STEVE DUNKELBERGER: TOO MANY PLAYS, SO LITTLE TIME >>>

The first night of the Festival of Northwest Plays is over. You missed it. Get over it and move on. There are other nights to attend, so you can redeem yourself in the eyes of your cultural soul then.

You missed Geography Club, the premiere staging of a theatrical version of Tacoma author Brent Hartinger's novel. The book was put on lists of banned books in some parts because it dared to cover the struggles of coming out as a gay teenager.

On tap for Friday is In the Sawtooths, an award-winning work by Boise playwright Dano Madden that covers the affects a tragedy has on a friendship. Other works will be staged through Sunday, then Thursday through Sunday next weekend as well. There will be short-shorts and full length works. Expect more theater dispatches and the festival progresses.

[Theatre on the Square, Feb. 21-March 2, $9-$12, 915 Broadway, Tacoma, 206.325.6500, www.ticketwindowonline.com; www.northwestplaywrights.org]

SUZY STUMP: OCHSNER ON PRIES >>>

University of Washington professor Jeffrey Ochsner will discuss and sign his book, Lionel H. Pries, Architect, Artist, Educator: From Arts and Crafts to Modern Architecture, Wednesday, March 13, 7 p.m., at the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch.

CLASSICAL
David Issacs
You say you’re a huge fan of Baroque music of Bach and late romanticism of Tansman? Who, for the love of the Weekly Volcano, isn’t? Get your fill tonight when classical guitarist David Isaacs takes listeners through a historical tour of classical guitar composition at the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch. Issacs has 20 years behind the guitar, a master’s degree in Classical Guitar Performance from California State University-Fullerton and a CD, Structures.  Good enough for me. â€" Suzy Stimp

[Tacoma Public Library Main Branch, 7 p.m., no cover, 1102 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, 253.591.5666]

THE BOOKS
Banned Book Club
Reading fiction is a lot like eating out â€" there’s nothing wrong with occasionally indulging in tripe you can gulp down in a hurry, but the end result is almost always more satisfying when you can invest more time in savoring complicated flavors. Venturing into the literary world of fine dining can be bewildering, so it’s nice to find other people with whom you can compare your initial reactions. That’s what book clubs are all about, and there may be no better club to join than the Banned Book Club at the Tempest Lounge. Tuesday night, they’ll be discussing Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried,” the book Tacoma Reads Together chose as the citywide read for 2008.

Drop-in visitors are always welcome. â€" Brad Allen

[Tempest Lounge, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m., no cover, 913 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, 253.272.8801]

THE LECTURE
Michael Chabon
Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon has lectured widely on topics including the art and craft of writing, the tradition of Jewish fiction, Vladimir Nabokov. He’s in the area Tuesday to discuss his latest book, “The Yiddish Policeman’s Union.” You don’t have to be Jewish to get down with that. â€" SS

[Pierce College, 7 p.m., $7-$15, 1601 39th Ave. S.E., Puyallup, 253.840.8416]

Where I come from we call the “Olive Garden” the “Denny’s of Italy.”  Whenever I hear someone go on and on about how much they love Olive Garden, I chuckle inside and think how small their lives must be that Olive Garden is the extent of their Italian culinary taste.  Did you know that all of their dishes come already made in individual serving boil-in-bags that they just heat up and dump on your plate?  Gross.

I had some of the best Italian food (next to our Uncle Tony DeRosa’s cooking) last week in Olympia.  No, I’ve never been to Italy, but I have been to Sorrento’s in Olympia, Wash.  Franco Cannava, owner and chef of Sorrento Ristorante Italiano is my first guest this week to Dinner with DeRosa.  Not only do I want him to whip up some fantastic cremagliera dell'agnello and pasta con sugo rosso, but also I want to hear his story.  He was a troubled child whose parents sent him away to Sorrento, Italy, where he began to love the art of cooking.

Sky and his sidekick at Last Word Books are definitely going to have to come over for dinner.  I have to admit, I fell in love a little while I was in Olympia.  Sky and his bookstore are both charming, warm, inviting, and whimsical.  The minute you enter Sky’s world you want to grab a cup of coffee, curl up in a chair, and giggle at the little quirks of life with him.  An added bonus for me, something that makes me smile just a little bit bigger, is randomness in a person.  I like a charm and wit that is original and catches me off guard.  Like when I ask to take a picture of someone and they say, “Wait!  Lemmie grab my bullhorn!”  One word: Awesome.

For our entertainment I’ve found a little soft mood music for our quaint Italian dinner. You know, something to set the scene juuuust right.  Nothing says “Italy” like a good Tacoma garage rock band.  I found these adorable guys at Maggie O’Toole’s last week doing what they do best: tearing up the room with hardcore beats.  Brad, Nick, Bryce and John are all founding members of The Alternate Ending.  Keep your eyes on these guys.  The way they transition legs of their songs is brilliant and cleverly smooth.  Is “cleverly” even a word? It is now.  Just call me Mrs. Webster.

For dessert I’m having my new friend Sarah Bieri bring us some of those amazing pastries from The Bread Peddler.  She’s worked there a year, which is impressive seeing as how she has a hard time sticking with jobs.  I don’t blame her, actually.  I get bored quite easily as well when it comes to keeping my head in the working game.  If it becomes too repetitive I break out in hives and my armpits get sweaty.  So to keep myself attractive I just find another job.  Thanks to Pappi Swarner for rescuing me from the A.D.D. pound.  Now he just lets me write about whatever the F*** I want. 
What a sucker.

I think for my amazing shin-dig, security is in order.  For our security guy we need someone focused, someone who is not going to have a lot cluttering his mind.  We need someone who chooses not to waste brain cells on silly stuff that might make him smarter.  We need Zach Rodriguez.  When I asked Zach if he ever read the Weekly Volcano he said he had heard of it, but that he doesn’t like to read.  Oh, you know I had to do it, you know I had to ask him why.  His answer (and I have his permission to quote him on this): “It might raise my I.Q. and I want to stay dumb.  That way people will expect less of me.”  I think we have a winner here folks.  Zach is our ultimate security guy for any and all Dinner with DeRosas.  I wonder if he can at least spell “Weekly Volcano.”

Mangiamo! â€" Steph DeRosa

Ken Swarner, co-publisher of this blog, as well as the Fort Lewis Ranger, Northwest Airlifter, Northwest Veteran, Fronteras and the world-famous Weekly Volcano, is featured in today's Soundlife section of the Trib.  Swarner had a couple stories accepted in the latest Chicken Soup for the Soul book: “Chicken Soup for the Working Mom’s Soul." â€" Brad Allen

Are you a slut? If so, what kind of slut? A book slut or social, gregarious one?

It matters.

See, the Banned Books Slut Social takes place tomorrow night, Oct. 2, at the Tempest Lounge as part of King’s Books Banned Books Week events.  Readers will gather, discuss banned books, and drink cocktails named after banned authors.  There will even be Banned Books Trading Coasters. It begins at 7 p.m.

I’ll be there looking for those confused about the party title.  Hey, I need all the help I can get.

For a complete list of Banned Books Week events, check out the King’s Books Web Site. â€" Brad Allen

The precious democratic freedom of the United States has been threatened by a number of forces, both foreign and domestic. Among the domestic sort are those oppressive Elizabeth Dole-esque types who believe the world would be a safer place if only children were protected from stimulating literature. So, to celebrate their perpetual defeat, in a big fat thumbing-of-the-nose at all that stupid censorship stuff, King’s Books and the Tempest Lounge are proud to present Banned Books Week.

The week will feature free speech discussions, storytime with banned books, banned film night, music, art auction and more at King’s Books Sept. 28-Oct. 4.

The Tempest (913 MLK Way, Tacoma) will host the Banned Book Slut Social Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. allowing book lovers to discussion free speech, trade books and try the new banned author cocktail.

A complete list of events can be found at the King’s Books Web site.

So, if you are the kind of person that enjoys thumbing your nose at things and hearing what they don't want you to hear, your week is booked. â€" Suzy Stump

There were more legal-types than literary types at Tacoma’s downtown Public Library Thursday evening when Mark Lindquist read from, and signed, his latest novel, “The King of Methlehem.”
One prominent figure in the book, Judge Sorenson, who was also a recurring character in Lindquist’s book “Nevermind Nirvana,” himself showed up, in the bereted, sunglasses-wearing, bongo-drumming flesh.

This gentleman was actually deputy prosecuting attorney Phillip Sorenson, and did a fine job of impromptu beatnik-ing as Lindquist read from three chapters in his book.

The novel delves entertainingly into Lindqust’s world of legal expertise from the standpoint of the detective protagonist and his “quarry,” a meth cook who dubs himself “The King of Methlehem,” as well as the aliases Howard Schultz, Lars Ulrich, and Ted Nugent.

Lindquist comes by the subject matter of the book honestly: in his “day job” Lindquist is the trial team chief of the drug unit for the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney.

“I don’t watch TV, and I don’t sleep â€" that’s how I get both things done,” Lindquist quipped.

In "The King of Methlehem," issues particular to Pierce County figure prominently like the “Crime Warp” phenomenon dubbed by prosecutor Gerry Horne (where criminals set up home base in Tacoma after their sentences, when halfway houses lead them here), and the moment in time where Tacoma sits as the next gritty metropolis after Nirvana and Grunge faded awayâ€"while a literary theme is established early on â€" Moby Dick has a special place carved out for the protagonist’s own hash-stash, even while he, like Ahab, seeks out his own great white whale, Howard Schultz.

Thing is, as you read the novel, you don’t think about high-falutin’ legal thoughts, or grandiose literary concepts. If you’re like me, you just turn the pages, one after another, sucking in the setting, the action, and the personalities as they develop, foregoing sleep as you do so.

And want more.

Remind you of anything?

Lindquist will read and discuss "The King of Methlehem" in Tacoma June 14 at King's Books. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler

Contrary to popular perception, writing is actual work. No matter the frivolity of the piece, even if it’s the Weekly Volcano’s blog, you can rest assured true blood, sweat and tears were spilled during its composition. Perhaps not as much blood, sweat, etc, on this blog, as say in a novel, or a poem, or an essay, or a radio jingle, or Brad Allen's phone number on a cocktail napkin but... This is not the point. The point is that now it’s time for you to meet the women behind the magic, and learn about the craft.

It’s time for you to meet the READERGIRLZ.

Four successful, regional authors of books for young adults  â€" Lorie Ann Grover,
Dia Calhoun, Janet Lee Carey, and Justina Chen Headley â€" celebrate strong young women who stand up for themselves, take risks and have the guts to dream. These author superheroes will discuss their work, read a little and will pour blood, sweat and tears into signing as many books as they can. â€" Suzy Stump

[Wheelock Library, Tuesday, May 15, 6:30 p.m., free, 3722 N. 26th St., Tacoma, 253.591.5666]

Tacoma deputy prosecutor Mark Lindquist will debut his latest masterwork, “The King of Methlehem,” Thursday, May 17, 6 p.m. at the downtown Tacoma Public Library.

Let’s not get confused by the fact that Lindquist is a lawyer. The man is a literary genius â€" especially true for those of us with the attention span and memory to recall the seminal “Never Mind Nirvana.” He is way more down than Dale Whateverhisnameis, and far more deserving of our pop adoration.

In 2004, Lindquist was named trial team chief of the drug unit for the Prosecuting Attorney in Pierce County â€" perfect preparation for “The King of Methlehem,” which chronicles the anti-tweaker crusade of Detective Wyatt James. The book is replete with T-town references, showcasing the ugliness right alongside the stuff we all know and love. Wyatt lives in a loft apartment on Pacific Avenue. The book gives nods to Syrens and the Murray Morgan Bridge. Wyatt’s girlfriend works at Cutters Point Coffee, and both are avid readers of Exit133.com. Local boosters are encouraged to buy the book, but should not expect a coffee-table showcase of the local renaissance. This book is about reality, folks â€" wrestling stranger-than-fiction truths into another beautiful work of fiction. â€" Paul Schrag

[Tacoma Public Library, Thursday, May 17, 6 p.m., no cover, 1102 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, 253.591.5666]