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

August 7, 2021

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

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

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

Yellow Botanical Pillow

Blue Botanical Duvet Cover

Linen Runners

Green Botanical Cutting Board

Botanical Clocks

Botanical Scarves

Botanical Tea Towels

Botanical Notecards

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

July 31, 2021

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, 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.

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

Vera, Fernande, and Deborah 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”

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.

Charity of the Week:
CharityNavigator.com

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

July 24, 2021

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

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

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.

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”

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

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

July 17, 2021

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Charity of the Week:
Jane Goodall Institute

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

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

July 10, 2021

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 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.

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)

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

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.

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

Charity of the Week:
Anti-Defamation League

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

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

July 3, 2021

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.

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

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.

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...

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.

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

painting of the week

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

This week's featured charity:
The Jane Goodall Institute

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.