Arts & Culture

The NAU professor signs Disappearing Desert: The Growth of Phoenix and the Culture of Sprawl. Fri., Nov. 14, 7 p.m., 2008…

The social activist/author signs her latest, Finding Beauty in a Broken World. Thu., Nov. 13, 7 p.m., 2008…

The National Public Radio show tapes live for broadcast in February 2009. Tue., Nov. 18, 8 p.m., 2008…

There are so many things we still don’t understand: cancer, death, the popularity of Dancing With the Stars. When 19th-century artist Elihu Vedder lost two children and then fathered two more, he found his answers in the Rubáiyát, a collection of medieval Persian poetry depicting the endless cycle of life,…

Steve Elliott, former Phoenix bureau chief for the Associated Press, moderates the panel discussion. Tue., Nov. 18, 7-8:30 p.m., 2008…

Works by J. David Ake, Washington photo editor for the Associated Press. Mon., Nov. 17, 4-5:15 p.m., 2008…

The Oxford professor and novelist reads from and signs his works, including The Opium Clerk, the Miniaturist, and The Japanese Wife, in conjunction with the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing Series. Wed., Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m., 2008…

James E. Garcia penned the rags-to-riches tale about Arizona’s first (and thus far only) Latino governor. Presented by New Carpa Theater. Fri., Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 8, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 9, 2 p.m.; Thu., Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Nov…

What do you call a thrash-metal group whose members look like Rapunzel in teenage rebellion? Singer Ivan Moody and his bandmates call it Five Finger Death Punch. We call it pretty damn amusing. The L.A. quintet caters to a very specific sort of fan, the kind who was either born…

Talk about nostalgia! Ubu Roi, which takes bows at Space 55 Theatre, was first produced in 1896. Championed by theater fans as the play that launched the absurdist tradition, Ubu Roi (King Ubu) was penned by French writer Alfred Jarry. The author likely considered his career finished when a riot…

Arizona Theatre Company presents David Rambo’s stage bio of advice guru Ann Landers, played here by original Good Morning America anchor Nancy Dussault. Thu., Nov. 13, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Nov. 14, 8 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 15, 8 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 16, 1 & 7 p.m.; Wed., Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m.;…

Roy Wasson Valle is one of the darlings of the local art scene, and his works are hard to forget. Maybe you’ve seen his distinct line of T-shirts and toys with unforgettable characters like El Bastardo, a one-eyed, jagged-toothed rabbit creature with a perma-shit-eating grin smacked across his face. Or…

Because Goodguys (the largest rodding association on this here globe) is called such, that must mean that there’s a class of bad guys when it comes to hot-rod culture. So who would classify as a not-Goodguy? A bitchin’ Camaro driver? A piece-o’-poo Pinto sporter? The owner of an AMC Gremlin,…

When Grandma’s craft box is suddenly bringing back the sexy – or at least picking up an eclectic retro soundtrack – it stands to reason that we’d be intrigued. Enter Fall SMoCA Nights: “Stitched” – an evening of fashion inspired by modern craft culture and the exhibit “Radical Lace &…

If you were an NBA owner, what would you do after your squad was ousted from the divisional final three years in a row? Instead of making improvements, would you sit on your duff all summer and take the “there’s always next season” approach? If you’re Detroit Pistons’ head honcho…

The Sun Devils will be bowl-eligible at 6-6 if they win out. A tall order, given the way this season’s gone and that the final game of the regular season is at UofA in Tucson. Still, every journey begins with a single thrashing, and their Homecoming opponent are the hapless…

It took ’em 20-plus years, but hippie days are here again now that the legendary smoke-adelic duo of Cheech & Chong – a.k.a. Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong – have reunited for their extended Light Up America (and Canada) Tour. Or, as Marin dubs it, “the Felimony Tour, his felony…

We recently heard that Barry Williams (Greg Brady) will portray The Professor in an upcoming touring version of Gilligan’s Island: The Musical. Sheesh. Now try to picture Richie, Potsie, Ralph Malph, and the Fonz belting out showtunes. Unfortunately, the stars of Happy Days – A New Musical aren’t the original…

There are two types of people: the kind who alphabetize their CDs and the kind who lose their CDs under the pile of Burger King wrappers and yellowing newspapers in their car’s backseat (bet you can guess which one we are). Whether you neatly fold your underwear or throw dirty…

If you check out the Phoenix Faerie Festival Web site, you’ll see that the fest’s fan base falls into four basic groups: little children chasing bubbles, supple guys in snug leotards, hot chicks with face paint, and potbellied bearded men sporting tiny wings. By Merlin’s beard, we fit right in!…

The renowned architect/sculptor and restless artistic soul is now dabbling in handmade jewelry, specifically contemporary necklaces, earrings, pendants, and belts. Sat., Nov. 15, 1-4 p.m., 2008…

The host of KMLE Country’s Dave Pratt in the Morning signs his new memoir, Dave Pratt, Behind the Mic: 30 Years in Radio. Proceeds from book sales benefit the American Cancer Society. Tue., Nov. 18, 7 p.m., 2008…