Sergey Gorobchenko – Moscow’s Leading Man Aspires to Come to a Theater Near You, Right Here in America!

Some people are just bi-coastal, but Sergey Gorobchenko lives on two continents. Originally from Moscow, Sergey has created a name for himself and has become a talented leading man. He has starred in several films in Moscow, including the remake of Dr. Zhivago, Boomer, The Shoemaker, Lift, and Moscow Heat. Sergey’s range as an actor is impressive. But he is not content to just entertain in Russia. His ambition is more far-reaching than that. He recently arrived in America, studied English at a college in New York, and decided to engage in film here in the United States. He met with filmmakers here who shared his vision to create films that would be about Moscow and Russian culture and the connection with Americans and American culture.

Sergey admitted that even as a child up through secondary school, he could sing and play the piano, and he involved himself in musicals. At the time, Russia was going through a rough period, and just like for several other people, it was an extremely difficult time for him during that transition. But through it all, Sergey always felt comfortable being on stage.

Is it difficult to become an actor in Moscow?

No, not really. If this is something that’s in your heart, don’t think about how many people are involved in this industry and how many actors are around you. Just be yourself.

Here in America, when someone is pursuing an acting career, they hear comments like, “You should just get a regular job. It’s going to be so hard.” Do you hear those types of comments in Russia?

Many people ask me how can I work twelve hours a day. But of course if you don’t like the job, it is hard. Many of my friends wanted to come watch a taping once, just out of curiosity. They watch the final product on TV. They think it is glamorous. But when they watched me on stage, they couldn’t stay for very long. It was nothing they expected.

Tell me about your education and training.

I studied in the Theater Academy of Theater and Arts in St. Petersburg. I grew up during Communism in USSR.

So you saw the actual shift in USSR?

I know the difference. I was fifteen when everything changed.

Has it changed for the better?

Yes, it’s much better. There is freedom and fresh air of something new. Moscow has become very rich and opportunity-filled in a very short time. There are many theaters and production companies in Russia. This was one of the main problems before with Communism.

What happened when you finished your education?

When I finished my education, I worked in theaters in St. Petersburg. After I appeared in several theater productions, I was asked to be involved in movies, and my movie career started. It’s a very respectful thing for me because people love movies today. And it’s getting more and more popular in Russia. In 2003 I went to New York and studied English in Manhattan College for seven months. Since I am an actor, why can’t I also play in some American movies? But I understand sometimes you have to put your desires on hold. Well, it happened. Director Jeff Celentano (Moscow Heat) came to Russia. He invited me to play opposite Michael York. I was happy because I had just finished my education in New York, and some movies had just come out in Russia and become famous.

Did you encounter any obstacles in your efforts to come out here?

I have some experience of life. I did go through some difficult things, but I managed it. I have to take everything into account; each minute and every day counts. Tomorrow doesn’t exist.

What kind of roles do you prefer to play?

All projects I have played seemed to come right on time. [I like the roles I play when I am playing them.]

Do you prefer more drama, or do you like comedies?

I have played comedies, dramas, family-oriented, tough gang movies, I pull from a lot of my own life experiences. I like them all.

Do you have a place here in America as well as in Moscow?

Yes, I have a place in America. I was out here six times this year. I mostly work in Moscow, but I can come out here if there is work for me here.

Do you have an L.A. agent?

I am very lucky. I have a good agent. Her name is Natalie Chase. She’s great.

Where do you see Sergey in five years?

I don’t really know, but sometimes I feel that dreams about the future can direct us. We have to dream. We have to work hard. If we are correct, things will happen the right way.

You mentioned there are people who are doing a Russian project here in America. What is the status of that project?

We are writing the script. I am helping with a lot of the ideas.

Are you like a producer?

Yes, I have the connection with Russia, because Russia is still closed. People in Russia can trust me.

So you can bridge the gap between Russia and America.

This is my bridge. I am not bridging between countries. I am not a president….

(Interrupts) But cinema reaches millions.

I think movies rule all over the world. Yes, it’s very important.

What are the politics involved in creating a film in Russia as opposed to creating one here in America? Have you experienced both?

America is more developed; it’s more advanced. Russia today…trying to be independent and free…it’s very new. It’s not easy to change things overnight, but Russian people are very strong.

There are so many independent filmmakers, guerrilla-style, shooting movies. Some are actually getting Oscars. And they don’t have to be tied to a really big studio. OThey can shoot wherever they want. They can shoot in Canada, Mexico, New York, L.A. In Moscow, are the rules very rigid when shooting a film? Can anyone just shoot a movie?

You can if you understand the rules. Russian people are very strong, and they want to be independent. And Russia is a very big territory. These are my roots. I cannot change them. I just want to be international. I’d like to be in connection with any country, but I have to know cultural differences and learn the languages.

Any last words?

Don’t worry about nationality because we are all the same. Sometimes we have to forget the bad and just turn the page.

To find out more about Sergey Gorobchenko’s latest movies, visithttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm1330495/.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples

Joseph Domingo – San Francisco-based Fashion Designer and Atelier

Joseph Domingo – San Francisco-based Fashion Designer and Atelier

San Francisco-based fashion designer, Joseph Domingo, considers himself an atelier, specializing in custom-made clothing for both men and women. Domingo’s designs include sportswear, contemporary clothing, evening wear, and wedding gowns. Joseph has been featured on CNN, DNR, Women’s Wear Daily, California Apparel News, and he has been a huge hit at the last few Fashion Weeks. Last season’s runway show created quite a buzz, and they are still talking about it today. I recently visited his modest shop in San Francisco and saw the real scope of his designs. Originally from the Philippines, Joseph hid his desire for fashion design until he was an adult.

“There are nine siblings and I’m the youngest of nine kids, and there are seven testosterones. You can just imagine, I could not be as expressive as I wanted to be. As a child, I had to hide my paper dolls … I had to make my own paper dolls. I had to be underneath the dining table and play on my own–pretty much hide.”
–Joseph S. Domingo–

How long have you been designing?

I’ve been designing for the past fifteen years, but I’ve had my own Atelier for the past seven years.

That’s a very interesting word, “atelier.” I know what it means, but a lot of people don’t, and it’s a very distinguishing facet of fashion design. Could you explain?

Atelier is like you having your own showroom and people come to you and have something specifically made for a certain occasion.

How did you decide to get involved in fashion design?

Well, it’s a long road for me because growing up, I watched a lot of beauty pageants. I liked women dressing up, and from there on I liked to sketch. I went to architecture school of design and rerouted to interior design and thereafter I ended up being a fashion designer.

So you really knew what you wanted to do.

I really wanted to do this at a young age. [But didn’t have the freedom to express myself]. So I had to kind of reroute. But it was a good experience going into architecture first, then interior design, and then finally being where I really wanted to be.

Where are you from originally?

I’m originally from the Philippines. I moved here when I was a teenager. That’s why I enrolled myself into a fashion school.

What school did you go to?

I went to West Valley college, which is just a regular community college. But they have a great program, and I’m really proud of my accomplishments and what they did for me.

Now, I’ve basically seen your collections since you started showing at Fashion Week. Beautiful stuff. Stunning and basically shocking for a first-time showing at that. I notice it’s more like luxury wear.

I wouldn’t call it couture wear. It’s more like luxury if you may call it that, based upon their price points.

Could you give me an idea of what the average item you make would cost?

Cocktail dresses start from $800 and up, depending on the intricacy of the design. I do a lot of custom clothing. Wedding dresses start from $3000 and up. It depends on the budget of each individual.

Now, you obviously have your boutique here and in San Francisco. Do you have boutiques anywhere else?

Actually not at this moment. I sell on occasions, season to season. That’s why I want to be rerouted to ready to wear sometime in the future. But most of the time people come to me on a recommendation basis, or people hear about me and say they want me to design something for them for a specific occasion.

Have the Fashion Weeks helped with that?

Absolutely! Fashion Week has been great for me, having to show three times. It’s just progressing. I have a couple of [PR Firms] now helping me out to get exposure. I’m getting quite the unimaginable article here and there, and people are talking about me and hearing about me, especially the last season when I [showed at LA Fashion Week].

The last season was big.

It was. It was great. It’s a good thing I took the risk I took.

What was that?

What we did for the models. It was a collaboration of my sponsor (the one responsible for the hair and makeup) to specifically focus on the clothing. We wanted to have a walking mannequin. And in order to do that, we had faceless models. He developed a kind of eye patch that blended into the skin tone, but they had the lips and the facial structure with coiffed hair.The idea being that people would initially focus on the face, wonder what’s going on, and then they would get more relaxed and focus on the clothes. And I get so much buzz about it on the different blogs and Google. It’s all over the place. It was very edgy. Some people even quoted that they had never even seen it from places like Paris, Milan, or New York, and then all of a sudden, it’s in LA. It just separates us from the norm.

I like it because it was a juxtaposition between the faceless mannequin and you have this classy clothing.

Yeah it’s like a balance of things that people would think that if it’s edgy and faceless, it would be this rocker urban kind of thing. My lines are simple, having this architecture background. It goes with the flow and the consistency with gelling the whole collection together.

Highest High

My highest moment is being patted on the back or being appreciated with either the accomplishments of an individual client or a student that would just say, “You inspire me, and I would like to intern. I would like to learn more about what you do, and I heard so much about you.” That pretty much for me is a validation. Another high is reading articles here and there, especially with the industry and the professionals that said either I arrived or I’m doing a good job, or for some reason, some people even giving hints about a bad critique. I don’t even care for bad critique because I think critics are critics, good or bad. It’s better for them to talk about it. If they don’t talk about you, you don’t exist.

Lowest Low

The low point of being in this industry is having a lot of financial hardship. People think that once you’re a fashion designer…once you’re in Fashion Week…you’ve got an amount of money backing you up, but no. I’m more like self-financed, looking for investors here and there, not like I don’t have offers here and there, but I have to be really careful about it. So my low moment would be having to juggle things.

How do you get inspired for a collection?

For the past three seasons, just going everywhere. The first collection was The Safari Rose, and I was trying to get into the fall. I wanted to create something that is kind of safari-ish, but I want to incorporate the femininity of it so there are roses, cabbage roses in every evening gown I made that season. And then the following collection was the Raindrops in a Bamboo Forest, which consisted of polka dots and bamboo prints. This last collection was Red and Black Equals Chocolate. I love chocolate a lot, so one time I was scribbling with a red pen and then a black pen and it become chocolate and that was my inspiration. The next season I saw this one pink magnolia in a tree, and I said, “That’s beautiful. Maybe I’ll incorporate that into the design.” So you don’t know what’s going to come out of it. It’s nature, magazines, people. All kinds of things inspire me a lot. So I encourage everybody to just keep their eyes open. You never know.

Do you have a designer that inspires you?

The three Italians, I love them so dearly. I met a couple of them…Giorgio Armani, whom I haven’t met…GianFranco Ferre, and Valentino. Those are the three great designers that I aspire to be like. Jon Franco Feri has an architectural background. Armani—the name itself describes it—and Valentino for his femininity, luxury, and ladylike designs.

I like Valentino a lot. That’s probably why I like your clothes. Last season, you did polka dots, and it was breathtaking. It reminded me of Audrey Hepburn. What was your biggest defining moment as a designer?

The defining moment is seeing your clothing being worn by a friend, or somebody famous, or hanging on a rack in a store.

I like how you managed to sneak in a little bit of culture in your designs. How do you do that so successfully?

I love traveling a lot and keep my eyes on every culture. I always think on a global level while keeping the integrity of my background and history.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I would like to have my own store and all kinds of different collections like footwear, sunglasses, watches, etc.

You make it look very easy.

I try, but sometimes I cannot breathe. I am so busy. But this is my passion, and I just have to explore it and keep it alive.

What advice would you give an aspiring designer?

Just go for it. There is always room for everybody. Don’t surround yourself with negativity because I have been there. A lot of people can be so discouraging in this industry…either they’re colleagues of yours questioning [your decisions]…. Keep the good and throw out the negative. Surround yourself with people who support you. It’s better to be nice to people than giving them attitude, because a door won’t open otherwise. It’s a small industry, and people will talk. If you’re branded as a so-called diva, it will be hard to get in. You just have to stay grounded. Ego won’t take you anywhere.

Visit Joseph Domingo’s website at www.josephdomingo.com. He is also available by appointment at his showroom at 808 Post Street, San Francisco, 94109 / 415-563-2007.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples

SLEEPING BEAUTY WAKES

Reviewed By Marilyn Anderson

What would happen if Sleeping Beauty didn’t like the prince who kissed her? She wouldn’t wake up! At least not for centuries! That’s the premise of this world premiere musical adaptation ofSleeping Beauty at the Kirk Douglas Theater in Culver City.

Produced in conjunction with the Center Theater Group and the Deaf West Theater, the production utilizes both deaf and hearing actors, signing and singing. The musical is the first-of-its-kind commissioned work created expressly for the genre that the producers coined the “Sign Language Theatre Musical.”

Sleeping Beauty is a story we’ve all grown up with; but in this version, Beauty doesn’t wake up until modern times, in a Sleep Disorder Center, where assorted catatonics, narcoleptics, and somnambulists are hanging out. Her father, the king, traded the sorcerers of his kingdom all his jewels for their magic, so he could live long enough to watch over his daughter and be there when she finally wakes up. And when she does, it’s by the kiss of a catatonic motorcyclist who works as an orderly in the Sleep Center. It’s someone her father would never approve of, but somehow everything works out.

Although Sleeping Beauty was originally a purely romantic story, in this version there is an additional theme that is poignant and meaningful, with an ending that touched my heart. It’s the story of a father and daughter; he wants to keep her safe always, but finally realizes he must let her be free to live her own life and make mistakes along the way. It’s tender and touching—and a surprise to see there’s something deeper under the fun and creativity.

More than that, the production is hip and clever, with musicians that totally rock! The music and lyrics of Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda are creative, sharp, and witty. This husband and wife team comprises two thirds of the pop/rock band Groove Lily—and they are a smash.

Valerie is the voice of Snow White. Her voice soars and is often accompanied by her six-string electric violin, which is spectacular. Brendan does the voice of Beauty’s love interests and also plays keyboard for the production. With a book by Rachel Sheinkin and direction by Jeff Calhoun, Sleeping Beauty Wakes is a special and entertaining fable to be enjoyed by all ages.

The last musical collaboration from the Center Theater Group and the Deaf West Theater was Big River, which played at the Ahmanson and moved on to Broadway to win several Tony Awards.

Sleeping Beauty Wakes is a comparatively small show with a simple story, but it’s fresh and fun, as well as a rare opportunity to be shared by both hearing and deaf audiences.

Kirk Douglas Theatre
9820 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232

www.centertheatregroup.org / 213-628-2772

Mah-vel-ous Music in Malibu for the Midnight Mission

Reviewed By Marilyn Anderson

Guests attending the “From Malibu with Love” Benefit Concert for the Midnight Mission of Los Angeles were treated to an incredible night of killer musical talent. The concert on Friday, March 23, at the Malibu Performing Arts Center started with a set from Ilsey Juber, a newcomer with a great style and unique voice. The evening continued with A-list talent that kept the room rocking all night. There were performances by the Zen Cruisers, Jackson Browne, and Los Lobos.

Richie Sambora (from Bon Jovi) served as the emcee—and also performed a bunch of sensational numbers, including a fabulous rendition of the Beatles’ “I Get High with a Little Help from My Friends.” Richie is not only super-talented and super-cute, but a man of tremendous generosity. When the live auction started, Richie made bids on almost all the items – and ended up winning the use of a Ferrari for four days along with a special dinner at a Malibu restaurant. (Hmmm—wonder who he’ll take? I’m available!) With many of the items, Richie also added a special treat to help raise more funds—a guitar lesson from Richie Sambora!

The live auction included three one-of-a-kind guitars donated by Norman’s Rare Guitars, Fender Guitars, and Tom Petty, whose personal acoustic Takamin guitar sold for $10,000. The other guitars sold for $4,500 and $5,000. The last and highest bid item for the night came right off Richie Sambora’s wrist–an Ernst Benz ChronoScope watch with five solitaire diamonds from Alan Friedman Designs. The watch retails for $21,000 and sold at the auction for $12,000.

In addition to the entertainment and live auction, there were a silent auction, champagne bar, and a catered dinner by Geoffrey’s Malibu for Platinum & Gold Ticket Holders.

The evening raised approximately $70,000 in funds for the Midnight Mission. For nearly a century, the Midnight Mission has served the Los Angeles homeless population with empathy and respect and has made available food, shelter, and clothing to the men and women of Skid Row. A brief film was presented, and everyone was completely moved as one of the directors of the Midnight Mission introduced himself as a man who had been on the streets only eight years ago.

“From Malibu with Love” was a truly memorable night for a worthy cause—and a rare opportunity to see such extraordinary talent in an intimate venue.

For more info, visit: www.midnightmission.org
Please visit: www.malibuperformingartscenter.com
Marilyn Anderson – Romance on the Road

Brunch in the Backyard!

SLEEPING BEAUTY WAKES

Reviewed By Marilyn Anderson

Produced in conjunction with the Center Theater Group and the Deaf West Sleeping Beauty Wakes 1 Theater, the production utilizes both deaf and hearing actors, signing and singing. The musical is the first-of-its-kind commissioned work created expressly for the genre that the producers coined the “Sign Language Theatre Musical.”

Sleeping Beaurty Wakes Valerie is the voice of Snow White. Her voice soars and is often accompanied by her six-string electric violin, which is spectacular. Brendan does the voice of Beauty’s love interests and also plays keyboard for the production. With a book by Rachel Sheinkin and direction by Jeff Calhoun, Sleeping Beauty Wakes is a special and entertaining fable to be enjoyed by all ages.

The last musical collaboration from the Center Theater Group and the Deaf West Theater was Big River, which played at the Ahmanson and moved on to Broadway to win several Tony Awards.

Sleeping Beauty Wakes is a comparatively small show with a simple story, but it’s fresh and fun, as well as a rare opportunity to be shared by both hearing and deaf audiences.

Kirk Douglas Theatre
9820 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232

www.centertheatregroup.org / 213-628-2772

The Best of Broadway…. In Los Angeles!

The Best of Broadway …. In Los Angeles!

By Marilyn Anderson

It seems like people always wait until they take a trip to New York to go to a Broadway Show. But right here in Los Angeles are some of the most wonderful shows to see – especially those you may have missed the first time around!

Reprise! Broadway’s Best at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse presents classic musicals of the last century. The casts include many celebrated Broadway performers and well-known actors working in Hollywood.

I grew up dancing around my living room to the sound tracks from many old musicals. One I was lucky enough to catch recently was the closing show for Reprise’s tenth season —“No Strings,” starring Scott Bakula and Sophina Brown.

This 1962 musical features a book by Samuel Taylor and score by Richard Rodgers. It’s the only show for which Rodgers wrote both the music and the lyrics, including it’s most well known song, “The Sweetest Sounds.” The simple plot revolves around a Pulitzer prize-winning novelist with writer’s block who findslove with a high-fashion model in Paris. Ultimately, they both realize that they have to part – “no strings” – so that she can continue her European fashion career and he can return home to Maine to regain his writing chops. The costumes by Bob Mackie and Joe McFate were amazing. All the women in the ladies room were oohing and ahhing about them – and they were truly the icing on the musical cake!

Reprise! also has a series of “Marvelous Musical Mondays,” where the actors perform the show with scripts in hand – but the truth is, it doesn’t matter – there’s a fun and spontaneity to it that’s electrifying. “It’s a Bird … It’s a Plane … it’s Superman!” was one of the most fabulous evenings I’ve had in years. The performers included the always funny Richard Kind, in a part that seems written just for him – although he was probably just a little kid when itfirst came out. Richard was soooo funny and soooo brilliant in this – it was absolutely a one-of-a-KIND (pun intended) evening. All the other actors were fabulous as well, including Cheyenne Jackson as the dual lead, Superman and Clark Kent. Cheyenne is a total hottie, who can act and sing up a storm, too! Patrick Cassidy was sensational reprising the role that his father created on Broadway and an extra special treat was composer Charles Strouse narrating.

Reprise! Broadway’s Best has a phenomenal new 11 th season coming up August 16, 2007 thru May 18, 2008. They begin with Rodgers and Hart’s ON YOUR TOES, which was the first Broadway musical to integrate classical dance into the plot, with songs like “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” and “There’s a Small Hotel.” Next, is the not-to-be-missed 1950’s baseball-meets-dance musical comedy, DAMN YANKEES, with a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. You’ll recognize songs like “Whatever Lola Wants” and “Heart” as in “You’ve got to have heart…” along with others that aren’t as familiar – but just as wonderful. Then, based on the famous comic strip by Al Capp, is the witty musical satire, LI’L ABNER. Their season ends with FLORA, THE RED MENACE, which was the first collaboration between John Kander and Fed Ebb and starred a young Liza Minelli when it first came out. It will be exciting to see who will be performing with Reprise! Broadway’s Best. There will be a season of Marvelous Musical Mondays, too – shows to be announced soon.

So save your money. Instead of plane tickets to New York – just drive over to Westwood to see the best Broadway shows.

Reprise
Broadway’s Best

Order tickets online at
www.reprise.org
Phone: 310-825-2101

“Heels that Heal” – Shoes & Charity Equal Shoe Frenzy 2007

“Heels that Heal”
Shoes & Charity Equals Shoe Frenzy 2007

In the early hours of Saturday, May 19, several hundred women snaked around Veterans Memorial Complex Auditorium, Los Angeles, for the annual event known as “Shoe Frenzy.” Featuring over 5,500 pairs of donated designer shoes, boots, sandals, and slippers, the venue is converted into a virtual shoe warehouse lasting a few hours and ending by noon. During this timeframe shoppers enter “in a calm fashion” as his/her lottery ticket numbers are called, much like a number system at a deli. L.A.P.D. officers are on hand for “security reasons”. The booty: Uggs, BeBe, Nine West, Michael Kors, Dansko, and Calvin Klein to name a few of the generous donors. No pair is over $50 but our team seized $30 Ugg mules and $15 Killah and M.O.D. wedges to name a few. Other “deals” included two pairs of children’s shoes for $5. To put that in perspective, you can buy a pair of shoes for roughly the price of a cappuccino.

In addition to this fabulousness, ALL proceeds go directly to the Women’s Clinic & Family Counseling Center. Admission is free and for $1 you are entered into a drawing for a giant gift bag which this year included a satellite cable package, passes to museum events, movie tickets, yoga accessories, a spa gift, jewelry, and various popular DVDs.

Another reason for the police enforcement–this year’s promotions read the following: “By attending this event, I acknowledge that shoe shopping can be an

inherent strenuous activity and that no event is without risk. I also acknowledge that when high quality footwear is heavily discounted, shoe shoppers can become overly zealous, and may run, push or shove. I have consulted with my physician regarding physical capability to participate in this event.” We didn’t experience anything near hysteria–just satisfied shoppers trying on shoes.

The Women’s Clinic & Family Counseling Center offers medical services such as annual exams, birth control and family planning services, therapy and counseling services by licensed physicians and marriage/family therapists. Special programs offered include support groups and workshops. The services are administered in a private doctor’s office atmosphere with a caring, astute staff.

For more information about the event, the Center, and how to participate in Shoe Frenzy 2008: www.shoefrenzy.net andwww.womens-clinic.org.

Reviewed by Pamela Heath

The Road – Cormac McCarthy

The Road
Cormac McCarthy

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a novel of survival in post-apocalyptic America. The world as it was no longer exists. Black ash years later continue to rain down on everything. There are no specifics as to what actually happened to cause this apocalypse, but the few clues the author gives us suggest a nuclear bomb: “The clocks stopped at 1:17. A long shear of light and then a series of low concussions … A dull rose glow in the windowglass” (52). A father and his young son, survivors, are traveling “the road” from their home in the north in expectation of reaching the south, where they expect to survive the winter.

All that they own has been packed into a supermarket cart: blankets, the little food and water they have managed to salvage along the way, what extra clothes they have, anything of use they find in homes or markets that escaped the fires and overlooked by survivors before them. When the novel opens, the pistol the father carries for protection contains three bullets in it. At the end of their journey, it contains only one. He has had to kill in order to survive. And because the survivors of the apocalypse fall into two categories—the good and the bad—he has taught his son how to do what he must if something happens to him: commit suicide. The bad people consist of cannibals, pederasts, all types of evils; yet there must be others like themselves, and he hopes the south will yield those good.

We’re never told the names of any of the characters because each is representative of a member of the surviving larger group.

This novel reminded me of other post-apocalyptic novels I had read, particularly The Stand by Stephen King, an allegory symbolizing the battle between good and evil, in which we are always left with the hope that good will win out. And in this case, just as things get their worst, again there is that hope resurfacing.

Black ash swirls everywhere through their entire journey. Sometimes the snow, no longer white but gray, falls; and soon it, too, is covered with black ash. When they reach the coast, the father’s promise of blue water to his son is dashed by the black ash covering the surface.

Yet the south holds hope of a future. Whatever has caused the apocalypse has left many of the survivors, among them the father, with tuberculosis. His endless cough, full of blood, presages his destiny. The young boy, his son, is a Christ figure, and any hope of a future world lies in him. “He knew only that the child was his warrant. He said: If he is not the word of God God never spoke” (5). And later, after he has had to kill to protect his son, he tells him: “My job is to take care of you. I was appointed to do that by God. I will kill anyone who touches you” (77).

The entire countryside had been scavenged, but almost everywhere they stop—places that had not been completely burned or otherwise destroyed—the father ingeniously manages to find something of substance to keep them going. In one place he drains oil from long ago discarded oilcans to have enough for a lamp he improvises from a bottle and a rag. After all, he has a mission. The boy is his “warrant,” and though it seems he is too ill to last much longer, he must somehow keep the boy alive.

McCarthy manipulates the language so that the mostly staccato sentences and phrases give the reader the impression of dancing, more specifically, of waltzing, thus creating a lightness in the midst of the hopelessness and dangers the two encounter throughout the entire journey. Also, this simple language reemphasizes the fact that the young son, born after the apocalypse, is learning about a world he knows nothing of from the stories his father, his only teacher, tells him. In addition, the short, simple sentences are reminders of their simple goal: stay alive.

The mother, unable to endure any more of the dangers they constantly faced in their efforts to survive, and completely without any hope of survival, had taken her life sometime before. Unable to convince her husband to do the same—as well as take the boy’s life—she had used a small piece of obsidian, leaving the few bullets left in the gun for their protection. When they set out on their journey south, the son never looks back, nor does he speak of his mother. The omniscient point of view with an unknown narrator adds to the suspense, giving the reader very few clues as to how the story will end.

Reviewed by Lee L. Peoples

Plant Your Own Garden

Insights
Plant Your Own Garden

The other day I got the idea that I would prune my mother’s trees. I’d had enough of looking at those monster trees and thought she might like to have a nice tidy garden, come outside and have a cup of tea while enjoying her day. I created a whole scenario in my head where she would be seduced from her hermetic existence to sit outside in the shade and get some sun. Her cat would be allowed outside, as long as she was there, to stalk and explore. So I set out to shape her trees.

About an hour into my work, I began to reflect on how it seems that one tree—in this case overgrown bush—has so much in abundance. I thought about how I had about a couple of days’ supply of firewood already, and I hadn’t even completed the task. Do we really need to cut down forests when one tree can yield so much wood and still be allowed to live?

I pruned only five trees and had filled over twelve large garbage bags with branches and leaves. Imagine if I had pruned an acre. I wouldn’t be able to do it, but with assistance I could yield several hundred if not a thousand bags of excess branches and leaves.

When I was a child, I thought the world was infinite. The earth would always give up her gifts to me if I wanted. I watched my father garden and was in awe every harvest. We had so many tomatoes, squash, greens, okra, and eggplants. We had so much from such a small piece of land, less than 1/4 of an acre. I hadn’t yet noticed how this compared to others devastated by famine and wars.

When I grew older and became aware of global suffering, I had the sense of putting my hand in front of a tidal wave to stop it. What could I do? Absolutely nothing but be overwhelmed and drowned by the momentum of the rushing waves. If I survived the waves, I would be crushed by everything that they carried away.

I discovered that because we are a greedy people, our mouths open like baby birds wanting to be fed, taking and seldom giving, we are destroying and depleting the earth. When we see others in need with their hands out, we turn away. We don’t want the ugly picture of suffering to put the taste of bile in our mouths, thus embittering our oasis.

We exist on an oasis. It may not always feel that way. We have our own homeless, our own crime, and our own areas of famine. Overall, however, we exist on an oasis, and in the majority of the world, people have to struggle to obtain their next meal.

It causes me sadness. What can I do? How can I change the world?

As I raked up branches and leaves and filled bags, I thought about this. What could one person do? What can I do?

One person can foster a sense of gratitude that we won the lottery of life. We eat and live in relative peace compared to many other parts of the world. An individual can start making changes that will add to others’ efforts to create a wave that could begin to form from unified efforts, such as choosing what we purchase, how we eat, what we eat. Choosing to rein in some of our desires.

In America, we consume most of the world’s resources but yet only comprise a small fraction of the population. One person can make a difference and influence others.

I’ve chosen to consume less. I do need to drive from place to place, but sometimes I choose to walk and ride my bicycle. Maybe we can choose work that is closer to home. Maybe we can choose to carpool. If we can’t make that choice, maybe we can choose to grow some of our own food, thus placing a smaller demand on the supply. Maybe I can choose to plant drought-friendly plants, using less water. Maybe I can choose to be aware and do what I can, whatever that is, to help make the world a better place.

After admiring how lovely I made my mother’s trees, I tied up twelve bags of branches and leaves, put them in the garage for trash day, and realized that by composting I could take that refuse and make from it something beautiful. In a small way, my garden could contribute to making the world a better place and I could make the earth groan less under the pressure we’ve placed on her.

Lisa Trimarchi

A Shout Out to I. E. Fashion

Talking Chic
A Shout Out to I. E. Fashion

I live in Rancho Cucamonga, California, a city revolving around commerce, raised trucks, and some of the best hot wings around (Buffalo Wild Wings, people). About 20 minutes from Pomona, where I grew up and lived for the majority of my life, and just over an hour east of the heart of Los Angeles, lies Rancho, one of the more uppity cities of the Inland Empire, you might say.

And whether in the beautifully diverse neighborhood of P-town or amidst the elderly dog walkers at my Rancho condo complex, I am finally overcoming my usual complaint: How does a fashionista truly exist when she’s surrounded by more drive-thrus and liquor stores than the preferred boutiques of Beverly Hills?

Well, considering most stylish beings are guided by an irrevocable light of creativity and hope, the end is never close. This said, I believe that I. E. gets too much of a bad rap when it comes to fashion, quite honestly. I am over the chunky-streaked hair, big Rocket Dog flip flops, and a “wife-beater” tank all wrapped into one played-out ensemble, yes . But I’m gonna go ahead and give a woo woo to some of my favorite local outlets, such as Target, Bebe, Macy’s, Off Saks, Forever 21, and Urban Outfitters. Yes, they do actually exist here, offering me options galore.

These shops give me the affordable styles, color, and designer touches that help me regain my strength and peace after a long day behind the computer. The confidence I need when I’ve gained five pounds. The rewards I need when I’ve lost five pounds. And most importantly, the luxury of quality without having to leave the I. E.

Because when it comes down to it, I don’t want to feel that the only place to find pieces worthy enough to update my wardrobe is the city of Los Angeles. Sure, if I could scour through the musty shops on Melrose or grab a bite to eat at the Farmer’s Market before hitting the Grove off 3 rd and Fairfax without having to spend my entire week’s lunch money on a single day of gas, I’d be all over it.

Not only do I pride myself as a sassy lady, but a smart fashionista as well. Don’t get me wrong, when I am craving a drive out west in dire need of a little R&R shopping, I make a date with my sister (and now my little niece) for a shopping excursion, making our trip to the City of Angels well worth the ride.

But until the day that I have a driver waiting for me outside eager to take me into the majestic land of lush boutiques and swanky eateries, you will find me striding into “Tar-jay” after work. I may be tired from running around the office in heels all day, and hungry because I’m back on the low-carb lifestyle, but I will be in heaven. This is because as I sift through the new Mossimo and Isaac Mizrahimarkdowns on display, I know I am just up the street from my day job and down the street from my home.

Aaaaaaahhhh… the peace from avoiding the 10 Freeway and the 101…!

Elana Pruitt (www.talkingchic.com)