JUST KIDS

Just finished this wonderful memoir by Patti Smith.  She brought me back to my NYC haunts as a young college student :  St. Mark's Place, Max's Kansas City, Electric Circus, Filmore East, 8th Street. Bleecker St, CBGB, Chelsea Hotel, lofts on the Bowery and Aves A,B,C,D before they were gentrified and up-scaled and turned into wanna be lofts.She spoke personally and warmly of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Sam Shepard, Candy Darling, the artists and musicians of the 60's and 70's who went on to make dramatic changes in the culture.   What a brave young woman who pursued her creativity passionately and pursued art for art's sake.   She  was fearless about living without the basic comfort of home, security.  Her relationship with Mapplethorpe and her travels to Paris to pursue her favorite poet, musician are enviable.  While she lost her husband Fred Sonic Smith at an early age she continued to grow  as a song writer and poet and artist. She has two successful musician kids. Now that's an accomplishment! Hats off to this 64y.o. woman who survived an era where so many died. I loved being reminded of that creative and scary era.  I loved being reminded  she brought us BECAUSE THE NIGHT.

YouTube - Patti Smith's "Because the Night"

CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS

A beautifully shot documentary by Werner Herzog of the rock art found at the Chauvet Caves in Southern France.  What struck me the most was how contemporary the drawings are.  And to imagine that these are 25,000 years old.  Much of what is discussed about the culture at the time I thought was speculative and very French.  We really liked this film.  It's informative, visually beautiful and the ending has the Herzog quirk!

On a much more serious  note today is Memorial Day in America.  I heard and read the President's speech at THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER.  He is a wonderful speaker who rallied patriotism and honored men and women who have died defending this country's beliefs.  He made it personal as always by specifically telling the personal stories  of a number of young men who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.  And today I felt they should not have died, they should not have been put in harm's way and we need to get our troops out of these god forsaken places.  It's time to bring the young men and women home! 

DAZED AND CONFUSED at The Paramount

This afternoon we went to this old and beautifully refurbished cinema theater to see Richard Linklater's coming of age film.  It is brilliant!!!  The film is semi-autobigraphical and tells the story of graduating H.S. Seniors from a small town in Texas in 1976.  The acting is impeccable with Ben Affleck playing your evil sadistic repeating  Sr. and Matthew McConaughey the over-aged townie who can't leave H.S. social life.  The pacing, the music, the casting are perfect.  It's a masterpiece. We cannot recommend this film enough!!!  And it's a film made in Texas by a Texas filmmaker who has put Austin in good standing for independent film making.  A remake of  his 1991 SLACKER is now in production being made  by numerous Austin filmmakers.

JOVITA'S

Tonight we went to Jovita's to hear the Melancholy Ramblers play.  Acting teacher, Marco Parella plays in this group. I thought he was playing a dulcimer but I saw on their website he plays a hummel (?)   He's a warm talented person who is generous as well.  When Marco heard I had an audition today he offered to coach me free of charge before the audition.  It really helped.  Fingers crossed...this is the first paying gig.

Check out this funny short film on u-tube.  Marco plays the priest.  It's hysterical!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfU-Zu0NG60

LEBANON

Tonight we saw this Israeli film written and directed by Samuel Maoz.  It tells  of four soldiers trapped in a tank in enemy territory during the 1982 Lebanese invasion.  Photography, acting, editing, directing works to  reproduce the harrowing fear, terror, anger, confusion, and desperate need to survive at all costs that takes place in this tank.  This film meticulously recreates the horrors that occur during war to civilians and soldiers.  There are moments of great humanity as well.  It is a psychologically harrowing film.  Very well made.

Tonight we ate at TAVERNA on 2nd Street.  Delicious and Happy Hour prices were sweet too!

Off to finish JUST KIDS by Patti Smith.  A great reminder of my Greenwich Villages years in the late 60's.  Night y'all.

Samantha Graduates from Harvard May 26, 2011

On November 19, 1989 I had a day off from work and had plans to see a movie with my best buddy Pam who was on maternity leave.  She called me at 9:00 a.m. to say she was so sorry she had to cancel our plan because she just had a baby girl!  She was serious about being sorry!!  I ran to Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan and saw a truly beautiful baby girl, so content and sleeping. I am fussy about babies and don't think a lot are beautiful but Samantha was and is!  And today this young woman graduates from the #1 University in the country.  So well deserved.  She studies and works harder than anyone I know and gets such good results.  She really didn't like the college application process so she applied to one school and got in!  This was a H.S. cheerleader who told her interviewers that when summertime came she was taught to "veg."  And she loves watching AMERICA's NEXT TOP MODEL. She is a living combination of her parents Pam and Ira.  Hats off to the Reisers on this enormous accomplishment.  They do it with their signature modesty!

Good news from Hong Kong.  Our girl gets home June 17th!  Earlier than expected!

Today I got a preview of the Austin Week Fashion Posters.  They are gorgeous.  Take a look!

2011 Poster Designs : Austin Fashion Week

BRIDESMAIDS

I soloed this Judd Apatow produced film today as Abe clearly was not interested and tennis beckoned.  Boy was I disappointed.  The story is about two best friends and the stressors put on their relationship when one gets engaged.  A good part of the film is the casting with the women being in their 30's and 40's and all sizes and shapes.  Kristen Wiig wrote the film and stars and does an adequate job.  I did not find her performance as funny as I've been reading.   However I thought Melissa Mc Carthy as the groom's sister was indeed hysterical!  Also the English twin roommates were fiercely funny as well.  Clearly I have been effected by all  of the indie and foreign films we see lately.  I expect something different from filmmakers.  Watching women barf and shit their pants in a fancy bridal salon smacks of adolescent improv and frat boy humor. Just not that funny! 

On a footnote.  It was tough seeing Jill Clayburgh looking thin and wane. She died before the film was distributed.  I was reminded of how much I liked her as an actor.

Happy Birthday Bobby D!!!! HKDI Fashion

Bob Dylan is 70y.o.  today.  What would the world do without "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall"  or "He Was A Friend of Mine?" I recently bought his first CD FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN after I read his girlfriend on the cover died.  He was born Robert Zimmerman and made his way to NY when he dropped out of college.  To play in Greenwich Village and to meet Woody Guthrie.  He did both.  And I am so happy to say I saw Bobby D play in so many different NYC parks and venues.  I don't care that he's gone electric or plays in China.  He wrote GREAT music and I am so glad I have his songs in my brain to sing along with when I cook.

Our globe trotter will be heading home soon.  Check out this latest post.  Funky, adorable, expensive (where do they get the $)? and so HK!


HKDI Fashion Photo Blog

E PROIBIDO FUMAR/SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES

Tonight we saw this Brazilian film made by Anna Mylaert and it was wonderful.  We saw it at the Ritz, part of the Cine Las Americas series.  The film is about loneliness, love, jealousy and is filled with enormous comic relief.  The characters are real, the story is beautifully detailed by the cinematography (OK Abe pointed that out).  We both liked this film a great deal.

This morning I heard a poem by Jane Kenyon on NPR that really stopped me in my tracks.  I share it now.

At the IGA: Franklin, New Hampshire by Jane Kenyon | The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor

LBJ LIBRARY AND MUSEUM/The Borgias

Today we went to the LBJ museum for the 40th Anniversary.  We both feel that LBJ was a most unrecognized Pres for creating good social domestic programs for this country.  It's not easy being a Texan with a great heart for poor people, disenfranchised people, immigrants, the elderly, the uninsured.  This Texan was a quintessential politician.  And had to deal with Harvard grads! Viet Nam brought him down. His wife was one of the original environmentalists  well before it was some trendy notion.  I recommend this place immensely.  We saw a great exhibit about the 60's LEFT TO RIGHT and when some guy started quoting THE WORD to me (????) I was so happy Josh called!

Tonight is Abe's TV night.  He loves the BORGIAS, CRIMINAL INTENT  and some other program.  I catch CI and read the NYT.    'night y'all.

Lindsey Gets an MSSW from UT

It's graduation week-end at UT.  This fine university handles graduations in the most relaxed way.  People wear casual clothes, there is lots of hootin' and hollerin' and so many diverse nationalities and ethnic groups receiving degrees and represented.  Today was so special for me and Abe.  I received my MSW from Adelphi in 1972 and Abe received his MSW from Columbia in 1979.  Today we watched BSWs and MSSWs and DSWs receive their degrees.  We came to watch Lindsey Lucius, Liz's great friend, receive her degree.  We felt so proud and did our own hootin' and hollerin'.  We just loved the speeches made by students and faculty.  It reminded us so of why we did what we did for 30+ years.

I took it so seriously when President Kennedy at his inaugural speech asked what I could do for my country.  I was 12 y.o. and that pivotal moment framed my life.  It spurred me on.  Abe and I were delighted to be reminded today why we became social workers.  Mazel Tov to you Lindsey.  You make us proud!

AUSTIN PLAYHOUSE

Tonight we saw the last performance in our subscription at the playhouse, STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF.  Oops, I forgot how little I like musicals.  The subject was too dated so we left at intermission.  I had seen this as a teen with Anthony Newley on Broadway.  It spoke to me then, I guess growing older in this world filled with hard edges makes a musical like this irrelevant.  Abe liked the cast of singing voices but was happy to come home and watch Bill Maher.

So tonight was a misfit.  We did get some much needed rain and my garden is happy.  Austin, you're not perfect but still my favorite city!

AUSTIN CHRONICLE SPELLING BEE at Threadgill's

What fun!  I bombed after the first round.  Who ever knew you could spell calendar with an "er?"  These scrabble spellers are serious about changing spelling!  We ate at Threadgill's recently voted #1 for Comfort Food by the Chronicle.  It worked!  While we're here check out the latest HKDI posts...always fun.

HKDI Fashion Photo Blog

A good night in Austin...sweet dreams y'all. 

CowParade Austin

CowParade Austin


  I have loved these cows and the guitars as well  that are so quintessential Austin.  Welcome home!  MOO!!

AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY/GUELWAAR

Tonight was the last of the Sembene films and to quote Abe  "a great storyteller."  Once again the film is an exposure of life in Senegal post-colonization.  The story is of a mix-up in bodies being buried in the wrong cemeteries.  One is a Catholic and the other a Muslim.  Oy vey!!!  You can imagine.  What I liked the best about this film was the portrayal of the characters: human, complex, so real and believable.  The lead character is a noble man who really speaks out about the corruption involved in taking foreign aid, yet he is an imperfect man as his wife lets us know.  Sembene portrays her as a powerful and intelligent woman who speaks to his empty suit laid out on their bed as she waits for the return of his body.

Today I walked to Town Lake following the gym and watched other people's dogs swim, play and run.  Boy were these pooches happy.  They made me happy to just watch.  A good day in Austin!

CACTUS CAFE/HANOI DRIVE- IN ICE CREAM SHOP

Tonight I ran up to the Cactus Cafe on campus  to hear a talk about Jazz during the Cold War delivered by Jay Trachtenberg and a rabbi Jazz Musician, Neil Blumofe.  I've been listening to Jay T. on NPR since moving here...I thought he was a kid by his voice.  He's a middle aged guy, very knowledgeable and confirmed what I felt about him....relaxed, smart and inspiring. Good to listen to.  It was obvious the two speakers love jazz and I learned things about the 60's and diplomacy with USSR that I never ever knew.  Met Malina studying for finals in the Union with her best bud Tony..nice!

And finally our world traveler  has made arrangements to get home.  Not until June 23 but there's a date on the horizon.  Check out these latest photos from Hanoi.  They so remind me of a stage set for a James Dean movie in the 1950's.  The last photo could have been a small town in Texas.

Liz Moskowitz Photography

MEEK'S CUTOFF

This is a gorgeous film!  While the pace is slow moving and the dialogue is minimal, particularly initially, the film is beautifully shot and Michelle Williams delivers a great performance.  Everyone is real, believable and this film delivers a unique and thought provoking ending.  I just loved it.

Ria and I ate at La Condesa on 2nd St following the film...a lovely day in Austin!

The Longhorn Film Showcase

This evening Abe and I went up to the ACL studio in Communications B to see some of the best student films from the Dept of Radio, Television, Film.  Some of these films were just beautifully made.  My favorites were History Lesson, and Parachute Kids which we had already seen at SXSW.  There was a beautiful reception before and after.

Acting class this afternoon with Marco Parella.  Fine class with hard work.  Lots of energy.  I'll continue with Marco.

CELEBRITY and Lasagne with Reed

On Thursday evening I went to CMB up on campus to see the first preview of CELEBRITY, a film by Diego Viera Jenkins.  This was an experimental project with no dialogue and I liked the outcome.  Abe laughed heartily when he saw me as the deranged star.  I'm glad I did it!  The other students' films were very well done.  And tonight Reed came for home made lasagne and got to see the UT films I've worked on.  Lots of laughs and good cheer.  Whoever would have thought that these NY transplants would have found such a kindred spirit in a self described country club kid from Midland?  Thank goodness he became a hippie!

Austin Film Society/ON THE BOWERY

Tonight we had a flash back to a gritty place and time in NYC with this beautifully made documentary.  The filmmaker, Lionel Rogosin born into a privileged life as a garment district heir abandons this life to make a film .  He acknowledges he knows nothing about film making so he spends 6 months "on the bowery" getting to know the souls who live, drink, sleep, argue, and crumble there.  A compassionate film made more powerful by being black and white.  A good choice, Chale.


President Obama was in town yesterday.  Boy he knows how to talk "Texan." He promised to return.  We can't wait.

FIRST FIREWORKS /Directed by Kory Hill

Thank-you Kory!   Well done!



The First Fireworks - YouTube

HANOI IN 35mm GLIMPSES

While it's difficult having a kid SO far from home when you wake up and see the life she captures you smile with happiness. 


Liz Moskowitz Photography

ANN/Roaring Fork

Happy Mother's Day y'all.  Today we celebrated with tickets to ANN a one woman show written by  Holland Taylor who stars as the main character..  While I'm not a sitcom watcher I know very little of her popular role as the mother on TWO AND A HALF MEN but boy did she nail Ann Richards.  This was a marvelous, well directed and performed play.  The audience was filled with Texas Ann lovers and Texans who can make fun of their government.  The best joke was about George Washington chopping down a mesquite tree on his father's ranch and when asked by his Dad what happened the boy gave the famous "I cannot tell a lie" response to which his Dad said "then we're moving to Virginia."  You've got no future in Texas if you cannot tell a lie.  There were many many funny lines and it made us all miss Ann.  Boy could we use a dose of her now!

We followed it up with Happy Hour food and drinks at the Roaring Fork...delicious, inexpensive and Abe insists the Bad Ass Burger is the best in town!  The hardest part of the day was having Liz in Hong Kong and Josh in D.C.  The best part of that however  is that they have wings and so they do fly! They are an inspiration to Abe and me.

MADE IN DAGENHAM

The year is 1968 when a group of women working at the Ford plant in Dagenham, UK walk out demanding equal pay.  A wonderful British screenplay, good acting with Sally Hawkins and Bob Hoskins, and Miranda Richardson as the powerful leader of Labor.  A warm, up-beat film about an issue that reverberated throughout the industrialized world and brought the Fair Labor Act to UK in 1970. We saw this on dvd.

The day was spent at The Old Pecan Street Festival on 6th St.  Art, crafts, music, jewely, dresses, t-shirts, food and drinks.  As Abe said "just like 7th Heaven in Park Slope," a street fair every Father's Day.Then drinks at the beautiful  Driskill with terrific people watching.  A good day!

Serious Gardening and Maynard The Gecko

This morning began with a trip to HD to purchase shrubs and  plants for some serious gardening.  With Abe's help we dug up tree stumps, weeded and removed ugly shrubs.  And now we have added tried and true favorites: hibiscus, vincas, orleander, wandering Jews (like us!).  We prepared for planting for 2 hours, I ran off to the gym and Abe to the library and the afternoon was spent  planting, fertilizing  and mulching.  Good exercise and hard work!  When it was over I sat on our cedar bench out front with a glass of wine.  I brought Maynard our fat tailed gecko out to sit in the sun.  What a nice day working in the garden with Abe.  Tonight a young couple drove by on their motor bike and asked if this was our home.  When I answered it was the young woman said .."I've never seen anything like it."  Of course I invited Courtney and Matt in.  Only in Austin!

CIRCO/Cinco de Mayo on 2nd Street

Tonight we went to Violet Crown Cinema to see an eye opening documentary about a family run circus in Mexico.  Hard working poor adults and children working hours and hours every day as performers, animal trainers, tent pitchers, movers and on and on.  The children are all unschooled and spend their days learning to perform as contortionists, trapeze artists, clowns, animal trainers, jugglers, and more.  Most everyone is illiterate as there is no time for school and they're always on the move.  The dream is to bring the circus  to the big cities.  There is a real conflict between those born into the circus family and those that join by way of marriage. We both liked this film which is raw and real.

VCC is a great theater.  They offered $5 tkts in honor of Cinco de Mayo and we ate at their fine cafe which celebrated Cinco De Mayo with cheap margaritas and Dos XXs.  Real comfortable seats as well!  Big crowds were there on 2nd Street with live music, food and drinks celebrating Mexican culture and pride.

Y ahora buenas noches!

UT Classes/OLLI and UT Film Directing classes

This morning was Ethics and the subject was Guantanamo and torturing.  Of course the teacher reminded us of all the legal mistakes that have been made by the detention of so many people and the problems we faced by not following the Geneva guidelines.  After much thought I reminded the teacher that 9/11 was a unique moment for the country and many Americans were blood thirsty.  I suggested that when faced with a new crisis we rely on what we have instead of devising new ways of dealing with a new kind of enemy.  Use Geneva and then devise new methods to face the new and unique threat.  I was so surprised that so many Texans and the teacher, a Law Prof thanked me for my input after class.  It's so easy to be a knee jerk liberal and harder for us 60's kids to take a look at why we did what we did.

I then ran over to Miguel Alvarez's directing class to see THE FIRST FIREWORKS directed by Kory Hill.  The DVD was so well edited.  Music, lighting, crickets chirping and fireworks.  And now we  watched it together at home.  Abe cried.  Life is good.

BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK/AFS CEDDO

Tonight Abe and I saw different films at the Alamo S. Lamar.  I could not pass up AIGA's sneak preview of a doc about my favorite fashion photographer, Bill Cunningham, a NY icon.  He's in his 80's, lived for 50+ years in a tiny apt above Carnegie Hall that consisted of a bed and filing cabinets.  He bicycles all over the city, has two featured spots every Sunday in Sunday Styles NYT where his photographs of fashion on the street and social events and gatherings of the rich and famous are cherished treasures.  He uses film cameras and has the film developed in the same shop each week selecting his picks for the week from negatives.  He is a simple, plain, unpretentious guy who LOVES beautiful clothes.  I loved this film!

Abe saw the AFS Essential Cinema film CEDDO in the continued series of post-colonial African films by Ousmane Sembene.  He reports he really liked this film, a complex story of the spiritual colonization of the Senegalese by Muslims. Once again a 3 page historical perspective of this film given to each viewer upon arrival at the theater.   A good night at the cinema.

THE FIRST FIREWORKS by Alex Broun

Tonight we did a film shoot on campus in the Communications Bldg A.  A lovely play by an Australian playwright.  The director was Kory Hill and his DA was Nathan.  My co-star was the lovely Carly whom I have worked with before.  This is a heart wrenching 10 minute play between a mom and her daughter.  Mom is spending her last evening with her daughter at a favorite site on New Year's Eve overlooking a fireworks display.  There wasn't a dry eye on the set.

Tonight at last no lines to rehearse.

The First Fireworks - YouTube

Day II of THE FUNERAL

Second day of shooting where Canyon asked me to help the twins loosen up.  What fun.  Two adorable 17y.o.s from Arlington whose lines read "fuck, fuck and more fuck."  To quote them:  We don't "cuss much."  But they're 17 and drove 3 1/2 hours to work with Austin hippies and creative artists.  So who was better able to teach them how to "cuss" than a Bronx born Jewish mother who uses that word too much? 

And we succeeded.  I used what I learned in classes, I used my experience with adolescents and on the final shoots they were looser and louder and Canyon was pleased.  We wrapped today and I can't wait to see that final DVD.  This was my pleasure!