Phoenix Professional Wrestling Celebrates 8 Years of Beef

On Friday the 18th of November, Phoenix Professional Wrestling will celebrate its 8th anniversary at the Phoenix Theater. What started as one man’s dream has become a whole community’s delight. 

I am sitting here with a happy-ass smile on my face after watching the YouTube channel of the PPW. Beefy men talk smack before throwing each other around a first-class-looking ring. The crowd on their feet cheer like caffeinated children as grown men pretend to punch each other in the face. The broadcast announcer hollers, “He’s punch drunk!” and suddenly I’m 13 again, smiling shamelessly.

PPW co-founder Josh Drake first felt that way about wrestling in 1991. Then he became a lapsed fan—the way some might be a lapsed catholic—until a friend reintroduced him to the joy of the spectacle. In a punk band at the time, Drake immediately saw the confluence of the two subcultures. By 2006, he was hosting a wrestling and music show called Punk Slam. While that series did not last, the next evolution of the dream was the PPW.

The involvement of the punk-forward Phoenix Theater makes possible a level of professionally polished spectacle that is difficult to achieve in local wrestling. “If [fans] come into a room and it’s not well lit and there’s no one in there … it can play into their fear [that] they’re gonna be seeing something that feels amateurish,” said Drake in a free-wheeling phone call worthy of a Gene Okerlund interview from 1985. I get to be Mean Gene.

“When you have professionalism in presentation, the stage is set for everyone to believe in these heroes,” enthused Drake, detailing the quality of lighting and sound at the venue. 

After bonding over our love of the Mountain Goats’ love-letter album to regional wrestling, Beat the Champ, I note how wrestling at the local level can offer a non-corporate alternative to the global superhero fantasy of the MCU era. 

Drake agrees wholeheartedly. In the PPW series, heroes, or “faces,” like Kal Jak square off against “heels” like Boyce LeGrande in year-long epic storylines of betrayal and revenge. Those in attendance on November 18th will see the mighty conclusion to that feud up close and personal.

The Phoenix is a youth center and wrestling appeals to us first when we are kids. So are the shows kid-friendly?

“We’re conscious of the kids,” said Drake, pointing to the low price of youth tickets and explaining that the shows end by ten so families can get future ultimate warriors home to bed. But the level of violence? I ask. “You can’t tell a ghost story without showing ghosts but it’s a PG show.”  Any blood is reserved for cage matches. Oh yes, cage matches.

Wrestlers keep the language “easy on the mic” and Drake emphasizes that the new era of wrestling is much more inclusive than what we grew up with. The Northern California scene includes openly LGBTQIA+ wrestlers and the “men’s” and “women’s” wrestling events are merging more and more.

“[T]he wrestling community is some of the most real people and friends that you could bring into the Phoenix,” said Tom Gaffey, Phoenix founder and theater manager. “The Phoenix will always be punk but it will also always be wrestling.”

Phoenix Professional Wrestling goes from 8 pm to 10 pm, Friday, Nov. 18 at the Phoenix Theater, 201 Washington St, Petaluma. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite at www.phoenixprowrestling.com. Tickets are also available cash only at the door. First 100 attendees receive wrestler playing cards!

Baking in Economic Democracy

For good reasons, the spotlights of the media have been shining brightly on the fate of our electoral democracy, but it’s an error to gaze only where the light shines most brightly. 

Important developments pertaining to our democracy, particularly to economic democracy, are unfolding in many places outside the spotlight. In a northeast corner of Los Angeles, not far from where I live, there’s a neighborhood called Atwater Village, and in that neighborhood an enterprise called the Proof Bakery does a thriving business. 

Three years ago, its founder and owner, Na Young Ma, decided to relinquish ownership, but instead of selling the bakery to an outside owner, she took the more challenging, time-consuming path of initiating a transition to a worker-owned cooperative, inspired by the long-running, successful Cheese Board Collective and Arizmendi Bakeries in the Bay Area (Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, San Rafael, Emeryville).

Ms. Ma sought out advice from a non-profit consulting group called Project Equity, and after two years, she sold the bakery to her employees in August, 2021. 

Since the bakery opened as a cooperative a little over a year ago, it now has 13 worker-owners and 12 employees.

Visiting the bakery recently, I spoke with one of the worker-owners, James Lee. He discussed the very different expectations that the new worker-owners brought to the fledgling enterprise, and about the efforts to get to know one another as they continued to work through those differences. 

But he also spoke about the value of sharing not only the profits but also the stresses associated with running the co-op, stresses widely acknowledged as very high in the food and restaurant businesses. “We talk a lot about community, accountability,” he said. “The conversation is about people, about us.”

As we consider the aftermath of the midterms, and extend our gaze beyond the brightly-lit theater of political action, it may well be worthwhile to ask how rich a society we really are. And, perhaps, how real richness might someday emanate from an enterprise on the very next block in our neighborhood.


Andrew Moss is an emeritus professor at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Hemu Aggarwal at Occidental Center for the Arts

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Hemu Aggarwal is not one to let life pass her by.

Born in Veraval, Gujarat State, India, she earned her master’s in graphic design from the City University of New York and is an artist by profession. 

Now the graphic designer, painter, poet and fashion designer brings her book, The Forbidden Letters: A True Story, to the Occidental Center for the Arts (OCA) for a free reading and slide show on Sunday, Nov. 20 at 4pm.

This, her first book, is an ambitious project. “A century ago, nearly 500 letters were found in an attic,” reads the book’s back cover. “They tell the story of a young couple’s life, married when they were still teenagers, but separated for eight years. The letters describe their love for each other, the agony of separation, taboos of the times, and the hardships endured by women in a joint-family system. 

“Crossing cultural, country, gender, and age boundaries, the author takes the reader on a tumultuous 100-year journey from India to America, shedding the shackles of a joint family and allowing the next generation the freedom to chart their destinies.”

Aggarwal began her decades-long creative career in New York City, where she worked for design firms for 10 years, designing album covers for famous bands and musicians, including the Beatles, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Mantovani, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and the Sugarhill Gang, among many others. 

She then spent 25 years running her own design firm, AQ Graphic Inc., which she founded in 1980 in Rockland County, NY. During that time, she also raised her two children, involved herself with several community and arts organizations, and founded two award-winning nonprofits, Asian Women’s Alliance for Kinship and Equality (AWAKE) and The WorldFest New York.

For the last 45 years, Aggarwal has worked in various media, including graphic design, painting, photography and—more recently—digital art. She has also written several newspaper and magazine articles, and published poetry in literary magazine Spillwords Press.

Now retired and living in Petaluma, she continues to produce art prolifically. She paints by commission and also sells her paintings online at Saatchi Art (www.saatchiart.com). In addition, she incorporates her painting and digital artwork into one-of-a-kind Ahimsa—non-violence—silk scarves, ladies’ tops and purses, which she designs and manufactures herself.

A long-time member of OCA, Aggarwal exhibits and sells her paintings there on occasion. “I am excited about the live event and looking forward to it,” she says. At the event, she will read specific passages and letters from Forbidden Letters, show a video and several slide projections, and have a Q&A with the audience. She will follow her presentation with book sales and signing in the lobby, where her Ahimsa designer silk scarves will also be for sale. Refreshments will also be available to attendees.

OCA has wowed Sonoma County since 2010 with its acoustically sound auditorium, professional stage, art exhibition gallery, amphitheater and classroom space, where it hosts performances, literary events and visual-art exhibits year round. What, in addition to Aggarwal’s presentation of The Forbidden Letters: A True Story, can we expect from the center this busy, post-pandemic holiday season? 

A lot, according to board member Suze Cohan. Weekly musical performances include the Barbara Higbie and Friends Winter Solstice Concert Celebration and CD Release with Jami Sieber, Vicki Randle, Michaelle Goerlitz and Dewayne Pate on Saturday, Dec. 17, at 7pm.

The next day, Sunday, Dec. 18, at 4pm, Sonoma County Poets celebrates the long-awaited anthology, The Freedom of New Beginnings: Poems of Witness and Vision, edited by Phyllis Meshulam and released in August. Included in the anthology are numerous Sonoma County poets laureate emerita. New Sonoma County poet laureate, Elizabeth Herron, will start 2023 off with a reading of her new poetry collection on Jan. 29.

“The literary arm of OCA prides itself on discovering and promoting interesting debut authors like Hemu Aggarwal, while at the same time championing long-published Sonoma County authors and poets,” Cohan says. “People are coming back, some still cautious—and masking—but all still loyal to our incredible and diverse offerings at OCA.”

Sunday, Nov. 20 at 4pm, Occidental Center for the Arts’ Literary Series presents: ‘The Forbidden Letters. A True Story,’ by Hemu Aggarwal. OCA, 3850 Doris Murphy Way, Occidental. 707.874.9392. Occidentalcenterforthearts.org

Mark Fernquest spends his time scribbling furiously in West County. He imagines he is a writer.

The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong at Left Edge Theatre

Play titles don’t get more succinct than The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong. 

You get both an approximate run time and a plot synopsis in six simple words. It’s an abridged version of The Play That Goes Wrong, which was itself expanded from its original one-act roots after becoming a hit in London, where it continues to run today. Santa Rosa’s Left Edge Theatre has a production running through Nov. 20.

It’s opening night for the budget-constrained Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’s production of Susie H. K. Brideswell’s Murder at Haversham Place, a 1920s murder mystery a la Agatha Christie. The crew scurries around the stage, making last-second fixes to the scenery and prop placement. The lights go down, and then they come up (too soon) as an actor attempts to get in place as the murder victim. It’s all comedically-downhill from there.

Charles Haversham (Andrew Patton) has been murdered, and there is no shortage of suspects for the police inspector (Michael Girts) to interrogate. Was it Charles’s fiancée, Florence (Allie Nordby)? His brother, Cecil (Skylar Evans)? His at-one-time brother-in-law-to-be, Thomas (Izaak Heath)? Or might this be the one time where the butler (Larry Williams) actually did it?

The game’s afoot as the cast gamely marches on despite every possible thing that can go wrong going wrong. Scenery mishaps, misplaced props, bobbled lines, an inebriated tech operator (Reilly Milton) and a stage-shy (then stage struck) stage manager (Denise Elia-Yen) are all obstacles to be overcome in honor of the age-old idiom that the show must go on!

And go on it does, for a relatively brief 60-plus minutes. Timing is everything in comedy, and this show moves fast. It doesn’t hurt to have some knowledge of the stage world to appreciate a lot of the humor, but there’s enough physical and verbal comedy at play to make the show accessible to anyone. Some bits missed, but the ratio of hits-to-misses is pretty high.

In his director’s notes, David L. Yen comments on the second-tier status often given to comedy in discussions of “real” theater, despite the unique skill set required to do it well. If the laughter emanating from the mid-week audience in attendance at a recent performance is any meter, his cast has that required skill set.
Left Edge Theatre’s ‘The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong’ runs through Nov. 20 at The California Theatre. 528 7th St., Santa Rosa. Thu–Sat, 7:30pm; Sun., 2pm. $15–$40. 707.536.1620. leftedgetheatre.com

Free Will Astrology

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Virginia Woolf wrote a passage that I suspect will apply to you in the coming weeks. Woolf said, “There is no denying the wild horse in us. To gallop intemperately; fall on the sand tired out; to feel the earth spin; to have—positively—a rush of friendship for stones and grasses—there is no getting over the fact that this desire seizes us.” Here’s my question for you, Aries: How will you harness your wild horse energy? I’m hoping that the self-possessed human in you will take command of the horse and direct it to serve you and yours with constructive actions. It’s fine to indulge in some intemperate galloping, too. But I’ll be rooting for a lot of temperate and disciplined galloping.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “The failure of love might account for most of the suffering in the world,” writes poet Marie Howe. I agree with that statement. Many of us have had painful episodes revolving around people who no longer love us and people whose lack of love for us makes us feel hurt. That’s the bad news, Taurus. The good news is that you now have more power than usual to heal the failures of love you have endured in the past. You also have an expanded capacity to heal others who have suffered from the failures of love. I hope you will be generous in your ministrations!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Many Geminis tell me they are often partly awake as they sleep. In their dreams, they might work overtime trying to solve waking-life problems. Or they may lie in bed in the dark contemplating intricate ideas that fascinate them, or perhaps ruminating on the plot developments unfolding in a book they’ve been reading or a TV show on which they’ve been binging. If you are prone to such behavior, I will ask you to minimize it for a while. In my view, you need to relax your mind extra deeply and allow it to play luxuriously with non-utilitarian fantasies and dreams. You have a sacred duty to yourself to explore mysterious and stirring feelings that bypass rational thought.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here are my two key messages for you. 1. Remember where you hide important stuff. 2. Remember that you have indeed hidden some important stuff. Got that? Please note that I am not questioning your urge to lock away a secret or two. I am not criticizing you for wanting to store a treasure that you are not yet ready to use or reveal. It’s completely understandable if you want to keep a part of your inner world off-limits to certain people for the time being. But as you engage in any or all of these actions, make sure you don’t lose touch with your valuables. And don’t forget why you are stashing them.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I know I don’t have to give you lessons in expressing your sensuality. Nor do you need prods and encouragement to do so. As a Leo, you most likely have abundant talent in the epicurean arts. But as you prepare to glide into the lush and lusty heart of the Sensuality Season, it can’t hurt to offer you a pep talk from your fellow Leo bon vivant, James Baldwin. He said: “To be sensual is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, of life itself, and to be present in all that one does, from the effort of loving to the breaking of bread.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Many Virgos are on a lifelong quest to cultivate a knack described by Sigmund Freud: “In the small matters, trust the mind. In the large ones, the heart.” And I suspect you are now at a pivotal point in your efforts to master that wisdom. Important decisions are looming in regards to both small and large matters. I believe you will do the right things as long as you empower your mind to do what it does best and your heart to do what it does best.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Social media like Facebook and Twitter feed on our outrage. Their algorithms are designed to stir up our disgust and indignation. I confess that I get semi-caught in their trap. I am sometimes seduced by the temptation to feel lots of umbrage and wrath, even though those feelings comprise a small minority of my total emotional range. As an antidote, I proactively seek experiences that rouse my wonder and sublimity and holiness. In the next two weeks, Libra, I invite you to cultivate a focus like mine. It’s high time for a phase of minimal anger and loathing—and maximum reverence and awe.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio author Sylvia Plath had a disturbing, melodramatic relationship with romance. In one of her short stories, for example, she has a woman character say, “His love is the twenty-story leap, the rope at the throat, the knife at the heart.” I urge you to avoid contact with people who think and feel like that—as glamorous as they might seem. In my view, your romantic destiny in the coming months can and should be uplifting, exciting in healthy ways and conducive to your well-being. There’s no need to link yourself with shadowy renegades when there will be plenty of radiant helpers available.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I like Sagittarian healer and author Caroline Myss because she’s both spiritual and practical, compassionate and fierce. Here’s a passage from her work that I think will be helpful for you in the coming weeks: “Get bored with your past. It’s over! Forgive yourself for what you think you did or didn’t do, and focus on what you will do, starting now.” To ensure you make the most of her counsel, I’ll add a further insight from author Augusten Burroughs: “You cannot be a prisoner of your past against your will—because you can only live in the past inside your mind.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): How would you respond if you learned that the $55 t-shirt you’re wearing was made by a Haitian kid who earned 10 cents for her work? Would you stop wearing the shirt? Donate it to a thrift store? Send money to the United Nations agency UNICEF, which works to protect Haitian child laborers? I recommend the latter option. I also suggest you use this as a prompt to engage in leisurely meditations on what you might do to reduce the world’s suffering. It’s an excellent time to stretch your imagination to understand how your personal life is interwoven with the lives of countless others, many of whom you don’t even know. And I hope you will think about how to offer extra healings and blessings not just to your allies, but also to strangers. What’s in it for you? Would this bring any selfish benefits your way? You may be amazed at how it leads you to interesting connections that expand your world.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian philosopher Alfred North Whitehead wrote, “The silly question is the first intimation of some totally new development.” He also said, “Every really new idea looks crazy at first.” With these thoughts in mind, Aquarius, I will tell you that you are now in the Season of the Silly Question. I invite you to enjoy dreaming up such queries. And as you indulge in that fertile pleasure, include another: Celebrate the Season of Crazy Ideas.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): We all love to follow stories: the stories we live, the stories that unfold for people we know, and the stories told in movies, TV shows and books. A disproportionately high percentage of the entertainment industry’s stories are sad or tormented or horrendously painful. They influence us to think such stories are the norm. They tend to darken our view of life. While I would never try to coax you to avoid all those stories, Pisces, I will encourage you to question whether maybe it’s wise to limit how many you absorb. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to explore this possibility. Be willing to say, “These sad, tormented, painful stories are not ones I want to invite into my imagination.” Try this experiment: For the next three weeks, seek out mostly uplifting tales.

Culture Crush—US Poet Laureate at SRJC and More

Santa Rosa

U.S. Poet Laureate

Join the Santa Rosa Junior College for the culmination of their Fall 2022 Arts & Lecture series, featuring a conversation with Ada Limón, the 24th and current United States poet laureate. A Sonoma-county native, Limón is the author of six books of poetry, including The Carrying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2018, and Bright Dead Things, which was a finalist for the same prize. She teaches at Queens University of Charlotte and hosts the critically-acclaimed and poetry-devoted podcast, The Slowdown. Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden describes Limòn as “a poet who connects. Her accessible, engaging poems ground us in where we are and who we share our world with. They speak of intimate truths, of the beauty and heartbreak that is living, in ways that help us move forward.” Limón will speak Tuesday, Nov. 22 at the Santa Rosa Junior College Luther Burbank Auditorium, 1501 Mendocino Ave. 12pm. Free. www.santarosa.edu    

Santa Rosa

Anita Lofton and Easy Queen

Spend an evening at Santa Rosa’s Lost Church with artists Anita Lofton and Easy Queen. Punk in origin, Lofton is transitioning to a more complex, developed sound, dubbed The Anita Lofton Project. Lofton is a singer/songwriter who played as part of the punk trio Sistas In The Pit, touring China and Europe and appearing in a U.S. tour with Iggy Pop and the Stooges during their reunion. Easy Queen is an Oakland-based trio that has built a following in the Bay Area celebrating the power of diversity, queer community and creativity. Their music is inspired by such bands as Sonic Youth, Neil Young, Jeff Buckley and Van Halen. Come check out this musical medley Friday, Nov. 18 at Lost Church Santa Rosa, 427 Mendocino Ave. Doors 7:30pm, show 8:15-10:30pm, with intermission. Tickets $15. www.thelostchurch.org 

Novato

Pat Campbell Memorial Show

HopMonk Novato is hosting a show celebrating the long career of bluegrass bassist Pat Campbell. The afternoon will include an expansive appreciation of his career—Campbell was considered a bluegrass stalwart, and played with a pantheon of musical bigtimes, including Jerry Garcia, Michael Bloomfield, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Big Joe Turner. Music from David Nelson, Nick Gravenites, Mark Karan, David Getz, Craig Caffall, Bill Cutler, Joe New, Randy Rood, Diane Vitalich, David Freiberg, Linda Imperial, Kurt Huget, Dan Healy and more. Additional music will be provided by the Stockton Gang & Bluegrass/Acoustic Boys. The house band will be composed of Peter Harris, Steve Valverde, Dore Coller, Willow Van Den Hoeck, Robin Zickel, Marcus David and Steve Shufton. Chuck Poling will MC the event. The Pat Campbell Memorial Show will be Sunday, Dec. 4 at HopMonk Tavern,  224 Vintage Way, Novato. 2-6pm. Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door. www.hopmonk.com/novato 

San Rafael

Cedars Holiday Craft Fair

It’s time again for the Cedars Holiday Craft Fair! For more than 100 years, Cedars has supported adults with developmental disabilities, helping them live dignified and joy-filled lives. The craft fair features one-of-a-kind artisan goods lovingly handcrafted by the Cedars residents and program participants. When buying a Cedars artist piece, 50% of the sales go to supporting the independent life of the artist who made it. There will be such gift options as handwoven textile napkins, placemats and table runners; homemade jams, marmalades and hot sauces; artisan soaps; and much more. This is a place to buy all the holiday gifts this year, and feel extra good about doing it. The Cedars Holiday Craft Fair is Wednesday, Nov. 16 and Thursday, Nov. 17 at 2500 Fifth Ave., San Rafael. 11am-2pm. Free. www.cedarslife.org 

—Jane Vick 

Bright Eyes at Gundlach Bundschu Winery

The intention of Gundlach Bundschu winery holding a year-round concert series must surely be to maximize the feeling of joy, so resolutely is its effect felt—the pure joy of music. 

At least this was my own experience going to the joint for the first time a couple of weeks ago to see my beloved Bright Eyes with my special lady friend and our Gen X besties. 

Jeff Bundschu, president of the winery’s umbrella company, is the investment tycoon with a taste for the sublime. First the crisp wines of the vineyard surrounding the venue, then the music of late Gen X rebellion. “We started bringing emerging national artists to our vineyard in 2008 because we love [that] music and the people it attracts. Since then, our reputation has grown, and the program organically evolved into a highly curated selection of new and established acts that speak to our soul.”

Speaking about the connection between art, music and wine, perhaps both in terms of craft and consumption, Bundschu said, “Our calling is to create expressive wines that speak to our vineyard and legacy. Our mission is to share them with people to enhance the world around them, sensorially and socially. Live music in a beautiful setting checks both those boxes in a big way.”

That Bright Eyes show checked a lot of my boxes, some I didn’t know I had. The stage set among the hilly platonic ideal of a destination winery with the sun setting behind my little group of mates, the wine flowing, people singing and swaying all around. The amphitheater felt big enough to take the full brunt of the band in the special mental space it was in that particular night—which was just the right one for Conner Oberst and his nine-piece comrades—and intimate enough to yell encouragement down to Connor’s mad-cap, art-boy performance.

Some unnamed musicians may have had a larger tasting flight of wines than most, but in general the venue likes to keep it cool. Bundschu again, “[As with] many sublime things, there is such a thing as too much. We try hard to celebrate staying on the right side of that equation.” 

Looking at the calendar of shows, I, for one, am excited about indie stalwarts, Low. Excited to go feel depressed by minimal fuzzy guitar music; it’s kind of my thing. That show will kick off the spring swing of the series on April 1, 2023. Surely not every reader will know these bands, but trust me, throw in Built to Spill on Dec. 3, and this venue’s lineup of shows is a college radio big deal. 

“We work with career artists who are nice people and create great, original music. We are genre agnostic, but lean indie rock. Past highlights include Khruangbin, Japanese Breakfast, Johnny Marr, Television, Thundercat and Mudhoney,” said Bundschu.

Gundlach Bundschu, also known as Gunbun, is committed to the indie rock sound. Even its Happy Hour features classic and indie records on the turntable. They spin all winter long every other Thursday from 5 to 7pm. 

And if you just can’t get enough, and honestly it could come to that considering the time I had on my first visit, there is the retro ski-themed holiday rumpus on Dec. 10. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I like it. Tickets for $45 include tasting pours of featured wines, homemade chili and a sweet treat. Dance to vibey tunes in retro ski-themed costumes.

Oh and Jeff, I mean Mr. Bundschu, if you are reading this, could you please introduce me to Mudhoney?

Next up at Gundlach Bundschu…Built to Spill in the Redwood Barn on Saturday, Dec. 3. Show at 7pm.⁣⁣⁣ $53 advance pricing, $55 day of show plus fees on both ticket types—all ages. Presented by (((folkYeah!))) and Gundlach Bundschu Winery.

Check This Out

Sonoma County Library champions inclusivity

By Marcia Singer, MSW 

Our Sonoma County Library (SCL) is my go-to for entertainment, edification, upliftment: international films for armchair travel, favorite TV shows to revisit, books spurring spiritual growth. 

And in the wake of culture war assaults on school curriculums—laws suppressing race, sex and gender education—I’ve been reminded that libraries are vital to democracy, real free speech and community-building. 

Recently, after helping me locate The Good Wife: Season 5, my branch librarian pointed to a display table. “What do you think of our banned books—free to take home?” she asked. 

Taking a closer look, I registered with appreciation the effort to champion educational and expressive freedoms, and social justice.  Afterward, in the foyer area, I discovered the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights (LBOR) leaflet. Moved, impressed, heartened, I went back to thank the librarian.

“Come with me,” she counseled, offering me SCL’s Statement of Inclusivity (SOI) flyer. “Black Lives Matter,” she pronounced, “and there’s more,” showing me their free, kid-friendly ed booklet, “Pride Flags and Pronouns.”

I’m proud to live where we value and advocate for these kinds of freedoms. And I’m so grateful for courageous librarians nationwide, standing up and speaking out in today’s scary, adversarial climate. Many have resigned because of ugly threats from far right opposers, from fear of retaliations, in concern for their families’ safety. 

I agree with my librarian that “books are meant to be read.” That ideas are meant to be shared and discussed and argued with respect and civility. View the LBOR, adopted in 1948:    www.loc.gov/resource/rbpe.1000660d/#viewer-image-wrapper. Appreciate that our Sonoma County Library “values diversity, empowerment, community, unity, kindness, connection and equity, servicing all races, genders, sexual orientations, religions, abilities, ages, national or ethnic origins, all languages, citizenship statuses, economic statuses, political affiliations.”

May we as a nation come to realize these aspirations, and come to know our history—all of it.

In concert with the ALA, I envision that one day, with open minds and hearts, we’ll embrace our differences and celebrate our common humanity. 

Get inspired at your local branch. And take home a great weekend movie, too. 

Marcia Singer’s Love Arts Foundational programs fund well-being through mindful, heart-centered practices. lovearts.info.

Free Will Astrology

ARIES (March 21-April 19): When you Aries people are at your best, you are driven by impeccable integrity as you translate high ideals into practical action. You push on with tireless force to get what you want, and what you want is often good for others, too. You have a strong sense of what it means to be vividly alive, and you stimulate a similar awareness in the people whose lives you touch. Are you always at your best? Of course not. No one is. But according to my analysis of upcoming astrological omens, you now have extra potential to live up to the elevated standards I described. I hope you will take full advantage.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In my experience, you Tauruses often have more help available than you realize. You underestimate your power to call on support, and as a result, don’t call on it enough. It may even be the case that the possible help gets weary of waiting for you to summon it, and basically goes into hiding or fades away. But let’s say that you, the lucky person reading this horoscope, get inspired by my words. Maybe you will respond by becoming more forceful about recognizing and claiming your potential blessings. I hope so! In my astrological opinion, now is a favorable time for you to go in quest of all the help you could possibly want. (PS: Where might the help come from? Sources you don’t expect, perhaps, but also familiar influences that expand beyond their previous dispensations.)

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Sometimes, life compels us to change. It brings us some shock that forces us to adjust. On other occasions, life doesn’t pressure us to make any shifts, but we nevertheless feel drawn to initiating a change. My guess is that you are now experiencing the latter. There’s no acute discomfort pushing you to revise your rhythm. You could probably continue with the status quo for a while. And yet, you may sense a growing curiosity about how your life could be different. The possibility of instigating a transformation intrigues you. I suggest you trust this intuition. If you do, the coming weeks will bring you greater clarity about how to proceed.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “We suffer more often in imagination than in reality,” wrote ancient Roman philosopher Seneca. That’s certainly true about me. If all the terrible things I have worried about had actually come to pass, I would be unable to function. Luckily, most of my fears have remained mere fantasies. What about you, fellow Cancerian? The good news is that in the coming months, we Crabs will have unprecedented power to tamp down and dissipate the phantasms that rouse anxiety and alarm. I predict that as a result, we will suffer less from imaginary problems than we ever have before. How’s that for a spectacular prophecy? 

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Poet Matt Michael writes, “Sure, the way trees talk is poetry. The shape of the moon is poetry. But a hot dog is also poetry. LeBron James’ tomahawk dunk over Kevin Garnett in the 2008 NBA Playoffs is poetry. That pothole I always fail to miss on Parkman Road is poetry, too.” In accordance with current astrological omens, Leo. I’d love for you to adopt Michael’s approach. The coming days will be a favorable time to expand your ideas about what’s lyrical, beautiful, holy and meaningful. Be alert for a stream of omens that will offer you help and inspiration. The world has subtle miracles to show you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo author Michael Ondaatje was born in Sri Lanka, but as a child moved to England and later to Canada. His novel, Running in the Family, describes his experiences upon returning to his native Sri Lanka as an adult. Among the most delightful: the deluge of novel sensory sensations. On some days, he would spend hours simply smelling things. In accordance with current astrological omens, I recommend you treat yourself to comparable experiences, Virgo. Maybe you could devote an hour today to mindfully inhaling various aromas. Tomorrow, meditate on the touch of lush textures. On the next day, bathe yourself in sounds that fill you with rich and interesting feelings. By feeding your senses like this, you will give yourself an extra deep blessing that will literally boost your intelligence.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You evolved Libras understand what’s fair and just. That’s one of your potencies, and it provides a fine service for you and your allies. You use it to glean objective truths that are often more valuable than everyone’s subjective opinions. You can be a stirring mediator as you deploy your knack for impartiality and evenhandedness. I hope these talents of yours will be in vivid action during the coming weeks. We non-Libras need extra-strong doses of this stuff.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Here are tips on how to get the most out of the next three weeks: 1. Be a master of simmering, ruminating, marinating, steeping, fermenting and effervescing. 2. Summon intense streams of self-forgiveness for any past event that still haunts you. 3. Tap into your forbidden thoughts so they might heal you. Discover what you’re hiding from yourself so it can guide you. Ask yourself prying questions. 4. Make sure your zeal always synergizes your allies’ energy, and never steals it. 5. Regularly empty your metaphorical trash so you always have enough room inside you to gleefully breathe the sweet air and exult in the Earth’s beauty.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I straddle reality and the imagination,” says Sagittarian singer-songwriter Tom Waits. “My reality needs imagination like a bulb needs a socket. My imagination needs reality like a blind man needs a cane.” I think that’s great counsel for you to emphasize in the coming weeks. Your reality needs a big influx of energy from your imagination, and your imagination needs to be extra well-grounded in reality. Call on both influences with maximum intensity!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Sometimes, Capricorn, you appear to be so calm, secure and capable that people get a bit awed, even worshipful. They may even get caught up in trying to please you. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily—as long as you don’t exploit and manipulate those people. It might even be a good thing in the coming weeks, since you and your gang have a chance to accomplish big improvements in your shared resources and environment. It would take an extra push from everyone, though. I suspect you’re the leader who’s best able to incite and orchestrate the extra effort.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): If you have been posing as a normal person for too long, I hope you will create fresh outlets for your true weird self in the weeks ahead. What might that entail? I’ll throw out a couple of ideas. You could welcome back your imaginary friends and give them new names like Raw Goodness and Spiral Trickster. You might wear fake vampire teeth during a committee meeting or pray to the Flying Spaghetti Monster to send you paranormal adventures. What other ideas can you imagine about how to have way too much fun as you draw more intensely on your core eccentricities?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I suspect you will have metaphorical resemblances to a duck in the coming weeks: an amazingly adaptable creature equally at home on land, in the water and in the air. You will feel comfortable anywhere you choose to wander. And I’m guessing you will want to wander farther and wider than you usually do. Here’s another quality that you and ducks will share: You’ll feel perfectly yourself, relaxed and confident, no matter what the weather is. Whether it’s cloudy or shiny, rainy or misty, mild or frigid, you will not only be unflappable—you will thrive on the variety. Like a duck, Pisces, you may not attract a lot of attention. But I bet you will enjoy the hell out of your life exactly as it is.

‘Clybourne Park’ at the Raven Performing Arts Theater

The roots of racism run deep in the American housing market. Playwright Lorraine Hansberry addressed it in 1959 with A Raisin in the Sun, the first play written by an African-American woman performed on Broadway and the first to have an African-American director.

Playwright Bruce Norris took Hansberry’s story and in 2010 wrote a “spinoff” of sorts with Clybourne Park. Healdsburg’s Raven Players has a production running through Nov. 20.

Hansberry’s original told the story of the Youngers, an African-American family looking to improve their lot in life. The purchase of a home in an all-white neighborhood is the catalyst for family drama and neighborhood strife.  

Norris continues the story from the perspective of the white family selling their home to the Youngers, and then jumps 50 years into the future when the neighborhood that once struggled with integration now struggles with gentrification.

Russ (Craig Peoples) and Bev (Elizabeth Henry) are packing up their home when their clergyperson, Jim (Matt Farrell); neighbor, Karl (Christopher Johnston); and Karl’s hearing-impaired wife, Betsy (Kate Edery), arrive. Karl has discovered the house is to be sold to a Black family and wants Russ to back out of the deal. As the argument over what’s “best” for everyone escalates, Russ and Bev’s maid, Francine (Jeanette Seisdedos), and her husband, Albert (Nicholas Augusta), are dragged into the fray. 

The cast returns for the second act as different characters and modern-day residents of Clybourne Park. It has been a Black neighborhood for years, and now a white couple is looking to move in.  

Director Steven David Martin and his cast tell the tale well. The cast does a good job of playing multiple roles in different eras. Particularly strong moments come from Peoples and Henry in the first act, while the entire ensemble shines in the second.

The first act lacks a clear sense of period that stronger costuming and prop choices might have supported. The second act is more potent as it turns darkly and uncomfortably comedic.

The live performance is preceded by a screening of the documentary, Segregated by Design, an exploration of how laws and policies fostered segregation. Don’t believe it? Check the deed to your home.

‘Clybourne Park’ runs through Nov 20 at the Raven Performing Arts Theater, 115 North St., Healdsburg. Thursday–Saturday, 7:30pm; Sunday, 2pm. $10–$25. raventheater.org

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‘Clybourne Park’ at the Raven Performing Arts Theater

The roots of racism run deep in the American housing market. Playwright Lorraine Hansberry addressed it in 1959 with A Raisin in the Sun, the first play written by an African-American woman performed on Broadway and the first to have an African-American director. Playwright Bruce Norris took Hansberry’s story and in 2010 wrote a “spinoff” of sorts with Clybourne Park....
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