Arts & Lifestyle Of Interest ... 'Family $1 Friday' at SciWorks Sci Works will hold its final "Family $1 Friday" on the summer on Aug. 8th from 4 - 8 p.m. Admission will be $1 per person (age 2 and up); children under age 2 are free. The current temporary exhibit is "Color Play." The museum also has an array of other attractions. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic supper and enjoy a casual evening out with family and friends. SciWorks is a 65,000 square feet facility locat ed on 30 acres. Its mission is to promote scientif ic literacy, life-long learning, and an appreciation of the sciences by providing innovative education al and recreational experiences for all people through interactive programs and exhibits, collec tions, an environmental park and unique facilities. It is located off University Parkway or Highway 52 on Hanes Mill Road. Go to www.sciworks.org or call 336-767-6730 for more information. Old Salem receives grant Old Salem Museums & Gardens has been approved for a $200,000 grant from the BB&T Charitable Foundation. The gift will be applied to Old Salem's $3.1 million fundraising drive to renovate a 10,000 square-foot center, the Old Salem Education Center, at 901 South Marshall Street. According to Michelle Speas, vice president for Development and External Relations, Old Salem has secured $2,202,800 toward the $3.1 million goal. When renovated, the Old Salem Education Center will comfortably accommodate the 50,000 school children who visit Old Salem each year, including teachers tour groups and families. It will house orientation, assembly, dining and learn ing space for schools and tour groups. The space will also become the site of the planned N.C. History Teachers' Summer Institute. Professor Nwankwo features his own poetry in Nigeria *? . ' o Dr. Chimalum Nwankwo, chair of the department of English at North Carolina A&T State University, was a special guest of the Christopher Okigbo Poetry Society in the Nigerian capi tal of Abuja. He gave a reading from his poetry books and took questions from the audience. Nwankwo He a*so 8ave a talk at the University of Nigeria on June 15 about "Myths and Folktales in African Literature." McCain ad attacked by mother of Paris Hilton WASHINGTON (AP) - Paris Hilton's mother doesn't share John McCain's sense of humor. McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, said last week that his campaign ad mocking Democrat Barack Obama with images of Hilton and singer Britney Spears was part of an attempt to inject humor into the presidential race. On Sunday, Hilton's mother, Kathy Hilton, a McCain donor, registered her disapproval. "It is a complete waste of the country's time and attention at the very moment when millions of peo ple are losing their homes and their jobs," Kathy Hilton said in a short article posted on the liberal Huffington Post Web site. "And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next president of the United States." The ad plays on Obama's popularity by dismiss ing him as a mere celebrity, like Hilton and Spears. The Obama campaign has said the ad is proof that McCain would rather launch negative attacks than debate important issues. Kathy Hilton and her husband donated a total of $4,600 to McCain's campaign earlier this year. Wake's Wilson to appear on UNC-TV to promote sadness In his book "Against Happiness," Eric G. Wilson argues that melancholia is necessary to any thriving culture, and that it is the muse of great lit erature, painting, music and innovation. In an all-new episode of UNC-TV's local literary series, "North Carolina Bookwatcl^' with D.G. Martin, premiering Friday, August 8, at 9:30 p.m., Wilson, chair of Wake Forest University's English Department, will share what Publisher's Weekly calls, Wilson "sure-to-be controversial alternative to the recent cottage industry of high brow happiness books." Wilson is Thomas H. Pritchard Professor of English at Wake Forest, and the author of five books on the relationship between literature and psychology. An encore episode of the show will air on Sunday, Aug. 10 at 5 p.m. Lecture series is sold out Record number of season passes sold for Guilford College talks CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT Looking to grab tickets for the upcom ing season of the Guilford College's Bryan Series? You may have to look even harder, and cross your fingers as well. The school announced last week that the 2008-09 series of lectures by promi nent speakers have sold out. There is a chance that' some tickets will become available two weeks before each lecture, but that is only if ticket subscribers are unable to attend and return their tickets. The series will feature author Khaled Hosseini on Hosseini qcj 24' CNN's Christiane Amanpour and her husband, James Rubin, on Nov. 18; controversial author Salman Rushdie on Feb. 10, 2009 and author Anna Quindlen on April 14, 2009. NBC's Tim Russert, who died recently, had been scheduled to giye the November lecture. All seats in the 2,400-seat War Memorial Auditorium in Greensboro are gone for the series. The upcoming series sold a record 1,853 season passes for all four events. "We are very excited about the unprecedented response to our season pass campaign that resulted in a season sellout nearly three months before the first event," said Ty Buckner, senior director of communications and marketing. The first speaker, Hosseini, is an Afghanistan-born writer of bestsellers such as "The Kite Runner" and *kA Thousand Splendid Suns." Trained as a physician, Hosseini is now a citizen of the United States and lives in California. Guilford College says season pass tick ets will be mailed to subscribers in September. Guilford will distribute tickets to its students and employees three weeks prior to each event. Subscribers who cannot attend a par ticular event are being encouraged to return their tickets to the college as a tax deductible, non-cash gift. Unused tickets from subscribers or the college, if any, will be placed on saje to the public approximately two weeks prior to each event. Single-event sales will be handled by the Greensboro Coliseum Advance Box Office and Ticketmaster. For questions about the series, call 336-316-2,308 or visit http://www.guilford.edu/bryanseries. Photo by Jaesoa Pin Artist Leo Rucker is well-known for his work. Artist to join bluesman for unique music event CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT What happens when a noted portrait artist joins forces with a rockin' blues band? Magic. Winston-Salem Artist Leo Rucker - well known for his ftiurals and colorful portraits of local icons like Big House Gaines - will "paint the blues" on Thursday, Aug. 14 as he creates one of his masterpieces as the Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin Blues Band plays. The event will take place in Salisbury from 8-11 p.m. under the auspices of the Rowan (County) Blues & Jazz Society. The concert/ art demonstration is the first of the Society's Sneak- A-Peek Preview Concerts. Margolin gained international attention for his apperance in the documentary, "The Last Waltz." In the film 1970s film, he played along side Muddy Waters and The Band. Margolin also writes a column for "Blues Revue" maga zine. Rucker led a group of young artists in the creation of the murals that decorate the columns at the Clark Campbell Transportation Center. The artists also created the qjural in the lobby of the Winston Lake Family YMCA. Rucker is getting much more public exposure these days. His stu dio is located along a heavily-traveled stretch of Fourth Street downtown. Pedestrians often stop and watch Rucker in action. The concert and art show will take place at EastSquare ArtWorks, 120 E. Bob Margolin jnnes St., in Salisbury. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. For tick ets, go to rbjs@carolina.rr.com or call 704 636-2811. A&T's Wickham featured in Ebony SFbClAL 1U lHb LHKUNlCLt The Institute for Advanced Journalism Studies at N.C. A&T State University is making national news again for its col laborative work with the University of Pennsylvania and a published report on the Kerner Commission Report, 40 years later. IFAJS Director DeWayne Wickham, who is also a columnist for USA Today and the Gannett News Service, has an arti cle in EBONY Magazine, August 2008 issue, where he discusses the findings from Kerner Plus 40 Report , he and a team of journalists worked on and released in February 2008. Wickham and Dr. Tukufu Zuberi, director of the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, co-edit ed Kerner Plus 40 Report, which exam ines America, 40 years after the 1968 Kerner Commission Report. The project included extensive reporting in major American cities by a journalists. The book is comprised of stories that show America is still two nations, separate and unequal. A*T Photo DeWayne Wickham is best known for his column in USA Today. Borders book drive benefits food bank, youths CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC regularly provides food for tens of thousands of peo ple, but the agency also wants to give food for thought to its youngest clients. This month, book giant Borders is helping the agency provide books to children whom the food bank serves. Borders customers are being asked to donate new children and young adult books to benefit the program. Borders - and Borders owned Waldenbooks - have set up special in-store displays fea turing books ideal for the food bank campaign. Custpmers can simply pick books from the book drive dis play, take them to the registers and let the cashier know that they would like to donate them. Customers are also welcome to choose their favorite age appro priate children or young adult book and donate that as well. Borders and Waldenbooks will then give the books to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC. The book drive is set to end Photo by LmzIo Regon Both Borders and Waldenbooks will take part in the promotion. Sept. 1. In addition to offering its store as a gathering place for cus tomer donations. Borders and Waldenbooks in the Greensboro and Winston-Salem areas will donate five percent of its total sales from the purchase of the books donated by its customers between Aug. 1 and Sept. 1 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC. "We are very excited to work with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC for this book drive," said Joost Verkerk, district manager for Borders and Waldenbooks. "Literacy is a cause near and dear to us and as a bookstore, we embrace our role as a contributing member of the community. We believe that every child in need should expe rience the joy of owning their own book, to aid in the develop ment of their imagination and open up new worlds for them." The Winston-Salem Borders in located in Thruway Shopping Center. There is a Waldenbooks in Hanes Mall.