Calendar of Events
Thursday, November 5, 2009
22nd Annual Jewish Book Festival: Jewish Community Center.
Nov. 3-6, 8-13, & 15. Display and sale (at retail prices) of more than 2,000 new books by Jewish authors, ranging from cookbooks, expensive gift books, children's books, and reference books to books by local authors and new titles hot off the presses. (Publishers plan their releases for November, which is Jewish Book Month.) The fair also includes a number of talks and performances by various Jewish authors. Today: Edgar-winning mystery novelist S.J. Rozan discusses Shanghai Moon (noon), her historical mystery about the disappearance of the heirloom jewels of a Jewish refugee from Nazi-annexed Austria, and journalist Abigail Pogrebin discusses her memoir One and the Same: My Life as an Identical Twin and What I've Learned About Everyone's Struggle to Be Singular. (7:30 p.m.).
Jewish Community Center, 2935 Birch Hollow Dr. (off Stone School Rd. south of Packard). Lunch available at the daily noon programs for $12 ($10 in advance). Free. 971-0990.
"Hawk, I'm Your Brother": Wild Swan Theater.
Nov. 5-7. This award-winning local children's theater presents its adaptation of Byrd Baylor's children's book about a Native American boy who longs to fly like a hawk. With live music by local singer-songwriter Joe Reilly. 10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.,
10 a.m. & 12:30 p.m., WCC Morris Lawrence Bldg. Towsley Auditorium, 4800 E. Huron River Dr. Tickets $12 (seniors age 60 & over and kids, $8; lap passes for kids age 2 & under, $3) in advance and at the door. 995-0530.
Thursday Lunch Bunch: Jewish Community Center.
Every Thurs. except Nov. 26. Activities, primarily for seniors, begin at 10 a.m. with "Energy Exercise" ($4), a 60-minute exercise program led by Maria Farquhar. An 11 a.m. Current Events discussion group led by Heather Dombey is followed at noon by a homemade dairy lunch ($3 with reservation, $4 without reservation and for nonseniors) and at 1 p.m. by a cultural or educational program. Today: See Jewish Book Festival listing above.
JCC, 2935 Birch Hollow Dr. (off Stone School Rd. south of Packard). Free. 971-0990.
"National Policy Issues: Hot Potatoes, the Way Forward": U-M Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Every Thurs. (except Nov. 26), Oct. 29-Dec. 10. A series of 6 lectures by different U-M and guest scholars. Today: U-M economics professor emeritus Saul Hymans discusses "Anti-Recession Policy and the (Humongous) Federal Budget Deficit."
Best Western Executive Conference Center, 2900 Jackson Rd. $45 (members, $30) for the 6-lecture series, $25 (members, $10) per lecture. Memberships are $15 a year. Preregistration required. 998-9351.
Noon Lectures Series: U-M Center for Japanese Studies.
Nov. 5, 12, & 19. Talks by visiting scholars. This month's highlight is "Death and Buddhism in the Middle Ages" (Nov. 12), a talk by Yamagata University cultural studies professor Kenji Matsuo. For complete schedule, see ii.umich.edu/cjs/eventsprograms/noon.
1636 SSWB, 1080 South University. Free. 764-6307.
ACBL Duplicate Bridge: Ann Arbor Senior Center.
Every Wed. & Thurs. All seniors age 50 & over invited to play ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge. Bring a partner.
Ann Arbor Senior Center, 1320 Baldwin. $5. 769-5911.
"Our Great Lakes": Ann Arbor Area League of Women Voters.
Talk by club members Shirley Axon and Jean Kluge.
Zion Lutheran Church, 1501 W. Liberty. Free. 665-5808.
Gifts of Art: U-M Hospitals.
Nov. 5, 12, & 19. Performances by area and guest artists. Today: Motown and classic rock tunes by guitarist Daniel Goree and bassist Donald "Bopper" Clark.
U-M Hospital lobby, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr. (off Fuller). Free. 936-ARTS.
"Kosovo from NATO's Intervention to Independence: An Appraisal": U-M Center for European Studies "Conversations on Europe."
Talk by Veton Surroi, a former member of the Kosovo assembly and the founder of one of Kosovo's biggest daily newspapers.
1636 SSWB, 1080 South University. Free. 647-2743.
Japanese Health Care--A Sytem that Works: U-M Center for Japanese Studies.
Panel discussion with Washington Post reporter and NPR commentator T.R. Reid, U-M political science professor emeritus John Campbell, and John Carroll University anthropology professor Susan Orpett Long.
U-M Alumni Center, 200 Fletcher. Reservations requested by emailing umcjs@umich.edu. Free. 764-6307.
"Thursday Night Rush Hour Relief": Cranbrook Whole Foods Market.
Nov. 5, 12, & 19. Whole Foods staffers discuss wine. Also, tastings and small plates of food. Today: "Top 10 Red Wines."
Whole Foods wine bar, 990 W. Eisenhower Pkwy., Cranbrook Village shopping center. $17. 997-7500.
U-M School of Art & Design Penny Stamps Lecture Series.
Nov. 5, 12, & 19. Today: world renowned sleight-of-hand performer Jamy Ian Swiss on "Sleight of Hand: How Bodies Fool Minds."
Michigan Theater. Free. 647-2337.
U-M English Department Zell Visiting Writers Series.
Nov. 5, 9, & 19 (different programs). Readings by poets and fiction writers. Today: Nonfiction reading by Patricia Hampl, an acclaimed writer whose most recent memoir, The Florist's Daughter, is about her parents' death. "Hampl is a memoirist almost completely devoid of ego," says a New York Times review. She uses "her own experiences to understand what is exterior, amorphous, longed for [in] a voice that is highly suspicious of glorifying the self."
U-M Museum of Art Helmut Stern Auditorium, 525 S. State. Free. 615-3710. 764-0395.
Magic: The Gathering Tournament: Get Your Game On.
Every Sun.-Fri., except Nov. 26. All invited to compete in tournaments of this popular collectible card game using standard constructed (Sun. & Thurs.), vintage (Mon.), Elder Dragon Highlander (Tues.), Legacy (Wed.), and booster draft (Fri.) decks. Prizes. Bring your own cards Sun.-Thurs.
Get Your Game On, 709 Packard. $5 (Tues., free; Fri., $15 includes cards). 786-3746.
Board Game Night: Get Your Game On.
Every Thurs. & Sat., except Nov. 26. All invited to bring a favorite board game or play one of the store's.
Get Your Game On, 709 Packard. Free. 786-3746.
Food Talks: Cranbrook Whole Foods Market.
Nov. 3, 5, 12, & 13. Talks and demos by Whole Foods staffers. Today: "Holiday Appetizers."
Whole Foods, 990 W. Eisenhower Pkwy. Cranbrook Village shopping center. Free. Preregistration required. 997-7500.
Storytime: Waters Place Borders.
Every Wed.-Fri. Borders staff read from books for infants, babies, and toddlers.
Borders, 3140 Lohr Rd. Free. 997-8884.
ACBL Bridge: Ann Arbor City Club.
Every Thurs. except Nov. 26. All invited to play ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge. No partner required.
Ann Arbor City Club, 1830 Washtenaw. $5. 761-6691.
Ann Arbor Go Club.
Every Sun. & Thurs. except Nov. 26. Players of all skill levels invited to play what's regarded as the world's most difficult board game. No partner necessary. Boards and stones provided.
Espresso Royale, 322 S. State. Free. 417-5547.
"The Marianas Trench: Deepest Spot in the Ocean": Huron Hills Lapidary & Mineral Society.
Screening of this documentary. Nonmembers welcome.
West Side United Methodist Church social hall, 900 S. Seventh St. Free. 665-5574.
"Natural Health and Raw Food": Living Yoga.
Lecture-demo by local raw foods advocate Ellen Livingston and Health 101 Institute director Don Bennett. They also present a lecture-demo ($10 with preregistration required at 996-8111) at Arbor Farms, 2103 W. Stadium, on Nov. 19, 6:30-8 p.m., and Livingston hosts a raw food potluck on Nov. 15 (1-3 p.m., location TBA; call 995-0875).
Crazy Wisdom Bookstore & Tea Room, 114 S. Main. Free. Preregistration required. 994-9174.
"Thank God I Came from a Dysfunctional Family": Crazy Wisdom Bookstore & Tea Room.
Bellanina Day Spa & Institute owner Nina Howard discusses her story, which is included in the collection Thank God I'85Stories of Inspiration for Every Situation 2. Signing.
Crazy Wisdom, 114 S. Main. Free. 665-2757.
"The Development of Multicultural Children's Literature": Ann Arbor District Library.
Talk by EMU English professor Sheila Most.
AADL multipurpose room (lower level), 343 S. Fifth Ave. Free. 327-4555.
"The Story of Edgar Sawtelle": Nicola's Books.
Colorado writer David Wroblewski reads from and/or discusses his best-selling coming-of-age debut novel about a Wisconsin farm boy, born mute, who flees to the wilderness with 3 yearling dogs when his efforts to prove his uncle's complicity in his father's death backfire. "It`s a novel about the human heart, and the mysteries that live there, understood but impossible to articulate," says Stephen King. Signing.
Nicola's, Westgate shopping center. Free. 662-0600.
"The Wizard of Oz": Young People's Theater.
Nov. 5-8. Lynn Lammers directs young local actors in Frank Gabrielson's musical adaptation of L. Frank Baum's classic tale about Dorothy's journey to the Emerald City and back.
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 North University. Tickets $15 (students age 18 & under and seniors age 65 and over, $10) in advance at the Michigan Union Ticket Office, Ticketmaster.com, and at the door. 763-TKTS.
"The Little Prince": Ann Arbor Civic Theatre Junior Theatre.
Nov. 5-8. Claudia Wier directs young local actors in E.J. West's adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's delightful tale of a jaded aviator stranded in the Sahara whose outlook on life is changed by a prince who visits our world from his own tiny planet. Appropriate for kids age 4 & over.
WCC Liberal Arts Bldg. College Theatre, 4800 E. Huron River Dr. $5 in advance and at the door. 971-2228.
Israeli Dancing: Jewish Community Center.
Every Thurs. except Nov. 26. Dance instructor Cheryl Felt and DJ Amnon Steiner lead a variety of Israeli dancing to recorded music. Easy dances and oldies the first hour, followed by intermediate dances and requests. Beginners welcome. New dances taught each week.
JCC, 2935 Birch Hollow Dr. (off Stone School Rd. south of Packard). $5 (students, free). 971-0990.
History of Books & Printing Reading Group: Motte & Bailey, Booksellers.
All invited to join a discussion of Dr. Johnson's Printer: The Life of William Strahan, J.A. Cochrane's biography of Samuel Johnson's chief publisher. Refreshments.
Motte & Bailey, 212 N. Fourth Ave. Free. 669-0451.
Ann Arbor Ski Club.
Nov. 5 & 19. All invited to learn about the club's downhill and cross-country ski and snowboarding outings, tennis, golf, and other sports and social activities. Followed by a dance (Nov. 5) and a skiwear fashion show (Nov. 19).
Cobblestone Farm barn, 2781 Packard. $5. 786-2237.
Chinese Ensemble of the Art Troupe of Renmin University of China: U-M Confucius Institute.
Traditional and neotraditional contemporary Chinese music by this ensemble that features Yang Wei, a world-renowned master of the pipa (Chinese lute) who was part of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project. The inaugural events of the new U-M Confucius Institute also include a lecture by U-M Chinese arts & culture professor Martin Powers this afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in the U-M Museum of Art Stern Auditorium.
Rackham Auditorium. Free. 764-3982.
Megan Mooney: Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase.
Nov. 5-7. Stand-up comic known for her relaxed, personable style and her smart, edgy, often sarcastic observational humor on a variety of unhackneyed topics. Named "Funniest Person in Austin" in 1998, she now lives in New York City. Preceded by 2 opening acts. Alcohol is served; all Fri. & Sat. early shows are nonsmoking.
314 E. Liberty (below Seva restaurant). $9 (Thurs.) & $12 (Fri. & Sat.) reserved seating in advance, $11 (Thurs.) & $14 (Fri. & Sat.) general admission at the door. 996-9080.
"Escanaba": Purple Rose Theatre Company.
Every Wed.-Sun. (except Nov. 26) Sept. 17-Dec. 19. See review. Guy Sanville directs the world premiere of Jeff Daniels' comedy, the third in his deer-hunting Yooper trilogy that includes the hugely successful Escanaba in da Moonlight and Escanaba in Love. This installment reveals the origins of some of the Soady family's time-honored deer camp traditions. Stars Julian Gant, Wayne David Parker, and Tom Whalen.
Purple Rose, 137 Park St., Chelsea. $25 (Sun. eves., Wed. & Thurs.), $33 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $38 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.
"Katinka": Comic Opera Guild.
Nov. 5 & 7. Dana Sadava directs area singers in a concert production of Rudolph Friml's 1915 operetta, set in Russia and Turkey, about various ruses that bring together two separated lovers.
Vitosha Guest Haus, 1917 Washtenaw. Tickets $15 (seniors, $12; Thurs., $10) in advance at Ticketmaster.com and at the door. 763-TKTS.
"Mix and Match with a Violin Attached": U-M Symphony Band Chamber Winds.
Michael Haithcock and guest conductors Rodney Dorsey and John Pasquale conduct this music student ensemble in Mozart's Serenade no. 11 in E-Flat, Karl Henning's Out in the Sun, Orff's Der Mond, and Weill's Concerto for Violin and Wind Orchestra with guest violinist Stephen Shipps.
U-M Walgreen Drama Center Stamps Auditorium, 1226 Murfin, North Campus. Free. 764-0594.
Motor City Metro Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society.
Every Thurs. except Nov. 26. All male singers invited to join the weekly rehearsals of this local barbershop harmony chorus.
ICC Education Center (behind Luther House at 1520 Hill). Free to visitors ($130 annual dues for those who join). Park on Lincoln or Baldwin. 474-1155.
