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Arts & Music

SPOTLIGHT: No Child

Nilaja Sun in No Child. Photo courtesy of Playmakers Repertory Company
Inspired by her own experiences as a theater teacher in some of the rowdiest schools in New York, Nilaja Sun’s one-woman play No Child tells the story of a teacher trying to lead a group of students through a performance of the 1988 play Our Country’s Good.

No Child, directed by Hal Brooks, takes place at the fictional Malcolm X High School, and for 65 minutes Sun introduces the audience to a wide array of characters, from sassy students to an idealistic new teacher, all lovable in their own quirky way and full of plenty of wit to elicit more than a laugh or two.

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Arts & Music

ART NOTES: In the Galleries

A vessel by Vicki Grant, on display at Eno Gallery

At the Carrboro Branch Library, “In the Spirit,” photographic images of poignant moments in the life of our community, will open on Jan. 20, with a reception and community gathering on Jan. 22 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The exhibit features artists Sheldon Becker and David Otto, and continues through March 27.

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almanac

ROSS’S ALMANAC

Compiled by Kirk Ross

The days are short,
The sun a spark
Hung thin between
The dark and dark.

— John Updike, January

January is not the coldest month of our year. It’s close, but December and February are pretty much in a tie for first. Of course, this depends on where you are and how the winds affect you. The Piedmont’s hilly land – urban and rural – makes for quite a few frost hollows, low-lying areas where it is not uncommon for a layer of warm air emanating from nearby slopes to trap a layer of cold air in the hollow. That makes for some cold nights no matter what the reading is at the airport.

Jan. 1 – Sunrise: 7:26 a.m.; Sunset: 5:12 p.m.
Jan. 31 – Sunrise: 7:14 a.m.; Sunset: 5:28 p.m.

Moon Phases
First Quarter – Jan. 1 Full Moon – Jan. 9
Last Quarter – Jan. 16 New Moon — Jan. 23

The Full Moon in January is the Old Moon, Wolf Moon and Ice Moon.

Planets & Stars: It’s a beautiful time for stargazing, with some of the brightest – like Sirius, the Dog Star – right overhead at midnight. It’s also a good time of year to view the planets. Mars gets so close that you can see the polar caps with a decent set of optics. Venus and Jupiter are still morning and evening lights, respectively, while Mercury and Saturn join the dawn patrol. The Quadrantids Meteor Shower, radiating out of Bootes in the Western North Western sky, peaks on Jan. 3-4, with the best viewing around midnight.

Get the kettle out. January is Hot Tea Month, Oatmeal Month and Soup Month.

Significant Dates
• Jan. 1 is New Year’s Day and Freedom Day
• Jan. 3 is the Festival of Sleep and Fruitcake Toss Day
• Trivia Day is – you guessed it – Jan. 4
• The Feast of the Epiphany is on Jan. 6
• January has a Friday the 13th. That’s also International Skeptics Day.
• Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is on Jan. 15 and is celebrated this year on Jan. 16
• The Chinese ring in the year 4710, The Year of the Dragon, on Jan. 23
• Jan. 25 is Opposite Day
• Jan. 26 is Australia Day
• Jan. 31 is Yad Sdrawkcab

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Featured

Between naps

Duncan Hoge

I’ve always said that if I could have my way about it, we’d go into hibernation for the months of January and February.

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Featured

FAUNA: The Hoodies

by Mary Parker Sonis

January has arrived, and after the joy of the holidays, we all settle in for the grim, dark days of winter.

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Featured

A textured story of life and dreams

by Vicky Dickson

A fight at the end of his sophomore year in high school made Alan Shapiro a poet – though not right away. He came out of that fight with a badly broken nose, and the break required him to wear a hockey mask in his first varsity basketball game the following fall.

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Featured The Eater

Something unusual from the market

by Kirk Ross

The person who most regularly puts up with The Eater’s antics came home from the Carrboro Farmers’ Market the other day with something in addition to the usual refilling of the kimchi prescription and a bunch of collards.

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Featured

CAUGHT ON FILM

The Makers of El Caffinato

Rory Bradley/Liz Levitt-Bradley

by Margot C. Lester

One of the most talked-about films at the Carrboro Film Festival last month was the Western musical El Caffinato, created by husband-and-wife filmmakers Rory Bradley and Liz Levitt-Bradley of Carrboro.

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Featured

HOP LINE: A Healthy Attitude of Beer

By Jason Cole

It’s a new year. People are contemplating new beginnings and new goals. Many are making resolutions to quit smoking or to lose weight. Some just make a point to be healthier. Some people contemplate their drinking habits and consider drinking less. But can drinking beer be healthy? The answer seems to be yes.

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Featured Food

TASTE OF THE TOWN

Carolina Crossroads at The Carolina Inn

From the old Southern halls of The Carolina Inn, Carolina Crossroads has been tantalizing the palates of hotel guests and area residents alike since 1995 from the site of the hotel’s original restaurant, built in 1924.

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Arts & Music

ART NOTES: In the Galleries

Pieces on display in the METAL exhibit at LIGHT
METAL, which features the work of both budding and master metalsmiths, is on display this month at LIGHT Art+Design. The exhibit includes an extensive collection of jewelry, with metals used in the works running the gamut from recycled tin and stainless steel to silver and gold. Metal ornamentation for the home, like stainless steel cups by Leo Gaev and cast bronze flowers by Kevin Eichner, is also featured. Jewelry artists include Ashley Buchanan, Jim Cotter, Robert Ebendorf, Helen Frady, Laritza Garcia, Kat Cole, Tara Locklear, Sarah Loertscher, Phil Manire, Barbara McFadyen, Amy Tavern, Callie Warner and Sarah West.