In what I believe is now an attempt at cruel and unusual punishment the folks of the Georgia Straight via the conduit of its somewhat pleasant Arts Editor Janet Smith have contacted me yet again to shoot the pictures for this coming week’s (Wednesday September 16) Georgia Straight Fall Arts Preview. I believe this may be my 15^th year at working on this assignment. I have informed Smith that next year when she phones again for this my wife will answer and tell her I am dead.

If you consider that I am an aging, rheumatic, chronic cougher, with an enlarged prostate, a heart that accelerates without notice and a mildly balding chap of 73 you might wonder if the folks on West Broadway cannot find younger blood to draw on.

But that is not the case so I am currently not sleeping nights while my brain whirs on photographs that would be easy if it were not for the fact that Smith (as usual) asked me, “Alex what’s this year’s theme going to be?”

Without unleashing the cat out of the bag the accompanying selfie reveals (in a subtle manner) two items that are central to this year’s theme. I will not make it easier for you folks by giving you two  hints. These two items have (or perhaps not) ancillary connections with Richard Widmark in a 1962 film called The Secret Ways and to Jimmy Stewart and a chap (also an actor) who was born in New Westminster.