I love a good ghost story, and here’s one about a ghost cat, by John Philip Johnson, who lives in Nebraska, where most ghosts live in the wind and are heard in the upper branches of cedar trees in country cemeteries.

He has an illustrated book of poems, “Stairs Appear in a Hole Outside of Town.”

Bones and Shadows

She kept its bones in a glass case
next to the recliner in the living room,
and sometimes thought she heard
him mewing, like a faint background music;
but if she stopped to listen, it disappeared.
Likewise with a nuzzling around her calves,
she’d reach absent-mindedly to scratch him,
but her fingers found nothing but air.

One day, in the corner of her eye,
slinking by the sofa, there was a shadow.
She glanced over, expecting it to vanish.
But this time it remained.
She looked at it full on. She watched it move.
Low and angular, not quite as catlike
as one might suppose, but still, it was him.

She walked to the door, just like in the old days,
and opened it, and met a whoosh of winter air.
She waited. The bones in the glass case rattled.
Then the cat-shadow darted at her,
through her legs, and slipped outside.
It mingled with the shadows of bare branches,
and leapt at the shadow of a bird.
She looked at the tree, but there was no bird.
Then he blended into the shadow of a bush.
She stood in the threshold, her hands on the door,
the sharp breeze ruffling the faded flowers
of her house dress, and she could feel
her own bones rattling in her body,
her own shadow trying to slip out.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright 2013 by John Philip Johnson and reprinted by permission of John Philip Johnson. Introduction copyright 2014 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Influenced by BB King, Henry Mancini, Ramsey Lewis, Vince Guaraldi, and the Beatles, Mike Strickland’s musical style embraces popular, blues, boogie woogie, and jazz, but he is best known for his original works.  

The famed pianist and composer appears on stage at the Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport for one performance, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28. 

Appearing with him are two special guests, Shelly Mascari and Machiko Shimada, local Lake County artists who are well known as talented performers in the community.  

Tickets are on sale now. Loge is $15; table seating $18. 

All seats are first-come, first-served, within the seating area choice.

Strickland has racked up some impressive achievements as a musician. 

In addition to his original music airing for seven seasons on CBS Sports PGA Golf, his music compositions have also been heard on the NBC, FOX, and ABC television networks as well as in several major motion pictures. 

In 2009, Strickland's positive message song/animation “Spread Joy” also was featured on ABC Good Morning America.

Reviewers describe Strickland as “a sensational musician; a gifted composer and his engaging narratives from the stage make you feel like a personal friend enjoying an evening of music and stories in the comfort of your living room.”  

“Mike is so engaging it’s like he’s speaking and playing just to you,” said one reviewer. Another added, “Mike Strickland wowed our audience with his dazzling performance.”

Living mostly in Oregon but with frequent visits to Mississippi, Strickland performs, teaches, arranges, produces and records, with more than 20 CDs to his credit.  

For more information on Strickland, visit www.mikestrickland.com .

Tickets are available online at www.SoperReeseTheatre.com , at the Theatre Box Office, 275 S. Main St., Lakeport on Fridays 10:30 am to 5:30 pm, or by phone at 707-263-0577.  

Tickets also are available at The Travel Center, 1265 S. Main, Lakeport, Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sponsor for the concert, the Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing in Upper Lake, has graciously provided accommodations for the artist.

To celebrate my 75th year, I’ve published a new book of poems, and many of them are about the way in which we come together to help each other through the world.

Here’s just one:

Two

On a parking lot staircase
I met two fine-looking men
descending, both in slacks
and dress shirts, neckties
much alike, one of the men
in his sixties, the other
a good twenty years older,
unsteady on his polished shoes,
a son and his father, I knew
from their looks, the son with his
right hand on the handrail,
the father, left hand on the left,
and in the middle they were
holding hands, and when I neared,
they opened the simple gate
of their interwoven fingers
to let me pass, then reached out
for each other and continued on.

American Life in Poetry is made possible by The Poetry Foundation ( www.poetryfoundation.org ), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright 2012 by Ted Kooser from his most recent book of poems, Splitting an Order, Copper Canyon Press, 2014. Poem reprinted by permission of Ted Kooser and the publisher. Introduction copyright 2014 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts.

Marital infidelity and sexual adventurism, either in concert or separately, are themes more common to the programming on cable networks than network television – at least, insofar as fulfillment of such behavior is manifested in graphic detail.

Showtime, the cable channel that is linked by the same corporate ownership to the CBS Television network, has often explored the boundaries of these themes.

But David Duchovny’s Hank Moody on “Californication,” whose libido seems to have no limits, is no longer alone as a married (or quasi-married) man hooked on gratification.

In a show with the unsubtle title of “The Affair,” Dominic West’s Noah Solloway, a New York City public school teacher and aspiring novelist, who is living way beyond the means of a government worker, is spending the summer at his wealthy in-laws’ oceanfront estate in Montauk, the far end of Long Island’s exclusive Hamptons community.

Noah would have you believe that he is happily married to Helen (Maura Tierney), his college sweetheart, and the mother of their four children.

That’s what he is saying in the first episode, and it sounds plausible as there is little to indicate lingering resentment or dissatisfaction with his faithful spouse.

Families can be complicated. The four kids squabble. Teenage daughter Whitney (Julia Goldani Telles), a rebellious handful, is pushing the boundaries with provocative dress and insisting on ordering exotic coffee drinks.

And yet, it is the very youngest child that seems like an unlikely catalyst for what unfolds.

At a diner in the seaside resort town of Montauk, the Solloway family struggles through ordering their meal while being attended to by waitress Alison Lockhart (Ruth Wilson).

The youngest child chokes on a food item, and what ensues is a focal point of the initial he-said, she-said storytelling.

Well, if you haven’t guessed yet, Noah finds himself attracted to Alison, or is it the other way around?

The provocative, seductive drama of “The Affair” is told separately from the male and female perspectives, using the distinct memory biases of Noah and Alison to both misdirect and intrigue the audience.

The one-hour drama employs an usual format on dividing the first episode into two parts, with Noah first and then Alison giving their perspectives, which can be as mundane as how the other person was dressed on the occasion of the first meeting at the diner to things more meaningful such as which person was the actual aggressor. This split storytelling device continues to be an episodic feature.

Much younger than Noah, Alison is trying to piece her life back together in the wake of a tragedy in which her young son died in an accident.

Meanwhile, her relationship to husband Cole (Joshua Jackson) is seen as either troubled or merely emotionally charged as both parents cope with loss of a child.

Noah is also grappling with imperfect events and situations in his life.

For one, his relationship to his father-in-law, Bruce Butler (John Doman), a successful, prolific novelist, who is nonetheless crude, vulgar and dismissive, is not just strained and resentful, but verging on outright hostility.

On the other hand, aside from the not-so-atypical difficulties of raising independent-minded children, Noah’s family life does not appear to be so chaotic and nerve-wracking, especially when his wife is supportive, that he would veer off into a summer fling with a waitress.

There is nothing to inform the audience about why Noah would even entertain an affair. After all, his marriage to Helen has no signs of having soured or turning musty.

Has Noah becomes bored? Does he lack interest in carnal relations with his spouse? Is Alison the sexual firecracker that has ignited his new-found passion? The viewer is left to wonder.

For Alison, her life with Cole appears more conflicted and complicated.

For one thing, recent tragedy may have altered Alison’s view of marriage, which still has apparent sexual passion but there is a deep void in her soul that is not easily repaired by the presence of a husband who may be emotionally distant.

The most interesting and puzzling facet of “The Affair” is that part of the he-said, she-said dynamic is played out in the course of an ongoing police investigation into a possible crime that is neither revealed nor explained.

At different times in every episode, Noah and Alison are interrogated by a detective regarding recent events, focused mostly on their relationship.

At least in the initial episodes, the adultery lacks the very graphic nature that is more prevalent in many cable shows.

“The Affair” is not so much about the sexual nature of the affair but the psychological ramifications of infidelity.

More to the point, “The Affair” is a mystery, one that may be tricky to unravel because the plot keeps everyone in delicious suspense.

“The Affair” was recently launched on Showtime for a typical season run. It shouldn’t be too tough to catch up on previous episodes with Video on Demand or by other means.

“The Affair” requires chronological viewing; you just can’t jump into the story midstream. Nor would you want to.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The question about which band is better – Beatles or Rolling Stones – has been a spirited debate for half of a century.

These two legendary bands will engage in an on-stage, throw down – a musical “shoot out” if you will – on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m., at the Soper Reese Theatre courtesy of nationally touring tribute bands Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash.

All seats are reserved and tickets are $30 plus applicable ticket fees.

Tickets may be purchased by phoning 707-263-0577, online at www.soperreesetheatre.com or at the theater's box office.

“Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Shoot Out” will pit Rolling Stones tribute band Jumping Jack Flash against rival Brit boys Abbey Road in an all-out musical showdown for rock dominance!

From Mick Jagger’s (Sir Joesph Infante) infamous gyrations to Keith Richards’ (Young Hutchison) sweet Tele licks, Brian Jones Vox Teardrop, and the band’s original wardrobe, Jumping Jack Flash brings all the authenticity of an old Stones show smack into 2014.

“Some of the ‘Keith-isms’ that the big fans just love are the blacked-out-tooth, electrical tape around the snakeskin boots, and the disjointed walk he was famous for,” said Hutchison. “We’ve done everything to present the music per the original album versions, cause that’s what fans have been singing along to for the last 50 years and that’s the way they want to hear it. We’re not even the Stones, but people just go wild!”

Show producers Tom Maher and Andy Nagle auditioned over 200 Beatles hopefuls at a casting call in 2008, many of whom played in their own Beatles tribute bands.
 
“Most of them came in Beatles gear, Beatles wigs – they were all in character,” Nagle said. “All the Pauls were running around trying to out-Paul each other, the Johns were brooding, the Ringos were off by themselves. It was a room full of guys that all loved Beatles music, it was surreal.”
 
For their part, the members of touring Beatles tribute band Abbey Road bring the mop top haircuts, harmonies, and boyish charm of everybody’s favorite Liverpudlians to the stage. They also play modern reissues of the exact same instruments and amps used by the Fab Four.

Axel Clarke (“Ringo Starr”), a high school and college teacher by day, prepares for his time behind the drum kit by studying old video footage, listening to band interviews, and mimicking Starr’s very specific performance style.

“Ringo's style and physical approach to the drumset were unique,” said Clarke. “He sat very high with his drums low, used big sweeping arm movements, punched at his cymbals more than striking them, bounced his torso in time and kicked his head to the side on big accents — and smiled like a goon at all times. That's Ringo 101 for you!”

Clarke and his bandmates also spend time mining the original Beatles recordings for specific nuances, and unintentional flubs that ended up on the final cut.

“There are subtle mistakes all over the Beatles’ recordings. In “All My Lovin,” Ringo forgets the form of the song and goes into the chorus beat by mistake. He plays that beat for one bar, realizes his error, and switches back to the verse beat. Most people might not notice things like that, but it adds a level of authenticity and would feel weird if it wasn’t there.”

 
Kicking off the show in signature A Hard Day’s Night-era black suits, the band runs through several costume changes, including mustaches and wigs (a la Sgt. Pepper’s) and full-on Abbey Road attire, before the night is up.
 
“John and George wore their wives’ fur coats and Ringo wore his wife’s red raincoat on the rooftop of Apple Corp. for their last show,” said Nagle. “My George is 6’4”, I thought I’m never gonna find a fur coat that fits! But even the kids expect it because it’s part of The Beatles: Rock Band, so we went out and bought them for the guys.”

Onstage, the bands alternate mini sets and trade improvised barbs and banter between songs to act out the famous rivalry.

Since 2011, Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash have toured the show. The Lakeport show is part of a 110 city tour across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Whether you’re a mod or a rocker, a John or a Paul supporter – Beatles vs. Stones is your ticket back in time to “Yesterday.”

The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St. in Lakeport.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Clive Matson will visit the Lake County Arts Council Gallery on Saturday, Oct. 25, and Sunday, Oct. 26, to present a writing workshop.

This will be the 10th year that Matson has been coming to our area.

People in his workshops succeed in bringing out the stories and poems inside them, the passions that blossom in our everyday lives. Some writers are astonished at the ease and value of the writing that pours out.

His favorite quote of the day is Van Gogh’s “I dreamed my painting and I painted my dream.”

Matson will show how that simple transfer, bringing a dream into concrete reality, works well in writing.

This workshop is for beginners, for developing writers and for professionals who want to expand their horizons.

Saturday will be for getting acquainted and starting to write. On Sunday there will be time for more writing, reading, compassionate criticism and summary.

Clive Matson writes poetry, short stories, essays and plays.  He has led writing workshops for 35 years, holds an MFA in poetry from Columbia University and teaches at the University of California Extension in Berkeley.

The workshop will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, at the Main Street Gallery, 325 N. Main Street, Lakeport.

The workshop fee is $55 per person.

To register, call the Main Street Gallery at 707-263-6658.

For more information about the workshop, call Clive Matson at 510-654-6495 or go to his Web site, www.matsonpoet.com .

This event is supported by Poets & Writers, Inc. through a grant it has received from The James Irvine Foundation.