SOCIAL
Everybody’s Doing It . . .
Whip up that special dish of yours. (Yes, Vienna sausage and saltines counts.) Tonight is probably the only day of the year when you’re guaranteed to find at least one potluck in the ten-block radius. More likely, you’ll find several. It’s
National Night Out, and neighborhoods across Minneapolis (and across the country, for that matter) will be hosting events to promote healthier, safer communities and strengthen police/community relations. The Mini Apple put itself on the map last year by holding more than 934 separate events over the course of three days; that’s an all-time national record for National Night Out. And more than 39,000 people took part, which means more than 10 percent of the city’s population stepped up and stepped out. This year, let’s make it 20.
See the schedule of events and locations.
BOOKS
Death of a Murderer, Life of a Masterpiece
For my money Rupert Thomson is one of the most adventurous and consistently dazzling writers working today. He’s also criminally underrated (and largely unknown) in the United States. His 1996 novel, The Insult, featured one of the great untrustworthy narrators in recent memory: a man, blinded by a bullet to the head, who suffers from a rare neurological condition that convinces him that he can still see. The result was a sort of surreal noir in which apparent delusions seemed very real and very spooky.
His latest work hits the bookstores today (so you might want to consider staying in tonight). Death of a Murderer features a policeman haunted by the ghost of a notorious serial murderer, and it’s already being hailed by British reviewers as Thomson’s masterpiece. — by Brad Zellar
MUSIC
Come on, Baby, Drive South
Well, the John Hiatt show at the Minnesota Zoo is sold out, damn it. The man writes one hell of a song, what I call real Americana — good old fashioned pop rock with a country blues backbone. Ain’t that what it’s all about, momma? Have a little faith, though; all is not lost. You still have one more chance to catch Bobby “Blue” Bland tonight, and that might be even better. As I said yesterday, this steamy bluesman literally put the rhythm in R&B.
8 p.m., Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, 1010 Nicollet, Minneapolis; 612-332-1010; show $50, dinner and show $90 — and worth every penny (if you’ve got it).
FILM
No Slop Song
Disney’s long-hidden classic Song of the South hasn’t been seen in theaters (or on DVD) since its theatrical rerelease in 1986. If you’ll recall, this is the simple tale of a white boy who goes to visit his grandma’s plantation in the post-Civil War South while his folks consider splitting up. There, he is watched over by the lovable Uncle Remus and a covey of annoying little songbirds singing “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.” Part animated, part live action, arguably racist, and definitely patronizing, Song is filled with fabulous animation and crack storytelling — especially in the Tar Baby sequence. Disney’s suppression of the film raises myriad questions, not the least of which is the fact that the film’s African-American stars have, in the ensuing controversy, seen their hard work vanish from the cinematic landscape. — by Peter Schilling
Tonight’s Cinema Slop show at the Dinkytowner Café has been canceled, but you can now buy it.
RAKING THE NET
Fodder for the Explorer
Edit a fictional galaxy — stars, planets, moons — at Galaxiki.
Do you have a grocery store in your neighborhood? How about a park? A school? A bar? (There’s always a bar nearby.) Rate your home’s “walkability” at Walk Score. Mine got a 92 out of 100, but I tell you, I chose it precisely for that reason.
If you lack a sense of humor when it comes to religion, stay away from this hysterically amusing photo essay.
Back Off the Wagon
I’ve been having a little trouble with vices lately and thought I would share.
25 Ways to Quit
Do As Doc
Baby Got Style
Lucy Loves It
Fred, Baby
Stop Killing Yourself
After Dinner Mint
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