This past summer, for days on end, I looked up at the night sky and saw the moon glowing red. From the perspective of humans, the fires that created that red moon were among the worst on record, with nearly 300 square miles burned and 16 firefighters killed. The roaring flames were relatively short-lived compared […]
Arts + Scene
Reviews, interviews and upcoming highlights from the week in visual and performing arts around Humboldt County.
Posted inArts + Scene
Pushcart Prize XXXII: Best of the Small Presses (2008 edition)
We seek out alternative news, alternative music and alternative films. But what about alternative literature? With hundreds, if not thousands, of small print and online magazines and journals, how do we decide what to buy, borrow or read? For the last 32 years, Bill Henderson and the Pushcart Press have put together an annual volume […]
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Kiddie Fare
Previews Opening Wednesday, Nov. 26, is Australia, a historical epic set prior to WWII. Directed by Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge), the film stars Nicole Kidman as an Englishwoman who inherits an Australian ranch and Hugh Jackman as her Aussie partner. PG-13 for some violence, a scene of sensuality and brief strong language. 155m. At the […]
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Wolf Totem
Wolf Totem, winner of the first annual Man Asia Literary Prize (inaugurated last year as an Eastern version of Britain’s Man Booker), may be the most internationally recognized Chinese novel since Gao Xindan won the 2000 Nobel Prize in literature. As many Chinese will quickly point out, however, a Chinese has never won a Nobel. […]
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The Dark Side
Jane Mayer has produced a terrible, wretched testament of United States policies on torture during the last seven years in her new book, The Dark Side. The text exposes for public reckoning the directives and specific cruelties exacted in the name of national security. It is a strangely dispassionate read given the subject. At moments […]
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Little Shop of Ardors
She Loves Me at the North Coast Repertory Theatre is a delight not because the show features classic songs, or because the story has major surprises. It’s because NCRT, which usually does these nostalgic musicals well, has put together a polished production with an accomplished ensemble cast to express the show’s musical and character charms. […]
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Being James Bond
Previews Opening Friday, Nov. 21, is Twilight, based on the popular young adult vampire novel by Stephenie Meyer. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen; Lords of Dogtown), the film features Kristen Stewart as a teen who falls for a gorgeous guy (Robert Pattinson, Cedric in the last two Potter films), who seems to have extraordinary powers. […]
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Bye Bye Bernie
Previews Opening Friday, Nov. 14 is Quantum of Solace, the 22nd James Bond film and the second to star Daniel Craig in the title role. I was a big fan of 2006’s Casino Royale, which brought a fresh perspective to the series, not to mention the best “Bond girl” ever in Eva Green. At least […]
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Black Sabbath, Master of Reality
I know it’s obvious, but it has to be stated as a starting point: The Mountain Goats are the greatest band of all time. This is primarily because bandleader John Darnielle is a supreme lyricist, though he also happens to be the No. 1 impersonator of 15-year-old mental institution patients totally obsessed with Black Sabbath […]
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Getting It Right
After rescuing Opera Omaha and growing the Sacramento Philharmonic as executive director, Dell’Arte cofounder Jane Hill has returned to the North Coast, where she’s also known as a stage performer, dramatist and director. When she first presented her monologues in Getting It, she performed all four characters herself, making her costume changes on stage. In […]