My Page: Kerry McMannis
Montana Festival of the Book
Barry Lopez Gives Us a Sense of Place
Barry Lopez was invited to the seventh annual Montana Festival of the Book to present on his new book, Home Ground. He began with profound political prose.
“We would rather stand with our imperfections than with imperialism,” said Lopez, referring to the state of democracy in this country, and more specifically the detainee bill that was passed yesterday by the senate.
"We turned a corner yesterday and if we do not stand up, we’re finished," pleaded Lopez. His advice to fellow citizens was, don’t place your trust in government or business instead help to build the civil society that is emerging throughout the world.
He went on to talk about his book, which is a poetic dictionary defining place in the American landscape. A compilation of writings by top authors around the country, Home Ground serves as a guide for preserving our homelands. For full audio of the reading click here.
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Live Blogging: Montana Festival of the Book
Lunch With David Sirota at Montana Festival of the Book
Brian Kahn grilled David Sirota on his book Hostile Takeover over a lunch of chicken primavera. Around forty people gathered in the Wilma Parkside for lunch and a show. Sirota stayed cool as he defended his stance on the corporate takeover of our government. He asserts that the U.S. government has become nothing more than a tool of giant corporations. Those corporations, he asserts are undermining democracy and stealing from the American public. Subsidies that go to giant pharmaceutical companies for example, use taxpayers’ money to help with drug development, and then turn around and price gouge the very people who are paying for those subsidies. Click here to hear the full interview with Brian Kahn and David Sirota.
Photo by Matt Cochran
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Montana Festival of the Book
Mining Butte’s Stories With the copper mines exhausted long ago, Butte, Montana sits above miles and miles of abandoned tunnels. Over the decades the wealth of this now empty shell was extracted and carried away in the pockets of the copper kings. But Butte is not a ghost town.
"There remains much to be mined in Butte," said Michael Punke, a Missoula based author.
The authors and artists of Montana are resurrecting the true wealth of this western town. The stories told here are not romanticized, the mines, environmental devastation, and the human loss. But lack of romance clears the way for the true stories of beauty and humanity that flourished within the bleak landscape.
Retelling Butte was the title of the opening presentation for the 2006 Montana Festival of the Book. Master of Ceremonies, Jim Driscoll started with a tribute to Richard O'Malley. O'Malley's memoir, Mile High Mile Deep, marked a turning point and after decades of literary injustice, "Butte was in the hands of a real writer."
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Feasting on the Books
Montana Book Fest Just Keeps GrowingTiny bookworms and literary elite alike will find something to enjoy at the seventh annual Montana Festival of the Book kicking off this evening in Missoula.
The festival is expected to draw record crowds this year. Last year, about 5,000 people gathered for the fest and this year, organizers are expecting 6,000 at least. The festival just keeps getting bigger each year, with more authors, more venues and more events.
"Every year, we think we're going to scale it down but we can't bring ourselves to cut anything," said Mark Sherouse, Executive Director of the Montana Committee for the Humanities.
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Thousands were already packed into the skate park by 11:00 a.m. in anticipation of Tony Hawk's arrival. Two hours later he arrived by police escort surrounded by cameras and reporters from Fuse TV, The New York Times and local outlets.
By the time the pros hit the cement the crowd had doubled to an estimated 8,000. Skating fans young and old were crushing the metal barricade around the bowls. Security couldn’t get them to move much. Teenage girls were in the front ranks screaming for “BAM.” Bam Margera, the bad boy of Hawk's troop was in attendance along with skating legend Mike Vallely and Hawk’s son Riley. The bowl demo was followed by the vert-ramp show. The Birdman, as 38-year-old Hawk is known, skated both shows.
New West exculsive video gallery, By Kerry McMannis (all as Quicktime movies):
Photo: Tony Hawk skates in Missoula, by Steve Saroff. For more photos, check out this photo gallery from Darren Guyaz.
Global Warming
Leaders Convene in Helena for Climate Challenge ConferenceMontanans are feeling the impact of global warming. An eight-year drought in Eastern Montana has been a blow to farmers and ranchers and elsewhere, ski bums and trout fisherman are experiencing shorter recreational seasons. And no one in Montana can fail to notice the increase in forest fires this year. These are some of the concerns bringing together over forty organizations sponsoring the Climate Challenge Conference in Helena this weekend.
"We are very gratified by the wide diversity and range of organizations who responded to our call for this conference," said Sterling Miller, Senior Wildlife Biologist for the National Wildlife Federation. Corporations, unions, government agencies, non-profits and individuals concerned with global warming will all be attending the conference.
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A Gift for Missoula
Missoula Art Museum “Unwrapped”
With the new Missoula Art Museum wrapped up like a giant present Friday – a pink ribbon stretched from the sidewalk to its roof – it was like Christmas morning for many Missoula art enthusiasts who gathered to witness MAM’s grand opening.
Among the attendees was former U.S. Rep. Pat Williams. His speech paid homage to artists who challenge the status quo. He said that artists are essential members of a thriving democracy, often being the decisive voice of dissent.
“Art can flourish without politicians,” said Williams, “the reverse is not true.”
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Music and Arts Festival in Missoula
River City Roots Festival Hits DowntownDowntown Missoula hosts the first annual River City Roots Festival today. The festival will unfold at multiple locations throughout the downtown area highlighting some of the city's new attractions such as the Missoula Art Museum and Brennan’s Wave. Its promoters are hoping it will become the biggest street festival Western Montana has ever seen.
Portions of West Main St. and Ryman St. will be closed to make room for a live music stage, food booths, a juried art show and other family friendly events. The John Cowan Band is headlining the music line up that includes Missoula bands such as Broken Valley Road Show. Music begins at noon.
It all kicks off at 9:00 a.m. with the River City Roots Run, a 5k fun walk/run along Missoula’s river trail system. For a complete schedule and map of events check out the festival's website here.
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A Sneak Peek
Missoula Art Museum Opens New Graceful DigsThe alchemy of architect Warren Hampton has transformed the sepia corridors of the old Missoula Art Museum into a sweeping silver edifice. The galleries of the newly remodeled museum are filled with natural light and graceful passages that envelop the former structure.
On the ground floor is an exhibit showcasing Hampton, a Missoula native. Don’t miss his childhood reading club cards from the library that originally called the building home. The North Gallery on the first floor is dedicated to the modern artists that helped found the museum, with the work of Rudy Autio taking a central presence. Across the terrace in the South Gallery is a collection of works by next generation Montana artists. The South Gallery on the second floor is permanently dedicated to contemporary Native American artists. Though the museums primary focus is on regional artists, they are not blind to the global art scene and in the Center Gallery on the second floor a video installation by a New Zealand artist is on display.
The new museum is fully accessible with an elevator connecting all three floors. Twice the floor space of the old museum means twice the collection as well: More than 200 new pieces have been gifted or promised to the collection. The dungeonous art library has experienced its own transformation, with the art reference collection now residing in a light filled study with ample seating.
The grand opening begins at 4:00 on Friday with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The ceremony will include American Indian drumming and a blessing by the Salish Kootenai artist Corwin Clairmont. Tours of the museum and a reception will follow as well as many more activities planned throughout the week. Click here for more information.
Missoula Events
Party for Peace: Jeanette Rankin Peace Center Celebrates 20 YearsJeanette Rankin Peace Center is celebrating its 20th anniversary this Sunday from 4-9 in Caras Park. The party is the center's biggest fundraiser of the year.
Peaces of the Past is the theme of the 19th annual peace party. Traditionally the Peace Party included a potluck style chili dinner and auction. Over the years the party has evolved into a catered event with live and silent auctions, a raffle and entertainment. Chili will be on the menu this Sunday in tribute to the early years of the celebration. The silent auction is one of the largest in Missoula, says Betsy Mulligan-Dague, executive director of the Peace Center. There are 181 items and counting to bid on this year.
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