Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Baby of the Family by Maura Roosevelt My rating: 4 of 5 stars Roger Whitby dies and leaves what's left of his fortune to his youngest and "adopted" son Nick, much to the dismay of two of his half sisters who are living in family-owned homes. But Nick has disappeared and, as long as he doesn't know about his father's death and the change to the will, Brooke and Shelley are in no hurry to find him. Nick's mother, Susan, would like to find him, though, because she wants a piece of the inheritance as payback for what Roger did to her (his fourth wife) and Nick. Shelley's mother, Elizabeth, also plays a role in the story as Brooke, not Shelley, is forced to deal with a medical emergency. We get a look into Brooke's private life -- a break-up, an unexpected pregnancy, a turned-down wedding proposal, and the possibility that she'll have to find a new place to live if Nick finds out he owns her house. Shelley, who is the closest to ...

I Know Who You Are by Alice Feeney My rating: 5 of 5 stars Just because you know a person's name doesn't mean you know the person. That's an underlying theme in "I Know Who You Are" as up-and-coming actress Aimee Sinclair deals with the disappearance of her husband. Is he dead? Did she kill him? Why can't she remember things she supposedly did and said before he disappeared? The story is told in chapters alternating between the present day where Aimee is just wrapping filming on a movie that's destined to make her a star, and the story of the horrendous and disturbing events that took place when she was a young child. As the police investigation into Aimee's husband's disappearance goes on it appears someone is either trying to frame her or gaslight her, or both. I did not see the shocking resolution to the crime coming at all, and I'm usually pretty good and at figuring out whodunnit. A story like this could...

Bradford Landmark Society photo Calling all armchair historians! The 2020 edition of Baily’s Beads, the award-winning literary magazine created by University of Pittsburgh Bradford students, is seeking submissions for a writing contest. Editor Taylor Tarahteeff, an interdisciplinary arts major from Bradford, selected the theme of “Past, Present, and Future” for the 2020 issue and hopes to represent the rich local history of McKean County. “Bradford is a city built on a complex and fantastic heritage! Everyone you meet has a story to tell about the glitz and glamor of this bustling oil town,” Tarahteeff said. “We wanted to recognize the writers in our community and represent the pride and legacy of the area.” The guidelines for the contest are as follows: Create a piece of prose, poetry or artwork in any genre, focusing on McKean county history. Suggestions for topics include oil history, natural disasters, family occupations, Bradford during prohibition, architecture, railroa...

Young Woman Reading in Bed — Lucien Abrams

   Richard Combes      

I was looking for a #FridayFeeling painting and fell in love with this one --  "Portrait of Roberta Johnson Roensch", 1943 by ALİCE NEEL (American 1900-1984) -- because it captures how I've been feeling for the last couple of weeks. I'm now an Alice Neel fan, too.

New York punk queen and poet Patti Smith collides with Sam Shepard in 1972 Greenwich Village. The result is a cyclone of creativity that marked the second half of the 20th century. From squaller to iconic status, their paths are tracked through song and story. A special presentation in conjunction with Women’s History Month. A play with music by Dana Marks. Musical Direction by William Dawson. Produced by Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern. HORSES March 5, 2019 Studio Theater, Blaisdell Hall FREE

The Last Act by Brad Parks My rating: 5 of 5 stars A lot of suspense, a ripped from the headlines story, and characters I couldn't help but love made The Last Act a book a could not put down. It starts with actor Tommy Jump getting an offer from two FBI agents, one of whom was a childhood friend, to go undercover for them in a federal prison to get information a man convicted of bank fraud (Mitch) has that could bring down a Mexican drug cartel. Because he and his fiance (Amanda) need the money the FBI is offering, he takes the gig. It doesn't take him long to get close to Mitch and get the information he needs. But it wouldn't be a suspense novel if it was that easy, would it? Amanda gets some information that changes everything and puts in motion a bold and daring plan that involves the evil leader of the drug cartel himself. I did have one part of the story figured out fairly early, but that didn't take away from the moment the cha...

Bradford Little Theatre (BLT) is pleased to announce the cast of it’s upcoming performance, “Nuts,” being performed on March 22, 23, & 24 at Togi’s Playhouse, 18 Welch Ave.  The show is co-directed by Ron Buchheit and Charles Church, both making their directorial debut with BLT. A courtroom drama, “Nuts” by Tom Topor, is about call girl Claudia Draper is on trial for killing one of her clients in self defense.  Her mother, Rose, and step-father, Arthur, try to have her declared mentally incompetent, preventing the trial and institutionalizing Claudia.  Defense attorney Erin Levinsky is assigned to her case, but Claudia is angry and distrustful of everybody, and she resists his help, disrupting both her examinations by psychiatrist Herbert Rosenthal and her court hearings. Co-directors Ron Buchheit and Ch...

Sally Swatland https://www.tuttartpitturasculturapoesiamusica.com/2016/05/Sally-Swatland.html

Wolf Pack by C.J. Box My rating: 5 of 5 stars I'm pretty sure there's not an emotion the latest Joe Pickett novel didn't evoke. Not only that, it was packed with action and suspense from beginning to -- literally -- the end. It starts with Joe and female game warden Katelyn Hamm trying to figure out who is operating a drone that she saw run a mule deer and elk herd, exhausting the animals to the point that some of the died. As they get closing to getting information about the mysterious drone operator, things get really complicated as the FBI enters the picture with dire warnings for both Joe and Katelyn. While all of this is going on the vicious, brutal and cruel Wolf Pack -- led by the beautiful but heartless Abriella -- is on a mission that will eventually have them crossing paths with Joe, Katelyn and Joe's friend, falconer Nate Romanowski. The penultimate chapter is so action-packed you will not be able to turn the pages fast enough. Wolf ...

I'd rather be reading. Young Lady Reading (1878) Mary Cassatt  (1844-1926)

Bea Arthur trending on Twitter for no reason will probably be the best thing to happen today. One of my all-time favorite movie moments is her and Lucille Ball singing "Bosom Buddies" in "Mame."

When you get to #19 in a series you wonder if the author can keep it fresh. I'm happy to say C.J. Box @CJBoxauthor has done more than keep it fresh. This may be the best Joe Pickett novel yet -- and I'm only about halfway finished. I wish I could read faster!

Photo by Beth Hollerich PIT’s New Terminal to Showcase Local Artists, ‘Makers’ By   Matt Neistein The designers of Pittsburgh’s new, modern terminal hope that travelers will see it as a striking work of art. But the new facility will also  host  an abundance of artwork, making it both a creation of Pittsburgh culture and a curator of that culture moving forward. For Rachel Rearick, arts and culture manager at Pittsburgh International Airport, that role is critical for the region’s burgeoning local arts community. “We have a reputation as a growing technology hub, but we’re still making things,” she said. “Craft is having this renaissance, not just nationally, but globally.” Rearick says work produced by local artists in a variety of media is another way of telling the story and identity of Pittsburgh. The Terminal Modernization Program includes ample space and opportunity to showcase that work to the millions of passengers moving through the airport ...

Brianna Blankenship & Dan Roche Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 6 PM – 9 PM Union Whiskey 184 N. Union St. Olean, NY 14760