Popular Jamaican-style eatery, The Jerk Shack, is now offering brunch on Sundays. Pictured: Sweet Potato and Cream Cheese French Toast and Catfish and Grits. Photo: The Jerk Shack, used with permission.
Starting June 5, Popular Jamaican-inspired restaurant The Jerk Shackstarted offering brunch service on Sundays. (The Jerk Shack, 2022)
The new menu items will be available from opening (11a.m.) until 5p.m. and will feature items like:
• Catfish and Grits – herb butter broth, collard greens, red pepper coulis, jerk remoulade • Sweet Potato and Cream Cheese French Toast – sweet potato, cream cheese, Frosted Flake-crusted powdered sugar, dulce de leche • Texas Toast Benedict – choice of bacon or jerk pork or jerk chicken, sunny-side-up eggs, habanero hollandaise, parmesan cheese
The Jerk Shack’s regular menu will still be available throughout the day in addition to the new brunch menu.
The Jerk Shack 10234 TX-151 San Antonio, TX 78251
The Jerk Shack is a concept by Chef Nicola Blaque and her husband Cornelius Massey. After serving ten years in the Army, Blaque began working as a private chef to explore her passion for cooking. She relocated to San Antonio from Hawaii to pursue a degree at the Culinary Institute of America where she graduated in 2016. Blaque returned to her Jamaican roots and began focusing on Caribbean cuisine, working to bring the unique flavors to South Texas. In 2018, the team launched The Jerk Shack, a restaurant inspired by the flavors of Jamaica and the Caribbean. The Jerk Shack has received national praise including being featured by Eater as one of the 2019 Top 16 New Restaurants in America as well as being included in GQ’s 2020 Best New Restaurants in America.
The Hero Twins: Blood Race is one of the productions in the upcoming 2022-2023 Magik Theatre season. Photo: Magik Theatre, used with permission.
The Magik Theatre is thrilled to announce its 2022/2023 season filled with classics, timeless tales, and new works. This season presents a range of titles that celebrate diversity, inspire curiosity, and encourage an appreciation for the arts. There is something for everyone. We are offering Sensory-Friendly, Pay What You Wish, and American Sign Language Interpreted performances for each production, all designed to create a welcoming environment. Season subscriptions, flex passes, and single tickets are now on sale. (Magik Theatre, 2022)
“If the past two years have been about change and survival, then I am happy to say we are moving into a season of growth. As we begin to find life’s new rhythm, the plays and musicals in Magik’s upcoming season will remind us not only that change is possible throughout our lives, but necessary for growth. We see this through the eyes of a very hungry caterpillar, a young woman trying to find her place in the world, a boy who embraces his learning differences, a toy rabbit who becomes real through love, and a young person speaking truth to power. I hope you will join us for what promises to be an exciting year!” – Artistic Director Anthony Runfola
The 2022-20203 season: Performance times vary and programs/dates are subject to change.
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW Created by Jonathan Rockefeller, Based on Eric Carle’s Books Directed by Jon Gentry July 9–August 7 Recommended for ages 3 +
The critically acclaimed production of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, created by Jonathan Rockefeller, features a menagerie of 75 lovable puppets. The production faithfully adapts four stories by author/illustrator Eric Carle: The Very Lonely Firefly, The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse, Mister Seahorse, and of course, the star of the show–The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The Very Hungry Caterpillar has delighted generations of readers since it was first published in 1969 selling more than 48 million copies worldwide.
SELENA MARIA SINGS By Miriam Gonzales | Music by Daniel French Co-Production with Childs play in Phoenix, AZ Directed by Andréa Morales September 6–October 2 Recommended for ages 9+
Named after Selena Quintanilla, Selena Maria has much to live up to. Selena Maria has a passion for music. While her Selena superfan mother hopes she takes after the popstar, Selena Maria is working to find her own beat. Selena Maria Sings tells a story of music, family, immense love, and the strength it takes to be yourself.
EDDIE & VINNIE (World Premiere) by Jenny Millinger Directed by Anthony Runfola October 15–October 28, 2022
Recommended for ages 6+Eddie has dyslexia and struggles with schoolwork, and finds out he cannot play on the basketball team unless he gets his grades up. With the help of his pet gecko, Vinnie, and the overly-helpful new girl in class, will Eddie’s final class presentation come together, or will his basketball dreams be dashed forever? A Magik Theatre world premiere, produced in collaboration with Celebrate Dyslexia.
THE VELVETEEN RABBIT Adapted for the stage by Magik Theatre Based on the book by Margery Williams November 19–December 24
Recommended for ages 5+The Velveteen Rabbit is a delightful ‘Magikal’ retelling of the classic children’s story of a boy who receives a stuffed rabbit sewn from velveteen as a present on Christmas Day. When another toy is lost, the Rabbit quickly becomes the Boy’s new favorite. As the Rabbit’s dapper appearance gets worn and shabby from play, a wonderful change begins to happen. Join us this holiday season for the heart-warming and much-loved classic story about a shy toy rabbit who longs for nothing more than to become real.
THE HERO TWINS: BLOOD RACE By Ramón Esquivel Director TBD February 4–March 5, 2023 Recommended for ages 7+
Who will win the Blood Race, an ancient competition between two tribes that takes place in the underworld? The winner rules the capital city and all the people who labor for it, while the loser remains trapped forever in the underworld. Cricket has trained for his entire life with his twin sister, Moth, and he is favored to be the first of their tribe to win the Blood Race. When Cricket fails, the high priestess, Iguana, challenges Moth to compete in the next race against King Jaguar. When Moth learns the truth of the Blood Race, she is faced with a choice that could turn the world upside down. An invented mythology inspired by classic Mayan narratives, The Hero Twins: Blood Race is an action-filled adventure that is also an allegory about inequality, justice, and liberation.
SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! Originally Adapted and Produced for the Stage by Theatre BAM | Form the Series Created by George Newall and Tom Yohe | Based on an Idea by David McCall Book by Scott Ferguson, George Keating, and Kyle Hall Music and Lyrics by Lenn Ahrens, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, Kathy Mandry, George Newall, and Tom Yoha Directed by Anthony Runfola April 15–June 4, 2023
Recommended for ages 6+Now’s your chance to catch the musical that wowed audiences nationwide. Schoolhouse Rock Live! follows Tom, a nervous schoolteacher who is anxious about his first day of teaching. He tries to relax by watching TV and discovers that his favorite show comes to life on the set. Together with the Schoolhouse Rock gang, Tom realizes how fun learning can be. Enjoy classic songs such as “Just a Bill,” “Interjections,” and “Conjunction Junction” at this fun-filled retro revue.
We Banjo 3 appeals to fans of bluegrass, Celtic, and Americana music. Open The Road will be out July 15, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Traditional Irish music and traditional American music share a lot of similarities in instrumentation, lyrical content, and community participation. Still, there are a surprisingly few number of acts who straddle that musical gap across the Atlantic—and even fewer who have made a decade-long, award-winning career out of it like Galway-based quartet We Banjo 3. Containing two sets of two brothers—Enda & Fergal Scahill, and David & Martin Howley—We Banjo 3 have built their legacy on seamlessly combining the virtuosity and precision in each genre’s traditional disciplines with the artful song-craft and infectious live performance of today’s musical landscape. Their upcoming album Open The Road—out July 15—meets on the corner of complex-but-nimble instrumentation and magnetic, well-crafted songs; a combination of which their fans have been enjoying from studio to stage since the band first landed on American shores ten years ago. (We Banjo 3, 2022)
We Banjo 3 shared the first track from Open The Road, the driving jig-turned-indie pop love song, “Hummingbird.” First conceptualized in March 2020 during the great lockdown, David Howley had ample free time. David and his Nashville roommate Scott Mulvahill, an accomplished musician in his own right, spent time in Scott’s home-studio to lay down some new songs. “We had a house full of instruments, microphones, coffee and whiskey, so we did what we could to stay sane,” Howley remembers. Having mentioned to Mulvahill that he had a tune he liked but that needed it still needed to be finished, Mulvahill replied while tearing open a new bag of coffee beans, “Well let’s finish it then!”
Fast-forward to almost two years later, We Banjo 3 finished tracking “Hummingbird” and it landed in the lead-off spot on Open The Road. In addition to the guest musicians who contributed to the initial session—Danny Young on drums and Josh Shilling on keys—The Infamous Stringdusters’ Andy Hall plays his dobro on the final track. Fans can hear “Hummingbird” right now at this link and pre-order or pre-save Open The Road ahead of its July 15 release right here.
We Banjo 3 shares a musical intimacy that emanates in the rolling banjos, soaring fiddle and mandolin runs, and bright and vibrant guitar strums that swirl around propulsive vocals and perfect harmonies. On their new album, Open The Road, it’s the band’s prolific tune-writing skills, and their inciting lyrics that are somehow ubiquitous and intimate all at once, that pull the listener in. Buoyed by musical virtuosity and well-crafted song structure, their complex instrumentation feels nimble and willowy, shaping a contended and canny listening experience. The album’s ten tracks offer up the infectious melodies and musical brilliance fans have come to expect from We Banjo 3, and introduces the band to an even wider swath of music fans at festivals across the U.S. and the world.
Open The Road track list: Hummingbird Garden Song Long Way Down Heart In Hand Open The Road Rialto Gift Of Life The First Second Gentleman Alive With You Believe In Us
Catch We Banjo 3 on tour: June 17 – Dayton, OH – Levitt Pavilion June 18 – Lakeside, OH – Lakeside Chautauqua: Hoover Auditorium June 19 – Charleston, WV – Mountain Stage (Culture Center Theater) June 23 – Memphis, TN – Overton Park Shell (formerly Levitt Shell) June 24 – Owensboro, KY – ROMP 2022 July 16 – Oak Hill, NY – Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival 2022 July 19 – Rockport, MA – Shalin Liu Performance Center July 20 – Natick, MA – Center For Arts In Natick July 29 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Music Festival 2022 July 30 – Denver, CO – Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox July 31 – Lyons, CO – RockyGrass Festival 2022 August 1 – Crested Butte, CO – Center for the Arts Crested Butte August 3 – Portsmouth, OH – Vern Riffe Center for the Arts August 5-7 – Dublin, OH – Dublin Irish Fest 2022 August 9-10 – Bethlehem, PA – MUSIKFEST August 12 – St. Paul, MN – Irish Fair of Minnesota 2022 August 13 – La Crosse, WI – IrishFest La Crosse 2022 August 14 – St. Paul, MN – Irish Fair of Minnesota 2022 August 19 – 21 – Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee Irish Fest September 2-4 – Kansas City, MO – Kansas City Irish Festival 2022 October 21 – Frederick, MD – Weinberg Center For The Arts October 22 – Manteo, NC – Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival
2023 (Rescheduled) Tour Dates: January 27 – Sacramento, CA – The Sofia January 29 – Berkeley, CA – Freight & Salvage February 1 – Flagstaff, AZ – Orpheum Theater February 2 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre February 3 – Wickenburg, AZ – Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts February 4 – Chandler, AZ – Chandler Center for the Arts
Events at the Briscoe include artist demonstrations, paint-alongs, talks, movies, and family activities. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
Fathers, sons and tons of fun await everyone at the Briscoe Western Art Museum this summer. Featuring the fantastic summer exhibition The Sons of Charlie Russell: Cowboy Artists of America,the Briscoe is hosting an array of programming to allow everyone to step into the West from the heart of the River Walk. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2022)
Premiering at the Briscoe and including works from 17 public and private collections, The Sons of Charlie Russell features 70 works of art showcasing the forefathers of Western art and how their great works provide foundations, traditions and ideals for today’s contemporary artists. On display through September 5, the exhibition is the first and only time these works will be viewed together. To accompany the exhibition, the Briscoe is hosting a summer of programming that brings Western art to life through artist talks, demonstrations, and more.
The summer line-up includes:
Cowboy Creations: Learn from Cowboy Artists
Bringing the art of The Sons of Charlie Russell to life, members of the Cowboy Artists of America are appearing in a series of demonstrations and talks throughout the exhibition. Guests can enjoy meeting and watching these talented cowboy artists share the processes behind their work. All sessions are included in general museum admission.
Saturday June 25 – Mikel Donahue
Saturday August 6 – Chad Poppleton (Paint-along)
Saturday July 23, 10a.m. – 3p.m. – Jason Scull (Sculpture demonstration, part of the Briscoe’s National Day of the Cowboy Celebration)
Saturday August 27, 10a.m. – 11:30a.m. – Bruce Greene (part of The Lessons of Our Fathers Panel)
Saturday September 3, 11a.m. – 1p.m. – Teal Blake (Paint-along)
Saturday September 3, 11a.m. – 3p.m. – Jason Scull (Sculpture Demonstration)
STEAMing into the West with The Sons of Charlie Russell
Families and visitors of all ages are invited to learn about the American West through the works featured in The Sons of Charlie Russell during the museum’s “Full STEAM Ahead” series on the third Saturday of each month. From transportation and weather to animals, astronomy and engineering, each program explores an aspect of life in the West to engage and inspire learning. Full STEAM Ahead is included with museum general admission. Children 12 and under receive free admission to the Briscoe.
Saturday June 18, 11a.m. – 1p.m. – Full STEAM Ahead: Red Moon – Participants will learn about the lunar eclipse, and the significance the moon had on the people of the American West. Guests will also learn and practice perspective and contrast in creating art, exploring “Red Moon,” by CAA member Phil Epp and featured in The Sons of Charlie Russell. Children and families will paint their own fizzy moons using special combinations of baking soda and paint to create uniquely textured and colorful moons.
Saturday July 16, 11a.m. – 1p.m. – Full STEAM Ahead: All A-Gnome – Families will make their own gnomes inspired by the beloved children’s book “Charlie Russell and the Gnomes of Bullhead Lodge” by renowned author and Briscoe curator Emily Wilson. Wilson curated The Sons of Charlie Russell exhibition.
Saturday August 20, 11a.m. – 1p.m. – Full STEAM Ahead: Whimsical Windmills – While conservation and renewable energy efforts may seem like new solutions to the energy crisis, cowboys and settlers alike used renewable energy long before access to gas and electricity was ever invented. Guests will learn how windmills were some of our first sources of alternative energy.
What is a Western? Summer Film Series
The Briscoe’s popular Summer Film Series returns with a question: What is a Western? What are the elements of a Western and how has the Western been re-interpreted through the years? The first film in the series will explore the traditional components of Western cinema. A short presentation discussing the foundations of the Western will begin at 1p.m., followed immediately by the screening. Each film is included in general museum admission, with free brews courtesy of Ranger Creek Brewery. Popcorn, drinks and snacks will be available for purchase.
Sunday June 19, 1p.m. “The Searchers” – In the 1956 movie considered by many to be the greatest Western ever made, John Wayne stars as a post-Civil War veteran on a journey to find his niece after Comanche Native Americans kidnapped her. Its influence is reflected in the works of Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and other critical filmmakers.
Sunday July 10, 1p.m. “Dances With Wolves” – In his directorial debut and breakout role, Kevin Costner stars as a post-Civil War veteran who comes into contact with the Lakota while on assignment in South Dakota. The 1990 film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, winning seven, including Best Picture and Best Director, and received Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
Sunday August 21, 1p.m. “Wind River” – In this tense neo-western thriller, Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen star as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife hunter and an FBI agent investigating a murder on the Wind River Indian Reservation. The 2017 film was “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan’s directorial debut.
Books and Brews: Briscoe Book Club
Thursday July 14, 6p.m. – Briscoe Book Club: “No Country for Old Men” by Cormac McCarthy
Weathered Souls Brewery, 606 Embassy Oaks #500, San Antonio, 78216
Join the Briscoe Book Club for a lively chat in a laid-back social gathering as we explore significant works of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction inspired by the vast and varied experiences of the American West. We will discuss a new book each quarter. Books are available for purchase at the Museum Store, or you may reserve a copy for check out through the San Antonio Public Library system before each meeting. There is no charge to participate in the book club. Reserve your spot by registering online.
Free Cowboy Fun: National Day of the Cowboy Celebration
Tippin’ its hat and celebrating the legacy of the cowboy, cowgirl and vaquero, the Briscoe Western Art Museum presents its annual National Day of the Cowboy celebration on Saturday, July 23, 10a.m. – 4p.m. at the Briscoe. The free community event, which includes free admission to the museum and its exhibitions, features indoor and outdoor activities for cowpokes of all ages. This year’s celebration will feature The Sons of Charlie Russell, with artist demonstrations to include leatherworking, metalsmithing and more. Saddle up with your family and head west for a day you will not forget.
The Lessons of Our Fathers: Panel and Artist Presentation
With The Sons of Charlie Russell: Cowboy Artists of America, the Briscoe Western Art Museum casts a spotlight on the history and significance of the Cowboy Artists of America and its efforts to maintain and evolve the style and subject matter of traditional Western art. The museum is hosting a panel of Western art scholars to discuss the importance of preserving traditions and the necessity for tradition to evolve and undergo revision to remain relevant in a changing world. The panel will also examine the CAA’s success at executing its mission: to authentically preserve and perpetuate the culture of Western life through fine art. The panel will be moderated by Emily Wilson, Curator of Art for the Briscoe Western Art Museum and the curator of The Sons of Charlie Russell. The panel is Saturday, August 27, 2p.m – 4p.m.
Before the panel discussion at 10a.m. – 10:30a.m., CAA artist Bruce Greene, the 2022 President of the CAA, will do a presentation detailing his journaling techniques and how he uses his journal to help with the accuracy of his art Both the presentation and the panel are included in museum general admission.
210 West: Gallery Talks
Join the Briscoe for in-gallery chats featuring selected works from The Sons of Charlie Russell. Using the exhibition gallery guide, Curator of Art Emily Wilson will provide an overview of the tools and strategies used to evaluate narrative art. Guests will leave with a deeper appreciation of the artistic strategy, methods and design choices made by the artists. Gallery talks are included in general admission and start at 1p.m.
June 24, July 8, Aug. 12
The Sons of Charlie Russell: Cowboy Artists of America is supported in part by Jan McCaleb Elliott, the Eddie Basha Collection, Mr. and Mrs. Marrs McLean Bowman, The Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992, the Klesse Foundation, Jessica Elliott Middleton, Debbie and John T. Montford, and Western Art Collector.
Admission to the Briscoe Western Art Museum is always free for children 12 and under and for active duty military members. The museum is proud to participate in Museums For All, Blue Star Museums and Bank of America Museums on Us. The Briscoe is located on the south end of the River Walk, near the Arneson River Theatre and La Villita, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or one of many downtown surface lots. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online.
Give dad a Father’s Day fit for a cowboy at JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa in Sonora, Texas. Photo: JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, used with permission.
Show that Yellowstone-obsessed Dad some love this Father’s Day and treat him to a weekend at the stunning, 13,000-acre JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa in Sonora Texas. (JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, 2022)
Families can celebrate their favorite cowboy with a gourmet brunch from JL Bar’s expert culinary team on Sunday, June 19, with two exclusive seatings at 11:30a.m. and 1:30p.m. (locals and day visitors can book, too). For $39.95 and $19.95 for children, guests and locals will be treated to a special menu of signatures dishes including Mesquite Grilled Tomahawk Ribeye Steaks, Smoked Pork Spareribs, and Beer Can Chicken.
For those lucky enough to stay for the weekend, there is an activity for every type of Cowboy Father. From a full equestrian program featuring horseback riding and a horse psychology experience to off-road ATV adventures, a putting/chipping Green, and clay and skeet shooting, families will be able to make so many memorable moments at JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa.
‘Down to the River’ is Anne Whitney Pierce’s new novel. Photo: amazon
Anne Whitney Pierce is a life-long Cantabrigian and the author of two books, “Galaxy Girls: Wonder Women” (1993) and “Rain Line.” (2000) She has taught in the graduate writing program at Emerson College in Boston. Her short fiction has appeared in the Virginia Quarterly Review, The Chattahoochee Review, The Boston Globe Magazine, Kansas Quarterly, Crosscurrents, TheSouthern Review, among others. Her work has been included in the O’Henry Prize Story Collection and has won several awards, including the Nelson Algren Award, the Willa Cather Fiction Prize, the Paterson Fiction Prize, New Voices Award and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award. Her new book “Down to the River” is a family saga set in the late 1960s in Cambridge, Massachusetts against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. (amazon, 2022)
“Down to the River” – Whitney Pierce has set this novel in a time similarly turbulent to our own. It tells the story of how the Potts family, bred from privilege, falls to their knees amongst the revelries, riots, and raging uncertainty of the 60s. It is a family that hides deep secrets, as dark and murky as the Charles River which divides Cambridge and Boston. The town of Cambridge is a city so storied and distinct it becomes a living, breathing character.
Twin brothers, Nash and Remi Potts, have grown up as entitled, Harvard-educated, golden boys, heirs to an old, but dwindling family fortune. With the passage of time, the gold veneer of prosperity begins to chip away, and their lives begin to falter. It is 1968, and they are in their mid-forties and partners in a sporting goods store in Harvard Square. The twins’ marriages are in trouble. Their youngest children, Chickie and Hen, are coming of age during the turbulent urban wilderness of the late 1960s— school bomb threats, racial tensions, war protests and demonstrations at Harvard and beyond. With all hell breaking loose at home, and any semblance of “parenting” hanging ragged in the wind, the two cousins are left largely to their own devices. Suddenly freed from old rules and restrictions, they head out onto the streets of Cambridge, which become their concrete playground, tumbling headlong into a world of politics, sex, drugs, rock and roll.
The Peach Truck will be making stops at EVO’s Schertz and Kyle locations. Photo: Peach Truck, used with permission.
Summer has finally arrived, which means the beloved Peach Truck is making its way back to EVO Entertainment with stops at EVO’s Schertz and Kyle locations. Pickups of delicious, hand-picked peaches and Georgia pecans will be available at both locations by pre-order only, and orders must be placed five days prior to the tour stops. Pickups will take place at EVO Kyle from 9a.m. to 10a.m. on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 and at EVO Schertz from 2:30p.m. to 4p.m. on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 and from 8a.m.to 9a.m.on Friday,July 22, 2022. (EVO Entertainment, 2022)
After grabbing a box or two of the best peaches around, movie lovers can kick back in one of EVO’s luxury recliners and enjoy the latest summer blockbusters. To sweeten the deal, anyone who purchases a box of peaches or products from The Peach Truck will also receive a complimentary 30-minute game card to redeem at EVO Schertz or EVO Kyle.
EVO Entertainment Group is an Austin based out-of-home entertainment operator made up from several innovative brands including EVO Entertainment, EVO Cinemas, and EVO Concerts. Since its launch in 2014, EVO has gained a reputation as a leader in innovation, as well as one of the fastest growing independent cinema circuits in the country.
‘We Were Dreamers’ is Simu Liu’s new memoir; now available everywhere. Photo: google
Simu Liuis an actor and writer best known for his work on Marvel Studios’ Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, in five seasons of the beloved family sitcom Kim’s Convenience, and for manifesting his dreams into existence with a Tweet. He wishes he had tweeted for something a bit better – like world peace, or for his parents to finally say “I love you.” His new book “We Were Dreamers” is more than a celebrity memoir – it is a story about growing up between cultures, finding your family, and becoming the master of your own extraordinary circumstance. (Barnes and Noble, 2022)
“We Were Dreamers”– The star of Marvel’s first Asian superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, tells his own origin story of being a Chinese immigrant, his battles with cultural stereotypes and his own identity, becoming a TV star, and landing the role of a lifetime. In this honest, inspiring and relatable memoir, newly-minted superhero Simu Liu chronicles his family’s journey from China to the bright lights of Hollywood with razor-sharp wit and humor.
Simu’s parents left him in the care of his grandparents, then brought him to Canada when he was four. Life as a Canuck, however, is not all that it was cracked up to be; Simu’s new guardians lack the gentle touch of his grandparents, resulting in harsh words and hurt feelings. His parents, on the other hand, find their new son emotionally distant and difficult to relate to – although they are related by blood, they are separated by culture, language, and values.
As Simu grows up, he plays the part of the pious child flawlessly – he gets straight As, crushes national math competitions and makes his parents proud. But as time passes, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the path that has been laid out for him. Less than a year out of college, at the tender age of 22, his life hits rock bottom when he is laid off from his first job as an accountant. Left to his own devices, and with nothing left to lose, Simu embarks on a journey that will take him far outside of his comfort zone into the world of show business. Through a swath of rejection and comical mishaps, Simu’s determination to carve out a path for himself leads him to not only succeed as an actor, but also to open the door to reconciling with his parents.
The Black Phone, from Joe Hill’s ’20th Century Ghosts’ has been adapted into a movie and will be released in theaters on June 24, 2022. Photo: amazon
Joe Hill is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels “The Fireman,” “NOS4A2,” “Horns,” and “Heart-Shaped Box;” “Strange Weather,” a collection of novellas; and the acclaimed story collections “Full Throttle” and “20th Century Ghosts.” He is also the Eisner Award–winning writer of a seven-volume comic book series, “Locke & Key.” Much of his work has been adapted for film and TV, including NOS4A2 (AMC), Locke & Key (Netflix), and In the Tall Grass (Netflix). The Black Phone is a short story in his “20th Century Ghosts” collection and has been adapted into a major motion picture from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions. It stars Ethan Hawke and will be released in theaters on Friday June 24, 2022. (amazon, 2022)
The Black Phone – Jack Finney is thirteen, alone, and in desperate trouble. For two years now, someone has been stalking the boys of Galesberg, stealing them away, never to be seen again. And now, Finney finds himself in danger of joining them: locked in a psychopath’s basement, a place stained with the blood of half a dozen murdered children.
With him in his subterranean cell is an antique phone, long since disconnected . . . but it rings at night anyway, with calls from the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.
“The Black Phone” is one of fifteen stories in Joe Hill’s first story collection, originally published as 20th Century Ghosts—the inventive and chilling compendium that established this award-winning, critically acclaimed, and bestselling author as “a major player in 21st-century fantastic fiction” (Washington Post).
‘Lilith and the Psychopath’ by Johnny Malapert is available on Kindle through amazon. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
You should be warned that the book you are considering was written by a renegade; a social misfit who has been ostracized by contemporary polite society. Johnny Malapert started out as a high school gang banger. He went on to work in the trades (construction, contracting, transportation) and later the professions (law, finance, education). He also enthusiastically joined many social groups (athletic, religious, charitable) and traveled extensively around the world, especially Western Europe. Although he found these endeavors initially exciting, and educational in a piratical way, and was usually quite good at the activity, none was personally fulfilling and each became boring as time went on. He is now a defrocked university professor working to debunk the social prejudice of “personality disorders,” as defined by psychology. (Johnny Malapert, 2022)
The common public perception of psychopath as evil and despicable is prejudicial and unjustified. His personal passion is to challenge the pervasive, mindless discrimination against psychopathy and help these often abused, but resilient and intrepid, men live freely in society. His proclamation: that the pseudoscience of psychology is wrong and the modern psychopathic man has the potential to achieve an elevated, satisfying, fulfilling, and often socially beneficial, way of life within the norms of modern Western society. If for any reason you think you may be a psychopath, his book ‘Lilith and the Psychopath,’could change your life—for the better. Alternatively, if you are not a psychopath, this book will give you a better understanding of psychopathy and allow you to accept these maligned individuals into society, like any other law abiding citizen. It is a fantastic story based on a hodgepodge conglomeration of places, people, events and ideas that the author has experienced over the years.
‘Lilith and the Psychopath’ – The modern, healthy psychopath, referred to by some as ‘psychosapien,’ is not the stereotypical, mindless, and often violent criminal sensationalized in folklore and the media. He is more typically intelligent with a character matrix that makes him exceptionally suited to function successfully in today’s multifaceted social environment. He is hard-wired against the often personally enslaving and destructive social pressures of conformity, doublethink, self-doubt, docility, and guilt. He is adventurous, self-confident, and often charming; an aggressive calculating risk-taker who is willing to challenge the status quo. He is the guy you want to be with in a fight and, if he is on the other side, the guy that causes you to give up and go home. The psychosapien is a gift of social evolution to his friends, family, kingship, and to free-minded people everywhere. He is a curse on the mindless, communalist demagogues that populate the upper echelons of every society throughout all of history, spouting exaggerated political promises and mindless slogans to dishonestly solicit loyalty, support, and compliance from the duped masses of underlings. The modern psychosapien has thrown off the shackles of social stereotyping and prejudice that have marked him as a mentally ill societal misfit, and has emerged as an authentic, happy, healthy, self-actualized individual.
Who is Johnny Picaro? If you ask his brother, the prison psychiatrist, and the beach psychologist, Johnny is an incorrigible psychopath, sociopath, or both. Hiscollege psychology professor agrees but adds that he is also the epitome of a healthy psychopath: a psychosapien. His sister sees him as an anti-Christian heathen; his dad confesses Johnny’s delinquent childhood behavior kept them from bonding but he still is very proud of the successful businessman Johnny became. His ex-fiancée who dumped him as a convicted felon and the superior court judge both agree he will always be a loser, but his surfing buddies acknowledge him as the leader of the pack and as tough as a junkyard dog. The soup kitchen nun sees Johnny as a shifty, social chameleon but also as a charming, resourceful, compassionate guy. The enslaved Ukrainian orphan girl knows him as the hero who helped when no one else would. The ruthless Barrio 13 drug honcho and his autistic brother hate Johnny and see him as an impediment to their business model who they intend to brutalize again and then eliminate. His wealthy, aging social-lite employer recognizes him as the tough, smart fighter she clearly needs right now. His renegade girlfriend sees Johnny as the perfect mate who is highly intelligent, self-confident, and energetic; a fearless risk taker who ignores arbitrary authority. What would Johnny say? “Kinda stupid question to ask someone. Who cares what other people think?”
SA Examiner 