 | America the Brutal Welfare reform, or "welfare deform"? That's the question posed by America the Brutal, an in-depth look at the negative impact welfare reform is having on immigrants. Thanks to changes in Supplemental Security Income and other payments, America's legal non-citizens are feeling the pinch more than ever -- and to a disproportionate degree compared with others targeted by the reform. Is this a necessary evil, or an inherently racist policy? |
 | Mr. Easy Rider Takes a Wild Flyer When last we saw him, he was defining the late '60s zeitgeist by riding choppers with hippie friend Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider. Twenty-eight years and dozens of lousy B-movies later, Peter Fonda (Henry's son, Jane's brother, Bridget's father) has made a soul-stirring return with the lead role in Ulee's Gold. An interview shares his surprise, joy, and inspiration. |
 | They Are Among Us Now we know what happened to the aliens who crashed in Roswell, New Mexico 50 years ago -- they moved to Albuquerque and became science fiction writers. Or at least that's one possible explanation for the town's surprisingly large s/f population, which receives a thorough investigation in this "probing" feature. |
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News & Opinion
As the outer, suburban areas of cities expand, many of their inner, urban areas decay. Tucson's Holy War details how such urban sprawl has led to an intense annexation war for one city, while Urban Ascention documents another city's successful efforts to keep its downtown area vibrant. Also: editorials on flag-burning, Dennis Rodman's mormon-bashing, gays at Disney, and the inevitable results of class stratification. (14 articles)
Film & TV
Peter Fonda explains what it's like to finally get a role that moves beyond his Easy Rider days, two up-and-coming Texas filmmakers talk about their lesbian love story Late Bloomers, and reviews of My Best Friend's Wedding ask: To Julia or not to Julia? Also: Want to be the next Richard Linklater, Kevin Smith or Spike Lee? Better read this sobering story about independent filmmaking before you yell "Action!" (11 articles)
Music
The issue of the week: Reissues. A lot of labels are taking the old and making it sparkling new, repackaging ancient work by Yoko Ono, the Byrds, and recordings by folklorist Alan Lomax to impressive results. Also: Singer-songwriter Dan Bern strains to maintain his status as "the next Bob Dylan"; Sleater-Kinney use raw sexual energy to take the term "riot grrl" to new heights; and Vanilla Ice gets cold feet. (13 articles)
Arts & Leisure
A diverse selection of U.S. artists prove that painting is really a matter of different brushstrokes for different folks: New Orleans painter Charles Barbier pays homage to Pablo Picasso and Georgia O'Keefe; San Francisco's Frank Pietronigo tries to bring homophobic vandalism out of the closet; and a treasure trove of Tucson artists use individualistic methods to paint themselves out of their Arizona corner. Also: Uncanny recipes for canned foods. (8 articles)
Books
Albuquerque readers try their hand at short fiction, with quirky results; and a feature story highlights the best New Mexico science fiction authors (who, thanks to that big U.F.O. gala in Roswell, ought to be seeing a surge in readers soon). Plus the usual mixed assortment of book reviews and interviews, including Shyam Selvadurai's Funny Boy, C.E. Poverman's On the Edge, and a glimpse into the activist attitude of punk poet Tammy Gomez. (8 articles)
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Why nibble on Peanuts when you can gorge on Red Meat? (7 comics)
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