Les Roka 2022Les Roka

I am a native of Toledo, Ohio, having received my Ph.D. in journalism and mass communication from Ohio University's Scripps School of Journalism in 2002. In addition to teaching at Utah State University and the University of Utah, I have worked extensively in public relations for a variety of organizations including a major metropolitan university, college of osteopathic medicine, and community college. When it comes to intellectual curiosity, I venture into as many areas as possible, whether it’s about music criticism, the history of journalism, the practice of public relations in a Web 2.0 world and the soon-to-arrive Web 3.0 landscape, or how public debates are formed about many issues especially in the political arena. As a Salt Lake City resident, I currently write and edit a blog called The Selective Echo that provides an entertaining, informative, and provocative look at Salt Lake City and its cosmopolitan best. I also have been the U.S. editorial advisor for an online publication Art Design Publicity based in The Netherlands. And, I use social media tools such as Twitter for blogging, networking with journalists and experts, and staying current on the latest trends in culture and news. I also have been a regular monthly contributor to a Utah business magazine, and I have recently conducted a variety of editing projects involving authors and researchers throughout the country and the world, including Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Lebanon, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, France, and Japan. I’m also a classically trained musician who spent more than 15 years in a string quartet, being involved in more than 400 performances.

Nitya Nritya set to celebrate 10th anniversary with an extensive weekend of Indian classical and contemporary dance and music at Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, Kingsbury Hall

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One of the most extensive weekends of events ever held in Salt Lake City focusing on Indian classical and contemporary dance and music, including Bharatanatyam repertoire (pronounced Bah-rah-the-na-tee-yum) as well as a fusion of Carnatic classical music with contemporary jazz and funk styles will take place Sept. 11-12, respectively, at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center … Read more

Late summer roundup at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art: Snowtrickle, feldspar, dirt; The End; Rapture | Rupture; Dirt Nap; Cornelius Cardew: Treatise with Interdisciplmary Arts Collective

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Several late summer exhibitions at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) are set to close soon. The Utah Review offers a roundup. Eleanor Mahin Thorp: Snowtrickle, feldspar, dirt (through Sept. 19) In her show, Snow-trickle, feldspar, dirt, Eleanor Mahin Thorp adds rich textures (pigment, mineral matter, and surface disruptions) to her paintings which documents … Read more

The joys of creating on a usable past: ThreePenny Theatre Company’s forthcoming premiere production adapting Mikhail Kuzmin’s 1929 play The Death of Nero

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During his lifetime, Mikhail Kuzmin produced an extraordinary output, including poetry, novels, critical essays, musical scores, and plays. However, in the mid 1920s, as Stalin tightened his grip on the new Soviet state, Kuzmin became persona non grata in the eyes of the regime and published virtually nothing during the last 10 years of his … Read more

Telling ‘a pretty cool story’ in Torrey House Press recent book: R.E. Burrillo’s American Archaeology is entertaining exploration revealing more than a fascination with ‘really old stuff’

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the tenth in an ongoing series of features highlighting authors and new books published by Torrey House Press in Utah.  In 2022, when R.E. Burrillo set out to write America Archaeology, he was primed to write a fun book about, in his words, “a pretty cool story.” Of course, there are … Read more

Ambitious Park City Opera production of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette hits many excellent marks in musicianship, singing, choreographed ballet passages

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Of the 12 operas that Charles Gounod wrote, two have survived the test of time: Faust, which is superb and Roméo et Juliette, which is the only one in this form based on this Shakespeare play that earned street credit in the theater. Premiered in 1867, Roméo et Juliette stands primarily on the music that … Read more

Nevermore: once again, annual Performing Arts Coalition show at The Rose set to raise the bar with comedic riff on Poe’s The Raven

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Only a literary figure with stature such as Edgar Allan Poe has an NFL team honoring his creative legacy. When the Baltimore Ravens won its first Super Bowl in 2001, playing perfect defense and winning by a score of 34-7 against the New York Giants, game announcer Chris Berman proclaimed, “Quoth the Ravens, never score!”  … Read more

Ballet West’s 63rd season augurs well as one for the history books: Adam Sklute’s final and 20th season looks to be stirring artistic valedictory

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Twenty years ago, when Adam Sklute, former dancer and associate artistic director at The Joffrey Ballet, arrived in Salt Lake City to become Ballet West’s artistic director, the board of directors tasked him with three objectives. One was to strengthen the caliber and quality of the dancers and production. Another was to increase the  national … Read more

A fine finish to artistically gratifying 12th Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival

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The 12th Great Salt Lake Fringe (GSLF) is in the books. Once again, the venue of the Alliance Theater, connected to the Utah Arts Alliance, at Trolley Square, was ideal for this event, along with the MadKing Fellowship Theater at The Gateway and Lightree Studios. This year’s edition with 28 shows was the strongest in … Read more

Torrey House Press anthology The Once and Future Lake is essential primer with 360-degree perspective on Great Salt Lake’s existential crisis

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the ninth in an ongoing series of features highlighting authors and new books published by Torrey House Press in Utah.  In the first quarter of this century, Utah’s population grew by more than 55%. Just as remarkable is the long trend of ethnic and racial diversification in Utah’s composition which has … Read more

Four miniature jewels for summer reading: Torrey House Press’ Beyond the Glittering World, The Divination of Salmon, Astonished by Beauty, The Sun Has Shifted As Have I

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the eighth in an ongoing series of features highlighting authors and new books published by Torrey House Press in Utah.  Four recent short book releases by Torrey House Press comprise a comprehensive soulful  journey of summer reading. Whether in the form of poetry, short story, creative nonfiction or essay, each book … Read more