Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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Why is the raven like a writing desk? That is the important first question in the novel "The Wishing Game" by Meg Shaffer. I was delighted to find this book because it had a raven in it and fit so nicely with the Raven serial in this issue. The raven in this story is both a riddle and real. Author Jack Masterson is an eccentric man who wrote a series of very successful children's books about Clock Island and the adventures of children searching for wishes. Masterson has a pet raven he rescued...
This is the last installment of the Raven serial. Previous installments can be found in the last three editions of The Loop newspaper. Added into the following is a submission by Shaun Barnes. Thank you Shaun! You brought to us another layer of raven mystery that perfectly fit! We hope readers have enjoyed our little journey into reality, fantasy and the unknown. Our world is truly a magical place full of wonders and mystery. Perhaps you have been noticing more ravens these days? They say to wat...
Wouldn't it be wonderful to see the world with new eyes? As a baby grows and learns, it sees the world for the first time. The baby explores all the simple wonders that we now take for granted as we whiz right by. We most likely no longer marvel at our own shadow, the leaf of a tree, a piece of straw, how the breeze feels so soft, how fuzzy soft a bee looks. Living here for a time sadly takes the wonder edge off of our daily lives. If you are lucky to have a baby in your life, you may be...
Ravens To catch up on the ongoing Raven serial, you will find the story in the last two issues of The Loop. In review, some people in town have been having strange experiences with the ravens. Some see ravens, others black trash bags, and sometimes both in the same sighting. Stephen, Maxi, Leanne and Walt have noticed a few mysterious occurrences in the mix. A new character moves the story forward in this issue... Glen Fieldstone is an old timer. He knows most everyone in town. And anyone who...
The difference between cozy and gritty mysteries is immense. Would you rather snuggle with a teddy bear or a cholla cactus? Yes, that extreme. Cozy mysteries coax you into the story with a comfy chair, soft blanket and a steaming mug of hot chocolate. The gritty mystery grabs you and won't let go, even when you try to put it down and run. Both are layered in degrees, building to their conclusion. I suppose it depends on what kinds of books you enjoy the most, whether you can be satisfied with a...
We must admit that we did not receive submissions from the community for our second Loop serial to meet this week's deadline. It was not unexpected. Life is crazy these days with demands on everyone's time and attention, and it is not always easy to give time to creative endeavors. It was the chance we took. But not to be discouraged, we prepared for this very occasion and we have our own ideas of where the mystery of the ravens moves forward and we are moving the story along. Please enjoy. Also...
First Friday falls on Nov. 3, so don't forget to come out for food, fun and drinks. We also have ceramics classes, a how-to class: making a "shower steamer," a fused glass Christmas ornament class, paint night (on the third Saturday of each month), the improv workshop, jam night, (every other Tuesday) and many more class offerings. New Arts Center hours We are now open 7 days a week and we stay open until 6 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays...
Serials were discussed a few years back in a previous book review. At the time we sponsored our own Loop serial called "Valley of Light" with contributions from the community. It's time to try it again! A serial is where a story is divided up into segments and given to readers a bit at a time. Charles Dickens wrote his novels and published them in serial form, some weekly, others monthly, leaving his readers yearning for more. Serials have a constant story arc that proceeds forward over time,...
A few years back The Loop sponsored a serial prompt in The TALE section of the newspaper. The community was invited to offer up what they thought would happen next in an ongoing story. We chose and published a few contributors at a time and continued the serial in the next paper and the next until we felt we had found a satisfying ending. We would like to do the same again. We have a new story started below. It is about Ravens, or is it? If you read the prompts and are inspired to imagine what...
Our in-house Glass Fusion artist, Leila Kleiman, will be presenting her long-awaited Fused Glass Class. Her students will be making a pendant and earring set. Make beautiful one of a kind art that you can wear or gift to a special person. The class will take place Saturday, Oct. 28 at noon. October is Inktober here at the Arts Center. Our artists will display ink drawing sketches and other pieces using the medium of ink. New hours at the Arts Center We are now open seven days a week and stay...
Have you ever wished for a machine that time travels? Where would you go? Do you want to know the future? Or would you rather experience the past? Can we learn from the past to make our future better? Museums are a time capsule that promotes time travel. Displays, photographs and sometimes even audio recordings tell us the "story" that was. Our Tehachapi Museum has such displays and a wealth of literature that can be looked through and purchased, materials that highlight the twists and turns of...
"The natural world has always been an inspiration for me. I love to explore it and attempt to convey its natural beauty in my paintings," said Gallery 'N' Gifts guest artist Cherice Hatton. "My work is about the environment and the wildlife within it. "I have an interest in the colors and patterns found in animals and how they appear almost invisible within their surroundings. Just as animals can be camouflaged in their environment with color and pattern, I sometimes place them within the...
I love a good story and hate when it ends. Have you ever felt that way? Do you miss your favorite characters and wish to know what else they might be doing? Or perhaps something happened in your book and you want it to have a different result? I am forever altering stories in my head, especially to create happy endings. There is actually a name for this process. It is called fan fiction. There is a controversy whether the term itself should be fan fiction or fanfiction. Either way, it...
Years ago we used prompts in our writing group, a single word, an interesting sentence, a unique or even rather regular object, and our pens would fly as our imaginations created a story around the challenge. Fan fiction is like a gigantic prompt. The set up and characters are already developed and in place. The writer can just jump right in and put their own spin into the original story, adding a new angle or event. When reading "Wool" by Hugh Howie, I couldn't help but wonder about all the...
Our Artist of the Month is Britney Palmer. She produces stickers, t-shirts, maps, window stickers and 3D printed animals and objects. Her items are very eye-catching with many Tehachapi specific themes. She will be teaching a class this month on how to use the Procreate app on your iPad. Mark Kamerer is a local Key Smith making many types of keys. Specializing in older cars, lawn mowers, mailboxes, houses, toolboxes, motorcycles and RVs. Often, we can locate hard to find key blanks. Open...
Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) better known to the reading world as C. S. Lewis of Narnia fame, published in 1950, was a voracious writer of more than 30 books. What is not as commonly known, Lewis wrote "The Space Trilogy" between 1938 and 1945, the first of the series titled "Out of the Silent Planet." This time in history was tumultuous. Hitler became German Chancellor and then Fuhrer. His troops marched through Europe. There were concentration camps built and filled. Ghettos of deportees...
Tehachapi Valley Arts Association and Gallery 'N' Gifts held their annual summer photo contest this month. An awards reception to honor the participants was held on First Friday, Aug. 4. The contest, in its 19th year, featured 86 photos by local amateur photographers in six different categories. Photos will be on display through Aug. 29 at Gallery 'N' Gifts, located at 100 W. Tehachapi Blvd. They are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Best of Show winner was Wes Burcham with a whimsical photo of a...
I dedicate this artwork to the Nuwä (Kawaiisu or Southern Paiute) people of the Tehachapi Mountains who have lived here for thousands of years. "Nuwä Momo'o" (Nuwä Woman) depicts a Transitional Nuwä woman gathering Valley Oak acorns, for making acorn meal, on a beautiful late summer day with a cloudless Tehachapi sky. Her expression is peaceful and also confident, for she knows she will survive and adapt to any of life's challenges. She is holding what is called a "burden basket," a large con...
Have you wondered if there are books out there for kids that don't involve magic, fantasy, wizards, vampires, werewolves or aliens? There are plenty, with themes that educate, fascinate and encourage young people to develop curiosity, build self esteem and lean into wonders of the world around them. Adventures in the realm of reality starts with "Britfield" by C. R. Stewart. The reader first finds children at the mercy of devious adults running an orphanage in northern England. In a deterioratin...
Chalk on the Walk 2023 was a huge success! With over 80 drawings completed, the sidewalks of Downtown Tehachapi became a magical gallery showing off the creative talent of our community. The atmosphere downtown was filled with an upbeat joyfulness. Artists helping artists, oohs and ahhs as passerbys who stopped to take in the bountiful colors and chat with the artists about the inspiration for their artwork and a peaceful togetherness that made for a truly beautiful event. Tehachapi Valley Arts...
Bear Valley Springs Cultural Arts Association is happy to have a raffle donation from local artist Nuri Amanatullah for the upcoming Sept. 2-10 Art Show. Nuri is an Antelope Valley-based painter, illustrator and designer whose stylized, graphic depictions of flora and fauna are represented in a variety of mediums including illustration and large-scale murals. Employing both traditional techniques and digital media, his work explores the wildlife and natural elements of the Antelope Valley often...
This month the Arts Center welcomes local artist, Collen Farrel, as our Paint Night guest instructor on Saturday, Aug. 19, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. In the grand tradition of paint nights everywhere, all materials, as well as hors d'oeuvres, wine and other treats will be provided for a fee of $35. We look forward to welcoming new and past students. Go to our Facebook page to see this month's painting. Join us on Saturdays for Art Club. Art Club is an activity designed to provide young adults with a...
The Rotary Club of Tehachapi and the Tehachapi Healthcare District are joining forces to present several activities and events for our teenagers in Tehachapi. Life has been difficult for all of us these past few years. Social isolation, loneliness, loss of school time and interaction with friends has caused a crisis with our kids and they are hurting. Our future as a society depends on them and their ability to navigate in the wider world. We want to give them the support and care they need to...
TVAA Gallery 'N' Gifts presents its September guest artist John Rand and his exhibit, "Photos and Paintings." John received his Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honors in 1982 from California State University, Fullerton. He has over 17 solo exhibitions that includes several museums and galleries through California and Germany. He was selected to exhibit this year at the Bakersfield Museum of Art during the exhibition "Saturation." His work has traveled throughout California, Japan, New York, Massachus...
Chalk on the Walk started about 22 years ago when Tehachapi Valley Arts Association became concerned about teachers having to fund art supplies out of their own pockets for special projects. TVAA decided they needed to focus on something to help keep art in the classrooms. A fun community event to bring families out on a summer morning; a late summer event that would give kids a break from the boring summer routine; a creative outlet for anyone of any age. Chalk on the Walk became the solution....
