City Week

A Plethora of Local Writers

"Books and Brunch"

10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saturday, July 10

O'Shaughnessy's

2200 N. Camino Principal

207-6890

Tucson is a city teeming with literary talent—and some of that talent will be featured at the "Books and Brunch" event, which will include a broadcast of Andrew Greeley's On the Bookshelf program on KJLL AM 1330.

Writers scheduled to appear include Melanie Lenart, who will talk about her new environmental book, Life in the Hothouse; Bradley N. Peterson, who will discussing his new young-adult novel, The Lost Spells; and Richard Buyer, who wrote Why the J.F.K. Assassination Still Matters.

Other authors scheduled to appear include Leslie Kohler (Sins of the Border), Alicja Mann (Looking at the World Twice, a collection of poems and essays), historical-fiction writer Ray Adkins (The Saga of Zeke Cooper) and novelist Lee Baldwin (Kyla's Angel, Dying to Rule).

Lenart, an environmental scientist and writer, said she received inspiration for Life in the Hothouse way back in 1988, when she witnessed a hurricane. The book argues that the world needs to stop emitting greenhouse gases into the environment, so we can control the world's heating problem.

"I was living in Puerto Rico doing an internship with the Institute of Tropical Forestry," she said. "A hurricane hit a week after I got there. ... Within a couple of months, the vegetation was already growing back. I thought, 'Wow, nature has a lot more power than we realize.'"

The writers are excited about the event, and anyone interested in local writing will notice an abundance of unique talent on display.

"Forums are always an interesting way to discuss your writing and ideas," said Lenart.

Admission is free, although there is a charge for the brunch itself. —A.L.


Little Village, Big Art

The Little Village Cafe Series

Opening reception: 6 to 8 p.m., Saturday, July 10

Works on display through Tuesday, Aug. 31

The Little Village

415-417 N. Fourth Ave.

Cafepasse.com;

Bohemiatucson.com

Many local artists have trouble finding places where the public can view and admire their work. Well, thank goodness for the Little Village.

Bohemia's art bodega (a satellite location of the bigger Bohemia that's located on Broadway Boulevard) and Café Passé make up the Little Village, and will be hosting an opening reception this Saturday for two local artists whose work is on display. Bohemia will showcase Ed Muren's artwork, while Café Passé will display the work of Joseph Marshall.

Both artists are from Tucson, and both have work on display in Fragment Gallery's Post No Bills street-art show. Marshall will be presenting Metal Tiger at Caffé Passé, and Muren will be showing Peeps ... and Their Personal Pursuits at Bohemia's art bodega.

Bohemia's Tana Kelch said the Little Village should appeal to individuals who appreciate local art.

"We ... plan on having this art show, with food and drinks for the public, so they can meet the artists," Kelch said. "This will be the second show we have had. ... The first show we had was more of a celebration that we were opening, but this show is more focused on the art being displayed."

Kelch added that the Little Village offers an artistic ambiance, in part because of the other art galleries and gift shops that are located in the area.

"The Village is a wonderful place for people to purchase and appreciate art, because it incorporates a variety of local art," Kelch said. "Muren's art work that will be displayed has a yoga-type influence, while Marshall's work uses a box-print style of art."

The admission reception is free. The works are slated to be on display through Aug. 31. —D.O.


New Cult Classic

Shadowcast of Repo! The Genetic Opera

Midnight, Saturday, July 10

Oracle View

4690 N. Oracle Road

292-2430;

www.myspace.com/tucsonrepocast

Repo! The Genetic Opera is quickly gaining cult-classic status—so much so that, as with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, people are gathering to re-enact the film.

The film takes place in the year of 2056. The human race has been plagued with an internal-organ illness that's depleted the Earth's population. However, the company GeneCo has emerged to provide organ transplants to the public. But there's a hitch: If the organ recipient can't make the required payments, he or she will have the organs gruesomely repossessed.

Talk about a bill that no one wants to forget to pay!

On Saturday, the Oracle View Theater will show the film with a shadowcast: As the film plays, live actors and actresses will also act out the scenes for the audience's pleasure.

Christopher Sabiston, the director of the shadowcast, believes the event will bring out a crowd of cult-movie enthusiasts.

"The film has been widely regarded as a cult classic, and I believe that the audience will be pleased with what they will witness," Sabiston said.

Sabiston said he plans to get the audience involved—and not just sit there, watching. He is also planning on making the show a once-a-month event.

"The actors will be taking volunteers from the audience to join in on the play, making the film more interactive. We want to make sure the audience can enjoy both the film and the shadowcast," Sabiston said. "Though we're not really focusing on the singing during the film, our main focus is to involve the audience in the shadowcast."

Doors will open at 11 p.m., and the show will begin at midnight. Admission is $8. —D.O.


Pests, Go Away

"Food for Thought: Non-Chemical Control of Insects in Your Home and Garden"

Noon to 1 p.m., today, Thursday, July 8

Joel D. Valdez Main Library

101 N. Stone Ave.

791-4010

Many Tucsonans have a summer problem on their hands—and we're not talking about the heat.

That problem: pests in your home and gardens. From pesky mosquitoes buzzing around weekend cookouts to beetles scattered throughout your backyard, they're everywhere.

Well, the Joel D. Valdez Main Library is here to help, with the lecture "Food for Thought: Non-Chemical Control of Insects in Your Home and Garden."

"I have been doing these types of lectures for about 15 years, and my main goal is to inform the audience that using non-chemical resources should be the first step in controlling a pest problem," said presenter Christina O'Connell, an entomologist. "I am not anti-chemical, but I just believe that regulating sanitation and moisture control will benefit a person more.

"Using chemicals should be the last step in controlling a pest problem. I also do these lectures because using non-chemical resources is a lot cheaper than using chemicals to control a pest problem."

O'Connell said she will go over 50 different common insects, and will also discuss any insects that individual attendees may be having problems with.

"I will show how the insect looks at birth, what they eat and how they can be controlled," O'Connell said.

Admission to the lecture is free. A two-hour free parking validation is available for the structure located beneath the library. —D.O.