Washington City Paper: Contents for Jan. 12

Wall Mart
Long after most Americans figured the POW/MIA issue was over, a handful of veterans continue a solemn vigil. Contributions are most appreciated.

Cover Story

Down by the Lincoln Memorial, night begins with the buzz of a single gas-powered generator. Soon, a second one grinds into action, then a third. The small motors make a locust clatter along the sacred path to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial--"the Wall." All night long, the portable dynamos will juice the light bulbs hanging inside three neighboring wooden shacks.

Seated in the one with olive-drab walls, Larry Bice is staring straight ahead at Lincoln's marble visage. The president's chiseled countenance is solemn and full of strength. Tonight, Bice needs some of the latter. He's got a roaring headache. His shift won't end for hours. Aspirin's not helping, and neither is the wind, which continuously whips the damp off the Reflecting Pool behind him.

It's 8 p.m. on a Thursday in November. Bice, 53, a sturdy, soft-spoken man in camouflage pants, checks the thermometer hanging from his coat zipper: 45 degrees. As he cranks the knob on the propane heater, its glowing red eye widens, toasting the air. Bice pulls off his black cap, then puts his head down on the counter. But he refuses to let himself nod off. He can't. He's here on a mission.

In the late '60s, Bice served for one year with the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam. He has since devoted almost a quarter of his life to this 6-foot-tall hut. The makeshift structure looks something like a roadside fireworks stand, only it never closes for the season. Bice is one of a dozen or so people who man the booth 24/7, 365 days a year. ... Continued

Issue of Jan. 12 - 18, 2001

News and Features

Wall Mart
Long after most Americans figured the POW/MIA issue was over, a handful of veterans continue a solemn vigil. Contributions are most appreciated.
Cover Story By Eric Hoover
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Justice Action Movement gears up for the inauguration—and beyond.
The City By Garance Franke-Ruta
The Naked Truth
D.C. Councilmembers voted unanimously for more nudie bars. What were they thinking?
The City
Slogans
The City
Diver Down
The Mail By Michael Dolan
Life in the Fishbowl
The Mail By Overton Lemons
The Scales From Her Eyes
The Mail By Heather Hohweiler
The Age of Aquarium?
The Mail By Bill Orsinger
Towering Inferno
The Mail By Timothy Cooper
Jack's in the Box
The Mail By Stephen Gorman
It's Greek to Me
The Mail By Joseph Parry
Into the Void
The Mail By Simone Fary
Save It for Later
The Mail By Robert Lanza

Columns

Logo à No-Go
Cheap Seats By Dave McKenna
Mind, Body, Spirit, Underpants
Brief Nudity By Sean Daly
Cash Mismanagement
Loose Lips By Jonetta Rose Barras

Eats

Movies

Our Most Unforgettable Character
Film Review By Joel E. Siegel
Back in the Days
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Save the Last Dance
Film Review By Mark Jenkins
Antitrust
Film Review By Tricia Olszewski

Music

Where Love Rules
Music Review By William Jelani Cobb
Face It, You're a Metal Band
Acts Locally By Brent Burton

Theater

The Examined Life...
Theater Review By Trey Graham

Arts and Events

Behind the Music
Sideman Daryl Davis has been helping Chuck Berry sound great for two decades—but you're not supposed to notice.
Arts By Dan Gilgoff
Good Consul
Opera By Joe Banno
The Holmes Truth
Artifacts By Mark Jenkins
A Very Good Year
Artifacts By Nefretiti Makenta

City Lights

This week's best in Arts and Entertainment.

46th Corcoran Biennial Exhibition: Media/Metaphor
City Lights By Louis Jacobson
Draw Your Own Comic Book
City Lights By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Eileen Myles
City Lights By Maori Karmael Holmes
Still Life With Self: A Survey of Contemporary Trends in Self Portraiture
City Lights By Felix Gillette
Art Nouveau and the Cinema
City Lights By Mark Jenkins
Rick Gold
City Lights By Jason Cherkis
Andrea Young
City Lights By Justin Moyer
Dying Fetus
City Lights By Brent Burton
Iona
City Lights By Christopher Porter
Brian Straw
City Lights By Justin Moyer
Ken Burns
City Lights By Christopher Porter
Julie Taymor
City Lights By Mark Jenkins
Arthur Rowse
City Lights By Louis Jacobson