Cover: Tricky Dickens
UCSC's John Jordan expands the Dickens Universe.

News: Annexation Anxiety
Watsonville officials are seeking to diversify the city's economy by annexing large tracts of prime agricultural land for industrial development.

Bruce Bratton: Home Depot, cable TV and palindromes.

A Rocker Grows Roots: Robyn Hitchcock gets emotional about a new low-tech record.

Reluctant Hero: Sebadoh guitarist Lou Barlow turns gritty tone into cult stardom.

Notes From the Underground: The What-Nots take out 'all the rocking parts' and still break strings.

¡Viva Vallarta!: Taqueria Vallarta rules its spicy stretch of Mexican food heaven.

Tent of Terrors: A trip to the woods turns very, very nasty in indie sensation horror film 'The Blair Witch Project.'

Booooooo!: Computer effects drain the poetry out of the remake of 'The Haunting.'

Taking Up Arms: Love and war receive their comedic comeuppance in Shakespeare Santa Cruz's tasty tribute to G.B. Shaw.