Profiles
Oothoon’s: Retail Magic
story by Robin Beaudoin Ownby | photos by Beverly Love “I never would have thought back then, this is what I’d end up doing. It’s hard to leave the store now. My husband has to drag me out,” Michelle McMillen swoons. “In a previous life, I was in graduate school to be...
Mr. Lincoln’s Costume Shoppe
story and photos by Robin Beaudoin Odds are, you’ve passed by it, seen it on Florence in Overton Square while hopping into Maggie’s Pharm, Gould’s, or Memphis Pizza Café. You may have even rented a costume at Mr. Lincoln’s Costume Shoppe- I have, in 1995 for my senior...
Community
Ask Allie: Covid Lonely? Don’t Despair!
by Sarah Rutledge Fischer Dear Allie,I’ve been a good boy and have been home safe and solo during quarantine. Let me tell you, it has gotten boring and lonely. I miss hanging out with my friends, flirting, even going on dates. Aside from video chats and phone calls,...
Religious Holidays: November + December
by Peter Gathje Each faith in its distinctive way remembers the goodness of life, of being with each other, and the responsibility to be compassionate and seek the well-being of others. Faith and the holidays are inextricably bound together. Yet the religious...
Memphis Crisis Center: A Lifeline to Hope
by Chris Reeder-Young CW/TW Please note: this article discusses depression and suicide and may trigger a strong emotional response for some. If you feel triggered, please contact the Memphis Crisis Center at 901.274.7477 for help. What is the MCC?Compassionate...
Art & Culture
Inside Hollywood
story by Romeo San Vicente Boys In The Band star Robin de Jesús goes Boom What we love most in this life is a real queen, someone whose flashing discoball personality you can feel from miles away. And if you watched the recent Netflix update of Boys In The...
Pop Culture Sneak Peek
by Ray Rico STREAMING Selena: The Series Before she became the Queen of Tejano Music, Selena Quintanilla was a young girl from Texas with big dreams and an even bigger voice. The two-part coming-of-age drama Selena: TheSeries explores the once-in-a-generation...
Inside Hollywood: News for the LGBTQ Community
story by Romeo San Vicente Some queer Hallmark Christmas movies are coming. Ho ho ho.For a long time we were comfortable allowing straight people to have Hallmark Christmas movies. It seemed weirdly their thing and it was fine because everyone knows those movies are …...
Travel
Original Memphis: Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park
story and photos by Tricia Dewey Located on the third Chickasaw Bluff, Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park is 13 miles north of Memphis and contains 12,529 acres of oak-hickory forest, two lakes, 20 miles of hiking trails, a biking trail, two disc golf courses, and miles...
Original Memphis: Gay River Cruises of the 80s
by Vincent Astor | images courtesy of Vincent Astor 1980 was a very busy year for activism in Memphis. The Tennessee Gay Coalition for Human Rights had a Memphis chapter (later the Memphis Gay Coalition). Memphis hosted the Southeastern Conference of Lesbians and Gay...
Happy 5th Birthday to Us!
by Joan Allison Focus | Mid-South Managing Editor and Creative Director Focus was born of a passion that our publisher, Ray Rico, wanted to bring to fruition. ‘Rico,’ as he is called by most people, is a Latinx man who is gay. When I first started at Ray Rico...
