Creative Loafing Atlanta: A&E

Dragon*con countdown: Patrick Burns, paranormal investigator

atlonline@cln.com (Curt Holman) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:09:46 -0400

Every year, Dragon*Con’s celebrity guest list includes more than TV/movie actors with cult followings. Culture Surfing counts down to the Labor Day fantasy convention with a series of short profiles of Dragon*Con guests who specialize in more surprising disciplines.…

5 things today

atlonline@cln.com (Amber Robinson) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:00:16 -0400

1) Alliance Theatre stages Twist.
2) Georgia State University goes up against Shorter College in its first football game.
3) Emmitt-Nershi Band plays Smith's Olde Bar.
4) Bike MS: Cox Atlanta Rides benefits the local chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at Laughing Skull Lounge.
5) Stockholm Syndrome plays the Buckhead Theatre.…

Artists to watch

atlonline@cln.com (CL staff) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:05:00 -0400

Eight of Atlanta�s most interesting talents --and where to catch them this fall by CL staff]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Fall Arts Highlights

atlonline@cln.com (CL staff) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0400

Best bets for plays, exhibits, film fests and more by CL staff BOOKS ATLANTA QUEER LITERARY FESTIVAL Fourth annual event will feature open mic events, panel discussions, readings and book signings around town.…

Kevin Gillese brings his Rapid Fire wit to Dad's Garage

atlonline@cln.com (Curt Holman) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0400

Gillese makes his Atlanta directorial debut with a Shakespearean version of the Coen Brothers' cult film, The Big Lebowski by Curt Holman On stage, Kevin Gillese finds it easy to switch into "party guy" mode. The 29-year-old Canadian director, poet and improviser can comfortably portray loud, oblivious, floppy-limbed Will Ferrell types who brim with beery bravado.…

Ann-Marie Manker paints bright fantasies of dark times

atlonline@cln.com (Wyatt Williams) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0400

The busy artist is showing a new body of work for Whitespace Gallery called Softcore War, opening Sept. 10. by Wyatt Williams Ann-Marie Manker is among the busiest artists in Atlanta. Aside from teaching at SCAD and directing the new Kibbee Gallery, her drawings and paintings showed at the Roq la Rue Gallery in Seattle earlier this summer, and are currently on view at the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. And all this while she works on a new body of work for Whitespace Gallery called Softcore War, opening Sept. 10.…

Jamie Iredell, Amy McDaniel and Blake Butler are anal in all the right ways

atlonline@cln.com (Wyatt Williams) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0400

The authors formed the upstart reading series "Solar Anus" to focus on upcoming and established authors from the world of small presses and indie lit by Wyatt Williams "The solar annulus is the intact anus of her body at eighteen years to which nothing sufficiently blinding can be compared except the sun, even though the anus is night," reads the last line of Georges Bataille's "The Solar Anus," the surrealist text for which authors Blake Butler, Jamie Iredell, and Amy McDaniel named their upstart reading series in October 2008. The three writers were practically strangers when they formed Solar Anus.…

Jill Hames means business — funny business

atlonline@cln.com (Curt Holman) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0400

The Atlanta actress, used to playing bubbly comedies, challenged herself with a dramatic role by Curt Holman Atlanta actress Jill Hames doesn't exactly run away from her stage image as a bubbly wisecracker. She wears a "Cutie Pie" T-shirt to an interview and, whether in person or on Facebook, makes jokes with the frequency of a wacky neighbor on a sitcom.…

Jason Freeman brings punk rock's boundary-busting ideas to classical music

atlonline@cln.com (Cinque Hicks) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0400

Freeman's projects of the last decade have been devoted to getting regular folks to participate in "art music" by Cinque Hicks One of the animating forces behind the early punk scenes in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., was the fact that many of the musicians made almost no distinction between themselves and their audiences. In those DIY days, the musicians were on stage not because they were doing something you couldn't do, but precisely because they were doing something you could — and often did — do.…

Anne Dennington energizes the public art scene with Flux Projects

atlonline@cln.com (Wyatt Williams) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:00 -0400

Executive director Anne Archer Dennington has helped the Louis Corrigan-founded Flux Projects set a new agenda for public art by Wyatt Williams Barely seven months after public arts organization Flux Projects produced its first official event, it's hard to imagine the Atlanta art scene without it. While the recession has forced some arts organizations to cut back, executive director Anne Archer Dennington has helped the Louis Corrigan-founded organization set a new agenda for public art.…

Becky Shaw offers honest, searingly funny look at relationships

atlonline@cln.com (Curt Holman) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:00:00 -0400

Doomed romances make spectacular theater at Actor�s Express by Curt Holman "Just be yourself," newlywed Suzanna Slater (Jill Hames) advises the title character of Becky Shaw, just before Becky's blind date with her adopted brother, Max. Suzanna's husband, Andrew (Tony Larkin), chimes in, "And as much as you can — don't show any weakness."…

Dragon*con countdown: Chad Vader, day shift manager

atlonline@cln.com (Curt Holman) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:54:28 -0400

The Many Faces of Dragon*Con

atlonline@cln.com (Curt Holman) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:30:00 -0400

Plus the 'Nerdi-Gras' documentary and Don't Miss Dragon*Con events by Curt Holman]]> [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

The Many Faces of Dragon*Con: The Loyal Fan

atlonline@cln.com (Curt Holman) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:05:00 -0400

Jonathan Strickland, a technology blogger and podcaster in Atlanta, remembers his first Dragon*Con by Curt Holman Jonathan Strickland is a technology blogger and podcaster in Atlanta I attended the very first Dragon*Con in 1987.…

The Many Faces of Dragon*Con: The Support Staff

atlonline@cln.com (Curt Holman) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:03:00 -0400

Pat Trammell is the director of sales and marketing for the Hyatt Regency Atlanta by Curt Holman Trammell is the director of sales and marketing for the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. This will be my fourth Dragon*Con.…

Don't Miss Dragon*Con Events

atlonline@cln.com (CL staff) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:00 -0400

by CL staff Dragon*Con Sept. 3-6. $25-$100.…

Good Southern lit ain't hard to find

atlonline@cln.com (Wyatt Williams) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:00:00 -0400

Decatur Book Festival showcases fresh voices of contemporary Southern authors by Wyatt Williams Flannery O'Connor's family farm and home, Andalusia, has been open to the public since 2004. Most days, people are coming and going down the long gravel drive and parking near the old water tower, not far from the cow barn.…

5 things today

atlonline@cln.com (Amber Robinson) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:28:00 -0400

1) Atlanta Braves face the New York Mets.
2) The Glitch Mob performs at the Masquerade.
3) Soho features flight night.
4) El Da Sensei performs at 529.
5) Paramore and Tegan & Sara perform at Gwinnett Center.

See more Atlanta events.

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The Many Faces of Dragon*Con: The Celebrity Guest

atlonline@cln.com (Curt Holman) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:04:00 -0400

Pehl will discuss her movie-riffing project Cinematic Titanic by Curt Holman Mary Jo Pehl wrote and played Pearl Forrester and Magic Voice as a regular on "Mystery Science Theatre 3000," and is currently a co-creator/writer/performer on the movie-riffing project Cinematic Titanic. She's also writing a compilation of essays and an upcoming comic book, Jailbait.…

Dragon*Con doc captures creativity of 'Nerdi Gras'

atlonline@cln.com (Curt Holman) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:02:00 -0400

Four Days at Dragon*Con focuses on the personalities and attractions of the 2009 gathering by Curt Holman San Diego Comic-Con reliably draws the media's attention as Hollywood's favorite convention for the fantastical genres. The takeaway for Atlanta�s 23-year-old Dragon*Con nearly always plays up the creativity and commitment of its attendees.…

Art Seen: All Folk at Barbara Archer

atlonline@cln.com (Wyatt Williams) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:14:00 -0400

The term "folk art" gets thrown around too often. It's a broad term, of course, meant to encompass a wide variety of styles and skills and approaches that don't fit comfortably in the canon of western art.…

Dragon*Con countdown: Richard Altstatt, radiation effects engineer

atlonline@cln.com (Curt Holman) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:51:00 -0400

5 things today

atlonline@cln.com (Amber Robinson) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:35:00 -0400

1) Paul Mooney performs at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
2) Plaza Theatre screens Stay Gold (free!).
3) Xavier Rudd & Izintaba perform at Variety Playhouse.
4) A Japanese Evening in Atlanta benefits the Museum of Design Atlanta.
5) KISS performs at Aaron's Amphitheatre.

See more Atlanta events.

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ATL Comic Profile: Patton Smith

atlonline@cln.com (Noah Gardenswartz) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:48:00 -0400

Comedian Patton Smith is a Good ol' boy with a silly side. The always animated, Alabama-born comic has fun on stage mixing it up with well-balanced sets of social satire, spontaneous zaniness and intelligent foolery.…

Start reading Franzen's Freedom today

atlonline@cln.com (Wyatt Williams) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:28:00 -0400

Just counting the days until the Decatur Book Festival? These should keep you busy.…