Culture Grits : A Mouthful of Memphis : Essays

Photo Essay: Admire Sublimity - A Serving of Barcelona

Joe W. — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:45:04 +0000

In this photo essay, [Joe W.] wishes to show you some of the odds and ends of a Barcelona, Spain you might not be familiar with. But his hope is that when you visit Barcelona, you will find yourself in similar situations and enjoy them as much as he does. [...]

Watch Your Speed - The Legend of the Real Casey Jones

Joe Nolan — Fri, 30 May 2008 14:15:30 +0000

John Luther Jones was born on March 14, 1863. The son of a Kentucky school teacher, Jones eventually moved to Jackson, Tenn., and took work as a railroad engineer on the Illinois Central. Almost exactly 37 years after his inauspicious entry into the world, on a foggy night in Yazoo County, Miss., Jones would be [...]

Photo Essay: South Main

Martin Jones — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:30:41 +0000

These pictures were taken walking around the South Main district on a Saturday afternoon. We attempted to capture the beauty that can be found in the old and abandoned buildings in the area - the textures, the light and the character. We found that on foot, things we normally wouldn’t [...]

Photo Essay: Lamar Sorrento

Nicole C. Perugini — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:00:21 +0000

(1) in a b l u e moon if youre out of your mind (in a good way) you might happen upon the nocturnal sorrento who plays a cheap tiesco & paints “angels and shit” . . . it was back in 1992 when sorrento picked up then*girlfriends paint brush & these days his artwork can be found throughout the [...]

Dirty Work - A Memoir

Adam Akin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:30:50 +0000

I’m really not supposed to be telling you any of this, so please, please believe me. I’m sitting on one side of a big conference table in a depressing little room. Halogen-white walls, cheap, sand paper carpeting the dirty grey of factory floors, and fluorescent lights. I hate those lights. My bare forearms [...]

Photo Essay: Homeless

Nicole C. Perugini — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:00:08 +0000

it could be your story. the homeless are our walking graffiti - part of the urban landscape. we look past them & we demonize them from fear - ignorance - namethatalibi. yet they are simply complexly human and are deserving of our respect - an ear (if you’re so inclined) - a smile. they are our veterans - our disabled - our [...]

Photo Essay: Pay Phones

Kimberly Brandon — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:00:27 +0000

Kimberly Brandon and Mary K. Levie enjoy taking photos of urban decay, thus the subject of pay phones was of particular interest since they are becoming extinct in today’s technologically advanced society. While scouring the city for interesting specimens, only once was someone actually seen using one of the pay [...]

Photo Essay: Elmwood Cemetery

Alane Furlotte — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 18:15:18 +0000

Established in 1852, Elmwood is Shelby County’s oldest active cemetery. Its impressive collection of Victorian funeral sculpture has been an inspiration to many artists and photographers over the years, professional and amateur alike. I take a personal interest in the rich symbolism present in many of the monuments – the [...]

Photo Essay: Roller Derby

Christopher Parks — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 16:45:33 +0000

Christopher Parks is a 20-year-old student at the University of Memphis and self-proclaimed genius. If only he could get that whole talent thing under control, the rest of the world would believe it too. An ongoing profile of his work and contact info can be found at superjump.

Out Too Late

Lee Stevens — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:00:14 +0000

It was after midnight. Holy shit. I have an 8:30 a.m. meeting, and a quick look at my surroundings reminds me that I’m still in a bar and I’m still enjoying a tasty beverage. Neither of these activities will in any way help my cause of getting to my 8:30 a.m. meeting, so I bail. “Goodbye…Goodnite all.” “Yes, you’re [...]