Saturday, 23 November 2024

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Arts & Life

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Ted Kooser. Photo credit: UNL Publications and Photography.

Here's a poem by Holly J. Hughes, who lives and writes in Washington state, about finding joy in what's before us.

I found it in “Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems,” published by Grayson Books of West Hartford, CT. Ms. Hughes' most recent book of poetry is Hold Fast, (Empty Bowl Press, 2019).

Mind Wanting More

Only a beige slat of sun
above the horizon, like a shade
pulled not quite down. Otherwise,
clouds. Sea rippled here and
there. Birds reluctant to fly.
The mind wants a shaft of sun to
stir the grey porridge of clouds,
an osprey to stitch sea to sky
with its barred wings, some dramatic
music: a symphony, perhaps
a Chinese gong.
 
But the mind always
wants more than it has—
one more bright day of sun,
one more clear night in bed
with the moon; one more hour
to get the words right; one
more chance for the heart in hiding
to emerge from its thicket
in dried grasses—as if this quiet day
with its tentative light weren't enough,
as if joy weren't strewn all around.

 
American Life in Poetry does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. It is made possible by The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2004 by Holly J. Hughes, "Mind Wanting More," from Poetry of Presence: An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems, (Grayson Books, 2017). Poem reprinted by permission of Holly J. Hughes and the publisher. Introduction copyright @2019 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction’s author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The 1954 action-adventure, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” starring Kirk Douglas and James Mason, screens at the Soper Reese Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 1 and 6 p.m.

Entry to the film is by donation.

One of Walt Disney's finest live-action adventures, this film brings Jules Verne's classic sci-fi tale to vivid life, and features an awesome giant squid.

Captain Nemo’s submarine is a wonder of imagination, with its two large viewing windows resembling eyes, and overlapping hull plates that give it a crustacean look, and James Mason’s portrayal of Nemo, who’s taken to the sea as his refuge from the evils of mankind, is a hard-edged, standout, dramatic performance.

The movie is sponsored by Diane Plante, CPA. Rated G. Run time is 2 hours and 7 minutes.

The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport, 707-263-0577, www.soperreesetheatre.com.
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COBB, Calif. – The Cobb Artist Collective will hold its annual Open Studios tour on Saturday, Oct. 26, and Sunday, Oct. 27.

The event will be held at various artist’s studios in the Cobb Mountain area from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

Cobb Mountain Artists began Open Studios back in 2004 to support the artists living in our community.

It was one of its most successful events that happened yearly until the Valley fire, when most of the group’s board members lost their homes and studios.

After a four-year hiatus, some of the members decided to bring it back via a new group, the Cobb Artist Collective.

Set in beautiful south Lake County and the Mayacamas Range, members are artists from varied backgrounds and disciplines.

When you visit the studios, you're visiting some of the most resilient artists who stayed back after the devastating fire, rebuilt their homes or moved here later.

“We hope our art and craftsmanship speaks to you like our hot springs and our retreats, with the silent whisper of our pines,” the group said in a statement.

For more information visit www.cobbopenstudios.netlify.com.
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‘ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP’ (Rated R)

“Zombieland: Double Tap,” a sequel 10 years in the making to “Zombieland,” returns with the core group of four survivors of a disease-driven apocalypse that turned America into a dystopian wasteland.

This second installment could probably stand on its own merits, but it helps to know that previously Jesse Eisenberg’s Columbus was a nerdy college kid following a set of rules trying to make it home through a post-apocalyptic world filled with flesh-eaters.

With survival prospects for mankind dim, Columbus meets up with three strangers, the redneck Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and the tough Wichita (Emma Stone) and her younger sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin).  

At that time, they traveled through the Southwest with a goal of reaching an amusement park in Los Angeles that was believed to be a sanctuary free of zombies, only to discover that eluding the monsters is not so easily achieved.

“Zombieland: Double Tap” works off the same playbook, where the few remaining human beings have to be extremely resourceful and quick thinking, while armed with enough firepower to conquer a small nation to survive the treacherous terrain.

Family, albeit one that is dysfunctional, is the glue that binds the core group that has now taken up residence in the abandoned White House where they hash out their issues and personal conflicts in the Oval Office during the daytime

Columbus and Wichita, who had romantic sparks the first time, are now somewhat of a couple, spending their nights in the Lincoln Bedroom where the portrait of the Great Emancipator is respectfully blindfolded.

Now grown into a young woman, Little Rock chafes under the paternalism of Tallahassee’s father figure, and itches to get out of the stuffy White House to meet a guy her age, a tricky proposition since young, eligible men with a pulse are almost impossible to find.

One night, Columbus decides to propose to Wichita, proffering the Hope Diamond as the engagement ring.  For her part, the cynical Wichita is at heart a loner and uneasy about settling down to a domestic life.

By the next morning, both Wichita, fearing commitment and unable to face Columbus, and Little Rock, wanting to be free of Tallahassee’s protective restraints, take off for parts unknown.

The sisters split in the presidential limousine that has been modified with heavy artillery.  Meanwhile, Columbus and Tallahassee take a road trip to a mall where they meet Madison (Zoey Deutch), a dumb blonde Valley Girl who has survived zombies by hiding in a Pinkberry freezer.

Back at the White House, Madison takes a libidinous interest in Columbus, if for no other reason than Tallahassee is deemed to be an old geezer.  Besides, what else is there to do for amusement other to play with artifacts taken from the Smithsonian?

When Little Rock runs off with neo-hippie pacifist musician Berkeley (Avan Jogia), Wichita returns to the White House looking for reinforcements to search for her sister, and is surprised to see Columbus has moved on to a new love interest.

With the ditzy Madison providing endless fodder for brain-dead jokes, the group sets off in a minivan on a rescue headed to Graceland, where it is believed Little Rock would be most likely to go due to her love for the King.

Surprises are in store for the travelers as they encounter several new species of zombies, with the most fearsome being the super powerful T-800, a nearly indestructible beast that has to be shot multiple times.

Ending up at a motel run by Nevada (Rosario Dawson), a fan of Elvis Presley that rivals Tallahassee’s passion, an interesting encounter comes when Columbus and Tallahassee find their striking doppelgangers in Flagstaff (Thomas Middleditch) and Albuquerque (Luke Wilson).

Aside from the enjoyably humorous presence of Madison, Dawson’s independent and strong-willed Nevada is the most compelling new character, a kindred spirit to Tallahassee because she’s stubborn, self-sufficient and dangerous.

While Little Rock is not at the Elvis-themed motel, all signs indicate that she and her troubadour friend who wears hemp and says “Namaste” have set off for a hippie commune called Babylon.

The inhabitants of Babylon have the misguided notion that they are safe from the zombie hordes and don’t allow anyone to bring any kind of weapons into their walled compound.

Much like the action at the amusement park in the first film, Babylon becomes not surprisingly the climactic showdown with a massive zombie attack that can only be repelled if Tallahassee’s inventive tactics pan out.

The bottom line is those who enjoyed the original “Zombieland” are likely to find the sequel “Zombieland: Double Tap” more or less just as much fun with its irreverent humor, which appears to be the goal set by the filmmakers.

As long as you find the desired payoff of cinematic pleasure was at hand, be sure to stay for the credits for Bill Murray’s appearances and don’t leave the theater until the lights go up.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Library celebrates Lake County’s own authors all through November with free events at all four library branches.

Each library will present a slate of local authors who will talk about the inspiration behind their books and how they got started writing.

The writers participating in the “Local Author Showcase” are Lake County’s Poet Laureate Richard Schmidt, author of “Virgil Cooper,” a western fiction novel; Anusha Amen-Ra, “Woman’s Water, Man’s Fire: the metaphysics of love, sex and relationship”; Steve Bartholomew, who writes tales of the Old West; Carolyn Decanti, creator of the Cobb Mountain mystery series; Linda Green, “Solving the Post Traumatic Stress Brain Injury Puzzle”; Jordan O’Halloran, “Clean Up on Aisle Three,” a work of young adult fiction; JoAnn Saccato, “Mindful and Intentional Living: a path to peace, clarity and freedom”; Jodi Schneider, “Raising Rover,” a self-help book; John Urfurth, “Adventures of the Buckaroo Dogs” for children; and Mimi Whitaker, a self-help guide, “Happiness is your Purpose,” and a volume of poetry, “Pears From My Mother’s Tree.”

At Lakeport Library, 1425 N. High St. on Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. the authors will be Richard Schmidt, Mimi Whitaker, Jordan O’Halloran, Linda Green, John Urfurth and Jodi Schneider.

Middletown Library, 21256 Washington St. will host Richard Schmidt, JoAnn Saccato, Carolyn Decanti, Anusha Amen-Ra, Linda Green, Mimi Whitaker, Jordan O’Halloran, John Urfurth and Jodi Schneider on Nov. 8, at 3 p.m.

Richard Schmidt, Steve Bartholomew, John Urfurth, Mimi Whitaker, Jordan O’Halloran and Jodi Schneider will be at Upper Lake Library, 310 Second St. Nov. 15 at 3 p.m.

Richard Schmidt, Jordan O’Halloran, Jodi Schneider, Mimi Whitaker, and John Urfurth will visit Redbud Library, 14785 Burns Valley Rd. in Clearlake on Nov. 16 at 10:30 a.m.

The Lake County Library is on the Internet at http://library.lakecountyca.gov and Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary.

Jan Cook is a library technician for the Lake County Library.
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Ted Kooser. Photo credit: UNL Publications and Photography.

One of poetry's most important tools is sensory imagery, and the following poem, by Christie Towers of Massachusetts, brings in pleasurable smells, tastes and sounds to evoke a rich experience starting with what? Just a bowl of water.

This poem was a semi-finalist for the 2018 Pablo Neruda Prize from Nimrod International Journal.

Sugar Water in Winter

A bowl of rose water dreams itself empty
on the radiator: It's December and we can
hardly afford the heat, our milk money
crinkling hungry over the cold counter
of our convenience store, the very last
of our cash for creamer, for pleasantries,
for cheap tea and cigarettes, for the barely-
there scent of roses burning softly. We trade
our hungers for hearth, for the clank and hiss
of warmth. Small fires, these, but even we,
in our clamorous poverty, demand pleasure:
steal sugar, our neighbor's flowers, and never,
ever are caught thankless in better weather.


American Life in Poetry does not accept unsolicited manuscripts. It is made possible by The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Poem copyright ©2018 by Christie Towers, "Sugar Water in Winter," from Nimrod International Journal, (Vol. 62, No. 1, Fall/Winter 2018). Poem reprinted by permission of Christie Towers and the publisher. Introduction copyright @2019 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction’s author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.

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