach’s name for the new tech stuck, much to his surThe Long Ships was 50 years old when Kardach picked about Vikings—it doesn’t rely on the tropes that have made the Middle Ages a favorite of white supremacists, anti-Semites and others of their ilk. Whose Middle Ages? Teachable Moments for an Ill-Used Past, a 2019 anthology prepared by leading scholars, spends 24 essays breaking down the period’s cultural legacies, and the distortions of medieval history that make it appealing to reactionaries and rightwingers, from neo-Nazis to timid shitposters. Some of the essays are boring, but the book is worth read-
Moments for an
ing, and not just because it’ll help you understand why so many
Ill-Used Past
bigots imagine themselves as heroic defenders of “the West.” It
(FORDHAM, 2019)
will also help you develop a sharper eye about your own medi-
Various authors
eval revels. Sure, no one expects the latest Arthurian movie or video game to be accurate, any more than they expect using
bluetooth to provide insights on Viking life. Those things are the cultural equivalent of junk food, just to be enjoyed. But junk food can contain some pretty toxic ingredients. Best to be aware of what you’re consuming.
—Paul Brennan
What dost thou seek to read?
Emma McClatchey 3
Kaylin Butterfield / Little Village
known as Harald Bluetooth.
it up, and remarkably for a book of its era—especially one
Ages? Teachable
What are the Middle Ages in the middle of? This is the period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance: roughly speaking, the years between 500 and 1450. Historians divide the period further into an “early” and a “late” Middle Ages. This is the medieval period: medi (middle) aeval (from aevum, age or period). How to explain the fascination of the Middle Ages? It is frequently said to be “a thousand years without a bath.” Point taken. But many Italian towns had public baths, and the Emperor Charlemagne spent every winter next to his beloved hot springs. Nevertheless, millions of avid viewers stream shows about the Vikings or followed the Wagnerian drama Game of Thrones. Themes of violent conflict, devious plots and tribal hostilities are not far off the mark, although medieval communities were surprisingly good at negotiating an end to conflict. Even the Vikings could be reasoned with, if rarely trusted.
pull because he thinks it brings him luck. That tooth is why he’s
prise, and runes for Harald Bluetooth became the symbol for it.
Whose Middle
How to explain the fascination of the Middle Ages? It is frequently said to be “a thousand years without a bath.” Point taken.
to end the pain from a spectacularly rotten tooth he refuses to
A new, more A book covering positive assessment the entire period of the period: with a light touch:
An authoritative work on the early Middle Ages:
A fascinating book about the later medieval period:
The Bright Ages:
A History of the
The Rise of West-
The Autumn of
A New History of
Middle Ages,
ern Christendom
the Middle Ages (UNIVERSITY OF
Medieval Europe
300-1500
(WILEY-
(HARPER, 2021)
(ROWMAN AND
BLACKWELL, 2013)
CHICAGO, 1996)
Matthew Gabriele
LITTLEFIELD, 2008)
Peter Brown
Johan Huizinga
and David M. Perry
John M. Riddle
—Michael E. Moore LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2 May 2022 19
Community
and tribal hostilities are not far off the mark, although
medieval communities were surprisingly good at negotiating an end to conflict.
Emma McClatchey 4
Television costumes and stage sets depend on certain visual clues that speak of medieval times: village squalor, smudged faces and, for some reason, people wearing shaggy vests. Then there is the well-informed silliness of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Accounts of King Arthur and his knights have been popular ever since the Middle Ages, with unforgettable stories of bravery, self-sacrifice, sex and betrayal. The tales of Robin Hood, with a puckish sense of humor, demonstrate the foolishness and greed of the powerful, and pay tribute to the survival of the little guy in the face of an oppressive society. In my childhood, King Arthur and Robin Hood were first presented to me in books written “for boys.” Soon I graduated to Bullfinch’s Age of Chivalry (still one of my favorite books). The modern saga of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, informed by Tolkien’s experiences in World War I and II, filled my youth with a medievalizing world view, presenting complex ethical themes such as the tragic nature of evil, the vital importance of friendship, wariness in the presence of the powerful and the journey of self-discovery. None of those things were being taught in school! Tolkien’s epic filled my heart with the idea of hiking and adventure in the wilderness, and so I became an avid backpacker. Perhaps a time will come when Europe’s later Middle Ages (1100-1450) will find its own popular audience. This is when the great universities were born (dear to the heart of any professor), Vikings were gone and the cities of Europe staged a renewal 20 May 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2
of urban life, mercantile activity and banking, road-building, long-distance trade and greater connection among communities. In the late Middle Ages, the good and evil of society stood in glaring contrast: the Jews were plundered, killed and often expelled. European society was stunned by the twin disasters of the Black Death and the Hundred Year’s War. Superstition and rumors spread easily. So-called heretics were treated with unbelievable cruelty. On the other hand, this was a society that offered greater ease and prosperity for some. It was an age of good literature. Popular works were written by wonderful authors such as Chaucer and Boccaccio. These entertaining books were composed in the vernacular languages of Europe, as literacy became more common in late medieval cities. The roles offered to women were expanded to some degree, under the patronage of the increasingly popular Virgin Mary. The tidy enclaves of
the Beguines provided a refuge for the literate piety, and flower-gardening, of women in northern cities. The fascinating, independent-minded Christine de Pizan became a bestselling author. The early Middle Ages seem primitive and made up of simple components: lord and peasant, church and castle, and conflicts that are exciting and easy to stage in the imagery of cinema, novels and legends, while the later Middle Ages appear to be a period of greater complexity and civilization, and of large-scale violence. The later Middle Ages are closer to our own time, but they reward the student with literature and works of art that still captivate. Take my advice, dear reader, and visit your public library in pursuit of the Middle Ages! Michael Edward Moore is Associate Professor of Medieval and European History at the University of Iowa. He has traveled and studied widely in Europe. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and canoeing in the wilderness.
Chartres Cathedral, Olvr, Wikimedia Commons
Themes of violent conflict, devious plots
A Medieval Monument to Learning The Cathedral of Chartes brought science and religion together. BY MICHAEL EDWARD MOORE
T
he Cathedral of Chartres is instantly recognizable, with its two towers of differing heights, each having a unique shape, framing the rose window perfectly placed in the center of the façade. The cathedral was built between 1194-1260 as one of the first examples of gothic architecture, with its soaring central nave, pointed arches and vaulted ceiling, and more than a hundred stained-glass windows depicting a bewildering array of Bible stories. From the moment of its creation by the master masons of northern France, Chartres remained the paragon of gothic cathedrals. “Every subsequent cathedral was affected by her, though none was ever so complete as she,” historian Vincent Scully remarked in his book Architecture:
LittleVillageMag.com
Ssolbergj, Wikimedia Commons
With the accompanying picture you can follow the path of the Labyrinth of Chartres with your eyes. Notice that the path takes you close to the center, then defeats you and sends you back to the outside again. It is like so many situations we meet in life. To follow the labyrinth was like going on a small-scale pilgrimage, undertaken inside the church rather than over the dusty roads and
mountains of Europe. The center of the labyrinth represented the Divine, or personal salvation, reached after all the winding adventures and misadventures of our lives. But today the labyrinth may suggest additional values: the desire to find our purpose in life, the search for wisdom and scholarly knowledge, and the attempt to arrive at our higher self. —Michael Edward Moore
While there were labyrinths in other
churches of France, this was the largest and the most renowned.
the Natural and the Manmade. Visitors to the cathedral are still amazed at the great labyrinth built into the floor of the church, made of light-colored stone and worn smooth by the feet of pilgrims who have visited this place over the past 800 years. What was the purpose of the labyrinth? And what possible connection did it have to the Christian nature of the building? To understand the Labyrinth of Chartres, we first have to consider the intellectual life of the cathedral. Chartres Cathedral once harbored a famous library and school, which became one of the most advanced centers of learning in all of Europe. The illustrious teachers of this school, such as Bernard of Chartres and John of Salisbury, revived the philosophy of Plato and taught a complete curriculum of the seven liberal arts: grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music. The Cathedral was a place of architectural and intellectual brilliance. At a time when the sword seemed mightier than the pen, and forces of disorder threatened the creative potency of civilization, the clergy and scholars of Chartres were justly proud of their scholarly legacy. They trumpeted their achievement by adorning the front of their cathedral with statues portraying the liberal arts – Pythagoras represented mathematics, Ptolemy astronomy and Aristotle philosophy. The labyrinth inside the church is ultimately connected to the scholarly and religious nature of Chartres. While there were labyrinths in other churches of France, this was the largest and the most renowned. There are several ways in which we can understand it. The labyrinth was large enough that a person could meditatively walk along its paths, following the cream-colored stones, moving around the semi-circular track, going back and forth until reaching the center.
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Reemplazo, Reconquista, y el poder de narrativas falsas
derrotados en 732 por los francos en la batalla de Poitiers, y su invasión se detuvo. Por siete siglos, los reinos cristianos de la península ibérica iniciaron una serie de guerras para expandir sus
POR SPENSER SANTOS
E
n 2017, los gritos de <<Los judios no van a reemplazarnos>> repitieron en las calles de Charlottesville. Tucker Carlson ha promovido más recientemente la teoría de la conspiración del Gran Reemplazo, que describe como <<el reemplazo de estadounidenses heredados con gente más obediente de países distantes>>. Y legisladores del Partido Republicano usan el lenguaje de reemplazo e invasión en otros contextos también, por ejemplo, en sus prohibiciones de atletas trans de participar en deportes de acuerdo a sus géneros para <<proteger las mujeres>>. El miedo de reemplazo requiere que aceptamos las supuestas jerarquías naturales. Ejemplos incluyen la superioridad física de hombres sobre mujeres, la superioridad de la gente europea blanca sobre todo el mundo, cristiandad sobre otras religiones, etcétera. Es decir, los elementos claves que hacen fascistas de conservativas. Así llego a mi tema: la Reconquista. O, con más precisión, como la narrativa común y simplificada oculta la realidad y provee un templado por intentados modernos de derecha a reescribir la historia. Primer, unos contextos. En el año 711, musulmanes arabes y bereberes cruzaron el estrecho de Gibraltar, y con su líder Tariq ibn Ziyad, conquistaron la mayoría de la península ibérica, en ese momento el reino postromano y cristiano de Hispania visigótica. Fueron
22 May 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2
Emma McClatchey 5
Matices como estos se pierden cuando ideologues simplifican y distorsionan nuestra historia para fomentar y propagandizar el odio. reinos. Estas guerras constituyen la Reconquista, pero los siglos intermedios han distorsionado la narrativa. En 1492, ocurrió la rendición del reino de Granada, el último territorio islamico de la
península ibérica. El mismo año, los reyes católicos Isabela I de Castillo y Fernando II de Aragón, no sólo autorizaron la inquisición sino también emitieron un edicto para conversar cada persona islámica o judía a cristiandad y expulsar el resto. Con el paso del tiempo, estos hechos han provocado la narrativa falsa de que la Reconquista fuera una campaña deliberada y específica por la expulsión de la gente islámica de la península ibérica. La narrativa falsa de que la invasión por tropas islámicas en 711 reemplazó a la gente europea y cristiana en totalidad. La narrativa falsa de que sirve para justificar la creación de una etno-teocracia blanca y cristiana. Por supuesto, estas narrativas falsas eliden mucho y crean la impresión de una relación puramente oposicionista entre los reinos cristianos y musulman, con diferencia de religión como motivo. En realidad, los reinos cristianos de España luchaban mucho contra los otros y se aliaban con líderes musulmanes también. El rey Alfonso VI de León y Castillo se casó con Zaida, la nuera de al-Mutamid, el rey de Sevilla, según fuentes de al-Andalús. Lar previa aristocracia visigótica ni se murió ni se expulsó, pero se integró en la nueva estructura de poder. Brevemente, no era nada reemplazo. Sin embargo, Isabela y Fernando, como la derecha alternativa hoy en día podrían usar la idea para realizar sus metas políticas. Matices como estos se pierden cuando ideologues simplifican y distorsionan nuestra historia para fomentar y propagandizar el odio. Al fin, sus acciones resultan en una <<reconquista>> de algo que nunca fue perdido (y es probable que nunca
Call for submissions! To submit a story idea to En Español, reach out to spenser-santos@uiowa.edu
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existiera) y un la purga de enemigos. Esa es la fundación de MAGA, y por escolares medievalistas, es la razón por qué tenemos la responsabilidad de enseñar el entendimiento de la historia medieval tan auténtico y matizado en la medida de lo posible.
Replacement, Reconquista and the Power of False Narrative POR SPENSER SANTOS
I
n 2017, cries of “Jews will not replace us” echoed through the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia. More recently, Tucker Carlson has promoted the Great Replacement conspiracy theory, which in his words is “the replacement of legacy Americans with more obedient people from far away countries.” And Republican lawmakers use language of replacement and invasion in other contexts as well, such as banning transgender athletes from participating in sports according to their genders in order to “protect women.” The fear of replacement rests on the acceptance of so-called “natural hierarchies” such as men being physically superior to women, the white European being superior to all others, Christianity over other religions, and so on. In other words, the key elements that make fascists out of conservatives. This brings me to my subject: the Spanish Reconquista. Or rather, the way that the common, simplified narrative of the Reconquista covers up reality and serves as a template for modern attempts to rewrite history by the right wing. First, though, some context. In the year 711, Arab and Berber Muslims crossed the Strait of Gibraltar, and under the leadership of Tariq ibn Ziyad, they conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula, then the post-Roman Christian kingdom of Visigothic Hispania. They were stopped from further invasion in 732 by the Franks at the Battle of Tours. Over the next seven centuries, the Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula initiated a series of wars aimed at expanding their kingdoms. These wars constitute the Reconquista, but the narrative surrounding them has morphed over time. In 1492, the kingdom of Granada fell, and with it, the last territory on the Iberian Peninsula ruled by Muslims. In that same year, Ferdinand and Isabella not only authorized the Inquisition, but issued an edict demanding all Jews or Muslims in their kingdom convert or be forcibly expelled. This has, over time, led to the false narrative
Depiction of battle taken from the Cantigas de Santa Maria, Public Domain
that the Reconquista was a deliberate, pointed military campaign specifically designed to remove Muslims from the Iberian Peninsula. The false narrative that the Muslim invasion of 711 involved the wholesale replacement of Christian Europeans by an invading force of others. The false narrative that the creation of a white, Christian ethnotheocracy was justified. These false narratives elide much, of course, and paint a purely oppositional relationship between Christian and Islamic kingdoms during the period, motivated by religious difference. The Christian kingdoms of Spain often fought amongst themselves and forged strategic alliances with Muslim leaders. King Alfonso VI of Leon and Castile married Zaida, who was the daughter-in-law of al-Mutamid, the king of Seville, according to sources from al-Andalus. The previous Visigothic aristocracy was not killed or driven off, but integrated into the new power structure. There was, in short, no replacement. But Ferdinand and Isabella, like the modern alt-right, could use the idea to achieve their political goals. Nuances like these are lost when ideologues simplify and distort history in order to promote and propagandize hate, and the end result is a “reconquest” of something that was never actually lost (and likely never existed) and a purge of enemies. That is the foundation of MAGA, and for medievalists, this is why it is our responsibility to present as authentic and nuanced an understanding of medieval history as possible. Spenser Santos is Little Village’s Spanish language editor. They earned their Ph.D. from the University of Iowa, focusing on medieval literature and translation practices.
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Bread & Butter
Try these three simple recipes to get a taste of the Old World. And, whether you’re embodying the upper crust or the humble peasantry, it’s proper form to eat among friends and family.
• 1 tsp. salt • 1 tsp. chopped rosemary • 1 tsp. chopped thyme • 1 tsp. ground savory
Mutton Stew Meanz Chan / Little Village
• 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
Research indicates that mutton stew and other
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
meat and vegetable stews were popular among
• ½ tsp. ground coriander
peasants in the Middle Ages. A humbling and
• 2 eggs
warm dish, mutton stew captures the hearty and
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
earthy flavors of the land in which they grew vegDIRECTIONS
etables and raised their livestock.
Add bone broth and wine to a large Dutch oven
Recipes
Eat like a Queen (or a peasant)
INGREDIENTS
and bring to a boil over high heat.
• 2 lbs. boneless mutton or lamb stew meat
Add mutton or lamb and return to a boil over
• 2 cups beef bone broth
medium-high heat. Once boiling, add onions, salt
• 1 cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay or
and herbs.
Sauvignon Blanc)
Reduce heat to low and cover for 1-2 hours, or
• 2 cups chopped yellow onion
until meat is tender. Crack eggs into a small bowl and whisk together with lemon juice. Remove dutch oven from heat and add egg mixture, whisking constantly until fully incorporated
BY VICTORIA HARRIS
and slightly thickened. Serve hot.
Cherry Pottage
A dish enjoyed among the wealthy, cherry pottage was known as a more prestigious side or Medieval tapestry
M
eals in medieval Europe were often determined by one’s socioeconomic status. The wealthy— who could afford feasts of venison, custards, red wine and exotic spices like saffron and ginger—ate very differently from the poor or peasants, who often cooked dishes with local, accessible ingredients, washed down with ale.
dessert because of its use of fresh fruit, white bread and sugar. This warm, almost bread pudding-like recipe, is rich in flavor with a sweet finish. The texture of pottage is porridge-like and full-bodied. Add fresh whipped cream and mint
Guide to Imbibe: Bootleg Hill Honey Meads, Davenport
Genevieve Trainor
A
s a long-time Renaissance faire aficionado, I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for mead, the ancient drink referenced in writings as early as 1700 B.C.E. (The Rigveda); popular throughout the histories of Europe, Asia and even Africa; associated with heroism and poetry; and a staple of drinking horns raised at faires near and far. I was thrilled to learn recently that Iowa is home to no less than three meaderies (as well as some wineries that dabble). Bootleg Hill Honey Meads, based in Davenport, has bottles available on grocery shelves across Iowa, and I swung by John’s in Iowa City to get some to try. I went home with three flavors. Although mead is often referred to as honey wine, it’s its own thing (wine is fermented fruit). That’s a useful shorthand for novices, though, and Bootleg Hill keeps the comparison alive with their 321 Dry Traditional Mead, which hits the palate like a crisp Chardonnay. As such, it’s better with a bit of a chill to it. (Mead can be enjoyed per the drinker’s preference, and the wide variety means that some are nice cold, others warm; some can be chugged from a horn, others sipped from an aperitif glass.) The Ginger Orange, which I was most anticipating, had the perfect spicy kick for a hot afternoon at a Ren faire—a drink to be enjoyed, certainly, but which will remind you as you’re drinking it that you should make certain to drink plenty of water, too. It’s versatile, and would pair well with the sort of hefty, “on a stick” foods served at faires. But it also has subtleties that are pleasant to sip and savor. The one that really hit my sweet spot, though, was the Paint It Blackberry. This is a drink made for swigging, but without lacking complexity. Visually, I appreciated the slight ruddiness of the color. It’s refreshing enough to carry along in a hip flask while exploring a faire, but elegant enough to pour out and share. The blackberry flavor is a perfect complement to the honey, its fullness enriching Bootleg Hill Bootleg Hill Bootleg Hill the honey’s sweet specificity (where in the drier varieties, the alcohol almost flattened it). 321 Dry Ginger Paint It I look forward to trying more of Bootleg Hill’s offerings in the future. Huzzah! —Genevieve Trainor Traditional Orange Blackberry 26 May 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2
LittleVillageMag.com/Dining
Once melted, add cherry mixture, remaining ½ cup red wine, remaining ½ cup sugar, cubed bread, clove and salt. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until mixture thickens.
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Tacuinum Sanitatis, Sour Cherries
Divide mixture into serving dishes and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Serve warm.
LittleVillageMagDSM
Mulled Wine or Piment
LittleVillageMagDSM LittleVillage
Mulled wine, favored for its medicinal properties, was popular at the end of the 13th century and beginning of the 14th century. The wealthy typically enjoyed this beverage for its heavy use of spices, and would drink mulled wine from a silver drinking glass, also called a Lacock cup. In modern times, mulled wine is a popular drink during
for a modern twist.
the holiday season. It can be cooked traditionally INGREDIENTS
on the stovetop or in a Crockpot for an easier
• 4 cups pitted cherries
cooking method.
• 3/4 cups dry red wine, divided (such as merlot Li livres dou santé by Aldobrandino of Siena. British Library, Sloane
or cabernet sauvignon) • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided • ¼ cup unsalted butter • 1 cup cubed bread (such as sourdough, French baguette or Italian loaf) • ½ tsp. ground clove • ¼ tsp. salt DIRECTIONS Add cherries, ¼ cup red wine, and ½ cup sugar to a blender. Process until smooth. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium Cont. on Pg. 28 >>
heat.
Bodkin Wines, Sonoma County, CA
via Bodkin Wines
C
hris Christensen has had a soft spot for Shakespeare’s Henry V since his English teacher introduced it to him at Cedar Rapids Washington High School. After graduating from Wash, then Stanford University; falling love with the art and science of wine-making; and honing his craft at vineyards from California to Australia, Christensen paid tribute to the Bard when it came to naming his own winery in 2011. He called it Bodkin, a reference to the arrowheads used by Henry V’s peasant archers to defeat French aristocrats in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, depicted in Shakespeare’s play. The business’s motto, “We few, we happy few,” is a line from Henry V, and medieval references can be found everywhere from the red cross patteés gracing the labels to the wines themselves, with names like Hotspur Cuvée and The Victor’s Spoils. A willingness to try new things and determination to make winemaking a more diverse, egalitarian industry have garnered Christensen a following. “Winemaking is agriculture and wine is made by people,” he said. “We need to see more of the people who actually get wine made and less of owners.”
Become an LV Distributor
Bodkin Wines Sparkling Rosé Hotspur Cuvée
Read Tiffani Green’s full feature interview with Chris Christensen in the 2022 edition of Bread & Butter magazine, out in August.
Contact:
distro@littlevillagemag.com
Bread & Butter LittleVillageMag.com
LittleVillageMag.com/Calendar
Livre d’heures de la reine, Yolande Bibliothèque Méjannes
Take a Journey to a Tourney Hear ye, hear ye! Renaissance season is upon us! Whether you’re planning a whole summer of costumed frivolity or just looking for that one can’t-miss event, we’ve got Iowa covered for you here.
INGREDIENTS • 8 cups dry red wine (such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon) • 1 cup granulated sugar • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon • 1 tsp. ground ginger • 1 tsp. ground cloves • 1 tsp. ground marjoram • 1 tsp. ground nutmeg • 1 tsp. ground cardamom • 1 tsp. ground black pepper STOVETOP DIRECTIONS Add wine to a large saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Add sugar and whisk until dissolved.
Spring Fling Celebration of
Iowa Renaissance
Former LV staffer Celine
In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, ginger,
Mothers (at Sleepy Hollow)
Festival
Robins chows a turkey leg
cloves, marjoram, nutmeg, cardamom and
Des Moines, IA
Lenox, IA (Amana
at the Iowa Renaissance
black pepper.
May 7-8
Colonies)
Festival, June 2021
Add half of the spice mixture to the sauce-
Free admission!
May 28-June 5
pan of wine and stir. Taste and add more of
Mother’s Day brunch: $20.99
$15-22 ages 14+; $8-12
Greater Quad Cities
the spice mixture if desired.
ages 13+; $15.99 ages 5-12; 4
ages 6-13; 5 and under
Renaissance Faire
Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes and remove
and under free with adult
free with adult
Davenport, IA
Family pack: $80 (two
Sept. 24-25
from heat. Run mulled wine through a fine sieve and
Pillage the Village Pirate Fest
adult, two children, two
$15-21 ages 14+; $8-11 ages
serve warm.
(at Sleepy Hollow)
collector mugs, $20 food
5-13; 4 and under free with
Des Moines, IA
voucher)
adult
CROCKPOT DIRECTIONS
May 14-15
All current or retired
$2 discount to military
Add wine, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves,
$12 ages 13+; 12 and under
military admitted free
personnel with ID
marjoram, nutmeg, cardamom and black
free with adult
with ID on Memorial Day
Cook on low for 1-2 hours.
Renaissance After Dark (at
Midlands Renaissance
Sioux City, IA
Run mulled wine through a fine sieve and
Sleepy Hollow)
Revel (summer)
Oct. 1-2
serve warm.
Des Moines, IA
Council Bluffs, IA
(tickets not yet available)
May 14 at 6 p.m.
Aug. 20-21
21+ only; $27 (includes Pillage
$15-22 ages 14+; $8-12
Iowa Renaissance Festival
ticket)
ages 6-13; 5 and under
Lenox, IA (Amana Colonies)
free with adult
Oct. 8-9
Riverssance
pepper to a crockpot.
Victoria Harris is an Iowa-based food writer and editor. She received her Masters of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy from Boston University. Throughout her travels and living abroad, she has developed a deep passion for food, culture and history.
(spring)
The Renaissance Faire at
6-13; 5 and under free with
Council Bluffs, IA
Sleepy Hollow
adult
May 21-22
Des Moines, IA
Family pack: $80 (two adult,
$15-22 ages 14+; $8-12 ages
Sept. 3-18
two children, two collector
6-13; 5 and under free with
$19 adult; $8 child
mugs, $20 food voucher)
adult 28 May 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2
$15-22 ages 14+; $8-12 ages
Midlands Renaissance Revel
Community
LittleVillageMag.com Iowa Dispatch
Faire Play My life among the traveling knights, pirates, fairies and mermaids. BY ELISABETH CHRETIEN
S
pring has come around again! That can mean different things to different people; for me, spring signals the return of Renaissance faire season. I have been a member of Pass Four Productions since 2014. We are a troupe of actors who perform short, one-act comedy skits with choreographed stage combat at Ren faires across Iowa and the Midwest. Or, as I prefer to put it: I get to hit my friends with swords for applause and tips. Most people might visit a Renaissance faire once or twice in their life. It’s an enjoyable day of eating turkey legs, watching the joust, listening to some uncommon music and watching a lot of delightfully silly folks in costumes turn a field into a medieval (or fantasy medieval) festival for a few hours. I still remember my first Renaissance Faire. It was in Omaha, Nebraska, in the mid-’90s, when I was a preteen. I clearly recall looking around at all the adults in costumes—adults! in costumes!— and immediately falling in love with the silliness and the spectacle. I thought, “I can’t believe there are people who actually do this!” For some, those first encounters turn into a lifelong hobby. They spend money on costumes and visit multiple faires in the region every year. They are what is known as “play-trons,” people who come to Renaissance faires in costume and play a part, though they are not officially part of the faire cast or crew. These individuals play a vital role in bringing the magic of the faire to life. And then there are those of us who take it one step further: the official hired performers and vendors at Renaissance faires. Some performers are hired directly by these festivals to be part of an ensemble cast that tells an interactive story throughout the entire weekend. Others form troupes of actors, musicians, acrobats, dancers or any other act you can imagine and are hired to put on shows on stages at certain times. That is what I have been doing since 2014, though I also passed through the play-tron stage. Along the way, I have sought to create for others that same magic that first enchanted me. These days, depending on the faire, I step out on stage (often just a roped-off patch of grass) three or four
Pass Four Productions, a comedy stage combat troupe, takes a nap backstage between shows at the Iowa Renaissance Festival, Amana, IA, 2019. Elisabeth Chretien
times a day with Pass Four, to perform 20-to-25minute plays about pirates or Vikings or fairies or Robin Hood or whatever. They all culminate— and often begin—with us drawing our swords and
We’re a community on wheels, coming together in one city for a weekend, going back to our regular lives on Monday morning,
and then reuniting in a different city a few weeks later.
Emma McClatchey 6
engaging in carefully choreographed combat that we have spent months rehearsing. For me, Renaissance faires are a natural progression in my performance career. I’ve been on stage since the age of 4 as a dancer, actor and
musician. My work with Pass Four is the logical combination of that lifelong hobby and my magical moment of Renaissance faire discovery as a child. What I didn’t fully expect when I started was the sense of family and camaraderie found among Renaissance faire performers. I think this develops because most performers don’t just perform at one faire a year. No, we migrate. Some make this kind of work their career, traveling across the country all year with the weather to perform at faires across the nation. Others are weekend warriors like me, holding down day jobs during the week and then morphing into a pirate onstage during the weekend. We’re a community on wheels, coming together in one city for a weekend, going back to our regular lives on Monday morning and then reuniting in a different city a few weeks later. At our troupe’s “home faire,” the Iowa Renaissance Festival in Amana, we have shared a stage with an improv troupe from Grinnell for many years, and they have become close friends even outside the festival gates. We’re always overjoyed to reconnect with a troupe of musicians— also now friends—from Des Moines. I have a long-standing friendship with a belly dancer from Lincoln, Nebraska, and a newer friendship with a mermaid from Omaha. We’re also a community forged by the tough realities of performing outdoors in all kinds of weather. I’ve huddled under cloaks with friends during late-spring and early-fall snow; shared water and shade during scorching mid-summer heat; and taken shelter with strangers during powerful thunderstorms. I’ve loosened the corset of a LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2 May 2022 29
Community
stranger during a 112-degree day. I’ve helped a pirate get to shade and received water from a mermaid. I’ve applied sunscreen to the back of a fairy and brought an inhaler to a knight. It doesn’t matter what city or state I’m in; the story is always the same. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it meant that the 2020 Renaissance faire season didn’t really happen. Some events went on, but with reduced numbers of patrons, vendors and performers. I didn’t take the stage at all that year. I didn’t get to see my friends. Even the 2021 faire season was slow to get off the ground, since some faires required commitments from vendors and performers before vaccines were widely available. My return to performing at Renaissance faires was delayed until August 2021. And, like my very first faire, that took place in Omaha, Nebraska. It was my first time seeing many friends—some who live right here in Iowa City and some who live a few states away—since the end of the 2019 season in Sioux City. There were smiles and laughs and hugs before we rushed away to our respective stages to sing and dance and act and sword fight. It was a true homecoming, back in a community far from our respective homes, yet a home in its own right. And of course, that weekend ended with familiar-sounding exchanges: “Will I see you in Des Moines next month?” “No, but we’ll be back in Amana the month after that. Seen you then.” Until next time, my friends.
THROUGH JUNE 5, 2022 Oyoram Israeli, born 1951 / 7even Stories High, 2022 LED display / Pixels on Optical Canvas / Running Time: 5 minutes and 40 seconds
VISIT DESMOINESARTCENTER.ORG
Elisabeth Chretien is a freelance editor and writer by day and an actor, dancer and musician by night. This season, you can catch her with Pass Four Productions at the Iowa Renaissance Festival in Amana playing both the world’s greatest pirate hunter and a talkative unicorn.
Emma McClatchey 7
IOWA CITY
DOWNTOWN
30 May 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2
DISTRICT
HAVE FUN AT THESE LOCALLY OWNED FAVORITES! Classic Roadhouse Joint Midwest Sports Headquarters 4221 SE Orilla Road, WDM 400 SE 6th Street 515-410-2520 515-214-2759
Cajun & Creole Favorites 615 3rd Street 515-244-2899
60’s Corner Tavern 200 SW 2nd Street 515-280-1965
262 Craft Beers on Draft 200 SW 2nd Street 515-284-1970
British Pub 210 4th Street 515-282-2012
Belgian Beer Bar 210 4th Street 515-282-2012
Asian Pizza & Cocktails Margarita and Queso Flights 1450 SW Vintage Pkwy, Ankeny 401 SE 5th Street 515-243-8888 51-777-1012
All Iowa Beer, One Amazing Place! Asian Pizza & Cocktails 223 4th Street 215 East 3rd Street 515-323-3333 515-243-0827
A Not So Secret Speakeasy 215 East 3rd Street 515-243-0827
Your Neighborhood Bar & Grill 3506 University Avenue 515-255-0433
Neighborhood Burgers & Beer 2331 University Avenue 515-344-4343
German Bier Hall 101 4th Street 515-288-2520
PATIO SEASON IS HERE!
Grab your bike and relax on these patios! Buzzard Billy’s - Downtown Des Moines The Chicken - West Des Moines El Bait Shop - Downtown Des Moines Fong’s Pizza - Ankeny Hessen Haus - Downtown Des Moines High Life Lounge - Downtown Des Moines The Iowa Taproom - East Village Rita’s Cantina - East Village The Royal Mile - Downtown Des Moines Truman’s Tavern - East Village LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2 May 2022 31
Culture A-List
Resilience Reimagined
Violinist Geneviève Salamone honors her heritage through her own work and the other Indigenous artists she brings through her studio.
I
BY LILY DETAEYE
n the front room of her West Des Moines home, violinist and composer Geneviève Salamone writes, produces, records, mixes and masters original music. And while the space looks almost like an ordinary front room, it’s far from it. The space has been fitted by Salamone and her husband with soundproofing drywall. There are microphones and acoustic panels lining the walls. There are no stray instruments, but Salamone assures me she can do almost everything she needs to with her violin and an impressive MIDI keyboard. And although it’s small, it’s easy to tell that some seriously cool stuff happens here. This room, and some could argue Salamone herself, is Wendat Records. The studio’s name comes from Salamone’s Indigenous heritage, just one of the many things she works to reclaim with her compositions. “So the word Huron is actually derived from what Europeans called us. That’s not actually what we call ourselves. We call ourselves the Wendat,” Salamone says. “(Huron) actually translates to brute or ruffian. It’s actually really offensive.” Beyond the name of the studio, Salamone incorporates her Wendat roots into her own original music. After receiving an Iowa Arts Council Resilience Grant last year, Salamone has taken on a massive project to create art around her Indigenous roots in the forms of music videos, social media awareness content and original compositions. “It really speaks to me to use my platform to raise awareness on
important issues. Particularly the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women Movement,” Salamone says. “But also the Indian residential schools.” Headlines of unmarked graves encasing the bodies of Indigenous children at Canadian and U.S. Indian residential schools went viral in the fall of 2021, bringing to the mainstream what folks like Salamone had long been aware of. Obviously, mistreatment of Indigenous peoples at residential schools had been an issue long, long before. And got much closer to home than most Iowans would like to believe. “There was one only an hour away from here in Tama. An hour away,” Salamone says. “Essentially, kids were forced from their homes, and their heads were shaven, and their skin was bleached. They were forced to be white. My own family went to them in Canada. But what’s crazy is we’ve all known that there were massive death rates at these schools because of malnutrition. And just so many other issues, mostly because the church was getting paid for the amount of kids they had. So they had too many kids. It was basically just a prison for these kids. And lots of kids died. And they never reported the deaths. Their bodies were thrown into mass graves.” One of the centerpieces of her grant project is a composition entitled “Les Petits Mocs,” a tribute to the children who lost their lives at residential schools. “Les Petits Mocs means the little moccasins,” Salamone says. “(The
32 May 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2
A Night of Resilience with Geneviève Salamone, xBk Live, Saturday, May 21, 7 p.m., $20
Above: Photos from Jester Park, taken for the “Les Petits Mocs” video. Genevieve Salamone; moccasins representing Indigenous children who lost their lives in the Indian residential school program. Jenni Machir Below: Salamone wears a cape designed by Sky-Eagle Collection. Red is symbolic, said to be a color the spirits can see, and has become the color of the MMIW movement, so that the spirits can find their way home again. Jovisuals
piece) is supposed to follow baby moccasins because they were finding bodies of 3-year-olds in this grave. So that really puts it into perspective. Like, these kids walked in the snow barefoot sometimes to
escape these places, you know?” According to The Washington Post, the last Canadian Residential School closed in the 1990s. “Les Petits Mocs” will be featured at an event celebrating
LittleVillageMag.com
Salamone’s grant project and the one year anniversary of her debut solo album, Catharsis, at xBk Live on May 21. “A Night Of Resilience” touts an eclectic lineup of artists across multiple disciplines including singer/songwriters, instrumentalists, dancers, multimedia artists and even an aerialist. Among the many performers scheduled for the event is Ralph Moisa Jr., a songwriter, instrumentalist, author and member of the Yaqui Nation in California who records his work alongside his wife, Carol, at Wendat Studios. “I write in the traditions of my ancestors with the drum and the flute,” Moisa Jr. says. “So I have several songs that cross languages. I just want to communicate. I think that if we learn to understand each other, then we won’t have the problems we have today.” The couple’s awareness efforts reach further than just their recorded music. The Moisas also host the White Eagle Multicultural Pow Wow each fall to celebrate the life of their late son, Ralph Moisa III. While many of the topics Salamone and Moisa Jr. discuss in their work are rightfully heavy, they both acknowledge the importance of humor in their respective traditions. “Comedy is kind of a part of our culture because passing on knowledge, storytelling is an oral tradition. So in order for someone to remember it, you have to make it interesting, right? He’s really good at that portion of it,” Salamone says of Moisa Jr. While Salamone keeps herself busy recording, producing and mixing the work of others, she doesn’t let it deter her from creating art of her own. She released Catharsis” in May of 2021. Over 16 epic and heart wrenching compositions, Salamone addresses the sexual abuse she experienced as a child at the hands of her dad and the process of coming to terms with it. “Catharsis was my grand leap into the world of composing, and it was also my trauma narrative,”
says Salamone. “For most of my life, I couldn’t even talk about the abuse without crying. But for me, writing music and using that form of creative expression was a way of healing. So I decided to make this album because I wanted to put the story out there. I felt like I had been living a lie for so long. I just wanted to put it all out there.” Catharsis gave Salamone an avenue to acknowledge the trauma she had experienced in her own life. But by naming it, she has helped many come to terms with the abuse they’ve faced in their lives as well. “I wrote ‘Rage’ after I came out to my family about the abuse. We found out that six of my family members had also been abused by my dad,” Salamone says. “The whole messed up part of that situation is that we were all so ashamed that none of us wanted to talk about it, and we didn’t realize all of us were suffering. That, to me, is why I’m so outspoken.” “A Night Of Resilience” promises to be a celebratory night of beautiful music, but attendees should be aware that sensitive material will be discussed. Specifically, Salamone and xBk have issued a trigger warning for topics of childhood sexual abuse, Indian residential schools, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Salamone says that sensitive sections of the event will be accompanied by resources for education and aid. “A lot of Indigenous people go on this journey of self-discovery for the same reasons that I am,” Salamone tells me. “We lost so much. Our people, every person must take responsibility to keep the culture alive.”
RUMOURS A FLEETWOOD MAC TRIBUTE
JUNE 12, 7:00 PM Buy Tickets at GBPAC.COM/Rumours
Tickets start at $20
Lily DeTaeye is a Des Moines native who is passionate about music, reading, wine and dogs. In addition to writing for Little Village, she is a singer-songwriter and touring Americana musician. DeTaeye received a BA from the University of Iowa in Creative Writing. And she truly can’t stress enough how passionate she is about wine and dogs. LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2 May 2022 33
LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/CALENDAR
EVENTS: May
IT’S THE PLACE WHERE WONDER AND CURIOSITY
May 2022
COME TO LIFE
Planning an event? Submit event info to calendar@littlevillagemag. com. Include event name, date, time, venue, street address, admission price and a brief description (no all-caps, exclamation points or advertising verbiage, please). To find more events, visit littlevillagemag.com/calendar. Please check venue listing in case details have changed.
Meet Children’s Author: Mark Ceilley,
via Beaverdale Books
SCIENCE CENTER OF IOWA | WWW.SCIOWA.ORG
Beaverdale Books, Des Moines, Sunday, May 22 at 2 p.m., Free
Minnesota-based and Iowa-educated (BA and MA from University of Northern Iowa), reading interventionist and elementary teacher Mark Ceilley has his first picture book out this month, and he’ll be visiting Beaverdale Books to celebrate. Cinderelliot, written with Rachel Smoka-Richardson and illustrated by Stephanie Laberis, tells the story of a boy with dreams of being a baker stuck babysitting his ungrateful stepsiblings, until an opportunity arises to create a culinary concoction for the prince, whose heart he inevitably wins. Literary Luxuries Thursday, May 12 at 5 p.m.
Friday, May 20 at 7 p.m.
Poetry & Pie in the Park w/Diane
Storyhouse Bookpub: The Author
Glass and Pat Boddy, Greenwood
Afterparty w/Rachel Yoder, Ray-
Park, Des Moines, Free
gun, $6
Wednesday, May 18 at 6 p.m.
Monday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m.
A Thousand Acres Bookclub w/
Meet the Author: Maureen McCue,
the Des Moines Public Library and
Artisan Gallery 218, West Des
DSM Metro Opera, Online, Free
Moines, Free
Wednesday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 25 at 7 p.m.
Meet the Author: Ellie Brooks, Bea-
AViD Author: Jason Mott, Central
verdale Books, Des Moines, Free
Library, Des Moines, Free
Thursday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 26 at 6 p.m.
Poetry Readings w/Andrea Carter
Author Visit: Rebecca Janni, East
Brown and Debra Marquart, Bea-
Side Library, Des Moines, Free
verdale Books, Des Moines, Free
RESERVE YOUR SEATS AT DMSYMPHONY.ORG
PRESENTED BY IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
DES MOINES
courtesy of Caspe Terrace
Amee Ellis AND Maggie Littel
EDITORS’ PICKS: May 2022
DSM Metro Opera: The Land in Transition, Hills and Valleys, Whiterock
Emmett Phillips’ Community Celebration,
Conservancy, Coon Rapids, Sunday,
7 p.m., $10-13 This fundraiser for the Oakridge
May 22 at 1:30 p.m., Free In anticipation of the
July 9 premiere of A Thousand Acres, a new opera based on the Jane Smiley novel of the same name, Des Moines Metro Opera is exploring the confluence of art and land stewardship. This program kicks off with remarks from Whiterock Conservancy’s Niki Reynolds and Michael Egel of Des Moines Metro Opera, followed by a series of performances highlighting a connection to the land. Annie Chapman Brewer’s horn composition created through an AgArts Residency at Whiterock; Mary Swander’s one-woman play Map of My Kingdom; a Q&A with Beth Hoffman, author of 2021 memoir Bet the Farm; and finally, a sneak-peek aria from A Thousand Acres. Registration is requested; a free shuttle from Des Moines will be available.
xBk Live, Saturday, May 28 at Neighborhood celebrates Emmett Phillips, a program facilitator at the nonprofit housing community. Phillips, a versatile artist involved in hip hop, poetry and theater, has been raising up youth in the area for a decade now, through the Oakridge Young Educated Artists after school fine arts program. The evening will include a youth showcase as well as other hip hop, R&B and poetry performances. Tickets are $10 in advance, $13 at the door.
Community Connections Friday, May 6 at 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 7 at 7 p.m.
First Friday: City Sounds Sea-
Flashforce Graduation Show,
son Opener & Piano Unveiling,
xBk Live, Des Moines, $30-40
Mainframe Studios, Des Moines,
Theatrical Thrills
Sunday, May 8 at 2 p.m.
Free
Botanical Watercolor Workshop Friday, May 6 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 14 at 8 p.m.
Friday, May 6 at 5 p.m.
w/Claire Sedovic, Mainframe
Standup Comedy: Katie Mein-
Steve Martin and Martin Short,
Ukrainian Pysanka Workshop,
Studios, $50
ers, Teehee’s Comedy Club, Des
Des Moines Civic Center, $79-230
Des Moines Art Center, $25
Tuesday, May 17 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 7 at 10 a.m.
Film Screening: The Automat,
Closing Sunday, May 8
No Shame Theater, Teehee’s Com-
Spring Garden Festival, Greater
Des Moines Art Center, Free
Pippi Longstocking: The Musical,
edy Club, Free
Des Moines Botanical Garden,
Friday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Moines, $15-20
Des Moines, $14-19
Saturday, May 14 at 2 p.m.
Free
Des Moines Community Playhouse, Opening Tuesday, May 17 at 7:30
Bookbinding Activity w/the
p.m.
Saturday, May 7 at 10 a.m.
Blok DSM, Mainframe Studios,
Friday, May 13 at 7 p.m.
Hamilton, Des Moines Civic Cen-
Zoltan’s Luau, Exile Brewing
$45
Chicago Comedy Showcase, Tee-
ter, $89-129
Company, Des Moines, Free
hee’s Comedy Club, $15-20
Friday, May 20 at 9 p.m. The Lobby Lock-In, The Lobby Game Lounge, Des Moines, $35 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2 May 2022 35
EDITORS’ PICKS: May 2022
PRESENTED BY IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT
DES MOINES
Jazz w/Andrea Domenici & Francesco Cafiso, Caspe Terrace, Waukee, Sunday, May 22 at 2 p.m., $30-35
There’s a strong argument to be made that the greatest gift the U.S. has given to the world is jazz music—and the world has accepted it with open arms. Caspe Terrace brings it full circle as the Waukee venue welcomes Italian jazz artists Andrea Domenici (piano) and Francesco Cafiso (saxophone). This is a return visit to the venue for Domenici, who played Caspe Terrace in 2019. But it’s the first time at any venue that the two performers will take the stage as a duo. Cafiso made his jazz debut at the Umbria Festival at the age of 14 and has been on the rise since! The performance will be followed by a meet-the-artist dessert reception hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines, which owns and operates the venue. Musical Marvels Friday, May 6 at 7
Saturday and Sunday,
Thursday, May 12
Monday, May 16 at 8
Friday, May 20 at 7
Saturday, May 21 at 6
p.m. Drake White w/
May 7 and 8 at 7:30
at 7:30 p.m. Susan
p.m. Gordon Light-
p.m. Chayce Beck-
p.m. A Night of Resil-
Kasey Tyndall, Woo-
p.m., 2:30 p.m. DM
Werner w/Margo King,
foot, Hoyt Sherman
ham, Wooly’s, $20-25
ience with Geneviève
ly’s, Des Moines, $20
Symphony: Season
Temple Theater, $20-45
Place, Des Moines, $59.50-99.50
Finale: Pictures at an
Salamone, xBk Live, Friday, May 20 at
$20
Friday and Satur-
Exhibit, Des Moines
Saturday, May 14 at
day, May 6 and 7
Civic Center, $20-70
5 p.m. Psychostick,
Tuesday, May 17 at 7
Songwriter Night w/
Saturday, May 21 at
Lefty’s Live Music,
p.m. Portrayal of Guilt
Dickie, Adam Bruce,
7 p.m. Colleen Green,
Des Moines, $15
with Yautja & Justice
Abigail Phelps, xBk
Karen Meat, Poly Mall
Fetish, xBk Live,
Live, $10-13
Cops, Gaslamp, Des
at 7:30 p.m., and 5 p.m. Everly Brothers
Thursday, May 12 at
[Revisited], Temple
6 p.m. Brian Herrin
Theater, Des Moines,
Band, Jasper Winery,
Saturday, May 14 at 7
$36-58
Des Moines, Free
p.m. Damani Phillips,
Friday, May 6 at 8
Thursday, May 12 at
p.m. Natalie Simon
7 p.m. Widowspeak,
Saturday, May 14 at
& Friends, Noce, Des
w/ Dan Wriggins and
7 p.m. Kiss the Tiger,
Moines, $12-50
Treesreach, xBk Live,
xBk Live, $10
Noce, $12-50
$15-18
Moines, $15 Friday and Saturday,
Thursday, May 19 at 6
May 20 and 21 at 7
Sunday, May 22 at 7
p.m. Brother Trucker,
p.m. Songs of Sinatra
p.m. LANCO, Wooly’s,
Jasper Winery, Free
w/Andrew Walesch
$30
Big Band, Noce, Thursday, May 19
$12-50
Sunday, May 22 at
at 7 p.m. B*tch w/
7 p.m. Tomberlin w/
Saturday, May 14 at 7
Katie Cash and Coral
Jana Horn, xBk Live,
p.m. Led Zeppelin 2,
Thede, xBk Live,
$16-18
Wooly’s, $15-20
$15-18
$13-15
36 May 2022 LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2
7 p.m. Iowa Singer/
courtesy of Caspe Terrace
EDITORS’ PICKS: May 2022
Tuesday, May 24 at
Friday, May 27 at
5:30 p.m. Summer
7 p.m. Plumero EP
Concert Series: Belin
Release Show, xBk
Quartet, Salisbury
Live, $10-15
House & Gardens, Des Moines, Free
Saturday, May 28 at 4:30 p.m. Rehtek, Ag-
Tuesday, May 24 at 7
ony of Defeat, Claim
p.m. Juneteenth: The
Defeat, Lefty’s Live
Movement 2022 (Live
Music, $10-15
Taping), xBk Live, $25 Monday, May 30 at Tuesday, May 24 at
7 p.m. Ezra Furman
7:30 p.m. Indigo Girls,
w/Grace Cummings,
Hoyt Sherman Place,
Gaslamp, $20-22w
$45-75 Thursday, May 26 at 6 p.m. Birdchild, Jasper Winery, Free
MAY 24 | HOYT SHERMAN PLACE LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2 May 2022 37
AMES
LittleVillageMag.com/Calendar Henry V, unknown artist, adapted by Jordan Sellergren
EDITORS’ PICKS: May 2022
Explore Ames! Friday, May 6 at 5:30 p.m. Central Iowa’s Author Circle, Dog Eared Look Magazine Photograph Collection: Library of Congress
Books, Ames, Free Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7 at 9 a.m. Spring Plant Sale, Iowa Iowa Arboretum, Boone County, Free Saturday, May 7 at 2 p.m. Paulo Padilha e Bando, Ames Public Library, Free
Shakespeare in Various Parks
Saturday, May 7 at 5 p.m. Free
Riverside Shakespeare Festival
Comic Book Day & CEDH, Mayhem
Lower City Park Festival Stage,
Comics and Games, Ames, $6
Iowa City, Henry V, June 17-July 3, Free
Saturday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. Cen-
Behind the Beat: Lecture w/Jenny Barnett, Ames History Museum, Online, Tuesday, May 24 at 7 p.m., Free The Ames History Museum, in partnership with the Ames
Public Library, welcomes Jenny Barnett, museum educator at the African American Museum of Iowa in Cedar Rapids. Barnett will be presenting the AAMI’s Behind the Beat program, a lecture tracing the intertwining of music with African American history. The program explores the ties between various musical styles and their concurrent social movements, including jazz and the Harlem Renaissance and Motown and civil rights. Registration is required for this free event in order to access the Zoom webinar.
tral Iowa Symphony: Rare Gems,
Genesius Guild
Ames City Auditorium, Free-$20
Lincoln Park, Rock Island (Illinois) Romeo & Juliet, June 18-26, Free
Tuesday, May 10 at 7 p.m. NEED-
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, July
TOBREATHE, Stephens Auditori-
16-24, Free
um, Ames, $39.50-79.50 Shakespeare on the Lawn Thursday, May 12 at 6 p.m. Books
Salisbury House, Des Moines
& Beverages, Dog Eared Books,
King Lear, July 13-17, Free-$35
Free Sunday, May 15 at 1 p.m. Plein Air
Indoor Barding
Painting in the Gardens, Reiman
Iowa City Community Theatre
Gardens, Ames, $47.60-70
Johnson County Fairgrounds, Iowa City, Romeo & Juliet
Thursday, May 26 at 6 p.m. Never
May 13-15, $9-17
Come Down, Alluvial Brewing, Ames, $8-10
Des Moines Metro Opera Blank Performing Arts Center, Indianola, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, July 2, 10, 15 & 23, $25-125
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AROUND THE CRANDIC
courtesy of the Englert Theatre
EDITORS’ PICKS: May 2022
Valerie June w/ Chastity Brown, Englert Theatre, Iowa City, Saturday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m., $15-40
You’ve never heard a voice like this before. Once you sink into the plush, woven sounds of Valerie June’s silky, throaty Tennessee drawl, you won’t want to rise back out. An indelible mix of Mary Wells and Janis Joplin, June deserves to be added to your constant rotation, especially her latest, 2021’s The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers. Chastity Brown, also originally from TN (now based in Minnesota) brings her Americana/soul Red House Records stylings to the opening slot. Together, they’ll make for an evening at the Englert not to be missed. Eastward, ho! Saturday, May 7 at 8:30 p.m. Open Air Media
Saturday, May 21 at 5 p.m. Cedar Rapids Beer
Festival, Public Space One: Close House, Iowa
Summit, DoubleTree by Hilton Cedar Rapids
City, Free
Convention Complex, $40-280
Friday, May 13 at 8 p.m. Punk Show w/
Wednesday, May 25 at 7 p.m. Reading and Q/A
SHROUD, Public Opinion, Bovinophobic Bile
w/Alexander Maksik, Prairie Lights, Free
HOYT SHERMAN PLACE
06.15.22 B U D D Y G U Y. N E T
Puddle & Pest House, PS1 Close House, Iowa City, $5-10
Thursday, May 26 at 9 p.m. Feed Me Weird Things: Chihei Hatakeyama w/Jordan Reyes and
Sunday, May 15 at 3 p.m. Brinton Surprise,
Claire Nunez, Trumpet Blossom Cafe, $10-15
FilmScene—Chauncey, $25-30 Friday and Saturday, May 27 and 28 at 7:30 Saturday, May 21 at 10 a.m Iowa Pop Art Festi-
p.m. Unfinished Business, Englert Theatre,
val, NewBo City Market, Cedar Rapids, Free
$10-50
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ear Kiki, I work a full time job but I’m an artist on the side, and I make my own stuff from scratch. I’ve been doing this a really long time and it’s taken years of practice to reach my level of skill. But I have a friend that got sucked into an MLM selling kitschy, mass-produced tchotchkes and tries to sell them at some of the same art fairs I attend. Some of these fairs are good at catching and restricting MLMs, but hers sometimes slip through the cracks because the products “look homemade.” I don’t think it’s fair for her to sell cheap, made-in-China stuff posing as a small business owner, when the people around her are putting their time, money and resources into their own crafts. Especially when her things draw away customers. My question is: How do I approach her about this and tell her that it’s not OK? I’ve tried to explain to her that she’s basically in a pyramid scheme, but she actually makes a small profit so she’s not willing to stop. I’d hate to make an enemy of her since we have a lot of mutual friends, but she’s kind of making an enemy of the artists around her. How should I handle this? Sincerely, Aggravated Artist
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ear Aggravated, The social situation you’ve found yourself in is not an easy one, but the challenge for your overall industry is becoming increasingly common. It’s hard to impose strict regulations on opportunities for independent artists, not least because, as you note, enforcement can be difficult. The folks running craft fairs are seldom bringing in the big bucks themselves, and if you were to raise the issue with the organizers (the easiest way to address this without raising your acquaintance’s ire), you’d probably find yourself cordially invited to volunteer as the product police for future events. If that’s your jam, then go for it! Your fellow artists will thank you. But with a full-time job and your art besides, chances are you haven’t got the time for that sort of unpaid task. Hence, your question. Here’s the thing: As any 15-year-old playing UNO will assure you, it’s only cheating if you get caught. More people than you’d think carry that philosophy over into adulthood with them, to one degree or another (’fess up: How often do you actually go between 40 and 65 mph on the interstate?). If it’s truly the case that she just “slip[s] through the
LittleVillageMag.com/DearKiki
cracks” and she’s not actively misrepresenting her product to buyers or explicitly breaking fair rules, you’ll be hard pressed to appeal to her sense of moral rightness. After all, if they don’t tell her to leave, then there’s nothing “wrong” with her being there. Per se. Officially. Where you might be able to find an in is through her sense of community. I don’t mean by pointing out to her that she’s making enemies; that kind of rhetoric tends to come off as a threat or a challenge, and it often makes people dig in harder. But the thing is that more and more MLM proprietors are finding opportunities to create their own fairs. See if you can track one down in your area (pro-tip: They’re often held in the open space in malls). Recommend it to her; maybe even make a friend date to check it out together. She’ll find better companionship and camaraderie with other folks in her same line of work. And chances are she’ll find their conversations about business, rather than craft, both more interesting and more valuable to her. Remember, too, Aggravated, that most people already have their minds made up about MLMs, and they aren’t likely to budge. I share your ethical quandary on this, Aggravated. I believe that healthy competition should improve everyone’s lot, and that luring customers with bargain-basement prices is harmful to all commerce, even if she were crafting the goods herself. That might be a gentle way to explain things to her, if you do want to take a direct approach. But the fact is that not everyone feels that way. Some people think that every penny they make matters, even if they could make more by respecting their fellow entrepreneurs. If your views are that far apart, it may be worth re-thinking the friendship. xoxo, Kiki
KIKI WANTS QUESTIONS! Submit questions anonymously at littlevillagemag.com/dearkiki or non-anonymously to dearkiki@littlevillagemag.com. Questions may be edited for clarity and length, and may appear either in print or online at littlevillagemag.com.
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By Rob Brezsny
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Imagining anything is the first step toward creating it,” wrote author and activist Gloria Steinem. “Believing in a true self is what allows a true self to be born,” she added. Those are excellent meditations for you to focus on right now, Taurus. The time is ripe for you to envision in detail a specific new situation or adventure you would like to manifest in the future. It’s also a perfect moment to picture a truer, deeper, more robust version of your beautiful self—an expanded version of your identity that you hope to give birth to in the coming months.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A Tumblr blogger named Af-70 gives copious advice. From his wide selection of wise counsel, I have selected six tips that are right for your needs in the coming weeks. Please study the following counsel. 1. “Real feelings don’t change fast.” 2. “Connect deeply or not at all.” 3. “Build a relationship in which you and your ally can be active in each other’s growth.” 4. “Sometimes what you get is better than what you wanted.” 5. “Enjoy the space between where you are and where you are going.” 6. “Keep it real with me even if it makes us tremble and shimmer.”
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author William Butler Yeats won a Nobel Prize for Literature, so I conclude he had considerable talent and wisdom. But he cultivated interests and ideas that were at variance with most other literary figures. For example, he believed fairies are real. He was a student of occult magic. Two of his books were dictated by spirits during séances. In the coming weeks, I invite you to draw inspiration from his versatile repertoire. Welcome knowledge in whatever unusual ways it might materialize. Be eager to accept power and inspiration wherever they are offered. For inspiration, here’s a Yeats’ quote: “I have observed dreams and visions very carefully, and am certain that the imagination has some way of lighting on the truth that reason has not, and that its commandments, delivered when the body is still and the reason silent, are the most binding we can ever know.”
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Consider putting a sign on your door or a message on your social media that says something like the following: “I’ve still got some healing to do. While I’m making progress, I’m only partway there. Am open to your suggestions, practical tips, and suggestions for cures I don’t know about.” Though the process is as yet incomplete, Sagittarius, I am proud of how diligent and resourceful you have been in seeking corrections and fixes. My only suggestions: 1. Be bold about seeking help and support. 2. Be aggressive about accessing your creativity. Expand your imagination about what might be therapeutic.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): You know what’s always good for your well-being? Helping people who are less fortunate and less privileged than you. To enhance your health, you can also fight bigotry, campaign against the abuse of animals, and remedy damage to the natural world. If you carry out tasks like these in the coming weeks, you will boost your vigor and vitality even more than usual. You may be amazed at the power of your compassion to generate selfish benefits for yourself. Working in behalf of others will uplift and nurture you. To further motivate you, here are inspirational words from designer Santiago Bautista: “I am in love with all the gifts of the world, and especially those destined for others to enjoy.” LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “There is a moment in each day that Satan cannot find,” wrote author and artist William Blake. Here’s how I interpret his poetic words: On a regular basis, you become relatively immune from the debilitating effects of melancholy, apathy, and fear. At those times, you are blessed with the freedom to be exactly who you want to be. You can satisfy your soul completely. In the next six weeks, I suspect there will be more of these interludes for you than usual. How do you plan to use your exalted respite from Satan’s nagging? VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Poet Louis Little Coon Oliver (1904–1991) was a member of the indigenous Mvskoke people. He declared, “I do not waste what is wild.” That might mean something different for him than what it would mean for you, but it’s an excellent principle for you to work with in the coming weeks. You will have more access than usual to wildness, and you might be tempted to use it casually or recklessly. I hope that instead you harness all that raw mojo with precision and grace. Amazingly, being disciplined in your use of the wildness will ensure that it enriches you to the max and generates potent transformative energy. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I suspect you will have the skills of an acrobat in the coming weeks—at least metaphorically. You will be psychically nimble. Your soul will have an exceptional ability to carry out spry maneuvers that keep you sane and sound. Even more than usual, you will have the power to adjust on the fly and adapt to shifting circumstances. People you know may marvel at your lithe flexibility. They will compliment you for your classiness under pressure. But I suspect the feats you accomplish may feel surprisingly easy and breezy!
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “To uncover what is hidden in my soul might take me a week or two,” my friend Allie told me. I told her she would be lucky if her brave and challenging exploration required such a short time. In contrast, some people I know have spent years trying to find what is buried and lost in their souls: me, for instance. There was one period of my life when I sought for over a decade to find and identify the missing treasure. According to my astrological analysis, you will soon enjoy multiple discoveries and revelations that will be more like Allie’s timeline than mine: relatively rapid and complete. Get ready! Be alert! AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A Thai cook named Nattapong Kaweenuntawong has a unique method for cooking the soup served in his Bangkok restaurant. At the end of each night, he saves the broth for use the next day. He has been doing that daily for 45 years. Theoretically, there may be molecules of noodles that were originally thrown in the pot back in 1977. In accordance with current astrological omens, I urge you to dream up a new tradition that borrows from his approach. What experience could you begin soon that would benefit you for years to come? PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Pisces-born Casimir Pulaski (1745–1779) was a Polish nobleman and military commander. As a young man, he fought unsuccessfully to free Poland from Russian domination. Driven into exile, he fled to America, arriving during the Revolutionary War with Britain in 1777. General George Washington was impressed with Pulaski’s skills, making the immigrant a brigadier general. He distinguished himself as a leader of American forces, exhibiting brilliance and bravery. For that excellence, he has been honored. But now, over two centuries later, his identity is in flux. DNA analyses of Pulaski’s remains suggest he was an intersex person with both male and female qualities. (Read more: tinyurl.com/PulaskiSmithsonian.) I bring this to your attention, Pisces, because the coming months will be a favorable time to question and revise your understanding of your identity. May you be inspired by Pulaski’s evolving distinctiveness. ARIES (March 21-April 19): I recommend you adopt a limitation that will enable you to claim more freedom. For example, you could de-emphasize your involvement with a lukewarm dream so as to liberate time and energy for a passionate dream. Or you could minimize your fascination with a certain negative emotion to make more room for invigorating emotions. Any other ideas? You’re in a phase when increased discipline and discernment can be liberating. LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2 May 2022 41
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LO C A L A L B U M S
Bob Bucko Jr. and Samuel Locke Ward Discount Sacrifice At The Altar Of Bargains ALREADYDEADTAPES.BANDCAMP.COM
I
can’t stop thinking about this album. When it dropped in December of last year, I’d kind of resigned myself to not writing about it, just given the way our coverage schedule usually falls out. Typically, I avoid running reviews of albums that dropped in the previous calendar year. Really, though; that’s a rather arbitrary cut-off. And this album, this goddamned album. It simply won’t let me go. (Obligatory disclaimer that Samuel Locke Ward is a long-time cartoonist for Little Village.) When I was young, I was cool. I was never in the band, but I was always with the band. The doormen at the Brighton Bar in Jersey knew me, because my friends’ bands played there all the time. It was our place. Then I moved to Iowa. I was in my early 20s, with an infant to care for and a partner gregarious enough to do all the peopling for us both. I was comfortable hiding behind him and losing myself. “This was gonna be my lucky break. Nobody knew they were fucked.” This review isn’t about me, obviously. Except it is. Because this album is about all of us. It’s a balm and a wake-up call, wrapped into one eight-song homage to the last 20+ years of bullshittery that every one of us has put up with. Do you remember the ’90s? The way we had it all figured out? The
Submit albums for review: Little Village, 623 S Dubuque St., IC, IA 52240
Greenpeace boats, the Bennetton ads, the Rock the Vote campaign? And then the 21st century hit. “What do you do when you hit rock bottom, and the world continues to turn?” Bob Bucko Jr. and Samuel Locke Ward’s Discount Sacrifice At The Altar Of Bargains kicks off with “Lucky Break,” an 8:33 epic opener that welcomes the listener into our collective open wound. (The two quotes above are from that track.) Ward’s vocals on “Lucky Break” are aching, a poignant Bowie sadness threaded through with a tightly-controlled Cobain anger. Bucko’s instrumental work is jazzily experimental, knowing and cynical, filled with wisdom and almost resignation. “Mapping the Way,” track three, is by contrast the album’s shortest, but it makes its point with drastic clarity: “Who among you set this right? … Someone’s got to do it.” When track four begins, “You’re livin’ in a time of constant change, yet you’re still standing still,” it becomes clear that “someone” is us. “Drift in the Void” makes incredible use of the artists’ penchant for delicious layers of sound, drawing us in, begging for nuanced listening. The pair smash the nail on the head a few times with track six, “Glory Days,” channeling King Missile with deep pathos and grace to tell the story of a former football star and a former cheerleader meeting in their local bar long after highschool: “20 years passed by in the blink of an eye.” The sadness of the music frames the story, but the song is also steeped in empathy. Ultimately, the elegance of this album can only be captured in its totality. The tracks are well worth listening to individually (and I’ve not even touched on my favorites), but held as a whole, this is a gorgeous, genre-bending storytelling experience and call to action that reminds us that we’re old, but we still have work to do. —Genevieve Trainor
Dean Gorman Outer Space, Iowa DEANGORMAN.BANDCAMP.COM
I
f we are truly living through the Great Resignation, I’m expecting that the coming months will hold a heavy release of “Future Endeavors” albums and straight-up “I Quit” albums. Early to the party is Outer Space, Iowa, the second album from Burlington-by-way-ofPortland musician Dean Gorman. In the album’s description, Gorman writes that last year, mid-pandemic, he and his family moved from “a tiny bungalow in Portland, Oregon to a timber-frame house surrounded by 7 acres of
HIS VOICE AND LYRICS WORK BEST WHEN PUSHED HARD AGAINST THE TURNEDUP TWANG THAT FILLS THE FINAL FIVE SONGS. woods just outside Burlington.” The songs on Outer Space, Iowa were all written and recorded in the basement of that timber-framed house in the months since Gorman landed in Iowa, and somehow it shows. There are ambitious arrangements throughout the 10-song set, all of which share a wrinkled edge. (Many of the bass parts sound like they were recorded while Gorman played in waterlogged rubber boots.) The album begins with “Depression,” which sees Gorman trying out an understated Fabianesque ballad behind soft keys and “shoop-shoop” harmonies.
It appropriately sets the tone for the remainder of the album’s first side. From the dream drunk romp of “Rossi Wine” to the pop-chorus hook of “Around for Good,” Gorman keeps his musical palette condensed, neatly pledging allegiance on an alt-country altar. But his voice and lyrics work best when pushed hard against the turned-up twang that fills the final five songs on the album. Gorman seems to know this, saving his strongest for last. This side should come with a sticker warning: “Many Big Star records were consumed during the making of this half of the album.” The quintet begins with “Wild Things,” complete with some Kurt Vile acoustic guitar melodies, stonily resonant and ever-ringing. “I Had Time” is a youthful lamentation on earlier days, when the currency of unscheduled time still beat the promise of crypto. I had smoke coming out of my ears I had blood coming out of my eyes I had strange coming out of my tongue But I had time On “One More Day”—in fact, throughout the album—Gorman’s piano playing is subtle and superb. Then the album ends on a travel tune that references Highway 61, wrapping things up with a straight up-and-down stunner. “A Buck and a Prayer” begins with a deer’s blood drying between a driving car’s headlights, leaving the driver stricken with guilt: Say a little prayer for him Not sure where praying gets you anymore You used to sit and close your eyes Now you just hope there’s something past the door Don’t worry, though. It wasn’t all a waste. Gorman sings that someone came back in the night to cut off its horns. I guess that’s a little relocation, too, one I think we all can understand. —Avery Gregurich
LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2 May 2022 43
It’s easy to plan your Des Moines adventure with The Catch List. A list of all the things you can’t miss. All the thrills, chills, hops, and drops. Family fun? Retail therapy? Foodie feast? We’ve got an itinerary for that. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or longtime Des Moines-ian, our itineraries will introduce you to both the greatest hits and the hidden gems. There’s even downloadable on-the-go versions!
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LO C A L B O O KS
Alexander Maksik The Long Corner EUROPA EDITIONS
A
lexander Maksik’s new novel The Long Corner—out May 17, the fourth release from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop grad—skillfully explores the intersections of capitalism and dictatorship, cliché and originality, art and life. By the end, the reader is left to question if these things are opposites at all, or if they are more entwined than we ever imagined. Set a year into the Trump administration, The Long Corner follows Sol, a depressed New Yorker living a stagnant life. Once, he was a journalist writing profiles on some of the most famous visual artists in the city. Now, he is resigned to writing slogans for an advertisement agency, much to his grandmother’s disappointment. At an especially dull work party, Sol is approached by a strange woman who invites him to the Coded Garden, a haven for visual artists led by the eccentric and mysterious Sebastian Light. At first Sol turns the offer down, but when tragedy strikes, he decides to embark on the journey in an attempt to reignite his long-lost passion. Filled with colorful characters, dry humor and unsettling situations, The Long Corner is a Rorshach test for a reader’s own views on government, nobility and the self. Much like the paintings Sol experiences in the book, the longer you look, the more you learn about the chaotic yet familiar world Maksik has built here. The role of the Trump
Submit books for review: Little Village, 623 S Dubuque St., IC, IA 52240
administration has chiefly occupied my mind since finishing The Long Corner. The stage has been set quite deliberately, and we go in assuming that Sebastian Light will be our DJT stand-in. While that’s not entirely correct, it isn’t incorrect either. Maksik subverts absolutes in this book time and time again, and he does so with who our villain is as well. This may just be the point. In a world where opposing ideas end up being one and the same, we are encouraged to find the gray area in everything Maksik presents. Perhaps rather than making a comment about politics or art, Maksik is trying to say that things are rarely as they seem. Because this book is centered around visual art, it feels only right to compare it to a painting. Reading the dialogue feels like looking at Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks” and hearing the words spoken by those nocturnal diners. It is pretentious but fearful, forthcoming but evasive—yet more gray areas that Maksik fills his pages with. As heavy as the topics are, I cannot overstate how funny this book is. Maksik has found the key to an effective thought-provoker: Don’t let them go too long without cracking a smile. Through Sol’s dry commentary on the absurdity happening around him, we are able to find light in the very dark pockets Maksik allows us to peek into. And frankly, it’s necessary. A less talented writer would have emitted the humor so as not to distract from the point, but in novels as in life, we must find something good to break up the cruelty and randomness. My little English major heart fluttered all the way through this one. It had me yelling across the apartment to my partner as mysteries were uncovered, characters were betrayed, edens set on fire. Perfect for a deep-thinking book club, I guarantee you won’t be able to keep your thoughts to yourself. —Lily DeTaeye
Gary Kelley Bach and the Blues ICE CUBE PRESS
Waterloo Cedar Falls Symphony: Between Bach and the Blues, GBPAC Great Hall, Cedar Falls, Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m., $6.75-55.75
T
he third week of November, 1936. Thanks to a brief story on National Public Radio, illustrator Gary Kelley learned the odd synchronicity of that moment, and decided to spin it into a graphic novel, his second, following 2021’s Moon of the Snow Blind. Like that first foray into the medium, Kelley brings his considerable talents to bear on history, this time taking inspiration far from his home in Iowa. Bach and the Blues, released May 1, looks at the considerable impacts of two very different musicians, Pablo Casals and Robert Johnson, who coincidentally were both recording seminal albums that same third week of November, 1936, while the world was unraveling around them. Johnson traveled from his home in Arkansas to a hotel in Texas; Casals also made a trek—to London, England, to record at the now-iconic Abbey Road Studios. Kelley, whose bio reveals no formal study of history, once again manages to find a certain elegance through his ability to pluck specifics from the past and identify the echoes. In this case, there is so much more reverberation between the largely dissimilar lives of these two men than just this one coincidence and the skill with which they performed. This book does a heart-wrenching
job of universalizing Casals and Johnson’s experiences and helping to situate the reader in time with reminders that the tragic rise of fascism in Europe was parallel to the ignominies experienced by Blacks in the American South in the early part of the 20th century. The example of Jesse Owens, superstar of the 1936 Olympics in Germany who was among the non-Aryan athletes Adolf Hitler chose not to acknowledge or celebrate, is used to great effect to illustrate the fact that the evils faced by both Casals and Johnson were truly one and the same. The differences between the two musicians are many, and Kelley, in his brief biography of each, makes this clear. Johnson lived only 27 short years; Casals, who was 35 before Johnson was even born, died at 97. Cellist Casals made his Carnegie Hall debut at age 27, which guitarist Johnson would have matched had he not died an early, violent death. But both enjoyed a vast popularity early in their careers, and no doubt both felt the weight of fame. That weight, especially considering the time in which they lived, is evident throughout Kelley’s work, in heavy lines and powerful use of darkness. I had been anticipating this book since I first saw Kelley mention it on social media months ago, and it did not disappoint, except in one respect. The book is entirely in black and white, and while it is undeniably beautiful, the tease of colors on the cover left me wanting more. My hope is that Kelley will eventually release full-color prints from the pages of this story, because the color work on the cover, especially how the title is set, is phenomenal. These stories have only a single formal point of connection, but Kelley’s formulation of the era in which both Johnson and Casals lived is painful in an awakening way. His curiosity is evident throughout the book; if he employs research assistants, I envy them their work! And I can’t wait to see what moments in history pique Kelley’s curiosity next. —Genevieve Trainor
LITTLEVILLAGEMAG.COM/LVDSM2 May 2022 45
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ACROSS 1. Sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge 6. Good meas. to check before a road trip 9. Supergirl’s first name 13. “From the top!” 14. Religious subgroup 15. Rumpuses 16. Position for Damian Lillard, 2020 NBA bubble MVP
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18. Vies for apples, perhaps 19. Compound used for about 30 years before people realized it was combustible 20. Ingredient in donburi or biryani 21. Make suitable for an infant, in a way 22. Make a cameo, say 23. Utility pole climbers 25. Mystery Machine occupants, familiarly
27. Creator’s believers 28. Lenny & ___ (alliterative cookie company) 29. Parenting duo 30. Sign of a popular show 31. Riel : Cambodia :: ___ : Laos 32. Befouls, as someone’s trees on Halloween 35. Cancel, as a transaction 37. One whose discretion may be advised
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40. They might get pumped up at night 44. Large-scale analysis buzzword 45. Drag-and-drop website builder 47. Band booking 48. Heinz competitor 49. Earth’s is made of iron and nickel 50. Peacock network
51. Word with beer or vegetable 52. Cuts made from the top round 55. Being Mortal author Gawande 56. Badger 57. One of two on a shoulder, metaphorically 58. Dole (out) 59. Gymnast Raisman 60. Rico ___ (“Key Lime OG” rapper)
resistance unit 26. “Stay away!” 29. Central 31. Hair feature for Josephine Baker and Superman, traditionally held in place with spit rather than a smooch 33. Walker, on signs 34. Corporate handouts 36. Yazoo’s “___ to Boy” 37. Guilty pleasures, perhaps 38. Document that often has a QR code 39. Epithet for a disliked publication 40. Vishwamitra’s abode in Ramayana 41. Words before saying something verbatim 42. Become used up 43. Type of scene in an action film 44. Made visible, as teeth 46. Sandwich that may contain fried alligator 50. “99 Luftballons” singer 52. Pro filer 53. Former M&M’s color 54. Crafty
DOWN 1. ___ smear 2. “That makes sense ...” 3. Coat designers? 4. Beer unit in a pub 5. Hill denizen 6. It might be found or kept 7. Cork alternative 8. “___ be great if you didn’t” 9. Theatrical form with jidaimono, sewamono and shosagoto types 10. Absolutely loves 11. Rocky Balboa’s given name 12. Judge 14. Seeking redress, APRIL ANSWERS in a way S C A T O L A F B A S S E S 17. Beams S U L U A U T O E RM I N E N B A B A R K E R T OAMA N 21. Highbrow, as F U S E F OODCOMA television F R A UD MUR K K NO T P U B L I CD E N B E ND E R 22. ___iens, second S E E I ON N I A L E F T J U S T I N B Y studio album by the MGR H E N OMD P R E S UN B E DGU I L T Y Georgia duo OutKast P E E R S A U L GROV E 23. Things between R EM I T T E R S I L O A V A T A R NON B I N A R Y legs? D E DUC E UNUM OH I O A D E S T E P EGS N A P S 24. Electrical
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SUSAN WERNER with special guest King Margo
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Pieces of My Heart
June 9-12
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