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Contributor Board

Kerry Graham, Chair • Amber DuVentre, Chair Elect • Christine Doeg , Secretary • Cathy

Jennings • Demetria Kalodimos • Jerome Moore • O. Wade Nelson, Jr. • Waddell Wright • Robin Kimbrough-Hayes • Jim Shulman • Tom Wills • Drew Morris

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“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Año 21 - No. 380

Nashville, Tennessee

**En 54ª Edición Nashville Film Festival Celebra el Arte del Cine**

Music City USA, está lista una vez más para ser sede del 54º Festival de Cine de Nashville (Nashville Film Festival), del 28 de septiembre al 4 de octubre, marcando una vibrante Por Yuri Cunza celebración de la Editor in Chief @yuricunza innovación, la música y el ilimitado espíritu humano a través del cine.

Vendor Spotlight

Las películas participantes en el Nashville Film Festival han ganado los más altos honores en el mundo del cine, incluidos múltiples nominaciones de la Academia y premios Oscar.

Con estatus de calificación para el Premio de la Academia (Academy Awards) y numerosos programas de cortometrajes, NaFF ha proyectado muchos lagometrajes narrativos, animación y cumentales premiados.

La Noticia + The Contributor Captivating selection of Hispanic films in competition at Nashville Film Festival

Cabe resaltar que la Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Área de Nashville (NAHCC) continúa su tradición de celebrar el cine hispano en Music City con el "Premio a la Mejor Película Hispana de NAHCC". Durante más de 15 años, NAHCC ha estado reconociendo y honrando el cine temático hispano.

Este premio es un testimonio del compromiso de la NAHCC de destacar películas que capturan auténticamente la esencia de la herencia hispana, al tiempo que contribuyen a una comprensión y aprecio más profundos de esta vibrante cultura.

Vendor Writing

El "Premio NAHCC a la Mejor Película Hispana" es más que un reconocimiento; es una plataforma para promover la inclusión y arrojar luz sobre los desafíos y triunfos de las poblaciones hispanas. Subraya el poder de la narración en fomentar el diálogo y el cambio positivo en la sociedad.

El Nashville Film Festival, una orga-

Festival se distingue por su variada George Clooney, Susan Sarandon, nización sin fines de lucro de promo"I go home and meditate Contributor Noticia, the 501(c)(3), continúa vendors selección deLa premios, con cineastas one Matthewof Modine y muchos otros. ción artística compitiendo por más de $100,000 en Este evento repleto de estrellas se siendo un faro de creatividad y una Nashville es la ciudad de la música. y efectivo y otros premios. ha convertido en un centro de exce- fuerza impulsora en la celebración de el festival enfatiza la música en las Destacadamente, vocesin e historias now ... I stay focused, write thisqueissue about leading Spanish-language los ganadores de lencia cinematográfica y cele- las diversas enriquecen el mundo del cine. películas. Algunas de las canciones las competencias de Documental bración cultural. más memorables de las películas han Corto, Narrativa Corta y Animación se desarrolla el 54ºfriend, city put all my trust ine God, a que beautiful sido escritas interpretadas por Corta newspapers Este año, el Festival de Cine de A medida the nation, obtienen la codiciada califi-in compositores y artistas de Nashville. cación para la consideración de los Nashville cumple su 54 aniversario, Festival de Cine de Nashville, proAdemás de las muchas películas Premios de la Academia del Cine, las y nos presenta una cautivadora mete ser una semana de excelencia de películas to hispanas en cinematográfica, meditate and listen to Music Artes ybrings neglectcelebración andcultuthe Southern Spanishselección content sobre música y los premios las Ciencias. competencia, incluyendo títulos ral y el reconocimiento de destacadas Films in Music City, NaFF presenta exhibiciones, talleres y otros eventos Año tras año, cineastas de todo como "Aqueronte" (España), "Las películas temáticas hispanas que tapiz más amplioof de Books.

Visitantes" (España), "Patria y Vida: contribuyen al the gospel."

Festival donde estos compositores y artistas Estados Unidos y The del mundoContributor. se reú- El Poder de la Música" (España), la narración de historias. se reúnen con profesionales del cine de Hollywood y de todo el mundo para promover la colaboración.

Dedicado a promover el cine independiente y creativo, Nashville Film

nen en el festival, creando un encuentro dinámico y diverso.

Destacadamente, Nashville Film Festiva ha contado con la participación de celebridades de renombre como Willem Dafoe, Oprah Winfrey,

"Cuando el Mal Acecha" (Argentina), "Mamacruz" (España) y "Primero, Sueño" (México-EE. UU.). Estas películas exploran las diversas narrativas y la rica herencia cultural de las comunidades hispanas y latinas.

23 Moving Pictures Run Rabbit Run streaming on Netflix. Sarah Snook fans: this one's for you.

(Contributor co-editor included.)

Para mayor información visite: www.nashvillefilmfestival.org Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?

1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una) Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

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Contributors This Issue Amanda Haggard • Linda Bailey • Judith Tackett • Ridley Wills II • Justin Wagner • Yuri Cunza • Lisa A. • Jen A. • William B. • Diane C. • Mr. Mysterio • Chris Scott Fieselman • Joe Nolan

Contributor Volunteers Christine Doeg • Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • Ann Bourland • Laura Birdsall • Marissa Young • Matthew Murrow • Gisselly Mazariegos • Tyler Samuel • Jamie Dore • Russ Heldman Cathy Jennings Executive Director Tom Wills Director of Vendor Operations Carli Tharp SNAP Specialist

WHO WE ARE The Contributor is a nonprofit social enterprise that creates economic opportunity with dignity by investing in the lives of people experiencing homelessness and poverty.

Starting in 2019, our C.O.V.E.R. Program (Creating Opportunity for Vendor Employment, Engagement, and Resources) was the natural expansion of our mission of removing obstacles to housing. We now offer full case management, assistance with housing and rental expenses, addiction recovery, health insurance, food benefits and SSI/SSDI assistance. We see the one-stopshop team approach radically transforming a vendor's image of self and their place in community.

Since we started in 2007, more than 3,200 different vendors have purchased $2.3 million worth of The Contributor and sold over six million copies, generating over $15 million in income for themselves.

Take the paper, change a life.

Read the paper, change yours.

Ree Cheers SOAR Manager Andrew Terry IV SOAR Referral Specialist Rachel Ternes Housing Navigator Andreos Chunaco Housing Navigator Holly Bowman Director of Development Esther Mwandiko Kitenge Engagement Specialist Jesse Call Operations Consultant Raven Nye Director of Housing Initiatives Justin Wagner Resource Coordinator & Reporter Barbara Womack Advertising Manager Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors Chelsea Jackson Vendor Office Manager Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus Will Connelly, Tasha F. Lemley, Steven Samra, and Tom Wills Contributor Co-Founders Editorials and features in The Contributor are the perspectives of the authors. Submissions of news, opinion, fiction, art and poetry are welcomed.

The Contributor reserves the right to edit any submissions. The Contributor cannot and will not endorse any political candidate.

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PAGE 2 | September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

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VENDOR SPOTLIGHT

After eight years unhoused, Ladell Walker thanks God and the city for his new apartment

BY JUSTIN WAGNER

“Praise God.” It’s what Ladell Walker said when he first applied for housing through The Contributor.

It’s what he said when his name came up on a waitlist for an apartment in Nashville. And when asked what it was like to move into his very own studio after eight years on the streets, he could sum it up in the very same two words.

“It’s been great, I just love it,” Walker said.

“Up on the balcony, looking across the street … it’s alright to me. I’ve got my own business, and I can stay out of the way.”

After moving in a few weeks ago, Walker has been relishing his time far from the noise of downtown Nashville. Obtaining stable hous-

ing was one of many goals he’s set for himself, and he’s been enjoying some well-earned rest having finally checked it off the list.

“I go home and meditate now, get some music together. I always just meditate on God. I stay focused, put all my trust in God, meditate and listen to the gospel. I feel … alright.”

Although Walker admits he is not deeply religious, his belief in God has helped him stay on track as he’s navigated life unhoused, he said.

Having seen too much strife where he lived in Indiana and Memphis, he came to Nashville in search of a welcoming community and a second chance. And after a day spent selling

the paper, coming home to a balcony view of the city skyline, he feels like he’s found them.

“The murder rate was so high we decided to move down south, and it’s been a lot better.

I went through some stuff, but it’s better than my hometown … Nashville’s my home now.

Hopefully I can reach all my goals here.”

Walker has sold The Contributor on and off since he’s lived in the city, and it’s allowed him to find a safe niche downtown while managing his own time and money.

“I enjoy doing what I do. I don’t make much, but I appreciate what I do make. I just enjoy doing it,” Walker said. “I just love Nashville, they’ve been so good to me. I feel like I’m at

September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3

home.”

As he settles in, Walker is on the lookout for new opportunities. Having a roof overhead means he can dedicate a little less time to addressing survival needs and a little more time to planning for the future.

“I’m just enjoying it. I like to just come home and get on in the house. I’m trying to get me a computer or something so I can find a job working from home.”

But until he’s off to the next opportunity, Walker plans to enjoy his new view of the city he calls home. As Walker's outlook becomes a little more sanguine, he can face it all with the same mantra as ever: “Praise God.”

PAGE 4 | September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

A FEW QUESTIONS WITH

A Few Questions with Councilmember Jennifer Gamble, District 3

BY JUDITH TACKETT

J

ennifer Gamble just won a second Council term representing District 3. She ran unopposed for her second term and expressed her deep appreciation and trust that her constituents put in her.

The Contributor talked with Gamble as part of a series called A Few Questions With where we interview councilmembers about their district’s most pressing issues.

METRO COUNCIL COMMITTEES: • • • •

Budget and Finance, vice chair Planning and Zoning Public Health and Safety Transportation and Infrastructure

How would you describe the new District 3?

Redistricting happened based on the 2020 Census that takes effect this year. In the new District 3, we don’t have a rural area, which we had in the old District 3. In the new District 3, which includes Parkwood, Whites Creek, Goodlettsville, and Madison, we have urban and suburban communities that share similar interests, goals, and quality of life issues. It is still demographically and geographically diverse, but urban and suburban issues are more tied together. The rural areas had different issues.

What are the main concerns you hear from your constituents?

The main things I hear about are quality of life issues. For example, neighborhoods need more sidewalks, traffic calming, infrastructure improvements and stormwater improvements. Transportation/transit is a major issue in my district as well. We recently got a new cross-town WeGo bus route, Route 79, which goes from the Skyline Medical Center area over to Madison, which is great. Prior to having that cross-town route, riders had to go all the way to downtown to transfer to get a bus to get them across town. So, this cuts down travel time, it offers more frequency of service, and more people are able to use the transit system in a more efficient way.

I look forward to having more of that as we’re moving into this next term.

Affordable housing is another big [issue], especially looking at middle housing. Of course, we need more low-income housing, but we also need middle housing for middle-income families to be able to invest in and enjoy the quality of life in our district and in the city where they work.

The Tennessee Legislature has recently taken several measures that interfere with and are disruptive to Metro business. How do you ensure that these issues do not distract from your constituents’ needs?

As we look at ways that we can

work better with the state to address the needs of our community, looking at issues that are regional in aspect such as transit is one way we can build better relationships so that we’re not always in conflict. People in our surrounding counties, Montgomery, Rutherford, Wilson counties, etc., come into Nashville to work but live in those outlying counties.

It’s true, the state has come forward with several measures to micromanage and control our city. Nashville is doing well as a city. We are leading in the state as far as economic development and other areas. And I think the state is not taking full advantage of those policies and things

that have propelled our city to the position that it is in.

I would like in this next term as we look at the measures the state has taken to try to control our airport authority, our sports authority, and looking at reducing the Metro Council, to continue to communicate and push back on those things because they are not in the best interest of our residents and citizens of our city. But I also want to look at ways we can try to build better relationships and work in a mutually beneficial way that can enhance our city and state moving forward.

The initial reaction is, of course, we don’t like what the state is doing.

PAGE 6 | September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

It’s not helping, it’s hurting us. But at the same time, we need to look at how we can work better together so that we can address the needs of the city and the state and move us all forward in a beneficial way.

During the past year, you served on the powerful budget and finance committee as the vice chair. What are some of the main budget issues that you see a new administration and the new Metro Council tackle for this upcoming year?

In this past year, it was really important for our Budget and Finance [Committee] and for our city budget that we look at increasing pay for our

A FEW QUESTIONS WITH

Metro employees to be at the level of inflation. We had done incremental increases over the past four years, but of course, inflation has continued to rise and our salaries have not kept up with inflation. It was very important that we address that. And we did. The Metro Council approved a 6-percent increase in cost-of-living adjustment across the board to [keep] our employees at a livable wage, so they can live and work in Nashville.

I think moving forward this next year, we need to focus on more investments in affordable housing, as we know that is a crisis in our city, and also transit. I cannot say that enough. As our city continues to grow, there is not enough land to build enough lanes for all of the cars.

And so, the best way from research and living in other cities — I come from Chicago — transit is a way that many cities have addressed growth and those types of issues that come with growth in regard to transportation. Those are the top priorities I see moving forward, and of course, we [should] continue to invest in our infrastructure, our sidewalks, our traffic calming, those things that improve the quality of life for our citizens.

What direction would you like the city to take to tackle homelessness?

Homelessness is a global crisis.

It’s estimated there are 150 million homeless individuals worldwide and that accounts for about 2 percent of the world’s population. Here in Nashville, homelessness is up 11 percent from just last year. So, of course that is an issue that needs to be a priority in our city and in our investments.

The Metro Council approved a 50-million investment of our American Rescue fund dollars to address homelessness in Nashville. And part of that money will go toward gap financing for developers to provide more multi-family mixed housing developments and working with organizations such as MDHA to bring more housing units online. Also, a part of that money is going toward Housing First supportive services, which is [an approach] that has been modeled in several cities across The United States to provide wraparound services for homeless individuals.

That also helps dealing with populations with mental health and substance abuse issues and factors that may lead to homelessness. Additionally, [we invested in] gap housing to provide temporary housing and

related services. It takes time for someone to go from homelessness to a stable living environment. This temporary gap housing program will address that need in providing longterm services and assistance that will ultimately result in long-term housing sustainability. Finally, a part of that money is going toward landlord engagement to work with landlords of various properties to provide permanent housing units for individuals in need.

I think [we should invest] more in homelessness, mental health services, and also substance abuse treatment. The Opioid crisis is huge in our city and our state. [There is a need in] putting more resources in prevention and education about Opioid use and helping to address that issue as well.

Anything else?

As we move forward in this next term. I’m very optimistic, I’m very excited about the direction our city is headed in as far as addressing and focusing on those priorities and areas that really speak to the needs of our residents.

When I ran in 2019, I ran because I thought the focus of our city government was too heavy on business and tourism in Downtown. I thought that we needed to put more focus on our communities, our neighborhoods, and the quality of life for our residents. I think we’ve done that in our last term, and I’d like to see that continue as we move forward.

I’m not saying that we don’t focus on our Downtown businesses and tourism. We need to do that, but we need to balance it. We have to address the needs of our residents and make that a priority as well. So, one of the quality of life issues that I’m focusing on in my district, in addition to transit, is to get a library.

District 3 does not have a public library and so that is something that the community really wants and needs. We have identified a building, a closed school on Brick Church Pike, which is in the heart of the urban North Nashville area.

Mayor Cooper has put in funding in the Capital Improvements Budget to pay for the construction and renovation of the school to make it into a library. We’re starting to have discussions with the Planning Department and the community to see what all we want to have included in that building. That is another priority that I’ll be working on in this next term and look forward to seeing that come to fruition.

September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

NASHVILLE HISTORY CORNER

Major General Frank Maxwell Andrews

BY RIDLEY WILLS II

Many of us have heard the term “Joint Base Andrews.” It is the U. S. Army base in suburban Maryland, on the outskirts of Washington D.C. — the airport that President Joseph Biden usually takes off from on Air Force One. Formerly known as Andrews Air Force Base, it was named for General Frank Maxwell Andrews.

So what, you might ask.

Well, the answer is that Andrews is the most overlooked military hero in Tennessee’s history. Born in South Nashville in 1884, he grew up in what was called Waverly Place where, in the 1890s, he delivered the Nashville Banner on his bicycle. In 1900, he was the quarterback, coach and play caller on a championship Montgomery Bell Academy football team.

Graduating from MBA in 1901, he applied to enter the United States Military Academy at West Point. Initially put on the waiting list, one day he got a long distance telephone call saying that he had been accepted.

Andy Andrews graduated from West Point in 1906, standing 42nd in his class. As a second lieutenant, he was assigned to the Cavalry and he stayed there for a number of years. In 1914, he married and took his bride on a horseback honeymoon in Virginia.

In 1917, Andrews was shifted to the Army’s new aviation section and became a flyer. He stayed in the aviation side for the rest of his career, working his way up through the ranks with such assignments as the first commandant of the advanced flying school established at Kelley Field, Texas. In 1928, he went to the Army Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Promoted to lieutenant colonel, Andrews served as the chief of the Army Air Corps Training and Operations

Division in 1930-1931 and graduated from the War College in 1935. That year the U.S. Army consolidated all of its Air Corps tactical units into one unit. In March, General Douglas MacArthur promoted Colonel Andrews to brigadier general and made him commander of the new unit. Andrews is “tough, fiftyish, handsome,” reported TIME Magazine. Army wives called Andrews the “best looking man in the service.” Less than a year later, Andrews was promoted to major general (temporary).

In August 1935, Col. Andrews broke three airplane speed records that had formerly been held by Charles Lindbergh.

A vocal proponent of the four-engine heavy bomber in general and the B-17 Flying Fortress in particular, General Andrews advocated the purchase of the B-17s in large numbers as the Army’s standard bomber. General Malin Craig, who had replaced General Macrthur as chief of staff, opposed any mission for the Air Corps except that of supporting ground troops.

Consequently, he cut back on the planned purchases of B-17s and instead ordered cheaper and inferior twin-engine light and medium bombers such as the Douglas B-18.

Andrews was passed over for appointment as Chief of the Air Corps following the death of Major General Oscar Wesover in 1938, partly because of his aggressive support for strategic bombing.He had pushed too hard in the eyes of senior military authorities, who hoped he would resign from the Army. Andrews did not resign and instead became, in 1938, a trusted air advisor to George C. Marshall, newly appointed deputy chief of staff of the Army.

In January 1939, after President Franklin Roosevelt called for a greatly expanded

Army Air Corps, General Andrews publically described the United States as a “sixth-rate airpower.” This infuriated the isolationist Secretary of War Harry Woodring, who was then assuring the American public of adequate U.S. air strength. At the end of Andrews’ four-year term as Commanding General of JQAF, he was not reappointed, reverted to his permanent rank of colonel, and reassigned as an air officer for the Eighth Corps Area in San Antonio, the same exile to which Billy Mitchell had been sent. Four months later, General George Marshall , the new chief of staff replacing general Craig, recalled Andrews to Washington and permanently promoted him to major general.

Woodring and others objected furiously, but Marshall prevailed after threatening to resign.

General Andrews was named assistant chief of staff in charge of readying the entire Army in the run-up to America’s inevitable involvement in World War II. At different times during World War II, Major General Andrews was commander of the Caribbean Defense Command and commander of U. S. forces in the Middle East. At the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, General Andrews was named commander of all U. S. forces in Europe, replacing Dwight Eisenhower. His tenure as commander of all U.S. forces in Europe did not last long. On May 3, 1943, during an inspection tour in bad weather, Andrews was killed when the plane he was piloting crashed while trying to land in Iceland. At the time of his death, he was the highest-ranking allied officer killed in the line of duty in the war. Some people remembered having heard General Andrews say, “I don’t want to be one of those generals who die in

PAGE 8 | September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

bed.” The United States government did not initially publicize his death because they did not want the Germans to know that he died.

He was quietly buried in an American Cemetery in Iceland, not in Arlington National Cemetery. Had Andrews lived, historians have speculated that General Andrews, not General Dwight Eisenhower, would have been chosen

by George Marshall to head the Normandy invasion. Had that been the case, it seems likely that Andrews would not have moved American armies under the command of General Omar Bradley to British Field Marshal Bernard “Monte” Montgomery in December 1944. Andrews and Patton were old friends who played poker together. If the aggressive Patton had more resources and a freer hand as he pushed toward the Metz, Nancy and the German border in August 1944, he might have gone on to capture Berlin in the winter of 1944-45.

The first public tribute to General Andrews came on Feb. 7, 1945 when the World War II Army Air Force Base for the First Air Force in Morningside, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D. C., was named for General Frank Andrews. Twenty months later, on October 25, 1946, Alumni Field at Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville was rededicated as Frank Andrews Field in honor of General Andrews.

Representing the family at the dedication were General Andrews’ brother, Col. J. D. Andrews, Colonel Andrews’ wife and oldest son, David, and his sister, Mrs. Gillespie Sykes. Missing at the dedication, which preceded a football game with Father Ryan, was Col. Andrews’ younger son, Nelson, who was a second year cadet and football player at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

LEARN MORE ABOUT

Learn More about Homeless Service Events

BY JUDITH TACKET T

HopeFest is the next large homeless service event, which is held Oct. 9, 2023, at War Memorial Plaza. The exact location of War Memorial Plaza is between Union Street, 6th Avenue North, and Martin Luther King Blvd.

HopeFest is a one day event to bring tangible short-term and long-term resources for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. The goal is to bring together nonprofit service providers, businesses, government agencies, the faith community and other organizations and meet people where they are, which in this case is on Nashville’s streets.

Every Monday night, People Loving Nashville, a local nonprofit organization serving people living outdoors, holds a street outreach event at the Memorial Plaza.

HopeFest expands those services that are being offered weekly and brings community agencies and businesses together to meet people in need where they are. Simply put, HopeFest will tag onto an existing outreach event by expanding hours and services.

Events like HopeFest are not new, but they are eye-opening and help foster collaboration between nonprofits, business, and faith communities and nurture cross-sector collaboration. When different organizations serve people together, it leads to networking that allows providers to identify and fill gaps.

The main goal of events like HopeFest is to reach out to people where they are by bringing together an array of different providers and set up “entry doors” to services in one location. The hope is to engage people long-term and support them on their path to housing and ongoing assistance that focuses on their health, mental health, legal issues, employment, etc.

HopeFest will educate not only people experiencing a housing crisis about available services but also service providers who may not be familiar in detail about what other organizations offer. Events like Hope Fest help build community.

Volunteers I have spoken with in the past who participated in similar service events felt they learnt a lot about homelessness and the available services.

Nashville has worked hard over the past decade to build a coordinated system of services, implemented a usable data tool for providers to coordinate and deliver services more efficiently, and bring more landlords to the table. While our systems-building efforts are

and must be focused on housing, a true Housing First approach does not focus on housing only (which often is a huge misunderstanding, even among service providers).

Housing First means that permanent housing is the foundation upon which services can effectively be delivered.

Under a Housing First philosophy, the path to permanent housing is as quick as possible combined with health care, mental health support, substance use treatment, case management, employment and any other supports people need to sustain their housing and reach their goals. While services are not

mandated, they are offered, and case managers check in regularly on people to continue engaging with them and building those relationships needed to help people maintain housing, health, and community.

Service events like HopeFest help foster trust and strengthen relationship building between the providers and the people in need.

People who are extremely vulnerable are successful in housing if they trust that their service providers do not disappear but stick with them to help them navigate potential barriers they encounter along their way to meet their own goals.

Let’s dive a little bit into the past and talk about the history of service events in Nashville.

In 2008, Nashville organized its first Project Homeless Connect, which became an annual event that brought together dozens of service providers, hundreds of volunteers and hundreds of people experiencing homelessness or a housing crisis participated to receive medical care, legal services, shoes, food, foot care and many more services in one day in one location.

Project Homeless Connect originated in San Francisco in 2004 by then-Mayor Gavin Newsom (now the governor of California)

September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

and their Department of Public Health. In San Francisco, it grew into its own nonprofit and meanwhile offers Community Day of Service events and in-house weekly services.

One-day service events try to focus on each participant’s needs.

People can learn about available services in one location that otherwise may have taken months for them to figure out.

Nashville stopped organizing Project Homeless Connect in 2014 for multiple reasons. For one, it became hugely expensive in terms of organization time and resources.

Secondly, smaller service events started popping up with specific focus areas. And finally, at the last Project Homeless Connect event, the majority of participants were service providers and volunteers while the participation of people experiencing homelessness had shrunk by a few hundred people.

Finally, services became more mobile with medical mobile clinics of Neighborhood Health, Shower the People and Shower Up going out to meet people where they are, laundry services and legal clinics at different nonprofits being held regularly.

There is still a huge benefit of one-day service events, and personally I would like to see them offered on a quarterly basis, at the smaller scale that HopeFest will present, in different geographic locations where people are living with specific themes based on the input of the people living in those areas.

For example, a medical event at a community center with eye care, HIV tests, flu & COVID vaccines and other health check-ups. Or a dental event at a local high school where people may need to sign up through nonprofits ahead of time and get appointments for services.

That’s why I am excited about HopeFest. First of all, similar to a past event held at Room In The Inn prior to the COVID pandemic, this event takes advantage of an already existing weekly service gathering and expands upon it. It is manageable and replicable.

Secondly, HopeFest ensures that people who are new to Nashville or have not fully engaged with a service provider have the opportunity to do so right there and then. It will offer community assessments to get people started right on the spot on their path to housing and support services. And those people who may have given up on themselves and the system will see what happens when the community comes together — we create an energy of hope!

Building Community, Continuing the Legacy:

A Rosenwald Schools of Tennessee Symposium

September 15 & 16, 2023 Fisk University & Tennessee State Museum

Photo courtesy of the Tennessee State Library & Archives.

For speakers, schedule and registration info, please visit: TNMuseum.org/Rosenwald-Symposium

TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM FOUNDATION This project is funded in part by the Tennessee State Museum Foundation and a grant from Humanities Tennessee, an independent affiliate of the Endowment for the Humanities.

Scan here to register:

FREE Admission 1000 Rosa L. Parks Blvd.

615.741.2692 • TNMuseum.org

PAGE 10 | September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

COVER STORY

RURAL RENTERS: Part One of a Series on Fighting for Renters Rights in Rural Communities A win for renters in Shelbyville shows strength in organizing

BY AMANDA HAGGARD | PHOTOS BY ALVINE “The one thing I think people just realize and are starting to come into more is that they have more in common with other renters than they do with their landlords,” says Tristan Call, longtime activist and author of a report looking at rental housing conditions in Bedford County about 60 miles south of Davidson County.

Call and others with the Bedford County Listening Project, a dedicated group of renters, organizers, and advocates, released a groundbreaking report earlier this year that sheds light on the escalating housing crisis in Shelbyville in Bedford County. Titled Defending Our Homes, the report presents a comprehensive

analysis of the challenges faced by renters in the community and calls for immediate action to address these pressing issues.

Over the course of six months, from February to August 2023, the Bedford County Listening Project conducted an extensive research initiative, including door-knocking, conversations and in-depth interviews with Shelbyville's renters. The report revealed alarming, but not necessarily surprising, findings about the rent burden on rural renters.

Renters in Shelbyville are grappling with an unprecedented rent burden, with an average reported 31 percent increase in rent within just one year. A staggering 46 percent

of respondents now allocate more than half of their income to housing, while 10 percent spend more than three-quarters of their earnings on housing.

The report takes to task neglected repairs, noting that renters report that landlords are failing to address critical repairs, jeopardizing renters' health and well-being. Renters are hesitant to seek help from the city due to fears of eviction and homelessness.

“The power imbalance we see just means that so many people don’t have a choice but to accept those conditions,” Call says. “Most people will not choose to lose their housing, and so it happens that they’ll end up in condi-

PAGE 12 | September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

tions that are less than they deserve because they absolutely have no other choice.”

The report showed widespread and persistent discrimination and racism in renting practices in the rural community, causing harm to individuals and hindering efforts to unite for better housing policies. Most folks wouldn’t expect a county an hour away from Nashville to have close to the same housing costs, but the National Low-Income Housing Coalition also estimates that a Bedford County renter would need to work three full-time jobs at minimum wage to afford a two-bedroom apartment, with a calculated Housing Wage of $25.96 an hour.

COVER STORY

On top of that, there’s often a lack of accountability once things are reported.

Landlords frequently disregard housing and discrimination laws with impunity. Renters urgently require the enforcement of their constitutional right to organize and associate freely to improve housing conditions.

And once they get to court, they face unfair treatment in housing court, according to the report. A significant 78 percent of renters report feeling unfairly treated in housing court. The report underscores the need for renters to have access to free legal representation to level the playing field as most landlords come with the upperhand in civil courts and there’s no burden on the government as it stands to provide counsel on these matters. For example, one renter reported that she was evicted after her landlord found out she had a child and was already paying more than 50 percent of her income in rent before eviction.

This report, and a number of actions by the BCLP, worked toward a recent win in Bedford County: The Shelbyville City Council voted in favor of renters' rights and a commitment to adhere to federal housing guidance in public housing within the city.

The Shelbyville City Council supported comments made by the Safe and Affordable Housing Committee to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, advocating for protections for tenants in federally-subsidized properties.

“Essentially, we’re just trying to say that if landlords are going to take loan money from the government to build housing and then

accept government money for section 8, the government should be following up with the money they give for these projects and making sure its investment is protected,” Call said.

The Bedford County Listening Project's both calls for attention to these pressing issues and safeguard the rights and well-being of Shelbyville's renters, but also set forth a set of actions and requests to put priority to solving the problem, asking the county for the following: Guarantee Support for Renters in Housing Court: Bedford County and the City of Shelbyville should collaborate with the Bedford County Listening Project to establish free universal legal counsel for renters facing eviction.

Extend the Shelbyville Renter Committee Charter and Establish an Office of the Tenant Advocate: The City of Shelbyville should continue the Safe and Affordable Housing Committee's charter and establish an Office of the Tenant Advocate to assist renters in exercising their rights and accessing resources.

Establish a Landlord Registry: The City of Shelbyville should create a landlord registry for landlords renting out more than five housing units, including name and contact information.

“There should be a better way for people in small communities to be able to seek out information and find out if someone is a decent person to rent from, or if they’ve changed hands or ownership several times

recently, they should be able to know that easily,” Call said.

One item the report also called for was a Renters' Bill of Rights: 1. Renters need a codes department that is accessible and responsive to substandard housing 2. Renters need protection against retaliation from landlords when reporting needed repairs, both to codes and to those landlords 3. Renters deserve for repairs to be made in a timely manner and to not be stuck with the bill when the repair is not their responsibility 4. Landlords need to have a clear, published process for how tenants can report and request repairs and track the progress of those repairs.

5. Renters need notice and legal representation when facing eviction.

6. Renters deserve city, county, and state officials that care about and respond to their issues.

7. Renters deserve safe housing free from bugs, mold, leaking roofs, pipes, toilets, broken floors, and unsafe electrical issues.

8. Renters need to feel safe in their housing and landlords should give notice before entering their homes.

9. Renters need a copy of their lease.

10. Renters should be free from high non-refundable move-in fees.

11. Renters deserve accommodations for disabilities.

September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13

12. Renters should be protected from illegal evictions, lockouts, and utility cutoffs.

13. Renters should not have exorbitant late fees.

14. Renters need notice when their rent will be raised and limits on how much it can be raised.

15. Renters deserve to know who their landlord is and have contact information for the owner of their home.

16. Renters’ right to organize and ability to freely exercise their constitutional rights to speech and association should be protected.

17. People’s right to exist, occupy public space, and access public services should not be limited based on their perceived socioeconomic status or housing status.

Call acknowledges that while a win with the council in Shelbyville is meaningful, cultural change and shifts will need to happen.

The release of the Defending Our Homes report and Shelbyville’s willingness to note the need for more protections for renters, marks a turning point in the fight for safe, affordable housing in Shelbyville, Call said, and offers an outline for how other communities can fight for housing justice in their own backyards.

Call notes that many in the state call Nashville a blue dot in a red state, but the more you spread out and talk with folks rurally, the more they realize they have in common.

“And then we can talk about how much overall power people have together,” Call said.

COVER STORY

PAGE 14 | September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

LA NOTICIA “The Contributor” está trabajando con uno de los principales periódicos en español La Noticia para llevar contenido a más lectores en Middle Tennessee. Nuestros vendedores de periódicos han pedido durante mucho tiempo que nuestra publicación incluya contenido que apele al interés de residentes de habla hispana en nuestra comunidad.

“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

2023

L a N ticia

Año 21 - No. 380

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

GRATIS Septiembre

Newspaper Nashville

Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

w w w. h i s p a n i c p a p e r. c o m

Nashville, Tennessee

**En 54ª Edición Nashville Film Festival Celebra el Arte del Cine**

Cabe resaltar que la Cámara de Comercio Hispana del Área de Nashville (NAHCC) continúa su tradición de celebrar el cine hispano en Music City con el "Premio a la Mejor Película Hispana de NAHCC". Durante más de 15 años, NAHCC ha estado reconociendo y honrando el cine temático hispano.

Este premio es un testimonio del compromiso de la NAHCC de destacar películas que capturan auténticamente la esencia de la herencia hispana, al tiempo que contribuyen a una comprensión y aprecio más profundos de esta vibrante cultura.

Music City USA, está lista una vez más para ser sede del 54º Festival de Cine de Nashville (Nashville Film Festival), del 28 de septiembre al 4 de octubre, marcando una vibrante Por Yuri Cunza celebración de la Editor in Chief @yuricunza innovación, la música y el ilimitado espíritu humano a través del cine.

Las películas participantes en el Nashville Film Festival han ganado los más altos honores en el mundo del cine, incluidos múltiples nominaciones de la Academia y premios Oscar.

Con estatus de calificación para el Premio de la Academia (Academy Awards) y numerosos programas de cortometrajes, NaFF ha proyectado muchos lagometrajes narrativos, animación y cumentales premiados.

Nashville es la ciudad de la música. y el festival enfatiza la música en las películas. Algunas de las canciones más memorables de las películas han sido escritas e interpretadas por compositores y artistas de Nashville.

Además de las muchas películas sobre música y los premios Music Films in Music City, NaFF presenta exhibiciones, talleres y otros eventos donde estos compositores y artistas se reúnen con profesionales del cine de Hollywood y de todo el mundo para promover la colaboración.

Dedicado a promover el cine independiente y creativo, Nashville Film

El "Premio NAHCC a la Mejor Película Hispana" es más que un reconocimiento; es una plataforma para promover la inclusión y arrojar luz sobre los desafíos y triunfos de las poblaciones hispanas. Subraya el poder de la narración en fomentar el diálogo y el cambio positivo en la sociedad.

Captivating selection of Hispanic films in competition at Nashville Film Festival

Festival se distingue por su variada selección de premios, con cineastas compitiendo por más de $100,000 en efectivo y otros premios.

Destacadamente, los ganadores de las competencias de Documental Corto, Narrativa Corta y Animación Corta obtienen la codiciada calificación para la consideración de los Premios de la Academia del Cine, las Artes y las Ciencias.

Año tras año, cineastas de todo Estados Unidos y del mundo se reúnen en el festival, creando un encuentro dinámico y diverso.

Destacadamente, Nashville Film Festiva ha contado con la participación de celebridades de renombre como Willem Dafoe, Oprah Winfrey,

George Clooney, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Modine y muchos otros.

Este evento repleto de estrellas se ha convertido en un centro de excelencia cinematográfica y celebración cultural.

Este año, el Festival de Cine de Nashville cumple su 54 aniversario, y nos presenta una cautivadora selección de películas hispanas en competencia, incluyendo títulos como "Aqueronte" (España), "Las Visitantes" (España), "Patria y Vida: El Poder de la Música" (España), "Cuando el Mal Acecha" (Argentina), "Mamacruz" (España) y "Primero, Sueño" (México-EE. UU.). Estas películas exploran las diversas narrativas y la rica herencia cultural de las comunidades hispanas y latinas.

Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?

1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una) Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

por

www.juanese.com

juanese@usa.com

September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15

El Nashville Film Festival, una organización sin fines de lucro de promoción artística 501(c)(3), continúa siendo un faro de creatividad y una fuerza impulsora en la celebración de las diversas voces e historias que enriquecen el mundo del cine.

A medida que se desarrolla el 54º Festival de Cine de Nashville, promete ser una semana de excelencia cinematográfica, celebración cultural y el reconocimiento de destacadas películas temáticas hispanas que contribuyen al tapiz más amplio de la narración de historias.

Para mayor información visite: www.nashvillefilmfestival.org Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

VENDOR WRITING

Nashville Bookapaloosa Coming Soon!

BY JEN A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

The Southern Festival of Books kicked off its 35th annual tribute to the written word at the Tennessee History Museum with a gala reveal of the first 100 authors confirmed to take part in the literary festivities this year. Scheduled to take place Oct. 1522 in venues at the Tennessee History Museum, the Tennessee Library and Archive, Bicentennial Mall, and other locations around Nashville, this year's festival promises to present a diverse array of authors to interest readers of all ages and authors of all genres.

Organized under the umbrella of Humanities Tennessee, the Southern Festival of Books brings interest, fun, and excitement to Nashville bibliophiles like me every year. Think of it as "Librarian Barbie" lets her hair down.

A good time is always had by all and looking through the list of authors who will be participating in discussions of their work this year, the good times are guaranteed to keep on rolling.

Hometown author Holly Gleason edits together numerous interviews and conversations she had with local music legend, John Prine for her book, Prine on Prine. Holly's work is well known here in Nashville and she has penned numerous articles about local artists for The Contributor. She probably knew John Prine better than any other writer. I'm looking forward to her talk.

Other authors with works on Music City themes include: Paula Blackman's, Night Train to Nashville and Tim Ghianni's Pilgrims, Pickers, and Honky-

Tonk Heroes.

Local literary maven Ann Patchett will discuss her novel Tom Lake, and always entertaining Carl Hiaasen will discuss a work from his teen and YA catalog Wrecker.

Noted Nashville architect behind the design of some of the most iconic structures in town, Kim Hinton, writes about the history and importance of The Bicentennial Mall.

Whether you're an early reader, a seasoned bibliophile, or haven't picked up a book since high school, this year's Southern Festival of Books will introduce you to an author who writes just for you. To follow along as new authors are added, go to sofestof books.org or humanitiestennessee.org.

Hope to see you there!

Hidden Light

BY LISA A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

When I was just a tween, I met a beautiful woman twice my age. Her name was Harriotte. She was blind, but had the most exquisite green eyes. Long flowing red hair. She was tucked away in an obscure little town. She did not want to touch my face, because of a traumatic past she wouldn’t share. So I spoke with her for a very long time, trying to express to her who I was, while trying to peek into her mysterious world.

No one but her husband had ever heard her voice. After long hours of friendship, she finally agreed to sing for us, a family of music lovers and musicians. She sang more beautifully than Karen Carpenter, if that is possible. I saw something in her husband’s eyes that I didn’t understand at the time. Now I can see it clearly as jealousy. He was also a musician and a singer. Perhaps he was the one who did not want her to sing.

She was very dependent upon him in this town that she was unfamiliar with.

As I look back, I think of all the hidden people, living on our streets, and in cars, and campers, and hotels, and wonder what they would offer if they could have the opportunity to shine. Here is the poem I wrote for her, Harriotte. unicorns wear uniforms Of a sort; they don shimmering silver coats, and tails of diamond sprays No unicorn ever forgets to button on her spiral staircase of a horn. long tendrils of fire struck hair, glistening in the yellow light of your voice. a unicorn most rare.

Just to leaven the heavy bread of truth: the poem’s images did not spring fully formed from the head of Zeus. Like most children, I was still processing my latest discovery: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams — just sayin’.

Thank You Beloved Community for finding us a home away from the heat and dir t. PHOTO BY LISA A.

PAGE 16 | September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

VENDOR WRITING

The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Freedom

BY JEN A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

I wonder what a church dedicated to exhaling the freedom of a woman to make decisions for herself would look like — a church that would praise the Mother instead of the Father.

Most contemporary religions don't allow women to take leadership roles in their churches. Women in these

churches are taught that they are only fit to follow the lead of the pastor and the men of the church council, though the women do all of the organizing and work that sustains and nourishes the congregation and greater community. The men, alone, decide.

Women have fallen for this un-

equal paradigm for millennia. Why is that? Is it because women know the true value of life? We know that it's more important to care for each other than to dominate. I imagine the women who followed Moses out of Egypt rolled their eyes as the male leadership wandered aimlessly in the

desert in their search for the promised land. The women knew this illusory land would hold no promise for them.

There were children to feed and folks to care for, the dead to be prepared for burial. It was the women of Israel who sustained the group on their long journey, not the men.

City Neglect

BY WILLIAM B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Having a wheelchair keeps me from getting hurt. I can only stay on my feet for so long. My knees pop. They hurt. And I can fall down on them, just collapse. People who drive in Nashville don’t really understand what it’s like for people who don’t drive. So if there’s anyone who’s reading this that has only ever driven in Nashville, let me share some perspective.

My church built a ramp near Maple Street because the road I usually travel down was inaccessible. Now there’s construction on that street. I can’t even go around because there’s a fence blocking the sidewalk. Well, I go that way a lot. Now I have to come back the same way because the other side of the street is all grass. And my chair does not do well on the grass. The threads have been worn bear. And this is just one of the issues.

I fell last Friday and now my chair’s tire is cut all the way through the middle. All this happened because I got caught in the construction debris and couldn’t get out.

On Gallatin Road, there was a big rug in the path, bricks, and glass. The cut in my tire is all the way to the rim. Because of the state of the sidewalk, I got hung up and I ended up falling on my knee in the street. Two kind ladies had

to pick me up because I had my seatbelt on. Tell me that ain’t bad! And now my tire is cut all to pieces. Insurance won’t even cover it.

The city should make sure construction companies are responsible for the debris on the sidewalks. They owe me some compensation for what I went through. It took me at least 3 hours to get that figured out. My chair is heavy, and it was stuck so good I couldn’t drive it out. I told the people doing the work, “You all have to help me get my scooter out of this mess. They wouldn’t come out. They wouldn’t even talk to me.”

After that, my law firm gave me the number for the Metro Codes Department (Codes and Building Safety). They only called me back one time. So that’s another thing the city is neglecting to do: their job. I even went to the mayor’s office about this. The assistant said he would get back to me; he never did. It was a waste of my time.

I’ve had a lot of accidents this year. People don’t care about pedestrians anymore. It’s a huge problem in our city. Between the disregard, inaccessibility, and construction debris, I’m afraid of what might happen to me. Nashville needs to do better to protect residents with disabilities and residents who don’t drive.

Help For the Homeless

BY DIANE C., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

I have learned to live a different kind of life since my divorce. While married, I owned two homes and raised two children. I have always appreciated everything we had. I decided during the divorce that since my daughter wanted to stay with her dad and my husband had to take care of his brother who has special needs, I would let him keep our home and property. I would go live with my family back home, where I was born and raised.

I had planned on getting a job and taking some time to get through what was

very hard for me to give up: a 25-year marriage, the home we made together, moving so far away. I was with my family back home for a month when I woke up to them asking me to leave. I couldn’t understand why. I asked other family members for help and they just suggested I go to a women’s shelter. I had never been homeless before.

I had no money, no car, and nowhere to go. I made my way to a bigger city. Some really nice people helped me out and I moved into a shelter. I never knew what

being homeless was; I had never seen it when I lived in California seven years ago. I’ve learned to live off of very little money. I’ve worked jobs I didn’t really like, but did anyway.

I’ve seen between two and three thousand people sleeping on the streets, under bridges, and in shelters. What is really sad is seeing the elderly and families with children and people with disabilities having to live like this. Our government tries to help; they build new shelters, but it just isn’t enough.

September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17

I’m still in a shelter as I’m writing this.

Change has to happen. I’m longing to see families reunite and help one another, and more resources, and more workers to help make this happen. I’d like to see more businesses and churches in the community get involved in the fight. I hope one day to be able to be back with family in my own home. With help and prayers, I hope one day that the homeless population will all get the help they need to be independent and in their own home. Then, we can all become part of the solution.

FUN

HOBOSCOPES LIBRA

It’s dark in here, Libra. It’s dark and it’s quiet. Well, it’s quiet except for every 90 seconds or so… SPEEEP! There it is again! That single ear-piercing tone. Like a knife in the mind and then quiet again. Hold on, shh! I think it’s coming back. SPEEEP! It wants something, Libra.

It wants you to remember something. It wants you to come closer. SPEEEP! I think it just wants you to change the battery in your smoke detector. Sometimes the loudest, sharpest, most jarring sounds are actually somebody, (or something) caring about you. SPEEEP!

SCORPIO

Sure, everybody knows Bigfoot, Mothman, and The Chupacabra. But who are the cryptids in your neighborhood, Scorpio? Where I live we’ve got Slenderdog, One-Antlered Wayne, Creepy Julie, The Shelby Sentinel, and Babyteeth. I consider myself a skeptic on most of them, but I still take precautions. What? You think I’m gonna NOT leave out three corndogs for Babyteeth every Oct. 8? Take the actions you know you need to take, Scorpio. Even if you don’t believe with all your heart.

SAGITTA R IUS

First it’s like a single needle pushing against the tip of your finger but not quite breaking the skin. Then another one. Suddenly there’s a 100 individual pinpricks, crawling across your hand, moving toward your wrist. The sensation spreads and grows, but only a few more seconds and…it starts to get better. When your hand falls asleep from the angle of your arm underneath your pillow, Sagittarius, you don’t just leave it asleep to avoid the discomfort of the blood returning. Starting to trust yourself again is uncomfortable at first, too. But I think you’re just waking up.

CAPRICORN

Sure, I see all of you rushing out to buy bags of fun-sized chocolates to keep by your front door now. But let me remind you that I keep full-sized Hershey bars by my front door year-round. Yes, it’s nice for guests. But more importantly, chocolate is toxic to werewolves. This is the only way I can ensure that no werewolf will get past my entryway. Remember, Capricorn, sometimes preparing for the worst is also a plan for the best.

Now, do you want one with almonds or without?

AQUA RIUS

What is a ghoul anyway, Aquarius? The word always follows so nicely in seasonal phrases alongside ghosts and goblins.

But I just don’t have a strong sense of what qualifies as a ghoul. Is it alive? Does it have a solid corporeal form? What does it want? These are the details we should have hammered-out before we had this 25 foot banner printed. But here we are, Aquarius. If you can’t make the words fit the situation, you might have to make the situation fit the words.

GEMINI

The fog is thick, Gemini. Wolves howl in the distance and you hear hooves quickly approaching your path. The small dark carriage stops and the door opens. It is riderless. You hear the horses whinny as you step inside (though you saw no horses.) As the carriage begins to move down the road, you fear you’ve made a mistake. You notice an envelope in the seat next to you. You open it and see the words scrawled in a hurried hand “You can get out anytime you want.” Oh. Good point. Maybe you’ve ridden far enough.

Maybe you have more control than you realized.

PISCES

Pull over, Pisces! They’re selling pumpkins by the side of the highway. Let’s see, you’ll need a classic basketball-sized orange one. You’ve got to get one of those weird lumpy green and white ones. Maybe a couple of the table-top ones with the long stems. And one that’s too tall and skinny and one that’s too short and dumpy.

Honestly, I think we’re going to be here a while.

Remember, Pisces, there’s always more choices than you remember. And you don’t have to pick just one.

ARIES

When I was a kid, I was afraid there was something hiding under my bed.

There could be anything crouching in that darkness between the box spring and the floor!

As an adult, I’ve overcome this fear by never buying a bed-frame at all and sleeping with my mattress directly on the floor. It’s much safer. Nothing could fit under there! Well, come to think of it, maybe a tapeworm. They’re pretty flat. What if there’s a tapeworm under my bed! Maybe I should have addressed my fears directly instead of restructuring my life to avoid them. Can I sleep on your couch tonight and we can talk it over?

CANCER

I was waiting for my Uber last night and I heard an owl hooting in the tree across the street. I looked up from my phone and saw something I wasn’t expecting. The sky was full of stars. Sometimes I forget to look up for hours. Sometimes days, Cancer. But there it was a sky full of stars.

And it reminded me that me and you and our phones are very, very tiny. And the world and the sky that it’s in are very big. And as my phone chimed and a Kia Soul pulled up next to me and asked if I was “Mr. Mystevio?” I understood that none of this is as important as we think.

LEO

“Ghosts in the graveyard. Ghosts in the sink. Ghosts at the bottom of my Sonic drink. Bring us the truth from the sky tonight. Tell us if Leo is doing alright.”…Is it working, Leo? Sorry, sometimes I don’t organize my schedule well and I run out of time to do my amateur astrology. So I thought maybe I could just ask the spirit-realm to do it for me but they haven’t said a word. This reminds me Leo that you’re doing a great job managing your calendar lately.

You’re getting a lot done and at a record pace. I hope you’re making time to connect with friends, too. If you want to go to Sonic later, I could definitely use a refill.

TAURUS

Sometimes I think about Frankenstein’s monster. He was made up of so many parts from so many people. A heart from here, a hand from there. And it reminds me, Taurus, of all the parts that make you up. You’re a little bit of everybody you’ve ever loved. You’re a little bit of everybody you’ve ever hated. You’ve got some prejudices you picked up from friends and fears you picked up from family. But I’m not here to take you apart, Taurus, I’m just here to remind you that you can let go of any of that you need to and you’ll still be you.

VIRGO

Wait, Virgo, have we already been here? It’s a dead-end to the left, a two-way split behind us and to the right is that long pathway we already walked twice. We’ve been in here for half an hour and every path just looks the same. Why did I let you talk me into turning my front yard into a corn maze, anyway?

I think if we try to retrace our steps and make a right at the second-split we might find my mailbox and we can at least get those 2-for-1 milkshake coupons. I wonder, Virgo, if there’s anything else you’re overcomplicating lately. Maybe instead of a map, you just need some hedge clippers.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a certified ghost hunter or a trained Uber driver. Listen to the Mr. Mysterio podcast at mrmysterio.com Or just give him a call at 707-VHS-TAN1

PAGE 18 | September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams (1941)

Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. First published in 1941, this series of profound quotations, encompassing all walks of life, follows the sequence of the themes and Bible readings anciently appointed for contemplation throughout the church's year. It is hoped that the readings reproduced here will prove beneficial for any who read them, whatever their place in life's journey. — Matthew Carver

17th Wednesday after Trinity

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

IF thou hast broken a vow, tie a knot on it to make it hold together again. It is a spiritual thrift, and no misbecoming baseness, to piece and join thy neglected promises with fresh ones. So shall thy vow in effect be not broken when new mended: and remain the same, though not by one entire continuation, yet by a constant successive renovation.

Thomas Fuller: A Wounded Conscience.

THOU canst not stand still, because thou livest in the perpetual workings of temporal and eternal nature; if thou workest not with the good, the evil that is in nature carries thee along with it: thou hast the height and depth of eternity in thee, and therefore be doing what thou wilt, either in the closet, the field, the shop or the church, thou art sowing that which grows, and must be reaped in eternity. Nothing of thine can vanish away, but every thought, motion, and desire of thy heart has its effect either in the height of Heaven or the depth of hell: and as time is upon the wing, to put an end to the strife of good and evil, and bring about the last great separation of all things into their eternal state, with such speed art thou making haste either to be wholly an angel, or wholly a devil.

William Law: An Appeal.

TO be free is precisely the same thing as to be pious, wise, just and temperate, careful of one's own, abstinent from what is another's, and thence, in fine, magnanimous and brave.

Milton: Second Defense.

17th Thursday after Trinity THERE is no other righteousness save that of the man who sets himself under judgement, of the man who is terrified and hopes. He shall live. He has the expectation of true life, for, recognizing that this life is naught, he is never without the reflection of the true life in this life, never without the prospect of incorruption in that which is passing to corruption. The great impossibility has announced to him the end and goal of every trivial impossibility. He shall live of the faithfulness of God. Barth: The Epistle to the Romans.

GOD gave us faculties for our use; each of them will receive its proper reward. Then do not let us try to charm them to sleep, but permit them to do their work until divinely called to something higher.

St Teresa: The Interior Castle.

The Feast of St Michael and All Angels GOD which moveth mere natural agents as an efficient only, doth likewise move intellectual creatures, and especially his holy angels: for beholding the face of God, in admiration of so great excellency they all adore him; and being rapt with the love of his beauty, they cleave inseparably for ever unto him. Desire to resemble him in goodness maketh them unweariable and even unsatiable in their longing to do by all means all manner good unto all the creatures of God, but especially unto the children of men: in the countenance of whose nature, looking downward, they behold themselves beneath themselves; even as upward, in God, beneath whom themselves are, they see that character which is nowhere but in themselves and us resembled.

Hooker: Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity.

THE Cause of all is not one, as one among many, but before every one and every multitude, and it determines every one and every multitude.

Dionysius the Areopagite: On The Divine Names.

17th Friday after Trinity HAPPY then that soul, who in the lucid intervals of a wounded conscience can praise God for the same. Music is sweetest near, or over rivers, where the echo thereof is best resounded by the water. Praise for pensiveness, thanks for tears, and blessing God over the floods of affliction, makes the most melodious music in the ear of heaven.

Thomas Fuller: A Wounded Conscience.

TRANQUILITY according to His essence, activity according to His nature: perfect stillness, perfect fecundity.

Ruysbroeck: De Vera Contemplatione.

17th Saturday after Trinity IN the beginning truly of my conversion and singular purpose, I thought I would be like the little bird that for love of her lover longs, but in her longing she is gladdened when he comes that she loves. And joying she sings, and singing she longs, but in sweetness and heat. It is said the nightingale to song and melody all night is given, that she may please him to whom she is joined. How muckle more with greatest sweetness to Christ my Jesu should I sing, that is spouse of my soul by all this present life, that is night in regard of clearness to come.

Richard Rolle: Fire of Love.

18th Monday after Trinity DO not build towers without a foundation, for our Lord does not care so much for the importance of our works as for the love with which they are done. When we do all we can, His Majesty will enable us to do more every day.

St Teresa: The Interior Castle.

WE must confess our sins in order to obtain pardon; but we must see our sins in order to confess. How few of those who think that they have confessed and been pardoned have ever seen their sins!

Patmore: The Rod, the Root, and the Flower.

18th Tuesday after Trinity WE are fools to depend upon the society of our fellowmen.

Wretched as we are, powerless as we are, they will not aid us; we shall die alone. We should therefore act as if we were alone, and in that case should we build fine houses, etc.? We should seek the truth without hesitation; and, if we refuse it, we show that we value the esteem of men more than the search for truth.

Pascal: Pensées.

THY works praise thee, that we may love thee, and we love thee, that thy works may praise thee.

St Augustine: Confessions.

18th Wednesday after Trinity IF I look singularly to myself, I am right naught; but in general I am in hope, in oneness of charity with all mine evenChristians.

For in this oneness standeth the life of all mankind that shall be saved. For God is all that is good, as to my sight, and God hath made all that is made, and God loveth all that he hath made: and he that loveth generally all his even-Christians for God, he loveth all that is. For in mankind that shall be saved is comprehended all: that is to say, all that is made and the Maker of all. For in man is God, and God is in all.

Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love.

18th Thursday after Trinity AS I do no good action here, merely for the interpretation of good men, though that be one good and justifiable reason of my good actions: so I must do nothing for my salvation hereafter, merely for the love I bear to mine own soul, though that also be one good and justifiable reason of that action; but the primary reason in both, as well as the actions that establish a good name, as the actions that establish eternal life, must be the glory of God. Donne: Sermons.

18th Friday after Trinity SINCE all sickness and corruption did fall to the flesh when the soul fell from this work, therefore shall all health come to the flesh when the soul by the grace of Jesu—the which is the chief worker—riseth to the same work again. And this shalt thou hope only to have by the mercy of Jesu and thy lovely consent. And therefore I pray thee with Solomon here in this passage that thou stand stoutly in this work, ever more bearing up unto him thy lovely consent in gladness of love.

The Epistle of Privy Counsel.

THE giving of thanks maketh entreaty of behalf of the feeble before God. The Paradise of the Fathers.

18th Saturday after Trinity THE word 'humanity' means unredeemed men and women; the word 'history' implies limitation and corruption; the pronoun 'I' spells judgement. Neither forwards nor backwards can we escape from this narrow gorge. There is therefore no alternative for us but to remain under the indictment; and only he who remains here without making any attempt to escape, even by spinning sophistries of human logic is able to praise God in His faithfulness.

Barth: The Epistle to the Romans.

WE indeed have these passions by reason of the weakness of our human nature; not so the Lord Jesus, whose weakness was of power.

St Augustine: City of God. THE highest, the only proof of love, is to love our adversary.

St Gregory, quoted in Aquinas: Catena Aurea.

Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity THIS is the light of bare reason or the reasoning faculty of the mind has no contrariety to the vices of the heart; it neither kills them nor is killed by them. As pride, vanity, hypocrisy, envy or malice don't take away from the mind its geometrical skill, so a man may be most mathematical in his demonstrations of the religion of reason when he has extinguished every good sentiment of his heart, and be the most zealous for its excellency and sufficiency when he has his passions in the most disordered state.

William Law: A Demonstration.

REPENTANCE is tardy knowledge; innocence from the first is knowledge.

St Clement: Stromata.

WHEN we once begin to form good resolutions, God gives us every opportunity of carrying them out.

St John Chrysostom: Homilies.

19th Monday after Trinity REPENTANCE is but a kind of table-talk, till we see so much of the deformity of our inward nature as to be in some degree frightened and terrified at the sight of it . . . A plausible form of an outward life, that has only learned rules and modes of religion by use and custom, often keeps the soul for some time at ease, though all its inward root and ground of sin has never been shaken or molested, though it has never tasted of the bitter waters of repentance and has only known the want of a Saviour by hearsay. But things cannot pass thus: sooner or later repentance must have a broken and a contrite heart; we must with our blessed lord go over the brook Cedron, and with Him sweat great drops of sorrow before He can say for us, as He said for Himself: "It is finished."

William Law: Christian Regeneration.

19th Tuesday after Trinity HOW easy is pen and paper piety, for one to write religiously? I will not say it costeth nothing, but it is far cheaper to work one's head than one's heart to goodness. Some, perchance, may guess me to be good by my writings, and so I shall deceive my reader. But if I do not desire to be good, I most of all deceive myself. I can make an hundred meditations sooner than subdue the least sin in my soul.

Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times.

YOU still shall tramp and tread on endless round of thought, to justify your action to yourselves, weaving a fiction which unravels as you weave, pacing forever in the hell of make-believe which never is belief.

T. S. Eliot: Murder in the Cathedral.

September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19

PIECES OF POETRY / STATEMENT 8

A Songwriter For Real?

WRITTEN BY CHRIS SCOTT FIESELMAN

I’m truly grateful for all.

The Precious Blessings and Treasures, And God-given opportunities.

If it’s something brand new, That comes from you, It’s good enough for me.

Like pieces of a puzzle, tossed up in the air, That all fall down, right into place.

More and more people are starting to care, And anticipate what I might say.

But … Listen to the voice of experience.

I’m a very - very - very bad influence.

Just waiting for the day that I get the chance, To be a Songwriter for Real, And not just Pretend, To prove what I do, is a Talent…

THEME: WOR LD SER IES War II ACROSS 1. In the middle of 6. "____, the Beloved Coun- DOWN 1. It starred Alan Alda from try" 9. Start of "The Night Before 1972-1983 2. Digging, so to speak Christmas" 3. Think 13. Anoint 14. *"...three strikes, ____'re 4. More like a fox 5. Madagascar's hedgeout, at the old ball game" hog-like animal 15. Capital of Egypt 6. Printer cartridge color 16. *Yanees owner, George 7. *Guidry, Cey or Garden____brenner hire 17. Mandela's org.

8. New Mexico's state flower 18. Back street 19. *Walk-off move (2 words) 9. Samoan money 21. *One of MLB countries 10. *____ card 11. Length times width 23. Start an engine 12. Tofu ingredient 24. Salvador Dali's muse 15. Lock sites 25. Old French coin 20. Soft palate hanger 28. Select 22. Kind of beer 30. Pass, as time 24. Speech organ 35. Antonym of is 37. Rumpelstiltskin's weaver 25. Fretted instrument 26. a.k.a. People of the Mid39. Virgo's brightest star dle Waters 40. Snack, in Spain 41. Rose oil 43. *Yogi Berra - 295 PA, e.g.

44. *Player's representative 46. Eyelid affliction 47. Shade of beige 48. *a.k.a. Mr. October 50. Small island 52. In the know 53. Part of armor 55. Octopus' defense 57. *Last year's World Series winners 60. *Ronald AcuÒa Jr.'s home base 64. Indian monetary unit 65. Sun, in Mexico 67. ____ Asimov 68. Artemis' companion 69. E.T.'s craft, acr.

70. Shelf material 71. Cry like a baby 72. Young newt 73. Shermans, in World

27. Remove pegs 29. Auction portions 31. Cathedral recess 32. *____ clock 33. Close call 34. Relish (2 words) 36. NASA's orange drink 38. *"The Catch" (1954) catcher 42. Rekindled 45. Like theater seating 49. Big-headedness 51. Join the army 54. Matter of debate 56. Buckwheat dish 57. Halo 58. Do like volcano 59. Bluish green 60. Sir Mix-____-____ 61. Delhi bread 62. Spill the beans 63. *Whitey Ford, Bob Gibson and Christy Mathewson 64. *Commissioner Manfred 66. Bug enemy

There’s no such thing, As a “Fool Proof Plan.”

We all make, costly mistakes, We regret now and then.

The game of life is truly, A Game of Chance, That depends upon, How you choose to play your hand.

That's Basic Wisdom And Common Sense, One learns from one’s, Personal Experience.

The things I can do, With paper and pen, And not a lot of people, Even know who I am.

A Songwriter for Real, And not just Pretend, To prove what I do, is a Talent…

There are people out there, That I care about.

That don’t even have a friend, They can depend upon.

Needing a reason, To keep on believing.

A reason to keep hanging on.

From here on out, The soundtrack of my life, Is about to become a song.

Whatever it is that I’m doing wrong, You’re more than welcome to come along.

For something coming someday, To finally begin.

Some things have got to come to, A Bitter Sweet End… A Songwriter for Real, And not just Pretend, To prove what I do, is a Talent…

PAGE 20 | September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

And Not Just Pretend?

WRITTEN BY CHRIS SCOTT FIESELMAN I Love a challenge, And a cause worth fighting for...

Every day is a choice, A chance and a challenge, To walk through a brand-new door.

How it begins until how it ends, Is yet to be explored.

The key to succeed, Are all the good deeds, That always leave them, Wanting more.

Can anyone sing?

The things I want to say?

Can I convince a musician?

With their instrument?

With a very tempting reason to play?

To make it come out, the right way.

Do my words say enough?

To be worth being heard?

A songwriter who cares about, How much others hurt.

How much does it cost?

And how much is it worth?

How valuable is, Our time here on earth?

I’m trying so hard to do this for you.

Whoever it is that I’m talking to?

The people who read, The things I have penned.

Welcome to, My Song Writing Experience.

That’s what I do, and that’s who I am.

I do it for you, and I do it for them.

When will it happen? And waiting till then.

While having as much fun as we possibly can.

Knowing every two weeks, it happens again.

I’m responsible for what I consider content.

In this twice a month, News-Paper Release Event.

Being who I am and who it is, I claim, to represent.

I don’t get Section 8 housing, Or beg for food stamps.

So, when the time comes for me, To come up with the rent.

It’s up to me to be a Good Tenant, And have it on hand.

Sounds like a “A Fool Proof Plan?”

And here we go, again…

A Songwriter for Real?

And not just Pretend?

To prove what I do, is a Talent...

VENDOR WRITING

Why did Gov. Bill Lee neglect to install the tiny Covid emergency houses provided to Nashville?

Perhaps it would have made things too easy for those lazy homeless people?. BY LISA A.

Kid's Corner

Illustration By Jen A.

September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 21

ABBY R. RUBENFELD Attorney at Law

arubenfeldlaw.com

202 South Eleventh Street Nashville, Tennessee 37206 Telephone: (615) 386-9077 Facsimile: (615) 386-3897

PAGE 22 | September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

MOVING PICTURES

‘Run Rabbit Run’ makes for smart scary streaming on Netflix

BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC One of the dramatic highlights of spring’s streaming schedule was watching the final season of Succession. In the last chapter, the tenuous bonds between the Roy family siblings frayed in the aftermath of the loss of their patriarch.

And as the brothers and sister fought over who would rule their late father’s media empire, it was Siobhan Roy (Sarah Snook) who briefly flickered as the heroic conscience of the Roy clan even if Kendall actually was “the eldest boy.”

The Sarah Snook-starring psychological horror film, Run Rabbit Run hit theaters about the same time Succession creator Jesse Armstrong announced that the show’s fourth season would be its last. The timing might have been significant because Run Rabbit Run came and went from the big screen without ever pinging my radar. The film had a brief run as the top movie on Netf lix when it came to the platform this summer, and now that we’re heading into spooky movie season, it’s poised to tighten its clammy grip on a new audience.

Sarah (Snook) is in mourning for her late father. Her mother is in a care facility with dementia. Sarah’s also divorced from her ex-husband who’s starting a new family with his new wife.

This leaves Sarah as a single mom raising their daughter, Mia (Lily LaTorre) who’s just a little too young to understand all the upheaval in her family, but just old enough to ask all the most awkward and provocative questions. This all might sound familiar to fans of Hereditary, The Babadook or even another Netflix horror film, Umma. Some critics and viewers have claimed that Run

Rabbit Run is overly derivative.

But I think its resonances with this recent, terrific spate of haunted house pictures is one of Run Rabbit Run’s strengths.

This is largely because Rabbit also boasts the outstanding core performances that allowed a bonkers movie like Hereditary to find an avid audience well beyond the confines of the horror genre. Fans of Succession are more than familiar with Snook’s admirable acting chops and her portrayal of Sarah finds her exploring painful familial connections a world away from Siobhan Roy’s hard-as-nails schemes and manipulations. Snook does a lot of heavy lifting in this film which fully rotates around her relationships with a close constellation of characters. There’s also the added challenge that all of those relationships are curtailed by lack of communication: her mother can’t remember important details; her ex-husband has to be treated at a distance in his new life; Mia is just a confused little kid.

All of these find Sarah flailing wordlessly between frustration and bewilderment as only an actress with Snook’s prowess could manage. LaTorre’s Mia goes toe-to-toe with Sarah/ Snook and the young performer is one of the most promising new actors to emerge in 2023. Mia is a sweet and playful little girl, but after she takesin a pet rabbit, her behavior becomes erratic. Run Rabbit Run is somewhere between a haunted house film and a possession story, and it works because LaTorre is disturbingly convincing as the channel for all the bad karma.

Run Rabbit Run has a terrible score on Rotten Tomatoes because it’s slow and obtuse.

It’s brimming with unresolved tension and scant on direct explanations. Director Daina Reid gives us a ghostly poem of a film that respects its audience enough to reveal its mysteries, but not speak them out loud.

The results are dramatic and disturbing, and worth your attention during the dark chilly nights ahead.

Run Rabbit Run is streaming on Netflix.

September 27 - October 11, 2023 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 23

Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.