Rocket News Today

FEBRUARY 4th 2010

Juanita Tobin Memorial

The public is invited to the first Juanita Tobin Memorial Reading Fundraiser at Galileo’s Bar and Café, 1087 West King Street, on Thursday, February 11, 2010 from 6:00 to 8:30pm. The funds raised will sponsor Poet Shelby Stephenson on April 1, 2010 at Appalachian State University. Stephenson grew up on a small farm near Benson, in the Coastal Plain of NC. “My early teachers were the thirty-five foxhounds my father hunted.

The trees and streams, the fields, the world of my childhood-all that folklore-those are my subjects,” he says. Juanita Tobin, a beloved poet with deep roots here in the High Country, died three years ago just weeks before her 92nd birthday. She is best known here as a published poet and writer of a regular column in The Blowing Rocket.

She was an active member of the High Country Writers Association and the Boone Unitarian Univesalist Fellowship. Ransom Street Quartet and License These Roving Hands, two of her books of poetry, were published by Parkway Publishers. Her work “chronicles the voice and history of this region of Appalachia,” according to Earl Le Claire. Joseph Bathanti, Poet, Novelist and Professor at ASU will read from his recent publication: Land of Amnesia. Earl Le Claire, Poet, Performer and Chef presents his original work from his recent publication Below the Mayonnaise Factory. Linda Steel, Grace Wakeman, and Kathy Parkham will read poems from Junaita’s collection. Alice Naylor will host the event. Light refreshments will be provided, courtesy of Paul and Judy Tobin, children of Juanita. Minimum contribution: $10.00/$5.00 students.

For information call Alice at 828-297-4684 or Grace 828-264-1947 In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to February 25.

Robert Altman:

Robert Altman: The Oral Biography. Alfred A. Knopf. Of all the “brilliant” pop-culture figures whose lives have been recounted through “oral biography,” the only one for which the format really fits is director Robert Altman. In films such as “M*A*S*H,” “Nashville,”and “Gosford Park,” Altman made an art out of the natural cacophony of life. For Robert Altman, art imitated life. His life—like what many consider his best movies “M*A*S*H,” “Nashville,”and “Gosford Park “—was filled with untidy passions, bitter conflicts, unwavering convictions, complete disasters, and, on occasion, moments of captivating clarity that made all the drama seem worthwhile. The result of the “oral biography” is much like one of Altman’s movies: many voices overlapping, some in concert, some contradicting, all rushing headlong toward their version of truth—in short “Altmanesque.” Mitchell Zuckoff had been working with Altman on a book on filmmaking when the celebrated director died in November 2006. Zuckoff took those interviews and crosscut them with conversations and interviews with just about everyone who figured in Altman’s life—family, friends, a few enemies, as well as the agents, writers, crew member, producers, and stars who worked with him including Warren Beatty, Meryl Streep, Tim Robbins, Paul Newman, Julie Christie, Elliot Gould, Martin Scorcese, Robin Williams and many others all bring Altman to rich life. After an all-American boyhood, a stint of flying bombers in World War II, and jobs ranging from dog-tattoo entrepreneur to television director he burst on the scene as movie director. But he was no 90-day wonder. Scott Fitzgerald once observed, “There are no second acts in the lives of American writers.” In films many careers of writer/directors are ignited by prodigious early successes. Altman was something rarer—a great second act after a first act nobody noted.

Altman’s breakthrough came with “M*A*S*H” which the redoubtable critic Pauline Kael called “the best American war comedy since sound came in.” In the New York Times Aljean Harmetz pronounced, “At 46, Robert Altman is Hollywood’s newest 26-year-old genius.” Altman has been credited with revolutionizing American filmmaking and in a decade he produced masterpieces at an astonishing pace: McCabe and Mrs. Miller; and Nashville, a penetrating and multi-level portrait of America at a particular time and place, often considered Altman’s masterpiece. Altman included 24 characters, all of them offering their own take on the country-music business, a kaleidoscopic approach he thought was more likely to reveal the truth.

Then Altman re-invented himself with a new set of celebrated masterworks including The Player, his satire of Hollywood movie-making (sometimes cited with Sunset Boulevard and “Hollywood movies”); Short Cuts; and Gosford Park. Just before the release of the last of his forty movies A Prairie Home Companion, Altman received an honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement. Ultimately Altman thought Prairie was about death and maybe an appropriate way to say “Goodbye.” But David Levy, who worked for Altman off and on for two decades from crew member to producer concludes, looking with regret on the next movie Altman was scheduled to direct, The Widow Claire from the play by Horton Foote, who very much wanted Altman to direct it, “It’s particularly sad we didn’t get to do The Widow Claire… it seems like a man who’s thinking it could be his last film… it would have been the work of two wise old men [Altman and Foote].

It would have been a lovely way to say good-bye.” A judicious way of summing up consideration of Altman is provided by Michael Tolkin who wrote “The Player,” Altman’s satire of the movie business: “He has a few really great movies and a lot of films of great interest…” Mitchell Zuckoff’s Robert Altman: The Oral Biography is both a riveting tale of an extra ordinary life and a guide to some fine films available to rent or buy in DVD and VHS. His book will send readers to them.

Hearts of Hospitality

Join the Hearts of Hospitality for a night of dinner and dancing on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010 from 6:30-11:30 pm at the ASU Broyhill Inn & Conference Center Helen Powers Grand Hall. Enjoy music by Todd Wright Band, dinner, a lively dance contest and silent auction. Dancers include Cay and Andy Harkins, Edie and Fred Milano, Robin Lane and Andy Glass and the High Country Dance Crew with Haley Walton and Bianca Capo.

Vote for your favorite dancers! One dollar equals one vote. The Master of Ceremonies will be Gwen Dhing as Tina Turner with backup singers Kim Kincaid, Jenny Miller, and Debbie Glover. Tickets are $75 per person ($50 tax deductible within the law). You may purchase tickets by calling Rose Bridgeman at 264.2733. You may also purchase them at High Country Bank at New Market Center or Shadowline Drive.

The event is semi-formal (black-tie optional). Hearts of Hospitality is a volunteer women’s auxillary club whose purpose is to raise awareness and funds for Hospitality House. The group holds the ball annually as one of the agency’s major fundraising events. All proceeds benefit Hospitality House who is in the midst of a combined campaign to build and operate a new shelter for those in need in the High Country. The agency has reached 88 percent of its funding needs for the project and hopes to raise the remaining twelve percent in 2010. With current economic conditions compounded by extreme weather, the need for a new shelter is more critical than ever.

Founded in 1984, Hospitality House is a non-profit crisis intervention agency that provides shelter and services to the homeless, operates the community soup kitchen and administers WeCAN - the local crisis assistance program. Hospitality House is a High Country United Way agency.

About The Rocket The Blowing Rocket was first published in June 1932, a tabloid publication that was printed each week during the months of June, July and August. After the final week in August it was to put to bed until the following June. Local Links Around Blowing Rock The Blowing Rocket staff has compiled some local links to help you make some choices when you visit.