BUD, NOT BUDDY, by Christopher Paul Curtis, Delacorte Press, New York, 245 pages, $15.95. The Great Depression has served as the setting for a number of fictional works, for adults and younger readers. This dark period in our history offers stories of destitution, but also… Read More
STERN MEN, Elizabeth Gilbert, Houghton Mifflin, May 2000, Hardcover, 304 pages, $24. Written with a pungent sense of language, “Stern Men” is set in the 1970s on the fictitious Maine islands of Fort Niles and Courne Haven — described by the author as “two old… Read More
THE J FACTOR, by Stephen Kanar, Bantam Books, 392 pages, paperback, $5.99. In the not-too-distant future of “The J Factor,” a nightmare has finally become reality. A mega-HMO known as UNIMED has combined with IORC, a corporation specializing in donor organs for transplants, and they… Read More
COUP DE GRACE, by J.S. Borthwick, St. Martin’s Minotaur, New York, 2000, 335 pages, hardcover, $24.95. Put together an amateur sleuth and a gory murder and what do you have? Another mystery by Maine author J.S. Borthwick; this one titled “Coup de Grace.” googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
A DOOR NEAR HERE, by Heather Quarles, Dell Laurel-Leaf, New York, 1998, paperback, 231 pages, $4.50. If there is one book that I wish I could place in the hands of every teacher, social worker, police officer, doctor and professional who works with young people,… Read More
BARN, written and illustrated by Debby Atwell, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1996, hardcover, 32 pages, $15.95. RIVER, written and illustrated by Debby Atwell, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1999, hardcover, 32 pages, $16. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
In theaters I DREAMED OF AFRICA. Directed by Hugh Hudson. Written by Paula Milne and Susan Shilliday, based on the book by Kuki Gallmann. Running time: 112 minutes. Rated PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
A week after the 25th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, Benjamin Britten’s massive War Requiem can show the shocking and shorn face of combat. In light of events in Sierra Leone, Kosovo and Sri Lanka, the Mass of the dead becomes even more poignant, more… Read More
In theaters GLADIATOR. Directed by Ridley Scott. Written by David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson. Running time: 150 minutes. Rated R. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0;… Read More
First this caveat emptor: Some straight-to-video films are good enough for the big screen. “The Flintstones: Viva Rock Vegas” is a film that premiered on the big screen but which should have gone straight to video. That’s not meant to be a slam on this… Read More
In theaters ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER. Written and directed by Pedro Almodovar, 101 minutes; R; in Spanish with English subtitles. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
In theaters FREQUENCY. Directed by Gregory Hoblit. Written by Toby Emmerich. Running time: 117 minutes. Rated PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) {… Read More
ORONO — It was apparent from the beginning that the 28th annual Bumstock would have something for everyone. The two-day festival at the University of Maine’s Concert Park kicked off Friday afternoon with a main stage performance from hard rock band Headcount and a second… Read More
ORONO — Even with the no-show from Method Man and Redman, Wednesday night’s concert at the University of Maine left the 4,700 in attendance feeling the power of hip-hop. The festivities kicked off with relatively unknown rapper Choclair pushing out his raw and rhythmic lyrics… Read More
On Video “Fight Club” — Directed by David Fincher; written by Jim Uhls,based on the novel,”Fight Club” by Chuck Palahniuk. Running time: 135 minutes. Rated R. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for… Read More
THE VIETNAMESE COOKBOOK, by Diana My Tran, Capital Books, Sterling, Va., 2000, 119 pages, $25. “I thought you were chopping the garlic. Where’s the onion? … What do you mean we don’t have any garlic? Drat. Quick! Turn the oil off, it’s burning. And open… Read More
Editor’s Note: Due to a technical problem, Reel Reviews did not run in Monday’s Style section. The NEWS regrets the delay. In theaters googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
AMERICAN INDIAN HEALING ARTS, HERBS, RITUALS AND REMEDIES FOR EVERY SEASON OF LIFE, by E. Barrie Kavasch and Karen Barr, Bantam Books, New York, 1999, 309 pages, $17.95. At last! A comprehensive guide to herbs, rituals and remedies for every season of life, rooted in… Read More
KATHERYN’S SECRET, by Linda Hall, Multnomah Publishers, Sisters, Ore., 2000, 305 pages. “When Sharon was eight years old, Katie took the poker from beside the fireplace, raised it high above her head, then brought it down hard on the hearthstone, so hard that the gray… Read More
A two-act cabaret production of colorful costumes, snappy dialogue and rousing piano music of songs of the late 1930s and 1940s is playing at the Bangor-Brewer YWCA, through April 30. Director Pam Martin of Brewer has choreographed and designed this year’s Y-Players production, “Zoot Suit… Read More
In theaters KEEPING THE FAITH. Directed by Edward Norton. Written by Stuart Blumberg. Running time: 129 minutes. Rated PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length;… Read More
In theaters 28 DAYS. Directed by Betty Thomas. Written by Susannah Grant. Running time: 103 minutes. Rated PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++)… Read More
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF AMY CAVE, by Pat Flagg, Down East Books, 260 pages, hardcover, $22.95. One of the reasons people move to Maine is because it is one of the safest places to live in the United States. There are very few murders committed here. Read More
DRIVE DULL CARE AWAY: Folksongs from Prince Edward Island, by Edward D. “Sandy” Ives, Institute of Island Studies, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, 269 pages, $24.95. Ask Sandy Ives just exactly what a folklorist is, and then sit back. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
Right now in Hollywood, the continuing struggle between art and commerce is having its biggest battle to date. With public tastes changing and more big-budget “blockbusters” becoming big-budget bombs, the dilemma is this: Should the film industry follow a trend established 10 years ago by… Read More
Rudy Pazinski is used to getting his knuckles whacked by Sister Clarissa. He can’t learn his catechism. He doesn’t believe in Hell. He’s sick of fish on Fridays and wants to go to public school. It all boils down to this: Being Catholic has become so prickly, he… Read More
If you thought your job was tough and your family life strained, check out King Oedipus. He dapperly solves a question for the Sphinx and is rewarded with the throne of Thebes, where he settles into a comfy royal routine. A wife (albeit older), four kids, the admiration… Read More
FIRST LESSONS IN BALLET, by Lise Friedman, Workman Publishing, New York, 1999, 64 pages, $14.95 hardcover, $8.95 paperback. I have a confession to make. I never returned “The First Book of the Ballet” to the library. I never kept any other book, but as a… Read More
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery. But that doesn’t necessarily means the copy has similar value to the original. Take, for example, the new ABC sitcom “Talk to Me,” which premieres at 9:30 tonight. Created by former “Frasier” writer and producer Suzanne Martin,… Read More
What’s in a name? When Alvin Ailey died in 1989, Alvin Ailey & Company became the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. It was able to continue in part because Ailey, unlike most modern dance choreographers, had created a repertory company, performing works by many different choreographers as a… Read More
In theaters “Return to Me,” directed by Bonnie Hunt. Written by Bonnie Hunt and Don Lake. Running time: 115 minutes. Rated PG. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0;… Read More
OUR NEIGHBORLY NEIGHBORS: 200 Years of Life in Rural Dexter, Maine, 1800-2000, published by Dexter Historical Society, P.O. Box 481, Dexter 04930, 206 pages, $19.95. Whoever said you can’t judge a book by its cover should read the Dexter Historical Society’s oral history of rural… Read More
Friday night’s event at the Cumberland County Civic Center was a trip back in time more than anything else. The older audience members harkened back to where they were when they first heard “Daniel” or “Honky Cat.” Slightly younger people in the crowd reflected back… Read More
LORDS OF THE OCEAN by James L. Nelson; Pocket Books, 1999; 354 pages, hardcover, $23. James L. Nelson’s swashbuckling Capt. Isaac Biddlecomb is back in “Lords of the Ocean,” with more energy and quicker wits than ever. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
RACHEL FIELD’S HITTY, HER FIRST HUNDRED YEARS, new edition by Rosemary Wells, illustrated by Susan Jeffers, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1999, hardcover, $21.95 There really was a Hitty. She was discovered in an antique shop with her name on a yellowed tag by Maine… Read More
Cast Iron Mister is a “garage band.” It may not be the only one rocking the rafters of a cold, damp shelter intended for cars, but its members claim it is the only rock ‘n’ roll band with its own CD on Mount Desert Island. Read More
A NET OF STARS, by Jennifer Richard Jacobson, illustrated by Greg Shed, Dial Books, New York, 1998, hardcover, $15.99. I’ll never forget the first time I rappelled. Once I got going I loved it. But taking that first step backward off the cliff I froze,… Read More
THE SHORE PATH, Bar Harbor, Maine, text and photographs by Steve Perrin, Earthling Press, Bar Harbor, 2000, 90 pages, $8.95. Steve Perrin’s picture book “The Shore Path” offers a sure passageway to one of Bar Harbor’s scenic gems. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
LETTERS FROM SEA, 1882-1901: JOANNA AND LINCOLN COLCORD’S SEAFARING CHILDHOOD, compiled by Parker Bishop Albee Jr., Tilbury House Publishers and Penobscot Marine Museum, 2000; 168 pages, hardcover, $35. The first thing to strike me about “Letters From Sea” is the Colcords’ writing voices. Reading their… Read More
THE CROW ON THE SPRUCE, Chenoweth Hall, Puckerbrush Press, Orono, Maine, 183 pages, $9.95. Chenoweth Hall, who died last year at age 90, was something of a Renaissance woman in the arts. Brought up in New York City, she studied architecture with Frank Lloyd Wright… Read More
In theaters — “The Skulls” Directed by Rob Cohen. Written by John Pogue. Running time: 107 minutes. Rated PG-13. In the hilariously awful thriller “The Skulls,” director Rob Cohen and screenwriter John Pogue apparently have seen Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” and Roman Polanski’s “The… Read More
Usually, when I have guests over to “dine,” I serve veggies and dip, crackers and cheese or something really simple, such as pasta. I love to eat a good meal, but cooking it is another story. Until recently, salad and sandwiches were about the extent… Read More
Let’s dispense with one argument right away. The new CBS mob-themed series “Falcone” isn’t “The Sopranos.” The success of that HBO show probably got “Falcone” the green light, but the new series isn’t trying to be that much-acclaimed program. What “Falcone,” debuting at 9 tonight,… Read More
ORONO — They came to the University of Maine last Wednesday to hear the angels sing — and sing they did when folk legend Joan Baez and protege Eliza Carthy took the stage at the Maine Center for the Arts. Four decades after her set… Read More
THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, directed by Eric “Bibo” Bergeron and Don Paul, written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. Running time: 83 minutes. Rated PG. We’ve been down this road before. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
Members of the Takacs String Quartet, which the Maine Center for the Arts presented Thursday at Hauck Auditorium, do something entirely raucous with chamber music. They make it swiftly applicable to our times by infusing it with a frenetic jubilance and attacking it with a distinctly modern sensibility. Read More
Those who like their dramas black and white should stay away from “Wonderland.” This murky new series, which debuts at 10 tonight on ABC, focuses on the lives of several doctors manning a New York City hospital’s psychiatric and emergency programs. So being set in… Read More
In theaters “The Next Best Thing.” Directed by John Schlesinger. Written by Thomas Ropelewski. Running time: 110 minutes. Rated PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
It was more than 20 years ago that Al Capp, the famous cartoon artist, said he was tired of going to the studio. After more than 40 years of drawing, he ended “Li’l Abner,” the cartoon-page saga of a beefy hillbilly, his tonic-pouring Ma Yokum, his fleet-footed pursuer… Read More
In theaters WHATEVER IT TAKES. Directed by David Rayner. Written by Mark Schwahn. Running time: 98 minutes. Rated PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length;… Read More
ABC’s new offering tonight, “Making the Band,” is a case of art filming life that has pretentions of being art. The new series, which debuts from 9-10, is an extension of that which should be a dying genre — reality-based programming. However, the show scores… Read More
NBC gives two new sitcoms six-week tryouts starting tonight, with both improvements on the shows that they’re temporarily replacing. The better of the two, debuting at 9:30, is “Battery Park,” set in a detective squad in New York’s historic Battery Park. The comedy is the… Read More
In theaters “Final Destination” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0] googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
Who says there are no new ideas on network TV? Here’s a synopsis of “Then Came You,” which premiers at 8:30 tonight on ABC: A divorced, thirtyish book editor moves into a hotel to sort out her life, then falls in love with a room-service… Read More
Barry Levinson and Tom Fontana have the unfortunate distinction of creating intense TV shows that critics love but to which most viewers can’t warm. Despite NBC’s best attempts to kill it, their “Homicide” survived for six seasons. It was powerful and challenging, yet it was… Read More
In theaters “Erin Brockovich.” Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Written by Susannah Grant. Running time: 126 minutes. Rated R. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++)… Read More
Fox has always been the home of the dysfunctional family sitcom, whether it be animated (“The Simpsons”) or live action (the pioneering “Married … With Children”). During this midseason-replacement season have come two worthy successors to those illustrious shows. First came the offbeat “Malcolm in… Read More
MORE THAN YOU KNOW, by Beth Gutcheon, William Morrow, New York, 1999, 288 pages, $23. At 17, it seems like no one understands how you feel. One day you’re laughing hysterically, the next you’re soaking your pillow with tears. Your body is doing all sorts… Read More
THE GOSSAMER GREEN, by Jean G. Howard, Creative Arts Book Co., Berkeley, Calif., 190 pages, paperback, $14.95. In Jean Howard’s new book for young adult readers, we are introduced to an imaginary species of birds, the gossamer green, inhabitants of Greengoss Isles, which lie far… Read More
By the end of the first act of “The Children’s Hour,” Lillian Hellman’s once-controversial drama now at the Opera House, a mystifying portrait of a vicious boarding school girl named Mary Tilford emerges. Her malicious powers, mostly used to break rules and blackmail classmates, come to full guile… Read More
In Theaters: “Mission to Mars” Just imagine the bickering that could have been heard around the world had audiences been allowed to sit in the back seat of Brian De Palma’s ill-fated “Mission to Mars”: googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
The most chilling part of Stephen King’s novelette “Riding the Bullet,” an e-book available exclusively on the Internet and released Tuesday to the public, isn’t the story itself. It’s the creepy feeling you get from scrolling down through rather than turning pages. But don’t be… Read More
You may not think symphonic music is steamy, but the Bangor Symphony Orchestra was downright sultry during Sunday’s performance of Aaron Copland’s “Music for the Theatre” at the Maine Center for the Arts. You could see the orchestra members swaying to a jazz beat with affectionate exuberance and… Read More
In theaters THE NINTH GATE. Directed by Roman Polanski. Written by Polanski, Enrique Urbizu and John Brownjohn, based on the novel “El Club Dumas” by Artur Perez-Reverte. Running time: 133 minutes. Rated R. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
THE STORY OF BANGOR: A Brief History of Maine’s Queen City, several authors, BookMarc’s Publishing, Bangor, 128 pp, $9.95 Oh, you bought a house on the west side? The question is asked not so much with interest, but with surprise. The speaker, of course, lives… Read More
BE BLEST: A CELEBRATION OF SEASONS, written and illustrated by Mary Beth Owens, Simon & Schuster, New York, 1999; 32 pages, $16. Winter-weary parents, I have what you need. Mary Beth Owens’ “Be Blest: A Celebration of Seasons” combines a fountain of spiritual refreshment for… Read More
MAINE POEMS by Leo Connellan, Blackberry Books, Nobleboro, Maine, 1999; 108 pages, paperback, $10.95. On the Maine coast in the 1950s, I remember, the light was harsh. The sun scoured whitecapped blue-black waves and its blazing beauty crushed child eyes. Overcast days were solid steel… Read More
JAMES G. BLAINE: ARCHITECT OF EMPIRE, by Edward P. Crapol, Scholarly Resources Inc., Wilmington, Del., 157 pages, paperbound, $17.95; clothbound, $50. Much has been written about Maine statesman James G. Blaine. Whether people think of him as the Plumed Knight, Jingo Jim, Mr. Republican or… Read More
ROOTS, SHOOTS, BUCKETS & BOOTS by Sharon Lovejoy, Workman Publishing, New York, hardcover, $24.95. I’ve found the perfect book to kindle a healthy anticipation of spring: Sharon Lovejoy’s “Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots.” It’s a book on gardening with children that goes way beyond equipment… Read More
BANGOR’S FINEST AT THE MILLENNIUM, by Fred and Debbie Bryant, published by the authors, P.O. Box 4, Dixmont 04932, 138 pages, $12.50. I just spent an evening with a gaggle of bootleggers, gangsters, murderers and streetwalkers without ever leaving my home or breaking the law. Read More
“It’s About Time” (Crooked Cove) — The Troubles The Troubles must be believers in second chances. Joe Brien, Joe Petty and Joe Donovan were all members of the leading ’80s Portland band, The Kopterz, and they’re joined by veteran musicians Rusty Gates, Jack Chance, Phil… Read More
Nickelodeon’s latest offering deals with a question that plagues many young people: Where do they fit in? “Caitlin’s Way,” which debuts at 9 p.m. Saturday before settling into its regular 8 p.m. Sunday timeslot March 12, is hardly heavy-duty drama, but it is effective in… Read More
In theaters “What Planet Are You From?” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0] googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
“Secret Agent Man,” premiering at 8 tonight on UPN, held such promise, alas undelivered upon. Executive producers Barry Sonnenfeld and Barry Josephson, the twisted minds behind the movies “Men in Black” and “The Wild Wild West,” take on the spy-thriller genre in the new series. Read More
At Sunday’s chamber music concert given by the Buswell-Ou Piano Trio at Minsky Recital Hall at the University of Maine, violinist James Buswell pointed out wryly that the theme for the afternoon was, in a word, death. And so it was — beginning with Beethoven’s Piano Trio in… Read More
MY DOG SKIP. Directed by Jay Russell. Written by Gail Gilchriest, based on the book by Willie Morris. Running time: 95 minutes. Rated PG. Jay Russell’s “My Dog Skip” speaks to anyone who has known the special bond that exists between a beloved dog and… Read More
“Cover Me” sounds very high-concept. It’s a drama about a loving family. It’s also a suspense thriller about undercover cops. Think “Up Dawson’s Creek Without Backup.” Still the new USA Network drama, which premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday, followed by a second episode at 9,… Read More
In theaters WONDER BOYS There is a moment in Curtis Hanson’s excellent film, “Wonder Boys,” when Michael Douglas’ character, Grady Tripp, a boozy, disillusioned, adulterous, pot-smoking English professor who has failed to follow the success of his first novel, “Arsonist’s Daughter,” with anything remotely publishable,… Read More
In theaters REINDEER GAMES. Directed by John Frankenheimer. Written by Ehren Kruger. Running time: 99 minutes. Rated R. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++)… Read More
A span of eight years has to be some kind of record for a series to be finally picked up by a network. A handful of people may recognize “Grapevine,” which debuts at 9:30 tonight on CBS before moving to its regular 8:30 p.m. time… Read More
SHIPWRECK OF THE WHALESHIP ESSEX, by Owen Chase, The Lyons Press, New York, 1999, 144 pages, paperback, $12.95. MEN & WHALES, by Richard Ellis, The Lyons Press, New York, 1999, 542 pages, paperback, $30. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
Classical music radio announcer Jim Sveda tells a story about filling out an application for a summer job. When asked to list his religion, he checked “other” and in the blank space wrote “Mozart.” It was a measure of the sacred company he felt the composer keeps. Read More
In theaters HANGING UP googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0] googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
Countertenors are a rare breed. They are even more rare in Maine, so it was a particular treat for the capacity audience Sunday at the Congregational Church of Blue Hill to hear one sing in person. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
THE WHOLE NINE YARDS, directed by Jonathan Lynn, written by Mitchell Kapner. Rated PG-13. Running time: 101 minutes. Jonathan Lynn’s “The Whole Nine Yards” is a big surprise, a film that takes a tired genre — the hit-man comedy — turns it on its side,… Read More
In theaters THE BEACH googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0] googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
In theaters THE CIDER HOUSE RULES. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Written by John Irving, based on his novel. Running time: 129 minutes. Rated R. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
TAP DANCING AND TRUE CONFESSIONS, by Karlene K. Hale, published by Karlene Hale, 1999, 117 pages, $15. The author of this book came of age in the Down East community of Machias in the 1950s and early 1960s, a time, she writes, when “Main Street,… Read More
A-Z CHILDREN OF MAINE, by Maggie Cox Murray, Rainbow Press, Bangor, 1999, paperback, 26 pages, $6.95. Your child has been invited to yet another birthday party. You have to buy a present. Maybe you don’t know what the child wants, or perhaps the latest fad… Read More
LIMEROCK: Maine Stories, by Christopher Fahy, Coastwise Press, Thomaston, Maine, 206 pages, paperback, $12.95. I love short stories. They offer a serene slight slice of life in an otherwise hectic world. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
THE DEAD OF WINTER by David A. Crossman, Down East Books, Camden, Maine, 1999; 349 pages, hardback, $22.95. In the winter of 1970, the most abundant liquid at Penobscot Island, besides seawater, is tea. Winston Crisp, the main character in “The Dead of Winter,” is… Read More
Jimmy Barnes has been a deep-sea fisherman, a Maine guide, a Louisiana oil rigger, a commercial fisherman, a middle school teacher, an employee of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department and a salmon farmer. About two years ago, this 54-year-old Mariaville native gave his life over to music. Read More
THE SECRET OF THE MISSING GRAVE, by David A. Crossman, Down East Books, Camden, Maine, 1999, 184 pages, hardcover, $16.95. I’ve just discovered a real gem of an impossible-to-put-down Maine mystery book: David Crossman’s “The Secret of the Missing Grave.” Be warned that if you’re… Read More
COVER STORY by Gerry Boyle, Berkley Prime Crime Book (Penguin Putnam), New York, 2000, hardcover, 371 pages, $22.95. Author Gerry Boyle is back with his sixth mystery centering on Mainer Jack McMorrow, a stubborn investigative reporter who lands in the middle of many a mystery… Read More
Editor’s Note: Due to technical problems, Alicia Anstead’s review of “Pride’s Crossing” failed to appear as scheduled on Monday, Feb. 7. The NEWS regrets the delay. Mabel Tidings Bigelow is a champion. It’s not just that she was born into a wealthy set of Boston… Read More
GOD’s POCKET, by Rachel Field, reprinted privately by the Northeast Harbor Library and the Islesford and Cranberry Isles historical societies, 1999, 163 pages, $34. This little gem of Cranberry Isles history reads like a novel, but it is the true story of the wild adventures… Read More
In theaters SCREAM 3 In Wes Craven’s “Scream 3,” it’s deja vu all over again, all over again. Indeed, what’s true about this film is true about the final installment of most trilogies — its pace is sometimes bogged down by convoluted references to the… Read More
In theaters SWEET AND LOWDOWN. Written and directed by Woody Allen. Running time: 95 minutes. Rated: PG-13. Feb. 7-10, Railroad Square Cinema, Waterville. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
Midseason is often the time when the networks are more willing to take some programming chances. After all, the conventional wisdom is that whatever they put on has to be better than that ratings stinker they canceled. In “The Others,” premiering at 10 tonight, NBC… Read More
When you think of tap, mostly you think the likes of Fred Astaire or Gregory Hines. But if it’s Tap Dogs, the wham-bang sextet that performed Thursday to a busting-at-the-seams full house at the Maine Center for the Arts, you’d have to think more along the lines of… Read More