Recently I met the band Big Fat Marker at a basement show in New Brunswick. I was so impressed by the fluidity of their sound and the chemistry between the band members that I felt obliged to say a few words about what I heard.

I recently read Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader and watched the film adaptation directed by Stephen Daldry, and I found myself as conflicted as the main character and narrator, Michael Berg. The book offers more insight than the film because, since the story is told in first person narrative, it allows direct access to Michael’s thoughts.

The Alfa Art Gallery invites you to join us for an evening with the exhibiting artists of the New Brunswick Art Salon, Spring’11. If you missed the opening receptions on April 22nd and May 13th, this is not only the perfect chance to see some amazing works but is also the opportunity to get an inside look on the creative process of each artist. The artists will work on their respective art pieces at the Alfa Art Gallery as well as give informative talks on their inspirations.

The Alfa Art Gallery would like to invite artists to submit work for the New Brunswick Art Salon, Fall ’11. There are two artist categories: newly emerging artists and professional artists. All submissions must be in by September 25. Artists will be notified if their work is accepted by September 30. The exhibition opening will be held on Friday, October 21.

Collaborative Arts (coLAB Arts) is a non-profit organization located in New Brunswick, NJ, dedicated to the development and presentation of emerging local artists. coLAB Arts’ mission is to cultivate a hip, mindful, and inclusive Hub City community of artists, audiences, and critics, empowered to create inspired and inspiring art.

blackest canopies over this longing suburban town and also the very night time shade of navy where unsinkable ships have glided with coy buoyancy into silence

New Brunswick’s own Art Salon. Starts April 22nd and runs through May 12th at the Alfa Art Gallery on Church Street.

As Managing Editor of the JVP, I’ve spent the past few months working closely with Editor-In-Chief Matia Guardabascio. I’ve been exposed to her sharp-wit, her strong analytic skills, and her love of literature and music. Business meetings, however, can only let one so far in to the life of another. A Q and A can provide even further access, as is the case with this interview, wherein myself and readers get to learn about Matia’s upbringing and stargazing, amongst other things. The best way to get to know someone, as Matia herself points out, remains to be through casual conversation and plain-old hanging out. But until you have the pleasure of chatting with Matia herself, this Q and A will have to hold you over.

I love watching films. More specifically, I love watching French films. For decades, French cinema has challenged taboos with its raw illustration of nudity, sexual acts, and surrealist story lines. The results have left me amazed, filled with laughter, surprised, horrified, saddened, and confused. Plenty of people, however, avoid French Cinema for the very reasons I’m drawn to it. Perhaps they don’t want to be shocked. But I think that sometimes pushing boundaries can feel very exciting.

I have had an uncertain relationship with “non-conformity” since high school. In my early teens, I thought non-conformity could be found in Hot Topic, that scary looking shop in the mall. I shake my head thinking about the babysitting dollars I drained on plastic jelly bracelets and mass produced t-shirts. I used their “weird” and “different” clothing to express a certain discomfort with myself, because I didn’t want to fit in with everybody else.