The Herald Journal
Jan. 16-22, 2009
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Cache The Herald Journal’s
Arts & Entertainment Calendar
What’s inside this week Andy says ‘Defiance’ is a muted telling of a great story
Magazine
Crossword..... ..........Page 13 Calendar........ ..........Page 14
A lithograph by artist Jane Hammond, titled “Love Laughs,” is displayed in the “Women’s Work” exhibit at Utah State University this week. Read more about the 56 prints that comprise the exhibit and the extraordinary women behind them on Page 8.
On the cover:
From the editor
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T STILL SOMETIMES amazes me when I think about all the technology we have today — wireless Internet, iPods, Blackberries, cameras smaller than a deck of cards, and the list goes on and on and on. What amazes me even more, though, is the fact that suddenly most of us can’t live without it. I’ll admit it: I’m a computer junkie and ever since I got my laptop last year, I feel naked and alone when I don’t carry it with me. It has all the documents I might need, all my music, all my photos — almost my entire life saved on its hard drive. I also got a new iPod for Christmas, and boy oh boy if I don’t absolutely “need” it when I leave home! Walking across campus, working on page layouts — how do
Cute
jbaer@hjnews.com
people do it without their iPod?? I’m being facetious, of course, but it kind of makes you stop and think. Every person I ever see walking on campus has earphones on and is most likely doing something on their cell phone along the way. Cell phones ring in the most inappropriate places and my sister sends us Blackberry-made videos of my niece. We have instant messaging and e-mail and Web cams and text messaging to help us keep in touch (even with those we would ... ahem ... rather not keep in touch with). So as I load up my bag in the mornings, I see all this technology as a blessing and a burden — I may be able to carry around everything I could possibly need in the next 10 years, but my bag suddenly weighs 100 pounds. Have a great weekend, everyone!
(Page 4) AVA to host art show for children ages 5 to 12
(Page 7) Charlene dives into ‘Memories of Jewish Life’ with Steve Siporin
(Page 12)
Slow Wave
(Page 10) Check out this week’s Bulletin Board
— Jamie Baer Nielson Cache Magazine editor
pet photo of the week
This cat is available for adoption! Pet: Nutmeg From: The Cache Humane Society Why he’s so lovable: Nutmeg has a sweet personality and good looks in one package — he’s just waiting to keep your lap warm! For more information or to meet Nutmeg, call 792-3920 or visit the shelter at 2370 W. 200 North, Logan.
Are you crazy about your pet? Do you want to show him off to the world? From cats to dogs to horses to rats, Cache Magazine wants to know! Send your favorite picture of your pet, along with your name and a couple paragraphs detailing why your pet’s so darn lovable, to Cache Magazine, 75 W. 300 N., Logan, UT 84321, or e-mail it all to jbaer@ hjnews.com. Remember to tell your friends!
Slow Wave is created from real people’s dreams as drawn by Jesse Reklaw. Ask Jesse to draw your dream! Visit www.slowwave.com to find out how.
‘Astounding’ quartet up next for music series
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described as “astounding.” ACIFICA QUARTET Felix Mendelssohn’s piece, “Quartet musicians (violinists Simin in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2” will open Ganatra and Sibbi Bernhardsthe Pacifica concert. This four-moveson and violist Masumi Per Rostad) ment quartet was written when Menshared music making as teenagers in delssohn was still a teenager, already southern California and Bernhardsson later introduced cellist Brandon Vamos proving himself to be an experienced composer of chamber music. The piece to the quartet. From such a long musiis richly romantic, relying heavily cal friendship has come a long list of on compositional musical accolades. techniques from In May 2006 the If you go ... Beethoven while Pacifica Quartet linking classical became only the form to romantic second chamber • What: Chamber Music Society of expression. Logan performance series music ensemble to Before intermisbe awarded a presti- • Who: Pacifica Quartet • When: 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 20 sion the Pacifica gious Avery Fisher • Where: USU’s Manon Caine Ruswill present “String Career Grant. They sell-Kathryn Caine Wanlass PerforQuartet No. 1, have also won top Metamorphoses international awards mance Hall Nocturnes” by including the Grand • Tickets: $8 for students (with ID) or $20 for everyone else; available Gyorgy Ligeti Prize at the 1996 at the Taggart Student Center, the (1923-2006). Ligeti Coleman Chamber Spectrum and at the door the night is held in high Music Competiof the concert regard as a moderntion, top prize at ist who introduced the 1997 Concert Artists Guild Competition and the 1998 technical innovations in the latter half of the 20th century. He is best known Naumburg Chamber Music Award. Currently the Pacifica Quartet serves as for composing music written for Stanley Kubrick’s film “2001: A Space faculty-in-residence at the University Odyssey.” of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and The final performance by the Paciperforming artists-in-residence at the fica Quartet will be Johannes Brahms’ University of Chicago and Boston’s “Quartet in A minor, Op. 51, No. 2.” Longy School of Music. Brahms, a perfectionist by nature, Logan is one stop in a worldwide worked for a decade making countless 2009 tour for the Pacifica. The Chirevisions on the piece before finally cago Tribune and the New York Times have described the group as being “one publishing it in 1873. For more information about the quarof the most vibrant music ensembles tet, visit www.pacificaquartet.com. around” with their performances
Pianist Lorkovic spans musical spectrum IANIST RADOSLAV P Lorkovic will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30, at a local
private residence. For tickets and directions, call 757-3468. Drawing from a multitude of influences ranging from elegant classical and jazz styles to the rawest, most basic blues and soul emanating from Chicago, New Orleans and Kansas, Lorkovic has taken on an unusually broad musical spectrum and refined it into his distinctive piano style. Following his impressive tenure on the R&B and folk circuits, he accumulated a substantial number of recording credits including projects by Greg Brown, Dave Moore and Bo Ramsey. Lorkovic stepped out with several releases, including “Clear and Cold,” “High and Dry”
and “The Line,” which he dedicated to the people of Croatia. His work with Greg Brown on “One Big Town” earned a 3½-star rating from Rolling Stone. Lorkovic’s disarming, whispered voice has been compared to Roger Waters of Pink Floyd. Born in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1958, his initial exposure to music can be attributed to two grandmothers — Antonia Bujas, his maternal grandmother, sang Croatian, Slovenian and Czech folk songs to him from birth. At age 1 he was reported to be singing back on pitch. By age 3 he was putting on stage shows for his grandfather and friends who would respond by showering him with coins yelling, “Pivaj Radoslav, pivaj!” Classical music was also
played constantly in his home due to the influence of his paternal grandmother, Melita Lorkovic, an internationally known classical pianist. Called the “Grand Dame of Yugoslav Piano,” she toured worldwide from the 1940s until the ’70s. Eventually Lorkovic joined forces with Greg Brown, adding musical authenticity to his deep Iowa roots. At this time Lorkovic was simultaneously brushing up on his classical heritage and looking south to the polyrhythmic sounds of professor Longhair and James Booker. He had picked up Tex-Mex and the Zydeco accordion as well. In 1990 he made his solo recording debut. Five CDs later, Lorkovic currently tours the world. For more information, visit www.radoslavlorkovic.com.
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Rhythms
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All mixed up
Distinguished alumna to speak at USU
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HE DISTINGUISHED Alumni Speaker for January is Catherine Goodman, who will present “Career Path/Life Path: Getting There From Here” at noon Friday, Jan. 16, in the David B. Haight Alumni Center at Utah State University. The noon-hour presentations of approximately 30 minutes are followed by a question-and-answer period. Students,
faculty, staff, alumni and members of the community are invited. Admission is free. Goodman is a 1990 USU graduate, earning a bachelor’s degree cum laude in English literature with a minor in French. Her career includes 18 years experience in financial marketing, communications and branding. She now serves as national marketing
Attention all budding artists! HE ALLIANCE FOR THE VARIED ARTS T will host “Art ‘O’ Rama,” an art show for children ages 5 to 12, from Jan. 23 through Feb. 26. Submis-
sions are now being accepted; any type of art is welcome including painting, photography, ceramics and fiber arts. Gallery visitors will be asked to vote for their favorite works in difference categories and prizes will be given during an awards ceremony and closing reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, at the AVA Gallery, 35 W. 100 South, Logan. Artwork should be dropped off Jan. 20 and 21 during AVA office hours (1 to 6 p.m.). Artwork must be framed and ready to hang. Artists who choose to sell While a little young for this their work will be paid 70 year’s contest, this girl is gearpercent of the selling price. ing up to enter a future “Art ‘O’ The show will run through Rama” art show sponsored by the end of February and art the Alliance for the Varied Arts. can be picked up March 3. While there is no specific theme, kids should be encouraged to do their best work. For more information, contact Jenny or Scott at 753-2970 or ava_gallery@yahoo.com.
manager for Summit Financial Resources, a private commercial lender based in Salt Lake City. Before that she spent six years as project director for Carbone Smolan Agency in New York City and managed multi-million-dollar strategic marketing projects for clients that included Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, PaineWebber and Prudential. She also worked
in New York as a vice president of marketing for Bankers Trust and as assistant vice president of marketing for the Zurich Group. She began her professional career as an administrative assistant at Imperial Bank in Los Angles, working her way up to public relations officer. For more information on the Distinguished Alumni Speaker Series, call 797-4072.
Goodman
Second annual Burns Supper coming to Utah State University OBERT BURNS R wove a tapestry of words into beautiful poetry — poetry that defined a nation and gave millions an identity of who they are: Scots. For the second year, residents of Northern Utah can celebrate the poet at a dinner at Utah State University while observing the 250th anniversary of the great Scottish poet’s birth. The second annual Robert Burns Supper will take place at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, in the International Lounge of the Taggart Student Center. The International Lounge will be transformed into a dining hall filled with the sights, smells and sounds of Scotland. The celebration of Burns’ life and works springs from Burns’ deathbed request to have his legacy commemorated through poetry reading, song singing and a traditional Scottish supper. Burns Suppers have been held across the world on every continent in honor of the great storyteller.
This year marks the 250th anniversary of Burns’ birth, making the supper a special occasion for all who attend. Everyone is invited to the Burns Supper and tickets can be ordered by calling University Catering at USU (7971707). Tickets for the evening’s activities are $25 for members of the general public and $22 for members of the Utah An illustration Scottish of Scottish poet AssociaRobert Burns tion. Youth younger than 13 can attend for $16.50. Ticket reservations are requested by Thursday, Jan. 15, especially for large groups. The University Inn, USU’s guest hotel, offers an accommodation package for those attending Burns Supper fes-
tivities. Ticket packages and lodging rates are available by calling the University Inn at 800-231-5634 and mentioning the “Burns Supper Group.” Utah’s northern region has deep Scottish roots. Bob Gallimore, a member of the Utah Scottish Association and historian, described the region as being a “treasure trove of Scottish influence.” From the original settlers to the name of the USU student center where the dinner will be held, Scotland has left her mark upon our society, he said. The Utah Scottish Association invites all who admire the work of Robert Burns, those of Scottish decent or curious lovers of culture and poetry to attend this event. As Burns’ “Selkirk Grace” reads, “We have meat and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be thankit.” For details on the life of Robert Burns, visit the Utah Scottish Association Web site (www.utahscots.org) or contact Diane Siegried at dsieg freid@gmail.com.
Run-DMC, Metallica lead list of 2009 Rock Hall inductees By The Associated Press
UN-DMC ONCE R hailed themselves as the Kings of Rock, so it’s
fitting that the pioneering rappers have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Run-DMC joins the heavy metal band Metallica, guitarist and former Yardbirds
member Jeff Beck; soul singer and guitarist Bobby Womack and doo-wop group Little Anthony and the Imperials as this year’s inductee class. Though Run-DMC wasn’t among the first rap acts, they were the first to achieve widespread mainstream success, and the first to notch a platinum album with 1986’s
“Raising Hell.” The rapping duo of Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels — plus their DJ, the late Jam Master Jay — were rap’s first rock stars. They had hits with songs like “My Adiddas” and “It’s Tricky,” but had their greatest success when they remade Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” with the rock act
for a groundbreaking collaboration. In an interview Wednesday, McDaniels called RunDMC’s induction “inconceivable.” “I’m a rap dude, I’m an MC from Hollis (a neighborhood in New York’s borough of Queens), just rockin’ the mic, and to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,
with the Beatles, and (Bob) Dylan, and the rock ’n’ roll gods? It’s ridiculous! Ridiculous in a good way,” he said. He also gave a nod to the predecessors who paved the way for the group’s success: “I share this nomination and the induction and the whole award with those cats, everyone from the Bronx and Harlem who started this.”
Gypsy-swing and silent surrealism
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HE HOT CLUB of San Francisco will present “Silent Surrealism” — an evening of live gypsy jazz and silent films — at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21 and 22 at the Ellen Eccles Theatre. Tickets are $20, $26, $27 and $32 and can be ordered and printed online anytime without any additional fees by visiting www.CenterForTheArts.us. A wide variety of discounts are available including the Family Fun package, a 50 percent child discount, a 25 percent USU student discount and a 15 percent group discount. For more information, call 752-0026. The Hot Club of San Francisco takes audiences on a journey through the gypsyswing genre and the smoky cabarets of Paris. Led by director Paul Mehling, The Hot Club is an ensemble of accomplished and versatile musicians celebrating the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli’s pioneering Hot Club de France. The infectious syncopation and nuttiness of 1930s swing-era music mixed with the mysterious and magical sounds of fingers flying on
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Photo by Stuart Brinin
acoustic stringed instruments will conjure up visions of caravans and Parisian cafes in the impressionable minds of its young listeners. The legacy of Reinhardt and Grappelli changed the history of jazz forever. They created an all-string chamber
Coming up: BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble
he BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble will present “The Gathering” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21. Tickets are $8, $10, $15 and $18. “The Gathering” is comprised of dances from Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America. The cast and crew of 44, with vibrant, authentic costumes, produces one of the most diverse performing groups in the country.
Coming up: Brian Regan
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omedian Brian Regan will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, and at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27. Tickets are limited and now available for $39.50 (no discounts). The perfect balance of sophisticated writing and physicality, Regan fills theaters nationwide with fervent fans who span generations. For more information, visit www.brianregan.com.
group that confounded jazz lovers the world over by demonstrating that you don’t have to be American to play jazz. The gypsy-swing story is part magic and mystery, part bravado, part genius and several parts World War II. The San Francisco
ensemble borrows the allstring instrumentation of violin, bass and guitars from the original Hot Club but breathes new life into the music with innovative arrangements of classic tunes and original compositions from the group’s lead guitar-
ist and director, Paul Mehling. Hearing the ensemble live or on any of their nine albums carries the listener back to the 1930s and the small, smoky jazz clubs of Paris or the refined lounges of the famous Hotel Ritz. Often called gypsy jazz, the music of The Hot Club of San Francisco has entranced audiences around the globe for more than 10 years. For more information about The Hot Club of San Francisco, visit www.hcsf.com. “Silent Surrealism” continues a popular 1920s French tradition, avant-garde cinema and performance. This program includes several short silent films by Charlie Bowers such as “Now You Tell One” and “It’s a Bird,” as well as James Sibley Watson’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and Harold Shaw’s “The Land Beyond Sunset.” The Hot Club accompanies these films with the music made famous by Grappelli, Reinhardt and the Hot Club de France. “Silent Surrealism” is a multimedia trip back to a time when the artistic and literary style emerged as a means of expressing the imagination.
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At the Ellen Eccles Theatre
Grammy winner Kathy Mattea up next ACK BY POPULAR B demand, Kathy Mattea will return to the Ellen Eccles Theatre as
part of her 2008-09 “Moving Mountains” tour. Join the two-time Grammy winner and Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year live in concert at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 and 18. Tickets are $20, $26, $27 and $32 and can be ordered now by visiting www. CenterForTheArts.us. Over her career, Mattea has placed 15 consecutive top-10 singles on the country charts and is known for such popular classics as “18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses,” “Love at the Five & Dime” and “Where’ve You Been.” Mattea’s new album, “Coal,” was recently nominated for the 2009 Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album. “Coal” is a collection of songs about miners, their families and the impact of mining on Appalachia told
Photo courtesy www.mattea.com
by some of the greatest songwriters in traditional music.
The album leads with two selections from traditional songwriter Jean Ritchie, “The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore” and “Blue Diamond Mines.” Both lament the physical and economic changes caused by mining, particularly when the mines were closed, leaving many without jobs or the connections to the outside world through the coal trains that would stop for their loads. The idea for “Coal” took shape after the 2006 mining disaster in Sago, W.Va., in which a dozen miners died. This collection of songs rings with hardship and hope, with an attachment to the land for better or for worse and with an inescapable intimacy with danger and early death. “It’s such a basic expression that we all resonate with it,” Mattea says, “the struggle to be heard, the struggles against injustice.” To learn more about Mattea, visit www.mattea.com.
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Film New this week “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” Rated PG ★ The biggest crime of all here is not the bank heist that goes down at a New Jersey mall on Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year. Rather, it’s the egregious way in which Kevin James’ innate likability goes to waste. The “King of Queens” star showed he could play an underdog with some sweetness and depth in the 2005 romantic comedy “Hitch” — and he practically stole the movie away from Will Smith. This time, he plays yet another misfit, but one who’s so two-dimensional, needy and annoying, it’s difficult to root for him. Trouble is, James himself created the character: “I just love this guy,” he says in the film’s production notes. He’ll be one of the precious few who do. James’ Paul Blart is a portly pushover who tries hard to be the tough guy as a shopping center security guard. Hypoglycemic and woefully out of shape, he’s failed the New Jersey state trooper exam eight times; nevertheless, he squeezes into his polyester uniform and takes his job as seriously as if he were out keeping the highways safe from speeders and drunk drivers. In an anemic take off on “Die Hard,” Paul gets his chance to prove himself when a bunch of skateboarding, bike-riding, X-Games refugees infiltrate the mall with plans to rob the bank, taking a few hostages in the process. This being a Happy Madison Production — Adam Sandler is James’ friend and domestic partner from “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry” — there are, of course, plenty of obligatory adolescent sight gags to go along with the man-child hero fantasies. PG for some violence, mild crude and suggestive humor, and language. 87 min. “Hotel for Dogs” Rated PG ★★ The premise would seem to be foolproof: It’s about a hotel ... for dogs! How cute is that? How much fun would that be? Say no more. Unfortunately, that’s all “Hotel for Dogs” is: a clever concept that quickly runs out of room to roam. Kids might be entertained by the canine antics, and certainly the film’s ideas about the importance of loyalty and family are worthwhile for little ones to ponder. But
even serious dog lovers among adults in the audience — and that includes yours truly — will be severely bored. It’s not that director Thor Freudenthal’s film sits up on its hind legs and shamelessly begs for approval; on the contrary, it performs a few tricks, then rolls over on its back and plays dead. (Sorry, had to go there, the metaphor was irresistible.) Emma Roberts and Jake T. Austin co-star as 16-year-old Andi and her younger brother, Bruce, who’ve been bouncing between various foster homes since their parents died. Now that they live a pair of deluded, wannabe rock stars (an obnoxiously one-note Lisa Kudrow and Kevin Dillon), they’ve been forced to hide their inordinately resourceful and perpetually hungry Jack Russell terrier, Friday. When the scruffy white pooch scampers off, and Andi and Bruce follow him into an abandoned hotel, they find a 160-pound bull mastiff and an energetic Boston terrier who already call the place home. PG for brief mild thematic elements, language and some crude humor. 100 min.
Still playing “Gran Torino” Rated R ★★1⁄2 Considering that Clint Eastwood’s most iconic roles have been serious ones, it’s easy to forget that he can be funny — that he possesses terrific timing with his sly sense of humor. He grumbles and growls his way through his most entertaining performance in years as Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran and lifelong auto worker who’s disgusted with the changes in his blue-collar, suburban Detroit neighborhood. There are unshakable shades of Dirty Harry here, as well as Frankie Dunn, his curmudgeonly character in 2004’s “Million Dollar Baby,” his most recent screen appearance. At 78, he combines both the tough and playful sides of his personality — in front of and behind the camera as star and director — with “Gran Torino,” which begins in broadly entertaining fashion but ultimately reveals that it has weightier matters on its mind. Having just buried his saintly wife, all the retired Walt wants to do is be left alone with his dog, his guns and his beer. A vocal bigot, he certainly doesn’t want to be bothered by the growing Asian population all around him,
character, travels the world and lives a life that’s adventurous and full, but he can never truly be with the woman he loves, Daisy (Cate Blanchett), whom he met when she was just a little girl and he was a boy trapped in an old man’s body. Eric Roth’s script may seem naggingly similar to that of “Forrest Gump” — which he also happened to write — but it seems more concerned with the transformational power of true love than the gimmickry of an unusual existence. PG-13 for brief war violence, sexual content, language and smoking. 167 min.
New this week!
“My Bloody Valentine” Rated R (N/A) A review for “My Bloody Valentine” was not available from The Associated Press. In lieu, please accept this synopsis from www.RottenTomatoes.com: “Ten years ago, a tragedy changed the town of Harmony forever. Tom Hanniger, an inexperienced coal miner, caused an accident in the tunnels that trapped and killed five men and sent the only survivor, Harry Warden, into a permanent coma. But Harry wanted revenge. Exactly one year later, on Valentine’s Day, he woke up ... and brutally murdered 22 people with a pick axe before being killed. Ten years later, Tom returns to Harmony on Valentine’s Day, still haunted by the deaths and especially not the Hmong family living next door. Despite hurling every imaginable epithet at these people — Nick Schenk’s script is unabashed in its political incorrectness — Walt can’t seem to avoid them. Sure, the premise is predictable. You know from the beginning that Walt’s contact with his neighbors will soften him. And maybe the performances are a bit stiff from his young actors, all untrained first-timers. But “Gran Torino” becomes more intriguing as the journey its takes us on evolves and grows darker. R for language throughout, and some violence. 116 min. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” Rated PG-13 ★★★1⁄2 It’s the damnedest thing. You look into the elderly man’s blue eyes behind a pair of old-fashioned spectacles, look
he caused. Struggling to make amends with his past, he grapples with unresolved feelings for his ex-girlfriend, Sarah, who is now married to his best friend, Axel, the town sheriff. But tonight, after years of peace, something from Harmony’s dark past has returned. Wearing a miner’s mask and armed with a pickaxe, an unstoppable killer is on the loose. And as his footsteps come ever closer, Tom, Sarah and Axel realize in terror that it just might be Harry who’s come back to claim them.” Starring Jensen Ackles, Jaime King and Kerr Smith. R for graphic brutal horror violence and grisly images throughout, some strong sexuality, graphic nudity and language. 101 min. at the sweet smile ringed by wrinkles, and you know that’s Brad Pitt under there. But the special effects are so dazzling, and Pitt’s performance is so gracefully convincing, that you can’t help but be repeatedly wowed. Director David Fincher has always proven himself a virtuoso visual stylist — to the point of seeming like a shameless showoff at times — with films like “Fight Club,” “Panic Room” and “Zodiac.” But here, he’s truly outdone himself: He’s made a grand, old-fashioned epic that takes mind-boggling advantage of the most modern moviemaking technology. Fincher’s film, based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story about a man who ages in reverse, is rambling and gorgeous — perhaps a bit overlong and gooey in the midsection — but still, one that leaves you with a lingering wistfulness. Pitt, as the title
“The Unborn” Rated PG-13 ★1⁄2 The Kabbalah. Hot college students. A creepy, abandoned mental institution. Gary Oldman. Jogging. Twins. Nazi scientists. A suicidal mother. A lost blue mitten. What do these things have in common? They’re all pieces in the convoluted mythology of “The Unborn.” Best as one can tell, writer-director David S. Goyer’s film is a sort of Jewish version of “The Exorcist,” which is a vaguely novel concept. Catholics are usually the ones who have all the fun purging demons. But Goyer, who wrote the “Blade” series and co-wrote “The Dark Knight,” makes things laughably more complicated than they needed to be. Well, there are some effective scares here, and you’ll laugh at yourself afterward for jumping like a little girl. But other images and pieces of dialogue are just as hilarious — and that probably wasn’t their intention. (Jane Alexander, as a Holocaust survivor with a secret, delivers a line abut Auschwitz that’s particularly off in tone.) Odette Yustman runs around in tight jeans, tank tops and boy shorts as Casey Beldon, a young woman being haunted by startling dreams, then a weird little neighborhood boy, then hallucinatory images of insects, and finally a full-blown spiritual attack. Only Oldman, who classes things up in his few scenes as a rabbi, can help her fend off the impending possession. Meagan Good gets a couple of amusing zingers as the obligatory wisecracking best friend. PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and terror, disturbing images, thematic material and language including some sexual references. 95 min. — All reviews by The Associated Press
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OST OF Edward Zwick’s (“The Last Samurai”) new film “Defiance” takes place deep in the forests of Nazi-occupied Poland, and even though Zwick was attempting to move me with a story of Jews banding together in the woods to stay alive and avoid the holocaust, I kept looking at my watch and wondering just how bad this clan of refugees must have smelled. I know, I know, I’m a jerk, but it’s easy for one’s thoughts to run rampant when you’re fighting to stay awake. Plus, this will all make more sense when I explain the concept of “forest wives” later. Again, I truthfully feel bad I don’t like “Defiance.” In fact, it might seem sacrilegious to defame a movie surrounding one of the most horrifying chapters in our world’s history, but ever since “Schindler’s List,” filmmakers are hardpressed to tell the tale of Jewish slaughter in such beautiful and grandiose fashion as Spielberg did in 1993. In fact, to be fair, the story Zwick attempts to tell — one of the Bielski brothers’ courage and compassion — is worthy of airtime, but probably better regulated to a short program on the History Channel, not the big screen. We are introduced to the four Bielski brothers shortly after “Defiance” opens. Their village has just been attacked by the Germans and they discover their parents, along with many other Jews, have been killed. Zus (Liev Schreiber), Asael (Jamie Bell) and Aron (George MacKay) flee into the forest and soon meet up with their oldest brother, Tuvia (Daniel Craig). It’s hard to be certain, because it’s never quite spelled out, but it seems the oldest brothers have not only lost their
Screening Room
★★ “Defiance” Rated R
By Andy Morgan
parents to the Germans, but also their spouses and possibly even their children. As the foursome treks deeper into the thick Polish forest, they encounter other survivors from various walks of life, all of them, like the Bielskis, struggling to find food and hope. Some are fighters, some are scholars, and along with the women and children, Tuvia simply cannot turn them away. Zus, the practical one of the family, worries about how they will provide food, protection and shelter for the survivors, more of which come from the ghettos each day. This serves as a source of friction between him and Tuvia and eventually leads to Zus leaving to join the Soviets. Eventually the “Bielski Partisans” construct a forest city that would make the Ewoks in Star Wars jealous. The community is organized so that every person assists in keeping the forest city humming with food, protection, shelter, farming and medical care. The men even begin to
take “forest wives,” but the couples are forbidden to have children, as babies would cause evacuation and food problems. I don’t know about you, but my time in the forest would have been celibate and solitary. Hairy legs and armpit stench are not things I’m looking for in a forest wife. I should note, so there is no confusion, this is not a madeup tale. “Defiance” is based on the Nechama Tec’s non-fiction tome of the same name. Tec’s novel chronicles the Bielski Partisans, and it seems, with a few exceptions about how much fighting the Bielskis actually did against the Nazis, the movie is accurate in its story of this troupe and their Exodus-like wanderings in the woods. As I noted before, I didn’t
like “Defiance.” I thought it was thin, tedious and uninspiring. Probably the only positive note is the acting Live Schreiber brings to the movie, and even that could be questionable given the film’s melodramatic ending.
Daniel Craig looks like he’s running away from the mantle of James Bond (only to find he’s lost his sharpness as a thespian) and Jamie Bell looks like he’s trying too hard to live up to the expectations placed on him back in the “Billy Elliot” days. All in all, you’re better served waiting for this to hit the Redbox. Instead, I’d recommend you watch “Schindler’s List” or perhaps partake of one of Daniel Craig’s (“Road to Perdition” or “Layer Cake”), Live Schreiber’s (“RKO 281” or “Spring Forward”) and Jamie Bell’s (“The Chumscrubber”) more entertaining and nourishing films. Andy Morgan is a lifelong Cache Valley resident and a member of the Utah Film Critics Association. Send comments or questions to andrewamorgan@gmail.com.
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‘Defiance’ a muted telling of a great story
M. K. Guth, “There’s No Place Like…#2,” 2004, lenticular image, collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer
t first glance, one is struck by the simplicity of Agnes Martin’s offset lithograph. The dull yellow and blue blocks of rectangles atop one another in neat rows have a way of prodding the imagination, despite their minimalist construction. The Canadian-American’s “Untitled” print is one of 56 — all produced by women since the early 1970s — currently on display at Utah State University’s Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, and the piece is perhaps one of the more complicated to interpret. Martin’s print is a quintessential example of abstraction — one of several themes apparent in the exhibition. “A lot of minimalist work is ... about the edge — when does an object become an art object, and when is it just something very simple?” said Deb Banerjee, the museum’s curator of exhibitions and programs. “There’s also a very Zen-like quality — it’s very calming and meditative; you just appreciate its color and its shape, and it’s
not interfering or imposing any sort of narrative onto you.” “Women’s Work: Contemporary Women Printmakers from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation,” which runs through March 1, contains an abundance of themes. In “Bed #2,” Louise Bourgeois explores issues of relationship and sexual activity, while incorporating some abstraction. What appears to be a blanket covering a couple in bed possibly takes on a different meaning as it passes their heads. “It’s interesting,” Banerjee said. “Maybe that’s like a river of water ... or maybe it’s dreams — things coming out of their head. Maybe it’s part of the blanket. There are many different things I think you could get from this piece, but I definitely think one concrete thing is that it’s about relationships and how men and women, or couples, interact. At least that is kind of a starting point for the viewer.”
There is also at least one print on display that may be interpreted as feminist: Barbara Kruger’s “We Will No Longer Be Seen and Not Heard.” Each component of the nine-part photolitho series contains an image with a single word superimposed — the images often depicting the senses to correspond with the words “seen” and “heard,” for example. “She’s talking about power and how power is enabled,” Banerjee said. “That’s one of the issues that the feminist movement really discussed.” While an exhibition featuring women artists may be more common in the broader world, for Cache Valley, “it’s not so unique,” said Banerjee. She said several students and faculty members who have seen the show are impressed by the “national stature of these artists.” “These are important artists that they normally wouldn’t see here,” she said. “They’re impressed with the quality of the work. They feel like it’s really interesting and well-executed artwork.”
Clockwise from top left: 1) H roulette; 3) Kiki Smith, “Ho of Jordan D. Schnitzer; 5) B etching, lithograph, collection sugar lift with aquatint, spit b licensed by VAGA; 10) Wan
Photo by Alan Murray
Aurora Hughes Villa talks with a group of students viewing the “Women’s Work” exhibit Wednesday.
Helen Frankenthaler, “Madame Butterfly,” 2000, woodcut, collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer; 2) Louise Bourgeois, “Bed #2,” 1997, aquatint, drypoint, engraving, etching and ome,” 2006, color spit bite with flat bite, hard ground and soft ground etching, drypoint, collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer; 4) Ellen Gallagher, “Untitled,” 1997, lithograph, collection Barbara Kruger, “We Will No Longer Be Seen and Not Heard,” 1985, lithograph, collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer; 6) Julia Jacquette, “To Kiss Your Lips Suite: Kiss,” 1999, n of Jordan D. Schnitzer; 7) Hung Liu, “Unofficial Portraits: The Bride,” 2001, lithograph with collage, collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer; 8) Julie Mehretu, “Defraction,” 2005, color bite aquatint, hard ground etching, courtesy Crown Point Press; 9) Squeak Carnwath, “Random Events,” 2002, aquatint, sugar lift, etching with hard ground, scrape and sanding, ngechi Mutu, “Histology of the Different Classes of Uterine Tumors,” 2006, digital print with mixed media and collage, courtesy the Artist and Sikkema Jenkins and Company
Page 10 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, January 16, 2009
The Cache Magazine Bulletin Board aldo” “Good Old W rooke lb u o C r ta S r y b of 11 short-hai e only survivor
th for today. He was st in time, he lived with us od old Waldo r ju fo go ed ’s to cu e he , es by R en od e. av our last go doggie he eeks of ag id w a s 6 sa I e’ ing at d er be th ed an of iz If h . Mitc euthan enough nature ies sent to be toy. He’d had etually happy black lab pupp until age clouded his perp ho’ll throw him a stick or a w s, Frisbee-toss. ick nearly 16 year ere right now with anyone of missing out on a good e threw the st , th many times w vorite chaseow w ng sn ho e r th te at in m er ’t fa sure cavorti ov hold him. His ed, of falling ver quit. It didn e crippled and tir to playing, Waldo could ne gs were shaking too hard to swim out for small and larg e d le m e’ s at H ca hi . til er em at th un w us op e When it dr th to d in Dear Mom and Dad ... ck an ’d bring it back or a Frisbee, was a stick bring them ba or the ball, he atter how far, m a ball m fro no e , id at as m flo hi e, ld r that wou ater off. and-retriev w sticks fo Give me a house to live in we could toss to shake the w me. We’d thro sticks, anything ted for another throw even ith my sister LeeAnn and our feet, pouncing in jerky, But more importantly w ci , at ex ng it es ki o ak ve any br our feet, to and dropping . He loved hi ha e ’t og Instill in me a sense of belonging on -d dn le di ng e op di H pe . fin choice n he ver stop Waldo was a until we had no a steep shale sidehill whe ek. e he could ne k, us ic ca st be e th ay , w y Cre along the the stick, us . He fell off Give me supervision king up Cherr looking at us, yously oblivious to danger d I took him hi the creek and came an n excited hops, jo ia d, ur But more importantly ea La ah er n n ht w ru ug do ld d da ou ke e w hi ag either. He til Laurian n my teen un he Show me by your leadership what is expected of me w . on d, ty ld ol fe s he sa th d on e slide to issy s claws an was only 6 m ddie was a pr m up the scre g rock with hi A hi . in y ie id rr sl dd ca A e d th ed e an d m we na er and sh He grippe in her arms Give me “things and stuff” golden lab mix was an innocent pushov it out of to gather him m a puppy, a do hi al ng back around t bi W go ab e But more importantly ew gr w kn 3 en he th as S w . e, by d ac do pl al ba an r W a When from its fa hirl around k e she was w ic d Help me to develop a sense of appreciation for what I have tim st e’ e e sh th th h m en tc th fro fe e stick, whirl, grown-up dog ercifully, waiting for him to most got to th again. She’d al k ic he st til m e un th un r op m fo snatched She’d st then try teased hi Give me financial support ll held out then running with it. down barking, his mouth and Waldo would jump up and d Charlie Brown, the footba er, no matter what. But more importantly it. ev an g ith cy w do do Lu run away e happiest it was like spring. Wal th — rly Teach me through responsibilities to earn as I learn as n ea w ai in e ag H ar . try ye ess Waldo head canal one he’d bark and e him pull his ut it didn’t depr aldo and Addie along the B se to e. tim ed y rn t er tu lo ze a ud and with W away ev Give me faith in myself anaged to snee y to d a muffled th were walking ad ith mud. He m when we hear LeeAnn and I re w us d as w ge nd hi ug But more importantly he pl be rs y g el ge on et fin al pl y g m m in ie co en ith dd was care sed, like A his mouth w his nose was as of Develop within me confidence to practice it rr — ck ba nk ba ba em e l al dy th asn’t at out of the mud r I cleared a mud-clog from ce-plant. He w e that in the first place. fa a ne te af do d t ’d an re that he of it out how to tro blunder lik n plank, and n. He didn’t ca have made a a constructio and up go find more fu . Well, no, Addie wouldn’t up er k riv al w e th to dn’t pay en , how ater across w l na y that he coul ith Addie’s coaching. ca would have be Waldo how to climb stairs ck d -lu ie rr go ca yat pp th ha ht on od so d siph etty go w always to ask, Addie taug smooth rounde ster ’s farmland. He was he got to be pr er to look up at me as if e t th bu of f, p of ll to fa e si ov ld y g m ou in w to m along th d ll co hi an s e n th he keep attentio him tonight. S e day, July 1, Addie misses ?” never forget th ing his dad l I’l d. do ha al er W ev ’s gI as help “Where the first best do h, where he w d over It’s hard to lose to Providence to see Mitc tle silky black puppy trotte one e lit to ov at dr ad th I d he n an he tle 1993, w ed his lit w house, der, and cock iling in his ne ra un n. r ai Th ai e ag st lu n a B w , ild do ck bu m d of Mitch’s tru r want to set hi y lap. He provided to me in the be n to pick him up and neve rm fo g bi o to tio ew e Logan Frister he gr side, an invita a champ at th throw a p dog, even af as la w y e m H . as et w m Waldo sser-by to eryone he y visitor or pa inment for ev er rta ev te ed en m — he was gg of be ts lo r dogs liked hi r years. He he fo ot ts e en en th ll m GET YOUR STUFF A na idating that ev bee tour en a rock). as so non-intim yon trail wouldn’t for him (or ev w k ic e H st a k. or oc ll bl ba an the PUBLISHED! e Smithfield C pable dog on the most hum whose butt he sniffed on th a e or k he w The Cache Magazine Bulletin Board the small skun gie, because Necklace-Dog hter Chelsea found is a place for our local community m hi d lle ca spray him. ds ug ighbor ki Mitch’s da old. s to share, well ... anything! From th on m w fe Some of our ne his neck for decoration. ly a ound ld Waldo was on short stories to poems to recipes to choke-chain ar ard of Blue Thunder when let her take it off. Mitch wou ing photos to unique tips when it comes bo fused to ach, mak it on the dash neck and he re and dangling it out of his re ad toward s hi to rearranging your closet, Cache nd ou ar it She put his head ing his he Magazine wants your stuff! Send it so ipping it over ne with anticipation, thrust sl st lo by he m hi d, e ol hi teas t very all to jbaer@hjnews.com, or mail it to d down and w . When he go he walked him jump up an itch would slide it back on ed him when pp tri Cache Magazine, 75 W. 300 North, ly ar n ne M ai d til ch an un ur n n yo w ai do ke ch the time to ta Logan, UT 84321. We’ll be waiting! s chain hung it’ s , hi do at ed al th ok t “W lo , gh day I said much wei et. He just ne ck O po . y us m ith to w e in rk com and around the pa it off his neck the changes to oy.” I slipped derstanding of un an be off, sweetie-b to what seemed so I could be up at me with istmas break hr me. C ho er on ov he had a bad d nd ke al and we w e stuck arou ksgiving when H an g. Th do e to take d nc ol si r e were going He was a good He’d been getting weake m arthritis. W m on the floor today, fro in y. pa da y of t er lo h found hi with him ev to have a was seeming aluation Thursday, but Mitc carried him to the car and h stroke, and he ev itc M an . r re fo we’re su g-doctor ld him on our him to the do . He’d had another stroke, to the pet hospital and he It was time. in up ntly to sleep. ge go unable to get from work. We carried him m hi ed e and help came to get m him until the doctor came d tte pe d an dog. laps do. Good old Good old Wal
“A Teenager’s Prayer” by Doug Blaser
B
his case histories describing the infinitely bizarre world of brain disorders.
Library Picks A monthly look at what’s flying off the shelves of the Logan Library
New titles: Five years of National Book Award winners in fiction
“Shadow Country” by Peter Matthiessen Inspired by a near-mythic event of the wild Florida frontier at the turn of the 20th century, “Shadow Country” re-imagines the legend of the inspired Everglades sugar planter and notorious outlaw, E. J. Watson, who drives himself relentlessly toward his own violent end at the hands of neighbors who mostly admired him, in a killing that obsessed his favorite son. “Tree of Smoke” by Denis Johnson This is the story of William “Skip” Sands, CIA — engaged in Psychological Operations against the Vietcong — and the disasters that befall him. This is also the story of the Houston brothers, Bill and James, young men who drift out of the Arizona desert and into a war where the line between disinformation and delusion has blurred away. In its vision of human folly, this is a story like nothing in our literature. “The Echo Maker” by Richard Powers On a winter night on a remote Nebraska road, 27-year-old Mark Schluter flips his truck in a near-fatal accident. His older sister, Karin, his only near kin, returns reluctantly to their hometown to nurse Mark back from a traumatic head injury. But when he emerges from a protracted coma, Mark believes that this woman — who looks, acts and sounds just like his sister — is really an impostor. Shattered by her brother’s refusal to recognize her, Karin contacts the cognitive neurologist Gerald Weber, famous for
“The News from Paraguay” by Lily Tuck A historical epic that tells an unusual love story, “The News from Paraguay” offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of 19th-century Paraguay, a largely untouched wilderness where Europeans and North Americans intermingle with both the old Spanish aristocracy and native Guaran’ Indians. “Europe Central” by William T. Vollmann In his new work of fiction, Vollmann turns his eye to the warring authoritarian cultures of Germany and the USSR in the 20th century. The result is a perspective on human actions during wartime as Vollmann compares and contrasts the moral decisions made by various figures from this period — some famous, some infamous, some unknown. Also explored in this book are the fates of artists and poets ranging from Kathe Kollwitz and Anna Akhmatova to Marina Tsvetaeva and Van Cliburn. A series of stories examine the complex and elusive Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich and the constant Stalinist assaults upon his work and life. Librarian’s Pick: “The Vatican” by Michael Collins Written by a Vatican insider and accomplished church historian, this book is a unique behind-the-scenes look at the world’s smallest nation and the spiritual center of the Catholic Church. Produced with the full cooperation of the Vatican, this is a beautifully illustrated insiders guide into the 2,000-yearlong history of the Vatican and papal influence, daily life and governance of the world’s largest religious body, and the art collections and other priceless treasures rarely seen by the public. In addition to a unique photographic tour, the book includes personal interviews with various Vatican employees and insiders who make their home there, from a Swiss Guard to a singer in the Sistine Chapel choir. This book is an unparalleled look into life inside the Holy City.”
Page 11 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, January 16, 2009
Books
Page 12 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, January 16, 2009
Books
Diving into ‘Memories of Jewish Life’
M
EETING STEVE Siporin for the first time, one might judge that this gentle, soft-spoken man is humble — in the best sense of the word — and more contact with him only confirms that first impression. Siporin is a professor at Utah State University in both the English and history departments whose specialty is folklore. It is my good fortune to know him as a teacher, mentor, colleague and friend. He has recently published, through University of Nebraska Press, his translation from Italian into English Augusto Segre’s wonderful memoir, “Memories of Jewish Life: From Italy to Jerusalem, 1918-1960.” Besides being Jewish himself, I was interested to know what originally drew him to this project. Steve Siporin: I began reading the book one day in the library at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. I was ecstatic to find someone writing about Italian Jewish folk culture, which had been the topic of my dissertation, but which had very few written sources. Here was someone who had lived it first-hand and was writing about it — and beautifully. He writes as a memoirist rather than an ethnographer, but very capably. So it was amazing to find the book and then realize that he was living right there, in Jerusalem, where I had come on a research trip. Writer’s Talk: What significance does this book have for Jews today? SS: I think it is significant for Jews because there is very little about the culture of Italian Jews available in English, and what is available is not about working class, folk culture but about the very assimilated upper classes of Jewish society in Italy. This (working class) world was a beautiful and rich cultural world that melded Italian and Jewish culture, and the world is a poorer place for having basically lost it. The book is a monument to a vanished world. WT: And for gentiles?
I joke that it took me longer to translate the book than it took Segre to write it. But it’s true.
Writer’s Talk
WT: Wow, that’s a long time. Is there research you had to do? I’m thinking especially about the footnotes — are those yours or the original author’s? SS: Most of the notes are mine, but some are his (they are differentiated). Yes, I had to do research. I interviewed the author when I first met him in Jerusalem. I visited his hometown (Casale Monferrato) twice and was able to locate some materials there. I visited research libraries in the U.S. to find background material, and I talked with a few people who knew Segre.
By Charlene Hirschi
SS: The stories and characters in the book are its greatest strength and make a good read for anyone, independent of religion or ideology. In the end it’s a human story. In essence it’s a story about a small world (Segre uses the Italian term “piccolo mondo”) with close face-to-face relationships between people in that world, and that world gets destroyed in the course of the author’s lifetime by the forces of the modern world. It’s a chapter in the book of vanished worlds, and there are many such stories in the modern world. The post-ghetto world of Casale, Italy, as well as the world of Italian Jewry, was kind of a folk society, and like so many folk societies, war and the huge forces of modernity pretty much destroyed it. So the story Segre tells is a version of a story that affects almost everyone and many peoples can see their own story in it. Yet in the end there’s a kind of triumph in spite of great loss in the foundation of Israel and the legacy of children. So, I would say that this is a very specific story but a universal one at the same time. WT: I agree. As I read the book, I found so many places I could relate to my own life and to other cultures I have studied. Assimilation is a big theme in this book, and one can’t help but feel a sense of loss for Segre’s father, the rabbi. Today
Steve Siporin and his wife, Ona in our celebration of diversity, it often seems to me what is really happening is that people of different ethnic and cultural groups sacrifice important parts of themselves to be like those around them. One particular passage from the book comes to mind: “Even in my time, when I was a boy, sporadic incidents that were very unpleasant for us would happen, and you would run into some religious or secular ‘sonè judì’ (anti-Semite) who, even publicly, would make fun of Jews. Many of us were always ready to overlook these trifling matters, to minimize them, maintaining that it was not wise (to argue with the Christians) and that instead it was much more important and practical — for the good of everyone — to keep quiet, to act as if nothing had happened, and to avoid useless and ‘stupid’ responses, because they were always damaging for us. In short, we were taught that one must do everything possible not only not ‘to call attention to oneself’ but to demonstrate again and again — through work, through charity, and through participation in the political life of the country, if possible — that the liberty
granted us was amply justified by much Italic, patriotic fervor.” This is one of the universal themes that you mention. Tell me a little about the translation itself. What all is involved in a translation, and how long did it take you to do this project? SS: I can’t speak with authority because I’m not a professional translator per se. I just did this because something compelled me and it didn’t let up. I already knew Italian, but the dictionary just about got worn out from my using it. I think this kind of translation involves skill in writing in English, because ultimately it has to read like it’s NOT a translation. So it seems to me like translation is a creative writing process, too. It is important to be sensitive to different tones and voices in the original language, which comes only with practice and familiarity. Finally, translating, at least for me, is like writing — which means re-writing (i.e., re-translating) is the main effort. I began in 1985, when I discovered the book and met the author. Most of the intervening years I didn’t have time to work on it — only in stolen moments.
WT: One last question, and then we’ll call it quits for this week and continue in next week’s column. Does “Jew” refer to a race, a religion or both? SS: Both, but I would substitute “ethnicity” for “race.” You also need to understand that there are very distinctive Jewish groups, generally Ashkenazic–Jews from Germany and Eastern Europe–Sephardic — those descended from Jews exiled from Spain/Portugal in 1492 and 1497 and ending up in North Africa, Turkey, the Balkans and Israel–Italian, Yemenite, Ethiopian, Indian, etc. Each group has many distinctive traditions. This concludes this week’s interview with Dr. Siporin. Don’t miss next week’s column when there will be more about the book, Siporin’s meeting with Segre and my take on the book. Book critic Charlene Hirschi holds her master’s in English from Utah State University. She is among a number of freelance writers whose columns appear in The Herald Journal as part of an effort to expose readers to a variety of community voices. She is not an employee of the newspaper. Authors, readers and editors can e-mail charlene hirschi@yahoo.com about books they would like reviewed, or visit www.charlenehirschi.com.
From Sunday’s New York Times
* This week’s New York Times Bestseller List * HARDCOVER FICTION 1. “Black Ops” by W.E.B. Griffin 2. “Scarpetta” by Patricia Cornwell 3. “The Host” by Stephenie Meyer 4. “Cross Country” by James Patterson 5. “Fire and Ice” by Julie Garwood
PAPERBACK (MASS) FICTION 1. “Murder Game” by Christine Feehan 2. “The Appeal” by John Grisham 3. “The Pagan Stone” by Nora Roberts 4. “Glitter Baby” by Susan Phillips 5. “Married in Seattle” by D. Macomber
PAPERBACK (TRADE) FICTION 1. “The Shack” by William P. Young 2. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini 3. “Revolutionary Road” by Richard Yates 4. “The Reader” by Bernhard Schlink 5. “Change of Heart” by Jodi Picoult
PAPERBACK ADVICE 1. “Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan” by Suze Orman 2. “Twilight” by Mark Cotta Vaz 3. “The Love Dare” by Stephen Kendrick 4. “Skinny Bitch” by Rory Freedman 5. “What to Expect ...” by Heidi Murkoff
Keep your reading list updated at www.nytimes.com/pages/books/
Answers from last week
Page 13 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, January 16, 2009
Crossword
Page 14 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, January 16, 2009
Calendar Ongoing events
Saturday
The Alliance for the Varied Arts is look-
The Department of Theatre Arts at USU will host public auditions for “The Madwoman of Chaillot,” directed by Lee Daily, from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in the Morgan Theatre in the Chase Fine Arts Center. Roles are available for those 18 years and older, specifically male character actors 40 and older. Call 797-3046 for more information and to schedule an audition time.
ing for volunteers to help out with gallery openings, artistic events like the Plein Air show at Summerfest, Art on the Lawn, the dance party in October, gallery walks and more. Hours are variable depending on the event but are usually in the evening unless it is an all-day event. For more information, contact Jenny or Scott at 753-2970 or e-mail ava_gallery@yahoo.com.
Join Common Ground Outdoor Adventures for adaptive skiing this winter! Common Ground will provide all necessary adaptive ski equipment and instruction. Instructors are trained professionally in adaptive downhill instruction. Participants with blindness/low vision, physical disabilities and cognitive disabilities are welcome. For more information about ski dates and rates, call 713-0288 or e-mail programs@cgadventures. org. Volunteers for other fun activities are also needed; e-mail volunteer@cgadven tures.org. The Alliance for the Varied Arts is offering classes this winter/spring in Irish dance, ceramics, visual arts, bead weaving, figure drawing, photography, drama, modern dance and more. This session of classes has started but enrollment is still open. For more information, visit www.avaarts.org or call 753-2970. Free self empowerment/stress relief classes are being offered by the Cosmic Nudge from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Monday, from 2 to 3 p.m. every Wednesday and from 1 to 3 p.m. every Saturday at the Whittier Center, 290 N. 400 East, Logan. For more information, call 563-1188 or 363-7173.
Friday Alex Tarbet will play live music from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at Caffe Ibis, 52 Federal Ave., Logan. For more information, e-mail hollydia lala@hotmail.com or call 752-4777. The Unicorn Children’s Theatre will host auditions for the February Pillow Show “Snoozy Snowflake” at 5 p.m. Friday in the Bullen Center Unicorn Room, 43 S. Main, Logan. Casting four girls and one boy ages 7 to 18. For more information, call 232-3496. Leaping Lulu will perform as part of the Brigham City Fine Arts Center’s “Music in the City” series at 7:30 p.m. Friday. This is the fourth in a series of concerts held on the third Friday of the month (October through March). Tickets are $7 per person at the door and include $1 off dessert at Beehive Pizza. For more information or advance reservations, call 435-723-0740 or visit www. bcfineartscenter.org. The Hotness will perform with The Up Collars and Chucks (new wave/indie rock/ punk) at 8 p.m. Friday at Why Sound, 30 Federal Ave., Logan. Cover charge is $5. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/ whysound or e-mail info@whysound.com. All are invited to participate in a Peace Vigil every Friday between 5 and 6 p.m. on the east side of Main Street between Center Street and 100 North in Logan. This non-violent, public event has been ongoing every Friday since September 2005 and is sponsored by Cache Valley Peace Works, Logan Friends Meeting (Quakers), Cache Valley Unitarian Universalists and Mormons for Equality and Social Justice, Cache Valley Chapter. For more information, e-mail info@ loganpeace.org or call 755-5137.
Local educators and residents are invited to an organizational meeting for Cache StarHouse, a portable planetarium for Cache Valley, at 4 p.m. Saturday in the Logan Library meeting room, 255 N. Main. For information, visit cachestarhouse.org or contact Laura Swift at info@cachestarhouse.org or 801-971-0587. The World of Puppetry Museum will be open from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Brigham City Fine Arts Center, 58 S. 100 West. Free activities include puppet history tours and demonstrations, puppet making and puppet play, a “Punch & Judy” show at 3 p.m. and puppet storytime at 4 p.m. The Bridger Folk Music Society will present a concert with Colorado-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kort McCumber at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Crumb Brothers Bakery, 291 S. 300 West, Logan. Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door or by calling 757-3468. Seating is limited, so advance purchase is recommended. For more information, visit www.bridgerfolk. org or www.kortmccumber.com. Why Sound will present Battle of the Bands: Part One at 6 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $5. Housing and Financial Counseling Services at the Utah State University Family Life Center will present a first-time homebuyer workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the USU Charter Credit Union, 198 N. Main, Logan. The workshop is free to the public and satisfies education requirements for various first-time homebuyer assistance programs. Pre-registration is recommended; call 797-7224. A free workshop on stress management and goal setting will be offered by the Cosmic Nudge from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Whittier Center, 290 N. 400 East, Logan. Free six-week courses on energy dynamics will take place every Saturday. For more information, call 563-1188 or 363-7173. The Cache Humane Society has pets available for adoption every first and third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at PetSmart, 1050 N. Main, Logan. Adoption fees are $50 per cat and $90 per dog, and include all vaccinations and spay/neuter.
Sunday Ryan and Brad will play live music from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at Caffe Ibis. For more information, call 752-4777. The Post-Mormon Community’s Cache Valley chapter meets for dinner and socializing every Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Newcomers welcome. For more information, visit www. PostMormon.org/logan or call 770-4263.
Monday Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities for children in grades kindergarten through fifth will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday
at The Multicultural Center inside the Whittier Community Center, 400 E. 300 North, Logan. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. Stories and activities will celebrate diversity and education. Event is free. For more information, contact Heather at 881-4742.
older, $4 for ages 4 to 10 and free for 3 and younger. Tickets will be available at the door.
On Monday, 20 percent of dinner proceeds at Cafe Sabor will go to The Multicultural Center of Cache Valley, a nonprofit organization that promotes the integration of minorities into the community without the loss of the rich cultural heritage of the many nations from which they originate. Sales of chips and salsa will also go to the center and donations may be made at the restaurant that night.
Next weekend
Tuesday CAPSA needs you — volunteer training starts Tuesday. For information, contact Ruth at 753-2500.
Wednesday Stokes Nature Center and a representative from the Forest Service’s Utah Avalanche Center will host an Avalanche Awareness Program from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. Spend an evening learning about traveling safely in avalanche country, avalanche awareness and what to do if you are involved in an avalanche. This program is for adults and children older than 8. Cost is $3 for SNC members ($4 for non-members). To register, call 755-3239 or visit www.logannature.org. The January meeting of the Blue Thong Society will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Glennette Phillips’ house, 81 E. 450 North, Hyde Park. The Blue Thong Society is a nationally based group of women of all ages who want to have fun and make a difference. For more information, contact Glennette at 563-6167. The American West Heritage Center hosts a children’s storytime every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.awhc.org. The Society for Creative Anachronism hosts an evening of courtly dancing of the Middle Ages every third Wednesday of the month from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Whittier Community Center, 290 N. 400 East, Logan. Beginners and families of all ages are welcome; all dances will be taught and pot-luck soup will be served. There is no cost. For more information, contact Karen at 755-0173.
Thursday The Religious Studies Program at Utah State University will feature guest speaker Steven B. Shively at 3 p.m. Thursday in Fine Arts Visual Room 150. Admission is free and everyone is invited. Shively will present a look at the art and poetry in James Weldon Johnson’s “The Creation,” one of seven verse sermons written by the famous scholar. For information, call 797-1300.
An “Organic Harvest Benefit Concert” (acoustic) will take place at 8 p.m. Thursday at Why Sound. Cover charge is $5.
Rob Watson will play live music from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at Caffe Ibis. For more information, call 752-4777. The Beginning at Last will perform with Flatline Tragedy and Split Lid (hip hop/metal) at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at Why Sound. Cover charge is $5. The Friends of the North Logan Library’s annual meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, in the meeting room at the library. Come enjoy an evening with Cache Valley resident Matthew Buckley, author of “Chickens in the Headlights,” and hear all about growing up in a family of 11 and find out about his new book. Friends of the library and the general public are invited. A “Face Records Showcase” will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at Why Sound. Cover charge is $5. Todd Milovich will play live music from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, at Caffe Ibis.
Upcoming events Divide the Day will perform with Starting in the Dark and American Attic (indie rock) at 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, at Why Sound. Cover charge is $5. The League of Utah Writers will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, in the Logan Library Archive Room. Participants should bring five pages to share and be prepared to critique others’ work. For more information, contact Louisa at 232-4301. The Heritage Theatre will host auditions for the original 1940s version of “The Women” from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, and from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at the theater, 2505 S. Highway 89, Perry. Cast requirements: 23 women ages 16 to 65 and one girl age 8 to 10. For more information, call 435-225-6629 or 801-920-0130 or visit www.heritagetheatreutah.com. Michael Ramsdell, author of “A Train to Potevka,” will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, in the North Logan City Library meeting room. For more information, call the library at 755-7169. Assisted Living Homes is under new ownership and will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon on Friday, Jan. 30. The public is welcome to attend and meet the residents and staff. Refreshments will be served.
OPTIONS for Independence will host an evening of bingo and pizza at 6 p.m. Thursday at 1095 N. Main, Logan. A $2 food donation is requested and transportation is available for $2. For more information or to sign up, contact Mandie at 753-5353 ext. 108.
Auditions for “Damn Yankees” will take place from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 31, at Terrace Plaza Playhouse, 99 E. 4700 South, Ogden. All roles are open. Prepare an upbeat Broadway musical song. No accompanist will be available so bring your own or a minus track. No roles for ages 15 and younger. Call-backs will be from 2 to 4 p.m. the same day. For an audition form or more information, visit www.terraceplayhouse.com.
The Smithfield Lions Club will host its annual spaghetti dinner from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Lions Lodge, 380 E. 80 North, Smithfield. All proceeds go toward the prevention of blindness. Cost is $6 for 11 and
Beginning Sunday, Feb. 1, the Cache Valley Christian Center will meet at Cinefour Theaters in North Logan. Services will be in both English and Spanish at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call 753-5312.
Page 15 - The Herald Journal - Cache Magazine - Friday, January 16, 2009