Metro Times 07/22/2026

Feedback NEWS & VIEWS

Readers respond to news of the United Auto Workers slamming a political action committee that supports Senate candidate Haley Stevens, a moderate Democrat facing progressive Abdul El-Sayed.

Jesus Christ they used their logo. The shame.

– @Me0410777365932, X

All the ads are misleading, that’s politics!

– Steve Girardin, Facebook

One candidate’s ads are funded by millions in dark money from AIPAC and other corporate interests. Many of her ads are negative hit pieces on her opponent,

and some of her ads are downright misleading. (Obama never endorsed any candidate in this race.)

The other candidate is running ads funded by small donors. The ads are mostly about the candidate himself and they’re not taking cheap shots at his opponent. Pay close attention over the next few days and you’ll see what I mean.

– Rochelle Lyn, Facebook

Their wheel logo is trademarked. If the PAC does not have their consent to use it they open themselves up to lawsuits. Hence why they sent a cease and desist.

– Ross Morang

NEWS & VIEWS

in Lansing, Greystar employees gave callers varying explanations for why vouchers couldn’t be used.

During calls in February, an employee said the property would technically accept a voucher but wouldn’t count it toward an income requirement equal to three times the monthly rent. That meant a voucher holder would have to demonstrate enough outside income to qualify for the apartment without the assistance.

In April, employees gave a more direct answer. One told a tester that the apartments were “market rate” and therefore could not accept vouchers. Another employee later said the same thing after confirming that one-bedroom apartments were available starting at $1,600 a month.

Undercover investigation finds Michigan apartments illegally rejecting housing vouchers

The nation’s largest apartment manager is accused of illegally rejecting low-income tenants with housing vouchers at properties across Michigan as part of what a housing watchdog describes as a widespread pattern of discrimination spanning six states and Washington, D.C.

The Housing Rights Initiative filed complaints this week with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and enforcement agencies elsewhere alleging 114 violations of state fair housing laws by Greystar Worldwide, which manages more than 1.1 million apartments nationwide.

The complaints are based on an undercover investigation in which testers posing as prospective renters called Greystar properties and asked whether they could use federal Housing Choice Vouchers, commonly known as Section 8, to help pay their rent.

In Michigan, employees at Greystar properties in Ann Arbor, Lansing, East Lansing, and Rochester repeatedly told testers that vouchers were not accepted or imposed conditions that the Housing Rights Initiative says are illegal under a state law that took effect last year.

“Greystar has been committing mass civil rights violations at a scale unlike anything our organization has ever seen,” Housing Rights Initiative found-

er and Executive Director Aaron Carr said in a statement. “We have never encountered a landlord that operates with such brazen contempt and hostility toward the rule of law as Greystar.”

The organization’s records show a particularly consistent pattern at Landmark Apartments near the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor.

On April 17, a Greystar employee told a tester that studios were available but that Section 8 “won’t be taken here.”

Three days later, another employee said the property didn’t accept vouchers or participate in the program.

Testers made several more calls over the following weeks and received essentially the same response.

“Sorry, we don’t participate in any housing programs,” an employee told a tester on April 22, according to the Housing Rights Initiative’s records.

When the caller asked whether that meant the voucher could not be used, the employee responded, “No, sorry.”

On May 4, another Landmark employee said the property was leased to everyone, not just students, but did not participate in housing assistance programs. The employee noted that the tester was not the first person to ask about using a voucher in recent weeks, according to the investigation.

At The View on Collins Apartments

The watchdog group argues that both outright rejection and requirements that effectively disregard the value of a voucher violate Michigan law.

At Campus Village in East Lansing, a Greystar employee confirmed space was available in a four-bedroom unit starting at $1,035 per person per month. When the tester asked about Section 8, the employee said, “We do not support that,” and confirmed the voucher couldn’t be used.

At The Chapman in Rochester, an employee initially said vouchers were accepted but added that the voucher would typically have to cover the entire rent.When the tester explained that voucher recipients generally pay a portion of the rent based on their income, the employee said the arrangement wouldn’t be accepted.

The records also cite Villas at Northstar in Ann Arbor, where an employee told a caller that voucher assistance would not be counted toward the property’s income requirement. The tester was told to earn $5,010 a month or obtain a guarantor despite having the voucher.

Michigan enacted a law in late 2024 prohibiting landlords with more than five rental units from discriminating against current or prospective tenants based on their lawful source of income.

The protections cover housing vouchers, Social Security, veterans benefits, child support, and other forms of assistance.

Federal law doesn’t require every private landlord to participate in the Housing Choice Voucher program, but Michigan and the other jurisdictions targeted by the complaints have adopted their own protections against source-of-income discrimination.

Housing Choice Vouchers help low-income families, veterans, older people, and people with disabilities rent privately owned housing. Recipients generally contribute a portion of

their income toward rent, while a local housing agency pays the remaining approved amount directly to the landlord.

The Housing Rights Initiative began calling Greystar properties in October. Testers said employees repeatedly rejected vouchers outright, demanded that the voucher cover the full rent or refused to include the assistance when calculating whether an applicant met minimum-income requirements.

“When testers called Greystar buildings, they got the same answer over and over — no vouchers,” Carr said. “That’s not a glitch; it’s a reprehensible business model.”

The investigation identified similar conduct at properties in California, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C.

At an apartment building in College Park, Md., an employee told a tester, “We, unfortunately, do not accept Section 8 vouchers,” before adding, “We can’t accept any vouchers of any kind.”

In Santa Clara, Calif., an employee said the property didn’t accept vouchers or participate in the program. At an Arlington, Va., property, separate testers were told the community did not accept “any type of vouchers.”

The Housing Rights Initiative said its investigation remains underway and additional alleged violations could be added.

In a statement, Greystar said that it trains employees and expects them to follow all applicable laws.

“Greystar remains committed to fair housing practices in everything we do,” the company said.

The allegations come months after Greystar agreed to pay $24 million to settle a Federal Trade Commission and Colorado lawsuit accusing the company of advertising apartments without adequately disclosing mandatory fees. Greystar didn’t admit wrongdoing and said advertising base rent separately from fees had long been an industrywide practice.

Under the settlement, Greystar must more clearly disclose the total monthly leasing price at properties it manages.

The newly filed housing complaints could lead to investigations, fines or other enforcement action by state civil rights agencies and attorneys general.

The Housing Rights Initiative urged Michigan and the other jurisdictions to take action against a company whose size gives it enormous influence over the nation’s rental market.

“As the largest landlord in America, Greystar should be setting the standard of best practices for the nation, not systematically rejecting legitimate prospective tenants,” Carr said. “No landlord of this size should be permitted to break the law with impunity.”

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OPEN MIC IN THE D FEAT. MUSIC/POETRY/TALENT HOSTED BY JAH LION

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2026 Fiction Issue

When watching the news, tragic stories involving teenagers seemingly dominate every channel. Whether it’s shootings, car crashes, or viral clips of teen takeovers taking a turn for the worse, as an 18-year-old student at Michigan State University, it feels as if there is no shortage of eyes on the state of our adolescents right now.

However, when our attention is directed solely at the negative, on fighting and disorganization, we miss the opportunity to hear the underlying message: teens are not looking for ways to cause trouble, rather we are searching for mediums to be heard.

Sat 8/01

BROTHER WOLF/FUKUSHIMA DAISIES/ BLISSHEAD (ALT ROCK/POST PUNK/PUNK ROCK/ POST HARDCORE)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARIEL ALETHIA!

Mon 8/03

FREE POOL ALL DAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RAY DELOOF!

Tues 8/04

OPEN MIC IN THE D FEAT. MUSIC/POETRY/TALENT HOSTED BY JAH LION

8PM-MIDNITE

Sat 8/08

FLOPHOUSE WRESTLING PRES.

NO F%CKS GIVEN 4

$25 PRESALE/$30 AT THE DOOR DOORS@5PM/BELL@7PM ALWAYS 21+

Coming Up:

8/07 Hillbilly Knife Fight/Deemed Unfit/EKG

8/08 FLOPHOUSE WRESTLING

8/14 The Nonprofessionals/StaggoLee/Rob Zinck & The Collaborators/Marshall Luna Blue

8/15 DIVAS vs DIVAS (monthly dance party)

8/16 1/2 WAY TO KRAMPUS PARTY

8/21 Forge the Sun/Cassette Stress(Nashville)/Ladyship Warship

8/22 WWE GRPPLING BAND

8/27 WDET 101.9 COMEDY SHOWCASE (WDET. ORG/EVENTS)

8/29 BIZARRE (D12)

9/05 Bodyguards/The Formal Nightmare/ Bloody Run/Rosemont

9/07 WE ARE OPEN FOR LABOR DAY

9/11 Vlad’s Skeletal Circus/Everyday Ghost/ Gerber Babies

9/12 BOONDOGGLE IN THE BACKYARD

LET’S GO TIGERS!

VISIT US ON GAME DAY

One Mile from Stadiums/ Minutes from QLine

BOOK YOUR PARTIES: theoldmiamibarevents@gmail.com

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Today’s youth have experienced a world pandemic, political turmoil, and unprecedented technological advances that significantly influence the ways we engage in our communities. COVID-19 school disruptions sent shockwaves through both students and their parents, and families battled a number of different financial and personal stresses while navigating the isolation and uncertainty of the time. Although it may feel distant now, the effects of the global pandemic are still apparent in many lives.

Instead of socializing in person with our peers, we were forced to find other ways to connect. For myself and many other youth, art was the coping strategy that made the years more bearable. Open windows and empty chairs starred as the centerpieces of poems. Social media was a place to post paintings and share drawing techniques. We captured the most mundane moments and turned them into celebrations. Even as the world shifted back to a sense of normality, creativity became an ingrained way of life.

It is a misconception that today’s teens are uninformed and uninterested in education, politics, and civic responsibilities. The writing and art in this year’s Fiction Issue, solicited via an open call for submissions for Metro Detroit students aged 14 -19 on the theme worthy of our eyes, helps to prove that young people are not removed from the workings of society, but have the ability and desire to be an integral part of inciting change. The current state of our world is not one that we are willing to overlook.

In this year’s issue, the prose, poetry, and artwork submitted span ages, school districts, and cultures. Every artist represented here holds a unique wealth of knowledge, and it is imperative that we continue to ignite new voices and allow them the space to flourish.

We are asking you now to hear our stories and to take our perspectives into consideration. Celebrate our wins, support us through our decisions, and continue to be present with the young people in your life. We thank you for reading our narratives.

Poetically Yours, Charisma Holly Youth Editor

In gratitude,

Nandi Comer and Drew Philip Co-Editors

The Metro Times Fiction Issue is a project of the Metro Times and Detroit Lit. This year’s visual arts consultant is Sabrina Nelson. Sabrina Nelson is an educator, healer, lecturer, and ‘artivist’ who has been working as an interdisciplinary artist for over 40 years. This project is supported by Arts Midwest with support from The Skillman Foundation, a Detroit-based philanthropy that invests in the brilliance of youth. Please consider donating to local Detroit narrative makers by making a tax-deductible contribution to Detroit Lit at: https://alliedmedia.org/post/donate-to-detroit-lit

Colors Beyond Thought-Spectrum Of Self

by Bryant Fluellen

Through Her Definition - Full Acceptance

by Skyann Jazell Penn

What the Mouth Forgets by Jewels Compo

Her language left her in pieces — First the words, Then the weight behind them, Then the silence where her mother’s voice Used to live.

She swallowed herself whole To fit inside a mouth That was not hers.

Until meaning became W a s h e d

With her own saliva.

Without a country. Without a name.

Only the accent they made her Ashamed of.

Toward belonging. Toward forgetting. Toward the girl she buried At the border.

Toward …

Her language is a house She burned down to stay warm. The smoke still Lives in her throat.

Her language Is what she lost on the way here. Is what she carries anyway. Is what she is —

Still

Toward.

Jewels Compo is 14 years old and attends Detroit Country Day Middle School.

Antoine by Azareyah Hurt

Hurt

Rememberance

by River West

Nova…

I still feel the cold you died in. It clings to me like a second skin, A memory the Normal World Couldn’t wash away.

You were sixteen

And the winter was cruel. You deserved a door that opened, A voice that called you home, A world that didn’t let you freeze Beneath a streetlamp’s dying glow.

I am what rose from you— Xyla, shadow‑stitched and powerful, But power means nothing When it’s born from your last breath.

Sometimes I whisper your name Into the quiet fields, Hoping the wind carries it Somewhere warm.

I wish I could reach back Through the frost, Take your shaking hands, And tell you you weren’t meant To disappear alone.

Nova…

You didn’t survive that night, But I did. And every step I take Is a promise That your story didn’t end In the snow.

River West is 15 years old and attends Warren Woods Tower High School.

A Sight to Behold by Nicholas Nadjarian

I love my pet dog Louie, with all my might He’s my best friend and he cares about me Louie comes to bed when I say goodnight When playing, we have fun and we’re carefree Louie and me enjoy our morning walk Every Saturday we get some food

During our long walks I feel like we talk

After our walk, we are in a great mood

Louie guards our house on a homemade stand I always love to play soccer with him On hot summer days he loves being fanned We hang out until the sun becomes dim

Louie is the best dog I could wish for I don’t think I could ever love him more.

Nicholas Nadjarian is 14-years-old and attends Detroit Country Day Middle School.

View from Hidden Lake Trail,

Glacier by Leo Zellen

I want my nails long & shaped like glass by Layal

Long enough to pierce through man’s stretched out words / & short enough not to be called an animal. / The waves are crashing & I can’t find a pen to write with. / The fish are pleading their desire to smell the air; / they miss the flowers & the clouds / & the cemented sidewalk. / They miss what they have never seen, / & crave what they have never felt. / If you want to love this air so much / & the political grip of fishermen in suits, / then breathe all the green in the water / & all the green in the trees / & go ahead & look at the beauty of the polluted gas / Oh fish with gills instead of smoke-filled lungs, / can we switch bodies? / Can I fill your insides with lukewarm water? / Can I brush your scales against the dying coral? / Can I belong to a body that belongs in an ocean of unbelonging? / Oh fish, / tell me how you would rather not choke on water. / Tell me how the bombs & the muffled rockets don’t faze you. / Tell me how the hum of hollow hearts doesn’t make you pause & wonder. / Fish, if you want to be human, now is your chance. / I can’t find a stupid pen to write with / My nails are chipped & and the green of God’s hands is stuck between my intestines. / Call me at the shore— / we will meet up and trade pens. / Just make sure yours works underwater.

Create Your Own Reality

by Lauren McCann

Lauren McCann is 18 years old and attends Wayne State University, where she studies Graphic Design and Marketing. Gouache paint.

Change by Catie Juip

The house at the corner of Kerchaval and Lakeland is the place I call home. But it isn’t the four walls that make it home, it’s the people inside. I have a big family, five kids in total, plus my parents. Jake and Claire are older than me, while Ellie and Tommy are younger, making me the middle of that five. Jake and Claire have a disease called Friedrich’s Ataxia, or FA for short, and it has caused a slow but aggressive progression on their bodies. Over time, it has made it more difficult to walk, to hold a pencil steady, to tie shoes, and so many other everyday things. But despite this, they find hope and always have the persistence to do their best. They tell FA no to its face and then fight back as hard as they can. Over the years of watching their struggles and tiny victories, they have become role models and a source of inspiration for me. They show me that in the face of darkness, there is always light, always hope to grab onto and celebrate. They have taught me that change isn’t bad, it’s just different. And so with those lessons, I help them stand back up, I lean down to tie their shoes, and I lend an elbow when it’s time to walk somewhere.

Every December, right around Christmas time, our kitchen turns into a scene of uncontrolled chaos. The counters are buried beneath bags of flour and half-used sticks of butter, and the oven never seems to cool down. For as long as I can remember, making cookies for Santa has been my family’s unofficial cookie competition.

When we were younger, Jake always made the same cookie: powdered sugar covered chocolate crinkles. His love for all things chocolate has motivated him to make these every year without fail. Claire makes spritz cookies, always pressed into that perfect little Christmas tree and lined up like soldiers on the tray. I stick to sugar cookies, sometimes with sprinkles, other times with frosting, but always in a circle. Ellie experiments, she tries new flavors and strange combinations I’m always slightly skeptical of, but they turn into delicious masterpieces. And Tommy, once, in an effort to make the perfect cookie, failed when he added so much oil that the dough never hardened. We still call those ‘oil cookies’ to this day.

Back then, cookie day was loud and fast; it was a whirlwind of flour in the air and arguing over oven space. We would bump into each other, reaching for baking soda, or have dance party breaks when someone else was using the mixer. We all moved through the kitchen so easily, grabbing this pan and that ingredient and yelling, “Who wants to try the batter?” followed by a chorus of “MEEEEEE”s.

Now, cookie day looks different. Jake and Claire come home for break, and we set up the kitchen just the same. The flour is out, the butter is ready, but now the chairs are pushed in carefully. We divide the tasks between us, making sure there are always people who can lend a hand to mix a bowl or grab a spatula. FA may wage war by making it harder to put cookies in an oven, but my siblings and I are the army, ready and willing to fight back.

So, Jake still makes his chocolate crinkle cookies, and now there is always someone to carry the tray. Claire’s spritz cookies take longer; each press is more deliberate, and we take turns making the rows, but they are still the same perfect cookies. Tommy has made a much needed update from ‘oil cookies’ to brownies, and they are surprisingly not poisonous. Ellie has her inveterate habit of experimenting with chocolate and sugar. And I still make sugar cookies. The competition isn’t intrinsically about winning anymore (although it might be a little bit ;) ). Winning isn’t what’s needed; it is a background character because now, time together is more precious. So, now, cookie day is about finishing the cookies together.

When the cookies are done, we line them up like always. We taste them, and each sibling declares a winner, most likely naming ourselves; someone argues, someone laughs, and someone eats 3 more cookies than they should. In that moment, the kitchen still feels like the same place. The change didn’t take away our tradition; it deepened it. It made us focus on patience and attention rather than speed and perfection. The kitchen will always smell of sugar and chocolate and something burnt, and nothing, not even FA, can change that.

Our traditions always remind me of how grateful I am. It makes me grateful for the stability my family has, even throughout the change. And so in that appreciation, change doesn’t seem momentous; it is helpful, it is the reason for connection, it is the reason behind my family’s odd sayings and routines.

Our change was never abrupt; it involved carrying a cookie tray or giving an elbow to help them walk to the pool. It’s the small stumble you barely notice, and then by the time you blink, your siblings are in wheelchairs, and you need all of that change because it helps you support them. Growing up with siblings is special because they see every version of you: the loud one, the competitive one, and the impatient one. But for us, it became even more than that. Change forced us to notice each other in ways we might not have in a different life. It’s taught me to see Claire’s perspicacious eye for detail, and the convivial atmosphere Tommy has when he brightens every room he walks into. It’s shown me Jake’s classic jokes and Ellie’s love of baking. And most of all, it taught me that closeness isn’t about moving at your speed; it’s adjusting your pace so that no one gets left behind.

The Boy Next Door by Jada J

my father was; with an emphasis on past tensing, as he is now black, working, and exhausted a West Side baby with big dreams: gooey-eyed and starshin-ded and black. boy. joy. was all that wildcat knew knew it better than maths or english; science or skipping when to run how to run and to never ask questions still, when you refer to the West Side Kids, learn they have mamas who held their ears as they pressed their edges for sunday that they held the world’s eyebags and did the Lord’s work that they was as tired as my mama was

‘cuz she sighed so loud in her womanhood, it was like the Sun had erupted and baked inside her mouth. she was so antsy; like the Little Dipper burnt into her legs and revved her up like her uncle’s cars because if a West Side girl was ever to go anywhere she had to bust the doors open: she had to open minds and prejudices take her skin off and strip raw is she proper enough? is she light enough for you now, sir? will the light and the watering clouds shine on her?

wasn’t any water in the small towns, or her grandma’s house but my West Side father and my West Side mama tumbleweeded they way to the coastlines and sang the songs of the ocean

so when you hear my story — black child in a world i didn’t name know that i too: am West Sided blackskin-ded and starshin-ded and i too: sing the songs my ancestors whispered

Currency over Care by Justin Ward

Justin Ward is 16 years old and attends the Detroit School of Arts, where he focuses on puppetry, performance, and creative media. His visual art combines painting, mixed media, newspaper collage, photography, and symbolic imagery to explore themes of violence, youth, and social awareness.

The Worth of Happiness for the Dead by Faithful

I like to think that the coffins are married to each other in graveyards to deplete the loneliness that hangs heavy in the fog. That the souls of strangers mingle and have cracked bone picnics. Share their death stories over a zombie-lit candlelit moon.

For once, God and its angels will make them feel unsupervised like a rack of skis outside the lodge, because the dead cannot be punished any longer. They go to their local mockingjay seamstress and tie their bodies in sky blue and yellow sun.

Leapfrog through each other in silent fun, because souls cannot talk.

Instead, they feel the apocalypse of the past that they ate while living, reminiscence of their sons and daughters painted in color, and immerse themselves in memories that rest on decapitated headstones.

Of course, The dead still mimic life outside the grave.

Faith Coats is an 18-year-old Detroit-based poet that attends Fisk University.

Worthy of My Eyes

by Liz Schalk

Some people look away from trembling hands, from hospital wristbands hidden under hoodie sleeves, from tired eyes in yearbook photos that still learned how to smile.

But I think those are the moments worthy of our eyes.

The girl sitting on her bedroom floor counting breaths instead of sheep. The notebooks filled to the brim with poems written at 2 a.m. because paper answered when all else failed

People think worthiness belongs to pretty things. Like museum paintings, Prom dresses ill never wear, Or clean stories with happy endings.

But I have seen beauty in IV scars, in shaking voices, in the friends who say “i’m still here” and genuinely mean it.

I have seen it in surviving my senior year while my body ached and bled like it’s carrying the weight of the world And im just a small fish in the ocean

Maybe worthy things aren’t perfect things. Maybe they’re the things that have fought to be seen at all.

Liz Schalk is an 18-year-old senior at Thurston High School who uses poetry to explore her strength, memory, and the quiet moments she sees most people overlook.

The People and the Valley and the Apathy

by Jordyn Eman Mousa

Across the valley I used to hear sheep and smell trees and eat fruit off of them and taste food like it was real and garden for fun and build bricks like me and my cousins were the 7 dwarves from Snow White in the mines and we would sing along to Fairuz and sneak bits of bitter coffee from our aunts and save up to walk 20 minutes to the bazar and run around in our streets and pretend we were in the story of David and Goliath and pray every morning and pray every night and shower in the humidity and call salt water hydrating and say that sand on our grilled food was just seasoning.

Across the border, I close my eyes and pretend I don’t know and go to work and go to school and laugh at jokes that I won’t find funny when I get home and walk around smiling like people aren’t starving or that the economy is tanking and pray that it gets better and trust our “leadership” and not be political and pretend I don’t know my home is in fire and ruins of rubble and nod along to history like its all a game and shrug off the deaths like collateral damage and turn on the news while I eat my breakfast with a stocked fridge.

The Book of Revelations tells us that 7 Trumpets will sound but all I hear is the saxophone getting louder and I can’t play piano fast enough and I don’t remember anything from violin class in 2nd grade and my guitar was not approved and I am redacted and arablisted from touching drums and the ensemble told me I am forbidden to dance and I can’t like the color blue and my Sematism is invalid and my passport needs to be stamped foreignly and I don’t like listening to a song that I don’t know the lyrics to but know that its making fun of me and people like you

God forbid I speak Arabic in Target, but let’s forget that children can’t read.

God forbid I cry in public, but let’s fight wars for capitalism and call it silly.

God forbid I make it political, but it’s okay to slap me in solidarity against hate.

I always found the bystander effect funny. What placebo goes through your psyche to convince you that not helping somebody is the most viable option in a given situation. In a world where I carry Narcan to care for a stranger is the same world where someone carries handcuffs to detain me. Where I learn legalities to protect families, laws get made to destroy them.

I don’t like this song very much and I miss being across the valley. I wonder if my tree is still growing since I last planted that seed of resistance and called it MOM. I wonder if you’ll turn off the Memorial Day weather report to go out and help somebody & maybe stop averting your eyes.

Jordyn Eman Mousa is a 19-year-old Lebanese poet attending Loyola University Chicago and is in the publication process of her debut chapbook, The Promised Land & Its Humanhood

Yushi Bai is a 17-year-old amateur photographer from Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School. He photographs using a Sony A7RIV camera.

Reflection to Ruin by Reborn Imagery

Reborn Imagery is a 17-year-old student currently attending William D Ford Technical Center. He creates with split lighting and Photoshop.

Still Worthy by Jayla

They speak about him carefully now like grief becomes acceptable only when it’s quiet enough to not interrupt graduation music they say there will be no ribbons or fold photos in graduation caps no names sewn into fabric or fabrics of memory as if grief itself could break some written rules or if grief itself has to pass some written rules as if memory is something that can be confiscated at the door he was a poet even now his words still linger like ink that learned how to bleed through time spilling into margins that were never meant for him refusing to dry refusing to disappear turning every page it touches into memory poetry outlived him even if the school acts like he didn’t they measure worth in attendance sheets and credit completion but grief does not care about transcripts we learned some schools only honor the living if they are easy to explain so students carry him secretly now inside folded programs through exchanged glances when administrators turn away because they can’t stop us from carrying him across the stage in the quiet spaces in between or ribs and somewhere between the applause and the turning of tassels there will be a missing name echoing louder than all the others not absent but refused to be recognized but he was always worth in our eyes

Jayla is 16 years old and attends Thurston High School. Jayla writes to bring awareness to issues and highlight emotions others may experience.

Teddy Bears by Adonis Davis

Before you ask; Yes, I said no. No, none of them listened.

I was a child. I still am.

I still collect named teddy bears. I have nearly 300 of them. Organized neatly by the year I found them and counting each year that passed in numbness,

I always wondered if their beady eyes saw it too. If they could talk, I’d have them tell my stories so someone would believe me.

I can’t sleep in silence without the whispers finding me.

To this day, I still scream

I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it.

I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT. I DIDN’T DO IT.

WHAT’S GOING ON

LISTINGS

Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Be sure to check venue websites before all events for the latest information. Add your event to our online calendar: metrotimes.com/AddEvent.

MUSIC

WEDNESDAY JULY 22

Evening Star Trio Presents: Hump Days 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; No cover. Way Back Wednesdays w. DJ Righteous 8 p.m.-midnight; New Dodge Lounge, 8850 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; $5.

THURSDAY JULY 23

Poolside Performance with Allen Dennard Trio 6:30-8 p.m.; Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 N. Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; Free.

KALEO - Way Down We Go Tour 6:30 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

Junius, Minsk 7 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck.

Fetti Fuego, Sandbox, Voidtheory, One Exit Down 7 p.m.; TSDMAAC, 15701 James Couzens Fwy., Detroit.

Blue & Exile, Sirplus 7 p.m.; TSDMAAC, 15701 James Couzens Fwy., Detroit. Argo and the Violet Queens with Chirp and Desmond Jones 7 p.m.; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck.

The Marshall Tucker Band 7 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak.

Bush with Special Guest JJ Wilde 8 p.m.; Caesars Palace Windsor, 377 E. Riverside Dr., Windsor.

Curated Cool 7-10 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River Ave., Detroit.

Dueling Pianos 8 p.m.-midnight; AXIS Lounge, 1777 Third St., Detroit.

Elixer: DJs John Ryan and GEO 8 p.m.-midnight; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; No cover.

FRIDAY JULY 24

Men at Work w/ Toad the Wet Sprocket 6 p.m.; Detroit Masonic Temple Library, 500 Temple St., Detroit.

Trhä, Saidan, Barbelith 6 p.m.; TSDMAAC, 15701 James Couzens Fwy., Detroit. Think It Over, The Drive Home, Wane Poetic, McGuire Ellinger, Anna Owens 6:30 p.m.; TSDMAAC, 15701 James Couzens Fwy., Detroit.

Tigers vs. Royals - Flo Rida Postgame Concert 6:40 p.m.; Comerica Park, 2100 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

T.I. - The King Succession Tour 7 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Diesel Boy with special guests The Rins, Middle-Out + tba 7 p.m.; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck. Stereosity 7 p.m.; Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit.

Abe Parker 7 p.m.; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale.

Rx Bandits - And The Battle Begun 20th Anniversary Tour with Catbite 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit.

Emmylou Harris and Graham NashTwo Legends. One Legendary Evening 7:30 p.m.; Meadow Brook Amphitheatre, 3554 Walton Blvd., Rochester Hills.

St. Vincent Live With Detroit Opera Orchestra 8 p.m.; The Skydeck, 1526 Broadway, Detroit.

SATURDAY JULY 25

Lesley Mok / DREAMCLUB_RADI0 / King Sophia / Zekkereya El-Magharbel noon-11 p.m.; Moondog Cafe, 8045 Linwood St., Detroit; $16 advance, $20 door.

Spaced 6 and 8 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck.

Finn Wolfhard - The Common Side Effects Tour 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit.

All The Feelings Tour with Metric, Broken Social Scene, and Stars 7 p.m.; Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

Rookie Of The Year - Celebrating 20 Years of The Goodnight Moon 7 p.m.; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac.

Bermuda Search Party 7 p.m.; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac.

Hallowed Hearts: An Emo Night 8 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale. Charlie Wilson 8 p.m.; The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, 2600 E. Atwater St., Detroit. Kids Under The Carpet (Phish Tribute) + DJ Paul 9 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; No cover.

SUNDAY JULY 26

KIDZ BOP LIVE Birthday Concert Event

4 p.m.; Pine Knob Music Theatre, 33 Bob Seger Dr., Village of Clarkston.

Decedent, Concrete Teeth, Emaciated Remains, Dawn of Agony, Excremental Scaphism 6 p.m.; TSDMAAC, 15701 James Couzens Fwy., Detroit.

Islander 6 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck.

Red Vox feat. special guests Super Guitar Bros. 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale.

Nektar 7:30 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland.

Ledisi 7:30 p.m.; The Music Hall, 350 Madison Ave., Detroit.

Night Ranger 7:30 p.m.; Sound Board, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit. Rock ’n’ Shop at Showtime! 2-6 p.m.; Showtime Clothing, 9704 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; Free.

WEDNESDAY JULY 29

Evening Star Trio Presents: Hump Days 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; No cover. Way Back Wednesdays w. DJ Righteous 8 p.m.-midnight; New Dodge Lounge, 8850 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; $5.

THURSDAY JULY 30

Curated Cool 7-10 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River Ave., Detroit.

Dueling Pianos 8 p.m.-midnight; AXIS Lounge, 1777 Third St., Detroit.

Elixer: DJs John Ryan and GEO 8 p.m.-midnight; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; No cover.

EVENTS

WEDNESDAY JULY 22

Wellness Wednesday 9-10 a.m.; The Mall at Partridge Creek, 17420 Hall Rd., Clinton Township; Free.

Sing. Play. Speak. Music Class with Miss Calissa Wednesday; The Village of Rochester Hills, NE corner of Walton and Adams, Rochester Hills; Free.

MJR Theatres Hosts Annual Family Film Festival 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; MJR Troy Grand Digital Cinema 16, 100 E. Maple Rd., Troy; $5.

Geeks Who Drink Trivia at Mash Bar at Slows Bar BQ 7-9 p.m.; Mash Bar at Slows Bar BQ, 211 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; Free.

Puzzling Adventures Scavenger Hunt 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Puzzling Adventures Start & Finish Location, 160 E. Congress St., Detroit; $39.95.

THURSDAY JULY 23

2026 Animal Crossing Aquarium Tour 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; SEA LIFE Michigan Aquarium, Auburn Hills.

MJR Theatres Hosts Annual Family Film Festival 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; MJR Troy Grand Digital Cinema 16, 100 E. Maple Rd., Troy; $5.

BIG3 - 9th Wonder Summer - Detroit 8 p.m.; Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals 6:40 p.m.; Comerica Park, 2100 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

Tonight vs Everybody: Open Mic Comedy 9-10:30 p.m.; The Independent Comedy Club at Planet Ant, 2320 Caniff Ave., Hamtramck; $5 suggested donation. Drag Queen Karaoke 8 p.m.-2 a.m.; Woodward Avenue Brewers, 22646 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; No cover.

Karaoke Night at Ghost Light! 10 p.m.; Ghost Light, 2314 Caniff St., Hamtramck; Free.

FRIDAY JULY 24

Connecting Fore a Cause 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; Fountains Golf & Banquet, 6060 Maybee Rd., Village of Clarkston; $5-$250. Labyrinth/Laboratory Curator-Led Exhibition Tour 11:15 a.m.-noon; Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 N. Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills.

Detroit Historical Museum 75th Anniversary Block Party 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Detroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave., Detroit; Free.

Greektown Heritage Weekend July 24-26; Greektown, Detroit; Free.

The Art of Agave: A Curated Tequila Experience 5-11 p.m.; MCantina, 13214 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; $75.

48 Hour Film Project Detroit Kickoff 6-7 p.m.; Eastern Palace Club, 21509 John R Rd., Hazel Park.

Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals 6:40 p.m.; Comerica Park, 2100 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

Detroit Comedy Mix 7-8:30 and 9-10:30

p.m.; The Comedy Bar Detroit, 6531 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $25.

The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show 7-10 p.m.; Embassy Suites Troy, 850 Tower Dr., Troy; $85.07.

Nicely Theatre Group Presents Oliver! 7:30-10:30 p.m.; The Berman Center for the Performing Arts, 6600 W. Maple Rd., West Bloomfield; $40.

Friday Funnies Comedy Night Series at Riverbank 8-9:30 p.m.; Riverbank Theatre, 358 S. Water St., Marine City; $25.

SATURDAY JULY 25

Woodhouse 5K for New Day 8-10 a.m.; Rochester Municipal Park, 6th St., behind City Hall, Rochester; $45.

Charm Bracelet Workshop Weekend: Create Your Own Set of Amulets 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Cranbrook Academy of Art, 39221 N. Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; $600. Dossin Great Lakes Museum 65th Anniversary Dock Party 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Dossin Great Lakes Museum, 100 Strand Dr., Belle Isle, Detroit; Free.

The Revamp Clothing Swap Festival noon-5 p.m.; The Lincoln Factory, 1331 Holden St., Detroit; $25.

Pride Royal Oak 2026 1-11 p.m.; Centennial Commons, 203 S. Troy St., Royal Oak. Monumental Connection: Shua Group 1-3 p.m.; Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 N. Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; Free with museum admission.

Chandler Park Community Arts and Music Festival 1-4 p.m.; Chandler Park, 12831 Frankfort St., Detroit; Free. Summer Movie Marathon - Shrek, Shrek 2, Puss in Boots 2 p.m.; Flagstar Strand Theatre for the Performing Arts, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac.

Harry Potter’s Birthday Celebration July 25-26; Canterbury Village, 2359 Joslyn Ct., Orion Township.

Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals 1:10 p.m.; Comerica Park, 2100 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

SUNDAY JULY 26

Harry Potter’s Birthday Celebration July 25-26; Canterbury Village, 2359 Joslyn Ct., Orion Township.

Nicely Theatre Group Presents Oliver! 2-5 p.m.; The Berman Center for the Performing Arts, 6600 W. Maple Rd., West Bloomfield; $40.

Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals 1:40 p.m.; Comerica Park, 2100 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

Bullet Proof Soul 7-10 p.m.; Bel Air Luxury Cinema, 10100 E. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; $25.

Rock ’n’ Shop at Showtime! 2-6 p.m.; Showtime Clothing, 9704 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; Free.

MONDAY JULY 27

Kids Camp: Lasagna Love 2026 9 a.m.noon; Zingerman’s Cornman Farms, 8540 Island Lake Rd., Dexter; $300. MJR Theatres Hosts Annual Family Film Festival 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; MJR Troy Grand Digital Cinema 16, 100 E. Maple Rd., Troy; $5.

Detroit Tigers vs. Baltimore Orioles 6:40 p.m.; Comerica Park, 2100 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

BITES

Detroit Taco Showdown returns to Eastern Market with tacos, margaritas and lucha libre

Taco lovers can sample offerings from some of metro Detroit’s best-known taquerias and food trucks when the Detroit Taco Showdown returns to Eastern Market this month.

The annual competition will take over Shed 5 from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, July 26, with tacos, margaritas, live music, Mexican dancers, and lucha libre wrestling.

This year’s competitors include longtime Southwest Detroit favorite El Parian and newcomer Tacos Wuey,

along with El Taco Dojo, Frankies Kitchen, La Patrona Mexican Grill, Los Dos Amigos Taco Truck, Tacos El Panda, JerkatNite, Azulindo, and Paradise Street Eats.

A panel of local food and media personalities will judge the competition and crown the winner of the Best Taco title. The judges are Detroit Free Press food critic Lyndsay Green, Fox 2 reporter and anchor Charlie Langton, Hour Detroit food critic and Midwest Mexican founder Serena Maria

Daniels, and Vecino executive chef Ricardo Mojica.

“The Taco Showdown brings an entirely different, incredibly vibrant energy to Eastern Market,” organizer Scott Rutterbush said. “We are showcasing a diverse lineup of chefs who are pushing boundaries, and bringing in a judging panel of this caliber really proves how seriously Detroit takes its tacos.”

Attendees will also get five margarita samples and vote for the winner of

Customers flood Fraser restaurant after story about 80-year-old owner goes viral

An 80-year-old woman who feared her new Fraser restaurant might not survive is suddenly struggling with a different problem: More customers are showing up than she can feed.

Mama K’s ran out of food and closed early Tuesday after customers from across metro Detroit packed the Greek restaurant, WXYZ reported. The rush came after the station aired a story about owner Lamprini Karavidas working seven days a week to keep her struggling business alive.

The original report reached more than 900,000 people on Facebook, according to WXYZ. Customers continued arriving Wednesday.

“Nonstop. Nonstop busy,” co-owner Lazarous Karavidas, Lamprini’s son, told the station. “It started early in the

morning and didn’t stop until about 3 o’clock in the afternoon.”

Lamprini Karavidas opened Mama K’s in February, fulfilling a longtime dream at an age when most people have retired. She works from open to close and makes the restaurant’s food from scratch, including the filo dough.

But business had been slow, particularly on weekdays, leaving Karavidas and her son uncertain about how long they could keep the restaurant open.

“It’s hard to tell you the truth, but I love what I am doing,” Karavidas told WXYZ before the story went viral. “I would rather be here than a nursing home, for instance.”

That changed almost immediately after the report aired. By Tuesday, Mama K’s had sold out of gyro meat, shish kebab, spinach pie, moussaka,

the Margarita Mix-Off. Voting closes at 3:30 p.m.

General admission tickets are available through a limited-time two-for-one presale deal that offers two tickets for $35, plus taxes and fees. VIP tickets, which include early entry at 11 a.m., are $35 each.

Each ticket includes three tokens that can be used for tacos, five margarita samples, access to a photo booth and admission to the lucha libre matches. Additional tacos and drinks will be available for purchase, and a full bar will be on site.

The Detroit Taco Showdown runs from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, July 26, at Eastern Market’s Shed 5, 2801 Russell St. Tickets are available at tacoshowdown.com.

— Steve Neavling

Festa Italiana brings Italian food, music and fireworks to Sterling Heights this weekend

More than 30 food vendors will serve up the tastes of Italy this weekend as Festa Italiana returns to Freedom Hill County Park in Sterling Heights.

The free, three-day festival runs Friday through Sunday and features Italian food, wine and beer, live music, contests, children’s activities, and a fireworks show.

Organizers say Festa Italiana attracts more than 40,000 people each year and brings together Italian American restaurants, grocers, musicians, and community groups from across metro Detroit.

The food lineup traditionally includes local businesses such as Andiamo, Gnocchi Italian Restaurant, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market, Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace, and Randazzo Fresh Market, along with a rotating selection of food trucks and vendors.

Visitors can also compete in or watch a meatball contest, a cannoli-eating contest, the Italian American Idol singing competition and a “beautiful baby” contest.

soups, and other dishes.

“We ran out of food,” Karavidas said. “I was so tired.”

Some customers arrived after the restaurant had already sold out, while others said they traveled from outside Fraser because Karavidas’ story inspired them.

Karavidas said she was exhausted but grateful for the response. Still, she acknowledged that a few packed days wouldn’t be enough to secure the restaurant’s future. She hopes the newcomers will enjoy the food and return.

“I can’t express my appreciation to you and to the people,” she told WXYZ.

Mama K’s is located at 16651 E. 14 Mile Road in Fraser.

— Steve Neavling

The festival’s Family Fun Zone includes bounce houses, a zip line, bocce courts, a rock-climbing wall and face painting. A fireworks show is scheduled for Friday night.

Festa Italiana was founded around 1970 by the Italian American Chamber of Commerce of Michigan. The celebration was originally held along Detroit’s riverfront before moving to Hart Plaza in 1975 and later to Freedom Hill in the early 1990s.

The festival has also become a major fundraiser. Organizers say last year’s event raised more than $80,000 for charities including the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Friends of Foster Kids, the St. Louis Center and Conductive Education.

Festa Italiana begins at 6 p.m. Friday, July 17, and continues Saturday and Sunday at Freedom Hill County Park, 14900 Metropolitan Parkway in Sterling Heights. Admission is free, and on-site parking costs $10. — Steve Neavling

WEED

Michigan Supreme Court says judges can’t automatically ban marijuana for people on probation

Michigan courts can’t bar people on probation from using marijuana that is otherwise legal under state law, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday.

twice in 2022, leading to two probation violations. After the second violation, she challenged the marijuana ban, arguing that the condition violated Michigan’s voter-approved recreational marijuana law.

The Michigan Supreme Court agreed, ruling that state courts cannot rely on the federal ban on marijuana to punish conduct that Michigan law protects.

The decision is a significant victory for people on probation in Michigan, where marijuana has been legal for adults 21 and older since voters approved recreational cannabis legalization in 2018. The ruling does not apply to people sentenced in federal court, where marijuana remains illegal.

At issue was whether Michigan’s probation law, which requires probationers to obey state and federal criminal laws, allowed judges to ban marijuana use that is legal under state law because it remains prohibited under the federal Controlled Substances Act.

The ACLU of Michigan, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case, praised the ruling, saying it upholds the will of voters who legalized marijuana and added protections for people who use it in compliance with state law.

“We are relieved that people on probation will not be automatically barred from using marijuana,” ACLU of Michigan legal fellow Ewurama Appiagyei-Dankah said Tuesday. “The Michigan Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling recognizes the will of Michigan’s voters, who voted in 2018 to authorize recreational marijuana use and reject the federal government’s incredibly harmful and racist War on Drugs. It also recognizes that people on probation, just like other Michiganders, are beneficiaries of the 2018 voter-enacted law.”

The ruling builds on a 2014 Michigan Supreme Court decision involving the state’s medical marijuana law, which held that local governments could not use federal prohibition to override protections created under Michigan law. In Hess’ case, the court applied similar reasoning to recreational marijuana.

In a unanimous decision, the court reversed lower rulings against Danielle Heaven-Leah Hess, who was sentenced to probation in Montcalm County after pleading guilty in 2021 to third-degree retail fraud. Her probation terms prohibited her from using or possessing marijuana and required her to submit to marijuana testing.

Hess later tested positive for marijuana

The Supreme Court said the lower courts got it wrong by deferring to federal law instead of applying Michigan’s recreational marijuana law, known as the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act. The court sent the case back to the Court of Appeals with instructions to change Hess’ probation terms, vacate the first violation and dismiss the second.

The decision does not protect marijuana use that violates Michigan law, and it does not apply to federal probation cases. But it makes clear that state courts can’t use federal prohibition or Michigan’s probation law to punish marijuana use that is legal under the state’s voter-approved recreational marijuana law.

CULTURE

Free Will Astrology

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES: March 21 – April 19

Authentic love songs are rare. Much of contemporary music leans toward infatuation, sex, heartbreak, and fury, while few artists seem interested in singing unabashedly about unique expressions of tenderness and enduring devotion. In the months ahead, Aries, your inner life will be gloriously out of step with that trend. Your heart is poised to wake up in sometimes surprising ways. Even if you’re not a trained vocalist, you may feel regular urges to express your passion and adoration in song. If I could give you a gift, it might be a curated playlist packed with the most radiant love songs of the last 60 years, so you’d have a soundtrack worthy of the lush emotions that I suspect will bloom in you.

TAURUS: April 20 – May 20

Nobel Prize-winning Taurus physicist Richard Feynman kept a notebook titled “Things I Don’t Know About.” When he came across a question he couldn’t answer, he added it to the collection. I recommend a similar discipline for you now, Taurus, but with a twist. Keep a log of “Beautiful Mysteries I Don’t Really Need to Solve.” Rejoice that not every paradox and puzzle needs resolution. Savor the fun fact that some riddles enrich your life precisely because they remain open-ended. Hooray for not knowing! My theory is that some of your finest qualities will flourish in the presence of productive uncertainty.

GEMINI: May 21 – June 20

In the early days of radio broadcasting, engineers sometimes spoke of “tuning the receiver.” Even when a station was transmitting clearly, a listener might hear static until their radio dial was adjusted to exactly the right frequency. The message was present and clear; the challenge was homing in on it. There’s a similar phenomenon going on in your life, Gemini. Useful information, fun inspiration, and interesting possibilities may be circulating in your vicinity. But you will need to adjust your attention so you can actually receive it. To bring the signals into focus, listen differently. Or pose alternate questions. Or pay attention to sources you don’t usually notice.

CANCER: June 21 – July 22

Neuroscientists have found that remembering the past and imagining the future rely on many of the same brain networks. That overlap helps explain why vivid visualization may influence our emotions and behavior. When we repeatedly simulate alarming scenarios about what could conceivably happen, our brains treat them much like memories. This makes us prone to spotting “threats” in places that may be relatively safe. The good news is that the coming months will be an excellent time to retrain this habit, Cancerian. More than ever, your imagination can be a precision instrument you use to recalibrate yourself away from fear and toward possibility. Fantasize about wonderful possibilities with the same intensity that in the past you have dwelled on scary speculations.

LEO: July 23 – August 22

Oak trees produce far more acorns than could ever grow into trees. Squirrels bury thousands and forget many of them, preparing the way for the next generation of forest. The trees succeed through strategic overproduction. I invite you to adopt their method, Leo. In the coming weeks, overproduce. Make more than you can track. Release more than you can manage. You don’t need to be perfect, just abundant. PS: This expansive capacity is yours to explore with delight and confidence, I guarantee it.

VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22

In the 19th century, Virgo naturalist Alexander von Humboldt helped launch the modern science of ecology. While exploring South America, he came to a revolutionary conclusion that’s obvious to us now: Nature isn’t a collection of separate objects but an intricate web of relationships. Mountains shape the weather. The plants and pollinators rely on each other. Underground mycelial networks perform many services for the trees. I propose that you channel your inner Humboldt, Virgo. Shift your focus away from isolated problems and instead observe the larger systems. Solutions may be elusive when you’re bound to a narrow view but strikingly clear when you perceive the wider pattern. If you’d like to take bold action, rely on the spacious perspective.

LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22

The coming months will be a favorable time to triple your devotion to the art of rowdy fun. I urge you to attend more revels and celebrations than usual, and always be ready to energize social functions with infusions of festive wit and gleeful conviviality. You will also have

extra power to inject buoyant amusements into your intimate liaisons. Therefore, dear Libra, I designate you to be the Party Maestro of the Zodiac. I hope you will carry out your role with maximum exuberance, ingenuity, and joy..

SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21

What if I told you that your most personal and potent dream can come true—but only through months of persistence, disciplined sacrifice, and stretches of bewildering but fascinating uncertainty? Would you reorder your priorities to chase it with every ounce of creativity you have? Or would you set it aside in favor of a safer and easier possibility? Between now and the end of October, I predict the moment will arrive to choose one path or the other.

SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21

On some occasions, you just don’t have the power to act with impeccable integrity and do the totally right thing. Doing the partially right thing may, however, be a useful and compassionate option. I bet this will soon be helpful advice for you. Blunt truth: There are moments when the “perfect” ethical, emotional, or practical choice simply isn’t available: The timing is off, resources are thin, or someone else’s limits block the ideal outcome. In those situations, waiting around for the flawless solution is a kind of paralysis that keeps you stuck in guilt or indecision. Instead, you can aim for the best available good.

CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19

In botany and gardening, there is a practice called “companion planting.” Certain plants thrive when grown near each other because they share nutrients, repel or distract pests, or improve soil and microclimate. Here’s an example: Indigenous peoples of the Americas planted the “Three Sisters” together: Corn gave beans a living trellis, beans

added nitrogen to the soil, and squash shaded the ground to hold moisture and deter weeds. This principle may be useful for you to contemplate now, Capricorn. The people, tools, and influences you place near one another will influence your productivity and well-being. By blending complementary energies, your efforts will flourish without strain.

AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18

Author Alain de Botton observed that “the person we marry is always far more remarkable, frightening, and complex than we quite realized when we first declared our love.” Rather than feeling alarmed by this revelation, I invite you to find it thrilling as you apply it to your best allies. The fact that they contain mysteries you haven’t yet plumbed means the relationships aren’t likely to grow stale. There are undiscovered depths in those you may think you know completely. My advice: Approach even your most familiar intimacies as ongoing discoveries.

PISCES: Feb. 19 – March 20

Do you ever fear or distrust your own desires? Are you suspicious of achieving “too much” success? Do you ever feel starved for hope, but belittle yourself for wanting it? Do you go emotionally blank in the face of possibilities that should thrill you? If so, the coming weeks could bring healing and a breakthrough. You will have a chance to perform a rare kind of exorcism—not of garish demons or foolish ghosts, but of the quiet defeatism and lack of faith that dull your brilliance. Seize this moment, dear Pisces! Purge the automatic doubts that the world has trained you to mistake for wisdom.

Homework: Name an unnecessary taboo and how you would violate it if it didn’t hurt anyone.

CULTURE

Savage Love Cat Rules

by Dan Savage

: Q

I’ve been with my girlfriend for ten years. We moved in with each other three years ago. It’s not working for me. I love my girlfriend. She’s one of the kindest people I have ever met, slow to anger, and always listens first. We never fight, and I don’t want to break up with her. I just want our relationship to look a little different. Three years ago, she suffered a health scare while we were on vacation. We have not gotten a good diagnosis, so she is doing her best to mitigate her symptoms. Since the scare, she has lost confidence in driving and leaving the house. This has left me doing most of the errands, as even going to the grocery store is daunting for her. Her symptoms dizziness, lethargy, fear of fainting coupled with her strict cat rules make it difficult to go anywhere. Cat rules: the cat can’t be left alone for longer than six hours. This makes it hard to even go on a day trip. I can easily find cat care if we could go somewhere for a weekend, but she says not being in her bed triggers all her symptoms and it ruins her for her following work week. When we first met, she was very spontaneous — this was before the cat and we used to go on long day trips, bar hop, eat whatever. But since her medical issues started, that has all gone away. We no longer go on day trips, we can’t do anything spontaneously, and all of my favorite foods are out because they trigger her symptoms. At home, I come to bed later than her or get up before her because it ruins her sleep and having her sleep disturbed can trigger her symptoms for days.

I am not a serious person when I don’t have to be. I get excited and hyper throughout the day. This part of my personality is important to me since my father constantly yelled at me to not be excited because it made me look gay. So, I spent my childhood suppressing feelings of joy. Now it’s my girlfriend telling me to “tone it down” because she can’t handle my “energy.” I go for days now without speaking unless spoken to. On top of everything else, our sex life has taken a serious nosedive. We used to have sex three times a week at least. Now I’m lucky if I get it once a month and it’s strictly missionary, as all other positions trigger her symptoms.

We are poly. When we moved in together three years ago, I decided to stop dating other women for a while so I could focus on learning to live together, but after her health scare I could no longer date because I always have to be home for her. My issue here is I don’t want to live with her anymore. I want us to go back to where she had her own place and life, and I had my own place and life. I’m ready to start dating other people again. I want more autonomy. I want to be spontaneous and drive to the coast for a night, I want to wake up early and bake (baking is my hobby and starting early helps with the proofing time needed), I want to stay up late and watch movies she can’t stomach. I’m also ready to start dating again. Meeting someone and bringing them home isn’t an option, and I can’t afford a hotel if the other person happens to be in the same situation.

Asking to move out seems daunting because I know she will take it hard and hurting her is the last thing I want to do.

—Am I Being Selfish?

A: Dude.

I was willing to give your girlfriend the benefit of the doubt — I was willing to accept that she suffers from some mysterious medical condition that makes travel, errands, hikes, staggered bedtimes, your favorite foods, your favorite movies, sex in anything other than the missionary position, your hobbies, your feelings, your personality, etc., etc., etc., impossible and intolerable — and then you mentioned “cat rules.”

Backing up: a decade is a long-ass time. We age, our abilities change, and things we loved doing when we were 32 or 42 may not be enjoyable or even possible for us when we’re 42 or 52. It goes without saying that a loving and loyal partner doesn’t abandon us after we’ve developed a chronic medical condition. But love and loyalty are two-way streets, AIBS, and it also needs to be said — your girlfriend in particular needs to hear it that a loving and loyal partner with a chronic medical condition wouldn’t ask their loving and loyal partner to give up everything else they love. Your girlfriend should be encouraging you to go on hikes and day trips without her, AIBS, and working with you on simple fixes that would allow you to enjoy your hobbies without triggering her symptoms. (For example, if you had a daybed in your living room, AIBS, you could crash there on those nights you wanted to stay up late and watch your movies or get up early and bake your cakes.)

To be perfectly frank, AIBS, the cat rules make me doubt everything that has come out of my girlfriend’s mouth over the last three years. Now, maybe she had a fainting spell — perhaps her initial health crisis was real — but pulling these “cat rules” out of her ass on top of everything else has me thinking

your girlfriend is either completely nuts (charitable read) or she’s controlling and borderline abusive (uncharitable read). But instead of controlling you with anger and playing on your fear, your girlfriend is controlling you with her fragility and playing on your sympathies.

To be franker still, AIBS, I think you should break up with your girlfriend. If you don’t wanna do that — if you can’t bring yourself to do that (so loving, so loyal) — you should definitely get a place of your own. A place where you’re free to be your excitable old self, a place where you can stay up late and get up early, and a place where “cat rules” don’t apply because there is no fucking cat. If you two live in an apartment, you could wait until another unit opens up in the building before moving out. Being in the same building would make it easy to share meals and spend evenings together, AIBS, and you could drop some scones off on mornings when you wake and bake.

Moving out was your idea, AIBS, which means this is permission, not advice. But I would advise you not to ask your girlfriend for her permission to move out — it’s permission you won’t get from her — but to instead inform her that you’ve already made the decision to move out. Your girlfriend is likely to be upset when you tell her — she’ll undoubtedly take it hard — but ask yourself what’s worse: addressing her hurt feelings and offering what reassurances you can or having to obey cat rules (and only speaking when spoken to!) for the next thirty or forty years.

P.S. I’ll bet you anything — dollars to donuts — that the moment you tell your girlfriend you wanna start seeing/dating/fucking other people again, AIBS, your girlfriend is gonna discover that you fucking other people triggers her symptoms.

P.P.S. Maybe you tell your girlfriend you wanna start seeing/dating/fucking other people before you tell her you wanna move out. If she reacts with a few constructive suggestions about how and when you could fuck other people, AIBTS, that’s a good sign. (It would also be a sign that your girlfriend isn’t the villain I take her for.) But if she tells you that the thought of you seeing/dating/ fucking someone else triggers her symptoms or violates Cat Rule #4612, go and get your own place.

: Q I’m a 37-year-old gay man, a bottom, living in Eastern Virginia. I used to be morbidly obese. But I’ve lost almost 200 pounds in the past fifteen years. I’ve only been with a man once during this time and it was exactly fifteen years ago, when I was at my absolute heaviest. Since then, I’ve struggled to find men to hook up with, even (especially) within the gay bear community. I’m either too small for chasers or I’m too big (both weight-

wise and height-wise) for everybody else. I don’t meet the local preferences for Muscle Bears or Twinks. I’m also sometimes mistaken for being FTM, especially by guys who are DL or closeted. I’ve tried all of the apps and the bars. And I’ve even traveled to major cities with no luck. I realize my weight has something to do with it, and I am working out and dieting. But my looks are average. It’s reached a point where the lack of intimacy has me struggling mentally even with the aid of a therapist and antidepressants. How can I break this streak?

—Not Enjoying Endless Dry Spell

A: Dude.

Hire someone. If you can manage to find a sex worker you like and you can afford to see him semi-regularly, NEEDS, not only will you break your sexless streak, but you’ll also demonstrate to yourself that you can establish a rapport (sexual and emotional) with another human being. My friends who’ve done sex work often wind up playing the role of dating/life/sex coach in the lives of their regular clients. So, a semi-regular session with a patient sex worker who’s willing to talk — not just fuck — could help set you up for future sexual and romantic success. And a good way to demonstrate to a sex worker that you see him a person and want to connect on more than just a physical level, NEEDS, is by offering to take him to dinner during your first booking — no sex, just dinner, but still a paid date. You would be paying for both his time and his meal, NEEDS, but his willingness to accept a dinner invitation would be a sign that he sees you as a person (and not just a hole) and how he behaves during dinner (is he curious? is he kind? does he order the most expensive shit on the menu?) would give you some sense of his character.

Additionally, NEEDS, breaking that long sexless streak of yours — even if you only want to pay for it once — will have the added benefit of making you feel less desperate and anxious. As desperation and anxiety are feelings people intuitively pick up on and neither are qualities anyone wants in a partner, feeling a little less of both could help you attract the attentions of a guy who wants to fuck you for free.

P.S. People looking for sex workers online generally recommend Tryst. I haven’t used the site myself — ahem — so this is not a personal endorsement.

Read the full article on metrotimes.com

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