Table of Contents (December 2008)

WEB EXCLUSIVES
* December Issue Podcast (listen at right)
* An audio interview with Colin Gordon, author of "Mapping Decline: St. Louis and the Fate of the American City." 
* A Q&A with former St. Louisan Steven Meyer, a Disney animator behind Bolt

EDITOR'S NOTE

FEEDBACK

THE CURRENT
A New Chapter
As it turns the page after 40 years, Left Bank Books expands downtown
By Byron Kerman

A Tale of Two Cities
Is Virtual St. Louis all its contrived to be?
By Byron Kerman

Sweeping St. Louis
Broomball takes the ice at the local rink
By Alex Bates

Magic Carpentry Ride
A sneak peek inside the new and improved Magic House
By Christy Marshall

Winter Wonders
Test your St. Louis savviness with a wintertime quiz
By Alex Bates

The Year in Review
An optimist's guide
By Jarrett Medlin

What It's Like ... To Be a Rockette
Karilyn Ashley Surratt
By Jarrett Medlin

TRADITIONS
The Christmas Eve Tree
Another bad holiday idea
By Dave Lowry

LANGUAGE
"Y'all Vous Autres"
The young fiddler trying to keep Old French alive
By Jeannette Cooperman

HISTORY
Mapping the Divide
A lifelong St. Louisan grapples with the city's racial disparity

RELIGION
Faith and Family
A Muslim woman, her Catholic grandmother and their overlapping lives
By Aisha Sharif

THINGS WE LOVE

STYLE
Fashion Cents
Has the dip in the stock market led to a downturn at local boutiques?
By Jeanette Kozlowski

Stylish Subtleties: Jimmy Jamieson
By Nicole Benoist Edgerton

GLITTERATI
Glitterati Saks has the Key to the Cure … Dancing in the Street in Grand Center … Going red for the American Heart Association … Going gold for Harris-Stowe State University … John Waters brings the politically incorrect to Laumeier … Walking for Autism.

FEATURES
’Tis the Season
The holidays can be overwhelming—so much to do, and so little time. So we pulled together a cheat sheet to take you through the rest of the season. Whether you’re in the mood for romance or simply looking to relax, we’ve got you covered. Think of it as our holiday gift to you.
By Maud Kelly and Jarrett Medlin

+ Several Holiday Sidebars

Fashion Portfolio: Dazzle Me
Jazz it up this holiday season by bringing sparkling new life to old standards.
Photographed by Susan Jackson
Styling by Nicole Benoist Edgerton

Music Portfolio: Note Perfect
Meet eight exceptional stars of St. Louis' music scene — from a global rock legend to the symphony's new phenom
Photographs by Greg Rannells
Interviews by SLM Staff

“I Was Kicking Ass and Taking Names”
Bill Jakob arrived in Gerald, Mo., earlier this year with a badge, guns and a promise to put the small town's drug dealers behind bars. Today, Jakob's the one facing jail time.
By Malcolm Gay

Quiet Cool
Inside the gentlest creative mind in St. Louis
By Jeannette Cooperman

A Conversation with Chuck Berry
Life according to the king of rock ’n’ roll.
By Jeannette Cooperman

CULTURE
Datebook: December



Calendar Listings

Coda and Bridge
The Black Artists' Group Trio calls it quits this month, but BAG II will live on—and so will free jazz in St. Louis
By Byron Kerman

Sunshine, Lollipops and ... Revenge?
Stray Dog's devilish holiday romp brings light to the darker side of the '60s
By Margaret Bauer

Second Spin
Expat St. Louisan and former Streetside Records exec Tom Lunt is running the coolest record company in the country: Numero Group, which reissues the best soul, power pop and folk you've never heard
By Steve Pick

Window Treatment
Artist Sandra Marchewa curates one of St. Louis' tiniest — bust most clever and accessible — galleries
By Jordan Oakes

DINING OUT
Restaurant Guide

Review: Revival
By Dave Lowry

First Look: Triumph Grill
By George Mahe

Frugal Foodie: The U
By Rose Martelli

Kitchen Q&A: Patricia Corrigan
By George Mahe

Liquid Assets: Bubbles on the Brain
By Chris Hoel

FLASHBACK
1944: Hopeful Romantics
By Stefene Russell