I want to let all of you know how much I have enjoyed this semester with you. Each of you is very special to me, and I hope that we can keep the communication lines open as time moves forward.
I was especially proud of all of you yesterday as you presented your projects! I joked with Doug Branch that you all had duped us into thinking you were students, because each of you presented so expertly.
Incidentally, the size of the crowd was, I believe, one of the largest we've had in some time. And, as you might expect, I have pictures to share with you! I will share some samples of the event, and there are more if you would like to see them.
And as a final, technical note, you may send along your Power Points, notes, materials to me via my email at jllester@southwest.tn.edu through the Dashboard rather than through PAWS. I will also be receiving your final reflection papers on the day we would ordinarily have our exam--and I will get those back to you as soon as I am able. I have a deadline to get my grades in (May 9th), so if you have questions about specific grades, best to postpone them until after that deadline.
Having that out of the way, here are the photos of the Honors Fellows Presentations on April 27th 2016. As I said, there are more, but I chose these especially because of the composition, the light, the aura that was brought out in the moment, the way each shot captures the personality and individuality of the subject. They were taken and selected with love, and I hope you enjoy them. Goodnight, all.
Chante Dobson
Kara Marr
Alex Barnes
Nyssia Ruston
William Drees
Aly Pyfrom and Brenda Walls
Last but not least: Our fearless leader and Director of the Honors Academy, Doug Branch.
Where has this semester gone? It seems like only yesterday we were introducing ourselves across a long conference table. Time flies!
Of course I am anxious to hear about your visit to the National Civil Rights Museum. I have not been there in some time--well before the renovations--so I am eager to hear about what has changed.
Since I missed out, I thought I'd share with you some photos I took four years ago, when I took my African American Literature class there.
After twenty-some odd years have gone by since the case came to national attention, the murders of the three little boys in West Memphis Arkansas has almost faded into obscurity. But at the time of the murders, I was a young mother, deeply sensitized to the topic of children, and shocked that something so horrifying had happened so close to home. When I first saw the three men accused of the crimes, I remember thinking of Damien Echols as a cocky little wise ass, scoffing at the lawyers, the police officers, the press, and figuring himself far too sophisticated to be concerned with the hillbilly soap opera playing out around him. Since I've gotten older, I look back at those clips of him schlepping into the courtroom with the bad Prince Valiant haircut and wide, bored eyes, and think, "he was just a kid himself."
In the years that ensued, I watched each successive documentary that one filmmaker after another cranked out about the trial and all of its players. "Paradise Lost," then "Paradise Lost: Revelations," then finally, "Paradise Lost: Purgatory." When I thought that was the end of it, another surfaced called "West of Memphis." In the first two documentaries of the original trilogy, Mark Byers, the stepfather of one of the murdered boys, raved and ranted in a forest clearing, bellowing out plans for the demise of all three of the young men accused. His anger certainly matched the viciousness of the attacks on the three children, and illustrated, beyond a doubt, of the "eye-for-an-eye" religious mentality of the community in the little village of West Memphis, AR. Meanwhile, attorneys eager for a career-boosting victory, showboated and swaggered, a man with a mail-order Ph.D. in "Occult Studies" gave testimony based on information presumably gathered from reading sensationalist novels and tabloids in the local checkout aisle. A child with an I.Q. of 75 was berated for hours by police officers who planted confessions in the boy until the boy himself grew too weary resist and confessed to playing a role in a crime he didn't fully understand. His attorney tells the story of Jessie Misskelley pointing to the word "Satan" written on a slip of paper and asking, "What is satin?"
There was no material evidence that linked these teenagers to the murder of Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Chris Byers. All they had were rumors, hearsay, and the assumption of guilt for a boy in a black trench coat and a notebook full of symbols representing nothing more than typical, adolescent curiosity in beliefs other than the fundamentalism he'd been inculcated with since birth. Then a smug police detective is at a press conference. When a journalist asks, him, on a "scale of one to ten, how sure are you that you have the right men?" Gitchell stopped jawing his gum long enough to say, '"leven.'"
"The West Memphis Three" L-R: Jessie Misskelly, Damien Echols, and Jason Baldwin
I was embarrassed to be a Memphian. Even though this circus was playing out on the other side of the bridge, I could hear the nation laughing. For the last several decades, the South has been regarded as the cradle of ignorance, and this event, with all its players, had cemented that image in the nation's imagination permanently. Then, Damien Echols is elevated as the sacrificial lamb. Hollywood, the music industry, and every prominent member of left-wing society flocked to Arkansas in support of the "West Memphis Three." However, the center of their focus was always Echols. While they bleated and moaned over the injustice that had been wrought, Jessie and Jason suddenly began to fade into the background. While they denounced the fact that the legal forces at work had made Damien their scapegoat, the real murderer got away--and three little boys were dead.
Yet, while Damien is steadily achieving celebrity status with the help of the Dixie Chicks, Eddie Vedder, Johnny Depp, Hank Rollins and Margaret Cho--and a nonprofit group that rushed to his aid, the murderer is still out there, and three little boys are dead. The very fact of their deaths eclipsed by the efforts to secure the freedom of one young man.
Damien Echols (www.spin.com)
I have since changed my attitude (some) about Echols. I heard him admit that his actions in the courtroom twenty odd years ago were inappropriate, arrogant, and self-annihilating. He's grown into a rather well-spoken, respectable man with a wife and a new life in NYC. I am actually glad--or at least feel some satisfaction and forgiveness for the guy, and I never believed he was guilty of anything other than childish arrogance. Still. Three little boys are dead. Three little boys who would, had they lived, been in their thirties now with families, careers, homes in manicured cul-de-sacs and two-car garages, if it hadn't been for someone evil who walks free to this day.
Hello All! I hope you are enjoying this beautiful spring weather. I know some are suffering with the hay fever and allergy flare-ups that this season ushers in, so I hope everyone can get some relief and take advantage of the sunshine before it gets deathly hot--as Memphis summers tend to do.
From left to right: Jerry Lee ("The Killer") Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash. (www.salon.com)
As promised, this post is your opportunity to share a little of what you experienced at Sun Studios on March 25th. If I may start the discussion, I couldn't help but kick myself because I've been working at Union campus, right across the street from Sun Studios, for almost five years. Not once in those five years did I stop in and nose around. I took pictures of the exterior, but...that's not the same.
Mostly I was impressed by the crowd, the energy of our bubbly little tour guide, and the sheer volume of memorabilia that they have there--covering every inch of space, it seems. I was also reminded of my brother, who is now a country session musician (and guitar virtuoso) who, in the eighties, belonged to a band called "The Beat Cowboys." See, back then when most of you were still either very young or not even a glimmer yet, there was an upsurge of popularity in 'rockabilly' music, mostly spearheaded by a little trio called The Stray Cats. They were awesome. Headed by Brian Setzer, they brought back the jumping, jiving, and wailing sounds of the 1950s with an eighties flair. The 'teddy boy' was back in fashion, as were baggy pants and oversized jackets, piled-high hair, and crepe-soled shoes; only, more tattoos this time 'round. Bands emerged like the Del Fuegos, the Del Lords, Beat Rodeo...basically anything with "beat" or "del" in the name took off in those days. Even today there are rockabilly descendants in the Hillbilly Hellcats, The Chop Tops, Jackslacks, Hotrod Lincoln, and countless others.
The Stray Cats (www.metrolyrics.com)
Not to get too far afield, but I think it is important to think about the impact that the Memphis sound--and the rockabilly artists of the 1950s had on Memphis, the nation, and even the globe. Since the eighties saw the comeback of rockabilly (which, incidentally was a portmanteau word for "hillbilly rock," the genre took off in different, sometimes dark, sometimes unheard of directions. Acts like the Cramps and The Meteors spread the sound from the U.S. to Britain and a new substratum was born, "psychobilly." There is also "punkabilly," and its sound--and style has turned up in California and even Mexico, becoming a phenomenon unto itself. Punkabilly and psychobilly both draw from not only the Memphis rockabilly sound of the 1950s, but also from Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and the cheesy science fiction films, horror films, and the dragrace, diner, and bowling alley scenes of that era as well.
A modern day "Rockabilly Chick." (www.thebestofhairstylesandtattoos.com)
If you thought Mexico only had mariachi music, think again: there is a conspicuous and fun retro-fifties rockabilly scene there, as evidenced by estas mujeres bonitas asi:
The clothing styles of that era still retains its popularity among men as well as women, who don the Betty Page hairstyles (jet black with blunt bangs over red, red lips), stacked heels, tight skirts, and now, tattoos. Many celebrities sport the "victory rolls" and "pompadour" hairstyles of the fifties, such as Gwen Stefani, Janelle Monae, and burlesque star Dita Von Teese. If you'd like to sample the generic musical prodigy of the Elvis Rockabilly era, take a listen below to The Meteors' "Psycho for Your Love."
Question: What similarities do you hear between their sound and the samples you heard at Sun? What consistencies do you hear in the music, and the titles of the bands? What attitudes and moods do they convey?
Okay, it's your turn now. Let me hear about some of the things that stood out to you most during our tour of Sun Studios. How did you feel as you stepped into that crowded front room? Was there an infectious sense of Memphis pride? Maybe just a little?
I want to take a moment to apologize for my absence Saturday night at the art auction. Please know that if it hadn't been for a 14-year-old, money-sucking clunker who ran a fever, I would have been there. I missed you all, and I missed seeing Doug and my colleagues. In any event...
We will be visiting Sun Studios next! In keeping with our modification to the schedule, we will tour Sun Studios on Saturday, March 26th, which is why no actual class meeting was scheduled for this Tuesday. In lieu of that, I am asking all of you to please comment to this post with an update on your projects. Let us know how things are going, what discoveries you've made, what roadblocks you've hit, and so on. I know this has been a hectic semester and we all have so many things going on, but I hope you will keep the faith and don't despair if and when you have difficulty. I am always here for you (even when I'm not physically around). If you need to talk with me about your project, just text or call and I am at your service.
I look forward to hearing of your progress, and to seeing you next Saturday.
Hello, All. I hope that all of you are enjoying a relaxing (if rainy and wet) break from classes this week.
I thought I would take a moment to thank you for making this Honors Symposium such a fun and successful one! I am really thrilled with the way the course is going, and so delighted to have the chance to meet and get to know each one of you. Teaching this course this semester has truly been a treat!
I also know that the last thing you want right now is to be hassled about classwork, so I will be gentle. I would really, really love to know what you thought of Elmwood last Saturday. The weather was certainly on our side, as it was a cool, sunny, gorgeous day. I hope you found the trek insightful and interesting--and the grounds at Elmwood as beautiful as I do.
We'll mark the deadline March 15th for you to say something about your experience there. What did you learn? How did you find the place? Was it a bit creepy? A bit beautiful? A bit beauti-creepy? You tell me what your thoughts are!
In the interim, please be reminded that our next venture is the smART auction on the 19th of this month. Doug Branch puts a lot of heart, soul, and energy into this event, and it is our duty to support him. I do expect our class to be there early and help with the set-up--this means unpacking the artwork and setting it on display, and perhaps some readying of the snacks and drinks to be served. The event begins properly at seven p.m., so if I could ask all of you to arrive at six, that would be wonderful. I will be there as well.
And again, if you are an artist who would like to donate some artwork, please let me know ASAP, and I will get those donations to Doug; or, if you know someone artistic with a willingness to share his or her work, please let me know right away. I will see you soon!
Hello, All. I am back in Memphis and back to work after a long trip to Knoxville. It was freezing cold, but we had an enjoyable time nonetheless. I hope this message finds you all warm and well.
A few reminders that the African American Read In is tomorrow at noon, all campuses, so if you are at Macon or any of the satellite campuses, you may need to contact Dr. Wade to find out precisely where the event is held. If you are at Union campus, the Read In will be held in Parrish 101.
I have completed grading your "Reading Memphis" essays and uploaded my comments back to you on PAWS, so when you have a moment be sure to look those over. I enjoyed reading them immensely, and I am very happy that many of you found sites of interest to you. As with many college classes, you will encounter challenges that demand you to hone specific skills, and one of those skills is writing. As I am a writing teacher, some of you may see a bit more "red ink" on your essays. I want to remind you that this is intended to help you perfect your already advanced skills. I notice that there are still some areas of grammar, word choice, tone, and punctuation that need improvement, so I encourage you to work on these things as you go. Always be open to critique, willing to proofread, and edit where necessary.
I want all of you to keep in mind that I am your principle supporter and cheerleader through all of your endeavors in this course, and I am willing to do whatever I can to ensure your success. If you are having difficulty in any areas, please do not hesitate to come to me.
Remember that we are meeting at the Starbuck's on Sycamore View Tuesday evening at six p.m. in lieu of the Honors Suite. I admit I do grow weary of waiting for someone to come unlock my classroom when I'm ready to sit down and begin. If Starbuck's works as a makeshift venue this time, we might try it again later on.
Thanks to all of you for being patient with me these last two weeks as I planned and attended the TYCA-SE conference in Knoxville. My hope is that this week I will be able to catch up on a lot of things I have let slip past.
Also, if you would kindly do me the favor of texting me your telephone numbers with some indicator of who you are, I would so appreciate it! I thought I had your contact information, but I doubt that it is current--or easily accessed--at this point. I thank you!
Hello, all. I hope that you are enjoying the remainder of a rather dismal, overcast weekend. I know I enjoyed being with all of you--and meeting some of your family--this Saturday! I'm sorry we got separated: I had gone to look for everyone by three and I assume you had gone into the theater or planetarium. I only regret that I had to leave early without telling everyone good bye.
The Pink Palace is, of course, a wonderful place to start if you are doing any sort of research about the city of Memphis and its environs--from early dinosaur bones uncovered at the site of the former Mall of Memphis, to stories of flappers, the Beale Street business district, or how life was lived in the 19th century. I know I enjoyed reading about the household ephemera--bottles and medicines, chatelains and sewing kits. Such things fascinate me.
Our next trek will of course be Elmwood! I am very excited about this tour, as you know it is a place near and dear to my heart. I was asked to be Elmwood's photographer-in-residence for the year 2013, and during that time, I was welcome to tour the grounds on my own, visit during off-hours, and invited to some of the wonderful parties they have during the month of October, such as the Twilight Costume Tour. It is truly a beautiful place to visit, meditate, commune with the spirits, and learn volumes about Memphis history. Below are some of the photos I took during my time as Elmwood's photographer, and a link to Elmwood's site if you would like to read a bit more. I also have a book to share with you before our visit--the only book published about Elmwood, its history, and its inhabitants--Elmwood: In the Shadows of the Elms by Perre Magness, which is a wonderful, comprehensive guide to this beautiful, historic cemetery. And finally, you can read about Elmwood and explore some of the upcoming events on their schedule here.
As a reminder, I will be out of town this week, beginning Wednesday, February 24th. In light of the conference I am attending and the workload I have to face before I leave, we will not meet Tuesday night as scheduled. Instead, we can substitute an asynchronous panel here on our blog, to talk about the progress of each of your projects. In a paragraph or so, describe where you are in the process. Have you had successes you'd like to share? Any difficulties? What have you learned so far? Do you find your enthusiasm growing for this project, or is it beginning to drag a little? It's fine to be honest: not everything goes perfectly all the time! So, if you are hitting a snag, perhaps we can help one another over the rough spots.
So, why don't we do this: since we would not see each other again until our Elmwood tour, let's plan to meet briefly on March 1st at six pm.--except I'm putting a twist on our meeting: let's meet at the Starbuck's on Sycamore View--just down the street from Macon Campus. No one has to unlock the door and we can get a shot of caffeine while we talk. Not a coffee drinker? Tea or juice is offered as well. Then if Saturdays work better for all, we can plan to make our Elmwood tour March 5th at two p.m. If you like, we can grab a bite somewhere nearby afterward.
I won't have a computer while I'm away, but I have my cell if you need to reach me.
PLEASE DON'T FORGET THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN READ IN, FEBRUARY 29th!! Noon, all campuses!
So, to recap:
African American Read-In, February 29th
"In class" meeting at Starbuck's on Sycamore View, 6:00 March 1
Tour of Elmwood Cemetery the following Saturday, March 5
Give a summary of your progress on your semester-long projects below
Have a lovely week, and I will look forward to seeing you soon!
Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, The Mallory Neely House was built ca. 1852 in the Italianate Style. The villa-style home was built by Isaac Kirtland, and later became the residence of Memphians, Benjamin Babb, James C. Neely, Daniel Grant, and Barton Lee Mallory. The home was renovated in the last decades of the 19th century: James C. Neely and his wife, Frances added the tower room and the third floor was expanded to extend the space to 15, 903 square feet (1). Unlike most museum homes of its kind, the Mallory-Neely House retains most of its original furnishings. The Neely family contributed the parquet flooring, hand-painted ceilings, and stenciling. Upon entering the home, one observes the massive and beautiful stained-glass window at the first-floor landing, which was purchased at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 (1). The house was given to the Daughters of the American Revolution by the Mallory family, but became property of the city of Memphis in 1987 and is now run by the Pink Palace family of museums (2)
The Victorian era (roughly 1836-1901) was very much a stratified society. Women and men occupied their own respective social "spheres" in which men were relegated to the world of industry, politics, business, economics, law, and medicine; women were relegated to the world of the home and the hearth. A Victorian adage explains that "man was the head of the household; women were the heart."
In keeping with this stratification, the architecture and furnishings of the Victorian home reflected the social mores of the time. Social spaces were segregated: the ladies of the house held their sewing circles and watched over the children in their own parlor, while men smoked cigars, discussed the business of the day, and talked politics in the men's parlor.
Manners were held in high regard, and rigid social codes were held in place and reinforced by middle- and upper-middle class families. When a visitor came to call, he would be greeted by the butler of the house, who of course was well-informed of the family's inner circle. The visitor would place his calling card in a dish for the butler to take it to the lady of the house--but not before seating the visitor in either a rigid, stiff-backed chair (if he was disliked) or a soft, comfortable one on the opposite wall (if he was well-liked).
Social events were particularly important to the wealthy middle class families of the period. The Mallory-Neely home, like many others, featured a large ballroom where parties were held. However, not all in attendance were held in equal esteem: musicians, considered members of the lower class, where hidden behind a curtain, so that their music could be heard, but they would remain unseen.
Photo: memphismagazine.com
As the Mallory-Neely House sits amid other homes owned by wealthy cotton merchants of the day, this gallery of Victorian-era homes became known as "Millionaire's Row." The interiors reflect the conspicuous wealth of the family, boasting imported carpets and furniture, and decor that borders on the eclectic: it was a frequent pastime of wealthy families to visit the Chicago World's Fair, and to collect items from far-flung parts of the world. A single room may boast a chest with oriental inlay from China, an end table from France, art pieces from Spain, and so on--such was the taste of the Victorian merchant class.
As we tour the mansion, think about the ways in which its interiors reflect the social codes of the day. What features stand out to you? Can you imagine life as it might have been inside such a home? In your posts (app. 300 words), recall some aspect of the tour that affected you the most. What did you learn about the people who lived there--the families, their structure, their social lives?
Read more about the Mallory-Neely House, the Fontaine House, and the James Lee House:
Hello, Class. As we discussed, for this second post I'm asking you to discuss your plans for your "Memphis: City as Text" semester-long projects. In roughly 200 words or so (a healthy paragraph) give us a general overview of what you have decided on, what you hope to learn from the project, what you think others will appreciate from your project, and how you will go about conducting your research. If you are still working out the finer points, that is acceptable, but I do hope you have come to some semi-finite decision on what your project will be all about. This will give us a chance to discuss these topics further Tuesday night. I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone!
Hello, again class. I thought I'd take this spare moment to prepare a post well in advance for you respond with a brief introduction. This reference would help me acquaint myself with everyone. I so enjoyed our chat tonight, and am looking forward to more!
