With Thanksgiving now over, a sense of Christmas has begun to gather in the air, and I haven't even started shopping for presents.
Businesses are playing Christmas music and setting up holiday displays, area residents have begun decorating their homes, downtown Jamestown got its annual festive makeover, and the Christmas parade is on the horizon. Yet, even with so many reminders, I still haven't started shopping.
When shopping for presents I always keep in mind that gift giving is an opportunity to show someone that I care enough to listen. For me, gifting isn't about getting something shiny and new for someone I care about. Rather, it's a process of getting to know someone so that when they tear open that wrapping paper, they'll find a little piece of themselves hidden within.
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Dusten Rader
I think that it is important to treat yourself to something during the holidays as well. No one knows you better than yourself, so, take the opportunity to show yourself that you care by listening to your own needs. That's why I'll be treating myself to a really neat book that I stumbled upon called "The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories."
The book was originally self-published in 2010 by hitRECord.org, a company founded by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt which shares 50 percent of profit with the artists who contribute. The book's success then led to it becoming published by It Books, an imprint of Harper Collins, in December of 2011. It featured the collaborative work of 67 artists from more than 8,500 contributions to hitRECord.org. How the "open collaborative production company" works is that artists submit their work to the website, and other artists can then expand on the concepts that inspire them. "The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories" is a result of the collaborative process that hitRECord.org employs.
"The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories" is actually volume one of a three-book series. Volume two was released this November, and features 62 artists from 14,946 contributions. And, volume three will be released in the fall of 2013.
The thing that originally drew me to "The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories" was a slogan I noticed while browsing NPR.org, which says, "The universe is not made of atoms; it's made of tiny stories." As a writer, that statement hits very close to home. I've found that there is a story worth sharing in every aspect of life. To me, sitting hunched over a keyboard is only a small fraction of the writing process. Writing happens every moment of every day, and everything is an inspiration. Even when I don't have a pen to put to paper, I'm still writing in my head. And, that's why my universe is made up of tiny stories.
In addition to the publications, hitRECord.org also releases records, hosts concerts and produces animated and live-action short films that have been screened at Sundance.
HIGHLIGHTS
The Jamestown Christmas Parade Is Friday: "A Tradition of Caring at Christmas" is the theme for this year's Christmas Parade. Lineup will begin at 5 p.m. on West Third Street.
Prior to the parade guests will be entertained at Tracy Plaza by Razz and Friends. Once the parade arrives at Tracy Plaza, Yara Olmo, marshal, will sing the national anthem. Following the anthem Mayor Sam Teresi will light this year's "Grand Christmas Tree." At the end of the parade Santa will make an appearance. The Jamestown Fire Department will hold the "Snowball Drop" at the corner of Third and Spring streets. It will be followed by a fireworks show by Young's Explosives of Rochester.
Infinity To Hold Christmas Parade Performance: In conjunction with the annual Jamestown Christmas Parade on Friday, Infinity will host a holiday-themed performance at the Infinity Arts Cafe from 7-9 p.m. Infinity students will entertain the crowd with holiday music and much more. The event is free and open to the public. Infinity is an all-ages, family friendly venue. Those who would like to perform can call 664-0991.
SUNY Fredonia's 'The Piano Lesson' Starts Friday: The SUNY Fredonia Department of Theatre and Dance will present its production of "The Piano Lesson" beginning on Friday.
In addition to featuring the work of one of the great American playwrights of the 20th century, the Walter Gloor Mainstage offering will be the first production in the history of the department to feature an entirely African-American cast.
"The Piano Lesson" was written by August Wilson, an African-American playwright who earned numerous awards for his works - including both a Tony Award for best play and a Pulitzer Prize for best drama for "The Piano Lesson."
The play tells of a family struggling with the past and the future as they debate whether to sell a valuable antique piano. Boy Willie, a sharecropper, wants to sell it in order to purchase the land upon which his ancestors toiled as slaves. His sister, Berneice, believes the family should hold on to the heirloom. It features a cast of eight, with two of the roles being double cast to allow more opportunities for the student actors.
Six performances are planned beginning Friday, and the final production is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 8, in Bartlett Theatre at Rockefeller Arts Center on the SUNY Fredonia campus. Dates and show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; 2 p.m. on Sunday; and Thursday, Dec. 6, Friday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m.
"The Piano Lesson" contains adult content and language and is not suitable for younger viewers.
Tickets are available through the SUNY Fredonia Ticket Office in the Williams Center, by calling 673-3501 or online at fredonia.edu/tickets.
Live at the Met Season Features "La Clemenza di Tito": The 1891 Fredonia Opera House continues the 2012-13 season with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's final Italian opera, "La Clemenza di Tito," on Saturday at 1 p.m.
"La Clemenza di Tito" is about a Roman emperor who is the subject of a vengeful woman's assassination scheme. The cast includes Elina Garanca in the trousers role of Sesto, a young nobleman in love with the passionate Vitellia, sung by Barbara Frittoli. Giuseppe Filianoti sings the role of the emperor Tito, with Lucy Crowe, in her Met debut, and Kate Lindsey as the young lovers Servilia and Annio.
Tickets are $20, or $15 for students, and may be purchased in person at the Opera House Box Office, by phone at 679-1891 or online at fredopera.org.
HAPPENINGS
To include an upcoming show or event in this column, email drader@post-journal.com or call 487-1111 ext. 253 by Monday.
Tonight
Holiday Concert With Brenda Lee: 1:30 p.m., Seneca Allegany Casino Events Center, 777 Seneca Allegany Boulevard in Salamanca.
Blue Grass Jam: 7-10 p.m., Celoron Legion, 26 Jackson Ave. in Celoron. Area bluegrass musicians are welcome to sit in and play.
Friday
Classic Rock with Spencer Drake and Jeff Bucklin: 6-9 p.m., Miraglia Gallery, 108 E. Second St. in Jamestown.
Holiday Concert With Brenda Lee: 7 p.m., Seneca Allegany Casino Events Center, 777 Seneca Allegany Boulevard in Salamanca.
The Living Christmas Tree's "An Evening in December": 8 p.m., First Covenant Church's sanctuary, 520 Spring St. in Jamestown.
Ray D. O'Flyer: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., Lakeview Hotel, 13 Water St. in Mayville.
Subsoil and Slo-Mo: 9 p.m., MoJo's, 104 E. Second St. in Jamestown.
Saturday
Holiday Concert With Brenda Lee: 7 p.m., Seneca Allegany Casino Events Center, 777 Seneca Allegany Boulevard in Salamanca.
The Living Christmas Tree's "An Evening in December": 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., First Covenant Church's sanctuary, 520 Spring St. in Jamestown.
Opera House Cinema Series To Screen "Argo": 8 p.m., 1891 Fredonia Opera House, 9 Church St. in Fredonia.
Planet Fred: 8 p.m. to midnight, Celoron Legion, 26 Jackson Ave. in Celoron.
Old Sneakers With Warren Sischo And Howard McAvoy: 9 p.m. to midnight, Steener's Pub, 322 Route 430 in Greenhurst.
Sunday
Holiday Concert With Brenda Lee: 1:30 p.m., Seneca Allegany Casino Events Center, 777 Seneca Allegany Boulevard in Salamanca.
The Living Christmas Tree's "An Evening in December": 5 p.m., First Covenant Church's sanctuary, 520 Spring St. in Jamestown.
Tuesday
Opera House Cinema Series To Screen "Argo": 7:30 p.m., 1891 Fredonia Opera House, 9 Church St. in Fredonia.