Something New for Pot Lovers

No, not that kind. For art pottery collectors, just about anything from Pisgah Forest Pottery in North Carolina is considered very desirable, and the best pieces are those marked on the bottom with the name of the founder, Walter Stephen (1876-1961). What many people don’t realize, is that Stephen got his start in Memphis, when he established a little pottery firm called Nonconnnah Potteries in 1904. He later moved to Asheville, North Carolina, where he developed the unusual shapes and high glazes that have made Pisgah Forest Pottery so distinctive.

A new book, Pisgah Forest and Nonconnah: The Pottery of Walter B. Stephen, has just been published. You can read more about it here.

• by John Branston

‘Cue Up

B&Q, a Home Depot-like chain in the UK and Europe, is offering the Memphis Retro Style 2 Burner Gas Barbecue. Looks like it’s currently out of stock. But that may be a good thing: Someone dragging one of these precious little grills (comes in pink, blue, red, and cream) down to the Barbecue Cooking Contest is likely to get pelted with ribs. For more information, go to the B&Q site here.

Under Development

Eight months after Katrina, big problems -- and a few opportunities -- confront the Gulf Coast and New Orleans.

• by John Branston

American Idol Update: Lisa Marie Shows Up; Daughtry Goes Down

Lisa Marie finally showed up in footage from Graceland that was shown in Wednesday night’s Elvis-week “results” show. She was shown driving the four would-be Idols around the grounds in a go-cart. One of them, the favorite for lo these many weeks — Chris Daughtry — lost the contest for viewer votes and was, in the words of “Suspicious Minds,” his exit song, “caught in a trap.”

Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks, and Elliott Yamin (pictured) are the remaining finalists. Yamin, who has had a dramatic rise of late, is the underdog — a high school dropout, product of a broken home, deaf in one ear, a diabetic, little, nerdy, and nervous. But, as judge Randy Jackson puts it, “This boy can sing!”

• by John Branston

Still Cooking- Even In Florida

If this guy still lived in Memphis, we would have put him in the annual “Who’s Who” listing of our sister publication, Memphis magazine, years ago.

This week, Mark Cook, now living in Palm Beach, will receive the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leader of the Year Award. Cook is president of Royal Palm Management, which includes a glitzy hotel and several high-profile businesses in Florida, and is active in more than half a dozen charities in the area, among his accomplishments.

And if that last name sounds familiar, it should. He is the son of prominent Memphis businessman Edward R. “Ned” Cook, whose name just happens to be the “Cook” part of the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

You can read all about the accomplishments of his son here.

• by John Branston

Sole of the City

Local company designs shoes that say Memphis.

• by Bianca Phillips

Polar Opposites Attract?

A hunter in Northwest Territories, Canada, shot and killed what is believed to be the first documented cross between a grizzly bear and a polar bear in the wild. Though the two bear species have occasionally mated in captivity, it has been considered unlikely to happen in the wild because of differences in their habitat and mating season.

The cross-species bear’s fur is described as being like a polar bear but with patches of brown. Its its claws, back, and face more closely resemble a Grizzly.

DNA tests determining species paternity are pending. We just have one question: Where has Memphis Grizzlies’ mascot Grizz been spending his off-seasons?

• by John Branston

The Cheat Sheet

• by Michael Finger

This Is So Fly

We happened upon this cool little graphic showing radar of FedEx aircraft arriving in Memphis during a storm. We especially dig the groovy soundtrack. Check it out here.

Rhythm Section

Drummers Gerry Brown and Sonny Emory visit Cooper-Young.

• by Ben Popper

Rachel McAdams? Nice Work, Ira.

Apparently, the disappointing box-office showing for his Sundance Film Festival winning Forty Shades of Blue hasn’t slowed down Memphis-bred filmmaker Ira Sachs. According to Variety, Sachs has put together an impressive cast for his next film, including Chris Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, Patricia Clarkson, and Rachel McAdams.

Sachs told the Flyer last year that the film, titled Marriage, is a period piece, set in the 1940s, about a man who decides to kill his wife. Sachs likened the film to great Edward G. Robinson dramas from the 1930s such as Scarlet Street and The Woman in the Window.Variety reports production on the film is set to begin in July. No shooting location is mentioned, but Sachs said last year that Memphis wouldn’t be a good fit for the San Francisco-set film. For more, go here.

• by John Branston

Say Anything

You think Memphis In May is the only thing happening in Memphis in May? As rhetoricians might say, "Bitch, please."

Really, they might, and you can ask them during the Rhetoric Society of America 2006 conference being held in Memphis May 26th-May 29th. Topics include: "Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word to Say: Official Apology and Rhetorical Agency in Contemporary Danish Politics," "Reintroducing the Body into Ethos Formation and Expression," "Late 19th Century Southern Suffrage Rhetoric and the Tangled Intersections of Racial and Gendered Politics," and much, much more. For more information, go to the RSA Web site here.

Gest Bombshells

Memphis' own David Gest (known world-wide as Liza Minnelli’s ex and locally as a provider of chicken to the homeless) says he is penning a new book that will reveal “bombshell revelations” about Michael Jackson.

Yikes. Bombshells about Michael Jackson. The mind reels. Will Gest explain that whole glove thing, or reveal that Michael's nose is reeeeeally small due to 19 plastic surgeries? Or will he just confirm that Jacko is whacko?

The book will also expose secrets from the lives of Debbie Reynolds, Dionne Warwick, Esther Williams, and Smokey Robinson.

The literary world awaits. Write, David, write! For more, go here:

• by John Branston

Tunica's Biggest Losers

Sam's Town Tunica employees gamble on Weight Watchers.

• by Bianca Phillips

Somehow, He Knew He Would Get It

Psychic Uri Geller and two partners have bought the Tennessee house Elvis Presley lived in before moving to Graceland, with a winning bid of $905,100 on eBay, he said on Monday.

"We are unbelievably pleased. This is a piece of history," Geller told Reuters network. "We intend to restore it to its old glory. We would like to bring sick children there (for tours), Palestinian children, Israeli children, American children," the Israeli-born Geller said. "Hopefully one day we might get approval to turn it into a museum."

Geller had originally bid $300,000 last month but a bidding war ensued and the price ballooned, he said. During the process he was approached by dozens of people wanting to go in with him, he said. He chose two, New York lawyer Jim Gleason and Lisbeth Silvandersson, a Swedish-born jewelry maker who lives in England, as equal partners. To read more, go here.

• by John Branston

Under Construction

• by Mary Cashiola

More Than Mud

It seems every year at Beale Street Music Festival, attendees wind up drenched, cold, and miserable in pursuit of their favorite bands. But there’s so much more to Memphis In May. You know, like that whole "honored country" part.

This year, it’s Costa Rica, and there are a number of events going on all over the city honoring the native music, food, and culture of that country. One such event is “Costa Rica: Rhythm & Rainforest” at The Orpheum tonight. It features dance by Ballet Folklorico, a performance by Costa Rican singer/songwriter Luis Angel Castro, piano music played by Manuel Obregon, and Caribbean cuisine by Chef Oscar. And you get it all for only $11.

For more, go here.

• by John Branston

Volunteer Opportunities

In September 2005, Memphis opened its arms to more than 10,000 evacuees from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. More than 7,000 Memphis-area volunteers sorted clothes, provided meals from Salvation Army canteens, answered phones, worked in shelters, collected donations at drop-off sites, etc.

Volunteer Memphis will offer a Disaster Relief Volunteer Fair for community members interested in disaster preparedness and relief on Thursday, May 18th, from 5:00 p.m.-7:30 p. m. at the Central Library. Attendees will learn about being prepared for the next disaster, opportunities to contribute to Hurricane Katrina relief, and how to be a part of the solution after the next big disaster. Agencies such as the Health Department, Crisis Center, Humane Society, Salvation Army, MIFA, and many more will be on hand to answer questions.

Youngsters who attend can create cards to send to displaced children of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. The event is free and open to the public.

• by John Branston

Who Comes Next?

Herenton plans a long-term succession; ex-councilman Vergos has a short-term candidate: himself.

• by Jackson Baker

POLITICS: Common Cause

Looking down the road, GOP Senate candidate Hilleary reaches out to a rival.

• by Jackson Baker

EDITORIALS, May 17-23

• by Flyer Staff

Car Wash on Wheels!

If you’ve ever met any of the girls who skate with the Memphis Roller Derby, you know how hard it is to get them out of their ol’ school four-wheeled skates. If you haven’t, see for yourself at the Memphis Roller Derby’s first all-wheel fund-raiser, a carwash Saturday, May 13th, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Union at Diana. Suggested donation is $5, and even if your thoughts are dirty, your car will be clean.

• by John Branston

Smackdown: McNair Versus Young

Is the state of Tennessee big enough for both Vince Young and Steve McNair? Has there been a quarterback controversy in the Volunteer State like this since Peyton Manning met Brandon Stewart? Sports Illustrated’s Michael Silver weighs in on the matter of the Tennessee Titans QB question here.

• by John Branston

A Daly Dose

With the FedEx St. Jude Classic only a few days away, the time is right to catch up with John Daly. With the recent publication of an autobiography (and the requisite appearance on 60 Minutes), Daly’s public may be learning more than it needs to know about the former British Open champ. To find out what happens every time Big John drinks a bottle of water, go here.

• by John Branston

Reyes of Hope

Through the first month of the season, pitcher Anthony Reyes has been a diamond in the rough for the Memphis Redbirds. Columnist Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the time is right for a big-league promotion. Read all about it here.

• by John Branston

FROM MY SEAT: Numbers That Count

• by Frank Murtaugh

The Prince Becomes King

Memphis Redbirds fans remember that for 14 games in the late summer of 2000, Albert Pujols — Prince Albert as he’s come to be known — was ours. There’s a solitary red seat at AutoZone Park that serves as a reminder of the championship-winning home run Pujols hit for the Redbirds on September 15, 2000.

Sports Illustrated’s John Donovan proclaims Pujols is baseball’s new King of Swing in his latest column.

• by John Branston

Courting Darwin

Judging Inherit the Wind, plus Fiddler on the Roof opens at Playhouse.

• by Chris Davis

Baby in the Balance

Belgian prize-winner L'Enfant mixes guilt with crushing sadness.

• by Greg Akers

Draggy art-world satire has more bile than insight.

• by Chris Herrington

The Mullet Code

The Commercial Appeal has helpfully assembled a blue-ribbon panel of experts to help you decipher the most important movie of all time: The Da Vinci Code. However, we’re guessing that that panel will totally miss the most important Da Vinci revelation of all: The resurrection of the mullet. That's right — thanks to a conspiracy involving the Catholic Church, Tom Hanks, deceased Memphis actor Michael Jeter, and Jesus, the infamous business-in-the-front-party-in-the back do is back!

You see, Code star Tom Hanks sports the "Camaro Crash Helmet" in the movie, and it's no accident! According to an article in The San Francisco Chronicle, Hanks' hideous hairiness is all part of a conspiracy by the Catholic Church. Think about it: Jesus wore one.

Here’s writer Peter Hartlaub’s theory: "Where do a lot of people with mullets end up? In prison. What was the only movie where Hanks played a prison guard? The Green Mile. Who did Hanks' Green Mile co-star Michael Jeter play in Sister Act II: Back in the Habit? Father Ignatius. And who, ultimately, gave Father Ignatius his orders? The Vatican.

"Could it be clearer what is behind this?" Hartlaub continues. "The Vatican, after hiding for centuries the true story that Jesus had a mullet, conspired with hundreds of celebrities in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s to make the haircut popular so they could reveal the truth."

Scary stuff. Read more here. And to see the bizarre lengths to which this plot extends, go here.

• by John Branston

Looking Indispensable

You can hire publicists to do it, or you can get the daily newspaper to do it for you.

• by John Branston

NOLA Needs Books

If you've got more books than shelf space, think of donating them to the New Orleans Public Library. The library is looking for hardbacks and paperbacks, and books that the library can't use will go to fund-raising efforts or directly to families affected by Hurricane Katrina. Tell the post office you're making a donation, and your shipment can go library rather than book rate. You'll be saving on postage, and you can write the donation off your taxes.

The address is New Orleans Public Library, 219 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112-2007, attn: Rica A. Trigs, Public Relations. For more information, go here.

• by John Branston

When Halliburton Was a Good Name

Though referred to in last Sunday's New York Times Travel section as a now “obscure” author, Richard Halliburton’s tales of wanderlust still manage to stir the minds of modern day authors. Halliburton, a Memphian who left Princeton University to see the world, wrote several best-selling books. In fact, he was among the world’s most famous travel-adventure writers during the 1920s and 1930s — writing of swimming the length of the Panama Canal, and exploring much of the globe copiloting a biplane. His family later donated money to Rhodes College, which constructed a bell tower in his honor. Halliburton was lost at sea at age 39. To read the Times' take on Halliburton, go here.

• by John Branston

Reasonable Doubts?

Sebastian Junger revisits the Boston Strangler, a convicted man, and his mother's memory.

• by Leonard Gill

Postcards for Friends

Second Editions, the "gently" used bookstore in the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, is now selling postcards to benefit the Friends of the Library. The cards highlight the library's architecture, its public art (pictured: a mosaic frog by Sherri Warner Hunter), and historical scenes drawn from the Memphis Room collection. Price: 44 cents per card; 10 for $3.54.

• by John Branston