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Arts & Life
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The theme of this year’s contest is “If Life Were A Game Show, What Would Poets Say?”
The five new contest categories, selected from the names of popular TV game shows, include the following: “Let’s Make A Deal,” “To Tell The Truth,” “The Price Is Right,” “Family Feud” and “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”
Poets may submit a maximum of three poems, no more than one in each of three of the five contest categories.
Everyone is encouraged to enter the contest. Poets do not have to live in Lincoln, California, to be eligible. There is no entry fee.
Young poets, 18 years of age or under, are encouraged to submit poems and will compete in a special “Young Poets” category.
Last year's contest attracted 104 poets from 66 cities in 14 states and five countries — the United States, England, Germany, Ghana, and Ireland.
Poets submitted 255 poems. Twenty-one young poets submitted 54 poems.
This year they are aiming to reach an even greater audience of poets. They invite all to enter the contest.
The rules and entry form can be downloaded from https://friendsofthelincolnlibrary.org/voices-of-lincoln-poetry-contest/ or https://slolowe44.blogspot.com/2021/03/2021-voices-of-lincoln-poetry-contest.html.
All poems must be received no later than Tuesday, July 20, at the address on the entry form.
Winners will read their poems on Sunday, Oct. 10, at the Voices of Lincoln Special Event to be held at the Lincoln Library if health conditions allow the event to be held.
Those who are unable to attend the event will have their poem(s) read by a member of the Poets Club of Lincoln. Winners will receive a commemorative chapbook of the winning poems.
The Voices of Lincoln Poetry Contest is presented by the Poets Club of Lincoln and is sponsored by the Lincoln Library and the Friends of the Lincoln Library.
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- Written by: Editor
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Come one, come all to audition for the Shakespeare at the Lake 2021 online production of “All’s Well That Ends Well.”
Zoom auditions are scheduled on May 27 starting at 6 p.m. and May 29 starting at 2 p.m.
Audition sides are available at lctc.us.
To sign up for an audition time slot or to get more information, email director John Tomlinson at
Rehearsals and performances (scheduled for July 23 to 25) will all take place online.
Actors must enroll in Theater 220 through Mendocino College in order to participate; scholarships are available.
No experience is required, and we welcome actors from out of the county to participate.
As a California Community College production, out-of-state tuition applies to nonresidents.
Actors must be entering high school or older to participate.
Shakespeare at the Lake is a joint effort between the Lake County Theatre Co. and Mendocino College, with generous support from the Friends of Mendocino College.
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- Written by: Kwame Dawes
Tracy K. Smith, former poet Laureate, has a wonderful way with strange and haunting images, that still manage to tell a resonant story.
I think of the old story she tells here – how future generations must contend with the grand absence that comes with the passing of time.
Yet, there is hope, there is hope in art, in song, and one imagines, in this poem. “An Old Story” is a beautiful anthem to the singing.
An Old Story
By Tracy K. Smith
We were made to understand it would be
Terrible. Every small want, every niggling urge,
Every hate swollen to a kind of epic wind,
Livid, the land, and ravaged, like a rageful
Dream. The worst in us having taken over
And broken the rest utterly down.
A long age
Passed. When at last we knew how little
Would survive us—how little we had mended
Or built that was not now lost—something
Large and old awoke. And then our singing
Brought on a different manner of weather.
Then animals long believed gone crept down
From trees. We took new stock of one another.
We wept to be reminded of such color.
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 Tracy K. Smith, "An Old Story" from Wade in the Water, (Graywolf Press, 2018). Poem reprinted by permission of Permissions Company, LLC and the publisher. Introduction copyright ©2021 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction’s author, Kwame Dawes, is George W. Holmes Professor of English and Glenna Luschei Editor of Prairie Schooner at the University of Nebraska.
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- Written by: Tim Riley
‘WRATH OF MAN’ RATED R
Action fans should be cognizant of the history of groundbreaking filmmaker Guy Ritchie and action superstar Jason Statham, going back to their fast-paced, anarchic 1990s hits “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch.”
Both of them return to their roots with “Wrath of Man,” an explosive revenge thriller based on the 2004 French film “Le Convoyeur,” which few on this side of the Atlantic have ever seen or even heard about.
While there is no ambiguity about the type of character Jason Statham inhabits with ruthless abandon, his character of Patrick Hill harbors a secret agenda with a set of deadly skills not readily apparent when he takes a job with a Los Angeles armored vehicle company.
Coming onboard as a security guard at Fortico Security and riding shotgun, Hill learns the ropes from partner Bullet (Colt McCallany). Becoming known as simply “H,” the newbie proves his worth during an attempted robbery of the truck.
Appearing to be a quiet, keep-to-yourself person just trying to do a job, foiling the robbery reveals H’s formidable skills as an expert marksman who’s also adept at hand-to-hand combat.
While hailed as a hero at the armored car depot, H raises suspicion with office manager Terry (Eddie Marsan). After all, H scored only a passing grade in the fitness and shooting skill test required to be hired.
Obviously, H has a backstory which only deepens the mystery of his connections to other enigmatic players. Why is he keen on taking a dangerous job for entry-level pay? Revenge is the motivating factor for H, and the reason for that is best left for the viewer to discover.
In his single-minded quest for justice, H has interesting links to the underworld and to FBI agent King (Andy Garcia) that stir curiosity about whether these connections are red herrings or just reasons for flashbacks that muddle the plot.
In the end, the storyline takes a back seat to the heavy action scenes that come into sharp focus when a group of Afghanistan war ex-soldiers led by former sergeant Jackson (Jeffrey Donovan) overcome civilian ennui by robbing armored trucks.
Jackson’s band of brothers, including the hotheaded psycho Jan (Scott Eastwood), scheme for a criminal career-ending payday of a brazen robbery of Fortico’s depot on Black Friday, the day of their largest collection of cash.
The climactic day of the big heist is not without intrigue (is it an inside job?) as well as a showdown with more firepower unleashed than all the action scenes combined ahead of this culmination.
“Wrath of Man” is the kind of diverting action film one would expect when reuniting Guy Ritchie and his stellar protégé Jason Statham for a formula that has worked before. Yes, it’s a notable crime thriller, but it may not remain as memorable as the earlier collaborations.
Nevertheless, Ritchie and Statham are already at work on their next project, a spy thriller that will include some of the actors from “Wrath of Man.” Sign me up to be one of the first in the audience.
‘REBEL’ ON ABC NETWORK
Inspired by the life of Erin Brockovich, ABC’s new series “Rebel” stars Katey Sagal as Annie Flynn Ray Bello, otherwise called “Rebel” if only because the last names of multiple marriages may prove confusing.
As a blue-collar legal advocate without a law degree, Rebel is relentless and undeterred in a fight for justice, and as such was described at the winter press tour as one, like Erin, who “inspires everyone she meets to become their own heroes.”
That Rebel is unafraid to challenge adversaries in a manner that might prove embarrassing for others is made clear in the first episode when she crashes a corporate party to confront the CEO (Adam Arkin) of a medical company producing defective heart valves.
Even an unflattering picture of Rebel’s stunt is not enough to cause discomfort for the activist. Current husband Grady Bello (John Corbett) at one point complains that Rebel “cares more about getting on the news than getting home to cook me dinner.”
Audible groans may come from female viewers, especially considering that Rebel seems to be the breadwinner and Grady’s job is somewhat nebulous. Apparently, he spends time restoring vintage cars.
Meanwhile, aside from helping an abused woman or a male professor harassed by a university for a possible bogus assault charge, Rebel is motivated by Helen (Mary McDonnell) to pursue a class action suit against Stonemore Medical, makers of the heart valve.
With dogged determination, Rebel pushes hotshot lawyer Julian Cruz (Andy Garcia), still grieving over the loss of his wife, to take the case of penurious plaintiffs to fight the deep-pockets corporation in a protracted court battle.
Add to the mix that one of Rebel ex-husbands, Benji Ray (James Lesure), lures away their daughter Cassidy (Lex Scott Davis) to represent Stonemore in the lawsuit.
On the strength of Sagal’s tenacious advocate, “Rebel” merits a look to see if it delivers on a cause worth the effort.
Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.