Years ago, when Talking Heads and R.E.M. were just coming onto the scene, I had a couple of stints living in Fort Sanders. To a young heart, it was a magical—if scruffy—place, filled with creatives of all sorts. I spent a few months in the Theatre House (now the Ronald McDonald House) my first go-round, then lived on White Avenue about five years later. That house is now a parking lot.
The Fort had a certain je ne sais quoi then—something that probably doesn’t quite endure today. That’s why I’m especially excited about a free screening at 6:30 p.m. on June 18 at Central Cinema (1205 Central St), presented by the Library’s Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound (TAMIS).
A Fort in the Vault features archival footage of Fort Sanders, including the short film Giving Up the Ghost, which satirizes landlord-tenant disputes through skits and silent-film parody. The program showcases not only the changing neighborhood, but also the creative energy that defined the Fort in the 1980s and ’90s.
Seeing anything at Central Cinema is always a treat. Grab some popcorn and revisit the good old days.
Mary Pom Claiborne is assistant director for marketing, communications and development for Knox County Public Library.
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