Connect Savannah July 1, 2020 by Connect Savannah

JUL 1-7, 2020 NEWS, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

COY CAMPBELL Nightingale News songwriter/musician joins us for ‘Song After Song’

CONNECT SAVANNAH | JULY 1 - 7, 2020

WEEK AT A S

Glance

COMPILED BY RACHAEL FLORA TO HAVE AN EVENT LISTED EMAIL WAG@CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM. INCLUDE DATES, TIME, LOCATIONS WITH ADDRESSES, COST AND A CONTACT NUMBER. DEADLINE FOR INCLUSION IS 5PM FRIDAY, TO APPEAR IN NEXT WEDNESDAY’S EDITION.

Telfair Museums

Forsyth Farmers Market Enhanced social distancing between vendors. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays facebook.com/forsythfarmersmarket Islands Farmers Market Enhanced social distancing between vendors. Saturdays 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. , 401 Quarterman Dr. facebook.com/islandsfarmersmarket/

Old Fort Jackson Wed.-Sun 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mars Theatre Friday/Saturday night movies at 7 p.m. Mercer-Williams House Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 11:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m., closed Tuesday and Wednesday

courtyard setting. Fri. July 3, 7 p.m. facebook.com/coachscorner/ Savannah Songwriter’s Series at Coach’s Corner Live performance in a courtyard setting. Sun. July 5, 7 p.m. facebook.com/coachscorner/

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Tue.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m.

Seldom Sober at Fia Rua Irish Pub Live Irish music at a Richmond Hill pub. Fri. July 3, 7-10 p.m. facebook.com/seldomsober/

Pin Point Heritage Museum Thu.-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Livestreams:

Site Reopenings:

American Prohibition Museum Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m., last entry 4:15 p.m.

Davenport House Museum Daily tours begin 10 a.m., last tour 4 p.m. except Sundays when hours are 1-4 p.m.

Savannah History Museum Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Front Porch Improv: Top Secret Comedy Live improv comedy sessions. July 3 8 p.m. facebook.com/frontporchimprov/

Tybee Island Farmers Market Mondays, 4-7 p.m. 30 Meddin Dr. facebook.com/tybeeislandfarmersmarket

Georgia State Railroad Museum Wed.-Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Harper-Fowlkes House Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Guided tours will be offered every half hour, with the first tour starting at 10 am and the last tour starting at 3:30 pm.

Telfair Museums 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays-Mondays. During initial reopening phase, they closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Admission to all sites $20 inclusive.

Live Concerts: High Velocity at Coach’s Corner Live performance by local band in a

Friday Night Live with Mayor Van Johnson Savannah Mayor Van Johnson’s “fireside chat” about the state of the city. Fridays, 8 p.m. facebook.com/MayorJohnsonSAV/

anyone who chooses to donate at least $5 via PayPal or Venmo receives a free high quality digital download of a movie from the archive, and is entered into a drawing to win a limited edition T-shirt. Wednesdays, Sundays, 8 p.m. facebook.com/ groups/2519522234807695/ Quarantine Concert: Red, White, and Twisted Live show streamed from the Tybee Post Theatre. Sat. July 4, 9 p.m. facebook.com/quarantineconcerts/ Quarantine Concert: Kris Youmans & Slim Live show streamed from the Tybee Post Theatre. Sun. July 5, 3 p.m. facebook.com/quarantineconcerts/ Seldom Sober Savannah’s only Irish music ensemble, Seldom Sober (Michael Corbett and Colleen Settle) perform a set spanning Trad Irish to American folk. Tuesdays, 8 p.m. facebook.com/seldomsober/

Savannah Performance Project Psychotronic Film Society Viewing - Chris Bass’ daily live stream show Parties airs at 1:15 p.m. at To receive the secret link to these hidFacebook.com/SPPAdmi den streaming playlists, people MUST join the PFS of SAV’s Private Facebook Group, at the link below. Each week,

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NEWS & OPINION EDITOR’S NOTE The Jinx, savannah stopover 2012. PHOTO

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The power of place, and memory BY JIM MOREKIS

jim@connectsavannah.com

WE ARE planning an extensive tribute in a future issue to The Jinx, the beloved downtown rock ‘n’ roll venue and bar which recently announced that July 11 will be its last day in operation. I don’t want to steal our own thunder in advance of that coverage, but did want to touch on the news briefly for this issue. For 17 years, The Jinx was the premier rock venue in Savannah, preceded in the same space by The Velvet Elvis (the sign for which was still over the door for a long time after the changeover, a poignant nod to the cultural continuity and importance of the space). According to owner Susanne Warnekros, the lease is up at the end of the year, and rent has been problematic for the bar to pay due to pandemic-related closure. It’s a disturbingly familiar story which unfortunately will become ever more familiar, as this play is acted out all over the country in months to come. From COVID-19 to a remarkable global social justice movement, we live in a time of enormous challenge and change. The closing of a single dive bar is, technically, a drop in the bucket. Except when it’s not. The closing of The Jinx represents a lot of things: For the local rock ‘n’ roll fan, it represents memories of some of the most meaningful moments in our lives, enjoying performing artists in an intimate environment with our friends.

For the Savannah cultural historian, it represents yet another example of the gentrification of downtown, which is now coming for the Congress Street entertainment corridor. For the macroeconomist, it represents the clear and present danger to any small business in America which depends on the free and willing travel of customers on foot, in person. Which is to say, most small businesses. But the impact of the loss of community spaces like The Jinx — a business, a bar, and a performance space rolled up into one — is impossible to measure or chart. One of the hallmarks of human life is the proclivity, indeed the need, to gather in shared, communal spaces to celebrate that very togetherness. There’s nothing wrong with going out for a meal. But as many of us have learned, you can get great takeout food and have just as good a time eating it at home. Not the same with live music and performance, however. Most of us don’t have the wherewithal to order a rock band over the phone, go pick them up, and bring them home for a private show. We need art, and culture, and good fellowship, and we need spaces in which to enjoy and celebrate them together. Anytime these spaces leave us, driven away by a pandemic or by some other reason, it’s a cause for proper mourning. It’s easy to say, “it’s not about the building, but the memories.” And of course that’s essentially correct. But people need a strong sense of place as well. These performance spaces are sacred in their own way.

So yes, mourning the loss of the physical space is part of the process as well. It’s not about the building.... but it’s about the building. The ideas of culture, community, neighborhood, and family are all wrapped up in a sense of place. The folks at The Jinx say they’ll be back one day, in a new spot, and I have no reason to doubt them. And I have no doubt they are capable of creating many more wonderful musical memories. If not, Savannah has lost beloved venues and watering holes before, such as The Night Flight and Jim Collins’, to name just a couple. Change is the one true constant, nothing lasts forever, we’ll always have the memories, etc. etc. Pick your adage. But add this change on top of the many other changes people are experiencing right now, and it’s a lot to digest. In times of trouble, one of the best balms is, or was, heading out to catch a show, have a drink or two, and catch up with friends. Right now, we don’t even have that. All this is to say that we need to value the remaining spaces that much more. The Jinx wasn’t the only beloved space in town, and maybe the ones that remain will be able to channel some of that good will, and channel some of those many memories, simultaneously bright and hazy. IN ANOTHER NOTE, we apologize for some recent screwups of our very popular Crossword Puzzle. To make up for it, we have TWO puzzles in this issue, one for the current week and a re-run of one that was missing its answers. CS

NEWS & OPINION VOICES ON THE PATH

Voices on the Path: Kevin Lawver KEVIN LAWVER moved to Savannah in 2008 and that is when he began his journey to educate himself on issues of social and racial justice. Kevin’s daughter attends Georgia Tech, and his son is a student at Savannah Arts Academy. Kevin and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for 22 years and they are both change-makers in our community. Kevin serves on the Board of Directors at Susie King Taylor Community School, and he is the Cofounder & Director of TechSAV, CTO at Planted. Why does it matter that white people educate themselves? When your neighbors are hurting and asking you for help, you listen, and then do what you can to help. We don’t know our own history, and that’s not our fault, because we weren’t taught it in school. Black people have suffered in this country since before its founding, up through the abolition of slavery, to Jim Crow and now through the prison pipeline and discriminatory practices at all levels of government and business. Our denial and refusal to accept that these systems existed and still exist is complicity. Our comfort is not worth the continued destruction of our neighbors. It’s just time to stop denying our history and accept our role in fixing it. Why should white people not ask black people to help them learn how to not be racist? Because they’ve already done the work, and they don’t owe it to us to redo it. We’re the ones catching up, and we should do everything we can to catch up before we ask. All of the information about how to move from racism and prejudice into anti-racism work has already been written. Asking people who are already suffering and in pain is an insult to centuries of injury. Have enough respect to do your own research first.

Saying “save the whales” doesn’t mean no one cares about the rest of the life in the ocean. Saying “cancer sucks” doesn’t mean that Alzheimer’s doesn’t also suck. Black lives are under threat every day, in ways that we white people will never fully understand. “Black Lives Matters” is a plea in three little words, to recognize that threat, that pain, and the history that our country has proven over and over again that Black lives don’t matter enough. It is asking us only to value our entire community as full and equal citizens and join with them to make the changes to the systems that keep them down. That is literally it. Saying “all lives matter” feels like a reflex, because accepting the truth of the plea exposes that we don’t actually value Black lives, which is the entire problem. What are some of your favorite resources that white folks can use to become better people? I can only share what’s worked for me, but the thing that really opened my eyes was Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. It’s a masterful explanation of how privilege works and how I lived with it my entire life without realizing it. After I started acknowledging my privilege (both male and white), and that it wasn’t my fault that I had it, I was really able to get going. Local awesome person Monifa Johnson gave me my next big revelation when she recommended Understanding and Dismantling Racism by Joseph Barndt. It’s not particularly long, and is a fantastic way to learn the history of the systems that perpetuate racism, and the difference between personal prejudice, racism and how to move past my guilt of being an “unwitting accomplice” in those systems for so long and into action to make things better. After that, I’d highly recommend, How to Be Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi. Once I accepted my privilege and had my definitions, this book was a great way to think about how we move towards change. Sprinkling in history and black voices from the past has helped me understand the scope and history of the problem and that I’m not alone on this road. This struggle has been going on for centuries and will take far beyond my lifetime to win. Reading The Half Has Never Been Told by Edward E. Baptist is a great overview of

the history of slavery in the US, its origins and how it spread. Susie King Taylor, W.E.B. DuBois, James Baldwin, and Fannie Lou Hamer are all worth reading and researching. The documentary I Am Not Your Negro is a great introduction to Mr. Baldwin. Susie King Taylor’s autobiography has a lot of local history in it, and is a first-hand account of a truly unique and amazing woman. If you need a lighter and funnier introduction, How to Be Black by Baratunde Thurston is a great collection of essays and humor about the black experience. There will be voices that don’t hit you. Keep trying. Maybe Ta Nahisi Coates is better for you, or Audre Lorde, or Roxanne Gay. You will find someone who writes in a way that profoundly reaches you. Locally, I’d pay close attention to what The Deep Center is doing. What is the most important thing that white folks can do at this time? Stop. Listen. Be quiet and sit with your feelings. If you’re angry, really consider what you’re angry about. If you’re offended, sit with that offense and examine it. What are you offended about? Maybe it’s not offense but guilt and shame? It took me longer than I’d like to admit, measured in years, to accept my male and white privilege and to commit to educating myself, filling in the gaps where my education, curiosity and society failed me. There was a lot of shame and guilt. If that’s where you are now, please don’t stop. Don’t

look away from it because it’s easier in the moment. I swear it gets better, because IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT that you were raised in this system and that you didn’t know. Accept that you didn’t know. Accept that you know now and commit to doing better in the future. Whatever you do, just keep trying to get better. Listen to more voices. Show up to things. Sit in the back and just listen. Keep learning, and unlearning. Be willing to be wrong, be corrected with grace, and improve. I’m just getting started down this path, but there are people ahead of me on it who graciously reached back to help. When you meet those people, accept their hand and walk with them. We have to get beyond the idea that racism is one on one prejudice. It’s in the systems all around us. We have to commit to reforming those systems to make a more just and equitable world. In the words of Fannie Lou Hamer: “Ain’t nobody free till everybody is free.” Is there anything else that you want to add? There’s an instinct to create new things in times like these, and as a white man, it’s also been drilled into my head from birth that I should lead those things. Please fight that instinct. The work is ongoing and we are late. We need to show up for our neighbors and help where they tell us they need us to help. Let’s start there. CS

CONNECT SAVANNAH | JULY 1 - 7, 2020

BY KRISTY EDENFIELD

What do you say to “all lives matter” folks?

Kevin Lawver recommends The Cooking Gene, A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael Twitty

NEWS & OPINION CITY NOTEBOOK

Pilot to-go cup expansion passes

Three-zone program could be made permanent in the fall BY JIM MOREKIS

jim@connectsavannah.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | JULY 1 - 7, 2020

CITY COUNCIL last week passed an expansion of Savannah’s to-go cup open container ordinance, for a pilot period of 90 days. The bulk of the new area essentially now includes a narrow ribbon where open containers are now legal on each side of Bull Street all the way down to Victory Drive, with a small expansion to include the Desoto Row portion of Starland. It also includes — a bit more controversially — most of Forsyth Park. Bob Rosenwald — speaking as himself but who is also a member of the Downtown Neighborhood Association — spoke against the inclusion of Forsyth Park. “Forsyth Park is a special place, a family oriented place... it’s only a matter of time before we’re asked to include all of Forsyth Park north to Jones Street,” he said. “I’d also point out there’s a kid’s playground immediately adjacent to Collins Quarter Forsyth Cafe.” Bridget Lidy, the City’s Director of Planning, Zoning, and Urban Design, said one of the advantages of the pilot program is its division into three zones — thus allowing the City to terminate the program in one zone if it becomes problematic, without having to cancel the entire pilot or affect other zones.

Specifically, the zones are: Zone 1: The Victorian Neighborhood to include the area from the centerline of Park Avenue between the centerline of Whitaker Street to the centerline of Drayton Street and along Bull Street from the centerline of Park Avenue to the centerline of Anderson Lane; Zone 2: The Thomas Square Neighborhood to include the area from the centerline of Anderson Lane to the centerline of

CITY NOTEBOOK

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Victory Drive along Bull Street to include DeSoto Avenue between 40th Street and Maupas Lane; Zone 3: Forsyth Park to include the area from the centerline of Hall Street between Drayton Street and Whitaker Street to the centerline of Park Avenue and within Forsyth Park to include the northern portion of the Fort at Forsyth Park. The pilot program originated with the Victorian Neighborhood Association, in an attempt to boost businesses along the burgeoning Bull Street corridor. The Victorian area already successfully completed a pilot program for the so-called “T Zone” immediately south of Forsyth Park. Mayor Van Johnson and Alderwoman Bernetta Lanier echoed concerns about allowing open containers in the park, outside of the occasional special event permit event, such as Picnic in the Park. “To allow drinking in Forsyth Park creates a special situation that I don’t think will be tenable for the remainder of our parks,” Johnson said “It’s a slippery slope,” said Lanier. “If we allow drinking in Forsyth Park, we’ll have it in Daffin Park. If we allow it in Daffin Park, we’ll see it in Bowles Ford Park. If

it’s allowed in Bowles Ford Park, we could have it in Hudson Hill Park.” Up to now, the to-go cup ordinance had only applied to most areas of the Historic District from Jones Street north to River Street, bounded on the west by MLK Jr Boulevard and roughly East Broad on the east. Alderman Nick Palumbo pointed out what he called a “to-go cup speed trap” which will exist in the area from Jones Street down to Forsyth Park, where to-go cups will be illegal between the allowed zones. As of now, there are no plans to address that particular situation. In the end, the measure passed 8-1. It took effect immediately and is set to expire Sept. 25 unless Council opts to conclude it sooner. The to-go cup expansion is accompanied by other measures to increase activity at local food and beverage places during the pandemic, including “parklets” that repurpose parking spaces into dining areas, and enhanced sidewalk dining with waived fees. CS

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BY KENNETH ZAPP THE Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has two divergent reputations in Savannah. Since its inception it has been a leader in the preservation of historic buildings in our city while providing education and cultural activities for its students and citizens alike. At the same time, its non-profit status has enabled it to avoid paying property taxes to our county and city governments. Its admirable growth in student registrations over time has created more demand

Receipt of IRS nonprofit status means SCAD is exempt from paying taxes on real estate property and any profit earn which is invested to expand/serve their mission. They also may be exempt from sales taxes, may seek funding from foundations, and their donors may receive tax deductions on their income taxes. The societal benefit is that we have a thriving network of schools, churches and charities on whom many of our citizens depend upon for their wellbeing. When we developed these policies to support the missions of IRS approved nonprofit organizations, we never envisioned the possibility that some of them would become highly profitable while maintain-

SCAD’s fiscal year ends June 30. Its 990 for last year is not yet available. However, its audited statements for 2018 and 2019 can be reviewed. Many Savannah residents were surprised to learn that SCAD earned $139 million profit in 2018. Last year, however, its profit grew to over $150 million. Since SCAD reports about 14,000 students this means that, after all expenses, the College is earned more than $10,000 per student last year. Some other data: SCAD’s total revenue for 2019 was $486 million. The value of its total assets (with property valued at cost plus improvement) is $1.118 Billion. Its net assets are $846 million (assets

SCAD’s total revenue for 2019 was $486 million. The value of its total assets (with property valued at cost plus improvement) is $1.118 billion. Its net assets are $846 million (assets minus liabilities) and it has $629 million in investments. for governmental services while at the same time it has been taking properties off the tax rolls to house and educate these students. The result is that the owners of taxed properties must pay for these expanded services, thereby subsidizing the College’s operations. According to the property records of Chatham County, SCAD purchased at least 11 properties in downtown Savannah in 2018 worth over $46 million. If taxed at prevailing millage rates, these properties would have generated over $600,000 in revenue for local governments. Since SCAD does not have to pay property taxes, the rest of us who do make up the difference. In our economy, we grant generous tax advantages to nonprofit organizations which supply socially needed goods and services which they could not afford to provide if they were taxed as for profit companies.

ing their tax advantages. Today, the largest United States universities in the Ivy League earn hundreds of millions of profit each year. However, in recognition of their dependence on local governmental services, many of them, including Harvard, Yale and Princeton Universities make voluntary contributions to their local governments, some over $10 million annually. SCAD is a private organization but its finances may be viewed from two sources. First, every nonprofit maintaining its status must submit a report to the IRS each year. Called the 990, this report then becomes public through several on-line sources. Also, SCAD’s financial reports must be audited in order to ensure their reliability. SCAD uses the highly recognized firm, Grant Thorton, as their external auditor and these reports are also available on-line.

minus liabilities) and it has $629 million in investments. This last figure is important: it means that the College has this amount of funds which are not invested in its operations. While we may disagree on what is actually fair, most Americans believe that taxes should be assessed and paid fairly and that no one should take advantage of policies aimed at serving the public purpose for their own private benefit. One thing, however, is clear. SCAD does not need the benefits of its nonprofit status to maintain their operations. These benefits may not persist if the College loses the public trust. CS Kenneth Zapp, PhD, is Professor Emeritus, Metropolitan State University, and Mentor at SCORE Savannah.

NEWS & OPINION BLOTTER

HOMICIDES

Arrest made in May homicide

On June 22, Savannah Police detectives arrested Labrea Adger, 19, on charges of murder and robbery in a May 13 incident. Around 1:10 a.m. May 13, “officers responded to the 2300 block of Pinetree Road on a report of a shooting. Once on scene, officers located Vincent Smalls, Jr., 28, with a life-threatening gunshot wound, which he succumbed to,” police report.

Pedestrian killed on I-95

Savannah Police’s Traffic Investigation Unit is investigating a crash that resulted in the death of a pedestrian the evening of June 24. At approximately 11:20 p.m., Terrie Ussery, 40, driving a Freightliner Cascadia, was traveling north on Interstate 95. As Ussery approached mile marker 104, a black male wearing dark clothing appeared in the roadway. Ussery could not avoid the male and struck him. The male, later

identified as Shawn Spencer, 21, of Miramar, FL, succumbed to his injuries.

Pedestrian seriously injured on Lincoln Street

Savannah Police’s Traffic Investigation Unit is investigating a crash that seriously injured a pedestrian the afternoon of June 27.. At approximately 3:15 p.m., Benjamin Mims, 39, driving a Nissan Maxima, was fleeing from a previous hit and run when he began traveling west on Bryan Street. When Mims attempted to make a turn on Lincoln Street, he entered the sidewalk and struck a pedestrian, later identified as Adrian Jones, 30, of Bellville, IL. Jones was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Mims was apprehended and acquired charges from both incidents which include, failing to stop at a stop sign (two counts), improper left turn, reckless driving, driving under the influence (two counts), following too close, hit, and run, and serious injury by motor vehicle.

SPD to resume fingerprinting services in July

After temporarily discontinuing fingerprinting services to the general public due to COVID-19, the Forensics Unit is now scheduling appointments in preparation for their opening date of July 6. Fingerprinting services will take place at their office located at 78 Ross Road, Monday through Thursday, by appointment only. Individuals can schedule an appointment by contacting the office at (912) 651-6700, Option 5. All visitors will be required to wear a mask and will have their temperature checked before entering the building. A government-issued photo ID is required to process prints. There is no fee associated with this service, and FBI fingerprint cards are available if needed. Individuals must fill out an application in advance if seeking prints for an alcohol license. If you need prints for a license to carry application, daycare licensing, elder care, or adoptions through the State of Georgia, contact the UPS store located at 1 Diamond Causeway at (912) 303-0912 for more information.

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Car buyer Da Tong Yang of Richmond, British Columbia, became so frustrated with his local Mercedes-Benz dealership that in January he flew to the company’s headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, to seek help. Yang bought his wife, Guifang Huo, a brand-new S550 in 2017, partially because he believed the $155,000 car to be one of the safest vehicles available, but a year later, the couple claimed, the steering wheel locked, causing the car to nearly crash into a concrete wall. Mercedes-Benz said an “internal electrical issue” was at fault and assured the couple it was fixed. Yang wasn’t convinced, demanded his money back or a replacement car, then sued the company when it declined. The case has languished in court, prompting Yang’s trip to Stuttgart in early June “to find justice, not only for him but also for other drivers,” he told the Richmond News. Despite his personal appearance, litigation is still underway.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

An unnamed 66-year-old woman in Ewing, New Jersey, gave $1 to a man begging in a drugstore parking lot on June 18 and became the victim of a carjacking, according to the Associated Press. Ewing police said Tomasz Dymek, 31, of Queens, New York, “was not satisfied with the dollar, so he forced his way into the victim’s vehicle and drove from the lot, sitting on top of her in the driver’s seat.” Witnesses alerted police, who followed Dymek into Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, where the car broke down and officers arrested him.

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Bradley Bell, head writer for “The Bold and the Beautiful,” told the New York Post the show is experimenting with using blowup dolls in love scenes as the soap, in hiatus since March, resumed taping June 17. Bell said, “We put our heads together trying to figure out a way to make these scenes work without breaking the 8-foot (distancing) rule ... and we brought out a doll we used years ago as a corpse.” The result, he said, “was very convincing ... We’ll be using her with hair and makeup as a stand-in to match some of our leading ladies.” The show has also recruited some of the actors’ spouses as body doubles. “We’ve had stunt doubles before,” Bell said, “but this is the first time we’ve had kissing doubles.”

Least Competent, Most Ambitious Criminals

• Donnovan Russell Jester, 28, of Largo, Florida, was arrested on June 18 for grand theft of a vessel -- a $900,000, 46-foot-long yacht. The Tampa Bay Times reported the theft took place March 20 at Thunder Marine, where Pinellas County deputies said the 2019 Jeanneau Leader was stolen

and driven into four channel-marker pilings, doing about $60,000 worth of damage, before being abandoned to drift in an oyster bed. Investigators found Jester’s thumbprint on a cabin door; he was held at the Pinellas County jail on $50,000. • At 1:28 a.m. on June 20, airport air traffic control in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, contacted police about a distress call coming from an aircraft. Officers already at the airport trying to locate a car they believed had been stolen from Daytona Beach found Robert Stienstra, 22, of DeBary, Florida, sitting in the airplane on the airport apron, according to an arrest report. Stienstra asked an officer whether he knew how to fly a plane, then explained he had recently purchased the aircraft (valued at $1 million) for $20,000 and needed to fly to California to take marijuana and meet his girlfriend. Along with a bag of weed, Stienstra had a glass pipe with remnants of methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia. New Smyrna Beach police charged Stienstra with grand theft over $100,000; he was also wanted by Daytona Beach police on charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle.

News That Sounds Like a Joke

After falling asleep following a 10-bottle beer-drinking binge, and failing to heed nature’s call for 18 hours, a 40-year-old Chinese man identified as Mr. Hu was diagnosed with a burst bladder, the New York Post reported on June 23. The man appeared at Zhuji People’s Hospital in Zhejiang, China, complaining of searing abdominal pain, and doctors discovered three tears in his bladder, one of which had caused his intestines to spill into the bladder. Mr. Hu underwent emergency surgery and was able to recover. Zhuji officials said while bladder rupture is rare, they see at least one such patient every year.

The Litigious Society

Kris Hedstrom of Odessa, Florida, filed suit against her neighbor, Heather Dayner, in late May, demanding a paternity test for the five goats she purchased from Dayner or a full refund. Hedstrom bought the five Nigerian Dwarf goats -- Bella, Gigi, Rosie, Zelda and Margoat -- in December, paying $900, and expected to register them with the American Dairy Goat Association, according to the lawsuit. Registered goats have higher value than nonregistered goats. But the ADGA denied Hedstrom’s application because Dayner is not a member of the organization, and Dayner now accuses Hedstrom of trespassing on her farm and harassing her with calls to the police. “She’s been a nightmare of a neighbor,” Dayner said. Dayner plans to represent herself in court in July. CS

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

MUSIC THE BAND PAGE

BY SEAN KELLY

HIGH VELOCITY @COACH’S CORNER

Rockers High Velocity take the Coach’s Corner outdoor stage for a night of high octane rock and roll (we resisted the urge to say “high velocity”) and some social distancing, of course. These guys have played with everyone from Molly Hatchet to 38 Special and Marshall Tucker Band, so you know you’re in for something great. FRI., JULY 3, 7 P.M., $5+

KRIS YOUMANS & SLIM @QUARANTINE CONCERTS

SAVANNAH SONGWRITERS SERIES @COACH’S CORNER

Coach’s is staging the Savannah Songwriter’s Series on Sun., July 5, and putting up some really great talent in the process. Singer/songwriter Logan Thomas is a pop/rock star in the making, while Kayaki Howle is a Savannah newcomer who will most certainly fit right in. Add in the great Thomas Claxton, who’s been known around these parts for a long time, and you’ve got a great Sunday show. Bring your mask! SUN., JULY 5, 7 P.M., $5

RED WHITE AND TWISTED @QUARANTINE CONCERTS

Tune in for a special Quarantine Concert on the 4th of July with Individually Twisted, who’ll be going under the moniker Red White and Twisted for this event. These guys are rock at its finest, and they’re locals as well! If you like Foo Fighters, Muse, and bands in the general alternative realm, you’ll want to set a reminder for this one. SAT., JULY 4, 9 P.M., QUARANTINECONCERTS.ORG

CONNECT SAVANNAH | JULY 1 - 7, 2020

Kris Youmans is a Savannah native whose songs ooze Savannah soul. They’re southern and rootsy, but all her own as well. This will be a great, unique matinee to tune in for if you’re looking for some excellent live music on a Sunday afternoon. Sit down with the family and enjoy some local roots music greatness. SUN., JULY 5, 3 P.M., QUARANTINECONCERTS.ORG

MUSIC SONG AFTER SONG

SONG AFTER SONG: COY CAMPBELL Nightingale News songwriter/musician elaborates on two powerful songs

BY SEAN KELLY

sean@connectsavannah.com

NIGHTINGALE News’ Coy Campbell is a prolific songwriter and musician who has built a reputation for his inventive and genre-bending approach to the craft. He was kind enough to break down an original song of his in great detail, and also examine one of his favorite songs—which also happens to be one of the most politically misunderstood songs in history. Here’s a very special edition of Song After Song, featuring Coy Campbell. Original song: “Nuevo Serape” / 2016

CONNECT SAVANNAH | JULY 1 - 7, 2020

The tune I’ve been asked to speak on is a one-off titled Nuevo Serape that came out of a dream in the period after the completion, but before the release of, my LP Bell Rope in 2016. It was a time of possibility, knowing that my new collection of songs would be released that fall. I do remember waking with a visually indistinct but very emotionally clear sense of well being and belonging from a dream I’d been having. I couldn’t put a finger on it, but despite the fears of a looming election that nearly everyone I knew had strong feelings on, I had a sense in my gut that everything would be alright. America would come through with the votes necessary to avert 12 the catastrophe of a Trump presidency.

Rising and drawing the curtains, I was met by gray skies misting over shoots of new green long familiar to Savannah in early Spring. Below my window was a defunct cab yard and dispatch kiosk. I saw oak and moss, thought of a man on his way to fetch water from a well, of journey and purpose, turned back, sat on the bed, and wrote the following lyric in less time than it will take to read this article. So I set out In the darkness With a bucket In the quiet facing rain Past the cab stand And the castle And the tree limbs Brushing silent Polished frame So it’s goodnight To your mornings Go on safely Go on quiet Back to bed You belong here In this garden Where we all live Where we all live Where we all live Where we all live

That was it. Not particularly any kind of poetry, but notes enough to compel a visualization to revisit and flesh out as something more along the lines of a painting. I pulled myself back beneath the bed sheets anticipating another verse after reawakening later. Had I not written it down, there is a scarce chance I would have ever remembered having thought it. That’s the whole song, as it would turn out. Seven months later, the lyric was still shelved on a music stand when a melody peeped out in the singing of those words. A simple, two chord figure emerged from daily practice and situated itself perfectly in support of the line. It just felt right, it fit, and despite my desire to sound intentional in the making, it wasn’t. It was just heart, and making up chords I could only afterward analyze and name. Simple chords to be sure, previously known but in a newly discovered position on the instrument. Familiar but different. Same chords for both verse and chorus, and no bridge. I could cite early influencers Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and Gillian Welch for the former, even fewer for the latter, fewer yet with both atop a two chord figure. It definitely felt like I was breaking some rule that all the major dudes were aware of, but hadn’t informed me. It couldn’t be that easy. Turns out, it is and it isn’t. In the months between joining these fragments together in a song, the 2016 presidential election and inauguration had taken place. The Women’s March had spoken in response that January, and the news was flooded with images of Savannah artist Panhandle Slim’s placards of informed dissent in the arms of fellow Georgian’s marching on Washington. Collating these images and sentiment, I called a session to record this song and produce a video reflecting the spirit and letter of dissent. Valentine’s Day was approaching and spirits were sore for lifting. I cut the single and compiled the video in one week, releasing it February 14th, 2017. “There’s nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.” -Jimmy Doolittle Favorite Song: “Born In the USA” Bruce Springsteen In 1984, I was in middle school when Bruce Springsteen released Born in the USA. The album and the song of the same name were stratospheric hits of course, and are justly noted as one the greatest singles from one of the greatest batch of songs on one record in all of modern music. This couldn’t have mattered less to me as a kid, though, my interests were more Prince-adjacent that year and Bruce sounded like somebody’s uncle that gets lousy at the Fourth of July picnic. In short, corny old people music. Nonetheless, the song Born in the USA was inescapable then and a touchstone of those times

now, forever playing in the background of that era, and few blue collar Americans avoided absorbing it in some way. Sadly, years would pass before I found his name attached to a gloomy album cover with the word Nebraska written in red across the front. When I finally discovered Bruce Springsteen, he was long out of sight of who I thought he was. Today, I am a songwriter. Sometimes a serious and purposeful one, sometimes blindfolded and reaching, mostly a messy both. I try to stay in practice when not writing anything of my own that seems like it might last longer than a pair of shoes by studying songs that were written before or around me, and the cultural context of the people who wrote them. I attempt to figure out and play their stuff so that their rainfall may make its way to my aquifer. Recently, I was thumbing through old song books and came across Born in the USA. I’d never really looked at the bones of it beneath Roy Bittan’s opening synth melody (composed on the spot for the take you hear on the album) and Max Wienberg’s thunderous opening snare hits. I looked to the chart for the chords to lyrics long memorized: Born down in a dead man’s town First kick I took was when I hit the ground End up like a dog That’s been beat too much Till you spend half your life Just covering up Born in the USA I was born in the USA I was born in the USA Born in the USA It too, was a two chord song. The entire story plays out- melody, verses and choruses- over one chord change with no bridge. An anthem. About people. American ones. Maybe my song, Nuevo Serape, sounded so familiar upon writing because Bruce Springsteen had okayed the form three decades prior with a song even your mamma knows. Can’t say? In an epic generational reckoning that summarized the trauma of an era through the eyes of its most hapless agent, Springsteen slung a Super 8 camera out of his driver’s side window and caught a sunsetting America as proud to carry the flag as it was traumatized for having done so. Far more than the chords, it’s about the inhabitants of the story. Their street names and first loves. The small parts becoming the big picture, the spike in your gut, the way it makes you feel when you see yourself in a song. That’s rock and roll. CS For more on Nightingale News, visit nightingalenews.bandcamp.com

CULTURE PERFORMANCE

Front Porch Improv thrives through pandemic

Front Porch Improv’s new show, Hot Takes, features Matt NIckley and Chris Williams in a format where everything is up for discussion. PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER DANGER MENDRALA

BY RACHAEL FLORA

FRONT Porch Improv was poised to have an incredible summer. Back in spring, they were riding the high off the opening of their theater, a crowdfunded effort years in the making, and a successful run of shows as well as the Savannah Comedy Festival. But just weeks after the opening, COVID-19 came to town, forcing the group to shut their brand-new doors and think of new ideas. “We’re throwing fishing lines out in the water,” says co-artistic director John Brennan, “and every time one pulls, we’re like, ‘Okay, we’re focusing on this!’” One of those lines that got a pull was improv shows via Zoom, a popular video call app. After a show, Brennan noticed that all the participants were still on the call—quite a feat, as most users trickle away as the Zoom goes on. The participants started chatting with the improvisors, which is how Front Porch’s new show Hot Takes was born. During the hourlong show, Chris Williams and Matt Nickley talk about, basically, anything. “We have a world of freedom with the format and can really follow the fun wherever it pops up,” says Nickley. “We don’t go into the show with an agenda; it’s really about expressing often outlandish opinions on mundane things. It’s all about bringing joy and laughter to people, no other motivation than that.” “It gives us an opportunity to do something a little more grounded,” says Williams. “Although it’s a comedic show, it’s way more reliant on us being ourselves as opposed to playing characters.” When you watch a Zoom show by Front Porch Improv, you’ll hear a few laughs in the background. Those are courtesy of the quarantine crew, a rotating group of about four cast members who are in the audience. But those are the only laughs that the performers will hear. Improv relies so heavily on crowd interaction that it seems odd for a show to happen without much of it. But the

performers are doing just fine in the new circumstances. “It’s been an adjustment, but I really enjoy the fact that people at home actually take time out of their day to watch us, especially with all the options at their fingertips,” says Williams. “And the relative distance of Zoom compared to live audiences, I think, opens people up more to being interactive.” “Selfishly, I miss the live audience and knowing what’s working or what’s falling flat,” shares Nickley, “but with Zoom, you’ve really got to trust your gut and commit to whatever the bit is.” Brianne Halverson, co-artistic director of Front Porch Improv, wholeheartedly agrees. “Laughter is like a rudder on a boat: it definitely points you in the right direction,” she says. “You’re like, ‘Oh, people are engaged, they like this topic.’ As a performer, you use that. You can tell they’re interested in that. We have the quarantine crew, but four people is not 120, so it does feel different. It’s definitely tailor-made for those four people, but at the same time, it’s really made me go inward of what I think is funny.” Zoom shows have been working out so well for Front Porch Improv that they plan to continue them well after things return to normal. (Halverson rightly points out that sometimes people just want to watch comedy on their couch, and Zoom improv is perfect for that.) But even determining what normal will look like for Front Porch Improv post-pandemic has been a bit of a tough line to walk. “I think we’re staying positive, but also being really realistic. We don’t want to ever feel like we’re being unreasonable by doing a comedy show,” says Halverson. “I do

agree that life has to go on at some point, so when we feel like we can do it really safely [we will].” Front Porch Improv is looking at online ordering for both tickets and drinks, putting seats eight feet apart instead of six, and alternate methods of checking in when arriving as goals for when they reopen the theater. “I do know that some people are never going to feel safe until there’s a vaccine, and some people already feel like it’s safe,” says Halverson. “Here’s what we’re doing and we understand if this is not enough for you, but we also lovingly say, ‘What else do you need us to do?’ We have all the information we have,” adds Brennan. “If you don’t feel safe, stay home—these are weird times.” As a rough estimate, Front Porch Improv hopes to return to in-person shows when cases of COVID-19 stop spiking, whenever that may be. Luckily, Front Porch Improv is full of improvisers, who are used to changing direction on a dime. “The nice thing about improv is that we are nimble,” says Halverson. “Our training is literally, ‘Yes, and…’ So, ‘Oh, this is different. Yes, and we’ll do this!’ I’m worried about independent venues, like Upright Citizens Brigade and IO. Of course that’s a consideration. The Savannah community has been so wonderful to us.” Through its GoFundMe page, Front Porch Improv has managed to raise three months’ worth of rent thanks to the generosity of the local community. However, that rent runs out this month, so the group is back to the proverbial pond to throw out some more lines. Front Porch Improv has a game show starting next week as well as a sketch show that starts in July. They offer improv

classes for businesses who want their employees on the same page, and they’ll do training for kids’ therapy improv with Chatham County Safety Net in September. They’re also doing lots of outreach— Brennan is known to invite Uber drivers to an improv show—one form of which is their diversity outreach. “At every show, I mention that we want our cast to reflect what the city of Savannah looks like, and it doesn’t yet,” says Halverson. “The truth is, it’s on us. John and I are like, ‘It’s been slow, sometimes people aren’t applying.’ Well, no. People don’t need to find us—we need to find them.” Front Porch Improv is passionate about bringing the art of comedy to our community and making sure that audiences feel represented and have a great time. It’s important to remember, though, that this is a side hustle for everyone involved. “At this point, I can’t do anything else. I’m too drawn to it,” confesses Halverson. “I’ve done other things and put it off, and I’m like, ‘No, I can’t put it off anymore—I have to do theater, and I want to do it here.” “I think the common consensus, which is correct, is that if you start an improv theatre, you’re not in it for the money,” laughs Brennan. “None of us are independently wealthy. We’re all working jobs. We’d love to have this be our full-time job, but it’s not,” says Halverson. “The reason we’re staying afloat is because I honestly think this is a giving community, and we hopefully paid it forward by doing charity shows and donating scholarships. People realize we’re not out to win this—we’re out to make Savannah a better place.” CS For more information, visit frontporchimprov.com.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | JULY 1 - 7, 2020

rachael@connectsavannah.com

CULTURE THE ART•BEAT OF SAVANNAH

Local artists take part in the

Great American Paint In

BY RACHAEL FLORA

rachael@connectsavannah.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | JULY 1 - 7, 2020

WHEN the pandemic made its way to Savannah, Dottie Leatherwood and Marc Hanson packed up their Whitemarsh Island studio and relocated to their home on Tybee. It was quite the adjustment for the painters. “We share a lobby with a doctor’s office, so when this all got started, it was a bit unnerving,” recalls Leatherwood. “At first, we didn’t think there was much of anything to it—it just seemed like the flu. And then it just kept getting bigger and scarier, and you really didn’t have any idea what to do.” When quarantine first began, even outdoor activities were limited for the pair: Tybee Island was largely off-limits, and their favorite spot, Fort Pulaski, was also closed. One day, Leatherwood was approached by her Facebook friend Michael Wintermantel, a fellow artist, to share a new project with her: the Great American Paint In. Created by Bill Weinaug, owner of Gallery CERO in Wekiva Island, Florida, the Great American Paint In seeks to document how artists are making their way through this unprecedented time. “Our vision for this project is to build a marketplace where America’s greatest artists can share their 2020 world pandemic experience through their art,” said Weinaug on the project’s website. “We will strive to collect and make this art available to the world through this website, and ultimately share it in a beautifully published tabletop book.” The project culls a wide variety of painting styles from artists across the country. A quick scroll through the sprawling collection reveals an impressive range of subjects and styles. Leatherwood and Hanson are primarily landscape painters, so the work they submitted for the collection was of scenes that meant a lot to them. Leatherwood’s paining is a seascape of Tybee Island that she found to be particularly indicative of the current moment. “It’s a really pretty blue sky day, lots of puffy clouds,” she recounts, “but interestingly enough, the seagulls down there were just all facing the wind and then they were 14 all about six or eight feet apart, scattered

across. I’d earmarked the photo a while back, and as I was looking at it, I noticed the gulls were social distancing on their own. I thought it was pretty appropriate.” Hanson’s painting is of a favorite spot up near Blowing Rock in North Carolina. “It’s a place that we would have liked to have gone to over the last month or two,” he says. “It’s a place of solitude. Any time you’re along a little stream, it’s a pretty peaceful place.” While Leatherwood and Hanson both primarily paint from photo references, they also like to paint outside when they get the chance. “As most artists, I’ve got more photos and reference materials than I can paint in 50 lifetimes,” says Leatherwood. “But because we paint outside a good bit, it’s both easier and harder sometimes to paint from photographs. You know what’s missing when you take a photograph; it’s just never as good as it is standing out there in front of it. “But you can adjust for what you know to be probably true in the photographs. A lot of times, when you’re outside painting, there are things out there you don’t have the time to paint. It’s something you wouldn’t go back into the studio to do bigger or differently; it was fleeting.” “Normally, if we feel like we need to go outside to get some information, we’ll just go do it, and that was not as easy to do,” adds Hanson. “We paint outside a lot, and you find areas that are accommodating, friendly, easy to get to, and all those places were shut down. If you work from photographs in the studio, you’re always missing something. It’s nice to be able to run out, take a look at a palmetto or something if you need to.” Another perk that Hanson found during quarantine was that it slowed both the painters down. “It slows you down a little bit; you consider things a little bit more,” he explains. “But at first, you’re a little panicked by that.” The Great American Paint In is unique in that the artists keep the work instead of submitting it to the gallery. All sales can be conducted through the shop function on the website. As such, the paintings will remain on sale for a while. CS For more information and to view or purchase work, visit thegreatpaint-in.com.

Clockwise from top: ‘North End,’ Marc Hanson; ‘Le Debut,’ Dottie Leatherwood; ‘High Light,’ Hanson; ‘Uncomplicated Joy,’ Leatherwood; ‘Flower Moon Rising,’ Leatherwood.

CULTURE VISUAL ARTS

Top: ‘Knuckleball’ 1, 2, and 3. Bottom: Grounding an Albatross.’ Left: Portrait of the artist by Nathaniel Thompson

QUESTIONS

WITH

Christian Miguel Gutierrez rachael@connectsavannah.com

BORN IN Texas, Christian Miguel Gutierrez arrived to Savannah by way of Charleston to attend SCAD and pursue a painting degree. The pandemic hindered his plan to move to Chicago post-graduation, but it’s a good change of plans: Gutierrez loves the creativity and transience inherent in Savannah, and he’s inspired by the talent he sees here. Gutierrez’s work blends painterly and sculptural elements in a way that reflects on his own feelings of being in limbo, particularly with his sexuality and his ethnicity. As a queer Mexican-American man, Gutierrez doesn’t feel fully part of either identity. That feeling comes through in the work he creates, both in concept and process. We spoke with Gutierrez last week.

1. Have you always been interested in art?

I’d say that I’ve always been artistic, ever since I was really young. It was something I always imagined myself doing. The way that manifested changed throughout my

life. I think, as a young artist, you’re trying to be realistic with how you can put those talents to use. But when I was getting my bachelor’s, I got engulfed in the world of fine art and I realized that I’m not someone that can really play well with people telling me what to do all the time. I figured out very quickly that working for clients predominantly was something I wouldn’t be happy doing. I started to mold myself and my practice around things I wanted to express and pushing my own envelope and my own boundaries. That brought me here: studying painting and sculpture and making it work.

2. How do you find your source materials?

Within all of my work, I’m very interested in topics like gender, sexuality and masculinity, and my relationship to those things, my own queer experience. I was thinking a lot about masculinity and gender when I was making [the “Knuckleball” collage series] and where I fit in along those lines. I was also thinking about systems of the patriarchy and my own family’s relationship to the patriarchy. In a lot of my work, I play into archetype.

It’s sort of campy, but it’s also very real archetypes that I have always had to face. I was thinking a lot about body builders. It’s a hypermasculine figure that in queer circles is this idealized, desirable figure, but it’s also a desirable and evocative figure in straight culture as well.

Does your upbringing in the South affect your work?

It has a lot to do with it. I grew up most of my life, as I think a lot of queer people in the South did, very afraid, very scared to be yourself, which is the very sad truth about being queer in the South. There are still so many obstacles you have to face. In some ways, I love the South, especially Texas. I have such romantic and nostalgic memories of Texas, but there are also some very sad and repressed memories there as well, which I think come

CONNECT SAVANNAH | JULY 1 - 7, 2020

BY RACHAEL FLORA

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VISUAL ARTS

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through in the work. I talk a lot about the cowboy, who’s this Western crusader that’s been whitewashed through history. They’re these very lone men out on the frontier. In some ways, it relates to my own queer experience. I think my relationship with my ethnicity also takes a big toll. The work is about being in a limbo space in between, and I think that’s inherently queer. Queer people don’t necessarily fit in this perceived binary of male and female, straight or gay. I try to reflect that with materials and genre and presentation. If there’s something that’s painterly that ‘Candyboy’ seems sculptural, or something sculptural that has the qualities of a painting, I feel like that can embody or project the queer experience. But it’s not just of the queer experience to me, because I also feel that way when I talk about my own ethnicity and race. I’m an American person, but I’m brown and I’m of Mexican descent. My ancestors come from Mexico, but it’s also Texas, so that history gets complicated as well. Were we here when America bought Texas? Were we here before that? We don’t really know. Both my parents and most of my family are all fluent in Spanish, but they made a decision when I was young not to teach me the language. They felt this pressure to assimilate, and they thought if I spoke English as my native tongue, I would fit in with the white dominant culture that was around me. Throughout my whole life, I’ve had a very peculiar relationship with my ethnicity. On one hand, I feel like I belong in that and that’s where my family is from. But on the other hand, I feel very distant from it, almost like I’m a poser. Not only does that limbo come into play when I talk about queerness, but also when I talk about race and other aspects of my life. I feel like I’ve been in this in-between state.

4. How do you reconcile that in your life and your art?

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When you’re a young person, you can feel ostracized and alone. As I’ve grown into myself, I’ve just accepted it, like any other flaw you may perceive that you have. There is a uniqueness in my perspective and my identity that is still valid, and it’s still how I believe my reality to be true. I’ve come to greatly appreciate those obstacles and that in-between space as a part of who I am.

“Candybody” is about the queer experience. I had this picture of this smiling boy, and I saw myself in this kid. He’s smiling, but there’s something about the history of the photo. The empty space around him feels a little lonely, perhaps. I don’t know who this kid is or what he’s become, but in that moment of making, I saw so much of myself in this random image of a child. I created a cement frame around the panel to really push home that feeling of entrapment. Maybe this kid feels trapped in his identity. There are so many different meanings I started to project onto this photo, which was the process of that piece. It’s not just a painting, it’s an object. I feel so often that queer people are accessorized by heteronormative society in different ways. Lesbian women are extremely fetishized by straight men the same way gay men are accessorized by straight women. Making this painting into an object, into a solid presence, was a way to communicate that idea as well.

5. What are you working on now? A lot of my plans did get put on hold because of corona, and now I’ve been engulfed with the protests and keeping up with that. But a few friends of mine and I are starting an independent art publication, so I’ve been working on that. I’m going to be part of an exhibition with Abrir Galería. Now I’m working on a project using the Schwule Museum’s database of vintage pornography. The Schwule Museum is the first gay museum, and they started collecting vintage pornography. As we later found out, it was very important to keep it as it shows the culture from the 60s and 70s that has been lost after the aftermath of the AIDS crisis. We lost a lot of that history, and this pornography is one of the only outlets we have that gives us a glimpse into queer culture and history. I feel very privileged to have grown up in a culture where it’s unpopular to be homophobic, at least in America. Not saying there’s not still a ton of work that needs to be done, especially for our trans brothers and sisters and people with alternative gender variances, but I think there’s something to say for how much we have come in such a short amount of time. CS

NEWS & OPINION COMMUNITY

‘It feels like we’re being led to slaughter’ Service industry employees weigh in amidst COVID-19 shutdowns

employee test positive for COVID-19, but rachael@connectsavannah.com don’t close. I say undoubtedly GEORGIA restaurants were allowed to because it’s already reopen at full dine-in capacity on June 16 happening. In an per an executive order by Governor Brian anonymous email I Kemp. received June 24, an Days later, a spate of restaurants employee of a restauannounced they were closing due to staff rant on River Street who tested positive for COVID-19. reported this exact Molly McGuire’s, who never reopened situation. for full dine-in service, was first with a The restaurant’s management is folFacebook post on June 18. The 5 Spot lowing all the protocol laid out in the in Habersham Village and Spanky’s on reopening guidelines—mask-wearing, Southside rapidly followed, along with The temperature checks, and frequent cleanRail Pub. ing—yet failed to notify its staff of a posiThe list grew to include both Collins tive COVID-19 case. Quarter locations, Bull Street Taco, Trey“Close contacts of the infected employee lor Park and Hitch, Pacci, The Olde Pink were not removed from the schedule, were House, Leopold’s, and many more. not asked to self-isolate, and were not As restaurants close on a near-daily required to be tested,” reads the email. basis, it’s clear that we have a problem “Business went on as usual. We served a here. high volume of customers during this time Some called on social media for the and continue to do so.” health department to intervene. During I received another email on June 26 a press conference on June 22, Dr. Lawwith a similar complaint at a downtown ton Davis, Health Director of the Coastal restaurant. After an employee tested posiHealth District, shut that down, saying, tive for COVID-19, the restaurant closed “We have not asked anybody to close, those briefly to sanitize and told other employees that have closed have done so voluntarily.” to be tested before returning to work. I confirmed later in the week with a However, management didn’t folCoastal Health District spokesperson that low through, and the email alleges that “there is no guidance directing our Enviemployees have been working without ronmental Health staff to close a restaureceiving their COVID-19 test results. rant because of COVID-19.” This is the position in which the Savan(That’s typical even in normal circumnah service industry finds itself. Because stances: for an establishment to be shut Georgia is now open, restaurants and bars down by the health department, they must can open, which means that work is availfail three consecutive inspections.) able for its employees, which means that The Georgia Department of Public unemployment benefits are no longer Health does advise, “If a worker is diagavailable to them. nosed with COVID-19, it is highly recomRestaurants have been hemorrhaging mended that the Person-In-Charge notify money since this pandemic began. Rent the health department as soon as possible.” isn’t cheap; we’ve already seen several The key word there is recommend; it is not establishments in town close because they required. Plus, the onus falls on managecouldn’t make ends meet. Not every estabment, not on the employee itself. lishment has the financial leeway to close a So, with no real threat on the line of second time. being shut down, there will undoubtedly So, in desperate situations, employees who test positive will withhold that be establishments in town that have an BY RACHAEL FLORA

exposed to a COVID-positive person, but management required them to come to work anyway. That employee was later fired. Stories like this almost certainly abound locally due to the close nature of the service industry here. Many service industry folks live together and interact with each other, and it’s very difficult to stay six feet apart while in the middle of service. Combine that with the customers (read: tourists) who are barhopping without masks in the middle of a global pandemic, in a city where cases are spiking. Add in the fact that restaurants and bars are still reeling from the financial loss of St. Patrick’s Day and now of the prime tourist season, and it’s clear that the service industry in Savannah is in a precarious position. So, what to do? Clearly, not every establishment is on bad behavior. As you’ll see on social media, a growing number of restaurants and bars are closing voluntarily to keep its staff and customers safe. But it’s important to understand the position that many establishments are in. Remember that just because you see staff in masks and sanitizing point-of-sale systems between guests doesn’t mean it’s inherently safe. Remember that COVID-19 can often be spread by asymptomatic carriers, so a temperature check at the start of a shift doesn’t mean the virus isn’t in the restaurant already. “No matter how hard you try to wear gloves, masks and wash your hands, there is no way to completely stay clean,” says one employee. “The only way is to stay home.” CS 17

CONNECT SAVANNAH | JULY 1 - 7, 2020

information from their manager to remain on the schedule, or management will receive word of a positive case and stay open and operating as usual. That, of course, puts employees and customers in danger—but the owners continue to turn a profit and keep the restaurant in business. The desperation of this moment is perhaps best encapsulated by an email forwarded to me by a restaurant employee. The management team reminds employees of their standard sick policy and tells them that they must come to work even if they feel uncomfortable. Management also reminds employees of the “precarious financial situation” restaurants now find themselves in, and that they cannot afford to lose customers. As I reported a few weeks ago, many employees don’t feel safe in their jobs due to a widespread lack of care by guests. Now, employees may also feel unsafe because of actions taken by their management. “It feels like we’re being led to slaughter,” says one employee of a River Street restaurant where, they allege, management covered up a positive COVID-19 case from its staff. (It’s unclear if this is the same restaurant described in the email from June 24.) “It definitely seems more about optics than safety,” says an employee of a midtown restaurant, whose management is scaling back safety protocol and allowing gradually more guests. “I am fearful of going to work every single day.” One employee at a local bakery requested to be taken off the schedule while awaiting test results after being

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FOOD & DRINK FOODIE NEWS

Savannah restaurants contribute to ‘Smash the Pastry-archy’ cookbook

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FOR MANY years, Planned Parenthood Southeast (PPSE) has received proceeds from the hard work and talent of Georgia bakers and eateries who have led the annual Cookie Grab in Atlanta and Cookies for Choice in Savannah. With the pandemic putting a halt to in-person events for now, PPSE says they are now “reciprocating that support” with “Smash the Pastry-archy,” a curated book of original cookie recipes contributed by businesses who support the nonprofit’s mission. One hundred percent of proceeds from the recipe book will be passed through to the participating businesses. The purpose of the fundraiser is “to support the local business community who has donated to PPSE in years past through the annual bake sales, which have raised over $100,000,” a spokesperson says. Sarah O’Brien, owner and baker at Little Tart Bakeshop in Atlanta, wrote an introduction to the book that describes how she began organizing the Cookie Grab in late 2016: “The annual event has become something both our customers and the dedicated bakers who donate to the sale look forward to each Valentine’s Day. It’s important to me and the team at Little Tart that we espouse our values through the work we do at the bakery and we look forward to baking to benefit Planned Parenthood Southeast for many years to come”, said Sarah. The cookbook includes recipes from the following local bakeries and restaurants: Back in the Day Bakery, Savannah Bakey Bakes, Atlanta Banshee, Atlanta Blue Hen Bakery, Atlanta Empire State South, Atlanta Five & Ten, Athens JC’s Cookies, Atlanta Kimball House, Atlanta Little Tart Bakeshop, Atlanta Lulu’s Chocolate Bar, Savannah

Moveable Feast, Atlanta Pacci Italian Kitchen & Bar, Savannah Proof Bakeshop, Atlanta Rathbun’s, Atlanta Revolution Doughnuts, Atlanta Staci Fox, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast Sweet Cheats, Atlanta The Expat, Athens The General Muir, Atlanta The Grey Market, Savannah The Sentient Bean, Savannah Tiny Lou’s, Atlanta Xocolatl Small Batch Chocolate, Atlanta Staci Fox, President and CEO of PPSE, is including her own recipe for gingerbread cookies. “This is an amazing opportunity for our Planned Parenthood supporters to rally in honor of the local restaurants and bakeries who have supported us and fed us and our teams for years. Join us in this effort to show these businesses that when we say #inthistogether at PPSE, we mean it!.” The recipe books will be sold at the same price as a box of cookies, $60. “Smash the Pastry-archy: Planned Parenthood Gives Back” is now available for pre-sale at https://ppse.ejoinme.org/cookiebook CS

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Multi-cultural films set for Jesup Drive-in Movies to inspire your inner child: • Hook (Sony Pictures) • Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures) Movies to make you open your eyes: • Do The Right Thing (Universal) • Get Out (Universal) Movies to make you laugh: • Coming to America (Paramount Pictures) • Girls Trip (Universal) The program will kick off Wednesday, July 1 and run through the end of August. Participating theaters are: Vineland Drive-In – Los Angeles, CA Overlook Drive-In – New York, NY Solano Twin Drive-In– San Francisco, CA Sacramento Drive-In 6 – Sacramento, CA Las Vegas 6 Drive-In – Las Vegas, NV Shankweiler’s Drive-In – Philadelphia, PA Galaxy Drive-In – Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX Showboat Drive-In – Houston, TX Ford Wyoming Drive-In – Detroit, MI Springmill Drive-In – Cleveland, OH South Drive-In Twin – Columbus, OH Jesup Drive-In Twin – Savannah, GA Bengies Drive-In – Baltimore, MD Ocala Drive-In – Orlando, FL Parkway Drive-In – Knoxville, TN Midway Twin Drive-In – Cleveland, OH Glendale Drive-in – Phoenix, AZ Transit Drive-In – Buffalo, NY Badin Drive-In – Charlotte, NC Monetta Drive-In – Augusta-Aiken, SC

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maintaining safe social distance. A special thanks to our friends and colleagues at Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Disney, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures.” A DRIVE-IN theater a short drive from “With this drive-in summer series, I Savannah is participating in what’s billed hope that friends and families are able to as a “celebration of multi-cultural voices not only enjoy, but to learn and grow,” said in film.” Michael B. Jordan, Principal of Outlier Amazon Studios and Michael B. JorSociety. “Now more than ever, amplifying dan’s Outlier Society are launching “A Black and Brown stories means engagNight at the Drive-In”, a free nationwide ing culture to speak to hearts and minds summer screening series featuring a wide about the world we live in. As we use this selection of films amplifying multi-culopportunity to reimagine community and tural voices. proximity, I am excited that these films “In an effort to evoke the nostalgic joy will be shared and celebrated all across the of a summer evening at the drive-in with country.” family and friends, attendance will be As part of the concessions for the at no cost to local communities,” says a screenings, all attendees will receive spokesperson. refreshments provided by Black and The Jesup Drive-In Twin in Jesup, Ga., Brown owned businesses, which are Path is scheduled to participate. Free passes can Water, Pipcorn Popcorn and Partake be downloaded at ANightAtTheDriveIn. Cookies. com (while supplies last). Jordan and Outlier Society, who have Starting Wednesday, July 1, Amazon a TV first-look deal with Amazon StuStudios will host double-features curated dios, selected films from Prime Video’s by Michael B. Jordan with help from his vast portfolio of content. Each week the newly formed marketing arm 8788 and featured titles will focus on a specific Outlier Society, every other week through theme: the end of August. “When Michael and our friends at OutMovies to make you fall in love: lier proposed this idea, we instantly agreed • Love & Basketball there was no better time to celebrate these (Warner Bros. / New Line) inspired films featuring diverse stories • Crazy Rich Asians while bringing communities together to (Warner Bros.) share in the experience” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. Movies that make you proud: “Drive-in theaters offer a unique experi- • Black Panther (Disney) ence in that they provide an inspiring and • Creed (Warner Bros.) joyful communal experience while still BY JIM MOREKIS

jim@connectsavannah.com

HIGH VELOCITY

“FREE IS A VERY GOOD PRICE” LAST THEMELESS TILL THE BIG ONE.

Happenings COMPILED BY RACHAEL FLORA happenings@connectsavannah.com HAPPENINGS IS CONNECT SAVANNAH’S LISTING OF COMMUNITY EVENTS, CLASSES AND GROUPS. VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM TO SUBMIT A LISTING. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT OR CUT LISTINGS DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS.

ACTIVISM & POLITICS

CHATHAM COUNTY COMMISSION MEETINGS — The Board of Commissioners usually meets twice a month (except for January) on Fridays at 9:30 a.m.The meetings are held in the Commission Chambers of the Old Courthouse, 124 Bull Street, Second Floor, and are open to the public. All Chatham County Commission Meeting Agendas, Minutes and Videos have moved to a new system that provides live streaming of video of the current meeting. chathamcountyga.iqm2. com/Citizens/Default.aspx. Green Room, Old County Courthouse, 124 Bull Street. CHATHAM COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE — The purpose of the Chatham County Democratic Committee (CCDC) is to foster local Democratic activities and affiliated organizations; seek out and assist democratic candidates for public office; provide voter education; and work with democratic officials at all levels while ensuring they stay true to our guiding principles. 912-401-8913. ccdcgeorgia.com.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | JULY 1 - 7, 2020

ACROSS

1 Cocktail “invented” in 2020 that can include vodka, gin, honey, Emergen-C, or whatever you feel like drinking 11 Items in a self-checkout station question 15 Out of uniform 16 Model Nordegren once married to Tiger Woods 17 How long USPS bulk mail takes to get across the country 18 Only 19 Tennessee team, for short 20 Part of some fire extinguisher instructions 21 Sink to the bottom 23 Yellow bloomer with a bovine name 25 Key beside Q 27 Bishop’s hat 28 Wee drink 30 Intimidating, unhelpful advice from a coach 32 “A cartoon by Robert ___” (common “SNL” credit in the ‘90s) 35 Part of BCE 36 Org. in TV’s “The Rookie” 37 Hither’s counterpart 38 Sidekick and Samurai, for two 41 “Chandelier” singer 42 Some hosp. scans 44 Exceed 45 Memento accessory 47 Word before mirror or humor 49 Abbr. for some Spanish teachers

50 Hokkaido city known for its beer (and headquarters of Hokkaido Brewing Company) 51 2001 “Lady Marmalade” contributor 53 Over 57 Actress Davidovich of “Gods and Monsters” 59 Advanced deg. 61 Library penalty 62 Pleasant feeling, to reggae fans 63 Figure not found in an appellate court 66 Kind of pay or day 67 Only state capital without a McDonald’s 68 Part of an Einsteinian equation 69 Extra income source, informally

DOWN

1 Migos rapper who received his high school diploma in 2020 (at age 29) 2 Remove from packaging, a la YouTube videos 3 “I don’t want the issue of Hobbes’s reality settled by ___ manufacturer”: Bill Watterson 4 Being green, in a way 5 Output from Frida Kahlo or Mary Cassatt 6 Org. whose March Madness was cancelled in 2020 7 Namely 8 “It’s settled” 9 Society page notation 10 Bugs

11 Request to one’s heart? 12 Like huge favors 13 Legendary bebop trumpeter 14 Showed disdain for 22 CPR administrator 24 Slapstick projectiles 26 Syllable for the Swedish Chef 29 Body officially demoted on August 24, 2006 31 Subject of TNT’s “Claws” 32 Movement with a lot of representation? 33 Halts 34 How book titles should appear when cited, per APA style 39 Video chat company based in San Jose 40 Kinda miffed 43 Blood-curdling cries 46 Water measures, when mixing condensed soup 48 Wagon wheel track 52 Subside 54 Was guilty 55 “Mary Tyler Moore Show” actress Georgia 56 Manufacturer with a green and yellow logo 58 Dispensers with Braille options 60 Coleridge’s “sacred river” 64 “Vive le ___!” 65 Game, in French (the plural is heard in “Games Without Frontiers”)

EARLY VOTING — Early voting for Georgia’s 2020 primary election begins May 18 and runs through June 5. Mondays-Fridays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. sos.ga.gov. Chatham County Voter Registration Office, 1117 Eisenhower Dr., Suite E. POOLER CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS — Pooler City Council meets the first and third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at Pooler City Hall, 100 SW US HW 80. Variances, Conditional Uses, Zoning Map Amendments and Text Amendments need to be submitted to the Zoning Administrator at least 30 days prior to the scheduled Planning and Zoning Meeting. For more information, visit poolerga.gov. RICHMOND HILL CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS — Richmond Hill holds its city council meetings on the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at 40 Richard Davis Drive. The public is always welcome at these meetings. You may register to speak at the end of a council meeting when you sign in at the meeting or you may contact Dawnne Greene, City Clerk, at (912) 756-2749 or dgreene@richmondhillga.gov in advance to be placed on the council agenda. For more, visit richmondhillga.gov.

SAVANNAH AREA YOUNG REPUBLICANS — Get involved. Meetings are the last Tuesday of every month (except for December) at 7:00pm. Contact number: (912) 657-9623 chairman@sayr.org. sayr.org. SAVANNAH CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY REGULAR MEETING — Join a nonpartisan group that has genuine concern about how climate change is affecting Savannah (and the world) and is researching how the people of Savannah can help mitigate or even reverse some of the worst consequences of climate change. fourth Monday of every month, 7-8 p.m. facebook.com/ events/174811263853917/. Two Tides Brewing Company, 12 West 41st St. SAVANNAH CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS — All regularly scheduled meetings are held every other Thursday. The first meeting of the month is at 2 p.m., and the second meeting of the month is at 6:30 p.m. Savannah Government Television (Channel 8) broadcasts Council Meetings live at 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting. You can view a livestream of the meetings at www.savannahga.gov/ livestream. savannahga.gov/458/CouncilMeeting-Schedule. Savannah City Hall, 2 East Bay Street. THOMAS SQUARE/METROPOLITAN HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION — The Thomas Square Neighborhood Association meets monthly via Zoom. Visit thomassquare.org for more information. ongoing. TYBEE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS — Mayor and Council will hold City Council Meetings the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.at the Burke Day Public Safety Building, 78 Van Horn. For more information on the Tybee City Council, visit cityoftybee.org. UNMERGE MY UNIVERSITY — FREE: UNMERGE MY UNIVERSITY vehicle stickers. Greater Savannah and Statesboro areas. Visit www.unmergemyuniversity.com for details.

HAPPENINGS

JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

LGBTQ

SUNDAY SERVICE WITH EPIPHANY — Epiphany is a church without walls because we know that love knows no barriers. As we pray, worship and proclaim the Good News together, we also seek out co-conspirators with whom we may promote justice, peace and love. A “different kind of church,” Epihpany livestreams their Sunday morning service. Sundays, 11 a.m. facebook.com/ EpiphanySavannah. FIRST CITY NETWORK — Georgia’s oldest LGBT organization (founded in 1985) is a local non-profit community service organization whose mission is to share resources of health care, counseling, education, advocacy and mutual support in the Coastal Empire. Members and guests enjoy many special events throughout the year, including First Saturday Socials held the first Saturday of each month at 7pm. Mondays. 912-236-CITY. firstcitynetwork.org.

munity in the South. Mission: unity through diversity and social awareness. Second Tuesday/month. PO Box 6044, Savannah, GA 31414. 501c non-profit. ongoing. info@ savannahpride.com. savannahpride.com.

“GILDED AGE” THEME ANSWERS SURROUNDED BY GOLD.

T2Q — T2Q seeks to help Trans people become comfortable in their true identities, as well as assist them in getting used to being out among society. Meetings are the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7 p.m. T2Q’s official mission statement: To defend human and civil rights secured by law. Lessening neighborhood tensions views on the LGBTQ+ Community with emphasis on Trans and non-binary individuals. Conduct public discussion groups, forums, panels, lectures or similar programs. To promote the quantum effect on one’s identity and diversity in all mankind. To give hope to those who feel lost. To lift up our fellow Trans and Non-binary individuals. All because we care. ongoing. T2QTrans@gmail.com. Savannah LGBT Center, 1515 Bull St.

SAVANNAH PRIDE, INC. — Organizes the annual Savannah Pride Festival and helps promote the well-being of the LGBTQI com-

ACROSS

1 “Abnormally Attracted to Sin” singer Tori 5 Interest 9 Helped out at a rave, e.g. 13 Draw from a pen 14 “___ a dull moment” 16 Bank 17 Turn-of-the-century style 19 ___ Stanley Gardner (author whose Perry Mason character inspired the 2020 HBO series) 20 Comparatively chilly 21 Activity with tanks 23 Lamentable 24 Vowel sounds in “naysay” 26 “I identify with that GIF” 28 Romantic duet in “The Phantom of the Opera” 34 Drugstore container 37 Actress Kendrick 38 Eighth day of Christmas figures 39 Age verifiers 40 Edison’s ___ Park 42 One-all, for one 43 Hitchcock film named for a gem 46 Tiniest of noises 47 Jury member 48 Where to order individual items 51 Take back 52 They help you get a handle 56 Glass of “This American

Life” 58 Take up broom? 62 Jack of kids’ rhymes 63 Latvian capital 65 Super Mario World 2 character that pops up from underwater 67 Important work 68 Profession deserving of nightly applause (at a minimum) 69 Clickable pic 70 Part of CSNY 71 Slightest bit 72 Grandmotherly nicknames

DOWN

1 Be of assistance 2 “Polo” preceder 3 Agree to participate 4 Dakar’s domain 5 Bearded grassland grazer 6 Pushes the engine 7 “Voulez-vous coucher ___ moi ce soir?” 8 Jeff Bridges’s brother 9 “Black-ish” father 10 Newark resident, slangily 11 “Enchanted” Anne Hathaway role 12 Turned green to gold? 15 Early 1980s craze creator 18 Type of exam 22 Chemistry class model 25 Poetry competition

27 Advanced deg. for musicians 29 Bumbling 30 “Bonne ___!” (“Happy New Year!” in French) 31 Home of my Oregon alma mater 32 Slobbery dog of the comics 33 Software buyer 34 “La Dolce ___” (Fellini film) 35 Symbol of immunity, on “Survivor” 36 Spears on the table 41 Play before the main act 44 One in a deck 45 Hits with a laser 47 Gourd used in some Thai curries 49 “Blackadder Goes Forth” star Atkinson 50 Space shuttle letters 53 “Loveroot” author Jong 54 Boca ___, Florida 55 Gobsmacks 56 Metal for old skillets 57 Kelly of “Live! With Kelly and Ryan” 59 Prefix before “distant” 60 Currency introduced in 1999 61 Before times, so to speak 64 Forest fire output 66 “Back to the Future” costar Thompson

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CONTINUES ON P. 21

HAPPENINGS

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Aries author Marge Piercy writes, “The people I love the best, jump into work head first without dallying in the shallows.” The Aries people I love best will do just that in the coming days. Now is not the right time to wait around passively, lazily hoping that something better will come along. Nor is it prudent to procrastinate or postpone decisions while shopping around for more options or collecting more research. Dive, Aries, dive!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

*Calvin and Hobbes* is a comic strip by Bill Watterson. It features a boy named Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes. In the first panel of one story, Calvin is seated at a school desk looking perplexed as he studies a question on a test, which reads “Explain [Isaac] Newton’s First Law of Motion in your own words.” In the second panel, Calvin has a broad smile, suddenly imbued with inspiration. In the third panel, he writes his response to the test question: “Yakka foob mog. Grug pubbawup zink wattoom gazork. Chumble spuzz.” The fourth panel shows him triumphant and relaxed, proclaiming, “I love loopholes.” I propose that you use this scenario as your victorious metaphor in the coming weeks, Taurus. Look for loopholes! And use them to overcome obstacles and solve riddles.

me to use shorter sentences and fewer adjectives. To them I say: It ain’t going to happen. I have feelings similar to those of best-selling Cancerian author Oliver Sacks, who the *New York Times* called, “one of the great clinical writers of the 20th century.” Sacks once said, “I never use one adjective if six seem to me better and, in their cumulative effect, more incisive. I am haunted by the density of reality and try to capture this with ‘thick description.’” I bring these thoughts to your attention, my fellow Cancerian, because I think it’s important for you to be your lavish, sumptuous, complex self in the coming weeks. Don’t oversimplify yourself or dumb yourself down, either intellectually or emotionally.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | JULY 1 - 7, 2020

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Some readers wish I would write more like Cormac McCarthy or Albert Camus or Raymond Chandler: with spare simplicity. They accuse me of being too lush and exuberant in my prose. They want

beautyandtruth@freewillastrology.com

influences will bring you the best magic.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Philosopher Miguel de Unamuno declared, “Everything that exalts and expands consciousness is good, while that which depresses and diminishes it is evil.” This idea will be intensely true for and applicable to you in the coming weeks, Virgo. It will be your sacred duty—both to yourself and to those you care about—to enlarge your understandings of how the world works and to push your awareness to become more inclusive and empathetic. What’s your vision of paradise-on-earth? Now is a good time to have fun imagining it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

What do you want to be when you grow up, Libra? What’s that you say? You firmly believe you are already all grown up? I hope not! In my vision of your destiny, you will always keep evolving and transforming; you will ceaselessly transcend your existing successes and push on to accomplish further breakthroughs and victories. Now would be an excellent time to rededicate yourself to this noble aspiration. I invite you to dream and scheme about three specific wonders and marvels you would like to experience during the next five years.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has advice that would serve you well in the coming weeks. She says, “Keep a little space in your heart for the improbable. You won’t regret it.” In accordance with your astrological potentials, I’m inclined to amend her statement as follows: “Keep a sizable space in your heart for the improbable. You’ll be rewarded with catalytic revelations and intriguing opportunities.” To attract blessings in abundance, Scorpio, be willing to set aside some of your usual skepticism and urge for control.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

“It is a fault to wish to be understood before we have made ourselves clear to ourselves,” wrote philosopher and activist Simone Weil. I’m hoping that this horoscope of mine can help you avoid that mistake. In the coming weeks and months, you will have a strongerthan-usual need to be seen for who you really are—to have your essential nature be appreciated and understood by people you care about. And the best way to make sure that happens is to work hard right now on seeing, appreciating, and understanding yourself.

BY ROB BREZSNY

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Travel writer Paul Theroux has journeyed long distances by train: once from Britain to Japan and back again, and then from Massachusetts to Argentina. He also rode trains during part of his expedition from Cairo to Cape Town. Here’s one of his conclusions: “It is almost axiomatic that the worst trains take you through magical places.” I’d like to offer a milder version of that counsel as your metaphor for the coming weeks: The funky, bumpy, rickety

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Author Malidoma Somé lives in the U.S. now, but was born in the West African country of Burkina Faso. He writes, “In the culture of my people, the Dagara, we have no word for the supernatural. The closest we come to this concept is *Yielbongura*, ‘the thing that knowledge can’t eat.’ This word suggests that the life and power of certain things depend upon their resistance to the categorizing knowledge that human beings apply to everything.” I bring Somé’s thoughts to your attention,

Sagittarius, because I suspect that in the coming weeks, you will encounter more than the usual number of experiences that knowledge can’t eat. They might at times be a bit spooky or confounding, but will mostly be interesting and fun. I’m guessing that if you embrace them, they will liberate you from overly literal and materialistic ideas about how the world works. And that will be good for your soul.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Pioneer Capricorn scientist Isaac Newton is often hailed as one of history’s greatest geniuses. I agree that his intellectual capacities were sublime. But his emotional intelligence was sparse and feeble. During the time he taught at Cambridge University, his talks were so affectless and boring that many of his students skipped most of his classes. I’ll encourage you to make Newton your anti-role model for the next eight weeks. This time will be favorable for you to increase your mastery of three kinds of intelligence beyond the intellectual kind: feeling, intuition, and collaboration.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

When future writer (and Aquarius) Charles Dickens was 12 years old, his parents and siblings got incarcerated in a debtors’ prison. To stay alive and help his family, he took a job working 12 hours a day, six days a week, pasting labels on pots of boot polish in a rotting, rat-infested warehouse. Hard times! Yet the experiences he had there later provided him with rich material for the novels that ultimately made him wealthy and beloved. In predicting that you, too, will have future success at capitalizing on difficulty, I don’t mean to imply you’ve endured or will endure anything as harsh as Dickens’ ordeal. I’m just hoping to help you appreciate the motivating power of your challenging experiences.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Maybe you feel that the ongoing pandemic has inhibited your ability to explore and deepen intimacy to the degree that would like to. But even if that’s the case, the coming weeks will provide openings that could soften and remedy your predicament. So be extra receptive and alert to the clues that life reveals to you. And call on your imagination to look for previously unguessed and unexpected ways to reinvent togetherness and tenderness. Let’s call the next three weeks your Season of Renewing Rapport.

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