Dallas Robbins

The Bakkhai @ Classical Greek Theater Festival: City Weekly

The notion of a classical Greek theater festival may sound stuffy and archaic but don’t be fooled. An inspired tradition at the University of Utah, the centuries-old plays are performed outdoors —Red Butte Garden’s amphitheater, this year—during the morning hours, evoking the performance traditions of ancient Greece.

The Story of the Cathedral of the Madeleine by Gary Topping: City Weekly

The history of a cathedral is not just about another nice building, but also about the struggles, triumphs, and personal histories of a people. Gary Topping, professor of history at SLCC and archivist for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Utah, chronicles in his new book The Story of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, the first 100 years of that magnificent building and the stories and voices of Utah Catholics.

Sunstone Symposium: City Weekly

The Salt Lake Sunstone Symposium is an annual gathering of scholars, historians, novelists, feminists, activists, and anyone intellectually curious about Mormon culture and history. Now in its 30th year, the symposium is a forum for liberals and conservatives, heretics and orthodox, atheists and believers, a place where free and open discussion is explored and encouraged.

Keith's Finale, Bernstein's MASS: City Weekly

With his all-American good looks and musical talent to burn, Keith Lockhart has given Utah music lovers more than their fair share of enjoyment. After inspiring us as conductor and musical director of the Utah Symphony since 1998, he now is bowing out from the Utah stage, leaving us all a little poorer.

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams: City Weekly

Living in Utah, you’ve heard it before: old creepy guy marries prepubescent virgin on polygamous compound. When explored in fiction, such stories can be as over-baked as last Sunday’s casserole. But Carol Lynch Williams does the improbable in her latest novel The Chosen One. She takes a far-too-common headline and creates a brave, uncommon voice in the character of 13-year-old Kyra.

David Copperfield: City Weekly

In the current milieu of “extreme” magic, David Copperfield seems downright old-fashioned. But his style has inspired countless magicians who have gone their own way, including rebels such as Chris Angel and David Blaine. And while presentation changes over time, the magic remains the same in attempting to connect to another person through story and wonder.

Coil of the Wild: Robert Smithson’s re-emerged Spiral Jetty demands a visit.

Looking to get out, but yearning for something off the beaten track? Taking a road trip to Spiral Jetty at Rozel Point will provide a unique afternoon on the shores of the Great Salt Lake where art and the outdoors create unusual bedfellows.

Art of Siddarth Parasnis

In the painting of architecture, the subject is rarely revisited with a new, interesting perspective. Siddarth Parasnis brings something different that shakes our vision and shows unexceptional walls and windows as something more beautiful than we expect.

Julia Alvarez's Return to Sender

Tackling the looming political conundrum of illegal immigration would be a challenge for any novelist, let alone a young adult novelist. But Julia Alvarez spins a brave tale in Return to Sender, putting a face on the fears and challenges of illegal workers in America with personal aplomb.

After being injured in a tractor accident, Tyler’s father hires a migrant family to help keep their Vermont farm going. Tyler can’t help but look on this family with fear—especially Mari, the oldest daughter among three, who is proud of her Mexican heritage but is slowly becoming connected to American culture.

George D. Smith's Nauvoo Polygamy

With an endless stream of books on polygamy and its discontents, do we really need another one? If the answer includes mention of Nauvoo Polygamy: "… but we called it celestial marriage" by George Smith, it would be a definitive yes. Ten years in the making, Nauvoo Polygamy traces the origins and establishment of Joseph Smith's vision of "spiritual wives" before it ever stepped foot in the State of Deseret. The book should dispel forever the common misperception that Joseph pined after only one wife and that polygamy was Brigham's idea while crossing the plains.