Artist Lawrence Berzon remembers visiting the American Museum of Natural History as a child and being inspired by the art in the dioramas. They were mostly animals, insects, crustaceans, cavemen, and they were very real. He studied these dioramas in a way that had profound and lasting impact on his work. Today his work lives where art, literature and mythology converge. For a different twist on fashion, Barbara Lloyd McMichael writes about Devin Dondero, who immerses himself in the cultural beauty of the kimono. Long intrigued by the birthplace and cultural background of his paternal grandmother, Dondero has immersed himself in learning everything he can about the nuance and style of a Japanese fashion tradition that stretches back over a thousand years. Remember Journalist Bill Moyers? Bill Moyers once set the standard for integrity in the media. His recent passing marks the end of an era. See Robin Lindley’s past interview of Bill Moyers that covers the fragility of our American Democracy. For summer reading, our top pick is new release “Love & Murder” by Katie Christine Bishop, which takes readers on a delicious romp with two house cats who have gone rogue.–Patricia Vaccarino
Lawrence Berzon: The Myth of Performance by Patricia Vaccarino Artist Lawrence Berzon has always been a storyteller. The evolution of his work is a progression from the graphic novel to multi-frame painting. Then sculpted frames were added to the paintings, and ultimately frames were created within the image. These frames inside the image eventually evolved to become dioramas. Then the dioramas began to move and became kinetic sculptures.
The Enduring Kimono by Barbara Lloyd McMichael Devin Dondero has a passion for fashion history, sparked early on by his enjoyment of nihon buyo – a popular traditional Japanese dance style in which dancers wear colorful kimonos as their costumes. He began collecting kimonos about 15 years ago. The first piece he ever bought was at a downsizing sale held by an elderly Japanese-born woman who had moved to the United States after World War II and resettled in Tacoma, Washington.
On August 22, 2011, Robin Lindley interviewed the renowned Journalist Bill Moyers. This interview has stood the test of time. Bill Moyers devoted his career to educating, informing and inspiring the American public while leading a national conversation with the conviction that “the gravediggers of democracy will not have the last word.” More than ever his words are powerful and poignant.
When Emergency Response is Delayed by Annie Searle FEMA! We have seen a time response lag around the Texas floods due to a reduced number of call center workers. Is this what we want from FEMA? States can no longer rely upon a timely, professional federal response. We must do better! I urge you to write to both your Congressional representatives but also to the president directly!
LaborFest Writers Group Reading July 16 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm PDT The Labor Movement is alive and well in the Bay Area. Enlightened people are using their best creative selves to speak about the issues we are facing during these difficult times. Come and listen to their poetry, memoir, fiction and nonfiction. Admission is free.
Featured New Release: Love & Murder by Katie Christine Bishop Love and Murder is not intended to be a charming tale of adventure inhabited by sociopaths who happen to be cats. Nor is it strictly a tale about a pair of house cats who embark on a journey into the heart of darkness. Take heed, this is an immigrant story that supersedes the category of pure fantasy or science fiction. The parallels to life in the Twenty-first century are unmistakably spot on. – Patricia Vaccarino
Summer Reading: The Big Rich Beach Book was written two summers ago, but little has changed.The book-scape this summer is still awash in big rich beach books, novels about the uber rich. What are you reading this summer? Please email news@prforpeople.com and let us know. –Patricia Vaccarino
How do we know if our President is Mentally Unstable? by Nick J. Licata A president’s mental condition raises national security concerns, including not being fully aware when making critical decisions, such as starting a nuclear war. It’s expected that a president’s advisors would recognize this condition and take appropriate action, unless those advisors were sycophants. Congress should pass a law to help choose and maintain a stable president in the future.