Volume 13 • Number 11
The Voice of the Catalina Foothills
May 31, 2023
www.tucsonlocalmedia.com
INSIDE Help is available for aspiring poets and writers BY KAREN SCHAFFNER Tucson Weekly Staff
I Summer Survival Guide
Slow down, stay cool | Special section Chicago-style gyros come to Broadway | Page 4 Delta Dental invests in Tucson's oral health | Page 5 Lentils: a humble superfood | Page 19
f the thought of reading a volume of poetry seems like an exercise in frustration or just plain disagreeable, read on. “Probably a lot of people do have this idea from English class, that (poetry) is something that has to be decoded,” published poet Gene Twaronite said. Maybe. Twaronite, this summer’s writer-in-residence at Pima County Library, wants the public to feel that they, too, may join the ranks of poet, or at least the ranks of poetry reader. He is hosting three free workshops this summer. The first one, “Demystifying Poetry,” is 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 7, at the
Dusenberry-River Library. Intended for adults, this workshop is “more of a conversation with a poet who’s been published,” Twaronite said. He does have four published collections under his belt, including, “Trash Picker on Mars” and “The Museum of Unwearable Shoes.” He has also written and had published a picture book, young adult and middle-grade novels, essays and children’s stories. Twaronite said he hopes that after a few minutes at one of his workshops participants will want to pick up a pen and give it a try. He’ll make it easy with writing prompts, including some he uses. “I’m going to talk a little about poetry, what it’s not, what it is; give some examples, maybe one or two of my own poems, and then launch into an activity,” Twaronite said.
“I’m going to give (participants) some various prompts I’ve found successful.” The intention is to help get participants to that first line of writing a poem. “Discovering Yourself with Poetry (or How to Make Your Head Explode)” is a free workshop for teens and tweens only. It’s 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at Oro Valley Public Library. Twaronite said he hopes to lead his participants through a time of self-discovery. “I want them to discover themselves through poetry,” Twaronite said. “I want to get to the emotional content. We’ll be talking about ways to get in touch with your emotions." He added that poetry is “compressed emoSee WRITER Page 3
Foothills Mall reimagined as urban village BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Tucson Local Media Staff
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ourn Companies has revealed its “radical redevelopment” plan for Foothills Mall, which will evolve into a high-density urban village. Dubbed “Uptown,” the 2 million square foot, $500 million project will feature a modern mixed-use environment with high-end residences, entertainment, hotel, retail, office space and restaurants. “We’re very excited to be bringing this to the Northwest side and the region,” said Dillon Walker with Bourn Companies marketing team. “We’re breaking ground on the first building in August. We began demolition in February.” On the 51-acre site, Pima County OK’d up to 10-story buildings. See MALL Page 4
Big changes are coming to the Foothills Mall, where the Bourn Companies are planning to build "Uptown," a dense urban village. (Submitted)