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Memphis Flyer

July 29, 2010
21:45
South Main Trolley Tour
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

There'll be lots of swingin' chicks down on South Main tonight for the monthly trolley tour. Dress like an Elvis co-star and win a prize. Details. [image-1]
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21:00
Memphis Police Release Statement on Lorenzen Wright Case
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

From the MPD:
On Thursday, July 22, 2010 a family member of Lorenzen Wright filed a missing persons report with the Collierville Police Department. Wright was last seen at his ex-wifes house on Sunday, July 18th shortly before midnight.
Through the course of the Collierville Police Departments missing persons investigation, it was discovered that a 911 call was placed from Wrights phone in the early hours of July 19th. After extensive examination, investigators determined that the call was made from the area south of Poplar Pike and west of Hacks Cross Rd.
Due to the potential overlapping of several jurisdictions, the Collierville Police Department requested to meet with representatives from adjoining agencies. On Wednesday July 28th at 9:00am Collierville PD, the Germantown PD, the Shelby County Sheriffs Department and the Memphis Police Departments Homicide Bureau met to discuss the investigation.
At this meeting, coordinated by the Collierville Police Department, each agency committed resources to assist in searching for any evidence related to the 911 call and the missing persons investigation.
Collierville and Germantown investigators combed the areas and interviewed witnesses while the Memphis Police Departments Air Support Unit searched the area from the air and the Shelby County Sheriffs Department deployed search dogs in the wooded areas.
At approximately 2:20 PM on Wednesday July 28, 2010 Shelby County Emergency Services Search and Rescue located the body of Lorenzen Wright off of Callis Cutoff between Hacks Cross Rd and Germantown Road in Southeast Memphis. Memphis Police Department Homicide investigators made the scene and took over the investigation. Through identification of dental records, the Shelby County Medical Examiner has officially identified the victim as that of Lorenzen Wright. The cause of death has been ruled as homicide by gunshot wound. [image-1]
The Memphis Police Department will continue this investigation. As is done in every homicide investigation, investigators continue to work around the clock to bring justice to Mr. Wright and his family.
Additional details will be released when appropriate and available; many details which the media have reported will not be commented on. Maintaining the integrity of all information and evidence related to the investigation of any crime is essential. Leaks and the dissemination of false information can have serious, detrimental effects on the pursuit and prosecution of those responsible for this crime.
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17:35
Ford Gets Endorsements from TEP, Sierra Club
» ‎ Memphis Flyer
- JB
- At press conference: Cole, Banbury, Marrero, williams, Mulroy
He wasn’t there to receive the endorsements or to comment on them, but interim county mayor Joe Ford got the official blessings Thursday of the Tennessee Equality Project and the Sierra Club.

The joint endorsements were conveyed in a press conference at the Golf Clubhouse at Overton Park. In addition to Jonathan Cole, who spoke for the TEP, and Sue Williams, who read a statement on behalf of both Ford and the Sierra Club’s other endorsee of the day, county commissioner Steve Mulroy, attendees were state Senator Beverly Marrero, environmental activist Scott Banbury, and Mulroy.

The Sierra Club statement, written by club chair Nancy Brannon, praised Democrat Ford for his “regular meeting with nearly 60 members of the environmental community, who are addressing environmental and community issues on several fronts, and coordinating with administrative staff.”

Ford was commended for pushing forward with the Sustainable Shelby plan of former county mayor (now Memphis mayor) A C Wharton and for numerous other services.

Mulroy, a Democratic incumbent who is in a reelection race with Republican opponent Rolando Toyos, was cited for his “proven record of supporting the environment, “ including work on behalf of “higher air quality standards and to get funding for tire recycling and cleanup of illegal dumps.”

Cole said the TEA “proudly” endorsed Ford. “We do this because we believe he is going to make a commitment to being an equality advocate as mayor and proceed to protect the rights of gay, Lesbian, and transgendered citizens of Tennessee….We believe Joe Ford is the right person to do that as mayor.”

In a televised debate with Republican opponent Mark Luttrell earlier this month, both Ford and Luttrell had answered “no” when asked if they favored passage of an ordinance banning discrimination against gays, Lesbians and transgendered persons. An ordinance to that end has been introduced on the city council by Janis Fullilove and Mulroy, who secured passage of a non-discrimination resolution on the commission last year, has indicated he will try again to pass a binding ordinance.

Both Cole and Mulroy said they had been assured Ford was now fully in support of such an ordinance. Mulroy said that Ford had suggested in a private conversation that he had meant to say “no comment” at the debate rather than “no” outright.

All five attendees at the press conference expressed support for Councilwoman Fullilove for persistence in the presence of threats and harassment.

In expressing thanks at receiving the endorsement of both organizations, Mulroy said, “What is really important about today is what it says about the county mayor’s race….Joe Ford is a true progressive. If reelected, he will take Shelby County forward in a progressive manner.”

In what seemed an oblique contrast between the incumbent and his opponent, Mulroy said Ford would bring into county government “intelligent, progressive professionals, not Tea Party hacks.”

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16:12
Letters, We Get Letters ...
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Check out the opinions from the Flyer's letter writers this week.
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14:05
Before "Memphis As a Model"
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Memphis City Schools' Teacher Effectiveness Initiative and what it could mean for both the city and the state of Tennessee.

But, b/c of scheduling conflicts, one thing that was never included in the story was how Memphis came to be awarded more than $90 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

About a year and a half ago, the foundation began a request for proposals from certain school systems among the nation's roughly 15,000.

"We decided we wouldn't go with the very largest systems and we wouldn't go with the smallest systems," says Colleen Oliver, senior program officer for the foundation.

Because of the foundation's focus on issues of poverty and access, they also wanted school systems with a certain level of poverty, and in states where student growth could be used to measure teacher effectiveness.

The end result was about 22 school systems, of which MCS was one, that Gates approached about the idea of partnering with them.

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11:25
Forty Carrots Closed
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Earlier in the week, a friend mentioned that Forty Carrots, the East Memphis kitchenwares store, had closed.

I stopped by the store, and, sure enough, it was empty.

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9:46
Shirley Sherrod and Right and Wrong
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Tim Sampson opines on the saga of Shirley Sherrod in this week's Rant.
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8:00
TTT Answer
» ‎ Memphis Flyer
DeAngelo Williams rushed for more than 200 yards in nine games over his last two seasons with the Tigers (2004-05). Before his arrival, how many times had a Memphis back gained 200 in a game?
- U of M Athletics
- Paul "Skeeter" Gowen
• Dave Casinelli (210) in 1963
• Skeeter Gowen (260) in 1969
• Larry Porter (206) in 1990

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7:15
election part two
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Read Jackson Baker's summary of the county mayor and county sheriff's races in this week's cover story. [image-1]
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4:00
Art House
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Memphis to study affordable space for artists. by Bianca Phillips When artist Russell Wild moved into his apartment in the Edge District in 1998, the neighborhood was filled with body shops and garages. Today, the area around Marshall Avenue is the scene of a burgeoning arts district, and Wild values living in an area with like-minded artists. "Visual artists are a bunch of weird, quirky people," Wild said. "You feed off the energy and get ideas from people. You support their work, and they support your work." It's that sort…
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4:00
Horne of Plenty
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Director and producer Tony Horne prepares to open two shows in August by Chris Davis Technically speaking, Tony Horne left Memphis in 2004 after a two-year stint teaching theater at Rhodes College. Fortunately for Memphis theatergoers, Horne, a U of M alum who had previously served as executive producer for the now-defunct Memphis Black Repertory Company, has never been able to stay away for very long. He directed Trouble in Mind, which was the last show produced at the old Circuit Playhouse on Poplar before it became the Evergreen Theatre. He's directed Crumbs from the…
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4:00
History LEsson
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

City collects information on historic structures for new presrvation plan. by Bianca Phillips When it comes to a concentration of historic structures, Cordova is no Midtown. But that doesn't mean the suburb doesn't have old buildings of value. At a meeting last week at the Bert Ferguson Community Center in Cordova about Memphis' Preservation Plan, Graydon Swisher of the West Tennessee Historical Society listed several structures still standing in old town Cordova, including the train depot on Macon Road. As Swisher named historic Cordova locations, Emily Trenholm of Livable Memphis marked the spots…
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4:00
The August Election: Part 2
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Final Judgement by Jackson Baker Voters confronted with what is in essence two different and simultaneous elections, a countywide general election and a primary election for state and federal candidates, could easily become confused. A case in point: Republican voters wishing to cast crossover votes in the Democratic primary for Congress in the 9th District might fear to do so, thinking they would then be deprived of the opportunity to vote for, say, Mark Luttrell, the Republican nominee for county mayor. Conversely, a Democrat living…
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4:00
Remaking the Grade
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

With the state tightening local education standards, Bredesen, Frist, and Wharton warn of a drop in student proficiency. by Mary Cashiola A few years ago, Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen realized something: The state tells 85 percent of its eighth graders they're proficient in math. On national assessments, however, only 21 percent of Tennessee's eighth graders are deemed proficient in the subject. "There's no explanation for that other than we have easy tests," Bredesen told a group at the University of Memphis' Fogelman Executive Center last week. "We're not setting a very high standard." With representatives from both local school systems attending,…
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4:00
The Next Step?
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

The time is ripe for a comprehensive overhaul of our approach to the arts and economoic developement of Memphis. by Cameron Mann The Memphis arts community should be tipping its hat to Mayor A C Wharton. In light of the mayor's compelling July 15th Viewpoint column in the Flyer on making Memphis a city of choice for musicians, filmmakers, and artists, we should also be asking: "What's the next step?" The time is ripe for a comprehensive overhaul of our approach to the arts and economic development in Memphis and statewide, and it's exciting to see Mayor Wharton laying the groundwork for…
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4:00
Endorsement-Free
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

by Memphis Flyer We at the Flyer get many queries about our endorsement policy from various candidates and their supporters. Our answer is always the same — and it reflects a policy that was established when the Flyer was founded in 1989: We don't endorse candidates. Dedicated longtime readers may recall that we have slightly hedged on that resolve a time or two, but we have inevitably returned to it as the solid anchor that keeps us moored in the overriding mission of…
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4:00
Let It Bleed
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Rob Jungklas fights through the darkness on his searing new album, Mapping the Wreckage by Chris Herrington Earlier this year, local songwriter Harlan T. Bobo released Sucker, a gem of an album that tracks the genesis and evolution of a relationship. A few months later, Rob Jungklas — perhaps Bobo's chief rival as sharpest lyricist on the local rock/roots scene — is releasing something of an unintentional companion piece, Mapping the Wreckage, a powerful yet intimate album that tracks the deterioration and aftermath of a relationship. Jungklas was weaned on the city's folk/blues scene in the 1970s, but…
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4:00
Letters to the Editor
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Voice in the Wilderness Sometimes a single voice crying out in the wilderness can awaken a slumbering public with its honesty, clarity, and insight. Such was the clairvoyance of Tom Holland in his recent letter (July 22nd issue) regarding the Union Avenue United Methodist Church/CVS controversy. We, the uneducated, were informed that June West and her "group of loonies" are only interested in keeping business from locating in Midtown by opposing the CVS plan. Holland's probably right — she's definitely…
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4:00
Modern Family
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

The Kids Are All Right is just alright. by Addison Engelking Because it succeeds (and fails) as a family drama instead of as a public service announcement about the competence of gay parents, Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right, like Brokeback Mountain, is some kind of cultural triumph. However, as anyone who's seen Brokeback Mountain (or, further back, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner) knows, cultural triumphs are not necessarily cinematic triumphs. It's altogether unsurprising, then, that the film is a largely retrograde affair reliant on thin, conventional characters and hollow,…
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4:00
48 Hours
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Local filmmakers make five short films in one weekend. by Halley Johnson Friday night's downtown power outage canceled a Redbirds game and the Orpheum's production of Cats, but the casts and crews of FuelFilm:Memphis' 48 Hour Film Launch pressed on. What started as a group of aspiring filmmakers discussing everything from vague ideas to detailed screenplays ended Sunday evening with a packed house watching five completed films. The film launch is the latest in a series of monthly events from FuelFilm, each one intended to demystify a different aspect of filmmaking with…
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4:00
Viva South Main
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

by Susan Ellis Attendees of this month's Art Trolley Tour on South Main will no doubt be seeing red. And, by red, I mean redheads. The theme for the evening is "Elvis," and in addition to a tribute concert and a screening of Elvis: That's the Way It Is, there will be an Elvis' Leading Ladies Look-a-Like Contest, and I predict a sea of Ann-Margrets. Imagine it: Girls and guys (!) in curve-hugging clothes making like Viva Las Vegas' Rusty Martin, one of…
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4:00
Angelina Jolie stars in palatable espionage thriller.
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

by Greg Akers Fresh off her grotesque turn in the morally repugnant Wanted and her no-more-than-two-dimensional turn in Changeling, there may be no actor I want to see headline a movie right now less than Angelina Jolie. (Check that: Julia Roberts.) And fresh off viewings of the brainy, airtight suspense of Inception, there may be no movie I wanted to see less than the twist-stuffed action (suggested by the trailer) of Salt. That's all to report I couldn't have been less enthused about…
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4:00
Grant at the Brooks; Antenna Redux
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

by Chris Davis "People always ask me what I'm doing these days, so I tell them, 'Whatever I want to do,'" says Marshall Grant, the original bass player for Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two. Fortunately for local music fans, one of the things Grant wants to do is share his stories about his life on the road with Johnny Cash. On Thursday, July 29th, at 7 p.m., the Memphis chapter of The Recording Academy is hosting Up Close & Personal, an intimate…
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4:00
Touching Me, Touching You
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

by Chris Davis On Saturday, July 31st, Memphis Redbirds fans will be treated to a pre-fireworks show by Theron Denson, the world's only African-American Neil Diamond impersonator. Here's what the man who calls himself "The Black Diamond" has to say about his unusual career and being Neil. Memphis Flyer: When did you know you wanted to be Neil Diamond? Theron Denson: It's been an interesting journey becoming the Black Diamond. It started when I was very young and the only black kid in…
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4:00
Fly on the Wall
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

by Chris Davis Neverending Elvis • Elvis' more ghoulish fans will be disappointed to learn that an unfortunate pair of Presley-themed auctions have ended prematurely after a public dispute regarding the authenticity and ownership of the artifacts. Turns out taste wasn't the only questionable thing about a Leslie Hindman auction, which listed the toe tag, selected documents, and a generous assortment of surgical tools used for Elvis' autopsy. Items for sale included a needle injector, an arterial tube, one comb, two lip brushes,…
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4:00
The Rant
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

by Tim Sampson I've always been a little iffy about the constitutional mandate about free speech — only because there are so many people out there who say some pretty stupid things that hurt a lot of other people. Of course, I am a newspaper columnist in my spare time, so there are probably plenty of people who read this and think I should go crawl under a rock and keep my views to myself, too. But what Andrew Breitbart did when he…
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4:00
Whole Food
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Using up an entire 35-pound watermelon takes time, patience, and a little ingenuity. by Amy Lawrence [image-1] As I zeroed in on the gigantic watermelon on display in front of a farmer's truck at the Collierville Historic Town Square, everything else around me fell away. Brightly striped deep-green and lime, this picture-perfect specimen looked intimidating. How in the world could I even lift this behemoth, much less use all of it? My husband and I thumped it a couple of times, parted with $8, and decided that this melon wasn't for sharing — it was time…
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4:00
Letter from the Editor
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

by Bruce VanWyngarden The man from Paris and I were having coffee and breakfast at an outside table at Miss Cordelia's in Harbor Town. It was a warm, sunny morning, a prelude to another bright, soul-wiltingly humid July day in Memphis. The man from Paris was a business writer for Agence France-Presse. He was staying at my house under the auspices of the Memphis Council for International Visitors as part of a month-long sojourn in the U.S. He'd spent time in Washington, D.C.,…
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4:00
Deer Tick at the Hi-Tone Café
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

by Chris Herrington With a grunge-Dylan singer-songwriter fronting a particularly adept roots-rock band, Rhode Island's Deer Tick might be one of the most promising new entities to hit the indie scene's bar-band circuit over the past few years. On the band's breakthrough second album, 2009's Born on Flag Day, the mix of roots elements — country, folk, blues, '50s rock, lazy, front-porch-style classic rock — are so thorough and yet so easily integrated into a seamless personal sound that the band evokes '80s roots-rock…
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4:00
Heavenly
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Three Angels, Memphis' new (and healthy) diner, to land on Broad. by Hannah Sayle Soon to grace Broad Avenue, Three Angels Diner will stay open late and serve classic diner food. The diner is the newest project from Bari Ristorante owners Jason and Rebecca Severs and is named for their three boys, Julian, Lucian, and Matteo. "We've been thinking about this for several years," Jason says. "We've owned Bari for a while and had three or four different ideas for other things. We always looked for things to be at the right place at…
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4:00
Other Contests
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Down-ballot they may be, but the winners will have major functions. by Jackson Baker [image-1]In addition to the races chronicled in-depth in Flyer cover stories last week and this week, there are several important "down-ballot" races requiring a decision by the voters. Sketched out here, some or all of these may be revisited in online accounts at memphisflyer.com before Election Day, August 5th. Judicial Races: Voters who feel confounded when trying to decide whom to vote for in five judicial races should know they have lots of company. CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE, DIVISION 4: The…
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4:00
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

by Greg Akers Opening with a masterful, 20-plus-minute re-creation of the infamous 1913 Parisian premiere of the ballet The Rite of Spring and shot through with a gorgeous mise-en-scène that makes the film as much about place as people, Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky is the art-house companion piece to last years more-traditional biopic Coco Before Chanel. The bulk of the film takes place in 1920: after the Russian Revolution has forced Igor Stravinsky (Mads Mikkelsen), his consumptive wife Katarina (Yelena Morozova), and…
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July 28, 2010
23:25
Remembering Lorenzen Wright
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

When I think of Lorenzen Wright, among the first things that come to mind:

His status as the centerpiece of a great University of Memphis team alongside fellow local products such as Cedric Henderson and Chris Garner; reading the Sports Illustrated story on that team — with its dynamic photo of the starting five — while I was away at college.

His startling 33-26 explosion against the Dallas Mavericks, three games into the Memphis Grizzlies inaugural season.

Seeing him in the locker room after Grizzlies games, both knees packed in ice, willing to talk and candid with a gesture or glance even when he couldn't be with words.

The craftiness that allowed him to survive in the NBA as an undersized post player, and the palpable, smirking pleasure he took in his collection of vet's tricks.

His central role in helping a skinny, soft seven-footer from Spain develop into an NBA star: Getting in Pau Gasol's face when needed, but also watching his back.

His warm, winning personality in those great early television ads for the team, like the one where he was trying to instruct rookie Drew Gooden on the way around town or, even better, this team-up with Mike Miller at Midtown's Barksdale Restaurant:

But the very first thing that came to mind this afternoon, when I was driving home and I heard the news that Wright had been found dead in southeast Memphis, was what former coach Hubie Brown said when introducing Wright at Brown's first Grizzlies public practice. Microphone in hand, addressing fans, Brown introduced all the players, but Wright was the only one about whom he said this: "This guy," I remember Brown telling everyone in the arena, "is living the dream."

What Brown meant was that Wright had been a high school and college star in Memphis, his hometown, and was now suiting up as starting center for an NBA team at home. Something he did for three Memphis playoff teams. How many athletes in any sport have had the experience of being a hometown star at all three levels of competition? Certainly many fewer than have found themselves in all-star games or halls of fame.

Wright's life was charmed: Unprecedented hometown athletic success. Immense respect and affection garnered on and off the court. Seven children. But it was also plagued with troubles: One child tragically lost, as an infant, during his tenure with the Grizzlies. Recently, a divorce and home foreclosures that may or may not be relevant to his death. (As my colleague Frank Murtaugh points out in his remembrance of Wright, there's been a pattern of troubles that has touched too many Memphis basketball greats.)

Answers to that will hopefully come in the days and weeks ahead, as the investigation into Wright's death — likely his murder — will be an enormous story in this city. But for now, let's remember Wright as not only a tragic Memphis story, but before that as a great Memphis story. And as a man who left a considerable mark on the city's cultural life over the past couple of decades.

Finally, to remember better times, Wright's draft night. Embracing his parents and embracing his future, with commentary from his future coach:

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20:48
Early-Voting Turnout Figures Have Democrats Worried and Republicans in a Groove
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

When David Upton, one of the legendary spinmeisters of the Democratic Party, both local and statewide, tells you that early voting is going in a dangerous direction for Democrats, you have to take it seriously.

And that was indeed Upton’s message Wednesday in a telephone call from Nashville, where news reports indicate that the same phenomenon is occurring as in Memphis — crossover voting.

Only there it’s apparently a case of Democrats voting in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Here it’s just the opposite: Republicans are voting in the Democratic primary, presumably to influence the outcome of the Cohen-Herenton 9th District congressional race, then finishing up, most likely, with party-line votes for the countywide races on the ballot.

Upton, who’s in the state Capitol to try to arrange some antidotes to the situation in Memphis — mayhap a drop-in by presumptive Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mike McWherter to fire up the troops? — is tumbling out figures as we talk.

“It looks like early voting in Shelby County right now is 54 percent Democratic primary and 46 percent Republican,” Upton says. He then calculates that at least 2 percent of the Democratic primary vote is the aforesaid Republicans crossing over (others might reckon the number a mite higher).

That would bring the county’s turnout down to 52 percent Democrats and 48 percent Republicans, and Upton, not only a longtime state Democratic committee member, but increasingly one of his party’s major strategists, declares that ratio “too close for comfort.”

He goes on: “If it stays that way, everybody on the ballot” — meaning, every Democrat on the county ballot — “is in danger of losing.” And for Democrats, who own a sizeable demographic edge in Shelby County, that would be truly dismaying. Upton estimates that a comfortable turnout level to end up with would be 60 percent, a proportion he says was achieved by county Democrats in the general elections of 2006 and 2008.

Meanwhile, Lang Wiseman, the Shelby County Republican chairman, is feeling his oats. At this point, he isn’t conceding any party losses at any point on the countywide ballot. He probably wouldn’t, anyhow, but he seems to mean it when he says, “Things are looking very good for us right now.”

Van Turner, the county Democratic chairman, professes to be glad his counterpart is feeling so sanguine.
“There is a finite number of Republicans in Shelby County, and they’re going to run out of them. We’re already beginning to experience an up-tick in our voters, and that’s going to continue. And on Election Day we’ll be getting everybody we can to the polls. We’re going to have a whole bunch of winners, more than ever before.”

Turner’s tone is exhortatory and optimistic, Upton’s is blunt and admonitory, but both Democrats are on the same mission — to motivate the party’s troops to start turning out in larger numbers.

Meanwhile, finite number or not, Republicans in Shelby County seem to be fired up already — either because of the governor’s race between Bill Haslam, Zach Wamp, and Ron Ramsey, which grows ever more heated, or because of the aforementioned wish of a sizeable number to vote in the Cohen-Herenton race, or because GOP cadres are reading and hearing these accounts of a higher-than-usual Republican turnout like everybody else (for the record Upton says the extent of it has been exaggerated). And that may be breeding more of the same.

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19:38
Lorenzen Wright (1975-2010)
» ‎ Memphis Flyer
Heartbreak.

Only word that comes to mind since I learned the news of Lorenzen Wright's horrific death. Thirty-four years old is far too young to die under any circumstances, but as the result of multiple gunshot wounds in the city you called home? (Don't doubt that this is yet another black eye in the national view of Memphis, a city that can't get out of its own way — in the eyes of those well beyond Shelby County — when it comes to violence and corruption.)
- Lorenzen Wright
The late Dennis Freeland wrote a touching profile of the player we knew as "Ren," a 1995 cover story in MEMPHIS magazine, just before Wright's sophomore (and final) season at the University of Memphis. The story leaned heavily on the basketball star's relationship with his wheelchair-bound father. Somehow, the bond between an athlete rising toward his prime and a father incapacitated only physically strengthened with every honor and achievement Lorenzen added to his resume.

A decade later, Wright and his family posed for the cover of MEMPHIS PARENT's "Family Survival Guide," still the only athlete to lend his time and image to the monthly magazine devoted to educating and improving the lives of local parents and children. The message was a good one in an age when pro athletes often find fatherhood a larger challenge than any uniformed opponent.

Wright endured the sudden death of an infant child not long after that appearance on MEMPHIS PARENT. His NBA career faded quicker than he would have liked (though it should be noted he played in more NBA games than any other former Memphis Tiger). Recent financial troubles had apparently squeezed Wright in much the same way so many Americans have suffered over the last two years. Only difference with a former NBA star is the number of zeroes lost on the balance sheet.

Who knows if money (lost or owed) played a role in Wright's violent demise? There will come a time when that detail matters. For now, it's only heartbreak. To the list of former Memphis basketball heroes who have found themselves on the wrong side of a gun — from Baskerville Holmes to Antonio Burks — we now have to add Lorenzen Wright.

You could hear Wright's scream of elation upon delivering a slam dunk from the cheap seats of The Pyramid during Ren's college days. He loved playing basketball, particularly in Memphis. He smiled easiest when he was on the basketball court. I'm going to remember that smile.

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19:09
Thrift!
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Welcome to Save Memphis, a blog about how not to spend much money - while still having fun and occasionally acquiring new and fabulous possessions - in the city we all love.

First up (I'll go ahead and reveal my inclinations early on): cheap clothing. For me, dropping money on new clothes is as easy as finishing the whole bag of Doritos, so I try to restrict my shopping experiences to places where costs are low. That way, I get more for what I spend, and I've recycled some clothing that might have gone to waste rather than buying something brand-new. And in terms of clothes, Memphis has some great saving opportunities at its disposal:

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14:29
The REAL Best of Memphis
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

You've got until midnight Friday to cast your ballot for the Flyer's annual Best of Memphis contest. Make your vote count.
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12:39
Being The Best
» ‎ Memphis Flyer
With only two days left to vote for the Best of Memphis, I'd like to remind everyone to vote for me for Best Memphian.

Why, you ask?

I've been posting some of my reasons on Facebook, but here's a larger list:

1. I am not former Memphis mayor Willie Herenton.
- Willie Herenton
2. I can name all the City Council members off the top off my head: Harold Collins, Janis Fullilove, Wanda Halbert, Jim Strickland, Bill Boyd, BSW, Bill Morrison, Shea Flinn, Kemp Conrad, Reid Hedgepeth, Edmund Ford, Joe Brown, Myron Lowery. (You'll have to take my word for it.)

3. I'm a ref for the Memphis Roller Derby. If that wasn't enough — though it should be — recruiters have been trying to get me to go ref for Miami, but I've said no.

4. I wear high heels pretty much all the time. When I'm not wearing skates (please see above.)

5. I wrote this. And this. That is what they call range.

6. I've never bought a big screen TV and charged it to the city's general services division.

7. I know Huffington Post model Kerry Crawford Trisler and historian Vance Lauderdale personally. And lots of other cool people, too.
- KCT
8. I don't moonlight as an Elvis cover artist.

9. The "Best Columnist" category is too crowded. And you know Geoff Calkins is going to win, anyway.

10. I've never called Islam a cult.

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11:27
Memphis Beat: "Run On"
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

The latest in the continuing series of reviews of TNT's Memphis Beat comes from Chris Herrington. Hilarity ensues.
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11:14
Memphis Beat: "Run On"
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Memphis Beat, "Run On"
Originally Aired July 27, 2010

Episode Named After: The traditional gospel song, sometimes called "Run On" and sometimes called "God's Gonna Cut You Down." It's been recorded countless times over the years, but because this is Memphis Beat, the song is an Elvis reference. Presley recorded it in 1966 and it can be found on Amazing Grace: His Greatest Sacred Songs. Other notable recent versions have been done by Johnny Cash, Moby, and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

Plot Synopsis: Nice opening as we see fingers hit "A3" on a jukebox then reach for a beer as the percussive opening of Sam & Dave's "I Thank You" starts. It's Officer Sutton (DJ Qualls), who begins singing along and is soon joined by colleagues Detective Dwight Hendricks (Jason Lee), Whitehead (Sam Hennings), and Greenback (Leonard Earl Howze).

A drunken sing-along leads to roughhousing shenanigans which leads to a bar fight with civilians, whom our heroes polish off before returning to their Sam & Dave. Off-duty cops beating up people in bars. Just another fun Memphis night.

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10:57
Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

In this week's print edition, Amy Lawrence and her husband Justin Fox Burks challenged themselves to use an entire watermelon ... seeds and all.

One result: watermelon and tomato gazpacho, read on for the recipe and be sure and check out the story on page 46.

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10:17
The Sno Cream Castle
» ‎ Memphis Flyer
You really have to admire someone who opens a humble little building like this, at the corner of Willow and Getwell of all places, and decides to call it a "castle."

And the "queen" of the Sno Cream Castle was a Memphian named Edith Humber, who opened her tiny ice-cream eatery and sno-cone shop back in 1964. Despite our steamy summers (some things never change), it was slow-going at first for the fledgling business. In a story about the place that we published in the May 1994 issue of Memphis magazine, written by my pal Dawne Massey, Humber said she made only $30 a day the first few weeks. It wasn't long, though, before sales increased by $10,000 each year for the next decade or so.

The reason for her success? "Because I put my whole life and soul into it, I guess," she said. "The first thing is a good product — you've got to have good food. And you've got to be friendly, and you've got to show the people that you appreciate them."

Humber added hot dogs, hamburgers, and foot-long pronto pups to her menu, but she told us that she never changed her ice-cream recipes over the years. Customers knew better than to even ask for low-fat ice cream or yogurt: "The biggest reason I don't want to change is because people have always asked me why mine tastes better than anybody else's, and I say, 'If you've got something going good, why change?' And it's low butterfat, so it's not real fattening anyway."

Humber said she rarely, if ever, advertised. People flocked to her "castle" because they heard about it from their friends and family. "The kids would save their lunch money at school to come here," she said. "Then they'd go home and tell their parents, 'We had a Rainbow [one of her popular sno-cone flavors]. Then on the weekends the parents would come up and say, 'Do you have something called a Rainbow?' and it would spread like wildfire."

Ill health forced Humber to close the Sno Cream Castle a few years after our 1994 interview. When she passed away in 1997 at the age of 71, the business died with her. It's now a vacant lot. When you drive by there, it's depressing to see what a tiny amount of space it occupied, but boy what a lot of memories it still holds for so many people in Memphis.
- Sno Cream Castle Menu Board
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10:11
Does Memphis Need a Third Bridge?
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

The state of Tennessee thinks a third bridge over the Mississippi near Memphis is overdue. Bianca Phillips reports.
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10:06
Style: Six Items or Less
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Mary Cashiola looks at ways women can pare down their wardrobe to six items or less at Style Sessions blog.
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9:45
Design Time: Three questions with award-winning designer Christopher McCollum
» ‎ Memphis Flyer
- Christopher McCollum
Christopher McCollum, Resident Scenic Designer for Theatre Memphis, was recently awarded the Individual Artist Fellowship from the Tennessee Arts Commission in the Theatre Design category. McCollum, formerly of Austin, TX, became the resident designer at Theatre Memphis in 2007, where his work on shows like Cyrano and Thoroughly Modern Millie has earned numerous Ostrander Awards. Here's what he has to say about what he does.

Intermission Impossible: Did you always want to be a scenic designer?

Christopher McCollum: Yes, at least from the time I was about 15 or 16. I’ve been very blessed to have a family that always encouraged and supported me in a career path that is less than “mainstream”.

Complete this sentence: Every good set has at least one...

strong choice.

Nice. Will you be outdoing yourself next season? What's the one set everyone should look out for?

Hopefully outdoing but not overdoing. As far as what to look out for, there are so many exciting projects that it is like picking the proverbial “favorite child”. That said, I think one of the projects that I and the rest of the production staff are most excited about is a new set design for A CHRISTMAS CAROL. After 32 great years we wanted to create a fresh look for this classic that will serve us and our patrons for many years to come. The bed does not change but everything else about the set will be new. It remains most certainly a period piece, but hopefully one that has a flow and atmosphere that is slightly more theatrical and contemporary.

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July 27, 2010
21:00
E.T. at the Orpheum
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Stephen Spielberg's E.T. is the feature at the Orpheum's summer movies series Wednesday night. [image-1]
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21:00
E.T. at the Orpheum
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Stephen Spielberg's E.T. is the feature at the Orpheum's summer movies series Wednesday night. [image-1]
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16:20
Stuffed
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

I received these Dachshund salt and pepper shakers last year as a gift.

Aren't they cute?

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15:45
Six Items or Less
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

[Sorry for the hiatus! Style sometimes gets shunted to the side when I've got more serious things going on.]

I've been thinking about a shopping diet ever since I saw this slideshow (and accompanying article) about Six Items or Less on the NYT's site.

The idea is simple: Choose six items of clothing, wear only them for a month, and see what happens. One participant, for example, chose two pairs of jeans, an American Apparel 3/4 sleeve shirt, two tees, and a black-and-white striped polo. One of the founders chose a black dress, a tank top, a blazer, jean shorts, a gray skirt, and a pair of black jeggings.

Work-out clothes, outerwear, underwear, and shoes don't count.

From the website:

You can get multiples of the same item for laundry purposes, but different colors count as separate items. Or you can tell us to stuff it and make your own rules.

People have asked what the philosophy is behind the experiment and most assume it’s a statement about consumerism. In reality, we haven’t dictated a driving thought. Rather it’s about putting a challenge out there and seeing what people bring to it, do with it and talk about.

Organizers says people seem to be doing this for a variety of reasons: boosting creativity, anti-consumption, and just plain old masochism.

The take-away — at least from the responses I've seen — is that no one really notices what you wear. Or rather, no one notices that you're wearing it all the time. Also that modern clothes really aren't constructed to be worn that much.

I'm playing with the idea of trying this. Anyone else?

And if so, what would be your six items?

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12:25
Bianca Knows Best ...
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

... and helps a guy with a selfish girlfriend.
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12:24
Bianca Knows Best ... and Helps a Guy With a Selfish Girlfriend
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Dear Bianca,
Several months ago, I took in a friend who was having a hard time. Hed lost his job and couldnt make his rent, so I offered my couch until he could get back on his feet. Within two weeks, hed landed another job, and hes been saving money to pay for a deposit on a new apartment. If all goes as planned, he says hell be out within a month.
Under normal circumstances, Id be fine with him staying for another month. But my girlfriend wants to move in, and she says shes not okay with having a couch crasher live with us. In fact, she and this friend dont really get along at all.
I would just tell my girlfriend to wait a month before moving in, but the lease on her apartment is up in a week. I cant really kick out my friend when hes so close to saving up enough money to move out. He really has nowhere else to go.
My girlfriend said I have to choose. If I dont kick the guy out, she says shes getting an apartment with her best friend and theyre signing a year lease. I was really looking forward to sharing a place with her. Basically, Ive got an ultimatum here: Should I kick out my couch-crashing friend for my girlfriend? Or should I stand by my couch-crasher and let my girlfriend move in with her friend?
 Confused
Dear Confused,
Your girlfriend sounds like a real ass. She cant even deal with this couch-crashing friend for a month? Shed rather you kick your friend out in the street so she can be comfortable?
This situation is really a no-brainer. You have to put your foot down and tell your girlfriend that youre not going to kick your friend to the curb a month before hes able to move out. If the friend were living there indefinitely, without a job or a plan, your girlfriend might have a point.
But if this guy is so close to being on his own, she should suck it up and deal with his presence for a few weeks. It sounds like she really isnt all that excited about moving in with you anyway. Maybe shes using the couch-crasher guy as an excuse. Maybe shed rather move in with her best girlfriend instead.
So long as your friend is keeping his end of the bargain (working, saving money), you have a responsibility to let him stay as long as youd originally planned. To kick him out over a girl violates the trust between friends. And dont forget that girlfriends may not always be around, but friends are more likely to stick by your side.
Let the girlfriend move in with her best friend, and if shes still with you after her lease is up in a year, then maybe you two should move in together.
Got a problem? E-mail Bianca at bphillips@memphisflyer.com
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11:09
Teaching to the Test
» ‎ Memphis Flyer
[Here's something of a sneak peek for this week's upcoming In the Bluff column on the new educational standards for Tennessee students.]

The NYT reported last week that roughly 40 states have aligned (or are in the process of aligning) their state educational standards with national standards:

The quick adoption of common standards for what students should learn in English and math each year from kindergarten through high school is attributable in part to the Obama administration’s Race to the Top competition. States that adopt the standards by Aug. 2 win points in the competition for a share of the $3.4 billion to be awarded in September.

“I’m ecstatic,” said Arne Duncan, the secretary of education. “This has been the third rail of education, and the fact that you’re now seeing half the nation decide that it’s the right thing to do is a game-changer.”
- Phil Bredesen
Locally, Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist were in town last week to warn parents and community members that new state standards could have a drastic impact on student proficiency levels.

"No one is against high standards," Bredesen said. "Where the rubber meets the road is when you have to live up to them."

But they hope that the new expectations will lead to higher levels of student achievement and, in the future, economic growth.

"The issue itself is education, but taking a step back," Frist said, "it's a huge social issue. It's a huge economic issue."

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8:14
Cohen Gets Black Caucus Support, Herenton Gets Busy as Finish Nears
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

The two Democratic primary contenders for Congress in the 9th District — incumbent Steve Cohen and challenger Willie Herenton — are both turning it on as the final day of early voting on Friday, July 31, nears and with Election Day itself, August 5, less than 10 days away.

Cohen, who had already been gifted with overt support from a number of African-American political eminences, including President Obama, got another boost Monday when the Congressional Black Caucus formally conferred its endorsement, along with a $5,000 donation to the congressman’s reelection effort.

“The CBC PAC’s mission is to increase the number of African-Americans in the U.S. Congress (and) to support non-black candidates who champion CBC interests,” PAC Chairman Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) said in his letter that accompanies the check to Cohen. “You have been selected to receive this contribution because of your commitment to the CBC PAC’s goals.”

That statement may not only aid Cohen now, it could foreshadow an invitation to join the CBC himself when Congress reconvenes.

Former mayor Herenton, meanwhile, was doing his best to achieve the kind of last-minute momentum that marked his upset come-from-behind victory in 1991 over incumbent Dick Hackett in the Memphis mayoral race.

Herenton has three public events scheduled for this week alone — a “social and supper” at the Chowtime Grill on Hacks Cross road for Wednesday night, a “mix and mingle” event Thursday evening at the Elements Restaurant and Lounge on Winchester, and a North Memphis rally at Jackson and Watkins on Saturday.

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8:00
Tiger Trivia Tuesday
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

DeAngelo Williams rushed for more than 200 yards in nine games over his last two seasons with the Tigers (2004-05). Before his arrival, how many times had a Memphis back gained 200 in a game?

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7:50
Confused About Your Voting Options? Don't Be!
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Several voters have apparently expressed some confusion about their options during early voting and, for that matter, on Election Day, August 5.

Most of the confusion arises from the .fact that there are in essence two different and simultaneous elections, a countywide general election and a primary election for state and federal candidates.

Republican voters wishing to cast crossover votes in the Democratic primary for Congress in the 9th district would fear to do so, thinking they would then be deprived of the opportunity to vote for, say, Mark Luttrell, the Republican nominee for county mayor.

Conversely, Democrats living in Germantown (and yes, there are some) might want to cast a ballot in the hotly contested Republican primary for governor but worry that they could not then vote for Democrat Joe Ford for mayor.

Not to worry. In races for county offices, the party primaries, in which one had to choose between voting a Republican ballot or a Democratic ballot, were held in May. They’re all over with, and anybody, regardless of their own party affiliation, can vote for any candidate in those contests — Republican, Democratic, or independent.

The same openness holds for judicial races, which are non-partisan. They are on all Shelby County ballots.

The situation is different for the state and federal primary races on the ballot. To vote for governor or for Congress or in one of the legislative races, you have to choose between a Democratic or a Republican ballot. But, whichever way you choose, you can still vote for anybody running for a county office, be they Republican or Democrat.

So, no, you can’t vote in both of the hot-button races — the Cohen-Herenton matchup in the 9th District Democratic primary AND the hotly contested three-way for governor between Bill Haslam, Zach Wamp, and Ron Ramsey in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

But whichever way you decide to go in t hose races, you’ll still get to vote for all the countywide offices — mayor, sheriff, and all the clerkships — and for all the judicial positions.

One more matter: There are several races for the Shelby County School Board. Those are confined to voters in the affected districts of the county.

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7:37
Charter Commission Considers Districting
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

John Branston has a report on the Charter Commission's attempts to set districts for a potential combined government.
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July 26, 2010
21:00
last of the honeysuckle
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Detail from Paula Temple's "Last of the Honeysuckle." For more about the latest gallery openings, see Carol Knowles' art column. [image-1]
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15:34
Non-Discrimination Ordinance Advocacy Workshop
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Sorry for the short notice, but the Tennessee Equality Project is hosting an advocacy workshop for the proposed non-discrimination ordinance protecting city workers at the group's monthly meeting tonight (Monday, July 26th).

At the meeting, supporters will learn talking points to use at the Memphis City Council's final reading of the ordinance on September 14th.

The Tennessee Equality Project meets at 6 p.m. at the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center (892 S. Cooper).

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13:21
Ramsey Not Sure What "Muslim" Is
» ‎ Memphis Flyer
GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron Ramsey says he isn't sure about whether "Muslim" is a religion, a way of life, a nationality, or a cult, but apparently he damn sure doesn't want them folks building mosques in Tennessee and ignoring our constitution in favor of "Sharia" law.

I wish I was making this up, but read it for yourself. Go ahead, I'll wait here.
- Paul R. Goode and Ron Ramsey R Dumb?
In a primary where each of the three Republican candidates seems to be in a race to determine who can appeal to the stupidest voters fastest, Ramsey has put himself back in front. Just last week, Zack Wamp muttered something about "secession" from the U.S., a la Texas governor Rick Perry, but has rapidly back-tracked, assuring us all that he loves the good ol' USA. And even (the theoretically more centrist) BIll Haslam has jumped in on the redneck voter roundup with attack ads aimed at Wamp and defending his right-wing, gun-loving, immigrant-hatin' bona fides.

Seriously, how many mouth-breathing droolies ARE there in Tennessee, that these three are fighting so hard to appear to the basest instincts of the least sophisticated voters? Tennessee appears well on its way to being the most "Fox-ified" state in the union. I'm so proud.

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10:49
Link: How Memphians Learned to Eat Pizza
» ‎ Memphis Flyer
- photobucket.com
Saw this post on Serious Eats about Coletta's barbecue pizza, which contained this little gem, which pertains to when the restaurant introduced pizza in the 1950s:

Apparently when Coletta's started serving pizza, locals had no idea what it was or how to eat it. Only when they decided to top it with something a bit more familiar [barbecue] did the pizza take off.

Really? Is this true?

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9:37
Vitale, Favre, the Heat: True Sports Confessions
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Frank Murtaugh doesn't much like Brett Favre but he digs Dick Vitale. These and other True Sports Confessions at Frank's "From My Seat" column.
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9:33
True Sports Confessions
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Opinions are to sportswriters as feathers are to a peacock. Some we keep to ourselves. (One of my top-five favorite athletes of all time is a hockey player.) Some we share openly. (If you don't know my baseball team of choice, you're new to this eight-year-old column. Welcome.) I's time for me to confess a few opinions, to display some feathers, you might say.
* I don't care if Brett Favre plays another football game. And I haven't cared for two years, since he last took off a Packer helmet. A report on Favre comes on the tube ... click. A report on Favre in the paper ... next page. It's called over-saturation.
* I abhor the designated hitter; this is no secret. But there are two things in baseball today I like even less. The major leagues should not be in Florida. It's spring-training country, and the crowds the Marlins and Rays draw -- I use the word loosely -- would fit in stadiums where teams train each March. On top of the misplaced franchises, Tampa Bay -- in the Sunshine State, remember -- has the last permanently covered stadium in the big leagues. I hate this. Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford deserve better.
* I've been in lots of locker rooms and on lots of sidelines. But only twice have I overstepped my credential to seek out a post-game handshake. In both cases, it was after the last home game of a Memphis Tiger football player: Danny Wimprine in 2004 and DeAngelo Williams in 2005.
* The most awkward element of interviewing an athlete is when it becomes clear the athlete didn't watch his sport at all as a child. Particularly since I've become a father, I find it kind of sad when a young person discovers a talent for playing a game ... but honestly doesn't really like it. Happens more often than you'd think. [image-1]
* I like listening to Dick Vitale do college basketball games. Okay, it's on the record. (My dream team would be Gus Johnson on play-by-play, with Vitale on color. Johnson: "Jackson through the lane, kicks it out to Barton on the wing. He shoots ... PURE!" Vitale: "No fair! No fair, Gus!! Too many diaper dandies on the floor at the same time! Too many, Gus!!")
* My primary rooting interest in golf is to see Jack Nicklaus hold on to his record for major championships (18). I cheer this way for my dad, may he rest in peace.
* I've long known the secret to Shaquille O'Neal's struggles with free-throw-shooting. (Why haven't I shared it earlier? He's never asked.) However Shaq has adjusted his grip or shot over the years, he's always leaned forward upon his release. This reduces the arc he's able to give a shot, which reduces the "softness" of the ball upon hitting the rim. The best free-throw shooters finish perfectly straight, or even lean back slightly.
* Among my life's missions is to see Hollywood do a major film on the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals, the Gashouse Gang of Ducky Medwick, Pepper Martin, and Dizzy Dean. Why it hasn't been done over the last 30 years is anyone's guess. (I've written Matt Damon's production company. Seriously, I have.)
* The single most troubling sports-related news of the last 12 months -- and I'm not sure what would be second -- was Chris Henry's autopsy report that indicated the 26-year-old football player had degenerative brain damage BEFORE he died in an accident last winter. If you have a child playing football, this story must keep you up at night. (Among the reasons I count my blessings for my two daughters. Though check back with me when the dating begins.)
* Josh Pastner will win a national championship. Only question is whether or not it will be as coach of the Memphis Tigers.
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July 25, 2010
21:53
Angelina Jolie: Worth her Salt?
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Greg Akers shakes out the new Angelina Jolie caper flick, Salt, and answers the big question: Can she play a condiment?
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21:45
bug cook-off
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Read about the Big Bug Cook-off and other slightly more appetizing adventures in food at Hungry Memphis. [image-1]
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July 24, 2010
22:30
Antenna film in progress at the Brooks
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

Local filmaker Chris McCoy discusses his forthcoming documentary on the Antenna Club at the Brooks Sunday night. [image-1]
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17:05
Interview: Jonathan Postal, All the People Who Died
» ‎ Memphis Flyer
All the People Who Died, Jonathan Postal’s exhibit at the Robinson Gallery, is more than a collection of his photographs of erstwhile friends; it is an exploration of reproduction and depreciation, objects of value, and the preservation of photography as art. Postal uses light boxes, "ghost boxes," old TVs and various other objects to control the viewer's observation of his photographs.
- Jonathan Postal
- Michael and Deedee
You have an impressive collection of photographs, with a number of fairly famous subjects. Where are they from?

I’ve been a photographer my whole life. I was in San Francisco and involved in the punk scene, with my band, the Readymades. Before that I was in a band called the Avengers and we played with Blondie. I was there at the last Sex Pistols concert. That’s where I got the Sid Vicious picture that’s in one of the boxes. And we played with Talking Heads and the Stranglers. But I didn’t always pull my camera out. I was actually pretty good friends with the Clash, but I don’t know, somehow I just felt it was inappropriate to pull my camera out. The same thing happened with Alex Chilton. I never felt like I should ask ‘Hey can I take some pictures?’ I took one later, and that’s the one shot I have of him. After doing that I moved to NYC and I wound up getting a position at the SOHO weekly news, and every week I was shooting somebody. I was out every night being friends with people.
- Jonathan Postal
- Sam Phillips
Why not just display your photographs, your digital prints, as they are?

My dilemma was I walked in Jay Etkin Gallery for my last show and looked at my show and I thought ‘I wouldn't pay $1500 dollars for these. I wouldn't pay over $100 for these.’ Because they're digital prints and in my mind, just a digital print alone is not worth that much money. You’ve put it into your computer and generated it from your computer and part of the value of photography is how many editions there are of the print and how was the print made. I’ve talked to people who say it doesn't matter, but I can't see how it wouldn't matter.

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16:03
Judging the Bug Cook Off
» ‎ Memphis Flyer

There was an “Iron Chef”-style cook off at the Children’s Museum this morning. The surprise ingredients? Cherries, sausage, molasses, and....

Wax worms.

The Bug Cook Off, sponsored by none other than Terminix, challenged three chefs to make the most delectable (or least gag-inducing) bug dishes.

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14:51
In the GOP 8th District Primary, the Dirtiest Word in the Language Starts With ‘D’
» ‎ Memphis Flyer
- JB
- Fincher with fellow non-D-words in Millington
One of the amazing developments in ongoing cultural history is the remarkable reception general movie audiences have accorded the new Christopher Nolan/Leonardo DiCaprio sci/fi thriller Inception.

On a recent Saturday night showing at a Bartlett multiplex there was an audible gasp — half disappointment, half delighted surprise — from the packed house when, after two-and-a-half hours of ever more convoluted sequences the action abruptly and unexpectedly ended on a black screen, a la the final scene of the concluding installment of HBO’s The Sopranos.

The way in which just-folks audiences have responded to this most complex and baffling of dramas is even more remarkable given the possibility that no one, not even the film’s makers, could perfectly distinguish between what was real and what was illusion. Part of the confusion (or the charm) is the fact that dream sequences within dream sequences are laid on with a literal doggedness, while “reality” is rendered in so fantastical and cockeyed a fashion as to blend inseparably into the make-believe stuff.

I say “make-believe” rather than fantasy because that term better describes the manipulated man-made nature of all the layered visions.

Slightly amended, he above description could just as easily apply to the current three-way Republican primary in Tennessee’s 8th congressional district. That one, too, is beyond rational explanation and is eerily compelling as it heads toward an abrupt resolution that seems destined to leave the spectators dumbfounded and none the wiser.

One of the principals is a Central Casting type — Stephen Fincher, a youngish, blond farmer and gospel singer from the Crockett County community of Frog Jump. (Not making this up.) The role set aside for Fincher, who was largely recruited by state and national operatives of the Republican Party, was to “take our country back.”

Fincher entered the drama last year at a time when the 8th District — a preponderantly rural West Tennessee area that extends into a section of northern Shelby County — appeared destined to be represented in Congress again by the district’s same old same old congressman, Blue Dog Democrat John Tanner of Union City.

But then something happened. Some fever of discontent occurred in the district — reaction to the installation of a new Administration or to the fallout from the bank bailouts of the previous one or to the continuing recession or to the new president’s stimulus programs or to his health-care proposals or to the simple fact that the president’s last name, Obama, could be combined with the last name of the new Speaker of the House, Pelosi, to make a moniker, “Obama Pelosi,” with enough ethnic and gender implications to make it as threatening as, say, Bela Lugosi, or Keyser Soze.

Add to this the emergence in the district of a significant Tea Party movement (not to be mistaken for the movement of the same name in Alice in Wonderland), and suddenly, just before last Christmas, Tanner bailed out of his reelection race, and Fincher was all by himself.

But not for long. Two other Republicans, looking at what was now a bona fide open seat, decided to get in. Both were physicians — Ron Kirkland of Jackson and George Flinn of Memphis — and their R/x was the same basic one as Fincher’s: Rescue the country from the clutches of Obama Pelosi.

Here’s where the plot can be construed as either tortuously difficult or ridiculously simple. We’ll go the simple route.

In order to compete with each other, each of the three participants discovered that each of the others was either in league with Obama Pelosi or, what amounted to the same thing, a crypto-Democrat. (Compounding the drama was that state Senator Roy Herron of Dresden, the bona fide Democrat in the race, was doing his best — like so many of his party-mates — to downplay or even conceal his party affiliation. But that’s another story.)

It seemed easy enough to make the charges stick. After all, Kirkland had once upon a time donated, or been at the head of a physicians’ PAC which donated, to the campaign funds of assorted Democrats; as a member of the Shelby County Commission, Flinn, who has a Democratic son, had voted along with the body’s Democrats (and, to be sure, most of its Republicans, as well) to approve the county’s annual budgets, which, after all, authorized the spending of money; and Fincher (yes, as a plot twist, it does seem a bit corny) had actually voted, in May of this year, in a local Democratic primary!

Cutting to the chase: There has for the last several weeks been a blizzard of back-and-forth name-calling between the three Republican candidates — the charge always being the same: That other guy is a Democrat! (or: Those other guys are Democrats!).

Oh, there have been variations: Kirkland’s brother (evidently a moneybags, though not on the scale of Flinn) paid for a TV ad attacking Flinn for corrupting the youth of the 8th District through his ownership of “urban” radio stations. And somebody has dredged up some old dirt from Flinn’s two divorces and other legal proceedings and spread it around through the blogosphere.
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But basically it’s the “Democrat!” charge — coupled with the idea that the accused is an accomplice of the villainous Obama Pelosi.
The reduction ad absurdum of all this may have come during this past week when a Fincher ad appeared on TV containing proof via a sound clip that Kirkland had (horror of horrors!) professed a willingness, if elected, to “reach out across the aisle.”

Now, earlier this month I did an interview with 7th District congressman Marsha Blackburn, who — arch-Blackburn critic of the right Mickey White notwithstanding — is generally regarded as being about as arch-conservative and un-Democrat-like as you can find in the halls of Congress. And one of the things she talked about was how she and other members of the Tennessee congressional delegation, Republicans and Democrats alike, recently worked in harmony to secure federal aid for victims of flooding in Tennessee.

On Friday afternoon, Fincher happened to be having a get-out-the-vote rally for his supporters on a parking lot adjacent to Baker Community Center in Millington — presumably the requisite number of feet away from what was an official early voting site.

And I asked him, after citing his ad, if he could not work with congressional colleagues “across the aisle” in the same sense that Blackburn had on the occasion of the recent flooding. Now, keep in mind this was Millington, site of some of the worst flood damage.

Fincher appeared to undergo something of an inner struggle while considering the question, but he could not bring himself to say Yes.

“I’m going to work with the people of the Eighth District…because that’s who I represent,” he answered finally. “I think President Obama and Speaker Pelosi are taking this country in the wrong direction. Until that leadership is changed, I’m not going to work across the aisle.”

I persisted: Not even with Tennessee congressional colleagues, in case there’s another catastrophe like the recent floods? I mean, this was Millington, where the flood damage was severe, and where several federal agencies were expected to provide disaster relief, and, at the behest of both Republican and Democratic congressional representatives, are in fact doing so.

“Well again I’m going to work for the people here, taking care of folks here,” was all Fincher would say.

There was one other area where an across-the-board opposition to President Obama hit a little snag. Fincher was discoursing on what he said were regular talks he was having with military personnel in the state, with “generals,” in fact.

I asked him what his reaction was to the recent sacking of General Stanley McCrystal in Afghanistan, who was forced out by Obama, it will be recalled, after making some indiscreet observations about the administration to a Rolling Stone writer.

“Well, that deal was really complicated with statements he made…” Fincher began, pausing while he figured out how to avoid expressing solidarity with the President. He did so with an abrupt segue, “Let the generals on the ground make the calls, and stop playing politics with our guys’ lives.” There was a lot left unspoken to between the two halves of his answer.

The last poll taken in the 8th District still had Fincher up by a tad over rival Kirkland, with Flinn trailing in third, having shown some slippage, it would seem, since he made the decision two weeks back, for whatever reason, to depart from the above-the-battle mode and join the others in the game of pin-the-Democratic-tail on the donkeys.

As wicked as the slings and arrows have become, though, both Fincher and Flinn are willing to support the winner of the GOP primary, regardless of the non-stop persecution, rough and getting rougher, they’re getting from their fellow GOP candidates.

“No question about it,” said Fincher. “Yes, we’ve got to defeat Roy Herron,” said Flinn, who was in Millington Friday afternoon for a rally overseen by Shelby County Commissioner-elect Terry Roland, who’s something of a political broker up that way and has included Flinn on his favored slate.

Doubtless, Kirkland would answer similarly. Fantastical as it seems, the iniquity of being a Democrat — or worse, of having relations with Democrats, any kind of relations — has become the meme to beat all memes, the single dominating issue in the 8th District.

Has Dom Cobb, the character played by Leonardo DiCaprion in Inception, been making the rounds up thataway, planting that obsession in people’s minds while they slept?

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