Myke Johns
90.1FM WABE
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Past articles by Myke:
Picture Book, Animated Film 'Hair Love' Focuses On Telling Stories Of Father-Daughter Bonds
Children's books are often full of larger-than-life characters and fantastic scenarios. A new book finds both of those in a father and in a little girl's hair. The book is called "Hair Love," in which the young black girl introduces herself, saying "My name is Zuri, and I have hair that has a mind of its own." The → Read More
Atlanta Musician Celebrates 100 Years Of Pete Seeger With Album, Concert
Friday marks the 100th birthday of iconic American musician and activist, Pete Seeger. To celebrate the centennial of the man who brought us some of the most moving songs of a generation, singer/songwriter John McCutcheon recorded "To Everyone in All the World: A Celebration of Pete Seeger.” McCutcheon will also → Read More
Alliance Theatre Gets 'Angry, Raucous...' With Pearl Cleage World Premiere
As far as theater scandals go, “Naked Wilson” sounds rather intriguing. For the two artists in Pearl Cleage’s new play, taking some liberties with August Wilson’s “Fences” drove them to flee criticism in the States by going into a self-imposed exile in Amsterdam. And now, 25 years later, actress Anna Campbell and → Read More
Atlanta Public Access Show Gives Window To City's Queer Past
Before there was YouTube, there was Public Access TV. It put cameras in the hands of anyone who had the time and creativity to put on a show. Average (or not so average) Americans produced content that reflected their worlds and their imaginations. In the case of "The American Music Show," that world was Atlanta’s → Read More
Damita Howard On Her Blockbuster Stunts: Don't Try This At Home
Damita Howard's career has really been on fire in recent years --no, really, she's actually been on fire. Howard is a professional stunt person who has worked on "The Hunger Games" films, "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Avengers: Infinity War," "The Walking Dead" and much more. And thanks to the migration of the film → Read More
Atlanta Jewish Music Festival Director On Fluid Definition Of 'Jewish Music'
What is “Jewish Music?” It’s a question that Joe Alterman has been wrestling with lately. Alterman became the director of the Atlanta Jewish Music Festival last year. Speaking with after he took the position, he told us his mission was to expand people’s definitions of Jewish Music. Now, with the festival beginning → Read More
Atlanta Choir, Made Up Of Singers Who Are Homeless, Will Perform At Impact Concert
Harpist Angelica Hairston launched Challenge the Stats in 2016. She created the initiative for classical musicians from minority backgrounds to share the tools needed for serious study and professional careers. Challenge the Stats also addresses social and racial justice through music. This year's Impact Atlanta → Read More
Bad Seed Theatre Strives For Diversity In 'Vagina Monologues'
It's been more than 20 years since Eve Ensler first stepped onstage with her show, "The Vagina Monologues." In the following decades, that event turned into a movement which sees yearly performances all over the world, as well as lots of money raised for charity. Atlanta audiences will have a chance to see this work, → Read More
Atlanta Opera Stages Story of Mercy, Capital Punishment With 'Dead Man Walking'
Can we forgive the unforgivable? That question is central to the story of “Dead Man Walking,” a true account by Sister Helen Prejean about her time counseling a death row inmate. You may recognize the title from the 1995 film adaptation starring Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon. The Atlanta Opera is putting the story → Read More
Atlanta Opera Stages Story of Mercy, Capital Punishment With 'Dead Man Walking'
Can we forgive the unforgivable? That question is central to the story of “Dead Man Walking,” a true account by Sister Helen Prejean about her time counseling a death row inmate. You may recognize the title from the 1995 film adaptation starring Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon. The Atlanta Opera is putting the story → Read More
Atlanta Poetry Workshop Focuses On Voices Of Black Women
If you want to learn the craft of writing, there are a number of writing groups and classes available. But a pair of Atlanta-based poets are focusing their efforts on reaching black women. Joan "Lyric" Leslie and Ashlee Haze are leading a series of workshops and open mics they're calling "More Black Girl Than Magic." → Read More
Award-Winning Georgia-Made Indie Film 'Still' To Screen At Plaza
"Still" is the feature debut of its writer and director Takashi Doscher. It's a story about a dark secret that plays out against the beautiful vistas of the North Georgia mountains. After winning the Georgia Film Award at last year's Atlanta Film Festival, the film was bought by a distributor, The Orchard, and it hit → Read More
Atlanta Stand-Ups Gather To Tell 50 First Jokes
Fifty comics all gathered under one roof last weekend. They each are given two minutes to tell the first joke they've written of 2019. So under threat of Silly String, each comic approaches the mic for a rapid fire mixtape, if you will, of Atlanta comedy. Material covers everything from pop culture to absurdist → Read More
Barry Jenkins Captures Joy And Injustice In 'If Beale Street Could Talk'
Summer 2013 was a productive time for Barry Jenkins. He wrote what became not one, but two award-winning films; "Moonlight," which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017, and his newest movie "If Beale Street Could Talk." That film sees nationwide release on Christmas Day. " spent the next four or five years → Read More
New Documentary Gives Bucking Dance Style The Floor
Dance is a powerful, personal form of self-expression. A new film tells a story about dancers overcoming prejudice and fear to express themselves with a style of dance called “bucking.” That movie, called “When the Beat Drops,” opens this year's Out on Film Festival. Bucking was derived from moves developed by the → Read More
Aretha Franklin Tried To Get Muhammad Ali's Number, Pearl Cleage Remembers
When news of singer Aretha Franklin's death reached her, "City Lights" host Lois Reitzes got in touch with Atlanta playwright Pearl Cleage. Cleage and Franklin shared a number of things in common. To begin with, both grew up in Detroit. "My father's church was about six blocks from Aretha's father's church," she → Read More
Fake 'City Of Atlanta' Page Shut Down After Stone Mountain Prank
Internet trolling is what comedian Ben Palmer does best. He has Facebook pages set up for everything – from Waffle House to the City of San Francisco. You may have heard of one of his projects, called "Hope That Helps," in which he posts snarky responses to customer service requests and complaints. His most recent → Read More
Kids In The Hall's Dave Foley Performs At Atlanta's Dad's Garage
If you’re a fan of sketch comedy, chances are excellent you already know who Dave Foley is. He is a member of the comedy troupe Kids in the Hall. That show's five season run found him playing a long list of memorable characters: the lonely sarcastic man, the shopkeeper who speaks not a word of English, film actor → Read More
A 'Parliment of Owls' Is Coming To Midtown
You know how there are all these interesting-sounding terms for groups of animals? Like “pride of lions” or “murder of crows.” The idea for an upcoming nighttime art event came from one of these. “When I heard that a group of owls is called a ‘parliament,’ it really stayed in my mind,” says Chantelle Rytter, who → Read More
Stand-Up Byron Bowers Confronts Pain With Comedy
On the surface, there's not a lot that's funny about trauma, mental health issues, and drug addiction. But Athens-born comedian Byron Bowers mines those darker areas for some of his best material. Bowers made a recent appearance on Comedy Central's show "This Is Not Happening" with a story about how as a teenager, he → Read More