Well-being improves across young adulthood and into midlife, according to a new study by Susan Charles, professor of psychological science at the University of California, Irvine.
“Contrary to negative stereotypes of aging, late life is a time of relatively stable and high levels of well-being,” says Charles. “With older age, people focus more on the present and less on planning for the future, and this mindset is one possible explanation for high levels of well-being later in life. Older adults generally report greater satisfaction with their close friends and family members, which may also explain why people who are older have relatively stable levels of well-being over time.”
Charles and her research team followed 1,000 people, ages 22 to 95, over two decades for the study, which was published earlier this year in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. They asked participants about the positive and negative emotions they were feeling that day, in the past week and in the past month.
You can read more details here. Professor Charles is enthused to discuss her team’s findings.
Susan Charles is Professor of Psychological Science and Professor of Nursing Science, and Associate Dean of Academic Programs in the School of Social Ecology at the University of California-Irvine. Her research examines social and emotional processes across the adult life span. She is interested in how affective experience varies across the life course, and how they are related to cognitive physical and mental health. Her work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health for over 20 years. She is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the Association for Psychological Science.
ERASING THE FINISH LINE: The New Blueprint for Success Beyond Grades and College Admissions, author, academic advisor, and educator, Ana Homayoun addresses issues that are critical and timely for parents, teens, educators, and anyone who cares about our kids today. With mental health issues on the rise, college pressure, new technology like ChatGPT, social media, and the fear of what's to come in the future, Ana re-envisions what skills young people really need to thrive in school, and more importantly, in life.
“Ana Homayoun fearlessly questions the prevailing mindset that a good life is simply a linear path from good grades to a good school and ultimately a good job…Erasing the Finish Line will resonate deeply with caring adults who believe that young people deserve the opportunity to self-define success and chart their own authentic path.”*
Discussion Points with Ana Homayoun:
College admissions has become a faulty finish line for adolescent development; it is not only misleading but is harming the wellbeing of children and parents.
Our world is fast-changing and rife with uncertainty; students are dealing with the effects of COVID (emotionally, socially, academically) and facing a new technological world (i.e. ChatGPT), requiring increased creativity, innovation, connection, and leadership.
Parents can nurture their children’s growth and model the skills that will help them succeed. By focusing on daily habits - like organizing, prioritizing and planning, starting and completing tasks, and being adaptable when something doesn't go as planned - you can model and work with your tween/teen to further develop these skills.
People are so obsessed with high test scores and college admissions that we are missing developing critical and crucial skills that are key for lifelong success. Our laser focus on these achievements leaves students feeling anxious, demoralized and unprepared.
By focusing on skills - like executive functioning skills
Connection is another critical skill that is one of the most important for our future success. But without realizing it, we often approach connections transactionally, rather than with authenticity. We then miss out on meaningful, mutually supportive relationships that have the potential to enrich our lives.
In ERASING THE FINISH LINE: The New Blueprint for Success Beyond Grades and College Admissions (Hachette Go; 8/29/23; $29; ISBN: 9780306830693), renowned teen and early career development expert, author and educator Ana Homayoun offers a groundbreaking new way of thinking about education for parents, teachers, administrators and policymakers deeply invested in the emotional development and well-being of children today.
For decades, we have been collectively brainwashed into believing that getting into a “good” college is an all-encompassing key to a successful life. Year after year, this frenzy causes students and their families to be overtaken by the rollercoaster ride of the college admissions process which leaves students feeling anxious, demoralized and unprepared.
What if we’ve overlooked the critical skills young adults need to navigate an ever-changing world? What fundamental skills help young people adapt, persevere, and thrive?
Focusing on foundational executive functioning skills that empower kids to develop their own blueprints for success, ERASING THE FINISH LINE flips the way we think about education altogether. In her accessible and solutions-oriented guide, Homayoun shares stories of her former and current students to shift our perspective beyond pre-prescribed paths and expand our vision to help each young person thrive in school and life.
Readers will discover how to:
Understand the importance of prioritizing foundational skills
Develop a system based on executive functioning skills
Build valuable social capital while fostering genuine connections
Identify their energy profile and how to recharge
Expand perspective through shared experiences and exposure
Remain adaptable in the face of disappointments and setbacks
Ana Homayoun is an academic advisor and early career development expert working at the intersection of executive functioning skills, technology and personal energy management. She is the founder of San Francisco Bay area based Green Ivy Educational Consulting and the author of three previous books: That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week, The Myth of the Perfect Girl and Social Media Wellness. She lives in San Francisco. To learn more about her work, please visit www.anahomayoun.com.
“In this timely and important book, Ana Homayoun gives students and families the blueprint they need to launch into a fulfilling life and engaging career.
— Jeffrey Selingo, New York Times bestselling author of Who Gets In and Why and There Is Life After College
“Erasing the Finish Line is the book I will recommend over and over in the coming years, a gift to parents, educators, and adolescents confused by the conflicting demands of achievement and fulfillment.”
— Jessica Lahey, New York Times bestselling author of the The Gift of Failure and The Addiction Inoculation
"Ana Homayoun has given parents a blueprint for guiding all kids — not just the most advantaged -- in the “how,” not the “what”, of authentic, lifelong success… …This book will come as a relief for every parent who wants to help strengthen the bones of the building, not just its facade."
— Rachel Simmons, author of Odd Girl Out and Enough As She Is
“Eye-opening and compelling, this book has the answers that parents and educators need right now. ”
— Jordan Shapiro, author of Father Figure and The New Childhood
“…This book is practical, extraordinarily empathetic, and a breath of fresh air, and it's just what the doctor ordered for anxious parents and anxious teens alike.”
— Anya Kamenetz, author of The Stolen Year and The Art of Screen Time
“In her thought-provoking book, Ana Homayoun fearlessly questions the prevailing mindset that a good life is simply a linear path from good grades to a good school and ultimately a good job…Erasing the Finish Line will resonate deeply with caring adults who believe that young people deserve the opportunity to self-define success and chart their own authentic path.”
— Kyle Schwartz, author of I Wish My Teacher Knew and I Wish for Change*
“This book offers smart, practical advice that will help every parent reset household expectations for what success really means.”
— Gregg Behr, co-author, When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids
In the mid 1980s, Canada's worst public health disaster was unfolding. Catastrophic mismanagement of the country's blood supply allowed contaminated blood to be knowingly distributed nationwide, infecting close to two thousand Canadians with HIV. Among them was Melanie Brooks's surgeon father who, after receiving a blood transfusion during open-heart surgery in 1985, learned he was HIV positive.
At a time when HIV/AIDS was widely misunderstood and public perception was shaped by fear, prejudice, and homophobia, victims of the disease faced ostracism and persecution. Afraid of this stigma and wanting to protect his family, Melanie's father decided his illness would be a secret. A secret they'd all have to keep. They did not know that her father would live past that first year, but he did. And for ten years before his death in 1995, from the time she was thirteen until she was twenty-three, Melanie's family lived in the shadow of AIDS. She carried the weight of the uncertain trajectory of her father’s health and the heartbreaking anticipation of impending loss silently and alone. It became a way of life.
A Hard Silence is an intimate glimpse into Melanie's memories of coping with the tragedy of her father's illness and enduring the loneliness and isolation of not being able to speak. With candor and vulnerability, Melanie opens her grief wounds and brings her reader inside her journey, twenty years after her father died, to finally understand the consequences of her family's silence, to interrogate the roots of stigma and discrimination responsible for the ongoing secret-keeping, and to show how she's learned to be authentic now. Endorsements:
“Melanie Brooks is that rare writer who can delve as deeply into the world of ideas as she can the pitted terrain of the human heart. She brings these formidable gifts to her moving and important memoir, A Hard Silence, the tale of her doctor father who in 1985 was infected with the AIDS virus during a blood transfusion. But this is not simply the story of a daughter’s premature loss of her beloved father, for this was AIDS during the 1980’s, a time when the disease was shrouded in a dark mystery that brought out fear and bigotry, homophobia and the ultimate persecution of this ravaging disease’s victims, including Brooks’s surgeon father who up until his death ten years after his diagnosis kept his condition a secret, one his family had to keep as well. I cannot think of a writer more naturally suited to tell this timely and essential story, not just of her own personal grief, but of society’s fearful response to calamity and all that that entails.”—André Dubus III, author of Gone So Long and Townie
"At the heart of this brilliantly written memoir is the family secret that Melanie Brooks kept for ten years, from the time she was thirteen until the death of her father in 1995 from AIDS. She describes the isolation affecting her family as they kept this secret, the impossibility of sharing fear and grief during a time very like our own, a time of deep division and rampant prejudice. Written after twenty years of struggle and reflection, Melanie Brooks's ability to share with great clarity A Hard Silence, fills me with a sense of urgency, gratitude, and awe."—Abigail Thomas, author of Still Life: The Next Interesting Thing and A Three Dog Life
"Melanie Brooks's tender narrative of living with the secret of her father’s AIDS diagnosis during the epidemic’s era of shame and stigma echoes loudly today. This beautifully rendered memoir asks important questions about the complexities of loss and grief, the roots of stigma and shame, and the courage necessary to endure that resonate in this new and unfortunate age of social exclusion.”—Richard Blanco, author of The Prince of los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood
"A vivid and thoughtful exploration of a daughter’s grief for her father, and a family’s unwanted place in history, A HARD SILENCE movingly depicts the long toll of stigma and the healing power of words."—Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, author of The Fact of a Body: A Murder & A Memoir
“A profound and riveting journey through shame and grief, A Hard Silence is, quite simply, unforgettable.”—Monica Wood, author of The One-in-a-Million Boy, When We Were the Kennedys, Ernie’s Ark, and Any Bitter Thing. ""The strength required of Brooks to endure the cruel fate of her father’s illness could have been surpassed only by what she summoned to write this superb, heartfelt memoir. With mesmerizingly beautiful prose, A Hard Silence is a case study in grief and survival, of the power of family bonds, of the ways in which we are both sustained and failed by our faiths and each other. I could not put it down."—Jerald Walker, author of Street Shadows and The World in Flames
Author Bio:
Melanie Brooks is the author of Writing Hard Stories: Celebrated Memoirists Who Shaped Art from Trauma (Beacon Press, 2017). She teaches professional writing at Northeastern University and narrative medicine in the MFA program at Bay Path University in Massachusetts and creative writing at Nashua Community College in New Hampshire. She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast writing program. She is currently completing a Certificate of Narrative Medicine at Columbia University. She has had numerous interviews and essays on topics ranging from loss and grief to parenting and aging published in Psychology Today, the HuffPost, Yankee Magazine, the Washington Post, Ms. Magazine, Creative Nonfiction, and other notable publications. Her forthcoming memoir, A Hard Silence (September 2023), explores the lasting impact of living with the 10-year secret of her father’s HIV before his death in 1995. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, two children (when they are home from college), and two labs.
“Bryan Robinson is the seminal voice in work addiction recovery. I have greatly benefited from his guidance, experience, knowledge and wisdom on the topic of healing from what I consider to be the quietest and most insidious (and often praised) addiction in today’s times.”
—Alanis Morissette, singer/songwriter
A step-by-step guide to reestablishing work-life balance
Americans love a hard worker. The employee who toils eighteen-hour days and eats meals on the run between appointments is usually viewed with a combination of respect and awe. But for many, this lifestyle leads to family problems, a decline in work productivity, and, ultimately, physical and mental burnout. Intended for anyone touched by what Robinson calls “the best-dressed problem of the twenty-first century,” Chained to the Desk in a Hybrid World provides an inside look at the impact of work stress on those who live and work with workaholics—partners, spouses, children, and colleagues—as well as the appropriate techniques for clinicians who treat them.
This groundbreaking book builds on the research included in three previous editions of Chained to the Desk from the best-selling author and widely respected family therapist Bryan E. Robinson. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of working from home, Robinson finds that the agonies of work stress have only become more challenging. Recent years have seen an unprecedented shift to remote work, which has made it significantly harder to maintain the already delicate work-life balance, weakened as it is by smartphones and other technology. The result is that many workaholics are more stressed and burnt out than ever before in their work, despite being constantly in the presence of family. Chained to the Desk in a Hybrid World both counsels and consoles. It provides a step-by-step guide to help readers spot, understand, and ultimately recover from workaholism.
August 1st… FANTASTIC HUMANS features guests from all walks of life whose passion is contagious and awe-inspiring.
Creator and host Andrea Westmeyer will premiere her immersive talk show on Saturday, August 26th @ 5:30pm, at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood, and has sponsored a fundraiser for The Rhythmic Arts Project (TRAP), a charity founded by her guest and musician Eddie Tuduri.
Tuduri is a prolific drummer who has worked with many of the world’s greatest entertainers, both touring and in countless studio recordings. His tenure includes the Beach Boys, Dobie Gray, Del Shannon, Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band, Dr. John, The Five Man Electric Band, Wha-Koo, Marianne Faithful, Martha Reeves, John Stewart, Steve Perry, Kenny Neal, Tata Vega, Ronnie Laws, Englebert Humperdinck, Dwight Yoakum, Johnny Rivers, Freddy Fender and Charlie Rich, Michael McDonald, and Jimmy Messina.
In 1997, a catastrophic surfing accident left him a quadriplegic, with medical experts saying he would be wheelchair-bound and never walk or play music again. He proved them wrong, making a miraculous recovery, and went on to develop his innovative educational curriculum, TRAP. The program is designed for individuals with intellectual differences, teaching them life-enhancing skills, and is currently available in 20 countries worldwide.
The evening will begin with a screening of Eddie’s episode “Rubbing Shoulders with Angels,” which takes us on a fantastic but humble human's unprecedented journey. A Q&A with Westmeyer & Tuduri, moderated by Fantastic Humans’ producer Sean Michael Beyer will be immediately after, and a special performance from a TRAP alumnus and some of the fantastic professional musicians who support Eddie’s program. A cocktail reception will follow.
In his latest solo comedy show “Unassisted Living,” now airing on Tubi, Fritz Coleman reminds audiences why he’s been welcome in people’s homes for nearly four decades, whether as a legendary Los Angeles weatherman or as a tireless comic always developing new material for his act. “This one is about getting older,” says Coleman, “and, as always, it’s just the truth of my life lately.”
As a young-ish 70-something who has dealt with aging in the time of Obamacare, big pharma and the pandemic, Coleman was actually eager to get back to a “regular” comedy routine after two years of pandemic-era entertainment. He continued to co-host the Media Path Podcast with Louise Palanker, trading observations on pop culture with a variety of guests from Pat Boone to Henry Winkler to Congressman Adam Schiff, but was eager to get back to performing comedy in front of an audience, even as nightclubs were still closed.
Fortunately, his age and peer demographic started working for him.
"Most baby boomers don't really go to comedy clubs anymore, but I started to get invited to speak at a lot of lunches and dinners as Covid wound down. That gave me a chance to really work on some material in front of good audiences, so it’s been almost two years’ worth of developing this show.”
Coleman and his production team on “Unassisted Living” also took advantage of a Covid-era bingeing – in this case, the acclaimed HBO series “Hacks” – for inspiration. Delighted by the episode where Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) “revives” her tired act in a small nightclub, they sought out the same venue (“The Marilyn Monroe Forum” room at the El Portal Theatre) as a location. “It was a great cabaret-style setting, about 80 people, and we staged it the same way, lit it the same way, because it was perfect for the act.”
In an hour-long routine about dealing with aging in the era of social distancing and social media, Coleman delights in serving his loyal demographic in their current frame of mind. It’s the same generation of comedy fans who grew up with the hilarious extended riffs of George Carlin, Robert Klein, and Richard Pryor – but Coleman delivers with a gentler touch developed over years of working on local television news. “Because of the way it was when I was on TV in the 70s and 80s, I’ve always worked very clean,” says Coleman. “You had to have a squeaky clean act to get on ‘The Tonight Show.’ That’s perfect for my audience because they don’t want to be assaulted by comedy, or feel uncomfortable with it.”
Still delighting his fans and sharing his stories after over forty years, Fritz Coleman proves all over again how he'll be getting by - somehow - just fine.
Fritz Coleman will be doing a series of dates at the El Portal Theatre called “Unassisted Residency” based on his currently airing Tubi special “Unassisted Living." The show will feature new material and a special guest for each show.
Lisa Cornwell never shied away from standing up to bullies.
As a freshman in college, she saw a man punch a woman in the face while a paralyzed crowd stood by and watched. Seconds later, she took matters into her own hands—with a 3-iron from her golf bag.
This impulse crystallized years later when Cornwell publicly spoke out against the misogynistic culture she and others experienced at the hands of their employer, Golf Channel/NBCUniversal. Throughout her time at the network, she challenged the toxic environment and was quickly branded a “troublemaker"—a label that often accompanies women who refuse to play by an antiquated set of rules.
In this authentic and unreserved memoir, Cornwell takes readers inside the boys’ club of sports media and reveals how powerful corporations cover up wrongdoings. For her, what began with retaliation exploded into a public smear campaign and, ultimately, her dismissal. She also shares the unlikely yet formative touchstones of her life: a close friendship with Tiger Woods when both were nationally ranked junior golfers; her cousin, Bill Clinton, being elected President of the United States; and the private demons she battled as a young adult that almost cost her everything.
Candid and compulsively readable, Troublemaker serves as a reminder of the ability we possess to stand up to a Goliath...and the virtue in finding one’s own path.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa Cornwell spent seven years as an on-air host and reporter for Golf Channel, establishing herself as a respected voice in the game. Prior to Golf Channel, she worked in similar roles for the Big Ten Network as well as local affiliates in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Ohio. Lisa is a four-time Arkansas Women’s State Golf champion, a two-time AJGA first-team All-American, a two-time All-State basketball player, and in 1992 was named the Arkansas Female Athlete of the Year. She was recently inducted into the Arkansas Golf and Arkansas Sports Halls of Fame.
Tucker Booth is a professional singer, guitarist, actor, and writer who lives and works in Redondo Beach, California. Since 2010, he has hosted his own internet radio show and podcast, Rappers Don’t Golf, interviewing distinguished figures in the fields of entertainment and sports journalism. His first book, Quick Trip, was released in 2023.
Toll shares the story of her journey to becoming what Forbes called “a real-life Professor Sprout from Harry Potter” and founder of the Herbiary stores. From her early years as a seeker yearning for a life filled with magic, to her apprenticeship in Ireland with an acclaimed herbalist and healer, Toll’s colorful account reveals how her relentless search for magic led her to live the life of her dreams.
About Letting Magic In
From Maia Toll, the best-selling author of the Wild Wisdom series and The Night School, comes the enchanted story of her own magical awakening, a journey from Brooklyn to Ireland that will inspire readers to uncover their own inner magic.
What is the word for craving a relationship with the earth, plants, rocks, and stars? What do you call someone who finds their spirit sparked by these relationships; whose concept of the sacred is altered by the scent of jasmine in bloom or the deep indigo of a sky awaiting nightfall? We’re taught that doctors know our bodies and priests know our souls. But what if you’re a person seeking to understand both for yourself without an intermediary? What is the word for these feelings and the person we become when we honor them?
For writer Maia Toll, that word is magic. Magic points to something intrinsic to, and necessary for, the wholeness of the human spirit. It’s a marker for the gnawing craving for a connection which includes, but also stretches beyond, the human realm. The exploration of this word was part of her search for both personal empowerment and a sense of cosmic connectedness, the yin and yang of our lives. In Letting Magic In Maia shares the story of her own magical becoming—from the untimely death of a friend that leads her to abandon Brooklyn in favor of the small town of Beacon, NY, to taking a yearlong sabbatical of exploration, and finally to Ireland, where she studied under an herbalist and learned the true magic of listening to the earth itself.
This book is the story of one woman’s becoming—the story of pushing past the boundaries of what once seemed possible to discover the extraordinary all around us. In it Maia shares how she learned to let magic in so she could live the life she longed for—one filled with curiosity, connection, and the deepest kind of inner knowing. In this soulfully written recollection—peppered throughout with magical learnings and rituals gathered along the way—Maia uncovers the things that change you in unexpected ways and guide you to become the person you never knew you wanted to be, but perhaps, always were.
This she could call magic.
And through Letting Magic In you will gain the courage and the wisdom to find your own.
About Maia Toll
Maia Toll is the author of The Wild Wisdom series, including The Illustrated Herbiary, and The Night School. Toll apprenticed with a traditional healer in Ireland, spending extensive time studying the growing cycles of plants, the alchemy of medicine making, and the psycho-spiritual aspects of healing—and studied at The University of Michigan and New York University. She is the co-owner of the retail store Herbiary, with locations in Asheville, NC and Philadelphia, PA. You can find her online at maiatoll.com.
After nearly thirty feature films as a director, and another several dozen credits as a stunt performer and coordinator on major Hollywood blockbusters, filmmaker JESSE V. JOHNSON Is wrapping up work on no fewer than three action features to be released in 2023. With the western-influence crime drama “One Ranger” (with Thomas Jane and John Malkovich), the period action adventure “Boudica” (with Olga Kurylenko, “Quantum of Solace”), and the CIA spy thriller “Chief of Station” (starring Kurylenko and Aaron Eckhart), Johnson continues to bring new life, energy, and imagination to the world of action-oriented filmmaking.
Growing up the Winchester, UK, Johnson was raised far from the trappings of show business, but fell in love with the cinematic art form through watching great westerns and other classics that gave him a unique sense of the storytelling possibilities of the American west. “My heroes are John Ford, Sam Peckinpah, Anthony Mann, Budd Boeticher,” he says. “Their films often reflected characters pushed to the very limits of their endurance, they were universal themes and timeless.”
That can certainly be seen in Johnson’s first release this year, “One Ranger,” which features Thomas Jane as a modern-day Texas Ranger who is recruited by British intelligence to help stop a potential terrorist attack on the UK. The dogged, relentless pursuit for justice gives hero Ranger Alex Tyree a strong moral compass that compliments his extraordinary skills as a tracker.
Johnson is also excited about his foray into period adventure with “Boudica,” the legendary story of a Celtic warrior queen who leads her people against an invading Roman army. It’s one of two projects with Olga Kurlyenko in the lead, along with “Chief of Station” which will pair her opposite Aaron Eckhart and Alex Pettyfer (“The Last Witness,” “The Butler”).
From his stunt coordination on MCU films, working with the likes of Tim Burton and Steven Spielberg, and creating dynamic and intense international action fare, Jesse V. Johnson is a testament to the value of passion, hard work, and the ability to create stories that fulfill our need for great cinematic action.
Farewelling is a wildly creative psychological thriller made out of the deep frustrations the creators were feeling from the pandemic. The Director particularly wanted to focus on the challenges women specifically went through during the pandemic, and through the female lens. There were so many mental health challenges women faced, but yet due to prioritizing everyone else’s well being above their own, they neglected their own mental health.
Logline of film: In the midst of the pandemic and aftermath of her best friend’s overdose, Jenna finds herself in crisis as she reunites with those still around her. Questions of her own ethics and morals surface as she grapples with the “why” of everything, eventually discovering what it takes to truly break us.
Director/ Writer/Producer Rodes Phire. Executive Producer by Ty Gordon. “Jenna” is played by Cristen Coppen (Shameless).
Told through individual stories with families, and grief experts, the documentary explores how we can normalize grief in our society and actively help others to process the pain of losing a loved one. Actor-author Anthony Rapp (Broadway’s RENT, StarTrek: Discovery), author and grief expert David Kessler (Finding Meaning, ABC Good Morning America contributor) and actor John Farley ( the brother of late comedian Chris Farley), will attend the world premiere on Sun July 2 @ 12:15 PM to share their experiences dealing with grief, both personally and collectively, in a country reeling from multiple tragic events in recent years.
“Meet Me Where I Am” is directed by Grant Garry and produced by Stacy Roque, Lisa Kauls and Sharolyn Schmiederer. James Slaven, Director of Photography, worked with Garry for the duration of production, collaborating on their worldwide tour of interviews for the film, The 86 minute documentary also features a mixture of families, counselors, grief advocates and experts including Ron Marasco, Julie Shaw, Cynthia O’Neal, Donna Schuurman, Jana DeCristofaro, Lisa Kauls, Mike Reynolds, Ken Ithiphol, Alicia Forneret, Julisa Golden, and Natalie Kazarian.
Director Garry has always been curious about grief, from his first experience when his grandmother died when he was a teenager to his most recent loss, the death of his uncle. "Meet Me Where I Am" is the culmination of that curiosity, and a dedication to ensuring we all feel better equipped to talk about grief. “After being contacted by our film’s executive producer, Lisa Kauls, and hearing her story, I knew her grief and others’ grief must be witnessed. I was honored to sit down with some of the world’s most renowned grief experts as well as individuals with lived experiences. The rare opportunity this film provides is that the expert talkers also have unique experiences of grief themselves, “ says Garry.
On a recent episode of the Grief Out Loud Blog hosted by Jana DeCristofaro and produced by Dougy Center, Garry shared the impetus behind his project.
"A big theme of the film is normalizing just talking about it. And most people want to talk about it," he said.
One takeaway Garry personally internalized was that grief and gratitude can co-exist and that it's ok to talk about and find joy remembering your loved one.
"It's not like bringing it up is going to remind them that their person died -- they know and they carry it with them every day." Grant Garry is a filmmaker and actor. He is the director of the new documentary Meet Me Where I Am - Which explores the topic of grief through individual stories of loss, love, and hope.
Grant earned his degree in Theatre Arts from Loyola Marymount University. He has studied improv at The Groundlings School, acting in musical theatre with Jason Alexander, and is a Certified Grief Educator. He has a passion for singing, long-form conversations, nonfiction literature, meditation, writing, coffee, and cars.
He previously produced and acted in Black Cat, currently available on Amazon Prime. Other acting credits include NCIS: Los Angeles, Night of the Living Deb, Sweeney Todd, and Cinderella. His upcoming documentary film, Room for Cream: The Coffee Experience, will explore how humans experience coffee.
Los Angeles– June 24th, 2023 – Julia Morizawa’s compelling animated short film DRAGONFLY will screen at Dances with Films on Monday, June 26th at 4:45 PM in Hollywood as part of the Perspectives Program, Group 2.
DRAGONFLY tells the story of a young girl who learns of her mother’s survival of the Tokyo Firebombing on March 9-10, 1945 through the eyes of her brother’s spirit.
The script was awarded Best Short Screenplay by Scriptation Showcase and Screenwriting Master in 2019. It was also a semifinalist or quarterfinalist in several other competitions, including the Austin Film Festival, Slamdance, and WeScreenplay Diverse Voices.
The movie is inspired by the story of Morizawa’s maternal grandparents. While exploring her family heritage, her mother offered scant information about their life during WWII, except that they lived in Tokyo until a fire forced them back to the family farm in Komoro. It wasn’t until Julia began researching fires in Tokyo during the 1940s that she learned about the firebombing and the immensity of the attack. Like many she meets today, she had never heard of it before since it is little-known compared to other events that happened during the war. In addition to honoring the grandparents she never met, Morizawa’s intention with DRAGONFLY is to raise awareness about the event and make sure those who were lost are never forgotten.
Julia Morizawa is a writer/producer/actress whose work spans all media. Her improvised feature film, JesusCat (or How I Accidentally Joined a Cult), won Best Comedy Feature at the Asians On Film Festival in 2014 and the Movie Heroes Rising Star Award at the Action On Film Festival in 2013. She earned a Best Female Filmmaker nomination at the Action On Film Festival in 2007 for her short, Sin & Lyle. Her play Twenty-Two premiered in Los Angeles in 2010, and her audio drama American Comedy Horror Story: Orphanage, is available worldwide on most podcast apps. Her acting career highlights include Judas Kiss, Scandal, SEAL Team, Masha No Home, Without Annette, Galactic Galaxy, and Star Trek: Odyssey. She is best known for playing the titular Dr. Bright on the hit podcast The Bright Sessions for five seasons and two spin-offs.
DRAGONFLY is written, produced, and directed by Morizawa. Executive Producers are Brian Sturges, James Babbin, John Titchenal, Lucas A. Ferrara, Derek Kolterman, and Christopher Luk. Maria Marta Linero was the Animation Director, with Eva Benitez as Lead Animator. The music is composed by Aiko Fukushima and the Sound Design by Giorgia Garcia-Moreno. Morizawa, Erika Ishii, Miya Kodama, and Thomas Isao Morinaka lend their voices.
DRAGONFLY screens on Monday, June 26th, at 4:45 PM at the TCL Chinese 6, 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028. Tickets can be purchased at: https://danceswithfilms.com/dragonfly/
to the show featuring Corey Grant and Lanett Tachel
LOS ANGELES, JUNE 24, 2023 -- “Angie’s Cure,” the story of a rape victim’s disturbing road to recovery, will make its World Premiere at this year’s Dances With Films (DWF) Festival, Thursday, on Tuesday, June 27th, 9:30PM at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood.
The film tells the gripping story of Angie, a former rape victim, who uses the thug robbing her shop to take out her repressed anger. When she decides to prolong the experience by secretly keeping him a prisoner in her basement, the victim turns vigilante, and has a small window to play God. But what will be the price for the sins committed against her? Will the sweet taste of revenge turn her into the very monster she’s feared for all these years? This thrill ride will keep you on the edge of your seat, causing you to blur the lines between what’s right and what’s wrong. With ever shifting power dynamics, Angie’s cure begs the question, “How far would you go to put your trauma behind you?”
“Angie’s Cure”, a New Breed Entertainment production, is directed by Corey Grant, written by Brian Kelsey, Lanett Tachel and Grant, and produced by Audrey Kendrick, James Searles, Tachel and Grant. Tachel stars in the title role, along with Essence Atkins (The Noel Diary), Sean Nelson (A Father’s Pride), Vanessa Williams (Candyman, Days of Our Lives), Denise Boutte (The Bounce Back), and Jennifer Freeman (My Wife and Kids).
“I hope Angie’s Cure is a catalyst to spark open dialogue about dealing with trauma instead of burying it. If this movie sparks conversations that break the cycle of silence, then we’ve done our job,” says Tachel.
“It can be difficult making films that are both highly entertaining and enlightening while dealing with this subject matter. I think Angie’s Cure nailed the fine line in between,” says Grant.
Lanett Tachel is a true multi-hyphenate. She’s an Actress, Writer, and Producer from Prince George’s County Maryland, who’s driven by her love of performing, creating, and producing roles that feature layered and multi- faceted African American characters in front of and behind the camera. After landing the role of ‘Dorothy’ in “The Wizard of Oz” while in elementary, Tachel was clear on the career she wanted. After receiving her BFA from Howard University, she moved to Los Angeles and served as a consultant to the legendary Ed Weinberger (“Taxi”, “The Cosby Show”) on the series, “Belle’s”, starring Keith David and Ella Joyce. Tachel later earned a role on the show and learned the valuable lesson of creating her own work. Following the series, she went on to produce an award winning short, “Sister Sister Sister” followed by a series of narrative driven videos for a Universal Recording Artist.
Tachel then joined forces with Grant under their company ‘New Breed Entertainment’ and went on to co-write and Produce the Suspense/Thriller Feature-“Illicit” which released theatrically and on streaming platforms. She co-created/wrote/produced the comedic single cam series, “PUMP” where she also stars alongside Ray J, Jennifer Freeman, Michael Jai White and more. She then served as lead producer and writer on the Fox/Mar Vista thriller, “Twisted Date”, currently #1 on the Tubi platform. But Lanett is most excited for her film “Angie’s Cure”, a psychological thriller where she serves as writer, producer, and the title character. “This film speaks to me like nothing I’ve ever been a part of.” Tachel lives by the motto, ‘Don’t Wait, Create’ and can’t wait for the world to see what she’s setting up next.
Corey Grant is a filmmaker who prides himself on quality stories that are cutting edge and original. Born in Joliet, Illinois, Corey received his BA in Communications from Norfolk State University in Virginia before attending Howard University to receive his Masters in Film. After graduation, Corey moved to Hollywood and Produced/Wrote/Directed “Dysfunctional Friends”, starring an ensemble cast including Meagan Good, Wesley Jonathan, and Essence Atkins.
He produced/directed his follow up film, “The Lost Coast Tapes” which exposed him to the mainstream horror arena. In 2015, Grant directed and produced the theatrically released romantic comedy, “Sister Code'” starring Amber Rose, Drew Sidora, and Amin Joseph. His film “Illicit”, starring David Ramsey, Vivica A. Fox, and McKinley Freeman released theatrically and was acquired by Viacom. He Directed/Produced his latest project entitled “Twisted Date” for Fox/Mar Vista and it is currently streaming in the number one spot on the Tubi platform. Grant is excited for his current project, the psychological thriller “Angie’s Cure” to receive its WORLD PREMIERE at Dances With Films.
“Angie’s Cure” will screen on Tuesday, June 27th @ 9:30PM at the Chinese 6, 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, 90028. Tickets can be purchased at https://danceswithfilms.com/angies-cure/
Based on a true story, a sheltered little girl spends an unnerving afternoon with her estranged father and is left with only her imagination to stop time and escape impending disaster.
“Five and a Half,” an unsettling drama about a little girl on an afternoon drive with her ex-con father, will make its West Coast premiere at this year’s Dances With Films (DWF) Festival, June 22-July 2, 2023 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood.
Based on a true story, writer-director Heidi Nyburg and producer Kristin Higgins evoke a heightened sense of peril for little Abbie (Lauren Jude Rosa) as her mother Jess (Katherine Cozumel) reluctantly gives her just-paroled husband Chuck (James Hal Hardy) permission to take Abbie for an afternoon. As the two set off in a red convertible, there is an uneasiness that surfaces and increases as we see that Chuck is not a responsible parent. Little Abbie must utilize her own imagination and grit to survive this ill-fated outing.
Also featured in the short are Valerie Gould, Ratoya Banks and Chanden Jackson.
“Five and a Half” has been an official selection at a variety of film festivals, including the Easthampton Film Festival, the Toronto International Women’s Film Festival and was a finalist at the Canada Shorts Festival last year.
Writer-director Nyburg is a 2022 HUMANITAS finalist, and one of Women in Films Top 10, whose writing focuses on female-driven dramatic comedies that explore themes of motherhood, having/not having it all, and sometimes murder. Heidi has won several respected contests, been featured on The Blacklist for pilots and has two scripts in Coverfly’s Top 1%. She studied film, television, and screenwriting at San Jose State University and UCLA.
Producer Higgins is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Kristin made films in parallel with a software marketing career until switching to full-time film production in 2018, launching her production company River Place Productions. She has produced three short films: “Aye Boy,” which has won five awards in festivals, “The Boy’s Gone,” with three wins, and now “Five and a Half”. She has also produced two feature films, ClearMind and an untitled documentary which is in post-production.
“Five and a Half” will screen as part of the Fusion Shorts Block 3 on Wednesday, June 28 at 5:00 pm at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood. All tickets are $19 prior to June 22; thereafter all tickets are $22. Tickets may be purchased by clicking on the TICKET button on the website at danceswithfilms.com/five-and-a-half/.
From the earliest GT350's, rare GT500KR's to Carroll Shelby's final wish: the 1000HP GT500.
The Segerstrom Shelby Event Center is built around the love of the automobile and all the wonders that have come and gone along the road. Come in for an awesome walk among these classic beauties. The stories they tell are the stuff of legend.
The Segerstrom Shelby Event Center collections are some of the finest in the world. With street and racing Cobras, high-performance Mustangs and rows of nostalgic petroliana, there is something for everyone to ogle over. Our commitment to excellence in preservation and education shows in every detail.
Welcome to two of the most unique experiences in the world. Whether you want to wander among our amazing collection, or host a private event surrounded by the collection, you and yours are in for a unique treat. From daily visits to guided educational tours (coming soon), from casual conferences to formal dress affairs, you are in for something special whenever you drop by.
Ted and Rae Segerstrom with KUCI host Janeane Bernstein
The Segerstrom Shelby Event Center is a place of preservation, education, and celebration. The automobiles and artifacts in this collection conjure memories of a recent past filled with power. This power is unique to America and Southern California. The act of saving and preserving the specialties within these walls is near to our hearts, as is our commitment to helping those who need it most.
Carroll Shelby also wanted the best for everyone around him. He became a legend by doing what he loved with unparalleled passion. His creations breathe fire and stoke the imagination of all who yearn for that truly American goal: Freedom.
WHY WE ARE HERE
Profits from the Segerstrom Shelby Event Center go to the Shriners for Children Medical Center — Pasadena and the Carroll Shelby Foundation.
The Shriners for Children Medical Center — Pasadena provides comprehensive medical, surgical and rehabilitative care to children up to age 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burn scars, and cleft lip and palate. Medical Center patients receive all services in a family-centered environment, regardless of the families' ability to pay.
The Carroll Shelby Foundation provides medical assistance for those in need, including children, as well as educational opportunities for young people. The Foundation has continued to aid children battling deadly diseases, while expanding its reach into the classroom through the Northeast Texas Community College’s Carroll Shelby Automotive Technology Center.
COME FOR A TOUR
There is a lot to discover on any visit to the Segerstrom Shelby Event Center. Taking a guided tour will let you in on even more stories about our collections. Private tours are available for groups large and small. You are able to book a group tour during our regular public viewing hours, visit with your car club, or request a special tour.
“The book throws a lifeline to parents struggling to understand a kid who seems to have given up. If you want to help children discover and enjoy their strengths, this book is a must read.” —Lisa Damour, PhD, author of The Emotional Lives of Teenagers Bright Kids Who Couldn’t Care Less
How to Rekindle Your Child’s Motivation
by Ellen Braaten, PhD, with a foreword by Sheryl Sandberg
Advance Praise for the Book:
“A remarkable book by a remarkable woman….This book will give you hope that your child can find their way to a happy, healthy future….For anyone who cares about the next generation, this book is a gift.” —from the Foreword by Sheryl Sandberg, author of Lean In
““If you’re pulling out your hair in frustration as you watch your child not care—and not care about not caring—this book is for you. Wise, practical, savvy, and warm.”
—Edward Hallowell, MD, coauthor of ADHD 2.0
“Dr. Braaten's incredible commitment to eradicating the 'myth of lazy' shines through on every page. For our family, the book sensitively broke down issues that felt overwhelming. It provided clear, actionable steps that helped us reframe our children’s challenges and focus on their strengths and talents instead.”
—Ashley J., Coatesville, Pennsylvania
He’s so smart, but he’s no longer interested in school—or any 'offline' activities.” “She used to love sports, but now she just mopes around.” “My kid has turned into such a slacker!”
Over the course of her 25-year career, psychologist and learning expert Ellen Braaten has begun to notice a trend. More and more parents are coming to her because their kids couldn’t care less about anything. How do bright, motivated young children become such unmotivated older kids and teens—and what can parents do about it? In this warm and encouraging guide, Dr. Braaten explains that kids who have lost the will to do anything (other than play video games) need more than simple encouragement or the “right” school, teacher, or coach to get back on track. Instead, Dr. Braaten helps parents understand the myriad biological, emotional, cognitive, and social factors that affect motivation—and build a plan to boost their child’s confidence, incentive to learn, and engagement in life.
“My approach is to explore the issue of kids who couldn’t care less from many different vantage points. I start with helping you identity the problem—why is it that so many kids don’t seem to care about anything? I identify the factors that are essential to motivation and help you think about how these factors are important in your child’s development and life. You will gain a better understanding of your child’s unique qualities (and maybe your own too) and learn how your expectations might be getting in the way of motivation (and how you can readjust them if needed).” –Ellen Braaten, PhD
About Dr. Braaten
Ellen Braaten, PhD, is Executive Director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, and Visiting Professor at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. She has been affiliated with MGH and HMS since 1998. Dr. Braaten is widely recognized for her expertise in pediatric neuropsychological and psychological assessment, particularly in the areas of assessing learning disabilities and attentional disorders.
Cindy Alexander is brilliant and multifaceted, like a prism in sunlight. She’s a songwriter, a singer, a storyteller. She’s a mother of twins and a daughter of mother nature. Fans of her music know she’s beautifully messy and heaven-sent. This award-winning singer-songwriter has a cult following and an independent streak. Affectionately called “Pnut” by her fans, Alexander has a voice that defies her petite stature. In one moment, she hits rich and earthy lows; in the next, she adds the trill of a coloratura soprano. But technical prowess is hardly the headline: Alexander shares her entire being through music. “In art, we have to be vulnerable. Art is an open heart and a naked soul,” she attests.
Fans recognize Alexander’s charismatic vulnerability from the stage. She forges powerful connections, reminding audiences that it’s okay to laugh, cry, or even embrace irreverent humor in the midst of a breakdown. Over time she earned an illustrious reputation as an entertainer, winning over audiences and reviewers alike across multiple continents. Alexander is also a fearless lyricist. Her songwriting traverses personal narrative while plucking at universal human themes. She interrogates spirituality, sexuality, history, and the human condition. From her breast cancer recovery journey to the loss of her mother to dementia, her lyrics lay it bare. “I can’t pretend that everything’s okay, because it’s not,” Alexander says. “But, I always see the light. My journey to find the light is almost always through music.” This Los Angeles native was born with a song on her lips and a story in her heart. Alexander’s grandmother was a music teacher who encouraged her singing from an early age. Later, she was discovered and mentored by the leader of a children’s choir, who also happened to be “voice coach the stars,” Cantor Nathan Lam. Later, Alexander received further training at the acclaimed USC School of Drama. But before long, Shakespeare’s sentiment that “all the world’s a stage” had lured her away from the theater — she realized the best part she could play was herself.
For many years, Alexander toured as an independent artist across the US, Asia, and Europe, and even the far-flung islands of Barbados and Guantanamo Bay. Alexander’s adventure always followed the fans, and her blossoming global community returned the love by crowdfunding her creative endeavors. Alexander has had the good fortune to work with a legion of talented musicians and producers throughout her career. She’s laid tracks with Grammy Award-winning engineer Ross Hogarth and co-written songs with Grammy Award–Winning songwriters Dennis Matkosky and Gary Harrison, as well as noted producer Dave Darling. Her most significant long-time collaborators are The Bacon Brothers (Michael and Kevin Bacon). “The reason I created my first CD was that I was asked to go on tour with the Bacon Brothers after opening their show at The Troubadour. At the time, I didn’t have anything to sell! Dave Darling took my scrappy demos and produced my first record, which actually sold out on that tour and blew up on Amazon,” Alexander shared. Kevin and Michael Bacon remain dear friends and touring companions. Despite her star-studded Rolodex, Alexander stayed away from big-name labels to preserve her artistic independence.
She won NBC’s Star Tomorrow competition, hosted by David Foster, but turned down the associated record deal. The move caught the attention of producer Kirk Pasich, who’d long followed Alexander’s career. Upon hearing of Alexander’s breast cancer diagnosis, Pasich extended an offer to fund her current album personally. Within the year, Pasich had cofounded Blue Élan Records and signed Cindy Alexander as its first artist. In 2021, Pasich founded KZZ Music alongside producers Zackary Darling and Zachary Ross. This new production company held unique appeal for Alexander because it would function as a launchpad, test-driving radical ideas and making connections outside the boundaries of the traditional label system. Alexander signed a production deal with KZZ in 2022, ahead of the 2023 release of her album Messy. “The title track on the album is ‘Messy,’ because life IS messy, but I embrace it. Sometimes I am gracefully in command of my chaos, and other times I trudge through kicking and screaming. But I have the experience and perspective to work it through in my creative space.
We pushed boundaries this time. I went to places I hadn’t gone in years and even explored new territory. The result is much more emotional and soulful, and the spectrum of sound and writing is much greater than my previous releases,” Alexander reveals. “I’m not in a box. I definitely jumped outside and ripped it up.” The musical palette of Messy is exceptionally enhanced by producer/bass player Paul Bushnell and an all-star studio band. “Paul is a groove monster. I met him early in my career at Genghis Cohen — this funky little club in Hollywood where I followed my hometown musical heroes through the 90s. Back then, he played with everyone, gigging three times a night,” Alexander shares. Today Paul is Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s bass player, but his touring resume also includes noted artists such as Elton John, Sarah McLachlan, and Alanis Morissette. “I feel so blessed to be connected with Paul. He’s insanely talented, super funny, and he really gets me,” Alexander says. Dave Levita (Stevie Nicks, Lana Del Rey, Morrissey) returns to Cindy’s dream team on guitar, joined by Zac Rae on keys (Death Cab for Cutie, Leonard Cohen, Ringo Starr) and Thomas Lang on drums (Peter Gabriel, Robbie Williams, Glen Hughes). “The recording process was non-judgmental and collaborative. Paul came in with a fantastic roadmap, but he let us explore and get a little crazy along the adventure.
As the engineer, Zackary Darling was the special sauce. He’s been a part of my musical journey for many years and brought so much heart to the project.” The key single on Messy has a pretty messy origin story itself. “Call Us What We Are (F***ed)” came together after the artist had a frustrating day in the studio working alongside her husband. Eventually, he stormed off to go to bed, leaving Cindy to work out her angst on her guitar. Hours later, she rejoined him in bed. He asked what she’d been doing, and she replied, “I’ve been writing a f**king hit.” Listening to the track, it’s hard to argue. It’s a pop-rock cocktail that makes you want to dance (and maybe kick something). Playful percussive electronic elements frame the verses, then the chorus transitions to a full riot rock. In terms of vocals, it’s like Lily Allen got bored of being adorable and handed the mic to Fiona Apple to tell it like it is. “I know a lot of my fans will see this as a shift away from the tone of my last few records — and I’m excited about that. They’re going to say, there she is! She’s back!” Alexander shares.
Another single on Messy is “Life #9.” It embraces an aughts-style pop-rock tone and Americana instrumentality. “This track was born out of a conversation I had with my co-writer Paul Trudeau, on how hard it is to raise teenagers today,” Alexander said. With twin girls on the cusp of adulthood, she’s experiencing this whirlwind parenting moment firsthand. But beyond the typical trials of maturation, today’s teens are coming of age against a darker backdrop, with dangers like online manipulation and bullying, Fentanyl, and sex trafficking. “The song is about someone who’s gained wisdom through their mistakes, but struggles to impart that wisdom to a generation that doesn’t want to listen,” Alexander says. After I came up with the title, I googled numerology and learned that I am, indeed, on life path number nine, so that information became significant as I continued to write for this record.” You can hear the magic when Messy is released in Summer, 2023.
Today, Cindy Alexander lives in Big Sur in her “House without Windows,” where she communes with woodland creatures and the wilderness (catch that track on her forthcoming album!). Alexander also engages in charitable efforts through music, benefiting The Kay Yow Cancer Fund, Animal Friends Rescue, and the Alzheimer’s Association. You can look forward to new music and fresh creative projects from Cindy later this year.
New Book from Skyhorse Publishing – Earth Day 2023 – April 22 by hysterical serial best-seller memoirist Eve O. Schaub "Eve’s brave and honest experiment reveals the shocking impact of the throwaway society we’ve become and at the same time showing small ways we can all do better.” —Rebecca Prince-Ruiz, founder of Plastic Free July
Year of No Garbage is Super Size Me meets the environmental movement.
In this book Eve O. Schaub, humorist and stunt memoirist extraordinaire, tackles her most difficult challenge to date: garbage. Convincing her husband and two daughters to go along with her, Schaub attempts the seemingly impossible: living in the modern world without creating any trash at all. For an entire year. And- as it turns out- during a pandemic.
In the process, Schaub learns some startling things: that modern recycling is broken, and single stream recycling is a lie. That flushable wipes aren’t flushable and compostables aren’t compostable. That plastic drives climate change, fosters racism, and is poisoning the environment and our bodies at alarming rates, as microplastics are being found everywhere, from the top of Mount Everest to the placenta of unborn babies. If you’ve ever thought twice about that plastic straw in your drink, you’re gonna want to read this book. Watch these Video Assets:
WE DON’T HAVE ANY GARBAGE - Eve O. Schaub with Steven He
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