On Sunday February 28, the Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts presented The Brownsville Guitar Festival Concert with Connie Sheu, Xavier Jara, and Matt Palmer live-streamed on Facebook. This was an excellent opportunity for the community to hear a variety of guitar performances by some of the best guitarists around.
This hour and a half concert consisted of three outstanding guitarists who each brought their best a-game and performed almost a half-hour each of inspiring music. Connie Sheu began her set with a few words about what music means to her and it would have been nice to hear some personal words from the other guitarists. They performed classical guitar selections from Vicente Asencio, Dilermando Reis, Sergei Rudnev, and other composers.
For a live-streamed concert, the quality of the sound and visuals was exceptional and the transition between performers went smoothly. Hopefully, the community appreciates the efforts of the BSPA to bring this level of performances to the masses. Congratulations to everyone involved and may there be more in the future, whether in person or live-streamed.
Performer profiles: Connie Sheu studied U.S. History and Music at Columbia University and earned a Master of Music from the Juilliard School. She completed her Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Southern California. She is a dynamic guitarist, devoted teacher, and ardent advocate of classical guitar.
Xavier Jara earned his master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in May 2020. He is the 1st prize winner of the 2016 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition. A native of Minnesota, he was a student of Alan Johnston at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis until 2011 when he moved to Paris, France to study with Judicaël Perroy.
Matt Palmer holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The University of Arizona and has appeared as a soloist throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico, Canada, South America, and the Caribbean. A recent recipient of the “Up and Coming Guitarist of the Year” award by Guitar International Magazine, Matt has been described by critics as “a young artist about to make a real dent in the world of classical guitar.” (Premier Guitar Magazine)
The Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts (BSPA), located in Brownsville, Texas, was founded in 1994, and its mission is to enhance quality-of-life in the community through cultural entertainment, striving to produce quality programming to a largely underserved community. Of special interest to the BSPA are performing arts that are mostly inaccessible to a large portion of the community. To the best of its ability, the BSPA generates performance opportunities, organizes competitions, endows scholarships, provides financial assistance, holds master classes and clinics, and supports similar activities with a clear educational value. BSPA helps those that pursue a career in music and dance education or other work in the performing arts field.
Gris Munoz will be one of the featured authors at this year’s virtual Texas Book Festival. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
The Texas Book Festival is excited to announce the lineup for its annual Festival featuring nationally renowned authors, including Matthew McConaughey, David Chang, Kevin Kwan, Sigrid Nunez, Isabel Wilkerson, Julia Alvarez, Michael J. Sandel, Ibi Zoboi and more. One of the largest literary festivals in the country, Texas Book Festival is moving to a virtual format for the 25th anniversary of the Festival. The two-week online event will kick off on Saturday October 31 and run through Sunday November 15. (The Texas Book Festival, 2020).
Among the award-winning authors scheduled to appear at the festival this year, Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey will present “Greenlights,” a memoir filled with stories and life lessons from the beloved native Texan’s life. McConaughey is also the founder of the ‘just keep livin’ foundation, which helps promote the health and well-being of high school students.
Kevin Kwan will present his new novel, “Sex and Vanity,” a modern retelling of E. M. Forster’s “A Room with a View,” set on the island of Capri and starring Lucie Churchill, who has always ignored her Chinese-American mother’s culture in favor of her white New Yorker father’s, especially when she meets and falls for George Zao. Kwan’s “Crazy Rich Asians” was a The New York Times bestseller, a major motion picture and has been translated into more than 30 languages.
The 2020 Virtual Festival lineup features more than 125 authors, illustrators, poets, journalists, artists, and thought leaders across a diverse array of genres and topics. The Festival will also showcase previously announced authors Michael Ian Black, Nick Hornby, Dean Koontz, Erin Brockovich, Robert Draper, Stephen Graham Jones, Kathy Valentine and more.
Elizabeth Acevedo and Nic Stone will be the keynote speakers for the 2020 Texas Teen Book Festival. The TTBF lineup also includes Tiffany D. Jackson, Candace Bushnell, Natalia Sylvester, Lilliam Rivera, Yamile Saied Méndez, Rory Power, Francisco X. Stork and more.
Children’s programming will run from Monday November 2 to Friday November 6 and will include acclaimed children’s authors and illustrators Jon Scieszka and Steven Weinberg, Derrick Barnes, Raúl The Third, David Bowles, Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey and more.
Adult author programming will run from Friday November 6 to Sunday November 15. The First Edition Literary Gala will also take place virtually this year on Friday, November 6 at 7:30p.m., featuring authors Julia Alvarez, Nick Hornby, and Natasha Trethewey, as well as emcee Michael Ian Black.
The Festival continues to be free and open to the public thanks to generous sponsors and dedicated volunteers. The 2020 Virtual Texas Book Festival is co-presented by H-E-B and AT&T. Other major sponsors include Brigid Cockrum and Family, Kirkus Reviews, Tocker Foundation, Tapestry Foundation, Texas Monthly, Buena Vista Foundation, Still Water Foundation, C-SPAN 2/Book TV, Central Market, Austin American-Statesman, Pentagram, Jordan Foster Construction and Loewy Law Firm.
Founded in 1995 by former First Lady Laura Bush, Mary Margaret Farabee and a group of volunteers, the nonprofit Texas Book Festival promotes the joys of reading and writing through its annual Festival, the Texas Teen Book Festival, the Reading Rock Stars Title I elementary school program, the Real Reads Title I middle and high school program, grants to Texas libraries and year-round literary programming.
“The 25th Anniversary Texas Book Festival will be one for the record books, and not only because we will be all virtual. The authors we are hosting are so talented, and we can’t wait to share dozens of unforgettable conversations with everyone, everywhere.” – Lois Kim, Texas Book Festival Executive Director
Rebecca Roanhorse is a The New York Times’ bestselling author, and a Nebula award-winning and Hugo-nominated speculative fiction writer. She is also a 2017 Campbell Award Finalist for Best New Science Fiction and Fantasy writer. Her novel ‘Trail of Lightning’ is the first book in the Sixth World series, followed by “Storm of Locusts” in 2019. ‘Black Sun,’ an epic fantasy set in a secondary world inspired by the Pre-Columbian Americas, is her next novel and will be released on Tuesday October 13, 2020. ‘Trail of Lightning’ is a recommended summer read for science fiction/fantasy fans and features Maggie Hoskie, a Dinétah monster hunter and supernaturally gifted killer.
In ‘Trail of Lightning,’ while most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah, formerly the Navajo reservation, has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land but so do monsters. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last best hope. What Maggie uncovers about the monster is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine. She reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel the reservation, unraveling clues from ancient legends, trading favors with tricksters and battling dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology. As Maggie discovers the truth behind the killings, she will have to confront her past if she wants to survive.
Adam Ochoa and Alyx Irene Gonzales in The Classic Theatre’s production of ‘Our Town.’ Photo: Siggi Ragnar, used with permission.
The next production at The Classic Theatre of San Antonio, ‘Our Town,’ opens on Friday March 20. A three act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Written by Thornton Wilder and directed by Mark Stringham ‘Our Town’ will run until Sunday April 12. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 8p.m. and Sunday at 3p.m. Tickets are $39 for general admission, $35 for senior, military, educator or SATCO, and $24 for student and are available online. ID is required. On opening night, there will be a complimentary champagne reception after the show. (The Classic Theatre, 2020)
This heartfelt classic drama by American playwright Thornton Wilder tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover’s Corners between 1901 and 1913 through the everyday lives of its citizens. How do the characters find meaning and contentment as their dreams, relationships and futures unfold?
Special events:
Free Student Nights- March 26, April 2, April 9 at 7p.m. School groups can register online for this program.
Community Conversation- April 5, 2020. Join The Classic Theatre for a conversation with the cast and director of ‘Our Town’ after the show. This event is free and open to the public.
The Classic Theatre of San Antonio
1924 Fredericksburg Rd
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 589-8450
‘Come From Away’ will play at the Majestic Theatre from February 25 through March 1. Photo: Google
Coming up next week at the Majestic Theatre is ‘Come From Away,’ a retelling of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. On September 11, 2001 the world stopped. On September 12, their stories moved us all. (North Park Lexus Broadway in San Antonio, 2020)
Tickets for ‘Come From Away’ start at $45 and are available online, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787 or by visiting the Majestic Box Office. The Majestic Box Office does not accept single ticket orders over the phone; all ticket sales must be made in person. Majestic Box Office hours are 10a.m. to 5p.m. Monday through Friday. Saturday hours vary weekly, call (210) 226.3333 to verify. Orders for groups of 10 or more may be placed by calling (210) 226-5967. Performance times are 7:30p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 8p.m. on Friday; 2p.m. and 8p.m., Saturday and 2p.m. and 7:30p.m. on Sunday.
‘Come From Away’ is an uplifting story about strangers coming together and helping one another during extreme time of need. For this reason, North Park Lexus Broadway in San Antonio will host a special donation drive at the Majestic Theatre from Tuesday, February 25 through Sunday, March 1, all to benefit local organization Corazon Ministries.
Celebrating 20 years, Corazon Ministries at Travis Park Church serves the homeless by providing hot meals four times per week, clothing, warm showers, hygiene items, access to primary medical care, optometry and dermatology care, barber haircuts, art therapy, recovery and prayer groups, and Bible study. It serves more than 25,000 hot, nutritious meals per year. North Park Lexus Broadway in San Antonio is inviting theatre goers to donate the following suggested travel size toiletry items:
Shampoo, conditioner, soap
Shaving cream, aftershave
Toothbrushes, toothpaste
Deodorant
Shower flip-flops
Donation drops will be located at the entrances of the Majestic Theatre, and inside the box office during the San Antonio engagement of ‘Come From Away’ from February 25 through March 1, 2020. Anyone wishing to donate clothing items, please contact Corazon Ministries directly.
“’Come From Away’ is an uplifting reminder of what humanity can be at its very best. We can all make the world better with small acts of kindness. For this reason, we’ve partnered with Corazon Ministries to host a special donation drive and invite everyone coming to see ‘Come From Away’ at the Majestic Theatre to bring a small toiletry item for this worthy organization.” – Emily Smith, Majestic Theatre General Manager
But there was no decision to make. This was my calling. Some powerful force had come to dwell inside me, something bigger and stronger than me. —Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai, as the world knows, was shot in the head by the Taliban on October 9, 2012, as she rode home on the school bus in the Swat Valley, Pakistan. Malala was fifteen at the time. She survived the attack, recuperated in England, and has continued her education. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her “struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.”
Can a child, an adolescent, a young person—make a world-changing decision? Is someone ever too young?
Let’s take a look at Malala’s story, because none of this came out of the blue. The “struggle” the Nobel Committee cited, was a decision that was so deeply embedded into her character that, at age fifteen, it had already become her way of life. And continues to be.
Seemingly from birth, Malala loved education. Her biographical material makes much of the fact that she sought to emulate her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, who was so dedicated to education that he had founded his own school, the one she attended. Such “private” schools are not uncommon in Pakistan.
But Ziauddin’s school and his outspoken daughter became special targets of the Taliban. The fundamentalist group had issued an edict against educating girls and death threats against the entire family (mother Toor Pekai Yousafzai and two sons). The school was forced to close for a time and had re-opened shortly before Malala was shot.
You might say that the child was merely following the example—or the dictates—of the father (who was supported in all endeavors by the mother). That the child made no decisions on her own. That happens in families all the time. I can think of many examples in my own life—involving my parents and the decisions they made for me when I was young, and about how my wife and I did the same for our sons. None of these decisions involved defying the Taliban and bringing danger to our family. But, that may not be the right way to look at what Ziauddin did. Were his decisions part of doing what parents claim we always try to do—leading by example?
Do you ever think about the phrase “an accident of birth”? It means that none of us are responsible for the circumstances of our birth—who our parents are, our family, our nationality or state or town, our genetic make-up, economic status and so on.
Among the things that Malala was not responsible for: That she was a first-born daughter in a culture that values boys over girls; that she was born into a troubled country being over-run by violent extremists. But it was also an accident of birth that she had two parents who were, by all accounts, as dedicated to her welfare, education, and growth as they were to that of her two younger brothers. It seems to me that Malala took what she was given and decided to run with it.
By the time she was shot in 2012, Malala had shown by her own example that she recognized her “accident of birth.” Her dedication to education for girls was in fact her own decision based on parental example. Consider her words, written just a year later in her autobiography:
“I was very lucky to be born to a father who respected my freedom of thought and expression and made me part of his peace caravan and a mother who not only encouraged me but my father too in our campaign for peace and education.”
At an even younger age than fifteen, Malala was already an ardent activist. She blogged for the BBC on the oppressions of life under the Taliban and was the subject of a New York Times documentary. She made speeches often, including one entitled “How dare the Taliban take away my right to an education.” The year before she was shot, she won both the International Children’s Peace Prize and Pakistan’s first Youth Peace Prize. As the Taliban’s noose ever tightened around her country, her family, and her safety, Malala’s outspokenness and visibility grew. As she wrote in her autobiography, “I decided I wasn’t going to cower in fear of [the Taliban’s] wrath.”
In the years since she survived the Taliban assassination attempt, Malala has become a global symbol for the cause of education for girls specifically and for the welfare of all children. Not even a year after she was shot, she addressed the “Youth Takeover” at the United Nations. Two years almost to the day after she was shot, the Nobel Committee announced that she would share the 2014 Peace Prize with Kailash Satyarthi, who made his name with international peaceful protests on behalf of children. Even with constant visibility while traveling the world to event after event, she completed the studies necessary to be accepted in 2017 into Oxford University (which fact she announced on her new Twitter account). Also in 2017, Malala was designated a United Nations Messenger of Peace “to help raise awareness of the importance of girls’ education.”
Malala is still enveloped in the support of her family, which left Pakistan to settle in the UK. The Economist, noting that “Pakistani education has long been atrocious,” included the following in a detailed and dismal examination of the current status:
“From 2007 to 2015 there were 167 attacks by Islamic terrorists on education institutions . . . When it controlled the Swat River valley in the north of the country, the Pakistani Taliban closed hundreds of girls’ schools. When the army retook the area it occupied dozens of them itself.”
Malala has written two books. The first, “I Am Malala,” was published a year after her shooting and tells, with the help of writer Christina Lamb, of her early life in Pakistan and the event that put her onto a new trajectory. Published in 2017, the second book is for children, “Malala’s Magic Pencil.” In it, young Malala yearns for a special pencil that would let her do all sorts of special, interesting things, including drawing “a lock on my door, so my brothers couldn’t bother me.” I think every child wants a lock like that. Eventually, she describes what we adults will recognize as an intention, a determination, a decision: “I knew then that if I had a magic pencil, I would use it to draw a better world, a peaceful world.”
Time will tell us how Malala’s decisions as a girl, a teenager, a young adult, and into the future will all play out, how world-changing they will be. My hope is that the answer is— immensely.
Malala’s story offers all of us one overarching lesson about decision-making that will help us all lead better lives:
If you are a parent or other adult in a position to influence children and young people, remember how important your own example is. The decisions you make on behalf of others may turn out to be the template that helps form their lives.
If that’s all you glean, that’s enough. But there are many other lessons to take:
Have courage to do the right thing, whether it is large or small.
Understand you may be attacked and plan for that in advance. I mean physically attacked, as well as the more expected verbal criticisms.
Recognize you may be a symbol for others and prepare for that in ways they will embrace and admire. And behave that way.
Follow your decision. Give it a chance to shape your life.
Do not give up.
Depend on each other. Know whom you can trust, and be that trustworthy person to others to the best of your ability.
Seek education and take every other opportunity to broaden your knowledge of the world and its people.
Robert L. Dilenschneider is the founder of The Dilenschneider Group, a corporate strategic counseling and public relations firm based in New York City. Formerly president and CEO of Hill & Knowlton, he is the author of the bestselling books “Power and Influence, A Briefing for Leaders,” “On Power” and newly released “Decisions: Practical Advice from 23 Men and Women Who Shaped the World.”
Twin Liquors, Texas’ fine wine and spirits retailer, is pleased to announce the Great Whiskey Release, a raffle opportunity to win a chance to purchase fine and rare whiskey. The whiskey offerings and lineup are unique to each marketplace location and can be previewed on Instagram and Facebook. Participants must be present to enter and win. The raffles start at 5:30p.m. and each attendee will be able to enter once. The raffle closes at 6:45p.m. and raffle drawings start at 7p.m. sharp.
Highlights of the Twin Liquors San Antonio Great Whiskey Release include:
Suntory Yamazaki 18 Year
Pappy Van Winkle 10 Year 107
William Larue Weller
Old Forester Birthday 2017
Old Forester Birthday 2018
Twin Liquors San Antonio Marketplace
12955 San Pedro Ave
San Antonio, TX 78216
(210) 403-2322
The next Oh Whata Night fundraiser is this Thursday March 7. Photo: Whataburger, used with permission.
Whataburger periodically hosts events to help the community and its various schools. These events have ranged from “Oh Whata Nights” to jalapeño eating contests, drawings and raffles. This Thursday March 7 from 5p.m. to 8p.m., Whataburger is hosting a fundraiser to benefit Mora Elementary School students. The public is invited to come and show their support by enjoying their favorite menu items and during the posted hours, Whataburger will donate 20 percent of the sales to the school. The first 100 guests will receive free Whataburger glasses and to add to the fun, there will be a photobooth and giveaways. This Whata Night fundraiser will be at the posted location only. (Whataburger, 2019)
“Whataburger believes in investing in the communities we call home. Mora Elementary is a new school in the area and we are happy to support it with a fundraising event.” Tom Willet, Whataburger Director of Operations.
Whataburger has been making burgers since 1950 when Harman Dobson opened a humble hamburger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. He wanted customers to take one bite and say, “What a burger” so he named his stand on Ayers St “Whataburger.” Whataburger now has over 700 locations across the country and continues to deliver fresh, made to order meals every day with superior customer service. Community support includes charitable giving and volunteerism to nonprofit organizations that focus on children’s charities, cancer research, hunger assistance, disaster relief and military support.
Whataburger
530 W. Loop 1604 N. (near Potranco Rd.)
San Antonio, TX 78251
(210) 647-4402
CIA Bakery Café will be open until Thursday April 11. Photo: Jessica Giesey, used with permission.
Savor, the new Modern American restaurant that opened this month at Pearl, is also now home to The Culinary Institute of America’s annual pop-up CIA Bakery Café. Under the direction of CIA faculty, students will be preparing and serving breakfast and lunch for the public with dine-in and takeout options. (CIA Bakery Café, 2019)
CIA Bakery Café is open from January to April. Students in the college’s Baking and Pastry Arts major have the opportunity to showcase their skills in a real-world retail bakery and sit-down restaurant. For breakfast and lunch on weekdays, Savor will transform into a café serving a range of fresh dishes. Morning offerings include fresh pressed coffee with a nitro brew and pastries like alfajores, traditional shortbread cookies with a dulce de leche filling, popular throughout Latin America. The breakfast menu includes items like Sylvia’s Brioche French Toast with macerated berries and whipped crème fraiche or a Pressed Egg Sandwich with spinach, mushroom, prosciutto and gruyere. Lunch will include homemade soup, salad and sandwiches such as the Fried Chicken Cubano with crisp chicken, gruyere, Dijon and sour pickles plus Chicken and Dumplings, potato gnocchi with porcini mushroom ragu.
Monday January 28 through Thursday April 11
Takeout is served Monday through Friday from 8a.m. to 2p.m.
Café dining is open Monday through Friday from 10:30a.m. to 1:30p.m.
Savor at Pearl
200 E Grayson St., Suite #117
San Antonio, TX 78215
Southerleigh Oyster Bar will now have Happy Hour every afternoon with food and drink specials. Photo: Southerleigh, used with permission.
Starting Thursday, October 25th, Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery will host happy hour at the recently opened oyster bar. Happy hour will take place in the afternoon Monday through Sunday from 3p.m. to 5p.m. with specials on food and drink. Featured items on the menu include $1 pressure fried wings and 75 cent fried biscuits. Dipping sauces are only 25 cents each with flavor options like Crystal Mayo, Black Garlic Ranch, Sweet & Spicy Tiger Sauce, Creole Honey Mustard, Roasted Jalapeño, Texas Sweet Onion BBQ and Texas Honey. There will also be $2 off all beer, wine, punches and mixes. This happy hour is only valid at the oyster bar and is not applicable to the restaurant. (Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery, 2018)
The inviting walk-up bar opened late September and features six Southerleigh beers on tap, plus several varieties of fresh seafood, including oysters, gulf shrimp, crab, caviar and more. The oyster bar is open daily during normal restaurant hours. More information is available online.
Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery, helmed by San Antonio Chef Jeff Balfour, brings a modern take on Texas’ cross-cultural cuisine to Pearl. Influenced by the coastal classics of Chef Balfour’s upbringing in Galveston married with the comfort of southern cuisine, Southerleigh boasts a curated, seasonally shifting menu that reflects Chef Balfour’s innovative craftsmanship. Southerleigh houses a custom manufactured brewery designed by Portland Kettle Works, bringing brewing back to Pearl with up to twenty different beers on tap.
Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery
136 E Grayson St., Ste 120
San Antonio, TX 78215
SA Examiner 