Nick Martinez is spending the semester in New York as part of the NY Arts Program. He will be regularly providing dispatches from the city. In this one, he recounts his experience applying for internships.

They don’t have a computer, but as owner Peggy Frank will tell you, her bookstore is already a computer: a retrieval database of information and imagination that divulges the human experience. Book Mountain is a physical platform that grants access to the stories told of our world and the possibility of others—and in doing so has cultivated a story itself with Frank as the hero, the keeper of words. The bookstore opened in 1980 after she became restless during her recovery from a horrific car accident that rendered her physically disabled. She set out with the unwavering mission to put good used books back into readers’ hands. Since opening day, the store has operated as a paperback exchange with a consistent pricing system that is unbelievably affordable (even by starving art students’ standards). Book Mountain sells each paperback at 40 percent the cover price and will grant you 20 percent of the cover price in store credit on whatever you bring in, provided they don’t already hold the title. With a system like that, it is not difficult to understand why so many customers say they shop exclusively at Book Mountain. Frank Johnson, one of the store’s longtime customers, says, “The beauty of coming here is that I can bring in a used book or two, get a used book or two, and pay just a few cents the difference. It’s a wonderful deal and great to support a local store that recycles books in a neat way”, which, when you consider shipping costs from online vendors and awkward sale pitches by employees of big box bookstores, is rather ideal. Book Mountain sits at the far end of a small shopping center situated near the corner of Osage and Cerrillos across from the likes of Ace Hardware and Hobby Lobby, a local gem amidst the sores of corporate consumption. When visitors enter Book Mountain they are greeted with an honest,  “What can I help you find?” cushioned by the soft hum emanating from a large industrial duct heater tucked somewhere beyond the shelves of horizontally stacked books. And the books. Peggy Frank prides herself on the meticulous organization of the bookstore and the tens of thousands of titles that can be easily located under categories such as general fiction, gothic, romance, mysteries, classic literature, science fiction, fantasy, and more, that branch out even further into subcategories. The store also holds titles of special interest that one may find under theatre, psychology, nature/ecology, religion, and eastern thought, to name a few. “What we have here is an absence of randomness”, Frank says with a chuckle as she pulls on a weathered pair of gloves to shelve a box of books brought in for credit earlier in the day. She weaves through the shelves and flies past the spinning racks with the surprising agility of a woodland creature storing seeds for the winter. Frank admits that, after studying zoology in college, working as a medical lab technician on the Hopi reservation, and training to become a primary teacher right before her accident, it was no surprise that she would choose to become the owner of a bookstore. She reflects, “I came from a long line of merchants” and quickly adds, “though I don’t look at it as selling things as much as making things available that people want”, a testament to her devotion to excellent customer service. The eclectic range of her previous occupations tells of her genuine captivation by the knowledge encapsulated in the pages on her shelves. She will readily engage with visitors to learn what they think about the books coming in and out of the store. Pull almost any title from the shelf and Frank will sift through her mental catalogue of reviews she’s collected from customers or her own readings as well as fascinating anecdotes about the histories of certain books and collections that have made their...

Valentine’s weekend I was planning on watching the entire second season of “House of Cards.” Now I may have to add something else to the docket. Feb. 13 marks the film premiere of a modern adaptation of Romeo and Juliet—The Screen will be presenting a live filming of the 2013 production at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The iconic play was produced on Broadway for the first time in 30-odd years. David Leveaux’s direction of the piece creates a work that the New York Times deemed “effortless.” Everyone knows of the two star-crossed lovers, but the benefit in Shakespeare’s words is their inherent versatility. Every production I’ve ever seen – from Zeffirelli to Luhrmann – has been monumentally different. The only common factor is two people of such outrageous beauty that, not only do you want to gaze at them forever, you want them to last despite knowing their fate. Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad play the title roles in Leveaux’s production, and their good looks follow suit. However, their rendition layers on a theme of racial divide between the families and adds a modern set with traveling beams covered in fire. It was sold out for its entire run, so this is a treat. No matter how many times I went to check on Student Rush tickets during my semester in New York, all I received was the sound of adoring fangirls squealing, hoping to touch just one of Mr. Bloom’s flowing locks. Note to any boyfriend feeling reluctant: This is the man who slayed numerous (although he did keep count) uruk-hai and mûmakil in “Lord of the Rings.” Or, hey, what do I know, maybe you’re just a huge fan of American Idol Season One and want to see Justin Guarini playing Paris. Cynicism (some say realism; the lovers did know each other for just a few days) can often overtake one’s reading of the classic. How could it be love? But with a closer look, particularly in its live form, Juliet’s intelligence and the melodramatic flaws of Romeo that led him to her arms stand at the forefront. This isn’t lust, this is two (albeit young) people who see in one another a possibility for peace and happiness that is lacking in their own families. There is no better time of year for your heart to be open to one of the greatest love stories of our time. See the merit in their adoration; witness the poetry in their trust; and have a happy Valentine’s. Showtimes: Thu, Feb. 13 7pm Sat, Feb. 15 11am Sun, Feb. 16 11am   Visit thescreensf.com for more information 505.473.6494 1600 St. Michael’s Drive Santa Fe, NM 87505 thescreensf.com https://www.facebook.com/thescreen...

More than 90 high school students participated in the inaugural Glazner Prize for Creative Writing. The top three winners were chosen by SFUAD’s Creative Writing Department co-chairs Matt Donovan and Dana Levin.