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A Ringmaster Goes Country
"What do you think about country music?" I knew he was up to something. Men like Bill Powell always have those imaginary wheels turning. It's to be expected. It's what he does and has done for over 40...
View ArticleBack in the Hospital: Rainbow Baby's Pregnancy Is Nerve-Wracking
It has been eight months since we set foot in the labor and delivery unit of this hospital . We lost our baby girl in room 13 last May, following a nightmarish few months consumed by trips to the...
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This Hauntingly-Beautiful Photograph Sends a Powerful Pro-Vaccination Message
Sydney-based artist and photographer Alexia Sinclair recently agreed to help The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation send a powerful message. Over the course of several months, she planned, prepared,...
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Hope: Entertainer of the Century -- A Book Review
Hope: Entertainer of the Century By Richard Zoglin A Book Review by Dr. Lloyd Sederer My father looked like Bob Hope, especially his nose, which was long in its arc and pointed a bit upward at the end,...
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Let the World Speak!
There are 6,000 languages in the world, and half are endangered. Those 3,000 will be gone by the end of this century if we don't do something. What are we going to do? That is the situation outlined in...
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Oscar History, Birdman's Hypnotic Score, and Grasping for Memories with Roots...
First, here's a big shout-out to Whitney Staeb and Brooke Smith of Roots & Honey Herbs for recently turning me onto a wonderful, homemade herbal tincture called Brain Bloom. But let's backtrack. I...
View ArticleThe Smoke Culture of China's Yunnan Region
The province of Yunnan, stretching over 394,000 square kilometers in the far southwest of the Republic of China, is rich in color, tradition and history. More than 30% of its population of 45 million...
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Jon Swihart: A Portrait of Louis Zamperini (1917-2014)
Jon Swihart, Capt. Louis Zamperini, 2013, oil on wood panel, 12" h. x 9" w. Collection of Angelina Jolie When you forgive it's like it never happened. True forgiveness is complete and total. - Louis...
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Everyone Wants a Nudie Pic: A Look at What's Hot in Art
The art world is heating up. Not only are auctions enjoying record-breaking sales at the high end, but a new crop of art hobbyists are creating a mass market for original art. Much of the growth is...
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What Tom Stoppard Says About Consciousness in His New Play
This interview with Tom Stoppard took place in the coffee lounge of the National Theatre London in a break in rehearsal of his new play "The Hard Problem." Your new play "The Hard Problem" opens at the...
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Let Curiosity Back Into the Concert Hall
Ever since I first began composing music, I've always felt that building new audiences requires updating the very idea of "the composer" -- from some stuffy old dude with a wig and a quill pen, to a...
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All About That Bass
"The bass is the base..." He chuckles. He is Michael Brown, bassist for arguably the hardest working band in show business, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Band, specifically, the band for...
View ArticleTheater: Your Friendly Neighborhood Vampire; Deadly Da
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN ** DA no rating LET THE RIGHT ONE IN ** ST. ANN'S WAREHOUSE The film Let the Right One In is a remarkable work. I'm not one for gore, so horror films are not my forte. But the best...
View Article6 Ways to Wrap Up an Art-Filled January
January is art month in LA, and we have four excellent ways to see more new art this week: Sunday is FREE Museum Day around town, the Art LA Contemporary Fair is in town, as well as the intriguing LA...
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The Art of Mistakes
Artist Melanie Rothschild is on a mission to dispel the myths that art is just for the privileged and that you need to be trained before you can create something wonderful. "If you only have art that...
View ArticleEverything Has Its Price
A visitor to New York City has access to a rich array of cultural resources. They come at a hefty price, though. That high cost can be intimidating for residents of the outer boroughs and for all those...
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With or Without Jefferson Airplane, Jorma Kaukonen Keeps Flying
Jorma Kaukonen was halfway through a 45-minute phone interview last week when the subject of a Jefferson Airplane reunion finally came up. The former lead guitarist of the band that not only helped...
View ArticleBlizzard
It takes courage to see beauty in a world spread deep and silent with interminable whiteness; and to keep on being awed by such uncommon splendor while trying to suppress a fundamental fear of being...
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How Your Body Is a Gateway to Your Creative Expression
I read a stunning submission this week from one of my students that had all the elements of good storytelling minus one thing: body sensations. I found myself desperately wanting her to describe the...
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