Do you enjoy the morbid in art? You might want to read "Stilled Life," which describes an unusual art class -- one in which the sole subject is cadavers. This summer students spent three weeks sketching corpses in a freezing-cold hospital storage room, with fascinating results. Who says art class has to be about posed fruit and living, breathing models?

To be honest, the whole thing gives me the chills. Brrr. I was much happier to read this article about a conductor who's found his niche recording symphonies for the Naxos classical label. I'll tell you, if you want to catch up on your classical, that Naxos is an economical way to go.

Sigh, I hope that didn't sound like an advertisement. I don't really care. I'm just glad I got past that dead-body paragraph. Other stories this week include a piece about the most hick-free places to camp along the beaches in the Gulf of Mexico, also known as the "Redneck Riviera"; and a story about Knoxville's internal struggle to build a decent night life -- a story that should serve as a cautionary tale for other medium-sized towns.

Ugh, I'm sorry. I'm still creeped out about the cadaver thing. I'm just glad my art teachers never made me do that. Enjoy this week's Arts & Leisure section. I've got to go get a breath of fresh air. Man oh man.