Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Alabama’s Donaldson Correctional Facility is the last stop for hundreds of men facing life sentences in the overcrowded, violent maximum-security prison. And it’s a very unlikely setting for Vipassana, an intense, silent meditation program lasting ten days. The documentary film The Dhamma Brothers tells the story of a group of inmates going through the course. Jenny Phillips produced and directed the film. She is a practicing psychotherapist in Massachusetts and it was through her initiative that this unique prison program began in Alabama. The documentary was just released on DVD. Then, singer-song writer Elvis Costello is a master of reinvention. This musical chameleon has kept fans on their toes for the past 30 years, and his latest album, National Ransom, follows suit, as guests Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, and other musical luminaries join Costello for an inventive take on the American roots sound.