Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 18, 2016

B2

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Mountain Views-News Saturday, June 18, 2016 

Jeff’s Book Pics By Jeff Brown


Raising the Floor: How a Universal Basic 
Income Can Renew Our Economy and 
Rebuild the American Dream by Andy 
Stern , Lee Kravitz 

Advances in technology are creating the next 
economy and enabling us to make things,do 
things,connect with others in 
smarter, cheaper, faster, more 
effective ways. But the price of this 
progress has been a decoupling 
of the engine of prosperity from 
jobs that have been the means by 
which people have ascended to 
(and stayed in) the middle class. 
Stern, the former president of the 
Service Employees International 
Union (SEIU) spent four years 
traveling the country and 
asking economists, futurists, 
labor leaders, CEOs, investment 
bankers, entrepreneurs, and 
political leaders to help picture 
the U.S. economy 25 to 30 years 
from now. He vividly reports on 
people who are analyzing and 
creating this new economy—
such as investment banker Steve 
Berkenfeld; David Cote, the CEO 
of Honeywell International; Andy 
Grove of Intel; Carl Camden, 
the CEO of Kelly Services; and 
Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem 
Children’s Zone. Through these 
stories, we come to a stark and 
deeper understanding of the 
toll technological progress will 
continue to take on jobs and 
income and its inevitable effect 
on tens of millions of people.But 
there is hope for our economy 
and future. The foundation 
of economic prosperity for all 
Americans, Stern believes, is a 
universal basic income. The idea 
of a universal basic income for 
all Americans is controversial but 
American attitudes are shifting. 
Stern has been a game changer 
throughout his career, and his 
next goal is to create a movement 
that will force the political 
establishment to take action 
against something that many on both the right 
and the left believe is inevitable. Stern’s plan is 
bold, idealistic, and challenging and its time 
has come.

My Brilliant Friend: Neapolitan Novels, 
Book One by Elena Ferrante 

 A modern masterpiece from one of Italy’s most 
acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, 
intense, and generous-hearted story about two 
friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante’s inimitable 
style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous 
portrait of these two women that is also the 
story of a nation and a touching meditation on 
the nature of friendship.The story begins in 
the 1950s, in a poor but vibrant 
neighborhood on the outskirts 
of Naples. Growing up on these 
tough streets the two girls learn 
to rely on each other ahead of 
anyone or anything else. As they 
grow, as their paths repeatedly 
diverge and converge, Elena and 
Lila remain best friends whose 
respective destinies are reflected 
and refracted in the other. They 
are likewise the embodiments of 
a nation undergoing momentous 
change. Through the lives of 
these two women, Ferrante tells 
the story of a neighborhood, 
a city, and a country as it is 
transformed in ways that, in turn, 
also transform the relationship 
between her protagonists, the 
unforgettable Elena and Lila.
Ferrante is the author of three 
previous works of critically 
acclaimed fiction: The Days of 
Abandonment, Troubling Love, 
and The Lost Daughter. With this 
novel, the first in a tetralogy, she 
proves herself to be one of Italy’s 
great storytellers. She has given 
her readers a masterfully plotted 
page-turner, abundant and 
generous in its narrative details 
and characterizations, that is also 
a stylish work of literary fiction 
destined to delight her many fans 
and win new readers to her fiction.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull: 
The Complete Edition by 
Richard Bach

The new complete edition of a 
timeless classic that includes the 
never before published Part Four 
and Last Words by Richard Bach.
This is the story for people who 
follow their hearts and make their 
own rules…people who get special pleasure 
out of doing something well, even if only for 
themselves…people who know there’s more 
to this living than meets the eye: they’ll be 
right there with Jonathan, flying higher and 
faster than they ever dreamed.A pioneering 
work that wed graphics with words, Jonathan 
Livingston Seagull now enjoys a whole new 
life.A wonderful book for adults and teens.


All Things Considered By Jeff Brown

HOW DID THE FIRST PEOPLE MIGRATE TO THE AMERICAS? 
BISON FOSSILS COULD HELP SETTLE THE DEBATE.

 If you want to know where ancient humans were, 
follow their food.After all, that’s what they did. 
About 20,000 years ago, Asian hunter-gatherers 
tracked their prey across a land bridge that linked 
Siberia with Alaska. A few millennia after that, 
those transcontinental travelers are thought to 
have sailed down the North American coast in 
pursuit of seals and other seafood.Then, some 
13,000 years ago, when America’s bison began 
migrating north through a lush land corridor 
exposed by Canada’s melting ice sheets, humans 
followed them there too.That’s the story told by 
bits of DNA extracted from centuries-old bones 
uncovered across the continent.

500 year-old shipwreck loaded with gold found 
in Namibian desert.

 Diamond miners recently discovered a ship 
that went down 500 years ago after draining a 
man-made lagoon on Namibia’s coast. While 
shipwrecks are often found along Africa’s 
Skeleton Coast, this one just so happened to be 
loaded with $13,000,000 worth of gold coins.
The ship was identified as The Bom Jesus, or 
“The Good Jesus”, a Portuguese ship that went 
missing 500 years ago while en route to India. 
The ship was loaded down with gold, tin, ivory 
tusks, and 44,000 pounds of copper ingots when 
it apparently went to its watery grave. In fact, it 
was the copper ingots that ended up playing a 
key role in the wreck’s preservation.

On the Marquee: Notes from the Sierra Madre Playhouse


GOODBYE, GLASS MENAGERIE


SEAN’S SHAMELESS REVIEWS 

THIS WEEK IN MUSIC

By Sean Kayden

Weird Dreams – “The 
Ladder” - In 2012, Weird 
Dreams released a favorable 
debut record entitled 
“Choreography.” Not too 
long afterward, the band kind of went on hiatus 
and disappeared. It wasn’t until earlier this year 
that they awoke. Doran Edwards, the singer/
songwriter, is now a solo artist performing 
under the Weird Dreams name. His first single, 
“The Ladder,” is off the long awaited sophomore 
album called, “Luxury Alone.” The resurfaced 
solo musician brings us a downbeat, solemn, 
and sadly glimmering snythpop song as his 
introduction song to the new record. It’s beautiful 
and absolutely reflective. It has a nighttime vibe 
to it as it guides the listener through a hazy time 
in life, wherever that may be. “The Ladder” is 
undeniably engrossing and Weird Dreams are 
worth finding and letting in. “Luxury Alone” 
came out June 10th via Tough Love. 


 Yung – “The Child” – Danish melodic punk band 
Yung just released their debut record, “A Youthful 
Dream.” These early twenty-something year 
olds show off youthful exuberance and wisdom. 
There is a particular sort of rawness to the track, 
“The Child.” Yung consists of singer/songwriter/
guitartist Mikkel Holm Silkjær, Frederik Nybo 
Veile on drums, and Tobias Guldborg Tarp on 
bass. The brand new record is inspired by late 
90s emo, but has much more to offer than 
identifiable similarities. The guitar lines on “The 
Child” are undulating and the bass is relentlessly 
pounding. The young band shows much promise 
and potential. While the record is a bit rough and 
course around the edges, “The Child” sounds 
very much like the title of this record—a youthful 
dream. Yung’s “A Youthful Dream” is out now on 
Fat Possum Records. 

 Palace Winter – “Dependence” - Australian-
Danish duo Palace Winter (Carl Coleman and 
Caspar Hesselgar) released their debut album, 
“Waiting for the World to Turn” two weeks ago. 
With the track, “Dependence,” we have another 
young band with much potential and drive. 
“Dependence” is a synth-ballad at its core. It’s 
certainly another melancholy tune for this list of 
songs, but truly affecting nonetheless. The song 
exemplifies an act of yearning as it shows much 
fragility through its stages. Once again, we have 
a tune that will display an impactful emotional 
resonance. With the combination of indie rock, 
psychedelic, and snyths, “Dependence” packs 
quite the emotive punch. Palace Winter reach 
a high point here with melodic undertones and 
great emotional altitudes. It’s a song that lingers 
with you far after it concludes and you’ll be glad it 
does. “Waiting for the World to Turn” arrived on 
June 3rd via Tambourhinoceros. 

 Twin River – “Antony” - Vancouver/Montreal 
band Twin River released their much anticipated 
sophomore record, “Passing Shade,” just a few days 
ago. The five-piece indie rock act is back in a huge 
way. Their new single, “Antony,” channels the likes 
of mega indie rockers, The War on Drugs. With 
reverberating guitars, sensitive songwriting, and 
immaculate vocals from Courtney Ewan, this one 
is a masterful piece of work. In fact, their debut 
record, “Should The Light Go Out” was more in 
vein of garage pop. It was good, but kind of green. 
At the time of its release, it echoed the likes of a 
lot of other bands within the genre. However, with 
the new record, Twin River takes a significant leap 
forward creatively. The sharper sounds, tighter 
compositions, and improved songwriting all shine 
not only on the stellar, “Antony,” but also the entire 
record. Twin River should have a big year ahead of 
them and it will be deemed rightfully so. “Passing 
Shade” by Twin River arrived on June 17th via 
Light Organ Records.

By Artistic Director, Christian Lebano

On Sunday we’ll close The Glass Menagerie. I am 
already mourning it. Working on this play has 
been one of the great experiences in my theatrical 
life. I’m so proud of what we accomplished. I have 
long wanted to direct this show. I’d been thinking 
about it for a long time. And we came pretty close to 
getting on stage what had so long been in my head. 
I’ve spoken of the family that gets created with each 
show – well I already feel bereft knowing that I’ll be 
saying goodbye to this one soon.

 It didn’t sell as well as I’d hoped it would and I 
have to ask if that makes this a failure? We have 
gotten used to very full houses since our success 
with Always…Patsy Cline. The shows which 
followed Patsy all sold-out regularly, but Menagerie 
didn’t. Even with some of the best reviews of any 
show in our history. It’s hard to know whether we 
just didn’t do a good enough job of marketing this 
show or if our patrons just weren’t interested in this 
play. Putting seasons together is tricky – we can’t 
do a steady diet of comedies and musicals – but I’m 
not sure if the smaller houses are a sign or just a 
happenstance.

 I will say that the comments I had from patrons 
will sustain me for a long time. As you know, we 
do talkbacks after every Sunday matinee (with a 
special one with the composer this Saturday.) The 
talkbacks have all been very well attended for this 
show and the conversations have been terrific. At 
the last one we had a gentleman raised his hand 
to tell us that he’d been dragged to the theater 
reluctantly by his wife. And then he started to tear 
up….he told us that he was so glad she’d insisted 
because he would have missed one of the greatest 
theatrical experiences he’d ever had. I tell you, the 
cast and I had trouble holding back our tears. THIS 
is why we do this. To have moved someone as much 
as we did this gentleman is worth all the glowing 
reviews and less-than-full houses. And I am so 
proud to say that his was not the only time we heard 
that. So, I’ll answer my own question and say that 
even though Menagerie didn’t sell as well as we’d 
hoped – it was a great success and one I’ll remain 
proud of for the rest of my life.

* * *

 We have another Colburn Concerts coming up 
this Sunday, June 18. We welcome back the Amoris 
Trio (their appearance last year was the best-selling 
Colburn Concert we’ve ever had – they almost sold-
out.) If you have never been to one of our concerts, 
I hope you will come to one of these. One try and 
you will become a loyal attendee.

 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 
is going to be wonderfully. It is being directed 
by Robert Marra who did such a lovely job last 
year with Always…Patsy Cline. This show is not 
recommended for kids under the age of 16 because 
of language and one song. Tickets are on sale now 
and are selling well already.

 This is your Playhouse. Please let me 
hear from you. Please visit our website at 
SierraMadrePlayhouse.org or call Mary at 
626.355.4318 to purchase tickets. 

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com