A Pleasing AffairThe poster for "The Artist" reveals a raffishly handsome gentleman gazing into the soft, wide eyes of a beautiful ingénue. They are glamorous in the high-contrast, black-and-white photo.
An Ill-Fitting LifeJackson native Barrett Hathcock has given readers a small gem with his short-story collection, "The Portable Son". The stories read like a novel. Instead of unrelated snippets, protagonist Peter Gallatin's struggle toward adulthood links the tales together
Arena Study to Include Thalia MaraCity leaders fear that one day the USA International Ballet Competition could leave Jackson due to Thalia Mara Hall needing repairs that cost about $9 million. Only four cities in the world hold the elite dance event, and Jackson is …
‘The Matchmaker'Avi Nesher's "The Matchmaker" is a gold-dusted fable of love, friendship and everlasting hope. The movie opens at the end of the story, in war-torn Haifa, Israel, where Lebanese missiles have left casualties, and rescue personnel race to save any …
Doris JonesOral storytelling is the oldest form of media and entertainment in human society. Since the introduction of spoken language, man has entertained, educated and informed with stories told from generation to generation.
Business BookshelfIf you are considering starting your own business, or have already started one, get yourself a copy of the classic "The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It" by Michael Gerber (HarperCollins, 1995, …
Jewish Film Fest: Best of the BestMichael Steiner screened about three dozen films for the upcoming Jewish Cinema Mississippi 2012 film festival. As co-chairman of the January event, he and the other screening committee members narrowed that batch of 30-something movies down to four that they …
Walking the Thin Purple Line"Carnage," based on the Tony award-winning play "God of Carnage" ("Le Dieu du Carnage") by French dramatist Yasmina Rez, explores civility, savagery and vomiting on art books. The movie opens without drama on a long, static shot of a local …
Why Not Risko?Local bands Risko Danza, The Wild Card Charlies and Wicked Gentlemen will grace the stage of Hal and Mal's Red Room tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 14, for a charity bash honoring Risko Danza's one-year anniversary. Proceeds will go to Stewpot Community …
Tinker, Tailor, Texture"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," based on John Le Carré's classic espionage thriller of the same name, is a lyrical poem of intrigue told in bits and pieces of flashback from different perspectives. It has many moving parts, and it is …
Sequel Prequels?As soon as I began reading Bill Loehfelm's third book, "The Devil She Knows" (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011, $26), I developed motherly concern for the book's protagonist, Maureen Coughlin, a Staten Island waitress who feels as if her life …
Tonight: ILLLS, BOY Play Martin'sTonight, two bands will grace the stage of Martin's: ILLLS, a new Oxford-based band, and BOY. This will be ILLLS' first time playing in Jackson and their first time playing with BOY.
Thalia Mara Makeover?A group of organizations has offered to help the city raise money to refurbish Thalia Mara Hall. At a City Council meeting this morning, supporters of the project said they hope renovating the auditorium will breathe life into the downtown's …
Silent CrusaderDavid Fincher's film adaptation of Stieg Larsson's international bestseller, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," scorches the screen with a new-millennium Joan of Arc on a social crusade against violence. "I want you to help me catch a killer of …
‘Grunge was an Adjective'"Grunge" is a term that reminds some folks of youth and the first tastes of music considered "alternative." Maybe flannel comes to mind, that infamous Mudhoney EP cover or the first time you ever saw Chris Cornell. It takes me …