Dunks is Open!

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Loueyville blog readers' stress shopping of the new Bardstown Road Dunkin' Donuts isn't happening.  Disappointing, for sure.

BUT, opening weekend is upon us, and there are still lots of awesome things happening at the new Dunks.  Tasha says:

We are going to be open to the public with almost all products at 50% off... Everyone is still invited to the stress test (19th), opening (20th), and grand opening (24th) where we will be giving three people coffee for a  year, a mountain bike, and much more! Thanks so much!

Teach Your Children Well

I don't have any rugrats of my own, but I teach them every day. And while many of my high school kiddos are pictures of grace and gentility, there are always a few, you know, who could've used a little more social instruction.

Hell, I'm hardly a picture of a modern Emily Post myself.

But, you can bet that if I had a wee one, this event at the Oak Room would be on my radar.

A class in basic table manners with a 3-course kid-friendly dinner at the Oak Room. Only $25-- which seems like a steal to me. Wish they didn't restrict it to 7-12 year olds.

March 23 from 6-8pm. Contact Jennifer Biesel at 502-585-9292 or jennifer.biesel@ihrco.com.

Humana Festival Thus Far: Four for Four #hf36

Sometimes when I talk to Mama Lou on the phone and describe what I've been up to over the past week since our last phone call, she gives a long exasperated sigh and says, "You know, you don't have to go to everything you're invited to." I think she thinks at some point that advice will stick. But I kind of doubt it will.

No, I don't accept every invitation that comes my way. But I accept most of them. I'm sure even an amateur psychoanalyst would track this compulsion back to my I-was-a-teenage-nerd-and-not-in-a-cool-hipster-way days. But it is what it is.

But Humana Festival Plays are guaranteed, rock-solid, never-going-to-say-no invites. An invite pops up in my inbox, and I'm there. I'll reschedule other commitments. I get the cold sweats if there's a commitment I can't get around (I'll have to miss this year's 10 Minute Plays, for example). And that's because Humana Festival is always just that good.

That's not to say every Humana Festival play is a sure thing. I can think of a couple pretty thudding duds. But every play has the potential to be the one that you'll remember, the one that surprises you, or the one that you'll still be talking about several Humana Fests in the future.

So far, this year's plays have been great to astonishingly good. I recommend them all and three out of the four are "must sees" for certain kinds of people.

The VER**ON PLAY by Lisa Kron runs through April 1
When I work with my students on creative writing, I often have to remind them that the most intriguing stories are those that touch on universal themes and experiences. They're quick to dismiss these kinds of stories as "boring," but that's because they're teenagers and would rather write about anorexic, meth-head, suicidal twelve year olds. What's more mundane and domestic and ordinary than getting effed over by a cell phone company's customer service? Kron (who also stars as the afflicted Jenni) turns this experience into a broad comedy that lampoons first the problem at hand and then the potential solution (the support group scenes are the best) and then eventually blows it all out into an absurd full-on corporate conspiracy theory. It was the first Humana play I saw this year, and I really enjoyed it. It's since been overshadowed a bit. The promising beginning devolved into a little too much silliness at the end for my taste. But it hit some seriously funny moments and was definitely memorable.

HOW WE GOT ON by Idris Goodwin runs through April 1
This play may be the most universally likable of the four plays I've seen thus far. Although, some of the senior citizens in the audience of the show that I saw might disagree. But certainly for Gen X-ers like myself who grew up in the mid-80's in which the show is set, it is nostalgia wrapped in a contemporary ethos. This play captured a similar spirit that CHAD DEITY tapped into earlier in Actors' season. And I am still reeling from how good CHAD DEITY was. You just say the words CHAD DEITY, and I smile. Hell, if CHAD DEITY started a church, I'd be a willing congregant. HOW WE GOT ON didn't quite make that kind of devotee out of me, but it is a story that is equal parts sweet and cool. Three teens embrace the emergence of hip-hop in a suburb of an unnamed Midwestern City. It's about competition and collaboration and the creative process. Don't miss it.

THE HOUR OF FEELING by Mona Mansour runs through April 1
I've heard mixed reactions to this play, but I flat-out loved it. Most of the criticisms I've heard have been a bit nit-picky-- stuff about staging and set changes, problems that didn't seem to exist in the showing that I saw. Some of the stagey business did feel a bit... busy-- and the play would have been no less without them, but my enjoyment wasn't the least bit hampered by the slight messiness. A young Palestinian professor of English Romantic poetry juggles new-found (potential) success as a scholar in England and a new marriage to a wife struggling to find her own identity between tradition and modernity. If you're an English major and/or a Literary theory nerd, this play is a must see. It spoke so profoundly to both my undergraduate and graduate studies; although the word is never brought up, this play is about diaspora and home-- the former exemplified by Adham, the scholar and the politics of his time, the later exemplified by Wordsworth, the poet that he studies. In a lot of ways too, the play is about translation-- another theme I delved into extensively in my English degrees.  I loved the way the staging made use of supertitles and of the lead actors' varying accents to explore the importance of being understood. Really, I could geek out on this play for a while. I'd actually like to see it again.

EAT YOUR HEART OUT by Courtney Baron runs through March 31
Just typing the title of this play hurts a little. It's a little cutesy. And in the early moments of this play, the play itself seems like it's going to be a little cutesy. It's not. At all. Three intersecting narratives play out in this relatively short play that totally doesn't feel like a short play. Alice and Gabe are struggling with infertility and seeking to adopt a baby from Africa. Nance is on a first date with a Match.com suitor, the neurotic Tom, and she's also the social worker sent out to judge whether Alice and Gabe will make suitable parents. Evie is Nance's angry, bitter, overweight teenaged daughter who is BFFs with Colin, a New England boy new to town who is nursing an increasingly broken heart for the girl he left behind. Simple. Domestic. Ordinary. Again... such compelling stories. But what I wasn't prepared for was how quickly the play turns raw. Sarah Grodsky's performance as Evie is so frigging brave and dramatic (in that teenage way) that it will break your heart on the one hand and make you nuts on the other (just like teenagers). The whole cast is terrific, although I have to admit that Alex Moggridge kind of oozes charm unintentionally, making it a little hard to buy into Tom's dorky awkwardness. I've heard some complaints about the staging, but I thought that the claustrophobic nature of the three sets on one stage totally fit the oppressively intertwining nature of these characters's lives. (And... Dear Actors Theatre Costume Department: Where can a gal buy Alice's whole ensemble??-- stunning!) I think this was my favorite thus far. I don't think it's too spoiler-y if I admit that it wrecked me a little.

Schedule and ticket information available at: www.actorstheatre.org

Fund Drive Fun Times Again!

Once again, I have volunteered to pull together some blog readers and Twitter followers to volunteer at the Louisville Public Media Fund Drive. The Loueyville time slot is 8p-11p on Thursday, April 5. I only need a small handful of volunteers to help out, so first come, first served.  Drop me an email at lou (at) loueyville.com. Last time we had so much fun. This time, I think it's just us for that time slot... so we'll have lots of time to chat and get to know each other. Kind of like a Tweet-up... with a purpose.

Why reinvent the wheel? Here's my post from the last Fund Drive:


It's that time again, Louisvillagers.


Louisville Public Media is gearing up for their fund drive in a couple of weeks. During the past few fund drives, online personalities have repeatedly said, "Give what you can. Give what Louisville Public Media is worth to you."  


Last fund drive, I realized I really can't afford to give what WFPL and WFPK are worth to me. They are the only radio stations I listen to. WFPL is the source of  all my non-online news (and the source of much of my online news as well through their blog).  I live in a very NPR world. I probably should pledge 10 times what I actually do in order to really "pay back" what WFPL and WFPK give to my life.


But I can't.


So last fund drive, I volunteered. Gave a little human capital to the pledge drive.  And it was a ton of fun.  And it would have been more fun if I'd been with friends.


So this fund drive I'm putting a little group of Readers of Loueyville together to volunteer to answer phones at the fund drive.  If you're interested in joining us, please drop me an email at Lou (at) Loueyville.com.


If you're reading this blog, you probably listen to one of our public radio stations. So I hope you consider giving back.  If you can't join us, volunteer to answer phones on your own.  Email: kwilkinson@louisvillepublicmedia.org for details.  You can also pledge in advance and be eligible for a drawing for a 13" MacBook Air. Just click the link or call 502-814-6565.

Patrick Wensink @ INKY on 3/9

Local writer Patrick Wensink (whom we love for many reasons even though we've never met him, not the least of which is that he and his wife named his recently-born son Walter... best. name. ever. [also my grandfather's name]) is having a book-release celebration at the INKY reading series at the Bardown this Friday, March 9.  From the press release for  BROKEN PIANO FOR PRESIDENT:

Ernest Hemingway lied and you know it. 

Back in 1933 or something, Hemingway said he’d give up elk hunting and scotch to pen a novel that weaved together a hero who’s more productive drunk than sober, the world’s worst rock band and a hamburger more addictive than meth.

Sadly, we all know how that quest ended. However, Papa’s failure is the world’s gain, finally, as Patrick Wensink has picked up this monumental boulder and rolled it up a hill called, BROKEN PIANO FOR PRESIDENT. Wensink’s second novel, BROKEN PIANO FOR PRESIDENT, kicks Hemingway’s empty promises in the ribs with a gift for Pynchonesque narration and dry humor. 

As the story’s hero, Deshler Dean, begins unraveling this other, more productive life as a drunk, rival restaurants begin a bidding war for his talents, angry vegans threaten his life and enough alcohol is consumed to give an elephant cirrhosis.

Wensink, also a member of Project Improv, proved to be an awesome interview for an article I wrote for The Louisville Paper.  I've had an electronic ARC of this book for months and I feel like a heel for not having read it yet.  But I've been just so... whoa, busy.  But based on the short stuff I have read by Wensink, the critical acclaim he's gotten seems very deserved, including a passionate comparison to Christopher Moore levied by a critic.  

According to Wensink, there is a drinking game associated with his reading, so... well, come on now, sounds like a great night, right? The INKY reading starts at 630p, Wensink will probably be on closer to 730p or 8p. 

Unfortunately, yours truly will most likely have to miss out.... wisdom teeth being yanked that same day.  Big huge sigh.  Wishing Patrick and the other readers/performers, Nicole Louise Reid and Joan Shelley, a great night too. 

The Paper: What's a Dramaturg? (#hf36)

photo by Brett Marshall/ Kertis Creative

Shameless cross-promotion...

But I am so proud of all the great writing that's coming out of The Louisville Paper. And I am really honored to continue to a part of this fantastic publication.

My article this month is called "What's a Dramaturg?" and it's one of my favorites. And that's because I got to interview four of the smartest and most creative women in town. Yeah, sure, fine... I don't know that for a fact, but I have my suspicions.  And, one of the Humana Festival playwrights, Michael Golamco, read the article and pronounced those women (and later me) "badasses"... so don't just take my word for it.

Now that it's Humana Festival ("most wonderful time of the year"), bone up on your theatre knowledge and learn a little bit more about what goes on behind the scenes.

Stress Shop Dunks! Who's in?

Normally I don't blog about national chains.  Heck, normally I try to shop/eat/drink/promote as local as possible. But lots of us New England Transplants of Louisville have been itching to get our hands on a nice fluffy Boston Cream from Dunkin' Donuts ever since we saw that Louisville was finally getting (or re-getting, it turns out, as per Suzi's post on the Northeasterner blog) a stand-alone shop.

And soon we shall, friends... soon we shall.  And some of you may be able to get your hands on those Boston Creams a little early!

The local developer, Tasha, is interested in putting together a team of Loueyville readers to be "stress shoppers" on March 19 before the grand opening.  The way it works: you get a coupon for free food or drinks (you have to order a certain thing) and put the staff through the paces.  The staff gets practice. You get free food and drinks.

The new shop is located in the parking lot of the MidCity Mall, dangerously close to Casa Lou. The grand opening is scheduled for March 20.

You in?

I'll have more information soon, re: times etc. But if you're interested and want to be included in the event,  either email me at lou@loueyville.com, leave a note at the bottom of this post, or DM me on Twitter.

Humana Festival 36: Locals Week March 1 - 11 #hf36

I know I throw around the hyperbolic "most wonderful time of the year" a lot. And mostly, I mean it. One of the great things about living in Louisville is that you have a "most wonderful time of the year" for all your varied tastes and interests. IdeaFestival. Bats Season. Some of you may fancy Derby Season...

But really, it doesn't get much better than Humana Festival. Last week I was able to attend the Humana Festival preview at the Loose Tie Happier Hour; the preview featured the Apprentice/Intern Company performing 3-5 minute snippets from all of the Humana Festival plays. If I hadn't already been hooked... it would've hooked me. What a range of subjects, moods, and settings!

If I were to bet on the plays I am going to enjoy the most, my money would be on (italic descriptions are from the Actors website:

A) MICHAEL VON SIEBENBURG MELTS THROUGH THE FLOORBOARDS (Greg Kotis)--Meet Baron Michael von Siebenburg: a 500-year-old Austrian bachelor living in an American city, whose secret of eternal youth involves endless first dates and a special meat tenderizer. But when his landlady gets suspicious and the ghost of a medieval comrade commands him to take Constantinople back from the Turks, Michael finds himself haunted by past and present. A hilariously dark comedy about the rigors of vampiric immortality. The snippet that we saw was pretty Monty Python-y.  And... what's not to love about that.  The particular interns who performed this piece were so good, I can't help but wish they were the actual actors for the play.  Kotis is a member of the Neo-Futurists and also wrote the acclaimed URINETOWN.

B) THE VERI**ON PLAY (Lisa Kron)-- When Jenni called customer service, all she wanted was to fix a minor problem with her cell phone bill. Instead she was sucked into a vortex of unimaginable horror. Now she wants revenge—or to get her cell phone service turned back on. Part thriller, part screwball comedy, part inspired by events that have undoubtedly happened to YOU.  I love screwball comedies, and the scene we saw at the preview was a delicious send-up of customer service departments and group therapy sessions, two pet peeves of mine... so this is bound to be good. If I am remembering correctly, Kron is not only the author but she is also set to star (correct me if I'm wrong, theatre types). I get to see this one in a few days... psyched!

Check out the entire line-up here.

If you're a local-- and by golly, I bet you are if you're reading this-- we are lucky ducks when it comes to Humana Festival.  Locals' Week is March 1 - 11, and locals can purchase a pass to see SIX of the Humana Festival plays for just $99.  See the website for more details.  Remember though, this deal is only good for those ten days, so start blocking off your evenings now.

Don't forget, there are also discounts for industry professionals and students. Lots of different package options.

As always, this Lou will keep you informed about the "can't miss" shows for Humana Festival 36.  Watch the blog and follow me on Twitter @loueyville. I'm so excited, I'm already giggly about it.

As the Doctor would say, "GERONIMO!"

Loose Tie Happy Hour for Actors

Who would have expected there to be two great events on a random Thursday night? 

The good news is that #FACETIME starts a half hour earlier, so I can probably squeeze both of them in. 

I just recently joined the Actors GoBoard (shame on me for waiting so damned long!), so I am looking forward to checking out this event.  

Here are the details for the Loose Tie Happy Hour: 

Loose Tie Happy Hour Benefit

Celebrating and Supporting the Upcoming 36^th Annual Humana Festival of New American Plays and the Actors Theatre Apprentice Company

The Green Building | 732 E. Market Street

Thursday, February 23, 2012 | 6:30-8:30p.m.

$25 GoBoard Members | $35 Non-Members

Enjoy tasty bites and delicious beverages from lots of great NuLu and surrounding area restaurants. Get the inside scoop on the upcoming 36^th Annual Humana Festival of New American Plays with excerpts from the upcoming shows performed by the Actors Theatre Apprentice Company. 

Tickets available at the door or through the Actors Theatre Box Office- Call 502-584-1205.

Whitman in Louisville: Gray, Jake, and Jaylen's "Song of Myself."

Last week, I introduced y'all to the Whitman Film Festival that my students create each year. For full details on the assignment, click on the link and read up on the project. With the students' permission, I'm posting a series of these films on the blog. It's not just that I'm a proud Mama (but I am); some of these films pay tribute to our city in truly remarkable ways.

First up was Samantha's "I Sing The Body Electric" shot in Cherokee Park.  Girl power, indeed.  But just as Sam's film captured a beautiful aspect of young womanhood, this next film is a gorgeous portrait of young men.

Next up: Gray, Jake, and Jaylen's "Song of Myself"
When I first watched this film alongside my students, I had to stifle a gasp or two. The cinematography is just that stunning. The editing. The settings. The emotions invoked. The use of the music.

But as an English teacher, perhaps what I admire most about this film is how expertly and thoughtfully (I'm running out of gushing adjectives here, folks) these guys edited Whitman's 52-part epic poem to create a compact synopsis of Whitman's intentions for "Song of Myself."

Here's their film:

Enjoy. Share these. And it really is true: the kids are all right.

Young Survivors Benefit and Silent Auction 2/17

Once again, dear blog readers, you've come through with some fantastic donations for the Young Breast Cancer Survivors Benefit and Silent Auction (hoo, that's a mouthful).

This year, donations from Friends of Loueyville have included:

• 4 baskets of romance novels from Shiloh Walker and friends
• two sets of handmade pushpins from Sweeter Lemon
• A portrait session for up to 5 from Shutterboo 
• two pairs of earrings from the Daily Earring
• 4 tickets to Walden's Shakespeare Festival

There's still time to donate (although just barely...)!  Shoot me an email if you're interested.

In the meantime, mark your calendars: this fantastic event (really, so much fun every year) takes place THIS Friday, 2/17 at the Frazier Museum from 630p-10p. Admission (including food) is just $10. 

I hope you'll join me!  I'll be the one wrangling the team of 26 teen volunteers!  (Love my kids!)

#FACETIME: Tweet-up on 2/23

I just passed up my three year anniversary on Twitter. I wasn't an early-adopter, by any means, but I didn't drag my butt too long after realizing how it could effect my life. And I've spent the better part of those three years as a Twitter evangelist.

Twitter has changed my life.

Can I get an "AMEN"?

Yeah, yeah I know how ridiculous that must sound to you people who won't even touch the Tweetybox. And it probably sounds ridiculous to even those of you who have.

But Twitter is a tool. And it turned out that it was just the tool that this socially-awkward introvert needed to connect to people with similar interests and make friends.

Skeptical? I laid it all out in my 600th post, the transcript of a speech I gave at the Louisville Public Library Technology Boot Camp. Read it here.

One of the first Big Events in my Twitter life was a Valentine's Day tweet-up at Ramsi's in 2009.  I was sweetie-less, living in a hotel, recovering from chemo, working on getting my hair to grow back.  And instead of wallowing in all that on that Valentine's Day night, I accepted a tweet-up invite to meet some people I'd chatted with on Twitter. I don't know how many people came out that night (if I remember correctly, it also served as a cast party for a Pandora show), but it was there that I met "in real life" some people who have gone on to become my closest friends in the city.

Tweet-ups happen all the time.  Sometimes even on ice.  But next week, we've got a tweet-up with its very own POSTER. This is the big time, folks.

Thursday, Feb 23 @ 6pm
Against the Grain Brewery
Tweet @AlexPorter82 or @TommySpalding if you have any questions.

I'll be there (see the little acorn on the poster?). Hope to get some #FACETIME with you, too!

Chocolate Insanity @ Gelato Gilberto

I might be slightly more inclined toward Valentine's Day events this year... if I play my cards right and don't booger things up in the next two or so days, this could be my first Valentine's Day with a sweetheart in a really long time. Really. Long. Time. (Okay, to be fair, the Guy I am Currently Dating could likewise booger things up. Boogering things up is not my sole province. I understand that.)

I don't know how you coupled up people do it sometimes. I've been giving myself ulcers about what to get the Guy I am Currently Dating for Valentine's Day-- I agonized over Christmas too. Damn you men; you're hard to shop for. (And when I asked the Twitterfolk for advice on what to get him-- boy was that a mistake!  You people are dirty!)

Unfortunately, gelato from the lovely people at Gelato Gilberto in Nortons Commons is not the answer.  But they're having an event today (Saturday), Sunday, and Tuesday that might just solve some of YOUR Valentine's Day problems-- even those of you without sweeties.  Here's the description:

4th Annual Cioccolato Pazzo:  Chocolate Insanity Valentine's Event this Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday.  We'll have over twenty different varieties of chocolate gelato especially crafted for this event as well as locally made Valentine's cookies and pink paper and glitter for making Valentine's cards. 

Twenty different varieties of chocolate gelato? That IS pazzo! Just like love. :)

Click on their website for store hours and location.  

Whitman in Louisville: Samantha's "I Sing the Body Electric"

As I have said before, I kind of have mixed feelings about hanging up my teaching shoes at the end of this school year. But there are a lot of reasons why this is the right decision at the right time.

One of those reasons is NOT the kids. It's almost never the kids. Maybe one out of every hundred days I have a bad day because of a kid. Every good day I have at work-- every. single. one.-- is because of the kids.

So, I thought I would share-- with their permission, of course-- some of my students' work on a project called The Whitman Film Festival. We spend about two weeks deeply immersed in the poetry Walt Whitman after we've already spent three weeks or so reading the works of the American Transcendentalists (Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott). At the end of this intense study the students are asked to create a film of a Whitman poem or an excerpt from a Whitman poem; every aspect of the film should reflect an understanding of the character and style of Whitman's works.  Students may work in groups of 1, 2, or 3. The film may not exceed 3 minutes.

I'm not sharing just because I feel like a very proud mama (but I do feel like a very proud mama). I'm sharing because in addition to capturing the tone and style of Whitman's words, many of these films have captured the character of Louisville.

Enjoy. Share these. And it really is true: the kids are all right.

First up: Samantha's "I Sing the Body Electric"  
I've watched this film probably a dozen times over the course of this assignment, and only recently have I stopped tearing up every. single. time. We just showed this film at a school assembly, and I watched as colleagues wiped away tears. Not only is this film exquisitely crafted, it's also courageous. I am so proud of Sam and the other young women who agreed to participate. For all of you who are frustrated with princess-y pink girl culture, know that there is way more to teen girl culture than that.

Here's Sam's film:

And when you visit it, please "Like" it or leave a comment. It's unsettling to see six "dislikes" on this page. The kids are all right, but that doesn't mean they're not mean or jerks sometimes. As we all are.

UPDATED: Le Petomane PSA: Once in a Blue Moon Postponed

UPDATE: The show WILL go on... it will just open FRIDAY 2/10 instead of tonight.  Good news, everyone!

Unfortunately, this week's opening of the new Le Petomane show has been postponed.  From the Le Petomane Facebook page:

Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble's Once in a Blue Moon - Venue Change Due to MSD Work on Oak Street!

The combined Unstoppable Forces of Tuesday's full moon and the Metropolitan Sewer District have thrown us a challenge we heartily accept. Due to unforeseen circumstances that will make safe parking and restroom access problematic, it will be necessary for us to change the venue and dates for performances of Once in a Blue Moon. 

We are looking at options and will share more details about performances as soon as humanly possible. You can also reach us at Us@LePetomane.org or input your own sewer jokes on Facebook.

I know how much love, time, and art went into crafting this new production-- one created with this particular space in mind.  Let's make sure we support one of our favorite local theater ensembles and come out in droves when they open.  I'll keep you posted. Good luck to them!

Humana Illustrator @ Green Building

The Louisville Graphic Design Association sure has a snazzy website. Which makes sense. Of course. If you're in the graphic arts/design biz, this site also has a fairly nice-looking job board.

The LGDA also sponsors regular events: speakers, shows, screenings. Their first event of the year is tomorrow, and it features Wayne Brezinka, the illustrator of this year's Humana Festival Poster.

6pm: cash bar & appetizers
7pm: event
At the Green Building.
Thursday, February 9
RSVP HERE

About Brezinka:

Wayne will be sharing his personal story of how he became interested in art, share his work and give an in depth behind the scenes look into his process. As an illustrator and contributing artist, Wayne Brezinka has been commissioned by The New York Times, Neiman Marcus, The Johnny Cash family, The Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune. He has also illustrated for many ads, posters, music and consumer packaging, and is always looking for new venues for his work. His illustrations have appeared in Communication Arts, Print Magazine and most recently, the Society of Illustrators 52 in New York.

Great Oaks, Tiny Acorns

Acorn commissioned by Roommate by David Landenwich

I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating: I hope all y'all have a friend like Roommate in your life. This Christmas, the only thing I asked for was "some kind of jewelry with an acorn on it" -- because of my blog symbol, because I knew I was getting ready to make a big life change, and I thought it would be a good reminder of why I chose the acorn as the symbol for this blog.

Side trip: Why the acorn, Lou?  I'm a literary nerd, to be sure. But one of my favorite sayings is one that I can't attribute to Shakespeare or Yeats or Whitman. In fact, it's tough to figure out where it came from.  But for years, I've had a little decorative dish that I bought at one of the Vanderbilt estates in Newport, and it says: "Great Oaks from Tiny Acorns Grow." That's Loueyville, the blog. Not quite a Great Oak yet. Neither am I. But hopefully we're getting there.

So, I asked Roommate for acorn jewelry, and he scoured our local stores to find me something.  And when he couldn't find the right piece-- this is where the BFF part comes in-- he commissioned a local artist to make me one.

Turns out this local artist is also a bartender at Roommate's (our) home-away-from-home, and Metromix's "Best Bar in Louisville," the Back Door.  David Landenwich has been working with glass for three years. When Roommate gave me the acorn necklace, I immediately said, "I've got to get Dave on the blog." So after a few text messages, I got his email; I asked him a few questions, and here was his response:

I'm glad you liked the pendant that [Roommate] asked me to make for you. I kind of got carried away and made about ten of them. My friend and co-worker Gail Oyler introduced me to "Soft glass." Soft glasshas a lower melting point than other glass. A lot of the glass earrings and necklace you see are of this variety. With the right amount of control you can do incredible things with soft glass. Unfortunately for me, soft glass melts too quickly and usually  ends up in a puddle in front of my torch.

After a while, I got into using borosilicate glass, more commonly known as Pyrex. It is considered to be a harder glass with  a higher melting point so it works a little slower. The colors you can develop with Boro can be very intense depending on  how you "Strike" the glass (working the glass with greater or lesser amounts of oxygen). I know, technical, smecknical.

Anyway... Gail and I do shows at art fairs and farmers' markets. She does all kinds for bead work. necklaces, ear rings, blown vessel, you name it. She has done many commission pieces for clients. I tend to do more pendant work. Like I said, I have only been working with glass for three years. I have a lot to learn. But that's the fun part.

Gail displays her work on ETSY.com. I don't have a website or page, but you can reach me at dlando1@mac.com. 

I can't tell you how many compliments I've gotten on my new acorn necklace. I wish Dave had a website or an ETSY shop, but I will keep in touch with him and let y'all know if that changes. In the meantime, Dave seems willing to try new things and work on commission (according to Roommate, when he brought the 10 or so acorn pendants to the Back Door to let Roommate choose one, he actually sold at least one more that night). So if you have a glass pendant need, hit him up at his email address. Or ask for him at the Back Door. 

Pinterest: Pins from Louisville

If you've ever stopped to think, "Gee, I just don't have enough Loueyville in my life these days"-- you're in luck!

Now, in addition to following Chatty Cathy... I mean Lou... on Twitter (@loueyville) and on Facebook (search for: Louey Ville) and reading her articles for The Louisville Paper and reading this blog, you can now follow Loueyville on Pinterest.

I'm still getting the hang of this Pinterest thing (SO. MUCH. WEDDING STUFF.), so grant me a little grace for a while.  But more than half of my "boards" are Louisville-centric.  Boards include:

• Stuff to Do in Louisville
• New Places in Louisville
• Louisville Restaurant News
• Louisville Products
• Images of Louisville
• Recipes Easy Enough For Me
• Crafts I'll Never Make
• Things I Just Love

You can follow me, or you can choose to just pick a board or two and follow it. But this is where you'll find stuff that I think is great in Louisville but that might not make it on the blog. 

Loueyville, "neither here, nor there"... but somehow still everywhere... 

Le Petomane: Once in a Blue Moon

For the past six months or so, I've been so thrilled to do some reporting for The Louisville Paper.  It's a beautiful publication with thoughtful and interesting coverage of the Louisville that makes me proud.

The very first article that I wrote for The Paper, "Marooned Five" was about Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble and their production, 5 THINGS. I'd heard all kinds of good things about Le Petomane-- how could you not when they'd won the LEO's Readers' Choice award for best theatre group in 2010 and 2011? -- but I'd never seen a show.

Here we are, six months later, and I'm a Le Petomane convert... maybe even a groupie.

Not only did 5 THINGS knock my socks off, so did their next show, A VERY SPECIAL HOLIDAY SPECIAL. And now I'm one of those people who will see any show with the Le Petomane name attached to it.

Their next show, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, opens next week at the Rud. Here's what their promo material has to say about the show:

Filled with original music and laughs a-plenty, Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble's latest original play revolves around Ruby Blue-- a gem of a girl. Ruby is special-- why else would we tell her story, right? Everything is just peachy until a piece of her is stolen, and it's up to our intrepid hero to go get it.  

This show features four members of the ensemble: Heather Burns, Tony Dingman, Kristie Rolape, and Kyle Ware.  ONCE IN A BLUE MOON runs February 9-11 & 16-18 at 730pm at the Rudyard Kipling (422 Oak Street). Industry night is Monday, February 13 at 730p. Shows are $8-$20 on a pay-what-you-please sliding scale. For more information email US@LePetomane.org.

Hard Rock Rising: Battle of the Bands

Hard Rock Cafes around the world are currently hosting a contest called: Hard Rock Rising-- the Global Battle of the Bands.

Each local Hard Rock has their own Battle of the Bands, with the winners advancing to ... um... yeah, okay... I'm a little unclear about how this contest really works.  The BIG prize is that some bands are going to get to play in London, but I'm really not sure how this happens.

And frankly, voting in this contest-- which is starting on Facebook-- is a little like doing the Hokey Pokey.  But the endgame of the local contest is a biggie-- a coveted spot at Waterfront Wednesday this summer.

Here's what you need to do to vote:

1) Go to the Hard Rock Louisville fan page on Facebook and "like" it.
2) Click on the Hard Rock Rising page in the left hand column of the Facebook page.
3) Scroll through the bands, and download songs from the bands you want to vote for. FREE DOWNLOADS-- yay!
4) Voting ends February 6.

The good news is that you can vote for more than one band. The bad news is that you can only vote once AND you can only vote if you live within 50 miles of Louisville.

I'm not going to tell you how to vote, but I will tell you that I cast my ballots for The Navigators-- the band project featuring Alex Wright and Dewey Kincaid (and that song... "Get Out of Touch"... one of my favorites) and for Butch Rice, another one of the most talented singer-songwriters in Louisville.

Side note: Where the heck is Tyrone Cotton on here??-- ANOTHER amazing local singer-songwriter and an awesome supporter of other local musicians... No one comes out to support local music like Tyrone does (he's been at the past two Alex Wright shows, for example). Love him for that.

Design*Sponge Loves Kin Ship Press

My Google Reader is filled with some pretty strange stuff. Yes, I have loads of local bloggers on there and lots of Louisville news. But I also have at least a half-dozen blogs (most now dormant) that focus on LOST. A couple that focus on BSG news. I have lots of wine and booze blogs on there-- despite the fact that it's been years since I spent more than $12 on a bottle of wine.

More than anything else except local stuff, I have lots of film review and movie news blogs on my G-reader. I'm honestly not sure why.  But I read so much movie news that if a movie pops up and I've never heard of it before, I am stunned... stunned, I tell you.

[If you're wondering, my absolute favorites are Mary Ann Johanson's FlickFilosopher blog (feminist, pop culture nerd... loves her some Doctor Who... the only blog I have actually PAID to subscribe to) and Bob Chipman's MovieBob vlog (gamer, film nerd, geek, also a feminist, a pretty brilliant cultural critic... and also my cousin).]

And despite the fact that I have not an ounce of handiness or decor-intelligence in my body, next to film news in non-Louisville-related-blogs-on-my-Google-Reader, I have the most blogs about design and crafty things.

My favorite of these is Design*Sponge (despite the cringe-worthy name... I'm kind of of the mind that nothing should be called an anything sponge, unless it's a contraception).

And Design*Sponge loves our local Kin Ship Press (which, by the way, is an example of an awesome name).

Today the blog featured Kin Ship's new customized mugs.  (I love them, but I'm partial to their non-customized mug that reads "Time to Get Stuff Done."

Grace Bonney from Design*Sponge has featured Kin Ship's products before. Last July she featured my favorite Kin Ship product: their adorable pillow cases.  See the July mention here.


From the Kin Ship Etsy bio:

Kin Ship Press is Dan Davis and Hillary Harrison.
We live and work in Louisville, Kentucky.
We screenprint. Illustrate. Photograph. Design.
We like to make things.
For us and for you.

We are inspired by our family & friends, slowing down, countrysides, music, critters, and folk art--among other things.

We design and hand-print home goods and apparel.

We work hard to find and use quality fabrics and supplies that we ourselves would want.

Congrats to Kin Ship for great design exposure!

Lifetime Achievement for Lance Henriksen

The Derby City Film Festival's press release calls Lance Henriksen a "veteran actor known for roles in TERMINATOR and ALIENS," which is all fine and good. And truly, Bishop from ALIENS is a iconic sci-fi character.

But the television show MILLENIUM, starring Henrikson as an ex-FBI-er with the ability to see into criminals' minds, spanned three seasons and 67 episodes, featured LOST's Terry O'Quinn, and was created by the X-FILES's Chris Carter.  Damned good show.

Henriksen will be in town for the Derby City Film Festival in support of his new film IT'S IN THE BLOOD and will be receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Festival. Here's the skinny on this film, and its Louisville connections:

IT'S IN THE BLOOD is a feature film from Louisville natives and Ballard High School graduates Scooter Downey & Sean Elliot and is up for three awards including Best Feature Film and two Best Actor Nominations for stars Henriksen & Sean Elliot. BLOOD tells the tale of a father (Henricksen) and son (Elliot) who become stranded in the wild and must confront the horrors of their past to escape with their lives. However, this wilderness is not what it seems, and as they deteriorate, so to does their concept of reality: horrifying creatures, ghostly apparitions, is it all in their heads, or could the truth be far more terrible?

Henriksen will be participating in panels and doing a signing of his new autobiography LANCE HENRIKSEN-- NOT BAD FOR A HUMAN (how much do you love that title? tons!).

BLOOD will be screened with the short film ENDLESS at 8pm on February 18 at the Clifton Center. The Derby City Film Festival runs from February 17-19. We'll have more on the festival in a later post. In the meantime, you can check out festival information here: www.derbycityfilmfest.com.

Lots of Henriksen on Netflix Instant, but unfortunately no MILLENIUM (not on Amazon Prime or in Wild and Woolly's catalogue, either... bummer).

Kentucky Homefront Fundraiser: Sunday Funday

I don't normally just cut and paste press releases, but this is already late notice, and I want to get it on the interwebs before people clock out of work for the weekend. You know how I loves me some jug bands... this is jug bands AND wine. On a Sunday.  Perfect.  Here's the press release:

Please join us this Sunday, January 29th, from 4-8pm for the 11th Anniversary fundraiser for the Kentucky Homefront Radio Show!  

Kentucky Homefront is a show featuring Kentucky's finest acoustic folk, traditional, blues, country, and bluegrass musicians, and its best storytellers. Their front porch broadcasts that air each Wednesday on WFPK at 8PM are reminiscent of radio variety programs of a bygone era. Hosted by the talented and inimitable singer/songwriter John Gage, Kentucky Homefront is recorded on the 2nd Saturday of every month (except January and July). 

You can expect a rollickin’ good time as River Bend will provide a limited menu, a full bar and is donating 15% of their proceeds to Kentucky Homefront! Also, a new guitar will be raffled off and there will be three 50/50 raffles. There will also be a “Keep the Front Porch Light Burning Bright” booth where you can buy season tickets at a discounted price.

Here is the entertainment schedule:
4:00PM - Songwriters in the Round with John Gage, Turley Richards and Mickey Clark
5:00 PM - Hog Operation
6:00PM - Mickey Clark & The Blue Northern
7:00PM - The Juggernaut Jug Band
Please join us for a great night! 

$10 suggested donation. 

River Bend Winery

120 S 10th Street

Louisvillle

All My Nerd Ladiez in the House!

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the meeting of one of Louisville's really exceptional women's groups. I met all kinds of fantastic women (and met-in-person some of my favorite Twitter people), listened to the advice a very wise life coach, and was pretty bowled over by the collective level of success in the room. Inspiring, for sure.

This big ol' life change thing I have going on is going to force me to do things that make me uncomfortable. One of those things is networking. Last night was awesome practice in a fairly "safe" space, but I have a long way to go before I'm cheerfully glad-handing and distributing business cards.

"Safe" spaces are funny. Last night I was telling the guy-I-am-currently-dating about that evening's women's group meeting, and I realized Let Them Tweet Cake is essentially the same sort of networking meeting. And yes, the very first Tweet Cake I attended was agony for me...

But nowadays, I don't think a thing about heading over to Sweet Surrender on a Wednesday to chit chat with a group of twenty or thirty women, many of whom are strangers. Tweet Cake has become total "safe" space for this Lou. Thems are my peoples, the Tweet Cakers.  Even the ones I don't know yet.

Are you my peoples? Are you a nerdy/geeky/tech- and media-savvy woman? Or a nerdy/geeky/tech- and media-savvy dude who is not afraid to join a women's group? C'mon down to Tweet Cake tonight at 630p at Sweet Surrender.

Calling all New England Transplants of Louisville!

If you've ever known anyone who used a lobster trap and a piece of glass to make a coffee table, this post is for you...

(Don't worry, I'll spare you all the "You know you're a New Englander when... " jokes.)

Maybe you were born and raised in New England as I was, or maybe you spent some college time in the great Northeast. Either way, you probably get pangs of homesickness every once in a while.

What do you miss?

I miss the ocean, most of all. I spent my teen years in an apartment that overlooked a cove off of Long Island Sound. I could sit in my window seat (yes, charming indeed) and watch the water for hours. When I was a kid, my friends and I didn't hang out in malls or in 7-11 parking lots; we hung out on the docks. (Hm. That sounds way more badass than it actually was.)  I miss the sounds and smells of boats and seaweed and waves.

I miss lobster. When I was a kid, my grandparents lived next door to a lobster fisherman (who turned out to also be a coke dealer, but that's neither here nor there), so we had lobster a couple of times a week during the summer.

I'm not much of a Fribble person, but I do miss going to Friendly's and ordering a grilled blueberry muffin. Does ANYONE in Louisville put muffins on the grill? If not, why not?

I miss maze-y stone walls that lead nowhere and enclose nothing.

I miss my family's North-Shore-of-Boston accent, an accent that I escaped inheriting when I moved to Connecticut at age 13. Just a couple of days ago, I showed my students a video interview with someone from Braintree, MA (a construction worker reading Whitman), and someone said, "Listen to that ludicrous accent!" And I said, "Hey, be nice. 75% of my family sounds just like that."

And although I'm not much of a donut-eater, I miss Dunks. Dunks = home.

In honor of the soon-to-open first stand-alone Dunkin' Donuts in the city, I'm putting together a New England Transplant mailing list with the expectation of future meet-ups and maybe even some contests and giveaways.

Do you want in? Miss the Northeast (I use the term "New England" loosely)? Just have a soft spot for clam chowdah and pahking your cah in Hahvahd Yahd? Dream about summering on the Vineyard?

Email me at Lou [at] loueyville.com with NETs in the subject line to be included on a mailing list for New England Transplants. Or DM me your email address on Twitter (@loueyville). I promise, cross-my-heart-hope-to-die, that I will ONLY use your email address to send you NETs updates.

I'll be posting any meet-ups or contests to Loueyville, but this mailing list will help keep y'all in the loop (and it will help me tell any potential sponsors/partners just how many of us there are!).

And while you're here-- tell me what YOU miss about the Northeast in the comments!

UPDATE: See Suzi's comments below... apparently this isn't the FIRST stand-alone DD to have opened in Louisville. 

The Voyage Continues: #cryptictweets Explained

"The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well, I'm not quite at a hundred tacks yet, but...

If you follow me on Twitter, over the past couple of weeks you've seen me post a number of #cryptictweets about making a major life change. Now that all the people who need to know do know, I can de-cryptify those #cryptictweets.

After twelve years of being a high school teacher, and after almost fourteen years of teaching in general, I have decided it's time to make a change. So last week, I informed the powers-that-be at the Meatspace Workplace that I would not be returning to teach for the 2012-2013 school year. Today I told my colleagues and my kids.

This is absolutely NOT me saying that I am sick of teaching. I love teaching more today than I did during those first few honeymoon years. Nearly every day in my classroom is a good day, a happy day, an exciting day.  Teenagers inspire me, and I will continue to champion them in whatever way I can.

This is also absolutely not me saying that I'm sick of my particular school. The school and the school community have been very good to me over the past six years. I leave with a heavy heart.

This is me saying that I need to make a change. It's me saying that after six years of teaching my students about the Transcendentalists, maybe I need to actually walk the "Trust thyself" walk.

So, I am taking a leap without a safety net at the moment. I've given my notice, but I'm not sure what the next step will be.

That's SO exciting.

That's also wicked, wicked scary.

But, dear readers, there is once thing I know for sure*: I'm staying in Louisville.

I moved here almost six years ago because of this job. I knew nothing about Louisville. I knew the big bat, I knew bourbon, I knew Kentucky Derby.  That's all.  I came here as a brokenhearted, frustrated member of the Katrina diaspora, but over the years I've fallen in love with my new home. And now I want to see what else I can do here in Possibility City. (Boy, does that moniker take on way more meaning to me right now...)

It's partly because of this blog that I have the courage (or foolhardiness) to take this scary leap. This blog has introduced me to so many wonderful aspects of this city and to so many inspiring people. You, dear readers, have kept me excited and curious over these past four and a half years and 643 posts. I have an amazing network of friends and cheerleaders, largely thanks to my blogging and tweeting habits.  Never in all of my life have I had so many people rooting me on.

So, thank you. If you're reading this blog post, you-- yes YOU-- helped give me the courage (or foolhardiness!) to make this big decision.

I'll have more to say about this further on down the road. But, in the meantime, keep me in mind, okay? If something comes up that has "Lou" written all over it-- drop me an email or tweet me a tweet.

I'm so excited for my next big adventure (and also terrified).

In the words (word, actually. singular) of my favorite Doctor: "GERONIMO!"

*Ok, I say "for sure," but if Leonard Cohen and calls me up and offers me six-figures to be his personal assistant, I'm going to have to take him up on that. Then again... if I'm making six-figures, I can probably keep up on my mortgage here in Louisville...  so technically I will still live here, even if I'm working, you know, in a Buddhist monastery or something. 

Request for Donations: Breast Cancer Support Group Auction

Friends and Dear Readers,

It's silly to re-invent the wheel, especially when you invented the wheel in the first place.

When I sat down to write a post asking for donations for the upcoming Young Survivors Auction, I realized that I had said very many of the same things last year. And here's the thing about last year's post-- it worked! Last year my request for donations both here and on Twitter resulted in donations that raised more than $1000 for the Young Survivors. One of my proudest moments as a blogger.

The Young Survivors annual silent auction is right around the corner. It's February 17 at the Frazier Museum. I'll blog about the actual event closer to the date, but in the meantime, if you're a business owner or you make stuff or you have services you can donate to support this group, I hope you will consider doing so. It means so much to me.

Below is the text of last year's request (updated for appropriate dates). Whatever I can do to facilitate your donation, I will do. Email me at lou (at) loueyville.com for more information...

Friends and dear readers,


If you read this blog with any regularity, you know that I'm a happy, healthy breast cancer survivor.  Likewise, if you read this blog, you'll know that I've gone on something of a "pink diet" (or really, "pink fast") in the past year or so.  When I was newly diagnosed and in treatment, I felt compelled to show up at every "pink" event, to walk in every "pink" walk, and to avail myself of all the fantastic free services offered in our city to cancer patients and survivors. But I always ended up getting crazy weepy at those events, listening to other breast cancer survivors tell their stories.  I'm also the kind of person who is deeply uncomfortable with the idea of being called "heroic" just because I survived cancer-- and a lot of survivor rhetoric lapses into that (the doctors were heroic; my friends and family were at times heroic; I just muddled through the best that I could).  Because I'm so shy, support groups and organizations made me snap over to social anxiety overload as soon as I walked into the door.


But when I was first diagnosed-- like the very day that I was diagnosed-- Norton Hospital put me in touch with Megan Schanie of the Young Survivors Group.  And she took me out to lunch and told me what to expect from surgery, chemo, fake boobs, the works.  And for the course of my treatment, the Young Survivors group was a fabulous source of support to me (right down to Megan's mother-in-law who fed me and took me to treatments when my own mom or Roommate couldn't be around).


And the Annual Young Survivors Auction is one "pink event" that I feel passionately about supporting.  First of all, it's a damned good time, and most years I come away with really good deals on silent auction goods.  Secondly, it supports a cause that truly helped me and truly helps a lot of young women.


So if you're a business owner or your make stuff or you have services you can offer to this group, I humbly ask that you donate something to the silent auction to be held at the Frazier Museum on February 17.  It doesn't matter how small your donation is.  Goods, services, gift certificates, experiences...  And I'll make it as easy on you as possible; I'm happy to come to you at your convenience and pick up the item.  These donations are tax deductible and a Young Survivors rep will provide you acknowledgment in writing of your donation.  Email me at lou [at] loueyville.com if you are interested or if you have any questions.


And for the rest of you, mark your calendars:  February 17 at the Frazier.  A good time and a great cause.


Thanks.  Y'all rock.
xo
Lou

Alex Wright CD Release @ Monkey Wrench 1/27

Dear Fellow Alex Wright Fans,

I hope this first issue of the Alex Wright Fanclub Newsletter finds you all happily enjoying the New Year.  It's already been a great year for us fans, right?

How much did you LOVE hearing Alex and Dewey Kincaid on WFPK's Live Lunch on January 6th? If you missed it, you can catch it again on the Live Lunch Archives here. (Did you know that you can also check out the entire Live Lunch archive since 2007 on your Android or iPhone WFPK app? Totally awesome.) It's also been great hearing Alex's song "Viscosity of Trust" get so much play on WFPK.

As I am sure you know, our next chance to enjoy Alex's music will be January 27th at his Feeling the Pull CD release party at the Monkey Wrench at 9pm. Mark it on your calendars. Dewey Kincaid is the special guest.

So I've been thinking: Justin has his Beliebers, Jimmy has his Parrotheads... what should we fans of Alex Wright be calling ourselves? We'll discuss at our next meeting.

Reminder: no matter how much you "feel the pull" (see what I did there?), you should absolutely fight the urge to throw your panties on stage while Alex is performing. First of all, his wife will be there. (I know, I know... all the good ones are taken.) Secondly, it's very distracting to the performers. It's much better to discretely hand said panties to Alex sometime when he's not on stage or to stuff them (along with a few bucks) in the tip jar. Let's be on our best behavior this time, fans.

As always, you can check out more of the latest Alex Wright news, download the album, and join his mailing list at his website.

Looking forward to seeing y'all on the 27th!

Rock on!

Lou
President
Alex Wright Fan Club of North America

PS. No, there's not really an Alex Wright Fan Club of North America... yet. And no, Alex Wright does not necessarily endorse the entirety of this message. :)

Flat Stanley in Louisville

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I've been hosting a Flat Stanley for a couple of weeks. If you aren't in education or don't have a wee one in your family, you may have no idea what I am talking about.

Flat Stanley is a character from a book from the 1960's, a little kid who is squished by a falling bulletin board (scary, right?) who then discovers certain advantages to being "flat" including the fact that he can be mailed to far away places for vacation. Somewhere along the line some smart educators decided to use Stanley in their lesson plans as a way to teach their little kids about geography and different cultures.  Students are given a Flat Stanley to send to a friend in another city; that friend is supposed to show Stanley around, take pictures of Stanley visiting city landmarks, and then send Stanley and the pictures back to the originating classroom.

My Stanley came all the way from a kindergarten class in Needham, MA and my favorite cousin's son, James.

Even though early on in Stanley's visit my cousin told me that I shouldn't write a blog for Stanley because the kindergarten has sketchy tech... well, heck, blogging is kind of my thing.  I couldn't help myself.

For the actual project, I turned the blog into a powerpoint and send the printed slides back to Needham with Stanley (along with a box of Modjeskas from Muth's because I want James's Stanley to be everyone's favorite Stanley).

If you want to see all the fun things Stanley and I did during his visit, check out the blog Flat Stanley In Louisville. As with all blogs, posts appear in reverse chronology.

Disclaimer #1: I'm writing for kindergarteners... expect simple language and oversimplification of facts at times.

Disclaimer #2: Yes, James calls me "Missy." No, you may not call me "Missy."

Enjoy!

Derby Princesses 2012

Normally this wouldn't be a news item that I would cover.

But one of this year's Derby Princesses is one of my former students and former advisees. And I am so crazy proud of her and happy for her.

The amazing and wonderful Taylor Sang is a 2012 Derby Princess.  Taylor has participated in the Miss Kentucky pageant for a couple of years and in the competition has won prestigious awards like the "Miracle Maker" award.

Taylor is the joyful, lovely woman on the far left in this picture.  I wish her tons of fun and happiness during the Derby season.  And I am keeping my fingers crossed that the spin of the wheel makes her Queen!  Good on you, Taylor!

KAAC CINDERELLA @ Kentucky Center

KAAC (Kids Acting Against Cancer) is an awesome local charity that is founded and staffed by some amazing local kids.

Their annual musical, a fundraiser for Gilda's Club and Kosair Children's Hospital, is almost always a sell-out and is always, always really fantastically done.

This production, I'm sure, will be no exception-- great director, great music director, and many returning cast members from last year's excellent HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL (which is awful, but their version was as good as it could be).

Saturday Jan 14 @ 730pm at the Kentucky Center. Tickets are $20, $15 for students/seniors, $10 for kids 10 and younger.

Go. Take the kids. Support the arts. Support these great teenagers and help them raise money for these great causes.

THE TENS @ Actors Theatre This Week

I always enjoy the Actors Apprentice 10-minute plays. This week Actors rolls out THE TENS, presented by the 40th Anniversary Actors Apprentices and Interns. The show features eight ten minute plays. Best of all-- it's FREE!!

From the press release:

The Tens is the Apprentice/Intern Company’s first fully produced theatre event this season, following a series of original workshop ensemble productions created in the fall. The Tens features work chosen from Actors Theatre’s National Ten-Minute Play Contest. The selections include a diverse range of pieces written by eight playwrights: Advanced by M. Thomas Cooper; Opal by Lloyd Suh; The Dungeons and the Dragons by Kyle John Schmidt; That Noise by Dominic Finocchiaro; Hero Dad by Laura Jacqmin; The Ballad of 423 and 424 by Nicholas C. Pappas; Basement Story by Austin Bunn, and DressUp by Jane Jones.

The shows are at 10pm January 10-12, 1030pm January 13, and a noon show on January 12. As I said, the show is free, but you should call in advance for reservations. 502-584-1205

Loved You Before I Met You, Qannick

So, if you're following me on Twitter (@loueyville), you'll know that this week I have been hosting a Flat Stanley.

Flat Stanley is a paper doll who is a curriculum tool for pre-school and elementary-aged kids. In my case, my Flat Stanley belongs to my cousin Beth's son, James.

James is a kindergartener at the Chestnut Children's Center in Needham, MA. And his teachers have asked the kids to create a Flat Stanley and then send it to someone who lives in another state so the kids can learn about other places in the US. My job is to show Stan a good time and then to send him back to James with pictures and souvenirs from our time together.

Today, I took Stanley to the zoo.  We've had a damned good run, Stanley and I, but today was just about getting to see Qannick.

And she didn't disappoint.  She was beautiful and playful and curious.

I've been a member of the Louisville Zoo since I moved here in 2006, but I don't make enough use of my membership.  When I lived in New Orleans, just a couple of blocks from the Audubon Zoo, I used to go to the zoo after a crappy day at work.  Hang out with the gorillas.  Chill with the gators.  Sometimes I would bring a book and a blanket and sit all day by the orangutang enclosure and read and visit with the apes between chapters.

Now that Qannick is here and Siku will be on exhibit soon... and the weather is warming up... maybe I'll be seeing more of Glacier Run soon.

Good News Everyone, Michelle Did It!

Congratulations to one of my favorite Louisvillagers, my sister-in-blogging, and all around do-gooder Ms. Michelle Jones for busting her Kickstarter goal for the "Menu and Hours" project. She's already pushed past her initial goal of $6000 and the iPhone app has been funded. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she continues to earn pledges past the $8000 point so she will start development on the Android app as well.

This is why I love Louisville. Michelle has done SO much for this community. She truly is the quintessential Awesome Louisvillager.  And when the time came for this community to give back to her, to tell her how much we trust and appreciate her, we stepped up to the plate. I look at the list of people who have pledged to this project, and I am enthralled to see SO many familiar names.

We love you, Michelle! And we're so excited that this app will soon be available to us and will be one more thing that makes Louisville great!

Knee Jerk Reaction to CHAD DEITY

It's not often that I come home from a performance and IMMEDIATELY want to post about it. But I had such a fantastic time at Actors Theatre's production of THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY tonight that I couldn't even wait to do my research, send out some emails, and write a truly proper post.

I'm doing some research and sending out emails, so expect another post about this exuberant, joyful, exciting show.

In the meantime, don't wait for me to tell you all about it. Just go.

Go.

If there is a kitschy bone in your body, if you've ever secretly kind of sort of understood why people like professional wrestling so much, if you love hyperbole and drama and over-the-topness... you'll love it.

The actual elaborate entrance of Chad Deity is worth the ticket price. As is the dramatic set piece action in the second act.

This is to say nothing of the acting and directing... I'll get to all of that in my next post about this play.

Just go. My heart is still cheering.

Best Stuff of 2011

I totally get that 2011 will not go down in many people's books as a great year. There's honestly not too much to rave about in the grand scheme of things. But for this Lou, 2011 was a pretty gentle year. I wasn't diagnosed with cancer and then have a tree fall on my house (2008). I wasn't displaced by a hurricane and suffer a heartbreaking break-up (2005). I didn't get divorced or have a loved one die or watch as someone I cared for succumbed to addiction (various years).

So let's get this out of the way from the get-go:

The worst moment of 2011: Hands down. No question. One of the very worst moments of my life, let alone 2011... when Roommate had a heart attack back in late January of 2011. Thankfully, my BFF and partner-in-crime has been healthy ever since. But I'd gladly relive just about every horror story I've ever been through to not have to experience that kind of pain and terror ever, ever again. On the up side: I think those kinds of scares always make you love that person just a little bit more and a little bit better. (awww...)

Okay, so now on to the Best Stuff of 2011, in no particular order...

Gosh, Humana Festival is one of my favorite things about every year here in Louisville, but this year was particularly good.  I still find myself thinking about MAPLE AND VINE and EDITH CAN SHOOT THINGS AND HIT THEM on a regular basis. I'm really excited about the new Artistic Director at Actors, Les Waters. And I'm looking forward to seeing how the Festival and Actors evolve under his leadership. My New Year's Wish for Actors Theater: PLEASE BRING BACK LATE SEATING!!

Speaking of theatre... this year I was introduced to Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble (which has been around since 2004) and Theatre [502] made its debut. Exemplary work by both companies this year: two more reasons why this theatre-lover loves Louisville. (And on a personal note: I'm super grateful for the new friends I've made in both.)

I was lucky enough to cover both companies for The Louisville Paper. Working for The Paper has been an absolute highlight of my year. I'm so grateful to Matt Dobson for giving me this opportunity.  You can check out the three articles I've written here. It's so awesome that The Paper is picking up a little of the slack left by the gutting of neighborhood and arts coverage in the Courier-Journal.

Happy bourbon-soaked bloggers

Without a doubt, one of the very best moments I've had, personally and "professionally" (as if this blog is anything like "professional") all year was the night that the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau asked me and Michelle Jones to represent local bloggers for a contingent of visiting bloggers during Idea Festival. We enjoyed a dinner at the Chef's table at the English Grill at the Brown Hotel.  From that post:

Five courses prepared by Chef Laurent Geroli, bourbon, wine, great conversation. Picture includes: Michelle Jones of Consuming Louisville, Baratunde Thurston of The Onion et al, Max Linsky of Longform.org, Ellen McGirt of Fast Company Magazine, Chef Laurent, CC Chapman, author & entrepreneur. 

The evening ended with me leading the group mentioned above (minus Michelle) down to the Seelbach Hotel (where we passed DJ Pauly D on the way in). There, they generously treated me to Pappy Van Winkle 23 while we poked around the Rathskeller.

The entire Idea Festival was amazing.  And this was the first year I was granted "Media" access. I took two days off from the Meatspace Workplace to attend.  Fantastic.

Of course, Idea Festival was just part of what I called "The Best Week Ever" on my blog.  That was the week that Idea Festival coincided with They Might Be Giants playing Waterfront Wednesday, NULU Festival, and Roseanne Cash spoke/played at the Kentucky Authors Forum. One of my favorite memories from 2011 was meeting Roseanne Cash, thanks to the lovely folks at the Kentucky Authors Forum, who read my post about the event and invited me to the VIP reception. Just a couple of days ago, Cash reviewed her highlights from 2011 on Twitter and mentioned the Kentucky Authors Forum gig.

The Pass @ Nulu Festival

Louisville hosted some awesome concerts in 2011. It's hard to say what my favorites were. The 4th of July Waterfront concert with Fitz and the Tantrums, De La Soul, and The Funky METERS ranks high. As did The Low Anthem at Headliners, a show that took on special meaning for me when I attended with a friend I hadn't seen in 15 years.  I'm still saying that The Pass remains my favorite local band, and I enjoyed them every time I saw them play. Headliners did right by us a bunch of times this year, including shows by Galactic and Trombone Shorty from NOLA. 

Blurry Gabe Bullard hosting The Moth

Speaking of Headliners, one of the best things that has happened to Louisville in 2011 is the Moth Story Slams at Headliners every last Tuesday of the month.  Originally only a couple of Moths were scheduled, but now the run has been extended because the turnout has been fantastic. Next up: the theme is "Firsts" on 1/31.

Brandon Klayko, over at the brilliant Broken Sidewalk, has a fantastic list of significant openings and closings in Louisville for 2011.  Of course the big closing news of the year was the shuttering of Ear X-tacy, a loss that I understand completely but don't particularly feel. All in all, it feels like a winning year for Louisville when you weigh the openings against the closings. We finally got a Trader Joe's after all. For what it's worth, I think my favorite new restaurant in Louisville is a toss-up between Garage Bar and Harvest. And honestly, my love for Garage is almost entirely due to the ambiance and the ham. Seriously, that's some damn good ham.

Speaking of local carnivores, Louisville became home to two of the cutest carnivores imaginable: Qannik and Siku, the polar bear cubs at the newly-renovated Glacier Run at the Louisville Zoo. Qannik immediately took the local twitter scene by storm, both with an official and an unofficial twitter feed. (Note that the unofficial one is much sweeter.)

I'm super happy to say that my favorite movie of 2011 has a legit local connection. If y'all haven't seen ANOTHER EARTH starring the brilliant Brit Marling and Louisvillager (and my celebrity crush), William Mapother, you're really missing out. I've been so glad to see ANOTHER EARTH hit so many year end "Best Of" lists, but I was really sorry that this film flew so far under the radar for the most part.  I anticipated enjoying it; I did not anticipate how much it would stick with me. Seriously, when I think of the last 30 seconds of that movie, I still have to bite my tongue to keep from swearing out loud.

We got a new mayor this year and that was big news. It seems like the jury is still undecided on Greg Fischer, but I kind of like the guy. And just thinking, in 2010, Kentucky got Rand Paul (again, sorry rest-of-the-country). So I'd say 2011 was a win in the election column.

Sure, there was a lot to complain about in 2011. Based on an informal survey of Twitter, I'd say 85% of complaining had something to do with the bridge, but you've got to love a town that copes with Shermageddon by creating words like Shermageddon and fake Twitter accounts.

And in 2011, the people of Louisville did a lot to further convince me that we live in an ah-mazing-city. To wit: back in January I posted a call for donations for a silent auction in support of a cause close to my heart (literally, I guess, close to my heart): The Young Survivors Breast Cancer Network.  And something like a dozen people-- most of whom I didn't even know-- donated. Proceeds from items donated by blog readers earned around $1000 at the auction. That's HUGE and humbling.  And I'll be hitting y'all up for donations again in the coming weeks.

But hands down the best thing about 2011 was meeting new people and cementing older friendships. And just about every friendship I've forged in this city has come to me as a result of my tweeting and blogging habits. Heck, that even includes The Guy I've Been Dating. (I'll pause as y'all let out a collective gasp... I know, I know. It's shocking. I told you, it's been a pretty good year for me.)

The big Loueyville blog news this year was that I finally "came out" as a blogger after 500+ anonymous posts (I even had my first "speaking engagement" as a blogger at the library's Tech Boot Camp). And "coming out" made meeting new people easier, evidenced by the two Skate Tweet Ups we've had over in Jeffersonville.

Speaking of Skate Tweet Ups, we'll definitely have a third now that the rink has extended their run through January 31.  And this one might have corporate sponsorship-- meaning free skating for some of y'all!! Yaaaaay! *Kermit arms*

What else will 2012 hold? Who knows? I can tell you this: this blogger is looking to make some REALLY big and really scary life changes this year. Could be very, very exciting... could be a trainwreck. :)  Keep your fingers crossed for me, Dear Readers.

And I will always, always keep my fingers crossed for all of you Dear Readers. Thank you so much for reading this little bloggy project of my heart. I love all of you people, even if I haven't met you yet. And I'm sure if I did meet you, I'd love you even more.

Let's live 2012 like the Mayans were right, y'all.