Item World: Hatcher unhorsed

Hatcher unhorsed He may know his way around a joke, but playwright Jeffrey Hatcher is still learning to handle a horse. Not long after the opening of his funny adaptation of Nikolai Gogol's "The Government Inspector" at the Guthrie, Hatcher took off for a rustic vacation at a dude ranch in Livingston, Mont., where his wife, Lucy, used to go as a child. On the second day, while riding up a rocky hill, his horse slipped and Hatcher fell, breaking seven ribs and his clavicle and bruising a lung. "If I had been a far lighter playwright, I would have done much less damage," said the 245-pound scribe, who spent five days in the hospital. "On the ward, I developed a reputation as a screamer," said Hatcher -- or, as a doctor more gently put it, "sensitive to pain." Now, he says, "I've got such great drugs, I could sit through a nine-part 'Woyzeck.'" Instead, he plans to see "Little House on the Prairie" today, adding: "They promised to do it without intermission and in double time."

rohan preston

Bass instincts Having performed at the Minnesota Zoo before, Chris Isaak warned a standing-room-only audience: "Please do not try to feed or pet the entertainers." Except the bass player, he added. "He's part of our petting zoo. Bass players are from the jungles. They are free to roam." But with all the trees cut down in the jungle, Isaak continued, he decided to start a "save the bass players" campaign. "Wait!" he said. "That started out as a joke, but I'm sensing money there."

JON BREAM

We appreciate you When ex-Plastic Constellations singer/guitarist Jeff Allen told us the name of his three-week-old son, Finn Davis Allen, we asked a question he's apparently getting a lot: Is Finn named after a certain bespectacled rock singer from Edina who was an early and staunch supporter of Allen's old band? "No, he's not named after Craig," Allen said, referring to Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn. "We just liked the name, as it sounded like a mischievous little adventurer, which is what he's proving to be." Allen and his wife, Alison, did pick a middle name inspired by an indie-rock star: Matt Davis of the Iowa City band Ten Grand, who passed away suddenly from a seizure in 2003 at age 27. "They were the first band to ever take TPC on tour in 2000, when we were 18," Allen remembered. "He was an amazing person."

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

Attention, shoppers Fans of the now-defunct Minnesota Center for Photography can pick up a souvenir, a book or even martini glasses at the center's liquidation sale starting today. Everything must go except the computers and printers, which were leased, and the darkroom equipment, which will be donated to another organization. So what is there? Classy photo books for low bucks, kitchen stuff, furniture, office supplies and more. Sadly, the proceeds will help pay off debts. (Noon-6 p.m. today, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. and Sun., 165 13th Av. NE., Minneapolis.)

MARY ABBE

UFC pounds drinks, too The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) took over Minneapolis last weekend. Not only did the brutal fight sell out Target Center Saturday night, but fighters and fans were seen partying all over downtown the night before. I.W. connected with the UFC's color commentator, former "Fear Factor" host Joe Rogan, as he and his entourage shuffled into Seven Sushi just after 1 a.m. The scruffy comedian made the most of his visit by booking a stand-up gig at the Fine Line earlier that night. Outside Seven, he professed his love for our city with an enthusiasm fit for a fight fan: "Minneapolis is the [expletive]!"

TOM HORGEN

Curb appeal The grass at Walker Art Center will soon sprout popularly elected lawn signs. In June, 300 artists submitted designs, then nearly 900 people voted for their favorites. Teri Kwant's "I'm for preemptive peace" drew the most votes among favorites that include "Burn fat, not oil" and "My tax dollars went to the Middle East and all I got were these lousy gas prices." The top 50 are being produced for display; check them out online at MyYardOurMessage.com. For $20, you can get one for your lawn, or see them for free at the Walker or in the Seward, Dayton's Bluff and Westside St. Paul neighborhoods.

MARY ABBE