La Noticia, one of the
Buying more papers grows & legitimizes a vendor's business, allowing the vendor to apply for housing.
The Contributor is a nonprofit social enterprise that creates economic opportunity with dignity by investing in the lives of people experiencing homelessness and poverty.
Starting in 2019, our C.O.V.E.R. Program (Creating Opportunity for Vendor Employment, Engagement, and Resources) was the natural expansion of our mission of removing obstacles to housing. We now offer full case management, assistance with housing and rental expenses, addiction recovery, health insurance, food benefits, and SSI/SSDI assistance. We see the onestop-shop team approach radically transforming a vendor's image of self and their place in community.
Since we started in 2007, more than 3,200 different vendors have purchased $2.3 million worth of The Contributor and sold over six million copies, generating over $15 million in income for themselves.
Take the paper, change a life. Read the paper, change yours.
Contributor Board
Tom Wills, Chair
Cathy Jennings, Christine Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Kerry Graham, Amber DuVentre, Jerome Moore, Drew Morris, Andy Shapiro
Contributor Volunteers
Christine Doeg , Volunteer Coordinator
Joe First
Cathy Jennings Executive Director
Tom Wills
Director of Vendor Operations
Carli Tharp SNAP Specialist
Ree Cheers SOAR Manager
Rachel Ternes Housing Navigator
Amy Holt Housing Navigator
Mary Margaret Weatherford Housing Navigator
Jesse Call Operations Consultant
Raven Nye Director of Housing Initiatives
Arnita Carson Recovery Specialist
Justin Wagner Resource Coordinator & Reporter
Barbara Womack Advertising Manager
Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors
Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus
Will Connelly, Tasha F. Lemley, Steven Samra, and Tom Wills Contributor Co-Founders
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For James “Shorty” Redden, selling The Contributor is about connection.
“I like getting out there, in tertwining with these people,” said Redden. “Nurses, doctors, I’m talkin’ about everyday people, they come by me every day. The way when you see them, they see you — they’re waving at you, you’re not just waving at them no more. They know who you are. You’re a fixture to them. You’re not going nowhere.”
Shorty is one of The Contrib utor ’s most experienced vendors, having been with the paper for al most 13 years. He’s learned more than a few tricks about selling that he’s eager to share with newcomers
PHOTO BY LINDA BAILEY.
— not just because they’re helpful, but because each new face is an ad dition to an ever-growing family.
“It’s a big old family here,” he explained. “This is a meeting place.”
“We all connect, we all meet, and this is the meeting place. Every body goes and comes back — I ain’t went nowhere. [They come back] because it’s a family thing. I could leave and come back three years later and somebody in this building knows who I am.”
He sells frequently, but his mind is rarely on the paper. It’s on God, gratitude, and the family he’s come to know, he said.
“Thank the people. Thank God first, that’s the first thing you do. I pray that I get to my bus stop, I
pray before I hit that corner. People need to back up some, ‘cause they say ‘it’s this, it’s this’ — no! It’s not all that, it’s what you make of it.”
Whether it’s a nurse dropping by his vending spot to offload some medical supplies and spare cash or a couple of strangers taking him and his girlfriend to dinner, Shorty has seen how you can get what you give when you’re working the streets.
He finds himself giving papers out to whoever will take one once he’s made his money back, confi dent he can make friendships more valuable than $2 in the moment.
“A man that interviewed me … he’d come to my apartment. I had a memory wall — I don’t have it no more — of everything I’d done
with the paper and things. He start ed crying. You could hear it in his throat, he couldn’t talk. I said, ‘Hey, you ought to be happy! That pays my bills! That pays my phone bill, it helps me get something to eat.’”
Shorty said everything he knew about vending came back to that essential element of family, and it’s why he kept those memories so close.
He hopes to get settled into a Madison home one day, where he can enjoy a quieter life than most find in Nashville — but until then, he plans to put his best foot for ward, knowing that positivity will return to him in time.
“Give your time. It will help you more than it hurts you.”
Jeff Syracuse is a second-term Coun cilmember representing District 15. He is termed out, but has already announced his run for an at-large seat.
The Contributor talked with Syracuse as part of a series called A Few Questions With where we interview council members about their district’s most pressing issues.
How would you describe District 15 and your constituents?
District 15 is often called the hospitality gateway for Nashville. We are just north of the airport with the vast majority of hotels and mo tels that support the airport. It’s third out of 35 districts in terms of Metro revenue, and it has some of the most welcoming neighborhoods.
I often describe how I manage the district in thirds: the Elm Hill Pike — Donelson Pike corridor that has some industrial offices and hotels/motels; the Pennington Bend-Opryland area; and then the heart of Donelson around the plaza and all the neighborhoods around it.
What are the main issues you hear about from your constituents?
I hear a lot about quality-of-life issues in cluding the desire for sidewalks and pedestrian connectivity to link our neighborhoods to our central business district. Local small busi nesses have been very successful over the past decade and folks want more of that.
You are the new chair of the Metro Coun cil’s Public Health and Safety Committee. What’s on top of your agenda for this committee this year?
As I come into the role of chair of Public Health and Safety, jumping on a treadmill that’s already going at 85 mile per hour so to speak. I’m getting up to speed on addressing the fentanyl crisis in a robust way, on the home lessness issue and being able to ensure we are putting the right dollars in the right place in a sustainable way, and on the co-response model as it expands across the county.
The co-response model is a partnership between Metro Police and the Mental Health Cooperative to ensure that police are not the only ones to address all issues, especially those that are mental health and medical calls and not necessarily crime related. That model is happening, and the data shows it is working. I have high hopes that this will continue to be successful as it expands beyond the North and Hermitage precincts to others.
We need to react quickly and robustly to this crisis. We need to get the test strips out there. It may be a sensitive issue, but people picking up drugs from the streets may not know it is laced with fentanyl. With test strips people can see immediately whether their drugs are laced with fentanyl and hopefully
we can start reducing the skyrocketing deaths that are occurring from fentanyl.*
The other thing, and the Health Depart ment is starting to look at that, is to transition a position or two within the Health Department to be more of a clinical position. So that the Health Department can help with the treat ment in getting people who are in active ad diction off of it.
From a long-term perspective, we have opioid settlement dollars that are coming into Nashville. We have the opportunity to use these dollars to focus on interventions and be more proactive with education. (Nashville is receiving $23 million over the next 18 years.)
As a music business industry insider, how should the city move forward to preserve the creative spirit of Music City?
Nashville’s growth is at such a rapid pace that there is a level of anxiety that we haven’t seen. The downside of rapid growth and devel
opment is that it starts to steam roll over the special culture that developed very organically over the years that has made us the place where people want to come.
We’re seeing cracks in our foundation as Music City as creatives are going to other places that are affordable and our small business own ers, particularly our small, local independent venues are not as stable as they used to be as they are being redeveloped or run by a corpo ration instead of a local business owner. We have to be more proactive in protecting a major part of what has made Nashville a unique city.
There are cities from London to Austin that understand the economic impact of their creative ecosystems, and they have been more proactive about protecting their culture and understanding its economic impact. The perfect example is Austin that just passed a $5-billion budget and within it was $30 million that supports small, independent local venues, historic preservation, and other cultural assets.
What is the next step you would like to see to move in that direction?
In the budget that Metro just passed, the Office of Music, Film and Entertainment was created. We used to have the Music City Music Council, which was a partnership between the music industry and the Mayor’s Office. It had good advocacy and accomplished some things for the music industry, but it was not a sustainable organization with strong gov ernance. To have someone dedicated in the Mayor’s Office is a good first step to help push our creative economy forward whether that is securing film projects, or working with the private sector to look at building more affordable housing for creatives, or forging more public-private partnerships to support local independent venues.
Why did you make the decision to run for an at-large Councilmember seat?
I largely have achieved what I set out to do in Donelson with the new library serving as a civic anchor in Downtown Donelson, with a robust regional transit center that could possibly include a new 50 Forward Center and also include senior affordable housing. So, the future is very bright for Donelson, and as I look at my community service and I see how our growth and development is starting to impact the working creatives that truly make this city, there is a lot that we can do and that I want to focus on from a broader level. We have to protect that dream of a songwriter or musician who comes to Nashville to make it. That speaks to who Nashville is as Music City, and I want to be able to support that at a Metro Council at-large position.
Finally, what would you like to see as the city’s next steps in regard to moving forward on solving homelessness?
The recent announcement from the Mayor of investing $50 million in federal funds is a good first step in helping to start the robust investment that we need to really tackle this issue. The big question that I have going for ward is what is the right amount of investment we need to make to ensure that we make consistent progress?
We need improved data collection. We need more robust street outreach teams and wraparound services. that are part of perma nent supportive housing development that are coming online, are going to be critical. We have to treat each individual with human respect and dignity and provide them the services they need to get on their feet and to lift them up.
*According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Drugs may contain deadly levels of fentanyl. Per law enforcement, the drug is impossible to see, taste or smell.
The Franklin Interurban Railway was proposed by Henry Horton Mayberry of Franklin in 1907. The line was dedicated on Christmas Day 1908. At the time of its inception, it was said that 90 percent of the people living in Franklin had never been to Nashville. The oper ation was powered by a steam electric generating plant that was less than a mile north of Franklin across the street from the Dortch Stove Works (now The Factory at Franklin) and a diesel electric generator at its Midway Station in Brent wood. Through a contractual agreement, it was powered by the Nashville Railway and Light Company within the city limits of Nashville.
The route started by encir cling the Civil War Monument on Franklin’s public square. It proceeded in a westerly way out of town, made a sharp right turn, and continued toward Nashville passing the aforesaid steam electric power plant. The route into Nashville was nev er far from the Franklin Pike. Some of the trackage was on the east side and some on the west side.
One crossover was at Over ton Lane and another at Elysian Fields Road. There were two others, both south of Brent wood. Most landowners along the pike, including the Thomp sons and the Overtons, gave the
Franklin Interurban owners easements to cross their farms.
The wealthiest man on the road, James E. Caldwell, who lived at Longview on the west side of Franklin Pike, did not. He sued to force the railway to come down the east side of Franklin Pike, which would have been much more expensive because the land there was much higher. Caldwell lost his lawsuit and the Franklin Interurban came across Longview’s wide front
field where the railway had a stop. Each time the streetcar approached the Caldwell stop, the conductor blew his whistle, annoying the Caldwells. There were numerous other stops where customers could board and depart the coaches. One stop had a small structure to guard against the weather. It still stands on the east side of Franklin Pike across from Rob ertson Academy Road.
At Bradford Avenue, where
the Nashville City limits ended, the Franklin Interurban used the trackage of the Nashville Trolley Lines on Eighth Ave nue to Broad Street and then to the foot of Broad Street, its terminus.
The coaches used were somewhat better than the typ ical streetcar of the day. A sin gle conductor-operator was the entire crew. Overton Thompson Jr., who grew up at Glen Leven, usually rode his pony to Robert
son Academy. However, when it was cold or rainy he would ride the Interurban. If there was no body else aboard, the conductor would occasionally let him drive. Joe Thompson, Jr., a first cous in, who grew up next door to Glen Leven also rode his pony to Robertson Academy in the early 1930s. He would ride the Interurban when the weather was wet or cold.
There were always two coaches in service, one depart ing Franklin and one departing Nashville on each hour. They met and passed each other by a siding at the Brentwood Midway Station.
The Franklin Interurban also operated a freight service. Their most important customer was the Dortch Stove Works. A short quarter mile track from the line at the Franklin steam electric generating station ran east into the stove works where it hauled out the heavy cast-iron coal and wood burning stoves manufactured there. The line also hauled farm products from the farms along Franklin Pike.
When Franklin Pike was paved with asphalt in 1925, the Franklin Interurban had passed its zenith. By World War II, it was in steady decline. By 1942, the Nashville Trolley Lines had switched over to buses. The In terurban followed suit and by the middle 1950s, it ceased op eration altogether.
Longtime writer for The Contributor Ridley Wills II has published a book cataloging all of his work writing History Corner articles for the paper from over the past decade. All proceeds from the book will be donated to The Contributor to continue its mission of providing low-barrier income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness so that they can find sustainable housing.
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One new approach that the Com munity of Care (CoC) Shelter Commit tee has recommended that the city of Nashville expand is Mobile Housing Navigation Centers.
Mobile Housing Navigation Centers were set up to move people who refuse to access other shelters off the streets and out of encampments as quickly as possible. They only need to agree to work with staff on obtaining perma nent housing. The centers are set up for 15-20 people at each site, which allows for the intensity of services that is needed for this population while also creating a sense of community.
The history of Mobile Housing Nav igation Centers goes back to the COVID pandemic. In May 2020, when I was still working at Metro, I was brainstorming with Ryan LaSuer, the executive director of a small nonprofit called Community Care Fellowship, about how we could offer motel rooms for some of the people we believed would die on Nashville’s streets. At that point, Metro had made it clear that motels were out of the ques tion for funding. Community Care Fel lowship was already strategizing how to expand its existing day center program (which offers meals, showers, and laun dry among other things) in different geographic areas to meet people in the areas they are living.
As you may recall, during the early months of the pandemic, many churches were forced to close their doors because none of us knew yet the full extent of how COVID was spread or how we could protect ourselves. This affected the ser vice delivery model to people experienc ing homelessness. For the first time in decades, people on the streets suffered from hunger in different ways than they had before as many churches provided meals. On top of it, their mental health was affected more so than usual due to the lack of connections. One person living in an encampment told me that all of a sudden he found himself cut off from his church community.
We quickly drew up a concept of what it would look like to utilize motel rooms and pilot a temporary housing program for the most vulnerable people who potentially could die without an isolation option. From the start, we uti lized the coordinated entry process as a referral tool and focused on people who absolutely refused to access the com munity’s congregate shelter operation
The concept of a housing navigation center started on the West Coast when San Francisco opened the first one in 2015. Now, eight housing navigation centers are run in that city. Other cities have opened similar projects as well for temporary housing where people move out of encampments as they are waiting for permanent supportive housing units to become available.
Nashville’s Mobile Housing Navigation Centers launched at the end of 2021. These centers differ from other cities' housing navigation centers in that they use existing spaces in local churches that can be scaled back once fewer people are living outdoors in Nashville. Because these churches are spread widely throughout the city and county, different locations can be mobilized based on need. Finally, Mobile Housing Navigation Centers’ strength is to offer small-group settings allowing for intensive, individualized support services.
The difference between the housing navigation center concept and a regular emergency shelter in general is that people can access an emergency shelter for a bed, a shower, and a meal. The beds are reassigned nightly.
In our city, Nashville Rescue Mission serves as the main 365-day shelter operation in town, and Room In The Inn offers different shelter programs for people through referral (from hospital, police) as well as a congregational winter shelter program from November through March. Together these programs assist thousands of people with shelter and services and cannot nor should they be replaced by mobile housing navigation centers. In addition, Metro has run an overflow cold weather shelter during winter months that opens at below-freezing temperatures.
(Metro was partnering with Nashville Rescue Mission, Room In The Inn, and other providers to open a 24/7 social distancing facility at the Fairgrounds).
In consultation with Bloomberg As sociates located in New York City, we developed a pilot plan and partnered with The Frist Foundation to get it funded for the first few months. We soon realized two things. One, this model worked for some of our most vulnerable neighbors. And two, it sped up the housing process because provid ers were able to locate people and work with them intensively on housing and service linkage. We also quickly recog nized that once motels were going back to charging full rates, this approach would not be sustainable. Therefore, we started concentrating on utilizing empty church spaces. Another obser vation was that more people moved out of shelters into encampments during COVID, making it clear that the city needed options for quick access to tem porary housing for people who would not go back to large shelter settings. We redrew the concept and worked with two churches who were willing to partner with Metro on this.
The Mobile Housing Navigation Center program was funded in August 2021 when Metro Council appropriat ed $850,000 in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for them. Community Care Fellowship opened the first location in Bellevue at the end of November 2021 with a full staff and security in place. A second location opened in Madison at the end of January 2022. Utilizing church spaces, we discovered, has the welcome side effect of leveraging resources from the community through food programs, substance use programs, health care pro viders, and from volunteers at the con gregations. Church leaders have imme diately stepped up to build a community that creates a sense of belonging and with that comes accountability.
People access the Mobile Housing Navigation Center via a referral through the community’s coordinated entry pro cess. What that means is that outreach workers will offer the most vulnerable people a spot when they become avail able. The only prior verbal agreement is that the person will be working with a staff member on obtaining housing.
The faster our community in Nash ville is able to provide permanent sup
portive housing, which is what most of the people utilizing the Mobile Hous ing Navigation Centers need, the more efficient these programs become. At this point, Metro estimates that the path to housing is up to 120 days.
This month, I had the pleasure to listen to the stories of three different people who have obtained housing through the Mobile Housing Navi gation Centers. One thing that stood out to me was the individualized ap proach to services and the relationship building that they all seemed to have experienced, and each of them is still connected to the communities they have become a part of.
While all this sounds great, I also would like to stress that Mobile Hous ing Navigation Centers are only as ef fective as the Housing Crisis Resolu tion System that we are building in our community. They are one piece of the puzzle and not the solution to homelessness. But they certainly fulfill a dual role: a) they offer a choice for people who cannot or will not go to other shelters or programs; and b) they help as we, as a city, need to close down some encampments that have become too much of a health hazard and safety issue for people who live (and barely survive) there.
I want to be clear, I don’t condone dismantling encampments without providing people with places to go to, which is where my support for more options of immediate access to shel ter, temporary housing, and most of all — permanent housing — comes from. But the reality is that encampments, especially in the larger locations, are unhealthy, unsafe, and certainly not meant for human habitation. Trash is piling up, encampments are being flooded out, and people are forced to live in inhumane conditions, some of whom even end up losing their lives. We would not want our parents, children, siblings, and friends to live like that. And yet, that’s what is happening all across the United States. It is up to us to pressure all levels of government to invest in more housing solutions and to prevent homelessness whenever possi ble and provide a hand up to help open doors for those who are already living outside. In the meantime, innovative programs like the Mobile Housing Nav igation Centers can help fill a small gap on the path to housing.
Why providing choices for people moving off the street is critical
“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 publi cation include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.
Huracanes, terremotos, inundaciones, lluvias torrenciales, y más y más frecuentes desastres naturales.
Ciertamente el huracán Fiona afectó dramáticamente a Puerto Rico el pasado 18 de septiembre y aún hoy miles de personas en la isla padecen sus secuelas. Muy oportuna la labor de la Cruz Roja Americana que intervino rápidamente para prestar ayuda y esfuerzos de rescate. Una tragedia de esta magnitud ya no es tan distante para nosotros en Tennessee. Recuerdo el impacto del tornado que nos afectara en marzo del 2020, y la subsiguiente pandemia que empezó a cobrar vidas ese mismo mes. ¿Que hacer ante un desastre natural, durante y después? A continuación le brindamos valiosa información que podría ser de mucha utilidad para usted o un ser querido.
Si su propiedad sufre daños debido a un desastre, usted puede enfrentar gastos inesperados para repararlos. Encuentre los recursos para recibir asistencia financiera en forma de préstamos y de reducción de impuestos.
Hay diferentes formas de saber si califica para obtener asistencia financiera tras un desastre:
-Utilice el buscador de domicilio en DisasterAssistance.gov -También puede utilizar la aplicación móvil de FEMA.
-Complete en línea el formulario y la solicitud de asistencia por desastre. -Visite la página web de Asistencia Individual por Desastre de FEMA.
-Llame a FEMA al 1-800-621-3362 (presione 2 para español) o 1-800-462-7585 para obtener asistencia por desastre.
Para obtener ayuda en persona, encuentre un Centro de Recuperación por Desastre cercano con este localizador de FEMA (en inglés).
Solicite un préstamo de recuperación por desastre
La Administración de Pequeñas Empresas (SBA, sigla en inglés) otorga préstamos de bajo interés para ayudar a propietarios de viviendas y de pequeñas empresas a recuperarse de desastres declarados por el presidente de Estados Unidos. Averigüe si es elegible y solicite la asistencia en línea.
Consiga una reducción de impuestos tras un desastre
Si fue víctima de un desastre, averigüe si califica como individuo o propietario de un negocio para una reducción en sus impuestos.
Está pagando reparaciones costosas en su vivenda.
Si ya recibe beneficios del programa SNAP, puede solicitar D-SNAP si el monto que recibiría es mayor al que recibe actualmente de SNAP.
Como beneficio adicional, usted también puede recibir comidas gratuitas para sus hijos. Estas se dan a través de los programas de comidas escolares.
Asistencia de desempleo por desastre
Si perdió su trabajo como resultado directo de una catástrofe grave, puede ser elegible para recibir asistencia de desempleo por desastre. Si es dueño de su propio negocio, también puede ser elegible.
El programa D-SNAP le ayuda con el costo de alimentos tras un desastre
Si el presidente de Estados Unidos autoriza la asistencia individual por desastre para su área, usted puede ser elegible para el Programa de Asistencia Suplementaria para Nutrición en Caso de Desastres (DSNAP, sigla en inglés), también conocido como cupones para alimentos por situaciones de desastre.
D-SNAP le proporciona un mes de beneficios a través de una tarjeta de débito que puede utilizar en la mayoría de los supermercados.
Una vez que su estado establezca el programa D-SNAP, tiene una semana para presentar su solicitud. Si es elegible, recibirá los beneficios en un plazo de tres días.
Usted podría calificar para D-SNAP si: Perdió su trabajo debido a un desastre.
No es elegible para este beneficio si califica para recibir el seguro por desempleo regular.
Visite la página web de Asistencia de Desempleo por Desastre para:
Averiguar si es elegible para recibir asistencia: Ver qué beneficios puede recibir, obtener información sobre cómo presentar una solicitud
El Departamento del Trabajo (DOL, sigla en inglés) provee ayuda financiera y asistencia laboral después de un desastre. Esto incluye:
-Mantener seguros a los trabajadores que participan en los esfuerzos de limpieza y recuperación -Asegurar que los trabajadores reciban un pago justo -Para más información llame al 1-866487-2365 (para español presione el 2).
Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569
During the time of the Republican Roman Empire's conquest of the Western World, life was pretty brutal for those who didn't accept the mandates of the ruling aristocratic class. Those rulers are the ones we read about in history books — though if you attended school in Tennessee where the teaching of ac curate history is banned you may have to Google it.
Members of the ruling Senate were given high ranking military titles so that once their armies took over a territory, these aristocrats could move in to loot that new area of all its treasure. Graft and corruption ran rampant.
Republican Romans kept slaves. As a way to identify their slaves, each one was branded with a hot iron in the unique design of their owner. The resulting scar on a slave's body was called a stigma. As was the case with African slaves in The United States, the slaves were both brand ed and bought and sold at the pleasure
of their owners.
By 71 BC, Republican Romans were out of control: led only by avarice, arro gance, cruelty and the total lack of respect for human life.
Spartacus had been a Roman soldier who somehow ran afoul of a military official and was sold into slavery to a gladiator school. The Romans enjoyed entertainment spectacles where gladiator slaves we're pitted against one another, and sometimes wild beasts, in battles to the death. Spartacus led a rebellion of his fellow slaves using only kitchen uten sils, escaped the confines of the school, captured military equipment, and led subsequent battles against Roman troops in what came to be known as the Third Servile War.
Modern-day Republicans have shown themselves to be just as greedy, arro gant, and cruel as the ancient Republican Romans. Lacking any coherent policy, guided only by a shameful lust for power
and greed they resort to creating social stigma that demeans and marginalizes any minority they arbitrarily choose to fix their cross hairs on.
They've corrupted Christians to the point that they aren't even recognizable any more. Need I remind the faithful that it was Imperial Romans who cru cified Christ and fed Christians to lions for sport. You're being used in the most disgusting way.
There's a memorable scene in the 1960 film, "Spartacus" starring Kirk Douglas. Roman soldiers have captured Spartacus and a large group of his slave warriors. The Roman commander tells the group that unless Spartacus steps forward to give himself up, every man will be killed. Just as Kirk looks as though he's going to step forward, another man steps up and says, "I am Spartacus!" And then another steps up, and another, until all that can be heard is a rumbling chorus of, "I am Spartacus!"
The Tennessee legislature gerryman
dered our congressional districts so the Democrats would lose one of their seats in Congress. Against those odds, can didate for Governor, Jason Martin, and Congressional candidates; Heidi Camp bell, Odessa Kelly, and Randal Cooper have stepped up to say, "I am Spartacus!" They're running to restore integrity to our region and our nation. They aren't cowed by the threats from the violent Republican fringe.
Let's give Tennessee Republicans the shock of their life. Let's replace their aris tocratic puppet candidates in congressio nal districts 5, 6, and 7 with some real legislators who will work for the good of all Tennesseans, not just those who lust after money and power. We are sup posed to be a government of, by, and for the people. Let's prove it. VOTE! Jason Martin for Governor
VOTE! Heidi Campbell for district 5
VOTE! Randal Cooper for district 6
VOTE! Odessa Kelly for district 7
Shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize, Small Things Like These is a genuine gem of a book: multifaceted, shining, and a priceless heirloom that will be handed down for generations to come. Set in small-town Ireland, it details the everyday lives of a mid dle-class man who owns and operates a coal and wood delivery business, his wife, and their four daughters. Keegan explores what it means to be family and masterfully sets the mood by telling us that it's coming on Christmas. There's a community Christmas tree to be lit, a traditional Christmas cake for the whole family to prepare, letters to San ta to be written, and a parental discussion about the affordability of the items on each daughter's list. The coal business is boom ing as the sacred day draws near. During a
coal delivery at the convent on a rise just outside of town, the man makes a disturbing discovery that haunts him throughout the remainder of the story. Though Keegan's tale follows the path of a real-life happening, she personalizes it for us. We see ourselves in the dilemma these characters face. It begs the question: how long do we, as a community, as a society, allow cruelty and injustice go on until we have the courage to stand up to power and say, "ENOUGH!" Though small in stature, Small Things Like These delivers a powerful wallop. When you're finished reading, you should get yourself a "jigsaw of 500 pieces" to work on while you contemplate and puzzle out what you can do to make Tennessee and our nation a more humane and loving place to call home.
BY NIA TERO & AMPLIFIER
While people around the world in creasingly experience the alarming effects of climate change, solutions to healing the planet have been right in front of us all along.
Countless Indigenous peoples have lived in reciprocity with Earth since time immemorial. Despite centuries of colonization and ongoing threats to their sovereignty, Indigenous peoples collectively sustain 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity today, including ecosystems essential to our global climate, fresh water, and food security. Indigenous practices offer a
critical pathway to healing a planet in crisis, and a unique global art project is recognizing inspiring Indigenous wom en leaders upholding both Indigenous rights and guardianship of collective territories.
‘Thriving Peoples. Thriving Places.’ is the latest in a series of collaborations between Nia Tero, a global non-profit working in solidarity with Indigenous peoples to strengthen guardianship of Earth and all beings, and Amplifier, a non-profit design lab that makes art and media experiments to amplify the most important social movements of our time.
Expanding upon the 12 portraits commissioned in 2021, this year’s four new portraits are a collaboration between illustrators Tracie Ching (Kanaka Maoli) and Cindy Chischilly (Diné). The art will be available digitally and at public art events in cities including Seattle (USA), Auckland (Aotearoa) and Manila (Philip pines). The project celebrates the vibrant and ever-present leadership of Indigenous women in protecting biodiversity and leading grassroots movements to drive action for the health of the planet.
This year’s activation launches on Oct. 10, 2022, Indigenous Peoples’ Day
on Turtle Island (North America). Like International Day of the World's Indige nous Peoples in August, activities on this day recognize the harm of colonialism and the importance of Indigenous land sovereignty.
The Indigenous women being honored with portraits this year are activists, edu cators, and climate experts working not for personal gain but for collective thriv ing, rooted in their ancestral homelands across Turtle Island, Africa and the Global South. Each carries forward traditional knowledge honoring their ancestors while shining a path for future generations.
• Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu (Kanaka Maoli) is a Native Hawaiian teacher, cultural practitioner and filmmaker who uses digital media to protect and perpetuate Indigenous languag es and traditions.
• Rosa Marina Flores Cruz (Afro-bin nizá/Afro-Zapotec) is from Juchitán, Mexico, an Indigenous town in the state of Oaxaca. She is an activist empowering Indigenous peoples, and her focus is on women’s rights, land rights, agrarian rights, and environ mental education.
• Natalie Ball (Black, Modoc, Klamath) was born and raised in Portland, Ore gon. She earned her bachelor's degree in Ethnic Studies in 2005, furthered her education in New Zealand, at Massey University, where she attained her master's degree in Maori Visual Arts, and earned her MFA from Yale University School of Art in painting and printmaking in 2018. She cur rently resides with her three children on the Klamath Tribes former reser vation, Chiloquin, Oregon where she works for the Klamath Tribes. Natalie Ball is an Indigenous artist who exam
ines internal and external discourses that shape Indian identity through contemporary installation art.
• Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim (Mbo roro) is a member of the Mbororo pastoralist people in Chad. She is an expert in the adaptation and mitigation of Indigenous peoples to climate change. Oumarou Ibrahim serves as a Member of the United Nations Permanent Forum for In digenous Issues and was one of 15 women highlighted for championing action on climate change by Time Magazine in 2019.
• Alisha "Diinashii" Carlson (Neets’aii Gwich’in) follows in the footsteps of her Ancestors' creativity and imagi nation. In addition to her filmmak ing endeavors, she works for the Arc tic Village Tribal Council and is a mother to her two children. She has her AAS degrees in Accounting and Business. She has always been active in ensuring that Gwich'in dance and songs continue for generations to come. She looks forward to making more films in the Gwich'in language that uplift her beautiful culture.
• Flor Palmar (Wayuu Iipuana) is a leading figure in Venezuela’s effort to develop bilingual, multicultural educa tion for the nation’s diverse Indigenous peoples. In addition to having worked in Venezuela’s Ministry of Education as coordinator of Programs in the Office of Bilingual Intercultural Education and serving as a member of the Nation al Commission on Curriculum within the Ministry of Education, she has au thored and co-authored international publications related to the history and practice of Indigenous education.
As we head toward the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt and United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Can ada, it is crucial to remember that cli mate solution conversations don’t just happen during state-led meetings. The women honored in this initiative and many more like them are driving change daily and weekly, locally and regionally, and across cohesive networks of Earth guardians. The organic and ceaseless ways in which Indigenous knowledge is conveyed are not unlike the street paper network bringing this story to you today:
purposeful, vigilant, community-led, and future-focused.
This year’s Thriving Peoples. Thriving Places campaign continues to elevate the importance of women in movements to ward Indigenous sovereignty and partici pation in climate solutions. Despite facing gender-based violence, educational barri ers, and economic hardships, Indigenous women unfailingly show up, inspiring action and creating change.
The Indigenous leaders recognized here are reticent to put themselves in the spotlight. Instead, they work tirelessly and in reciprocity with the planet and the communities around them. Their work never stops — and nor should our support of them. This Indigenous Peoples’ Day — and every day — is a good time to ask: “How can I support what these dedicated women are doing? And how can I create a brighter future for my community and Mother Earth alongside them?”
To learn more about this year’s ‘Thriv ing Peoples. Thriving Places.’ campaign and see the portraits, go to: NiaTero.org/ ThrivingPeoples
Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers / Nia Tero / Amplifier
Chris was a kind and gentle man against all odds. He had a hard life that made it hard for him to feel hope in the future or in himself. Throughout it all, he found joy in his daughter, in fishing, in nature, in animals, and in taking long walks. He had friends and family members who knew him to be a good soul and who loved him more than he knew. He was quiet, humble, wise, and thoughtful, and had a strong sense of justice and compassion for anyone who was mistreated. Even though he liked to keep to himself often, he was easy to get along with and a good collaborator. Over the past year of working with us at The Contributor, he was able to gain more hope in his future and was looking forward to making himself a good life in his new apartment. Knowing this makes it especially difficult to say goodbye. He will be dearly missed.
BY MICHAEL DUKE, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
I've known Chris a really long time. We grew up together. We used to go hunting and fishing and we even worked together for some time. He was a really great guy and truly a really good friend. Even if he wasn't in the best situation his self he would give you the shirt off his own back if you needed it. He stayed really humble and true to himself and he had the up most respect for everyone. His tragedy is still sinking in with me. I can't believe how some one can do such a thing to such a great person. He's truly going to be missed but never forgotten. Rest easy and fly high my friend until I see you again....
Whether you’ve lived in Nashville for years or you’re just in town for a few days, there’s always a way to get out and about without spending a ton. Every two weeks, The Contributor rounds up some of the best local fun to help you navigate all the city has to offer.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS SEASON KICKOFF PARTY
Oct. 13 | 4 p.m. at Assembly Food Hall, 5055 Broadway Place
Assembly Food Hall is hosting a viewing of the home opener of the Nashville Predators on its Skydeck. The event and viewing are free, but there will be specially drinks for $9 and beer buckets for $25 for sale. The Nashville Preds will square off against the Dallas Stars. Seating is first come, first served. Get there early as popular events tend to fill up quickly.
HOCUS POCUS AT HARD ROCK CAFE
Oct. 14
8 p.m. at Hard Rock Cafe, 100 Broadway
At Hard Rock Cafe downtown, they’ll be hosting a free screening of the beloved Hocus Pocus Doors open at 7 p.m., and seating is first come, first served.
BEST OF NASHVILLE FESTIVAL
Oct. 15 | 11 a.m. at Walk Of Fame Park, 121 4th Ave. S.
Each year, the Nashville Scene dubs people, places and things all over Nashville the best. This year, they’re hosting a free Best of Nashville Festival featuring winners of the paper’s awards. At Walk of Fame Park downtown, locals and tourists alike are invited to hang out at the daylong event, which includes winning vendors, giveaways, food trucks, a photo booth, live music, craft cocktails and more.
SOUTHERN FESTIVAL OF BOOKS Oct. 14-16
War Memorial Plaza and Nashville Public Library
At the first in-person event since 2019, The Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word will host hundreds of authors and book lovers in downtown Nashville. The festival is free every year, and it spreads from War Memorial Plaza to the public library downtown. It includes book talks, performance stages, food trucks and more than 60 publishers and booksellers.
LUNCH AND LEARN: TENNESSEE FOLKLIFE AND THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS WITH BOB FULCHER Oct. 20 Noon at the Tennessee State Museum, 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.
At the Tennessee State Museum, which offers free admission, they’re hosting a lunch and learn with Bob Fulcher. He’ll discuss the state’s traditional music, dance, craftwork, lore, and oral histories that “has enlivened, beautified, and supported culture and families through generations of sharing, especially in the Great Smoky Mountains,” the event reads. The Tennessee State Parks Folklife Project and its images from its collection will be highlighted.
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 pub lished 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 through out 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
IF I look singularly to myself, I am right naught; but in general I am in hope, in oneness of charity with all mine even-Christians. For in this oneness standeth the life of all mankind that shall be saved. For God is all that is good, as to my sight, and God hath made all that is made, and God loveth all that he hath made: and he that loveth generally all his even-Christians for God, he loveth all that is. For in mankind that shall be saved is comprehended all: that is to say, all that is made and the Maker of all. For in man is God, and God is in all.
AS I do no good action here, merely for the interpretation of good men, though that be one good and justifiable reason of my good actions: so I must do nothing for my salvation hereafter, merely for the love I bear to mine own soul, though that also be one good and justifiable reason of that action; but the primary reason in both, as well as the actions that establish a good name, as the actions that establish eternal life, must be the glory of God.
Donne: Sermons.
SINCE all sickness and corruption did fall to the flesh when the soul fell from this work, therefore shall all health come to the flesh when the soul by the grace of Jesu—the which is the chief work er—riseth to the same work again. And this shalt thou hope only to have by the mercy of Jesu and thy lovely consent. And therefore I pray thee with Solomon here in this passage that thou stand stoutly in this work, ever more bearing up unto him thy lovely consent in gladness of love.
THE giving of thanks maketh entreaty of behalf of the feeble before God.
The Paradise of the Fathers
THE word 'humanity' means unredeemed men and women; the word 'history' implies limitation and corruption; the pronoun 'I' spells judgement. Neither forwards nor backwards can we escape from this narrow gorge. There is therefore no alternative for us but to remain under the indictment; and only he who remains here without making any attempt to escape, even by spinning sophistries of human logic is able to praise God in His faithfulness.
Barth: The Epistle to the Romans
WE indeed have these passions by reason of the weakness of our human nature; not so the Lord Jesus, whose weakness was of pow er.
St Augustine: City of God
THE highest, the only proof of love, is to love our adversary.
St Gregory, quoted in Aquinas: Catena Aurea
THIS is the light of bare reason or the reasoning faculty of the mind has no contrariety to the vices of the heart; it neither kills them nor is killed by them. As pride, vanity, hypocrisy, envy or malice don't take away from the mind its geometrical skill, so a man may be most mathematical in his demonstrations of the religion of reason when he has extinguished every good sentiment of his heart, and be the most zealous for its excellency and sufficiency when he has his passions in the most disordered state.
William Law: A Demonstration
REPENTANCE is tardy knowledge; innocence from the first is knowledge.
St Clement: Stromata
WHEN we once begin to form good resolutions, God gives us every opportunity of carrying them out.
St John Chrysostom: Homilies
REPENTANCE is but a kind of table-talk, till we see so much of the deformity of our inward nature as to be in some degree frightened and terrified at the sight of it . . . A plausible form of an outward life, that has only learned rules and modes of religion by use and custom, often keeps the soul for some time at ease, though all its inward root and ground of sin has never been shaken or molested, though it has never tasted of the bitter waters of repentance and has only known the want of a Saviour by hearsay. But things cannot pass thus: sooner or later repentance must have a broken and a contrite heart; we must with our blessed lord go over the brook Cedron, and with Him sweat great drops of sorrow before He can say for us, as He said for Himself: "It is finished."
William Law: Christian RegenerationI WAS at a stand in my mind whether I should practise physic for the good of mankind, seeing the nature and virtues of the the creatures were so opened to me by the Lord. But I was immediately taken up in spirit, to see into another or more steadfast state than Adam's in innocency, even into a state in Christ Jesus that should never fall. And the Lord showed me that such as were faithful to Him, in the power and light of Christ, should come up into that state in which Adam was be fore he fell; in which the admirable works of the creation, and the virtues thereof, may be known through the openings of that divine Word of wisdom and power by which they were made. Great things did the Lord lead me into, and wonderful depths were opened unto me beyond what can by words be declared; but as people came into subjection to the Spirit of God, and grow up in the image and power of the Almighty, they may receive the word of wisdom that opens all things, and come to know the hidden unity in the Eternal Being.
George Fox: JournalHOW easy is pen and paper piety, for one to write religiously? I will not say it costeth nothing, but it is far cheaper to work one's head than one's heart to goodness. Some, perchance, may guess me to be good by my writings, and so I shall deceive my reader. But if I do not desire to be good, I most of all deceive myself. I can make an hundred meditations sooner than subdue the least sin in my soul.
Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times
YOU still shall tramp and tread on endless round of thought, to justify your action to yourselves, weaving a fiction which unravels as you weave, pacing forever in the hell of make-believe which never is belief.
T. S. Eliot: Murder in the Cathedral
19th Wednesday after Trinity
IN the midst of my morning prayers I had a good meditation, which since I have forgotten. Thus much I remember of it—that it was pious in itself, but not proper for that time; for it took much from my devotion, and added nothing to my instruction; and my soul, not able to intend two things at once, abated of its fervency in praying. Thus snatching at two employments, I held neither well.
Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times
GOD hath not forgiven thee thy sins because of thy repentance but because of thy thought to deliver thyself to Christ.
The Paradise of the Fathers
WHEN the devil leaves any one he watches his time for return, and having taken it, he leads him into a second sin . . . Something like this took place in Judas, who after his repentance did not preserve his own heart, but received that more abundant sorrow supplied to him by the devil, who sought to swallow him up . . . But had he desired and looked for place and time for repentance, he would perhaps have found him who has said, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Or perhaps he desired to die before his Master on his way to death, and to meet him with a disembodied spirit that by confession and deprecation he might obtain mercy; and did not see that it is not fitting that a servant of God should dismiss him self from life, but should wait God's sentence.
Origen, quoted by Aquinas: Catena Aurea
Sponsored by Matthew Carver, publisherPRIDE calls me to the window, gluttony to the table, wantonness to the bed, laziness to the chimney, ambition commands me to go upstairs, and covetousness to come down. Vices, I see, are as well contrary to themselves as to virtue. Free me, Lord, from this dis tracted case; fetch me from being sin's servant to be thine, whose "service is perfect freedom," for thou art but one, and ever the same.
WOULD wicked men dwell a little more at home, and descend into the bottom of their own hearts they would soon find Hell opening her mouth wide upon them, and those secret fires of inward fury and displeasure breaking out upon them.
John Smith: DiscoveriesSOME men the fiend will deceive in this manner full wonderfully. He will enflame their brains to maintain God's law, and to destroy sin in all other men. He will never tempt them with a thing that is openly evil. All men will they reprove of their faults right as though they had a cure of their souls: and yet they think that they dare not else for God but tell them their faults that they see. And they say that they be stirred thereto by the fire of charity, and of God's love in their hearts; and truly they lie, for it is with the fire of hell, welling up in their brains and in their imagination.
[THERE are] . . . those who form too strong a love for one spiritual art, and make, as it were, an end for themselves of this act, and if, by any chance, they lose it, straightaway they despair and cease from all other acts.
St Catherine of Siena.HE who did not suffer as the man suffers upon whom hardships and adversity suddenly fall but who has before him every instant the possibility that everything nevertheless might be redressed— for He knew that it was inevitable; He who knew that with every new sacrifice He made in behalf of the truth He was hastening His persecution and destruction, so that He had control of His fate, could ensure for Himself the splendour of royal power and the devout admiration of the race if He would let go of the truth, but knew also with even greater certainty that He would ensure His destruction, if (oh, eternally certain way to destruction!) He were in any respect to desert the truth—how did he manage to live with out anxiety for the next day? . . . He had Eternity with Him in the day that is called to-day, hence the next day had no power over Him, it had no existence for Him. It had no power over Him before it came, and when it came, and was the day that is called to-day it had no power over Him than that which was the Father's will, to which He had consented with eternal freedom, and to which He obediently bowed.
Kierkegaard: Christian Discourses.
IN suffering and tribulation there are really certain situations in which, humanly speaking, the thought of God and that he is never theless love, makes the suffering far more exhausting . . . For either one suffers at the thought that God the all-powerful, who could so easily help, leaves one helpless, or else one suffers because one's reason is crucified by the thought that God is love all the same and that what happens to one is for one's good . . . The further effort which the idea of God demands of us is to have to understand that suffering must not only be borne but that it is good, a gift of the God of love.
Kierkegaard: Journals
GIVE peace, that is, continue and preserve it; give peace, that is, give us hearts worthy of it, and thankful for it. In our time, that is, all our time: for there is more besides a fair morning required to make a fair day.
Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times
TEACH me the art of patience whilst I am well, and give me the use of it when I am sick.
Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times
There’s a ghost painted on the telephone poll on the corner by the ice cream shop. There’s a sign that says “Neighborhood Fright Fest–This Weekend Only!” I’m always excited to see a ghost painted, well, almost anywhere, but this one makes me a little nervous, Libra. This year has flown by so fast, and this weekend will be here and gone in no time. And I’m afraid I’ll miss the fest and keep the fright. We can’t slow down time, Libra, but we can try to take our moments individually. Take a second to notice where and when you are. Sit there for a couple breaths and then let the time start rolling again. Keep the ghost in front of you and only the past behind.
If I could interview any vampire, Scor pio, I would probably interview Dracula. I mean, he’s the most famous one. First I’d ask him about the garlic thing. I assume it was pretty easy to avoid in 13th century Transylvania, but over the past 500 years, as garlic has migrated from Asian to North African cuisine and now become a common ingredient in European and even American dishes, has it made it harder for our garlic-intolerant undead neighbors to thrive? If you have any important questions to ask, Scorpio, don’t stay quiet too long. You might not get another chance to get an answer.
One thing about me is that when I was a kid my Aunt Flora drove a haunted car. She won it in a contest where she had to guess how many doughnuts were in the radio-station breakroom. Anyway, the car was a Toyota Tercel and it had a mysterious malevolent presence in the back seat — we called her Linda. She was always unlatching the doors and fiddling with the radio (she liked adult contemporary.) So I asked my Aunt Flora why she didn’t get a different car and she said, (and this is the part for you, Sagittarius) “this Tercel is my gift and it’s my burden, too.” And I think about that whenever I hear a Neil Diamond song.
What are you going to be for Halloween this year, Capricorn? You could be a spooky dentist or an undead bus driver or a zombie zoo keeper! The best thing about this holiday is that you get to be whatever you want. But what about the rest of the year, Capricorn? What’s keeping you from being whatever you want all the time? You could be a dentist or a bus driver or a
zookeeper, anything, really. There’s probably some school involved, but if it’s what you want, it’s way better than doing something you don’t.
The lightning flashes and the silhouette of the mad-doctor throws back its ec static head with laughter. The assistant pulls another lever and the doctor shouts at the cov ered mound of flesh on the gurney “Live! Live! Live!” Lightning flashes a second time and as the thunder roars something under the sheet sits bolt upright. And a powerful new creation enters the world. It’s time for you to make something, Aquarius. Not for praise or money or success. Just to see what you can bring to life.
My dog has a skeleton costume. Black cloth with white bones painted on. And she’s as happy as anyone could be. Wag ging her tail with her favorite penguin squeaky-toy between her teeth. And she’s a four-legged reminder that underneath, we’re all the same. Our bones will outlast our joy. But that only makes our joy that much more precious. You’re a skeleton in a human costume, Pisces. Act the part. Find what makes you happiest and chew it till the squeaker comes out.
Somebody brought in a bag of Hallow een candy and left it on the break-table at work. I’m assuming I can just take some? I guess I’ll have a couple of pieces. But there’s five kinds so I should at least get one of each. And I really like the sour ropes so maybe I’ll grab a couple more of those. Honestly, Aries, if I throw a few hand fuls in my lunch bag, I’ll have enough for the whole week. But why do we live like there isn’t enough to go around? We start with plenty for everybody, and the more we stockpile, the less opportunity there is for anybody else to get a start. Pace yourself, Aries. Take what you need. Even what you want. But not what you fear you’ll need later.
I worry about werewolves, Taurus. Oh, I’m not afraid of them, I just worry because everytime there’s a full moon, they end up having to run around outside in the dark and the temperatures have been getting pretty low lately. I mean, if you’re cold, they’re cold, Taurus. There are so many things we can worry about and so few things we can
control. We can’t warm every werewolf, but if you find your mind racing toward unsolvable problems, there are some non-lupine human persons in your neighborhood who could probably use a helping hand or a cozy jacket.
This year I’m gonna give onion rings to trick or treaters. Look, Gemini, kids need to learn that you can’t always pre dict what life is going to throw at you and that not all surprises are bad. I think onion rings teach both of these lessons. Of course, I’ll provide an assortment of dipping sauces. I’m not a monster. What surprises has life thrown your way lately, Gemini? Is it a crisis or is it just an onion ring?
Which pumpkin did you bring home, Cancer? Did you get the biggest one in the bin or one of those tiny indoor pumpkins from the table? Did you get the one shaped too much like a human head or the weird long one with the winding stem? Every pumpkin is different, Cancer, and every pumpkin is a gift. Will you carve it or cook it or just leave it on the porch till it gets soft in the spring? Honestly, I know you’ve got a great one, and I’m just excited to see what you do with it.
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. Un less you’re an ancient pharaoh who has managed to be mummified and placed inside a giant pyramid. Who could have predicted that the mummy would become a part of the western horror pantheon? Not Tutankhamun. I imagine he wanted to be remembered as young, powerful, and perfect. Instead I think of him as a shambling horror wrapped in strips of decaying toilet paper. You can’t control what other people think of you, Leo. Start working on what you think of you.
It was a dark and stormy night, Virgo. There was a knock on the door. Are you gonna get that? It could be the Thai food we ordered. Be sure to tip extra, Virgo, it’s a terrible night to be driving food around. You’ve got to be ready when the knock happens. It’s not always when you expect or who you expect, but you’ve got to be ready. Ask if they’ve got chopsticks.
Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a trained vampire hunter, or a registered costume consultant. 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
I was sitting in front of the library
face turned down to my phone
you remember me?"
said
eyes turned toward the voice
A slideshow of faces flashed
Through my mind back year after year
Until I settled on one
"You're Maryanne"
I said with deadpan confidence
She smiled and slapped her thigh "You remember me!" she said with glee
She never called my name I figure my sunflowers gave me away
It had been every bit of ten years
Since we met at the church And those ten years had not been kind
To me or to her.
She had been one of "those" Someone you attract when you're homeless Or selling newspapers on a street corner
They glom on tight And try to mold you to their image
Of who they assume you to be Without ever asking or listening to How you came to be Homelessness is a journey Sometimes paved with the selfish intentions
Of those who think they know you Better than you know you But can't stop trying to convince you
That you're wrong I stopped taking her calls
Recently after having a particularly bad day, I was listening to my Christian meeting and I was reminded to make the most of my current situation, and not be longing for things of the past.
The speaker encouraged his listeners to have patience and remember that, “God’s got your back, and he ALWAYS gives us what we need when we need it,” and he WILL NOT put more on us than we can bear, but that he will make a way out for you. (1 Cor. 10:13) He went on to say that DOES NOT mean he will take the trial away. Case in point: three times Paul asked to have a thorn in the flesh removed from him. The response he received was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weak ness. ” (2 Cor. 12:7-9) These were all much needed reminders for me right now.
I’ve also learned from studying the scriptures that God can use anyone to teach us valuable lessons. Consider what happened the following day.
Many of my customers know I’ve been struggling a bit lately. One in particular stopped and asked if I was feeling “ joyful.”
I answered honestly and said, “ No, not really, not today. ” But quickly point ed out, “I’m still smiling! ”
He paraphrased James 1:2-4, “Con sider it all pure joy my [sister] when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let persever ance finish its work so that you may be mature complete not lacking anything.”
He continued by saying, “ You should feel honored. God knows what you can handle even better than you do.”
I smiled and said, “ I know you’re right, but sometimes I just wish he had less confidence in me and gave me a little less to deal with.”
Shortly after that, another custom er stopped to ask how I was doing. I’d talked to him on an earlier visit about some of the difficulties I was having.
He reminded me of the need to “Honor ALL men” (1 Peter 2:17 ) no matter what they may say or do, and to love people in spite of the circumstances and then he paraphrased 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.
I agreed but acknowledged some times that’s really hard to do, but I
thanked him, and told him how much I needed to hear that right now. He just smiled and said, “I thought you might. Why do you think I stopped? ”
I must admit I was feeling much better now, but it turns out God wasn’t quite done with me yet that day.
I got home and counted what I made that day. It was $34.18. (I’m NOT com plaining. I honestly do believe I have exactly what I’m supposed to have at the end of every day, but there are people who insist that I make more than they do — maybe some days. Well, here is a reality check for those individuals.)
It did however remind me of yet another one of my favorite scriptures Psalms 34:18 which says, “ The LORD is close to the broken hearted and saves those crushed in spirit.”
What a day! It definitely didn’t go according to my plan, but it did empha size for me the more important things In life!
What more could I possibly ask for?
Thanks to ALL who made what started out being a not-so-good day a GREAT day after all!
Well, I got a couple of names for my friend the mouse. You remember I said the gender didn't matter. Girl or Boy. Well, a good friend said, “have both.”
“Cheesy ” for a girl. Because mice love cheese.
“Cheddar” for a boy because money.
Cause, you know, I've made some from this little friend. And a lot of folks say “got some cheddar” to mean “ money. ”
No, sure, I can handle two. Had Cheddar going on six years now. And he and you all have helped me. Helped me pay my rent, eat, and away to work. Haha! With two I could be rich! Well, I've enjoyed writing about us, and what we do. Like it's getting cool out there. I'm making him a blanket to sleep on.
So, question: Should I get Cheesy too?
So we will have Cheddar and Cheesy. Can you help me again? One or Two? Help me decide. It's always good to have more friends.
God has put y'all in my life. And I'm so grateful.
You remember our Christmas Gift Wrap issues? Can you give me some ideas for that? What can I say? I'm a needy person!
God Bless all of us. Thank you!
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Tennessee
Rob Zombie claims that he grew up watching nine hours of television a day in a 2005 interview with Conan O’Brien. All that small screen time — and a babysitter who’d let him watch violent adult films — sparked Zombie’s love of dark humor and bloody horror, inspiring the shock rock aesthetics of his musical projects and the intense imagery in his own hor ror movies. If you picture little Bobby Cummings (Zombie’s birth name) being blasted for hours by a cathode ray tube in small town Massachusetts in the early 1970s, his new reboot of The Munsters makes complete sense. But it’s a step that’s caught a lot of critics and fans by surprise judging from the film’s abysmal ratings on Rot ten Tomatoes. The shock of Rob Zombie making a PG prequel to a silly sixties sitcom seems to be making it hard for audiences to see the film on its own terms. And it’s their loss because Rob Zombie’s The Munsters is a visually auda cious, very funny romance that
tells the story of how Lily and Her man Munster first met. And it's a love letter to that small screen where little Bobby first found The Creature from the Black Lagoon , White Zombie (the Bela Lugosi film Zombie named his first band after), and that lovably weird fam ily at 1313 Mockingbird Lane.
The Munsters opens with the Frankenstein-like story of the cre ation of Herman Munster — he’s supposed to have the brain of a genius but a mishap at the morgue results in Herman receiving the head of the genius’s idiot brother, a hack comedian named Shecky Von Rathbone. Herman’s not very bright, but he has a showman’s flair and he becomes a minor ce lebrity when he turns a disastrous debut on Good Morning Transylva nia into a surreal spotlight for his stand-up stylings. Lily is a single young vampiress — only 150 years old — who lives with her father, The Count. When Lily sees Her man on television, it’s love at first sight and the pair meet backstage
at one of Herman’s gigs with his band The Punk Rods at the Zom bie-a-Go-Go. Herman is head over heels for Lily, but when she invites him to the castle for dinner, The Count vows to keep the ghastly goof away from his precious Lily.
Zombie’s take on The Mun sters retains the series’ wholesome
humor with lots of gags based on the creepy characters playing it straight in the midst of their spooky, surreal surroundings. The original series debuted in 1964 and was black-and-white like all television of that era. Zombie wanted his film to be black-andwhite as well, but when Univer sal refused he went to another extreme, drenching his movie in vibrant, saturated colors, making The Munsters look like a live-ac tion cartoon. I want to watch this movie multiple times just to stare at its over-the-top palette, topnotch make-up and costumes, and Zombie’s signature unhinged cam erawork.
The Munsters’ is also brim ming with horrible little Easter eggs for horror movie fans to feast on: The cast features Zombie mov ie regulars like Jeff Daniel Phillips as Herman, Sheri Moon Zombie as Lily and Daniel Roebuck as The Count. Cassandra Peterson — better known as buxom horror movie host Elvira, Mistress of the
Dark — plays a real estate agent, and '80s scream queen Dee Wal lace (The Howling , Cujo) plays a TV announcer on Good Morning Transylvania . The movie also in cludes lots of shots of horror films playing on television sets includ ing Abbott and Costello meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde , and Universal classics like The Mummy.
It’s not unusual for a Rob Zom bie movie to get mixed reviews before garnering a cult following, and The Munsters will likely find its audience the shock of a — gulp — family-friendly Rob Zombie film wears off.
The Munsters is streaming on Netflix Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and perform ing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www. joenolan.com.
