I worry that Jon Talton’s new book will be mistaken for one of those sometimes pleasant Images of America photo books about Arizona, and therefore overlooked. At first glance, A Brief History of Phoenix looks like another installment in the Arcadia Publishing series; its trim size is the same, its…
In a small Tempe strip mall, Marna Kay and Charissa Lucille are painting walls and hanging small paper zines in an artistic frame to go up on the wall. The pair has spent many long days preparing for the December 8 opening of the Valley’s newest gathering spot for local…
Last week, the Oxford English Dictionaries announced its annual selection for Word of the Year. It was not “fleek,” or “Brexit” or “lumbersexual,” though all three of these were runners-up. The phrases “sharing economy” and “ad blocker” also made the short list, but didn’t make the Number One spot. No…
Many of the better publishing deals today go to actors, which means a steady stream of ghostwritten books about the lives of newly rich people on a predictable trajectory: poverty, fame, substance abuse and a very public divorce followed by a splashy comeback and, inevitably, a book deal. Actress Mary-Louise…
There’s a lot to be thankful for when you live in Phoenix, but this week we’re most grateful for all the free stuff to do. The lineup includes performance art, bike rides, light parades, and more. Last LAP Night of the Semester The Live Art Platform will host its final…
If everyone’s a photographer these days thanks to the iPhone, then maybe everyone’s a writer, too, considering the prevalence of blogs, personal platforms, and 140-character Twitter observations. The Second Annual Arizona Writer’s Conference, held at Wilkes University in Mesa on November 13 and 14, taps into the creativity. The two-day…
Every Wednesday night, a crowd of people gets together at the Lawn Gnome bookstore and tells stories. Yarnball Storytelling Mic is about as simple as it gets: There’s a basic stage, a speaker system, and an audience crowded into old chairs. The outdoor space is so open that you can…
Looking for some cheap — like, really cheap — ways to get out and explore the city? This week, we found some relaxing (and free) ways to get out and socialize. From readings to art shows to yoga, we’ve got you and your budget covered. Camelback Art Collective The Camelback…
Up in Smoke At great personal risk of donning a sort-of seasonal hipster guide, a lot of non-hipster guys are at present stashing their razors for Movember. And in honor of the charitably unshorn, FlimBar is hosting the November Film Series, which celebrates the silver screen’s most memorable cookie dusters…
Ray Lewis wrote a book. Yes, that Ray Lewis wrote a book. You know, the one known for being among the most inspirational and feared football players to ever throw on the pads. And he’ll be at Changing Hands in Phoenix on Sunday, October 25, to shake hands and sign…
Looking for the best free things to do in Phoenix this week? There are workshops, beatboxing competitions, zines, bike rides and a festival dedicated to one of the coolest holidays of the year. (Hint: It’s not Halloween). So go forth this week and learn something, or create something. What You…
When acclaimed author James Sallis tendered his resignation from his teaching post at Phoenix College at the end of September, he thought he’d leave his position, explain his decision to his students, and quietly spend his time at home getting to work on two new novels. Instead, the former creative…
Not many months ago, we found a website, Zen Pencils, which deftly combines some of our favorite things: comics, pithy quotes, and short biographies. The site’s been up since early 2012, but we’re almost glad we’re behind the curve because now there are two Zen Pencils books to savor —…
With the holidays fast approaching, we’re taking a cozy approach with the November 19 installment of Bar Flies, New Times’ monthly live reading series at Valley Bar in downtown Phoenix. The theme: Family Ties. The readers: Maxfield Barker, Evie Carpenter, Nikki DeLeon, Katie Johnson, and Molly McCloy. Johnson is curating, with music by Kevin Vaugh-Brubaker…
On September 30, Phoenix took a walk with the latest edition of New Times’ reading series, Bar Flies. Now, the conversation will continue on Tuesday, October, 6, at the opening reception of “Talking Walking,” an exhibition from the Museum of Walking. Museum of Walking founder Angela Ellsworth explains: “At the…
Rebecca Fish Ewan performs at Bar Flies: Take a Walk on Wednesday, September 30, at Crescent Ballroom. Find tickets ($10) and details on Facebook. I walk with dead people. Not in a Rick Grimes zombie apocalypse way. More like Cole Sear, who said to his therapist in The Sixth Sense:…
“Hello, it’s Laurie. I’m so sorry!” Laurie Notaro’s on a beach on the Oregon coast. The bestselling author and humorist whose Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club is all but required reading for 20-somethings explains that a very rousing game of phone tag was the result of one distracting and delicious chicken…
This past week marked the beginning of fall, a time when we can drink hot lattes and imagine the leaves are changing color. It’s also a time when we face the ever-present dilemma of how to have a champagne-soaked social life on a pumpkin-flavored beer budget. We scoured metro Phoenix’s…
Melissa Pritchard hasn’t been in her office for a while. It’s probably been months, maybe even a year or two. She tries to figure out exactly how long during the early moments of our interview as she settles into the small space in the English Department of Arizona State University…
The city’s newest reading series is a big hit — if we say so ourselves. The next installment of Phoenix New Times’ Bar Flies will take place at 7 p.m. September 30 at Crescent Ballroom. Tickets are on sale now for the Best of Phoenix collaboration with Scottsdale Public Art…
This week we’ve amassed a list of things to better your mind, body, spirit, and closet. Sounds expensive right? Wrong. All these events are free of charge and happening here in the Valley. Except for one, that is. It will require a road trip up the I-17 and into one…
If you want to see what 300,000 books look like, you have only to visit the Friends of the Phoenix Library warehouse. The moment you step into the building, you find a mountain of cardboard boxes filled with books. Wheeled carts are packed with books. Books are piled on every…
