After laying dormant for four years, the "Voices of the Southwest" series is back. The UNM Press invited five of its authors to give talks relating to their recent publications, spanning topics in evolution, immigration, medicine, archaeology and the writing process.
I have to admit, I purposely avoided "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" when it was released. As it turns out, it was for the best. In essence, George Lucas has been both the creator and the destroyer of the Star Wars franchise. He created Star Wars. He made it famous back in the late '70s.
Here's a Curt Fletcher joke: "I had a pretty traumatic experience when I was younger. I walked in on my grandparents having sex." Crowd groans in horror. "Yeah, my grandmother had been dead for six months." Fletcher's act has come a long way since he realized his talent for humor growing up.
Handwriting is your body language on paper. And Dr. Arlyn Imberman, who studied the European method of handwriting analysis for three years in New York, wrote a book called Signature for Success, in which she decodes the personality behind writing samples from artists, politicians, celebrities and others.
These are trying times. And that's a reason to go to the 516 Arts reception Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. "Cautionary Tales: A Visual Dystopia" features artists exposing the dire situation of our planet, which is much of our own doing. Although it's a horrific subject, the artists' execution of color and imagery is beautiful.
Holly Roberts has a big yellow painting/photograph called "Mud Truck" hanging in the UNM Art Museum. "We had just gotten a new Toyota truck, and it was supposed to be a little one, but it was huge," she said. "I just felt weird driving this enormous thing around.
Devin Kovach, a senior majoring in studio arts, put painting on the back burner during his sojourn at the Glasgow School of Art last year to focus on drawing. He's putting together a show of large prints and drawings at The Stove inspired by the city's architecture.
Tirzah DeCaria is passionate about art. And for her, that means sharing it. DeCaria's work is far from conventional, and her style is not easily defined. Her work includes sculpture, printmaking, fiber arts, sewing and Japanese rod puppetry. She paints with oil on canvas or wood, and she works with encaustic wax and other materials to add texture.
The Street Theatre Brigade has big aspirations - like boosting Albuquerque's creative economy and artistic pull. And this grassroots group is looking for more people, so it's holding a meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. today in Popejoy Hall, Room B427. It'll go over all the ridiculous stuff it has always wanted to do in the middle of the street but couldn't because it lacked resources.
After spending an arduous flight with an Italian guy digging his arm into my side, I arrived at PAX - the Penny Arcade Expo - in Seattle. I crashed with an old friend, who happens to be one of the ubiquitous "enforcers" - the expo's cadre of volunteers who help with everything from setup to giving lost attendees directions.
Louie Torres began his movie poster collection at age 16 by cleaning out movie theater basements in Gallup. "In 1976, I walked into the Coronado movie theater, and there was a 'Star Wars' poster on display," he said. "I asked the movie theater manager if I could have it.
Since the release of his first mixtape in 2002, Jayceon Taylor, better known as The Game, has made it his life's calling to resurrect West Coast rap and force-feed it to the masses. Even during his stint with G-Unit, the 28-year-old rapper represented and remained loyal to Compton, Calif.
"The Vaudevilles" takes a look at the softer side of Anton Chekhov in a funny and raw way that lets actors express their emotions within the writing. It runs through Saturday at Aux Dog Theatre at 3011 Monte Vista N.E. Vaudeville means "song of the streets," and it was started in Paris in the 18th century.
The concept of machine guns mounted on cars has fascinated 5-year-old boys since machine guns and cars were invented. And if what they say is true, that the man is just the boy grown large, then "Death Race" is easily the most awesome action movie ever. Unfortunately, the man isn't just the boy grown large.
Mike Fleming used to drum for Bo Diddley. He's one of the handful of musicians with an interesting backstory who gather at The Filling Station the fourth Sunday of each month for an open electric blues jam. Wendy Beach came up with the idea for Blues Jam. It goes from 6 to 9 p.
The Thirsty Ear Festival takes place on an old movie set where Clint Eastwood and John Wayne filmed many a scene. "When you walk in, it's like walking into 1850s Wyoming," festival organizer Mike Koster said of the J.W. Eaves Movie Ranch in Santa Fe. "There are two streets going through the town, and where they meet, that's the stage.
Travis Parkin said if he'd opened his T-shirt shop in 2002, officials might have strung him up under the Patriot Act. "But now people realize the war was a sham and was based on a lie, and they're starting to - even on network TV, people are outspoken about this," he said, "so we feel it's 'safe' to express ourselves, as well.
Now that another school year is upon us, hallways are clogged, lines in the SUB are long and everywhere a bicyclist goes, nervous-looking freshmen are freezing in place and causing collisions. In the interest of easing congestion, this latest edition of Console Wars is dedicated to the forthcoming games of the fall - after all, the more freshmen there are playing these games, the less people there will be clogging up campus when spring comes around.
Andrew Yiannakis wants to make UNM the mecca for classical jujutsu. "There's a bunch of martial art here in Albuquerque," he said. "You have Brazilian Jujutsu and variations from other systems. These systems are sport- or competition-oriented. They basically severed their moorings, their roots, and they no longer reflect the original philosophies and traditions from which they came.
Comedian Chris Clobber answers his phone with a long sentence in French when he doesn't recognize the incoming number. "I just do that to throw off people," he said. His brand of comedy is the same way. To get a laugh, he freaks out the audience instead of trying to relate.
Solutions by The State News
