Memphis Flyer 4/4/2024

PHOTO: (TOP) KEVIN REED PHOTOGRAPHY Memphis

(MIDDLE,

JACKSON BAKER, BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN

Senior Editors

TOBY SELLS Associate Editor

KAILYNN JOHNSON

News Reporter

CHRIS MCCOY

Film and TV Editor

ALEX GREENE Music Editor

MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS

Staff Writers

GENE GARD, EMILY GUENTHER, COCO JUNE, PATRICIA LOCKHART, FRANK MURTAUGH

Contributing Columnists

SHARON BROWN, AIMEE STIEGEMEYER Grizzlies Reporters

SYMONE MAXWELL Editorial Intern KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher

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Editor’s note: Other writers will occasionally share this space.

I went with “wazoo” on my fourth guess. I should have gone with “taboo,” and because of that little miscalculation, it took me five tries to get Sunday’s Wordle instead of four. Dang.

A group of friends and I play The New York Times’ popular word game every day and share our scores with accompanying visuals. There are five of us, in different cities, connected mostly by school and family ties and a sense of humor. Our gimmick is that we take turns picking a different starter word every day, and quite often those words are, well, let’s just say, not geared to an easy solution.

Wordle aficionados know that you should start with a word like “arise” or “audio,” something with lots of vowels and/or often-used consonants. Our group doesn’t go that route (a decent starter word, by the way). For instance, “grams” is a terrible starter, but when one of our members announces she’s going to become a grandmother, that kind of stuff happens, and we roll with it. Nobody has suggested “zyxin” or “geese” yet, but it’s probably just a matter of time.

We humans love puzzles, and there is some evidence that the recent pandemic that kept us all mostly homebound for months just exacerbated those tendencies, not that we needed a push. Think of the great variety of such activities we engage in: crosswords, crypto-quotes, sudoku, mazes, find the difference between pictures, jigsaw puzzles, Scrabble, Jumbo. We watch television game shows like Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? We play zillions of games on our phones — at least everyone in my doctor’s office does.

These little self-imposed challenges give us the thrill of the chase and the endorphin lift of success that follows overcoming an obstacle — attaining that “aha” moment. It’s no accident, I think, that most of the games we pursue are solitary endeavors. We’re testing ourselves, our brains, our thought processes, and finally, if we succeed, enjoying the dopamine of success. It’s addictive.

Bruce VanWyngarden brucev@memphisflyer.com SHARA CLARK

My morning routine goes as follows: Feed the dogs, make coffee, then sit down on the couch with my phone and do — in order — the Times’ Wordle puzzle, Mini-Crossword, Connections, Spelling Bee, and Letter Boxed. Then I hit The Washington Post website and do their Mini-Crossword and Keyword (one word to spell ’em all!). I’m done in 30 minutes or less, but if I miss a morning I feel incomplete. Some of you can relate, I’m sure.

It may make you feel better about your own gaming rituals to learn that human beings’ love for puzzles is rooted in more than just finding a diversion. It’s bred into our genes. Psychologists say that the urge to solve puzzles comes from human beings’ instinctual proclivity for pattern-finding, and for using those patterns to try to find solutions to problems.

And it goes even deeper than that. Humans have historically used the patterns they’ve observed in nature to search for the very meaning of life itself, to plumb its mysteries and magic. Our ancestors saw patterns in the stars and planets of the night sky, in the phases of the moon, in the duration of the sun’s rise and fall. They observed the rhythm of the seasons, the greening of the spring and the brown fade to winter, the solstices, the yearly cycle of life on Earth. They discovered the big picture, created calendars, clocks, began to measure the passage of time.

The discovery of these patterns led to the creation of gods, legends, and myths, as humans strove to understand their world and to give it meaning beyond the simple arc of life and death. Our coming to understand the seasons of the earth and the patterns in the night sky is why we have recurring annual celebrations, and why most of them are spiritual or religious in nature.

NEWS & OPINION

THE FLY-BY - 4

POLITICS - 8

FINANCE - 11

COVER STORY

“SPRING FAIRS & FESTIVALS”

BY ABIGAIL MORICI - 12

NCAA BRACKET - 16

WE RECOMMEND - 19

MUSIC - 20

CALENDAR - 22

NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 22

FOOD - 24

METAPHYSICAL CONNECTION - 25

NEWS OF THE WEIRD - 26

ASTROLOGY - 27

TV - 28

NOW PLAYING - 29

CLASSIFIEDS - 30

LAST WORD - 31

Seeing the patterns in life — whether it’s in a sunset of cirrus clouds, in the grain of a fallen oak, or the nebula of a sunflower blossom — can bring a sense of balance, a respite, a reassurance that all is not chaos and disorder. There is beauty and symmetry to be found in the course of every day that we’re alive and breathing, if we pause long enough to look for it. It can even be found in the simplest of puzzles. Today’s word is “pause.”

THE fly-by

Questions, Answers + Attitude

Edited by Toby Sells

Memphis on the internet.

PAINT

“ e paint is coming o !!” wrote u/CUrlymafurly on Reddit last week. Some MEMernet citizens cringe at painted brick in general. But this paint job hit a note for many more.

e mansion was once the stately Nineteenth Century Club. It was being painted in preparation for the new Tekila Modern Mexican restaurant. But owners made an agreement with preservationists and the paint is now being removed.

DEAN STRICKLAND

“Jim Strickland, the 64th mayor of the city of Memphis, was announced today as the next dean of Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law,” the University of Memphis tweeted last week.

TOURNEY TIME

Jaylin James, a content creator with Bleacher Report, had fun at the NCAA tournament here last month. He hit Beale, ate Central BBQ, shared some popcorn with a basketball fan, experienced his first buzzer beater, and captured it all in a fun TikTok video.

By Kailynn Johnson

Black Mayors Convene on Crime

Memphis Mayor Paul Young organizes a new group of Black leaders.

More than 20 mayors and representatives were slated to meet with Memphis Mayor Paul Young last week to launch an initiative to address crime through the power of Black leadership.

Young has partnered with the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) to announce the Black Mayors’ Coalition on Crime (BMCC).

O cials said this coalition will consist of Black mayors and their sta from 12 states, including Mississippi, Louisiana, and California, who will collaborate to address crime across the nation. Memphis is the largest majorityminority city in the U.S.

Most violent crime was down last year in most major U.S. cities, according to a report from the Council on Criminal Justice. However, Americans’ concern about crime is at its highest level since 2016, according to a recent Gallup poll.

“ e time is now for us to speak with one voice to call for national and local policy change and funding, and to share our collective learnings to create the meaningful change that will reduce crime in all of our communities,” Young said in a statement.

e announcement of the coalition comes at a time that Young has called “unprecedented,” as Black mayors such as Eric Adams (New York) and Karen Bass (Los Angeles) have taken o ce. Young said that he and the other mayors represent communities “most a ected by crime,” which allows them to have a distinct perspective.

“The time is now for us to speak with one voice to call for national and local policy change and funding.”

Adams has voiced his support for Young and said that every city shares the need for public safety because it is a “prerequisite for prosperity.”

“I applaud Mayor Young for convening the Black Mayors’ Coalition on Crime to have an honest conversation around protecting our cities and delivering peace of mind at a time when our communities need it most,” Adams said in a statement.

O cials said Young will lead the initiative. According to the mayor’s o ce, a two-day event will be hosted by Russell Wigginton, president of the National Civil Rights Museum, with a keynote from the Council on Criminal Justice.

e BMCC will also look at crime- ghting tactics that have been e ective in other cities, such as Operation SCARLET (Stolen Car and Recovery Law Enforcement Team) of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Operation Good from Jackson, Mississippi.

Operation SCARLET seized over 130 cars from several states last year, according to North Carolina’s WSOC-TV. Law enforcement in the state has also made several arrests related to these incidents.

Jackson’s Operation Good seeks to “stop recidivism, clean up the environment in which the impoverished live, reduce violent incidents, introduce alternative solutions to gun violence and robbery, mentor the high-risk population,” and more. During its first year of operation, the organization reported 286 days without “a gunrelated death.”

While BMCC includes Black mayors, Young said that the coalition will “be open to anyone who can contribute to solving the issue.”

“My hope is that this will be the start of a broad, ongoing national e ort to nd real solutions to this very complex issue. I believe we can leverage our collective platforms to create change in the policies, laws, and resources needed to reverse the trend and heal our communities,” said Young.

O cials were to convene in Memphis March 27th to 28th.

PHOTO: PAUL YOUNG FOR MEMPHIS

Mayor Paul Young announced the Black Mayors’ Coalition on Crime (BMCC).

{By Toby Sells

House Republican wants to ban lab-grown meat in Tennessee because its e ects on humans, she said, were unknown, and state citizens shouldn’t be used as “guinea pigs,” and, heck, Florida did it.

Rep. Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet) explained her bill to the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee last week. It would have outlawed cultivated meat for human consumption at the business level, meaning no manufacturing, selling, and more.

Cultivated meat — sometimes called cultured meat or lab-grown meat — is real animal meat but is produced by cultivating animal cells directly, cutting out the need to raise animals, according to the Good Food Institute.

e meat is di erent than products by Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, which are made with plant ingredients.

e U.S. Department of Agriculture approved cultivated meat for sale in the U.S.

e news was welcome for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

e group said it funded some of the rst research for cultivated meat and, beginning in 2008, o ered a $1 million prize for the rst lab to produce commercially viable cultivated meat.

products would a ect bodies and did not want Tennesseans to be “used as Guinea pigs.”

“It’s simply just too soon and too dangerous to allow this process to move forward before we know what sort of e ects cultivated meat may have on people,” Lynn said.

If that wasn’t enough to entice fellow Republicans, Lynn said the Florida legislature had already passed such a measure. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has not yet signed the bill but showed his support for the ban last month.

Rep. Bud Hulsey (R-Kingsport) agreed, pointing vaguely to the Nuremberg Code, which outlawed experimenting on humans without their consent, and to the “experimental shock” of Covid. But his approval of the bill seemed more plain.

“Some folks probably like to eat bugs with Bill Gates, but not me,” Hulsey said.

e news was also welcome to Berkeley, California-based Upside Foods, the world’s rst cultivated meat company. When it was founded in 2015, the company was called Memphis Meats, a tip of the hat to the city’s barbecue culture. When the feds green-lit its meat products, the company was ready to go and already valued at over $1 billion.

“ is approval will fundamentally change how meat makes it to our table,” said Dr. Uma Valeti, CEO and founder of Upside Foods. “It’s a giant step forward towards a more sustainable future — one that preserves choice and life.“

However, two Tennessee state lawmakers urged caution on the products, suggesting an outright ban on making and selling them in the state.

ey said they didn’t know how the

Lynn said she was not aware of any cultivated meat being sold anywhere in the state. Also, she had not discussed her bill with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

Another bill up this year would have clari ed that cultivated meat could not be labeled as meat, poultry, or such food products. It was heard by House members already, who decided to send the issue to “summer study.” at is, ultimately, where the bill to ban such products ended up. Lawmakers said they hoped to get expert opinions on the safety of cultivated meat.

Summer study is usually a kinder, so er death knell for legislation in the Capitol. But the House agriculture committee promised to give the issue of cultivated meat a serious review before the legislature meets again next year.

PHOTO: COURTESY UPSIDE MEATS

Cultivated chicken from Upside Foods

have been with them from the

beginning.

Ellen, proudly independent for 25 years.

As a native Memphian, and inaugural i-bank  customer, I have so many stories I could  share. But time and again, what impresses me  most is i-bank’s genuine compassion. I once  saw an employee not only start an account for  an unbanked Memphian, but he also paid for a  passport out of his own pocket to help the new account holder embrace a wider life. That’s Memphis. That’s my bank.

Ellen Klyce i-bank customer since 1998

Start your story with i-bank today, and find out why being proudly independent is the most rewarding way to bank.

i-bankonline.com

POLITICS By Jackson Baker

Making It Rain

e choice of Jim Strickland as law dean has critics as well as supporters.

It is generally understood that one of the rationales for naming former Mayor Jim Strickland the new dean at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law was his demonstrated success in having raised signi cant sums of money — both from the business community during his mayoral campaigns — $1 million at max — and for helping to pry loose from state government some $350 million for local athletic facilities.

Indeed, Strickland’s fundraising prowess was so notable as to make him an obvious prospect for the role of institutional rainmaker. at’s the time-honored term for an individual blessed with unusual ability to attract investments and contributions from others by dint of their persona, their history, their contacts, or through a combination of all three.

In 2006, Harold Ford Jr. missed becoming U.S. senator from Tennessee by a relative handful of votes, but the former congressman’s residual clout as a looming national gure was su cient to land him on Wall Street, where he ourished as a rainmaker for more than one big-time brokerage.

So Strickland’s ability to attract big funding is, all by itself, a huge plus, right? Not everybody thinks so. Among those who don’t is activist Cardell Orrin, currently executive director at Stand for Children Tennessee and former chief information o cer at LeMoyne–Owen College.

In a Facebook post written in the wake of Stricklands’ hiring, Orrin mused:

“Imagine if former Mayor Wharton, or better yet Mayor Herenton (even more fun), had given millions of dollars to LeMoyne-Owen College during their tenure. is part is easy … ey actually did do this, but to help save the college’s existence, not just for pet projects like tennis courts.

“Now, it gets a bit more di cult … Imagine if either mayor had donated all that money to LeMoyne-Owen College, and then, in the nal hours of their administration, rushed a decision to gi a stadium worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the college? …

“Imagine if, within just three months of leaving o ce, one of these former mayors had secured a leading job at LeMoyne-Owen College, with some yet to be disclosed salary. Can you imagine the reaction from the media and the conservative crowd to even the mere

consideration of such a position, let alone actually receiving it?

“Try to envision the newspaper headlines and articles covering this hypothetical. Would some enterprising investigative reporter be opening up a le and making FOIA requests? Would they just basically reprint the college’s press release?

“Whew, it must be nice to live in the world of imaginings …!”

Whew, indeed! Known as a longtime critic of Strickland, Orrin, along with some other like-minded foes of the former mayor, has begun raising this issue and imagining it to be a prima facie scandal. What it amounts to is a suggestion that Strickland bought his job, which, in this reckoning, is not just a reward but an out-and-out payo !

e fact is that the University of Memphis law school, once renowned for the quality of its teaching and, especially, for the high percentage of its graduates able to pass the state bar and achieve thriving, socially useful careers in the larger community, is widely perceived as having begun to lag in those important regards.

Arguably, what it needs now is a shot in the arm from an administrator known for personal success and for an ability to attract substantial support from the social eco-structure which the university both lives in and is charged with serving.

What it may need is a rainmaker. And a two-term local mayor with prodigious fundraising skills and demonstrated connections both to the local business community and to the state government in Nashville clearly t the bill for those at the university whose duty was to make the pick.

Credit is due both to those critics like Orrin whose imagination suggests caution in viewing such a choice and to those members of the law faculty — a not insubstantial number — who wanted a more traditional choice, perhaps from within university ranks

But the die has been cast. And optimism should be the motto of the moment.

PHOTO: JULIA SUDNITSKAYA | DREAMSTIME.COM

Tips for Young Adults

Follow these steps to find firm financial footing.

It can be difficult to know how to start building a solid financial future. With all the responsibilities of early adulthood you may be tempted to put financial planning on the back burner. However, the sooner you start planning, the better off you’ll be in the long run. The following tips can help you get started.

1. Create a budget.

Identify how much money you spend each month and compare that to your monthly income, considering two types of expenses: fixed and discretionary.

Fixed expenses are those you pay each month, including rent/mortgage, minimum credit card payments, car payments, insurance, utility bills, and cell phone.

Discretionary expenses are costs you choose to take on that may not be essential, including eating out, movie and concert tickets, streaming TV subscriptions, gifts, and vacations.

Once you’ve added up your fixed and discretionary expenses, compare the total to the income you bring in. If you’re spending less than you earn, congratulations! You’re one step closer to a stronger financial foundation. If you find you’re spending more than you’re earning, you may need to trim some discretionary expenses to bring you back to level footing.

Look at the discretionary expenses. Where can you lower your spending?

Maybe you can cut back from eating out four times per week to one or two times per week. Perhaps you don’t need all your streaming services. Or maybe you choose to take your next vacation closer to home rather than paying for a plane ticket.

The key is to establish a budget that allows you to pay your fixed expenses and discretionary expenses while living within your means and taking care of obligations.

2. Pay off debt.

Regardless of the type of debt (student loan, credit card, auto loan, etc.), the sooner you pay it off, the sooner you’ll achieve financial security. While there are times when it’s necessary to take on debt, there are other times where outstanding debts can spiral out of control. Two effective strategies for paying off debt include:

• The snowball method — This involves paying off your smallest debt as quickly as possible, then moving on to the next-smallest debt. This approach can help you gain a sense of accomplishment as you knock out one loan after another.

• The avalanche method — You begin paying on the loan with the highest interest rate first. Once that is paid off, you move to the loan with the next-highest

interest rate. This allows you to pick up speed because each payment saves you more money than the one before.

3. Build an emergency fund.

An emergency savings account can enable you to keep up on your necessary expenses, pay down debt, and continue your lifestyle for a period of time. A rule of thumb is to have three to six months’ worth of living expenses saved. An emergency fund can protect you from taking on additional debts to meet your needs

4. Save for retirement.

The sooner you start saving, the better your chances of achieving or maintaining the lifestyle you want. The easiest way to start is by contributing to your employersponsored retirement plan at a rate that maximizes your employer matching contributions while still being sustainable.

Don’t have access to an employersponsored plan? Consider an individual retirement account (IRA). There are two main types of IRAs: traditional and Roth.

• Traditional IRA — Contributions are made on a pre-tax basis, which reduces your taxable income in the year you contribute. Money invested in a traditional IRA is free to grow tax-deferred until retirement. Distributions are taxed as ordinary income and may be subject to a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty if taken before reaching age 59½.

• Roth IRA — Contributions are made with after-tax funds, providing no tax benefits during the year in which you contribute. Contributions can be withdrawn after five years with no taxes or penalties (earnings are subject to tax and a potential 10 percent penalty if withdrawn before you reach age 59½).

5. Avoid lifestyle inflation.

As your income increases over time, it may be tempting to increase your spending. This tendency is sometimes referred to as “lifestyle creep,” and if not managed, it can get in the way of your financial goals. When your income increases, consider increasing your savings first.

Gene Gard, CFA, CFP, CFT-I, is a Partner and Private Wealth Manager with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest Registered Investment Advisory firms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s financial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.

Spring Fairs & Festivals Spring Fairs & Festivals

The Flyer presents our annual guide to your favorite spring (and summer) events in Memphis.

COVER STORY

By Abigail Morici

Hello there, spring! We’ve been sorely missing you, and thank goodness you’re here because that means it’s time for the Flyer’s “Spring Fairs & Festivals” issue. From April all the way through the summer, you won’t want to miss any of these events.

APRIL

Cooper Young Night Out Restaurants, bars, retail, and service businesses will stay open late to o er live music, discounts on food and drink, sidewalk sales, trivia games, shu eboard, and more.

Cooper-Young, rst ursday of the month

First Fridays on Broad Shop from your favorite Broad Avenue businesses a er hours, and enjoy discounts and special activities, o en with a theme.

Broad Ave. Arts District, rst Friday of the month

South Main Trolley Night

e longest-running street festival in the city has returned this spring for its 24th season. Catch it on the last Friday of every month through September.

South Main, last Friday of the month

Grind City Music Festival

Are you a little bit country? A little bit rock-and-roll? Well, this two-day festival of Americana, alternative country, and rock-and-roll music will hit that sweet spot.

Grind City Brewing Co., April 5-6

Memphis Tattoo Festival

Some tattoos aren’t meant to be seen, but at the Memphis Tattoo Festival you’re gonna see them all, whether or not you like it. e three-day tattoo spectacle will have live tattooing from over 200 of the

world’s best artists, plus merchandise, tattoo contests, and art-making.

Renasant Convention Center, April 5-7

Bookstock is fest is one for the books. Literally. Bookstock is the largest annual local authors festival in Memphis. Expect local author exhibits, cultural performances, book giveaways, keynote speakers (this year’s are Avery Cunningham and Sidney ompson), and so much more.

Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, April 6

PHOTO: (TOP) COURTESY GRIND CITY BREWING COMPANY

Grind City Music Festival

PHOTO: (ABOVE) COURTESY ART IN THE LOOP Art in the Loop

PHOTO: (LEFT) COURTESY DELTA GROOVE YOGA Delta Groove Yoga Festival

Earth Day Festival

Delta Groove Yoga Festival

It’s not that big of a stretch to say that this festival is for posers — yoga posers, of course. e day will feature lots of — you guessed it — yoga, plus live music.

Overton Square, April 6

Central to the Arts Festival

For this artsy fest, the University of Memphis campus along Central Avenue will be lled with live performances, lm showings, fashion shows, and interactive arts booths.

University of Memphis, April 6

Art in the Loop

Let me loop you in on this arts festival in East Memphis. It’s got an artists market, it’s got live music, it’s got food trucks, and it’s got demonstrations.

What doesn’t it have? Beats me.

Ridgeway Loop Road, April 12-14

Mid-South Poets & Writers Festival is literary-focused two-day extravaganza will have a neighborhood barbecue, workshops, mixers, showcases, and more.

Various locations, April 13-14

Juke Joint Festival

Be a juke joint hero, with stars in your eyes, at this fest that’ll keep on rockin’ (just can’t stop) with more than 100 blues performances and real-deal juke joints.

Clarksdale, MS, April 13

Shelby Forest Spring Fest

is year’s Shelby Forest Spring Fest goes back to the wildest decade — the ’70s — for the wildlife-forward day that has live music, food, arts and cra s vendors, wildlife and cultural exhibits, and more. It’s gonna be a hoot.

Meeman Shelby Forest, April 13

Blu City Fest is music fest presented by the University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt

School of Music will bring some of the best music in Memphis: rap, contemporary rock and pop, blues, jazz, and classic rock.

e Blu , April 17

Ukulele Festival

Uke can expect all things ukulele at this festival — open mics, workshops, sing-alongs, vendors, and more. Tickets must be purchased ahead of time at memphisukenroll.com.

Renasant Convention Center, April 18-21

Africa in April

Africa in April has chosen to salute the Republic of Gambia for its familyfriendly festival, lled with live performances, food and merchandise vendors, and the International Diversity Parade.

Robert R. Church Park, April 19-21

Good Vibes Comedy Festival

e vibes will be just right, good even, when Memphis’ largest comedy festival brings you talent from all over the country to participate in podcasts, roast battles, themed shows, and stand-up comedy. e 2024 headliners are Renard Hirsch, Jayson Acevedo, Hannah Belmont, and Night Classy podcast’s Kat Barnhart and Hayley Madden.

Hi Tone, April 19-20

Shell Daze

You’ll be dazed but not confused by this lineup of musical acts, headlined by JJ Grey & Mofro and Oteil & Friends. Overton Park Shell, April 19-20

Cooper-Young Porchfest

Porches were made for more than Amazon deliveries and spying on your neighbors. ey can be stages, too — at least that’s the case for this unique music festival of free concerts on, yes, the front porches of the homes in Cooper-Young.

Cooper-Young Historic District, April 20

e way the Earth rotates makes my day, and it oughta make yours, too. So celebrate the Earth on its special day (Earth Day, duh) at Shelby Farms Park, where adults and kids alike will have opportunities to experience, explore, and learn di erent ways of going green in Memphis.

Shelby Farms Park, April 20

Knowledge Is Flower Festival

is festival’s mission is to promote local farmers, herbalists, artists, and entrepreneurs. e day will have workshops, installations, community engagement opportunities, and local vendors.

Arkwings, April 20

Regen Farm Festival

Join Riley Family Farms for an a ernoon of music and local farmraised food, and celebrate farms helping build a better Mid-South through regenerative agriculture.

Wiseacre Brewery, April 20

Spirit Fest Holistic, Metaphysical, & Crystal Expo

Get physical … er, I mean, metaphysical at this holistic, metaphysical, crystal expo with vendors, readers, and healers from across the country.

Agricenter International, April 20-21

World Championship Hot Wing Contest & Fest

Wing, wing, wing, we have a winner. A winner, winner chicken-dinner. at’s what you’ll be hearing at this contest for the best wing. Oh, and it’s supporting e Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis.

River Garden Park, April 20

Mimosa Festival

Feeling mimosional? It’s okay. You’re in a safe space where you can indulge in all the mimosas.

Tom Lee Park, April 21

Rajun Cajun Craw sh Festival

Let’s get cray. What’s the o-cajun, you ask? e Rajun Cajun Craw sh Festival, supporting Porter-Leath. It’s a day of craw sh bobbing, eating, and racing,

plus music, vendors, and more.

Riverside Drive, April 21

Wine, Food and Music Spring Festival

Prepare your tastebuds for this annual festival, whose agship event features all things wine and food — wine vendors, classes, chef demonstrations, and more.

e Medicine Factory, FedEx Event Center, Sunday 20-21

Double Decker Arts Festival

Take part in this two-day celebration of food, music, and the arts.

Oxford Courthouse Square, April 26-27

Overton Square Craw sh Festival

Heads, you suck. Tails, you pinch. But the Overton Square Craw sh Festival doesn’t leave anything up to a coin toss when it comes to serving good craw sh.

Overton Square, April 27

OttoFest

Enjoy artists, bands, food trucks, and a playground at this arts and music fest.

Peabody Park, April 27-28

Taste the Rarity

Beer gets weird at this event that features breweries from all over the country.

Wiseacre Brewing Company, April 27

MAY

Memphis in May International Festival

For the month of May, this festival brings the world to Memphis and Memphis to the world, and this year it is saluting France through cultural events and performances, educational experiences, museum and gallery exhibits, films, luncheons, and the Memphis in May International Festival Gala.

Memphis, May 1-31

River Beat Music Festival

We got the beat. We got the beat. Yeah, the River Beat! e inaugural lineup has the Fugees, Odesza, and Jelly Roll,

continued on page 14

PHOTO: COURTESY MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES Bookstock

PHOTO: COURTESY MEMPHIS DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

Memphis Dragon Boat Festival

continued from page 13

plus a bunch more.

Tom Lee Park, May 3-5

Cigar & Whiskey BBQ Festival

Talk about a smoke show. Cigars, whiskey, and barbecue come together for this celebration of avor and fun. Meddlesome Brewing Company, May 4

Ruby Bridges Reading Festival

Children pre-K through elementary school can receive free books at the festival, and they’ll enjoy storytelling and entertainment, including a reading and signing with Ruby Bridges herself.

National Civil Rights Museum, May 4

Sunset Jazz

Jazz up your summer plans with this free family-friendly jazz concert series.

Court Square, May 12, June 9, July 14, August 11, September 8, October 13

World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest

Watch as barbecuers try to smoke the competition at this annual contest.

Liberty Park, May 15-18

SmokeSlam

Cue another barbecue contest. e inaugural SmokeSlam will include a carnival with games and rides, a marketplace, and an interactive area where fans will be able to sample food and participate in fun food-related events.

Tom Lee Park, May 16-18

Memphis Vegfest is is one of the few events where you can truly veg out in a family-friendly environment full of vegan food options and sustainable and cruelty-free products. Agricenter International, May 19

Blu City Fair

We aren’t blu n’ when we say the Blu City Fair is a quintessential fair. It’s got attractions and shows, all your favorite fair fare, carnival rides, and kiddie rides, and it’s just plain fun.

Liberty Bowl Stadium, May 24-June 2

Memphis Italian Festival

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore. When the world seems to shine like you’ve had too much wine, that’s just the Memphis Italian Festival, “where everyone is Italian.”

Marquette Park, May 30-June 1

Memphis Pride Fest Weekend

June is the time for Pride, and Memphis Pride Fest does it best. Spanning four days, the celebration includes a Drag N Drive, complete with a movie screening and drag show; a dance party; the signature parade and festival with two stages, over 150 vendors, food trucks, and so much more; and a delightful brunch crawl.

Various locations, May 30-June 2

June

Memphis Margarita Festival

Wasting away again in Margaritaville?

Searching for a lost shaker of salt? e Memphis Margarita Festival, where you can sample from the city’s best margarita-makers, might be to blame.

Overton Square, June 1

Memphis Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon boat races, stage performances, arts and cra s, Asian street food — what more could you ask for?

Hyde Lake at Shelby Farms Park, June 1

TriState Black Pride

TriState Black Pride presents four days of fun, education, and community, with workshops, lectures, a drag show, standup comedy, and a free Community

Appreciation Day to cap o the weekend with musical performances by national and local artists.

Various locations, June 13-16

Memphis Juneteenth Festival e annual Memphis Juneteenth Festival celebrates African-American

continued on page 18

PHOTO: KEVIN REED PHOTOGRAPHY Memphis Pride Fest Weekend

upcoming events

2024

• 4/11-14 – Juke Joint Festival & Related Events

• 4/14 – Cat Head Mini Blues Fest

• 5/2-5 – Bones Fest XXVIII

• 5/11 – Clarksdale Caravan Music Festival

• 5.18 – Women In Blues Festival

• 5/24-25 – Ground Zero Blues Club Anniversary

• 5/25 – Deak’s Harmonica Block Party

• 5/26 – Bad Apple Blues Festival

• 6/14-16 – Birthplace of American Music Festival

• 8/9-11 – Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Fest

• 8/9-11 – Cat Head Anniversary

• 8/31 – Red’s Old Timers Blues Fest

• 9/13-14 – Mighty Roots Music Festival

• 10/9-12 – King Biscuit Blues Festival (Helena, Arkansas)

• 10/13 – Clarksdale Super Blues Sunday

• 10/13 – Pinetop Perkins Homecoming

• 10/17-20 – Deep Blues Fest

• 10/ 17-19 – Mississippi Delta Tennessee Williams Festival

• 10/24-27 – Hambone Festival

• 10/25-26 – Cruz’n The Crossroads Car & Truck Show

• 12/31 – Clarksdale’s New Year’s Eve Weekend

• 1/24-26 – Clarksdale Film & Music Festival

• 4/10-13 – Juke Joint Festival & Related Events

continued from page 14

culture, food, entertainment, and the overall signi cance of the holiday.

Health Sciences Park, June 14-15

Memphis Cra s & Dra s is event is no rough dra . It was perfectly cra ed to t all your summer market’s needs.

Crosstown Concourse, June 15

Memphis Vegan Festival

On the veg (of glory)? is festival is for you. It’s a day full of vegan food, live entertainment, and a marketplace featuring local businesses, plant-based health and beauty products, clothing, and accessories.

Fourth Blu Park, June 16

Cra Food & Wine Festival

Indulge in a delightful evening of delicious food, exquisite wines, and live music, all while supporting Church Health.

e Columns, June 23

July

Memphis Summer Cocktail Festival

Get your drink on at the hottest festival of the summer featuring seasonal sips, tasty eats, and throwback vibes.

e Kent, July 12

Memphis Chicken & Beer Festival

Asian Night Market

Enjoy authentic Asian street foods.

Tiger Lane, July 20

August

Elvis Week

Feel your temperature rising? Higher and higher? It’s not just the August heat. It’s your spidey (Elvis?) senses tingling, burning through to your soul ’cause here in Memphis we know that August means more than hot weather: It means Elvis Week.

Graceland, August 9-17

Memphis Chicken & Beer Festival

If you appreciate your chicken friend, a cold beer on a Saturday night, a pair of jeans that t just right, and the radio up, you’ll appreciate the Memphis Chicken & Beer Fest where you can get all that — except the jeans, you’ll have to gure that out yourself.

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium Field, August 17

Shop Black Fest

Connect with and shop from Blackowned small businesses at the Shop Black Fest.

Riverside Dr., August 17

September

Oxford Blues Festival

is year’s Oxford Blues Festival promises unforgettable experiences with a lineup featuring Lurrie Bell, Libby Rae Watson, Anthony “Big A” Sherrod, Ra’Shad the Blues Kid, Randy Ferguson, Cricket and the Brim Hooks, Kenny Kimbrough & Davis Coen Duo, and DuWayne Burnside. A portion of pro ts will be donated to furthering the music education of Mississippi youths.

Oxford, MS, September 13-14

Cooper-Young Festival

There’s no need to stay cooped up in your house when you can join in on the fun at the Cooper-Young Festival, where art, music, and crafts come together to celebrate Memphis’ culture and heritage.

Cooper Young Historic District, September 14

Gonerfest 21

Going, going, gone — that’s what they’re gonna say about Gonerfest tickets as soon as the lineup is announced. Already, the first batch of Gonerfest tickets have sold out, so keep your eyes peeled for when more tickets go on sale.

Railgarten, September 26-29

steppin’ out

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

The Long Island Medium in Memphis

By Abigail Morici

You might recognize eresa Caputo because of her big personality and bigger hair, but you’re most likely to recognize her for her ability to communicate with the dead with a sixth sense she calls Spirit. She is, a er all, the Long Island Medium, star of the eponymous TLC series and now the star of her new Lifetime series Raising Spirits. While most of us have interacted with Caputo via our screens, Memphians will now get a chance to see her live and maybe have their own reading done at “ eresa Caputo Live: e Experience.”

Ahead of the show, the Flyer asked Caputo about her work and about the live show. See some of her answers below.

Memphis Flyer: Why did you decide to bring your work to a live audience?

eresa Caputo: e live experience is amazing and why I do them is because there’s something about being in a room with thousands of people and witnessing healing — it’s something truly special.

How is “Live: e Experience” di erent from private readings, or even your TV show?

e live experience sometimes I think is more intense because you have thousands of people in a theater, and you’re listening to these healing messages and a lot of them you’ll be able to relate to and people will say all the time, … ‘I personally didn’t get read but what I witnessed was life-changing, and then I realized that there were so many other people in that theater that night that truly needed to hear from their loved ones more than I did.’ at just shows how powerful the experience truly is.

How would you describe what you do? How does Spirit work in this experience?

I have the ability to communicate with people that have died, to be able to deliver messages of faith, hope, and peace. What happens is, I give a little speech on how I read and communicate with the souls of the departed, and once I start sensing and feeling signs and symbols from Spirit, I allow them to guide me around the space and I will just randomly stop in front of someone and start saying things that mean absolutely nothing to me but life-changing to the person I’m standing in front of. I never know who’s gonna get read or what Spirit is going to have me say. I think that’s the most amazing thing about the experience.

“THERESA CAPUTO LIVE: THE EXPERIENCE,” CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, 255 N. MAIN, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 7:30 P.M., $64+.

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES

April 4th - 10th

Memphis Tattoo Festival

Renasant Convention Center, 255 N. Main, Friday, April 5, noon-10 p.m.; Saturday, April 6, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, April 7, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., $25-$55

e Memphis Tattoo Festival brings a selection of over 200 of the best artists from all over the world right here in Memphis for three days of tattooing, art-making, and much more.

At the festival, attendees will have the opportunity to get tattooed from traveling and local artists alike. Artists will be taking appointments and walk ups. Attendees must be 18+ to get tattooed.

Artists and vendors alike will be selling merchandise. Plus, there will be contests where you can enter your tattoos that you have previously collected, and you can see some of the best artists from across the globe practice their cra .

Love Food Hate Waste Memphis

Memphis Made Brewing Company, 768 S. Cooper, Saturday, April 6 11 a.m.-1 p.m., free

Join Project Green Fork for a fun and family-friendly event. You’ll enjoy a complimentary specialty cra beer by Memphis Made, watch live culinary demos, and learn how to reduce food waste in your home.

With games for the kiddos and the young-at-heart, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Plus, event-goers will have a chance to connect with local organizations tackling food waste and food insecurity in our communities.

Donuts & Dogs Five Miler

Wiseacre Brewery, 2783 Broad Avenue, Sunday, April 7, 12:30 p.m., $25.24-$35.24

The sweetest race in Memphis is back and it’s simple: run 2.5 miles

out, eat 12 (or however many you want) Krispy Kreme original glazed donuts, run 2.5 miles back. You may run/walk at whatever pace you want but the “official” challenge is to complete the run in under one hour.

All proceeds go to Streetdog Foundation. Registration includes an exclusive event T-shirt. Register at tinyurl.com/yck6pyk9.

Total Eclipse of the Park (Partial Eclipse Edition)

Overton Park, Monday, April 8, 12:30 p.m., free

Join the Brooks Museum and Overton Park Conservancy for a celestial spectacle on the Greensward, and get a front-row seat to the partial solar eclipse. Eclipse-viewing glasses will be provided. Lunch options from Feast & Graze will be available for purchase.

PHOTO: SPOTLIGHT EVENT MARKETING eresa Caputo

MUSIC By Alex Greene

SAT JUNE 1

3-6PM OVERTON SQUARE

Kick off your Best Summer Ever at our annual Memphis Margarita Festival! Sample from the city’s best margarita-makers, and enjoy fresh local food, live tunes from DJ Zetta, and more!

The Return of Misty White

It’s a challenge for this reporter to write objectively about an old friend like Misty White, but any time she returns to Memphis is news. e rarity of such occasions contrasts sharply with her ubiquity in the city’s underground culture when she lived here — before moving to Toulouse, France, a decade ago — as noted by none other than Greg Cartwright, a well-known fan of her music who, in a 2022 interview with the Memphis Flyer, noted that he met Alicja Trout through White, back in the ’90s. “ at’s how we got to know each other: [me] teaching [Alicja] songs for Misty White’s band. So there you go, Misty White is the Kevin Bacon of Memphis!”

“I wrote songs for the record, and that was really interesting, to not have songs I’d played a million times.”

Indeed, at the end of the last century, the characters who orbited around her sprawling rental house on Harbert were a veritable who’s who of Memphis rock auteurs, including Ron Easley, Suzy Hendrix, Tav Falco, Amy LaVere, and Alex Chilton, all drawn to a Bohemian atmosphere there thick enough to cut with a knife (but not before inhaling deeply). Along the way, the onetime Deadhead became a garage auteur herself, writing songs and forming groups that were all sparked by the mischievous twinkle in her eye. Her drumming powered those pioneers of all-female garage rock, the Hellcats, before their breakup around

1990, and then she blossomed as a songwriter, sharpening an approach that might best be termed “camp re rock-androll,” reminiscent of Jonathan Richman if he were high.

A er resettling in Cooper-Young, she met the love of her life, French musician and indie label owner Phillipe Lombardi, and he became an ardent fan of her music. ey married and moved to Toulouse, where she lives as Misti Lombardi to this day, preserving her husband’s memory since his unexpected death in 2016.

ey recorded her songs together in the years leading up to that tragedy, releasing an EP and her rst album on his Bang! Records imprint, and she’s carried on ever since.

Now she’s releasing her third LP on Bang!, Dis-Moi, already out in France, and some of which she’ll perform during the three public appearances she’s making this week. e rst will be this ursday, April 4th, as the Zippin’ Pippins, last active about 15 years ago, take the stage at Bar DKDC.

“ e original lineup was me, Kristi [White Witt, Misty’s twin sister], Amy LaVere, Suzy Hendrix, and Diana Powell was on keyboards,” White says. “For this show, we’ll have me, Kristi, Amy, and Suzy,” plus two Hellcats, Su Hartline and Lorette Velvette.

e group sprang from her activist days with Save Libertyland, an alliance of Quixotic citizens bent on dissuading the city fathers from dismantling the beloved amusement park and its vintage roller coaster, e Zippin’ Pippin, which Elvis Presley famously enjoyed. In the end, the citizens were thwarted, as documented in the Mike McCarthy short Destroy Memphis, but the band named a er the fair ride lived on somehow.

“One of Kristi’s songs is ‘Mid-South

PHOTO: VIRGINIE BENAZETH Misty White

Fair,’ about riding the Ferris wheel and falling in love. So many did at the Mid-South Fair. One couple even got married on the Pippin,” says White. The band will also feature White’s song “Sex Talk,” written well before the group had formed, though it’s only now being featured on White’s solo album. Yet that LP is primarily marked by its newer material. “With this album, I didn’t have a whole album’s worth of old songs that hadn’t been recorded yet. I wrote songs for the record, and that was really interesting, to not have songs I’d played a million times. But yeah, I can still write songs! That’s what that proved.”

It’s tting that the Zippin’ Pippins are incorporating some Hellcats in the mix, as that group will also be active in the days to follow. On April 10th, superfan Cartwright will moderate an album event and discussion at the Memphis Listening Lab centered on the Hellcats’ full-length LP, Hoodoo Train, produced at Doug Easley’s backyard studio before he moved into the former Onyx Studio building.

A er the listening event, various Hellcats will perform their songs in the round at the Lamplighter Lounge.

“ ey all know the Hellcats in France because we were on New Rose,” White says. “Anybody that was on New Rose is kind of held in a higher light because it was such a great label.”

A onetime catalyst in the Memphis scene gets the gang back together.

SHELBY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PROPOSED CONSOLIDATED PLAN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-2029 AND FY 2025 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN PUBLIC HEARING AND PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE 2015-2019 and 2020-2024 CONSOLIDATED PLANS

Shelby County Department of Housing (SCDH) has prepared a draft of the Federal 5-Year Consolidated Plan for Shelby County Fiscal Years 2025-2029 and Annual Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2025 (July 1 2024-June 30, 2025). The Annual Action Plan for FY2025 (HUD Program Year 2024) is required by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the receipt of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Grant Entitlement funds. The Proposed Annual Action Plan describes activities proposed by SCDH to address housing and community development needs, especially needs in low- to moderateincome areas of Shelby County outside of the City of Memphis.

The proposed 5-year Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan for FY25 will be available for public review from April 10, 2024 – May 10, 2024. The plans will be made available online at www.develop901.com/housing and physical copies will be held at 6465 Mullins Station Rd, Memphis TN 38134 and at the following library branches across Shelby County: Benjamin Hooks Central Library, Arlington Library, Bartlett Library, Collierville Library, Germantown Library and Millington Library. SCDH will hold a public hearing to discuss the proposed plans, amendments and updated joint Equity Plan to address fair housing needs with both in person and virtual attendance options on April 22, 2024 at 12:00pm and 5:30pm.

In Person Attendance Option: Shelby County Code Enforcement, Training Room, 6465 Mullins Station Road Memphis, TN 38134. Attendees should enter the Code Enforcement Building through the Training Room entrance; upon walking up to the building, attendees will need to follow the signage that leads to the Training Room.

Virtual Attendance Option: A virtual option to join is also provided, and participants can join the meeting with a computer, tablet, or smartphone at https://www. gotomeet.me/DanaSjostrom or dialing in from a phone +1 (224) 501-3412, Access Code 169-900-933 at the above noted meeting time.

If you plan to attend the public hearing and have special needs, please contact the Department of Housing at (901) 222-7600 by 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, 2024 and we will work to accommodate you. Citizen input and public participation is strongly encouraged.

The consolidated planning process for FY 2025-2029 serves as the framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities that align and focus funding from the CPD formula block grant programs Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Programs.

The FY 2025 Annual Action Plan establishes the basis for the use of entitlement funds for the period of July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. The primary purpose of this hearing is to receive comments on the proposed FY 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan as well as for the FY 2025 Annual Action Plan during the public comment period. Shelby County anticipates receiving level funding for the upcoming program year; $1,169,819.00 in CDBG and $472,756.00 in HOME funds in Program Year 2024/Fiscal Year 2025. If these anticipated resources differ from actual 2024 allocations, SCDH proposes adjusting funding for each activity either up or down according to the following order of priority: 1- Housing Rehabilitation and Minor Home Repair, 2- Community Development Projects responsive to high priority non-housing community development needs, and 3- Public Service Activities.

Shelby County expects to submit the Consolidated Plan for FY 2025-2029 and the Annual Plan for FY 2025 to HUD on or before May 15, 2024 following a 30 day review and comment period April 10, 2024 through May 10, 2024. Note that there is currently a delay in HUD’s allocation announcements, and the plans will be submitted to HUD within 60 days following the actual allocation announcement. Anticipated resources are based on level funding from FY2024 and are as follows:

In addition to the Consolidated Five-Year and Annual Action Plans, the Department of Housing will provide the results of the updated Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice: A joint Equity Plan to address housing needs to address disparities in access to affordable, quality housing. The hearing will also provide an update on current activities under the CDBG and HOME Programs including HOME-ARP, information on Section 3 contracting opportunities; and will provide information on other programs operated by the Department of Housing.

In accordance with section 218(g) of the Appropriations Bill 42 USC 12748(g), SCDH is reprogramming the 2018-2021 HOME Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) setaside funds to increase the amount available for homeowner rehabilitation in the amount of $244,758.15. This amends the 2015-2019 and 20202024 Consolidated Plans. In addition, after June 30, 2024 SCDH will reprogram PY2024/FY2025 CHDO funds in the amount of $71,860.95 to increase the budget available to homeowner rehabilitation.

Persons wishing to comment on the Consolidated Plan for FY 2025-2029 and/or the FY 2025 Annual Action Plan and/or the proposed amendments to Consolidated Plans for 2015-2019 and 2020-2024 may do so by writing to Dana Sjostrom via email dana. sjostrom@shelbycountytn.gov or mail Shelby County Department of Housing, 6465 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134. For additional information contact the Department of Housing at 901-222-7600 or TTY at 901-222-2300.

The Shelby County Department of Housing does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services. Equal opportunity/equal access provider.

Para mas información en Español, por favor llame al 901-222-7601.

Scott Walkup, Administrator

Shelby County Department of Housing

Lee Harris Mayor

ART HAPPENINGS

Art by Design

A curated series of events and presentations designed to highlight Memphis’ interior design community and simultaneously support the local arts community. $25. Friday, April 5-April 7.

AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL

Tattoos Today: A Body Art Expo

A showcase and competition celebrating tattoos as artistic expression. Monday, April 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS

BOOK EVENTS

Meet the Author: Heather Cox Richardson

Heather Cox Richardson will discuss and sign her Democracy Awakening. Saturday, April 6, 2 p.m.

NOVEL

Meet the Author: Lora Chilton

Lora Chilton celebrates her new book, 1666: A Novel. Tuesday, April 9, 6 p.m.

NOVEL

The Book Mixer

A lit night. $10. Sunday, April 7, 4:30-7:30 p.m.

THE COVE

CLASS / WORKSHOP

Exclusive Wheel Throwing Series

A different kind of spin class with Sarah

Stobbe. $150. Saturday, April 6, 1-3 p.m.

ARROW CREATIVE

COMMUNITY

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Reflection Park Re-Dedication

Join Mayor Paul Young and Memphis Parks for the re-dedication of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Re ection Park. ursday, April 4, 10:30 a.m.

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. REFLECTION PARK

Love Food Hate Waste Memphis is bread-to-tap event brings together beer, food, music, and fun in a meaningful and impactful way. Free. Saturday, April 6, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

MEMPHIS MADE BREWING COMPANY

The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018

For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550

For Release Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Crossword

ACROSS

1 Bridge

5 “I’ll take care of that”

9 American Girl products

14 Jai ___

15 Common blessing

17 Undercover buster

18 Rhyming description for IHOP’s “Fresh ’N Fruity” pancakes

19 Safety warning for some kitchenware

21 Born

22 ___ Park, Calif.

23 Jots

26

29 See in court, say

31 Craze

34 Road Runner cartoon sights

38 Goof

39 Warm and cozy spots

41 Manning with two Super Bowl M.V.P. awards

42 Homeland of many 2010s refugees

44 What bugs are found in

45 Bug on a hook, maybe

46 Ctrl-___-Del

48 On the loose

50 Big news involving extraterrestrials

54 Caddies’ suggestions

55 Some four-year degrees, for short

56 Kangaroo’s pouch

59 Loudly angry, as a group

62 Flight part

64 Rolls the dice and moves one’s token

65 Perfect dives

66 Parts of porch chairs

67 Airport postings, in brief

68 Italian wine region

DOWN

1 Lead-in to Francisco or Pedro

2 With 36-Down, astronomical rarity … or a hint to the circled letters

3 Alexander Hamilton’s nemesis

4 ___ Maduro, successor to Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez

5 Fairy tale baddie

6 Sign gas

7 Gets tagged, say

8 Rwandan minority

9 Banned insecticide

10 “Well, well, well!” 11

Edited by Will Shortz No. 0213

PHOTO: ARROW CREATIVE

In Arrow Creative’s three-part Exclusive Wheel rowing Series, you will learn the basic techniques necessary to throw on the wheel.

Remembering MLK: The Man. The Movement. The Moment. e annual remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ursday, April 4, 4:30 p.m.

NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

ECLIPSE EVENTS

Eclipse Preview Weekend

Learn the science behind the eclipse and grab your eclipse glasses and other guides before the big day. Saturday, April 6-April 7.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

Total Eclipse of the Park (Partial Eclipse Edition)

Join Brooks Museum and Overton Park Conservancy for a celestial spectacle. Free eclipse viewing glasses provided. Monday, April 8, 12:30 p.m.

OVERTON PARK

FESTIVAL

Holi & Kite Festival

Immerse in colors, laughter, and the joy of kite- ying. Saturday, April 6, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

SHELBY FARMS PARK

Memphis LARP-Con

If you haven’t tried LARP, this is your chance. Learn about area groups and coming soon LARPs. Saturday, April 6, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Memphis Comedy Festival

Including Sommore, Lavell Crawford, Bill Bellamy, Tony Roberts, and Arnez J. Saturday, April 6, 8 p.m.

LANDERS CENTER

PERFORMING ARTS

Fairtytales on Ice Presents: Peter Pan and Wendy e story of Peter Pan and his pal Wendy comes to life. $35. ursday, April 4, 5 p.m., 7 p.m.

BUCKMAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Spillit Slam: A Piece of Work Storytellers have seven minutes to tell a tale of an all-true personal narrative (well, mostly true.) Saturday, April 6, 6 p.m.

NOVEL

SPORTS

901 Wrestling Live

“ e All-American” Ken Dang vs. “ e True One of One” Kevin Bless. Saturday, April 6, 7 p.m.

BLACK LODGE

Grizzlies vs. Detroit Pistons

Friday, April 5, 7 p.m.

FEDEXFORUM

Grizzlies vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Saturday, April 6, 7 p.m.

FEDEXFORUM

Grizzlies vs. San Antonio Spurs

Tuesday, April 9, 7 p.m.

FEDEXFORUM

THEATER

Hamlet e tragedy by William Shakespeare. ursday, April 4-April 21.

TENNESSEE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY

Master Class

Diva opera star Maria Callas is alternately dismayed and impressed by students who parade before her. Friday, April 5-April 21.

THEATRE MEMPHIS

Wicked e Broadway sensation looks at what happened in the Land of Oz … but from a di erent angle. rough April 21.

ORPHEUM THEATRE

FOOD By Michael Donahue

Virtual Fine Dining

Most people don’t want to return to sheltering in place, keeping their distance, and other things associated with the dark days of the pandemic. But Jo Anne Fusco found one thing from her lockdown days to be pretty cool: her virtual dinner she put together for a rive Memphis fundraiser in 2020. Now, she’s reviving it.

“April in Paris, A Virtual Dinner” will be held at 6:30 p.m., April 18th, via Zoom, says Fusco, rive’s executive director. e three-course meal will be cra ed by chefs Erling Jensen of Erling Jensen: e Restaurant, David Krog of Dory, and Jimmy Gentry of e Lobbyist. So, you get three noted Memphis chefs preparing a dinner you can eat in your pajamas while sipping wine in the comfort of your home.

In other words: a virtual white tablecloth dinner experience.

rive Memphis, a nonpro t that provides recreational and social activities for people with intellectual disabilities, is known for food events, thanks to Fusco. She held chili contests for years when the organization was known as “ e Exceptional Foundation of West Tennessee.”

packaged meals at Dory. “ ey just had to be heated. Some of the meat was on the rare side; if you wanted it more done, you cooked it a little longer.”

People then turned on Zoom and listened to Krog and Gentry discuss how they prepared each course. A sommelier talked about the wines.

Fusco came up with the theme for this virtual dinner. Since they already had the April date, Fusco said, “Oh, my God. Paris in April. Let’s do a French dinner.” at also was a good excuse to put “Ooh la la!” on the invitations.

Krog is making salad Nicoise. “I haven’t had an opportunity to make this in a long time,” he says. “I felt it was a classic beginning to this meal.”

e salad is made with arugula, green beans, Nicoise olives, shallots, ngerling potatoes, lemon, olive oil, and hard-cooked egg, Krog says. He’s also making chocolate tru es and his Parker House rolls.

Jensen is making his classic beef bourguignon, which, he says, includes “beef, carrots, shallots, onions, celery, bay leaf, thyme, and red wine.”

For the dessert, Gentry is making Roquefort ganache tarts with tonka bean anglaise. e tarts include heavy cream, vanilla beans, white chocolate, trimoline, butter, dark rum, and cheese. “ e anglaise is made the same way except we steep tonka beans in it,” says Gentry, who describes the dessert as “rich, decadent, not overly sweet.”

Taking part in the virtual dinner is easy, Fusco says. “We send out the Zoom link and you just follow.”

Fusco later held farm-to-table dinners at the home of Brad and Dina Martin, Millstone Market, and Avon Acres. Jensen, Gentry, and chef Zach omason took part in dinners.

“I had the food donated. But we had to pay the sta . at wasn’t a problem, but we had to rent everything, rent dishes. We had to get wine glasses and silverware. … We made a lot of money, but it ate up a lot of our pro ts.”

en Covid happened. “I got this idea: ‘Why don’t we do it virtually?’”

e four-course dinner was held in December 2020 and called “Home for the Holidays.” “We had a beautiful dinner. We packaged it in bags that James Davis donated. And we had the courses: the salad, the rolls, the butter, the entrees.”

Guests picked up the pre-cooked and

e last time they did the dinner “some followed, some watched it and turned o the volume” because they were with guests.

Dinners are to be picked up between 2 and 4 p.m. that a ernoon at Dory at 716 West Brookhaven Circle. e Zoom meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

Fusco, who hopes to make the virtual dinner an annual rive fundraiser, enjoys the camaraderie. She was in the kitchen with the chefs at the last Zoom dinner, which was in the kitchen at her home, where she held a dinner party.

But, she says, “ e dinner is fun and it’s nice to have wonderful donors, but the money really goes to the kids. It doesn’t go to anything else. It goes to our participants.”

For more information on taking part in “April in Paris, A Virtual Dinner,” go to thrivemem.org.

PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE

Erling Jensen, Jo Anne Fusco, and Jimmy Gentry; (inset) David Krog

rive Memphis Zoom dinner features noted chefs.

The Total Solar Eclipse

is celestial event can catalyze change and healing.

Monday, April 8th, brings us a special celestial event — a total solar eclipse, and one that will be visible in the United States. Some outlets are calling it the Great North American Eclipse because it is the only total solar eclipse in the 21st century that will be visible throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. is will also be the last total solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous United States until August 23, 2044. Many people are taking trips to be in the path of totality, which Memphis is just outside of. Eclipses of any kind are interesting events to watch, but they also have special spiritual meanings.

A solar eclipse is o en thought of as a time of transformation. e movement of the moon between the Earth and the sun is something that does not happen o en and spiritually is thought to catalyze change. e energy of a solar eclipse is believed to accelerate events, bringing to the surface issues that have been simmering and demanding attention and action.

make substantial changes.

Venus, the planet of love, along with the sun and moon, helps usher in incredibly positive energies during this eclipse. e April 8th total solar eclipse occurs in the sign of Aries, with the asteroid Chiron in Aries as well. Aries is the sign of fresh starts, leadership, innovation, and courage. As such, you can expect this eclipse to have a particularly strong impact on those areas of your personal life.

Chiron symbolizes the “wounded healer,” exposing our deep pain, how we address that pain, and how our own healing powers have the ability to help others. Chiron symbolizes the strength of vulnerability, encouraging us to embrace the dark and thorny spaces of our past and take action. With Chiron in action, this eclipse is also about healing your relationship with yourself. Now is the time to recover from old wounds and explore new opportunities. Luckily, the April 8th eclipse should have an empowering e ect in this regard. You could feel like you can take charge of your life in ways you didn’t previously think possible.

A solar eclipse is considered a powerful time for setting new intentions and manifesting goals.

e energy of an eclipse can amplify your thoughts and intentions, making it an ideal time to focus on what you truly desire.

Part of the eclipse’s properties of transformation come from the fact that the usual cycle and movement of the planets is somewhat disrupted. e obscuring of the sun’s light can symbolize a break in routine. Disruptions are o en unwanted and sometimes unpleasant, but they are necessary for growth. If you are familiar with tarot, this total solar eclipse might make you think of the Tower card with its disruptions and truth coming to light.

In astrology, a solar eclipse is sometimes viewed as a powerful time for new beginnings. e eclipse is seen as a doorway to signi cant life changes, o ering opportunities to reset, rethink, and start fresh. e blocking of the sun, a symbol of light and clarity, invites introspection and encourages individuals to look inward, reassess their paths, and

is total solar eclipse is also a great time to re ect and release those things that no longer serve you. e darkness of the solar eclipse encourages introspection. It’s a time to pause and re ect on one’s life direction, contemplate deep desires, and acknowledge aspects of life that may need transformation. Meditation or mindfulness practices during this time can lead to deep insights and heightened self-awareness. It is a moment to ponder life’s big questions, reassess your life path, and gain clarity on your personal and spiritual journey. You can use this time to consciously release these old aspects of your life. is could involve a physical decluttering of your space, a symbolic letting go of past grievances, or a commitment to change unhelpful thought patterns.

Even if you aren’t interested in the spiritual meaning of this eclipse, it is a wondrous event to behold and I encourage you to make the most of it. Emily Guenther is a co-owner of e Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.

PHOTO: JIM PRICE

Total solar eclipse in 2017

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication

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celebrated her 25th birthday — although she is 100 years old. “I feel 25, until I start trying to walk,” Edin said, according to WMUR-TV. “I can’t believe I’ve lived this age. I really can’t.” She was feted with lunch and cupcakes. [WMUR, 2/29/2024]

You might have missed the first-ever Florida Man Games in St. Augustine on Feb. 24, but it’s never too early to plan for next year. United Press International reported that hundreds of people paid $55 each for a ticket to watch Floridians compete in a mullet contest and a “Florida sumo” event where competitors tried to spill each other’s beers. Other events included a pork butt eating contest, a race that simulated stealing a bike, and an “evading arrest obstacle course.” One winning team walked away with the $5,000 prize. “We understand that Florida is weird,” said Pete Melfi, organizer of the event. “We embrace it.” [United Press International, 2/26/2024]

News You Can Use

the moose in the nose and went on his way. Soon after, Dallas Seavey and his dogs came upon a moose — it’s not clear whether it was the same one — that was “threatening and belligerent.”

When the moose got entangled with his dogs, Seavey dispensed with the heroics and shot it. As per the Iditarod’s rules, Seavey then stopped for about 10 minutes to field-dress the moose, but he was later assessed a two-hour penalty at the next checkpoint because “the animal was not sufficiently gutted by the musher.” A third musher, Wally Robinson, ran across the moose carcass in the dark, on a trail curving through woods. Race Marshal Warren Palfrey confirmed that “we are making sure that every attempt is made to utilize and salvage the moose meat.” So there’s that. [Sporting News, 3/7/2024]

Legend says that if the seven ravens who protect the Tower of London (six, plus one spare, as decreed by King Charles II) ever leave the landmark, the tower will crumble and the Kingdom of England will fall. So it’s no surprise that the tower has a ravenmaster, and 56-yearold Michael “Barney” Chandler has just been installed in the job, the Associated Press reported. Chandler is a former Royal Marine who said, “We don’t know if [the prophecy is] true or not, because we’ve never let the number drop below six — and it’s not going to happen while I’m here.” As the sixth holder of the post, Chandler will be in charge of four other Beefeaters who look after the ravens.

“You never know what they’re going to do,” he said. “They’re all totally different, personality-wise.” His favorite is Poppy, who hops up to him to accept a treat of a dead mouse now and again. Spoiler alert: The birds’ feathers are trimmed so they can’t fly away. [AP, 3/1/2024]

Leap Day Fun

• In Rye, New Hampshire, Lillian Edin

• A brother and sister who were both born on Leap Day four years apart are getting to celebrate the unusual birthday for the first time. Omri Demchak, 8, and his sister, Scout, 4, celebrated with more than 50 people at the coffee shop their parents own in Brooklyn, New York. Most years, the family celebrate Omri’s birthday on Feb. 28 and Scout’s on March 1. Mom Lindsay Demchak said neither of the leap kids was due on the special day. “It was truly serendipitous,” she told the New York Post. [NY Post, 2/29/2024]

• Issue 12 of France’s La Bougie du Sapeur (The Sapper’s Candle) has hit the newsstands, the BBC reported — which is kind of a big deal because it is printed only on Feb. 29, every four years. The first edition was in 1980. Editor Jean d’Indy said the 20-page tabloid is “put out by a few pals. We meet in a bar and toss around ideas over drinks. We have a lot of fun, and if the reader does, too, that’s the icing on the cake.” It has a print run of 200,000, costs about 5 euros, and is not available online. [BBC, 2/28/2024]

That’s Sporting

The 2024 Iditarod race in Alaska got off to a messy start, Sporting News reported on March 7. On the first day, musher Jesse Holmes went mano-a-mano with a moose that became aggressive toward his dogs on the trail. Holmes punched

Clothing Optional

Looking for something light and airy to do at the end of April? Set your GPS for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Crafton Ingram Lanes, where Balls Out Bowling will return on April 28, according to WTRF-TV. The Pittsburgh Area Naturalists are hosting the event, which requires nudity (except women are allowed to wear bottoms). Participants must be 18 or older, and sexual activity is not permitted; harassment will result in being ejected from the bowling alley. And leave your cellphone at home; no photos or videos allowed. You won’t have anywhere to carry it anyway! [WTRF, 3/4/2024]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Will humans succeed in halting the decimation of the environment? Will we neutralize the power of fundamentalism as it fights to quash our imaginations and limit our freedoms? Will we outflank and outlast the authoritarians that threaten democracy? Sorry I’m asking you to think about sad realities. But now is an excellent time for you to ponder the world we are creating for our descendants — and resolve to do something in loving service to the future. Meditate on the riddle from Lewis Carroll’s book Through the Looking Glass: “It’s a poor sort of memory that only works backwards.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The genius polymath Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) contributed much treasure to science and engineering. One encyclopedia sums up his legacy: “He was the father of observational astronomy, modern-era classical physics, the scientific method, and modern science.” Unfortunately, many of Galileo’s ideas conflicted with the teachings of Catholicism. The church fathers hounded him for years, even arresting him and putting him on trial. The Vatican eventually apologized, though not until 350 years after Galileo died. I expect that you, too, will generate many new approaches and possibilities in the coming months, Gemini — not Galileo level, of course, but still: sufficiently unprecedented to rouse the resistance of conventional wisdom. I suspect you won’t have to wait long to be vindicated, however.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Now would be a perfect time to prove your love. How? You might begin by being extra considerate, sensitive, sweet, and tender. I hope you will add sublime, scintillating touches, too. Maybe you will tell your beloved allies beautiful truths about themselves — revelations that make them feel deeply understood and appreciated. Maybe you will give them gifts or blessings they have wanted for a long time but never managed to get for themselves. It’s possible you will serenade them with their favorite songs, or write a poem or story about them, or buy them a symbol that inspires their spiritual quest. To climax all your kindness, perhaps you will describe the ways they have changed your life for the better.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo naturalist and ornithologist William Henry Hudson (1841–1922) said, “I am not a lover of lawns. Rather would I see daisies in their thousands, ground ivy, hawkweed, and dandelions with splendid flowers and fairy down, than the too-welltended lawn.” I encourage you to adopt his attitude toward everything in your life for the next few weeks. Always opt for unruly beauty over tidy regimentation. Choose lush vitality over pruned efficiency. Blend your fate with influences

that exult in creative expressiveness, genial fertility, and deep feelings. (PS: Cultural critic Michael Pollan says, “A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule.”)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I praise and celebrate you for your skills at helping other people access their resources and activate their potentials. I hope you are rewarded well for your gorgeous service. If you are not, please figure out how to correct the problem in the coming months. If you are feeling extra bold, consider these two additional assignments: 1. Upgrade your skills at helping yourself access your own resources and activate your own potential. 2. Be forthright and straightforward in asking the people you help to help you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I don’t regard a solar eclipse as a bad omen. On the contrary, I believe it may purge and cleanse stale old karma. On some occasions, I have seen it flush away emotional debts and debris that have been accumulating for years. So how shall we interpret the total solar eclipse that will electrify your astrological house of intimate togetherness in the coming days? I think it’s a favorable time to be brave and daring as you upgrade your best relationships. What habits and patterns are you ready to reinvent and reconfigure? What new approaches are you willing to experiment with?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): At your best, you Scorpios are not invasive manipulators. Rather, you are catalysts. You are instigators of transformation, resurrectors of dead energy, awakeners of numb minds. The people you influence may not be aware that they long to draw on your influence. They may think you are somehow imposing it on them, when, in fact, you are simply being your genuine, intense self, and they are reaching out to absorb your unruly healing. In the coming weeks, please keep in mind what I’ve said here.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In my astrological opinion, it’s prime time for you to shower big wild favors on your beautiful self. Get the fun underway with a period of rigorous self-care: a physical check-up, perhaps, and visits with the dentist, therapist, hairstylist, and acupuncturist. Try new healing agents and seek precise magic that enhances and uplifts your energy. I trust you will also call on luxurious indulgences like a massage, a psychic reading, gourmet meals, an emotionally potent movie, exciting new music, and long, slow love-making. Anything else, Sagittarius? Make a list and carry out these tasks with the same verve and determination you would give to any important task.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The coming days will be a favorable time

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

Aries author Eric G. Wilson claims, “Darker emotional states — doubt, confusion, alienation, despair — inspire a deeper and more durable experience of the sacred than contentment does.” I disagree. I know for a fact that an exquisite embrace of life’s holiness is equally possible through luminous joy and boisterous triumph and exultant breakthroughs. Propagandists of the supposed potency of misery are stuck in a habit of mind that’s endemic to the part of civilization that’s rotting and dying. In any case, Aries, I’m pleased to tell you that in the coming weeks, you will have abundant opportunities to glide into sacred awareness on the strength of your lust for life and joie de vivre.

for you to wrestle with an angel or play chess with a devil. You will have extraordinary power in any showdown or collaboration with spiritual forces. Your practical intelligence will serve you well in encounters with nonrational enigmas and supernatural riddles. Here’s a hot tip: Never assume that any being, human or divine, is holier or wiser than you. You will have a special knack for finding compassionate solutions to address even the knottiest dilemmas.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your featured organ of the month is your nose. This may sound beyond the scope of predictable possibilities, but I’m serious: You will make robust decisions and discriminating choices if you get your sniffer fully involved. So I advise you to favor and explore whatever smells good. Cultivate a nuanced appreciation for what aromas can reveal. If there’s a hint of a stink or an odd tang, go elsewhere. The saying “follow your nose” is especially applicable. (PS: I recommend you take steps to expose yourself to a wide array of scents that energize you and boost your mood.)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): When is the best time to ask for a raise or an increase in benefits? Can astrology reveal favorable periods for being aggressive about getting more of what you want? In the system I use, the time that’s 30 to 60 days after your birthday is most likely to generate good results. Another phase is 210 to 240 days after your birthday. Keep in mind that these estimates may be partly fanciful and playful and mythical. But then in my philosophy, fanciful and playful and mythical actions have an honored place. Self-fulfilling prophecies are more likely to be fulfilled if you regard them as fun experiments rather than serious, literal rules.

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Darkness Doubles

Since its debut on HBO in 2014, True Detective has been a galvanizing show. Showrunner Nic Pizzolatto’s rst season featured Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as detectives searching for an occultic serial killer in Louisiana over the course of two decades. It was unique in television, in that Pizzolatto wrote all eight episodes himself, and Cary Joji Fukunaga was the sole credited director. (Normally, TV shows have several writers who collaborate on scripts.

e mandatory minimum size of these writer’s rooms was a major issue in last year’s Writers Guild of America strike.)

Each subsequent season of the anthology show has featured a di erent pair of detectives who can barely stand each other solving weird crimes. For season 2 in 2015, it was Colin Farrell and Rachel McAdams; season 3 featured Mahershala Ali and Carmen Ejogo in 2019. Pizzolatto started to develop season 4, but then le HBO in favor of a new deal at FX. Barry Jenkins

and Issa López took over as executive producers and took the show in a new direction — or least to a new locale.

Season 4 carries the subtitle Night Country because it is set in the ctional Alaskan town of Ennis, located above the Arctic Circle where the sun doesn’t rise at all during the depths of winter. Jodie Foster stars as Liz Danvers, Ennis’ chief of police. It’s a major casting coup, since Foster hasn’t been a regular in a TV series since the mid-1970s. And it pays o . Foster is one of the best actors of her or any other generation, and the greatest pleasure of Night Country is getting to spend six episodes watching her construct and tear down a complex character. If I had to describe Capt. Danvers in one word, it would be “harsh.” She’s hard on everyone, from her stepdaughter Leah (Isabella Star LaBlanc), to protege Pete Prior (Finn Bennett), to her o -and-on lover of 20 years, Capt. Ted Connelly (Christopher Eccleston). But Danvers is harshest of all to her former partner, Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis, a former professional

women’s boxing champion). Navarro and Danvers split a er their response to a murder-suicide case fell under scrutiny from their superiors and led to both being reassigned to the backwater (or should I say “back-ice”) of Ennis.

Navarro sees ghosts, but that’s apparently not unusual in this town, where the veil between worlds seems thin. e former partners are forced back together when the entire crew of an arctic research station is found dead on the ice, frozen together in what Danvers calls a “corpsicle.” One of the few clues is a severed human tongue le behind in the station which belonged to a Native American woman named Annie Kowtok (Nivi Pedersen), whose murder Navarro has been obsessively investigating for years. How are the two crimes connected, and what do they have to do with the mining company that is polluting the community’s water?

Foster’s virtuosic performance brings it all together, even as some of the sub-

plots spiral o into the arctic darkness. She’s a manic ball of snarling energy, hinting at the secret pain that causes her to lash out at everyone around her.

López’s direction on all six episodes is exceptional. She brings elements of Lynchian surrealism (quiet northern town exists in uneasy proximity to an ancient supernatural force) and the John Carpenter horror classic e ing. She knows how to produce a good jump scare, and how to hint at unknowable horrors lurking just o -screen. Like True Detective’s rst season, Night Country bene ts greatly from being the product of a singular artistic vision.

True Detective: Night Country is streaming on MAX.

Jodie Foster and Kali Reis star in True Detective: Night Country.

TV By Chris McCoy

Jodie Foster gives True Detective: Night Country its existential edge.

Our critic picks the best films in theaters.

Monkey Man

Actor Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, The Green Knight) makes his directorial debut in this action thriller, executive produced by Jordan Peele. Patel stars as Kid, who seeks revenge after his parents are killed by a corrupt politician. He inadvertently becomes a folk hero to India’s downtrodden. The film co-stars Pitobash, a noted Bollywood actor with a pretty cool name.

The First Omen

This long-simmering prequel explains the origin of Damien, the young Antichrist from the 1976 horror classic The Omen. English actress with an extremely cool name Nell Tiger Free stars as Margaret Daino, an American would-be

nun who uncovers a plot by the Catholic Church to breed the Antichrist.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

The Big G has another hit on his hands, this time teaming up with American kaiju King Kong to defeat a new menace arising from the Hollow Earth. Think of it as wrestling, only starring 20-story tall forces of nature rather than The Rock.

Wicked Little Letters

Olivia Colman stars as Edith, a meek, devout woman still living with her parents in 1920s England. When she receives a series of letters insulting her using florid vulgarities, she blames it on the foulest-mouthed Irish woman in the village, Rose (Jessie Buckley). But did Rose really pen the nastygrams?

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By Patricia Lockhart

Being an Adult Child

A family-friendly Memphis weekend with games, burgers, and beer (for the adult child, of course).

It’s time for another intentional tween/teen-friendly Memphis weekend! Keep in mind, my kids are 15, 12, 12, and 10 years old. is weekend will really be focused on fun things to do with the kids as well as enjoying some adult libations. Because who wants to be an adult all the time? Enjoy Memphis!

Muggin Co eehouse

Okay, it’s ursday, and this has been the Wednesday-est ursday ever!

FYI: Wednesdays and I haven’t gotten along for a few years now. Humpday just drags so slowly and the most ridiculous things always happen on a Wednesday. And that’s how this ursday was acting. But whenever I feel irritated by having to be an adult, I make sure I take some time to nurture my inner child. So when I heard that the new Uptown Muggin location had game night on ursday, I was super excited. Hubby conducted the Pick Up Kids from School Tour, which consisted of one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school. I nished up a few emails at work and popped over to Muggin! Hubby and I ordered lattes and the kids ordered every pastry possible and frappes. We played chess (I won), Connect Four (I lost), and Jenga, which was also used to create a domino e ect. It was such a good time. All of my kids had smiles on their faces. Hubby and I were able to steal a few proud-parent glances at each other from across the cafe. Everyone was happy. All we were missing was more teenagers and teen parents to talk to!

Grind City Brewing Company

Saturday is fun day! Hubby and I woke up feeling 10 years younger. Because this doesn’t happen o en, we wanted to take advantage of this new found youth and do the things we used to do in college: drink beer and play outdoor sports. While the kids can’t enjoy a cold brewski, they can enjoy some sunshine, Arbo’s cheese dip and chips, and soda. So we packed up the Frisbee and yard darts and headed to Grind City Brewery.

e weather was beautiful and the view was absolutely stunning. A er grabbing a few cold beers, we hit the open elds. e kids and I enjoyed leisurely throwing the Frisbee and playing yard darts. But then a gentleman approached us and taught us how to play real Frisbee. Well, the horse poop hit the fan ( guratively). Feeling 10 years younger, and invincible due to the beer, I wasn’t about to be outdone by some ragged teenagers. We played hard. I caught a few Frisbees. My son ripped his pants. Grass-stains became the norm. Someone whined because they were losing, and my beer buzz wore o . As we rehydrated and nished o the last of the Arbo’s cheese dip, we high- ved each other for time well spent.

Farm Burger and Crosstown Brewery

It’s Sunday and all I want to do is chill and read my book. My body aches and my knees are creaking. I’m seriously feeling every millisecond of my age! But as I bask in the so sunlight peeking in through my bedroom windows, a child knocks on my door. “Mom, have you checked the family Google calendar? I added Farm Burger to it last night. You should have gotten the email, too!”

As I lazily close my e-book about Murder Bots, I check my Gmail account. And sure enough, there’s a calendar noti cation. I ponder. Weigh the pros and cons. Look at the start time of the event. (It’s mid-a ernoon.) And I select “Yes.” I hear the kids give shouts of praise through the door and I can only imagine the st bumps and high- ves they are giving each other.

Later in the a ernoon, with my book tucked in my purse, I park at the Crosstown Concourse. e kids announce that they want burgers. So I announce to no one in particular that I want beer. ey will head to Farm Burger, and I will go to Crosstown Brewery. We talk about stranger danger and the importance of sticking together and nding the nearest adult in authority if trouble arises. I also tell them exactly where I will be and remind them to actually answer the phone if I call or text. Soon, we separate. I receive a text from them full of smiles and a table full of food. Great! I continue sipping my stout beer and reading Murder and Mamon. I receive another text stating that they’re going to check out the art gallery. Perfect! I continue with my leisure activity. en I receive a phone call. “Mom, I don’t remember how to use this circular music player?” Huh? Oh, they mean a record player. Yeah, I have work to do!

Patricia Lockhart is a native Memphian who loves to read, write, cook, and eat. Her days are lled with laughter with her four kids and charming husband. By day, she’s a school librarian and writer, but by night … she’s asleep. @realworkwife @memphisismyboyfriend

PHOTOS: PATRICIA LOCKHART (Clockwise from le ) Game night at Muggin; burgers for kids; beers at Crosstown Brewery for adults

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