Arts & Entertainment
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'I've Been Down the Road You're
Looking At' by K.R. Spoon
K.R. Spoon, a native ot Winston-Salem, is a single parent of
a daughter. She is a 1986 graduate of N.C.
A&T State University with a degree in
business administration. In addition, she
holds a master's degree in adult education.
Raised in a Christian home, she began her
writing career with children's poems and
short stories. "I've Been Down the Road
You're Looking At" is her first novel.
This pulsating novel captures the
intense lives of four successful black
women as they travel through various
walks of their lives. Each woman travels
down her path dealing with spirituality,
morality choices, and day-to-day issues.
Spoon
When the unexpected happens, each woman has to confront her
past to help her understand the devastating tragedy that has per
manently disrupted her life. This book was published by Inspira
tions Publishing Co. of Winston-Salem and was printed by Mor
ris Publishing Co. To order, call 377-2485.
NCSA dance alumna pens
book about her career
N.C. School of the Arts alumna Janie Parker, the former
prima ballerina of Houston Ballet, has written a book.
"Generous Hearts and Gentle Spirits/Reflections of a balleri
na and her mother" was written yver the past five years by Park
er and her mother. Dee Parker-Davies. The 320-page book, which
contains more than 2(X> pictures, was recently published by The
Pointe Press of Delavan. Wis.
Janie Parker danced professionally for 23 years - three with
the Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve in Switzerland and 20
with Houston Ballet. She retired from Houston Ballet after the
1996 season.
Parker performed leading roles in many classics, including,
"Swan Lake." "Coppelia." "The Nutcracker," "Sleeping Beauty."
"Giselle" and "Les Sylphides." as well as nearly 100 other works
by contemporary choreographers such as Ashton. Balanchine.
Robbins. Tetley and Tudor. She appeared in many cities in the
United States as well as in Canada, Chile. Mexico, Cuba. China.
Japan, Indonesia, Russia and Western Europe. She won a gold
medal at the International Ballet Competition in 1982.
According to the publisher, the book begins with the story of
Parker's training, which includes her four years of study at NCSA
(1968-72. when she received her high school diploma), and con
tinues throughout her professional career. Her mother adds her
commentary about her daughter's experiences and offers "infor
mation for beginning dancers, their parents, and balletomanes."
Parker currently lives in Houston, Texas.
Men stabbed during
rapper's birthday party
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) - Two managers from the Nashville.
Tenn.. rap music scene were among three people stabbed at a
public birthday bash for Athens artist Bubba Sparxxx.
Eric McAnally, the 32-year-old manager of Nashville-based
Haystack, was stabbed repeatedly with a broken bottle at the
Athens Music Factory, the site of the recent bash. McAnally was
stabbed twice in the torso, once in the back and once in the right
side but was in good condition two days after the incident.
Sparxxx. whose real name is Warren Anderson Mathis, is a
25-year-old rapper from LaGrange, best known for his hit single
"Ugly."
Two other men were treated and released after they were
assaulted at the same party. Thomas Leyva, 21. was stabbed in
the stomach with an ink pen after confronting a man who groped
his girlfriend, police said.
Arthur Smotherman. a 24-year-old artist relations manager
for Nashville-based Dirty Bird Records, was surrounded by about
20 men outside the club and stabbed in the arm with a broken
beer bottle.
Chad Wilkes. Sparxxx's assistant manager, said there was not
enough security for the 800 to 1.000 people who attended the
event.
"That's the problem we've been running into," Wilkes said.
"When you throw something of this magnitude, people really
don't know how to act."
?I But Eyal Reisin, one of the owners of the club, said the 14
security guards inside the club were adequate. He said he will
consider hiring more security to monitor the outside of the club.
; - No one has been arrested in the attacks, but police said they
hjve identified several suspects.
Public invited to healing arts fund-raiser
GREENSBORO - The public is invited to take a mini-pot
lery class or painting class, buy a piece of art or just enjoy the
Stealing power of art at a unique fund-raiser.
The day of fun and art is being put on by Art Alliance, and the
money raised will go to support the healing arts program of
Moses Cone Health System Regional Cancer Center.
The healing art% program uses dance, painting, poetry and
tther arts as ways of treating the whole person in the fight against
:ancer.
"Making art is a way of expressing yourself, a healing expres
>ion of your emotions." said Sherry Clausen, a program partici
jant. "You may not be able to put these emotions into words, but
rou can put them into something you make. You need to express
hose feelings and can't always do it with words, hut you can do
t with a piece of art."
Participants can buy art made by cancer survivors; enjoy
'ood. dancing and demonstrations; even take their own mini-art
dasses. Art Quest will be there for the kids on a day dedicated to
he healing power of art.
"Many cancer patients start to live life fully. It's a chance to
ry new things." said Kelly Johnson. ?tbo runs the healing arts
rrogram. "This is a chance for the community to see how art can
te a healing tool for everybody."
The fund-raiser for healing arts will be held on March 23
rom 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Greensboro Cultural Center. 200 N.
)avie Street. This event is sponsored by Art Alliance of Greens
toro.
J Crossing Over
Irish singer Samantha Mumba has scored bigtime with her first fea
ture film, "The Time Machine," which opened at the top of the box
office over the weekend. The movie also stars Guy Pearce, second
from right and Samantha's little brother; Omero. The cast posed with
director Simon Wells, a relative of H.G. Wells, whose classic tale the
film is based on.
Latin arts
fest will run
through AdHI
O I.
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
GREENSBORO ? The thrumming of Latino
drumbeats. The swirl of flamenco dancers' skirts.
The blare of mariachi trumpets. The staccato
sounds of handclapping. The University of North
Carolina at Greensboro is holding Latin Arts Fe$t,
its first-ever international arts festival celebrating
Latin American cultural and artistic contributions.
Sponsored by the International Programs Center
and several departments on campus, the festival
will feature performances- by Central and South
American artists on campus throughout the spring
semester. The series opened Feb. 24 with a concert.
Other events will include workshops and perform
ances by actor/writer Maria Angeles Romero, Latin
American dances, flamenco dancers and a mariachi
band.
Dr. Deborah Bell, professor of theater, is chair
of the festival's organizing committee. Tania
See UNCG on C8
Rebounding
Carey
negotiating
for a new
record label
BY ANTHONY BREZN1CAN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES (AP)
Mariah Carey, seeking a career
rebound after the back-to-back
flops of her debut movie and
its soundtrack album, is nego
tiating with new record com
panies just weeks after her last
label dropped her.
Two of Warner Music
Group's labels, Elektra and
Warner Bros. Records, are
among the companies that
have made offers to Carey,
according to sources familiar
with the talks. Universal
Music Group's label Island
Def Jam also reportedly is
interested.
"She is meeting with a lot
of different labels. She's a very
smart businesswoman and is
taking her time before she
makes a decision," Carey's
spokeswoman, Cindi Berger.
said Friday.
The 31-year-old Grammy
winner agreed in January to
end a $ I (X) million contract
with Virgin Records with a $49
million payout after the weak
debut of her musical drama
"Glitter" and its accompany
ing soundtrack.
Before that, she suffered a
psychological breakdown and
was hospitalized for exhaus
Any new recording deal is
expected to be tens of millions
of dollars less and cover fewer
albums than her contract with
Virgin, which was for four
albums. Carey's attorney, Donald
Warner executives would Passman, said he could not
not comment on Carey and comment on his client's nego
calls to Universal were not tiations until a deal was final
immediately returned. ized.
Carey
Network
acquires
Sundance
Festival
hit 'Lift'
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
NEW YORK - Showtime
Networks has acquired the dra
matic film "Lift." directed by
DeMane Davis and Khari Streeter
(the forces behind "Black &
White & Red All Over"). "Lift"
will pre
miere on
Showtime
on June
26 as a
lead in to
the third
season
premiere
of the hit
Showtime
series
"Soul
Food."
Washington
In an unprecedented transac
tion, "Lift" will have its basic
cable premiere on BET subse
quent to its run on Showtime and
BET will share the presentation
credit on the film. This marks the
first time that Showtime and BET
have cooperated on an acquisition
since Viacom first purchased the
BET parent company last year.
"Lift," which was accepted
into the writers and directors lab
at the prestigious Sundance Insti
tute, was written by Davis based
on a story by Davis and Streeter.
It then became a hit at the Sun
dance Film Festival. Starring
Kerry Washington ("Save the
Last Dance"), Lonette McKee
("Jungle Fever." "As The World
Turns," "For Love of Olivia") and
Eugene Byrd ("Once and Again"
and Showtime's "Anne Rice's
Sharissa CD just OK
There is no half-steppin' with Sharissa
DT S. I. LYNCH
THE CHRONICLE
Years ago Motown set a precedent
for what R&B/soul music was.
Tpday Motown is trying to find a
niche that places it at the helm once
again. In its quest to alter people's
current impressions of Motown as a
dying breed, the company has formed
a joint venture with the Henchmen (a
popular hip-hop production team) to
freshen and produce some of the
sounds of today. Thus we have this
new female voice of R&B/hip-hop
soul. Sharissa.
Sharissa is a little bit of the new
and a lot of the old. She is a hybrid
created by mixing some Mary J.
Blige and some Shirley Brown. I'm
sure she gets a lot of comparisons to
Brown and especially Blige. consid
ering her style is reminiscent of
Blige. Sharissa's selections have you
recalling songs such as Betty
Wright's "No Pain. No Gain" and
Millie Jackson's "How Does it Feel
the Morning After." The hair color;
the slick, street-influenced gear; and
the lyrical content of this album cul
minated with a voice not polished,
but engaging. It takes us back to a
time when we didn't know what it
was we liked about Mary J., but we
listened anyway.
Sharissa's debut album, "No Half
Steppin'," is honest, vulnerable and
resonates an emotional integrity that L
indicates she sings from personal I
experiences. On "No Half Steppin ." ?
you hear the heavily influenced '70s I
soul vibe. The album's first single. L
"Any Other Night." is probably the I
strongest on "No Half Steppin'," I
Sit Sharissa on C8
4
Sharissa
v