Month: July 2019

Categories
Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

About three-quarters of the way through Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, “California Dreaming” floats to the top of the soundtrack. But even though, at this point, we’ve already smoked a joint with Michelle Phillips (Rebecca Rittenhouse), it’s not the version of the song that made the Mamas and the Papas into household names. Instead, it’s José Feliciano’s impassioned, flamenco-inflected cover. The wistful song about homesickness, swaddled in superfluous organ and string, is twisted to add to the mounting sense of dread. This is August 1969, and Charles Manson is about to bring the Swinging ’60s party to an end. “I suppose everything had changed, and nothing had,” wrote Joan Didion of the days that followed the shocking, ritualistic murders of Sharon Tate and six others.

When the Weinstein Company collapsed, and disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein’s most significant discovery announced he was on the market for a new studio with a movie about the Manson Family murders, the creeping dread and sudden, searing violence is what everyone envisioned. I sincerely doubt that the winners of the ensuing bidding war — Harry Potter producer David Heyman and Columbia Pictures/Sony — expected to get a $90-million buddy comedy. And yet, this is what they got, and they should be glad.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is something Tarantino hasn’t been in a long time—fun. If that seems like a strange thing to say about a film centered on the gruesome cult murder of seven people, that’s because it’s not really what the film is about. Or rather, this sprawling work is not solely about Manson, but about the context that produced him. As Family member Leslie Van Houton (Victoria Pedretti) points out, they were the first generation to grow up watching people murder other people on TV for fun.

Leonardo Dicaprio as Rick Dalton and Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth

Two of the people intimately involved in creating those fake, televised murders are Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Dalton is the former star of Bounty Law, a popular Western series that ran on NBC in the late ’50s, early ’60s. Booth was his stunt double on the show, and now his best friend/retainer. To reference another true crime sensation, he’a kind of a Kato Kaelin figure.

During a meeting with producer Marvin Schwarz (Al Pacino), Dalton is forced into the crushing realization that his career is on the downswing. Tarantino, with his simultaneous mastery of cinema forms and willingness to remix them, tells the story of Dalton’s career with a combination of voice-over (courtesy of Kurt Russell), flashbacks, and archival clips from fictional shows and movies. You might think a film that was initially billed as Tarantino’s take on Helter Skelter would resemble the director’s only literary adaptation, Jackie Brown, but it feels more like Grindhouse, the 2007 exploitation pastiche he co-directed with Robert Rodriguez.

Damon Herriman as Charles Manson

Dalton lives in the Hollywood Hills on Cielo Drive, right next door to Roman Polanski (Rafal Zawierucha) and his wife, Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). Polanski, coming off Rosemary’s Baby, is the hottest director in Hollywood. Dalton, part of the older generation New Hollywood types like Polanski are making obsolete, wishes he could get an audition with his new neighbor. But he’s not even on their radar as they power around town in Polanski’s MG roadster on their way to parties with Steve McQueen (Damien Lewis), blissfully unaware they’re living in a doomed world, and the hammer is about to fall.

Tarantino’s post-modernism is, as always, a double-edged sword. Jackie Brown is the director’s most disciplined and most emotionally resonant work. Grindhouse is a carnival funhouse. Both have their place, of course, but the latter is certainly shallower.

Where Once Upon a Time in Hollywood redeems itself is in the depths of the performances. The casting is fantastic. Lena Dunham nails Gypsy, one of the Manson cult leaders. Dakota Fanning plays Squeaky Fromme with ice water in her veins. Nicholas Hammond, a Hollywood journeyman who played one of the Von Trapp kids in The Sound of Music, steals scenes from DiCaprio as a pretentious TV director named Sam Wanamaker. Ten-year-old Julia Butters gives method acting lessons to Dalton in a bravado scene that dances on the fourth wall.

DiCaprio delivers one of the best performances of his career as the washed-up Dalton, all sniffles, limps, and nips from the hip flask. Robbie is radiant as Tate, especially in a sequence where she charms her way into a screening of a Dean Martin movie she’s in and dons giant glasses to watch herself act on the big screen. But it’s Pitt who rises above the rest of the cast in a phenomenally self-aware performance as a guy whose lack of self-awareness is both his greatest asset and biggest handicap. When he picks up a hitchhiker and heads for the Spahn Ranch, where the Family is holed up, Pitt becomes the chill in your spine.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a sprawling mixtape of a movie. It’s long, self-indulgent, and never quite congeals into more than the sum of its parts, at least on first viewing. It could very much use the moderating influence of Pulp Fiction editor Sally Menke, who died in an accident after her Academy Award nomination for Inglourious Basterds But it’s an absolute joy to watch. The production design is impeccable; with the help of legendary special effects designer John Dykstra, Tarantino’s team seamlessly recreates 1969 Los Angeles. It is in turns funny, sad, exhilarating, and horrifying. I’ve called it a comedy, but it really defies genre description. It’s a comedy with a gun to your head, daring you to laugh while you wait for the shot that may or may not come.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Categories
Music Record Reviews

Joe Restivo: Making the Classic Quartet Sound Contemporary

The debut CD by guitarist Joe Restivo, Where’s Joe? (Blue Barrel), brings with it a lot of tradition. The mellow, medium tempo swing of Thelonius Monk’s “Bolivar Blues” immediately sets the scene for the fresh, bluesy, country-tinged guitar tone of Memphis’ own genre-hopping Joe. The title track — an original by Joe with the familiarity of a jump blues you’ve heard all your life — leaps into punchy, swinging rhythmic changes, with a big band touch that makes your feet tap and your legs bounce.

With an authentic old-school feel, the rhythm section and the big tenor saxophone sound of Art Edmaiston lend the trio a relaxed laid-back feel, even when things get lively. Another original, “Starlight Motel,” slows things down with its melting guitar/saxophone harmonies, while a cover of Bill Jennings’ “633 Knock!” showcase’s solidly bluesy, Southern-spiked elixir of Joe’s soulful soloing.

The sexy Latin treatment of “I Hear A Rhapsody” reveals the versatility of the quartet. Tom Lonardo’s soft rhythmic gyrations on the drums bring a sweet and natural sounding ambience to this track. “Tiny’s Tempo” brings a harder drive to the album, with Tim Goodwin anchoring the band on bass. Joe’s intricate fingering work during the intro to “A Few Questions” leads us into a Latin-swing groove, and down a rabbit hole of harmonic twists and turns that never leaves us behind or loses its form.

“House Of The Rising Sun,” a staple of folk/blues artists, comes alive as Joe’s arrangement sends us waltzing into a glorified swing. The tone of Art Edmaiston’s solo on this track brings a true blue jazz depth to the song. Finally, “People Make The World Go ‘Round,” a soul/pop hit of the 70s, carries this musical journey to a gritty, bluesy, yet contemporary end. With his fast fingering and “in-your-face” approach, Joe Restivo reminds us of the world we live in, covering a wide spectrum of genres, all riding on the wings of his strings.

Joe Restivo: Making the Classic Quartet Sound Contemporary

Joe Restivo and band play a CD release show Thursday, August 1 at the Crosstown Arts Green Room at 8:00. $10.

He also leads the Joe Restivo 4 at Lafayette’s Music Room on Sunday, July 28, and every Sunday morning, 10:30 – 2:00.

Categories
Politics Politics Beat Blog

Council Candidate Burch Accuses Opponent Fletcher of Violating State Law

Burch (l), Fletcher

Charley Burch, a candidate for the City Council in Super-District 9, Position 3, is taking aim at one of his opponents, Cody Fletcher, charging the Fletcher campaign with violating state law.

Burch cites Tennessee Code Annotated § 8-30-306, also known as the Little Hatch Act, which contains this provision: “No person holding a position in the preferred service shall solicit, directly or indirectly, or require any other person to solicit, directly or indirectly, donations or contributions for any political party, candidate, cause or purpose in order to acquire or deny a position in state service or to materially affect the retention, promotion or demotion of any employee in state service.”

He also cites TN Code § 2-19-203, which says: “It is unlawful for any public officer or employee knowingly to solicit directly or indirectly any contribution of money, thing of value, facilities or services of any person who has received contracts, compensation, employment, loans, grants or benefits, or any person whose organization, agency or firm has received such benefits financed by public funds, state, federal or local, for political purposes or campaign expense.”

Several candidates are contending for the District 9, Position 3 seat. Besides Burch and Fletcher, two others are Dr. Jeff Warren and Tyrone Romeo Franklin. Fletcher had originally proposed to run for the Position 1 position in Super-District 9 but was persuaded by consultant Brian Stephens to switch his venue.

Burch, a security officer at Memphis International Airport, said he intends to file a formal complaint with state authorities. He contends that Fletcher, a development officer of the University of Memphis, a state-supported institution, has run afoul of the provision by “directly or indirectly” soliciting campaign contributions from contractors of other persons with an interest in various building projects.

Burch specifically includes the University Neighborhood Development Corporation, a comprehensive redevelopment project focused on Highland Street and financed under the auspices of a TIF (tax increment financing) grant.

Fletcher is executive director of the UNDC, and, as such, says Burch, is empowered to distribute some $21 million “in city and county tax dollars over the next 15 years up and down the TIF area,” which runs from Poplar Avenue to Park Ave.

“Cody may not be fully aware personally of the problem,” said Burch. “But his campaign people should be.”

Burch pointed out that a well-attended fundraiser for the Fletcher campaign was held in March at the home of Ted Townsend, head of economic development and government relations for the University of Memphis.

“That compounds the issue,” said Burch, who pointed out that invitations to the March fundraiser “almost certainly” went out to “architects, engineers, and builders with existing or potential future contracts with the University.”

Asked if such individuals, many of whom subsequently contributed to the Fletcher campaign, didn’t have the right to contribute to political campaigns like any other citizens, Burch said, “Of course, and they’re perfectly fine people. The point is that they were solicited, and that’s a questionable gray area under the Little Hatch Act.”

Citing public information, Burch said major contributors to Fletcher with some degree of involvement with the UNDC TIF area included Bob Loeb of Loeb Properties, New York developer Zachary Channing, and representatives of the Bass, Berry and Sims law firm, the Makosky, Ringel, and Greenberg property management firm, and Looney, Kiss, and Ricks architects.

Burch also raised the issue of possible conflicts of interest involving Fletcher as a Councilman, given that the Council has ex officio representation on the EDGE board and certain powers of approval over that board, which initiates and oversees TIFs and other development projects.

Apprised of Burch’s charges, Fletcher responded, “‘My top priority is fighting crime. If my opponents are talking about me, I must be doing something right.”

Categories
News News Blog

Mayor: Memphis in May Will Return to Tom Lee Park Next Year

CREDIT: Chris McCoy

Chris McCoy

Sunset over Tom Lee Park

Memphis in May (MIM) will be held in Tom Lee Park next year and Riverside Drive will remain a four-lane street, according to Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland.

Original plans had park renovations starting right after the festival concluded this year. The original construction timeline was 18 months. That, most likely, meant MIM would have been held in another location in 2020.

In the original plan from the Memphis River Parks Partnership (MRPP), Riverside would have been shrunk to two lanes. This, MRPP leaders said, would slow traffic on the street and provide more green space in the park.

In his weekly email to constituents, Strickland laid out a bullet-point list of facts on Tom Lee Park as “misinformation abounds in the public conversation around this issue, so allow me to set a few things straight today. 

“My vision is to craft a better Riverfront for all Memphians,” said Strickland, whose Riverfront Development Task Force was the catalyst for much of the change planned there. “That includes an improved Tom Lee Park and a better-than-ever Memphis in May.

“My commitment has been clear: a Tom Lee Park that will enable the Memphis in May International Festival to continue to thrive for decades to come and will better serve Memphians the other 11 months out of the year.”

Here’s Strickland’s list of facts about the riverfront:

• We’re currently mediating the future layout of Tom Lee Park — not whether Memphis in May will remain in Tom Lee Park.

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I’ve always been committed to Memphis in May in Tom Lee Park, and said so as recently as this space in May. The parties involved in crafting the future layout are Memphis in May, the Memphis River Parks Partnership, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and us (the city).

• Memphis in May will be held in Tom Lee Park in 2020. In 2021, it will be held at an alternate site to accommodate construction in the park. The festival will return to the park in 2022 and will be at home there for years to come.

• Riverside Drive will remain a four-lane street. We will incorporate speed-limiting designs in the final product, because we want the street to enable better access to the park.

Toby Sells

Tom Lee Park redesign.

• In addition to providing new amenities for citizens, the proposed renovations to Tom Lee Park will improve the infrastructure for Memphis in May.

• No city money from our general fund or capital improvement budget will be used — meaning that not a cent of this will impact service delivery like police and fire. Anyone who tells you otherwise either doesn’t understand or is trying to mislead you on purpose.

[pullquote-1]

The city is routing $10 million in sales taxes in the Tourism Development Zone (TDZ) that would otherwise have gone to the state of Tennessee. The remaining money for the park would come from Shelby County, the state of Tennessee, and private sources.

Strickland asked Memphians to “think of the vision.”

“When it’s done, we’ll have a world-class park that’s a front door for visitors and a back yard for Memphians,” he said. “Let’s not limit ourselves. We can have a Tom Lee Park that both enables Memphis in May to thrive and sparks more enjoyment for Memphians the other 11 months a year. It’s not an either-or.”

Categories
Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Fredrick Wiseman’s Memphis Documentary “Juvenile Court” Screens At Rebranded Crosstown Arthouse Film Series

Crosstown Theater has rebranded their weekly film presentations as the Crosstown Arthouse Film Series. This better reflects the series’ content and mission of bringing classic, rarely seen, or overlooked films to Memphis audiences.

Case in point is tonight’s film, Juvenile Court. Director Fredrick Wiseman was one of the early practitioners of what was called “Direct Cinema”, a kind of American answer to cinéma vérité. Enabled by the development of the kind of handheld camera and audio equipment we in the digital age take for granted, filmmakers of the 1960s were able to capture reality in a way that their predecessors simply could not. Wiseman’s films like High School, Basic Training, and Missile were all about capturing everyday life in various contexts. In the early 1970s, he turned his camera on the Memphis justice system for what would become Juvenile Court. Wiseman doesn’t editorialize — although he was a pioneer of using editorial techniques to construct a narrative out of seemingly disconnected images and events, which producers of today’s reality shows have weaponized. Instead, he simply captures the faces and interactions of normal people in the abnormal circumstances that they are placed in.

Tonight’s screening will be introduced by filmmakers Joann Self-Selvidge and Sarah Fleming, who are currently engrossed in creating Juvenile, which traces the experiences of five people from all over the country who have been caught up in the tangle of the American juvenile justice system, and what lessons we can learn from their experience.

Tickets to the show are $5, and can be bought at the door only. Showtime is 7:30 PM at Crosstown Theater. 

Categories
News News Blog

City Planners Host Public Meetings on 3.0 Plan


There are six public meetings coming up for residents to meet with city planners and learn about how the Comprehensive Memphis 3.0 plan will affect their neighborhood.

The times and locations for the meetings are listed below. 


After delaying the vote on Memphis 3.0 several times since March, the Memphis City Council voted last week to hire a consultant to assess the financial impact the plan could have. The consultant has until mid-September to present their findings to the council. That’s when the council will take the second of three votes on the 3.0 ordinance.

In May, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland signed an executive order to ensure Memphis 3.0 would guide all city decisions on the administrative side, excluding land use. The council still has to approve the plan before it can impact land use.

The 3.0 plan is meant to be a guiding document for investments and development in the city over the next 20 years. The plan identifies citywide and community “anchors,” walkable mixed-use activity hubs, as places with the greatest opportunity for growth and improvement. The plan also identifies the degree of change needed for each anchor. This means the anchor will either be nurtured, accelerated or sustained.

Acceleration anchors signify a greater degree of change is necessary for the area. These changes will rely on a mix of private and philanthropic resources, as well as some public resources, according to the document.

Here’s a quick look at what the key acceleration anchors and recommendations are for each council district in the city. To figure out which district you reside in, visit this site.

District 1

O.T. Marshall Architects

Rendering of library at new Raleigh Town Center

Raleigh makes up most of District 1. The anchor chosen for acceleration is the former Raleigh Springs Mall and surrounding neighborhood. In 2018, construction of the Raleigh Town Center at the site of the old mall began. The town center will feature a walking trail, green space, and skate park, as well as a new library and police precinct. Memphis 3.0 recommends that the 30 acres of the site not included in the project be developed in the future. The plan specifically suggests the following for the area:

• Incentivizing small and minority-owned businesses to locate to the area

• Incentivizing facade and landscaping improvements to the surrounding commercial shopping centers

• Developing mixed-use infill to make the area more dense and reduce the number of vacant properties

• Further development of the remaining 30 acres of the former Raleigh Springs Mall

• Installing traffic-calming measures along Austin Peay

• Increasing the frequency of buses along Frayser-Raleigh Road and Austin Peay to every 30 minutes

District 2

District 2 contains the eastern-most edge of the city. The key anchor there pegged for acceleration is the intersection of Ridgeway and Winchester. The priorities in this district include reducing blight through adaptive reuses of vacant properties, increasing connectivity, and improving pedestrian safety. Specific recommendations for the anchor area include:

• Incentivizing mixed-use development near the Hickory Ridge Mall that includes cultural amenities

• Conducting a Winchester Corridor Study to take advantage of the economic viability of the area

• Identifying improvements to underutilized public land

• Increasing the frequency of incoming buses on the portion of Winchester within the district to every 30 minutes

District 3

The southeast corner of Memphis makes up District 3. The anchor chosen for acceleration there is the intersection of Mendenhall and Winchester. The plan suggests supporting local business associations, art venues, and cultural organizations. Other priorities include increasing the number of high-quality housing options near anchors, safety improvements, and reducing blight. Here the plan specifically suggests the following:

• Increasing the frequency of incoming buses on the portion of Winchester within the district to every 30 minutes

• Incentivizing mixed-use development that includes cultural amenities

• Facade improvements, such as installing street furniture, trees, and public art

• Increasing density

• Conducting a Winchester Corridor Study to take advantage of the economic viability of the area

• Creating green infrastructure in underutilized parking facilities, such as planting trees and flowers

District 4

City of Memphis

Current view of the intersection of Lamar and Airways, a District 4 anchor

In District 4, which sits near the middle of the city and comprises Orange Mound, Castalia Heights, and parts of Cooper-Young, the acceleration anchor is the intersection of Lamar and Airways. Some of the priorities for the district include improving pedestrian safety with traffic calming infrastructure, engaging community groups to initiate change, creating affordable commercial rent, and promoting the history of the Orange Mound neighborhood. The specific recommendations for the anchor neighborhood include:

• Encouraging mixed-use, mixed-income development at Lamar and Airways

• Implementing tools to support affordable housing

• Increasing cultural identity around the anchors with public art and programming in public spaces

• Creating attractive connections between neighborhoods

• Increasing the frequency of incoming buses to every 15 minutes along Lamar and every 30 minutes along Park and Kimball

District 5

District 5 covers much of the Poplar corridor and surrounding areas. One of the anchors chosen for acceleration here is the intersection of Poplar and Truse. The goals are to support neighborhood redevelopment and encourage private market activity, support local minority and women-owned business, and to create affordable housing options. Specially, the plan suggests the following:

• Assessing parking and potentially consolidating parking

• Increasing the cultural identity around the district’s anchors

• Installing public art and implementing public programming

• Improving the streetscape with trees, lighting, and pedestrian amenities

• Implementing a 15- or 20-minute interval bus line for Poplar

District 6

Self + Tucker Architects

Rendering of traffic calming configurations, public art, and public right-of-way beautification

The southwestern corner of the city makes up District 6 and is comprised of portions of South Memphis, Westwood, and Whitehaven. One of the anchors targeted for acceleration is the intersection of Neptune and Walker. Priorities include identifying financial resources for housing and home repairs, blight removal, and increasing transportation options. The specific recommendations for the anchor area include:

• Supporting multi-modal transportation options

• Encouraging housing development for diverse income levels

• Establishing partnerships with local institutions and small developers for infill projects

• Increasing the frequency of incoming buses to every 30 minutes along Mississippi Boulevard

District 7

District 7 is made up mostly of the Frayser neighborhood in North Memphis and the northern portion of Downtown. One of the anchors set to be accelerated is the intersection of Frayser Boulevard and Overton Crossing.

Some of the priorities for this area are promoting pedestrian-oriented infill, creating mixed-use development, installing traffic-calming measures, such as bike lanes and landscaped medians, and addressing the abundance of blighted, vacant properties. Specially, the plan suggests the following:

• Integrating green spaces in commercial lots to provide pedestrian refuges

• Supporting affordable housing

• Developing neighborhood gateways

• Installing public art and implementing public programming

• Increasing the frequency of incoming buses on Frayser Boulevard and University Street to every 30 minutes

Self + Tucker Architects

Proposed infrastructure improvements near the Frayser Plaza

District 8

Super District 8 is made up of Districts 6 and 7, as well as the majority of Districts 3 and 4. The key anchors for acceleration identified here are Lamar and Airways within District 4. Recommendations for the entire super district include housing rehab in areas such as New Chicago and Soulsville, infill development at Raines and Elvis Presley, and promoting pop-up shops and other commercial activity near Danny Thomas and A.W. Willis. Specific recommendations include:

• Addressing motorist and pedestrian safety hazards at the Lamar/Kimball/Pendleton intersections

• Increasing the frequency of incoming buses along Lamar, East Parkway, and North Watkins to every 15 minutes

District 9

Super District 9 comprises Districts 1, 2, and 5, as well as a small portion of Districts 3 and 4. The key anchor here for acceleration is the intersection of Park and Getwell. Some of the priorities for the super district include encouraging community events at Audubon Park, connecting public spaces to anchors, and promoting walkability. Specially, the plan suggest the following:

• Increasing the frequency of incoming buses on Getwell to every 30 minutes

• Redeveloping key economic corridors to support business development

• Incentivizing mixed-income development

• Improving multimodal infrastructure to employment centers and high-volume bus stops



Learn more about the Memphis 3.0 Plan here. 

Categories
Letter From The Editor Opinion

The Wall

CREDIT: Reuters | Lucy Nicholson

A report released this week by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency revealed that in the two-and-a-half years since President Donald Trump came into office, 51 miles of border wall have been built — all of it erected to replace barriers already in place.

You may remember Trump’s signature campaign promise was to build a big, beautiful wall that would run the length of the U.S.-Mexico border, and that Mexico would “pay for it.” Not so much, it turns out. The border wall, like so many things the president talks about, exists only in his mind — and in the minds of those who take his words at face value. But the sad truth is, Trump has managed to build a wall. It’s big, but it’s not beautiful — and we’re paying for it.

Trump has built a wall between those who think that separating refugee children from their families and putting them in cages along the border is an acceptable solution to our immigration problem and those who believe that policy is cruel, inhumane, and unworthy of who we are as Americans.

Trump has built a wall between those who believe in the science of climate change and those who believe our rapidly warming planet is just a natural occurrence and we can’t do anything about it.

Reuters | Lucy Nicholson

U.S.-Mexico border fencing in Santa Teresa, New Mexico

Trump has built a wall between those who think Americans should celebrate our country’s diversity and those who think people whose ancestors are from countries that aren’t white should “go back where they came from” if they criticize the president.

Trump has built a wall between those who believe we should work with and respect our traditional democratic allies and those who believe, like Trump, that those alliances are worthless and that murderous dictators such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un should be fawned over and coddled and emulated.

Trump has built a wall between those who think cheating on your wife with porn stars and other women and paying them to keep quiet about it doesn’t conflict with Christian “family values” and those who think such behavior is despicable.

Trump has built a wall between those who believe the Mueller Report’s findings that Russia interfered with the 2016 election and that the president obstructed justice 10 times and those who think the report simply said “no collusion.” That wall also divides those who think our intelligence agencies serve to protect America and those who think those agencies are part of a “deep state” conspiracy to bring down a president who is innocent of any nefarious activity.

Trump has built a wall between those who think the U.S. Department of Justice should be an independent agency serving the American people and those who think it should exist only to protect the interests of the president.

Trump has even managed to build a wall within the Republican Party — between those who think the president doesn’t reflect the party’s values and those who think he is the party. (He’s also built a wall between Lindsey Graham circa 2016 and Lindsey Graham today, but I digress.)

Trump has built a wall between those who think Fox News is a purveyor of misinformation and a blatant propaganda outlet for the president and those who believe the network is “fair and balanced.”

Trump has built a wall between longtime friends, between brothers and sisters, between parents and their children and grandchildren, between blacks and whites and browns, between gay and straight, between women and men — a wall of anger, distrust, and wounds that won’t easily heal.

Trump has built a wall between his lies and the truth, between those who believe him and those who don’t.

Some day, historians will write about all this — the time when America was riven in two by a man who came into the presidency sowing anger and resentment and divisiveness, who disparaged and ridiculed former presidents, war heroes, political opponents, members of Congress, the disabled — a man who told lie after lie, day after day, tweet after tweet, and built a cult-like “base” of followers who bought into every damn word.

Yes, someday, God willing, this will all be in American history books. And your descendants may rightly wonder as they read this odd and terrifying chapter: Which side of the wall were you on?

Categories
Cover Feature News

On the Clock: Memphis Animals Who Put in a Day’s Work

CREDIT: Bee Garriott/Facebook

My three dogs haven’t worked a day in their lives. Unless you consider napping, eating, and demanding lovin’s work. That’s my oldest boy, Doogie Howser, on the cover. (Shout-out to Hollywood Feed for providing his cover-worthy wardrobe.) He’s 9 years old, and he is the very best boy. Doogie’s brought me — and, I’m certain, all who’ve encountered him — so much joy (and unsolicited slobbery kisses), so, in that sense, you could say he has put in some work. He also provided crucial insight and editorial assistance for this cover story and is awaiting his paycheck.

We thought it’d be cool to search the city for other animals putting in the time — to brighten people’s days, relieve anxiety, greet guests, or entertain the masses. We found dogs (lots of dogs), cats, ducks, fish, and even goats working various jobs in Memphis. We hope you’ll enjoy — as much as we did — getting to know more about these hard workers and how they keep business going around town. — Shara Clark

Bee Garriott/Facebook

Bee

Bee

“People come in here just to see her,” says Martha Garriott. “They know her name, and they don’t know mine.” Garriott’s referring to her toy poodle, Bee, the unofficial supervisor at Urban Earth Garden Center. Bee’s smaller than many of the lawn ornaments and flower pots the center sells, but she’s doing big, important work. From her post — a comfy bed, layered with toys, atop a tall chair behind the counter — she oversees the store. “Any time I ring up a sale, I have to put her in the chair to get on the register because she’ll bark if I don’t,” Garriott says. “She has to watch me to make sure I do it correctly.”

Bee, a former champion show dog and breeding dog, was rescued by Garriott three years ago and has been working at Urban Earth since 2017. Her duties include greeting customers (who often bring her treats and toys), modeling products for the center’s Facebook page, and providing pet therapy to her co-workers.

When Garriott first brought her home, she says, “Bee had never been on grass, she didn’t know what grass was. She had never been allowed to jump, and I don’t think she knew how to bark, she was so quiet for so long. But she’s got a very good life now. Everybody loves her.” — Shara Clark

Say hi to Bee at Urban Earth Garden Center, 80 Flicker Street.

The Peabody Memphis

Peabody Ducks

Peabody Ducks

Just like clockwork, every day at 5 p.m., after six hours of paddling around in the Peabody Hotel lobby fountain, the illustrious Peabody ducks are ready to retire to their posh Duck Palace on the rooftop. Their “valet,” head Duckmaster Doug Weatherford, steps down before the crowd of eager children and families to announce the ducks’ march back upstairs.

“All that remains is to play the John Philip Sousa ‘King Cotton March’ and march our five feathered friends single-file up the red carpet into that elevator en route to the palace on the rooftop,” he proclaims. “You, too, will have been an eyewitness to the world-famous march of the Peabody ducks!”

The five mallards — one brightly colored male and four females — step onto the red carpet and march back to their humble abode, where they will live for 90 days before they are sent back out into the wild and five of their friends come to take their place. Until then, this team of ducks will continue to enjoy their five-star Peabody Hotel experience, complete with room service — we hear the ducks turn their beaks up at iceberg lettuce, so they receive the finest romaine — and personal showers dealt by Weatherford himself.

“They’re wild animals, so we don’t give them names, and they only ‘work’ for us for 90 days,” says Weatherford. “Our object here is to make sure that they’re healthy and that they remain as unchanged as possible.” — Julia Baker

Watch the ducks march (11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily) at The Peabody Memphis, 118 S. Second.

T. Clifton Gallery

Argus

Argus

A low bark — almost a grunt — was heard when I entered T. Clifton Art and Custom Framing Gallery. The sound came from a huge ball of fur on the floor. It was Argus, a chocolate St. Bernard who, at the age of 10, is a Broad Avenue legend. The gallery even sells T-shirts bearing Argus’ likeness.

“He’s come to work with me every day since he was 7 weeks old,” says gallery owner Tom Clifton. And this is a gallery filled with glassware, some items priced at thousands of dollars, on open shelves. “Ever since he was a puppy, he’s never broken a thing.”

Argus isn’t a guard dog per se, but he “senses things I don’t,” Clifton says. He’ll let out a “woof, almost a grunt,” which is fitting because Clifton named Argus after a mythological Greek “warrior guard.” Argus, who’s been in FedEx TV commercials and various fashion shoots and brought cheer to nursing homes, is recognized when Clifton goes out.

The first time Clifton saw Argus, he was in a pen with other puppies. Argus walked up to the side of the pen, put his paw on the edge, and stared at him. “That was it,” Clifton says. “From that moment, we’ve been inseparable.” — Michael Donahue

Visit Argus at T. Clifton Art and Custom Framing Gallery, 571 Broad Avenue.

Bruce VanWyngarden

The Goats of Beale

The Goats of Beale

Angelina and Zena are a pair of 5-year-old goats who patrol the west side of the patio at Silky O’Sullivan’s on Beale. They are the fourth pair of goats to inhabit the famed joint since it opened in 1992, a result of a brainstorm by the club’s legendary founder, the late Silky Sullivan. “A goat named Puck is part of Irish mythology,” says club senior manager Jay Wells. “And Silky thought goats would be a great fit for the club. And they have been. People come from far and wide to see them, and they love visitors.”

The goats’ quarters, which include ramps and steps and private spaces, are separated from the customers by a couple of fences, mostly to keep patrons from feeding them or, worse, giving them beer. But Wells let me get up close and personal with A and Z, and let me tell you, they are the sweetest animals you could imagine, affectionate and curious and more than happy to nuzzle faces with their visitor.

“They have a better health plan than I do,” says Wells. “The vet comes regularly to trim their hooves and horns and check them out. They come from a goat farm near Atoka, which is where they retire at some point.”

And what do they eat? “Purina Goat Chow,” says Wells. Well, that, and the saltine crackers I gave them.

— Bruce VanWyngarden

Meet Angelina and Zena at Silky O’Sullivan’s, 183 Beale Street.

Jesse Davis

Zen

Zen

It’s the most common trope in comic books — the traumatic origin story. Wolverine underwent horrible experiments. Ditto Rocket Raccoon, X-23, and the Winter Soldier. Well, real-life comic dog Zen might have them all beat.

“We think she was a bait dog because her ears are clipped, and they’re not professionally clipped. And she had gnarly scars on her head and her legs. She’s filling in now, but she was skinny. She was rough,” says Shannon Merritt, co-owner of 901 Comics and 901 Games and dog-father to Zen.

Like Professor X giving Wolverine a home, Merritt found Zen at Memphis Animal Shelter, whisked her away, and gave her a new home and a new purpose — to patrol the aisles of the comic store, nosing out head-scratches and belly-rubs from customers.

Patrons of 901 Comics will doubtless remember M.J., the mascot of Merritt’s Bad Dog Comics line, who lost her battle with cancer in the winter of 2018. “I had a real tough time when M.J. passed,” Merritt says, though Zen is doing her best to fill the pit-bull-sized hole in his heart. The pair stick together and support each other. “She comes with me whenever I’m working,” Merritt says. “She’s okay with everybody coming in here.” — Jesse Davis

Rub Zen’s belly at 901 Comics, 2162 Young Avenue.

Metal Museum

Spatz

Metal Museum

Mr. Fuller

Spatz and Mr. Fuller

If there’s a sweeter gig than bookstore cat, it can only be museum cat. What better way to pass the time than to pad about the museum grounds keeping an eye out for pests — or for friendly tourists willing to bestow belly rubs? Indeed, resident Metal Museum cats Spatz and Mr. Fuller have it made in the shade. Mr. Fuller is a lazy tabby who showed up in 2008, and Spatz, the wilder of the two, is a black cat who made his first appearance in 2015.

Don’t be fooled by their sweet gig, though, the cats do work. They’re mascots, says youth initiative coordinator Darcie Beeman-Black, who has incorporated the cats into the educational materials for youth groups, like the “I Spy” program and Spatz’s scavenger hunt. Even the cats’ names are teaching tools. “A fuller is a tool in the blacksmith’s shop. It’s a peg that fits perfectly into a slot of the same size, and they use it to make curves in metal,” Beeman-Black explains. “Spatz is the protective covering you wear over your shoes in the foundry. They named him Spatz because when he was a kitten, he was always at your feet.

“They are tough cats. They’re in the shop a lot,” Beeman-Black adds. When they aren’t in the shop, they can be seen lounging around the grounds. Mr. Fuller can usually be found near the sculpture of an ant. “You can just walk up to him and scratch his belly,” Beeman-Black says. “He’s really sweet.” — Jesse Davis

See Spatz and Mr. Fuller at the Metal Museum, 374 Metal Museum Drive.

Jon Sparks

Molly

Molly

Molly greeted me at the door to All About Bikes with a wag and a cold nose. “Come in,” she said, “and try out one of our Baja Trikes. They’re a nice, easy ride for Boomers.” I glared at her: “Are you saying I’m old?” I barked. She looked back with kindly, soulful eyes and nuzzled me saying, “It’s okay, I’m 12 years old, so I’m sympathetic. We can get you a comfortable seat as well.”

I harrumphed and looked at Tommy James, the shop’s co-owner and devoted minion to Molly. Ignoring my snit, he explained the store was formerly All About Pets, and you can see the one-time resident dog Shelby memorialized on the back wall. The mission changed, but a canine presence was preserved, and sweet, laid-back Molly has the run of the place, sometimes going out front to take in the air and receive visitors who often will come by just to say hi to her. Tommy doesn’t seem to take offense. I scratch Molly behind the ears and say, “Okay, you got something in a comfort bike?” She gives me a nudge. “Walk this way,” she says. “I got you.”

— Jon W. Sparks

Let Molly assist you at All About Bikes, 621 S. Mendenhall.

Bass Pro

Bass Pro

Fish, Ducks, and Alligators (Oh my!)

“There he is! There’s the surgeon!” That was the cry from a youthful visitor to the Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid during a visit last week. The lad, who was eager to communicate his excitement to a group of peers being squired by adults, was no doubt a vacationer from elsewhere, like many, perhaps most, of the visitors to the Memphis riverside attraction.

The young man was verbally mistaken; there was no doctor swimming in the pool where he was pointing. But there was a bona fide sturgeon — a big fish that was clearly an exotic being, a long, silver eminence among the dark lesser spawn swimming in the murky waters on the Pyramid floor. It’s not the dolphins at SeaWorld, but these aquatic creatures are an attraction all the same for the people who come to the Bass Pro Pyramid, not only to purchase outdoors ware but, it would seem, to get a whiff of the natural outdoors world while they’re at it.

The fish are real; so are the ducks in another pool, and the alligators swimming in a tank near the elevator. There are other wild creatures on view at Bass Pro — bears, moose, wild boars, for example, but these are stuffed animals or facsimiles of the real thing. Not working stiffs like the fish and the ducks. Just plain stiffs. But they all, real or fabricated, earn their keep.

— Jackson Baker

See the creatures of the great outdoors indoors at Bass Pro Shops, 1 Bass Pro Drive.

Maya Smith

Axel

Axel

While brothers Darin and Josh Throndson are busy making teeth and other dental supplies at Innovative Dental Technologies’ lab in Crosstown Concourse, Axel, their chocolate brown cane corso, is there for moral support. Only a year old, Axel already weighs about 120 pounds. He’s giant but gentle, they say.

The brothers say tug-of-war is one of his favorite pastimes. He also enjoys the dog park on the Crosstown campus. But, their friendly companion spends most of the work day sleeping. And he’s a snorer. The brothers say the snoring is sometimes distracting but a reliable source of laughter.

Since Crosstown is dog-friendly, Axel comes to work every day with the brothers, who work long hours, sometimes 60 hours a week. “He’s good company and it’s allowed, so why not bring him?”

He’s been coming to the lab since he was a puppy. The brothers carried him to the fourth-floor office in a laundry basket until he was big enough to walk. When Crosstown regulars see Axel now, they are surprised that this is the same dog that had to be carried in a basket, the brothers say.

— Maya Smith

Axel’s hard at work at Innovative Dental Technologies, 1350 Concourse Avenue, Suite 450.

Daniel McGarry

Buster

Buster

When I walk into Clearview Family Eyecare, Buster is on the receiving end of joyful head-scratches being doled out by a curly-haired toddler while her parents finalize their appointment. According to his owner, Dr. Seth Salley, he’s the clinic’s Chief Happiness Officer or CHO.

His primary duty, aside from rigorous napping, is greeting people. “When he hears somebody walk in, he comes out and sniffs them and says hi,” Salley says. “And then he sits on people’s feet.” His presence also tends to take the edge off for nervous patients. “I had an autistic kid in here a couple of weeks ago, and he was talking to Buster and me. When we got through the exam, his mom said, ‘I don’t know what happened, but he never talks to doctors … I think it was Buster.’ He just has that effect.”

Buster, 5, is an English Springer Spaniel imported from Sweden by breeders in Mason, Tennessee. “He was a breeding prospect, but they told me, ‘He’s so laid-back, he won’t breed.'” He’s been working as Clearview’s online mascot, welcome crew, and calming agent since he was adopted six months ago. His Swedish export pedigree papers list his given name as Big Brazzel Dragon Fly, but at the request of Salley’s kids, they renamed him Buster, after Andy’s dog in Toy Story. — SC

Feel Buster’s serenity at Clearview Family Eyecare, 618 Oakleaf Office Lane, #100.

Toby Sells

Lucy

Lucy

When Lucy does her job, there are no good options. “If you’re right, it’s bad,” says K9 Officer Brian Jenkins. “If you’re wrong, it’s bad, just in a different way.”

Lucy is a German Wirehaired Pointer, a stocky, beautiful dog with a gray/chocolate coat. Brimming with energy, she bursts through a door at Memphis International Airport, and her nose immediately goes to the ground. Over a bag, behind the gate desk, and up and down the rows of empty seats, Lucy hunts bombs. Lucy was trained at Lackland Air Force Base. Some of her kennel mates joined the military, sniffing out explosives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lucy met Jenkins and came to Memphis, keeping the airport here safe with the Transportation Security Administration.

After a few more sniffs, Lucy sits. Jenkins throws her a tennis ball, pets her head, and praises her good work. It was a training exercise, of course. If it was real, only bad options would be left. It’s either a “multi-million-dollar mistake” to dump the concourse, re-screen passengers, and recall aircraft, or, “there’s a bomb in my airport,” Jenkins says. Lucy just thinks she’s playing, though. Yes, she goes home with Jenkins at night. And, yes, “she has her own bedroom.” But, no, you should not pet Lucy. She’s working to keep you safe, and pets from strangers aren’t part of her training. — Toby Sells

See Lucy in action — no touching, please! — at Memphis International Airport, 2491 Winchester Road.

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

Bar Ware Brings Craft Cocktails — and a Juice Bar — Downtown

CREDIT: Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

During these hot months, it’s important to drink lots of water and take care of yourself so you don’t stroke out on some patio in front of all your friends and their dogs. That’s why I support Bar Ware, Downtown’s newest bar, because they’ve mitigated the issue of the unhealthy habit of drinking by sticking a juice bar inside their place. The way I see it, they’ve damn near made drinking in a bar a step in the right direction.

The Ware in Bar Ware is Libby Ware Wunderlich, owner and founder. The where is 276 Front Street, near Old Dominick distillery. And the details? They’ve covered a lot of ground.

Featuring beautifully crafted cocktails, a state-of-the-art juice bar from JuiceBrothers, a delicious menu served all day, and Memphis’ only “frozen beer machine” that turns the head of your beer into a slushy (tried it, and it works: your beer stays ice-cold!), Wunderlich and her staff have thought of every conceivable way, short of an injection, for people to get food and drink into their bodies. Make no doubt about it, the Downtown bar scene lineup just got a little deeper.

Photographs by Justin Fox Burks

The vibrantly violet Madam Butterfly (above) and house-made tagliatelle

The bar manager, Jacob Leonard, developed the entire beverage program with the help of fellow bartender Sam Hendricks. The cocktail list is summery, with drinks based around fruit, light teas, and fragrant herbs. Leonard’s favorite drink to make is the current darling of Instagram, the Madam Butterfly, a blue drink made with butterfly pea tea and topped with flowers. “It’s delicate, but it has layers,” he says.

An added benefit of being a bar with a juice bar connected to it is incorporating fresh-squeezed juices into the cocktails. As Bar Ware continues to get up and running, Leonard and his staff will begin cultivating a drink menu that features their juices as well.

So sure, they’ve pulled off a juice bar and a full bar, but can they cook? Chef Kevin Quinnell, formerly of Southern Social and Itta Bena, is here to check that off the list, too. The menu has a little bit of everything, including a charcuterie and cheese plate, steamed sandwiches, a house-made tagliatelle pasta with vodka cream sauce, and Quinnell’s favorite, the beef Wellington.

But what of Libby Ware Wunderlich, who thought to pull all of this together under one roof? A woman of the people, she threw a central focus out the window and embraced the chaos of appeasing us all.

Bibi Janus, a friend of Wunderlich’s, helped her with JuiceBrothers. The concept, which Janus developed in her native Amsterdam and recently brought to Manhattan, and the recipes, are all hers. The Memphis location is just one of three in the United States (the other two being in NYC).

Wunderlich envisioned a place for people who enjoy drinking to drink, and she’s built it to suit. The interior is swanky without being pretentious. The ceilings and walls are dark, so one doesn’t feel very exposed while knocking a few back. The decorating is exquisite, from the gingko light fixtures to the Mongo for Mayor framed picture on the wall. The patio, which is under construction, will be a key addition once the weather cooperates.

And Wunderlich is back at work just days after having her first baby, because nothing makes one want a drink quite like childbirth. I respect this commitment, and have a drink in her honor.

Categories
Editorial Opinion

Crime and Punishment and Societal Problems

The issue of public safety is sure to surface sooner or later in this city election season. Fodder for it was provided on Tuesday during an address to the Rotary Club of Memphis from Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings.

MPD director Mike Rallings

As is usual under such circumstances, the head of MPD was prepared with plenty of statistics. In a nutshell, there were two sets of measurements: 1) the state of criminal incidents since last year, and 2) the state of things since the city’s high-mark for violent crime in 2006 — the year that the data-driven policy of Blue Crush took hold in the department.

By the second measure, progress is undeniable. The incidence of crime is down 6 percent since the advent of Blue Crush — and, as Rallings noted, that means 1,625 fewer victims per annum. As for violent crimes, there were 36,859 by this point in 2006; there are some 26,000 in 2019, thus far, an impressive decline.

Now for the bad news: “Homicides are still a challenge,” Rallings said. The number of murders has picked up this year by a margin of 13 percent over last year. Another issue is a drastic increase in the number of firearms stolen from vehicles since the passage of state legislation several years back that allows guns belonging to licensed owners to be left in automobiles. Rallings pointed out the irony that the state’s lawmakers were much more scrupulous about banning the use of cellphones in cars than they have been regarding guns.

The director said the ideal number of MPD officers is 2,600, adding that there are 2072 officers currently. He said he expects to see the force reach 2,300 officers by the end of 2020.

But, as Rallings noted, the best means of lowering the crime rate is not that of merely buttressing the police component. He pinpointed three predominant facts common to offenders: 1) the fact of being a high school dropout, 2) the subjection during one’s upbringing to an atmosphere of domestic violence, and 3) the incidence of transience in the life of offenders’ families. The best means of curtailing crime, Rallings said, would be to find solutions to these insufficiencies in the lives of the city’s less fortunate citizens.

This year’s mayoral candidates might take heed of Rallings’ findings, particularly his syllogism that “to improve literacy is to reduce crime.” That relates particularly to his first point. As for his second point, Rallings said there was a direct correlation between “intimate-partner violence” in the home to crimes committed later on by youths raised in those circumstances. Clearly, an increased emphasis on reducing domestic abuse is as relevant to crime control as it is to culture in general in the #MeToo era.

All in all, Director Rallings made obvious the connection between social attitudes, insufficient housing, poverty and its attendant social problems, and the crime rate. It behooves the mayoral candidates of 2019 to consider the facts and come up with strategies to improve the situation on all fronts.