Arkansas PBS > Engage > Pressroom > Mark Spitzer shares stories of his great gar hunt in AETN's 'On the Same Page' Oct. 28
Posted 26 Oct 2011
Author Mark Spitzer will discuss his newest book, Season of the Gar: Adventures in Pursuit of Americas most Misunderstood Fish, as part of AETN Presents: On the Same Page on the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) Friday, Oct. 28, at 6:30 p.m.
AETN Presents: On the Same Page is part of AETN Arts Fridays, featuring world class arts and culture programming and locally produced series.
Spitzer details his lengthy and often frustrating quest from Texas to Louisiana, Missouri and eventually Arkansas to catch his own gar. He draws on folklore, science, history, his own pet gar, and even gar recipes to tell this unique literary eco-tale about a fish that has inspired imaginations.
Season of the Gar takes readers to the prehistoric swamps and murky rivers seeking America's most feared and demonized fish. The book details his sometimes bizarre angling adventures in search of this air-breathing freshwater giant up to 10 feet in length and well over 300 pounds as he separates fact from fiction.
Spitzer, a novelist, poet, essayist and literary translator, is a professor of writing at the University of Central Arkansas where he is the editor of Toad Suck Review.
Tommy Sanders hosts. AETN Presents: On the Same Page With Mark Spitzer will repeat Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 6:30 p.m.
AETN Presents: On the Same Page features a variety of regional and national authors, such as McSweenys writer Wells Tower, best-selling author Francine Prose, former U.S. Poet Laureates Billy Collins and Ted Kooser, Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet Jo McDougall, O Henry Award winner Kevin Brockmeier and young adult writer Trenton Lee Stewart.
Also on Friday, Oct. 28, at 9 p.m. will be PBS Arts from Miami Great Performances: Miami City Ballet Dances Balanchine and Tharp. This program a trio of signature works by the renowned choreographers George Balanchine and Twyla Tharp will showcase the companys critically acclaimed performances of Balanchines Square Dance (music by Antonio Vivaldi and Arcangelo Corelli) and Western Symphony (music by Hershy Kay) and Tharps The Golden Section (music composed and performed by David Byrne). Presented in collaboration with PBS member station WPBT, the program illustrates the grace and beauty of one of Americas finest dance companies, Edward Villellas Miami City Ballet. Actor Andy Garcia hosts.
Balanchine and Tharp are so very different, but through AETN they're brought together to be a cohesive program that can create an interest for the art of dance, Ballet Arkansas Executive Director Lauren Strother said. The mission of Ballet Arkansas is to provide all styles of dance to Arkansans, to build an appreciation for dance in general.
We are definitely focused on educating Arkansans in the area of dance…and our goal is to create a passion for [it].
Great Performances is a production of THIRTEEN in association with WNET, one of Americas most prolific and respected public media providers. For nearly 50 years, WNET has been producing and broadcasting national and local arts programming to the New York community.
AETN Arts Fridays delivers world class arts and culture programming to viewers. The locally produced arts and culture series AETN Presents, featuring Arkansas authors and bands, airs at 6:30 p.m., and the unprecedented PBS Arts Fall Festival airs at 9 p.m. More information about AETN Arts Fridays and the PBS Arts Fall Festival, including previews, is available at www.aetn.org/aetnartsfridays.
The Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) is Arkansass statewide public television network that enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. For more information, visit www.aetn.org, or follow the AETN blog at www.aetn.org/engage. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), and KETZ (El Dorado).