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Elvis in the window at Stereo Jack’s in Cambridge MA, 2017.
The art collection of the late Texas heiress Anne Marion (Four Sixes Ranch) has been consigned to Sotheby’s and is expected to sell for $150M at auction later this spring in New York. Among the works: Andy Warhol’s Elvis 2 Times. Estimate: $20-30M.
Memphis’ oldest bbq restaurant, 99-year-old Leonard’s Barbecue, has been put on the market. It was founded by Leonard Heuberger, credited with ‘inventing’ the pulled pork sandwich.
Photographer William Abranowicz‘ new book out earlier this month, This Far and No Further: Photographs Inspired by the Voting Rights Movement (available here at Bookshop / at Amazon). From the publisher:
…This Far and No Further, a collection of photographs from Abranowicz’s journey through the American South. Through symbolism, metaphor, and history, he unearths extraordinary stories of brutality, heroism, sacrifice, and redemption hidden within ordinary American landscapes, underscoring the crucial necessity of defending—and exercising—our right to vote at this tenuous moment for American democracy.
I see pics in Selma, Montgomery, Birmingham, Jackson…
His instagram, here.
Photographer Alec Soth is doing “rambling talks” on his Youtube; here’s the one he did on Eggleston’s Democratic Forest
Pencil bus at the School Bus Graveyard, Alto GA, from a visit in 2017
Indre Rockefeller’s piece at NYMag on pencils:
The pencil was the tool of choice for many notable writers, including Ernest Hemingway, Walt Whitman, John Steinbeck, and Truman Capote. George Washington owned a gilt-clad mechanical pencil, and Abraham Lincoln wrote part of the Gettysburg Address in pencil.
My boys take Ticonderogas to school, but have what I consider expensive Blackwings (John Steinbeck and Stephen Sondheim = Blackwings) at home; the were purchased at a writing workshop we did for a few weeks. I don’t think they really even have a preference. Does/did anyone else use the jumbo-barrel pencils in early elementary? I loved those in first grade.
Really glad I found this piece, actually, because doing a quick pencil search, I found the 100+yo Musgrave Pencil Company based in Shelbyville, Tennessee and their Tennesse Red Cedar Pencils, in a cedar box. They’re also making the red TWA pencils at the TWA hotel in NY.
From YGM: “Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.”
Tennessee Williams Home, Columbus MS, 2011
From LitHub: When Tennessee Williams was 16, he won a writing contest pretending to be a disgruntled divorcee
Can a woman after marriage maintain the same attitude toward other men as she held before marriage? Can she drink, smoke, and pet with them? Those are questions of really great pertinence to modern married life. In recounting my own unhappy marital experiences, perhaps I can present convincing answers . . .
He earned $5 for the story.
Whitney Plantation, Wallace LA, from a 2015 visit
A $250k grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation was gifted to Whitney Plantation; the Emmett Till Interpretive Center in Sumner, Mississippi is the recipient of a nearly-$700k grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Super random:
El Arroyo’s books, straight from them (best) or from Amazon:
El Arroyo’s Big Book of Signs, Vol 1
El Arroyo’s Big Book of Signs, Vol 2
El Arroyo’s Big Book of Signs, Vol 3
El Arroyo’s Big Book of Signs, Vol 4
Recipe for The People’s Biscuits from Bradley Nicholson and Susana Querejazu of the gorgeous Commodore Perry in Austin
Thinking of submitting a Window Swap. Maybe an aspic lamp? The glory of having two refrigerators in the NYT. For your enjoyment: my emoji wallpaper and you can customize it too. Walter the Sausage Dog chocolate at Marks & Spencer is fab — and so is this possum cake by Oracle Bakery
Alien Abduction toile
Bigfoot camo
Ants at the Picnic fabric
Podcast: Duchess, exploring the most historic homes of the UK and the women who lead these estates (read: castles). They are all so so so nice
Artist M.T. Liggett lived to provoke, But who’s getting the last laugh in Mullinville? in The Journal, a publication of the Kansas Leadership Center Journal. The restoration by Kohler is going, and there’s a 2,500sqft tourism and visitor center — a grand opening will take place July 2021
Among the winners of the 2021 US Wood Design Awards, The Miller Hull Partnership in collaboration with Lord Aeck Sargent, a Katerra Company on The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. It’s GT’s first timber structure since the 1880s
I think I heard a collective gasp from my ancestral grandmothers upon clicking on a post at Guest of a Guest with feet (and standing) on a dining room table, even though it was a prop for a photoshoot. In the next emoji release, I will be fervently campaigning for a symbol for “the clutching of the pearls” 😂
The only not-fruitstand/farmers market jam/jelly/preserves/etc in this home from here on out: Bonne Maman — and here’s why
Delysia Chocolatier in Austin has a Taste of the South collection for spring 2021 that includes one of each of the following: mint julep chocolate truffle, sweet tea vodka chocolate truffle, Frito pie chocolate truffle, chicken fried steak chocolate truffle, Cajun fried chicken chocolate truffle, green chili queso chocolate truffle, collard greens and bacon chocolate truffle, hummingbird cake chocolate truffle, and banana pudding chocolate truffle and I feel like reading those flavors I’m thinking yes no no no no nooooo whaaaaaat no yes yessss
In Memphis, the new-ish: Hazel’s Lucky Dice Delicatessen, in the same space as The Beauty Shop on 966 Cooper St. “When I started college at The Memphis Academy of Arts, I went to lunch at Burkle’s Bakery on Madison and the waitress asked me what I wanted. I asked her what was Catfish? She looked at me, with one raised eyebrow and her teased bright orange hair and said, “Shug, where are you from?””
included: Quitman County, Mississippi. This visit to the county seat, Marks, from 2004.
Philanthropy’s Rural Blind Spot at the Stanford Social Innovation Review:
University of Michigan professor of social work and public policy Luke Shaefer, along with colleagues at Princeton University, developed an Index of Deep Disadvantage to identify the most disadvantaged communities in the United States. They found that while grant makers can name some of these communities—Flint and Detroit in Michigan; Cleveland, Ohio; and Camden, New Jersey—most remain invisible. The 100 most disadvantaged communities are on tribal lands or clustered in less densely populated geographic regions, like Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta. These communities are in what we call our “blind spots,” and, as Shaefer and his colleagues have contended, “our poverty policies suffer when social science research misses so many of the places with the greatest need.”
On that Index of Deep Disadvantage, 10 of the top 15 are in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia.
from a visit to Africatown in 2011
A groundbreaking ceremony has taken place for the new Africatown Heritage House museum, to feature artifacts of the slave ship Clotilda, and Africatown. APR’s story on it here.
The Rothko Chapel is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend, including an interfaith service Vimeo livestream Sunday afternoon. Events include book release for the new Rothko Chapel: An Oasis for Reflection (pre-order here at bookshop / here at Amazon), published by Rizzoli (I’m sent a lot of books because of my job, and Rizzoli are alwaaayyyysssss just incredible). From their site:
The Rothko Chapel–home to 14 monumental modernist paintings by the pioneer Abstract Expressionist Mark Rothko–is an interfaith sacred space dedicated to global human rights, art, and spirituality, located in Houston. The Chapel was founded in 1971 by arts patrons and philanthropists Dominique and John de Menil, who placed their utmost faith in Rothko’s vision to express the profound, the miraculous, and regard for the sanctity of the human spirit in this oasis for the intellect and the spirit.
Through photographic testimony and the insights of scholars, this large-format volume gives an intimate look at this sacred space, where visitors seek solace and inspiration within this truly ecumenical sanctuary featuring Rothko’s iconic paintings. Pamela Smart discusses the spiritual side and Stephen Fox puts the architecture in the context of Houston.
Artist Charles Gaines, who was born in Charleston, is in Wallpaper in their Artist’s Palate feature with yam sculptures, and a provides a recipe for candied yams that he attributes to his mother, Amelia.
Long-haired Country Boy by Elizabeth Nelson in the Winter 2020 Oxford American, on Charlie Daniels:
Charlie Daniels was a musical genius and a human charm offensive. This is the best available explanation for the scarcely credulous, Zelig-like life that saw him write for Elvis Presley, become a crucial sideman to Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, befriend Beatles and presidents, and invent an entirely novel form of country boogie over the course of a five-decade career in music.
I saw Charlie Daniels perform once; was fab. Just this week saw him mentioned in the Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President doc on HBO Max, which was great great great.
…and all that above reminds me about Dylan’s new Heaven’s Door Whiskey, distilled in Nashville. The 1871 (or maybe not) building they’re using, the former Elm Street Methodist Church, which most recently housed an architecture firm, was purchased for $6.2M. While the distillery hasn’t opened to the public yet — though it was originally slated for fall 2020 — it will also include a whiskey library, an art sanctuary, restaurant, and 360-seat live performance venue.
Schwartz’ Deli in Montreal, mentioned in the podcast. This pic from a 2005 visit
From Bagels and Crawfish Boils to Chicken Frico — Savouring North America’s Complicated French Roots at the North Americana Podcast. They spend a lot of time with Isaac Toups in New Orleans, whom I’ve met — he’s one of the kindest people ever
The reviewers (Wall Street Intl Mag / the AJC) are loving the Evan Jones: Country Store exhibit at Thomas Deans Fine Art Gallery in Atlanta.
The Old Monroe County Courthouse, from a 2006 visit
Goodee is selling brooms from Berea College in Kentucky — this is their intro for them:
Established in 1855 as the first non-segregated, coeducational college in the South, Berea is a private liberal arts college with a remarkable mission — to offer tuition-free education to everyone regardless of income, gender or ethnicity. Deeply rooted in Appalachian culture and history, the trailblazing Kentucky institution combines strong academics with a one-of-a-kind work-study program designed to dignify all labor, keeping the region’s craft heritage alive.
Are you thinking: “brooms? Yawn.” Nope. These are gorgeous. The broom workshop at Berea is now in its 101st year. There’s more selection at the school shop here, and in particular, hearthsweep broom in multi is beautiful. Anyway, Goodee is fun to browse, like Baba Tree Basket Company. And if you’re looking for a special baby present, this this this.
Village Church Yard by Ralph Stanley
The only place (other than Ninfa’s) with the good green sauce
As if it’s possible to love H-E-B any more, from Texas Monthly: No Store Did More: How H-E-B Became a Model of Emergency Preparedness
Louise Bourgeouis, Spider
Robert Indiana LOVE. Both these sculptures are at the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden in New Orleans
Departures comes up with their list, 20 of the Most Legendary Pieces of Public Art in the World which includes Prada Marfa, Robert Indiana’s LOVE in Philadelphia, and Louise Bourgeois’ “Maman” in London. Another LOVE and Spider are at the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at NOMA in New Orleans
Millionaire’s shortbread from this past week. Delish.
Millionaire’s Shortbread (think shortbread crust + caramel middle + chocolate top) is having a moment on IG and I made the recipe by Preppy Kitchen which was so very good
This is only staying out of super-random because here’s the very cool Hebrew alefbet typewriter at my home:
and this made me very very very happy
Hope you’re taking joy in the easy things too this week…feels good to get into the groove and just roll with whatever. We had Purim and gave away and got bags of goodies (shalach manot) and I made everything challah for Shabbat today. Those pretty hamantaschen above were left on my porch by a friend this afternoon! There’s going to be just a world of baking here the next couple of days. Keeping things sweet and simple. Have a relaxing weekend, friends. xoxo!