Made December Issue 08

A Free Independent Newspaper

Issue 08 DECEMBER 2013

News, Makers & Trends of the New South

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Montgomery

MONTGOMERY

PUBLISHER MADE Paper

Issue 08 DECEMBER 2013

EDITORS Brent Rosen, Anna Lowder, Caroline Nabors Rosen, Harvi Sahota CREATIVE DIRECTOR Harvi Sahota DESIGN Matter www.iheartmatter.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brent Rosen, Caroline Nabors Rosen, Anna Lowder, Andrea Jean, Heather Steen, Tiffany Bell, Will Abner, Johnny Veres, Sam Wootten, Jennifer Kornegay, Scott Steen, Melissa Tsai, Tom Jean, Edwin Marty, Evans Bailey, Tina Hofer Medico, Robert Wool, Will Steineker, Elliot Knight, Mark Bowen, Christian Kerr, Rebecca Seung, David Mowery, Brian Carroll, Josh Carples, Katie Lindgren, Natilee McGruder, CarolineTaylor, Skye Borden, Katie Vega

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Harvi Sahota, Grace Photography, Josh Moates, Jon Kohn, Ryan Muirhead, Luke Lindgren, Weston Markwell ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS Jay Wilkins

Made is a free, independent newspaper published monthly.

Modern design, authentic voices, smart articles and curated events.

ISSUE 08 DECEMBER 2013

DISCLAIMER: Made publishes news and commentary, critique and reporting, offering different views from our community. Our contributors offer a variety of views and perspectives on subjects covered in Made. These views and opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Due to the nature of creative industries and the connections we foster with those around us, contributors may have some personal or professional connection with people, events, or organizations covered in the publication or website.

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CONTENTS © 2013 by Made Paper.

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MADE PAPER 505 Cloverdale Road, Unit 102 Montgomery, Alabama 36106 CALL 334.223.4862 EMAIL editor@madepaper.com

COVER PHOTO: Harvi Sahota COVER MODEL: Jessica Tyler

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Column feature: ASF Holiday gift Guide Makers Food & DRINK MADE COCKTAILS music EAT SOUTH PAGE 4

MADE is a collective of citizens celebrating the local, the authentic, and the unique. We are creatives featuring other creatives and the engaging work being produced in our city. We call attention to all fields forging new pathways in expression and innovation. We are makers who love to eat, talk, collaborate, question, party, and laugh, and we want you to take part.

Thanks for reading this and supporting the artists, craftsmen, creatives, and active citizens that make a city thrive.

Montgomery: Why Doesn’t it Feel More Like a College Town?

WORDS BRENT ROSEN Collegiates of Montgomery, where are you? I realize this is coming out over Christmas Break, so maybe you are already home. But that does not explain where you are the other 11 months out of the year. I live in Cloverdale-Idlewild, and I can count the number of Huntingdon students I have seen with only my hands and feet. Alright, maybe that’s a bit hyperbolic. But I can certainly count the number of Huntingdon students I’ve seen NOT playing either football or lacrosse on both hands and feet.

Thing is, Huntingdon is not the only offender here. Alabama State has 12,000+ students, Troy in Montgomery has another 3,000+, AUM 5,000+ and Faulkner adds another 3,500. All told, if you add everyone up, there are almost 25,000 students attending schools in Montgomery. Let that sink in for a second before I start offering you comparisons. Ok: University of Alabama - Birmingham -- 17,575 students; Auburn University: 25,469 students; University of Tennessee 27,523 students. I’ve been to Auburn. I’ve been to Knoxville, and I’ve driven through UAB’s campus, and I have to tell you, I’ve never wondered if those colleges actually had students. So again, collegiates of Montgomery, where are you?

Colleges should be the ultimate economic development generators. First, they bring a bunch of young people to town.

Young people, even those with student loans, don’t have the responsibilities of older people. This means you normally see college bars near college campuses, many of which overflow with the young and irresponsible. While those students make noise, trash, and headaches for the neighborhood, they also bring money. Money to spend at retail stores, at restaurants, at coffee shops, at grocery stores and at bookstores; money that flows across the whole economy of a city.

Then, once the rowdy is educated out of them, college students become the next generation of skilled workers. The people who become accountants, government workers, teachers, business owners, lawyers, computer programmers, entrepreneurs: the sort of young professionals you can build an entire city around. If those graduates went to school in your town, you have a better

than even chance of retaining them, especially if they found their college experience enjoyable.

So, the question remains: where are all the collegiates? How can there be nothing next to Troy downtown? That entire corridor should be full of places to eat and drink, places where college students can unwind after a long day of classes, even if home isn’t downtown. Why have I never seen a Huntingdon student at Leroy or on a date at any of the Midtown restaurants? (I know you aren’t supposed to drink, but college is when you are supposed to break the rules y’all). I taught a class at Jones School of Law, and I know some of my students used to hang out at Jim & Nick’s, but most of the places on the Atlanta Highway are full of septuagenarians. Where do you Faulkner people go when you head off campus?

ASU, you can have a bit more of a pass, as your neighbors have historically felt like the less they saw of you the better, but I’ve been on your campus, seen what’s going on there, and it’s amazing. Forget about all the controversy, your school is impressive. Be proud and start showing off the quality of your facilities and your students. AUM I know the least about, and your location doesn’t really lend itself to much interaction with the community, but still -- you’ve got 4,000 undergrads over there and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone in an AUM T-shirt.

You look at college towns, places like Oxford, Mississippi, Lexington Kentucky, Auburn or Tuscaloosa, and you see young people running around, enjoying life, doing young people things.

Montgomery has just as many students, but none of the youth culture. So collegiates of Montgomery, it’s up to you. If you want more activity in your neighborhoods, go out and support it.

Demand more and you can have it. It will make college more fun for you, and Montgomery better for the rest of us.

Also, if any of you collegiates are looking for internships, email a resume and some writing samples to editor@madepaper.com.

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PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY ASF

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY ASF

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WORDS & Photos JENNIFER KORNEGAY

No matter how many times you’ve read it, watched it on TV or seen it acted on stage, some of the final lines delivered by Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ timeless tale “A Christmas Carol” leave you feeling just as this newly reformed character does. “I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man.” When watching this scene at The Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the effect is particularly strong. You join Scrooge in his elation. You too are “as giddy as a drunken man.”

In the play’s last moments, and often long before, the “third wall” dissolves and there is no boundary between fantasy and reality, the fictional story and real life, as you and your fellow audience members are completely immersed in the world of the story, despite being firmly planted in your theatre seat.

ASF’s roster of over 30 actors for “A Christmas Carol” is impressive, and the holiday favorite is anchored again this year by Rodney Clark as Scrooge, always delightfully curmudgeonly in the play’s pivotal role. Yet as good as every cast member is, from local children portraying the hopelessly optimistic Tiny Tim, to the specters (including the Ghost of Christmas Future who utters not a word but speaks volumes of terrifying truth) who lead Scrooge on his journey, their talents alone can’t create the magical experience that is found at ASF. Behind the scenes is an army of equally talented folks working long, hard hours to find, invent, design, cut, build, paint, compose and otherwise make every element that you see on stage; they ensure all the pieces needed for the whole package come together, allowing you to lose yourself in another time, another place, if for only a few hours. So, like Scrooge, let us take a journey and discover what it takes to fashion the art and craft of “A Christmas Carol.”

Once Upon A Time – The Script

So much more than learning lines and practicing lines and skillfully delivering those lines goes into every ASF production. First, the lines must be written, so we’ll start at the beginning, with the words. “A Christmas Carol” was written in the

mid-1800s by Charles Dickens, but while the production you’ll see at ASF is based on this classic story, it has been adapted by the theatre’s producing artistic director, Geoffrey Sherman.(He also directs the play, but more on that later.)

Sherman is a proper Englishman, and as such, you might think he grew up surrounded by Dickens work. You’d be wrong. “At least up to the point that I left England 30 years ago, there had never been a theatrical production of ‘A Christmas Carol.’ It was simply not a part of our theatre history,” Sherman said. Instead, the Christmas plays that were most often a part of English holiday celebrations were pantomime plays. “They consisted of lots of good music, some gags, and lots of interaction with audience,” he said.

So Sherman took the holiday productions of his youth, and wove their most pleasing aspects into his version of “A Christmas Carol.” “That’s why, in my version, Dickens is actually a character and has a presence on stage,” Sherman said. Dickens aids in the storytelling, interacting with the audience.

Plus, there’s music and live magic. “These things really set this version apart from any other ‘Carol’ production. There’s humor, and it is entertaining in a way I don’t believe it has been before,” Sherman said.

Dress the Part – The Costumes

From the shoes on their feet to buttons on their coat, every detail of a character’s clothing is given attention at ASF, and the costumes used don’t come from some theatre super store. Most every item of clothing worn is designed and made in house, in ASF’s costume shop. Porcupine-like pin cushions; stacked spools of thread; headless, limbless dress forms; and more than a few pair of scissors fight for space in a room filled with bolts of fabric, racks of costumes from previous shows and the multiple pairs of hands busy drawing, cutting and stitching. Over the hum of sewing machines, Jeffrey Todhunter, director of costume production, explained how most pieces come to be.

“Each costume to be made starts in our costume designer’s mind, and then it is put on paper. Then our drapers create a pattern from the design drawings and the actor’s measurements. Next, the first hands cut the fabric as designated by the pattern, and then the stitchers begin to assemble it,” he said.

Once it is complete, each costume is tried out a dress rehearsal, and they often get sent back to the shop for a few final tweaks. “Sometimes a skirt just doesn’t move right or a pair of pants isn’t functional for a certain scene,” Todhunter said.

“Other times the fabric doesn’t look right under the stage lights; the color or texture looks off.”

Finishing touches like jewelry and shoes come from a variety of sources and, if not made from scratch, are often embellished or stripped down to arrive at “just right.” When we visited, plain straw hats were being fashioned into bonnets for some of “Carol’s” children, having their brims reshaped and ribbon added by Amy Johnson, one of ASF’s resident milliners. Wigs are also made in house in what can be a very time-consuming and delicate process.

Imagination Station – The Sets & Props, Lighting & Sound

In contrast to the low drone of sewing machines, the high-pitched whir of table saws fills the air in the scene shop, where carpenters and other workers cut and build the backdrops and other scenery required to transform the empty stage into a bustling London street, Scrooge’s bed chambers or a cozy Christmas party. Props like furniture, lamps, even tiny things like a pen or coins tossed to purchase a prize goose are period appropriate and procured or made by skilled theatre arts professionals.

Lighting and sound are the intangible parts of the scenery. Lighting in a play is about far more than ensuring the audience can see the action on the stage. It draws attention to a certain character or movement at the crucial moment. It can change the mood from joyful to somber in a matter of seconds and does so masterfully in “Carol.” The fact that you don’t always notice the import of illumination is a testament to the true skill of the lighting designer and lighting crew. And while hearing the actors clearly is critical, sound engineering for a production is about more too. If there’s music involved, like in “Carol,” it adds an extra layer of drama to the story being acted out, and is perfectly timed for effect.

“Give Me More…” – The Direction

Sherman is directing “A Christmas Carol” this year, and during a short rehearsal he wasn’t shy about sharing his thoughts with his actors after a scene.

“Too loud!” he said. “But good,” he added, a bit softer. “Now again.” But this part of the process is the culmination of months of directing work that have gone on with no actors involved.

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Before he ever critiques or commends an actor’s work, he must first understand the play from every angle. “I immerse myself in the writing of whatever it is before I go into rehearsal. I try to enter that world that the writer creates,” he said. “Being good director is like being good detective, you are looking for clues along the path. The playwright is telling his story in a very specific way, and you as director must find the heart of their story so you can tell it in the way it was meant to be told. Good directors are those who can see it off the page.”

And Sherman has to go even farther. As producing artistic director for ASF, he is in charge of the business side of things in addition to the artistic, and this requires a delicate balancing act when he’s directing a show. “To direct well, I have to mute the left side of my brain; I have to focus on the art and tune out the money side,” he said. “If I don’t, I will automatically short change the size of the show, the entertainment value.”

Illusion Complete – The Curtain Rises When the house lights go down, and curtain goes up to signal the start of “A Christmas Carol,” you’re almost instantly transported to mid-19th century London and meet your tour guide, Charles Dickens himself (played by Wynn Harmon). Can you smell hazelnuts roasting? Do you feel a chill in the air as the snowflakes flutter down? When The Ghost of Christmas Present sweeps on stage in his vibrant green robe, it and he seem to fill the theatre with a spirit of generosity that warms your heart. When Scrooge visits his own grave, the lighting, sound and other effects that accompany the scene are bound to bring on shivers. Every aspect of what you see and hear is as important as the other in making you feel something. That’s the magic of theatre, and thanks to the efforts of Sherman, the actors and the huge behind-the-scenes crew you’ve just learned a little about, you easily and happily buy into the illusion they present you.

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So as the actors take their last bow, when you’re standing and clapping and smiling, take a moment to think about the many, many people who are not on stage, but who poured their creative energy into the unforgettable evening you just had, folks like Paul Wonsek (set design), Phil Monat (lighting design), Beth Novak (costume design), Richelle Thompson (sound design) and Ruth Kramer (stage manager). Remember them and add an extra thunderous round of applause.

Get Your Tickets

ASF’s production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” runs now through cember 24. Ticket prices start at $30. Get them by calling 800.841.4273, visiting online at www.asf.net or drop by the ASF box office located at 1 Festival Drive in the heart of Montgomery’s beautiful Blount Cultural Park.

To Bid or Not to Bid?

I don’t have to be the Ghost of Christmas Future to confidently predict that once you’ve seen “A Christmas Carol,” you’ll be in awe of the time and talent it takes to put on such a marvelous show, and you’ll be inspired to find a way to support our state theatre and all its artistic and educational endeavors.

You’re in luck. The 11th annual ASF Armchair Auction is coming up on January 25, and is the major fundraiser for the theatre. Check out all the fabulous items that will be up for bid at www.asf.net and make sure you tune into the radio broadcast (on Mix 103.3 and other Cumulous stations) and the televised hour (on WSFA) on the big day and then bid, bid, bid!! You’re likely to get some great deals on things you both want (a stay at The Grand in Point Clear) and need (pet grooming and boarding), plus, since every penny raised goes straight to the theatre and its programs, you get the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with knowing you’ve helped keep the art alive at ASF.

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Photo HARVI SAHOTA

A call to put our collective money where our mouth is, the MADE Holiday Gift Guide highlights this year's very special, and very local, gift ideas. Selected from makers, artisans and small businesses, this bunch features unique finds that honor the spirit of thoughtful gift giving.

With three types of guides, we've included goods and makers working throughout the Southeast (and mainly in Alabama) that will thrill your friends and family who support creative goods. For good measure - and to level out the commercial mayhem the holidays can brew up - we've highlighted charities and organizations that need support and can offer great gift ideas too. Happy Holidays!

WORDS ANNA LOWDER & TIFFANY BELL

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For The Stylish Gents

Billy Reid Organic Cotton Socks by Zkano Nothing says warm, fuzzy and stylish from head to toe like a pair of Billy Reid socks by Zkano. The two Alabama-based makers joined forces this season to bring stylish gents a limited-edition collection of organic socks knitted in Fort Payne, Alabama. Knot your average socks. $18; www.billyreid.com.

Photo COURTESY BILLY REID

Stills Crossroads ‘Shine

Alabama’s first legal moonshine since Prohibition hit the stores this Fall and is flying off the shelves like White Lightning. Master distiller Jamie Ray (previously of Back Forty Beer Co. legend) has turned his chemistry skills to moonshine in Union Springs, famous for its secret stills and pure water. Jamie’s pure rye formula has lovely flavor and depth - ideally suited for bloody mary’s or hot cider toddies for the holidays.

Hurry, this is almost impossible to find due to demand.

Visit Montgomery area ABC Stores.

Photo JON KOHN

Wood Studio Lookout Mountain Rocker

This custom crafted woodwork studio was named Garden & Gun’s Made in the South Awards 2013 Overall Winner for its Lookout Mountain Rocker. Hand made with native woods such as walnut and cherry, the curving frame and hand-dyed leather hint at 50’s minimalism and sleek refinement made right here in Arley, AL. Made with integrity by Randy and his sons, Keith and Dylan.

From $3,950; www.woodstudio.com.

Photo COURTESY WOOD STUDIO

Yellowhammer Creative

This Birmingham outfit creates inspired, often tonguein-cheek printed matter spanning from t-shirts to posters. Give the guys you know a bit of street cred while sporting these hand-printed threads. For Birmingham or vintage lovers, there are fantastic industrial-aesthetic pieces that set Yellowhammer apart from the crowd.

From $10 posters or $20 t-shirts; www.yellowhammer.org.

River Region Alternative Gift Fair

If you’re lucky enough to know some selfless men - or those who have all they need honor them with a gift from the first annual Alternative Gift Fair. Saturday, December 7 at Huntingdon College’s Cloverdale Campus, 24 charities and organizations will assemble so “shoppers” can buy “gifts” from these groups to give to their friends and families. Instead of another item for the shelf, these gifts will fund specific needs of the nonprofit—for example, the shingles for a Habitat for Humanity home or one night’s shelter for a homeless family. Your beloved gent will receive a card recognizing the donation in his honor.

Gifts from $5; Fair is Saturday, December 7 from 10am - 2pm. www.givehoperiverregion.org.

Photo COURTESY YELLOWHAMMER CREATIVE

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For The Southern Trendsetter PHOTOS ZKANO SOCKS

PHOTO ROBERT RAUSCH

Alabama Chanin Organic Cotton Scarf Alabama Chanin founder, Natalie Chanin, designs world-renowned textiles from small town Florence, Alabama. All of Natalie’s pieces are hand-sewn by local artisans using recycled or organic fabric and materials, including this 100% organic cotton jersey scarf. Choose from one of 45 colors options and the perfect length (short 72” or long 108”) for countless ways to wear and layer for $40. Or give the gift of Handmade Holiday with the DIY Anna’s Garden Tree Skirt. $168; www.alabamachanin.com.

Cotton + Quill Coco Pillow and Holiday Collection Flat Notes Birmingham-based collection of stationery, papers and textiles designed and custom-made by Mary Catherine Folmar. With punchy colors, bold designs and a variety of fabrics, her textile collection features great gifts like this Coco 22” Pillow in Emerald color way for $166. Also worth noting: Cotton + Quill’s hand-illustrated stationery. The Holiday Collection comes complete with 8 flat notes and equally artful hand-lined envelopes. $33; www.cottonandquill.com PHOTOs MARY CATHERINE FOLMAR

PHOTO ABRAHAM ROWE

PHOTOs ANDREA MARTY

Anchor & Daisy Statement Necklace

A Martha Stewart Living 2013 American Made Award nominee, Andrea Marty makes and sells her one-ofa-kind pieces right here in Montgomery (look for her pieces at Hue Studio, Welle Studio, ML Bailey Clothing & Accessories and Naked Art Gallery.) Her ecofriendly jewelry line of cuffs, necklaces and earrings is created from found branches and salvaged wood.

She’ll love this statement necklace in pine green, berry red and emerald. $36. Also available this month, limitededition wooden gift tags and handmade Christmas tree ornaments. www.anchoranddaisy.etsy.com

Catherine Brawner Handcrafted Jewelry Take a little piece of home with you everywhere you go. Catherine Brawner hand-forms each “Alabama” charm necklace right here in Montgomery (now available as a sterling silver holiday ornament.)

Necklace $30; ornament $15. Find these and this season’s new designs at Hue Studio, Goathill Museum Shop or www.catherinebrawner.com PHOTO ANDREA MARTY

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Aid to Inmate Mothers Donation Help comfort and reunite children with their incarcerated mothers in her honor with a donation to Aid to Inmate Mothers (AIM.) AIM non-profit provides incredible services to Alabama’s incarcerated women and their children through monthly visitations, storybook tapings, reentry programs, family outreach and child sponsorship programs - all to enhance personal growth, provide much-needed support and strengthen family bonds. Make a donation in her name online or donate staple items for children from the AIM wish list.

Visit inmatemoms.org for details and easy donations.

For The Serious Foodie PHOTO TERRY ALLEN

PHOTO COURTESY MCEWEN & SONS

McEwen & Sons

Phickles Pickles

From $3.95; www.mcewenandsons.com

From $42; www.phickles.com

Located in the quaint community of Wilsonville, AL, Frank McEwen founded his corn-grinding business to embark on a healthy diet of organic foods and whole grains. The stone burr grist mill churns organic corn into delicious cornmeal, grits, and polenta that’s touted on the menus of the Southeast’s most gourmet restaurants. Order a bag of yellow grits or popcorn perfect for stringing around the Christmas tree.

This Athens, GA company pickles local carrots, asparagus, jalapeños, green tomatoes, beans, and the ever popular - okra. The secret is in their “liquid gold” pickling juice - spiked with dill, garlic and jalapeño for a flavor that is out of this world. Sold in specialty shops throughout the Southeast, or can grab your jar online including mix-and-match sampler packages. Perfect for your friends who love a good martini.

Belle Chèvre DIY Cheese Kit

PHOTOs BRETT WARREN

Screw the gift box: give a gift that is literally a box. A do-it-yourself box with all the how-to on making your own cheese from scratch. This is possibly the least intimidating way you could ever make cheese; simply add milk to the kit and 10 minutes of active kitchen time. They also sell a Kid Kit! Delight your foodcurious friends who’ve always told you how much they want to live on a farm.

From $27.95; www.bellechevre.com PHOTOs COURTESY BELLE CHÉVRE

The Bang Candy Company Marshmallows & Syrups Give the gift of fluff this season from this artisan, all-natural marshmallow company “specializing in candy for the discerning palette.” We’re talking Rose Cardamom and Chocolate Chili flavors, with reviews that the confections taste like “swallowing God in velvet pants!”

New in for the holidays: hot chocolate on a stick, holiday simple syrups, and Sparkle Bark - pink and dark Belgian chocolate with sparkles and pop rocks.

From $3.50; www.bangcandycompany.com

Montgomery Area Food Bank While the cult of handmade jams and heirloom pork rinds is great and all, there are many in our community who do not have enough to eat. In our area, 22% of all individuals live in poverty. Worse, 30% of children - 1 in 3 - live in poverty. Help our fellow neighbors living meal-to-meal by donating to the Montgomery Area Food Bank. They serve over 300,000 in need and donate over 20 million pounds of food annually - to children, seniors, emergency food pantries, and mobile operations.

Give online at www.montgomeryareafoodbank.org.

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Words KATIE VEGA

PHOTOS ZKANO SOCKS When you think of socks, you think of Fort Payne, Alabama, right? No? Yeah, me neither.

That was the case until I talked with Gina Locklear of Zkano, a down-home business with a serious passion for making socks. Believe it or not, around 15 years ago, a very large percentage of socks purchased in the country were made in the quaint little town of Fort Payne. Here’s what Gina had to say about life, making in Alabama, and socks.

Tell us more about your family’s history in the sock making industry?

GL: This one is going to be a bit lengthy, but it’s the only way I know how to explain how it all came to be. My hometown has a rich textile history and we were known for making socks. We were even once referred to as ‘The Sock Capital of the World.’ I was around 12 years old when my family started the mill, and after seeing them start this business on their own from nothing and watching it develop into a success over the years, I naturally wanted to be part of it in some way. Things drastically changed when NAFTA was signed. A small town that was once booming in the hosiery business began to shut down, seemingly overnight. I saw family and friends lose their sock mills, all because they couldn’t compete with the low prices of manufacturing overseas.

In the last 10 years, my family’s business has changed and at times, the future has been uncertain. We are fortunate to have stayed open, but it has been a struggle.

All of this just made me want to jump in and do

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something to help in some way. I realized I could do this by creating a brand of our own. I thought, if we can produce and market our own socks, rather than producing them for other companies like we always had, it could possibly save this family business. Zkano was born. We love when makers like you decide to keep it in Alabama.

Do new ideas about socks float around in your head all the time?

GL: Yes…all day and all night. I often wake up in the middle of the night thinking about new sock designs and color combos we can use. I even dream about them on a regular basis.

Why did you decide to produce here?

GL: Our business’ roots are here, as well as Fort Payne’s textile history. There is nowhere else we’d consider making socks. I love that we are helping to keep this small town’s hosiery tradition alive, even if it is in a small way.

Besides socks, tell us some of your other passions.

GL: Other passions…my family + friends. I also love traveling and I’m a bit of a foodie.

Why did you decide to use organic cotton?

GL: Other than my concerns of the harsh environmental and social impact of growing conventional cotton, I wanted to use organic cotton for the same reasons I’ve been living an organic lifestyle for the past nine years.

Like organic food, organic cotton is free of chemicals and synthetic pesticides. Another benefit: organic cotton makes an amazing product. The difference between an organic cotton sock and a sock made with conventionally grown cotton is incredible. The organic cotton makes a much softer and much more durable sock.

Do you ever wear any socks besides Zkano?

GL: Nope, I only wear Zkano. I have so many. I need a new sock drawer. I love our socks. They are kind of part of me and wearing them makes me happy.

Tell us about your new collaboration with Billy Reid.

GL: We are pumped about this collab. This project has been in the works for 6-8 months, and I’ve enjoyed working with his team very much. We partnered with them to create a limited men’s collection of organic cotton socks for the holidays. They are sold on Billy Reid’s website and in his retail stores.

Where can we buy your socks?

GL: Other than our website and Whole Foods, our socks can be purchased at a handful of small boutiques and natural foods stores. Our Alabama stores include Alabama Goods, Theadora, Molly Green, Manna Grocery, Werner’s Trading Co., and Alabama Chanin.

Check out zkano socks at www.zkano.com and meet Gina (and her lovely socks) at Southern Makers in Montgomery on 05.03.14.

Oh, and guys, head on over to www.billyreid.com to get your hands (and feet) on a pair of these sweet socks.

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Through December 24 A Christmas Carol

Alabama Shakespeare Festival

The ASF holiday tradition, featuring Charles Dickens himself, runs through December 24. Tickets start at $30. Call the Box Office at 800.841.4273 or visit asf.net to reserve your seats.

December 5-7 Sloss Holiday Market

Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham

Sloss Arts launches its first Holiday Market featuring local vendors selling art, crafts, food and more. Schedule and info at slossarts.com/holiday-market

December 7 Porter Flea Holiday Market Chestnut Hill, Nashville

WORDS EVANS BAILEY

PHOTOS JON KOHN

Featuring a huge selection of handmade goods from the area’s most talented designers, Porter Flea travels to Chestnut Hill this December for Nashville’s third annual modern holiday market. Info at porterflea.com

December 6-15 Tallapoosa St. Goods (Artist Shop) 200 Tallapoosa Street

Who are we? Why are we like how we are? Is it something engrained in our essence since birth, or do we learn to be ourselves over the course of our upbringing? Can we change who we are? Those questions and a little bit of Christmas cheer are the subject of this month’s film.

“Oh no,” you might say, “I’m not sitting though another one of those movies in black and white with subtitles.

I’ve had enough of your artsy-fartsy stuff Capri Theatre, thankyouverymuch.” Well there’s nothing to worry about here, because we are talking about 2003’s Elf, a film so fluffy and light it makes cotton candy look like a Wendy’s Baconator.

Buddy the elf (Will Ferrell) is an orphaned human raised amongst Santa’s elves at the North Pole. He is a true elf through and through, from the goofy shoes and hat, to the strict diet of candy, candy canes, candy corns, and syrup.

One day, Buddy learns of his true origins, a magical place named New York City, and his real dad, a ball-busting children’s book publisher played by James Caan. His foundations rocked, Buddy sets off in hilarious fashion for the big city to see if he can get pops off the naughty list.

Buddy finds work at, where else, a department store and in its North Pole Christmas display. While moonlighting as a fake elf, he meets his romantic interest Jovie (a pre-TV Zooey Deschanel), who’s a little burned out on the whole Christmas-thing. Buddy’s elf antics create havoc at work and some serious upheaval in Caan’s professional and personal life. Buddy tries to warm over his grumpy dad’s heart, and even manages to almost put in a “regular” day’s work (complete with “work clothes”), but its mostly all for naught until the end. The plot meanders a bit, but thanks to Santa’s late arrival, Buddy’s elf skills, and some (almost cheesy) Christmas spirit with an assist from a singing Jovie, Elf has a charming ending that ends up falling firmly on the side of nurture and human’s ability to change their cold, Christmas-hating hearts.

Elf is stupid fun, but it is most definitely fun. Ferrell and a great supporting cast (Kyle Gass from Tenacious D, Ed Asner, Amy Sedaris, Peter Dinklage (“he’s an angry elf”), Mary Steenburgen, Bob Newhart, Andy Richter) are clearly having a lot of fun with the material, and director John Favreu’s (Iron Man, Made) light touch keeps the film from losing too much steam in its muddled middle. Immensely quotable (“Not now arctic puffin!”), Elf is a modern Christmas classic that even a ball-busting children’s book publisher can enjoy.

Weekdays 2 to 8 p.m.; Weekends 12 to 8 p.m.

Artist run Holiday Pop-Up shop featuring art and gifts made here in Montgomery. For info visit facebook. com/BetterBlockMontgomery or call 334.224.5416

December 6 It’s a Wonderful Life Capri Theatre

7:30 p.m.

Capri Holiday Classic returns Friday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. only.

Tickets $7 for Members; $9 for NonMembers. capritheatre.org

December 7 & 8 Elf and Christmas Vacation Capri Theatre

3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Holiday favorites at The Capri for one weekend only. Elf showings at 3 p.m. and Christmas Vacation showings at 7:30. Tickets $7 for Members; $9 for Non-Members. capritheatre.org

December 12-15 Montgomery Ballet presents The Nutcracker Davis Theatre

Showtimes at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The seasonal favorite returns December 12 through 15 at the Davis Theatre.

Visit montgomeryballet.org for detailed schedule or etix.com for tickets.

DECEMBER 2013 • MADEPAPER.COM

13

Eating in Montgomery: A Year in Review WORDS BRENT ROSEN

Year in review lists are subjective as hell, the worst sort of navel gazing, and invariably start arguments, both about the reviewer and the reviews. That’s what makes them so great. With the December chill in the air, it felt like the right time to talk about some of the best things I ate this year. Without further introduction, the list of my best bites in Montgomery, 2013:

bad kind are the bready, sort of mealy, too heavily fried, and lacking in much actual crab variety. The good kind are crab-studded, limitedly breaded, redpepper accented and sautéed. Central definitely serves the good kind of crab cakes. They are plump crab cakes, perfectly sautéed with just enough breading to hold everything together. The last time I ate them, the cakes were served on a bed of sweet corn with peppers, onions, and a light sauce - enough to flavor the dish without overwhelming the subtleness of the crab. Central changes up the menu frequently, so when you see crab cakes, order them.

Bruschetta at Midtown Pizza Kitchen Spicy Fried Rice with Shrimp 2940 Zelda Rd (334) 395-0080 at Green Papaya Butter up and toast some delicious bread. Cover it in halved cherry tomatoes, small diced onions, shaved parmesan cheese, a chiffonade of basil and some good, sweet, reduced balsamic vinegar. What you have is the best “salad” course I ate in Montgomery this year. The flavors are a perfect balance of acidity and fat, sweet with a hint of sour, crispy bread, juicy tomatoes, just the right amount of onion to wake everything up. An appetizer for a large group, a hearty lunch for an individual, this dish is one of the few I crave once it’s been absent from my life for too long.

Mixed Fried Chicken at Davis Café

518 N Decatur St (334) 264-6015 Fried chicken makes me feel guilty. All of that fat, all of those calories, the afternoon ruining gut-punch of an overdose of fried chicken at lunch. But the fried chicken at Davis Café makes the guilt worth it.

Crispy, perfectly seasoned skin - not too hot, not too salty - gives way to the juiciest fried chicken I’ve ever eaten with almost no resistance. Normally I opt for all dark meat, but even the breasts at Davis Cafe are moist, flavorful, and worth a try. Montgomery has a heap of meat and three places, but Davis Café’s fried chicken elevates it to the top. I try to eat lunch there every couple of weeks just to make sure the chicken isn’t some sort of mirage.

Crab Cakes at Central

129 Coosa Street (334) 517-1155 There are two kinds of crab cakes, good and bad. The

409 Coliseum Blvd (334) 395-7654 Green Papaya shares a strip shopping mall with Eastbrook Flea Market, and like Eastbrook, Green Papaya offers unexpected surprises one would not expect from its exterior. I’ve never eaten anything I didn’t like at Green Papaya, but the spicy basil rice with shrimp stands out among all of the great dishes they serve. It took a couple of visits before I trusted the place enough to order the shrimp, and I cannot emphasize enough how good a decision that was.

The shrimp at Green Papaya are fresh, huge and excellently prepared. They mix in with the rice like croutons on a salad - sweet, salty, beautiful croutons.

I order the dish medium spicy with a side of sriracha, but I usually don’t end up needing much extra spice.

The dish is pretty much perfect straight from the kitchen.

Arepas at D’Road Café

6250 Atlanta Hwy (334) 356-1563 D’road café serves the Latin American food I love.

Beans, rice, plantains, shredded meats, light cheeses, and peppers abound. The arepa is a cake of ground maize flower, stuffed with meats, rices, vegetables and cheeses. The version at D’road café that I love comes with shredded pork and rice with a mix of salsa and sour cream. The corn cake soaks up all of the pork and rice juices, the salsa and sour cream add even more flavor, and there is no beating the texture: it’s like a burrito, but somehow softer yet more substantial. The arepa at D’road café makes you wonder how our ancestors got on with ham sandwiches and mayonnaise.

Chicken Skins at True

503 Cloverdale Rd (334) 356-3814 Chef Wesley is going to be pissed about this one. I know he prides himself on his creativity, use of local ingredients, and his deconstruction and reconstruction of classic dishes. I know he would rather see his escargot, his chilled vegetables, his tomato salad here. Sorry pal, but the chicken skins are one of the best things I’ve eaten this year, anywhere. The intensity of the chicken flavor, the smoky heat of the hot sauce, the snap-crunchiness, the ranch to cool everything down before the next bite. You have something magical in those chicken skins. Celebrate it.

Photos CAROLINE ROSEN

S’MORE COOKIES Fall is here and I just want to be outside all day long, which is exactly what I did this past weekend. With a little toddler, I am almost forced outside since our little guy won’t sit still indoors for even a minute. On a Sunday, I met up with some other mommies for a playdate in a local park. I wanted to make a treat to share with everyone and immediately my thoughts turned to s’mores. I don’t know what it is about the combination of marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers - but it is so comforting. And the fact that you eat with your hands like a sandwich or burger, without any assistance of a fork or spoon, makes it so simple.

Simple and comforting, what more can you ask for?

I used peanuts to add a little salt as a compliment to the sweet. When you put all together, it really is amazing. But if you don’t want to use nuts, you can easily substitute toasted shredded coconut or sprinkles.

Recipe online at madepaper.com 14

MADEPAPER.COM • DECEMBER 2013

Follow Melissa on her blog www.madebymelis.com

Words & PHOTOS NATILEE MCGRUDER

Having lived in Ghana, Mexico and Australia and traveled in places like Cambodia, Switzerland and Germany, I have a consistent hankering for what are considered “exotic” foods in the South.

While I enjoy eating out and discovering new places with authentic cuisine, I also fancy myself a bit of an internationally inspired home cook.

My main problem with recreating favorite dishes sampled throughout my travels is the hard-to-find ingredients and spices, which often remain elusive even after I’ve tapped Earth Fare and World Market – for example, I find myself spending gas, money and time journeying to Atlanta for my cherished Ethiopian ingredients.

So, it was with a profound sense of homecoming that I found what I consider to be the multi-cultural food oasis in Montgomery: tucked away in the Capitol Plaza Shopping Center off the Southern Boulevard between Woodley Road and Narrow Lane Road sits an old Winn-Dixie that has been reincarnated as the Capitol (Super) Market. Signs in Korean and Spanish welcome you to what is most definitely not the typical grocery experience in our city. Among the incredibly diverse produce section (young whole coconuts, chayote squash and thai eggplant anyone?), atypical meats and seafood and the various aisles of Latin American, African, Mexican, Caribbean and Asian food and spices, resides Ricos (meaning rich or delicious) Tacos: a 100% legit taco counter for those who crave or are curious about authentic antojitos (Mexican street food).

Initially it might seem odd that there’s a taco place in a grocery store, but if you can appreciate the long-standing culture of street vendors and food stalls in the traditional markets all around Central and Latin America (and in increasing parts the US), then you know that this makes perfect sense. While the owner of the store is Korean, Ricos Tacos is run by Gladys Chavez, a Honduran immigrant whose husband Antonio is the store’s Latino produce manager. Gladys and Antonio, who have known each other for roughly 14 years, met at the beloved Buford Farmers Market, a large international market widely revered in the Atlanta area for its global offerings that include Eastern European baked goods and mind-boggling produce, seafood and meat

sections. Antonio, who hails from Mexico City, worked at the market for 15 years while Gladys, of Choluteca, Honduras, was in Atlanta for three years before the couple moved with their two children to Montgomery in May 2011.

After working for a short while in the store, Gladys was asked by the Capitol Market owner what she could cook. She replied “tacos,” and shortly after Ricos Tacos was born. Known as “the most democratic food in Mexico,” due to their mass appeal, Montgomery residents and visitors can experience several types of tacos including de pastor, carne asada, chicken, barbacoa, and lengua as well as street favorites like tamales, quesadillas, burritos, elote (corn on the cob), Mexican sodas (Jarritos brand) and horchata. There is a pandería (bakery) just to the right of the counter selling a nice selection of Mexican breads and on the weekends Gladys serves Caldo de Res, a traditional beef and vegetable soup that for me evokes my time spent in kitchens and markets in Guanajuato and Oaxaca. One of the best features of Ricos is the salsa bar that includes pickled radishes and carrots, fresh pico de gallo, onions, salsa verde, salsa rojo, chopped cilantro and lime wedges waiting for you to pile them on top of whatever inexpensive dish you choose.

As a hardworking mother and wife, one thing Gladys would like to improve in Montgomery is programs to address poverty, increasing the number of businesses of all types and expanding our public transportation offerings. As a nondriver, she sorely misses the trains, taxis and more comprehensive bus system of Atlanta. She likes the people of Montgomery and considers them to be nice and easy going; she also thinks that the police and authority figures are more conscientious in Montgomery than in Atlanta, particularly in how they interact with Latino immigrants.

When I asked Gladys what challenges she faces with Ricos Tacos, she very seriously tells me, “none.” There are a few tables in front of the counter where customers can sit and enjoy their meal and while business can be slow at times, it will generally pick up and stay at a steady pace.

She welcomes many customers throughout the week whose backgrounds include American,

Korean, Chinese, Mexican and Indian. Her main desire for her life is to achieve the “American Dream” which she says is what all immigrants want—to work hard and have a better life. In Honduras there is little money, so those born poor work, and work and work, and still only make just enough for their families to eat and survive. The Antonio and Gladys are recent homeowners and happy with the life they are creating here as their children go through middle school. Their plan is to work hard and live a quality life in Montgomery for many years to come.

Visit Gladys at Ricos Tacos located inside the Capitol Market at 2256 E. South Boulevard just up from Baptist South behind the Burger King. Phone: 334-294-8591. Ricos Tacos is closed on Wednesdays but open every other day of the week from 8am to 8pm. Caldo de res, menudo, tamales and caldo de camarón sold Friday-Sunday only.

FOOD & DRINK EVENTS December 7 6th annual Ho-Ho Hoedown Good People Brewery

7 p.m. ‘til Join Jasper Coal, Motel Ice Machine, LoupGarou, Post War, and Lauren “Sassy” Brown in the taproom for the 6th Annual Ho-ho-hoedown.

A $5 donation (or bring a toy!) gets you in to see these bands. All money raised at the door, as well as a dollar from every beer sold, goes to Jesse’s place, a women and children’s shelter to help celebrate Christmas. goodpeoplebrewing.com

December 10 Trivia Night

Leroy 7 p.m.

Come join the crew at Leroy for the monthly Trivia Night.leroylounge.com

December 21 The Night Before, the Night Before, the Night Before Christmas Eve Party The Tipping Point 6 p.m. until

Holiday beer specials, live music & more. No cover charge. For info visit facebook.com/tippingpointhampstead or tipppingpointhampstead.com

DECEMBER 2013 • MADEPAPER.COM

15

Christmas Cocktails

Well friends, we’ve made it to another holiday season. Congratulations on your stamina and determination - now let’s see what we can do to celebrate. We’ve assembled a bevy of unique and playful cocktails for you. Our hope is you will use these throughout December to impress friends and alienate swill drinkers. Show your holiday spirit by swishing up pine tree tea, or how about some muddled celery. We’ve got bourbon, moonshine - even falernum - so get cracking and host a top notch cocktail party to celebrate. Cheers to the adventurous!

I know what you’re thinking: this must taste like Pine Sol and hit you like a sledge hammer, but it doesn’t. Imagine a graceful herbal tea quality with a hint of pine - a good balance with the bold ‘Shine.

2 oz Stills Crossroads ‘Shine 2 oz Pine Tea* 1.5 oz Brown Sugar Syrup 1 Lemon Wedge Splash of Ginger Ale *To Make Pine Tea: Take a generous handful of green pine needles, preferably Short Leaf, pulled from the branch. Cut the brown ends off and muddle the green needles.

Boil 2 cups of water, then add the needles. Turn the heat off and let rest for about 20 minutes, or however long it takes for the needles to sink to the bottom of the pot.

Strain the needles, then run the liquid through a coffee filter and reserve.

The Brass Monkey is incredibly delicious and actually feasible to do at home or during any holiday party.

10 oz Miller High Life 2 oz Orange Juice

This is preferably done with a 40 oz bottle of the High Life “Champagne,” but do what you can. Go to the store and grab a 6 or 12 pack of bottles. Drink the beer down so you can pour OJ into the neck of the bottle.

Cocktails by Will Abner, Mixologist Extraordinaire, SpringHouse Restaurant

Build the drink in your preferred drinking glass; you can serve this hot or iced. If serving over ice, make sure the tea has cooled before mixing.

Have this reviving tonic ready for your guests the morning after your holiday party. Smooth and easy to drink, you should probably go ahead and have a pitcher made.

Celery eases the nervous system and contains lots of calcium, magnesium and B6, which is great for a case of the Irish Flu. The Cocchi and Jack Rudy tonic can be found at any of your fine wine retailers.

1 oz Hendrick’s Gin 1 oz Cocchi Americano Blanco* .5 oz Lemon Juice 1 Celery Stalk 2 Thin Slices Cucumber 3 oz Tonic (I use Jack Rudy*)

Use a vegetable peeler to peel thin strips of the celery lengthwise.

Make about 6 good strips and put them into your cocktail shaker along with the gin, Cocchi, lemon juice, and cucumber. Shake well.

Strain over ice and top with tonic. Garnish with more celery strips, cucumber and lemon.

Caution: Women who are pregnant, or who could become pregnant, are advised NOT to drink pine needle tea in general for fear it could cause miscarriage. (No shit. Don’t use Ponderosa Pine.)

Special thanks to Birmingham local Chris Bennett: @foragerman on Instagram.

Warm and fuzzy, just like your favorite tacky Christmas sweater.

2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon Sour Mix* 2 oz Red Wine (whatever is dry, Cab Savignon is fine)

Mix the bourbon and sour mix, then float the wine on top using the back of a spoon to help it sit on the top of the drink. *You can make sour mix easily (Lemon and Lime juices & Simple Syrup), or just buy ready-made.

Bourbon, moonshine and cherry. Sounds like an elixir for a bunch of happy elves.

1/2 oz Stills Crossroads ‘Shine 1/2 oz Belle Meade Bourbon (or your preference) 1/2 oz Jack Rudy Grenadine 1/2 oz St. Germaine 1/2 oz Velvet Falernum 1/2 oz Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice (it makes a difference if it’s fresh!)

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake, then pour over ice in a rocks glass or suitably lovely holiday glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Cocktail by Bobbi Heithoff, Sommelier, TRUE Restaurant

16

MADEPAPER.COM • DECEMBER 2013

DECEMBER 2013 • MADEPAPER.COM

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It’s about this time each year where giving and generosity are the themes we write about, feature on the news and write checks in honor of. We consider those who selflessly serve the poor and homeless in our city and perhaps visit the places where those outside the margins, “the least of these”, go for food, conversation and a hug – a place where they know Love.

Because of this, we want to share with you what “the least of these” are dreaming in the Capital of Dreams. While there are handfuls of missions and organizations doing amazing work in this city, there is one place these precious ones gather daily.

It’s a place where they aren’t known as homeless or poor but as “Friends.” Reality and Truth Ministries on South Court Street is this safe haven of sorts and where founder, LaDonna Brendle can be found hanging out with her friends through simple conversation, food and lots of love.

LaDonna is the real deal. So, we first sat down to ask her, “What are you dreaming?”

For her, it’s simple. She dreams that the people who claim to love God would love others. “I’m dreaming of unity. For people to be Light in the darkness and bring hope to those in need,” she says.

18

to a hotel, and maybe one day…a house that’s mine!” Rachelle, her mom agreed. “I don’t know what I’m dreaming, but my own house would be good.”

Then we met Deion. Deion’s dream is to be a clothing designer. Khirien told us he has a short and long term dream. “My short term dream is to get a job, get an apartment, and get a car. The long term dream is to go to school to be an aesthetician, move to Beverly Hills and be the best aesthetician there ever was!”

Then there’s Alison. Alison dreams of “a better life! No specifics, just a better life.”

LaDonna’s dreams have led to her embarking on a 3 phase building project to have the capacity to better serve her “Friends”. Phase I is the Church Mission Center where physical and spiritual needs are met. Phase 2 is the One Church, which will meet cross-cultural needs in the community. And Phase 3 is Logos Café, which she hopes will, “meet the unification needs of the community.” “Downtown is the center of a city where cultures cross and come together,” she explains. “I’m dreaming that the Logos Café will be a place where cultures converge. That it will be a place where good coffee is served and relationships develop, no matter where or what you come from.”

Our dream is that our focus on those outside the margins, ”the least of these”, during this time of year would become the new normal all through the year. A kind word, a gentle embrace, these are the things we seek to give and inspire others to give those we cross paths with – to know everyone is someone.

The dreams of LaDonna have inspired her “Friends” to dream as well. At least that’s what we saw when we met Tytiana, a little girl in kindergarten who, with wide eyes and a snappy purple coat, met me at my car, took my hand and led me into the mission. Once inside and seated, I had to ask, “Tytiana, what are you dreaming?”

We hope the light and beauty of this wonderful season continue to live in your hearts and we look forward to more conversations in the coming year. Keep dreaming!

“I’m dreaming of a new church and a new home for my mama.” “I dream of going

Email us with your thoughts: dream@madepaper.com

MADEPAPER.COM • NOVEMBER 2013

What we hope can be summed up in one last dream: Cain’s dream.

“I have a lot of dreams,” he told us. “I’m a dreamer. But the best dream would be to have peace and harmony all over the world and for everybody to be joyful!” Now that’s a good dream, a very good dream.

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4 BEDROOM 2.5 BATH 2,381 sq.ft conditioned approx 533 sq.ft conditioned approx

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3 BEDROOM 2 BATH 1,768 sq.ft conditioned approx 518 sq.ft porch / garage approx

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The Maggie

3 BEDROOM 2.5 BATH 2,185 sq.ft conditioned approx 533 sq.ft porch / garage approx

4 BEDROOM 2.5 BATH 2,268 sq.ft conditioned approx 735 sq.ft porch / garage approx

1 BEDROOM 1.5 BATH 1,085 sq.ft conditioned approx

4 BEDROOM 3 BATH 2,372 sq.ft conditioned approx

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Town building, design, & construction are an evolving process. The Hampstead master plan, features, floor plans, & pricing may change without notice due to a variety of considerations. Any illustrations are artist’s depictions only & may differ from completed improvements. This is not an offer to sell real estate property. Information is correct but not warranted. Void where prohibited by law. Equal Housing Opportunity. © 2 0 13

Sparking Conversations To Change Communities TEDxRiverRegion WORDS KATIE VEGA There is no doubt that the power of conversation still stands strong—even in our world—full of emails, text messages, and other poor excuses used as replacements for face-to-face dialogues. To further support the idea that real, personal discussions have huge impacts on humankind, many creative and forward-thinking individuals will agree that these conversations are vital to fixing certain problems. In a world where the ease of communicating is more important than the form, issues such as racism and injustice are discussed through hashtags on Twitter, instead of being talked about in intimate, open-ended and open-minded conversations.

That’s where TED comes in. Three separate realms— technology, entertainment, and design—are brought together through a collective of individuals focused on ideas worth spreading. Started in 1984 with an innovate conference design, TED brings together creative people from these three worlds. TED conferences are held each spring and summer on the West Coast and in Edinburgh, respectively; but the rest of the world is reached through the non-profit’s famous TEDTalks—a series of over 1,500 videos where people go to gain inspiration, develop new dreams, and build on old ones. TEDx, inspired by TEDConversations, is a groundbreaking program that gives individuals, organizations, and communities the opportunity to experience the gathering of fresh-minded individuals— people who actually live, work, and play in each respective city—initiating leaders and citizens to be inspired by their neighbors. TEDx events offer a combination of TEDTalks videos and live presentations, sparking intellectual and imaginative conversations on a communal level.

TEDx first graced Montgomery’s presence last year with TEDxDexter, held at the newly gentrified City Hall. This event, created and facilitated by Chad Emerson of Montgomery’s Department of Development, had such rave reviews and spectacular attendance that Emerson, and everyone else present, knew this was something that had to make Montgomery home every year. Montgomery residents who have been involved with projects within the city were asked to be a part of the TEDxDexterAvenue Advisory Board. The name has since changed to TEDxRiverRegion, encompassing a broader scope geographically and anthropologically, while keeping with the same idea—to change Montgomery for the better, through its very own resources.

Early 2014, Montgomery visionaries will meet again. The event, organized independently by eight board members, will feature a diverse group speakers including Michelle Browder with “I Am More Than”, Alisha Brooks with Southern Poverty Law Center, Mark Bowen and Edwin Marty with EAT South, Chief Kevin Murphy with the Montgomery Police Department, Sieu Tang with Tang’s Alternations, the Montgomery Art Guild, and MADE Paper’s very own Brent Rosen.

This TEDxRiverRegion theme is “Alternative Talent Development”. Each speaker in this year’s lineup is using unconventional means to bring out Montgomery’s human capacity. Speaker Michelle Browder, founder of I Am More Than and advocate for social justice, has been engulfed in brainstorming the idea of spreading the importance of community, within and between races, since she was

eighteen. She also harbors on the fact that certain social issues, such as racism, won’t go away unless we talk about it, and she doesn’t just want to scratch the surface. She believes we need to have a truly profound, meaningful, and honest two-way conversation. And a little fun fact—a TED video featuring attorney and advocate for injustice Brian Stevenson is what inspired her to begin her movement.

This, partnered with her innate ability to connect with young people, helped her to mold her non-profit—whose goal is to help young people discover their self-worth and to rise above negative stereotypes and connotations.

TEDxRiverRegion Board member Adam Warnke hopes that people will walk away from this event knowing that there are, in fact, advanced thinkers in our community; thinkers who are working to make our city a better place to be. He also hopes this event will spark stimulating conversations and idea-sharing, and for both attendees and speakers to want to be a part of what is happening in our community.

Best case scenario? Citizens will be heartened to start their own projects to improve our city. Warnke’s goal is to showcase remarkable people and events that might otherwise go unnoticed, showing how much positive energy and momentum people are feeling when it comes to moving our city forward. He hopes attendees will capitalize on these ideas to inspire the next wave of dreams for Montgomery.

So come. Inspire and be inspired. Tickets are $20 and the link to purchase will be on our events calendar at www.madepaper.com as soon as the date is announced. Tentatively set for Early 2014.

O P E N TA B L E DINER'S CHOICE W IN N E R

FROM JAMES BEARD AWARD SEMI-FINALIST

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And as part of the Jackson Hospital family, you have access to a full-range of specialized services, should you ever need them. Our exceptional care is quick and convenient, so you can get in and out and back on the road as soon as possible.

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Words BRIAN CARROLL

iTunes gift card in your stocking? Awesome! Now, don’t just spend it on boring, artsy schlock to out-blogospherize your neighbors. Here’s a solid list of ten 2013 pop / rock songs that won’t leave you wondering where the beef is:

Obits “Spun Out”

Max Frost “White Lies”

Like Tom Petty in “surf mode.” Need we say more?

Upon hearing the opening seconds of this less-controversial (and musically superior) sister song to the rapey megahit ‘Blurred Lines,’ it becomes evident that Frost has taken a few lessons at the Solo McCartney School of Moogy ThreeMinute Pop Songs. As this title track bounces along, Frost outshines his super-serious synthpop peers with a fourchord acoustic guitar lead-in (analog instruments in 2013?)

The Naked And Famous “Rolling Waves”

Foxygen “San Francisco”

Anthemic, oceanic lady-balladry alla Grimes augmented with real rock juevos in the chorus. A sweet antidote to the unpleasant wave of so-so divas polluting the pop spectrum.

Jonti vs. Big Scary “Slumming It In Paradise” Inventive, snipped-up shuffle pop - like Boards of Canada drunk and stage crashing at a Chicago jazz club. This track may not have the most solid repetitious ground to stand on, per say, but that’s the point. If you can handle leaping from idea to idea like Spider-Man, this is your party jam.

The most hip-hop oriented track on the list, alternately punctuates rhythm and melody (with a male and female singer embodying those respective elements) in a stalwart, balanced approach.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. “War Zone” This Tom Tom Club-inspired stomp through a boyish fantasy Africa resolves to an intricate, jammy crescendo, with twangy electric guitar leads hidden in the saccharine mix.

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MADEPAPER.COM • DECEMBER 2013

The Hawk In Paris “Freaks” These vampy fellas get bonus points, if not cool points, for attempting to hang a Spaghetti Western matte painting (complete with whistling) behind a Goldfrapp-derived club thumper.

The cheeky MGMT clones of Foxygen throw out a bevy of classic rock impersonations on their wonderful 2013 LP, but none are quite as immediate (and brave) as when they unapologetically channel the Mamas and the Papas on this catchy, silly parody of late 60’s bubblegum. They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

Lucy Schwartz “Ghost In My House” Schwartz has the sort of oblong, non-threatening affect you’d expect from a pop-friendly female rocker like Emily Haynes, but in this beast of a build-up she unexpectedly tommy guns a hornets’ nest throughout a vaguely Native Americanscaled piano dirge. Airtight, whip-smart percussion follows a snarling synth guitar burst, leading to an energetic climax.

Wait for it...

Jimi Hendrix “Earth Blues” While most classic rock comebacks of 2013 fell somewhat flat, the new release from the Jimi Hendrix camp was obviously comprised of unreleased studio recordings from the glory days themselves. The LP kicks off an afternoon’s worth of heavenly blues jams with this uptempo, locomotive, slam dunk.

and an infectious Seventies charm. Blisteringly catchy.

Arcade Fire “Reflektor” The title track from the self-important Canadian quintet finds them once again balancing anxiety with masturbatory gasps of confidence, but newly toe-tap worthy. As the band fruitlessly attempts to swat off second-guessing through a funky, messy Bowie encapsulation, they reward repeat listens with a begrudging acceptance of both their egotism and laurels. Pasting bits of their influences over a bloated string finale doesn’t exactly equate to loosening up, but we’ll take what we can get from a band this uptight. The best parts of the track allow us to hear the band squirm outside of their comfort zone, which actually entertains us, a feat they’ve been reticent to accomplish since their debut EP. While singer Win Butler recently declared that their official request for concert audiences to dress up in formal attire was “super not mandatory,” the $80 ticket prices most likely are.

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