Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Staff Review by Patricia Covley:
Destiny of the Republic does more than tell the dramatic story of the assassination of James Garfield.  It does give us a new appreciation of a little studied American President.  
Garfield was the embodiment of the American Dream.  Born dirt poor, he became a teacher, a Civil War hero, a congressman and a senator.  A dark horse candidate, he beat the odds and became President.  But this is more than just the history of

On April 16, 464 Gallery owner Marcus Wise and fellow Buffalo artists Chuck Tingley and Rich Tomasello will be packing a U-haul trailer to the brim with their best original pieces and heading for the Big Apple. These three talented artists will be representing 464 Gallery and the city of Buffalo at the Affordable Art Fair in New York City, which will take place from April 18-22. The fair will bring together artists from cities across the country and around the world to showcase their work to a captive audience of fine art buyers, gaining international exposure and networking opportunities

The Arts Services Initiative of Western New York today announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) for assisted programming along the Buffalo River between May 26 and October 31, 2012.  A total of $82,500 is available to qualified organizations and individuals to conduct programs and events at several sites along the River corridor, including:Buffalo River Fest Park;Silo City grain elevators and site;Mutual Riverfront Park ("Ice Boom Park");Father Conway Park; andThe Buffalo River itself.
Funding for

Sugar City's month-long "30 Days of Awesome" celebration is soon to come to a bittersweet end, but not without an appropriate goodbye. 
The last day of "awesome" will consist of a two-part moving party on Friday, April 13, split between two venues. The night will begin at 6 p.m. at Sugar City with musical performances by a handful of acts. 
Kicking things off will be Calvin Johnson and his latest band, The Hive Dwellers. Johnson, founder of K Records and Beat Happening member, has been an icon in the world of underground music,

THE BASICS: This domestic drama from 1950 is the play that brought William Inge to the attention of the literary world. The production at the New Phoenix Theatre, directed by Joseph Natale, plays Thursdays - Saturdays at 8pm, through April 21st. Thursday evenings are Pay What You Can. The show runs about 2 hours and 20 minutes with its single intermission.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: The action takes place in an old house in a run-down neighborhood of a Midwestern city--circa 1950. Doc Delaney and his wife Lola

Staff Review by Carol Ann Strahl:
A charming, century-spanning journey about the search for the Garden of Eden.          "Science vs. Religion" has become a major dichotomy in this society. The author introduces us to aplethora of churchmen, archaeologists, botanists, and educators, all with their agendas regarding this topic.
Some of the locations that have been espoused to be the Garden of Eden include West Florida, the North Pole, Chinese Turkestan, the State of Ohio,

The movers and shakers of the Buffalo arts scene will be putting their hometown in the spotlight this Friday. Emerging Leaders of the Arts Buffalo (ELAB) will be hosting its first annual member show, "Urban Alchemy," at ZGM Fine Arts.
The pieces that will be featured in this exhibit draw inspiration from the group's mission of revitalizing Buffalo through the creation of public art. "Urban Alchemy is a theme that comes from ELAB's goals and group origins," said local artist Tara Sasiadek. "We exist to support Buffalo artists and one of our first big endeavors was

By Amanda McLaughlin:
A controlled frenzy, a tangential immediacy:  Patrick's Willett's new exhibition, Transience, features works preoccupied with the happening past and the happening present.  Opening Wednesday, March 28th, at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, ="mso-bidi-font-style:

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Staff Review by Patricia Covley:
Attention, all St. Bona's grads - There's a great new pictorial history of St. Bonaventure University.  The Good Journey:  150 Years of History at St. Bonaventure University is based on the research of Edward Eckert and edited with additional content by Robert, Ann and Daniel McCarthy.  The book begins by describing the founding of what was then St. Bonaventure College in 1858.  The school continued to grow and while in a rather remote location, it was

THE BASICS: This three character domestic drama by Gillian Grattan was a finalist in the ICTC's Maguire Playwriting Competition (for new works by Irish citizens). Directed by Fortunato Pezzimenti, and starring Christian Brandjes, Beth Donohue and Diane Curley, this world premiere production runs weekends at the Andrews Theatre through March 25th. A short full-length play, it runs a little under 90 minutes. There is no intermission.
THUMBNAIL SKETCH: A rural village in the southeast of Ireland, present day. When Lydia, a beautiful, unhappy "flower child"

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Staff Review by Carol Ann Strahl:
Lone Survivor is a remarkable true story of perseverance and valor.  The author is the sole survivor of "Operation Redwing" in Afghanistan.  The book explores what it takes to be a member of the elite Navy Seals.  They have a shared patriotism, courage and mutual trust.  Their promise to each other is never to leave a man behind, dead or alive.  
The tenacity of the Seals is reflected in their final sacrifice and in the

By Lani Churley:
During his youth, Dan Mahoney was kicked out of five different schools.  His attempts at being funny to gain attention did not amuse school administration.  It would appear they couldn't take a joke.  During one of his regular trips to the principal's office, he was asked, "Mr. Mahoney, you're back here again?  What do you think you're some kind of comedian?"  The answer would turn out to be a resounding yes.
Dan Mahoney is in fact a comedian.  His style has earned him industry acclaim

While fans were panicking and yelling for Sabres general manager Darcy Regier to "do something," the Sabres have done something. 
First, they traded Paul Guastad and a fourth round draft pick to Nashville of a first round pick. Now, the Sabres have traded prospect Zack Kassian and Marc-Andre Gragnani to the Vancouver Canucks for Cody Hodgson and Alexander Sulzer. 
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As part of National Women's History Month, Canisius College is hosting a music celebration that brings together a diverse array of acts ranging from horn and oboe recitals to a gospel choir to the sounds of big bands. The catch is that all of the performers are women. While it's easy to remember the high-profile music venues around town, it is just as important to consider the smaller venues and the collegiate series. If you take a look at all of the performances that take place throughout the city you would be astounded. Whether you're planning on seeing a showing at Christ the King

Fashion Maniac: Keeping tabs on Buffalo's fashion industry, including models, catwalks, retailers, designers, stylists, visual merchandisers and jewelers. 
Gendered Fashion, Power, and Sexuality: A History of Lingerie
Article by Phillip Johnson | Photos by Cheryl Gorski
This past fashion week (the spring/summer 2012 collections shown at Lincoln Center, London, Milan, Paris) revealed a definite  lingerie influence, especially Prada, Dolce & Gabanna, and other

Buffalo loves its animals. Did you know that by 2014 Erie County will have adopted a no-kill system? Second Chance Sheltering Network, Inc. is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit animal rescue group serving the Western New York area.  Their goal is to help place homeless animals while simultaneously helping interested individuals find a new furry companion.  Every Sunday, we run a homeless pet spotlight to help these animals find a good home with a loving family. Please consider

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Staff Review by Patricia Covley:
Don't confuse the books in this series with the TNT television show.  The books are much darker and the characters are better developed.  In The Silent Girl, Rizzoli and Isles are called to a crime scene in Boston's Chinatown when a young boy discovers a severed hand.  Jane Rizzoli, her partner Barry Frost and medical examiner Maura Isles are called to the scene.  A woman's body matching the hand is discovered on a nearby rooftop, decapacitated.

Buffalo loves its animals. Did you know that by 2014 Erie County will have adopted a no-kill system? Second Chance Sheltering Network, Inc. is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit animal rescue group serving the Western New York area.  Their goal is to help place homeless animals while simultaneously helping interested individuals find a new furry companion.  Every Sunday, we run a homeless pet spotlight to help these animals find a good home with a loving family. Please consider

By J Garrett Vorreuter:
Did you ever want to be a movie star? Or a television personality? Well what are you waiting for? Join us this Saturday, January 28th from 12pm - 6pm at DBGB's (253 Allen Street) when the organizers behind the Film Video Collective (www.thefvc.com) and the Buffalo 48 Hour Film Project, host The FVC's 3rd Annual Open Audition Winter Casting Call Event, where many of the region's most active filmmakers, producers and commercial production companies will be there in attendance. 
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By Kayla Clark:
It was at track three ("Pulse") that I knew Patchwork Walls was going to be an album I'd be forced to leave on repeat for quite a while.  Singer/guitarist Nick Sessanna's strong delivery and singer/keyboardist Chrissy Krolewicz's lilting background presence meld together to create a rather desirable male/female vocal dynamic.  Patchwork Walls combines the band's established influences like Brand New and Arcade Fire with their own Western New York inspirations to create a unique, indie rock sound all their own.  Songs