TUESDAY, FEB. 28 

Birdwalk on the MLK Shoreline from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. to see the ducks here for the winter. Beginnners welcome, binoculars available for loan. 525-2233. 

Return of the Over-the-Hills Gang Hikers 55 years and older who are interested in nature study, history, fitness, and fun are invited to join us on a series of monthly excursions exploring our Regional Parks. This month we’ll visit Sindicich Lagoons. Meet at 10 a.m. at the north entrance to Briones Park on Briones Road. For information and to register call 525-2233.  

BHS Site Council meets at 4:30 p.m. at BHS Library to discuss Safety and Attendance Data, Small Schools Data, and Academic Choice update. 525-0124. 

Cragmont Elementary School Afro American Celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. at 830 Regal Rd., with a New Orleans potluck dinner and performances. Free, but donations for Katrina relief welcome. 644-8810. 

“African Roots of Beijing” film screening with director Luke Mines at 7:30 p.m. in the Home Room, International House, 2299 Piedmont Ave. Cost is $5. 642-9460. 

Kalimba Interactive Assembly with Carl Winters on the African thumb piano, in celebration of Black History Month at 7 p.m. at the Oakland Public Library, Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Ave. All ages welcome. 597-5017. 

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail with Scott Williamson at 7 p.m. at REI, 1338 San Pablo Ave. 527-4140. 

“Balancing Hormones Naturally” with Dr. Jay Sordean at 7 p.m. at Curves, 701 University Ave. Sponsored by the Doctors Speakers Bureau. 849-1176. 

Berkeley PC Users Group Problem solving and beginners meeting to answer, in simple English, users questions about Windows computers. At 7 p.m. at 1145 Walnut St. corner of Eunice. All welcome, no charge. 527-2177.  

“Our Spiritual Crisis: Recovering Human Wisdom in a Time of Violence” with peace scholar and activist, Michael Nagler at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books, 1491 Shattuck Ave. 486-0698. 

Raging Grannies of the East Bay invites new folks to come join us the 2nd and 4th Tues, of each month, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. to sing (any voice will do), help plan our next gig, or write outrageously political lyrics to old familiar tunes, and have fun at Berkeley Gray Panthers office, 1403 Addison St., in Andronico’s mall. 548-9696. 

Family Story Time at 7 p.m. at the Kensington Branch Library, 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. Free, all ages welcome. 524-3043. 

Yarn Divas Basic Knitting at 7:30 p.m. at Women’s Cancer Resource Center, 5741 Telegraph Ave. Especially, but not exclusively, for women with cancer. Experienced participants are welcome. 420-7900, ext. 111. 

Tuesday Tilden Walkers Join a few slowpoke seniors at 9:30 a.m. in the parking lot near the Little Farm for an hour or two walk. In case of questionable weather, call around 8 a.m. 215-7672, 524-9992. 

Free Handbuilding Ceramics Class 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at St. John’s Senior Center, 2727 College Ave. Also, Mon. noon to 4 p.m. at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Materials and firing charges not included. 525-5497. 

Healthy Eating Habits Seminar at 6:30 p.m. at New Moon Opportunities, 378 Jayne Ave., Oakland. Free, but registration required. 465-2524. 

Berkeley Camera Club meets at 7:30 p.m., at the Northbrae Community Church, 941 The Alameda. Share your digital images, slides and prints and learn what other photographers are doing. 548-3991. www.berkeleycameraclub.org 

St. John’s Prime Timers meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. We offer ongoing classes in exercise and creative arts. 845-6830. 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 

“Explore Santa Fe Right of Way” with the Berkeley Path Wanderers on an easy walk covering the history and future of the Santa Fe Right of Way, from beginnings as a faltering narrow-gauge railway to exciting new community efforts. Meet at the north side of the BART station at 10 a.m. Bring water and a snack. 848-9358. www.berkeleypaths.org 

Berkeley Pedestrian Master Plan Open House to identify specific ways to improve our streets for a safe and comfortable walking experience at 7 p.m. at North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Ave. 981-7062. 

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Association Lecture “UN Reform” with Richard Sklar, former ambassador to the UN at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Cost is $40 for the eight lecture series. 526-2925. 

Bookmark Book Group meets to discuss “The Lexus and the Olive Tree” by Thomas L. Friedman at 6:30 p.m. at 721 Washington St., Oakland. The Bookmark is the bookstore for Friends of the Oakland Public Library. 444-0473. 

Berkeley School Volunteers Training workshop for volunteers interested in helping the public schools, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at 1835 Allston Way. 644-8833. 

Berkeley Communicators Toastmasters welcomes curious guests and new members at 7:15 a.m. at Au Coquelet Cafe, 2000 University Ave. at Milvia. 435-5863. 

Entrepreneurs Networking at 8 a.m. at A’Cuppa Tea, 3202 College Ave. at Alcatraz. Cost is $5. For more information contact JB, 562-9431.  

Meditation and Discussion at 7 p.m. near the El Cerrito Plaza BART station. No commitment to a particular religious or philosophical viewpoint is required. Free. www.heartawake.com 

The Berkeley Lawn Bowling Club provides free instruction every Wed. and Sat. at 10:30 a.m. at 2270 Acton St. 841-2174.  

Walk Berkeley for Seniors meets every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Sea Breeze Market, just west of the I-80 overpass. Everyone is welcome, wear comfortable shoes. 548-9840. 

Sing your Way Home A free sing-a-long at 4:30 p.m. every Wed. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720.  

Berkeley Peace Walk and Vigil at the Berkeley BART Station at 6:30 p.m. followed by Peace Walk at 7 p.m. www.geocities.com/vigil4peace/vigil 

THURSDAY, MARCH 2 

Organic Beekeeping with Les Crowder who maintains over 100 hives without chemicals, contraptions or expense. At 7 p.m. at The Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220, ext. 233. 

Meeting on Burrowing Owl Habitat with the City of Albany Waterfront Committee to review a proposal for a burrowing owl habitat at the Albany Plateau. The plan would result in the creation of a protected area (fenced off) comprising about 10 acres of this approximately 20-acre site. At 7:30 p.m. at Albany City Hall, 1000 San Pablo Ave., Albany. 528-5760.  

“Ecological Gardening: Native Plants = Wildlife Magnets” with Corinne Greenberg at the Oakland Bird Club meeting, at 7:30 p.m. at the Oakland Public Library, Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Ave. 444-0355. 

Seed Paper Making at 4 p.m. at 604 56th St at Shattuck. A Free Skool class. www.barringtoncollective.org 

“Considering Program Choices for Berkeley Schools’ Future” at 6:30 p.m. at Berkeley High School Library, enter on Allston Way, near Milvia St. We will discuss establishing educational priorities and funding for Berkeley Schools Excellence Project (BSEP) Measure and Measure B (the Bridge Measure) which will end in fall 2006. Child care provided. Spanish language translators available. If you cannot attend the meeting and would like to make a comment, please email publicinfo@berkeley.k12.ca.us or call 644-8549. 

Berkeley Public Library’s Teen Services invite teen readers to come and discuss classic and contemporary science fiction and fantasy titles, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Claremont Branch Library, 2940 Benvenue (at Ashby). We will discuss L. Frank Baum’s Oz books as political allegory, and debate the distinctions between science fiction and fantasy. 981-6133. 

“The Academy Awards Night with Harry Chotiner” at 7:30 pm. at the College Preparatory School, Buttner Auditorium, 6100 Broadway. Cost is $5-$10. 339-7726. 

“Buddhism and Environment: The Birth of Flood Control Politics, and Disaster Management in the Battle for the National Sanctum of Tibet” with Per Sorensen, Professor, Institute of Central Asian Studies, University of Leipzig, at 5 p.m. at 341 Dwinelle Hall, UC Campus.  

Historical & Current Times Book Group meets on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1249 Marin Ave. 548-4517. 

World of Plants Tours Thurs., Sat. and Sun. at 1:30 p.m. at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Drive. Cost is $5. 643-2755. http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu 

FRIDAY, MARCH 3 

City Commons Club Noon Luncheon with Jonathan Kolieb on “The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” Luncheon at 11:45 a.m. for $13.50, speech at 12:30 p.m., at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant St. For information and reservations call 526-2925 or 665-9020. 

American Red Cross Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at MLK Student Union, 5th Floor Tilden Room, UC Campus. To schedule an appointment call 1-800-GIVELIFE.  

Three Beats for Nothing sings early music for fun and practice at 10 a.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center. 655-8863. 

Berkeley Chess Club meets Fridays at 8 p.m. at the East Bay Chess Club, 1940 Virginia St. Players at all levels are welcome. 845-1041. 

Berkeley Chess School classes for students in grades 1-8 from 5 to 7 p.m. at 1581 LeRoy Ave., room 17. 843-0150. 

Women in Black Vigil, from noon to 1 p.m. at UC Berkeley, Bancroft at Telegraph. wibberkeley@yahoo.com 548-6310, 845-1143. 

Meditation, Peace Vigil and Dialogue, gather at noon on the grass close to the West Entrance to UC Berkeley, on Oxford St. near University Ave. People of all traditions are welcome to join us. Sponsored by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. 655-6169. www.bpf.org 

Shabbat Across America Shabbat dinner followed by service at 6:30 p.m. at Congregation Beth El, 1301 Oxford St. 848-3988. 

SATURDAY, MARCH 4 

“Empowering Women Of Color” conference including panel discussions, workshops and cultural performances in the Lippman Room, Barrows Hall, UC Campus. 415-731-5627. http://ewocc.berkeley. 

edu/registration.php 

Kid’s Garden Club for ages 7-12 to explore the world of gardening, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park. Cost is $6-$8, registration required. 636-1684. 

7th Annual Seed Swap Meet other local gardeners and trade seed. Bring seed, envelopes and pens or just show up and get seeds with a commitment to bring seed back to the Interchange Library. From 3 to 7 p.m. at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave. 548-2220, ext. 233.  

Early Spring Color in the Garden with Aerin Moore at 10 a.m. at Magic Gardens Landscape Nursey, 729 Heinz Ave. 644-2351. 

Sick Plant Clinic UC plant pathologist Dr. Robert Raabe, UC entomologist Dr. Nick Mills, and their team of experts will diagnose what ails your plants from 9 a.m. to noon at the UC Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr. 643-2755.  

“Heal a Woman, Heal a Child, Heal a Nation” Pampering for women, a 10 a.m. at 5272 Foothill Blvd., Oakland. Donation $8 and up. Benefit for Children’s Hospital. 536-5934. 

Honor the Abraham Lincoln Brigade on the 70th anniversary of its participation in the Spanish Civil War with a film and panel discussion at 2 p.m. at Berkeley Public Library, 2090 Kittredge St. 981-6150. 

White Elephant Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to benefit the Oakland Museum of California, at 333 Lancaster St. at Glascock, Oakland. Free shuttle from the Fruitvale BART Station. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

Small Business Seminar on Financial Management at 9 a.m. at Vista College, 2075 Allston Way. Cost is $26. To register see www.peralta.cc.ca.us 

Puppet Theater Workshop, for children ages 8 to 11, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. Free, no registration required. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Ayurveda & Optimal Wellness A talk with Marc Halpern at 10 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

Protest Rally at Berkeley Honda Shattuck and Parker every Thurs. at 4:30 to 6 p.m. and Sat. from 1 to 2 p.m. until the labor dispute is settled.  

Free Garden Tours at Regional Parks Botanic Garden Sat. and Sun. at 2 pm. Regional Parks Botanic Garden, Tilden Park. Call to confirm. 841-8732. www.nativeplants.org 

Spirit Walking Aqua Chi (TM) A gentle water exercise class at 10 a.m. at the Berkeley High Warm Pool. Cost is $3.50 per session. 526-0312. 

Preschool Storytime for 3-5 year olds at 11 a.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Car Wash Benefit for Options Recovery Services of Berkeley, held every Sat. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lutheran Church, 1744 University Ave. 666-9552. 

SUNDAY, MARCH 5 

“Fermenting Berkeley” Lecture and oral history project with Charles Wollenberg and Linda Rosen at 3 p.m. at Berkeley History Center, 1931 Center St. 848-0181. 

March Around the Lake Learn about Jewel Lake in spring and who lives there at 2 p.m. at Tilden Nature Area, Tilden Park.  

Introduction to Compost with Molly Nakahara from noon to 2 p.m. at 604 56th St. at Shattuck. A Free Skool class. www.barringtoncollective.org 

White Elephant Sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to benefit the Oakland Museum of California, at 333 Lancaster St. at Glascock, Oakland. Free shuttle from the Fruitvale BART Station. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

“Fashion, Faith and Fantasy in the Modern Physical Theory” with Sir Roger Penrose, Prof. of Mathematics, Oxford Univ. at 3 p.m. at Wheeler Auditorium, UC Campus. 642-0143. www.msri.org 

“Are You Good Enough to be Published?” a workshop with Alan Rinzler at 3 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Telegraph Ave. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

Diabetes Treatment with Natural Therapies A talk with Bonnie Levine at 11:30 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

“Ritual Triggers” a demonstration of paratheatre techniques with Antero Alli, Nick Walker and Sylvi Alli at 7:30 p.m. at The Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut, off University Ave. Cost is $5. 464-4640.  

Lake Merritt Neighbors Organized for Peace Peace walk around the lake every Sun. Meet at 3 p.m. at the colonnade at the NE end of the lake. 763-8712. lmno4p.org 

Yoga and Meditation Every Sun. in March from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at Elephant Pharmacy, 1607 Shattuck Ave. 549-9200. 

“Tibetan Meditation Practices for Spiritual Awakening” Dharma talk by Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche at 7 p.m. at Studio Rasa, 933 Parker St. 

Tibetan Buddhism with Robin Caton on “Why Meditate?” at 6 p.m. at the Tibetan Nyingma Institute, 1815 Highland Pl. 843-6812. www.nyingmainstitute.com  

MONDAY, MARCH 6 

National Organization for Women, Oakland/East Bay Chapter meets at 6 p.m. at the Oakland YWCA, 1515 Webster St. Luci Tyndall will discuss The Clean Money Bill, a bill which if passed would give candidates for state offices a more level playing field. 287-8948. 

Parenting Class in Spanish at 7 p.m. at Bananas, 5232 Claremont Ave. To register call 658-7853. www.bananasinc.org  

“Castoffs” The Kensington Library Knitting Group meets at 7 p.m. at 61 Arlington Ave., Kensington. All levels welcome. Meets the first Monday of the month. 524-3043. 

Sing-A-Long from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. 524-9122.  

Free Business Loan and Business Plan Writing Boot Camp Mon. and Fri. from 9 a.m. to noon at 519 17th St., 2nd Floor, Ste. 200, Oakland, through March 31. 395-6003. 

Beginning Bridge Lessons at 11:10 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center, 846 Masonic Ave. Cost is $1. 524-9122. 

World Affairs Discussion Group for seniors at 10:15 a.m. at the Albany Senior Center. Cost is $2.50.  

McGee Avenue Toastmasters meets on the first and third Mondays of the month at 7:30 p.m. at McGee Ave Baptist Church, 1640 Stuart St. 501-7005. 

Critical Viewing An ongoing group to examine the art/craft(iness) of short films and television productions and its effects on our daily lives, at 1 p.m. at the BRJCC, 1414 Walnut St. Free. 848-0237. georgeporter@earthlink.net 

Berkeley CopWatch organizational meeting at 8 p.m. at 2022 Blake St. Join us to work on current issues around police misconduct. Volunteers needed. For information call 548-0425. 

ONGOING 

Free Tax Help—United Way’s Earn it! Keep It! Save It! program provides free filing assistance to households that earned less than $38,000 in 2005. To find a free tax site near you, call 800-358-8832 or visit www.EarnitKeepitSaveit.org 

Albany Library Free Drop-in Homework Help for students in third through fifth grades, Mon. - Thurs. from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Emphasis is placed on math and writing skills. No registration is required. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

CITY MEETINGS 

Commission on the Status of Women meets Wed., Mar. 1, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Tasha Tervelon, 981-5190. www.ci.berk 

eley.ca.us/commissions/women 

Community Environmental Advisory Commission meets Thurs. Mar. 2, at 7 p.m., at 2118 Milvia St. Nabil Al-Hadithy, 981-7461. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/environmentaladvisory 

Public Works Commission meets Thurs., Mar. 2, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Jeff Egeberg, 981-6406. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/publicworks 

Housing Advisory Commission meets Thurs., Mar. 2, at 7:30 p.m., at the South Berkeley Senior Center. Oscar Sung, 981-5400. www.ci.berkeley.ca. 

us/commissions/housing 

Landmarks Preservation Commission meets Thurs. Mar. 2, at 7:30 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Gisele Sorensen, 981-7419. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/commissions/landmarks 

Creeks Task Force meets Mon. Mar. 6, at 7 p.m. the North Berkeley Senior Center. Erin Dando, 981-7410. www.ci. 

berkeley.ca.us/planning/landuse/Creeks/default.html 

Peace and Justice Commission meets Mon., Mar. 6, at 7 p.m., at the North Berkeley Senior Center. Manuel Hector, 981-5510. www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ 

commissions/peaceandjustice 

TUESDAY, FEB. 28 

FILM 

Alternative Visions “The Digital Film Event” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808.  

POV Bay Area Animation Festival at 9:15 p.m. at Parkway Theater, 1834 Park Blvd., Oakland. Cost is $5. http://povanimationfestival.blogspot.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Jürgen Vsych reads from “The Woman Director” and shows clips from her films at 7:30 p.m. at Black Oak Books, 1491 Shattuck Ave. 486-0698. www.blackoakbooks.com 

Bill Merritt describes “Fool’s Gold: A Story of Ancient Spanish Treasure, Two Pounds of Pot, and the Young Lawyer Almost Left Holding the Bag” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus, through March 5. Tickets are $32-$54. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Tom Rigney & Flambeau at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $12. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Larry Vuckovich, jazz piano, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810. 

Ellen Hoffman Trio and Singers’ Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ.  

Chris Potter Underground at 8 and 10 p.m. Yoshi’s at Jack London Square. Cost is $10-$16. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

Jazzschool Tuesdays at 8 p.m. at Jupiter. 848-8277. 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Focusing on Photography” Vintage photographs from the Ames Gallery, 2661 Cedar St. 845-4949. www.amesgallery.com 

“Titled / Untitled” New works by Carol Dalton, Yvette Molina, Emily Payne and Michael Shemchuk opens at Cecile Moochnek Gallery, 1809-D Fourth St., and runs through April 2. 549-1018. www.cecilemoochnek.com 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

William Fox describes “Terra Antartica: Looking into the Emptiest Continent” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus, through March 5. Tickets are $32-$54. 642-9988.  

Music for the Spirit with Ron McKean on organ at 12:15 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Boradway. 444-3555. 

Bruce & Lloyd’s Tri Tip Trio at 8:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cajun dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $18-$20. 525-5054.  

Jules Broussard Trio at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

3 Strikez at 9:30 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $8-$10. 848-0886.  

Orquestra Sensual at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Salsa lessons at 8 p.m. Cost is $5-$10. 548-1159.  

Karen Casey Band, Flook at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761.  

Whiskey Brothers, old time and bluegrass, at 9 p.m. at Albatross, 1822 San Pablo Ave. 843-2473.  

THURSDAY, MARCH 2 

EXHIBITIONS 

Works by Ahmed Said, Egyptian sculptor at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $5-$8. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

THEATER 

Traveling Jewish Theater “Family Alchemy” opens at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $12-$35. 415-522-0786.  

FILM 

Women of Color Film Festival “Stepping Out” at 5:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Free screening. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

“Stephen De Staebler: The Winged Figure” opening lecture with Dore Ashton at 6 p.m. at the Pacific School of Religion Chapel, 1798 Scenic Ave. Reception at 5 p.m. at the Flora Lamson Hewlett Library, 2400 Ridge Rd. Exhibition runs through May 15. www.gtu.edu 

Richard Tarnas describes “Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of a New World View” at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com  

Julia Serano, poet, at 7 p.m. at the Albany Library, 1247 Marin Ave. 526-3720, ext. 17. 

Nomad Spoken Word Night at 7 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344.  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall, UC Campus, through March 5. Tickets are $32-$54. 642-9988. 

Trailer Park Rangers Sextet at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $5. 841-JAZZ. 

Magnes Music Salon with guitarist John Scott at 6:30 p.m. at Magnes Museum, 2911 Russell St. 549-6950.  

Kiran Ahluwalia at 9 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $13-$15. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Pieta Brown & Bo Ramsey at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Alexa Weber Morales at 8 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $7-$9. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Eric Swinderman, solo jazz guitar, at 8 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

FRIDAY, MARCH 3 

THEATER 

Aurora Theatre “The Master Builder” Wed. through Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at 2081 Addison St., through March 12. Tickets are $38. 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org 

Berkeley Rep “9 Parts of Desire” about women in war-torn Iraq, at 8 p.m. at the Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., through March 5. Tickets are $30-$59. 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org 

Central Works “Shadow Crossing” Thurs. - Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 5 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through March 26. Tickets are $9-$25. 558-1381. www.centralworks.org 

Impact Theatre, “Hamlet” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m. at La Val’s Subterranean, 1834 Euclid Ave., through March 18. Tickets are $10-$15. 464-4468. www.impacttheatre.com 

The Marsh Berkeley “Strange Travel Suggestions” monologue by Jeff Greenwald, Thurs. and Fri. at 7 p.m. through March 3, at 2118 Allston Way. Tickets are $15-$22. 800-838-3006. www.themarsh.org 

Traveling Jewish Theater “Family Alchemy” Thurs.-Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., through March 12. Tickets are $12-$35. 415-522-0786. www.atjt.com 

UCB Dept. of Theater, “Seven Lears” Fri. and Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun at 2 p.m. at the Zellerchach Playhouse, UC Campus. Tickets are $8-$14. 642-9925. http://theater.berkeley.edu 

EXHIBITIONS 

“Edward Weston: Masterworks from the Collection” Curator’s talk with Drew Johnson, Curator of Photography, at 7 p.m. at Oakland Museum of California, 10th and Oak Sts. 238-2200. www.museumca.org 

“Horizon: Uniting Earth and Sky” a group exhibition at ACCI Gallery, 1562 Shattuck Ave. 843-2527. 

“Overhung 2: Hungover,” Works by over 100 Bay Area artists. Reception at 7 p.m. at Boontling Gallery, 4224 Telegraph Ave., Oakland.  

“Everyday People - Extraordinary Dreams” opens with a reception at 7 p.m. at the Frank Bette Center for the Arts, 1601 Paru St. Alameda. 523-6957. 

Motorcycle Art and Artwork Reception at 5 p.m. at the Esteban Sabar Gallery, 480 23rd St., Oakland. 444-7411. www.estebansabar.com 

FILM 

Women of Color Film Festival Workshop with Christine Choy at 1 p.m. and “Long Story Short” at 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam Semi-Finals #1 & #2, for youth aged 13-19, Fri. and Sat. at 7 p.m. at Oakland Metro, 210 Broadway, Oakland. Cost is $4 for youth under 20, $10 general. 415-255-9035, ext. 22. www.youthspeaks.org  

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall , UC Campus, through March 5. Tickets are $32-$54. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Dance Is 2006 at 8 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Theater. Tickets are $5-$10. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

The Pacific Boychoir “American Spirituals” at 7:30 pm at the First Presbyterian Church, 27th and Broadway, Oakland. 452-4722. www.pacificboychoir.org 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $3-$12. 642-9988.  

Good Word at 9 p.m. at Blakes on Telegraph. Cost is $10. 848-0886. www.blakesontelegraph.com 

Flip Tha Script with Kiwi, Golda Supanova, Feenix Solite at 9 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $8-$10. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

Eddie Marshall’s “No Money Band” at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $12. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

The Radiohead Project with Adam Theis, Joe Cohen and Pat Korte at 8 p.m. at the Jazz- 

school. Cost is $12. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Bucho and Soul at 9:30 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $7-$10. 548-1159.  

Gail Dobson Trio at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Moodswing Orchestra at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Swing dance lesson at 8 p.m. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Houston Jones at 8 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Frank Wakefield Band at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Linh Nguyen and Jamie Jenkins at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

XBXRX, Battleship, Mika Miko, Saboteurs at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

Cas Lucas with Home at Last & Zak Hexum at 8 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 644-2204.  

SATURDAY, MARCH 4 

CHILDREN 

Los Amiguitos de La Peña with Germar the Magician at 10:30 a.m. at La Peña. Cost is $4 for adults, $3 for children. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

EXHIBITIONS 

The Art of Living Black 2006 with the works of over 50 artists on display Sat. and Sun. from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Richmond Convention Center Memorial Auditorium. Sponsored by the Richmond Art Center. 620-6772. 

“Inforestation” an exhibition of drawings, sound, light, and organic materials is being shown at the Addison Street Windows Gallery, 2018 Addison St. Opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Exhibition runs to April 24. 981-7546. 

THEATER 

“Dust Storm: Art and Survival in a Time of Paranoia” on the Internement of Japanese Americans during WWII, at 2 and 7 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Rd., Kensington. Tickets are $1-$10. 800-838-3006. 

FILM 

Women of Color Film Festival “Who Killed Vincent Chin” at 5:30 p.m. and “Confronting What Was” at 8 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Flash with Joseph Campana and D.A. Powell at 7:30 p.m. at Cody’s Books. Donation $2. 845-7852. www.codysbooks.com 

Bay Area Poets Coalition holds an open reading from 3 to 5 p.m., at Strawberry Creek Lodge, 1320 Addison St. Park on the street, not in Lodge parking lot. 527-9905. poetalk@aol.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 2 and 8 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall , UC Campus, through March 5. Tickets are $32-$54. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Dance Is 2006 at 8 p.m. at the Julia Morgan Theater. Tickets are $5-$10. 925-798-1300. www.berkeleyopera.org 

The Real Vocal String Quartet, synthesis of world and roots music with jazz, classical and pop, at 8 p.m. at Trinity Chapel, 2320 Dana St., bet. Durant and Bancroft. Tickets are $8-$12. 549-3864. http://trinitychamberconcerts.com  

Jewish Music Festival with the New Orleans Klezmer Allstars at 8 p.m. at the First Congregational Church Oakland. Tickets are $22-$26. 415-276-1511. 

University Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $3-$12. 642-9988.  

Emily Bezar, jazz, at 8 p.m. at Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave. Tickets are $10 at the door. 

The K.T.O. Project at 8:30 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Tickets are $15. 849-2568. www.lapena.org  

Rhonda Benin and Soulful Strut at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Mal Sharpe’s Big Money in Gumbo Band, featuring Lady Memfis, vocals, at 9 p.m. at Downtown. 649-3810.  

Rhiannon at 8 p.m. at the Jazz- 

school. Cost is $12-$15. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Marley’s Ghost at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $18.50-$19.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

Sotaque Baiano, Brazilian music, at 9 p.m. at Shattuck Down Low, 2284 Shattuck Ave. Cost is $10-$12. 548-1159.  

SIster I-Live and the Remix Band at 9:30 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $11-$13. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Dale Miller and Friends at 8 p.m. at Spuds Pizza, 3290 Adeline St. Cost is $7. 558-0881. 

Betsy Stern Trio and TC at 7:30 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Green & Root with Eileen Hazel at 8:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. Cost is $5-$10. 644-2204. www.epicarts.org 

Lights Out, Hostile Takeover, Set it Straight at 8 p.m. at 924 Gilman St., an all-ages, member-run, no alcohol, no drugs, no violence club. Cost is $6. 525-9926. 

SUNDAY, MARCH 5 

FILM 

Women of Color Film Festival “I Have Seen...” at 1 p.m. and “Teach Our Children: Works by Christine Choy” at 3:30 p.m. at the Pacific Film Archive. Cost is $4-$8. 642-0808. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu 

EXHIBITIONS 

Photography of Brian Hastings Opening reception at 4 p.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

A Tribute to Zahra Kazemi & Dr. Hammed Shahidian with the Kavosh Iranian Women’s Group at 6 p.m. at La Peña Cultural Center. Cost is $12. 849-2568. www.lapena.org 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Soli Deo Gloria, with guest conductor Chad Runyon, will present Latin Elegance, an a cappella choral concert at 3:30 p.m. at Zion Lutheran, 5201 Park Blvd., Piedmont. Tickets at the door are $15-$20. www.sdgloria.org 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at 3 p.m. at Zellerbach Hall , UC Campus, through March 5. Tickets are $32-$54. 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

“Alarm Will Sound” works by John Adams at 3 p.m. at Hertz Hall, UC Campus. Tickets are $32, available from 642-9988. www.calperfs.berkeley.edu 

Chamber Music Sundaes, with members of the San Francisco Symphony and friends at 3:15 .m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave. Tickets are $9-$21. 415-584-5946. 

Kemo Sabe, The Pickin’ Trix, Val Esway & El Mirage and others in a benefit for Kirk Rundstrom from 2 to 10 p.m at The Stork Club, 2330 Telegraph, Oakland. Tickets are $5-$15. 444-6174. 

Terry Rodriguez Trio at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Art Lande Trio “unstandards” at 4:30 p.m. at the Jazz- 

school. Cost is $12-$18. 845-5373. www.jazzschool.com 

Youthquake Performances, school-age band competition, at 6 p.m. at Ashkenaz. Cost is $5. 525-5054. www.ashkenaz.com 

Twang Cafe with Dave Gleason’s Wasted Days at 7:30 p.m. at Epic Arts, 1923 Ashby Ave. All ages show. Cost is $5-$10. 644-2204.  

Balafo at 11 a.m. at Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. 595-5344. www.nomadcafe.net 

Elana Fremerman & Her Hot Hot Trio at 8 p.m. at Freight and Salvage. Cost is $17.50-$18.50. 548-1761. www.freightandsalvage.org 

MONDAY, MARCH 6 

READINGS AND LECTURES 

Poetry Express with Nance Wogan at 7 p.m. at Priya Restaurant, 2072 San Pablo Ave. berkeleypoetryexpress@yahoo.com 

MUSIC AND DANCE 

Zilber-Muscarella Quartet & Invitational at 8 p.m. at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. Cost is $7. 841-JAZZ. www.AnnasJazzIsland.com 

Trovatore, traditional Italian music, at 7 p.m. at Caffe Trieste, 2500 San Pablo Ave., at Dwight. 548-5198.  

Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble and Combos at at 8 and 10 p.m. at Yoshi’s, Jack London Square. Tickets are $15. 238-9200. www.yoshis.com 

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In the middle of the 20th century a happy coincidence made Berkeley home to two poets, Josephine Miles (1911-1985) and Alan Ginsberg, who bore at least a passing resemblance to a pair of their celebrated predecessors, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. 

By common agreement, Emily Dickinson, spinster, and Walt Whitman, roustabout, are the two great American poets of the 19th century. Whitman wrote the grandly expansive Leaves of Grass; Ginsberg roamed the American landscape, protesting loudly against our follies. Emily Dickinson spent her life in a small Massachusetts town, writing short, intense, unpublished poems; Josephine Miles also led what seemed to be a quiet a life here in Berkeley. She too wrote brief, highly chiseled poems. 

When you notice this parallel, it is irresistible, but it is mostly evocative. It breaks down as soon as you look at it in detail. Emily Dickinson did live and die in obscurity, but Josephine Miles had a long and successful career at a major university. She was, in her way, a public figure, and she published a lot of poetry and prose. 

Josephine Miles came to Berkeley from UCLA in 1932 to do graduate work, teach, and write poetry. She taught in the English Department for 38 years, 1940 to 1978, and was the first female professor to receive tenure. During her lifetime her poetry and criticism earned solid respect. When her Collected Poems appeared, she was saluted for the freshness, simplicity, and colloquial quality of her work. 

To achieve this she overcame obstacles even more daunting than the social barriers that confined Emily Dickinson. Afflicted by rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 2, her life was a perpetual struggle against an unrelenting disease. As Thom Gunn wrote, “The unavoidable first fact about Josephine Miles was physical. As a young child she contracted a form of degenerative arthritis so severe that it left her limbs deformed and crippled. As a result, she could not be left alone in a house, she could not handle a [coffee] mug...she could not use a typewriter; and she could neither walk nor operate a wheelchair.” 

Her appearance was shocking, so much so that her secretary tried to protect her from the unguarded reactions of students seeing her for the first time. She was my advisor in the early ‘60s, and when I came for my first meeting with her, the secretary gave me what I suppose were the standard warnings. I’m grateful that she did, even though they didn’t fully prepare me. When I entered her office I encountered a very small person who appeared to be propped up behind her desk. She was rather gray. Her body seemed shrunken. She had a large head, a round face, and notably large eyes. But she had a friendly demeanor, and her conversation was so involving that within minutes she put me at ease, and I ceased to be aware of her physical debilities. 

A sociable person, she enjoyed teaching and the company of students. In a poem called “Retrospective,” she says of her teaching career, “...a quarter-century of Chaucer went very fast.” I think she depended on contact with students for some kinds of knowledge of the world. Once, when Hemingway and Fitzgerald came up in a conversation, she asked me what I thought of Hemingway’s suicide (still a recent event). I replied that it surprised me, and she zeroed in on this, questioning and probing from different angles for the meaning of my surprise. Well, of course, I didn’t know what his death meant, hadn’t thought about it carefully, and had nothing responsible to say. Her questions quickly took me beyond my depth, and my answers must have disappointed her. After awhile, mercifully, she let it go. 

Subsequently it seemed to me that I had been, momentarily, her channel to the world of young people—even to the youth of the nation—and she had given me the responsibility of explaining their point of view on that tragedy. Because conversation was essential to her, she placed enormous value on real communication, and I felt vaguely as though I’d let her down. When I came to read this tough-minded poem, I thought of that occasion: 

The doctor who sits at the bedside of a rat 

Obtains real answers—a paw twitch, 

An ear tremor, a gain or loss of weight. 

No problem as to which 

Is temper and which is true. 

What a rat feels, a rat will do. 

Concomitantly then, the doctor who sits 

At the bedside of a rat Asks real questions, as befits 

The place, like Where did that potassium go, not What  

Do you think of Willie Mays or the weather? 

So rat and doctor may converse together.” 

Were we having a real conversation? Was “what do you think about Hemingway’s suicide” a real question? At that moment she was the doctor (of literature). Was I the rat? How many of us were her rats? Hmmm.  

Some years later, when I was writing an article about Louis Simpson, she gave me a marvelous interview which I count as an instance of her real generosity. Simpson had won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1961, the year he came to Berkeley. He was known to local writers as one of the editors of The New Poets of England and America (1957). This enormously successful anthology seemed likely to give the poets in it a big advantage in audience recognition for decades to come. But there weren’t any Bay Area poets in it (except Thom Gunn, who was grouped with the English)! Local wounds were still bleeding when Simpson arrived; some people felt as though the enemy had occupied the town. He later complained about the clannishness of Bay Area poets, and wrote that he felt isolated in Berkeley. 

But Josephine Miles befriended him. In that wonderful interview, she told me she was surprised to read of his discontent in Berkeley. She spent many pleasant evenings with him and his wife and their friends in spirited discussions of the arts and the issues of the day. But, she said, she saw less and less of him as he became more involved in writing, anthologizing, and publishing. 

Once she went with him to a reading by Robert Duncan, and Simpson asked her, “Where are all the local writers? In New York everybody would treat this as an important event.” “I looked around and saw writers all over the hall,” she said, “It was just that Simpson did not recognize them! But if he had known more people, he might have written less.” Before returning to New York he gave a reading of his own work, and introduced what she remembered as “wonderful, wonderful poems.” “I’m glad,” she said, “those were Berkeley poems.” 

In the 1960s, beginning with the poems in Kinds of Affection, her own writing showed the influence of beat writers. It became less elliptical, more assessable. “Looser and freer in form,” in her own words. She also began to address local public issues, such as the ecology of San Francisco Bay. One of her most widely read poems, “Saving the Bay,” begins: 

When I telephoned a friend, her husband told me 

She’s not here tonight, she’s out saving the Bay. 

She is sitting and listening in committee chambers, 

Maybe speaking, with her light voice From the fourteenth row, about where 

The birds and fish will go if we fill in the Bay.” 

She wrote some of the finest poems inspired by the anti-war protests that engulfed Berkeley for so long. I’ve always thought her decent, loving concern for the well-being of the students, and her apprehension as to the outcome of some protests, was most eloquently expressed in “My Fear in the Crowd:”  

The thousand people stand in the sunlight, 

They are taking in the messages of the speakers 

Deliberately, they are weighing the judgments, 

They are making up their minds...” 

But there are many others equally as vivid, including “Witness,” “Officers,” and “Memorial Day.” 

She left her home to the university for use as a residence for visiting poets and a place for them to conduct informal seminars for student writers. Known as the Berkeley Writers’ Center, it was one of her final gifts to the university she had come to love. 

The editors of California Poetry see Josephine Miles as belonging to a line of poets that started with Emily Dickinson, and continued with Marianne Moore, Stevie Smith and Elizabeth Bishop. They quote Julia Randall’s description of them as “a company of eccentric, independent and unabashedly single ladies.” This seems fair enough, except for the word “eccentric.” It never seemed to me that there was anything odd or erratic about Josephine Miles. In her own anthology, The Poem, she distinguished herself from Emily Dickinson by describing Dickinson’s profession as “recluse.” If she had put any of her own poetry in that book, she would have identified herself as “poet and teacher” or “activist.” 

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The shadowy figure of a ranchero, lightly strumming a guitar and intoning lines in Spanish about leaving home due to poverty and necessity, looms before the screen in the Berkeley City Club on which the tall cactus and stony land of the border are projected, along with an English translation of the song’s mournful words. 

This first, nocturnal image of Central Works’ production of Brian Thorstenson’s new play Shadow Crossing is immediately replaced by bright lights and nervous energy, a photo session in which Martin (John Patrick Moore) is “shooting” his camera-shy schoolteacher friend, Emily (Jan Zvaifler) for a passport, though Emily at first doesn’t seem to be going anywhere outside the country she’s proud of as the daughter of a Jewish refugee. She compares having a passport to owning a formal black dress—the right thing to have, even if seldom used. 

Martin, on the other hand, amid the affectionate banter and mutual teasing that marks their conversations, later lets drop that he’s applied for landed residency in Quebec. As a gay man, he’s convinced the backlash against equal rights has rendered him unwanted in American society. It becomes apparent his partner is dead, and Emily is an emotional mainstay for him in his grief. Emily seems to take his possible departure very personally, as a betrayal both of friendship and of country. 

Earlier, their quick repartee was interrupted by a young man in a baseball cap with a Latino accent, asking if Martin needs his windows washed. Martin tells him to come back later. Emily is edgy, suspicious, telling Martin that paying a possible illegal may be a crime. 

When Rafael (Michael Navarra) does return, an amusing affinity arises between the two men in Emily’s absence. Martin at first tries to tutor Rafael in presentability in business, until it becomes apparent the impish migrant knows the territory very well. 

Martin hires him as a shop assistant. It’s part of Martin’s Canadian pipe dream, having someone to care for the shop. Emily drops by, and is dumbfounded by Rafael holding down the shop while Martin’s on an errand. She confronts Martin about this. Angry remarks escalate; Martin throws his friend out. 

So far, Shadow Crossing is a sharp, dialogue-centered play of three different perspectives meeting, misunderstanding and clashing, or sympathizing at a distance, and admonishing. It’s vaguely reminiscent of the Shop on Main Street, the Jan Kadar film, which showed how social hysteria results from personal disappointments and domestic misunderstandings and accommodations. 

But, after intermission, the playwright throws in a new twist—a ghostly, multicultural photo session, and portentious meetings with those ghosts from the past—Ellis Island and Operation Wetback—both in the familiar brightness of the photo studio and the desert night at the border, with nocturnal songbirds, binoculars and cellphones.  

Brian Thorstenson’s dialogue is sharp, laden with pointed lines and exchanges: “You can’t have an ‘Us’ without a ‘Them,’ simple fact,” Emily snaps at Martin, who’s accused her of an “us vs. them” attitude. Or Rafael saying how his light skin has left him open to gibes from other Latinos about how he can pass for Anglo. “Blending in?” asks Martin; “No,” says Rafael, “it translates more like ‘fading into.’” “Just like an older gay man in San Francisco,” Martin quips dryly. 

The play has the courage to let disagreements play out, not to be blunted by false rapprochement. 

“When did you stop believing in this country,” Emily lashes out at Martin. “When did you?” Martin shoots back. 

Central Works, which really is the local chamber theater for current controversies to be played out “in camera,” in newly-developed works, holds up its usual high production standards, brilliantly exploiting the playing area in the City Club with Gary Graves’ direction and the design of Robert Ted Anderson (lights), Gregory Scharpen (sound), and Tammy Berlin (costumes). The acting is of high quality, all three cast members projecting multiple (and sometimes contradictory) emotions simultaneously, widening the scope of the script. 

There’s a little bit of technical innovation, too, that matches the occasionally fantastic touches of the script, changing the shape of the room in imagination through the use of projections, especially following the flash of Martin’s three-light photo set-up. “I love waiting for that split second, that flicker, when people reveal another side of the self; it’s startling.” 

Taking a loaded topic like immigration, one that has no easy or foreseeable outcome, and playing out a few of its ambiguities in the form of personal consequences, is a well-realized facet of Central Works’ mission. In a society of the descendants of immigrants, it’s difficult—and not encouraged—to look at the past without sentimentalism. 

“Men resemble their contemporaries even more than their progenitors,” Emerson said. To all three of these contemporaries applies the admonition offered by a spectral voice from a buried past: “The whole world is on the move; get used to it!” 

Central Works presents Shadow Crossing at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Ave., through March 26. Tickets $9-$25. For more information, call 558-1381 or see www.centralworks.org.›

Public school jazz education began in Berkeley in 1966 when Herb Wong, the principal at Washington Elementary, offered a jazz class to his music students. It wasn’t long before every school in the district had a jazz band. 

When Phil Hardymon, who had worked with Wong at the grade school level, became band director at Berkeley High in 1975, he parlayed all the work that had gone on in the lower grades into the top-rated high school jazz education program in the country.  

Berkeley High jazz bands and members regularly win state and national competitions and scholarships and have performed at the Monterey, Umbria, Montreux and North Sea jazz festivals—and why not when their alumni include such stellar artists as David Murray, Craig Handy, Josh Redman, Benny Green and Peter Apfelbaum? 

In fact, pianist Benny Green and saxophonists Craig Handy and Joshua Redman all paid their dues in Apfelbaum’s 17-piece Hieroglyphic Ensemble, which he founded in 1977 when he was 17. Last year, the Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble began talking to Peter about commissioning a piece from him and in the fall he began writing it. 

For the past week, he has been rehearsing with the band for a March 6 premiere of the composition at Yoshi’s. Even before that, some of Peter’s associates from his Hieroglyphic Ensemble, like percussionist Josh Jones, were working with and tutoring members of the Berkeley High group. What Herb Wong began has become a multi-generational community of teachers, alumni and students which gives the Berkeley jazz community a depth and resonance often lacking elsewhere. 

Peter said that the piece is still untitled, but it will be a 15-minute suite with five written sections, with solos performed within both the composed portions and the looser intervals between the written parts. Peter will sit in with the Ensemble when they perform the piece during both of their sets. 

All composers have to write something beautiful, but the jazz composer’s writing must also be a structure or catalyst which can generate inspired improvisation from the soloist-performer. The jazz composer has to trust that the players can creatively complete the creative act of composition in the creative act of performance. This involves a lot of trust from everyone and is one of the qualities that makes live jazz so exciting, a little like doing a trapeze act without a net. 

Part of that excitement comes from hearing young musicians pushing themselves to the limit playing cutting edge jazz. Eleven of the Ensemble players are seniors, most of whom have been in the band for four years and are now going on to further education at colleges and conservatories, many of them in New York City. Some have won national scholarships and fellowships making this a highly talented and cohesive group.  

The Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble featuring Peter Apfelbaum will present the premiere of a jazz suite by Apfelbaum at Yoshi’s, 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland, on Monday, March 6, at 8 and 10 p.m. Each set will feature a Berkeley High Jazz Combos as well. Tickets are $15. For more information, call Yoshi’s at 238-9200.