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V O L . 2 . I S S U E 1 9 . S E P T E M B E R 1 8 . S H R E V E P O R T - B O S S I E R C I T Y , L A . H E L I O P O L I S . L A

NEW MAYORAL CANDIDATE ENTERS RACE

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THE POUR: BEER & BIKES & MORE BEER

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BRIAN BUCKNER AND THE ART OF RE-INVENTION

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Heliopolis Volume 2 Issue 19 | September 18, 2014 Heliopolis.LA | #heliopolissbc OFFICIAL SPONSOR

Heliopolis (He • li • op • o • lis): Captain Henry Miller sHreve’s snagboat.

visit us online @ Heliopolis.la

Heliopolis StaffEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Karen E. Wissing kewissing@gmail.com

BUSINESS MANAGERSpencer Teekell

asteekell@gmail.com

CONTENT EDITORSSusan Fontaine

sfonta2@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTORS Malvya Chintakindi

Jessica CoburnChris DeRosia

Reed EbarbCandace D. Gahan

Jasmine GreenRegan Horn

Garrett JohnsonChris Lyon

Crissy MaloneLandon Miller

Lindsay NationsStephen PedersonRobert E. Trudeau

PHOTOGRAPHERSCasey Habich

Robert E. Trudeau

Cover art: “Silver Man” by Brian BucknerPage 2: “Shiprock” (top) and “Pear Cider Splash”

by Brian Buckner

Heliopolis is published bi-weekly on Thursdays by Front Row Press, LLC, 500 Clyde Fant Parkway,

Suite 200, Shreveport, La. 71101. No portion of this publication may be reproduced by any means without

written permission. An endorsement of information, products or services is not constituted by distribution of said publication. Views and opinions expressed do not

necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2014.

September 18, 2014 | Volume 2 Issue 19 Heliopolis #heliopolissbc | Heliopolis.LA

I first met Brian Buckner when he came to my office to drop off his application for the Downtown Shreveport Pop UP Project. First im-pressions count and my initial take was that he was smart, dapper, and professional. After a morning of reading applications seemingly scrawled in crayon, experiencing his professionalism was refreshing and most welcome, but it wasn’t until he produced his large leather portfolio that I realized just how spot on my initial impression was. Brian is where he is now because of all the places he’s been. He has spent years being successful in the high end hospitality indus-

try, the window manufactur-ing business, the car audio business. His success in those diverse fields has been powered by the inten-sity of his desire to be the best at whatever he hap-pens to be doing at the mo-ment. A lot of people want something but aren’t willing to put the time and work into getting it. Not so, Bri-an. He wants. He studies. He studies some more. He works. He succeeds. It is not a stretch, then, to believe that when he turned his attention to photogra-phy he would be successful on the business end, be-cause he knows business. As a window tycoon he re-alized that the conversion of East Coast textile mills

could mean millions for his business. As a car audio en-

trepreneur he realized that the world of discretionary spending for high dollar car stereo equipment was going to have to change in the wake of the bank and mortgage meltdown in 2008. He can be a dollars and cents guy, a Type A hard-charging guy, a do-not-quit guy, but an art guy? Brian’s first camera at age 22 was a Minolta SRT 202, a real camera, not just a point-and-shoot because even then he knew he didn’t want it to be easy. It also was not waterproof and an inadvertent dunk ruined it. A long spell ensued in which photography was not a priority… but all that changed four years ago when he purchased another professional camera. His work was good and pretty soon he started winning awards. The transi-tion from interesting hobby to lucrative job is often difficult, but the thought of a career in which he had to depend on no one other than himself was attractive. So he did what he has always done; he dug in and studied, he made it a point to get better and he did. His eye was already good, he understood composition; he could ‘see’ what the photograph should look like and he didn’t mind the occasionally grueling and tedious work. Brian knows that attention to detail is what will set his work apart and he goes about it with a single-mindedness of purpose. Pear Cider Splash is cre-ated from 43 separate photos and took days to complete. Days. For one image (see page 2). It was something he wanted to do to show his creativ-ity in commercial photography, to stand out, to be discovered.

HOROSCOPES

Liz Swaine liz@downtownshreveport.com

BRIAN BUCKNER AND THE ART OF RE-INVENTION

BEHOLD - Dr. Crash Anburn, PhD, was injured in a freak accident leaving his head lodged firmly up his own ass. While in recovery, he made a pact with the devil to restore him to his original body. In exchange, Satan demanded a sacrifice. By the will of the dark one, here are the horoscopes as decreed by Beelzebub himself.

By SATANWritten in blood by his crippled hoof.

Leo (July 23 -August 21) Foolish mortal! You thought I would not be able to detect the smell of fear on you! I see all! So go tell your office mates that you did indeed finish the coffee without making another pot. Tisk tisk!This Week: BEG FOR FORGIVE-NESS OR JOIN ME FOR ETERNITY.

Virgo (August 22 – September 23) After reading cat entrails I have come to the conclusion that you will have terrific luck! I suggest at-tempting to cross Youree Drive blindfolded, mortgaging your house for gambling money, and shoplift-ing a case of beer.This Week: Steal your neighbor’s mail every day and see how long it takes for them to notice!

Libra (September 24 – October 23) The dice have rolled against

you. I suggest you skip town for a little while just to be safe. Go to the Nevada desert with a bag full of pe-yote and reinvent yourself. Might I suggest reincarnating as a human-sized salamander?This Week: Purchase a large aquar-ium, 50 pounds of mealworms, and get used to captivity.

Scorpio (October 24 - November 22) My tarot deck has turned over The Devil card for you, huh, funny how that happens. This card means that you will be bound to an indul-gence. Will it be coffee? Chocolate? Alcohol? How about all of them?This Week: Join a gym and take a hard look in the mirror (don’t break it though).

Sagittarius (November 23 - De-cember 22) The Ouija board al-lowed me to converse with the spirit realm. Oh look! It’s your great-great-grandparents! They’re proud of you and the life that you have chosen. Their advice to you is to be open to new experiences and to try not to judge others so much. Oh, and they totally watch at night when you think you’re alone.This Week: Keep doin’ your thing, sinner.

Capricorn (December 23 - Janu-ary 20) Make a deal with the Devil (me) to star in your own reality tel-evision show! Entertain the masses with your unscripted dialogue and

your completely unchoreographed moments. You’ll reach stardom and have millions of followers on Twit-ter! There’s virtually no downside in this scenario, except for the sacri-fice of your first born.This Week: Create a go-cart track in your backyard.

Aquarius (January 21 - February 19) Take the time this week to mas-ter a new skill or talent. Sure, you’ll miss out on lots of fun times with friends, television shows on Netflix, and all of that quality time with your significant other, but look on the bright side! Now you can eat your weight in banana pudding!This Week: Bask in the glory that is eternal damnation.

Pisces (February 20- March 20) You should really smile more. It makes you feel better, and makes those around you feel better. Truly there is no better gift you can give than happiness. This Week: Try to begin all of your sentences with the letter “R.”

Aries (March 21 - April 20) Make a terrarium! Collect dirt, small plants, and insects to make your own lit-tle ecosystem. Now make them pray to you and make sacrifices or you will burn them with a mag-nifying glass! Isn’t that fun? That’s what I do to you pathetic humans - muhwahahaha!This Week: Create a specific doc-

trine for your insect subjects to fol-low. Might I suggest removing one antennae at birth to prove their loy-alty? Just a thought.

Taurus (April 21- May 21) Down-load music from my followers: Darkthrone, Bathory, Emperor, Lurker of Chalice, and Nicki Minaj. What? You don’t get number one hits and disproportioned curves without selling your soul.This Week: Drive around preschools while blaring “Freezing Moon” by Mayhem. Gemini (May 22 - June 21) You know that I, Satan, have been get-ting a lot of bad press on Earth. Your mission is to change that. I decree that you print out pamphlets prais-ing the good works that I have done and have yet to do and distribute them at the Duck Commander In-dependence Bowl.This Week: Start growing out your facial hair - “You wouldn’t hit a guy with a beard, would you?”

Cancer (June 22 - July 22) You’re lucky. Cancers are my favorite of all of the astrological signs. Not be-cause I like the disease, cancer is a terrible degenerative disease. I just really like crabs, especially with butter sauce. You will be successful in whatever your dreams are. Just take that first step.This Week: Walk near a lot of cliffs.

Milk, Explosively Good!

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Repetative Pilings

Heliopolis Volume 2 Issue 19 | September 18, 2014 Heliopolis.LA | #heliopolissbc

If you sat next to Kristy Lynn at a coffee shop, she would probably befriend you. I know because that is how we happened to become acquainted one afternoon at Rhino Coffee. In the book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell says there are certain people with a knack for making friends and acquaintances. He calls these people “con-nectors,” and I suspect Kristy might be one. I am amazed by how many friends she has made in the short time she has lived in Shreve-port. She seems to partially accredit her new friendship circle to the lo-cal healing arts community in Shreveport, which she describes as “small, but growing and very warm.” She says, “There’s a lot of idea sharing and discussion around how to unite what everyone is doing” in order to “provide the best possible natural health care.” Kristy currently works at Acupuncture Shreveport. When I asked her what to expect during a first treatment, she said, “The first session usually involves developing a treatment plan, and then you can ex-pect to receive an acupuncture treatment that lasts around 20 to 30 minutes.”

She went on to say, “Acupuncture’s chief strength is in whole body care. A person may come in to receive a treatment for one issue, such as gout, but find that because acupuncture treats the whole body, a separate symptom such as arthritis may also diminish after-wards.” 3 Acupuncture Secrets I Wrangled Out of Kristy 1. You Don’t Need Botox if You Have an AcupuncturistWho knew there are “acupuncture facials” designed to decrease wrin-kles? There is even a treatment many patients call an “acupuncture face lift!” When discussing these and other cosmetic acupuncture treatments, Kristy referred to a 1996 study, which reported that acupuncture can help lift skin and fill in fine lines by stimulating collagen production. (Interna-tional Journal of Clinical Acupuncture) 2. Many People Fall Asleep on the TableKristy says, “I feel like Jell-O” is a phrase often used by her patients while

receiving an acupuncture treatment. She says 99 percent of her patients describe treatments as being “pain-free” or “meditative,” and she has many patients who actually fall asleep on the table. 3. LSU Shreveport’s Cancer Center Now Employs an Acupuncturist Acupuncture is now used in cutting edge hospitals across the country. It is often used in cancer centers to help ease the side-effects of chemother-apy. It also has a proven track record for treating a wide-range of health issues including autoimmune disorders, mental health, women’s health issues, allergies, pain management, and more. To find out more about acupuncture, contact Kristy Lynn at Acupuncture Shreveport (318) 459-9125 located at 745 Olive St. #212, Shreveport.

FOR THE LOVE OF COMMUNITY: KRISTY LYNN DIVULGES ACUPUNCTURE SECRETS

Sept., 25-27 • Cabaret Dinner Theatre Mortimer Brewster is a newspaperman and author known for his diatribes against marriage. We watch him being married in the opening scene. Then a quick trip home to tell his two aunts. While trying to break the news, he finds out his aunts’ hobby; killing lonely old men and burying them in the cellar. 1258 Dalzell St., Shreveport. Starts at 6:30 p.m. 318-347-5673.

”Arsenic and Old Lace”

Oct., 4-11 • Festival Plaza, Shreveport Known as North Louisiana’s largest outdoor arts festival, the Red River Revel attracts more than 150,000 visitors. Revel 39 includes: Kaminari Taiko Houston; the Newsboys’ We Believe 2014 Fall Tour including openers, 7th Time Down and Family Force 5; The Black Cadillacs; Goodbye June and Mama Dear just to name a few. www.redriverrevel.com

Red River Revel Arts Festival

Sat., Sept., 20 • RiverView Theater The violin rules the night, featuring Tchaikovsky Competition Gold Medalist Mayuko Kamio playing Prokofiev and the SSO’s newly appointed Concertmaster Matt Albert playing the devilishly difficult solo part in Rimsky-Korsakov’s epic symphonic poem, Scheherezade. Shreveport RiverView Theater, 600 Clyde Fant Pkwy, Shreveport. www.shreveportsymphony.com

Shreveport Symphony Opening Night: Violin Spectacular

Fri., Sept., 19 • Strand Theatre, Shreveport The four-part harmonies and upbeat songs of the Oak Ridge Boys have spawned dozens of country hits earning them Grammy, CMA and ACM awards and garnered a host of other industry and fan accolades. Popular hits include “Elvira”, “Bobbie Sue”, “American Made”, “I Guess It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometimes”, “Fancy Free” and many others. www.thestrandtheatre.com/shows

The Oak Ridge Boys

Fri., Sept., 26 • Municipal Auditorium Frampton remains one of the most celebrated artists in rock history. At 18, he co-founded the rock act Humble Pie. His session work includes George Harrison, Harry Nilsson, David Bowie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ringo Starr and many others. Frampton Comes Alive! is one of the top-selling live records of all time. Municipal Auditorium, 8 p.m. www.hukaentertainment.com

Peter Frampton Live

Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau, 629 Spring St., Shreveport, LA, 800-551-8682SBFUnguide.com

Looking for something FUN to do?

Sept., 27 • Hwy. 3049, Gilliam, LA Participants spend the day visiting and exploring Northrose Plantation and other attractions. The tour will be from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at Belcher Presbyterian Church, Crossroads Museum in Gilliam and Northrose Plantation located at 8265 Corn Husker Road in Dixie. Visitors will also witness the harvesting of several crops. 318-296-4303.

Heritage and Harvest Tour

Fri., Sept., 19 • Shreveport Join us at Andrew Currie Park for a great evening of free family fun. Our feature presentation will be “Monsters University”. This movie is rated G and will start at 7:30 p.m. Free parking. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs and picnic basket. Pets on a leash are permitted however alcohol is not. 318-673-5100. See you at the movies. www.myspar.com

Movies & Moonbeams - Monsters University

Oct., 10-12 • Downtown Shreveport Shreveport-Bossier will host one of the most unique film festivals in the country, and we’re giving out one of the world’s largest cash prizes for a short film, plus acting prizes, grants, and distribution as well. Be one of the judges and cast your vote for the Louisiana Film Prize. It’s a whole weekend of 20 short films shot right here in Northwest Louisiana. www.lafilmprize.com

Louisiana Film Prize

Crissy Malone crissymalone@gmail.com

Acupuncturist Kristy Lynn works with SBC residents out of 745 Olive St. in Shreveport

September 18, 2014 | Volume 2 Issue 19 Heliopolis #heliopolissbc | Heliopolis.LA

WHAT THE IF, SHREVEPORT: ROAD DIETING Stephen Pederson spederson0@gmail.com We all want what is best for our city. We all have different interests and ideas that we can foresee as being a step in a positive, progressive direction. For me, the single biggest factor for my happiness when moving here, was the ability to bike to work. I am an experienced cyclist, so my idea of “bikeable” may not be the same as other folks. The absence of a dedicated bike lane will not stop me from riding. But it is important to remember that I am not the norm! In fact, I may be something like .001% of the population. The presence of a dedicated bike lane on the two main avenues into downtown Shreveport would increase ridership to a level that this city does not think is possible.

I know that people will use facilities that make them feel safe and recognized.The two avenues I speak of are Texas Ave. and Marshall St. These streets are both very wide, and accommodate car parking on each side. Problem is, the lanes aren’t wide enough to allow two cars to pass a parked car at the same time.

My argument here is that these two routes are never used enough by car traffic to warrant two full lanes. But take out one of the lanes, which is rendered useless by the parking lane,

and replace it with a dedicated bicycle avenue. Look at that, doesn’t that bike lane just look beautiful? I bet all my dollars, that if a recent graduate were looking into Shreveport, this would exponentially increase the odds of adding an educated citizen to our city. Not to mention, provide a safe way for existing Shreveporters to get to and from downtown. Here’s to this being the next big step (or pedal?) toward a progressive Shreveport.

About What the If, Shreveport:It is easy enough to point fingers and lay blame. In fact, it seems like this may be a favorite pastime of Shreveport. The hard part is raising questions in a way that ultimately provides for a positive end result. We all want our city to make improvements. Some people look at things and wonder why, some people look and wonder, why not? Enter, constructive criticism at its finest: What the If, Shreveport?!

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

NEW MAYORAL CANDIDATE ENTERS SHREVEPORT RACE FOR A “SHOT AT THE BIG LEAGUES”Tuesday, August 26 marked the first public debate of Shreveport’s mayoral race, taking place at Southwood High School; featuring candidates Anna Marie Arpino, Sam Jenkins, Victoria Provenza, Ol-lie Tyler, and Rep. Patrick Williams. Two other candidates, James Crowley and Melvin Slack, missed the deadline to participate, but were also in attendance. This being the first debate, candidates were eager to posture and wax poetic about their professional ac-complishments, attempting to outshine one another in a packed au-ditorium. The public assembly left many unchanged in their choice of candidate, but it did inspire one Shreveport citizen to jump into the ring and bring some much needed diversity to the professions, skills, and passions demonstrated that evening.

I met Hamilton Crane at a discussion group following the debate, located just down the street at Hanny’s Sports Bar. Mr. Crane led the discussion with a tone of both frustration and contempt. “Let’s just start things off by addressing the elephant in the room,” he paused for a long slurp from his drink, “Do any of these people real-ly represent the majority of us living in Shreveport?” He elaborated, “I looked across that stage and saw business professionals, suited up puppets who want to see Shreveport jolted with economic pro-gress, infrastructure. They want to try to turn us into something other than what we are.” The crowd of seven nodded in agreement, each one of them paying more attention to the video poker ma-chines than the outline of the new political mantra that was about to be proclaimed.

I sat down with Mr. Crane directly after this private address. He outlined his political strategy as threefold: First, he would hammer home his credentials as a true Shreveport native. “Unlike some of my adversaries, I have lived in Shreveport my entire life. Further-more, I’ve lived in the same house my entire life!” he joked. Crane

attended Southwood High School, playing for their football team, before beginning his employment at the nearby Thrifty Liquor upon graduation. “I was the first person in Shreveport to put the tape on half of the daiquiri straw-hole,” he proudly recalled, “our location was the most popular in town due to this brilliant marketing tactic!” Indeed, this hometown hero’s knack for discovering unique strate-gies to come up with innovative solutions for pressing problems may be the trait that was lacking from Tuesday’s dismal panel. This strategy would represent Crane’s campaign goal of him being a man of the people - he knows what our citizens want and works tirelessly to make it a reality.

After achieving a managerial position at Thrifty, Crane branched out to work at one of the new casinos that had just opened up along the Red River. This experience was transformational for him, and brought about his second revolutionary idea that will propel him to become a front-running mayoral candidate. “I was working the ta-bles every night, seven days a week,” said Crane, “I started having a few regulars come play at my table and we developed a rapport.” Soon Crane began mastering the art of the “false shuffle,” providing winning hands to his new friends. Later on, in the parking garage, Crane would receive his cut of the bounty.

“This went on for a few months,” confessed Crane, “I used the money to purchase access to the Petroleum Club.” From there the world was his oyster. “I take this life lesson as my second tenet for the political campaign,” Crane said, “Ruthlessness. If Shreveport wants to become the ‘Next Great City of the South,’ hell even the ‘second greatest,’ you have to use every play in the book.”

Marshall Street (above) and Texas Ave. / Photos by Casey Habich

Captain Shreve

Heliopolis Volume 2 Issue 19 | September 18, 2014 Heliopolis.LA | #heliopolissbc

OP

THE POUR: BEER AND BIKES AND MORE BEER Lindsay Nations lindsay@greatraftbrewing.comWe all know that you need more opportunities to drink local beer. Great Raft has a line-up of events in the coming months that you won’t want to miss.

Bike Much? On Saturday, September 20, Great Raft is partnering with SBC Bike Social and River City Cycling to host a free bike tune-up at the brewery. Bring your bike in from 12 - 5 p.m. and bike doctors will be on site to breathe new life into your ride. Hopefully, that will lead to you biking more places. Beginning, September 20, when you bike to the brewery, you will receive $1 off each pint. Rhino Coff ee is also off ering a discount to cyclists, so check it out! The 2nd Annual Louisiana Craft Brewers Week is September 22 - 28, and Great Raft Brewing will have many festivities to celebrate. This week is all about celebrating Louisiana-made beer, and Great Raft has a jam-packed week of beer drinking opportunities. Tuesday, Sept. 23 – Husk, Hull and Rind: A beer, wine and cheese pairing 5-7 p.m.: We all think of wine and cheese pairing well together. But beer actually pairs extremely well with cheese - and most food for that matter. $35 gets you 5 beers, 6 wines, 6 cheeses and a sweet souvenir glass.

Wednesday, Sept. 24 – India Pale Lager launch at Twisted Root 6 p.m.Great Raft Brewing’s newest seasonal release is an India Pale Lager called At Arm’s Length. This is traditional lager made non-traditional with a ton of hops. It’s tropical and hoppy like an IPA, but a lager. Be the fi rst to try it at Twisted Root, and collect some of their unique give-away glassware. Each Wednesday, Twisted Root is giving you a cool pint glass with each pint you buy. No limit on quantity!

Thursday, Sept 25 – India Pale Lager bottle launch at Great Raft Brewing 4 p.m.At Arm’s Length is also available in 22 oz bottles. Come grab a few from the

brewery before they hit retailer shelves.

Friday, Sept. 26 – Great Raft Brewing Cupcake Challenge 4 pm and Pint Night at Port Au PrinceGreat Raft is hosting a cupcake bakeoff between local businesses Twine, Rhino, Blue Southern Comfort Foods, Camellia Coff ee, and Lilah’s. Bakers will select a Great Raft brew for their recipe, bake up some tasty cupcakes, then you and a group of local guest judges will determine a winner. Cast your vote for your favorite from 4 - 7 p.m. The winner will be announced at 7:30 p.m.

Try the India Pale Lager, At Arm’s Length, at one of Shreveport’s newest restaurants – Port Au Prince. Receive a souvenir pint glass when you order a Great Raft beer.

Saturday, Sept. 27 – Great Raft Brewing Homebrew Competition – Wort Pick Up 12–8 p.m.Do you like to brew your own beer? Consider signing up for a Great Raft’s fi rst annual HomeBrewhaha. Winners announced at a party on Nov. 9 at The Shop! Sunday, Sept. 28 – Beers and Brunch at Marilynn’s PlaceFor just a few bucks, enjoy bottomless Great Raft beer with your Louisiana brunch. It doesn’t get any more local, or fun, than that.

Once we all recover from Louisiana Craft Brewers Week, it’s time to start preparing for another fun weekend of beer. On October 17, Great Raft is inviting you to help celebrate its 1-yr anniversary of selling the fi rst pint of local beer since prohibition. From 3-11 p.m., there will be a big party at the brewery with bands, food trucks and a dozen beers. The Devil Anse, Hwy Lions, and Bristol Hills will all be playing. Tickets on sale now!

Then, on October 18, there will be a ton of beer available for sampling at the BREW festival downtown.

.06.06

Language is a weapon. It is a refl ection of diversity, beauty, unity, and ulti-mate expression. When we read great poets, scholars, and professors be-longing to diff erent backgrounds and ethnic diversities, translation plays a larger than life role. Translation is like music: it is to be felt, understood and enjoyed.

“Of all the forms that translation takes, such as commercial, fi nan-cial, scientifi c, advertising, etc., only literary translation lets one consist-ently share in the creative process. Here alone does the translator ex-perience aesthetic joys of working with great literature, of recreating in a new language a work that would otherwise remain behind reach.”

Shahab Ghobadi, an international student at LSUS, is a translator among his many other facets. A na-tive of Kurdistan, Iran, he translates Persian texts to English. Much so, his interest in Abraham Lincoln led him to various opportunities, in-cluding being chosen by the Nobel Prize nominated Persian poet Basij Khalkhali’s family to translate his acclaimed poem “The Woodcutter’s Epic.”

“As we were told by the poet’s family, since the publication of ‘The Wood-cutter’s Epic’ on Lincoln’s life, written in 1966, they had sought to have the book translated into English. During his trip to the US in the late 1990s, the poet failed to fi nd a translator to undertake the endeavor,” said Ghobadi. “As a student of the humanities and Persian literature in my high school, I showed a great deal of interest in reading and elaborating on Persian poetry, and my additional studies helped me to grasp the true message of a poet. But that was not enough to undertake the grand task of translat-ing a classic epic book about Lincoln into English, because such a person needs to be able to understand and be familiar with English poetry as well. For the last fi ve years I have studied the works of Alexander Pope, John Dryden, William Shakespeare, John Donne, William Blake, T.S. Eliot, and others. Still there was a missing link, as there are many translators who understand and write poetry in both languages, but they lack the neces-sary literacy to read Lincoln and his legacies.”

English is not Ghobadi’s fi rst language, and for him to learn as well as analyze Persian texts to English wasn’t easy. He barely passed English classes, knew little about grammar, parts of speech and their relation dur-ing initial stages. His enthusiasm to learn, to fi nance his life, and the lack of English language knowledge at Persian universities in his province pro-

pelled him to succeed in not only mastering English but also translating native texts without losing their originality.

As explained by Ghobadi, the ongoing process of poetic translation has followed a strategy to produce a similar poetic text capable of touching

American readers to the same extent it reaches the mind of the native Persian readers at home.

“Unlike translation of simple prose, poetry requires the translator to avoid segmentation of the original text into smaller units, as is the rule in dealing with most other types of translation. One is expected to take the whole verse into one’s creative mind as a unit of translation in order to not undermine the ties among the constituent parts of the verse that make up the imagery and other aesthetic aspects of the poem as a whole. Following this rule, before practical translation of any given line of poetry, the translator has to make a de-tailed analysis of the original text. Then, considering the diff erent exponents of the text, their relationship to each oth-er, and to the text as a whole, as well as their function in conveying the mes-sage, the translator performs the magic of real translation,” said Ghobadi.

As an ex-chef, he enjoys cooking, hiking from school, and reading in his leisure time. Since March 2013, in collabo-ration with the International Lincoln Center at LSUS, he has completed translating 66 out of the 133 poems that comprise the epic. The individual poems diff er in length; the 66 comprise about a third of the whole book.

The International Lincoln Center at LSUS, under the supervision of tireless one-of-his-kind enthusiast Dr. William Pederson, launched an endeavor to reintegrate the United States and the Middle East through translating the only epic poem written ever on the life and leadership of Abraham Lin-coln, an icon of American values. It involves translating The Woodcutter’s Epic, by Mohammad Gholi Nourouzi, better known by his pen name Basij Khalkhali (1918-1995) from Farsi to English.

“The ‘Epic’ is a neglected international poetic biography of Lincoln. The time has come to appreciate the vital role literary translation may play in repairing the ruptured intellectual representations of the U.S. with its most challenging Middle Eastern nation, Iran,” said Ghobadi.

See a sample of Ghobadi’s work and a full translation at heliopolis.LA.

Malvya Chintakindi chintakindim20@lsus.eduNEGLECTED LINCOLN’S POETIC BIOGRAPHY GETS TRANSLATED

Shahab Ghobadi (right) with his mentor and professor, Dr. William Pederson

September 18, 2014 | Volume 2 Issue 19 Heliopolis #heliopolissbc | Heliopolis.LA

September 18, 2014 | Volume 2 Issue 19 Heliopolis

#heliopolissbc | Heliopolis.LA

F.R.V.100 is a play on words. To the French it is pronounced eff -err-veh-cent (sound that out aloud a few times if you don’t get it). F.R.V.100 is a sparkling rosé wine made from the Beaujolais native grape, Gamay. You might be familiar with Beaujolais (southernmost part of Burgundy) because of the widely produced inexpensive Beaujolais Nouveau released every Thanksgiving as “the fi rst wine of the year,” but don’t let that ruin all Beaujolais for ya. Traditionally, Beaujolais produces light, fruity reds with lower levels of alcohol which are made to be drunk very soon after bottling as opposed to storing in a cellar for ten years. Jean-Paul Brun is the winemaker responsible for F.R.V.100, and his methods are true to the grape and region; with just a few slight diff erences. He uses indigenous yeasts in his fermentation process instead of the popular industrial yeasts used by more of his colleagues, and he steers clear of chaptalization, the addition of sugar to the juice before fermentation to increase the sweetness and alcohol levels. Brun allows his wine to speak for itself in that he bottles the wine just before fermentation is complete, giving the wine a hint of residual sweetness along with bright cherry fl avors, an alcohol level of 7.5%, and a very pleasant fi zz. F.R.V.100 would make a great light aperitif to precede a meal or to go along with another national treasure of France: cheese. Creamy, buttery brie and Camembert would be the perfect match for this fun French sparkling wine. -Jessica

La Piuma PecorinoContinuing our crazy grape series, I have chosen to discuss Pecorino, a somewhat obscure grape mostly grown in eastern Italy. If ever you can’t decide between Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio, I think this is a great compromise. It typically has a medium light body, and tends to take on some of the minerality found in the soils of its vineyard while retaining light fruit fl avors, including Golden Delicious apple and Asian pear. Because of it’s tannic structure, it pairs well with chicken and veal, as well as most cheeses. A great example is the La Piuma pecorino, which you can fi nd for about $12 at your local wine merchant. - Candace

.07.07

Robert E. Trudeau trudeau11@gmail.com

ROCK N ROLL GIVES IT UP FOR AUTO PARTS AND BURGERS ON EAST KINGS HWY

GIRLS WITH GLASSES: WEIRD WINES OF THE WORLD PART 2Jessica Coburn & Candace D. Gahan

Candace (left) is a wine geek at Wine Country Bistro & Bottle Shop in Shreveport, where she peddles fi ne wine and artisan cheese. Her favorite local spots are Rhino Coff ee, Great Raft Brewery, and Day Old Blues Records. Email her your wine questions at candace@winecountrynet.com.

Jessica is a native Texan and a self-proclaimed oenophile who enjoys curling

up with a good book, a glass of wine, and her cat (usually all at the same time). She can be found selling wine and cheese in the bottle shop of Wine Country Bistro during the week and, on her days off , biking along the riverfront and checking out local hot spots around Shreveport. Email her your wine questions at jessica@winecountrynet.com.

MAYOR CONTINUED Indeed, Hamilton Crane’s dedication to mastering his craft and net-working with the city’s movers and shakers is a notable asset to his case for mayorship.

The fi nal tentpole in what is sure to be a storied career as mayor, is simple. “We have to kill all of the birds in the city,” said Crane in an unwavering tone. “This city is receiving incredible sums of money for planning grants, strategic plans, associations, and for experts in other cities to scratch their heads about why this city is so aestheti-cally unappealing,” states Crane, “I’ll tell you why. It’s bird shit.”

With Hamilton Crane’s words echoing in my ears, I took a tour of the city that evening. He’s right. Every square inch of sidewalk downtown, every awning and telephone line, and, believe it or not, the fl oor to ceiling of every abandoned building downtown - fi lled with bird excrement.

At fi rst I had no idea what to think of Hamilton Crane. He doesn’t have a degree, he’s never had a career trajectory, and he’s never been to Bossier City. After rereading my notes from the mayoral de-bate, I have come to a conclusion. I want Hamilton Crane as mayor. He brings a fi erce dedication to his community, creative brilliance for our most complex problems, bought and paid-for ties to the “old Shreveport” families, and a sensible approach to our down-town blight. You can keep your dolled up candidates, regurgitating pageant-perfect responses to quaint questions. I want Hamilton Crane, someone who will actually roll up his sleeves and start kill-ing those damn pigeons.

*This is 100 percent satire.

Flanagan’s is the name that remains at 519 East Kings Hwy. Not far from the gigantic intersection of Kings and Youree, it is a strip of 3 or 4 taverns that have seen many nights of rock n roll over many years. This week the build-ings were razed. Employees at the adjacent Broadmoor Garage, which will remain, said to expect an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts and a Whataburger.

Earlier in the week the adjacent Beauty Supply building, 531 East Kings, was knocked down. For a couple of years the side of the Beauty Supply Bldg was a site for paste-up street art.

Looking at the rubble of that building, KTBS erroneously posted the news that Murrell’s had been torn down. In fact, Murrell’s had been razed years ago.

Nonetheless posters on Facebook gushed forth with over 200 pieces of swooning memories of their days at Mur-rell’s.

“It’s just a matter of time,” Brian tells me. “Somehow the demographic that has money and the need for high quality commercial photography will fi nd out who I am and will call me on the phone because I’m just telling you, when you look around at all of it (other local photographers), except for Neil [Johnson], I don’t see any other competition. I’ve just got to let people know about me.” Some people could take his comments as conceit, but Brian knows from years of business success that sharing one’s abilities is key. Why would someone use you if your work is no better than anyone else’s? Because they like you? Maybe. Brian is fi ne if you like him, but what he really wants is for you to know his work. It is quite clear that what he creates is art, but he knows that the word carries occasional negative connotation as in ‘starving’ or ‘whining’ or putting emotions or a self-serving cause du jour on display. Though pos-sessing the eye of a fi ne artist, when pressed, he introduces himself as a commercial photographer who specializes in environmental portraiture. If you ask to see the one photograph that distills his work, he will show you 15 or 20, as one alone cannot tell his story. His photographs all have a quality that makes you feel as if they are some-how just out of reach but that you are in the scene. You are at the edge of the meadow at Shiprock, and with a hard hike, you will be at the base of the rock in a couple of hours. You can feel the gravel crunching under-foot in the parking lot of the Wigwam Motel. Are those rainclouds in the distance? “I like to create,” says Brian. “I don’t see things in the way that other peo-ple see them, I don’t think the same way.” “It’s really about telling the best story that can be told with a photograph and being better than the guy down the street.”

Brian is convinced that commercial photography is where the money is and he looks forward to telling his clients’ stories through his amazing work. In the gaggle of photographers jostling for jobs, he is the calm one, the calculating one, the one who leaves nothing to chance and who never, ever quits. It is just a matter of time, really, until Brian, the re-inventor, suc-ceeds again.

See more of Brian’s work, and contact him at brianbucknerphotography.zenfolio.com/.

RE-INVENTED CONTINUED

Heliopolis Volume 2 Issue 19 | September 18, 2014 Heliopolis.LA | #heliopolissbc

advertise with us! Call spencer teekell at

(318) 349-1081 today!

ONGOING ---->#BikeYoga • Mon/Wed • 7 p.m. • Betty Virginia Park • Bring your mat and your bike!

20 | SATURDAY FREE bike tuneup • Great Raft Brewing • noon Shayliff w/ Opener Startisan at Strange Brew • 9 p.m. • no cover

21 | SUNDAY Edible plant walk • Walter B. Jacobs Park • 1 p.m. 2014 Shreveport Mayoral Forum • The Deaf Action Center • 4 p.m.23 | TUESDAY Husk hull & rind - beer, wine, & cheese tasting event • Great Raft Brewing • 5 p.m. • greatraftbrewing.com/ Banned Books Week special event: Talking Comics with Chris & Randy at Broadmoor Library • 7 p.m. • Broadmoor Branch, Shreve Memorial Library

Lee Fields and the Expressions featuring the Seratones • Bears on Fairfi eld • 9 p.m. 26 | FRIDAY SBC Critical Manners • Columbia Park • 6:30 p.m. Roll at 7:05 p.m. • Family- friendly 10 mile cruise 27 | SATURDAY BIG FREEDIA • Bears on Faifi eld • 9 p.m. OCT 2 | THURSDAY ALL AGES • Lions May Cry in Concert • East Bank Theatre • 6:30 p.m. • lionsmaycry.com/tickets

CALENDAR OF EVENTS | SEPTEMBER 2014

Pet of the WeekI’m a 1-year-old Akita mix named Reba, and let

me tell you, from my broken heart, the heart don’t lie: I don’t fancy being here. Rumor has it, I was the last one to know I was coming to the pound.

Is there life out there? Are you The Grea...test Man I Never Knew but will get to know when you adopt

me? Whoever’s in New England, Little Rock, wherever, will you come get me? It’s your call…

I’m spayed & up to date on shots. You can adopt me from Caddo Parish Animal Services at 1500

Monty Street in Shreveport.

THE RIGHT TO ART: ROLL THE BONES FOR RENZI ON SEPTEMBER 26 Garrett Johnson gjohnsonlsu@gmail.com Sometimes called the “Hogwarts of Highland,” the Renzi Edu-cation & Art Center is a much beloved local nonprofi t, provid-ing free academic and art-based after-school activities to at-risk youth located near their Egan Street location. For those of you who have attended, visited, volunteered, or even just follow them online, you can tell that Renzi is a unique organi-zation that inspires creativity, self-esteem, and enthusiasm for learning.

So, how can you help support this oasis of creativity? Well, it just so happens that on September 26, Renzi is hosting its 9th Annual Bunco Bash & Silent Auction at the Eldorado Casino from 6 - 10 p.m. I attended my fi rst Bunco Bash two years ago, having never heard about the game and not knowing what to expect.

The game itself is simple: just roll the dice until they show three sixes simultaneously. Throughout the evening, I had a chance to meet the people at my table, and even scored a “bunco,” giving me the privilege to wear a hot pink boa until

someone else rolled one. Attendees compete through several Bunco rounds in order to win prizes, with the top winner re-ceiving a round-trip airfare for two with Virgin America.

In addition to playing Bunco, the event boasts a silent auction featuring local restaurants and artists, door prizes, and a raf-fl e. Also, take note that the cash bar proceeds all benefi t the Renzi Center directly! Ticket prices are $45 in advance (318-222-1414 or visit renzicenter.org) or $50 at the door. For those of you who may have stopped reading at that ticket price, I would ask that you view this as an annual donation to Renzi, where you get to attend a party at the same time!

Being the son of an artist and art teacher, and having had the opportunity to take advanced art classes outside of my normal academic school day growing up, I completely iden-tify with the importance of the arts in education. I think that these opportunities should be a right, not a privilege, and I’m glad that Renzi is in our community to help make that change. Their organization is always looking for volunteers, so even if you are unable to attend the event - get involved!