POE, TIMES TWO
Twin tales of mystery, murder and …mortar.

Greg Oliver Bodine returns to Asbury Park to perform his critically acclaimed POE, TIMES TWO — A double-bill of short, one-man plays adapted from two classic stories of mystery and horror, “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Black Cat”, by Edgar Allan Poe.

Truly an evening of good old-fashioned thrills, chills and all things spooky — a must-see for Poe enthusiasts and fans of mystery and horror!  Suitable for adults and for children 12 and over.  A perfect treat for the Halloween season!

TICKETS: $20 at the door.

WHERE:  Paranormal Books & Curiosities
627 Cookman Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Tel. (732) 455-3188  ~ Website: www.paranormalbooksnj.com

WHEN:  October 7 at 7:00pm.  One night only!!  Arrive early – seating is limited!

Oct. 7 s the anniversary of Poe’s death.  Remember his greatness and join us after the show for a beverage inhis honor!

Oct. 10 from 3 – 5 pm Michael Boatman will be on hand to sign copies and read excerpts from his new novel, The Revenent Road. Paranormal Boks & Curiosities is at 627 Cookman Avenue.

Excerpt:
“Obadiah Grudge is tall, dark, and … gaunt, though he prefers the word rich. He dresses well and has a taste for the finer things, so it’s a good thing that the mysteries he writes consistently hit the top of the bestseller lists. The critics hate him; his public loves him. He’s got everything he wants. Then one day he gets a call. His estranged father is dead, and it’s time for the family funeral. While his mother, his father’s partner, and finally his father’s ghost work to convince Obadiah that he’s special, Obadiah is discovering that for himself. He barely escapes death by deranged killers, not all of whom are entirely human. Obadiah has inherited his father’s monster-killing business, his lunatic of a partner, and his pet Raven. It’s too bad he didn’t inherit his father’s skill. It seems Dad’s death has put Obadiah’s feet on The Revenant Road, and there’s no escape from that. Including the bonus story: “Neville and the Midnight Miracle Massacre” Neville, Grudge’s partner in the monster killing business, came by his mistrust of religion and his hatred of monsters early, but he’s never liked to talk about it. Then Neville disappears, and Obadiah finds he has to get nosy if he’s ever going to be the monster-killing partner his father was.

Michael Patrick Boatman is a critically acclaimed American actor, screenwriter and novelist. He is best known for his roles as U.S. Army Specialist Samuel Beckett in the ABC drama China Beach, as New York City mayoral aide Carter Heywood in Spin City and as sports agent Stanley Babson in the HBO series Arli$$.

Asbury Park pioneer, House of Modern Living along with the still young Parlor Gallery and Shelter Home has excitedly welcomed recent additions Heaven (art gallery and antiques) as well as independent movie house The Showroom to the neighborhood.  To celebrate the Art Bloc, Parlor has invited artist friends to create vignettes showcasing furniture, paintings, and limited addition artist wallpaper and pillows.

Art Bloc will feature James Vance, Adam Wallacavage & Curio, Netherland, Billy Meisch (House of Modern Living), Scott Hamm & Gene Mignola (Shelter Home), Porkchop & The Parlor Crew, Jenny Hart, Future Retrieval, James Byers, Sarina Brewer (whose Punk Peep is shown above), Treatzone, Robert Melee, and more.
Art Bloc
Group Exhibition October 3- November 8
Opening Reception October 3, from 7-11pm
More info at www.parlor-gallery.com

I tried to think of something clever to say, like, “The Dead will rise and overtake the blabbity blah blah”. I don’t know if I am too tired to think or if in fact the New Jersey Zombie Walk has simply grown beyond a cutesy little tag line. It is still in its infancy and yet, in all my time here in Asbury Park, nothing, no other single event has been so completely embraced and anticipated as this one.

I think I understand why, on an innate level. It is simply, extremely cool. Not “hip” or “artsy” or any other socially predictable or deeper reason. A thousand people showing up, dipping themselves in blood and dragging their carcasses through the city is simply, cool. It just is. And fun. Let us not forget that it is okay to have fun.

Part of what makes it so cool is that Christina and Jason Meehan, the wife and husband team that have created this phenomena have done such an amazing job that no matter how hard we look, we can not see the strings. These two are talented in so many ways, but maybe the most impressive is their attention to detail.

They have seamlessly woven so many people and things and ideas together that it hardly seems possible that this is a grass roots event, but check out their face book pages and see the boxes of zombie swag they have created piled high in their living room and you get it. They love this and they want to share it. They are doing as much as they possibly can to make the illusion complete. They prove that passion and dedication go a long way.  They do not judge their event by the $ they get, but by the number of people they share their event with.

I have heard many complaints since I have been in Asbury Park, most of them born of the frustration one feels when they see missed opportunities or failures that could be averted. I admit it, I am probably more guilty of these musings than many others. One of the biggest complaints is that we can not find a way to “Bridge the Gap between the the Downtown and the Boardwalk”. It is, it seems, a veritable Gregorian Knot. I suppose, then, it is fitting that two brain eating reanimated corpses have succeeded where all others have failed. The Zombie Walk covers both territories and rather thank trying to “Bridge the Gap”, they fill it, granted, with the walking dead, but they fill it nonetheless.

There is a lesson in all that. Probably many. They don’t choose sides. The lesson I see is that two residents from our fair city found something they love and they brought to a place they love and they gave it to all of us. And that, to me, is cool.

Go Zombies

There was an excitement to its cityscape, something so unique and so utterly unexpected.  So, like many, I packed up my reservations, threw what caution I had to the wind and plopped myself down in the middle of this City by the Sea.  What I did not know, at the time, was that this “City” was really a lovely little town, with a lovely little town community.  Yes, it still has all of the big city charm and the big city problems, but it has more.

When I cross the street, people shout out hellos to me.  When I stop someplace for a bite, people come to the table.  And if for a moment my ego allowed me to think that this was me, I notice people standing on the street chatting.  I see people within my store waving across the street to diners at Munch.  I never knew I was missing t hat.  But I was.  I missed out on the small town community.  Who knew I would find it in this growing city?

“Pathways to Greatness: 77 Inspirational Essays from the Greatness Project,” is available now through Great Insights Press (www.GreatInsightsPress.com, $16.95). The book is project of authors Scott Asalone and Jan Sparrow, co-owners of ASGMC, a management and professional development firm based in Trenton.

“Pathways to Greatness” shares anecdotes, theory and research into leaders who have achieved the top echelon of success in their fields, ranging from business to public service.

In fact, Asalone and Sparrow’s own interviews with dozens of leaders unearthed an extraordinary habit among the great ones: “The second-best in their fields—those who were successful, but hadn’t reached the pinnacle of leadership—had the philosophy that they knew all the answers,” said Asalone. “But we found the best in every field typically asked us to share with them what we discovered from our other interviews. They wanted to know what they could do better.” That’s just one of more than a dozen characteristics that “Pathways to Greatness” unearthed as it describes what it takes to be great.

Asalone and Sparrow, both Merrill Lynch executives before launching their own company, were inspired to research greatness after giving professional development seminars at a financial services company in Albany, shortly after the dot-com bubble had burst. Throughout the day’s sessions, each class of the company’s staff rejected the best business practices shared by Asalone and Sparrow, constantly saying, “That won’t work in Albany.” After a full day of nothing but resistance, the trainers began their final group session by announcing, “We know all of our ideas won’t work here in Albany…” But that group instantly challenged the trainers, saying they had plenty they could learn. Interestingly, that one group’s sales outpaced the rest of the company’s sales by 25%.

“That really got us thinking,” said Sparrow. “When all things are equal, what is it about some people who are so focused on becoming exceptional?”

In spite of Asalone and Sparrow’s personal research and the findings they culled from countless other studies, they don’t always agree. “One of our big disagreements is whether leaders are born vs. made,” said Sparrow, a former University of Denver educator. Sparrow leans toward nature, but Asalone disagrees. “A certain percentage of charisma is nature,” he said, “and a certain percentage is nurture.”

Meet the dynamic duo at Paranormal Books & Curiosities June 5, 2009 at 730 pm!

About the Films:

“Mother” –Written, directed and starring Albert Brooks, this 1996 comedy chronicles the relationship between a twice-divorced, science fiction writer, John Henderson (Albert Brooks) and his mother, Beatrice (Debbie Reynolds). Deciding that his chances for a successful, healthy relationship can only be realized after he works out his issues with his mother, John moves in with Beatrice. The neurosis and comedy ensues from there!

“My Left Foot”– This award-winning, 1989 drama chronicles the life of Christy Brown (Daniel Day-Lewis), an Irish born artist and writer afflicted with cerebral palsy. Only able to control his left foot, Christy triumphs over his affliction with the help of his mother (Brenda Fricker) who never gives up hope for her son and his talents. Stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker both won Oscars for their portrayals of Christy Brown and Bridget Brown.
Additional Info: To learn more about film screenings and times, please visit www.theshowroomap.com or call 732-502-0472. Ticket prices are $8.00. Concessions are from local Asbury Park proprietors including Twisted Tree Café and Candyteria. All natural, gourmet popcorn is provided from Doc Popcorn.

The ShowRoom, Asbury Park’s new, independent film theater and multi-purpose venue, today announced its exciting events lineup for the much-anticipated TriCity Arts Tour. Owners Michael Sodano and Nancy Sabino will utilize The ShowRoom’s multi-faceted design by featuring film, photography, live performance and multi-media events during the art-infused weekend. The weekend kicks off with the acclaimed French animated film “Fantastic Planet”, followed by a photo journey of the tri-cities via Dorn’s Classic Images, a live, one-man performance from Rock Wilk and the New Jersey premiere of the coming-of-age surf film “Newcastle”. The ShowRoom’s theater setting and multi-media capabilities make it an ideal venue to showcase film, spoken word, music, photography and a variety of other artistic mediums – closely aligning itself with the overall mission of the TriCity Arts Tour.

Who:
The ShowRoom – Asbury Park’s independent cinema
What: TriCity Arts Tour Weekend at The ShowRoom
When: Friday, May 15 through Sunday May, 17.

Event schedule is as follows:
Friday, May 15 – “Fantastic Planet”(G) 73 minutes, 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 16 – The Park, The Branch, The Bank, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 16 – Ma’ Plej –8:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 17 – “Newcastle” (PG-13) 107 min – 3:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Where:
The ShowRoom
708 Cookman Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ
About the Events:
“Fantastic Planet” – This 1973 science fiction film depicts a future in which human beings (Oms) have been captured and taken to an alien planet (Dragg) where they are kept as pets. Based on Stefen Wul’s novel “Ems En Serie,” “Fantastic Planet” was the winner of the special jury prize at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival.

The Park, The Branch, The Bank – Take a photo journey through the tri-cities, compliments of Dorn’s Classic Images. The presentation promises to present classic photographs from Monmouth County’s vibrant past.

ShowRoom Announces TriCity Arts Tour Events
Ma’ Plej – Rock Wilk will make his debut at The ShowRoom after selling out popular venues in New York’s Greenwich Village. Wilk is a socially and politically charged vocalist and an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. Ma’Plej is a collection of musical and rhythmic stories of racism, anti-Semitism, family, adoption, love and loss.

“Newcastle”- Written and directed by Delaware-native Dan Castle, “Newcastle,” an independent surf film, makes its New Jersey premiere at The ShowRoom during the Tri City Arts Tour. The coming-of-age story depicts three brothers and their ensuing love lives. As the middle brother, Jesse, struggles to define himself and his future in surfing, he is forced to face the trials and tribulations of brotherhood – including a jealous older brother and a younger sibling who is just beginning to embrace his homosexuality. The special premiere is in association with the Asbury Park Film Initiative.

Additional Info: mes, please visit www.theshowroomap.com or call 732-502-0472. Ticket prices are $8.00. Concessions are from local, Asbury Park proprietors including Twisted Tree Café and Candyteria. All natural, gourmet popcorn is provided from Doc Popcorn.

Admission is free!

Whatever you do, enjoy First Saturday Asbury Park.  The long cold winter is over and it is time to meet your old friends and make new ones on ASbury Park’s Avenue of Dreams!