Bookmaking arts Mind your Ps and Qs
Letterpress, the obsolete workhorse of publishing, has returned as a pure art form Student projects from a recent bookmaking and letterpress class at the Southwest School of Art & Craft. The writer’s book, in the lower righthand corner, is a maze book with a poem that tells the story of a conversation between a Q-tip…
Review CD Spotlight
Gotta have faith It’s to Faith Evans’ eternal credit that she refuses to be the Courtney Love of hip-hop. After the 1997 murder of her estranged husband Biggie Smalls, she had plenty of opportunities – a la Love – to make a public sport of her grief and promote her own career by shamelessly leaning…
Book reviews Unrepentant
A former Huntsville warden and a renowned D.A. offer their perspectives on the world’s third-largest prison system More than 147,000 inmates were under the supervision of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in the fall of 2003, a population almost three times that of the student enrollment at the University of Texas-Austin and many times…
Hottest ticket Current Choice
Doctor’s orders – Bringing the news from New Orleans Dr. John, still walking on guilded splinters “I have an announcement to make. There’s some bad ribs going around.” Whatever possessed Dr. John to participate in a 1981 SCTV Chinatown parody called “Polynesiantown,” sketch-comedy nerds will forever be thankful. The New Orleans piano virtuoso also known…
Book review Living the artist’s advice
Survival tips for the creative class If the quality of an artist’s career advice can be judged by his PR agent, then you might want to take your coupon-clipping self to Borders bookstore in the Quarry Market, 255 E. Basse, at 7:30pm Tuesday, May 3. Paul Dorrell, author of Living the Artist’s Life, will hold…
Around town Sound and the Fury
A week on the scene – Archer Avenue and Laura Canales passing Archer Avenue Burbank bound A 2004 gig opening for country traditionalists Moot Davis & the Cool Deal at El Paso’s Moontime Pizza has opened up all kinds of possibilities for local rockers Archer Avenue. After the show, the members of Archer Avenue bonded…
Classical music Classical attitude
News and notes from San Antonio’s other music scene Many happy returns SOLI Chamber Ensemble is back! After more than a year’s absence from the ensemble scene, core SOLI members Stephanie Key, clarinet, and Carolyn True, piano, will be joined by frequent SOLI guest Stephanie Shapiro on English horn, at 8 p.m. on May 2.…
Ballot propositionsThe propositions ballot
Props 1, 2 and 3
Enron documentary Greed always plays as a tragedy
‘The Smartest Guys in the Room’ documents the avarice that led to Enron’s downfall You’ve heard the names. You’ve seen the faces. You may even have stopped for a moment on a congressional hearing or breaking news story while flipping through the channels in the last four years. When the Houston-based Enron energy corporation collapsed…
Art advocates As good as any anywhere
Lawyer and contemporary art advocate Lewis Tarver talks about the future of SA philanthropy and his firm’s large collection Attorney Lewis Tarver stands in front of “Shoe Bear”, a mixed media piece by local artist Ken Little, in the offices of Cox Smith & Matthews. (Photo by Mark Greenberg) Real estate and transportation attorney Lewis…
Documentary review Take them to the river
Every 12 years, 1 percent of the world’s population experiences spiritual ecstasy at India’s Kumbh Mela Transcendence at the tip of a spear: The many gurus who hold forth at Kumbh Mela promote a multitude of paths to enlightenment, some more visually impressive than others, such as this spiritual leader perched on a bed of…
News Speed reads
Kelly cancer study — Bill proposed to close State Schools — and eBay no-bids Liver cancer study: The San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department recently finished a door-to-door health survey of residents in North Kelly Gardens to investigate elevated rates of liver cancer around the former Kelly Air Force Base. Metro Health officials told members of…
Review Lost at sea
The mother of ‘Dear Frankie’ conjures a father from the deep blue Emily Mortimer, Jack McElhone, and Gerard Butler play a farcical family in Dear Frankie. Young Frankie, who is deaf, is the only one not in on the scheme, which is designed to answer his questions about, and yearning for, his absentee father. Any…
News Brief
New student group protests death penalty About 20 San Antonio high-school students demonstrated in front of the Bexar County Courthouse to protest Texas’ death penalty. (Photo by Nicole Chavez) “Why do we kill people who kill people to show that killing people is wrong?” read a T-shirt in the crowd of San Antonio high-school students…
New on DVD Armchair Cinephile
Divorces and double dates So: The new Pope has a lot of old ideas. What better time for Divorce Italian Style (Criterion), in which a Catholic husband decides that, since the church won’t let him ditch his wife, the only thing to do is kill her? Topical commentary aside, this 1962 movie is a real…
News – Environmental issues A pesky pollutant
Could Superfund loom in Leon Valley’s future? A private well at D&R Tree Service tested above the maximum contaminant level for PCE, found in degreasers and dry-cleaning solvents. Several private wells along Grissom, Poss, and El Verde roads also contained high levels of the chemical. The state environmental agency placed carbon filters on contaminated wells…
Local cinema New reviews and special screenings
‘The Water Magician,’ ‘The Sinus Show’ and ‘The Interpreter’ Sean Penn is a Secret Service agent who begins to fall for Nicole Kidman’s intepreter, who has overheard a plot to kill an African leader at the United Nations, in The Interpreter. The Interpreter Dir. Sydney Pollack; writ. Charles Randolph, Scott Frank, Steven Zaillian; feat. Nicole…
Ugly politics Election revenge
Zoning case turns into campaign attack Attorney Chris Pettit wanted a rezone for property adjacent to his law office at Rustic Lane and Vance Jackson. City Council denied his request. On Friday, April 22, a Stop Art Hall sign had been placed next to his office sign. By Sunday, it was gone. (Photo by Lisa…
Premieres That’s a wrap
The low-down on this week’s premieres Martin Freeman and Mos Def struggle to bring the late Douglas Adams’ sophomoric, precocious space epic, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, to a big screen near you. Hyped as the greatest adventure off Earth, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a sci-fi comedy based on the book…
Prop 3 Party lines
Web Exclusive Onward Christian taxpayers The Prop 3 tax freeze proposal on the May 7 ballot might appear to be a sound idea for Grandma and Grandpa, but the in the long run, is the freeze likely will mean hardship for the city’s East, West and South Side senior citizens. The proposition, which City Council…
Review From Asia with love
Made-to-order Goi Cuon are among the delights of Vietnam Gardens Christine and John Tan, owners of Vietnam Gardens, show off some of thier popular dishes. From left: Goi Cuon – Vietnamese summer rolls, served with fish sauce and peanut sauce; Bun Bo, a hot and spicy beef-and-noodle soup; Haw Mok (fish, shrimp, and squid sautéed…
Ballot propositions The fine print
Aquifer, tax freeze top ballot proposition debate Click on the ballot to see an enlarged image. In more ways than one, it’s fitting that Proposition 3 on this year’s election ballot is also referred to as “Proposition 13.” The proposed measure, which freezes city property tax rates for local senior citizens, is a direct response…
Mexican mole Moctezuma’s reward
Mole is as rich in history as it is in chocolate Cristal Rojas takes a break from slicing red apples to share her memories of preparing the dish with her family as she grew up in Xiutepek, a small village outside of Cuernavaca, Mexico. (Photos by Laura McKenzie) The smell of mole being made reminds…
District 5 Seeking a new identity
District 5 battles poverty and its consequences Pattie Radle, District 5 incumbent In terms of median income, District 5 is one of the poorest in San Antonio, including some areas that earn less than $13,000 annually. To combat the high poverty rates, community organizers are touting increased funding for educational programs such as Project Quest,…
Import grocery Fastidious foodies
At Paletta’s the customer is king – just don’t run out of spumoni or it’s off with your head! The shelves of Paletta’s are well stocked with culinary goodies, such as rum-filled baba cakes, walnut-stuffed eggplant, and Greek caviar dip made from carp roe, lemon, and soy oil. Paletta’s patrons are a persnickety bunch. Regulars…
District 4 Restoring confidence
In District 4, Perez focuses on trust; Resendez is AWOL Richard Perez, District 4 incumbent When Richard Perez ran for City Council two years ago, the indictment of District 4 Councilman Enrique “Kike” Martin was fresh on voters’ minds, and the candidates’ integrity was an important issue in the race. Now, with Martin set to…
Feeding the masses All you can eat
News and notes from the San Antonio food scene Wine and dine near the tee Become epicurean at “Discover Your Senses,” a shindig sponsored by the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. On Sunday, May 1 at the Club at Sonterra, 901 Sonterra Boulevard, you can sample food and wine from more than 20 of…
District 3 Southern men
Retired police officer, attorney square off in District 3 Roland Gutierrez, District 3 challenger Forty years ago, one could drive along Military Drive from Kelly Air Force Base to Brooks AFB and still see herds of cattle grazing in undeveloped pastures. Residential houses lined the thoroughfare, which was built for quick mobilization of military forces…
Chicano wordsmith Counter intelligence
2Mex brings cultural awareness straight from the LA underground An emcee by any other name: Underground hero 2Mex now answers to the moniker SonGodSuns. When he was 13 years old, Alex Ocaña secretly scribbled rhymes and quietly longed to be an emcee. Four years later, he publicly picked up the mic under the name 2Mex,…
Election coverageDistrict 2 Looking for a new life
District 2 waits in the wings Joel Williams, District 2 incumbent Previous City leaders have envisioned the economically depressed East Side as a sector to avoid, unless one is seeking drugs or sex from street-corner dealers and prostitutes. Nowadays, a Spurs game can provide a few hours of adrenaline rush, but if you take the…
Night clubs Bukowski on Brook Hollow
After Sunset: A crawl through the San Antonio club scene – Waldo’s Night Club Al Reyna (left) and J. Marinez, aka Class Act, play during a recent Saturday night gig. The duo performs Wednesday through Saturday at Waldos on Brookhollow. (Photo by Mark Greenberg) “You had so much fun last time you were here you…
