Month: February 2019

POTS 2019-’20 Season Revives Memphis, Showcases Kinky Boots, Go-Gos

Post author By Chris Davis
Post date February 28, 2019

Playhouse on the Square‘s 2019-2020 Season Revives the musical Memphis, while showcasing popular Broadway fare with 1980’s music tie-ins. Kinky Boots, with a book by Harvey Fierstein and songs by “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” singer Cyndi Lauper, opens the season, a season that also features The Go-Gos unusual jukebox show Head Over Heels.

The ’19-’20 season folds in classics like Little Shop of Horrors and Ain’t Misbehavin’, with world and regional premieres.

Via Playhouse on the Square:

KINKY BOOTS
By: Harvey Fierstein Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper

August 9 – September 1, 2019 @ Playhouse on the Square

Based on the 2005 British film of the same name and scored by Cyndi Lauper, Charlie has inherited a shoe factory from his father. It sounds like a great deal, except the factory is failing and on the way to being shut down. Enter Lola, a cabaret performer and drag queen, who sees what Charlie can’t – and it’s all in the heel.

THE HUMANS
By: Stephen Karam

August 23 – September 8, 2019 @ The Circuit Playhouse

Thanksgiving in a run-down, Chinatown apartment isn’t the usual setting for the Blake family. But Brigid and new boyfriend Richard insist. A family get together is a great time to reconnect with those you love – or complain about religion, career choices, and why you spend money on organic vegetable smoothies. For this family, it is somewhere in between.

ON GOLDEN POND
By: Ernest Thompson

September 20 – October 6, 2019 @ Playhouse on the Square

Norman and Ethel Thayer are living out their golden years, enjoying summers at the family lake house. As with most homes, you find there are always things in need of repair. As you get older, you may find the same can be said for relationships as well.

HEAD OVER HEELS
By: James Magruder / Lyrics By: The Go-Go’s

October 4 – October 27, 2019 @ The Circuit Playhouse

Charged with the unmistakable, iconic music of The Go-Go’s, the kingdom of Arcadia goes on a daring quest to do whatever it takes to protect their famous “Beat.” On their journey they will find love, deceit, and misinterpreted prophesy. Will the kingdom of Arcadia be saved? “Our Lips Are Sealed.”

PETER PAN
Based on the Book By: J. M. Barrie
Lyrics By: Carolyn Leigh Betty Comden and Adolph Green / Music By: Mark Charlap and Julie Styne

November 15 – December 29, 2019 @ Playhouse on the Square

Life will never be the same for Michael, John, and Wendy Darling after Peter Pan visits their nursery window offering to take them to the magical world of Neverland. They meet the Lost Boys, spritely fairy Tinkerbell, the beautiful princess Tiger Lily, and the evil Captain Hook. The conflict between Peter and Hook takes center stage as the magical adventure turns dangerous and teaches everyone the true power of friendship.

JUNIE B. JONES THE MUSICAL
Book & Music By: Marcy Heisler / Lyrics By: Zina Goldrich

November 22 – December 22, 2019 @ The Circuit Playhouse

It’s Junie B.’s first day of first grade, and a lot of things have changed for her: Junie’s friend, Lucille, doesn’t want to be her best pal anymore and, on the bus, Junie B. makes friends with Herb, the new kid at school. Also, Junie has trouble reading the blackboard, and her teacher, Mr. Scary, thinks she may need glasses. Throw in a friendly cafeteria lady, a kickball tournament and a “Top-Secret Personal Beeswax Journal,” and first grade has never been more exciting.

THE TWELVE DATES OF CHRISTMAS
By: Ginna Hoben

November 29 – December 22, 2019 @ The Memphian Room

One moment you’re headed into the holidays with your cute dress, new bling, and an adorable fiancé. But when you catch him kissing another girl at the televised Thanksgiving Parade, things change. Watch Mary navigate life in the dating world where romance ranges from weird and creepy to absurd and comical. Will she be able to answer the question: What do the lonely do at Christmas? Or will she have us all thinking love stinks?

WHEN WE GET GOOD AGAIN
By: James McLindon

January 10 – January 26, 2020 @ TheatreWorks

When brilliant, idealistic, but poor college student Tracy is tempted by a lucrative job selling term papers to her classmates to pay her tuition, she begins to wonder: Is it ever okay to put being good on hold?

MEMPHIS: THE MUSICAL
By: David Bryan and Joe DiPietro

January 17 – February 8, 2020 @ Playhouse on the Square

In the 1950s, on the downtown streets of Memphis, TN, Rock and Roll was born. The marriage of downtrodden blues, uplifting gospel and forlorn country made way to a genre of music that would, one day, speak to the soul of the entire world. But for now, in a seedy bar on Beale, this music has spoken to the soul of a local country-boy. The girl that the sound has come from has stolen his heart. Will the objections from their families or the challenges of society be too much for the couple to withstand? Or will Huey and Felecia let nothing steal their rock and roll?

INDECENT
By: Paula Vogel

January 24 – February 16, 2020 @ The Circuit Playhouse

In 1923, a Jewish theatre troupe produced a controversial play on Broadway that led to the entire company being arrested on the grounds of obscenity. Playwright, Paula Vogel, recounts the controversy surrounding this play and the lives of the actors who created it. Indecent questions the fear of love, the joy of making art, and the courage to do so during the rise of Nazism.

THE BOOK OF WILL
By: Lauren Gunderson

March 6 – March 22, 2020 @ Playhouse on the Square

When a poor rendition of Hamlet is performed three years after the death of William Shakespeare, it is obvious to his friends – someone should put his work to pen – and save the words of the world’s greatest playwright. But to make one, they’ll have to battle an unscrupulous publisher, a boozy poet laureate, and their own mortality, to create Shakespeare’s First Folio.

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK, LIVE!
Book by: George Keating, Kyle Hall, and Scott Ferguson
Lyrics by: Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, George Newall, Kathy Mandry, Lynn Ahrens, and Tom Yohe

March 14 – April 4, 2020 @ The Circuit Playhouse

“Get your thing in action” and relive the glory days of Saturday Morning’s iconic cartoon series. Tom is ready to start his first day as a schoolteacher. The only problem is he is scared to death! Watch as characters from the classic series come to life, reminding Tom the best way to learn has always been with music and an imagination. With memorable songs “I’m Just a Bill,” “Inter-Planet Janet,” and “Conjunction Junction” you will want to scoot down front and grab a big bowl of cereal.

AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’
By: Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby Jr.

March 13 – April 5, 2020 @ The Circuit Playhouse

A revival of this tribute to the Harlem Renaissance and the black musicians that defined a significant era in American music comes home to The Circuit Playhouse. Through the 1920s and 1930s hits like “T Ain’t Nobody’s Bizness,” “Your Feet’s Too Big,” and “Fat and Greasy” filled Manhattan nightclubs and caused a spark across the nation! Join us as we get the joint jumpin for one of America’s favorite musicals.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
By: Howard Ashman

May 1 – May 24, 2020 @ Playhouse on the Square

When a “Mean Green Mutha From Outaspace” lands in your flower shop, what do you do? Feed it people of course! Hapless flower shop worker, Seymour, only wants the love of his life to notice him. When his little blood sucking plant grows to become the talk of the town, Seymour will get more than he bargained for.

DAYS OF RAGE
By: Steven Levenson

April 17 – May 10, 2020 @ The Circuit Playhouse

It’s October 1969 and five 20-something idealists find themselves in the middle of a country divided. Living together in a house in Upstate New York and confident in the knowledge that they are the only generation to ever take up the resistance, they retaliate against society by denouncing monogamy and other capitalist notions. But when they admit a mysterious newcomer to their collective, the delicate balance they’ve achieved begins to topple. It’ll be six and a half years until the Vietnam War ends but their fight is just beginning.

SOMETHING ROTTEN
By: John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick

June 19 – July 12, 2020 @ Playhouse on the Square

When Nick and Nigel Bottom decide their theatre troupe rivals that of William Shakespeare the best way to beat him is to hire a soothsayer and write a musical about Eggs… right? This Tony Award-winning romp is a love story to all things theatre!

MISSISSIPPI GODDAMN
By: Jonathan Norton

June 5 – June 28, 2020 @ The Circuit Playhouse

In 1963 Jackson, Mississippi, the stirring of Civil Rights is beginning to rally a nation of long oppressed people. But on a particular street, which is home to a civil rights pioneer, not everyone is pleased to see it begin.

ST. PAULIES DELIGHT
By: J. Joseph Cox

July 10 – July 26, 2020 @ TheatreWorks at the Square

When Paul learns his estranged aunt has passed away, he holds a wake for her that doubles as a testing ground for his exquisite, big gay wedding. A day-of shift in plans leaves Paul’s life in shambles, forcing him to confront burying his definition of family along with his mysterious aunt.

Tags Head Over Heels, Kinky Boots, Memphis, New Season, Playhouse on the Square

Politics Politics Beat Blog

Lee to Spread Out State of the State Addresses

Post author By Jackson Baker
Post date February 28, 2019

Governor Lee

As follow-ups to his scheduled State of the State address in Nashville on Monday, Governor Bill Lee announced plans to give regional addresses in Memphis and Knoxville next week.

The Governor’s Memphis speech, billed as “State of West Tennessee,” will be given at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 7, in the University Center Ballroom at the University of Memphis. His “State of the State” address will have taken place at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 4, in the House Chamber of the state Capitol in Nashville. Lee will present a “State of East Tennessee” address at 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 5, in the Clarence Brown Theatre at UT-Knoxville.

All three events are free and open to the public but require tickets, which are available at https://www.tn.gov/governor/sots.

Politics Politics Beat Blog

Block Grants Bill Advances Despite Memphians’ Protest

Post author By Jackson Baker
Post date February 28, 2019

Dwayne Thompson. Photo: Jackson Baker

Dwayne Thompson musing during block grant hearing

NASHVILLE — Two Memphis Democrats, state Reps. Dwayne Thompson and Larry Miller, did their best on Wednesday to put the brakes on a proposal, emanating from the Republican leadership of the General Assembly, insisting that federal Medicaid funding to Tennessee be in the form of block grants.

But, like it or not, and there is no indication that Gov. Bill Lee is opposed to the concept, HB1280, which requires that the governor request the state’s Medicaid funding via block grants, advanced a step closer to him on Wednesday in newly strengthened form.

The bill was amended in the TennCare Subcommittee on Wednesday by voice vote and is on its way to the full House Insurance Committee with an amendment from the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Timothy Hill ( R-Blountville), requiring legislative approval of any block-grant arrangement reached with the federal government. Meanwhile, SB1428, the Senate version sponsored by Senator Paul Bailey (R-Sparta), is pending before the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.

In the TennCare Subcommittee, Reps. Thompson and Miller objected to the amendment and then to the bill as amended. Thompson had asked sponsor Hill how many other states received their Medicaid funding via block grants and when Hill professed not to know, Thompson supplied the answer: “I understand that it’s zero.” He then asked why Hill was proposing that the state pursue the “experiment” of block grants.

Hill alluded to the state’s volunteer tradition. “It’s the Tennessee way,” he answered. “Why not?”

Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) responded similarly. “Let’s be the first. Let’s be the precedent,” he said.

Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Matthew Hill (R-Jonesborough) then indulged himself in what he himself branded as a “joke” by saying, “Chairman Hill, this is a great bill!” He went on to express enthusiasm that Tennessee, “known for innovation,” could by passing the bill, escape the “fetters of federal intervention” and maintain control of Medicaid spending at the state level.

In a brief question-and-answer session with reporters afterward, Hill exulted that his measure had passed its “first hurdle” and was presumably on its way to full passage. He acknowledged that there was some opposition to the bill, to be expected “whenever you’re proposing something that’s cutting edge.”

Asked whether there was polling to suggest popular support for his bill, Hill said he hadn’t conducted any. But he expressed confidence that the bill has “broad support…certainly with this supermajority” and would pick up more support “as we go along.”

He said he had “sat down” with TennCare officials but could not say what their opinion on the measure was. He acknowledged that the terms of the bill could alter the way TennCare operates but did not elaborate.

Tags Block Grants, Medicaid, Rep. Dwayne Thompson, Rep. Larry Miller, Tennessee General Assembly

Letter From The Editor Opinion

Down on the River, Winter is Coming

Post author By Bruce VanWyngarden
Post date February 28, 2019

Winter is coming, my friends. Dark clouds are building in the western sky. Alliances are being formed. Treachery and connivance are afoot. The battle — soon to come — could be epic and bloody, a mortal combat to see who will control the kingdom of Tom Lee, a vast and glorious prairie on the banks of the majestic Mississippi River near Castle Memphis.

On one side is the Memphis River Parks Partnership (aka Mr. PP), led by Lady Coletta and her powerful allies, including the Great Lord of the House of Hyde, the Downtown Memphis Commission of Great Visions, and the mercenary knights of Studio Gang — brought in from the northern kingdom to wreak havoc on their sworn enemies: the House of MIM.

Studio Gang visual of the proposed water feature in Tom Lee Park.

The House of MIM (aka Memphis in May), led by Lord James Holt, is enjoined in this coming battle by the Sacred Alliance of Motels and Hotels, the Viscounts of Beale Street, the Barons of Barbecue, the House of Rock, and probably the Duke of Earl.

In coming days, there will be negotiations held in the chambers of the great High Castle on the Bluff, seeking to avoid bloodshed and form a truce, however uneasy. Emotions are high. Anything could happen. The fate of Tom Lee hangs in the balance, my friends. Thoughts and prayers …

For the record, the preceeding verbiage was satire. You know, what Webster’s calls “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.” We do that a lot at the Flyer, because, well, if not us, who else in town is going to provide the snark essential to the civic process? I mean, someone has to point out when the emperor is going commando, right?

I mention this, because a cartoon by our illustrator and master of visual snark, Greg Cravens, poked fun at the House of MIM a couple weeks back, and a few of their friends got upset. Some said the Flyer was “attacking” Memphis in May.

No. Believe me, if we attack you, you’ll know it. It was satire, the same kind of stuff we’ve thrown at MRPP on several occasions. I mean, our Chris Davis was the guy who dubbed them “Mr. PP” in the first place. We’ve also taken shots at Studio Gang’s idyllic bird-infested visuals and the new park signage that’s already been installed. It’s what we do.

But that’s different from our news coverage, which has highlighted the details of the MRPP design and MIM’s concerns with it. We’ve reported extensively and objectively on the battle for public opinion that’s ongoing between the two organizations. See Toby Sells’ story in this issue for another example.

That said, I’m excited and optimistic about MRPP’s overall plan for the riverfront, which includes renovations of all the city’s public lands along the river, and the linking of Greenbelt Park, Mud Island, the Fourth Bluff, Tom Lee Park, and MLK Park. It’s a big and ambitious design, and because of that, it has drawn fire from several sides.

But the central sticking point is Tom Lee Park, the 30-acre, mile-long, flat, open space now occupied by a few jogging paths and not much else. MRPP’s plan, as most people know by now, involves adding various elevations, a sheltered facility, a water feature, a wildlife habitat, and lots of trees. Memphis in May, understandably, likes the park the way it is, because a big field is much more conducive to its month-long event, which includes a music festival and the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, both of which sprawl over most of the park. How’s that going to work with all those trees and other stuff, they ask. That’s the $70-million question, isn’t it?

We at the Flyer also support Memphis in May. It is a civic treasure that brings lots of people and money to town, and we believe all concerned should be able to figure out a way to keep the celebration Downtown and also reinvent the city’s riverfront. Tom Lee Park belongs to all of us, including those who use it the other 11 months of the year. Let’s get a deal done. May is coming.

Tags Carol Coletta, Chris Davis, Jim Holt, Memphis In May, Memphis River Parks Partnership, Toby Sells

Food & Wine Food & Drink

Flyer “Beer Bracket Challenge” Down to Final Four

Post author By Richard Murff
Post date February 28, 2019

The whole thing started a few years ago, when Flyer associate editor Toby Sells blindfolded himself to pick the match-ups for the Flyer‘s first Beer Bracket Challenge. It was all kind of a goof that first year, replete with a “trophy” made from an old ice bucket that editor Bruce VanWyngarden found in his garage. Now, the Beer Bracket Challenge has morphed into a lineup of 24 local beers from five breweries going toe-to-toe against each other for votes from Flyer readers. It is a friendly competition, but it is a competition — and these Memphis beer gurus want to win.

For the more casual craft beer fan, the Beer Bracket Challenge, assisted by some delicious pizza at Aldo’s Pizza Downtown, where this year’s seeding ceremony took place, is one of the best ways to take the aimlessness out of your tour of the booming Memphis craft beer scene. Sure it’s fun to simply toss a ball idly into the air on a lazy day, but sinking it through the hoop when there is a mob trying to stop you is just more fun.

There are four divisions in the challenge. The “Tapped Out” division was seeded with two big winners from last year, Meddlesome’s 201 Hoplar and one of my long time go-tos, Wiseacre’s Ananda — two IPA heavyweights in a town that loves its IPAs. In the first round of voting, 201 Hoplar beat out Midnight Magic, a German Black Ale from Memphis OB (Original Brewer) Ghost River. Ananda lost out to another Meddlesome entrant, Dirty Dova. This was a little surprising, but as beers go, Dirty Dova, a crisp and refreshing double IPA, is a winner. In fact, it may go down a little too easy; its 8.5 percent ABV makes it a brew on a mission. Get a Lyft home.

In the “Perfect Pour” division, Wiseacre’s Tiny Bomb lager beat out another top seed from last year, High Cotton’s Thai Pale Ale, making it to the third round, where it was voted out, losing to Memphis Made’s Fireside, a malty roasted Red Ale.

In the “Drafted” division, Meddlesome continued its winning streak, as its Broad Hammer American Brown Ale edged out Memphis Made’s Cat Nap IPA. Broad Hammer then went on to beat out Crosstown’s Siren Blonde Ale in the next round and, then, finally, steal a win over Wiseacre’s Regular Pale Ale to make the Final Four.

Over in the “Frosty Mug” division, Wiseacre’s coffee stout (and nearly guaranteed hangover cure) Gotta Get Up to Get Down, beat out Plaid Attack Scotch Ale, another perennial favorite from Memphis Made. Gotta Get Up was beaten in the next round by this year’s Cinderella story, Meddlesome’s Brass Bellows, a great blonde ale. For the record, Brass Bellows had some fearsome competition from long-time favorite Ghost River Gold, followed by a close contest with High Cotton’s Mexican Lager, a sort of cosmic ideal of Corona.

The Beer Bracket Final Four for 2019: 201 Hoplar, Broad Hammer, Brass Bellows, and Fireside. The big winner in the tourney has been Meddlesome Brewing. If not exactly the new kid in class, they are certainly not the old guard either. Their tap room, out near the end of Shelby Farms, might be a bit out of the loop, but their beers are hard to ignore.

Final Four voting ended at press time. We know that Meddlesome will take home our Beer Bracket Challenge Cup. But to find out which beer won, you’ll have to check next week’s Flyer.

Tags Crosstown Brewing, Flyer Beer Bracket Challenge, Ghost River Brewing, High Cotton Brewing, Meddlesome Brewing, Memphis Made Brewing, Toby Sells, Wiseacre Brewing

Book Features Books

Stranger Things

Post author By Jesse Davis
Post date February 28, 2019

“The child is dead. There is nothing left to know.” So begins Black Leopard, Red Wolf (Riverhead Books), the fourth novel by Marlon James, the Jamaican author who won the Man Booker Prize in 2015 for his A Brief History of Seven Killings. The speaker is Tracker, Black Leopard‘s narrator, a mercenary with a nose, known for his ability to track anyone anywhere, once he has their scent. Tracker’s gift lands him a deceptively simple job when the Moon Witch Sogolon needs to find a missing child, a boy without a name but not lacking in importance.

Working for a third party, Sogolon assembles a fellowship to locate and return the stolen boy. At the outset, their ever-shifting party includes the wolf-eyed, keen-nosed mercenary Tracker; Leopard, a shapeshifting jungle cat; and Sadogo, a melancholy giant. And though Sogolon’s fellowship is strange, still stranger things await them.

Hallucinogenic and magical, the pages of Black Leopard, the first novel in a proposed trilogy, are populated by witches, monsters, and fantastical beasts. There’s the flesheater, Asanbonsam, and his brother, the bat-like, blood-sucking Sasabonsam. And Ipundulu, the vampiric lightning bird, whose victims — those who live — become his slaves, beguiled by his charge. And every person Tracker meets could be a shapeshifter, a man-eating lion or hyena taking the form of a human. Tracker’s all-powerful nose becomes invaluable in James’ land of shifting allegiances and layered narratives.

Tracker comes from one of the river tribes, though he claims no home and no family. He is a lover of men in a world where it is dangerous to be so, and a nonbeliever in a world of dozens of religions. “I don’t believe in belief,” Tracker says again and again. And the question is, how could he afford the luxury of certainty, in a world so defined by its history, but a history always partially obscured? In James’ novel, history is a black hole, invisible, hidden, but with an inescapable gravitational pull, warping reality around itself.

The wolf-eyed mercenary is a trickster detective — and a fitting narrator for James’ tale of a missing boy, a hidden history, and an uneasy fellowship. For truth, as much as the child, is what’s missing in the world of Black Leopard, Red Wolf. The story takes place at a turning point in a mythical Africa, infinitely diverse and complex, with many cultures represented, each with its own values and beliefs. It’s the end of the age of the oral historians, who sang the history of the land, and though glyphs are old news, it is the beginning of the time of phonetic writing. James has created a world whose history is informed by our own, even while it underscores the changing ways we look at truth in our digital age.

In an interview with The New Yorker, James said he studied African folklore and mythology, in its myriads forms, for two years before beginning the novel, and his research shows on every page. The world of Black Leopard is made up of dozens of interlocking and often conflicting narratives.

With both the novel’s prose and plot, James confronts the whitewashing of history — and of the fantasy and science-fiction genres, specifically. Much of the novel’s intrigue revolves around the co-opting of history by the Spider King Kwash Dawa’s royal ancestor, who, in a violent coup, not only departed from his peoples’ traditions, but erased them. He had the storytellers killed, and within a few generations, history was what the king said. Or at least, that’s what Tracker has been told.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf asks its readers to confront their beliefs, as with every discovery, Tracker calls into question what he has been told so far — and what he has deigned to pass on to the reader. And with intrigue that deep, there’s nothing left to do but cozy up and enjoy the mystery. Because the truth is, in James’ novel as in life, we may never know the whole truth.

Tags Black Leopard, Marlon James, Red Wolf

News The Fly-By

Fly on the Wall 1566

Post author By Chris Davis
Post date February 28, 2019

Neverending Elvis

Fly on the Wall has been spending too much time focusing on actual media news lately and not nearly enough time doing important work like keeping up with the never-ending exploits of dead Elvis and his legion of impersonators.

Last week, Fox News reported an incident that allegedly “left a laundromat owner all shook up,” which is the Elvis-y way to say he got really, really scared. According to Fox, a British man, who shares his name with Memphis’ “King of Rock and Roll,” was taken into custody after, “threatening the owner of a laundry care service with a knife.”

In a different key, science writer Judy Siegel-Itzkovich described the stellar system Eta Carinae as “the Elvis Presley of Supernovae,” because it faked its own death, by huge eruption.

Media Junk

What the heck happened to Sinclair Broadcasting?

That’s the conservative giant of TV news once poised to snatch up WREG in an acquisition of Tribune Media, and beam the weird ramblings of Trump cheerleader Boris Epshteyn into more homes than the FCC was comfortable with.

Now that Sinclair’s out and Nextar is acquiring WREG in its purchase of Tribune Media, Sinclair’s once-troubled stock seems to have returned to pre-kerfuffle levels.

Evidently, telling viewers that the U.S. had to gas migrants at the border to stave off invasion fills investors with confidence. But here’s the good news: #NotInMemphis.

On The WREG

Speaking of Channel 3 News, file this WREG report under “nobody needs a meal that bad.”

Dateline, Memphis: “A 29-year-old woman was charged after police say she stabbed another woman in the head over a place in a McDonald’s drive-thru line.” The family said it was self-defense.

Opinion Viewpoint

The Color of Politics

Post author By Juan Williams
Post date February 28, 2019

It was one of those unforgettable moments in Congress. Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a new member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was speaking to Elliott Abrams, President Trump’s special envoy to Venezuela:

“Mr. Abrams, in 1991 you pleaded guilty to two counts of withholding information from Congress regarding the Iran-Contra affair … I fail to understand why members of this committee or the American people should find any testimony that you give today to be truthful.”

Juan Williams

“If I could respond to that —” Abrams interjected.

“It wasn’t a question,” Omar shot back, cutting off the witness.

The sight of a young Muslim congresswoman, wearing a hijab, holding a powerful 71-year-old white Republican accountable signals the dawn of a new day in American politics. The heavily white, older male party of Trump is fighting to hold back what they see coming over the horizon.

Many people — including me — have been targets of President Trump’s Twitter tirades, but women of color provoke a special kind of Trump ire. Trump last month dismissed Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a wave of the hand and a “who cares,” after she told CBS’ 60 Minutes she has “no question” that Trump makes use of the “historic dog whistles of white supremacy.” Trump has been even more dismissive of other women of color.

A “lowlife” and a “dog.” That’s Trump talking about his former White House aide, Omarosa Manigault Newman. Representative Frederica Wilson of Florida? Trump demeaned her as “wacky” and said she was “killing” the Democratic Party. Former Utah Republican Congresswoman Mia Love? Right after her failed reelection bid, Trump said she “gave me no love and she lost. Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia.”

House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters has been described by Trump as “an extraordinarily low IQ person.”

Imagine the bitter attacks if Trump faces a strong woman of color, such as Senator Kamala Harris, in the 2020 election.

The Democrats’ success in the midterms set off these unsettling changes in American politics for Trump and his base. The new House majority includes a record number of freshman Democratic congresswomen. In fact, 43 women of color are now serving in the House. Only one non-white congresswoman is a Republican — Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, who was reelected in Washington state. The record number includes 22 black women, 11 Latinas, six Asian-Pacific Islanders, and the first two Native American women in Congress. It also brought to Congress the first two Muslim women: Omar and Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. Last month, Tlaib told an excited crowd of liberal activists: “We’re gonna impeach the motherf****r” — referring to Trump. In that moment, she joined Ocasio-Cortez as a target of right-wing hate.

The New York Times reported last week that Republicans have “amped up” their efforts to demonize these young Democratic women. The most frequent charge against the newcomers from Trump’s conservative talk radio fans is that these women of color are dividing the country with “identity politics.”

That drew a response from Georgia’s Stacey Abrams, the first black woman nominated by a major party to run for governor. Writing in Foreign Affairs, Abrams pleaded guilty to having “intentionally and vigorously highlighted communities of color and other marginalized groups, not to the exclusion of others but as a recognition of their specific policy needs.” Abrams concluded that new “noisy voices represent the strongest tool to manage the growing pains of multicultural coexistence. By embracing identity and its prickly, uncomfortable contours, Americans will become more likely to grow as one.”

Abrams did not mention Trump. But he regularly uses white identity politics to stir up his base. It can be seen in his attack on Mexicans as rapists and his denigration of “shithole countries.” And who can forget Trump’s false and repeated insinuation that President Obama was not born in the United States? That racist conspiracy theory was the springboard for Trump’s presidential run. What we see in Trump’s fear of women of color is resistance to the rapid rise of racial change in our politics.

Juan Williams is an author, and a political analyst for Fox News Channel.

Tags Elliott Abrams, Ilhan Oman, Juan Williams, new members of Congress

Food & Wine Food & Drink

Grind City Coffee Expo set for March 9th; plus Comeback Coffee and Vice & Virtue.

Post author By Susan Ellis
Post date February 28, 2019

CREDIT: Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

Is Memphis in a coffee renaissance? It may be too soon to tell. But something certainly is, ahem, brewing. For proof, look to all the third wave places like Launch Process and Low Fi popping up. Our next piece of evidence is the Grind City Coffee Expo, set for March 9th at Memphis College of Art.

Daniel Lynn and Rachel Williams are the event’s organizers. “It’s a way to bring Memphis coffee [purveyors] together under a neutral roof,” says Lynn. “And it’s a way to expose Memphians to what [these purveyors] have to offer.”

Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

Daniel Lynn (left) and Rachel Williams, organizers of the Grind City Coffee Expo

Guests will be given a tasting card and a five-ounce tasting mug to sample coffees from the nine vendors who will be at the event. The vendors include: Dr. Bean, Vice & Virtue, Comeback Coffee, The Avenue, Awal Coffee, The Hub, Reverb, Launch Process, and French Truck. Each, in turn, will offer something special for the show. Vice & Virtue is bringing a mini-roaster and guests can roast their own beans. Comeback Coffee will have coffee sodas(!).

Lynn says he was inspired to create the expo after attending the Science of Beer event, though he acknowledges “coffee’s more of my speed.” Lynn notes that he’s learned a lot from setting up the expo. For example, “spro” is short for espresso.

“Coffee is almost like a plate of barbecue,” says Lynn. “It’s something you can bond over.”

Tickets are $30, with proceeds going to Protect Our Aquifer.

Grind City Coffee Expo at Memphis College of Art, Saturday, March 9th, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Comeback Coffee, set to open in Uptown March 29th, has a lighted sign on the wall that reads, “Stay a while,” and they mean it. Comeback is owned by Hayes and Amy McPherson. Hayes marvels at the variety of potential customers. You’ve got your Uptowners, your St. Juders, North Memphians, Mud Islanders, and so on. “All those people can rub shoulders,” he says.

Hayes vows that Comeback will be quick and consistent. He plans on a little quality pushing. What this means is that there are no fancy pour-overs; drinks will be made by machine but from the finest sources. Folks can “sit and be,” he says. Plus, price points will be reasonable.

There will be classic coffee drinks as well as seasonal and specialty drinks such as mochas. A giant espresso machine sits on the counter just waiting to hit customers with a caffeine buzz. In addition, a menu, designed by noted local chef Cole Jeanes, will feature pastries, sandwiches, and toasts.

Comeback is in a pretty, old building on North Main. There is exposed brick and large windows on the west side. The McPhersons, who live upstairs, had taken note of the building, fantasizing what they could do with the space. Amy’s father is in commercial real estate. He had, on his own, taken interest in the building as well. The two sides compared notes and decided it was meant to be.

Hayes says he’s excited about the upcoming expo. “We’ve needed this for a long time,” he says. “We on the cusp of a coffee culture.”

Comeback Coffee, 358 N. Main

Wee beginning roasters often start with an air popper (meant for popcorn) to roast their first beans. Tim and Teri Perkins of Vice & Virtue Coffee did and quickly moved on to a whirley pop, trading up to better equipment as their knowledge grew. They are currently working out of a space on Hollywood with a commercial roaster and hope to eventually open a small shop of their own. Their coffees are currently available at Curb Market, Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market, Belltower Artisans, City Silo, the Grecian Gourmet Taverna, and at the roastery.

Tim and Teri Perkins of Vice & Virtue Coffee

Tim calls this a passion project, but this is an obsession of a Fatal Attraction variety. They travel to conferences, take classes. They talk, talk, talk coffee and never get sick of it. They caught the fever when they heard their first bean crack.

On the name, it involves Aristotle, the human condition, good versus evil. “It appealed to us,” says Tim. “I’m vice, she’s virtue.”

Tim points out that the “v” in the logo is actually a martini glass, which points to the notion of craft coffee moving into the craft cocktail space and the Perkinses’ plan to serve coffee cocktails one day.

The Perkinses say they’ve enjoyed learning about different beans from different countries, experimenting with coffee, and coaxing out the best flavors. “We know what we’re doing, but we can get better,” says Teri.

At the expo, Tim plans to walk guests through the roasting process, having them immerse themselves in the sensory experience. Like the McPhersons, the Perkinses say the expo is a long time coming and that Memphis’ coffee community has thus far been underserved.

“It’s a craft,” says Tim. “It’s an artform.”

Vice & Virtue offers cuppings on the first Friday of the month, from 6:30-8 p.m., at the Hollywood roastery, in conjunction with Broad Avenue First Friday. The next cupping is March 1st and will have a March Madness theme, where tasters are put to the test. Cost is $5.

Vice & Virtue Coffee, 482 N. Hollywood

Tags Comeback Coffee, Grind City Coffee Expo, Vice & Virtue