Scottish singer Jim Malcolm will return to Lake County, Calif., for a concert on Friday, January 27, 2012. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – KPFZ 88.1 FM will host a benefit concert on Friday, Jan. 27, at the Lakeport Senior Center, 527 Konocti Ave. in Lakeport with Scottish singer and songwriter Jim Malcolm performing.

Malcolm is a world renowned performer and the winner of the 2004 BBC Scots Traditional Music Award for “Songwriter of the Year.”

Malcolm sings songs steeped in Scottish history and tradition by such famous writers as Robert Burns and Hamish Henderson.

He has toured throughout the United States, Europe and Great Britain to sold out audiences.

Malcolm will perform songs from his latest CD “Sparkling Flash.”

Malcolm is sure to sing some Robert Burns songs in honor of the Bard’s 253rd birthday on Jan. 24. Of course, Malcolm also will perform his well known favorites.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; the concert starts at 8 p.m.

Tickets are only $20 for general admission and $18 for KPFZ members.

Proceeds will benefit KPFZ, Lake County Community Radio.

Tickets are available at Watershed Books, 305 N. Main St. in Lakeport, and the Lakeport Senior Center, 527 Konocti Ave.

For more information call 707-262-0525 or 707-263-3640.

Liebe will demonstrate the process and each participant will paint and take home a hand painted silk scarf.

Liebe is a former art teacher at both the high school and college levels, and actively teaches art workshops around the county.

Cost of class is a $15 materials fee and space is limited to 12 persons.

For reservations and additional information, contact Susan Feiler at 707-275-8030, 707-293-8752 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LCWS is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake.

This free public workshop is held at the Main Street Art Gallery, 325 N. Main St., at 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month.

The Lake County Arts Council sponsors the workshop, and former Lake County Poet Laureate Mary McMillan facilitates it.

The grant comes from Poets and Writers Inc., through a grant it has received from the James Irvine Foundation.

Many Lake County residents who are just starting to write memoirs, fiction, essays or poems come to the Writers Circle.

They join with more seasoned writers to get feedback on their work, build their skills and find new ideas.

From all over the county, residents aged 19 to 90 have benefited from the opportunity to listen to other writers and share their own work.

Some people come only one or two times, and others show up every month.

For more information about the Writers Circle, contact Mary McMillan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Ted Kooser, US Poet Laureate from 2004 to 2006. Photo by UNL Publications and Photography.

A wise friend told me that since the Age of Reason we’ve felt we had to explain everything, and that as a result we’ve forgotten the value of mystery.

Here’s a poem by Lisel Mueller that celebrates mystery. Mueller is a Pulitzer Prize winning poet from Illinois.

Sometimes, When the Light

Sometimes, when the light strikes at odd angles

and pulls you back into childhood

and you are passing a crumbling mansion

completely hidden behind old willows

or an empty convent guarded by hemlocks

and giant firs standing hip to hip,

you know again that behind that wall,

under the uncut hair of the willows

something secret is going on,

so marvelous and dangerous

that if you crawled through and saw,

you would die, or be happy forever.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation (www.poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright ©1980 by Lisel Mueller, from her most recent book of poems, Alive Together: New and Selected Poems, Louisiana State University Press, 1996. Poem reprinted by permission of Lisel Mueller and the publisher. Introduction copyright © 2012 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. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

The month of January is, for the most part, a dead zone as far as new movies are concerned.

One major studio is releasing “The Devil Inside” without benefit of any advance screenings, likely for fear of bad press.

So now is the time to catch up, if possible, with the independent films, which may be a challenge given the limited release options.

CARNAGE (Rated R)

At the risk of sounding like a cultural snob, I had the pleasure of seeing the original Broadway production of “God of Carnage,” in which James Gandolfini (of “The Sopranos” fame) delivered a tour-de-force performance.

The Yasmina Reza play has now been adapted for the screen in “Carnage,” directed by Roman Polanski and starring a capable, talented cast different than the one that appeared on stage.

The basic elements of a four-character play remain essentially in place. The story is simply about two couples locked in a showdown after their adolescent sons are involved in a playground squabble that results in one boy being wounded.

The parents of the injured child, Penelope and Michael Longstreet (Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly), invite the parent’s of the other child, Nancy and Alan Cowan (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz), into their Brooklyn home.

The purpose of the meeting is an attempt by the four adults to settle the dispute, and while the conversation is initially courteous, lingering resentments and strife escalate into full-blown incivility.

Retaining its fundamentally theatrical nature, “Carnage” is so constrained by the setting of the Longstreet apartment that the characters are inevitably drawn into protracted discord.

Nancy and Alan are seemingly oblivious or indifferent to the moral dilemma posed by the misbehavior of their son. For his part, Alan spends much of his time on his cell phone in crisis management mode for a high-powered client.

Meanwhile, Penelope is overly sensitive and easily agitated by the lack of concern evidenced by the Cowans. At first, Michael strikes a conciliatory tone, but gives in to more savage impulses when libations are enjoyed.

“Carnage” revels in the thin veneer of gracious behavior disintegrating with great haste. Even the spouses turn on each other in sharp, bitter exchanges of hostile recriminations.

Though often dramatic, “Carnage” is caustically funny as the result of the scathing, acerbic wordplay on display in this very talkative film.

THE ARTIST (Rated PG-13)

One of the best movies of the past year is the most unlikely candidate for mass appeal. Demand for black-and-white silent films has been on the wane since Herbert Hoover was in office.

I must admit to being initially skeptical about the unique throwback to an era before the talkies that is realized with a truly masterful independent film called “The Artist.”

Amazingly, the simple technique of a silent film is magically developed by the deft direction of French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius, whose last name would stump a spelling bee champion.

Jean Dujardin, not a household name even after his “OSS 117” films, is perfect for the prominent role of silent screen star George Valentin, a matinee idol of his time in 1927 Hollywood.

Like many others of that era, Valentin is unable to make the transition when talking pictures become the rage, and studio executives determine he’s no longer the right fit.

Near the end of his silent career, Valentin discovers a great film ingénue and dancer, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), who goes on to great acclaim in the new medium.

While Valentin sadly scrounges for relevance in the changing film world, his life turns to shambles on a personal and professional level.

As his loveless marriage disintegrates, he moves out of his stately mansion and ends up sharing a grungy apartment with his faithful dog, Uggie, who also performed in many of his master’s silent films.

Meanwhile, Peppy remains faithful to her mentor Valentin when his career crumbles. Of course, there’s a romantic spark between the dashing Valentin and the pretty dancer with the notable beauty mark.

“The Artist” is a work of art, for it captures the feel of an old-fashioned entertainment but with the style, grace and energy of all that modern technology offers.

Save for one surprise, there is no spoken dialogue, but the musical score is so outstanding that the film’s soundtrack should garner its own commendation.

I believe the last silent film to receive an Academy Award dates back to 1929. “The Artist” is such a great film that it would be a shame if it is not considered a top-tier candidate for the ultimate award.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

Fans of the original “Hawaii Five-O” series, starring Jack Lord as the no-nonsense head of the state police unit, now have a chance to complete their DVD collection.

“Hawaii Five-O: The Twelfth and Final Season” DVD is being released. It’s amazing to think the show had such longevity.

As good as the new “Hawaii Five-0” series has been, now in its second season, I would not wager that it will last another decade.

On the other hand, the original series holds up surprisingly well, even with the addition of some new characters to McGarrett’s special unit.

The series finale features a showdown between McGarrett and his longtime, ultimate nemesis Wo Fat.

Bonus features are lacking, with the exception of a music video tribute labeled “Hawaii Five-0: Crime Wave.”

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

The event will take place at the Lake County Arts Council's Main Street Gallery, 325 N. Main St., Lakeport.

The First Friday Fling will introduce a medley of new work by the members of the Lake County Artist Guild and an encore presentation of all the artists that participated in the gallery showings last year, plus jewelry by Patty Oates, Sherry Harris and Diego Harris and Beth Seaward; pastel landscapes by Terry Durnil and original oils by Carolyn Hawley.

The Lake County Art Guild group showing will feature artists Lilly Hilt, Marci Long, Ray Farrow, Barbara Levassuer, Steve Bilodeau, Cathy Farris, Linda Farris, Lois Feron, Meredith Gambrel, Patty Oates, J.V. Magoon, Bill Bluhm, Bobbie Bridges, Carmon Brittain, Judy Cardinale, Marilyn Crayton,

Wendy Dalton, Walter Dreis, Richard Seisser, Ronald Snider, Dennis and Evelyn Robison, Stefen Rotter, Robert Russell, Karen Whittington and Carol Yanagitsubo.

The Linda Carpenter Gallery will feature art works from People Services in January.

Michael Barrish and Scott Summers will perform music for the evening, and Lake County Wines will pour their vintages.

For more information contact the Lake County Arts Council, 707-263-6658.