NEWS & FEATURES

Not all campaign books are mere boilerplate, Dan Kennedy finds. Works by eight of the Democratic hopefuls are surprisingly varied in quality, length, and candor, and include more than a couple of worthy quotes.

Going door to door, Camille Dodero got acquainted with Dean volunteers inspired by a mixture of motives as we tried to discern voters' still-mixed opinions going into the January 27 New Hampshire primary. All that in the frigid cold. Yup, it was a mixed bag.

Canvassing in the frozen hills of New Hampshire, Mike Miliard finds that Wesley Clark's campaign has made excellent use of the near-open field he's had while everyone else has been duking it out in Iowa. At this point, at least, very few undecideds are ruling him out.

Ever hopeful, Kerry-campaign volunteers leave no (cold) stone unturned in the search for Granite State votes, while back at headquarters, David Bernstein finds, the staff has one eye trained on Iowa.

Independents beware! A "new" group formed to organize the notoriously fragmented independent vote is a wolf in sheep's clothing, with a long and dicey history. Adam Reilly reports.

Tamara Wieder talks with local rocker Jen Trynin, who, after the music business chewed her up and spit her out, tucked her guitar away for years. Luckily, she didn't forget where she put it.

In the Phoenix editorial, we contend that it shouldn't take a crisis to clean up the state medical examiner's office, and that Bush-whacking O'Neill is shameless. Plus, the SJC must stick to it's same-sex-marriage ruling.

In "Out There," David Valdes-Greenwood is in puppy love.

In "Urban Buy," Genevieve Rajewski celebrates the New Year, redux.

Letters to the editor

Moon Signs

Plus, this just in: s

MUSIC

Ted Drozdowski on the Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, James O'Brien, and Well.

Christopher John Treacy finds Deb Talan branching out on her own and with the Weepies.

Franklin Bruno surveys the NYC underground, then and now.

Jeffrey Gantz says that Mahler's Resurrection Symphony raises, once again, fundamental questions about life, death, and music.

Lloyd Schwartz on Emmanuel Music's Jephtha, the BSO's L'enfance du Christ, and Collage New Music's Le marteau sans maître.

Live reviews of: 'HOT STOVE, COOL MUSIC', and B.B. KING AT HARVARD

Also, short reviews of:

THEATER

Iris Fanger reviews Wellesley's production of After Mrs. Rochester.

Carolyn Clay on The New Repertory Theatre's Brechtian vaudeville.

Carolyn Clay watches Annette Miller channel Diana Vreeland.

GIRL TALK: Carolyn Clay says Bad Dates is a lightweight charmer.

BOOKS

Peter Keough reads Paul Auster writing himself into and out of a corner.

TELEVISION

HOTDOTS: SUNDAY 18 3:00 (4) Football. The Indianapolis Colts versus the Pats in the AFC championship game, assuming they're able to thaw the Pats players out in time.
By Clif Garboden

FOOD

SPECIALS