Utah Film Center: The Searchers
When it comes to depictions of Native Americans, the track record of vintage Hollywood Westerns was ... not great. From white actors in "red-face" makeup playing the rolls of indigenous peoples, to stereotypes of whooping savages, it was a genre that typically contributed to dehumanization of Native Americans. That's why it felt like such a seismic shift when the 1956 Western The Searchers from director John Ford—who had made plenty of those aforementioned less-than-enlightened Westerns—cast his long-time leading man John Wayne as a man on a relentless quest for the Commanches that killed his family members and kidnapped his niece, but recognized the possibility that his "hero's" racism was just as destructive.

Utah Film Center presents a rare local opportunity to see The Searchers on a big screen, with a post-film opportunity to discuss some of its unique story components, and the impact of the film on perception of Native Americans. KUER's Doug Fabrizio moderates a conversation with University of Utah Department of Film & Media Arts chair Andrew Patrick Nelson. Dr. Nelson's emphasis is on the American Western, with book credits including Still in the Saddle: The Hollywood Western, 1969-1980, as well as service on the board of the John Wayne Birthplace Museum.

The Searchers screens on Thursday, March 17 at 7 p.m. at the Rose Wagner Center (138 W. 300 South). Tickets are free, but advance registration is required; this event requires proof of vaccination, as well as face coverings to be worn throughout the event. Visit utahfilmcenter.org for reservations and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

Stegner Center Symposium: The Colorado River Compact: Navigating the Future
In case you've been asleep for the past decade or so, water issues in the American west face a unique historical tipping point. Years of drought and the ongoing likelihood of climate change disruptions to weather patterns have put a strain on the Colorado River, the key source of water for the region. The year 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the Colorado River Compact that formalized water-rights decision-making throughout the Colorado River Basin, and with the current iteration of that compact set to expire in 2026, this hydrological crisis could result in huge changes

For its annual two-day symposium, the Wallace Stegner Center at the University of Utah's Quinney School of Law—in conjunction with the Water & Tribes Initiative—will focus on this unfolding saga in The Colorado River Compact: Navigating the Future. Experts from the fields of law, public policy and science, plus stakeholders from tribal nations and federal, state and local governments, will address a wide range of topics connected to the future of the Colorado River. Talks are scheduled to include "Law & the Living Colorado River," "Science & Governance: From Overallocation to Climate Change to Megadrought," and "First in Time: Native Americans and the Colorado River System."

The Stegner Symposium takes place March 17-18 at the University of Utah Quinney College of Law (383 S. University St.), as well as a virtual component. Registration is $20 (student) - $150 for the full session, with lunch included. Visit sjquinney.utah.edu/event/the-colorado-river-compact-navigating-the-future/ for full event schedule and additional information. (SR)

Melissa Villaseñor
It's interesting how someone can be on national television, as part of one of American comedy's most established institutions, and still feel like a little bit of an unknown. When Melissa Villaseñor debuted on Saturday Night Live, just past her 29th birthday, the Southern California native had already been performing as a stand-up comedian for nearly half her life. She had even reached the semi-finals of America's Got Talent in 2011. Yet becoming known for sketch comedy—and for being the first Latina repertory cast member of SNL—made it easy to forget that Villaseñor had plenty of experience in front of live audiences all on her own.

A lot more folks got introduced to the stand-up of Villaseñor thanks to the most recent season of Netflix's The Comedians series of half-hour specials, which included a showcase for her. With a bouncy, giggly stage presence, Villaseñor gets to share her huge repertoire of impressions—including a killer Dolly Parton—as well as her relationship with her parents. Describing coming home late after a gig while staying with her parents, she imitates her mother's 1 a.m. quizzing: "Aren't you cold? Why aren't you wearing socks? ... What are you wearing? You could look nicer, you're on a show now."

Melissa Villaseñor visits Wiseguys Gateway (194 S. 400 West) March 18-19 for shows at 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. nightly. Tickets are $25 general admission; face masks are recommended but not required for guests while they are not actively eating and drinking. Visit wiseguyscomedy.com for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

Azar Nafisi: Read Dangerously @ King's English virtual
It can feel like a dark time for intellectual freedom in America, as conservative advocates across the country work to purge certain works—specifically those that address LGBTQ issues and/or the history of institutional racism in America—from school libraries and curricula. Azar Nafisi is all too familiar with how that kind of dogmatic censorship can play out, as her 2008 memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran recounted her experience as a literature teacher in the Islamic Republic of Iran, secretly teaching forbidden books of Western literature to young women. It provided a fascinating glimpse for what it meant to defend the value of certain books, especially when they've become targets by self-appointed moral warriors.

In her new book Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times, Nafisi continues to dig into the notion of "literature as resistance." The book is a call for using literature as a way to engage on a genuine level with the perspectives of the "other" in a democratic society. Taking the form of letters to Nafisi's father, it uses works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie and others to explore the interconnection between great literature and the great problems of our time.

The King's English Bookshop partners with other independent booksellers around the country for a live virtual event with Nafisi, in conversation with author/journalist Jacki Lyden. The event takes place Saturday, March 19 at 5 p.m., with ticketed reservations for $36 that includes Zoom link access to the event and a hardcover copy of Read Dangerously. Visit kingsenglish.com for tickets and additional event information. (SR)