Reading to End Racism YWCA youth program marks 10 years of ‘possibility and power’
TOUGH TALK FOR KIDS P. 8
P. 10
LONGMONT AUTHOR ON CLIMATE P.19
FOOD BANK DEMAND SOARS P. 33
CONTENTS 11.23.2023
Boulder Weekly Market A market for discounts on local dining Up to 30% off purchases New merchants and specials added regularly
27 Courtesy: Apple TV+
10 NEWS Boulder County YWCA marks a decade of anti-racism reading in the classroom BY SHAY CASTLE
19 BOOKS Longmont author grapples with the flaws in our attempts to fight a warming planet BY BART SCHANEMAN
33 NIBBLES Affluent Boulder County is home to a growing number of families suffering from food insecurity
BY JOHN LEHNDORFF
39 WEED How science and worms helped unravel the mystery of the munchies BY WILL BRENDZA
DEPARTMENTS 07 THE
ANDERSON FILES
Slain activist preached peace for Palestinians and Israelis
08 OPINION How parents are discussing Israel and Palestine with their kids
15 MUSIC
29 FILM
17 THEATER
ASTROLOGY
Hiss Golden Messenger returns to Colorado with a jubilant new album
Emily Dickinson’s love for the outdoors takes center stage in The Belle of Amherst
20 EVENTS
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31 SAVAGE LOVE
13 NOW
This week’s new in Boulder County and beyond
27 SCREEN
37 FLASH
BOULDER WEEKLY
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Single on Thanksgiving
Front Range filmmaker finds her footing with Lessons in Chemistry
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Wish belly flops on 100 years of legacy
Where to go and what to do
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December 7 - 31 Opening Night: Friday, December 8 The Dairy Arts Center | Boulder
In the teeny tiny town of Holly, Alaska, a merry band of community theatre actors has kept the tradition of the annual Holly Daze Spectacular! alive for 119 years. If they do the show just one more year, they'll make it into the Guinness Book of World Records, proving to their rival town of Ivy once and for all which town is the best in the cold northwest. To make a Spectacular is no small thing, though — and there's subarctic weather and wildlife on the loose. Can they do it?? Join these small-town holiday heroes for a heartwarming tale full of music, comedy and the true spirit of community.
THE AWARD-WINNING BOULDER ENSEMBLE THEATRE COMPANY
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COMMENTARY NOVEMBER 23, 2023 Volume 31, Number 14
PUBLISHER: Francis Zankowski
E DIT ORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Shay Castle ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Jezy J. Gray REPORTERS: Kaylee Harter, Will Matuska FOOD EDITOR: John Lehndorff INTERN: Lily Fletcher CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Dave Anderson, Will Brendza, Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Ari LeVaux, Dan Savage, Bart Schaneman, Alan Sculley, Toni Tresca, Gregory Wakeman Sarah Luterman
S A LE S AND MARKET I NG MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Kellie Robinson SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Matthew Fischer ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Chris Allred SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER: Carter Ferryman MRS. BOULDER WEEKLY: Mari Nevar
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THE ANDERSON FILES
B US I NESS OFFICE BOOKKEEPER: Emily Weinberg FOUNDER / CEO: Stewart Sallo As Boulder County’s only independently owned newspaper, Boulder Weekly is dedicated to illuminating truth, advancing justice and protecting the First Amendment through ethical, no-holdsbarred journalism and thought-provoking opinion writing. Free every Thursday since 1993, the Weekly also offers the county’s most comprehensive arts and entertainment coverage. Read the print version, or visit boulderweekly. com. Boulder Weekly does not accept unsolicited editorial submissions. If you’re interested in writing for the paper, please send queries to: editorial@boulderweekly.com. Any materials sent to Boulder Weekly become the property of the newspaper. 690 South Lashley Lane, Boulder, CO 80305 Phone: 303.494.5511, FAX: 303.494.2585 editorial@boulderweekly.com www.boulderweekly.com Boulder Weekly is published every Thursday. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. ©2023 Boulder Weekly, Inc., all rights reserved. Boulder Weekly welcomes your correspondence via email (letters@boulderweekly. com). Preference will be given to short letters (under 300 words) that deal with recent stories or local issues, and letters may be edited for style, length and libel. Letters should include your name, address and telephone number for verification. We do not publish anonymous letters or those signed with pseudonyms. Letters become the property of Boulder Weekly and will be published on our website.
BOULDER WEEKLY
SOLIDARITY FOR ALL Slain activist preached peace — not just pretty words — for Palestinians and Israelis BY DAVE ANDERSON
T
he mainstream narratives of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have lacked nuance. Barack Obama’s comments about the current war were a little different. He supported President Joe Biden but added that people should acknowledge that “Palestinians have also lived in disputed territories for generations; that many of them were not only displaced when Israel was formed but continue to be forcibly displaced by a settler movement that too often has received tacit or explic-
it support from the Israeli government; that Palestinian leaders who’ve been willing to make concessions for a two-state solution have often had little to show for their efforts; and that it is possible for people of good will to champion Palestinian rights and oppose certain Israeli government policies in the West Bank and Gaza without being anti-semitic.’’ Obama didn’t mention that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a pain in the ass when Obama
was president. While he was vice president, Biden acted as a mediator between the two heads of state. After the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, Biden gave Netanyahu a bear hug. News outlets reported that the administration privately expressed concern about civilian casualties and, very early on, said that Israel should not re-occupy Gaza. As progressives started to protest while watching Gaza City being flattened on TV, Anderson continued on page 8
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
7
THE ANDERSON FILES Continued from page 7
the administration became more publicly critical of Netanyahu. Netanyahu ambiguously says he intends to exert “indefinite security control over Gaza” when the war is over. That would likely mean an endless war. Biden, the European Union and Arab allies are talking about a two-state solution. Netanyahu isn’t particularly interested. On Oct. 7, Hamas’ horrific and gleeful butchery of men, women, children and infants was an enormous shock for Israelis. It was filmed and shared on social media. Haggai Matar writes in +972, a progressive joint Israeli-Palestinian publication, “...The dread Israelis are feeling right now, myself included, is a sliver of what Palestinians have been feeling on a daily basis under the decades-long military regime in the West Bank, and under the siege and repeated assaults on Gaza. The response we are hearing from many Israelis today — of people calling to ‘flatten Gaza,’ that ‘these are savages, not people you can negotiate with,’ ‘they are murdering whole families,’ ‘there’s no room to talk with these people’ — are exactly what I hear occupied Palestinians say about Israelis countless times.” Samah Salaime, a Palestinian feminist writer and activist, wrote a tribute in +972 to her friend Vivian Silver, a Canadian-Israeli peace activist who lived in Kibbutz Be’eri, which was attacked on Oct. 7 by the Hamas butchers, murdering more than a hundred and kidnapping many others. It was assumed that Silver had been abducted. Salaime said she imagined “a thousand times” how the 74-year-old grandmother would comfort the kidnapped Israeli kids and try to communicate in her “mangled Arabic” with her captors and the Palestinian kids scared of the Israeli bombs. She 8
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
imagined a future headline saying “Peace Activist Released.” Instead, the news said that Vivian Silver’s body had been identified by her DNA. She had been murdered in her home. Vivian was born in Winnipeg in 1949, and immigrated to Israel in 1974. For decades, she was a social activist involved in projects promoting women’s rights and advocating for peace. In 1999, she became codirector of the Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment, and Cooperation, part of the Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Economic Development, an organization that focuses on education, development and leadership for the Bedouin community of the Negev and Arab citizens throughout Israel. She was active in Women Wage Peace and a volunteer with The Road to Recovery, which helps transport cancer patients from Gaza to Israeli hospitals. She was a board member of the human rights group B’Tselem, which strives to end “Israel’s regime of apartheid and occupation” since “that is the only way forward to a future in which human rights, democracy, liberty and equality are ensured to all people, both Palestinian and Israeli, living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.” Oct. 7 was a political/social earthquake like 9/11. Peter Beinart, editor of Jewish Currents, said shortly after Oct. 7, “My basic bedrock assumption is that the fate of these two peoples are intertwined. Neither of them are going anywhere.” This crisis also impacts the whole world with a moral interconnectedness. Israel had to respond militarily, but we need a negotiated ceasefire now. This opinion does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly.
HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THINGS? EMAIL YOUR TAKE TO LETTERS@ BOULDERWEEKLY.COM
OPINION
TOUGH TALK How parents are discussing Israel and Palestine with their kids BY SARAH LUTERMAN, THE 19TH
S
ince the conflict between Israel and Hamas accelerated on Oct. 7, social media and news have been saturated with images of unspeakable violence — Palestinian children, living and dead, being dug out of rubble, the burnt body of an Israeli baby, children’s bedrooms smeared in blood and dust. Over 1,200 Israelis and 11,000 Palestinians have been killed. The 19th asked four parents from various ideological backgrounds how they’re approaching such a complex conversation with their children. Excerpts from two of those conversations follow. To read the full report, visit bit.ly/19th-israel-kids.
‘NOT A TEAM SPORT’
Rachel Faulkner is the director of national campaigns and partnerships at the National Council of Jewish Women, which aims to better the lives of Jewish women, children and families in the United States and Israel. Faulkner has a 3-year-old daughter. She and her wife work hard to explain the importance of Israel to their family, as well as the importance of civil and human rights for everyone, including Palestinians. “Because she’s only three, we haven’t gotten into the specifics of the war. But she does know that there’s a conflict happening in Israel. She knows about Israel as a Jewish state. She already has, we think, a love for Israel, but we also want to teach her that it’s OK and actually a good thing to question the way people are being treated,” Faulkner said. She is also dismayed by the polarization she has seen in discussions meant for children. It has made it difficult to find resources for support. “What I’ve seen for kids is a narrative that only allows you to love Israel but not talk about Palestinians, or that
wants you to end the occupation but also pushes for the demise of Israel altogether. It’s all so extreme and bifurcated — right and wrong, black and white. But it’s not a team sport. We’re talking about people’s lives.”
‘HE NEEDED ME TO EXPLAIN’
Manal Hilaneh is a PalestinianAmerican restaurant owner and student with two children, ages 8 and 9. She and her family live in Washington, D.C. but she was born in Ramallah, a Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank. In 2019, Hilaneh took her children to where she was born. Her family is Catholic, and she wanted her children to be baptized in the Jordan River. They were 4 and 5. “The whole flight, I wondered how I was going to explain to them the soldiers or the checkpoints. How I was going to answer this question or that question,” she said. In Jerusalem, the children saw soldiers carrying guns for the first time. The family traveled to Bethlehem to see the Church of the Nativity, where Jesus is believed to have been born. In order to do so, they had to cross a checkpoint. Because of the Israeli occupation, the West Bank is riddled with checkpoints that restrict the movement of Palestinians. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, there are over 700 checkpoints and roadblocks in the West Bank alone, as well as segregated roads for Palestinians and Israelis. “My children saw people lining up through bars. It was like a cage. They saw soldiers treating people like cows,” Hilaneh said. Even after thinking about it for so long, she struggled to explain the ordeal to her son. “I told my son that in Palestine, we have to go through checkpoints. In America, we can go from Washington D.C. to Virginia with no checkpoints,” she said. “He was quiet. I could see in his face that he needed me to explain, and I couldn’t explain it.” The 19th is an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy. See 19thnews. org for more. BOULDER WEEKLY
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COVER YWCA Boulder County is celebrating 10 years of Reading to End Racism, a program that sends volunteers into schools to read about and discuss diversity and inclusion. All images courtesy: YWCA
Kids see the disparities, discrimination, prejudice. They’re like, ‘That’s not right, we’re gonna do better.’
2) How have the books you’re reading changed over the years?
We are getting more authors of color, illustrators of color. Within the last five years, especially since [the murder of] George Floyd, our literature has become more intentional and anti-racist. I also believe people are seeking more education and resources; people are more aware and being more intentional so that we can have a better society and world for our kids.
‘POSSIBILITY AND POWER’ YWCA’s Reading to End Racism celebrates decade of promoting inclusion in classrooms BY SHAY CASTLE
T
wenty-five years ago, a group of retired teachers decided to do something about the racial discrimination and bullying they saw in their classrooms. So they founded Reading to End Racism (RER), a program that sends volunteers into schools to share stories and lead conversations about the importance of diversity, inclusion, kindness and active intervention. YWCA Boulder County first supported RER by providing office space. In 2013, the program was formally adopted, and volunteers began reading books and holding discussions with elementary school students throughout Boulder Valley School District (BVSD). “It aligned with our mission,” says YWCA’s Director of Community Engagement and Equity Shiquita Yarbrough. The organization’s mission is twofold: Empower women and end racism. “Those stories are very important because kids relate to them,” 10
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
Yarbrough says. “When they can relate, they’ll listen.” In the 10 years since RER was implemented locally, more than 29,000 BVSD students have participated. To mark the anniversary, YWCA is hosting program founder Daniel Escalante at the Boulder Public Library on Nov. 27. Boulder Weekly asked Yarbrough 10 questions about books, beliefs and having hard conversations. The following has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
3) What understanding do children have of issues like race? Chinese culture or Japanese internment. Volunteers bring out books they feel are impactful and they can relate to themselves — and also what teachers may request. We talk about the characters in the book and the key lessons. A lot of times, it’s the Golden Rule or how to be kind, why bullying is bad, how to be more inclusive, how to appreciate and celebrate diversity. Sometimes we do activities.
The younger they are, they understand there’s diversity in the classroom. If they get a student who doesn’t look like them, who dresses differently, who may have an accent — those kids understand the difference in skin color. The older they get, they can understand the difference in how they’re being treated. Being out on the playground and all kids play together but then one student of color never gets invited to play, never gets chosen. Or in the lunchroom. A lot of times, students will tell me those things.
1) How do you pick the books?
It’s volunteer-driven. Sometimes it depends on timing. If it’s Indigenous People’s Month or AAPI [Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage] Month, we try to lift that up, celebrate those diversities. A lot of times it depends on what the theme is in the classroom at the moment: if they’re learning about BOULDER WEEKLY
NEWS We ask them, ‘When you see that happen, does that seem right?’ and they’ll say no. We ask, ‘Can it be changed?’ and they’ll say yes, and we say, ‘You all have power, how can you use your power to change that?’ They start giving examples: ‘Invite that person to play with you or eat lunch next to you.’ It’s opening up that idea of possibility and power. They’re given permission to do what’s right.
RECOMMENDED READING The YWCA’s top picks for teaching children (and ourselves) about diversity and inclusion. FOR KIDS ● Strictly No Elephants by Lisa Mantchev and Taeeun Yoo ● I Am Golden by Eva Chen and Sophie Diao ● The Sandwich Swap by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio ● Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard ● Our Skin by Megan Madison, Jessica Ralli and Isabel Roxas ● Hear my Voice/Escucha mi Voz by Warren Binford ● One Green Apple by Eve Bunting and Ted Lewin
4) How aware are children of current events, like protests or the Black Lives Matter movement? It varies according to their age and what’s being shared at home. I don’t think a lot of teachers talk about controversial issues. We don’t put teachers in those situations. As an outside organization, if a kid wants to talk, we try to hear them out [while keeping the conversation focused on] how we appreciate others’ experiences whether we agree with it or not.
5) Nationally, we’ve seen a lot of pressure on schools to moderate what they teach and say about LGBTQ issues, racial issues and even American history. Has the YWCA felt any of that?
I haven’t heard from any schools that said a parent didn’t want their kid to be exposed to Reading to End Racism.
FOR ADULTS ● Who We Be by Jeff Chang ● An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz ● Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates ● Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum
We are supported quite a bit by BVSD and the principals at the schools. At one point, when CRT, Critical Race Theory, was a trigger word, and people for some reason thought CRT was being taught in elementary schools — those who are in education know that’s not true, but people automatically thought there was a possibility we were
talking about CRT to second graders. That’s, of course, not true. Sometimes parents want to see the list of books that we read. We ask volunteers to share what books they are reading, and teachers can send them out to the parents. We’re being 100% transparent. If you feel this is not what you want your kids to learn, you can keep them at home. I would invite parents who are concerned to come to a training. If someone has questions, they can contact me and we can talk about it.
6) For parents who are unsure how to discuss these topics with their children, what do you recommend?
We don’t do what we’re afraid of. We’re gonna make mistakes, but starting those conversations is truly important, and they should always start at home. Parents should teach their kids what they want [them] to know. You don’t know what your kid is thinking or if they’re being bullied. Maybe someone is being derogatory, and they don’t know how to respond. If BOULDER WEEKLY
you don’t hold those conversations, someone might teach them an inappropriate way to respond. We expanded our program due to parents saying, ‘I don’t know how to do this.’ We have a training called How to Talk to Your Kids about Race, so we provide some tools for how to continue conversations when kids ask questions. Parents have to provide opportunities for vulnerability and a listening space for kids to be able to utilize their power, which is their voice, without cutting them off and telling them they should think that way or not think that way. People want to get it right, but you only get it right by getting it wrong first. That’s progress.
7) So you’ve done work with parents and kids. Who is better at approaching these issues?
I think parents learn from kids more than they teach kids. The kids are holding parents accountable. Kids are very curious and inquisitive. When you read true stories [about things] like the Tulsa Massacre, they ask really good questions. ‘Why would NOVEMBER 23, 2023
11
God is love!
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10 am Advent 4 pm Worship 4 pm Christmas Carols and kid-friendly worship with a Pageant 7:30 pm Christmas Worship with Carols, Choir and Candlelight
Christmas day, Monday, December 25 10 am Christmas Worship with Carols
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NOVEMBER 23, 2023
they burn the whole town down? Why do people stand around and not say anything?’ They see things for what it is, as it is. The kids give me hope, to be honest. They give me hope for the future because they recognize that we are a human race and we should treat people the way we want to be treated.
8) How do you measure success or progress?
It’s really tricky. We only go into classrooms once a year. When we go back next year, [the students are] in a totally different class, different grade, maybe even totally different school. And so it’s really hard for us to measure. If we could be in the schools on a more consistent basis, even once a quarter, it would be more impactful. We have evaluations, and we ask the kids if they learned something new or different, if they know how to be an ally. Students of color open up and say things that teachers didn’t know were going on in the classroom or that students felt that way. You would not believe how many times I go into these classrooms and teachers say, ‘I’ve been waiting all year for you to come.’ I’ve had teachers in tears before. When you have teachers waiting for you to come back, that says something. In BVSD, we don’t have very many teachers of color. If you have teachers that feel isolated, how do you think the kids feel?
9) What are you reading right now?
I just bought Walk through Fire by Sheila Johnson. I am intrigued by people who go through a life of hard knocks. Those
types of books inspire me to keep going. My work can be very heavy. Sometimes I think I’ll be dead and gone before I can see the fruit of my labor and all labor. We still don’t have housing for all, equal opportunity for all — all those things Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for. Yes we’ve come a long way, but we have so far to go.
10) What’s the best way for our readers to support this program?
Of course, donating money to the program, because it’s the least-funded program we have at the YWCA. Also more volunteers. I go into the schools, and I may have to read in five classrooms because we don’t have enough volunteers. We’re there all day, first to last, in every classroom, to read. My dream would be to have Reading to End Racism in all the schools in BVSD. I’d love it to be in St. Vrain [Valley School District] too. I wish more parents and more schools would sign up for How to Talk to Your Kids about Race. Having these conversations is truly important, and they do make a difference in their kids’ lives and in the community as well.
IF YOU GO: Reading to End Racism 10-year Anniversary. 4-6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27, Boulder Public Library’s Canyon Theater, 1001 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder. Free. Registration required: bit.ly/RTER-YWCA
BOULDER WEEKLY
NEWS
NEWS BRIEFS BY WILL MATUSKA
THE TURKEY LIVES
Gov. Jarden Polis performed four official turkey pardons for the first time in Colorado history on Nov. 20. The ceremony has a long history among U.S. presidents since the 1960s in celebration of Thanksgiving. It wasn’t always that way, though — previous presidents were presented with the turkey that would end up on their Thanksgiving table. JFK started the move away from that tradition, perhaps because it was ruffling too many feathers.
BOULDER CITY COUNCIL RECOUNT
The latest unofficial results from the Boulder City Council race, updated Nov. 16 at 3:04 p.m., show Ryan Schuchard just 47 votes ahead of Terri Brncic for the last of four seats on council. With the race too close to call, Boulder County Clerk Molly Fitzpatrick announced the initiation of an automatic recount expected for Dec. 5. There hasn’t been a recount for a Boulder City Council race for at least the last decade, according to City of Boulder staff. Recounts are initiated in any election race if the difference between candidates is a half of a percent of the total vote or less. Schuchard and Brncic are separated by 0.04% of the vote. The rest of the new council seats will be held by Tara Winer, Tina Marquis and Taishya Adams.
NO VIOLATION IN YATES’ MAYORAL CAMPAIGN Boulder City Clerk Elesha Johnson found Bob Yates’ campaign, Bob BOULDER WEEKLY
Yates for Mayor, was not in violation of the City’s campaign finance rules. The “review” was spurred by a complaint filed by Brian Keegan, a board member of Boulder Progressives, that alleged the campaign improperly reported $8,861.80 in pre-campaign spending. Johnson’s Nov. 17 letter concludes probable cause was not found related to campaign activities (BRC 13-2-4) as “candidates are permitted to contribute more than $100 to their Official Candidate Committee.” She found the same thing in relation to reporting requirements (BRC 13-2-6), writing “the reports submitted comply with the requirements of the Boulder Revised Code.” The decision is final. Yates was the runner-up in Boulder’s first use of ranked choice voting to pick a mayor, narrowly losing to Aaron Brockett by 1,231 votes (3.8%). The outgoing councilman will finish his term Thursday, Dec. 7 at 5 p.m. when the four newly elected council members are sworn in.
TRUMP MADE ELIGIBLE FOR PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY BALLOT
Judge Sarah Wallace of the Denver District Court ruled on Nov. 17 that former president Donald Trump is eligible for the March 5 presidential primary ballot in Colorado. The decision comes after six Republican and Unaffiliated voters sued Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold earlier this fall, arguing that Griswold, as chief elections official in Colorado, should disqualify Trump from the ballot based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Amendment states a person cannot hold office if they “have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against [the Constitution], or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” “This decision may be appealed,” Secretary Griswold said in a press release. “As Secretary of State, I will always ensure that every voter can make their voice heard in free and fair elections.” According to the same press release, “Colorado law is unclear on how to consider the requirements of the United States Constitution in determining whether a candidate is eligible for office, including the language of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.” NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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MUSIC
‘JUMP FOR JOY’ Hiss Golden Messenger returns to Colorado with a jubilant new album BY ALAN SCULLEY
S
es with an easygoing pulse that inger-songwriter M.C. Taylor segues into the frisky “Feeling didn’t set out to make a “panEternal,” whose chugging tempo demic record” when he went propels the song into one of the into the studio to record his 2021 LP, album’s catchiest refrains. Quietly Blowing It. But looking back on The jubilant mood carries through his twelfth album under the moniker the rest of Jump for Joy. The poppy Hiss Golden Messenger, he hears an “I Saw the New Day in the World” undeniable product of the times. feels like a long sigh of content“I tried to be really clear with everyment, while “Nu-Grape” injects a body that that’s not what I was doing,” dose of spirited gospel and the title Taylor says. “I was making something track carries it through with a bit of that I was hoping would feel sort of New Orleans reverie. There’s a timeless or out of time. I think what I reflective feel to “Jesus is Bored” realized was I can say that all I want, North Carolina-based Americana outfit Hiss Golden Messenger comes to the Ogden Theatre in Denver and “My Old Friends,” but even but you can’t help but hear that record on Dec. 2. Credit: Graham Tolbert these songs — like the rest of through that particular lens … [it] would Taylor’s rich and rewarding new LP — impulsiveness, a musical freshness that not exist in the way that it does had we mentioned “Nu-Grape,” and vocalist have a thread of hope that keeps the not been living through what we were Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats, who joins might be a little harder to conjure on positive momentum on track. our home turf,” Taylor says. “So I knew living through.” Taylor and O’Donovan on “The all along that we were going to go Taylor was just as intentionWondering.” But even these somewhere. I wasn’t sure exactly al in writing and recording the outsiders are all established where.” new Hiss Golden Messenger friends of Taylor’s. Now it’s time for Taylor and his band album, Jump for Joy. Released “I had such a clear vision of to hit the road and share songs from Aug. 25 via indie juggernaut where I wanted to go with this Jump for Joy and also highlight songs Merge Records, Taylor’s latest that I felt like bringing anyone from across the many Hiss Golden is a reaction to the introspecelse in from outside would be Messenger albums he’s released since tive nature and subdued sound more of a hindrance than anyof the album’s lockdown-era thing,” he says. “I had a sort of he and Hirsch started the project in 2007. Taylor can’t say exactly what predecessor. clarity about what I was chasshape the set list will take on this round “I wanted the songs to feel ing that made making the of shows. more outward-facing, to feel record relatively easy. My “We make it a point to not ever play more ‘up,’ and to reflect what memory of recording this the same set because it keeps us on the band is capable of,” he record is mostly that it was our toes, keeps things interesting,” he says. “I think that giving myself just really fun … at no point says. “That’s one of the primary deterthat assignment came in part did we ever feel like we were mining factors in putting together a from thinking about the type of digging ditches.” setlist. ... We’re trying to combine [the record Quietly Blowing It was To bring the album to life, songs] into lists that seem kind of var… [a] very internal and inwardTaylor headed out from the ied, that are going to touch on as many facing record. I probably band’s home base of Durham, Jump for Joy by Hiss Golden Messenger was released Aug. 25. of the different emotions, themes or couldn’t or wouldn’t make a North Carolina to the Sonic Courtesy: Merge Records rhythms that we can.” record like that again. I felt like Ranch studio near El Paso, I reached the end of that particular Texas, with go-to engineer Scott Hirsch, GOING PLACES road.” guitarist Chris Boerner, bassist Alex In approaching Jump for Joy, Taylor felt To that end, the new album retains Bingham, keyboardist Sam Fribush and he needed to keep the project self conON THE BILL: Hiss Golden the burnished folk-pop feel of other drummer Nick Falk. tained. To that end, he produced the Messenger with Adeem the Hiss Golden Messenger releases while “I knew that I wanted to leave album himself and used his touring Artist. 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, infusing it with a brighter energy. That Durham because I wanted us all to be band. The only guests on the record Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax much is apparent from the outset, as in a place that was unfamiliar, that are Aofie O’Donovan and Amy Helm, Ave., Denver. $27 opener “20 Years and a Nickel” launchmight push us toward a sort of musical who add backing vocals to the aforeBOULDER WEEKLY
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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THEATER
‘NATURAL WOMAN’ Emily Dickinson’s love for the outdoors takes center stage in ‘The Belle of Amherst’ BY TONI TRESCA
C
olorado is known for its breathtaking natural beauty, but because of our hectic daily schedules, some of us might not always take the time to enjoy the wonders of nature. But Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company (BETC) seeks to rekindle its audience’s love of the outdoors in The Belle of Amherst, an intimate one-woman show based on the life of Emily Dickinson. “Boulder is a beautiful natural place that suits the content of this play perfectly,” says Jessica Robblee, BETC’s artistic director and star of The Belle of Amherst. “Emily Dickinson’s connection with nature meant everything to her, so for me as the actor, this play has made me look up more. I find myself taking more moments to really absorb my natural surroundings as she did. When you’re memorizing her poems, you can’t help but think about the details more, because she would dwell on something with such care.” The Belle of Amherst delves into Emily Dickinson’s life as a poet who rarely left her bedroom but left an indelible mark on the literary world. The play follows Dickinson from her early years to her death in 1886, providing insights into her reclusive life, writing and profound connection with nature. “One of the reasons I wanted to do this show is to introduce Emily Dickinson’s poetry to a whole new generation of people,” says Mark Ragan, BETC’s managing director and the play’s director. “My daughter is now in her junior year at Valor High School and has never read a word of Emily Dickinson. I’m not even sure Emily Dickinson is taught in schools anymore, but when you hear this poetry, which seamlessly grows out of the text that William Luce wrote, you feel like you should go buy her anthology.” Ragan rediscovered the play while he was doing research for a one-
BOULDER WEEKLY
Running at the Dairy Arts Center through Nov. 26, The Belle of Amherst taps into what BETC Artistic Director Jessica Robblee calls “the subterranean life of one of our greatest thinkers.” Credit: Jamie Shaak (above) and Susannah McLeod (left)
woman show about the life of Edna St. Vincent Millay. Upon rereading the script, Ragan was so moved by Luce’s writing that he chose to stage the play with Robblee at Denver’s Buntport Theater earlier this year as part of their theater group, Clover and Bee Productions. “This was before we were appointed as the new leaders of BETC, but I just realized most young people have no idea what The Belle of Amherst is,” Ragan says. “What I find funny about that is that, to my generation, The Belle of Amherst was top of mind; it was an incredibly popular Broadway sensation. After Julie Harris created the role, the playwright, William Luce, went on to specialize in one-person shows. … I’ve always been fascinated with one-actor shows. If you have the right [performer], you have the potential to blow away audiences.” That’s exactly what their performance at Buntport achieved. In addition to the positive feedback given during talkbacks following the show, Robblee’s performance earned her the 2023 Henry Award for Lead Actress in a Play. “The idea, even before BETC was a glimmer in our eye at all, was that Mark wanted to tour this particular show all over,” Robblee recalls. “At our flagship production in Denver, we told
every single audience we’d also be doing The Belle of Amherst in Boulder in the fall, and then BETC entered our lives.”
DICKINSON’S ‘SUBTERRANEAN LIFE’
In addition to their plans to remount the play in Boulder, Ragan and Robblee already had an invitation to perform at the Millibo Art Theatre in Colorado Springs. Rather than abandon their commitments, the new leaders of BETC decided to fold these plans into the company’s 2023-2024 season along with its other offerings, Coal Country, Holly, Alaska! and What the Constitution Means to Me. “The Colorado theater market is spread out, and audiences are quite separate,” Robblee says. “People don’t necessarily travel to see theater, so by taking the show on the road, we’re meeting people where they are.” BETC recently wrapped up the first leg of the tour, which played in Colorado Springs earlier this month, and opened its limited engagement of The Belle of Amherst at the Dairy Arts Center on Nov. 22. “I’ve been surprised by a lot of things since Jess and I took over BETC,” Ragan admits. “But one thing I wasn’t surprised about was The Belle of Amherst selling out so quickly. BETC
has one of the most literary audiences in the country — I greet every patron as they come into the theater, and our patrons regularly quote from Shakespeare and have this enormous background in poetry. It’s a different experience from performing at Buntport or in Colorado Springs, because BETC’s audience was tailor-made for this production.” The success of The Belle of Amherst — tapping into what Robblee calls “the subterranean life of one of our greatest thinkers” — is not only a testament to the enduring power of Emily Dickinson’s words: It is also a feather in the cap for BETC’s new leadership team, demonstrating that audiences are enthusiastic about the company’s programming and future. “The response has been deeply gratifying,” Robblee concludes. “It’s Emily Dickinson’s life compacted into this really surprising 85-minute experience. [She] is often portrayed in a black-andwhite way, but we don’t want to leave her there.”
ON STAGE: The Belle of
Amherst. Various times, Nov. 22-26, Dairy Arts Center – Gordon Gamm Theater, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. Sold out.
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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BOOKS
SEA CHANGE Longmont author grapples with the flaws in our attempts to fight a warming planet BY BART SCHANEMAN
T
he new nonfiction book Over A SHRED OF HOPE the Seawall is about what writ- After the reporting was done, Miller er Stephen Robert Miller says he started writing the book from terms “disastrous adaptation.” In a a place of anger. He was mad at polinutshell, that means the delusional cymakers and government officials, actions humans take to try to control “everybody who’s not doing anything nature as they adapt to changes in to stop this crisis from happening climate and environment. now. I was just pissed off at so many The book looks at three parts of the people in positions of power,” he world: tsunami seawalls in Japan, says. “We’re doing so little.” reengineered waters in Bangladesh and artificial waterways supporting farms and cities in Arizona. Miller, who lives in Longmont, came to Colorado about five years ago as a Ted Scripps Fellow in CU Boulder’s Center for Environmental Journalism program. This book is a direct result of what Miller pitched to land the fellowship. While he was at CU, Miller spent much of his time researching water law in the American West, which became the Arizona section of the book. He was also auditing an environmental course taught by Amanda Carrico, who has done extensive research in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Miller asked to tag along on her next research trip to Dhaka. “That was the first time I really saw maladaptation happening on Over the Seawall by Stephen Robert Miller was a large scale on the ground outreleased Oct. 31. Courtesy: Island Press side of the U.S.,” he said. In the Bangladesh section, Miller Then Miller’s life changed in a describes how humans have arromajor way. He became a father to a gantly tried to control sea tides and son about six months ago, just as he the Ganges River Delta through huge was working through the copy edits engineering projects that have had on the book. disastrous results for the local popula“When I found out that he was tion. coming, I found it difficult to be so That part, along with the opening negative and cynical. I was still angry, Japan section, meant Miller had to but I found myself feeling like I have report and write two-thirds of the book to find some shred of hope in all of about countries where he didn’t speak this,” he says. “I can’t bring a kid into the language. And he reported most the world with the mindset that he’s of it during the COVID-19 pandemic. screwed.” BOULDER WEEKLY
sea walls the Japanese built before the tsunami in 2011 were maladaptive, according to Miller, because they created a false sense of security that led people to stay behind after the earthquake. “They felt the walls would protect them,” he says. Nearly 20,000 people died in that disaster. “The Japanese reaction to the tsunami is to build even bigger walls that wouldn’t have even stopped the wave that came,” Miller says. “It’s a … tragic example of our tendency as people to just build a tall wall to solve the same problem without thinking about the deeper impliLongmont author Stephen Robert Miller wants to recations of what’s causing the evaluate how we think about potential solutions to the problem and why we’re vulneraclimate crisis. Credit: Andrew Cullen ble to it in the first place.” Miller acknowledges that a book What choices we leave for the like this can be pretty heavy on the generations to come after us is one doom and gloom, especially when he of his biggest concerns with maladpoints out the solutions that people aptation. have engineered aren’t actually going “It limits our choices in the future. to save us. We make decisions now that have “But my whole point is that it’s our these ramifications that go on down tendency to fall for simple solutions the line,” he says. “They don’t only that keeps putting us in these prediccause other environmental problems aments,” he says. Plus, there’s … they also limit the amount of money to be made in building huge options people in the future have to embankments or desalination plants address those problems. or large-scale dams. “The last thing I wanted to do is Miller points to natural solutions as leave my kid with fewer options to better options than man-made fixes. deal with this crisis when the crisis is In Bangladesh, for example, the peoonly going to get worse.” ple know how to plan their agricultural ‘INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE’ seasons when the river floods, rather than try to control it. Over the Seawall is Miller’s way to “It’s a great example of people get people to care about the longworking with nature using what might term impacts of their decisions, be called ‘Indigenous knowledge,’” he whether that’s trying to build monsays. “When I talk about working with strous walls along the coast of Japan nature or nature-based solutions, it in a futile effort to stop ocean rise sounds cornball and soft and gooey, and tidal waves, or the unsustainable but it is really powerful.” agricultural practice of pumping water into the Arizona desert to grow alfalfa for horses overseas. “[Having a child] made it even more ON THE PAGE: Over the imperative to me that we don’t fall into Seawall: Tsunamis, Cyclones, these traps of making short-sighted Drought, and the Delusion of decisions, only thinking about our Controlling Nature author immediate interests,” Miller says. event with Stephen Robert Adapting our environment to handle Miller. 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. problems like tidal waves in the pres28, Boulder Book Store, 1107 ent moment is much different than Pearl St. $5 adapting for future generations. The NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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EVENTS FRI. 11/24 - 7:00PM
BURLE & THE COUNTRY ANGELS SAT. 11/25 - 1:00PM
ROOTSTOCK!
“AN ALL-STAR BENEfiT fOR ROOTS MUSiC PROjECT fOUNdATiON” MON. 11/27 - 6:00PM
OPEN MiC w/STEvE KOPPE TUE. 11/28 - 6:30PM
PAUL SOdERMAN ANd THE OGS w/ dfK ANd THE LAB RATS SAT. 12/2 - 8:00PM
SMOOTH MONEY GESTURE, BEAR HAT ANd STRANGEBYRdS SUN. 12/3 - 8:00PM
23-30
COAT AND SOCK DRIVE
9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Thursday, Nov. 30, Guardian Storage, 4900 Broadway, Boulder. Free Want to help your neighbors in need stay warm this winter? Donate old coats and new socks during this winter clothing drive at a Guardian Storage location near you. Presented in partnership with Knock Knock Give a Sock, all donations will benefit local shelters and organizations.
24-26
25
Various times, Fri.-Sun., Nov. 24-26, Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. $25
Noon, Saturday, Nov. 25, Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A, Boulder. $20
THE NUTCRACKER
Few holiday productions are as timetested as Tchaikovsky’s legendary work, The Nutcracker. Boulder Philharmonic will supply the score, and Boulder Ballet will provide the choreography at this local production of a true classic.
ROOTSTOCK
Put on your dancing shoes and head to Roots Music Project’s blowout fundraiser featuring performances by Los Cheesies, Hazel Miller, Wrenn Van, Green Buddha, Dave Tamkin and more local favorites across two stages.
UNdERGROUNd SPRiNGHOUSE ANd GUEST i.O. UNdERGROUNd MON. 12/4 - 8:00PM
ARCHER OH TUE. 12/5 - 7:00PM
ERiC STONE ANd TOM HALL LivE BROAdCAST ON 88.5 KGNU WED. 12/6 - 7:00PM
THE PSYCHEdELiC HOEdOwN fEAT. dAvid SATORi (BEATS ANTiqUE & diRTwiRE) THU. 12/7 - 8:00PM
BOOT jUiCE FRI. 12/8 - 8:30PM
ROLLiNG HARvEST Purchase Tickets at
RMPtix.com RootsMusicProject.org 4747 Pearl Suite V3A 20
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
24-26
WINTER MAGIC ARTS EXTRAVAGANZA
Various times, Fri.-Sun., Nov. 24-26, Wibby Brewing, 209 Emery St., Longmont. Free Wibby Brewing invites you to a weekend of seasonal shopping at their Longmont location during the Winter Magic Arts Extravaganza. Expect a wide array of ceramics, jewelry, paintings and more, plus food trucks and award-winning brews.
25
LEFTOVER TURKEY TROT
9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Nov. 25, Recht Field at Boulder High School, 1604 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder. $25 Lace up your running shoes and get ready for Cara’s third Leftover Turkey Trot. The event honors the late Cara Calitre, whose Wave of Hope Foundation leverages all proceeds from the race to help provide underserved youth with athletic and college scholarships.
25
JUNKYARD HOLIDAY ART BAZAAR
1-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, Junkyard Social Club, 2525 Frontier Ave., Suite A, Boulder. Free One person’s trash is another’s treasure, but despite its name, most everything at Junkyard Social Club’s holiday art bazaar is a gift worth treasuring. Peruse handmade creations for sale across all art mediums at this afternoon market. BOULDER WEEKLY
EVENTS
day
Wednes
2nd
Nov 2
show timme 9:00p
Friday
DOUBLE FEATURE: SOLAR SUPERSTORMS & BLACK HOLES
2:30-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, Fiske Planetarium, 2414 Regent Drive, Boulder. $10 Two of our universe’s greatest mysteries, solar superstorms and black holes, will light up the dome at Fiske Planetarium for a special double-feature screening. The hour-long presentation includes films narrated by Liam Neeson and Benedict Cumberbatch.
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27
1-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26, NoBo Art Center, 4929 Broadway, Suite E, Boulder. $30
7-9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27, Sanitas Brewing Company, 3550 Frontier Ave., Unit A, Boulder. Free
LONG-POSE FIGURE PAINTING/DRAWING
The human body is your inspiration at NoBo Art Center’s monthly long-pose figure drawing workshop. Subjects will strike poses for you to bring to life on your canvas by way of drawing, painting or whatever your heart desires.
th
Lionel young Duo In the Bar
ay
5th
Dave Watts & Friends
Saturd
Nov 2
show timme 9:00p
Question: Where’s the best place in Boulder to round up friends for a Monday night trivia session, complete with craft beer, merch and tons more prizes? If you answered Sanitas Brewing Company, that’s a point for your team.
Sunday
th
Pearl Street Comedy Show
9th
Diamond edwards duo In the Bar
th
Matt Flahtery
ov 26
N show timme 8:00p
DAY
WEDNES
Nov 2
show timme 9:00p
ay
Thursd
Nov 30
show timme 9:00p
ay
d
Dec 2n
show timme 8:00p
Sunday
d
Dec 3r
show timme 8:00p
day
Wednes
25
3-5 p.m. Terracotta, 2005 Pearl St., Boulder. Free
5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 27, Anahata Massage, 2130 Mountain View Ave., Suite 204, Longmont. $25
We know it’s hard to say goodbye to your cherished houseplants, but change is a good thing, and Terracotta’s community plant swap is your chance to spruce things up. Enjoy drinks at their cafe and exchange plants with your neighbors.
The holidays are rapidly approaching, so you better realign those chakras. Anahata Massage is hosting an immersive healing session in their unique facility, combining salt therapy with sound therapy for a healing cleanse.
COMMUNITY PLANT SWAP
BOULDER WEEKLY
+ $4
28
ART & CREATIVE BUSINESS WORKSHOP
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Firehouse Art Center, 667 4th Ave., Longmont. $35 Looking to launch a creative business venture? Firehouse Art Center is here to help with their art and creative business workshop, where any questions concerning marketing, resources and more are discussed.
Sunday
DAY
th
show timme 8:00p
ay
th
Dec 16
Diamond edwards duo In the Bar
Many Mountains
Dec 13
Saturd
In the Bar
th
Dec 10
show timme 8:00p
wEDNES
Lionel Young Duo
Alex Jordan Trio In the Bar
show timme 8:00p
show timme 8:00p
$10
In the Bar
h
Dec 6t
SALT AND SOUND IMMERSION
$18 service charge
TRIVIA WITH TREVONIUS MONK
Saturd
27
In the Bar
ov 24
N show timme 9:00p
25
Ben Hanna
In the Bar
Kimberly Morgan-york In the Bar
The 2nd annual Boulder County jingle jam
$25 + $4
service charge
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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LIVE MUSIC T HU R S D AY, N O V. 2 3
Credit: Chris Carrera
PEDRO URBINA. 5:30 p.m. Trident Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free
THE CBDS. 7 p.m. The Local, 2731 Iris Ave., Boulder. Free PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA. 7:30 p.m. Grusin Music Hall, 1020 18th St., Boulder. Free
FR I D AY, N O V. 2 4 LEFTOVER SALMON WITH PETER ROWAN AND BANSHEE TREE (NIGHT 1). 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $50
CHASE PETRA WITH CARPOOL TUNNEL AND SIMILAR KIND. 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $18
STRAWBERRY GIRLS WITH STANDARDS. 6:45 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20 DR. JIM’S ONE MAN BAND. 6 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free LIONEL YOUNG DUO. 9 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free RITMO CASCABEL WITH LOS TOMS AND MOVETE CHIQUITA VINYL CLUB. 9 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $15 HEX CASSETTE WITH CANDY CHIC AND BRŪHA. 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $15 SHADOWS TRANQUIL WITH JULIAN STREET NIGHTMARE AND POLLY URETHANE. 8 p.m. Marquis Theatre, 2009 Larimer St., Denver. $19 ATLIENS WITH SUBDOCTA, SPACE WIZARD, SAMPLIFIRE, PHISO, CYCLOPS, BEASTBOI AND HIGH ZOMBIE. 7:30 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $40 QUICKSAND WITH HOTLINE TNT AND ABRAMS. 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $25
SAT U RD AY, NOV. 2 5 LEFTOVER SALMON WITH PETER ROWAN AND SICARD HOLLOW (NIGHT 2). 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $50
22
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
JANIS KELLY. 7 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Drive, Unit T, Lafayette. $20
EEM TRIPLIN. 8 p.m. Marquis Theatre, 2009 Larimer St., Denver. $35 MAMMOTH WVH WITH NITA STRAUSS. 7:30 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $35
ON THE BILL Denver emo outfit Broken Record joins fellow Colorado locals Elway and Plasma Canvas in support of New Jersey quartet Teenage Halloween at Hi-Dive on Nov. 26. The band performs on the heels of their sophomore LP Nothing Moves Me, out now via Really Rad Records. See listing for details. CODY QUALLS. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $30 DAVE WATTS AND FRIENDS. 9 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $22 GOOD MUSIC MEDICINE. 5:30 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free NIKKI Z. 6 p.m. Canyon Tavern, 32138 Highway 72, Golden. Free VCO WITH SOUR MAGIC AND HELLO MOUNTAIN. 9 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $15 EPTIC WITH BLANKE, MUS DIE!, SPASS, DUM DUM, AUTOMHATE AND ALGO. 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $38 J. WORRA WITH MAX STYLER AND CJ. 8 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $30 KENNY FEIDLER AND THE COWBOY KILLERS WITH KELLEN SMITH, JESSE CORNETT AND THE REVOLVERS. 8 p.m. Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College Ave., Fort Collins. $17
SUN D AY, N OV. 26 WHAT’S COOKIN’. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20 THE BELOVED INVADERS. 4 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free SCOTT VON ROOTS DUO. 4 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free TEENAGE HALLOWEEN WITH ELWAY, BROKEN RECORD AND PLASMA CANVAS. 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $15 BW PICK OF THE WEEK
TU ESD AY, N OV. 28 PAUL SODERMAN AND THE OGS WITH DFK AND THE LAB RATS. 6:30 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A, Boulder. $5 DAVE HONIG. 5 p.m. Roadhouse Boulder Depot, 2366 Junction Place. Free
BRUJERIA WITH PINATA PROTEST AND NO/MAS. 6:30 p.m. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $28
WE DN E S DAY, N OV. 29 PHONEBOY WITH THE BACKFIRES. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20 MARK DIAMOND EDWARDS DUO. 9 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free BLUE VIOLIN. 7 p.m. Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $30 CU DENVER POP ROCK & HIP-HOP ENSEMBLES SHOWCASE WITH FIAMORÉ AND GREAT COMMUNICATION. 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $14 ALT-J WITH MEAGRE MARTIN. 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $150 (resale only) PICKIN’ ON THE DEAD WITH TYLER GRANT, ACE ENGFER, MICHAEL KIRKPATRICK AND JAKE WOLF. 8 p.m. Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College Ave., Fort Collins. $15 Want more Boulder County events? Check out the complete listings online by scanning this QR code. BOULDER WEEKLY
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ON STAGE
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It’s your last weekend to catch Tori Sampson’s Cadillac Crew, running through Nov. 26 at Vintage Theatre in Aurora. This regional premiere directed by ShaShauna Staton highlights the oftenoverlooked role of Black women in the struggle for racial equality during the Civil Rights Movement. Scan the QR code for a BW feature on the show. See listing for details.
On display through Feb. 28 at East Window Gallery in Boulder, Aging Bodies: Myths and Heroines is a group photography exhibition challenging the myths and stereotypes about getting older in America. The show features works by André RamosWoodard, Danielle SeeWalker, Donigan Cumming and more. See listing for details.
ON THE PAGE Exploring topics like identity, ancestry and environmental stewardship, Been Outside: Adventures of Black Women, Nonbinary and Gender Nonconforming People in Nature features stories from 22 authors about “the challenges and joys of carving out your own path through the natural world.” Join co-editor Dr. Shaz Zamore for a reading and signing event at Boulder Book Store on Nov. 29. See listing for details.
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NOVEMBER 23, 2023
CLYDE’S. Through Nov. 26, Denver Center for the Performing Arts – Kilstrom Theatre, 1400 Curtis St. $25+ CADILLAC CREW. Through Nov. 26, Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora. $36 BW PICK OF THE WEEK THE BELLE OF AMHERST. Through Nov. 26, BETC Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $45 STORY ON P. 17
MEDIALIVE: TECHNOLOGY AS HEALING. Through Jan. 14, BMoCA,1750 13th St., Boulder. $2 agriCULTURE: ART INSPIRED BY THE LAND. Through Jan. 7, various locations including Longmont Museum and BMoCA. Prices vary. AMY METIER: FRAME OF REFERENCE. Through Nov. 29, The Canyons Gallery at the Frasier Retirement Community, 350 Ponca Place, Boulder. Free
WEEKEND FAMILY STORYTIME. 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, Longmont Public Library, 409 4th Ave. Free OVER THE SEAWALL: TSUNAMIS, CYCLONES, DROUGHT AND THE DELUSION OF CONTROLLING NATURE BY STEPHEN ROBERT MILLER. 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St. $5 STORY ON P. 19
BEEN OUTSIDE: ADVENTURES OF BLACK WOMEN, NONBINARY AND GENDER NONCONFORMING PEOPLE IN NATURE BY DR. SHAZ ZAMORE. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, Boulder Book Store. $5 BW PICK OF THE WEEK
WINTER WONDERETTES. Nov. 24-Dec. 3, Longmont Theatre Company, 513 Main St. $35 A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Through Dec. 24, Denver Center for the Performing Arts – Wolf Theatre, 1400 Curtis St. $35+ RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA. Nov. 24-Dec. 31, Arvada Center, 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. $32+
IRENE DELKA MCCRAY: FROM ME IN HER TO HER IN ME. Through Jan. 6, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. Free AGING BODIES: MYTHS AND HEROINES. Through Feb. 28, East Window Gallery, 4550 Broadway, Suite C-3B2, Boulder. Free (by appointment) BW PICK OF THE WEEK
HORROR UNMASKED: A HISTORY OF TERROR FROM NOSFERATU TO NOPE BY BRAD WEISMANN. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, Boulder Book Store. $5 GREAT IDEAS READING AND DISCUSSION GROUP. 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, Longmont Public Library, Free LOVE’S DRUM: SUFI VIEWS, PRACTICES AND STORIES BY PIR ELIAS AMIDON. 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5, Boulder Book Store. $5
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SCREEN
LAB RESULTS Front Range filmmaker finds her footing with ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ BY GREGORY WAKEMAN
S
“My education in Colorado didn’t arah Adina Smith is the first to squash my spirit. I was supported; that admit that a career as a filmwas really nice,” she says. “It was a maker wasn’t the most obvious place where I was allowed to be path for her life. [myself]. It wasn’t really until college “It took me a hot minute to realize that I put it together that I wanted to that I wanted to be a director,” says the Fort Collins native. “I didn’t really under- write and direct films.” The college in question was stand what went on behind the camColumbia University. The video store era.” Lessons in Chemistry, featuring episodes directed by Colorado-raised filmmaker Sarah Adina Kim’s Video, where Smith worked durBut Smith clearly knows what she’s Smith, stars Brie Larson as a fired lab tech chemist who becomes the host of a 1960s TV cooking ing her studies, helped equip her with a doing now. Over the last decade she’s show. Courtesy: Apple TV+ crash course in film studies. “They let written and directed four feature films you take home three VHS tapes a night ogy known as abiogenesis, Smith was — The Midnight Swim, Buster’s Mal That’s something Smith has continin addition to your pay. That’s really able to explore the origins of life and Heart, Birds of Paradise, and The Drop ued to strive for throughout her career. where I got my cinema education.” the “ever-evolving and changing mani— and has overseen episodes of But as she’s achieved success and fold of existence,” she explains. “It’s Wrecked, Room 104, Legion, begun to work with major very odd and inspiring. I think the show Hanna and Looking for Alaska. Hollywood studios, balancreally celebrates awe and wonder in October marked the release of ing her creative efforts with the context of a modern scientific worldLessons in Chemistry, the latest financial stability has view.” television show featuring epibecome a bit of a chalWhile Smith is in the process of writsodes directed by Smith. With an lenge. ing a psychological thriller, an adaptaupcoming finale set for Nov. 24, “I have to admit it’s not the Apple TV+ adaptation of easy. The films I’m perhaps tion of Jonathan Lethem’s novel Girl In Landscape, and another TV series, Bonnie Garmus’ best-selling most proud of are the two novel stars Oscar-winning Best independent movies I made she’s making sure to take lessons from working on Lessons in Chemistry. “I Actress Brie Larson as Elizabeth outside of the Hollywood Zott, a fired lab tech chemist who system, The Midnight Swim want to stay really open to what life brings me next,” she says. becomes the host of a 1960s TV and Buster’s Mal Heart. Once that opportunity arises, you can cooking show. She uses this as They allowed me to be my bet Smith will be the first to send it an opportunity to teach housetruest self and explore phildown the proverbial mountain — a skill wives about science. osophical questions the she picked up during her time in the Smith’s journey beginning in way I wanted to,” she says. “People from Colorado are addicted to an adrenaline rush. That Centennial State. Fort Collins is all the more sur“To be honest, I’m still tryis still very much in my bones,” says director Sarah Adina Smith. “Me and my brother used to race prising considering that her ing to navigate how to have Credit: Jennifer Lafleur father is originally from Queens, a career in Hollywood while each other down [the slopes of] Steamboat Springs. That feeling of letNew York, and her mother is from Iowa. SENDING IT pursuing the art and more challenging ting go and flying, even in the face of “I’m not exactly sure what brought them As she first began to write scripts and questions that are the reason I got into your fears, is actually something I bring out to Colorado,” Smith says. “I think it this in the first place.” make experimental short films, includto my work every day. Particularly when was just the natural beauty and them Working with major production coming a shoot at the Silver Grill in Fort I’m on set directing,” she says. “People feeling like it was a wonderful place to panies has thrown a few curveballs, Collins, Smith wondered what she realfrom Colorado are addicted to an raise kids — which it was. It was an though. When Smith was first ly wanted to say with her projects. adrenaline rush. That is still very much amazing place to grow up.” approached about directing Lessons in “I studied philosophy at Columbia. in my bones and is something I use all A self-described “weirdo art kid” who Chemistry, she was hesitant. My first film scripts were terrible the time.” often showed up to her Poudre High “My first impulse was to roll my eyes because they were just these philosoSchool wearing “surgical scrubs, a and write it off because it was a fictional phy essays,” she says. “I got into filmfedora, and rainbow suspenders.” story about scientists in the 1950s making because I felt like it was a way Smith might not have yet been aware experiencing sexism,” she says. “But to think deeply about life’s big quesON SCREEN: Lessons in of her filmmaking skills, but she says it’s about so much more than that.” tions, while also making art and openChemistry is streaming now her Front Range community was Through the character of Elizabeth, ing up the conversation to a much on Apple TV+. essential to finding her voice. who studies a field of evolutionary biolbroader audience.” BOULDER WEEKLY
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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FILM
THE DISNEY OUROBOROS ‘Wish’ belly flops on 100 years of legacy BY MICHAEL J. CASEY
I
t all started in Kansas City with a young dreamer named Walt Disney. Alice’s Wonderland wasn’t his first creation, but it was significant. The silent comedy, released in the fall of 1923, blended handdrawn animation and live-action into something that caught the audience’s attention and investor interest. So Walt bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles and, with his older brother Roy, founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio that year. The Alice Comedies paved the way, and then came an animated cat named Julius, a rabbit named Oswald and a mouse named Mickey. Walt lent Mickey his own voice, and the rest, as they say, is history. Few companies have had a more outsized impact on the world than the Disney Corporation. The movies are still a right of passage for children, mile markers for emotional develop-
BOULDER WEEKLY
ment. But at what point does history become a burden? Today, Disney is more than just a fairy tale factory: It’s a massive conglomerate absorbing studios and stories whole. Few corners of the world do not bear the fingerprints of the empire, be they through artistic appropriation and celebration or political influence. And into this world enters Wish — Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 62nd feature, the one to mark the studio’s centenary. And with a storybook opening and expository narration, Wish immediately pulls you into the Disney movies of yore with 17-year-old Asha (Ariana DeBose) guiding viewers through the setting, the Mediterranean town of Rosas, and the story of their benevolent sorcerer king, Magnifico (Chris Pine). Asha is training to be Magnifico’s apprentice. Why? Because there’s a rumor that anyone who works for the
friends look and behave an king gets a family memWalt Disney awful lot like Snow White’s ber’s wishes granted. And Animation Studios seven dwarves. And isn’t Asha really wants her stumbles with its that Rapunzel’s boat they’re grandfather, who is turning 62nd feature, Wish. fleeing Rosas in? 100 — fancy that! — to Courtesy: Disney That Wish could have have his wish come true. been the uber-prequel for What’s Gramp’s wish? To sing a song that will inspire future gen- the mythical world of the Walt Disney Company is probably what filmmakers erations. Hmm. Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn, But Magnifico isn’t in the business of Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore had in granting wishes; he prefers to hoard mind, but I guess the executives got them. He’s a law-and-order man who the better of that. It’s as if one of them knows that if he were to grant Wendy’s didn’t get the joke and so made the dream of flight or Jane and Michael’s animators put in a scene where a wish for a nanny, they would — well, I bear walks up to a deer and says, don’t know why Magnifico doesn’t want “Hiya, Bambi.” to grant the people of Rosas their wishWish is a disappointment. It feels es. It’s not the only motivation in Wish like a script ChatGPT spit out using that feels left on the cutting room floor. Disney prompts. Ditto for the animaBut Magnifico isn’t the only force tion: beautiful backgrounds with with magical powers in this world. blockish characters standing in front There’s also a star in the night sky of them as if they are green screened. whose power rivals even the king’s. Well, I guess it’s all one big green Might this be the wishing star, the very screen, really. And it’s one big miss: one every other Disney hero since something that could have continued time immemorial has looked to? In another script: Yes. Sharp viewers a legacy but decided to eat it rather than celebrate it. will no doubt note that all the wishes Magnifico hoards are wishes from previous Disney films. And that many of ON SCREEN: Wish is Magnifico’s lines hew pretty close to now playing in theaters. Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent and Aladdin’s Jafar. And that Asha’s seven NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Your victories-in-progress are subtle. They may not be totally visible to you yet. Let me describe them so you can feel properly confident about what you are in the process of accomplishing. 1. A sustained surge of hard-earned personal growth is rendering one of your problems mostly irrelevant. 2. You have been redefining what rewards are meaningful to you, and that’s motivating you to infuse your ambitions with more soulfulness. 3. You are losing interest in a manipulative game that doesn’t serve you as well as it should. 4. You are cultivating more appreciation for fascinating and useful problems.
LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): In addition to being a masterful composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) played the piano, violin, harp, bassoon, clarinet, horn, flute, oboe and trumpet. His experience led him to believe that musicians best express their skills when they play fast. It’s more challenging to be excellent when playing slowly, he thought. But I will invite you to adopt the reverse attitude and approach in the coming weeks, Libra. According to my astrological analysis, you will be most successful if you work gradually and incrementally, with careful diligence and measured craftiness.
TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Taurus physicist Richard Feynman was a smart and accomplished person who won a Nobel Prize. He articulated a perspective that will be healthy for you to experiment with in the coming weeks. He said, “I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it’s much more interesting not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of certainty about different things, but I’m not absolutely sure of anything, and there are many things I don’t know anything about.” Give Feynman’s approach a try, dear Taurus. Now is an excellent time to explore the perks of questioning everything. I bet you’ll be pleased with how free and easy it makes you feel.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): In my horoscopes for Scorpios, I tend to write complex messages. My ideas are especially thick and rich and lush. Why? Because I imagine you as being complex, thick, rich and lush. Your destiny is labyrinthine and mysterious and intriguing, and I aspire to reflect its intricate, tricky beauty. But this time, in accordance with current astrological omens, I will offer you my simplest, most straightforward oracle ever. I borrowed it from author Mary Anne Hershey: “Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Play with abandon. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love.”
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): To earn money, I have worked as a janitor, dishwasher, olive picker, ditch-digger, newspaper deliverer and 23 other jobs involving hard labor. In addition, I have done eight artistic jobs better suited to my sensitive temperament and creative talents. Am I regretful or resentful about the thousands of hours I toiled at tasks I didn’t enjoy? A little. But mostly I’m thankful for them. They taught me how to interact harmoniously with a wide array of people. They helped forge my robust social conscience. And they motivated me to eventually figure out how to get jobs I really loved. Now I invite you to take an inventory of your own work life, Gemini. It’s an excellent time to evaluate where you’ve been and where you want to go in the future.
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CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): There are so many kinds of sweetness. Zesty spicy sweetness. Tender balmy fragrant sweetness. Sour or bitter sweetness. Musky piquant sweetness. Luscious succulent sweetness. One of my favorite types of sweetness is described by Cancerian poet Stephen Dunn. He wrote, “Often a sweetness comes as if on loan, stays just long enough to make sense of what it means to be alive, then returns to its dark source. As for me, I don’t care where it’s been, or what bitter road it’s traveled to come so far, to taste so good.” My analysis of the astrological omens suggests to me that you are about to commune with at least three of these sweetnesses, Cancerian. Maybe most of them. LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Author Dan Savage advocates regular indulgence in sloth. He notes that few of us can “get through 24 hours without a little downtime. Human beings need to stare off into space, look out the window, daydream and spend time every day being indolent and useless.” I concur, and I hope you will indulge in more downtime than usual during the coming weeks. For the sake of your long-term mental and physical health, you need to relax extra deep and strong now to recharge your battery with delicious and delightful abandon. VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): According to my deep and thorough analysis of your astrological rhythms, your mouth will soon be a wonder of nature. The words emerging from your lips will be extra colorful, precise and persuasive. Your taste buds will have an enhanced vividness as they commune with the joys of food and drink. And I suspect your tongue and lips will exult in an upgrade of aptitude and pleasure while plying the arts of sex and intimate love. Congratulations, Mouthy Maestro!
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): In her poem “Requiem,” Anna Akhmatova says, “I must kill off memory … and I must learn to live anew.” I think most of us can benefit from periodically engaging in this brave and robust exercise. It’s not a feat to be taken lightly — not to be done more than once or twice a year. But guess what: The coming weeks will be a time when such a ritual might be wise for you. Are you ready to purge old business and prepare the way for a fresh start? Here are your words of power: forgiveness, clearing, cleaning, release, absolution, liberation. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): We need stories almost as much as we need to breathe, eat, sleep and move. It’s impossible to live without them. The best stories nourish our souls, stimulate our imagination and make life exciting. That’s not to say that all stories are healthy for us. We sometimes cling to narratives that make us miserable and sap our energy. I think we have a sacred duty to deemphasize and even jettison those stories — even as we honor and relish the rich stories that empower and inspire us. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Capricorn, because you’re in a phase of your cycle when you will especially thrive by disposing of the bad old stories and celebrating the good ones. AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): I could be wrong, but I don’t think so: You are smarter and wiser than you realize about the pressing issues that are now vying for your attention. You know more than you know you know. I suspect this will soon become apparent, as streams of fresh insights rise up from the depths of your psyche and guide your conscious awareness toward clarity. It’s OK to squeal with glee every time a healing intuition shows up. You have earned this welcome phase of lucid certainty. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): In Indigenous cultures throughout history, shamans have claimed they have the power to converse with and even temporarily become hawks, coyotes, snakes and other creatures. Why do they do that? It’s a long story, but one answer is that they believe animals have intelligences that are different from what humans have. The shamans aspire to learn from those alternate ways of seeing and comprehending the world. Many of us who live in Western culture dismiss this venerable practice, although I’ve known animal lovers who sympathize with it. If you are game for a fun experiment, Pisces, I invite you to try your own version. Choose an animal to learn from. Study and commune with it. Ask it to reveal intuitions that surprise and enrich you.
BOULDER WEEKLY
SAVAGE LOVE BY DAN SAVAGE
Happy Thanksgiving and
Happy Holidays!
Tantric Sacred Sexuality Exploration & Education I’m taking the week off. Please enjoy these Thanksgiving-themed questions from the Savage Love archives. Gobble, gobble. — Dan
DEAR DAN: I’ve been dating
my boyfriend for almost a year. He’s 25, I’m 27. I asked him to have Thanksgiving dinner with me and my mother at my house. He said no. I also invited him to have dinner with my father, my brother, my stepmom and me the day after Thanksgiving. He said no again. His reasoning: “It would be too awkward.” He has met both sides of my family, and I have met his parents. His parents are having Thanksgiving dinner with family friends, and he doesn’t have other Thanksgiving plans. This is not the first time he has turned down invitations to spend time with my family. I’ve told him the only way for us to feel less awkward with each other’s families is to spend more time with them. He just said “I know” via text. I believe he loves me, and he is a wonderful partner in many areas of my life, but this is bothering me. What should I do? I’m fighting the urge to tell him that maybe our relationship is “too awkward” and we should part ways before Christmas. What do you think? — Single On Thanksgiving
DEAR SOT: I’d like to speak to your boyfriend, SOT, so I could ask him the obvious followup question (OFUQ): Why does it feel awkward? Assuming your boyfriend is into you and wants to keep seeing you, his answer to the OFUQ could go something like this: “We’ve been seeing each other for less than a year, and to me it feels like it’s too soon to be spending the holidays with each other’s families — it’s also too soon for us to be calling each other ‘partner.’ So let’s take a deep breath, stay calm and keep being wonderful to each other. If we’re still together this time next year then, yeah, we’ll do Thanksgiving with your folks or mine.” It’s also a possibility — possibility ≠ certainty — that your boyfriend doesn’t want to keep seeing you and is operating/dating under the mistaken-but-alltoo-common belief that it’s kinder to string someone along through the holidays. He may not want to spend Thanksgiving/Xmess/NYE with your folks because doing so will be held up as evidence of his lying jerkiness after he dumps you on Nov. 27 or Dec. 26 or Jan. 2. My advice: Take “it’s awkward” for an answer, tell him you’d like to have dinner on Saturday, and don’t make a big deal out of his reluctance to spend Thursday at your mom’s and Friday at your dad’s. It could mean nothing at all, SOT, or it could mean something dire. You’ll just have to wait and see. This question originally appeared on Nov. 24, 2015.
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NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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HUNGER NEXT DOOR Affluent Boulder County is home to a growing number of families suffering from food insecurity BY JOHN LEHNDORFF
H
umans pay attention to what they see in front of them. We observe homeless people at intersections, so we worry about a solution to the homeless “problem.” If we put all the people in Boulder County who are hungry or malnourished in one place, it would be a city with a population larger than Lafayette. According to Community Food Share, there are about 34,000 Boulder County residents currently unsure how they will afford food for their families. That “city” where every single person is worried about food access includes at least 6,400 kids, single moms and elderly residents. Traditionally, we focus on feeding turkey dinners in November and December, but manage to forget about these same people from January through October. “I think there’s this idea that there are no food insecurity needs in Boulder County, that everything is rosy,” says Suzanne Crawford, CEO of Lafayette’s Sister Carmen Community Center. Sister Carmen is a nonprofit organization offering critical resources ranging from rent assistance to a large food bank. It served an average of 5,000 to 6,000 people in East Boulder County annually before the pandemic. That number jumped to about 8,000 last year, according to Crawford. The City of Boulder’s food tax rebate program has received the most applications since 2019, according to City officials. Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA) in Boulder reports that visits to its food bank have increased by 60% in the past half-year alone. “Food insecurity has definitely gotten worse in the past year, and it’s really quite concerning. Last year, we saw a 28 percent increase in the number of households seeking food assistance,” she says, adding that nearly half of
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those households are coming back to Sister Carmen’s food bank more often. Crawford’s list of the reasons local food insecurity has worsened includes the end of pandemic-related extended SNAP (food stamps) and enhanced child tax credits, decreased emergency rental assistance leading to increased evictions, and higher costs locally for rent, food and childcare. Local agencies are still helping families displaced by the Marshall Fire. “We are seeing a tremendous number of single parents and seniors,” she says. “Families that were struggling already haven’t had a chance to get back on their feet.”
I think there’s this idea that there are no food insecurity needs in Boulder County, that everything is rosy.” — SUZANNE CRAWFORD,
CEO of Lafayette’s Sister Carmen Community Center
At the same time, contributions in Boulder County have actually decreased in the past year. “The donations during food drives, including financial donations, are generally down at all the local food banks,” Crawford says. “Part of it is that other people are struggling to pay bills and can’t afford to donate.” Consider giving to one of the following organizations on Colorado Gives Day, Dec. 5. You can also volunteer for these nonprofit organizations or organize a food drive at your business, club, church or school.
Fish and chips on the patio at Lucky’s Bakehouse Cafe. Credit: John Lehndorff
BOULDER COUNTY FOOD BANKS Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA), Boulder: efaa.org Sister Carmen Community Center, Lafayette, Louisville and Erie: sistercarmen.org Boulder Food Rescue, Boulder: boulderfoodrescue.org Harvest of Hope Pantry, Boulder: hopepantry.org Community Food Share, Boulder and Broomfield counties: communityfood share.org Nederland Food Pantry, Nederland and mountain communities: nederland foodpantry.org OUR Center, Longmont: ourcenter.org LEAF, Lyons and neighboring areas: leaflyons.org
TASTE OF THE WEEK: FINE FISH AND CHIPS
I almost never order fish and chips at a restaurant because it is so rarely prepared and served properly. The fish has to be fresh. The coating cannot be too thick and bready. It’s not a corn dog. The fish has to be fried to order in good oil and, most critically, served steaming hot with a pile of great fries. Having worked in Boulder restaurants and
stood over a boiling vat of oil, I know how hard it is to pull off this meal. Lunching recently on the patio with a friend at Lucky’s Bakehouse Cafe in North Boulder, I took the leap of culinary faith and was rewarded with hotto-the-table, lightly beer-battered Alaskan cod. I bit into the filets and inhaled the savory steam. The housecut shoestring fries were just right. I dipped both in thick green goddess dressing and a side order of Hollandaise. Tart, crunchy kale and cabbage salad balanced it out. My friend enjoyed an exceptional vegetable hash including garbanzos, roasted Brussels sprouts, potatoes and greens with eggs over easy. It was a meal to be thankful for.
SEASON’S EATINGS: SKIP THE EGGNOG
Morning Fresh Dairy Farm Root Beer Float. Credit: John Lehndorff
One sure sign of the season is the appearance of Morning Fresh Dairy Farm Root Beer Float. The Bellvue creamery offers a glassbottled dream that truly tastes like its namesake crafted with milk, cream, sugar and a superior root beer extract from CooperSmith’s Pub & Brewing. I found it at Sprouts Markets. Paired with a locally distilled spirit, it’s better than eggnog.
NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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NIBBLES LOCAL FOOD NEWS: BOULDER’S FINE DINING STAR
● Bobby Stuckey of Frasca Food and Wine and Pizzeria Alberico has been named one of the 50 most powerful people in American fine dining for 2023 by the Robb Report. ● Born in Boulder in 1996, Big Daddy Bagels continues to expand, recently opening its fifth location in Lakewood. ● C Bar, a contemporary cocktail bar, and C Burger at 921 Pearl St., Boulder are coming in 2024. ● Ana’s Norwegian Bakeri in Centennial has opened a second shop on Denver’s 16th Street Mall. Try the terrific skoleboller breakfast buns and raisin buns.
A TOAST TO BOULDER WHISKEY
Boulder Weekly Market A market for discounts on local dining Up to 30% off purchases New merchants and specials added regularly Check it out so you can start saving!
Black Friday Promo Check our website on 11.24 for details
Noting that Colorado is now home to more than 60 craft distilleries, Forbes has included some great Colorado whiskies in its Holiday Gift Guide 2023 including Laws Whiskey House Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Old Elk Double Wheat Straight Whiskey. Boulder Spirits is applauded for its American Single Malt Whiskey Bottled in Bond, “a rich, creamy, intensely flavored whiskey with dark molasses, cooked cereal, dried dark fruit, cocoa, and some red fruit notes of raspberry and cherry.”
WORDS TO CHEW ON: ZEN OF FLAVOR
Credit: Boulder Spirits
“Flavor is not actually in food; any more than redness is in a rose or yellow in the sun. It is a fabrication of our brains. … Faces fade when you haven’t seen them in a while, while flavors and smells have a way of lodging themselves in indelibly.” — From First Bite: How We Learn to Eat by Bee Wilson.
John Lehndorff is the former Dining Critic of the Rocky Mountain News. He hosts Radio Nibbles and Kitchen Table Talk on KGNU-FM. Comments: nibbles@boulderweekly.com
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FLASH IN THE PAN FRENCH ONION SOUP 2 pounds peeled yellow onions, ends removed and sliced from tip to tip 1 stick butter 1 bottle white wine 2 bay leaves 1 gallon stock of your choice 1 tablespoon thyme or herbs de Provence A crusty white sourdough Minced onion, as a garnish
THE UNSUNG ONION How to properly cut, cook and cherish this layered treasure BY ARI LEVAUX
I
made it surprisingly far through life without thinking deeply about onions. It took an acid trip in college, during which I watched my friend Wayne fry an onion that had been cut in half. We stood transfixed as it slowly melted in the pan. I could feel it was a profound moment, but it would be years before I understood the onion’s many layers of flavor, and its fundamental importance to cooking. A decade later, when I read the Simon Ortiz poem (quoted here), it resonated because I knew he was right, that you shouldn’t ever be in any place without onion. But I still didn’t know how to cut one. I could hack it, with too many strokes, into large, awkward pieces, but I had no system. I finally learned how to cut an onion from an old chef friend when I was helping him cater an event and he was bossing me around. He told me to cut the onions just so. In the
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days and weeks that followed, I realized that this is the only decent way to cut an onion. Cut the ends off the onion, peel it, and slice in half from tip to tip. Lay the flat sides down and make a
Put chile and some water into a saucepan with bullion, garlic which is diced, and salt and pepper and onion which I don’t have and won’t mention anymore because I miss it, and you shouldn’t ever be anyplace without it, I don’t care where.” — SIMON ORTIZ “HOW TO COOK A GOOD CHILI,” WOVEN STONE series of thin parallel slices, about ¼ inch apart, along the tip-to-tip axis. Each thin slice is fragile, ready to fracture into concentric arcs with a
mere tousle. If you need them minced, it’s just one more step. After making those parallel slices in the onion halves, hold the pieces together with one hand, turn the heldtogether half 90 degrees, and cut ¼-inch slices perpendicular to the previous ones. The onion will fall apart like confetti. The power of an onion is compounded by its dual personality. While a well-cooked onion gives its flavor selflessly, bringing harmony to a dish, raw onion is about contrast. Its presence is more of a fiery assault by an army of white lightsabers. Sometimes I find myself running to the cutting board, mid-chew on a delicious mouthful of food, where there is always an onion in some state of disrepair — hopefully a juicy salad onion. I’ll chew a piece into my mouthful to enjoy the raw onion’s sharp, sweet and crunchy flavors. Legend has it French onion soup was invented in a hunting cabin, by the king, of course, when he discovered the cupboard bare of everything but onions and bread. Nobody should be surprised when an onion carries the day. Especially an onion cooked for a very long time.
Bake the onions at 300 on a cookie sheet, flat side down in butter Add a half-cup of wine every hour. When the onions begin to melt, use a spatula or wooden spoon to press down and smear apart the layers. After about three hours, when they are deliciously sweet and browned but not burned, transfer the onions and all pan juices to a pot of stock. Add bay leaves and herbs and the rest of the wine and simmer for about three hours, seasoning with salt and pepper as it cooks. At serving time, heat the onion broth under the broiler in personal-sized bowls. Slice the baguette, butter the slices and set aside. When the soup is hot, add the bread, buttered sides up, and broil until they are toasted. Garnish with raw onion. Serves six and can easily scale up
Recently, in the kitchen of the old chef who taught me how to cut an onion, I watched him prepare an eggplant and tomato recipe into which onions would disappear. Forgotten but not gone, those onions would hold together the flavor with an unseen force more likely to be missed than appreciated. I asked the chef: “If you were stranded on a desert island, and could only have one vegetable …” “I would take the onion,” he said gravely, before I could finish. NOVEMBER 23, 2023
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BREAKING DOWN ‘THE MUNCHIES’ How does science explain the appetite-stimulating side effects of cannabis use? BY WILL BRENDZA
T
he munchies are a well-known side effect of cannabis use that can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes it catches users off guard and results in uncontrollable couch-locked snack binging. But for many medical users like cancer, chemotherapy and eating disorder patients, the munchies can be a much-needed appetite stimulant. But what are the munchies, according to science? The leading hypothesis has to do with humans’ endocannabinoid system and a specific receptor called CB1. Molecules within the system send chemical messages throughout the body and brain by interacting with their receptors. And CB1 is known to play a significant role in a person’s energy homeostasis and food intake — and by extension, one’s ability to taste and smell. A study published in Science
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Signaling in 2005 was one of the first to suggest this idea. It argued that THC alters and affects the metabolism via the CB1 receptor and can control food consumption by “modulating the inputs to various brain areas that monitor energy balance and by increasing the hedonic or reward value of the food consumed.” More recent research from the University of Oregon published in Current Biology in May 2023 put that theory to the test by getting worms high. Researchers from UO’s College of Arts and Sciences used a specific species of bacteria-eating worms (C. elegans) for the experiment. Cannabis had just been recreationally legalized in Oregon when the scientists began this experiment in 2014.
“We thought, well heck, let’s just try this … We thought it would be amusing if it worked,” says lead scientist Shawn Lockery, a professor of biology and neuroscience at UO. They soaked worms in an endocannabinoid known as Anandamide, which activates the endocannabinoid system. The worms were then placed in a simple T-shaped maze with high-quality food (i.e. bacteria) on one side and lower-quality food on the other. In this study, the higher-quality food was comparable to human junk food with lots of calories. The worms obviously preferred the higher-quality food both while “high” and in the control group. However, after they’d been soaked in Anandamide, that preference became much stronger. The worms swarmed the higher-quality food in greater numbers and stayed there for much longer than they had while sober. The worms were acting on a short-term survival impulse but not necessarily a healthy preference in the long term.
“We suggest that this increase in existing preference is analogous to eating more of the foods you would crave anyway,” Lockery said in a UO press release on the study. “It’s like choosing pizza versus oatmeal.” The researchers point out that the endocannabinoid system that’s affected in worms (and in humans) when under the influence is what controls the impulse of a starving animal when they seek out high-fat and high-sugarcontent food. This would explain why cannabis users experiencing the munchies crave food that’s packed with fats and sugars. In follow-up experiments, Lockery’s team was able to determine the specific neurons affected by Anandamide. Backing up the 2005 research in Science Signaling, they found that the affected neurons became more sensitive to the smell of higher-quality food and less sensitive to that of lowerquality food. According to these papers, the munchies are essentially the result of cannabinoids interacting with your endocannabinoid system. It’s a survival impulse that makes you crave high-fat and high-sugar-content foods, and that makes them taste and smell better than they would otherwise. Combine that with the lowered inhibitions that come with a cannabis high, and the table is set for a THC-fueled feast. “It’s a really beautiful example of what the endocannabinoid system was probably for at the beginning,” Lockery said.
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