A PERCEPTION PROBLEM
The media often perpetuates fear in crime reporting — local journalists aim to correct that.
Memphis has a perception problem. It’s apparent any time you read comments on local news posts regarding crime — “ at’s why I got out of there.” “Oh, another one. is happens every day.” Or when you tell someone where you’re from — “It’s easy to get shot there, isn’t it?” “It isn’t safe there, right?” Of course, those of us who live here are aware of crime, the poverty and sub-par education system that contribute to it. We hear about shootings, robberies, carjackings practically every day if we’re tuned in to the news. And that’s part of the issue. ere is a ri between reality and perception that is perpetuated by media, then spread far and wide by media consumers.
SHARA CLARK
Editor-in-Chief
ABIGAIL MORICI
Managing Editor
JACKSON BAKER, BRUCE VANWYNGARDEN
Senior Editors
TOBY SELLS
Associate Editor
KAILYNN JOHNSON News Reporter
CHRIS MCCOY Film and TV Editor
ALEX GREENE Music Editor
MICHAEL DONAHUE, JON W. SPARKS Staff Writers
JESSE DAVIS, EMILY GUENTHER, PATRICK HARLEY, COCO JUNE, PATRICIA LOCKHART, FRANK MURTAUGH, WILLIAM SMYTHE, KATIE STEPHENSON
Contributing Columnists
SHARON BROWN, AIMEE STIEGEMEYER Grizzlies Reporters
MORGAN THOMAS Editorial Intern
CARRIE BEASLEY
Senior Art Director
CHRISTOPHER MYERS
Advertising Art Director
NEIL WILLIAMS Graphic Designer
KELLI DEWITT, CHIP GOOGE, SHAUNE MCGHEE Senior Account Executives
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Warehouse and Delivery Manager
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KENNETH NEILL Founding Publisher
THE MEMPHIS FLYER is published weekly by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 Phone: (901) 521-9000 Fax: (901) 521-0129 memphisflyer.com
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On July 1st, the Memphis Police Department shared a graphic on Facebook showing that in the rst months of 2025, overall crime was down 20 percent, with shooting incidents down 28 percent and murder down by 15 percent compared to the rst half of 2024. On July 23rd, the Memphis-Shelby Crime Commission released a report showing slightly di erent numbers, with the overall crime rate dropping 15.7 percent during that time frame and the rate involving offenses with guns falling 12.4 percent. While the misaligned numbers raise some questions, they may be attributed to di erences in the way TBI and MPD track reported crimes, which our news editor Toby Sells touched on in a May story — “Homicide Capital? Maybe” — a er FBI Director Kash Patel deemed us so on Fox News.
Regardless, crime is falling, but people wouldn’t know it by keeping up with the news. And that is what our guest writer, Ole Miss journalism student Grace Landry, explored in this week’s cover story. She spoke with crime reporters from local news outlets on how reporting for clicks feeds into this negative narrative. “If it bleeds, it leads” is not the best approach — we must consider victims, their families, and the community as a whole, all of whom are a ected.
I’ve lived in Memphis since I was a student at U of M, somewhere in the vicinity of 20 years. In that time, I’ve had my car broken into (more than once), been threatened at gunpoint (and knifepoint, and bat, uh, handle). I’ve had a bike stolen from my porch. I personally know someone who was carjacked, shot, and le for dead; someone who was a victim of a random interstate shooting; someone whose addiction had them buying crack at a gas station Downtown; someone who bounced from dope house to dope house in southwest Memphis, was tra cked, and was homeless before dying from fentanyl/heroin overdose; someone who ended up on the streets of South Memphis with a bad drug habit and a pimp, and was ultimately murdered. (Jessica Lewis’ 2011 killing is still unsolved. We haven’t forgotten, MPD. Please reach out to us. My email is at the end of this column.)
You may wonder, if I have seen all that, if I know all of this is happening in my city, to my friends, to me, why would I stay here? Why would I defend Memphis? at’s a great question, and one that I have been trying to nd the words to answer for a while. ere is something to be said about adversity and survival. Something to be learned from the harshness of the city’s frayed edges. ere is proof here of it all. Good and bad. Grit and grind. ere is a realness here that can’t be matched, a truth we can nd between the dark and light if we peer deep enough. And there is clearly a ton of work that still needs to be done — in underserved communities with at-risk youth, within the police department, in Memphis-Shelby County Schools, and beyond.
As a small-town Mississippi native, I chose Memphis as a college destination for its diversity and its location in a not-too-big “big city.” I knew there was much for me to learn beyond what was required for my degree, and I would not learn that in the Delta. My scope of view would have been terribly limited. Here in Memphis, I have seen the beauty of the community coming together in tragic times (Tyré Nichols, Eliza Fletcher). I’ve seen the thriving music and arts scene. I’ve seen love and hope and connection in equal measure alongside perceived danger, fear, and aws. is city has taught me so much. It has hurt me and helped me. It has toughened me and inspired me. is imperfect place is home, and I’m happy to share it with you all.
Shara Clark shara@memphis yer.com
PHOTO: SEAN PAVONE | DREAMSTIME.COM ere is a realness here that can’t be matched.
fly-by
MEM ernet
Memphis on the internet.
TIGERLEAKS
It’s the screenshot heard ’round the Memphis sports world. Former University of Memphis defensive back Tahj Ra-El sent an opposing quarterback the Tigers’ defensive playbook. He also told which player was hurt, the “weakest link in the defense.”
Ra-El transferred to Purdue University. A spokesman there told Sports Illustrated it was no big deal.
CELEBRITY LOOKALIKE
We started a new social media game show last week called, “Memphis City Hall Hall of Mayors Celebrity Look-alike.”
We show you a past mayor.
You tell us what celebrity that mayor looks like. We pick a winner. Fabulous prizes spill forth.
PREACH
When somebody’s all like “mEmPHis iS SoOo danGeRouS,” send them a link to this TikTok. Search “Memphis vs. errrbody.”
Questions, Answers + Attitude
Edited by Toby Sells
{WEEK THAT WAS
By Flyer staff
Aquifer, Jobs, & a
Mosque Lawsuit
More protections for groundwater, a bakery invests $48.5M in Rossville, and Bartlett sued.
AQUIFER PROTECTIONS
A $225,000 investment will allow South Memphis residents to become “citizen scientists” to protect their groundwater
Protect Our Aquifer (POA) and the Alcy Ball Development Corporation (ABDC) announced a “ rst-ofits-kind community-led groundwater protection plan.” In it, the residents of the Alcy Ball neighborhood in South Memphis will participate in environmental testing, green infrastructure design, and strategic groundwater protection planning.
e plan will show vulnerable areas, pollution, and more. at will inform decision-making for the community. A spokesperson for POA and ABDC said that communities such as Alcy Ball have been susceptible to legacy pollution and unprotected drinking water.
Also, the board controlling the West Tennessee Megasite — home to Ford’s BlueOval City electric vehicle and battery manufacturing campus — unanimously approved zoning rules last week that require greater protections for the Memphis Sand Aquifer, the region’s drinking water source.
e 4,100-acre Megasite sits atop the aquifer, which is protected from surface-level contaminants by a layer of natural clay, but breaches in the clay can allow contaminants to reach the water that serves much of the Mid-South.
e federal government requires states to identify areas where contaminants can reach drinking water sources and develop plans to protect the public water supply around well locations, but the zoning ordinance adopted last Wednesday goes beyond those protections, extending some regulations throughout the entire Megasite.
BREADS, BUNS, AND BAGELS
A Canadian-based bakery company will bring 300 jobs to the region with a new expansion into West Tennessee announced last week.
Silver Hills Bakery bought the former Kellogg manufacturing facility in Rossville, Tennessee. e $48.5 million investment is expected to bring 394 new jobs with an
average salary of $54,350. Silver Hills is known for whole-grain breads, buns, and bagels.
NEW CARE FOR EATING DISORDERS
Haven of Hope Eating Disorder Care Center, the only eating disorder treatment facility west of Nashville, will soon be o ering transitional housing for patients in their care.
is service and others are a part of an expansion that is set to take place this fall. e Cordova center will also o er partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient services.
BARTLETT SUED ON MOSQUE DECISION
e American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) sued the city of Bartlett last week a er elected o cials there denied a permit to build a mosque.
e Bartlett Muslim Society (BMS) said the denial came a er months of “extensive, expensive, and purposeless delay as part of a sham permitting process.” e city’s planning commission recommended the denial, even though the group had previously supported Christian churches also seeking a special use permit as the BMS did, the ACLU-TN said.
“ is is a clear case of interference with religious freedoms cloaked in bureaucratic language,” said Stella Yarbrough, ACLU-TN legal director.
Tennessee Lookout contributed to this report.
Visit the News Blog at memphis yer.com for fuller versions of these stories and more local news.
PHOTO: (ABOVE) CASSANDRA STEPHENSON | TENNESSEE LOOKOUT; (BELOW) SILVER HILLS BAKERY VIA FACEBOOK
An empty eld lies next to the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center at Ford’s BlueOval City campus in Stanton; Silver Hills Bakery brings jobs to West Tennessee.
FRIDAY OCT 10
FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms
Join us for a fantastic evening of great tastes and great fun, bringing together bourbon and whiskey distillers from around the region PLUS great bites from some of your favorite local restaurants! VIP Admission starts at 5pm, GA at 6pm.
TICKETS AND MORE INFO
Execution Clemency {
STATE WATCH
By Toby Sells
Advocates urge Gov. Bill Lee to halt next week’s execution of intellectually disabled death row prisoner.
Disability rights advocates called on Governor Bill Lee to stop the upcoming state execution of Byron Black, a convicted murderer who meets statewide guidelines for intellectual disability.
Black is on Tennessee’s death row for the 1988 triple homicide of his then-girlfriend Angela Clay, 29, and her two young daughters, aged 9 and 6, in Nashville. Black was convicted of the crime in 1989 and has been held at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution ever since.
His original execution was halted by Covid. e Tennessee Supreme Court re-ordered his execution this year, now set for August 5th. Only Lee can now stop the execution from going forward.
Black’s attorneys in the 1989 trial argued he was not mentally competent to stand trial, saying he “is not able to deal with reality.” Mental health ocials disagreed at the time and his trial continued.
A coalition of disability advocates are now urging Lee to commute Black’s
execution to life in prison, saying he has an intellectual disability, dementia, and brain damage. e Arc Tennessee, Tennessee Disability Coalition, and Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) signed a letter to Lee asking him to spare Black’s life.
In a news conference last week, Zoë Jamail, a longtime advocate for people with disabilities, acknowledged the “unbearable pain and heartbreak” caused by Black’s actions. However, “both our state and our nation have made clear that executing those with intellectual disability is prohibited.”
In a 2002 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court banned the execution of people with intellectual disability as cruel and unusual punishment. In 2021, the Tennessee General Assembly voted to protect those with intellectual disabilities from execution, Jamail said.
“Mr. Black was tested under the state’s current standards for intellectual disability,” Jamail said. “ e state’s own medical experts agree. Mr. Black demonstrated all three of the criteria: sub-average intellectual functioning,
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adaptive de cits, and onset during development.
“Based on the new information, the Davidson County district attorney agreed that Mr. Black is a person with intellectual disability and should not face execution.”
Federal public defender Dumaka Shabazz has represented Black for the last 25 years. In a letter for clemency to Lee earlier this month, he said Black had fetal alcohol syndrome and was exposed to toxic lead as a toddler. Now, Shabazz said Black is wheelchair-bound and takes 18 medications for a litany of diagnoses from kidney failure to prostate cancer.
Yet Black’s execution marks a “procedural hiccup,” advocates said last week. His attorneys quickly attempted several times to appeal his death sentence under the new laws. But they were denied as judges ruled Black’s case had already been decided in court. Black’s attorneys said he would be ineligible for the death penalty in Tennessee if he were tried today.
“His body is failing, and his mind is deteriorating,” Shabazz wrote. “His execution would not serve justice — it would mark an irreversible act of cruelty against a profoundly physically and mentally impaired man who poses no threat to anyone and would leave his entire family, who cherish him, devastated.”
“A man should not be executed because his lawyers were too diligent in bringing his case to the courts expeditiously in 2004 when the Tennessee ID standards were inaccurate,” said Donna DeStefano, an advocate for Tennesseans with disabilities for 30 years. “ ere is no doubt that Mr. Black meets the medical standard for [intellectual disability], and that his execution would not only be unconstitutional but inconsistent with our Tennessee values that protect people with intellectual disability.”
POLITICS By Jackson Baker
Morris’ Lost Opportunity
How the revered late public servant was unfairly checked.
As I have indicated, both in print and otherwise, I shared the high regard commanded in his constituency by the late Bill Morris, who died Friday at the age of 92.
In 1994, the Democratic primary race for Tennessee governor featured a spirited contest between Morris, then Shelby County’s mayor, and Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen.
I covered that race and saw it as an intriguing showdown.
It was no secret that a sibling rivalry, then as now, existed between the cities of Memphis and Nashville — between the onetime home base of Boss Ed Crump, whose strong hand had for decades dominated Tennessee politics in general and state Democratic politics in particular, and the centralized state capital, an increasingly upscale (and perhaps to Memphians, upstart) metropolis.
Ironically, Tennessee’s Democratic o cials in 1994 — retiring Governor Ned Ray McWherter, House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, and Senate Speaker/Lt. Governor John Wilder — were all West Tennesseans.
But the Democratic ideological core, party structure, and nancial center were all Nashville-based, and Morris, vis-à-vis every one of those particulars, hailed from elsewhere.
Whatever the reason, the state’s Democratic establishment had clearly convinced itself that the party’s best bet in the 1994 governor’s race (to oppose another Memphian, Republican Congressman Don Sundquist) was not Morris but Nashville Mayor Bredesen.
Not long a er the primary race began in earnest, a bombshell hit. Morris was indicted on a state charge of misconduct for having allegedly enlisted county penal farm inmates to serve at a Morris fundraiser. Not to excuse the o ense, if indeed it occurred, but that sort of thing was (a) not the most heinous possible transgression and (b) probably not an unaccustomed practice in local (or state) politics.
In any case, the charges were dropped weeks later, but the Morris campaign, when it resumed, never regained its lost momentum.
Years later, while I was in Nashville during a legislative session, I was approached by a former state o cial, who shall go nameless here, who began nervously — shakily, even — insisting to me (who had never even written a word about him) that, widespread rumors notwith-
standing, he had not been the one who had sicced the TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) on Morris’ trail. e upshot was that I was convinced he had been — and for strictly political reasons.
During his period of enforced inactivity before he was cleared, I had suggested to Morris, whom I had always liked and admired, that he might consider resuming his race on the theme that his indictment had somehow been engineered expressly to sabotage his gubernatorial campaign. And that he, like any number of other ordinary Tennesseans, was at the mercy of the powers that be. ere had indeed been rumors, and something like that was in fact what I (and others) suspected, years before I had the fateful conversation in Nashville.
I didn’t blame Bredesen, who had expressed his belief in Morris’ innocence, though there was no doubt that the aforesaid ex-o cial with the apparent guilty conscience had been partial to the Nashville mayor’s campaign.
In due course, Bredesen became the nominee but lost the governor’s race to Sundquist, in one of the rst indications that the days of Democratic domination of state politics were numbered.
Eight years later, Bredesen tried again, won, and served two four-year terms. To this day, he is the last Democrat to have won a major statewide o ce.
Bill Morris had served with recognized distinction for many years both as sheri and as county mayor, and he continued to be a civic beacon in his retirement. I have o en tried to imagine how his, the state’s, and the Democratic Party’s future might have developed had his gubernatorial campaign not been so egregiously derailed.
PHOTO: MORRIS FAMILY Former Shelby County Mayor William (Bill) N. Morris Jr.
A Safety Net
Tips to safeguard your nancial life from a natural disaster.
Most know it’s important to prepare for a natural disaster. But fewer realize that in addition to stockpiling ashlights, bottled water, and emergency medical supplies, they also need to be nancially prepared. ese tips can help.
1. Build an emergency fund.
Maintain at least three to six months’ worth of living expenses in a liquid account that’s easily accessible. In an emergency, this can help cover short-term expenses until you’re able to access insurance payouts and other less-liquid funds.
2. Safeguard critical documents. In an emergency, you may need to leave your home quickly. Your priority will probably be to ensure your loved ones and sentimental possessions make it out safely, and you may not have time to track down important personal and nancial documents. It’s wise to make a plan for how to access what you’ll need.
3. Keep some cash on hand. In a disaster, you may not be able to access your bank or an ATM. It’s wise to keep some cash on hand to pay for necessary expenses, such as food, lodging, gas, etc. until you’re able to access your accounts.
4. Review your insurance policies. Take time to make sure you have adequate coverage in place. Consider the following:
• Homeowners insurance — It’s important to note there are two types of homeowners policies: those that cover the cost to rebuild or replace your home, known as the replacement cost, and those that only cover the current value of your home, known as actual cash value. Be sure the type of policy you have continues to meet your needs. Also, be aware of any limits or gaps in your homeowners coverage that you may need to ll.
• Renters insurance — If you rent, make sure you have adequate renters insurance coverage to cover the cost of replacing your personal possessions.
• Flood insurance — Most standard insurance policies don’t cover damage from oods. If you live in a ood-prone area, you may need to add ood insurance to your existing coverage.
• Comprehensive coverage — is can help pay for losses caused by ooding and other natural disasters. is is in addition to the liability coverage most car owners must carry.
Start by collecting, copying, and storing the following records:
• Driver’s licenses
• Birth certi cates
• Passports
• Social Security cards
• Marriage and divorce papers
• Home deeds and titles
• Vehicle registrations and titles
• A room-by-room inventory of your possessions
Keep these in a bank safety deposit box or a waterproof, reproof storage box that’s easy to access in a hurry. It’s also wise to save copies at a di erent location, such as in cloud storage, on an external hard drive, or with a relative or friend.
It’s also important to ensure you can access your nancial records in an emergency, including investment accounts, payroll les, insurance documents, estate planning records, and income tax info.
5. Don’t fall for scammers. Unfortunately, scammers o en use natural disasters as a way to target distressed victims. Be wary of any contractors selling repairs door-to-door, especially if they promise a discount for up-front payment. Remember that no government aid program or bene ts department will charge you an up-front fee to receive a service or bene t. And keep in mind that insurance agents will never sell you a policy to cover damages a er a natural disaster occurs. If someone o ers you insurance to help pay for your damages, it’s likely a scam.
Katie Stephenson, JD, CFP, is a Private Wealth Manager and Partner with Creative Planning. Creative Planning is one of the nation’s largest registered investment advisory rms providing comprehensive wealth management services to ensure all elements of a client’s nancial life are working together, including investments, taxes, estate planning, and risk management. For more information or to request a free, no-obligation consultation, visit CreativePlanning.com.
Home Sweet Home
PHOTO: NIKOLAS NOONAN | UNSPLASH Make sure you nancially prepare in case of a natural disaster.
AT LARGE By Bruce VanWyngarden
The X-Files
May every day be another wonderful secret.
Here’s a handy list of the things that Donald Trump has wanted you to think about over the past 10 days or so, in rough chronological order:
1) Changing the name of the Washington Commanders back to the Washington Redskins. Trump said if they don’t do it, he will block the team’s stadium deal.
2) Changing the name of the Cleveland Guardians back to the Cleveland Indians. Trumps said this would “honor Native Americans.”
3) Getting Coca-Cola to use cane sugar in its products instead of corn syrup. Trump claimed that he’d spoken to the company about the matter, but Coke officials said they hadn’t heard from Trump until after he made the claim in a press conference.
4) Revoking the citizenship of actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell, which Trump threatened to do for her “crimes against humanity,” which apparently means criticizing Trump. The Supreme Court has ruled that citizens may only lose their citizenship by voluntarily relinquishing it. But, you know, think about it.
None of his usual distraction tactics have stuck.
5) The Unabomber. Trump said his uncle taught Ted Kaczynski when the legendary terrorist attended MIT. Two problems: Kaczynski never attended MIT, and Trump’s uncle was dead before ol’ Ted became notorious. But hey, give it some thought.
6) Thousands of pages of just-released Justice Department files relating to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968. Because it might take the press a while to read them all? Who knows?
7) Hundreds of pages of just-released Justice Department files relating to Hillary Clinton’s email server investigation in 2016. Because it’s “Crooked Hillary” time again. Paging Jesse Watters!
8) “Pencil Neck” Senator Adam Schiff’s mortgage on a house in Maryland, which somehow provoked Trump to urge his Justice Department to “bring [Schiff] to Justice.” There were no obvious irregularities and the case was “difficult to take seriously,” according to the Washington Post
9) Former President Barack Obama’s
“treason” and his “cheating” in the 2016 election (in which he wasn’t a candidate, and which Trump won). This out-ofnowhere attack featured Trump posting a bizarre AI video of Obama being cuffed and arrested, which led to increased threats being leveled at the former president and his family. Which is almost a new low for Trump. Almost.
Now, a handy list of things Trump doesn’t want you to think about:
1) Jeffrey
2) Epstein
3) Jeffrey Epstein’s client list
4) The Justice Department’s Epstein files
5) That creepy birthday letter from Trump to Epstein that The Wall Street Journal reported on, with lines such as: “We have certain things in common, Jeffrey,” and, “Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?” And, “May every day be another wonderful secret.” Gee, I wonder what they’re talking about.
To watch Trump unravel over the past couple of weeks has been to observe a master-class in how not to diffuse a scandal. None of his usual distraction tactics have stuck, leading him to amp up the content level from trivial to nearcriminal, and making him look more and more desperate — and guilty.
And now, other Republicans are feeling the heat, so much so that House Speaker Mike Johnson sent members home a week early for their summer recess to avoid insistent calls from Democrats (and some Republicans) for the Justice Department to release its Epstein files.
Johnson hopes that by September all of this will just go away, but that doesn’t seem likely. An Economist/YouGov poll last week showed 69 percent of Americans think the federal government is hiding something about Epstein. And 81 percent of the public wants the complete Epstein files released. Eighty-one percent!
But Trump has one more thing he’s going to want you to think about instead: the soon-to-be-revealed (and edited) testimony of Epstein’s pedophile partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, currently doing 20 years in federal prison. The assumption by most observers is that, in exchange for a pardon from Trump, Maxwell’s testimony will conveniently reveal a number of prominent Epstein clients — with one notable exception. It’s Trump’s latest attempt to divert the public’s attention from his Epstein mess. Don’t get distracted. Maxwell is a vile sex-trafficker, as guilty as her boyfriend. But as they used to say on The X-Files: “The truth is out there.”
COVER STORY
By Grace Landry
Twenty-one-year-old Emery Bascom lived in Memphis all her life, until moving away to attend Louisiana State University. When meeting new friends and planning hometown visits, Bascom was eager to show her friends around her city. However, she was o en met with a familiar response.
“ ere’s really only one reaction I ever get when I say I’m from Memphis,” Bascom said. “It’s always like ‘Oh, will I be safe there?’ or ‘Are we going to get shot?’ and I think that’s probably because of the way the news is in Memphis, which is hard sometimes.”
Bascom explained that while this preconceived notion of overwhelming violent crime, speci cally gun violence, can be frustrating to Memphis natives, she understands why it exists.
“I barely even watch the news anymore,” Bascom said. “Sometimes my parents have it on, but watching it makes it feel like everything in my hometown is worse than it is.”
When observing a traditional Memphis news cycle, it appears many Memphians may echo this frustration. Of three TV news stations, FOX13 Memphis, Action News 5, and WREG Memphis; print news outlet e Commercial Appeal; and the online news source the Daily Memphian, local gun violence was a commonly recurring topic in a recent seven-day period.
A PERCEPTION PROBLEM
The media often perpetuates fear in crime reporting — local journalists aim to correct that.
Despite widespread frustration from residents of Memphis with overwhelming crime coverage in the news, speci cally related to gun violence, crime rates actually fell from 2023 to 2024. e
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) reported that more than 110,000 major crimes were reported in Memphis last year, less than 2023’s record-breaking high of 124,000 reports. Within this, gunrelated violent incidents also decreased 3.4 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to the Memphis-Shelby Crime Commission.
Traditional media coverage of gun violence in Memphis dominates the news cycle and perpetuates a narrative that is overwhelmingly negative. is is leading Memphis journalists to reconsider how they report on these shootings and how it a ects Memphians.
IF IT BLEEDS, IT LEADS
“You also have to think about how crime can be down 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, even 10 percent compared to a prior year, but people won’t really see that until they stop hearing the sirens in their neighborhood,” e
Commercial Appeal criminal justice reporter Lucas Finton said. “ ey won’t hear that until you can turn on the 6 o’clock news and the rst four stories aren’t shootings or some sort of crime. Media is part of doing that.”
Finton graduated from the University of Memphis in 2022 with a degree in
Lucas Finton
journalism and strategic media. He has worked at e Commercial Appeal for the past four years.
“When you throw out crime story a er crime story, it feels as though crime is at an all-time high and getting worse,” Finton said. “ at tends to warp someone’s perception into something that it’s not. It makes the reality of crime, and especially gun violence, feel wrong to readers, so they get confused. It’s hard to put two things in context at the same time, of crime still being high but also going down.”
Daily Memphian courts and public safety reporter Aarron Fleming has seen how their coverage of crime impacts the
public’s view of gun violence in Memphis.
“Our homicides are down, property crime is down, all these things have been going down for a little bit now, but when you highlight every single shooting and when people see that shootings are constantly in the news, they are not going to feel like crime is down,” Fleming said. “It is a perception issue. ey aren’t going to believe the numbers and the data when they see it in the news constantly. People don’t feel safe despite what the numbers say.”
e phrase “If it bleeds, it leads” was popularized towards the end of the 19th century by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst. When covering the Spanish-American War, Hearst relied on sensationalizing the war’s drama and violence to compete with other newspapers at the time.
e timeworn adage still applies to national news coverage today. According to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey, Americans are more likely to seek out news and information about crime than about any other topic except the weather.
“We, as journalists, have to step away from the ‘if it bleeds, it leads’ philosophy and step into the emotional a ermath of how someone processes this. Put yourself and the reader in that person’s shoes,” Finton said.
Both Finton and Fleming have emphasized the importance of
PHOTO: ARIEL COBBERT | THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL
highlighting every victim in a story, providing appropriate and thorough context, and gathering as many perspectives as possible in their reporting.
“When we say something like, ‘A person was shot, and here’s where it happened,’ you can get a little numb to it and just feel like it happens all the time,” Fleming said. “Highlighting who the victims were, as hard as it may be, can really kind of break through that and show the impact that these things are really having on people.”
Both reporters agreed that part of ghting against the overwhelmingly
negative media narrative surrounding gun violence in Memphis is that not every shooting can or should be covered. Finton explained that there were 398 homicides in the city of Memphis in 2023, and their newsroom cannot cover them all. So there must be certain thresholds or discretion used when deciding which cases to put into the media landscape.
“It’s a terrible example, but we aren’t going to cover the guy shot in the kneecap,” Fleming said. “We really try to focus on the ones that are going to impact the community and not just ones that aren’t putting public safety at risk.”
REALITY VS. REPORTING
Angie Golding, communications specialist at Regional One Health, says over half of her daily calls are from various news sources asking about shooting victims at the hospital.
“ e reality is that [shootings] are not as common as you would think they are by watching the news,” Golding said. “ at is something that is reported on a lot, or lots of stories are told about, but they’re not telling the stories about someone that was in a car accident or other sorts of trauma.”
Indeed, gunshots are only the third leading type of injury in the Elvis Presley Trauma Center within Regional One Health, accounting for only 19 percent of cases brought in.
“I do think that the media contributes
that are happening. So there’s this larger narrative all the time and this feeling among residents that crime is constantly going up every year because it feels like every year it is covered more and more.”
MLK50 is a nontraditional Memphis newsroom focused on accountability and serving the working class people of Memphis — the people that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have been aligned with if he were alive today.
With that in mind, MLK50 public safety reporter Brittany Brown said, “I am not covering a shooting that happened at a gas station because our local news outlets are covering that, and it contributes, to a degree, to this existing narrative of fear in Memphis, where people live in fear of their own communities.”
Brown believes one of the biggest issues in reporting on gun violence is that each instance is o en treated like a one-o , focusing on the individual, which can contribute to a narrative that some communities are more susceptible to engaging in this behavior than others.
a little bit to sensationalizing shootings, but I don’t blame the media for that at all because the media is taught ‘if it bleeds, it leads,’” Golding said. “ ey are looking for that kind of story, so there’s more interest in it for that reason.”
is is a common struggle in local Memphis newsrooms. Although the oversaturation of gun violence stories in the media can fatigue the local audience and drive a narrative of crime in the city, it still tends to get the most engagement and interest from viewers.
“[ e news] is very crime-heavy because, for some reason, that does really sell more, and it is why crime coverage is important to news outlets. It drives a lot of tra c,” Finton said. “But, especially in Memphis, there’s a disproportionately high number of crime stories to the crimes
“[MLK50] gets me out of that routine of just going from incident to incident and really being able to connect the dots and see the bigger picture, which I think is what journalism should really be, especially today because we are all ooded with so much information,” Brown said.
However, Brown acknowledged that not every newsroom and reporter has the ability to esh out every story with this much thoroughness due to deadlines and requirements for breaking news.
“ e newsroom that I’m in gives me the exibility to approach reporting with that level of care, which I appreciate. And I think it’s really necessary to get us outside of what has almost become a formulaic approach to coverage of an incident when someone has been killed by the police, no matter the dynamics, because they have become so common in our popular media narrative,” Brown said. “Same with mass shootings, they become almost sensationalized in these very formulaic ways: the shock and the trauma, thoughts and prayers, a big attorney, maybe something incrementally changes, and then it dies down until the next horri c incident happens.”
At the same time, Brown emphasizes the importance of being present in the community of Memphis, especially in times of tragedy, in order to fully understand the social context and foster trust within the local communities.
“Building relationships is vital, especially in Memphis because there is a lot of fear, distrust, and stando shness with the media, and I understand it now because there are a lot of reasons for that,” Brown said. “I was able to be present and use my own common sense as a human being rst, not being an objective journalist, because objectivity does not exist. Fairness, truth, and
continued on page 14
CHART: PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Americans’ experiences with local crime news
PHOTO: MARK WEBER | THE DAILY MEMPHIAN Aarron Fleming
PHOTO: WILEY BROWN STUDIOS FOR MLK50: JUSTICE THROUGH JOURNALISM Brittany Brown
CRIME AND PUBLIC SAFETY
by Toby Sells
So how do we here at the Memphis Flyer cover crime?
It’s a good question and one to which I should know the answer. I am mostly responsible for our news coverage, but it’s always been collaborative. Years working with my colleagues in the Flyer newsroom have given me a certain set of norms, a loose structure, and a few lines we decided never to cross again. But I wanted a more formal answer to this question, so I asked for help.
A little context here. We are our city’s alternative newsweekly. at means a lot of things. But it certainly means we’re not Memphis’ “paper of record.” at means we’re not the nal authority on everything that happens in Memphis. We’re boutique, hyper-local, and specialized — Sugar Ghost, not Baskin-Robbins.
We don’t have the resources nor responsibility to cover every crime, every arrest, and every verdict. We leave all of that in the capable hands of our two daily news outlets and four local television stations.
We do have a responsibility to our readers to cover crime responsibly. at is simply a bottom-line agreement we as a community voice have with folks who trust us to be good stewards of the power of the press.
As an unabashedly progressive newsroom, we leaned into change early. Our former editor Bruce VanWyngarden decided we’d quit running mug shots at a time when those mug shot magazines were all over every gas station in town. We also decided to remove old stories of arrests from our website on request, if the person had been found not guilty. If the person’s name had been cleared by the courts, we wanted to clear it with Google, too. Our current editor Shara Clark has le those guidelines in place, added more, and supports our e orts to change and improve.
We’ve also kept a watchful eye on how the rest of the Memphis media have reported on crime. Back in 1996, our reporters watched local TV news to gauge the prevalence of “bleeds it leads” stu . We did it again in 2017, when we found that local, evening TV news shows devoted about half of their running time to stories about violence, criminal activity, and disaster. Half.
Historically, our crime reporting has been spotty. If there was a crime story that felt important, unique, or down-right weird (like the trucker who “inadvertently” traded a trailer full of lunch meat to two men for crack cocaine), we’d run it. On the ip side of that, we’d also publish stats from the Memphis-Shelby County Crime Commission. Pure data and correct context still means a lot to us in this post-truth world we live in.
In the wake of the beating death of Tyré Nichols, Chris McCoy gave readers an honest look at the Memphis Police Department (MPD) with two powerful cover stories — “What’s Wrong With the MPD?” and “How Do We Fix the MPD?” Last December, McCoy, Kailynn Johnson, and myself scoured the Department of Justice report on MPD’s excessive force to take you “Inside the MPD.” Many of those details were brutal, gut-wrenching, terrifying, and dark. But our inherent guidelines on covering crime meant that we owed our readers reporting that refused to look away.
So we had a collage of guidelines, best practices, themes, and a general tenor of how we covered crime. But I wanted to make sure our way was, indeed, the correct way. anks to the nancial support of our company’s leadership, the Flyer’s small newsroom enrolled in the Poynter Institute’s program called “Transforming Local Crime Reporting Into Public Safety Journalism.”
One of the rst things we learned was that we should rethink “crime,” as the name of the course implies. “Public safety” is police, courts, jail, and all the rest. But we learned it’s also schools, the environment, healthcare, and anything else that requires our governments and their o cials to keep our community safe.
In our courses, we decided that we have basically been on the right track, especially with our MPD stories. Some of that, though, is just from our freedom to cover whatever we want. We’re not trying to scoop the other guys on every crime, arrest, and outrage. When we cover crime, we try to approach it from the side of the community, in order to hold government accountable — not the other way around.
e Poynter folks asked those in the program to come up with a mission statement, a sort of formal agreement with those we serve. Here’s what we’ve come up with so far:
“At the Memphis Flyer, we promise to nd and report the crime trends that shape our community on a regular basis. We will present our ndings un ltered and put them into context so you can understand the trends.
“We will attempt to compare Memphis crime trends to other areas. We hope these comparisons will give you a real-world context to see if Memphis public safety agencies are e ectively carrying out their duties, or if there are things we can learn from other law enforcement agencies.
“We will bring you independent, expert analysis to help our readers understand the public safety situation in our city and how it impacts their lives.”
continued from page 13
accuracy exist, but this idea that I am supposed to be this unemotional, nonfeeling, kind of like ‘God’s eye,’ objectivetype of journalist is just not true. We are people. We have brains. We have life experiences, and we have things that brought us to this moment.”
Brown graduated from the University of Mississippi with a B.A. in journalism in 2019 and worked at Mississippi Today and Mississippi Public Broadcasting before moving to Memphis to work at MLK50. She emphasized the importance of prioritizing mental health in this line of work, where you are o en exposed to some of the most horrible parts of our society.
COVERING CRIME
Brown shared that she had to take a step back from working in news by the middle of 2023 following her initial reporting on the death of Tyré Nichols due to police brutality in Memphis.
“I thought that I was doing a good job of being able to compartmentalize my own identity from the job, and I think those lines got blurred along the way,” Brown said. “A lot of times, as journalists, we’re doing this public-facing work because we care about it. We take that work home with us, and for me, it had kind of become my identity like ‘I’m a journalist,’ and I had to realize I am Brittany rst. I am a Black biracial woman living in this country. I had to take a step back and have a come-toJesus moment with myself about doing this work.”
Finton concurred that mental health is key, as crime reporters are so o en faced with many cases in rapid succession, each one confronting them with tragedy and its human a ermath.
“You really have to open yourself up, and that’s why I think it is important to do those stories but to also give yourself some time to acknowledge that you have to take care of yourself rst,” Finton said. “Journalists are human beings; we do have feelings, even though we cover a lot of horrible stu . It’s really
important to take care of yourself a er those moments. But you kind of have to gure that balance out yourself. No one can tell a reporter when to or not to open themselves up to a source.”
is idea of trauma-informed journalism is now being addressed at the national level by organizations like the Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting (PCGVR). e PCGVR trains journalists to advance more ethical, empathetic, and impactful news, which includes promoting evidence-based, solutions-oriented, community-informed, data-informed, and trauma-informed reporting.
“Once you understand that everybody that you are reporting on has been through extensive trauma, it makes sense to begin from a position of empathy and try to connect with them as human beings rather than just jumping straight to the incident,” PCGVR founder and director Jim MacMillan said. “Start with who they are, how they’re feeling, and what they need.”
AN EMPATHETIC APPROACH
MacMillan founded PCGVR a little over ve years ago. He worked in Philadelphia newsrooms for 17 years, covering 2,000 shootings over that time — about 10 percent of the more than 20,000 Philadelphians involved in gun violence during this period.
“ e idea is that accurate reporting informs people to take civic action, whether they vote, run for o ce, or support a candidate,” MacMillan said. “ e action is up to them. We collaborate with journalists, researchers, and the survivor community to advance more empathetic, ethical, and impactful reporting. Impactful reporting is the part that could lead to policy change.”
While still in its early stages, PCGVR has been successful in completing various research projects, webinars, and a guide to reporting gun violence responsibly, informing the public without sensationalizing or dehumanizing the victims.
“We see a movement growing,” MacMillan said. “We see interest in
Gun violence news in Memphis
CHART: GRACE LANDRY; CHART TEMPLATE: FLOURISH TEAM
CHART: COURTESY PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Percentage of U.S. adults who get news about select local topics
the community. We see interest from journalists, and we see examples of new best-practice reporting. I just can’t say that we’ve done the work yet to demonstrate a trend. It’s anecdotal until we do.”
One example of this movement is the nation’s only newsroom solely dedicated to reporting on gun violence, e Trace.
“So o en, the type of coverage and the type of media that people consume is local TV news, and a lot of that, just because of the nature of TV news, focuses on individual shootings, individual violent crime, and it is kind of a churn of what shootings happened, but there is no discussion of long-term trends, people trying to make a di erence, and that kind of stu ,” e Trace reporter Chip Brownlee said.
e Trace aims to combat this by focusing all of their stories on both gun violence and possible solutions, informing the public and challenging the narrative that this is an insurmountable problem. is includes covering not only the actual crime but also things like public safety partnerships and local community organizations doing work to address these issues. By providing this sort of balance in news coverage, people are able to better understand the broader picture and context of gun violence.
e Trace recently started a Gun Violence Data Hub, which is an e ort to collect data and context they can then provide to local newsrooms that might be understa ed, in order to help them have adequate resources to cover these issues.
“I think all of that is really important because those local outlets, your smalltown newspapers, your local TV news,
those are the outlets that are most trusted by people,” Brownlee said. “ ey are the closest to them, and if those places are struggling to cover an issue that has an impact all the way up the chain, that’s really important to address.”
And sta ng shortfalls are very real. According to the Pew Research Center, employment in newsrooms fell 26 percent from 2008 to 2021. Even if reporters want to do more holistic and thorough reporting on every case, sta ng restraints can o en make this a di cult goal.
“We [ e Commercial Appeal] are the oldest paper in Memphis, but we are also a very small newsroom right now,” Finton said. “Currently, our metro news team has two reporters. So we just can’t cover everything.”
However, with an uptick in resources for reporters that are covering gun violence, Brown is hopeful that current and future reporters can set a new standard for how gun violence should be portrayed in the media, speci cally in Memphis. Brown even explained that she keeps a packet from e Trace in her bag at all times, and she o en receives emails or check-ins from the PCGVR about stories that are happening.
“While there are less people doing the work, the people who are currently doing the work are doing it with a really important set of values,” Brown said. “ at, I think, will actually kind of set a new pace for how gun violence needs to be told.”
Grace Landry, from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, is a senior at the University of Mississippi pursuing a dual degree in journalism and political science.
steppin’ out
We Recommend: Culture, News + Reviews
Sing It!
By Morgan Thomas
If you’re looking for a fun and relaxing time a er you get from work, Whet ursday at the Metal Museum is the place to go. A summer tradition at the Metal Museum for eight years, Whet ursdays are lled with art, music, community, and free admission to the museum.
is month’s Whet ursday event is Karaoke on the Blu . A full karaoke setup with top hits, pop, rock, and other genres will be open to all to sing along to. Entertainment will be provided by Karaoke of Love with Tevin, a local DJ that frequents Young Avenue Deli in Midtown. As special events manager Nina Allen-Johnson says, “Come out for a good time to sing and watch people sing while enjoying the view of the blu .” Prizes will be awarded for the best performances with gi s from the museum gi shop. Hands-on activities such as wire wrapped guitar pick jewelry and beaded hair pins will also be available to do. Everyone is welcome to come as they are or dressed up for the event.
Warm up your vocal pipes for this month’s Whet ursday.
ere will be delicious food from Bay’s Wings and ings food truck and drinks from e Tipsy Tumbler. Plus, attendees will be able to enjoy metalsmithing demonstrations and explore the museum’s exhibitions and permanent collection. On display now are “Light As Air,” which illustrates ways in which artists defy gravity using metal, and “Leah Gerrard: Longline,” featuring works by the museum’s latest “Tributaries” artist.
If you can’t make this Whet ursday, don’t fret; the Metal Museum has two more Whet ursdays this summer. On August 28th, the museum will host Beats on the Blu , promising a thrilling DJ battle experience. en, on September 25th, the museum will host a themed event inspired by the spirit of Memphis, called 901 on the Blu . For more information on Whet ursdays, visit metalmuseum.org/whet-thursday.
WHET THURSDAY: KARAOKE ON THE BLUFF, METAL MUSEUM, 374 METAL MUSEUM DRIVE, THURSDAY, JULY 31ST, 5-8 P.M.
VARIOUS DAYS & TIMES July 31st - August 6th
e 3rd Annual Liars Ball
eatreWorks @ e Square, 2085 Monroe Avenue, Friday-Saturday, August 1-2, 8 p.m., 18+ e Blu City Liars retake the stage at eatreWorks for one of their most exciting shows — e Liars Ball! It’s a two-for-one bill as you have the Liars improvising for your delight as well as live musicians to accompany and inspire them.
On Friday, Seize and Desist brings an angry, soulful exploration into what hardcore punk was, is, and can be.
On Saturday, Musclegoose tears it up with irreverent punk madness.
Feast on the Farm Agricenter International, 7777 Walnut Grove, Saturday, August 2, 6-10:30 p.m., $125 Join Agricenter International for Feast on the Farm, its annual fundraising event, with proceeds supporting their mission to foster growth, innovation, and handson education in our community. Enjoy a country-chic evening lled with chef-cra ed local cuisine, live music, and live and silent auctions featuring unique and coveted items. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for cocktails and the start of the silent auction.
“B.B. King in Memphis” Exhibit Stax Museum of American Soul Music, 926 East McLemore Avenue, through October 19
On Labor Day Weekend 1982, B.B. King performed at Memphis’ thennew Mud Island Amphitheater, closing out its inaugural week with a powerful late-night set. Photographer Alan Copeland documented the moment in stunning black-and-white images — 12 of which, scanned directly from the original negatives, will be publicly displayed for the rst time at the Stax Museum.
e exhibit includes a curated jukebox in the Stax Museum lounge featuring music from the 1982 set list and rare live-on-air audio from the WDIA archives.
PHOTO: COURTESY METAL MUSEUM
MUSIC By Alex Greene
Jazz Generations
Johnny Yancey’s Power to the People Orchestra will feature teen vocalist Gabby Cain.
A
s the rst day of August turns to dusk on Friday this week, a remarkable ensemble blending some of the city’s most revered musical veterans with some of its youngest players will appear at e Green Room at Crosstown Arts. e former category will be well-represented by the bandleader, Johnny Yancey, who’s led his Power to the People Orchestra for 20-odd years now, but the youngest players get top billing as well, represented by featured artist Gabby Cain, a junior at White Station High School.
As with the champion Central High School Jazz Band, who claimed the title of best high school band in the world at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington contest this spring, the factor uniting both young and old is jazz. Not to mention Duke Ellington, as his towering presence loomed over the very creation of Yancey’s group, originally called the Sanctuary Jazz Orchestra.
“Over 20 years ago,” says Yancey, “there was a Duke Ellington tribute at the [National] Civil Rights Museum, and we had to form a Memphis Ellington band for the ceremony. A friend of mine, Tim Turner, rest his soul, said, ‘Johnny, man, you ought to start a band and keep this going!’ So a year later, probably like 2001, we started the orchestra, trying to piece together everything. And I had a lot of older musicians at that time.”
Yancey, with a half-century of experience in the Memphis music scene, was the perfect choice to lead a 17-piece combo modeled on the somewhat endangered form of the big band orchestra, as he con dently straddles the worlds of modern jazz and its predecessors.
It all started with his older brother. “My brother was an alto saxophone player, back in the ’60s. He was ve years older than me, and I looked up to him. He played at Porter Junior High, and one of his friends also played alto, but his brother played trumpet. I was a little boy. ey stayed on our street, and I would pass by their house, where they had the front door open, practicing on the trumpet. I didn’t know what it was at that time, but I said, ‘ at is what I want to play!’ So when
I got to junior high school, it was trumpet, and I’ve been playing it ever since.”
Once he’d made it to Southside High School, he played in the marching band but also began learning about something he’d never heard before: jazz. “Our band director was James Keys, and he kind of introduced us to jazz,” says Yancey.
“He was playing this Miles Davis album called Kind of Blue, and I said, ‘Who’s the trumpet player? It sounds like he’s playing the wrong notes.’ [laughs] I didn’t know anything about jazz, or that Miles was one of the greatest players in history.”
Mr. Keys’ record collection aside, the school had no jazz program for most of Yancey’s time there, but the music was in the air, and irrepressible.
“I remember we couldn’t play any jazz! It’s interesting, the high school director let us listen to jazz, but he wouldn’t let us play any tunes in the practice room.”
Yet there was an upper classman there who would open up the jazz world to the young Yancey: legendary Memphis pianist Donald Brown. “We spent two years together there
at Southside. And just to know him in high school, he was a genius level because he would write a whole band chart based on popular hits at that time, like Isaac Hayes. We won the marching band contest three years straight, though by the last year he had gone on to the University of Memphis. So that was a really great experience.”
Brown and Yancey stayed close even when Brown attended U of M. “He went to Memphis State [as it was then known] and met James Williams and Mulgrew Miller, and those are some great guys. So I told Donald, ‘Teach me.’ So we got together, and, you know, I was kind of slow, but I caught on. I’m still trying to. It’s never-ending, learning music.”
“If you want to learn something, teach it,” goes the aphorism, and nothing reveals Yancey’s commitment to learning more than his commitment to music education, which he’s done plenty of with the Memphis Jazz Workshop (MJW). Since it was founded in 2017 by Stephen M. Lee, the MJW has become a tremendous force for good in training the city’s next generation of jazz players. As Central’s band director, Ollie Liddell, noted at the New Daisy eatre when the city gathered
to celebrate his band’s win at Lincoln Center, the MJW has “been with these kids every step of the way.”
And so Yancey took a special pride when Central’s lead trumpet, Kingston Grandberry, won recognition at Lincoln Center as an “Outstanding Soloist.” Yancey himself had helped teach Grandberry, but through the MJW, Yancey’s also tuned into to other students. And that brings us to Gabby Cain, who sings and plays piano with the MJW.
“Gabby is great!” enthuses Yancey.
“We just had a rehearsal yesterday, and she’s singing on seven or eight tunes. We’re trying to feature her on stu like ‘Bye Bye Blackbird,’ ‘How Sweet It Is,’ and ‘Lonely Woman’ by the great Ornette Coleman.”
at’s not your typical high school fare, and, as Yancey describes working with her, it’s clear Cain is more devoted to jazz than most in her age cohort. And, Yancey says, they’re well-rehearsed, thanks to home improvements that better accommodate larger band gatherings. “My wife actually converted the garage into a music room, and that’s been really nice,” he says, adding with a grin, “You could call us a garage band, actually.”
PHOTO: APRIL ABDUL BAAQEE; (INSET) ERIKA CAIN
Johnny Yancey; (inset) Gabby Cain
Baunie and Soul
AFTER DARK: Live Music Schedule July 31 - August 6
Tuesday, Aug. 5, 7-11 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE BLUES HALL
Blues Trio
Saturday, Aug. 2, noon | Sunday, Aug. 3, noon | Wednesday, Aug. 6, 4 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Earl “The Pearl” Banks
Tuesday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Eric Hughes
ursday, July 31, 7-11 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
Flic’s Pics Band
Saturday, Aug. 2, 4 p.m. |
Sunday, Aug. 3, 2 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
FreeWorld
Friday, Aug. 1, 7-11 p.m. |
Saturday, Aug. 2, 7-11 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
FreeWorld
Sunday, Aug. 3, 8 p.m.
BLUES CITY CAFE
Memphis Soul Factory
ursday, July 31, 4 p.m. |
Sunday, Aug. 3, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Soul Street
Wednesday, Aug. 6, 7-11 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
The B.B. King’s Blues Club Allstar Band
Friday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m. | Monday, Aug. 4, 8 p.m.
B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB
Vince Johnson
Monday, Aug. 4, 6:30 p.m. |
Tuesday, Aug. 5, 6:30 p.m.
RUM BOOGIE CAFE
John Williams & the A440 Band
$10. ursday, July 31, 8 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
The Deb Jam Band
Tuesday, Aug. 5, 6 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
Van Duren ursday, July 31, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
MORTIMER’S
Zazerac Soul Jazz Trio
Saturday, Aug. 2, 8:30 p.m.
BOG & BARLEY
Andrew Flory – Solo theorbo “Giant of the Baroque”
Andrew Flory performs on a solo theorbo, a giant stringed instrument. Free. Sunday, Aug. 3, 3-4 p.m.
ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL FERB
Also featuring Jos.Heat (Bodywerk), Kurvball, Mirdo (Exile DJs), Rosamii. Friday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m.-2 a.m.
FLYWAY BREWING COMPANY
Richard Wilson
ursday, July 31, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
BUTTERIFIC BAKERY & CAFE
Elmo & the Shades Wednesday, Aug. 6, 7 p.m.
NEIL’S MUSIC ROOM
DayGlo Mourning, Septarian, and NecroFear
Saturday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Deborah Swiney Duo ursday, July 31, 6-9 p.m.
THE COVE
Devil Train
ursday, July 31, 9 p.m.
B-SIDE
Grave Next Door Friday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Jazz Jam with the Cove Quartet
Sunday, Aug. 3, 6-9 p.m.
THE COVE
Joe Restivo 4
Sunday, Aug. 3, noon.
LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM
Johnny Yancey and the Power to the People Orchestra
$20-$25. Friday, Aug. 1, 7:30 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Julia and Her Mane
Men: Live
Julia Cruz Magness and her band will leave you spellbound. $12. ursday, July 31, 6-7:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
Lee Bains with Mike Hewlett
ursday, July 31, 7 p.m.
HI TONE
Level Three
Wednesday, Aug. 6, 10 p.m.
LOUIS CONNELLY’S BAR
Marcella and Her Lovers
e long-awaited return of Marcella Simien’s band that hasn’t played Memphis in eight months. $25/general admission (advance), $30/general admission (door), $50/VIP (advance), $55/VIP (door). Saturday, Aug. 2, 7:30-10 p.m.
THE GREEN ROOM AT CROSSTOWN ARTS
Skinny’s Birthday Jam Weekend is annual tradition at Hi-Tone features an incredible lineup including 8BALL & MJG, DEAD SOLDIERS, HEELS, PREAUXX
PHOTO: COURTESY CROSSTOWN ARTS
Marcella Simien
and many more local favorites!
$23.50/Friday, $33.50/Saturday.
Friday, Aug. 1, 7 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
The Stolen Faces
A special Jerry Garcia birthday celebration. Saturday, Aug. 2, 10 p.m.
B-SIDE
With Junts Wide Open (Memphis’ Most Ridiculous Creed Cover Band)
Sunday, Aug. 3, 8 p.m.
HI TONE
Braxton Keith
$35.25/standing GA. Saturday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m.
GRACELAND SOUNDSTAGE
Ryan Adams
$45/reserved seating. Friday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m.
GRACELAND SOUNDSTAGE
Silversun Pickups
$35/standing GA. ursday, July 31, 8 p.m.
GRACELAND SOUNDSTAGE
Stax Music Academy Upcoming Audition Dates
Auditions for students in grades 6 to 12. Friday, Aug. 1, 3-5:30 p.m.
STAX MUSIC ACADEMY
Teen Fest 2025 is musical showcase presented is designed to give Memphians 12 to 17 an opportunity to display their talent through music. Saturday, Aug. 2, 7-9 p.m.
GLENVIEW HISTORIC DISTRICT
Richard Wilson Soulful Jazz and Blues Smooth vocals and soulful jazz grooves. Saturday, Aug. 2, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
CONGREGATION COFFEE
Hours of Operation: Mon-Wed 12pm-3am • Thurs 12pm-4am • Friday 12pm-5am Sat 4pm-5am • Sun 4pm-3am Happy Hour: 12pm-7pm
CALENDAR of EVENTS: July 31 - August 6
ART AND SPECIAL EXHIBITS
“100 Years in the Making: Collierville’s 1970 Centennial Celebration” rough photographs, artifacts, and stories, this exhibition highlights the grand festivities that marked 100 years of Collierville’s history. rough Sept. 6.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
“2024 Accessions to the Permanent Collection”
is series honors the new additions to the museum’s permanent collection each calendar year. rough Nov. 2.
METAL MUSEUM
ARTSmemphis:
“GRANTEDTime Exhibition”
An exhibit curated by Brittney Boyd Bullock, a visual artist working ber, mixed media, and abstraction. rough Aug. 5.
ARTSMEMPHIS
“B.B. King in Memphis” Exhibit
1982, B.B. King performed at the Mud Island Amphitheater. Photographer Alan Copeland documented the moment in these stunning black and white photographs. is year marks the great blues innovator’s centennial. rough Oct. 19.
STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC
“Bleeding Together – A Correspondence”
A collaboration between Andres Arauz, who specializes in photo collage, design, and photography, and Abby Meyers, a visual artist, poet, and award-winning lmmaker. rough Sept. 14.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
“Building a Bright Future: Black Communities and Rosenwald Schools in Tennessee”
e Tennessee State Museum brings the award winning temporary exhibit into every part of Tennessee. Davies Manor is thrilled to host this exhibit the farthest west it has ever been. rough July 31.
DAVIES MANOR HISTORIC SITE
“CREATE | CREA”
A dynamic space designed to spark creativity, curiosity, and hands-on exploration. is vibrant environment invites guests of all ages to dive into the creative process. rough Sept. 21.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
“Ernest Withers: I AM A MAN”
Ernest Withers’s famous photographs of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike illustrate the dignity of workers’ activism, which still feels inspirational decades later. rough Oct. 12.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
“[Fe]ATURED
AR[Ti]STS”
Works created and curated by sta members of the Metal Museum. Just as elements are the building blocks of artists’ materials, the museum is built on creativity, collaboration, and tradition. rough Sept. 14.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
“Horizon Lines”:
Anthony Lee, Matthew Lee, and Sowgand Sheikholeslami
Working independently west of Memphis in Arkansas, along the corridor of US Highway 61, these artists have each created bodies of work showcasing the unique characteristics of the region. rough Sept. 21.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Incognito Art Auction and Party
Explore a one-of-a-kind collection where mystery meets creativity; the artist behind each piece remains a secret until a er the auction closes. rough Aug. 1.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
“Landshaping: The Origins of the Black Belt Prairie”
Learn about the geologic event known as the Mississippi Embayment and its e ect on this region. Fossils and farm tools will be displayed alongside photographs by Houston Co eld. rough Oct. 12.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Libby Anderson Exhibit
Anderson has traveled from California to New York to learn from oil artists that she admires such as Carol Marine, Dreama Perry, and Karen O’Neill. Saturday, Aug. 2-Aug. 31.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
“Light as Air”
Explore the beauty in tension: a balance of forms, the contrast between heavy and light, and the signi cance of negative space. rough Sept. 7.
METAL MUSEUM
“Navigating Knowledge” is exhibition explores vessels and navigation as metaphors for the containment and transmission of knowledge. rough Oct. 31.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
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.
PHOTO: COURTESY GALLERY 1091
See works in various media by artists included in the annual “Rural Route” art tour curated by WKNO’s Gallery 1091.
“Overcoming Hateful Things” e exhibition contains over 150 items from the late 19th century to the present, including items from popular culture and images of violence against African American activists. rough Oct. 19.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Robert Rector: “Poetic Reconstructions”
Over his 50-year abstract painting career, Rector has explored the relationship between the natural environment and human experience through experimentation with surface treatments. rough Aug. 30.
DAVID LUSK GALLERY
Roseanne Wilson Exhibit
“I love to work in vibrant colors, capturing nature at its best,” says Wilson. “I have also begun working in a di erent medium, creating 3-D shadow box art.” rough July 31.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Rural Route Artists
Works in various media by artists included in the annual “Rural Route” art tour: Butch Boehm, Jimmy Crosthwait, Agnes Stark, Lizi Beard Ward, and the late Deborah Fagan Carpenter. Free. Sunday, Aug. 3-Aug. 29.
GALLERY 1091
Sean Nash: “Cosmic Produce”
Nash’s sculptural paintings from this series are hybrids that take their shaped forms from marine organisms, painted in vivid splashy and dappled colors, orders of magnitude larger than reality. rough Sept. 14.
TOPS AT MADISON AVENUE PARK
“Speaking Truth to Power: The Life of Bayard Rustin Exhibition”
“Speaking Truth to Power” explores Bayard Rustin’s innovative use of the “medium” to communicate powerful messages of nonviolence, activism, and authenticity. $20/adult, $18/senior, college student, $17/children 5-17. rough Dec. 31.
NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM
Summer Art Garden: “A Flash of Sun”
Immerse yourself in the radiant spirit of summer with these geometric sculptures that cast vibrant hues in the shi ing sunlight as you experience Khara Woods’s dazzling installation. Inspired by Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem, “Summer in the South.” rough Oct. 20.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
“Susan Watkins and Women Artists of the Progressive Era”
Centered on the career of Susan Watkins (1875–1913), the exhibition explores the environment in which Watkins and other female artists of the time forged their professional identities. rough Sept. 28.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Tad Lauritzen Wright: “Zen on the Installment Plan”
Contemplating humanity, nature, and repeated histories through photo abstractions and sculptural works constructed from salvaged wood. rough Sept. 14.
CROSSTOWN ARTS AT THE CONCOURSE
Tributaries: Leah Gerrard’s “Longline” Seattle-based fabrication artist Leah Gerrard, the museum’s newest Tributaries artist, shapes ethereal steel forms, blending basketry, jewelry, and large-scale pieces. Free. rough Sept. 14.
METAL MUSEUM
“Tyré Nichols: A Photographic Legacy”
A rare and intimate view of Nichols’ passion for capturing nature, urban landscapes, and quiet moments of everyday life. His images speak to his keen artistic eye and humanity. Tuesdays-Saturdays. rough Aug. 31.
JAY ETKIN GALLERY
“Unmuted”
Curated by University of Memphis graphic design professor Sanaz Feizi, this exhibit invites cisgender, transgender, and nonbinary members of the community to break the silence around menstruation. Participant-created masks o er a visual representation of menstruation informed by the research, o ering a powerful way to express identity, reclaim space, and give form to rarely spoken experiences. rough Aug. 23.
ART MUSEUM OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
ART HAPPENINGS
“Color Your World: A Summer of Creative Exploration” Art Show
A spectacular, all-ages showcase of artistic talent blossoming right here at the library. Friday, Aug. 1, 3-5:30 p.m.
BENJAMIN L. HOOKS CENTRAL LIBRARY
Opening Reception: Libby Anderson Exhibit Anderson has traveled from California to New York to learn from oil artists that she admires such as Carol Marine, Dreama Perry, and Karen O’Neill. Sunday, Aug. 3, 3-5 p.m.
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
Super SaturdaySuncatchers and Stained Glass
Capture sunlight in style this Super Saturday! Cra your own stunning sun catcher, inspired by exquisite stained glass artistry. All ages welcome! Free. Saturday, Aug. 2, 10 a.m.-noon.
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART
BOOK EVENTS
Club de lectura (Spanish Book Club)
Este club de lectura del Dixon les invita a compartir sus experiencias de lectura en español a través del título seleccionado del mes. Este mes: Laura Restrepo’s Delirio Tuesday, Aug. 5, 6-7 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Dixon Book Club is month’s selection: Love & Whiskey, by Fawn Weaver. Tuesday, Aug. 5, 6-7 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
continued on page 20
continued from page 19
Novel Manga Club
Gather with fellow readers to talk about everyone’s favorite elf mage in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Vol. 4-7. ursday, July 31, 7 p.m.
NOVEL
CLASS / WORKSHOP
Bonsai Workshop
Brussel Martin from Brussel’s Bonsai Nursery will cover complete maintenance and care of your own bonsai tree. Ages 16+. $85. Saturday, Aug. 2, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Lunchtime Meditations
Visit the Dixon for free meditation sessions every Friday. Friday, Aug. 1, noon12:30 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Teen & Adult Workshop: Through the Glass: Faith, Art & the Language of Light
A series of hands-on workshops on art, history, and self-expression in a fun, relaxed setting. ursday, July 31, 1:30-3 p.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIERVILLE HISTORY
Wire-Wrapped Guitar
Pick Jewelry
Make a pair of earrings, a pendant, or a keychain using wire, beads, and guitar picks. ursday, July 31, 5:30 p.m. | ursday, July 31, 7 p.m.
METAL MUSEUM
COMEDY
Comedy Night with Ben Pierce
Freewheeling hilarity on the open mic. ursday, July 31, 7 p.m.
BAR DKDC
Open-Mic Comedy
Open mic comedy, hosted by John Miller. Free to attend and sign up. See hitonecafe.com for more info. Free. Tuesday, Aug. 5, 7 p.m.
HI TONE
The 3rd Annual Liars Ball
It’s a two-for-one bill: e Liars improvise for your delight and live musicians accompany and inspire them. On Friday, Seize and Desist rede ne what hardcore punk was, is, and can be. On Saturday, Musclegoose brings irreverent punk madness. $12/advance ticket, $15/day of GA Ticket. Friday, Aug. 1, 8 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 2, 8 p.m.
THEATREWORKS OVERTON
COMMUNITY
Back to School Bash
Enjoy food, giveaways, a kid zone, and photo fun; 400+ backpacks will be given away on a rst-come, rst-served basis. Plus, enjoy a live DJ, trivia, games, mini challenges, and a youth dance.
Saturday, Aug. 2, 5-7 p.m.
GLENVIEW HISTORIC DISTRICT
CALENDAR: JULY 31 - AUGUST 6
When you attend this week’s screening of , the 1978 musical phenomenon will feature on-screen lyrics so you can sing along.
Back to School: Bridge to a Brighter Year
A full day of fun, with Walk/ Run the Mound, a talent showcase, kickball, and sack races, and a thousand free backpacks lled with supplies will be given away. Saturday, Aug. 2, 8 a.m.
MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES
ORANGE MOUND BRANCH
Explore Memphest
Do you love Memphis? Join the Memphis Public Library system in celebrating our city! Saturday, Aug. 2, 1-4 p.m.
MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Hollywood Feed Silent Auction for Rescues
Hollywood Feed facilitates this fundraiser for rescue animals. Visit hollywoodfeed.com.
ONLINE
DANCE
Country Swing Dance Lessons
It’s never too late to start and a partner is not required to join the class. Friday, Aug. 1, 7:30 p.m.
WHISKEY JILL’S
Dance Lessons
Swing lessons with Matt and Lara, then line dance lessons with Dancing with Boss Lady. ursday, July 31, 7:30 p.m.
WHISKEY JILL’S
Get Outside FitnessLine Dancing
Learn a variety of dance routines while enjoying the outdoors. is class is beginner-friendly, focusing on basic steps and choreography for popular songs, and can improve coordination and balance. Monday, Aug. 4, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Line Dancing with “Q”
Whether you’re a seasoned dancer or just learning the steps, “Q” will guide you through the moves and make it a night to remember.
Tuesday, Aug. 5, 6 p.m.
DRU’S BAR
EXPO/SALES
Ducks Unlimited Expo
A three-day consumer show where attendees can see exhibitions, seminars, and demonstrations, buy the latest in outdoor products, and talk with industry experts.
Friday, Aug. 1-Aug. 3.
RENASANT CONVENTION CENTER
Summer 2025 Memphis Bridal Show is expo is o ering free tickets for brides and up to ten guests. Free. Sunday, Aug. 3, 1-5 p.m.
AVON ACRES
FAMILY
Get Outside Fitness: KidoKinetics rough age-appropriate games and activities, young children build con dence, coordination, and a love for active play through a variety of sports in an encouraging, noncompetitive environment.
ursday, July 31, 5 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Get Outside Fitness: Kids Yoga
Kids yoga is designed to be fun and engaging, teaching basic yoga poses with playful names that build strength, exibility, balance, and mindfulness. Parents are welcome to join, too. Wednesday, Aug. 6, 5-6 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Pre-School Story Time
Enjoy stories, songs, art activities, and creative play that connect with Collierville history. Friday, Aug. 1, 10:3011:30 a.m.
MORTON MUSEUM OF COLLIER-
VILLE HISTORY
Safety Heroes Puppet Show
See the Les Passees Kids on the Block puppet show cover safety tips with a few safety heroes. is event is for the whole family. Tuesday, Aug. 5, 4-5 p.m.
MEMPHIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES
ORANGE MOUND BRANCH
Story Time at Novel
Recommended for children up to 5 years, Story Time at Novel includes songs and stories, featuring brand-new books in addition to wellloved favorites. Saturday, Aug. 2, 10:30 a.m. | Wednesday, Aug. 6, 10:30 a.m. NOVEL
Summerween Sip & Solve
For all Halloween enthusiasts and cozy vibe-seekers aged 6 and up, beat the heat by celebrating Summerween every ursday. ursday, July 31, 5-8 p.m.
COSSITT LIBRARY
FILM
Black Holes is planetarium show gives an overview of what black holes are, how they form, and what would happen if you fell inside one. rough Aug. 6, 2 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Forward to the Moon
A planetarium show about the Artemis program, NASA’s project to return to the moon, from landing humans on the surface, to building a space station in lunar orbit, to establishing a human lunar base. rough Aug. 31.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Grease
A high-energy screening of the beloved 1978 musical phenomenon, now in electrifying technicolor, complete with on-screen lyrics so you can sing every word right along with Danny and Sandy. Saturday, Aug. 2, 2-4 p.m.
ORPHEUM THEATRE
T. Rex: Greatest of All Tyrants
e most dazzling and accurate giant screen documentary ever made on this legendary predator — and its carnivorous Cretaceous cousins. rough Aug. 6, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
FOOD AND DRINK
Agricenter’s Feast on the Farm 2025
Join Agricenter International for Feast on the Farm, its annual fundraising event, with proceeds supporting their mission to foster growth, innovation, and hands-on education in our community.
Saturday, Aug. 2, 6 p.m.
AGRICENTER INTERNATIONAL, SHOWPLACE ARENA
Babalu Cocktail Mixer
Memphis Skies: What’s That in Our Night Sky?
Hop through constellations, learn cool star names, and groove to space music in this full-dome planetarium audiovisual experience. Find out more about “what’s up tonight” in just a few minutes than some people do in a lifetime. rough Aug. 31.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Met Summer Encore
2025: Lucia di Lammermoor
A dramma tragico in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based on Sir Walter Scott’s 1819 historical novel.
Wednesday, Aug. 6, 1 p.m.
MALCO PARADISO
Midweek Movie at Carriage Crossing | Pitch Perfect e lm based on Mickey Rapkin’s 2008 book, Pitch Perfect: e Quest for Collegiate a Cappella Glory. Free.
Wednesday, Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m.
CARRIAGE CROSSING
Sunset Boulevard 75th
Anniversary
A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded lm star determined to make a triumphant return in this Billy Wilder classic. Monday, Aug. 4, 7 p.m.
MALCO PARADISO
Superman e rst feature lm in the newly imagined DC universe. Written and directed by James Gunn, the lm stars David Corenswet as Superman. Friday, Aug. 1-Aug. 6, 3 p.m.
PINK PALACE MUSEUM & MANSION
Bites and beverages at this cocktail mixer presented in partnership with Buster’s Liquors. $40/tickets. Saturday, Aug. 2, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
BABALU
Canoes + Cocktails
A guided sunset paddle on the lake followed by specialty cocktails provided by Old Dominick, snacks from Che e’s, yard games, and music. A “cocktails only” ticket omits the paddling part. $35-$80. Friday, Aug. 1, 6 p.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market
A weekly outdoor market featuring local farmers (no resellers), artisans, and live music. Saturday, Aug. 2, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Dinner and Music
Cruise
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on Ol’ Man River featuring live entertainment (blues and jazz) and a meal. $50/general admission. ursday, July 31-Aug. 3, 7-9:30 p.m.
MEMPHIS RIVERBOATS
Jerry Day and Hazy Daze DDH IPA Release
Celebrate the new varieties with live music by Fresh Fruit Radio, Walt Phelan Band, Devil Train, and DJ Chris Rohling. Saturday, Aug. 2, 1-8 p.m.
CROSSTOWN BREWING COMPANY
Left Right Center
An easy-to-learn, fast-paced dice game. Grab a drink, roll the dice, and let the good times roll. Sunday, Aug. 3, 2 p.m.
DRU’S BAR
Memphis Farmers Market
A weekly outdoor market featuring local farmers and artisans, live music, and fun activities. Saturday, Aug. 2, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
MEMPHIS FARMERS MARKET
PHOTO: COURTESY THE ORPHEUM THEATRE GROUP
“Papa Bear Trivia” with Shawn
Bring your brainpower and your crew for a night of free trivia, testing your knowledge across a variety of topics and competing for bragging rights. Thursday, July 31, 7 p.m.
DRU’S BAR
Slider Sunday Sessions
Delay your Sunday scaries for a few more hours with curated DJ sets and drinks. Sunday, Aug. 3, 6-9 p.m.
SLIDER INN - DOWNTOWN
Water Wednesday Happy Hour Single Barrel Release
Join Protect Our Aquifer for an extra special Water Wednesday Happy Hour, where the nonprofit will release its very first single barrel whiskey with Old Dominick. Free. Wednesday, Aug. 6, 4-7 p.m.
OLD DOMINICK DISTILLERY
Whet Thursdays: Karaoke on the Bluff
Whether you’re a seasoned performer or a first-time singer, the mic is open to all. Enjoy delicious drinks, great company, and an atmosphere that encourages everyone to belt out their favorite songs. Thursday, July 31, 5-8 p.m.
METAL MUSEUM
HEALTH AND FITNESS
Get Outside Fitness: Mat Pilates
A full-body, low-impact workout that emphasizes dynamic core work to enhance strength, balance, and flexibility. The session is designed inclusively for everybody. Friday, Aug. 1, 4:30 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 2, 8 a.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Get Outside Fitness: Mental Fitness
Learn to relax your mind and prepare it to enter a meditative state by balancing the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Please bring a yoga mat and water. Saturday, Aug. 2, 10:30 a.m.
SHELBY FARMS PARK
Taijiquan with Milan Vigil
This Chinese martial art promotes relaxation, improves balance, and provides no-impact aerobic benefits. Ages 16 and older. Free. Saturday, Aug. 2, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
Wednesday Walks
Take a casual stroll around the Old Forest paved road! Wednesday, Aug. 6, 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, July 31, 6 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
LECTURE
Munch and Learn | Everything
Horticultural: Panel Discussion with the Experts
Enjoy lunch alongside this weekly lecture series featuring presentations by artists, scholars, and Dixon staff sharing their knowledge on a variety of topics. Wednesday, Aug. 6, noon-1 p.m.
THE DIXON GALLERY & GARDENS
PERFORMING ARTS
First Sunday Drag Bingo Drag Bingo every first Sunday of the month at the Hi-Tone! Sunday, Aug. 3, 3 p.m.
HI TONE
SPECIAL EVENTS
Building Wealth in Our Community Symposium - Black Chamber of Memphis
This two-day gathering brings together powerful voices to discuss strategies and innovative solutions across finance, entrepreneurship, and generational wealth-building. Thursday, July 31-Aug. 1.
New Autism PreSchool Grand Opening
Autism Centers of TN is a locally owned Autism Clinic that is opening a private preschool for children on the spectrum. Wednesday, Aug. 6.
AUTISM CENTERS OF TN
SPORTS
Wolf River Paddle: The “Lost Swamp Section”
Paddle one of the most inspirational sections of the Wolf River, “The Lost Swamp,” a Class 1 meandering water trail approximately six miles in length. Saturday, Aug. 2, 9 a.m.
WOLF RIVER CONSERVANCY
THEATER
Catch Me If You Can
New Day Children’s Theatre proudly presents a play based on the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., who runs away from home to begin an adventure seeking fame and fortune. Thursday, July 31, 7 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 1, 7 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 2, noon | Saturday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 3, 2 p.m.
HARRELL THEATRE
Hadestown: Teen Edition
See these talented teens take on this hard-hitting production. Directed by Christina Denise Hernandez, with stage manager Annie McLean, music director Adam Jeffrey, and choreographer Abbie Martin. Friday, Aug. 1, 7 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 2, 2 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 2, 7 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 3, 2 p.m.
THE SALVATION ARMY KROC CENTER
Jubilee
With spirituals and hymns of the Fisk Jubilee Singers like “Wade in the Water,” “Ain’t That Good News,” and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen,” this a cappella performance will thrill audiences. $35. Thursday, July 31, 7:30 p.m. | Friday, Aug. 1, 7:30 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 2, 2 p.m. | Saturday, Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m.
HATTILOO THEATRE
TOURS
GUEST HOUSE AT GRACELAND
The sightseeing cruise is a 90-minute tour that takes you down the Mighty Mississippi with a live historical commentary. $29.13/general admission. Friday, Aug. 1-Sept. 30. MEMPHIS RIVERBOATS CALENDAR: JULY 31 -
Backbeat Tours: Memphis Mojo Tour
A musical journey featuring Memphis’ greatest attractions. Experience rock-and-roll, blues, and a whole lotta soul on this city tour aboard the nation’s only music bus. All of the guides on this tour are professional Beale Street musicians who play and sing selections from the city’s rich musical heritage, while entertaining you with comedy, history, and behind-the-scenes stories of your favorite Memphis personalities. $35/adults, $33/ seniors, $20/children 5-12. Through Oct. 31.
BACKBEAT TOURS
Crossword
28 Snowfall unit
1 Green carving stone
5 Execs who handle the green
9 Brunch item often topped with sugar or fruit
14 Alternatives to lagers
15 Aid to accessibility
16 Word before “the bar” or “the boom”
17 ___ Blanc
18 Ones making written comments on text
20 Purchase something sight unseen
22 Prosecutors, for short
23 Big wind
24 Chinchilla or macaw, e.g.
32 “Cousin” of 1960s TV
33 Not deceived by
34 Battlefield renown
35 1984 mockumentary with a lot of ad-libbed dialogue
39 Anti-rust coatings 40 Smell 41 Unified 42 Smoothie berry
43 Danger of laboring outdoors in the summer 46 Panache
48 ___ Lingus
49 Icing on the cake … or a hint to 20-, 24-, 35- and 43-Across
56 Brain region linked to speech
57 What someone who’s never satisfied wants
58 Minaret, e.g.
59 “Me neither,” formally
60 Qatari leader
61 Sch. whose athletes are the Minutemen and Minutewomen
62 Pest control brand
63 “My b” DOWN
1 Frame component
2 Felipe or Moises of baseball
3 Refute
4 Nueva York or Dakota del Norte
5 Ocean Spray fruit snacks
6 Scary part of a wolf
7 Upscale hotel chain
8 Quick learner, say
9 Thunder sounds
10 Turn soil by machine
11 Furry “Star Wars” creature
12 Father, in France
13 Bustling hosp. locales
19 Stretched tight
21 Local dialect
24 System of moral values
Blues Tuesdays Backstage Experience Tour
Go behind the scenes of the historical site that’s not only played host to hundreds of legendary blues acts, but launched the infamous Memphis Country Blues Festival of the late 1960s. From Furry Lewis and Jesse Mae Hemphill, to Albert King, Sharde Thomas, Booker White, ZZ Top, Gary Clark Jr., and more, the stars who’ve stood on the Overton Park Shell stage are pioneers and protectors of an art form that built the foundation for the music city that is Memphis. $16. Tuesday, Aug. 5, 11 a.m. | Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2 p.m. | Tuesday, Aug. 5, 4 p.m.
OVERTON PARK SHELL
Sightseeing Cruise
25 Singer Aguilera’s nickname
26 Abbr. for change
Quickly attach, as a top to a
Arts and ___
Names, briefly
“[sigh] ... We just dealt with this”
Say “Talk to the hand, ’cause the face ain’t listenin’,” say
Release from one’s clutches
PUZZLE BY ROSS TRUDEAU
We Saw You.
with MICHAEL DONAHUE
Asian Night Market was a success, says Nhu Quynh Tran, president of the Vietnamese American Community (VAC), which has organized the market since 2023.
“I think it was a great success,” she says. “And it was heartwarming to see Memphis show up to support us despite the extreme heat.”
Temperature was in the 90s at the event, which was held July 19th outside at Agricenter International. “We had about 9,000 to 9,500 attendees.”
More than 100 vendors took part in the event, which included martial arts demonstrations, live music, and cultural dances from multiple backgrounds. “ is year featured more vendors and activities for kids than the previous two years.”
PHOTOS: MICHAEL DONAHUE above: Legend, Laura Sullivan, and Wisdom circle: Jimmy “Sushi Jimmi” Sinh below: (le to right) John Dinh, omas Truong, Meghan Bayani, Eliza Mahinay, and Iris Mahinay; Mayor Paul Young and Zoe Young; Jonathan De Jesus and Claudia Chisolm bottom row: (le to right) Kelly Daniele, Alessandra Daniele, Justin So er, and Tony Daniele; Soren Johnson and Coleman Russell
above: Annika Ekstrom, Vivian Ekstrom, Averell Mondie, and Mersadies Burch circle: Eric Heo
below: (le to right) Trey Jones, Andres Ra ety, and Lenny Guy; Quynh Tran; Miller Sykes and Sophie Chertow; Cameron Petersen and Hailey Micic right row: (top and below) Kristy Glassman, Hal Glassman, Justin Taylor, Lauren Taylor, Mary Catherine Moore, and Zack Moore; Meaghan and Marcelo de Oliveira bottom le : Nancy, Jim, and Brittney Hagmaier
FOOD By Michael Donahue
The Return of Hotel Pontotoc
Historic building gets new life and new bar/restaurant.
t was fate that Joseph Lewis and Tony Kuhn would one day own Hotel Pontotoc. e boutique hotel and bar/restaurant e Dame will open mid-August at 69 Pontotoc Avenue.
For years, Lewis and Kuhn, lifelong friends and fellow soccer players, loved the circa 1906 building known as Hotel Pontotoc in Downtown Memphis. ey just didn’t know they both loved the same building.
“ is building was my favorite building in Memphis,” says Lewis, who also owns e Medicine Factory, an event space housed in a 1916 building. He even told his wife, “Some way, we’re going to own the Pontotoc hotel building.”
“I’ve always loved this building,” says Kuhn, a former Memphian who now is president of Flywheel Group, an urban redevelopment group in Charlotte, North Carolina. “My grandmother was born in Pontotoc, Mississippi. I fell in love with this building the rst time I saw it.”
Several years ago, Kuhn told Lewis, “Hey, I’ve got a project for us to do together. is old hotel in Memphis.”
en, Kuhn added, “ is is a historic building Downtown on this street called Pontotoc.”
Lewis responded, “Is this a joke? You know about this building?”
Kuhn responded, “Twenty years ago I put a card on the door and asked them if they were ever willing to sell.”
In 2021, Kuhn discovered that the building, which was owned by Leigh Davis, was for sale. “I found out a contract for it fell through. She might be willing to sell. I started talking to her.”
Other people were interested in the building, but Davis sold it to Lewis and Kuhn in 2022.
ey learned it was built in 1906 as a small upscale hotel with Turkish baths. It catered to the riverboat men and railroad workers from nearby Central Station. It had several names, including the Amanda and Belmont, before becoming the Pontotoc in 1916.
In later years the building housed a bordello, which, Lewis believes, was a nicer version of a brothel. e Pontotoc is said to be where Elvis lost his virginity. And it was purportedly the brothel depicted in William Faulkner’s novel
e Reivers and the 1969 movie based on the book.
“ en in the ’30s, the Touliatos family bought it. George Sr. And under their ownership they made it back into a family-style hotel. Apparently, it was a pretty big Greek gathering place here
in Memphis.”
e Touliatos family also owned the old Front Street eatre, which was not far away in the basement of the old Hotel King Cotton.
e Pontotoc building was vacant for a while until the Davises bought it as their residence in 1980. ey also owned a recording studio which was housed in the basement, where e Dame is now located.
e building was in “very, very bad shape” when they bought it, Lewis says. “It was in far worse shape than we thought.”
ey had to remove asbestos and lead paint, raise the basement ceiling, and replace ooring, which was sitting on rotted sill plates that made the oors “all crazy, uneven and buckled.”
Some oors didn’t even have boards. “ ere were parts of the oor upstairs you wouldn’t have wanted to put a toe on.”
Lewis and Kuhn wanted to keep as much of the original building as possible, like the plaster walls, though architects told them to “strip out everything.”
“ at’s not what we wanted to do,” Lewis says, adding, “We tried to keep as much of this building as we possibly could.”
It took them three years to renovate the place. “Almost the rst year was putting this thing back together where it was structurally sound enough to get in there,” Kuhn says.
“It was new windows, new oors,” Lewis says. “Putting Humpty Dumpty back together.”
But, he says, “ e idea was always to make this into a boutique hotel, bar/ restaurant, and a cool outdoor patio.”
e spacious patio area on the west
e century-old hotel is set to reopen with renovated rooms.
chandelier. “A cool conversation piece,” Lewis says.
The new outdoor sign for “The Dame” hangs on an original post from the 1900s. A sign bearing the hotel’s name was originally attached to the post.
side of the hotel includes room for a stage as well as a grassy area. It also features towering shade trees. “What we call ‘big nature trees.’ You don’t have big trees in an urban setting.”
e hotel had “up to 30 rooms” at one point, but Lewis and Kuhn wanted a more intimate hotel. Hotel Pontotoc now includes seven suites and three studios.
ey both knew Ann Parker of Parker Design Studio was going to be Hotel Pontotoc’s designer. All three shared the same vision.
ere were “so many layers of visual history” at Hotel Pontotoc, Parker says. “We had already had some conversations about what range of decades we were going to focus on. And how are we going to hone in.”
e wallpaper peeling o the walls was one of the inspirations, she says. “Seeing layers behind it, that kind of spoke to us.”
Each room has a di erent theme, which is indicated by the room number. For instance, the number “1906” refers to when Hotel Pontotoc was built.
“We were subtle,” Lewis says. But, he adds, “ ere are a lot of nods to Memphis.”
e wallpaper is purple and orange, which is “a nod to FedEx.” And, he says, “One of the room’s wallpaper has this ivy looking feel to it. And that’s a nod to what the building looked like when we bought it.”
e building was covered with ivy, he says.
ey kept a lot of items, including an old organ that may or may not have originally been in the lobby, a pinball machine, a picture of a woman, and a wooden bed that they converted to a
ey also wanted a bar/restaurant in the basement, where a venue called the Cellar Club was housed in the 1970s. ey named their bar/restaurant “ e Dame” as a homage to when the Pontotoc was a bordello, Lewis says. “It was kind of an edgy, sexy name. A takeo of a ‘madam.’ A woman of the night.”
He says, “It is underground so it kind of has this speakeasy feel.” It has a “sexy feel to it.”
All of the Jacobean-colored, sapele mahogany woodwork from the back bar all the way up the stairs was shipped over in a container from Ireland. eir friend, DJ Naylor, owner of Celtic Crossing Irish Pub, Bog & Barley, and Maeve’s Tavern, introduced them to a woodworker from Ireland who was intrigued with the stories about the Pontotoc. He gave then a good deal on the woodwork, Lewis says.
ey plan to serve charcuterie boards with “some meats, cheese, nuts, and some twists on popcorn,” but the emphasis will be on the drinks and not the food at e Dame. “ ere are so many great restaurants around here you can walk to,” Lewis says.
ey don’t want to get “too tricky” with the bar menu, Kuhn says. ey want “really good standard classics,” like Manhattans and old-fashioneds.
But, under the curatorship of general manager Norbert Mede, e Dame will feature cra cocktails, including “ e Hip Shaker” and “( is Is Not) a Bordello.”
Lewis and Kuhn are ready to open Hotel Pontotoc doors to the public. “As a homecoming for everyone who has ties to Memphis,” Kuhn says.
“People are wanting to get inside and see it,” Lewis says, adding, “We feel we’ve done it justice, and given something back to Memphis that we’re proud of. And that Memphis deserves.”
PHOTO: MICHAEL DONAHUE
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
By the editors at Andrews McMeel Syndication
Weird in the Wild
Say you’re trekking through the Namib Desert in Namibia and you get a little thirsty. No problem! According to Oddity Central, about a 20-minute drive from the main road crossing the desert is an unexpected oasis: a pink solar-powered refrigerator full of cold drinks and a little table with two chairs. Drinks are provided free of charge, and the fridge is restocked several times a day. The government’s tourist board installed the fridge in the spirit of hospitality, the website reported on June 16. So friendly. [Oddity Central, 6/16/2025]
Irony
longer provide busing to and from the school.” [CP24, 6/17/2025]
That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Me
A 42-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound in his back on June 15 as he and friends rode bikes through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve in Singapore, AsiaOne reported. Nobody was hunting him; he was riding in an area restricted to the public and reserved for the Singapore Armed Forces live-firing activities. Several large signs read “Do Not Go Beyond This Point — Living Firing Area — Keep Clear!” and “Danger,” illustrated with a skull and crossbones. At the time of the shooting, the SAF was conducting an authorized live-firing activity. The man underwent surgery to remove the slug and is in stable condition. [AsiaOne, 6/16/2025]
Wait, What?
At Difficult Campground in White River National Forest near Aspen, Colorado, camping is taking on a new look: The U.S. Forest Service has banned camping in tents or other soft-sided structures, The Aspen Times reported. Blame it on a black bear. During the night of June 9, a “curious” bear pawed at a tent with two children under age 12 inside, puncturing the material but failing to get inside. The children didn’t tell their parents, who were sleeping in a tent next to them, until the next morning. “The kids were totally fine,” a campground host reported. “They were not traumatized.” Campers using tents were relocated to other campgrounds. The order was to remain in place for two months. [Aspen Times, 6/12/2025]
Questionable Judgment
The York Catholic District School Board in Vaughan, Ontario, has relieved a bus driver of their duties after inappropriate behavior, CP24TV reported on June 17. It all started with a video posted to social media of a parent confronting the driver, who had placed a sign in the bus’ front window that said “Lolita’s Line.” “Why do you call your bus ‘The Lolita Line’?” the parent asked the driver, who was dressed in a schoolgirl’s uniform. (Lolita is a 1955 novel about a professor who kidnaps a 12-yearold girl.) The bus driver responds that they “do this every week. And I don’t think there’s any problem.” The school board, however, did perceive a problem and brought the incident to the bus company’s attention, assuring parents that “the driver will no
The South China Morning Post reported on June 25 that a 64-year-old man underwent surgery in Anhui province to remove a toothbrush that he had swallowed when he was 12 years old. Mr. Yang had begun to feel a strange sensation in his stomach, so he sought medical help; he told doctors he had been too afraid to tell his parents at the time of the incident. He also thought the toothbrush would dissolve on its own. But 52 years later, the nearly 7-inch-long brush was lodged in his small intestine, and doctors worked for 80 minutes to remove it. Dr. Zhou said the brush was stuck in a crook of the intestine and hadn’t moved for decades. [South China Morning Post, 6/25/2025]
What’s in a Name?
Police in Portland, Oregon, finally caught up with a man who had fired gunshots at them and led them on a high-speed chase on June 20, KATUTV reported. The Milwaukie Police Department said they took Loony John Franklin Toon, 42, into custody on June 23 and charged him with firstdegree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and fleeing from the police. That’s all, folks! [KATU, 6/23/2025]
NEWS OF THE WEIRD © 2025 Andrews McMeel Syndication. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): For many bamboo species, nothing visible happens for years after the seeds are sowed. Beneath the surface, though, the plants are developing an extensive underground root system. This is referred to as the “sleep” or “creep” phase. Once the preparatory work is finished, the above-ground growth explodes, adding as much as three feet of stalk per day. Dear Aries, I sense you have been following a similar pattern. Soon you will launch a phase of vigorous evolution and expansion. It might feel unsettling at first, but I predict you will come to adore it.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You are very close to uncovering interesting information about yourself — some new, some forgotten. But you will have to be brave and strategic to actually find it. If you manage to pull off this demandingbut-not-impossible trick, a series of breakthroughs may stream your way. Like what? Here are the possibilities. 1. A distorted self-image will fade. 2. An adversary’s hex will dissolve. 3. An inhibition will subside, freeing you to unite with a fun asset. 4. You will knock down a barrier that has been so insidious you didn’t know how strong it was.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In medieval music, “organum” refers to passages that feature two voices. One is sung in long, sustained notes, and the other performs intricate, faster-moving melodic lines above it. This is an apt metaphor for the roles I invite you to take on in the coming weeks, Gemini: both the drone and the melody. One way to do it is to hold steady in one realm as you improvise in another. Another is to offer your allies doses of stability and inspirational dreams. Welcome the duality! You are capable of both deeprooted rhythm and visionary risk; both fortifying truth and playful fun.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian author Ernest Hemingway had a reputation for bravado, but he was adept at wielding the protective, self-nourishing skills your sign is renowned for. He was sensitive about his works-in-progress, refusing to discuss unfinished stories. He understood that raw creative energy needed to be sheltered from kibitzing until it could stand on its own. “The first draft of anything is shit,” he said, but he also knew that defending the right to write that mediocre first draft was essential for him to thrive. Hemingway’s ability to channel his emotional vulnerability into moving prose came from establishing firm boundaries around his generative process. I recommend you do all that good stuff in the coming weeks, dear Cancerian.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The love-fakers and promise-breakers and delusion-
Rob Brezsny
makers are no fun, but I think you will ultimately be grateful they helped you clarify your goals. The reverse healers and idea-stealers and greedy feelers are perilous to your peace of mind in the short run, but eventually they will motivate you to create more rigorous protections for your heart, health, and stability. In conclusion, Virgo, it’s one of those odd times when people with less than pure intentions and high integrity can be valuable teachers.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is built into a Norwegian mountain near the Arctic. It’s humanity’s backup garden. It stores over a million seed varieties from all over the world, serving as a safeguard for biodiversity. In accordance with astrological omens, Libra, I invite you to imagine yourself as resembling a seed vault. What valuable capacities are you saving up for the future? Are there treasures you contain that will ensure your long-term stability and security? Which of your potentials need to get extra nurturing? Bonus: Now is a good time to consider whether you should activate any of these promises.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): There’s a myth in Gnostic traditions that Sophia, the Goddess of Divine Wisdom, split herself apart and dispersed into the material world. She became embedded in every stone, plant, and drop of blood. And she’s still here, murmuring truth from within every part of the material world. In Sophia’s spirit, Scorpio, here is your message: Wisdom isn’t elsewhere. It’s embedded in your body, in your grief, in the wood grain of your table, and the ache behind your eyes. More than ever, you have a mandate to celebrate this gift. So for now, refrain from thinking that spirituality is about transcendence and ascendance. Instead, greet the sacred in the dust and mud. Listen for Sophia in the ordinary. She speaks in sighs and sparks, not sermons.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
When I do tours to promote the books I write, the range of encounters can be wide. On one trip, over 300 people came to see me at a bookstore in New York City. They listened raptly, posed interesting questions, and bought 71 books. In Atlanta three days later, I was greeted by nine semi-interested people at a small store in a strip mall. They purchased three books. But I gave equal amounts of energy at both gigs. The crowd in Atlanta got my best, as did the audience in New York. I invite you to regard me as a role model, Sagittarius. Proceed as if every experience deserves your brightest offerings. Express yourself with panache no matter what the surroundings are.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In ancient Egyptian cosmology, ka is the
LEO (July 23Aug. 22): In ancient China and ancient Greece, the lion was not the king of beasts, but the guardian of gates. The threshold keeper. The one who asked, “Are you ready?” Now is a good time to bring this aspect of leonine symbolism to your attention. You may soon feel a surge of leadership radiance, but not necessarily the stage-commanding kind. It will be more like priest and priestess energy. Gatekeeper presence. People and situations in your orbit are on the verge of transformation, and you can be a midwife to their transitions — not by fixing or moralizing, but by witnessing. So I invite you to hold space. Ask potent questions. Be the steady presence ready to serve as a catalyst.
vital essence and the double of a person that lives on after death. But it also walks beside you while you live. It drinks, eats, and dreams. It is both you and more than you. Dear Capricorn, I invite you to tune in to your ka in the coming days and any other spiritual presences that serve you and nourish you. Be alert for visitations from past selves, forgotten longings, and future visions that feel eerily familiar.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Dear Rob Brezsny: I wonder what you are like in person. Sometimes I get a Gen X vibe, like you wear vintage T-shirts from obscure bands, are skeptical but not cynical, and remember life before the internet but are tech savvy. Other times, you seem like a weird time-traveler visiting us from 2088. It’s confusing! Are you trying to be a mystery? When’s your next public appear ance? I want to meet you. — Aquarian Explorer.” Dear Aquarian: I’m glad I’m a riddle to you. As long as I avoid being enmeshed in people’s expectations and projections, I maintain my freedom to be my authentic self, even as I continually reinvent my authentic self. By the way, I recommend you adopt my attitude in the coming weeks.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In Norse mythology, the god Odin plucked out one of his eyes and hung himself upside down from the World Tree for nine days. Why would he do such a thing? The ancient stories tell us this act of self-sacrifice earned him the right to learn the secret of the runes, which held the key to magic, fate, and wisdom. You don’t need to make a sacrifice anywhere near that dramatic, Pisces. But I do suspect you are primed for a comparable process. What discomfort are you willing to endure for the sake of revelation? What illusions must you give up to see more clearly? I dare you to engage in an inner realignment that brings metamorphosis but not martyrdom.
FILM By Chris McCoy
We Are Family
e Fantastic Four: First Steps blasts o to nowhere.
E
verything that’s wrong with e Fantastic Four: First Steps — and the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project — is present in the title.
My friend with whom I saw the lm said that the MCU is one of the great artistic achievements of Western civilization. Honestly, he has a point. As popular entertainment, it is an unprecedented juggernaut. Eleven out of the top 50 highest-grossing lms of all time are MCU products. Avengers: Endgame is responsible for the single biggest day at the box o ce of all time, and the reason why 2019 was the biggest box o ce year in the history of the medium. But money isn’t everything. Out of the 37(!) lms produced by Kevin Feige’s unit, many of them have been well-made and entertaining: the original Iron Man, Captain America: e First Avenger, e Avengers, Captain America: e Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and of course Black Panther. One in ve is not a hit ratio to be sneezed at.
But the biggest problem with the MCU is that it has become a conveyor belt of mediocrity. How many times have I written the same review, with di erent names? “It’s not terrible, just uninspiring and unnecessary.” Furthermore, the sheer volume of underwhelming product has become overwhelming. Notice I didn’t mention the TV series made to bolster Disney+. Way too o en, you have to belly up to the streaming slop trough to even make sense of a new Marvel theatrical release. is entertainment is starting to feel like work.
e Fantastic Four were the result of the rst collaboration of Marvel honcho Stan Lee and comic art legend Jack Kirby. In 1961, they were instructed to make a super-team a er the Justice League became a hit for DC comics. In the midst of the rst Space Race, they decided on a group of astronauts who developed superpowers a er being exposed to cosmic rays while on a mission. ey also decided that their team would be a literal family. Science genius Reed Richards became Mister Fantastic, who had Plastic Man’s power of extreme stretchiness, which gave Kirby a chance to show o his owing line work. Richards’ girlfriend and eventual wife Sue Storm became the Invisible Woman. Her brother Johnny became the Human Torch. Richards’ college roommate Ben Grimm grew a rocklike skin as e ing. e Fantastic Four
were an instant hit on the comic rack and inspired one of the rst Marvel-related screen adaptations when HannaBarbera made an animated show for ABC in 1968. When Marvel fell on hard times, the Four’s lm rights were sold along with X-Men and SpiderMan, eventually landing with Sony, who tried three times to make a decent lm and failed each time.
Now, with the Marvel rst family back in the fold, the MCU gets a crack at it. Casting has always been the MCU’s biggest strength, and this is no exception. America’s hot uncle Pedro Pascal stars as Mister Fantastic, and from the get-go, he embodies Richards’ Big Dad Energy. Vanessa Kirby plays Sue Storm, who discovers early on that she is pregnant. e Human Torch is Joseph Quinn, who is adequate but never rises to the level of Chris Evans’ cocky portrayal in the Sony FF movies. Ebon Moss-Bachrach of e Bear fame portrays Ben Grimm as a pile of granite with a taste for cozy sweaters.
e move that makes this Fantastic Four ick better than its predecessors is the decision to make it a 1960s period piece — or rather, setting it in the alternate dimension of Earth 828, which remains stuck in the Atom-punk retrofuturistic world of the Kennedy administration. e production design is the best part of this Fantastic Four because it hews close to Kirby’s original vision. (One of the most ba ing choices in the MCU was taking the Eternals, which was Kirby’s most psychedelic creation, and handing it to neorealist director Chloé Zhao, who sucked all the life
Moss-Bachrach, Pascal, Kirby, and Quinn as the Fantastic Four; (below) Garner as the Silver Surfer
out of it by trying to give space gods humanistic motivations.)
e origin story is le to a series of ashbacks that hint at the family’s wilder adventures, including defeating and making peace with the Mole Man (Paul Walter Hauser). e Four go about their daily lives as celebrity heroes. Richards has a TV show where he teaches kids about science. Storm is a diplomat who’s almost implemented world peace. Grimm’s got a crush on a Jewish schoolteacher named Rachel (Natasha Lyonne, getting paid). Johnny Storm is trying to get Richards to return to astronauting by tracking a series of mysterious signals from deep space. ings are going pretty swimmingly until a mysterious alien shows up on what appears to be a surf board.
e Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) lands in Times Square and announces to
planet Earth that their master Galactus (Ralph Ineson) is on the way to eat it.
Since Earth 828 has faster-than-light spaceships but no 4K video, Richards and the crew suit up to go negotiate with Galactus, hoping to save the planet. Perhaps he could snack on Uranus instead? Needless to say, the negotiation goes nowhere. More accurately, it goes to a collapsing neutron star’s accretion disk, where Richards must calculate an escape trajectory that will shake the Surfer while also helping Sue Storm give birth to their child, Franklin. Galactus o ers to spare Earth in exchange for Franklin, who he claims has cosmic powers, but Richards says no dice. is causes some awkward moments when the rest of Earth’s population nd out.
Director Matt Shakman does a lot right, but his lm feels like less than the sum of its parts. e adventures of these beloved characters trying to save the planet feel weightless and at. It’s all right there in the title, First Steps You know this is an incomplete story, and that there will be no consequences. While not as weighed-down by lore as many of the Marvel movies, it still can’t escape the gravitational pull of crosspromotion. e point is not excitement or catharsis; it’s addiction. It only exists to oblige you to seek out more of the same. is is not art; it’s just skillful brand management. You, the audience, deserve better.
e Fantastic Four: First Steps Now playing Multiple locations
Our critic picks the best films in theaters.
The Naked Gun
The series Police Squad! was the funniest thing on TV in 1981. The copaganda parody starred B-movie actor Leslie Nielsen in a deadpan role that made him a comedy legend and inspired a trilogy of Naked Gun movies (which gave O.J. Simpson his greatest film role, too.) Liam Neeson takes over as incompetent cop Frank Drebin Jr. in this remake by Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer, with Pamela Anderson co-starring.
The Bad Guys 2
The original Bad Guys was a surprise hit in 2022. Based on a children’s book series, it follows a group of animal outlaws recruited to play on the other side. Now,
a group of female animals intervene to bring the Bad Guys back from Good Guy retirement for one last heist. Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Awkwafina, Natasha Lyonne, and others lend their comedic vocal talents to the animated film.
Together
Real-life married couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie star in this debut film from director Michael Shanks. When Tim and Millie move to the country for a teaching job, they go hiking to learn about their new surroundings. But a downpour forces them to spend the night in a strange cave, where they drink from an enchanted pool. When they awake, they find themselves growing closer together — literally. Can their relationship survive being supernaturally grafted together into one body?
Qualifying Agencies are:
•Health Organizations
•Treatment Centers
•Churches
•Schools
•Local Businesses
•Non Profits
•Restaurants/Bars/Clubs
•Hotels etc...
memphisprevention.org
LEGAL NOTICES
AUTO AUCTION
2015 TOYOTA COROLLA RED 4DR
VIN# 5YFBURHE3FP254219
HAS BEEN ABANDONED IF ANYONE HAS INTEREST IN THIS VEHICLE, CONTACT WALTER BUFORD 901-3351138. ADDRESS IS 813 MARIANNA MEMPHIS,TN 38114. VEHICLE WILL BE AUCTIONED OFF 08/04/2025.
AUTO AUCTION
2017 HYUNDAI ACCENTBLUE 4DR
VIN# KMHCT5AEXHU343216
HAS BEEN ABANDONED. IF ANYONE HAS INTEREST IN THIS VEHICLE, CONTACT WALTER BUFORD 901-3351138. ADDRESS IS 813 MARIANNA, MEMPHIS, TN 38114. VEHICLE WILL BE AUCTIONED OFF 08/20/2025.
EMPLOYMENT
RENAISSANCE GROUP INC. OF TENNESSEE, LAKELAND, TN.
Engineer in Training (EIT). Prepares construction plans, reports, & documents for submittals to Planning Commission for subdivisions & site developments. Perform site layout, grading & drainage design, street profile, erosion prevention & sediment control plans & sanitary sewer design. Requires a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering or related Engineering Field. To apply, send resume details to Seth Terry at sterry@rgroup.biz.
ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL (Memphis, TN) seeks the following positions:Program Manager (Job ID: SJ001JR): Guide, design, implement, and manage global pediatric programs to increase survival rates for children with cancer, blood disorders, and other diseases. Bach or equiv in Med. Sci., Healthcare Admin, or rlt & 5 yr exp. in healthcare mgmt., global health or rel. Telecommuting Permissible, must live in commuting distance. Send resume w/job# to John Rochford, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl, MS 507, Memphis, TN 38105 or email Recruiting@stjude. org. Associate Biostatistician (JobID SJ002JR): Provide knowledge in
statistical analysis to institutional staff and research partners con-ducting clinical and experimental studies. Bach in Biostat, Stat, Epdmlgy, or rlt & 2 years of biostatistics or rltd exp. Telecommuting Permissible, must live in commuting distance. Send resume w/job# to John Rochford, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl, MS 507, Memphis, TN 38105 or email Recruiting@stjude. org.Global Program Coordinator (multiple openings) (JobID SJ015GAB): Design, implement, and oversee global pediatric projects and initiatives. Bach or equiv in Med. Sci., Healthcare, or rlt & 3 yr exp. in med. program mgmt., or rel. Telecommuting Permissible 2 days/week. Send resume w/job# to Grace Anne Boyd, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl, MS 507, Memphis, TN 38105 or email Recruiting@stjude.org. St. Jude is an EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.
ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL (MEMPHIS, TN) SEEKS THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS: Global Program Coordinator (JobID SJ013GAB): Design, implement, oversee projects/initiatives for Dept. Global Pediatric Medicine & St. Jude Global. Bach or equiv in Bus., Mgmnt, or rel. plus 3 yrs exp. in Operations, Proj. Mgmt., or rel. Telecommuting from the Memphis, TN area permissible 20% of the time. Send resume w/job# to Grace Anne Boyd, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl, MS 507, Memphis, TN 38105 or email Recruiting@stjude.org. Bioinformatics Analyst (JobID SJ008NBG): modify and operate data analysis pipelines to generate and provide analysis results. Bach in Bioinformatics, Cheminformatics, Stats., Comp. Sci., or rel. & 2 yr exp. in comp. bio., bioinformatics, genomic data analysis, or rel. Telecommuting Permissible, must live in commuting distance. Send resume w/job# to Natalia BienGordy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl, MS 507, Memphis, TN 38105 or email Recruiting@stjude.org. Program Manager (JobID SJ007NBG): Guide, design and implement activities for St. Jude Global’s Asia Pacific
Region Prog. Bach or equiv in Pub. Health, or rlt plus 4 yrs exp. in Glob. Health, Prog. Mgmt. & Deliv., or rel. Telecommuting Permissible, must live within commuting distance. Flexibility to travel (estimated up to 20%) for on-site facilitation. Send resume w/ job# to Natalia Bien-Gordy, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl, MS 507, Memphis, TN 38105 or email Recruiting@ stjude.org. St. Jude is an EEO/AA/ Vet/Disability Employer.St. Jude is an EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.
SHARED HOUSING
1 furnished room for a mature lady in a Christian home. Near expressway and on bus line. Non-smoker. $125 per week includes utilities and cooking/laundry privileges. Must be employed or retired. 901-405-5755 or 901-518-2198.
BUY, SELL, TRADE
WANTED: OLD WINDUP Victrolas & old 45 & 78 records. Call Paul 901-734-6111.
MUSICIAN’S EXCHANGE
GUITAR LESSONS Mike, a pro guitarist, is offering guitar lessons for $30/hr. Call Mike at 901 634 4351.
NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE
WHEREAS, Katie Jill Folliot De Fierville and Baudoin R. Folliot De Fierville, by Deed of Trust (the “Deed of Trust”) dated October 22, 2021, of record in Instrument Number 21138012 in the Shelby County Register of Deeds O ce, conveyed to Renasant Bank and Kent Vaught, Trustee, and thereafter Adam G. LaFevor, Esq., as Successor Trustee, the hereinafter described real property to secure the payment of a certain Promissory Note (the “Note”) described in the Deed of Trust, to which the Note was payable to Renasant Bank;
WHEREAS, subsequently, on the 11th day of August 2022, a Home Equity Line Credit Agreement (the “Subsequent Note”) was executed, increasing the principal sum to Ninety-Five Thousand and No/100 Dollars ($95,000.00), indicated by a modifi cation of deed of trust (the “Modifi cation of Deed of Trust”) of record in Instrument No. 22093512 in the Shelby County Register of Deeds O ce, which secures the Subsequent Note and to which reference is also hereby made;
WHEREAS, Renasant Bank is the current owner, holder and benefi ciary of the Note;
WHEREAS, Renasant Bank maintains an interest in the Note and Deed of Trust;
WHEREAS, default has occurred with respect to the Note; and
WHEREAS, the owner and holder of the Note has demanded that the hereinafter described real property be advertised and sold in satisfaction of indebtedness and costs of foreclosure in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Note and Deed of Trust.
NOW, THEREFORE, notice is hereby given that Renasant Bank, pursuant to the power, duty and authority vested in and conferred upon it, by the Deed of Trust, will on AUGUST 25, 2025, at 10:00 A.M., at the FRONT STEPS OF THE SHELBY COUNTY COURTHOUSE, MEMPHIS TENNESSEE, o er for sale to the highest bidder FOR CASH, and free from all legal, equitable and statutory rights of redemption except those redemption rights retained by the United States as provided in 26 U.S.C. § 7425(d) (1), exemptions of homestead, rights by virtue of marriage, and all other exemptions of every kind, all of which have been waived in the Deed of Trust, certain real property located in Shelby County, Tennessee, described as follows:
THIS IS IMPROVED PROPERTY KNOWN AS 2311 Barwyn Place South, Memphis, TN 38016.
SITUATED IN THE COUNTY OF SHELBY, STATE OF TENNESSEE
LOT 322, SECTION B, COUNTRYWOOD SUBDIVISION, AS SHOWN ON PLAT OF RECORD IN PLAT BOOK 50, PAGE 55, IN THE REGISTER’S OFFICE OF SHELBY COUNTY, TENNESSEE, TO WHICH PLAT REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE FOR A MORE PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF SAID PROPERTY.
BEING THE SAME PROPERTY CONVEYED BY DEED RECORDED IN INSTRUMENT NO. 20028138 OF THE SHELBY COUNTY, TENNESSEE RECORDS.
The above-described property will be sold subject to any and all unpaid taxes, any matter on any applicable recorded plat, restrictions, easements and building setback lines, and to any prior or superior liens, judgments or Deeds of Trust. The property will also be subject to the redemption rights of the United States as provided for in 26 U.S.C. § 7425(d)(1). The proceeds of the sale will be applied in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Deed of Trust. Notice required by 26 U.S.C. § 7425(b) has been timely given.
Should the highest bidder fail to comply with the terms of the bid at the public sale, then the Trustee shall have the option of accepting the second highest bid, or the next highest bid with which the buyer is able to comply. The right is reserved to reject all bids as insu cient. The sale held pursuant to this Notice may be rescinded at the Successor Trustee’s option at any time. The right is also reserved to adjourn the sale to another day certain, without publication, upon announcement before or during the sale.
Interested parties include Baudoin R. Folliot De Fierville, Katie Jill Folliot De Fierville, Regina Morrison Newman, as Shelby County Trustee, and Renasant Bank.
This Notice will be published online at www.ForeclosureTennessee.com and in print in the Memphis Flyer in accordance with Tennessee Code Annotated §35-5-101 et seq.
DATED this 23rd day of July 2025.
Adam G. LaFevor, Successor Trustee SoBro Law Group, PLLC 101 Lea Avenue Nashville, Tennessee 37210 (615) 988-9911
Good Samaritans?
Will we be the neighbors Jesus calls us to be?
I’ve only lived in Memphis for ve years, but I’ve quickly learned that there’s a very speci c avor of pride, a chip-on-the-shoulder vibe, and open arms for newcomers — as long as we’re willing to be initiated through the res of dry rub, Grizz and Tiger spirit, and live music on sweaty summer nights. Sure, we have our historic harms and much repair to be done, but of all the places I’ve lived over the years, Memphis is the only place that truly feels like it’s “Memphis versus errrbody.”
And now, we have masked individuals fueled by racist rhetoric, operating with little transparency, and coming together to terrorize our own. Our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends, our family. It’s become clear that the vast majority of those who have been harassed and disappeared are not violent criminals, and many have been targeted not because of any illegal activity but more o en for how they look.
According to Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) data as of June 29th, ICE held 57,861 in ICE detention, and 71.7 percent held in ICE detention had no criminal conviction. Moreover, many of those convicted committed only minor o enses, including tra c violations. Closer to home, Adams County Detention Center in Natchez, Mississippi, held the largest number of ICE detainees so far in 2025, averaging 2,179 per day (as of June 2025).
Many of our friends and neighbors from Memphis have been taken to Mississippi and Louisiana. People we know and share this Memphis life with are included in these numbers.
Earlier this month, the story of the Good Samaritan was featured on the liturgical calendar of most churches. Many Memphis church-goers heard this
here’s the summary: A man is traveling, robbers come and bully
ligious leaders see him and continue on their way, one a er another. e third to come upon the beaten man is a Samaritan, who takes him in, bandages him, feeds him, and pays for a place for him to stay. e Samaritan, even as someone from a di erent background, is li ed up as a merciful neighbor, an example of who followers of Jesus are called to be.
Fast-forward 2,000 years, and today we have federally sanctioned bullies coming into our communities and physically tearing families apart, stealing parents from children, disappearing them into the abyss of detention centers and foreign prisons with no due process, no adherence to the Constitution, and no accountability.
And what will we do? Will we be like the religious leaders from the parable and simply walk past those in danger and hurting, as if their su ering is none of our concern? Or will we be the neighbors Jesus calls us to be?
If you’re an ally, and especially if you have privilege, go out and protest. Raise your voice. Support local groups doing the work, like Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (MICAH), Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR), Latino Memphis, Su Casa Family Ministries, and Vecindarios 901, to name a few.
To those of you who are in fear of arrest and deportation: I’m so sorry. You are loved. Please be careful. We’ll continue to work for your safety and liberation.
Our neighbors deserve so much better. Memphis, be the protective and welcoming community I’ve come to know and love.
Reverend Patrick Harley is pastor at Evergreen Presbyterian Church and founder and co-director of Memphis Guns to Gardens.
story from Luke’s Gospel read and proclaimed. e story is a parable o ered by Jesus, and
him, beat him, and steal from him, and then they leave him on the side of the road. Two re-
PHOTO: (ABOVE) BETH MYERS; (LEFT) CPENLER | DREAMSTIME.COM
Reverend Patrick Harley exhorts us to remember the Good Samaritan.
