Perhaps Josh said it best in his 5 takeaways, the Missouri Tigers 52-10 win over Louisiana was an exercise in ‘taking care of business’.
Missouri
Latest work from mid-Missouri poet Elijah Burrell conveys needed messages
A holy wink opens “Skies of Blur,” the third and latest collection from mid-Missouri poet Elijah Burrell.
The wink travels from Jesus to the future St. Peter, but also from the poet to his reader across these initial lines: “In Simon Peter’s native tongue, / I wonder if boat and doubt sound slant.”
Here, Burrell raises questions of what a poem — what our language — can be, and how we locate ourselves in relationship. Should we take words, passed from one soul to another, so serious? Not really. Do we ever take our words seriously enough? Again, no echoes in our ears.
Over the course of these poems and pages, Burrell reveals an in-plain-sight mystery: We are always translating. Our experiences, someone’s pigeon-carried letters, the low brass hum of everyday life — each needs to be massaged and manifest in ways we might understand, if not act upon.
In “Skies of Blur,” the poet takes his turn putting his hand to the plow of translation, making our world make at least a few percentage points more sense. Burrell, a longtime professor at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, will continue this act of translation live when he reads from “Skies of Blur” at Skylark Bookshop Tuesday.
How the poet learns to listen — and models listening for us
Burrell reinforces this mission in the book’s second poem “Doing My Best to Listen.” Here, beneath the carbon-copy shelter of a gas station, he tunes his antennae to “a dozen voices calling—coyotes frenzied beneath a moon / they couldn’t see for the clouds.”
These are not simply wild, wordless voices, Burrell comes to understand, but sound and wonder, a fulfillment of the atmosphere around him, just one way of relaying “a message in transit to me my whole life.”
These messages, of what should and shouldn’t be, of simple glories and the stretch into oneness, face unsound barriers. The strangeness of the American dream labors to stop, or at least strain, them. Under his “American Umbrella,” Burrell slips into the guise of a cross-eyed dreamer who sees better than most.
“I spin plates every moment of my life. / I see nothing but yard sale pianos with songs inside them. / I have what they call a can-do attitude,” the poet writes in opening lines that, again, both wink and lament through the white spaces.
By poem’s end, in light of our national reliance on the almighty gun, the narrator’s plates crash, their umbrella ruptures.
Stories we can’t personally approach slow our understanding — until we tell them to each other, as Burrell’s narrator does in “Death and the King of Rock ‘N’ Roll.” Following the voluminous fill, then fade of an Elvis radio song, he shares the King’s life with his daughter, noticing how absences near and far call out in antiphon:
After Elvis has filled our car with a song,
my youngest daughter asks if he’s still
alive. “No, baby,” I say. “He died the year
Grandma had me.” In the rearview mirror
her faint flinch at the mention of mom.
Subtraction. I sense the math fill her mind.
Another domestic scene unspools through “In a World Gone Mad,” exhibiting the noise of our lives, and the need to listen between the lines.
“October in Missouri, / and I wake up to mass murder out west, / my daughter humming ‘Yer So Bad’ / while spoon-plinking the well of her / white bowl of Cheerios,” Burrell writes.
Poems of memories and messages
As we commit ourselves to translate, and to listen, messages break the noise — and conspicuous silences — in sundry, surprising ways.
Memories collide, then convey their kindnesses, through “the little symphonies from childhood synesthesia” (“Do Not Drive Into Smoke”); distant friends broadcast fragments of speech across “opposite ends / of quiet woods” (“Hailing Old Ghosts from My Silo on the Moon”); and, when everything fails, we keep sitting down to silent pianos, straining our ears for hushed voices, making music until the music comes back (“Unable to Sing”).
Words and their meanings come together, links in an imperfect, exquisite chain; they articulate our blessed smallness in a world of social-media dopamine and ancient weather (“Life in the Gush of Boats”); set us in motion to reconcile all our tenses (“Midlife”); bring our definitions of prayer and belonging into sad relief, so we might see ourselves as we are (“I Was Old When I Left Home”).
And, in one of the book’s late, great poems, we learn the power of exhausting the language for glorious synonyms. “Never Say Love In a Poem” captures the poet at work, trying to evade conventional sincerity and stumbling into something better.
“Listen: The small of her back / is drift, her mouth supermax,” Burrell writes.
And, in two of his finest poems, Burrell pays staggering tribute to his fellow translators, offering hope that we will keep at this work, keep breaking through.
Perhaps my favorite poem of the young year, “This is That Song by Alex Chilton (‘Thirteen’)” honors too-good-for-this-world troubadour Elliott Smith, tracing the passage of sound and “Arizona silence” from a 1997 live show to where the rock bard felt safest.
He closes his eyes. He’s back in Portland,
alone in bed, headphones on, and the birch-
white limbs inside him tremble and bend
from the weight of something cold and falling.
Five lines, “Postlude/Grace” ends the collection and begins something else entirely as the poet hands a guitar and his “indistinct” music to his daughter, whose “miraculous fingers / move down the neck like a surgeon closing a wound / that’s lain open too long.”
These words picture what we are always doing for one another. Here, Burrell writes out his translations, then passes them down to us that we might keep going, keep healing wounds borne alone and shared with others.
Burrell will read at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday; learn more about the evening at https://www.skylarkbookshop.com/new-events.
Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He’s on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.
A Missouri woman was sentenced on Tuesday to more than four years in federal prison for scheming to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his Graceland home and property before a judge halted the brazen foreclosure sale.
US district judge John T Fowlkes Jr sentenced Lisa Jeanine Findley in federal court in Memphis to four years and nine months behind bars, plus an additional three years of probation. Findley, 54, declined to speak on her own behalf during the hearing.
Findley pleaded guilty in February to a charge of mail fraud related to the scheme. She also had been indicted on a charge of aggravated identity theft, but that charge was dropped as part of a plea agreement.
Findley, of Kimberling City, falsely claimed Presley’s daughter borrowed $3.8m from a bogus private lender and had pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan before her death in January 2023, prosecutors said when Findley was charged in August 2024. She then threatened to sell Graceland to the highest bidder if Presley’s family didn’t pay a $2.85m settlement, according to authorities.
Findley posed as three different people allegedly involved with the fake lender, fabricated loan documents and published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in a Memphis newspaper announcing the auction of Graceland in May 2024, prosecutors said. A judge stopped the sale after Presley’s granddaughter sued.
Experts were baffled by the attempt to sell off one of the most storied pieces of real estate in the country using names, emails and documents that were quickly suspected to be phony.
Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 and draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises. Presley died in August 1977 at the age of 42.
The public notice for the foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) estate said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owed $3.8m after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Actor Riley Keough, Presley’s granddaughter, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley.
Keough filed a lawsuit claiming fraud, and a judge halted the proposed auction with an injunction. Naussany Investments and Private Lending – the bogus lender authorities say Findley created – said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough’s lawsuit alleged that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023 and that Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany.
Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Naussany’s documents, indicated she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, according to the estate’s lawsuit. The judge said the notary’s affidavit brought into question the authenticity of the signature.
In halting the foreclosure sale, the judge said Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing that a company’s attempt to auction Graceland was fraudulent.
A statement emailed to the Associated Press after the judge stopped the sale said Naussany would not proceed with the sale because a key document in the case and the loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning “legal action would have to be filed in multiple states”. The statement, sent from an email address for Naussany listed in court documents, did not specify the other state.
After the scheme fell apart, Findley, who has a criminal history that includes attempts at passing bad checks, tried to make it look like the person responsible was a Nigerian identity thief, prosecutors said. An email sent on 25 May 2024, to the AP from the same email as the earlier statement said in Spanish that the foreclosure sale attempt was made by a Nigerian fraud ring that targets old and dead people in the US and uses the internet to steal money.
In arguing for a three-year sentence, defense attorney Tyrone Paylor noted that Presley’s estate did not suffer any loss of money and countered the prosecution’s stance that the scheme was executed in a sophisticated manner.
Fowlkes, the judge, said it would have been a “travesty of justice” if the sale had been completed.
“This was a highly sophisticated scheme to defraud,” he said.
Each season has to play out fully before we gain an understanding of the significance of any single win. Mizzou looked shaky at times in their week one win over Central Arkansas, they had a very forgettable 1st quarter against Kansas, but the win over Louisiana was sheer dominance. We don’t know what the Cajuns will look like the rest of their season, they are starting a freshman quarterback after their presumed starter, Ole Miss transfer Walker Howard, went down with an injury early this season. But the program is still a proud one with four double digit win seasons in their last 6, including 10 wins just last year.
The Louisiana offense gained just 121 yards of offense on 36 plays, with Zylan Perry’s 84 yard scamper being included in that tally. Take away Perry’s touchdown run and there were 35 offensive plays and 37 yards of offense. In the third quarter alone Louisiana ran just 6 plays for -2 yards.
That’s defensive dominance.
On offense, Missouri was efficient. 86 plays, 42 minutes of possession, 606 yards gained, including 427 yards on the ground. 10.5 yards per completion, of which there were 17. 6.9 yards per rush, on 62 attempts. It took 27 plays before Missouri failed to gain yardage on an offensive play from scrimmage. By that point it was 28-0 and the message was sent. Sure there was an interception which set up a Field Goal, and shortly there after was Perry’s touchdown run.
Missouri wasn’t perfect, but they were dominant.
We’ve now watched three games where Missouri has been the much better team for the bulk of the game. I’ll give KU the 1st quarter — even if I think that was more the result of the random nature of the game — but the last three quarters were about the Tigers. We’ll learn more about how quality these wins have been as the season wears on. The players don’t get to pick the opponents, they show up and play. And they’ve done all you can ask of them so far.
You get to this place by not worrying about who you’re playing on the field, but focusing on you. It doesn’t matter if the player in front of you is a potential 1st round draft pick or a guy hanging on the back end of an FCS roster, do your job and win the battle. If each player approaches it that way, you end up with games like this one. And much of the past three. Focus on yourself, be the best you can be, let the rest work itself out.
It’s important to keep this mindset each and every week. Because in watching the results around the rest of college football play out, we’re seeing a real opportunity for Missouri.
South Carolina comes into Columbia next week with a whole lot of question marks. Their inflated ranking has been based largely on the Heisman quality quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who may not even be available after getting a possible concussion against Vanderbilt. Sellers left that game, didn’t return, and Vandy tightened the screws on the Gamecocks in Columbia, winning 31-7.
South Carolina struggled against Virginia Tech, didn’t exactly put South Carolina State away, and got crushed by Vanderbilt. On top of potentially missing Sellers, star Defensive Lineman Dylan Stewart might also miss the first half after getting ejected late in the second half.
Missouri should be the favorite regardless if Sellers plays or not. But being the favorite doesn’t matter if you don’t do what’s required, focus on yourself and controlling what you can, and getting a win to start 4-0.
- 3. LSU 20, Florida 10
- 6. Georgia 44, 15. Tennessee 41
- 7. Texas 27, UTEP 10
- 16. Texas A&M 41, 8. Notre Dame 40
- Vanderbilt 31, 11. South Carolina 7
- 13. Oklahoma 42, Temple 3
- 17. Ole Miss 41, Arkansas 35
- 19. Alabama 38, Wisconsin 14
- 24. Auburn 31, South Alabama 15
- Mississippi State 63, Alcorn State 0
- Kentucky 48, Eastern Michigan 23
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Entrepreneurs across Missouri gained a new champion this week as regional and national advocates launched a new coalition to support builders in the face of systemic, confidence-shaking roadblocks as they seek to drive job creation and higher lifetime incomes.
Jim Malle, Missouri Coalition manager for Right to Start, speaks to coalition stakeholders during a launch event in Kansas City; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
The Missouri Starters Coalition on Thursday unveiled its founding members — Back2KC, Cortex, E-Factory, Keystone Innovation District, LaunchKC, NextMO, and lead organizer Right to Start — which together plan to make entrepreneurship a greater civic priority through convening, addressing barriers to starting businesses, and making sure all communities are included.
“We are beginning the journey today of launching a coalition of entrepreneurs, policy makers, civic organizations, to really come together to continue to boost entrepreneurship in the state of Missouri,” said Jim Malle, Missouri Coalition manager for Right to Start.
“Kansas City has had a lot of great momentum over the last 5 to 10 years in this space, and Right to Start is going to be here to continue to move that along in a great direction,” he added.
The launch event also included a panel on how small businesses can prepare for and benefit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup. An estimated 650,000 World Cup visitors are expected across June and July 2026 as Kansas City hosts both group stage and quarterfinal matches.
World Cup will produce KC small biz millionaires in just weeks, leaders say, but it’s only the start
Wes Rogers, 2nd District Councilman for KCMO and chair of the city’s Small Business Taskforce, center, speaks on panel moderated by Right to Start’s Jason Grill, right; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Entrepreneurship drives America
Victor Hwang, founder and CEO of Right to Start, returned to Kansas City for Thursday’s event and praised the city’s growth as a startup hub.
“This is one of the most dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems that I’ve seen, and it’s just a really exciting time,” Hwang said.
He pointed to research showing that 65 percent of Americans believe it is harder to start a business today than it was a generation ago. Yet, he noted, nearly everyone agrees that entrepreneurship is critical to the future of the country.
“New and young businesses account for almost all net job growth in the economy,” Hwang said, citing that a 1 percent rise in local entrepreneurship raises household incomes by about $500, and at the state level, a 1 percent increase lowers poverty rates by 2 percent.
“Entrepreneurship-led economic development leads to higher lifetime incomes, more homegrown jobs, and more opportunity for all,” added Jason Grill, chief government affairs officer of Right to Start.
In light of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, Hwang said, the country’s founding story is tied to today’s entrepreneurs.
“America was one of the great startup ideas,” he said. “Founders of today, the people that are doing stuff now, are part of that same story. We want everyone to feel like they can be a founder of the future of this country.”
‘America the Entrepreneurial’: Can builders restore the promise of ‘the most courageous startup the world has ever seen?’
Jim Malle, Missouri Coalition manager for Right to Start, right, speaks alongside Victor Hwang, founder of Right to Start, at Keystone CoLAB in Kansas City; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Statewide push follows legislation
The Missouri Starters Coalition builds on policy momentum already in motion. In 2024, Show Me State lawmakers passed the Right to Start Act, which created Missouri’s first office of entrepreneurship and set up new tracking for government contracts awarded to businesses less than three years old.
Jessica Powell, Right to Start; photo by Austin Barnes, Startland News
“As a lifelong Kansas Citian, entrepreneur, and former member of the Missouri House of Representatives, it gives me great joy to see Missouri embracing the importance of new, young businesses to the economy and well-being of the state,” said Grill.
Malle, based in St. Louis, will oversee the coalition’s growth with the help of Jessica Powell, who is based in Kansas City and a Right to Start advocate for Missouri.
“Having spent much of my career advancing entrepreneurship in both Kansas City and St. Louis, I’m excited to see this coalition emerging to promote entrepreneurship as a civic priority statewide,” Malle said. “It’s especially important, as entrepreneurship benefits literally everyone in Missouri.”
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