Arts & Lifestyle
Of Interest ...
Fred Chappell releases
new book of poetry
Fred Chappell, former N.C. Poet Laureate and
professor emeritus of hnglish
( happel!
at the University ot North
Carolina at Greensboro, has
released his latest poetry col
lection, "Shadow Box,"
through the Louisiana State
University Press.
ChappieJI. born in Canton,
N.C., taught at UNCG from
1964-2(X)4. He has won numer
ous writing awards, including
the Bollingen Prize in Poetry,
the Aiken Taylor Award, the
T.S. Eliot Prize and the Roanoke-Chowan Award for
Poetry
Chappell's wife of 50 years, Susan Nicholls
Chappell, will join him to read from "Shadow Box" as'
part of UNCG's Founders Day celebration Monday.
Oct. 5. The reading begins at 4 p.m. in the Faculty
Center on College Avenue.
The reading, free and open to the public, is spon
sored by the UNCG Center for Creative Writing in the
Arts. A book -signing and reception will follow.
Despite strict dress code,
Beyonce will perform in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Beyonce
Knowles says she will perform in Malaysia in
October, two years after canceling a show in this
Muslim-majority country after protesters threatened
to disrupt the concert because of her sexy image and
clothing.
The R&B superstar s upcoming show is already
drawing the ire of conservatives in this country, where
female performers are required to cover up from the
shoulders to knees w ith no cleavage showing. ?
Know les said on her Web site that she will take the
stage at a stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's
biggest city, on Oct. 25. "Beyonce. for the firsttime
ever has decided to make Malaysia part of her T am.'
World Tour," her Web site said.
Knowles canceled a planned concert two years
ago. following protest threats by Malaysia's opposi
tion Islamic party. At the time, her talent agency said
the show was called off due to a scheduling conflict.
Instead, she went to Indonesia, which has less
stringent rules about how performers should dress and
behave.
Sabki Vusof, youth vice head of the Pan
Malaysian Islamic Party^ said Sunday that they would
send a protest note to the government over the con
cert. He said it was the government's "responsibility
to protect the people of Malaysia" from what he
described as immoral Western influences.
Artists such as Avril Lavigne and Gwen Stefani
have performed in Malaysia under similar protest
threats by conservative Muslims, forcing the artists to
don attire that revealed little skin.
Michelle Obama makes style list
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British actress Kate
Winslet lead the pack of People magazine's 10 best
dressed women of 2009, with U.S. first lady Michelle
Obama chosen for "best accessible glamour."
Although the list does not have numerical ranking,
Winslet. 33, who won an Oscar in February for play
ing a dour Nazi in "The Reader," was deemed to be
the best-dressed woman on the red carpet on 2009
"with her unique brand of sexy sophistication, modern
Hollywood glamour and those enviable curves."
People named Reese Witherspoon as having the
"best short dresses," "High School Musical" actress
Vanessa Hudgens as best hippie chic, and Freida
Pinto, the Indian star of Oscar-winning movie
"Slumdog Millionaire." for having the best use of
color.
Brad Pitt, "Twijight" actor Robert Pattinson, and
Bradley Cooper of "The Hangover" and "Nip/Tuck"
fame were among the best-dressed men of the year.
People said their attention to details like a scarf, pin or
skinny tie "took their looks beyond basic."
Winfrey/Perry film takes top
honor at Toronto Film Fest
TORONTO ( Reuters) - "Precious," a film Based
on the novel "Push" by Sapphire, won the top- award
at the Toronto International Film Festival Saturday,
giving the Oprah
Winfrey/Tyler Perry-produced
film some early momentum
heading into Oscar awards sea
son. ' _
The film, a gritty tale of the
abuse and redemption of a
teenage girl in Harlem, cap
tured the festival's People's
Choice award, which is voted
on by filmgoers. Last year it
went to best picture Oscar win
ner "Slumdog Millionaire."
Daniels
Critics have roundly praised "Precious" since its
debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and
audiences in Toronto warmly received the film, which
is directed by Lee Daniels and will hit theaters in
November. t ? >
"I made this film for every person out there who
ever looked in the mirror and felt unsure about the
person looking back." Daniels, who is traveling in
Spain, said in a statement read out at an awards recep
tion in Toronto. . j
In addition to "Slumdog Millionaire." past win
ners of the award "that have gone on to win the best
picture Oscar include "American Beauty" and
"Chariots of Fire "
WFU to launch documentary program
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
One of the nation's top 10 documentary film programs is moving to Wake Forest University.
Formerly based at the University of Florida, the Documentary Institute is following Sandra Dickson, who joined the Wake Forest faculty
this summer. Dickson, a nationally-known documentary filmmaker and educator, has co-directed The Documentary Institute tor 12 years. She
will now co-direct Wake Forest's new undergraduate ajid graduate Documentary Film
Program with Mary Dalton. an associate professor of communication.
Dickson has served as writer and co-director of eight television documentaries.
five of which aired nationally on PBS. She and
her co-directors won the 2(X)6 Erik Barnouw
Award for her film "Negroes with Guns: Rob
Williams and Black Power." The esteemed
Barnouw Award has also gone to notables such as
Ken Bums and Bill Moyers.
Under the direction of Dickson and her col
leagues at the Documentary Film Institute, stu
dents produced films that have aired on PBS sta
tions and cable networks and earned student
Emmys. Graduates of the program are
working for National Geographic, PBS
and prestigious documentary production
houses such as Cabin Creek Films and Big
Mouth Productions.
"We are excited to move this top-level
program to Wake Forest," Dickson says. "We
will be part of a top-ranked national universi
ty with a strong intellectual tradition and a
keen sense of social responsibility ? the per
fect environment for creative and responsi
ble storytelling."
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FKOM "HbGKOES WITH G VHS."
Dalton, who teaches courses on film and television, has produced a number of documentaries, including tne awara-winning ivianna in
Lattimore." .
"We want students who have diverse points of view and are passionate about telling stories that matter," Dalton says. "Involving such stu
dents in documentary filmmaking will fulfill Wake Forest's responsibility to educate the whole person, mind, body and spirit."
The new Documentary Film Program is slated to begin in fall 2010 with undergraduate classes, a two-year Master of Arts degree and a
three-year Master of Fine Arts degree. Dickson will bring two of her colleagues from the University of Florida, Cindy Hill and Cara Pilson.
to Wake Forest.
Talented
Marcus
Johnson will
play Winston
All of his jazz discs have
made Billboards ' Top 20
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Jazz man Marcus Johnson, who
has shared the stage with singers like
Erykah Badu and Chaka Khan, will
headline a night of smooth sounds at
the Arts Council Theatre on Saturday,
Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. The concert is latest
offering from Winston-Salem-based
Post Entertainment, which has been
responsible for bringing a number of
acclaimed jazz acts to the city.
Johnson's latest funk-infused CD,
"Poetically Justified," was released in
June and
quickly
scaled up
t h e
Bill board
Jazz Chart,
landing at
#4. The
disc.
Johnson's
1 1 th solo
release,
features
guest stars
like Miles
Jaye, Najee
and Maysa
of the
group
Incognito.
The
Ohio native
was rasied
Marcus Johnson
i n
Wahington. D.C. and is a graduate of
Howard University. While studying
for his law degree and MBA at
Georgetown University, Johnson
recorded, produced and distributed his
first disc, "Lessons in Love." He sold
a staggering 40,000 copies of the CD
on his own.
Over the last decade, a slew of
other releases have followed, includ
ing "Chocolate City Groovin',"
"Coming Back Around," "Urban
Groove" and "Smooth Jazz
Christmas." All of his releases have
cracked the Billboard Jazz Top 20.
Johnson has performed at poted jazz
venues around the^ globe, including
the (Capital Jazz Fest, Bermuda Jazz
Fest. Atlantic Artscape, Huntington
Beach Jazz Fest, The National Smooth
Jazz Awards and the John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts.
Johnson, who now has earned his
law and business degrees from
Georgetown, also runs Marimelj
Entertainment Group LLC (MEG),
which, in partnership with BET co
founder Bob Johnson (no relation),
opened a Washington, D.C. -based
recording studio. Studio 8 121, .'and
music publishing company.
Ticket prices are $25 in advance
and $30 at the door. For more infor
mation or for tickets, go to
www.postjazz.com .
Duo will give free concert
CHRONICLE STAFF RI.POK1
Cellist Kenneth Law and
pianist Stephen Buck will per
form tomorrow (Friday,' Sept.
25) at 3 p.m. in the Dillard
Auditorium of Winston-Salem
State University's Anderson
Conference Center.
Law and Buck are mem
bers of the acclaimed chamber
music group Ensemble Argos.
The free concert is being pre
sented by WSSU's Fine Arts
Department.
Law is an associate profes
sor at the Petrie School of
Music at Converse College in
Spartanburg, SC. In addition
to his membership in
Ensemble Argos, Law is also a
Musician and educator Kenneth Law.
recordings on the New Albion
and Telarc record labels and
was featured on the nationally
televised NAACP
member of the
Converse Trio and
Conversant. He is the
former cellist of the
Maia Quartet, the
Lyra Quartet and the
Ritz Chamber
Players. He serves as
the principle cellist of
the Spartanburg
Philharmonic.
Buck
Image /awards as a
member of the Ritz
Chamber Players.
Buck recently
made his Carnegie
Hall debut through
Artists International.
He serves on the fac
ulties of the State
University of New
Law has been featured on
orchestral and chamber music
York at Purchase and
the Hoff-Barthelsohn Music
School in Scarsdale. N Y. He
has given numerous concerts
throughout the United States
and in Europe, where he has
performed and taught at music
festivals such as the Adriatic
Chamber Music Festival in
Southern Italy and
AlpenKammerMusik in the
Austrian Alps. In addition to
performing with Ensemble
Argos, he also performs with a
two piano and two percussion
groups and in numerous con
certs with his wife, pianist
Tanya Bannister.
Eastern North Carolina music to get
more attention thanks to grant dollars
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
A program that promotes and preserves the
black music tradition of Eastern North Carolina
has won funding to further its efforts even more.
The African American Music Trail project is
expected to receive more than $250,000 in
funding, through a partnership between the
North Carolina Department of CuJtural
Resources and the North Carolina Department
of Transportation.
The 'Trail' project, spearheaded by the N. C.
Arts Council, will bring greater visibility to
African American music traditions from eastern
North Carolina. It tells
Bishop Barnes
the story of musicians
and singers then and now
representing North
Carolina to the world
through their internation
ally acclaimed music.
The project's focus is
Edgecombe, Greene,
Jones, Lenoir, Nash, Pitt,
Wayne and Wilson coun
ties.
Earlier this year, N.
C. Arts Council desig
nated $75. 331 in grants that will help sustain
the project.
"We have believed for many years that
African American music in eastern North
Carolina should be celebrated," says Mary B.
Regan, executive director of the North Carolina
Arts Council. "These musicians reflect their
home communities and their sounds transcend
time and place. They are an integral part of our
state's heritage and are bringing economic
growth to both large and small communities."
Many music greats hail from the area,
including Kinston natives and brothers, Melvin
and Maceo Parker, musicians known for their
work with the late James Brown, who was
famous for calling on "Maceo" during live per
formances. Gospel great Bishop F.C. Barnes
hailed from Wilson. He is best known for the
PR Ph.no
Music legend and North Carolina native
Roberta Flack.
classic, "Rough Side of the Mountain." Bill
Myers and music legend Roberta Flack are also
from the Wilson area. They both were a part of
the popular 1960s group the Monitors.
Additional funds from the DOT will allow
the next phase of the project to move forward
including the development of interactive kiosks,
maps and a travel guidebook. These efforts will
connect the rich musical traditions with the
traveling public and boost cultural tourism rev
enues.
The newly-announced funding will allow
visitors to better access the area's musical tradi
tions. Two interactive kiosks - one in Wilson
and the other in Kinston. will include informa
tion about local musicians and venues of inter
est. Maps that promote trail sites will be avail
able at welcome centers and area visitor centers.
The project is expected to be completed in 201 1 .