Late 1940s postcard of Williams Theater in Ashdown, Arkansas. The theater was built in 1947. Columnist John Moore’s father, Jimmy, was a projectionist there in the mid-1950s. Courtesy John Moore Growing up, movies weren’t just a Saturday night diversion. They were...
I didn’t want to do it. It had been on my calendar awhile and as it got closer, I wanted to be part of it less and less. You know what that's like, don’t you? We only have so many open spaces on our calendar and when there is something on there that we don’t want to...
The old question, “Where would you go first if you had a time machine?” is an easy one to answer for me. I’d visit all of my favorite long-since-gone childhood cafes, diners, and restaurants. Not all, but one stop may soon be possible, without the help of H.G. Wells....
You meet people in the South who like spring, summer or winter, but virtually everyone below the Mason Dixon Line loves fall. I can speak to my affinity for the fall season, which in Ashdown, Arkansas, is at least three weeks. Four if you’re lucky. Fall is that time...
Movies were better in a theater. A theater filled with people. Such was the case before the internet. Before HBO. Before people holed up in their living rooms and away from their neighbors and friends. A time when pay-per-view meant you bought a ticket to watch a...
We’re solidly into an election season where people are making plenty of claims regarding how they are more of an authority on issues. They suppose being an authority or having authority is a winning track. What if authority isn’t the greatest asset for a leader?...
How good is your memory? I remember many years ago laughing at my grandmother because she would leave one room and go into another and forget why she went into that room. Well, I’m not laughing anymore because I often experience that myself nowadays! It’s a normal...
I’d always wanted to do it, but I’ve just felt a little insecure about it. I stood with friends as they did it, talking to other friends who also did it. It’s like they had a connection that I was on the outside of. I smelled of their smoke, I heard their stories, but...
Not so long ago, you could tell quite a bit about someone by the car they drove. If someone drove a sensible vehicle, such as a small sedan, they were frugal and wanted to make sure their family enjoyed comfort during their travels. If someone drove a big red sports...
