“I’ve lived a lot since I was 29 and I understand the songs better now than I ever did.” Jazz singer and public-relations pro Ken Slavin is San Antonio’s rara avis—a very animated anachronism from a time when gentlemen sported impeccably fitted jackets for daily wear, and equally well-tailored manners. Onstage and off, this 6-foot-two-inch…
Arts & Culture
From closeted to ‘Fearless’
Jeff Sheng honors student athletes like Matt Dooley, who found the courage to come out. Life is good these days for Matt Dooley, who is starting his second year at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. This summer he was busy researching multiple sclerosis. His step is a little lighter, his outlook on…
Out of the kitchen: Andrew Goodman
“I like to be in restaurants, and it’s even better when you aren’t responsible.” On rare days when he has more time, Andrew Goodman follows a six-mile walking regimen on the river’s Mission Reach hike-and-bike trails. Busier days, the circuit can be cut to two miles down and two miles back. Goodman, owner and main…
Out of the kitchen: Chuck Hernandez
“I do like to cuss and drink beer. “I’m thinking it must be some kind of convergence,” speculates Chuck Hernandez. He’s referring to the fact that the day after our interview he will be joining City dignitaries at the ribbon-cutting for his new restaurant, O’liva, at Plaza de Armas across from City Hall. And that…
Out of the kitchen: Fred Anthony Garza
Garza was inspired by the play Doña Rosita’s Jalapeño Kitchen. At first glance, it would seem problematic at best to consider opening a vegan, gluten-free, Tex-Mex restaurant on Nogalitos Street just north of I-90. This is hardcore old-school country. But that’s exactly the point, says Fred Anthony Garza, whose Vegeria on upper Broadway, a “grassroots…
Out of the kitchen: Cat New
“I’m gonna be the oddball.” The petite 34-year-old chef and owner of The Clean Plate didn’t look the least bit odd to me—just one visible tattoo, a tiny nose stud, a baseball cap … c’mon, that’s tame for a chef these days. But here’s part of what she really meant: “I don’t identify first and foremost as…
Gene Elder interviews photographer Susan Riley
“My shots of Elvis Presley from a concert here in San Antonio have been lost to the universe.” Gene: Hi, Susan. Welcome to my humble Chartreuse Couch. I am so glad you could be here to talk about your photography for Fotoseptiembre. Just move those pillows over and sit and feel the love. Susan: Hey,…
Pocket science: get smart, without a tie
Do you really need a pocket square? Wrong Side, a very specific business honcho’d by two Austin brothers thinks so. Let’s examine the premise. True, we’ve headed into fall, but this is Texas. (Read: still hot.) And as a pocket square requires a pocket, and not just one that was gratuitously tacked onto your Henley,…
Dancing to enrich the earth
“When people hear belly dance, they have one picture in mind, but we’re doing something different.” Queer-based dance troupe Zombie Bazaar was founded in 2008 by Giomara Bazaldua and Cristal Munoz, who met in a dance class and found they shared a desire to pursue a less-conventional path. “I had danced before, so I had…
Most Influential 2015: Saakred
This past spring, 25-year-old artist and musician Saakred released a new album, a new look, and a new transgender identity. “When I shaved my head completely it was symbolic for a relationship that ended, but also because I’m done with this part of my life and ready to really be who I want to be.…