SEFM XII ISSUE III by seveneightfive magazine

TOPEKA'S PREMIER 'ZINE FOR ART, ENTERTAINMENT, LIFESTYLE + LOCAL FLAVOR SPRING 2018 â&#x20AC;¢ Vol. XII Issue III

FREE SHIT HAPPENS

YOUR POINT OF CONTACT

For a list of "free shit happen[ings]" your St. Patrick's Day guide and more, go to seveneightfive.com

SPRING 2018 | VOL XII â&#x20AC;¢ ISSUE III

INSIDE SCOOP

16 // DIVERSITY - CULT'S LOOK BACK AT 2017 22 // KANSAS YOUNG 24 // TOPEKA JAZZ - MILESTONE 26 // STORIES THROUGH STORM 28 // LUCKY US 30 // I WENT THROUGH PUBERTY TWICE 36 // INTERVIEW WITH KS POET LAUREATE 38 // BOURBON + BOOKS 40 // LOCAL LIT: ANNETTE BILLINGS 42 // "THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS" 48 // TOPEKA ON THE MOVE - FORGE

14 TOPEKA APPAREL A dad hat to

show your local support. Plus a local shopping guide to keep your threads and wallets on point. (photo by Marcy Gonzalez III)

53 // THEATRE STITCH

PLATFORM 785. A vintage store

with history deeper then its' threads and a name suited for a magazine. (photo by Amber Farmer)

54 // HOW DOES A VEGAN TAKE THEIR EGGS?

IN EVERY ISSUE 10 // PROGNOSTICATIO w/RUP 12 // ARTITUDE: ARTIST PROFILE 32 // MUSIC + EVENTS CALENDAR 44 // FIVE THINGS TO EAT RIGHT NOW 50 // MUG SHOT @TOPEKABEER 52 // FOOD NINJA VS. HHB BBQ

COVER ART // NOAH NEFF seveneightfive print dates: MARCH // JUNE // OCT ALWAYS RELEVANT: seveneightfive.com

18 REMEMBERING THE JOLLY TROLL A mecca for rock giants and concert goers back in the '70s, located in the sticks.

YOU BUY, I FLY A locally owned

transit company offering you solutions to late night rides, fast food deliveries and more. (photo by EJ Drake)

First Friday

20 13

artwalk map

14 17

& shopping guide

GORDON

noto/north topeka STREET

15 10

Generations Antiques | 918 N Kansas The Hive NOTO | 918 N Kansas Kaw River Rustics | 901 N Kansas

AVE KANSAS

8 12 2 5

Maj-R Thrift | 2020 N Topeka Blvd Matryoshka Tattoo | 902 N Kansas

Norsemen Brewing Company | 830 N Kansas

Studio 831 | 831 N Kansas

Stutzman Leather | 840 N Kansas The Open Window | 927 N Kansas

17 10

LANE

6 4 3 9

HARRIS

WASHBURN

OAKLEY

GAGE BLVD

KANSAS

8 2 6

17TH

18 19 15

6TH

downtown topeka

7TH

2 7

712 Innovations | 712 S Kansas Absolute Design | 629 S Kansas

Boho Mojo | 631 S Kansas

First Presbyterian Church | 817 SW Harrison

Hazel Hill | 724 S Kansas H&R Block | 726 S Kansas

8TH

QUINCY

Faces by Mayﬁeld | 802 N Kansas

HUNTOON

3 11

10TH

aMUSEd Gallery | 907 N Kansas Ballet Folklorico | 814 N Kansas Creations of Hope Gallery | 909 N Kansas

9TH

15 2 22

GAGE BLVD

TOPEKA!

Wolfe’s Camera | 635 S Kansas

CALIFORNIA

westboro/midtown

Alice C. Sabatini Gallery | 1515 SW 10th Art Print Express | 1047 SW Gage (Fleming Place) Beauchamp’s Gallery | 3113 SW Huntoon Easterseals Capper Foundation | 3500 SW 10th

Josey Baking Co. | 3119 SW Huntoon

Mulvane Art Museum | 1700 SW Jewell Porterﬁeld’s | 3101 SW Huntoon

29TH

FAIRLAWN

NexLynx | 123 SW 6th Ave Prairie Glass Studio | 110 SE 8th

29TH

21ST

5 10 4

complete exhibit information at artsconnecttopeka.org

ArtsConnectTopeka

@artsTopeka

APR

MAY

Support Topeka’s art community!

Donate at: www.artsconnecttopeka.org/donate

PT’s Cafe College Hill | 1635 SW 17th Shawnee County Democrats | 5350 SW 17th Soho Interiors | 3129 SW Huntoon

surrounding 5

Glaciers Edge Winery | 1636 SE 85th (Wakarusa)

MAR

Juli's Coffee & Bistro | 110 SE 8th Leaping Llamas Artisan Shop | 725 S Kansas

2 4 10

WHO + WHERE CONTRIBUTORS TIP YOUR WRITER.

If you see or know any of these fine folks, be sure to thank them for their hard work. HINT: Scotch is always a crowd pleaser. Sunshine Blue Mandy Daniels Jeff Carson EJ Drake William Domme Rio Cervantes-Reed Amber Farmer Jennifer Goetz Marcy Gonzalez III Tobias Harvey Daryl Hendrix Martinez Hillard Benjamin Hooper Tom Krebs Michelle Leivan (ARTitude Features) Huascar Medina (Lit Section Editor) Karen Morse Noah Neff D O'Brien Gary Piland Rebecca Radziejeski Mandy Harmon-Reynolds Ashley Reynolds Niâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Col Revell Martie Rison Angel Romero Marni Schleuning Keith Van Sickle Ashley B. Wallace Liz Bell - accounting Kerrice Mapes - owner / editor

SEVENEIGHTFIVE .COM + @ GMAIL

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NUTS + BOLTS SINCE 2006: To be the premier

lifestyle guide for adults in Topeka, featuring the latest and finest offerings in both local entertainment and establishments. We seek to refine area information and offer suggestions to empower Topekans and guests with a variety of entertainment and venue choices. OUR FUNDAMENTAL VISIONS ARE: •

Create an incomparable publication rich in design and content

•

Positively impact our community

•

Give a voice to local entertainment, business and venues

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"A teen comedy, urban satire, intellectual caper and romance, all rolled into one…Plenty of charm and smarts!" -Time Out NY

Gage Park • helenhockertheater.com • 251.5990 “Intense and thrilling. The most compelling musical in years.” -New York Magazine

MENU PROClamation

MOTHER'S DAY IDEAS // BOOZY BRUNCHES BLUE MOOSE

QUINTON'S

SUNDAY | 10a-2p Buffet with traditional offerings

SATURDAY + SUNDAY | 9a-2p Nashville Brunch

MENU PROC: Bagels + Lox, Eggs Benedict Boozy Special

MENU PROC: Their homemade biscuits (on any dish) Boozy Special

$3.5 Bloody Marys + Mimosas

Mimosa Bar with fresh squeezed juices

THE BAR'N GRILL

CLASSIC BEAN

SUNDAY | 10a-12:30p Buffet with traditional offerings $10

ANYTIME

$3.5 Bloody Mary Bar [DIY]

TOPEKA CIVIC THEATRE

32ND + WANAMAKER ______________________

2121 SW BELLE AVE ______________________

Boozy Special

ANNIE'S PLACE

4014 SW GAGE ______________________

BREAKFAST CHIMICHANGA Lupita's Mexican Restaurant is open every Saturday at 8a. Must try is the breakfast chimichanga. It is an 8-inch tortilla stuffed with eggs cooked over medium and a combination of ground beef, chorizo and lots of shredded cheese, smothered with queso blanco and topped with pico de gallo. Served with rice and beans for $7.99.

SATURDAY+ SUNDAY | 7a-9p

MENU PROC: Grandma's Old Fashioned Bread Pudding Boozy Special $4 Bloody Mary + Salty Dog

FALLING WATER GRILLE

CAPITOL PLAZA HOTEL ______________________ SUNDAY | 9a-2p Buffet with traditional offerings and carving station

HUNTOON & GAGE ______________________

FAIRLAWN PLAZA ______________________

MENU PROC: Bagels + Lox 8______________________ th + OAKLEY Select SUNDAY | 12:30p Buffet catered by Aboud's - changes with each Mainstage show

MENU PROC: Carrot Cake

THE WHEEL BARREL

NOTO - 925 N KS AVE ______________________ SUNDAY | 10a-3p Handcrafted sandwiches mixing sweet and savory ingredients to kick-start your morning.

Boozy Special

$6 Bloody Mary Bar [DIY] + $4 Mimosas

THE BURGER STAND

COLLEGE HILL ______________________ SUNDAY | 11a-2p

MENU PROC: Breakfast Burger Boozy Special $4 Bloody Mary, Mimosas + Sangrias

LUPITA'S // 732 S KANSAS AVE

Prognosticatio with

Ruprecht Roosterdamus

Honk, Honk Topeka. An Uber Local, New Lyft has hit the streets.

The Psychic Chicken

2018 S

GUSTO

Rupe, Yo. Got a prob. GF is freakazoid over an old gf. Totally not an ex or future ex. Just a friend friend. How to stop the freak out? Loads of shanks. Fan Dude. Dear Fan Dude, A teensy bit of jealousy can be hot, but too much is poison. Try this: Spend time with both of them to establish who’s the GF and who’s the gf and see if the situation stabilizes. Or not. - RR ____________________________ A R I E S It might be a good time to decide if you-know-who is the one who makes yer heart go pitter patter. Life’s too short to fake orgasms half the time. Especially since yer a guy.

Kerrice Mapes | photo by EJ Drake // e drake photography

usto Transit is owned and operated by musician and entrepreneur Elvin Graves. Elvin, a driver for both Uber and Lyft, understands the demand and importance of consistent, quick transportation. But he says there are some gaps in these national services in Topeka, which was the impetus for the creation of Gusto Transit. "Gusto is more than transportation from point A to point B," explains Elvin as I conduct an impromptu interview during my first Gusto Transit experience "I want every customer to have amazing service, to have the Gusto experience." The "Gusto Experience," Elvin explains, is prompt, friendly, reliable and accurate transportation that is affordable. "That and," continues Elvin as he conveniently swings by Walgreens so I may grab a pack of smokes and soda before arriving at my destination, "I also aim to be the answer to some folks' transportation problems. Like those who need consistent transportation to youth programs, doctor's visits, etc. Gusto Transit is an alternative they can trust."

T A U R U S We’ve been over all of this before: spandex over rubber underwear can and will almost always lead to an ointment resistant rash. Besides, you already have one. And, yes, everyone knows. Well... now they do.

Obviously I'm not smoking that cig as Elvin drives me to my destination. His Gusto wheels: a KIA which is spotless. It smells amazing. Not that annoying new car smell or the offensive decorative Pinetree scent, but just - good. Clean.

G E M I N I Hmmm. Spring 2018. Is that bozo still in the White Hou... dang! Impeachment is still a few months away... Hang in there. Anyone that stupid can’t possibly last. Or can they?

Elvin isn't the only driver on Gusto's fleet, but as of printing, he is 50 percent. His goal is to build the business but in an organic, life-long client sort of way. When he doesn't have scheduled pickups for Gusto, Elvin turns on his Lyft and Uber phone / notifications, to fill the evening's gaps.

C A N C E R C’mon. It’s really all about personal style, right? Buy what’s comfortable. Wear it with pride and maybe a little panache. Then some tweenster groupie grunge-rap wannabe says something a little snarky and yer all crushed and wheezy tossing yer new duds in the trash. Really? Down with pre-pubescent style tyranny, Bucko. Revolt, I say! Revolt!

I sit in the front seat. By this point Elvin and I are family, obviously. The soundtrack playing is light and soft. It complements the car and the driver. As he precariously drives me on this snowy Christmas Eve, I learn that the sounds are of Elvin's latest solo record. [What an inside scoop.] Elvin proceeds to share, with great admiration, his strategic partners in his entrepreneurial endeavor. One of whom is his lifelong friend Josh, who works at Laird Ford, where his Gusto Kia is serviced and detailed.

Elvin and I arrive at my destination. Before exiting I communicate with him that I'll be ready to return home in a couple hours. "Whatever time is best, Miss," replies Elvin with a smile. We agreed on 1:15a and I pay him in advance. $12 round-trip. "I want my clients to feel secure. Knowing you have roundtrip transportation, no matter, from the same person, and on your scheduled timeline." Christmas morning begins to show and my Gusto Transit is waiting for me a few minutes prior to departure time, heater on. Efficiency that would make good 'ol St. Nick proud. I highly recommend Gusto Transit for all your in-town transportation needs. The security and flexibility it offers, with transparent, low fees, make it a must. Even better is their Gusto Transit item pick up and fast-eats program. Learn more at Gustotransit.com. aseveneightfive

seveneightfive magazine

| est. 2006 | seveneightfive.com

L E O 2018 off to a rough start? Yeah, I know it totally sucks, but, I’m here to tell ya that things are about to turn around big time. Are you paying attention here, Bucko? The fact yer holding on to a tiger’s tail shouldn’t really worry you until - like I just told ya - “things” are about to turn around big time... V I R G O 2018 answers for ya... 1. No, they are out to get ya 2. Yes, the shots would’ve helped 3. Maybe. Just maybe. Oh, and I still don’t know or care where ya left yer phone charger. L I B R A Ya finally made bail. That’s good. It was nip and tuck there for a bit, but all’s well that ends... wait - what month is it again? Ooooh! Sorry! This goes in the NEXT issue! S C O R P I O This is where I usually wax philosophic about the beauty and grace and (can we all just admit it?) perfection of Scorpios in every way. But not this time. No. Not this time. S A G I T T A R I U S Still with the unibrows? Sheesh. C A P R I C O R N Shave between yer brows. Do it right now. A Q U A R I U S Go ahead. Look around, then ask yerself this - Is it worth the prison time? Be honest. P I S C E S It’s that time again. Oh, don’t play innocent with me, Bucko. you know what time I mean. ___________________________

GUSTO TRANSIT

Schedule (requested) and non-scheduled (check for availability) transportation is $5 plus distance each way. For trips within the city limits, it averages to $12 (plus tip) per ROUND TRIP. 380.1279 Gusto Fast-Eats is a food pick up service, costing you $2 plus distance. Then there's Gusto Item Pick-up / Delivery. Forget leaving work to meet a package, Gusto has you. They will pick up / deliver for $5 plus $5 per 45lbs pounds / distance.

Question for the Blue Guru? Something on yer mind? Lookng for an answer to a burning (and itching) personal question? Ruprecht@PsychicChicken.com ___________________________ This issue’s pop quiz! Describe little Donnie’s love life with Melania if it was a movie: (a) A Nightmare on Elm Street (b) Aliens (c) Halloween (d) Predator (e) All of the above. I’m going with (e). – Ruprecht ;-)

#785 art

AN ABSTRACT CONVERSATION

with painter

NATHAN BIESTER

Michelle Leivan // the Artist's Artist ArtPrintExpress.com KansasArtGallery.com photo by Ben Hooper

"SELF PORTRAIT"

ith his rich imagination, a pallet of brilliant colors and inspired by opinions and debates amongst his friends, Nathan Biester brings to the canvas a visual opening that expands the narrative on popular social topics. “What amazes me is that adults will approach one of my pieces and start discussing all the formal aspects of the art. Such as color, composition, movement, line but when a child stops to look, they start seeing all the hidden details I put in there to find and they will start to ask questions and exclaim their discoveries,” said Nathan. We are bombarded with imagery every day and as adults we have trained ourselves to edit what we see. But we can still have that discovery by simply stopping and really looking.

Compelled to create to simply make connections with the viewer, Nathan recalls the moment he realized what power his art could have to ignite a spark in the mind. “There was a young lady who saw one of my pieces at an art fair. She exclaimed that it was beautiful and then proceeded to list all of the things she liked about the piece and it wasn’t

"CRAB CAKE"

what I intended,” Nathan remembers fondly. Initially taken aback, he quickly realized that his work opened up other people’s imaginations and brought out other perspectives to discuss. “Even though her ideas about the piece were not in line with my intentions, her interpretation was still spot on.” He could see exactly what she was talking about. “It opened my mind, and gave me even more purpose,” said Nathan. “Our opinions, our reactions make unexpected connections and that is a wonderful thing to witness.”

As far as I’m concerned that is the ultimate product of art - exercising the mind and opening the possibilities of a conversation. I encourage you to seek out and join the conversation with Nathan Beister online. He can be found on Instagram @natebeezzz and on Facebook @ nathanbiesterarts. But there is nothing like seeing the art in real life. So make a plan, put a day on your calendar in March when he is the featured artist at PT's Coffee Roasting Company. Bring a friend and plan to sit and sip an incredible cup of coffee, discuss what you see in Nathan’s work and exercise your minds. aseveneightfive

SCOPE

Art Fair Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series

The Artisan Series is an art competition created by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE that provides emerging artists with an international platform to showcase their work. Now in its eighth year, the series has partnered with Artsy and SCOPE Art Fair in Miami to help share artists’ work with more curators, collectors and art enthusiasts than ever before. Nathan Biester, Topeka painter, best known for his abstract work, is a national semi-finalist in the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series art competition. He placed his work against thousands of emerging artists from across the world to compete for a coveted space in the SCOPE Art Fair.

Listen Live to Hits from the 50s 60s 70s 80s wrendigitalmedia.com

Locally Owned and Operated

To advertise contact Roger at RogerR@WrenRadio.net 3601 SW 29th Suite 207 â&#x20AC;˘ STUDIO: 785.783.2151

#785 lifestyle

TOPEKA APPAREL WITH LOVE - FROM TOP CITY

Ashley B. Wallace + Tobias Harvey | photos by Marcy Gonzalez III

Topeka Apparel is a new clothing line paving the way for Topeka pride. The brand encourages individuals to express love for the capital city by raising their "Topeka Flag" in the shape of a t-shirt or ball-cap. “Over the years, I realized that Topeka doesn’t really have its own identity or brand, and is sometimes overlooked as just the capitol of Kansas," said Marcy Gonzalez, Topeka Apparel creator. “Topeka Apparel is hoping to change that by giving people something to be proud of.” Marcy is the co-owner of local ad agency create/uplift, however he chooses not to use his expertise when launching this brand. Instead of focusing on advertising, “I created this brand in secrecy to separate the two companies," explained Marcy. "We’ve done very little marketing to push the brand because we wanted to see if word of mouth still works.” Apparently, it does.

Though still in its infancy, the brand has sparked interest from Topekans young and old with it’s most popular item, the Dad Hat (above). Topeka is inscribed in a white, baseball-like font across the front of a navy ball

cap which sports a red star on the side, similar to one you would see marking capital cities on a U.S. map. The future looks strong for Topeka Apparel as Marcy is excited to deliver more colors and designs, and plans to eventually release other items like long-sleeved shirts, hoodies and beanies. “We are open to any and all suggestions – I would encourage anyone to submit their ideas and feedback to us through social media.” (@ TopekaApparel) A brick-andmortar store is not in the future plans but Marcy encourages you to watch for some pop-up shops around First Fridays this spring. “People will either love it or hate it here, and that’s fine," said Marcy about Topeka. But "this brand is for those who proudly support the city they call home: Topeka.” Find Topeka Apparel online at TopekaApparel.com aseveneightfive

Ni'Col Revell

LOCAL SHOPPING NOTES ASH BOUTIQUE

MARICEL'S

____________________

____________________ 729 S Kansas Ave M-F 10:30a - 5p

A flagship boutique offering a variety of modern / contemporary women's fashions. New items weekly. 3123 SW Huntoon M-F 10:30a - 6p shopashboutique.com

DEJA NU

Quality resale that offers high-end designer clothing and accessories. ____________________

Looking for that one special pieces? This is the place - clothing, shades, handbags and more.

RITZY'S CLOSET

Ladies clothing and accessories boutique. Their motto is "Don't try to find yourself...create yourself!"

3120 SW 29th T-F 12 - 5:30p / S 12 - 3p

____________________ NOTO / 922 N. Kansas Ave W-F 10a - 5:30p / S 10a - 4p

THE PINK SUITCASE

STUTZMAN LEATHER

Fun, personable, trendy, and more importantly, affordable clothing store. ____________________ Fairlawn Plaza M+T 10a - 5p / W-S 10a - 7p (and yes, Sunday) Su 12 - 5p

JESS + ROSIE'S

Charming boutique sure to satisfy your retail therapy needs.

____________________ 21st + Belle M-F 10 - 6p / S 10a - 5p

WANTZ

Fun, eclectic jewelry boutique offering something beyond the norm.

____________________ 3106 SW 29th T-F 11:30a - 6p / S 10:30a - 5p

Leather, leather, leather. Jackets, belts, luggage and purses. ____________________ NOTO / 840 N. Kansas Ave T-F 12 -6p / S 10a - 3p

PLATFORM 785

Specialize in vintage clothing ranging from 1900s - '80s. ____________________ 929 S Kansas Ave R-S 10a - 4p / by appt platform785.com

PRAIRIE TRADING CO.

Consignment boutique featuring pre-owned and new clothing for men and women. ____________________ Brookwood Shopping Center M-F 10a - 6p / S 10 - 5p

seveneightfive magazine

THE HUB OF TOPEKA

Apparel, accessories, gifts and home decor all from Kansas vendors. Doesn't get more local then this. ____________________ Fairlawn Plaza 7 days a week / hours vary thehuboftopeka.net

PINKADILLY

Offers a wide range of goods, from home furnishings to the latest clothing trends.

____________________ NOTO / 824 N Kansas Ave T-F 12 - 5:30p / S 12 - 3p offering shopping by appt.

UNIQUELY YOURS

Features affordable clothing and accessories for young customers. Prices as low as $4.99 and sizes ranging from XS - 5XL

____________________ Brookwood Shopping Center T-F 10a - 5p / S 10a - 4p

FINDABLES

Upscale, resale shop for women and men that benefits the programs of Midland Care Hospice and Palliative Care Services. ____________________ 4032 SW Huntoon M-S 10a - 6p *(close at 5p Mon + Sat)

| est. 2006 | seveneightfive.com

DIV ERS ITY The ARC of 2017 Tobias Harvey, CULT photos by Marcy Gonzales, CULT (far right) by Yvonne Saenz

fter countless drives east on 1-70 to party in Lawrence and Kansas City, I spent most of 2017 right here in the Capital City. Why?

I was offered quite a different nightlife than what I can remember. Sure, there is still a lack of venues and bars in Topeka - and we still don’t have an entertainment district like a Mass Street or Westport - but that didn’t slow down all the events that took place in our own backyard. So what made 2017 a different year than the rest? What made me want to stay in Topeka and keep my time and money here? Looking back, I think the answer was quite simple and generally overlooked. In years past the usual standard night out in Topeka was getting blitzed on domestic drafts while the regular bar DJ played the "Now That’s What I Call Music" ultimate collection. However, just in the past 12 months, I’ve attended rowdy block parties, sultry burlesque shows, high brow award ceremonies, and heard a rotating cast of DJs and musicians at several local spots. I felt, for the first time, I had options to choose from on a weekend night. The difference maker for me in 2017 was diversity.

One thing I have read about several times is the effort to create a diverse economy in Topeka, and doing so starts with creating more options

in our restaurants, shopping and entertainment. It shouldn’t take board room meetings and weeks of budget planning to organize some of the events that could take place. I saw some of Topeka’s youngest put on a street party equipped with a full stage, vendors, food and alcohol. I saw someone go from never organizing an event before to putting on two sold out burlesque shows at the same venue almost back-to-back. As a musician from Topeka, I was usually hitting the road toward KCMO to join up with the creatives I wanted to work with - but now those same people are asking me if they can perform at places like Quinton's and The Boobie Trap. I attended several events where people from places known for having a larger nightlife scene than Topeka actually came to Topeka because we were having unique celebrations. Alcohol of course plays a major role in many events going on in the 785, with even the Topeka Zoo hosting a popular ‘Brew at the Zoo’ each year, but aside from booze there was another strong factor powering our entertainment arena music. Topeka drew in performances from artists

hailing from Lawrence, Kansas City, Salina and more. Acoustic performances, jazz ensembles in the street, energetic hip hop acts, and high powered EDM DJs all contributed a huge part to the success of 2017. As the entertainment aspect of Topeka grows, so will our ability to attract larger acts and performances. Looking towards the future we might see why places like The Jayhawk Theatre are working hard to restore a venue capable of holding large scale shows, and why places like Quinton's Bar + Deli and The Wheel Barrel have accommodated musicians to drive business. The nightlife in Topeka has long suffered from a lack of options and organization, causing many people and their wallets to venture off. If we look back at 2017, we see prime examples of how diversity builds our entertainment scene and has a positive impact on our local economy. If we use this as a guideline for the future, you can bet more and more people will get out of their homes on weekends to enjoy what Topeka has to offer. aseveneightfive

seveneightfive magazine

| est. 2006 | seveneightfive.com

"IT SHOULDN'T TAKE BOARD ROOM MEETINGS AND WEEKS OF BUDGET PLANNING TO ORGANIZE SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT COULD TAKE PLACE."

THE GAME CHANGER - DIVERSE EVENTS [top left] CULT Halloween Bash, EDM dance party at Quinton's [above] Hot in Topeka Burlesque show performed to sold-out crowds [left / below] Rappers Stik Figa with Domineko and Dom Chronicles resurge the hip hop scene in local music venues

#785 music

REMEMBERING the JOLLY TROLL The No. 1 Boogie Spot in NE Kansas

an interview with

Nelda Rolfe, Dean Bernhardt, Sandy + Steve Rison

by Martie Rison

riving north on Highway 75, the scenery is standard for Kansas; rolling plains, corn fields and plenty of cattle. The scene inside your car is similar to many; speakers playing your favorite tunes - plenty of oldies, the lyrics to which you shockingly remember. You pass this hill, just before Holton. You know, the one that has a simple gray building with signs for Ireland Custom Exhaust and Cashier Tax + Accounting. It appears in its entirety to be just another building along the highway. But that couldn't be further from the truth. That building has history that is so much more, and those songs you've been singing along to, many of them were performed live in that very spot.

In 1972 entrepreneurs Warren and Nelda Bernhardt (now Rolfe) owned the War-Nel Center which housed Holton Astro Bowl, Fountain Blu Villa Motel and Mobile Home Estates and the Jolly Troll Lounge and Stardust Amphitheater. The couple, along with their children, operated one of the most active and impactful music spots in Northeast Kansas during the late '70s. Bringing big acts to a small town in Kansas was (is) no small feat, but they managed to do so on a regular basis. I sat down with the family (Nelda Rolfe, Sandy (Bernhardt) Rison, Dean Bernhardt and Steve Rison) and asked them to tell me more about their days at the Jolly Troll.

How did you book bands for the Jolly Troll? Sandy: Back then there was a magazine that listed every band that was on the Top 40, where they were touring and their booking agent. So, you could go through and look to see who was going to be close by and call their agent to book them. If a band was playing in Nebraska, Missouri or even Oklahoma, we’d ask them to play the Troll on a specific date for a specific amount of money. It wasn’t always easy to get them to agree to the amount we offered, but Dad [Warren] was great at playing hardball and winning them over. Who put on the best show? Dean: Limousine always put on a great show, John Roller was good, Cocky Fox, Pott County Pork and Bean were great. Steve: When you think about the national bands, the one that had the best attendance was the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Probably the most exciting for us at the time was Steppenwolf. What was it like when a national band came through? Sandy: Each band had a contract that included a list of things they needed in their dressing room. These lists were detailed right down to the brand of mustard and ketchup they wanted. Dean: And some of the things they wanted you couldn’t buy at the grocery store, or any store if you catch my drift. Sandy: Oh yeah! I remember when the Dr. Hook guys came through, they asked Dad if they could smoke in the bar while they were setting up. He told them they could do whatever they wanted in their tour bus but not in the bar. You’ve mentioned Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, what other big bands performed at the Jolly Troll? The group starts throwing out names: Steppenwolf, Earl Scruggs, Kansas (before and after they changed their name from White Clover), Head East....

Was there ever a night when everything just went wrong? Dean: (Laughing) Every night! Sandy: The night The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played we had the city fire marshal with the police out in the parking lot blocking people from coming in because they said we were too full and it was a fire hazard. People still came in, they just parked down the road or in a field and walked. What was it like working in there when it was so packed? Nelda: You couldn’t hear anything, and the lines for the bar were so long that people would come up and order a six-pack or more. Sandy: They would just hold up one, two, three, four fingers and that was how many six-packs they wanted. All you could see from behind the bar was a sea of people wanting beer. We quit serving from kegs because it took too long to pour. We would just give out cans and bottles as fast as we could. Steve: It was so loud you could set a beer can down on the table and the vibrations from the music would move it around (he said as he pointed to his hearing aids). < continued on next page

The Jolly Troll, Holton, KAN, was a hot bed for local and national rock bands from the 1970s // Dean and Sandy Bernhardt. // Warren Bernhardt (left) and Nelda Bernhardt (right). Flash Cadillac was a favorite of The Jolly Troll owners // Warren Bernhardt with daughter Sandy. Dean and friends after a show.

Nelda: Head East wasn’t at the Troll. When the acts were too big for the Troll we would have the shows at the Fair Grounds in Topeka [predecessor to the Expocentre].

You had people come to the Troll from all around Northeast Kansas, how did you get the word out each time? Dean: We used to take posters and put them up in gas stations, grocery stores, you name it. Sandy: My poster route went from Holton to Horton, all the way to Topeka, Rossville, Silver Lake, and up around Sabetha, Seneca, Hiawatha, Fairview and then back home. Steve: She used to come into my gas station in Sabetha and put posters up before I ever even knew who she was. (Our interview was on the Risons’s 39th anniversary) Sandy: Yeah he was a long-haired hippie freak. Steve: I was cute back then, wasn’t I? Can you tell me a story about hanging out with the bands? Sandy: They didn’t hang around the Troll after the shows too often. When they did it was with dad. But one summer the boys from Flash Cadillac needed a place to stay, practice and work on some songs they were writing. Dad told them they could stay in the motel and leave their equipment set up on the stage and practice all week long. One day, there was some big baseball game they wanted to see and there were no TVs in the motel rooms. Dad told them they could watch the game in our living room. At the same time, me and some of my friends were in the kitchen slicing up cucumbers to make pickles. With the boys in there, we weren’t watching what we were slicing. Dean: After that, we called them Flash Cadillac Pickles. Was the Jolly Troll a rare place? Sandy: There was Grandmother’s in Topeka and there were places in Lawrence that had music like us. Dean: Yeah, there were places that were similar, but as far as out in the sticks… no one else did that. You all have mentioned Warren (dad) many times when talking about the Jolly Troll, how much of the business was really Warren?

Nelda: Not too long ago, a local guy came up to me and told me a story about Warren. He said he had decided to take his car up to the War-Nel Center and do donuts in the gravel parking lot. Well I guess he kicked up some rocks as he was spinning around, and they hit the building. Warren came out and gave him a talking to. Warren never said another word about it, the guy never did the donuts in the parking lot again either. That’s just the way he was, he could tell you to go to heck one day and the next day you’d be his friend. Sandy: It was all dad. He had this personality that people were drawn to. He was the type of person that could tell you that you were the dumbest person in the world and you would agree and apologize for being so dumb. Dean: You’d thank him for it! Steve: He had charisma. Sandy: If someone started a fight and he came out from behind the bar, he would immediately have 10 guys behind him on his side. Dean: He would just put his hand on the shoulders of the guys fighting and say ‘guys, you don’t want to do that’. They would look at him, or the 10 guys behind him shaking their heads, and the fight was over. Steve: He made everyone that came in feel like they belonged there. It was like you were a guest in his home. He made everyone feel like it was their bar, like they had some ownership in it. That’s what makes people remember that time so fondly. You weren’t just going out to the bar to see a band, you got to go out and spend time with Warren. When I talk to people about the Jolly Troll in those days, there’s an almost reverence for the place. What is that about? What made the Troll so special? Dean: Holton was basically in the middle of nowhere. We put a nighttime entertainment hotspot out there. As it grew, we built on the Starlight Amphitheater [which more than doubled the size of the place] and people would come from miles around to see the bands. From age 18 and on, you could come out, have a beer and watch a great show. That’s what people did then, and dad made it happen in a small town. aseveneightfive

#785 lifestyle

KANSAS YOUNG

DISCOVERING THE WHO; SHARING THEIR STORIES

After being in the city of Topeka for six years, Israel Sanchez has settled into a number of respective roles husband, father and an increasingly renown polymath. With his Facebook blog, Kansas Young, he photographs and interviews fellow Topekans who share his passion for discovering what makes this city great. While he’s gifted at drawing out the stories of others, his own journey was in need of unearthing, some of which he’s done with his recently launched podcast, Espanglish. Always up for a good and challenging conversation, Israel shared his life in earnest with seveneightfive magazine. Where are you from originally? What brought you to Kansas? How did you and your wife meet?

What person proved to have the most influence on you as a kid?

I was born in Havana, Cuba and left the island when I was 11 years old to live in Miami. I was there until I met my wife online. One day, on Blogger, I decided to see who had similar interests to me around the world. There were pages and pages of results, at least a million people. I was looking to find similar bloggers and read their works. On page one of the results, I saw Elena’s photo and thought she was beautiful. I clicked on her link to learn more about her and thought she was amazing. I read her blog and left a comment, with no real intentions. She lived in Kansas and I lived in Florida, but that one comment started it all. Now, we have three kids and live here in Topeka.

The person that had the most influence on me as a kid was my uncle. Since my dad was back in Cuba, he was my father figure. It really helped that my uncle is a writer and musician, so we would spend hours talking about music, literature and life. Being able to have such meaningful conversations as a teenager, really helped to shape me into the man I am today.

What do you do for a living? I’m a Marketing Assistant at CoreFirst Bank & Trust. I do a lot of graphic design work, as well as video and social media. I really enjoy what I do and my coworkers are wonderful people.

What’s a pivotal memory for you from your childhood?

What compelled you to start Kansas Young? What keeps you motivated to continue doing it?

One pivotal memory of my childhood was when I was about to land in Miami. I left Cuba on June 1, 1995 and Cuba in the '90s was literally covered in darkness. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, which was Cuba’s main economical supporter, the country went into crisis. The government implemented daily blackouts that would last 12-15 hours. I lived in an apartment building, on the 10th floor, and would look out and see the city covered in darkness. There was no electricity for miles. So, when I was about to land in Miami in the evening, I looked out the window and saw so many lights. It was overwhelming, in a good way. It felt like a new beginning. I was scared and nervous, especially since both of my parents were still back in Cuba, but I felt hopeful. It was a new start.

Kansas Young started out of a desire to connect with other young people doing amazing work here in Kansas. I wanted to tell their stories and to showcase the talent that we have here in this state. Whenever I feature someone, I want to know about their art or business, yes, but I’m more interested in their humanity. What’s their greatest accomplishment? What’s their biggest regret? We live in such polarizing times, so I want to remind people that we’re all human and that despite our race or ethnicity, we share a lot of things in common. I hope I’m doing that with Kansas Young. < continued on next page interview with Bodye photo by EJ Drake // e drake photography

‘‘

I was born in Cuba and later in life I became an American citizen, so I'm Cuban-American. I live somewhere in the hyphen."

What can you tell me about your podcast, Espanglish? My podcast “Espanglish” is still pretty new, but I’m excited about it because it’s a platform where I can not only express myself freely, but I can formulate my thoughts on an issue. I titled it “Espanglish” because on it I cover issues that impact Latino culture and society, like the DACA situation for example and this current administration’s constant attack on the immigrant community. But I also tell personal stories and cover national politics in general. I was born in Cuba and later in life I became an American citizen, so I’m CubanAmerican. I live somewhere in the hyphen. My life is somewhere in the middle. I’m constantly being pulled in both directions.

What do you love about Topeka? What don’t you love about Topeka? What I love about Topeka is that there’s so much energy now to revitalize it, to make it a destination. A lot of that is being driven by people my age and that’s really amazing. What I don’t love as much is the recent uptick in crime. I think as a city we need to think of the bigger issues like criminal justice reform and rampant poverty and find ways to tackle those issues with honesty and real solutions. It’s easy to deem someone a criminal, but it’s a lot harder to look at ourselves and ask, “What can I do to make a difference?” aseveneightfive

THE NUTS + BOLTS KANSAS YOUNG is an interview essay /

photography series created by Israel Sanchez and features the stories of young Kansans' who Israel feels are creating and shaping our state.

KansasYoung.com

TOPEKA JAZZ HEADED TO MILESTONE SEASON Tom Wah | photo by Sean Blake

JAZZ NOTES + UPCOMING JAZZ EVENTS Thursday, March 8, 7:30pm White Concert Hall

WU Jazz Ensemble

Sunday, March 11, 3pm Ramada Inn Downtown

TJW presents Ken Pleplowski + Ehud Asherie

Friday, April 6, 7:30pm White Concert Hall

Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival Finale Concert

Sunday, April 22, 3pm White Concert Hall

TJW presents Boulevard Big Band Tuesday, May 1, 7:30pm White Concert Hall

WU Jazz Ensemble

Monday, June 25, 7:30pm White Concert Hall

Sunflower Music Festival Jazz Night

But an organization much closer to home, one with no deep-pocket benefactor like Ewing Kaufman, will be starting its 50th consecutive concert season this spring as well, and that is the Topeka Jazz Workshop (TJW). Over the years, it has brought countless top-quality acts to Topeka in addition to donating hundreds of thousands of scholarship dollars to deserving students. The scholarships are awarded to middle and high school students in order to attend jazz camps and workshops. Graduating seniors may

also receive scholarships for college tuition. Approximately $10,000 is awarded annually. Although final details for the upcoming season, which would be the Golden Anniversary if you were talking weddings, are not available for this issue, they will be released soon, as the first show is in August. Special event ideas being considered are a gala concert and a fundraising concert featuring scholarship recipients and well known past artists who’ve graced the TJW stage. Look for all the news in the #785Weekender. There are several things you can count on, however, with the most important one being the amazing acts that will cross the TJW stage. Nearly all of the acts for the Golden Anniversary

season will be the “best of the best” of past seasons, which will make for a fantastic array of jazz artists from across the nation. Steve Waugh is the current TJW president and has been involved in the organization for 15 years. Other officers include: Ralph Krumins, Linda Fund, Debra Ricks, Duane Fager, Ken Softley and Jerry Goodell. Lorne Ruby, Ryan Simpson, Liz Stratton, Dr. Craig Treinen and Connie Willett comprise the board of directors. (Treinen, a member of the Washburn University faculty, has appeared on the TJW bill and is as a member of the Santiago Brothers.) Steve said, “During my three plus decades in Topeka I’ve been associated with many arts groups. I truly believe

the TJW and its Topeka Jazz Concert Series is one of the important jewels in Topeka’s arts and entertainment crown. I don’t believe there is any other concert series that routinely brings as many GRAMMY winners and nominees to town as we do. It’s a privilege to get to know them and to bring their music to Topeka and NE Kansas. Join us…you won’t regret it!” The last two shows of the current season are March 11, Ken Pleplowski and Ehud Asherie, and April 22, the Boulevard Big Band. For more information, including the opportunity to become a member, visit TopekaJazz.com and connect on Facebook @topekajazz. aseveneightfive 25

eaching fifty years of any endeavor is no small feat. Heck, the Royals, for as long as we've perceived them to been around, just started their 50th season.

#785 music

"I'VE BEEN WAITING, FOR WHAT SEEMS LIKE A DECADE, FOR A BAND TO COME BACK AND GRAB THIS CITY BY THE BALLS. THAT BAND IS HERE, AND THEIR TIME IS NOW."

rom the eye of a storm, a riff driven metal behemoth of a twister is forming in the breadbasket of Topeka. The precision, the skill, the talent that exists in this band hasn’t been seen in the 666-zip code since the hay days of bands that paved the way for these young chaps. Growing up in the local metal scene, I felt it was the norm to enter a mosh pit to the backdrop of local legends Origin, Diskreet, Unmerciful. As a 38-year-old man, my life has always revolved around the Topeka Metal scene starting as a vocalist in Trip Hop Children, and booking many national musical acts at Static Bar. I’ve been waiting, for what seems like a decade, for a band to come back and grab this city by the balls. That band is here, and their time is now. Stories Through Storms is hitting the scene harder than an F4 Twister in a trailer park.

STORIES THROUGH

STORMS HITTING THE METAL SCENE HARDER THAN AN F4 TWISTER IN A TRAILER PARK. Noah Neff | photo art by Noah Neff

Formed from the ashes of the band Fall Through amid a few other unsuccessful attempted projects, vocalists Storm Ruby and Austin Spencer-Androes with the recording mastery of guitarist Nick Thornton are at the core of Stories Through Storm. Over the past few years, they have been piecing together a juggernaut. There have been guitarists and drummers that come and go, for when it comes to the cohesion of a Technically Brutal Metalcore band, the pursuit of perfection is everything. With the formula finally in place, the chemistry set of metal mastery is on the table. Stories Through Storms is metalcore, a niche genre of metal. If you threw Anthrax in a blender with Slayer, Hatebreed, Metallica, and Pantera and injected some early millennial Screamo angst and then doused it in a coma inducing amount of methamphetamines; you might have a somewhat hazy description of what defines the groove oriented, progressive style Stories Through Storms brings to the stage. My first introduction to the band came last October, on the way to DJ a wedding in the middle of nowhere Kansas with my assistant and best friend Matthew Ensley. I remember the excitement in his voice when he said “DUDE, you have to plug in my iPod and check these guys out, they are frickin’ phenomenal!” We listened to the track “Rage featuring Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills” and I was blown away. After the song ended, we continued down a long country road and I went on to thank Matt for showing me another great metal band. With excitement still looming in his voice, he says “DUDE, you’re NOT going to believe this, but these guys are from TOPEKA!” Being the local music aficionado that I think I am, I’m taken back by the idea that 1) a band exists of that caliber of talent and 2) they are from my hometown and I’ve never heard of them.

Even after listening to them some more, I had my doubts that Matt was being truthful about the band's origins. It was too good to be true. I had been waiting for so long, been to countless shows at the Boobie Trap and yawned my way through the set of many a local metal band. Sure, some were “Okay,” but Stories Through Storms were on a different level. My next thought, “Anyone can sound good on a recording, how will they sound live?” My answer arrives mid-November; a call from Matt. In his normal Matt-like excitement, I answer reluctantly, “Hello...” “DUDE," Matt replies, "Stories Through Storms is playing tonight in Topeka”. Tired from a 10 hour Saturday shift at a packed well known mobile carrier store selling iphones and flip phones to random strangers on my feet all day, I reply with matching intensity, “Yes, dude, let’s go check them out!” It takes a fire alarm to get me out of the house after arriving to my bed after a day like that, but I couldn’t miss the opportunity. I’v watched the cloud filled Kansas skies for too long. This was a storm I had to chase. We arrive at J+J Gallery in NOTO, the stark contrast of a mid-November Kansas weather pattern quickly juxtaposes into a steam filled sauna, inducing a spectacle lens fog situation. I’m 22 again, standing room only, 100 plus kids packed in tight. Storm takes the stage and they go into a brutal intro layered by thick chugging guitars, down-tuned bass lines, and crisp snare and bass drum rhythms. Dueling vocalists Storm and Austin start in. Smiling ear to ear, I think to myself, “Real metal music is back in Topeka.” aseveneightfive

VOCALS // STORM RUBY + AUSTIN SPENCER-ANDROES GUITAR // NICK THORNTON + RIVER DUNAWAY BASS // ANTHONY ESTES

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW seveneightfive.com WITNESS THE STORM MARCH 24 // THE TRAP

#785 film Kat Keyes and Dané Shobe have more than just luck on their side. These two hilarious and thoughtful entertainers co-created “Lucky Us,” an odd-couple comedy web series that is based on their real-life friendship Kat and Dané share. I personally feel super cool, if not lucky, just to be acquainted with the pair. Ashley Wallace + Kerrice Mapes photo by Megan James // Megan Rogers Photographie

"Lucky Us" is an odd couple comedy based on the real-life friendship of Kat Keyes and Dané Shobe, who are also the co-creators of the series and play the fictionalized versions of themselves. Joined by other Kansas based actors and musicians - the nine-part series was filmed entirely in Lawrence and Topeka and debuted on New Years Day 2018.

"When I am down, she is up. Where she is order, I am chaos. She loves drinking tea. I think it tastes like dirt water. Dirt! Water!" said Dané about Kat and their real life / on-screen relation. The mismatch between the two lends to a yin-and-yang style of conversations and situations that are pure enjoyment. If you like the silly yet sincere vibe of "The New Girl" then you'll love "Lucky Us." Binge watch immediately, it will only take you two hours, but you'll be laughing all day. From pun-induced "Episode Seven," which features Oscar-worthy performances by Braxton Hunt and Dané, to "Spider Socrates" where Dané relies on Kat's nonchalant bravery to defeat an evil spider (feminine power!), you'll laugh, relate and appreciate the writing, directing and talent. Lucky you. How did the name ‘Lucky Us’ come about? Does it hold any meaning? DANÉ: Naming this thing was tricky. I mean, I was content to call it "Kat and Dané," due to my big ol' ego, which I feel could always be bigger...Kat, however, insisted on something more meaningful. "Lucky" is a song Kat and I have been known to sing at karaoke joints and we felt "Lucky Us" could be interpreted in many different ways; be [it] ironically, sarcastically and/or sincerely - which is very fitting for our show. What inspired you to start the web series? DANÉ: It was actually Kat's idea. She and I had been involved with a number of projects that seemed to fall apart due to one or two people losing interest in their involvement. After growing frustrated, Kat came to me and more or less said, “Hey, you and I have a very unique friendship. How about we just do a show based on us?" She knew that I wouldn't back out, and that she wouldn't back out, so as long as we pretty much only had to rely on each other, this thing would happen. We began planning in 2014, and started filming in 2016. Fifteen months later, we had a web series in the can. I would like to note that her husband, Blake Kresge, has been indispensable in this project; he handled 99.9 percent of the filming. KAT: Have you ever shared a hilarious moment and thought: "If this were on a TV show, I bet people would watch it"? I have moments like that all the time. I've written them down and squirreled them away for as long as I can remember. I don't think I'm alone in having that thought, or particularly unique or special in thinking that my friends and family are some of the most brilliant people around. I'm just the right combination of having a great memory and being neurotic enough to keep an organized record of the things that amuse me. I'm incredibly fortunate to know some remarkable people who support me creatively and help keep my ideas rolling...and I'm something of a magnet for attracting ridiculous circumstances.

WATCH: "Lucky Us" LuckyUsShow.com What's the impetus / goal for the show?

Kat: The show has multiple goals: To show that independent arts and entertainment projects can be produced right here at home; and to see a long time passion project come to life. And to talk about socially relevant issues while hopefully still entertaining people. You guys did a great job highlighting different issues in the show, such as race and body image. Why was it important to include them? DANÉ: As a show created by a woman and a black man, social issues were pretty much in the plan from the start, as they’re a part of our everyday life experience. Social issues are very important to both of us, and we believe that raising awareness and highlighting them are key to resolving them. What do you want the take-away to be for viewers? KAT: Whatever your 'thing' is - do it. You might have one shining thing you love to do, you might have many. Your form of creation may be to parent and raise the best children you can, it may be introducing a new or better way of doing things at work, you may be passionate about starting important discussions in your community, or maybe you need to get on it and write the great American novel sitting dormant within you. People seldom believe they're creative, and I couldn't disagree more. Everyone is. It doesn't have to be traditional art to be a work of art. Whatever you're called to do, do it, and do it well. And if you have a lot of things that inspire you, pick one and go. That first creation will just lite a fire for the creation of the next and the next. What has been your favorite part of this experience? DANÉ: Hands down, my favorite part has been seeing and reading the reactions to each episode. People have been so incredibly supportive. I looked forward to that every week. It made me want to tell these people stories forever. What are your future plans? KAT: For the show? We have our beginning, middle, and end planned out. I plan to see the show through that arc, striking a balance between not letting it end prematurely (there are a lot of roadblocks to independent ventures) or letting it linger on because we love doing it. In general? I want to produce a film someday. I have a couple of book ideas. I'd like to have a koi pond in my back yard. And one day I will convince my husband to adopt a menagerie with me, including but not limited to a chameleon, a parrot, a myotonic goat, a hedgehog and another cat and dog. I'd also really like to successfully grow pumpkins this year. It would be cool to carve jack-o-lanterns from pumpkins I grew myself. Will there be a second season? DANÉ: Definitely! Dané Spencer and Kathryn Kaine have a lot more of their story to tell, and we're extremely excited to tell that story. Stay tuned, darlings. aseveneightfive

#785 lifestyle

GOING THROUGH PUBERTY TWICE My friend Luke. His female-to-male story. Daryl D. Hendrix photo by Bita Porubsky

uke went through puberty twice, first as a girl, then as a boy, after he started taking hormones. “The second time was a lot better,” Luke said. “I got excited when my voice cracked, and when I started to smell different,” though he adds that excitedly telling friends that you smell bad is kind of a conversation killer.

Luke is transgender. Most importantly, he is my friend. He was assigned female at birth but has always known, even before he could articulate it, that he is male. His journey has been challenging, and he suffered from depression for many years as a result. But he is now a confident, happy, inspiring young man. Born August 10, 1992 as Lauren, Luke had a nice, normal childhood, a wonderful and supportive mother,

Mary Beth, and an amazing circle of friends. He came out as a lesbian in 2011, thinking it would lift the weight of all his crazy thoughts, but something still wasn’t right. Living with anxiety and depression and even thoughts of suicide, there was a piece of the puzzle that just didn’t fit. Fast forward to 2016 – Luke comes out to mom as transgender with an interesting conversation. Mom had asked him what he wanted for his birthday, and Luke sent her a link for a binder. Binders typically come in tank top length and half-length, and are made out of special material that presses the breast tissue down without becoming dangerously restrictive. Mary Beth just replied with, “Ok.” Luke asked her if she knew what she had agreed to buy him. Mary Beth said she did not, and Luke told her he was on his way over.

‘‘

Going through puberty the second time was a lot better...I got excited when my voice cracked."

Sexual orientation among transgender people is equally varied. Luke identifies as straight. He has dated and continues to date females.

When the binder arrived, Luke tried it on in front of Mary Beth and asked if she could tell the difference. “Oh my god, yes,” Mary Beth replied. Luke told his mom he needed to see a therapist, as is standard procedure before one can start hormone replacement therapy and testosterone. LUKE HAD EMERGED. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) of the female-to-male (FTM) type and sex reassignment therapy are used to change the secondary sexual characteristics of transgender and transsexual from feminine (androgynous) to masculine. Referred as “cross-sex hormone therapy” (HXT) or “hormone therapy,” it is one of two types of HRT (the other being male-to-female). Some intersex people also receive this form of HRT, either starting in childhood to confirm the assigned sex, or later if the assignment proves to be incorrect. The purpose of HRT is to bring forth the development of the desired secondary sex characteristics, such as voice deepening, a masculine pattern of hair and fat/muscle distribution. It does not undo many of the changes produced by naturally occurring puberty, which may necessitate surgery and other treatments. The medications used in HRT of the FTM type include, mainly, androgens (namely testosterone) and GnRH analogues.

Most importantly, Luke has taught me that we all need to educate ourselves and develop tolerance towards transgender individuals. He is a person with tremendous courage and integrity, but he has been forced to deal with a more difficult set of decisions than most of us, and with societal discrimination. Personally, as a gay man who has had to fight for rights and

Thanks to the hard work of parents, youth, educators and state equality advocates, many states and local school districts have adopted antidiscrimination and anti-bullying laws and policies that explicitly include gender identity and expression, as well as developing specific policies and training that spell out what nondiscrimination means for trans students.

"THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MY STORY. IF I CAN INFLUENCE ONE OTHER PERSON TO LIVE AUTHENTICALLY, I FEEL LIKE I'VE DONE MY PART!" -LUKE SHOEMAKER

Introducing exogenous hormones into the body impacts it at every level and many patients report changes in energy levels, mood, appetite, etc. The goal of HRT, and indeed all somatic treatments, is to provide patients with a more satisfying body that is more congruent with their gender identity. Medically, a transgender person can choose to pursue hormonal treatment and/or surgery in order to bring the biological sex closer to the gender identity, though medical intervention is not necessary in all cases. For Luke, the surgical options include removal of the reproductive organs, “top surgery” (mastectomy) or “bottom surgery” (construction of male genitalia). For now, Luke has chosen to pursue hormones, removal of his uterus and ovaries and top surgery, but doesn’t feel that he needs to have bottom surgery. He stresses that this is a personal decision, and that no two people are the same.

acceptance, even I truly did not have an understanding of the transgender struggle. For a long time, the most prominent nationwide gay-rights organization was the 35,000-member National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, which grew out of the scruffy radicalism of the old GAL (gay and lesbian)-liberation movement. But

_________________________ As I finished up my interview with my friend Luke, my 75-yearold Mumsie was outside of the restaurant. I hugged her and introduced Luke. They hugged and my heart swelled. After Luke left, I explained the story to Mumsie. Her reply: ‘I don’t give a shit, I felt a great soul.” aseveneightfive

While HRT cannot undo the effects of a person’s first puberty, developing secondary sex characteristics associated with the desired, opposite gender can relieve some or all of the distress and discomfort associated with gender dysphoria, and can help the person to “pass” or be seen as the gender with which they identify.

I have learned a tremendous amount from Luke. I better understand that people are born with a biological sex and gender identity, and these don’t always match. Trying to ignore one's gender identity, or to force it to align with one’s biological sex when it doesn’t feel right, is painful and psychologically detrimental. To feel whole, gender identity must be embraced, but when there is incongruity between biological sex and gender identity, as is the case for transgender individuals, society doesn’t make it easy.

after 25 years, it still has virtually no lobbying presence on Capitol Hill. In the later 1980s, the AIDS epidemic brought forth the streettheater militancy of ACT UP, and in 1990 the in-your-face tribalism of Queer Nation. “We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it” was an interesting statement of the facts. But the cutting edge of GAL politics threatened to cut gays off altogether from the give and take of lawmaking. Growing up in the '70s, '80s and '90s there wasn’t a lot of tolerance for gays and lesbians. How the hell can our transgender youth deal with the complexities of navigating this sociopolitical climate with all the adversity facing them in their daily lives? The horrible and alarming suicide rates among this demographic reflect the severity of this issue.

#785 weekender

a curated list

LIVE MUSIC EVENTS YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS // #785WEEKENDER

SOUL REBEL + THE BEAST // MARCH 17 // THE LANDING

MARCH 23

Aaron Woods Band // The Trap Mike Love / Jungle Man // The Bottleneck

Compass and Cavern // The Trap The BelAirs // Uncle Bo's

MARCH 7

MARCH 24

The Aquaducks / Cory Phillips + The Groove Machine // The Bottleneck

The Anchor / Stories Through Storms / Our Lives Yesterday // The Trap

MARCH 9

MARCH 25

Bobby Messano // Uncle Bo's

MARCH 10 Ex Bombers / Witch Jail // The Trap Mitch McVicker // First Free Methodist Church Rough and Tumble // Last Minute Folk / Jayhawk Theatre

MARCH 11 Ken Peplowski and Ehud Asherie // Topeka Jazz Workshop / Ramada Inn (3p)

Grind Hard or Starve Tour // The Trap

KARAOKE monday

Gayle's The Brass Rail

TUESDAY

Hookah House

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

The Brass Rail Skinny's

friDAY

Skinny's The Dugout

SATURDAY

The Dugout The Burger Stand

SUNDAY

The Trap Wild Horse Saloon

Rock // V100

APRIL 14 // KANSAS EXPOCENTRE

MARCH 29 Biskit of Rhyme / Big Hooch / Infamous // The Trap

MARCH 30 The Schwag (2 Nights) // Uncle Bo's

MARCH 31 The Bishops with DJ S. Ranx // Celtic Fox The Schwag (2 Nights) // Uncle Bo's

APRIL 6

Egemen Sanli // Grace Cathedral Sampere / Blue Dream // The Trap

The Symbols // Uncle Bo's

APRIL 7

MARCH 15

The Mental Music Scene - Varies // Lake Shawnee Clay Hughes + Company // Norsemen Brewing Co. Geek$quad "The High School Jump Off" // Hillcrest Community

Deux Voix // Aldersgate Village

MARCH 16

Center

Heart Strings // VFW #1650

The Expanders with DJ S. Ranx // The Bottleneck

MARCH 17

APRIL 13

University

SKILLET + FOR KING & COUNTRY

Young Cam Da Don // Topeka Sports Cabaret

MARCH 13

Samantha Fish // Uncle Bo's Deux Voix // On Stage Live / White Concert Hall, Washburn

The Trap

MARCH 6

Delta Haze // Gayle's Soul Rebel + the Beast // The Landing

MARCH 20 Sutherlin // The Trap

Kingfisher / Eleven After / My Cousin Steve // The Trap

APRIL 14 Skillet + for King and Country // KS Expocentre After The Revolution - Topeka Symphony Orchestra // White Concert Hall, WU

APRIL 15 Side Street Stutters // On Stage Live / Tpac

seveneightfive magazine

| est. 2006 | seveneightfive.com

MUSIC CALENDER APRIL 7 // LAKE SHAWNEE

APRIL 18 Cigarettes After Sex // The Bottleneck\

APRIL 19 Layzie Bone of Bone Thugs n Harmony // Topeka Sports Cabaret

Papadosio // The Granada

APRIL 20 Heart Strings // The Classic Bean

APRIL 21

MAY 4 Max Fred Band // The Wheel Barrel MAY 5 Max Fred Band // The Wheel Barrel Created To Kill // The Trap Delta Hazel // The Classic Bean (Fairlawn) Broadway Revolution - Topeka Symphony Orchestra // White Concert Hall, WU

Lee Ann Womack // Prairie Band Casino + Resort

38 Special // Prairie Band Shooter Jennings // The Granada

MAY 6 Calum Sayers // The Wheel Barrel

APRIL 22 Boulevard Big Band // Topeka Jazz Workshop / Ramada

MAY 9 Digitour: Arctic Lights // The Bottleneck

APRIL 24

MAY 22

Heart Strings // The Classic Bean

Egemen Sanli // Grace Cathedral

APRIL 27

MAY 26

Sauce w/Lyrick Reddick and IK // The Trap

Saddle of Southern Darkness + Dig Deep // The Trap

MARCH 16

Capital City Carnage Demolition Derby // Kansas Expocentre

MARCH 24

Roller Derby -Capital City Crushers // Sk8away

FIRST FRIDAY COMEDY

TopCity Comedy //

photo by EJ Drake

TRY SOMETHING NEW

PARTY FOR A CAUSE PAWS IN THE PARK

APRIL 7 | Topeka West | 10a-2p A benefit for Helping Hands Humane Society THE VIBE: Family friendly party with multiple paws, food, inflatables and pet contests. THE DETS: Be sure to practice your pet tricks and get a great costume for you and yours. Tickets are $15 GA / $25 VIP

The Break Room

APRIL 6 + 7

Smoke on the Water - Osage BBQ Fest // Osage

APRIL 6 - 23

Tulip Time // Old Prairie Town

APRIL 7

Springfest // WestboroMart

APRIL 7

APRIL 21 | Downtown | 9-11a Awareness of Downtown Topeka Inc. percent of proceeds to Boys + Girls Club THE VIBE: Get a new perspective on the downtown core as you feel the thunder of cars and trucks overhead as you travel under I-70 and experience the sway of bridges as you cross the Kansas River. THE DETS: 5K Registration $25 / $35 day of

Roller Derby -Capital City Crushers // Sk8away

DESIGNER'S SHOWHOUSE

APRIL 14

A benefit for ChildCare Aware (ERC) THE VIBE: Designers and craftsmen transform a home in a matter of months. We get to view the home in its' splendor and see the unique design perspectives. One lucky person will get to live in the home (lucky meaning that person purchased the home something new this year.) THE DETS: Plan to visit the Showhouse during one of their themed event nights including beer tasting, wine tasting or Ladies night. ERCRefer.org

Topeka Pride Trivia // The Break Room

APRIL 21

Romeo + Juliet performed by Midwest Ballet // TPAC

APRIL 22

Blintze Brunch // Temple Beth Sholom

MAY 11 + 12 Laugh Lines //

Topeka Civic Theatre

JUNE 2 + 3 GermanFest //

Sacred Heart Catholic Church

JUNE 2 + 3

Mountain Plains Mulvane Art Fair // Washburn University

JUNE 8 - 16

Sunflower Music Fest // White Concert Hall / Washburn University

BRIDGE 2 BRIDGE

APRIL 21 - MAY 13 | 1551 SW Westover Rd

CONCEALED REVEALED ART AUCTION APRIL 27

A benefit for YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment THE VIBE: Concealed Revealed was conceived by a group of Washburn University art students in 2004 as a way to involve the art community in the effort to stop violence against women. The auction has raised nearly $120,000 to date. In addition to raising funds, the event serves to raise awareness about domestic and sexual violent. The artists reveal this violence to the community through their art, in order to empower survivors. THE DETS: Governors' Row Houser. Tickets are $55

ROAR + POUR WINE FEST APRIL 28 | Topeka Zoo | 6-10p

A benefit for the Topeka Zoo THE VIBE: Drink some vino by a rhino. Devour food next to a lion. Dance to the sounds of Funk Syndicate with your flamingos. Delight in animal/artist collaborations. THE DETS: Over a dozen wine and food vendors will be showcased along with local artists / animal collaborations. Food vendors provide appetizer and dessert samplings. Tickets are $20 DD / $45 GA / $75 VIP

ART OF MURDER

JUNE 8 | NOTO | 5:30-8:30p A benefit for Topeka Civic Theatre THE VIBE: Try and figure out whodunit as you watch a murder mystery unfold in NOTO over multiple stages. Enjoy food and drinks from over a dozen vendors throughout the night. THE DETS: Tickets go on sale April 8. Upgrade to VIP (everyone does) and enjoy an after-party at Norseman Brewing Co. (more food and drink) Tickets are $60 GA / $85 VIP

TAP THAT - A CAPITAL BREW FEST JUNE 23 | Downtown | 5-8p

A benefit for Downtown Topeka Inc. THE VIBE: Outdoor beer sampling event with local foods and info. tables on the process of brewing. THE DETS: Sample nearly 300 craft beers (if you could) from 50 breweries. Tickets are $10 DD / $35 GA / $65 VIP

seveneightfive.com For more philanthropic events, concerts, art shows, drink and food specials and more!

seveneightfive magazine

BLUES IN THE PARK Gage Park Amphitheater | 7-9p | FREE

Featuring a youth group or solo/due to start the show. Featured acts listed below. Funded by Topeka Blues Society.

MAY 16

Ric Barron Band

JUNE 20

Ghost Town Blues Band / Kara Grainger opening / 10 year anniversary for Topeka Blues Society celebration

JULY 18

Heather Newman

| est. 2006 | seveneightfive.com

EVENTS LAYZIE BONE from Bone Thugs n Harmony // Deuce Alley Productions

MAX FRED BAND (MFB)

APRIL 19 // TOPEKA SPORTS CABARET

Bluegrass

MAY 5 // THE WHEEL BARREL

THE ANCHOR / STORIES THROUGH STORMS / OUR LIVES YESTERDAY Metalcore

MARCH 24 // THE TRAP

CALUM SAYERS Acoustic (show starts at noon)

MAY 6 // THE WHEEL BARREL

COMEDY

SID DAVIS APRIL 6 // THE LAZY TOAD

WILL C MARCH 22 // THE 20s

REOCCURRING MUSIC TUESDAY

SATURDAY

Every other: Jam // Quinton's

Third Sat/mo: Clay Hughes + Co.

Live

// Norsemen Brewing Co.

THURSDAY

SUNDAY

Open Jam // The Lazy Toad

Open Jam // Speck's Tavern

Friday

(all ages 5-9)

First Friday Jars + Jams // J+J Gallery Bar

#785 lit Over a decade ago, I met Kevin Rabas at Washburn University. I was a college freshman and he had just given a reading. I waited in line, with a lot of questions and very little money. He answered them all, then handed me a free copy of his live studio album “Last Road Trip” a poetry and jazz collaboration with saxophonist Josh Sclar. Ever since,

TRAV ELING IN A STATE OF POETRY An Interview // Poet Laureate of Kansas

KEVIN RABAS Huascar Medina | photo by Dave Leikerx

it's been all jazz and poetry for me and I’m still asking him questions. You are the current Poet Laureate of Kansas; the state’s sixth poet to hold the position. How did you attain the position and was it something you aspired to become?

I encounter a large number of people who are unaware that our state has a poet laureate, why should it matter to them? Do you see poetry as beneficial for every Kansan?

There’s a selection process based on a number of factors, including commitment to writing and publishing poetry (a kind of seriousness) and an established pattern of spreading the word about poetry, the arts, and humanities across Kansas. Then, there’s a run-off, where the final two poets give a speech and Q+A session. This is the first year that I made it to the run-off. I’ve always dreamed of being able to inspire larger groups, when it comes to poetry. Poetry has really saved me, and it has also granted me a place in academia. I don’t take that for granted. I want to help others grow through the study and writing of poetry, whether they take poetry writing and the teaching of poetry on as a job or as a hobby.

Like any art form, poetry is important. Poetry can teach us a lot. It can be a “window” and reveal things outside of ourselves and our experiences or it can be a “mirror” and show us things we had not thought about when it comes to the self and our own lives.

What does the role entail and waht do you foresee as your primary focus on the state of poetry in Kansas? As Poet Laureate of Kansas, I’m a spokesperson and advocate for poetry—and the arts and humanities— in our state. I love it. It’s a dream role. So, I travel across the state fairly regularly, giving talks, readings, and presentations about poetry, the arts, and humanities. Also, I have a number of initiatives, including a Letters to a Young Poet project, where more experienced poets mentor new or developing poets, and the “greatest hits” from those conversations will be published in an anthology. One of my main messages is that everyone can write and enjoy poetry, and through that process people can notice and cherish the extraordinary in the ordinary. Poetry, whether we read it or write it, helps us to more fully observe the world around us. One of the “quotables” from my main talk goes something like this: Poet Naomi Shihab Nye says, “Poetry helps us to see something worth seeing everywhere, whether inside or outside of us.” In this way, poetry helps us to see the value in everything and the beauty in everything. It reminds us that every little bit of our lives is meaningful, and not only the outside world—what we can see—but also our inner lives: our thoughts and our emotions.

Kansas is a place of poets, right now. There are a number of strong poets here and as a living, growing art form, poetry seems very healthy in our state. Who are some Kansas poets we should be reading? What are your thoughts on the poetry coming out of Topeka? Although he’s in NYC now, Kevin Young is a former Topekan, and I just finished one of his books a few months back, "Book of Hours," which begins with the death of his father and ends with the birth of his son. It’s a cycle of grief and joy. Other poets I’m reading right now and I think others might like: Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Kim Addonizio, Tim Seibles, Thomas Lux, Scott Cairns, Traci Brimhall, Claudia Rankine, Fred Moten, and Nikky Finney. Topeka seems to have a vibrant artistic scene, including a scene for poetry. I love coming here to read and watch and listen. Topeka has so very many strong poets, past and present, including (but certainly not limited to) Nick Twemlow, Ben Lerner, Kevin Young, Ed Skoog, Anne Boyer, CA Conrad, Cyrus Console, Gary Jackson, Leah Sewell, Matt Porubsky, Dennis Etzel Jr., and Eric McHenry. And you. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg; there are many many more. You currently chair the Department of English, Journalism and Modern Languages at Emporia State. You’ve stated that you choose to teach and write in Kansas, why is this important to you? I love and admire Kansas. My line in Kansas goes back several generations, with many of my people settling around the Lake Wilson area. There is so very much to discover here, when it comes to KS, the land and its people. I get to discover more during my laureate trips.

You have published seven books of poetry, most recently, “Late for Cymbal Line” a collection of poems and stories from Local Gem Press in 2017. The first book of yours I read was “Bird’s Horn & Other Poems” (Coal City Review 2007). Do you have any thoughts on your work’s progression from “Bird’s Horn” to now? I started mainly as a narrative poet, telling stories in verse. As time progressed, I branched out, and I also write lyric, meditative, and confessional poems now. Lately, I’ve also written a number of ekphrastic poems, poems about art. Beyond mode, I work diligently to hone my craft, to capture the loose and free speech of our state, but also to compress and condense what I find so that the poetic moment is chiseled and clean and abrupt. I work to focus what I find.

"POETRY HAS REALLY SAVED ME, AND IT HAS ALSO GRANTED ME A PLACE IN ACADEMIA. I DON'T TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED."

I think of your poem, “Those quarter note triplets” from “Sonny Kenner’s Red Guitar” (Coal City Review 2013). It made me go listen to Charles Mingus’ “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat.” How has being a jazz percussionist influenced your writing? Jazz is one of my primary loves and passions. There was a time when I almost paid my rent as a jazz drummer. I used to do a monthly gig at The Cup & Saucer in the KC River Market (1999-00). Josh Sclar was on sax, and I was on poems and drums. I learned a lot about how to read and perform for an audience during that time. It influenced not only how I read out, but also how I wrote. I’d say the words aloud as I typed them, back then. And I wrote to attune to what Josh was doing on sax. Every poetry book title of yours references music. How would you describe your poetry musically? My first book editor/publisher Brian Daldorph encouraged me to run with the idea of writing about jazz and to try foregrounding jazz in my writing. I still follow his advice. I have what some might call a jazzy style, a style influenced by jazz music--its cadences, its democratic freedom, and, at times, its sense of urgency. I feel humbled and honored to be a small part and proponent of one of America’s greatest art forms, jazz, an art form rooted in African American experience, but also open to all those willing to apprentice to that tradition and sense of craft. At least that is how I see it. Care to share some parting words?

Also, get out and hear some poets live. It’s like nothing else. aseveneightfive

"KANSAS IS A PLACE OF POETS, RIGHT NOW...AS A LIVING, GROWING ART FORM, POETRY SEEMS VERY HEALTHY IN OUR STATE." 37

Everyone can enjoy poetry. Search until you find the poets you like. Then read them. And many times studying one poet intensely will lead you to a group of other poets you also like. Then another. And on it goes.

get lit

BOURBON AND BOOKS

dults

earls of wisdom from your mother's shell don't truly shine 'til your 30s, at least that's my truth. After the initial disapproval/ denial/shock that I was becoming my mother- as of this last birthday - I've started embracing her one liner life lessons.

"Nothing is better than a glass of bourbon and a good book," said the original Mamma Mapes, who was planting seeds for two of my favorite things. But harvesting those love seeds is Amber Bonnet, librarian at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library (TSCPL) and original seveneightfive contributor / editor. Amber facilitates three clubs that combine my passions; if the notion of joining a book club makes your mom jeans feel tight, just calm down, "The Book Club" has a new cover and meter that is fresh, fun and, at times, most appropriately accompanied by bourbon. So here's a toast, to my mother for sharing her passions with me and to six of our favorite book clubs offered by TSCPL.

WHAT DOES THE FOX READ? This public book club started as Book, Book Goose and derives its name from its location. The group meets the first Thursday of each month at The Celtic Fox (original The Dutch

A FRESH COVER

six book clubs are mixing things up

Goose) which provides the unique atmosphere for lively discussions. (Surprise - my mother is a part of this group. She's the one wearing little red reading glasses and holding a sidecar of bourbon.) For those adventurous in their literary and/or liquor ways, this book club's unique selling point is the exploration of interesting literature and authors, curated by Amber, and the food and book-themed drink specials. To join, email foxread@tscpl.org QUIET TYPE BOOK CLUB An hour of companionable reading silence. Bring a book or any reading material and relax in the company of fellow book lovers while enjoying food from KKB Smokehouse and local brews from Norseman. Members can share what they're reading and their latest recommendations with the group, though it is not required. Last Wednesday/month | 5:306:30p | Norseman Brewing Co. AFRICAN AMERICAN WRITERS Adults with a passion for black literature should consider joining this club that reads and discusses books written by black authors for more than 20 years. Find more information about the group and what they are reading at AAWBDG.org

Kerrice Mapes | photo by Noah Neff

POST PUBLIC ARTICLE CLUB “Bite-sized discourse in the Capital City” – A public group to discuss interesting articles. Each month a “curator” is chosen to select an article for next month’s discussion. Additional articles of interest can be discussed in an unregulated bonanza at the end of the event. First Monday/month | 6-7:30p | Blackbird Bistro + Espresso Bar GRAPHIC NOVEL PANEL Stories can be better when told with the written word and the artist’s brush. Graphic novels, comic books, manga… there are many types of literature involving a combination of art and text aimed at people of all ages. Graphic Novel Panel is a book club for reading and discussing this literature. Take part in the Panel at Gatekeeper Hobbies every second Tuesday of the month. GraphicNovel@tscpl.org BOOK BITES Talk lit with this library-sponsored book group for readers in their 20s and 30s hosted at Pizagel's Pizza + Bakery. You may find a copy of this month's title at the book club meeting, from the library's collection, or your own shelves. For book titles and inquiries BookBites@tscpl.org aseveneightfive

LOCAL LIT

rit and grace - traits necessary when planting and harvesting delicate fruit; similar characteristics to describe Annette Hope Billings’ third book of poetry, “Just Shy of Stars” (Spartan Press, 2017)

In this collection, you will find the familiar substance for which Annette is known. “Blueberry” is full of imagery and sensuality, reminiscent of earlier published works like “Peaches.” New poems, “Feast” and “Women Well” continue her celebration of self acceptance and acknowledgment of positive body imagery. With that said, "Just Shy of Stars" yield as a whole, is different in overall theme and tone; a distinct voice arises. As full time writers often do, the poet is openly grappling with the content of her work. Should they continue to write agreeable work to appease the audience that helped garner their success or do they write what must be written during turbulent times for the sake of change and progress? Annette’s decision is clear and evident. In the first poem, “A Case for Poetry” Annette reminds us that she is prepared to reap what she has sown, “A poem is content to inhabit meager space, /still it knows it can cover vast ground.” The poet is surveying the current landscape surrounding Kansans. First through the eyes of a mother searching for her slain child at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL in “Endless,” a stark reminder that hate has no boundaries. Then looking back at 1963 Birmingham, AL and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing by members of the KKK, in the poem “Black Girls, Gone” and to today with “Now What?” she presents a rebuke of 45. Annette reminds us of how far we have come, in the poem “Haiku” with the lines “They have come for us/ Tiki torches proudly lit/ this time without hoods.”

KANSAS, A

GOOD PLACE TO GROW 40

This work, in its entirety, is a [w]rite of passage - a poet firmly planting their feet in the creative landscape of Kansas. Huascar Medina | photo by Ali Hanlon

This work, in its entirety, is a (w)rite of passage - a poet firmly planting their feet in the creative landscape of Kansas. Annette is a poet whom, “when the time came for their poetry/ to be of injustice and equality”, she was willing to toil and produce. This is what you write when “hard truths plead for verse.” She not only shows us Kansas cultivates talented poets, she demands, “it must be a good place to grow black girls too.” This book of poetry is a compelling read, but more importantly, it is a work we should be discussing. “Well and Good” makes the case for socially conscious poetry, “But, sometimes a poem is supposed to be/ a rock in the heel of your shoe/ a lash that falls into the whites of your eyes.” Annette Hope Billings' collection of poems “Just Shy of Stars” reminds me that poetry can have purpose, as well as appeal. aseveneightfive

seveneightfive magazine

| est. 2006 | seveneightfive.com

"POETRY, WHETHER WE READ IT OR WRITE IT, HELPS US TO MORE FULLY OBSERVE THE WORLD AROUND US." -KEVIN RABAS

REOCCURRING POETRY EVENTS Open Mic Poetry Night // THE WHEEL BARREL Grilled Cheese and the Spoken Word in a lively venue. Featuring a different poet each month plus 1/2 price pretzels. All are welcome and encouraged to listen and/or get up and speak.

1st WED

2nd TUES

MAKE THE TIME

READ. IMMEDIATELY. ENJOY. HEAD FULL OF BOOGEYMEN / BELLY FULL OF SNAKES Poems by Jason Ryberg // Spartan Press

Speak Easy Open Mic // NOTO BURRITO Topeka's longest running open mic series, hosted by the Speak Easy Poetry Group, nourishes young, new voices in a welcoming environment. They love all poets, beginner or professional. Did I mention they have tacos?

Taproom Poetry Series // EIGHTH STREET TAPROOM Worth the drive. Established poets from across the country convene and read here. Featured poets share the mic with locals. A staple of the poetry scene in Lawrence. Order a Ginger Smash while you're there.

3rd SUN

A curated list of lit events by Huascar Medina

785 SUGGESTED Thirteen Variations / slight Returns On Dr. William's Red Wheelbarrow (Or, How The Hell Does A Japanese Fighting Kite Wind Up In The Middle of Missouri?) apologies to W.C.W.

Jason Ryberg is the author of 12 books of poetry, six screenplays, a few short stories, a box full of folders, notebooks and scraps of paper that could one day be (loosely) construed as a novel, and, a couple of angry letters to various magazine and newspaper editors. He is currently an artist-in-residence at both The Prospero Institute of Disquieted P/o/e/t/i/c/s and the Osage Arts Community. He currently lives part-time in KC with a rooster named Little Red and a billy goat named Giuseppe and part-time somewhere in the Ozarks, near the Gasconade River with a dog named Murph and a filly named Lily.

FOUND DOCUMENTS FROM THE LIFE OF NELL JOHNSON DOERR: A NOVEL Thomas Fox Averill // University of New Mexico Press

SHE NOT ONLY SHOWS US KANSAS CULTIVATES TALENTED POETS, SHE DEMANDS, "IT MUST BE A GOOD PLACE TO GROW BLACK GIRLS TOO." LIT SECTION Huascar Medinat

Huascar Medina lives artfully in Topeka as a multidisciplinary artist and writer. His first collection of poems is titled "How to Hang the Moon" (Spartan Press 2017). Recent work published can be found in "Finding Zen in Cowtown" (Spartan Press 2017), "Kansas Time & Place : An Anthology of Heartland Poetry" (Little Balkan Press 2017). He’s currently the 2018 selectee for the Homegrown Playwright Project from The Ad Astra Theatre Ensemble. "Theodore's Love" is a beautiful and touching family drama. This production will be directed by Sheri Rippel running October 11 - 14 at the Jayhawk Theatre. Learn more at adastratheatre.com

Thomas Fox Averill's latest book tells Nell Doerr's story via journals, letters, drawings, notes and clippings. "Found Documents" is more than epistolary, it is archival, left behind by Doerr, who lived in Lawrence, KAN between 1854 and 1889. You feel as if you can reach Doerr, despite her being a fictional character. The novel tells the story of her two stillborn babies, her move to Kansas, the loss of her husband in Quantrill’s Raid, and her discovery, while hiding in her basement, of the fossils of ancient creatures in the foundation rock. In finding these specimens this unforgettable heroine finds herself, a woman unconventional and strong, a mother without children, a wife without a husband, a scientist without educational pedigree, and someone who nurtures her passion for nature and contributes to the scientific knowledge of her time.

THOMAS FOX AVERILL is the author of rode, Secrets of the Tsil Café: A Novel with Recipes, and A Carol Dickens Christmas: A Novel.

THE NEXT CHAPTER Get more book suggestions at seveneightfive.com and the TSCPL website. Support local authors by purchasing their books. Download TSCPL ap so you can stay well read and versed.

AN EXCERPT FROM

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TR

#785 lit

stand alone on the subway platform four days after Racquel’s burial, unshaven, and cigarette burns in the cuffs of the crumpled silver button-down shirt I put on the morning of her funeral. I toss my phone down into the tracks and check to see if the lights are making the corner down the tunnel. My destination isn’t on the color-coded map stretched along the wall on the other side of the tracks. *** Last week we were about five hundred miles apart. Even though we’d been married eleven years I still struggled with the distance. She was so funny. I needed her to make me laugh constantly. Our vows were like a prescription with unlimited refills, she’d make me laugh and I’d stop having anxiety attacks. I couldn’t wait for her to return from her conference. Now that she’s gone she might as well be on Jupiter. The ocean between us is much too wide to swim across in my body. So, shucking it off is the only way to close the gap and reunite with her, my Racquel. She was in Philadelphia for a convention. I think it was all comedy magazines and journals and she was a keynote speaker and panelist for a few different topics that week. I called her every night before I went to work at the warehouse. She’d be ending her day or getting ready to join some folks at the bar and I’d be setting out in the snow and

cold off the shores of Lake Eerie to work sixteen-hour days. Sometimes at work that week, I’d tweet at her knowing she wouldn’t respond until morning but it made me feel like we were talking. She told me I spent too much time on Twitter and maybe she was right because when she died not once did one of my 2500+ followers tweet a condolence or so much as a sad emoji. Granted, I didn’t tweet anything about her death until that moment on the subway platform but I thought maybe one of my followers would chance upon the news and extend a little :-( face to express their sympathy. ### I listen some more for the train. The tunnel is dark and silent. A rat runs around the corner into the darkness. ### The night before she was due back in town I took my name off of the overtime board and told my boss I wasn’t feeling up to another sixteen-hour day. I’d been fighting a cold all week and couldn’t wait for my weekend to start after that shift. *** I am at my station doing my job, minding Robot #1 and counting down the hours until her flight gets in at five-thirty a.m. Sometimes I talk to the robot at work. I gauge its intelligence. “Can you spell liaison?” I ask. Its hydraulic wheeze is the only reply. Before I leave for break,

RACKS

by William L. Domme photo by Ben Hooper

moments before my temporary replacement gets within earshot, I invite it to a game of cards. It just keeps stacking boxes. I ask it, “When are you content?” It does not answer, only stacks. I say to the robot, “You are just a machine. No heart.” The robot strikes me. Its wires got crossed. I think. I go to break after the on-duty nurse checks me out to see if I’m concussed. In the break room, I play solitaire and watch the television out of the corner of my eye. The skyquake events growing stronger though no evidence of a cause. It’s always loud in the break room and I can always make out three of the same voices louder than the rest; Hoozy, Babbitz, and Nikolai. They always lay their opinions down like tombstones. What they think has to be the last word on any topic, no matter how trivial. I stopped sitting at their table a year ago. I like to sit alone. It gives me time to read the news and tweet. I fly under the radar, even though I know coworkers call me Dexter and Unabomber and things like that. They don’t laugh though when I have to explain words like juxtapose and misogyny and pronounce them aloud like some kind of impromptu Schoolhouse Rock episode when they sometimes strain to read the newspaper. As loud and as bright as the break room is, it never feels like a break at all when I’m in there. I look forward to returning to my robot. The skyquake events growing stronger though no evidence of a cause. I watch its movement for eight, sometimes sixteen, hours a day. Or, night, I suppose, since I work the graveyard. If you step back far enough and use the right eyes, the robot looks like a big arm from shoulder to meat hook; like if you took a human arm and riveted the shoulder to the floor. The base of the robot is round and bolted thoroughly to the floor. Its mast rises straight up. It’s probably about

seventy or eighty inches in diameter and narrows a bit L. toward the joint. by William Domme At the joint, an arm sticks out about six feet and has a pneumatic clamp pressurized to just the right amount so that it can hoist three cases side by side without crushing them. The mast rotates 360° and the arm has a range of motion from the floor to about ten feet in the air. The robot sits between two lanes where the pallets slide in empty, are filled, and slide out full of product. My job is to watch the robot. Should a problem arise I either fix it if it’s minor or get on the radio and call for maintenance. Generally, there are no problems and I spend my nights hypnotized by the incessant dance of the giant robotic arm enveloped in the warehouse’s industrial music. The hydraulic wheeze. The pneumatic whoosh. The ratcheting chain drive beneath the sliding pallets. Behind me, the heavy noise of an army of forklift drivers honking and cursing and laughing as they try to keep up with the algorithm handed down from eight or nine desks up the food chain. I don’t know any of the forklift drivers. They’re in a different department. I watch Robot Cell #1. Straight down the line are nine more robot cells with their own minders. Oh, yeah. That’s what my job title is: Minder. *** “Knox, you pulling sixteen again?” “Not tonight.” “What’s wrong? You feel okay?” “Racquel’s back from her conference and we have our anniversary today.” “Oh, congrats, Knox. What does she do again?” “Thanks, Amesh. She writes funny editorials for her mag.” “Oh, right. The comedy mag. You two have big plans to celebrate?” “Don’t know. She’s keeping it a secret.” aseveneightfive Continue the journey at seveneightfive.com

#785 flavor

5 THINGS EAT + DR TO INK RIGHT NO

AN UNPARALLELED LUNCH EXPERIENCE After 11 years of exquisite, artful dinner plates, the RowHouse Restaurant burns everything you knew about a weekday, workday lunch. Executive chef and RowHouse owner Greg Fox was once a budding chef. Paying homage to his mother, among many women and mentors in his life, he knows the importance of nurturing talent and offering experiences / opportunities. "When Chef Anna Springer expressed interest in making lunch a reality," wrote Greg in his letter greeting friends during the soft launch, "I knew we were ready [to grow and keep local talent near by creating more jobs and more hours for them to work]. With talent like hers [Springer], Steven Stanek and Pablo Martinez running our kitchen, I know we can hit dinner and now lunch, out of the park." Hitting it out the park? How about crushing the concert like Thor with a mantel. Lunch at the Row is uncommon and welcoming. It's relaxed and quick. It's inspiring and energizing - visually and nutritionally. It is an unparalleled lunch experience. Open Monday - Friday from 11a - 2. View the menu at RowHouseResturant.net. It won't disappoint.

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ROWHOUSE RESTAURANT // 515 SW VanBuren

FIRE BURGER + KOMBUCHA Add habanero cactus jam to any burger on The Burger Stand's menu for $1. Wash it down with some Kombucha served on tap with rotating flavors.

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The Burger Stand // College Hill // photo by The Burger Stand

HAWAIIAN SALAD The Hawaiian Chicken Salad is topped with grilled pineapple, served with cashews and drizzled with an oriental dressing that has some heat equivalent to its name.

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Bar 'N' Grill // 21st + Belle // photo by Amber L Poynor-Judd

seveneightfive magazine

| est. 2006 | seveneightfive.com

TODOS...Y EL PAMBAZO Taqueria Mexico Lindo located at 400 SE 6th St is open daily from 9a-2p and then 3-9p. Featuring authentic Mexican flavors, staples include street style tacos, large tostados and enchilada platters. But the unique selling dish is their Pambazo, an antojito (dish) that is similar to a torta made with Mexican white bread dipped in red guajillo pepper sauce and filled with papas con chorizo. You can also opt for sandwich to be filled with chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream and french fries (potatoes). They are insanely delicious and worth the try.

___________________________ TAQUERIA MEXICO LINDO 6th + Harrison (400 SE 6th St.) photo Juan Diaz Aguirre

STUFFED SIDEWAYS Sideways Bar + Grill, located behind Walmart on 37th, is serving burgers that'll make you turn sideways. The building has been gutted and reconfigured to accommodate better seating, a more intimate bar and dozens of tvs making it a prime sports watching or after work spot. The menu includes great appetizers, wings and sandwiches. But the star is their stuffed burgers. Created by owner Jace Sullivan, The Sideways Burger is a half pound of fresh ground beef stuffed with bacon, jalapeĂąos and pepper jack cheese and served on a brioche bun. Other stuffed combinations include The Farmstand, stuffed with scrambled egg, bacon and cheddar cheese served on Texas Toast. Try all eight (with some wings on the side). SIDEWAYS BAR + GRILL // 555 SW 29th St // photo by EJ Drake | e drake photography

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#785 shop local

From the twenties to Twiggy, Platform 785 vintage finds span over 80 decades of faboulousness.

PLATFORM BUILT OFF HISTORY 785 + HERITAGE Ashley B. Wallace + Tobias Harvey photos by Amber Farmer

arked just outside the BNSF Railroad pocket park on Kansas Ave. is Platform 785. Owner Lisa LaRue offers a truly one of a kind shop built off history and heritage. A Topeka native, LaRue has spent many years away from the Capitol City, serving as an associate editor for a magazine in KC, doing historic preservation work for tribal governments in Oklahoma, and establishing herself as a successful musician. While Lisa has had quite the intriguing life, it was the life of her grandmother's life that helped inspire Platform 785. Born in 1913, Maye Zart-LaRue was the supervisor of advertising for The Topeka Capitol-Journal in her time and would often let Lisa dress up in her clothing. With the wardrobe of her grandmother and greatgrandmother to her avail, Lisa developed an admiration for the era's fashion at a young age. Many times Lisa would go to school in garments dating back to the 1920s, which I'm sure was a peculiar sight to see. It is very befitting that Maye of course be the mascot for Lisa's business today.

PLATFORM 785 Platform785.com 929 S. Kansas Ave. At age 16 Lisa started working for Susan Henry, owner of the vintage store Past Tense. It was there that she learned how to recognize clothing by time, designer and brand. She credits her love of understanding vintage clothes as art to the time she spent with Susan. Over 40 years had gone by since they last saw each other, when Susan happened to Platform 785 the day before our interview. The significance of reuniting over a similar passion shows just how important vintage clothing is to some. With a department store feel and brimming with character, Platform 785 captures a highend boutique atmosphere with small town charm perfectly. Its location helped contribute to the name of the store itself. "I got to thinking about all of those great pictures from WW2 of the women kissing heir boyfriends goodbye on the platform(s)" Lisa said with a smile and a measuring tape draped from her shoulders., "strangely enough, this is true, I picked up seveneightfive magazine the same day I got this space. - I was like

wow...platforms always have numbers, and...785 because it's our area code."" While her brick and mortar store is quite the marvel, Lisa is no stranger to e-commerce either. Utilizing popular resale websites like Etsy, Platform 785 doubles its exposure from a worldwide community of vintage clothing collectors and enthusiasts. She also offers a subscription based service, delivering handpicked garments in monthly packages to those who are truly passionate about collecting. When speaking about starting a small business Lisa says it's all about passion, and taking the struggle with the success. "One day you're like, 'I had no customers today, am I doing the right thing?' To the next day going 'Hey, I'm gonna go buy more inventory because business is great!" She also credits the downtown area as being a great place to start a business, because it has a core group of dedicated individuals who share that similar passion. aseveneightfive

STRONG + STEADFAST FORGE, Topeka's Young Professional Society, under new and diverse leadership, focuses on four pillars for momentum and success. Angel Romero // photo by Ben Hooper

ew leadership and bold ideas are shaping an exciting future for our community. At the center is the Forge Young Professionals organization. You may know Forge by its previous name “Fast Forward.” With a new name, a new brand, and new leadership, Forge has one simple mission- to attract and retain young professionals.

To accomplish this mission, Forge’s work is divided into four pillars including Leadership, Diversity & Inclusion, Business Development + Entrepreneurship, and Play.

P E K A C.C EST. 1905

The Topeka Country Club Overall Site Plan

membership - golf - tennis - swim - dining

he Topeka Country Club is in the midst of a multi-million dollar expansion and renovation project. Improvements are touching every aspect of club life, including a new health and wellness center, a new resort-style pool, dining facility expansions and golf shop renovation. New amenities and décor will further enhance the club experience and make The Topeka Country Club an even better spot for families to gather and create lasting memories. Plus, with an active social calendar filled with themed dinners, wine tastings, holiday celebrations, family movie nights and more, there’s always something going on at The Topeka Country Club.

Members and their guests will enjoy the following newly renovated and expanded amenities: • Resort-Style Pool • Health & Wellness Center • Youth Room • Grille Room Dining • Lounge & Board Room M e m bersh • Golf Shop

Now Offerin

ips

LEADERSHIP To forge today’s Topeka community and business leaders by providing leadership education, access to leadership opportunities and current leaders. Diversity + Inclusion To create a more inclusive Topeka, we must reflect our community and be leaders in awareness, education and acceptance. Forge seeks to positively affect underrepresented and marginalized groups in our area and states that they will make it known that they stand for equality in all forms.

Multiple membership options are available to fit your busy lifestyle! Contact Gina Patterson at (785) 354-8561 or gpatterson@topekacc.org for more information.

Play To ensure young talent is welcomed, connected and appreciated in the Topeka community.

In addition, Forge has several initiatives that focus on causes. These include a Volunteer Committee which finds ways to give back and guild a culture of service, Forge Your Future which works to improve yp's engagement and commitment to the civic process. Forge's VIP Tours initiatives - offering a behind-the-scenes look at Topeka landmarks and businesses, and Forge Health - promoting a healthy lifestyle for members, including free monthly exercise classes. Membership in Forge is completely free, thanks to sponsors,. Individuals under the age of 40 can join by going to TopekaForge. com. aseveneightfive

DIVERSITY. F

IN TOP LEVEL LEADERSHIP

or the first time in Forge's history the chair and chair-elect are both minorities. Ty Hysten, chair and financial advisor for VALIC, and Angel Romero, chair-elect and vice president for resource development at United Way of Greater Topeka are excited for the increased commitment of members and leadership, moving the needle for Forge's vision. "I'm excited about helping young professionals bring out the desire, energy and passion about Topeka,” said Ty. Angel shared the excitement; "this is an exciting time to be a yp in Topeka...there are tons of opportunities for young professionals to leave their mark on Topeka.”

TY HYSTEN

ANGEL ROMERO

KS Army National Guardsmen - US Army Military Police Corp

KS Board of Regents

Favorite Weekend Activity Brunch at a local place in Topeka

Catching a show at Topeka Civic Theatre

Your First Professional Job in Topeka

www.topekacc.org

Business Development + Entrepreneurship To support and encourage the forging and growth of new and existing young professional-friendly businesses. Forge hosts numerous networking events including Entrepreneurs and Ale, Small Business Development efforts, support of innovative efforts in Topeka, Bring it to Topeka, and more.

What one word describes Topeka to you?

Family

Opportunity

Renovation & Expansion is Underway at

MUG SHOT

TOPEKA BEER EVENTS Kona Brewing Tap Invasion THE BRASS RAIL MARCH 6 BREW AT THE ZOO JUNE 9 TAP THAT TOPEKA JUNE 30 - Downtown

KC BIER

MUG SHOT | Kevin Reed

ne would think it’s safe to make an assumption about a German man giving one a tour at a brewery. “So, did you come to Kansas City Bier Co. from a German brewery?” I asked.

“No,” Jurgen Hager laughs. “I worked in corporate finance.” Hager is co-owner and CFO of KC Bier Co. Along with founder and CEO Steve Holle, Hager is proud of the time KC Bier takes to craft a quality, German brew.

The motto at KC Bier Co. is, “We put the i back in bier.” They strictly follow the rules of Reinheitsgebot (German Beer Purity Law) which not only adheres to using water, hops, malt and yeast, but also including high quality German ingredients, decoction mashing to enhance the depth of the malt flavor, two stage fermentation, and natural carbonation. Their devotion to creating authentic German-style bier extends to exclusively using malt and hops from Germany.

Due to their increase in distribution, more people outside the Kansas City area can now experience KC Bier for themselves. Their current best seller is the Dunkel (German for dark), ad Munich inspired brow lager this is medium-bodied with a semi-sweet toasted flavor. Near the opposite end of the spectrum is the Helles (German for light), a straw-colored lager with a bread and honey background balanced by noble hops. Rounding out the trifecta available at your local liquor store is the Hefeweizen (unfiltered weissbier or wheat beer), an ale consisting of at least 50% malted wheat which gives the beer a yellow, cloudy appearance and offers a distinctive banana aroma and taste. I hope you get the chance to try one or all of these in the immediate future. And when you do, be sure to take your time. You can be assured the brewers at KC Bier Co. certainly did. Prost! aseveneightfive

KC BIER is available in Topeka liquor stores. Follow @TopekaBeer on Facebook for upcoming events.

seveneightfive magazine

| est. 2006 | seveneightfive.com

BEER NOTES BURGER STAND PALE ALE Introducing a new collaboration with Lawrence Beer Company, the Burger Stand Pale Ale is a crisp, light, slightly bready, hazy brew with a Ekuanot and Motueka hop bill. Using a California ale yeast, Burger Stand has created a clean dry hopped 5.2 percent pale ale that rides off into the sunset.

KONA KANAHA An American blonde ale with tropical mango fruit brewed by Kona Brewing Co from Hawaii. 4.2 percent ABV, the 99-calorie beer competes with other light beers but offers more palate friendly flavors. Named after Kanaha Beach, the blonde ale offers a refreshing, clean taste with notes of caramel malts accented by Alchemy, Mosaic and Amarillo hops.

VOODOO RANGER JUICY HAZE IPA Packed with bright tropical citrus aromas (lemon, some orange, lime and grapefruit plus guava and pineapple) this unfiltered IPA is a little on the sweet side, initially, and then lays its voodoo magic on your palate becoming smoothly bitter with a clean finish.

TARTASTIC RASPBERRY LIME ALE The second release in New Belgium's Tartastic series (first was Lemon Ginger Sour) is Raspberry Lime Ale. The Kettle Sour Ale is brewed with raspberry and lime purees giving it a beautiful color and playful sweet tart beginning. Thankfully it's not an accosting, pie-in-the-face sweet beer. After the immediate puckering the fruit tones are restrained making an enjoyable sour but dry finish.

HAPPY BASSET BREWING CO. On the notes of beers with fruit purees, be sure to watch local brewing company Happy Basset who have have two limited release beers this year featuring fresh fruit puree. Strawberry and Cream and Blueberry. Follow them on Facebook for latest events.

HOP HENGE IMPERIAL IPA Chinook, Cascade, Centennial and Galaxy hops come together, balanced, providing a discovery of the whole flower hops. Bold, bitter and sweet, Hop Henge Imperial IPA from Deschutes Brewery packs 8 percent ABV and whopping 504 calories per bottle. Drink with conviction.

WICHITA BREWING CO. WUSHOCK WHEAT Wichita State Athletics teamed up with Wichita Brewing Company and released WuShock Wheat last December. The official beer of The Shockers, every-time you cheers a portion of the proceeds benefit Shocker Athletics. The American wheat ale is light and crafted to appeal to a variety of tastes. (Hey Washburn, we're thirsty!)

Step into the brewery and drink straight from the tanks, or get the feeling of that with Sierra Nevada's Hazy Little Thing IPA. The hop-heavy, unfiltered, unprocessed IPA is straight from the tanks and into the can.

SIERRA NEVADA HAZY LITTLE THING

HHB BBQ

#785FLAVOR

food NINJA

906 S Kansas Ave MON - FRI: 10a - 8p

3.4 Fists

inja. That is what I am. I am an elite force of destruction, stealth, cunning and mastery of my senses and abilities. My limits know no bounds and my enemies are often caught unawares. My purpose is to claim victory over my foes and relish in the glory that awaits me after battle. My journey is a difficult one, wrought with peril and constant vigilance. My path has circled this day and led me to a foe I encountered once before. Tragedy befell my opponent and now they stand tall once again, and once again I return to exact my purpose upon HHB BBQ.

ATMOSPHERE -

MENU-

I approach the vestibule and am momentarily caught off guard by the aroma of BBQ, strong and intoxicating. I quickly regain my footing and continue my infiltration. I know my enemy’s tricks and will not succumb to the delicious fragrance. The new fortress of my foe is well planned and masterfully constructed. It has a new vigor and seems to exude a presence like that of the corporate armies but maintains the charm of the local tribes.

Selections and variety that would make the Emperor proud! Specials and daily offerings make the menu unique and inviting. As I peruse, I find more items other than my eventual selection that will entice me to return for post battle vittles. I am eager to sample each item and determine the mettle of my foe. I make my selection and settle in for the final match.

FRIENDLINESSHere, I gain the upper hand. I am not greeted by either of the guards until I speak. I have used the element of surprise and will surely defeat my foe. The demeanor of my server is aloof and distant. This is an unfortunate step towards demise for my enemy, but an advantageous leap for me.

FUNDS-

My confidence of victory momentarily grows weak as I am surprised by the portion of my selection for the amount I must spend. $11 has purchased a lunch that could feed two ninjas. Three meat selections, a side, and drink… more than enough to fill the belly of a battle hungry ninja.

FOODI am pleased with my selection. The portion is hearty and the skill with which it has been prepared is delicate and masterful. My side of smoked baked beans is warm and sumptuous, giving this ninja +10 stamina and +5 attack power. The flavor of the meat is delectable and savory, though I am disappointed it is cold as if it rested too long without the glow of the artificial suns. A warmer presentation would have surely meant my demise. I am satisfied, though, for now, and revel in the variety and excellent flavor of the sauces offered. I will return again, and again to sample every item on the menu until I am certain my foe is defeated. My enemies fall under my attack when they least expect it, and I have emerged from this battle victoriously full. aseveneightfive NINJA’S RECOMMENDATION

BRISKET SLIDERS

seveneightfive magazine

| est. 2006 | seveneightfive.com

#785LIFESTYLE

the theatre stitch

Resident costume director makes her Helen Hocker Theater directing debut with "None of the Above"

Kerrice Mapes / photo by Jennifer Goetz

"None of the Above" is a clever twoperson play that looks at the culture of the SATs through a teen and her tutor's point of view. Culture Vulture said "a romantic comedy with an edge, ...What Bader [Jenny Lyn, playwrite] has done, and quite cleverly at that, is make studying for the SATs, struggling to live up to the expectations of others in this particular way, and conforming to their values into a kind of extended metaphor for growing up, coming of age, reaching one’s potential, and getting tough with life..." On stage at Helen Hocker Theater March 9 - 18 is directed by Cassie Hermes, HHT resident costume designer. Cassie worked in children's theatre after graduation and joined the HHT staff in 2017. This marks Cassie's adult directing debut at HHT. We meet Cassie in the dressing room to get her take on the upcoming play.

Tell me about "None of the Above" and why someone should come see the show. "None of the Above" is a unique show for a lot of reasons - first, it only has two people in the cast. This has quickly become one of my favorite things about it. It features two young actors in a very current and relatable story. The story is clever and sharp and funny, but also has some serious moments that will resonate with the audience. It’s written in a way that I think people will identify with. (Think of a cross between This is Us/Big Bang

Theory and your favorite rom com) My absolute favorite part of this show (and the main reason everyone should see it) is it shows two people so different from each other, from completely different social classes forming bonds and finding connections with each other. We need that all across the board right now. What advice do you have for ladies going to the theatre and what marks your own personal style? If I’m not dressing in my weird circus punk style that I love, my go-to is '40s/'50s silhouettes. I love a classic cut dress, slim waist and flared skirt. I’m also a sucker for vintage shoes…I have a pair of Victorian/steam punk boots that I am living for right now. I always tell ladies going to the theatre to go big or go home. The theatre is a place for everyone, so it’s the time to play around with loud and crazy pieces. We don’t get to dress up everyday so wear that fancy dress, wear that fun hat and own it. Trust me, there is probably a crazier costume in the show.

When and how did your passion for theatre begin?

I fell in love with the idea of creative story telling in high school. I love creating a world different from our own and really living in it. My favorite thing about theatre is supporting all of the players that I come in contact with. Getting people from all different walks of life to create one amazing story is my passion. When I work with children, seeing their eyes light up after knowing they nailed a show is one of the greatest rewards. When I work with adults, nothing makes me happier than really clicking with them and getting to that moment where we all are working toward the same vision. Theater is beautiful, it’s diverse and it can really change lives. I wouldn’t ask to be working in anything else. Shoutout to my two actors in "None of the Above" Dani Saunders and CJ Williams-Herrera for reminding me why I do what I do. aseveneightfive

OH, THE GLORIOUS POTATO. Giving us so many

LAST THOUGHTS

glorious dishes such as French fried, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, the list goes on. One that doesn’t get enough credit is the glorious dumpling known as Gnocchi. Those little nuggets of soft pillowy goodness are more reasons why potatoes are a sincere MVP of the food world. Whether they are fresh made or even left-over baked potatoes, gnocchi can be made in a flash. The trick is to work with it like biscuit batter: You don’t want to knead it, just fold it gently with as little flour as possible. Here, I made mine with some leftover baked potatoes including some ricotta and thyme, blanching them and crisping them so I get a crispy exterior with a soft interior, layer sautéing them with some glorious pan-seared carrots and baby kale, glazing it with my vegetarian/ vegan demi-glacé, which turned them up to Stranger Thing’s Eleven. Notice mine are not perfectly shaped, but that’s okay, I live by the Wabi-Sabi philosophy of finding beauty in life’s imperfections. Knowing that something was even just created like this just makes me happy. Just like potatoes turned into gnocchi. @dudewiththefood #785InstaTakeover // FEB 2018 Follow @seveneightfive on Instagram to find out who is taking over next and see Topeka through their lens.

"HOW DOES A VEGAN LIKE THEIR EGGS?" "Hatched," was the hilariously honest answer from a professor to a chef, or so I'm told, a few months back. A few weeks later, I received a message from my friend Davis Hammet: "Heya, can 785 plz make a vegetarian eating list for Topeka?" He continued to express "This would be pretty popular with offices too. I know when I have business lunches, I make the choices because of my diet. Would be a good way to encourage new places to be considered too..."

ROWHOUSE RESTAURANT now serves lunch and has vegan and vegetarian options, as well as bread from SHANA CAKES, making their sandwiches fit a gluten free diet. All of the sandwiches (minus the bread) at CAFE HOLLIDAY are gluten free, as well as their Mexican dishes, soups and salads. BLACKBIRD BISTRO'S owner is vegetarian - ensuring there is always a tasting option. Check in on Wednesday when they offer a vegan soup.

We take feedback and request serious, albeit we are unable to accommodate and showcase everyone and everything. But for our friend, here is a start. Try these local places and give us some feedback. We'll keep building the list and house it on seveneightfive. com for your convenience. Happy non-dairy, non-meat, non-bread, what-ever-your-restrictions-may-be eating. (For the record, I take my eggs sunny side up.)

GLORY DAYS PIZZA and COLLEGE HILL PIZZA PUB both offer pies on gluten free crust (which is also vegan friendly) with Pizza Pub going a step further, topping their pizza pies with vegan cheese. (No, that is not an oxymoron, it is cheese made without dairy.)

THE BURGER STAND has many offerings including the delicious Heart Beet burger (swap out the bun) that is a delish take on the run-of-the-mill non-meat burger options. Other burger places vegetarians can enjoy include HENRY T'S and the Spicy Black Bean Burger at ANNIE'S PLACE.

There are a plethora of options for vegans at MONSOON INDIAN GRILL, GLOBE INDIAN CUISINE, and TUPTIM THAI.

PAISANO'S boasts a gluten free menu as does THE WHEEL BARREL. If you're looking to cater in lunch for a meeting, FRONT DOOR CATERING offers a $10 lunch box (minimum order of 10) with options for gluten free, vegetarian and vegan (that are as good, if not better, than their Famous Cubano). And for this spring/summer when you want to get your food truck on, be sure to swing by BIG BOYZ. They can provide almost all their dishes gluten free, and takes precaution to ensure no cross contamination.

aseveneightfive [Send your suggestions to seveneightfive@gmail.com.]

seveneightfive magazine

| est. 2006 | seveneightfive.com

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