Daily Archives: June 5, 2012
The Berkeley Wire: 06.05.12
Berkeley’s Divino restaurant charms [Coco Times]
Faces of Berkeley: Jan Etre, local artist [Daily Cal]
Against all odds four from Cal Prep entering Cal [UCB]
The East Bay development ballet [New Colonist]
Michael Pollan, Alice Waters tell Congress Farm Bill “stinks” [Grist]
Driver in fatal Berkeley crash remains hospitalized [Patch]
What’s in store? Fashion show at Walk In Closet [Diablo]
Photo: Frolicking in Marin Fountain, by Nancy Rubin.
Adam Hochschild on flour power as strategy for activists
The denizens of other cities can snicker all they like, but Berkeley historian Adam Hochschild has no problem with Berkeley’s foreign policy.
“If the citizens of Berkeley were in charge, our country would be better off,” he said when Berkeleyside reached him by phone to discuss his highly acclaimed book To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918.
Alongside telling excerpts from the diary of Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig, and vivid descriptions of what life was like for men in the trenches, To End All Wars presents the story of a one-woman diplomatic mission to Berlin in 1916 by British citizen Emily Hobhouse. Almost in the same breath, Hochschild described Hobhouse’s trip into the heart of enemy territory during wartime as “totally foolish” and “an extraordinarily noble thing.” In Berlin, Hobhouse met with the German Foreign Minister and other high-ranking officials. While failing to bring about the peace she hoped for, she came up with an idea for a civilian prisoner exchange that the two countries subsequently put into effect. … Continue reading »
Get free Supermoon print with Berkeleyside subscription
But the “supermoon” on May 5-6 surely outshone the rest for sheer visual punch.
And one photograph of that supermoon stands out. Taken by the hugely talented Ira Serkes, the moon is seen in all its mottled tangerine glory perched atop the Berkeley hills with the Campanile in the foreground, making for a striking composition.
Perhaps it’s no surprise that when the image was posted on the Cal Bears Facebook page it caused a storm of appreciation — with over 5,000 “Likes” and counting. Just look at those blue and yellow hues, after all.
Now, just in time for high school graduations and Father’s Day on June 17th, Berkeleyside is thrilled to be able to offer readers an unbeatable opportunity not only to obtain a gorgeous photographic print of the supermoon casting its glow on our beautiful city, but also the chance to demonstrate your support for local journalism in Berkeley. … Continue reading »
Berkeley Rep’s Black n Blue Boys / Broken Men is thrilling
The world premiere of Dael Orlandersmith’s compelling play, Black n Blue Boys / Broken Men, is now at Berkeley Rep through June 24. Ms. Orlandersmith, sole writer and actor in this powerful production, portrays a handful of abused boys and the haunting effects the abuse has on the men they become.
Black n Blue Boys / Broken Men is carved into searing character studies of abused boys, each of whom suffers a different form of mistreatment. Some of the boys reappear on stage later in their lives as we see them struggle to escape their horrible childhoods. The play has a riveting message that never appears preachy, but it does explore gritty taboo subjects we’d ordinarily avoid. The boys suffer from child rape, alcoholic rages, prostitution, beatings and pedophilia.
In each vignette, Orlandersmith depicts the dialect, body language and affect of the characters, including Puerto Rican, Irish and African American boys. She appears on stage throughout the 90-minute (no intermission) performance. That’s hard work, but Orlandersmith made it seem effortless. Her acting ability is as exceptional as is her writing. In each scene, through her acting and writing talents, she convincingly presents a vivid story of each subject’s life. Yet, the following day, I found that my memory of the characters had run together a bit. … Continue reading »
Deer charging people, dogs in the Berkeley hills
Violent crime has been decreasing in Berkeley in recent years — that is, when the perpetrators in question are humans. Wildlife is another matter. Two Berkeleyside readers recently reported incidents of deer charging at pedestrians in the Berkeley hills in late May. Animal Services confirms there have been multiple cases.
On May 29, a deer charged several times at a hiker at the intersection of Oak Path and Oak Street, said Berkeley Path Wanderers Association President Keith Skinner. The deer left the scene only when another person and a dog arrived.
The victim of the attack “called Animal Control and was told to avoid the area for the next few months, but it doesn’t seem that the city is taking any other precautionary steps to alert people,” wrote Skinner in an email to Berkeleyside. … Continue reading »
