Feagins Fiasco
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The Feagins Fiasco
Former MSCS Superintendent Marie Feagins les suit following her questionable ring.
‘Engorging Eden’
Asheville’s Rachel David is the Metal Museum’s 45th Tributary Series artist. p23
PHOTO: ABIGAIL MORICI
PHOTO: ARIEL COBBERT p10
Beloved Barksdale’s Returns
Popular eatery slated to return in March. p24
PHOTO: COURTESY BARKSDALE’S
NEWS & OPINION
THE FLY-BY - 4
- 7 AT LARGE - 8
- 9 COVER STORY
“THE FEAGINS FIASCO” BY DAVID WATERS, INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC SERVICE REPORTING - 10
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
WE RECOMMEND - 13 MUSIC - 14 AFTER DARK - 15
CALENDAR - 17 NY TIMES CROSSWORD - 19 WE SAW YOU - 20 COMMUNITY - 22
ARTS - 23
FOOD - 24
METAPHYSICAL CONNECTION - 25 NEWS OF THE WEIRD - 26 ASTROLOGY - 27
FILM - 28 NOW PLAYING - 29
CLASSIFIEDS - 30 LAST WORD - 31
THE fly-by
{ WEEK THAT WAS
By Flyer staff
Memphis on the internet.
CHIN ON FACEBOOK
Memphis photographer (and physician) Frank Chin made it Facebook o cial last week. He posted a screenshot showing that Google Maps o cially changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Just, wow.
His Facebook is worth a scroll, y’all. He gets around, shooting some of the great events around town. Like one this past weekend showing the University of Memphis volleyball team taking the annual Polar Bear Plunge, bene tting Special Olympics of Greater Memphis.
Or this one, showing warriors facing o at the Memphis Lunar New Year Fair.
PORK, PLZ
MEMernet celebrity Allan Creasy delivered the comment of the week. On a Fox13 post proclaiming “Memphis in May Announces Barbecue Competition for Kids,” Creasy said, “I think we’d all prefer pork.”
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Edited by Toby Sells
TACOnganas, MedHaul, &
Free Speech
An alarming raid, a big tech investment for Memphis rm, and illegal skeletons in Germantown.
ICE ARREST
e men who detained workers at TACOnganas last week were, indeed, federal agents, making arrests in a labor tra cking operation, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Last Monday, TACOnganas posted a video of the arrest to Facebook. e video cause widespread alarm and confusion, primarily because the men who detained the workers seemed not to show any identi cation or look like any kind of federal agent. e alarm was higher, of course, as President Donald Trump has planned mass deportations of undocumented people across the country.
PHOTO: TACONGANAS | FACEBOOK Hooded, masked men seemed to show no identi cation as they took workers from TACOnganas.
As the video and the questions it sparked spread quickly across social media in Memphis, Memphis Mayor Paul Young posted a statement to X last Monday night.
“We understand the shockwaves that are reverberating through our community right now following the release of the TACOnganas video.
“Although these matters don’t fall under our jurisdiction, we reached out to federal authorities out of concern. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) con rmed that this action was carried out by federal agents.”
Homeland Security con rmed last Wednesday that the raid was o cial.
TECH INVESTMENT
A digital platform founded in Memphis will continue to expand its reach and capabilities to address transportation needs and services for healthcare providers and patients a er receiving an investment from InvestTN.
MedHaul is a scheduling platform that connects organizations to transportation for patients with complex needs such as those in rural communities or who don’t have access to high quality public transport. e platform was founded in 2017 by Erica Plybeah, with the idea stemming from her personal experience with medical transportation.
The contribution came from the InvestTN Growth Fund which makes investments between $250K and $3 million. So far, MedHaul has attracted around $7 million in investments.
ILLEGAL SKELETONS
A Germantown resident sued the suburb in federal court last week after she was cited by the city for her Christmas decorations.
Alexis Luttrell was popped by the city late last year because her Christmas decorations included skeletons and because she le those skeletons up well a er Halloween, decorating them for other holidays. e city of Germantown says the display is against city code.
But Luttrell argues the law is a violation of her First Amendment right to free speech. She sued the city in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. Aiding Luttrell in the suit are lawyers from the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
Luttrell’s skeletons went up in October for Halloween. Later, they held political signs for Election Day. In December, though, a Germantown code enforcement agent le a notice that the skeletons violated city law. She dressed them up for Christmas anyway.
In early January, Luttrell got a citation from the city, reminding her the skeletons still violated city law. If she didn’t pay the ticket, she’d have to appear before a judge this month. If she was found guilty, she’d be ned and given a court order that she could never use skeletons in her holiday displays. City o cials, she was told, could even enter her property and forcibly remove the skeletons.
Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.
POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY FRANK CHIN
POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY ALLAN CREASY
POSTED TO FACEBOOK BY FRANK CHIN
ARTS SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22
{ENVIRONMENT
By Cassandra Stephenson, Tennessee Lookout; and Lucas Dufalla, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
River Restoration
A $63.7 million federal project would stretch from the Hatchie River to the Wolf River north of Downtown Memphis.
Afirst-of-its-kind project seeking to restore river ecosystems along 39 miles of the Lower Mississippi River has federal approval to move forward — if it can secure a slice of the federal bankroll.
The Hatchie-Loosahatchie Mississippi River Ecosystem Restoration project would restore the habitats of endangered species, support natural culling of invasive carp, and restore floodplain ecosystems severed from the Mississippi River by decades of flood control measures.
The project received legislative approval in January in the Water Resources Development Act, a law passed by Congress every two years that gives the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) authority to conduct studies and projects for water resource conservation and development.
The roughly $63.7 million undertaking would be the largest ecosystem restoration project in the history of the USACE Memphis District.
Restoration efforts would touch more than 6,000 acres in Tennessee and Arkansas, stretching from the Hatchie River to the Wolf River near Downtown Memphis. The project will cover the portion of the Mississippi River bordering Crittenden and Mississippi counties in Arkansas and Lauderdale, Tipton, and Shelby counties in Tennessee.
The main goal is habitat restoration to support the hundreds of species along the river by reconnecting secondary river channels, reforesting bottomland hardwood forests, seeding wetland plants, and fixing bridges, among other things. It will also include trail improvements in Meeman-Shelby Forest and Wolf River Harbor. The project isn’t expected to negatively impact navigation or flood mitigation on the Mississippi.
mission areas, particularly in the Memphis District,” Thron said. “This is kind of the first time we’re taking a large-scale approach of ecosystem restoration.”
Allmon said this project is serving as a pilot for restoration that could extend to the rest of the Lower Mississippi all the way to New Orleans.
“This is a significant opportunity for this region and for the country, too, with the Mississippi River being the largest river in America,” Allmon said. “Doing this 39-mile stretch of ecosystem restoration … could make a big difference, and it could also lead the way for other projects in the future, which have already actually been authorized for us to study.”
Extensive flood protection measures have altered the river and threatened habitats since the early 20th century. The federal government and Corps began extensively fixing the river in place through a system of levees after the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 inundated 27,000 square miles. The levees, along with navigation along the Mississippi, have also disconnected the river from its floodplain.
“This is kind of the first time we’re taking a large-scale approach of ecosystem restoration.”
NEOMOSAIC ENSEMBLE
Initial efforts to revitalize the Lower Mississippi River began about 25 years ago when a resource assessment identified eight sections of the river for habitat restoration. The Hatchie-Loosahatchie project is the first to complete its feasibility study and cross the legislative approval hurdle.
USACE Memphis district program manager Jason Allmon served as project manager for the Hatchie-Loosahatchie Ecosystem Restoration Study for three years, alongside supervisory biologist and environmental lead Mike Thron.
“Flood risk management and navigation have traditionally been the main
Michael Butler, CEO of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, said decades of alterations to the Mississippi River and nearly all of its tributaries in West Tennessee had major unintended consequences. The Hatchie River is the last remaining tributary that has not had its main stem channelized, which hampers a river’s natural meandering flow through a floodplain.
“When you look at that floodplain, it is a dynamic living system,” Butler said. “I think what the Corps is trying to do, which we support, is to restore some of those processes that are going to help recover some of those habitats that have been really, really damaged by early approaches.”
Flood risk management and navigation projects have removed about 152 miles of bends from the river, according to the Corps study. About 80 percent of forest habitat along the river has been converted to agricultural use.
POLITICS By Jackson Baker
Catching Up
e DA’s win, plus pics of weekend events.
e Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility had good news last week for Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy regarding four distinct matters charged against him by his persistent adversary, state Senator Brent Taylor, who had included them in his proposed resolution to seek legislative removal of Mulroy.
e board found Mulroy legally blameless in:
1) His decision to take the death penalty o the table in the murder case of Michael Sample, when two di erent experts concluded that the defendant was intellectually disabled and thus ineligible, under the law, for the death penalty.
2) His decision not to oppose a reduction of a 162-year sentence for a string of nonviolent forgeries in the case of Courtney Anderson.
3) and 4) Two separate allegations that he had engaged in improper “ex parte” communication with a presiding judge outside the presence of opposing counsel.
• e OUTMemphis organization, whose booth is pictured here, was one of several winners in the annual fundraising gumbo contest sponsored by the Tennessee Equality Project. e 12th annual TEP event was held Sunday at the Memphis Sports and Events Center at Liberty Park, drawing a large crowd of entrants, attendees, and public gures who braved the frigid weather.
Proceeds from the event support a variety of projects which, in the words of TEP, “advance the well-being of LGBTQ people and their families here at home in Tennessee.”
Among the elected politicians on hand were state Senator Raumesh
Akbari and state Representative Gabby Salinas. Senator Akbari served as one of ve primary judges for the event. is year’s event was held amid several pending developments in both state and national government of direct interest to the LGBTQ community and on the eve of hearings in the state General Assembly on HB 315/SB 0737, the “Tennessee Covenant Marriage Act.” at legislation, as described by its chief sponsor, state Representative Gino Bulso (R-Williamson), would allow marital unions “between a man and a woman,” requiring compulsory counseling and excluding “irreconcilable di erences” as reasons for divorce.
Bulso said the bill would also challenge the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling that enabled same-sex marriages.
• President’s Day weekend was notable in other ways as well. On Monday, a sizeable crowd of protesters gathered Downtown to convey their sentiments regarding ongoing actions by the Trump administration.
Former Flyer sta er Chris Davis was there and took the photos below.
FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS JANUARY 1 – MARCH 1 7PM – 10PM
PHOTO: COURTESY JONATHAN COLE
OUTMemphis placed third at the 12th Annual TEP Gumbo Contest.
PHOTOS (ABOVE / BELOW): CHRIS DAVIS Protesters gathered on President’s Day to condemn President Donald Trump and his administration.
INTO ROUTINES
ICE, ICE, Baby
Join us in the 1,000,000-pound challenge and help build a healthier Mid-South. Download our free wellness app to track your progress, find events, access discounts and more – all at no cost.
here are about 1,200,000 children enrolled in Tennessee public schools in grades K-12. e Migration Policy Institute estimates that of that number, 10,000 are undocumented immigrant children, less than 1 percent.
In order to deal with this horri c problem, Tennessee House Majority Leader Representative William Lamberth and state Senator Bo Watson have introduced a bill that would allow local public school boards to ban students without legal citizenship. e bill would challenge the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court Plyler v. Doe decision, which entitles all children to public education regardless of immigration status.
Watson and Lamberth say the bill “seeks to challenge” the court decision. “ e ood of illegal immigrants in our country has put an enormous drain on American tax dollars and resources. Our schools are the rst to feel the impact,” Lamberth said.
Which brings us to Memphis-Shelby County Schools, which, to its credit, has established a legal hotline and guidelines for school principals in response to a new federal directive allowing immigrationenforcement o cials to make arrests at schools. Principals are instructed to ask for identi cation and the purpose of the visit, and demand to see a warrant or other documents. If there are documents, they are to scan them and send them to the central o ce.
From the directive: “Federal government agencies like ICE are required to follow proper legal procedures when engaging immigration enforcement activities. … It is reasonable and appropriate to request that the o cial wait until you have received a response from the O ce of General Counsel.”
Watson added, “An in ux of illegal immigration can strain LEAs [local educational agencies] and put signicant pressure on their budgets. is bill empowers local governments to manage their resources more e ectively and builds upon the legislative action taken during the special session to address illegal immigration at the local level.”
So, in order to save all those precious tax dollars being spent on less than 1 percent of Tennessee’s schoolchildren, these bozos intend to spend millions of dollars challenging a Supreme Court ruling that has been law for more than 40 years. is isn’t about saving money. It’s just more performative GOP cruelty wrapped up in a legislative package.
Look, every politician knows how to stop illegal immigration: arrest the employers who hire undocumented labor. Problem solved. But their money is green and their skin is white and their pro ts depend on cheap labor, so we’ll just continue to get this crap legislation targeting the weakest link in the chain.
Speaking of which: Another recent GOP bill would require the parents of children without citizenship to pay tuition for public school. It’s called the Tennessee Reduction of Unlawful Migrant Placement Act. And yes, those initials spell “TRUMP” because there’s nothing more amusing than e ng up the lives of innocent children.
ese same Trumpaholics also passed a bill that would ne and/or jail any local government o cials who don’t cooperate fully with federal and state deportation efforts. at bill is also headed to the courts.
“Reasonable and appropriate” are not terms I would use to describe behavior we have seen locally by federal agents, most notably the bizarre raid conducted by masked and hooded men on a TACOnganas food truck last week. But the raid, in which three men were escorted from their jobs and reportedly sent to an immigration facility in Louisiana, had the desired e ect of sending many local immigrants into hiding.
A landscaping service in my neighborhood was working with half as many laborers as usual last week, and taking “twice as long” to do the job, according to the crew leader I spoke with. And at my favorite Mexican restaurant last Friday, the usual servers were nowhere to be seen. e manager was waiting tables, the kitchen was behind on orders, the understa ng was obvious.
Across Memphis and across the country, untold numbers of people are staying home, avoiding work, avoiding school. ere will be a cost for all of this — nancially, yes, as food prices rise and restaurants and other businesses struggle to stay a oat. But there is another price we’ll all pay: a diminished sense of community and the pointless pain being caused by these laws that are passed solely to in ict su ering on the least of us. We’re all going to pay the price for that, one way or another.
PHOTO: SKYPIXEL | DREAMSTIME.COM
HEALTH By Jake Sanders
‘A New Day’
Alliance Healthcare’s new crisis centers to address mental health among adults and youth.
Last Friday, Alliance Healthcare Services held the opening of its new 24/7 Crisis Wellness Center at 3200 Broad Avenue, the nal product of a $34 million project that broke ground in September of 2023. Along with 18 other locations, Alliance says it serves “as Shelby County’s only countywide mental health facility.” e organization also works to promote wellness and mental health awareness in Memphis.
A group of representatives attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Mark Billingsley (executive director of the Alliance Foundation), Laurie Powell (Alliance Healthcare Services CEO), and Marie Williams (commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services). Local o cials including Mayor Paul Young and Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis also attended the ceremony.
ago. e organization provides outpatient mental health services, addiction recovery services, and crisis services for the Memphis community.
During her speech, Powell described Alliance’s partnership with rst responders to direct arrested/detained individuals to proper care and treatment. She said Alliance “divert[s] around 400 people a year or more” from misdemeanor jail time. Once again, Alliance’s work is touching on a much greater issue: “About two in ve people who are incarcerated have a history of mental illness (37 percent in state and federal prisons and 44 percent held in local jails),” according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Powell announced how the new crisis center will be “the only detox facility in Shelby County that serves the uninsured.” Anyone in need of crisis services can get immediate care and attention, regardless of their income or socioeconomic status.
e SMART Center reports, “Common barriers to treatment … include stigma, lack of insurance, and limited availability of providers.” Alliance has structured their services to help combat these barriers.
Alliance’s expansion addresses a larger issue of mental health in Tennessee. According to the University of Memphis’ SMART Center, “ ere is a serious known mental health workforce shortage.” Further, “approximately 60 percent of Tennessee residents who need mental health services do not receive treatment.” A majority of these residents are located in rural and urban underserved areas where mental health support is not present. Alliance opened just over 40 years
A large number of benefactors helped fund the new Crisis Wellness Center. Alliance received $7 million from Tennessee and will continue to receive $4.4 million in annual funding. Other contributors include the city of Memphis, Day Foundation, First Horizon Foundation, Assisi Foundation of Memphis, and others. Billingsley also noted “angel” philanthropists who have donated to the project.
e February 14th opening also marked the groundbreaking of Alliance’s new Children and Youth Crisis Center, located next to the new Crisis Wellness Center, to address the need for youth mental health services and awareness in Memphis. A SMART Center study, conducted pre-Covid, found that “22.3 percent of youth had scores indicative of clinical depressive symptoms, which is higher than the 13.2 percent estimated prevalence of youth depression.” During his announcement of the youth crisis center, Billingsley emphasized that Alliance aims to serve everyone, “from 4 years old to 100 years old.” e Children and Youth Crisis Center is set to open in early 2026. Alliance’s new Crisis Wellness Center will be in full operation on February 25th, marking a “new day for mental health in Memphis and Shelby County,” said Billingsley, but “our work is not over.”
PHOTOS: JAKE SANDERS
Groundbreaking of Alliance’s Children and Youth Crisis Center; (below) e new Crisis Wellness Center on Broad Ave.
The Feagins Fiasco
I’ve watched every school board meeting since Dr. Marie Feagins was elected superintendent of Memphis-Shelby County Schools a year ago.
I’ve read the board’s resolution that terminated her contract last month, and the special counsel’s 209-page investigation of the board’s allegations against her.
I’ve read Feagins’ response to the allegations in her two-page email to board chair Joyce Dorse-Coleman on
January 6th, and her 14-page “o cial response” to the board January 14th.
I’ve read Feagins’ startling allegations against the board in the 31page lawsuit she led in Shelby County Circuit Court earlier this month.
I’ve read every relevant public document and heard every public statement made by all parties involved in the latest disaster that has befallen our local public school system. And I’ve read news articles, opinion columns, politicians’ comments, and
angry social media posts about the sordid mess.
I still don’t get it. I still don’t understand why Feagins was red a er less than a year on the job.
e three examples of “professional misconduct” the board leveled against her might have justi ed a public reprimand, but not a public execution. At best, as six-year board member Michelle McKissack argued, they re ect “growing pains” for a superintendent who started working
April and a board with four members elected in August. At worst, well, we don’t know.
In her recently led lawsuit, Feagins paints a picture of school board members bowing to local political and nancial interests and conspiring behind the scenes — in violation of the state’s open meetings law — to nd reasons to re her.
But board members who voted to re her, and the special counsel’s January 21st report they relied on to do
in
COVER STORY By David Waters, Institute for Public Service Reporting
PHOTO: ARIEL COBBERT Former MSCS Superintendent Marie Feagins engages with students during an April 2024 visit to Grandview Heights Elementary School.
so, paint a very di erent picture, one of a renegade superintendent running roughshod over the district and making “false and/or misleading” statements to the board about her intentions and actions.
e public record so far, to say the least, is inconclusive.
e special counsel’s report concluded that Feagins “violated her employment contract no less than eight times and deviated from Board policy on at least nine occasions.”
Six of the nine alleged policy “deviations” pertained to a single board policy — 1013, or the Superintendent Code of Ethics. at three-page policy, approved in 2017, contains 15 “statements of standards” the superintendent must follow, including: “I will endeavor to ful ll my professional responsibilities with honesty and integrity.” Vague enough for you?
As for the eight alleged contract violations, all pertained to a single paragraph in her contract. “Ethical conduct: e superintendent in all aspects of her interactions and transactions related to carrying out her duties of superintendent, agrees to represent, enforce, and adhere to the highest ethical standards.” Whose ethical standards? Which ethical standards?
“I will point out,” McKissack wrote in a January 13th letter to the board, “that Superintendent Feagins is not accused of the , fraud, or any criminal misconduct.” What she mostly is accused of is making “false and/or misleading” statements to the board about three allegations of “professional misconduct.” at covers 13 of the 17 alleged contract violations.
e four other “violations” were attributed to Feagins’ failure to provide a document or report to the board in a timely manner. Feagins said those failures were unintentional and the result of “sta oversights.” e public record seems to support her version.
The Termination Resolution
First, the termination resolution claims that Feagins “misled the board” about “overtime abuse” she brought to the board’s attention last July. “Dr. Feagins never presented any evidence suggesting that her statement was true, and she did not correct or clarify her statement to the public,” the board’s rst allegation reads. But Feagins told the board last July and again in December and January that she based her comments on “documented scal reports” of overtime pay records for 2022, 2023, and 2024.
“I provided at least three years of data
I still don’t get it. I still don’t understand why Feagins was fired after less than a year on the job.
to the board,” Feagins said a er hearing the charges against her read aloud at the December 17th special called meeting. ere are no records that the board ever asked for or reviewed the data or tried to substantiate Feagins’ claims about overtime abuse.
Second, the termination resolution claims that Feagins accepted and deposited in the district’s account a $45,000 donation to the district from the SchoolSeed Foundation “without Board approval.”
“At a [November 19th] Board Work Session, Dr. Feagins misrepresented her knowledge of and involvement in depositing the unapproved donation check in violation of Board Policy,” the board’s second allegation reads.
Feagins said she didn’t learn about the donation until November 8th, the result of “a sta oversight,” and “promptly submitted the donation to the Board” at its next meeting, November 19th. e board approved the donation December 3rd. Two weeks later, ve board members used it to charge her with “professional misconduct.”
e special counsel’s report cites two emails Feagins sent to sta in July that “irrefutably establish” that she knew then about the check. But neither email mentions a $45,000 SchoolSeed check, which records show wasn’t received by the district until August 13th.
ird, the termination resolution claims that Feagins “was dishonest with the board and public” about missing a deadline for a $300,000 federal grant to help homeless students. Feagins acknowledged that her sta failed to meet the September 30th deadline, but said the state subsequently allowed the district to use the funds for various expenses related to helping homeless students. “We missed the deadline,” she told the board December 17th.
e board’s allegations and investigation do not say how much — if any — of the $300,000 grant (le over Covid-relief funds) was used or forfeited. e special counsel’s report to the board
states that Feagins’ comments about the grant were “only accurate to a degree, but not completely.” at could sum up the board’s allegations against Feagins: only accurate to a degree, but not completely.
“Clerical errors,” McKissack called them at the December 17th special board meeting. At least ve board members at that meeting were clearly determined to re Feagins. ey didn’t explain why Feagins or board members in her corner didn’t see the resolution to re her until a few minutes before the meeting. ey didn’t respond to questions that Feagins or four other board members raised about the speci c allegations in the resolution.
Missing Pieces
ey did raise a slew of other issues that weren’t in the resolution or the special counsel’s report. Board member Sable Otey, elected August 1st, blamed Feagins for the suicidal thoughts of an educator in her district, and the ring of a teacher in her district. She also claimed teachers were texting her with complaints about the superintendent. She didn’t present any evidence of her claims, and they weren’t included in the resolution.
Board member Towanna Murphy, elected August 1st, blamed Feagins for the injury of a special needs child in her district, and for putting other special needs students at risk. She didn’t present any evidence of her claims, and they weren’t included in the resolution.
Board member Natalie McKinney, elected August 1st, accused Feagins of creating “a climate of fear and intimidation” in sta across the district. She didn’t present any evidence of her claims, and they weren’t included in the resolution.
Various board members blamed Feagins for the district’s problems receiving su cient sta and materials for online learning, dual enrollment, remedial instruction, and student assessment. ey
PHOTO: MEMPHIS SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS (le to right) Sable Otey, Towanna Murphy, Natalie McKinney, and Amber Huett-Garcia
PHOTO: MEMPHIS SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS Michelle McKissack
continued from page 11
didn’t present any evidence that Feagins was to blame for those problems, and those complaints weren’t included in the termination resolution.
Board member Amber Huett-Garcia, who voted not to fire Feagins, said many of the complaints were “highlighting the woes of a district that is under-resourced [with] generational challenges” that began decades before Feagins arrived.
McKinney pushed back. “Our [board] seats have given us a bird’s-eye view of the working of the district,” McKinney said. “We see things the general public does not see.”
The general public still is not seeing those things. The superintendent works for the board, but the board works for the public. The board owes the public — not to mention Feagins, her staff, teachers and parents, and other public officials — a thorough, clear, compelling, and public explanation for why she was fired.
There was a fourth and final accusation in the termination resolution: “The board has also become aware of certain patterns of behavior by Dr. Feagins that are not conducive to the effective operation of the District in the best interests of students, including but not limited to her refusal to communicate and/or cooperate with valued District partners.”
That accusation was not included in the 209-page investigation, nor in the list of 17 alleged contract or policy violations. But I suspect it probably comes closest to explaining what went wrong. Feagins could be prickly, curt, and dismissive, even in public board meetings, in stark contrast to her predecessor Joris Ray, who resigned under a cloud in 2022.
A Direct Approach
At board meetings, Ray was unfailingly polite and solicitous, usually thanking board members profusely and formally by title and name for every question. His staff members did the same. Ray began meetings by asking his staff to join him in reciting the district’s motto: “Together we must believe. Together we can achieve. Together we are reimagining 901.”
Feagins didn’t have a motto or lead a cheer. Her responses to board members’ questions were more direct and could include a cold stare or a disdainful “for the record” or “let the record show.”
I suspect that Feagins was fired because a majority of board members didn’t like her, didn’t like how she was managing the district, and were getting complaints from central staff administrators, principals, local nonprofit leaders, and favored local contractors.
They were being told that Feagins was moving too fast and going too far and stepping on too many toes in her efforts to restructure the top-heavy district to address the loss of Covid funding and to
give classroom teachers more support and more authority. But that’s just speculation. Just about everything you’ve read or heard about why Feagins was fired is speculation. Feagins has called the allegations against her “meritless and baseless.” Earlier this month, she sued the school board and asked the court to void the board’s 6-3 vote to fire her.
In the lawsuit, Feagins claims that Althea Greene, Dorse-Coleman, and several other board members violated the state’s open meetings law by meeting secretly beginning in August to plan ways to terminate her contract.
It’s likely the litigation will end with a quiet, off-the-record settlement much like Ray’s agreement to resign in 2022. Which means the public may never know exactly why Feagins was fired.
Just about everything you’ve read or heard about why Feagins was fired is speculation.
What’s Next?
So now the school board is at odds and searching for its sixth superintendent since the 2013 merger upended the entire system. The Shelby County Commission has ordered a forensic audit of the school district’s budget. The state is threatening to take over the school board. State
Representative Mark White (R-Memphis) plans to introduce legislation to create a new nine-member board that would oversee the local board. “This would be a management intervention,” White told Chalkbeat Tennessee.
Public education is under duress. The governor plans to spend nearly half a billion dollars a year offering private school vouchers to high-income parents. The Trump administration is prioritizing private “school choice” funding and gutting the U.S. Department of Education. Public schools are preparing for massive safety net cuts and immigration raids and conducting regular “active shooter drills.”
Meanwhile, schools and teachers continue to try to address the academic, social, and emotional needs of students traumatized by poverty, community violence, school shootings, and the pandemic. And constant political turmoil.
David Waters, a veteran journalist, has covered public education in Memphis and Tennessee off and on for 30 years. He is associate director of the Institute for Public Service Reporting at the University of Memphis.
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews
Black History Symposium
By Sarai Bennett
Black History Month, as we all know, is a month dedicated to celebrating Black culture, the history of Black people, and the willingness one must have to learn more about it. Black History Month is coming to an end soon and what better way to close out the month than by attending the nal installment of the Black History Symposium Series? e symposium, hosted by the Hattiloo eatre, is intended to give people in the Memphis community the space to talk, share their experiences, and learn something new by discussing the struggles Black individuals have faced through storytelling. “ e only way that a person can relay a thought is by telling stories. ey tell a story of experience. ey tell a story of a book that they read. ey tell a story of a class that they took or a conference they attended,” says Ekundayo Bandele, executive director and founder of Hattiloo eatre. “And so one of the things that we’re doing is looking at more ways of storytelling, and not just storytelling but culturally relevant storytelling.”
Charles McKinney at a previous Black History Symposium
Bandele encourages anyone to come and let their voice be heard: to o er solutions, listen and ask questions, and think critically about the current situations that are a ecting Black communities around the country. “ ere has to be a response, and a response isn’t necessarily the symposium itself. e response is from people to see that they are part of a community, for individuals to ask themselves questions that they may not have otherwise considered on their own,” says Bandele.
So far, two of the three symposia have already passed, having been led by keynote speakers Charles McKinney, associate professor of history at Rhodes College, and Charity Clay, visiting assistant professor of African-American history at Rhodes College. e nal one will be this Saturday, February 22nd, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with president of the National Civil Rights Museum Russ Wigginton delivering the keynote address. ere will be plenty of opportunity for discourse, and there will also be light refreshments available and two 15-minute breaks before the closing segment.
To learn more information about the Black History Symposium and to register to attend for free, visit hattiloo.org/black-history-symposium-series/.
BLACK HISTORY SYMPOSIUM SERIES: THE GENTRIFICATION OF BLACK CULTURE, HATTILOO THEATRE, 37 SOUTH COOPER, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND, 9:30 A.M.-1:30 P.M., FREE.
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES February 20th - 26th
Winter Mix
Playhouse on the Square, 66 South Cooper, Friday, February 21, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, February 22, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, February 23, 2 p.m. Winter Mix showcases two new Ballet Memphis commissions and the reprise of an audience favorite. Season 38 features rising Filipino-American choreographer Durante Verzola in his rst commission for Ballet Memphis, and the newest installment of Ballet Memphis’ American Music Project choreographed by company artist Emilia Sandoval. e nale will revive Trey McIntyre’s e Barramundi, a powerful piece about life’s cycles and dualities, danced to Seu Jorge’s interpretations of popular David Bowie songs. As it does every year, this season’s Winter Mix promises to engage dance a cionados and ballet newcomers alike.
Purchase tickets at balletmemphis.org/winter-mix2025.
ree Continents
Beethoven Club, 263 South McLean, Monday, February 24, 6 p.m., free Violist/violinist Jay Julio, assistant principal violist at Opera Philadelphia and currently on tour with Hamilton, and pianist Maeve Brophy, assistant professor of piano at Rust College, present ree Continents, a recital of works for violin/viola and piano spanning four composers from Asia to Europe to North America.
American composer Florence Price’s recently rediscovered “Fantasie for Violin and Piano No. 1” starts the program on a dramatic and declamatory note, followed by German composer Johannes Brahms’ lush “Violin Sonata No. 1” in three movements. A er a brief intermission, Nicanor Abelardo (o en called the father of Filipino classical music) is represented by his brief and lovely “Kundiman,” originally for violin and piano and
arranged for viola and piano by the performers. e program concludes with Swiss-American composer Ernest Bloch’s “Suite 1919” in four movements, inspired by the sounds of Southeast Asian gamelan music, some of which survives today in places like Indonesia and the Philippines.
Storyfest
Halloran Centre, 225 South Main, Wednesday, February 26, 7 p.m., free Join the Orpheum eatre for a one-night-only event showcasing the voices of young people from across the city. Students at Middle College High School have collaborated with the Orpheum eatre Group to create original theatrical performances sharing their stories in their own words. Storyfest features live performances, engagement activities, and community re ections. RSVP at orpheummemphis.com/events/storyfest.
PHOTO: COURTESY JENNIFER SHARP
MUSIC By Alex Greene
Bright Eyes
e folk/indie/electronic/orchestral band from Nebraska thrives as outsiders.
A
s any Memphian knows, there are advantages to being a land-locked city far away from the coastal metropoles of money and power. While music industry towns like L.A. or New York seem to be where the action is, being le to one’s own devices in mid-America encourages a certain independence of mind, and hence some especially innovative creatives — from Sam Phillips to Jay Reatard. It turns out the same can be said for Omaha. at Nebraska burg, like Memphis, felt relatively sleepy back in the ’90s, yet ultimately birthed a scene of its own that has endured for decades. Eventually the standard bearer for “the Omaha sound” was Bright Eyes, still going strong and set to appear at Minglewood Hall on Monday, March 17th. But they were only one of many bands sprouting up in the Omaha scene as the last century ended. Bright Eyes multi-instrumentalist and chief recordist Mike Mogis recalls those days well. “Over the course of the last 25 to 30 years, a lot has changed about the Nebraska music scene,” he says today from his ARC studio in Omaha. “But back in the day, like the late ’90s, early 2000s, there was a very strong community of friends that all made di erent-sounding music. Bands that come to mind are Bright Eyes, our band, or e Faint, which is kind of an electronic band, or a band like Cursive, which is a heavier, emo kind of rock band. But we all played in bands together as well, like side projects. We’re all just friends, and that created a supportive musical community that we all felt inspired by. You know, inspired by each other.”
And the way Mogis describes it, all those bands sprang from a determination to make their own fun, despite living in the hinterlands. “I’m looking out my window, and it’s like 10 degrees and there’s snow everywhere,” he observes. “It’s sometimes a harsh place to live, but because of that, it’s also a good place to make music. When it’s cold like this, it’s what I call ‘record-making weather.’ You stay inside and you record music. Weirdly, Bright Eyes tends to record mostly in the winter. Maybe it’s coincidental, but it’s right a er fall, which is kind of my favorite season. Anyway, it’s a good place to make music because, to be honest, there’s not a ton else to do.”
It was in that spirit that Mogis rst worked with Bright Eyes’ chief singer/
“We wanted to get back to being more of a live band again, like we used to be.”
songwriter Conor Oberst. “I remember making the rst proper Bright Eyes record, which is [1998’s] Letting O the Happiness. I lived in Lincoln at the time, going to college, and I would drive to Omaha because Conor was in high school. I set up a quarter-inch Fostex eight-track reel-to-reel machine — you know, all analog — and a little mixing board. And we recorded that record in his mom’s basement. I set up in the laundry room as a control room, and then the room adjacent to that was like a little family den. Me and my brother A.J. Mogis just learned on our own, and he kind of taught me.”
at early e ort already featured the fundamentals of the Bright Eyes sound, resting initially on the twin pillars of Oberst’s socially and psychologically astute lyrics and melodies over a strummed guitar, and Mogis’ delight in recorded sound and its in nite mutability. Both born of a D.I.Y. spirit, they come together to stunning e ect on opening tune “If Winter Ends,” launching with a sound collage suggesting playgrounds, feedback, and tra c, then yielding to Oberst singing, “I dreamt of a fever/One that would cure me of this cold, winter-set heart/ With heat to melt these frozen tears.” Record-making weather, indeed.
With a rotating cast of players, the band went from success to success into the new millennium. “We started our own record label, Saddle Creek,
PHOTO: NIK FREITAS Mogis, Oberst, and Walcott
and just did our own thing, putting out our own records and our friends’ records,” says Mogis. “And, you know, it kind of took o for a moment there, in the early 2000s, with all those three bands that I just mentioned. We’re all still kind of kicking it today. And we all live in di erent places now, but Conor and myself have stuck it out here in Nebraska.”
As the band was taking o , another member of the extended Nebraska musical family, Nate Walcott, with roots in Lincoln, joined the group as a multi-instrumentalist, and 2007’s Cassadaga featured his musicianly contributions and full-on, edgy orchestral arrangements. “ e rst time we recorded the orchestra in L.A., at Capitol Studios, in their big room,” says Mogis, “I just got chills. I’m getting goosebumps right now, just remembering it.”
us the now-classic trio emerged, each bringing his own strength to the mix, as they continued to work primarily in Mogis’ studio. All the while, even a er a nine-year hiatus, the group has made a point of giving every album a distinctive sonic stamp. Which holds true for their latest work, Five Dice, All rees, released last year.
“With this one we wanted a more simplistic, sincere-sounding rock
record, not too labored-over. We wanted to get back to being more of a live band again, like we used to be. It kind of had a similar approach to what we took on I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning, except the fact that it’s not a folk record. is one is more akin to e Replacements, like more ruckus-y rock music.” Having said that, there are plenty of the band’s other elements present, from extended cinematic audio quips to Walcott’s arrangements for horns and strings, not to mention cameos from Cat Power and e National’s Matt Berninger. Mogis says audiences for their upcoming tour can expect an unpredictable mix of songs old and new, with a full sonic palette.
“We have a whole sample bank that Nate plays live, so he’ll trigger them throughout the show. It changes from night to night, depending on the mood,” Mogis says. “And we dig deep into our back catalog.”
Meanwhile, he’ll keep savoring the “record-making weather” that Nebraska o ers. “You know, there’s not that many distractions,” Mogis re ects. “And that’s sort of what keeps me here. e fact that Conor and I built this recording studio anchors me here, because it’s a nice place. I enjoy making albums, making music, art, you know, whatever. And it’s a good place for that because it’s a ordable, there’s not a whole lot else to do, and there’s a lot to be inspired by, living out here.”
AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule February 20 - 26
Goldmund Quartet
Experience the magic of the legendary “Paganini Quartet”
Ashton Riker & The Memphis Royals
ursday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Blues Trio
ursday, Feb. 20, 2 p.m. |
Saturday, Feb. 22, noon
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Flic’s Pics Band
Led by the legendary Leroy “Flic” Hodges of Hi Rhythm.
Saturday, Feb. 22, 4 p.m. |
Sunday, Feb. 23, 2 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
FreeWorld
Sunday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Memphis Soul Factory
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 6 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
The B.B. King’s Blues Club Allstar Band
Friday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m. |
Saturday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m. |
Monday, Feb. 24, 6 p.m. |
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Vince Johnson
Monday, Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m. |
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Soul America: Stax Music Academy Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Live Performance
SMA’s annual live performance, with a companion study guide for educators. Students write, help direct, and star in the production. $20. Friday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m.
CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
The Central BBQ Sessions
e Central BBQ Sessions feature great food and smoking tunes by Gia Welch and JD Westmoreland.
Saturday, Feb. 22, 6-8:30 p.m.
CENTRAL BBQ
Yo-Yo Ma with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 7:30-10 p.m.
CANNON CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Stradivari instruments with the Goldmund Quartet, a historic rst on the Concerts International stage. $75/ individual, $10/student.
ursday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m.
HARRIS CONCERT HALL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
Jay Jones Band
ursday, Feb. 20, 9 p.m.
ROOSTER’S BLUES HOUSE
Joe Restivo Trio
Saturday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m.
ROOSTER’S BLUES HOUSE
Johnathan Ellison
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 9 p.m.
ROOSTER’S BLUES HOUSE
John Williams & the A440 Band
ursday, Feb. 20, 8 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Rowdy & the Strays
Saturday, Feb. 22, 10 p.m.
ROOSTER’S BLUES HOUSE
Seeing Red
Friday, Feb. 21, 10 p.m.
ROOSTER’S BLUES HOUSE
The Deb Jam Band
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
The Settlers
Sunday, Feb. 23, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S POPLAR
Van Duren
e singer-songwriter, a pioneer of indie pop in Memphis, performs solo.
ursday, Feb. 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
MORTIMER’S
Zazerac Soul Jazz Trio
Saturday, Feb. 22, 9 p.m.
BOG & BARLEY
Amy LaVere & Will
Sexton
Saturday, Feb. 22, 5-7 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Anberlin e celebrated Christian rock pioneers soldier on. With Copeland & e Dangerous Summer. $38.80/general admission. Tuesday, Feb. 25, 8-10 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Bathtub Gin
Friday, Feb. 21, 7-9:30 p.m.
B-SIDE
Bogues
With Late Night Cardigan, e Ellie Badge [Small RoomDownstairs]. Friday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m.
Cowboy Bebop Live
Bringing together storytelling and high-octane jazz, Cowboy Bebop Live is an experience highlighting the story of based on critically acclaimed anime, with live music by the Bebop Bounty Big Band. $56.05/ general admission. Friday, Feb. 21, 8-10 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
David Collins
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 10 p.m.
B-SIDE
Devil Train Bluegrass, roots, country, Delta, and ski e. ursday, Feb. 20, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
DOA: El Stepho’s Birthday Experience
Stephanie Chambers has curated Dope on Arrival for over 10 years. Now Mani , Queen Ya, St. Courts, Trina Machelle, and Tyke T will celebrate DOA’s Boss Lady. With live band, food and drinks. Saturday, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m.
GROWLERS
Emo Memphis Presents: Broken Candy Hearts
Saturday, Feb. 22, 9 p.m.
HI TONE
Foster Falls
With Mothcat, Seth Hansen. Sunday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Happy Hour at the Brooks: South Memphis
Jeff
Where art meets rhythm in an extraordinary DJ set by South Memphis native Je Cohran. Free. ursday, Feb. 20, 6-8 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
HEELS
John Németh & the Blue Dreamers
Sunday, Feb. 23, 3 p.m.
HUEY’S MIDTOWN
Kash Doll: The Last Doll
Detroit’s erce female rapper returns. ursday, Feb. 20, 8 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Kindred Valley Monday, Feb. 24, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Madaline Collins
With Llana Williams, Bradford Beard, My Skin is Wax. Sunday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
Mahogany Chamber Series: Dazzling Duos
Sabrina Hu and Dr. Cathal Breslin have performed together worldwide for over 20 years in many of the most prestigious U.S., Europe, and Asia venues. $15/advance, $20/at the door. Sunday, Feb. 23, 2:30-4 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Massey Lane With Jombi, Avon Park. Friday, Feb. 21, 9 p.m. GROWLERS
Memphis Reggae Nights With Doll McCoy. Sunday, Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m.
B-SIDE
NeoMosaic Ensemble
North Georgia’s vibrant collective of performers from across the United States presents new music composed by its members and colleagues from the National Association of Composers. $15/ advance, $20/at the door. Saturday, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Rob Jungklas
Memphis-based singersongwriter Rob Jungklas’ sound has been described as “profane and poetic, haunted by ghosts and damnation.”
December is his latest release. Friday, Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
San Salida With Tennessee Screamers.
Saturday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Sister Hazel Gainesville, Florida’s nest bring their blend of alternative rock, Southern rock, and folk rock. $33.55/general admission. Saturday, Feb. 22, 8-10 p.m.
MINGLEWOOD HALL
Slippery People Saturday, Feb. 22, 10 p.m.
B-SIDE
Slumdog
Monday, Feb. 24, 9 p.m. B-SIDE
Sound Fuzion
Sound Fuzion is the Rudie E. Schedit School of Music’s agship popular/commercial music ensemble. University of Memphis students and faculty are admitted free with ID. $10. ursday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Sun Not Yellow With Cheyenne Mars [Small Room-Downstairs].
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Suroor’s 27th Birthday Party
With Suroor Hassan, Macrophonics, DJ Stop Doing Acid. $10. Friday, Feb. 21, 8:30 p.m.
BAR DKDC
WiMM Presents: Kween Jasira and Diamonique Jackson
Women in Memphis Music (WiMM) is dedicated to showcasing Memphis’ nest female talent. $10/WiMM Showcase. Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7-10 p.m. BSIDE
“All Men Sing, An American Voice” Led by 2025 Grammy Music Educator of the year, Adrian Maclin, the Memphis Men’s Chorale joins the Memphis Wind Symphony to play the music of American composers. Saturday, Feb. 22, 7-9 p.m.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF MEMPHIS
Folsom Prison Five Wednesday, Feb. 26, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Rae and the Ragdolls Friday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Rainy Eyes
ursday, Feb. 20, 8 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
Robert Ellis
Robert Ellis’s exquisite new album, Yesterday’s News, is as stripped-down as it gets. With Andrew Montana. All ages. $20. Sunday, Feb. 23, 7 p.m.
HERNANDO’S HIDE-A-WAY
The Chaulkies
Sunday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S SOUTHAVEN
Heartbreak Hill Trio
Sunday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S MILLINGTON
Jad Tariq Trio
Sunday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m.
HUEY’S OLIVE BRANCH
Jazz in the Box: Affinity Trio featuring Pamela York e hottest little jazz club around is GPAC’s Jazz in the Box. $40/general admission. Friday, Feb. 21, 7-8:30 p.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives
Don’t miss this ve-time
Grammy winner and Grand Ole Opry star. $35. Saturday, Feb. 22, 8-9:30 p.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Alexis Jade & the Gemstones
Sunday, Feb. 23, 9 p.m.
ROOSTER’S BLUES HOUSE
Elmo & the Shades
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Five O’Clock Shadow
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 9 p.m.
ROOSTER’S BLUES HOUSE
HI TONE
Candlelight: The Music of Adele
e Beale Street Quartet plays the music of Adele on strings under the gentle glow of candlelight. $29.63. Saturday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Clay Ayers
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m.
LAMPLIGHTER LOUNGE
e band will perform their new album in its entirety.
With Josh Cooking Demo. Saturday, Feb. 22, 4-7 p.m.
HI TONE
Joe Restivo 4
Guitarist Restivo leads one of the city’s nest jazz quartets. Sunday, Feb. 23, noon.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Outlaw Country Night With e ShotgunBillys, Rodell McCord. ursday, Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Radar Blips
Friday, Feb. 21, 10 p.m. B-SIDE
“Three Continents” at the Beethoven Club Catch award-winning violist/ violinist Jay Julio and pianist Maeve Brophy in a free recital at the Beethoven Club, featuring classical music from Asia to America. Monday, Feb. 24, 6-7:30 p.m.
BEETHOVEN CLUB
Peanut Butter & Jam: Mömandpöp
Children and parents are invited to go on a musical adventure. Free. Saturday, Feb. 22, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Stars and Strains
Concert
With 1Professor. Saturday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m.
HOUSE OF SAMURAI
PHOTO: CAMERON MITCHELL Suroor Hassan
THE KENT
6-9 PM + VIP 5-6PM
ENEFI ING:
CALENDAR of EVENTS: February 20 - 26
ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS
2024 Accessions to the Permanent Collection is Accessions series honors the new additions to the permanent collection throughout each calendar year. TuesdaySunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. rough Nov. 2.
METAL MUSEUM
42nd Juried Student
Exhibition is year, Rose Smith, photography curator at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, was selected to choose the artworks featured in the 2025 show by students from the U of M art and design department. rough March 7.
UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
“A Journey into the Shadows”: Nelson Gutierrez
Colombian-born artist Gutierrez confronts the realities of migration and displacement through a striking visual language of shadow and movement, using threedimensional cutout drawings. rough May 11.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
“All Rise: Memphis Bar Association at 150” rough arresting objects and powerful images, the exhibition will showcase the Memphis Bar Association’s historical signi cance and continuing relevance. rough March 29.
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
“A Memphis of Hope” Art Show
In honor of Black History Month, Gallery Ten NinetyOne presents a collection of works by artists of all di erent ages and backgrounds. Free.
ursday, Feb. 20, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Friday, Feb. 21, 9 a.m.4:30 p.m. | Monday, Feb. 24, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Tuesday, Feb. 25, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Wednesday, Feb. 26, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. rough Feb. 28.
WKNO-TV/FM
Bob McCabe:
“Discovering Painting: It’s Never Too Late!”
Join the artist’s journey exploring watercolor, then acrylic, and most recently oil painting. rough March 8.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Carlyle Wolfe Lee:
“Wonder” Wolfe’s practice is devoted to a deeper connection with her natural environment, especially the exchange of color and light that occurs in her surroundings. rough March 22.
DAVID LUSK GALLERY
Send the date, time, place, cost, info, phone number, a brief description, and photos — two weeks in advance — to calendar@memphisflyer.com.
DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS, ONGOING WEEKLY EVENTS WILL APPEAR IN THE FLYER’S ONLINE CALENDAR ONLY. FOR COMPREHENSIVE EVENT LISTINGS, SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT EVENTS.MEMPHISFLYER.COM/CAL.
Havana, brings the rich visual traditions of his homeland to life through bold colors and dynamic compositions. rough May 11.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
Thomas Dambo’s “Trolls: Save the Humans”
International Paper presents this larger-than-life fairy tale, in which art and nature intertwine. rough May 21.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Thomas Jackson:
“Chaotic Equilibrium”
Jackson harnesses the wind to create ethereal works that blur the boundaries between landscape photography, sculpture, and kinetic art. rough April 28.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Chris Antemann: “An Occasional Craving”
Antemann reenvisions the concept of porcelain gural groupings with colorful, imaginative, and cheeky ceramic sculptures that parody the dynamics between men and women. rough April 6.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“Earth Matters: Rethink the Future”
See the inner workings of a tree, learn about endangered species, and experience largescale visualizations of changes in our natural world. Learn more about biodiversity and climate change. $18. rough May 18.
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY AT THE PINK PALACE
“Faster Than Light: The Dream of Interstellar Flight”
Visit the planetarium to take virtual rides aboard spacecra of the future, based on whole new technologies, designed to achieve ultra-high speeds, using exotic next generation rocket fuels. rough May 23.
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY AT THE PINK PALACE
Floyd Newsum: “House of Grace”
Large paintings on paper and maquettes for public sculptures that represent the artist’s interest in social practice. rough April 6.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“From the Ashes”:
Maritza Dávila-Irizarry
Featuring both new and salvaged works, “From the Ashes” integrates printmaking, mixed media, photography, video, and remnants from the re that destroyed the artist’s studio. rough May 11.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
Jennifer Watson: “Small Spaces”
Watson incorporates threedimensional enameled copper sculpture into highly designed, jewel-like paintings that mix overlapping and colliding geometries with animal and plant imagery. rough April 13.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Johnathan Payne: “Regenesis” Payne works at the abstract intersection of drawing, collage, embroidery, beadwork, and painting. rough March 22.
CLOUGH-HANSON GALLERY
Kenneth Lawrence
Beaudoin: “In the Hands of a Poet”
John McIntire fondly recalls Beaudoin’s creative process behind these “Eye Poems”: “He would just sit in the middle of piles of magazines and books, cutting, gluing, and smoking.” rough Feb. 22.
TOPS GALLERY
“Let’s Eat!” An Exhibition by Carolyn Moss and Georgia Smith Hospitality is over owing and interwoven through paintings created collaboratively by the artists. Each brings a unique style and ambience to the table. rough March 8.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
“Memphis Skies: What’s That in Our Night Sky?” Hop through constellations, learn cool star names, and groove to planetarium space music in this full dome audiovisual experience. rough May 23.
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY AT THE PINK PALACE
“Pompeii: The Exhibition”
In a media-rich, object-based immersive experience, discover
Making ceramic masks can be the perfect project in anticipation of Mardi Gras.
the bustling commercial port and strategic military and trading center that was Pompeii before Mount Vesuvius erupted. rough April 13.
GRACELAND EXHIBITION CENTER
Sheryl Hibbs: “Two Sides of the Same Coin”
An artist whose love of oils manifests itself in both representational and abstract artworks. Weekdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. rough Feb. 28.
CHURCH HEALTH
Sisters of the Brush and a Brother: “Paint Their Dreams” Exhibition Featuring works by Phyllis Boger, Patrick McGee, Barrie Foster, Ann Brown omason, and Jana Jones. rough March 31.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Southern Heritage Classic Exhibit
Celebrating 35 years of an HBCU Memphis tradition, the exhibition tells the story of
Fred Jones Jr., the founder of the Southern Heritage Classic. rough Feb. 28.
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
“Spirit of ’74, Fire and Water”
An exhibit uniting two St. Mary’s Class of ’74 alums, Mary Hills Baker Powell and Katie Dann. Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. rough April 3.
BUCKMAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
“Supernatural Telescope”: Danielle Sierra
A deeply personal and poetic re ection on memory, love, and spirituality, inspired by the passing of the artist’s father. rough May 11.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
“The Colors of the Caribbean”: Juan Roberto Murat Salas Murat Salas, a Cuban-born painter trained at the San Alejandro Academy of Arts in
Tributaries: Rachel David’s “Engorging Eden”
“Engorging Eden” is a solo exhibition by Rachel David that transforms everyday furniture into fragmented expressions of life’s chaos, joy, and loss. rough May 11.
METAL MUSEUM
“Who is that Artist?”
Jorden Miernik-Walker Explore photography-based work through interactive components, created speci cally for the exhibit, that speaks to function, loss, identity, comfort, and femininity. rough April 6.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“Wintertide” Art Exhibit
New exhibit by local artists: Zoe Nadel, Nancy Jehl Boatwright, Anca Marr, JoRene Bargiacchi, and Pat Patterson. rough Feb. 28.
ST. GEORGE’S ART GALLERY AT ST. GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
ART HAPPENINGS
Artist Reception— Aneshwa Biswas & Sandra Hill
Shining the spotlight on emerging and professional artists. Friday, Feb. 21, 5:307:30 p.m.
GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Brunch and Brushes
For Black History Month, an inspiring and creative brunch experience celebrating Black inventors who have shaped history. $25. Saturday, Feb. 22, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
URBAN ART COMMISSION
Faces of Bowie: Aladdin
Sane Weather Vane
An unveiling of Mike McCarthy’s bronze sculpture, presented by Sculpt Memphis. Free. Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6-10 p.m. CONNECT MUSIC GROUP
continued on page 18
PHOTO: COURTESY DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
PHOTO: COURTESY MIKE MCCARTHY
Mike McCarthy’s bronze sculpture, Aladdin Sane Weather Vane, portrays the many faces of David Bowie.
Unveiling of Monuments to Motherhood
Revealing a new sculptural installation by artist Molly Gochman. Friday, Feb. 21, 11:30 a.m.
HEALTH SCIENCES PARK
BOOK EVENTS
Ekpe Abioto: Don’t Touch a Gun!
A book signing by the author. Five friends find a gun. What will the boys do? From listening to the adults, they learn valuable life lessons.
Ages 8-12. Free. Saturday, Feb. 22, noon-1:30 p.m.
COSSITT LIBRARY
Friends of the Museum Book Club: The Invention of Wings
Discuss the extraordinary novel about two exceptional women by Sue Monk Kidd, the celebrated author of the international bestseller
The Secret Life of Bees. Free.
Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1-2:30 p.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
I Read That Movie: Beloved
A “page-to-screen” book club focused on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1987 novel Beloved by Toni Morrison. Free. Saturday, Feb. 22, 2-5 p.m.
BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY
Mark Greaney: Midnight Black
With his lover imprisoned in a Russian gulag, the Gray Man will stop at nothing to free her in this latest entry in the bestselling series. Saturday, Feb. 22, 2 p.m. NOVEL
The Book Mixer
A fun and exciting mixer, the perfect event for book-lovers to come together and share their passion for reading!
$10/. Sunday, Feb. 23, 5 p.m. THE COVE
CLASS / WORKSHOP
Community Art Academy
The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is proud to partner with the art education program at the University of Memphis to host Community Art Academy!
If your child loves art, this is the perfect opportunity Free. Wednesday, Feb. 26, 4:305:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Community Build Day
Calling all space cadets, ETs, and star-seeds! Help construct Planet Luminarus: The Cavern Wall! All are welcome to participate — no wood or carpentry experience required. Saturday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
OFF THE WALLS ARTS
Learn how to bring a folkloric friend to life through the art of ceramics.
Copper Weathervane
Classes in the Smithy offer the opportunity to learn blacksmithing techniques from our resident artists and apprentices. They are designed for students from beginner to advanced. Friday, Feb. 21, 6 p.m.- 9 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 22 and Sunday, Feb. 23, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
METAL MUSEUM
Create Your Own Yard Heart
Get your own yard heart and access to all the materials you need to paint and personalize it onsite. It’s the perfect way to unleash your creativity and connect with others. $20.
Saturday, Feb. 22, 10-11 a.m.
CARPENTER ART GARDEN
Figure Drawing (Long Pose)
Figure drawing is back by popular demand! $18/general admission. Sunday, Feb. 23, 2-4 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Figure Drawing (Nude Model)
Artists of all levels can practice and increase their skills drawing the human form at Memphis’ art museum. $18/ general admission. Thursday, Feb. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Folklore Friends #1 with Becky Zee: Meet Squeegee
This adults-only ceramics class includes all supplies and tools needed to bring a folkloric friend to life. All you need to bring is your imagination. $75. Sunday, Feb. 23, 1-4 p.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
GSL Parish Hall Forum
Grace-St. Luke’s will welcome various community guests this winter and spring on select Sundays. Sunday, Feb. 23, 9:30-10:15 a.m.
GRACE-ST. LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
NOVEL CALENDAR: FEBRUARY 20 - 26 continued from page 17
Owl Prowl
Go in search of those curious critters of the night with Overton Park Conservancy staff. Enjoy cookies and hot chocolate and take a hike in the Old Forest. Saturday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m.
OVERTON PARK
Spread Mulch Love!
Help refresh the safety surfacing at Overton Bark. Wear closed-toed shoes and bring water. Saturday, Feb. 22, 9 a.m.-noon.
OVERTON BARK DOG PARK
Weed Wrangle: Invasive Species Removal
Join an Invasive Plant Specialist in a volunteer project at Overton Park! Dress appropriately and wear closed-toed shoes. Bring work gloves and hydration. Sunday, Feb. 23, 2-4 p.m.
OVERTON PARK
DANCE
Winter Mix
Hobby Kick-Start: Sumi-e Drawing
Explore this Japanese drawing technique using freeflowing water and ink media with artist George Bougher. All skill levels welcome. Supplies included. 16+. $25. Thursday, Feb. 20, 6-8 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Lunchtime Meditations
Visit the Dixon for free meditation sessions every Friday. Friday, Feb. 21, noon12:30 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Make Your Own: Domed Coin and Copper Jewelry
Make Your Own is a monthly, two-hour lesson introducing a fun, simple metalworking technique using minimal tools — great for all ages! Saturday, Feb. 22, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
METAL MUSEUM
Stand-Up Comedy Class - Level 1
The joke’s on you; the laughs are on them! Learn the art of stand-up comedy without driving to Nashville. Use the time saved to work on your jokes. If you always wanted to do it, then do it! Friday, Feb. 21.
INDIE ACTING STUDIO
Studio Courses: Printmaking with Maritza Dávila
An introduction to linocut printmaking. Participants explore the steps of relief printmaking from design to carving, to printing. 65+. Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1-3 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Super SaturdayDesign like Patrick Kelly
Explore Kelly’s vibrant style, as seen in designs like his Suit Dress with Jacket, and create your own unique fashion collage. Free. Saturday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m.-noon.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Terrarium Building Workshop
Learn the art and science of building a rainforest under glass that will live for years Saturday, Feb. 22, 11 a.m.
GREEN MANSIONS MEMPHIS
Vocal Workshop with Miz Stefani and Valetta Brinson
A workshop designed to help participants learn essential vocal techniques and tips for maintaining vocal health. 18+. Saturday, Feb. 22, 2-4 p.m.
COSSITT LIBRARY
Youth Workshop: Ceramic Masks
Get ready for Mardi Gras by making a ceramic mask. Express your identity or invent a new one through sculptural details in clay. Come dressed for a mess. For ages 10-13. Supplies included. $15. Saturday, Feb. 22, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
COMEDY
Comedy Night with Ben Pierce
An open mic experience! Thursday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Katt Williams: Heaven on Earth Tour
Since performing his first stand-up show as a teenager, Williams has taken the comedy world by storm. Saturday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m.
FEDEXFORUM
Mandee McKelvey (Laugh Factory, Limestone Festival) Comedian Mandee McKelvey headlines one of the best showcases in Memphis, featuring new-to-Memphis comedian Ali Haider, local favorite Jowa Horn, and hosted by co-producer Zach Williams. $10/discount online tickets. Saturday, Feb. 22, 8:30 p.m. HIGH COTTON BREWING CO.
Open Mic Comedy Night
A hilarious Midtown tradition. Tuesday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m. HI TONE
Sebastian Maniscalco & Jim Gaffigan: A Night of Comedy
Sebastian Maniscalco and Jim Gaffigan are bringing A Night of Comedy to FedExForum. Friday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m.
FEDEXFORUM
COMMUNITY
GiveCamp Memphis 2025
A weekend-long gathering of web developers and marketers supporting local nonprofits. Free. Friday, Feb. 21-Sunday, Feb. 23.
FEDEX INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Lupus Support GroupVision Board Party
Whether you’re looking to boost your health, career, relationships, or personal growth, a vision board is a powerful tool to manifest your goals, dreams, and intentions for the new year. Saturday, Feb. 22, noon-2 p.m.
EAST SHELBY LIBRARY
Memphis Black History Brain Brawl
Meet at the Memphis and Shelby County Room and put together your own team, or meet other trivia buffs and form a team. A prize will be awarded to the winners. For adults and teens. Wednesday, Feb. 26, 6-7:30 p.m.
BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY
Nursery Volunteers:
Carpenter Art Garden
Join Urban Farmer Seleta in nurturing seedlings and preparing for a fruitful growing season. Your time and energy will help grow fresh, sustainable produce. Thursday, Feb. 20, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
CARPENTER ART GARDEN
As it does every year, Ballet Memphis presents this season’s Winter Mix, engaging dance aficionados and ballet newcomers alike. Friday, Feb. 21, 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 22, 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Sunday, Feb. 23, 2-4 p.m.
PLAYHOUSE ON THE SQUARE
EXPO/SALES
DeSoto County Schools Career Fair Featuring 43 DCS school principals in attendance, with the chance to meet and greet and have an on-thespot interview. Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2-4 p.m.
LANDERS CENTER
Memphis Coin Club Coin Show
With ancient through modern coins, U.S. and foreign currency, tokens, medals, and gold and silver bullion. Friday, Feb. 21, noon-6 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 22, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. | Sunday, Feb. 23, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
LANDERS CENTER
FAMILY
Commemorate Your Heritage: Free Family Photos
Free photos, part of the Black History Month celebration at the Orange Mound Branch Library and Genealogy Center. Saturday, Feb. 22, noon-2 p.m.
MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES
ORANGE MOUND BRANCH
Pre-School Story Time
Enjoy stories, songs, art activities, and creative play that connect with Collierville history. Friday, Feb. 21, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
Story Time at Novel
Recommended for children up to 5 years, Story Time at Novel includes songs and stories. Saturday, Feb. 22, 10:30 a.m. | Wednesday, Feb. 26, 10:30 a.m.
PHOTO: COURTESY MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
FILM
Cities of the Future 3D
Imagine stepping 50 years into the future and finding smart cities designed to be totally sustainable. Renewable energy is our primary power source, and space-based solar power provides energy. Through May 23.
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
Oceans: Our Blue Planet 3D
A global odyssey to discover the largest and least explored habitat on Earth. New ocean science and technology has allowed us to go further into the unknown than we ever thought possible. Through May 23.
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
Space: The New Frontier 2D
From self-assembling habitats, commercial space stations, and rockets without fuel to the Lunar Gateway to deep space. Through May 23
MEMPHIS MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & HISTORY
FOOD AND DRINK
Celtic Crossing Whiskey Pairing Dinner
A whiskey pairing dinner hosted by Celtic Crossing’s in-house whiskey connoisseur DJ Naylor. $80. Thursday, Feb. 20, 7-9 p.m.
CELTIC CROSSING IRISH PUB
Drag Queen Bingo (feat. Brinka Honeydew)
Friday night’s alright for drag queen bingo! Friday, Feb. 21, 7-9 p.m.
MOXY MEMPHIS DOWNTOWN
Love Doesn’t Hurt: A Taste of Love
Featuring Milagro tequila, six specialty drinks, and light hors d’oeuvres. $10, $15/DOS, $39/ VIP, $45/VIP DOS. Friday, Feb. 21, 6-8 p.m.
DRU’S PLACE
Youth Villages Soup Sunday
We’re excited to announce the return of Soup Sunday – a day to delight in Memphis’ finest flavors while making a difference. $85/. Sunday, Feb. 23, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
THE KENT
HEALTH AND FITNESS
Hike to Baker’s Pond
A one mile out-and-back hike, gene to the source of the Wolf River, considered an easy route. The Baker’s Pond Trail is great for birding and hiking. Meet at trailhead. Saturday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m.
HOLLY SPRINGS NATIONAL FOREST
Taijiquan with Milan Vigil
This Chinese martial art promotes relaxation, improves balance, and provides no-impact aerobic benefits. Ages 16 and older. Free. Saturday, Feb. 22, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Third Thursday Treks
Join Overton Park Conservancy staff on a walk while they discuss a specific ecological concept each month. Thursday, Feb. 20, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
OVERTON PARK
Wednesday Walks
Take a casual stroll around the Old Forest paved road! Wednesday, Feb. 26, 4-5 p.m.
OVERTON PARK
Yoga
Strengthen your yoga practice and enjoy the health benefits of light exercise with yoga instructor Laura Gray McCann. All levels welcome. Free. Thursday, Feb. 20, 6 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
LECTURE
Munch and Learn: My Favorite Paintings of Cats
Enjoy lunch and a lecture by Kevin Sharp, Linda W. and S. Herbert Rhea director of Dixon Gallery & Gardens. Wednesday, Feb. 26, noon-1 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
The Restoration of Shortleaf Pine Trees
Daniel Dey presents a brief historical overview of the distribution of shortleaf pine trees,
concluding with management strategies and practices. Wednesday, Feb. 26, 6:30-8 p.m.
WOLF RIVER CONSERVANCY
Voices of the Future: Young AfroLatinos Redefining Identity Through the Arts
Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group presents a discussion panel focused on the rising generation of Afro-Latinos using art, music, film, and other creative outlets to express their identities.
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6 p.m.
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
PERFORMING ARTS
Big Top Tease: Forbidden Fantasies
A night of aerial acrobatics, fire eating, drag performances, LED light shows, and more. 21+.
$12.51-$33.85. Saturday, Feb. 22, 9 p.m.
DRU’S PLACE
Slayful Sundays
An evening filled with delicious drinks, amazing music, tasty food, and your favorite performers. Sunday, Feb. 23, 6 p.m.
DRU’S PLACE
Storyfest
Real people. Real stories. Free. Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m.
HALLORAN CENTRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS & EDUCATION
Sunday Morning Dance to Freedom Prepare for a soul-stirring, hand-clapping, and foot-stomping experience with the Young Actors Guild. Free. Sunday, Feb. 23, 3 p.m.
MT. VERNON BAPTIST CHURCH
SPECIAL EVENTS
Axemen Motorcycle Club: Memphis Firefighters Induction
Axemen MC is a professional firefighters motorcycle club that raises money for charities and families in need. Saturday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m.
WHISKEY JILL’S
Black History & Elmwood Cemetery
(An Indoor Presentation)
Black history, Memphis, and Elmwood Cemetery. $20/general admission. Sunday, Feb. 23, 2-3 p.m.
ELMWOOD CEMETERY
Community Plug’s HBCU College Fair
Speak with representatives local HBCUs to learn more about admissions, scholarships, programs and departments, and financial aid. Friday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
RALEIGH LIBRARY
SPORTS
Memphis Hustle vs. Maine Celtics
The G-League Affiliate of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies is back in the fray. Sunday, Feb. 23, 5 p.m.
LANDERS CENTER
Crossword
1 Can opener / Club 4 Charts / Inbox distraction 8 Apple varieties / Trick 12 Facts / Somewhat
Asian sea name / Journalist Logan
15 “Silas Marner” pen name / Upholstery fabric
16 Dubai dignitary / Winter coat
17 Colorado feeder / Sacha Baron Cohen character
18 Espies / Subway stations
19 Call ending a rugby match / Prolific inventor
21 Entertainer Marx / Entertainer Winfrey
23 Criticized / Save (from)
25 Cans / Letter flourish
27 Fix, as a driveway / Yelp reviewer, e.g. 29 Ice dancing gold medalist ___ Virtue / Plus
Ice hockey feint / Squeezed (out)
Bits of film tape / Film holder
Headline? / Snare
Ancient greeting / Señora Perón
Ram’s sch. / Trojan’s sch.
Exist / Reign denoter
Forever and a day / Genesis maker
Info, informally / Spirited mount
45 Beltway insiders / Spill (over) 46 Indy player / Summary 48 Green / Water from France
50 Fit for a king / Foamy draft
52 Guard / It might say “Hello”
56 Like Oxfords / Sticker
58 Aardvark or zebra / Thin layer
59 Arrive, as a cold front / Evenings, informally
62 Lionize / Twin
64 Go berserk / Some cookware
65 Jack of rhyme / Rain blockers
Cutting it / Mediterranean island
Hence / Monster
Daft / Daze
Elk, for one / Plant in a bog
Holy mlle. / Romulans, e.g., in brief
Revealed
“There is ___ in the affairs of men
Shak. 3 Sri Lankan tongue 4 Drawing things? 5 “Exodus” hero 6 ___ Alto, Calif. 7 Gives a hand? 8 Fallacious reasoner 9 Union letters
Computer key
Enero, por ejemplo
Memphis Hustle vs. Rio Grande Valley Vipers
The G-League Affiliate of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies is back in the fray. Thursday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 22, 7 p.m.
LANDERS CENTER
THEATER
Hamilton
An epic saga that follows the rise of founding father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation. $49+. Thursday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m. | Friday, Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 22, 2 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m. | Sunday, Feb. 23, 1 p.m. | Sunday, Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m. | Tuesday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m. | Wednesday, Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m.
ORPHEUM THEATRE
The Minutes
This scathing new comedy about small-town politics and real-world power, The Minutes, exposes the ugliness behind some of our most closely held secrets. $25/adult tickets, $20/senior and student tickets. Friday, Feb. 21, 8 p.m. | Saturday, Feb. 22, 8 p.m. | Sunday, Feb. 23, 2 p.m.
THEATREWORKS @ THE SQUARE
Edited by Will Shortz No. 0409
Yen
Bygone autocrats
PUZZLE BY ALEX EATON-SALNERS
We Saw You.
with MICHAEL DONAHUE
Guests were all heart at Works of Heart, the Memphis Child Advocacy Center fundraiser presented by Stern Cardiovascular. e art auction and party was held Saturday, February 8th, at the Memphis Botanic Garden.
“Works of Heart was a record-breaking success,” says Beryl Wight, the center’s communications and grants manager. “We had 122 artists — a record — and raised over $139,000 [also a record].”
is was the third year at the Memphis Botanic Garden, Wight says. Between 300 and 350 people attended the event.
Now in its 33rd year, Works of Heart’s rst bene ciary was the Mental Health Association. A er it closed, the Memphis Child Advocacy Center became the bene ciary.
Longtime Works of Heart supporter Murray Riss was at this year’s event with his wife Karen and daughter Shanna. “Murray was part of the planning committee that brought the event to us,” Wight says, adding, “He certainly is a very important contributor, serving as chair and co-chair for many years. And, of course, he still is a contributing artist.”
(le to right) Bennett Foster, Nubia Yasin, and Lawrence Matthews; Chloe Haynes and Will Taylor; Susanna Souliere and Toni Crutch eld bottom row: (le to right) Alexandra Eastburn, George Williford, Donna Williford, and Juston Williford; DJ Alpha Whiskey
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE above: Virginia Stallworth, Richard Wood, James Hay, and Kevin Scott circle: Steve Mulroy below:
above: Richard Ross, John and Suzanne Schar , and Deborah Ross circle: Debbie Eddlestone and Steven Gubin below: (le to right) Tracy omas and Burton Bridges; Robyn and Joe Birch; Kristi Goldsmith and Mike Alabaster; David Driscoll and Gloria Dodds
right row: (top and below) Sonal Mehr, Sujit Mehr, Swati Chokshi, and Saurin Chokshi; Doug Wright, Lucas Skinner, and Rick Bartl bottom row: (le to right) Murray Riss and Shanna Riss; Jeanne and David Simmons
COMMUNITY By Kailynn Johnson
A Safe Space at Dru’s
e bar hosts Bene t Drag Bingo February 23rd.
Tami Montgomery calls herself someone who would have never considered buying a bar. In fact, while she may own a bar on paper, she doesn’t consider herself in the “bar business.”
“I’m in the community business,” she says. “Not just the gay community business — the Memphis community. I just want to leave it how I found it.”
Montgomery has been the owner of Dru’s Bar (1474 Madison Avenue) since 2008. And there’s a surprising story about how she came to be in either business in the rst place. According to Montgomery, she got two separate phone calls on two di erent days, notifying her that the bar — known as e Jungle at that time — was for sale.
“I am not someone who ever, ever, considered buying a bar,” Montgomery says. “I’m not one of those people that would go out and have a drink and say, ‘Oh I’d like to own a bar sometime.’ at is not me.”
She says those phone calls felt like cosmic alignment. Taking guidance from that, Montgomery told the previous owner she wanted to purchase the building. Two weeks later, she quit her job to prepare to reopen.
“It was a bit of an out-of-the-blue experience, but I felt like it was the right decision, and I’ve been working at it ever since,” she says.
Dru’s has meant a lot of things to a lot of people who walk through the doors. While some may come in looking for a fun night out, others have found it to be a sanctuary of sorts.
“We’ve taken the approach that all nice people are welcome,” Montgomery says. “We couldn’t care less whether you’re gay, straight, Black, white — we don’t care. If you’re a nice person, you are welcome to be a part of our family.”
Dru’s was created as a space for people to be themselves and have fun — free of judgement. ose who frequent the bar have admitted it’s hard not to be drawn in by the welcoming environment. Aubrey Wallace — also known as Aubrey Ombre in drag — has been working at Dru’s for 15 years.
“For a lot of us [Dru’s has] been here for so long it’s more than just a bar — it’s home,” Wallace says. “It’s the only place we really have le we can ght for. is is where all of us started. is is forever going to be home, and we’re going to come together and keep it going no matter what.”
Montgomery notes Dru’s doesn’t have a lot of the problems that come with bar culture such as ghts and brawls. Yet this doesn’t mean it’s exempt from the troubles many bars have faced since the pandemic.
“We’re just now starting to see the true fallout from all the Covid stu and shutdowns,” Montgomery says. “All the bars and restaurants that have closed recently. I think we’re nally seeing that happen. It’s like, ‘We’ve held on as long as we can.’ Most people who own a small business have been in the same position. … Nothing has bounced back like we thought it would in the industry as a whole.”
PHOTO: COURTESY DRU’S BAR
“If you’re a nice person, you are welcome to be a part of our family.”
Terry W. has helped organize an upcoming bene t for Dru’s. He notes that gay clubs in the area are dwindling a er Atomic Rose’s closure last year, but adds that Dru’s incurred additional expenses when a brick was thrown through the window.
“Your safe places for the whole community, they’re kind of going away,” Terry says. “But Tami is working hard to not let that happen. She wants everybody to have a place.”
To help with its challenges, the bar will be hosting a Bene t Drag Bingo on February 23rd at 1 p.m. In addition to bingo, patrons can participate in ra es and a silent auction and purchase their own brick to sign at the bar. e event, hosted by Pat McCooter and Shyla Tucker, will also have live entertainment and a roast of Montgomery.
“ ere’s been so much that Tami has done,” Terry says. “We want to come back and help her. She has been there for everybody — it’s time everybody comes for her.”
ARTS By Abigail Morici
‘Engorging
Eden’
Molded from mud, the golem is brought to life with ritual incantations of the Hebrew alphabet, its purpose to protect, but even with instructions placed on its tongue, the golem inevitably goes amok, twisting those intentions and bringing disaster upon those who called for it. From this Jewish parable, Rachel David gathers, “You can only rely on your community. You can’t o set your responsibilities.”
David, an Asheville-based blacksmith, turned to this story for inspiration in conceptualizing her exhibition, “Engorging Eden,” on display at the Metal Museum. “I started thinking about di erent parables that could be translated to working with what I’m worried about in this country and in this world,” she said in her artist talk at the opening reception for the show on February 16th. “I think that’s a really pertinent thing to remember as we are experiencing really scary things — that we are each other’s saviors. at’s something that I want to be very explicit about in all of my work.”
David primarily works in furniture, a familiar form that in itself evokes community. “We live with furniture,” David said. “And it’s conversational. … ese are forms that tell stories and hold their own narratives but also are part of our narrative.”
For David, her pieces re ect our relationship with the Earth and with one another. e furniture seems to bubble with pustules and pits, a mix of metals melting o the surfaces in slivers. Each bulbous facet David shaped using a
di erent support system. “Really all of this is planned,” David said. “Like, it has to t; it has to work. But part of my interest is in the distortion that you can achieve in hot forming metal.”
e distortion, David said, reminds her of natural erosion formations. In her Savage Horizon Jewelry Cabinet, she pointed out, “ ey also look like cobblestones, which also are like citybuilding blocks, and I think with these really aggressive clawing shapes and then these phallic drippings, this is climate change, and this is what extractive capitalism has done to this world. Where we are in the mountains, there was a hurricane, and everything is insane.”
“I’m cynical and I’m dark, but I also feel a lot of obligations to my community.”
Indeed, many of the pieces in this show were created in the a ermath of Hurricane Helene. “ is piece is very much responsive to the hurricane and all of the landslides,” she said of the jewelry cabinet. “ ere’s 500-plus hours in this piece.”
“When we’re talking about erosion, there are a lot of implications in that word: erosion of trust, erosion of the Earth, erosion of values, and then where does that leave us?”
at’s where David expects viewers to involve themselves — literally — through
re ections and refractions of the metals and selenites brought about in their shine. Mirrors, too, o er this reminder. In Family Tree, where representational ancestors and the suns and moons ll a gallery wall with circular shapes, a central mirror piece reminds us that “we are responsible for what we put in[to the world].”
Abstract tongues also roll out of these ancestral creatures, and many of David’s other pieces. “ e tongue is like
the idea of communication [which] has always been a big part of my work [as an activist and artist],” she said. “ at’s part of my responsibility as a member of this community: to be responsible to my ancestors and to the future.”
In keeping with this responsibility, as part of her practice, David sources more than 85 percent of her metal from Asheville scrapyards. Further, she, along with Lisa Geertsen and Anne Bujold, co-founded the Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths. “We foster having diversity in blacksmithing.”
David’s commitment to community is furthered in swallowed ice (table lamp), which was part of her “Pollination” series — “like a pollination of ideas when we come together and we inspire each other.” e lamp features a light bulb in the center with candles a xed to a suspending bridge-like form. “ ey’re re ecting each other, and they’re also holding each other … always bringing in the light.”
e symbolism in the lamp is apparent: “I’m cynical and I’m dark, but I also feel a lot of obligations to my community to be proactive and contributive. I make work sometimes [because] I have to remind myself to get out. Get out!”
“Engorging Eden” will be on display at the Metal Museum through May 11th. e exhibit is a part of the museum’s Tributaries series.
Asheville’s Rachel David is the Metal Museum’s 45th Tributaries series artist.
PHOTO: DANIEL BARLOW
Rachel David, , 2024. Steel Stainless, steel, brass, selenite
PHOTO: DANIEL BARLOW
Rachel David, , 2024.
Stainless steel, steel, brass
FOOD By Michael Donahue
Beloved Barksdale’s Returns
Popular eatery slated to return in March.
Rise and shine. Breakfast is almost ready.
Barksdale’s, the iconic eatery at 237 Cooper Street, is about to reopen a er a re in June 2024.
And I can’t wait.
“We’re hoping to open by the end of next month,” Bryant Bain says. “By the end of March.”
Bain, his wife Heather, and Ryan Glosson are the new owners of Barksdale’s.
ey’re also the owners of Bain Barbecue down the street at 993 Cooper Street in Cooper-Young.
Why did they want to buy Barksdale’s?
“We’ve all eaten there,” Bryant says. “And it’s been in the community for so many years.”
When they heard Barksdale’s was going to close, they knew that couldn’t happen. It was, “Hey, if we can do something about it, we’re going to.”
ey’re going to retain as much of the look and atmosphere of the old Barks-
the veggies, to be honest.”
Customers can look for their favorites on the menu. “It’s going to be the same type of menu, but I’ve overhauled it to make it fresher,” Bryant says. “Everything is going to be homemade. A lot of things they were making out of bags. And I just don’t do that.”
Bryant and Heather Bain and Ryan Glosson; classic Bob’s Barksdale’s breakfast and Barksdale’s in the early days
dale’s as possible. “We’re trying to keep it feeling like it used to be.”
But, Heather adds, “ ey had a terrible re. Because of grandfather laws and stu , we had to redo the vast majority of it.”
ey had to get “all new electric,” Bryant says. As well as “rebuild the bathrooms. e ceilings are new. All new light xtures. Everything is new except the walls.”
ey did save the bar and tables and chairs. “ at kind of thing.”
Plates and cups were also saved, Heather says.
As for the employees, Bryant says, “ ey’re all invited to come back. Some of them obviously had to get other jobs.”
But, he says, “I know Miss Debbie [Miller] and Bert [McElroy] are coming back, for sure. Some kitchen sta are coming back.”
Asked what they ate when they used to visit Barksdale’s, Heather says, “I would just get eggs and bacon.”
Bryant got the plate lunch. “More of
Asked if they’re going to sell barbecue at Barksdale’s, Bryant says, “We will not be.”
In April 2024, I did a story about Barksdale’s, then known as Bob’s Barksdale Restaurant, for Memphis Magazine is was my description of the place a er I ate there that morning: “Every table is taken on my visit. Photos of smiling customers on memorabilia-covered walls look down on the smiling faces of customers talking and eating. Servers with co ee pots wind around tables pouring re lls and taking orders.”
e original Barksdale Restaurant was at 227 South Barksdale Street, owner Beth Henry told me. e owner’s last name was Stamson, she said. He was from Greece.
e restaurant moved to where it is now around 1968. Stamson gave the restaurant to his son Jerry Stamson, who sold it to Bob Henry in 2000, Beth said. Bob changed the name to Bob’s Barksdale Restaurant.
Beth married Bob, who she got to know a er she began visiting the restaurant from her job at an insurance
company across the street. She took over the restaurant a er Bob died.
“We were just friends for years,” Beth told me in my interview. “I’d come over and have co ee. en I got to know people. And I got to know some of the servers. And then later on in life it worked out to where we ended up getting together and got married. I just knew that he was a good man.”
Not much was done to the interior a er she took over, Beth told me. When she pondered the idea of sprucing the place up a bit a er she bought it, she said, “You could hear the Midtown gasps: ‘No, no, no. We like it like that.’”
She said customers told her they began going to the Barksdale with their dad and now they bring their granddaughter.
Beth did say she had interior painting done when they were closed for 82 days during the pandemic. And then she had to repair the foyer a er a car crashed into the front of the restaurant on June 26, 2022.
She said half the customers are college students. “We have some customers who have been coming here 30, 40 years. When we don’t see them, we start to worry.”
And she told me over the years, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and the lming of at least one short movie took place at the Barksdale.
Now the beloved Barksdale’s is about to return.
PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE; (INSETS) COURTSEY BARKSDALE’S
Candle Magic
C
andles are used by multiple religious traditions in their regular services and as part of their holy days. e use of candles as magical devices is more common than many people may believe.
e light of a candle has always been considered a sign of spiritual illumination, compared to the darkness that symbolizes ignorance. e candle can also be used as a metaphor for the brief time we spend in this lifetime, and how easily life can be extinguished. In religious paintings, a candle o en symbolizes the soul.
e hypnotic fascination that the candle ame produces gives a clue as to why people began burning candles for magical purposes. e ickering ame appears to ignite something deep inside us that connects us with the in nite, and with all humanity. Life, death, and rebirth are all revealed by a candle. e relationship between the human soul and a solitary candle burning in the dark reminds people of the power of the human spirit, and how it can turn darkness into light.
Life, death, and rebirth are all revealed by a candle.
According to Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, magic is de ned as the art of achieving a desired result by the use of certain mysterious techniques, such as incantations or ceremonies. Aleister Crowley, the infamous 20thcentury magician, de ned magic as “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity of will.” We use our will to make things happen, and candle magic is where we use candles to help achieve that end result we desire.
Candle magic is one of my favorite forms of magic, and I believe it has advantages over other types of manifestation because it is relatively uncomplicated. Manifesting your desires with candle magic is simple but e ective. e costs are minimal. You can usually nd items
desired goals, you still have to do the legwork here in the mundane world to achieve your desires. If you nd yourself wanting to do candle work on the spur of the moment, take a rummage through your cabinets, closets and drawers. Any kind of candle will work, even birthday candles. e only di erence in candle size is that the longer the candle burns, the more energy and focus is being sent out into the universe to manifest your goal. But you could burn multiple small candles over a period of time instead of one big one.
Part of magic is using what you have. You can use a white candle for any desire, you will just need to make sure you set your intention clearly. You can also use a red candle for any goal that you want to manifest quickly. Some of the best practitioners I know keep their work simple and use whatever they can nd on hand. Candles are a beautiful and mesmerizing vehicle for our intentions, but the magic truly comes from within.
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.
HELP
PHOTO: PETAR MILOŠEVIĆ
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
It’s Come to This
The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain in Belgium was forced to issue a warning to the country on Jan. 7 against eating Christmas trees, United Press International reported. The statement was in response to the city of Ghent recommending cooking with conifer needles. “You can make delicious spruce needle butter with them for bread or toast,” Ghent’s website read. But the FASFC wasn’t having it: Christmas trees “are not meant to end up in the food chain” because many have been treated with pesticides and other chemicals, including flame retardant. Ghent responded by changing its headline to read “Scandinavians eat their Christmas trees” and added a warning: “not all Christmas trees are edible.” Way to throw the Vikings under the bus, Belgians!
Wait, What?
with a little weed, but said there was no indication that he planned to use the gun. He did tell deputies he was unhappy at home. He was released to his parents.
Compelling Explanation
San Mateo, California, police arrested a Kentucky man early on the morning of Jan. 12 for a suspected hit-and-run incident, CBS News reported. Frank Falcone, 62, told officers that he was driving northbound on Pacific Boulevard when a southbound car came toward him with its high beams on. The lights disturbed Falcone “because of the brightness and potential radiation,” he said, so he rammed the other car. When it stopped, he allegedly rammed it two more times. Falcone fled the scene and told officers he evaded them because people impersonate cops. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
Um …
In early November, Emily James, 27, of Kansas City, Missouri, underwent a most unusual and expensive ($17,000) body-altering surgery, the New York Post reported. The trans woman had six ribs removed from her rib cage in order to achieve a smaller waist. The recovery gave her plenty of time to think about what she wanted to do with those extra ribs — yes, the hospital gave them to her — and her options seemed limitless: Make them into dog toys, boil them down for broth, have an “Emily barbecue.” But eschewing all the cannibalistic notions, James has come up with the perfect project: “I plan on having someone make a crown and, like, incorporate my bone pieces in there,” she said. “Getting my ribs removed doesn’t change the fact that I’m a kind, loving trans girl. It’s my money, my body, and I’m going to do what I want with it.” Yas queen.
Precocious
A 12-year-old boy from Grand Traverse County in Michigan was charged with joy riding, operating a motor vehicle without a license, carrying a concealed weapon, and possession of marijuana on Jan. 12, MLive.com reported. The boy’s parents contacted the county sheriff when they realized their 2000 Chevy Blazer was missing, saying their son had taken it. They had tracked his progress south into Clare County, where deputies were alerted to be on the lookout. By the time he was stopped, he had driven more than 90 miles; officers found a 12-gauge pumpaction shotgun and ammunition, along
Nigerian gospel singer Timileyin Ajayi, 30, was arrested on Jan. 12 as he carried a bag that contained the severed head of his purported girlfriend, the BBC reported. The bag drew the attention of other people, who held him until police arrived. “The suspect was found with a fresh human head,” Nasarawa police said, “and when we got to the scene, we rescued him from being mobbed.” Other parts of the deceased’s body were found later at his home. Abby Simon, a friend of the 24-year-old victim, said Ajayi was not her boyfriend. “Even if she was his girlfriend, she didn’t deserve to die this way,” Simon said.
You Had One Job
Brigantine (New Jersey) police were called to a home on the Jersey Shore on Jan. 13 after a neighbor found a toddler wandering around outdoors, NBC Philadelphia reported. The neighbor recognized the child and returned them to their home, where she found babysitter Jena Davidson, 35, passed out on the floor. First responders took Davidson to the hospital, where it turned out she had “consumed a significant amount of the homeowner’s alcohol to the point that she became unconscious and unresponsive,” police reported. She was charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
© 2025 Andrews McMeel Syndication. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Hindu holiday of Maha Shivaratri is dedicated to overcoming ignorance and darkness in celebrants’ own lives and in the world. This year it falls on February 26th. Even if you’re not Hindu, I recommend you observe your own personal version of it. To do so would be in accordance with astrological omens. They suggest that the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to be introspective, study your life and history, and initiate changes that will dispel any emotional or spiritual blindness you might be suffering from. PS: Remember that not all darkness is bad! But some is unhealthy and demoralizing, and that’s the kind you should banish and transmute.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The blue whale is the most massive animal that has ever lived. You could swim through its arteries. Its heart is five feet high and weighs 400 pounds. And yet, when diving, its pulse slows to four to eight times per minute. I propose we choose the blue whale to be your spirit creature in the coming weeks. May this magnificent beast inspire you to cultivate slow, potent rhythms that serve you better than hyperactivity. Let’s assume you will accomplish all you need by maintaining a steady, measured pace — by focusing on projects that require depth and diligence rather than speed. Your natural persistence will enable you to tackle tasks that might overwhelm those who lack your patience.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Over 10,000 years ago, someone walked for a mile through what’s now White Sands National Park in New Mexico. We know they did because they left footprints that were fossilized. Scientists believe it was probably a woman who mostly carried a child and sometimes let the child walk under its own power. Like those ancient footprints, your actions in the coming weeks may carry lasting significance — more than may be immediately apparent. I encourage you to proceed as if you are making a more substantial impact and having a bigger influence than you imagine.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): What’s the oldest known recipe? What ancient food product did our ancestors write down instructions about how to make? It was beer! The 4,000-year-old Sumerian text included a hymn to Ninkasi, the goddess of beer. It tells how to use the right ingredients and employ careful fermentation to concoct a beverage that lowers inhibitions and brings people together in convivial celebration. In that spirit, Cancerian, I encourage you to meditate on the elements you can call on to create merrymaking and connection. Now is a good time to approach this holy task with extra focus and purposefulness.
Rob Brezsny
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In November 1963, the captain of a sardine boat sailing near Iceland noticed a column of dark smoke rising out of the water. Was it another boat on fire? No, it was the beginning of a volcanic eruption. A few days later, steady explosions had created a new island, Surtsey, which still exists today. I suspect you will have a metaphorically comparable power in the coming weeks, Leo: an ability to generate a new creation out of fervent energies rising out of the hot depths. Be alert! And be ready to harness and make constructive use of the primal force.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson was a 10thcentury Danish king. He united the tribes of Denmark into a single kingdom. His nickname originated in the fact that he had a prominent dead tooth that turned bluish-gray. More than 10 centuries later, engineers who created a new short-range wireless technology decided to call their invention “Bluetooth.” Why? Because they imagined it would serve a variety of electronic devices, just as the king once blended the many tribes. In the spirit of these Bluetooth phenomena, I’m urging you Virgos to be a uniter in the coming weeks and months. You will have an enhanced capacity to bridge different worlds and link disparate groups. PS: An aspect that could be construed as an imperfection, like Harald’s tooth, could conceal or signify a strength.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran author Ursula K. Le Guin wrote, “Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake.” I know from experience there’s truth in that idea. But I’m happy to tell you that in 2025, freedom will be less heavy and less burdensome than maybe ever before in your life. In fact, I suspect liberation will be relatively smooth and straightforward for you. It won’t be rife with complications and demands, but will be mostly fun and pleasurable. Having said that, I do foresee a brief phase when working on freedom will be a bit more arduous: the next few weeks. The good news is that your emancipatory efforts will set the stage for more ease during the rest of 2025.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Always and forever, the world is a delicate balance of seemingly opposing forces that are in fact interwoven and complementary: light and shadow, determination and surrender, ascent and descent, fullness and emptiness, progress and integration, yes and no. The apparent polarities need and feed each other. In the coming weeks, I invite you to meditate on these themes. Are there areas of your life where you have been overly focused on one side of the scale while neglecting the other? If so, consider the possibility of recalibrating.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Have you been struggling to summon the motivation to start anew in some area of your life? I predict that sometime in the coming weeks, you will find all the motivation you need. Have you been wishing you could shed the weight of the past and glide into a fresh project with unburdened mind and heart? I believe that destiny will soon conspire to assist you in this noble hope. Are you finally ready to exorcise a pesky ghost and dash jubilantly toward the horizon, eager to embrace your future? I think you are.
Whether you are balancing emotion with logic, rest with work, or connection with independence, take time to adjust. If you honor both halves of each whole, you will generate fertile harmonies.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The ancient stands of cedar trees on Japan’s Yakushima Island have a special power. They create weather patterns for themselves, generating rain clouds from the water vapor they release through their leaves. This ingenious stroke of self-nurturing provides them with the exact rainfall they require. I propose that we make these cedar trees your power symbol in the coming weeks. It’s an excellent time for you to dream up and implement more of the conditions you need to flourish.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Tardigrades are tiny, eight-legged animals colloquially known as water bears or moss piglets. Their resilience is legendary. They can thrive anywhere, from mountaintops to the deep sea, from Antarctica to tropical rainforests. They can withstand extreme temperatures, live a long time without water, and even survive in outer space. I propose we make the tardigrade your power creature for the coming weeks, dear Capricorn. Your flexibility and fluidity will be at a peak. You will be hardy, supple, and durable. It will be a favorable time to leave your comfort zone and test your mettle in new environments. Seemingly improbable challenges may be well within your range of adaptability.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the coming days, playing games could be good practice for life. Breezy exchanges and fun activities could stimulate clues and insights that will be useful in making important decisions. What appears to be ordinary entertainment or social engagement may provide you with profound lessons about strategy and timing. How you manage cooperation and competition in those lighter moments could yield useful guidance about more serious matters.
STAY IN THE LOOP
FILM By Chris McCoy
No Cap
Captain America: Brave New World is hot garbage.
W
hile watching Captain America: Brave New World, I had a realization that Disney will be making Marvel movies for the rest of my life.
ere have been 35 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since Iron Man debuted way back in 2008. is is not exactly a new phenomenon in the hundred-plus years of commercial lmmaking. ere have been 52 movies and serials starring Tarzan, beginning with Tarzan of the Apes made by the National Film Corporation of America in 1918, and continuing until 2016’s e Legend of Tarzan.
But MCU pictures are a di erent beast. Tarzan was a guy who lived in the jungle with Jane (star of 1934’s Tarzan and His Mate), who solved jungle-style problems, which di ered from year to year (he fought the Leopard Woman, found the magic fountain, etc.). e MCU presents a uni ed story, now at more than 60 hours long — at least theoretically. But what happens when you’re telling a uni ed story, and you get to the part called Endgame, but you want to keep going for, say, 13 or 14 more movies?
e answer that Captain America: Brave New World suggests is, you ail until you fail.
Reader, I try to go into every lm with an open mind. If it’s a genre I don’t generally care for, I try to evaluate it on its own terms. Is the lm succeeding in what it’s trying to do, even if I don’t like what it’s trying to do? But the MCU is mightily trying my patience. What is Captain America: Brave New World even trying to do? It doesn’t know.
Actually, that’s not true. Executive Producer Kevin Feige is trying to make money for his corporate overlords, and, judging from the $190 million opening weekend, he will likely succeed. But that’s not your problem, or your win. You want to see a well-made, entertaining movie. Captain America: Brave New World is not that.
at’s a shame because the previous Captain America stories had been some of the highlights of MCU. Chris Evans hung up the shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame, when Steve Rogers chose to use the time travel tech that won the In nity War to go back to the 1940s and romance Peggy Carter. He tapped Sam Wilson, aka e Falcon (aka Anthony Mackie) to be his successor. When we pick up with Sam, it’s a er the events of e Falcon and the Winter Soldier miniseries, which aired on Disney+. (I know nothing about that part of the story because it contained
Anthony Mackie takes up the shield as Captain America in the hot garbage that is Brave New World
my least favorite Marvel character of all time, Bucky Barnes.) He’s down in Mexico, leading Seal Team 6 on a mission to recover a mysterious package from the clutches of the Serpent Society, led by Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito). What starts as a simple MacGu n retrieval immediately goes south. e buyer for the package declined to show up to the rendezvous, and the frustrated Sidewinder is taking out his frustrations on a group of nuns. While Captain America (who, the lm reveals, speaks both Spanish and Japanese) saves the clergy, his new sidekick Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), who has taken up the mantle of the Falcon (which is to say, Sam’s old super-suit) retrieves the package.
A erwards, Cap and Falcon are summoned to an audience with the new president, addeus “ underbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford). Ross was one of the bad guys in e Incredible Hulk (2008), when he was played by the late William Hurt. But now, he’s shaved his mustache, cleaned up his reputation, and won the election as a reformer. Sam is naturally suspicious of the guy who has always had his own agenda of personal ambition, but now he’s the president, so it’s Captain America’s duty to obey orders. At least that’s how this Cap interprets his role.
President Ross reveals his plan for world peace, or something like it. e giant Celestial monster that tried to emerge from the Earth during the climax of e Eternals ended up as a stone head and hand protruding from the Indian Ocean. It turns out, the package Cap and Falcon were sent to retrieve is a sample taken by the Japanese which proves Celestial Island is extremely rich in adamantium, the ctional super-metal that Wolverine’s
claws and skeleton are made of. Unlike vibranium, the other super-metal whose sole source is controlled by Wakanda, the adamantium reserves are up for grabs because the terra nova of Celestial Island belongs to no one. Rather than risk a war, President Ross is trying to negotiate a treaty that will share the new superresource with the world.
While Ross is making his presentation, an assassination squad led by Sam’s mentor Isaiah Bradley, himself a product of postwar super soldier research, tries to shoot him. Now, Captain America has to a) nd out who’s behind the assassination attempt while b) clearing his friend Isaiah’s name and c) preventing a war.
Director Julius Onah and his ve credited writers have a lot of goals to ful ll, and they attempt it by shu ing Cap and his ever expanding cast of sidekicks through a series of incoherent battles and strained conversations.
e Captain America movies have been showcases for some of the best action sequences the MCU has produced, such as the famous airport confrontation in Civil
War. Nothing attempted here even comes close to that standard. I will applaud Brave New World for not attempting the Marvel ird Act, where our heroes ght a large number of faceless adversaries. Instead, Cap faces o against the Red Hulk (who, it must be noted, is not even the primary villain) in D.C.’s cherry blossom orchard. is sounds great on paper, but it looks like absolute ass. Maybe it’s the extensive reported reshoots leading to a rushed nal assembly, but this lm feels like three or four lms haphazardly spliced together. Mackie is game, clearly giving the role his all, but he never stands a chance because the material is hot garbage. I have trouble faulting Onah, as he is the latest in a series of semi-disposable helmers appointed as scapegoats. Brave New World bears the mark of a lm made by feuding, status-obsessed middle managers. is is not lmmaking; it’s brand management disguised as entertainment.
Captain America: Brave New World Now playing Multiple locations
Our critic picks the best films in theaters.
The Monkey
Director Osgood Perkins of Longlegs fame adapts this beloved (or should we say, infamous?) Stephen King short story. Twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn (Theo James, doing double-duty) find a wind-up monkey toy in their father’s (Adam Scott) attic. To their horror, people around them start dying in strange ways, so they dispose of the toy. Years later, the deaths resume, and the brothers must reunite to find the killer monkey. Also starring Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany. This is a comedy, by the way.
Cleaner
Daisy Ridley stars as Joey, a window
cleaner in London’s Canary Wharf. When the building she’s working in is taken over by terrorists who hold her older brother hostage, she springs into action — because she’s an ex-special forces soldier. It’s Die Hard in England! This is not a comedy, by the way.
I’m Still Here
The first Brazilian film to ever be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, Ainda Estou Aqui is based on the true story of Eunice Paiva (Golden Globe Best Actress in a Drama Fernanda Torres) whose husband Rubens (Selton Mello) was kidnapped and tortured by Brazil’s fascist government in 1970. She searches for the truth for 25 years, until Brazil’s democratic reawakening reveals his dark fate.
Qualifying Agencies are:
•Health Organizations
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•Non Profits
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•Hotels etc...
THE LAST WORD By
Lucas Trautman
The Missing Ingredient
Connection trumps division, every time.
In a group therapy session this winter at the Oxford Treatment Center, two individuals — one a military veteran, the other a civilian deeply skeptical of the military — sat across from each other. ey shared the same space, but the emotional distance between them was vast. Each felt the other embodied everything they feared or resented about the world. e veteran saw in the civilian a person who didn’t understand the sacri ces he’d made. e civilian saw in the veteran a symbol of a system that had caused harm. Yet, through shared vulnerability and open dialogue, a remarkable shi occurred. Over time, they began to see beyond their di erences and discover the common humanity that bound them together. Connection trumps division, every time. And this same principle applies not only in therapy but across our increasingly polarized society.
As a psychiatrist, medical director, and complex emergencies operator, I’ve spent over two decades working with individuals in crisis, seeing rsthand how relationships can transform even the most entrenched perspectives. One of the most striking lessons I’ve learned — o en in high-pressure situations where the stakes couldn’t be higher — is that when we take the time to truly understand each other, even the deepest divides can be overcome. I’ve experienced this in the Central Plateau of Haiti during the cholera epidemic, where aid workers, government o cials, and community members — despite their di ering priorities — came together to save lives. In these intense moments, I learned that relationship was the bridge, even when the world seemed to be on the edge of collapse. is principle is glaringly absent in our current media landscape. Algorithms, designed to provoke outrage, have woven a narrative that promotes division at every turn. e result? We nd ourselves more polarized, angrier, and increasingly unable to see the humanity in those we disagree with. But there is another path. When we engage in face-to-face dialogue, when we have conversations grounded in mutual respect, the walls of division begin to crumble.
Research consistently supports the power of in-person dialogue to break down barriers.
Consider the diverse group of veterans and civilians I’ve had the privilege of working with. ese individuals — some from vastly di erent backgrounds, some having lived lives that could not seem more divergent — eventually found common ground. Over shared stories, common experiences, and even the same love for certain foods, their dogs, or childhood memories, they began to see each other not as “other,” but as human. e di erences were still there, but they were no longer insurmountable. Instead, the connections they formed allowed them to thrive, both as individuals and as a group.
In this fractured moment in history, we are bombarded by voices that encourage us to dig deeper into our entrenched views. We’re told to pick a side — but at what cost? at cost is the loss of connection, of shared humanity. And the reality is, the di erences that feel so stark on our screens are o en far less signi cant in person. We’ve been led to believe that our ideological divides are so vast, but when we meet each other face-to-face, we o en nd that the space between us is not as wide as we thought.
It’s crucial to acknowledge that some di erences will never disappear. People will always have deeply held beliefs, some of which may never align. But perhaps the true challenge is not to change the minds of others, but to see that the cores of our humanity — our desires for love, respect, and belonging — far outweigh the ideological labels we’ve attached to each other. We are not de ned by our di erences. Rather, we are united in our shared experiences, in the joy of connection.
Research consistently supports the power of in-person dialogue to break down barriers. Whether in controlled settings or informal spaces, people who engage face-to-face are o en able to hear one another in ways that digital interaction simply can’t replicate. ey begin to see past the headlines, the algorithms, and the echo chambers that seek to keep us apart.
As someone who has witnessed the e ects of isolation and division — both in the context of addiction treatment and in con ict zones around the world — I can say with certainty that human connection is the antidote. Whether we are talking about veterans and civilians or Democrats and Republicans, we all share the same essential need: the need to be understood, to be seen. Let’s choose connection over division, dialogue over outrage, humanity over algorithm. In 2025, this is perhaps the most courageous choice we can make.
Lucas Trautman, MD, MPH, ABPN, is a board-certi ed psychiatrist, medical director at Oxford Treatment Center, and contributor to the BBC, Washington Post, and Vice News, specializing in mental health and addiction treatment.
PHOTO: BOB BAYNE Lucas Trautman
