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Ivan Rider
Ivan Rider returns to Jackson to direct "Driving Miss Daisy," opening tonight at New Stage Theatre.
"It's the theater of my heart," Rider told the Jackson Free Press this morning. "I'm delighted to be back."
Andre de Gruy
Attorney Andre de Gruy knows that the American justice system isn't perfect. Sometimes circumstances combine to convict people who didn't commit the crimes they're accused of. As director of Mississippi's Office of Capital Defense Counsel, de Gruy and his staff of lawyers represent people whom Mississippi has convicted of the most heinous crimes, mostly murders and rapes.
But, Mr. Cleo
I first saw Robert Little, a very handsome toastmaster-by-trade and Jacksonian, take on a young, somewhat skeptical audience Nov. 19 at the North Midtown Community Development Center. He was the guest speaker, the guest motivator, at the gathering of about 40 parents and kids from Brown Elementary and Rowan Middle schools, schools scoring far below the levels deemed acceptable by No Child Left Behind federal standards.
Brian Cicero
From the East Coast to Jackson by way of Texas, Brian Cicero was a luminary within the BRAVO! kitchen. Brian, 38, passed away in his sleep Saturday, April 17. Later, doctors discovered that he had a heart condition. As his family pastor said during the memorial service: "Brian went to sleep Saturday night, and the Lord called him home."
Bring-Your-Bomb-To-Work Day
As you may have seen on the local news a couple of days ago, a Utica woman finds what appears to be a pipe bomb in her mailbox. Her solution? Bring the device to work for a second opinion. Huh???
Rap and Basketball
Have you ever had a really bad idea? I mean, ever had a quick thought and then slapped yourself for thinking it? That's what those evil Midway executives did—only instead of slapping themselves, they tried to market it. I can see the meeting now.
"Letters, Prayers, and Journal Entries," Anne Davis
I have a confession to make: I am inherently suspicious of confessional albums with a message. So when I received a copy of Anne Davis' "Letters, Prayers, and Journal Entries"—which, by the way, is a very confessional piece of work—I had my misgivings about doing a review. As I glanced through the lyrics, credits and art work on the record, it became clear to me that Davis, a Jackson native and longtime Nashville resident, is serious about showing the world who she is, where she's been and how serious she is about her faith. I braced myself for a listen, thinking that this must be yet another earnest female singer-songwriter with a beautiful voice and not much new to say.
[Gregory] Hello, City Lights
For the past two months I've sat on my new front porch overlooking part of downtown Jackson, and tried to quell the automatic self-doubt that arose in my gut every time I reminded myself that I left the veritable "safety" of Madison County for a town so blighted with rumors of crime that it inspired a bumper sticker espousing the only way to save it: "pray for it."
Jackson's Guide to Sports Bars
Fall is quickly approaching and some of us are scrambling to find the perfect place to watch our alma maters triumph this football season. Unless you have season tickets and a RV prepared to criss-cross this great nation, a television will be the only means to experience the excitement and grief of another year of chaotic college football.
Rather Fun House
A Review of "House of Wax"
Nearly a decade has passed since the revitalization of the horror-film genre in the mid-1990s, and the dozens (hundreds?) of fright flicks loosed into multiplexes since then have exhibited a wealth of profitability … and a dearth of originality. Aiming to capitalize on the former (but still rarely improving upon the latter), studio executives are increasingly aiming their efforts at younger audiences with milder, PG-13-rated scare fare.
Alliances of the Little Guys
Jeff Milchen doesn't like big boxes. In 1997, Milchen noticed with alarm that large chain stores were rapidly displacing the locally owned, independent stores that gave Boulder, Colo., its character.
The New Well
Graphic courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy
The U.S. Department of Energy is considering Richton, Miss., as a location for the newest expansion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The reserve, established in 1975 to protect the U.S. from oil supply interruptions, faced its starkest example of how much damage an interruption could pack with the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina. Gas prices, after years of steady ascension, shot up another 30 cents in some regions, so much so that President George W. Bush called upon the release of 30 million barrels of oil from the reserve. The administration has also been looking to expand the reserve, outlining in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 an expansion of the reserve from 727 million barrels of oil to 1 billion.
Reveling in the Details
How do you measure the heft of a novel? I don't mean its weight in your hand, but its importance, its influence. If you're an inveterate reader, as in firmly established by long persistence, you realize you take in every word, you know the novel's characters, you assimilate what happens to them, using your own life to interpret.
A Goodie Is A Goodie
Over the almost eight-year-long span that my family spent on the road, we never had a chimney for Santa. Being well-loved, wide-eyed and innocent of grown-up concerns like how late would the stores be open in a new town, my little brother and I knew that Santa'd find us, so we'd write our letter, give it to Mama to mail, and wait, being good.
Clinton's Own Invention
I fell through the looking glass and ended up in Clinton. Surrounded by clouds of patchouli incense tinged with freshly brewing coffee aromas, luminous saris in glorious purples and reds, I was in Clinton's newest gallery, Colorwheeler Designs. Michelle Campbell, gallery owner, not only runs Colorwheeler, but the house-turned-gallery doubles as family home.
Where the Jobs Are in 2010
If we're lucky, we're coming out a deep recession and looking at economic growth that, hopefully, will mean jobs, consumer spending and new business investment nationally. Jackson is poised to take advantage of economic revitalization, but to do it, we'll need to pull together and create opportunities.
Make Friends, And Build A City
What we call the "Best Of" season in January here at the JFP always ends with a big bang in the form of our Best of Jackson party, which happened this year in the Electric 308 building in downtown Jackson. It was an extraordinary event this year, attended by hundreds of folks … and at least one cute little dog. We had exceptional food from a slew of local restaurants (all of whom were big winners in the Best of Jackson 2006 reader poll), and entertainment ranging from bellydancing to fashion models to DJ Phingaprint, who is not only Jackson's Best club DJ, but also the secret ingredient to turning a good party into an outstanding party.
Mississippi an ‘Arts State'
As far as literature and music are concerned, on a per-capita basis, Mississippi may be the most important state in the nation, said National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman.
Oxford Puts On Its Party Pants
OXFORDFor all the debate fever of the past week, Oxford's real transformation has taken place in the last 24 hours. The town felt fairly quiet yesterday morning, but by the afternoon, several impromptu Obama campaign apparel businesses had set up around the square, working out of air conditioning vans or on folding tables. Today, the square has reached another level. Even more patriotic bunting hangs outside the centrally-located shops. Lily's Gifts on the square has a sign asking if you're "Election Ready." Apparently we'll need drinking cups for the election. The mannequins in Kaleidoscope are sporting stars-and-stripes top hats along with their dresses. The Darfur protester carrying a Mississippi state flag--who's been sitting in front of the courthouse since I got here--has all the media attention he could want. There's a steady stream of foot and car traffic, including lots of children. Oxford schools aren't closed today, but it looks like some parents deem the debate a suitable educational alternative.