volume 2, issue 21

S H R E V E P O R T - B O S S I E R ’ S V O I C E F O R T H E U N D E R G R O U N D

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V O L . 2 . I S S U E 2 1 . O C T O B E R 1 6 . 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

FOR THE LOVE OF COMMUNITY: REED EBARB

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GHOULS WITH GLASSESPAGE 7

ARTIST PROFILE: JASON PLILER

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Heliopolis Volume 2 Issue 21 | OCTOBER 16, 2014 Heliopolis.LA | #heliopolissbc

OFFICIAL SPONSOR >>

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

visit us online @ Heliopolis.la

HELIOPOLIS STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEFKaren E. Wissing [email protected]

BUSINESS MANAGERSpencer Teekell [email protected]

WEB MANAGER John Wesley Hampson

CONTENT EDITORSusan Fontaine [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS

PHOTOGRAPHERSCasey Habich Robert E. Trudeau

Cover artwork by Jason Pliler. 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.

Malvya ChintakindiJessica CoburnChris DeRosiaReed EbarbCandace D. GahanJasmine GreenRegan Horn Garrett JohnsonEsther Kennedy

Chris LyonCrissy MaloneLandon MillerStephen PedersonJonathan Toups Robert E. TrudeauKathryn Usher

VOL. 2 ISSUE 21 CONTENTS -----------------------

ARTIST PROFILE: JASON PLILER pg 3 FOR THE LOVE OF COMMUNITY pg 4

MORE FROM MAYORAL CANDIDATE HAMILTON CRANE pg 4CRYSTAL STAIRS REVIEWED pg 5

IN BETWEEN FRAMES pg 5 SHREVEPORT DIARIES pg 6GIRLS WITH GLASSES pg 7

JADE KEROUAC EMERGES INTO WIDER WORLD pg 7EVENTS CALENDAR pg 8

Oct. 25 • Asian Gardens, Shreveport This year’s theme is “Asian Street Food.” The festival includes live music, Asian dances, Asian street food, and a night market. For more information about this free event or to register as a food vendor or night market vendor, please call (318)401-8078, or (318)797-4258. Located at Milam Street at Common Street. The festival will be held from 4 - 9 pm.

3rd Annual ASEANA Autumn Festival

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

Looking for something FUN to do?

Oct. 18 • Artspace, Shreveport Once again, the mostly dead, undead and really, most sincerely dead are invited to shuffle through downtown Shreveport. The event will be held at 710 Texas, also known as Dr. Blood’s Library Macabre. Join us for fun, photos, contests, music and food. The fun is free, but we will probably give you the opportunity to donate to some favorite charities. 318-222-7403.

Downtown Zombie Walk

Oct., 17 • RiverView Park, Shreveport Join us for a great evening of free family fun. Our feature presentation will be “Frozen.” This movie is rated PG and will start at 7:30 pm. Free parking. Bring a blanket, lawn chairs and picnic basket. Pets on a leash are permitted, however alcohol is not. 318-673-5100. 601 Clyde Fant Pkwy. www.myspar.org

Movies & Moonbeams - Frozen

Oct. 31 • 725 Austin Place, Shreveport Join us once again for haunted candlelight tours on Halloween night. Legend tells us that in 1904 a neighbor of the Logan’s, Theodora Hunt, came to the house, went to the attic and leapt to her death! The LeBrun’s now keep a log of the strange happenings and invite you to hear the stories. Guided tours every 20 minutes and last one hour. $10. 6-9 p.m. www.theloganmansion.com

The Logan Mansion’s Halloween Night Tours

Oct. 23 - Nov. 9 • Fairgrounds, Shreveport The State Fair of Louisiana features 14 thrilling days of unique, family-entertainment. Enjoy free daily circus shows, plenty of games and rides, livestock exhibits and a variety of unique food and drink. This year’s live entertainment includes T.K. Soul, Cole Vosbury, Lainey Wilson, Frank Foster, Cody Cooke & The Bayou Outlaws and Wayne Toups. www.statefairoflouisiana.com

State Fair of Louisiana

Oct. 23 • CenturyLink Center, Bossier City The Dallas Mavericks will take on the New Orleans Pelicans in an exciting NBA-sanctioned preseason match up. Sports enthusiasts, fans and families can expect a night of fun at this showcase of two of the most popular NBA teams in the region. Tickets can be purchased at the Century-Link Box office, Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000. www.centurylinkcenter.com

Mavericks vs. Pelicans Preseason Game

Oct. 26 • 1833 Pierre Ave., Shreveport This family-friendly festival will include live music as well as a bouncy house, face painting, balloon artists, a raffle and, of course, a huge spread of great Cajun and Creole food from Herby-K’s. Kids ages 10 and under are admitted free. Food is included in the price of admission - $25. Beer will be available at beer trucks (tickets can be purchased on-site). www.herbyks.net

HERBY-K’S BLOCK PARTY

Oct. 18 • Festival Plaza, Shreveport Drink, eat, then drink some more, dance to live music and have a good time. Only 1,600 tickets will be sold. BREW sells out each year so buy your tickets early. $60 per ticket or reserve a table for 10: $1,100 (includes 5 parking passes). College football games will be broadcast and food will be available from some of our finest restaurants. www.shreveportbrew.com/buytickets

BREW: Shreveport's Beer Festival

OCTOBER 16, 2014 | Volume 2 Issue 21 Heliopolis #heliopolissbc | Heliopolis.LA

What kind of artist are you? I work in several different mediums. And I am always looking for new mediums to work with. I paint. I draw. I am a photographer; both chem-ical and digital.

Where are you from? Born and raised in Shreveport. I have spent time away. Several years as a child in St. Louis. Several years in my 20’s in Northern California, Chico exactly. In 2000 I moved to Ruston where I attended school for 2 years, studying photography. I returned to Shreveport in 2004.

What’s your favorite place/thing to do in SBC? I mostly spend time by myself and create my art.

What’s your favorite color? I think the concept of a favorite color is silly as all colors have a use.

What was the first piece of art you ever complet-ed? I have been making art for as long as I can remember, but I can not remember making my first piece of art.

If you had unlimited funds, what would you do? Buy a plot of land, build a house and studio and make whatever art I want to.

If you could be any ani-mal what would you be? I am already the animal I want to be. Why desire to be anything different than I already am. To do so would be to deny who I am. We should be more accepting of ourselves.

What does being an artist mean to you? To have an overwhelming desire to create.

How, if at all, has the Shreveport-Bossier artistic scene changed while you’ve been working within it? I have seen the area slowly open up and become more accepting to various forms of art that previously would not have been seen here.

When did you know you wanted to be an artist? I did not become an artist, I have always been an artist.

Did you have any idols/role models that helped facilitate this dream? I wouldn’t call it a dream. It just is. There are people in my life, past and present that have made a larger impact in my life than others. John Bowden, Debbie Hollis, Camille Jungman to name a few.

What words of advice would you give to young - or old - people pursuing an artistic life?Don’t let anything stop you. Just make your art. Constantly strive to improve. Take advice from the ones you look up to.

What do you hope people feel from looking at your work? Gain? Experience? I make art for myself. If someone likes it, they like it. If they don’t, then they don’t.

What do you like on your hamburger? Or are you vegan?I am just glad to have food to eat. I don’t worry too much about what is on the hamburger.

ARTIST PROFILE: JASON PLILER

Jason “Going Large,” 2012

HOROSCOPESAfter previous horoscopes being solicited from Sa-tan and a Native Ameri-can shaman, this week the Heliopolis team decided to keep in the Halloween spirit by reaching out to the ghost of Henry Miller Shreve himself. The spirit of the city is here to tell you what fate awaits you.By Henry Miller Shreve (deceased)

Leo (July 23 -August 21) Go for a walk over the Texas Street bridge. You can take in the sights, sounds and smells as you trek across the mighty Red River. Imagine the entire river be-ing filled up with a log jam. You know who cleaned up that mess? You’re welcome.This Week: Write a letter to historian Gary Joiner about how awesome Hen-ry Miller Shreve was.

Virgo (August 22 – September 23) This week you should brush up on your beatbox skills. Practice, practice, practice. Do it in on the bus, at work, and when hanging out with friends. You’ll make everyone around you feel like they’re freestyle talking.

This Week: Make a picture out of mac-aroni.

Libra (September 24 – October 23) Expand your horizons and explore the ethnic ingredients section of your gro-cery store. Find things that you had no idea existed and attempt a new dish. Just make sure to also buy pocky while you’re there.This Week: Take a picture of your toe-nails every day to monitor growth.

Scorpio (October 24 - November 22) Ask that guy/gal that you’ve had your eye on lately to accompany you to a Halloween party. Suggest a couples costume and prepare for some inter-esting looks when you show up as Cersei and Jaime Lannister.This Week: Drink more wine.

Sagittarius (November 23 - Decem-ber 22) Put up a basketball hoop over the garage and start working on your game. After you’re able to dunk (may-be you’ll have to lower the hoop), in-vite your friends over. Be sure to have the “Space Jam” soundtrack blaring to get in the zone.This Week: Re-watch “Space Jam.” Remember how Bill Murray was, inex-plicably, in it?

Capricorn (December 23 - January 20) The time has come to finally find out how to use chopsticks. You’ve em-barrassed your friends for the last time

by skewering your steamed dump-lings instead of gracefully squeezing them. Learn by passing out Halloween candy to trick-or-treaters one M&M at a time.This Week: Buy an aquarium and fill it with 100 hermit crabs. It’ll really make your house smell great.

Aquarius (January 21 - February 19) Winter is coming. Feel free to eat whatever you like and hide your fat rolls underneath layers of sweaters. You’ve got until December 31 before you have to pay the consequences of your actions.This Week: Pour pumpkin spice into a bubblebath.

Pisces (February 20- March 20) This week your horoscope is pretty simple. Just start digging a hole in your back-yard. Yep. go as deep as you possi-bly can and don’t stop until either you can’t get out or you dig through a gas line.This Week: Do a good deed daily.

Aries (March 21 - April 20) It’s that time of year again. Time to order a year’s supply of Girl Scout cookies. Are they overpriced globs of pro-cessed sugar? You bet. However no-body has yet to make anything as dia-bolically delicious as a Samoa cookie yet so get ready to take out a loan.This Week: Light a fire in the middle of the street.

Taurus (April 21- May 21) Buy a bird guide and learn the names of the birds in your neighborhood. When you walk down the street greet each one by name. “Good morning Blue Gros-beak.” “Did you catch the game last night, Orchard Oriole?” See how long before your neighbors start avoiding you.This Week: Buy some binoculars. You’re going bird-watching after all. Gemini (May 22 - June 21) Stop drinking soft drinks. I mean, I don’t want to go around bossing everyone around, telling them what they can and can’t do. But admit it, you’ve got a problem. Just switch to sparkling water and wean yourself off.This Week: Public nudity.

Cancer (June 22 - July 22) Volunteer in some way to help out a friend. Even though you’re only in it for the karma and the fact that then they’ll “owe you one.” Call in that favor during a major moment in their life. “Oh, your wife is in labor? I really need your help hang-ing some drywall.”This Week: Submit your fan-fiction about Henry Miller Shreve to the He-liopolis.

SEE MOREWHERE: ARTSPACE, 710 TEXAS ST., DOWNTOWN SHREVEPORT

WHAT: DOCTOR BLOOD’S LIBRARY MACABRE EXHIBIT WHO: JASON IS ONE OF EIGHT NWLA ARTISTS CHOSEN TO CREATE THEMED SECTIONS

HIS FOCUS: CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARDPLUS, VISIT FACEBOOK.COM/ARTOFJASONPLILER

Work in Progress, 2010


FOR THE LOVE OF COMMUNITY: 20 YEAR OLD REED EBARB CO-FOUNDS SHREVEPORT’S FIRST CAT RESCUECrissy Malone [email protected]

WE WERE NOT AFRAID TO BE YOUNG AND TAKE A RISK.

- REED EBARB

CANDIDATE CRANE WOOS SUPPORTERS AT ARK-LA-TEX GUN SHOWCaptain ShreveAfter a misinterpreted debate at the P.A.C.E. Shreveport Mayoral Forum on September 21, candidate Hamilton Crane issued the following statement; “I was intentionally misled by the organizers of the event to make promises and give statements that are not a true representation of myself or my campaign.” For those of you who missed this coverage, Mr. Crane blatantly pandered to the progressive base by promising equal provisions for LGBT individuals and pursuing large tech companies and health food stores. After these and other comments that have since been retracted by Hamilton Crane, local media has censored all comments made by him and his name has yet to appear as a viable candidate.

This past weekend Hamilton Crane was eager to appeal to yet another demographic by making an appearance at the Ark-La-Tex Gun Show. He was greeted by a crowd consisting primarily of Republican and Libertarian voting citizens who value a limited federal government, lower taxes, and less regulated gun control. Located at the Shreveport Convention Center, the event brought in gun manufacturers demonstrating their wares for self-defense and recreation. The swaths of voters adorned in camouflage and neon orange seemed like the perfect opportunity for Crane to spread his message to a diverse crowd of caucasian males.

Candidate Crane had his own booth at the event where he met attendees, handed out buttons and brochures, kissed babies, and took photos posing with guns. Several times throughout the nine hour event, Crane mixed up and kissed the guns while holding the babies around the rib cage and pointing them at the camera.

One young voter asked Crane what his views were on immigration reform. “Well,” he said, putting on his best Southern drawl, “Y’see I’ve done extensive research on this topic, speakin’ to folks about what groups of foreigners give us the most headaches and take jobs away from legal, votin’ Americans. I found out that the most guilty party are the Swedish.” A perplexed look came from the small group of

onlookers. “It’s hard to identify them because they look a lot like us white folk, but the Swedish are threatening the jobs of hard working Louisianans,” continued Mr. Crane, “Their bland food is an atrocity in the South, and their non-confrontational

attitude spits in the face of everything that our forefathers taught us!” The man who asked the question stared back blankly. “But that can’t be correct, and it really doesn’t address the main problem we have with citizens from other countries crossing the border illegally,” he said, “Plus I make trips to Dallas regularly to purchase cheap, modern furniture at Ikea, and those meatballs with lingonberries they have are incredible. I wish we had them in Shreveport!”

Hamilton Crane quickly tried to change the subject by taking another question. “Er, of course! I was just testing you! The Swedish are fantastic chefs, but let’s try to stay on topic. You, what issue is troubling you here in Shreveport?” he said while pointing to young woman in the crowd.

The young woman stood up to ask her question to the prospective mayor. “I was wondering if you could elaborate on how you see the linkages between natural gas and oil production and economic development in Shreveport?”

Hamilton Crane began looking nervous, with beads of sweat falling from his face. “Err, well ya see... I…“ he stuttered. Suddenly Crane jumped on the table and shouted, “All I gotta say to that is drill, baby, drill!” he exclaimed while shooting live ammunition from two pistols into the ceiling, “YEEEHAAWW!”

Mr. Crane was ejected immediately from the premises leaving a crowd scratching their heads wondering what they had just seen. After failing to attract a progressive, liberal audience and now having diminished his chances with a more conservative group, Hamilton Crane seems to have isolated himself. This is indeed disappointing news from a candidate who started off the race looking head-and-shoulders more qualified than the other hopefuls.

At the age of 19, Reed Ebarb co-founded Shreveport Bossier Animal Rescue, the only cat rescue to service Caddo, Bossier, Desoto, and Sabine Parish. In fact, he and his partner Kalli Bailey began this non-profit 17 months ago with an entire board of directors under the age of 30.

Ebarb’s research on feline death statistics indicates 12,000 to 13,000 cats are euthanized each year in the four parishes that their nonprofit services.

“Eventually Kalli and I reached a point where it was too much. We knew we had to do some-thing and we had to do it now,” Ebarb said.

Shreveport Bossier Animal Rescue has waged an aggres-sive spay and neuter campaign in our region and they specifi-cally focus on lower income neighborhoods. Ebarb says, “We do things no one else wants to do.” When I asked Ebarb what he meant by that, he elaborated, “The major-ity of intakes of animals from across the country come from low-income neighborhoods.” He went on to discuss how these neighborhoods are underserved. According to Ebarb, Shreveport Bossier Animal Rescue focuses on promoting education in such neighborhoods as well as link-ing low-income families with grants for free spay and neutering through other non-profits they partner with, such as Robinson’s Rescue. Shreve-port Bossier Animal Rescue has adopted out approximately 200 cats and spayed and neutered close to 700 cats since first opening their doors. “We were not afraid to do things in a different way,” says Ebarb. This different approach to animal protection is making a dramatic impact on

feline euthanasia rates in Caddo Parish alone. According to Ebarb, “In 2012, euthanasia rates were shockingly high at 92%.” He says in 2014, they were down to 83% and he believes opening the region’s first cat rescue has a great deal to do with this decrease. “More than 200 cats have been saved since we opened,” Reed says. When I asked him, “What do you accredit most to your success?” he said, “We were not afraid to be young and take a risk.” This brings up an amazing point. How does a 20 year-old college student work 60 to 70 hours a week managing a non-profit?

“You sacrifice an incredible amount to do this. Well, you sacrifice everything to do this,” says Ebarb. He says his personal life suffers the most. “I barely have time to see my family or maintain friendships, much less go to the grocery store.” He says he typically works most days, attends col-lege classes in the evenings, and then returns to work after

his school gets out around 9 p.m. Shreveport Bossier Animal Rescue just announced that they are in the process of planning to open Shreveport’s first “no-kill” cat shelter in early November. Ebarb says that this has been a long-term goal of his non-profit and they are thrilled to be hitting this milestone much earlier than they ever thought possible. “You spend a lot of nights second guess-ing yourself, but all the hard work can pay off,” says Ebarb. It certainly seems to be paying off for our local feline population and prospective adopting families, as Shreveport Bossier Animal Rescue’s young team of entrepreneurs continues to cross barriers like they are not even there. You can find more information about Shreveport Bossier Animal Rescue at shreveportbossieranimalrescue.org

*This is satire.


CRYSTAL STAIRS: NEW EATS FOR D O W N T O W N SHREVEPORT Stephen Pederson [email protected] Recently, I took a short walk from work to the corner of McNeil and Texas St. with plans to try something new. I was in luck; I saw the open signs on a previously abandoned building, and stopped in for lunch just days after the soft opening of downtown’s latest eatery. And I was told quite a nice story over one of the best blackened tilapia fi llets I’ve ever had.

Mother and son pair June and Rod Phillips followed their dreams and opened the Crystal Stairs, with plans to provide good food and live music for

years to come. “We’ll be here as long as that courthouse is standing,” Rod said with a grin.

The two weren’t always in the restaurant business. Rod told me that he and his mother had a rough time growing up in Shreveport, with June often reciting Langston Hughes’s “Mother to Son” in an eff ort to keep her son’s head held high. Rod went on to become a Hollywood stuntman and actor, working on many blockbuster fi lms shot here in Shreveport and elsewhere. June worked as the Director of Humanitarian Aff airs at Southern University across the street in downtown Shreveport. Now, they’re working together, serving up soul in the form of good food and live music.

The menu was short when I visited, but it will expand, said Rod, and I plan to be back to check out the new dishes. By the way, the restaurant has some the most accommodating business hours of anywhere I’ve ever seen, a tribute to their dedication I would say. Crystal Stairs is open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon-Sat and from 12 - 10 p.m. on Sunday. That’s right, seven days/week. Oh, and the bar is open until 2 a.m. Mon-Sat. Like I said, accommodating. Happy Hour is from 4-7 p.m. nightly, and the owners plan to have live music as much as possible.

Oh right, the food. Like I said, I tried the blackened tilapia, and it really was some of the best I’ve ever had. The spices were on, and it was cooked to perfection. I am a self-proclaimed seafood fanatic, so I was really excited to see more options downtown, and this one does not disappoint. I also tried the stuff ed shrimp on another visit, and it was extremely tasty. I’ll be back for sure.

For more info, like them on Facebook @ facebook.com/Crystal-Stairs, or call (318) 424-8783.

I have watchedfor the gray hairs in the mirror staringbleary eyed in the morning. I have fl ipped through magazinesin the motel lobby of life. all I rememberyears laterare the advertisements. listening only really honestly to be fair for my name to be called - Nodly

Trust in dreamsfor in them is hiddenthe gate to eternity - Khalil Gibran

If that was lovewith cruelty here and humiliation therethen it is better to live without love-Hermann Hesse

Don’t let that horse eat that violin cried Chagall’s motherbut he kept right on paintingand became famousand kept on painting The Horse With Violin In Mouth and when he fi nally fi nished it he jumped up upon the horseand rode away waving the violin and then with a low bow gave it to the fi rst naked nude he ran acrossand there were no strings attached- Lawrence Ferlinghetti

IN BETWEEN FRAMES Compiled by Nodly


SHREVEPORT DIARIES: IT LIES IN YOUMalvya Chintakindi [email protected] makes you happy? I won’t list out all the terrible happenings all around the world, but it is quite common to feel hopeless at times.

We, the people of SBC need to know that if there’s hope, it’s right here among us. The city is named one of the happiest cities in the country! According to a recent study by Harvard University (July 2014), Shreveport-Bossier City is among the top fi ve ‘happiest cities in the USA.’ Not only is SBC on the list, but the top fi ve towns are nowhere else but in Louisiana!

The study by Harvard, in association with the Vancouver School, took into account data from a federal (CDC) study, plus a number of categories based on demographics and income. The top fi ve cities (in order) on the list are Lafayette, Houma, Shreveport-Bossier City, Baton Rouge, and Alexandria.

According to the authors, “Diff erences in happiness and subjective well-being across space weakly support the view that the desires for happiness and life satisfaction do not uniquely drive human ambitions. If we choose only that which maximized our happiness, then individuals would presumably move to happier places until the point where rising rents and congestion eliminated the joys of that locale. An alternative view is that humans are quite understandably willing to sacrifi ce both happiness and life satisfaction if the price is right… Indeed, the residents of unhappier metropolitan areas today do receive higher real wages — presumably as compensation for their misery.”

While this is a strong view on how people sometimes gauge happiness, it is an undisputable fact that happiness varies widely and depends on whether an individual is able to satisfy their needs. Comparison and contrast often extracts whatever joy attained through simple pleasures since us as humans are considered the most intelligent species by science.

A while ago, in May 2014, 24/7 Wall Street ranked Shreveport-Bossier City as the eighth-most miserable place in the United States. Among the things 24/7 Wall Street looked at were entrance to simple needs, healthy behaviors, work environment, life analysis, and romantic health. Very evidently, these parameters are subjective.

Ironically, these surveys came out within a two month window period. Though we can debate which study is more legitimate or what to believe, it remains unchanged that SBC has the capability to give you a happy life if you are ready to face it all. As it relies on perception, there is nothing that can stop you if you want to be happy and seek joy in the hardships you face since they are valuable lessons themselves. With a residence like SBC, it is surely possible. Choose your pick, spread happiness.

.06.06

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With Halloween just around the corner, we’ve been inspired to explore wines around the shop that invoke shock, awe, and horror. Of course I just mean creepy disturbing labels and not shockingly bad wine. Orin Swift wines always deliver in this regard. Their latest endeavor is an

excellent California white blend. The 2012 Blindfold is a blend of 60% Rhone varietals (Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne and Grenache Blanc), 5% Aromatic varietals (Semillon and Riesling), and base of 35% Chardonnay all picked from a mixture of vineyards around Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, and Santa Ynez. There is a subtle hint of mandarin orange and Meyer lemon zest aroma, and as you drink it you can

taste Anjou pear, roasted marshmallows, spiced apple tart with a hint of minerality. This wine screams fall fl avors. Get in the spirit, and pop the cork on this wine with a horror fi lm like “The Strangers” starring Liv Tyler. What’s better than drinking wine and watching something that will make you terrifi ed of everyday things like being home and answering the door? Isn’t that what Halloween is all about? -Jessica

The counterpart to Orin Swift’s Blindfold, the Prisoner has been stealing the hearts of oenophiles for years now. My man Dave Phinney’s original concoction, this Zinfandel-Cab blend is thick and jammy, with oozing strawberry and dark chocolate espresso fl avors. It’s texture is like the thick velvet of Dracula’s coffi n, but the shocking spike of tannin will get you just when you thought it was safe. The grapes come from only the fi nest vineyards in Napa, so even though this monster runs about $40, it’s well worth it. It’s tough for me to only pick one horror movie to watch with this hallowed bottle, but I think I’ll go with the creepiest of the Amityvilles, “Amityville 2: The Posession,” and a few slices of Carmody, which is basically popcorn butter in cheese form. Happy haunting. Muahahahaha. -Candace

.07.07

GHOULS WITH GLASSES: HAPPY HALLOWINEJessica 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 [email protected].

Jessica is a native Texan who is passionate about wine and cheese. You

can fi nd her slinging these delicacies at Wine Country Bistro & Bottle Shop daily or riding her bike around town. Email her your wine/libations questions at [email protected].

LOUISIANA RIVER ARTS COMPETITION CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS

Between now and February 2015, college students across the state of Louisiana can submit art for the fi rst ever Louisiana River Arts Competition hosted by R. W. Norton Art Gallery. The grand prize? $5,000 cash.

“We just really want to showcase college talent in Louisiana,” says Emily Feazel, Creative and Visual Arts Instructor.

The juried art show will have two rounds of voting, with the fi rst being blind judging online. The top 25 fi nalists will be notifi ed in March and will send their pieces to the gallery, where they will be exhibited for 6 weeks. An awards dinner will take place at Superior Steakhouse on April 11, 2015 to announce the winners.

The second place winner will receive $3,000, and third, $1,000. There will be two director’s choice pieces, each for a prize of $500.

As for the judges? Chris King of the Louisiana School of Math and Science in Natchitoches and LA A+ Fellow George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts; Jessica Happ, an art conservator in New Orleans and Daniel Cassidy of Shreveport and Little Rock.

“We toyed around the idea of a theme,” said Feazel. “College students just need to be creative, and [we] kind of let them do what they want. We don’t want to put too many limitations on them.”

Feazel added that students can submit something they worked on in class or at home. Accepted mediums include acrylic, oil, pencil, pen, mixed me-dia, and computer graphics. The only medium not accepted is sculpture.

Once the 25 fi nalists are chosen, the pieces will be property of Norton Gal-lery, and will travel around the state of Louisiana before being donated to schools in Caddo Parish.

So far, there have been eight submissions from Baton Rouge and Lafay-ette.

Questions? Call (318) 865-4201 ext 130.

Karen E. Wissing [email protected]

TATTOOS, NARRATIVES, A VIOLIN: JADE KEROUAC EMERGES INTO A WIDER WORLDA fl edgling artist with one claw wrapped tightly to tattoos and the other one scratching the bark of the art tree, Jade Kerouac is creating a fl utter in Shreveport. She was recently called upon to paint a violin for a promotion by the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra. She did not do it up tat style. She covered the instrument in paint, burlap, and lace and attached a romantic array of clock gears to it.

The Kerouac violin showed a sense of craft and of the market.

Is she symbolic of the young artist who is building a base in tattoo making while exploring the larger business of art? Making cash while testing options?

A lifelong sketcher, she says, “I haven’t had any proper secondary schooling.” Mentors and friends have been her sources for instruction. Plus tutorials on YouTube. “I’d have to say trial and error has always been my best teacher.”

More than an image maker, Kerouac has tuned in to narratives. She knows the stories via her work as a tattoo artist. “Every tattoo has a story. Each one has a specifi c memory linked to it; the piece you got because it was beautiful, the one you got when you were drunk, the ink you got in memory of your grandmother, the one you got just for shits and giggles. That’s part of why I love slinging ink, you get to be apart of someones’ story.”

Perhaps that’s why calligraphic tattoos show up frequently in her portfolio.

Challenges facing her development as an artist? “One of my worst habits is a lack of sketching when to trying to create a drawing. Rather than have a rough draft, I just dive in on a painting or illustration. My elementary art teacher always said there are no mistakes, so it’s been ingrained into me to just work through errors and make them work.” She admits that there are limits to this ploy. “This is not the case with tattooing. There is such a structure to it that being that nonchalant in my own non-tattoo art is a bit of relief.”

She has won supporters via her skin work. Says Jessica Coburn: “Jade is a fantastic artist who specializes in the macabre and bizarre. She designed and tattooed a wine glass on my inner arm, which is my favorite tattoo. She has such a cool style and attitude; defi nitely one of my favorite Shreveport people.” Also in her corner is painter-illustrator Joe Bluhm. He sees her art mindedness as an aura, as an energy fi eld. In Shreveport, “I recently discovered the amazing new store/art gallery The Agora Borealis where my aunt, Wendy Tisdale, has some amazing unconventional yarn dream catchers and chairs,” says Kerouac. “Whitney Newson has some incredible pieces there as well.”

At day’s end, she remains entranced by the art of the tat: “Tattoo artists’ styles vary so vastly that even replicated images have a hint of your artist in the details, making each piece personal and unique. Depending on the tattoo, it can evoke emotions from amazement to laughter to sorrow and everything in between. The fact that your tattoos evolve with you is also inspiring. You can add to pieces, make them part of a larger piece or, cover them up entirely. They are worn for all the world to see on the canvas that is your body; making it one of the most literal and creative forms of self expression.”

Robert E. Trudeau [email protected]


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CALENDAR OF EVENTS | OCTOBER 2014

LIFE COACH: I THINK I CAN

Are you looking for a new best friend? These little guys would be happy to fi ll the role! Up for adoption through Shreveport

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malRescue.org. Their adoption fee is $25, which covers spay/neuter, vaccinations,

and deworming.

If someone told you that you could have anything that you thought of, anything at all… would you believe them? Do you believe that you can, or are thoughts coming to mind such as: “That costs too much.” “I could never pull that off .” “I’m not smart enough to be that.” “My mother says it’s not a good idea.” If any of those sound familiar, you have single handedly blocked yourself from whatever goal, dream, or idea you have. The success or failure of anything you set out to do begins inside of your head.

I met a young man, a little over a year ago in Dallas, who had the brightest mind I’ve seen in a while. He had several goals, and career wise, he wanted to own several business. Talking to him, it seemed as if he had everything set in stone. His plans appeared to truly be lucrative, but there was only one thing that held him back. It wasn’t the fi nancial resources, as he came from a pretty wealthy family. He had the examples of leadership as there are several businessmen surrounding him. The problem was he did not believe in himself and he refused to. He lacked self-confi dence, and felt that he wasn’t good enough to live his own vision. He would say things like: “I’m not as smart as my father, I can’t make tough decisions.” “I’m afraid of the risk… I always lose out.” “I don’t know… I just can’t do this.” Through-out school, he had been bullied and the other children had made fun of him. He grew to view himself as the loser and idiot that everyone called him. He believed them, and now he believed that he couldn’t be as successful as the male fi gures in his family. After spending time with him, I was able to help him change how he looked at himself. He created a new identity and transformed right before his own eyes and everyone else’s. I asked him to view himself in the mirror and imagine a strong, intelligent, confi dent, and happy person. I asked him to talk to himself and tell himself how great, resourceful, and strong he is. He did this every night for about six months and he, in turn, began to believe those things about himself. Once he believed, he acted upon those beliefs. Needless to say, he lives those beliefs now.

Let me just throw in there, that this isn’t easy. It takes time and com-mitment to change self-limiting behavior. You’ve been doing this for a long time. As you can see, it can be changed. Start telling yourself better things. Things that actually work for you and not against you. Your future self will thank you for it!

Email [email protected] for questions

Jasmine Green [email protected]

24 | FRIDAY Castle Jackson Halloween X • Bear’s on Fairfi eld BOOOLEVARD HAUNTED HOUSE PARTY 2014 • 454 Boulevard Street 23 | THURSDAY Ignite Shreveport - Bossier: Fall 2014 • East Bank Theatre • 7 - 9 p.m. 31 | FRIDAY An OST&V Halloween 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Rewind: TEXAS CHAIN SAW MAS-SACRE • ROBINSON FILM CENT-ER • Trivia @ 8:30 p.m., movie @ 10 p.m. • rfc.tstickets.com

Super Water Sympathy LIVE at Bears in Shreveport - Halloween Special • Bear’s on Fairfi eld • 8:30 p.m.

Krewe of Highland Halloween Party 9 p.m. • The Shop

volume 2, issue 21

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