AltWeeklies Wire
We Crash the Rainbow Gatheringnew
In a desperate attempt to see eye-to-eye with this Rainbow family, I had even broken an eight-year hallucinogen-free run and eaten a mixture of honey and psychedelic mushrooms. But there I was, in the midst of a mellow trip, further from understanding them than I had been when I arrived.
Weekly Alibi |
Maren Tarro |
07-20-2009 |
Culture
Kwei Quartey Takes Readers Back to His Native Ghana in 'Wife of the Gods'new
Quartey has long harbored a passion for writing fiction, and his debut novel is a mystery set in the land of his birth. The book is laced with vivid depictions of its exotic locale, as well as twists and quirks rooted firmly in the traditions of that African nation.
Pasadena Weekly |
Carl Kozlowski |
07-20-2009 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
Ani DiFranco Talks Music and Motherhoodnew
DiFranco says the greatest inspiration in her current life as a world-famous rock star and activist is being the mother of 2-year-old Petah Lucia DiFranco Napolitano, her first child.
Boulder Weekly |
Irene Joyce |
07-20-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Ani DiFranco, Parenthood
Shawna Forde is Lethally Blondenew
How a former teen prostitute and beautician became an influential anti-immigrant crusader -- and alleged murderer.
Seattle Weekly |
Rick Anderson |
07-20-2009 |
Crime & Justice
'(500) Days of Summer': We Heart Zooey Deschanelnew
Can there be a thing as too much cute? This is the dilemma for Summer (also the name of Zooey Deschanel's scary-adorable character), which plunges us with twee abandon into a relationship gone bad.
Seattle Weekly |
Brian Miller |
07-20-2009 |
Reviews
Some Mentally Ill People Say No to Pharmaceutical Solutionsnew
The MadPride movement is a revolt against the numbing of peculiar personalities with powerful chemicals. Those who take this path -- sometimes with the help of medical professionals, sometimes in defiance of them -- say they would rather embrace their madness then try to stifle it.
The Stark Folk of Tiny Vipers is Not for Everyonenew
Jesy Fortino writes dark, contemplative songs that require serious focus from a listener. Actually, these songs (which she records under the moniker Tiny Vipers) don't require focus so much as they slowly entangle the listener like tentacles, pulling you in tight 'til you're left with no choice but to pay close attention.
Seattle Weekly |
Brian J. Barr |
07-20-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
'The Rough Guide' is a Simple Roadmap to Nirvananew
Veteran Seattle music scribe Gillian G. Gaar smartly resists sensationalism in a new book about the iconic local band.
Seattle Weekly |
Jonathan Cunningham |
07-20-2009 |
Nonfiction
'Tales Designed to Thrizzle' Turns Boob-Tube Tropes Into Artnew
Tales Designed to Thrizzle is a monument not only to silliness, but to craft -- which is perhaps the way in which it most clearly departs from its TV inspirations. With few exceptions such as Terry Gilliam's Flying Circus animations, TV doesn't pay attention to visual aesthetics the way Kupperman does here.
Chicago Reader |
Noah Berlatsky |
07-20-2009 |
Nonfiction
An Odd Way to Honor Daniel Burnhamnew
The man behind the Plan of Chicago was a doer, a pragmatist, a builder of consensus. The folks behind the architectural component of his centennial tribute must've been thinking of someone else.
Chicago Reader |
Lynn Becker |
07-20-2009 |
History
Francis Ford Coppola Talks About His Return to Smaller, More Personal Filmmakingnew
After a decade spent trying to mount a pair of costly passion projects, Coppola abruptly shifted gears and embarked on what he calls his "second career," which began with 2007's Youth Without Youth and continues with Tetro, the story of estranged brothers nursing the emotional wounds of their upbringing by a domineering orchestra conductor father.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Sam Adams |
07-20-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Tetro, Francis Ford Coppola
The Eight-Track Lives On In Texas!new
Turns out, Kathy and Dan Gibson of KTS Productions may be the last of the eight-track-tape makers -- most other local CD and cassette replicators believe the concept near unfathomable, given its demise 'round 1988
Dallas Observer |
Robert Wilonsky |
07-20-2009 |
Music
Carsie Blanton Gets Her Groove and Goes Motownnew
Carsie Blanton has higher hopes for her new disc, Buoy. She works a lot of words into her songs, but she wants you to savor every one.
Philadelphia City Paper |
M.J. Fine |
07-20-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
Tags: Buoy, Carsie Blanton
An Eye for a McFlurry: One Terrible Reason to Lose a Body Partnew
Brandon Henderson lost his left eyeball over a McFlurry. On the evening of Feb. 15, authorities say, Khalif Lewis, an 18-year-old cashier at a West Philadelphia McDonald's, attacked the 35-year-old Henderson as he attempted to leave the restaurant after an argument over whether he could substitute a dessert item for french fries.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Mike Newall |
07-20-2009 |
Crime & Justice
Health Care on Life Support: New Mexicans Tell Us What Reform Looks Likenew
Froozan Parwana is one of more than 400,000 New Mexicans without health insurance. Her trip to the emergency room last summer, which cost more than $300, was a harsh introduction to what awaits patients without medical coverage. The hospital bill forced Parwana to take fewer college classes.
Weekly Alibi |
Simon McCormack |
07-20-2009 |
Science
