Debt weight

FREE EVERY WEDNESDAY | METRO OKC’S INDEPENDENT WEEKLY | AUGUST 14, 2019

debt weight

College students are shouldering more debt and facing more uncertainty after graduation.

By Miguel Rios, P. 4

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INSIDE COVER P.4 The nation’s student loan debt

crisis continues to grow, putting major stress on more and more people who are now putting off major life decisions to save money. National and local elected officials are beginning to address the issue, but their solutions vary.

By Miguel Rios Cover by Tiffany McKnight

NEWS 4

A BENEFIT CONCERT FOR

COVER student loan debt

immigration court 8 METRO Isaiah Lewis: Where do we go from here? event 6 STATE

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NEWS

COV E R

In 2017, 45 percent of University of Oklahoma graduates had a combined average debt of about $29,000. | Photo Alexa Ace

Loan crisis

More people put off major life milestones as student loan debt reaches historic highs.

By Miguel Rios

When Evie Simons signed the dotted lines for student loans at age 18, she did not fully grasp how much of a burden she would have to shoulder.

Simons, 24, has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Oklahoma City University and a master’s degree in public administration from University of Oklahoma, and she is returning to school for a master’s in criminal justice.

“When you’re 18 years old, especially for me and some other students, you have your parents take care of you,” she said. “You can’t understand or grasp the concept of having a $2,000 loan, let alone, when you get your diploma, you have a $150,000 loan. I was very naive when I was entering college. … It never sunk in of, ‘This is the burden, and this is the cost I’m taking on.’”

Simons is one of more than 44 million people who owe a collective $1.52 trillion in student loan debt in the United States, according to Make Lemonade. The Institute for College Access & Success’ (TICAS) Project on Student Debt reported 65 percent of college seniors who graduated in 2017 had student loan debt.

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The average debt was $28,650 — a 1 percent increase from 2016. Forbes reports student loan debt is now higher than both credit cards and auto loan debt and has become the second-highest consumer debt category after mortgage debt.

The numbers illustrate how serious student loan debt is, and many now consider it a national crisis — so much so that several Democratic presidential candidates have announced proposals on how to address the issue. Many candidates released plans for free or affordable college, but three candidates’ specific plans on student debt have captured national attention.

National conversation

Sen. Elizabeth Warren was one of the first candidates to release a plan addressing student loan debt.

“The first step in addressing this crisis is to deal head-on with the outstanding debt that is weighing down millions of families and should never have been required in the first place,” she wrote on Medium. “That’s why I’m calling for something truly transformational — the

cancellation of up to $50,000 in student loan debt for 42 million Americans.”

Her plan cancels $50,000 in loan debt for every person with household income under $100,000, and it would provide “substantial debt cancellation” for every person with household incomes between $100,000 and $250,000; it does not offer debt cancellation for people whose household income is above that.

Sen. Bernie Sanders also released a bill that would cancel all student debt entirely. He has said that it would cost about $2.2 trillion to do so and would make all public colleges free.

I think about the types of things that I would be able to do with that money and what’s not being invested in our state.

Rep. Melissa Provenzano Sen. Kamala Harris’s plan is quite different. Under her proposal, borrowers with a Pell Grant will get up to $20,000 of their debt forgiven if they start a business that operates for at least three years in a disadvantaged community.

Harris’s plan has mostly been met with backlash. While Warren and Sanders’s proposals to eliminate student loan debt have been well received by some, others

say their plans are unfair to those who already worked to pay their own loans.

Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, said the plans sound attractive but believes there should be more balance rather than just eliminating student debt completely.

“That sounds very attractive to someone who’s carrying student loan debt,” Provenzano said. “I do think that students who sign up to take a loan should make every attempt to pay off their debt. … I think there’s some personal responsibility. Like, I know I signed up for that.

I have a career that I was able to facilitate because I had that student loan debt, so there’s perhaps a balance.”

A Bankrate survey from March revealed that 73 percent of respondents delayed “at least one major life milestone because of their student loan debt.” More than ever, people with student loan debt are putting off buying a house, saving for retirement, saving for emergencies and paying off other debt.

In order to save money to pay off her debt, Simons lives with her mother and has even tried mapping out when the best time would be for those major milestone expenses. So for her, plans to reduce or eliminate student debt seem reasonable. Simons said student loan debt forgiveness would be a proactive way to use taxpayer dollars that could help prepare a more educated workforce and stimulate the economy.

“If we’re able to have forgiveness, it’s going to open a lot of doors for our generation to either have more kids or continue to pursue education or whatever we want to do, and it’s just going to be a better environment,” she said. “My fiancé and I — you can only plan so much — but we try to map out when we’re going to have kids. … It’s just much cheaper to have a dog at this point.”

Oklahoma debt

TICAS Project on Student Debt reported that Oklahoma’s average debt is about $26,000 with 49 percent of students with debt — both figures lower than the national average. TICAS ranked Oklahoma 38th for average debt and 43rd for percentage with debt.

In 2017, University of Oklahoma, the state’s largest university in terms of enrollment, reported 45 percent of graduates had an average debt of about $29,000. Oklahoma State University, the second-largest university, reported 49 percent of graduates had an average debt of nearly $24,000.

In an email statement to Oklahoma Gazette, Glen Johnson, Oklahoma State System of Higher Education chancellor, said it is important to note that Oklahoma’s student debt story differs from the national landscape.

“The nationally recognized Project on Student Debt reports that Oklahoma ranks among the 12 states with the lowest student debt level, and more than

half of students at our public universities graduate with no student loan debt,” Johnson wrote. “U.S. News & World Report ranks Oklahoma tuition and fees as 12th-lowest in the nation and our student debt level at graduation as 13thlowest in the nation.

“The State Regents and our public colleges and universities have long recognized the critical importance of family financial aid planning and debt management education. Helping our students and their parents navigate the financial aid process is a key initiative of the Oklahoma College Assistance Program (OCAP). … OCAP’s student loan management initiative, Ready Set Repay, empowers borrowers in every stage of the loan lifecycle — in school, in repayment, facing repayment challenges or in loan default status — to make smart borrowing choices, successfully navigate repayment, avoid loan default and, if needed, overcome loan default and get back on track.”

Visit readysetrepay.org.

Dotted line

Rep. Provenzano, who is working on a student loan debt interim study, echoed the idea that many people don’t fully grasp the amount of debt they take on.

“You have a lot of papers to sign rather quickly, and often, you don’t have all of the information that you need to

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know about, ‘Here’s the interest rate, and here’s what it’s going to cost you,’” she said. “There’s so many ways that it can go awry, I believe.”

Provenza no ha s student loan debt she has been paying off for more than a decade. She pays almost $500 each month and often thinks of the ways she could better invest that money in the local economy.

“Most people are just kind of like, ‘I’m going to die with this debt. There’s no way,’” she said. “The end is hard to see in sight. … I think about how much I pay every single month and just barely make a dent in the interest. It’s like your own personal home mortgage. I think about the types of things that I would be able to do with that money and what’s not being invested in our state.”

People across the country recount the difficulty keeping up with debt, especially as interest accrues over time, leading to a snowball effect that is hard to manage.

Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, is working on an interim study to address the student loan debt crisis. | Photo Oklahoma House of Representatives / provided

“I think on the highest student loan I have, which is $10,000, I have a 6.06 interest rate, and even then, the last time I made a payment was May 1st on the inter-

est. From May 1st to today, I have accrued $531.14 in interest,” Simons said. “The interest on my car is .9 percent. I think I have a student loan that’s like 6.5 percent.”

Provenzano said she was approached by many constituents urging her that something needed to be done about student debt. She said they are looking at what other states have done to address the issue.

“There’s confusion when you’re signing up for a student loan and what you’re getting yourself into,” she said.

“One of the things we’re looking at in particular is a borrower’s Bill of Rights, so very similar to when you get a home mortgage or when you sign up for a credit card. You turn that piece of paper over, your application over, and you know exactly what your interest rate is going to be, exactly how much it’s going to cost you and those sorts of pieces.

Maybe we need to think about better educating our students going into college — what you’re in for when you sign on that dotted line.”

While Provenzano’s interim study is still in its infancy, it is assigned to the banking committee and is set to be heard in November.

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PM

NEWS Local immigration attorneys are advocating for an immigration hearing site to open back up in Oklahoma. | Photo Alexa Ace

S TAT E

Costly justice The closure of a local hearing site along with a record-breaking backlog of cases make court proceedings costly and slow.

By Miguel Rios for Oklahoma Gazette and Mollie Bryant for Big If True

Carlos came to the United States from Chihuahua, Mexico, about 35 years ago.

An undocumented immigrant, Carlos has lived in New Mexico, Kansas and most recently Oklahoma with his family in pursuit of the American Dream.

But that dream has been a letdown.

For the past three years, he has been dealing with an immigration case that could put his son’s health in danger.

Carlos — who is identified in this story with a pseudonym due to the sensitive nature of his case — is eligible for a green card through a policy that applies to immigrants who meet certain requirements and whose deportation would cause extreme hardship to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

“He was placed for removal in February of 2016, set for his trial in June of ’17, and then it disappeared off the docket,” said Kelli J. Stump, his immigration attorney and secretary of American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Due to a record-breaking backlog of cases clogging the nation’s immigration courts, Stump said when his case returned to the docket, his next hearing date was scheduled years out.

“It’s like two years from now, and the 6

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chances of it getting pushed again are extremely high,” she said.

That is what worries Carlos and Stump the most. His son has a rare immune disorder that requires monthly shots costing his family about $8,000.

If his case isn’t heard before his son turns 21, Carlos will lose eligibility for a green card.

While his case is unique, data from Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University shows that in June, roughly 945,000 cases were pending across all immigration courts. Waiting years for a court date has become the norm.

That wait is complicated by the absence of a full court to hear immigration cases in Oklahoma. Until 2014, Oklahoma City was home to an immigration court hearing site, which was a sub-office of Dallas’ immigration court.

When the OKC site shut down, hearings were moved to the immigration court in Dallas, about three hours away.

Carlos’s case began after Oklahoma City’s hearing site closed, which meant he had to pay his daughters to drive him three hours to Dallas for an initial court appearance that took roughly 30 minutes.

Carlos, whose interview is translated from Spanish, said waiting is frustrating.

“I’ve been to [the Dallas court] once,” he said. “They told me everything was fine and that I would get another court date, but they keep pushing the date back.”

‘Critical burden’

According to interviews with seven Oklahoma City immigration attorneys, the hearing site’s closure placed a financial burden on clients who must cover their travel costs to Dallas, the home of a chaotic immigration court where last-minute hearing cancelations are common. Many of the attorneys said they had previously traveled to a hearing in Dallas only to learn the proceeding had been rescheduled at the last minute.

In some cases, the hearing had been canceled days earlier and court staff had neglected to tell them.

Attorneys also expressed concerns that rising costs, combined with fewer local options for representation, could impact immigrants’ access to counsel.

Oklahoma City’s hearing location was originally based in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building in office space for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Although the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is responsible for overseeing the nation’s immigration court system, an EOIR spokesperson said by email that the department did not manage the Oklahoma City site.

The Oklahoman reported that the Department of Justice had attempted to shut down the court in 2013 but agreed with ICE to keep it open.

Before closing, Oklahoma City’s

hearing location had already been downsized. Initially, one week out of the month, a Dallas judge traveled to Oklahoma City for hearings, which were reduced to tele-hearings that a judge presided over from Dallas.

An EOIR spokesperson said by email that the site closed because ICE “was no longer able to assist with staffing the hearing room.” Immigration attorneys said the hearing site relied on an ICE staffer to run the tele-hearing equipment, but when she left for another position, ICE opted not to replace her.

ICE did not respond to a request for comment.

The closure left Oklahoma without an immigration court, excluding a telehearing site in the Tulsa County jail.

At the time of its closure, the court had a backlog of 1,240 cases, up from just 167 pending cases seven years before.

Oklahoma City’s climbing number of pending cases mirrored a national backlog of immigration cases that reached an all-time high in 2014 with about 375,500 cases. That number has since more than doubled.

“EOIR constantly monitors its caseload nationwide and shifts resources to meet needs in the most efficient manner possible,” a spokesperson said by email.

Also reflective of immigration courts across the country at the time, Oklahoma City’s court saw a surge of defendants from the Northern Triangle of Central America — Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — as migrants fled violence in the region.

For proceedings called merit hearings, where defendants present their cases, immigration attorneys said that clients, their families, witnesses and expert witnesses, who are paid to testify, travel from Oklahoma City to Dallas, which is about 200 miles away. For defendants from the remote Oklahoma Panhandle town of Guymon, the trek is more than twice as long.

Defendants must pay their own travel costs out of pocket, and they also have to compensate their attorneys and expert witnesses for their time and travel expenses.

“It’s a critical burden to them,” said Stump. “Because sometimes, even if it’s not me that they’re paying to go, if we have an expert witness, for example, now the expert witness has to travel further, so it could be cost-prohibitive to present a defense.”

Some defendants lack transportation or funds to travel to Dallas for court, and even when they do, obstacles like snowstorms or flooding can lead to missed hearings.

Immigration attorneys expressed concerns that defendants in the area might face not only higher costs, but also difficulty finding a local lawyer to represent them.

“I do know several immigration lawyers that stopped taking removal cases because they didn’t want to have

to deal with traveling to Dallas, and that means less options for clients,” immigration attorney Giovanni I. Perry said.

Defendants can save money on travel expenses by hiring a Dallas attorney, but local attorneys said communicating long-distance is less effective. Another option is navigating the immigration court system without an attorney, which is challenging and increases the likelihood of the defendant losing the case.

“It can be really detrimental and prevent people from having justice,” immigration attorney Larry E. Davis said.

“Even with attorneys, it’s a lot of problems, but when you’re not represented, it’s even double the problems.”

Site plan

Immigration attorney Michelle L. Edstrom has been coordinating with a local judge and Oklahoma Western District Court to try to bring the hearings back via teleconferencing.

The attorney has spoken with Barbara T. Baker, the Dallas immigration court administrator, who Edstrom said has been receptive to the idea but wants to see a more concrete, written plan to avoid any scheduling conflicts.

“We’ve also worked with Sen. James Lankford’s office, so there’s a lot of people trying to work on this. It’s just trying to get through the red tape that’s required to actually make something happen,”

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Edstrom said. “We don’t have a written plan. There’s been talk about it, but ... we don’t have anything in writing yet. We’re hoping to get Lankford’s office to help us with that.”

Baker referred an interview request to an EOIR spokesperson, who said by email that court staff do not do interviews.

They told me everything was fine and that I would get another court date, but they keep pushing the date back.

Carlos Paola M. Alvarez de Bennett, another local immigration attorney, said teleconferencing would not be suitable for trial hearings, but it would make master hearings much more efficient. However, neither attorney has been given a clear answer on who would make the final decision to bring the video hearings back to Oklahoma City.

“Miss Edstrom has done quite a lot of the groundwork, and it’s almost needing whoever has the magic signature to sign off on it and getting it done,” Alvarez de Bennett said. “They haven’t given us a black-and-white answer.

Basically, what she said is that they have to have more of a concrete plan, not a theoretical plan, in place to present to the chief judge to get it signed off on.”

When posed questions regarding the agency’s response to the attorney’s lobbying efforts, EOIR declined to comment.

In a statement, Lankford said, “Our nation’s immigration court backlog is far too large, and the decision to close the OKC immigration court facility in 2014 made a bad situation worse.”

He added that the Department of Justice has video teleconference abilities that “would alleviate wait times and ensure proper and swift application of the law.”

“I have strongly advocated that DOJ pursue the video telecourt option, and I will continue to advocate DOJ do that to ensure Oklahomans can access federal services paid for by their hard-earned tax dollars,” Lankford said. “I look forward to DOJ pursuing as many options as possible for those seeking to go through our legal immigration process efficiently, with full due process and with as few additional costs as possible.”

According to EOIR’s list of court locations, Oklahoma is one of 21 states without an immigration court.

The closure of Oklahoma’s court, combined with the Dallas immigration court’s backlog, has caused even the simplest cases to take much longer than

they normally would. Carlos just hopes he is able to resolve his situation before his son becomes an adult in the eyes of the law.

“I feel sad and desperate because my case won’t end. I want it to end, but at the same time, I don’t. If they’re going to deny me, I don’t know who I would leave my kids with,” Carlos said. “I have to take care of my kids. My situation makes me sad, but we’ll see what happens. I can’t do anything. I just keep working and waiting.”

This story was produced in partnership with news nonprofit Big If True. Mollie Bryant, Big If True’s founder and editor, can be reached at bryant@bigiftrue.org or 405-990-0988.

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METRO

NEWS

Community support

In the wake of the shooting of a local black teenager, community members strive to provide support and foster conversation. By Nikita Lewchuk

On May 29, the family of Isaiah Lewis, an unarmed black teenager who was fatally shot in May, announced they have filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Edmond. The announcement was made exactly one month after Lewis was shot four times in a residential neighborhood following a police altercation.

The toxicology report was made public in late June, bringing the circumstances surrounding Lewis’s death back into the spotlight. Prior to the release of the report, there was broad speculation throughout the community that Lewis had been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Jenny Wagnon, a spokesperson for the Edmond Police Department, referenced drug paraphernalia that had been thrown over a fence near the spot Lewis was shot — a claim that was repeated by several news outlets, including The Edmond Sun and KFOR.

who said during a press conference on June 29, “There’s no excuse for a 17-year-old man having a mental and drug-induced behavior to have died.”

Speculation about drug usage is something T. Sheri Dickerson, executive director of Black Lives Matter OKC, said often happens after an event like this.

“There was a lot of assumption, innuendo and allegations tossed around about the belief that Mr. Lewis was on various types of psychotropic drugs,” Dickerson said. “PCP was one that they were constantly throwing out there, and they do that often in a situation to where black and brown persons are involved in an incident. They want to criminalize us.”

A later article by News 9 following the release of the toxicology report was quick to negate any claims that Lewis had been on any psychoactive stimulants. The opening lines of the story read, “The attorney for the family of the 17-year-old Edmond student shot and killed during a confrontation with police has released the presumptive toxicology results. According to the results, Lewis was not under the influence of PCP.” The report did find a small amount of THC, one of the psychoactive compounds found in cannabis, and the commercial antihistamine Benadryl.

“Regardless of what showed up,” Dickerson said, “does not mean that Isaiah Lewis shouldn’t be here.”

Cultivating dialogue

Cece Jones-Davis organized the “Isaiah Lewis: Where do we go from here?” event July 29 at Edmond Trinity Christian Church to foster conversation after the shooting of Isaiah Lewis. | Photo provided

Another report by KOCO cited Lewis’s girlfriend at the time as the source of the claim, saying, “Lewis’ girlfriend told police that he was on some kind of intoxicant and that he had stripped naked.”

The claim was even repeated by the president of the NAACP, Garland Pruitt, 8

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An event called “Isaiah Lewis: Where do we go from here?” was July 29 at Edmond Trinity Christian Church.

The event’s organizer, Cece Jones-Davis, said the goal was to keep the memory of Lewis alive and continue cultivating dialogue in the community.

“Tonight is the first step, and that is an organized community conversation that I am unaware has happened around Isaiah Lewis. So that’s the first step, to have the first organized opportunity to come together and ask questions,” Jones-Davis said.

Jones-Davis moderated a panel discussion with Dickerson; Sara Bana, a community advocate and co-founder of Ending Violence Everywhere Coalition; and Nathan Yemane, a psychologist

from Bethany.

“He talked about what it means to grieve as a community. ... When stories and narratives are told in a way that are dishonoring or assassinate character, plant seeds in peoples’ minds unfairly, that diminishes the social status of the bereaved,” Jones-Davis said. “They automatically have to go into defense when they should be mourning.”

Vickie Lewis, mother of Isaiah Lewis, was interviewed July 26 on Being Real Wit It, a social commentary and news podcast hosted by two men of color.

We wanted to, in some small way, give the dignity and the importance of the situation and honor the importance of it.

Cece Jones-Davis “I’m taken to the brink of insanity every night, because in my thoughts, my child is murdered every night,” she said during the interview. “And shortly after, I die. … Every day, it gets a little easier to do the day-to-day things, except the sleep — sleep escapes me.”

Jones-Davis stressed the importance of creating and maintaining support systems within the community during a time of tragedy.

“In these instances, even when we don’t have all the details yet, we still, as moral stakeholders, as community members, we still need to make sure that we organize spaces and have conversations to acknowledge the incidence of the tragedy no matter what,” JonesDavis said.

Not only is it crucial to raise awareness of these situations, she said, but also to have discussions within the community about the issues a death such as Lewis’s brings to light.

“The first thing is we wanted to make

Edmond Trinity Christian Church hosted the “Isaiah Lewis: Where do we go from here?” event July 29. | Photo Alexa Ace

sure that we gave space, that we created space, that we were intentional in organizing a conversation,” Jones-Davis said. “We wanted to, in some small way, give the dignity and the importance of the situation and honor the importance of it. And then we wanted to allow people to participate and to gather in a safe space to talk about this.”

Of all the people who spoke at the event, Jones-Davis said she found Vickie Lewis’s words most impactful. She expressed her admiration for her and the strength and fortitude it took for her to speak in her son’s memory.

Vickie Lewis’s appearance at the gathering was a surprise to many people there — in part because Lewis was not aware of the event until just days before it took place.

In her podcast interview three days before the gathering at Edmond Trinity, Vickie Lewis was asked if she would be in attendance.

“Well, I didn’t know about it. I was approached in May or June about it, and it was supposed to be July first, I believe, and then it was postponed or cancelled,” she said. “I had some questions about it, I didn’t hear anything back, and then my children asked me if I was going Monday, and I’m like ‘What are you talking about?’

“My son’s picture is plastered all over this flyer, so I guess I will be there because I want to make sure he’s not misrepresented. … I would like an agenda. I would kind of like to know what the whole premise is. I know it’s a community forum, but … I guess I will be there.”

Jones-Davis said she did not include the Lewis family in the planning of the event because “it was hard to know if such an event would be triggering for them.”

“We are so glad she came,” JonesDavis said. “Her presence was inspiring.”

The Edmond Police Department was unable to comment due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.

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chicken

friedNEWS Uber screw-up

Overcharged

Investigating the cause of a signal outage at a Sand Springs radio tower on the morning of Aug. 4, an engineer found two men — one electrocuted to death and the other badly burned and convulsing on the ground. Under Oklahoma state law, a woman reportedly sleeping in a car nearby at the time might be charged with firstdegree murder.

“Albert Badger, 39, was found with cable cutters still attached to a nearby power supply and had burn marks on his body,” Tulsa World reported. “Deputy Justin Green said the men likely were attempting to steal copper from a KRMG-AM radio tower … and were shocked in the process.”

Angie West reportedly gave both men a ride to the scene and then fell asleep in the car. When they failed to return, West told police she assumed they had fled the scene and she drove away. She was booked into Tulsa County jail that evening on a first-degree murder complaint. Because Badger’s death occurred during an alleged felony, both West and Ely Amerson, the man injured in the incident, can be charged with murder, Green told KTUL Fox 25.

"It's sad this happened this way, but it's sometimes the way things go,” Green said. “When you take it upon yourself to commit a crime, especially a felony, anyone associated with that crime, all parties can be charged with murder.”

According to the American Bar Association, 40 states currently have felony murder laws. A 1980 Michigan State Supreme Court ruling abolishing the practice in the state called it “a historic survivor for which there is no logical or practical basis for existence in modern law.” The New York Times reported last year that in some cases, accomplices are charged “when the death actually occurred at the hands of the police or even the victim” and in a study of 1,000 California inmates, “the felony murder rule disproportionately affects women and young people.”

Food desert drama

Local grocery chain Buy For Less gave a textbook example in how not to handle public relations correctly last week, after it announced the closing of its Smart Saver store at 23rd Street and Martin Luther King Avenue, which was the only full-service grocery option in the city’s unhealthiest zip code, 73111.

Step 1 in the PR (non) roll-out, the company issued an unofficial statement on the store closure, only posting a message that it would close in less than a week.

Step 2: The company declined interview requests from outlets across the city.

Step 3: The owner posted unverified comments on Facebook that decried the work of a public official in order to make more money for the company.

Since Smart Saver closed, Buy For Less (which also includes Supermercado and Uptown Grocery Co.) has remained mum on the reasons, but co-owner Susan Binkowski’s Facebook comments raise more questions than they answer. In online posts, Binkowski said the build-

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ing has less than five days of operational safety remaining and claimed the city had been notified.

The Oklahoman reached out to the city’s public information office, which said there were no safety concerns logged by city inspectors. In other posts, Binkowski seems personally offended that community leaders, including Ward 7 councilwoman Nikki Nice and church members, organized Embark shuttles to provide transportation to another grocery farther west on 23rd Street.

She said residents in 73111 can simply get groceries delivered to them through its third-party delivery system. Of course she would say that. It’s more money for Buy For Less and helps its partnership with delivery as it pours money into a project — announced last year — that wants to deliver groceries by self-driving car.

The grocery delivery service, Shipt, requires PayPal or a credit card account to access, which raises the barrier needed to use the service. It also charges a fee. If Buy 4 Less really wanted to help the food desert, it could at least waive the delivery fee. Binkowski wasn’t taking responsibility.

“God is in control,” she wrote on Facebook.

“He alone has perfect timing.”

It doesn’t happen often, but an Oklahoma Republican representative went left of center. Unfortunately, it was while driving drunk, so instead of supporting expanded health care or reasonable gun laws, Rep. Dean Davis was pulled over for putting his constituents’ lives at risk. It seems like a new face will appear anytime you search “Oklahoma lawmaker DUI,” but the excuse is always the same: “a couple” of drinks at “a friend’s house.”

After failing the sobriety test, Davis “looked up at (the officer) and stated, ‘Do I have to call your police chief?’” according to Tulsa World. After telling Davis to put his hands behind his back, the police report states Davis continued to resist arrest and said, “I think you need to call your police chief.” When at the Broken Arrow jail, he again told officers to call the chief, which is a really good strategy if you want the arresting officers to hate your guts even more.

In his defense, this is Oklahoma, so it isn’t unreasonable for a white Republican lawmaker to think he can do-you-know-who-I-am himself out of a DUI. Except that he boasts on his campaign website that he will represent House District 98 “with a code of morals, ethics and professionalism.”

But surely this elected official is not a hypocrite, right?

Fortunately for the concept of justice — something we don’t get to say nearly as often as we should — Davis was booked into the Tulsa

County jail on complaints of DUI, speeding 11-15 mph and interfering with a police officer.

“There are aspects of this matter I intend to address in court, but I understand the very appearance of impropriety is unacceptable and apologize for putting myself in this position,” he said in a statement. “My role as a legislator carries the responsibly [sic] to lead by example, and in this case, I should have done better in that regard.”

He also says in the statement that he is embarrassed, deeply sorry and will ensure it does not happen again “while working through the due process of the justice system.” We’re guessing this means he’ll finally get a talk with the police chief and go back to drunk driving after the process is over.

F E AT U R E

EAT & DRINK

Modern ’cue

The Smoking Boar aims to subvert expectations for barbecue by updating traditional meat and adding “new-school” options. By Jacob Threadgill

After opening in early July, The Smoking Boar is well on its way to changing expectations about barbecue restaurants.

The ambitious concept first started with a complete renovation of the 2925 W. Britton Road location that formerly housed Mamaveca Mexican and Peruvian Restaurant. The ceiling was raised and new flooring was put in; next up was overhauling a menu.

“Barbecue traditionally is a bunch of guys get together and make six pounds of meat and eat,” said operating partner Jason Johnson. “That’s what I like to do, but how do we make it more approachable for other people? Why can’t we have a good bar program and serve wine that’s not in a can? I love those places, but we don’t need to have license plates on the walls.”

The Smoking Boar is an idea from ICM Concepts, and its co-founders Johnson and Alex Hammill are making a play that it is the first restaurant for what will become the region’s next restaurant group.

Its first move from a culinary perspective was to install Jim Camp as ICM Concepts’ culinary director and hire Boo Hee Newman away from Cheever’s Cafe to be The Smoking Boar’s executive chef. Nikki Pastorello also joined the team from Cheever’s Cafe.

“Boo is fantastic, and she’s great at smoking. So putting her ideas with Jim’s background has led to some great ideas and progressive dishes,” Johnson said.

“We’re three weeks in and already thinking about other fun things on the menu.”

Using Oklahoma-grown pecan wood, The Smoking Boar’s top sellers on the menu after its first month are neck and neck between 15-hour smoked brisket and pork ribs. Pulled pork and chicken are familiar options, but the choices get a little more out of the box with turkey and hot-smoked salmon. It offers hot link sausage as well as housemade country sausage and a sausage of the day, with options like jalapeño cheddar, bacon blue cheese and Mediterranean sundried tomato.

“A lot of places around

Oklahoma City use hickory, but it’s got a very strong woodsy taste to it,” Newman said. “I think pecan is a little more neutral, so you’re able to enhance with other spices.”

On the smoked salmon, Newman uses a chipotle and cinnamon rub to allow the fish to shine.

“Smoked salmon is a big hit for us,” Johnson said. “Myself and my business partner have traveled around the country a lot and never seen a barbecue place that does smoked salmon. We’ve seen fried fish but never smoked fish.

I’m not a huge salmon fan, but the first time they brought it out, I couldn’t stop eating it.”

This is Newman’s first professional opportunity to work in a barbecue restaurant, while Camp has experience in the industry in Texas. She is relying on experience hosting barbecue parties at home and industry tidbits from a variety of restaurants when putting together the recipes. Her flair for unique preparation is showcased with The Smoking Boar’s turkey.

Most barbecue restaurants shy away from turkey — especially breast — because its low fat content makes it dry out quickly and not absorb much smoky flavor, but Newman has a secret: mayonnaise marinade.

“The high fat content makes it so moist and juicy on the inside,” she said.

Aligning with The Smoking Boar’s mission to make the restaurant appealing to people who want something different and a little lighter, it offers three salads, including the showstopper coldsmoked salmon salad with watermelon, arugula, pistachios, capers, goat cheese, red onion and jalapeño vinaigrette.

Johnson said the salad is already one of the top-selling items on the menu. Its antithesis on the menu might be The Full Boar sandwich, which combines pulled

pork, chopped brisket, a hot link, barbecue sauce and coleslaw on a jalapeño bun.

Even old-school sides like baked beans, which are served ranch-style, and macaroni and cheese, which includes three cheeses and brisket — get an update from the mundane. “Newschool” sides include whole fried okra with a spicy batter, burnt end Brussels sprouts, cucumber salad and smoked elote creamed corn.

“It’s all a collaboration with Jim [Camp],” Newman said. “We have forward-thinking culinary minds and want to experiment with things that maybe people haven’t seen or tried before. That’s what I liked about this, is that we were able to take old-school sides and update them and entice people in a different way. People’s taste buds change, and it’s important to evolve.”

In addition to its nontraditional food menu, The Smoking Boar offers a cocktail program, a wine list and a craft beer list full of Oklahoma beers.

“We have such a great beer scene here,” Johnson said. “A lot of barbecue is Bud Light in a plastic cup, and it doesn’t have to be that.”

There are six cocktails on the menu made with as many housemade syrups and garnishes as possible. Smoking Old Boar is the restaurant’s namesake drink, featuring Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon, vanilla demerara, smoked orange and tobacco bitters.

“It’s nice and smooth,” Johnson said.

“Tobacco bitters sounds weird, but it softens up the drink.”

Johnson moved to Oklahoma City to start ICM Concepts, joining his friend Hammill, who runs The Greens Country Club. He said the group will look to either expand The Smoking Boar in Oklahoma or open another concept once the original is on its feet.

“It’s been great; the feedback and reception from the community has been amazing,” Johnson said. “Friday and Saturday night have been an hour or hour and half wait, so we’ve started taking reservations for small tables, and everything else is walk in.”

Visit smokingboar.com.

The Smoking Boar plate with sausage of the day, brisket and ribs | Photo Alexa Ace

Paintings by artist Ace Walker line the walls at Smoking Boar. | Photo Alexa Ace

The Margi B cocktail features tequila, cassis, Curaçao, agave, blackberry and lime. | Photo Alexa Ace

The Full Boar sandwich is piled high with pulled pork, brisket, a hot link and coleslaw. | Photo Alexa Ace

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F E AT U R E

EAT & DRINK

Seitan slingers

The Taco Plant truck is among the growing number of plant-based options in the city.

By Jacob Threadgill

The plant-based market in Oklahoma City is very much still in its nascent stages, but branches from the tree sprouted by The Red Cup and The Loaded Bowl are starting to emerge.

The Taco Plant — a food truck serving seitan, fried cauliflower and pea protein chorizo tacos — launched in the metro at the end of May. Plato’s Provisions Co. food truck has found permanent residency at 1618 Blackwelder Ave., and Plant opened at 1120 N. Walker Ave. on Aug. 5.

The path to food truck entrepreneurship for Taco Plant owners Eric and Amy VanHooser is a surprising one. Amy VanHooser started eating vegan about 10 years ago, but it started as a solo journey.

“I messed with her when she first started and gave her a hard time,” Eric VanHooser said. “I was part of that group that stereotypes. Then I got out of shape really bad, weighing way too much, and I thought one weekend, ‘I’ll try it. Let me see if I can go one weekend and not eat any meat,’ and I haven’t had any since.”

It has been two and half years since that fateful decision; it is one that has led the VanHoosers to make the jump and purchase the food truck so they feel more connected to and excited about their career path.

“He was an electrician and wiring fast food restaurants and doing a lot of Braum’s new locations and renovations,” Amy VanHooser said. “There would be a huge slab of raw bacon where he was working. I remember him saying, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore. What would feel true to me?’”

The couple thought about looking for a brick-and-mortar location for their concept, but since neither of them have restaurant experience, they decided a food truck and a limited menu would

allow them to perfect their process.

They purchased the truck through Rolling Kitchens, which is based in Virginia and retrofits former U.S. Postal Service vehicles into food trucks.

“Life is just weird,” Amy VanHooser said. “It seemed like a far-off dream, and then all of a sudden, one thing changes and the trajectory is different.

We felt like we were in roles that didn’t fit what was important to us; now, [work] is truly a passion.”

The Taco Plant’s menu is centered on Eric VanHooser’s homemade seitan that is both deep-fried and sautéed. It also offers chorizo tacos made with pea protein — the same filling used for popular Impossible and Beyond Burgers.

While the pea protein is relatively new, seitan has existed for millennia. It was first documented in 6th-century China and developed as a meat substitute, especially for people adherent to Buddhism. It existed by many different names over the generations, and the name seitan was coined by Japanese nutritionist George Oshawa — founder of the macrobiotic diet — to name a product made by one of his students in 1961.

Seitan has been commercially imported to the U.S. since 1969, according to a history of soybeans published in 2014, even though seitan contains no soy.

Led by burger replacements like the Impossible and Beyond patties, plantbased products have seen a boom in recent years, and a lot can be credited to the shift from marketing things as “vegan” or “vegetarian” to “plant-based.” The amount of products in the U.S. labeled “plant-based” has grown 268 percent from 2012 to 2018, according to The Washington Post. The market is moving away from tofu-based meat replacements.

“I think seitan translates better than tofu-based things,” Amy VanHooser said.

“When you use tofu [as a meat replacement], it just doesn’t have the same texture. The engineering that’s gone into things like Beyond meat is kind of creepy.

For someone that hasn’t eaten meat in that long to bite into that, you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh! That tastes like a real burger.’”

The process to make seitan is straightforward, yet time-consuming.

Wheat flour dough must be washed until the starch is removed. Eric VanHooser said each batch takes a little over an hour to make.

“I want the final product to taste as much like chicken as possible,” he said.

The Taco Plant serves its seitan breaded and deep-fried with the addition of Buffalo or barbecue sauce with potatoes, cabbage and aioli. A fajita taco is served with sautéed seitan, onions and peppers and guacamole. The chorizo is served with green onions, potatoes and cabbage.

The Taco Plant also offers fried cauliflower with a choice of Buffalo, barbecue and teriyaki sauces.

“We’re not health food, although the fajitas are pretty healthy,” Eric VanHooser said. “We’re healthier.

The Taco Plant truck started serving the Oklahoma City metro in late May. | Photo provided

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Fried seitan, chorizo and fajita tacos from The Taco Plant. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

When you go vegan, you find that you’re missing comfort, and it’s what I needed.

I could only do salads, rice and broccoli so much. I was a picky eater. I feel like if I like it, a majority of people will like it.”

The Taco Plant offers free samples to entice inquiring customers.

“Some people will see seitan on the menu board and start to walk off, and we offer them a sample,” Eric VanHooser said. “Probably 8 out of 10 times, they’ll go ahead and order.”

“The idea is to be crossover artists.

People aren’t eating it because it’s vegan or not; it’s just good, and that’s the main goal,” Amy VanHooser said.

The Taco Plant has found success with private events but is also regularly set up during the week for lunch outside The Mark salon at 7101 N. May Ave.; The Black Scintilla, 112 N. Walker Ave., on Sundays; and a rotating selection of area food truck parks.

“We talked about going to Portland or something, but there is something really cool about still being cutting-edge here and having more of a mission rather than going somewhere where it is more acceptable,” Amy VanHooser said.

Visit facebook.com/thetacoplant.

REVIEW

El Huevo Mexi-Diner is located off Tecumseh Road and 24th Avenue in Norman. | Photo provided

Nuevo Huevo

El Huevo Mexi-Diner bolsters Hal Smith Restaurant Group’s growing breakfast brand.

By Jacob Threadgill

El Huevo Mexi-Diner 3522 24th Ave. NW, Norman elhuevomexidiner.com | 405-310-3157 WHAT WORKS: The tamale platter is elevated by spicy beef and the runny yolk of an over-easy egg.

WHAT NEEDS WORK: The ranchero sauce on the puerco rojo lacked a pop of acidity and chile.

TIP: Add a tamale or cheese enchilada to any dish for $1.99.

Hal Smith Restaurants has hit its stride with breakfast concepts. First, Neighborhood JA.M. became a breakout in north Oklahoma City and Norman — with a third location under construction in Midtown — and now, El Huevo Mexi-Diner in Norman is strengthening its early morning and lunch offerings.

Located at 3522 24th Ave NW, just off Tecumseh Road, El Huevo is a concept introduced by the restaurant group’s namesake and founder. According to operating manager Tanner Nickell, Smith wanted to pursue a “Mexi-diner” and commissioned several veteran members to develop the concept.

Nickell has worked for Hal Smith Restaurants since 2010, most recently as a manager at a few Louie’s Grill & Bar locations, and was tapped to run the store.

“We have gotten a great reception from our guests,” Nickell said. “This is a combination of a lot of people’s favorite dishes.”

He said the restaurant’s most popular dish is far and away the Hangover Burrito, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a meat-lover’s dream.

Scrambled eggs, bacon, chorizo and breakfast sauce are combined with black beans and cheddar jack in a tortilla topped with queso blanco, ranchero sauce, queso fresco and cilantro with a side of Mexi potatoes.

Other popular items includes El Huevo’s take on huevos rancheros, which uses smoked green chile pork and a “Christmas-style” sauce that uses both

green and red chile varieties. The Rumbler is smoked ham with two buttermilk biscuits, chorizo gravy, cheese and potatoes. The Supermacho Plato with marinated skirt steak, green chile queso, over-easy eggs, caramelized onion and fried jalapeño is another top seller.

The last popular item on the menu that Nickell mentioned to me is the Crunchy French Toast. The cornflakecrusted Cuban toast is drizzled with Mexican chocolate and served with caramelized bananas and fresh fruit.

The dish sounds like a real winner to me, and I’ve seen photos of it happily shared on social media, but it’s somewhat surprising that it is the only sweet breakfast item on the menu.

“It is an area where we are trying to grow and evolve moving forward,” Nickell said of its sweet breakfast offerings. “The French toast has been a huge hit. We want to adapt and provide more options moving forward. We want to make sure we can provide something that is unique and fresh to the area.”

The easy answer would be to add a pancake or waffle addition to the menu, but how do you do that in a way that is new and unique? El Huevo’s closest analogs in Oklahoma City are Latin breakfast powerhouses Cafe Antigua and Cafe Kacao. El Huevo is offering a different style from Kacao’s very popular crispy brioche French toast, and Kacao has the market covered with its pancakes covered in its sweet lechera sauce. Antigua’s only sweet offerings are waffles with bananas and a bowl of oatmeal with sweetened condensed milk and fresh fruit.

I think El Huevo could expand its offerings by trying some specials first and seeing what sticks.

I like the idea of oatmeal with

dulce de leche and fruit or perhaps a spicefilled espresso waffle. Mix espresso grounds into the batter with cinnamon, brown sugar and allspice, and top it with a sauce made with condensed milk; I’m just spit-balling here. I’m sure the chefs will come up with some tasty options in the coming months.

El Huevo rounds out its menu with five taco offerings: carnitas, cornmealcrusted catfish, fried chicken with Nashville hot mayo, blackened shrimp and Mexico City tacos, which are breakfast tacos with bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs and cheese. I love that they’re offering breakfast tacos; it’s somewhat still a void in the market.

Off the top of my head, I can only think of a handful of places in Oklahoma City that offer them: Los Comales at 1504 S. Agnew Ave., Tacos San Pedro at 2301 SW 44th St., Taqueria Rafitas at 1222 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Big Truck Tacos at 530 NW 23rd St. and the multiple Torchy’s Tacos locations. I know I’m missing some, but out of all of the taco options in the city, you’d think there would be more. Please send me places that I’ve missed.

I think El Huevo could expand its offerings by trying some specials first and seeing what sticks.

I was excited to try El Huevo for the first time after a few positive experiences at Neighborhood JA.M. It’s impossible for me not to compare the two, but I quickly found that El Huevo has a little more emphasis on its cocktail program. It doesn’t offer specialty coffee like lattes and cappuccinos like neighborhood JA.M. El Huevo only has

drip coffee and iced coffee, which is available in three cocktail versions, like the Mr. Sancho that pairs tequila, iced coffee and Baileys Irish Cream with a chocolate doughnut garnish.

“I really spent a lot of time trying to focus on the development of fresh and creative cocktails for the bar,” Nickell said. “We had discussed offering lattes and cappuccinos but decided that really wasn’t where we wanted to be slotted.

Our focus is fresh ingredients like juices, fruit and vegetables. Liquor and wine have proved to be a much bigger mover than beer, which was a surprise to me.”

I started the meal with queso while eyeing the chicken enchilada dip, but the queso did not disappoint. I also tried the tamale platter and the puerco rojo and preferred the tamale platter. The house-smoked pork was juicy and had nice, smoky finish but needed to be crisped on the flattop for more texture.

I didn’t enjoy the accompanying rojo sauce as much; it lacked a pop of acidity and chile flavor. You can add a beef tamale or cheese enchilada to any dish for an additional $1.99, and I can vouch for the addition of the tamale.

The same rojo (also listed on the menu as ranchero) sauce was used on the tamale platter, but the beef has more chile spice and made it come alive more, especially when the yolk from the overeasy egg ran over everything. I will order the huevos rancheros over the puerco rojo the next time I dine at the restaurant.

Despite a little disappointment in the sauce, I found the service to be friendly and quick — a hallmark of Hal Smith — and I think the concept has plenty of room for expansion.

Visit elhuevomexidiner.com.

El Huevo Mexi-Diner combines breakfast and Mexican favorites. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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GAZEDIBLES

EAT & DRINK

Pork pride

Next Tuesday (Aug. 20) isn’t a bank holiday, but it should be a day people can take off work and celebrate their desire for bacon.

It’s National Bacon Lover’s Day, and these are seven restaurants where you can celebrate in style.

By Jacob Threadgill with photos provided

Republic Gastropub

5830 N. Classen Blvd. republicgastropub.com | 405-286-4577

A B.L.T. is one of the best vehicles to showcase bacon, and Republic Gastropub takes the beloved sandwich up a notch with its knife-and-fork variety. Served open-faced, toasted sourdough bread is topped with hand-cut bacon, fried green tomatoes, avocado relish, white cheddar, arugula and herb vinaigrette. Order it with a side of macaroni and cheese with bacon and andouille sausage for the ultimate bacon lover’s meal.

Mahogany Prime Steakhouse

145 W. Sheridan Ave. mahoganyprimesteakhouse.com 405-208-8800

Sometimes when a restaurant puts a bacon-wrapped item on the menu, it can be a dud — the bacon provides flavor but ends up being a chewy garnish that is hard to cut. That isn’t the case with Mahogany’s bacon-wrapped scallops that strike the right balance with crispy bacon, spinach pesto and fresh greens.

Interurban Restaurant 6100 W. Memorial Road interurban.us | 405-720-8680

The combination of sweet and spicy is showcased with Interurban’s honey pepper bacon that is the star of many of its tasty burgers and sandwiches. The Honey Pepper Bacon Burger is the first listed on its menu for a reason, but you can also get it on the Iu Blue Cheese Burger, Flamethrower Burger and Honey Chicken Sandwich. Of course, it’s not too much trouble to add the bacon to any sandwich; heck, you can get bacon by itself by the half-dozen or dozen.

Thought for Food.

OKC has become a culinary destination, but not every restaurant experience can be “life-changing.” As the local scene continues to level up, OKG’s Jacob Threadgill dishes out reviews with more than a dash of objectivity and insight.

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Packard’s New American Kitchen

The R&J Lounge and Supper Club

Packard’s has become one of the best weekend brunch options, especially in Automobile Alley. What better way to celebrate National Bacon Lover’s Day than to chow on praline-crusted bacon?

Order the Breakfast Board filled with all kinds of tasty things like deviled eggs and avocado, but let’s be honest; the real reason to get the board to share with the table is the praline bacon.

As a testament to The R&J’s attention to detail, it seasons, smokes and slices its own bacon on the premises. It’s the star of a sandwich like the Grilled Pimento B.L.T., but why let such a lovely ingredient become a background dancer when it deserves to have a solo? Order an appetizer of its housemade bacon with truffle blue cheese or chipotle glaze.

201 NW 10th St. packardsokc.com | 405-605-3771

320 NW 10th St. rjsupperclub.com | 405-602-5066

Louie’s Grill & Bar

Kitchen No. 324

The irony of Louie’s Prohibition burger is that it would’ve been illegal to make during the dark and strange times that were the U.S.’s Prohibition era. The burger is topped with hickory bourbon sauce that is smoky and complements plenty of bacon and is perfect for Bacon Lover’s Day. Luckily, you can get bacon added to any sandwich or burger on the menu. The meat lover’s pizza includes bacon, sausage, ham and pepperoni.

Chef Chris McCabe might have left A Good Egg Dining Group to start his own restaurant at upcoming Parlor Food Hall, but his legacy lives on with the restaurant group in McCabe’s smallbatch bacon. Kitchen No. 324 seasons and smokes its own bacon to pair with crispy potatoes and a housemade croissant for breakfast or a B.L.T. during lunch or brunch.

1215 N. Walker Ave. louiesgrillandbar.com | 405-230-1200

324 N. Robinson Ave. kitchen324.com | 405-763-5911

Peaches $6 & Cream

BREAD PUDDING with

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Vincent van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890). Daisies, Arles (detail), 1888. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond.

Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon. Photo: Travis Fullerton. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

All Day, Every Day in August.

GRANDRESORTOK.COM I-40 EXIT 178 I SHAWNEE, OK I 405-964-7263

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ART

ARTS & CULTURE

Witnessing women Janice Mathews-Gordon’s latest exhibit explores the work and future of women. By Jeremy Martin

Some of the most memorable meals from Janice Mathews-Gordon’s childhood are the ones her mother refused to make.

“My mother, I remember her going on strike when we were young,” MathewsGordon said. “She quit cooking. She quit doing laundry. She quit doing everything.

She’d had it. We kind of appreciated her more, and we picked up. My dad always mopped the floor, and we all did the dishes. I just grew up feeling like I could do what I wanted to do, and I am not hemmed in by those stereotypes.

Sometimes it feels like the generation that came after me struggled with some of that more than we did, or maybe more than my family did. I’m not sure.”

All My Sisters — on display through Aug. 31 at JRB Art at the Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave. — features paintings inspired by family history and the persistence of the women’s rights movement.

“I have four sisters and a feminist mother, so I grew up in a very female household, and I wanted to paint about them,” Mathews-Gordon said, “so it’s a show about them, but it’s also show about women in general. I was so encouraged by the number of women who were elected to office. I just feel like there’s an energy and a strength going forward from women in general.”

Mathews-Gordon said the brightly colored abstract and impressionist paintings are “optimistic pieces about what women are doing right now, and where they’re going and what they’re achieving.”

“She Sings,” “She Speaks” and “She Laughs” have a more abstract, cubist look while “Proud Sisters,” “Loud Sisters,” “Strong Sisters” and “Wise Sisters” feature more clearly delineated human figures.

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Mathews-Gordon said. “They are still abstract, but they’re abstracted women. I did figure drawing for my whole life. I was a graphic designer, and one of my favorite things was drawing people, so I’m kind of going back to that a little bit. … I really wanted something more stylized, not real literal. I wanted it to have a feeling more than a literal representation.”

“Making Waves” seems to portray a crowd of protesters holding picket signs.

“The Source” appears to depict an older woman embracing or pulling up a young girl while many others watch; “Miles to Go” foregrounds two figures followed by a long line of others.

I just feel like there’s an energy and a strength going forward from women in general.

Janice Mathews-Gordon “That is a reflection of my mother and my grandmother and the women who have come before us,” MathewsGordon said. “In that one painting, there’s a lot of small figures that are women now following them. So they’re not memories of specific events that happened in my life. It’s more a reconstruction of how I grew up a little bit.

There’s one called ‘Coming of Age’ about me and my sisters at different times, and there’s one that kind of refers to my daughter and a lot of young women and what they’re doing and the marches that are happening. There’s just a little bit of everything. It’s positive and upbeat, and that’s what I needed right now.”

Growing up during the civil rights movement of the 1960s with parents

left “All My Sisters” center “Against the Wind” right “Making Waves” by Janice Mathews-Gordon | Photos provided

who worked as active participants helped shape Mathews-Gordon’s view of American history and life in Oklahoma City.

“I went on marches as a child, and my mother was very outspoken for the [Equal Rights Amendment],” Mathews-Gordon said. “Even as a young child, I was very aware of what was going on in the country and the world. … When people tell me they had wonderful childhoods here, I always think, ‘Well, where were you in the ’60s and the ’70s?’ because there was a lot of negative stuff happening, too, that was kind of scary. … My dad was a delegate to the 1968 Democratic Convention. He was a delegate for Eugene McCarthy. My mother was an alternate delegate. As kids, I watched the Democratic National Convention on TV. I knew what was going on, and I was 10 years old then. … We would try to find our parents in the crowd.”

Writing for Smithsonian Magazine in commemoration of the convention’s 40th anniversary, political commentator Haynes Johnson described it as a “disaster” that left the Democratic Party “with scars that last to this day.”

Following the escalation of the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, who had recently won the California presidential primary, the party’s nomination of establishment candidate Hubert Humphrey over antiwar candidates McCarthy and George McGovern was marked by bitter arguments in the convention hall and physical altercations in the streets.

“I was an eyewitness to those scenes,” Johnson wrote, “inside the convention hall, with daily shouting matches between red-faced delegates and party leaders often lasting until 3 o’clock in the morning; outside in the violence that descended after Chicago police officers took off their badges and waded into the chanting crowds of protesters to club them to the ground. I can still recall the choking feeling from the tear gas hurled by police amid throngs of protesters gathering in parks and hotel lobbies.”

Though growing up with parents who were “walking the walk” as activists could be frightening, Mathews-Gordon said, the paintings in All My Sisters celebrate the perseverance of her family and the ongoing fight for equality.

“I thought about how close my sisters and I are and the difficulties we faced, so I did focus on some of those childhood memories, but I also focus on what a strong family we were,” MathewsGordon said. “And I see the young women now kind of picking up the charge, and I’m so excited about that. … My sisters and I still march together.

Even though we’re in different places, we march together when we can; we march separately. We’re from the oldschool ’60s where you march when you care about an issue.”

Divided, her previous exhibition at JRB, featured abstract interpretations of the deep fractures in the American political climate and included paintings “Nevertheless She Persisted” and “Silence Breakers,” which inspired Mathews-Gordon to focus on the prominent role women play in progress, a theme she wants to continue to explore in the future.

“I think I’m going to keep painting women for a while, and I don’t know where I’ll take it from here,” Mathews-Gordon said. “But I don’t think I’m finished.”

Visit jrbartgallery.com and mathewsgordon.com.

All My Sisters through Aug. 31 JRB Art at the Elms 2810 N. Walker Ave. jrbartgallery.com | 405-528-6336 Free

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“Mortimer loves his aunts so much that he’s going to do everything he can to protect them,” Hughes said. “He’s a very normal guy. … That’s where I think a lot of the comedy comes in. He doesn’t know what to do. He’s not ready to handle this.”

Hughes said she considered several factors when casting Burleigh as Mortimer.

“He has to be strong actor,” Hughes said. “He’s got to be able to pull off strong physical comedy, and I wanted someone who was good-looking. I hate to say that, but I think there has to be that that movie-star quality about Mortimer, and Joe certainly, I think, has that. And he’s someone who can play every single emotion believably.

Mortimer goes through the wringer.

He’s got love. He’s got fear. He’s got anger. He’s got anxiety. He has to portray all of these very, very strong emotions very, very quickly, sometimes on the on the turn of a dime. When Joe came and read for us, there was really no question in my mind that he was the one that we needed to play Mortimer.”

Chris Harris plays Mortimer’s Aunt

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Aunt Abby (Carol McDonald-Walley) and Aunt Martha (Chris Harris) serve Mr. Witherspoon (Barry Thurman) poisoned wine in Arsenic and Old Lace Aug. 22-Sept. 15 at Jewel Box Theatre. | Photo Heather DeShazer / provided

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When she first saw the film version of Arsenic and Old Lace, Denise Hughes did not expect a movie about insanity and murder to be funny — mostly because it was released in 1944.

“As a general rule, I tend to not like old movies,” Hughes said. “I think they can be really corny and not believable.

One night, during the summer, the Cary Grant movie came on, and my friend forced me to watch it. I couldn’t stop laughing. I just thought it was really brilliantly done and just funny and twisted.”

Hughes directs a stage production of Arsenic and Old Lace Aug. 22-Sept. 15 at Jewel Box Theatre, 3700 N. Walker Ave. Playwright Joseph Kesselring’s dark comedy, written in 1939, will be the second play Hughes has directed for Jewel Box, but she said it was always her first choice for the theater.

“It’s such a fun little comedy, and it’s such a great comedy for the audience, particularly at Jewel Box,” Hughes said. “They love the good, oldfashioned slapstick comedies or melodrama. They just tend to really appreciate those types of shows.”

The play stars Joe Burleigh as Mortimer Brewster, the role made famous by Grant. Shortly after proposing to his girlfriend, Mortimer discovers his beloved aunts have been poisoning lonely old men and burying them in their cellar.

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Jewel Box Theatre plays with slapstick and dark comedy in Arsenic and Old Lace. By Jeremy Martin

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T H E AT E R

Martha and Carol McDonaldWalley plays Aunt Abby.

“The two of them have a lovely connection as believable sisters,” Hughes said. “If it wasn’t for the fact that you knew that they were murdering men, you would just love them to pieces. They’re quirky, and they’re cute and they’re sincere. The thing is there’s not a mean bone in their body.”

Hughes, who played Martha in a college production, said the aunts’ likeability is crucial to the play’s success.

“The two actresses have to portray that what they were doing is not malicious,” Hughes said. “Everything about them is very, very sweet and loving and kind. There’s actually a line where Mortimer is accusing one of the aunts of killing another person while he was gone … and she told him that she didn’t do it. He goes, ‘How can I believe you? … You’ve got 12 bodies in your cellar.’

She goes, ‘I do, but you don’t think I’d stoop to telling a fib.’ When he’s scolding them and trying to make them understand what they’re doing is wrong, they don’t get it. They don’t see it, and they come across almost like a petulant child being scolded because they just don’t know. … They think they’re doing a service to these men, putting them out

of their misery.”

Mortimer’s difficulties are compounded when he makes another unpleasant discovery — his brother Jonathan is a serial killer.

“He finds out that his brother was not only sadistic as a child; that carried into adulthood,” Hughes said.

Whether or not we want to admit it, we all have a little bit of crazy in our family.

Denise Hughes Mortimer’s other brother Teddy thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt, but his non-homicidal delusions seem tame by comparison. Hughes said Mortimer’s difficulties in dealing with his relatives make him a relatable character.

“Whether or not we want to admit it, we all have a little bit of crazy in our family,” Hughes said. “This just obviously made that a lot bigger.”

While the play’s handling of mental illness might seem callous to modern audiences, Hughes said the consideration the characters have for Teddy’s condition reveals genuine heart.

“The characters in this play treat Teddy with love, every single one of

them,” Hughes said. “The cops that come in, they salute him and they call him ‘Mr. President.’ There’s a conversation with the aunts about whether they’ve ever tried to convince him that he wasn’t Teddy Roosevelt, and Martha says, ‘Oh, no. We did that one time, and he stayed under his bed for days and just wouldn’t be anybody.’”

Still, the discussions about sending him to a sanitarium become unintentionally sinister in retrospect.

“Now, knowing history, we know those were not good places to go to,” Hughes said. “They were horrible places to go to. Because it’s in the context of that play and that situation, I’m hoping it’s not a trigger for anybody. But currently, he would not have to be sent away. There would be counseling for him, and there would be some sort of a therapy for him. Now the aunts, I’m not entirely sure they should be allowed to run free in society.”

When Kesselring wrote the play, the United States was on the verge of entering World War II, and a couple of references to Asians have been removed because the language is unacceptable to modern audiences.

“There were a couple of things that we knew we needed to change because it was just completely insensitive,” Hughes said, “but we couldn’t do a fix on the sanitarium thing because that

had to be there.”

Ultimately, Hughes said Arsenic and Old Lace is a dark comedy that audiences should take lightly.

“This is not a serious play where we’re trying to solve the world’s problems,” Hughes said.

Tickets are $20-$30 and also include admission to productions of A Raisin in the Sun (Oct. 3-27) and Little Old Ladies in Tennis Shoes (Nov. 14-Dec. 8). Visit fccokc.org/jewel-box-theatre.

Arsenic and Old Lace Aug. 22-Sept. 15 Jewel Box Theatre 3700 N. Walker Ave. fccokc.org/jewel-box-theatre | 405-521-1786 $20-$30

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T H E AT E R

Untapped talent A nontraditional local drag show offers diverse performers the opportunity to showcase their craft. By Jeremy Martin

YesLove OKC co-founder and executive director Albert Rios said he used to be “terrified of drag queens.”

“I’m very introverted, and I was like, ‘Don’t pick on me,’” Rios said. “I’d go to The Boom, and they’d ask me questions, and I shut down immediately. I think that I didn’t understand drag.”

Sponsored by YesLove, Untapped: A Drag Xperience 9 p.m. Friday at Vanessa House Beer Co., 118 NW Eighth St., is an attempt to help people who might not be completely familiar with the art form to better appreciate it.

“It’s casting a net to a different audience that hasn’t had an experience or been exposed to drag shows,” Rios said.

“I think a lot of people have sexualized drag instead of realizing that it’s actually just an art form and an expression.

So in thinking about all that, we decided, ‘Let’s bring drag to these heteronormative spaces where you wouldn’t traditionally see drag or queer youth or queer people at all.’”

Gizele Monáe co-hosts Friday’s show. | Photo provided

The show is the second in an ongoing series that Rios hopes will give people who might not feel comfortable in 39th Street District bars a chance to broaden their ideas about gender, sexuality and identity. Drag performances can reinforce the idea that “it’s OK to embrace yourself” despite the cultural influence of toxic masculinity.

“There’s something about drag queens that is empowering for most people because drag queens seem to be very bold and upfront and unapologetic,” Rios said. “When they are just

regular men and they’re not in their drag, they may be completely different, but … it’s kind of like their superhero costume that they put on, and they just do these amazing performances and interactions with the crowd.”

Even among the LGBTQ+ community, drag performers can be misunderstood.

“I think in the gay community, there’s a lot of hatred towards really femme men,” Rios said. “People look down on it, so I think drag queens kind of fill in that gap. … They’re kind of a symbol of being able to tap into our feminine energy and be fearless and bold and courageous. … Men can explore being nonbinary or being more feminine, and it’s not this terrible thing.”

Gizele Monáe, who co-hosts Friday’s show with Jak’kay Monroe, said drag remains one of the misunderstood aspects of LGBTQ+ culture.

“It’s a lot easier to come out to your straight family as gay than it is to be a drag queen,” Monáe said. “There comes a lot of confusion when it comes to doing drag. We’ve come a long way in that, though. I remember when I first started drag, everyone thought I was transitioning, and they thought I was transgender — and that was usually from a hetero standpoint. A lot of people misunderstand that. Some of us, most of us actually, aren’t transitioning. It’s just a way to express ourselves as another gender, and that can be confusing.”

Friday’s show also features Alotta Vahjeen and Jalika T. Raine. Rios said Untapped offers opportunities to more diverse performers that might have a harder time getting feature spots at more traditional drag venues.

“A lot of the queens we know complain that on the strip, like, in the Gayborhood, that [venues] weren’t booking them because they were people of color, or it would be like the token one African American drag queen, or it would just be predominantly white queens, and there was a lot of racist things said to some of the queens of color,” Rios said. “So there was a lot of tension in the Gayborhood at the bars and the clubs. When we found out about this, we were like, ‘Well, why don’t we invite these queens to perform outside of the strip?’”

Monáe agreed that performers of color have a difficult time finding opportunities.

“It’s kind of hard out there for a black queen to get into these 39th Street venues,” Monáe said. “There’s a lot of excuses. They say you have to put a lot of work into it and come to the venue and blah, blah, blah, but the thing is, we can do that all day and still not be featured. … A lot of times, when you don’t

have many people of color in your show, it tends to look like a color thing because the thing is, we’re not all the same. We all do different things. So if you’re not getting us for all these different reasons … it looks like another thing.”

Drag shows at nontraditional venues can also be less stressful.

“Sometimes we get tired of performing at the gay bars,” Monáe said. “It can be dramatic and messy sometimes, and then there’s always Bitter Betty on the sidelines, a bitter queen that is mad because we didn’t do something the way she would do it, but she’s never done drag before. I know with the straight venues, we’re not being critiqued when we perform. They’re just coming to see the show, but when you go to a gay bar, you are constantly being torn down to your damn toenails.”

However, more heteronormative spaces present their own set of challenges because audiences are not necessarily familiar with drag show etiquette.

Monáe has performed at shows where audiences were talking loudly over the show or offering tips in a way that made performers feel uncomfortable.

“Women tend to like to play jokes on their husbands sometimes, and they’ll put money in front of their husbands,” Monáe said. “And that’s not always a good idea because it puts us in a bad situation because usually the husband doesn’t want to be bothered with the drag queen. They came to the venue because the wife wanted them to. They may not even want to be there.”

But often, drag shows can serve as an entry point to a better understanding of the LGBTQ+ community, Monáe said.

“You hear from people all the time, ‘Oh my god! I’ve never been to a show;

Untapped: A Drag Xperience, sponsored

by YesLove OKC, brings drag shows to spaces that do not typically host them. The next show is 9 p.m. Friday at Vanessa House Beer Co. | Photo provided

I’ve been wanting to come to a show for a long time,’” Monáe said. “That’s usually their way to step into the community. They’ll go to a drag show before they go to dance at a gay bar.”

While RuPaul’s Drag Race has done much to take drag into the mainstream since it first aired in 2009, Rios said people are often unaware of the “local queens who are busting their butts and putting so much time and effort and money into their craft” and that live shows featuring queens, kings and nonbinary performers can be more representative of the diversity the art form has to offer.

“We’re living in this really cool era where drag is so different depending on who does it,” Rios said. “I’ve seen drag queens that use padding or drag queens that don’t have boobs; they just want to do flat-chest drag. It’s just not all pageant drag. A lot of Oklahoma drag has been pageantry drag, but there’s so many younger queens that are doing scary drag and making it very interesting and being very creative with their artwork.”

Admission is $3; bring dollar bills for tips. Visit yesloveokc.com.

Untapped: A Drag Xperience 9 p.m. Friday Vanessa House Beer Co. 118 NW Eighth St. yesloveokc.com | 405-753-0885 $3

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | A U G U S T 1 4 , 2 0 1 9

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OKG Lifestyle

Around OKC EAT Chick-N-Beer WATCH The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) LISTEN Tales Unveiled podcast READ @OKC-SPAN Twitter account LOVE helping turtles cross the road EXPERIENCE Van Gogh, Monet, Degas: The Mellon Collection of French Art from

the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts @ OKCMOA

Outside OKC matzo ball soup from Katz’s Delicatessan EAT Derry Girls (Netflix) WATCH Tiny Changes: A Celebration of Frightened LISTEN Rabbit’s The Midnight Organ Fight Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata READ Lizzo’s NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert LOVE Waimea Canyon State Park in Kaua’i, Hawaii EXPERIENCE

Catherine Sweeney’s Picks EAT Kimchi Jjigae from Taste of Korea WATCH anything with David Attenborough LISTEN Pure Heroine by Lorde (still) READ Everything That Rises Must Converge

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CALENDAR are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

BOOKS Brunching with Books a book club meeting every other week, with reading selections chosen by group preference, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays.

Buttermilk Paseo, 605 NW 28th St., 405-605-6660, buttermilkokc.com. SAT James Jennings book signing the author will sign copies of Mirador, about a mission trip to Mexico, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Aug. 15. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU Let’s Talk About It, Oklahoma Pam Westbrook leads a discussion of the book The Worst Hard Time

by Timothy Egan about the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, 9-11 a.m. Aug. 15. Danforth Senior Center, 5301 N. Meridian Ave., 405-246-1120. THU

Rush: Cinema Strangiato (2019, USA, Dale Heslip) view highlights from Rush’s 40th anniversary tour at this “exercise in fan indulgence,” 7 p.m. Aug. 21. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. WED The Third Wife (2018, Vietnam, Ash Mayfair) a 14-year-old discovers the harsh realities of her life as the third wife of a wealth landowner, through Aug. 16. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. FRI VHS & Chill: Star Wars (1977, USA, George Lucas) Luke Skywalker begins to discover his Jedi powers in the first installment of the popular franchise, 8 p.m. Aug. 16. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. FRI VHS & CHILL: Toons on the Rocks a screening of classic cartoons; bring your own VHS tapes, 8 p.m.

Aug. 19. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom.com. MON VHS Grindhouse watch action, kung-fu and other B-movies at this screening presented by VHS & Chill, 8 p.m. Aug. 15. Elk Valley Brewing Company, 520 N. Meridian Ave., 405-209-0016, elkvalleybrew.com. THU

HAPPENINGS

Nothing Daunted Women’s Book Discussion Group meet to discuss the book Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giodarno, 7-8:30 p.m. Aug. 15. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU

’90s-’00s Dance Party hear the hits of the previous two decades, watch music videos and enjoy adult Capri Sun cocktails, 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Aug. 17.

51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-4630470, 51stspeakeasy.com. SAT

Young Adult Book Club Meet-Up discuss Dread Nation by Justina Ireland with other young readers, 5-6:30 p.m. Aug. 14. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. WED

Afro Beats a dance party with soca, hip-hop, Caribbean, dancehall and other genres of music provided

by DJ Sinz, 11 p.m.-2 a.m. Fridays. Glass Lounge, 5929 N. May Ave., 405-835-8077, glasshouseokc.com. FRI

FILM Echo in the Canyon (2019, USA, Andrew Slater) a documentary about the Laurel Canyon music scene featuring The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield and more, through Aug. 15. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. FRI-THU The Farewell (2019, USA, Lulu Wang) Awkwafina stars in this tragi-comic film about a Chinese family reuniting around their dying matriarch without telling her she has weeks to live, Aug. 16. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. FRI Floating Films: The Meg (2018, USA, Jon Turteltaub) scientists run afoul of the largest predator in history on an expedition to the Marianas Trench, 9-10:30 p.m. Aug. 17. Riversport Rapids, 800 Riversport Drive, 405-552-4040, riversportokc.org. SAT Luz (2018, Germany, Tilman Singer) a cab driver attempts to escape a demonic entity in this horror film, through Aug. 15. Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave., 405-235-3456. FRI-THU Millennium Actress (2001, Japan, Satoshi Kon) an actress relives her storied career in this anime classic, 7-10 p.m. Aug. 19. AMC Quail Springs Mall 24, 2501 W. Memorial Road, 405-755-2406, amctheatres.com. MON Rosenwald (2015, USA, Aviva Kempner) a documentary about the partnership between philanthropist Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington, 1:30 p.m. Aug. 18. Temple B’nai Israel, 4901 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 4058480965. SUN

Banjo Workshop bring your own banjo (if you have one) to this workshop lead by Steelwind multiinstrumental Joel Parks, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Aug. 17. Arcadia Round Barn, 107 OK-66, 405-396-0824, arcadiaroundbarn.com. SAT Being In The Moment : Ayanna Najuma the activist and journalist will discuss her life story and philosophy, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 20. James E. McNellie’s Public House, 1100 Classen Drive, 405.601.7468, mcnelliesokc.com. TUE Drag Me to Bingo bingo night hosted by Teabaggin Betsy, 9 p.m. Tuesdays. Partners, 2805 NW 36th St., 405-942-2199, partners4club.com. TUE “The Git Up” line dance lessons learn the popular dance combining western and hip-hop styles, 8-9 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 21. Chisholm’s Saloon, 401 S. Meridian Ave., 405-949-0423, facebook.com/chisholmssaloon. WED Heard on Hurd a family friendly evening featuring food trucks, children’s activities and live music from a variety of local artists with proceeds benefitting nonprofit organizations, Aug. 17. Citizens Bank of Edmond, 32 N. Broadway, Edmond, 405-341-6650, citizensedmond.com. SAT Instagram Masterclass learn to better use the social media platform at this class led by Elizabeth Santelmann, 5-7 p.m. Aug. 21. The Treasury, 10 N. Lee Ave., Suite 100, 325-660-2264. WED Island Daze enjoy arts and crafts, dunk tanks, games and live music from Casper McWade & the HonkyTonk Rebels at this end-of-summer event, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.

Aug. 17-18. Margarita Island, 8139 NW 10th St., 405225-6723, margaritaislandokc.com. SAT-SUN

Fairy Gardens If you want a garden but do not have much time or space, or if you yourself are just super teeny-tiny, a miniature fairy garden might seem like a magical solution. Learn how to create and maintain your own — in or out of doors, in a flower pot or planting bed — at this informative lecture by horticultural educator Julia Laughlin and featuring slides and demonstrations for inspiration. The lecture is 6 p.m. Wednesday at Will Rogers Gardens, 3400 NW 36th St. Call 405713-1125 or email okmganswers@gmail.com. WEDNESDAY Photo bigstock.com Just Between Friends Public Sale shop for clothing for children and infants, baby and maternity equipment, toys, games, books, electronics and more at this consignment sale, noon-9 p.m. Aug. 18.

Oklahoma State Fair Park, 3220 Great Plains Walk, 405-948-6700, okstatefair.com. SUN Love OKC One Day free groceries, health services, lunch, haircuts, family portraits and connections to community service agencies who can assist with longer-term resources are available at this community event, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 17. Oklahoma State Fairgrounds; Oklahoma Expo Hall, 3213 Wichita Walk, 405-948-6700, okstatefair.com. SAT Okie Derby Air Rally pilots will test their aviation skills in this challenge benefitting the Wings of the Future Scholarship encouraging women pilots to get certified or continue their education, Aug. 17. Sundance Airport, 13000 N. Sara Road, 405-373-3886, sundanceairport.com. SAT Pooches on the Patio bring your best friend to this dog-friendly happy hour with drink specials, appetizers and free pet treats, 4-7 p.m. Saturdays.

Café 501 Classen Curve, 5825 NW Grand Blvd., 405844-1501, cafe501.com. SAT Red Dirt Dinos: An Oklahoma Dinosaur Adventure learn about regional prehistoric reptiles at this hands-on exhibit featuring three interactive robotic dinosaurs, through Sept. 2. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place, 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. THU-MON Renegade Poker compete in a 2-3 hour tournament with cash prizes, 3 p.m. Sundays. Bison Witches Bar & Deli, 211 E Main St., Norman, 405-3647555, bisonwitchesok.com. SUN Train Rides take a ride on the museum’s train and see motor cars, locomotive, passenger cars and railroad equipment, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 3, 17 and 31.

Oklahoma Railway Museum, 3400 NE Grand Blvd., 405-424-8222, oklahomarailwaymuseum.org. SAT

SMO 21: Epically Bad Ideas In an era of epically bad ideas being enacted at all levels of government, why not take an evening to appreciate the harmless kind of idiocy? Some of the “bad ideas” planned for Science Museum Oklahoma’s 21-andup event include Mentos-and-soda-powered skateboarding, potato guns, human Tesla coils and an interactive smell-based game show. There’s also a cash bar in case you need to fill up on idea fuel. Dare to be stupid 6:30-10 p.m. Friday at Science Museum Oklahoma, 2020 Remington Place. Tickets are $21-$25. Call 405-602-6664 or visit sciencemuseumok.org. FRIDAY Photo provided 22

A U G U S T 1 4 , 2 0 1 9 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

Seven Days of Sours sample tart locally brewed craft beers, 3-10 p.m. Aug. 19-25, Stonecloud Brewing Co., 1012 NW First St., stonecloudbrewing.com. MON-SUN Unicorn Brunch enjoy a brunch from Picasso Cafe along with a stage show hosted by Renee Hilton, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 18. The Other Room, 3009 Paseo St., 405-602-2002, picassosonpaseo.com. SUN

YOUTH Family Workshop: Pressed Flowers children ages 6-11 can create a small book of pressed flowers with materials gathered in the prairie garden, 6-7 p.m. Aug. 15. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. THU Helping Daddy Tailgate Kids Cooking Class children can learn to cook chicken and vegetable skewers at this family-friendly class, 4-5 p.m. Aug. 17.

Supermercado Buy For Less, 2701 SW 29th St., 405685-7791, buyforlessok.com. SAT Rock the Block children of all ages will have the chance to see construction vehicles up close at this Touch-A-Truck event benefitting Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 17. Dolese Bros. Co., 14th Street and Broadway Avenue, 405-516-9686. SAT

PERFORMING ARTS The Book of Will playwright Lauren Gunderson’s dramatization of the compilation of William Shakespeare’s First Folio; presented by Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park and directed by Rex Daugherty, through Aug. 31.

Shakespeare on Paseo, 2920 Paseo St., 405-235-3700, oklahomashakespeare.org. THU-SAT Dear Diary with Julie Drake the OKC comic presents and evening of awkward stories, 7-10 p.m.

Aug. 15. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom.com. THU

Water/Ways a traveling exhibit created by Smithsonian Institution illustrating the many ways water impacts human life and civilization, through Aug. 18. Norman Public Library East, 3051 Alameda St., Norman, 405217-0770, pioneerlibrarysystem.org. SAT-SUN

Dueling Divas & Dazzling Duets Opera on Tap presents and evening of friendly competition between singers, 8-9:45 p.m. Aug. 17. Angry Scotsman Brewing, 704 W. Reno Ave., 405-673-7713, angryscotbrew.com. SAT

Wheeler Summer Music Series enjoy live music performances, sample local beer and food truck fare and shop local vendors at this monthly music series, 7 p.m. third Friday of every month through Sept. 20.

Wheeler Ferris Wheel, 1701 S. Western Ave., 405655-8455, wheelerdistrict.com/ferris-wheel. FRI

Hamilton the groundbreaking musical about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton with a score blending hip-hop, jazz, blues and R&B, through Aug. 18. Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N. Walker Ave., 405-297-2264, okcciviccenter. com. TUE-SUN

Woodstock anniversary celebration a threeday event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the music festival featuring a bike ride, costume competition, a screening of the 1970 Woodstock documentary and a live concert with local musicians, Aug. 15-17. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. THU-SAT

Kinky Boots a filmed production of the awardwinning musical with songs by Cyndi Lauper filmed live in London, 2 p.m. Aug. 18. OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater, 7777 S. May Ave., 405-682-7579, occc.edu. SUN

FOOD Paseo Farmers Market shop for fresh food from local vendors at this weekly outdoor event, 9 a.m.noon Saturdays, through Oct. 19. SixTwelve, 612 NW 29th St., 405-208-8291, sixtwelve.org. SAT

GO TO OKGAZETTE.COM FOR FULL LISTINGS!

Nichols Hills Band the 35-piece band concludes its 37th season of outdoor concerts, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15. Kite Park, 1301 Camden Way. THU OKC Comedy Open Mic Night get some stage time or just go to listen and laugh at this open mic hosted by Travis Phillips, 7 p.m. Mondays. The Paramount Room, 701 W. Sheridan Ave., 405-887-3327, theparamountroom.com. MON

$375 Microblading PERMANENT MAKE UP OKC Improv performers create original scenes in the moment based on suggestions from the audience, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Oklahoma City Improv, 1757 NW 16th St., 405-4569858, okcimprov.com. FRI Pirates of the Mausoleum try to figure out whodunnit at this pirate-themed interactive murder mystery dinner theater, Aug. 16. Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, 1309 S. Agnew Ave., 405-236-0416, cattlemensrestaurant.com. FRI

Remembering Regina Murphy an exhibit honoring the art and legacy of the painter and Paseo Arts District leader, through Aug. 31. The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman, 405-307-9320, pasnorman.org.

FRI-SAT

JUVEDERM RADIESSE

The Return of The Golden Girls a drag parody of the beloved sitcom about four senior roommates, through Aug. 24, The Boom, 2218 NW 39th St., 405601-7200, theboomokc.com. FRI-SAT

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Botanical Balance an all-levels yoga class in a natural environment; bring your own mat and water, 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SAT-THU

Stars and Stripes Spin Jam a weekly meetup for jugglers, hula hoopers and unicyclers, 6-8 p.m.

Wednesdays. Stars & Stripes Park, 3701 S. Lake Hefner Drive, 405-297-2756, okc.gov/parks. WED Twisted Coyote Brew Crew a weekly 3-mile group run for all ability levels with a beer tasting to follow; bring your own safety lights, 6 p.m.

Mondays. Twisted Spike Brewing Co., 1 NW 10th St., 405-301-3467, twistedspike.com. MON Wheeler Criterium a weekly nighttime cycling event with criterium races, food trucks and family activities, 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Wheeler Park, 1120 S. Western Ave., 405-297-2211, okc.gov. TUE Yoga with Art workout in an art-filled environment followed by a mimosa, 10:30 a.m. Saturdays.

21c Museum Hotel, 900 W. Main St., 405-982-6900, 21cmuseumhotels.com. SAT

VISUAL ARTS Advancing the Pencil Portrait, Part I learn how to create better pencil portraits at this class for all experience levels, through Aug. 22. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum. org. THU Brenda Kingery: A Retrospective an exhibition of 23 paintings by the Chickasaw artist and Oklahoma City native, through Sept. 6. Oklahoma City University, 2501 N. Blackwelder Ave, 405-208-5000. SAT-FRI

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am On Aug. 5, the world lost yet another of its precious few luminaries when author Toni Morrison (Beloved, The Bluest Eye) died, but the guiding light she left behind will continue to burn for as long as humanity remains literate. Celebrate her life and legacy at this screening of director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ documentary, which RogerEbert.com film critic Monica Castillo wrote offers “an empowering impression of the woman behind those words” that “will likely help many viewers see just how monumental her accomplishments remain.” The screening is 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Monday at Rodeo Cinema, 2221 Exchange Ave. Tickets are $10. Call 405815-3275 or visit rodeocinema.org.

MONDAY Photo Magnolia Pictures / provided A Room in Bloom an exhibition of floral photography by Oklahoma City artist Renee Lawrence, through Sept. 1. Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 405-601-7474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com. FRI-SUN

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Leviathan I: The Aesthetics of Capital an experimental exhibition created by artist Pete Froslie exploring climate change, moral and political philosophy through electro-mechanics and game engine-based digital projection, through Dec. 31.

Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman, 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. WED-SAT Maria Chaverri Artist Talk the photographer and artist-in-residence will discuss her artistic methods and the work on display at her solo exhibition, 7-9 p.m. Aug. 17.

Rooted Barber + Shop, 3515 N. Classen Ave., 405-601-0154, rootedokc.com. SAT Mod Quad Collective Fan Making Workshop beat the heat with your own custom made folding fan created at this come-and-go workshop, 1-4 p.m.

Aug. 17. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405815-9995, 1ne3.org. SAT Patrick Riley: A Retrospective an exhibit of drawings, jewelry, sculpture and other artworks created by the artist and educator, through Aug. 29. Gaylord-Pick-

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Urban Abstracts an exhibition of digital artworks created by abstract painter and photographer Lawrence Leif, through Aug. 31. Artspace at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-9995, 1ne3.org. WED-SAT

Free Public Lecture with Dr. Katie Hanson the associate curator of paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston will discuss the techniques of Impressionist artists, 6-7 p.m. Aug. 14. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. WED INTEGRIS Art Show view a variety of art works created by people whose lives have been affected by cancer, through Sept. 6. Integris Cancer Institute, 5911 W. Memorial Road, 405-773-6400, integris.tv/ cancer. THU-FRI

Shoppes at Northpark, 12028 May Ave. 405-751-8930 Open Mon-Fri www.skincareokc.com

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ACTIVE

Run the Alley a 3-mile social run for athletes of all abilities ending with beers at The Yard, 6:30 p.m.

Thursdays. OK Runner, 708 N. Broadway Ave., 405702-9291, myokrunner.com. THU

Schelly’s Aesthetics

7:00 P.M.

CASINO NIGHT, SPIRITS & LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Staged a stage show hosted by Raven Delray, 10:30 p.m. third Saturday of every month. Frankie’s, 2807 NW 36th St., 405-602-2030, facebook.com/ frankiesokc. SAT

Monday Night Group Ride meet up for a weekly 25-30 minute bicycle ride at about 18 miles per hour through east Oklahoma City, 6 p.m.

Mondays. The Bike Lab OKC, 2200 W. Hefner Road, 405-603-7655. MON

BOTOX Always $11 Per Unit

“ALL IN” FOR EDUCATION

Rhyme in Reasons share your talent or just watch other artists perform at this weekly open mic, 7:30-10 p.m. Thursdays. Reasons Lounge, 1140 N. MacArthur Boulevard, 405-774-9991. THU

Full Moon Bike Ride & Run a monthly evening bike ride and run through downtown OKC, 8 p.m.

Aug. 15. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. THU

$250 Eyebrows $250 Lip Line $250 Eyeliner $400 Full-Lips

ens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Drive, 405-235-4458, oklahomaheritage.com. THU

FRIDAY Headliner

Saturday Headliner

Wolf

byer

Michelle

Submissions must be received

by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date.

Late submissions will not be included in the listings.

Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail them to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

For OKG live music see page 27

Nicole

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DJ Pryor

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Jackie Tohn

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Rae Sanni

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EVENT

MUSIC

Reggae royalty

Stephen Marley talks to Oklahoma Gazette about his father’s legacy, recognizing the roots and nurturing the fruits. By Jeremy Martin

Bob Marley, in a 1975 interview, said he did not necessarily play reggae music.

“When people say reggae them expect a type of music,” he said. “As far as me is concerned, I never give it a name. Just play music. Once you put it in a bag and call it reggae and then maybe you listen with your ear and think you hear a single thing. Because music wide, music go everywhere. That’s why people expect reggae to be a one type of thing but it’s not that. This music, man, is not music of a day. It have to be real.”

His son Stephen Marley plays 8 p.m.

Tuesday at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St. In an email interview with Oklahoma Gazette, Stephen Marley said his 2018 album is meant to present his and his father’s music in a new context.

“My latest EP One Take: Acoustic Jams was really a jam session that we recorded in my living room,” Stephen Marley said. “You hear my songs and my father’s in a whole new light, in the acoustic form.”

“Easy Skanking” — which begins “Excuse me while I light my spliff,” and repeatedly implores the listener to “take it easy” — and “Small Axe” — which warns “If you are the big tree / we are the small axe / sharpened to cut you down” — reveal two different facets of his father’s music. Stephen Marley’s own “Revelation Party,” which closes the album, warns of people with “hearts as cold as winter snow” who cause people to “live with no reason or rhyme” but promises that “tonight, we’re going to have a celebration of our life” regardless.

A version of “Revelation Party,” featuring Stephen Marley’s own son Jo Mersa Marley, appears on 2016’s Revelation Pt. II: The Fruit of Life, which also features verses from Dead Prez, Rakim, Rick Ross, Waka Flocka Flame and other hip-hop artists. Using the tree

One Take: Acoustic Jams, recorded in Stephen Marley’s living room, was released in 2018. | Image provided

as a metaphor for reggae itself in this instance, the album and its predecessor, 2011’s Revelation Pt. I: The Root of Life, are intended not to cut reggae down but nurture it.

“Part I was a true reggae album, exploring the genre’s foundation and core, and in Part II, it shows the fruit that reggae bears,” Stephen Marley said. “It is more of a hybrid album that merges hip-hop, dancehall and reggaeton — all of which stem from the source.”

Stephen Marley first began recording reggae at the age of 6 in 1979 with The Melody Makers, fronted by his brother Ziggy, and started working as a producer in 1996 on albums by his brothers Julian and Damian before collaborating with The Fugees, Eve and Erykah Badu.

A production background has allowed Stephen Marley to have more power over the direction of his own musical career.

“Producing gives you a certain ear and understanding of how a song is shaped,” he said. “It is the blueprint. On my own projects, it has allowed me to create a song from start to finish and have complete creative control. By producing for other artists, whether for friends or family, it lays a foundation for us to collaborate again on my albums.”

Family foundation

As the son of reggae’s most famous ambassador, Stephen Marley said he never considered going into any other career field, but his art allows him to pursue other interests and make more of an impact on issues he cares about.

“Music is the only thing I wanted to do,” he said. “Now, I am able to use music as a vehicle for other things I am passionate about. Our annual music festival Kaya Fest’s mission is to educate people about the positive and medical benefits of cannabis. Also, a portion of the proceeds from my concerts go towards our nonprofit Ghetto Youths Foundation, which is creating opportunities and resources for underprivileged youths.”

Watching his own children pursue musical careers, Stephen Marley said he wants them to have the same kind of freedom.

“I didn’t really have any concerns for my children going into music,” he said.

“No matter what they chose to do, you know there will be obstacles and challenges. I give them the space to grow and make their own mistakes, but I can also give them advice and guidance in this field, you know, so it works well.”

Critics and fans frequently point out that Stephen Marley’s voice sounds like his father’s, but he has never felt like the

similarities require him to follow exactly in Bob Marley’s formidable footsteps.

“Sure, I hear that quite often,” Stephen Marley said. “I’m glad that they can feel a piece of him when I sing, since ... well, I am a piece of him. Vocally, I don’t feel limited. Depending on the type of song, I can switch it up. So when I sing my father’s music, you may hear similarities in our tone, but if you listen to, let’s say, Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life, I am dee-jaying (or as Americans may say rapping) on certain tracks.”

While reggae purists may bristle at the incorporation of reggaeton and hiphop, Stephen Marley said the newer genres are proof that the roots remain relevant and the meaning of the music is as significant as it has ever been.

“If there was no experimentation with reggae, we would not have dancehall, hip-hop, dubstep and so many great sounds today,” Stephen Marley said. “It is only natural for it to take new forms.

I think it is just a matter of respecting and educating people about the foundation. Take time to appreciate the people before us. We see that my father’s music is timeless, and there are so many of us brining these conscious reggae vibes today. I think if we provide it, there will always but a demand for the message and sound globally.”

In 1975, Bob Marley said that if the word reggae became too commercial-

Stephen Marley plays 8 p.m. Tuesday at Tower Theatre. | Photo Wonder Knack / provided

ized, he would call his music “nyahbingi,” which he said meant “death to black and white oppressors.”

“But that type of music, it come from the heart,” Bob Marley told interviewer Karl Dallas. “Every time you hear the drums you hear it, sometimes soft, sometimes frightening, you get to know it.

Like when I first hear rasta drumming, I think it something terrible going to do with me, because it’s something that we no understand. And yet it’s so near to me. And then we get to understand it and everything become natural again.”

Tickets are $31-$41. The official afterparty features music provided by DJ Shacia Päyne, and proceeds from the $25 tickets benefit Ghetto Youths Foundation.

Visit towertheatreokc.com.

Stephen Marley 8 p.m. Tuesday Tower Theatre 425 NW 23rd St. towertheatreokc.com | 405-708-6937 $31-$41

O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | A U G U S T 1 4 , 2 0 1 9

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EVENT

MUSIC

Apocalyptic touch

Eliza Gilkyson faces the unpleasant realities of modern times with Secularia’s “anti-gospel” songs.

By Jeremy Martin

Eliza Gilkyson’s Secularia is the sound of her singing in full voice, something she once wanted to keep secret.

“Over the years, I’ve been sort of sneaking these spiritual questing kind of songs on my records,” Gilkyson said.

“And I just thought, ‘Why not just come out and put them together as a collection and just see what happens?’ I’ve always been one of those people who’s looking for, What is that little thread of ministry that runs through everything?

And how do you write about it without falling into religion or an ideology or new age or something? I just wanted to write about it without ever really naming what it was.”

Gilkyson — who plays 8 p.m. Aug. 21 at The Blue Door, 2805 N. McKinley Ave. with guitarist Jim Henry — said she has typically been more hesitant to explicitly explore the spiritual and existential themes she addresses directly on Secularia, released last year.

“I didn’t want to be labeled as some kind of a new-age person who had all the answers because, for me, it’s been more about asking the questions,” Gilkyson said. “The times that I thought I knew the answers, I was always resoundingly corrected by my life. So I think what I wanted to do is to come out as a person who was seeking the answers but never really landing on anything. Just the search itself, the questions alone, were enough of a journey.”

Secularia, a collection of humanist hymns, was released in July of 2018. | Photo provided

Fears of exploring the unknown and how others might perceive her searching have decreased with age.

“I’m at a point in my life where I’m not trying to posture myself or present myself in a certain light to try to court a market,” Gilkyson said. “I have more 26

A U G U S T 1 4 , 2 0 1 9 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

years behind me than I do ahead of me, and so I’m reflective. I think it’s partly just the stage of life that I’m in, but I do think right now, a lot of things are being done in the world in the name of religion. … I wanted to, in a way, reclaim the sense of wonder and the sense of mystery, the sense of gratitude. I wanted to reclaim it without having it fall under religious doctrine.”

“In the Name of the Lord” proclaims “We’re prisoners in a fairytale / A ship of fools all set to sail / We watch the Empire’s epic fail / On shiny hand-held screens” and concludes “The lies we tell to fill the hole / Like coins dropped in a beggar’s bowl / They can’t redeem us when we go / Into the dimming day.”

Helping people confront reality and process the feelings that entails is one of art’s higher purposes, Gilkyson said, and an especially vital function now.

“In terms of what’s going on the world, I do think what’s happening is people are shutting down because they can’t handle it, and I do think that art does have a role there to maybe tap into a collective emotional field,” Gilkyson said. “It’s a way to sort of safely process emotions around things, and I’m very, very concerned that we don’t shut down right now because we have to care. We have to care about what’s happening to other people that are less fortunate than us. If we don’t care about them, if we don’t have the feeling of compassion or empathy or something, then I really do think we’re doomed. … I write so that I can keep myself open, and then I hope it’s tapping into something universal that will help others to feel safe enough to stay sentient.”

Organized religion does not have a monopoly on denying painful truths to the detriment of humanity, Gilkyson said.

“What disturbs me about the new-age movement is this sense of, ‘Everything’s going to be OK. All we have to do is love one another, and if we can just change our mindset to a loving, positive mindset, that will change the world.’ … There are systems and structures in place that keep people down, that keep people poor, that keep racial discrimination at the fore. … To just say, ‘Oh, if only those people could change their mindsets,’ that’s really dangerous because, in a way, that breeds complacency. It’s much more meditative, which is, I think, very healthy for one’s personal state of mind but doesn’t result in the action and real, thought-out productive plans we need to change systems of power that we’re living under.”

The album, produced by her son Cisco Ryder, features appearances by Shawn Colvin, Sam Butler, Tosca String Quartet and singer-songwriter and Woody Guthrie Folk Festival mainstay Jimmy LaFave, recorded shortly before his death in 2017. Lead track “Solitary Singer” was written by Gilkyson’s father and grandmother and served as the theme song for her father’s Armed Forces radio show in the 1950s.

Gilkyson’s grandmother also shares writing credit for “Conservation,” a poem she wrote shortly before she died.

If we don’t have the feeling of compassion or empathy or something, then I really do think we’re doomed.

Eliza Gilkyson “I remember back then just thinking, ‘What a great poem,’” said Gilkyson, who set the poem to music. “It’s really burial instructions, and very pagan … for this woman in her 80s, it was pretty remarkable. And then we lost the poem.

It disappeared. And when I was making the record, I remembered, somewhere back in there, that my grandmother written this poem … and I tried to find it, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. I didn’t have it; my dad was dead, and I had two old aunts, my dad’s younger sisters, both in their late 90s. I emailed them, and one of them went back through all her collection. She was a keeper of the poetry of her mother, and she found it about two months later and

Singer-songwriter Eliza Gilkyson plays 8 p.m.

Aug. 21 at The Blue Door. | Photo provided

sent it to me. I was so excited. She died a few months later. It was really unfortunate. She never got to hear the song, but she did get that poem back to me.

And I put a chorus on it and turned it into almost, like, an anti-gospel, nonChristian gospel song.”

After briefly describing ancient burial rituals, the song declares, “I have no god, no king or savior / No world beyond the setting sun / I’ll give my thanks for one more day here / And go to ground when my time has come.”

Though she describes her music as “rather contemplative and a little dark” with a “touch of apocalyptic,” Gilkyson said the atmosphere at her concerts is more like a revival than a funeral.

“Music is so joyful and in the moment, and my shows are so fun,” Gilkyson said.

“They’re not dire at all. We laugh so hard at my shows. I tell stories, and I have a killer guitar player with me, so we just leap and land, and people do requests and we just go all over the place. The shows themselves are really fun and really spontaneous. I throw the contemplative stuff in, but it’s a journey, for sure.”

Tickets are $30-$40. Visit bluedoorokc.com.

Eliza Gilkyson 8 p.m. Aug. 21 The Blue Door 2805 N. McKinley Ave. bluedoorokc.com | 405-524-0738 $30-$40

LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14 Adam Aguilar & the Weekend All Stars, Sidecar Barley & Wine Bar. COVER Nonpoint/Hellyeah, Diamond Ballroom. METAL John Carlton & Kyle Reid, The Winston.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

This Will Destroy You, Tower Theatre. ROCK

THURSDAY, AUG. 15 Arkansauce/The Indigos, The Deli. AMERICANA Devin the Dude, Tower Theatre. HIP-HOP Hot House Band, Othello’s Italian Restaurant. JAZZ Shelly Phelps & Dylan Nagode, Jazmo’z Bourbon St. Café. ACOUSTIC

FRIDAY, AUG. 16 American Aquarium, Tower Theatre.

AMERICANA

Oakville, The Deli. ROCK/HIP-HOP

SUNDAY, AUG. 18

Randy Cassimus, Full Circle Bookstore.

Eric Herndon, Full Circle Bookstore. ACOUSTIC

SINGER/SONGWRITER

WhiskeyDick, Lost Highway. METAL

MONDAY, AUG. 19

SATURDAY, AUG. 17

Jason Hunt, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant. FOLK

Aaron Newman Band, Othello’s Italian Restaurant.

Wizzerd/Rainbows Are Free/Redwitch Johnny, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

AMERICANA

Astral Planes/Part-Time Savants, Saints. ROCK

TUESDAY, AUG. 20

Blocboy JB, The Criterion. HIP-HOP Bottom of the Barrel, Guyutes. COUNTRY Brad Fielder, Bluebonnet Bar. COUNTRY Cody Abbott, Brewskey’s. COUNTRY A Dying Art/Fragmented Tranquility/Vysiphus, 89th Street-OKC. METAL Elizabeth Speegle Band, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. JAZZ Goodfella/When the Clock Strikes, Vices. ROCK Jason Ringenberg, VZD’s Restaurant & Bar. AMERICANA

Chelsey Cope, The Paramount Theatre.

Keathley/Leotie, The Paramount Room.

Jessica Tate & the Flat Fifths, UCO Jazz Lab. JAZZ

Samantha Crain/Jabee/Mike McClure, Grand Casino Hotel & Resort. HIP-HOP/SINGER/SONGWRITER

Lincka/Big Worm/Changing Frequencies, Wheeler Ferris Wheel. POP/HIP-HOP

Jarvix/Eos, Sauced on Paseo. EXPERIMENTAL

Vampire Weekend/Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Criterion. ROCK

Joe Baxter & the Regular Joes, The Blue Door.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

POP/ROCK

Stewart Wolfs, Legacy on Main Street. COVER

Amy Lavere/ Will Sexton, The Blue Door.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

The Imaginaries, Myriad Botanical Gardens.

Sativa Prophets/Joey Sativa/Teflo $, 51st Street Speakeasy. HIP-HOP

SINGER/SONGWRITER SINGER/SONGWRITER

Flying Lotus When Flying Lotus, aka Steven Ellison, screened his feature film debut Kuso at Sundance in 2017, Variety reported some audience members began heading for the exits after about “10 minutes of boilbursting, pus-oozing revulsion.”

Thankfully, FlyLo’s new tour — in support of appropriately fire Flamagra — should be more of a crowd-pleaser with elaborate 3D visuals that are more psychedelic than horrific, to match the intricate but accessible soundtrack. 8 p.m. Sunday at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St. Tickets are $30-$33. Call 405708-6937 or visit towertheatreokc.com.

SUNDAY Photo Renata Raksha / provided

Country Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. COUNTRY Kyle Reid, Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 21 Avi Kaplan, Tower Theatre. SINGER/SONGWRITER John Carlton & Kyle Reid, The Winston.

SINGER/SONGWRITER

Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date.

Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.

Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com.

Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

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THE HIGH CULTURE

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Jayson “Giddy Up” Emo at the 2015 Denver Cannabis Cup | Photo provided

an additional four Cannabis Cups.

“We got a fucking trophy,” Emo said.

“I still have the card that Bobby Black was calling the winners off of. The first, second and third on the back of a bunch of postcards.”

CANNABIS

High time

Hash dreams

Jayson “Giddy Up” Emo traveled to Amsterdam for his first Cannabis Cup in 2013, where he and his colleagues swept one of the categories.

By Matt Dinger

There is beginner’s luck, but for Jayson “Giddy Up” Emo and his friends, there is also just being the best at what you do.

After perfecting his extraction machine with his company, EmoTek Labs, he decided to test out his finished product against some very steep competition in the cannabis industry.

“In November of 2013, I went to my very first High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam. I had a little bit of money then. I’d sold a bunch of those machines.

I was like, ‘I’m fucking going to Europe,’” Emo said. “Decided to do an entry with a couple of homies of mine, TC Labs and TerpX. They were both brands, and they were friends and they actually both ended up becoming customers of my equipment, and one of them brought weed from California; one of them came with weed from Colorado. I did the run in my office in one of my machines. They purged it while I went home, and we took that in and entered into the hash competition of the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam.”

Emo and a group of friends from America entered their concentrates into the Best Hash from a Seed Company category.

“So I fly to Amsterdam, chilling with all my friends. It’s me, Nikka T, TerpX, TC Labs, Gold Coast [Meds]. We were all in the same hotel room more or less, hanging out with each other the whole time, soaking up the whole Amsterdam experience, having fun, seeing weed people that I knew and looked up to and all that. The night came of the awards, and we were going to watch the awards, and by this time, nothing about it was even about the competition anymore. I was just blown away, hitting all the coffee shops, making all the new friends, trying all the new products and the strains and stuff that are big in Europe that aren’t big here. And they start calling off the winners,” he said.

“It was Whitewalker OG from Gold 28

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Coast, which was one of the homies we were out there with, so we’re like, ‘Oh my God! Fucking won third, bro.’ Just fucking pushing him towards the stage, pushing their crew up on stage. Now these are OG homies of mine that have been made millions of dollars by now, today. That was their first win at anything, first, second or third, but none of us in the group had ever won anything.

And they call out second place. And it’s my homeboy Nikka T, another one of the guys from our hotel room. And I’m like, ‘Oh my God! We fucking got another one.’ And now, at this point, the thought that I’m going to win is the furthest fucking thing from my mind. Two of my friends have already won. Like, all the Cannabis Cup trophies from this category can’t go back to the same room tonight, you know what I mean? It’s statistically impossible. They call out first place and they call out TC Labs \ TerpX \ EmoTek collab, first place.

“And this is on video on YouTube somewhere, I could probably find it if I looked real hard, but there is a room that’s got about 600 people in it, and all you hear over everybody talking and the loud speakers, you hear from the far left-hand side of the stage, you just hear somebody go, ‘Woo!’ It’s me. I screamed so loud, I scream over the entire fucking crowd, and I went up on stage and I won my first fucking Cannabis Cup. That was me and my homies that were all trying to do the same thing, won one together. It sounds kind of cheesy, but nothing was ever the same after that. I got the brass ring. I proved exactly what the fuck I meant. It wasn’t just a Cannabis Cup. It was the fucking Amsterdam High Times Cannabis Cup.” Since that time, Emo has collaborated on concentrates that have snagged Bobby Black bottom left at the 2013 Amsterdam Cannabis Cup | Photo provided

Bobby Black was with High Times from 1994 to 2015. He started as a designer but became a writer and editor and was involved in operating the Cannabis Cup for two decades before leaving the company.

“I started in ’94, and that was actually the first year that the Cannabis Cup was open to the public,” Black said.

“Before that, the first six years, it was a private event. The cup was created by the former editor-in-chief Steve Hager.

He created it as a little private competition with the seed companies in Amsterdam and some of his close friends, just like the top VIP people in the community at the time. And then the seventh one was the first time they opened it up to the public. So it was wild because I had just been hired at High Times as an intern in September, and that November, they asked me, ‘Do you want to go to Amsterdam and work at this event, the Cannabis Cup?’ I had never even been on an airplane before, let alone out of the country. I think I was

like 19 or 20 at the time. And I’m like, ‘Fuck yeah I wanna go to Amsterdam.’”

The first Cannabis Cup was disorganized. It was raining; it was a small crew, but they pulled it off.

“It was a trial by fire, for sure. … I went to pretty much every Cannabis Cup over the years until I left. I only missed like two or three out of all of them,” Black said. “But, you know, back then the Cannabis Cup only took place in Amsterdam. It only happened once a year in November. And it was something that the entire staff of the magazine worked on and looked forward to every year, like we would plan, build towards it. And everybody would get excited as we get closer and closer. Pretty much the whole staff got flown over, and we all flew together on the same flight, you know, and it was this whole big camaraderie thing. It was a really, really amazing experience. And the cups really meant something back then to win a Cannabis Cup. It changed people’s lives, it changed people’s careers and it was a very prestigious thing.”

Then the Cannabis Cup came back to the United States.

Editor’s note: This is the second part in a series about the first Oklahoma Cannabis Cup.

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CANNABIS

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High support

Two events in Oklahoma City this weekend benefit cannabis-related charities. By Matt Dinger

Whether you are in the mood for a casual barbecue or a classy evening out, two cannabis-related charities hold benefit events this weekend in Oklahoma City.

Balanced Veterans’ Summer Debrief charity event at Lucky’s Grow Supply, 7507 Broadway Extension, is noon-5 p.m. Saturday.

In addition to the barbecue at the Summer Debrief, the event also features guest speakers, giveaways and a live DJ. Proceeds go toward veterans’ education and advocacy. Tickets are $25.

Operation Zero’s Black Tie Affair runs 7-10 p.m. Sunday. It is hosted by APCO Med, 313 NW 23rd St. Tickets are $75-$125.

Proceeds benefit Operation Zero, which provides full-extract cannabis oil to cancer patients for a penny.

“I am an eight-year Air Force veteran and have struggled with mental health, suicidal thoughts, stuff like that. I’ve been out since 2012 and kind of never found relief and then Oklahoma passed [State Question] 788. I got my card, and now I’m on zero pills,” said Daniel Stevens, president of the Oklahoma chapter of Balanced Veterans.

Balanced Veterans is a national organization that started in February, with state chapters already operating in California, Pennsylvania and Iowa, with Colorado and Oregon chapters coming online soon.

Daniel Stevens is the president of the Oklahoma chapter of Balanced Veterans. | Photo provided

“I was actually trying to start my own thing in Oklahoma, something similar, when we decided to just team up, and now I have the Oklahoma chapter. And it’s really starting to accelerate,” Stevens said. “Our whole premise is to build a digital and real community for veterans outside of the VA who are using cannabis — we call it alternative therapies — to treat their wounds and their mental illnesses after the military, and it’s gone really strong.

We’re basically leading the way because we’re the only group right now actually getting out to all the events and actually getting sponsored a little bit by some of the bigger names here in the state cannabis industry. On August 17, we have a party at Lucky’s Grow Supply, where we’ll be raffling off TVs and grow tent supplies and genetics to veterans and to eat and hang out.”

In addition to that event, they will also be attending the Oklahoma Cannabis Cup and have been at CannaCon and Green Grow Expo events in the past. They will continue to attend future events as the industry and organization progress.

“Most of the engagement is online. continued on page 35

THE HIGH CULTURE continued from page 32

CANNABIS

We go online and do live videos, and we just get on a chat. I have veterans DM me all the time when they’re struggling or trying to get resources,” Stevens said.

“We’re trying to build that system where veterans can get the relief they need and join our team. It doesn’t really matter if it’s us.

There are other veteran organizations, and we want to support all of them because our opinion is that we’re all trying to accomplish the same thing, which is to bring the veteran suicide rate down.”

In the six months since they have started, Stevens said they have networked with an estimated 200 veterans.

“We’re going to be going on a walk the next morning because there’s another organization that they go on walks and they medicate. They’re called Walk and Talk,” Stevens said. “We want to show our support with other organizations, so we’re going to go out and do that the morning after the party. We’ve got people coming in from California, Pennsylvania, Iowa for the party.”

Dillon Reseck is the vice president of the Oklahoma chapter of Balanced Veterans. | Photo Alexa Ace

Operation Zero

Jeremy Dedmon founded Paragon Extracts and then launched Operation Zero in March. Their mission is to provide medical cannabis patients fighting cancer with full-extract cannabis oil (FECO) and Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) for a penny.

Full-extract cannabis oil is a concentrate taken orally that is made through an extraction process using ethanol. A similar concentrate known as Rick Simpson Oil is made with a process using rubbing alcohol.

“The number one thing that we can do to push this program forward is get exposure because the more and more

people hear about it, the more they want to get involved,” Dedmon said. “It’s a joint effort. Everybody’s got to come together.

Otherwise, I could get RSO by myself to maybe a few dozen people, but the whole state comes together, and it really starts to take off in an amazing way. I was laying in bed, scrolling through Facebook, and I saw somebody post — I don’t even remember who it was — and it was just about the cost of their chemo treatment.

And I started thinking about what all cancer does besides attack your body and kill you. It can attack you financially, emotionally. At the time when we’re facing our own mortality, a lot of things are very difficult for us to process, not the least of which being financial issues.

A cancer diagnosis pretty much guarantees financial devastation unless you’re very well off, and so most people that get diagnosed with cancer have to choose between leaving a nest egg for their family or spending extra months with them. And that’s just the most terrible choice I could ever think to make.”

Dedmon already had Paragon Extracts up and running at the time when he came up with Operation Zero.

“It’s hard to go and approach growers and ask for donations when you don’t have a legitimate nonprofit type of project running, and so we kicked in a little bit to get the ball rolling, so that we could say, ‘Hey, look, we’ve got penny FECO in 15, 20 dispensaries. Would you like to be a part of this operation?’”

Dedmon said. “And after that, man, the community did the rest of the work. We started getting calls started getting donations, people chipping in little percentages of their harvest.”

Dedmon said they have already partnered with about 40 dispensaries to whom they sell the oil for a penny who then turn around and sell it to patients with proven cancer diagnoses for a penny.

They are holding the Black Tie Affair to pay for packaging costs for the extracted oil.

“We’re looking for silent auction donations and corporate sponsorships from local companies in Oklahoma,” he said. “We’ve got several companies that have already signed on for a sponsorship, but the more the merrier. We don’t have any title sponsors yet.”

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Acquired from: Great Barrier Reefer Medical Dispensary Date acquired: July 22 THC/CBD percentages: No test results available Physical traits: Primarily purple with light green and bright orange stigmas throughout Bouquet: Extremely sweet and fruity Review: This bright and pungent strain looks and smells almost identical to Forbidden Fruit with its strong citrus, grapefruit notes and bright appearance.

While Forbidden Fruit is indica-leaning, the effects of Purple Tangie are the opposite of that cultivar with a heady, cerebral high. I was already well-rested and wide-awake when I took my first couple hits from the fresh bowl, and it just doubled down on my energetic mood and chattiness, though it did not make me feel jittery or anxious in the least. The taste, while sweet, does not

Purple Tangie | Photo Alexa Ace

precisely mirror the scent. I go for more exotic tastes — the sweeter, the better — and I was not disappointed. Grower Jeremy Jones happened to drop by Great Barrier Reefer while I was picking up his strain, and we spoke about the history of his company and his family, and it’s obvious that Purple Tangie knows what it is doing, particularly when it comes to the eponymous strain.

I’m looking forward to trying more of its exclusive strains in the future as well as seeing what it does with common cannabis varieties.

Cannabis effects vary wildly from patient to patient based on a multitude of factors, including THC tolerance, brain chemistry and personal taste. This review is based on the subjective experience of one patient.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Homework: The Japanese poet Ikkyu said, “To all I care about, here’s a friendly tip: enlightenment is gaffe upon error upon blooper.” Do you agree?

FreeWillAstrology.com

of the astrological omens, Gemini, you now have the patience and perspicacity to engage in a comparable process: to find useful resources through experiment and close observation—with a hardy assist from your intuition.

verse from the Bible: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

How did sound technicians create the signature roar of the fictional monster Godzilla? They slathered pine-tar resin on a leather glove and stroked it against the strings of a double bass. How about the famous howl of the fictional character Tarzan? Sonic artists blended a hyena’s screech played backwards, a dog’s growl, a soprano singer’s fluttered intonation slowed down, and an actor’s yell. Karen O, lead singer of the band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, periodically unleashes very long screams that may make the hair stand up on the back of her listeners’ necks. In accordance with astrological omens, I’d love to see you experiment with creating your own personal Yowl or Laugh or Whisper of Power in the coming weeks: a unique sound that would boost your wild confidence and help give you full access to your primal lust for life.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Today the city of Timbuktu in Mali is poor and in the throes of desertification. But from the fourteenth to seventeenth centuries, it was one of the great cultural centers of the world. Its libraries filled up with thousands of influential books, which remained intact until fairly recently. In 2012, Al-Qaeda jihadists conceived a plan to destroy the vast trove of learning and scholarship.

One man foiled them. Abba al-Hadi, an illiterate guard who had worked at one of the libraries, smuggled out many of the books in empty rice sacks. By the time the jihadists started burning, most of the treasure had been relocated. I don’t think the problem in your sphere is anywhere near as dire as this, Cancerian. But I do hope you will be proactive about saving and preserving valuable resources before they’re at risk of being diluted, compromised, or neglected.

Libra-born Ronald McNair was an African American who grew up in a racist town in South Carolina in the 1950s. The bigotry cramped his freedom, but he rebelled.

When he was nine years old, he refused to leave a segregated library, which prompted authorities to summon the police. Years later, McNair earned a PhD in Physics from MIT and became renowned for his research on laser physics. Eventually, NASA chose him to be an astronaut from a pool of 10,000 candidates. That library in South Carolina? It’s now named after him. I suspect that you, too, will soon receive some vindication, Libra: a reward or blessing or consecration that will reconfigure your past.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

“If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough,” said Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, ex-President of Liberia. In accordance with astrological imperatives, I propose that we make that your watchword for the foreseeable future. From what I can tell, you’re due to upgrade your long-term goals. You have the courage and vision necessary to dare yourself toward an even more fulfilling destiny than you’ve been willing or ready to imagine up until now.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

How did our ancestors ever figure out that the calendula flower can be used as healing medicine for irritated and inflamed skin? It must have been a very long process of trial and error. (Or did the plant somehow “communicate” to indigenous herbalists, informing them of its use?) In any case, this curative herb is only one of hundreds of plants that people somehow came to adjudge as having healing properties. “Miraculous” is not too strong a word to describe such discoveries. According to my analysis

Moray eels have two sets of jaws. The front set does their chewing. The second set, normally located behind the first, can be launched forward to snag prey they want to eat. In invoking this aggressive strategy to serve as a metaphor for you in the coming weeks, I want to suggest that you be very dynamic and enterprising as you go after what you want and need. Don’t be rude and invasive, of course, but consider the possibility of being audacious and zealous.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

It’s relatively rare, but now and then people receive money or gifts from donors they don’t know. Relatives they’ve never met may bequeath them diamond tiaras or alpaca farms or bundles of cash. I don’t think that’s exactly what will occur for you in the coming weeks, but I do suspect that you’ll garner blessings or help from unexpected sources. To help ensure the best possible versions of these acts of grace, I suggest that you be as generous as possible in the kindness and attention you offer. Remember this

SHOW US YOUR GROW!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Scorpio author Zadie Smith wrote, “In the end, your past is not my past and your truth is not my truth and your solution—is not my solution.” I think it will be perfectly fine if sometime soon you speak those words to a person you care about. In delivering such a message, you won’t be angry or dismissive. Rather, you will be establishing good boundaries between you and your ally; you will be acknowledging the fact that the two of you are different people with different approaches to life. And I bet that will ultimately make you closer.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

“Nothing fruitful ever comes when plants are forced to flower in the wrong season,” wrote author and activist Bette Lord. That’s not entirely true. For example, skilled and meticulous gardeners can compel tulip and hyacinth bulbs to flower before they would naturally be able to.

But as a metaphor, Lord’s insight is largely accurate. And I think you’ll be wise to keep it in mind during the coming weeks. So my advice is: don’t try to make people and processes ripen before they are ready. But here’s a caveat: you might have modest success working to render them a bit more ready.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

“For though we often need to be restored to the small, concrete, limited, and certain, we as often need to be reminded of the large, vague, unlimited, unknown.” Poet A. R. Ammons formulated that shiny burst of wisdom, and now I’m passing it on to you. As I think you know, you tend to have more skill at and a greater inclination toward the small, concrete, limited, and certain. That’s why, in my opinion, it’s rejuvenating for you to periodically exult in and explore what’s large, vague, unlimited, unknown. Now is one of those times.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

“Look into my eyes. Kiss me, and you will see how important I am.” Poet Sylvia Plath wrote that, and now, in accordance with astrological omens, I’m authorizing you to say something similar to anyone who is interested in you but would benefit from gazing more deeply into your soul and entering into a more profound relationship with your mysteries. In other words, you have cosmic permission to be more forthcoming in showing people your beauty and value.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

In his Anti-Memoirs, author André Malraux quotes a tough-minded priest who served in the French Resistance during World War II. He spent his adult life hearing his parishioners’ confessions. “The fundamental fact is that there’s no such thing as a grown-up person,” the priest declared. Even if that’s mostly true, Pisces, my sense is that it is less true about you right now than it has ever been. In the past months, you have been doing good work to become more of a fully realized version of yourself. I expect that the deepening and maturation process is reaching a culmination. Don’t underestimate your success! Celebrate it!

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes.

The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

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PUZZLES NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE CONSTANT CONSONANTS | 0818

By Will Nediger Puzzles edited by Will Shortz ACROSS

1 Socializes (with) 6 With 20-Across, fire the whole staff 11 Most exorbitant 19 Showing more craft 20 See 6-Across 21 Artillery 22 With 105-Across, “What walks on four dino legs in the morning, four dino legs at noon and four dino legs in the evening?” and other riddles?

24 Genre for Rush Hour and Lethal Weapon 25 Oversupplies 26 The band Ben Folds Five, oddly 27 The “A” of BART 28 Any nonzero number to the zeroth power 29 Little Women sister 30 Pioneering silent director Weber 31 Bitter 33 Shopping binge 35 Says “Quack” instead of “Buzz”?

39 Like Cinderella’s stepsisters 40 Like tennis player Anna Smashnova’s name 41 “High-five!”

42 Melodic opera passages 45 Something a new parent might take 47 Audio engineer’s device 51 Tables in an Old West saloon, e.g.?

55 “My Gal ____” 56 Admirer’s words 57 Source of hand-me-downs 58 Unloading sign 60 The stuff of legends 61 Member of the Be Sharps, Homer Simpson’s barbershop quartet 62 Kerfuffle 64 Olympic powerhouse in boxing 65 Confuse “stem” with “stern,” e.g.

68 Claude ____, villain in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame 72 Some Dior dresses 74 Change to the Constitution first proposed in 1921, for short 75 Chess gambit employed by gangster Tony Montana?

78 Separate 80 Invite out for 81 Things that may be kicked 82 Verse, quaintly 84 English novelist McEwan 85 “Je t’____” 86 Claims that Louis XIV’s palace is better than all the other buildings in France combined?

93 In the middle of, old-style 94 Parishioner’s offering 95 Menaces to Indiana Jones 96 Really big show 98 Side in checkers 99 Not tread lightly 100 Advertising claim that usually has a catch 101 Animal with a flexible snout 102 “From my standpoint …”

105 See 22-Across 108 Most brave 109 Increase 110 Start to type?

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EDITORIAL

ADVERTISING

OPERATIONS

INTERIM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brittany Pickering bpickering@okgazette.com

advertising@okgazette.com 405-528-6000

OPERATIONS & MARKETING MANAGER Kelsey Lowe

STAFF REPORTERS Jacob Threadgill Jeremy Martin Miguel Rios Matt Dinger

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First-class mail subscriptions are $119 for one year, and most issues at this rate will arrive 1-2 days after publication.

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PUBLISHER

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Please address all unsolicited news items (non-returnable) to the editor.

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Oklahoma Gazette is circulated at its designated distribution points free of charge to readers for their individual use and by mail to subscribers. The cash value of this copy is $1. Persons taking copies of the Oklahoma Gazette from its distribution points for any reason other than their or others’ individual use for reading purposes are subject to prosecution.

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CREATIVE

CALENDAR COORDINATOR Jeremy Martin

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kimberly Lynch

PHOTOGRAPHER/ VIDEOGRAPHER Alexa Ace

ILLUSTRATOR/ GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ingvard Ashby

CONTRIBUTOR Mollie Bryant Nikita Lewchuk

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Tiffany McKnight

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3701 N. Shartel Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73118-7102 PHONE (405) 528-6000 FAX (405) 528-4600 www.okgazette.com

Nickname for the capital of the Peach State KFC order Groups of stars DOWN

1 Site of a 1920s renaissance 2 Relative of a guinea pig 3 Last innings, typically 4 Figures out 5 Sign of theatrical success 6 Subject of a fund-raiser 7 Thelma’s road-trip partner 8 Currency with a “zone” 9 Tempe school 10 Old game console, for short 11 Nickname 12 Aligned 13 Icelandic literary work 14 Where a tunnel opens 15 “You’ll ____ for this!”

16 Extra couple of numbers?

17 Tea treats 18 Mobile home not much seen nowadays 19 Bygone NYC punk club 23 Informer 27 “____ longa, vita brevis” 30 Brings from outside with great effort 31 A in physics 32 Trig ratios

33 Pack rat 34 User of the Twitter handle @ Pontifex 36 Target number 37 It’s a blessing 38 Person who helps with a crash, informally 42 Large wardrobe 43 Finds hilarious, perhaps 44 Deduce 46 A doctor might check them 48 Together 49 Full-bodied Argentine wines 50 Word often said with a drawn out “e” sound 51 Took shots 52 Single squat or crunch 53 Small goofs 54 Craft in a close encounter 59 54-Down genre 61 ____-compliant 63 Doomed to fail, for short 66 Motorcade head 67 Tender feelings 69 Debonair 70 La-la interval 71 Sierra ____ 72 Friend of Athos and Porthos 73 Smear in print 76 GoodFellas co-star 77 Onetime fad item with replacement seeds

SKULLDUGGERY LANE By Ingvard Ashby

79 Culmination 83 Songs to be played at a concert 85 Gives the nod 86 Has because of 87 Portmanteau for a TV addict 88 Inc. relative 89 ____ to go 90 Some deals from dealerships 91 Whiz 92 Church toppers 93 Completely destroy 97 Approximately 99 Hammer part 100 Half-man/half-goat 101 “Toodle-oo!”

103 South, in Brazil 104 Texted question to someone who hasn’t shown up yet 105 Automotive initialism 106 Louis XIV, e.g.

107 Key in a corner

Copyright © 2019 Tierra Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

SUDOKU EASY | N° 16432

Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. www.printmysudoku.com

Will Nediger, of London, Ontario, is a professional crossword constructor and writer of trivia questions. Since early May he has edited a free weekly online crossword for Spyscape, a spy museum in New York City. Besides an unusual theme and a more wide-open construction than usual, this puzzle has some particularly fresh, imaginative cluing, including 40-Across, 100-Across (which made us smile) and 50-Down. — W.S. NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS

Puzzle No. 0811, which appeared in the August 7 issue.

L O R D E C A R B T S A R I N A S

A U G U S T 1 4 , 2 0 1 9 | O KG A Z E T T E . C O M

ACCOUNTING/ HR MANAGER Marian Harrison

CIRCULATION MANAGER Chad Bleakley

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MARKETING ASSISTANT Kendall Bleakley

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Karen Holmes

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Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute).

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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Saundra Rinearson Godwin Christy Duane Chris White

A Z E R A

M A K E R

P R E A M B C E L O T E C H O Y A A L R M C H A H O C A L C M E I P D A E G R N N E T E N

S B E R K L M A Y A T M M O N I A R K S L A S T F L T A I M A R S F O R T H L W E O G S O O L T E D R I S T O E K A R D S P R I M R O D E M I X E D O N I S T T E T S

G O O B E R

S E G O

P R O M

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H I E M O S W O O L N D H E P A X R O M A N A

H O M O

E K E S

E X A M

T E T E

R E N E G A D E S

T O P H A R E R E A N A R U B H E P A O C T S A I D T P A R L E I M X A P I E M A R L B A R S P A T H U S T O P H O R E P I S N G

T H E M A S K

H E R E I T I S

E L R O Y

F I O N A

T O L E T

S I T N O P A P R I C E O W E A R R T A N P I E S P P H Y A R L R E E

S T A R Z

H Y D E

A C C R E T E D

Y E A R Z E R O

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MUSIC

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HOMES

ETC.

DAVE’S APPLIANCE REPAIR All makes washers, dryers, ranges, dishwashers, refrigerators, disposals.

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statewide service since 1996

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GAZETTE JOB SEEKERS

JUST SAW THIS AD! CALL 528-6000 FOR ADVERTISING INFO

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Appointment Escorts Medication Reminders Errands/Shopping/Meal Prep Light Housekeeping Experience with Alzheimer’s & Dementia Personal Care/24 Hour Care Private Pay & Insurance LIC: #HC8083

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FEATURING A 3 MONTH CALENDAR

PUBLISHING WED. SEPT. 18 Submit calendar events at okgazette.com or email to listings@okgazette.com

BUPRENORPHINE/SUBOXONE

CLASSIFIEDS

There is a lot to see and do throughout Autumn, and Gazette gives its readers direction on where to find the best festivals, shows, foods and more!

ATTENTION PUBLICITY SEEKERS!

OPIOID DEPENDENCE TREATMENT Locations in Midwest City & Edmond

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Please be sure to indicate ‘Fall Guide’ in the subject line. We do not accept calendar items via phone.

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3033 N. Walnut Ave. West Building 73105 O KG A Z E T T E . C O M | A U G U S T 1 4 , 2 0 1 9

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Oklahoma’s Largest Indoor Used Car Showroom Every Make, Every Model

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