The Wake

We’re a spoiled bunch here in Minneapolis. American culture all too often confuses genuine hip-hop with the generic “Rap” we are spoon-fed on TV and the radio. However, we continue to sit pretty with one of the most legitimate (as in, actually music) hip-hop scenes in the states. At its origin, hip-hop is a progressive genre. It has taken the potential of music as a forum for social commentary to new and exciting heights. Although …

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Who, having seen Tim Burton’s film, Edward Scissorhands, can honestly say they remained untouched? Now, the bittersweet, haunting beauty of the film has swirled its way onto the stage in a sellout UK tour and a 23-week visit to America. Directed by Matthew Bourne, Edward Scissorhands will be performed at the Ordway Theater in Minneapolis April 10-15, with tickets ranging between $38 and $60 dollars. A steep price for many Wake readers, this occasion may …

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When Jewel crawled out of her minivan and onto MTV, warbling the song “Intuition,” her fans probably felt that something was off. Gone were the screams of “ugly girl—you want to kill her,” reminiscent of John Lennon is his primal therapy days. In their place was a crappy, pseudo-Middle Eastern beat and an album full of tracks inspired by text messages, like “U and Me = Love.” She had self-admittedly sold out, betraying her fan …

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Five years ago Charles Roselli began a study with a team of researchers and a small flock of sheep to determine why about 8 percent of rams seem to be gay. In the past year, he’s been criticized from both ends of the political spectrum and accused that his studies are unethical and ba-a-a-d science. While most major news outlets left the story alone, some had a field day, poking fun at the idea …

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We’re all busy people. When juggling school, work and a social life, most of our attention is diverted away from trivial matters such as safe food preparation and storage. Although cooking raw meat, poultry and fish at temperatures well above 135 degrees Fahrenheit should be standard practice, few want to think about whether or not their “reasonably” aged leftovers could make them sick. But by forgetting the fact that a slice of day-old pizza left …

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At last on their way to sunny, cocktail decorated, ‘Some Spanish Island’ bliss, Ruby, Alice, and Veronica had only been on the plane for one hour (out of a twelve hour flight) when Alice got ‘airsick’ and threw up so much that the vomit-bag filled, and she had to ask for another one. Immediately following the ‘unsavory incident,’ the flight attendant had said with tight politeness, Alice had an irritatingly long stint in the bathroom. …

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The following editorial is an in-depth dissection of a news report originally aired on Channel 5 KSTP nightly news. While not required, the author feels that the readership would benefit greatly from actually viewing the aforementioned report by visiting I hate to be a broken record, but sometimes things just line up. Sometimes you see something that makes your brain light up, synapses firing and connections quickly piling up and spilling from the realm of …

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Take a mental note of all the ways you keep track of yourself, the ways you record, tag, and publicize your life: MySpace, Flickr, your personal website, your blog. Consider who’s watching. Imagine filling a theater with the clique you share your digitized life with, the strangers, lovers, exes, friends, enemies, and weirdoes who access your online production of yourself. In the minutes before Week 18 of Suzan-Lori Park’s 365 Days/365 Plays took the stage …

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There are certain fleeting moments that are so full of sun, there’s no room for cynicism. As clouds cleared, light and warmth suddenly filtered through the greenhouse’s glass dome, flooding a gratifying display of red tulips, yellow lilies and blue pansies. A semi circle of children sat around the fountain watching the carp, who watched the Terzetto string trio, who pierced the humid air with Vivaldi. On the weekend of Mar. 24, Como Park celebrated …

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The Jameson was working its way through the veins on St. Patrick’s Day, and local rockers The Gleam wouldn’t have it any other way. The trio from Chisago County revved up the drunken crowd at the Uptown Bar with songs like “Fat and Stoned” and “High ’N Mighty.”Don’t let the wall of distortion from front man Zachary Johns fool you; once bass player Timmy Wreck’s thumping bass lines leave his seventy-dollar amp head you …

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From disagreements to wars, think of how much is lost through a lack of understanding. The Minnesota Center for Book Arts addresses this issue in their current exhibit Found in Translation, which runs through April 28 in their 10th Avenue South gallery. The exhibit, set in MCBA’s exposed brick studio, with stylish red accents, features works from all mediums including paintings, drawings, sculpture, computer programs, audio, and mixed media. “We want to challenge the idea …

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A. General Gonzales: The fact that the Constitution—
again, there’s no express grant of Habeas
in the Constitution—
there’s a prohibition against taking it away.
But um, there’s—
it’s never been the case.
I’m not aware of a Supreme—

The Arlen Specter: Now wait a minute, wait a minute.
The Constitution says
you can[no]t take it away
except in the case
of invasion or
rebellion.
Does[no]t that mean
you …

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Students
Trapped
In dormitorial dreamworld
Chanting in pseudo-utopian bliss
Rolling stone mantra
Praying for chains to rot.

Workers
Trapped
In industrial nightmare
Sweating factorial frustration
Alienated confusion
Struggling for chains to break.

People
Trapped
In commoditic consumption
Purchasing profusely
Self-product
Hoping to someday buy chains.

On Tuesday, Mar. 20, the Bell Museum of Natural History’s Café Scientifique hosted a talk at the Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater focused on the history and evolution of birth control in the United States in honor of the 40th anniversary of the pill. John E. Troyer, who teaches in the Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature department at the U, introduced Elizabeth Jansen and warmed up the audience of approximately 50 people by asking several questions …

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Deborah Keenan’s reading at the Weisman Art Museum, an occasion for the release of her newest work, Willow Room, Green Door delivers a large audience. The poetry reading, packed with prospective grad students, the faculty, the public and myself, was in fact a concert. Deborah cites Stephin Merritt often, using his influences in her poetry. Her relationship to music ties with her diction as she reads. Keenan twists the line in both a delicate and …

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