Eastsider Magazine March 2010

+ plus +eastside eats, nerd alert, staff picks,

and notes from the front row

march 2010

Not-So-New Year’sRESOLUTIONSit’s march, and your resolution is a distanat memory.we’ve got dancing, pottery, skydiving... and how to stay on top of that fading fitness resolution.

We must remember,because if the world forgets evil,

evil is reborn.-W.E.B. DuBois

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© 2010 Eastsider Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

8

contents>>>

4 eastside eats

8 not-so-new year’s resolution

16 getting fit in 2010

22 notes from the front row

20 staff picks

6 nerd alert

20 4

4 | march 2010 | www.eastsidermagazine.com

We arrived at Maribelle’s Tavern on a sunny but chilly afternoon. The two-story restaurant, converted from the old “Du Drop Inn” is now in its fourth year, steered by Chef Mike Florea and owner Leigh Enderle. The atmosphere is quiet and spacious, with plenty of natural light, bright colors, and a scenic view of the Ohio River across the street. Simple, elegant chairs and tables mix well some historical quirks in the building, like the dumbwaiter in the upstairs left corner. The menu for Maribelle’s is varied and reflective of both Leigh and Mike’s experience and passion. Leigh was a food science major, and Mike takes pride in layering flavors and textures in his dishes. There are some standards on the menu – such as burgers and sandwiches – but it’s clear that Mike likes to shake things up a bit. I inquired about (and insisted upon trying) the duck wing appetizer. For $10, crispy duck drumsticks can be yours, with a choice of either house-made chipotle barbecue or “hellfire” sauce. “I wanted to take wings off the menu, but some regulars were a little disappointed,” Mike laughed. “So I gave ‘em duck wings.” When asked what genre of dining he would call Maribelle’s, Mike thinks for a moment. “Upscale American. Upscale good, really.” A defining dish of Maribelle’s would have to be the pork loin. Served with sautéed brussel sprouts and spiced cranberry barbecue sauce, this dish’s flavors and textures all combine to create an exceptional entrée. I’d never actually had brussel sprouts before, but stepped out of my comfort zone to try the crunchy, caramelized vegetables. Served with walnut, balsamic and capers; I found that I enjoyed them so much I almost asked for seconds. The pork was incredibly tender, and the slightly

tart cranberries provided a nice contrast to the other flavors. We also tried the turkey sandwich with St. Andre cheese (very similar to triple cream brie) on a pretzel bun served with red apple butter. Once again, the combination of flavors was excellent. Our only wish was that this sandwich came with wet-naps; the flavorful apple butter was a little messy but worth it. Vegetarians have many options. Not only are the delicious brussel sprouts featured as a side along with other vegetables, but Maribelle’s also has a black bean burger and vegetable wrap on the menu. Entrées are priced affordably, and range from

$15-$24. Mike also has a passion for seafood. Salmon, tuna, battered haddock, and tilapia are available, as well. The menu is updated about every three months, with most of the produce being obtained from local Pic’s Produce – and there are a few supplies that are sourced from Cleveland. Maribelle’s sauces and dressings are all made at the restaurant, which means plenty of visits to Findlay Market’s Herbs and Spice for supplies. Maribelle’s has strength in its beverage selection. As far as beers go, they are working with local Cavalier distributing to expand their tap selection, which includes rotating

eastside eats>>>maribelle’s tavern: 2062 riverside drive, cincinnatiarticle and photos by Laura Arnold

www.eastsidermagazine.com | december 2009 | 5

Bell’s and Great Lakes. The wine list is affordable, and a soon-to-be big draw in late March will be the late night wine bar, set to occur from 9:00 to 11:00 pm, which will pair cheese plates and small plates with complementing wine selections. Wednesdays at Maribelle’s promise $2 off all glass pours, and Thursdays are home to $3 drafts. The cocktail and martini list is varied as well, featuring quality spirits. One of the most recent additions to Maribelle’s is Molly Wellmann, downtown’s darling craft cocktail chemist. “It’s always something different,” Mike says. “She’ll bring in a variety of bitters and jars from home and work from there to create something special each night. There’s an entry on the computer listed as ‘Molly’ and that’s what the drinks are rung up as.” With the affordable and outstanding menu, interesting ingredients and craft libations, Maribelle’s is an exceptional and enjoyable restaurant to frequent. If you stop by, you may even see us there one evening. I’ll be the girl with the big plate of those tasty, tasty brussel sprouts.__________________________________________________You can read Laura Arnolds blog, Cincinnati Nomerati,at Cincinnatinomerati.blogspot.com.


The recent release of the Amazon Kindle 2, Barnes and Noble Nook, and Apple iPad has reignited interest in e-book readers. If you’re contemplating making the plunge into paperless, here’s what you need to know. E Ink The centerpiece of modern e-book reader technology is the E Ink page display. Compared to the backlit LCD that you are used to on your phone, laptop, or flat-screen monitor, E Ink is fundamentally different. LCD technology involves selectively shining light through colored, translucent red, green, and blue flecks (subpixels) on the screen. This produces the familiar illuminated display that it easy to read in the dark, but washed-out and plagued by glare in bright light. E Ink contains charged pigment particles suspended in the display medium. Selectively altering the charge of the screen forces these pigment particles to come to the surface of the display. This produces a unique appearance that, although not quite paper-like, does look somewhat similar to printed plastic. E Ink’s performance in direct sunlight is excellent. Also, since there is no backlight, E Ink displays have much better battery life than LCDs. However, the obvious drawback is that you must have an external source of light, so no reading in the dark. One other bummer is that E Ink at this time is grayscale only. It’s not such a big deal for fiction works, but any color figures or graphics in other texts may be difficult to view. DRM Most people’s first encounter with DRM probably happened with digital music purchased from an online retailer, such as Apple’s iTunes Store. If you have ever struggled to get your .m4p files to play on a non-iPod player or been confused about the “Authorize Computer” functionality in iTunes, this was due to DRM. DRM stands for Digital Rights Management

and is an interlocking scheme of encryption and secure physical devices meant to protect the copyright of content owners. Put simply, it tries to prevent you from making unauthorized copies of content that you have purchased. The online stores that distribute e-books usually have implemented some form of DRM to protect their content as well. Although it has been designed seamlessly enough that the owner of an e-book reader will never notice it in common use, it does have one major drawback. If you decide to switch from one device to another made by a different company, say from Amazon to Barnes and Noble, you will almost certainly not be able to transfer any of your purchased content to the new device. However, there are a few shining spots in e-book DRM as it is implemented today. Both Amazon and Barnes and Noble are working to make your purchased content available on your Mac, PC, iPhone, or BlackBerry. This addresses most of the fair use that a customer would want to make of their purchases. As a bonus, Barnes and Noble is also piloting a digital lending feature, whereby you can choose an item you purchased and

lend it to a friend for a limited amount of time. The two small gotchas in the system are that first, the availability of the feature is at the discretion of the publisher on a per title basis, and second, you are blocked from accessing the items on your own device during their lending period. Model Comparison Although there are several companies producing e-book readers, three have come forward as front-runners: Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, and the Sony Reader line. In addition to an identical price, Kindle and Nook have very similar specs. Both have 6” displays, similar dimensions and weight, and the built-in ability to purchase content wirelessly over the AT&T cellular data network.

nerd alert>>>e-book reader basicsarticle by David Arnold

Nook has tiny edges with Wi-Fi capability, an SD card slot, and a replaceable battery. Kindle has an edge in the ability to purchase and play audio books as well as read books aloud using a text-to-speech converter. However the converter sounds somewhat robotic and the access to the feature can be disabled on a per title basis at the discretion of the publisher. It’s hard to chalk up any input method as a win due to highly subjective personal preferences, but it should be noted that Nook uses a small color LCD touch screen and Kindle has a physical QWERTY keyboard. Unfortunately, the Sony Readers seem to be lagging behind Nook and Kindle in features and popularity. The Reader line of devices varies in size and price, and is technically most similar to the Kindle. However, the inability to purchase content wirelessly (you must plug it into a computer via USB) is a major drawback. And squarely in the too-early-to-call-but-we’d-be-remiss-not-to-mention category is the Apple iPad with its associated iBooks app. The most important point to make is that the iPad uses an LCD display, not E Ink. This will allow full-color digital copies of books, but has all the battery life and glare issues mentioned earlier. However, since the iPad is a general computing device, it’s possible that consumers will opt to put up with a somewhat less capable e-book reader for a more versatile product. Local Places to Try, Buy, and Use The easiest way to play with an e-book reader is to go to the

Sony Style store in Kenwood Towne Centre. Even if Sony’s offering is not the top of your list, you should be able to get a general feel for the dimensions and properties of e-book readers. Apple’s store is a stone’s throw away and will certainly feature the iPad prominently. Barnes and Noble, as they move past their production shortages, is placing Nook retail displays in their stores, along with free Wi-Fi for Nook users and other physical store tie-ins. U n fo r tuna t e ly, Kindle is currently absent from any physical retail outlets and at this point any possible locations are strictly rumor. So if you want to see this device in person, you’ll have to beg a friend to give you a demo (they’re probably sick of being a product spokesman by now) or spy on a stranger using one in a

coffee shop (try not to be too weird about it). If you already own an e-book reader, there are plenty of local places to use it. The Barnes and Noble tie-ins will likely draw Nook owners to the Kenwood or Newport stores. Kindle owners have wireless access to purchase anywhere, so the usual suspects, Starbucks and Panera in Hyde Park Plaza, are good spots to show off your shiny toy. If you know of any local businesses that are friendly to customers’ reading, electronic or otherwise, feel free to send me a note at [email protected] or @david_n_arnold on Twitter.__________________________________________________David Arnold frequently spaces out on technology, mathematics, and games. Occasionally, he writes it down. Follow him on Twitter @david_n_arnold.

www.eastsidermagazine.com | march 2010 | 7


Not-So-New Year’s

March is upon us and yourNew Year’s Resolution is probably a

distant memory. It’s time to recommit yourself to some new, fun things that

you may actually accomplish this year.

RESOLUTIONSarticle by Brian Dobbins, photos by Steven Thomas


Be Light on Your FeetLeigh Bradshaw and Brian McNamee are the owners of Cincinnati Ballroom Company on Brazee Avenue in Oakley. Several of their students originally came to them to fulfill their New Year’s Resolution of taking a single dance class and have remained as faithful enthusiasts. When asked why taking dance lessons is a popular New Year’s resolution, Bradshaw had some ready answers. “There are multiple reasons. Some people do it for exercise, some for fun. In the cold months after New Year’s Eve, it’s a great way to stay indoors but still physically move your body, keep warm and exercise. The more they move, the better they feel. Their goals may change. They may come in for fun, and end up dancing competitively.”

New Years Eve has come and gone. How have you done with those ambitious resolutions that you made? Have you lost that extra ten pounds you’ve been carrying around like an old friend? Have you actually taken that cooking lesson, or enrolled in that jewelry making class? The bad news is that many of us have let our resolutions slide into that comfortable spot between “I’m Right On It” and “Maybe Next Year.” The good news is that 2010 is still young, fresh and just getting started. It’s still not too late to try something new. Resolutions can be about striking out on once-in-a-lifetime adventures, taking on a challenge, or embarking on a life-changing odyssey. With all that in mind, Eastsider Magazine decided to look at a few local belated-resolution options.


“We teach twenty-two different dances, including standards like cha cha, rumba and salsa,” adds McNamee. “We have a great atmosphere, a good group of students that enjoy being around one another. Some long-term friendships have been formed here. And it’s never too early or late to get started. Whether you’re four or eighty-four, you can really get something out of this.”

It’s also easy to get started. Cincinnati Ballroom Company offers a free thirty-minute lesson to prospective students. Once inside the comfortable studio, newcomers can discuss what they want to learn and achieve. It also gives teacher and student a chance to meet and see if they are a good fit. Group lessons are available, and children, elderly, and people with special needs are all candidates for classes, as well. Bradshaw and McNamee will even take the lessons


to on-site locations, like retirement homes. It’s quickly apparent from their conversation that both Bradshaw and McNamee consider dance to be far more than mere physical exercise. To them, it’s a rich and rewarding way of life, just the sort of thing that might appeal to someone who is interested in making a resolution that involves a long-term commitment as well as an enjoyable pastime.

“Once you get started, you become more aware of how your body works,” Bradshaw points out. “How to gracefully use your arms, for instance… even how to stand up tall. Couples can do it together, and learn how to support one another. You communicate in a nonverbal way, and you have to work together. That can extend to every facet of your lives. It can really enrich your life.”

Get Fired Up The same can be said for the skills offered at Funke Fired Arts, on Wasson Avenue. Like Cincinnati Ballroom Company, Funke has also acquired new students through new Year’s Resolutions. “People see this as a gateway art, a way to get started in artistic endeavors,” says Education Director Ben Clark. “They’re getting their hands dirty. They feel this is something that can be taught, despite their individual level of talent. To them, it’s unlike drawing in art school, where some students can draw and some just can’t.” “They come here do something different. They see the wheel, and it’s an amazing thing. They start making

a basic shape, and an idea occurs. Next thing they know, they’re making a piece of art. We try to get every person who walks through the door to have that experience”. Funke Fired Arts is an enormous place. With 25,000 feet of studio space, it also boasts an exhibition gallery for rotating shows by local and international artists, an art annex with a focus on local artists, a charming Paint-A-Pot area, and a retail sales area with every supply and tool that anyone might need for any type of clay project. The main studio has an amazing 50 wheels, plus booth rentals and an artwork shop for kids and adults with special needs. Funke is also a materials supplier for studios and schools.


They also make it easy to get started. The Introduction to Wheel course lasts for 8 weeks. Not only does that include the class, but also the doors are open to the new students to put in as much time as they want. Classes include everything from wheel-throwing to sophisticated clay sculpture. A good percentage of Funke’s students sign up for additional courses, and some graduate from hobbyist to professional. Clark’s enthusiasm for the program matches that of his students. “We have beginner, intermediate and advanced students. Those advanced students might leave class and rent a booth in the back, a little more professional space. As they start creating their own style and entering shows, some slowly move towards that business side of things. So they start with a hobby,

pay for that, then leave their jobs and do this full time. It can be truly life-changing.” Funke has a communal atmosphere that is infectious. “They have a great community here,” Clark says. “Students eat lunch together and offer one another ideas and support. It’s a life enrichment thing. Instead of like a college course, where you’re tested and graded, here we want you to learn, but also to have fun. Show up for class, have a great time, and progress at your own level. Students soon see that spilling over into their everyday life. They start choosing new colors for the kitchen, or thinking about making a custom backsplash for the sink.” Classes are year round, so people who want to make resolutions in March will have no trouble getting started. And there is an Open Throwing Night every second and fourth Friday of the month. For a small fee, prospective students can try their hand at the wheel and enjoy appetizers, wine and soda. “We will show you how to throw clay,” Clark says emphatically. “You will make a pot on that wheel. We’ll fire it and get it back to you.” Is business good at Funke? Clarke smiles at the question. “Even when the economy was going downhill, we still had new people coming in. Regular students who had lost their jobs were still coming here, and I was asking, ‘what are you doing? We can save your spot, whatever you want’, and they said ‘this is my fun spot. This is where I relax, and I need to relax’.”



Jump Out of a Perfectly Good Plane If relaxing is not your thing and you prefer the type of thrill that makes you scream like a schoolgirl, you can always try one the most popular New Year’s Resolutions out there… that bold and heart-pounding pastime known as skydiving.

David Strobel, an instructor at Start Skydiving in Middletown, has been skydiving for over thirty years. He made his first jump while covering a story about skydiving as a young photojournalist. He told me in a phone interview that the Middletown Start Skydiving location provides the Cincinnati, Dayton

and Columbus areas with experienced, friendly and committed instructors, as well as state of the art equipment for anyone who wants to drop like a rocket from two miles in the air. While I had him talking, I asked why he thought so many people chose to skydive as their New Year’s Resolution. “Most people want a resolution that takes their life in a completely new direction, and jumping out of an airplane does that for most people. One hundred and twenty miles an hour, straight down.” When I asked if most people continue jumping, David’s answer was a flat “No.” “Most people jump for that once in a lifetime experience. Very few come back and make it their sport. But more people get hooked and come back to this drop zone than any other one I’ve ever been to.” He credits that to the instructors showing them all aspects of the sport, like the camaraderie that exists between jumpers. “Once you’ve jumped out of a plane with someone, you share something special with other people that have done that. It’s way more than just falling to the ground.” There is indeed more. Once the beginner gets past his tandem jumps, he - or she, as the case may be – can learn to do demo jumps, stack jumps, and competitive jumps. Of course, the first jump is captured on video, so that the experience can be relived as many times as someone wants to watch it.


The Not-So-New Year’s Resolution There are more possibilities out there for those of us who, several months after the New Year has been ushered in, still have the optimism and fortitude to take them on. Learning a foreign language or musical instrument might be more in line with your ambitions than mastering the foxtrot or leaping from an airplane. Maybe the choice of an endeavor is not even as important as taking on the challenge of doing something outside our personal comfort zones. After all, the purpose of making a resolution is to test one’s resolve. Thankfully, there are people and places out there that are ready and willing to help us along.

Cincinnati Ballroom Company www.cinciballroom.com (513) 321-2801

Funke Fired Arts www.funkefiredarts.com (513) 871-2529 Start Skydiving www.startskydiving.com (513) 422-5867 Music Makers www.musicmakersllc.com (513) 231-2303 Cincinnati Spanish Academy www.cincinnatispanishacademy.com (513) 348-1012


With all the food, beverages, and holiday cheer in November and December, followed by the cold weather and snow storms in January and February, there’s no time of year more daunting on the health nut than right now as motivation fades from those early glory days of your New Year’s Resolution. Even the casual care-what-they-eat-or-look-like can’t escape the inevitability of accessible fatty foods and un-motivating winter weather. Certainly everyone takes notice as the usually jogger-dense Hyde Park starts to see those runners head back out into the pre-Spring world – making the rest of us wish we hadn’t given up so easily on our promises for 2010. So what’s the answer for Eastsiders looking to avoid the post-New Year’s meltdown? Chris Muskovin, owner and personal trainer at The Studio in Oakley says staying healthy is about making small adjustments, not drastic changes. And it’s in this understanding, he says, why typical New Year’s resolutions fail. “By now, people completely forget their New Year’s resolutions,” he says. Muskovin is closer to the issue than most personal trainers. He once lost 80 pounds by making right decisions; a path that led him to becoming a personal trainer. He hasn’t looked back since. “If people aren’t working out already, they’re setting themselves up to gain a lot (of weight),” he says. “I’d recommend something that’s easy to commit to – thirty minutes of some kind of cardio, three times a week.”

The Studio is designed to be a fitness center with an intimate setting. His clients, who range in all different ages, work out with interval training and a pilates reformer. He says clients can burn 500 calories in one session. “My place is the place for [clients] if they don’t want a hundred people starring at them,” Muskovin explains. “As a trainer, what sets me apart is that I know where they’re coming from because I’ve been there. I don’t have a perfect body. I don’t look like I’ve been fit my whole life. I know their disappointments and how to get passed it.” Of course exercise is only half the battle. But Muskovin’s theory on diets may not be what you’d expect. He explains that instead of avoiding foods, you should just be aware of what you’re eating. Unintentionally grazing on foods and appetizers can lead to calories piling up. Knowing what you’re eating, or “intentional cheating” as he calls it, can avoid some of these issues. But there are always some general caveats. “The more fresh foods you can eat the better you are,” he says. “Stay away from simple carbohydrates like white bread. Sugar is what gets turned into fat.” He explained how he’s at a point now where he makes decisions during meals that align with good health. And he is proactive about eating well. “For Thanksgiving I brought my own salad,” he says. “I even brought my own baked sweet potato instead of eating sweet potato casserole. Your body gets used to and craves chemicals and preservatives.

getting fit in 2010make that faded fitness resolution happen

by Chad Reid



If this is the first time you’re (eating healthy), you’re going to miss the ‘good stuff.’” But being healthy doesn’t have to be a chore. Plus, Eastsiders have a plethora of places to exercise and buy healthy food. One of those places, Natural Life in Oakley, has been around for more than 28 years. Nate Kotzbouer, who’s worked at the store for 15 years, said there aren’t any new or crazy health fads this year. The acai berry, however, is still a popular item for weight loss and as an antioxidant. Regarding getting in shape, he seems to believe it’s a simple philosophy. “Just change your diet or do a fasting cleanse,” he says. “That’s pretty much the New Year’s resolution gist.” Kotzbouer explained that only about half of the stores costumers are already living healthy lifestyles. The other half comes in hoping to start some kind of change. Eastsiders aren’t limited with their options for health by any means. With ample running streets, high profile chain gyms, personal fitness and yoga studios, there’s always something - even for beginners. Wendy Andersen has been teaching yoga for 12 years and opened Shine Yoga Center eight years ago in Hyde Park. She says the clientele at the center are a mix between those looking to relieve stress and those looking to get into shape. “Yoga works on a lot of different levels,” she says. “From purely a physical standpoint yoga is going to work very well.” She adds that the center has 10 instructors teaching 35 classes every week; making it easy to get on board. In addition, Shine is set to offer beginners

classes three Saturdays per month. “Once you start it’s going to be with you your whole life,” Andersen adds. “You’re going to get your exercise but you’re also going to get stress relief, community and all of those aspects.” She also explains how the center is beginning to incorporate nutrition programs into yoga. She says Ayurveda, which is a system of traditional medicine originated in Southeast Asia, is complementary to yoga and its overall health effects. “So often when diet factors into yoga, it comes in the form of Ayurveda,” she explains. But that’s not the only health minded thing her clients are doing. “A lot of people in the community are also into eating locally.” Andersen also says the center teaches a hoola hoop dance class if yoga’s not quite your thing. It uses adult sized hoola hoops (much larger) and padded tape for an hour-long class. “Some cardio, a lot of core strengthening and lots of smiles because it’s so much fun. There’s a lot of dance associated with it too – a lot of moving and grooving with the hoop.” So there are options for the Eastsider looking to get into shape that extend far beyond doing crunches in your basement. Working out doesn’t have to be a chore and there are places nearby that can help you get started with whatever direction you feel like taking. But staying the course is always most important, no matter which route you decide. “Discipline is just remembering what you want,” insists Muskovin. That may be the best health lesson of all.


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staff picks etsy.com, the place to buy and sell

all things handmadeby Renee Garner

PLACEMAT, $28/set of 4Jakarta, INDONESIAkainkain.etsy.com

Mimosa Coral linenembroidered placemat

BOOKENDS, $29 single/$59 pair

Brooklyn, NYdjenya.etsy.com

Ceramic bookendsdisguised as cushions

PILLOW, $55Orlando, FL

homemakermovement.etsy.com

Crewel embroideredlumbar pillow

HAT, $19Cincinnati, OHmyaseyes.etsy.com

Hand knit Owl hat available in different sizes.

This piece is by Jessica from Hyde Park, who told us a bit more about the product and the importance of her Etsy endeavor. “I started my Etsy shop not only as an outlet for my creative side, but also to raise money for the March of Dimes. 10% of all my proceeds benefit the April walk where 30 of my closest family and friends will walk in team “Sugar Babies.” My family’s overall goal is $2000. You can see my page at www.marchforbabies.com/myaseyes and my team’s page at www.marchforbabies.com/sugarbabies.”

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LOTION, $6.50Cincinnati, OH

dogwoodbleu.etsy.com

Whipped Shea butterwith Lavender Essential Oil

STUFFED ANIMAL, $19.99Cincinnati, OH

sknaturals.etsy.com

100% organicbunny for kids

NECKLACE, $30Cincinnati, OH

lisaxu123.etsy.com

Brass leaf necklacewith red coral beads

EARRINGS, $20Cincinnati, OH

mavendesign.etsy.com

Delicate goldmesh leaf earrings

STATIONARY, $18/set of 10Cincinnati, OH

bellacardo.etsy.com

You can add yourname to this card

NECKLACE, $24Cincinnati, OH

greygoosegifts.etsy.com

Silver precious metal clay necklace

With millions of items and thousands of sellers, if youstill can’t find something you like, most sellers are willing

to create custom pieces. Just ask!

arts, architecture, and entertainmentby Geoff Simmons

“Without Sanctuary-Lynching Photography in America” – an exhibit of real photographs, letters and artifacts from a horrible chapter in American history – began as a series of postcards in the private collection of James Allen, and have now gone on display six times in various locations before this exhibit at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The Freedom Center’s collection “Without Sanctuary” has added additional photos and memorabilia to the original Allen photograph collection to comprise a collection of over 200 photographs and memorabilia. Dina Bailey is the curator and she gave me a tour of the collection. She has an extraordinary grasp of the material on display and the gravity of the material, and she has degrees in Anthropology, Museum Studies and Education.

Inside the exhibit Billie Holiday’s song “Strange Fruit” plays continuously. Though it is hauntingly beautiful to listen to, the song is indeed about lynching. Another effective acoustic touch is a recorded sound of crickets chirping at night, a sound one normally thinks of as a pleasant and restive feature of summer nights but in this exhibition it’s an ominous sound, evoking the silence of a humid night after the hanging of a young black man in Georgia, Mississippi or Ohio. Some of the egregious offenses that lynching victims were accused of and killed for included annoying or frightening white women (or sometimes merely speaking to them), disputing a white man’s word, gambling, quarreling, testifying in court against whites, giving poor entertainment, protecting a Negro or keeping a “disreputable house”. It seems like anything would suffice, any pretext for mob violence and bloodletting. And it wasn’t just African Americans; of the nearly 5,000 lynchings from 1868-1968 counted by the Tuskegee Institute, 3,437 were

carried out on African Americans, while the other 1,293 included Whites, Hispanics, Native Americans, Chinese and Jewish people. Mind you, these were the lynchings that were recorded. It is a virtual certainty that many others took place out of view of outsiders or non-participants, away from town squares, far off in wooded areas or even indoor locations. And it didn’t just happen in the South; 41 states in all held lynchings. Ohio had 26, including one in Oxford and one in New Richmond. There was almost no state in the union that was without a mark against it. Hence the name of the exhibit “Without sanctuary.” During the heyday of lynching, about 1890 to 1920, killing the victim wasn’t enough. It was an accepted, grotesque form of free public theatre, hysterical mobs seizing victims out of their homes or jail cells and torturing them through horrible and prolonged

deaths. Railroad c o m p a n i e s would sell tickets to s c h e d u l e d l y n c h i n g s , families dressed in their Sunday best and brought their children and posed for pictures, smiling excitedly like they were at a county fair or a

family reunion. Professional photographers would charge up to fifty cents per picture of the lynching parties, which typically went on for hours. The pictures are hart to process - a tortured and bloody dead young man is swinging from a tree limb right above the crowd while the mob are preening for the camera. In the middle of the winding exhibit is a room called the Respite Area, containing several benches on which to sit and rest for a minute without looking at photos. In fact it serves as a crying room of sorts, and boxes of tissues are provided on a small table off to the side. My emotions didn’t rush over me until I’d been gone from the museum for a short while. Shock, anger, incredulity; this wasn’t a record of the atrocities of Genghis Khan or the Nazis, or the Spanish Inquisition. This was America over 100 years after the Constitution was written, “civilized” America. Near the end of the exhibit is a section of memorabilia to remind us as a society that we mustn’t assume that...

for the full review, go to www.EastsiderMagazine.com >>>


notes from the front row>>>

“...of the nearly 5,000 lynchings from 1868-1968 counted by the Tuskegee

Institute, 3,437 were carried out on African Americans,

while the other 1,293 included Whites, Hispanics, Native Americans, Chinese and

Jewish people.”


Extraordinary Measures is the first film from CBS Films, the film division of CBS Corporation. Just released in late January, the film is based on the nonfiction book by Geeta Anand called “The Cure.” The movie tells the story of the struggles to find a cure for a terrible muscular-skeletal disease known as Pompe Disease, or acid maltase deficiency, a genetic affliction in which an enzyme imbalance causes muscle tissue in children to break down and internal organs to grow abnormally large. Normally children with the disease die by 2 years of age or slightly later. Harrison Ford’s character in the film, Doctor Stonehill, is based on a composite of several scientists and researchers who worked to develop the drug that is now given to infants to prevent the disease. Unlike other films with an “angry” Harrison Ford frowning his way through the action, his character in this film is irascible but admirable and played with a subtlety not seen in earlier grim Ford adventures films like Air Force One or the Jack Ryan films. Here, Ford effectively shows the inner life of a brilliant but iconoclastic scientist who’s accustomed to working alone in his lab amid

stacks of paper everywhere and rock music blasting. When approached by biotech executive John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) to work on a cure for Pompe, which two of Crowley’s children suffer from, Stonehill is forced to wear ties and make nice with corporate heavies from competing pharmaceutical companies, which he finds difficult.

As the unlikely pair works together to raise funding for research and clinical trials, Crowley has to juggle his emotions connected with his ailing children with the bureaucratic and capitalistic methods of the companies putting up the money for drug trials. Crowley finds himself in a conflict of interest as a biotech employee trying to save his own kids as he works to keep Stonehill on board and bring hope to other families as well as his own. Are the big drug companies in

business to help sick people, or just to make profits and squeeze their competitors out of business? While our government is poised to make big decisions about health care and paying for expensive medicines and treatments as we speak, this film is nothing if not topical.

Bronson is a British film directed by Nicholas Winding Refn and is a true story based on the life of British bare-knuckle fighter and repeat prisoner Michael Petersen. First imprisoned in 1974 for robbing a post office and bank and receiving a seven-year sentence, Petersen earns a savage reputation as the “most violent prisoner in Britain”, mostly by kicking the crap out of jail guards and prisoners who bother him inside. The film’s star, Tom Hardy, does a remarkable job of bringing a monster to life, part of which came from an exhausting physical fitness regimen to bulk himself up for the role. He also met with Petersen himself in high-security Wakefield Prison, after passing through seventeen locked gates to reach Petersen in his specially-built cell, which is rumored to resemble that of Hannibal Lecter in the film “Silence Of The Lambs.” The name change comes from an East End London gangster who pays Petersen to win bare-knuckle fights in front of crowds (in one case fighting a Rottweiler), who suggests he adopt a cool sounding, celebrity-type name. Petersen chooses Bronson, although not as a tribute to the American actor...

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Eastsider Magazine March 2010