Cover Stories
Writing Community
Author Hernandez solves the mystery of the unknown deportees lauded in famous Woody Guthrie song
You Can’t Make History Alone
Award-winning poet, professor and children’s book author Juan Felipe Herrera is the first Latino U.S. Poet Laureate. His work addresses the multidimensional plight of migrants, of class and of language.
Local Danish Bakery Serves Up Savory Desserts
With their light, flaky exterior surrounding gooey insides, Danish pastries are as close to perfection as it gets. Luckily Tucsonans don’t have to settle for the semi-stale, packaged varieties found in warehouse clubs across town. For authentic, baked Danish goods, locals need look no further than the Catalina Foothills area. Mona’s Bakery (4777 E Sunrise…
Cinema Clips: Logan
Hugh Jackman—allegedly—says goodbye to Wolverine with Logan, a total shocker of a superhero movie that lays waste to the X-Men and standalone Wolverine movies that came before it. Director James Mangold, who piloted the decent The Wolverine, revamps the character’s mythos, and pulls along Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) for the gritty, bloody, nasty, awesome ride.…
Cinema Clips: Land of Mine
This Oscar nominated film (Best Foreign Film) from Denmark is about as complicated and difficult a story to tell, but writer-director Martin Zandvliet more than succeeds. It’s post WWII in Denmark, and a group of Nazi youth POWs is tasked with clearing a beach of thousands of mines. Their commander, a Danish Sergeant (an excellent…
Cannabis Bowl 2017: Get Your Vote On, MMJ Folks
Over here at Weedly World Central we are getting read for round two of the Cannabis Bowl. If you are a card-carrying Medical Marijuana patient, it’s time for you to tell us about your favorite dispensaries, strains and products. It doesn’t take as long as Best of Tucson, and the survey deadline is around the…
The Weekly List: 14 Things To Do In Tucson In The Next 10 Days
Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo. Booze Tails & Ales. Do you love beer and dogs? Yes, of course you do! The Humane Society of Southern Arizona and the Tucson Roller Derby Girls thought so. Bring your pup for a dog wash and kick back with a brew while your best friend…
SXSW Day 3: Sleigh Bells Concert Leaves Heads Spinning, Ears Ringing
Last night was a party for the record books as we hit up Empire Control Room in Austin to check out the evenings lineup, which mostly consisted of bands with “wild women” front singers. The lineup included Mothers from Athens, Georgia; Hurray for the Riff Raff out of the Bronx; Julie Byrne from New York…
That New Orleans Americana, SXSW
I’ve loved Hurray for the Riff Raff since I moved to Tucson. Their music, which I could only in find YouTube videos of neighborhood-bar performances, was raw, dirty and real, just like Tucson. It was like sipping whiskey, kickin’ rocks by the train tracks and days ending in blistering pink sunsets. Their brand-new album, “The…
Mark Hamill Uses Twitter Force Against the Trump Death Star
This is too good to pass up. Kevin Eck, recently hired staffer for Betsy DeVos’ Education Department, was unhappy with Mark Hamill, aka Luke Skywalker, for his criticism of Trump. So in November Eck tweeted: Now that Eck is at the Dept. of Ed, Hamill decided it was time to reply. Eck is one of three…
In The Flesh: Houseparty Pulverization Off 4th Avenue
In the heart of downtown Tucson, away from the heavily trodden sidewalks of 4th Avenue, a fistful of Cali bands made a pitstop Tuesday night to play a houseparty thrown by Molly Ragan of Split Leaf Promotions to further pulverize the fine dust of Barrio Viejo before continuing on to Austin, Texas for South by…
Fund to Help Islamic Center is Real Deal
Hitting the internet today is a GoFundMe campaign to help the Islamic Center of Tucson replace destroyed and damaged copies of the Qur’an. A man reportedly broke into the Center and vandalized the prayer books. TPD is conducting an investigation. Some asked if the fund is legit, so I emailed it and received a call…
Planned Parenthood Advocates Show Support in Southern Arizona
According to a press release from Planned Parenthood Advocate of Southern Arizona today, in response to the House GOP introducing the Affordable Care Act repeal bill in favor of TrumpCare, petitions in support of Planned Parenthood will be delivered today, Wednesday, March 15, from 2 to 3 p.m. at Congresswoman Martha McSally’s Tucson office, 4400 E.…
Streets of This Town: Lost in Tucson
Everyday lost creatures, pure heartbreak. “Our 2 young children are devastated.” “Streets of This Town” is a little daily photo series featuring random pics I take on long walks through Tucson—to sort of coincide with Tucson Salvage.
Get Outside: Hike the Yetman Trail
I love going hiking on Sundays, but I also like sleeping in and slowly adjusting to civilization with a cup of coffee and a copy of the New York Times and our local daily. Sometimes brunch is involved and later a nap. If that goes into the late morning, it’s hard to get to Sabino…
Music and Healing: Since Pursuing Music, Arizona Teenager Hasn’t Missed a Beat
Music has the power to stir up vivid memories, unlock creativity, inspire the unmotivated, and evoke within us the entire spectrum of human emotion. It connects people across cultures and eras and helps us celebrate, mourn, and entertain. On occasion, it aids us in showcasing subpar dance moves. In certain instances, music facilitates healing. Such…
Do You Know This Idiot?
Yesterday, the Islamic Center of Tucson posted this idiot’s picture on their Facebook page, claiming that this man is a suspect in a break in at the university area mosque and center. From their post: Yesterday morning, March 13th, the Islamic Center of Tucson (ICT) was broken into and vandalized. Thankfully, no one was hurt.…
So Are Your AZ Politicians Supporting Trumpcare?
The Congressional Budget Office’s Trumpcare score has been all over the headlines in recent days, so by now, you know the basics: The winners are America’s wealthiest citizens, who will pocket a nice tax cut, and the losers are folks on the end of the economic spectrum, who will likely lose their Medicaid coverage or…
Zona Politics: Authors Patrick Phillips and Pamela Rotner Sakamoto Discuss Their Books
On this week’s radio edition of Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel, author Phillip Patrick talks about his book author of Blood at the Root, a nonfiction account of a 1912 racial cleansing that took place in Forsyth County, Georgia. The book has been celebrated as one of the best of 2016 by The New York Times,…
‘Give More Money to Schools in High-Rent Areas’ Lisa Graham Keegan Says (Or Almost Says)
Lisa Graham Keegan is the bluebird of “education reform” happiness. Keegan, former state legislator who sponsored Arizona’s original charter school bill (and got it passed by threatening Democrats that a voucher bill was coming next if the charter bill failed), then the Superintendent of Public Instruction who got charter schools rolling (and budgeted as little…
Bad Bitches of SXSW
Writing music is like falling in love. It’s totally unplanned and sparks something—a drive, said Crista Ru, half the POWERS duo. Her and Mike Del Rio, the guitarist and singer, fill the voice memos on their phones with 15-second song ideas when inspiration strikes. Headlining a showcase at Bar 96, on Rainey Street, on Monday—the…
Streets of This Town: Dino Jr.
Comely front-yard art near Stone Ave. Tucson! “Streets of This Town” is a little daily photo series featuring random pics I take on long walks through Tucson—to sort of coincide with Tucson Salvage.
T.H.R.E.A.T. Watch: Why Does Trump Call the Press ‘Vrag Naroda’?
“Vrag naroda” is Russian for “Enemy of the People.” I didn’t pull the phrase from some online English-to-Russian translation engine. It is, or was, a much used term in the Soviet Union to describe people who the leadership believed were dangerous and were sent away to some distant prison camp, or executed. Until Stalin died,…
Talking Freedom of the Press with Journalists Maureen Dowd, Joe Conason and Evan Thomas
I had the honor of moderating a great discussion on freedom of the press under the Trump administration with The New York Times’ Maureen Dowd, the National Memo’s Joe Conason and longtime political reporter Evan Thomas at the Tucson Festival of Books. If you weren’t able to get the festival to see it, you can…
Jaxx Needs a Home
Hi, I’m Jaxx! I’m a cute 2.5-year-humold boy and I’m looking for a home! I’m very playful, I love people and I get along well with other dogs. I’m really smart and know how to sit like a good boy for treats. I would benefit from some doggy brain games to keep me busy in…
SXSW Day 2: The Trainspotting 2 Secret Screening
This year’s secret screening at South by Southwest has been out in the U.K. since January, but a little over a hundred festival goers were treated to an early screening of the anticipated sequel to the 1996 hit, Trainspotting. If you’re afraid that Trainspotting 2 will be yet another flat sequel that falls short of…
GoT Stark Mavens and the Double Ds
Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams showed off their matching tattoos at South by Southwest. 07.08.09—the date they were cast in Game of Thrones. Moderating a discussion with David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the show’s creators, the two women (yes, they’re all grown up!) were candid and charmingly awkward. Reading from cue cards, the GoT…
SXSW Day 1, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Data
I am not an entertainment journalist. So imagine my surprise when my editor offered me the opportunity to go to South by Southwest to relay to our beloved Tucson community the performances of the most up-and-coming bands appearing at what is, traditionally, one of the most popular music festivals in the world. Well, lucky for…
Advice on Welcoming Immigrants, From SXSW
U.S. cities with large immigrant and refugee populations thrive in a variety of ways. There are ways to support this community, which have been proven to make a difference. At the South by Southwest Conference in Austin, Texas, mayors of two sanctuary cities and an expert on smart immigration policy spoke on these issues at…
Laughing Stock: Humor, or comedy? Don’t ask us.
By Linda Ray “People ask me, ‘What’s the difference between a comedian and a humorist?’” Michael Perry says. “and I always say, ‘I don’t know, but I think it has something to do with NPR.” It’s no surprise that Perry’s fans often suggest that he should do standup. His books, newspaper column, blog and podcasts…
Streets of This Town: Kick Back
Little lazy off Flower Street. So Tucson. “Streets of This Town” is a little daily photo series featuring random pics I take on long walks through Tucson—to sort of coincide with Tucson Salvage.
Streets of This Town: Skeletons
Classic Tucson skyline, beautifully scraped up. A visual of yearning … “Streets of This Town” is a little daily photo series featuring random pics I take on long walks through Tucson—to sort of coincide with Tucson Salvage.
Ear-Bending Sylvie Simmons in Tucson Tommorrow Night! Intimate Free Show.
We down here at TW were sleeping, apparently, on this one. See, the wonderful voice and ukulele of author/songsmith/editor Sylvie Simmons will play Tucson’s Owls Club tomorrow night. Yeah, you may know Simmons from her from her 2012, much-lauded international bio on the big man: I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen, or her work for Mojo…
Tucson Book Fest: A Conversation with Evan Thomas, author of “Being Nixon: A Man Divided”
Longtime Washington journalist Evan Thomas’ latest book is Being Nixon: A Man Divided, a biography of former president Richard Nixon that was named one of the 10 best nonfiction books of the year by Time Magazine and was praised as a “fully rounded portrait” by the New York Times Book Review. Thomas will be in…
Hemp is Hot
It looks like Arizona will have new industrial opportunities as a bill to legalize the manufacturing and sale of hemp rolls through the state legislature without much opposition.
Police Dispatch
Much Ado About Something
Police Dispatch
A woman who’d been evicted from an apartment complex was accused of using lipstick- not once, but three times
A Odyssey of Sorts
I love this Rogue. Explosive. Smart. Funny. Fearless. Bright.
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: A Mexican man recently broke up with me. We had great sex, but a somewhat distant relationship.
Tucson Salvage
When Beyoncé pimps your work on her socials and when Apple appropriates your imagery, you’re into a heightened cultural pop lexicon.
Know Your Product
Two decades into a hugely successful career, Australian hard rockers the Sick Puppies put out its fifth studio album, Fury, last May.
Vintage Vinyl
As the ’60s ended, Tucsonan and Stone Poneys founder Bob Kimmel created the legendary Concert Series at McCabes Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, California, featuring a diverse roster of performers such as Jackson Browne, Tom Waits and Chet Atkins, along with hundreds of others.
Rage Logan, Rage
And now for something completely different.
Editors Note
Watching Tucson Unified School District implode again and again hurts
So Long Sánchez
Tucson’s largest school district accepted Superintendent H.T. Sanchez’s resignation at the governing board’s Feb. 28 meeting after two highly contentious weeks.
The Skinny
Sex Talk Why McSally’s push to defund Planned Parenthood isn’t all that popular U.S. Rep. Martha McSally is no fan of Planned Parenthood. McSally is a staunch opponent of abortion rights, opposing the procedure except in cases where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or if the mother’s life is in danger…
Noise Annoys: Desert Beats
For decades now, general associations from outside of Tucson about what this town’s musical exports sound like has been pithily summed up under the ridiculously vague, narrow and oversimplified term “desert rock.”
Foxhole
There is a sentient cup out there right now wondering about the meaning of its life.
Creole Comforts
Tiffany Eldridge actually prefers the title of bartender over mixologist. She does not ignite drinks on fire, there isn’t a lot of tossing shakers and bottles and above all she just wants you to take the time and enjoy one of her signature creations or a classic libation.
