Walnut Creek

Slavyanka Russian Chorus presents: Treasures of the Russian Baroque:

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
1924 Trinity Ave, Walnut Creek
Saturday, January 24th, 2015
3:00pm | $24

While many music lovers in the West know the names Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky, Russia’s composers of the 17th and 18th centuries — Berezovsky, Titov and Bortniansky, to name just three — are far less known. Their music reflects both the emerging influence of Russia’s new contact with Western Europe under Peter the Great, and the rich traditions of Russia’s ancient musical heritage. The interweaving of these two influences in Russia during this period created a uniquely beautiful musical literature still largely unknown in the West.

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Jack London Discussion:

Swans’ Fine Books
1381 Locust St, Walnut Creek
Thursday, January 22nd, 2015
7:30pm – 8:30pm | Free

Jack London is one of the most iconic names in American Literature.

He was the author of 55 books, more than 200 short stories, and almost 200 newspaper and magazine articles and essays. He was the master of the short story genre who helped mold it into its modern form with “To Build a Fire” being a primary example.

He also wrote such classic novels as The Call of the Wild, The Sea-Wolf, Martin Eden and The Valley of the Moon. He traveled the world reporting on wars, politics, sporting events and culture. Because of his writing and his travels, he became one of the greatest celebrities of his time. His fiction was greatly influential in the transition from realism to naturalism in literature, and his nonfiction was equally influential both politically and culturally.

Please join us on Thursday evening, January 22nd for an informal discussion about Jack London’s fascinating life, and an overview of his books and his writing style. Leading the discussion will be Dan Wichlan, a member of the Jack London Foundation (please see full bio below).

Since seating is limited, please R.S.V.P. to hold a space. There is no charge to attend and light refreshments will be served.

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Photo by Flickr user dennis

Alaskan Adventure: A Sierra Club Talk:

Ygnacio Valley Library
2661 Oak Grove Rd, Wanut Creek
Tuesday, January 20th, 2015
7:00pm – 8:30pm | Free

Come see Alaska through the eyes and lens of botanist, photographer, and author Yulan Tong. Yulan’s presentation will feature photos of the Inland Passage, Denali, Katmai, Glacier Bay National Park and more.

For Yulan, Alaska is a land of surprises and contradictions. She witnessed native peoples building traditional totems, yet traveling around by airplane. She saw fishermen sending their catches to both rustic smoke houses and modern canneries. Yulan was impressed by the contrast of slow growing, small trees in a land of fast growing giant cabbages. She’ll tell us of her canoe trip that required a quick detour because of fighting bears.

Everyone is welcome and no reservations are necessary.

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Force Majeure:

Walnut Creek Library
1644 N. Broadway, Walnut Creek
Saturday, January 17th, 2015
7:30pm

From Magnolia Pictures, it’s Sweden’s entry and top contender for this year’s foreign language Academy Award. Mountain Shadow has snagged this pre-home release you won’t find in our local theaters either!  Says Michael Philips of the Chicago Tribune, “’Force Majeure’” is both funny and sad, often in the same glance-averted instant. See it with someone you’d trust to stick around in an avalanche. It becomes a recreational nightmare, driven (and riven) by panicky male behavior under duress.”  Rated R – 118 min

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