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A short recap of my writing (& other) life published April 2008 for friends, subscribers and clients.
"You have to live Plan A, on any level. Make it a lowercase 'a' if you have to, but live your Plan A. Anything else belittles the importance of life.”
(Vin Diesel)
Our Country...
... I'm excited about the upcoming historic election. Unless something goes seriously awry, we'll have our first something this election. I love that I'm living in a time when we will elect either a woman or a black man as president of the U.S., this country that purports to be on the forefront of democracy, and holds itself up as the model for the rest of the world in terms of social/cultural equality... which until now hasn't managed to get equal wages for women or equal opportunity for 'minorities' across the board.
Maybe we're there...!!
As for the world itself, I'm still worried. Food shortages, the high cost of oil (in all aspects - economically, ecologically, environmentally), the on-going occupation of Iraq, human rights abuses that continue unabated in various places around the world, the genocide in countries in Africa... the list goes on.
However, I am heartened. We also have good things: My current favorite person in the world is Richard Branson, and his new group of Elders. If this man and others like him continue their work, the world has a chance.
Current Publications:
Still have historical/travel articles on Lifeinitaly.com, a great site run by Paolo Nascimbeni. My articles are here,
here and here.
Published!
A Dream that Keeps Returning: Travels in the Italian Sun
The series of essays I wrote about Italy last summer is now available! See the cover here, and order a copy at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com.
My young adult novel One Eyed Jack is still being shopped around. New agent, and he continues to believe in the series Adventures with Jack as much as I do: The titles in order: One Eyed Jack, Texas Jack and Mountain Jack.
Two screenplays in Scriptapalooza contest as of April, 2008. Wish me luck!
International Travel:
2005 Turkey and Italy
2006 Italy and Germany toward the bottom of the newsletter.
2007 - No international travel in 2007! This was frustrating but will be remedied this year. From October 10 - October 19, 2008 I will be running Scrivere in Italia!, a writing retreat/workshop in Bolsena, Italy. For more information on that venture, check out my partner/friend's website and our information at www.lifeinitaly.com, specifically here.
To see my travel journal from 2006 when I spent five weeks alone in Italy, then traveled to Germany with Robin Broyles for ten days, check out my previous newsletter. To see this trip check out: either PowerPoint or PDF file.
Domestic Travel:
Well, one good reason for a trip was...
I finally got married... !
A few wedding photos
Where did we go?
Robin and I went to San Francisco for a five day honeymoon, and had a wonderful time. We stayed at the truly lovely Omni Hotel and spent our days walking the city. We went to Chinatown (three blocks away) and ate dim sum at an amazing restaurant where they spoke no English and served incredible food. We went to the Botanical Gardens, the Museum of Modern Art, we rode the cable cars all over the city, we walked from Levi Square to the base of Coit Tower - up the steep, twisty wooden staircase up the side of the huge hill, where the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill sat on the wires above our heads and called down to us.
We discovered the London Wine Bar, theoretically the first wine bar in not only San Francisco but the U.S. - a hidden, almost basement venue with leather and dark wood, and a huge wine selection.
We had beer (yes, I tried it) at Jack's, where they proudly serve more than 80 types of beer. We hung out at Ghirardelli Square and had wine and appetizers overlooking the bay. We ate at what we both consider to be the best restaurant we've ever eaten in, Ana Mandara, right on the bay near the old Maritime Museum. And it really does look like that!
And we met Vladimir Vitkovsky and his wife. Vladimir is an amazing artist from Russia, and we enjoyed drinking and talking with him and his wife in his studio overlooking the streets of San Fran.
I'm working on a documentary on him and his work and it should be done this summer.
Overall, a fabulous trip.
And since the summer of 2007 Robin and I have visited Phoenix a couple of times, and to our house at Conchas Lake at least twice a month.
Summer travel plans for 2008?
The Pacific Northwest of the USA, some more trips to Phoenix and Conchas Lake, and possibly a trip to Mexico with the boys.
Previous trips:
Again, check out Italy and Germany from 2006, and to read about my trip to Turkey and Italy in 2005, check out my account here, and these pages: carpets, essay, and pictures.
Earlier trips have taken me to England & Scotland (1998) with my friend Nancy, to China (1999), and Ireland (2000). The year 2000 was also my first trip to Italy, and when I fell in love with Rome.
Politics and School:
I start a PhD program in August, 2008! I will be studying the media relations between the U.S. and the Middle East, particularly Iraq and Iran. My focus will be on how various images and language are used to shape our perceptions of the people and culture in the Middle East, and how this leads directly and inevitably to situations such as the current one. A short synopsis of my latest book project on this subject can be seen here.
I am STILL in the funding stages of a documentary involving the tragic looting of Iraq's antiquities. For more information on this specific project, email me. For a sneak peek at the subject, check out this article.
Projects:
I'm still working with Michael Hauge on screenplays, a number of them in the works.
I finished The Carpet Seller, a movie set in Turkey. My newest movie projects are about the Vaults in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Baghdad, Iraq.
For a more complete list of my current projects, check out Page 14 Productions.
Teaching:
I'm teaching my Magazine Writing Classes occasionally in both three-hour seminars and six week classes.
My screenwriting workshops will be starting again soon. A schedule will be posted.
I am teaching at the University of Phoenix in the Humanities Department: Writing for College Students, Creative Writing, Film Studies, Mythology, Art History, English Lit, and more.
Friends:
My friends and loved ones are accomplishing amazing things. For links to their lives and work, check out friends.
Animals:
Sebastian (my half Corgi/half ?) is happy and healthy. We had a scare last year and after minor surgery - well, not sure he'd think it was minor, I finally had him neutered - he was back to his happy self. He's doing fine, though getting older.
Emma, (also half Corgi/half ?) is great. Sebastian and Emma can be found here. And Nikki, a Golden Retriever, finishes up the pack.
Health & Fitness:
Robin and I started swing dancing! We love it.
We still belong to the gym and are going as often as we can.
Our summer exercise plans include hiking, biking, the gym, boating, and - for me - Middle Eastern belly dance.
Links:
I'd like to link to anyone who's interested - writer, editor, resource.
Please feel free to send me an Email me with your web address. Include a graphic if you'd like me to use that as your link.
And finally...
Please offer suggestions for this site or ideas for articles that may come up in your area. Give me an excuse to travel!
Until next time...
Ciao!
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