Into the Biennial: Part 3

by Becky Moda & Eric Jackson-Forsberg

While looking at Allyson Mitchell’s Lady Sasquatch installation, it occurred to me that in all representations of Bigfoot I had ever seen, it is always presumed to be male. Why? Is it the hulking size or the copious body hair, both generally regarded as male traits? Mitchell utilizes both size and hair to redefine and recontextualize femaleness with these 10-foot, multi-breasted, genitally engorged monster-women. Covered with fake fur and standing around a campfire in poses inspired by Playboy, these sexy beasts have the power to simultaneously give children nightmares while giving adults the giggles. Mitchell employs the sasquatch myth to emphasize two widely reviled natural physical traits in women: big and hairy. They are in-your-face, lesbian feminist pin-ups: sexual and powerful, pushing against the absurd perceived standards of sexuality and thus crusading for female self-acceptance. The effect is both antagonistic and endearing.

by Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I’m not necessarily recommending that you read Stanely Seigel’s book The Patient Who Cured His Therapist. But I do think you should regard the title as a suggestive metaphor for your immediate future. It’s possible that you’ll be helped by a person you’ve been helping, or be given gifts by a person to whom you’ve given gifts. Could it be that you’ll be healed by someone you imagine you’re superior to, or taught a beautiful lesson by someone you don’t understand? Meditate on the ways you might be the beneficiary of a role reversal.

by Chuck Shepherd

■ In September, prominent California cardiologist Maurice Buchbinder had his privileges revoked at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla after he allegedly roughed up an unruly angioplasty patient during and immediately after the procedure. Buchbinder was so irritated by the patient’s combativeness that he even (according to witnesses interviewed by state medical licensing officials) delivered a pair of what could be described as “Three Stooges” moves: bopping the patient in the head with the tip of his elbow and twisting the patient’s nose until it turned “bluish.”

$hameless

by Michael I. Niman

It seems someone around the White House recently told George W. Bush about vetoes—a tool he never once used when Republicans ran both houses of Congress. Last year’s arrival of Democrats, at least in name, on the Hill appears to have changed that. Thrilled with his sharp new veto pen, it seems Bush has his tricycle all oiled up for a 15-month joyride. His most noticeable piece of road kill to date, victim of veto number four, is the bill to fund health insurance for children of lower-income families—and let’s forget, for the moment, why they’re low income, or why their parents don’t have similar rights to healthcare.

Championing Sprawl

by Peter Koch

We’ve occasionally wondered whether the Buffalo News is jaw-droppingly stupid, or if its editors simply demonstrate a willful ignorance. In the case of this past Sunday’s Business page, we can only assume the latter. There, prominently featured on the front page, reporter Matt Glynn wrote a well-researched piece entitled, “Area escapes U.S. home-building slump” (Sunday, October 7, Page D1). The headline, while technically accurate, seems to herald that fact as good news. The fact of the matter is, though, with our population steadily declining, we shouldn’t be building any homes. At all. In other words, rather than wiping our brows and sighing in relief that we’ve escaped the slump, we should be collectively scratching our heads in disbelief and saying, “How the hell did that happen?”

Prisoner Exchanges

by Leslie James Pickering

Karima Amin taught language arts, drama, social studies and reading in the Buffalo public school system for 24 years. In 1994, she resigned from teaching to pursue her passion for storytelling.

Cool Schools

by Albert Chao

The crisp edge of the water mirrors the mass of the building. Set in Wybourn, just outside of Sheffield, UK, carefully positioned windows create viewports of a breathless beautiful view of the landscape. Inside, natural daylight softly illuminates the building. Architecture becomes dynamically intertwined with landscape.

by Javier

Henry Winkler (pictured above) starred as the Fonz in the popular 1974-84 sitcom Happy Days which was created by Garry Marshall. Now, the Fonz is back (although without Winkler) in Happy Days: The Musical! Over the past few years, Marshall, together with Paul Williams, has been working on a musical version which was further developed this past summer at Goodspeed, where it had a sold-out run. It just opened at Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey and is now set to embark on a national tour. Winkler, who turns 62 in a couple of weeks, is happy that the Fonz legacy goes on.

Buffalo's Jewish Community Book Fair

by Francis Boots

This year’s Jewish Community Book Fair is the 41st, and this year’s program of speakers presents a balance of local and out-of-town authors.

When You Positively, Absolutely Have to Be There Five Minutes Ago

by Jim Corbran

Regular readers of this space (and I hope you’re all “regular”) have probably come to notice that I’m not much impressed by glamor and/or speed. Give me a good, reliable car that’ll get you where you want to go consistently. Throw in a good ride, decent handling, stingy gas mileage, a listenable sound system, and I’m there, ready to go cross-country. And it wouldn’t hurt if it wasn’t hit with the ugly stick, either. (This isn’t to say I haven’t owned a few dogs over the years. So sue me.)

An Avant-Garde Legend Comes to Town

by Girish Shambu

A historic figure of avant-garde filmmaking, the Canadian artist Michael Snow, will present some of his films and videos at Hallwalls on Saturday, October 13, at 7pm.

Return of the Native: Diva Division

by Jan Jezioro

Lovers of vocal music are in for a genuine treat this weekend. Internationally acclaimed opera star and recitalist Laura Aikin returns to town for a pair of concerts in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall on the UB Amherst campus. Aikin, a Buffalo area native, is a Clarence High School graduate who received her BFA in Music Education from the University at Buffalo. At 3pm on Sunday, October 14, Aikin will perform a song recital along with Donald Sulzen, her long-time piano accompanist. On Wednesday, October 17, at 8pm, the Slee Sinfonietta will present a challenging program, the second half of which will feature Aikin as soloist in three movements from modernist composer Pierre Boulez’ monumental work Pli selon pli. In addition, Aikin will present a master class for UB vocal students at 10am on Thursday, October 18, on the Lippes Concert Hall stage. The master class is open to the public for observation, free of charge.

My girlfriend is in a band, and I really hate the music they play. Do I have to go to all her gigs? Do I have to pretend to my old friends that I like it? —Music Lover