Tech deserts

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Tech deserts

Some Oklahomans are living like it's 1999. By George Lang, Ben Luschen, Jeremy Martin and Jacob Threadgill, P. 4

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inside COVER P. 4 Internet users regularly complain about its intrusion into their lives, but a large number of Oklahomans have little to no access to high-speed internet. By George Lang, Ben Luschen, Jeremy Martin and Jacob Threadgill Cover by Karson Brooks

NEWS 4 Cover rural broadband access

7 Community OKC Pride votes not to

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Up to speed

In 2018, many Oklahomans still have limited internet access or cellphone connections. By George Lang, Ben Luschen, Jeremy Martin and Jacob Threadgill

In the quarter century since the internet first became available for most Americans and the two decades since average citizens started carrying cellphones, most users have learned to take the good with the bad. Even in its early stages, the internet gave its users entry to knowledge that was equivalent to gaining full access to the Library of Congress, University of Oxford’s Bodleian Library and the Royal Library of Alexandria without the plane tickets. Put more simply, it democratized information. But that’s only if you have it. According to the national broadband database BroadbandNow, some Oklahoma counties have little or no access to high-speed internet. In the case of Pawnee County, none of its citizens can access internet at 25 megabytes per second (mbps), the speed at which streaming video will actually stream. In far southeastern Oklahoma, residents are hit with a double whammy: Not only does just one in 100 people have access to high-speed internet in Pushmataha County, but they also live in what the Federal Communications Commission calls a cellphone “dead zone.” Essentially, they are living like its 1999 or earlier. Despite that ever-encroaching feeling among users that the internet is taking over their lives, the global technology research group McKinsey & Company es4

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timates that more than 60 percent of the world’s population is completely offline. Break it down to the domestic level, and according to the Economics & Statistics Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, 100 million people have no access to the internet at home — roughly one in three Americans. Considering those people disproportionally live in rural or poor urban areas, Oklahoma is hit unusually hard by the lack of access. Not having the internet means a lot more than missing Stranger Things on Netflix. According to a study by the Federal Reserve, students with access to high-speed internet are 6-8 percent more likely to graduate from high school. And according to the nonprofit organization EveryoneOn.org, roughly 80 percent of Fortune 500 corporations only accept online job applications. That includes Walmart, a major employer in Oklahoma’s rural areas. Oklahomans experiencing life in technology deserts must clear technological, economic and some political hurdles to reach an oasis of connectivity. As such, there’s no magic solution to getting these Oklahomans up to speed.

Rural access

Rural areas where broadband internet access isn’t available face greater dif-

Oklahoma ranks 47th in the U.S. for internet connectivity. | Photo Bigstock.com

ficulties than just buffering YouTube videos. Brian Whitacre, professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University (OSU), said the lack of high-speed connectivity might have a negative impact on the local economy. “Many of those areas are struggling in terms of people leaving, high unemployment, those kinds of things,” Whitacre said. “A lot of our research is showing the community that doesn’t have a reliable broadband internet connection is going to fall behind. Internet access has positive impact on things like jobs, income, civic engagement, and without that connection, you’re going to be at a disadvantage.” Inspired by similar programs in Kansas and Maine, OSU began a pilot program in June 2017 providing four mobile hotspots each to libraries in Elgin, Seminole, Haskell and Perkins to be loaned out to patrons for a week at a time. The hotspots allow users to utilize Sprint’s cellphone towers to wirelessly connect to the internet. The program has proven popular with patrons, Whitacre said, with up to 20 people on the waitlist for a hotspot. This June, the program expanded to include Guthrie, Sayre, Grove and Okemah. Okemah Public Library director Teresa Labbé said the program is providing a vital service to the community. “It’s very important for our county,” Labbé said. “We are one of the poorer counties in the state, so there are a lot of people that don’t have access to the internet except to come here or to check out a hotspot. We get a large number of Creek Nation residents, so we’re the

only game in town for a lot of people that can’t afford to pay for internet.” Labbé estimates that 40-50 patrons visit each day to access the internet on the library’s computers. “Since so many job applications are now on the internet, they have to access the apps online,” Labbé said. “You have a lot of people coming in to do unemployment, a lot of people coming in to do SoonerCare and some that just come in for entertainment.” For these users, Whitacre said, hotspots allowing home access can be a lifeline connecting them to a modern world that’s too often out of their price range. “If you think about broadband bills for a lot of households, it could simply be beyond their reach,” Whitacre said. “It could be $70-$80 a month, and these are people struggling to put food on the table every night, so it’s just not something they could afford.” Lack of internet access can be detrimental to academic success, making the issue especially important to families with school-age children. “A lot of students that don’t have an internet connection at home are at a huge disadvantage,” Whitacre said. “Parents are going to the library and checking these hotspots out and helping their students complete the online assignments they weren’t able to before.” Unfortunately, Labbé said, some areas outside Okemah don’t have cellphone coverage in the Sprint network, which is required to use the provided hotspots. “For some of our more rural patrons, it doesn’t work there because it depends on where the towers are in relation to where they live,” Labbé said. “We can always check the Google coverage map and see if their area is included and where they can get it, but they’re welcome to always take it home and try. I think it makes people feel better if they at least try to see if they can get it.”

Connection costs

According to a 2016 report issued by FCC, the price increase for basic cable television outpaced inflation every year between 1995 and 2015. The price of basic expanded cable service averaged a 5.8 percent increase per year over the 20-year period, rising from $22.35 to $69.03. The overall average inflation rate over the same period was 2.2 percent. FCC does not track the price of internet or cellphone service, but those industries are mired in the same issues that keep prices high — franchise agreements eliminate competition. Customers have shown a willingness to cut traditional cable television in favor of using over-the-top providers such as Netflix and Hulu or live streaming services like PlayStation Vue and Sling TV but don’t have many options when it comes to internet service. David Bergman is an attorney based outside Columbus, Ohio, who worked for the state’s consumer utility advocate board the Ohio Consumer Council for

29 years specializing in telecommunications. Bergman said national regulation prevents competition over the same network, meaning there can only be one provider of cable, broadband and satellite internet.

Internet access has positive impact on things like jobs, income, civic engagement, and without that connection, you’re going to be at a disadvantage. Brian Whitacre “The classic paradigm of [capitalist] economics is that competition keeps rates down and drives them closer to actual cost, but as with many other areas in telecom, we see what is called market failure [for internet access],” Bergman said. “In fact, because broadband is so needed these days, people are willing to pay not what the traffic will bear, but much more than they would otherwise.” As of 2015, nearly 80 percent of U.S. residents had access to only one broadband Internet provider or nothing at all,

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Ernesto Falcon is the legislative counsel for Electronic Frontier Foundation. | Photo provided

according to FCC. Cox Communications and AT&T are the only internet providers available to all of Oklahoma City. In 2017, Cox instituted a 1-terabyte monthly data cap, charging an extra $10 for every 50 gigabytes of usage over the cap if users don’t sign up for an unlimited broadband add-on for an additional $50. Electronic Frontier Foundation is a digital civil liberties law firm based in San Francisco that lobbies state and national policymakers to promote open Internet and technology. Ernesto Falcon is the EFF’s legislative counsel and travels the country to work with local, state and national officials to increase Internet access. Falcon recently visited Chattanooga, Tennessee, which is one of at least 82 municipalities across the country to build government-owned, fiber-based Internet. “There is an enormous necessity of local government to be proactive at the promotion of networks,” Falcon said. “People think this is something the private market can handle on its own without any sort of proactive thinking from the public sector, and that’s just not true. The government is inherently integrated with networks in the sense of permitting roads, access to the physical infrastructure to lay the wires. These are

tied to government actions, and if you don’t have a city manager or mayor that is gung-ho at figuring it out, the private company isn’t going to figure out how to do it for them.”

Broadband answers

Jameson Zimmer, director of content

for BroadbandNow, said the most confusing part of high-speed internet availability in the U.S. is the question of what can actually be done to increase access. For many areas, the answer is implementation of some kind of municipal continued on page 6

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broadband service. “Unlike many other U.S. states, Oklahoma doesn’t have any laws against public-owned internet in frastr ucture,” Zimmer said. “Many states such as Virginia and Texas have laws, largely created by cable lobbyists, that make it easier for existing incumbent providers to maintain their monopolies in rural areas especially.” The burden of mobilizing efforts for community broadband usually falls on the community itself. Zimmer encouraged those who want something done in their areas to start their own grassroots movements, pressuring local government to pursue development policies that support high-speed internet access. This could mean looking into publicprivate partnerships with existing providers, creating incentives for new development by opening utility poles to startups like Google Fiber or Ting. It could also mean building networks from scratch. Zimmer said residents can push local governments to adopt “dig once” policies that lay “dark fiber” in the ground for use by other networks at a later date. Doing so helps promote competition among providers. There are also rural areas that set up WISPs (Wireless Internet Service Providers), which are fixed wireless providers that broadcast direct wireless connections from towers. Zimmer said these are mostly “mom and pop” businesses in the country, but some can be found in urban and suburban areas as well. Many wonder why broadband internet cannot just be made into a new public utility. Zimmer said the biggest argument against that is it would eliminate innovation by granting the city an essential monopoly on the service. The problem is that cities are already

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setting up practical monopolies by signing franchise agreements with private companies. Zimmer said cities where there are multiple providers usually have faster internet speeds because the private companies in the area are competing for business. But these types of setups are usually seen only in larger cities. “Unfortunately, it’s not a good business decision to build infrastructure in rural areas,” he said, “so there’s no reason for smaller companies to try and compete with the big company already in the area.” In BroadbandNow’s ranking of states by percentage of population with access to 25 megabytes per second internet or faster, Oklahoma ranks 47th. “Outside of major metro areas, Oklahoma’s internet is not exactly robust,” Zimmer said. “States with large rural areas tend to rank low for connectivity since phone-line internet options like DSL are the only real option for large parts of the state.” A lot of areas go uncovered because the people living there simply do not know how the problem can be solved. While the internet has become such an influence on society and culture, very few understand much about where it comes from. Zimmer said the knowledge gap is one of the biggest obstacles in the way of a more connected future. “There is not a high degree of public awareness at all,” he said. “Most people don’t really understand where their internet comes from or how the ‘magic Wi-Fi box works,’ let alone the politics of making it happen.”

Jameson Zimmer of BroadbandNow is studying ways in which internet access can be deployed to underserved areas. | Photo provided

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cit y

Interim OKC Pride president Brandon Odom directs an emergency meeting of organization members. A group of around 100 voted not to dissolve the organization. | Photo Ben Luschen

Still proud

OKC Pride members choose not to dissolve the organization, but future questions remain. By Ben Luschen

Registered members of the OKC Pride organization gathered for an emergency meeting on the evening of July 26. A crowd of around 100 people packed into Expressions Church in 39th Street District to vote on a sole agenda item: the dissolution of the entire organization. After nearly two hours of debate and discussion over the wording and procedures within the dissolution proposal and a failed motion to table the vote for a future date, the gathered members voted unanimously not to dissolve OKC Pride. Despite the vote’s result, there was a lack of consensus in the room on how the city’s annual Pride celebration should be run in the future. Such a grave meeting by the most visible LGBTQ+ organization in the city — and perhaps state — came as a culmination of a tumultuous month. A little over two weeks after OKC Pride wrapped up its annual parade and festival event on June 24, The Gayly, a local LGBTQ+ newspaper, published a story detailing alleged embezzlement by Pride president Lori Honeycutt. Honeycutt has since resigned as the organization’s president, but not before calling an emergency meeting for the possible dissolution of OKC Pride. Honeycutt took over as president of the organization in early 2018 after former president Brandon Odom resigned for personal reasons. Secretary Alison Scott told The Gayly that a background check was never done on Honeycutt after she assumed her position, despite organizational bylaws mandating it. The story connects Honeycutt to a lengthy criminal history of forgery and other convictions under

different names over a 10-year period. Odom, whose name was still on OKC Pride’s checking account at the time of The Gayly’s report, shared several questionable charges with the paper, including purchases at Dillard’s, Pandora R adio, ModCloth, MetroShoe Warehouse, Von Maur, a political contribution through ActBlue and more. Odom, who is acting as the organization’s interim president, said in the emergency membership meeting that they could not discuss allegations against Honeycutt because of an ongoing criminal investigation. However, the interim president did list four outstanding Internal Revenue Service penalties as being among the organization’s debts: $4,826.85 for the 2011-12 tax year, $8,757.90 for 2014-15, $3,700 for 2015-16 and a pending penalty for 2016-17. These do not include a potential revenue shortfall Pride might have seen at the end of this year’s festival. It is not yet clear what the vote against dissolution will mean for the future of how OKC Pride is organized; those matters will be settled in the organization’s future meetings. Though it has not been dissolved, others point to different approaches OKC Pride could take to the celebration.

Focus needed

When former OKC Pride president Michael Clark first saw allegations of embezzlement against Honeycutt, his first instinct was to call the president and ask her if everything was OK. During his two-year run as president in 2015 and ’16, Honeycutt had been an active volunteer with the organization. Clark said she denied the allegations

at first, but over time, it became clear that Honeycutt had a past criminal record. “The whole thing is just horrible,” he said. “Too many people put too much blood, sweat and tears into that organization and that event in all the years it’s run to have it fall apart because somebody got greedy and stupid.” Clark said leadership changes, infighting and allegations of theft are nothing new to OKC Pride. “There have always been political battles back and forth,” he said. “Any nonprofit of that scope usually has some level of detractor, but for some reason, Pride seems to be a firebrand. It’s unfortunate the organization whose sole purpose is to bring people together causes so much division.” The former president said after speaking with some of the organization’s past leaders, he believes the best way to stabilize Pride is to put it in the hands of a full-time, paid director. “You can’t come in as a volunteer, learn all the ins and outs of running a quarter-million-dollar operation with 100,000 attendees and all the rules of nonprofit operation and run it successfully as a part-time, unpaid job,” he said.

We should have a Pride at the level of Dallas or somewhere else. Lauren Zuniga Prior to the vote, Clark told Oklahoma Gazette he believed the best solution was to dissolve the current organization and let another group like 39th District Association run the Pride celebration. Past OKC Pride presidents and board members have stressed the importance of volunteers to pulling off a successful Pride celebration. Clark said recent turmoil within the organization is another reminder that the community event should not be taken for granted. It takes hard work to pull off each year, and it is a conceivable possibility there could be a time when the work just doesn’t get done. “The folks who you never saw show up to a meeting and never saw show up to volunteer were the loudest critics,” Clark said. “It was like, ‘Do you realize how many hours a week I put in all year long and how many 80-hour weeks I put in the week before and the week after Pride? And how much of my own money I’ve sunk into it?’ It’s frustrating.” Clark said he will support whichever way the community feels like it needs to go from here. But he hopes everyone is aware of the root problems that cause

instability within the organization. “For this organization to move forward, it would take an outstanding group of volunteers on that committee that have irrefutable community presence or they’re just not going to be able to raise any money,” he said. “The property owners on 39th are not going to let them close the street for the parade if it’s run by people they don’t know because they just don’t trust them. They’d rather run it themselves than have who knows what happen.”

Potential handlers

Lauren Zuniga, director of 39th District Association, said her organization is not making an active push to take over the city’s pride celebration but would be capable and excited to take over the event if that is what the community desired. “If it came to it, we’re totally willing to put on the festival and, I think, put it on at a level that Oklahoma City has never seen before,” she said. “But we also recognize that this is a community issue and that the community needs to have input and express what they want.” Former OKC Pride president John Gibbons serves as vice president of the district, and Zuniga said his years of experience on the Pride board and as past president would potentially make the organizational transition a smooth one. Within the city, commercial districts like Plaza District Association and Paseo Arts District run the annual festivals within their neighborhoods. City Pride celebrations are run through a number of different models throughout the country. “Some cities have it run by a specific organization where that’s all they do; there are cities that have it run by an organization as a program of what they do,” Zuniga said. “I think if 39th were to take it over, that’s how we would run it. It would be a program within what we do.” The director said OKC, as the state’s biggest city, is the rightful home of Oklahoma’s largest Pride event. While that has been the case in the past, Zuniga sees some room to grow. “We should have a Pride at the level of Dallas or somewhere else,” she said. “I think our standards are kind of low because we’ve just been doing the best we can with what we have.” Zuniga understands an emotional response to the idea of dissolving the Pride board. A lot of people have a deep connection to the Pride celebration and do not want to see it go away. But Zuniga said there is more than one way to approach it. “It’s not as if dissolving this board means that Pride is over,” she said. “It just means that it becomes something different. I think there’s other models that would be more sustainable.”

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Taking charge

New OKCPS Superintendent Sean McDaniel faces several challenges in his first year. By Ben Luschen

Like any student who just moved into town, new Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent Sean McDaniel is starting this school year as the new kid in class. Though he won’t have to worry about earning good marks in math or science, there are plenty of other ways McDaniel will be tested in his first year at the district’s helm. The former head of Mustang Public Schools was approved and hired by the OKCPS Board of Education in May. McDaniel, who has more than 30 years experience in education, is far from the first new face to hold the title in recent memory. OKCPS is a district lacking stability at the top, having hired 13 different superintendents since 2000. Mustang saw a lot of success under McDaniel’s guidance. He helped pass the largest bond in the district’s history — more than $180 million to support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs. He is also Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration’s reigning Superintendent of the Year. In OKC, however, McDaniel inherits a school district that has had to cut millions from its budget in recent years and includes some of the nation’s poorest academic schools. During a recent sit-down chat with Oklahoma Gazette, McDaniel said his aim is to be OKCPS superintendent for a decade or longer. He also spoke on how quickly it will take to get adjusted to the new job and what can be done regarding several of the challenges the district will face this year and in the future. Oklahoma Gazette: A lot of people have talked about the challenges that go with moving into a more urban district from Mustang. What are some of the challenges associated with that? Is it an adjustment you think you can make fairly easily? Sean McDaniel: Well, I don’t think it’s going to be easy. There are some things that are fundamental to school business. Things that I did in Mustang or Deer Creek or other places that I’ve been will translate pretty easily here: just paying attention to each other and being considerate. Now, the big challenge is the volume. We’re talking 12,000 kids, give or take, in Mustang. We’re talking about 46,000 kids in Oklahoma City. That’s big just saying it, so I think it’s a volume issue or challenge for me because I like to get into schools. I like to be visible; I like to go to concerts and ballgames. In a place like Mustang, you have one team. You go to the football game on Friday night.

Here, you’ve got multiple Tuesday night, Friday night games and that extends to your fine arts programs and your clubs and activities. So, with good help, I’m going to have to schedule so that I can make the rounds. OKG: You also need to understand the unique challenges that affect each school and area. McDaniel: Absolutely. They’re very different schools. Every school has its own unique personality, and [I am] trying to understand the culture. There are certainly some challenges, but I’m looking forward to it. OKG: You’ve said in other interviews that you would like to be around for 10 or more years. McDaniel: Well, yeah. The goal is 10 years. I mean, why not? I’m healthy; I’m kind of young still. I’m going to work for 10 or 15 more years; why not here? One of the most frequently asked questions is Why leave Mustang? Why come to Oklahoma City? I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of things. First of all, the diversity is really appealing to me. We’re a very diverse community and we’re a very diverse and forwardthinking school district. We just have not kept pace, as a school district, with the city. The city is going through a renaissance right now, and we want to be a part of that. The other appeal to me is that I grew up in north Denver [Colorado]. I went to an urban school district, and I grew up in that community — very similar in many ways to Oklahoma City. So, while I don’t know the urban school district per se, I do know urban. OKG: Is there any room for the school district to partner with the city in areas that don’t exist yet? Or maybe not city government, but entities within the city? McDaniel: I think there are already some very strong partnerships between the city and the school district, and I’m learning more about that. Really, at the end of the day, it’s about How do we be the best school district that we can be? … A lot of that is in place, it’s been in place for a long time, and I’m anxious to see how we can accelerate that. OKG: How realistic is it to expect quick academic improvement when there have been years of budget cuts? McDaniel: I think that’s a question everybody wants an answer to. In some areas of the district we do well. But we have other areas where we have work to do. I think we have to be realistic.

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I’m not going into this thing thinking, ‘Well, we just need to hang around and try to do a few things for three of four years and maybe we can get this turned around.’ I’m going in with the intent of finding some things right now that we can see change in immediately. I think to get sustained change where the trajectory of test scores is upward, that’s going to take a little bit of time. But I think there’s some things we can probably do and we’ve got some things on the tracks that we’re going to do that will make a difference. OKG: There was the teacher walkout this spring. That was directed at the state, but is there anything the district could be doing to show more support for teachers? McDaniel: I haven’t been around long enough to really know the level of support specifically for individual teachers. I do know our community clearly supports teachers in our school district. … I think specifically we can support our teachers in a number of ways: partnering with schools and being ready to step in for whatever that school needs — supplies, backpacks, mentoring young kids. I think equally big is noneducators appealing to our Legislature to make sure they understand the value of the teacher, that our teachers have significant tremendous impact in the life of a child — maybe more so than any other profession. We took a huge step last year to help teachers. Let’s take another step to help teachers but also to help schools and get more funding into classrooms.

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New Oklahoma City Public Schools superintendent Sean McDaniel stands in front of student-painted lockers inside Northeast Academy. | Photo Ben Luschen

OKG: Multiple districts in the area have reexamined their drug-testing policies after the medical marijuana law. Do you think that’s something the Oklahoma City school district needs to do? McDaniel: We haven’t had deep conversations about that, but it’s been discussed on a surface level. I think everything’s got to be on the table; I think we need to examine it. We do not have a plan right now to do anything different from what we’re already doing, but I do think we need to really pay attention to that because that can get pretty tricky. … I totally respect the school districts who are really examining this and implementing new policy. But we’re not there yet.

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OKG: How are your relationships with the members of the board? McDaniel: I have developed really positive relationships with every board member. I’ve had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with all eight of them multiple times. I’m very, very pleased, very impressed with their sophistication and their understanding of schools. Outside of OKCPS, you hear about board and superintendents and what’s going on over there. As a guy inside now, I could not be more pleased with, most importantly, the heart of each of our board members. They’re here for the right reasons and love kids.

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Gov. Mary Fallin’s unpopularity in Oklahoma calcified into empirical fact long ago but was further solidified by Fallin’s handling of state budget woes and her “let them eat chalk” attitude during the teacher walkout in April. By the time she declined to call a special session of the state Legislature after passage of State Question 788 and kicked the dime bag down the road to her appointed board at the state health department, which then proceeded to run roughshod over the will of the people, her statewide popularity hovered somewhere between Kevin Durant and cholera. With Oklahoma’s lamest of lame ducks ready to hobble out of the Governor’s Mansion in a few months, it was looking like a fairly ignoble exit. Then Morning Consult published its poll of “America’s Most and Least Popular Governors,” which Fallin handily topped with a toxic 74 percent disapproval rating. It was like someone had frosted her going-away cake with Desitin. Fallin displaced the previous “winner,” Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat who responded to a $1 billion deficit in 2016 by going “full Sam Brownback” and following Kansas’ lead toward fiscal austerity and cutting social programs. Fallin beat Malloy by combining irresponsible austerity and total disregard for people who aren’t majority owners of energy companies. She also managed to beat Maine Gov. Paul LePage, who likes to tell stories about promiscuous drug dealers named D-Money and Shifty impregnating formerly chaste fishermen’s daughters, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who met with accused Russian spy Mariia Butina. We at Chicken-Fried News know this must be tough for Fallin, who probably wanted to go out on a high note. So let’s put it this way, governor: You’re No. 1!

OU mud slinging

You can take the man out of the Legislature, but you can’t take the lawmaker out of the man; at least, if the audit performed by University of Oklahoma against former chief diversity officer Jabar Shumate, who also served as a state representative and senator, is to be believed. On July 25, Shumate announced his resignation from his OU position. He claims he was forced to resign and characterized the incident, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas-style, as a “high-tech lynching.” He also warned that the university would attack his character and make “slanderous” accusations. It’s always a bad sign when someone resigns disgrace-

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fully and begins to sling mud at his former employer, and his mud doesn’t appear to be sticking. OU alleges that Shumate violated state law and university policy for using a university-issued 2016 Chevy Tahoe for personal trips, parked the truck at his home on more than 100 occasions over one year and took it to Tulsa to visit family over holidays. It’s hard for Shumate to plead ignorance since he voted for the law that bans such behavior by employees of public institutions while he was in the state House of Representatives in 2005. Shumate, who is African-American, was hired by former OU President David Boren in the wake of a 2015 scandal at Sigma Alpha Epsilon in which members were taped leading a racist song and using epithets. The fraternity was banned from campus and two students were expelled. Shumate’s office was located in the former SAE house, and he claimed that his firing came after his office would have to be relocated because the disgraced fraternity was returning to campus. Both the university and the national SAE chapter told OU Daily that

there are no plans for the fraternity to return, let alone in the office of diversity’s building. The office of diversity is an important one of the university, and hopefully new president James Gallogly doesn’t appoint another former state Legislator in that position.

Snaggled tooth

Fishing is a popular pastime here in the Sooner State — just ask Paul George, who surely would not have recommitted to the Thunder if not for Oklahoma’s plentiful lakes and streams. And hey, even if Okies were not the ones to invent noodling, we certainly played a huge role in popularizing the sport of bare-knuckled gill grabbin’. But a key factor in fishing’s popularity has to do with its relaxing pace and relatively low potential for injury, although anyone who has ever been hooked by an errant cast will disagree with the latter. For one moment, however, imagine an Oklahoma where all the fish bit down on the line not with the small, aquatic analogs to teeth we’re accustomed to seeing but with a row of white, humanlike incisors. It wouldn’t be as fun to take that critter off the hook — not when he’s chattering like a joke store wind-up toy. The frightening truth of the matter is

that no one needs to press too hard to imagine such a world because it’s already here. The Oklahoma Game Wardens Facebook page recently posted a picture of 11-yearold Kennedy Smith of Lindsay posing with a piranha-like fish she caught at Fort Cobb Reservoir. A photo of the fish’s large chompers clinched in a kind of grin quickly went viral as people were stunned to learn such a thing was caught in Oklahoma. We’ve heard of catfish, but never Cheshire Catfish. What exactly does this toothed terror eat? Leathered beef jerky? Unshelled pumpkin seeds? Well, Smith landed the fish on a night crawler, so maybe Mr. Fish thought he was about to gnaw on an extra chewy gummy worm. According to the Game

Wardens Facebook page, the fish was not a piranha, but a cousin fish called a pacu. The South American fish eats mostly plant material but are technically considered omnivorous. So basically they have the same diet as your 13-year-old niece who recently converted to vegetarianism but for some reason still eats a 10-piece box of Chicken McNuggets at every meal. Thankfully, Smith still has all her fingers after capturing the fish, which was likely released into the lake as a one-time exotic pet that grew too large for its tank. The Game Wardens remind everyone that this is an invasive, non-native species and any Oklahoman who catches one should contact their local game warden. Though, with teeth like this, you might want to give your dentist a call, too.

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EAT & DRINK

Santa Fe dreaming

If you’re craving New Mexican food, just drive to Yukon’s Green Chile Kitchen. By Jacob Threadgill

Green Chile Kitchen 12 E. Main Street, Yukon greenchilekitchen.com | 405-265-4346 What works: Everything from tableside salsa to slow-cooked meat shows off well-executed depth of flavor. What needs work: Posole arrived a few degrees above lukewarm. Tip: Save room for homemade pie.

My very first meal in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has lingered in my memory for nearly two decades. Growing up in Texas (Tex-Mex) and California (Baja), I thought I had eaten all the variations of Mexican food this country had to offer. New Mexico’s unique Southwestern cuisine that is heavily influenced by native cultures and the ever-present green chiles became a revelation for me. I’ve been chasing the proverbial dragon of that first experience at Tomasita’s, trying any restaurant that purports to have a New Mexican influence, and often leaving disappointed. A short trip over to Yukon to visit the Green Chile Kitchen, 12 E. Main St., is the closest I’ve come to replicating that first Santa Fe experience, and one of my favorite review meals in a year with Oklahoma Gazette. Yukon native Trevor Logan fell in love with Santa Fe as an undergrad at Santa Fe University of Art and Design. After Logan moved to San Francisco, he eventually opened the original Green Chile Kitchen in the Bay Area a little more than 15 years ago. Every year when Logan would return home, he and the rest of the family would talk about opening a Green Chile The blueberry and peach pie is one of a variety of fresh pies offered at Green Chile Kitchen. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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Kitchen location in Yukon. The dream came to fruition in 2012, and Logan’s sister Tara Peters owns and manages the location. “On any given day, you can see my entire family [at the restaurant],” Peters said. “By brother Trent keeps up the building’s maintenance. My father is retired and likes to walk around, filling people’s teas and talking to people. My mom still has a job, but she stops in all the time. My sister-in-law is a manager, and both of my kids have jobs in the summer time. We’re a little home away from home.” The family love comes through in the recipes, which were developed by Logan, but the menu takes a few different approaches than the Green Chile Kitchen in San Francisco. By customer demand, they’ve added queso and fajitas to the menu. “You can’t survive [in Oklahoma] without your queso,” Peters said. “When we’re introducing something like fajitas that aren’t truly a New Mexican tradition, we worked with the marinade to make sure it has plenty of [Santa Fe influence].” Green Chile Kitchen replaces the traditional green bell pepper in the fajita mix with red and yellow sweet peppers and Anaheim chile peppers. The chicken for the dish is marinated in a mixture including Anaheim and Hatch chiles. “I’m very particular about ingredients,” Peters said, noting that the restaurant was ahead of the curve in Oklahoma by sourcing local ingredients and keeping a commitment to hormonefree proteins, grass-fed beef and freerange chicken.

Green goodness

Green Chile Kitchen’s most popular items are its signature green chile stew ($6 cup, $12 bowl) and f lat enchiladas ($16), both variations of

New Mexican dishes. The flat enchiladas are blue corn tortillas stacked rather than rolled, filled with a choice of chicken, beef, pork or veggie and topped with red or green chile sauce. Other overtly New Mexican dishes include blue corn crusted chile rellenos ($16), green chile burger ($15), New Mexican Frito pie, burritos smothered in chile sauce and fresh tamales. My heart skipped a beat when I saw that they offered savory stuffed sopapillas ($18). The New Mexican variation on fried dough differentiates itself from other Latin American adaptations by being more pillowy and fluffy and are a common side item for New Mexican dishes that are heavy on sauces in both sweet and savory capacities. My heart skipped yet another beat when I saw the option to add carne adovada, slow-roasted pork cooked in a mixture of red chiles and other spices. Carne adovada is a one of my favorite dishes to make at home. I use a recipe that I reverse engineered from watching an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives from an El Salvadorian chef in Los Angeles, but it is time consuming. It’s a sauce that requires blanching tomatoes, cooking onions and peppers, rehydrating dried chiles and carefully pureeing everything in the right order. I jump at the opportunity to order the dish when I see it on menus but have been disappointed—most notably with Café Kacao’s version that was not slowcooked—until I tried the Green Chile

Sopapillas stuffed with carne adovada and topped with queso and green chile sauce | Photo Jacob Threadgill

Kitchen version. The depth of flavor in the adovada shows the commitment to preparing recipes the correct way. It’s a hallmark of Green Chile Kitchen, which layers tons of savory flavors in all of its dishes, whether the tableside salsa or the cup of red chile chicken posole ($6) that began my meal. The accompanying refried pinto beans had a depth of smoky flavor and were cooked with plenty of residual meat fat (sorry, vegetarians). The restaurant does offer a healthy choice of salads and quinoa bowls. Just when I thought I couldn’t be happier with my meal, I noticed that it offered fresh homemade pies. Its signatures are green apple chile and Mexican chocolate pecan, but it also offers lemon buttermilk, chocolate peanut butter, coconut cream and peach with blueberries. I ordered the peach and blueberry because I was contemplating making my own version and was pleased with the filling and streusel topping, but the underlying crust was soggy after sitting in my to-go container for a few hours. If you are craving New Mexican food, it doesn’t require a trip to Santa Fe. Just drive a few minutes out to Yukon.

The Green Chile Kitchen opened on Main Street in Yukon in 2012. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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Call 405-528-6000 or email advertising@okgazette.com for more information on how your restaurant can participate

Broiler expansion

As Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler approaches its golden anniversary, expansion is on tap. By Jacob Threadgill

With the recent opening of a Moore location, Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler is undergoing an expansion and renovation phase that ownership hopes to finish by the Oklahoma City institution’s golden anniversary in 2021. The new full-sized Johnnie’s location at 2305 S. Telephone Road in Moore is modeled after the layout and updated design of its Yukon location, which was built in 2016. Co-owner Rick Haynes manages Johnnie’s with his brother David. Their father David “Johnnie” Haynes opened the first Johnnie’s in 1971 after he managed the old Split-T, where he developed many hamburgers that would become Johnnie’s signatures like the Theta and Caesar burgers. Rick Haynes said that the Yukon location provides the blueprint by which older locations will be renovated and remodeled, starting with the Northwest Expressway location, which was recently demolished and will be rebuilt by March 1. “We’re excited to still continue to grow,” Haynes said. “We feel like when you rebuild and you’re new and fresh, it draws attention.” Haynes sold the property on which the Northwest Expressway location stood to a developer, who has split the development, and the new Johnnie’s will open next to a Del Taco next spring. Also, a new Johnnie’s Express will open in Midwest City at 6825 SE 29th St. by early October. While the full-sized charcoal broiler serves its meals on porcelain plates with real glassware, the Express locations operate more like fastfood service with drive-thru windows. The decision to open an Express location versus a full-sized one comes down to space. Haynes said that they’d prefer to only open large stores, but if

The Theta burger is a frequently imitated Johnnie’s original. | Photo provided

a high-traffic location is available only as a smaller property, it will be targeted for an Express location. “They can do a lot of business even though it is a smaller footprint,” Haynes said. The Midwest City location will be the fourth Express location, a concept that launched not long after the turn of the 21st century. Express locations also differ from full-sized locations because they serve breakfast, which is something Haynes wants to keep as a distinction. “Breakfast is easier to handle at the Express because [the footprint] is smaller,” Haynes said. “We do most of the breakfast service through the drive-thru window.” The breakfast menu is streamlined; the most expensive items are a chickenfried chicken biscuit for $3 and granola served with milk for $3.79. Haynes said he is fond of the homemade cinnamon rolls. When the Midwest City Express location opens this fall, there will be a total of 11 restaurants in the Johnnie’s footprint, including the sports bar concept Urban Johnnie Bar and Grille, 121 NE Second St., which has been successful. Haynes said he is a fan of the concept, but he has no plans to open another Urban Johnnie location.

Golden anniversary ahead

Looking into the future as Johnnie’s celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2021, Haynes said he is focused on filling out locations in the Oklahoma City metro area. He is eyeing a potential Express location in the Midtown district, which is continued on page 14

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full of sit-down restaurants but is lacking a quick-service restaurant. The only other spot for growth Haynes sees is for a potential full-service location to open in Norman, which currently only has an Express. “Our long-term goal is to change the existing ones and then add Midtown,” he said. “Something else might happen, but that takes care of Oklahoma City from Edmond to Norman. I could probably do a full-size one in Norman.” The ownership group opened a variety of other concepts over the years including a steakhouse, and sold West, 6714 N. Western Ave., to Provisions Concepts in 2017. Haynes tried the franchise model with a pair of Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler locations in Tulsa in the 1990s, but it didn’t stick. “I doubt it will go out of the Oklahoma City market,” Haynes said. “We did franchises in Tulsa and didn’t care for it. At my age, I want to enjoy life a little more. It’s a tough deal to do. I find it is better for controlling what we’re doing.”

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Someone copying you is the best compliment. Rick Haynes

Staying true

Quality control is important to Haynes because he wants items to be prepared the same way they were when his father opened the first store in 1971. Handbattered onion rings, soups, signature dressings and sauces are made in-house. The Theta burger dates to the original Split-T and has spawned many imitations across the state, but its true origin story might be lost to time. One popular rumor is that the burger topped with cheese, hickory sauce and pickles was so popular with the Theta sorority at University of Oklahoma that it gave it its name, which Haynes said is likely apocryphal, but couldn’t say with certainty. The full-sized Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler opened in July at 2305 S. Telephone Road in Moore. | Photo provided

Rick Haynes co-owns Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler with his brother David. | Photo Gazette / file

“I don’t think that is a true story; I think there is more to it,” Haynes said. “I can’t really tell you the story because when my dad opened, I was only 13 in 1971. I was going to interview the original Split-T owner Vince Stephens after my dad passed away to get more history, but he died before I was able. “The original owner doesn’t really have any surviving family that would know that story as well. There are a lot of wannabes — and I don’t mean that the wrong way — that don’t make their own dressing. There are a lot of Theta burgers out there that don’t use hickory sauce, they use barbecue, which is fine. Someone copying you is the best compliment.” Visit johnniesburgers.com.

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Midtown addition

Commonplace Books expands with the opening of its kitchen. By Jacob Threadgill

Between bites of a meal, a person gets up from a seat at a kitchen counter and flips the Black Keys album Attack & Release on the nearby record turntable. It’s a scene that could easily describe any home kitchen, but it takes place in the recently opened Kitchen at Commonplace Books, 1325 N. Walker Ave, Suite 138, and it’s exactly the vibe co-owner Ben Nockels wanted to create. Nockels views the intimate 23-seat kitchen as an extension of the bookstore, which serves as the “living room.” Guests can grab a seat at the bar, at a communal kitchen table or find additional bar and lounge seating on the patio. “We didn’t want a restaurant or cafe,” Nockels said. “We want it to feel and function like a kitchen in a much more residential sense rather than commercial.” Building off the C.S. Lewis quote “We read to know that we’re not alone,” which Nockels cited with the opening of the bookstore last year, he sees a meal eaten with friends or strangers around a common table as an extension of that philosophy. “We could’ve gotten more seats in here, but we want to practice hospitality in this space, and ultimately, we’re not trying to figure out how to turn these tables,” Nockels said. “We are trying to welcome someone in such a way that they may want to stay awhile.”

The menu

Patrons can dine at the kitchen 7 a.m.-5 p.m. on fresh and light portions of salads, polenta bowls and toasts, a menu designed by co-owner Chris Castro. He also prepares a daily special that is served beginning at 7 p.m. Castro has a background in graphic design but often hosts cooking classes over private dinners and is a longtime friend of Nockels. When the Commonplace ownership group, which also includes Nate and

Sara Carr, Joe and Michelle Carr, Scott and Carol Johnson and Tricia Castro, acquired the kitchen space six months after Commonplace opened in April 2017, Chris Castro was the first choice as chef and menu designer. Castro and staff make use of limited space: They have toaster ovens, a small refrigerator and a few induction burners. “I enjoyed the challenges of building a menu around those items,” Castro said. “We did toast and salads, a lot of housemade items like pickled vegetables, simple vinaigrettes and house-made ricotta to let them shine. We wanted to make a menu that feels healthy without being a drag. It feels light, refreshing and hearty.” There are three salads on the menu, each topped with different vinaigrettes. The beet and citrus salad is paired with mint vinaigrette, white bean and herb comes with apple cider and the salmon and avocado arrives with lemon vinaigrette. Patrons can choose from a variety of toasts, including gluten-free bread. The house-made ricotta is paired with either tomato or fresh berries. There is also tahini and apple toast, butter and radish with microgreens and sous vide egg. Polenta is served with New Mexico roasted green chiles or with pancetta and sautéed greens. There is also vegan berries and cream over polenta with cashew crema, berries, honey and orange zest. Dinner specials change daily, but menu items have included a beet poke bowl, chicken posole and gazpacho with pancetta and fresh corn. Nockels said that kitchen service has gone smoothly over its first few weeks of operation. “I’ve had a similar experience to launching the bookstore where as soon as we launched, there was a sense of ‘It’s

Pancetta and greens served over polenta is a menu item at the new kitchen at Commonplace Books. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

always been here.’ It felt right. We integrated into the life of the neighborhood and district, and vice versa,” he said.

Going independent

The opening of the kitchen caps a successful first year for Commonplace. Nockels said that he long thought about opening a bookstore in Midtown — the district in which he has lived for a decade — but the decision didn’t come without research. The ownership group looked at spaces across a variety of buildings in different districts before settling on its current location. Nockels — who has a background in ministry and fundraising — reached out to Jim Tolbert, owner of Full Circle Bookstore, Oklahoma City’s longest-standing independent bookstore, to help with his career transition. Nockels said he approached Tolbert originally thinking of bringing him on as a partner. As their conversations continued, Tolbert offered Nockels an opportunity to apprentice at Full Circle. Tolbert declined becoming a partner in the venture but gave the group his blessing. “It was a great opportunity to betatest ideas,” Nockels said of his nine months on-and-off with Full Circle. “It was a chance to learn the ebb and flow of busy and slow days, how much administrative work is required, what a good bookseller looks like.” In the same way Nockels wants the kitchen to feel comforting for patrons,

Asheley Middleton and Jenna Swanson browse for reading material at Commonplace Books. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

he approached the layout of the bookstore in a similar intuitive fashion. Books are not arranged by typical genre boundaries. There are no sections for fiction, nonfiction and biography. They arrange a wide array of books under themes by which readers can self-identify like creative, explorer, mystic and pioneer. “Within that, you might have fiction, nonfiction, poetry and prose side by side,” Nockels said. “It’s not about the author; it’s more about the reader. We want to self-identify with a section, and not a hunt-and-peck method when you have a specific title in mind.” Commonplace Books is expected to reopen for normal business hours within days of Oklahoma Gazette’s publication date after a car crashed through its children’s book section July 10. There were no injuries in the accident, but construction and cleanup meant the store was only open for limited browsing by entry through the kitchen. “At first glance, it was just the door and window, but the car came all the way into the space, so it knocked down a section of drywall and had tile buckle in the bathroom,” Nockels said. “It’s coming along. We’ll have a grand reopening.” Visit commonplacebooksokc.com.

Commonplace co-owners Chris Castro and Ben Nockels inside the new kitchen. Castro is the head chef and menu planner. | Photo Jacob Threadgill

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eat & DRINK

Corner slice

Fancy local pizza places get a lot of buzz—and rightfully so—but getting a large pizza that costs more than $20 isn’t always an everyday option. This is a list of quality neighborhood pizzerias that have good service and large pizzas that costs less than $10. By Jacob Threadgill | Photos by Jacob Threadgill and provided

Eagle One Pizza

Luigi’s Pizza

All American Pizza

Eagle One isn’t just one of the best pizzerias in south OKC, but one of the best in the whole city, recently being named a 2018 Best Of OKC finalist for best pizzeria in the metro area. Customers can order delivery, but earn savings by picking up in store. A large one-topping pie is $5.99 or specialty pizza is only $6.99 for pick-up.

Located in an old Pizza Inn, Luigi’s has the feel of an old-school pizzeria where customers can linger at the reasonably priced buffet ($6.99) or pick up a large one-topping pie for only $7.99. Luigi’s standard thin crust is superior to its deep dish and has one of the best-flavored sauces in the city. It feels stuck in the 1980s in a good way. There aren’t enough old-school pizzerias around.

With three locations in the metro area, All American has earned a reputation for its affordable prices. A large singletopping pizza is only $5.99, and a large specialty is $8.99 for pick-up. All American sets itself apart by offering stuffed crust pizza for a regular ($8.99) or specialty pizza ($10.99).

116 S. Western Ave. eagleonepizza.com | 405-415-1832

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7101 Northwest Expressway allamericanpizzaokc.com 405-721-2900

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Stars Pizza Café & Grill

Revolve Pizza Kitchen

Pizzini’s Pizza

Stars & Stripes Pizza

You might have a memory of Stars pizza after a late night at the bars around 39th Street, but it holds up without the enhancement of alcohol. It also has a variety of unique gourmet pizza combinations like three types of pestosauced and four Alfredo-sauced pizzas. The Mucho Formaggio includes seven types of cheese and the Artichoke Amore is a veggie lover’s dream. Stars also serves a mean gyro.

Revolve is a little more high-concept than some of the other pizzerias on this list, but the customizable, wood-fired pizza is accessible and affordable. Customers can build their own pizzas or choose from five specialty pies like the Loaded Spud: chives and cheddar sauce with mozzarella, diced potatoes and bacon that is finished with fresh chives, cheddar and sour cream. It also offers a gluten-free crust and all of its pasta is made fresh.

At both the Bethany and Yukon locations, Pizzini’s has earned plenty of fans with pleasant service—whether it is pick-up or delivery—and its affordable deals. Many people simply refer to it as the ‘buy one, get one free’ pizza place. Get two one-topping large pizzas for $14.49. For every fan of their pizza, there is also someone who swears by Pizzini’s calzones, which come in medium ($10.99) large ($13.99) and extra large ($15.99)

Serving north Oklahoma City and now with a new location in Norman, there’s nothing quite like walking into a restaurant and smelling fresh dough baking. There’s not much seating, so expect to pick up your pizza and go, but it serves a reasonably priced specialty large pizza ($7.99) — the price other places charge for a regular large.

2124 NW 39th Street 405-601-4040

5500 W. Memorial Road revolvepizza.com | 405-792-2858

1615 S. Mustang Road, Yukon pizzinizpizzas.com | 405-578-8282

2805 NW 122nd St. starsandstripespizza.com 405-242-2000

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ARTS & CULTURE

Shine through

Visual art and poetry exist as one in Angie LaPaglia’s Shameless exhibition. By Ben Luschen

In a literal sense, poetry can be seen as just another way to organize words on a page. It is usually tidier and more concise than an essay and more formal than a text message. Poetry, and really any intimate or immediate form of communication, represents much more in practice. Angie LaPaglia, who released her autobiographical book of photography and verse titled simply 1 in 2015, said the words are the closest thing anyone can come to capturing a tangible piece of an author’s rational or emotive thought at a given point. A poem can be a looking glass into thoughts and feelings that would otherwise stay hidden from public view. “There’s not a lot of space between me and the words,” LaPaglia said in a recent Oklahoma Gazette interview. “Not that it isn’t crafted and honed, but I’m very vulnerable in what I write about.” Shame is often a subconscious reaction to vulnerability. It can be used as a shield one builds as a defense against outside judgment or embarrassment over personal trauma. And while it might be a feeling that is developed out of a need for self-preservation, shame can also be a rope that tethers people from healing or progress. It was through poetry that LaPaglia first realized shame’s restrictive grip. The only way she knew to cut the line was to lift the veil on her past pain and trauma through verse. That might sound like an act of courage, but LaPaglia says walking away from shame and being open in her work was her only choice. She needed to feel liberated — first for herself, but later realizing that others were also moved. “What I figured out is that if I say it out loud, people go, ‘Oh, man. That happened to me, too,’” she said. “And it sort of gives them permission [to do the same] and it makes them feel less like a freak.” Freedom in openness is the theme behind Shameless, LaPaglia’s new

poetry/visual art hybrid exhibition on view at The Paseo Plunge, 3010 Paseo St., through the end of August. The exhibit’s opening reception begins 6 p.m. Friday during the Paseo Arts District’s First Friday Gallery Art Walk. Shameless is a collection of LaPaglia’s poems taken from the page and adapted into more visual forms of media. There are poems carved from handmade paper or scratched out of photographs. Others are given new layers of meaning attached to objects like mirrors or straitjackets. The exhibit is both an opportunity to understand poetry in a new way and heal through exposure. “If you pull back the rug and shine a light on what happened, shame can’t survive,” she said. “It’s like, ‘You know what? This happened. It’s only shameful if it’s under here.’”

Finding fulfillment

There will be no reading or performance element to Shameless. LaPaglia believes it is important for the works in the exhibit to speak for themselves. “This exhibition is about visual art — it’s about presenting poetry as art,” she said. “I think spoken word is a little bit different discipline.” Writing has almost always been a part of LaPaglia’s life. She wrote her first poems when she was 13 years old. Her words were often a catharsis for a young girl burdened by life’s troubles. LaPaglia majored in English through college and spent a lot of time reading the great poets and attempting to understand what made them great. Over time, she developed her own style, which was confessional. At first, LaPaglia was content to make poems in the way poets always have — written on paper and published in books. But eventually she realized the audience for poetry was often limited to poets themselves. She began thinking of ways to present her art in a way that might

Light shines through the hand-carved words in Angie LaPaglia’s “Power” banner on handmade cotton paper. | Photo Todd Clark / provided

appeal to the scrolling social media society that exists today. LaPaglia soon realized by presenting her poems in picture form, she could open her work up to an audience not in the habit of reading poetry. Though she would not call herself a visual artist up to that point, she was a longtime supporter of local artists. “Art makes me happy; it brings me peace,” she said. “My house is so full of art that I have art leaning against the walls because I don’t have the wall space to put it on anymore.” The thing about being a poet is that, unless one is doing a live reading or recital, there is not a lot of opportunity to see someone react to a work firsthand. When her words are hanging up a gallery wall for view, LaPaglia said she has found a new sense of fulfillment in watching viewers’ reactions. Like many artists, LaPaglia’s goal is to share her work with others. “If the only people reading poetry are poets, that’s not cool,” she said. “And if the only people listening to slam poetry are other poets, then that doesn’t help the form.”

Powerful progression

Those who walk into Shameless will be greeted by “Power,” an original poem carved into a 63-by-43-inch handmade, acid-free cotton paper banner. Light shines through the banner, literally illuminating its message. LaPaglia’s first made the piece for the Nasty Women art show hosted by the former Current Studio gallery in the Classen Ten Penn area. The show was part of a national women’s movement reacting to the election of President Donald Trump in November 2016 and fear for what that could mean to the future of women’s rights and politics in general. LaPaglia still remembers the chill after seeing her phone’s first push notification saying Trump had secured the nomination. “I had fear as a woman about what is going to happen — for myself, for my daughter, for women’s issues and rights,” she said. “Whether or not that fear was rational or irrational, that’s what I felt. And I felt powerless.”

Poet Angie LaPaglia began adapting her poetry to visual art formats as an appeal to audiences outside the traditional poetry realm. | Photo Todd Clark / provided

Some of the Nasty Women pieces were irreverent or expressed frustration. LaPaglia wanted to take a different approach, choosing to list ways in which she did feel powerful. As a woman, she has the power to conceive a child, to feed life, to withstand adversity, to give and receive pleasure. Remembering these things helped bring some sense of calm back into her life. Many of the other works in Shameless are about the feeling of powerlessness, but LaPaglia wants everyone who comes through to leave feeling hopeful. “I want the message that people walk away with to be that you can still be powerful, even if all this shit happened,” she said. LaPaglia is unsure whether poetry presented as visual art is or might later be a trend. But she does know it has an impact on viewers. “Poetry is one of the least experienced artforms around,” she said. “Compare it to film or visual art or music. It’s not as experienced. I think some people come to poetry and they’re like, ‘Ew, it’s weird; I don’t know what it means.’” When LaPaglia first began adapting her poems to the gallery experience, she was looking for new ways to engage audiences, not necessarily to extend the poetic form altogether. But it could be that poetry is due for a new phase. “Like anything, I think poetry has to evolve,” LaPaglia said. “Technology is evolving and visual art has gone through several stages throughout history. I think our user base is used to ingesting information in a different way, so why not try to present poetry in a different way?” Visit angielapaglia.com.

Shameless opening reception 6-10 p.m. Friday The Paseo Plunge | 3010 Paseo St. paseoplunge.com | 405-315-6224 Free

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | A u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 8

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ARTS & CULTURE

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New growth Tim Kenney’s late-in-life shift toward art earns a new exhibit in Norman. By Jacob Threadgill

A chance call from his nephew in Santa Fe, New Mexico, led Norman resident Tim Kenney into an unusual career path at age 52: abstract impressionist painter. 10 years later, Kenney has painted in every state and all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, and The Depot, 200 S. Jones Ave., in Norman is hosting Tim Kenney: A Burst of Color until Sept. 1. Kenney will host a Q&A session and live painting exhibition 2 p.m. Sunday. “People walk in and really walk into a burst of color; we’ve had that comment made several times,” said Nancy McClellan, gallery manager at The Depot. “It’s a very bright and exciting show. People love Tim Kenney’s work.” Kenney recently unveiled a large aspen mural on the east wall of 415 W. Grey St., and the new exhibition at The Depot is his first dedicated exhibit in the gallery that promotes the work of Oklahoma artists. “I’m going to talk about my story, and it will be fun. Hopefully we’ll have a crowd,” Kenney said of the Sunday session. “It’ll be fun painting for people that have never seen me paint live. A lot of artists don’t like people watching while they paint, but I don’t mind at all.” Kenney said he hopes to showcase his style and share his life story, which might help other people see that it’s never too late to pursue a new field.

Changing course

Isabelle de Borchgrave, Marie de’ Medici, 2006, based on a 1595 portrait by Pietro Facchetti in the collection of the Palazzo Lancellotti, Rome. Photo: Andreas von Einsiedel.

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Kenney moved to Oklahoma from Virginia at age 14, graduated from University of Oklahoma and pursued a career in sales and marketing for 30 years across a variety of business types. After his mother moved in with him later in her life, Kenney pivoted careers to have a more flexible work schedule. He started working as a contractor, installing drywall and doing interior

Tim Kenney with a few of his works in the A Burst of Color exhibit at The Depot in Norman. | Photo Tim Kenney / provided

and exterior wall painting. “I was going to trade stocks on the side and make a million dollars. I forgot to make the million dollars,” Kenney said with a dry sense of humor. Out of the blue one day, Kenney got a call from his nephew who owns an art gallery in Santa Fe and asked if he would be willing to transport five paintings from Santa Fe to Dallas. He wasn’t sure right away until the deal got serious. “He told me that he could pay $1,500, and I told him I could be [in Santa Fe] by 2 o’clock tomorrow,” Kenney said. While in route to Dallas, one painting in particular caught Kenney’s eye. It featured a giant white aspen tree, which reminded him of his time flyfishing amongst the aspen trees of Colorado and New Mexico. As Kenney dropped off the paintings at large homes in Dallas — the kind of homes where people can afford to spend $50,000 on art — he began to wonder if he could learn what it takes to become an artist. With the image of the aspen tree as inspiration, he returned to Norman and began taking classes with Carol Armstrong at Firehouse Art Center. Armstrong was honored with the 2017 Governor’s Award for community service in the arts. “Carol is the best; we are great friends,” Kenney said. “She’s a wonderful teacher and a great person. Everyone in Norman loves her.” As Kenney continued working under Armstrong, he became attracted to the work of established artists LeRoy Neiman and Peter Max, both of whom

used bright colors to highlight their work. He also said he was drawn to the impressionistic nature work of contemporary artists like Pat Matthews, Marshall Noice and Norman’s Rick Fry. “I like certain painters that painted aspens,” Kenney said. “I met some of them, and you don’t want to steal somebody’s style. I kept asking them how to do this without painting like them. They all said, ‘Just keep painting and your style will become evident. Paint 100 paintings and your style will come out.’ I’m a lot more abstract than some of the artists that I know.” The aspen tree has become a pivotal source of inspiration for many of his works. His textured brush strokes and abstract viewpoint bring fresh perspective to idyllic naturalist settings. “The aspen’s white bark is a great style compared to the background of colors that I use,” Kenney said. The fact that it makes a good-looking painting is just a bonus. If it was a weeping willow tree, maybe it wouldn’t be so pretty.”

Road trip

In 2014, Kenney set out on a whirlwind tour that took him to 50 states in 50 consecutive days where he painted a work in every state. The trip took a year to put together as he arranged places

Tim Kenney’s work “Red Beauty” is in the A Burst of Color exhibit. | Image provided

to crash with friends and family, all for a good cause. Kenney donates 20 percent of the sale of each painting to Parkinson’s research in honor of a family friend battling the disease. Kenney has sold 36 of the 50 paintings and has had similar success with an Oklahoma tour. Last year, he traveled to all 77 of Oklahoma’s counties to document the state’s vast ecological differences. He has sold all but 19 of the 77, which are available at timkenneyfineart.com. “The trip in Oklahoma was great because I hadn’t been to a lot of parts of the state,” Kenney said. “I had a real ball. It is a very beautiful state. There are a lot of beautiful states, and Oklahoma has a lot of beauty in it. The people across the state are so nice; there is no doubt about it.”

tobacco is grown to the wy we craft our

Tim Kenney: A Burst of Color Through Sept. 1 The Depot | 200 S. Jones Ave., Norman normandepot.org | 405-307-9380 Free

O kg a z e t t e . c o m | A u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 8

Oklahoma Gazette 08-01-18 M18ND328 RSD Yellow.indd 1

Oklahoma Gazette 08-01-18 M18ND328 RSD Yellow

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ARTS & CULTURE

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Wild life

Two exhibits exploring birds, animals and insects debut at JRB Art at the Elms. By Jeremy Martin

A Paseo Arts District gallery will be filled with winged insects this month. Beginning Friday, JRB Art at the Elms will host two exhibits, Heather Gorham’s Wandering Silhouettes and Christie Hackler’s IM/Mortal: A Migratory Experiment, featuring moths and butterflies, respectively. A series of mixed-media paintings from Dallas-based artist Gorham, who has previously shown wooden and bronze sculptures at JRB, shows a different side of the artist, said JRB owner Joy Reed Belt. “Before, primarily what I’ve had of hers are the figures,” Belt said. “There have been a couple of faces, the whole body and the face. And these images we have from her now that we will be showing are surreal, realistic moths and animals. This is much more about animals than humans.” The paintings show animals such as rabbits and coyotes in motion, Belt said, but in order to fully appreciate them, a viewer should stop for more than a passing glimpse. The intricate details in the moths’ wings, for example, reward further examination. “If you look, you see eyes in it, you see faces in it,” Belt said. “What looks like an X-like pattern on the wings, if you look at it, really, is an assemblage of realistic things. But you really have to study it. Then you see the eyes looking at you, and you see different things, and you see human faces. That makes it interesting. That draws you in. Then you’re not only looking at shape and color. Then you’re looking for form. Good art draws you in. You don’t see everything the first glance. That’s why there’s art in museums that people study for centuries. Why is Mona Lisa smiling? How many suggestions have there been about that over the years?”

“Running Hares” by Heather Gorham | Image provided

Viewing and appreciating art is a subjective experience, Belt said, for gallery visitors and owners alike. “Usually you’re identifying artists that you’re interested in, that you see something about them that interests you,” Belt said, describing the process for choosing artists to exhibit. “You see a body of work, they sent you slides or images and you’ve looked at them and there’s been something in those images that speaks to you. For a gallery to acquire art and select art is not terribly unlike an individual selecting art.” Belt said she found the paintings in Gorham’s latest exhibition intriguing because of the personality on display. “Heather also has a bit of humor about her,” Belt said. “She’s got this one painting of a black crow, and there’s all these little circles on the painting and if you look, the crow has a pencil in his beak. Her work has always had a little humor in it, a surprise element to it. I like to show her every few years to see how she’s developing and how it’s working, and she has built up a little following that like to see her work.”

Transformation

The inspiration behind Hackler’s metal butterflies, however, is more serious, Belt said. In 1996, the artist and her son Thomas were surrounded by monarch butterflies in a memory that took on special significance after Hackler’s son died. “This is her third installation using the imagery of butterflies,” Belt said. “I saw her first installation, and I was very taken with it, so I started watching her. And she has dedicated her work to her son and to another child. It’s about grief, it’s about love, it’s about being mortal because she lost a son. So these butterflies, as they move on and enter the

universe, represent that theme. ... She’s talking about transitioning and, I think, the ultimate transition in life, death.” Hackler’s butterflies are also on display at Oklahoma City Zoological Park and Botanical Garden, but the works included in IM/Mortal are coated in vitreous enamel, made by melting powdered glass, which gives their colors an ethereal quality, Belt said, but also required the gallery to request the work more than a year in advance. “Her process is so labor-intensive, it takes a really long time,” Belt said. “I’ve been waiting a while to have a show of hers. … She has to shape the metal, then coat the metal, then let it dry, then paint the glass.” Hackler will be onsite 2-3 p.m. Aug. 25 to demonstrate her working methods as part of JRB’s free Beyond Art series. Upon seeing Hackler’s work for the first time, Belt said she was struck by its artistry but had no idea of the tragic backstory behind it. “I just saw it as art,” Belt said. “I didn’t stop to find out why she was doing butterflies. I just thought to myself, ‘I

For a gallery to acquire art and select art is not terribly unlike an individual selecting art. Joy Reed Belt love butterflies.’” But, as the exhibition’s name suggests, IM/Mortal’s butterflies are designed and arranged in a way that indicates a greater significance beyond pure aesthetic beauty and skilled craftsmanship, Belt said. “I think the way they’re placed affects me,” Belt said, “because your eye moves with where they’re placed. And she has been very deliberate about her placement. If you know what this is about, you begin to see these patterns, then your imagination takes over. It’s mortal. It’s

“Coyote” by Heather Gorham | Image provided

a

“IM/Mortal 7” by Christie Hackler | Image provided

migratory experience when you think about how as mortal human beings we have that same migratory experience of our life that the butterfly has in such a brief amount of time.” The opening reception for Wandering Silhouettes and IM/mortal: A Migratory Experiment is 6-9 p.m. Friday at JRB Art at the Elms, 2810 N. Walker Ave., during Paseo Arts District’s monthly First Friday Gallery Walk. Visit jrbartgallery.com

Wandering Silhouettes and IM/Mortal: A Migratory Experiment 6-9 p.m. Friday JRB Art at the Elms 2810 N. Walker Ave. jrbartgallery.com | 405-528-6336 Free

“13 Moths” by Heather Gorham | Image provided O kg a z e t t e . c o m | A u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 8

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Tucked away on N. MacArthur Boulevard just off Northwest Expressway, independent shoe store Daniels Shoes has catered to a dedicated customer base for years, creating a friendly, comfortable atmosphere and boasting an extensive knowledge of shoes and feet. The store, 7929 N. MacArthur Blvd., is small, locally owned and family-run in the truest sense. Owners Dan and Linda Brown, high-school sweethearts married 48 years, arrive long before the store opens, getting ready for the day. Shoes, it seems, have always been in their blood. Dan Brown started working at another store, Bates Shoes in Bethany, while he was still in high school. He learned the ropes of fitting and selling, then decided to branch out on his own

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in 1975. At the time, Brown Shoe Company in St. Louis offered low-interest, five-year loans to business owners wanting to open franchise stores, which Dan Brown did. His first location was on the south side of Oklahoma City so he wouldn’t compete with Bates Shoes. After a couple of moves closer to Bethany over the decades and a departure from Brown Shoe Company, the family bought its current building in 1999. “So we won’t be moving anymore,” Dan Brown said with a chuckle. The Browns acknowledged that they’re not in any local malls, but they don’t mind and are proud to be completely independent. In fact, they said many of their customers get referred to them from the bigger chain stores like Dillard’s or SAS Shoes. The reason? Employees at Daniels Shoes pride themselves on being able to get a customer’s true measurements and provide them a perfect shoe size, no matter how unique a foot is. According to Dan Brown, they carry widths from super-slim to doublewide. “If you come in here, first thing we’re going to do is, I get down on my hands and knees and I measure your feet,” Linda Brown said. “And we go from there.” The Browns’ customers are extremely loyal, and many have shopped with them since 1975. Some come to them from as far as Nashville, Tennessee, or Dallas, Texas. Both Dan and

Dan and Linda Brown stock exclusive models from popular shoe brands at their locally owned business. | Photo Kimberly Lynch

Linda Brown appreciate and remember most of their customers — and their shoe size, of course. For instance, they recalled a recent new customer from Norman, referring to her as “a 9 1/2 to 10 narrow.” She was so impressed with her fit that she got emotional in front of them. “She’s walking up and down, and she stops right here, and almost teared up,” Linda Brown said. “Really.” This level of satisfaction is what the Browns strive for. They are comfortable discussing conditions like plantar fasciitis (heel pain) or pronation and supination (which have to do with ankle alignment) and can recommend shoes to help fix such issues. Dan and Linda Brown’s son, Chad Brown, has been working in the store since childhood and will someday take over the business. For now, he has focused on updating its point of sale and expanding their advertising and online presence. He maintains the store’s website and places some of its stock on Amazon. “We handwrote tickets for 40 years,” Linda Brown said. “Well, he changed that.” “We ran out of paper,” Chad Brown said, laughing.

Local love

Daniels Shoes repays its faithful customers by staying involved in the Oklahoma City community. During the Oklahoma teacher strike in April, the store offered a 20 percent discount to teachers. In the past, it has hosted fall pumpkin patches and raffles for free shoes. The Browns are most proud of their involvement with the Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Bethany, a relationship Dan Brown has continued since Bates Shoes went out of business. Because of the unique size selection at

Daniels Shoes carries a large selection of children’s footwear. | Photo Kimberly Lynch

Daniels Shoes, they are able to provide for children with special needs. “Most of those children wear a brace,” Linda Brown said, “and so you’re actually fitting the brace.” Now Daniels Shoes is gearing up for the end of summer and back-to-school shoppers, an exciting time for them that signals the beginning of the busiest time of year. For those seeking back-to-school deals, Daniels Shoes features a large, separate clearance room that includes all the store’s brands at half price. Customers can also utilize the layaway program. Chad Brown said he plans to organize a promotion for Oklahoma’s sales tax holiday, a tax-free weekend set for Friday-Sunday, as another way to help families with school shopping. He expressed excitement about the 70 cases of new inventory the store just received for the back-to-school season, including Stride Rite, Uggs, Birkenstock, Nina Shoes and exclusive New Balance styles that are only found in smaller independent stores like theirs. The big rush will come around Aug. 15. He mused that teenage students tend to wait longer on new shoe purchases because they want to see what their friends are wearing first and what is trendy. As Chad Brown rearranged the New Balance displays, shoppers started arriving, braving the rain and morning traffic. Dan Brown carried armfuls of shoeboxes in and out of the stockroom for one customer, while five-year employee Sarah Smitherman showed another customer his special-order arch supports. The customer happily greeted Chad Brown, who made sure the inserts were placed in the correct shoes. The customer was pleased. “We’re just an old-school, old-fashioned mom-and-pop shop,” Chad Brown said. Clearly, they’re doing something right. Visit danielsshoes.com.

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f il m

For 2019’s deadCenter Film Festival, films like HAL will fall under new requirements for acceptance. | Photo provided

Evolving focus

deadCenter Film Festival opens 2019 submissions. By Jeremy Martin

deadCenter Film Festival 2018 wrapped in June, but the event’s organizers are already thinking about the future. Submissions for the 2019 festival open Wednesday, and cutting-edge technology, a returning category and a new eligibility requirement that could increase deadCenter’s potential for Academy Award consideration are all part of the coming attractions. In hopes of being added to the list of festivals the Academy considers when determining Oscar nominations, deadCenter will only accept films premiering in Oklahoma in 2019. While films that have made their world premieres at festivals outside of the state will still be eligible for inclusion in deadCenter, films that have appeared online or publicly outside of festivals or at any other film festival in Oklahoma will not be considered. “In the past, we’ve not given any sort of preference to what we call ‘premiere status,’ so it is a big change for us,” said festival operations director Alyx Picard Davis, “but it’s one that we’re really excited about.” To become eligible for Oscar consideration, Davis said, deadCenter needs to increase the number of premiering films screened each year. “There are certain preliminary steps you have to take in order to be nominated for an Academy Award,” Davis explained. “Short films in particular, if you play at a qualifying festival, that qualifies you to be on the long list in consideration for the award, and we are constantly looking for new ways to not only grow deadCenter and move us forward … but also we want our filmmakers to grow, and we want to push them. So part of that is why that change is being made. … Ideally, it’s the world premiere, or the U.S. premiere, but we’re starting kind of smaller.” 2019 will be the festival’s third year to screen virtual reality films as part of its techCenter conference and its second

to accept submissions in the VR format. “The technology to accept submissions caught up, finally,” Davis said. “You can submit a VR film to go through the judging process just like any other film, and it’s considered for that category.” Some filmmakers — such as Wes Hurley and Nathan M. Miller, who directed the documentary short Little Potato and the related VR film Potato Dreams, which screened at deadCenter in 2017 — also create VR films to elaborate on their more traditional works in an immersive, 360-degree environment. “They followed similar story beats, but they were very different films,” Davis said. “So for me, that’s fascinating to see how storytellers are taking their resources to tell these stories differently, and VR is a lot more dynamic, and it’s a lot easier to get people in. I’m excited to see where people take it because every submission is different. How do you want to treat that 360 world? … Where is technology taking us as storytellers?”

Virtually there

VR’s role in filmmaking is still being determined, Davis said. At the moment, the accessibility of the technology used to create films in the format presents a challenge for filmmakers. “It’s still early,” Davis said. “People are still figuring out 3D. I don’t know how pervasive it’s going to be because there is a lot of technology related to the production. You have to tell a good story first, but you have to use a different camera. You have to use certain software to put it together. It has to make sense. I do think it’s going to be around; I just don’t think it’s ever going to be as accessible as just going to see a regular 2D film. It’s also a completely different experience being in a VR film.” VR films can also be a challenge to screen, Davis added. “Currently, you’re putting on a

headset and you’re experiencing it by yourself,” Davis said. “There are versions of this where multiple people put on headsets and they’re all in the world together, but there is nothing similar to a 230-person theater watching the film. At most, there’s maybe 10 people exploring that world. There is technology to make more of that experience more accessible, but it’s going to be limited.” Davis said that she considers this year’s techCenter screenings a success because people were able to see the VR films with minimal hassle. “One of our goals is to make it super accessible and not frustrating,” Davis said, “so I’m really happy that we didn’t have lines of people waiting, but they were just able to come in and have that experience.” Davis said she hopes to one day see movies created using augmented-reality technology similar to that featured in games such as Pokémon Go. “I want to see an [augmented reality] film,” she said. “I don’t know how you would do it with augmented reality. In my head, it’s kind of like a choose-yourown-adventure story, but in film.”

You can submit a VR film to go through the judging process just like any other film, and it’s considered for that category. Alyx Picard Davis

Returning to next year’s festival are music videos, a category included in deadCenter’s lineups in previous years. Music videos are exempted from the festival’s prohibition on previous public screenings. “I’m excited we’re bringing that back,” Davis said. “I think that’s going to be just fun to sit and rock out with your friends during the festival, and I like the idea of acknowledging storytelling in that medium too because you’ve got the story of the song and you’ve got the story of the video and you have to marry it all together and have it look good.” Davis said the festival receives about 1,300 films for consideration each year. Submissions open Wednesday and close Feb. 19, 2019. The festival is scheduled to run June 6-9, 2019. Visit deadcenterfilm.org.

calendar are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

Books Book Club meet up with other readers to discuss Anne Tyler’s Clock Dance, 7-8 p.m. Aug. 8. Barnes & Noble, 540 Ed Noble Parkway, 405-579-8800, barnesandnoble.com. WED Brunching with Books a book club meeting every other week, with reading selections chosen by group preference, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Buttermilk Paseo, 605 NW 28th St., 405-605-6660, buttermilkokc.com. SAT

Hotdogs for the Homeless Volunteer Day pack lunches to distribute to the homeless population in downtown OKC, 10:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays. Old School Bagel Cafe, 10948 N. May Ave., 405-286-2233. SUN Kid’s Fest a children’s event featuring face painting, animal rescues, make-and-take art, inflatables and more, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 5. Farmers Public Market, 311 S. Klein Ave., 405-232-6506, okcfarmersmarket.com. SUN Mindful Yoga Happy Hour practice mindful meditation with Bhante Santhapiya, followed by coffee, tea and conversation, 5-7 p.m. Fridays. Oklahoma Buddhist Vihara, 4820 N Portland Ave., 405-810-6528, okbv.org. FRI Paracon hosted by Oklahoma Paranormal Association, this conference features guest speakers, vendors, giveaways, readings and more, Aug. 4-5. Redlands Community College, 1300 S. Country Club Road. SAT-SUN

Dale Lewis and Joe Washington book signing the authors will autograph copies of their non-fiction books, noon-1:30 p.m. Aug. 4. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. SAT

Pecha Kucha Night local business owners, artists and others give brief presentations on the topics of their choice, 6-8:30 p.m. Plenty Mercantile, 807 N. Broadway Ave., 405-888-7470, plentymercantile.com. WED

Edgar Cantero book signing the author will autograph copies of This Body’s Not Big Enough for Both of Us, a post-modern surrealist noir thriller, 6-8 p.m. Aug. 2. Full Circle Bookstore, 1900 Northwest Expressway, 405-842-2900, fullcirclebooks.com. THU

Pets and People Humane Society Car Wash get your car cleaned and help raise money for a volunteer group rescuing dogs and cats from local shelters, providing them with medical care and finding them homes, Aug. 4. Yukon Chamber of Commerce, 10 W. Main St. SAT

Mid-Oklahoma Writers a meetup for local writers featuring guest speakers and literary discussions, 7-9 p.m. Eastside Church of Christ, 916 S. Douglas Blvd., 405-732-0393. WED Reading Wednesdays a story time with naturethemed books along with an interactive song and craft making, 10 a.m. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED

Film

River Tour (Narrated) relax in the climate controlled cabin on one of our 65’ cruisers, or enjoy the breeze on the viewing deck and listen to the guided commentary while you enjoy a drink from the bar, 6-7:30 p.m. $15$20. Regatta Park Landing, 701 S. Lincoln Blvd., 405702-7755, okrivercruises.com/specialty-cruises. FRI-SAT Volunteer Training learn how to help out homeless youth with Sisu Youth Services, 1:30-3 p.m. Aug. 5. Church of the Open Arms, 3131 N. Pennsylvania Ave., 405-525-9555, openarms.org. SUN

Hud (1963, USA, Martin Ritt) this Oscar winning film stars Paul Newman in the title role as the arrogant and cruel son of an honest rancher, 1 p.m. Aug. 1. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405-478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. WED

Weekly Walkups each day has a different theme including crafts, reading, scavenger hunts and more, 10 a.m.-noon June 25-August 10. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com.

Re-Animator (1985, USA, Stuart Gordon) medical students attempt to resurrect the dead in this gory, madcap H.P Lovecraft adaptation, 7 p.m. Aug. 3. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, towertheatreokc.com. FRI

Workshop: Seed Balls learn how to plant chard, parsley, beans and more in protective clay balls that allow them to grow while protecting them from the elements and animals in this class taught by Stephanie Holiman, 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 4. OSU-OKC Farmers Market, 400 N. Portland Ave., 405-945-3326, osuokc.edu/farmersmarket. SAT

Sonic Summer Movies: Oklahoma! (1956, UK, Fred Zinnemann), farmers, cowboys and a traveling salesman compete for the affection of local ladies, 9 p.m. Aug. 1. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. WED

Happenings COOP Oktoberfest Release Party celebrate the local brewery’s seasonal beers with samples, giveaways, competitions and live music from Cut Throat Finches, 7- 10 p.m. Aug. 4. Schlegel Bicycles, 900 N. Broadway Ave, 405-2324040, schlegelbicycles.com. SAT Friday Evening Glow take in the OKC skyline at sunset from the bank of the Oklahoma river with live music, food and drinks at this weekly patio concert series, 6-11 p.m. Fridays. RIVERSPORT Rapids, 800 Riversport drive, 405-552-4040, riversportokc.org. FRI

MON-FRI

Food Automobile Alley Walking Food Tour take a guided food-centric tour through a district that was once home to early pioneers and evolved into an auto-dealership hub, every other Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. through Nov. 24. Automobile Alley, 1015 N. Broadway Ave., 405-488-2555, foodiefoottours.com. SAT Edmond Farmers Market buy fresh food from local vendors, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays. Edmond Farmers Market, 24 W. First St., 405-359-4630, edmondparks.com. SAT Food Truck Fridays eat lunch at a variety of food trucks on Friday afternoons and hear live music, 11 a.m.2 p.m. Fridays. Moore Central Park, 700 S. Broadway St., 405-793-5090, centralpark.cityofmoore.com. FRI

Barre3 Community Workout Combining movements from yoga, Pilates and ballet barre, Barre3 studio’s exercise program is designed to tone and lengthen major muscle groups and improve balance. Try it yourself outside, but be sure to bring a yoga mat and, even more importantly, water because you’ll likely break a sweat just setting your mat down in the summer sun. The workout begins 7 p.m. Monday on Devon Lawn at Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave. Admission is free. Call 405-445-7080 or visit myriadbotanicalgardens.com. MONDAY Photo provided Foodie Foot Tours Happiest Hour Cocktail Tour take a guided tour of historic Route 66 and visit local gems in this newly revitalized area with stops at local bars for cocktails, every other Friday, 6-8 p.m. through Nov. 23. Uptown 23rd Street, NW 23rd St., 405-831-0177, foodiefoottours.com. FRI Foodie Foot Tours Walking Food Tour explore African-American history on a food-focused tour in this district with deep jazz roots, 4-7 p.m. Saturdays. Deep Deuce District, 100 NE Third St., 405-235-3500, foodiefoottours.com. SAT

Arab After Hours a weekly belly-dancing performance featuring dancers from the Aalim Belly Dance Academy, 8:30-10:30 p.m. Tuesdays, through Dec. 25. Hubbly Bubbly Hookah & Café, 2900 N. Classen Blvd. Suite K, 405-609-2930. TUE Bluegrass Open Jam Session bring an instrument to pluck, strum or fiddle along, or just listen in, 1-4 p.m. Aug. 4. American Banjo Museum, 9 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-604-2793, americanbanjomuseum.com. SAT

The Lost Ogle Trivia for ages 21 and up, test your knowledge with free trivia play and half-priced sausages, 8-10 p.m. Tuesdays. Fassler Hall, 421 NW 10th St., 405-609-3300, fasslerhall.com. TUE

Divine Comedy a weekly local showcase featuring a variety of comedians, 9 p.m. Wednesdays, 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., 405-463-0470, 51stspeakeasy.com. WED

Paseo Farmers Market shop for fresh food from local vendors at this weekly outdoor event, 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays. SixTwelve, 612 NW 29th St., 405-208-8291, sixtwelve.org. SAT

Drag Show Fundraiser proceeds from this event, featuring Keosha Simone and other performers, will go toward Norman’s inaugural Pride festivities, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Aug. 4. Chixs & Styxs, 529 Buchanan, 405.928.3281. SAT

Summer Meltdown: Ice Cream Festival sample frozen treats from several local vendors, hear live music and enjoy many other games and activities for children and adults, 6-9 p.m. Aug. 4. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. SAT

Youth Drop-In Art learn to create works of art inspired by the museum’s collections, special exhibits, holidays and more, 1-4 p.m. Saturdays. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. SAT Early Explorers toddlers and preschoolers can participate in fun scientific activities they can repeat later at home, Thursdays, 10-11 a.m. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. THU Peter Rabbit Tea Party games, crafts and a picnic snack all centered around Beatrix Potter’s beloved bunny, 2-3 p.m. Aug. 3. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. FRI Storytime Science the museum invites children age 6 and younger to hear a story and participate in a related scientific activity, 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays, Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. TUE Summer Camp Contemporary children in grades K-9 can learn about clay, robotics, hip-hop, and many other artistic topics in a variety of camps, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. through August 10. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. MON-FRI

Tarot Talk If you want to know what the future has in store, or you’re just tired of playing the same old game of solitaire, check out this lecture explaining the fundamentals of the Thoth tarot deck designed by Aleister Crowley. For extra clarity, bring your own Thoth deck, but make sure not to confuse it with the popular Rider-Waite deck. (There’s not an Ozzy Osbourne song called “Rider-Waite,” after all.) The lecture is 4-6 p.m. Saturday at Sekhet Bast Ra Oasis-Ordo Templi Orientis USA, 2714 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged. Call 405-7067379 or visit sekhetbastra.org. SATURDAY bigstockphoto.com

Performing Arts

Story time with Tammi Sauer the children’s author will read from and sign copies of her picture books Go Fish and Knock Knock, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Aug. 4. Best of Books, 1313 E. Danforth Road, 405-340-9202, bestofbooksok.com. SAT Trae Young Youth Basketball Camp boys and girls in grades 1-12 can learn fundamental basketball skills and have the chance to meet the star Sooner point guard, Aug. 1-2. University of Oklahoma Sarkeys Fitness Center, 1401 Asp Ave, suite 170, 405325-3053, ou.edu/far. WED-THU

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

Funny AF Fridays hosted by Dope Astronauts, this weekly comedy showcase features a nationally touring headliner and local standups, 9 p.m. Fridays. Ice Event Center & Grill, 1148 NE 36th St., 405-208-4240, iceeventcentergrill.eat24hour.com. FRI HBart hosted by Sativa Prophets’ HuckWheat, this biweekly show gives local artists a chance to show off their talents, 9-11:30 p.m. Sundays. Hubbly Bubbly Hookah & Café, 2900 N Classen Blvd. Ste K, 405-609-2930. SUN Oliver! the tribulations of the Dickensian orphan adapted for the stage by Lionel Bart and performed by theater students, Thursdays-Sundays Aug. 2-12. Kismet Arts Studio & Theatre, 12201 N. Western Ave., 405-3677225, kismetartsokc.com. THU-SUN Open Mic hosted by Elecktra, this open mic has an open-stage, almost-anything-goes policy and a booked feature act, 6-11:30 p.m. The Root, 3012 N. Walker Ave., 405-655-5889, therootokc.com. MON Open Mic watch or perform at this monthly open mic hosted by Jarvix, 10 p.m. the first Wednesday of every month. The Deli, 309 White St., Norman, 405-329-3934, thedeli.us. WED Poetry and Chill Open Mic poets and spoken-word artists the stage to share their latest verses at this bi-weekly event, 9 p.m.-midnight Fridays. The Queen Lounge, 2306 N. MacArthur Blvd., 405-606-8616. FRI RACE X: The 10th Anniversary Performance join the dance company in celebrating its tin anniversary with crowd favorite dances by popular choreographers and guest appearances from alumni, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Aug. 3, 2-4 p.m. and 7:30-9:30 p.m. Aug. 4. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. FRI-SAT Rebels & Royals Drag King Show hosted by former Mister USofA Damian Matrix-Gritte, this monthly show features local drag kings and special guests 10:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Fridays. Frankie’s, 2807 NW 36th St., 405-602-2030, facebook.com/FrankiesOKC. FRI Red Dirt Open Mic a weekly open mic for comedy and poetry, hosted by Red Dirt Poetry, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Sauced on Paseo, 2912 Paseo St., 405521-9800, saucedonpaseo.com. WED

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CALENDAR

JOIN THE CLUB EVERY NIGHT IS LADIES NIGHT! NO COVER FOR LADIES! (EXCEPT FOR DURING PERFORMANCE) GREAT DRINKS & FREE SNACKS, WED. & THURS.

AUG. 2ND - AROUSE ENTERTAINMENT’S MALE STRIPPER SHOW AUG. 3RD - VINCE VAN & THE OUTLAWS AUG. 10TH - COUNTRY VIBE AUG. 17TH - CHARLIE HICKMAN AUG. 24TH - RAGTOWN

c a l e n da r

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Giving artists the freedom to create.

Monday Night Group Ride meet up for a weekly 25-30 minute bicycle ride at about 18 miles per hour through East Oklahoma City, 6 p.m. Mondays. The Bike Lab OKC, 2200 W. Hefner Rd., 405-603-7655. MON OKC Wednesday Worlds a fast-paced 30-35-mile ride heading east out of OKC at 20-25 miles per hour, 6 p.m. Wednesdays. The Bike Lab OKC, 2200 W. Hefner Road, 405-603-7655. WED

OKCX Sunday Holey Rollers Ride a weekly group bicycle ride departing from Holey Rollers Doughnuts in the Paseo at an average pace of about 18 miles per hour, Sundays, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. through Oct. 21. Holey Rollers, 3010 Paseo Dr., 405212-2383, holeyrollersdonuts.com. SUN

HOME OF THE TRUE COUNTRY WESTERN 401 S. MERIDIAN LIKE US

Active

Spears School of Business Golf Classic now in its fifth year, this golf scramble raises money for the general scholarship fund for students at Oklahoma State University’s business school, Fri., Aug. 3. Karsten Creek Golf Club, 1800 S. Memorial Drive. FRI

CHISHOLMSSALOON

Thursday Night Dirt Crits weekly criterium trials for all ability levels meeting at the Mountain Bike Trailhead and hosted by Oklahoma Earthbike Fellowship, 7-9 p.m. Thursdays. Lake Stanley Draper Trails, 8898 S. Post Road. FRI Tri-OKC Arcadia Lake Triathlon & Aquabike get up early to compete in a 1000-meter swim, 20-mile bike or a 4-mile run all ran as a state championship, 7:30 a.m.-noon August 5. Arcadia Lake, 9000 E. Second St., 405-216-7470, edmondok. com/parks. SUN Wheeler Criterium a weekly nighttime cycling event with criterium races, food trucks and family activities, 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Wheeler Park, 1120 S. Western Ave., 405-297-2211, okc.gov. TUE Yoga in the Gardens bring your mat for an alllevels class with Lisa Woodard from This Land Yoga, 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUE

Visual Arts The 46th Annual Prix de West Invitational Art Exhibition & Sale features more than 300 Western paintings and sculptures by contemporary Western artists of landscapes, wildlife and illustrative scenes, Through Aug. 5. National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, 1700 NE 63rd St., 405478-2250, nationalcowboymuseum.org. FRI-SUN

  

August 4 STONE TEMPLE PILOTS TRIBUTE BAND

The Urban Industrial Mixed Media Show an exhibition featuring the paintings of mixed-media artist Tracy Lewis, who incorporates found objects into her work, 6-10 p.m. Aug. 3. The Purple Loft Art Gallery, 514 NW 28th St., 405-412-7066, thepaseo.org. FRI

August 24 GILLIAN WELCH

Creative Visions Botanical Watercolor Class learn to paint flowers and other botanicals with artist Kiana Daneshmand, 4:30-6 p.m. Wednesdays. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa.com. WED

August 25 JONATHAN TYLER AND THE NORTHERN LIGHTS

Decomposition: Discovering the Beauty and Magnificence of Fungi the kingdom of fungi is on display at SMO’s smART Space Galleries exploring the uses, benefits and beauty of fungi,, through Aug. 12. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org.

Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art an exhibition featuring more than 65 works in oil, watercolor, textiles, metals and more by 15 contemporary artists, through Sept. 9. Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., 405-325-3272, ou.edu/fjjma. FRI-SUN

August 30 COOP SHOWCASE

A u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 8 | O kg a z e t t e . c o m

Reflection: An Exhibition of Glass and Light featuring works by artists Rick and Tracey Bewley using glass and light to creative reflection of colored geometric shapes mixed with metal structures., Through Aug. 24. Oklahoma City University School of Visual Arts, 1601 NW 26th St., 405-208-5226, okcu.edu/artsci/ departments/visualart. WED-FRI

Color Play for Quilters and Big Stitch Workshop a hands-on color-matching workshop taught by Beth Furnish; materials provided, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Aug. 4. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-6665, 1ne3.org. SAT

August 26 SUNNY SWEENEY & WARD DAVIS

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Paulson Fontaine Press Print Viewing see limited edition intaglio prints from the California publisher and hear from Paulson Fontaine representative, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 2. [Artspace] at Untitled, 1 NE Third St., 405-815-6665, 1ne3.org. THU

Sojourning features fiber installations by Chiyoko Myose, a Japanese artist, expressing her experiences living in a foreign country, June 2-August 12. Free, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org. SAT

August 11 SAM RIGGS

             

WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY Photo provided

Back Roads and Dirt Roads photographs and collages by Stillwater artist Linda Guenther feature barns, windmills, livestock and other rural iconography, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays. through Sept. 2. Contemporary Art Gallery, 2928 Paseo St., 405-6017474, contemporaryartgalleryokc.com. FRI-SUN

August 10 FLATLAND CAVALRY

    

The Art of Oklahoma celebrate the 110th anniversary of Oklahoma statehood with a diverse collection of art created by or about Oklahomans and the cities and landscapes they call home. Enjoy works by John Steuart Curry, Oscar Brousse Jacobson, Nellie Shepherd, David Fitzgerald and Woody Big Bow, Through Sept. 2. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa. com. THU-SUN

First Reformed The trailer for this film, starring Ethan Hawke as a reverend suffering a crisis of faith and confronting his troubled past, makes it difficult to determine exactly what-in -the-name-of-staying-out-of-hell is going on, but writer director Paul Schrader has a batting record like Babe Ruth’s: whether he hits (Taxi Driver, Affliction) or goes down swinging (The Canyons, Dying of the Light), he’ll be aiming for the fences. The film starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St. Tickets are $10. Call 405-708-6937 or visit towertheatre.com.

August 31 THE MAVERICKS Tickets and Info TOWERTHEATREOKC.COM @towertheaterokc

WED-SUN

Ink & Draw a weekly meet-up for illustrators, artists and comic book creators, 4-6 p.m. Sundays. The Paseo Plunge, 3010 Paseo Plunge, 405-315-6224, paseoplunge.org. SUN Into the Fold: The Art and Science of Origami features origami artists from around the world and displays the techniques of artful paper folding and other unique applications of origami, through Jan. 13, 2019. Science Museum Oklahoma, 2100 NE 52nd St., 405-602-6664, sciencemuseumok.org. FRI-WED Paseo Arts District’s First Friday Gallery Walk Peruse art from over 80 artists with 25 participating business for a night of special themed exhibits, refreshments and a variety of entertainment opportunities, 6-10 p.m. first Friday of every month. Paseo Arts District, 3022 Paseo St., 405-525-2688, thepaseo.org. FRI

Welcome Home: Oklahomans and the War in Vietnam explores the impact of the war on Oklahoma families as well as the stories of Vietnamese families relocated to Oklahoma, Through Nov. 6, 2019. Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, 405-521-2491, okhistory.org. MON-WED

Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

405-70-TOWER | 425 NW 23rd St. OKC

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

event

MUSIC

Force awakened

Johnny Manchild & The Poor Bastards make a statement on their debut album Insomnia. By Ben Luschen

Most people know what it’s like to lie in bed with tired eyes but a racing mind. Few people, however, have felt it to the extent of Jonathan Garrett, known locally as singer-songwriter Johnny Manchild. “It kind of comes and goes,” Manchild said. “On occasion, I just won’t sleep for a few days.” Perpetual unrest helped fuel Manchild and his six-piece piano rock band The Poor Bastards on their debut full-length album Insomnia, which gets a release show Friday at 89th Street — OKC, 8911 N. Western Ave. The bill also includes appearances by The Big News and Joplin, Missouri’s Guys On A Bus. 12-track Insomnia deals with heavier subject matter than the band’s poppy 2017 EP Valencia. Around the time Manchild was writing Insomnia, he was in and out of outpatient care at a behavioral health clinic. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and his overall mental health was in dire straits. “That was pretty bad,” he said. “They diagnosed me with a couple of things, and sleep disorder was a pretty big thing for me for awhile.” Lying in bed, Manchild could not escape the thought that he was forgetting to do something. He would get up and write music through the night. Manchild said he has written more than 130 unreleased songs, many of which he doubts will ever see the light of day. The album’s title track was born out of Manchild’s sleeplessness. It features a weird metric with several time signature changes in an attempt to capture the mental soundtrack to hallucinogenic exhaustion. “It’s basically the sound of going insane and not being able to sleep,” he said.

Key development

Manchild was diagnosed with attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder, commonly known as ADHD, when he was 4.

His doctors put him on a lot of different drugs to manage it, including Adderall. “It didn’t work,” Manchild said. “Instead, my dad got me a drum set.” He became a dedicated drum student and by age 10 had already played for his first band, now-defunct Refuge. Manchild got into engineering and producing in his teenage years and worked on a few albums here and there. He attended high school at Classen School of Advanced Studies, which is also where he was first introduced to piano. Manchild said Classen was a place where typical high school social norms were turned on their heads. With the absence of a football team, instrument nerds were free to become the cool kids. “It was really good for creative types,” he said. “We were allowed to do pretty much whatever we wanted.” After graduation, Manchild enlisted in the United States Army and got heavily involved in its jazz band. When he returned home, the experience inspired him to pursue a jazz degree at University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). Though he was introduced to piano in high school through classical music, it was not until college — and a newfound love for the music of Charles Mingus and Erykah Badu — that he fell in love with the keys through the lens of jazz. “I went to school as a percussion major and ended up loving piano. I don’t have any drums tattooed on me, but I do have this thing,” he said, rolling up his sleeve to show a piano-key design that also served as the cover art for his Valencia EP. Up until early 2016, Manchild was a bassist and songwriter for the band The Happily Entitled. He had a rough falling out with the group but quickly sought to form his own band after leaving them. Manchild pulled the first incarnation of The Poor Bastards together from players in his college jazz ensemble and other students in the UCO jazz program. The current roster includes drummer Ethan Neel, bassist James Thompson, guitarist Chris Lashley and trumpet players Ben Wood and Danny McGinn.

Growing fast

Insomnia | Image provided

Manchild grew up with two mother figures, and his stage name comes from one of them, Phoebe Thurman. Thurman, the songwriter said, is not a tall woman, and by the fifth grade, he had already eclipsed her in height. “Manchild” was originally a pet name she used for him around the house. The musician changed his last name from Garrett on Facebook to reflect his stage handle and found that it does not take long to take on a new identity in

the digital age. “It took about four months for everyone to completely forget what my real last name was,” he said. The Manchild persona was originally intended as a defense mechanism against the musician’s paralyzing anxiousness. “At shows, I have a hard time talking to people,” he said. “I have pretty intense social anxiety for the most part — which this band has helped a lot with, actually. But I was not the person to go up to someone after a show and say, ‘Hey, what’s up? Thanks for coming out!’”

It’s basically the sound of going insane and not being able to sleep. Johnny Manchild The moment he walks through his front door after a gig is usually a time to exhale. The Manchild mask comes off and he can return to his familiar, unrested self.

Johnny Manchild & The Poor Bastards | Photo provided

space opened in August, and Manchild began recording Insomnia almost as soon as he started there. “I got really lucky with that,” he said. “[The owner] just asked me to help do the thing and it gave me a place to record the album.” Within the last several months, Manchild has helped produce records for Astral Planes and One Two Ten. He also recently returned from a touring job playing bass for country singersongwriter Jared Deck. “Between all of that and the studio gigs and touring gigs, that’s pretty much my life right now,” he said. The subject matter might not be leastcommon-denominator material, but Manchild hopes the feel of his band’s debut is something many will find enjoyable. “If I have any one goal for the album,” he said, “it’s that people who don’t know anything about music theory can dig it and people who do can really enjoy what’s going on.” Visit manchild.band.

Something different

Coming off a lighthearted debut EP, Manchild had a surprising goal for his band’s debut full-length. “I kind of wanted to make something even less relatable,” he said. “I don’t know if people will like it as much, honestly. But I do.” Insomnia might deal with heavier subject matter, but Manchild said the album is likely his greatest musical accomplishment to date. It is certainly his most personal. The album was recorded almost entirely at Skyloft Recordings, where Manchild is an engineer. The studio

Insomnia album release show 8 p.m. Friday 89th Street — OKC 8911 N. Western Ave. ticketstorm.com | 405-463-9203 $10-$12

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event

MUSIC

Truth and Soulmatic

The Nghiems battled setbacks at personal tragedies to create their second album. By Jeremy Martin

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The VoTes Are In!

Carrying amplifiers for a Ben Kweller show got The Nghiems booked on their first gig in 2007, and getting the attention of Broncho’s Ben King at that gig resulted in an invite to record at a storied local studio. “It went from having no opportunities at all to being in the studio recording at Blackwatch in Norman,” said drummer James Nghiem. “Being in Blackwatch was like being in a holy place. I couldn’t even fathom being in there. So it went from nothing to everything, and I had to get a lot better in a short amount of time.” Pretty much nothing since then has come so easy. Nghiem, whose drumming experience was mostly limited to playing in a “weird metal band in high school,” soon felt out of place in a professional recording environment. “While I was in the studio, there was a lot of playing with a metronome,” Nghiem said. “I was out of my element, and it was really tough for me. I was working at a pho restaurant in Norman down the street from the studio, driving a shitty car. The sunroof was busted, so every time it would rain, it would collect water but it wouldn’t fall into the car until it moved. So I would work all day, go and record in the studio at night, and the first forward motion of my car, the water would just dump all over me on the way to the studio and I would feel like such a piece of shit.” Recording for The Nghiems’ debut LP, The Pine Tree, The Mushroom, & the End of the World, took “at least two years, maybe even three.” “Part of the reason is that we were in and out of the studio, at night or off hours,” Nghiem said. “Sometimes a big band with a lot of money would bump

Mark your calendars for August 22 to grab an issue for the results of BesT oF oKC 2018! Call 405.528.6000 or email advertising@okgazette.Com for more information. 30

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Soulmatic was released online earlier this year, but a limited-edition vinyl run will be available Friday. | Image Mike Allen / provided

us, and we’d just be shit out of luck. We didn’t have a big budget, so we took what they could give us.” Lyricist, vocalist and keyboardist David Nghiem recalls losing some of the album’s home-recorded demos during an ice storm and having to start from scratch in the studio. When the album was finally recorded, a publishing deal the band signed delayed its release for another year until 2011. While the Nghiem brothers were waiting to release their album, their father died. “The way our dad passed away was sudden,” David Nghiem said. “We found out he had lung cancer, and it had already advanced to his brain. I rode with him to the hospital December 26, 2009. He passed away January 2010. We found out it had moved to his brain, so I moved back home from Norman. I stayed with him and my mom and helped take care of him. He was starting to have balance problems. He was on medication to shrink the tumor in his brain … and one day, he decided to stop taking the medicine. But it was terminal, you know? He was gone in about a week. It happened so quick, just about a month.” For a couplew of years after that, music didn’t seem to matter as much. “That kind of put things in a different perspective,” David Nghiem said. “We kind of didn’t want to play those songs as much. … I think I just got really depressed and stopped caring about stuff.”

Finding control

David Nghiem moved in with his mother and began taking care of her and his grandparents. He “slowly started writing again” in 2013. The Nghiems made a deal to record three songs at a studio in Fort Worth but became so dissatisfied the with the process they only finished two. “We didn’t like the producer,” David Nghiem said. “We thought it would be an OK match, but it wasn’t. He was changing the songs. … We wouldn’t have been able to play these things live. He wanted us to record a certain way, and he would add his own keys over it. He had a session musician come and put some weird string arrangements on it, and our band members couldn’t make it that way. We just felt like they were taking over our record, and it was a very bad feeling.” The Nghiems ended up scrapping the recordings all together and starting

BUFFALO WILD WINGS IS YOUR FANTASY FOOTBALL HEADQUARTERS

The Nghiems play Friday at 51st Street Speakeasy with Teflo Dollar and Foxburrows. | Photo Luis LeBron / provided

over. James Nghiem moved to Los Angeles to pursue standup comedy but returned for more recording sessions, which were ultimately lost. “When I moved back from L.A., we just didn’t have any access to them,” James Nghiem said, “which I think was good for the record because we had to take our time and not rush it. The songs have grown as we have grown.” The Nghiems began recording sessions for what would ultimately become their sophomore album, Soulmatic, at home with bassist Mike Allen.

I got to a point where I thought this record was never going to come out. James Nghiem “We thought we had learned enough recording at studios and watching people that we could try to do it on our own,” David Nghiem said, “and if it sounded really bad, that’s just how it’s going to be. I bought a few keyboards we had seen in the studios, some we hadn’t, and tried those, and James learned to mix on the fly.” For James Nghiem, having more control over the album’s sound was a mixed blessing. “It’s positive and negative,” James Nghiem said. “I got to a point where I thought this record was never going to come out. I almost gave up a lot because we just kept going back and forth revising and revising. It’s hard to know when you’re done. Sometimes you need someone to be on your case about it.” David Nghiem, meanwhile, said he

had trouble spending several years dwelling on the album’s lyrical themes — which deal symbolically with the passing of his father and his grandparents, who died while the album was being recorded — but he’s relieved that it’s completed. “It kind of makes you go crazy,” David Nghiem said. “Especially this kind of record makes you more depressed having to stay in that place. … I think when we finished the record, we started to feel a lot better. It just felt like it was a record we had to make if we were going to make another record and then we could make something totally different after this, but to do that, we had to finish this first. It felt like so many setbacks while we were recording it, so it felt really good to finish it and finish it the way we did.” The Nghiems will celebrate Soulmatic’s vinyl release 9:30 p.m. Friday at 51st Street Speakeasy, 1114 NW 51st St., before leaving for a short Texas tour. Visit 51stspeakeasy.com.

®

CALL AND BOOK YOUR FANTASY FOOTBALL PARTY TODAY! DEL CITY 405.677.9464 • SHAWNEE 405.273.3473 EDMOND 405.340.9647 • OKC I-40 & ROCKWELL 405.603.4688 MOORE 405.794.9647 • NORMAN 405.701.8254 YUKON 405.265.1944 • EAST EDMOND 405.285.0667 • STILLWATER 405.533.2356 ©2018 BUFFALO WILD WINGS, INC. BWW2018-0078649

Soulmatic vinyl release party 9:30 p.m. Friday 51st Street Speakeasy | 1114 NW 51st St. 51stspeakeasy.com | 405-643-0470 $5

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LIVE MUSIC These are events recommended by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

Wednesday, Aug. 1 DJ Luc, The Deli. POP FC Westcott & the Aficionados, Red Brick Bar. COUNTRY The Hollow Ends/Deer Paw, The Root. FOLK Hop Along/Thin Lips/Pearl Charles, Opolis. ROCK Logic, The Zoo Amphitheatre. HIP-HOP Otep, The Ruins Live. ROCK

Thursday, Aug. 2 311/Offspring/Gym Class Heroes, The Zoo Amphitheatre. ROCK

Alyssa Elaine, Java39. SINGER/SONGWRITER Black Oak Shillelagh, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant. FOLK

Bloody Knives/Black Magnet, Opolis. ELECTRONIC Brandi Reloaded, Rock & Brews. COVER Brian Belanus, Saints. JAZZ Champ Devere, Chisholm Trail Park. COUNTRY Jabee, Legacy Park. HIP-HOP Koolie High & the Tap Band, Ice Event Center & Grill. JAZZ

Dresden Bombers The post-punkers debut EP, Dance Music for Sad People, is just about as Goth as its title suggests and at least as much fun, with plenty of emotive riffs, catchy choruses and infectious beats. Live, it should get even the most worry-filled heads nodding. Pop deconstructionists Layers of Pink and high-energy duo Bamboozel will keep feet moving into the small hours. The Bombers take off 10 p.m. Saturday at Blue Note Lounge, 2408 N. Robinson Ave. Admission is $5. Call 405-600-1166 or visit facebook.com/bluenoteokc. saturday Photo provided

Superfreak, The Liszt. COVER Vanilla Sugar/Shiann Davis/The Greatest View, The Venue OKC. ROCK

Stars, Newcastle Casino. COVER

Friday, Aug. 3

The Vatican Music Shop/Man in the Box, Tower Theatre. COVER

ATLiens/G-REX/Carbin, Farmers Public Market.

Wade Hayes, Rodeo Opry. COUNTRY

ELECTRONIC

Jessica Tate/John Rouse, Bossa Nova Caipirinha Lounge. JAZZ

The Jibs/Brujo, The Root. ROCK On a Whim, Waters Edge Winery-OKC. COVER One Love Uprising/Stinky Gringos/The Broke Brothers, Bricktown Central Plaza. REGGAE

Welcome Center/Monikers, Red Brick Bar. ELECTRONIC

Sunday, Aug. 5 Momentum/Bloodhound/Stepping Stone, . HARDCORE Shortt Dogg, Myriad Botanical Gardens. R&B Toad the Wet Sprocket, The Jones Assembly. ROCK

Powerman 5000/Locust Grove/Soul Crisis, Diamond Ballroom. ROCK

Tom Boil/ Bleak Age/JUNFALLS, Sauced on Paseo.

Redwitch Johnny/Crobone, Blue Note Lounge. ROCK

Monday, Aug. 6

Rugged Grace, The Manhattan OKC. COUNTRY

Jason Hunt, Sean Cumming’s Irish Restaurant. FOLK

Sonja Martinez, Partners. COUNTRY

Tuesday, Aug. 7

Terri Hendrix, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER Tyler Lee Band, Okie Tonk Café. ROCK Vince Van & the Outlaws, Chisholm’s Saloon. COUNTRY

Zach Sprowls, Full Circle Bookstore. INSTRUMENTAL

Saturday, Aug. 4 Absolute Power/Keesha Keyz/G-Styleon, The Root.

PUNK

Aaron Lee Tasjan, The Jones Assembly. ROCK Country Clique, Friends Restaurant & Club. COUNTRY Kyle Reid, Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails. SINGER/

SONGWRITER

Lazer Lloyd, The Blue Door. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Wednesday, Aug. 8

HIP-HOP

Mary Battiata, The Blue Door. COUNTRY

Amanda Cunningham, Enigma Bar & Grill. ACOUSTIC

Social Club Misfits, Tower Theatre. HIP-HOP

Another Round/Hanging Hayley Highwater Gamble, Oklahoma City Limits. ROCK

Telekinetic Yeti/Hyborian, 89th Street-OKC. METAL

Clay Walker, Riverwind Casino. COUNTRY Devil Theory/Carcinogen Daily, 89th Street-OKC. METAL

Jah Mystics/Sam Stylees/Watusi, Bricktown Central Plaza. REGGAE Jordan Law & Rashad Hutchins, Bedlam Bar-B-Q. SINGER/SONGWRITER

Kwiksand, Iron Horse Bar & Grill. COVER Queensrÿche, Frontier City. ROCK Raina Cobb, Louie’s Grill & Bar. SINGER/SONGWRITER Mojo Thief/Brandi Reloaded/HIdden Agenda, Landing Zone. ROCK

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Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Fax your listings to 528-4600 or e-mail to listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

go to okgazette.com for full listings!

free will astrology Homework: What was your last major amazement? What do you predict will be the next one? Testify at Freewillastrology.com. ARIES (March 21-April 19)

I predict that August will be a Golden Age for you. That’s mostly very good. Golden opportunities will arise, and you’ll come into possession of lead that can be transmuted into gold. But it’s also important to be prudent about your dealings with gold. Consider the fable of the golden goose. The bird’s owner grew impatient because it laid only one gold egg per day; he foolishly slaughtered his prize animal to get all the gold immediately. That didn’t work out well. Or consider the fact that to the ancient Aztecs, the word teocuitlatl referred to gold, even though its literally translation was “excrement of the gods.” Moral of the story: If handled with care and integrity, gold can be a blessing.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Taurus socialite Stephen Tennant (1906-1987) was such an interesting luminary that three major novelists created fictional characters modeled after him. As a boy, when he was asked what he’d like to be when he grew up, he replied, “I want to be a great beauty.” I’d love to hear those words spill out of your mouth, Taurus. What? You say you’re already all grown up? I doubt it. In my opinion, you’ve still got a lot of stretching and expansion and transformation to accomplish during the coming decades. So yes: I hope you can find it in your wild heart to proclaim, “When I grow up, I want to be a great beauty.” (P.S. Your ability to become increasingly beautiful will be at a peak during the next fourteen months.)

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

“Manage with bread and butter until God sends the honey,” advises a Moroccan proverb. Let’s analyze how this advice might apply to you. First thing I want to know is, have you been managing well with bread and butter? Have you refrained from whining about your simple provisions, resting content and grateful? If you haven’t, I doubt that any honey will arrive, ether from God or any other source. But if you have been celebrating your modest gifts, feeling free of greed and displeasure, then

I expect at least some honey will show up soon.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Don’t worry your beautiful head about praying to the gods of luck and fate. I’ll take care of that for you. Your job is to propitiate the gods of fluid discipline and hard but smart work. To win the favor of these divine helpers, act on the assumption that you now have the power and the right to ask for more of their assistance than you have before. Proceed with the understanding that they are willing to provide you with the stamina, persistence, and attention to detail you will need to accomplish your next breakthrough.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

“Sometimes, I feel the past and the future pressing so hard on either side that there’s no room for the present at all.” A character named Julia says that in Evelyn Waugh’s novel Brideshead Revisited. I bring it to your attention as an inspiring irritant, as a prod to get you motivated. I hope it will mobilize you to rise up and refuse to allow your past and your future to press so hard on either side that there’s no room for the present. It’s a favorable time for you to fully claim the glory of being right here, right now.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

I’m not an ascetic who believes all our valuable lessons emerge from suffering. Nor am I a pop-nihilist who sneers at pretty flowers, smiling children, and sunny days. On the contrary: I’m devoted to the hypothesis that life is usually at least 51 percent wonderful. But I dance the rain dance when there’s an emotional drought in my personal life, and I dance the pain dance when it’s time to deal with difficulties I’ve ignored. How about you, Virgo? I suspect that now is one of those times when you need to have compassionate heart-to-heart conversations with your fears, struggles, and aches.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Do you absolutely need orchids, sweet elixirs, dark chocolate, alluring new music, dances on soft grass, sensual massages, nine hours of sleep per night, and a steady stream of soulful conversations? No. Not really.

In the coming days, life will be a good ride for you even if you fail to procure those indulgences. But here are further questions and answers: Do you deserve the orchids, elixirs, and the rest? My answer is yes, definitely. And would the arrival of these delights spur you to come up with imaginative solutions to your top two riddles? I’m pretty sure it would. So I conclude this horoscope by recommending that you do indeed arrange to revel in your equivalent of the delights I named

tweaks, you’re shirking your responsibility. The truth is, you need to be fully engaged in the process. You’ve got to feel deeply and think hard about how to diminish your pain, and then take practical action when your wisdom shows you what will actually work. Now is an excellent time to upgrade your commitment to this sacred quest.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

“Don’t try to steer the river,” writes Deepak Chopra. Most of the time, I agree with that idea. It’s arrogant to think that we have the power to control the forces of nature or the flow of destiny or the song of creation. Our goal should be to get an intuitive read on the crazymaking miracle of life, and adapt ourselves ingeniously to its ever-shifting patterns and rhythms. But wait! Set aside everything I just said. An exception to the usual rule has arrived. Sometimes, when your personal power is extra flexible and robust -- like now, for you -- you may indeed be able to steer the river a bit.

The questions you’ve been asking aren’t bad or wrong. But they’re not exactly relevant or helpful, either. That’s why the answers you’ve been receiving aren’t of maximum use. Try these questions instead. 1. What experience or information would you need to heal your divided sense of loyalty? 2. How can you attract an influence that would motivate you to make changes you can’t quite accomplish under your own power? 3. Can you ignore or even dismiss the 95 percent of your fear that’s imaginary so you’ll be able to focus on the five percent that’s truly worth meditating on? 4. If I assured you that you have the intelligence to beautify an ugly part of your world, how would you begin?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

“Dear Astrologer: Recently I’ve been weirdly obsessed with wondering how to increase my levels of generosity and compassion. Not just because I know it’s the right thing to do, but also because I know it will make me healthy and honest and unflappable. Do you have any sage advice? -Ambitious Sagittarius.” Dear Ambitious: I’ve noticed that many Sagittarians are feeling an unprecedented curiosity about how to enhance their lives by boosting the benevolence they express. Here’s a tip from astrologer Chani Nicholas: “Source your sense of self from your integrity in every interaction.” Here’s another tip from Anais Nin: “The worse the state of the world grows, the more intensely I try for inner perfection and power. I fight for a small world of humanity and tenderness.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Time does not necessarily heal all wounds. If you wait around passively, hoping that the mere passage of months will magically fix your twists and smooth out your

A scuffle you’ve been waging turns out to be the wrong scuffle. It has distracted you from giving your full attention to a more winnable and worthwhile tussle. My advice? Don’t waste energy feeling remorse about the energy you’ve wasted. In fact, be grateful for the training you’ve received. The skills you’ve been honing while wrestling with the misleading complication will serve you well when you switch your focus to the more important issue. So are you ready to shift gears? Start mobilizing your crusade to engage with the more winnable and worthwhile tussle.

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

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New York Times Magazine Crossword Puzzle MOVIE ‘M*A*S*H’ ‘UP’ By Patrick Merrell | Puzzles Edited by Will Shortz | 0729

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New York Times Crossword Puzzle answers Puzzle No. 0722, which appeared in the July 25 issue.

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95 Shakespeare’s stream 96 Keys in 1 Festival of Colors celebrant 98 Twister = ? (2004) + ? (2013) 6 Mission to remember 103 Cracker Jack ingredient 11 Whip 105 One tick, briefly 15 “Goldarn it!” 19 Orchestra section behind the 106 Frederick Forsyth’s The ____ File violas 107 Kind of code 20 Canon competitor 111 “Facts First” sloganeer 21 Former QB Tony 22 Treat embossed with its name 113 “Sexy” Beatles woman 115 Dumb and Dumber = ? 23 Anchorman = ? (1976) + ? (2007) + ? (1979) (1980) 119 Passes, as time 25 An “A” in history? 123 Bit of physics 26 Hankering 27 The forest, as opposed to the 124 Manlike monster 125 The Poseidon Adventure = ? trees (1956) + ? (1984) 28 Rear Window = ? (2004) + ? 128 Sylvester’s speech feature (2014) 129 Villagers victimized by 31 Big, big, big the Grinch 33 E.-W. line 130 Florida tourist attraction 34 Best in mental competition 131 Dad who says “D’oh!” 35 Like three men of rhyme 39 Big Ten sch. whose mascot is 132 Pool event 133 Dupes an anthropomorphic nut 134 In position 41 Foresight 135 Some beams 44 Silence of the Lambs = ? (1946) + ? (1960) DOWN 47 Rockettes motions 52 One-named singer with No. 1 1 Sweets 2 “____ to differ” hits in 1965 and 1999 3 Fa or la 53 Bikini blast, briefly 4 Mountain ____ (some sodas) 54 Yves’ yes 5 Uniform entertainment? 56 Smith of Fox News 6 Target for an angry Chihuahua 57 Top dogs 7 Removes from a box, say 60 Brewing need 8 Alias introducer 63 Split base? 9 Choosy ones, in Jif ads 65 Cry of desperation 68 Transformers = ? (2000) + ? 10 NBA great with size 22 shoes 11 Frenzied (1992) 12 Only 70 Dept. of Justice heads 13 All in front? 73 Lofty standards 14 Bit of baby talk 75 “Me first” sort 15 Uncertainty 76 Uncle with a top hat and tie 16 Shower of the way 77 Jurassic Park = ? (1997) + ? 17 Silents star whose name is an (1975) anagram of 112-Down 80 James who played TV’s 18 Travel, as thou might Marshal Dillon 24 Certain wedding officiant 82 Third place 83 City across the Missouri from 29 Apt radio call letters for a beach town Council Bluffs 30 Babe magnet 85 Quarantine 32 Caesar’s “to be” 89 Scads 35 Creep (along) 90 California’s Big ____ 36 Lower Manhattan area 92 Maker of the golden calf, in 37 Rates ____ (is perfect) Exodus

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