The Studio Into the Groove

Poet and author Amena Brown discusses her new music-inspired book

By Collin Kelley

Atlanta author and poet Amena Brown is an unabashed lover of vinyl records. While vinyl has made a decidedly big comeback in the last few years, Brown held on to her collection from the 80s and has continued to add to it by frequent visits to local record shops. Her love of music and pop culture also helped define her latest book, “How To Fix A Broken Record: Thoughts on Vinyl Records, Awkward Relationships and Learning to Be Myself.”

The “memoir-esque” book, out now from Zondervan/Harper Collins, mixes all of Brown’s touchstones: music, her faith and poetry. She credits her father as the impetus behind the book.

“I was talking to my dad about some issues I was having and he said I was stuck like a needle in the groove of a record, constantly repeating,” Brown recalled. “I was stuck in the groove and needed to pick up the needle and skip ahead. It made me start thinking about how many other broken records I had in my life.”

While “How To Fix A Broken Record” offers up an inspiration and guidance for those

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who need to get unstuck, Brown uses her own life story to propel the book, writing candidly about growing up, her belief in God, finding love and her marriage. And, of course, about music.

“Music informed how I grew up and continue to grow,” Brown said, noting that the first record she ever bought for herself was Stevie Wonder’s seminal “Songs in the Key of Life.”

You can often find Brown flipping through the wax at Sunbrimmer Record in Avondale Estates, Moods Music and Wax ‘n Facts, both in Little Five Points.

Brown also remains active in the city’s spoken word poetry scene, hosting a regular open mic at Urban Grind and returning to her stomping grounds at Java Monkey Speaks at the Decatur coffeehouse on Sunday nights. She said attending open mics not only helped hone her own voice, but also helped make her a better listener when it comes to other people’s stories.

“I believe you should do more listening than talking,” Brown said. “Poetry and spoken word is being part of something bigger than yourself – it’s a communal experience.”

The stories she tells in “How To Fix A Broken Record” were a long time coming. “I had to learn to be vulnerable in the work,” she said. “It took me a long time to understand the value of my voice and to tell these stories.”

For more information, visit amenabrown.com.

Grab the Popcorn!

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival returns Jan. 24

The 18th annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) returns Jan. 24 for 23 days of movies.

More than 70 narratives and documentaries representing more than 25 countries are on the roster, which will be released in full on Jan. 4. Tickets go on sale Jan. 17 via AJFF.org.

“These are not your typical Hollywood films, where many times you have a predictable ending or know the director. While we do show all genres that moviegoers come to love through commercial films, part of the delight of AJFF is the unexpected, the surprise elements, and buying into an experience and enduring this journey not knowing exactly where it will take you,” said Kenny Blank, executive director of Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.

Some of the already announced movies include “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” and “The Cakemaker,” both of which received multiple awards at previous festivals; “An Act of Defiance,” where Dutch filmmaker Jean van de Velde explores Nelson Mandela and the segregation era of South Africa; a 25th anniversary screening of “Schindler’s List;” and for the holiday season, the musical “Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas.” Screenings will include discussions and the opportunities to socialize with filmmakers, celebrity guests, community leaders and other experts.

Blank added, “This experience is so different from the conventional festivals; we are diving into the subject matter of these films because, for our audience, the subject matter is just as important as the film artistry. We get into many important topics, timely issues, and current and historical events that need some unpacking and exploration, and perhaps further expertise and context. Just as often as we have filmmakers engaged in the Q&As, we also have academics or authors who have written on the subject and who bring further perspective.”

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Visit AtlantaPlanIt.org for more upcoming events.

Visual Arts

¡NUEVOlution!: This major exhibition at the Atlanta History Center explores the surprising ways that Latinos are shaping the South and the South is shaping Latinos. Opens Jan. 6. Free to $21.50. atlantahistorycenter.com

Line & Form: “Line & Form” features works by Melissa Mason and John Barandon at TEW Galleries. Closes Jan. 7. Free. tewgalleries.com

Reverence: “Reverence” is an exciting group show of five artists working in diverse mediums and aesthetics presented at Kai Lin Art. Closes Jan. 12. Free! kailinart.com

Siren’s Call/Fresh Produce/

Puzzling World: Visit HATHAWAY | Contemporary Art Gallery to see three separate themed exhibits. Closes Jan. 13. Free! hathawaygallery.com

Amy Elkins: Black is the Day, Black is the Night: The High Museum of Art presents this exhibition featuring seven works from a multi-layered photographic project that explores the effects of longterm solitary confinement. Tuesday through Sunday. Free to $14.50. high.org

Coiling Culture: Basketry Art of Native North America: This exhibition at Emory’s Michael C. Carlos Museum explores the intersection between material, making and meaning in the fragile basketry art of the Southeast to the Southwest and up into the Arctic. Tuesday through Sunday. $6 to $8. carlos.emory.edu

Text Me: How We

Live in Language: Delve into the many ways in which text influences art, design, literature, music and all forms of visual communication in culture today in this exhibit at Museum of Design Atlanta. Tuesday through Sunday. Free to $10. museumofdesign.org

The Soul of Philanthropy Atlanta: Groundbreaking in its focus and depth, Auburn Avenue Research Library presents an exhibit of stories of an unsung legacy of Black philanthropists, centuries-old cultural customs, and beliefs about ingenious givers carving a way out of no way. Closes Jan. 21. Free. afpls.org/aarl

Waves: Through mediums including painting, drawing, installations, artist books and mixtapes, Michael Hubbard composes a vibrant constellation of artwork in this exhibit at SCAD Atlanta.

Monday through Friday. Free. scad.edu/ atlanta

A Grand Affair: For the annual “Grand Affair” show, Huff Harrington Fine Art artists offer new works that are priced $1,000 and under. Opens Jan. 19. Free. huffharrington.com

Ancient Blue Ornament: In this exhibit at Atlanta Contemporary Art Center Kamrooz Aram utilizes painting, sculpture, and photography to examine the intersections between ornamental non-Western art that has often been deemed “minor” throughout Western art history, and Modernism with its great phobia of the ornamental. Opens Jan. 19. Free. atlantacontemporary.org

Performing Arts

Dancing With The Stars: Live!: The hottest dance show on TV comes to the Fox Theatre this winter showcasing many of your favorite professional dancers performing ballroom and contemporary dances from ABC’s hit show. Jan. 2. $56 to $121.50. foxtheatre.org

Henry Rollins: Join Henry for an intimate evening at Variety Playhouse as he tells the stories behind the photos he’s taken, from Baghdad to Timbuktu. Jan. 7. $35. variety-playhouse.com

The Lion King: Giraffes strut, birds swoop, gazelles leap: marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life by a cast of more than 40 actors in this show at the Fox Theatre. Jan. 10 through 28. $46.50 To $165.50. foxtheatre.org

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill: Pull up a chair and grab a drink for an intimate and epic evening at Theatrical Outfit with one of the greatest jazz and blues vocalists of all time – a riveting portrait of the life, the icon and the unforgettable music of Billie Holiday. Opens Jan. 11. $18 to $51. theatricaloutfit.org

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Harvin Greene

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Stephanie

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Native Guard: Alliance Theatre’s “Native Guard,” performed at Southwest Arts Center, juxtaposes the deeply personal experiences of former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey, a child of a then-illegal marriage between her African-American mother and Caucasian father living in 1960s Mississippi, with the experience of a soldier in the Native Guard, the first African-American Union troop in the Civil War who was charged with guarding white Confederate captives. Opens Jan. 13. $10 to $42. alliancetheatre.org

Menopause The Musical®: Now celebrating 14 years of female empowerment through hilarious musical comedy, “Menopause The Musical®,” presented at The Strand Theatre, has evolved as a “grassroots” movement of women who deal with life adjustments after 40 by embracing each other and the road ahead. Jan. 16 through 21. $39 to $49. earlsmithstrand. org

Cody Johnson: Cody Johnson and his band blend county and rock, creating something new while still respecting the roots of both genres and styles. See him at Variety Playhouse. Jan. 20. $20 to $23. variety-playhouse. com

Jurassic Park: For this show at Woodruff Arts Center’s Symphony Hall, audiences can experience this ground-breaking film as never before: projected in HD with a full symphony orchestra performing John Williams’ magnificent score live to picture. Jan. 20 and 21. $39 to $150. atlantasymphony.org

Tango Fire: The Tango Fire Dance Company of Buenos Aires features five couples, a stellar

Rainforest Adventures: Prepare for a wild adventure beneath a Brazilian treetop canopy, courtesy of toucans, anacondas, sloths and more presented at Center for Puppetry Arts! Opens Jan. 23. $19.50. puppet.org musical quartet, and singer Jesus Hidalgo in a performance at Rialto Center for the Arts. Jan. 21. $41 to $69. rialtocenter.org

The Jason Bishop Show – Double Levitation: From his breathtaking Double Levitation to his cutting edge Op-Art and Plasma illusions, Jason Bishop features stunning and original state of the art magic in this show at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. Jan. 21. $17 to $27. cobbenergycentre.com

In The Mood: Presented at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, “In The Mood,” a 1940s musical revue, creates a nostalgic atmosphere that transports the audience back in time – a time when everyone was singing and dancing to the same kind of music. Jan. 26. $32 to $62. cobbenergycentre.com

Big Apple Circus: The full lineup of global artists and acts, including 10-time world record-holding high wire artist Nik Wallenda and fan favorite Grandma the Clown will play in Alpharetta at Verizon Amphitheatre for a total of 50 performances. Opens Jan. 26. $25 to $93. vzwamp.com