A&E

Historical Society focuses on death

Death is an inescapable part of life for all, regardless of sex, age, race or religion, but the practices of grieving and properly honoring a body after death differ greatly throughout the world. The Monroe County Historical Society explores these different practices in one of its newest exhibits, "Facing the Inevitable: Mourning and Mortuary Practices in Monroe County."

Destruction of art

When it comes to reports of vandalism on the IU campuses, University officials agree it's been a quiet year -- so far -- and they'd like to keep it that way. Sherry Rouse, IU's curator of campus art, hesitantly admitted it has been "a very good year so far" in regard to the defacement of art on all eight IU campuses. Rouse said in the grand scheme of things, IU students have been generally been respectful of the art and sculptures on the IUB campus. "Historically, we're pretty lucky," Rouse said.

Scary books, movies leave mark on children

SOUTH BEND -- When she was a little kid, Kimberly Wheaton, now 11, swore she'd never set foot in Texas. After seeing the horror film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," Kimberly wanted to hide. "I'm never going to Texas because they never caught (the killer)," she said. Though Daniel Contreras, 12, loves reading "Goosebumps" books now, he remembers being scared of them at age 6 when older kids told him about a man who cuts off people's heads in one book. With Halloween just a scream away, experts remind us that what might be fun for older children and adults can be a long-term nightmare for young children.

Retro nights come to Axis Nightclub

Retro Night at Axis Nightclub in Bloomington has been a big hit for more than five years. The idea started with deejay Pam Thrash's Retro Lunch Hour on local radio station B97 in 1999. Thrash, was approached by Dave Kubiak, owner of Bluebird and Axis nightclubs, to recreate Retro Lunch Hour in front of a live audience at Axis. Kubiak and Thrash haven't looked back since. "I really never expected it to be this popular for this long," Thrash said. "I figured when I started Retro Lunch Hour and then Retro Dance Night in 1999 that it would go strong for about a year and then I'd need to come up with another lunch-hour idea. I had no idea how successful it would become and how long it would last; it's still going strong."

Southern Indiana theater to reopen after fire

WASHINGTON, Ind. -- A theater standing since 1881 was expected to reopen in a little more than two weeks after an electrical fire damaged sections of it. The Sept. 18 electrical fire was mostly contained in the attic of the 124-year-old Indiana Theatre, although there was some smoke and water damage, and firefighters had to cut a hole in the roof to access the fire.

Illinois professor turns molecules into artwork

URBANA, Ill. -- Emad Tajkhorshid's wife probably wouldn't let him pick the paint for the living room; he admits he's bad with colors. But that didn't stop organizers of an art exhibit in New York from inquiring about visual handiwork by Tajkhorshid and his colleagues at the University of Illinois' Beckman Institute.

Matt Nathanson performs for IU students at Alumni Hall

A man with stiff hair, held in place by what seems to be pounds of styling gel, sits at a table with a blank sheet of paper and a black permanent marker scratching his eyebrow. He's scheduled to take the stage in 15 minutes, and the task of putting 18 songs on paper seems insurmountable. "I have to go to a computer to see what I've been playing," singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson said.

Malaysian belly dancers shake up controversy

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- To the hypnotic strains of Middle Eastern drums and flutes, Nancy Bakhshy shouts instructions to nine students who shimmy, shake and undulate in fluid movements.

New SoFA Gallery exhibit explores human bodies

Visitors will find something a bit familiar lined along the walls of the School of Fine Arts Gallery this month. The newest gallery exhibit is not of landscapes or abstract thoughts. Instead, the pieces that fill the gallery explore our very bodies. "Human Measures" is a look at eight contemporary American painters who work primarily with the human figure. "These are some of the best figurative painters in the painting field," said public relations coordinator Erin Devine.

Tibetan Cultural Center provides meditation courses

Meditation has been seen in movies and on television shows as a way to work out problems. It has also become increasingly popular in today's fast-paced world as a way to calm the mind and re-energize -- if something is particularly perplexing, meditate on it and the solution will come more easily.

Matt Nathanson in concert tonight

Not many touring acts plan to celebrate their first trip to Bloomington by "Googling" John Mellencamp's private recording studio so they know where to break and enter. Singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson did. "I don't want to steal anything," Nathanson said. "I just want to walk around and play some 'Jack and Diane.' It might be kind of hard to get in though. Do you know any ninjas?"

Flamenco show electrifies audience

Lead dancer and artistic director José Porcel used his troupe of four women and four men -- including himself -- to present the percussive multicultural spectacle of flamenco dance Saturday at the IU Auditorium. Dancers performed 10 pieces, stomping their thick-heeled shoes while twisting and spinning their arms, legs and torsos. This created an overall interesting visual interpretation of the music played by a line of musicians behind them.

Stevie Jay to focus on sex, religion and life

Performer Stevie Jay will perform "Life, Love, Sex, Death ... And Other Works in Progress" at 8 p.m. Friday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. The show, which is free for IU students, faculty and staff, has been in development for five years.

'Mar Adentro' screening a cultural experience

The intimacy of a small group of four people gathered to watch a movie is not just something for friends to organize -- the University also sponsors events like these. Such a gathering occurred Wednesday at La Casa Latino Cultural Center in a viewing of "Mar Adentro" ("The Sea Inside").

French opera elevates Shakespeare to new level

Everyone knows the story behind William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." Now take that story, have it sung in French, intensify the fight scenes and parties and add an orchestra to underline and heighten every emotion onstage. That, in a nutshell, is the opera "Roméo et Juliette," by Charles Gounod.

FOUND finds Bloomington

Trash on the ground might not seem that interesting, but some think a man's garbage can give a glimpse at who they are. Ali Haimson, general coordinator of Boxcar Books, said that's why people love FOUND magazine, which publishes trash -- discarded letters, fliers, cards, doodles and more.

The antique search

'Calvin and Hobbes' creator as absent as beloved characters

CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio -- Maybe someday, officials will put up a statue marking this quaint village as the birthplace of "Calvin and Hobbes." Just don't expect cartoonist Bill Watterson to attend the unveiling ceremony. It's been nearly 10 years since he abruptly quit drawing one of the most popular comic strips of all time. Since then, he's been as absent as the precocious Calvin and his pet tiger, err, stuffed animal, Hobbes. Some call Watterson reclusive. Others say he just likes his privacy.

NY plans Sept. 11 museum to remember experience

NEW YORK -- Visitors to the Sept. 11 memorial museum could relive the 2001 terrorist attacks in an "immersive" area that surrounds them with pictures of the falling towers, the sounds of police sirens and the last words of some of those who died at the World Trade Center.

New York TV festival seeks to boost industry

NEW YORK -- You don't have to look far to find a reason for the New York Television Festival. Look no further than, say, NBC's dead-on-arrival drama "Inconceivable." ABC's long-running but torturously humdrum sitcom "According to Jim." Or enough other examples to fill the rest of this column.