Dan Webster

(Photo of movie clip from 'Gridlock')

(From For the record, February 7, 1997:) An author reading by Seattle Times reporter O. Casey Corr will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Auntie's Bookstore. The wrong date was printed in Thursday's IN Life section.

In his book "KING: The Bullitts of Seattle and their Communications Empire," author O. Casey Corr proves that history doesn't have to be dull. Imagine that.

1. Chuck and Jean Silver grew up a block away from each other, but didn't begin dating until after World War II. They became reacquainted when they saw each other again at the Triple XXX Drive-in. Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review 2. Chuck and Jean Silver raised three sons in Spokane: Kipp, Douglas and Mitch.

1. Sumio and Iku Matsumoto have been married for 54 years. Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review 2. Four-year-old Ellen Matsumoto confers with Santa in 1959. All three of the Matsumoto children went on to receive college degrees.

"Kansas City" stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, left, and Miranda Richardson.

(photo of a scene from "Mother Night.")

If you've ever spent time touring the Northwest landscape and who hasn't? - you've probably noticed the numerous barns that line the various roads and highways. There are those that seem brand new, with bright red siding and shiny weather vanes. Others resemble something dating from the Great Fire era (1889), boasting wind-whipped walls that seem to shift with each breeze.

What's it take to be a real man?

No caption - Photo of movie

Kurt Russell is Snake Plissken in "Escape from L.A."

At first glance, it might seem strange that Brad Reynolds' first novel is a murder mystery. Reynolds is, after all, a Jesuit priest. But that fact, in Reynolds' view at least, makes him the perfect choice as a pulp chronicler of the ultimate sin.

When expressing his point of view, Evan Wolfson doesn't tend to equivocate. He's direct, succinct, quick with his facts and forceful in his speech.

1. During an Atlanta church service in April 1964, photographer Flip Schulke captured this image of an impassioned Martin Luther King Jr. speaking to the congregation. Photos by Flip Schulke 2. In June 1966, King and wife Coretta lead the "March Against Fear" through Mississippi. 3. King plays baseball with son Marty at their home in Atlanta. 4. Martin Luther King Jr. caught by Schulke during a private moment. 5. Thanks to King's efforts to register voters, blacks line up in April 1966 to cast ballots in Greene County, Ala. 6. Children in Montgomery, Ala., protest the Supreme Court's order to desegregate public schools. 7. During the March on Washington in 1963, protesters for integrated schools gather in the Mall, where King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech. 8. In one of Schulke's most famous photos, Coretta Scott King mourns during the memorial service for her husband in 1968.

Most would-be writers seek out advice on how to structure their stories. Many buy books that promise to tell them the secrets. Well, courtesy of Spokane's dean of science fiction, John Dalmas, I've decided to pass on some advice for free.

(Scene from film)

"Phenomenon" stars John Travolta, left, and Robert Duvall.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. may, or may not, have been the voice of a generation. During his heyday of the mid-1960s-early-'70s, the novelist enjoyed his share of fans. But a good many readers, and quite a number of critics, have tended to dismiss his novels as obvious, inane and - worse - terminally precious. This much, however, is unassailable: No one has better captured the feeling of what it's like to survive unimaginable horror.

As well as "Cloud Chamber," Michael Dorris' books include "Broken Cord," "Yellow Raft in Blue Water," and two books for young readers, "Guests and "Morning Girl." Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review

When he last visited Spokane, a little more than two years ago, Michael Dorris was impressed by the scene that attended his reading at Auntie's Bookstore. So much so that he insisted on making special mention of it.

Leveling life's playing field.

"Kingpin" stars Randy Quaid, left, Vanessa Angel and Woody Harrelson.

(Photo of 'Fly Away Home' movie clip.)

Here's what you need to know about "Breaking the Waves," the film by Danish writer-director Lars von Trier that is attracting so much attention among art-film circles: It won the Grand Prix at Cannes Film Festival in April. It was rated among the best films of 1996 by such publications as the Los Angeles Daily News, New York Times, Boston Globe, Orange County Register, Detroit Free Press, Philadelphia Inquirer and Entertainment Weekly magazine.