Opinion: Germantown Community Library celebrates ‘The Great Gatsby’ turning 100
The Germantown Library is celebrating the anniversary with a community “Big Read” and other events centered on the book.
Topic: Guest Columns
RSSThere are 318 article(s) tagged Guest Columns:
-
September 2026
-
-
Maxey: Balancing the horror — and the inevitable good things — on Sept. 11
“Everyone above a certain age has memories of the day, of where they were and what they were doing. It was one of those iconic days in history that we knew instinctively — even as it was happening — would stand out and be recalled among the many other days that would make up the story of our lifetimes.”
-
Opinion: Calling partisanship racism doesn’t make it so
John Covington says, “Beyond the incendiary rhetoric, the facts are straightforward: Tennessee Republicans wanted another Republican seat – and said so plainly.”
-
Opinion: ‘Ain’t gonna let nobody … turn my Grizzlies around’
“I’m tired of conspiracy theories about moving the Grizzlies out of Memphis. Not from any true insider have I heard that the intention is to move our team anywhere, especially to Nashville. Wrong sport.”
-
Opinion: Tennessee has never waited for history to happen
“Tennessee’s biggest challenges are deeply connected. Housing affects access to education. Transportation determines access to jobs. Childcare influences workforce participation. Energy shapes our economic competitiveness.”
-
Opinion: MLGW on why Memphis’ water future is secure
“Thanks to natural recharge zones and our local reduction in demand, our water system is sustainably replenishing itself. But we cannot afford to become complacent.”
-
Opinion: Making bail more expensive and unattainable violates human rights
“Advocating against the Anti-Bail Fund Legislation is not to stand for the release of convicted felons, but rather to stand and say that the legislation is flawed at its core.”
-
Echols: In an era of artificiality, we want the real
“I have never been more aware of my desire for those things that counter the putrid assault of soulless artificiality that daily pursues the lives we inhabit.”
-
-
August 2026
-
Opinion: Transparency shouldn’t stop at the DA’s door
“If a serious charge generated through the Memphis Safe Task Force is not prosecuted, citizens have a legitimate interest in knowing what happened. That is not an attack on prosecutors. It is accountability.”
-
Maxey: ‘Your algorithms need to get off my lawn and leave the old man in peace’
“There’s a more serious dialogue to be had over the inter-generational bickering so prevalent these days. Largely fueled by social media, generations seem to be increasingly antagonistic toward one another over society’s ills and who’s to blame.”
-
Opinion: The disparity in public grace extended to different Collierville officials is stark
“Communities thrive on open, civic dialogue, but our leaders also deserve fairness, basic decency, and residents who debate policy instead of tearing down character.”
-
Opinion: Other cities have limited data center development. Memphis can, too.
“Memphians have been given a false choice: either accept AI data center development without safeguards or be left behind. Memphis must treat clean air, clean water and affordable energy as non-negotiable, as other cities and regions have.”
-
Opinion: We can have data centers while also protecting Memphis and Memphians
“Some of my neighbors feel unheard, and that is a gap we have to close. But a blanket moratorium fixes none of the problems. It stops new construction jobs and increases in the tax base while leaving the plants already running exactly where they are.”
-
Opinion: Tackling domestic violence, the hidden part of violent crime
“Addressing the domestic violence part of our violent crime challenge must involve providing more support for domestic violence victims, more accountability for the perpetrators and efforts to change behavior.”
-
Maxey: ‘I’m of Memphis. It’s who I am and what I am.’
“Those who only see the city’s failings — which are real — will never fully understand what we understand and will never fully see what we see. They’ll never understand why some of us don’t give up on it. This is home.”
-
Echols: ‘What would you say is the peak of your life so far?’
“Is the very nature of a peak that there is only one? Does the length of a life have any correlation with the number of peaks it will have?”
-
Opinion: Mayor Young — Data center investment requires new rules for growth
“The communities that succeed in this next economy will be the ones capable of supporting major investment while maintaining the trust of the people who call them home.”
-
Pilgrim: There’s something magical about the fall
“When Ron Maxey declared summer ‘the best season for a reason,’ I couldn’t resist making the case for autumn.”
-
Echols: Seeing more stars than our eyes could take in
“Awe is evident when your mind has been blown and you are forced to re-think what you knew before.”
-
Opinion: I wish the rest of America understood what I know about Memphis
“It takes living here to know the people. That’s what so many who dismiss Memphis never experience. They see headlines but never hospitality. They hear about violence but never generosity. They know the statistics but not our stories.”
-
Echols: Punctuation is a short-term superpower
“I typically write about God in this space, and you may think there’s no way on earth to weave God into a conversation about punctuation – but on that matter, Dear Reader, you would be wrong.”
-
Maxey: Despite the heat, in summer everything in nature is alive and at its peak.
“I’ll take every season life sees fit to give me, but I know which way I’ll bend if I have to choose favorites. Give me the season with long days and short pants, warm evenings but cool memories.”
-
Opinion: The lesson from the World Cup is that Memphis needs to promote more local musicians
“Memphis could be at the epicenter of the next music revival, much like Nashville and country music has enjoyed over the last 15 years. Yet so many of the discussions here today focus on promoting the music infrastructure, with very little about musicians themselves.”
-
Opinion: Adults can debate — but children can’t wait
“Here is my challenge to Memphis as a new school year begins: Move Memphis, mane! Move beyond the debates long enough to remember the reason we have them in the first place: our children.”
-
Opinion: John Fry’s legacy deserves more than the final headlines
“As Memphis discusses the future of Ardent Studios, I hope we will spend just as much time remembering why Ardent mattered and honoring John Fry, the man who devoted his life to making sure the music, the people and the history of this city would never be forgotten.”
-