Michael Janairo

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Author: Michael Janairo

  • Fiction writing group seeks new members

    A 20-year-old writing workshop based in Albany is currently seeking new, dependable members with a passion for writing and critiquing and an ability to commit to twice-monthly, 90-minute meetings on Wednesday nights.

    We’re an eclectic group of writers with day jobs, currently writing and reviewing novels, short stories and, occasionally, plays and screenplays. No poetry, please. We’re looking to expand our ranks with like-minded individuals who are as interested in talking about the written word as they are in putting it down on paper.

    If interested, please tell us a bit about yourself and send a sample of writing to alwechs@juno.com.

  • Good things to do in the week ahead

    Comedy

    He lost to a dog act on “America’s Got Talent,” but comic Tom Cotter got plenty of exposure from his stint on the nationally televised talent show. Cotter, who was a finalist on last season’s “AGT,” didn’t waste any time basking in his success. He’s back on the road playing comedy clubs and a few colleges over the next few weeks, including a stop in the Capital Region. Cotter, who has appeared on Comedy Central, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and CBS’ “The Late, Late Show,” won the Boston Comedy Festival’s grand prize and was voted Best Stand-Up at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. He’ll do two shows when he plays Albany’s Comedy Works this week. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Thursday. $30-$54.95. The Comedy Works Comedy Club, 500 Northern Boulevard, Albany. 275-6897; http://www.thecomedyworks.com

    Just call it comedy for the ladies. It’s “Pumps and Punchlines,” a touring comedy show featuring four women comics cracking wise about guys, gossip, family, friends, fashion, and of course, sex. The funny females are Christina Pazsizky (Tru TV’s “World’s Dumbest,”  “Chelsea Lately”), Jill-Michele (“Mad TV,” Comedy Central, TBS), Mary Lynn Rajskub (“How To Be A Gentleman”), Arden Myrin (“Mad TV,” “Chelsea Lately,” “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) and Marina Franklin (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” Comedy Central). 8 p.m. Saturday. $20-$35. Proctors, 432 State St., Schenectady. 346-6204; http://www.proctors.org

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  • 60 Minutes preview: New York City Ballet

    60 Minutes goes behind the curtain to show how Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins works hard to build a new future for the New York City Ballet on the legacy of its founder, George Balanchine. Lesley Stahl reports on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT.

  • Photos: Art at Albany International Airport

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    Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times of the year at the Albany International Airport. As you travel through, don’t forget to take a look at some of the artwork on the walls as part of the Albany International Airport’s Art & Culture Program. In addition to a dedicated gallery space on the third floor, art works by artists from throughout the region on display throughout the building. These photos show a few of them.

  • NYTimes art critic Holland Cotter to speak at Saint Rose

    Holland Cotter (Photo_New York Times)
    Holland Cotter, Pulitzer Prize-winning co-chief art critic for The New York Times, will offer his take on Western art in the 21st century in a lecture at The College of Saint Rose.

    Cotter, who is The New York Times’ co-chief art critic and a senior writer, has been a staff art critic at the paper since 1998. He received the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 2009.

    The free event will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the Saint Joseph Hall Auditorium, 985 Madison Ave., Albany.

  • Josh Ritter, Greg Brown to return to The Egg

    Josh Ritter

    The Egg has announced 3 new concerts: Solas and The Duhks on Jan. 12, Greg Brown on Feb. 2 and Josh Ritter on Feb. 13.

    Tickets are currently available to members of The Egg and go on sale to the public on November 28. New memberships are currently being accepted for those wishing to take advantage of the pre-sale. For more information, call The Egg Box Office – 518-473-1845.

    More details from The Egg follow:
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  • Preview survey: some findings

    A few weeks ago, we asked for your input about Preview on an online survey. The aim of the survey was to find out how readers like you use Preview. Of course, this survey was from a self-selecting group, so it is in no way scientific, but it does offer some understanding of what a sampling of readers value in this part of the Times Union.

    Here are some of the results:

    • More than 75 percent of readers say they use Preview throughout the week or longer, which suggests that many people find the information of enough value to have the publication stay around the house.
    • Nearly 89 percent of readers turn to movie-related coverage every week or almost every week, making it the most read subject.
    • Nearly 88 percent of readers turn to the Coming Attractions section every week or almost every week.
    • More than 82 percent of readers turn to the Calendar every week or almost every week,
    • Music, theater and exhibits/museums followed, with 69 percent of readers turning to them every week or almost every week.
    • On the other end of the spectrum, however, nearly 77 percent of readers say they rarely or never read any content having to do with classical music or dance.

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  • Tonight: Polar Express rides again

    The Saratoga & North Creek Railway Polar Express Train Ride kicks off its second season in the Capital Region today and runs through Sunday, Jan. 6.
    The Polar Express brings passengers on an approximately one-hour round trip to the North Pole, while characters from the animated movie based on the classic children’s story come to life as the book is read aloud. At the North Pole, Santa Claus comes aboard with dozens of elves and silver bells for the children and the return trip includes Santa meeting each child and caroling with the elves.

    The Polar Express offers four seating options: coach ($20-$30); premium coach ($30-$40); lower dome ($40-$65); and upper dome ($45-$70).

    The train departs at 5:30 and 8 p.m. from the train station at 26 Station Lane in Saratoga Springs. Children are encouraged to wear their pajamas. For more information or to purchase tickets call (877) 726-7245 or visit http://www.saratogapolarexpressride.com

  • Twilight, true love and the potential audience

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    With the final installment of Twilight opening Friday in theaters, I have theory. I may be wrong, and I’m open to other points of view, but here goes:

    Girls who grew up reading the books (they were published between 2005-2008) won’t be as into seeing the final movie as younger girls (ones who are still tweens) or older women (such as women in their 20s and 30s and the tween’s  mothers).

    The attraction of the Twilight series is the romance of true love, love that breaks taboos (forget the family squabbles of Romeo and Juliet, in Twilight, she’s just a regular gal, he’s a 104-year-old vampire), love that is full of risks (does she dare let him bite her, and forever change her?) and love that has permanent consequences (if you’re undead forever, that’s one way to make sure the love truly lasts forever).

    But that kind of romantic notion of love, I’d argue, appeals to the tween and  young teen set — call them the pre-heartbreak set — and the older, 20-and 30-somethings and mom-age set (aka, the post-heartbreak set) and not the older teens, who may be somewhere in the middle of their own first romances, filled with the kind of drama and tumult that is so real they don’t need a vampire fairy tale to get in touch with a certain depth of their emotions.

    For the pre-heartbreak set, the film can be an emotional foreshadowing — a way to feel something deep and romantic because they have yet to experience it in their lives. For the post-heartbreak set, the film can be a reminder — a way to feel something deep and romantic that they have have felt once before but that is no longer part of their daily lives.

    Does my theory make sense? What do you think?