Arts & Culture

This week on our program, Fresno author Ed Miller reads his story "Blur" is about a dinner date that went sour. Find out what happened in this intense edition of Valley Writers Read. 

This weekend the stage of the Saroyan Theatre will be filled with hundreds of young musicians, with hundreds more in the audience. It’s all part of an effort by a Fresno composer to break down the boundaries between classical music and mariachi, and to bring young audiences into the world of music, in a fun, interactive way. Valley Public Radio's Rebecca Plevin reports.

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It’s Sunday afternoon and the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra is rehearsing a new, mariachi-inspired song.

This week on Valley Writers Read, we hear a story by Oakhurst author Susan Norman titled "Learning the Ropes." It's about CJ, a precocious teenaged girl who had been sent to a school for delinquents. The parents come to see their daughter on visiting day and watch the youngsters climb a complicated jungle gym.  That afternoon, CJ's mother decides to climb the jungle gym herself.  This forebodes some big changes in family relationships. KVPR's Leigh Murray reads this story.

On Sunday May 19th, Fresno's Tower Theatre will feature some of Hollywood's biggest films. But you aren't likely to see many stars or Oscar winners on the screen. Instead, Swede Fest 11 will feature a collection of 20 low-budget, summarized recreations of Hollywood's most popular movies, all shot by amateur filmmakers.

This week on Valley Writers Read, Auberry author James Benelli reads his story "Spaghetti Farming In Kansas." This is a satirical story about a millionaire, Nick Worthmore and his wife Penny who, when they stop to get their car repaired in Kansas, wind up on an unexpected adventure.