"My father was probably the biggest influence on my life. He was very devoted and focused on my development, and was not only my father emotionally but intellectually as well. We had very interesting conversations ranging from political and economic issues to Biblical and Jewish studies. Every Saturday afternoon we studied a few passages together, and through that we bonded. He had wanted to be a rabbi but was not able to, so I think my becoming one allowed him to live vicariously through me. Today I enjoy studying with my children as he modeled for me." Rabbi Joel Finkelstein of Anshei Sphard Beth El Emeth Congregation
"Growing up, we did everything together---and got away with everything we could get away with. Why? Because we could! And we did!" Katherine & Margaret King are co-authors of a number of books. They reside in Oxford, MS, but were in Memphis for a literacy event. Find out more about them here ---
"I'm a police officer, but I'm known as Double A to the kids. I've performed anti-drug and anti-violence rap for over 45,000 kids over the past 12 years. I also teach a 9-week drug prevention class in the schools, which is something I've done for 16 years now. "I wrote and illustrated a children's book called 'To Find A Friend.' Many kids have lost the concept of what a true friend is. They think it's someone who won't snitch on you. In the book, three characters take a journey together and discover what true friendship is all about." Office Arthur Avant iis the recipient of the 2010 D.A.R.E. Officer of the Year award. Read more about him HERE. In addition to his police work, writing, illustrating, and teaching, he is a personal trainer. One of the young athletes he trained won a Silver Medal in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
"Company d is a year-round dance company specific to adults with Down syndrome. We have a very dedicated group of dancers, and every summer, many of them are involved in a 2-week intensive workshop with nationally known instructors. The intensive is 8 hours a day, and students move from class to class with the various teachers. It truly is a way for our dancers to connect with Memphis: Hutchison hosts us, they provide student interns to work with our dancers, we have a graduate student in Communications from the University of Memphis, and special instructors come specifically for the intensive. It's dance, but it's more than that. Our dancers work daily on character development through music, art, and choreography. They learn how to receive feedback, take correction, recognize the moods of various pieces of music, and deepen friendships. It's a learning experience that affects their artistic growth. The skills they gain here are ones they will use as citizens in our community all their lives. “For me, Company d is about being in community with other dancers and doing what I find joy in. This 2-week experience bringing in artists from other disciplines is a beautiful connective thread for both Company d and the artists themselves. It’s a chance for all of us to keep learning.” Darlene Winters is the Director and Choreographer of Company d. In addition to her work with the dance company, she is a Speech & Language Pathologist (in private practice), and a (part-time) clinical instructor in Speech & Language Pathology at the University of Memphis.
"At home, my dad and I have a garden---a big garden. I grow tomatoes, cabbage, sometimes lettuce, sometimes bok choy. My dad puts the seeds in the ground. We water it. I help with the picking. We wash it. And I eat it. I help out a lot at home. I picks up limbs with my dad. I help my mom carry books upstairs because she is a teacher. Teachers have a lot of books. I take the dishes out of the dishwasher. "I joined Company d in 2005. I like the jazz and choreography. I like doing musical theater. We do acting. We learn how to grow and build character. I am very honest." Chris is a dancer with Company d.
FB: Company d From the Company d website: "Company d of Memphis, Tennessee, is a nationally recognized dance company of young adults with Down syndrome under the artistic direction of choreographer Darlene Winters. Founded in 2001, Company d is committed to inspire, empower and teach individuals with Down syndrome who have an inherent aptitude for the performing arts." "When I was little---12 or 13 years old---I started watching the weather channels. I've always been interested in weather. I took a class with the National Weather Service. I took two semesters in Climate and Weather at the University of Memphis. I study weather on my iPhone, iPad, laptop, Kindle Fire, and six weather radios. My teacher [at the U of M] showed a picture of himself chasing a tornado on YouTube. When the hot air meets the cold air, it can form a thunderhead. After the thunderhead, it can form a wall cloud, then a funnel cloud. That's a tornado. Sometimes tornadoes stay on the ground for a long time before they go away. These tornadoes can be very violent. The most violent is an EF5. It can be devastating. It doesn't dissipate that quickly. I want to find a job doing the weather on TV. I can do the 7-day forecast, and I can tell people to take shelter in bad weather." Kenny is a dancer with Company d. Enjoy some of his weather reports on the Company d FB page.
From the Company d website: "Company d of Memphis, Tennessee, is a nationally recognized dance company of young adults with Down syndrome under the artistic direction of choreographer Darlene Winters. Founded in 2001, Company d is committed to inspire, empower and teach individuals with Down syndrome who have an inherent aptitude for the performing arts." “I was raised in Cleaborn Homes in the late 50’s and 60’s. The projects were so nice in those days. People knew everybody, shared their food, stayed out on porches talking, and read their newspapers outside on Sundays. We had our own store. The kids all played and got along. We’d stay outside all night playing, anytime, and we’d be safe. “Everything was encouraging in those days. My father studied the Bible, and we had Bible studies in our home and in the community every week. There were 14 in our family: 12 children plus our parents. My father taught me how to be a mechanic. He’d fix the toys that kids brought over, and he helped me build a bicycle out of parts. What we couldn’t afford, we made. And we all worked together. My parents made sure we kept the yard up, cleaned, and learned how to cook. In fact, we’re all still good cooks. “Club Paradise was around the corner, so we heard musicians play. We’d go down to Beale Street too and hear musicians like B.B. King and others. I still love going downtown. It brings back so many memories. My life has been an adventure. “Autobiography of a Kid Named Jimmie is my third book and is about those days growing up in the projects.” Jimmie L. Powell worked as an aircraft mechanic at FedEx for 34 years. He and his wife have served as foster and adoptive parents.
Books by Jimmie L. Powell:
"I grew up on a street just adjacent to Orange Mound. Orange Mound has such a rich history: it was the second largest historically African-American neighborhood in the U.S. during the 1970's (Harlem was the largest) and the first African-American neighborhood of home ownership in the U.S. That's why I wanted to do this book on the shotgun houses in that community. We may think of them as small and menial in comparison to the larger houses built nowadays, but being a homeowner, period, is something to be celebrated. It was a big deal then, and it's a big deal now. The illustrations in the book are of real homes in Orange Mound that I photographed and then painted." Darlene Newman holds an MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA. She has been a professional illustrator for 14 years. Her first illustration job was with the Wall Street Journal.
"I grew up in Orange Mound, graduated from Melrose High School, and I'm a senior now at MTSU, majoring in Public Relations. I've always been interested in writing. 'Wizard Water' is the first book in the 'Wizard Wishes' series. It's a tall tale about a little boy in the days leading up to his Little League Football Championship game. A lot of the events in the book are based on my own Little League Football Championship days, but the use of hyperbole and exaggeration make it a tall tale. There are a number of Orange Mound landmarks mentioned in the book too, including the Melrose Football Stadium. The next book in the series will be based on my basketball days." Desmond Duval, Author
Website: Desmond Duval |
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March 2021
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