The Wake

Do Not Enter
Do Not Enter
Do Not Enter
interstates, rail lines and this
river of locks are containment
incarnate.
Do Not Enter! on your own volition.

Corpus:
Where exploring the interior of the battle scared tree
in the park near Franklin Avenue
injects life after the lightning strike.

Where highways do not
lead to my city’s heart.
They pump madness
molasses
leaving soupy trails
of purple and red through the drain pipes
and stick
with the road searing sunlight.

These river flats are not just scenery,
but a landscape where homes …

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Illustration by Srijon Chowdhury

I. INVOCATION

Dearest Senior Class of 2008,

As you are already well aware, May is rapidly approaching and much of the anxiety regarding post-college life that was safely stewing at the recesses of our minds is about to manifest itself, plump and ugly, in our newly re-christened adulthood.

The age we are entering headfirst is certainly an exciting …

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For the first installation of our How-To column, here are a few recipes for non-toxic cleaning supplies that will make your home look pretty - and are good for the environment.

Window cleaner

¼ cup white vinegar
½ teaspoon liquid soap or detergent
2 cups water

Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and shake to blend.

Carpet spot remover

Blot the stain immediately. Sprinkle with baking soda, cornstarch or borax and let dry. Wash with club soda and vacuum.

Bathroom Cleaner (tile, …

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Photo by Bruce Silcox

As lids stretch down, eyelash meeting eyelash, peace falls over an audience hidden in darkness to the sound of steady drumming. Amidst chants of “rain, rain” echoing between the figures on stage, one might forget that this is only a play.

But is it?

A whirl of top hats, hard hats, cell phones and dancing sewer pipes …

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Illustration by Ben Alpert

An estimated 2,500 people in Minnesota are living with the HIV disease and do not know they have been infected.

In 2006, 318 new cases of HIV were reported in Minnesota, a five percent increase from the previous year.

Eighteen percent of these cases were reported among young people between the ages of 13 and 24.

A new case …

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It’s not everyday that fifteen dollars lets a person see eight different bands in concert. Even less often is a clue-driven chase across the city included in the price of the ticket. On Saturday, March 24th, participants in March of Madness: Bands on the Run! went on a citywide search for eight local bands that were to perform at four undisclosed locations. Organized by local artist Michael Gaughan. Bands on the Run! was the sixth …

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When warmer weather starts to peak out through winter’s snowy veil, it’s not uncommon for the number of bicyclists out on the streets to multiply. Even if the weather isn’t reason enough to get out on a bike, gas prices usually are. Despite all the motivation to take a spin on the old ten-speed, many people have misgivings about biking in the city. Automobiles are not known for their friendliness towards cyclists. And for the …

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Many children dream of growing up to become astronauts and explorers only to abandon these dreams before even reaching middle school. Kobie Boykins, a mechanical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, would like to convince children that those dreams can actually become reality.Boykins states that many children stop dreaming of having an atypical career once they reach about ten years old. “And why should that happen?” says Boykins, who grew up knowing he wanted to …

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In our society there is often a division placed between art and science. Proof of this is in every CLA joke made by jeering IT students. But is it possible for art and science to truly get along? Jamie Schumacher would like to think so, and she is not alone.Schumacher, a soft-spoken yet eloquent woman, is the curator for Altered Esthetics, a fairly recent addition to the art gallery community of northeast Minneapolis. Currently, the …

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Valentine’s Day is the perfect example of a holiday that has been co-opted by the Hallmark Card. Although each year February 14 seems to become more publicized and more commercialized, for every person giving roses and chocolate there seem to be just as many who aim for something more unique. This year, the Minnesota Historical Society provided one such opportunity for lovebirds in search of something off the beaten path.Victorian Poetry Slam. That may look …

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Sometimes life can be a little pastiche. That is to say, there are so many different things going on that they seem random, or unrelated. According to the late American playwright Arthur Miller, “…theater is so endlessly fascinating because it’s so accidental. It’s so much like life.” And so it is. Jason Robert Brown clearly reflects the seemingly disjoint aspects of everyday life in “Songs for a New World,” a musical made up of 16 …

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As chilly hipsters stepped in past the graffitied walls of the Intermedia Arts gallery in Uptown Minneapolis this past Friday night, they were immediately greeted by a complete sensory experience. The sound of the Pixies’ “Wave Of Mutilation” and the warm light of the room were a welcome change from the howling wind and shades of gray outside. Minneapolis 55408, the latest exhibit at Intermedia Arts, held its opening reception on Friday, January 26th. The …

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