Memphis

Why I Chose Memphis: Jessica Lotz (The Woman Behind The Movement)

In an effort to give credit where credit is due, I’m reposting the Why I Chose Memphis story of Jessica Lotz, whose Quick Memphian Call to Arms was the original inspiration for this series. If you’re not already familiar with JLotz’s blog Waves and Wires, stop what you’re doing right now and go check it…

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Why I Chose Memphis: Kerry Keeble Russ

I can’t tell you how happy I am to have the good fortune to read (and share) all of these “Why I Chose Memphis” stories… and from such a wide variety of people! Our next installment comes from Kerry Keeble Russ. Kerry moved every two years for 15 years before landing in Memphis is 2002….

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Why I Chose Memphis: Michael Hughes

Michael Hughes– sommelier, food critic, Midtowner, the friendliest face at Joe’s and author of the Memphis food-and-wine blog Midtown Stomp— offers up the following account of why he chose Memphis: “I don’t know if I necessarily chose Memphis or if it chose me. When I would visit here in college I always felt for lack…

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Why I Chose Memphis: Liz Dagget

So, no sooner did I send out the request for readers to submit their own “Why I Chose Memphis” accounts than the responses started pouring in. Here’s the first from Liz Dagget (pictured left), Assistant Professor in the Rhodes College Art Department and Director of CODA (Center for Outreach and Development of the Arts). In…

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Why I Chose Memphis: Dr. J

This post is a (bit delayed) response to fellow-blogger JLotz’s Quick Memphian Call to Arms, which she posted over on her (excellent) blog Waves and Wires. JLotz recently turned down a couple of lucrative and promising job offers in D.C. and Baltimore in order to take a position here in Memphis, and she decided to…

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Dear NYT, please stop writing stories about Memphis politics.

Somebody, for the love of God, please make it stop. Once again, the New York Times has given us embarrasingly reductive, bordering on cartoonish and condescending, reportage about Memphis politics. This time, it’s an article provocatively entitled “Black Candidate Brings Race Into a Primary in Memphis.” (I’m shocked that they were able to refrain from…

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My Poor Memphis

The New York Times ran a story earlier this week entitled “The New Poor: Blacks in Memphis Lose Decades of Gains,” which painted a very grim picture of the recession’s effects on African-Americans in Memphis. According to most demographers, Memphis will soon be the first metropolis in the U.S. with a predominantly black population, which…

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Dr. J Answers Your Questions

A while ago, I invited readers to submit questions through my “Ask Doctor J” site over on Formspring and promised I would do my best to answer them here on the blog. Then, I quickly forgot about the whole thing. Oops. I just went back and found that there was quite a list of questions…

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It’s Something In Our Souls That Makes Us Memphians… And “Miserable” Is Not A Part Of It

Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton recently released an “Open Letter to Steve Forbes” contesting the ranking of Memphis as the 3rd of America’s “Most Miserable Cities” in Forbes Magazine. I reproduce Wharton’s letter here in its entirety, without comment, because the Truth speaks for itself. I have, however, added links for Mr. Forbes, so that he…

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The Burnin’ Love Band Premiere

I don’t often recommend specific shows to see in Memphis on this blog, but I’m making an exception this time for Brad Birkedahl. For years, Brad was the lead guitarist of The Dempseys, a smoking-hot rockabilly trio, perennially voted one of Memphis’ Best Bands. Even if you’ve never been to Memphis, you’ve probably seen The…

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