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JR: St. Louis Basilica, St. Louis MO

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Admin of TBJ

If you live in the Midwest, love columns and arches, Byzantine architecture, stained glass, and iconic art but happen to be a poor teacher or ordinary working class hero, then you can’t afford to fly to Italy and visit the great cathedrals in Rome, Venice, Florence, and Assissi. A plane ticket to Europe is currently out of your reach no matter what Fox News says about your particular union hoarding all the wealth and destroying America for the good Wall Street people. However, there is a pretty fair replacement cathedral within your budget.

Seeing St. Louis Basilica certainly makes a drive to St. Louis itself worthwhile. However, due to the limitations of my own mind, it was impossible to fully appreciate what I was looking at in a few hours. No, I think that it would be impossible to fully appreciate the intricacies of the Basilica in a week. I tried to focus on the mosaic work since that seemed the most amazing to me. The idea that huge wall and ceiling coverings, which from a distance appear to be scenic paintings, are actually millions upon millions of tiny glass shards arranged and implanted in plaster in the most tedious fashion imaginable is mind-boggling. Their beauty can only be honestly described as breath-taking when you enter the nave of the church. It’s like walking into another plane of existence, one that you have no hope of fully comprehending and can only appreciate as a child might a whole room full of candy. And, when I say tedious it isn’t hyperbole.

The installation of these mosaics began in 1912, but weren’t finished ’til 1988. The work involved dozens of artists over generations, much like the ancient work in Europe. The narthex (lobby) of the church depicts the life of King Louis IX of France, namesake of the city and church, the rear dome includes mosaics of significant archdiocesan events, while the main dome by Jan Henryk de Rosen depicts Biblical scenes from both the Old Testament and New Testament.

In 1999, a 14-foot high, welded stainless steel sculpture by Wiktor Szostalo was installed on the side lawn of the church. The sculpture was a gift from Adelaide Schlafly in memory of her late husband, Daniel Schlafly, a Catholic layman and history professor at St. Louis University who was dedicated to the cause of racial justice and peace. It features a winged angel with African-American features, standing behind three children with Hispanic, Asian and European features, playing a song of peace on their instruments. The statue’s, called The Angel of Harmony, is inscribed with quotations from the New Testament, Pope John Paul II, and Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s worth taking a few pictures on a sunny day.

Inside, don’t forget to check out the huge pipe organ built by the Geo. Kilgen and Son, Inc. in 1915. Originally, the organ had two four manual (keyboard) organ consoles, one in the gallery with the organ, and another console behind the sanctuary. In 1997 the Wicks Organ Company of nearby Highland, Illinois began a restoration project. They added more ranks of pipes, which brought the organ to 96 ranks of pipes. The company also added some digital stops to the organ. A new four manual organ console replaced the old Kilgen console behind the sanctuary, and the second gallery console was refurbished. In 2002 the original organ console had to be replaced, but visitors can still see it in the basement museum.

St. Louis Bascilica is easy to find, located at 4431 Lindell Boulevard and here’s an added bonus. When you’ve had your fill of church art, head up to the Italian neighborhood in the famous district known as “The Hill” and enjoy a fine meal with a good bottle of chianti. The penne alla puttenesca was so good that even an old pagan like me thought about getting baptized.

Juror #3/Jim McGarrah

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JR: Dodge City, Kansas

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Admin of TBJ

“Buffalo Bill’s defunct…”
– This opening phrase from e.e. cummings’ famous poem on the denouement of the America West shows a complete lack of regard for the power actors like John Wayne, Bill Boyd, Tom Mix, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers had in keeping alive this country’s only original mythological creature, the cowboy. We love these overly-romanticized knights of the western cow towns and plains. We love the idea of gunfights, saloons, ten galloon hats and silver spurs so much that one city in the west owes its continued livelihood to our imaginations. I’m speaking of Dodge City, Kansas. Once home to such notable 19th century figures as Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Big Nose Kate, and Clay Allison, the city provided a gateway from western Kansas into Colorado and beyond for cattlemen driving their herds to markets. Once called the “wickedest city in the west” that reputation only grew as the railroad went through in the early 1870’s. The town initially had no law enforcement and as buffalo hunters, soldiers, drifters, and gamblers wandered into its streets and saloons, gunfights often followed. Many men died in their boots and were buried at the edge of town the same way. Consequently, the graveyard became known as Boot Hill. You can still see those gunfights reenacted every day on the main street of the old western part of Dodge right in front of the Long Branch Saloon. At certain times of the year you might enjoy the Dodge City roundup and rodeo or a play produced by the Depot Theatre Company. Don’t feel like you have to stay in the 19th century, though. If horses aren’t your thing you can check out the stock car races at Dodge City Raceway Park or the modern-day Boot Hill Casino and Resort. In America, nostalgia is big business and this little town knows it. Dodge City is a fun way to pass a couple of days on your way through to somewhere else, just as the cattlemen of old did. However, if you understood my literary allusion in the beginning, then take this one to heart – driving through Kansas from the east to the west to get to Dodge City is like reading Marcel Proust when you’re already sleepy.

Juror #3/Jim McGarrah

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JR: Siena, Italy

Posted on October 5, 2010 by Admin of TBJ

For an adult full of intellectual, historical, and artistic curiosity (that phrase may eliminate most Republicans), the entire region of Tuscany is a treasure trove. However, every container full of riches has one special little jewel hidden within its wealth, one in which the perfection of each varied facet combines to create a gem greater than the sum of its parts. For me, this has always been the small town of Siena, beginning with Piazza del Campo, the town square that Henry James once called the greatest plaza in Italy and the whole of Europe.
The Piazza, which is actually a fan or shell shaped area paved with individual hand-laid bricks, seems to be constantly full of brightly colored tourists feeding brightly covered pigeons. A few steps off the Piazza, outdoor cafes serve up mussels and clams and every kind of pasta imaginable along with liberal offerings of gelato and glasses of wine from the Sangeovese grapes grown a few kilometers away. Sadly, you’ll have to pay a hefty price for these fine meals, about as much as lunch at McDonald’s in some dreary little town in America. Boo Hoo!
After lunch, you may stroll to Plazzo Publico, or Town Hall, and inside stare at the wall of the civic museum in amazement. The allegory of Good and Bad Government, a series of frescoes painted by Ambroggio Lorenzetti in the 14th century, portrays the struggle between order and chaos. This contrast is an example of what makes art a cultural heritage, its timelessness. We struggle with the same conflict in the 21st century. Don’t worry about leaving the Piazza and having nothing to do. A short distance away, the Duomo of Siena stands. This cathedral was built with alternating blocks of black and white marble and the reliefs in the Baptistery were painted by Donatello (and I don’t mean one of the Ninja Turtles). If you have time after visiting the leather shops and watching the street comics, stop by the old Medician Fortress that is now the Siena Jazz School and maybe you’ll be lucky enough to hear one of the free concerts that go on year round. These things I’ve mentioned are only the beginning
of sights, sounds, and tastes available to any tourist in Siena. There are more churches, a university, an opera house, museums, professional soccer and basketball games, and a host of jewelry and clothing stores to keep you occupied. The town is accessible by bus Florence (1 hour), Rome (three hours), and Milan (four hours).

Juror #3/Jim McGarrah

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JR: Bled, Slovenia

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Admin of TBJ

There is something almost incomprehensible about sitting on a park bench, looking out over a green lake pebbled by a slight breeze at a castle twice as old as your country. As the morning sun echoes off mossy stones, you see into the past and realize the great Hapsburg ruling dynasty of Europe vacationed here. Yes, Hapsburgs drank, cried, laughed, and ruled their way into oblivion while your ancestors carved a raw wilderness into The New World. As the bass swirl in the lake and Slovene citizens walk to work around you, pine trees like you’ve never seen before climb up the Julian Alps to reach the snow that never exists in May where you live. You notice the houses made of tile and stone on the opposite shore of glacial Lake Bled, beyond the castle, and you wonder what the people behind the yellow, green, beige, and pearl colored walls might think if they noticed you on this bench wearing a shirt that reads “I’m an American.” Everywhere the smell of expresso brewing, the taste of vanilla-and-cream pastry called kremna rezina, the roar of motor bikes, the playfulness of gaudy fishing boats and old men mending nets, the laughter of small children tied to their parents wrists and bouncing like helium balloons along the crowded sidewalk around the lake remind you that these good people, who have exercised a Jobian patience and resilience in the face of Nazi occupation and the internecine savagery that inflamed the Balkans when Yugoslavia split apart, are happy you came to visit. If you’re so inclined you may go horseback riding, hiking, or take a rowboat to the small island in the middle of the lake and ring the bell at Assumption of Mary Church for good luck. A more laid back idea might be to enter the town of Bled proper and gamble at one of the small casinos or enjoy a fine lunch lakeside at the five-star Grand Toplice Hotel and afterward take a horse and buggy ride or relax in the thermal-spring heated pool. The lake is situated in the northwestern corner of Slovenia forty-five kilometres from both the Italian and the Austrian borders. There are regular bus routes from most central European cities and English is spoken everywhere. Currency in Slovenia has been the Euro since 2007 and prices are very reasonable in comparsion to other European resort areas.

Juror #3/Jim McGarrah :: Click here to view juror photos

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JR: Ellis Park Race Track, Kentuckiana

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Admin of TBJ

Most of the boundary between Indiana and Kentucky is recognized as the mid-point of the Ohio River. However, for over a century the two states argued about a small patch of land along Highway 41 on the Indiana, or northern, side of the river. Since the ground on which the Ellis Park race track was built in 1922 lay north of the water and since pari-mutuel wagering on horse races violated a prohibition in the Indiana Constitution until the late 1990’s, the track could have never opened without a court decision that stipulated the Ohio River deviated from its original course in the 19th century during an earthquake along the New Madrid Fault. An act of God left this postage stamp of dry land belonging to Kentucky while surrounded on all other sides by the sovereign state of Indiana. It was a miracle of Mosaic proportions brought on by the prayers of faithful punters, articulate lawyers, and business men who saw a way to turn a profit by greasing the wheels of justice with a little cash. Indiana investors put money into the track. Horse families from Evansville and points north worked and raced there. For several decades Ellis Park was the only real horse track that Hoosiers could lay any claim to and lose their hard earned wages at. The track is still open and running in the 21st century. Even though Indiana has opened several newer tracks north of Evansville, thoroughbreds are racing there until Labor Day this year and will again next season. There is a country fair atmosphere at this little track, one that makes the trip to Ellis worth more than the sum of its parts. When you walk into the cavernous old grandstand area, you get the feeling that you’ve stepped back in time to a gentler world, one that’s more fun, one where the pace is slower and the most stressful part of the day will be deciding between a hot dog or a polish sausage. Everytime I think of Ellis Park, I can taste homemade relish on the polish sausages. I hear the crowd rise to its feet on the balcony above me, screaming for one thousand pound animal to stick his nose in front of another at an invisible wire on a clay track. I feel the ground vibrate as forty hooves drum down the stretch. For an instant, the air seems electric, swirling and crackling, like a jockey’s whip has just sliced through it. The smell of leather and sweat is everywhere. So, if you live in the Midwest and it’s summer and you’re looking for a mini-vacation that’s only as expensive as you want it to be, you could do a lot worse than driving to Southern Indiana (excuse me, Northern Kentucky) and spending the day watching
the horses run.

Juror #3/Jim McGarrah

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JR: Audubon State Park, Henderson, Kentucky

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Admin of TBJ

When I was a kid, my old man would always spit and sputter, “this damn place is for the birds,” whenever my mother dragged him to church or shopping or PTA or almost anywhere away from the Three Aces Tavern. I searched the vestibule at mass, the produce counter at the store, the rafters in the gym at school and never found a single winged creature, although Mrs. Huey said she had to watch me like a hawk in the second grade. Consequently, I believed my father a little insane until we went on a family picnic to John James Audubon State Park. Situated on the bank of the Ohio River just north of Henderson, KY with an entrance from Highway 41, Audubon State Park is home to the world’s largest collection of Audubon artifacts, sketches, and paintings and offers exhibits from the artist’s life here nearly two centuries ago.

The renowned naturalist and artist moved to this wilderness area with his family to operate a small mercantile business and to explore the surrounding forests in search of wild birds to study and sketch. If you’re a little sensitive or belong to PETA, I should tell you that he stuffed quite a few of our feathered friends for exhibit as well. All of this stuff (no pun intended) is available for viewing in the museum just inside the park’s entrance. But, Audubon park isn’t all about stodgy old museums. It’s a beautiful woodlands preserve for the nature lover in all of us. There are six rental cottages, a 69-site campground, a huge lake for swimming, fishing, and paddle-boating, along with nature trails of varying distances and shelter houses complete with grills for parties, picnic, family reunions, et al. This link will provide you with any information you need, including reservations and maps: http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/au/ - Keep in mind my dad’s words if you go because they’re true. The place is for the birds.

Juror #3/Jim McGarrah

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JR: Ljubjana, Slovenia

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Admin of TBJ

Of several legends, the one I prefer has it that Jason and his Argonauts after finding the Golden Fleece broke their boat down into pieces and were carrying it overland on a shortcut back to Greece when they arrived at a huge lake and surrounding marsh formed by the Ljubljanica River. The marsh was home to a mighty dragon and Jason slew the beast, thereby allowing a great city called Ljubljana to be built. Today Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia, a beautiful little country situated in the Julienne Alps and bordered by Italy, Croatia, the Adriatic Sea, and Hungary. Ljubljana has been heavily influenced culturally throughout its history by its conquerors, including the Romans, the Germans, and the Slavs. But, since the collapse of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, Slovene independance has given rise to a cosmpolitan city worthy of a visit. The city boasts of a national theater and opera house, a beautiful castle turned museum and home to some great philharmonic concerts, world class restaurants, 104 types of pizza, a major European university, several ancient Roman archaelogical sites, art galleries galore, and shops full of quaint and curious notions. There are roughly 300,000 people in the city and over 30,000 of them are university students. This helps generate a vibrant intellectual and night life, which often intermingle. What do I mean by that? Well, consider one of my favorite spots, Casa de Papa (House of Papa). During WWI, Ernest Hemingway drove an ambulance for the Italian army. He was badly wounded in the Soca Valley just outside Ljubljana and spent time recuperating in the city. Anyone who is aware of the Hemingway mythology knows what that means – drinking, carousing, writing, screwing, drinking, etc. He became quite famous in this central European outpost. Casa de Papa’s is a nightclub dedicated to his memory and full of very rare Hemingway photos and memorabilia. The owner, who invited me there to read poetry, is a man named Arthur. Arthur is a cross between Tom Green and Don Rickles in attitude and Michael Bolton and Michael Jackson in appearance and fashion sense. He acts as emcee to a once-a-week program of poetry and intellectual conversation that runs the gamut from Platonic philospophy to Camus absurdism. There is disco dancing, a fine fusion restaurant upstairs, and a bartender who can mix any drink you care to name. One caveat…if you are a short American male, as I am, be prepared for the urinals in the men’s room. They are built for giant slavs. I had to stand on my tiptoes…

Juror #3, Jim McGarrah

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JR: Black Bear Bakery, St. Louis, MO

Posted on August 5, 2010 by Admin of TBJ

Black Bear Bakery – 2309 Cherokee Street, St. Louis, Missouri:

Let’s pretend you’re an intellectual for a day. Let’s say you just finished reading Kierkegaard’s “The Dread” or anything by Nietzsche. Now, you’re filled with Nihilistic loathing for all forms of health food and/or celebrity diets. Here are the choices – you can (a) throw a molotov cocktail through the window at the nearest Whole Foods store, or (b) venture to St. Louis where you’ll find the Black Bear Bakery nestled in the historic Vandora Theatre building on Cherokee Street. Worker owned and operated, the Black Bear is an “anarchist” bakery adhering to principles of ecological sustainability, cooperative ownership and positive community reform addressing racism and sexism. But, don’t let the politics fool you. These suckers can bake!! Buy a few loaves of their famous Lickhalter breads to take home and have a date pecan muffin or chocolate fudge cake with your expresso and ease your proliteriat angst. If you’re lucky the sweet tooth cravings will get you to the Black Bear at the right time to hear a famous poet like me or some other would-be revolutionary at the microphone.
P.S. It’s best to go in daylight and in company. This ain’t no touristy neighborhood, baby. It’s for real.

Juror #3, Jim McGarrah

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JR: Hue, Vietnam; Ming Mang Tomb

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Admin of TBJ

If you decide on an exotic vacation, have no objection to twenty-plus hours in the air and several more in various airports (depending on terrorist alerts), you might find yourself in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). If you happen to be adventurous and take a fifty year old jet that will expel pieces of plastic and metal into the air as fly from there, you may survive to land at Phu Bai and take a short taxi ride to the beautiful old imperial city of Hue. You could spend days visiting the Citadel, the DMZ Bar, or the shops and parks along Le Loi Street. But let’s say you did that already and now you’re in the bar at the Huong Giang Hotel (a classy, four star place for about fifty bucks a day) explaining in very poor Vietnamese how to make a dry martini to a bartender who explains back in very poor English that he already knows how to make a martini. To eliminate your annoying presence, this bartender may suggest taking a boat ride of twelve kilometres up the lonely and poetic Perfume River to the Ming Mang Tombs. If he does, listen to him. The boat and guide will cost about thirty dollars. Not only is it a beautiful trip full of cac dang flowers, banyan trees, and magnificent jungle foliage, every mosquito bite will be worth it once you arrive. Ming Mang was the emperor of Vietnam from 1820-1841, the son of Gia Long who founded the last royal dynasty (Nguyen) in the country. I don’t have room here to describe
the particulars of this wonderful site, but UNESCO put it on the list of world heritages in 1993. That should be enough to make you curious. And, you’ll pay about four dollars for a tour ticket. Try getting into Disneyland for that.

Juror #3, Jim McGarrah [click here to view Juror-submitted photos]

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JR: Piran, Slovenia

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Admin of TBJ

One and one-half hours from Venice, Italy by ferry on the southwest coast of Slovenia, the town of Piran adorns the Adriatic Coast. Similar to the coastal resorts of Italy and Croatia, it lacks their hefty tourist prices. However, that’s all it lacks. The carnival atmosphere, the old men mending nets for their multi-colored fishing boats, the roller blade instructors, the white sand, the smell of salt air and the taste of squid in Trieste are all available at a much lower price tag. I recommend the Tri Dove restaurant where you can sit outside and gaze across the bay at Croatia, feed peanuts to the sea birds begging at your feet, and sip Lasko beer all for about the price of a diet coke in the U.S. There’s one three-star hotel called Tarteni, which is moderate to expensive but serves a great breakfast. Three miles away (ten minutes by bus) lies the town of Koper where you can catch a train to any major destination in central Europe. Triglav National Park and Trieste, Italy are within easy driving distance along with Lake Bled, Ljubljana, and several good Slovenian wineries.

Juror #3, Jim McGarrah

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