The Wake

I could spend this article discussing every detail of the lecture on how Kabbalah, a mystical sect of Judaism, relates to rationalist thought, but instead I’d like to focus on the simpler theme of the discussion: happiness. More specifically, what it has to do with astrology, incest, Britney Spears and Christian rock.All of these subjects began connecting in my mind as I sat in a sunny, rose-colored library and munched on a free lemon bar. …

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Remember when swing dancing was all of sudden hip and trendy due to a commercial? We were all blessed with the music of Cherry Poppin Daddies, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Brian Setzer. I know we’ve all moved on from those days, discarding our dancing aspirations like the slap bracelets of our youth. Although some of those bands bastardized the swing music genre, swing dancing is alive and well, thriving off the …

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Driving around Los Angeles at 4 in the morning looking for an In-and-Out Burger, we realized that none of us had ever been to Los Angeles, we didn’t have a map, and that the men in the car next to us were not smiling and waving. Going to a national paintball tournament is always an adventure. The combination of young people traveling more or less on their own, the ever-present need to save money and …

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Panicking through the fog of a dream, there is a frantic groan, “My god, the fear is nauseating.” The frigid aura of a dusty nightmare clings to a sea of sprinkling smoke over rusty blackness while the dark depths rise to the surface with a sick gleam in the eye, slinging mutilation and gore. Lightning cracks from the mystic horn of another time and place; you are the terror that permeates this modern moment. A …

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Cold War Kids craft a demographically confused sound. Though the group is based out of southern California, they’re contenders for the dirtiest alt-blues group crown (excluding the White Stripes, of course). Together since ’04, they rose to prominence in ’06 with the release of their heralded full-length debut, Robbers and Cowards. Playing several high status festivals over the summer, the group ended the year on many a top 10 list. On March 7th, the group …

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After a weekend free of time clocks, company policies and homework, no one’s excited to begin their week again. Monday, for most part, is easily the worst day of the week. What most people don’t realize is that they have a choice in the matter. Instead of wasting Monday night cursing softly to your dog, why not expel stress cursing the very existence of Monday to an entire crowd. Take your Monday to a Poetry …

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Contemporary artistic expression is always struggling to reinvent itself. Everybody wants to create something that has never been seen before. The Walker Art Center’s series of films premieres, called First Look, are no exception. March 23rd-25th the Walker showcased an award winning film that is innovative by allowing the story to tell itself. Many great minds have agreed that beauty is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but where there is nothing …

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When the band coming onstage includes a guy wearing a pointy hat, a floral blouse, black and yellow striped tights and red sneakers, you know you’re in for a good time. If he can play the cello like a fiddle while doing a mild head bang, well … it doesn’t get much better than that. The antics of cellist Rushad Eggleston are just one of the highlights of a live concert by Crooked Still. On …

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Who: Leslie Adrienne Miller
What: The author discusses ‘The Resurrection Trade.’
When: Wednesday, March 28th, 7 pm.
Where: The Loft Literary Center (1011 Washington Ave S), FREEWho: Anatoly Liberman
What: Time and Language
When: Thursday, March 29th, 4 pm.
Where: Nolte Center Lounge (U of M), FREEWho: Michael Friedman; Anselm Hollo
What: Writers read from recent works.
When: Thursday, March 29th, 7:30 pm.
Where: Rogue Buddha Art Gallery (357 13th Ave NE, Mpls.), FREEWho: Christopher …

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I have melancholy tropical storms welling inside my liver.
There is a tidal wave of agony about to pour from my kidneys.
There is a blizzard of regret swirling behind my retinas.
There is a tornado of terrible wrecking my esophagus.
There is corrupt acid rain in my muscles.
The threat of loss is sleeting in my spleen.
Poverty precipitates up and down …

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I wish sometimes, just sometimes but still,
that I could erase it all.
Take this scrap piece of paper with
this drawing of a world upon it and crumple it in a ball.
Then start fresh with a new piece of land and a new drawing tool.
Where all our children will be numerous and beautiful,
the faults of the old world never appearing in them. …

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A little less ambiguous than the “wild beasts” and “true flames” predicted by Nostradamus, the predictions of 1930s-era writer Sinclair Lewis have caught the attention of writer, blogger and radio personality Joe Conason, without even needing to be translated into English and out of metaphor. On Monday Mar. 5, Conason visited Coffman Union’s bookstore to discuss his new book, It Can Happen Here, a current analysis of the Big Brother-like scenario in Lewis’ It Can’t …

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About twenty students gather every Wednesday night on the third floor of Coffman Memorial Union. Starting at 7 p.m. they each pick a partner and begin to dance. They move around the room slowly at first, leaning into each other, spinning counterclockwise occasionally. Every now and again there is a small collision, one couple bumping into another unsuspecting pair of dancers.They begin to move a little closer as the night goes on, their bodies becoming …

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What’s one of the major differences between the United States and other industrialized countries? Healthcare. It’s not just that most other first-world countries provide healthcare to their citizens under a universal system. In the United States, healthcare is tied to employment in a way that cripples the unemployed.“The U.S. is unique [because] we have an employer-based system,” says Steve Parente of the U’s Medical Industry Leadership Institute at The Current and Citizens League’s presentation, “Policy …

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Humans have always found the sea to be a mysterious force. Deep, dark and vast, the ocean has held a fascination for us since we became intelligent enough to build boats. Although the University of Minnesota is far from any ocean, the campus now has the opportunity to experience that same awe-inspiring feeling. Lurking deep within Coffman Memorial Union is the Coffman Art Gallery, which is currently featuring “Aquatic Oddities,” a new exhibition by local …

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