Jennifer Hill Kaucher
Tarot Reading
Casually inspired by a friends lament that she failed to wear the proper dress at a dinner with her father, Jennifer Hill-Kauchers third published collection of poetry isnt exactly what she had intended to write. But thats not exactly a bad thing.
Its not bad at all, assuming the other nine poems in A Proper Dress are as stirring as Conversation with Stella, a piece Kaucher shared with ec/dc earlier this week. The poem is an imaged communication between herself, a contemporary poet, and a Victorian writer named Harriet Watress, better known as Stella of the Lackawanna.
Love is everywhere / In the constellations of gum on the sidewalks / the clang of competitive church bells / ragged towels hung from a fire escape. We both know this racket / Life. And when one of Scrantons best young actors took his own last year / the line into the funeral home curved out into the street / until it seemed endless / each person an echo of themselves / a why ...
Kaucher will read the entire collection on Friday at 7 p.m. at a book signing and reception at the Lackawanna Historical Societys Catlin House in Scranton.
The melancholy Stella was one of the many amazing women with ties to the region Kaucher inadvertently discovered while researching the history of Scrantons garment industry. Each poem in the collection is a similar conversation between the author and an inspiring historical figure. Theres Jean Collins Kerr, author of Please Dont Eat The Daises; self-made millionaire and pioneer woman Belina Multooney; and investigative journalist Elizabeth Lynett, whose father started The Scranton Times.
An unusual size at 9 inches wide and 4 inches high, A Proper Dress features 10 illustrations by Elizabeth Perry-Faist, one corresponding to each poem.Perry-Faists multi-layered collages incorporate old-fashioned illustrations, photographs of family members, a grandmothers doily, and bits of found text and historical photographs. The artist then photographed the resulting collages with a macro lens and hand-tined and tea-stained the prints. The original works, notably larger than those that appear in the book, will also be on display at the Catlin House on Friday.
IF YOU GO:
WHAT: Reception and book signing for poet Jennifer Hill-Kauchers A Proper Dress with exhibition of artwork by Elizabeth Perry-Faist
WHERE: Catlin House, 232 Monroe Ave., Scranton
WHEN: Friday, June 16, 7 p.m.
HOW MUCH: Free, but reservations suggested. Copies of the book will be on sale for $10.
Above Par Course Compared to the clich' obstacles of kitschy Dutch windmills, Egyptian pyramids, and big colorful dinosaurs, Lahey Family Fun Parks miniature golf course is a sophisticated marvel of construction. The course boasts 36 holes an average of 40 feet in length on two-and-a-half wooded acres overlooking the Lackawanna Valley. Five raised waterfalls along the course feed the seven streams that flow through the course. Take your dad golfing for Fathers Day on this course and he might not even be disappointed. The Clarks Summit attraction will hold its eighth annual Miniature Golf Tournament Thursday through Sunday this week. Summer hours are Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Lahey Family Fun Park is located at 500 Morgan Highway. Call 586-5699 for more information or visit www.laheyfunpark.net.
16 friday
Story Choreography Ah, the haunting appeal of a mutated musical genius in love with a beautiful soprano. Gaston Leroux no doubt knew he was on to something when he wrote Le Fantome de l'Opera, but surely he had no idea The Phantom of the Opera would become such a familiar icon that dance recitals would be choreographed to the music it inspired. The Advanced Dancers of the Julie Ardito School of Dance will perform selections from the Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber score in A Celebration of Dance at the Scranton Cultural Center on Friday at 7 p.m. Proceeds will benefit a student scholarship fund. Call 342-1733 for tickets.
17 saturday
Padres Party Sure the Scranton Latin Alliance would like to promote the value of fatherhood in society. The real reason the organization decided to throw a party this weekend in celebration of Fathers Day, joked Vice President Josue Rojas, is because parties are fun. The one the organization is throwing on Saturday at the South Side Sports Complex on Broadway Avenue is bound to be a good time at any rate. The city has donated use of the showmobile stage for entertainers including New York City DJ Magia, Cesar and DJ Ramon from Latin Fever and Calimba and DJ Gustavo Tolentino and dancers from the University of Scranton. Bachata and merengue dance music will be played in addition to pop and rap. Food from the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, and Puerto Rico will be available for sale. The entire community is invited and families are encouraged to attend. The festivities are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and will continue until about 7 p.m. Call 561-4434 for more information.
18 sunday
New Age Marketplace Even if you dont believe in the archetypal teachings put forth in a tarot card reading or the healing effects of massage and essential scents, spiritual merchandise and alternative theory can still be an entertaining afternoon diversion. The Holistic Dream will present another of its popular Holistic Fair this weekend at the North Moreland Fire Hall in Center Moreland. The event will feature bodyworkers, books, jewelry, candles, incense, soaps, wind chimes, arts and crafts and metaphysical supplies in addition to food. Laceyvilles Sharon Jarvis will return to present Nostradamus: The Next 500 years, a video in which she appears. Admission is only $1 and is free for children younger than 10. Call 333-5402 for more information.
19 monday
Next Generation Rocker Billy Joels The Stranger. Bruce Springsteens Born to Run. Meatloafs Bat Out of Hell. Albums from Third Eye Blind and Counting Crows. Not exactly what youd expect to find on the top 10 list of a rapidly rising 17-year-old Drive-Thru Records recording artist. But, the label reports, Dave Melillo is anything but average. I've always been disconnected. I wasn't into stuff the other kids were into. It was more of trying to see where I fit in, observing the trends around me and seeing how I felt about how everyone acted, I don't have the patience for superficiality, the musician said in a recent release. Currently on tour in support of his debut EP Talk is Cheap, Melillo will play at Backstage Enterprises in Kingston with As Tall As Lions, Just Surrender, Transition, and Title Fight this weekend. Doors open at 6 p.m. Call 287-9788 for more information.
20 tuesday
Abstract Extracts In composing a detail photograph I am influenced by my admiration for abstract art. My detail images are not totally abstract, but I believe they have elements of that style, photographer Carl Backlund explained in regard to Images from Architecture. Often focusing on specific structural details, the exhibit opened at Camerawork Gallery in the basement of Marquis Art & Frame in Scranton on Sunday. The work will remain on display through Aug. 1. Call 344-3313 for hours or visit www.cameraworkgallery.org for more information.
21 wednesday
Mood-Lifting Music What could be more stimulating than a spicy, lunchtime concert to alleviate the mid-week work blues? If you find something, be sure to let the ec/dc staff know. In the meantime, check out Northeastern PAs own New Orleans inspired band Funk n Gumbo on Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton on Wednesday at noon. The show is one of many scheduled weekly to help us pass the summer months in style. See the music listings in our current events calendar for the complete schedule.
Photos, slides or art of any kind are welcome. Deadline for submissions is the Monday prior to the Thursday edition by noon.
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