YES! Weekly - February 16, 2022

OWNER OF HISTORIC MAGNOLIA HOUSE TALKS ABOUT NEW JUKE JOINT SERIES ROOSTER’S

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12 THE HOUSE THAT SOUL BUILT

Saturday 8pm This Week @ Breathe Wed: Mike Lawson Karaoke 7pm Fri: DJ Mike Lawson Dance Party 9:30pm

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FEBRUARY 16-22, 2022 VOLUME 18, NUMBER 7

5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407 Office 336-316-1231 Fax 336-316-1930

Jump and jive, y’all, the HISTORIC MAGNOLIA HOUSE ushers in a new era, fully-restored as a boutique hotel—honoring its legacy as a Green Book lodging house and swinging to the sound of a reinvigorated “Juke Joint” Music series. Music has remained central at the Magnolia—it’s “the House that Soul Built,” after all, offering respite for Black travelers—notably world-famous musicians—as a Green Book destination during the Jim Crow era, having appeared in six editions of the Negro Travelers Guide through the 1950s.

Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com EDITORIAL Editor CHANEL DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com YES! Writers IAN MCDOWELL MARK BURGER KATEI CRANFORD

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FEBRUARY 16-22, 2022

With the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) School of Drama’s production of Coriolanus on the boards this week, the UNCSA School of Dance’s annual WINTER DANCE CONCERT opens February 24, at the Stevens Center, 405 W. Fourth Street, WinstonSalem.

4 Over the more than 40 years I’ve been writing about restaurants, a small number evoke nostalgia. High on that list is Restaurant J. Basul Noble in High Point. Chef-proprietor JIM NOBLE expanded to Greensboro and Winston-Salem, then Charlotte, eventually relocating to that city, himself, for personal (see kingskitchen.org.) as well as professional reasons. There is no one in the culinary world I admire more.

6 Most of us learn from an early age that there are consequences to breaking the rules. Bring home failing grades, and you don’t get to play sports. Keep getting speeding tickets, and you lose your driver’s license, and so on. You’d think, then, that if anyone understood the consequences of rule breaking, it would be our elected officials who actually make the rules for

everyone to follow. Truth is the rule makers are often the worst rule-breakers. Case in point, the FEDERAL STOCK ACT. 7 Not so long ago, WHO IS AMOS OTIS? would have been described as a “sleeper” — a film that comes, seemingly out of nowhere and with minimal promotion, that unexpectedly hits a nerve and surpasses its bigger-budgeted competition in terms of entertainment value.

12 “People need empathy,” said the award-winning Greensboro grandmother and felon who helps others transition to safe, self-sufficient, and productive lives.

ALMOND CONNECTION FOUNDER SHEENA BEASLEY gave her blessings to call her a “felon,” but requested YES! Weekly not use “former” in that descriptor.

“Unfortunately, once one, always one.”

14 Tyler Nail invites listeners to the RED HOUSE, a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews and general conversations with North Carolina songwriters, artists, and creatives. Airing Monday mornings, on streaming platforms and over YouTube, the podcast (and red house itself) encompasses Nail’s small studio and general home base.

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DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2022 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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UNCSA shines spotlight on Winter Dance concert, faculty members, and the Oscars

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Mark Burger

Contributor

ith the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) School of Drama’s production of Coriolanus on the boards this week, the UNCSA School of Dance’s annual Winter Dance concert opens February 24, at the Stevens Center, 405 W. Fourth Street,

Winston-Salem.

The concert features excerpts from August Bournoville’s popular Napoli, George Balanchine’s Symphonie Concertante (performed to Mozart’s music of the same name), Robert Battle’s Mass (with a John Mackey score), and Ming-Lung Yang’s Convergence (working title), thereby combining traditional ballet, modern dance, and contemporary repertoire. The annual Winter Dance concert will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 24 through Saturday, February 26, and 2 p.m. Sunday, February 27. Tickets are $20 (general admission) and $15 (students with valid ID) and can be purchased in advance by calling 336-721-1945 or visiting www.uncsa.edu/performances.

The Stevens Center is now open at full capacity on the orchestra level, and due to local health mandates, audience members are required to wear masks.

“This year’s Winter Dance pays homage to iconic works by some of classical ballet’s most impactful choreographers,” said Endalyn Taylor, dean of the UNCSA School of Dance. “Their works have not only withstood the test of time but have provided significant opportunities for our students to demonstrate refinement within their artistic, kinesthetic, and intellectual abilities. At the same time, Battle’s Mass and Yang’s original work, Convergence, offer the students a deep immersion into the process that benefits greatly from everyone’s investment in the work and the world each piece creates. For the audience, this program is a chance to see the School of Dance at its creative best: Diversified, enthusiastic, and exceptionally skilled.”

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UNCSA has also announced the recipients of its annual Excellence in Teaching awards for 2021-’22, with six current faculty members being recognized for their efforts.

“The faculty represent the heart of our conservatory,” said Patrick J. Sims, UNCSA executive vice chancellor and provost.

“It is their knowledge, expertise, and experience — and, for our arts professors, experience in the arts and entertainment industry — that make them unsurpassed in the teaching environment.”

The six selected are Jamie Call Blankinship (School of Design & Production), Allison Gagnon (School of Music), Carrie Hart (High School Academic Program), Chris Heckman (School of Filmmaking), Jared Redick (School of Dance), and Allen Smith (High School Academic Program). Blankinship, Heckman, and Redick are also UNCSA alumni.

“I especially want to commend these

six faculty members for their outstanding service, their dedication to our students, and their devotion to fulfilling the mission of UNCSA as we continue to persevere in the face of the (COVID-19) pandemic,” Sims said.

The Excellence in Teaching Awards were inaugurated in 1994 by the Board of Governors of the multi-campus University of North Carolina System at each of its 17 constituent institutions to “encourage, identify, recognize, reward, and support good teaching within the university.”

Each year, recipients are chosen from current, full-time faculty members who are nominated for students, former students, and colleagues. One name per institution is then forwarded to the UNC Board of Governors to receive a systemwide teaching award, a financial stipend of $12,500, and a commemorative bronze medallion.

The 94th annual Academy Awards

ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, March 27, broadcast live on ABC Television, and not surprisingly some of the nominated films have direct ties to UNCSA. First and foremost is Paul Tazewell, who earned his first nomination for Best Costume Design for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. Tazewell previously won a Tony Award for the Broadway spectacular Hamilton and an Emmy Award for The Wiz Live!, which was broadcast on NBC in 2015. He also holds an MFA from New York University and a BFA from UNCSA (Costume Design & Technology Program), has also served as a guest artist and was the 2018 UNCSA commencement speaker.

West Side Story earned seven nominations in all, including Best Picture and Best Director. Paloma Garcia-Lee (High School Drama ’08) is a member of the cast, Michelle Shiraziefard (School of Filmmaking ’16) was the condor operator in the camera department (for overhead shots) and Michelle Pflug (Design & Production ’16) was costume coordinator for the film. Actor Stephen McKinley Henderson (BFA Drama ’72) played the pivotal role of Thufit Hawat in Denis Villeneuve’s screen version of the Frank Herbert sci-fi classic Dune, which earned a total of 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

“As always, UNCSA alumni are being recognized at the highest level, and I am so proud of all of these individuals for their recognition by the Academy,” said Brian Cole, UNCSA chancellor. “It is a testament to our enduring alumni relationships that several of these alumni have given back to UNCSA in significant ways: Paul is a member of our UNCSA Board of Trustees and has funded a scholarship for students of color, Stephen returned to deliver an incredibly inspiring commencement address last year, and Paloma graced the cover of our alumni magazine, Scene, in 2020 in connection with her role in West Side Story. I am truly humbled by their talent and generosity, and we are rooting for a Pickle sweep in March!”

The official UNCSA website is https:// www.uncsa.edu/. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022, Mark Burger.

FEBRUARY 16-22, 2022

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EAT IT!

Chow down with John Batchelor at Rooster’s, A Noble Grill

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

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ver the more than 40 years I’ve been writing about restaurants, a small number evoke nostalgia. High on that list is Restaurant J. Basul Noble in High Point. Chef-proprietor Jim Noble expanded to Greensboro and Winston-Salem, then Charlotte, eventually relocating to that city, himself, for personal (see kingskitchen. org.) as well as professional reasons. There is no one in the culinary world I admire more.

Of those restaurants, the Charlotte and Winston-Salem properties, both now named Rooster’s, continue in operation, and in the case of the Winston-Salem location, going on 30 years. Such longevity is rare, but in this case, it’s easy to understand.

Before you even enter, you smell the place. The aroma from the wood-fired grill is enticing, and experiences inside sustain that initial impression. Lots of wood creates an elegant look, while avoiding formality or stuffiness. Even in wintry weather, patio seating is available, a function of well-placed heaters. Personnel were uniformly masked. They are also well-versed regarding the food, and able to make informed recommendations regarding beverage selections.

The wine list is substantial. I recognized a few selections from the BTG section, but tastes are provided to elucidate the pairing process. My wife and I seldom imbibe cocktails, but the Cran-Mule caught her attention. It turned out to be a real winner.

BOLOGNESE

STRIPED BASS

WAHOO

Bread-hard-crusted sourdough slicesearns special commendation.

One column of the menu is devoted to “the creamery” (cheeses) and “the larder” (meats and smoked seafoods). In “the sea” listing, there are three items I would consider conventional appetizers. Of these, I chose Fried Oysters — pleasantly plump and moist, coated with a light batter, fried crisp. A large swirl of homemade cocktail sauce lends bite.

Two soups round out the starters.

The Noble’s restaurants are famous for Tomato Basil Bisque. Most recently, my wife and I tried a du jour offering, based on a broth of beef, pork, and chicken with chunks of meat and vegetables. The taste I tried contained excellent chorizo sausage. Hearty and most welcome on a chilly night.

The “small plates” section of the menu in most cases just means a protein with no vegetables. We wanted to try the Bolognese, considered a specialty here, so we split a portion in the absence of other starters, as a first course. It’s outstandinga hearty, meaty sauce of ground beef and pork, simmered with fresh tomatoes, over homemade inch wide noodles. This is not an Italian restaurant, but I’ve never had this dish anywhere else that was better, regardless of nationality.

Grilled Salmon arrives in about a fiveounce portion, moist and tender and freshly flavorful with an excellent crust.

Although marked with an asterisk, which the menu explains means “may be served undercooked or raw,” I would characterize the cooking level as medium, or just right.

Not so the Wahoo. Four slices appeared

opaque and produced virtually no flavor, with a soft texture that I found most unappealing. Our server explained that it was “torched” as opposed to more conventional methods of cooking. This was decorated with crème fraîche, black butter nage, and caper aioli, surrounded by bok choy hosting benne tahini carrots. I cannot testify regarding the latter enhancements because I don’t think it’s fair to keep eating something I know I’m going to send back. The manager visited our table, the charge was removed, and an alternative entrée was provided (at full cost). (On a subsequent visit, I noticed that the Wahoo had been removed from the menu.)

The replacement that night, from the “large plates” section of the menu, was Striped Bass — seared in a cast-iron skillet to a firm, dark crust — cooked a bit more

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and abundantly flavorful of real potato. than I would have expected, although still Brussels Sprouts are halved and roasted, good (was the kitchen sending me a mesal dente, their flavor extended with goat sage?). This too, was marked with an ascheese, bacon, mellow balsamic vinegar, terisk. So, in general, I don’t find the menu scattered with bits of roasted sweet poa reliable predictor of how the food will tato. Succotash uses traditional actually be cooked. Don’t hesisouthern ingredients — corn tate to ask or specify what and lima beans, both you want in advance. The fresh. fish was presented over In sum, the struca potato and fennel ture of Rooster’s root gratin — commenu provides plex, outstanding in flexibility, so you flavor. can control costs to Filet Mignon is some extent, but no seared in a castmatter what I chose, iron skillet. Ordered the final tab turned medium, as soon as out to be elevated. our server checked FILET MIGNON Mistakes cannot be igback and saw it, he nored in this price range, commented, “That’s but they can be forgiven too done, isn’t it?” Grey when corrected. My all the way through, it wife and I agreed that was clearly well done, the rewards here with an almost black justify the prices. We exterior. A replacewould go back. This ment was just column contains a right — excellent striking number of crust, giving way to superlatives. exceptional depth The chef is Michael of flavor. This comes Spencer. He is from with bordelaise FRITES Southport, where he sauce, fresh roasted grew up cooking for and asparagus, and roasted learning from his grandpotatoes with peppers mother. He has been at and onions. When Rooster’s about three cooked right, as good years. Hannah Shaffa steak as I’ve ever ner is manager. She had. started at Rooster’s From “the pasas a server 20 years ture” list, I ordered ago. !

Roast Chicken.

The bird is from Joyce farms (as JOHN BATCHELOR has are other fowl and been writing about eating FRIED OYSTERS most meats). This is and drinking since 1981. Over an elite North Carolina a thousand of his articles have provider whose home is been published. He is also author Winston-Salem. The tender of two travel/cookbooks: Chefs of the texture, rich natural flavor, and Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North abundant juices testified to the chicken’s Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants quality, subtly infused with smoke from and Recipes from Western North Carolina. Contact him at the wood grill. Another superlative — simjohn.e.batchelor@gmail.com or see his blog, johnbatchply the best roast chicken I’ve ever had. elordiningandtravel.blogspot.com.

And you get a half chicken — enough to share or have some for lunch the next day.

WANNA Read the menu carefully to determine if a green vegetable is included in the Rooster’s, A Noble Grille is located at serving. In the case of the Striped Bass, a 380 Knollwood St., Winston-Salem, NC 27103 green side is needed, which elevates an 336-777-8477 | roosterskitchen.com already high price ($44) to stratospheric Hours: Lunch- 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, levels (green sides start at $6). The half Dinner- 5-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, chicken on the other hand, is a bargain 5-11 p.m. Friday & Saturday at $18, even with an added vegetable or Appetizers: $2-$18 | Salads: $9-$26 | Soups: $6/ salad cost. cup-$10/bowl | Entrees: $18-$44 | I would rank all the vegetables I have Vegetables: $6-$16 | Desserts: $12-$14 had in the top echelon, and portion sizes Most recent visit: February 8 are large enough to share. Frites are crisp WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

go?

[ WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP]

ARTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE – THE NORMAL HEART The Little Theatre of WinstonSalem performed Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart in Reynolds Place Theatre last weekend, February 11-13, 2022. The Normal Heart focuses on Joshua Ridley the rise of the HIV/ AIDS epidemic Marketing & in New York City Communications between 1981 and Manager 1984. Ned Weeks (played by John Furr) joins forces with Dr. Emma Brookner (played by Sheri Masters) to organize an advocacy group whose mission is to raise funds to create awareness and study the previously unknown virus in hopes of finding treatment for it. The play’s themes explore the concept of community and how people can join together to fight for a common cause.

The Normal Heart serves as an example of how art can be used for social change. Within social change also lies advocacy, awareness, and starting hard conversations.

It has been said that the purpose of art is to make people uncomfortable. The Normal Heart premiered in 1985 in an Off-Broadway production at The Public Theatre in New York City, at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. “I think it is such a powerful story and it’s somewhat timeless,” expressed James Crowe (Felix Turner). “This is a very specific story to our (gay) community so getting to tell it is very important to me.” Upon the 1985 premiere, the play received reviews from The New York Times, Newsweek, and The New York Times Magazine. Kramer’s play did what was intended – it started a conversation.

The concept of art being used as an agent of social change is a proven formula. Movies such as The Hate U Give (2018), The Blind Side (2009), and The Fallout (2022) all tackle issues such as

racial inequity, police brutality, school safety, and homelessness. Like The Normal Heart, there has been an ongoing rise of LGBTQIA+ representation and queer stories taking the mainstage. Musicals such as Rent (1996), Falsettos (1992), and A Strange Loop (2022 all tell queer stories of identity, race, and coming of age. Additionally, transgender and nonbinary communities are placed in focus with TV shows like POSE (2018-2021) and Sort Of (2021-present).

As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I was proud to learn that The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem cast openly gay men to play to portray the lead roles of Ned Weeks and Felix Turner.

Additionally, more than half of The Normal Heart’s cast identifies as openly gay.

“I feel honored, proud, and happy that Little Theatre wants to tell this story,” said John Furr (Ned Weeks). “It’s not just a gay story; it’s a great piece of American Theatre. The Normal Heart is written by one of the strongest activists in the gay community and to be able to represent his words as a gay man has more resonance than I think it would be if the role was played by someone who identified as straight.” It’s great to see local theatre in Winston-Salem tell authentic stories with individuals who carry an authentic lens. Thanks for using your stage to share a piece of this important story, The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem!

ARTS COUNCIL is the chief advocate of the arts and cultural sector in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

Our goal is to serve as a leader in lifting up, creating awareness and providing support to grow and sustain artistic, cultural and creative offerings throughout our region. We acknowledge that it takes every voice, every talent, and every story to make our community a great place to live, work, and play. Arts Council is committed to serving as a facilitator, organizer, and promoter of conversations that are authentic, inclusive, and forwardthinking. There are over 800,000 art experiences taking place in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County annually.

To learn more about upcoming arts and culture events happening in our community, visit cityofthearts.com.

FEBRUARY 16-22, 2022

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ost of us learn from an early age that there are consequences to breaking the rules.

Bring home failing grades, and you don’t get to play sports. Keep getting Jim Longworth speeding tickets, and you lose your driver’s license, and Longworth so on. You’d think, at Large then, that if anyone understood the consequences of rule breaking, it would be our elected officials who actually make the rules for everyone to follow. Truth is the rule makers are often the worst rule-breakers. Case in point, the federal Stock Act. Congressmen have always been allowed to own stocks, and to make financial investments, but increasingly, a number of folks on Capitol Hill have increased their wealth by having access

No stocks for Congress? to information that the rest of us didn’t have. That’s why in 2012, Congress passed the Stock Act, making it illegal for a Representative or Senator to buy or sell stocks based on insider information they had acquired from classified or confidential briefings. All but two Senators voted for the Act (one of the hold-outs was Richard Burr, and we now have a good idea why), but the bi-partisan effort proved to be largely cosmetic. According to a recent investigation by Insider, “at least 54 current members of Congress and almost 200 Congressional staffers have violated the law by failing to disclose their transactions on time.” The investigation also concluded that “the law’s enforcement is uneven and inconsistent.” Moreover, that same report found that Congressmen had violated the Stock Act hundreds of times just in the past two years, primarily related to the pandemic. Insider reported that “In 2020, 75 federal lawmakers held stock in Moderna, Pfizer, or Johnson & Johnson” as they were preparing to vote to, “authorize billions of dollars to develop

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and distribute COVID-19 vaccines made by these very same companies.”

Not surprisingly, a move is now afoot by some of our more ethical representatives, to pass legislation that would ban Congressmen, Senators, their family members, and staff from even owning stocks.

On January 24, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, urging them to bring to the House floor either the “Ban Conflicted Trading Act,” or the “TRUST in Congress Act.” Meanwhile, some in the upper chamber are not only urging support for Golden’s proposal but want to make sure it has teeth. Just last week, Senator Elizabeth Warren, for example, said she supports a hefty consequence to rule breaking. Her idea is to fine elected officials $50,000 for every violation of the new law.

Thus far over two dozen House members have already signed off on Golden’s proposal, but there hasn’t exactly been a stampede of support. Speaking with Ya-

hoo Finance, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez explained the obvious. “It’s not really a mystery to me why it’s difficult to pass. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a majority of members of Congress who hold and trade individual stock.”

Nevertheless, Rep. Golden is adamant about the need for reform. In his letter to Pelosi, Golden wrote, “Perhaps this means some of our colleagues will miss out on lucrative investment opportunities. We don’t care. We came to Congress to serve our country, not turn a quick buck.”

There’s no doubt that if Golden’s bill passes, and if the law is properly enforced, we might be able to curb corruption in the halls of Congress, but those are big “ifs.” Until then, we must hope that our elected officials spend more time making rules than breaking them. !

JIM LONGWORTH is the host of Triad Today, airing on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. on ABC45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 11 a.m. on WMYV (cable channel 15).

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flicks

Fear on trial: Who is Amos Otis? is stimulating and thought-provoking fare

N Mark Burger

Contributor

ot so long ago, Who is Amos Otis? would have been described as a “sleeper” — a film that comes, seemingly out of nowhere and with minimal promotion, that unexpectedly hits a nerve and surpasses its bigger-budgeted competition in terms of entertain-

ment value.

This crackling courtroom drama marks the auspicious feature debut of screenwriter/producer/director Greg Newberry, an adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize-nominated stage play, which he has freely admitted was inspired by the ongoing political turmoil in this country.

In his screen debut, Josh Katawick reprises his stage role as the titular Amos Otis, a blue-collar everyman who is on trial for assassinating the President of the United States. This president, it seems, was a divisive figure whose fiery rhetoric and baseless boasts caused social strife throughout the nation, literally driving a wedge between its people. (Does any of this sound familiar?)

The enigmatic Otis is remarkably articulate and intelligent, much to the surprise of his court-appointed attorney, Jason Johnson (Rico Reid, also encoring from the play), who intends to mount an insanity defense. The ongoing outrage regarding the assassination compels the judge (Derek Snow) to have the gallery cleared of onlookers and instead broadcast on live television. This seems believable under the circumstances, while also keeping the film’s budget (reportedly under $1 million) manageable. The few scenes of marches and protests could easily have been culled from recent news footage. Newberry keeps the film’s focus where it belongs — on the trial itself.

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Both Johnson and prosecutor Art Bradley (Michael G. Bath) find it difficult to ascertain Otis’ identity, at which point he drops the bombshell that he is a visitor from the future — one Gordon Nicholson — who traveled back in time to assassinate the president as a way of saving America’s future. The skeptical Bradley understandably chafes at the claim, thinking it’s a ploy on Johnson’s part to ensure the insanity plea.

Science-fiction has always been a good avenue for political and social allegory when done well. Think The Twilight Zone or Star Trek, or more recently, The X-Files and Lost, and there are distinct touches of Rod Serling, Harlan Ellison, and even H.G. Wells to be found here. Yet Who is Amos Otis? doesn’t require fancy special effects. It’s a cleverly mounted contraption that allows the viewer to bring his or her own viewpoint to the proceedings.

Although undeniably inspired by recent political events and actual personalities, the film makes no mention of names or political parties. Nor, for that matter, does it need to. For some, this might seem an obvious, even overt, gimmick, but it’s certainly a relevant one. It lends a contemporary twist to what might otherwise have been an average courtroom procedural. Besides, how many episodes of NBC’s long-running Law & Order were directly inspired by actual cases? (Plenty.)

As befits the courtroom genre, Who is Amos Otis? is talky, but it’s never dull, and Sean Schafer Hennessy’s sparse but effective score is judiciously employed. This is a tight, taut, well-acted endeavor, and a personal triumph for Newberry.

The acting is solid down the line. Katawick brings the proper amount of mystery, and even pathos, to his character. Bath is a condescending antagonist without becoming a caricature, and Snow plays the unnamed judge with the proper gravitas and little curiosity. The most charismatic presence, however, is that of Reid as Johnson, whose predetermined notions about the case and his client are continually upended, yet he never loses his cool or sense of duty

and professionalism. Each brings considerable conviction to his role, and hopefully, we’ll likely be seeing and hearing from these talented actors again before too long.

(Incidentally, it should be noted that the film has absolutely nothing to do with Amos Otis, the formidable Kansas City Royals slugger who played 17 years in the big leagues and was a five-time All-Star)

— Who is Amos Otis? is available on DVD ($14.99 retail) and Blu-ray ($16.99 retail) from Gravitas Ventures. For a complete list of platforms on which the film is available, visit the official website: https://whoisamosotis.com/. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022, Mark Burger.

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Catherine Graham of Marshfield, Massachusetts, recently cashed in on her 15 minutes of fame on “The Price Is Right” with host Drew Carey. She flew Chuck Shepherd to Los Angeles to visit her daughter and attended a taping of the show, which aired on Feb. 1. As luck would have it, Graham ended up on stage with Carey and played for a great trip — to New Hampshire! When Carey gushed, “New Hampshire is beautiful!” Graham replied, “Drew, I live in Boston!

I’ve been to New Hampshire a million times!” But wait, there’s more! In order to collect the prize roundtrip airfare, she’ll have to travel to Los Angeles again to fly to Manchester, New Hampshire. “I just wish it was Tahiti ... or Bora Bora. A cruise around the world maybe,” Graham told WBZ-TV. But, she said, “It was so fun.”

A “dedicated employee ... (who) enjoyed his job (and) was well-liked by the people he worked with” was charged on Feb. 9 in North Versailles, Pennsylvania, after he allegedly placed a hidden camera in a urinal at the North Versailles Police Department, WPXI-TV reported. John Logan, 49, a 911 operator, is accused of placing the camera in a single-user bathroom in a hallway that is off-limits to the public. Once the incident was reported, Logan allegedly went into the bathroom and removed the SD card from the camera; investigators searching Logan’s home found flash drives with videos of officers exposed while using the bathroom.

He was charged with invasion of privacy and tampering with physical evidence.

GREAT ART?

The Idaho Potato Commission has your last-minute Valentine’s Day gift covered: The group is releasing a limited-edition fragrance, Frites by Idaho, made from distilled potatoes and essential oils, that is designed to smell like a fresh plate of french fries, United Press International reported.

“The smell is too good to resist,” said IPC president Jamey Higham. “This perfume is a great gift for anyone who can’t refuse a french fry.” And it’s priced right, too, at $1.89 a bottle!

‘MURICA

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Still need a Valentine’s Day gift idea?

Here you go: KFC is collaborating with Pillow Pets for the KFC Chicken Sandwich Snuggler, a giant cuddle-yummy you can wrap around your midsection before the carbs make it there. It’s only $99.99, Canoe reported. “Enjoy a snuggle after sinking your teeth into a KFC Chicken Sandwich meal or spice up any room in your home (trust us, it’s impossible to miss),” KFC crowed.

RESPECT FOR THE ELDERLY

Richard Taylor, 28, began arguing with his grandmother on Feb. 1 because he wanted to buy a new bed, but apparently didn’t have the funds to do so, KDKA Radio reported. So the Butler County, Pennsylvania, man broke into Margaret Taylor’s bedroom, after she had locked it from inside, and forcibly stole her purse, then disconnected all the phones in the house and fled in a 2006 Ford Taurus — presumably on his way to the mattress store. Grandma headed to the

FEBRUARY 16-22, 2022

STEP RIGHT UP

The Associated Press reported on Feb. 10 that a bored security guard at an art gallery in Ekaterinburg, Russia, lent his own artistic hand to an avant-garde painting

by Anna Leporskaya, adding “eyes” to two of the three faces in the painting “Three Figures.” The Yeltsin Center revealed that the vandalism occurred on Dec. 7, and the painting was returned to the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, which owns it, for restoration. The guard, who worked for a private company providing security, used a ballpoint pen to make the small circles.

The unnamed guard could face up to three months in prison.

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neighbor’s home to call 911, and a warrant was issued for Richard’s arrest for robbery, theft and harassment. How will he sleep at night? Oh yeah, new mattress.

As over-the-road truckers protested COVID-related mandates in Canada’s capital city, a 20-year-old Akron, Ohio, man wanted to get in on the action. So, on Feb. 7, he called in a bomb threat — to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, in Ottawa ...

Ohio. The man said he was going to set off a bomb in Ottawa, then called back a second time and said he’d been shot, The Lima News reported. “When he found out he was talking to Ohio and not Canada, he said he hadn’t been shot but was simply trying to waste (Canadian authorities’) time and resources because he didn’t agree with their mask mandate,” said Sheriff’s Office Cpt. Brad Brubaker. He also admitted there was no bomb. “You’d think with him being from Ohio, the 419 area code might have rung a bell,” Brubaker added. !

© 2022 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate.

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

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The House that Soul Built: Juke Joint opens at the Magnolia House

J

ump and jive, y’all, the Historic Magnolia House ushers in a new era, fully-restored as a boutique hotel—honoring its legacy as a Green Book lodging house and swinging Katei Cranford to the sound of a reinvigorated “Juke Joint” Music series.

Contributor Music has remained central at the Magnolia—it’s “the House that Soul Built,” after all, offering respite for Black travelers—notably world-famous musicians—as a Green Book destination during the Jim Crow era, having appeared in six editions of the Negro Travelers Guide through the 1950s.

“Music at The Historic Magnolia House has truly come full circle,” said Natalie Pass-Miller, current owner (and principal officer of Magnolia House Foundation, Inc.). ”Even contemporary music today stems from the ’40s and ’50s of soul and we’re proud to carry on that legacy through our current music program.”

While the property spent the latter-end of the 20th century in disrepair, PassMiller’s family began restorations in the mid-00s, opening the Magnolia for jazz brunches and special events in 2017. Their efforts culminated in its reprise as a fully functional Bed-and-Breakfast in 2021, which was celebrated with an opening concert from Rhonda Thomas in December.

“That night was magical,” Pass-Miller said. “Rhonda has been performing with us since 2018, long before we finished our restoration process to become the 100% replica of the 1949 historic Green Book property that we are today.”

Music has been the bread-and-butter all along. “It’s been such an important part of our property’s history, and has served as the primary source of fundraising for us over the years,” Pass-Miller explained. “From our annual benefit concerts to our programming like the Juke Joint, we really rely on our community’s support to continue in our efforts to properly preserve this sacred piece of our city’s history as well as to be able to open it up and share it with the world.”

Pass-Miller is excited to bring the Juke Joint series back to the community—now with overnight guests. “This program YES! WEEKLY

FEBRUARY 16-22, 2022

Natalie Pass-Miller, current owner and principal officer of Magnolia House Foundation, Inc. allows us to replicate how artists would create and perform during their stays at the property back during its Green Book heyday in the ’50s and ’60s,” she said. “It’s our special way of celebrating and paying tribute to all of our amazing past musical guests like Louis Armstrong, James Brown, Joe Tex, Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, and so many more.”

Previous Juke Joint incarnations featured tributes to Gladys Knight &

The Pips, Aretha Franklin, and Luther Vandross. “It was so successful in the community and I love the way we’ve been able to evolve since then,” she said.

“What excites me the most is that we’re really able to contribute this element to the incredible arts scene here in the Triad.

Being a part of the growth and evolution of the local arts and culture community is a great honor.”

As part of its own evolution, the new

Juke Joint will incorporate original artists, like the group Mo’ Soul (who performed the inaugural Juke Joint concert on February 3) and Demola the Violinist, who is scheduled to perform on February 17.

“Our featured artists offer a diverse range of musical styles and we’re proud to bring in both local and national talent,” Pass-Miller explained. “When it comes to artists coming to perform from out of town, though, we’re following in the footsteps of James Brown, who always purposefully came without a band to source local talent to play with while here.

We take pride in helping to foster great musical partnerships between visiting artists and our amazing community of local musicians.”

In recent years, the Magnolia House has embraced local musicians across an array of genres. There have been the highbrow jazz and soul standards, of course. But the Magnolia has also hosted electronic “House” music nights (with DJ Real and Alvin Shavers) a porch session drive-in with Brooke Stokes, Charlie Hunter, Debbie the Artist, Demeanor, J Timber, Molly McGinn, and Sam Fribush. In 2020, they

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2021-22 Season an Evening with The Machine FEBRUARY 18, 2022

were a filming location for the virtual version of the annual NC Folk Festival.

“We‘re looking forward to having them all back as a part of the Juke Joint,” Pass-Miller noted, relishing the all-encompassing possibilities Magnolia House events hold. “They bring people together in all shapes and forms,” she added. “They bridge connectivity and we are honored to be able to create that. It just makes you feel good!”

Building bridges beyond music, the Magnolia House has also partnered with teams from UNC-Greensboro and organizations like the Greensboro History Museum to fuel educational tours and exhibits. But the renovation back into being a hotel is what excites Pass-Miller the most. “By opening the boutique hotel component of our property, we’ve created a truly immersive Green Book experience where you can stay overnight in a living exhibit. There’s truly nothing like it!”

“You can literally live the history by staying overnight in the same accommodations where so many incredible luminaries rested their heads,” she

continued. “You can walk up our staircase, which is original to the 1949 hotel, and touch the very same banister that some of the greatest Black artists, athletes, and scholars in our country touched on a daily basis during their time here.”

Emphasizing their additional knack for private events, Pass-Miller is looking forward to the spectrum of event offerings— and pointed to plans already underway for a special Juneteenth celebration. As for their Juke Joint series, “we’ll have something going every month and every show will be unique,” she added, “so we encourage our local community to come check out all of our shows.”

The Historic Magnolia House will host a “Galentine’s Brunch,” on February 13; and Demola the Violinist will appear as part of their Juke Joint series on February 17.

For more information on the Juke Joint shows, events or hotel stays, visit www. thehistoricmagnoliahouse.org. !

Darin & Brooke aldridge FEBRUARY 19, 2022

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23 In The Light of Led Zeppelin 29 Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles

May

15 Raleigh Ringers

Jon reep

FEBRUARY 26, 2022

Sons of Mystro

Acts and dates subject to change.

For up to date news, visit our website.

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visit: HighPointTheatre.com for more information | For tickets call: 336-887-3001

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MON: $2 Domestic Bottles & All Burgers $9.99 TUES: 1/2 Price Wine WED: $3 Draft THURS: $5 Bud Light Pitchers and $3 Fireball

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.

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The Magnolia House Motel in 1947

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Award-winning grandmother offers hope for fellow felons “People need empathy,” said the award-winning Greensboro grandmother and felon who helps others transition to safe, self-sufficient, and productive lives.

Almond ConnecIan McDowell tion founder Sheena Beasley gave her blessings to call her a Contributor “felon,” but requested YES! Weekly not use “former” in that descriptor. “Unfortunately, once one, always one.”

She makes no excuses for the mistakes of her youth, when she temporarily neglected the teachings of the Church she grew up in and to which she remains devoted.

“I was a single parent and hadn’t been a good steward of my money. When someone asked if I wanted to make more on the side, I said sure. But it was fraud, and I knew I was guilty. I ended up with a fiveyear suspended sentence with probation.”

On January 14, the Prison Fellowship, the nation’s largest outreach to current and former prisoners and their families, awarded Beasley the 2021 Charles Colson Advocate of Hope Award for her work as a Justice Ambassador. The award is named after the fellowship’s founder, the first member of the Nixon administration incarcerated on Watergate-related charges.

“I’m not making excuses for anyone, wrong is wrong,” said Beasley, who was born in Greensboro. “I moved away a couple of times, but I came back really because I wanted to be close to my mom.

She is 89 and will be 90 in May. I was raised in a Christian home, so I knew right from wrong. But I just made a couple of bad decisions.”

She graduated from Ben L. Smith High in 1971 and has an Associates Degree in Business Administration and has completed courses for her Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice. She is very proud of her son, who just turned 50.

“He was one of the reasons that I thought I needed to make some of those bad decisions. Now, I don’t want people to think I committed a crime just to get a better life for my son! It was more out of selfishness and poor judgment. I wanted to support him in every way that I could, but in hindsight, those choices I made were not good for him or me.”

Beasley’s 1985 fraud conviction did YES! WEEKLY

FEBRUARY 16-22, 2022

Sheena Beasley not stop her from doing data entry for 25 years in the trucking industry. “But when the economy started to change in 2007 and my trucking company had to close their doors, as they were a furniture carrier, and those were among the hardest hit.”

And that’s when she experienced the stigma of her criminal background. “Up until then, I really had a great support system and didn’t have an issue with finding employment, due to the people I knew.”

Beasley applied for a very good job with a multinational company and thought she cleared the hurdles.

“You have to go through four or five interviews. In the first interview, they encouraged everybody in that room to make sure that they were truthful about their information, especially if you had a criminal background. I’ve always been truthful about it, so I told them.” She was interviewed three more times, and her supervisor told her she had the job and

gave her a start date.

“Week or so later, I received a large envelope from the home office via DHL Express. It said they regretted to inform me that they were rescinding the supervisor’s offer of employment, based upon my background check. I actually called them because I was so devastated. My prior position, I’d been making $52,000 a year, and the first job I had after I was laid off was $6.75 an hour.”

She called the corporate office, the woman who answered said, “Ms. Beasley, I’m sorry, but we don’t hire felons.”

“I cried, but of course, she wouldn’t change her mind. I did eventually find a company that hired those with a criminal background, but that starting salary was $10 an hour. I worked nine years for them, and finally retired in 2017.”

Even after being hired, there were problems finding somewhere to live.

“You sit there in front of them and they say they don’t see any issues, but once

they do that background check. Although I didn’t do any jail or prison time, I still experienced that stigma. So, I thought to myself, if I was experiencing this, just think about what those who’ve done time are going through.”

Beasley knows that not everyone is a good person.

“Grew up thinking that, but now I know not everyone is. But I still believe that, most cases, those with criminal backgrounds deserve a chance to become self-sufficient and productive again. I wanted to reach out to those in prison, those coming home, and those on probation, and connect them with the support system they need. It’s just unreal, the many obstacles they face when returning to our communities.”

Jobs are scarce, and when found, “they give you one that won’t allow you to survive. Nobody wants to give you a place to stay. That’s why we have so many homeless people.”

And that’s why Beasley founded the Almond Connection.

“The vision was given to me by the Holy Spirit. That seed was planted in 1985 and flowered in 2016.”

She said two of the most important services the Almond Connection provides are helping former inmates find jobs and housing.

“Accordable housing is so crucial and so lacking in Greensboro and Guilford County, and a hundred times more difficult if you have a record. We’re pleading with developers, a real estate agency, realtors, what have you. Even private citizens. We’ve got to do something as a city and community.

I think that comes down to everyone that’s a citizen of Guilford County needs to know who our representatives are, what they stand for, what they will do, and whether they will keep their word about doing better for their citizens. We must hold them to that.”

The Prison Fellowship is a leading advocate for criminal justice reform, and Beasley shared that commitment.

“They are working to assist the same population that I am, and are able to communicate with legislators on the state and national level. They took me and my advocacy specialists through training on how to talk to legislators. Educate yourself on the issue, don’t expect a yeah or nay when you talk to them because they’re not going to commit to anything, etc. The only way things will be corrected is if some the laws are changed so that everyone can be treated with dignity and given a chance to make better lives for

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The Prison Fellowship awarded Beasley the 2021 Charles Colson Advocate of Hope Award them, their families, and the community.”

That’s why she advocates for H.R.1693, the EQUAL Act of 2021.

“We’ve got to change the huge disparity between sentencing for cocaine and crack.

There are so many people in prison that got long sentences because of legislation, as far back as Joe Biden was a senator, and back to Reagan’s War on Drugs. I read the other day about a young lady who was released from prison after a twenty-

year sentence. She was neither using nor selling drugs, but because her boyfriend had brought the drugs into her home, she got twenty years in prison. And don’t forget former president Trump’s ‘lock ‘em all up!’ That makes no sense.” !

IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.

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Beasley with her mother and son.

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Welcome to Tyler Nail’s Red House

yler Nail invites listeners to the Red House, a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews and general conversations with North Carolina songwriters, Katei Cranford artists, and creatives.

Airing Monday Contributor mornings, on streaming platforms and over YouTube, the podcast (and red house itself) encompasses Nail’s small studio and general home base. “Red House is simply a space in which I can have long, focused conversations with interesting people from my community,” Nail said. “Most of which are connected to the local music and art economy in some way. And I really love doing it.”

Nestled in the hills of Rural Hall, it’s homespun, with a plucky, twangy intro and a woodstove centered between Nail and his guests—fairly on-brand for a guy who grew up in a log cabin his grandfather built.

A musician himself, Nail has been performing around the Triad since he was a teen. By his mid-20s, he was touring around the country. “But for the last few years, I’ve preferred to play within North Carolina rather than to tour extensively,” he noted, a sense reinforced by his podcasting goals. “The best possible outcome I could imagine is that an audience of local music enthusiasts will learn more about their local artists, connect more deeply with them, and follow them more closely.”

With 14 episodes under his belt so far,

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Nail is enjoying the camaraderie and conversation—utilizing the deep-dive approach he’s developed as a journalist and production technique derived from experiences as an engineer. His appreciation for a variety of media is woven throughout the episodes—the series kicked off with Andy Tennille (established band photographer and Ramkat co-owner). Adoration for his home base is often highlighted, especially in the third episode, with Doug Davis, during which they muse down Winston’s musical memory lane.

“Going into this project, I expected the conversations to be primarily about music or musicianship,” Nail said, reflecting on topics and guests that play out across artistic platforms. In episode four, he and Emmy-winning filmmaker Tyler Hickman dish new projects and the future of film in North Carolina.

Nail bridges the two, chatting up films and scores (and a recent addition into Spirit System) with Eddie Garcia (aka 1970s Film Stock) in episode 12.

“I’ve been surprised to see how easily these conversations turn into something more personal,” Nail noted, recalling the values and ideologies shared with Dr. Elliot Goodine (lecturer of Philosophy at UNCGreensboro) in episode 13.

It’s all part of a package. Music. Art. Community. Identity. “My attitude as a podcast host is very different from my attitude as a musician,” he explained.

“But whether in music or in the podcast world, the people I admire are brave, true to themselves, and they’re often willing to go to places that would be easier to avoid,” he added, relaying hopes to inspire his own bravery in-kind. “In the face of uncomfortable conversations and uncertainty. I hope I can learn how to express myself as well as I can, and also how to listen to my guests as well as I can.”

Nail’s episodes with the Caudle brothers highlight that pursuit. First exploring ideals around “the secular and the sacred,”

with Kyle Caudle (Pastor of Piney Grove Baptist Church of Mount Airy) in episode ten. Followed by discussions of “therapy, sobriety, and the death of the arts” with Caleb Caudle in episode 14.

“I think the primary theme of Red House is trying to figure out how we make sense of being artists in a world so dominated by social media and political ideology,” Nail explained, “because I’m trying to learn the answer to that myself.”

Nail’s encounters with guests hint at that search. In episode nine, he and Tucker Tharpe (former owner of The Garage) talk about the venue’s final days and the “danger of ideology.” In episode five, Nail and Joshua Ling (guitarist of “The Collection”) balance the dangers of social media and the divisiveness of politics with Ling’s “madman” performance schedule. Meanwhile, John Ray’s chat in episode six covers issues all the way from travel, to concepts of masculinity. In episode eight, Nail connected with Michael Belt (from Fox Season) over personal motivations and alter egos; and explored senses of identity and community with drummer, Chaisaray Schenck in episode seven.

It’s all part of the way Nail is shifting focus. With a new single out in March, his music remains salient. “But at this stage in my life, the connectivity within my community of musicians has also become a huge priority,” he explained. “Red House is meant to be a way to invest my attention into my community more broadly, rather than only in my own accomplishments and ideas.”

As an artist and podcaster, Nail praises the simple life. “My recording studio is modest,” he explained. “I live on farmland, surrounded by trees and space. I want people to have a bit of a creative vacation when they record here.” It’s a notion appreciated by rootsy guests like the bluegrass duo, His and Hers; or the “Stokes-grown country” artist, Josh Shelton (from Carolina Twine).

“The process is like therapy,” Nail said.

“I don’t think I realized how disconnected and socially starved I felt until I started sitting down with all of these inspiring people. It feeds my extraversion well.”

Nail posts a new episode every Monday morning. “There’s a video version of YouTube and the audio version is available on all of the primary podcast platforms,” he explained. “So if you’re interested in the musicians that make up the Triad area, or the state of North Carolina, I hope you’ll tune in for the show.” !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.

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last call

[THE ADVICE GODDESS] love • sex • dating • marriage • questions

HOW DO I SHOVE THEE?

I’m a 31-year-old gay man. I have these intrusive lusty thoughts about my ex, like daily. I’m extremely physically attracted to him, but we just don’t work as Amy Alkon a couple and never will. Despite knowAdvice ing this, I’m having a Goddess hard time stopping myself from thinking about him. It’s more of a mental habit than anything else, but I just don’t know how to break it. —Tormented We are selective forgetters, readily deleting from memory the things we really, really need to remember. This can be amusing in retrospect — like, after we go all Israelites 2.0: wandering for 40 years around the Mall of America parking garage — or until we file a false report that our car’s been stolen, whichever comes first.

The things we long to evict from our thoughts — like your recurring waking sex dreams of your unsuitable Donny Adonis — squat in our mental attic like codependent ghosts. It doesn’t help that you can’t just decide to find him sexually repellant.

We have a mental template for what we find hot — shaped by evolution, genetics, and individual experience. There’s no little cartoon trash can you can drag it into because you’re hyperventilating over the wrong himbo.

Adding to the fun, social psychologist Daniel Wegner finds that “thought suppression” — trying to forget, ignore, or shove away thoughts — makes those thoughts come back with a vengeance.

Wegner and his team instructed research participants, “Try not to think of a white bear.” This is a big fail right from the start, because the mind sweeps around to check whether you’re thinking of a white bear — which means you’re thinking of the damn bear.

There does seem to be a way out using two obsession-reducing steps from psychologists Jens Forster and Nira Liberman.

First, admit that it’s hard to keep from thinking about him, which alleviates the pressure to succeed at it. And my take: It might also help to find the funny in it when your hottieloop goes on repeat: “Really, Self? Again with the futility TV?” Second, crowd out thoughts of him with substitute thoughts. Say the alphabet backward or read a book aloud. Repeatedly, if necessary. (The underlying principle: You can’t hold two thoughts in mind or say two things at once.) Keep this up, and you should eventually (mostly) extract yourself from this mental torture loop — without the obvious downsides of your next best option: a bathroom mirror DIY lobotomy.

Telling people what you want is necessary under certain circumstances, like when a woman at the diner says, “Hi, I’m Madge, and I’ll be your waitress,” and not, “Hi, I’m a mindreader, here to guess what you want for lunch.”

As Mick Jagger points out, “You can’t always get what you want” — but asking for it is a major start. Your girlfriend, however, has what clinical psychologist Randy Paterson describes as a “passive” style of communication. It’s driven by fear (often “a profound fear of being rejected”) that leads a person to keep their needs on mute. In contrast with healthy assertiveness — explaining “Here’s what I’d like” in a timely way — your girlfriend’s approach is basically: “I’m a woman with needs!...but I won’t tell you what they are, and then I’ll go all funeralface for a week because you didn’t meet them.”

Her passive style is relationship poison.

You can’t really know her when she’s always hiding who she is and what she wants. And because needs that go unexpressed are needs that can’t be addressed, she’s probably filled with anger and resentment — including sexual resentment from expecting you to be all

“Fifty Shades of ‘Guess!’”

Had your girlfriend written me to ask how she might change — that is, start asserting herself — I’d offer her advice on how to do that (and why she should).

Your issue is different: inspiring her to want to change. Present this not as her problem but a relationship issue: You love her and want to make her happy, but that takes knowing what she wants. Ask her to go to couples therapy with you. (Chances are she’ll go whether she actually wants to or not!)

This could be the beginning of a beautifully healthy relationship — possibly with her, if she’ll do the work to risk being honest with you. Of course, the first step is being honest with herself when answering the question, “Why does he always ignore what I want?!”: “Um, because I communicate in a language used by ferns.” !

GOT A PROBLEM? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave., #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email AdviceAmy@ aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com). Follow her on Twitter @amyalkon. Order her latest “science-help” book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. ©2022 Amy Alkon. Distributed by Creators.Com.

POUTER STRUGGLE

My girlfriend will say she’s okay with things when she really isn’t. But then she spends days pouting and making cutting remarks, never saying what the real issue is — like that she really wanted Chinese, not Thai. Is our relationship doomed, or can I get her to be more direct? —Beaten Down

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