Memphis Flyer 12/21/2023 by Contemporary Media

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OUR 1817TH ISSUE | 12.21.23

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Winter Arts Guide

PHOTO (TOP LEFT): SUZI JOHNSON HASS

Mark Edgar Stuart at Halloran Centre’s Songwriters Series PHOTO (TOP MIDDLE): COURTESY MoSH

Photograph by Eric Echols in “Everyday People” PHOTO (TOP RIGHT): MATTHEW MURPHY FOR MURPHYMADE

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Kathleen Kennedy’s Bow and Roses Brooch PHOTO (RIGHT): COURTESY BUCKMAN

Painting by Calvin Farrar in “It’s a Memphis Thang”

’TIS THE SEASON OF EXHIBITIONS, SHOWS, AND VARIOUS OTHER ARTS EVENTS.

December 21-27, 2023

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N E WS & OP I N I ON THE FLY-BY - 4 POLITICS - 6 AT LARGE - 8 FINANCE - 9 COVER STORY “WINTER ARTS GUIDE” BY ABIGAIL MORICI - 10 WE RECOMMEND - 14 MUSIC - 15 CALENDAR - 16 NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 16 ASTROLOGY - 17 METAPHYSICAL CONNECTION - 18 FOOD - 19 FILM - 20 CLASSI F I E DS - 22 LAST WORD - 23

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CONTENTS

SHARA CLARK Editor SAMUEL X. CICCI Managing Editor JACKSON BAKER, BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Senior Editors TOBY SELLS Associate Editor KAILYNN JOHNSON News Reporter CHRIS MCCOY Film and TV Editor ALEX GREENE Music Editor MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers ABIGAIL MORICI Arts and Culture Editor ALICE FAYE DUNCAN, GENE GARD, EMILY GUENTHER, COCO JUNE, FRANK MURTAUGH Contributing Columnists SHARON BROWN, AIMEE STIEGEMEYER Grizzlies Reporters ANDREA FENISE Fashion Editor KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher

William Andrews Ward and Linda Archer Margot McNeeley and Gary Backaus Aaron Banks Cliff Barnes Connie Bawcum Savannah Bearden Willy Bearden Rebecca Beaton Daniel Bicknell Jennifer Black Nora Boone Pam Branham Margaret Brooks Diane Brown Clark Buchner Ron Buck Robert Burns Dwayne Byrd Charles Campbell Douglas Campbell Rachel Cantrell Steven Carman Ed Carrington Jackie Cash Ted Cashion Linda Caughron Sandra Chandler Rebecca Chappell Edward Charbonnet Catherine Chilton Carolyn Clements Jim Cole Stanley H. Cox Sarah Crain Mary Crites Patricia Cunningham Marge Davis David Dawson Amanda Dent Laura Derrington Wendy Dippery Raymond Dorris Judy Drescher Janice K, Earheart Les Edwards Audrey F W Ellis Eric Elms Buddy Fey Michael Finger Michael Finger Lara Firrone Elizabeth Fitzgerald Cameron Fogle J. Patrick Foley Scott Fox Janet Freeman Joel Frey Sandy Friedman Kristi Frisch Angie Gardner

THE

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MEMernet Memphis on the internet. HAPPY HOLIDAYS! The holiday season is in full bloom all over Memphis. Events across town — new and old — celebrated with bright lights and merry made. Crosstown Concourse celebrated with tubas playing host to the 50th anniversary of TUBAPOSTED TO FACEBOOK BY CROSSTOWN CONCOURSE. CHRISTMAS. It sounds exactly like you think.

POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY MEMPHIS ZOO

December 21-27, 2023

Zoo Lights drew throngs to the Memphis Zoo for wonder, s’mores by the fire (like above), and a walk through the giant tunnel of lights. Speaking of wonder, Memphis Botanic Garden brought it again this year with POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY its Holiday MEMPHIS BOTANIC Wonders GARDEN exhibit. Yes, it did make the season merry and bright.

POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY MEMPHIS REDBIRDS

Deck the Diamond is a brand-new entrant to the Memphis holiday spectacle. It brought so many to AutoZone Park for lights and all the rest but also ice-skating on the field and fireworks.

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Questions, Answers + Attitude Edited by Toby Sells

S TAT E WAT C H B y To b y S e l l s

Blocked Crossings Trains blocking roads are getting the attention of local, state, and federal officials. Freight trains are blocking railroad crossings for longer periods of time in Tennessee, according to a new state report, and they are “dangerous” and a “safety issue gaining attention nationwide.” The new report from Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower’s office comes after Memphis City Council members vented frustration on the issue in a meeting last month. “Blocked PHOTO: STATE OF TENNESSEE crossings are The most reported blocked crossing in Memphis is across McLemore close to Southern. dangerous because individuals may be tempted to crawl between stopped railcars and be injured Block Our Communities Act, which would have created a if the train begins to move unexpectedly,” reads the report. 10-minute time limit for train crossings. “Also, communities and citizens may be critically affected Memphis already has a time limit. A city ordinance says when police and emergency services are prevented from or trains can’t block a crossing for more than five minutes. The delayed in reaching their destinations.” law does not apply to trains in motion. No fines or fees come Blocked crossings are increasing across the country, with breaking the law. according to a 2019 federal report. One reason cited: Freight Last month, Memphis City Council members brought in companies are making their trains longer to increase Michael Garriga, director of government affairs for BNSF efficiency and decrease costs, with some trains reportedly Railway, to start a conversation on the topic. He described the more than three miles long. This can lead to delays as company’s operation here as a big business, with customers engineers inspect each car, looking for mechanical issues. such as Nike, Amazon, Walmart, and Kellogg. He also In Tennessee, the numbers have fluctuated over the described the rail system in and through Memphis as a years for reasons not outlined in the new state report but complicated one with numerous networks and cooperative have risen from double-digits in 2020 to more than 1,000 agreements with other rail companies. over the last two years. Memphis does not rank anywhere With all of this, the council got complex answers to basic near the top of that annual report. Observers here reported questions like “Can anything be done?” Council member incidents at 13 crossings in 2021-2022, compared to nearly Cheyenne Johnson asked Garriga, “What should the average 46 in top-ranking Nashville that year. time frame be for a person waiting for a train to pass?” That The most reported blocked railroad crossing in Memphis answer was complicated, too, he said. that year was 732192R. It’s on a line owned by Norfolk “I hate to answer it this way but it’s the only way I know Southern and crosses McLemore Avenue, close to Southern. how to answer it,” Garriga said. “It’s going to vary because It was reported blocked by citizens 11 times in 2021-22. every train is different.” The following year, it was reported as blocked only five Council member Jana Swearengen-Washington invited times. But eyewitnesses said the crossing can be blocked for Garriga to speak because her constituents were “very 6-12 hours at a time. Some said “pedestrians were observed concerned about” slow or stationary trains. He said climbing on, over, or through the train cars” and “first companies could possibly communicate better about responders were observed being unable to cross the tracks.” train switching schedules. He also suggested the council No Tennessee or federal law penalizes railroad companies explore a new federal program to eliminate some railroad for blocked crossings, according to the comptroller’s report. crossings with infrastructure projects, which could take In 2021, federal lawmakers introduced the unsuccessful Don’t years to complete.

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Local psychiatrist says therapy for teens can help the city’s “extreme violent crime wave.”

“We’ll get someone who has a mental illness, like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, and they’re homicidal, and they’re imminently going to kill some people,” said Trautman. While data from the Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission show “serious juvenile crime” has decreased by 13 percent in the last year, the same data show that delinquent juvenile charges have increased almost 16 percent from 2022 (4,300) to 2023 (4,546). Trautman said the “knee-jerk” reactions to these crimes, and the people that commit them, are “terrifying.” He believes that people forget that at their core, they’re still teenagers.

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Dr. Lucas Trautman

“People carjacking with AK-47s are teenagers. They’re like 15, 16 years old,” Trautman said. “If you read about them in the paper, you’re terrified. But when you know them, and you give them treatment, and you give them a trauma-informed approach, and believe in them, they’re still teenagers. They do awesome.” The Memphian’s approach is not only informed by success stories, but by his own experience. Trautman said that his middle school years were marked by misbehavior and bad decisions. However, through high school wrestling he found out how transformative consistent mentorship could be. “Outside of medicine and outside of psychiatry, I’ve been a huge believer [in mentorship], and I’ve seen the impact that mentorship can have and consistency and believing in a teenager can have,” said Trautman. He continued this work through a gym he started five years ago in the Binghampton community, Stardust Jiu-Jitsu. “They respond very positively, as I did in eighth grade, to a coach, or in this case a psychiatrist, saying, ‘You did this great. Let me give you a leadership opportunity,’” Trautman said. “‘You had this traumatic thing happen to you, and now you have this dysfunctional behavior. Let me give you some ideas about how we can do things differently that don’t make your life blow up at every turn.’” Trautman explained that this approach is marked by dignity and respect, which takes a two-pronged approach, involving him hearing these individuals out, and in turn imparting knowledge about trauma and functional behavior. “It’s really fulfilling because I’m taking the most violent kids in the city, who have really, significant highrisk behaviors that are comparable to behaviors we see in teens in cities like Mexico City or Mogadishu,” said Trautman. “These are like good kids. They’re teenagers that are very receptive to all the things that we’re receptive to. They’re one wrestling coach, one theater program, one cheer squad, one football team away from making much more functional decisions.”

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aw enforcement should want a “more effective” solution when dealing with juvenile crimes, according to Dr. Lucas Trautman, a licensed psychiatrist. Trautman wants to “scream from the rooftops” about the success of therapeutic treatment and resources for teenagers who have committed crimes, which take into consideration the trauma of the person. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist, Trautman has worked with teenagers who he said are currently driving the “extreme violent crime wave in Memphis.” Those who find their way to Trautman are usually considered to be a threat to themselves, others, or “psychotic where they can’t protect themselves in the community and keep themselves safe.”

8/18/23 10:40 AM

POLITICS By Jackson Baker

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As many readers may know, there is an ongoing coldturning-hot war between Republican state Senator Brent Taylor and Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy over various matters of crime control. Taylor has aimed several initiatives, rhetorical and otherwise, in Mulroy’s direction of late. Representing himself as a zealous advocate of strict law enforcement — a proponent of “aggressive” approaches as against “progressive” ones — Taylor has complained to the media and to Governor Bill Lee and other state officials and agencies, including the State Board of Professional Responsibility, that the Democratic DA has allowed the Memphis crime rate to skyrocket by undue emphasis on restorative justice concepts at the expense of law enforcement per se. A fresh quote volunteered by the senator via text: “I am not trying to prove whose dick is bigger. But I am trying to show that more voters aligned themselves with my position of aggressive prosecutions.” Whereupon he cited vote totals from his successful 2022 senate race versus his Democratic opponent — apparently unaware that his victory margin in that district race depended on fewer votes overall than were achieved by Mulroy in his defeat of Republican Amy Weirich in the DA’s race. Similarly, the senator’s case against Mulroy on the law enforcement score is, to say the least, debatable. As is ever the case, some crime statistics are up; others are down. The senator acknowledges that the DA’s recently launched campaign against gang-led “smash-and-grab” assaults on local businesses has achieved some results. “We just need more arrests,” he says grudgingly.

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Current points of contention between the two include the matter of bail-bond policy, which Taylor considers too lax, though current bail policy was arrived at jointly by Mulroy and Weirich, his Republican predecessor. Taylor also professes to be steamed by what he calls “collusion” between Mulroy and Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan in a pair of cases involving the reduction or elimination of sentences imposed on defendants. The senator vows to impose correctives in the forthcoming session of the General Assembly, one of which involves expediting the transfer of juveniles charged with capital crimes to Criminal Court. Interestingly, in the several months before Taylor and Mulroy acquired their current offices, they had enjoyed a warm, and even cozy, degree of collaboration with each other. That was in the period of 2021-22 when Taylor, who was already eyeing a district Senate seat that was about to slip out from under the legally vulnerable GOP incumbent Brian Kelsey, was head of the Shelby County Election Commission (dominated 3-2 by Republicans though ostensibly neutral). Mulroy, an activist Democrat par excellence, was pursuing one of his favorite causes, that of local voting via paper ballots. On several occasions, Taylor, whose party members tended (at that time, anyhow) not to favor that idea, nevertheless exercised what Mulroy considered exemplary fairness in presiding over discussions, in matters of scheduling, and in his parliamentary decisions. In the process, the two of them, quite simply, became buds. At the moment, that relationship seems fractured — broken on the shoals of partisan differences, political ambition, and state-vs.-local considerations.

NEWS & OPINION

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A T L A R G E B y B r u c e Va n W y n g a r d e n

What the Hell? Devilish behavior at a suburban elementary school.

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et me tell you, friends, there are weeks when writing this column is a slog. You search your brain for a subject about which you can offer 725 words of original thought and you come up with bupkis. Other weeks, the world is generous and just gift-wraps something for you. It’s like manna from heaven or in this week’s case, manna from hell. And for that I am grateful. Thank you, Satan. The fun started when a flyer with the headline, “Hey Kids, Let’s Have Fun at After School Satan Club,” caught the attention of some parents and the local media. According to the flyer, the first meeting of a fun new club apparently dedicated to promoting Lucifer-lovin’ to local kiddos was scheduled for January 10th at Chimneyrock Elementary in Cordova. Pearls were clutched and outrage was churned. People were mad as, uh, hell. The flyer was soon all over the TV news and the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board was forced to hold a press conference last Wednesday to explain the situation. “Satan has no room in this district,” said Althea E. Greene, MSCS Board chair. To emphasize the point, a group of 40 or so pastors and faith leaders joined in. “They threaten to rent a facility under the First Amendment right and they entice us into saying no, and of course, they take us to court and then they look for a settlement,” said Bill Adkins, pastor of Greater Imani Church. He’s right. The organization settled a lawsuit with a school district in Pennsylvania for $200,000 for blocking the organization from using its facilities. “We don’t go to a school unless there is another religious club operating,” said June Everett, the national campaign director for After School Satan Club. So there’s the rub, Beelzebub. You don’t get to pick and choose which “religious” groups can rent your facilities. It’s all or none. Such divine comedy. According to MSCS policy, nonprofit community groups are allowed to rent school property for events, meetings, and other functions. Groups such as the Christian-based Good News Club and the Boy Scouts of America are among the nonprofits using facilities after school hours. The Satanic Temple is a legitimate 501(c)(3) public charity and nonprofit recognized by the IRS. MSCS board member Mauricio Calvo

was quoted in the Daily Memphian: “We have a portal on the MSCS website where any organization that is recognized by the IRS has the possibility to rent facilities. Being a public facility, we had to make our facilities accessible. If we let a church rent space from us, does the pastor have to submit his or her sermon days before? If that is the will of the board and the people, then we’ll have to change the policies. This is very new, and there’s no precedent in Tennessee. “We’re going to continue to engage the public, legal team, state legislatures on what can be done,” Calvo concluded. “Ultimately, participation is going to be the parents’ decision. For now, this is the law. For now, we have to comply.” Interim Superintendent Toni Williams added, “We can support the First Amendment and support our students at the same time.” That seems like a good plan. Upon closer inspection, it seems obvious that the Satanic Temple is basically an organization dedicated to trolling for

PHOTO: THE SATANIC TEMPLE

outrage — and perhaps a few bucks. Old Nick is just their snazzy front man, a way to get attention. The ASSC has been holding meetings and events in public schools around the country since 2016. According to the group’s flyer, the organization is a “non-theistic religion that views Satan as a literary figure who represents a metaphorical construct of rejecting tyranny and championing the human mind and spirit.” Which isn’t very scary, even if it is a bit pretentious. The flyer says the ASSC “does not attempt to convert children to any religion or ideology,” and “supports children to think for themselves.” The group claims that it’s dedicated to promoting a “scientific, rationalist, non-superstitious worldview” via puzzles and games, nature activities, arts and crafts, science projects, and community service. That doesn’t sound too horrible. Plus, there will be snacks, presumably devil’s food cake and hot tarts.

FINANCE By Gene Gard

Retiring Early

1. Understand your financial situation. The first step in retiring earlier than expected is to check in on your financial situation. Evaluate your current savings, investments, and assets. Assess your monthly expenses and budget to gain a clear understanding of your current financial obligations. Determine how much you can reasonably spend each month while still preserving your retirement savings. Your wealth manager can help you assess and understand your current financial situation and any potential challenges you should be aware of. 2. Set clear retirement goals. The next step is to define your goals. What do you hope your retirement will look like? How will you spend your time? Whom do you wish to support? What will bring you fulfillment? Having a clear vision of your desired retirement lifestyle can help guide your decision-making and allow you to prioritize your spending. Return to these goals often as you navigate the various aspects of your finances. 3. Develop a savings strategy. Because you’re retiring early, your savings will need to stretch over a longer period of time. If you’re still in the workforce, maximize your savings potential by cutting unnecessary expenses and increasing your contributions to your employer-sponsored retirement account. Depending on your modified adjusted gross income for the year, you may also consider contributing to IRAs or Roth IRAs. Make a goal to save as aggressively as possible during your final years in the workforce. Your wealth

manager can help you identify the best account vehicles for your additional savings. 4. Plan for healthcare expenses. Healthcare costs are often one of the biggest expenses faced by retirees. If you need to retire earlier than expected, it’s important to have a plan in place for paying for healthcare. Explore your options for health insurance coverage, including COBRA, Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans, or private insurance. 5. Evaluate alternative income sources. Retiring early doesn’t necessarily mean you need to give up all sources of income. Explore opportunities to generate income in retirement, such as freelancing, consulting, part-time work, or starting a side business. Also consider more passive income sources, such as investing in real estate, if the circumstances are right. 6. Adjust your retirement lifestyle. Retiring earlier than expected may require you to make some adjustments to your lifestyle and spending habits. Carefully review your expenses to identify areas where you can cut back without compromising your mental and physical well-being. Consider downsizing your home or reducing your travel and entertainment expenses. Before making any major changes, revisit your retirement priorities (see #2 above) to ensure your decisions align with your goals. By making conscious choices, you may be able to better stretch your savings without significantly impacting your long-term goals. 7. Continuously monitor and adjust accordingly. Once you retire, it’s important to remain financially vigilant. Regularly review your overall financial situation, including your investments, budget, and progress toward your goals. Make adjustments as necessary based on market conditions and your ever-evolving financial life. Stay informed and engaged with your finances to help ensure your continued financial security. Gene Gard, CFA, CFP, CFT-I, is a Partner and Private Wealth Manager with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest Registered Investment Advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.

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reparing for retirement takes deliberate, consistent planning and attention to detail. One important detail is retirement timing, or the age at which you plan to retire. Having an anticipated retirement date allows you to align your savings and investing goals with the year you’ll need to begin withdrawing money. However, many workers discover they must retire earlier than expected. In fact, according to a retirement confidence survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, the median American’s retirement age is 62 years old, while workers’ median expected retirement age is 65. Whether you’re forced to retire early due to health concerns, a job loss, caregiving responsibilities, or just the desire to leave the workforce, leaving your career sooner than expected can impact your retirement plan. Below are seven tips to help you navigate an early retirement.

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NEWS & OPINION

Seven tips to help you navigate early retirement.

COVER STORY By Abigail Morici

Winter Arts Guide ’TIS THE SEASON OF EXHIBITIONS, SHOWS, AND VARIOUS OTHER ARTS EVENTS.

hile creating this Winter Arts Guide, compiling this long (yet not even comprehensive) list of exhibitions, shows, and various other arts events, I had the pleasure to speak with Ned Canty, Opera Memphis’ director, whose interview you’ll find in this guide. At the end of our conversation, he remarked, “Some things are worth leaving the house for.” And indeed, whether it’s an Opera Memphis show or an artist talk at the Dixon, this arts guide is here to remind you that some things are worth leaving the house for.

ON DISPLAY

Paul Wonner, Model Drinking Coffee, 1964; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.

“Black American Portraits” The exhibition chronicles the many ways in which Black Americans have used portraiture to envision themselves. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, on display through January 7

“Days” Exhibition of Noah Thomas Miller’s work. Crosstown Arts, on display through January 21

“Welcome In” Sheet Cake’s inaugural exhibition. Sheet Cake, on display through January 6

December 21-27, 2023

“Black Artists in America: From Civil Rights to the Bicentennial” The exhibition considers the ways in which Black American artists responded to the issues of the 1950s to 1970s. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, on display through January 14 “The Molasses Man & Other Delta Tales” An anthology of stories based on Ahmad George’s life and experiences. Crosstown Arts, on display through January 21

“Hued” Exhibition of Rachelle Thiewes’ vibrant jewelry. Metal Museum, on display through January 28 “China Blues: The World of Blue & White Ceramics” Spectacular works of Chinese art, including jades, paintings, textiles, and ceramics. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, on display through May 2024 “Marking Time” Bold landscapes by Remy Miller and sensitive and introspective paintings by Joe Morzuch. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, January 14-April 14 “It’s a Memphis Thang” New works by Anna Kelly and Calvin Farrar. Buckman Arts Center at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, January 19-March 7

PHOTO: RADICAL JEWELRY MAKEOVER

Opera Memphis’ Variations on a Theme

Curtis Arima’s Shifting Hierarchy Royal Blue Brooch

“Everyday People: Snapshots of the Black Experience” Exhibition showcasing Memphis artist Eric Echols’ photo collection of twentieth-century African Americans. Museum of Science & History, January 20-July 14

This year, Opera Memphis introduced a new concert series to bridge between the gap the operacurious and the opera-enthusiast. Called Variations on a Theme, the series explores “all kinds of vocal music, not just PHOTO: COURTESY OPERA MEMPHIS opera,” says Ned Marquita Richardson will perform in Canty, Opera January’s concert. Memphis’ general director. “The goal is to move beyond [opera] into other genres of music and … to look at connections between, say, jazz and opera, blues and opera, hip-hop and opera — all of those things, which we’ve historically either done as one-offs or as online things. The idea here is to now kind of graduate to doing them live.” Each concert, Canty says, revolves around a different theme, complementing concurrent programming by other local arts organizations. In October, Opera Memphis’ first Variations on a Theme incorporated musical pieces inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to coincide with Ballet Memphis’ run of the ballet version. The organization also partnered with Memphis Symphony Orchestra in November and will partner with Theatre Memphis in April. “We’re trying to rebuild some of these connections that were so robust before the pandemic that I think we almost took them for granted,” says Canty. For January’s Variations on a Theme, Opera Memphis will partner with TONE for an “In the Words of Langston Hughes”-themed performance, which will include spoken word and Hughes’ poems set to music. Unlike Opera Memphis’ collaborations with the aforementioned arts organizations which focus on coinciding programming, this concert will look to a future project with TONE. The objective, Canty says, is for Opera Memphis’ January show to inspire TONE artists to create new music. “We have some money and we will choose the number of artists who are part of TONE’s mission and pay them to create new works, new sort of short songs, that reflect their experiences and the experiences of Memphis.” The hope is for Opera Memphis to then use these new works in future performances, such as its 30 Days of Opera. Overall, Variations on a Theme, Canty says, is “a compact, enjoyable experience to maybe meet some new music, maybe hear some old favorites, maybe meet some new people. Having an intimate musical experience that you’re sharing with other people, that really is, at its base, what we’re trying to remind people of and how special that is.” Variations on a Theme: In the Words of Langston Hughes, Opera Memphis Headquarters, 216 S. Cooper St., Saturday, January 27, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, January 28, 3 p.m., $25.

The Children Lucy Kirkwood’s play presents a very real, post-nuclear world. Germantown Community Theatre, January 19-February 4

“Radical Jewelry Makeover: The Artist Project” Ethical Metalsmiths’ innovative community mining project repurposes jewelry to create sustainable art. Metal Museum, February 4-April 14

Guitar Ninja Trace Bundy Internationally acclaimed guitar virtuoso Trace Bundy must be seen, not just heard. Buckman Arts Center at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, January 26, 7 p.m.

ON STAGE

The Lehman Trilogy The rise and fall of one of the most influential families in modern finance. The Circuit Playhouse, January 26-February 11

Viva Elvis Birthday Pops Concert The Memphis Symphony Orchestra presents their annual concert featuring the King’s music. Graceland Soundstage, January 6, 7 p.m.

A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams’ postwar drama. Tennessee Shakespeare Company, February 1-18

Company Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s groundbreaking musical comedy. Orpheum Theatre, January 2-7

PHOTO: COURTESY PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE

A NewWorks winner, Don’t Hydroplane opened Playhouse’s season. In January, Memphis will be treated to the world premiere of Greater Illinois, thanks to Playhouse on the Square’s NewWorks@TheWorks Playwriting Competition. The play, written by Steven Strafford, is set in a near future Chicago. “In theory, it’s dystopian,” says Savannah Miller, director of NewWorks. “It’s a play basically about what happens if we turn a blind eye to injustices, and how far those justices can go.” Strafford’s play was one of two winners of 2022’s competition, with Bryan Curtis’ comedy Don’t Hydroplane being the other, having premiered in July. Both of them received a prize of $750 and premieres in Playhouse’s season. “And they’re billed in our season right next to the regional premieres of Catch Me if You Can and Your Arm’s Too Short to Box with God,” Miller says, “so that’s kind of special in and of itself.” For the NewWorks competition, established in 2013, Playhouse solicits submissions beginning in January, and a “panel of local directors, actors, and designers carefully select six plays to be part of a staged reading series. Of those six plays, two are chosen to be fully produced as part of an upcoming season to be presented onstage and streamed nationwide,” reads the submission guidelines. “It’s pretty open compared to other playwriting competitions,” Miller says, “so it kind of gives a lot of newer playwrights a chance to get their work out there. … A lot of times once you’ve had that first production you can apply for publishing and for other opportunities, as well.” Already, Playhouse has announced the two winners of 2023’s competition: LaDarrion Williams’ Coco Queens and Dianne Nora’s Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin. This year saw a historic number of submissions, with over 500 works entered for consideration. Yet, the playwrights aren’t the only ones who benefit from the competition. Memphis does, too. “It’s great to have something like this in Memphis, in the Mid-South,” says Miller. “We’re bringing these cutting-edge plays that have stories that people need to hear and narratives that people may not always get exposed to, especially in the South.” For the competition, Miller says, “We try to choose scripts that are important narratives and that uplift historically underrepresented narratives. Memphis is a very diverse city. We want works that speak to that and speak to the Memphis experience.” The upcoming play Greater Illinois, for instance, touches on themes of gentrification, sexuality, race, and intersectionality. “I think that’s a very good question for folks nowadays to be thinking, so I hope people learn a lot from it or leave the theater with questions.” Greater Illinois, TheatreWorks@TheSquare, 2085 Monroe, January 12-28, $25.

ABBA Revisited Kick off 2024 with the music of ABBA. Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center, January 13, 3 p.m., 7 p.m. A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry’s classic play. Theatre Memphis, January 19-February 4 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Journey through Willy Wonka’s factory in this fantastical musical. Playhouse on the Square, January 19-February 18 Iris Collective: Small Business Series Music Box instructors and Iris musicians present a lively evening fusing classical and popular music. Music Box, January 19, 6:30 p.m.

Confederates Dominique Morisseau’s exacting new play explores the reins that racial and gender bias still hold over American educational systems today. Hattiloo Theatre, February 2-25 Les Miserables One of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history. Orpheum Theatre, February 2-11 Rise Collage Dance’s hallmark ballet. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, February 3-4 The Glass Menagerie A Southern classic favorite. Theatre Memphis, February 9-25 Memphis Songwriters Series Discover your next favorite local artist. Halloran Centre, February 15, 7 p.m. A Bite of Memphis Lone Tree Live delves into the heart and soul of Memphis by exploring the vibrant food culture of our city. Evergreen Theatre, February 16-March 3 The Squirrels A boundary-pushing, darkly satirical look at wealth inequality. New Moon Theatre Company, February 16-March 3 Orchestra Unplugged: Mozart’s The Magic Flute A 45-minute version of Mozart’s most fun and fantastical opera with Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Opera Memphis. Halloran Centre, February 22, 7:30 p.m.

COVER STORY m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

NewWorks@TheWorks: Greater Illinois

“Breaking the Rules” Paintings, watercolors, and drawings by Paul Wonner and Theophilus Brown. Dixon Gallery & Gardens, January 28-March 31

PHOTO: COURTESY BPACC

ABBA Revisited brings ABBA’s ever-catchy songs to BPACC’s stage.

continued on page 12

continued from page 11 Afro-Latino Night Fiesta Las Bompleneras Unplugged will showcase Afro-Puertorican Bomba and Plena music. Memphis Music Room, February 23, 6:30 p.m. Succession Succession explores the world of Black theater. Hattiloo Theatre, February 23-March 24 Winter Mix Ballet Memphis’ repertoire production. Playhouse on the Square, February 23-25

Trinity Irish Dance Company A performance that will redefine what is possible for Irish music and dance. Germantown Performing Arts Center, February 24, 8 p.m. The Sound Inside This play explores the limits of what one person can ask of another. Quark Theatre, March 1-17 Awadagin Pratt: Piano Prowess An unforgettable evening with the renowned pianist. Germantown Performing Arts Center, March 2, 7:30 p.m.

December 21-27, 2023

“Kaylyn Webster: Commune (verb)”

Just a year after earning her BFA from Washington University in St. Louis, Kaylyn Webster has celebrated her first solo exhibition at a museum. Her show, titled “Commune (verb),” opened in October at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens. “I remember like it was just yesterday, coming to field trips here,” she says. “I went to Overton High School and Colonial Middle, and we would come up here all the time and look at other people’s work, and now it’s mine up here. It’s insane to me.” The pieces in the show, Webster Kaylyn Webster, Light Show in July July, 2023; explains, are portraits of her family Oil on canvas; Courtesy of the artist members and close friends. “I want to humanize the figures that I painted and hopefully to also humanize people of color in general,” she says. “I want [viewers] to want to know more about these people and their stories.” For her paintings, Webster shares intimate moments with her loved ones, from the jubilant with her nephews playing horns, clad in Nikes and Jordans, to the more vulnerable with her mother recovering from Covid at the height of the pandemic. The paintings themselves are large in scale, practically larger than the artist herself. “I really want you to feel like you’re a part of these intimate moments,” Webster says. In composing her works, Webster channels the styles and techniques of the art she learned about in her Western art courses, the very art that historically excluded Black men and women. “I love the style of it, the realism,” she says. “I love the symbolism and the deep narratives and the scale of it. I just wanted to represent people of color using those techniques.” Yet she adds, “I always want at least one figure looking out at viewers to engage them more in the piece, and to challenge that trend that I saw in art history of Black servants and maids just not being able to look out. It’s almost like a tool to dehumanize them, so I want the stares to re-humanize the figures.” Only one painting in the show features a person Webster does not know, a woman who upon meeting her in her studio space at Arrow Creative handed Webster a photograph of herself. “She wasn’t going to do anything with the photo, so she allowed me to paint it,” Webster says. “I feel like you can get to know her through her smile, the wrinkles in her face, her hands. I don’t know this woman, but I was able to connect with her. I guess that’s an example of myself participating in the effect that I want to have on other people as they see the show. … I just hope people can feel the emotions for these figures that I feel for them in real life and take that empathy and respect that they have from this exhibition and extend it to people they encounter in everyday life.” “Kaylyn Webster: Commune (verb),” Dixon Gallery & Gardens, 4339 Park, on display through January 7.

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By Abigail Morici The Orpheum’s Mighty Wurltizer Organ has been a treasure to many a Memphis musician. “Everybody that has any dealings with this organ falls in love with it,” says Tony Thomas, who fell in love with the instrument the moment his fingers touched the keys. “This is not common anymore. We’re one of 12 theaters with a theater organ where the PHOTO: COURTESY ORPHEUM THEATRE organ is in exactly the same place as it always was. … This organ has Tony Thomas, resident Orpheum always been in the Orpheum Theatre, since its first time it ever was ever house organist played [in 1928].” Even as the organ celebrates its 95th birthday, it still has room for “firsts.” A few years ago it underwent its first rebuild, and this year, the organ was recorded commercially for the first time for the vinyl A Very Mighty Christmas, on which Thomas plays arrangements of beloved holiday classics, from the modern sensation “All I Want for Christmas Is You” to “Sleigh Ride” to Peanuts classics “Christmas Time Is Here” and “Skating” and many more. The album is produced by Orpheum Theatre Group COO Dacquiri Baptiste, Orpheum’s public relations director Kristin Bennett, Christopher Blank of WKNO-FM, and Matt Ross-Spang of Southern Grooves. “You feel like you’re in the room when you listen to it on a good stereo system,” Thomas says of the vinyl. “It’s really hard to put in words what the effect is on the organ and the sound, and part of the sound is the room.” To celebrate the album, which is available for purchase at orpheumgiftshop.com, the Orpheum is hosting a Wurlitzer Wonderland concert. Thomas, the resident Orpheum house organist, will play songs from A Very Mighty Christmas with special guests Curtis Jones and Jay Cox. Tickets for the Thursday concert will be sold at the door. “I’ll just say that music in general, for me, should be an emotional experience,” Thomas says. “Somebody who is not really a musician should still get a feeling from hearing whatever the music they’re listening to. It doesn’t matter if it’s classical, or anything between that and rap. But, as an emotional experience, it is hard to top the range of expression that the theater organ provides a listener as opposed to any other kind of instrument that you can play singly … the tones and the combinations of sounds and the expression of the instrument. The loud and soft are so dramatic. It’s a technicolor musical experience, is what it is. And I would just want someone to come away from listening to this record, having been moved in some way and had the music not just be, oh, there’s ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,’ but feel a lift in the music that makes them that gives them some joy.” WURLITZER WONDERLAND, ORPHEUM THEATRE, 203 S. MAIN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 7 P.M., $10.

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES December 21st - 27th Who’s Holiday! Circuit Playhouse, 51 S. Cooper, performances through December 22 This holiday season, get ready for a party like no other. Very much a sequel to the classic Dr. Seuss tale How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Who’s Holiday! is bringing a whole new side of Cindy Lou Who to the stage. She’s not just an innocent little girl anymore, and she’s got a lot more tricks up her sleeves. She also has a few choice words for that old Grinch. Of course, those words will be dealt out in the form of rhyming couplets. Join in on this adult comedy that is guaranteed to leave you laughing all night long. Find more information and purchase tickets at playhouseonthesquare.org/ whos-holiday.

One Man’s Christmas Carol Germantown Community Theatre, 3037 Forest Hill-Irene, Thursday, December 21, 2:30 p.m.; Friday, December 22, 2:30 p.m., $5/children (17 and under), $10/adults Back by popular demand! Marques Brown’s Ostrander-nominated original adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is an hour-long sincere and uplifting portrayal of the most legendary tale of the season. All proceeds benefit Full Spectrum Theatre Initiative workshops at Germantown Community Theatre, making sensory-friendly performances possible and presenting inclusive theatre workshops that harness the imaginations of teen and adult neurodivergent members of our community through the healing expression of theatrical play. These performances will be sensory-friendly with an ASL interpreter.

Unsilent Night Cooper-Young Gazebo, Cooper and Young, Friday, December 22, 5:30 p.m., free This traveling sound installation features boom boxes replacing voices in a holiday caroling event like no other. Participants of all ages bring their own boom boxes (Bluetooth speakers are fine, too!) and drift peacefully through a cloud of sound. A CD or digital download of one of the four parts of the piece will be provided to all participants. Everyone presses play together, beginning at the Cooper-Young Gazebo, and walks through the Cooper-Young neighborhood creating a cacophony of bells, voices, and reverberant joy. The parade ends at Cooper House Project Brewery. Find out more at tinyurl.com/ 4bmdpt36. Bring a canned good food donation to get a free beer.

MUSIC By Alex Greene

Patron Saint of the Blues

PHOTO: KIM BLEDSOE LLOYD

Candice Ivory

And both, it turns out, grew up steeped in the North Mississippi blues but expanded their musical horizons far beyond that. In Ivory’s case, at the encouragement of her great-uncle, famed bluesman Will Roy Sanders, she began performing professionally on Beale Street at 14. Four years later, winning Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead residency at the Kennedy Center led her to voice and composition classes at the New School University in New York. By 21, she had made the first of three albums that were all jazz-informed but also rich with programmed beats and other neosoul touches. That all changed this year, when Ivory brought her musical odyssey full circle on her fourth album, When the Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie (Little Village/Side Hustle Records). Yet even this “down home” album keeps things edgy. For one thing, it was produced by Charlie Hunter, who’s made a name for himself since the early ’90s as a genre-busting, funk-inspired jazz guitarist (and bassist) with a penchant for experimentation. At the same time, Hunter was determined to stay true to Memphis Minnie’s original genius on this tribute, studying her lead guitar parts from records cut between 1929 and 1959

with laser-like focus. “Nobody really knows how much of a bluesman Charlie Hunter really is,” says Ivory. “No one considers him that, but that’s exactly who he is. We connected because he’d been working on a project about [Depression era bluesman] Blind Blake. He was eating, sleeping, and breathing Blind Blake. For this album, we both felt it also became a matter of technical proficiency because few people can actually play Memphis Minnie music to this day. I know some fantastic musicians who can’t do it.” But there’s more to this tribute than doing the original guitar parts justice. For one thing, both Hunter and Ivory have made beat-making central to their past works, and that rhythmic focus endures in this collaboration. Here, “When the Levee Breaks” becomes a vocal chant accompanied only by Afro-Caribbean-flavored drums (and erstwhile Memphian George Sluppick behind the kit). The album’s opener, “Me and My Chauffeur,” recasts one of Memphis Minnie’s most popular tunes as a percussionist’s tour de force. When the guitar finally enters, it’s not Hunter but pedal steel virtuoso DaShawn Hickman. “DaShawn is the third generation of his family to be inducted in the Sacred Steel Hall of Fame,” says Ivory. “He’s a big deal, and Charlie also produced a solo project for him on my label, Little Village Foundation. They are doing a PBS documentary on him right now.” Though bluesman Hunter is still all over the album, using pedal steel or Cuban Santeria drums reveals how much Ivory and her producer think outside the blues box. The way Ivory sees it, that’s par for the course. The blues and jazz status quo often doesn’t know how to categorize her. “Charlie is a jazz rebel like me,” she says. “All of us seem to be blues outliers because we represent aspects of the tradition that have been rejected by the blues culture. But if I was going to approach something like this, it needed to be through my own lens — I don’t think Minnie would have appreciated a simple mimic. It’s more interesting to see how our voices amplify each other in a world where we are easily overlooked. It was liberating for her, as a woman, to be a blues singer, but it was so difficult to be a woman on a scene that is completely unfriendly to you. Absolutely no one cares what women in blues have to say. They care about guitars, but definitely not women, and definitely not Black women. In that way, Memphis Minnie’s almost like a Christ-like figure.”

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inger and composer Candice Ivory, “the Queen of Avant Soul,” sees many parallels between her life and that of blues legend Memphis Minnie. Both were profoundly shaped by Memphis, yet had to leave to find greater success in music. Indeed, Memphis Minnie was given her stage name in New York, by a Columbia Records A&R man. “I literally took her playbook,” says Ivory. “She moved to Chicago; I moved to St. Louis. And my aka is St. Louis Red, but I’m not from St. Louis.” For both singers, Memphis turned out to be more of a state of mind, one they left behind as they discovered their musical voice.

m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

Candice Ivory interprets the great Memphis Minnie.

1-800-889-9789

CALENDAR of EVENTS: Dec. 21 - 27 Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisﬂyer.com. DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT LISTINGS, SCAN OUR QR CODE BELOW OR VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.

ing display, guests can enjoy festive food and drinks, holiday activities, musical entertainment, scheduled appearances by Santa and Mrs. Claus, and more. Select nights. Through Dec. 31.

A R T A N D S P E C IA L E X H I B ITS

“Dictates”

Jared Small is a native Memphian celebrated for his hyper-realistic portrayals of people, flowers, and aging houses with intricate detail and thought-provoking themes. Through Dec. 23.

AUTOZONE PARK

Enchanted Forest Festival of Trees

Don’t miss a Memphis holiday tradition. Explore a forest of sparkling, awe-inspiring trees decorated by professional designers, individuals, and local organizations. $6-$7. Through Dec. 31.

DAVID LUSK GALLERY

ART HAPPE N I NGS

Holiday Bazaar

Shop over 100 artists and makers this holiday season at Arrow Creative. Through Dec. 23.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY PHOTO: CARLA MCDONALD

Bah humbug! Theatre Memphis brings back A Christmas Carol for another year.

ARROW CREATIVE

Last Minute Artist Market

Get those last few items in before Christmas. Saturday, Dec. 23, noon-5 p.m.

Laser Holiday Light Show

CROSSTOWN BREWING CO.

Dinner & A Movie: Barbie

Eat, laugh, and cheer along with Barbie’s journey, as you enjoy a special five-course meal. Wednesday, Dec. 27, 6 p.m., 8 p.m.

Enjoy your favorite holiday tunes, indulge in a cup of hot chocolate from Ben & Jerry’s or Paper Plate Pavilion, and look forward to a snowy surprise by the river. Friday, Dec. 22, 4:30-6:30 p.m. TOM LEE PARK

A holiday mix of everyone’s favorite holiday music set to fantastic laser light. $15. Thursday, Dec. 21, 1:30 p.m. | Friday, Dec. 22, 1:30 p.m., 7 p.m. | Saturday, Dec. 23, 1:30 p.m. | Sunday, Dec. 24, 1:30 p.m. | Wednesday, Dec. 27, 1:30 p.m.

F I LM

Fire Pit Fridays

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

BLACK LODGE

H O L I DAY E V E N TS

Deck the Diamond Holiday Spectacular

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation While walking through a larger-than-life light620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Saturday, March 2, 2019

Starry Nights

Starry Nights brings the spirit of the season to life with dazzling displays featuring millions of lights. Through Dec. 31. SHELBY FARMS PARK

Unsilent Night

Participants of all ages bring their own boomboxes (bluetooth speakers are fine, too!) and drift peacefully through a cloud of sound which is different from every listener’s perspective. Friday, Dec. 22, 6 p.m. COOPER-YOUNG HISTORIC DISTRICT

Zoo Lights

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of the holiday season. Select nights. $14$19. Through Jan. 6. MEMPHIS ZOO

Crossword ACROSS 1 They’re better than all the rest 13 “One Thousand and One Nights” character

December 21-27, 2023

15 Cocktails with Southern Comfort

27 “Get ___” (1967 hit for the Esquires)

45 Trims

28 Clear

48 Short cut that bypasses a canal?

29 #1 song at the end of October in 1962 31 Confection with a hole in the middle

17 Pharmacy pickups, informally

32 Classic video game hero’s catchphrase

18 Went bananas

35 Input on eBay

19 Food that’s eaten 38 Lo ___ 39 Party that’s off perpendicularly the hook to how it’s usually made 40 “Molto ___!” (positive reply in 20 “How’s it Italy) hangin’?” 41 Grocery chain 23 Dishonor that closed in 2015 after 156 24 Lead-in to years in business science 25 Much smaller relative of the rhinoceros

43 Kind of moon 44 Underlying, as metabolism

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE S C A M A L E R T D A T A T R U E T O S I Z E O D E S E A G L E S C O U T N O T I I M U S T O T S T U P E S N P R B O R E S A T T A R A N T R A C K A T M E L C I D S W E E T P E A M E A G A I N S O C I E T Y M A L A P R O P A N T E S A D P P A R A D E R S S H E L I N A N E N E C S T A V E D T B A P O L O C O L A I C E S C R A P E R A R O D S E N A T E R A C E R Y N E L E T S P A R T Y

47 Big name in weaponry

Edited by Will Shortz 1

23 26

2 Going off

40 43 47 49

52 53

PUZZLE BY GRANT THACKRAY

44 ___ Fitzpatrick, 33 Got misty, with author of the “up” 22 Workers making 2009 best seller 9 Relative of aqua preparations to 34 Sites of “Hush, Hush” retire? congestion 10 “___ World” 46 Ticks (“Sesame Street” 25 It comes in cyan, 35 “Hush, now!” 47 “So ___” magenta, yellow segment) or black 49 “Without 36 Way behind on 11 Emphasizes tradition, ___ 26 Bring up, as an payments forcefully is a flock of old grievance sheep without 12 Composer of 37 Dana of “China 29 Quiet a shepherd”: Beach” “The Bartered Winston Churchill 30 “It’s a Wonderful Bride” 40 A sidecar may be 50 “Pass” Life” studio 13 Who stabs the added to it 31 U2, e.g. 51 ___ Genevieve beast in “Beauty 32 Statement in an 42 Founder of the (Missouri county and the Beast” old Apple ad Reform Party or its seat) 14 First, in Latin Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past 16 Curry of the N.B.A. puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay. 20 The guy of your dreams? 8 Calder Cup org.

21 Overshadow

A Christmas Carol ’23

Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is approached by the ghostly vision of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who warns him of an upcoming spiritual journey. Through Dec. 23.

One Man’s Christmas Carol

34 39

Thursday, Dec. 21, 7 p.m.

THEATRE MEMPHIS

1 Start of many a speech

Memphis Grizzlies vs. Indiana Pacers

T H EAT E R

18 20

S PO R TS

FEDEXFORUM

DOWN

7 Letters for potential college students

6 Undergrad deg. for a creative type

17 19

5 Whip wielders, for short

53 Gets ready for dinner

4 Performed a pas de chat, e.g.

52 By popular vote

3 Actor Giovanni of “Avatar”

No. 0126

Back by popular demand! Marques Brown’s Ostrander-nominated adaptation of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol is an hour-long sincere and uplifting portrayal of the most legendary tale of the season. $5-$10. Thursday, Dec. 21, 2:303:45 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 22, 2:30-3:45 p.m. GERMANTOWN COMMUNITY THEATRE

Schoolhouse Rock, Live!

Based on the cherished animated series that taught generations of youth about grammar, math, science and history, Schoolhouse Rock, LIVE is packed with classic catchy tunes and clever lyrics. Through Dec. 22. CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz, based on the book by L. Frank Baum, tells the enchanting story of Dorothy Gale after she is whisked away by a powerful twister and finds herself in the mystical land of Oz. Through Dec. 22. PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE

Who’s Holiday!

Who’s Holiday! is bringing a whole new side of Cindy Lou Who to the stage. Through Dec. 22. CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE

TO U R S

Christmas Tours at Graceland

It is the most wonderful time of the year to experience the beauty and wonder of an American holiday tradition. Through Dec. 23. GRACELAND

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus philosopher John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) was among the smartest people who ever lived. As is often the case with geniuses, he believed in the supreme value of liberty for all. He was a feminist long before that word existed. Like another genius, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, he thought that “individuality realized is the supreme attainment of the human soul, the master-master’s work of art. Individuality is sacred.” I nominate Mill to be a role model for you in 2024, Taurus. This could be a time when you reach unprecedented new heights and depths of unique self-expression and liberation. PS: Here’s a quote from Mill: “Eccentricity has always abounded where strength of character has abounded; and the amount of eccentricity in a society has been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigor, and moral courage which it contained.” GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Emotionally and spiritually, you will ripen at a robust rate in 2024. Your intelligence will mature into wisdom in surprising and gratifying ways. Harvesting rich lessons from long-smoldering confusions and long-simmering mysteries will be your specialty. PS: Some of you Geminis joke around and say you never want to grow up. But I hope you minimize that attitude in the coming months. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Indigenous people study the intelligence of animals and incorporate it into their own lives. If you’re game to do that in 2024, I suggest you choose elephants as a source of teaching and inspiration. Have fun studying and meditating on their ways! Here are a few facts to get you started. Problemsolving is one of their strengths. They are experts at learning how to get what they need and passing that knowledge on to their offspring. They seldom suffer from sickness, but if they do, they often selfmedicate with plants in their environment. Elder females are the knowledge keepers, retaining inner maps of where food, drink, and other resources are located. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Writer Janet Champ speaks about the joy of locating “the big wow, the big yesyesyes.” It

happens when you find something or someone you regard as “better, greater, cuter, wiser, more wonderful than anything you have ever known.” I’ll be lavish and predict you will encounter a big wow and yesyesyes like this in 2024. Will you know what to do with it? Will you be able to keep it? Those possibilities are less certain, but I have high hopes for you. For best results, cultivate a vivid vision of how the big wow and big yesyesyes will benefit others as well as you. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In 1916, most women in the world could not vote. Many men considered women to be inferior — lacking in courage and initiative. It was the Dark Ages! That summer, two sisters named Augusta and Adeline Van Buren rebelled against the stereotypes by riding their motorcycles across America. Roads were poor, rains were frequent, and police arrested them frequently for wearing men’s clothes. Male-dominated media derided them, with one newspaper criticizing their escape from “their proper roles as housewives.” I nominate them to be your role models in 2024, no matter what gender you are. It will be a favorable time to transcend conventional wisdom, override decaying traditions, and be a cheerful rebel. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): For hundreds of years, European nations stole land and resources from Indigenous people all over the world. Among the thefts were art, ritual objects, cultural treasures, and human skeletons. Museums in the West are still full of such plunder. But in recent years, some museums have begun to return the loot. Germany sent back hundreds of artifacts to Nigerian museums. France restored many objects to the African country of Benin. Let’s apply this scenario as a useful metaphor for you in 2024, Libra. Is there a part of your past that was hijacked? Your memories appropriated or denied? Your rightful belongings poached, or your authentic feelings infringed upon? It’s time for corrections and healing. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I suggest we choose the brilliant Scorpio physicist and chemist Marie Curie (1867–1934) as your role model in 2024. She is the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two different fields. She managed to pursue a rigorous scientific career while raising two children and having a fulfilling marriage. Being of service to humanity was a central life goal. She grew up in poverty and sometimes suffered from depression, but worked hard to become the genius she aspired to be. May the spirit of Marie Curie inspire you, dear Scorpio, as you make dramatic progress in expressing your unique soul’s code. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “All the things I really like to do are either illegal, immoral, or fattening,” quipped Capricorn

author Alexander Woollcott (1887–1943). Since he was never arrested, I conclude he didn’t get to enjoy some of the activities he relished. Was he immoral? Not exactly, though he could be caustic. Offering his opinion about a famous pianist, he said, “There is absolutely nothing wrong with Oscar Levant that a miracle couldn’t fix.” The good news for you, Capricorn, is that 2024 will be mostly free of the problems Woollcott experienced. You will be offered an abundance of perfectly legal and moral enjoyments. They may sometimes be fattening, but so what? AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Author Augusten Burroughs is a devoted urban dweller. He says, “When I get a craving for nature, I turn on TV’s Discovery Channel and watch bear-attack survivors recount their horror.” Martial arts master Morihei Ueshiba had a different perspective. “Mountains, rivers, plants, and trees should be your teachers,” he advised. “Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks.” I recommend Ueshiba’s approach to you in 2024, Aquarius — not Burroughs’. Here are my predictions: 1. You will have no dangerous encounters with nature. 2. You will learn more than ever from the wild world. 3. To the degree that you wander in the outdoors, your spiritual life will thrive. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A study done at Union College in New York found that being fraternity members raised students’ future income by 36 percent, but lowered their grade point average by 0.25 points. Would you make a similar trade-off, Pisces? Would you pursue a path that made you more successful in one way but less successful in another? I suspect you will encounter unusual decisions like this in 2024. My job is not to advise you what to do, but to make you alert for the provocative riddles.

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries educator Booker T. Washington advised us, “Do the common thing in an uncommon way.” That’s a useful motto for you in the coming months. If you carry out ordinary activities with flair, you will generate good fortune and attract excellent help. As you attend to details with conscientious enthusiasm, you will access your finest inner resources and exert constructive influences on the world around you. Be thorough and unique, persistent and imaginative, attentive and innovative. Adore your chores in 2024!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In my fairy tale about your year ahead, I see you searching for treasure. It’s not a wild and wandering exploration, but a diligent, disciplined quest. You are well-organized about it, carefully gathering research and asking incisive questions. You ruminate on the possibilities with both your logical and intuitive faculties. You meditate on how you might make adjustments in yourself so as to become fully available for the riches you seek. Your gradual, incremental approach gives you strength. You draw inspiration from your sheer persistence and relentless inquiry. And it all pays off by the second half of 2024.

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t’s that time again. The holidays are expert manifesters. Lean into this as you here and so is Mercury retrograde. turn your gaze toward the possibilities of At least it’s the last one of the year. a new year and take stock of all that 2023 This retrograde began on December has brought you. The earthly Capricorn 13th and will last until January 1, 2024. energy goes well with Mercury retroHappy New Year! grade’s need to tie up loose ends and finish A retrograde is a phenomenon that up projects. If Mercury retrograde in happens when a planet in the sky appears Sagittarius caught you off guard and made to be orbiting backwards. The planets you a little careless, Capricorn’s energy is don’t actually do this; it is more of an optihere to help you clean up and get back on cal illusion. However, many people believe track. that during these periods the energy or Capricorn is an earth sign that encourproperties of that planet may be behavages us to be ambitious and make things ing differently. All planets do this, but the happen. However, do not let Mercury spiritual community puts a lot of focus on retrograde in Capricorn convince you that the Mercury retrograde. you can do everything. When planning The planet Mercury is thought to rule for the new year, or setting resolutions, be over our travel, communication, and com- aware of the expectations you are setting merce. When Mercury is in retrograde, up for yourself as well as time commitwe can often expect ments. We’ve all miscommunicamade commitments tion, disagreements when we were in a because of miscomhappy moment or munication, hiccups feeling optimistic, with travel plans, just to regret those and inconveniences plans later. Rememwith technology. ber that feeling this Retrogrades, esperetrograde. cially Mercury retroThe final Mergrades, often throw cury retrograde of speed bumps in our 2023 is going to way to make us slow push us to bring down, reflect, and more balance into PHOTO: NASA/JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY readjust for the next our lives. Are you APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY/ARIZONA phase. listening to your STATE UNIVERSITY/CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON | WIKIMEDIA The final Merhead or your heart? Mercury is thought to cury retrograde While navigating this rule over our travel, of the year begins retrograde, it might communication, and commerce. be better to listen to in the zodiac sign of Sagittarius and your head, but a daily ends in Capricorn. Sagittarius is considbalance of both is always ideal. ered to be fun-loving, spontaneous, and And this Christmas, tighten your adventurous. While Mercury is traipsing Santa belts because the universe has a backwards through the fire of Sagittarius, roller coaster for us. To top off Mercury you might find yourself taking risks or retrograde in both an earth and fire sign, being reckless. This can be a good thing. If there will also be a full moon on Decemthere’s a big change you’ve been avoidber 26th. This full moon will be in Cancer, ing, now might be the time to take that so get ready to feel all your feelings. Many risk and do it. However, it is the holiday practitioners believe that the energy of season where much is already expected of the full and new moons is a three-day us. Do not let the recklessness of Mercury window: the day before the actual new/ retrograde get you into debt with shopfull moon, the day of, and the day after. If ping. Also be mindful of overcommitting you follow that school of thought, there to plans or events. Many of us may feel will be a full Cancer moon on Christmas more social this time of year, or we give with Mercury in retrograde. into expectations and try to visit everyone. We will survive this astrological season. With Mercury in retrograde in Sagittarius, The full moon and Mercury retrograde be careful not to overextend yourself with bring us challenges as well as benefits. Be social calls or agreeing to things you might mindful, be careful, be patient — and have regret later — such as hosting a holiday a happy holiday season! Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The dinner! Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Mercury retrograde in Capricorn is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, poetic note to finish the year on. Capordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom. ricorns are notoriously ambitious and

FOOD By Michael Donahue

AnotherFoods Kitchen A new commercial kitchen location is now open.

Like the new location, the original OtherFoods Kitchen is a shared, commercial Department of Agriculture-certified kitchen. The first location at 1249 Heistan Place off Bellevue Boulevard near Lamar Avenue opened about five years ago. It began as a place for Cantor and Lebovitz to make Benefizz, a probiotic beverage developed by Cantor. He came up with the low-sugar drink recipe in the kitchen at Otherlands Coffee Bar. “We decided a long time ago — like three years ago — we needed another location. We didn’t know why, exactly. Then, by happenstance, this location became the obvious right choice.” In addition to being roomy, the second location was perfect for three reasons: “Retail. And it’s a neighborhood. And Crosstown. “You can throw a rock from this place to the Crosstown Concourse. The Crosstown Concourse gives it a high profile. The original OtherFoods Kitchen location is not retail,” Cantor says. “It’s a decent des-

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Daishu McGriff and Steve Cantor

tination behind Annesdale-Snowden, but it’s not like people drive down this street.” That location, which is open 24 hours a day, houses 30 “groups,” which can range from two to 10 people. “It’s a huge place. We can have groups operating in here at one time. No problem.” The new location, which is easier to get to, will be “more for retail. For doing grab-and-go,” Cantor says, adding, “We really only want to have one group cooking at a time. There can be prepping and packaging.” When Shroomlicious isn’t open for business, that area, which includes a stove, a grill, an oven, and a fryer, can be used by others. “We could use another kitchen just like the first kitchen just to prep, cook, and package.” And, he says, “We’re going to add more things as we go. More equipment. If the next group is a baker, let’s say, then we’ll need at least one or two more ovens, another mixer, and probably three prep tables.” People will be able to make as well as sell their fare at the new space. The new kitchen will feature “not just grab-andgo from groups that are there, but also from the other kitchen.” It will have “a cooler with food in it just like Otherlands. Where you walk up to a cooler that has drinks and packaged food and you pick it up and take it with you.” Also, he says, customers will be able to call, place their order, and come to the Crosstown location to pick it up 15 minutes later. The new location doesn’t have indoor seating for customers, but they “can sit out on the deck.” They also bought the house next door, Cantor says. “That allows us to expand quite a bit. Double the size of the place, at least.” Cantor already is thinking about a third OtherFoods Kitchen location. “The third location could be Uptown, could be out East, could be Downtown. It’s whatever might make sense for another retail place for grab-and-go.” Those who want to check out the new space can attend a Shroomlicious holiday party that begins at 6 p.m. on December 22nd, says McGriff. Fare slated for the $25-per-person ticketed event include “hot wings, Phillys, tacos, and things like that,” McGriff says. In addition to kitchen equipment, a spiffy Baldwin spinet piano was left behind by former tenants at the new OtherFoods Kitchen. Cantor says the piano is staying.

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therFoods Kitchen now has a second location. It’s a 2,500-square-foot building at 394 North Watkins Street at the corner of Overton Park Avenue in the Crosstown area. Many people know it as the site of the old Lupe & Bea’s Texican Restaurant. For now, people can enjoy the vegan cuisine using all mushrooms made at Shroomlicious, a grab-and-go restaurant owned by Daishu McGriff, which is open Wednesdays through Sundays. Husband and wife Steve Cantor and Karen Lebovitz are partners in both OtherFoods Kitchen locations. They also own Otherlands Coffee Bar in Midtown.

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FILM By Chris McCoy

The Modern Prometheus Emma Stone is fearless as a creature searching for her humanity in Poor Things.

ary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, is regarded as the first true sciencefiction novel. Shelley’s themes and tropes have echoed for more than two centuries: The brilliant scientist is so consumed by the intellectual challenge of discovery that he doesn’t consider the costs; the question of what, exactly, it means to be “human”; and even Stan Lee’s mantra, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Recent readings have emphasized Shelley’s personal life to explain its unsettling tone. The story’s mixture of horror and fascination with the creation of new life came from an author whose mother had died in childbirth and who personally had multiple miscarriages, and buried two babies before their third birthday. In Shelley’s original novel, the Creature is not the hulking figure with an abnormal brain and limited vocabulary, familiar from the Universal horror films. He is intelligent enough to recognize his own monstrosity, and cunning

enough to plot complex revenge on his creator. The novel’s middle passage, told from the Creature’s POV, presents a critique of humanity’s hypocrisies from an outsider’s perspective. Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things remixes the Frankenstein elements to foreground the outsider perspective, with spectacular results. Emma Stone stars as Bella, whom we meet as she is throwing herself off a bridge. Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) is a Frankenstein-esque surgeon who carries the scars of his own father’s brutal experiments on his face. He finds Bella’s body in the river while it’s still warm — and discovers the fetus she is carrying in her womb is still viable. He repairs her lightly damaged body and implants the baby’s brain in her skull. When he reanimates her with “galvanic energy,” she awakens an infant’s mind in an adult’s body. Dr. Baxter locks his subject in his stately mansion, both to keep her secret from the torch-and-pitchfork crowd who can’t understand his genius and

to control this grand experiment into the nature of humanity. He hires one of his most gifted medical students Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef) to record Bella’s every move and chart her development. But Baxter (or “God” as Bella calls him) can’t keep her a secret forever, and she attracts the attention of his attorney Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) right around the time she discovers sex — or as she calls it,

Emma Stone turns in a career performance as Bella in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things. “furious jumping.” Baxter knows he can no longer stop her from experiencing the world, so he grudgingly consents to Bella running off with the worldly attorney. They embark on a comedically debauched tour of a steampunk version of Victo-

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one can control. Dafoe is so matterof-fact in his deranged sociopathy that you find yourself instinctively nodding along to even his most outrageous pronouncements. Kathryn Hunter, who stole the show as the witches in Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, slithers and shines as a brothel madam who takes Bella under her tattooed wing. With a visual palette wild enough to match the story’s shenanigans, Lanthimos has created a fresh and daring film about what it means to be both a human and a woman. As Bella searches for answers about existence, her crazy world starts to feel awfully familiar.

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rian Europe, where dirigibles roam the skies and architecture runs amok. Bella continues the pattern of outgrowing one mentor after another as she tries to forge her own identity and correct the wrongs of the world. Stone’s always been a trouper, but she is absolutely fearless as Bella. In a career-high performance, she finesses Bella’s growth from peeing on the floor to debating philosophy, progressing ever so slightly from one scene to the next until she’s the one performing experimental surgery. It’s an extreme performance, but Lanthimos directs everyone around her so big, Bella seems like the most grounded person on screen. Ruffalo looks like he’s having the time of his life as the rakish Wedderburn, who awakens something in Bella no

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Be the Light

THE LAST WORD

Happy Holidays from Memphis! I don’t need a calendar to remind me of the season. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, my neighbor, Mrs. Anderson, trims her yellow house in countless lights. When her home on the hill twinkles like a galaxy of stars, that is my cue. Christmas is near. Mrs. Anderson started her tradition of dazzling decorations more than 30 years ago when her two children were arm babies. Over time, not only did she hang lights on her ranch-style home, but her lawn shined at night with a full display of Santa in his sleigh, eight reindeer, and a six-foot snowman, waving at passing cars. The first sign of Mrs. Anderson’s holiday whimsy would motivate neighbors up and down the street to follow her lead. Mothers and fathers would take to their yards to decorate their houses with an assortment of plastic snowflakes, candy canes, and silver bells, with shrubbery wrapped in endless strings of colorful lights. As more neighbors joined Mrs. Anderson’s grand display of decorations, the magic attracted a constant trail of visitors. Cars filled with families would crawl slowly along the street to marvel at winter’s wonderment. It was a good run. With Mrs. Anderson leading the charge, my neighbors in the southwest corner of Memphis served multitudes, marvelous visions of holiday cheer for three decades. But the saying is true. “Nothing good lasts forever.” When her inflatable snowman burst at the seams, Mrs. Anderson pulled back on her Christmas designs. Then Santa and his deer were swiftly disposed. I asked, “What happened?” Mrs. Anderson said the winter winds had a habit of toppling the reindeer. And after she reached a “certain age,” she was not willing to wrestle the weighty decorations back to their feet. She replied, “They had to go.” That was just the beginning. Amid the dearth and death of Covid-19, I noticed that a great number of my neighbors did not follow in Mrs. Anderson’s steps during Christmas 2020. While she had ditched Santa and his crew, her house on the hill still shined with big red ribbons and dazzling lights. Sadly, Mrs. Anderson’s holiday mojo did not move the neighbors. Few joined her Christmas whimsy that year. I remember that quiet Christmas very well. Dull porch lights were the status quo in my neighborhood. Here and there, I saw a wreath or two, garland, bells, a few straggly lights, and one baby Jesus in a faded manger. That year, no cars filled with giddy children had any reason to visit my community. As for me and my personal PHOTO: ERICA DUNLAP celebrations? My jolly Black Santa figurine, cheap laser lights, and Alice Faye Duncan three-foot tree remained boxed-up for Christmas ’20, ’21, and ’22. The isolation and alienation of the pandemic had robbed many of us of our collective merriment. Inflation and national unrest buoyed our blues and put many Americans in a holiday funk. But not Mrs. Anderson. While there is breath in her being, I don’t think my neighbor would ever cancel Christmas in her yellow house on the hill. And for that, I am privileged to be her friend. We need people in our circle who show us how to persist in joy and celebration when the world turns turbulent, grave, or “grinchy.” This year, on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I passed Mrs. Anderson’s home. It was early evening and the sun had set. True to form, a sparkling Christmas tree was posted in her living room window and red ribbons were wrapped around her porch lamps. In years past, Mrs. Anderson has been known to climb ladders and drape her roof and gables with bedazzling ropes of lights. But this year she abandoned rooftop lights and surrounded the base of her home in copious LED candles with pretty red flames. The candles conjured warm enchanting memories from when my neighbors would deck their shrubs in lights and give their hearts freely to the hope of the season. God is a wonder. Mrs. Anderson’s copious candles rooted-up old, buried feelings of Christmas joy. And like the return of a favorite friend, I received those feelings with open arms. To make matters even better, it wasn’t too late for me in 2023. December had not arrived. I still had time to unbox my lights, my tree, and my jolly Black Santa. That night I called Mrs. Anderson to acknowledge her inspiring decorations. I said, “You changed your lights!” She told me it is not wise to climb tall ladders after a “certain age” and the Christmas candles circling the base of her home were the “safest option.” I own an AARP card. I understood her point. But I also wondered: Does Mrs. Anderson understand? Her persistent refusal to let the world’s trouble steal her joy is a superpower. I tried to explain what I perceive to be her extraordinary fortitude. Mrs. Anderson replied, “I hear you.” But did she? People full of light seldom see the light that we find in them. And that’s okay. Our task is to take their light and pass it on. Alice Faye Duncan is a National Board Educator in Memphis who writes books for children. She is the author of Coretta’s Journey, This Train is Bound for Glory, and Yellow Dog Blues — a NYT/NYPL Best Illustrated Book selection in 2022. Visit alicefayeduncan.com.

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I’m affectionate, smart, and a big lap dog. I love to play in sprinklers, the water hose, or a baby pool and I love my toys and playing fetch. I’m crate trained, and I know some basic obedience training along with some tricks!

TO ADOPT PICKLES, VISIT: dogs2ndchance.org/ adoption-application-form

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