Raving about ‘Rant’
Posted on March 26, 2014 by Ray Reyes in Entertainment
Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Rant is a fantastic, wild, at times surreal tale of the eponymous protagonist Rant Casey. Buster “Rant” Casey, farm boy-turned-folk-hero, is dead. The story is written in the form of an oral biography, a life-story told in many sometimes conflicting personal accounts.
Young Rant’s escapades vary from acting as his town’s tooth fairy with real antique gold coins, causing gross inflation in the process; holding a haunted house in the community grange hall, which he decorated with animal viscera; and deliberately exposing himself to venomous insects and rabid animals for thrills.
Rant leaves his backwater hometown to an unnamed big city, urban areas now segregated by time, people being either daytimers or nighttimers. Many nighttimers- the new lower-class segregated to the night, comprised mainly of social outcasts, whores, addicts, and pleasure-seekers- engage in a practise called party crashing: the deliberate ramming of one’s car into another’s and playing up the accident for kicks. Rant, trouble maker and insect venom junkie to boot, fits right in.
Rant, by Chuck Palahniuk is an explosively exciting, raw, hobo spider bite to the jugular, a perfect choice for those who enjoy the finer things in life. If you feel that your selection of reading has become dry and cliché, that your literary life is limited to your English class or your age group, you should read Rant.
Among Palahniuk’s other works are Choke, Damned and Fight Club, which was made into a highly acclaimed cult film.
Voices of Hollywood sing into Spring
Posted on March 26, 2014 by Ray Reyes in Entertainment
The curtain has fallen on the Spring Concert, which had been rehearsed throughout the month of February. The show’s selection included Stevie Wonder’s My Cherie Amour, John Lennon’s Imagine, and Lauryn Hill’s Joyful Joyful. The show went well, and was very well received.
“It was really good, they did a really good job. I’m very happy that people are still encouraged to perform in the magnet,” said PAM junior Gabby Mainea.
Though the show was successful, it was the first time singing in front of an audience for some of the performers.
“I’m scared, very scared. This’ll be my first experience,” said PAM sophomore and singer Mayra Rodriguez.
In the music room, last minute practice and preparations were hectic, but the cast was determined to make it a good show.
“Honestly, I don’t know, but I have faith. I think I’ll do well, because we’ve been rehearsing for a while,” said Mayra.
The cast came together and made it a fantastic night, not just for the audience, but for each other.
“This whole experience is amazing. We’re with people, all of us together, we’re like one voice,” said PAM sophomore and singer Melissa Navarro. “There’s so much energy, it’s a rush,” she said.
