Did Washington and Jefferson smoke dope?
I’ve heard Thomas Jefferson traded marijuana blends with Washington and the other founding fathers. Can anyone verify if true or false? I e-mailed Jefferson scholar Clay Jenkins but got no response. However, on his podcast, The Thomas Jefferson Hour, he did admit to donning his Jefferson impersonation gear and visiting Burning Man. Should I take…
Kompetition for Kindergarten
Lead Story Commercial test-preparation courses are already popular for applicants to top colleges and graduate schools, and recently also for admission to prestigious private high schools and grade schools. Now, according to a November New York Times report, such courses and private coaching are increasingly important for admission to New York City’s high-achiever public kindergartens,…
Noteworthy: Joni Bishop
JONI BISHOP This Nashville-based singer/songwriter has made five CDs, two of them collections of exquisitely arranged Christmas music. Bishop is a vocalist and acoustic guitarist of considerable strength and passion, and her songwriting is deep, and thoughtful – and hopeful, which makes her something of an uncommon delight in this era of mopey and fatalistic…
Returning to the scene was a crime
Police were dispatched to a business in regard to an individual acting in a disorderly manner and running in front of traffic. Upon arrival, officers found the subject lying in the parking lot. The woman stated that she had a few drinks and fell over while walking on the property. The officer offered the woman…
No place like home
The title is The Nutcracker in Savannah, but it might as well be called The Savannah in Nutcracker. Because there’s an awful lot of Savannah in this elaborate retelling of the holiday dance classic. Not only that, the 80 dancers that comprise the cast of the Savannah Danse Theatre’s 2009 show have an edge over…
What’s Next: Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tyler Perry
There’s a wonderful song on Mary Chapin Carpenter’s third album, Come On Come On. It’s called “Halley Came to Jackson,” and it’s based, Carpenter has said, on the works of Pulitzer Prize–winning author Eudora Welty. In her book One Writer’s Beginnings, Welty remembered when, as an infant, her daddy held her in his arms on…
DeRenne dreaming
The plan to help reduce traffic delays and redevelop parts of southside Savannah, Project DeRenne, took another step forward last Thursday during a public meeting. Consultants from Kimley–Horn and Associates unveiled several potential solutions for the stretch of DeRenne from Montgomery east to the Truman Parkway. The plan could have a broad impact on residents,…
Put these in your stocking
Grace Diaz Tootle directs the Little Theatre of Savannah’s annual Holiday Cabaret at the Freight Station, Friday through Sunday this week and picking up again the following weekend. “It’s simply just a fun evening with holiday music – singing, stories and refreshments – a relaxing, family get–together around our grand piano,” says Little Theatre board…
His land is R.Land
R.Land may not be a household name, but for more than two decades, his work has blurred the lines between cartoons and fine art, and hidden serious messages behind hilarious street art campaigns. Recently, Land and his twisted characters have found a natural ally with Williams Street, the Atlanta-based masterminds of popular Adult Swim shows…
The Messenger, Everybody’s Fine, Old Dogs
THE MESSENGER ***1/2 Coming up with a compelling hook is half the sale, and writer-director Oren Moverman has found one with The Messenger, a drama that looks at the wartime experience from a fresh perspective. Yet nothing about Moverman’s angle feels gimmicky or sensational — instead, his movie is honest and heartfelt, a justified tribute…
Random bites: Sapphire Grill, Loco’s
Sapphire Grill This elegant and intimate downtown landmark might be surrounded by Paula Deen Inc., but it hasn’t let any chicken-fried influence creep into its decidedly metropolitan menu. Chef Christopher Nason pays due homage to Southern flavors but doesn’t hesitate to score ingredients from the freshest sources. His winter menu is one of my favorites.…
Get ready for Champagne season
I think a little New Year’s Eve housekeeping is in order. New Year’s Eve? Heck yes, it’s time to start shopping for just the right champagne or sparkling wine to ring in the second decade of the 21st century! First, some geek–speak. Champagnes are made in the Champagne region of France; sparkling wine is the…
Documenting the meltdown
The Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO) has received a major grant to study the effects of climate change on Arctic permafrost, and how those effects could alter the entire ocean food chain. During the three–year project, SkIO professor Marc Frischer and a team of researchers will take core samples from three far–north locations: Point Barrow…
‘Like an Andy Williams Christmas Special’
Jim Brickman might be the most successful instrumentalist in contemporary music. At any rate, his official Web site calls him “America’s Romantic Piano Sensation.” He has six gold and platinum albums, a Grammy nomination and a Dove Award, and is the most–charted male artist in the history of Billboard’s Adult Contemporary listings. That’s right, Adult…
Guitar hero: Lefty Williams
With the plethora of electric blues guitarists in the South, it’d be reasonable to assume that Lefty Williams — an ax–wielder of considerable flame — belongs in that hardscrabble category. For three or four years now, the Atlanta–based Lefty Williams Band has been onstage at every juke–joint and roadside honky–tonk from here to Biloxi, often…
