How to resolve AdBlock issue? Arts & Life
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Greenlee is founder and president of Earthen Vessel Productions, a Lake County-based publishing company celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2008.
Greenlee will speak on the writing and publishing process and go in-depth and behind the scenes about bringing some of the books to print.
Originally, Greenlee intended to only publish books on the Chinese-American experience to help keep her people's presence and contributions in the historical record, but she soon found other people's stories too irresistible to ignore.
Working with Lake County museums and the Lake County Historical Society, she began making available out-of-print books on Lake County history. Eventually she authored 10 books, edited and brought to print the poetry of Lake County Poets Laureate Jim Lyle and James BlueWolf, and illustrated BlueWolf's Children's book, "Speaking for Fire.”
Greenlee is a popular featured lecturer and teacher at many historical, cultural and literary events including national conferences for Women Writing the West. In 2000 she received the Artie Award and was awarded the Stars of Lake County Best Professional Artist of 2007.
She was Lake County's Poet Laureate for the years 2004-5 and is an award-winning poet, painter and photographer. Her current work, "Eternal River," covers the generational struggles of a Chinese-American family.
Join Watershed Books for this very special guest, good conversation and scrumptious refreshments.
Watershed Books is located at 305 N. Main Street in Lakeport, telephone 263-5787.
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- Written by: Editor
The ceramic sale has been going on for over 20 years and was started by Gary Medina. Medina, who retired in May, started the ceramics program at Mendocino College over 30 years ago.
“The purpose of the sale is for our students to have an opportunity to interact with the public. It reinforces the vocational aspects of the program and gives students opportunities to give back to the community that supports them through the college,” Mendocino College ceramics instructor Doug Browe said.
The sale is student organized and proceeds benefit the ceramics club. Proceeds are used to bring in guest lecturers and support the ceramics program with books, magazines and instructional aides.
Those visiting the sale will not only get to see some impressive work, but also get to meet some of the artists behind the work.
Pottery Valley residents Jerry Irwin and his wife Linda, have been involved with ceramics for 11 years. Jerry, who is a retired game warden, always wanted to work with clay. He and his wife decided they wanted to do something together and pursued classes at the college.
“It is a great learning experience here at Mendocino. We are getting inspiration and we are learning different concepts and different facets. Overall, it is an excellent program with real depth,” Jerry Irwin said.
Originally from New Hampshire, Megan Mitchell has been involved with the Mendocino ceramics program for three years.
Mitchell is applying to graduate school at Ohio University, University of Minnesota and Southern Illinois and is using her time in the program to work on her portfolio.
“I enjoy the community of students, the facilities and resources. It is a good place to try new things. We are fortunate to have this program in this town,” Mitchell said.
Belle Hicks, who lives in Ukiah and has been involved with the program since 2002, has a passion for ceramics and making things.
“This is an excellent program. There are great teachers, a great studio and the visiting artists are outstanding,” Hicks said.
Satoko Barash, who grew up in Japan, has been involved with the program for five years.
Barash mentions that she is getting ideas, inspiration and new teachings through her involvement in the program.
“This is a great program. The professors are very supportive and they really care about our success,” Barash said.
Those involved with the Mendocino College ceramics program all share the passion for ceramics and learning and sharing with other artists.
Individuals are encouraged to come early to the sale, since the popularity of the sale brings out a vast number of people. This is the first time that appetizers will be offered to those waiting in line for the sale.
For more information on the ceramics program or the sale, visit www.mendocino.edu, or contact Browe at (707) 468-1003.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Though it may not prove a winner on screen, the action movie “Hitman” is based on an alleged top-selling, award-winning video game franchise. At the risk of exposing my cultural ignorance, I am unaware of this video game’s reputed popularity. No matter, as I am blissfully oblivious to the electronic gaming market in general. Being out of touch may not be such a handicap, because after all Hitman should stand on its cinematic merits.
In any event, I am usually game for a high-octane, shoot ‘em up adventure, where the elite assassin performs his job with lethal grace and resolute pride. In the movie's title role, Timothy Olyphant is the complex and mysterious hired gun known only as Agent 47. He’s a laconic loner who reveals little about himself, choosing to let his weapons do all the talking. He’d like to be Gary Cooper with automatic weapons, but this isn’t a western.
Oddly enough, this is more of a freak show. The background story has Agent 47 trained from birth in the deadly arts at some sort of weird monastery, where the young are molded into trained killers, detached emotionally from any real feelings and thoughts held by average folks. Like his equally anonymous colleagues, Agent 47 is stripped of conscience and morality.
The puzzling thing about Agent 47, dressed impeccably in fashionable suits, is that like his fellow assassins he’s got a shaved head with a tattooed barcode on the back of his scalp. Curiously enough, he runs around with the barcode constantly exposed, as if nobody is going to notice it.
The great unanswered question is why there’s a barcode emblazoned on his cranium to begin with. Does it have any practical value? Does he scan his head at the checkout counter of the arms-dealing supermarket when loading up on a stockpile of automatic weapons and grenades?
The story for Hitman, such as it is and as best as it can be followed, is that Agent 47, taking orders from the Agency by way of a computer, is on a mission to assassinate Russian president Mikhail Belicoff (Ulrich Thomsen). The reason for this assignment is unclear, though the target is described as a “moderate,” who’s unfortunately saddled with an unsavory younger brother (Henry Ian Cusack), a peddler in weapons, drugs and prostitutes.
The job goes off without a hitch, or so he thinks, until Belicoff appears again in public with nary a scratch. Hot on the trail is Interpol agent Mike Whittier (Dougray Scott), who knows that Agent 47, operating with lethal precision, does not miss a target.
The female interest is the slinky, hot babe Nika (Olga Kurylenko), connected to the Belicoffs and a key witness. She’s made some bad career choices, and now she’s taken hostage by Agent 47, who has to go on the run. For reasons that are muddled, the hitman is betrayed by the Agency, and suddenly he’s being chased through a train station by a bunch of bald guys with barcode tattoos.
Meanwhile, the Russian secret police and Interpol, not exactly working in sync, are after Agent 47 as well. A whole bunch of people are trigger happy, but none quite as much as the film’s putative hero. As time passes, the enigmatic, ruthless Agent 47 looks increasingly like the reasonable guy in a world populated with double-crossing thugs.
Meanwhile, the emotionally distant professional assassin has to deal with his pretty hostage, though he rarely lets his guard down. Interestingly, she attempts continuously to seduce him, but having been raised in a sheltered environment at the assassin school, Agent 47 never picked up any tips from James Bond, who always managed to give in to his carnal desires with the bad girls while keeping his wits intact. But our guy is unflappable and unmoved, even in the face of Nika’s seductive striptease.
Hitman has no really useful purpose other than to serve up large portions of violence and gunplay, where the high body count seems destined to create a new benchmark in wanton killings. The film is intermittently intriguing and interesting, but for reasons that seem elusive. If it’s basically mindless action on the menu, then Hitman does the trick.
DVD RELEASE UPDATE
From the guys who brought us crude comedies like “Knocked Up” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” comes “Superbad” in a two-disc unrated edition with additional footage deemed too raunchy for theaters.
Having seen the original, I can only wonder how much more over the edge they can go with this story about some guys desperate to hook up with their dream girls on a wild party night before heading off to college.
The two-disc set includes a bevy of bonus material, much of it designed to capitalize on the film’s essential lewdness.
Still, I am fascinated to see the “Press Junket Meltdown” feature, mainly out of professional curiosity.
For those who want to tone down the vulgarity, there’s also a single-disc rated version.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
ROBINSON RANCHERIA – The band Real Deal, a favorite among the many bands that entertained Friday evenings in Lakeport during the summer of 2007, returns to the area Friday and Saturday night when they perform in the bar and Robinson Rancheria Casino between Nice and Upper Lake.
The band, led by keyboardist FrankieJ, has performed over several decades as an opening act for some of America's best-known rhythm and blues and soul bands both here and abroad.
Lead guitarist Neil Stallings adds an extra bit of showmanship to his performance. Stallings also has played for many well-known bands during his long career.
E-mail Harold LaBonte at
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