interview

Heather Mathews

Kids’ novel is engaging and spooky for adults, too

• books
• arts
• culture
• kid lit
• steven arntson
• the wikkeling
• bookworks
• interview

New Mexico intrigues revealed by former CIA officer

Sony Pictures Television / Ben Leuner

Bryan Cranston on seeing red, going black and being a chameleon

photo courtesy of HarperCollins

Deepak and Gotham Chopra talk superpowers

Superman and Batman have a lot to teach us about ourselves and our capacity for greatness. Also, inside each of us lurks our shadow―the potential to become a villain, which we can learn to manage. It seems ancient mythologies and the world of comics have much more in common than we might think. These are some of the ideas presented in The Seven Spiritual Laws of Superheroes, a new book by Deepak Chopra, along with Gotham Chopra, that brings together superheroes and guidance for personal growth.

An interview with Thor director Kenneth Branagh

An interview with comic book idol Stan Lee

Take a glance at any movie theater marquee and you’ll realize it’s the summer of superheroes. And who do we have to thank? We can think of no greater person to blame than that most titanic champion of men in capes and women in tights—writer, editor, producer, publisher and former president of Marvel Comics, Stan “The Man” Lee. The characters he created—from Spider-Man to the Fantastic Four to The Avengers—have been pop cultural icons for more than 40 marvelous years.

Steve Gullick

An interview with Mogwai frontman Stuart Braithwaite

Glasgow's Mogwai has been hypnotizing its audiences with elaborate, spaced-out, guitar-driven dirges since the mid-'90s. This week, on tour in support of its wryly titled 2011 Sub Pop release Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, the cosmic post rock band pays New Mexico a visit. Over the phone, the band's thickly accented frontman Stuart Braithwaite and I discussed recording techniques, favorite concert locales and distortion pedals.

• mogwai
• scotland
• errors
• music
• interview

We get heroic with Super filmmaker James Gunn

James Gunn started out his career writing the trashtacular 1996 Troma film Tromeo and Juliet. By 2002, he was penning the family-friendly hit Scooby-Doo for Warner Bros. In between, he found time to script the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. He’s currently racing around the country promoting his latest writing/directing effort Super. In it, a pathetic fry cook adopts the mantle of a violent superhero after his wife dumps him for someone more interesting. Though shot on a shoestring budget, the film boasts an impressive cast, including Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Kevin Bacon and Liv Tyler.

Miriam Berkley

Taos author settles on northern California for her sophomore effort

Summer Wood’s novel Wrecker is set in the heart of Humboldt County, Calif. But don’t let the location fool you. It’s not about that.

Ballet company tries to change the art form’s image

Behind the observation glass of the studio of Alwin's School of Dance, eight dancers from the New Mexico Ballet Company glide through the air, articulating tiny gestures amid a flurry of footwork. They precisely and energetically execute Valse Fantaisie choreographed by George Balanchine, recently debuted at their last performance Springtime Dances.

A transatlantic conversation with Interpol’s Sam Fogarino

• interpol
• sam fogarino
• drummers
• interview

Local writer summons Philip K. Dick in novel

Philip K. Dick was a strange guy—or at least his writing is. You’ll find his works in the science-fiction section of a bookstore, but his writing isn’t that easy to classify. His words can seem like the musings of a philosopher and the ramblings of a mentally ill person, all at the same time.

• ej morgan
• arts
• philip k. dick
• valis
• a scanner darkly
• interview
• author
• mental illness
• pink laser beam
• god
• a kindred spirit

Clay McBride

The pre-eminent mad comedian talks with the Alibi

Lewis Black makes a living being angry on television. On a recent “Back in Black” segment on “The Daily Show,” he railed against the merchandise tie-ins surrounding Eat Pray Love. On another he lambasted Glenn Beck for his incessant Nazi imagery. Black throws his hands every which way, seemingly in the midst of a nervous breakdown. His eyebrows sink into a sharp V and you can’t help but think: Man, this guy looks pissed.

• john bear
• lewis black
• back in black
• interview
• arts
• rt. 66 casino
• glenn beck
• eat, pray, love
• socialism
• golf
• pissed
• nervous break down