FILM & AUTHORS
Ali Selim and Will Weaver Discuss Sweet Land
St. Paul filmmaker Ali Selim’s Sweet Land,
a Minnesota-made indie labor of love that garnered critical acclaim and
spawned a minor cult, was adapted from Bemidji writer Will Weaver’s
1989 short story “A Gravestone Made of Wheat.” The Rake’s Cristina Córdova will moderate the latest installment of The Talk of the Stacks
series, as the auteur and the author discuss the long journey Weaver’s
story took from the page to the screen. Both Selim and Weaver have
interesting back stories (Selim has had a high-profile career as a
director of television commercials, and in recent years Weaver has been
working on a series of successful young adult novels and teaching at
Bemidji State), so there should be no shortage of topics for
discussion. —Brad Zellar
Friday at 7 p.m., Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; 612-630-6174; free.
SOCIAL EVENT
Grown Up Spelling Bee
It has probably been quite a while since any of us have actually participated in a spelling bee — and I’m guessing most of us weren’t drinking back then, but maybe I’m wrong. Nonetheless, leave it to the 331 Club to introduce an event like this one. Test your spelling skills, have a beer between each round (or even a shot), and see how you make out. There is great fun to be had by all.
Friday at 7:00 p.m., 331 Club, 331 NE 13th Ave., Minneapolis; 612-331-1746, $7.
MUSIC BENEFIT
Dan Jass and Others Rock the Alex White Plume Family Benefit
According to Rake writer, John Ervin, Dan Jass is "a walking encyclopedia of the
rock-and-roll canon. In addition to possessing a record collection that
would make most DJ’s drool, as a performer he can match the guitar
stylings of every master from Eddie Cochran to Eddie Van Halen. After
working a day job for twenty years at Schmitt Music’s warehouse, Dan returned to singing and songwriting full-time." See him this weekend at the Alex White Plume Family Benefit — with John Munson, Nate Dungan, Red Ponie, Dana Thompson, Patches and Gretchen, and Shit-Fi.
Saturday at 6 p.m., Wolves Den Native Coffee, 1201 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis.
Also, on Sunday catch Lalgudi Krishnan & Vijayalakshmi at the College of St. Catherine or soprano Kathleen Battle at Orchestra Hall (2 p.m.).
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Graphic Novel Release Party
Lars Martinson is leaving for Japan in just a few days, but before he goes he’s due for a little celebration. Join him and his friend Tim Sievert this weekend, for a double book release celebration: Tonoharu: Part One and That Salty Air. Rumor has it there will be an after party of some kind, too
Saturday from 4-7 p.m., Big Brain Comics, 1027 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis612) 338-4390; free.
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