Cutting into unknown worlds

By Shara Sarnelli

Imagine becoming the bearer of a knife that is the key to winning or losing one of the biggest battles the earth will ever see. Envision being followed by both good and evil angels. Visualize soul-eating creatures that cover entire worlds. Yes, there is more than just one world in Philip Pullman’s highly acclaimed series “His Dark Materials.”

“The Subtle Knife” is Book II in Philip Pullman’s extraordinary fantasy adventure series (see issue 14 for a review of Book I). It is a “Horn Book” Fanfare Honor Book, A “Bulletin” Blue Ribbon Book, a “Book Links” Best Book of 1997, An “American Bookseller” Pick of the Lists and a Book-of-the-Month Club Main Selection.

“The Subtle Knife” was published by Yearling in 1997 and was originally published in Great Britain by Scholastic Children’s Books. It is complete with 326 pages, leaving the reader anxious to begin reading Book III, “The Amber Spyglass.”

The journey begins not with Pullman’s main character Lyra, but with a new character named Will. Will is a young but rather mature boy who is in dire need to escape his town. When Will notices a cat that travels through a seemingly invisible window into another world, he cannot believe his eyes. Nevertheless, he follows the cat and finds himself in a parallel universe where he runs into Lyra and her dæmon Pantalaimon.

Will is initially taken aback by this dæmon as in the world where he comes from, which is quite like this one, people do not have the company of such amazing creatures. But Lyra, on the other hand, is more surprised by seeing a person without a dæmon on the outside. Eventually, the three become a team on this perilous adventure between worlds.

Lyra’s goal is to find out as much about Dust as possible, while Will’s is to find out as much about his father as possible. After reading and listening to the alethiometer, Lyra meets a physicist named Mary Malone who researches dark matter. Mary Malone and her small crew have uncovered something they refer to as Shadows. Shadows are conscious and gather around humans; they are the same source of dark matter as Dust. After a long day, Lyra convinces the physicist that she can communicate with Dust or Shadows.

After the discovery that Dust is not a part of just one world, but all of them, Lyra’s alethimoeter is stolen by a man named Sir Charles who comes from her own world and knows her mother — Mrs. Coulter. Lyra and Will’s journey continues as they uncover an unordinary knife that can cut through worlds. Will uses its dark material to help Lyra take back what rightfully belongs to her.

The two children have no idea of the devastating power of the Subtle Knife and how many others seek to become the bearer of such a prophecy-filled object. They also are oblivious to the many prophecies others have branded them with. Each move and choice they make while traveling through the parallel universes brings them c loser to the reality of their own destiny in this fantastical battle.

Take a sip of ‘Rufie Cocktail’ on FM 89.3

By Melanie Correia

No, no, no. This is not some nasty little thing slipped into your after-dinner drink here! It’s the Rufie Cocktail! It’s the time in the weekly show, State of the Queer Nation (played on WUMD 89.3 FM every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 7 p.m. or at www.893wumd.org) when the three hosts celebrate the talents of gay, gifted singer/songwriter, Rufus Wainwright.

Rufus Wainwright is a celebrated musician within the queer community. With his most recent album, “Release the Stars,” his fifth album in a decade, Wainwright has set himself a solid reputation. His albums include; “Rufus Wainwright,” “Poses,” “Want One,” “I Don’t Know What It Is,” “Want Two,” “Alright Already –Live in Montreal,” “All I Want,” “Going to a Town,” “Release the Stars” and “Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall.”

Rufus was born in Rhineback, New York on July 22, 1973 but moved to Montreal, Canada with his mother when he was very young. At the age of thirteen Rufus began touring with his sister, mother and aunt in a folk group called “The McGarrigle Sisters and Family.” His song “I’m A-Runnin’” from the movie, “Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveler” got him nominated for a 1989 Genie Award for Best Original Song. By 1996, Rufus had acquired a strong fan base in Montreal and moved to New York City and began performing at Club Fez, where he built another strong, local audience. By 1998 he had moved to Los Angeles, recorded his first studio album and Rufus Wainwright was released. Wainwright’s self-titled debut received critical acclaim; Rolling Stone magazine recognized it as one of the best albums of the year and named the singer “Best New Artist” of the year. Wainwright toured with Sean Lennon in the summer of 1998 and began his first headline tour later that year.

From 2001 to 2004, he toured with Tori Amos, Sting, Ben Folds and Guster, as well as headlining the 2001 and 2002 tour in support of Poses. He often performs with his sister Martha Wainwright (now herself an emerging artist) on backup vocals. Despite a growing cult following and critical acclaim, Wainwright has experienced somewhat limited commercial success in the United States.

In the early 2000’s Rufus became addicted to crystal meth and temporarily lost his vision due to overuse. At the end of what Rufus described as “the most surreal week of his life” it is said he telephoned his friend Elton John and was persuaded to check into a rehab in Minnesota. At the end of 2004, Wainwright released “Want Two,” a sequel to the 2003 release “Want One” and both were repackaged by the end of November 2005 as “Want.”

Now with his most recent album, “Release the Stars,” Wainwright reached number 2 in the UK and debuted as 23 in the USA. It was recently certified gold in the UK. On December 4, 2007 Rufus released a CD, “Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall” and DVD, “Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy! Live at the London Palladium” as a package on his live recording of the Carnegie Hall concerts he did in mid 2006 where he performed the entire Judy Garland concert album recorded there in 1961.

At the end of the 2007-2008 tour, it is said that Wainwright wants to write his first opera, “Prima Donna,” which he says will be about “a day in the life of an opera singer.” The opera has been commissioned by Metropolitan Opera general manager Peter Gelb. There are four characters. He is, thus far, writing the libretto in French.

So, if there ever is a chance to listen to the wonderful talents of Rufus Wainwright, either on State of the Queer Nation or otherwise, definitely consider it!

‘Vagina Monologues’

Coming to UMD’s stage February 21 & 22

The 2008 Vagina Monologues cast prepare to use their lips at this week’s production of “The Vagina Monologues.” The show, which educates about domestic violence towards women, is non-profit. All proceeds go to the Katie Brown Educational Program.

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. — It’s coming! The Vagina Monologues is taking to UMass Dartmouth’s stage on Thursday, February 21 and Friday, February 22 at 7 p.m. in the Main Auditorium. The show celebrates creator Eve Ensler’s concept “VDay,” a movement to end violence against women which promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing violence prevention programs.

The Vagina Monologues is an Obie Award winning episodic play compiled by author Eve Ensler in 1996 after conducting over 200 interviews with women from across the country. She launched the VDay campaign in 2008, which has raised over $50 million dollars for local anti-violence groups.

Never seen the Vagina Monologues? Now’s your chance! The line up of the monologues changes every year, and this year’s cast is performing favorites such as “Reclaiming Cunt,” a manifesto against the negative use of the word; “My Angry Vagina,” a rant about how vaginas are tortured by today’s society through gynecological visits and other unpleasant conventions; “Because He Liked to Look at It,” one woman’s story on how she came to love her vagina and “The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy,” a sexual and empowering piece about a woman who loved to make other women moan.

Ensler has added two additional monologues in following with this year’s theme “A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, A Prayer,” introducing audiences to the three-part monologue dealing with physical abuse in Baghdad, Islamabad and Juarez in “The Memory of her Face” as well as this year’s spotlight monologue, “Welcome to the Wetlands.”

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Ensler’s VDay campaign, and she has launched a “Changing the Story of Women” spotlight campaign in addition to her traditional fund raising. In conjunction with the New Orleans relief theme, Ensler aims to recognize and aid the “Katrina Warriors,” who symbolize the universal plight of women in conflict zones, by organizing a “V to the Tenth” celebration. Ensler calls for hundreds of women, men and celebrities to head down to New Orleans on April 11 and 12 to help rebuild the area which remains devastated long after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on the land. Ensler’s spotlight monologue “Welcome to the Wetlands” is in honor of the state of New Orleans and how she must be “praised, healed and honored” in order to “change her story and the story of women.”

A portion of the profits from the production will be sent to New Orleans to aid in the relief fund. The directors of this year’s show, senior English major Megan Gauthier and junior English major Laura McHugh, have decided to donate the remaining revenue to the Katie Brown Educational Program which “promotes respectful relationships by teaching alternatives to relationship violence” (for more information, visit www.kbep.org.

UMass Dartmouth’s Vagina Monologues production is sponsored by the Women’s Resource Center and co-sponsored by the SAIL office. Admission is free with a UMass Pass on Friday. Cost for tickets are: $5 per student and $10 per general admission. The Women’s Resource Center will also be selling VDay merchandise before the show and during intermission, so help support the cause and buy some novelty items!

Get ready to laugh, get ready to cry, get ready for a life changing experience.

For more information on The Vagina Monologues and Eve Ensler’s VDay campaigns, visit http://vspot.vday.org/.

Gallery One exhibit: Out of the shell, out of the ordinary

Gallery One, located on the first floor of the CVPA building, is proud to present “lasse antonsen: shadow script.” The exhibit’s extended name, “inksqueezes of the restored specimens of inscribed tortoise shells” describes the unusual process behind the displayed works.