The best poetry treat in town is waiting for you at 7:30 tonight—Wednesday, May 15—at Casa Libre, 228 N. Fourth Ave. And it will just set you back $5.

Carmen Calatayud, author of In the Company of Spirits, is back in Arizona from Washington, DC, to read from her book of poetry that reflects images of the border, Tucson, and Sonora. Her work was chosen by poets Pamela Uschuk and William Pitt Root for Press 53’s Silver Concho Poetry Series. The book was chosen as a runner-up for the Walt Whitman Award by the Academy of American Poets.

The Range also loves Calatayud's her work as a moderator for Poets Responding to SB1070. Her work and the work of other poets who have contributed to Poets Responding (including this Range writer) will be published in 2014 in Poetry of Resistance: A Multicultural Response to Arizona SB 1070 and Other Xenophobic Laws (University of Arizona Press).

Calatayud will be joined by members of the Tucson Youth Poetry Slam and a performance by the winners of the 2013 Tucson Youth Poetry Slam All-City Championship held April 20 at the University of Arizona Poetry Center. Nic Varela and Dani Borg-James will also be there to perform excerpts from "I Can't Sing You To Sleep Anymore," a dance choreographed by Nic about unexpectedly dealing with onset depression.

Sure, you could watch Jaime Gonzalez's Shattered on YouTube, but today is International Day of Families, so the Border Action Network and the Loft are showing the film at 7 p.m.

Presented by the Latino Policy Coalition, the film is about a young mother who is apprehended by ICE and taken into detention. The father is dead, and the children are separated from their mother. Something similar has happened to more than 46,000 families as part of ICE detentions and deportations in the first six months of 2011 alone, according to BAN.

Admission for the screening is $7 for the general public and $6 for Loft members. A panel discussion and Q&A will follow the firm with director Gonzales, as well as Jim Gonzales, Latino Policy Coalition chair; BAN and Humane Borders executive director Juanita Molina; Laurie Melrood, community educator on families separated by ICE detention and deportation; immigration attorney Mo Goldman and DACA student Josue Saldivar.

From BAN:

During these sweeps many parents were unable to claim or make arrangements for their children to be returned to them, or to be cared for by close family members. Numerous children are permanently being separated from their parents’ love, by federally-funded county agencies that have inadequate or non-existent practices and policies, to address the distinctive circumstances that undocumented immigrant parents in detention or deportation proceedings face.

Currently, there is no national reunification registry of these children, and their current location, to assist these parents seeking to reunite with their children.

We hope this special screening will help shed light on the importance of family reunification and bring it into the Comprehensive Immigration Reform debate.

The Loft is at 3233 E. Speedway Blvd.

I know I've been on a bit of a Kickstarter and crowd-source funding rampage since doing that cover story on local campaigns, and I've reminded you a few times about those local campaigns and why you might want to send a small or big donation their way. But this Kickstarter that I'm about to tell you about has nothing to do with Tucson (which is normally what I am all about), but it has some personal significance that I think is worth sharing with you in hopes you might want to throw some support its way.

Almost 20 years ago, I had the chance to meet my father for the first time. It was something I always wanted to do, and in my mid-20s it happened. He visited me in Seattle from his home in Chicago. It was exactly what I wanted — questions answered and a chance to really understand myself (I now have some pretty strong theories on genetics vs. nurture). But one cool thing during our visit was getting to know more about what my father did for a living and how closely aligned our moral and political beliefs were.

I drove around with him to a couple of public gardens and farm projects that were still in their early stages. He was doing some homework during our visit. In the early 1980s, my father started the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless and before he passed away he was working as their policy director and was also seeing a new project take root — Growing Home — an urban farm project that employees people, educates folks, offers transitional job training, grows food and does so much more to transform lives based on urban agriculture. Since his passing it's actually been pretty amazing to watch it take off. My father loved to grow food and he saw something a lot of folks didn't back then — the potential for organic farming to be a vehicle for the social justice work he dedicated his life to.

My reaching out to meet him in my mid-20s was a huge blessing. In the short time I got to know him, I didn't spend as much time with him as I would have liked, but he was still a huge influence on me. I was grateful for how much we had in common and I'm grateful for the family he left me when he passed. You can read about his life here, and about Growing Home here.

So yeah, this is another Kickstarter campaign. Has nothing to do with Arizona or Tucson. It's personal, but still worthwhile for me to share. Perhaps you'll think it's worthwhile enough for you to support, too — there's 20 or so hours before the campaign ends.

Looking for something to do this Saturday? Feel like hanging out with potential Republican candidates for office? Want to celebrate our armed forces?

Well folks, you're in luck: Al Melvin, the state senator out of District 11 and potential future Governor of Arizona will be speaking at Tanque Verde Guest Ranch as part of the Pima County Republican Party's celebration of Armed Forces Day. The event, scheduled for Saturday, May 18, will also feature a "Western-themed buffet", a silent auction and cocktails.

Also notable is the presence of retired Colonel Joey Strickland, formerly of the Arizona Department of Veterans Services and who resigned following the hiring-and-firing of Terri Proud, in one of his first speaking appearances since the events of last April.

The event will also honor Paul Marsh, for his work in arranging the National Cemetery in Marana.

If you're interested in joining Strickland, the Pima GOP, Marsh and Cap'n Al, tickets are $40 per person, with special rates for couples—but hurry, the deadline to RSVP is tomorrow, May 15.

For more information, head to PimaGOP.org, or call 321-1492.

• Tucson Parks and Recreation
• Catalina Pool, located just north of Catalina High School.

As the unbearable heat draws closer with every bright, sunny day, finding something to do between hugging an air conditioner and going to work can be quite challenging.

When I first moved to the Old Pueblo just three years ago, I had no idea the heat that I would soon face. Don't get me wrong, I knew Arizona was hot, but it wasn't until I was laying on a blanketless bed with three fans facing me and cold washcloth on my face that I knew how hot.

I should also mention that during the first two weeks of my time in Arizona I was unaware that my air conditioner was broken. I also had yet to discover what a swamp cooler was. But that's another subject.

Since then, I have grown to appreciate Tucson a little more. It's about the little things - the pools, the hikes, the stars and of course, the sunshine.

With that in mind, I've come up with some advice for new Tucsonans, spending their first summer in the unbearable heatscape that is Tucson, Arizona:

Still stuck on things to do for Mother's Day? Listen, we've got your back. Check out these things you can do for the mom in your life before stepping out of the way and letting her relax for a while, dammit (special thanks to Tucson Weekly's rock critic/calendar mistress extraordinaire Linda Ray for her assistance):

Brunch: Seriously, this town has got brunch specials up the wazoo for Mother's Day. We already mentioned the good things going on at Wildflower and North Italian Farmhouse, but wait, there's more!

RA Sushi is going to be offering Happy Hour specials all day, from 11 a.m.. to close on Mother's Day, with specials on cocktails, beer, wine, sake, sushi and puns based on the restaurant's name — worth a look, for the sushi-loving mom in your life.

Cup Café at Hotel Congress is getting in on the brunchin' action as well, with Mother's Day brunch specials running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. My pick: the Pear, Brie and Capicola Monte Cristo sandwich.

Maynards Kitchen will be running a "family-style brunch" featuring Apple-Sage French Toast, Chicken Au Jambon and House Smoked Prime Rib. That one will set you back a bit, as seats are $45 per person (seats for kids 10 and under are $15 each) but considering the quality that Maynards is known for, it'll be well worth the price.

Proper, one of the newest eateries in town (prominently mentioned in this week's Cover Story, by the way), will also be starting up their brunch menu this weekend in time for Mother's Day — no word as to any specials as of yet, but given the rave reviews I've heard on the street, I would figure them to be a prime option this weekend — also, I have it on good authority, from numerous trusted sources, that the Prop Prop wings will "change your life." Get them.

Feel like getting crafty with Mom and the kids? Take the clan out to the Tucson Botanical Gardens, where you can spend some time crafting flowers out of recycled metal cans for Mom while taking a walk around the gardens. (Why, perhaps this would be a good way to give Mom a peaceful break at home while making her gifts! Thank me later for the idea.) Tucson Botanical Gardens will be running the workshop from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The cost is $15 to get in ($10 for members), which includes admission to the gardens and the cost for the materials.

As usual, the Loft Cinemas are doing something extra cool for this holiday, as they're screening the 1945 classic Mildred Pierce, starring Joan Crawford at noon, followed by a screening of the documentary Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and the Farm Midwives, which takes a look at new birthing movements in the U.S.

And finally, if you aren't able to do anything during the day, why not take Mom out to Os Mutantes at Club Congress? Why yes, we do believe that you should celebrate Mother's Day with great music. As you might remember, the last Os Mutantes show was cancelled due to mechanical failure — hopefully similar issues won't befall us again this Sunday, lest we begin to consider ourselves cursed. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance, $22 at the door.

Of course, as staffer Mari Herreras noted, it's not necessarily about the gifts this Mother's Day: It's about the love.

Sometimes when you find or rediscover something in the city that makes you happy to call the Moldy Pueblo home despite the crap we have to deal with from time to time, you have to give a shout out.

And that's what I'm doing right here — a shout out for Elizabeth Albert and her coolest of cool boutiques, CandyStrike, located in the warehouse district off Toole Avenue. The last time I talked to Albert was when she was starting Tucson Fashion Week back almost three years ago.

CandyStrike is her new project — a store with cool clothes, some designed and made by Albert, mostly for plus-sized gals. What drove me into her store was the Virgen de Guadalupe skirt (pictured above). I ended up leaving with a dress and a shirt, too. Her clothes are beautiful, unique and priced right. Plus, Elizabeth is another example of a strong and creative woman I'd like to grow up to be one day.

Need proof? Check out her blog, Your Life in Design. It's smart, sexy and makes me feel so lucky Albert calls Tucson home. I'm particularly excited about the relaunch of her online store on June 1. For more info, go here.

But please, please visit CandyStrike to find out what it's all about: 197 E. Toole Ave.

I do remember when former U.S. Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders was fired for her statements on masturbation and a need for it to be in sexual education. She was and continues to be an advocate for drug legalization, but it was her comments in 1994 at a United Nations conference on AIDS that forced the Clinton administration to throw her under the bus (ah yes, those disappointing Clinton years).

Elders was asked at the conference if it would be appropriate to promote masturbation to prevent risk of STDs and other risky behaviors. She said this:

"I think that it is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught."

Other write-ups on Masturbation Month link to Good Vibrations. The founders of the sex toy shop started this special month in honor of Elders, and yeah, self-love.

Want more info? I'm going to recommend the lesbian blog Auto Straddle, because they include a handy, self-serve play list with a range of tunes just for Masturbation Month. Please, check it out here.

The word masturbation. Wow. Thank goodness Homeland Security wasn't around back then. Check out the video below — when masturbation and fear collide, but in a funny French way:

I realize that many folks of a certain age are going to be spending May 5 drinking Mexican beers of varying qualities and enjoying tacos of varying deliciousness. However, for those who'd like to expose their kids to a different cultural celebration, I'd like to recommend you head over to Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson. There, they'll be celebrating the Children's Day Festival, a Japanese tradition since 1948 created "to respect children's personalities and celebrate their happiness," according to Yume Japanese Gardens.

For most of us, May 5 brings to mind the Mexican-American celebration of Cinco de Mayo. But May is also a national holiday in Japan — Children's Day — set aside since 1948 to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness.

Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson is holding a Children's Day Festival on May 5, featuring yukatas (light summer kimonos) for youngsters, goldfish netting, origami, traditional Japanese toys, Taiko drumming, and much more. Flying above it all at the entrance to the Gardens will be colorful giant wind socks in the shape of carp, a traditional way of commemorating the birth of children.

The fun starts at 9:00 a.m. and runs until 4:00 p.m. and the Gardens are at 2130 N. Alvernon Way, one block south of the Tucson Botanical Gardens. For more information, please call 343-0926.

It may not be Take Your Daughter to Work Day, but it should probably be fun all the same.

Geeks of Tucson, we're going to be busy tomorrow.

Not only is tomorrow Comic Book Day, to be celebrated by shops all around town, but it's May 4th, alternately spelled May Fourth...as in, "May the Fourth Be With You."

In other words, tomorrow is Star Wars Day, and Hotel Congress is going all out to celebrate, even including a 12-ft.-wide Death Star pinata holding 50 lbs. of candy — but don't get your hopes up, as that's only for the kids.

Damned kids.

More, from hotelcongress.com:

Bring the whole family early and enjoy a free photo booth, costume & trivia contests, spelling bee, clone wars on the big screen and themed food and drink. Hosted by Max Cannon. There will be Jedi-Training for the kids, craft tables where you can make your own light sabre while snacking on Ham Solo Sandwiches and Obi Won Ton Kenobi’s.

...

Later a full on Halloween-style party just for the adults with great live music, Star Wars cantina band, costume contest and DJ’s all at the May The Fourth Be With You at Hotel Congress!!

The day event is free, the night event is $3 or free if you are wearing a costume!

The family-friendly event runs from 1 to 5 p.m. The 21-and-over festivities begin at 8 p.m.