We Have an Issue: Under Construction

The week began with us wondering if a handshake is inflammatory.

We were discussing the cover, which Art Director Zeke Barbaro had originally designed for our Election issue – a "let's get to work," cautiously optimistic illustration of totems of democracy being rebuilt. Regular readers will recall that we landed instead on an apocalyptic image for that first cover in November – a picture of ruin that anticipated Trump and his faithfuls' apparent determination to reduce America to rubble.

Leading up to the inauguration, we dusted off Zeke's discarded cover, thinking, now – now is the time we get to be cautiously optimistic! And then rioters laid waste to the U.S. Capitol, egged on by the president, his allies, and a political machine that's been piping toxic lies about a stolen election into the air ducts for months. They shattered glass, ransacked offices, smeared shit on the walls. As repair work began on the Capitol building, our cover's figurative concept – let's rebuild democracy! – became a literal one.

The original version of the drawing had two hands shaking, one red, one blue. We struck that imagery, in part because we worried it would feed into the third-act twist some Republicans are trying to peddle – that impeachment will divide us further and that now is the time to reconcile. (*checks watch* Now is the time?)

But that handshake also symbolized something – a blue state/red state binary – that is too confining. If I'm cautiously optimistic about anything these days, it's that our collective horror at what happened at the Capitol last week crosses party lines. If we're going to fix this thing – more to the point, our democracy – we're going to need all hands on deck.

ONLINE THIS WEEK

The Red-Headed Stranger We All Know and Love: SXSW announced Wednesday that country music icon and weed entrepreneur Willie Nelson will deliver a conference keynote address at this year's online festival. Other notable names dropped for SXSW 2021: Barry Jenkins, Queen Latifah, Sir Richard Branson, Matthew McConaughey, Samantha Bee, LL Cool J, and Adriene Mishler.

RIP Chencho Flores: Charismatic accordionista, singer, and emcee Chencho Flores died Sunday at the age of 91, after contracting COVID-19.

Ginny's Long Legacy: Longtime local country artist Roger Wallace memorializes Little Longhorn Saloon proprietor Ginny Kalmbach, who passed away Dec. 30.

But How Is He With Empty Chairs? Screens Editor Richard Whittaker chats with writer/director Robert Lorenz about his new film The Marksman and star Liam Neeson's slow evolution into the new Clint Eastwood.

Park City --> Pioneer Farms: The Austin Film Society expands its Sundance Film Festival programming at Pioneer Farms drive-in with a screening of the buzzed-about Judas and the Black Messiah.

Sample Austin's Finest in 40 Songs: Brush up on the Austin Music Poll finalists with our Spotify playlist.