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HOUSING FOR THE PEOPLE

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Tom Wills, Chair Cathy Jennings, Bruce Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Ann Bourland, Kerry Graham, Peter Macdonald, Amber DuVentre, Jerome Moore, Annette McDermott, Drew Morris, Andy Shapiro

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

L a N ticia

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Marzo/2

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“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Año 20 - No. 346

Nashville, Tennessee

Impacto COVID-19 y la necesidad de una fuerza laboral de salud más diversa

A fines de los años 80 me encontraba en Corrientes, Argentina, cursando estudios en la facultad de medicina en la UNNE (Universidad Nacional del Nordeste). La educación allá para carreras como esta es completamente Por Yuri Cunza gratuita y solo era Editor in Chief necesario para mi, @LaNoticiaNews como estudiante extranjero, el poder cubrir los costos de mi alojamiento y alimentacion y quizás , de libros y otros materiales de estudio necesarios, aunque la biblioteca de la universidad tenía la capacidad de proveernos con todo lo necesario para una satisfactoria experiencia académica. Recuerdo como si fuera ayer, los comentarios de un profesor invitado a una de las conferencias a la que pude asistir durante mi tiempo como estudiante, el 1er Encuentro Socemune de la Sociedad Científica de Estudiantes de Medicina de la UNNE: “la cantidad de médicos por habitante en Argentina sobrepasa a la de médicos por habitante en USA” y que la “manera de enfrentar los problemas de salud” allá era “profiláctico” o preventivo a diferencia del usado en el país del norte que es más de “tratamiento”, obviamente más costoso. ¿Mencioné ya que también los servicios de salud son gratuitos? Esto nos lleva al tema de la disparidad en la salud de hoy. A continuación la perspectiva del Dr. Grant, destacado profesional que nos ayudará a entender mejor esta situación preocupante que nos afecta. “Las muertes relacionadas con COVID19 fueron más del doble entre los afroamericanos, latinos y nativos americanos que entre los blancos en 2020, según una nueva investigación del Instituto Nacional del Cáncer. Esto es solo el más reciente recordatorio de la flagrante inequidad que afecta al sistema de salud en EE. UU. Abordar esa inequidad requerirá impulsar el acceso a la atención entre las personas de los grupos marginados. Esto es en parte un

Cupcake Collection

"I believed that I wasn't meant to drown in debt and brokenness," said the owner of The Cupcake Collection.

Foto: Yuri Cunza

2022

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Existe un vínculo directo entre el acceso a los médicos y los resultados de salud problema de suministro: Estados Unidos las brechas de atención en las comunecesita más médicos, especialmente nidades más desatendidas del país. médicos que provienen de comunidades históricamente desatendidas. Las inves- Para abordar de manera sostenible la tigaciones muestran que los médicos de escasez de médicos, debemos reclutar de estas comunidades no solo tienen más entre las comunidades que la están probabilidades de volver a ejercer allí, experimentando de manera más aguda. sino también de ofrecer mejores resulta- Numerosos estudios han encontrado que la raza o el origen étnico de un médico es dos para sus pacientes. un fuerte indicador de dónde eventualMás de 83,7 millones de estadounidenses mente regresa a la práctica. Lo mismo viven en lugares con acceso limitado a ocurre con el idioma, los ingresos famimédicos de atención primaria, según la liares y si el médico proviene de una zona Kaiser Family Foundation. Y son despro- rural o urbana. porcionadamente personas de color. A los pacientes también les va mejor Desafortunadamente, esta cifra proba- cuando pueden relacionarse con el médiblemente aumentará. Un informe de co que los trata. Un estudio de la Oficina junio de 2021 de la Asociación de Nacional de Investigación Económica en Colegios Médicos Estadounidenses esti- el 2018 encontró que los hombres negros ma que a Estados Unidos le faltarán tenían resultados de salud significativamente mejores cuando eran tratados por 124, 000 médicos para el 2034. médicos afroamericanos. Investigaciones han demostrado consistentemente un vínculo entre el acceso a Esto también fue cierto con respecto al los médicos y los resultados de salud. La cuidado preventivo. Los hombres negros espectativa de vida en áreas con menos tratados por médicos negros tenían un médicos es, en promedio, más baja que 10% más de probabilidades de recibir en áreas que tienen más. Se podrían sal- una vacuna contra la gripe y casi un var alrededor de 7,000 vidas en los EE. 30% más de probabilidades de someterse UU. cada año simplemente reduciendo a pruebas de colesterol.

La Noticia, one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers in the nation, brings Spanish content to Contributor. Conoce tusThe derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?

Depende de las facultades de medicina en las universidades el producir los médicos que necesitan las comunidades históricamente marginadas. Lamentablemente, no han hecho, por decirlo así, un muy buen trabajo al respecto. Las personas negras e hispanas representan más del 31 % de la población de EE. UU., pero equivale a solo un poco más del 20% de la población estudiantil en las facultades de medicina de EE. UU. Los nuevos estudiantes de medicina también provienen de familias desproporcionadamente ricas. El año pasado, el ingreso medio de los padres de los estudiantes de la escuela de medicina fue de $140,000, el doble del ingreso familiar medio general en este país. Las escuelas de medicina internacionales, por el contrario, han hecho de abordar la inequidad una prioridad. Una cuarta parte de los médicos estadounidenses asistieron a una escuela de medicina fuera del país. En las comunidades de bajos ingresos, los graduados médicos internacionales son un tercio de la fuerza laboral médica. Y en áreas donde la población es mayoritariamente no blanca, los graduados médicos internacionales son aún más frecuentes. El Personal médico graduado de facultades de medicina internacionales también tiene más probabilidades de orientarse a la atención primaria, donde la necesidad, especialmente en las comunidades desatendidas, es mayor. De los graduados médicos internacionales nacidos en los EE. UU. que coincidieron con los programas de residencia el año pasado, aproximadamente el 70 % ingresó a las especialidades de atención primaria.” El impacto racial dispar del COVID-19 es un ejemplo trágico de estas desigualdades. Desarrollar una fuerza laboral de médicos más diversa es una pequeña forma de trabajar para acabar con estas.” Contribuidor: Doctor Robert Grant, MD, decano adjunto principal de estudios clínicos en la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de St. George, la mayor fuente de médicos de los Estados Unidos. Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

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Contributors This Issue

Amanda Haggard • Linda Bailey • Judith Tackett • Rev. Kevin Riggs • Ridley Wills II • Vicky Batcher • Lamarques "Misha" Smith • Detroit Richards • Yuri Cunza • Chris Scott Fieselman • Alvine • Mr. Mysterio • Norma B. • Joe Nolan

Contributor Volunteers Christine Doeg , Volunteer Coordinator Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • Logan Ebel • Ann Bourland • Laura Birdsall • Richard Aberdeen • Marissa Young • Ezra LaFleur • Rachel Stanley • Linda Eisele • Matthew Murrow • Wendy Curland • Gisselly Mazariegos

Cathy Jennings Executive Director

Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

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NEWS

LEARN MORE ABOUT: NASHVILLE’S EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHER PROGRAM BY JUDITH TACKET T In this column, The Contributor is focusing on one specific program or initiative that is currently underway in Nashville to address homelessness. In this issue we focus on the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) Program. Locally, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) administers the EHV program. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has made a total of 70,000 housing choice vouchers available to public Housing Authorities like MDHA through the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program. MDHA received 198 of those and to date has issued 102 as of the beginning of March. Of those 24 are leased up. A federal dashboard provides more detailed information at https://www.hud.gov/ehv about each jurisdiction. What makes the EHV program such an opportunity in tackling homelessness is that these housing subsidies are more flexible and come with additional service funds on top of the rent assistance. MDHA, with input from the local community through what is called the Continuum of Care, determined that those additional services should cover landlord incentives and move-in costs. (The Continuum of Care can be quickly described as a loose collaborative consisting of mostly service and government agencies as well as people with lived experiences who work on building a system that addresses homelessness in Nashville.) Here is a breakdown — and again, we are only focusing on the EHV program here: • A $1,000 sign up bonus for any landlord who executes a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract with MDHA; • A $500 bonus for up to five units for a new landlord; • A $500 bonus for up to five units for a landlord who has not participated in the Section 8 program during the previous 12 months; and • A $500 bonus for any unit located in a low-poverty census tract, where the poverty rate is at or below 20 percent based on the most recent Census Bureau data. As an example, a landlord who has never participated in the Housing Choice Voucher (also known as Section 8) program before AND whose unit is located in a low-poverty census tract could potentially receive $2,000 in incentives

“What makes the EHV program such an opportunity in tackling homelessness is that these housing subsidies are more flexible and come with additional service funds on top of the rent assistance.”

for up to five units and $1,500 for each additional unit after that. Beyond the landlord incentives, MDHA is also able to pay for application fees, security deposits, utility deposits including up to $500 in utility arrears and other eligible activities. Households are only eligible for this assistance once, and these costs are paid directly to landlords or utility districts. The funding for the EHV program is flexible enough so that local communities can make them work best. That’s been the beauty of a lot of the federal funds starting with the $2.2 trillion CARES Act packet to address the immediate health needs and its consequences at the beginning of the COVID pandemic; and now with the $1.9 trillion made available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which expanded the focus to meet the pandemic response and help rebuild a stronger and more equitable economy during the recovery. But if you are curious how much an EHV pays, MDHA’s payment standards are set at 100 percent of HUD’s Fair Market Rents. This means the EHV will be able to cover up to $1,100 for a one-bedroom apartment, $1,253 for a

two-bedroom apartment, $1,587 for a three-bedroom apartment, and $1,975 for a four-bedroom apartment. Of course, each household will contribute to the rent. In general, a household pays 30 percent of their multi asset income (MAI) but may pay up to 40 percent, which allows a household to use some of their income to pay for an apartment with higher rent. So far, based on the 24 EHV that have been leased at the beginning of the month, the average housing assistance payment was $861 per month. And just in case you’re wonderong, the eligible households include individuals and families who are: (1) homeless; (2) at risk of homelessness; (3) fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking; or (4) recently homeless and for whom providing rental assistance will prevent the family’s homelessness or having high risk of housing instability. Referrals are made through the community’s Coordinated Entry process, a system-wide approach that serves to assess all persons experiencing a housing crisis to help identify, prioritize and connect them with the appropriate housing and support service resources as quickly as possible. Each household who is referred is already working with a service agency and the expectation is that they

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continue to receive support services from that agency, even though no one will lose housing if they choose to opt out of additional support services. The local EHV dollars were made available in July 2021 and the first referrals came through in September. This, actually, is a solid achievement as MDHA has been working collaboratively with service agencies, Metro Nashville, and other organizations to ensure that this program meets community needs. One last thing to explain is that there is a critical deadline of Sept. 30, 2023. Any EHVs that are not being used by then can still be issued. If a household walks away from the program prior to that deadline, MDHA can reissue the EHV for another household. But after that deadline, that’s it. No used voucher will be reissued. Don’t panic yet! Every EHV household will receive annual renewals after that deadline if they remain using the voucher. As I said, the EHV program is flexible enough to be a handy tool in our toolbox to fight homelessness in Nashville. The one hiccup, probably none of us are surprised to hear me mention, is that even with the landlord incentives, it’s still a challenge to find housing units. So, spread the word. Any interested landlord should contact Norman Deep over at MDHA directly by emailing him at ndeep@nashville-mdha.org.

NEWS

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY HOMELESS ALLIANCE

WILLIAMSON COUNTY HOMELESS ALLIANCE ESTIMATES NEARLY A THIRD OF NIGHTS IN 2022 WILL REQUIRE EMERGENCY SHELTER BY RE V. DR. K E VIN RIGGS “We don’t have any people who are homeless in Williamson County.” I can’t tell you how many times I have heard that statement. But nothing could be further from the truth. There are people in Franklin and Williamson County experiencing homelessness and the numbers are growing. My best educated guess is there are between 1,200 to 1,500 people in Williamson County experiencing homelessness. I have just finalized my Homeless Report for 2021 and here are the results of what our organization has seen and done. We are only one of several organizations who work together to address homelessness in our county. In 2021 we: • provided 291 total nights of shelter (80 percent of possible nights in

2021). In other words, in 2021, we provided shelter eight out of every 10 nights. • provided a total of 1,437 beds. • averaged five people per night and housed over 200 individual people. • averaged two men, two women and one child per night. While our numbers don’t compare to Davidson County, they are significant to us. In addition to the above emergency shelter numbers, over the last three years, our organization has moved 70 families from homelessness to permanent housing. We also operate four group homes with a total of 30 beds. All in a county where people don’t think homelessness exists. So far 2022 seems to continue the

upward trend. However, my organization is out of funds for hotels and have moved back to churches. Our goal is to provide emergency shelter when the temperature dips below 32 degrees and above 90 degrees. Using that formula, we anticipate providing more than 100 nights of shelter in 2022. My organization seeks to provide assistance by sheltering those experiencing homelessness through emergency, temporary, transitional, and permanent housing solutions. We strive to address the whole person by providing services that assist in healing the individual and family physically, emotionally/mentally, and spiritually. This holistic approach first provides a safe and secure shelter to rest and recover and then offers paths to solving the issues which may have led to homelessness.

March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

By partnering with other nonprofits, we offer services in substance abuse, mental health and physical health issues, nutritional support, educational assistance, and counseling. Our mission is to develop and maintain a permanent transitional sanctuary that meets the needs of people experiencing homelessness in Franklin/Williamson County Tennessee by partnering with local government, non-profits, businesses, individuals, and churches. Our vision is to create a permanent shelter that ministers to the whole person, providing a place of rest, recovery, and holistic assistance. If you would like more information about Williamson County Homeless Alliance, you can reach us at (615)4990071 or find more information at www. wilcohomeless.com.

NASHVILLE HISTORY CORNER

MILLS DARDEN BY RIDLEY WILLS II Mills Darden is alleged to have been one of the largest men in history. Darden was born near Rich Square, North Carolina, on Oct. 7, 1799. He was reported to have stood about 7’6” and was said to have weighed between 1,000 and 1,100 pounds. He settled in Henderson County, Tenn., about 1830 where he was an innkeeper and farmer. His second wife, Mary, who died in 1837 at age 40, stood 4’11” and weighed 98 pounds. The tallest of his seven children reached a height of 5’11”. Despite his gargantuan size, Darden was fairly active. He was known to be able to toss 500-pound bales of hay and carry 12 seed sacks weighing 1,200 pounds for over a mile. Some men in Henderson County once measured his

Mills Darden

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weight by marking the exact point his one-horse cart, which had springs, lowered to when he sat in it. Later, when Mills was not there, they placed large rocks on the cart to see just how much weight it would take to match Mills sitting on it. They concluded that he weighed over 1,000 pounds. Mills died in 1857 at the age of 56. Physicians reported that he died of strangulation due to fat around his windpipe. Some accounts say that it took 17 men to put Darden in his coffin and that an entire wall had to be removed to get the coffin out. He was buried near his home on Mills Darden Cemetery Road five miles southwest of Lexington, Tenn.

March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

Kenneth Redditt is pleased to announce his candidacy for General Sessions Judge in Division II. Redditt has practiced law in Nashville for almost 14 years. His primary practice areas are Criminal Defense, Family, Personal Injury and Landlord Tenant Detainer Actions. He has gone into the tough counties that many stay away from because he does not believe that justice should be limited by zip code. Kenneth has been extremely active in his community. He has held countless expungement clinics throughout the city at no cost to try and assist those who want to clean up their record and find gainful and meaningful employment that would allow them to provide for their families. During some of these clinics, he would incorporate a know your rights component. He would speak about the rights of detainees and some of the limitations on law enforcement in police encounters and the need to remain silent. His breadth and depth of both real world and legal experience coupled with his understanding of the needs of Davidson County citizens (fairness) makes him uniquely qualified to serve as the next General Sessions Judge in Division II.

PAGE 8 | March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

FEATURE

Owner of The Cupcake Collection: ‘I believed that I wasn't meant to drown in debt and brokenness’ BY A M ANDA HAGGARD Mignon Francois gives this advice to wouldbe business owners: Start with what you have. It’s what she did when she started her business in 2008. She had a stand mixer, a dorm refrigerator and a small man cave she claimed from her former husband. With that, she spent the last few dollars she had for dinner one week to start what would become The Cupcake Collection. The sweet enterprise has now sold more than five million cupcakes, she says. On any given day, there’s a line down the sidewalk filled with tourists, food delivery drivers and locals. There’s always a mix of folks just dropping in for one cupcake, people celebrating their own birthdays and sweet friends braving the line to get a perfect treat for their friend’s party. It all started because she believed. “I wanted to be a surgeon and life showed me that I was intended to change people's lives through joy — and cupcakes just happened to be the carrier that I chose,” Francois says. “Before I started The Cupcake Collection, I couldn't bake — not even out of a box — so how am I supposed to do this? But I think of it as a testament to what you can do when you believe. I believed that I wasn't meant to drown in debt and brokenness. I believed that I was meant to be here and that people who came into my presence or who experienced me should be left feeling that joy and feeling that experience of, ‘I saw you.’” The Cupcake Collection sits right off of 6th Ave. N., and it sneaks up on you if you’re walking down the sidewalk in front of it. It’s just far enough away from the sidewalk to make someone curious, though these days the lines may tip folks off more so than when Francois first began. When her family moved into the house, it was condemned. “It was two bedrooms and a bathroom with a tub,” she says. “And that bathroom with a tub and a toilet doubled as the family sink, and, you know, the community pool for all of my children. I knew even then though — we were even telling people that Germantown is a wonderful place to be. It was because it reminded me of how it was in New Orleans because the sidewalks were brick. It was because it had the charm of the community that raised me.” Francois moved to Middle Tennessee from New Orleans: “New Orleans raised me, but Nashville made me,” she says. She places a huge importance on history and paying homage to those who came before her. Her coconut cream cupcake was created with her grandmother, who would mix all her cake batters by hand, in mind. “All of it’s always going to pay homage back to the ancestors, whose blood is running on the inside of me,” Francois says. “They were great makers and bakers who never would've had the opportunity to produce goods to sell and

Images courtesy of Cupcake Collection.

for other people to experience them. So while you may not ever know their name, you will experience them because you will know my name and you will know my cake as the best cake you've ever had. That’s always been the goal — and that cupcake is me trying to mimic my grandmother.” During Mardi Gras, The Cupcake Collection was serving up a king cake cupcake. The regular selection is vast, ranging from birthday cake to carrot cake to sweet potato cake and beyond, but they’re all toothsome — the cake is moist but has a firm bite and each one has the perfect amount of frosting. At first, she says people didn’t believe she could have a successful business in Germantown. She would tell people where they were

going to open and they would say she was going to have to deliver to them. She had faith that the neighborhood would one day be a destination. “We've been given several opportunities to not only tell the narrative story of Germantown, but to create a new narrative for people as we've gotten a chance to sign many of the petitions that allowed some of this stuff to be put up here. We’re now able people that Germantown is a destination and you wanna come here and that's what we began doing. We believe in speaking what we seek until we see it. And that's what we did the moment that we stepped into Germantown when I first purchased this house.” Franocis raised her children, went through a divorce and built the business in that house. “And I found that the more I did that with grace and the more that I offered that to other people that was extended also to me,” she says. “And so to the point where I had some hard days and I was standing there in the front of the bakery, smiling, you know that fake it until you make it. I turned it into faith until you make it. And I realized that faith was currency that would perform for you like money. And that was what was leading me. I didn't have any credit when I started this. I didn't have any money when I started this. I didn't have

March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

any experience in the business when I started this, but yet here we are having changed the narrative of Germantown.” Francois says over the years she’s learned that the business was not built just to get her family out of debt. “When it got us out of debt, I started realizing that it wasn't just meant for me to keep,” she says. “It was also for me to share and that I could pour that onto other people by showing them what they could do to feed their families.” The Cupcake Collection also has a location in New Orleans, operated by Francois’ sisters. It was important to Francois to teach her sisters, and extremely important, she says, to show other little brown girls that they can do what they believe if they see themselves doing it. She hopes to be the first CEO of color to run a major food brand in the nation. “Whatever you believe you can have, you're right,” Francois says. “And that's the thing that I am spending my greatest amount of time sharing with people. I want to just leave a legacy that shows other people how they can also redeem their time. There are no mistakes in life. Everything that we've been doing is leading you from where it is that you are to where it is that you want to be.”

LOCAL ACTIVISM

Maura-Lee Albert of SEIU and Nate Carter of Stand Up Nashville speak during a Fish Fry and East Bank Development Community Feedback event on Feb.27. Participating organizations were Stand Up Nashville, NOAH, Liuna, and SEIU. Councelmen Freddie O’Connell , and Sean Parker also attended. PHOTOS BY ALVINE

Parents, community leaders and librarians gathered outside the Cordell Hull building in early March to call on the Tennessee General Assembly to stop injecting politics and partisanship into education. PHOTOS BY ALVINE.

PAGE 10 | March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

www.JudgeJones.com www.JudgeJones.com

@TheJudgeJones

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@TheJudgeJones

March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

COVER STORY

HOUSING FOR THE PEOPLE BY A M ANDA HAGGARD

Housing for the People is a column produced by the International Network of Street Papers from people on the frontlines of the housing justice movement in America and beyond. For Vicky Batcher, a regular face at The Contributor, simply liking a Facebook page set her on a road toward a roof of her

own over her head. For INSP’s Housing for the People column, she wrote about the rush of emotions that experiencing safety and security for the first time in years brought her. Her story, and others written as part of the Housing for the People series, are below.

How an affordable apartment changed my life BY VICK Y BATCHER In the space of a weekend, my son Jason’s wife walked out, my other son Paul moved out of the RV he shared with me and in with Jason, who is also his twin. I moved on. Soon after, a simple “like” button on Facebook turned out to change my life. I liked the page of the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA), which runs Nashville’s largest housing developments, and started seeing their posts about waitlists opening up for real affordable housing, not income-restricted affordable housing. When a property came up for the waitlist to open, I felt like a runner taking the start stance. Everything was falling into place. My sons were in housing, now it was time for myself. I filled out the online application, submitted it at the right time and waited. I had been living in that bare-bones RV, unless I was hooked up to electricity and water, which a church sometimes allowed us to do. The parks would soon be closing, and I had a little bit left over for the very first park we ever went to – 7 Points Campground. Then when I saw the first spot we ever camped, I felt it was a sign. Paul helped me hook up and off he went and there we were in the quiet of nature, relaxing. It was the final time I’d be in a park that year, or so I thought. That next day I got a call from a number I wasn’t familiar with and hesitated to answer it. On the third ring, I thought I’d live dangerously and picked it up. I could hardly believe who was on the other end. She said her name was Erica and she was calling from MDHA. My heart just stopped. Everything came to a halt as I tried to comprehend what she was saying:

“Your name has come up on our waitlist and we have an apartment for you.” Tears started to fill up in my eyes. Is this really happening? Would I get my hopes up like before when the tenant tried renting her duplex out in a scam? Or the many people who would contact me through the preceding seven years saying “I can rent to you” until the evictions came out. We made arrangements to meet that Monday to go over paperwork and the next day I could move in. It wasn’t until hours later I started making my list of questions, all the time knowing I didn’t care where or what it was. I was going to have a home. Monday arrived and the excitement grew until finally my ride picked me up at the church parking lot that I had called home for a few months, and off we went to Hadley Park Towers in Nashville. After meeting with Erica and seeing the apartment, I felt this was home so went down to the office to sign the lease and make the payments. Then that moment came where she handed me the keys. It’s a moment I’ll never forget. A rollercoaster of emotions swept through every bit of my body. It was finally over. My journey of homelessness was finally over. Or was it? That afternoon some friends helped with getting things out of the RV and down to my new apartment. My apartment. My affordable housing apartment! It was great, but also tough. I was moving to a city I lived near but never in. Nashville is big. Getting around was complicated and often filled with a lot of anxiety. I relied on friends to drive me or if that didn’t work, I’d call Access Ride. It would normally take me two days to get over the anxiety to call Access Ride,

a door-to-door service WeGo provides for the disabled. It seemed like when I moved in, I was afraid to leave the apartment except to take my dog Faith, an emotional support animal, out. Writing was now my therapy, for real. Selling The Contributor paid the rent on my apartment and other publications where I would write also paid me so I could pay up and stay ahead of the bills and anxiety. Feeling like I was put here to do more, I saw a Facebook post about needing someone with lived experience to serve on a committee and I applied. That’s one thing I could really share, and maybe make improvements and save the lives of other people experiencing homelessness. I joined the Continuum of Care Homeless Planning Council with monthly meetings, usually through Zoom due to the pandemic. When opportunities for positions on other committees came up where I thought I could help make changes, I jumped at the chance. It was intimidating at times looking over the others that made up the council – important people, leaders in the community. Pretty soon I started opening my mouth, which probably shocked a few thinking I might be mute. I told them about the affordable housing at MDHA, I started putting myself into the conversation and making suggestions. The financial protection of finally receiving social security was such a feeling of peace. I’m able to pay rent, cell phone and internet bills, take care of Faith’s needs and eat. After working with the Financial Empowerment Center, I’m learning to add to my savings account. I just signed my renewal lease on my apartment for the third year. There is one thing I

PAGE 12 | March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

can count on with affordable housing – I can always pay my rent. True affordable housing is when your rent never exceeds 30 percent of your income. You can always afford it. If your income changes all you do is show them in the office and they change your rent. Ending homelessness is easy – build more true affordable housing. Nashville has done some incredible things this past year in their fight to end homelessness. Many new programs have appeared that are housing the unhoused faster than ever before. We still have a lot of work to do but we're on the right path. Safety and security for the first time in seven years was an emotion that would take time getting used to. I was dealing with other feelings – fear, nightmares and the occasional note from the management threatening evictions if rules weren’t followed. Even though I was in compliance, that word eviction just sent chills through me. I can’t lose my apartment, I can’t. And I won’t.

COVER STORY

“We have to go beyond people just attaining housing” BY LARMARQUES ‘MISHA’ SMITH For this essay for INSP’s Housing for the People column, Denver VOICE contributor Larmarques ‘Misha’ Smith writes about their journey from temporary to stable housing, their experience of shelters throughout the pandemic, and how ensuring housing is a right enjoyed by all should be done intersectionality with multiple goals in mind. In 2010, I did a year of service with Americorps with the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky (HHCK) and the Kentucky Domestic Violence Association (KDVA). I learned a bit about homelessness, the people experiencing homelessness, and domestic violence. It gave me a new perspective which has helped me throughout my experience. My name came up recently to receive a housing voucher from the Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program. I’d signed up for housing assistance about three years prior. Before that, I was housed because of my employer. When I lost my job, I was forced to deal with homelessness head-on. Before the shutdown in March of 2020, I mostly slept at one of two shelters. Usually, there were two to three busloads that took us to the shelter, which amounted to about 250 people in that space. Sometimes, I’d have to stay at a different shelter. So, when they announced they were converting part of the Western Stock Show Complex

(which I’ll refer to as the Complex) into this “all in one shelter”, for us to stay during the shutdown, I was relieved that something was finally going to be done. At the other shelters, we could only stay overnight, and they would wake us at 5 every morning. Then, we’d have to leave and wait outside until our buses came. It was nice to be moved to the Complex because we didn’t have to leave during the day. We had a small storage space to keep our things. Our belongings weren’t “secure”, but at least we didn’t have to take them whenever we left for the day. We could get all of our meals at the Complex. We were able to take showers, and a local non-profit provided mobile laundry services. It was nice, for temporary housing, but I had just recently gotten a job as a barista at a coffee shop that I needed to get to early most days, so my schedule did not line up with the hours of service the Complex provided. I could not shower before work because the showers were not open, so I had to make sure I always showered the night before. The same with laundry. By the time I had to leave for work, they oftentimes would not be accepting laundry because the laundry area was not open yet. By the time I got back to the shelter after my shift, I would have already missed dinner and would have to hustle to take a shower at night before they shut them down.

We didn’t have to leave the Complex during the day, so if it was too hot or cold, we could stay. We could also take a nap if we wanted. Pre-pandemic, if I wanted to take a nap during the day, I would have to go to Saint Francis Center, one of the day shelters here in Denver, or I would take a ride on the RTD light rail back and forth until I got enough rest for me to function. It was nice for once to be able to sleep during the day in the same cot that I slept in the night before. When the Complex first opened, we had an 11 p.m. curfew, but over time, they moved it to 8 p.m. That made it difficult because I had to take a bus to get to and from work. Sometimes, I wouldn’t be off work until 7:30 p.m., which meant I wouldn’t get to the Complex in time. Even if I had a note from work, the shelter wouldn’t let me in, so on those nights, I had to find somewhere else to sleep. I don’t think my boss understood what it took to get to work on time. At the Complex, there were so many of us needing to catch the bus, and there was room for only so many people. Once we got to where the buses took us, we had to find a way to get to our final destinations. At one point, I was given a bike to aid with me being at work on time. Shortly after that, I contracted COVID and had to inform my boss and fellow employees about my diagnosis, and then I had to quarantine in a designated hotel. It was the Fourth of July weekend 2020, and I was

concerned about testing positive for COVID and how this will ultimately affect me. I finished my quarantine, and my test came back negative, so I was able to return to work. And since I was immunocompromised, I was able to stay at a hotel specifically for those who are homeless and were immunocompromised for whatever reason. Now that I’m in stable housing, I don’t have to worry about being shut out because I’ve arrived too late or wondering how I am going to pay my rent. If we’re going to talk about housing justice, we have to go beyond people just attaining housing. Housing justice means everyone has a right to be housed; no matter their race/color, faith, or gender preference. No one should be unhoused, and everyone should be able to stay someplace where they feel safe, where they know that if they leave, their belongings are secure and will be there when they come back. Just a couple of months ago, I wasn’t in secure housing, so I know how different both experiences feel. A lot of people fail to realize that many of us are one paycheck away from being homeless – they may not be homeless right away, but a loss of income will quickly affect the rest of their lives and those of the people who live with them. Larmarques ‘Misha’ Smith sells the Denver VOICE street paper in Colorado.

“I was homeless on the road raising a child” BY DETROIT RICHARDS In this deeply personal piece for INSP’s ‘Housing for the People’ column, the writer tells a story of displacement and homelessness that spans continents in an attempt to escape the horror of domestic violence and to give her child the chance of a better life, even if it meant experiencing a period of transition living outside first. I remember leaving my apartment. I had one last long shower, put some make up on my black eye, grabbed my 7-year-old child's hand, put his backpack over his shoulders, and hauled mine onto my back. It had taken me eighteen months to work up the courage to go — knowing I did not have another home to go to. We were living in the far east, with my dual passported husband working between there and the USA. There would be no hope that my husband would renew my visa. My child and I would both become undocumented as a result. The violence had become frequent and extreme, causing me permanent injuries. My husband often told me he was going to kill me, and no one would care. The police in the jurisdiction did nothing to protect us. When my husband asked me to go look at houses in Los Angeles, as his work was moving him permanently to the USA, I took the opportunity to run. I took my child out of a situation where he was constantly downtrodden and ridiculed, with abuse that was turning not just violent towards me, but towards him. I threw

us both onto an uncertain future, but one we had a better chance of surviving. I had been homeless before. I knew what it was like to sleep outside and have no privacy. To be constantly cold and wet, or too hot and parched. I understood what it was like not to get clean or have a bathroom to use. I feared how my child was going to cope but knew anything was better than the violence we were both facing. We walked out the door and did not look back. An old friend had a van, and lived on the road in the USA, and invited us to join him. We jumped into the small elderly class C camper van, that came to be named 'The Beast', and took off out of California, driving north up the 101. I felt simultaneously free and terrified. I figured if I kept moving around, my husband would not be able to find us. There was only one problem: we were now unhoused and penniless. We found a space in a Walmart parking lot where a few unhoused people were staying. There was a bathroom that was open much of the day and night. We had access to water. We stayed there, for a couple of months, moving around occasionally. We tried to stay quiet and low profile. Eventually Walmart security called the cops on us. They banged on the door at 7am, screaming that we needed to get out of the parking lot immediately. Life continued like this for more than five years. Living in parking lots and campgrounds, mostly up and down the west coast.

It was a constant struggle to find a place to exist. In the summer, vacationers took all the spots in cheap campgrounds. They closed in winter. We had a tent to sleep in, as the van was small, and my friend didn't always want us living in there with him. When it was possible, I'd start a campfire and play the guitar and get my son to sing along with me trying to distract him from the situation. We would often wake up cold and wet in winter, the rain having soaked through our sleeping bags when the tent leaked. Getting clean water was a daily chore. The very basics of living became all consuming. People never had the decency not to stare or have an opinion about my homelessness. A housed vacationer informed me and my child that we had spoiled her vacation by being unsightly. We were often moved on from campgrounds even when we had money to pay. The shame of having to steal showers from state campgrounds sometimes became too much to bear. I had tried to ask for support, but the fact I hadn't managed to take any documentation with us when we fled made things almost impossible. I felt safer living outside than relying on people I did not know. I have no family, and at the time, I had no assistance beyond the friends who were also homeless alongside me. Obtaining a divorce proved to be impossible, even though my husband was now based in the USA.

March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13

The pandemic made it impossible to carry on. All the campgrounds closed. There were no showers or bathrooms open. We were being moved daily. It would have been so simple to let the homeless campers stay for free at state or national campgrounds, and let us socially distance that way, but the campgrounds refused to allow this, and threw out all the people who were living in tents and RVs. We stayed in an Airbnb, paid for by a housed friend who took pity on us. I managed to find a place in a shelter in San Francisco. Eventually, we were given a hotel to get on our feet. There were beds. Hot water. Privacy. I think I must have had four showers on our first day inside. We had not slept on beds with access to a bathroom and shower since 2015. Living outside, I could only afford to eat a few times a week. For the first time in years, I had daily access to food. After ten months in the hotel, we received a subsidy for a year and moved into a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco. My son has just started high school and has friends. He feels like he is now part of society and has a future. I am very concerned about how I am going to be able to pay the rent, but at least for now, we have a break from being outside. The help we received saved our lives. Detroit is a regular contributor to Street Sheet, the street paper in San Francisco, USA. Courtesy of INSP North America / International Network of Street Papers

NEWS

A Few Questions With Councilmember Brett Withers, District 6

ouncilmember Brett Withers represents District 6 in East Nashville. Withers is in his second term, but has been getting to know the people he represents by participating in neighborhood organizations such as Eastwood Neighbors, The Neighborhoods Resource Center, Friends of Riverside Drive, and ReDiscover East! for more than 15 years. The Contributor talked with Withers as part of a series called A Few Questions With where we interview council members about their district’s most pressing issues. How has being involved in neighborhood groups affected your decision making? Working as a neighborhood leader you actually have to talk to your neighbors and listen. Sometimes they have different viewpoints, and you have to learn to manage the discussion so that when people who care about their neighborhood have different ideas about it still feel respected even when their [solution] is not chosen. I think that’s really good training for Metro Council because you always have disagreements in different districts. What are some of the main issues you hear about from your constituents? Other than garbage? (laughs) East Nashville, District 6, has become a community that is much more affluent than it had been even a few years ago. It has a lot of first-world problems such as concerns that someone’s parking on their street, and they don’t like that, or that someone’s building a house next door for a half million dollars and there is noise involved, or they become really focused on someone’s cutting down a tree. The East Nashville of 10 years ago was honestly more focused on things like homelessness in our community. East Nashville neighborhoods used to be much more focused on big challenges and wanted to be involved in big solutions. It’s become a very affluent community where you don’t see the level of participation that you used to anymore. And that’s unfortunate. District 6 includes a large portion of the much-discussed East Bank. What do you hear from your neighbors about that development? The East Nashville community has been hoping for redevelopment of the East Bank for many, many decades and worked with MDHA (Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency) to create the East Bank Redevelopment District in 1995. There was a lot of hope in the mid-90s of bringing positive development to the East Bank, but the only new building that we ever had was a LaQuinta hotel. The thing that severed the East Bank from East Nashville was the construction of the interstate in the 1960s. Most exits focused on how people can go Downtown. That demolished houses and businesses and created this barrier between the East Bank and East Nashville.

BY JUDITH TACKETT

METRO COUNCIL COMMITTEES: Planning and Zoning, chair Government Operations and Regulations Human Services

We have a lot of folks who are concerned that the East Bank development is going to lead to displacement. But there are no permanent residential addresses in the entire East Bank, so any housing that we build on the East Bank will be a net increase in housing and no one will have to move. So that is a really good location to add housing in our city. I have heard voices in this conversation that are concerned about equity. Have you heard similar concerns? A lot of people do talk about affordable housing. I know that Stand Up Nashville takes the view that we need 30,000-50,000 affordable housing units and all of them should be on the East Bank, and I don’t know we need to create quite that much of a concentration of low-income stock in one location. Another factor is that most of this land is privately owned, and we can’t compel people to provide affordable housing. In discussion with the Titans – Nissan Stadium was built in the late 1990s and it barely met the needs of the NFL at the time it was constructed, and Metro government has a lease with them where we are required to provide a first-class stadium, which it’s not. They’ve been really good partners with us and not calling us in to require paying some of the capital improvements that we owe on the facility. The Titans are looking at either renovation or constructing a new stadium. The cost for the renovation came in much higher than we had anticipated. It’s looking like it would be roughly the same amount of money to build a new stadium versus to renovate the old one. The Titans themselves are interested in being good partners with the city as a whole to support affordable housing more broadly. They’re interested in working with some of our nonprofit partners, maybe even the city directly to support affordable housing throughout the county. That’s something I hope people will keep an open mind to.

In District 6, we have Casey Homes, which will be 1,000 affordable housing units. We have other MDHA properties nearby. Samaritan Recovery Community at 4th and Shelby is building a new facility and they’re adding 195 affordable housing units in phase 1. They’re doubling their bed space for their recovery community services and the idea is that folks who come out of their recovery program will have first dibs on these affordable apartments, so they continue to receive support if they need it. Then at Cleveland and Dickerson, there are about 225 affordable housing units being constructed, which is also adjacent to the East Bank. So, we do have affordable housing underway in several nodes adjacent to the East Bank currently. I think that’s a better model of having nodes that are integrated into a larger community than have a big concentration of low-income all in one area.

help address homelessness. What are your thoughts? I was the past vice chair and then chair of what used to be the Personnel Committee. So I have a strong background on the HR side of Metro government. The one thing that I want to urge caution to my colleagues about is that ... I think some of the recent discussions on our committee, from people who want to do the right thing, have not been conducted with a tone that is needed when you’re working with Metro employees who are career public servants and dedicated people as well as the nonprofit community. You can make a point, but you need to do that in a way that keeps everyone at the table. And I worry about the tone of the discussion that we had recently just fraying those relationships and eroding the credibility of the Council to be a body that convenes our community to provide solutions.

You mention Cayce Homes, which is the first Envision project by MDHA. Have you had a chance to meet with the new MDHA executive director Dr. Troy White yet? Yes, I have. One of the things that stands out about Dr. White compared to some of the other applicants is that he has really extensive experience with some of the elaborate financing tools that are used for affordable housing. I think that’s going to be really beneficial to figure out how to get grant funding to help us pay for affordable housing. I’ve had great conversations with him. The Envision Casey plan has some good momentum going on the housing side. Our next piece is to try to get access to employment. Particularly for younger people. They need to have access to jobs that they can get to especially when they don’t own a car.

What would you like for this committee to tackle when looking at solutions? There are a couple of things, and they really are already underway. One is the program to try to attract landlords. I think that’s exciting and really important because Section 8 vouchers just aren’t as attractive in this market as they used to be. Recruiting landlords is really important work because we as a city government are never going to be able to build all the housing units we need. The other thing that I’m interested in is the permanent supportive housing blocks, approximately 100 units. I know we’ve got one planned in the Downtown area that’s a little bit delayed. For some of our neighbors who need more help than just a room, I’m hopeful that that will be a good model that we can replicate. I’m more interested in something like that on the East Bank than additional affordable housing. I hope we can get some of the permanent supportive housing underway and ramp that up in a few more select locations.

You serve on the Human Services Committee, which is looking at how it can

PAGE 14 | March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Don’t pay to file your taxes. We offer in-person, virtual and do-it-yourself options.

Visit unitedwayfilefree.com or call 211 to get started.

In partnership with the IRS

March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15

LA NOTICIA “The Contributor” está trabajando con uno de los principales periódicos en español La Noticia para llevar contenido a más lectores en Middle Tennessee. Nuestros vendedores de periódicos han pedido durante mucho tiempo que nuestra publicación incluya contenido que apele al interés de residentes de habla hispana en nuestra comunidad.

“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

L a N ticia 2022

GRATIS

Marzo/2

Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

www.hispanicpaper.com

Año 20 - No. 346

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Nashville, Tennessee

Foto: Yuri Cunza

Impacto COVID-19 y la necesidad de una fuerza laboral de salud más diversa

Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada? 1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)

por

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PAGE 16 | March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

VENDOR WRITING

I’M NOT A BEGGAR

STREET PAPER

WRITTEN BY CHRIS SCOTT FIESELMAN

Written by Chris Scott Fieselman

I dislike the idea of flying a sign.

Excerpt from “Lessons Learned from Wisdom’s Words”

Begging for money and wasting your time. Living on handouts and still unemployed.

A dollar or two not much to you,

The kind of person most people,

But it meant a lot to me.

Would try to avoid.

I bought a phone card, called my family, Grabbed myself a bite to eat.

But… I’m not a Beggar, I sell the newspaper.

Money to do my laundry.

I’m grateful every day for The Contributor.

Spare change for someone in need.

That’s where I began,

All because your path crossed me,

As a broke homeless man.

For a paper sold on the street.

But now I understand, What I’m doing this for.

So, I said a prayer for you today.

I’m not a Beggar, I sell the paper.

When you bought a paper, God brought you, my way.

With something to say,

“Thank You”

And a way to be heard.

May be all that you hear me say,

It’s getting better every day,

But God Bless your steps I pray.

I’m out there spreading the word. I consider it responsibility.

A simple act of charity. What you get back,

Saying something to someone,

When you share with me.

Willing to listen to me.

More than just a little something to read.

I’m giving them a chance,

It’s the something that’s missing,

To help their fellow man.

You know you need.

I can’t believe God’s using me,

It’s God watching out for you and me,

To get through to them.

Through a paper sold on the street.

I’m doing what it takes to change their heart. Every penny that I make,

So, I said a prayer for you today.

Comes from the hand of God.

When you bought a paper, God brought you, my way.

I’m not a Beggar, I sell the newspaper.

“Thank You”

I’m grateful every day for The Contributor.

May be all that you hear me say,

That’s where I began,

But God Bless your steps I pray.

As a broke homeless man. But now I understand,

Now, it’s probably not a good,

What I’m doing this for.

Get Rich Quick Plan.

I’m not a Beggar, I sell the paper.

Standing on a corner, With papers in hand.

Waking up to face a brand-new day,

Doing what we’re both supposed to do.

And the people that we meet along the way.

Pray for me and I’ll pray for you.

If someone’s better off because of you.

We all want world peace and harmony.

You’re doing what The Good Lord,

Let it start right here with you and me,

Wants you to do.

And a paper sold on the street.

I’m not a Beggar, I sell the newspaper.

So, I said a prayer for you today.

I’m grateful every day for The Contributor.

When you bought a paper,

That’s where I began,

God brought you, my way.

As a broke homeless man.

“Thank You”

But now I understand,

May be all that you hear me say,

What I’m doing this for.

But God Bless your steps I pray.

I’m not a Beggar, I sell the paper.

March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17

The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams

Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. First published in 1941, this series of profound quotations, encompassing all walks of life, follows the sequence of the themes and Bible readings anciently appointed for contemplation throughout the church's year. It is hoped that the readings reproduced here will prove beneficial for any who read them, whatever their place in life's journey. — Matthew Carver

3RD WEDNESDAY IN LENT THE Christ of God was not then first crucified when the Jews brought Him to the cross; but Adam and Eve were His first real murderers; for the death which happened to them in the day that they did eat of the earthly tree was the death of the Christ of God or the divine life in their souls. For Christ had never come into the world as a second Adam to redeem it, had He not been originally the life and perfection and glory of the first Adam. William Law: The Spirit of Love.

3RD THURSDAY IN LENT WHAT is Christ but the death of the body, the breath of life? And so let us die with Him that we may live with him. Let there then be in us as it were a daily practice and inclination to dying, that by this separation from bodily desires of which we have spoken, our soul may learn to withdraw itself, and . . . may take upon herself the likeness of death, that she incur not the penalty of death. St Ambrose: On the Death of Satyrus.

3RD FRIDAY IN LENT OUR Lord wishes to reveal what He is; Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, hath everlasting life. As if He said; He that believeth on Me hath Me: but what is it to have Me? It is to have eternal life: for the Word which was in the beginning with God is life eternal, and the life was the light of men. Life underwent death, that life might kill death. St Augustine, quoted in Aquinas: Catena Aurea.

3RD SATURDAY IN LENT . . . EVERYTHING the good man is suffering through God he is suffering in God, and in suffering my suffering in God, God is my suffering, my suffering God. Eckhart: The Book of Benedictus. DOST thou wish that it always cost Me the blood of My humanity, without thy shedding tears? Pascal: Pensées. ALL angels, all saints, all the devils, all the world shall know all the deeds that ever thou didest, though thou have been shriven of them and contrite. But this knowledge shall be no shame to thee if that thou be saved, but rather a worship, right as we read of the deeds of Mary Magdalene to her worship and not to her reproof. Middle English Sermons.

THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT THE enticement of earthly lusts creeps in and the outflow of vanities takes hold of the mind, so that the very thing which you desire to avoid you think upon and turn over in your mind. It is difficult for a man to guard against this; to escape it altogether is impossible. For our heart is not in our own power, and our thoughts suddenly stream forth and confound our mind and reason, and draw us in directions other than we purposed. Who, indeed, among the many passions of this body, among the many enticements of this world, can walk securely and purely? The eye looks, and the sentiment of the mind is deflected; the ear hears, and the resolution is perverted; the sense of smell acts and hinders thought; we touch and take fire. St Ambrose: De Fuga. WE seek truth in ourselves, in our neighbours, and in its own nature: in ourselves, judging ourselves; in our neighbours, sympathizing with their ills; in its own nature, contemplating with a pure heart. St Bernard: The Steps of Humility.

3RD MONDAY IN LENT DESIRE never does anything else but pursue and flee; and whenever Desire pursues what it should, and as far as it should, a man keeps within the limits of his perfection. This Desire, however, must be ridden by Reason . . . Reason, like a good horseman, directs Desire with bridle and spur. It uses the bridle when desire is pursuing (and this bridle is called Temperance, which prescribes the limits up to which pursuit may be carried); it uses the spur when Desire flees, in order to turn it back to the spot from which it wishes to flee (and

Thy hills and valleys felt her feet, Gently upon their bosoms move: Thy gates beheld sweet Zion's ways; Then was a time of joy and love.

this spur is called Courage or Magnanimity, the virtue which points out the spot where we ought to take out stand and to fight). Dante: Convivio. I LOVE because I love; I love in order to love. St Bernard: On the Song of Songs.

And now the time returns again: Our souls exult, and London's towers Receive the Lamb of God to dwell In England's green and pleasant bowers. Blake: Jerusalem.

3RD TUESDAY IN LENT THE very toys of all toys, and vanities of vanities, (those ancient favourites of mine) were they which so fast withheld me; they plucked softly at this fleshly garment, and spake softly in mine ears: Canst thou thus part with us? And shall we no more accompany thee from his time for ever? And from this time forth shall it no more be lawful for thee to do this or that for ever? . . . And now I much less than half heard them, nor now so freely contradicting me face to face, but muttering as it were softly behind my back, and giving me a privy pluck as I went from them that I might look once more back: yet for all this as I hesitated they did hold me back from snatching away myself, and shaking them off, and leaping from them to the place I was called unto; for violent custom thus rounded me in the ear: Thinkest thou to be ever able to live without all that? But by this time it spake very faintly. St Augustine: Confessions.

4TH WEDNESDAY IN LENT . . . IT is needful to us for to show it to our power and get and keep the virtue of discreet abstinence as our Lord Jesus and His Apostles and other saints have both taught us and given us example; keeping the body and feeding as it is needful thereto after the kind thereof and the travail that longeth thereto. In manner as a horse oweth to be kept for to do his journey, so that he fail not by default into much abstinence on the one side and that he be not rebel to the spirit and too proud by pampering on the other side, but in a good face of abstinence that teacheth the virtue of discretion. The which discretion, as Saint Bernard said, is not only a virtue but also a keeper and leader of all other virtues: for if that lack, that same virtue is vice. The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, tr. by Nicholas Love.

4TH THURSDAY IN LENT A CERTAIN monk was sitting by the monastery, and whilst he was occupied in great labours, it happened that strangers came to the monastery, and they forced him to eat with them contrary to his usual custom, and afterwards the brethren said unto him, "Father, wast thou not just now afflicted?" and he said unto them, "My affliction is to break my will." The Paradise of the Fathers. GREAT is the difference betwixt a man's being frightened at, and humbled for his sins. One may passively be cast down by God's terrors, and yet not willingly throw himself down as he ought at God's footstool. Thomas Fuller: A Wounded Conscience.

THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION IF a poet or an artist puts himself into his productions he is criticized. But that is exactly what God does, he does so in Christ. And precisely that is Christianity. The creation was really only completed when God included himself in it. Before the coming of Christ God was certainly in the creation but as an invisible sign, like the watermark in paper. But the creation was completed by the incarnation because God thereby included himself in it. Søren Kierkegaard: Journals. [LOVE said] What! Most of all, did I not make a loveday between God and mankind, and chose a maid to be compere [companion], to put the quarrel at end? Thomas Usk: Testament of Love.

4TH FRIDAY IN LENT ENGLAND! awake! awake! awake! Jerusalem thy sister calls! Why wilt thou sleep the sleep of death, And close her from thy ancient walls?

HE who would do good to another must do it in minute particulars. Blake: Jerusalem.

4TH SATURDAY IN LENT IF thou hast prayed for thy companion thou hast also prayed for thyself, but if thou hast prayed for thyself only thou hast impoverished thy petition; and if thou hast shown that thy brother hath offended thee, thou hast also shown that thou hast offended thyself. The Paradise of the Fathers. ALMIGHTY God, have mercy on N and N and on all that bear me evil will, and would me harm, and their faults and mine together, by such easy, tender, merciful means as Thine infinite wisdom best can divine, vouchsafe to amend and redress, and make us saved souls in heaven together where we may ever live and love together with thee and they blessed saints, O glorious Trinity, for the bitter passion of our sweet saviour Christ, amen. Ascribed to Sir Thomas More.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT 'THIS mind was in Christ Jesus'—[St. Paul] means as man: being in the form of God—that is, finding, as in the first instant of his incarnation he did, his human nature informed by the Godhead—he thought it no matching-matter for him to be equal with God, but annihilated himself, taking the form of servant: that is, he could not but see what he was, God, but he would see it as if he did not see it, and be it as if he was not, and instead of snatching at once at what all the time was his, or was himself, he emptied himself so far as that was possible of Godhead and behaved only as God's slave, as his creature, as man, which also he was, and then being in the guise of man humbled himself to death. Gerard Hopkins: Letters.

4TH MONDAY IN LENT WHAT Adam and Eve went trembling behind the trees through fear and dread of God, it was only this wrath of God awakened in them; it was a terror, and horror, and shivering of nature, that arose up in themselves, because the divine life, the birth of the Son of God, which is the brightness and joy of the soul, was departed from it and had left it to feel its own poor miserable state without it. And this may well enough be called the wrath and justice of God upon them, because it was punishment or painful state of the soul that necessarily followed their revolting from God. But still there was no wrath or painful sensation that wanted to be appeased or satisfied, but in nature and creature; it was only the wrath of fallen nature that wanted to be changed into its first state of peace and love. William Law: Christian Regeneration.

4TH TUESDAY IN LENT INTO myself I went, and with the eyes of my soul (such as it was) I discovered over the same eye of my soul, over my mind, the unchangeable light of the Lord . . . He that knows what truth is, knows what that light is; and he that knows it, knows eternity. Charity knows it. O eternal Truth! and true Charity! and dear Eternity! Thou art my God, to thee do I sigh day and night. Thee when first I saw, thou liftedst me up, that I might see there was something which I might see; and that as yet I was not the man to see it. And thou didst beat back the infirmity of my own sight, darting thy beams of light upon me most strongly, and I trembled both with love and horror: and I perceived myself to be far off from thee in the region of utter unlikeness, as if I heard this voice of thine from on high: I am the food of strong men, grow apace, and thou shalt feed on me; nor shalt thou convert me like common food into thy substance, but thou shalt be changed into me. St Augustine: Confessions.

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PAGE 18 | March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

FUN

HOBOSCOPES PISCES

Sometimes I think about how different the world would be if you were in charge, Pisces. Everything would finally be in its right place. There would be enough parking spaces at this grocery store. We wouldn’t get bills in the mail for bills we already paid online. There’d be less ketchup and more mustard and no mayonnaise at all. But here we are in the regular world instead. You’ve got great ideas and a real knack for implementing them. But there will always be some things that are outside your control. Meditate on that while you circle the parking lot one more time.

ARIES

What should we have for dinner, Aries? We’ve got frozen pizza or frozen burritos or ramen. The ramen isn’t frozen. I swear this kitchen was full of new groceries yesterday but today it’s just all the same three things we’ve always got. Sometimes changing a habit takes more than a trip to the store. You have to make a plan and stick to it. I’ll throw a pizza in the oven, you write down some ideas for how you’d like things to be.

TAURUS

How much do you think about time travel, Taurus? I think about time travel a lot. I think about people from the past coming to the present. I think about people from the present going to the future. I think about people from the future going to the past. Honestly, I find it to be a helpful exercise. It’s a good reminder that we are at a very specific point in time. That we can’t see the whole picture. We can remember the past or worry about the future, but we’re always only ever just right now. Like, what would you do if you could go back? What if you did that now, instead.

GEMINI

CANCER

I think about a time when I was 4 or 5 years old and my mom took me to the grocery store. She was unloading the cart onto the conveyor belt, but I was distracted by the soda machine up front. I asked if we could buy one. She told me “no.” So I got mad and ran over to the soda machine and punched the Mountain Dew button as hard as I could. And a Mountain Dew came out. She let me keep it. Sometimes when you express how you feel you get what you want, Cancer. But maybe do it with more tact than an angry 4 year old.

LEO

You’ve got your sword. You’ve got your shield. You’ve got the helmet you won in the catacombs and the fire-talisman that the old woman in the desert gave you. But every time you go out to fight the dragon, nothing seems to work. You get the incantation wrong and you drop the vial of basilisk tears into the ravine. Don’t worry, Leo. I’ve seen this before. If it’s not working today, just give it a rest. Go to the blood marshes and practice spearing grobolins until you get your groove back. Get better at what you’re already good at. You can slay that dragon another day.

VIRGO

It’s raining again, Virgo. And it’s not that I mind. It’s beautiful, really. It’s just that it makes everything I was already doing a tiny bit harder. And that’s how it’s felt lately. Like all the things you usually do are getting done, they’re just a little bit harder than they normally are. And, as usual, you’re pushing through. Doing all the things you gotta do. But rainy days are good days to ask questions. Could it be that that extra weight is a reminder that these aren’t really the things you wanted to be doing anyway? What could you do instead?

LIBRA

Suddenly, there are blossoms on the tree across the street. Honestly, I’m not sure if I’m ready for all that. I was just getting used to the idea that nothing was ever going to change again. In fact, I was starting to count on it. But you can’t hold this stuff back. Things thaw out, Gemini, and we’re gonna have to deal with it. Meet me under the tree across the street and we’ll go for a walk and come up with a plan.

I want to go to the movies this weekend, but I’m not sure I can handle it, Libra. Like, there’s the one where the preview has a dog in it and I just don’t know if I could handle it if anything happened to that dog. I’m just not emotionally equipped for a movie to make me fall in love with a dog and then something terrible happens and…I can’t even think about it. What stories are you telling yourself that make you angry or sad or scared, Libra? Maybe you could tell a different one.

SCORPIO

And another thing, Scorpio. What’s with all the holes in swiss cheese? You’d think it would cost less than regular cheese, but no! If anything, they charge more and you know they know it’s full of holes. How much more of this are we going to take? Anyway, you were probably looking for some astrological insight or cosmically-aware advice. Sometimes you’ll find that here, but sometimes what makes something truly special, are the spaces in between.

SAGITTA R IUS

The Swamp of Sadness. The Pit of Despair. The Bog of Eternal Stench. Some places tell you exactly what’s going on right there in the name. But every restaurant in this town, Sagittarius, tries to be a little more subtle. They name it something obscure or intriguing just to get you in the door. It’s never “The Hallway of Grilled Shrimp,” it’s always “Tails!” So what do you call the place, Sagittarius? The place you’ve been stuck for the last couple months. Give it a name. Be honest.

CAPRICORN

The rabbit in the yard heard me open the door and has frozen completely still. He thinks I can’t see him if he doesn’t move. Reminds me of something you might pull, Capricorn. Stay still until everybody leaves and maybe they won’t notice you’re there at all. But this week I dare you to make your location known. Keep bouncing around. Maybe even say your own name out loud. We see you Capricorn, the only question is whether or not you’ll hop our direction and join in.

AQUA RIUS

You know that thing where one person says “see you later, alligator,” and the other person is supposed to say “after a while, crocodile.” I think that always makes me sad, Aquarius. Because really, it’s just a goodbye. And goodbyes are hard, even when we pretend to be large, dangerous, semi-aquatic reptiles. If you need to say goodbye to anyone or anything this week, Aquarius, I just want you to know that it’s ok to feel sad about it. And we can talk about sad things even if they stay dry and don’t rhyme.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a registered time machine technician, or an extant crocodilian. Mr. Mysterio is, however, a budding intermediate podcaster! Check out The Mr. Mysterio Podcast. Season 2 is now playing at mrmysterio.com. Got a question, just give Mr. M a call at 707-VHS-TAN1

March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19

Thank you to all supporters and providers for serving our friends in the community who are experiencing temporary homelessness. Open Table Nashville, People Loving Nashville, ShowerUp, Project Return, Park Center, The Contributor, Mental Health Cooperative, Room in the Inn, West End United Methodist, Councilman Sean Parker, Clencliff Village

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PAGE 20 | March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

FUN THEME: THE OSCA R S ACROSS 1. "In the Hall of the Mountain King" composer Edvard ____ 6. Marlboro debris 9. *Academy Award ceremony audience sound 13. Botch 14. Sigma ____ fraternity 15. Ten million, in India 16. Embryo sacs 17. Literary "even" 18. Tax evader's fear 19. *Most nominated streamer in this year's Oscars 21. *Most-nominated Black actor in Oscar history 23. Opposite of yang 24. Lard cousin 25. *Milk ___ movie

snack 28. Poetic source of Norse mythology 30. 2020 demographic event 35. Arrival times, acronym 37. Baseball points 39. Camelot to King Arthur 40. Actress Campbell 41. *Where Oscar-winner "Slumdog Millionaire" was set 43. Not in favor 44. *What Halle Berry did when she won an Oscar in 2002 46. Jet black 47. Lively 48. Paid killers (2 words) 50. Upon

52. Rally repeater 53. Sweet-talk 55. Not outs 57. *Total Oscar nominations for "The Power of the Dog" 60. *One of this year's Oscar hosts 64. Exotic juice flavor 65. *Jamie Foxx won an Oscar in 2005 for this flick 67. Bizet's "Carmen," e.g. 68. Off kilter 69. *1942's "Holiday ____," Oscar winner 70. Admit (2 words) 71. Afterward 72. And so on acronym 73. Took the Kool-Aid

DOWN 1. J. Edgar Hoover's man 2. Ice on a window 3. Antonym of "is" 4. Enlighten 5. Puck stopper 6. Kilimanjaro top, e.g. 7. Pronoun 8. Hinduism follower 9. *"Parallel Mothers" nominee Penelope 10. Prospector's mother 11. Seed coat

12. Lassie, e.g. 15. Type of horse gait 20. Lemur from Madagascar 22. European Economic Community 24. Playground attraction 25. *"Belfast" nominee, "Shakespeare in Love" winner 26. First cradles 27. Lifeboat support 29. *Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi nominee 31. Type of tide 32. Not so crazy 33. Extremist 34. *"King Richard" nominee, once a fresh prince 36. Give an impression 38. Land of Israel 42. Shenanigan 45. Remove claws 49. Presidential election mo. 51. Waiting on the phone (2 words) 54. Eagle's nest 56. Like the Incredibles 57. Backside 58. Boat track 59. Not odd 60. Update, as in a FitBit 61. Formerly Facebook 62. *Julia Robert's 2001 Oscar-winning role 63. Colonel or captain 64. Gangster's gun 66. ____ eater or ____ hill

Join The Salvation Army For The 2022 Spring Dialogues

March 23, 2022

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April 20, 2022

Reframing Housing Affordability Presenter: Nat Kendall-Taylor FrameWorks Institute

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May 18, 2022

Housing Unaffordability: How we got here and what we can do about it. Presenter: Edward Pinto American Enterprise Institute

VENDOR WRITING

Playlist for a Successful Sales Day BY NORMA B.

Many of you have asked what I’m doing as I walk along the side of the road selling the paper. No, I’m NOT talking to myself, well-not most of the time anyway. I’m usually listening to and/or singing songs playing on my Pandora. It helps pass the time between customers, and it keeps things interesting! So what does a typical day’s playlist look like? Here ya go, this should give you a pretty good idea. I honestly think there’s something for everyone but if not, feel free to stop by and share what you’re into, I’d love to know! I’m sure we can find some common ground musically. Day 1: 1. “Home” by Michael Bublé — all I can say is, it’s nice to have one! 2. “Another Saturday Night” by Sam Cooke — even though it played on a Friday 3. “Royals” by Lorde 4. “Your Song” by Elton John 5. “No Particular Place To Go” by Chuck Berry 6. “Gone, Gone, Gone” by Phillip Phillips 7. “It’s Now Or Never” by Elvis Presley 8. “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol 9. “I Can’t Live Without You” by Air Supply 10. “Daddy’s Money” by Ricochet — there’s a line in the song, “country as a turnip green” and a customer asked, “what does that even mean?” The only thing I could think to say was REAL COUNTRY. 11. “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” by The Temptations 12. “Run To You” by Bryan Adams 13. “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” by Martina McBride. Requested by a cancer patient, but I have laryngitis so singing was out of the question, but we shared a moment listening to it together. Sweet! Maybe I’ll get the chance do-over. 14. “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack 15. “Can’t Smile Without You” by Barry Manilow — takes me back to 3rd grade and my first choral performance at school 16. “Ring Of Fire” by Johnny Cash 17. “Easy On Me” by Adele 18. “Locomotion” by Little Eva 19. “Independence Day” by Martina McBride)-a snapshot of my life... my mom was abused which no doubt changed the course of her

life, and eventually led to my getting sent to a girls home. Art really does imitate life. 20. “You Are” by Lionel Ritchie 21. “Sister Golden hair” by America 22. “The Heart Brings You Back”by Blues Traveller — someone I worked with introduced me to their music 23. “Then” by Brad Paisley. I saw him in concert at The Bridgestone Arena with my good friend, Joanne. He puts on a really good show, if you ever have the opportunity to see him live I recommend it! 24. “Rose Colored Glasses” by John Conlee 25. “Still The Same” by Bob Segar 26. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”by Whitney Houston. This song led a guy to “bust a move” on the sidewalk. He invited me to do the same. I declined saying that Helen Keller (a deaf mute) had more rhythm than I do, only to realize he had NO CLUE who/ what I was talking about. Can you say generation gap? 27. “Colder Weather” by Zac Brown Band. This song reminds me of my former roommate's dad, a long-haul truck driver who always wanted to be home with his family, but his job kept getting in the way. How sad! 28. “Uncle Pen” by Ricky Skaggs 29. “Here I Go Again” by Whitesname. The day-to-day kinda feels like that sometimes, you know? 30. “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass. That’s what every one of you do each time you take the time to stop to help me in some way. 31. “I Need You Now” by Lady A. This was the last paper I sold today, it went for a Chick-Fil-A meal that went to my granddaughter Avani. (It was a grilled chicken sandwich and a lemonade — the BEST thing at Chick-Fil-A in my opinion.) YUM! That’s not all though, they pulled into the parking lot and also gave me a soft fuzzy blanket. It was quite chilly. (My granddaughter also loves those too!) Any guesses who ended up with that? Day 2: 1. “Tears In Heaven” by Eric Clapton 2. “The Thunder Rolls” by Garth Brooks 3. “Toes” by Zac Brown Band

4. “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” by Charlie Daniels. You gotta love when the local guy makes good and never forgot where he came from! He put on quite a show at Mt. Juliet Jr. High School, the absolute BEST part of my 18 day stint at that school by far! (He even stopped for me one time on a rainy day and gave me $20 which came in handy because school was about to start, and anyone with kids will tell you, THAT’S NOT CHEAP! 5. “Annie’s Song” by John Denver. My mom often played his music on her Ladies Gibson guitar (a gift from her brother Thomas) until she had to pawn it to make ends meet. 6. “The Closer You Get” by Alabama 7. “Because You Loved Me” by Celine Dion. I traded a paper for a bag of Hershey candy. Sweet! (Literally) 8. “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder. The lyrics remind me of my childhood in SO many ways. Why? Consider these lyrics, “Sneakin’ out the back door to hang out with those hoodlum friends of mine, greeted at the back door ‘[Girl] I thought I told you not to go outside!’ Tryin’ your best to bring the water to your eyes, thinkin’ it might stop her from whippin’ your behind’” Did it work? No! Can anybody else relate? 9. “Come To My Window” by Melissa Etheridge 10. “She Will Be Loved” by Maroon 5. Known for my smile, this song has been a popular on my corner ever since I chipped my front tooth. (The song is about “a girl with a broken smile” and says “she will be loved.“) 11. “Heaven” by Bryan Adams 12. “Carry On My Wayward Son” by Kansas. Taylor who works at Party Fowl on 8th Ave. stopped and gave me a long sleeved Party Fowl shirt and offered me a meal on the house when I come down town. Sounds good to me! 13. “Footprints In The Sand” by Leona Lewis. If you’ve ever read the poem of the same name, just imagine the words set to music — BEAUTIFUL! 14. “American Pie” by Don McLean 15. “Suspicious Minds” by Elvis Presley 16. “Bad” by Michael Jackson. This reminded me of a group of guys

PAGE 22 | March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

I came to call my Georgia linemen. They were from Georgia, and stopped because they wondered what I was singing. (It was the song “How Far I’ll Go” from the Disney movie Moana.) Their co-worker provided the drum beat on the dashboard, which led to considerable ribbing from the other two. After that, each time they’d stop for a visit they would buy a paper IF the song playing was in the soundtrack of a movie! I was sad when their job laying fiber optic cable for Google ended, but we sure did have a lot of fun while they were in here. 17. “We Are The Champions” by Queen. This reminds me of EVERY football game I’ve ever watched. It’s played at EVERY game! It also serves as my mantra every time I overcome a difficult challenge in life. 18. “A Picture Of Me Without You” by George Jones 19. “This Love” by Maroon 5 20. “Class Of ‘57” by Statler Brothers 21. “Penny Lover” by Lionel Ritchie 22. “We Danced Anyway” by Deana Carter 23. “Any Man Of Mine” by Shania Twain 24. “I’m Already There” by Lonestar 25. “Better In Time” by Leona Lewis 26. “Fat-Bottomed Girls” by Queen. A big biker guy had this song blaring on his radio so I turned my music down and listened to his. His response? He said, “You’re a trip!” I told him, “I’ve heard that before!” We had a good laugh and he rode away. 27. “The Race Is On” by George Jones 28. “Ya’ll Come Back Saloon” by Oak Ridge Boys. Yet another one of my mom’s favorites. 29. “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John) I’m ALWAYS proud at the end of the day IF I am still able to stand!) 30. “It Will Rain” by Bruno Mars. This song got me $5 and an unopened bag of broccoli salad, YUM! (Even Avani likes broccoli!) 31. “Somebody Like You” by Kieth Urban 32. “You Should Be Dancing” by The Bee Gees 33. “Even Now” by Barry Manilow

MOVING PICTURES

‘voyeurism and paranoia’ ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S REAR WINDOW TAKES ON NEW PERSPECTIVES IN THIS AGE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC L. B. “Jeff ” Jefferies is a globetrotting professional photographer who breaks his leg after getting too close to the action at a Formula One race. Jefferies is confined to a wheelchair with a full leg cast that reads “Here lie the bones of L. B. Jefferies,” and the wreckage of his camera decorates his desktop like a modernist sculpture. Jefferies convalesces in his Greenwich Village apartment looking out on a courtyard, and the windows and doors and fire escapes and gardens of his neighbors. It’s summertime, and New York is caught in the middle of a sweltering heat wave. Alfred Hitchcock and cinematographer Robert Burks are able to convey the entire set-up of their masterpiece movie in the one long

shot that opens Rear Window (1954). This picture is arguably the crowning achievement in Hitchcock’s storied filmography, and seeing this film in the era of social distancing only enhances its themes of voyeurism and paranoia. Jeff (Jimmy Stewart) is a bachelor on the mend and he’s dependent on his busybody nurse, Stella (Tony Award winner, Thelma Ritter) and his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly). Stella scolds Jeff for his new habit of spying on his neighbors assisted by his intrusive camera lenses. She also urges him to marry Lisa. Lisa’s a model who wants Jeff to give up his adventurous ways, settle down with her, and ply his trade in the world of New York fashion. Jeff is hesitant, seeing Lisa as too refined and fragile for his roughedged, thrill-seeking life, and some of the strongest stuff of this film is the sparkling chemistry between the odd couple as they learn to work together as a team. Rear Window is a crime thriller and a rare gem of masterful cinematic suspense, but its also a very sexy and very funny film that easily eclipses the dumb fumblings of most rom-coms.

Stuck at home, Jeff can only interact with the world by watching it from his titular courtyard window, and he becomes increasingly caught-up in the lives of his neighbors whom he gives nicknames while weaving harmless fictions about their lives. One dark, rainy night, Jeff sees one of his neighbors behaving strangely and becomes convinced that the man has killed his wife. This is the event that sets the suspense in this taut thriller winding ever tighter, and it’s also the anchor of the film’s richest themes. Rear Window is a movie about watching — specifically about watching people who are unaware they are being observed and cast in the made-up stories of the viewer — the voyeur. But Rear Window is also a movie about the cinematic experience — Jeff ’s big horizontal window looks like a movie screen and his use of cameras only underlines Hitchcock’s analogizing of voyeurism, movie-making, and movie-going. Jeff ’s window essentially acts as a proscenium arch that opens onto the drama — comic and tragic — of the courtyard. The film’s opening and clos-

March 16-30, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 23

ing credits are accompanied by Jeff ’s wooden blinds opening and closing in front of the window. In one scene a frustrated Lisa shuts all the blinds quickly declaring “Show’s over for tonight.” All of this watching the world through a window feels more intensely personal than ever during this period of social distancing when we simultaneously long to be closer to our friends and neighbors while also fearing for our mutual safety in these plagued times. You don’t really need an excuse to watch an incredible Hitchcock movie on the big screen at the Belcourt, but watching Rear Window at the tail end of a global pandemic — fingers crossed — is something you may never have the chance to do again. Rear Window screens this week in the latest installment of the Belcourt Theatre’s Weekend Classics programming. Go to www.belcourt.org for tickets and times.

Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.

The Contributor: March 16, 2022

Articles inside

MOVING PICTURES

VENDOR WRITING

HOBOSCOPES

NEWS

FEATURE

HISTORY CORNER

NEWS

NEWS

COVER STORY