Ani Difranco in Minneapolis

By |

The Righteous Babe herself, singer-songwriter Ani Difranco, made a last-minute appearance at Minneapolis’s Parkway Theater at 48th and Chicago on Thursday night, previewing her concert tonight at the State Theater in Minneapolis. In lieu of her usual music set of folksy alterna-rock, Difranco came to read her poetry. She recently published her first book in collaboration with her record label, Righteous Babe Records and Seven Stories Press. Difranco, a native of Buffalo, NY, chose Amazon Bookstore, neighbor to the Parkway Theater, as her host because of its feminist quality. In her search for venues during her brief Midwest tour, Difranco targeted women’s bookstores and music distributors. Continue Reading

Bhangra fever sweeps Festival of India

By |

Colette Davidson

In a kaleidoscope of rich, sparkling color, Aishwarya Menon whirls in circles, bumping her hips upward, and twisting her hands in intricate patterns to catchy bhangra beats. Her long, dark braided hair is bundled in white flowers as bangles clink against her wrists. Her friends surround her in equally bright fabrics, shaking and smiling for a packed house.

Menon, 15, a dancer with the School of India for Languages and Culture (SILC), has been performing at the Festival of India for the last seven years, experimenting with traditional, folk and Bollywood hits. While some of her friends might choose to hang out at the mall or go to a movie on a dreary Sunday afternoon, Menon has come to dance.

Continue Reading

St. Paul forum focuses on citizens and the media

By |

Colette Davidson

In the wee hours of Saturday morning, three semi-celebrities arrived at Hamline University’s Sundin Hall teetering between Fashion Misfit and Political Nostradamus.

Caribou coffee in hand, Lizz Winstead, co-creator of the Daily Show, took the stage in thigh-high boots with dapper NYU Professor Mark Crispin Miller and public television executive producer John Forde. As the three sat down to face the crowd, Forde’s red plastic basketball shoes peeked from below his dark gray suit as he introduced his two guests and acted as moderator for a heated discussion about “The Future of News.”

Continue Reading

A birthday party, Buddhist-style

By |

Colette Davidson

Laden with white scarves and ostrich-feathered gold plated dorjes, Tibetan Buddhists of the Sakya faith met with friends and family in a small gathering on Sunday, September 10 in St. Paul to wish a happy birthday to His Holiness Sakya Trizin.

The event was presented by Sakya Thupten Dargye Ling (Minnesota Sakya Center) and was hosted by the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota, which was amply decorated for the day. Large drapes depicting Tibetan landscapes hung from the community room walls alongside bright thangka paintings, wall hangings, and obligatory photo shrines for both H.H. Dalai Lama and H.H. Sakya Trizin. The floor was lined with intricately designed, carpeted mats in long, monastery-style rows for participants to rest upon during meditation and mantras.

Continue Reading