Students at the Youthlight Photography Project learn how to take good pictures… they also learn how to develop and print their own film.

***THE SIGNAL AIRS FRIDAYS AT NOON & 7 P.M. ON 88.1 WYPR***

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• We meet the young photographers of the Youthlight Project, an award-winning after-school program that gives middle and high school students a new way to view their surroundings, and themselves.
• We talk about purpose, escapism, and the search for truth when we sit down with Barry Nemett. His new novel Crooked Tracks is about a boy who can literally lose himself inside a painting.
• We profile the Baltimore rock trio The Convocation of, whose sound has been likened to the belly cannons of a B-17 Flying Fortress
• At the dawn of a new, smokeless era in Maryland bars, poet Kendra Kopelke joins us with an ‘elegy for the cigarette,’ and Signal contributor Justin Levy talks with late-night patrons at Baltimore’s Club Charles on the eve of the statewide smoking ban

Some helpful links…

The Youthlight Photography Project

Barry Nemett’s ‘Crooked Tracks’ (Nemett’s upcoming slide show and talk is on Thursday, 02.07, 6:00 p.m. in Room 101 of the F. Ross Jones Building, Mattin Center, on the Homewood campus in Baltimore)

Music from The Convocation of

Maryland’s Clean Indoor Air Act

Friday (02.01), shake off the winter doldrums and get yourself down to the 14 Karat Cabaret for another fun packed evening as Rupert Wondolowski hosts the Shattered Wig Night. The line-up includes a Chinese Opera performance by Smelling Salts Amusements and psych-garage “freedom rock” from Sri Aurobindo. As always, Blaster Al Ackerman will provide poetic inspiration, and he’ll be joined by Ryan Walker. Doors open at 9 pm, and the 14 Karat Cabaret is located at 218 West Saratoga street downtown. More information is online at www.normals.com

On Saturday (02.02), the College of Notre Dame will host an opening reception for Corporeal Corridor, an exhibition of paper cut-outs and paintings by artist and musician Asa Osborne of Lungfish fame. The reception takes place from 4 to 6 pm, and will feature music by Daniel Higgs, Chiara Giovando, and Andy Hayleck. For gallery hours and more information about the show and the Gormley Gallery, visit www.ndm.edu

Next Wednesday (02.06) at 6:30 pm, the newly renovated Roland Park branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library will host a reading and book signing by Baltimore novelist Jonathan Scott Fuqua. Fuqua’s latest book Gone and Back Again, is about the struggles of an adolescent boy as he deals with his parents’ divorce. The library is located at 5108 Roland Avenue. Call 410 396 6099 for more information.

And on Thursday, (02.07), Atomic Pop in Hampden presents McSweeney’s Winter Tour, featuring first-time novelist John Brandon, whose book Arkansas has just been released by McSweeney’s, publisher Eli Horowitz, and Davy Rothbart of Found magazine. According to our sources, everyone who shows up will receive a temporary tattoo and a chance to see a man swallow a sword. The show starts at 7pm, and Atomic Pop is located at 3620 Falls Road in Hampden, and online at www.atomicbooks.com