There’s a fire going outside and people huddle together, laughing and otherwise going on excitedly about “have you heard this band? And this band?” There’s even a trampoline, one of those big ones. Inside, past the front door that never seems to be locked, a band sets up in a large warehouse space. The energy is buzzing, people are smiling and, best of all, there’s no cover at the door. This is all a very regular sight for Radical Abacus, a warehouse in one of Santa Fe’s more business-oriented areas that has become one of the city’s more prominent independent performance venues in the past few years. Contemporary Music Program major Angelo Harmsworth, who recently became one of Radical Abacus’ residents, has been increasing his involvement in booking shows for local musicians as well as touring acts from around the US. “Nicholas Chiarella [former SFUAD Studio Arts administrative assistant/contributing faculty] was responsible for the current incarnation of the space…,” Harmsworth said in an e-mail interview, “He made the space available to the local and larger DIY community for art shows, little happenings, and concerts.” Following that legacy, Harmsworth’s role is simply that of a host/curator; he and his housemates do not take money for hosting these shows. Donations are often requested to be given to touring bands, mostly for gas money, but other than that the focus is on music. This model differs greatly from that of a more traditional venue, such as a bar that features live music. This use of non-traditional performance spaces has become a more frequently seen phenomenon in Santa Fe as well as cities across the country as a larger DIY-based musical community grows. Why do some gravitate toward DIY over a bar or another more established business? Harmsworth...

“The road to hell is paved with leeks and potatoes.” —Julie Powell   From sort-of-actress and desk-job employee to author and amateur cook, Julie Powell set a pathway for 21st century bloggers and launched a writing career. From blog, to memoir, to movie—Powell’s ambitious Julie and Julia project, cooking Julia Child’s 524 recipes over 365 days, warranted national attention and her second memoir Cleaving, A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession  (2009) ignited mixed opinions. Unlike some negative criticism from her book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen (largely from those who didn’t understand that Powell was a writer rather than a professional cook), Powell’s 2009 novel Cleaving was met with some “eyerolls and raised eyebrows,” Jennie Yabroof from Newsweek writes. Allison McCarthy from GlobalComment.com, however, defends the author’s subject of marriage, sex and the metaphors of meat, writing that “much of the criticism Power has received…relies on all-too-familiar sexist tropes of female authors as mentally unstable and unworthy of serious consideration. Apparently, women aren’t supposed to publicly express the same adulterous desires that prolific male writer often describe, at least not without being savaged by critics.” Despite the conflicting responses to her memoirs, Powell continues in her “engaging and humorous” voice, tackling next the art of fiction writing with her husband. Powell has appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” CBS’s “The Early Show,” “The Martha Stewart Show” and “Food Network’s Iron Chef America.” Her writing has been published in Bon Appétit, Food and Wine, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, and the Washington Post. In an interview with the Jackalope, Powell describes her writing pleasures, her current projects and her upcoming visit to SFUAD Sept. 15-17 (Powell will read and sign books in O’Shaughnessy Performance Space at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 16).   Jackalope Magazine: What craft of writing do you most enjoy or do...