The Contributor: December 21, 2022

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IN THE ISSUE History Corner

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perfecto que los versos del poeta nacido –como Pablo un siglo antes– en la isla emblemática, el sabor y la claridad que logran la emoción más alta. Cuando conocí Nueva York, mientras escuchaba ese poema vigoroso (“Amor de ciudad grande”), lloré con la voz de Pablo. Recordemos que Martí de 1881 a 1885 (año de su muerte, vivió en Nueva York. Allí escribió “Ismaelillo”, “Versos libres”, y “Versos sencillos”, la novela “Amistad funesta”, y más de trescientos artículos y crónicas periodísticas. En “Amor de ciudad grande” se refiere a Nueva York,” y en el canto de Milanés, está muy presente esa desgarradora decepción que el poeta de los “versos sencillos” escribió con tremenda sinceridad sobre la ciudad:

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verdad en la que aquellos años, nos defendíamos de la orfandad ideológica que nos fue venciendo a manos de la efervescencia capitalista y mezquina, que nos trajo a un mundo globalizado en el que la infamia se disfrazó de hada madrina.

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Mi cercanía con sus canciones fue desde finales de los años setenta y principios de los ochenta. Alguna vez no recuerdo el año, él y Silvio Rodríguez cantaron en la Casa de la cultura; yo estaba ahí parado, oyendo a aquellos dos hermosos pájaros sin fama, con Jesús del Río; años después me dijo Jesús: “¿Te acuerdas de Silvio y Pablo cantando en el patio de la Casa de la Cultura? Qué tiempos carajo, todo se va…” Y nos inundó la nostalgia.

Las canciones de Pablo y Silvio, las viví con amigos y en los más altos peldaños de la esperanza y la embriaguez por el espíritu revolucionario que no se

me ha quitado, ni ha menguado en lo que de humanidad Silvio y Pablo, me han dejado dicho.

Ellos retrataron las facciones de la Revolución cubana y dieron a los jóvenes de aquel tiempo, una visión en la que podíamos ver cada vez más cerca, los ojos briosos de una libertad que se buscaba, y que hoy día la veo mansa en manos de los jóvenes, que ya no saben que las generaciones anteriores lucharon por conseguirla. Poco veo la revolución –en la amplitud de la palabra– en estas generaciones que han creído que el mundo es suyo.

Sus canciones de amor vibraron en mi sueño de la escritura y conmovido por las letras, llegué a volverlas himnos míos en las noches de los amigos y el ron. Sus canciones nos transformaban

en desdichados de ocasión, en amorosos ambulantes y cantábamos a coro sus inspiradas letras.: “Muchas veces te dije que antes de hacerlo había qué pensarlo muy bien” o “Todavía yo no sé si volverá…” Y cantábamos con la esperanza por la libertad y la búsqueda de un mundo nuevo.

Qué más decir de lo que nos dieron sus canciones y hoy que nos deja, bien vale la pena explorar esa estremecedora felicidad que la sensitiva tesitura de la voz de Pablo, provocó (más en aquellos años) en nuestra percepción de los que lo escuchábamos aparte y lejos de la común marejada de la música popular que sonaba en la monolítica radio mexicana. En aquel entonces parecía ser música para desadaptados, para rebeldes, y el desprestigio de estos era común entre las familias que escuchaban a Julio Iglesias, Los ángeles negros, entre otros cantantes que dominaban en la vox populi.

Yo encontré en Pablo, en Silvio, en Amaury Pérez, en Vicente Feliú, y en otros más, algo que me alegraba: letras distintas que hacían preguntas que me acercaban a lo que era ya mi pasión: la poesía.

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Uno de los discos más hermosos que nunca he dejado de escuchar, y que ahora mientras escribo, conmovido estoy escuchando, es el álbum de 1975, en el que Pablo canta los poemas de José Martí, musicalizados con una sencillez y un tino, como pocas veces –desde Serrat con los poemas de Machado (1969) y Miguel Hernández (1972)– se había escuchado.

La transparencia, el vigor del alma de Martí está resuelto en el canto de Pablo. La sencillez con la que canta “Amor de ciudad grande” por ejemplo, es conmovedora. La voz de Pablo y su armonía con las cuerdas de la guitarra, le dan al poema de Martí, el cuerpo

“De gorjas son y rapidez los tiempos/Corre la luz en alta aguja./Cual nave despeñada en sirte horrenda,/húndese el rayo, y en ligera barca/El hombre, como alado, el aire hiende.”

Questions & Answers

No es menor la sinceridad con la que Pablo canta estos versos en los que claramente, puede sentirse su profundo asombro ante la transnacionalización y exilio que el poeta vivía, activo en la política e inauguraba con estos versos, una poesía moderna en español, es decir, modernista, como se le llamó:

“¡Me espanta la ciudad! ¡Toda llena/De copas por vaciar, o huecas copas!/¡Tengo miedo ¡ay de mi! de que este vino/Tósigo sea, y en mis venas luego,/cual duende vengador los dientes clave!…”. El poema en voz de Pablo me estremece.

Hoy ha muerto el cantor, nos ha dejado su voz, su amor a la vida, su comprensión del hombre contemporáneo, sus canciones y hemos de llorar al queridísimo Pablo Milanés, y hemos de escucharlo todavía hasta que otra noche nos deje a oscuras.

Dios guarde al cantor.

Neftalí Coria, es un dramaturgo y poeta natural de Huaniqueo, Michoacan, México.

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Ridley Wills II discusses Adelicia Acklen and her troubled marriage to Dr. William Archer Cheatham.

vendors write in this issue about music, togetherness, God's love and create art of an owl and a local musician.

Judith Tackett asks a few questions of Councilmember Tonya Hancock of District 9.

Homeless Does Not Mean Hopeless

A Nashville Public Library exhibition looks at experiences of unhoused women

BY JUSTIN WAGNER

Painted in a subdued lavender on the Nashville Public Library’s beige walls, these words are a sort of manifesto: Homeless Does Not Mean Hopeless . One which stands for a group of anonymous women in Nashville, all of whom have a story being told in the very same space.

Photographs line the walls — street signs, sunsets, knick knacks scattered on a work desk — all familiar sights in the city. But in this exhibit, they are seen through the eyes of women in Nashville’s unhoused community.

“Having an opportunity to visually represent themselves… well, for any of us to represent ourselves, it helps us participate in a universal conversation,” said Rachel Underwood, who organized the exhibit. “Humanizes our story as well.”

The pieces in the exhibit touch on a number of themes, from identity to hardship to religion, but they all ring with the richness and clarity you can get from a firsthand account.

The unnamed women who created the works are not professional photographers — they are community members, all of whom survive with a story to tell.

One work showcases a yellow road sign

that reads, “SPEED BUMP AHEAD.” Its shadow cuts through an unkempt mound of grass hiding a parade of dead trees and distant streetlights. If not a meditation on oncoming hardship, it’s an effective leer at the contrast between Nashville’s gaudy downtown extravagance and its hidden corners.

Another piece shows a cubicle desk corner adorned with little decorations — a Mickey Mouse doll, a muted painting of cherry blossom leaves, a birthday balloon slowly exhaling over a bouquet of pink flowers — and a mirror, which reveals a blank ceiling panel overhead. The digital camera blows out the harsh white light overhead; it’s an imperfect spotlight centered on small pleasures.

Snippets of text link the works together and provide perspective from the women themselves. Many of them meditate on identity, with ruminations like “I have a past, but I’m not my past,” and “I hope that we as women don’t lose ourselves, because who are we if we’re not ourselves?”

It’s a story told with quiet poignance — but crucially, it’s a story told by homeless women, rather than one told about homeless women.

The exhibit, Women of Nashville: An Exploration of Lived Experiences of Homelessness, is the fruit of a Vanderbilt thesis

project by Underwood which uses a method of study called photovoice. In photovoice, participants take pictures to communicate their perspective on an issue, and those photos are used to inform discussion with the researchers.

“We went around and did a big roundtable-type discussion, and they each showed their photograph, and then we had a series of questions within the methodology that we ask to generate conversation,” said Underwood. “And that kind of points to what we want to know as researchers, but then we kind of find that the dialog becomes collective.”

Photovoice allows a research conversation, which might typically be bogged down by banal formalities, to become more engaging and fair to the participants, Underwood said.

It’s especially helpful when learning about the homeless community, as their struggles are sometimes mined for privileged entertainment — a phenomenon Underwood likened to colonization.

“I just come from the belief that we can ask questions and understand the best we can as outsiders, but we are not the experts of that experience. We can give aggregates

and information, but I believe in hearing from people,” she said. “I have a privilege as a researcher and academic to provide an opportunity for those experiences.”

The 18 women who contributed to the project were left unnamed to preserve their privacy and safety, and to ensure that the exhibit did not become about using their likenesses as a tool for gain.

Underwood’s choice of location was similarly intentional, as the Nashville Public Library is a uniquely welcoming place for those experiencing homeless downtown.

“A library is one of the last palaces of the people,” said Underwood, referencing Eric Klinenberg’s theories on sociology. “It’s a place that is free to go, and that people can stay and may not get kicked out, they have resources and amenities … I wanted to honor that for them, and it’s also an urban center.”

The exhibit remains open until Dec. 30. Though happy to see it on display in downtown Nashville, Underwood is primarily happy to reflect on the experiences she had with the people whose stories are being told.

“I’m proud to be in their lives at that time, and that they trusted me enough to be there. It’s about them.”

Adelicia Acklen and her troubled marriage to Dr. William Archer Cheatham

BY RIDLEY WILLS II

On a June evening in 1867, Adelicia Hayes Franklin Acklen married Dr. William Archer Cheatham, a physician descended from the prominent Cheatham and Washington families of Robertson County and a well educated and refined gentleman.

The brilliant reception, which was said to cost $10,000, was held at Belle Monte, Adelicia’s magnificent estate two miles south of Nashville. Fifteen hundred people attended the event. The bride, one of the richest women in the South, was 50 years old. She was dressed in a gown of heavy white silk with a veil of Brussels point lace flowing over her shoulders, a coronet given her by the Emperor and Empress of France, and a diamond clasp fastening the girdle encircling her waist.

Standing next to Adelicia in the receiving line was her bridegroom wearing a black suit with a white waistcoat and tie. Three years younger than Adelicia, Dr. Cheatham was a widower with two young children. His first wife, the for-

mer Mary Ready, died April 27, 1864, of “rheumatism of the heart and painful spells.” Her sister, Martha, was married to the famous Confederate cavalry general John Hunt Morgan, who would be killed in Greeneville, Tenn., the following September.

From 1852 until June 1862, Dr. Cheatham’s leadership as CEO had improved the state asylum for the insane on the Murfreesboro Pike to point that it was considered one of the leading such institutions in the country. This ended on July 25, 1862, when Military Governor Andrew Johnson told Dr. Cheatham of his dismissal as superintendent. Cheatham was subsequently arrested, charged with treason and committed to the state penitentiary. After he was quickly pardoned because of his wife’s ill health, he was replaced as superintendent of the insane asylum by a Dr. Jones. Dr. Cheatham then entered private practice in Nashville, where he was considered the city's leading physician.

In the spring of 1863, a federal police chief accused Dr. and Mrs. Cheatham of housing a spy from General Morgan who, dressed in a Union uniform, was gathering information on the location of Union stores and Union troops in Nashville. Dr. and Mrs. Cheatham were convicted and ordered by General W. S. Rosecrans to be sent to Alton, Illinois federal prison, where they were to be confined until the end of the war, Dr. and Mrs. Cheatham got as far as Loiuisvlle where Mary Cheatham was so sick she could not travel further. Accordingly, they were put under house arrest in a Louisville hotel, where she was examined by a Union-approved physician. He confirmed that, where the Cheathems were to be sent on to Alton, it would endanger her life. Allowed to return to Nashville, Mary Cheatham lived for only 10 months. Dr. Cheatham and his children had to deal with a new way of life.

People have speculated on why Adelicia married Dr. Cheatham. A simple

answer is that she needed a new consort. After her return from a trip to Europe, where she bought additional works of art for Belle Monte, Nashvillians realized that she and Dr. Cheatham were seeing each other. By the spring of 1867, it was common knowledge that they would marry. They shared a strong common interest in horticulture, greenhouses, fine paintings and sculpture. Dr. Cheatham had encouraged patients at the asylum who were able to do so to raise crops on asylum land and to cultivate flowers in greenhouses he had built. At this time, these were progressive steps proved helpful to the inmates.

The day before Presbyterian minister married Adelicia and Dr. Cheatham, they signed a prenuptial agreement conveying all her property in Tennessee, Louisiana and New York and a vast amount of jewelry, furniture, plate and paintings to George W. Shields, her brother-in-law. The contract gave Adelicia the right, at any time during her marriage to Dr.

Cheatham, to sell and convey any of the property, and to invest and reinvest it. In the contract, Dr. Cheatham renounced his right to any community interest in her property.

After their auspicious wedding, Adelicias and Dr. Cheatham settled down at Belle Monte with her son Willie and her two little girls, Pauline and Claude. Cheatham’s daughter Mattie was then staying with her Ready grandfather in Murfreesboro. In the fall of 1868, Mattie was sent to Patapsco Boarding School in Maryland. Her brothers, Joseph and Richard remained at Belle Monte.

Adelicia and Dr. Cheatham spent the winter of 1868-69 in Louisiana, part of the time at the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans and other times on her plantations in West Felicia Parrish. They returned to Belle Monte in the spring.

Until 1870, Adelicia’s son, Joseph had managed her properties in Louisiana, Tennessee and New York. That April Adelicia asked him to resign as trustee in favor of her husband, Willliam A. Cheatham. That materialized on April 19, 1870, in Davidson County’s Chancery Court. Dr. Cheatham was ordered to report to the court on Oct. 10 each year on his activities. Cheatham visited the Louisiana plantations in November 1871, and in January and April 1872.

In December 1871, Aelicia and Dr. Cheatham appeared before Chancellor E. E. East to receive the report of the clerk and master relative to the amount of compensation Dr. Cheatham should receive as trustee. After examining Cheatham’s report as well as the deposition of George Shields, the clerk and master decreed that Dr. Cheatham be paid $2,500 per annum, considerably less than the $4,000 that Shields had received.

Inconsistently, the clerk and master stated that Dr. Cheatham had performed

his services as trustee, “in a prudent and judicious manner.”

Five months later, Adelicia and Dr. Cheatham petitioned the court to accept the resignation of Dr. Cheatham as trustee and re-appoint Shields. No explanation was offered and the court approved the petition. We don’t know if Dr. Cheatham exercised more control over Adelicia’s properties than she liked or spent too lavishly. The latter seems doubtful as Dr. Cheatham had never lived or spent extravagantly. It may be that he found the work demanding, the travel so strenuous, and his compensation so meager that he simply decided to return to the practice of medicine in Nashville full time.

Mattie Cheatham who liked her stepmother, Adelicia, traveled to New Orleans in December 1871, where she boarded and studied with Madame L. E. Cenas. Her letters indicate that theirs was a harmonious family with one exception. There was animosity between Mattie and her stepbrother, Willie, who wanted to be the center of his mother’s attention, not Mattie.

Mattie solved the problem when she married a young lawyer Thomas S. Weaver at Belle Monte on May 21,1872.

For the rest of the decade and well into the 1880s, Adelicia pursued an active social life and traveled extensively. Dr. Cheatham’s residence continued to be listed “in the country” in the Nashville City Directory. He appeared to enjoy living at what was then called Belmont and co-hosting his wife’s elaborate parties. He also enjoyed practicing medicine. In 1874, he was listed in the City Directory as a partner in Lillard and Co., which dealt in drugs and medicine.

The situation changed in 1885 when Adelicia moved to Washington, D.C. with her daughter Pauline. Dr Cheatham did not go, preferring to practice medicine

in Nashville. He continued to live in Belmont until 1986 when he moved to the Maxwell House, realizing that Adelicia intended to sell Belmont. She did so on Jan. 1, 1887, when she sold the mansion and 78 acres to Lewis T. Baxter for $54,000. She also sold Baxter all her other Nashville properties except for the house on Cherry Street where she and Joseph A. H. Acklen lived until they moved to Belle Monte.

Earlier in 1880, Adelicia sold her Angola Plantation in Louisiana to W. L. Jones, a former Confederate officer, for $100,000. He quickly leased hundreds of Louisiana State prisoners, mostly incarcerated Black men who were serving life sentences, to labor in his cotton fields.

In 1902, he sold Angola to the State of Louisiana, who owns the farm today where it has long been known as the Alcatraz of the South. It is not known if Adelicia knew what Jones intended to do with her plantation.

In Washington, Adelicia, who became 70 years old on March 15, 1887, began building a house at 1776 Massachusetts Avenue. She and Pauline traveled to New York in late April to buy furnishings for it. In March inclement weather caused Adelicia to become ill. A little later, on May 4, 1887, she died of pneumonia.

After Dr. Jere Witherspoon preached at her funeral at Nashville’s First Presbyterian Church, and she was buried in a handsome Gothic mausoleum in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. She had built the mausoleum in 1884 at a cost of $11,000. Before her death, Adelicia requested that her deceased children be buried there along with her, Isaac Franklin and Joseph A. H. Acklen, her first two husbands. Her wishes were granted. Adelicia, anticipating that Dr. Cheatham would also want to be buried there, had stonemasons carved above the entrance to the mausoleum

the letters F, A & C standing for the last names of her three husbands.

In her last will and testament, dated Jan. 22,1884, Adelicia left the bulk of her estate to three children, William H., Claude A, and Pauline Acklen. She had already settled with her son, Joseph A H. Acklen Jr. in 1874, leaving him an 150-acre farm named Montvale, close to Belmont. Despite leaving nothing to her third husband, Dr. Cheatham, he did not contest the will.

On April 29, 1887, just days before her death, Adelicia executed in New York City a codicil bequeathing to her daughter Pauline, the house and furnishings on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, along with the funds to complete and furnish it.

Joseph A. H. Acklen Jr. did contest his mother’s will. He settled out of court for $46,000 in cash and a nullification of three promissory notes he owed his mother.

Dr. Cheatham remained healthy, practicing medicine with his son Richard and boarding downtown. In 1889, he moved to live with his daughter Martha and her husband, Thomas S. Weaver at their home, Seven Oaks, five miles from town on the Murfreesboro Pike, only a mile from the Tennessee Hospital for the Insane. Unlike Adelicia, he did not leave a will, which indicated that his estate was small. But he did make a significant contribution to the life of his community as a physician and as a public servant. He died June 9, 1900, at the age of 79. He chose to be buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery beside his first wife Mary Ready Cheatham.

Dr. Cheatham, who was my deceased wife, Irene’s great, great grandfather, considered his greatest achievement to have been the 10 productive years he spent as superintendent of the Tennessee Hospital for the Insane.

Ridley wrote a book!

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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Learn More About: Prevention and Diversion

BY JUDITH TACKETT

The national affordable housing crisis is also very visible in Nashville. One could argue that due to the economic success and the growth of our city, we’re one of the locations where the creation of more luxury apartments and hospitality beds, especially short-term rentals, have resulted in the loss of too many previously affordable apartment complexes to the detriment of our poorer population. In short, housing has become tight, which makes finding housing for people experiencing homelessness that much harder.

People working to address homelessness have always spoken about the need to work on prevention efforts. But, until a few years ago, it’s been hard to determine where homelessness prevention starts and ends. The reason is because homelessness is a symptom of other systems that are failing the poor. That’s where we talk about “feeder systems” including foster care, criminal justice, lack of mental health care, lack of insurance, the income gap, etc. The problem seems so overwhelming that conversations start up and fade away as quickly as they began.

But, in the last few years, homelessness experts started to home in on what prevention for the homelessness system means.

There are three distinct terms that emerged out of the prevention conversation:

• Diversion;

• Homelessness Prevention; and

• Eviction Prevention.

Of those three, diversion is probably the hardest to define. The National Alliance to End Homelessness (endhomelessness.org) explains diversion as “assisting people who have lost their housing avoid entering shelter or unsheltered homelessness by helping them identify alternative places to stay.”

Such alternative places depend on a person’s own connections and most likely include staying with family or friends, moving quickly to a more affordable housing situation, or remaining temporarily at the current location a little longer until another housing opportunity can be found. Diversion happens when people are calling nonprofits asking for a shelter bed. At that point, trained frontline staff should be brought on the line to explore what resources people still have to help them avoid going to the shelter. The next step then is to work with people where they are and help them find another housing option circumventing the homelessness system (shelter or streets) altogether.

Homelessness Prevention helps people who are at high-risk of home-

lessness and face an imminent housing loss stay housed. Similar to diversion, this can include staying in the same housing situation or moving to a new housing option. But unlike diversion, the hope is to stabilize the housing crisis in a place where the person can remain long-term. In other words, if rent assistance can prevent a family or individual from remaining in their housing permanently, then let’s do that.

Eviction prevention, on the other hand, does not always lead to homelessness. It keeps people housed, but homelessness experts at conferences and in webinars stress that homelessness dollars should not be used to prevent evictions because it is not certain that the person/family would end up homeless even after an eviction.

Who should we target with homelessness prevention and diversion?

The U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD), has defined what it means to be “at risk of homelessness” (see box) and depending on the situation, local agencies are left to determine how to assist households best to avoid homelessness.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness provides a neat little cheat sheet that I’ve been using to explain what resources to use for which intervention:

• Diversion: Use designated homelessness funding streams to target it to people who have lost their housing and are about to enter an emergency shelter or sleep outside.

• Homelessness Prevention: Use mainstream program funding such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), food assistance, health care, and other funding streams to alleviate poverty, and/or homelessness funding that is designated specifically for prevention to serve people who are extremely vulnerable and about to lose their housing (a general rule is that their income is at or below 30% of the local Area Median Income (AMI) and they are 14-21 days away from losing their housing).

• Eviction Prevention: Use designated government housing funds (example: Emergency Rental Assistance during COVID) and/or legal assistance (through Legal Aid) to help prevent evictions.

At present, our local homelessness crisis response system is not

How HUD Defines At Risk of Homelessness

(1) An individual or family who:

(i) Has an annual income below 30 percent of median family income for the area, as determined by HUD;

(ii) Does not have sufficient resources or support networks, e.g., family, friends, faith-based or other social networks, immediately available to prevent them from moving to an emergency shelter or another place described in paragraph (1) of the “Homeless” definition in this section; and

(iii) Meets one of the following conditions:

(A) Has moved because of economic reasons two or more times during the 60 days immediately preceding the application for homelessness prevention assistance;

(B) Is living in the home of another because of economic hardship;

(C) Has been notified in writing that their right to occupy their current housing or living situation will be terminated within 21 days of the date of application for assistance;

(D) Lives in a hotel or motel and the cost of the hotel or motel stay is not paid by charitable organizations or by federal, State, or local government programs for low-income individuals;

(E) Lives in a single-room occupancy or efficiency apartment unit in which there reside more than two persons, or lives in a larger housing unit in which there reside more than 1.5 people per room, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau;

(F) Is exiting a publicly funded institution, or system of care (such as a health-care facility, a mental health facility, foster care or other youth facility, or correction program or institution); or

(G) Otherwise lives in housing that has characteristics associated with instability and an increased risk of homelessness, as identified in the recipient's approved consolidated plan;

(2) A child or youth who does not qualify as “homeless” under this section, but qualifies as “homeless” under section 387(3) of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5732a(3)), section 637(11) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9832(11)), section 41403(6) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14043e-2(6)), section 330(h)(5)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(h)(5)(A)), section 3(m) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012(m)), or section 17(b)(15) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(b)(15)); or

(3) A child or youth who does not qualify as “homeless” under this section, but qualifies as “homeless” under section 725(2) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11434a(2)), and the parent(s) or guardian(s) of that child or youth if living with her or him.

focusing on diversion and prevention just yet with the exception of a special diversion program for youth and young adults ages 18-24. That diversion program came about through a federal Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) grant that Oasis Center is currently administering. But Nashville is in talks about how to integrate diversion and homelessness prevention in its coordinated entry process.

Why is this so important? Other communities that have increased their focus on diversion have seen huge cost savings. Studies in Con-

necticut have shown diversion programs cost on average between $1,000 and $1,750 per household depending on the location. This is a fraction of the potential cost that can add up once households become homeless.

Cincinnati found that the average cost per person in their homeless service system was $3,700 in 2021. Diversion reduced that cost to about $1,550, a 58 percent reduction in cost per person. This could free up significant dollars, especially since some areas have seen success with diversion for up

to 40 percent of the households that asked for emergency shelter.

I applaud the city of Nashville, which is trying to figure out how to best invest more in diversion and homelessness prevention. I have also proposed that because the city is currently focusing all its resources on encampments, it should partner with a nonprofit to co-lead the diversion and prevention effort. In any case, the investments will be well worth it. As we all know, the longer people experience homelessness the bigger the cost to people and to the systems that try to help.

LA NOTICIA

Una hermosa voz la de Pablo Milanés. Y ahora, Pablo nos deja. Una voz suave, sin estridencia alguna y sí con esa textura que igual que a las manos da el terciopelo, su voz le ofrece al oído.

Inconfundible la serenidad con la que cantó su obra.

Escribo sobre él con gratitud, con el agradecimiento por una obra que viví de cerca y con el cariño que solo a un cantor se le puede profesar.

Pablo es inolvidable para mi generación con su imbatible canto, porque nos habló de una verdad en la que aquellos años, nos defendíamos de la orfandad ideológica que nos fue venciendo a manos de la efervescencia capitalista y mezquina, que nos trajo a un mundo globalizado en el que la infamia se disfrazó de hada madrina.

Mi cercanía con sus canciones fue desde finales de los años setenta y principios de los ochenta. Alguna vez no recuerdo el año, él y Silvio Rodríguez cantaron en la Casa de la cultura; yo estaba ahí parado, oyendo a aquellos dos hermosos pájaros sin fama, con Jesús del Río; años después me dijo Jesús: “¿Te acuerdas de Silvio y Pablo cantando en el patio de la Casa de la Cultura? Qué tiempos carajo, todo se va…” Y nos inundó la nostalgia.

Las canciones de Pablo y Silvio, las viví con amigos y en los más altos peldaños de la esperanza y la embriaguez por el espíritu revolucionario que no se

me ha quitado, ni ha menguado en lo que de humanidad Silvio y Pablo, me han dejado dicho.

Ellos retrataron las facciones de la Revolución cubana y dieron a los jóvenes de aquel tiempo, una visión en la que podíamos ver cada vez más cerca, los ojos briosos de una libertad que se buscaba, y que hoy día la veo mansa en manos de los jóvenes, que ya no saben que las generaciones anteriores lucharon por conseguirla. Poco veo la revolución –en la amplitud de la palabra– en estas generaciones que han creído que el mundo es suyo.

Sus canciones de amor vibraron en mi sueño de la escritura y conmovido por las letras, llegué a volverlas himnos míos en las noches de los amigos y el ron. Sus canciones nos transformaban

en desdichados de ocasión, en amorosos ambulantes y cantábamos a coro sus inspiradas letras.: “Muchas veces te dije que antes de hacerlo había qué pensarlo muy bien” o “Todavía yo no sé si volverá…” Y cantábamos con la esperanza por la libertad y la búsqueda de un mundo nuevo.

Qué más decir de lo que nos dieron sus canciones y hoy que nos deja, bien vale la pena explorar esa estremecedora felicidad que la sensitiva tesitura de la voz de Pablo, provocó (más en aquellos años) en nuestra percepción de los que lo escuchábamos aparte y lejos de la común marejada de la música popular que sonaba en la monolítica radio mexicana. En aquel entonces parecía ser música para desadaptados, para rebeldes, y el desprestigio de estos era común entre las familias que escuchaban a Julio Iglesias, Los ángeles negros, entre otros cantantes que dominaban en la vox populi.

Yo encontré en Pablo, en Silvio, en Amaury Pérez, en Vicente Feliú, y en otros más, algo que me alegraba: letras distintas que hacían preguntas que me acercaban a lo que era ya mi pasión: la poesía.

Uno de los discos más hermosos que nunca he dejado de escuchar, y que ahora mientras escribo, conmovido estoy escuchando, es el álbum de 1975, en el que Pablo canta los poemas de José Martí, musicalizados con una sencillez y un tino, como pocas veces –desde Serrat con los poemas de Machado (1969) y Miguel Hernández (1972)– se había escuchado.

La transparencia, el vigor del alma de Martí está resuelto en el canto de Pablo. La sencillez con la que canta “Amor de ciudad grande” por ejemplo, es conmovedora. La voz de Pablo y su armonía con las cuerdas de la guitarra, le dan al poema de Martí, el cuerpo

perfecto que los versos del poeta nacido –como Pablo un siglo antes– en la isla emblemática, el sabor y la claridad que logran la emoción más alta.

Cuando conocí Nueva York, mientras escuchaba ese poema vigoroso (“Amor de ciudad grande”), lloré con la voz de Pablo. Recordemos que Martí de 1881 a 1885 (año de su muerte, vivió en Nueva York. Allí escribió “Ismaelillo”, “Versos libres”, y “Versos sencillos”, la novela “Amistad funesta”, y más de trescientos artículos y crónicas periodísticas. En “Amor de ciudad grande” se refiere a Nueva York,” y en el canto de Milanés, está muy presente esa desgarradora decepción que el poeta de los “versos sencillos” escribió con tremenda sinceridad sobre la ciudad:

“De gorjas son y rapidez los tiempos/Corre la luz en alta aguja./Cual nave despeñada en sirte horrenda,/húndese el rayo, y en ligera barca/El hombre, como alado, el aire hiende.”

No es menor la sinceridad con la que Pablo canta estos versos en los que claramente, puede sentirse su profundo asombro ante la transnacionalización y exilio que el poeta vivía, activo en la política e inauguraba con estos versos, una poesía moderna en español, es decir, modernista, como se le llamó:

“¡Me espanta la ciudad! ¡Toda llena/De copas por vaciar, o huecas copas!/¡Tengo miedo ¡ay de mi! de que este vino/Tósigo sea, y en mis venas luego,/cual duende vengador los dientes clave!…”. El poema en voz de Pablo me estremece.

Hoy ha muerto el cantor, nos ha dejado su voz, su amor a la vida, su comprensión del hombre contemporáneo, sus canciones y hemos de llorar al queridísimo Pablo Milanés, y hemos de escucharlo todavía hasta que otra noche nos deje a oscuras.

Dios guarde al cantor.

Neftalí Coria, es un dramaturgo y poeta natural de Huaniqueo, Michoacan, México. Ha sido miembro del consejo editorial de Tierra Adentro; editor del suplemento Acento de la Voz de Michoacán y de la colección de libros Luna de Río, de la Universidad Michoacana; director de la revista Luna Mía. Premio Estatal de Poesía 1985. Su labor como director escénico, consta de 18 montajes teatrales y un cortometraje, desde 1984 a la fecha. Desde 1990, ha escrito14 novelas.

www.neftalicoria.blogspot.com www.lunamiadeagua.blogspot.com www.neftalicoriateatro.blogspot.com

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

“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.

Foto: Pablo Milanes Oficial

Pablo Milanés, legendary international Grammy-winning Cuban singer-songwriter, one of the founders of the nueva trova

movement, and long time supporter of Cuban revolution, dies aged 79

Por Neftalí Coria Guest Columnist @neftalicoria

A Few Questions with Councilmember Tonya Hancock, District 9

BY JUDITH TACKETT

In November, I ran into Councilmember Tonya Hancock at the Heroes Breakfast of Operation Stand Down Tennessee, which seems to have become our annual catchup date. She is the only active military family member on Metro Council (her husband serves with the Tennessee Army National Guard) and started its Veterans Caucus.

The Contributor talked with Hancock as part of a series called A Few Questions With where we interview councilmembers about their district’s most pressing issues.

How would you describe District 9?

District 9 is the only district that is purely Madison. We have urban, suburban, and rural communities, and we also have a very diverse population with 35 percent Caucasian, 37 percent African American, 25 percent Hispanic, and 3 percent other. We have people who have grown up here and never left, people who have moved away and come back, and we have people who have moved here for the affordability or for the community.

District 9 houses some of the original homes of the first stars who helped put Nashville on the map. An interesting fact is that District 9 is a peninsula. We’re surrounded by the Cumberland on three sides. We’re also an island district with Hill’s Island, which is located in the middle of Cumberland right before you get into Old Hickory. Hill’s Island has recently been donated to the Cumberland River Compact and is going to be an ecological educational island.

Finally, we have a pedestrian path planned from Peeler Park across the Cumberland River to Donelson. Once complete, this pedestrian path would connect 40,000 Madisonians to Downtown. It’s in the greenways long-term plan, and Metro Council voted it number one on their priority list.

What are the main concerns you hear from your constituents?

The people in the urban area, who live closer to Gallatin Pike, are more concerned with the spike in crime that we’ve seen lately, as well as the growing numbers of unhoused individuals. Those in the suburban areas are concerned with the large developments that are being built. They have increasing stormwater problems. And then the people in the rural areas are concerned for the future of the farmland and the disintegrating of the riverbank, which has probably been happening all along, but since the flood of 2010, they can really see the change in their riverbank properties.

You are actively engaged in multiple environmental groups supporting greenways, parks, walking and biking, etc. What are the most urgent next steps for the city to take in regard to the environmental conversation?

For constituents themselves, the most urgent thing is to reduce consumption. While I support recycling, what we should be focusing on is not the quantity of recycling but the ne-

cessity. If you’re using reusable water bottles, for example, then you’re reducing the consumption of plastic, which is more important than recycling 10 water bottles every day.

Next, I think as a city we need to require recycling. Having it as a requirement in the town that I lived in in 1997 is the reason I started recycling in the first place. I believe if it’s a requirement, more people will do it.

We also need to incorporate conservation education into schools. I’m serving on an educational sustainability advocacy committee to try and get conservation education into Metro schools. If we can get the message out early to youngsters as they grow up, it will be a part of their lives and a natural thing that they do and consider.

And probably most important, we need to protect our green spaces, our farms, our waterways, forests, wildlife habitats, and historic sites. All of these things together help protect our public health and biodiversity. As Greta Thunberg said, There is no Planet B. We need to protect Planet A, which is our Earth.

To follow up on your suggestion that Metro should require recycling. Is that something you’re looking into?

I have not done it yet because I’ve been focused on District 9 specifically. In general, I

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think it’s important to educate first and legislate later, but I think if we had a recycling requirement in place the majority of our law-abiding residents in Davidson County would understand it as something we need to do. Technically this would likely fall under the Metro Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, so I need to get with that chair and see if they would support something like that.

You are a member of the Metro Council’s Veterans Caucus and you have served on the Special Committee on Veterans. How can Metro serve Veterans best?

I actually started the Veterans Caucus, and we have three councilmembers who have previously served in the military – John Rutherford and Kevin Rhoten in the Airforce, and Tanaka Vercher in the Navy. Councilmember Thom Druffel serves on the Veterans Caucus as a lifelong supporter of veterans, Colby Sledge serves on the caucus as his district houses Operation Stand Down Tennessee, and Jeff Syracuse has supported us as well. We’re just very lucky that many members of the Metro Council have joined us and support the Veterans in our community.

Even prior to starting our Veterans Caucus, Metro made huge strides in giving Metro

Nashville Public School children Veterans Day off and now Veterans Day is an annual holiday for Metro employees as well. Since we launched the Caucus, we have worked to increase the staff in the Metro Veteran Services Office to allow us to connect more Veterans to resources that they may not be aware are out there for them. Our next goal is to get the Veterans Services displayed in a more prominent spot on the Nashville Website. Right now, it’s buried under Human Resources, but unless you’re a Metro employee, most people would not look under HR for Veteran Services.

Finally, what do you think is the most urgent need the city should address in terms of serving vulnerable populations?

I know that we’re not the only city that has the level of people who are unhoused or people facing addiction issues that we currently see. But I really think the city, the state, and perhaps most importantly, the federal government need to address addiction issues and curb access to drugs. The rise in prescription drug use and the dangers of synthetic opioids is overwhelming. Only four states are higher on the list than Tennessee when it comes to the mortality rate in opioid overdoses.

ILLUSTRATION BY PHOENIX OAKS

A Housing for the People Christmas Carol: A roof over my head for the holidays

BY VICKY BATCHER

The latest column in INSP’s Housing for the People series comes from Vicky Batcher, a writer and vendor The Contributor, who has penned a retelling of the story of A Christmas Carol , showing how the holidays have changed for her as her life has changed too.

The past

Growing up in middle class America my family held on to old Christmas traditions: the tree, the decorations, and the soft glow of the lights. The music that just fills your heart with love and the magic of the season.

There would be a glistening turkey that was always the centerpiece with family in every chair.

One year our neighbors’ house was robbed on Christmas Eve. Our childhood friends had no presents left to open. My brother and I chose three presents each and we took them to our neighbors. In some ways, that was the best Christmas ever. It felt like it meant something more.

Traditions were important in the 1970s when I was growing up. In an an ever-changing world, they were something you could always count on.

Snow on Christmas Eve was always so special. Mom would wake

me up to watch it fall, like diamonds falling from the sky. Mom used to tell us that “Santa wouldn’t be to our house until after we went to church.”

The best part was riding home with daddy every Christmas Day after church. Hearing his dress shoes clacking all the way up the hall to the double doors leading to the parking lot. I remember always having to gently run behind him to keep up.

When I became an adult, life wasn’t so easy. Being a single parent during the holidays or any special occasion was extremely difficult. We didn’t have a lot. A tree with lights was really all we had. It was some -

thing. I remember feeling guilty because oftentimes the presents under the tree for my kids was something they needed, instead of something they wanted.

Then the unthinkable happened. Homelessness. During those years I did everything I could simply to get a hotel room and maybe some food. The guilt ate at me knowing I couldn’t give the kids a Christmas like I had. The holidays became something I wanted to hide from. Sitting in a car and looking out the window, watching the rain drip down the windows was how some holidays were spent. It was devastating.

The present

Today, I live on a fixed income. I’ve been fortunate enough to be approved for a disability, which comes with a monthly check I can depend on. It’s not easy. My days are oftentimes filled with anxiety, constantly checking my banking account. Will I have enough food? Is there enough for the bills? Will there be enough food for Faith, my dog?

This Christmas will be my fourth year in affordable housing after being homeless for seven long years. During this time, I’ve done everything in my power to hold onto my housing. I sold the street paper in Nashville, The Contributor, and have tried to get paid writing gigs like writing for INSP to help supplement my income. When the

pandemic hit, I became more involved in advocacy, hoping my story might possibly help others who find themselves struggling on the streets.

I stress, more than I ever have, about what I don’t know. I’m making it and proud to be paying for rent again and have a place to call my own. When the kids come over and I always try to have a fridge full of food they can rifle through. It brings me joy.

The future

We never really know how much time we have left on earth. Being homeless taught me that there are no guarantees. I still find myself bending over to pick up that penny on the streets, but then I stop to think that someone

else probably needs it more. Really, the day I learned to appreciate what I had was the day my life started to change for the better.

My advice to you is, don’t forget that the conversations you have with your loved one might be your last one. Don’t skip that hug or forget to tell your loved ones how much you love them.

I tell my story to whoever will listen. I crawled into affordable housing after being broken by the streets. I’ve been on my knees and I’m proud that today, I can stand up. My home is my own. Most importantly, I try to help others every chance I get. Every day, I do my best to make up for the guilt I’ve felt for raising my kids in such turbulence.

This year I’m so happy that we will have a tree with a moderate amount of

Christmas gifts. Some will be gifts that the kids need, but others will be ones I feel like they will like. It’s a Christmas I’d always wanted to give them, but never could. I hope it’s not our last Christmas, with what’s left of my family. Regardless, we will make it a festive one. I hope you and your family can do the same.

Vicky Batcher is a writer and housing advocate. She also sells The Contributor in Nashville, Tennessee. 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. Courtesy of INSP North America / International Network of Street Papers

“My advice to you is, don’t forget that the conversations you have with your loved one might be your last one. Don’t skip that hug or forget to tell your loved ones how much you love them.”

My customers and those just driving by my corner all know that I LOVE music! In fact, many of the people who stop and talk to me aren’t necessarily looking to buy a paper, they just want to know what I’m listening to or singing.

Recently, someone even brought me a Bluetooth speaker. Now EVERYONE can hear “what’s playing on the jukebox ” as they call it.

Just how well known is it? The other day, a guy walking by on the sidewalk noticed there was no music playing. I told him I’d accidentally left my speaker in my wheelchair and someone had taken it.

After having a few choice words to say, he reached into his backpack and gave me a brand new pair of wireless earbuds!

Ironically, later that same day, my speaker was returned, although it was dead.

Maybe there really is honor among thieves. Or maybe a guilty conscience got the better of whoever took it. Who knows?

For many, I’ll be forever associated with country music because of the multiple articles I’ve written on the subject, but honestly, country music is only a small part of the story.

I actually listen to ALL KINDS OF MUSIC as you will see here, and to me, the people’s reaction to it is interesting as the songs themselves.

In one instance, a young couple pulled up alongside me as I was listening to Alicia Keys and Usher singing “ If I Ain’t Got You .” The lady nodded in approval and began to sing along. I just gave her a thumbs up, smiled and nodded. I was singing too! When the song ended, “ The Battle Of New Orleans ” by Johnny Horton began to play, and the couple just looked at me like what happened?

I told them the singer/song title and added, “ Did you know this song is referring to Andrew Jackson? ” (I think our resident historian Ridley Wills II is rubbing off on me.)

They had no idea!

On another occasion, a young Black man who had enough gold chains to rival Mr. T in the '80s, with the teeth to match, along with a very nice red sports car pulled into the parking lot and we listened to “ Just The Way You Are ” by Bruno Mars together. It was AWESOME — that is until the next song came on. It was “ Hillbilly Bone ” by Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins. I told him he should at least give it a chance, and much to my surprise he did.

When the song was over, I said you have to admit you liked it a little bit, didn’t you?

He said, “ No I can’t quite go that far, but it was entertaining watching you do your thing though.” After giving me a big ol’ hug, away he went! He still stops by now and then, not to buy a paper — just to see what’s playing on my radio. Hey, I’ll take

Please Don't Stop the Music

BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

whatever I can get. Who knows, maybe I’ll eventually win him over and he’ll actually buy a paper. You NEVER know.

Not long ago as “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg ” by The Temptations played, a passenger in a truck said, “ You got that right .” obviously referring to me. I immediately stopped the music and asked, “Really? How often do beggars give you something for your money? ” The driver spoke up and said, “ She’s got a point, bro.” I thanked him and continued saying this issue was actually useful, showing the wrapping paper, and he bought both editions. He even gave me a tip!

Occasionally those passing by have even introduced me to some new music/ artists I hadn’t heard before. One such example is Keyshia Cole. From what I've heard so far, she’s not to shabby.

Sometimes the music others are listening to beats what I’ve got on, so I’ll turn mine down and encourage them to crank theirs up.

In one such instance, I was listening to a Chicago song, when a car pulled up rockin’ out to Nirvana’s “Come As You Are ” a GREAT way to end the day!

After I’d been missing for several days, a man pulled up alongside me and played “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone.” It’s nice to be missed!

Recently as “ Eight Days A Week ” by The Beatles played a customer said, “Ms. Norma, I hope you know we love you ALL eight of them.” I smiled and said, “ I appreciate that,” then added, “ but you know there’s only seven days in a week, right? ” He then said, “Are you REALLY gonna argue with The Beatles? ” My answer? No sir!

Another time I was listening to “ I Just Called To Say I LOVE YOU ” by Stevie Wonder as a truck passed by. The guys in the truck yelled, “ We love you too, even if you do hold up traffic! ” Sadly, not everyone feels that way, as was demonstrated later that day.

I also enjoy making an impression on young minds. One guy stopped and asked what I was listening to. It turns out he’d NEVER heard of Credence Clearwater Revival. What? Well, rest assured he has now.

The only thing was the guy in the truck behind him kept blowing his horn. When I finally got to him, he said he thought the other guy might’ve said or done something inappropriate because he’d NEVER seen that look on my face before. I explained nothing was wrong, I just couldn’t believe someone hadn’t heard of CCR, but I acknowledged he was young.

The man then asked, “ Did you educate the young lad? ” I said, “ I did my best! ” He gave me a tip!

Another young man stopped to see what was playing on my “ jukebox ” and offered to put it on the booming speakers in his car. I hesitated, but finally said, “ It’s Nat King Cole.” His reply? “ I ain’t got none of that .” But a few weeks later

he came back and told me hey, check this out! What was he playing on the radio in his car? You guessed it, Nat King Cole. He said, “ It’s pretty cool! ” I agree.

I originally started listening to music to pass the time between customers, as for the singing that seemed like a natural progression.

Singing for others took a little longer to develop. That all started when a young lady stopped and asked me if I knew “ Traveling Soldier ” by The Chicks. When I said yes, she asked me to sing it, so I did, and I’ve been doing it ever since if/when I can. If it goes badly, (and believe me, sometimes it does) I offer them a do over — sometimes they come back sometimes they don’t.

An older white lady stopped one day and asked me to sing “ I Will Always Love You .” As I started doing my best Dolly imitation, she interrupted and said, “ No, no dear, not Dolly. Whitney.” I was surprised and quick to point out you know I’m a poor white chick, right?

She giggled and said, “ I know, but you’ve got soul! ” I liked her answer so I did what she asked. When I finished she said, “ Now if you wanna do Dolly could you please do ‘Coat Of Many Colors’? It’s my favorite! ”

I said, “ before I do anything else, I need a hydration break.” She went into the store and bought me a beer! I thanked her but said, “ That’s NOT exactly what I had in mind,” explaining, “ I just need some water.” She went back in the store and exchanged the beer for water and I did the song she requested (which happens to be one of my favorites as well) and she left.

When my music isn’t working or I haven’t gotten it up and running yet people are quick to share what they’re listening to — they’ll even sing along from time to time which is TOTALLY AWESOME!

One time a sign holder was working at my spot. When I arrived he immediately packed up and left without me even saying a word! People noticed, and one guy played “ Taking Care Of Business ” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, while another played “Another One Bites The Dust ” by Queen. I told him to be nice. He just smiled and drove off.

I’ve had folks belt out tunes by The Eagles and Air Supply. (I think in reference to stories I’ve written in the past.) Pink, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Alabama, Rascal Flatts, AC/DC, Adele, Green Day you name it.

The requests I receive are equally diverse, Patsy Cline, Etta James, (These two have actually gotten me breakfast from Waffle House more than a few times, as they are still on the jukebox there.) Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell, Martina McBride, Shakira, Allison Krause, Ke$ha, Ricky Skaggs, Blue October, you get the idea — and it’s not just the adults!

Children have been known to get in on the act too!

One time I went to my granddaughter’s school and a young man approached me and said, “ I see you singing on the side of the road ALL THE TIME! ”

I invited him to join me the next time he saw me, but he politely declined. Then it finally happened — he came through as “ABC ” by the Jackson 5 came on, and he sang along!

One day as I was sitting in my chair taking a break having a drink and a snack listening to Garth Brooks “Ain’t Goin’ Down Til The Sun Comes Up” and the kid in the car next to me just couldn’t sit still — in spite of his mom telling him to — he was REALLY getting into the music. Seeing he was getting in trouble, I turned the music down, but he wasn’t having it. He looked at me and shook his head no, so I turned it back up. He was ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE! (Although I’m not sure his mom would’ve agreed in that moment.)

There have also been a few children's songs along the way too like “ I Just Can’t Wait To Be King ” from the Lion King, “ How Far I’ll Go” from Moana, “ Skinamarinky dinky dink ” (yes, it’s a real song), and “ If You’re Happy and You Know It .” And let me tell you, the kids get just as excited as the adults do hearing songs just for them!

However one of the best musical memories I‘ve have in recent weeks is that of a woman passing by as I was singing “More Than A Name On A Wall ” by The Statler Bros. She immediately pulled into the parking lot and asked if I could start it over.

I said yes, and immediately started it over and sang it for her, though it wasn’t my best performance. A short time later she returned (around Veterans Day) and this time she brought an older lady with her and asked me to do it again, so I did. When I finished, the older lady took my hands in hers and gave them a little squeeze and softly said thank you.

The driver then asked if I had time for one more song, saying I didn’t have to sing this one, I could just listen. I said ok, and she played “ Your Song ” by Elton John.

There is a line in the song that says, “ I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is while you’re in the world.”

As it played she emphatically said, “ THIS IS YOU! ” It was one of the few times I found myself at a loss for words, quite literally speechless — I just smiled and nodded because ladies and gentlemen SOMETIMES THERE JUST ARE NO WORDS! It was truly a drop the mic moment for me, for sure!

In many of the instances here, no money was exchanged, no goods or services were offered, but the connections were VERY REAL!

After reminiscing about all these wonderful things happening, the only thing left to say is, “ LET THE MUSIC PLAY ON! ”

In this season of winter solstice, when we feel there aren't enough hours in the day and the nights are long and gloomy, peoples throughout the history of our civilized world have created celebrations that are meant to bring more light into our lives at this time of year.

Pagans observed Yule. Many of the holiday rituals established in their celebration continue through today in the festivals of other cultural and religious modern-day tribes. Universally within these tribes, the winter solstice is a time to gather with family

We Gather Together

BY JEN A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

and friends. It is a time to bring light to an otherwise dark world. And while we revel in the comfort of those closest to us and the traditions of our tribe, what do we really know or understand about the people of other tribes?

For a while now, it seems as though we Americans from different tribes have no interest in getting to know and appreciate each other. Misconceptions about our differences, driven largely by lies and innuendo from wealthy, powerful individuals who find personal and political advantage in our di-

visions, drive us further and further apart. What once may have been indifference to another tribe has devolved into a disturbing hatred for the other. The conservative stance seems to be that the other is evil.

This winter solstice, my fondest wish is for us to embrace someone outside of our own tribe. Invite someone from an unfamiliar cultural or religious tribe to dinner. Take a walk with someone from a different tribe. Join an organization with a diverse membership. For God's sake, get to know your neighbors. Get out into the real world

for a change and stop closing yourself off inside the echo chamber of your own tribe. The air and exercise will do you good. We're all in this together. It's time we started acting like it.

To all of my sisters and brothers who are Black, White, Brown, trans, straight, gay, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Pagan, non-affiliated, and anyone who dwells just beyond the border of social norms; have a peaceful and loving winter solstice filled with kindness and understanding as we gather together in celebration of the light within us all.

ART BY ANTONIO B.

BY WENDELL J.

Julia D., class of 2023, is a music business major who's motivated and ambitious to work in the music industry. Cheers to Julia!

ART

HOBOSCOPES

CAPRICORN

You can go back if you want to, Capricorn. I asked The Stars and they said it’s OK. You can go back and do the last year over again. I mean, the rest of us are going to have to go on and do the next year, so if you take the repeat, you’ll notice everybody else is writing a different year on their checks. But you can go back. Take on the same tasks you took on last year. Try to solve the same problems. I’d recommend going forward, though. You’ll have more options if you come with the rest of us. The past is the same every time, but the future might be different.

AQUARIUS

The blue jay in my yard looks just like every other blue jay I’ve ever seen in my whole life. And I’ll bet he’s looking at me thinking, “There’s another one of those giant two-legged no-feathers. Just the same as the rest of them.” And I’m probably not a very good judge of blue jays. And he’s probably not a very good judge of people. And you have to wonder, Aquarius, before you make a judgment on whomever you’re sitting across from, if there’s just something there you aren’t used to looking at. And if there may be more to notice than you even know how.

PISCES

I love it when my dog has a new itch, and I get to watch her work it out in real-time. The head goes back toward the tail and the back leg starts to come up. But when the other back leg can’t support this posture alone, it starts to slip and the front feet step to compensate and then she’s just slowly rotating in place on three legs while she lightly scratches a spot on her cheek with the other. You’ve been contorting yourself into some odd shapes lately too, Pisces, and I think there might be an easier way to scratch that itch. See if you can find a helping hand.

ARIES

I don’t usually do this, Aries, and maybe it’s just this season of new beginnings, but I’ve decided I will name your band for you. I’m gonna go ahead and name your band…”Saddlefoot.” No, wait, that sounds too country. I’ve got a better one…”Walter Mondale’s Last Dance” hmmm, but you aren’t that political. I’ve got it! “STIGM@TA” nah, it’s too much of an underwater-religious-tech thing. I know, it’s “Tunch.” Your band is now called “Tunch.” As for the rest of the decisions you have to make this week, Aries, they’re really up to you.

TAURUS

Which of us is the clone, Taurus? I’m pretty sure it’s me, because I look just like you but you look more like my grandfather than either of us. It’s hard to tell these days if you’re acting as the real thing or just a copy. It can be overwhelming always fighting against comparison. You want your originality to shine-through and it does, Taurus. But don’t forget that you have more in common with every person you’ve ever seen than with anything else in this ever-expanding cosmos. Hold on to your connectedness and you’ll soon be at peace as one in eight billion. You’ve got my eyes.

GEMINI

What was the best meal you ate in the last year, Gemini? Give it a minute.

Think it through again. Who were you with and what was on the plate? Was it surprising and new or just the perfect version of an old favorite? Was it the flavors or the room or the company? Did you savor every bite or just shovel them in between laughs? Think about what makes these moments special, Gemini. Think about what feeds you. How are you going to get more of that next year?

CANCER

The future is coming too fast, Cancer. I’m afraid we’re not far from a time when an amateur astrologer’s job is obsolete because AI technology will be able to discern the wisdom of The Stars more quickly and accurately than a mushy flesh-brain like me ever could. We may be at the end of the age of marketable hobbies. And though I’m not afraid of our new robot overlords, I am a little sad about it. But the future has always been a scary place. It’s only the unknown until we get there. And if you’re going, Cancer, I assume it won’t be all that bad. Meet me behind the robot DMV.

LEO

If this is going to work out, Leo, you should know that I like the opening credits. I never click that “skip” button that takes you straight to the show. The opening credits prepare the imagination for an experience. While we’re on the subject, I like the closing credits, too. We don’t have to read them, but we should at least let them play. It helps my mind settle and think about what I’ve just seen. It’s sort of like the beginning of a new year and the end of an old one. It’s a moment to take stock. To make a list. To imagine what might come next. Also, Leo, could we watch something else?

VIRGO

New Year’s glasses were invented in the early 1990s. It was a decade full of obvious spaces for eyes to look through right in the middle of the year. Nines are perfect for making intop glasses. They’ve got little holes in the tops. What could be better? Believe it or not, Virgo, the first decade of the 2000s things actually improved. Nobody could believe their luck. Two zeroes in a row every year from 2000 to 2009. It was a magical time for novelty glasses. But those years are past. It was a stretch all the way through the 2010s and now it’s even worse. What’s blocking your view this year, Virgo? If the old way of looking is obfuscating your vision of the future, take the glasses off.

LIBRA

The new microwave didn’t fit under the cabinet. So I put it on the bookshelf. But then I had to move the printer into the living room and it looked so strange by the window. So I had to move the dresser into the hall. And there’s not really a place that the TV can go except above the fireplace. And if I angle the futon to face the corner there’s no room for my favorite orange chair. But would you rather have a chair or a microwave? Compromises must be made, Libra. But sometimes you have to make the first move before you can see what might be lost.

SCORPIO

If you were stranded on an island with all the materials to build a smartphone and a satellite connection, how long would it take you to make the call for rescue? If it were me, I’d just find a cave and try to develop a taste for coconuts. You may have been told, Scorpio, that you already have everything you need to be successful and happy. But if you feel like you’re just staring at a pile of raw materials, you may need to seek some guidance from somebody who’s built one of these things before.

SAGITTARIUS

What kind of spider is this, Sagittarius? I’ll send you a picture. I’m not too worried about it, but I thought you might know. Everytime I find one I just put it outside. Do you think it might be the same spider coming back into the cabinet under my sink or do you think this is a different one? Even if it’s one of the scary kinds — it doesn’t seem to be bothering anybody. Sometimes, Sagittarius, we want more information even if it doesn’t change our decision. Sometimes we just want to know what we’re doing even if we’re just gonna keep doing it.

Mr. Mysterio is still not a licensed astrologer, a trained exterminator, or a registered bandnamer. 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

December 21, 2022 - January 4, 2023 |

The New Christian Year

4TH WEDNESDAY IN ADVENT

RELIGION is no religion, and virtue is no act of choice, and reward comes by chance and without condition, if we are only religious when we cannot choose; if we part with our money when we cannot keep it; with out lust when we cannot act it; with our desires when they have left us. Death is a certain mortifier; but that mortification is deadly, not useful to the purposes of a spiritual life. When we are compelled to depart from our evil customs and leave to live, that we may begin to live, then we die to die; that life is the prologue to death, and thenceforth we die eternally.

Jeremy Taylor: Holy Dying.

4TH THURSDAY IN ADVENT

THE Light which lighteneth every man that cometh into the world, came here in the flesh; because He was here in His Divinity alone, the foolish, blind, and unrighteous could not discern Him; those of whom it is said above, The darkness comprehended it not.

St Augustine: On St John.

WHAT is it to serve Christ? The very words explain. They serve Christ who seek not their own things, but the things of Jesus Christ, i.e. who follow him, walk in His, not their own, ways, do all good works for Christ's sake, not only works of mercy to men's bodies, but all others, till at length they fulfil that great work of love, and lay down their lives for the brethren.

St Augustine, quoted in St Thomas: Catena Aurea.

4TH FRIDAY IN ADVENT

LOVE is a life, coupling together the loving and the loved. For meekness maketh us sweet to God; purity joins us to God; love makes us one with God. Love is fairhead [beauty] of all virtues. Love is [the] thing through which God loves us, and we God, and each one of us other. Love is [the] desire of the heart, ever thinking to that it loves; and when it has that is loves, then it joys, and nothing may make it sorry. Love is yearning between two, with lastingness of thought. Love is a stirring of the soul, for to love God for himself and all the other things for God; the which love, when it is ordained in God, does away all inordinate love in anything that is not good. But all deadly sin is inordinate love in a thing that is naught; then love puts out all deadly sin. Love is a virtue, that is rightest affection of man's soul. Truth may be without love, but it may naught help without it. Love is perfection of letters, virtue of prophecy, fruit of truth, help of sacraments, stabling of wit and cunning (knowledge), riches of poor men, life of dying men. See how good love is.

Richard Rolle: The Form of Living.

4TH SATURDAY IN ADVENT

GRANT to us, O Lord, to know that which is worth knowing, to love that which is worth loving, to praise that which pleases thee most, to esteem that which is most precious unto thee, and to dislike whatsoever is evil in thy eyes. Grant us with true judgement to distinguish things that differ, and above all to search out and to do what is well pleasing unto thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thomas à Kempis.

CHRISTMAS DAY

THIS is the solemnity of all the Holy Trinity Father and Son and Holy Ghost by whom this sovereign deed of the Incarnation was wrought and fulfilled . . . But sovereignly this day is a high feast and a special solemnity of all mankind: for this day was mankind sovereignly worshipped in that it was oned and knitted to the Godhead in Christ without departing. And this day began the healing and the redemption of mankind, and the reconciling to the Father of heaven. For unto this time God was wroth to mankind for the sin and the trespass of our forefathers. But from this time forth he may no longer be wroth seeing his dear Son became man. And therefore is this day skilfully called the plenty [plenteousness] of time to man.

The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, tr. by Nicholas Love.

BUT he was under a heavier law than the Greeks or Romans, the law of his Father and his own eternal decree.

Donne: Sermons on Christmas Day, 1625.

NOT by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by taking of the manhood into God.

The Creed commonly called of St Athanasius.

GOD united Himself with her spirit, and spake to her His secret Word, and bare His only son in her spirit with unspeakable love and joy. This is the eternal birth of Mary. Tauler: Sermons

THE FEAST OF ST STEPHEN

DEATH is ugsome (loathsome) and very terrible unto the flesh; but joyful and welcome is it unto all such as are instructed in the secret science of God.

Coverdale: Fruitful Lessons upon the Passion.

THE Lord, having taken upon him all the infirmities of our body, is then covered with the scaret-coloured blood of all the martyrs.

Hilary, quoted by Aquinas: Catena Aurea.

THE FEAST OF ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST

HE did lay aside His own nature in that He did make Himself poor of the fame of His holiness, goodness and innocence . . . He might have revealed himself in all the fame of holiness, so that He would have been universally held to be the greatest of all saints and one in whom there was no sin; but He did choose to take upon Himself the sins of us all and the fame of holiness did He give unto His servant John.

Angela of Foligno: The Book of Divine Consolation.

OUR Lord asks but two things of us: love for Him and for our neighbor: these are what we must strive to obtain. If we practice both these virtues perfectly we shall be doing His will and so shall be united to Him.

St Teresa: The Interior Castle.

ALL bodies together and all minds together and all their products are not equal to the least motion of love; that belongs to an order higher by infinity.

Pascal: Pensées.

THE FEAST OF HOLY INNOCENTS

WELCOME, all wonders in one sight! Eternity shut in a span, Summer in winter, day in night, Heaven in earth and God in man. Great little one, whose all-embracing birth Lifts earth to heaven, stoops heaven to earth.

Crashaw: Nativity Ode.

CHRISTMAS WEEK Thursday

WE cannot know whether we love God, although there may be strong reasons for thinking so, but there can be no doubt about whether we love our neighbor or no. Be sure that in proportion as you advance in fraternal charity, you are increasing in your love for God, for His Majesty bears so tender an affection for us, that I cannot doubt He will repay our love for others in augmenting, in a thousand different ways, that which we bear for Him.

Saint Teresa: The Interior Castle.

GOD loves all existing things.

Aquinas: Summa Theologica.

CHRISTMAS WEEK FRIDAY

THE affirmative man, that does acknowledge all blessings, spiritual and temporal, to come from God, that prepares himself by holiness to be fit to receive them from God, that comes for them by humble prayer to God, that returns for them humble thanks to God, this man hath the first mark of this person upon him, He trusts in God.

Donne: Sermons.

THE 'now' wherein God made the first man and the 'now' wherein the las man disappears and the 'now' I speak in, all are the same in God where this is but 'the now.'

Eckhart: Sermons and Collations

CHRISTMAS WEEK SATURDAY

All outward power that we exercise in the things about us is but a shadow in comparison of that inward power that resides in our will, imagination, and desires; these communicate with eternity and kindle a life which always reaches either heaven or hell . . . here lies the ground of the great efficacy of prayer, which when it is the prayer of the heart, the prayer of faith, has a kindling and creating power, and forms and transforms the soul into everything that its desires reach after: it has the key to the King- dom of Heaven and unlocks all its treasures, it opens extends and moves that in us which has its being and motion in and with the divine nature, and so brings us into real union and communion with God.

William Law: An Appeal.

FEAST OF THE CIRCUMCISION

HE began betimes to suffer for us, and he that never did sin began this day to bear pain in his sweet tender body for our sin. Much ought we to have compassion and weep with him, for he wept this day full sore . . . for that bodily circumcision we have ghostly circumcision, that is cutting away from us all superfluous things that dispose to sin, and holding with us an affection only that is needed to virtuous living. For he that is truly poor is virtuously circumcised.

The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, tr. by Nicholas Love.

SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

THEN I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gates of heaven, as well as from the city of Destruction.

Bunyan: The Pilgrim's Progress.

"I HAVE yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." Not because they are so unlike your mortal experiences, but because they are so like.

Patmore: The Rod, the Root, and the Flower.

2ND Monday AFTER CHRISTMAS

IT shines everywhere, though not to all. In a word, it shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehends it not. The light sees the darkness, for with it seeing and shining are the same thing; but it is not in turn seen by the darkness, because the darkness comprehends it not.

St Bernard: On Consideration.

THE Stoics say, "Retire within yourselves; it is there you will find your rest." And that is not true.

Others say, "Go out of yourselves; seek happiness in amusement." And this is not true. Illness comes.

Happiness is neither without us nor within us. It is in God, both without us and within us.

Pascal: Pensées.

2ND TUESDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

LOVE is a life, coupling together the loving and the loved. For meekness maketh us sweet to God; purity joins us to God; love makes us one with God. Love is fairhead [beauty] of all virtues. Love is [the] thing through which God loves us, and we God, and each one of us other. Love is [the] desire of the heart, ever thinking to that it loves; and when it has that is loves, then it joys, and nothing may make it sorry. Love is yearning between two, with lastingness of thought. Love is a stirring of the soul, for to love God for himself and all the other things for God; the which love, when it is ordained in God, does away all inordinate love in anything that is not good. But all deadly sin is inordinate love in a thing that is naught; then love puts out all deadly sin. Love is a virtue, that is rightest affection of man's soul. Truth may be without love, but it may naught help without it. Love is perfection of letters, virtue of prophecy, fruit of truth, help of sacraments, stabling of wit and

(knowledge), riches of poor men, life of dying men. See how good love is.

cunning

Richard Rolle: The Form of Living.

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

Sponsored by Matthew Carver, publisher

Home/Homelessness, Love All

BY JOHN H., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Just the other day I was reading God's word and I flipped through most books and most of God's advocated experienced homelessness; Peter, Paul, Jesus, John, etc. You know it's important that we've been on both sides of the track or close to it to be able to express real love to our neighbors. Like many who see the homeless, instead of showing love we despise the, we look down, we don't wanna be caught associating with these type people. We're too good. That's

where we make our biggest mistake.

For example, in trying to educate ourselves to homelessness we talk to people who represent them instead of talking direct. Ya see in God's word, a man named Lazarus was homeless who sit at the rich man's gate. The rich man ignored him for a lifetime and not knowing when he passed this would haunt him in judgement. It's just like sitting in front of a church or private school who says God is in their school, how I

pray for people who use God as a front instead of living his word. He say in his word that, "If we don't love God and our neighbor we don't know God." Just imagine how many people who are lost and don't even know. I guess what's so facinating about it is the pastors aren't sharing this information. Many of us who are aware of this are ashamed to speak of it because of what the world has taught since day one of America. Wake up people, this world won't last much

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor, My purpose in writing this letter is to tell you about your vendor, John H.

I have seen him many times sitting on the same corner on Granny White. When the light is red or traffic is slow, I often stop and chat with him a minute.

John H. always tells me how good God has been to him with a big smile on his face! Makes me ponder if God is good to him, then He has gone overboard on me. John H. is special.

longer. Get it together while there's time. Slow your role and go to a quiet place and listen when God speaks to your heart. Abide and don't ignore. Ask him for the guidence. One way to know when he speaks to your heart is remember what was spoken to your heart. Later, God always gives confirmation. And remember, experiencing homelessness could be a part of God's plan for your life, being one of his children.

Love y'all!!

He just beams when he has a poem published in The Contributor. I come from a long line of publishers, and I love his simplicity. His writes straight from the heart. Pure and unembellished. Please, please continue to publish John H's poems. It means so much to him and he means a lot to many people around Granny White. John H. is a great ambassador for The Contributor

Kind Regards, Mary

THEME:

HOSTS

SARGE IS DEAD

By Jen A.

Hey Toons, did ya hear Sarge is dead

I heard, don't make no sense

It's sad

He was over in La Verne

On some work crew

Shot him twice in the head

Twice in the chest

It's sad Sarge is dead Got him at the bus stop Shot him dead

Like he was nothin' Twice in the head Twice in the chest

It's sad Sarge is dead He didn't have to shoot him like that That's cowardly His daughter is heartbroken Did I tell you my daughter died in February That fucked me up Ya told me God said when it's your time Sarge is dead Shot in the head Dead and gone Tomorrow ain't promised to no man

THE LONGEST NIGHT

By Jen A.

In the blind darkness of the longest night Queen Frigga sits and works her spinning wheel She labors sightless with unbounded zeal Her frozen fingers tug with all their might All through the drudging night the weaving grows The dim wick of the snow-white candle glows And flashes higher, brighter revolving Now with the wheel, all her pain dissolving Into the joyous pride of work well done She speaks her incantation to the Sun Rise, rise and bring the fallow world to life One ray of brilliant light to mark the morn To shine upon a land that's free from strife A signal to mankind of light reborn