The poetry man

Poetry man Joshua Furtado, who hails from Tucson, won the 2012 Arizona Poetry Out Loud finals and will now compete in Washington, D.C.

You can’t make this stuff up. No sooner did I leave Phoenix Center for the Arts, site of Thursday night’s 2012 Arizona Poetry Out Loud finals, than the song “Poetry Man” by Phoebe Snow came blasting over my speakers — though I suppose “blasting” is a bit of an oversell. Weird considering how infrequently that baby wafts over the airwaves these days.

It felt a fitting homage to this year’s Arizona state champion, Joshua Furtado of Tucson High Magnet School, whose parents and younger sister were there to share the proud moment. Furtado was one of nine Arizona state finalists to recite two poems for judges including Robert Breunig, Jaime Dempsey, Carole FitzPatrick, David Mittel and Kelly Nelson.

Judges had to evaluate each student recitation on a scale of one to six using several criteria — physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, level of difficulty, evidence of understanding and overall performance.

Judges narrowed the finalists down to four students, who then performed their choice of a third piece. Furtado’s first recitation, of Eve Merriam’s “Catch a Little Rhyme,” was especially enchanting. Think whimsical, lyrical, lighthearted and sweet. His second poem was Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee,” and his third “Contraction” by Ravi Shankar.

Joshua Furtado is the 2012 Arizona Poetry Out Loud champion

I chatted with Furtado and his family after the competition, wondering whether his trip to Washington, D.C. to represent Arizona in the national finals will be his first journey to the nation’s Capitol. Yes, his mother told me — who suspects she’ll be the one to go along. Furtado was born and raised in Tucson, and his parents raved as we spoke about the quality and diversity of the city’s arts scene, though Furtado dreams of acting on the big screen in L.A.

I enjoyed meeting several of the finalists, and hope even those I didn’t get to connect with personally will consider this my open invitation to write a guest blog post for our readers — about whatever arts-related topic catches their fancy. A favorite poet. The value of arts in education. Ways poetry can change a life. A teacher who inspired them to transform words into art.

I saw several familiar faces in the audience — and chatted while there with both Boyd Branch, who is doing some new and interesting work blending art and science (more on that in a future post), and Francis Smith Cohen. Cohen is artistic director for Center Dance Ensemble, a resident company at the Herberger Theater Center — where “American Voices” will celebrate National Poetry Month on April 15.

Cohen is also busy readying for the annual “Arizona Young Artists’ Competition,” an outreach program of the Herberger Theater Center that awards scholarships to winners in three categories — voice, acting and dance. Seems there’s no shortage of youth vocalists in the Valley, but dance participants can be harder to come by thanks to all those spring recitals. Interested youth in the dance, acting or voice category now have until midnight on Sun, April 1 to enter (click here for details). This year, says Cohen, dancers can perform a modern or lyrical jazz piece.

“American Voices” includes both dance and poetry recitation, and at least one of the young poets I met Thursday night will likely participate. He’s Garrett Pauli, an intern with the Arizona Commission on the Arts who’s been a spoken word artist and performance poet for about a year. Seems Pauli caught the bug after hearing a motivational speaker, then running with his own passion for tackling injustice.

Injustice felt top of mind as I listened to guest reader and judge Charles Jensen recite several of his own poems Thursday night — including two on the subject of health care. His work is poignant and funny, and worthy of a wide audience. Stephen Colbert, take note. This gentleman would rock a stint on your show. In the meantime, folks can follow Jensen’s work via LOCUSPOINT online, where he serves as founding editor and “explores creative work on a city-by-city basis.”

One of Jensen’s poems plays with words in the Miranda warning. Seems he was especially pleased about delivering his first “law poem” in the presence of a judge. Chief Justice Rebecca White Berch of the Supreme Court of Arizona served as emcee of the 2012 Arizona Poetry Out Loud finals. Turns out she holds both a J.D. and a Master’s degree in English. Perhaps one day we’ll hear her recite poetry as well.

For now all eyes, and ears, are on Joshua Furtado — the poetry man.

— Lynn

Coming up: Working miracles

Ballet meets botanicals?

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” It’s the simplified version of something Cicero wrote in a 46 B.C. letter to a friend. But dancers might say there’s another essential he’s overlooked — the ballet barre.

I’ve got ballet on the brain after hearing an NPR story about an exhibit of Degas works in Washington, D.C. that features not only Degas originals, but also two mirrors and a mounted ballet barre. A dancer from The Washington Ballet who found she needed to use the barre, not merely admire it, was interviewed for the NPR piece.

If you sometimes find yourself facing the uncontrollable urge to dance, I know a place where you’ll fit in beautifully (assuming you’re in the age 21 + set). It’s a “Dance with the Dancers” event taking place Fri, Nov. 11 at the future digs of Ballet Arizona — a warehouse at 2835 E. Washington in Phoenix. It’s being presented by “The Ballet Barre,” the company’s “young professional group.”

Nutcrackers from our daughter Lizabeth's days dancing in the ballet

Younger dance lovers have other opportunities to enjoy time with Ballet Arizona dancers, including a Sat, Dec. 10 event called “The Nutcracker Family Affair.” It’ll take place at the Phoenix Convention Center, since two of the three ticket options for this baby include seeing a Ballet Arizona performance of “The Nutcracker” at Symphony Hall nearby.

Folks enamored with fairy tales but unimpressed with television shows like “Grimm” and “Once Upon a Time” can take in two ballets instead, and enjoy 25% savings with something Ballet Arizona calls their “Fairytale Package.” It includes tickets to “The Nutcracker” and “The Sleeping Beauty,” but is only available through Nov. 23.

Still, it’s a “ballet meets botanicals” work that I’m most eager to experience this season — the presentation by Ballet Arizona and the Desert Botanical Garden of “MOMIX: Botanica.” MOMIX is “a company of dancer-illusionists under the direction of Moses Pendleton” who’ve previously performed in the Valley at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.

As winter holidays approach, remember that tickets to live theater, dance and music performance make great gifts for teachers, friends and family members  — and that several arts organizations, including Ballet Arizona, offer holiday boutiques that make it fun to shop while supporting the arts.

— Lynn

Note: The Opera & Ballet in Cinema Series presents a live simulcast of the Bolshoi Ballet production of “The Sleeping Beauty” featuring Svetlana Zakharova and David Hallbert in three Arizona theaters at 8am on Sun, Nov. 20. Hallberg attended Arizona School for the Arts and trained with Kee-Juan Han at Arizona Ballet School in Phoenix. Click here for details.

Coming up: Another glimpse of “Glee”

I ♥ Banned Books Week

I stumbled on this sign last summer in the teen section of a local library

I had two kids taking classes at Scottsdale Community College one summer, and sometimes waited on campus between teen taxi runs. They always knew exactly where to find me — in a building where text from the First Amendment is painted across a wall in bold letters. Sitting under the words always felt just right somehow.

Most Americans profess their love for the First Amendment, but some have a hard time practicing what they preach — choosing instead to advocate the banning of books with ideas or words they find offensive. There’s a special week created just for these folks. It’s called Banned Books Week, and it’s held the last week of September each year.

Sales of this book benefit the National Coalition Against Censorship (I bought three copies)

I started my personal celebration of Banned Books Week a few days ago by reading a collection of original stories by censored writers. “Places I Never Meant to Be” is edited by Judy Blume — who’s written an introduction that addresses the history of book censorship in America and offers tips for fellow believers in books, banned or otherwise.

Those of you with a “run right out and do what’s forbidden” streak will want to hit your local libraries and book stores before the rest of the pack gets there. It’s a great week to take these books home and give them some love. The American Library Association has a list of banned books on its website. Being bad has never been easier, or felt quite as fun.

Often it’s parents who seek to remove books from classrooms and libraries. Blume suspects they’re “driven by the need to feel in control of their children’s lives” and “afraid of exposing their children to ideas different than their own.” The effects of censorship, says Blume, can be especially chilling for writers, young readers and communities.

There was a time when parents could keep the cat in the bag, but it’s long past. Hide or lock away those books if you must. Your children will still find the content, and relish it all the more because you’ve forbidden it. Better to spend the time getting comfortable talking with your child about diverse ideas and situations they’ll encounter in both books and real life.

Blume’s “Places I Never Meant to Be” introduction notes that censorship often happens “when you least expect it.” Don’t assume, if a book has never been banned at your child’s school or local library, that it simply can’t happen. Be aware and informed, says Blume. And familiarize yourself with anti-censorship resources now, including the following:

♥ National Coalition Against Censorship at www.ncac.org

♥ American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom at www.ala.org/oif

♥ People for the American Way at www.pfaw.org

Check with local libraries and book stores for news of events celebrating this year’s Banned Books Week, which runs Sept 24-Oct 1. Or visit the American Libraries Association for tips on organizing your own event. Folks who “You Tube” can learn more about a virtual reading of banned books at www.bannedbooksweek.org.

You can order this sticker online from Northern Sun

Turns out I won’t need to hit the SCC campus this week to appreciate their support of the First Amendment. It’s evident in their online offerings related to Banned Books Week, which you can explore by clicking here. Of course, you can always head to my favorite SCC sofa if it makes you feel better. Take a banned book and a friend along.

— Lynn

Note: Click here to enjoy a “Jacket Copy” post on Banned Books Week from the Los Angeles Times. Click here to learn about the National Book Festival taking place this weekend on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Click here to learn more about the Arizona Library Association.

Coming up: A tale of teen angst

What would Robin Hood do?

Liam Thibeault (Robin Hood) and Darian Lorrain (Marian) appear in next week's junior production of Robin Hood from Actor's Youth Theatre

There’s been plenty of political rhetoric of late. Should we cut programs for the elderly? Raise taxes on the rich? Rally for fewer regulations? Or argue for greater protections? And so I got to thinking — What would Robin Hood do?

If Robin Hood was an actual person, scholars have yet to name him with certainty. Opinions on his exact origins, whether real or fictional, vary. We can pinpoint the first references to Robin Hood in literature and song, and even find his name in plays by Shakespeare and others.

Adam Lundgreen (Sheriff of Nottingham) and Liam Thibeault (Robin Hood) in Robin Hood

The people of Nottinghamshire in England claim him as their own, making Robin Hood the center of their tourism efforts. He’s been the subject of a good 100 or so films and televion shows — even making appearances with “The Muppets” and the “South Park” gang (voiced by Trey Parker).

I’m told the tales of Robin Hood were adapted for children during the Victorian era. It’s these stories that paint Robin Hood as a man who takes from the rich and gives to the poor, making it fun to imagine how he might approach contemporary budget crises and the tough decisions they necessitate.

But I suspect that’s of little concern to young performers readying to open the Actor’s Youth Theatre junior production of “Robin Hood” at Mesa Arts Center next week. The production runs Tues, July 26 to Sat, July 30 — and tickets are just $11. For about a third of the cast, ages 8 to 13, it’s their first time on stage. So it’s especially important that folks come out to support the show.

Jacob Nielsen and Jacob Kerby play jesters in AYT's Robin Hood at Mesa Arts Center

“Robin Hood” is performed infrequently by Valley theater companies, another reason to see the show when the opportunity arises. The cast list is intriguing. It includes two pairs of siblings, and several youth with interests outside of theater. Think soccer, origami, journalism, chess, violin, robotics, camping and more.

Actor’s Youth Theatre notes that one of their older teen actresses, Adriene Dugger, is doing costumes for “Robin Hood” and that a high school student, Bryce Wagner, is designing and running the lights. Maybe I’m biased, but I think theater folk are some of the most well-rounded people out there.

L to R: Caitlyn Seiffert, Saylem duPont and Aundria Arneson play peasants in AYT's Robin Hood July 26-30

It couldn’t hurt at this point to send a few theater folk to Washington, D.C. Plenty are already involved with causes beyond the stage. I discovered Gwyneth Paltrow’s name on a list of board members for the “Robin Hood Foundation,” which “targets poverty in New York City by finding and funding the best and most effective programs, and partnering with them to maximize results.”

Whatever your politics, I think we all agree on at least one thing — the importance of supporting our youth as they engage in activities, like community theater, that hone the skills they’ll need to build a better future for themselves and others. I like to think that Robin Hood would buy a bunch a theater tickets and share them with his friends. My guess is as good as all the others.

— Lynn

Note: Photos courtesy of Actor’s Youth Theatre

Coming up: A pair of Saturday Disney offerings in Anthem

National Days of Remembrance

"Never Again" Sign at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site

Update: Click here to watch video of the May 17 national remembrance ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, which was broadcast live on the USHMM website. The ceremony included remarks by Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, who spoke of how “human compassion was out of fashion” during the Holocaust, and Isreal ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren, who shared that remembering alone is never enough — because goodness must be “galvanized by action.” Other speakers included U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who spoke about justice and the law, and USHMM director Sara Bloomfield. Click here to follow Twitter comments on this ceremony.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. has been charged by the United States Congress with leading our country’s national commemoration of the Holocaust.

This year’s Holocaust remembrance week is May 1-8. The theme is “Justice and Accountability in the Face of Genocide: What Have We Learned?” But you don’t need to visit D.C. to participate.

Observances are being held by state and local governments, military bases, workplaces, schools, synagogues and civic centers throughout the country, according to the USHMM.

Arizona events include the “CMS 3rd Annual Days of Remembrance Community Event” in Cottonwood — taking place Thurs, May 5, at 6pm at Cottonwood Middle School. Students will open the event “by sharing their published books about genocide and the Holocaust.”

A special USHMM program titled “Life After Death: Holocaust Survivors in the Postwar World” takes place that same evening in Scottsdale. It features Mark Roseman, Ph.D. , the Museum’s 2010-11 Ina Levine Invitational Scholar and the Pat M. Glazer Chair in Jewish Studies at Indiana University Bloomington.

Roseman will “explore the trajectories that survivors’ lives took after World War II and how popular perceptions of the survivor became central to the late 20th-century consciousness” at 6:30pm at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus in Scottsdale. RSVP by May 2 to Gerry Hoch at 972-490-6300 or southwest@ushmm.org.

Visit the website for Jewish News of Greater Phoenix for additional information about Holocaust remembrance and related events. If your organization is hosting an event, please share details by commenting below to let our readers know.

Click here to share a comment on the USHMM website about how you plan to remember the Holocaust this week, here to watch a webcast of the May 17 commemoration at the U.S. Capitol and here to learn how you can participate in a virtual names reading ceremony remembering victims of the Holocaust.

If you’re looking for additional information about Holocaust remembrance for children and teens, read “Remember and Act: Engaging children in social justice” in the May 2011 issue of Raising Arizona Kids magazine.

The article ends with the following reflection: Memory is never passive, and silence never neutral. We must remember, we must remain vigilant and every one of us must act.

— Lynn

Note: Information about the Holocaust, as well as Holocaust remembrance, is also available from Yad Vashem in Israel. Click here to learn more about “Jewish American Heritage Month,” celebrated in May.

Coming up: Bringing a Holocaust museum to the Valley

Big Bird or Elmo?

Some say Elmo has got to go. At the very least, he’s got to get off the public dole. And what about Cookie Monster? Isn’t he eating up valuable taxpayer dollars?

I got to chatting with Tom Tiding, writer of all sorts of things he proudly dubs “twisted,” about moves by some politicians to end federal funding for things like NPR and PBS.

Tiding will be in Phoenix this weekend to perform an original work in the “Phoenix Fringe Festival” — but was gracious enough to chat with me about other matters when we spoke by phone the other night.

Elmo, world-famous artist, teacher and Sesame Street character--putting my taxes to good use

I wanted to get his take on the controversy surrounding federal funding for public broadcasting — but erred in leading with “Elmo,” the one thing on PBS Tiding says he could definitely live without.

Tiding is more of a “Big Bird” kind of a guy, but we still managed to enjoy a civil conversation. Because truth be told, the “Sesame Street” gang will rise or fall together whatever their fate.

Some suppose that an end to federal funding won’t hinder our furry little friends in any way, since most of public television is funded through corporate and individual contributions. But Tiding disagrees, in his usual “twisted” fashion.

“If you lost twenty percent of your body,” he muses, “it wouldn’t just grow right back.” Even folks who are terribly fond of public broadcasting won’t be in a position to make up the difference when they’re struggling to meet their own basic needs.

I asked Tiding why some folks are making so much noise about needing to defund public broadcasting. He suspects it’s a bit of a ruse. The more attention supporters of PBS and NPR pay to its naysayers, the more distracted we’ll be as other perilous policies move forward.

Seems “Elmo” and “Big Bird” are mere pawns in that old political strategy called “bait and switch.” I see where they may be going with this, but public broadcasting opponents seem to be forgetting that we’ve got “Miss Piggy” in our corner of the ring.

I chose the sports analogy because, oddly enough, it was sports-related content that Tiding most enjoyed as a boy growing up in Minnesota and East Texas. Seems public broadcasting was his only real lifeline to the soccer he loved as a boy.

He’s also keen on shows like the “PBS News Hour,” describing it as “one of the few places you can go and get really intelligent people from both sides.”

Those who live in large urban areas with thriving cultural resources might see NPR or PBS as mere niceties, but they’re necessities for Americans living in outlying areas that don’t have access to many of the things they offer.

Think live theater, music and dance. History and literature. Science and medicine. Health and fitness. Civics and education. Think easy, affordable and equitable access to elements that form the very foundation of a free and democratic society.

There’s plenty of noise out there about all sorts of budget-related issues. For today, it appears, public broadcasting has been spared the ax. But policy and budget discussions involving NPR and PBS will no doubt resurface. So I’m keeping my eye on the prize — preserving federal funding for both.

Trust me, you don’t want to get between me and my “Elmo” — or Tiding and his “Big Bird.”

— Lynn

Note: Click here to learn more about this weekend’s “Phoenix Fringe Festival” (which features mature content fare) and the schedule for Tiding’s performances. Click here for details about “Sesame Street Live” coming to the Comerica Theatre April 29-May 1.

Coming up: Conversations with “Cosette”

Mixed reviews for Ronald Reagan

The reviews for Ronald Reagan — first as an actor, then as a politician — have always been mixed. Reagan served as our country’s 40th president from 1981-1989, and before that served as Governor of California.

I say “served” out of more than respect for traditional lingo on the topic — because I still believe that holding elected office is an act of public service. We do it a grave injustice today by reducing it to politics and punditry.

I remember my daughters considering service in the Senate when they were younger, having been raised to appreciate and admire the role of legislators.

They liked the idea of getting to know people in the community, listening to their diverse ideas, and working with others to craft ways to move collective dreams forward.

But one politician in particular, who rallies Reagan’s name to further her own causes, gives me serious pause (an expression attributed to Shakepeare’s “Hamlet”).

Lately I’ve been wondering whether actors, like Reagan or Arnold Schwarzenegger (Governor of California from 2003-2010), make good politicians — and whether politicians are becoming more skilled as actors.

I wasn’t terribly steeped in politics as a child. I suspect my mother, holding a more circular than linear view of time, was “apolitical” at best. As a young adult I didn’t pay careful attention to Reagan’s policies.

But I distinctly recall two bookends of his presidency — the 1981 release of American hostages and the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall separating East and West Germany (Reagan’s famous call to “Tear down that wall!” came during a 1987 speech).

Like most people, it’s the history to which I have some personal connection (however remote) that I remember best. Having studied in Heidelberg as part of the Pepperdine University “Year in Europe” program, I’ve always been finely tuned to events taking place in Germany.

When Pepperdine students learned that the Iranian hostages had been released and would be flown to a military hospital in Wiesbaden, we felt a surge of patriotism —  traveling by train to join the relatively small crowd welcoming them to this stop on their journey home.

We rushed to make signs, including a long banner that somehow made its way to the balcony from which the rescued hostages would wave to supporters there to greet them. It read: YOU’RE FREE! “AFTER ALL, WE ARE AMERICANS” (Click here to see the sign in an AP file photo.)

Our son Christopher, now age 21, was born the year the Berlin Wall fell. Parenthood has fueled my growing interest in history and public policy — and motivated me to act each day (if even in small ways, like writing these posts) to make some measure of difference for both my own family and the community we all share.

Ronald Reagan died June 5, 2004 — and was honored with a seven-day state funeral in Washington, D.C. I was attending a national mental health conference at the time, as executive director and non-compensated lobbyist for an Arizona non-profit.

Like many Americans, I stood several hours in line to write a message in one of many condolence books that reside now at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California.

I didn’t agree with everything Reagan said or did as President, but I respect the office — and those who sacrifice so much of self and family to faithfully carry out their duties each day (and night). I was humbled to witness our nation’s capitol mourn his loss.

I got to thinking about Ronald Reagan the other day as the airwaves broadcast celebrations of what would have been Reagan’s 100th birthday. One interview struck me in particular — I believe it was with his son Ron Reagan (just two years my senior) and another man who knew Reagan well.

Two thoughts offered during the interview left me feeling empathy with Reagan in ways that hadn’t ever occured to me before.

First, that Reagan’s political optimism was fueled by his dogged determination as a child to will painful experiences into positive perspectives somehow.

And second, that Reagan — despite being a deeply caring and genuine man — had very few, if any, close friends.

In both these ways I feel a certain sympatico with Reagan that I might never have developed otherwise.

But what, you might wonder, does this have to do with the arts?

I also heard a gentleman explain that Ronald Reagan loved inviting a few friends over for politics-free evenings of swapping stories. He noted that Reagan’s favorite storyteller of all time was his father.

Whatever your reviews for Ronald Reagan, on screen or off, embrace the power of storytelling. Make sure your children know about your own experiences with pivotal moments in history.

Remind them that public service is a noble profession. And work alongside them to create a better future for all Arizona families.

— Lynn

Note: Visitors to the website for the Ronald Reagan Foundation and Library can enjoy an introduction by actor Gary Sinise, who will be attending this month’s 2011 “Sedona International Film Festival”

Coming up: A week of firsts