The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • D1

Alice Cooper used to being off in the summer. The legendary rocker for- ever associated raccoon-eyed makeup, outlandish live performances and the rallying cry of is typi- cally zigzagging across the globe, bring- ing his thundering crunch rock to dev- otees. But the past few months have allowed Cooper Vincent Furnier) to indulge in his beloved pastime golfing every day at 6:30 a.m., hole up with his family including his adult children and his grandchildren at his estate in Phoenix, binge-watch- ing and also been acutely sensitive to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and, a few weeks ago, debuted the anthem, Give single is one of those things where I finally let Alice not be Alice. I said, have a serious moment with Alice and stand up to the bully and say (to the virus) the human race, and tough, but not that Cooper said in a recent inter- view with The Atlanta Journal-Constitu- tion and Kaedy Kiely of The River (97.1 FM). The 72-year-old musician said the song started with the chorus ing at the edge, step off the and he decided to speak the News: Delivery: ajc.com/customercare or 404-522-4141 DO GUIDED VISUAL ARTS HAMMONDS HOUSE MUSEUM The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday, June 12, 2020 FROM TOP: Surfer Endless starring Roy Scheider; Stella Got Her Groove starring Taye Diggs and Angela Bassett; to starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall.

BRUCE BROWN FILMS, UNIVERSAL PICTURES, TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX, PARAMOUNT PICTURES With the summer movie season on hold, create your own film festival at home movies summer Classic Melissa Ruggieri FRIDAY DIARY STORIES OF HOPE With hard work, resilience, and perseverance, we can survive tough times even a pandemic. Elisabeth Knights When this terrible pandemic began, my husband, Colin, I and were shocked and scared like the rest of the world. But our ability to persevere kicked in, and we quickly created a plan to keep our business moving forward because we are determined to never fail. It was shaped by our rags-to-riches story. We are immigrants from George- town, Guyana.

Back then, most peo- ple in Guyana own televisions and if they had a TV, it was black- and-white, except for those people living in wealthy homes. We only saw things like skates and skateboards if someone got them from a family member living in the United States. We did have some standard plas- tic toys, but we substituted toys that our parents afford with common yard items to make play- time fun. This contributed to the cre- ativity and the outside-of-the-box approach we have toward life. I would use leaves to substitute for money in pretend shopping play.

The different color and shape leaves held different values. Discarded cans were made into kitchen cabinet bases to make my dollhouse come alive. Colin also fashioned toys from old tires, sticks and rocks. This creativity and imagination, our refusal to adopt the attitude, and the vision to see our glass as half-full rather than half- empty, no matter our circumstances, contributed to us being able to do what we are doing today running our own business. Those early lessons also helped us cope with the pandemic.

My husband and I met at a barbe- Lifting one another up during difficult times By Elisabeth Knights Community Contributor note: Clearly, the coronavirus is testing patience and resolve. Yet, amid the uncertainty, a resilient spirit thrives. To provide a bit of a diversion from the news around us, asked our community contributors to share their personal stories of optimism during these troubling times. Their stories will appear weekly. We hope you them inspirational.

We hope they provide you with some perspective. And we hope they remind you, as captured in some of their personal stories, that we are all in this together. humble Pandemic inspires musical encouragement MUSIC NOTES By Felicia Feaster For the AJC From the gingerbread trim on the front porch of this 1857 Victo- rian home to that first creak of the well-seasoned floorboards, you know this is not your typical art space when you pass the threshold of Hammonds House Museum in West End. A museum founded on fasci- nating complexities, Hammonds House presents artwork that often deals frankly with ugly past of slavery, segregation and its ongoing racism. But much of the artwork on dis- play also celebrates black creativ- ity, joyfulness and grit.

The staff receives visitors like friends, lead- ing them around the space to talk about the art. an experience that melds the best parts of the South; the hospitality, warmth and respect for come before with a fierce desire to make a bet- ter future. also a place unapol- ogetically about the tenacity and resistance of black Americans. was created because Afri- can-American artists have a voice in the larger visual arts mar- when it was founded in 1988. were not being shown in major says the muse- executive director Leatrice Ellzy Wright, a woman with a unique vision and voice of her own.

She shares gen- erosity of spirit, but tired too. been a painful few weeks. In the wake of the murders of Social justice is hallmark of art at Hammonds House A collaborative work by artists Maurice Evans and Grace Kisa, from the current Hammonds House Museum exhibition, which will be available for in-person viewing, by appointment, when the gallery reopens July 8. CONTRIBUTED BY MAURICE EVANS ollywood blockbusters are as mucha part of the summer season asbeach vacations and sleepawaycamp. But just as COVID-19 has putthe kibosh on music festivals andair travel, so has it halted us from sitting in darkened theaters and watching new movies.

Once again, time to pivot. With all the streaming services available and movies that can be rented or purchased through iTunes and Amazon, you can host your own blockbuster movie nights or indie film festival at home. Here are a few movies we recommend to get you started. Just think how much money save on snacks. Considered the quintessential summer block- buster, Steven 1975 horror flick about a blood-thirsty shark menacing the good peo- ple of Amity was the first movie to surpass $100 million at the box office, according to Guinness World Records.

Just as Alfred ruined the pleasure of a hot shower for a generation of filmgoers, ruined the ocean for a generation of vacationers headed to the beach for vacation. was not first major theatri- cal release. That distinction goes to But it was the movie that put him on the map and established many of the elements that define a Spielberg film: the intimate portrayal of white suburban family life; the sweeping JohnWil- liams score; the dolly zoom shot of an actor react- ing to something off-screen; the memorable one- liners. gonna need a bigger The movie has fresh relevance, too, thanks to a rash of recent memes that swap out the great white shark for COVID-19 in the scene where the Amity mayor promises to reopen the beaches despite the fact disaster still looms. And we all know how well that ended.

(Streaming on HBOMax, for rent on Amazon and iTunes) to This 1988 Eddie Murphy classic is part rom- com, part buddy flick directed by John Landis, who had a track record for transforming day Night cast members into movie stars. Murphy plays Akeem, an African prince who is bored with his pampered life. On his 21st birth- day, he rejects his arranged marriage to a fawning bride-to-be and goes to New York City with his manservant (Arsenio Hall) to find a future queen. By Suzanne Van Atten For the AJC Lift continued on D5 Justice continued on D3 Music continued on D3 Movies continued on D4 ATLANTA ORDERS IN HOMESTYLE FARE AND HAND-PULLED NOODLES D5.