blog no. 36: Ed Asner, New York in Song, Poet Jericho Brown



To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.


three things we love

Ed Asner

The world lost a true humanitarian and a great actor last weekend--one of my absolute favorites: Ed Asner. It turns out he was one of Michael Moore's favorites too...Read here the statement Moore released upon learning of Asner's passing.

I happen to have a great Ed Asner story of my own which highlights my chutzpah, starting at a young age: I was living in Barcelona (where I lived from 1980-1985) and saw on the news that Ed Asner was in town. Being someone I really admired, not only due to his role as Lou Grant, but also because he was a political activist and always on the "right" side of political fights, he reminded me so much of my Dad. And because I was missing my father so much and I thought they were very similar in personality, political beliefs, etc, I thought--maybe I would try and find out where he was staying and just go over there and see if I could run into him..." My first guess of hotel was correct--The Ritz--and before I had even just asked if he was a guest, they put me through to his room and the next thing I knew he was on the other end of the phone. I stumbled with words before blurting out--I am an American, living in Barcelona, and you remind me so much of my dad...I was wondering, could I take you out to breakfast (thinking if I asked for breakfast, he wouldn't thing I was trying to pick him up). The next thing I knew he said, fine, but why didn't I come to his hotel and we could have breakfast there and he would take me out..." I coudn't believe my luck--I was goig to meet one of my idols! Next morning came around, we had a great breakfast and great conversation, and then he was due for an interview on a radio show. Since I knew Barcelona, he asked if I would go with him to show him where it was. When we got there, the interpreter didn't show up and the next thing I knew, I was filling in for the missing translater! I don't think I did a good job (that is no easy profession) and I remember speaking Spanish when I was supposed to be speaking English and vice versa), but we got through it and I guess I did good enough that he asked if I was free--maybe I could accompany him around Barcelona, kind of like his guide and assistant. Well, I said SURE! and I ended up spending the next three days with him, going around to different interviews, meetings, etc. You see, the TV show Lou Grant was a big deal in Spain too and the Spanish people loved him! One of the highlights of my time was going along to the Liceu, Barcelona's Opera House and sitting in on a dress rehearsal with Placido Domingo performing. Joan Baez happened to be in town also, and becaue famous people form some kind of club, she was invited to come too. I got to meet them both and sit in on a behind the scenes rehearsal--so much fun!
One other thing I learned for sure during that time: it is not fun to be famous. Ed's son, Matt, flew into town (I think he had been in Russia) to be with his Dad, and all they wanted to do was to spend some nice time together. Asner was so flooded by people asking for his autograph all the time and being the nice guy that he was, he didn't want to say no, so he ended up being interrupted every minute and not being able to really be with his son. I realized then and there that being recognized all the time is a curse, not a pleasure...  


New York in Song

Photo courtesy Shutterstock

Photo courtesy Shutterstock

I do feel like an ostrich but I am needing a break right now from the news--just too much for my sensitive soul. As music seems to always do the trick, here is a smattering of some of my favorite songs about the city I love..To wake you up and get you out of bed this morning, the good old Ramones' and Rockaway Beach. And then let's go to the beautiful song The Only Living Boy in New York by Simon and Garfunkel. I am sure you are not surprised to see Leonard on this list too, in the Jennifer Warnes version of First We Take Manhattan and from his Songs of Love and Hate album, Famous Blue Raincoat. I haven't heard Joni Mitchell's Chelsea Morning in a long time. And of course how could I leave out the good old standards by Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra. and Duke Ellington's Take the A Train. And just to round it out with a different genre, a collaboration of Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes Empire State of Mind and a celebration of hiphop history from way back in 1987 entitled South Bronx.


Poet Jericho Brown

Jericho Brown.  Photo courtesy © Brian Cornelius

Jericho Brown. Photo courtesy © Brian Cornelius

Krista Tippett is a font of knowledge and her podcast ON BEING is my go to when I am looking for a little spiritual boost or a kick in the ass to keep going. I tuned in and found this great conversation from their archives between her and Pulitzer Prize winning poet Jericho Brown. Listen to it here.

Poetry is one of those things that most people are afraid of for some reason or another--Brown describes that when he gets on a plane, a sure way to not be bothered by others is to say right away that he is a poet...He says a lot of things too that make a lot of sense to me and I quote a few of those here: On the subject of hope: “Hope is always accompanied by the imagination . The will to see what our physical environment seems to deem impossible. Only the creative mind can make use of hope, only a creative people can yield it…”
His definition of integrity: the ability to be who you are, no matter the audience" and on writing: "you haven’t written anything until you say something you didn’t expect to say—and that is the beginning…" and "the more authentically and deeply we can speak from our particular experience, we speak to the particular experience of others….not quite logical that it should work that way..."

It is not often that poetry makes Time Magazine. Here is one poem of his that did:

FOREDAY IN THE MORNING
by Jericho Brown

My mother grew morning glories that spilled onto the
walkway toward her porch
Because she was a woman with land who showed as much
by giving it color.
She told me I could have whatever I worked for. That
means she was an American.
But she’d say it was because she believed
In God. I am ashamed of America
And confounded by God. I thank God for my citizenship in spite
Of the timer set on my life to write
These words: I love my mother. I love black women
Who plant flowers as sheepish as their sons. By the time the blooms
Unfurl themselves for a few hours of light, the women who tend them
Are already at work. Blue. I’ll never know who started the lie that we are lazy,
But I’d love to wake that bastard up
At foreday in the morning, toss him in a truck, and drive him under God
Past every bus stop in America to see all those black folk
Waiting to go work for whatever they want. A house? A boy
To keep the lawn cut? Some color in the yard? My God,
we leave things green.

Brown, a Louisiana native, is the author of The New Testament and Please

Worth a listen too also is a virtual conversation he had with Nikky Finney, his old writing teacher, an an acclaimed poet and award winner herself .



painting of the week

Gert Mathiesen, mixed media monoprint on rice paper, available in giclee print only, 70” x 44” approx. $4500.

Gert Mathiesen, mixed media monoprint on rice paper, available in giclee print only, 70” x 44” approx. $4500.

artSHOP:
Small Framed Animal Prints

on sale this week: $100 each (reduced from $150)--email pamsmilow@me.com to get discount


Please donate to the Innocence Project


Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…


About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

blog no. 35: Archie Williams, Simon & Garfunkel Live, 101 Year Old Lobsterwoman



To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.


three things we love

Archie Williams

Due to technology associated with DNA identification, the first DNA exonerations of wrongfully incarcerated men in the United States took place in 1989. Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld (of OJ Simpson trial fame) founded the Innocence Project soon after as a clinic at the Cardoza School of Law in New York City, realizing that if DNA technology could prove people guilty of crimes, it could also prove that people who had been wrongfully convicted were innocent.
I first became familiar with Archie Williams by hearing him sing in a video on youtube. Everyone has a story but this man has a whopper of one! His rendition of the song Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me by Elton John and Bernie Taupin was impressive enough on America's Got Talent, but what was more notable and tragic was the fact that he was incarcerated for 37 YEARS for a crime he did not commit. Read his story here…Simon Cowell was so taken by this man and his story that he became a Board member on the Innocence Project, who took on Archie Williams' case (among many others) and eventually got so many of them freed.  


Simon and Garfunkel Live in Central Park

In honor of the Central Park concert that wasn’t last week, I thought I would give you access to one that did take place in the same venue...albeit a number of years ago. Simon & Garfunkel performed to a crowd of 500,000+ in 1981. It was a glorious event! Listen to it and enjoy it all over again here.


101 Year Old Lobsterwoman

Ginny Oliver—she always wears her earrings and lipstick to haul

Ginny Oliver—she always wears her earrings and lipstick to haul

Click photo above to see the documentary Conversations with the Lobster Lady

Click photo above to see the documentary Conversations with the Lobster Lady

I have been hanging around and appreciating 90+ year olds lately--so much experience and wisdom after so many years on our planet. I am reminded too of John Prine's song Hello In There--also sung so beautifully by Joan Baez among others--and how often our culture ignores these wise old souls. In the midst of trying to find out if lobsters sleep and what they do in the winter, I came across this story.
At the ripe old age of 101, Virginia (Ginny) Oliver is the oldest licensed lobsterwoman in the State of Maine. She has been lobstering one way or another since she was eight years old and has worked alongside her 76 year old son Max for many years now, since the death of her husband. "I will work until the day I die," she affirms...Aside from being the subject of many news stories celebrating her and her life, thanks to Filmmaker Dale Schierholt along with Rockland, Maine's historal society's boardmember Wayne Gray, we also have a beautiful 30-minute documentary of this amazing woman entitled Conversations with the Lobster Lady. Well worth watching for a little inspiration and information on the profession."



painting of the week

Pam Smilow, Dress Series : Amate Paper with Leaves and Bird, mixed media on paper   $1500

Pam Smilow, Dress Series : Amate Paper with Leaves and Bird, mixed media on paper $1500

artSHOP: Cotton Duvet Cover or Comforter


Please donate to the Innocence Project


Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…


About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

blog no. 34: Gary Graham, Mary Oliver, Dhar Mann



To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.


three things we love

Fashion Designer Gary Graham

Clothing Designer Gary Graham

Clothing Designer Gary Graham

images-2.jpg
Clothing designed on Making the Cu, Photo courtesy of LATimes

Clothing designed on Making the Cu, Photo courtesy of LATimes

Courtesy Vogue Magazine

Courtesy Vogue Magazine

I am very interested in the process of creativity, no matter what field. I never thought of myself a fan of reality tv but I do really enjoy watching shows like Top Chef (cooking competition) and Project Runway (clothing design). I was very excited to see that a designer I have met and admired very much over the years, Gary Graham, was one of the contestants on Making the Cut, a fashion designer competition hosted by Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn. He has been aptly described as a designer with a visionary eye of a fine artist and I wholeheartedly agree. Some of my favorite articles of clothing are designed by him. He not only designs beautiful garments but there are intellectual thoughts and stories behind his process and he also is creates the fabric and prints that they are made of. For many years he had a loyal following out of his own shop in Tribeca (and ABC Carpet and Home), but has now relocated to upstate Franklin, New York, opening Graham 422, "a site-specific creative endeavor dedicated to creating small-batch collections of hand-finished garments using antique textiles and custom jacquards." I just finished binge watching the whole season 2 of Making the Cut (season 1 is good too) and it just confirms to me that Graham is a creative genius. It is interesting to see that what is usually the most popular is often not the most (spoiler alert) innovative and interesting...


Poet Mary Oliver

Poet Mary Oliver.  Photo courtesy Boston Globe

Poet Mary Oliver. Photo courtesy Boston Globe

Probably shouldn't be writing this as I sit smack in the middle of New York City, but having spent quite a bit of time in Maine this past year, I have rediscovered the importance of nature in my life and now know that getting out of the city is essential to my wellbeing.

With Thanks to the Field Sparrow, Whose Voice is so Delicate and Humble
by Mary Oliver
I do not live happily or comfortably
with the cleverness of our times.
The talk is all about computers,
the news is all about bombs and blood.
This morning, in the fresh field, I came upon a hidden nest.
It held four warm, speckled eggs.
I touched them.
Then went away softly,
having felt something more wonderful
than all the electricity of New York City.


Dhar Mann

Dhar Mann

Dhar Mann

In the course of doing research for this blog, I often fall upon unexpected things that take me to new and different places. Recently I have kept coming across videos from one of the highest viewed content creators in the world, Dhar Mann. I got curious and wanted to find out more about him and his moral lesson videos that are spreading across the internet like wildfire--he happens to be one of the highest viewed content creators in the world with over 23 billion views. These videos out of the Dhar Mann Studios contain lessons about fat shaming, bullying, and racism, among other current topics. They may come across as simplistic and obvious, but if he can teach one person to look at something with a little more empathy and compassion, it is all worth it and I think his audience is meant for the younger generation.
When I looked deeper into the person that is Dhar Mann, I discovered a real interesting life story--this unique, driven entrepreneurial man has a real fascinating story to tell about himself, his background, his motivations, successes and failures over the course of his existence so far. He had me captivated in this one hour interview with Lewis Howes. Seldom do you encouter a more colorful character!



painting of the week

Pam Smilow, Tree of Life Series, mixed media on paper mounted onto canvas, $4000.

Pam Smilow, Tree of Life Series, mixed media on paper mounted onto canvas, $4000.

artSHOP: tree of life series


Donate to Help Families in Afghanistan


Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…


About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

blog no. 33: Clams, Artist Aaron Schoenfelder, Leica Camera



To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.


three things we love

Clams Posillippo

photo courtesy of Serious Eats

photo courtesy of Serious Eats

Nothing reads more like summer for me than clams. One of my fondest memories growing up is clamming in Long Island Sound with my Dad and sister, jumping off a boat in the shallow waters of the Great Peconic Bay and discovering those hard golden lumps beneath our feet...
I never met a clam I didn't like--steamers, littlenecks, cherrystones--prepared every which way--on the half shell, over pasta, oreganato, clams casino, steamed clams dipped in broth and butter...But my favorite of all, and my mother made a delicious version of this, is clams posillippo. I would love to say this recipe is hers but sadly that slip of paper is lost to me. This Il Mulino Restaurant's recipe from Wainscott, Long Island, is the closest to how I remember her making it...although she did sautee some finely chopped celery along with the garlic at the beginning.


Aaron Schoenfelder

Stonybrook Botanical   mixed media on canvas   60” x 46”  $500

Stonybrook Botanical mixed media on canvas 60” x 46” $500

Crashing Blue, mixed media on canvas, 30” x 25”   $450

Crashing Blue, mixed media on canvas, 30” x 25” $450

Custom Rose Sale, mixed media on canvas, 60” x 43”   $500

Custom Rose Sale, mixed media on canvas, 60” x 43” $500

Shaw’s Boat, mixed media on canvas, 32” x 37”   $375

Shaw’s Boat, mixed media on canvas, 32” x 37” $375

From a long line of artists--beginning with his grandfather Mel Smilow of mid-century modern furniture fame to his art book designer Dad and graphic/product designer/entrepreneur mom, Aaron joins a long list of creative spirits in our family. He has definitely come into his own with his paintings and scultpures, and his art is blowing me away. I would like to share some of it with you here. In fact, he is having a very affordable art sale on Sunday, August 29th at his place at 396 Halsey Street, Apt. 3R, Brooklyn, NY 646-706-3077 from 10am-7pm. For those who are not in easy access of Brooklyn, you can see all his art online and purchase it by emailing him at aaronssny@gmail.com. Always great to support an emerging artist...


Leica Camera in 1930's Germany

Early Leica Camera

Early Leica Camera

Ernst Leitz II

Ernst Leitz II

Some of you may be wondering why I focus a lot on the Holocaust. Aside from my particular background as a daughter of a victim of Nazi Germany (my mom was one of the lucky ones who got out at the last minute), I think that era shows a very clear picture of the heroes of the time—people who stood up to authority and refused to go along—people who did more than just sit and watch, even as they knew things were not right… Sadly, we are in the middle of such a time now and the more lessons we learn from history, the better chance we have of saving our democracy. It could go either way… German Ernst Leitz II, designer and manufacturer of Germany's most famous photographic product, the Leica Camera, was “known as “the photography industry's Schindler." After Hitler came to power in 1933, Leitz quietly began to establish what has become known among historians of the Holocaust as the Leica Freedom Train," a covert means of allowing Jews to leave Germany in the guise of Leitz employees being assigned overseas. Employees, retailers, family members, even friends of family members were "assigned" to Leitz sales offices in France, Britain, Hong Kong and the United States. The refugees were paid a stipend until they could find work. Out of this migration which was at its height in 1938 and 1939, came designers, repair technicians, salespeople, marketers and writers for the photographic press. delivering groups of refugees to New York every few weeks. The story of these heroic efforts of the Leitz’s was kept quiet, at the request of the family members until their death. You can read more about it with a hard to find book written by Frank Dabba Smith, entitled The Greatest Invention of the Leitz Family: The Leica Freedom Train."



painting of the week

This is another example of my new tool—I am able to superimpose one of my paintings on a client’s wall, taking the guesswork out of buying art.  Try me.  Just send a photo of your wall straight on (with the room around for context) and see how your space can be transformed and uplifted by the simple addition of a new painting…(no obligation if you just want to try it for fun).

This is another example of my new tool—I am able to superimpose one of my paintings on a client’s wall, taking the guesswork out of buying art. Try me. Just send a photo of your wall straight on (with the room around for context) and see how your space can be transformed and uplifted by the simple addition of a new painting…(no obligation if you just want to try it for fun).


artSHOP

Charity of the Week:
Stacey Abrams' FAIR FIGHT

Fair Fight Action is an organization founded in 2018 by Stacey Abrams to address voter suppression, especially in the states of Georgia and Texas. Please donate to save our democracy.

Fair Fight Action is an organization founded in 2018 by Stacey Abrams to address voter suppression, especially in the states of Georgia and Texas. Please donate to save our democracy.


Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…


About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

blog no. 32: Leonard Cohen Poem, Artist Richard Hutchins, Julianna Margulies and Naomi Levy Conversation



To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.


three things we love

Leonard Cohen Poem re: Adolph Eichmann

This poem “All There Is To Know About Adolph Eichmann” by Leonard Cohen has stuck with me after originally reading it at the age of 16--just about fifty years ago. I am pretty sure I thought then that Hitler was an aberration. I have gone back and forth about the inherent goodness or evil of human beings since then. This poem bsically sums up how I feel about it now.

All There Is To Know About Adolph Eichmann
by Leonard Cohen

EYES:………………………Medium
HAIR:………………………Medium
WEIGHT:…………………Medium
HEIGHT……………………Medium
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES None
NUMBER OF FINGERS:…… Ten
NUMBER OF TOES …………Ten
INTELLIGENCE…………Medium

What did you expect?
Talons?
Oversize incisors?
Green saliva?
Madness?


Former homeless artist Richard Hutchins

Charlie “Rocket” Jabaley

Charlie “Rocket” Jabaley

Artist Richard Hutchins, self portrait

Artist Richard Hutchins, self portrait

Another inspiring story about how kindness and generosity on an individual basis has the power to change lives. Sometimes fairy tales do come true! Thanks to brand builder Charlie “Rocket” Jabaley, it did for artist Richard Hutchins, a successful artist until a series of unfortunate events caused him to fall on hard times. A chance encounter outside Ralph's grocery store in California is where this feel good story all began...


Julianna Margulies and Rabbi Naomi Levy

Naomi Levy in conversation with Julianna Margulies

Naomi Levy in conversation with Julianna Margulies

Don't ask me what I was doing on youtube at 5:30 am the other morning (sad but true) but I came across this very interesting interview that took place at the 92nd Street Y in NYC a few years back with Julianna Margulies, an actress I admire, in conversation with Rabbi Naomi Levy, founder of Nashuva, an unconventional congregation and spiritual outreach service in Los Angeles, California. The inspiration for Levy's book Einstein and the Rabbi was a quote from Albert Einstein himself that struck her:
“A human being is part of the whole called by us ‘universe’, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something s separate from the rest, the kind of optical illusion of his consciousness. The striving to free oneself from this delusion is the one issue of true religion. Not to nourish it but to try to overcome it is the way to reach the obtainable measure of peace of mind.“ I haven't read the book yet but absolutely love the quote and I plan on picking up a copy very soon.



painting of the week

I love searching used bookstores and flea markets for vintage children’s books, dictionaries and encyclopedias, primers, and nature guides.I found treasure in a small bookstore in Copenhagen a few years ago with a vintage German hand colored botanic…

I love searching used bookstores and flea markets for vintage children’s books, dictionaries and encyclopedias, primers, and nature guides.I found treasure in a small bookstore in Copenhagen a few years ago with a vintage German hand colored botanical book, whose images I subseqeuntly scanned and jazzed up with paint and collage elements, forming the basis for a line in the Smilow Mathiesen product collection.


Contemporary Botanicals

Charity of the Week:
CharityNavigator.com

Black & African American-Focused Charities: Click image to discover highly-rated charities promoting black health, education, rights and community development


Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…


About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

blog no. 31: Self Taught Artist James Castle, Black Owned Businesses, Petit Rat Documentary



To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.


three things we love

James Castle
Self-Taught Artist

James Castle, Stork  mixed media construction

James Castle, Stork mixed media construction

James Castle, Untitled, mixed media on paper.  This is an example of one of his soot and saliva drawings.

James Castle, Untitled, mixed media on paper. This is an example of one of his soot and saliva drawings.

James Castle , mixed media construction. He often depicted clothing and especially coats  in his art.

James Castle , mixed media construction. He often depicted clothing and especially coats in his art.

Artist James Castle (1899-1977)

Artist James Castle (1899-1977)

Making things and working with your hands is one of the most satisfying activities one can do with your time, whether it involves painting, cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, drawing, whatever gets the creative juices running. It can even be as simple as building a sandcastle on the beach. Sitting in front of a computer screen just doesn’t have the same effect on one's soul. Along those same lines, I also believe that everyone is capable of making art. That is not to say I think everyone is an artist--like any profession or practice, you need to do it enough to get anywhere and become proficient. But I do not believe you need professional training to call yourself an artist. (I love children’s art often more than most adult art and folk artists are of particular interest to me as they just simply feel compelled to create.)
I recently came across the work of self taught artist James Castle who was born in 1899 to Frank and Mary Castle in the mountain community of Garden Valley, Idaho. James, the fifth of seven surviving children, was deaf from birth and it is debatable whether he ever acquired language. He began drawing at about age six. Throughout his entire life, he created thousands of drawings, paintings, sculptures, and books in a variety of mediums, often using found objects such as cardboard, string, printed paper, and his own spit and soot. Many of these artworks were subsequently discovered hidden in the walls of a modest house where he lived most of his life in Boise, Idaho. He was eventually discovered when his nephew, attending art school in Portland, Oregon, showed his uncle's drawings to one of his instructors. Many James Castle exhibitions ensued. The project of The James Castle House was taken up by the Boise Art Museum and has been reconstructed--a short film has been made about this process. The house is open to the public and for artist residencies.


Black Owned Businesses

According to the website GreenAmerica.org, “beyond enslavement, we can trace the origins of today’s racial wealth gap to Jim Crow-era practices like redlining, job discrimination, and exclusionary legislation, which segregated Black Americans from higher paying jobs and home ownership opportunities that ultimately prevented wealth building. As of 2016, the net worth of an average African American family is equal to less than 15 percent of the average white family’s, and one in five Black households have zero or negative net worth according to the Federal Reserve. If current trends continue, $0 will be the median wealth for Black families by 2053, according to a 2017 report by Prosperity Now and the Institute for Policy Studies.

Small businesses and entrepreneurs have always been wealth builders in our society. By supporting Black-owned businesses,...Americans can create more opportunities for meaningful savings, property ownership, credit building, and generational wealth. Here is quite an extensive list of black owned businesses from Sophia Conti of websiteplanet.com. Etsy has also compiled their own list of black-owned Etsy shops. And NBC is in on the game with their own List of Black Owned Businesses to support in 2021. Please consider and take advantage of these lists if you want to take an active role in helping lift our fellow Americans out of poverty and financial hardship towards a more prosperous future for them and their families for generations to come.


Petit Rat Documentary

Click to see Petit Rat Trailer

Click to see Petit Rat Trailer

Vera, Fernande, and Deborah Wagman.  Photo courtesy Tony Stewart

Vera, Fernande, and Deborah Wagman. Photo courtesy Tony Stewart

SIsters/Dancers Deborah and Vera Wagman. Photo courtesy Tony Stewart.

SIsters/Dancers Deborah and Vera Wagman. Photo courtesy Tony Stewart.

Although my mother Edith Smilow (1918-2013) escaped the worst of the Holocaust and was able to get out in 1937 at the age of 19, I often wonder what emotional parts of me were affected and passed down generationally, left over from the traumas of her experiences growing up in Nazi Germany. Perhaps that is why this documentary film, Petit Rat, attracted me in the first place. Written, directed and produced by Vera Wagman, Petit Rat is a portrait of three women, a mother and her two daughters, bonded by the intergenerational trauma of war and uplifted by the resilience of familial love. The story begins with "a French Jewish girl's dream of becoming a ballerina, cut short by World War II. She vows that if she has daughters, they will become dancers. Nearly 80 years later, they all confront the impact of that pledge." The film is packed with so many themes set amidst the backdrop of the Holocaust such as lives interrupted, parenthood, sibling rivalry, the world of dance, sports psychology and mental health (particularly apropos right now given the recent experiences of Simon Biles and Naomi Osaka). It is a gem of a film and I definitely recommend it. I would also recommend that you watch the Q and A with Deborah and Vera Wagman after you view the film. You can watch Petit Rat virtually beginning this weekend July 31-August 7th, 2021 as part of the Woods Hole Film Festival by purchasing tickets here. You can also follow Petit Rat on Facebook and Instagram .



painting of the week


Pam Smilow, Blue Sea and Sky,  mixed media on canvas, 50” x 80”

Pam Smilow, Blue Sea and Sky, mixed media on canvas, 50” x 80”

product of the week:
new pouches

Who doesn’t need another pouch?  These are hot off the press and they are beautiful.  They measure 6 x 8 inches and are great for gifts.  Email us directly pamsmilow@me.com to purchase as they are not on our website yet.

Who doesn’t need another pouch? These are hot off the press and they are beautiful. They measure 6 x 8 inches and are great for gifts. Email us directly pamsmilow@me.com to purchase as they are not on our website yet.

Charity of the Week:
CharityNavigator.com

Black & African American-Focused Charities:  Click image to discover highly-rated charities promoting black health, education, rights and community development

Black & African American-Focused Charities: Click image to discover highly-rated charities promoting black health, education, rights and community development


Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…

Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…


About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

blog no. 30: Blue Zones, Violinist, I'm Not Racist



To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.


three things we love

Blue Zones

Top five places in the world for the longest life

Top five places in the world for the longest life

Dan Buettner has written several books focused on why people live longer

Dan Buettner has written several books focused on why people live longer

Blue Zones are regions of the world where a higher than usual number of people live much longer than average. Journalist, author, health activist, and National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner spent over ten years finding these extraordinary places where people have significantly lower rates of heart disease, obesity, cancer, and diabetes. They include Okinawa, where women live the longest; the Ogliastra Region in Sardinia which has the world’s highest concentration of men living over the age of 100; the Costa Rican Nicoya Peninsula which has the world’s lowest rate of middle aged mortality; Loma Linda, California where people live ten years longer than the average in the United States; and the Ikaria Island in Greece which has one of the world’s lowest rates of dementia. Founded by Dan Buettner, bluezones.com is rooted in the research and identification of what makes for these longest-lived cultures and seeks to apply the tenets of the Blue Zones in over fifty cities throughout the United States, significantly improving health and lowering healthcare costs.

I am on their mailing list and in a recent email, they explored why people in places like Denmark, Costa Rica, and Singapore report being happier than the rest of us and my guess is that this contributes to a longer life. To find the answers of what makes a happy country and see how you rate on the happiness scale yourself, click here to take the five minute test.


Violinist Prodigy

Violin Proidigy Christian Li

Violin Proidigy Christian Li

I don't claim to know anything about classical music but I stumbled on this beautiful piece of music recently by Jules Massanet 1842-1912), from his opera Thaïs entitled Meditation, performed by Christian Li (born 2007), the Chinese-Australian prodigy violinist who came to international attention in 2018 when he became the youngest-ever winner of the Menuhin Competition. He is accompanied by Timothy Young on piano, arranged by R. Nichols for violin and piano. I thought I would share it with you here


I'm Not Racist

This Palestinian/Israeli Rap video Let’s Talk Straight Bo Nedaber Dugri has gone viral.

This Palestinian/Israeli Rap video Let’s Talk Straight Bo Nedaber Dugri has gone viral.

Photo courtesy of the New York Times

Photo courtesy of the New York Times

Hiphop artist Joyner Lucas created this song/music video back in December 2017.

Hiphop artist Joyner Lucas created this song/music video back in December 2017.

My late Danish husband Gert told me back in 2012 that with all the red state, blue state talk, we Americans better be careful because we were heading straight for a civil war. At that time, I did see storm clouds on the horizon, although I couldn’t imagine that it would come to that. Now I am not so sure. So, in an attempt to look this straight in the eye, I include here an entry that is not for the faint of heart. It is not a feel good story and comes with a strong warning—harsh hate speech, profanity, racial tropes—laced with ugly stereotypes. I am including two videos, from different sides of the earth that are brutal conversations that no one wants to have. The first Let’s Talk Straight Bo Nedaber Dugri, features two men—an Israeli (Uriya Rosenman) and Palestinian (Sameh Zakout) rapping to each other, laying it all on the line and not holding back on all the stereotypes and hate that stands in the way of Arab Israeli peace. The inspiration for their video was actually an American video called I'm Not a Racist, from a music video and by the American hiphop artist Joyner Lucas that features a normal Joe with a MAGA hat sitting across a table to a young Black man in braids, shouting stereotypical hate at each other. I personally believe that although terrible to look at these ugly truths head on, it is the first step necessary to get to the bottom and underside of racism and hate so that everything is out in the open and we can move forward. That is the hope of both these videos. I agree with the critics that have called these videos necessary to spark conversation by tying in both extremes of the debate, although others feel that they are "clichéd" and "cheesy", and that it oversimplifies the debate by reinforcing stereotypes. What do you think? I struggle with wondering what are the best ways we can all work towards that final hug to embrace our common humanity?



painting of the week


Pam Smilow, Pink Princess Dress (Mandala Series)   mixed media on canvas, 80” x 48”

Pam Smilow, Pink Princess Dress (Mandala Series) mixed media on canvas, 80” x 48”

Charity of the Week:
Jane Goodall Institute

Found this quote this morning in a worthwhile NYTimes piece on Jane Goodall. Seemed to express my thoughts entirely and why I began this blog in the first place. Click on the image to read the full article.

Please donate if you can: https://janegoodall.org/make-a-difference

“…We absolutely need to know all the doom and gloom because we are approaching a crossroads, and if we don’t take action it could be too late. But traveling the world I’d see so many projects of restoration, animal and plant species being rescued from the brink of extinction, people tackling what seemed impossible and not giving up. Those are the stories that should have equal time, because they’re what gives people hope. If you don’t have hope, why bother? Why should I bother to think about my ecological footprint if I don’t think that what I do is going to make a difference? Why not eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die?”

Jane Goodall, New York Times Magazine, July 18, 2021


Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…

Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…


About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her, check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

blog no. 29: Carolyn Doelling, Hilma af Klint, Jeffrey Neal


Thing we love v7.jpg

To get the most out of this blog, please click on many of the images, underlined words, etc. for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.


three things we love

Super Model Carolyn Doelling, age 74, rocking a Gert Mathiesen Rust Tree of Life scarf.

Super Model Carolyn Doelling, age 74, rocking a Gert Mathiesen Rust Tree of Life scarf.

Carolyn Doelling in front of one of my paintings,  July 2021.

Carolyn Doelling in front of one of my paintings, July 2021.

Carolyn Doelling, modeling a dress by Designer Kamperett, Photography by Drew Altizer

Carolyn Doelling, modeling a dress by Designer Kamperett, Photography by Drew Altizer

Carolyn Doelling in a dress designed by Jonathan Cohen. photography by Kaleb Welch.

Carolyn Doelling in a dress designed by Jonathan Cohen. photography by Kaleb Welch.

Every artist remembers people who have helped and supported them along the way. One of those people, an early Californian supporter, was Carolyn Doelling. If I remember correctly, she bought three paintings from me back in the early 90’s and I was proud of the sale, especially since her home was designed by very prominent architects at that time: Ace Architects of Oakland, California. Fast forward many years and quite a few art pieces later, we have stayed loosely in touch. She was always a beautiful woman but at the age of 74, she is more gorgeous than ever and began a new career a few years ago when a local boutique ((The McMullen in Oakland, California) asked her to model for them. It is not often that women of her age get noticed, let alone asked to model clothing…and that got her thinking about how older women are often ignored, which got her thinking even more about the diversity (or more accurately, the lack thereof) of the whole advertising world in general. Being an activist at heart, Carolyn is now on a mission to draw attention to the invisibility of older women and she is determined to change that. In her own words, I am a fashion model because I aspire to be a “role model” model. The fashion industry ignores older women as models even though women over 50 have buying prowess of over 2 trillion dollars. Only 4% of women view themselves as beautiful because they are comparing their looks to a standard of beauty set by some advertising executive who assumes we all have aspirations to be 20 years old. There is a burgeoning wave of 72 million baby boomers, ages 55- 73, who do not aspire to be 20 again." She will stop no short of her goal to "inspire the fashion industry (and all of us) to reassess the standards of beauty and encourage older women to embrace style and color as a tool to enhance social engagement." Featured last week on a segment on NBC's The Today Show, Carolyn Doelling is a woman to watch! Follow her on instagram @doellingcarolyn and click here to read some of her writings.


Hilna af Klint, The Ten Largest, No. 7, Adulthood, Group IV, 1907 Photo: Albin Dahlström, The Moderna Museet, Stockholm/Courtesy of Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Hilna af Klint, The Ten Largest, No. 7, Adulthood, Group IV, 1907 Photo: Albin Dahlström, The Moderna Museet, Stockholm/Courtesy of Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Hilna af Klint, Fig. 6. Grupp I, Urkaos, nr 5 [Group I, Primordial Chaos, No.

Hilna af Klint, Fig. 6. Grupp I, Urkaos, nr 5 [Group I, Primordial Chaos, No.

The Guggenheim Museum past Hilna af Klint Exhibition Oct 12, 2018 - Apr 23, 2019

The Guggenheim Museum past Hilna af Klint Exhibition Oct 12, 2018 - Apr 23, 2019

A while back I saw a very interesting show at one of my favorite museums for viewing art--the Guggenheim in New York City. Frank Lloyd Wright brilliantly designed it so you could take the elevator up and walk down the circular slope, never having to wonder where to go next. (As an aside, it enrages me these days when the curators organize a show to go in reverse--but don't get me started...) In any case, the last show I saw there a few years ago was of an unknown to me Swedish artist by the name of Hilma af Klint (1862-1944), who in the words of the New York Times "Upended Art History, But Left Few Traces." Precursor to such abstract painters as Wassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich, Klint claimed that her work was channeled through her and knew the world was not ready for her art. She even went so far as to instruct her nephew not to release any of her work until twenty years after her death. For those who missed this show, Here is a walk through video about her spiritual, intriguing life and work.


Alice Neel’s 1960’s portrait of Jeffrey and Toby Neal when they were young boys. Toby passed away before ever getting to see the finished portrait.

Alice Neel’s 1960’s portrait of Jeffrey and Toby Neal when they were young boys. Toby passed away before ever getting to see the finished portrait.

Jeffrey Neal, posing this weekend in front of the Alice Neel portrait of him from the 1960s. When I asked him what he thought of the experience way back when, he told me it was very hard for him to sit there and be still.

Jeffrey Neal, posing this weekend in front of the Alice Neel portrait of him from the 1960s. When I asked him what he thought of the experience way back when, he told me it was very hard for him to sit there and be still.

Allen Tobias, a Columbia college student at the time, became a type of mentor for the two young brothers, taking them on outings around the city and to the country.

Allen Tobias, a Columbia college student at the time, became a type of mentor for the two young brothers, taking them on outings around the city and to the country.

Jeffrey Neal and his wonderful entire extended family.

Jeffrey Neal and his wonderful entire extended family.

Sometimes I think I have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Or maybe I just notice it more. Such is the case when I finally got to see the Alice Neel show at the Metropolitan Museum (through Augut 1, 2021). I have always loved her portraits, especially now since I started dabbling myself in this genre during the pandemic (I am in kindergarten compared to her!). I also wrote about a particular portrait of hers in a previous blog post (number 16): the story of two brothers: Jeffrey and Toby Neal (no relation as far as we know), who posed for her some time in the 1960s and then lost touch and never saw the finished product until recently, after searching for it for many years. Well, today, not only did I see the amazing exhibition chock full of wonderful, quirky, gutsy, unusual and amazing paintings, but guess who happened to be there, standing in front of his portrait: none other than Jeffrey Neal himself, fifty some odd years after posing for the artist as a young boy. As it turned out, Jeffrey's son Desmond was about to go out of town on a project and wanted to take one last look at the Alice Neel exhibit before it ended on August 1. He told his dad of his intention and Jeffrey decided to come along too. Word got out in the family and that prompted a mass exodus to the museum for the whole extended Neal clan. I had the good fortune of stumbling on them, meeting the whole bunch. And as I knew their story, got talking to them, including the then college student Allen Tobias (who was also there!), who started the whole thing by being a kind mentor to two young boys who had just lost their father, including Alice Neel's studio as one of his many stops on outings he took the boys on. Testimony to art, kindness, and being our brothers' keeper.



painting of the week

I am including this painting again here to illustrate a tool I have in my toolbox these days:  I can superimpose any painting on a photo of your wall and be able to show you or your client how it will look in your space.    Please take me up on this.  I know I am prejudiced but I think art is the soul of a home and if you are living without it, whether it be a poster, giclee print or original piece, you are missing out on something that can uplift you and provide you with  endless inspiration and joy.

I am including this painting again here to illustrate a tool I have in my toolbox these days: I can superimpose any painting on a photo of your wall and be able to show you or your client how it will look in your space. Please take me up on this. I know I am prejudiced but I think art is the soul of a home and if you are living without it, whether it be a poster, giclee print or original piece, you are missing out on something that can uplift you and provide you with endless inspiration and joy.


Charity of the Week:
Jane Goodall Institute

Found this quote this morning in a worthwhile NYTimes piece on Jane Goodall.  Seemed to express my thoughts entirely and why I began this blog in the first place.  Click on the image to read the full article. Please donate if you can: https://janegoodall.org/make-a-difference

Found this quote this morning in a worthwhile NYTimes piece on Jane Goodall. Seemed to express my thoughts entirely and why I began this blog in the first place. Click on the image to read the full article.

Please donate if you can: https://janegoodall.org/make-a-difference

“…We absolutely need to know all the doom and gloom because we are approaching a crossroads, and if we don’t take action it could be too late. But traveling the world I’d see so many projects of restoration, animal and plant species being rescued from the brink of extinction, people tackling what seemed impossible and not giving up. Those are the stories that should have equal time, because they’re what gives people hope. If you don’t have hope, why bother? Why should I bother to think about my ecological footprint if I don’t think that what I do is going to make a difference? Why not eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die?”

Jane Goodall, New York Times Magazine, July 18, 2021


Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…

Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…


About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her, check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

blog no. 28: Maira Kalman, Maya Angelou, Anastasia Higginbotham, Roberto Ferdman



Although this is far from my often inspirational videos that I feature on my blog, I include this Vice investigative report on Brazil and corona virus because I think it illustrates very clearly the dangerous mechanisms of fake news and the sinister role social media plays in propagating lies that are at the core of the attack on democracy in our country and around the world.  I also have personal interests in this story: 1) my assistant Poli is Brazilian and I am suffering with her as I watch her family living through these very dark times of President Bolsonaro and 2) I know the gutsy, amazing investigative reporter behind this report: Roberto Ferdman, a member of my extended family, correspondent for the Emmy award winning Vice News Tonight, a true rising star in the field of journalism. It is incredible to watch the excellent work he is doing in his field. (Look for his groundbreaking reporting on Breonna Taylor as well). 


To get the most out of this blog,click images & underlined words for links to more information, interviews, music, etc.


three things we love

Maira Kalman illustration from her children’s book, What Pete Ate A-Z.  (courtesy of Julie Saul Gallery, New York).

Maira Kalman illustration from her children’s book, What Pete Ate A-Z. (courtesy of Julie Saul Gallery, New York).

Maira Kalman has written different kinds of books, all in her own style, related to such varied topics as history, biography, cooking, grammar and children’s stories.

Maira Kalman has written different kinds of books, all in her own style, related to such varied topics as history, biography, cooking, grammar and children’s stories.

Kalman’s  wonderful illustrations have graced many a New Yorker cover over the years. This one might just be her most popular.

Kalman’s wonderful illustrations have graced many a New Yorker cover over the years. This one might just be her most popular.

This picture book for adults  is about democracy and was inspired by the 2008 election of Barak Obama.

This picture book for adults is about democracy and was inspired by the 2008 election of Barak Obama.

From Kalman’s book, Max Makes a Million (courtesy Viking Penguin)

From Kalman’s book, Max Makes a Million (courtesy Viking Penguin)

I can't believe it has taken me this long to write about Maira Kalman. Of all the things I love in the world, she is right up there near the top. What can I say about her? That she has been one of my heroes for many years, that she is zany, smart, and talented as both an illustrator and a writer, and that she speaks to me in a language I know and understand as if it were my own voice. I fell in love with her when I first discovered her children’s book Hey Willy, See the Pyramids on the sale shelf at a local bookstore. I spent countless hours reading all her kids' books to my daughter Morgan when she was little and I am not sure who enjoyed the books more. Our favorite was Sayonara Mrs. Kackleman, part of her travel series introducing kids to other cultures (the other title we loved is called Swami on Rye (about India). Married to the late and legendary in the graphic design world Tibor Kalman, Maira is original and unabashedly herself in her work. I love her eclecticism and she has now gone on to write and illustrate a real variety of books, many of them explicitly for adults, including a remake of Elements of Style (the only time a grammar book made the bestseller list!), historical biographies, cookbooks, dog books, and her latest, a collaboration with David Byrne entitled American Utopia. Pick up any of her books and I guarantee you won't regret her unique take on life. And if you want more, here is her Ted Talk and some thoughts of hers on taking a walk.


Maya Angelou, writer and civil rights activist

Maya Angelou, writer and civil rights activist

Portrait of Maya Angelou by Jovilee Burton

Portrait of Maya Angelou by Jovilee Burton

Maya Angelou Obituary 1928-2014

Maya Angelou Obituary 1928-2014

Still I Rise
by Maya Angelou

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror a
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

From And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. Copyright © 1978 by Maya Angelou. Reprinted by permission of Random House, Inc.


Not My Idea, beautifully written and illustrated by Anastasia Higginbotham.

Not My Idea, beautifully written and illustrated by Anastasia Higginbotham.

I am not as much a news junkie as I used to be. I have made a conscious decision to stay away from the constant 24/7 cycle and listen to more music--always good to reduce levels of stress. So I haven't been paying that much attention and found myself wondering what was meant by critical race theory when I heard a debate on it on morning news the other day and decided to look into it more. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, it is a "concept based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of colour. Critical race theorists hold that the law and legal institutions in the United States are inherently racist insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans."

So in that discussion on Morning Joe, one person, whose name I don't even care to mention, talked about how outraged he was about a certain book that was being taught in schools. The book was called Not My Idea by Anastasia Higginbotham. Being a fan of children's books and anxious to understand what made him so upset, I found Jim Jimerson to read it to me on the internet. It's short and well worth the listen/read. Higginbotham, a mother from Brooklyn, New York in consultation with her sons' teachers, wrote and illustrated it in an attempt to educate children on what has been the reality of black people in America and to help them make sense of the news all around them. She believes kids "navigate trouble with their senses sharp and souls intact" and her hope is to start early in helping to dismantle white supremacy, bringing out into the open and acknowledging how we, as white people, are brought up in that racist soup. In the words of Ann Santori, children’s librarian at the Cook Memorial Public Library District, Higginbotham's book is “a smooth, loving ‘on ramp’ for white families engaging in discussions of race.” "When grown ups try to hide scary things from kids, it is usually because they are scared too." Judge for yourself. I for one think this is a very valuable book.
Michelle Goldberg wrote a good opinion piece entitled The Maddening Critical Race Theory Debate for those who would like to learn more about this subject.



paintings of the week

Pam Smilow   Dress Series 1-10    mixed media on paper     30” x 22”    $1500 each

Pam Smilow Dress Series 1-10 mixed media on paper 30” x 22” $1500 each


Charity of the Week:
Anti-Defamation League

Please donate if you can to this very worthwhile organization by clicking the image above.

Please donate if you can to this very worthwhile organization by clicking the image above.


Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…


About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her, check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

blog no. 27: My friend Tina, Joan Baez, Animal Stories



In 2015, a white supremacist murdered nine worshippers at a historic African American church in South Carolina. Singer/songwriter Zoe Mulford was so moved by that terrible event that she wrote the song “The President Sang Amazing Grace,” which was then sung by Joan Baez and illustrated by filmmaker and painter Jeff Scher for this video.

To get the most out of this blog,click images & underlined words for more information, interviews, music, etc.


three things we love

Tina Carro, in her country kitchen holding her old school tools of the trade, passed down from her Genovese grandfather Mario Zanichelli.

Tina Carro, in her country kitchen holding her old school tools of the trade, passed down from her Genovese grandfather Mario Zanichelli.

Wrenwood Raspberry Jam, $10/jar :  tcarro88@msn.com

Wrenwood Raspberry Jam, $10/jar : tcarro88@msn.com

My Italian friend Tina is the best home cook I know. She learned from the best: her Genovese grandfather Mario Zanichelli. She literally lives to cook--for her family, friends and anyone else who comes along and she seems to enjoy every minute of the process: from pounding her cutlets with a mallet to grating daikon radish for a perfect and authentic agedashi tofu. When I asked her family over a delicious lunch the other day which meal was their favorite, they didn't hesitate to say it was her chicken cutlets. Here is her recipe. One important tip: no skimping on the breadcrumbs--they have to be homemade for the full effect!

P.S. She and her husband, John Carro, harvest their enormous raspberry bushes into the best jam this side of the Mississippi. Email them for details and to order: tcarro88@msn.com

Tina's Famous Chicken Cutlets

Ingredients
1 lb thin sliced chicken cutlets or thicker ones pounded)
1-2 eggs
dash of milk
homemade breadcrumbs (see recipe below)
1/2 cup approx. vegetable oil
1/4 cup olive oil or more as needed

Dry chicken between paper towels on a baking sheet. Move to side and add breadcrumbs to the other side. In a separate bowl, beat egg(s) and a dash of milk. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then coat with breadcrumbs on both sides.
Heat vegetable oil on medium for a few minutes and then add olive oil. Once hot (sizzling), add cutlets in batches. Cook for a few minutes on each side until done. Remove from pan, place on paper towels on top of brown paper bag and season immediately with kosher salt.

Breadcrumb Recipe
Using a good bread (baguette, sourdough, peasant), toast (either sliced or cubed) in 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Let completely cool. Grind coarsely in food processor and add a healthy pinch of kosher salt (1-2 tbsp), 1 tsp pepper, and approx. 1 tsp. freshly dried oregano leaves, 1 large sprig of rosemary stripped of stem and 2 sprigs of thyme, also stripped of stem).


Portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Joan Baez

Portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Joan Baez

Portrait of Malala by Joan Baez

Portrait of Malala by Joan Baez

Joan Baez’s Portrait of Bob Dylan.  It is purported that her song Diamonds and Rust was written about him. Click on Bob Dylan’s portrait to hear the song.

Joan Baez’s Portrait of Bob Dylan. It is purported that her song Diamonds and Rust was written about him. Click on Bob Dylan’s portrait to hear the song.

Joan Baez, Self Portrait

Joan Baez, Self Portrait

We all know Joan Baez for her incredible voice, songwriting abilities and her political activism. Now over 80 and still going strong, Baez surprised all of us with an additional talent aside from wonderful music: she is quite an amazing painter, specializing in portraits of inspiring people she admires. She calls this series The Mischief Makers, including such figures as Colin Kaepernick, John Lewis, Malala Yousafzai, and Vaclav Havel, to name a few.

And speaking of heroes, the book Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints by Daneen Akers, which I mentioned once before in this blog, celebrates inspirational people too, complete with beautiful illustrations. I plan on giving this book as a graduation gift to all my young friends as they go out into the world...


Damian Aspinall and Kwibi

Damian Aspinall and Kwibi

Christian the Lion with John Rendall and Ace Bourke

Christian the Lion with John Rendall and Ace Bourke

This book was one of our favorites: The Goodridge family of Rockport, Maine tell the story of how they took in an orphaned harbor seal,  and trained and brought him up from puppyhood to adulthood.

This book was one of our favorites: The Goodridge family of Rockport, Maine tell the story of how they took in an orphaned harbor seal, and trained and brought him up from puppyhood to adulthood.

I am a sap for animal stories and there is nothing I like more than to hear about the loving relationships between humans and other species. What follows are some stories about animals being reunited with their human friends, sometimes after years of not seeing each other. I hope these stories excite you as much as they do me.

Damian Aspinall, son of a zookeeper, raised and released a number of zoo-bred lowland gorillas in Gabon. Here is the moving story of his reunion with Kwibi, a gorilla he helped raise and subsequenlty released back into the wild in 2005..
Another incredible story is that of Christian, the Lion. Thankfully this would would not be allowed today but in 1969 John Rendall and his friend Ace Bourke bought a small lion cub from Harrods pet department and brought him home. Watch this long version of the video to see their story.
And finally, if you haven't heard of the most famous seal in Maine, meet Andre and the Goodridge family who took him in. This story inspired a number of books in addition to feature length movie . I love being read to and who says adults can't enjoy kid's books. Sit back and enjoy listening to Mrs. M. read one of the books about Andre the Famous Harbor Seal



Pam Smilow   Green Gold, Turquoise Composition   mixed media on canvas   50’ x 80”

Pam Smilow Green Gold, Turquoise Composition mixed media on canvas 50’ x 80”


This week's featured charity:
The Jane Goodall Institute

Please donate if you can to this very worthwhile organization by clicking the image above.


Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…


About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her, check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

blog no. 26: Chef Peter Hoffman, Poet e.e. cummings, Homelessness



Just making sure you are all aware that when something is underlined, it links to something else when you click on it. The same goes if you click on most of the photos.

Thanks for being such loyal readers. If you like what you see, please help me grow by recommending my blog to friends. It is much appreciated.


three things we love

Chef Peter Hoffman

Chef Peter Hoffman

Peter Hoffman’s new book, What’s Good: A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients hot off the press.

Peter Hoffman’s new book, What’s Good: A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients hot off the press.

I went to camp with Peter Hoffman many many moons ago around the age of eleven. I had a great summer that year and one of my vivid childhood memories was riding in the back of a pickup truck, new baby rabbits on our laps, returning from a wonderful visit at a state fair somewhere in New Hampshire. I had no idea that the nice kid sitting next to me would become such a star in the New York food scene: restauranteur, pioneer in the farm to table movement in New York City and the Union Square Green Market-—ahead of his time as a big proponent of buying local. Owner of the now defunct Savoy in Soho and Back Forty in the East Village, I remember eating delicious meals there and also attending a calçotada (Catalan spring onion festival), big open grills to roast the calçots set up on a blocked off Crosby Street around the corner from his restaurant. Peter's idea when he opened The Savoy was to treat it like a collaborative art project between him and his wife Susan, and it soon attracted artists, poets, and many neighborhood people, many of whom became regulars. His frequent visits to the Union Square Market became a ritual for him on his unique extra long cargo bicycle and the relationships he made with growers and the food he found there inspired what he cooked on the menu in his restaurant(s).
No longer in the restaurant business and free to do other things, Peter has been busy for the last few years on a new project: working on a book which has just been released, entitled What's Good?: A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients about his life and the food world he so actively particpated in. I highly recommend this book! So does Alice Waters: "In What's Good? Peter Hoffman has transformed his delicious, ethically sourced cooking into an inspiring book; I feel as though a friend has taken me by the hand and walked me through the market, sharing all the secrets of the harvest. Readers come away with a deepened understanding of nature's wonder, our interconnectedness, and the importance of buying directly from our local, regenerative farmers." —Owner of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California


e.e. cummings

e.e. cummings

In Her Shoes,  a very touching film featuring Cameron Diaz, Shirley McClain and  Toni Collette.

In Her Shoes, a very touching film featuring Cameron Diaz, Shirley McClain and Toni Collette.

When I was in high school, I illustrated a bunch of poems including an e.e. cummings one about a balloon, if I remember correctly and made the words go around in a circle. Don't know what happened to that silkscreen print but this e.e. cummings poem below was always one of my favorites (and my daughter's too). The poem was mentioned in a very touching movie called In Her Shoes starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley McClain that I would also highly recommend.

[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]

BY E. E. CUMMINGS

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go. my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)


Photo Courtesy NRJ Lebanon

Photo Courtesy NRJ Lebanon

I just attended my first post covid concert featuring the original instrumental work of Daryl Stuermer, lead guitarist of Genesis and the Phil Collins Band and an amazing musician in his own right. It was a great concert. Because of the Phil Collins reference, that led to me thinking about one of the most touching songs I know, Another Day in Paradise written by Phil Collins. Call me a masochist but I’ve always been attracted to sad songs and that is one of the saddest. I like music that hits me deeply in the gut. These songs below have touched me and call attention to a huge problem we have in America that is not going away—if anything it is growing bigger. I speak about the problem of homelessness and the huge amount of people who have no shelter and no roof over their head to keep them safe in one of the richest countries in the world. I remember Obama said recently, “whatever you are doing, it is not enough.” Maybe we can all double down and contribute in any way possible to help tackle this problem. I commend the following musicians and songwriters for calling attention to this tragedy and hope you enjoy listening by clicking below.
Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins
Hobo’s Lullaby by Woody Guthrie, sang by his son Arlo Guthrie
Streets of Philadelphia by Bruce Springsteen
Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
Streets of London by Ralph McTell



painting of the week

Pam Smilow   Yellow Spruce Nature Series   mixed media on canvas   50’ x 80”  This piece is in the collection of  Tamar Podell and Cynthia Dames in New York, NY.

Pam Smilow Yellow Spruce Nature Series mixed media on canvas 50’ x 80” This piece is in the collection of Tamar Podell and Cynthia Dames in New York, NY.


This week's featured charity:
Coalition for the Homeless

Please donate if you can to this very worthwhile organization by clicking the image above.

Please donate if you can to this very worthwhile organization by clicking the image above.


Another Self Portrait going grey in the time of Covid…


About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow created the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her, check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.