11/06 – 9pm – The Weekly Revue – $5 – BYO
November 6th, 2009John Brown: 150 Years Later – Made Possible By…
November 5th, 2009John Brown: 150 Years Later is made possible by the efforts and cooperation of these organizations:
Pennsylvania Abolition Society
Incorporated in 1789, the PAS is a not-for-profit organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, founded by Anthony Benezet in 1775 and reorganized by Benjamin Rush in 1784. For nearly 235 years, the PAS has maintained a commitment to improving the condition of African Americans and others adversely affected by slavery and social injustice. In its early years, the PAS provided protection to free blacks against the threat of kidnapping and enslavement, as well as education and employment training for the black community. In contrast to other pre-Civil War anti-slavery organizations, the PAS viewed the end of the Civil War and Emancipation as only partially addressing needs within the black community and among the new freedmen. Consequently, the PAS continued to work on education and quality of life issues for African Americans. Today, through legacy gifts provided by early members, the PAS supports, with small grants and gifts, community efforts in Southeastern Pennsylvania that seek to address the social, economic and educational inequities faced by African Americans, particularly disadvantaged youth. The PAS also supports and collaborates on initiatives that increase understanding of slavery’s imprint on contemporary life and also works to bridge the divisions in our modern society resulting from our nation’s history of slavery, inequality and injustice.
Abraham Lincoln Foundation of the Union League – 140 S. Broad Street
The Foundation makes the collections of the Union League available to the public through tours, exhibits, symposia and special programs. Their efforts help to shape an understanding of the history of the City of Philadelphia and the region through collaborations with the Civil War History Consortium, the Pennsylvania Quest for Freedom, the PA Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and area colleges.
The African American Museum of Philadelphia -701 Arch Street
Founded in 1976, the AAMP is the first institution, built by a major American city, to house and interpret the life and work of African Americans. The museum has objectively interpreted and presented the achievements and aspirations of African-Americans from pre-Colonial times to the current day. Visit the museum’s new permanent exhibition, Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia, 1776-1876.
Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia -15 South 7th Street
The Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia is the gateway to the city’s history. Founded 70 years ago as the history museum of the City of Philadelphia, the museum allows students, families, metropolitan residents, and visitors both national and international to discover the city and gain insight into contemporary urban life through its exhibitions and programs.
The Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University – 1330 W. Berks Street
The Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection is one of the nation’s leading research facilities for the study of the history and culture of people of African descent. As a major research facility, it provides materials, expository programs and service for Black Studies research scholars. The collection is used by a wide spectrum of researchers ranging from high school students to well-established scholars.
The Civil War History Consortium – 1300 Locust Street
The Civil War History Consortium is a group of almost 70 Philadelphia area institutions with sites, collections, and programs that relate to the Civil War era. It seeks to preserve, link, and promote the stories, collections, and locations that reveal the Philadelphia region’s crucial role in the nation’s search for liberty and unity during the Civil War era by providing meaningful heritage and educational experiences.
Cliveden – 6401 Germantown Avenue
A National Trust Historic Site in the Germantown section of Philadelphia where you can hear two distinct stories of the struggle for freedom. The first tale is of the country’s struggle to achieve independence during the Revolutionary War and the Battle of Germantown. The other is of the private struggles for self-determination led by numerous enslaved servants at Cliveden and at the Chew plantations in Maryland and Delaware.
Constitution High School – 18 S. 7th Street
Founded in 2006, Constitution High School is the only history themed high school in Pennsylvania. Their emphasis is on active citizenship, knowledge of history, and democratic deliberation. There will be a debate by these students on John Brown at AAMP on December 5
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation- 30 S. 17th Street , Suite 1710
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and its surrounding countryside a premier destination through marketing and image-building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality.
Drexel University
Africana Studies, College of Arts & Sciences, Drexel University – 3141 Chestnut Street
Africana Studies at Drexel University is an exciting interdisciplinary field that offers students the opportunity to explore history, culture, and politics throughout the African Diaspora. Africana Studies is a department of The College of Arts and Sciences, a key provider and innovator for the education of virtually all Drexel students at various points in their careers.
The Historical Society of Pennsylvania – 1300 Locust Street
The HSP is one of the nation’s oldest historical societies and one of its largest family history libraries. Following a complete merger with the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies, it stands as a leading repository of immigrant and ethnic history, second only to the Library of Congress for material on the nation’s founding, and is a comprehensive destination for genealogical study. With approximately 21 million records including manuscripts, graphics, and books, HSP is an invaluable resource for historical research.
The Library Company of Philadelphia – 1314 Locust Street
The Library Company of Philadelphia is an independent research library specializing in American history and culture from the 17th through the 19th centuries. It houses an extensive non-circulating collection of rare books, manuscripts, broadsides, ephemera, prints, photographs, and works of art. The mission of the Library Company is to preserve, interpret, make available, and augment the valuable materials within its care.
Millicent Sparks Productions, Inc., – 5920 Wayne Ave
Millicent Sparks Productions, Inc. (MSPI) creates and produces exciting and thought-provoking living history performance programs. These productions bring American history alive and highlight the struggles and triumphs of Africans in America. MSPI uses professional actors committed to authentic portrayals of historical figures, thereby helping audiences to better reconstruct and interpret the past.
The Moonstone Arts Center – 110A S. 13th Street
The Moonstone Arts Center promotes creative exchange through diverse cultural programs. Each year Moonstone produces over 200 programs of poetry, author readings, music, theater and film at our location in Center City, Philadelphia, as well as organizing collaborative programs such as Thomas Paine: The Forgotten Founding Father and John Brown: 150 Years Later. We believe that the arts, creativity, and imagination are essential aspects of life, learning and community. The Moonstone Arts Center is a division of Moonstone Inc., which also operates the Moonstone School in South Philadelphia.
Mother Bethel AME Church – 419 S 6th Street
Reverend Richard Allen, along with wealthy sail maker James Forten and the Reverend Absalom Jones, founded the Free African Society, laying the groundwork for human and civil rights organizations to come. The church, which stands on the oldest parcel of African-American-owned land, was a major hub on the Underground Railroad, providing shelter, aid and a beacon of hope to freedom seekers. Well-known abolitionists such as Harriet Tubman spoke here.
National Archives at Philadelphia – 9th & Chestnut
The National Archives at Philadelphia is a branch of the National Archives of the United States’ nationwide system of public facilities for archival research and public programming. The Philadelphia archival holdings include some of the most significant official evidence of the tensions within the nation to address slavery and inequality and have American democracy apply to everyone.
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts -
118 N. Broad Street
Founded in 1805, PAFA is America’s oldest continually operating school of fine arts. A recipient of the 2005 National Medal of Arts, the Academy is a recognized leader in fine arts education. The institution’s world-class collection of American art continues to grow and provides what only a few other art institutions in the world offer: the rare combination of an outstanding museum and an extraordinary faculty known for its commitment to students
Pennsylvania Humanities Council – 325 Chestnut Street, Suite 715
The Pennsylvania Humanities Council inspires individuals to enjoy and share a life of learning enriched by human experience across time and around the world. The John Brown: 150 Years Later program is funded by the Our Stories, Our Future initiative on American history, which is funded in turn by the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of We The People, a national initiative exploring the history of the United States. Since 1973, the PHC has empowered local groups to offer high-quality public programs that have a positive impact on the everyday life of their communities.
Wednesday, 11/4 – 7pm – Dylan Landis and Joanna Smith Rakoff
November 4th, 2009WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 7pm – FICTION
DYLAN LANDIS and JOANNA SMITH RAKOFF
Dylan Landis author of Normal People Don’t Live Like This ($15.00 Persea Books)
“Delicious writing…Evocative, lyrical prose, and vivid imagery coupled with a subtle fictional approach, mysterious references, and ambiguities. Buy this for your literary fiction readers and short story fans – they’ll appreciate it”. – BOOKLIST, review by Ellen Loughran
“In this bracing debut, Dylan Landis guides us into the harsh, secretive
world of girls, where the mysteries of power and sexuality baldly govern, and adults and teenagers occasionally intersect across the barbed wire of a mutually earned mistrust.” – Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander and Paint it Black
“Dylan Landis leaves me breathless with admiration. Her haunting, luminous characters hold secrets we can’t help but recognize as our own, and we’re privy to their most intimate, complicated moments. Beautiful and unrelenting, Normal People Don’t Live Like This had me nodding and sighing and thinking, ‘Oh, but we do, we do.’ “- Lisa Glatt, author of A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That and The Apple’s Bruise
Joanna Smith Rakoff author of A Fortunate Age ($26.00 Scribner)
was a New York Times Editors’ Pick, a winner of the Elle Readers’ Prize, and a selection of Barnes and Noble’s First look Book Club. Like the characters in that novel, she attended Oberlin College, and she holds degrees from University College, London, and Columbia University. She’s written for the New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Vogue, O: The Oprah Magazine, and numerous other publications. She lives in New York with her husband, son, and daughter.
THOMAS PAINE – FORGOTTEN FOUNDING FATHER
November 2nd, 2009Thomas Paine: The Forgotten Founding Father.
“The story of Thomas Paine – then and now, for the man and his ideas are very much alive today – stirs the heart, moves the mind, and routs the demon of despair.”
Bill Moyers
We are honoring the power of Paine’s radical pen with a series of events that culminate on the 200th anniversary of his death. Events include four public lectures by Paine scholars between February and May, presentations in area high schools, a essay contest for high school students, and a final panel discussion on Paine’s life and influence on Monday June 8, 2009.
We hope that you can join us for our presentations and, if you are a high school student, that you choose to participate in our essay contest.
Other sections of this site offer information on our presentations and our presenters, biographical information on Paine, a selection of his wonderful sayings, information on the essay contest, and links to other sites you might find interesting.
Thomas Paine: The Forgotten Founding Father is presented by Moonstone Inc., a 501C(3) non-profit organization in co-operation with Drexel University, The Free Library of Philadelphia, The Historical Society of Philadelphia, and The Office of Accelerated Learning of the Philadelphia School District. It is made possible by a grant from the Pennsylvania Humanities Council. Additional support for Moonstone comes from The Barra Foundation, The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The Samuel S. Fels Fund, and the William Penn Foundation.
10/30 – 9pm – The Doug Hawk Proposition, The Mike Lorenz Trio – $10, $5 w/ Student ID – BYO
October 30th, 2009FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 9pm – MUSIC – $10 cover,
$5 with student ID – BYOB
THE DOUG HAWK PROPOSITION
THE MIKE LORENZ TRIO
The Doug Hawk Proposition is a three-piece ensemble that hails from Easton, PA. Fronted by vocalist, keyboardist and principal composer Doug Hawk, the group presents a unique, cerebral sound, which can be described as at once historically soulful yet progressively hip. Seasoned drummer Rian Carr and Nicholas Krolak, an emerging, young upright bass player make up the rest of the group.
The Mike Lorenz Trio featuring Mike Lorenz, guitarist/composer/bandleader, is an up-and-coming musician centered in the music scene of the Lehigh Valley. He leads the Mike Lorenz Quartet, which features some of the most in-demand musicians in the Philadelphia area. The group merges influences from within the whole scope of the jazz idiom with outside influences of rock, hip-hop and classical music. Mike has led performances in such venues as Smalls Jazz Club in New York City, Chris’ Jazz Cafe, the Tritone and the Sci Fi Philly/Ars Nova Workshop series in Philadelphia, Puck Live in Doylestown and numerous venues in other parts of the Philadelphia region.
“Guitarist Mike Lorenz operates out of the Lehigh Valley and mixes it up regularly in Philly, bringing a focused and fluent vocabulary to music of original construction. Working within the melodically edgy orbit of such role models as Ben Monder and Kurt Rosenwinkel, he can float by on chordal clouds or stun you with quick flashes of linear brilliance, as on a nifty MySpace track called “3 Step.” Lorenz’s quartet comes at the material with a sense of whimsy and seasoned trust. ” David Adler – Philly Weekly
10/28 – 7pm – Richard Becker author of Palestine, Israel and the US Empire
October 28th, 2009WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28, 7pm – NON-FICTION
RICHARD BECKER
Author of Palestine, Israel and the US Empire ($17.95)
Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire provides a sharp analysis of the historic and current events in the struggle for Palestine – from the division of the Middle East by Western powers and the Zionist settler movement, to the founding of Israel and its regional role as a watchdog for U.S. interests, to present-day conflicts and the prospects for a just resolution.
“A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the Palestinian cause.” – Samera Sood, executive board, Palestinian American Women’s Association
“Becker foregrounds what others usually set aside: the integral role of U.S. imperialism, with the Zionist state as an essential partner. His approach connects the Palestinian struggle with a universal perspective, which gives the people dignity and strength.” – Joel Kovel, author, Overcoming Zionism
“This book is a clarion call to end the last vestiges of colonialism in the 21st century.” – Imam Mahdi Bray, executive director, Muslim American Society Freedom
10/27 – Moonstone Poetry Series presents Jeanne Murray Walker and David Moolten
October 27th, 2009TUESDAY OCTOBER 27, 7pm – POETRY
Moonstone Poetry Series Presents
JEANNE MURRAY WALKER & DAVID MOOLTEN
author of New Tracks, Night Falling ($16.00 Eerdmans)
“Anyone who can get through a newspaper,” Jeanne Murray Walker says, “will find this book a piece of cake.” Indeed, the poems in this book are strong but unpretentious pieces rich in meaning and feeling. The poems in New Tracks, Night Falling acknowledge that we are people driven and divided by fear. They talk about racism, war, loss, greed, alienation, our disregard of the earth, and our disregard of each other. Sometimes we feel like night is falling in the bright light of day. Yet we get glimpses of hope, of what could be:
In this dark time I want to make light bigger,
to toss it in the air like a pizza chef,
to stick my fists in, stretching it
till I can get both arms into radiance above the elbow
and spin it above us.
Hope continually threads its way through these poems. We hear its voice as Walker writes about choices — both those we make and those beyond our making. And we feel hope rising like bread when Walker focuses on the gifts of potential, resolution, mercy, joy — the new tracks that we can make in fresh snow, on old paths, along the roads more or less traveled. These are stays against the falling night. With a keen eye for both physical and emotional detail, Walker explores a journey that all of us are on, and she does so in a way that speaks to our deep fears and deeper joys, that engages and inspires. Tempering somber notes with more joyful ones, she reminds us of the good things, great and small, that are still possible in this world.
David Moolten is the author of Plums & Ashes, which won the Samuel French Morse Poetry Prize, Especially Then, and Primitive Moood, which won the 2009 T.S. Eliot Prize from Truman State University Press, and has just been published.
10/25 – 7pm – Lucky Old Souls presents Truth or Consequence Trio, Jason Stein, and Jack Wright Trio
October 24th, 2009SUNDAY OCTOBER 25, 7pm – MUSIC – $15 (admission & dinner) – BYOB
Lucky Old Souls Presents a special dinner show with
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE TRIO
JASON STEIN
JACK WRIGHT TRIO
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE TRIO – Dan Peterson (reeds), Matt Stein (bass), Doug Hirlinger (drums)
JASON STEIN – solo bass clarinet
JACK WRIGHT TRIO Jack Wright (sax), Damon Smith (bass), Mike Szekely (drums)
and for dinner…
DAN’S SOUTHWESTERN 3 X 5 CHILI
made with the best organic ingredients, including 3 kinds of beans & 5 types of peppers available vegetarian or with local grass-fed beef served with Dan’s amazingly moist corn bread.
DAN PETERSON a composer & woodwind player from Philadelphia, is best known for his leadership roles in his groups Truth & Consequence and The Bottomfeeders, his 2 CDs “The Mythic Belief” and “5 Simple Worlds…”, and as one of he presenters behind the 2000-2004 Collective Voices Festival. He has had long-standing sideman gigs with Odean Pope and Bobby Zankel’s Warriors of the Wonderful Sound and collaborated or performed with Leah Stein, Toshi Makihara, EgoPo Theater Company, Billy Harper, Dave Burrell, Dave Liebman, Marty Erhlich and Ravi Coltrane. His recent release “5 Simple Worlds…” received a Subito grant for performance and has generated excitement among local writers. Writing in the Philadelphia Weekly, Katharine Silkaitis called the album “joyous, engaging, and inspiring… able to be appreciated by the master artist and lay fan alike.” In addition to his life as a musician and music educator, Dan is also a talented chef. Before moving to Philadelphia, he worked in restaurants in Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Louisiana, including the critically acclaimed Bistro at Maison de Ville in New Orleans’s French Quarter. From 2004-2006, Dan worked at the legendary South Philly brunch spot Carman’s Country Kitchen. Joining Dan for tonight’s performance are drummer DOUG HIRLINGER www.myspace.com/doughirlinger and bassist MATT STEIN.
JASON STEIN is one of the few musicians to make the bass clarinet his primary instrument. Born in 1976 and originally from Long Island, New York., he studied at Bennington College with Charles Gayle and Milford Graves, and at the University of Michigan with Donald Walden and Ed Sarath. In 2005, Stein relocated to Chicago and has since recorded for such labels as Delmark, Atavistic, 482 Music and Clean Feed. Stein has performed throughout the US and Europe and has had the opportunity to perform with a number of exciting local and international musicians including: Michael Moore, Jeff Parker, Rudi Mahall, Ken Vandermark, Rob Mazurek, Jeb Bishop, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Nate McBride, Jack Wright, and Peter Brotzman.
JACK WRIGHT is one of a very small group of musicians in North America that has played improvised music exclusively since the 1970s. After teaching at Temple University in the 1960s and leaving academia in the early 1970s to engage in radical politics and community organizing, by the late 1970s Wright was directing his energies into music. Through years of near constant touring, often performing for audiences in cities and towns where improvised music had never before been heard, he came to be regarded as something of an underground legend. He has deliberately eschewed the conventions and socio-aesthetic limitations of musical careerism to pursue his own vision. Although his de-professionalized approach sets him apart from most musicians at his level of accomplishment, his art has always grown, expanded, and synthesized new information. He is unquestionably an original and virtuosic saxophonist, a master improviser who is deeply lyrical, with humor never far away. For more on Wright, visit www.springgardenmusic.com. Wright will be joined tonight by bassist DAMON SMITH www.balancepointacoustics.com/damon.php and drummer MIKE SZEKELY http://www.myspace.com/michaelszekely.
Matthew Feldman (aka “Feldie”)
www.luckyoldsouls.com
www.twitter.com/luckyoldsouls
10/23 – 9pm – Diego and Hugo Manuschevich + Sassafras Spine Trio
October 23rd, 2009FRIDAY OCTOBER 23, 9pm – MUSIC
DIEGO and HUGO MANUSCHEVICH
THE SASSAFRAS SPINE TRIO
Diego Manuschevich is a highly regarded multi-reedist/composer working in Santiago, Chile. He has led and composed for numerous ensembles ranging from trios to octets – including “Los Ogros del Swing” and “Diego Manuschevich Quinteto” – comprised of some of the most talented and creative young musicians in the local scene, and performed in all the main jazz (and non-jazz) venues in the city, in addition to performances outside of Santiago. He has also performed and recorded with large ensembles such as the highly regarded “quintessence” and the more classicaly oriented “14 gatos del eclipse”, both of which were awarded government arts grants. Outside of Chile he has performed extensively and recorded with bassist Rolando Alvarado and Drummer Mark Ettingoff as well as NY-based avant-garde guitarist Thomas Reuben and bassist Francois Grillot.
Sassafras Spine Trio is a newly formed band consisting of Max Carmichael, guitarist from Red Bank, NJ; Bassist Rolando Alvarado from Middletown, NJ; and Philadelphia drummer, Mark Ettingoff. The trio’s performances range from free improvisation and original compositions, to their own unique interactions with jazz standards. Max has studied under guitarist Gary Wright, and makes yearly trips to India to study the Chaturangui under his guru, the world famous Debashish Bhattacharya. Rolando has studied with Slovenian composer Jerica Obla and NYC bassist Trevor Dunn, and was an original member of the controversial Los Ogros Del Swing (Santiago, Chile). Mark has studied with NYC drummer Tony Moreno and pianist Connie Crothers, and was also an original member of Los Ogros. All three members are currently active in a variety of musical projects throughout the tri-state area. Together they have developed a sound, which they continue to share with all kinds of audiences.
10/23 – 7:30pm – Philly Fantastic presents Jonathan Maberry
October 23rd, 2009FRIDAY OCTOBER 23, 7:30pm – SCI-FI
Philadelphia Fantastic Presents:
JONATHAN MABERRY
Jonathan Mayberry is a multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author, magazine feature writer, playwright, content creator and writing teacher/lecturer. His novels include Ghost Road Blues (winner of the Stoker Award for Best First Novel in 2006), Dead Man’s Song, Bad Moon Rising, and Patient Zero. His nonfiction works include Vampire Universe, and The Cryptopedia – winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction; and Zombie CSU: The Forensics of the Living Dead (Winner of the Heinzman and Black Quill Awards and nominated for a Stoker Award). He writes the Black Panther comic for Marvel, as well as a variety of projects involving Wolverine, Spider-Man, the Punisher and other heroes. In September 2009, Marvel Comics will present Marvel Zombies Return, a limited series with installments written by Jonathan Mayberry, David Wellington (author of Monster Island) and Seth Grahame-Smith (author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). Jonathan is a Contributing Editor for The Big Thrill (the newsletter of the International Thriller Writers), and is a member of SFWA, MWA, SCBWI, and HWA. He is a frequent guest at genre cons and writers conferences, including ThrillerFest, Sisters in Crime, Backspace, PennWriters, DragonCon, PhilCon, HorrorFind, Monster Mania, Philadelphia Writers Conference, Balticon, The Write Stuff, Hypericon, LunaCon, and many others. Jonathan is a founding member of The Liars Club, a group of networking publishing professionals that includes bestsellers William Lashner, L.A. Banks, Merry Jones, Gregory Frost, Jon McGoran, Ed Pettit, Dennis Tafoya, Keith Strunk, Don Lafferty, Kelly Simmons, Laura Schrock and Marie Lamba. Jonathan has been a writing teacher and career counselor for writers for the last two decades. Many of his students have gone on to publish in short and novel-length fiction, magazine feature writing, nonfiction books, TV, film, and comics.
