Truth is definitely stranger than fiction — but fiction gets plenty strange in A Highly Placed Source, a very funny novel by local media-relations consultant (and former Westword staffer) Michelle Dally. Drawing from her experience in politics, journalism and motherhood, she’s created an insider’s story that touches on everything from…
Reading Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking is no picnic. The critically acclaimed late author and activist, who suffered a breakdown and died by her own hand, minced few words in her award-winning account of the rampaging Japanese occupation of Nanking, China, in 1937, which resulted in the barbaric murders…
After finding a fantastic plot of land near Salida, Jill Warner and husband Erick Roorda thought it would be a cinch to build and set up the custom-designed prefab house they’d been dreaming about for years. It wasn’t. Complications arose. Confusion ensued. Undaunted, they waded in and began sorting out…
These days, environmental consciousness and green thinking are where it’s at — and the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 North Santa Fe Avenue in Pueblo, is at the cutting edge of culture. Six new exhibits at the venue examine art, nature and the environment, all under the banner of…
When you’re living with HIV/AIDS, it’s important to take care of your teeth. Issues such as dry mouth (which can lead to tooth decay, gingivitis and gum disease), thrush, swollen glands and more are part of the HIV/AIDS condition, which is why the Howard Dental Center is so important: It…
It should come as no surprise to anyone that journalist and activist Mariane Pearl will speak as part of the tenth annual Unique Lives & Experiences lecture series, which focuses on women who showcase the grace and resilience of the human spirit. Many know Pearl primarily as the widow of…
One long-ago July, in an RV with duck-motif interior, my family drove to Banff, Alberta. At my young age, the impossibly blue-green Lake Louise and the Rockies surrounding her were the most beautiful sights I’d ever seen. It’s no wonder the citizens of Banff have created a world festival to…
Because the Boulder International Fringe Festival is a 100-percent accessible and unjuried event, its organizers decided the only fair way to pick the participating artists would be to pull their names from a hat. But just because the Fringe lottery is random doesn’t mean it comes without fanfare. Tonight’s Big…
An evening celebrating art and sensual stimulation, featuring the Westword Masterminds awards, fashion shows, gourmet cuisine, live music and performances, art exhibits and more. A portion of the proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, Inc. The action moves to Club 1144, 1144 Broadway, from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Sat.,…
Every day Westword receptionist Steve Burge gives you the fashionable view from the front desk. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, right? Right. Our House Accounts Manager, Noel, proves that point in a retro style shirt from True Love worn under a tailored business suit by Nine West. Noel’s clothes…
Every day Westword receptionist Steve Burge gives you the fashionable view from the front desk. Something awful has happened. A “Look of the Day” featuring our classified advertising director, Teri, and a pair of amazing red crushed velvet pants was accidentally erased. Tragic, no? Luckily, our Siren of Sales was…
Money might not be able buy everything, but it sure can buy some sweet threads. Who’s our Look of the Day shy guy? I’m not supposed to name names but I’ll give you a hint: His suit is, appropriately enough, by BOSS. And as we all know, BOSS is definitely…
Every day Westword receptionist Steve Burge gives you the fashionable view from the front desk. Denver starlet and avid Broncos fan, Amy Board, shows off the perfect outfit for a classy Valentine’s night out. This floral frock by White House/Black Market references the dark, romantic style of the 1940’s. Amy…
Sandwiched somewhere between the American Spirit commercials and the Clinton campaigning that make up Definitely, Maybe is a surprisingly rewarding romantic comedy — one worth the effort, because some effort’s actually been put into it. Imagine old-school Woody Allen starring that shit-eating smirker from Van Wilder, Ryan Reynolds, who’s always…
Fleet-footed corpses are, from a physiological point of view, complete bullshit. “If you run that fast, your ankles will snap off,” says Jason Creed (Josh Close) to fellow film student Ridley (Philip Riccio), the gauze-wrapped lead of his no-budget Mummy opus The Death of Death. Pausing to regroup, cast and…
Freudians disheartened by the Bearded One’s fall from psychotherapeutic grace may be cheered to learn that ol’ Sigmund lives and prospers at the movies, at least in child-friendly cinema. The Spiderwick Chronicles, an extravagantly oedipal fantasy adventure based on the popular children’s novels by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, comes…
When it comes to giving a game a vibe, “awesome” is an easy mark to hit. Explosions, hot chicks, macho one-liners, and salivating mutants are all awesome. And it’s just about impossible to overdo the awesome: More explosions, more hot chicks, more machismo, and more mutants are only more awesome…
No Reservations(Warner Bros.) From its cheap, mid-’90s-looking package to its woefully scant extras (one pre-chewed Food Network behind-the-scenes, blech) to its wide-screen/full-screen option, this feels like something dropped right into the discount bins; it probably debuts at half off this week. And this soufflé of a romantic comedy deserves better:…
The Amateurs (First Look) The Beatrix Potter Collection (BBC Warner) Becoming Jane (Miramax) Blade: The Series — The Complete Series (New Line) Blue State (MGM) Charlie Chan: Volume 4 (Fox) Dallas: The Complete Eighth Season (Warner Bros.)Dedication (Weinstein) The Equalizer: Season One (Universal) Family Ties: The Third Season (Paramount) General…
The central figure in Lydia is a brain-injured young girl who rises periodically to speak to the audience, then subsides again on her pallet in the middle of the family living room, grunting and moaning. Trapped in her stiffening body, Ceci burns with sexual desire and a longing to continue…
I first saw the intimate, two-person musical The Last Five Years when Modern Muse presented it almost two years ago, and now it’s being offered by Denver Center Attractions. The two productions provide an almost-textbook example of the difference that staging, casting and a director’s overall conception can make. Because…
A Body of Water. In Lee Blessing’s play, two middle-aged people wake up one morning in a beautiful house near a lake — or perhaps the shimmering they glimpse through the windows comes from more than one lake or inlet; they’re never quite sure. They have no idea who or where…
