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OUR 1709TH ISSUE 11.25.21

JERRY D. SWIFT Advertising Director Emeritus KELLI DEWITT, CHIP GOOGE, HAILEY THOMAS Senior Account Executives MICHELLE MUSOLF Account Executive ROBBIE FRENCH Warehouse and Delivery Manager JANICE GRISSOM ELLISON, KAREN MILAM, DON MYNATT, TAMMY NASH, RANDY ROTZ, LEWIS TAYLOR, WILLIAM WIDEMAN Distribution THE MEMPHIS FLYER is published weekly by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 Phone: (901) 521-9000 Fax: (901) 521-0129 memphisflyer.com CONTEMPORARY MEDIA, INC. ANNA TRAVERSE FOGLE Chief Executive Officer LYNN SPARAGOWSKI Controller/Circulation Manager JEFFREY GOLDBERG Chief Revenue Officer MARGIE NEAL Production Operations Director KRISTIN PAWLOWSKI Digital Services Director MARIAH MCCABE Circulation and Accounting Assistant KALENA MATTHEWS Marketing Coordinator

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MALL WIDE

CONTENTS

JESSE DAVIS Editor SHARA CLARK Managing Editor JACKSON BAKER, BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN Senior Editors TOBY SELLS Associate Editor CHRIS MCCOY Film and TV Editor ALEX GREENE Music Editor SAMUEL X. CICCI, MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers ABIGAIL MORICI Copy Editor, Calendar Editor LORNA FIELD, RANDY HASPEL, RICHARD MURFF, FRANK MURTAUGH, MEGHAN STUTHARD Contributing Columnists AIMEE STIEGEMEYER, SHARON BROWN Grizzlies Reporters ANDREA FENISE Fashion Editor KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher

This week’s issue of the Flyer hits newsstands just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. We hope you have an embarrassment of blessings, with many reasons to reflect on gratitude.

We also hope you’ll get to eat something delicious.

If you’re visiting with extended family, hopefully you’ve gotten your Covid shot, and for bonus points, you’ve been boosted and taken the flu shot jab as well. Now is not the time to get sick, or to infect others. Safety first, right? But another specter looms for gathering families — that of the absolute meltdown because someone mentions basic human rights.

Don’t get baited into what seems like a reasonable discussion but is actually a clever ruse designed to identify you as a member of the anarchist, communist, satanist Deep State oppressors.

If your uncle says something like, “Things would be different now if January 6th had gone another way,” please resist the urge to retort with, “Yes, and thank all that’s holy that we barely escaped that autocratic, dystopian nightmare.”

It’s probably wise to avoid mentioning the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. You would think, that unless your grandma loves crumbling roads, cracked bridges, unstable utility systems, and Earthlink-era internet speeds, that would be a safe topic, but remember it’s not the facts of what the bill represents that people can’t abide, it’s the simple fact that it exists. Instead, maybe compliment grandma’s green bean casserole. That’s probably safe, right?

Do not, under any circumstances, ask your relatives if they have seen Dune.

Do not, under any circumstances, ask your relatives if Ghostbusters: Afterlife measured up to the original or the 2016 reboot. It’s probably safe to mention Clifford the Big Red Dog. Unless you’re trying to get yourself disowned, I would steer clear of the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse. While some people are of the opinion that it’s a bad thing for a minor to cross state lines with an AR-15, ostensibly to defend properties not in his home state and which he has not been asked to defend, remember that feeling isn’t universal. Those same liberal yahoos might opine that killing two people and wounding a third when you should have been at home watching TikTok videos or studying for a precalculus exam is also not a thing to be celebrated. Some people even believe that judges should refrain from expressing clear biases during a trial, but again, that feeling is far from universal. Whatever you do, don’t say things like, “At best, the judicial system is a tool designed to maintain the status quo; at worst — and certainly in this instance — it is a tool of white supremacy and the patriarchy.” Or do. Drop wisdom like a bomb and head for the door. I’m not your boss.

Remember that while most Americans would agree that giving a wink and a nod to extrajudicial child soldiers as they go about the business of assassinating people the court can’t legally kill is a terrifying precedent and, oh god, how will we ever come back from this? I’m sorry. Let’s just move on, shall we? Besides, it’s not the first time the general populace took matters into their own hands. (See also: Reconstruction, the Jim Crow era, and the KKK. The Lynching Sites Project is an excellent tool for those who want to learn about the myriad ways civilians enforced racial inequality through violence.)

Don’t say that property damage is a historically valid form of protest and then when you’re met with shocked gasps ask, “What would you call the Boston Tea Party then?”

It’s best to stay away from responsible gun use, vigilantism, and racism, at least if you don’t want the table flipped before you get a slice of chess pie, so I would refrain from mentioning the trial of Greg and Travis McMichael and William Bryan for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. It seems pretty clear-cut to me, but remember that some white people harbor fantasies of being gun-toting mercenaries deputized to kill anyone they don’t like. Apparently we’re meant to treat N E WS & O P I N I O N those vigilante fetish fantasies as valid, as if THE FLY-BY - 4 NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 6 someone’s comfort is more valuable than POLITICS - 8 another human’s life.

FINANCIAL FEATURE - 9 We’ve gone far past the point where we AT LARGE - 10 can accurately describe what’s going on as COVER STORY “polarization.” A subset of the population “BLUFF CITY BUYER’S GUIDE” has become radicalized. As to what we’ll

BY FLYER STAFF - 12 SHOP LOCAL FEATURE - 17 do about it, I don’t know. But if it helps you WE RECOMMEND - 18 survive the holidays without throwing MUSIC - 20 a turkey at your cousin, do whatever it CALENDAR - 22 takes. Maybe write a long rant disguised FOOD - 24 as a list of helpful hints and publish it in FILM - 27 your local alt-weekly.

C LAS S I F I E D S - 30 LAST WORD - 31 Jesse Davis jesse@memphisflyer.com

5696 Summer Ave (901) 385-2544

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THE

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MEMernet Memphis on the internet.

YO U N G D O LP H

POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY THE CITY OF MEMPHIS

Shock, prayers, and help poured out online last week in the wake of the shooting and death of Memphis rapper Young Dolph while shopping at Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies.

As his identity was confirmed by police, memorials (like the one above from the City of Memphis) appeared on social media. The next wave of posts offered support for Makeda’s, which was boarded up after police left the scene. A GoFundMe page was established, and restaurateur Kelly English donated portions of sales to help.

November 25-December 1, 2021

D I D YO U F E E L THAT?

POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY DRAKE MEMPHIS

Tremors from a Missouri earthquake were felt in Memphis Wednesday evening, prompting many to ask online, “Did you feel that?”

WALK I N’ I N STATE N

POSTED TO YOUTUBE BY SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

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Staten Island got the “Walkin’ in Memphis” treatment in an SNL video from Pete Davidson, featuring songwriter Marc Cohn. Instead of catfish on the table and gospel in the air, Davidson claims his hometown has bagels, pills, and wild turkeys by the hospital.

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Questions, Answers + Attitude Edited by Toby Sells

W E E K T H AT W A S

By Flyer staff

Young Dolph, Covid, & 20<30 Rapper fatally shot, virus case counts rise, and we’re looking for the best and brightest.

C OVI D CAS ES R I S E Covid-19 cases are rising again in Shelby County, a trend emerging around the country and the world.

The seven-day rolling average of new cases fell to a Delta-surge record low of 73 on October 31st. However, the average number of new cases has slowly increased, climbing to 101 two weeks ago and to 120 last week, according to data from the Shelby County Health Department.

Plateaus and slight increases in case counts are being seen across Tennessee, especially in metro areas.

Cases are also up across the country and the globe, portending a tough winter ahead.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee did not renew the Covid-19 state of emergency last week but said he may reinstate it if the need arises.

“For almost 20 months, this tool has provided deregulation and operational flexibility for hospitals and industries most affected by Covid’s challenges,” Lee said in a statement.

PHOTO: GENE AND ANN AIRBNB

Gene and Ann, the state’s top Airbnb hosts, have updated their 1920s Midtown house with fun and funky decor, much to the pleasure of their guests.

20<30 N O M S S O U G HT The Memphis Flyer is seeking nominations for candidates for our 12th class of 20<30 — the class of 2022. Simply PHOTO: JB SMILEY JR. put, we’re looking to find and honor 20 of the city’s best and brightest young people. Candidates must be no older than 29 on January 1, 2022. Send a brief bio/summary of the nominee’s work and activities and a photo to Jesse Davis at jesse@memphisflyer.com. Use “20<30 Nomination” in your subject header. Deadline for nominations is December 15, 2021.

Also, readers are invited to take a survey about the Flyer at memphisflyer.com.

TO P AI R B N B H OSTS Memphis is home to the state’s top new Airbnb hosts. Details from the home-sharing platform say Gene and Ann (no last name given) only started this year but already have 93 reviews and maintain a 4.98 rating as Superhosts. New Airbnb hosts in Tennessee made about $17 million from January to October, the company said.

YO U N G D O LP H S H O OTI N G A Memphis City Council member called for a curfew in the city “to

preserve the safety of all citizens” in the wake of the shooting and death of Memphis rapper Young Dolph last week.

Council member (and gubernatorial candidate) JB Smiley asked for the curfew in a press statement but did not offer many details for it. Instead, he said he was grieving, fed up with gun violence, and “it’s past time for a change.”

“To be very honest and transparent, I am growing tired of issuing statements that speak to or highlight crime in our communities,” Smiley said in the statement.

Later, Memphis Police Department (MPD) officials released security camera images of the suspects in the shooting. They show two males running toward Makeda’s Homemade Butter Cookies with guns drawn. They are then shown running from the scene toward a white car. No arrests have been made yet. CrimeStoppers is offering a $2,000 cash reward for information leading to arrests.

ARTS M E M P H I S G R ANT The National Endowment for the Arts has given a $500,000 American Rescue Plan grant to ArtsMemphis that will go to local arts organizations for recovery and reopening. ArtsMemphis has helped arts organizations throughout the pandemic and has invested $2.2 million in 64 arts groups and hundreds of artists in 2021.

Visit the News Blog at memphisflyer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.

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NEWS & OPINION

FEATURING SHEMEKIA COPELAND WILL KIMBROUGH JIM LAUDERDALE LIVINGSTON TAYLOR WITH SPECIAL GUEST, AL KAPONE

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5, 7:00P FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 1000 COOPER STREET, MEMPHIS, TN 38104

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The New York Times Syndication Sales Corporation 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10018 For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 For Release Saturday, November 3, 2018

Edited by Will Shortz

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45 When the 32 Classic Places for Boston film with a 12 Sales figure braces Marathon is screaming boy 13 Go through a 2 Specific held on its poster voice change? occasion 46 Most of a sugar 33 Monthly 3 Sassy response 16 Formal opening cane travelers? to a scolding 25 Not forward 47 Charger 34 Sty, e.g.

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PAY IT FORWARD PAY IT PAID FORWARD & GET & GET PAIDCures Help Support Lifesaving Help Support Lifesaving Cures We are seeking blood and cell donors to support important We are seeking blood and cell medical research focused on donors to support important fighting life-threatening diseases. medical research focused on You can make a big difference fighting life-threatening diseases. for patients seeking new hope.

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No. 0929

CITY REPORTER B y To b y S e l l s

901-252-3434

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Memphis City Council members remained silent during a meeting last week while a council member insulted, threatened, and belittled two county employees and said one’s pronouns were “so irrelevant.”

The angry words came as the council debated rules against pipelines in the city limits. Alex Hensley, special assistant to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, showed up to speak for Harris’ office. Hensley gave each council member a letter, which listed “she/they” as their pronouns.

Sounding frustrated, council member Edmund Ford Sr. held up the letter and said, “This is so irrelevant. It’s got ‘Best,’ your name, and then it says ‘she/they.’

Who is she/they?”

“That’s me,” Hensley responded. “That is a letter from me.”

“Okay,” Ford said as someone laughed off camera. “So, you’re she and they. Okay.”

Ford left the issue but threatened Hensley. “Don’t you come back here,” Ford said. “You tell [Harris] to bring his behind here. And that’s from me. See there? Now, you can sit your behind down.”

Angered by Ford’s treatment of Hensley, George Boyington, who leads intergovernmental relations and special projects for Shelby County Assessor of Property Melvin Burgess, picked up a public comment card to speak but, ultimately, decided against it.

However, Ford called him out before the council to hear what he had to say and to “blow you out of the water,” claiming Boyington planned to speak with him about “some gender mess,”

PHOTO: CITY OF MEMPHIS/YOUTUBE

George Boyington calls out Edmund Ford Sr. for berating a public official on account of their pronouns. alluding to Ford’s questions on Hensley’s pronouns.

“I deal with public officials all the time and I have never seen someone talked to so badly about something that has nothing to do with their business,” Boyington said. “It was very unprofessional, sir. And you calling me from back there, double.”

Ford said, “You know, you’re through.

I can call you from wherever in the heck I want to.”

Not a single other council member spoke up about Ford’s behavior. However, laughs and applause could be heard as he hurled insults.

Ford’s actions were “bullying, trolling, and abusive” and “unacceptable and unbecoming of a public official,” according to Shahin Samiei, the Shelby County committee chair of the Tennessee Equality Project, an LGBTQ advocacy group.

Samiei said if a public official can’t do the job with people who are not like them, they “should make room on the council for someone who can.”

“Our community is watching, and we expect for this body to take action,” Samiei said.

Nearly a year ago, Ford insulted council member Martavius Jones saying he had “butthole problems” and was a “short-ass man,” earning Ford an ethics probe that fizzled with no formal action against him.

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NEWS & OPINION

JOSH TURNER

SO MUCH.

GRACELAND

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POLITICS By Jackson Baker

Draw Me a Map

November 25-December 1, 2021

Democrats’ redistricting proposal would keep both Memphis’ and Nashville’s districts intact.

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As reported last week by Erik Schelzig of The Tennessee Journal and the On the Hill news blog, the General Assembly’s Democrats are gamely offering their version of a fair and balanced redistricting map for Tennessee’s nine congressional districts.

“This map proposal is a reflection of real people and the concerns that are shared by underserved communities across the state,” said state Rep. Karen Camper, the leader of the Democratic minority in the state House. “We look forward to presenting their ideas and policy priorities to the General Assembly.”

The map attempts to make minimal changes in the state’s current political topography. Although Middle Tennessee’s rampant population growth is accounted for by routing several of Nashville’s fastestgrowing suburbs into a reconstructed 4th Congressional District, the state capital itself would remain intact and whole, as at present, within lines that would continue its status as one of the state’s two dependably Democratic districts — the other, of course, being the 9th Congressional District, which now encapsulates most of Memphis. In the Democrats’ recommended version, the 9th would include all of the city plus Bartlett.

Shelby County’s other suburban municipalities — Germantown, Collierville, Lakeland, Arlington, and Millington — would be included in an expanded 8th Congressional District that would stretch from the Tennessee River to the Mississippi River. Millington’s inclusion in this hypothetical 8th District would remove it from its current coupling with Memphis in the 9th.

Of course, it is the legislature’s Republicans, a supermajority, who will determine the final outlines of Tennessee’s congressional districts, regardless of what Democrats or the Assembly’s nominally

bipartisan advisory committee should advise.

And, while the 9th District could hardly be anything but Memphis-centric and majority-Democratic, the state’s demographic contours being what they are, it is otherwise with the status of Nashville.

The city is not only Democratic in its history and voting habits; it is probably the most focused Democratic area in Tennessee, an irony, given the frequent use of “Nashville” as a synecdoche denoting the ultra-right doings of the predominantly rural legislators who control the actions of the General Assembly, which meets there.

And such word, as has come from legislative Republicans, indicates that the final redistricting of Middle Tennessee will slice and dice the capital city and its environs into an assortment of gerrymandered districts that would give Republicans good chances of winning all of them.

And, the good intentions of the Democrats’ redistricting proposal notwithstanding, such an outcome would make Memphis’ 9th District a last, lone Democratic preserve in a solid red Republican state.

• Last week’s verbal mistreatment of two county government emissaries by City Councilman Edmund Ford Sr. was essentially a spin-off of the continuing feud between firebrand County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. and County Mayor Lee Harris. The feud continues despite valiant efforts by Commissioner Van Turner and others to arrange a truce.

• State Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown), fighting campaign finance charges, has engaged Jerry Martin, the attorney who previously assisted former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, dealing with misconduct allegations, in negotiating her resignation.

PHOTO: COURTESY TENNESSEE SENATE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS

The Democrats’ map

F I N A N C I A L F E AT U R E B y G e n e G a r d

Gift-Giving Sanity Consider these three ideas for this holiday season.

RUPIXEN.COM | UNSPLASH

The vast majority of things we own are used rarely and eventually discarded. The overlap in the Venn diagram between gifts that are desired and gifts that are enduring might be small (especially for kids), but it’s worth thinking earnestly about what gifts might meet both criteria.

Shopping Cart Tricks The idea of “retail therapy” is based on real, basic human emotions — buying things you want can feel good. The desire to strive and acquire and stockpile may be natural, but fulfillment from it is fleeting. If you can extend the cycle by delaying gratification and waiting to buy things as long as possible, you’ll experience the same amount of yearning over time but spend a lot less money.

One technique to restrain reflexive purchasing is to institute a personal holding period requirement for purchases; let the item sit in the online shopping cart or on your shopping list for a certain period

Avoid Credit Cards Credit card issuers have achieved one of the greatest marketing accomplishments of all time with this concept: “I use credit cards for everything — for the points — but I pay it off every month, so I win.”

First of all, given the profitability of the credit card industry, many people are not actually paying it off every month. But even if you do, credit cards still fuel overspending.

A famous study from 2001 examined the price consumers were willing to pay for desirable sports tickets. One group was told the winner would return after the auction was completed and pay with a credit card, and the other group had to come back with cash.

The credit card group bid approximately double for the tickets, despite many of them almost certainly being “pay it off every month” people. Even if you love your rewards, consider switching to debit cards and cash for a month or two for a reset — you might be surprised how your spending changes. The simple step of having to consider a cash balance in a checking account rather than a sky-high credit card limit that will never be reached can be just enough to interrupt the buying reflex.

The advertising industry is extremely good at tying together the concepts of happiness and spending, especially this time of year. These tips can be one small step toward breaking that link, to free up more time, money, and space to focus on things that really matter this holiday season.

Gene Gard is Chief Investment Officer at Telarray, a Memphis-based wealth management firm that helps families navigate investment, tax, estate, and retirement decisions. Ask him your question at ggard@telarrayadvisors.com or sign up for the next free online seminar on the Events tab at telarrayadvisors.com.

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Gifts That Keep On Giving Take a moment to inventory your personal belongings. What things have you owned the longest, and why? What are some things you use every day? What are some things you would replace if they wore out or lost? What do you still own from your teenage years or even your childhood?

before buying it. You may be surprised at how many things drop off the list without ever being purchased.

To adapt this method for the holidays, try holding off on purchases for yourself and ask for them as presents. This will keep you looking forward to the next big thing and give your friends and family an idea for a gift you actually care about.

NEWS & OPINION

A

s December approaches, the consumerist holiday advertising has begun in earnest. I was shocked recently to see an advertisement from a local credit union on the bus stop at Union and Cooper. A couple was pictured on the beach with the tagline, “Loans — Live the Life You Want.”

It’s not even subtle anymore!

Here are some ideas to make the inevitable holiday materialism more meaningful and less of a financial burden:

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AT L A R G E B y B r u c e Va n W y n g a r d e n

Tuesdays With Sid A reminiscence from May 2013.

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November 25-December 1, 2021

ditor’s note: This is an excerpt from Bruce VanWyngarden’s new book, Everything That’s True, which is now out and available online and at Novel and Burke’s Books.

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I moved to Memphis 20 years ago this spring. It was a new city to me, and I liked to wander around Downtown on my lunch hour. One day, I walked into Rod & Hank’s Vintage Guitars, a magical shop then located just across from the Peabody hotel on Second Street. I loved the smell and the feel of the place, and I loved all the classic old guitars hanging on the walls.

Rod Norwood and Hank Sable were friendly guys and would encourage you to take instruments down and play them until you found one that you had to have — as they knew you would, eventually.

After a few visits, I fell in love with an old Gibson J-45 that sounded like thunder when you strummed it and whose high notes rang clear as water. I had to have it, and I dropped some serious jack to take it home.

“A J-45 is the guitar Sid Selvidge plays,” Hank said.

“A lot of the old country blues singers wouldn’t play anything else.” I’d heard of Selvidge — mostly from reading Robert Gordon’s essential Memphis music and wrasslin’ book, It Came From Memphis — but hadn’t met him. When Hank told me Sid gave guitar lessons in the shop, I decided to give him a call. I wanted to learn country blues, and I wanted an excuse to keep hanging around Rod & Hank’s.

The next week, Sid and I — and our J-45s — met in the guitar shop’s upstairs room for my lesson.

“What do you want to learn?” he asked.

“Whatever you want to teach me,” I said.

Every Tuesday, for the next couple years, Sid taught me lots of nice licks and cool songs, but mostly he taught me about Memphis music. He had a million stories — about Furry Lewis, Mudboy and

the Neutrons, Sam Phillips, the Memphis coffeehouse scene, you name it — and I loved to hear them. Sometimes, we’d talk more than we’d play.

After the “lesson,” we got in the habit of going downstairs and playing in the shop for a while. Soon, Hank started joining in on banjo and fiddle. Then, former Commercial Appeal music writer Larry Nager began dropping by with his mandolin. Then Sid’s marvelously talented son Steve began showing up and playing Dobro.

ILLUSTRATION: JOHN RYAN

The impromptu “Second Street String Band” even played a few gigs, and it was a thrill for all of us to play behind Sid’s amazing voice. But all things come to an end. Rod and Hank closed the shop and took their business online. Sid got a fulltime gig running the international radio show Beale Street Caravan. Nager moved to Cincinnati. I became the Flyer editor, and Tuesdays were never the same.

But Sid remained a friend, and he remains in my memory as one of the kindest, most generous people I ever met.

His passing last week leaves an irreplaceable void in Memphis music. I still miss those Tuesdays, and, like a lot of folks around here, I’ll miss Sid Selvidge.

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NEWS & OPINION

m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

RISE A LEGEND

11

November 25-December 1, 2021

Bluff { City Buyer’s Guide

Cover Story by Flyer Staff

}

LET THIS LIST OF MEMPHIS MAKERS AND SHOPS INSPIRE YOU TO SHOP LOCAL THIS SEASON.

T

ired — spending your hardearned money at a big box store or online retailer when there are a plethora of unique Bluff City businesses right there. Wired — putting your dollars to work in the Memphis economy by supporting a locally owned business.

Supporting a local business or artist means you’re less likely to be hit with a shipping delay caused by the “2021 supply chain crisis.” Even better, it means you’re helping fellow Memphians grow their dreams, and you’re likely 12 buying something unique, maybe even something handmade right here in town.

Unapologetic Garments Many know the Unapologetic collective through their prolific musical output, but there’s much work afoot there in the realm of fashion as well. The Garments wing of their enterprise has been creating casual wear and accessories for years now. Although the president of Garments is rapper A Weirdo From Memphis (AWFM), don’t assume that all the fashion is music-related. Producer C Major, who also has helped build Garments

from the beginning, says their motto is: “Garments is not merch.” As he puts it, “We don’t want to be known as Unapologetic’s merch. We want Garments to be its own brand, like Nike or Adidas. Of course, we are going to feature our artists, but we also are gonna step away from that and be our own entity. It’s like a little brother, big brother kind of vibe. We just want to get out of the big brother’s shadow and step out on our own.”

Thus, you’ll find T-shirts, hoodies, caps, and bandannas in a variety of styles.

The common thread between all them is a predisposition toward the unorthodox and a spirit of empowering diversity. As

AWFM notes, “We definitely push that the clothes have their own identity, but we also want them to encourage people to be ‘U.’ Of course, the U is for Unapologetic, but we’re also creating clothes that help people celebrate being themselves.”

For the fashion line’s latest release, enter the third longtime member of Garments, Sarai, who has designed a series of T-shirts celebrating a taboo term for female anatomy. Garments’ “Vagina” products take the twin Unapologetic spirits of disruption and uniqueness to a whole new level. “I’m an artist also,” Sarai notes, “focused on sexual health and wellness — things people don’t always feel comfortable talking about.

PHOTO: COURTESY UNAPOLOGETIC

Unapologetic’s one-of-a-kind letterman jacket, only available through a raffle

So with Vagina, I wanted to challenge that. Some people in the South are kind of closed-minded. If you talk about sex or anything, they’re like, ‘Oh my God, what are you doing?’ The line actually started off as a joke when I made it. But then it was kind of like, ‘Why not make a collection that says Vagina?’ And we built from there.”

But the three creatives behind Garments have other offerings as well, including something you don’t see in every hiphop scene: a letterman jacket. “That’s a one-off, a special edition from our Keep Blooming collection,” says AWFM. “It was a collaboration. Sarai actually did a lot of the design legwork for that, and I made the blueprint for that type of letterman.

And then we went all grassroots and got it together.

“I think that highlights a rough part of the fashion world,” he adds. “Cracking that

unwritten code of where you actually get clothes made. It’s really hard to figure out where you’re actually gonna get that made in a way that doesn’t completely destroy you, while still trying to be a profitable company.

So we’ve been figuring out how to blossom into a next-level brand.” — Alex Greene Unapologetic Garments can be found at weareunapologetic.com.

DeMoir Books & Things When it comes to shopping for the bookworm on your list, one bookseller and entrepreneur knows just what to do.

Jeremee DeMoir is a Memphian, educator, lifelong reader, author — and the owner of the Bluff City’s newest bookstore, DeMoir Books & Things.

The new store, which opened earlier this year in the Cloverleaf Center on White Station Road, is the embodiment of DeMoir’s lifelong love of books and reading.

DeMoir’s parents read to him in utero and continued that journey throughout his life. He eventually began writing his own stories as well and has authored more than a few books. As an educator, he worked to instill a love of literature in Memphis’ children. That drive to share his passion with others eventually led him to open DeMoir Books.

“I just had this inkling to feed the other half of me, which was reading. So I had to make DeMoir Books happen. I taught in underserved communities that didn’t even necessarily have access to a library in the community,” DeMoir explains. “I initially started out by donating books because I have way too many.” But donating books to libraries didn’t fully satisfy the urge to share a passion.

“I just absolutely love books, and I wanted to share my love of reading and writing with people, not just my students but people in general,” he continues.

DeMoir says the store gets regular foot traffic from White Station Middle, “and weekends are really great.” They also host game nights and biweekly movie nights,

Mo’s Bows There aren’t a lot of 20-year-olds who can say the company they started is 11 years old.

In fact, it’s probably safe to say that Moziah “Mo” Bridges, founder of Mo’s Bows, is one of the few people on the planet who can make such a claim.

“I started making bow ties because I couldn’t find any that fit my personality,” Bridges says, referring to his obviously stylish 9-year-old self. “I wanted something different. My dad was always stylish. My grandmother was a seamstress, so she showed me how to sew, and after that, I made my first ties. It didn’t start out as a company; I just wanted them to wear.

But then when I went out to the mall or to school, people kept asking about them.

That’s when we decided to start a company and call it Mo’s Bows.”

The ensuing decade was an exciting one. continued on page 14

COVER STORY m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

PHOTO: JESSE DAVIS

Jordan Mays-Demoir (left) and Jeremee DeMoir of DeMoir Books & Things

offer a loyalty program for customers, and have hosted book signings for local authors in the store’s event space. “That’s been a fulfilling thing,” DeMoir says, and as an author himself, he knows the value of seeing one’s work come to fruition. “People have come in and booked the event space, so they can have their own movie nights with their family and friends because of Covid and they don’t necessarily feel safe going to the theater. It’s been a great community spot since we opened our doors.”

That focus on community is central to the mission of DeMoir Books. As the owner finds himself repeating, everyone deserves a seat at the table.

“My background is in education, so I spent a lot of my years post-college teaching English and creative writing. So I’ll always have that literature background in the back of my head. Our goal as educators is to expose students to the world that should be around them.

“That gives a very limited scope,” DeMoir says. “The world is changing, and we have to change with the world and present new literature that can be not only all-inclusive but also meaningful to people.

It’s super important to find stories that speak to the kid of 2021, the adult of 2021.”

— Jesse Davis DeMoir Books & Things is located at 739 White Station Road; (901) 464-0395. Find out more at demoir-books.square.site.

13

continued from page 13

November 25-December 1, 2021

Consider: Bridges has appeared on The Steve Harvey Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, 20/20, CBS This Morning, the Disney Channel, and the hit ABC show Shark Tank. Mo’s Bows has also been featured in O: The Oprah Magazine.

And we’re just getting started with the honors and accolades. As a teenage CEO, Bridges was inducted into the Tennessee State Museum Costume and Textile Institute in 2014. He served as the fashion correspondent for the 2015 NBA draft and was twice named to Time magazine’s list of “30 Most Influential Teens.”

And there’s more. In 2016, Bridges was invited to the inaugural White House Demo Day, where he met President Barack Obama and gave him a special “Obama Blue” Mo’s Bow. That same year, he was named to Fortune magazine’s “18 under 18” list of the country’s most innovative business-minded teens. In 2017, the National Basketball Association called back and formed a partnership with the young Memphis designer to make custom neckties and bow ties for all 30 NBA teams.

All this, for a guy who just turned 20 two weeks ago.

Now a full-time businessman, Bridges still counts Shark Tank’s Daymond John as a business mentor, but his mother, Tramica Morris, holds the title of “CEO of Mo” and helps handle the operation. The company’s five employees also include Mo’s grandmother, the woman who helped get it all started 11 years ago.

“I’m very detail-oriented,” says Bridges. “I pick all the fabrics and I’m involved in all the visual elements of the business.” He’s doing something right. Mo’s Bows are sold in numerous retail stores around the country.

Business partners have included Neiman Marcus, Cole Haan, and Bloomingdale’s.

“There are new partnerships with GoDaddy and the NBA,” says Bridges. “And a few 14 more in the works that I can’t talk about yet.”

So let’s talk about fashion. What’s new at

PHOTO: COURTESY MO’S BOWS

Moziah “Mo” Bridges founded Mo’s Bows at 11 years old.

Mo Bow’s?

“Well, we’ve moved into fall, obviously, and holidays are coming up,” Bridges says.

“There are some new plaids in fall colors, and some fresh seasonal and holidaythemed patterns. Our matching masks and bow ties will make a great gift.”

— Bruce VanWyngarden You can check out the entire lineup, including bow ties, neckties, pocket squares, and masks at mosbowsmemphis.com.

Mbabazi House of Style Grace Byeitima, opened Mbabazi [EM-bahbah-zee] in Memphis five years ago in the Broad Avenue Arts District. She tested her products in the Memphis market at pop-ups first. By that time, the original Mbabazi had been open in Uganda for 10 years.

The shop’s website features models of many races. It underlines Byeitima’s motto: “appreciation, not appropriation,” and she wants everyone to know that everyone is welcome at Mbabazi. — Toby Sells Memphis Flyer: How did you come to open the store?

Grace Byeitima: Here in Memphis, we’ve been open for five years.

We started out in Merchants on Broad, which is also a store on Broad Avenue. He was renting out booths and that was a good place for us to start and see if people really — other than family and friends — were interested in what we had to offer. It turned out that they were. But we’ve had a store in Uganda for 15 years.

Tell me about your interest in African design.

PHOTO: JOHN HALEY

Grace Byeitima shows off the products available at Mbabazi House of Style.

When I was younger, I was really working with what I had. I admired colorful [and] different at the time. So, when I started so many years ago, I was sort of like a trendsetter. For my age, I never wanted to wear what everyone else was wearing.

I would always be like the odd man out when I started with African print. No one in my age group really was interested in African print. They had labeled it like “old people.” But I would get wraparound pants in the African print and would always just be different.

The colors really made me want to advocate more for the African print, with the people from my age group at the time, What would make a good gift from Mbabazi this year?

Aprons [$35] are always a good gift for anyone and everyone. We do have some for little ladies and little helpers. Napkins [$12] are always a good gift to give because no one can have too many napkins.

What is the most popular item at

Mbabazi?

If I say clothing, the Olivia dresses [$110] are the most popular. Away from clothing, I'll say our fabric earrings [from $15] are a top seller.

Is there anything you want to add?

I know the word “appropriation” has been used. I feel like anything — fashion, food, culture — is supposed to be shared.

Fashion is supposed to unite us as a people.

So, I came up with this line: It’s appreciation and not appropriation. When you shop with Mbabazi, you’re shopping local. [When you’re shopping locally] you’re appreciating the businesses and the people they work with. You’re not appropriating anything. So, it’s appreciation versus appropriation.

That’s a conversation that most people will [have], “Is it okay for me to come into your store because it’s an African [store]?”

For me, as an African clothing store, I’m saying it’s appreciation. People are appreciating, not appropriating. So, it’s okay for anyone to wear our clothes.

Mbabazi House of Style is located at 2553 Broad Avenue; (901) 303-9347. Find out more at mbabazistyles.com.

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Orpheum Theatre With a return to live performances, audiences are eager to experience the magic that the Orpheum’s event lineup has to offer.

Hamilton, Memphis Jookin’ featuring Lil Buck, and comedian Bert Kreischer are among those gracing the stage this season, and tickets make great gifts! And this 2021 ornament ($25), designed by local artist AnnaMade Designs, would look nice on the holiday tree. Available at orpheum-memphis.com or 225 S. Main.

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Available in-store at 525 S. Main and online at thebroomclosetmemphis.com.

17

steppin’ out (& stayin’ in)

We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews

Ghosted

PHOTO: JACK BREWER

By Abigail Morici

Paranormal investigation

In April, Jack Brewer was given the deed to the Old Raleigh Cemetery, at no cost. At first, he hesitated in accepting the gift of the allegedly haunted grounds, but then he couldn’t resist. He’s a paranormal investigator, founder of the Memphis Ghost Hunters; he’s seen things.

Take for instance one night at the cemetery before he assumed ownership. He and a friend were asking simple yes-or-no questions to see if a spirit would answer. “And then I looked up and saw this shadow form,” Brewer says. “It was tall. I couldn’t tell you if it was man or woman, but it had a body of a human. It was walking kinda fast, so I ran at it, but as I got closer it disappeared.” Brewer hasn’t seen the shadow form since, and, he says, “I don’t want that to come back.”

Brewer first got interested in the paranormal after his dad passed away, years ago. “My dad was the only one who called me Jackie,” he says. “And I was in my childhood bedroom after he died and I felt a cold spot on my shoulder and I heard the words, ‘Jackie, it’ll be okay.’ And then I was like, well, that ain’t nothing.” But as he was introduced to people involved in paranormal investigation, Brewer took up the vocation himself. “The goal was to prove that there was an afterlife — and not just what the Bible tells us. I wanted actual evidence that there is something beyond life. I got some of that, but there are some things you can’t explain.”

And you might be able to see the proof yourself if you join Brewer in his Haunted Investigation Tour, where he will show attendees how to use his equipment so they can do the investigating at Old Raleigh Cemetery themselves. “All you need is a flashlight and recorder; you can use the one on your phone,” he says. Proceeds from the tour will go toward the restoration of the cemetery. Brewer will also host a Historical Walking Tour of the cemetery at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at memphisghosthunter.com.

18

Skip the turkey this Thanksgiving. Try a hot dog instead.

Food, p. 24

CITY OF MEMPHIS/ YOUTUBE

November 25-December 1, 2021

MICHAEL DONAHUE

HAUNTED INVESTIGATION TOUR, OLD RALEIGH CEMETERY, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH, 6 P.M., $15.

Queer Memphians deserve respectful representation, not bitter bigotry.

Last Word, p. 31

VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES November 25th - December 1st TransGiving Lamplighter Lounge, 1702 Madison, Thurs., Nov. 25, 7 p.m.

Memphis Translove will be hosting dinner at the Lamplighter Lounge.

This event is for anyone who either doesn’t have a place to go or just wants to have an amazing dinner in an explicitly trans space. However, like all MTL events, spaces are explicitly for trans people but not exclusively.

Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available. $10 suggested donation.

A Holiday Juke Joint Hattiloo Theatre, 37 S. Cooper, Fri., Nov. 26, 7:30 p.m., $30 Celebrate this holiday season with the opening night of A Holiday Juke Joint. A montage of dance, singing, music, and acting by some of Memphis’ most talented artists will fill you with cheer, excitement, wonder, and an energy that you can only experience in a juke joint.

Performances run through December 19th. Tickets can be purchased online at hattiloo.org.

“Whose Water Is This?” Film Event T.O. Fuller State Park, 1500 Mitchell, Fri., Nov. 26, 2-3 p.m., free November is Native American Heritage Month, and in honor of Native American Heritage Day, November 26th, T.O. Fuller State Park is screening two short films, “Water Warriors” and “Dislocation Blues,” as well as a TED talk that highlights critical questions regarding water conservation from an Indigenous point of view.

Participants have an opportunity to win a door prize from the Chucalissa Museum.

Chanukah in Candyland Chabad of Memphis, 2558 Kirby, Sun., Nov. 28, 4 p.m., free Help build an 8-foot candy menorah and enjoy edible menorahs, the grand gelt drop from a fire truck, latkes, and donuts.

Walk + Bike the Lights Night Shelby Farms Park, 500 N. Pine Lake, Mon., Nov. 29, 6-10 p.m.

Enjoy the annual display at a different pace on this special night when you can take a walk or ride your bike through the glowing lights of Starry Nights.

27

Live music at

PHOTO: CARLOSPHOTOS | DREAMSTIME.COM

Opening weekend for To All A Good Night

Merry Melodies

By Abigail Morici

Only a few days separate us from the impending month of mistletoe threatening to embarrass us in front of our loved ones, paper snowflakes that litter hole-punched circles and triangles all over the floor, wrapping paper that leaves paper cuts and glitter residue on our fingers, and, of course, holiday music. I know I sound like a Grinch, but holiday music is the key to getting any Grinch into the spirit.

Lar’Juanette Williams, executive director at Memphis Black Arts Alliance, puts it best, “The songs delve into the things that make us think of our favorite Christmas memories.” This season, Williams has conceived of the cabaret-style show, To All a Good Night, during which the cast of four will perform songs, written or recorded by African-American artists of the past and present.

One performer — Christian Kirk — will perform her father Sidney Kirk’s song, “I Hope That You’re Happy This Christmas.” A Stax musician, Sidney Kirk played keyboard for Isaac Hayes for a while.

“The show has a heavy Memphis influence,” Williams says. “Beale Street was it back in the day when it comes to music.

All the African-American artists came to Memphis to work on Beale, and that’s where a lot of this music was unleashed.

The show has a worldwide influence as well, since a lot of the music that was birthed here spread.”

This show marks the first partnership between Playhouse on the Square and the Memphis Black Arts Alliance. Opening this weekend, performances will run through December 22nd. Tickets can be purchased online at playhouseonthesquare.org.

November 26th 8:00pm The Soul Rebels

TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT: A HOLIDAY CABARET, CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE, 51 S. COOPER, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH, 10 P.M., $27.

November 27th 8:00pm

Art and Text: David Harper and Academy Records rhodes.edu, Tues., Nov. 30, 6 p.m., free In celebration of the catalog release for Harper’s exhibition, “The Photographer’s Show,” David Harper and Academy Records (Stephen Lacy) will discuss the exhibition, as well as a sound piece and catalog text contributed by Lacy that illuminates and complicates Harper’s installation.

Register for the virtual discussion online. The exhibition is on view through December 11th at the Clough-Hanson Gallery at Rhodes College.

Pastorela Bilingue: The Last Christmas (La Ultima Navidad) The Evergreen Theatre, 1705 Poplar, Wed.-Thurs., Dec. 1-2, 7:30 p.m., $20 The eternal battle between good and evil with a slight twist. What if Lucifer was a woman? Will it be an advantage to ruin Christmas? Lucifer will try with all her trickery to confuse the shepherds, so they don’t get to Bethlehem on time to worship Baby Jesus. Anything could happen when a woman is in charge of hell.

Everyone knows that good triumphs over evil, but it seems that this will not happen this time.

Cirque Dreams Holidaze Orpheum Theatre, 203 S. Main, Wed., Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m., $29-$99.50 As lights dim and music plays, a fantastical cast of holiday storybook characters come to life presenting an elaborate wonderland, invoking the stories behind a child’s eye as they dream of the most magical of nights.

Ballerinas, nutcrackers, snowmen, penguins, reindeer, ethereal aerialists, gingerbread people, carolers, and colossal ornaments fly, balance, juggle, and stretch imaginations.

November 28th 8:00pm Ghost Note

railgarten.com 2 1 6 6 C e n t r a l Av e .

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Mckenna Grace as Phoebe, with Logan Kim as Podcast, cleans up a ghostly mess in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Film, p. 27

m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

John Nemeth

Memphis TN 38104

19

MUSIC By Alex Greene

Calm Down, People!

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Livingston Taylor on communion and gentleness through music.

A

coustic Sunday Live: It’s a Memphis tradition over three decades old now, and this year’s iteration is perfectly in keeping with its predecessors. The series, curated by Bruce and Barbara Newman, makes use of the couple’s deep contacts in the folk music world, typically bringing in multiple artists who could fill a room on their own in support of a local cause.

“This concert series has benefited the Memphis community in various ways for many years,” Bruce Newman says, “but I’m especially pleased to work with Ward Archer and his team at Protect Our Aquifer — and their associated community partners — to protect the environment in our own backyard.”

This year’s concert, at the First Congregational Church on December 5th, features Grammy-nominated and Blues Music Award winner Shemekia Copeland, Nashville singer-songwriter Will Kimbrough, Grammy-nominated country/Americana singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale, Memphis’ own hiphop legend Al Kapone, and the iconic singer-songwriter and folk musician Livingston Taylor.

Taylor, one of five musical siblings, has been making records nearly as long as his famous brother James, having signed with Capricorn Records in 1970.

When we spoke, he was in Tampa, Florida, to film a video on the craft of stage performance, something he knows a thing or two about. “You have to be able to not only write a song; you have to be able to present it,” he says.

“I’ve been a professor at the Berklee College of Music for 30 years, where I teach a course I wrote called Stage Performance. It’s about the minutiae of how to go on stage, what your responsibilities are as an entertainer, and why people should be willing to pay attention to you.” Former Berklee students who have put his guidance to good use include John Mayer and Susan Tedeschi. “It’s been a wonderful course to teach over these years, though I’m winding that down a bit and turning into a professor emeritus.”

But music is far from an academic exercise for the veteran pop/folk performer. Indeed, there’s a strong current of uplifting spirituality to his

PHOTO: MIM ADKINS PHOTOGRAPHY

Livingston Taylor music, though only a small portion of it is technically gospel. “Like all human beings, I’m a spiritual fellow,” he says.

“I have no sense of a strong Christian upbringing or anything, but I was raised in North Carolina, with a lot of those Black gospel sensibilities around.

So it seems to fall pretty easy, to write gospel songs. I love writing songs like ‘Oh Hallelujah’ or ‘Step by Step,’ or one called ‘Tell Jesus to Come to My House,’ which are all strong, ‘paint the barn red’ gospel songs.”

His ultimate goal, though, is more of a nonsectarian call for peace. “My music is designed to calm people down. These days, we’re being pretty hard on one another, and I’d really like to see that calm down.

Certainly the forces that are around us profit from us being agitated and at each other’s throats. They get viewers and listeners by being inflammatory. And to me, that’s a discouraging trend. I would love it if we found a way to be a little gentler with one another. What I’d love my music to emphasize is that we are well and strong and, at the basis of all of it, we like each other.”

It’s a message appropriate for any grassroots-oriented gathering, and Taylor is enthusiastic about playing the upcoming benefit. “It’s obviously a worthy undertaking. I’m delighted to know about Protect Our Aquifer. Yet my real enthusiasm is for the musical event itself.”

That enthusiasm is only compounded by bringing his music to the Bluff City.

“Memphis is certainly my favorite city in Tennessee,” Taylor says. “Not taking away from Chattanooga or Nashville, but Memphis is the strong one. It’s got a very mighty heartbeat, and the idea of coming back there to make music is a real thrill for me. Just to make music in Memphis, with all the beautiful spirits of that great city, will be a lot of fun. There’s a lot of musical energy there. I find when I play in Memphis, my playing gets reinforced by all those ghosts.”

Acoustic Sunday Live! presents The Memphis Concert to Protect Our Aquifer at 7 p.m. on Sunday, December 5th, at First Congregational Church. $50 and up.

Visit acousticsundaylive21.eventive.org/ schedule for details.

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“A Walk in the Park”

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Work by local artists. Wednesday, Dec. 1-Dec. 30.

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“Discordant, Clashing, and Found: Painted Collage” Work by Donnie Copeland.

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EAST ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

“Sacred Faces: Masks of West Africa”

Experience the spirit of Africa.

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“Sam Wang: Acts of Persistent Discoveries”

Exhibition of photography by Sam Wang. Through Nov. 29.

Marc Wheetley’s Louisa will be on view alongside other works by local artists as part of the Bartlett Art Association’s December Virtual Showcase.

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Star Wars: A New Hope Screening

Drop off select items you need to dispose of and in return pick up curated items from the treasure trove of “Stuff.” Tuesday, Nov. 30, 6-9 p.m.

Writing in Three Dimensions: Myth and Metaphor in Ancient Egypt

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Explores the ways in which the ancient Egyptian approach to solving the meaning of life involved a complex framework of balance and counterbalance.

Through Nov. 29.

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Memphis Botanic Garden will once again host its seasonal pop-up shop. Through Dec. 30.

ART MUSEUM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS (AMUM)

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Art and Text: David Harper and Academy Records

David Harper and Academy Records (Stephen Lacy) will virtually discuss Harper’s exhibition, “The Photographer’s Shadow.”

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 6 p.m.

GRACELAND

The Light Before Christmas 3D

Get your popcorn and drink, take a seat, and enjoy. $6. Friday, Nov. 26, 11-11:45 a.m.

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY

“Whose Water Is This?”

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Screening of two short films that focus on Indigenous involvement with the push for greater water conservation.

Friday, Nov. 26, 2-3:30 p.m.

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Sunday, Nov. 28, 4 p.m.

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Downtown Holiday Tree Lighting Featuring an ornament sale benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Saturday, Nov. 27, 4-7 p.m.

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Wednesday, Dec. 1-Dec. 20.

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Friday, Nov. 26-Dec. 23.

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Whimsical, Broadway-style musical infused with contemporary circus artistry. $29.

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m.

Lindsey Stirling Christmas Program 2021

ORPHEUM THEATRE

Lindsey Stirling Christmas tour is back. $36.50-$96.50.

Friday, Nov. 26, 8 p.m.

Disney’s The Lion King

The entire Serengeti comes to life as never before. $34-$154.

Through Nov. 28.

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Monster Kong Invades Memphis

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Former impact wrestling star Monster Kong will be invading Memphis. $15. Sunday, Nov. 28, 4:30-7:30 p.m.

HILTON MEMPHIS

Atlanta Hawks at Memphis Grizzlies Friday, Nov. 26, 7 p.m.

FEDEX FORUM

Sacramento Kings at Memphis Grizzlies

Sweet holiday show celebrating hard work, fair-mindedness, and the joy of artistry.

Through Dec. 22.

CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE

To All A Good Night: A Holiday Cabaret

Honor the songs and talents of Black artists and their contributions to the great holiday songbook. Through Dec. 22.

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FOOD By Michael Donahue

Putting on the Dog Loren Love is the “Hot Dog Man.”

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f you get tired of hot turkey this when his hours were cut because of the weekend, try a hot dog — from E & L’s pandemic. So he decided to get that hot Gourmet Hot Dogs cart. dog cart. “You got a low overhead, but you Loren Love is the owner. “Of can make a ton of money off this,” he says. course, everybody always calls me ‘Hot His custom-built cart, shaped like a little Dog Man,’” he says. box with two push handles on it, includes Love sells a variety of hot dogs, but his four pans for his hot dogs and smoked 901 Dog is Memphis-centric. “It’s got colesausages and two half-pans for his chili and slaw, onions, barbecue sauce, and jalapeño cheese. peppers.”

He opened for business in September He also sells Chicago-style (sweet relish, 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. “I was chopped onions, tomato slices, a dill pickle actually making more money than I am wedge, and hot peppers on a poppy seed making now. Because people weren’t going bun with a sprinkle of celery salt), and New to sit down in a restaurant.”

York-style (sweet relish, sauerkraut, spicy brown mustard, and onion with a dill pickle wedge).

PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE Love also sells specialty dogs, Loren Love including the slaw dog, chili cheese dog, and build-your-own.

And he sells smoked sausage: Polish sausage, and one he’s quite familiar with — andouille. “I’m originally from the Delta coast town Pass Christian.”

Both his grandmothers were great cooks, Love says. “They kept me in the kitchen with them as I was coming up. And it just kind of stuck with me, so I have a passion for the Love boils or grills the hot dogs. “You culinary arts.” He also helped his mother, have some people tell you, ‘I don’t want who ran the cafeteria for the Job Corps in mine boiled.’ Some folks say, ‘Put it on the Gulfport, Mississippi. grill and burn it.’”

“I’m a big foodie. I love eating. So, of He’s branched out to other frankfurters. course, I have to know how to cook.”

“I finally had a chicken frank on my cart He was more interested in flight school last week.” But a turkey hot dog? “I still than cooking as a teenager, so he enlisted have not tried it,” he says. in the Navy after high school. “Found out The “E” in his business name is his I was color blind,” he says, “so that crushed mom, Elvina Love. “She’s the behind-thethat little dream.” scenes person. She just helps me out a lot.”

Love, who got feedback from cooking Future plans? “I was thinking about for friends while he was in the service, getting one more cart and one of those eventually enrolled at The Culinard Culibounce houses and water slides. And if nary School in Birmingham. you want to throw your kids a birthday He got “burned out” on restaurants party or have a block party, you can call where he worked after he graduated. “I me.” stepped away from it for a little while and But he doesn’t want a restaurant. “I was actually working for body shops in think there’s a lot more opportunity to beMemphis for the last 10, 12 years.” ing mobile than being tied down.”

Love fell in love with hot dog carts after E & L’s Gourmet Hot Dogs cart is at he saw his friend’s cart in action Downits regular stand between 11 a.m. and 8 town. He didn’t want a food truck. “I’m or 9 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays at six foot seven, and the last time I weighed Cordova Pit Stop at 8555 Macon Road. It myself I was 295 pounds. So the truck won’t be open Thanksgiving and the day and trailer thing I was into would have after, but it will be open that weekend. to be kind of tall ’cause I don’t want to be And, to celebrate the holiday, Love will hunched over 8, 9, 10 hours.” have turkey. “I actually will carry a turkey Love was working at an auto dealership frank.”

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FILM By Chris McCoy

Ghost Protocol A new cast rejuvenates Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

T

he first Ghostbusters film is a prime example of lightning in a bottle. There are some things that are just unique products of the time and place where they were created. They defy formula. Even if you put the same team back together and gave them all the tools and time they needed, they couldn’t replicate their success.

The 1984 Ghostbusters was the product of the fevered mind of Dan Aykroyd. The story of a trio of misfit scientists who travel through time and space to battle supernatural threats was meant as a follow-up to his and John Belushi’s mega-hit The Blues Brothers, with the third part to be played by Eddie Murphy. After Belushi died in 1982, Murphy got his own franchise with Beverly Hills Cop, and Aykroyd retreated into a fallout shelter on Martha’s Vineyard with Harold Ramis to retool the script for Bill Murray and director Ivan Reitman. The Ghostbusters became supernatural entrepreneurs, more pest control than Doctor Who. Genre-wise, the fantasy action comedy had very little precedent. Reitman got the tone exactly right, and Ghostbusters became the most profitable comedy of all time.

When the principals got back together five years later

for Ghostbusters II, it wasn’t the same. The film has its moments, but the elements never gel the way they did the first time out.

For years, Aykroyd worked on a third installment, called Hellbent, but Murray saw the writing on the wall, and, once Ramis died in 2014, that seemed to be the end of it.

But Ghostbusters is all about coming back from the dead, so in 2016, a gender-swapped version was produced with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon. It, too, had its moments but lacked that certain magic and was the subject of a sexist social media backlash. Which might be why Ghostbusters: Afterlife exists.

At least it’s better than The Rise of Skywalker, the other film that was produced as a response to closed-minded people freaking out over changes to their favorite ’80s film franchise. Produced by Ivan Reitman and directed by his son Jason Reitman, Afterlife moves the action

Mckenna Grace, Logan Kim, and Finn Wolfhard cruisin’ in the Ectomobile from New York City to rural Oklahoma. Callie (Carrie Coon) gets evicted from her New York apartment with her two children, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), only to find out that her estranged father has died and left them a spooky old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. While Callie tries to deal with her late father’s estate, Trevor tries to fit in with the local teens — especially cool girl Lucky (Celeste O’Connor). continued on page 28

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FILM By Chris McCoy continued from page 27 Phoebe, a budding science geek who is too smart for her own good, is drawn into investigating unexplained earthquake swarms with her summer school teacher Gary (Paul Rudd). This part of the film is a solid kids-solving-mysteries story.

It’s weird to say, but it’s the familiar elements that derail Afterlife. Just when things get cooking with the new kids, we have to pause to re-introduce the Ectomobile. When the surviving old guys show up to help save the day, it seems

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You can’t catch lightning in a bottle a second time. But I’m willing to give Ghostbusters: Afterlife the benefit of the doubt for two reasons: One, the screenplay mostly works, with the story flowing from the internal logic Aykroyd set up in 1984 — even though it’s not nearly as funny. And two, Mckenna Grace gives an absolutely crackerjack performance.

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TH E LAST WO R D By J. Dylan Sandifer

Respectful Representation

THE LAST WORD

At Tuesday’s Memphis City Council meeting, city council member Edmund Ford Sr. berated Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris’ special assistant, Alex Hensley.

What prompted his ire? Hensley’s inclusion of their pronouns — she/they — in a letter calling for a ban on oil pipelines PHOTO: CITY OF MEMPHIS/YOUTUBE being located close to schools, churches, and parks.

Edmund Ford Sr. mocks the gender identity of “This is so irrelevant,” Ford said, as he drew attention to it on the record in a public city council meeting, mocking the Mayor Harris’ assistant, Alex Hensley. inclusion and calling it “gender mess.”

Ford’s words were an assault not only against an individual public servant but against an entire marginalized group of people. While everyone uses pronouns, the push for normalizing open identification of your pronouns recognizes the diversity of gender identity. By sharing our pronouns, we indicate how we would like others to refer to us without making assumptions about our gender identity. A person’s gender identity may or may not align with the sex they were assigned at birth and may not neatly align with common understandings of masculinity or femininity. While language cannot fully capture the wide spectrum of gender identity and expression, many who fall outside of male and female categories or don’t conform to gendered expectations often use pronouns other than she or he, such as they.

To hear an elected representative use his platform as an anti-trans weapon invokes a long history of government and power using their might to oppress and erase queer people.

From sodomy laws to President Ronald Reagan’s inaction on AIDS when it was prevalent in the gay community to more recent legal assaults such as the Tennessee legislature’s harmful Slate of Hate, including five anti-trans laws passed this year, the queer community has historically seen more harm at the hands of government than protection.

Ford was right about one thing he said: “We work for the people of the city of Memphis.” Council members are charged by the electorate to act in our best interest. They are in a position of power, power that comes with a responsibility to be thoughtful about how they wield that power. It is an abuse of power to target a marginalized and vulnerable group.

Mockery of pronoun transparency is a common weapon in the arsenal of culture war politics. The issues that face queer and trans people include high rates of violence, a high prevalence of adolescent suicide, and the lack of healthcare access and protections.

Yet, as a way of minimizing these legally entrenched inequalities, reactionaries have created myths about threats to youth sports, fabricated fears about parents or other trans people forcing children to transition or take hormones, and use pronouns as a scare tactic to undermine the serious project of trans liberation.

As a Black man, Ford is unquestionably subject to systemic discrimination and individual bigotry himself. Yet as a member of a multi-generation political family, he’s benefited from the status quo. He can choose to denigrate trans people and further entrench the status quo and unjust systems, or fight them. His mockery of pronoun inclusion does not reflect any inconvenience or oppression but serves to consolidate power behind transphobia.

As someone who uses he/they pronouns, I can attest to the erosion of your mental and psychological health when others repeatedly refuse to acknowledge your humanity by simply using your correct pronoun.

I also know what it is to be pigeonholed in your identity, as if all of your accomplishments and passions are secondary to your outsider status as a queer person.

Hensley did not ask to have gender identity — theirs or anyone’s — mocked at a council meeting. They were there as a county government representative and advocate for safe communities.

Instead, Ford’s comments remind all queer and trans people that our competence and access to a space can be questioned at any time and in any context, using the shorthand language of anti-trans or anti-gay culture war politics.

At a time when we trans people are under attack statewide and nationwide, we could use the support of those in power. Yet only George Boyington, who works in the Shelby County property assessor’s office, came to Hensley’s defense, only to endure verbal abuse from Ford, too.

Not one council member, progressive or otherwise, challenged Ford.

This is reminiscent of the lack of opposition by many local Democratic state legislators in the face of the anti-trans docket, which caused an outcry from the LGBTQ caucus.

When queer Memphians see a pattern of those we elect refusing to take a stand for us, we are definitionally unrepresented. Those who consider themselves supporters of equal rights for all, regardless of gender identity or expression, must speak up when they see these abuses of power — whether by their council colleague or in institutions that perpetuate the idea that civil rights and protections do not extend to those who express their gender and normalize gender difference.

Memphis must raise our standards about who we allow to represent us. If elected officials are serious about representing all of their constituents, including the LGBTQ community, they must treat us with respect, understand our identities aren’t pawns in the culture war, and speak up for our legal and social protections.

Trans, nonbinary, and queer people deserve better, and the people of Memphis deserve better.

J. Dylan Sandifer (he/they) is a writer and human rights advocate.

This story first appeared in MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, a nonprofit Memphis newsroom focused on poverty, power, and public policy.

m e m p h i s f l y e r. c o m

Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford Sr.’s anti-trans attack on county employee is part of government pattern to oppress and erase LGBTQ people.

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New/Used LPs, 45s & CDs.

2152 Young Ave - 901-722-0095 goner-records.com Voted Flyer’s Best of Memphis Since 2004 We Open at Noon.

Coco & Lola’s

We Buy Records!

Storewide Holiday Sale Online & In-Store

Midtown Lingerie CocoandLolas.com All Sizes Small-3x!

Curbside Pickup Available!

Follow us on

IG/FB/TW @CocoandLolas Memphis’ Top Lingerie Shop

YOUNGAVENUEDELI.COM

710 S. Cox | Mon-Sat 11:30-7:00

2119 Young Ave • 278-0034

Inside Dining Now Open Following Strict Safety Guidelines Full Menu - Beer - Wine - Booze ToGo Takeout & Curbside Pickup Available.

Call 901-278-0034 - Support Local

ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES 21,000 sq ft. 100 + booths • 5855 Summer Ave. (corner of Summer and Sycamore View ) exit 12 off I-40 | 901.213.9343 Mon-Sat 10a-6p | Sun 1p-6p

ALL ABOUT FEET $35-$55

Mobile foot care service, traveling to you for men & women, ages 50+. Over 25 years of experience. Traveling hours M-F, 9a-6p.

Call now 901-270-6060

ESTATE Vintage Home Decor China, Crystal, Glasses, Art, Plates, Pottery, Leather, Furniture, Beds, Tables, Baskets, Orgonite, Heirlooms. Much more!

2830 Airways (S.of Democrat) Call (901) 907.3214 Wed-Sun, 10-4 for appts.

Tune into the Memphis Flyer Radio podcast!

A weekly podcast from the pages and people of the Memphis Flyer.

Available wherever you stream your podcasts!

anchor.fm/memphis-flyer

GO GLOBAL!

xm7digitalsales.com Advertise

Online* Mobile Phone * Distribution

call us @ (877)-879-9XM7

SIMPLY HEMP SHOP

dominic@riverportoutdoor.com

We carry a variety of CBD products.

Full Spectrum oil, sprays, skin care, and even CBD for Pets. Find us at Oothoon’s at 410 N Cleveland St or online at simplyhemp.shop 901-443-7157