Briscoe Western Art Museum’s fall exhibit: Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art

Brenda Kingery Pow Wow. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

The Briscoe Western Art Museum is giving everyone a modern view of Native American art and showcasing stories of the West that go far beyond boots and spurs during its fall exhibition, VISUAL VOICES:  Contemporary Chickasaw Art. The traveling exhibition, which includes 15 Chickasaw artists and almost 60 artworks, will be on display at the museum from Friday September 25, 2020, through Monday January 18, 2021. The public was invited to enjoy a first view of the exhibition during its opening reception on Thursday, September 24 and there will also be a virtual curator’s talk on Saturday, September 26. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2020)

Featuring the artworks of present-day Chickasaw painters, potters, sculptors, metalsmiths and weavers, the exhibition tells a beautiful and compelling contemporary visual story. From oil and watercolor paintings to textiles and metals, glass and bronze, the artworks are unique, intrinsically Southeastern in design and distinctive among contemporary tribal artists. Chickasaw artists featured in the exhibition include Brenda Kingery, Brent Greenwood, Daniel Worcester, Billy Hensley, Margaret Roach Wheeler, Norma Howard, Maya Stewart, Lisa Hudson, Dustin Mater, Paul C. Moore, Tyra Shackleford, Erin Shaw, Lokosh (Joshua D. Hinson), Joanna Underwood Blackburn and Kristen Dorsey.

Featured in the exhibition, Dustin Mater’s “Cosmic Warrior II”, a 2015 mixed media work that includes acrylic on molded plastic, as well as rabbit fur, deer antler and black lip oyster shell, is the stunning stormtrooper helmet that goes beyond anything George Lucas ever envisioned. And is definitely not a typical Native American headdress.

VISUAL VOICES Virtual Curator’s Talk

Saturday, September 26, 11a.m. – Noon

Join Ryan Badger, the Briscoe’s Curator of Education, and VISUAL VOICES: Contemporary Chickasaw Art curators, Dr. Manuela Well-Off-Man and Karen Whitecotton as they discuss VISUAL VOICES. Well-Off-Man, chief curator of the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, and Whitecotton (Citizen Potawatomi), the director of collections at the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture, will discuss the background of the VISUAL VOICES exhibition as it closes out its national tour at the Briscoe. Tickets are free for museum members and $10 for nonmembers. Briscoe members please RSVP by phone: 210.299.4499 or email: rsvp@briscoemuseum.org.

VISUAL VOICES: Contemporary Chickasaw Art is made possible by a grant provided by the Chickasaw Nation, guidance from the Chickasaw Artist Board and assistance from First Americans Museum. This exhibition is also made possible with funding from Humanities Texas and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal CARES Act. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The museum’s health and safety protocols require temperature checks and that both staff and guests wear masks. Additional sanitizing and cleaning protocols are observed throughout the day and both visitor services and the museum store feature plexiglass shields for additional protection.

Museum hours are 10a.m. through 3p.m. seven days a week. The Briscoe is located on the south end of the River Walk, near the Arneson River Theatre and La Villita, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or one of many downtown surface lots. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online.

Pumpkin Spice Roundup – chefs create locally made pumpkin treats

Pumpkin Spice Boba Tea from Bao’d Up. Photo: Julia Keim, used with permission.

Local chefs celebrate Autumn by taking pumpkin spice season to a whole new level. Get cozy and check out some of these locally-made pumpkin spice creations. (Bao’d Up, EVO Entertainment Group, Bakery Lorraine, 2020)

The Pumpkin Pie Bao is made with pumpkin purée, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and pecans all inside a Chinese pumpkin steamed bun. Bao buns are known for being light, fluffy and soft. The filling inside this bao is reminiscent of a freshly-baked pumpkin pie. Ting Lin, Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Bao’d Up, is a first-generation Chinese immigrant who is passionate about adapting traditional Chinese dishes like bao to the American palate in interesting and fun ways. Available for contact-less pick-up and delivery at all four Bao’d Up locations today thru November 30.

Pumpkin Spice Boba Tea is a new favorite fall drink. The creamy iced treat is perfect for a crisp fall day. Shaken with pumpkin syrup and spices, this boba tea is the perfect marriage of Chinese and American favorites, which just happens to be Bao’d Up’s specialty. Available for contact-less pick-up and delivery at all four Bao’d Up locations today thru November 30.

Bao’d Up is a minority-owned Chinese chain with four locations in and around the Austin area. The concept specializes in Bao or Baozi, which is a famous food category in many Asian countries. Bao’d Up uses a variety of different fillings and experiment with new ways of cooking the bao. Co-founded by tech entrepreneur Alex Wu and Chef Ting Lin, the first location opened in Central Austin’s Mueller Aldrich district on July 25, 2017. The restaurant quickly became popular for its fast-casual business model and technology-driven service platforms, including contact-free food lockers.

EVO Entertainment’s Pumpkin Spiked Shake has returned to all open locations for a limited time through Monday, November 30, 2020. The Pumpkin Spiked Shake was the result of a collaborative effort from EVO’s culinary team that returns each fall to the delight of customers. The boozy shake includes vodka and Baileys Pumpkin Spice liqueur and is available for $10.50; a non-alcoholic version of the shake is available for $8.50. 

EVO Entertainment Group® is an Austin based out-of-home entertainment operator comprised of a number of innovative brands including EVO® Entertainment, EVO® Cinemas, and EVO® Concerts. Since its launch in 2014, EVO® has gained a reputation as a leader in innovation, as well as one of the fastest-growing independent cinema circuits in the country. EVO® Entertainment Group currently employs over 1,000 team members and entertains nearly 3 million guests annually.

San Antonio’s nationally-recognized Bakery Lorraine just released their pumpkin spice macaron for Fall 2020. The shell of the macarons are seasoned with a house-made pumpkin spice blend and topped with roasted pumpkin seeds. Between the shells is an irresistible cream cheese buttercream that makes the macarons reminiscent of a pumpkin roulade. The fall-time treat will be available at all four locations of Bakery Lorraine, which stretch across both Austin and San Antonio.  

Bakery Lorraine is a San Antonio favorite and nationally recognized pastry shop famous for its colorful macarons and exquisite French pastries. Owned by chefs Anne Ng, Jeremy Mandrell, and operator Charlie Biedenharn, Bakery Lorraine was named one of the best new bakeries in the U.S. by Food & Wine and CNN’s Eatocracyblog, as well as one of the “13 Destination Bakeries” by Conde Nast Traveler. Bakery Lorraine has three locations in San Antonio including one in the Historic Pearl district, one in San Antonio’s Medical Center, and one in San Antonio’s RIM shopping center, including now an Austin location at Domain NORTHSIDE.

Book release: ‘The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez’ by Rudy Ruiz

‘The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez’ is the new release from Rudy Ruiz. Photo: google

Rudy Ruiz is a writer, advocate and social entrepreneur.  The award-winning author’s short fiction has received several awards,  including four International Latino Book Awards for his short-story collection “Seven for the Revolution” and the 2017 Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction. His stories have been published in the Notre Dame Review, Ninth Letter, Gulf Coast and New Texas. A native of the US-Mexico border, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Harvard, and now resides in San Antonio with his wife and children. Ruiz is also a regular special contributor to CNN and co-founder of Interlex, an advertising and marketing agency. His new book “The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez” weaves together the past and present as Fulgencio strives to succeed in America, break a mystical family curse, and win back Carolina’s love after their doomed youthful romance. It was just released this week.

Set in the 1950, in “The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez,” tensions remain high in the border town of La Frontera, Texas.  Yet amidst the discord, young love blooms at first sight between Fulgencio Ramirez, the son of impoverished immigrants and Carolina Mendelssohn, the local pharmacist’s daughter. But their bonds will be undone by a force more powerful than they could have known. Thirty years after their first fateful encounter, Fulgencio Ramirez, RPh, is conducting his daily ritual of reading the local obituaries in his cramped pharmacy office. After nearly a quarter of a century of waiting, Fulgencio sees the news he has been hoping for: his nemesis, the husband of Carolina Mendelssohn, has died. “The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez” offers a vision of how the past has divided us and how the future could unite us.

Book review: ‘How to Write Anything: A Complete Guide’ by Laura Brown

‘How to Write Anything’ by Laura Brown

Laura Brown, has taught writing to everyone from corporate executives to high school students. Her expertise includes instructor-led training, individual coaching, classroom teaching and e-learning development. She has more than twenty-five years of experience providing training and coaching in business writing and she has also taught composition and literature at Columbia University. Her book “How to Write Anything: A Complete Guide” is a practical guide to writing at work, home or at school.

“How to Write Anything” begins with an Introduction by the author where she explains that in all her years of helping people to write, she has never met anyone who “can’t write.” In reality, everyone can write, they just need to understand the process of writing and the exact situation they are writing about. This is where she comes in. The book is divided into three sections: Section I gives guidance about the writing process and techniques to use based on the writing task, Section II is devoted to “e-writing,” writing done on a computer, a smartphone, an iPad or any other device connected to the Internet and Section III is an encyclopedia of nearly two thousand different writing tasks and how to write for each. The Table of Contents divides the writing tasks according to topics to make them easy to find.

Even though writing has evolved from exclusively pen and paper to e-writing, it is still necessary to know how to properly express an idea or thought.  “How to Write Anything” is Internet-savvy for the modern age and has helpful advice on a wide range of topics from writing for personal life (holiday family newsletter, birth announcement) to writing at work (business letter, termination letter). The language is easy to understand and the writing advice is effective regardless of topic.  Each section begins with a background of the task, has a list of Dos and Don’ts to summarize the guidelines and the ‘Not Like This…’ ‘…..Like This’ sections give appropriate writing examples.  It covers a wide range of writing tasks, making it an essential guide for the whole family, particularly the sections on Social Media, page 210 – 219 and The Job Search and Human Resources, page 442-494. The helpful Index makes it even easy to look up a writing task. Overall, “How to Write Anything” is a how-to, a reference book and an essential writing resource that anyone can use.

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Television adaptation: ‘A Wilderness of Error’ by Errol Morris

The television adaptation of Errol Morris’ ‘A Wilderness of Error’ premieres on FX on Friday September 25. Photo: google

Errol Morris is an American film director of documentaries and former private detective. His documentaries have repeatedly appeared on many ten best lists and have been honored by the National Society of Film Critics and the National Board of Review. Morris has received five fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Guggenheim Fellowship and a MacArthur Fellowship. His 1998 documentary The Thin Blue Line is considered the best and most influential documentaries ever made. “A Wilderness of Error: The Trials of Jeffrey MacDonald” reexamines the case of Jeffrey MacDonald, the Green Beret physician accused of killing his wife and two daughters in their Fort Bragg home on February 17, 1970 and convicted on that crime on August 29, 1979. MacDonald has been in federal prison since 1982. A five-part television documentary true crime series based on the book will premiere on FX on Friday September 25, 2020.

In “A Wilderness of Error,” Errol Morris examines the nature of evidence and proof in the Jeffrey MacDonald murder case.  According to amazon, on the morning of February 17, 1970, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Jeffrey MacDonald called the police for help.  When the officers arrived at his home they found the bloody and battered bodies of MacDonald’s pregnant wife and two young daughters. The word “pig” was written in blood on the headboard in the master bedroom. As MacDonald was being loaded into the ambulance, he accused a band of drug-crazed hippies of the crime.

Errol Morris has been investigating the MacDonald case for over twenty years. “A Wilderness of Error” is the culmination of his efforts. It is a shocking book, because it shows that almost everything we have been told about the case is deeply unreliable and crucial elements of the case against MacDonald simply are not true. It is a masterful reinvention of the true-crime thriller, a book that pierces the haze of myth surrounding these murders with the sort of brilliant light that can only be produced by years of dogged and careful investigation and hard, lucid thinking.

The Classic Theatre’s Macbeth opens October 2

The Classic Theater of San Antonio’s next performance, Macbeth, opens October 2. Photo: Siggi Ragnar, used with permission.

Coming up next month at The Classic Theatre of San Antonio is William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Directed by Joe Goscinski, performances will be on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 7:30p.m., it opens Friday October 2, 2020.  Ticket prices range from $24 to $39 and are available online. COVID related safety guidelines are available online. (The Classic Theatre of San Antonio, 2020)

Performance dates: Friday October 2 – Sunday October 11, 2020 at the San Antonio Botanical Garden 555 Funston Place.

Friday October 16 – Sunday October 25, 2020 at The Espee (formerly known as Sunset Station) 1174 East Commerce Street.

Macbeth, a brave Scottish general, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. The play follows this loyal soldier as he seeks the crown regardless of consequences, asking the question what happens when ambition subverts reason in an honorable and loyal man? Cast includes Christina Casella, Carolyn Dellinger, Alyx Irene Gonzales, Emily Huber, Zach Lewis, Jon Manzke, Randee Nelson, Kacey Roye, John Stillwagon and Hunter Wulff.

Curanderas & Chocolate: Cuentos of a Latina Life opens September 30

Photo: Helena McNeill

Coming up at Teatro Audaz is Curanderas & Chocolate: Cuentos of a Latina Life by Patricia Zamora. Directed by Teatro Audaz Artistic Director Laura T. Garza, it will be staged at The Public Theater of San Antonio.  This one-woman show is written and performed by San Antonio, Texas Playwright and Actress Patricia Zamora, featuring stories of love, loss and hardship.  Funny, poignant and sometimes heartbreaking, this autobiographical show highlighting faith healers and religious candles will resonate with all audiences.  The play features seven colorful characters who explore the concept of faith and healing.  All performances are in English and will be livestreamed for guests to be able to enjoy a live theater performance from the comfort of home, or any other location. Once live audiences are allowed back in the theater, livestreamed performances dates will be available as well. (Teatro Audaz, 2020)

Curanderas & Chocolate opens on Wednesday, September 30 at 7:30p.m. with subsequent performances on Friday October 2 at 7:30p.m., Saturday October 3 at 2p.m., Wednesday October 7 at 7:30p.m., Friday October 9 at 7:30p.m. and Saturday October 10 at 2p.m. Ticket prices start at $20 for military, student, senior and children and $25 for general admission and are available online. Wednesday nights are Hispanic Heritage nights – special discount prices on Wednesdays: $10, $15.

Teatro Audaz is dedicated to exploring the varied experiences and cultures of Latinx people through producing and showcasing the creative talents of Latinx artists.  Their passion is to present monolingual and bilingual theater to San Antonio.

Texas Book Festival announces 2020 lineup for virtual event

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

The Antenna: Opening in virtual cinemas on October 2

The Antenna opens in Virtual Cinemas on October 2. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

The Antenna is a horror film with political elements that serves as a metaphor for the lack of freedom of speech in today’s Turkey. It stars Ihsan Önal, Gül Arici, Levent Ünsal, Isil Zeynep, Murat Saglam, Elif Çakman, Mert Toprak Yadigar and Eda Öze and was an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival, Sitges Film Festival and many more.  (Dark Star Pictures, 2020)

Release Date/ Theaters:

Virtual Theaters (October 2)-Including: Los Angeles (Laemmle), New York and major cities (Museum Of The Moving Image (MOMI), Alamo On Demand) and Philadelphia (Film Society).

Video on Demand (US & Canada) (October 20): Including: iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Xbox, Vudu, Dish Network and all major cable providers.

Synopsis – In a dystopian Turkey, the Government installs new networks throughout the country to monitor information. The installation goes wrong in a crumbling apartment complex and Mehmet (Ihsan Önal), the building intendant, will have to confront the evil entity behind the inexplicable transmissions that threaten the residents.

Running time:  115 minutes; Color; Language: Turkish with English subtitles; Rating: Not Rated (Horror)

Written and directed by Orçun Behram. Born in 1987, filmmaker Orçun Behram graduated from Columbia College, Chicago majoring in film in 2011. Establishing himself in Istanbul, he has worked on variety of projects from music videos and short films to documentaries. The Antenna (2019) is the director’s first feature. 

Distributed in North America by Dark Star Pictures – a new-age North American distribution company, focused on bringing unique and targeted content to audiences across the country. The company is committed to releasing auteur-driven, original cinema in the theatrical, digital and home video space. Dark Star’s goal is to create original marketing campaigns directly catered to audiences who will embrace our brand of thought-provoking cinema. The company also services distribution companies and producers in the theatrical, digital, and festival space.

New release: ‘Total Power’ by Vince Flynn/Kyle Mills

‘Total Power’ is the new novel in the Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn/Kyle Mills

Vince Flynn was an American author of political thriller novels best known for the Mitch Rapp series. He created one of contemporary fiction’s most popular heroes: CIA counterterrorist agent Mitch Rapp, featured in thirteen of Flynn’s acclaimed political thrillers. Rapp’s primary focus is stopping terrorist attacks on the United States and usually does so using less than acceptable measures. His frustration with procedures and red tape is a major theme throughout the entire series. All of Flynn’s novels are The New York Times bestsellers, including his stand-alone debut novel, “Term Limits.” He was a consultant for the fifth season of the television series 24. “Total Power” is the new novel in the Mitch Rapp series and it is a race against the clock when ISIS takes out the entire US power grid and throws the country into chaos.

Starting in 2015 with “The Survivor,” the Mitch Rapp series has been continued by Kyle Mills. Kyle Mills is the #1 bestselling author of nineteen political thrillers, including “Red War” for Vince Flynn and “The Patriot Attack” for Robert Ludlum. He initially found inspiration from his father, the former director of Interpol, and still draws on his contacts in the intelligence community to give his books such realism.

According to amazon, in “Total Power,” when Mitch Rapp captures ISIS’s top technology expert, he reveals that he was on his way to meet a man who claims to have the ability to bring down America’s power grid. Rapp is determined to eliminate this shadowy figure, but the CIA’s trap fails. The Agency is still trying to determine what went wrong when ISIS operatives help this cyber terrorist do what he said he could, plunge the country into darkness. With no concept of how this unprecedented act was accomplished, the task of getting the power back on could take time. Rapp and his team embark on a desperate search for the only people who know how to repair the damage, the ones responsible. With computers and communication networks  down, fuel can no longer be pumped from gas stations, water and sanitation systems are on the brink of collapse and the supply of food is running out. Rapp needs to get the lights back on before America descends into chaos.