True Grit:
Coen Brothers Remake Classic
By Derek Wright
True Grit is the story of 14-year-old Mattie Ross on a quest to revenge the murder of her father. She forms an unlikely partnership with a one-eyed, hard-drinking, overweight Deputy U.S. Marshal named Rooster Cogburn, and the tale of their adventure becomes one of the best known legends of Fort Smith, Arkansas. This combination of revenge, redemption, and strange circumstances is entirely fiction, yet it captures the grit of frontier Fort Smith and the wilds of Indian Territory like no other story.
True Grit began as a novel written by Arkansas native Charles Portis in 1968. It was adapted into film in 1969 and rewarded John Wayne with the only Best Actor Oscar of his career. Because the story is set in Fort Smith during the Wild West days of Judge Isaac Parker’s Federal Court and the infamous gallows, the movie has remained extremely popular in the Fort Smith area for the past 40 years.
Movie Posters Courtesy Paramount Pictures
Book Cover Image Courtesy Got Grit? – A project of the College of Languages and Communication
at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith.
Click for full story.
Organizational Profile
By Pauline Kuhn Ortega
Chancellor's Leadership Council
The Chancellor's Leadership Council (CLC) is made up of a group of students who are chosen by the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Chancellor and a group of interviewers, including prior Chancellor's Leadership Council members. Each spring the Chancellor accepts applications to the Leadership Council from graduating high school students. The requirements for the applicants are: students must be seeking a bachelor's degree, have a least a 25+ ACT score, and a 3.25 grade point average or greater coming out of high school.
Click for full story.
Ware Wednesdays at Old Town (7 to 11 pm)
By Derek Wright
Tom Ware has played at Old Town Grain and Feed since the first pub to use that name opened in 1973. Located at 503 Garrison Avenue in a building dating to the 19th century, Old Town went on to become the historic anchor of the Garrison Avenue night club district. And Tom went on to become one of the icons of Fort Smith local live music.
Photo Courtesy of Proprietors of Old Town
Click for full story.
Chess on Campus
By Ernest Cialone
Ernest Cialone vs. Tyler Madsen
March or Die Tournament
White to Move
This is the first endgame position that this column has featured; although it is some years old, I hope you enjoy it. As the position indicates, my opponent had outplayed me to this point so that he enjoyed the advantage of two Pawns. Like many endgame positions, this one revolves around the Pawns; if Black can promote (Queen) one of his Pawns on the first rank, he will win the game. But White managed to secure a draw on the next move.
Image Courtesy Ernest Cialone
Click for full story.
Calendar of Events
Compiled by Pauline Ortega
Click for full story.
Music Calendar
Compiled by Derek Wright
Click for full story.
