Issue 360 – December 2018 cover art

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ABOUT THE COVER: Intangibles and the impossible become veritably real through literature, reading and writing. For our second Local Literary Issue, David Habben (Habbenink) captures the physical, gestural and conceptual in-betweens of this figure’s act of reading—an imprint of how we assemble words in our psyches. Find more of Habben’s work at habbenink.com.

(L–R) Milo Carrier and Elaine Sayer nestled into one of The Dayroom's well-lit nooks. Photo: Malissa Mabey @lissmabey

The Dayroom

By Parker Scott Mortensen [Posted December 11, 2018]

Elaine Sayer walks me through the foundational tenets of The Dayroom. She handles beverages and curation while Milo Carrier does food, and Emily Gassmann owns and operates the building. … read more

Photo courtesy of metallica.com.

Metallica @ Vivint Smart Home Arena 11.30 w/ Jim Breuer

By Zaina Abujebarah [Posted December 7, 2018]

Seeing Metallica and all of their glory in my hometown was overwhelmingly fun. It was a thrill from start to finish, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. … read more

The added java may not affect the color, but it is a stronghold on the aroma. Photo: Chris Hollands

Coffee Cream Ale

By Chris and Sylvia Hollands [Posted December 6, 2018]

Coffee Cream Ale from Kiitos Brewing carried home a gold medal from this year’s Great American Beer Festival. We agree with the judges’ assessment that Coffee Cream Ale is one of the best coffee beers in the land. … read more

Episode #300 – Sally Yoo

[Posted December 7, 2018]

For this episode of Soundwaves, local electronic artist Sally Yoo stops by to talk about her recent album, Tender, and her new sound. … read more

Joel Long is one of a handful of volunteers who help to evoke literary magic at the free CITYART reading series at the Downtown Salt Lake City Public Library. Photo: Scott Frederick

CITYART Reading Series

By Jesse Hawlish [Posted December 6, 2018]

In 2019, CITYART will be celebrating its 30th anniversary. By far the longest-running reading series in the state, it is organized and operated entirely by volunteers like Joel Long and Michael McLane. … read more

Photo Courtesy of Netflix

Roma

By Jimmy Martin [Posted December 6, 2018]

Whether it’s a grand-scale production like Gravity or a fly-on-the-wall observatory project like Roma, the creativity and passion that flows on the screen is undeniable. The raw emotion packs a punch that’ll leave audiences with something to ponder on the drive home. … read more

(L–R) Alec Stanczyk, Matt Baird, Riachle Child and Jaxon Harrop push boundaries by providing as one of the only heavy-music instrumental bands in Utah. Photo: Lmsorenson.net

Hemwick

By Zaina Abujebarah [Posted December 6, 2018]

Because Utah has such a robust heavy-music scene, Hemwick wanted to do something special within their songwriting processes to stand out among the rest. “There are no tricks and gizmos,” Baird says. “It’s pure passion.” … read more

Stephanie Leaks intertwines their sensory sensitivity with their writing skills to provide a unique reading experience. Photo: Colton Marsala

Stephanie Leaks

By Parker Scott Mortensen [Posted December 6, 2018]

Earlier this year, Stephanie Leaks identified as an alt-sensory poet, which they describe as an exploration of abstract feelings that’s grounded in physical sensation. … read more

Mike Brown finds the Christmas spirit in the fact that kids still love to get and play video games for Christmas. Illustration: donnellysme.com

Mike Brown: The Christmas Spirit!

By Mike Brown [Posted December 6, 2018]

We increase in age, and along with the Christmas spirit and holiday, so does seasonal depression. The magic of Christmas just doesn’t have the same glow as we become adults by definition of age. … read more

In her essay Desert Cabal, Amy Irvine takes on Utah’s beloved Edward Abbey and Desert Solitaire with an intersectional-feminist response about wildness and environmental issues. Photo: Christy Calvin

Amy Irvine

By Paige Zuckerman [Posted December 6, 2018]

Amy Irvine is indeed seeking to drum up a different dialogue and practice around the patriarchal origins of being in and fighting for the wild—and the often grossly individualistic entitlement to wild spaces and resources. … read more

Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate

Robin Hood

By Jimmy Martin [Posted December 6, 2018]

While there are still many similarities to the previous productions of Robin Hood (honestly, how could it not?), the modernization comes in the form of Bathurst’s intense action sequences, which come across more like a current military operation rather than medieval combat. … read more

Sage Kotsenburg – Mid-Frontside 7 – Brighton Resort Backcountry, Utah. Photo: Jack Dawe

Sage Kotsenburg

By Jack Dawe [Posted December 6, 2018]

Make sure to go give Video of the Year a watch, streaming free on lickthecatworldwide.com. … read more

Giuliana Serena curates The Bee to bring people together through participants telling and hearing true, personal stories. Photo: Trevor Christensen

The Bee

By Ali Shimkus [Posted December 6, 2018]

The Bee is a story slam that has joined storytellers together for workshops, curated shows and “lovingly” competitive storytelling since 2014. … read more

Kendall Woodhouse – Nose Slide – SLC, Utah. Photo: CJ Anderson

Kendall Woodhouse

By CJ Anderson [Posted December 6, 2018]

Kendall Woodhouse started trying this nose slide at the end of the session while everyone was getting in their cars and packing up to head to the next spot. I watched and captured this photo as I was packing up my gear as well. … read more

Jack Garcia is the Editor and co-creator of Utah Valley’s peculiar literary journal and hopes to create a platform for fellow LGBTQ+ creatives. Photo Courtesy of Jack Garcia

peculiar

By Naomi Clegg [Posted December 6, 2018]

Backed by a Kickstarter campaign, the staff—whom Aaron Gates says they refer to as their “peculiar family”—released their first issue in May of 2015, 80 pages that featured 21 Utah-based LGBTQ+ writers. … read more

Content Shifter: 8 Xmas Excursions

By Bill Frost [Posted December 6, 2018]

Who doesn’t like Christmas? OK, let me rephrase that: Who doesn’t like Christmas as experienced with a steady, carefully—and in some states, legally—maintained buzz throughout the final weeks of the year? Your mumbled approval is noted. … read more

December Local Music Reviews 2018

[Posted December 6, 2018]

Reviews of new releases from salty city locals like Janie Jones, Hot House West, Repulse and more!

National Music Reviews December 2018

[Posted December 6, 2018]

December reviews of the latest releases from artists like Reverend Horton Heat, The 1975, Jeff Tweedy and more throughout the month.

Tucker White likes to think of writing as sharing his journals with the public through a lens of a different character. Photo: LmSorensen.net

Tucker White

By Bianca Velasquez [Posted December 6, 2018]

The aim for Tucker White is not to become the traditional sense of a “writer,” but to sit down and unveil the story hidden in the nooks and crannies of his subconscious by writing through improvisation. … read more

Associate Director Kati Lewis helps the SLCC Community Writing Center offer writing assistance to the public. Photo: Ceza Dzwala

SLCC Community Writing Center

By Billy Swartzfager [Posted December 6, 2018]

Salt Lake Community College’s Community Writing Center, located in Library Square, has been helping writers of all abilities for 17 years. The CWC provides many services to anyone in the community looking for assistance with whatever writing project they are working on. … read more