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Hearts and Flames
Last week, The Tennessee Holler broke news that Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) left several comments on steamy Instagram posts from a young, gay male named Franklyn McClur. McNally did so from his verified Insta with the username @ltgovmcnally.
McNally’s press team fired back, saying the Holler implied “something sinister or inappropriate about a great-grandfather’s use of social media.”
“Does he always use the proper emoji at the proper time?” the comms team asked. “Maybe not. But he enjoys interacting with constituents and Tennesseans of all religions, backgrounds, and orientations on social media. He has no intention of stopping.”
Salary Talk
Memphians got real about how much money they make last week on the Memphis subreddit with the “salary transparency thread.” Here’s a sample:
u/EbbFit4548: “Late 30s, 10 years teaching experience, high school social studies teacher, 3 Masters degrees, $56,000/year.”
u/angusbethune: “Just south of 40, finance director, BBA, MBA, CPA, $210,000 (salary and target bonus) plus stock incentives that vary.”
u/SkydroLnMEyeball: “FedEx aircraft mechanic, ~$145,000 before [overtime].”
u/PoppaRayngo: “Lawyer … Practicing for six years. Law degree. Early 30s, $120,272.”
Springing Spring sprung early this year no matter what your calendar says.
Joe Birch, Nancy Hart, and somebody else at Works of Heart (Credit: Demetri Kampourogiannis)
I think I covered the first Works of Heart art show 31 years ago. If I’m not mistaken, that was when the artists strictly had to use the wooden heart they were given. They could do anything with them to make something for the heart-themed art auction.
Now, artists have the option of using the 12-by-12-inch wooden heart, but they can also use anything else they want to create a work of “heart” for the longtime fundraiser.
The event, which originally benefited the old Mental Health Association, now raises money for Memphis Child Advocacy Center (MCAC). “When they closed down, the committee was looking for another charity to benefit and they found us,” says Beryl Wight, MCAC communications and grants manager.
A retrospective was held in 2007. “And then we took over from there.”
Nancy Hart at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Rita and James Kelly at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Natalie Brashear and Colin Hill at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Demetri Kampourogiannis and Jessica Van Eyck at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)
It felt a bit strange at first, knowing the event wasn’t going to be at the old Memphis College of Art, where it was held for years. Earlier locations included Oak Court Mall and WMC studios.
This year, the Works of Heart party and online auction was held February 11th at Memphis Botanic Garden. It was the first in-person Works of Heart in two years. I felt right at home at the event’s roomy new home. And I wasn’t the only one. “I thought it was wonderful,” Wight says. “I thought it was a perfect place for it to happen, coming back after two years and being in this environment. It was spacious. It’s a perfect backdrop for the art. I think it was a very successful and a good choice.”
I also felt right at home seeing some of the long-time Works of Heart artists.
Jay Etkin at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Phyllis Boger at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Art and Nancy Graesser and Murray Riss at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Wayne Edge, Ed Rainey, and Karen Edge at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)
All bidding was done online at this year’s event. Heart Hawkers wearing red boas assisted guests with bidding as well as information on artists.
Gloria Dodds, Laura Alexander-Dodds, and Allison Becksfort at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Gabe McGaha at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Lucas Skinner at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)
The Big Heart Lounge VIP section was back, too. Those who bought a ticket for the lounge got upgraded food choices, comfy sofas, a full bar with specialty cocktails and a Works of Heart T-shirt.
Kerry Jackson, Tyler Malkey, Kelly and Kathy Fish at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Gabe and Comelia Franceschi at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Alice Higdon and Daniel Reid at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Mike and Sharon Goldstein at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Donna Wolf, Donna Staub, and Rice Drewry at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)
About 400 people attended this year’s event, which featured Joe Birch as emcee, Wight says. Some $93,000 was raised for MCAC. Those are some big-hearted people.
Trey Carter at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Garret Hartline at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Donna and Bill Wolf at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)Carlos Valverde at Works of Heart (Credit: Michael Donahue)We Saw You
Light of my life, fire of my roasted chestnuts. My spirit, my cheer, ’tis the season of approaching the light, not the light — this isn’t a Charles Dickens’ story — but the twinkling lights. And boy, oh boy, does Memphis have the twinkling lights for you, but time is ticking.
For starters, the Memphis Botanic Garden has brought back its Holiday Wonders, this year with an updated layout covering eight acres and featuring larger-than-life characters from the “Alice’s Adventures” exhibition. Only this time, the large sculptures will be covered with lights, instead of greenery and flowers. Guests will also enjoy interactive activities, and on December 22nd, dogs are welcome to take in the spectacle, too. Holiday Wonders lasts through December 23rd.
Meanwhile, the zoo is hosting its annual Zoo Lights, on select nights through January 1st, with gorgeous displays, new and old, from the classic Twinkle Tunnel to the brand-new Chinese lanterns. Guests can take a ride on the Ferris wheel and a spin on the ice rink. Plus, Magic Mr. Nick will make an appearance or two, and so will some of the animals for meet and greets.
And, of course, no Memphis holiday would be complete without a drive through Shelby Farms Park’s Starry Nights, where millions of lights will dazzle you in creative displays. The event also happens to be Shelby Farms’ largest fundraising event, with proceeds going to support daily operations at the park and the Shelby Farms Greenline. On Tuesday, December 27th, the attraction will be closed to cars for a Walk + Bike the Lights Night, where guests can take a walk or ride their bikes through the glowing nights. Starry Nights runs through December 30th, concluding with the annual BuffaGLO run. The BuffaGLO run is a family-friendly 2.25-mile fun run, with strollers and leashed dogs welcome. For more information, visit shelbyfarmspark.org.
Jesus Christ Superstar rocks the Orpheum as the last show of the “pandemic” season.
October 5, 2021 is a day Brett Batterson will never forget. That’s when Come From Away opened at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Memphis, marking the return to live performance after 18 months of pandemic shutdown.
“That opening night is one of the greatest nights I’ve ever experienced in my career,” says Batterson, the Orpheum’s president and CEO. “Everybody was so excited to be there, and the audience was just so grateful for Broadway to be back in the Orpheum. The cast was excited to perform for people. It was like a magic stew of emotions that was just wonderful.”
When Jesus Christ Superstar opened on June 28th, it marked the belated end of the star-crossed season that began in March 2020. “It feels really good to have what we call the pandemic season behind us, and we start our new season in just a few weeks with My Fair Lady, followed by To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Located at the western edge of Beale Street, the century-old theater has witnessed a lot of changes Downtown, but nothing like the last few years. It has been a time of both growth and tragedy. “I think Downtown Memphis is starting to see the resurgence, the coming out of the plague. If you come down here on a Friday or Saturday night, there are people everywhere. I don’t think we’ve seen the return of all the office workers that we need for the restaurants to have a lunch crowd, but on a weekend night, there’s a lot of people down here.”
Batterson sees the crowds as a continuation of positive trends the pandemic interrupted. “When I first arrived in Memphis six and a half years ago, I think Memphis was just at the tail end of the low self-esteem problem that Memphis has suffered from since the assassination of Dr. King. Shortly after I arrived, people started making plans and talking about how great of a city it is. Nashville is a tourist trap while Memphis retains its soul and authenticity. That’s the big change I’ve seen — Memphis is proud of itself again, as it should be.”
The Orpheum is about to dance into its next season in late July with My Fair Lady, followed by To Kill a Mockingbird.
Downtown Delights
The Orpheum was once a movie palace owned by Memphis-based Malco Theatres. Just a short hop down Front Street, Malco’s newest movie palace is the Powerhouse, a seven-screen multiplex built around a historic structure which once provided steam power for next door’s Central Station. On Saturdays, the Powerhouse’s parking lot plays host to the Downtown Memphis Farmers Market. Sergio Brown is one of the dozens of vendors who gather under the T-shaped shelter every week to hawk their locally produced wares. His company, Earthworm Plants, is based across the river in West Memphis. “We just started, so this is our first year here in Memphis,” he says. “The support we’ve gotten from Downtown has been amazing. When people from other states come here, they’re just amazed at what we do.”
Earthworm Plants is part of a wave of new businesses that have opened in the pandemic era. A few blocks to the east is South Point Grocery, the latest venture by Castle Retail’s Rick James, which filled a need created by Downtown’s growing population. But South Point’s biggest draw is the sandwich counter, run by Josh McLane.
Like many people in Memphis, McLane is a man of many hustles. He’s a well-known comedian and drummer in the punk-folk duo Heels. (Their new album, Pop Songs for a Dying Planet, will be released in October.) His sandwich skills first got attention when he manned the kitchen at the Hi Tone music venue. “Unlike other people, when I’m hammered and make a sandwich at 3 in the morning, I write it down,” he says.
At lunch time, there’s a steady stream of foot traffic coming through the door for McLane’s creations. “I genuinely get a kick out of being able to say, ‘Come see us for lunch, and I will get you outta here in five minutes, unless we have a giant line — and even then, it’s gonna take 10, tops.’”
McLane says the wave of new businesses was born of necessity. “That first year of Covid, everybody started opening something, either because you had nothing to do or you had no money coming in. And after that first year, everybody who wasn’t good at it or didn’t have a good enough sustaining idea got weeded out and everybody else just kept going.”
Good Fortune Co. is a new eatery that has been earning raves Downtown. Co-owner Sarah Cai lived in Collierville until she was 13, when her father was sent to China to open a new FedEx hub. “I’m from here, and I always wanted to come back,” she says. “We had been paying attention to restaurants in the area and what was popular. There was really nothing like this kind of cuisine, and from what I could tell, there was nobody who could bring the kind of experience that we have had, traveling and working abroad in different places.”
All of the food at Good Fortune Co. is made by hand. “The kimchi is important to me,” Cai says. “It’s something I’ve always made on my own because when you buy it, it just doesn’t taste the same. The whole [restaurant] concept stemmed from scratch-made noodles that have always been a huge part of my food. Dumplings are my food love, my passion. I’ve been making them since I was a kid with my family. They had to be on the menu. I knew I wanted it to be Asian, but influenced by a lot of different regions, not necessarily Chinese or Japanese. My background is really mixed. My mom’s Malaysian and my dad’s Chinese. I’ve traveled all around Southeast Asia, so I’ve been inspired by a lot of different flavors. What I wanted to showcase here is the fusion of those authentic flavors. The food itself is kind of Asian-American — like myself.
“I’ve been able to come back and rediscover the city as an adult. It’s a totally different experience. Memphis is really cool! I’ve lived in China, Austria, Europe. I’ve traveled all around the world, and Memphis is one of the most authentic cities I’ve ever been in. It’s gritty, but it’s all part of the charm — it’s just a genuine place. I’m really happy to be able to be a part of this world now.”
A larger-than-life Red Queen plays her twisted game of croquet at the Memphis Botanic Garden.
New Growth
She’s 19 feet tall, weighs 15,110 pounds, and her dress is made from 6,507 plants. The Red Queen is the most spectacular creation of “Alice’s Adventures at the Garden,” the larger-than-life new exhibit at the Memphis Botanic Garden. The living statuary of the timeless characters from Alice In Wonderland, like the Cheshire Cat, the Queen’s chessboard full of soldiers, and Alice herself, originated at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
Alice and her companions have made a big splash, says Olivia Wall, MBG’s director of marketing. But the exhibit is just one of the new features at the 96-acre garden. “We have gone through a lot of transformation,” she says. “We are just finishing up a capital campaign that was focused on campus modernizations, so part of that, like the visitor center, was completely redone in 2022. It’s been a lot of change and a lot of transformation for the better. We are always focused on our mission, which is connecting people with plants. How can we best do that?”
The Alice figures are made from steel armatures and given color and shape by plants and flowers. In the summer heat, it can take 90 minutes just to water the Red Queen. Other artists were invited to participate. “We have these renditions of the White Rabbit around the grounds that local artists created,” Wall says.
There are also interactive elements. “It’s classic literature, so we have quotes from the book around to help put it into context. Kids can have their own imaginary tea party. They can pretend to be the March Hare or the Mad Hatter.”
Wall came to Memphis in 2014 to get her master’s degree from Memphis College of Art. The Cooper-Young resident says she’s a “Midtowner through and through.”
Midtown has been the focus of intense development in the pandemic era, with new apartment complexes springing up everywhere. “They’re called ‘five-over-ones,’” says F. Grant Whittle. “They’re the apartment buildings like they’ve got on McLean and Madison. They are built with concrete on the first floor and then stick on the upper floors. They’re easily put up. They’re not hideous, and they’re not beautiful, but just getting apartments in place for people to live is important right now.”
Whittle and his husband Jimmy Hoxie recently opened The Ginger’s Bread & Co. on Union Avenue. “Jimmy was working at City & State making pastries, and they didn’t need him anymore because they didn’t have many customers. At the same time, a man moved out of a duplex we owned and I said, ‘Jimmy, why don’t you go over there and start baking? We can sell your stuff online.’ And so, that’s what we’ve been doing since the beginning of the pandemic. Then, I was let go from my job. I needed something to do. So we sold the duplex, and we used the money to open this place.”
Since they opened earlier this summer, bread, cookies, and cheesecake have been flying off the shelves. “I think that this little part of Union is ripe for renewal and regrowth,” Whittle says. “I really like Cameo, which is a bar that just opened at Union and McLean. I can walk there in five minutes. They’re still getting their sea legs. They’re trying to do a good product there, and the food is not too bad.”
Midtown remains a cultural center. The history of Memphis music is enshrined on Beale, but the present and future lives in places like The Lamplighter, B-Side, and Hi Tone. The reopened Minglewood Hall is once again hosting national touring acts. In the Crosstown Concourse, the Green Room offers intimate live music experiences, and the 400-seat Crosstown Theater recently put on a blockbuster show by electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk. Not far from the towering Concourse is Black Lodge.
The movie mecca began life more than two decades ago as a tiny Cooper-Young video store. Now, it not only boasts one of the largest DVD and Blu-ray collections in America, but also a state-of-the-art sound system and multiple projection screens. “We’re proud to be serving a full menu of food as well as a full bar,” says Lodge founder Matt Martin. “Come in and check out some of our signature cocktails and dishes designed by our chef and co-owner James Blair. We are pleased to finally offer a full nightclub experience to Midtown Memphis. We’ve got great EDM shows, great bands, movie screenings, burlesque and drag shows, comedy, and video game tournaments — and our AC is amazing!”
Jessica Hunt tends bar at the artsy and new Inkwell.
Another Midtown dream realized is Inkwell. The popular Edge District bar was founded by Memphis artist Ben Colar. “The concept was to create a super dope cocktail bar where people could just kind of be themselves,” says bartender Jessica Hunt. “It’s Black-owned, so Ben wanted to show the city that there are Black bartenders that can do really good craft cocktails.”
The relaxed vibe is maintained via cocktails like the Sir Isaac Washington, a complex, rum-based, summery drink. “It’s always a breath of fresh air to come in here and work around people I love,” says Hunt. “Plus, I get to meet so many cool, artsy people!”
Yola, Oliva DeJonge, Baz Luhrmann, Tom Hanks, Alton Mason, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Jerry Schilling, Pricilla Presley, Riley Keough, and Lisa Marie Presley at the Graceland premiere of Elvis.
Music for the Masses
“Memphis’ identity is its musical history,” says the Orpheum’s Batterson. “Our tourism is music tourism. There may be some Broadway fans, or the timing may be right so that we’ve got Bonnie Raitt or Bob Dylan at the Orpheum, but most of the tourists are music people who want to hang out on Beale Street, go to Graceland, go to the Stax Museum, go to Sun Studio.
“I think we have some real gems in our museum system, from the National Civil Rights Museum to the Brooks and the Dixon and MoSH. An hour at Sun Studio is probably one of the most important hours you can spend in Memphis — that and going to Stax and seeing Isaac Hayes’ gold-plated car!
“I am shocked at how many Memphians have told me they’ve never been to Graceland. To me, you’ve got to go once. If you never go back, that’s up to you. But you’ve got to go once. How could you have this huge, international tourist attraction in your city and not ever go? I don’t get that.”
With Elvis, the spectacular new biopic from Australian director Baz Luhrmann, the King of Rock-and-Roll is once again topping the box office. After earning a 12-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, Luhrmann and his stars, including Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, made their American debut at the Guest House at Graceland. “It’s something that younger people don’t understand,” said Luhrmann to a packed house. “They know they’re very interested in this film because they’re very interested in instant fame. You can get on TikTok and have 20 million followers the next day, and you’re famous. But when Elvis came along, the teenager had just been invented. The idea of young people with money was a new idea. There was no precedent for someone driving a truck one minute and being a millionaire and the most famous man on the planet the next.”
As he stood on stage with Elvis’ wife Priscilla Presley, daughter Lisa Marie, and granddaughter, actor/director Riley Keough, Hanks, who plays Elvis’ infamous manager Col. Tom Parker, recounted the welcome they had received. “We visited the home of the King last night. It is a place that is, I think, as hallowed as any president’s home, as any museum dedicated to a particular type of art. What’s unique about it is, it is so firmly stamped with the name Presley, and it would not have existed were it not for the city of Memphis and the genius of a one-of-a-kind artist who, more than anybody else in music or any sort of presentational art, deserves the moniker of the singular word ‘King.’”
With the end of the Memphis in May celebrations and the beginning of June, summer is well and truly underway in Memphis.
Okay, the first day of summer isn’t technically for another couple of weeks, but let’s be honest — it feels like summer. It’s hot, humid, and summer thunderstorms have already begun rolling through town. So if it’s time to break out the sunscreen for the season, then we may as well party like it’s officially summer. But how to get your seasonal groove on? Worry not, dear reader, your faithful Flyer staff is here to help.
In this issue, we’ve got a list of happenings we hope will keep you cool — festivals, movie nights, Elvis Week, anniversaries, book launches, and more. Our advice? Circle everything that sounds fun, slap on some sunblock, swig a seltzer, and go out and enjoy the Memphis heat.
Summer Fest: Memphis Pride Fest Memphis Pride Fest is back, louder and prouder because it’s IRL this year after two years of online events.
The weekend of events is billed as the single largest gathering for the LGBTQ+ community and allies in Memphis and the Mid-South. Organizers expect more than 35,000 attendees “to celebrate the most colorful weekend of the year.”
Pride kicks off Thursday at the Malco Summer Drive-In. Gates open at 7 p.m. for a viewing of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!Julie Newmar at 8 p.m. A drag show featuring Brenda Newport, Kaiyla JonVier Dickerson, Zoey Adams, and more starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $35 per vehicle.
On Friday, the Big Gay Dance Party returns, this time at Crosstown Theater at 8 p.m. The event features DJ A.D. “and a safe, inclusive environment to be their true selves.” Tickets range from $15-$150. After-parties start after midnight at Dru’s Bar and The Pumping Station.
Saturday will find Robert R. Church Park awash in rainbows as the festival gets under way at 10 a.m. It features two stages, more than 150 vendors, food trucks, a car show, a kids area, an adult area, a VIP lounge, free and discreet HIV testing, and more. The festival ends at 5 p.m. Tickets are $1.
“What would Pride be without a big, bold colorful parade?” ask the organizers. We won’t have to find out this year. The Memphis Pride Parade steps off at 1 p.m. from 4th and Beale and makes its way through the Beale Street Entertainment District. It will feature 100 different floats, performers, and more with more than 3,000 people participating.
Head back to Beale Sunday at 11 a.m. for the Grand Marshal’s Drag Brunch at the Jerry Lee Lewis Cafe. — Toby Sells Memphis Pride Fest, various locations, June 2nd-5th. Event tickets range from $1-$150. Check midsouthpride.org for more information.
Mike Kerr Memphis Botanic Garden
Summer Sounds: Music in the Open Air Hearing live music outside as the day cools to dusk is one of the great joys of summer in Memphis. With Covid concerns having lapsed over the past year and outdoor gatherings being among the safest anyway, there is sure to be an outdoor music event happening nearly any weekend you care to find one.
We’ve recently covered some of the ongoing series offering such delights, venerable local traditions such as the Memphis Botanic Garden’s Live at the Garden series (kicking off on June 11th with Steely Dan) and the Overton Park Shell’s Orion Free Concert Series (which launched Sunday with the Sunset Symphony concert, followed by Jackie Venson on Thursday, June 2nd). Farther east, yet with a more local flair, there’s always the Germantown Performing Arts Center’s Bluebird Concerts at The Grove. All of them offer green spaces for lounging under the trees as the summer breeze rises — not to mention food and drink vendors.
Some summer series actually began in the spring. The River Series at Harbor Town offers the prime acoustics of an amphitheater on the eastern banks of Mud Island, in full view of the Memphis skyline, and their final spring concert, featuring MouseRocket and Ibex Clone, goes down this Saturday, June 4th. Trolley Night has been livening up the last Friday of every month since March, and will carry on through October, bringing plenty of casual live music to the South Main area. And the Sunset Jazz series has already begun gracing the second Sunday of each month down in Court Square. If Thursday is more your thing, consider the Rooftop Parties atop the Peabody Hotel, which have been featuring a mix of live bands and DJs since April.
Finally, don’t forget the many private venues that specialize in outdoor shows, like Railgarten, Loflin Yard, Carolina Watershed, and Slider Inn Downtown. Thanks to them, you can find live music in the open air nearly every night of the week. — Alex Greene
Summer in the Garden: Twilight Thursdays Every week between now and October 27th, the Memphis Botanic Garden is featuring a “Twilight Thursday” from 5 till 8 p.m. What is a Twilight Thursday? Glad you asked, because there’s a lot happening at these events, not to mention the fabulous Alice in Wonderland topiary exhibit going on right now.
Hungry? Twilight Thursdays offer a rotating array of food trucks each week with a variety of culinary options so you can create your own picnic dinner. There are picnic tables in a nearby grove of trees. If you like getting your drink on, there’s also a “Curious Cocktails” cash bar, which could potentially help you better appreciate the Cheshire Cat’s looming grin. More of a beer person? MBG has got you covered with a special selection of “Alice’s Ales” from Memphis Made Brewing Company.
Memphis Botanic Garden promises there will be additional surprises each week, including vendors, performers, and other special guests, plus presentations from various community partners and groups.
And here’s another bonus: You can bring your favorite pupper to Twilight Thursdays. You know they’d like nothing more than a hike around the grounds on a summer’s eve. Just don’t forget to keep them on leash at all times.
For advance information on food and drink options and performers and other special activities, check with the garden’s Instagram and Facebook accounts. Nonmembers are required to purchase time-entry advance tickets for Twilight Thursdays. — Bruce VanWyngarden
Michael Donahue Team Mama Biondini at Italian Fest
Summer Spaghetti Gravy: Italian Fest On cross-country European railways, there’s always that one train car that sticks out. Rather than a collective of quiet, mild-mannered passengers elsewhere, this car opens its door to release a noisy deluge of yelling, partying, dancing, card-playing, drinking, general hoopla, and hand gestures, dio mio, the hand gestures. Yes, that’s right: It’s the one and only Italian car.
But fear not: The exhilarating merriment of such an encounter doesn’t have to require a transcontinental trip — Memphis’ very own Italian Fest is back in full force this summer, shedding the private, Covid-enforced subdued environments of recent years to embrace its former glory. We’re talking large cooking pots from which the red sauce endlessly floweth, throngs of jubilant festival-goers dancing the tarantella in large fields at Marquette Park, and thrilling clashes of perhaps one of the world’s most intense sports: bocce.
It’s a list of festivities that would make Chef Hector Boyardee himself proud, bringing together many fine staples of Italian-American culture into one place. The festival, running from Thursday, June 2nd, to Saturday, June 4th, is a wild three-day party; it’s a Mediterranean-style version of barbecue fest, where instead of pork there are enough noodles to make a bridge across the Mississippi. It’s fine enough to hang out, listen to some music, and peruse the festivities. But the real fun is in the cook-off, where various teams pack into their tents as they attempt to create the best spaghetti gravy on site or other Italian entrees and desserts. (Pro tip: try to link up with someone who has an invite to one of the cooking tents. The experience is far superior that way.)
If you need an extra glass of wine, toss the kids over to the carnival rides at Luigi Land before popping open another bottle. There’s fun aplenty, and while we may not be in Rome, well, … do as the Romans do anyway. — Samuel X. Cicci Learn more about Italian Fest dates and tickets at memphisitalianfestival.org.
Jesse Davis 901 Comics
Summer Reading This issue is jam-packed with ways to get out and experience hot fun in the Memphis summertime. But this one’s for the fans of air-conditioning.
There are no end of book events in the Bluff City this summer. First on our list is the 36th anniversary celebration at Comics & Collectibles Saturday, June 4th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General manager Donny Juengling says the store opened in 1986 and, “We’re really just thankful that we’ve been in business that long.” There is a 20 percent off sale, and illustrator Scott Kolins will be on site for the event.
Next up, 901 Comics is celebrating the store’s sixth anniversary on Saturday, June 4th. Writer and illustrator Al Milgrom will be there signing books. “You can walk back in the back room and pick up a book from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and he probably worked on it,” says Shannon Merritt, who co-founded the store with Jaime Wright. “When we opened this thing, we weren’t sure if it was going to last a year,” Merritt says.
Why not make Saturday a book-stravaganza? Hit two comic shop anniversary parties, then stop by Novel at 6 p.m. for the launch of Finding Jupiter, the new novel by former Memphian Kelis Rowe. “Kelis grew up in Memphis, where she had her first big love as a teenager,” the event announcement says. “She did not see herself or her big love reflected in the pages of a YA novel at the time and now writes contemporary YA to give Black young people more reflections of themselves and their love to enjoy.”
For less time-sensitive book needs, consider going to Burke’s Book Store or DeMoir Books & Things, perhaps to scope out a new novel, short story collection, or poetry book from a local author. Jeremee DeMoir just restocked copies of Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow — for the fourth time — and Burke’s has signed copies, as does Novel. Memphis made the list of The Bitter Southerner’s “2022 Summer Reading Roundup,” so it’s not just me begging you to read the beautiful debut.
However you get your fiction fix, there’s no better time than summer to kick back with a good book. — Jesse Davis
Courtesy Elvis Presley Enterprises Elvis Week
Summer Kisses, Winter Tears: Elvis Week Some of you out there have never been to Graceland — you know who you are. But this is as good a year as any to immerse yourself in our very own pop culture phenomenon, and get it on with Elvis. It’s now or never, baby.
The 2022 Elvis Week 45th anniversary celebration happens from August 9th through the 17th, rain or shine, with or without hound dogs. Just bring your burning love. And you’d better snap to it since some of the Elvis 45 packages and events are already sold out.
But there’s still plenty in store. There will be special guests, notably Priscilla Presley and Jerry Schilling (among the few living Memphis Mafia members). They’ll be at several events and will even lead tours of the mansion.
There will be plenty of music, much of it provided by Elvis Tribute Artists past and present. The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest runs through the week with hopeful Elvii turning on the tunes and the charm. And winners of past contests will be livening things up as well. For one, the 2011 winner Cody Ray Slaughter (who portrayed Elvis in the traveling production of the Tony Award-winning musical Million Dollar Quartet) will headline a concert at the Graceland Soundstage. And for another, Dean Z (he won in 2013) will be hosting several events during the week.
Meanwhile, musicians Terry Mike Jeffrey and Andy Childs will host a tuneful reminiscence that includes TCB band members. And there’s a concert experience at Graceland Soundstage with Elvis’ image backed by live musicians. Pretty much everywhere you turn, you’ll see and hear the King of Rock-and-Roll.
For fans who need more than music and celebrity, there will be live tour guides throughout Graceland Mansion celebrating the 40th year of it being opened to the public. (And even a “Hidden Graceland Tour” to see what most mortals cannot.) Go farther afield if you want and take an excursion to Tupelo to see Elvis’ birthplace and other landmarks.
There are themed dance parties throughout, plenty of Elvis art, an Elvis karaoke for the brave, and even a bingo contest. That’s alright mama, any way you do. Not enough of a mix for ya? Keep in mind that there will be plenty of gospel music as well as Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. Not kidding.
The big draw, of course, is the Candlelight Vigil on August 15th. Get your candle and walk on the grounds of Graceland to the gravesite along with thousands of fans.
Elvis really is everywhere, so follow that dream. — Jon W. Sparks Best to get tickets sooner rather than later at graceland.com/elvis-week-tickets. For ticket questions, call Graceland Reservations at 800-238-2000 or 332-3322, or email reservations@graceland.com.
Thor: Love and Thunder with Natalie Portman
Summer at the Movies Memorial Day weekend began the summer blockbuster season with the strong pairing of Top Gun: Maverick and The Bob’s Burgers Movie.
This week, David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future marks the legendary Canadian auteur’s return to the body horror genre he pioneered. On June 10th, the dinosaurs are back, they’re mad, and they’re going to the mall in Jurassic World Dominion. Chris Evans provides the voice for the Toy Story astronaut in Pixar’s Lightyear, due June 17th. The next week, Memphis’ favorite son gets a blown-up biopic from Baz Luhrmann. Elvis stars Austin Butler as the man who would be king, and Tom Hanks as his Machiavellian manager Col. Tom Parker.
On July 8th, Marvel comes roaring back with Thor: Love and Thunder, with Chris Hemsworth coming out of semi-retirement to thwart the God Butcher (Christian Bale, in his Marvel debut), only to find that his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) is now wielding the magic hammer. July 15th offers something completely different in Where the Crawdads Sing, a Southern Gothic whodunit produced by Reese Witherspoon. One of the most hotly anticipated releases of the summer is Nope, director Jordan Peele’s third sci-fi/horror outing. The trailer for this one, coming July 22nd, looks spectacular. Then on July 29th, the DC Legion of Super-Pets boasts an all-star voice cast including Dwayne Johnson as Krypto the Superdog.
August 5th weekend is crowded with new titles, including the slasher comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, a new entry in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, and the Brad Pitt action comedy Bullet Train. Finally, the summer season closes magically with Mad Max director George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing starring Tilda Swinton as a shy professor who is offered three wishes by a djinn, played by Idris Elba. — Chris McCoy
Kim Bearden Cemetery Cinema at Elmwood
Summer Classics: Cemetery Cinema
That’s not exactly what Rick, aka Humphrey Bogart, says to Ilsa, aka Ingrid Bergman, in the 1942 classic, Casablanca, but if the plot involved Elmwood Cemetery’s “Cemetery Cinema,” everyone’s favorite nightclub owner (Rick’s Cafe, remember?) might say something like that.
“We show classics or very popular films in the cemetery on specific nights,” says Elmwood executive director Kim Bearden.
“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into my cemetery to watch a movie.”
Casablanca will be the featured movie at 8:15ish (depends on when the sun goes down) Friday, June 3rd. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.
The movie showings are fundraisers for the cemetery, Bearden says. “Event goers bring lawn chairs and they set up on the driveway in front of the cottage.”
Elmwood provides a food truck, but moviegoers are invited to bring their own food. As for adult beverages, Bearden says, “We say coolers are allowed.”
Movies are shown on the roof of the 1866 cottage used for offices at Elmwood, she says. The circa 1886 cottage, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is the only example of “Victorian Gothic carpenter cottage architecture” in Shelby County. “So, the roof on the cottage is in the Gothic style and has a very high pitch. Because of the high pitch we were able to project films on the roof and people can see them from the drive.”
Cemetery Cinema isn’t a scary movie series; Elmwood, which began the movie showings in 2016, recently aired the 1961 Walt Disney film, The Parent Trap, starring Hayley Mills as twin sisters. They will show the 1964 film, My Fair Lady, on June 17th.
Elmwood has shown “some of the old classic black-and-white” horror movies, including the 1931 movie, Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff.
But there are some types of horror movies they would not show. “Probably slasher flicks,” Bearden says.
Tickets to Casablanca, which are $15, must be purchased in advance at elmwoodcemetery.org. — Michael Donahue
Summer History: A Pugilistic Milestone On Saturday, June 8, 2002, a full generation ago, the Pyramid on the Memphis riverfront was the site for the kind of spectacle it might have been created for: the heavyweight championship fight between Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis.
The Pyramid was already on the way out as a showcase arena after the NBA’s recently arrived Grizzlies had turned it down as outmoded for their purposes and forced the city and county to go on the hook for a new facility, the soon-to-be FedExForum.
The Big Fight was a sort of Last Hurrah for the place, arranged by then Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton in an inspired act of personal diplomacy that may rank, historically, as his greatest single achievement. The fight was intended to resolve lingering doubts about the rightful ownership of boxing’s most prestigious title. And landing it in Memphis bailed out the promoters who had seen all the big traditional venues shun the opportunity to host the event after Tyson, already a pariah for biting off a chunk of a previous opponent’s ear, brawled with Lewis at the fighters’ signing.
Orphan event though it was, the fight was a genuine extravaganza. Co-produced for television by long-standing rivals HBO and Showtime, it was then, as Wikipedia notes, “the highest-grossing event in pay-per-view history, generating U.S. $106.9 million from 1.95 million buys in the U.S.”
On hand to help fill the Pyramid were such celebrities as Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, Britney Spears, Clint Eastwood, Ben Affleck, Hugh Hefner, Halle Berry, Richard Gere, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Vince McMahon, The Undertaker, LL Cool J, Tyra Banks, Wesley Snipes, Kevin Bacon, Chris Webber, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Morgan Freeman, Alec Baldwin, and heavyweight fighter Evander Holyfield — the latter having been the victim of the aforementioned ear-biting.
And I was there, at ringside, covering the fight in what was my all-time plum assignment from Time magazine, for whom I worked as a part-time associate or “stringer.” (Curious readers may consult the magazine’s files for “Who Gets the Black Eye?” — published online on the day of the fight.)
Given the ferocity of Tyson’s style, the fight had more than its share of excitement, but the rangy Lewis was the superior boxer and outlasted Iron Mike, knocking him out in the 8th round, ending all doubt as to who was champ and closing out the Tyson era of big-time boxing. — Jackson Baker
The Red Queen playing her twisted croquet. (Photo: Abigail Morici)
Dear reader, do you, by chance, know how to lure a white rabbit into your presence — specifically a white rabbit wearing a waistcoat with a pocket watch? I ask, not because I want to do some weird taxidermy project, but because I’d like to follow one to Wonderland. I mean, wouldn’t you go if you could? And what if you could go, just by driving to the Memphis Botanic Garden? And what if you drove there and in the parking lot found a bottle labeled “Drink Me” — would you drink it?
Your answer better be no because you shouldn’t be trusting random liquids found in parking lots, but unlike Alice, you don’t need to consume unknown substances to shrink down to a wee size to get into Wonderland since, once you’re inside the garden, you’ll immediately feel shrunken as you come face to face with the larger-than-life whimsical characters from Alice in Wonderland.
This mosaiculture exhibition has four main features: Alice, the Red Queen, card guards and pawns defending the royal chess set, and the Cheshire Cat. Mosaiculture, the garden’s executive director Michael Allen says, uses bedding plants to “plug” into steel frames, creating topiary-like sculptures.
The sculptures, which require daily watering and weekly trimming, come from the Atlanta Botanical Garden, where they premiered in a more extensive exhibition. “[The steel frames had] been in storage for about a year,” Allen says, until coming to Memphis in climate-controlled trucks. Once in Memphis, bedding plants, suitable to Memphis’ climate, were added. “It’s a little thin now but what will happen is these will grow and spread out and become more full,” Allen says, adding, “We’ve hired a team of three staff members just to take care of these for the six months or so that we have them planted.”
Throughout the year, the garden will host various Alice-themed events, like Saturday storytimes for kids, adult education sessions, monthly drop-in craft and activity stations, a family tea party, and even a Rose & Croquet party in June. Plus, starting this Thursday, May 12th, the garden will introduce its Twilight Thursdays, during which it will be open late until 8 p.m. for dog-friendly hours with food trucks and cocktails as well as special performances. After Halloween, the plants will be taken off the structures and lights will take their place for the garden’s Holiday Wonders Light Show.
For more information and for a full schedule of special events and programming, visit membg.org/alice. Follow the garden’s social media for updates.
“Alice’s Adventures at the Garden,” Memphis Botanic Garden, on display through 2022.
The Doobie Brothers celebrate their 50th Anniversary with Michael McDonald on September 3 (Photo courtesy Memphis Botanical Garden).
One hardly needs to add luster to the idea of “Live at the Garden,” as the very prospect of hearing world class music under the moonlit trees of the Memphis Botanic Garden is inherently delightful. Yet this year stands out with an impressive roster of A-list stars. Musical stars, that is.
It’s an astonishing distillation of pop radio icons, creators of the earworm melodies of our lives. Consider: The Live at the Garden series kicks off June 11 with jazz-pop fusion band Steely Dan, followed by country superstar Darius Rucker on July 15, country vocal trio Lady A on August 20, The Doobie Brothers 50th Anniversary Tour with Michael McDonald on September 3, and American pop-rock band Chicago on October 20.
It’s a bit awe-inspiring, imagining the collective memories mingling among the audiences for these shows, so enmeshed are those artists’ hits with our lived experience. That takes on a special meaning in the shadow of the pandemic, after which every new concert season is a gift, not to be taken for granted.
“We are excited to announce this year’s lineup and finally get back to what feels like a normal concert season, post-Covid,” Sherry May, Co-Director of Live at the Garden, said in a statement. “We have a lot of star power and fan favorites on this lineup. Collectively, these artists have sold over 175 million albums. This is the kind of lineup where you know every word to every song.”
With all that musical power, it’s easy to forget that these concerts actually help maintain the very site where they’re held, which has repercussions in the entire community. David May, Memphis market executive for title sponsor Regions Bank, notes that “In addition to the enjoyment this concert series brings to thousands each season, we’re especially proud that our investment supports educational and outreach programs that connect students with nature and elevate awareness and appreciation of our environment.”
Speaking of the environment, attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and coolers as they gather around the Radians Amphitheater. Food trucks and bars will also be onsite, as well as pre-ordered catering. Free shuttles will run from Laurelwood to the venue from 5 p.m. to midnight for each concert.
There are a number of ways to buy tickets to the concerts. Season Lawn Passes are $255 for a regular-season lawn pass and $300 for a Premium Season Lawn Pass, which allows patrons in 15 minutes prior to general gates opening. Also new this year is a Season Pit Pass, which is a general admission lawn ticket with access to the standing-room-only Pit (directly in front of the stage). Season Pit Passes are $375 per person. Individual TruGreen lawn tickets start at $60 plus fees. All Season Lawn Passes and individual show tickets go on sale Monday, May 2, at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.
Season passes can be purchased here; individual show tickets can be purchased here.
It seems like only yesterday that everything came crashing down around us. Nearly everyone in Memphis this February 3rd was startled at some point by the sound of a tentative, icy crackling, followed by seconds of silence, then the impact of a limb or an entire tree. And there were often other noises: the squeal of crushed metal, the snap of sparking wires, or the crunch of splintered wooden beams, as cars, power lines, and homes fell victim to The Overstory.
In Richard Powers’ novel of that name, the trees speak to humanity, putting such calamity in perspective:
All the ways you imagine us … are always amputations. Your kind never sees us whole. You miss the half of it, and more. There’s always as much belowground as above.
That much was vividly illustrated during February’s storm, when an especially heavy thud, more felt than heard, led me to peek out at the house behind me. An entire tree, unbroken, had been uprooted by the sheer tonnage of ice it had to bear, pulling its roots from the ground, lifting the concrete slabs of a driveway with them as the trunk sank into the roof. Removing it took days, the closing of the street for massive equipment, and untold thousands of dollars.
Ice crackled along branches, threatening to fall, after February’s ice storm. (Photo above / below: Anna Traverse Fogle)
Yet the massive tree damage from that day, and its aftermath in lost power and time, is but one pole in the ongoing dichotomy that Memphis must confront over and over again, caught between damning our trees and praising them. Consider another arboreal moment from less than a year before, when local social media was inflamed with outrage as some beloved neighborhood landmarks “disappeared.”
Last June, local filmmaker and activist Mike McCarthy wrote on Facebook, “If anyone cares to drive down East Parkway right now you can see the removal of every single oak tree from the former Libertyland/Fairgrounds green space.” Indeed, in less than a day, an entire glade had violently vanished, and the comments that followed revealed a deep sense of betrayal: “Atrocious,” “It was depressing,” and “Memphis is owned by developers who DGAF about anything except what money they can make. The mayors and city council members are their enablers.”
Our trees engender both fear and adoration in us, and our endless dance between these two extremes makes one thing clear: It’s time for Memphians to own their overstory, and the best route to that is a deeper dive into the world of urban forestry.
The Unsung Boon of Trees As it turns out, many Memphians are already taking that deep dive, and those who have cultivated their inner citizen-arborist are quietly leading a minor revolution in tree care and tree cognizance. As with so many things horticultural, the Cooper-Young neighborhood is leading the way. Judi Shellabarger runs the Cooper-Young Historic District Arboretum, and she vividly recalls the day the Libertyland oaks were destroyed.
“That was done in one day,” she says. “They always do it quick. But those trees were valued. They helped keep that area from flooding. That’s one of the main purposes of planting trees, is to prevent flooding and erosion. Plus, they would have given great shade out there, on whatever courts or football fields or baseball fields they’re building. But I was talking to two city council people about that, and one of them said, ‘Trees don’t bring money to Memphis.’ And I thought, ‘Yes they do!’ When that floods all up and down Southern Avenue, they’re going to be sorry. Those roots hold down that soil and collect water as it’s running off.”
Mike Larrivee, another Cooper-Young resident and founder of the Compost Fairy program, also saw it as a biodiversity tragedy. He puts the clear-cutting down to “the confluence of greed and ignorance. That clear-and-grub mentality instead of, ‘What can we save? How can we create economic value in this development?’ Statistically, there’s tremendous value in having mature trees on a piece of property, regardless of its use. Just their presence creates value. And that area around Libertyland was sort of an ad hoc arboretum. There were 43 species of tree there, in that little spot. It was tremendously biodiverse.”
The inherent value of trees is a given among a growing demographic in Memphis that wants to preserve and propagate them, and they contrast the short-term gains of a development deal with the very real benefits that urban forestry studies have proven. A 2017 study by The Nature Conservancy, “How Cities Can Harness the Public Health Benefits of Urban Trees,” detailed multiple studies, including peer-reviewed and longitudinal research projects, that demonstrate the many blessings of an overstory. Those include both mental and physical health benefits, from mitigating summer air temperatures and reducing air pollution, to increasing immune system function and decreasing stress levels.
Trees offer cities more than beauty. (Photo: Jamie Harmon)
Land of a Thousand Arboretums Many tree aficionados simply start with their beauty and the immediate benefits of shade. Those factors are likely the driving forces behind the community arboreta that have sprung up throughout Memphis in recent years. As the Cooper-Young Historic District Arboretum reveals, setting up such a program is largely driven by the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council (TUFC), and they are facilitating the process wherever they can.
Laurie Williams, of the Memphis Botanic Garden, describes the process: “The TUFC oversees the entire arboretum program across the state. We were the first Level 4 arboretum in the western part of the state, and we then petitioned to be a center of excellence. That means we not only have a Level 4, with all those requirements, but we also help other arboreta become certified. There are different requirements: Level 1 is just 30 trees with labels on them. Level 2 is 60 trees and a map. And Level 3 is 90 trees and other steps, and by Level 4, you have to have a newsletter in addition to all those other steps, and trained people that can give tours.”
With no small amount of pride, Shellabarger describes how that’s played out in Cooper-Young. “This is our fifth year as an arboretum, and we’re now a Level 3. We have over 112 trees altogether, and we’re working toward more. It’s mostly in front of people’s homes, in their front yards. But we do have some trees at Peabody Elementary School, and some at Cooper-Young businesses. And we have a lot up at the Spanish-American War Memorial Park. What we’re doing in the next two years is, we’re working with the City of Memphis Parks Division to redo what we call the Park Annex behind the Spanish-American War Park. There’s an acre of land that was railroad land, and we’ve been trying to get that cleaned up and replanted with native trees on the north side. And on the south side, we would like to have a food forest with fruit and nut trees.”
While Cooper-Young was one of the first arboreta, many more are in the works. Williams rattles off at least a dozen parks, campuses, and neighborhoods that have already curated arboreta or are working on it. But it can be a costly process, and she offers the Vollintine-Evergreen Community Association as a case in point. “We’ve been working with the VECA arboretum since 2008,” she says. “They tried to begin an arboretum, but when you have old trees, you have limbs that need to be taken care of. And it ends up coming down to money. Certified arborists are not cheap when they come out to trim trees. So VECA is really struggling. Of course, we’ve had so many storms, so there are unsafe trees. And the TUFC won’t certify until the main path is clear of dangers. So that’s why VECA is still struggling.”
Memphis boasts several champion trees such as this champion white ash. (Photo: Courtesy Judi Shellabarger)
We Are the Champions The Memphis Botanic Garden facilitates such community-level initiatives, but there are other, more individualized ways it contributes to the urban forest. Every fall (September 14th through October 12th this year), they team up with the TUFC’s West Tennessee Chapter to host an Urban Forestry Advisor’s Class. As Williams explains, “Eric Bridges, who used to be the naturalist for Lakeland [and] is now the operations director of the Overton Park Conservancy, teaches quite a bit of our classes and talks about wildlife corridors, for example. Instead of everybody having two and a half acres and ripping out the native trees and putting in a bunch of Japanese maples, keep corridors for wildlife to survive, so they don’t have to go into heat islands. Eric does a really good job. And then Wes Hopper teaches quite a bit. We do a lot of tree identification and teach people how to plant trees. And we talk about the arboretum and championship tree programs.”
The latter program is yet another way that the TUFC supports an appreciation of the overstory. “Champion” trees are the largest, healthiest examples of a particular species in the state, and Memphis boasts several. Shellabarger describes the process: “We have a championship tree team here in Shelby County, and we’re not experts, but we’re from the West Tennessee Chapter, and we go out and measure the tree and take pictures of it and mark its location with the GPS and send it to the state. The University of Tennessee will send students down here to measure it for us, and they’ll review all the other trees in the state and pick the winners.”
Cooper-Young boasts several, all identified with signage as per the requirements of a TUFC-approved arboretum. “We have six or seven state champion trees in Cooper-Young,” says Shellabarger. “There’s a champion California incense cedar at 2052 Nelson. My favorite tree, though it’s not a champion, is the Carolina silverbell, and it should be flowering probably in the next two weeks. It has little white flower-shaped bells, and it’s at 1991 Oliver.”
Tree City, U.S.A. While the TUFC and its West Tennessee Chapter have a hand in many of the arboreal pursuits in this area, the networks of urban forestry activists run on a national and international scale as well. Memphis has officially been designated a “Tree City, U.S.A.,” by the national Arbor Day Foundation, but it was Germantown that nabbed that honor first. Williams explains: “Memphis became a Tree City, U.S.A., a few years ago, and to do that, a city has to have a Tree Board and an Arbor Day celebration. There are some requirements. It takes a long time to achieve that Tree City status. Nashville’s been that way for quite a while. Germantown, also. Memphis was behind that curve. There are some requirements about money, and there are cities that have more money available than others. Because you have to have a certain amount per capita.”
That may explain why Germantown led the way. Hopper points out that “Memphis has had a Tree Board for maybe eight years, but Germantown’s had a tree board for 30. And we are also designated as a Tree City of the World. That was a new program through the Arbor Day Foundation and the Department of Agriculture when I started here. Germantown was the first city in Tennessee to be considered a Tree City of the World, in 2019. The program is managed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Arbor Day Foundation.”
Tree Equity And yet arboreta, Tree City designations, and champion trees are not just for relatively well-off neighborhoods who can fund arborists. A parallel movement is afoot that starts with other benefits outlined in the Nature Conservancy report and elsewhere. These are sociological benefits that show a marked correlation with the amount of tree growth in an area. Wes Hopper, Germantown’s natural resources manager and city arborist, says the current term for this is “tree equity.” As he distills the concept, “If you have a low tree equity in your district, you’re going to have a higher poverty level. If you have a high tree equity, like a rating of 85-90, you’re probably going to have a higher social standing in that area.” The website treeequityscore.org presents an interactive map that shows the tree equity rating of any given locale. Unsurprisingly, poverty-stricken areas of Memphis have scores hovering around 40.
Mike Larrivee is part of a team that’s trying to change that. “There are proven benefits of urban tree cover, like fighting blight and pollution and littering, and discouraging vandalism and vagrancy, that go above and beyond the ecological services,” he says. South Memphis Trees is a local program planning to go beyond arboreta with the planting of new trees on a massive scale. Larrivee and others are trying to fuel that movement. “For the South Memphis Trees project,” Larrivee says, “the Wolf River Conservancy, the Native Plant Initiative, and Compost Fairy/Atlas Organics just co-hosted an event with Urban Earth and potted up 3,500 saplings for the urban tree farm. We’ve put tons of trees in the ground in the last three years that we’ve been working together. Ryan Hall at Wolf River Conservancy is a tank! There’s no telling how many thousands of trees are standing as a direct consequence of his engagement.”
Playing the Long Game Indeed, champion trees aside, tree-planting seems to be the key to ensuring the role of trees in the city’s future. For one thing, as traumatic as downing mature trees can be, that’s sometimes necessary, leaving new growth as the only possible response. That’s Wes Hopper’s philosophy, as he manages tree-related issues for Germantown, not to mention sitting on both Germantown’s and Memphis’ Tree Boards and being a board member of the TUFC.
“Having all those connections, I ended up working with the forestry division of MLGW, as a liaison between property owners and the MLGW tree crews, trying to help clients understand the importance of having that clearance from the utility wires. The best thing we could do would be to remove a tree and plant a tree somewhere else. That didn’t always go over so well. Tree removals can be a touchy subject for some people, but a lot of times, it’s best just to remove the tree. Because the electricity is going to win. If you plant a big tree by the utility lines, sooner or later your tree’s gonna get whacked.”
Such a long-term approach helps us to understand both the ice storm wreckage and the trauma of losing beloved trees, says Hopper. “Those trees at Libertyland? A lot of them were healthy, but a lot of them had a poor root system,” he says. “I went out to look at the trees, even the big oak trees, and I saw a lot of root rot on them.
“So we have to involve the community,” Hopper continues. “If they have an issue with our urban forest, someone needs to take action. You can go to Parks and Recreation, go to a Tree Board meeting and say, ‘I want to get a Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP) grant to get trees replanted in place of those that got removed.’ The TAEP grant is an environmental grant through the state forestry division and you apply to plant a certain amount of trees in that area. Sometimes it just takes one person to pull the team together and make it function. You take a person like Judi Shellabarger, that lady gets things done!”
If some find that unsatisfying, such community involvement may also help build on what’s already in place. For now, the Tree Board can make recommendations and suggestions, but a groundswell could elevate the body’s importance. And it will take political pressure to value trees at the level of policy. Mark Follis, owner of Follis Tree Preservation and member of the Memphis Tree Board, served briefly through a period when the city government deemed trees more worthy of attention. “Memphis had a city forester until budget cuts in 2005. But he had no money. He had the position, but no budget. Then for three years, more recently, we had a grant and I was the city forester, but only on a part-time basis while the grant lasted. There isn’t a permanent position now.”
As Mike Larrivee says, it boils down to political will: “Memphis gets compared to Detroit a lot because our demographics and economy are similar. But for years, Memphis did not have a paid arborist or tree team until Mark got that part-time funded position. By comparison, the city of Detroit has a tree team of 20 on the city payroll. Same size city, with the same sort of density and coverage of urban canopy, and they’ve had an urban tree team for 100 years. So we just do not prioritize or allocate resources in a way that’s befitting the assets we have.”
The West TN Chapter of the TUFC will hold its annual meeting at the Memphis Botanic Garden on Thursday, April 21, at 1 p.m. Bill Bullock will speak on battling invasive plants in Overton Park’s Old Forest.
Zito (left) and Hinata (right) are new at the Memphis Zoo. (Credit: Memphis Zoo)
Memphis Zoo Welcomes Two New Babies
The Memphis Zoo recently welcomed two new babies around the new year, a dik-dik and a bongo.
Hinata (pronounced Hee-nuh-tuh), which means “sunny place,” was born on New Year’s Eve. The female dik-dik was born to first-time mother, Willow, 2, and father, Mike, 10. Once the weather warms up, Hinata will be found in the Zambezi Hippo River Camp, where the dik-diks share an exhibit with an okapi and a helmeted Guineafowl.
Zito, a male bongo, was the first animal born in the zoo this year. His name means “clumsy” – which the zoo claims he is – or big. “Once you see his ears, you’ll understand,” says the zoo. Zito was born to mother, Marley, and father, Franklin.
Mother and baby will be on display in the African Veldt section of the zoo, weather permitting.
New at the Garden
(Credit: Memphis Botanic Garden)
Two new projects are scheduled to open this summer at the Memphis Botanic Garden.
A new section of the Woodland Garden “is set to become the Garden’s premier showplace of native plants,” says the Garden. Improvements will also be made to better connect the Sara’s Place event venue with the Woodland, to include a new boardwalk, stone pathway, seating, and a scenic overlook. A new sculpture installation will also be part of these improvements.
The Water Garden, first gifted by the Memphis Garden Club in 1965 and largely untouched since then, is going to get a complete makeover. When complete, this space will become accessible to the public during all operating hours. It will feature a water feature, new public art piece, seating for quiet reflection, and all new plantings. It will also be able to convert to a small event or pre-event space.
The improvements are part of a $6 million campus modernization project that began at the Botanic Gardens in 2019.
Missing Horse
(Credit: Agricenter International)
UPDATE: Evelyn, the missing horse, was found dead Thursday morning, Agricenter officials said in a statement.
“We thank the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Memphis Police Department, and the Mid-South community for their assistance and outpouring of support in the search for Evelyn,” reads the statement. “We extend our sincerest condolences to the owners and their families during this time.”
Officials from Agricenter International’s Show Place Arena are asking the public to help locate a missing horse.
The horse, Evelyn (above), is a three-year-old Palomino quarter horse standing 15 hands high, about five feet. She was last seen in her stall in the early morning hours of Saturday, January 15th. She and her owners had competed in the Battle in the Saddle competition at the arena.
Those who see Evelyn are asked to contact the Shelby County Sheriff’s non-emergency line at (901) 222-5500 and provide her current location. Be cautious and avoid trying to catch her on your own. Keep an eye out for potential dangers to the horse or others.
Owners Jamie and John Osborne can be reached at (901) 734-5064 or loves2barrelrace@hotmail.com, in addition to Agricenter International at (901) 757-7777.
Reach up and stretch at Memphis Rox Yoga Festival. (Photo: Courtesy ABO Marketing)
Making your Saturday healthful at an outdoor event this weekend might be just what you need. If you want to get your yoga on, Memphis Rox Yoga Festival is for you. Join a variety of local studios from Memphis, Nashville, and North Mississippi for a festival celebrating all things yoga.
The festival will offer lectures, workshops, film screenings, and yoga classes for all levels — even kids. Browse the Memphis Botanic Garden while enjoying live music, food trucks, kids’ activities, lectures, and 20 different yoga classes throughout the venue for the entire day.
A portion of the proceeds from the festival will benefit Memphis Rox, a nonprofit climbing gym located in Soulsville, South Memphis, that functions on a pay-what-you-can model. The community benefits from the climbing facility that offers programs to foster relationships across cultural, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds. Rock climbing is a metaphor for overcoming life’s obstacles. The higher the community climbs physically, the higher the community climbs metaphorically. In addition to rock climbing, Memphis Rox also offers other community amenities such as yoga, a community closet, and the Juice Almighty juice bar cafe lunch program.
Co-founder of Memphis Rox Yoga Festival and Memphis Rox board member Susannah Herring says, “When we created the festival, we wanted to partner with a nonprofit organization that supported both yoga and Memphis, and Memphis Rox was the perfect fit. Often rock climbing and yoga go hand-in-hand.”
