Jackson Free Press

Hot Author, Cold Biscuits

We know a few things to be constant in the South: Coworkers are extended family members, porch swings are adult-sized cradles, the weather changes its mind at the drop of …

Challenging Stereotypes

A cardboard cutout of President Barack Obama smiles down through a window at a pleasant-looking woman standing in her backyard. She smiles and waits patiently, standing outside her sunroom in …

Lamb, With a Side of Shiraz

It's funny that a lamb and full-bodied red wine combination is one of my favorites, considering I didn't appreciate either until working my way through college. I was waiting tables …

Dive Into The Blu

Walking into One Blu Wall Gallery in the Fondren Corner building is a little like diving into the ocean. The cool blue wall at the entrance envelops the visitor completely.

[Fly] Write A Cool Holiday Letter

You know those awful, boring, photocopied letters with hokey snowmen that fall out of your Christmas cards from friends and relatives each year? Yeah, those.

Go, Guilt-Free

This past March I found myself on my honeymoon in the small, whitewashed village of Torrox, Spain, nestled between the Tejeda and Almijara mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. My husband …

What Would Jesus Buy?

This feature documentary follows the Christmas tour of Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir, a group that traveled the country to use humor, spirituality and song to get Americans …

When Every Choice Is Open

In a way, Neil LaBute's "The Mercy Seat" resembles an R. Crumb comic strip. In the 1960s, Robert Crumb appropriated the comic strip, a medium whose "Golden Age" was marked …

Just a Jump to the Left

It's not exactly the '80s again. But there is a time warp-theme in Jackson theater right now (no, not Rocky Horror) with lots days-gone-by fare offered this spring. If you …

Did He Do It?

Did grocery delivery driver Willie McGee crawl through a window, wake mother of three Willette Hawkins from her sleep as she held her infant daughter and rape her? Or did …

Beyond Borders

A Review of "The Constant Gardener"

In a spy movie without a spy, the bravest and most heroic figure is dead after the very first cut. At the beginning of "The Constant Gardener" (which the Crossroads …

Choosing The Right Workout

Forget size. It never mattered. Still doesn't. What really matters is personality. What's imperative is not mixing multiple fitness personalities.

March Out To Eat

Metro area restaurants wait to wait upon you, at indoor and outdoor tables as spring approaches. Since you might like to try something new as you take your mind off …

From Blues to Hip-Hop

When I heard about Ali Neff's book on the Clarksdale hip-hop scene, I was relieved that someone had finally decided to talk about something other than the blues. Someone was …

All The Rage

So you want to be a pro basketball player? All of those YMCA warriors who insist "all I need is a shot to get in the NBA" will get a …

"Scholastic Art Awards of 2009

I have to admit: Even I was a bit shocked when I saw some of the submissions for this year's Scholastic Art Awards. They were absolutely brilliant and refreshing. With …

TALK Dance Goes Global

Eight dancers leap and bound across the floor, hitting the ground lightly before flying up again. A young girl effortlessly launches over the head of her partner.

Art Smart

So long as Frank Melton isn't accosting you with a firearm in a church when you're just innocently trying to discuss the state of the arts in Jackson with the …

[Drive] Gettin' That Olds Feeling

I still don't quite get why GM would decide to retire the Oldsmobile name, especially considering that Pontiac is right there, just begging for it. In the cold, careless world …

Bill Hicks Lives On DVD

After President Bush's re-election on Nov. 2, I found myself singing the line from Hamell on Trial's song, "I Wish Bill Hicks Were Alive." Man, do we need Bill Hicks …