Stories are compasses. We navigate by them, build our sanctuaries and our prisons out of them. So says Rebecca Solnit, who excels at steering seemingly unconnected stories. Call this a memoir, but don’t expect tidy or even linear reflections on a serious illness, a caving relationship or her mother’s debilitating Alzheimers. Instead, navigate Solnit’s meanderings […]
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Posted inNews (NCJ)
Staking a Claim
Despite a number of high-profile police shootings, and the recent arrest of a Eureka Police officer by his own department for an alleged assault, few people who file injury claims against the Eureka Police Department are paid. With one notable $4 million exception, claims against EPD rarely seem to pay off. Every year dozens of […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Copy That
Here is the thing about a great speech. The person who gave it probably didn’t write it. There are exceptions. Abe Lincoln, Winston Churchill, maybe Barack Obama in 2004 — “There is not a liberal America and a conservative America — there is the United States of America.” In another version of my life I […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Run Out on a Rail
Last week, in a meeting filled with passionate arguments, surprise twists and dark insinuations, Arcata City Councilmember Alexandra Stillman had her appointment to the North Coast Railroad Authority rescinded by the same committee that appointed her in May. And after some confusion, a vote, more confusion and two re-votes, she was replaced on the NCRA […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Gender Blender
The stage has long been a place for disguise, and the truths that disguise may reveal. Within the permeable categories of art and entertainment, performers pretend to be who they are not. Gender has often been an element of that disguise, sometimes forced by the sanctions of a given time. Since women weren’t permitted on […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Gimme the Creeps
Reviews THE CONJURING. James Wan and I have come a long way. In 2004 he came to prominence as writer-director of the vastly successful Saw. That movie (and the franchise it spawned) did more for torture-porn than any other single project. Reactionary as I am (I’d put torture-porn right up there with found-footage in the […]
Posted inMusic
All Ways in a Good Way
Lyndsey Battle’s third and newest album All Ways in a Good Way flows between curious ukelele picks, intriguing percussion and the Caribbean sounds of a tenor pan, all with folky bass, banjo rhythms and soulful, bluesy vocals.Battle gives her hometown sounds of the Mississippi River Delta a folky, Humboldt soul. It’s enough to make any […]
Posted inMusic
The Pleasures of Summer
A quick note for those picking up the Journal on Wednesday – did you make it out to the Blitzen Trapper gig last week? Humboldt Brews offers another chance to hear a band perform similarly evocative, melodic sounds on Wednesday (tonight, so hope you picked up the paper early). Athens’ Futurebirds has played with Drive-By […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
The Joys of Bocce
I got the ball rolling by just showing up at the Larson Park Bocce Ball courts in Arcata one Saturday morning. Intending only to watch, I was surprised when John, Dave and Rochelle invited me to join them. As I soon learned, playing with four is much preferred to any other combination, even if the […]
Posted inArt Walks + Festivals
McKinleyville Arts Night
Presented by members of the McKinleyville business community and open for all McKinleyville businesses to display the work of local artists. Receptions for artists, exhibits and/or performances are from 6-8 p.m. on the third Friday of each month. Call (707) 834-6460 or visit www.mckinleyvilleartsnight.com for more information. 1 California Redwood Coast – Humboldt County Airport 3561 […]
Posted inMusic
Blitzen Trapper
Standing on the burnished hardwood floor, surrounded by the laughter and chitchat of the waiting crowd, I try to imagine what the Humbrews vat room looked like before they turned it into such a classy show space. The show was supposed to start at 9:30, but in true rock ‘n’ roll fashion, it’s now 10 […]