The Long Road Home

by Buck Quigley

I didn’t do much to prepare for my recent trip to New Orleans for the second weekend of the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, May 4-6. I didn’t study up on which acts were playing, because I knew they’d all be good. And I didn’t become very well versed in the many issues the city continues to struggle with in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which struck on August 29, 2005 with an estimated force equal to a 20-megaton nuclear bomb exploding every 20 minutes—wiping out 200 miles of Gulf coastline, killing 1,800 people and leading to the displacement of 1.3 million Americans.

In Geoff Kelly’s article “The Write-Off Vote” he says that “Only two conclusions can be drawn from the alleged problems voters faced in Tuesday’s elections for the Buffalo Board of Education: one, a lot more Buffalonians wrote in the names of candidates, or tried to, than do usually, and two, Williams voted for Jayne K. Rand.” I have a couple more conclusions that can be drawn. First of all, if School Board candidate Jayne Rand had submitted enough valid petitions to get on the ballot she wouldn’t have had to be a write-in candidate, thus no complicated procedures—just pull a lever.

The Lawnmower Man: Loren Shibley

by Peter Koch

On a recent blow-high-hell morning, with thick clouds gathering to the North and West, he agreed to meet up with me and chat. At the appointed time and street corner, I sat down on a stoop and waited for Loren Shibley to show up. If anything, I figured he’d be impossible to miss, piloting, as he does, a garden center on wheels.

by Rob Brezsny

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It’s about time you got the chance to be knocked on your ass by a flood of positive surprises and good feelings. I hope you’re trusting enough to go with the tidal flow, even if it does temporarily render you a bit woozy. Naturally you’d like to know if this giddy surrender will land you in trouble. Is there any chance that you’ll have to endure some karmic adjustment at a later date because of the fun you’re having now? Here’s my prediction: absolutely not. If anything, your enthusiastic cooperation with the free-form dazzle will shield you from any negative repercussions.

by Chuck Shepherd

■ Religiously strict Saudi Arabia can’t have traditional Western-style beauty contests, but there was a pageant in April in remote Guwei’iya, about 75 miles from Riyadh: A beauty contest for camels. More than 250 owners brought more than 1,500 camels to be judged by such standards, said one organizer (according to a Reuters dispatch), as “the nose should be long and droop down,” and “the ears should stand back and the neck should be long” and “the hump should be high, but slightly to the back.” Prizes included more than 70 SUVs.

What Are You Reading This Month?

by Anne Reed

More than a few Western New Yorkers are all reading the same book: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. A coincidence? Not really. Just Buffalo Literary Center has distributed 3,000 copies of the book throughout the community and is hosting a month-long series of events relating to this book as part of The Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to revitalize the role of literary reading in American popular culture.

Lucille Clifton Wins 2007 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize

Over the course of 11 books of poetry, Depew native Lucille Clifton has become one of America’s most widely read and revered poets. Her first volume of poetry, Good Times, was cited by the New York Times as one of 1969’s ten best books, and she won the National Book Award in 2000 for Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems, 1988-2000 (BOA Editions, 2000). Clifton was the first author to have two books of poetry chosen as finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in the same year, Good Woman: Poems and a Memoir, 1969-1980 (BOA, 1987) and Next: New Poems (BOA, 1987).

by Eric Payne

The Artie Awards

by Anthony Chase

The Artie Award nominations, recognizing outstanding accomplishment among Buffalo’s theaters, will be published in Artvoice next issue. Nominees will be listed in 19 acting, directing and design categories, as well as for Outstanding Play and Outstanding Musical of the season. In addition, Katharine Cornell Awards for outstanding contributions by visiting artists, Citations for special accomplishments, and a Career Achievement Award will be announced.

Change Is Good

by Marla Crouse

It’s hard to start this review without using the word “venerable” in the first line. Ming Teh has been a wise choice for Western New Yorkers searching for a combination of classic and nouveau Chinese cuisine for the past 25 years, and because of this long relationship it deserves esteem in my eyes. Yes, certain changes have come about, and the rumors were flying: “Change of ownership,” “Closed,” “Not the same.” But as personified by the swift river passing by the large windows of Ming Teh, change is not a bad thing, especially when done correctly.

Drive a Piece of Art

by Jim Corbran

I know, it’s just a car. But...well, just look at it for a minute. Then compare it to the photo of its predecessor, the 190. For that matter, compare it to just about any family-sized sedan on the market and tell me it’s not right up there looks-wise.

How Could This Have Happened?

by Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell

By the time you read this column, the Buffalo Sabres season may be over. It may as well be over. The team marched into the Conference Finals against the Ottawa Senators with great hope and promise, but Stanley Cup dreams have quickly faded across Western New York, as the Sabres have been outscored, outplayed, outhustled and been handed a classic beatdown during this series.

by Amy Alkon

I’d like to have sex three or four times a week, but my girlfriend of a year is willing only once a week. She isn’t on antidepressants or other medication. I’m guessing her sex drive is just low since she says she’s very happy with me, and just isn’t usually in the mood. I find begging unappealing, and don’t want to pressure her to do anything she doesn’t want to do. I know relationships require compromise. What would be a reasonable one regarding frequency of sex? —Rationed