Arts

Searching for Stephen King

A new biography presents facts but not a full story
In 1983, Doubleday published yet another book from the increasingly renowned Stephen King, whose Carrie and The Shining (to name just two) were already popular books and movies.

By DEIRDRE FULTON | January 13, 2010

The art of horror

A coffee table book that might scare you awake
While Lisa Rogak's Stephen King biography might be labeled "for fans only," it's unclear whether Knowing Darkness: Artists Inspired by Stephen King should carry the same marker.

By DEIRDRE FULTON | January 13, 2010

Greater Tuna in the Texas two-step

Greater Tuna parodies the Lone Star State
Our first introductions to Tuna come over the airwaves on the Wheelis Struvis Report , as hosts Wheelis (Barrasso) and Struvis (Donovan) announce the winning student-essay contest entry ("Human Rights: Why Bother?") and weatherman Harold Dean (Donovan) forecasts the weather (rain, dust, and locusts).

By MEGAN GRUMBLING | January 13, 2010

Walk hard

Joshua Ferris abandons the office and hits The Road
In Joshua Ferris's unsparing second novel, Tim Farnsworth doesn't know why he walks, but nothing but exhaustion can stop him.

By CHRISTOPHER GRAY | January 13, 2010

What is this place?

Participatory performance art at Whitney Art Works
Bertolt Brecht asks, "In the dark times, will there also be singing? Yes," he answers, "there will be singing. About the dark times."

By ANNIE LARMON | January 13, 2010

Photos: Stephen King-inspired artwork

Images from Knowing Darkness: Artists Inspired by Stephen King
Artwork from Stephen King's novel covers and more

By CENTIPEDE PRESS | January 13, 2010

Creating a legend

How Little Round Top made Chamberlain a hero
The soldiers of the 20th Maine Regiment marched quickly into the night, moving west from Hanover toward Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on July 1, 1863.

By DONALD G. FULTON | January 06, 2010

Food on stage

Locavores + thespians = understanding
Maine is home to a nationally renowned locavore culinary scene, the oldest organic farming association in the nation (MOFGA), and a plenitude of farms that has increased by nearly 1000 in the past five years — and yet economic pressure to develop acreage remains.

By MEGAN GRUMBLING | January 06, 2010

Cut it out

Collage-making is about the details
"Collage: Piecing it Together" at the Portland Museum of Art is a somewhat rambling look at a process that came into use in the beginning of the 20th century as a cubist process bringing images, colors, and shapes together that were previously used elsewhere.

By KEN GREENLEAF | January 06, 2010

Into new worlds

Theatrical journeys for the year ahead
The New Year opens with a duo of two-man, many-character comedies.

By MEGAN GRUMBLING | December 30, 2009

Hope and energy

Looking ahead to Maine's art scene in 2010
As we launch into the next decade with a collapsing economy and apocalyptic themes bleeding into every facet of culture, it's particularly hard to be optimistic about the arts, as yes, they are often the first to go.

By ANNIE LARMON | December 30, 2009

Booked solid

A hefty season of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry
The holidays are over — time to hit the books.

By BARBARA HOFFERT | January 04, 2010

A special Maine feel

Exhibitions to remember from 2009
This may be remembered as the year that the Center for Maine Contemporary Art smashed headlong into a fiscal brick wall, and at this writing it is not clear if, after its current show closes this week, it will open again in the spring.

By KEN GREENLEAF | December 22, 2009

Big starts

2009 was full of newness + energy
I kick off my highlights of 2009 with praise for a theater company that has just finished its inaugural season: The Legacy Theater Company, founded by former City Theater artistic director Steve Burnette.

By MEGAN GRUMBLING | December 22, 2009

2009: The year in books

True stories - fact and fiction
Here, listed alphabetically by author, are 10 of the best books the Phoenix reviewed in 2009.

By JON GARELICK | December 22, 2009

Holiday shorts

Dark Water's five-piece celebration
I have nothing against A Christmas Carol , but there's a lot of it out there right about now.

By MEGAN GRUMBLING | December 16, 2009

Jack of all trades

Ken Greenleaf moves from the word to the walls
Ken Greenleaf is a pretty familiar name around here. His byline has accompanied art reviews for this paper and others dating back to the late '70s. Among other things, I have heard him touted as an "authority on modernism."

By ANNIE LARMON | December 16, 2009

Looking DuBack

Insight and retrospect at the PMA
Looking backward, history seems a whole lot more orderly than it does while you're living it.

By KEN GREENLEAF | December 09, 2009

Local love

Acorn keeps the spotlight on Maine playwrights
For nearly a decade, Acorn Productions has been staging world-premiere works of playwrights who live right here among us.

By MEGAN GRUMBLING | December 09, 2009

Updike does death, R. Crumb does God, Vanity Fair does Proust

Gift books to savor
Trying to reach as broad a range of tastes and pocketbooks as possible, we this year scavenged everything from the front pages of the Onion to R. Crumb's genesis, to valedictory Updike. Stuff to read, stuff to look at, glossy pages and matte. Remember: be careful not to nick the pages or spill eggnog on them before you wrap. Happy holidays!

By PHOENIX STAFF | December 08, 2009