Media Logos

From UCLA to Books to the Philharmonic–Los Angeles Events

This week burst forth with a number of incredible events– back to back.  Of course the one I hold most dear to my heart was the celebration for the opening of the UCLA Younes & Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies.  Some of you may be familiar with the names; my in-laws have been a great example of philanthropists who put their energy and resources into the projects they care for.  After 5 years of coordination with UCLA and the UC Regents, UCLA now has an official Israel Studies Program–the first such center on the West Coast and one of three in the nation that are named and endowed.  We were so proud to celebrate the opening of the center at Chancellor Gene Block’s residence, with 2 previous chancellors attending.  Three hundred guests came in support!

The following day, on Wednesday, a very elegant book party took place at the famous “Schnabel House” with guest of honor Frank Gehry.  In fact the Schnabel house has been designed by Gehry and is showcased  in Assouline’s ” Living Architecture:Greatest American Houses of the 20th Century”.  It was a real high point to meet and talk to him and to tour this very unique and sculptural house.

I have a link here that shows some pictures of the house:

http://www-scf.usc.edu/~dtsung/ARCH307/SCH1.HTM

Speaking of Frank Gehry designed spaces, the following night, David and I went to the opening gala of the Philharmonic at the Frank Gehry designed Disney Hall.  Most Angelenos know that Dudamel is the rock star of the philharmonic and last night was sublime!  Juan Diego Florez, who is known as the tenor of choice in major international theatres joined the orchestra last night. What an astonishing voice! No wonder he is booked through 2015 at most major Opera houses.  What can I tell you….last night was a real treat!

In a State of Transition

This week marks the start of the Jewish New Year. It is also the start of the school year as well. One son is going to be a sophomore in high school and…..drum roll please…..the other one is leaving for college! Yes, please bring out the violins, because this is the part that I start getting emotional.  Just last week, my son and I went to a Stanford new student barbecue in Brentwood. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and 20 Stanford- bound, fresh-faced kids gathered around to talk about their upcoming move. Us parents stood around in the shade and shared our excitement and our inevitable angst. We couldn’t be happier that our kids are going off to such a fine school. This part of our lives, fits in the natural progression of our lives, doesn’t it?  But it is still a bit of a bumpy ride for most of us.

When my son and I left the barbecue that day, I took a deep breath and looked down the tree-lined street. I turned and I looked up at him.  (He now towers over me).  I touched the back of his shoulder and pointed in front of us, “Do you see this street?”

He turned to me and said, “Yeah Mom. Of course I do.”

“When you were just born, we used to live 2 blocks away from here.  Every afternoon I would put you in a stroller and walk down this very street. I loved it because it’s wide and has beautiful blooming trees,” I told him. “You know, I had this idea that kids love being pushed around in a stroller, that they would sit happily and watch the scenery. But you….you used to scream. After a few minutes you would want to jump right out of your stroller. I guess you didn’t like being strapped in, and so half the time I used to hold you in my arms and push the empty stroller along.”

My son’s face lit up. He likes to hear stories of his childhood– how his basic self-determined nature and his independent streak was even apparent at six months. Here he was at age eighteen, some things about him haven’t changed but one thing sure has.   For all you moms out there who don’t have a teenage son, let me save you from a bad mistake : the most embarrassing thing for a young man is to be caught hugging his mother.

So, while walking back to our car from the barbecue. I casually looked around to make sure that none of my son’s new friends hadn’t come out. I had my perfect public moment– the coast was clear. I quickly leaned into him for a hug. My voice was breaking, but I managed to get out what was on my mind the entire time at the barbecue.  “Here we are in this very street and you are ready to go my dear.” I tried to hold in my tears in front of him, but a few managed to escape.

I have a few days with him this week until he goes on his next adventure.  Who knows where we will be in our lives when we next walk down this magnificent tree-lined street.

A New Spot on My World Map

As you all know from my web site, I can’t wait to go to a new destination—one that I have not been before.  My recent trip to Corsica was one of them!  I didn’t know what to expect. None of my close friends had visited but I had heard that it is a charming island.  I don’t know about you, but when people say “charming” or “interesting” to describe someone or someplace, I am apprehensive.

But there was nothing to worry about actually. Our hotel, although not super luxurious (there are no 5 star hotels in Corsica), was so beautiful.  It was located in the medieval city with beautiful restaurants and winding narrow streets.  What was more spectacular was the breath taking view of the port from our balcony.  A short walk down the hill led us to the port, which was packed with gorgeous yachts that travel through the coastline.

The beaches around Bonifacio were also something to behold—white sand and crystal clear, blue waters.  There is even a restaurant on an island that a boat can take you to for lunch.

We also spent a day hiking in the mountains (which had wonderful trails to a waterfall), and stopped by another quaint village and had an unbelievable lunch of osso bucco, duck confit.  We topped off our gourmet lunch with cheese and a chocolate soufflé. Thank Goodness we had gone for a hike!

Our last day was spent visiting Sardinia.  Sorry to spoil it for you all, but Corsica’s beaches are more beautiful, and the island of Sardinia is not as green.  Of course, Calla di Volpi is a beautiful hotel, but all in all I was so glad that we had stayed in Corsica for the duration of our stay.

Here are a few pictures of Corsica.  Now where should I go off to next????

A Flash of Genius: Inception, This Summer’s Blockbuster Movie

I hadn’t felt this way about a film since I was 10 years old, sitting in a packed and darkened theatre, watching Stars Wars. At that moment, even as a little child, I felt I was witnessing a story that was larger than life. Yesterday, I was once again stunned and impressed by the story that unfolded before me in this season’s blockbuster movie, Inception.

As most of you know, I conduct workshops in dream interpretation. I have been a part of workshops for years and write down my most significant dreams in a journal.  Why do I do this? I believe that our subconscious mind often communicates in symbolic terms through dream imagery, and there are golden nuggets of truth to be uncovered when we chose to pay attention to that inner dialogue. There is a memorable quote in Inception that captures the spiritual nature of the dream state:  “It is only in dreams that the mind is creating and experiencing at the same time.”

To get a little synopsis of the movie, Inception: here is a link

The basic premise of this science fiction film is that there is a technology that enables us to enter the mind through dream invasion and sharing. Through this technology one could extract secrets and plant a seed of an idea deep within the subconscious during the dream state.  This idea then could grow and take shape in waking life. Christopher Nolan, who is the writer and director of this film, manages to tell a complicated story of how our memories, projections, and psychological defense mechanisms play such a central role in our decision making.  There are no words to describe the brilliance of the plot, where you are led from one dream state to another deeper one.  The tag line for the film is the true message: “Your mind is the scene of the crime.”

I left the film asking more philosophical questions such as: What is ultimate reality? Do we all go through life with our own version of reality, and how much of it is shared with others? How does our own thinking and memories skew our perception of truth? At what point do our deep-seated emotional experiences bubble up from our subconscious and find their way into our waking life?

This is one movie not to be missed this summer!

The Path of Devotion

This week I have been doing a lot of research and reading for my next project–chronicling visionary women of the 20th century.  It feels like I am giving a gift to myself– to read and learn about the lives of so many people who had a drive and motivation to bring about change in the world, which in turn has affected and inspired the lives of others.

Sometimes we think that changing the world has to translate into social action, but that would make for a very narrow definition of a cultural shift.  Just think about those scientists, authors, philosophers, athletes, and artists who broke boundaries in their fields. They too held true to their passion and managed to bring about a different perspective and vision to the world.  What becomes clear is that whatever these women set out to do, it first started with a very personal desire to fulfill an inner need. They dedicated their lives to its unique expression.  And their approach to their craft was much like their approach to life — it was filled with a spirit of adventure, passion, and an inner devotion to more a over-arching value.

Last week I was researching some of Martha Graham’s clips and interviews. For those of you who are not so familiar with her work, here is a concise bio:

She was an American dancer choreographer regarded as one of the foremost pioneers of modern dance, whose influence on dance can be compared to the influence Stravinsky had on music, Picasso had on the visual arts, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture.

She was the first dancer ever to perform at The White House, the first dancer ever to travel abroad as a cultural ambassador, and the first dancer ever to receive the highest civilian award of the USA: the Medal of Freedom.

Obviously, she is an extraordinary woman.  But what is most amazing to me is that her approach to dance is really a spiritual philosophy of life.  Here are some of the quotes that I found so profound:

You are in competition with one person only, that is the individual you know you can become.”

“The dancer’s life is a creative life–handling the material of the self so that you are able to hold the stage in full maturity and power. You dance with clarity, the deep matters of heart.”

 

We learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing, or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. One becomes in some area an athlete of God.”

It is obvious that the axioms for fulfillment and success are the same no matter what you undertake.  These women were able to translate these philosophies into the very heart of their lives.  No matter where we are in our journey, there is someone whose life, when contemplated on, allows us to find a richer, deeper meaning in ours than we would otherwise.  This week it has been Martha Graham’s for me!

Family Summer Trip to Greece and Turkey

One of the most popular ways to see the Turkish Coast is by cruising on their traditional sailboats called, Gulets.  We spent a week with my in-laws and my own family on a beautiful gulet and visited many Greek Islands and Turkish coastal villages.  The water was turquoise blue and calm; we had plenty of time to go cannoing, wake boarding, and swimming between our destinations.  I have to say that the highlight was visiting two towns in particular–Symi and Rhodes.  Symi seems to be the Greek counterpart to Positano, the famous Italian village off the Amalfi Coast.  Rhodes had a great deal of history and archeological sights, which was interesting for the whole family.  We found out that the mideval wall surrounding the city is the best preserved in all of Europe!

Athens was also lots of fun, aside from the Acropolis, another must-see attraction is visiting the Gazi neighborhood, it is like what Soho used to be 20 years ago–lots of restaurants and bars and people watching.

As for Istanbul, this was not our first time visiting the city, and we were there for only a day. But the restaurant, Sunset in Uluz was simply magnificent. Tables have the view of the Bosphoreous and the bridge that connects Asia and Europe!  Having dinner there, with the full moon that showed right a red hot sun, was the perfect way to cap off our trip.

In a few weeks we will go back to S. of France and Corsica, so stay tuned for other travel updates.

At the Cutting Edge of Art

David, my husband, says that when I am on a mission, there is no stopping me.  Well, he knows me best! Do you think after taking a red eye from Los Angeles and having a couple of meetings right after I land, I would go to my hotel room to rest? Are you kidding? I went straight to MOMA, where I was looking forward to seeing 2 exhibits in particular: Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photography and Marina Abromovic’s performance art.

As an avid photographer and a big admirer of Bresson’s work (I once gave a first edition of his photography book to a dear friend of mine), I was just thrilled to see the range of his photographic work displayed at the museum.  His portraits and the pictures taken when traveling throughout China, Mexico, Spain, Morocco, and even Iran was just breathtaking. His eye is impeccable and his sense of timing is just right. He managed to capture the essence of the moment, and the prevailing feeling of the situation in such a masterly way. No wonder he is called the best photographer of the century.  Here is a little article my friend, Patricia Zohn wrote about this exhibition in the Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patricia-zohn/culture-zohn-off-the-chuf_b_530192.html

Abromovic’s performance art is other-worldly. If one doesn’t understand what this grand artist is aiming for, one would think it is masochistic and  at times even pornographic. Be ready to see nudity and lots of it in this show. I think Abromovic is a remarkable artist, pushing the boundaries of courage, conceptual art, while having the viewers be participants in the art.  The funniest moment for me was when I was getting ready to go through this entrance to a hall, where a nude man and woman were standing by.  There is no other way to get into the exhibition hall but to squeeze past these two naked people, which was the entire point. I was 5 feet away from the man and woman when my phone rang! My friend asked me if she had called at a bad time. I paused and said, “Well, I am looking at two naked people right now. Can I call you back?” Of course, we were both hysterically laughing at this awkward moment. And of course, I explained to her that I was at the MOMA exhibit!  Here is an article and some clips of the Abromovic exhibition:

I guarantee you, it is an experience.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patricia-zohn/culture-zohn-marina-abrom_b_493064.html

My third art stop was visiting Leyla Taghinia Milani Heller’s Gallery.  When I was in NY in August, I got a chance to visit the Chelsea Museum’s Iranian Art exhibit that was curated by her. I also read a glowing article in the New York Times about Leyla and her gallery. So of course, I went to the gallery in the summer. But this time, I was lucky to catch her in town, as she is often traveling for art fairs.  She is no doubt one of the most important dealers in Iranian Contemporary Art, and her gallery was showing an exhibit of Shoja Azari’s work.

I have been a fan of Shoja’s work and he is getting a lot of press on this new exhibit.  Here is the NY Times Article on Shoja and his latest work:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/arts/design/23azari.html

There is no substitute to having an artist himself explain his work. I was fortunate that Shoja was at hand in the gallery.  Shoja talked about each piece at length, explaining the roots of his work and his inspiration in his characteristically friendly and warm manner.  What strikes the viewer is his straightforward iconoclastic gesture, the replacement of the the face of ordinary women for the image of saints in Shi’i iconography. This video instillation projected onto the icons makes these faces actually come alive and make subtle motions.  As I told Shoja myself, “I can’t take my eyes off these images. The faces truly come alive.”  There is a deeper philosophical and political undertone to his art, which in reality creates a dialogue for Iran’s tradition of using sacred iconography and for the current political involvement of women in the country. These images surely stayed with me long after I left the gallery, which proves that he has found of wellspring of powerful images to construct his form of expression around.

Books & More Books On My Mind

My week started by taking the red eye at midnight out of LAX. I got into NY early morning, ready to take on the day.  Monday I joined the Jewish Book Network in presenting a 2 minute pitch of my book along with another 50 authors. Our audience included organization leaders, who are looking for interesting books, authors, and topics to present to their respective communities.  As an author, I really enjoy watching authors present their material and see what kinds of topics they are writing about.  The Network runs a tight ship, and they managed to get everybody present their books within the time constraint.  Believe it or not, one does get a good overall impression of the books and the author’s speaking ability.  After the presentation, we got a chance to talk and mingle with other authors and organizational leaders. My overall impression of the event was that it was stimulating and I was so impressed by the quality of speakers and books.

The next day I went off to the Book Expo 2010 at the Javitz Center.  I remember the first time I attended the book expo a couple of years ago. At the time I had just finished my book, and I was looking for a publisher. Now, I was attending with a tag reading, “published author”, which delighted me to no end. I attended a few seminars about building on-line readership, etc… I guess what I got out of these seminars that authors need to write away on facebook, their web sites, and tweet! So, here I am this week, opening my twitter account!  On everyone’s mind was digital books and publishing and there were many booths in the expo dedicated to this new venture in publishing. To think 2 years ago, there was no talk about this at the conference.

If you haven’t ever gone to the book expo–let me tell you, it is not wise to wear heals, which I did anyway! Big mistake. I walked for 3 hours straight, going to different booths and seeing the new seletion of  books due to be out for the coming year.  I even stopped by Assouline’s booth and said hello to my friends and colleagues.

Just to keep you in the loop, I am now really serious about writing another book. So I know this coming year, I will be spending more time doing research, reading, and writing.

New York Musings

The best way to make the best of any full book schedule, is to squeeze in some fun with friends.  On Tuesday, I was to speak at the JCC in Manhattan about my book and also the history of Jews in Iran.  I really enjoyed meeting so many interesting people at the talk and a very interesting dialogue ensued after my talk.  What is always so special to me is to see people who have read my book show to one of these talks.  It is a way of connecting with my readers and to putting a face with the names of people who write to me on my web site.  I was lucky to meet a few of such people at the JCC event.

Right after the evening tlk, I met with my good friends Sherly and Abbey and we went off the Pastis at the meat packing district.  At 10 pm on a Tuesday night, the place was packed and there were lots of people walking in the streets. We caught up with one another over drinks and dinner and helped ourselves to 3 deserts! If you guys don’t know, I would rather skip a meal and go straight to desert, which I am forcing myself to do less often!

Well this brings me to another extraordinary desert place that I ran into the next day–LADY M Confections.  Seriously, it is a jewel of a pastry shop tucked in 43-42 10th Street.  The Eclair was divine. Once I started talking to the owner and chef, Ken Romaniszyn, I had to try their mille crepe cake–one of their signature cakes.  It was delicate layers and layers (I don’t know, perhaps 20) of crepe and cream heaven.  It was worth skipping a meal for!  If this place was in LA, I would be in serious trouble. I still wanted to try their green tea mouse cake and Ken’s other creations. But hopefully next time!

Well I still hope he opens a shop here in Los Angeles.

My Philadelphia Visit to the Barnes Foundation

One of the highlights of my stay in NY was my quick visit to Philadelphia’s Barnes Foundation. (It was only an hour train ride out of Manhattan’s express line and a quick 25 minute taxi ride to the Foundation).   I had recently watched the documentary—The Art of the Steal—which I highly recommend to art lovers.  Without giving too much of the plot away, Barnes Foundation’s spectacular art collection will be moved to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in a year.  I felt that it was my last chance to this world renown collection the way Albert Barnes had wanted his viewers to see it—in his home in the middle of a suburb, with modern masterpieces all stacked up on the walls of the various rooms.

It is nothing short of unbelievable! The Barnes Foundation houses one of the finest collections of French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modern paintings in the WORLD, including an extraordinary number of masterpieces by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (181), Paul Cézanne (69), and Henri Matisse (59). The collection also includes important works by Pablo Picasso (46), Chaim Soutine (21), Henri Rousseau (18), Amedeo Modigliani (16), Edgar Degas (11), Vincent van Gogh (7), Georges Seurat (6), Edouard Manet (4), and Claude Monet (4).  You can just imagine my overwhelming reaction to seeing the most beautiful works of art in one room—even on one wall! And the mastermind of this collection was one man’s exemplary vision—Albert Barnes.

What is so fascinating about the arrangement of the “wall ensembles” is that it is in keeping with Barnes’ idea of illustrating the visual, spatial, color traditions of various artists and times on one wall.  The paintings don’t have titles or any writings below them since Barnes felt that it would distract the viewer from seeing the art directly.  The effect is the viewers directly perceiving the shapes and forms without curatorial analysis.

Barnes was a true genius and collector. At a time when African Art was deemed as primitive and not so attractive, he collected vigorously and has arranged the sculptures in conjunction with Picasso’s and Modigliani’s works to show the apparent similarities in line and form.  It was hard to pull myself away and leave this exhibit for my afternoon appointment in NY, but for all of you who visit Philadelphia, NY, or Washington, this is a must see destination.