From an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times: [Robinson] Jeffers celebrated the "transhuman magnificence" of nature, the beautiful things both vast and near that can provide even a 21st century reader with solace, even if we are often a muddled, ugly species and even if all things, as they do, fade away. Don't often hearContinue reading “The beautiful secret: Robinson Jeffers”
Category Archives: local heroes
“This most unusual career”: Vaclav Havel
This has been a tumultuous year, and it continues with the loss of one of world's greatest civilians, Vaclav Havel. I miss him already. For me this is perhaps his most essential quote: …you do not become a "dissident" just because one day you decide to take up this most unusual career. Your are thrownContinue reading ““This most unusual career”: Vaclav Havel”
Christopher Hitchens: Why I hate Christmas
Well, at least the late, great Christopher Hitchens won't have to endure any more Christmas carols. The core objection, which I restate every December at about this time, is that for almost a whole month, the United States—a country constitutionally based on a separation between church and state—turns itself into the cultural and commercial equivalentContinue reading “Christopher Hitchens: Why I hate Christmas”
The art of John Lennon
For this day, a marvelous Tom Ashbrook interview with the warm and thoughtful Tom Riley, who has written this year's definite biography of John. Riley notes: Beyond his music, Lennon’s talent as a cartoonist, illustrator, lithographer, and collage artist influenced every aspect of his work. His songs carve out richly textured spaces of sound, whichContinue reading “The art of John Lennon”
“Hockey Stick” scientist Mann’s letter in the WSJ
Michael Mann has been pilloried by climate change denialists for showing in a clear graphic form that the climate is as warm now as it has been in a thousand years. At the AGU this year, he pointed out that his critics have been refuted by numerous investigations, and mentioned a letter published today inContinue reading ““Hockey Stick” scientist Mann’s letter in the WSJ”
Now with the forecast tonight, our new weatherman — Tennessee Williams!
True story: In an attempt to stir up interest in Small Craft Warnings, one of his best late plays, in the l970's Tennessee Williams not only resorted to playing a character on stage, but made appearances around the New York, to attract attention and spread the word. This didn't always go well. [From Dotson Rader'sContinue reading “Now with the forecast tonight, our new weatherman — Tennessee Williams!”
Tennessee Williams tells a story about Truman Capote
From Dotson Rader's great, great Tennessee: Cry of the Heart, 1985 Rader writes: Tennessee went on to talk about the one time Truman came to Key West. "It was two years ago. he had flown to Key West from Mexico, where he was to stay with Mrs. [Lee] Radiwill but left in a hurry becauseContinue reading “Tennessee Williams tells a story about Truman Capote”
Bert Collins: I paint every day
Had the pleasure this weekend of interviewing one of my favorite artists, Bert Collins, and writing about her for the Star. Here's my lead (or "lede," to use the newspaper spelling): Admirers of pastel artist Alberta "Bert" Collins began lining up outside her Ojai studio at 5:30 on Saturday morning, eager to buy one of theContinue reading “Bert Collins: I paint every day”
Wangari Maathai, rest in peace
The great tree-planter and feminist, Wangari Maathai, Nobel Prize winner, died yesterday. We were fortunate enough to see her speak a few years ago, and I was frankly awed by her ability to find simple, enduring truths in complicated, desperate situations. Even today, speaking about the unhappiness of development in Kenya, her words resonate withContinue reading “Wangari Maathai, rest in peace”
Tennessee Williams: Sex positive activist
Although considered politically naive by some, Tennessee Williams did know how to make a scene. Especially when it came to love. If you want the unbuttoned Tennessee Williams, you have to read Dotson Rader's entertaining Cry of the Heart. It's a wonderfully breezy and entertaining book about the mature Tennessee Williams, but even better, it's a sortContinue reading “Tennessee Williams: Sex positive activist”
Kit Stolz 