Beyond the Literal
A 1904 automobile. A bizarre autopsy. A chimpanzee. These otherwise random elements intersect in Yann Martel’s new novel, “The High Mountains of Portugal.” Martel is best known as the author of “Life of Pi,” a story with a surreal plot that tests readers’ ability to...
No Exceptions
Just when Americans thought the country had rid itself of involuntary servitude, the prison-industrial complex was born. Since colonial slavery was abolished in 1865, many people are still unaware that language in the U.S. Constitution’s 13th Amendment allows slavery to continue. The Amendment declares that...
An Unconventional Museum Experience
Passersbys might notice some oddly placed blue signs around campus — maybe the snapshot of handwritten text by the Academic Resource Center or the picture of an iPhone near the Porter squiggle. The UC Santa Cruz Institute of Arts and Sciences (IAS) has worked with...
Swimming the Swamp
The usual crowd of animated Santa Cruzans, students and locals, dripped with sweat as they counted down the 30 minutes until Dr. Dog claimed the stage at The Catalyst on Jan. 31. Blue hues from LED lights decorated drummer Eric Slick’s drum kit, Zach Miller’s...
Q&A with Brian Fallon
Brian Fallon, of The Gaslight Anthem, The Horrible Crowes and Molly and the Zombies fame, is embarking on his first solo tour after The Gaslight Anthem announced a hiatus at the end of their “Get Hurt” tour last July. Fallon’s first solo album “Painkillers” will...
Black Feminism Takes Center Stage
Since she was 14 years old, Ryan Pearson has had a play in the back of her mind and hoped that one day she would get to direct it. Her high school drama teacher gave Pearson a monologue from a feminist choreopoem titled “For Colored...
Northern Bound
Three bands, three cities and vigor to exceed the boundaries of the music industry took the Catalyst Atrium stage on Friday night — all in the name of rock ‘n’ roll. “For the funkiest part of Northern California, Santa Cruz, this song’s called ‘Drive North,’”...
What’s the Deal With Local Comedy?
A group of men and women start arranging tables and chairs. They place candles around the room as overhead lights dim and musicians take the stage. When Thursday rolls around, so does this ritual. The tradition is secular yet its dogma is laughter — a...
Radio’s Not Dead
Long gone are the days when an aspiring artist can freak out over hearing their song played on the radio. The once intimate and sentimental relationship between the listener and the radio has been betrayed. Commercial radio is inundated with top 40 hits, where the...
A Holiday to Reflect
“Blood bursting from the seams of our American dreams like the final rapture — yet the only revelation I have come to is realizing my voice is like the second coming,” said Rainbow Theater member Missy Rae Magdalera, as she recited her poem. “Like a...