December 1, 2012

The holidays — and the Holiday Parade — find us emptying our art and story grab bag … LETTER FROM THE PACIFIC: Jason Westenburg sees Oklahoma in the placid Pacific. A SENSE OF IDENTITY: With Barnard Elementary in cinders, Jeremy Bailey goes back to his school days. HIS MOTHER IS A CHICKEN: Mark Brown finds, in his mother’s fried chicken, the coalescence of cook and cooking. THE RITUAL OF MIMOSAS: Jennie Lloyd chronicles the last days of Sharon Saied. POETRY: Jenny Sullivan pairs red wine with dark chocolate and nostalgia. THINKING BIG, DREAMING LARGE: Walt Kosty ponders “East Meets West,” the Route 66 monument by Robert Summers. HELLO, MY NAME IS: Substitute teacher Aaron Cord Siemers gives his take on Oklahoma City Public Schools. LETTER FROM NEW YORK: Stillwater native and New York resident Sarah Graalman fended off Hurricane Sandy with bacon and bourbon. ORIGINAL OKIE: Nathan Poppe photographs Anthony McDermid, a founding principal at TAP Architecture who’s working to revitalize residential life in downtown Oklahoma City.