Author: Edited by Flyer staff

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Blurb Books

Memphis Reads: August

This month your favorite booksellers are back with recommendations, so you can keep up with your summer reading. Check them out below.

Anything That Moves by Jamie Stewart

Jamie Stewart is the creative force behind the experimental pop group, Xiu Xiu. Anything That Moves is the exact kind of book fans of Stewart’s music would expect them to write. A bizarre and painfully vulnerable exploration of desire, identity, and a desperation for human connection. An open wound of a book. It follows Stewart’s exploration of sexuality and desire from early adolescence onward. Reading it almost feels transgressive, like reading someone’s diary. This semi-memoir is exhibited in the form of a series of vignettes and essays. Making it not only as vulnerable as a diary, but very much structured like one.  

The extreme intimacy of Stewart’s book also feels expansive. They invite us to reflect on our own desires and vulnerabilities. Stewart’s voice is unique, lyrical, surreal, and heartbreaking. Anything that moves is one of the most compelling books I’ve read in years, and the grossest book I’ve ever read cover to cover. An absolute gift to the world of contemporary literature. — Kole Oakes, Burke’s Book Store

Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams

Blood at the Root was a hot topic on BookTok (the reader-friendly side of TikTok). The debut novel from Southerner LaDarrion Williams features a young man who is coming into his magic and whose life is shrouded in mystery. With new powers and a checkered past, Malik is given an invitation to a magical HBCU (historical Black college and university) where he’ll hone his magic and find clues to put the pieces of his past together. Blood at the Root explores not only the roots and secrets that connect us in an unforgettable contemporary setting, but also introduces a new world of magic to fans of Harry Potter and other fantastical series. — Jeremee DeMoir, DeMoir Books & Things

Children of Anguish & Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

The third and final book in the Legacy of Orisha series, CAA returns us to Zelie’s journey! After all she’s done to return magic to Orisha, she’s facing a new and dangerous foe. However, she’s not alone. Joined by Amari, Tzain, and Inan, Zelie meets new companions who will help her fight to put an end to the war the new enemy is about to bring to the world. Written by NYT bestselling author Tomi Adeyemi, this final installment has been much anticipated and the team at DeMoir Books couldn’t wait to dive in once it was released in late June 2024! — Jeremee DeMoir, DeMoir Books & Things

In Ascension by Martin MacInnes

In Ascension, is an import from Scottish author Martin MacInnes, released in the U.S. this year. A literary fiction that blurs the lines between speculative and science fiction, it’s set in the immediate future with the climate crisis we face now as it will progress as predicted.

The story follows a marine biologist from the Netherlands, a land recovered from and ever-contesting against the water. She studies ancient microorganisms, archaea, and the origins of life. One theory is that these first life forms originated in hydrothermal vents, and so when a trench in the ocean is newly discovered, she joins the research expedition to map and measure it.

From the bottom of the deepest depths of our ocean and planet, to where life started, what it can survive, how the findings can be used, and where that can take us, this eco-fiction spans a larger than human scale. — Dianna Dalton, Novel

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb

An honest look into the world of therapy! This poignant story gives insight to how a therapist approaches their work while also showing what therapy can look like on the other side of the couch as the client.

You follow Gottlieb’s client’s through the lens of the therapist, learning what sort of intentional work one might do to help clients feel comfortable enough to trust the process and heal. Intermixed within chapters, you also get to experience Gottlieb’s journey as she goes through her own therapy after her personal life takes a dramatic hit. The perfect showcase that anyone can grow with therapy, even the therapists themselves! — Mandy Martin, Novel

Road Home by Rex Ogle

Once Rex’s father figures out Rex is gay, he is given an ultimatum: to become straight or get kicked out of the family.

This book shook me to my core. Rex is kicked out of his home by his parents, betrayed by the people who are supposed to love him the most. What follows is a life on the streets in New Orleans. As a gay teen experiencing homelessness, Rex constantly struggles for the basic needs of food, water, shelter, and sleep. The people he meets do not always have his best interests at heart and often cause more harm than good.

With no place to call home, no one to look out for him, no safety net, Rex barely gets by, and most of the time he hangs onto his dignity by a loose, fraying thread. This memoir is gut-wrenching and will break your heart. His future looks very bleak, and when it looks like he may not make it, a beacon of light emerges when he least expects it.

A true story of survival, Rex tells it all with honesty and grace.

Road Home is the third and last book in Rex Ogle’s memoir trilogy which also includes Free Lunch and Punching Bag. — Sheri Bancroft, Novel

There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America’s Biggest Catfish by Anna Akbari 

There Is No Ethan is a dark and unsettling read. Set in the early days of social media, the protagonist’s toxic obsession and self-delusion are both captivating and repulsive. Akbari’s writing is unflinching and raw, making it hard to look away from the train wreck. A haunting and uncomfortable exploration of the human psyche, but not for the faint of heart. This book will linger long after the final page is turned. — Blake C. Helis, Burke’s Book Store 

All books mentioned can be purchased at the respective bookstore locations. For upcoming book events, including book clubs and author signings, visit the Flyer’s event calendar.

Categories
Opinion The Last Word

Environmentalists Applaud Passage of Inflation Reduction Act

The bill’s approval surprised many. (Photo: Quick PS | Unsplash)

Last week Congress approved the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. The bill does a lot of things, but environmentalists applauded its $350 billion package to address climate change and promote clean energy investments. Some said the bill has the potential to lower greenhouse gas emissions across the nation by 40 percent by 2030. Here’s what some of those environmental advocates had to say about it.

“Change is coming. This bill is a historic commitment by the United States to regain a leadership position not only in addressing climate disruption but also in leading the clean energy technology revolution that is being unleashed.

While no single entity can take credit for the roller-coaster ride that led to the Senate [and the House later] passing this significant legislation, much credit must be given to the voters in Georgia. By electing not one, but two climate-focused Senate leaders in a runoff election in early 2021, these two Southern senators were absolutely necessary for creating this moment in history and shepherding the bill through the political tightrope in the Senate.”

— Stephen Smith (writing before the House passed the bill)
Executive Director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

“In almost every Climate Reality training, I include a quote from the great American poet Wallace Stevens, who wrote: ‘After the final no there comes a yes / and on that yes the future world depends.’

Today, in Congress, there came a historic yes, with the House voting to follow the Senate and pass the Inflation Reduction Act, the biggest climate bill the U.S. has ever seen. It is no great exaggeration to say that on this ‘yes’ our future world depends.

To help shape the climate measures that are included in this bill, our Climate Reality leaders and chapters held more than 150 meetings with legislators. Our friends and supporters contacted their representatives and policy-makers over 180,000 times. All with one simple message: Go big. Go bold. Act now. Yes, yes, yes.

There is much to celebrate. The IRA will supercharge the just transition to clean energy that is already underway across the country, transforming our economy while creating an estimated 1.5 million jobs and cutting costs for working families. Critically, the bill invests $60 billion in frontline communities hit hardest by fossil fuel pollution and the climate crisis, bringing clean air, good jobs, and better opportunities to those who have been subject to generations of environmental injustice.

The impact of this bill will ripple across continents. By putting the U.S. on the path to cutting global warming pollution 40 percent by 2030, the IRA helps keep the Paris Agreement alive and demonstrates to the world that we are committed to climate action for the long-term.

But for all the progress we will achieve through the IRA, there are provisions that require urgent attention and action. Fossil fuel interests forced painful concessions in negotiations, requiring the government to offer new areas for drilling in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as more oil and gas leasing on our public lands. Lawmakers are poised to take additional steps that would fast-track pipelines that communities — and Climate Reality leaders — have fought for years to block.”

— Al Gore
Founder and Chairman, The Climate Reality Project

“The historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act makes renewable energy — which was already affordable and, in many cases, cheaper than gas — even more cost-effective. Even before today’s momentous vote, an independent study found that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) would save billions by replacing its aging, dirty coal plants with clean energy as opposed to gas.

Families across the Valley are seeing higher power bills this summer due to TVA’s over-reliance on fossil fuels. It should be a no-brainer for TVA to take advantage of this groundbreaking legislation by scrapping plans to recklessly spend billions on new gas plants and invest in clean energy sources instead.”

— Amanda Garcia
Tennessee Office Director, Southern Environmental Law Center

“The Inflation Reduction Act is by far the most consequential legislation for climate action that has ever passed. I think it will take some time to be able to process the scale and positive effects this will have on our collective future.

But the fight is not over, we’ll need to keep up momentum across the country and here in the Southeast. Paired with more federal, state, and local actions, we will be more equipped to face the most existential threat of our time: climate change.”

— Maggie Shober
Research Director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Categories
News The Fly-By

MEMernet: Polar Bears, a Geenline Van, and Those TBI Alerts 

Posted to Nextdoor by V&E Greenline

Memphis on the internet.

Tweet of the Week

“Zoos are really insane as hell. Ain’t no way a polar bear supposed to be in Memphis, Tennessee,” tweeted @galeonsworld last week.

Van Life

Last week three people stole a minivan and attempted to drive it across the V&E Greenline bridge. 

They didn’t make it far. The bridge is fine, Greenline officials said on Nextdoor last week. But the handrail is not. Damage from a collision with the van will likely cost $5,000, they said.  

“Unfortunately, while this particular incident is unusual, we have seen more and more motorized vehicles using the trail for criminal and recreational purposes,” Greenline officials said.

Posted to Twitter by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

“No One Easy Answer”

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) apologized for the many alerts that buzzed the phones of Tennesseans at all hours last week. 

“We know it’s been a frustrating morning for many of you,” the TBI tweeted. “Same here, TBH.”

Why? “There is no one easy answer,” the TBI said in a statement. The agency doesn’t send the alerts, a partner does. The alerts also vary across cell providers, change with movements across the state, change with powering a phone on and off, signal strength, wifi availability, and more.

Categories
News The Fly-By

MEMernet: Yo MLGW, That One Fan, and King of Bass Pro

Posted to Twitter by Shay Arthur of WREG

Memphis on the internet.

Yo, MLGW

Frustrations were high last week as thousands remained without power following an ice storm. Late last week, 2 percent of those who lost power were still in the dark.

Bass Pro King

Posted to Facebook by Memphis Memes 901

Stay Classy

Posted to Twitter by BarnBurnerSlim

As his team played the University of Memphis, a University of Houston fan held aloft a sign reading, basically, “the chances of [Young] Dolph making new music are better than Memphis’ chances of making the tourney.”

The sign was taken, and other Houston fans said his actions don’t reflect the team nor the fan base.

Categories
News News Blog

We Have a Shot at Ending the Covid-19 Crisis. Let’s Get It Done.

(Credit: Daniel Schludi/Unsplash)

It is a difficult time to be a healthcare professional in the Mid-South. All of us have had to continuously change as we adapt to a different way of doing almost everything. The uncertainty spurred by the latest Covid-19 surge has created a stressful environment for most of us, and the distress of watching loved ones, friends, and neighbors get sick with the virus is something none of us want.

We are the leaders of Memphis’s top specialist clinics, including Gastro One, Medical Anesthesia Group, OrthoSouth, Semmes-Murphey Clinic, Stern Cardiovascular, West Cancer Center, McDonald Murrmann, Memphis Radiological, and Memphis OB/Gyn. For us, being trusted allies and advocates for patients is a core part of our missions.

In the same way our clinics deliver life-saving treatment and information to our patients on the operating table or in the office, we are urging our community members to protect themselves and to do their part in bringing this stage of the pandemic to a decisive end by getting vaccinated.

We certainly recognize the importance of individuals making informed choices about their care and treatment. However, our hospitals are filling up with patients infected with Covid-19, most of whom were never vaccinated. By getting the vaccine, you are protecting not only yourself but your family, co-workers, and the entire community. You are also helping to ensure that our healthcare facilities retain the capacity to care for patients who are seriously ill with other disorders.

We now know several facts about the vaccine. We know that it is very effective at preventing Covid-19. Although there can be minor side effects for some people such as chills, pain at the injection site, and headaches, overall the vaccine is a key factor, along with masking and social distancing, for controlling the spread of Covid-19.

Together, we urge you to roll up your sleeves for yourself, your family, your friends, and your loved ones. We encourage everyone to ask questions, to share worries, and to discuss doubts with their doctors or other trusted, reliable sources of information. This is how we will get our lives back and defeat Covid-19.

Let’s get it done, together.

Richard S. Aycock, MD, FACG  
Senior Vice President
Gastro One

Jordan Coffey, MD
President
Medical Anesthesia Group

Kevin T. Foley, MD, FACS 
Chairman
Semmes-Murphey Clinic

Steven Gubin, MD
President
Stern Cardiovascular

Sylvia Richey, MD
CMO
West Cancer Center

Aric Giddens, MD
President 
Memphis Ob/Gyn Association 

Mary McDonald, MD
Co-Founder
McDonald Murrmann Center for Wellness and Health

Hollis Halford, MD
President 
Memphis Radiological PC

Kenneth S. Weiss, MD 
Chairman
OrthoSouth

Categories
Food & Wine Food & Drink

My Favorite Burger …

Since it’s Burger Week and many Memphis restaurants are selling great burgers at a great price (see page 17 for details), we decided to ask a few local notables to tell us about their favorite burger. They gave us some very mouthwatering choices. Enjoy.

Fredric Koeppel, Writer

“Our favorite burger in town is the WJ Burger at Acre, a re-enactment of the original burger sold at Wally Joe restaurant that closed in 2007. Acre now offers these on Thursday nights. Beef dry-aged and ground in-house, confit tomato, roasted garlic mayo, truffle cheese, frisée on a house-baked horseradish bun — it’s just the best. Get it medium rare.”

The Office @ Uptown’s black bean burger

Jared “Jay B.” Boyd, Program Manager, WYXR

“My favorite? The black bean burger at The Office @ Uptown. I’m a new vegan, and having veggie options around town is helpful. With more Impossible and Beyond options popping up around town, this particular take on a black bean patty stands out for its taste and texture. Not quite like meat, but still flavorful enough to hold its own.”

LBOE garlic burger

Pat Mitchell-Worley, Executive Director, Stax Music Academy

“LBOE has a garlic burger. It’s no longer on the menu, but if you ask for it, they’ll make it. It has so much garlic, I can’t be around people after I eat it. But it is just divine. Not only is it flavorful, I love the smell of garlic. It’s just so relaxing. In another life, I would be a garlic farmer. Sometimes I get it as a turkey burger, too. And it’s consistently good.”

Marjorie Hass, President of Rhodes College

“I don’t eat hamburgers very often, but I am partial to the one served at Libro, the restaurant attached to Novel. A chance to browse at an actual brick-and-mortar bookstore is an increasingly rare treat. And then, to sit down to lunch over a new book and a delicious burger — perfectly cooked and covered in caramelized onions and melted cheese — makes for a perfect afternoon.”

Al Kapone

Al Kapone, Hip-Hop Artist

Al Kapone’s favorite hamburger is a toss-up between a Tops and a Dixie Queen cheeseburger. In both cases, he says, “There’s something about their cooked-to-order burgers. They both have that same almost diner burger thing about them. It’s the type burger you find in any mom-and-pop store that cooks burgers. And I want my onions grilled. Something about the grilled onion flavor I can’t explain. When they grill the onions, it gives a flavor the raw onions don’t give. I love that flavor. I think raw onions sometimes can be too strong.” And make sure and toast those buns. “If they toast the fresh bun and brush some butter on it as they toast it — oh, my God. I’m getting hungry. I want one right now.”

Mike McCarthy, Director, Sculptor, Preservationist

“I have to admit, my favorite burger is generally my most recent burger. Take last night, for instance. It was 9:30 p.m. and I was starving. Tops BBQ and Steak & Shake were closed, and the golden arches were as dark as burnt french fries. I found myself in the drive-through at Krystal on Poplar. I soon realized that I was having, perhaps not a favorite burger, but rather a most-ironic burger, a burger based in deep-rooted Memphis memories — yet no different than any other Krystal burger in any other American town. As I waited in line, I saw Krystal’s large poster advertising ‘The Hangover’ burger, which, naturally in these trying times, is now served 24-7.

“But I chose the No. 1 combo. I pulled into a parking space and began the time-honored process of getting shades of red and yellow all over my pants. I thought about how my parents would always eat at this particular Krystal when they would visit from Mississippi and how we process memories through physical shapes. But those dang Krystal marketing folks kept interrupting my thoughts with their class-struggle advertising: Each individual box containing my four burgers boasted the phrase ‘IF IT AIN’T BROKE …’ — which might really mean ‘If only we weren’t so bankrupt (in all meanings of the word), we could be eating somewhere else or enjoying a better life.’ If only Krystal restaurants looked as cool as they did in the 1950s, then I’d be feasting on Memphis history and I’d be doing it 24/7.”

Graham Winchester

Graham Winchester, Musician

Graham Winchester loves Memphis food as much as he loves Memphis music. His Instagram account has been his outlet for “Poor Man’s Food Reviews,” which he calls “30-second bursts of mania and sloppy eating. I love putting in my two cents about some food.”

Winchester won’t commit to naming an all-time winner but says his favorite burger “right now” is the B-Side Memphis Burger. “It’s new,” he says. “It’s kind of in that classic Soul Burger style, like Earnestine & Hazel’s, but it’s a little bit bigger. It’s a flat-top grilled burger. You get pickles and cheese and onions, and they give you mustard and mayonnaise on the side, so you can dabble with it as much as you want.

“It’s perfectly cooked, perfectly greasy so that the cheese and grease just kind of fill up the front of your mouth. It definitely reminds you of that Soul Burger flavor, but it’s really hardy. And it comes with fries, so you’re pretty fulfilled.”

Mark Greaney, Novelist

Memphis writer Mark Greaney (whose Bond-like Gray Man series of spy novels is now a staple on bookshelves everywhere), has two favorites: the house burger at Maximo’s on Broad for high-style days, and for everyday meals, the ever-popular Dyer’s burgers, famously marinated in their own ancient grease.

About the latter he says, “They are the perfect thickness, and the texture is amazing. (Anything fried is amazing!) They have an incredible beef flavor that blasts past the tanginess of the mustard and pickles.”