In the early 2000s the Internet experienced an explosion of literature as writers and poets started to ferment in the virtual pages of a blooming scene of serious online literary magazines. An arena that had traditionally been married to print was now burgeoning on a richly, populated scale connecting authors and readers in exciting new … Continue reading
from the In Vitro series by Ayad Alkadhi In the very early 2000s while I was struggling with my own identity as an artist I met a man who deeply touched my soul. My struggles were based on the fact that most of my work up until that point had been directly autobiographical – a … Continue reading
I had the pleasure of meeting Gaye Lub in 2010 when I was invited to travel with the Lub clan to Burning Man for my first time. As matriarch of the incredibly talented family, Gaye welcomed me, a complete stranger only familiar with her daughter Sonia, with flowing golden hair and open arms into their … Continue reading
For as long as I have had my current laptop there is a start up program that has launched every morning when I turn it on called “My Day.” Every day for the past four years, I will watch it load and I will have to go to the file menu at the top of … Continue reading
Participlayers at UCLA Sculpture Garden, courtesy of Franklin Londin Recently on a typical evening at 6 p.m. on the busy Third Street Promenade in downtown Santa Monica, a band of mostly women and one gentleman, dressed elegantly casual, in bold, vibrant colors (some even in tiaras) gathered to strut, stroll, and dance seemingly out of … Continue reading
I became enthralled with the work of Penelope Gottlieb three years ago when encountering her bold, colorful paintings of extinct flowers. On large canvases, bright and lush explosions of intricately detailed flowers, leaves and other plants seemed simultaneously suspended in space while moving in a sense of urgency. On closer inspection other items emerged from … Continue reading
Introduction: In 2011, filmmaker Adam Haynes and I set out to collaborate on a short piece surrounding the concept of intense human experience. I was given eight words and told to expound upon them from my memory bank and to write freely without editing or fear of critique. In the end, I realized that each … Continue reading
During this past month, a lot of people in my life have been talking about art: what is it and what makes an artist an artist? For whatever reason, this dialogue has been pushing my buttons because I don’t think it’s something that can be quantified so generically or that is borne so much from … Continue reading
*With apologies to John Ford and John Wayne who made the 1956 movie of the same name about a searcher who had trouble accepting what he eventually found. Abundance of Life by Elaine Waller Alghani You know it’s going to be a long trip when you’re traveling outside your comfort zone, and that’s exactly where … Continue reading
A few years ago, one of my oldest and dearest friends called me up to tell me his life had been changed and he wanted to let me know that he was sorry for all the things he had done in our friendship that were less than par with what I deserved. He told me … Continue reading
