The man who played Jesus
The terrible fire that gutted the Herbert Georg Studio in downtown Springfield in February 1980 was very nearly thorough in its destruction of the studio building and its contents. Only about 9,000 usable negatives survived the catastrophe. Readers of this column know of the esteem in which we of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library now…
Duty calls
A Springfield veteran who played a prominent role in persuading state officials to offer special Silver Star license plates has received notice that his plates have been revoked. On April 4, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White signed orders of revocation notifying Joe Wilkins, a retired college professor and political consultant, that he could no…
quick takes 4-7-05
HELLFIRE AT UIS James A. Morone, a Pulitzer Prize-nominated author and political-science professor at Brown University, will present a free lecture at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 11, at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Morone will his most recent book, Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History, which traces the impact of religious…
Security concerns
Paulette Roberts, a veteran caseworker at Helping Hands, is well known for her derring-do. When fights erupt, as they inevitably do at Springfield’s cramped and crowded homeless shelters, it’s often Roberts who bounds into the center of the action. But last Thursday night, as the emergency overflow shelter prepared to close its doors, sending dozens…
Hurricane watch
Rubin “Hurricane” Carter has been immortalized in two biographies, a Denzel Washington movie, and a Bob Dylan song, all of which spun from Carter’s own memoir, The Sixteenth Round: From Number 1 Contender to #45472. On Wednesday, April 13, the man who inspired all those tributes will speak on “The Fight for Justice” at University…
now playing 4-7-05
When I think of goats and music, I have visions of the once-great and now-gaunt Greek god Pan tooting his flute while dancing through a forest glade. (Does the funk of Pan still exist if no one is there to smell it?) Given the ancient ties between frivolity, sexuality, and musicality wrought by the devilish…
movie review
I have no doubt that Sahara, the second of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt adventures to hit the screen (the first being the colossal 1980 bomb Raise the Titanic), will be picked apart by film-going curmudgeons who demand logic and a certain degree of plausibility in their action films. Those folks should just stay home and…
Time to speak out against Clinton II
When Forbes magazine gleefully headlined its recent article on the re-emergence of nuclear power “The Silence of the Nuke Protesters,” it was, in a way, taunting the complacency of Springfield. “Atomic power is making a comeback,” read the accompanying blurb, “and you hear only muffled squawks from the usual opponents. Could that have something to…
flicks 4-7-05
It was hardly a box-office blockbuster, and it didn’t win any awards, but no movie from 2004 has generated more buzz on the part of film fanatics than Saw. Movie message boards are filled with dissections of every little intricate plot detail. This is a cult phenomenon in the making. Psychodramas often attract obsessive behavior,…
gardening 4-7-05
Crocuses in bloom are a signal to gardeners that we may now begin the search for our first plant purchases of the year. Most of us will go to the garden center, wander the aisles, and find a plant that we can’t live without. At home, we’ll head out to the garden, plant and shovel…
Jacqueline Jackson 4-7-05
kitchenpoem #1 I notice I’m having an orange breakfast orange orange orange chunk of butternut squash orange egg yes orange because it’s from a cage-free drug-free antibiotics-free organically-nourished yard hen named heather fedbetter who lives in port washington wisconsin and bids me have an eggsellent day thank you heather and the same to you ©…
music notes 4-7-05
Every Wednesday, now through the summer, Recycled Records (625 E. Adams St., 217-522-5122) will feature area music acts from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and stay open until 8. Last week, in case you missed it, Resident Genius played the first concert. On Wednesday, April 13, Josh Reilly, co-host of the Underground City Tavern’s Tuesday open mic, strums…
Countdown
Free tickets to the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum will be available to the public next week at the Prairie Capital Convention Center box office. Tickets are required to attend a concert by the 312 Army Band at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, and the dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. The tickets will…
sound patrol 4-7-05
Apart from fame and riches, former Squirrel Nut Zipper Andrew Bird has it all. He is to the violin what Jimi Hendrix was to the guitar, which is to say not merely a virtuoso but also a visionary. In Bird’s delicate hands, the violin is only a vehicle, the most convenient means by which to…
commentary 4-7-05
If you’re confused at all on the question of who is served by Washington, look no further for clarity than the recent enactment of a bankruptcy “reform” law. Ask yourself this: Were you the one clamoring for bankruptcy reform? No. The vast majority of us had no idea that this was even in the works, much…
letters 4-7-05
Letters policy We welcome letters, but please include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. We edit all letters for libel, length and clarity. Send letters to: Letters, Illinois Times. P.O. Box 5256. Springfield, Illinois 62705. Fax: (217) 753-3958. E-mail: editor@illinoistimes.com EPIDEMIC OF TEFLON-COATED PHONIES Great story! Phonies and frauds are an epidemic.…
Bird’s-eye view
Sunrise over the Merwin Preserve at Spunky Bottoms wetland is breathtaking. The water is aglow and alive with vegetation rising from its shallow depths. Great numbers of waterfowl are here as well, but, for the moment, the sky is empty as they rest on the water. Suddenly a group of ducks springs up, as if…
