There’s something perfectly pungent about a used bookstore. That combination of dust, history and shelves has a sort of aroma bordering aphrodisiac. Some books carry a few generation’s worth of acid-free paper, carbon-dating the literacy of former owners only according to a body’s natural oils mixed with the subtle impressions of many fingers swabbed by the tongue to turn page corners.
Comic books have had a bad rap in the past. Viewed exclusively as the medium for young, male nerds, geeks and fan boys, comics have not been taken seriously as an art form or as respectable literature. We need not look any further than The Big Bang Theory for familiar stereotypes.
It’s almost 5 AM and I’ve been up all night reading. The Green Arrow is explaining to his girlfriend, the Black Canary, why he must stay behind and sacrifice his life to save some survivors of the latest threat to all life in the universe: Anti-Life. “I can’t lose you,” she breathes, raising her hand to the glass window.
Richard Horsley runs Pioneer Book in Provo, which has bought and sold books for almost 30 years. The store has an extensive collection of used books, including college textbooks. How did Pioneer Book start? It started in September of 1980, so it will be 30 years here pretty soon.
As summer winds down, each student should ask them self one question: “have I done anything fun this summer?” If the answer is “no,” this list will provide you with many opportunities to get in that last bit of entertainment before the new semester begins.
Living in Utah and not visiting the Utah Shakespearean Festival is comparable to living here and never seeing Zion or the Great Salt Lake. The caliber of theater produced there is not only rare for Utah, but for most states. The Festival, now in its 48th season, produces six full-length plays and two pre-show acts which open in the summer, followed by three plays in the fall.
Collin Raye and Restless Heart, two of Utah’s favorite visiting country acts, will share the stage together at the SCERA Shell Amphitheatre on July 24th. Their music has electrified audiences around the world for 25 years. Booth groups have earned their place in country music history with their countless hits.
On July 28, the World Folkfest begins again and the turnout this summer is anticipated to be stronger than it has been for the past five years. Because of airline and other travel restrictions and increasing costs since the tragedy of 9-11, the Folkfest has had issues with drawing the international community.
“Harry Potter rocks!” shouted Draco Malfoy. No, this is not a line from the new Harry Potter movie – rather, it was Bill, a college student dressed as Harry’s rival. Surrounding him, witches and wizards of all ages mingled with muggles at a midnight release for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Ah, the summer road trip. The essence of youthful spontaneity, adventure and insanity all rolled into one. While there are some tips here that might be considered no-brainers, they’re still rather important. And hopefully, with a few dozen road trips under my belt, I can offer some advice on things you may not have thought of.
