Festival of Books - Not dead yet!

Los Angeles Times is hosting it's best event of the year, Festival of Books, at the UCLA campus this weekend.  An estimated 200,000+ readers, writers and wannabees have shown up to drink deeply from the well of intellectuality.  Common sense tell us that Los Angeles is not known for it's intellectuals.  But they are around, hidden, squirreling away in some corner of this vast Lotusland.
So it's always a surprising pleasure to listen to local intelligent people talk intelligently about writing, story structure, fiction vs non-fiction, noir genre, female noir genre, self-serving fiction categorized as biographies and of course the Hollywood writer who devoted a portion of his life converting a 9-page picture book know as "Where the Wild Things Are" into a Hollywood semi-successful movie.

I sat in on two panels and was delighted not only with the knowledge and wisdom shared by the panelists, but their READING lists.  What they read for inspiration or structure.

I share with you this list.  Can't wait to get reading...

Any and all short stories by William Trevor.
Short stories by Deborah EisenbergThe series by Elizabeth Strout featuring a character called, "Olive Kittridge"

The 'Noir' panel all agreed that the best Noir movie on Los Angeles is "Blade Runner." I suggest the following culled from the discussion:

"Blind Man with a Pistol" by Chester Himes  (all inspired by Mr. Himes various novels)
"The Last Embrace" by Denise Hamilton (She was the only women on the panel)
"Boulevard" by Stephen Jay Schwartz (this work sounded poetic when the author/panelist read from his novel


"Dark Tales from the Golden State," by Gary Phillips (This writer was fascinating as he wrote about a small section of LA called Los Alamitos, a suburb with citizens completely at odds with each other on every level)
"California Roll" by John Vorhaus. This author kept saying he was on the wrong panel as he wrote comedy not noir.  Irregardless, his novel about a con man sounded fresh and entertaining.

Off again to listen to more writers and wannabees.  Will keep you all posted.

Just Listen

Finishing up Dr. Mark Goulston's book, "Just Listen" and am walking away feeling whole. Whole?

Being heard is key to the health of the soul. Communication is what links us in community and in intimacy.  There are two sides to any exchange: output and input. Listening is input.  Talking is output. Listening to others feeds the soul in ways we regularly forget.  Listening eliminates loneliness, isolation and a host of other non-medical aliments.

We turn to each other in times of crisis to be HEARD.  We turn to others to connect and to HEAR what is occurring in the lives of others that helps us feel better about our own world.  All through LISTENING.

I am refreshing my listening skills by reading Dr. Goulston's magnificent book,"Just Listen."  A 2010 objective for myself is to LISTEN more, talk less.  This will allow me to hear the issues of my particular set of clients and work with them more effectively to find the required solution. To listen is to learn. To listen is to connect deeply.  To listen is to build trust.

So this months' pick is "Just Listen," by Dr. Mark Goulston.  Easy read, well written and immediately applicable in everyone's day-to-day world.  Enjoy!

What's left for fun?

Received this message from a friend of mine. Thought it worth a blog.


Just saw your tweet. Your front yard got tp'd? Seriously? And I didn't grow up here, but honestly, are the kids' parents going to tell them off? Is there any consequence? 

Umm... having been a superb TP'er in my day, I cannot fault American kids for a bit of old-fashioned fun.  It's harmless, a mark of honor among teens (you're worth our time) and just plain fun for those doing it in the middle of night.   It's the thrill of doing something where you CAN get caught, but nobody does.  So what if the front yard looks a bit bedraggled?  All our neighbors came by and laughed and shared with us their own youthful "TP" stories. 

We have taken away all the fun stuff kids used to have outdoors. They now only have the net to surf.  And then we complain bitterly about their sedentary lifestyle. 

I remember egging houses, sneaking into movie theaters, and the best, absolute best, was throwing laundry detergent bombs into the myriad of fountains lining the streets of a planned neighborhood named (of all the Hollywood myths to copy) Mt. Olympus!  It was thrilling to execute, thrilling to not get caught and satisfying to go by the next morning and view each and every fountain foaming huge mountains of suds.  There was a certain "performance art" beauty to it all. We the perpetrators still LOL over the stunt when we get together.

Had a friend who, with a group of young guys in their 19ish year, changed the Hollywood sign to read "Hollyweed"in celebration of the marijuana law of 1976.  The leader of the weed patrol died recently.  His funeral was attended by a cross-section of mourners who knew him throughout his life.  But what was the one thing everyone brought up and told over and over again?  Not his thriving furniture business, not his board membership of several non-profits, but the planning and execution of the 'Hollyweed' stunt. It created a truly joyous LOL moment in an otherwise grim situation. 


So I say - TP away - it's the only fun thing left to do.  And parents, don't call the cops,  just get your kids to clean up the mess.  REALLY,  I mean REALLY!