“The Power of Nightmares”Evanston Public Library 1703 Orrington Ave. Saturday, May 202 p.m. Admission: Free
Evanston’s Neighbors for Peace will be showing the BBC film “The Power of Nightmares” at the Evanston Public Library this Saturday.
The 2004 documentary was written, directed and narrated by Adam Curtis and comprises three one-hour segments that analyze the use of fear for political gains.
“The people who have seen it say it’s fantastic,” said David Trippel, a Neighbors for Peace member. “It’s an excellent analysis of the Middle East.”
Neighbors for Peace has shown about 10 movies over the last several years, Trippel said.
The films are shown in a summer and a winter series with one film per month.They are selected at the organization’s weekly meetings, which are open to the public.
The primary goal of showing these films is to create “an educated citizenry” that does not form their view of events based solely on what they learn from the media, Trippel said.
“There is nothing worse than a country who has everything going for it except for corporately controlled media,” he said.
Poetry ReadingCafe Express615 Dempster St. Saturday, May 207 p.m. Admission: Free
Illinois State Poetry Society members Susan Moss and Maureen Tolman Flannery will be giving a poetry reading this Saturday at the Evanston coffeehouse Cafe Express.
“We hold about 20 events every month,” cafe waiter Rashid Sesemgir said. “It’s interesting.”
These events include poetry readings and music, he said.
Flannery, a Chicago resident and Wyoming native, is an award-winning poet whose work has been included in anthologies and in literary and poetry journals. She also edited the 2000 anthology “Knowing Stones: Poems of Exotic Places.”
The Illinois State Poetry Society was formed in 1991 and has about 100 members.
The society is divided into two groups that alternate the monthly meetings. Members’ poems are published on the society’s Web site and the society also has an annual poetry competition.
Reach Anna Prior at [email protected].