Ricky Rose is the capper on a heck of a year for Brian and Maggie. Their Tucson Salvage documentary, based on his Tucson Weekly column, is winning awards at film festivals around the country. Their series of short films based on Brian's book of short stories, Spent Saints, is now streaming on Amazon Prime. And now a baby girl! We here at the Weekly couldn't be happier for Brian, even if he's a bit on the gray side to start learning how to change diapers. (From one old dad to another, Brian: You're in for it now!)
Before Ricky Rose arrived, Brian put together this week's cover story, which digs into Tucson music history and tells the story of LaVerne Davis Lawrence, a child country-western star back in the 1950s. It's another fascinating tale of Tucson Salvage—and Brian assures me the columns will keep coming despite the fact that he's going to be cleaning poop off everything in his house.
Elsewhere in this issue: Staff reporter Kathleen Kunz looks at how a local teacher overcame a history of domestic abuse and other challenges to become an inspiration to her students and coworkers; columnist Tom Danehy has some trivia questions; Chow writer Mark Whittaker checks out Prep & Pastry's new Campbell Avenue location, as well as the August Rhodes market and sandwich shop the P&P gang has opened in their old space; music contributor Jim Lipson profiles local musician John Coinman, who is celebrating the release of a new album next weekend at Hotel Congress; movie critic Bob Grimm takes El Camino for a ride; contributor Lee Allen looks into the efforts to have a competing proposition to legalize recreational weed on the November 2020 ballot; and just in time for Halloween, former intern Ambur Wilkerson looks at a local author who has assembled a book of legends about La Llorna. Plus, there are plenty more columns, cartoons and calendars to help you plan your fun this week.
See you in the nursery!
—Jim Nintzel
Executive Editor
Hear Nintz talk about what's happening in Tucson's entertainment scene Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. during The Frank Show on KLPX, 96.1 FM. Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel airs at 4 p.m. Sunday on KXCI, 91.3 FM.
