5enses Magazine — October 2019

OCTOBER 2019 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA SAVE THE DELLS PUSHES BACK DIA DE LOS MUERTOS SAMHAIN MORE

CCUULLTTUURREE •• SSCCIIEENNCCEE •• IIDDEEAASS

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Serving the Prescott region with local perspectives on culture, science and ideas.

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IN S IDE

Vol. 8 No. 10 • October 2019

Cover: Samhain illustration by Joseph Paul

5 Jerome Ghostwalk 6 Ghost Talk at PCA 7 Digging on the Day of the Dead 8 Jerome Firefighters Ball 9 Save the Dells Responds 10 Dance, Dance, Dance at Turnabout Ball 12 Phantom of the Opera at YCPAC 14 News from the Wilds 16 Perceivings by Alan Dean Foster 17 Local Playwrights Swim with Giants 19 What's Up? The Moon 20 Bird of the Month: Black-necked Stilt 21 On the Shelves: Book Tips 23 Stink Bug by Russ Miller

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4 Kharma Lindsey, Modern Pagan

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s soon as Labor Day is over, watermelons suddenly disappear, magically replaced by pumpkins, and store shelves start filling with Halloween costumes and decorations.

Kharma Lindsey, Modern Pagan

by DeeDee Freeman

While I appreciate the festivities associated with Halloween, the commercialization ofthis tradition made me wonder. What was it originally intended to celebrate? It occurred to The basic tenet of me that my friend Kharma Lindsey, proprietor ofCollective paganism is, Karma, might be able to offer some insight into the history of 'Do as you will the scariest day ofthe year. So over lunch, Karma shared the and harm none. ' evolution from the ancient pagan holiday Samhain (pronounced “sow-in") to the holiday we know as Halloween.

As founder ofthe nonprofit Pagan Perspectives Arizona, Kharma is very knowledgeable about pre-Christian traditions that centered around the seasons ofthe year. Because there is so much stigma attached to the word ‘pagan,’ she started there.

“In the days ofthe late Roman Empire, ‘pagan’ meant people from outside the city who had not been converted to Christianity, and practiced the old ways,” Kharma explained.

“The Celts had an earth-based tradition, because people were entirely dependent on the natural world. Their tradition is rewould become a healing-arts center. The goal ofCollective Karma is to ferred to as Paganism.” have all paths toward healing under one roof, and to take a holistic apSamhain marked the year’s end, the last harvest, the beginning of proach to beauty: helping folks feel better about themselves, inside and winter and death. The Celts believed that on the night ofOctober 31, the out. Offerings include a complete line ofbeauty services, holistic counselboundary between the worlds ofthe living and the spirit became thin, and ing, a crystals and herb shop, meditation circles, metaphysics-related that they could receive messages from departed loved ones. “Hollywood classes, and Spiritualist Sunday services. Kharma is in the process ofexhype has skewed the public’s view ofpagans as evil, which is not the case panding into the whole building, with the most recent addition ofspace at all,” she continued. “The basic tenet ofpaganism is: Do as you will and for yoga and larger gatherings. harm none.” In other words, live and let live.

Kharma established Pagan Perspectives Arizona in 2019, based out of Collective Karma. Its purpose is to support the Pagan community and educate the community at large through advocacy and interfaith social An older tradition events that focus on the greatest good for humankind.

How did Kharma become a pagan? Why does she know so much What Kharma seeks are like-minded people, regardless oftheir reliabout pagan traditions? She grew up in a Catholic family, and always resonated with the pagan holidays assimilated into Catholicism. How many gious beliefs, and her version ofpaganism is free from the dogma associated with traditional Wicca. She states, “There are as many paths in Christians know that many oftheir traditions and holidays have pagan spirituality as there are individuals. Pagans are like a big, extended family roots? Traditions such as bonfires, the association ofcandles with prayer, — siblings raised with a common belief, first cousins sharing similar beand holidays like Easter and Christmas? But I digress. liefs but a bit divergent, and second cousins who may have very little in Kharma’s parents sent her to Catholic school, but the focus was on common, yet they are all related.” academia, not religion. Because her parents were not religious, she was Every Friday this October, in keeping with her vision to overcome the free to be herself, without the shame and guilt associated with original sin. stigma associated with the word ‘pagan,’ Collective Karma is hosting free, In college she majored in anthropology, and says that she came to spirituHalloween-themed movie nights, complete with snacks. The community ality via science and her studies. at large is invited, and families with children in costume are encouraged to The concept ofCollective Karma arose from all the things Kharma was called to do, both professionally and spiritually. During her transition participate and get to know the local Pagan families. On November 2 Pagan Perspectives will pair up with the Phoenix Pagan Pride Celebration. from married to single mom, she recorded her thoughts in a journal that Stop by and visit Collective Karma at 450 Goodwin St. or online at she put away and forgot. When she rediscovered the journal last February, vagaro.com/collectivekarma. she realized that she had manifested everything in it!

She opened a nail salon in a downtown Prescott medical office buildDeeDee Freeman is an ordained Spiritualist Minister and member of ing in early 2018, and intuitively knew that someday the entire building Collective Karma and Pagan Perspectives.

An abused wife, an attractive boarder, a mean and jealous husband — in Jerome in 1917, you know there's gonna be a killing.

But the whos, hows and wherefores remain to be revealed.

The old streets come alive with miners, lawmen, lowlifes and dangerous women in this year's 16th Annual Jerome Ghost Walk, leading visitors through the tragic tale of The Demise ofA.O. Daags.

Taken from the archives ofthe Jerome Historical Society, the story unfolds in seven scenes spread around the old mining town.

Officially, these annual productions are meant "to showcase some of the history" ofthe town and its people, says JHS President Steve Pontious, but everyone's really in it for the fun. Actors, most ofthem regulars and about halfJerome residents, pull out all the stops, honing the show over six months ofweekly rehearsals to create a lighthearted, immersive melodrama for the whole family — ifyou don't mind some blood, shootings, general mayhem, and a bawdy joke now and again.

Carol Anne Teague, in her seventh year acting on the Ghost Walk, says the reason she keeps coming back is simple: "It's just so much fun!

I live in Jerome, I've loved it since I was a child, and to act in something involving Jerome history is just wonderful." A real-estate broker by day, Teague gets to share the work with a large part ofher extended family, including three grandchildren. "You just show up, do your part and have a good time!" She's excited about the script in particular. "This year will be the best ever," she says confidently.

The Ghost Walk has been an annual two-night event since 2002, drawing audiences to fill six overlapping hourlong shows each night.

Pontius has been producing since 2015. "There's a lot ofwork to it," he says, and with opening night nearly at hand, he's looking forward to another successful weekend ofvisitor fun, then some well earned rest.

Proceeds from ticket sales help seed the next show and pay for sets, costumes, crew and actors.

Shows start at Spook Hall (260 Hull Ave.) on the half-hour, 6:30 to 9pm on October 11 and 12. Tickets to the Friday shows are $15, Saturday $20. Wear good walking shoes and plan for some uneven ground and stairs. Check with the Jerome Historical Society at 928634-1066 or jeromehistoricalsociety.com for tickets and more information. Reservations are recommended.

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In Jerome, Walk with the Ghosts

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While Ghosts Talk

by Tina Boden-Blake

Once again, Prescott Center for the Arts (PCA) brings on the ghosts, for charity. Its 12th Annual Ghost Tazlk will provide patrons a jolt of terror as an annual fIundraiser for local youth art programming and scholarships. The Prescott tradition of“where haunting legends come alive” has changed over the years, and Ghost Talk 2019 is no exception, with a new setting and stories.

This year Ghost Talk is more than listening to a few ghost stories, it’s expanded to a mobile experience. Patrons will visit several ghosts in and around the historic theatre and listen to bone-chilling tales. Ghost Talk is a compilation offrightening stories from around Yavapai County and beyond. The accounts vary from the fictional writing ofa budding playwright to a factual interpretation based on authentic events and people from historians. You get to decide what is based on the truth and what is a creepy trick.

There will be spooky surprises, interactive encounters, and a new understanding ofthe fables that inspire the horror, science-fiction and thriller genres we have today. Ghost Talk started out with three community nonprofits, and now focuses on one nonprofit dedicated to the Ken Hasselfeldt wellbeing ofarea youth through the performing and visual arts. PCA is excited to provide an outdoor experience, like when it first began at Executive director Robyn Allen says, “Ghost Talk is successful because Sharlot Hall Museum. The move outdoors was needed this year because ofthe work oforiginal Ghost Talkers Karen Murphy, Parker Anderson ofdemand for space inside the theatre. (It could be temporary: PCA has and Erica Muse. Over the years, their efforts, along with those ofmany launched a capital campaign to build a new 99-seat studio theatre.) others in the community, have raised more than $100,000. Their dedicated work is continuing with our current committee, sharing ideas on how to make Ghost Talk the Experience not only entertaining, but just as profitable.” As an example, the committee ran a playwriting contest, and three original short stories from that are being produced. Each story has community sponsors giving away prizes and/or coupons for their services. “Ghost Talk is community supporting community at its best,” says Allen.

Best ofall, Ghost Talk the Experience is presented just before PCA’s production ofDracula. There will be two shows in one night, and tickets are only $10 and $8 for both. Dracula will bring additional fright, as the infamous vampire from Transylvania comes to life October 24 through November 3 on PCA’s main stage. Directed by Jean Lippincott, this is one version you will not want to miss. Steven Dietz wrote a new stage adaptation ofBram Stoker’s classic novel, restoring the suspenseful seduction ofthe vampire as he tries to exert his will on London residents.

He is after their blood while reveling in their fright: “I want your fear. For your fear, like a current, rushes through your body. Your fear makes your heart pound, it renders your veins rich and full. Your fear hemorrhages deliciously within you.”

Ghost Talk the Experience runs just five nights (October 25, 26, 31 and November 1 and 2 from 6-7:15pm). Remember, Ghost Talk the Experience is not for the very young or weak ofheart (mature audiences only), and limited to only 100 people each night. Get your tickets online at pca-az.net or by calling the box office at 928-445-3286.

Tina Boden-Blake is development director at PCA.

para Carlos de Gonzalez

We all know about Halloween. Many people don costumes, which usually involves trick-or-treating for young ones and maybe a masquerade for adults. But there is a much greater cultural phenomenon that takes place south ofthe border: Día de los Muertos.

Held primarily in Mexico every year, it's a fun, festive event to honor the dead through celebration, and yes, even partying!

Why a celebration of death? According to cultural lore, the dead would be insulted by sadness and mourning; instead the spirits would rather wake during a certain time and join in the celebration.

So just how prevalent is this holiday? Well, it’s happening almost anywhere you find a significant Latino population in the US, and many countries throughout Latin America have sDía de los Muertos excitement to share.

It runs annually and officially from October 31 through November 2. The three days each have their own special observance. October 31 is All Hallows Eve, when the children create special altars to honor other children who have passed on, inviting them to come back for a visit. All Saints Day, November 1, is an invitation to adult spirits. November 2 rings in All Souls Day, when families visit and decorate grave sites. During this engaging and festive time there are myriad activities going on all over Mexico. Sugar skulls, special fruits and nuts, muertos (bread ofthe dead), tissue-paper decorations, and specifically marigolds are all a part ofthe Día de los Muertos theme.

I first learned about the holiday from Mexican friends during adolescence, and later came to appreciate it even more during sophomore year ofhigh-school Spanish club, with candy, painting and a video, all in Spanish, so that those who were learning it could be further immersed.

It has roots 3,000 years old, tracing back to what was once the ninth month in the Aztec calendar, which today would fall near the start ofAugust. But their celebrations lasted all month! Fast-forward to sometime around the 17th century, and the holiday as we know it came into being. Since then it has spread far and wide, even influencing US culture. Now Australia, Fiji and even the Philippines are hosting events.

Perhaps it's best to ponder a question from this holiday: we often mourn death and celebrate life, but why not celebrate both? Although it may be shrouded in enigma, death is only another transition.

Carlos de Gonzalez is a regular contributor to 5enses.

Chris Blonk

Todos sabemos sobre Halloween. Mucha gente se disfraza al amanecer, lo que generalmente implica un “trick or treat” para los jóvenes y tal vez incluso una mascarada para adultos. Pero hay un fenómeno mucho más cultural que tiene lugar al sur de la frontera: el Día de los Muertos. Es un evento divertido y festivo que se celebra principalmente en México todos los años. ¿Su propósito? Para honrar a los muertos con celebración, y sí, incluso fiestas! ¿Por qué una celebración de la muerte? Según su atractivo cultural, los muertos serían insultados por la tristeza y el duelo; en cambio, los espíritus prefieren despertarse durante cierto tiempo y unirse a la celebración.

Entonces, qué tan frecuente es esta fiesta? Bueno, casi en todas partes se puede encontrar una población latina significativa en los Estados Unidos, y en muchos países de América Latina tienen algún tipo de emoción del Día de los Muertos para compartir.

Funciona anualmente y oficialmente del 31 de octubre al 2 de noviembre. Los tres días tienen cada uno su observancia especial. El 31 de octubre es la Víspera de Todos los Santos, cuando los niños crean una alteración especial para honrar a otros niños que han pasado para volver a visitarnos. El Día de Todos los Santos, el 1 de noviembre, es una invitación para los espíritus adultos. El 2 de noviembre suena en el Día de Todos los Santos, promoviendo a las familias a visitar y decorar tumbas.

Durante este tiempo atractivo y festivo hay una gran cantidad de actividades en todo México. Calaveras de azúcar, frutas y nueces especiales, muertos (nombre de la pan especial de los días festivos), decoraciones de papel de seda, y específicamente las maravillas son parte del tema del Día de Muertos.

Personalmente, aprendí por primera vez acerca de los días festivos de mis amigos mexicanos durante la adolescencia y luego pude apreciarlo aún más durante el segundo año del club español después de la escuela secundaria con dulces, pintura y un video, todo en español, para que aquellos que estaban aprendiendo en ese momento podría sumergirse aún más.

Tiene raíces cerca de 3.000 años, y se remonta a lo que alguna vez fue el noveno mes en el Calendario Azteca, que hoy caería cerca del comienzo de agosto. ¡Pero su celebración duró todo el mes! Avancemos rápidamente en algún momento alrededor del siglo XVII, y las vacaciones tal como las conocemos se hicieron realidad. Desde entonces se ha extendido por todas partes, incluso influyendo en la cultura estadounidense.

Además, ahora Australia, Fiji e incluso Filipinas están organizando eventos.

De hecho, tal vez sea mejor reflexionar sobre una pregunta de estas vacaciones: a menudo lloramos la muerte y celebramos la vida, pero por qué no celebrar ambas? Aunque puede estar envuelto en enigma, la muerte es solo otra transició.

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Honoring the Day ofthe Dead

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Dress Up and Dance for Jerome Firefighters

by Amanda Marsh

On the northern side ofMingus Mountain, the town of Jerome has a rich and deep history filled with brothels and gunfights. But more than that, Jerome is a strong community that has risen time and again when fires overtook the town and the shuttering ofthe mines nearly killed it.

The mining claim that started it all was recorded in 1876, and in 1883 the United Verde mining operations began. Workers from around the world flooded the mining camps on Cleopatra Hill. Shelters were canvas-covered wooden structures, built closely together. Fires often ravaged the camps, but inhabitants would always rebuild. Copper prices dictated the wealth coming out ofthe mines, and the size ofthe camps and community ebbed and flowed.

The structures became more sophisticated in design, and saloons, banks, groceries, hotels, homes and offices were built ofpine. Jerome experienced several large-scale fires that leveled sections ofthe community. In 1899, after four major fires in five years, the community knew that to protect itself, it had to incorporate as a legal town. Once the Yavapai County Board ofSupervisors signed offon incorporation, council members swiftly created building codes requiring that chimneys and fire places be constructed ofbrick or stone instead ofwood, and prohibited the use ofcanvas tents. They collected taxes that funded the creation ofthe Jerome Volunteer Fire Department ( JVFD). Fire lines were buried and the outline ofthe fire district was mapped.

In the 1920s the town saw its population peak at 15,000. The fire department continued to grow, but in the early 1930s the mines officially closed and the community shrank as members left to seek work elsewhere. Phelps Dodge bought the largest mine in 1935, and the community saw another boom during World War II, when the price of copper rose again. When the war ended, copper prices fell and mining operations officially ended again in 1953.

Jerome became something ofa ghost town and stayed that way until progressives began purchasing homes in the late 1960s through the mid-‘80s, creating businesses and restoring the town. The occupants organized and began improving failing infrastructure. In 1979 they installed new fire mains and modern hydrants. The JVFD was reborn, but had to make do with old, failing equipment, hand-me-downs and rotten hose. The town budget was limited, so the fire auxiliary was formed to raise money. Grants also funded the department, buying much-needed firefighting equipment such as turnouts, air packs, rescue, wildland and fire-engine apparatus.

Jerome HistoricalSociety It moved from the Grapes Restaurant

location to its current three-story station, which houses not only all equipment the department needs to fight fire and run EMS calls (by September ofthis year they had run nearly 450 calls), but is also a training facility for volunteers and paid staff.

Jerome and JVFD have worked hard to become a Nationally Recognized Fire Wise Community. JVFD is a local and national resource, and sends engines and firefighters to wildland fires across the US. They responded to the Viewpoint Fire, which consumed 5,600 acres and destroyed two homes in Prescott Valley in May 2018. They are part of the area rope-rescue team, and work in tandem with the Jerome Police Department and all area departments.

JVFD’s coverage spans 200 square miles ofmostly wildland, and the town ofJerome makes up one square mile. The department operates a fuels-mitigation crew that works within city limits and outlying areas to minimize fuel loads and create fire breaks, reducing the risk ofwildfire.

In 1974 the first auxiliary fundraiser was organized to raise money for JVFD, and now, 45 years later, that fundraiser is still going strong. The 45th Annual Jerome Fire Department Auxiliary’s Halloween Dance is open to the public and takes place October 26 at Spook Hall, 260 Hull Ave at 1st St. Music is by the Naughty Bits. Come in costume, it’s tradition, with prizes for the best costumes. $15 per person, $25 per couple, cash only, with tickets at the door. Funds raised from the dance will help purchase uniforms and badges and pay for pizza to feed firefighters at the weekly trainings hosted by the JVFD. Amanda Marsh is the widow ofEric Marsh, Superintendent ofthe Granite Mountain Hotshots. The crew was killed fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire in 2013. She started the Eric Marsh Foundation to raise money for firefighters and their families in time ofneed. She is an avid writer and is working on a collection ofessays.

Let’s Stick to the Facts

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ofSave the Dells.

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total raised over 18 months for Save the Dells, not just in the election cycle. A glance at the expenditure explanations in the reports shows that most Save the Dells spending has been on media and materials for educating the public about the fight to save Perspective by Amber Fields Granite Dells, and on promotional items such as banners, yard signs, buttons, and custom apparel, all ofwhich advertised only Save the Dells, not Rusing's candidacy. In reality, Save the Dells spent under $10,000 to promote Rusing’s candidacy.

All ofthese facts were published in an August 3 front-page article in the Prescott Daily Courier. Either Barrett doesn't read the paper, doesn't follow his own advice, or doesn't care about the facts or the will ofthe voters. For all the painstaking instructions he gave for the eager listeners to see for themselves, all they will find are the facts that refute Malcolm’s claims. Right there on the spreadsheet, or on the front page, “it’s all there for the people to see.”

It is unfortunate and disappointing that a former Council member, radio-show host and leader in the community would act so irresponsibly with the facts. It doesn't reflect well on him or the people he supports.

The barely concealed undercurrent in this approach and these comments is that Rusing’s win was illegitimate, that somehow more than 11,000 gullible Prescottonians were duped by a single special interest and a flood ofcampaign advertising. In the aftermath ofthe election, Councilman Steve Sischka lamented that he was “disappointed to see a special-interest group with so much money sway the election.”

Kenyon Spears One irony ofthis statement is that Rusing predicated much of her campaign on countering the influence oflarge-scale developers n the wake ofa resounding political in Council decisions.

But perhaps more alarming is the characterization ofSave the Dells defeat, a politician or pundit has two and its thousands ofsupporters as a “special-interest group.” Does that primary paths.

One is to take stock, to look at the strategy and message ofthe victor mean that the 11,000-plus people who voted for Rusing are a “specialinterest group,” to be belittled and ignored? and make a concerted effort to understand what propelled them to It’s impossible to be inside the head ofthe voter, but the results of victory in such a convincing fashion.

The other path is to seek a scapegoat, to scan the cause and effect for this election were not a propaganda-induced anomaly. People voted for what they cared about, for their quality oflife, for the quality oftheir signs ofconspiracy, and perhaps concoct a set ofcompletely bogus children's lives. As the water table drops, as traffic gets worse, and as the statistics to support and bolster your outrage. percentage ofopen space shrinks, people want representatives who On August 29 local radio host Malcolm Barrett Jr. took the latter approach, spending the majority ofhis weekly show disparaging Save the genuinely share their concerns, who understand the importance ofthese issues, and who can respond with facts and a plan, not just pithy Dells and Cathey Rusing. As most readers will remember, Rusing platitudes and a rubber stamp. recent;y won a seat on Prescott City Council, accumulating votes on an Given the enthusiasm for the Save the Dells cause, and given the astounding 73% ofthe ballots, out-distancing the second-place voteundeniable result ofthe election, it would seem the wiser path for radio getter by over 3,000 votes. pundits and other election skeptics to actually pay heed: People want a On his show, Barrett said, among many other things, balanced approach, and they love Prescott, not just as representation of “As ofthe last campaign reporting period, the Save the Dells prosperity, but also as a living landscape, a real place that deserves careful organization spent $130,000 on behalfofa single candidate.” consideration and protection. and later, This approach would seem to benefit everyone. Spreading blatant “You can look at the expenditures, it’s all there for people to see.” falsehoods and denigrating huge swaths ofPrescott’s population benefits The most perplexing aspect ofthese statements is that, with a minimum ofeffort, and following Barrett’s own instructions, you can see no one. that ofthe $135,880 that Save the Dells raised, nearly $76,000 was spent Amber Fields, a Prescott-native andWhiskey Row business owner, is chair before Rusing was even a candidate. Further, the $135,880 was the grand

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Turnabout Ball

Come Out, Explore and Dance, Dance, Dance!

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by Miriel Manning

n Thursday October 10, 4am Productions and the Preskitt CabaretTroupe hosts the first-ever PrescottTurnabout Ball, a night ofdrag/burlesque performances and dancing.

Coinciding with National Coming Out Day, this event celebrates the vibrant LGBTQcommunity in Yavapai County.

The Turnabout Ball is a fundraiser for the Preskitt Cabaret Troupe and the Greater Yavapai County Coalition (GYCC).

Briana Rae, one ofthe founders ofthe Preskitt Cabaret Troupe, says, “The power ofboth drag and burlesque performance extends far beyond simple lip-sync or striptease. Classes, workshops and performances allow performers and audiences alike to explore gender and sexuality in the arts and push the boundaries ofwhat classifies as burlesque or drag.”

The Preskitt Cabaret Troupe began in March as a collective committed to creating supportive space for expression, exploration ofgender, and performance. The troupe offers weekly workshops on drag, burlesque, makeup and costuming.

So what exactly is a“turnabout” ball?

Ken Hasselfeldt

The Ball begins with three people in everyday dress, who are then made over (“turned about”) by drag queens from the Imperial Court in Phoenix, who appear in performance an hour later. Meanwhile there will be a mixture ofperformances by the Troupe as well as time to socialize and dance. Following the Turnabout performances, the space will open up for a full-on dance party.

There will be light fare and a cash bar with beer and wine.

People ofall ages, genders, sexualities, abilities, ethnicities, races, nationalities, economic status, religions and political beliefs are welcome to attend. Doors open at 6pm and the event continues until 9. The festivities will take place in the Elks Theater Crystal Hall, Third Floor, 117 East Gurley St. in Prescott.

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Observes Rae, “By empowering performers to go before an audience in whatever expression they choose, we are also proving that anyone can be anything they choose and stand proud in that knowledge. This representation is crucial in the world at large, but especially in a rural community, where it is so sorely lacking.”

Across the country people will gather for National Coming Out Day, an annual LGBTQawareness day that started in the US in 1988. The celebration is designed to benefit local organizations doing important work in our community.

GYCC is a nonprofit organization providing an umbrella ofsupport to members and allies ofthe LGBTQ+ community in Yavapai County. Its areas offocus are support and education, funding, safe places, and ways to connect and network.

Tickets are $15 online or $20 at the door, and can be purchased at turnaboutball.brownpapertickets.com. Come support the community and have the time ofyour life!

Miriel Manning teaches Soial Justice and Human Rights at Prescott College.

by Michael Grady

Craig Ralston directs

I

t started as a lark back in August 2018.

“We were looking at this season and needed a big show,” director Craig Ralston recalls. “We laughed and said, ‘What about Phantom?’

We thought we’d never get the rights.”

But they did. After artfully tackling a series ofother large-cast productions, Yavapai College Performing Arts decided to climb musical theatre’s Mount Everest. On November 14, when the curtain rises (or the chandelier falls) for the first time, the combined efforts and artistry ofmore than 100 performers, designers, crew members and community volunteers will step forward under the lights.

It’s not a story one can tell with a table and two chairs. “It’s a spectacle,” Ralston acknowledges. “We have the big chandelier, big costuming, big staging – it’s all pretty grand.”The scale ofthat grandeur could break many professional companies. But, one month out, YCPAC is rising to the challenge.

“We are building more than we’ve ever built for a show.” Even as costume director Joanne Cole lists the logistics – a 60-person cast, 250 costumes, 600+ costume pieces – she delights in the gowns that her student workers have built, found, rented and mended. They hang on the large racks that threaten to swallow her shop. “Our big payoffwill be the costume parade (Oct. 19, 2:30pm, open to public), when you finally see every costume, and say, ‘ooh, that looks great under the lights!’”

A Big Deal

ATest ofCharacter

The Phantom ofthe Opera, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s lavish, Tony

Award-winning musical, is a go-big-or-go-home proposition. From its very conception, the show was meant to be epic. The pet project of Webber, theatre’s most prestigious composer at the height ofhis fame (Evita, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar), Phantom sings its audience into the Paris Opera house circa 1881, leading them through a gilded realm ofelaborate opera productions and into a world ofbackstage intrigue. The mysterious specter haunting the shadows — with a disfigured face and mesmerizing voice — eventually takes control ofthe opera house and Christine, its young rising star. In the battle that follows, the production reveals a magical subterranean world, carved from the title character’s lifelong captivity and rejection from proper society.

One way that YCPAC is meeting Phantom’s gargantuan technical and casting demands is through advance preparation. “We started work on Phantom back in January,” Ralston says. “For the first four months we were designing costumes, set pieces, the look ofthe show. In May, we had our auditions.” Almost 100 locals auditioned for the show’s cast. “I rehearsed with the leads and understudies over the summer. In August we started fullcast rehearsals. And, ofcourse, we’ve been building sets all summer.”

While crew and chorus members grapple with the big picture, Phantom’s leads tinker with nuance and high notes. “I’m trying to dig deep into what Christine’s intentions are,” says Kaela McMahon, the 22-year-old student playing the female lead. “Bringing in a larger story for her, giving her proper depth, has been my challenge.” McMahon’s other challenge is Christine’s vocal range. “She always [sings] in her upper register, but goes down to the lowest notes as well. It is very demanding.”

Set piece crafted by Prop Mistress Sally Lunt and Stage Manager Dahlia Rose

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The Phantom ofthe Opera

Ifthat sounds like complaining, it’s not. McMahon — who has previously charmed local audiences in YCPAC’s Into the Woods and It’s a Wonderful Life — cherishes the opportunity. “This has been my dream role since I was 12,” she says. “The first song my (voice) teacher ever gave me was Think ofMe.” For all its high notes and character questions, playing Christine brings McMahon’s dramatic aspirations fullcircle. But Kaela isn’t just doing this for herself. “My mom would sit outside the door and cry when I sang Think ofMe,” she adds, “so this is for her, too.”

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Yavapai College Performing Arts Tackles Musical Theatre’s Biggest Show

Counting Down

McMahon rehearses a dance with Andre Sylvester as the Phantom

Kaela McMahon as Christine

Nanette Hofer as LaCarlotta

On Broadway, a show lives or dies by critical praise and audience response. In Prescott, the line between performers and community is more congenial. Without a legion ofcommunity volunteers, Ralston says, YCPAC’s Phantom would not even be possible. “This community is so supportive ofthe arts. Without that investment — be it acting, singing, working backstage, or finanically — we wouldn’t be successful.”

So while actors, singers, costumers, set-builders and crew members hone their skills for the best possible production, Ralston says an important victory has already been won. “The most enjoyable part has been helping people realize their potential,” he says. “It’s great to sell tickets. It’s great to have such a wonderful orchestra playing for us. But this is about our students and community members, seeing them grow and perfect their art. That’s the best part ofit.”

The Phantom ofthe Opera performs Thursday and Friday November 14 and 15 at 7pm; Saturday and Sunday the 16th and 17th at 3pm; Thursday through Saturday 21st–23rd at 7pm; and a final matinee performance Sunday the 24th at 3pm. Tickets start at $25. For reservations or more information visit the YCPAC ticket office at 1100 E. Sheldon St. in Prescott, call (928) 776.2000, or visit online at ycpac.com.

5enses • 14

News from the Wilds

by Ty Fitzmorris

O

ctober in the Mogollon Highlands is one ofthe year's great turning points.

The warmth and activity ofsummer drops into the lower deserts and valleys as the cold ofthe coming winter (borne by heavy, cold air) slithers down the creek beds from the uplands. The evening air carries a sliver of ice, and brings smells ofwoodsmoke and high mountains, while the days are filled with dried grasses and the last ofthe year’s butterflies, native bees and flowers. The monsoon showers have passed, leaving a wave of activity in their wake — insects laying eggs, plants setting seed, birds migrating, and mammals preparing winter stores and putting on fat for the coming time ofscarcity.

In October the second dry season ofthe year typically begins. The heat-driven summer monsoon pattern, which draws moist air masses north from the GulfofCalifornia, shifts to the storm-driven winter pattern based in the Pacific Ocean. Massive storm systems catapult smaller, moist low-pressure troughs across our region, bringing snow and rain.

During this changeover, the skies over the Mogollon Highlands tend to stay clear, though it is also during this time that the Pacific hurricane season is at its peak. Some ofthese hurricanes move through our region, dropping sometimes large amounts ofprecipitation.

October reliably brings our first frosts, and temperatures become increasingly intolerable for many ofour insects and spiders, who utilize a range ofwinter adaptations in response. The tarantulas create dens in

Gopher Snakes search for hibernation sites now, and will begin hibernating by the end ofthe month.

A young red-tailed hawk hunts rabbits along a roadway in western Prescott.

which to hibernate, ants gather provisions into large underground storerooms, and monarch butterflies migrate south to the frost-free Mexican forest. Most invertebrates simply conclude their egg-laying and die, leaving their eggs, which are specifically adapted to extreme temperatures and drought, to bear their next generation in the spring. As insects diminish, so do the creatures that rely on them as food. Many ofthe birds, most notably warblers and swallows, have already migrated south to areas with more prey, as have some ofour bat species. Hawks, predators ofinsect predators, migrate southward through our region now in increasing numbers, following broad valleys and grasslands as they look for rodents, which in turn are busy gathering seeds and catching the last insects.

For many animal species, this is the time when nearly grown offspring are leaving their parents to establish new territories.

Young bobcats, badgers, river otters, gray foxes, Abert’s squirrels, porcupines and several species ofskunk will all be looking for their own territories now, and finding food for the first time by themselves. Among the birds, young great horned owls, roadrunners, lesser nighthawks, and mountain chickadees are all dispersing into new ranges. Encounters between humans and many species are more common during this time, since the young are relatively unpracticed at avoiding humans. Ofcourse, as with virtually all our wild species in the Central Highlands ofthe Southwest, the only risk to humans in these encounters results from animals being harassed or aggravated. Generally a quiet and respectful approach will be rewarded by some degree of trust, and can lead to extraordinary observations.

Ty Fitzmorris is an itinerant and often distractible

naturalist who lives in Prescott and is the Curator of Insects at the new Natural History Institute at Prescott College. Reach him at Ty@PeregrineBookCompany.com with questions or comments.

High Mountains

• Elk continue their ‘rut,’ or breeding season, and the bugling ofmales can sometimes be heard in more remote areas, such as Woodchute Wilderness.

• Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum), which stay near aspen trees in our area, continue mating, while adolescent young establish their own territories.

• Pregnant female black bears search out winter dens, often in old mine shafts. In our area only the pregnant females hibernate, during which time they will give birth, usually in January.

• Gambel oak and aspen leaves change color and begin to fall.

Example: Dandrea Trail, #285

Ponderosa Pine Forests

• Young Abert’s squirrels (Sciurus aberti) leave their parents and establish territories. These squirrels have a fascinating relationship with ponderosas, eating the inner bark near the tips ofthe growing branches, but also eating, and thereby distributing, the truffles and mushrooms that grow on their roots. These fungi help their host pines to gain nutrients that they otherwise could not extract from soil.

• Ponderosas continue to shed needles, as they do every year around this time, losing 40% oftheir needles over these several months.

• The leaves ofNew Mexico locust (Robinia neomexicana), a pretty understory tree, change to a beautiful yellow, as do those ofArizona walnut ( Juglans major).

Example: Aspen Creek Trail, #48

Pine-OakWoodlands

• Young tarantulas disperse into new areas, and can sometimes be seen in large numbers. These large spiders are harmless unless harassed, in which case they release mildly irritating abdominal hairs, which can cause slight stinging. Their bite is non-venomous and not painful.

• Acorn Woodpeckers, one ofthe very few social woodpecker species, gather acorns with alacrity, storing them in characteristic granaries — trees (and sometimes telephone poles) into which the woodpeckers have carved holes for acorn storage. Acorn woodpecker colonies are composed ofup to a dozen individuals, and usually have two granary trees, each containing as many as 50,000 acorns.

Example: Miller Creek Trail, #367

Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands

• Four-o'clocks (genus Mirabilis), the most conspicuous ofour postmonsoon plants, continue to flower on rocky slopes.

• Feathered fingergrass (Chloris virgata), a distinctive, hand-like native grass, appears now in many habitats, bearing its seeds, though many have been eaten by finches.

• Junipers still bear some oftheir blue-white seed cones, which grow increasingly important in the diets ofbirds, rodents and coyotes as the weather turns colder.

Example: Juniper Springs Trail, #2

Grasslands

• Young short-horned lizards (Phrynosoma hernandezi) leave their parents and disperse in the early part ofthe month. This is the best time for encountering the small young ofthis ant-eating species, though they

should be handled with care, as they are capable ofspraying a defensive toxin from their eyes.

• Several hawk species migrate through grasslands, riding thermals (large rising columns ofwarm air) during the afternoons. Look for roughlegged, ferruginous, Swainson’s and red-tailed hawks, as well as turkey vultures, with several species sometimes in the same thermal.

Example: Mint Wash Trail, #345

Riparian Areas

• During fall evenings, river drainages are often colder than surrounding uplands, and leaves change here first as well, beginning with black walnut and velvet ash trees, which drop their last leaves this month.

• Young great blue herons (Ardea herodias) disperse into new areas, and some will migrate south through our rivers. These gangly fishing birds will sometimes migrate in large groups, occasionally up to 50 or 100 individuals, and are thought to travel as far south as Venezuela.

• Golden columbines (Aquilegia chrysantha) bear their seeds.

Example: BellTrail, #13

Deserts/Chaparral

• Paloverdes, velvet mesquites (Prosopis velutina) and Wright’s silktassel (Garrya wrightii) bear their seeds now, as do southwestern coral beans (Erythrina flabelliformis), the poisonous seeds ofwhich are sometimes used for jewelry.

• Ocotillo leaves change color and fall for the second time this year.

These strange plants have photosynthetic bark, however, so they will continue to photosynthesize through the winter.

• The queens ofour one species ofbumblebee, Bombus sonorus, fly now in their mating flights, and shortly afterward will look for overwintering refuges, where they will remain buried singly through the freezes of the winter. Bumblebees can produce propylene glycol, a natural antifreeze, in their blood, which prevents death by freezing. In the spring, these queen bumblebees will emerge and begin new colonies.

Example: Algonquin Trail, #225

In the Skies

• 8th: Draconid Meteor Shower. Unlike most other meteor showers, the best viewing ofthis moderate shower is in the early evening, with meteors appearing to radiate from the constellation Draco to the north. The waxing gibbous moon won’t set until after midnight, however, so many ofthe fainter meteors will be washed out. Two other meteor showers, the Southern Taurids and the Delta Aurigids, are also nearing their peaks now, increasing the likelihood that meteors will be seen, even with the bright moon.

• 13th: Full Moon at 2:09pm.

• 20th: Mercury at Greatest Eastern Elongation. The small planet closest to the Sun is at its highest in the evening sky tonight, and will be visible between Venus (the brightest object in the night sky other than the Moon) and Scorpius.

• 21st: Orionid Meteor Shower. This is one ofthe year’s brighter meteor showers, with up to 20 bright meteors per hour (including some bright fireballs), and in the dark skies ofthe third-quarter moon the viewing should be superb. This peak is not on only one night, however, but a broad period during which the Earth passes through the tail ofComet Halley. The meteors are at their best after midnight, as our point on the Earth rotates into its path oforbit around the Sun.

15•5enses

A very briefsurvey ofwhat's happening in the wilds

5enses • 16

Architecture for Hoomans Perceivings by Alan Dean Foster

I

’m a big fan ofcertain architecture.

attempt to back out oftheir opposing parking spaces at the same time, only to be saved by a shout from a pedestrian or an alert third driver. It’s a I don’t think much ofthe work ofWalter Gropius and the Bauhaus nerve-wracking experience, one that must be particularly unsettling for group, and a lot ofwhat passes for modern architectural design has all the older drivers. heart and warmth ofIkea bookshelving. I feel better about Frank Lloyd Then there is the entrance, which was apparently designed for cars Wright, but you could have put a trailer at the spectacular site ofFalling- from Hobbiton. Watching a double-cab dually try to maneuver into the water and it would still make for a beautiful picture. I love the swooping parking area without ripping offa fender ranks with the most suspenseful designs ofFrank Gehry, and I’m truly going to miss the wild yet function- film at the multiplex. Watching a full-sized pickup struggling to angle inal work ofthe late Zaha Hadid. to the drive-through mail drop-offis nearly as Which leaves me to wonder why everyday exciting.

What looks goodon paper does not structures always seem to work better on paper, I suppose my favorite architectural blunder necessarily translate to usage or these days within CAD designs, than they involves the exit that dumps many departing do in real life. I think this happens when ardrivers directly into the left-turn lane onto in reallife. chitects get carried away by a vision, or become Miller Valley. This not only backs up traffic too enamored oftheir own perceived talent. Then you end up with into the parking area, it results in a surfeit ofcolorful language voiced by something like the US post office on Miller Valley Road. drivers coming down Schemmer Drive who wish to turn right onto Miller Valley, only to find their access blocked by those leaving the post office who block the right-turn lane while waiting for the light to change.

This snafu is especially fun during the Christmas season, when it backs up traffic into the parking lot so severely that people can't even back out oftheir parking spaces. Meanwhile, a vast section ofavailable parking directly behind the post office is fenced offand inaccessible to patrons.

Did the architect who envisioned this setup realize what kind of traffic issues the design was going to produce? Plainly not.

For years I posed this question to the folks at the PO: why not take out one tree and extend the parking lot into a right-turn-only exit (onto Miller Valley Road)? This would enormously facilitate exiting the area and eliminate much ofthe blockage on Schemmer. The inevitable reply is: Challenging exit at the Miller Valley Post Office (Google) “We can’t get the money.”

The post office is an example ofnarrow-vision architecture. I am just Ifany structure should be designed with functionality in mind, it’s as exercised by potentially useful architecture that sits unused. In this case hard to imagine anything more basic than a post office. Now admittedly, I refer to the aged three-story building at the end ofNorth Cortez. Its when the Miller Valley location was chosen, designed and built, it was not ground floor, recently home to a restaurant or two, now closed, sits abanpossible to foresee the growth that would occur in Prescott. But even tak- doned and forlorn. For forty years I’ve found myselfwondering ifold, ing that into account, after driving for years into that location I still find original brick lies beneath the thick layer ofwhite stucco. What remains myselfwondering what was in the architect’s mind as he or she was ofthe interior? The upper floors must have wonderful views, to Thumb designing it.

Butte to the west and maybe even to The main problem with such designs is that what looks good on pathe San Franciscos to the north. Ifthe per does not necessarily translate to usage in real life. For example, it is building is structurally sound, what a rare to see an architectural rendering that includes surrounding structures perfect location for a boutique hotel — and streets that have actual vehicles on them, not to mention people. or, even better, senior housing.

Crossing from one line ofparking spaces over to the post office itselfreAny architects listening? quires more attention on the part ofpedestrian traffic than any other Prescott resident Alan Dean Foster is short walkway in Prescott, because drivers are either in a rush to leave or the author ofmore than 120 books. in a hurry to park.

Follow him at AlanDeanFoster.com.

The danger is compounded by the need for drivers to look in every direction simultaneously, a physical impossibility. I’ve seen hundreds (not dozens, hundreds) ofnear fender-benders barely avoided as two drivers

Two Prescott Playwrights in Winner's Circle for National Short Plays Fest

GailMangham rehearses her originalmonologue The Goldilocks Exit.

by Mary Timpany

Prescott residents Melanie Ewbank and Gail Mangham are among the female playwrights selected for the Winner's Circle ofthe 8th Annual National Little Black Dress INK Onstage Initiative, coming to Prescott this October.

Ewbank will present her winning monologue Out to Pasture, drawing on the history ofthe Hasbro Toy Company, which in 1981 produced a ten-inch tall, thick-bodied toy horse called My Pretty Pony. In 1983 My Little Pony hit the scene, and My Pretty Pony immediately slipped down the slope ofobsolescence.

Mangham's enactment ofher Winner's Circle work, The Goldilocks Exit, will offer a funny yet poignant commentary featuring a martinidrinking woman struggling to write a winning monologue that takes a troubling detour.

Local actors, directors, theatre techies and volunteers have brought their own skill sets to this year’s submissions. Ranging from ludicrous to sublime, from slapstick to quiet reflection, from oceans and bayous to highbrow restaurants and lowbrow bars, these plays take you on journeys that examine the depths ofthe human soul while commenting on the social landscape ofour times.

The featured winning finalists were selected through a nationwide peer-review process founded eight years ago by Prescott native Tiffany Antone Murphy. Her organization, Little Black Dress INK, provides opportunities and stage time to female playwrights from across the country.

"After eight years ofprocessing hundreds ofsubmissions annually, I continue to be amazed at the variety ofwork our Onstage Initiative attracts," said Murphy, currently an Iowa State University Department of Music Theatre lecturer and serving as Little Black Dress INK's Artistic Director. "Audiences will experience a range ofemotions as these short plays and monologues are performed. Swimming with Giants is a fun and diverse lineup ofworks, sure to include something for everyone."

You are invited to dive in and experience this year's festival, Melanie Ewbank contemplates Swimming with Giants, to showcase the winning short plays and My Little Pony andlife. monologues. They will be presented as staged readings by local directors and actors at First Congregational Church, 216 E. Gurley Street, on October 4 at 7pm, October 5 at 2pm, and at the Prescott Public Library October 6 at 2pm.

The production is made possible by the generosity ofthe City ofPrescott, a grant from the Prescott Area Arts and Humanities Council, and The Artist's Path. It's a great opportunity for Quad-City residents to support the arts by attending the readings, and to experience these new short plays written by women from across America. All proceeds will go toward a scholarship for a woman student majoring in the arts.

Donations will be accepted at the door. There will be refreshments and a raffle ofgift baskets, based on the featured plays, included as part ofthe festivities. Note: Some adult content.

MaryTimpany is Prescott's Swimming with Giants coordinator.

17•5enses

Swimming with Giants

5enses • 18

What's Up? by Adam England

T

oo often when we look to the sky we use equipment to zoom in on distant objects, searching for the proverbial “needle in the haystack,”

some nebula or galaxy that will dazzle us with something strange and exotic. Astronomers wait for the New Moon phase ofthe lunar cycle, despising the radiant light reflecting from the surface ofthe Moon and obscuring the dim light ofsuch “faint fuzzies,” as we like to call those distant objects. But for the backyard astronomer, the Moon itselfcan be one ofthe best viewing opportunities each and every month.

We see the colorized images from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and other ground and space-based observatories, and seldom see such images in our own telescope eyepieces. However, the gray surface tones ofthe Moon can offer some ofthe highest-contrast views possible with the average telescope or binoculars. At an average distance of239,000 miles from Earth, one can observe the Mare, the dark and relatively flat lunar plains, contrasting with the Terrae, the higher, lighter areas believed to have been formed by lunar magma flows. And, ofcourse, the craters from millions ofyears ofasteroid bombardment.

The face ofthe Moon that is always visible to us on Earth is known as the near side, and the opposite the dark side, a bit ofa misnomer, as the rotation and orbit ofthe moon affords both sides equal amounts of sunlight and darkness, just as we have day and night on Earth. The moon is tidally locked with Earth, meaning that it completes one full rotation in the same time that it completes one orbital revolution around the Earth. This keeps the near side permanently pointed toward the Earth, allowing us the same view ofthe Moon that humans have seen for thousands ofyears.

One might think that the best time to point a telescope at the moon is during the full phase, when the Sun is behind the Earth and blanketing the Moon with light that reflects back to us. However, in the lunar cycle’s first- and third-quarter phases, the Sun is at a perpendicular angle to the Moon as viewed from Earth, and this creates an extremely crisp contrast on the edges oflunar craters, making for some great evening viewing ofour closest celestial neighbor. In October 2019 the lunar first quarter is on October 5, full Moon on the 13th, third quarter the 21st, and new Moon on the 27th.

Ifyou would like to learn more about the sky, telescopes, or socialize with other amateur astronomers, visit us at prescottastronomyclub.org or Facebook @PrescottAstronomyClub to find the next star party, Star Talk, or event.

Local insurance broker Adam England moonlights as an amateur astronomer, writer, and interplanetary conquest consultant. Follow his rants and exploits on Twitter @AZSalesman or on Facebook @AenglandLM. Image by Adam England, taken in Prescott Valley 10/24/2017 with an iPhone and 8” dobsonian telescope.

19•5enses

Fair Attention to the Moon

Black-Necked Stilt Birdofthe Month by Russ Chappell

John West

Black-necked stilts are easily identified by their small heads, long necks, long, slender black bills, elegant blackwhite plumage, and high-pitched yapping calls when disturbed.

Art Walk Participants

Artist receptions, openings, and demonstrations at more than a dozen galleries Arts Prescott Co-op Gallery 134 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-7717 Art2 120 W. Gurley St., 928-499-4428 ButiFULL 211 N. Granite St., 928-848-4767 Hotel Vendome 230 S. Cortez St., 928-776-0900 Huckeba Art Gallery 227 W. Gurley St., 928-445-3848 Ian Russell Gallery 130 S. Montezuma St., 928-445-7009 Kriegers 110 S. Montezuma St. Ste. F, 928-778-4900 Mountain Artists Guild, 228 N. Alarcon St., 928-445-2510 Natural History Institute, 126 N Marina St., 928-863-3232 Parlor Gallery 102 E. Union St., 208-908-1758 Prescott Center for the Arts Gallery 208 N. Marina St., 928-445-3286 Random Art 214 N. McCormick St., 928-308-7355 Sean GotĂŠ Gallery 702 W. Gurley St., 928-445-2233 'Tis Art Center & Gallery 105 S. Cortez St., 928-775-0223 Thumb Butte Distillery, 400 N. Washington Ave., 928-443-8498 Van Gogh's Ear 156 S. Montezuma St., 928-776-1080 Weir Gallery 110 S. Montezuma St. Ste. 1, 307-371-1910 Yavapai College Art Gallery 1100 E. Sheldon St., 928-445-7300

Their long, pink legs are the second-longest in proportion to their bodies ofany bird excepting flamingos! The general size for both sexes is between a robin and a crow, about 18" tall, 13.8 to 15.3" in length, wingspans of28 to 30", and weighing slightly over six ounces.

Black-necked stilts spend much oftheir day foraging for invertebrates, crustaceans, amphibians, snails, larval mosquitoes, a variety offlies, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, crayfish, shrimp, tadpoles, smaller frogs and fish, which they cleverly herd into shallow waters for easy catching. Seeds and vegetation also form a small part oftheir diet.

Parents work together constructing a nest on a small island, clump ofvegetation or occasionally floating algae. The nest is about two inches deep and often lined with materials lfrom close by, such as grass, shells, mud chips, pebbles and bones, while some nests are left unlined.

There is one brood per season, consisting oftwo to five, olive- to light drab-colored eggs, with dark brown speckles. The chicks hatch in about a month, covered with down, and are able to run within hours.

The parents aggressively defend their nests and chicks by flying around and calling loudly, or they may fake an injury, like a killdeer. It is common for groups ofadult black-necked stilts to join forces, surround an approaching ground predator and harass it by jumping, hopping and flapping their wings in angry displays to drive the intruder away.

The North American Breeding Bird Survey reports that the blacknecked stilt population has been stable in North America since 1966.

As November approaches, the opportunity to spot black-necked stilts in the Prescott area will diminish as they continue their migration south. However, recently these shorebirds have been sighted at Willow, Watson and Lynx Lakes, so grab your binoculars or spotting scope,, visit some ofour beautiful lakes, and add this magnificent species to your 2019 list!

The Prescott Audobon Society is an official chapter ofthe National Audobon ociety. Check it out online at PrescottAudobon.com.

by Peregrine Book Company staff

Fen

by Daisy Johnson

This is Johnson's debut short-story collection.

These stories are quick and eerie reads. Daisy's writing can seem like it takes place in our world if everything is just slightly off. — David

The Institute

by Stephen King

You know how you threw The Shining into the freezer to pretend it didn't exist for a bit? Well get ready, because King has delivered another freaky, genuinely human horror story that will leave you looking over your shoulder for days afterward. Be prepared to read it well into the night (Exactly when you shouldn't be reading a King Novel. Or perhaps that's exactly when you should.) — Susannah

Lovecraft Country

by Matt Ruff

This is a creative and satisfying take on the genre, made all the more terrifying by the grim reality ofAmerican racism. It should be required reading for all fans ofcosmic horror.

— Jasper

The Occult

by Colin Wilson

Wilson was a true believer in science, but in this attempt to take an unbiased look at historical accounts ofoccult-related incidents, he begins to lean toward beliefby the end ofthe book. It's an

excellent starting point for anyone curious about the unexplained. — Josef

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?

by Caitlin Doughty

Do you have questions about death? Say no more! Death enthusiast Caitlin Doughty has come out with another wonderful read, this time answering pressing (and often weird) questions (from kids), while bringing her honest and straightforward humor to a topic people tend to shy away from. It's a delightful, creepy read!

The Fisherman

by John Langan

This novel is a potent mix ofcosmic menace, human frailties and dark folklore.

Two stories take place along different timelines and intersect in a colossal finale. I fell in love with Langan's writing from the first page. Illusory, frightening, and deeply moving, The Fisherman is a modern horror epic, and simply a must-read.

Funny Bones: Posada and His Day ofthe Dead Calaveras

by Duncan Tonatiuh

Funny Bones tells the story ofthe Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada, who popularized calaveras (skulls and skeletons) as a form ofpolitical protest.

His artwork is very much tied to el Dia de Muertos (Day ofthe Dead) celebrations. The book provides his biography and info about the holiday.

21•5enses

On the Shelves

5enses • 22

23•5enses