Jackson Free Press

[Opera] Blinded By The Light

When I was invited to attend a "Gospel at Colonus" chorus rehearsal at the Jackson Revival Center, corner of Silas Brown and Langley Avenue, chill bumps swept over me. Alan …

[Beertalk] A Rogue Among Beers

One of the best choices for a diverse selection of excellent micro-brewed beer is Rogue. In 1988, three guys looking to try their hand at making great beer created Rogue …

The Love Triangles of Figaro

Thousands of operas exist in dozens of languages, but the Mississippi Opera selected a classic masterwork by Verdi for their next production, "The Marriage of Figaro," and they'll be doing …

Less Traveled Roads

At first glance, David Magee's "The Education of Mr. Mayfield" (John F. Blair, 2009, $21.95) gives the impression of a "Good Will Hunting" knock-off set in the rural South. Race …

'How We Got Over'

Sadie Pettway's eyes grew wide as she inched closer toward the ominous water fountain at stage left. Her sister Nella stood anxiously behind her watching intently as Sadie pulled the …

Laughter, the Best Medicine

During a recent visit to the East Coast with friends, I began to have painful stomach cramps. My friend offered me a therapeutic hot-water bottle, which I placed on my …

Virgins, Tramps and Dolls

At first smile, Michele Coffield Walker, 21, is a charming girl. Even her tight-curled blonde locks exude sweetness. But when she gets to the derby, outfitted in old-style rollerskates, she's …

Bananas and Peanuts

Buff, good-looking Rus Blackwell lay on the floor like an overturned bug, feet flailing in the air. Wild-eyed, Turner Crumbley was on his knees staring intently at Blackwell's crotch. "Push, …

(Barber) Shop Talk

Until recently, I had not been in a barbershop in nearly 10 years. I have always been a bit lackadaisical when it comes to my hair. For starters, I have …

Picture Imperfect: A Review of "Wicker Park," PG-13

The trailer for Paul McGuigan's "Wicker Park" wrongly portrays the film as a thriller, a sort of Generation X "Fatal Attraction." While it certainly has its darker elements (many of …

Eye For Detail

Thomas Beck, 41, says he's a late bloomer. Growing up, he never had an interest in art, and at the University of Mississippi he majored in English and history.

Serendipity's Sweet Sixteen

It took less than two minutes for Bertha McDonald and May Jean Zehnder to realize that their art instructor Tony DiFatta was in the building. He'd told them that he …

Marriage, Murder and Peanuts

Viewing an M.C. Escher painting inspires fascination and frustration. My feelings waver between total awe that he is able to fit all these figures into one uninterrupted whole and the …

A Fling Rekindled

My favorite beers are all strongly attached to memories of the places where I discovered them. Abita Amber, from my four years living in New Orleans, will always hold a …

The Oldest Story

Two men awkwardly circle each other in the dimly lit fellowship hall of Broadmeadow Baptist Church in Fondren. The two men glare at each other angrily, the tension palpable. Suddenly, …

[Arts] We Are All Guinea Pigs

They are planting an olive grove in Brookhaven at the Mississippi School for the Arts. Olive groves line the hills in the Mediterranean, a testament to previous generations' forethought, labor …

A New Kind of Fabulous

Lynn Nottage's "Fabulation or The Re-Education of Undine" is a dark comedy about an African American businesswoman, Undine, who falls from the New York City high life back to Brooklyn …

So Cynical I Could Cry

Like Vincent Van Gogh and Jackson Pollack, few recognized the artistic genius of Hiram "Hank" Williams while he was alive. He was only 29 when he died in 1953, on …

The Kids of Freedom Summer

In 1964, Tracy Sugarman began participating in and covering the Freedom Summer with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. His reporting and illustrations are captured in "We Had Sneakers, They Had …

The Southern Color Palette

Artwork by Scott Allen

I met Scott Allen at Cups in Fondren to talk about his upcoming opening at Southern Breeze gallery on June 25. He greeted me with a friendly smile, and we …