Three Days, Three Books, Three Authors

BOOKS
Amdromeda Romano-Lax Takes Casals through the Looking Glass

I grew up surrounded with images, sounds, and stories of Pablo Casals. Though you’ll hear that he’s a Spaniard, his mother was in fact from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. An amazing cellist and a beautiful conductor, Casals spent much of his early years playing for queens and presidents. He lived a most interesting life among the elite, which writer and journalist Amdromeda Romano-Lax set out narrate. As she became engrossed in the story, however, her imagination went wild, resulting in a most interesting novel rather than a nonfiction work. This afternoon, you can hear Romano-Lax talk about her novel, The Spanish Bow, and the man that inspired it. What a man! His Bach’s Cello Suites makes me weep each time I hear them — which is often; and there’s a 1983 Casals Festival lithograph still hanging in my bedroom.

Friday at 2 p.m., University of Minnesota Bookstore, Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-626-0559; free.

Tim Brady Explores the Gophers’ Rich History

What’s the obsession with gold in sports? Let’s face it: gold is a horrid color. No matter what color you pair it with — black, blue, green, even maroon — it’s still horrid. Is it the medal reference? Go for the Gold? The enthusiasm behind sports in this country is astounding, as is the amount of money made from it, put into it, and circulating within it. Money is power, my friends. And sports are mighty powerful in, oh, so many ways. Saturday, local author Tim Brady (of The Great Dan Patch and the Remarkable Mr. Savage) invites you to experience over 150 years of rich University of Minnesota sports history. “Gopher Gold delves into the little-known corners of the university’s past to showcase the wealth of talent and ability that this landmark institution has attracted, nurtured, and given back to the world.” Brady will sign copies of his book following the discussion.

Saturday at 2 p.m., University of Minnesota Bookstore, Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Ave. S.E., Minneapolis; 612-626-0559; free.

Top off the Weekend with an Extraordinary Orgasm

Thanks to Girl Friday, we learned of Sunday’s book event: a book chat with Dorian Solot and Marshall Miller, authors of I Heart Female Orgasm: An Extraordinary Orgasm Guide. As Girl Friday points out, the book has yet to receive less than a 5-star rating from any of its reviewers on Amazon. But really, how could it? I mean… an extraordinary orgasm guide? Of course it’s great!

Sunday at 6 p.m., Smitten Kitten, 3010 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis; R.S.V.P. to 612-721-6088.

FILM
Quiet City

Director Aaron Katz’s Quiet City is part of the ever-growing “mumblecore” movement in indie film, a genre that favors disaffected youth who struggle to pay the bills. These films defy summary and star nonprofessional actors who improvise most of their dialog, or, well, mumbles. In Quiet City, a girl gets lost in Brooklyn and meets a young man and together they wander through the sleeping borough, saying almost nothing. Quiet City places demands on the viewers’ attention — a sideways glance, a puff on a cigarette have as much gravity as ten minutes of dialog in a conventional film. Tonight and Sunday, Katz and lead actress Erin Fisher appear to discuss the film, and on Saturday (2 p.m.) you can join them for a director’s roundtable discussion at IFP. –Peter Schilling Jr.

Friday and Sunday at 7:15 and 9:15 p.m., Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak St., Minneapolis; 612-331-3134, $8 (seniors $6, members/students $5).

THEATER & PERFORMANCE
Jesus Hates Me

Just under a year ago, Wayne Lemon’s latest play, Jesus Hates Me made its world premiere at the Colorado New Play Summit. This weekend Emigrant Theater brings Lemon’s hip play to Minneapolis — directed by founding member Jessica Finney. Expect typical and quirky Texan fare, small-town rural America, a Bible-themed miniature golf course, Jack Daniels bottles, gay ski resorts, and plenty of gut-wrenching laughter.

Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 and 8 p.m., Ritz Theater, 345 13th Ave. N.E., Minneapolis; 612-436-1129; $10.

ART BENEFIT
Art Perchance

If you’ve got a bit of extra cash on hand and you’d like to show your support for the arts, head over to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts tonight for their fourth annual Art Perchance benefit — another great opportunity to eat, drink, and play in the name of art. Enjoy an evening of games, food, and drawings for jury-selected artwork; and feel good about bringing art and culture to children throughout Minnesota — or rather, for bringing them to art and culture. Proceeds from this evening’s event benefit the Friends Transportation Fund, which provides free bus transportation for schoolchildren to visit the MIA for educational tours. Arrive an hour early (6 p.m.) for a pre-party reception.

Friday at 7 p.m., Minneapolis Institute of Art, Target Wing, 2400 Third Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-870-3045; $75 and up.

MUSIC
Rock It to the Bang Bang Boogie

“I said I can’t wait ’til the end of the week / when I’m rappin’ to the rhythm of a groovy beat / and attempt to raise your body heat.” In 1979 I knew every darn word of “Rappers’ Delight.” It’s a mighty long song, but everybody knew it word-for-word. This was the onset of rap, and it was a pretty big deal. Granted, I was living in New York then. You can imagine my surprise at hearing it “passed off” as something new in Minnesota almost a decade later. But hell, better late than never. And now, close to another couple of decades gone by, we can all look back and bask in the greatness of the pioneer rappers, the SugarHill Gang.

Sunday at 9 p.m., Foundation Nightclub, 10 S. Fifth St., Minneapolis; 612-332-3931; $25, VIP $40.