October 2008 Best Bets

Khaled Hosseini

To say that The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns are best sellers doesn't really capture the degree of international fame—and total adoration of book clubs everywhere—these novels by Khaled Hosseini have achieved. When Hosseini visits Charlotte this month for the Novello festival, it will be one stop among many for the author who has been traveling in the United States to promote his books and in Afghanistan through his work with the United Nations.

"People who were literate urban professionals have heard of my book and have read it, but the vast majority of the people I met had never heard of my book or of me," says Hosseini of his recent trip to his native Afghanistan. "It's a country with a more than 70 percent illiteracy rate, so in the rural areas where most of the people actually live there is virtually no awareness of me or my books."
While many people in Afghanistan may not know of Hosseini's novels, his work has given much of the world a rare glimpse into life there, both in pre-Taliban times and in more recent years.

"I wanted to remind people through the writing that Afghanistan was not always this focus of conflict and tension and war that it has been the last twenty to twenty-five years," says Hosseini. "It was at peace for most of the twentieth century, and that's something that is kind of hard to remember given what is going on right now, but I had the very good fortune of living there during that peaceful era, so I wrote about it."  
Oct 15, Ovens Auditorium

Clue the Musical

In this campy, clever musical, audience members pick the killer, weapon, and room at the start of the production, and the actors must adjust the entire show accordingly. The audience follows along on their clue sheet to try to figure out who did it, where it was done, and with what weapon. But don't think you can just ask your friend who went last week for the answer -- the ending is different each time it's performed.
Opens Oct 17, Matthews Community Center

Innovative Works

This fall marks the tenth year of Innovative Works, the annual performance by the North Carolina Dance Theatre that combines the company's new and experienced choreographers and dancers. A proven favorite of Charlotte contemporary-dance enthusiasts, this year's performance includes new works by Mark Diamond, Sasha Jones, and Dwight Rhoden, as well as Constructing Juliet, choreographed by Mark Godden.
Opens Oct 30

Andy Warhol

While his paintings propelled him to international fame, iconic 1960s pop artist Andy Warhol is known for much more, including his prolific (and controversial) film career and his association with diverse social circles ranging from bohemians to royalty. Today, though, his paintings, which include images from American popular culture (think his famed Campbell's Soup cans) remain popular for the way in which they capture a period in modern history. This month his images from the 1950s through 1986 (the year before his death), including Muhammad Ali and Space Fruits, arrive at the Mint Museum for Andy Warhol Portfolios: Life & Legends.
Opens Oct 4