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Micah Smith

Stories by Micah

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Wonder Lives Here

After nearly $9,000 in renovations, Ron Chane used the Sept. 3 Fondren's First Thursday to unveil The Wonder Lab, a collection of studio spaces that he hopes will be a springboard for Jackson creatives.

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Chane Unveils The Wonder Lab at Fondren's First Thursday

After nearly $9,000 out of pocket in renovation, Ron Chane is today unveiling The Wonder Lab, a collection of studio spaces that he hopes will be a springboard for Jackson creatives.

Katrina: Words After the Storm

Here are a few great reads that remind us of the struggles and triumphs in the midst of one of America’s costliest storms, Hurricane Katrina.

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Ani-make a Connection

The second annual Anime Getaway Jackson may be a celebration of entertainment and culture coming to Mississippi by way of Japan, but the convention itself originated in Memphis, Tenn.

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Eddie Cusic

Mississippi guitarist Eddie Cusic, a man whose contributions to the blues music scene far outweigh his own recognition, died Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 89 years old.

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A Time to Read

When political consultant and author Jere Nash met his friend Leila Salisbury, director of the University Press of Mississippi, for lunch at Hal & Mal's in the spring of 2013, he didn't see himself walking out of the restaurant with a two-year mission.

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The Scott Sisters

The news cycle has turned quite a few times since the Scott sisters' release. Finding a way back to normal life has proved a much slower process for the siblings.

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The Strangest Dance

Music is a treasure. But the luster is wearing off, and we can't blame that all on venues. There's a reason that the hoops artists jump through are so widespread.

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Keyone Starr: Hometown Special

When producer Mark Ronson released his hit song "Uptown Funk" last year, the mention of Jackson threw some listeners. An explanation came in the form of a powerhouse performance from local soul singer Keyone Starr on Ronson's song "I Can't Lose."

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For Future (’80s) Reference

Author Ernest Cline has been in high demand since the release of his best-selling science-fiction tale, "Ready Player One." A bidding war and two movie deals later, he returns with his sophomore book, "Armada," which hit shelves July 14.

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The Israel Blues

As a 5-year-old, Ori Naftaly couldn't stay away from his father's record collection.

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Understanding in a ‘Trainwreck’

Like Quentin Tarantino or Wes Anderson, if you don't enjoy one of Judd Apatow's films, there's a solid chance that you won't enjoy any of them.

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Tim Fielder

As a child, Tim Fielder was a fan of science-fiction staples such as "Star Wars" and "Star Trek," but he noticed that African Americans didn't have much representation in intergalactic travel.

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Patrice Moncell

Mississippi music legend Patrice Moncell, 52, died the morning of Monday, July 13, following her hospitalization in Georgia three days earlier.

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Holding out for The Hood Hippie

If you make something, Malcolm Morrow, creator of Jackson entertainment blog The Hood Hippie, wants to help you. No, really.

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Unconventional Art: Creativity and Mississippi Comic Con

Some fans anxiously awaited Mississippi Comic Con even before its predecessor, last year's SOPOCU Con, wrapped up. But while founder Greg Hanks hoped to make it an annual event, he hadn't necessarily planned a follow-up convention.

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Scott Albert Johnson

Writing, recording and distributing an album is never an expedient process. For Jackson vocalist, songwriter and harmonica player Scott Albert Johnson's latest record, "Going Somewhere," that was especially true.

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Lessons from Getting ‘Caught’

Even those, like Janice Singleton, who commit white-collar crimes struggle to find gainful employment after they're released, which is one reason that prisons have so many repeat offenders, she says.

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Givers We Love

I appreciate the presents my dad has bought me in the past, of course, but when it comes down to it, I'd rather hang out with him. I'd rather thank him for showing me the kind of person I want to be.

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Rita B.

For more than two years, Cherita Brent has been taking the stage as stand-up comedian Rita B. Now, she's taking one giant step forward in her comedy career with her first hour-long special, "Rita B. Is the New Black," which records live Saturday, June 20, at the Alamo Theater.

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Adib Sabir

Adib Sabir has a different perspective on Jackson music, one gained from nearly half a century in the industry. Growing up in the golden age of Mississippi's blues and jazz made one thing abundantly clear to him: Legacy matters.

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A Closer Look at ‘Crossroads’

Brandon, Miss., singer-songwriter Tommy Ray and I have crossed paths on more than a few occasions, usually with me catching the tail end of his sets at Bonny Blair's Irish Pub open-mic nights.

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The Streaming Landscape

When it comes to music-streaming services, I'm usually late to the party, and not fashionably so.

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Funding Bigfoot

Director Michael Brouphy, who moved to Brandon from New Orleans about eight years ago, began working on the script for his upcoming film, "Tsaaloh Expedition," in 2013.

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Band of the Day: Naught

Whether it's the inherent volume, distortion or darker tones, heavy-metal music isn't for everyone. The members of Jackson's Naught have seen those elements turn listeners away in their former projects and have learned from those moments.

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Shelly Fairchild: Timeline of Your Life

Singer Shelly Fairchild has a successful music career in Nashville, due in part to her Mississippi upbringing.

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Augustus Bennett

In the nine months that Augustus Bennett has been an intern with New Stage Theatre, he has developed his acting abilities. Now, he'll be sharpening his skills off the stage as the director of the Unframed series production of Diana Son's "Stop Kiss."

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More to the Story

When many people think of comic books, they may think of crime fighting, flapping capes and spandex. When they think of comic-book readers, the image isn't complimentary.

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The Bible Belt by Way of Boston

Comedian Bill Burr has been just about everywhere. Everywhere except for Mississippi, that is. He's looking to correct that on "The Billy Bible Belt Tour" with a performance Monday, April 27, at Thalia Mara Hall.

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Fitness from the Page

Jackson-based public health practitioner and advocate Getty Israel might be a newcomer to long-form writing, but in many ways, her first book has been in the works since she was just a girl.

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James Alexander Warren

A few names come up whenever Jacksonians discuss local filmmakers, but few are as common as James Alexander Warren.

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Jumpstarting Mississippi Jazz

When Jackson bassist Raphael Semmes and Tripp Douglas, who is the owner of Fusion Coffeehouse (1111 Highland Colony Pkwy., Suite A, Ridgeland), created the Fusion Jazz Series 10 years ago, they had a bit of an agenda.

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Laughter in Awkwardness

Plenty of people know Tig Notaro, even if they don't remember from where. The comedian has appeared on a number of primetime television series, including "The Office," "Community" and "Bob's Burgers."

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Tom Beck

Tom Beck has a passion for storytelling. It's one of the factors that drives his work at Spot On Productions, LLC, which he founded with business partner Philip Scarborough in 2011.

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Anywhere, USA: The State of Film in Mississippi

As Ward Emling walks through downtown Jackson, his daydreams transport him to 1840. The "Old" Capitol Museum on State Street is still brand new, and politicians clamor inside about the future of antebellum Mississippi.

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Face the Music: Mal’s St. Paddy’s After-Party

When the floats stop floating and the bead supply runs dry, Mal's St. Paddy's Parade still has more entertainment to offer. Here's a look at the bands that will wrap up the day at the official after-party and awards ceremony at Hal & Mal's.

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Follow the Gold-Record Road: Creating the Grammy Museum® Mississippi

Construction of Grammy Museum® Mississippi is in full swing, and the museum is on schedule to open this fall, tentatively in September, moving quickly during the drier months of late spring and summer.

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Yolanda Williams

Yolanda Williams is in her third year as a professor of directing and a production manager at Jackson State University.

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Meet the Players

Grady Champion has seen many musicians come and go over the course of his illustrious career, but the blues musician says his current backing musicians, though young, are some of the best band members he's ever had.

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Grady Champion: New Roots

Grady Champion built his personal recording suite, Backyard Studio, beside his house last June, using equipment that he purchased online from Sweetwater Sound in Fort Wayne, Ind.

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Jillian Romano

When Chicago native Jillian Romano graduated from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., in 2008, she decided to get down to brass tacks.

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The Swon Brothers: Life After ‘The Voice'

Television might have taken the wind out of radio's sails, but these days, it's giving it back. There's perhaps no clearer evidence of that than Muskogee, Okla., musicians Colton and Zach Swon.

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Sam Hunt Conquers the Learning Curve

Country singer-songwriter Sam Hunt has only been performing for about seven years, but he's already made a name for himself as a certified hit-maker.

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Michael Beattie

When the Jackson Choral Society began seeking an interim director last year, it couldn't have found a more experienced leader than Michael Beattie.

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Ju Ju Swag Shawty

Every rapper wants fans to know how skilled he is, but few can back it up as confidently as Ju Ju Swag Shawty of Vicksburg.

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Comedy, Race and ‘Oh, Everything!’ Else

Poking fun at racial prejudice isn't the most obvious career choice, but comic W. Kamau Bell continues to do just that in his new tour, "Oh, Everything!", which makes a stop in Jackson on Thursday, Jan. 8, at Duling Hall.

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Stepping off the ‘Front Porch’

Country music is a difficult genre of music to appraise. Most songs sound startlingly common, with similar or identical subjects and not much difference in how they're discussed.

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Dr. Olurotimi Badero

With his laid-back demeanor, most wouldn't guess that Dr. Olurotimi Badero, 43, is one of the most knowledgeable medical minds in Mississippi.

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The Aural Tapestry of Argiflex

Argiflex, the stage name of neo-rave electronic artist Curtis Lehr, 21, isn't about meeting expectations or making music that appeals to everyone. Quite the opposite, in fact.

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Nell Knox

Attempting to condense a whole community into a single coffee-table book is an ambitious goal, but Jackson native Nell Knox seems prepared for the task.