Page 16 - Reedley Exponent 2-15-18 E-edition

SPEAKER
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Richard Rodriguez, Charles Baxter and the late Philip Levine, who taught for years at Fresno State.
David Borofka, a Reedley College English instructor who is one of the organizers of the lauded Speaker Series, via email described the upcom- ing schedule of programs as a “wonderfully diverse group of writers and speakers repre- senting fiction, nonfiction and poetry, on topics ranging from religious faith to the ethics of science.”
He wrote that the organiz- ers are “excited” to welcome these speakers.
“If there is one common attribute between them, it might be that each is speak- ing to truths that are as im- portant as they are difficult and nuanced,” he wrote.
Each program is on a Thursday begins at 7 p.m. Here is the schedule what Borofka wrote about each program:
• Feb. 22 – Mark Salzman, in Forum Hall.
“Mark Salzman is multi- faceted and multi-talented – a cellist, practitioner of martial arts, teacher and writer, and he has written from the range of that experience in such novels and memoirs as ‘Lying Awake,’ ‘The Soloist,’ ‘Iron & Silk,’ and ‘The Man in the Empty Boat,’” Borofka wrote.
“He is unsatisfied with easy, simplistic answers, preferring to let his charac- ters (and himself) struggle against their own inclinations for an ideal that is always out of reach although seemingly, tantalizingly close.”
Salzman, a graduate of Yale University, taught Eng- lish in China for two years and studied martial arts.
His talent as a cellist in- cludes playing with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and eminent pianist Emanuel Ax.
His range of subjectscan be read in the books that Borofka cited: “Iron & Silk” is his 1986 memoir about his years in China; “The Soloist,” is a 1994 novel about a strug- gling cellist who once was a child prodigy and is chosen
a juror for a murder trial; and “Lying Awake,” is a 2000 novel that explores religious themes through a story about a Carmelite nun.
His most recent book, “The Man in the Empty Boat,” from 2012 candidly details his bout with writer’s block and anxiety.
• March 15 – David Lacks Jr. and Victoria Baptiste, in the Reedley College cafeteria.
Lacks is the grandson and Baptiste the great-grand- daughter of Henrietta Lacks, the subject of “The Immor- tal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” Borofka said they are happy to welcome them.
“If there is one common attribute between them, it might be that each is speaking to truths that are as important as they are difficult and nuanced.”
– David Borofka, Reedley College English instructor, about the college's Speaker Series guests
“We would have loved to have had the author, Rebecca Skloot, on hand for our March event, but she has made a very conscious decision to encour- age the family’s participation at such events over her own,” Borofka wrote.
“It seems only right that, after decades of others prof- iting from the HeLa cells and the HeLa story, the descen- dants of Henrietta Lacks re- ceive some of the financial benefit of Henrietta’s legacy.”
He also wrote about the “terrific choice” of having the nonfiction work for the 1 Book/1 College program.
“We wanted a book that would appeal to many differ- ent segments of our campus, and this has certainly touched a number of different disci- plines and issues,” Borofka said.
“In it, we find elements of history, the history of sci- ence and cell research, the legal and ethical issues of
The Reedley Exponent B8 Thursday, February 15, 2018
Reedley Drama Club
Photo from AbeBooks.com
The true story of "The Immor- tal Life of Henrietta Lacks" will be the subject of the March 15 program for Reedley College's Speaker Series.
ownership (whether of one’s biological material or one’s life story), as well as issues of race, class and gender.”
• April 19 – Sasha Pimen- tel, in Forum Hall.
The poet, born in Manila and raised in the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, graduated from Fresno State’s Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing.
She now is a tenured member of the Bilingual MFA program at the University of Texas at El Paso.
Her collection “Insides She Swallowed” (2010) won a 2011 American Book Award. Her awards also include the 2015 University of Texas Sys- tem’s Board of Regents’ Out- standing Teaching Award.
Her collection “For Want of Water” is a searing look at life on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Wrote Borofka of Piment- el: “Her work explores bound- aries and borders – Mexico and the United States, sexual violence and love, memory and experience.”
The Speaker Series events include a question-and-answer session and book signing.
The suggested donation is $5 for the general public and $2 for students. (The admis- sion price helps cover the cost of speakers’ fees.)
Photo Contributed
The Reedley drama Club held its January meeting at the home of Vicky Tout and featured the ac- claimed team of writer Janice Stevens and artist Pat Hunter. drama Club member Cheri witter-Law- rence introduced the duo, whose books include “Fresno’s Architectural Past” (Volumes I and II), “Re- memberingtheCaliforniaMissions,”“williamSaroyan:PlacesinTime,”and“AnArtistandawriter Travel Highway 1 South.” Stevens and Hunter own Gallery II in Fresno and teach classes. Hunter’s work also includes commissioned paintings that hang in private collections and more than 25 Mcdonald’s restaurants.
ABOVE: writer Janice Stevens (left) and artist Pat Hunter explained how they develop their story ideas and illustrations. They also shared stories about their books.
RCTC
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“I’m having an amazing ex- perience. The cast is amaz- ing.”
Another new participant is Emily Dixon, the show’s choreographer. She’s the stage manager for the Selma Arts Center and usually cre- ates steps and movements for children’s shows.
She said she wasn’t fa- miliar with swing dancing but welcomed the challenge, including staging the steps on the opera house’s more intimate boards. [By the way, regular theatergoers will no-
tice the stage has been recon- figured as one level surface to better accommodate the dancers.]
Dixon said with a show like this one, each dancer has to not only learn steps but in multiplicity: “They’ve had to learn to dance with all the different people in the cast, which is a different chal- lenge entirely.”
Like Salas, she said her first-time work with RCTC “has definitely been a great experience.”
And what can audiences expect?
A smiling Dixon said: “Have them be prepared to be blown away.”
Reedley’s River City Theatre Company presents “Swing!” Feb. 23-25, March 1-4, and March 8-11 at the historic Reedley Opera House, 1720 10th St. Use codes to purchase tickets for Ten at $10 off all tickets; students for 50 percent off (please present student ID at the door); and veterans by one, get one free (please present valid veteran ID a the door). The promo codes expire at midnight Thursday, Feb. 22.
For showtimes, tickets and other information, go online to reedleyrivercity- theatre.org or call (559) 638- 6500. Tickets also can be pur- chased at David’s, 1034 G. St.
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