seeing Chef Thomas Keller slumped on his couch brushing off Cheez-Its crumbs, or watching pianist Khatia Buniatishvili go absolutely giddy over the early work of Justin Bieber. You see, White is an expert in home decluttering. She is the author of best-sellers like Decluttering at the Speed of Life and Organizing for the Rest of Us, and continues her helpful ways with a podcast “A Slob Comes Clean.” If anyone knows how to rid us of those boxes of stuff we will never use again but can’t quite get rid of, it’s White. Good news for those in need of her advice. White comes to the Salinas Public Library virtually for an author talk that will get you started shoveling a pathway through your closet. [DF] 11am Tuesday, Jan. 17. Salinas Public Library, 350 Lincoln Ave., Salinas. Register at libraryc. org/salinaspubliclibrary or email jissellad@ ci.salinas.ca.us with any questions. For more, 758-7311, salinaspubliclibrary.org. Becoming an Artist BookWorks hosts author Meg Hoerey, a novelist and former professional dancer, who talks about her new novel They’re Going to Love You. Based in Los Angeles, Hoerey often draws from her experiences as a professional dancer and actor in New York City and L.A. Her latest novel is set in the world of professional ballet, New York City during the AIDS crisis, and in present-day Los Angeles. The novel addresses the challenges of a body in ballet training and what consequences it has on the psyche. Reading about hopes and struggles of the young protagonist who attempts to follow in the footsteps of her mother, a former Balanchine ballerina, readers are beautifully and bitterly reminded of what it takes to become an artist in America. [AP] 6pm Tuesday Jan. 17. BookWorks, 667 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. 3722242, bookworkspg.com. Hot Picks by Tajha Chappellet-Lanier, Dave Faries, Kyarra Harris, Celia Jiménez, Pam Marino, Rey Mashayekhi, Agata Pop˛eda, Sara Rubin, David Schmalz. 26 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY january 12-18, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Send ideas to calendar@mcweekly.com HOT PICKS Bird Bathing Whether the sun is shining or a storm has broken—if only for a moment—the most reliable way to connect with wildlife, and the natural world, is to check out the birds. And if one has a yard, or lives within walking distance to a park or open space, it’s not even necessary to take a hike, or get in a car. Unlike mammals, which (aside from humans) are few in our built landscapes, birds are ubiquitous. If you’re an admirer of birds (but not an expert bird-watcher) there’s no better way to get a sense of how many types of birds are around us all the time, especially during seasonal migrations, than with the Merlin Bird ID app. Powered by the science of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology—the preeminent ornithology department in the nation, perhaps the world—the free app gives the layperson the keys to understanding the winged kingdom. While there are plenty of features in the app for seasoned birders to harness, Merlin makes birding accessible to anyone through its audio feature, where one can turn on the audio recording feature in the app; it will identify, in real time, the species of bird whose calls one can hear, but not necessarily see. The diversity it reveals can amaze you, and teach about species the average person may never had heard of or know how to identify, like a black phoebe, yellow-rumped warbler or bushtit. It’s fun, it’s easy, and can inspire a newfound appreciation for Mother Nature. [DS] Available free in app stores, and learn more about it on the web at merlin.allaboutbirds.org. Li Liu outside Jan. 15 Berber Sounds How about a music trip to Morocco? SandBox presents AZA, a sextet founded by Fattah Abbou and Mohamed Aoualou to foster traditional Tamazight (Berber) music. While the founders are Berbers (indigenous people of North Africa whose recorded history dates back to 3,300 years ago) and played music for over 25 years in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, AZA was founded upon their move to the U.S. Based in Santa Cruz, AZA has released two albums of original music. Abbou (lead vocals, traditional string instruments and percussion) and Aoualou (vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, percussion) are joined by four California musicians, providing for the real fusion. Prepare for what is often described as Saharan-African blues, with an original California twist. AZA’s stirring performances feature deep, danceable rhythms, intricate string melodies and soaring, soulful vocals. [AP] 3pm Sunday, Jan. 15. 440 Ortiz Ave., Sand City. $25-$35. Sandboxsandcity.com. Folklore ComeS to Life Submerge yourself in a reimagined world of fairytales and Eastern European folklore—and enjoy scenes from Thistlefoot with its author GennaRose Nethercott—at this author talk. Nethercott narrates passages from her debut book while a hand-crafted puppetry box show animates the scenes using hand-cut paper images. She also creates poems for strangers on a 1952 Hermes Rocket typewriter with her team the Traveling Poetry Emporium. Thistlefoot was named one the best books of the year by various publications, including the Wall Street Journal and NPR. [CJ] 6-7:30pm Sunday, Jan. 15. The Secret Garden at Pilgrim’s Way Bookstore, Dolores Street between 5th and 6th, Carmel. Free. 6244955, pilgrimsway.com. Jan. 16 BE THE DREAM Martin Luther King Jr. was a giant in the civil rights movement and paved the way for lasting change—even as the fight continues today. This parade and celebration honor Dr. King’s legacy, and also invite us all to continue the work he started: “Together We Can Be the Dream,” the event tagline reads. The parade begins at 11am at the corner of Obama Way and Noche Buena, and ends at Oldemeyer Center for remarks from author/coach/ entreprenuer Cedric Nash. The day is hosted by the city of Seaside and C3 Community Collaborative. [SR] 11am-4pm Monday, Jan. 16. After parade, at Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave., Seaside. Free. 238-2125, blusk@mpusd.k12.ca.us. MLK For a Day If you want to celebrate Martin Luther King Day and enjoy some of the civil rights leader’s favorite foods—including pecan pie, fried chicken and vegan collard greens—it’s all at the groundbreaking ceremony for the MLK bust that will be installed outside of the Marina library. The bust was in storage for 13 years and was recently restored (see story, p. 10). The event also features music and MLK-themed crafts for kids. [CJ] 2pm Monday, Jan. 16. Marina library, 190 Seaside Circle, Marina. Free; RSVP advised. 884-1212, mmowery@cityofmarina.org. Jan. 17 Mess Call How disappointing would it be to walk into Dana K. White’s home and find junk tumbling from every shelf, closet and crevice? Probably on par with Travel all the way from Sand City to the Atlas Mountains in Morocco with the help of the group AZA. The sextet performs on Sunday, Jan. 15. Courtesy of AZA music
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