Just A Peck 0004 // Cats, Pizza, Tom Lehrer

Just A Peck

Happy August, friends, and welcome to the fourth issue of Just A Peck. I’m glad you’re here! New issues come out most Sundays. Unsubscribe at any time. If you’d rather subscribe via your feedreader, the rss feed is here.

WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS WEEK

Cats Young Actors Edition
The Duluth Playhouse Youth Theatre opens Cats this week. It's the first production under the Youth Theatre's new Eduction Director, and I'm hearing amazing things about it. Get your tickets here!
Biggest Fake in the Universe
The book my friend Eva translated was published this week!
LOON Summer Sparkler
The Lyric Opera of the North's annual Summer Sparkler is Tuesday! Get your tickets here!
Wrectangle Pizza
Wrecktangle Pizza opened inside the Wild State Taproom this week! My favorite local cider and fancy-pants pizza? Count me in!
The Onion
There was a time in the early 90s when The Onion was just a Madison, Wisconsin thing and I would snail-mail copies to friends in other cities. Then, with the advent of the web, it became ubiquitous. As Poe's Law took effect and reality began to out "out-parody" the satire, it seemed like the Onion might drift into irrelevancy. But America's Finest News Source has returned to its roots with a monthly print edition, and it's great. This month's issue was delivered to all sitting members of Congress.

JOURNAL

Terraforming Mars
Jody and I played Terraforming Mars (the dice game version) for the first time this week. We liked it, but it's too soon to tell if it will become part of our regular rotation.
Artist's Preview
I met some friends in the Zeitgeist Atrium ("Duluth's Living Room") without realizing that it was the Artist's Preview for Rent. Although it made conversation difficult, it was awesome to see so many awesome people. (And repeatedly explain that I was "going to Rent tomorrow".)
Codebreaker signing
We went to an author interview (moderated by Tom Isbell) and book signing for Codebreaker. Katy and Andy were hilarious and brilliant, as always.
Rent
We saw Rent at Zeitgeist on opening night. Lots to love, but I especially appreciated that I got to sit in the section with the Méliès graffiti.
Dirt Magnet cassette
I'm so obsessed with this self-titled album from Duluth's own Dirt Magnet, that it prompted me to purchase a casette for the first time in probably 35 years. (I have no way to play this.)

We also got together with friends for board games (Dixit and Arkham Horror) and for a cookout honoring the 100th birthday of a friend’s house, but I forgot to take pictures. (Do better, Justin.)

What I watched:

  • Army of Shadows (1969). My first time seeing this Melville masterpiece.
  • The Swimmer (1968). Eleanor and Frank Perry adapting Cheever. Lancaster embodying middle-aged denial within the ruins of the American Dream.

What I’m reading:

MEMORIES

Twenty Years Ago:

Youth Theater
Alex and Corey were in a production of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe at Theatre in the Woods, directed by "the Emilies". The first of many summer youth theater camps in our lives.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Today I want to write about
how it's been almost twenty years
since I owned a Walkman.
Just think: there was a song
that I didn't know
would be the last song
I would ever play on a Walkman.
I listened to it like it was just
any old song,
because it was"
--a section from Michael Robbins' poem Walkman

That’s it for this week. Stay safe, friends. Thanks for reading!

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