Tortoises and a telethon

Book talks, music and an old-school variety show in Isthmus Picks for Nov. 12-19

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So…the 2020 election season has passed. Except for the continuing counting, and lawsuits, and run-offs...gah. To provide a bit of normalcy, we hope it's handy for you to find the Picks in a single weekly post. Of course, the individual Picks can still be found in the usual places online: collected here, and sprinkled throughout all the events.

Fueling Discovery, Thursday, Nov. 12, 6 pm: The Wisconsin Alumni Association is partnering with the College of Letters & Science on a new livestream series focusing on research at UW-Madison. Moderated by Dean Eric Wilcots, the initial offering features topics from storytelling to quantum science, discussed by Caroline Gottschalk Druschke (English), Diane Gooding (psychology), and Mark Saffman (physics). Register here for the livestream link.

Black Arts Matter Festival, Thursdays, Nov. 12 (6 pm) and Nov. 19 (7 pm): This year's virtual edition of the Black Arts Matter Festival continues on Nov. 12 with a concert and lesson on creating music using looper technology by saxophonist and vocalist Braxton Cook (pictured). The event wraps up on Nov. 19 with a nationwide poetry slam. The events are co-produced by Shasparay Irvin, an interdisciplinary artist, slam poet and UW-Madison alum, and the Wisconsin Union Theater. Watch on YouTube or Facebook.

Dennis Dresang, Thursday, Nov. 12, 7 pm: Hundreds have already registered for this event but, because it’s virtual, there is room for all! Dennis Dresang, professor emeritus of UW-Madison’s La Follette School of Public Affairs, will discuss his latest book, Patrick J. Lucey: A Lasting Legacy, in a panel discussion with former Govs. Jim Doyle and Scott McCallum. In his book, Dresang relies on interviews and “unprecedented access to archival materials” to tell the story of Wisconsin’s 38th governor, who served from 1971 to 1977. Among Lucey’s legacy is the creation of the UW System. Susan Webb Yackee, director of La Follette, will moderate the discussion. Register here for the free event.

Wisconsin's Path Forward: Election and Redistricting, Thursday, Nov. 12, 7 pm: In Wisconsin’s last round of redistricting, in 2011, the Republican-controlled Legislature, and its lawyers, drew legislative maps in secret. Since then, Republicans have maintained control of both the Assembly and Senate, even as Democrats won all statewide elected offices 2018. And, now, the state has voted for Democrat Joe Biden over Republican Donald Trump as president. The Legislature will begin working on new maps next year, and nonpartisan groups are advocating for fairer maps that are free of partisan bias. The League of Women Voters of Dane County is hosting a virtual panel discussion on the steps needed to achieve that goal, moderated by former Wisconsin Public Radio host Joy Cardin (pictured); register here.

OutReach Awards Banquet, Friday, Nov. 13, 7 pm: This annual fete organized by Madison's LGBTQ+ community center will be a livestream event, once again emceed by WISC-TV host and theater-maker Michael Bruno. The featured speaker is Gov. Tony Evers, and music will be provided by Grey Genius. While this year's virtual event is free to view, don't forget it's traditionally a fundraiser for OutReach.

Queer Shorts: 48 Hour Edition, Nov. 13-29: We can't come together in a theater yet, but that hasn't stopped StageQ from not only creating a virtual edition of its annual short plays festival, but upping the ante by having the playwrights and actors put it all together in 48 hours. As the troupe's press release puts it: “No one knows what stories will emerge from this blitz but they are sure to be fresh, timely, and queer!” Before COVID-19 's cancellations, StageQ was planning an ambitious production of A Chorus Line, which is now postponed until the 2021-22 season. Find tickets for Queer Shorts here.

Arts for All Wisconsin Telethon, Saturday, Nov. 14, 1-8 pm: The venerable Madison-based nonprofit (formerly VSA Wisconsin) providing access to arts opportunities for those of all abilities is throwing a livestream shindig to help raise funds to continue its mission. Arts of all kinds are on the schedule, including music (Freedy Johnston, The Belle Weather, Broadway star Karen Olivo, Brian Ritchie (pictured) from the Violent Femmes, and many others), aerial dance (Luv Joy Seamon), theater (Marcus Truschinski and Connie Alsum), comedy (Johnny Walsh), and even a film screening (Feeling Through). Call 608-241-2131 during the event to donate, or find the online donation portal here, along with the full event schedule. Learn more by reading Catherine Capellaro's preview.

Future Retro, Saturday, Nov. 14, 6 pm: A trip to the Barrymore for the annual ski and snowboard film from Warren Miller Entertainment is a fall tradition in Madison that won't be happening in 2020. However, WME will preserve the tradition with the premiere of Future Retro on Saturday, with a virtual event featuring the film and a red-carpet style introductory event. Future Retro features skiers Lexi duPont (pictured) and Amie Engerbretson in Switzerland; snowboarders Elena Hight, Danny Davis and Nick Russell in Antarctica; and freeskiers Baker Boyd and Victor Major touring Iceland. Tickets here.

Hiroya Tsukamoto, Sunday, Nov. 15, 7 pm: A recent second place finisher in the annual Walnut Valley Festival International Finger Style Guitar Championship, Hiroya Tsukamoto has been performing around the world since first coming to the U.S. to study at Berklee College of Music in 2000. Tsukamoto is also an accomplished composer, and his fluid style makes playing the guitar look like the easiest thing in the world. Catch a livestream concert hosted by Arts + Literature Laboratory on Facebook Live.

Jerry Apps, Monday, Nov. 16, noon: Certainly at this point author Jerry Apps should be considered a state treasure. He has chronicled Wisconsin's culture, history and lore in many works of nonfiction. In this Zoom conference he shares some of the craft of writing and storytelling and the benefits of keeping a journal in a talk based on his new book, The Old Timer Says: A Writing Journal.

Claudia Rankine, Monday, Nov. 16, 7 pm: Probably in the olden times you wouldn't have traveled to Portland, Oregon, just to attend the Portland Book Festival, but now it's a matter of joining a Crowdcast. In a presentation made possible in part via a collaboration with our own Wisconsin Book Festival, the poet Claudia Rankine (Citizen: An American Lyric) and poet Jericho Brown (The Tradition, a Pulitzer Prize winner) will discuss Just Us, Rankine’s genre-blending (or genre-expanding) collection, which centers on matters of race in the U.S.

TELLABRATION! Tuesday (9:30 am), Thursday (4:30 pm) & Saturday (10:30 am), Nov. 17-21: An international annual event traditionally held in November, the TELLABRATION! storytelling and music event was created by the National Storytelling Network more than three decades ago. Monona Library hosts its 13th annual local event virtually in 2020, with Facebook live events on Tuesday (for ages 4-9, featuring Sheila Arnold) and Thursday (ages 2-7, with Karen Wendt, Kay Weeden and music by Duke Otherwise). On Saturday, pre-recorded stories and music by nine performers will be featured (for 24 hours only) at the library's TELLABRATION! page.

City Dreamers, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 6 pm: The concept of planning urban environments that are welcoming and accessible to all will only grow more important in our increasingly globalized and diverse society. City Dreamers is a new documentary focusing on four architects whose names you may not recognize (yet) — Phyllis Lambert, Blanche Lemco van Ginkel, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander and Denise Scott Brown (pictured) — who have made a difference in city planning in North America and Europe. Director Joseph Hillel will participate in a Q&A following the screening. Tickets for this virtual event, hosted by Monona Terrace, are limited; register here.

Tortoises All the Way Down, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 6:30 pm: “It's a book about the ways we need to understand how deeply everything is entangled, and just how far down it goes,” says Genevieve Valentine in an NPR review of UW associate professor Elizabeth Hennessy's 2019 book On the Backs of Tortoises: Darwin, the Galápagos, and the Fate of an Evolutionary Eden. The concept of connection is applicable far beyond the Galápagos Islands. Hennessy and environmental writer Emma Marris will discuss the book in a livestream from the Nelson Institute, on YouTube; register to receive the link.

Daddy Long Legs, Nov. 18-28: Jean Webster's 1912 novel Daddy-Long-Legs has been adapted for the stage, films and television numerous times in the last century. Capital City Theatre's production is a recent transformation into a two-person musical (starring Kailey Boyle and Kevin McAllister, pictured), with a book by John Caird and music by Paul Gordon. It tells the story of an orphan whose life is changed by the arrival of a mysterious benefactor and a new relationship. View this prerecorded virtual production anytime Nov. 18-28 with a ticket purchase. (Note: The dates have changed due to a production delay).

Wednesday Nite at the Lab, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 7 pm: First off, there is a Center for Railroad Photography & Art. And it is in Madison! Has this escaped your attention? Let it elude you no longer. Scott Lothes of the Center, which seeks to preserve and present significant images of railroading, will speak on “Representations of Railroading From the 1820s.” Now that we have a Train Nerd as president-elect, this one is a must. Maybe Joe will even Zoom in. RSVP for link for this free UW Alumni Association lecture.

Mess Night at the Museum, Thursday, Nov. 19, 7 pm: UW-Madison art professor Tom Jones is an expert (maybe the expert) in photo representations of Native peoples. He will discuss his experiences with the Memorial Day celebrations of Ho-Chunk veterans, a project that he has been involved with since 1998, and his own photography of Native people. Register here.

Midwest Video Poetry Festival, Thursday-Friday, Nov. 19-20, 7 pm: This is a contemporary poetry festival meant to be virtual. The fest, founded and executive directed by Madison poet Rita Mae Reese, will screen submissions that range from 30 seconds to about 10 minutes in length. They take full advantage of the video medium and often feature visual art along with spoken word. Organizers received 1,600-some submissions from artists, poets, and filmmakers in 91 countries. Presented by Madison’s Arts + Literature Laboratory, screenings will take place from 7-8:30 pm each day via livestream on YouTube.