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by Tracy Shaffer

If you are interested in an evening of brilliant satire in the hot Latin mode, American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose is just your ticket. Written by playwright Richard Montoya and developed by L.A.’s famed Latino/Chicano comedy group, Culture Clash, this ain’t your high school civics class!

The ballad begins with David DeSantos as Juan Jose, walking through the rugged Sonoran Desert with a song in his heart, a back-up band of mariachis, and a head full of American dreams. Fast forward to our hero the night before he takes his citizenship test, cramming the truths, the lies and the absurd realities that make up our American history in a hallucinogenic, satirical, spinning nightmare. A cast of nine actors play eighty roles that range from wildly comedic to high-octane outrageous. To call it irreverent would be reducing its heat to pico de gallo; this is hotter than a habanero. Nothing is sacred, no one is spared in this delicious, fast-paced, insightful and yes, heartwarming tale of two cultures, one country.

24 October, 2011 /
by Art Goodtimes

The Norwood Writers Guild has teamed up with ACE of Norwood and the Wilkinson Library to host Long Beach poets RD “Raindog” Armstrong and G. Murray Thomas for readings in Norwood, Monday, Oct. 24th at the Livery beginning at 7 p.m. and in Telluride, Tuesday, Oct. 25th at the Wilkinson Library beginning at 6 p.m.

These two events will be the start of a three state tour of Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona for the two writers, who are promoting their new books: Armstrong’s E/OR – Living Amongst the Mangled (Lummox Press, 2010) and Thomas’s My Kidney Just Arrived (Tebot Bach, 2011). Armstrong, publisher of Lummox Press, will also be showcasing Working the Wreckage of the American Poem (Lummox Press, 2011).

24 October, 2011 /

by Peter Kenworthy, Executive Director

Editor's note: Mountainfilm in Telluride is the festival that keeps on giving. Earlier this month, on October 5, Mountainfilm in Telluride awarded $25,000 in grants. This coming weekend, Mountainfilm on Tour hits the Big Apple with a weekend program, October 21 – October 23, at New York's prestigious Lincoln Center. Look for Telluride Inside… and Out's coverage of that event in a series of posts this week. Below is the skinny on the grants.

Representing a highly diverse scope of projects – from a biographical film about a living legend of Himalayan mountaineering to a photographic exploration of art and activism in the aftermath of Japan’s recent tsunami, Mountainfilm Commitment grantees will receive $5,000, each, as well as a new MacBook Pro. The winning applicants were chosen from a field of over 100 contenders. Mountainfilm introduced its granting initiative last year as a means to help ensure that important stories are told – and heard.

16 October, 2011 /
by Jane Shivers

Shivers photoSometimes you have to get out of town to appreciate what you have at home.

Telluride and towns in Switzerland have a lot in common; gorgeous scenery, challenging skiing, clean air, great food, and a reputation for being a bit pricey. We are in Zurich often on business.  It is a beautiful city with eye candy galore on its cobblestone streets; boutiques, parks, churches, trams, sidewalk cafes. Women and men here dress well. Clothes come from Italy, Germany, and England and even women pushing babies about in fancy strollers look as though they just stepped out of a photo fashion shoot. I am almost certain I saw a Prada handbag on a tiny baby wrist yesterday.
16 October, 2011 /

By Jesse James McTigue

Moab, Utah is full of some of the most mind-boggling spectacles and seeming impossibilities.   Flowers bloom among the arid, desert landscape; rock-towers spiral skyward; and delicate arches perforate smooth rock formations.

Every October, in the middle of all of this natural wonderment, an even more mind-boggling spectacle occurs – the 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race.

24 hours 1The race occurs at the end of the mountain biking season and has contenders racing from noon Saturday to noon Sunday, for 24 hours straight. Most competitors race on a four or five person team, requiring each individual rider to complete the 15-mile course three or four times. There are also competitors who compete as solo and duo riders and some of these folks do it on a single-speed—a mountain bike with one fixed gear.

Every year, I am amazed at how many people are willing to subject themselves to this race (including myself). Competitors range from professional cyclists to groups of friends looking for a good time and a personal challenge. Some teams are raising money for a cause; others are just hoping to survive.

14 October, 2011 /

DFW

by Tracy Shaffer

Enough of the protest and politics, this weekend I want to occupy some frothy fun! What better place to let one’s hair down than the 2nd Annual Denver Fashion Weekend and 5th Annual Hair Show? 303 Magazine and Schomp Automotive are the presenting sponsors for this three- night extravaganza benefitting Dress for Success Denver. It’s always a kick in the wide-leg pants to see what the local fashionistas are up to, and the 2011 collection of collections is sure to be a round-house.

The runway heats up on Thursday night as personal stylist, Candice Goins launches her private shopping boutique, Candies Closet. Models will stop, turn and pout wearing current and vintage pieces by the fashionably fabulous one-name types including McQueen, Chanel, Dior, Halston, Versace, and Wang.  Hair by Scarlet Salon, make-up by Jade from Gordon’s on Sixth, produced by the renowned Autumn Binion and Au79 Productions.

13 October, 2011 /

When the snow flies early in Telluride as it did last week, we like to escape to Utah. Last weekend, instead of heading to Moab, we decided to go to a place that we hadn’t visited in a while: Comb Wash and the Cedar Mesa Plateau.

Comb Wash is an hour further than Moab but much quieter. It is filled with fantastic ruins and hikes. Located just southwest of Blanding, Utah, this is the beautiful spot that is infamously battled over in Ed Abbey’s fictional tale, The Monkey Wrench Gang. Mud Pies We also love Comb Wash because great camping is simple to find. Andy and I were slow to get out of the house Saturday morning, and we still scored a great spot by the river. Our girls had the best time dipping in and out of the river, wallowing in the mud and building mud cakes. When we finally convinced them to leave the mud, we wandered up South Mule Canyon to the Fire House Ruin. Photographers love this spot because the early morning light causes the ruins to glow. As we wandered up-canyon, we saw a handful of photographers traveling back with tripods and cameras. I didn’t really believe in the “fire” though, until I found these photos. (By the time we got there, it was midday.)
13 October, 2011 /

by Jon Lovekin

Wind River RangeHappily exhausted, we lay down in the back of the truck with the Muz (our dog) snuggled between us.  The night was cool, going on to cold.  We had eaten our supper while trying to absorb the view to the west.  It was as if Yosemite had collided with Rocky Mountain National Park and dumped out all the tourists along the way.  The only crowds here were the swarms of mosquitoes trying to find a drilling point on what little flesh we still had exposed.

12 October, 2011 /
by Jane Shivers ed. note: Jane Shivers and husband Bill Sharp are part-time locals in Telluride, and travel regularly for business and pleasure. This is Jane's first submission to Telluride Inside... and Out.

Crowded Tel Aviv beach Normal crowd at Tel Aviv beach

We’ve accidentally discovered a great time to go to Israel.  We arrived on a Thursday afternoon and checked in to the Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv. It is right across from the beach and in a great location for sunsets, beach walks, exercise, and good meals. When we arrived we asked the Concierge to set up a driver/guide for the next day to take us to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. There was some hesitation on her part because she said we would need to be back in Tel Aviv by about 4 p.m. because the city would shut down.

11 October, 2011 /

By David Feela (ed. note: David Feela makes a wry comment about our penchant for naming things, days, places for ourselves, our friends or our heroes. Happy Columbus Day.) You-Are-Here Pass We’ve named the mountain passes,fastened brass plaques where we stop and sigh,...

10 October, 2011 /