National Poetry Slam returns with a full schedule of stuff happening all over town this week, culminating in Friday and Saturday's final matches at the Paramount HBMG Foundation presents the 2007 ArtSpark Festival Visual Art Showcase at the Off Center Mayor Will Wynn and director Turk Pipkin screen "Nobelity" and "An Inconvenient Truth" at the Paramount Willie Nelson headlines the Austin Freedom Fest 2007, joined by the likes of Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling......

Mayor Will Wynn and writer/actor/director Turk Pipkin will tackle a hot topic (this one, not that one) this coming Monday as they host a special "Global Warming Q&A Session" between screenings of Pipkin's Nobelity and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth at the Paramount Theatre. Mayor Wynn loves talkin' climate change (he's a key member of the U.S. Mayors Council on Climate Protection, and in January, he trained with Al Gore to deliver the slideshow Gore......

Fielding Lecht Gallery, which specializes in the contemporary art of Vietnam, closes on the the 22nd of this month. It's unfortunate for Austin, but, as gallery co-owner Pam Fielding explains, the art scene in Vietnam is currently such hot hotness that, "the inventory we have here is needed back in Hanoi." Ergo, if you had hoped to visit the show Five Changing Identities: Vietnamese Women of Today, you best run your badonkadonk over to Congress......

THURSDAY [3] film • Austin Film Festival screens "The Ballad of A.J Weberman" at Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek (7:30pm Free/$4 Members/General) art • West End Gallery Night at Participating Galleries (Until 8pm) art • Blanton Museum of Art Public Tour: An Introduction to Prints at Blanton Museum of Art, MLK at Congress (7-8pm) books • Book Release Party: Collecting the Imagination: The First Fifty Years of the Ransom Center at The Harry Ransom Center (7:00pm)......

THURSDAY [29] theatre •Yellow Tape Construction Company presents I Am Not Tartuffe at play! Theatre (8pm) theatre •The City Theatre Company presents The Boys Next Door at The City Theatre (8pm) theatre •Ohio Trip, a "slide show adventure" by Elizabeth Cobbe at Women & Their Work Gallery (7:30pm) theatre •The Vortex presents Hamlet at The Vortex (8pm) theatre •Hyde Park Theatre presents Zell Miller III's My Child, My Child, My Alien Child at Hyde......

MONDAY [26] film • "The Grand Duel" Spaghetti Western Feast at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown film • "The Cool Ones" at Alamo Drafthouse Downtown food • Merry Edwards Wine Dinner at Hudson's on the Bend, 3500 RM 620 N ($160, 7:30pm) music • Alpha Rev at Waterloo Records (5pm, Free) music • A&D=Rock Night at Beauty Bar......

Turk Pipkin is a Texas original who has built a colorful and successful career as a writer, comedian, performer and actor. After appearing in dozens of productions and writing several books, Pipkin decided to focus his creative energies on an issue of global importance. Through his interviews with nine Nobel laureates, Pipkin’s documentary Nobelity, focuses on the most pressing problems in our world today and how we can attempt to leave the planet a better......

Poverty, famine, political corruption, a fragile ecosystem that is growing more fragile by the day. The world is facing some serious concerns and we must be very conscientious in the way we move forward if we want to have any hope of leaving it a better place for our children. Author, actor, filmmaker Turk Pipkin felt the weight of these pressing global concerns, so he went and found some of the world’s brightest people......

Poverty, famine, political corruption, a fragile ecosystem that is growing more fragile by the day. The world is facing some serious concerns and we must be very conscientious in the way we move forward if we want to have any hope of leaving it a better place for our children. Author, actor, filmmaker Turk Pipkin felt the weight of these pressing global concerns, so he went and found some of the world’s brightest people......

Willie Nelson, one of the greatest treasures in Texas history, appears on Fresh Air today at 3pm with Terry Gross. Willie's visit coincides with the new book he co-authored with Turk Pipkin, "The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart." Nelson discusses his new book, his craft, biodiesel and his outstanding recording career that has spanned over 50 years and includes 250 albums. Nelson also discusses a heart-warming story, at the......

Get ready for some movie culture. The Paramount Theatre has announced the 2006 Summer Film Classics series, and the lineup is both eclectic and unique. There is something here for all tastes (though we don't see many family or kids' films), so check out the listings and see what classic or obscurity you'd like to see this summer: Classic Films In May: Wed, May 24 7:30 PM CHOCOLAT Thurs, May 25 7:30 PM KING......

MONDAY [1] [music] Islands, Why?, Cadence Weapon, Wilderneess, Year Future, Parts & Labor at Emo's (info) [art] Opening reception for hovel jumbles, with works by Paul Gigliotti at End of an Ear (Free, 6pm) (info) [music] Richard Buckner with Doug Gillard (Guided by Voices) at Cactus Café ($12, 8pm) (info) [film] The Boys of Baraka at Alamo Downtown (7pm) (info) [film] The Wild Angels at Alamo Downtown (9:45pm , $1) (info) [film] Anime Movie Monday......

You may remember that druing SXSW we got a chance to interview Turk Pipkin to discuss his new documentary Nobelity. And you may remember how we said that there would be another screening in April. Well, that day is today. Head over to the Paramount this evening to see the movie about which Harry Knowles said, "Absolutely brilliant. This is one of the most important films of this year or any year." Turk Pipkin......

Turk Pipkin is a Texas original who has built a colorful and successful career as a writer and actor. After appearing in dozens of productions and writing several books, Pipkin decided to focus his creative energies on an issue of global importance. Through his interviews with nine Nobel laureates, Pipkin’s documentary Nobelity, which premieres today at SXSW (Paramount, 7pm), focuses on the most pressing problems in our world today and how we can attempt......