Sometimes a story or an article can leave you wanting more, wondering where the ideas came from, what they mean and how to go about accomplishing something like it by yourself.

The University Writing Program has opened up the opportunity to discover these answers with the Conversations with Writers Speakers Series. Faculty members work to bring speakers to the campus that have influenced them in some way or that they feel have beneficial and interesting knowledge to share.

“The purpose of the event is to bring influential authors off of the page and into the lives of local community members,” said Postdoctoral Lecturer in English Shellie Banga. “Our speakers discuss the craft of writing and participate in a discussion about their work.“

Two writers have already participated in the series: Eugene H. Robinson – an associate editor and columnist for The Washington Post and a recent Pulitzer Prize winner – and author Greg Orfalea who is promoting his new book, a collection of memoirs entitled Angeleno Days: An Arab American Writer on Family, Place, and Politics.

“These are excellent and successful authors who will talk about their work and their careers,” said Gary Goodman, the writing minor and internship faculty advisor. “They will be of interest especially to aspiring writers and to people interested in the topics they write about.“

Still to come are travel writer William Least Heat-Moon and novelist, critic and short-story writer Alan Cheuse. Least Heat-Moon will be speaking on Monday Oct. 5 from 4 to 6 p.m. while Alan Cheuse will be speaking on Tuesday Oct. 13 from 4 to 6 p.m. in 126 Voorhies.

Banga said the talks have been set in a more “intimate venue rather than a large, formal lecture setting because we want to encourage a conversation about writing.“

Least Heat-Moon is known for his recounting and observations of the sometimes hidden and surprising aspects of life in America through both his writing and photography. He’s written several works in this genre including Blue Highways: A Journey into America, PrairyErth: (a deep map) and River-Horse: Across America by Boat. He is currently promoting a new book: Roads to Quoz: An American Mosey.

In addition to having his work published in both The New York Times and The San Francisco Chronicle, Cheuse has two works that have been published recently: “A Trance after Breakfast,” which is a collection of travel narratives and a novel entitled To Catch the Lightening.

“Alan Cheuse is best known as the book reviewer for National Public Radio, but he is a noted novelist, short story writer, travel writer and critic, as well as an outstanding teacher of writing,” said University Writing Program director Chris Thaiss.

This series allows for some very unique interactions with writers whose talents and experience span a broad range of topics.

“We’re bringing in writers who write about science, we’re bringing in journalists, we’re bringing in novelists, we’re bringing in science-fiction writers,” said Sasha Abramsky, a University Writing Program lecturer. “Our aim is really to explore the written world.“

ELENA BUCKLEY can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

reCREATE & the Davis Art Center

Tomorrow afternoon the Davis Art Center and Roseville-based reCREATE will present a recycled art competition to celebrate California Arts Day. The Arts Day takes place annually, on every first Friday of October. This year’s Arts Day theme is “The Art in Me.“

reCREATE, a non-profit organization based in Roseville, works with businesses in the Sacramento area to collect manufactured byproducts, processed materials and other various recycled items that are used to help educate local students about environmental conservation. reCREATE redistributes these collections through arts education programs and in a Creative Reuse Store in Roseville.

“We encourage conservation and promote the idea of students becoming personal stewards to the environment by making changes to their everyday consumption and waste behavior,” said reCREATE’s executive director Donna Sangwin. “We couple that message with art and creative expression. Most schools have a very small budget for art materials so we try and bridge that gap and make art affordable and accessible for everyone.“

Through the reCREATE school program, set up in October 2008, the organization teaches younger students about natural resources, conservation, eco-friendliness and environmental awareness, and also supports creativity by encouraging them to make artwork from recycled materials.

“reCREATE is a collection of what I considered to be the best practices of several re-use programs from around the United States. Art From Scrap in Santa Barbara has a wonderful school program and our curriculum is loosely modeled after theirs,” Sangwin said. “A program called Trash for Teaching in Southern California had the idea of taking the field trip to the school, so we coupled that idea with our lessons.“

Similarly, the Davis Arts Center actively supports the green movement. In efforts to educate children and adults alike about the importance of reusing and recycling, the Davis Art Center will be partnering with reCREATE to kick off the first ever “Junk 2 Genius” Team Art Competition. The competition will take place at the Davis Art Center located downtown at 1919 F St. tomorrow evening from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Junk 2 Genius

The idea for Junk 2 Genius began when Sangwin contacted Davis Art Center executive director Erie Vitiello about a possible collaboration to encourage people to use recycled resources.

“Sangwin has been doing recycling art in the public schools in Roseville for a year or so and was interested in expanding to Davis,“ Vitiello said. “She contacted me last spring about doing some kind of partnership and we thought it would be fun to have an event on California Arts Day.“

In addition to educating a younger crowd, reCREATE and the Davis Art Center have teamed up to present the Junk 2 Genius Art Competition to appeal to adults as well.

“Most adults don’t get a chance to feed their inner artist very often, so this is a fun and playful way for adults to do that,” Sangwin said.

“I wanted an older age range represented as well,” Junk 2 Genius said event chair Suzanne Kimmel. “I know the UC Davis soccer coach and asked if [the team] would like to participate in the event.“

Surely enough, a team of UC Davis Men’s Soccer players will be competing against eight other teams – Hibbert Lumber, Davis Waldorf School, Shaw Engineering, That’s Random Dinner Club, Davis Food Co-op, St. James School and Davis Ace Hardware.

In the Junk 2 Genius competition, teams will compete for the “Trophy du Trash” award. Each group will receive a box containing recycled materials in which members may use to build a unique work of art.

Teams are expected to create a sculpture no larger than three square feet. According to the rules, only four artists at most may be working on a sculpture simultaneously, while others may be, as the event says, “sketching, thinking, coaching or drinking a beer.“

Team members are also encouraged to bring their own tools, such as wire, screws, propane torches, pliers, shears, saws, knifes, hammers, needles, zipties, solder, nails and tape. For a list of approved materials, please contact the Davis Art Center. In addition, each team can bring one “secret weapon” which can either be an additional tool or another material and may not take up more than 20% of the total sculpture. Chainsaws do not count as a secret weapon, as specifically stated in the rules.

After the allotted time is up, a group of Davis Art Center and reCREATE judges will decide the winning team. People attending may purchase votes for their favorite team to win the People’s Choice Award.

Nuts & Bolts

The event will feature a garage sale and a silent purse auction in which participants bid for a purse containing mystery items. Other activities include art projects using “cast-off materials” and a hat-making contest. Additionally, local radio station KDVS 90.3 FM will be DJ-ing throughout the evening.

Admission to the Junk 2 Genius Art Competition is free. The tickets for food, beverages and activities can be purchased and all proceeds benefit reCREATE and the Davis Arts Center.

SIMONE WAHNG can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.

Portugal. The Man

The Satanic Satanist

Approaching AIRBalloons, Equal Vision

Rating: 5

It’s a story far too often told in the music industry: a band refuses to mature their sound and grow as artists, and because of it, they wind up scheduling their own downfall. Portugal. The Man on the other hand, a four-piece band hailing half from Portland, Oregon and half from rural Alaska, knows all about musical evolution and experimentation.

The Satanic Satanist, the band’s fourth studio LP in three years, is unlike any of Portugal. The Man’s previous records. But then again, none of their previous albums are like each other either. While virtually reinventing their sound on every album, the band continues to gather critical acclaim, accrue fans and sell out shows worldwide.

This album, like the band’s own career, is deceptively hard to define. Their debut album, Waiter: “You Vultures,“ sounds like post-emo rock laced with danceable guitar and drum riffs. Their sophomore release, Church Mouth, was an experiment in gritty yet soulful jams lyrically themed to transport the listener into a deep South religious cult. The following album, Censored Colors, was much more artsy and had a folk slash indie vibe to it.

Released in July, The Satanic Satanist takes several of the successful elements from each album, as well as new ones, and hodgepodges them into a fantastically complete album.

This record is far and away the group’s most professional release, as it flows effortlessly cover-to-cover like water off stain-resistant pants. John Gourley, the lead singer and guitarist, transforms what would be standard songs on an average album into all-out anthems with his soulful, crooning, falsetto voice.

Beginning with a guitar solo (something the album could use more of), the first track on Satanic Satanist is “People Say,” a powerful anti-war song that sets a positive tone for the rest of the album. “What a lovely day, yeah we won the war / May have lost a million men but we’ve got a million more.“

Listeners will find it challenging not to bob their heads to the next two tracks – “Work All Day” features reggae-esque guitar strumming and a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs type sing-along work song. “Lovers in Love” then delivers a futuristic soul song thundering with percussion and Moog keyboards.

The album continues with the delightfully catchy piano tune “The Sun,” the grooving bassline-oriented “Guns and Dogs” and the album’s first single, “Do You.” The final three tracks beautifully unwind the record, begging you start the whole thing over again.

A perfect exhibit of how a modern alternative indie rock album should sound, The Satanic Satanist has tracks virtually any listener will enjoy.

Give these tracks a listen: “Do You,” “People Say,” “The Sun“

For fans of: Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground, Minus The Bear, The Beatles

– Andrew Alberts