Jesus the RadicalIt's easy to imagine historical events in the context of our own time, place and worldview. It can be highly deceptive, however, to separate a person, his or her words and works from their historical context. It tends to skew …
Here and Now"We have an appointment with life that takes place in the present moment." — Thich Nhat Nanh
Flat on the FloorThe sculpture of tiles is made of black-and-white photographic images of floors stripped of possessions and lifelines. Left on the homes' slabs are scatterings of personal items discarded after a deluge of waves and wind. The tiles form checkerboards of …
Young Poets Draw from Jackson ScenesYoung poets presented their work to a standing-room-only crowd last night, lit by soft lights and supported by ambient jazz. The poets were fourth-graders from Davis Magnet School, sharing what they had learned this semester about metaphors, Jackson and expressing …
untitledJesmyn Ward didn't intend to be in southern Mississippi when Katrina hit in late August 2005. In fact, she was just on her way back to grad school in Michigan as the storm approached. "I just thought, 'Oh, well, I'll …
Living Out LoudI love color. I don't always wear a lot of it—I learned in New York City that black (and chocolate brown) makes you look skinnier, more chic and shows less dirt.
Swagger and SwingI began reading Preston Lauterbach's book with a background in rock music, somewhat aware of the history and legends of the blues and the birth of rock 'n' roll. I was surprised, as I think even major music historians would …
Death by a Thousand CutsAdam Ross' "Ladies and Gentlemen" (Knopf, 2011, $26) is a collection of short stories that tell of an indifferent universe and untrustworthy companions who carelessly toss around the nervous men of Ross' stories.
Scarticia of Jackson"Greetings, animals." A gaunt witch stared through the television screen at late-night viewers in Jackson, taunting them for several years in the early 1970s.
No Sparkle, No Twang: Just BiteVampires these days, quite frankly, are dreadful. Between the ersatz southern drawls on "True Blood" to the sparkly emo-ness of "Twilight," vampires have become annoyingly overused.
Defamation JuryArthur Golden, a Jewish real-estate developer from Chicago's north side, found his watch missing. He accused Regina Wade, an African American graphic designer from Chicago's south side, of stealing it. Because of the accusation—which she says is false—Wade lost a …
MIFF: A Cinematic ExtravaganzaEdward Saint Pe and his team of organizers and volunteers commandeer the indie-film scene from Friday through Saturday with the 2011 Mississippi International Film Festival. "We're showing 50 films all day Friday and Saturday at the Russell C. Davis Planetarium …
Don't Be a VictimEveryone needs a reminder to review safety rules. But every now and again those rules need to be updated.
Hell in JacksonMadison Spencer is 13 years old and is in hell. She claims that her death had something to do with marijuana and has a lot to say while sitting in her hell cell. "Are you there, Satan? It's me, Madison," …