Thursday, October 11, 2007

Bluegrass festival preserves San Fran’s free spirit

By Anna Lotko, The Dartmouth Staff

SAN FRANCISO — Though this past weekend’s seventh annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco, Calif., may have been more than inviting to the Bay Area’s peacenik population, the music was far from half-baked. The concert, which was entirely free and held in Golden Gate Park (a haven for the homeless), was an eight-hour voyage from Hanover and not an easy trek (I would know). But for any student looking for a “hardly strictly” generic weekend, I highly recommend this festival for a getaway. More »

‘Book Club’ offers delightful drama for Austen fans

By A.J. Fox, The Dartmouth Staff

What would Jane Austen think of “The Jane Austen Book Club?” Ever the satirist of romantic pretensions, would she wrinkle her nose at the film’s goofy sentimentality? Or would she take one look at the parade of adorably lovelorn characters and smile with affectionate solidarity? More likely, she would recognize the film as an elaborate form of flattery. Made by lovers of Jane Austen, “The Jane Austen Book Club” is as much an admiring tribute to the author as it is a delightful dramatization of her enduring fan base. More »