Austin Woman Magazine
“Scriptwriting is the toughest part of the whole racket... the least understood and the least noticed.”—Frank Capra
october 2013
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women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime.
in
BEING FEMALE
40
99% of all breast cancer cases occur in women.
AGE
FAMILY HISToRY
GENETICS Inherited changes in certain genes increase the risk of breast cancer.
Women with a close relative who has had breast cancer have a higher risk.
BREAST DENSITY
The strongest risk factor is age. As women get older, breast cancer risk increases.
Women with higher breast and connective tissue as compared to fat in their breasts are at a higher risk.
RISKS Heather discovered a lump when she had a new baby. Visit www.ausrad.com to hear her story.
WHAT You CAN Do
REGuLAR MAMMoGRAMS Women 40 and over should have a mammogram once a year.
BREAST SELF-EXAM
Cathy’s breast cancer was detected on a yearly mammogram. Visit www.ausrad.com to hear her story.
All women should be aware of how to examine their breasts and report any changes to a health professional.
GET REGuLAR BREAST EXAMS In addition to mammograms, women should have regular breast exams with their health care provider.
MAINTAIN WEIGHT overweight or obese women are at a higher risk. facts from: www.breastcancer.org www.cancer.gov
EXERCISE Exercise helps control weight and may lower the risk of breast cancer.
Dr. Sarah Avery is a breast imaging specialist with ARA. Visit www.ausrad.com to hear her perspective on breast health.
schedule your mammogram now. call 512.453.6100 or visit www.ausrad.com.
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Contents october
66 On the Cover
close up
with Barbara Morgan and the Austin Film Festival. By Julie Tereshchuk
81
Feature
read the credits
Photo by Shannon McIntyre
The women behind the scenes in film. By Molly McManus
86
Feature
four fab fashionistas
On fall trends, Austin-style. By Cheryl Bemis
Contents october
46 on the scene
gourmet
savvy woman
22 5 things You Should Do For Halloween
48 fine dining Arro
98 you should know Rebecca Campbell of
24 around town Photos From Austin Events
52 food festival La Dolce Vita
28 philanthropy Girlstart Luncheon
to your health
Festival
58 fitness Ready for the Holidays?
102 on tour Margaret Cho
60 wellness Latest Mammography
104 last word There Are Worse Things I
32 horoscopes Happy Birthday, Libra!
must list 34 must hear Five CDs From ACL 36 must read Five Books From the Texas Book Festival
style 40 must-haves Eyes Wide Open & Ready for Fall 44 beauty Hair 46 runway report Spring Trends From New York Fashion Week 12   Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
62 Mental WEllness Navigating a Cancer
100 new faces Women of the Texas Book
Could Do
Diagnosis
64 breast health Komen Austin
opposite sex 94 memo from JB Halloween Past and Present
96 Relationships What Men Consider Wife Material
on the cover Photo by Shannon McIntyre. Styling by Ashley Hargrove, dtkaustinstyling.com; makeup by Lauren Lumsden, Rae Cosmetics, 1206 W. 38th St., 512.320.8732, raecosmetics. com; hair by April Downs, Avant Salon, 507 Pressler St. #800, 512.472.6357, avantsalon.com. Peruvian blue Joie top, $188, and Manda pant, $295, available at Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com; jewelry, model’s own. [Previous page] Lela Rose dress, $1,095, available at Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.
Photo by Cheryl Bemis.
30 spotlight event The Book of Mormon
the Austin Film Society
Full Color Logo on White/Light BG,
Celebrating 15 Years of Complete Family Eye Care in the Austin Area! Volume 12, issue 2 Co-Founder and Publisher
Melinda Maine Garvey vice president and Co-Publisher
Christopher Garvey associate publisher
Cynthia Guajardo Co-Founder
Samantha Stevens Editor-in-chief
Deborah Hamilton-Lynne associate editor
Molly McManus copy editor
Chantal Rice acting Art Director
Ketan Patel Art Director
Niki Jones contributing Art Director
Victoria Millner ad designer
Jennifer Day art assistant
Katie Holmstrom marketing and operations manager
Rhonda Rushing marketing and operations assistant
Lauren Lara Director of Business Development
Anne Van Eaton Account Executives
Kelly Keelan, Justin Toon, 512.328.2421 contributors
Rudy Arocha, Courtney Bell, Cheryl Bemis, Jill Case, Andy East, Ginny Grimsley, JB Hager, Ashley Hargrove, Robert Kerian, Caroline Khoury, Eric Leech, Deborah Mastelotto, Amber Martin, Matt McGinnis, Shannon McIntyre, Molly McManus, JoJo Marion, Rachel Merriman, Jennifer Morgan, Georgia Nixon, Katie Paschall, Sarah Quatrano, Cyndi Samford, Elizabeth Shear, Julie Tereshchuk, Austin Young Interns
Courtney Bell, Jacqui Devaney, Erin Gray, Caroline Khoury, Lindsay Medina, Katie Paschall, Hope Lynn Petersen, Megan Russell Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc. and is available at more than 1,150 locations throughout Austin and in Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville. All rights reserved. For submission requirements, visit awmediainc.com/contribute. No part of the magazine may be reprinted or duplicated without permission.
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From the Editor cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake.” And I agree. I love films—everything about them—and for me, they are more than entertainment. Watching a film is a guilty pleasure. Oftentimes better than a piece of cake. I worked for a film editor/producer in New York when I was in my 20s and learned a lot about the making of films, but I was hooked at a much younger age. As long as I can remember, on Saturdays, I couldn’t wait to take my 50-cent allowance, stand on tiptoes to pay my quarter for a ticket and the rest for a coke, popcorn and Twizzlers, then grab a red velour seat in our local movie “palace.” So you can imagine my joy when I was asked to attend a meeting at Chuy’s, where two women, Barbara Morgan and Marsha Milam, were exploring the idea of a film festival—The Heart of Film— that would honor the contributions of screenwriters. I couldn’t be more pleased to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of that very festival, which has now become the incredibly successful Austin Film Festival. I am proud to be able to bring our readers the story of the festival and Barbara Morgan, the amazing force behind it all. I say bravo, well done! And I hope that if you have never attended this event, this will be the year that you enjoy some facet of this wonderful annual festival. Being involved in filmmaking also taught me the importance of every single name you see rolling up your screen in the credits. With that in mind, in this issue, we also bring you the stories of
four ladies behind the onscreen magic. If you dream of styling for the red carpet, ATX has become a hotbed of fashion designers, so look no further than our hometown fashionistas, who give us their unique take on what’s in for the fall season. If you want to get a jump-start on spring, look to our expert in the field, Cheryl Bemis, who brings us the latest from the most recent New York Fashion Week in her exclusive Runway Report. We also offer the latest in beauty to complete your look. The festival season is upon us in October, with ACL and the Texas Book Festival rounding out the triumvirate. We share five must-hear CDs, as well as must-read books and authors you can’t miss. We introduce you to the new executive director and programming director of the book festival— the gals who make it happen—and bring you the news about the “best little art house in Texas,” the Marchesa Theatre recently opened by the Austin Film Society. Also on the scene this month is the beloved La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival, benefiting The Contemporary Austin (formerly AMOA). We have selected recipes and can’t-miss wines from the festival. Hot on the scene is Arro, a new French restaurant opened to rave reviews (including ours). The irreverent Margaret Cho headlines the Paramount Oct. 23, and the Book of Mormon plays the PAC Oct. 1 through the 13. One of Austin’s favorite holidays is Halloween, and we have five of our favorite activities for the season, as well as JB
Hager’s take on trick-or-treating past and present. On a more somber note, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in a special health section, we explore mammography, emotional well-being following a diagnosis and update what is happening at Susan G. Komen Austin. My calendar couldn’t be more crowded than it is in October, and my gratitude for living in a city that has all of this vibrant activity is unbounded. When your biggest dilemma is which event, panel, concert or film to attend each day, there should be no complaints. And although in the words of my favorite film heroine, Miss Scarlet, I may sometimes say “Fiddle-dee-dee,” I always look forward to each outing with joyful anticipation. After all, tomorrow is another day. Let us know which films, concerts, foods, wines and book chats were your favorites. We love to hear from you.
deborah hamilton-lynne Editor-in-Chief
October Launch Party
Puppy Love
Are You a Bibliophile?
Oct. 8, 6 to 8 p.m.
AW is looking for photos of your beloved pooch. Cutest dog, sassiest dog, ugliest dog, biggest dog and smallest dog—we want them all. Please send your photos and a few words about why your dog is the best dog in ATX to submissions@awmediainc.com with the words “I love my dog” in the subject line.
Do you love books? We are compiling our list of the 10 best for 2013 for the December issue and would love to have your recommendations. Send your pick for the best book of 2013 to submissions@ awmediainc.com with “Bibliophile” in the subject line.
Ann Webb Skin Clinic, 11701 Jollyville Road, suite 103 RSVP at aw.ticketbud.com/october-launch
Join us in celebrating the launch of our October issue at Ann Webb Skin Clinic. We’ll be benefiting Komen Austin and enjoying the evening with tasty drinks and treats. RSVP, bring your friends and bid on great prizes, including a Lonestar Badge to the Austin Film Festival. We will see you there.
16 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
Photo by Korey Howell.
Alfred Hitchcock once said, “For me, the
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Contributors Julie Ter eshchuk
Georgia Nixon
K e tan PAtel
Elizabeth Shear
cover story writer, “close up”
fitness contributor, “ready for the holidays?”
acting art director
photographer,
Georgia Nixon is a native Austinite, esthetician, CrossFit coach and graduate of Trinity College in Washington, D.C. In 2013, she opened Fit & Finish, a CrossFit gym and skin-care studio to deliver group CrossFit with personalized coaching and customized skin care to the women of Austin.
Former Austin Woman Art Director Ketan patel worked at AW Media from 2007 to 2011. He left AW to combine his entrepreneurial and creative passions founding Pure Cyan, a specialty branding and design firm. His company offers its clients a wide variety of marketing solutions ranging from print, identity and digital/mobile solutions. More information about his company can be found at purecyan.com
Elizabeth Shear moved to Austin in January after completing her degree in photography at The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. Being born and raised near Boston, she misses the chowder and the Patriots, but not the weather! She’s very excited to be pursuing a career in photography in Austin, and is thrilled to meet so many amazing women while photographing for AW.
Be careful what you say to Julie Tereshchuk , an Austin-based freelance writer, blogger and editor. “Any questions?” may easily be her favorite phrase in the English language. She is known for her magazine feature writing and has covered everything from celebrities to computer chips. Julie loves her work and continues to be fascinated, intrigued and informed by the answers to those questions of hers. What surprised you about AFF? Barbara Mor-
gan really floored me when she told me that in its earliest days, Austin Film Festival had the foresight to record its speakers and panelists. Today, those hours of video tape have become a priceless archive of some of the greats of the movie business and also helped spawn a new AFF TV show and series of books.
page 58
What is the best way to avoid weight gain during the holidays? In Octo-
ber, clean up your diet with the help of a friend, a trainer or a nutritional coach. Smaller portion sizes and optimal food choices help you approach holiday events and meals with an understanding of what is a goaloriented food and what is not. During the holiday season, either make smart substitutions or choose just one or two treat items (not meals) per week that are absolute indulgences, and keep it clean the rest of the week.
what was it like to be back at AW? After working
solo these past couple of years, it was great working in a team setting again, especially one as talented as this team. It was also amazing to see how much some things had grown and changed for the better (The new offices here are fantasitc!) and some things have still stayed the same (staying late and eating Torchy’s while on deadline).
Pages 64, 98 & 100
Best tip for getting someone to smile in a photo? The best pictures
always come when people are laughing, and usually the act of myself, the subject or anyone else around us putting on a stage laugh (think Santa Claus) is enough to spark real laughter. If that doesn’t work, quick jokes always help. Example: What does a nosey pepper do? Get jalapeño business!
have the last word? We love hearing your stories. Send in your submissions for our December Last Word column for a chance to be published. To be considered, email 500 words or less to submissions@awmediainc.com by Nov. 1. December’s topic: “Living My Bucket List.”
18 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
Tereshchuk photo by Korey Howell, Patel photo by Rudy Arocha.
page 66
95
.5 ge
4c
Yoga. Coffee shop. Deposit check. Pay dog walker.
Deposit checks from your living room. Pay a friend from your favorite diner. Have a chat with a banker in Westlake or Round Rock, or anywhere in Austin you happen to be. And, of course, get cash at your convenience at any one of our 114 Austin area ATMs. On your phone, online, or on the go — it’s all about getting your banking done. Learn more at GetBankingDone.com or stop by your nearby Wells Fargo location. wellsfargo.com Printed materials expire on May 5, 2014. © 2013 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (1047732_09395)
Connect with us! find us online at austinwomanmagazine.com See former AW cover woman Kathy Valentine perform.
Tweet to Win!
Win a Lonestar Badge to the 20th annual Austin Film Festival, priority access to all eight nights of film, Saturday panels, Pitch Finale party and Film Pass party! Tweet @austinwoman with #mustseefilm and the title of the film you must see at this year’s festival.
Featured event Brunch with Edna Adan from Half the Sky The keynote speaker for the first Connecther fundraising event Oct. 19 will be renowned women’s advocate Edna Adan. Adan’s story was told in the best-selling book and PBS documentary Half the Sky. Learn more about Adan, the Half the Sky movement and Connecther, as well as the event. We have the details.
Meow Con More than 100 women performers of all ages and musical styles will converge in Austin Oct. 24 and 25. Learn more about this gathering of the tribes that works to promote equal opportunity for women in music.
Were you a Girl Scout? Juliette’s birthday bash, hosted by the Girl Scouts of Central Texas Alumnae Association, will feature author Stacey Cordery in conversation with Austin Woman Editor-inChief Deborah Hamilton-Lynne Oct. 24. Read a review of her book, Juliette Gordon Low: The Remarkable Founder of the Girl Scouts.
Can’t get enough of this issue?
Fridayfaves We love exploring this city, and every Friday on our Facebook page, we share five of our favorite things. This month, we picked our favorite spots to shop until you drop in the stores where you’ll find fashions and accessories featured on our Style pages. You can Shop the Shoot and get the look from our favorite local stores we visit for our monthly fashion pages.
1 Blackmail Boutique Educated in France but made in Texas. Blackmail boutique is a must for a wardrobe tailored to perfection.
2
3
4
5
Maya Star Look no further for trendy threads that are sure to turn heads.
Stella Says Go Edgy, comfortable and fashionable has walked right into the one and only Austin shoe boutique.
Neiman Marcus For the crème de la crème of fashion, try Texas’ own luxury retailer. Treat yourself!
Eleven Eleven A cute and thoroughly South Congress shop specializing in hip, feminine and affordable styles!
Check out austinwomanmagazine.com for bonus content, including:
➥
Austin Film Festival. Film reviews and the scoop on the
➥
Texas Book Festival. The complete author list and day of reviews of panels, book chats, cooking demos and more.
➥
Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Get involved and go pink. Volunteer, shop, run or bike. We’ve got the events and info to get you going.
➥ See Blackmail Boutique’s Gail Chovan on Page 83.
Follow us
@austinwoman
20 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
like us
facebook.com/austinwoman
panels, awards and parties.
Be a Filmmaker. Enter your three- to five-minute short
films that address global women’s issues to win more than $20 thousand in prizes and a spot in the Girls Impact the World Film Festival. AW tells you how to submit.
find us
austinwomanmagazine.com
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on the scene /
5 things
1
2
3
4 5 2
Five Things You Should Do for Halloween Halloween festivities you won’t want to miss. Compiled by Caroline Khoury
1 Pumpkin Hunt Dress up your little munchkins in their favorite costumes and arrive at the Pumpkin Hunt for days filled with pumpkin decorating, wagon rides and even a petting zoo. With half of all the proceeds from ticket sales going to the Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, this event takes place the last three weekends of October and is sure to be entertaining for all ages. Oct. 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31, Evergreen Farms Christmas Trees in Elgin. Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. Free admission; certain activities cost $2.
2 Great Goblin Glow This Halloween escapade is hands-on and perfect for younger children. With face paint, candy, balloon twisters and Lakeway’s Dead End Cemetery, what more do you need to get you in the mood for some festive Halloween fun? This event is well worth the 30-minute drive out to Lakeway City Park, and is a free public event. Wear your costumes! Oct. 19, 7 to 9 p.m., at Lakeway City Park. Free admission.
22 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
3 Halloween Children’s Concert The annual children’s Halloween concert performed by the Austin Symphony Orchestra is a night of exciting and spooky tunes for every member of the family. Make sure to wear your costume and brace yourself for the beautifully chilling and haunting movement of the music flying through the Dell Hall at The Long Center. Oct. 27, 2 p.m., at The Long Center for the Performing Arts, Michael & Susan Dell Hall.
4
5
House of Torment
Fright at the Museum
If you’re up for a thrilling adventure filled with screams and some fear here and there, House of Torment is the haunted house to visit this year. In its 11th year of professional scares, this highly honored haunted house is perfect for those fright junkies. It’s an experience everyone should commit to at least one Halloween season. Buy your tickets today!
Attend the tour of the dinosaur graveyard at the Texas Memorial Museum on the University of Texas campus and prepare for a viewing of mysterious bugs and other creatures to satisfy your spooky cravings this Halloween. This event is run by the Texas Natural Science Center and is a very popular annual family event. Scrumptious Halloween treats will be provided for all participants.
Running through October at Highland Mall. General admission, $25. Fast pass VIP, $35.
Oct. 27, 1 to 4:45 p.m., at the Texas Memorial Museum.
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on the scene /
Au s t i n W o m a n 1 1 t h A n n i v e r s a r y e v e n t
Sept. 6th, 2013
11 Years of Austin Woman Magazine 11am • Champagne Networking
12pm • lunch & Program
24 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
2:30pm • neiman marcus beauty showcase
5pm • after party at fiat of austin
Special Thanks to All of Our Sponsors HEB • Wells Fargo • Jaguar Land Rover Austin • Neiman Marcus • Austin Vein Institute • Benchmark Bank The Hills Dental Spa • McCombs School of Business •Abila • The Flower Studio • Fiat of Austin Ideal Productions • Factory Mattress • Firestone • Consuela • The Austin Diagnostic Clinic • The Domain Mann Eye Institute and Laser Center • Central Health • R&R Limousine & Bus • Westlake Chiropractic
Brent Fields, Lori and Mark Ramseur, Joel Cavness, Lester Sprouse at the 2013 Ice Ball. Photo by Visually Attractive Photography
on the scene /
Tim and Veronica Tarver at the 2013 Ice Ball. Photo by Miguel Angel
around town
Bill Blackstone and Rachel Simpson at the 2013 Ice Ball. Photo by Miguel Angel
Danny Goldstein and Margo Johnson at the 2013 Ice Ball. Photo by Miguel Angel
Lucrecia Rodriguez and Dave Alben at the 2013 Ice Ball. Photo by Miguel Angel
Justin Yarborough and Ashley Melnick at the 2013 Ice Ball. Photo by Visually Attractive Photography
NOCC Austin Chapter’s sixth Annual Run/Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer at The Domain.
26   Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
on the scene /
phil a nth ropy
2013 Girlstart STEM Award Honorees: Bertha Bermudez, Geophysicist (Alumnae Award recipient)
Shree Bose, Google Global Science Fair Winner, Harvard undergraduate (Global Girlstart Ambassador)
Dr. Susan M. Cox, Regional Dean of the University of Texas Medical School
Lisa Lucero, Commissioner for the Governor’s Commission for Women
Dr. Emily Niemeyer,
STEM Awards honor outstanding Texas women. By Julie Tereshchuk Prepare to be inspired and entertained by the lineup for the Game Changers Luncheon. The high-energy host of the Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters, Kari Byron, is the keynote speaker for the annual awards event, which is also a fundraiser for Girlstart’s free after-school STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs. Luncheon guests will be among the first to witness the results of the programs as experiments created by local Girlstart participants in fourth through eighth grade will be showcased at the celebration. An oceanographer, a geophysicist and one of Glamour Magazine’s 21 Amazing Women of the Year 2011 are among the intriguing inaugural list of Girlstart STEM Award recipients. The six outstanding Texas women to be honored Oct. 17 have all made significant impacts in their fields and communities utilizing their STEM education, and truly embody the Game Changer spirit. At the luncheon, Girlstart will also honor Dell Inc. with a Corporate STEM Champion Award. Dell is a strong advocate for STEM education and has been a valuable partner to Girlstart throughout its 16-plus years of providing STEM education programming to elementary and middle-school-aged girls. Girlstart, which was founded in Austin in 1997, works to make girls more successful and inspires them to take on the world’s greatest challenges. It is the only community-based informal STEM education nonprofit in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM. Its programs are innovative and are recognized nationally.
28 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
Charlotte Vick, Oceanographer with the Sylvia Earle Alliance/ Google Content Manager
Sponsored Events Be Brave Event Oct. 3, 6 p.m., Shoal Crossing, 8611 N. MoPac Expressway Be a knight in the crusade against breast cancer. Come out for a night of food, music and auctions in honor of survivors and the warriors still battling on. Proceeds go to healincomfort4achange.org, a provider of comfortable clothing for healing patients. forheartssake.org Total Health Fest 2013 Oct. 5, 10 a.m., Westin Domain, 11301 Domain Drive. Bring out the family for a day of mind, body and soul enrichment. Presented by Plan Ahead Events, the fest will include activity stations, speakers and vendors that will provide information about wellness, food and product samples. totalhealthfest.com
JDRF Toast the Cure Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m., Kung Fu Saloon Raise your glass to help generate funds for JDRF’s important global mission, focused on type 1 diabetes research. The JDRF Austin chapter was established in 1997, and since then has been working to aid in the fight against this terrible disease. austin.jdrf.org Zero Prostate Cancer Run Oct. 26, 9 a.m., Camp Mabry, 2200 W. 35th St. Get your running shoes ready for Urology Austin’s Zero Prostate Cancer Run. Money raised will help fund prostate cancer education, free testing and efforts being made toward finding a cure. austin.zeroprostatecancerrun. org
Sponsored events compiled by Amber Martin.
Girlstart Game Changers Luncheon
Professor of Chemistry and Herbert and Kate Dishman Chair in Science at Southwestern University
Sponsored Events Stiletto Stampede Oct. 26, 10 a.m., The Triangle, 4700 W. Guadalupe St. Who says you can’t run in heels? Join fellow heel wearers in the Stiletto Stampede 100-yard dash. Proceeds will help fund the creation of the Seton Breast Care Center and other support programs for breast cancer patients. stilettostampede.org/austin Eighth Annual Andy Roddick Foundation Gala Oct. 17, W Austin Hotel, 200 Lavaca St.; ACL Live at The Moody Theater, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd. Enjoy a night of dinner and auctions at the W, followed by a live performance by Sir Elton John at the Moody Theater. The Andy Roddick Foundation increases the prospects of underprivileged youth through event proceeds, programs and services. arfoundation.org/events.html Gems Glam Jam 5K Oct. 19, 8 a.m., Reunion Ranch, 850 County Road 255 Participate in this 5K in style, glamming up your attire with jewels to shine in solidarity against breast cancer. Runners and walkers in the event will earn jewelry from Beans Gifts, and proceeds will go to healincomfort4achange.org. gemsglamjam.com Texas Mamma Jamma Ride Oct. 26, 7:30 a.m., Reunion Ranch, 850 County Road 255 Bring out your bikes and helmets in the race against breast cancer for the fifth annual Texas Mamma Jamma Ride, which has successfully raised $1.8 million for organizations that support those afflicted with the illness. mammajammaride.org
PlayBingo! Ladies Luncheon Oct. 19, 10 a.m., Hilton Austin, 500 E. Fourth St. Hold your bingo cards close and your chips closer for a morning of games, drinks and auctions. Brought to you by the Friends of Christopher Guild, the 10th annual event benefits the Center for Child Protection in its fight against child abuse. centerforchildprotection.org/events/2013playbingo-ladies-luncheon Harvey Penick Award Dinner Oct. 22, 6 p.m., Four Seasons Hotel Austin, 98 San Jacinto Blvd. Dine and honor the recipients of the 22nd annual Harvey Penick Award, Dr. Ernest and Sarah Butler, philanthropic donors to science and the arts. caritasofaustin.org/events/ harvey-penick-award-dinner
GAME CHANGERS ANNUAL LUNCHEON OCT 17, 2013
OCTObER 17, 2013 11:00 A.M. - 1:00 p.M. AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center
HONORiNG TExAS w O M E N ii NN S T E M Welcoming keynote speaker Kari byron of Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters. All proceeds benefit Girlstart and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education for girls.
w w w. G i R L S TA R T. O R G / G A M E - C H A N G E R S
Settlement Home Charity Garage Sale Oct. 30, 7 to 10 p.m.; Nov. 1–2, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Nov. 3, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road
5K RUN/WALK & ONE MILE WALK
Take advantage of good bargains at this garage sale, proceeds from which will go to the Settlement Home for Children. Come out Oct. 30 from 7 to 10 p.m. for the preview party and Nov. 1 through 3 for the general sale. settlementhome.org
Help end prostate cancer
Juliette’s birthday bash Oct. 24, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Kodosky Program Center at GSCTX Headquarters, Park Thirty 5 Circle. Hosted by the Girl Scouts of Central Texas Alumnae Association, featuring author Stacey Cordery in conversation with Austin Woman Editor-in-Chief Deborah Hamilton-Lynne.
Race Date: Saturday, October 26, 2013 Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. CAMP MABRY MILITARY BASE
Boot camp warm up, certified 5K, entertainment and activities for the whole family. Tasty treats and refreshments served at the Post Race Bash! To register visit: www.zeroprostatecancerrun.org/austin
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on the scene /
sp o t ligh t ev ent
The Book of Mormon Get ready to laugh your way to church as Broadway comes to Austin with The Book of Mormon. Winner of several Tony Awards, including Best Musical, The Book of Mormon tells the story of two Mormon missionaries who are sent to Northern Uganda in an attempt to preach Mormonism to the locals. Hilarity ensues when the missionaries find that the Ugandans care more about problems that affect them. With music and lyrics written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, this religious musical satire will draw audiences in over and over again. Tickets available at texasperformingarts.org or by calling 512.471.1444. B See the complete October calendar of events at austinwomanmagazine.com.
30   Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
Compiled by Erin Gray Photo by Joan Marcus.
Bass Concert Hall, Oct. 1–13
on the scene /
horoscopes
Happy birthday, Libra! Sept. 23 - Oct. 22 Your month: It’s a universally held truth that
when one area of your life goes spectacularly right, another area can go spectacularly wrong. Work is going so well this month that you’re acting a little cocky and egotistical. This behavior could cause problems in your partnerships. But it’s not just you; a show-off-y friend makes a few waves too, maybe not directly, but the problems are real nonetheless. Be careful with your reputation; it’s easily damaged this month.
➺
October is a passionate, arrogant month with an unpredictable nature. You want what you want and you aren’t easily dissuaded. Try not to feel that people are out to dampen your spirit, or you may rebel flamboyantly. Egodriven actions could prevent you from achieving the very goals you are aiming for. Try to find a balance between your needs and the needs of others. Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): Usually, you know when you’re in control of your impulses and when you aren’t. But occasionally, you experience an astrological aspect sometimes likened to driving with the brakes on. You have plenty of drive and imagination to do all manner of amazing things, but your efforts feel thwarted by some unseen cosmic force. Just a word to the wise: No matter how great you may think your ideas are this month, try to sit on them until your birthday. The more you push, the greater the chance for an unexpected, unpleasant result. Try to practice patience. Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): You feel like this year, it just didn’t pay to go to work. You’re a little confused, torn between what was, what is and what can be. You have so many new, different ideas, you don’t know where to begin. You should take a break this month, stay quiet, private and hidden. Take some personal time to figure out what you believe in. Try not to feel disillusioned or sorry for yourself. You’ll learn to adjust to this new way of thinking. Until you do, you may find that you change jobs. Often.
32 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
capricorn (dec. 22-JAN. 20): It seems as though every friend you’ve ever had in your lifetime decides to turn up on your doorstep this month, and they all have quite a few pieces of advice for you. If only they would leave you alone so you could get back to work, especially after the 17th, when your career explodes like a water balloon at a kid’s birthday party. No matter. It’s buddies all the way after the 23rd. Even love relationships get thrown into the friends zone this month, so relax and don’t fight it. Next month is soon enough for intimacy. aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19): Daily health and work routines and relationships are the themes of this month’s movie, but it’s a classic push/pull plot line: You want your work relationships to be smooth, but you can’t be patient with the people you work with. You think serenity and love are good for your career, but you’re aggressive when your co-stars fail to keep up with your perfectionism. You want a strong love story, but it’s at odds with an intense desire to stay independent. It’s tempting to blame your twitchiness on your co-stars, but it’s really all about you, The Star.
pisces (Feb. 20-march 20): You’re looking for a mental and philosophical soul connection in your career, something that makes you want to research it, something exotic, something to love. You may find it soon, but not this month. Your job and the people you work with are wearing your last nerve, causing you to doubt your sanity and kill your buzz. And it’s not just your work relationships—all relationships contain a challenge. Just remember: Relationships are an adventure for the courageous. aries (march 21–april 20): I’m just going to throw this out there and see where it sticks. Single Aries: Be on the lookout to meet your next intense relationship, even if you think you don’t want one. You partnered-but-not-married Aries: PLEASE, please do not run off and get married. Impulsive, surprising and intense actions could possibly create a shockwave heard ’round the world. Married Aries: Be willing to create an even deeper bond than ever before with your partner. This month is one of those important life-cyclical transformations. taurus (april 21–may 21): See Aries, above, except expect some surprises (and maybe not in a good way) with friends at work. gemini (may 22–June 20): You’re the quintessential people watcher. And you don’t just love watching people and their actions in their natural habitat, but you also love relating to them. You love to have conversations with all sorts of people about all sorts of subjects, especially at work. You love to share your good mood with everyone, even strangers; it›s a good thing talking a lot is part of your job description. And you’re busy. Very, very busy. You just might be busier this month with truly important stuff than you’ve ever been in your life. Now multiply what I just said by 10.
cancer (June 21–july 22): It’s a good thing your energy level is high and you’re a basically brave person this month because you are going to strike awe in the hearts of all who come in contact with you. Your larger-than-life presence and optimistic, idealistic approach to life might make you seem egotistical, but people envy you. The way you express yourself, your creativity, how much fun you are, how much children enjoy your company, even your aggressive approach to making money makes you seem strong and powerful. This might go to your head and produce a little excess in behavior, but this year developed a strong set of values in you. Leo (July 23–Aug. 23): Through sheer force of will and lots of hard work, you have turned your home life into a solid base. You’ve made it a place where ideas and information are shared like freshly baked sugar cookies. There is no need to entertain anywhere but home this month. How you live now has developed organically by adapting to your needs, and brothers, sisters, cousins and neighbors love to spend time with you. So remember that, when sometimes you don’t get your way and are tempted toward rash, impatient and possibly cranky behavior. virgo (aug. 24-Sept. 22): You’re being urged by some unseen, benevolent force to tune up your communication skills and learn how to teach. Apparently, it’s your destiny this month to share what you know and give back to an industry that has been very good to you. Though you resist, you will actually find you like teaching and that you are good at it. The problem is, somehow your confidence in your abilities has been shaken. That needs to be remedied, but no one can do that but you. Out there, there is a student looking for you to teach them. By Deborah Mastelotto deborah@pinkaustin.com
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must list /
must he a r
Five Must-Hear CDs of ACL With all the talent arriving for the Austin City Limits Music Festival this year, here are the five albums you don’t want to miss. By Caroline Khoury
Holly Williams The Highway The smooth and sultry tone of Holly Williams’ voice is captivating in a calming and comforting manner. With an angelic essence to each song, Williams’ newest album, The Highway, has graced top album lists such as NPR’s Year’s Best List and People magazine’s choice as number seven out of the top 10 albums for 2013. Whether you identify as a country fan, without regret, Williams’ voice and her message will pleasantly settle among your thoughts and will leave you longing for more of her tone. It doesn’t hurt that, being the granddaughter of Hank Williams, she has an iconic lineage. Don’t miss country music’s most recent star and be sure to submerge yourself in the memorable lyrics of Williams’ album, The Highway.
Lissie Back To Forever
Valerie June Pushin’ Against a Stone
Kings of Leon Mechanical Bull
Junip Junip
The honesty of her lyrics convinces listeners of her sincerity when they discover Lissie’s newest album, Back to Forever. Her songs and her voice allow fans to find a voice of their own in her music as she powerfully portrays her fearless attitude. Never succumbing to pressures to release an album for the sake of releasing more songs, Lissie exhibits vulnerability and maturity in her new album, released Sept. 10.
Fans are infatuated with Valerie June and her acoustic, authentic Tennessee sound. June’s raw talent shines through on every song of her new album, Pushin’ Against a Stone, released Aug. 13, all of which contain melodies and rhythms that are guaranteed to get you moving. A unique artist who has stayed true to her authentic sound is complemented by her unrefined and infectious band. Listen once and she leaves you longing for more.
It feels like a lifetime since this popular band released an album, but not to worry. According to the early buzz and glimpses of their new album, Kings of Leon are sure to satisfy their unwavering fans once again. Their new album contains epic phrases that will not only move their listeners emotionally, but also will undeniably become the anthems of our fall listening playlists. Excitement unfurls as their new release hits the racks Sept. 24.
For a shift from whatever music soothes your soul, check out Junip’s latest album, entitled Junip. Although a bold statement, the vocals of Junip slightly mimic the sound of The Beatles and comfort the listener. With a mellow sound to their melodies and chords, Junip has a soothing and breezy spirit to their music, all the while utilizing multiple instruments.
34 Austin Woman OCTOBER 2 0 1 3
Austin to AndalucĂa at the speed of sight & sound!
FlamencoAustin presents legendary guitarist
NiĂąo de Pura
Thursday, October 24, 2013 Long Center for the Performing Arts
AustinClassicalGuitar.org
austinwomanmagazine.com 35
must list /
must r e a d
Five MustRead Books With an amazing array of authors, the Texas Book Festival has something for everyone. Selected by Deborah Hamilton-Lynne
Spider Woman’s Daughter by Anne Hillerman Fans of best-selling author Tony Hillerman can rejoice, as his daughter Anne has decided to continue the popular Leaphorn and Chee series with her new novel featuring Navajo Nation police officer Bernadette Manuelito. The Santa Fe-based writer has filled her first novel with intriguing characters, a suspenseful plot and the lore and atmosphere of the Southwest. The novel has new characters and Anne Hillerman’s own spin, but also includes enough of the familiar to keep Tony Hillerman’s fans turning the pages.
In Her Own Words: Anne Hillerman: Why I decided to continue Tony Hillerman’s Chee/Leaphorn series. When Dad died in 2008, he left big shoes to fill. I loved to sit in his home office, surrounded by the books and maps he used as part of his research, and listen as he read just-finished passages he was especially proud of. (Despite living in New Mexico for more than 50 years, Dad never lost his Oklahoma twang.) Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn seemed like my uncles, part of our family. With millions of others of Dad’s fans, I would wait restlessly for the latest installment of their adventures. When Dad received a box of first editions of the newest book from
36 Austin Woman OCTOBER 2 0 1 3
HarperCollins, he never forgot to autograph one for me. I have these in my living room, my most treasured possessions. Dad and I and my husband, Don Strel, worked together for several years on a nonfiction book, Tony Hillerman’s Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn. As part of my research, I had the pleasure of re-reading each Leaphorn Chee book and of talking to Dad about how he developed the plot, themes and settings. The research gave me precious insights into my dad as an author and admirer of the Navajo people and their sacred landscape. As part of our conversations, Dad and I discussed Bernadette Manuelito, the Navajo police officer whom he used in several books. In his final novel, The Shape Shifter, she has progressed from Chee’s girlfriend to his wife and is doing research for Leaphorn. I suggested that Dad might have fun creating a story in which Bernie actually got to solve the crime instead of working as sidekick. “That’s an interesting idea,” I remember him saying. ”If I were energetic enough to write a few more of these, I might do it.” Dad died October 27, 2008. The book we worked on together came out the following year. As Don and I toured the country talking about Tony Hillerman’s Landscape, the question people asked me most often was, “Did Tony have another novel to continue the series?” The answer was no. Nothing squirreled away in a file cabinet or saved on his computer. His fans didn’t like that response. Neither did I, but it was the undeniable truth.
When I emerged from the worst of my grief after Dad’s death, I realized that I was also mourning the end of his mystery series. I missed those detectives, and I especially regretted that Bernadette Manuelito would never get a book that put her in the spotlight. And then I thought, I could try writing Bernie’s book myself. If I didn’t like it, I could hit the delete key. In addition to Hillerman’s Landscape, I had written several other books, so I knew part of the challenge that faced me. I jotted down some ideas as a rough outline and got to work. Because Dad’s books were fresh in my mind, I decided to use some of his favorite settings for what became Spider Woman’s Daughter. These included Gallup, N.M.; Window Rock, Az.; the imaginary Navajo Inn and the very real and mysterious Chaco Canyon. Because I live in Santa Fe, I thought it would be fun to devise a reason to bring Dad’s famous detectives to my hometown. I developed the plot by trial and error, frequently asking myself how Dad would handle things. I missed him fiercely as I wrote but sometimes felt as if he was looking over my shoulder. After I’d written enough to hope that my ideas might be of interest to someone other than me, I spoke to my mother, my father’s first and best editor for every book he wrote. She brainstormed with me, sharing her vast knowledge of Dad’s work and her sterling memory of characters and settings. With her blessing, I contacted Dad’s editor, Carolyn Marino at HarperCollins, to make sure there weren’t any copyright issues or other hurdles. Marino not only reassured me, she offered to take a look at whatever I came up with when I felt ready. I worked on Spider Woman’s Daughter for three years with encouragement from my writer friends and help from law-enforcement experts, Navajos, archaeologists and more. I think my dad, who firmly believed in heaven, sent along some inspiration. I think Dad would have liked Spider Woman’s Daughter. I’m pleased with it and I hope that his readers will be too.
MORE INFO
on authors & panels, texasbookfestival.com
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must r e a d
After Her by Joyce Maynard Best known for her memoir and relationship with Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger, which began when Maynard was 18 and Salinger 53, Maynard is the author of seven previous novels and four non-fiction books. Her latest, After Her, is based on the true story of the Trailside Killer, set in Marin County, Calif. In After Her, Maynard does a masterful job of combining a thriller with a moving coming-of-age story. Maynard’s best-selling novel Labor Day has been adapted for film and will be in theaters this Christmas.
Sleepless in Hollywood: Tales from the New Abnormal in the Movie Business by Lynda Obst Kirkus Reviews labels this book as a “must-read for anyone interested in the movie business,” while the Wall Street Journal called it a “fascinating memoir-primer on the movie industry. … A great read that illuminates what is really shaping today’s movie business.” Lynda Obst has a privileged insider’s vantage point to reflect on the massive changes in Hollywood and the film industry during the past 10 years. I agree with Liz Smith. You won’t be able to stop reading it, even if you have never had a moviemaking impulse in your life.
Highs in the Low Fifties: How I Stumbled Through the Joys of Single Living by Marion Winik
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
Building on a series of columns written for The Baltimore Sun and her commentary for NPR’s All Things Considered, former Austinite Marion Winik has written another book of essays that are in turn hilarious, brutally honest and tragic—much like the author. The book chronicles her progress as a newly divorced middle-aged mother looking for love without much success. Currently a professor at the University of Baltimore, Winik has a large base of devoted Austin fans. Go early to ensure entrance to this Texas Book Festival session.
This book has a lot of buzz and has been called “genius” (The Chicago Tribune), “wonderful” (Vanity Fair), “ambitious” (San Francisco Chronicle) and a “page-turner” (Cosmopolitan). In the summer of ’74, as Nixon resigned, five artsy teens meet and bond. The complex novel chronicles their ensuing decades-long friendships and examines the consequences of narcissism of a privileged generation. Wolitzer is the author of 10 previous novels, but The Interestings may be her most ambitious novel to date.
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style /
m u s t- h av e s
Eyes Wide Open Six products that will make you look like you had a full night’s sleep, even when you haven’t.
MyChelle Magnolia Fresh Eyes: This vegan-friendly, gluten-free eye serum uses daisy flower and magnolia leaf extract for natural eye refreshing—and you only need a tiny drop! $39, Whole Foods, multiple locations.
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MyBody Calm After the Storm: With ingredients like coffee-seed extract and specific peptide complexes, this easy-toapply cream will de-puff and reduce the blood pigments that cause dark circles. $75, Westlake Dermatology, 8825 Bee Caves Road, 512.328.3376, westlakedermatology.com.
Kate Somerville CytoCell Dark Circle Corrective Eye Cream: Specially engineered peptides refresh and renew delicate skin while vitamin C works to brighten the entire eye area. $75, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.
40 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
BSB Culminé Firm & Glow Eye Balm: This one-stop-shop product relieves temporary signs of fatigue like dark circles and puffiness, but also builds elasticity and targets wrinkles. $95, labelledayspas.com.
Arcona Eye Serum: This collagenbuilding serum is a go-to remedy for morning and night de-puffing, providing a noticeable change after just a day’s use. $52, Nordstrom, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512.691.3500, nordstrom.com.
Coola Suncare Calm Glow Eye Gel: If you’ve recently waxed your brows or were in the sun too long, slather a little of the firming gel on your recovering eyes. Ingredients like linseed extract and rose flower water help to reduce inflamation. $56, zappos.com.
Editor’s Picks A few products we couldn’t help but fall in love with.
Exotic Escape The tropical, delicious coconut-y scent of these cleansing wipes is alone enough to make them a must-have item in your beauty stash. Infused with coconut water, the super soft towelettes remove any non-waterproof makeup and grime in a few strokes and without needing water. Papaya and aloe provide added benefits by exfoliating and soothing the skin. $6, available at pacificaperfume.com.
GOING DOWN ON ONE KNEE Ready for a Close Up With a one-shade-fits-all claim, this weightless powder uses light-reflecting pigments to adjust to different skin tones for overall even and natural coverage. Though it was made for high-definition filming, we love it as an everyday powder. It even has a mesh filter to prevent makeup bag spills and over-application. Bring on the cameras! $32, available at Ulta, multiple locations, ulta.com.
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m u s t- h av e s
Ready for Fall From shea butter soaps to burgandy glosses, we’ve put together essentials for the season ahead. Photo by Rudy Arocha
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9 1. Burt’s Bees Beeswax Moisturizing crème, $14.99, available at Central Market, multiple locations, centralmarket.com. 2. Cargo eye shadow in Shanghai, $16, available at Ulta, multiple locations, ulta.com. 3. OPI Liquid Sand polish in It’s All San Andrea’s Fault, $9, available at Ulta, multiple locations, ulta.com. 4. Paul and Joe eyeliner in sepia brown, $25, available at urbanoutfitters.com. 5. L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche eyeliner in violet, $8.95, available at H-E-B, multiple locations, heb.com. 6. Estee Lauder Pure Color High Intensity lip lacquer in Electric Wine, $25, available at Nordstrom, 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512.691.3500, nordstrom.com. 7. Nubian Heritage soap with shea butter and lavender, $3.99, available at Central Market, multiple locations, centralmarket.com. 8. Mirabella Velvet lip pencil in red, $23, available at mirabellabeauty.com. 9. Rae Cosmetics shadow in Hint of Heat, $16, available at Rae Cosmetics, 1206 W. 38th St., 512.320.8732, raecosmetics.com. 42 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
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style /
b e au t y
Turn Up the Volume Five of our favorite products to give your hair a boost.
Kevin Murphy Lotion From a brand leading the way on environmentally friendly products, this lotion creates fullness, allowing all hair types to be sculpted and styled as desired. $27, Wet Salon, 1109 S. Congress Ave., 512.444.7375, wetsalonatx.com.
Nexxus Hydra-Light Weightless Moisture Root Lift Mist
Umberto Beverly Hills Volume Boosting Foam
L’Oreal Paris EverStrong Thickening Shampoo
Blow Pro Blow Up Thickening Mist
A few spritzes of the silicon-free mist gives hair an immediate boost while nourishing it with sea minerals and antioxidants. $11.99, Target, multiple locations.
This lightweight foam gives extra all-over added volume without any extra frizz or dryness. $13, Target, multiple locations.
Developed to aid with weak and thinning hair, this shampoo builds strength and volume over time, starting from the roots. $6.99, H-E-B, multiple locations.
With the help of rice and milk proteins, this spray builds volume from within. For extra volume, style by blow-drying in an upward motion. $21, Ulta, multiple locations.
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style /
r u n wa y r e p o r t
Carmen Mark Valvo
Rachel Zoe
Carmen Mark Valvo
Sherri Hill
Hervé Léger Naeem Khan
New York Fashion Week Runway Report Sneak peek for your essential pieces for spring 2014. Text and photos by Cheryl Bemis Austin’s longest wearing season will be here before you know it and we will have a long list of trends to choose from to enjoy spring’s style and silhouettes. Fashion Week in New York provided me the opportunity to see first-hand (I attended more than 30 shows) what you’ll need to look stylish when the bluebonnets bloom, so make notes now to be on the lookout as the spring fashions roll in. It was about the second or third day of shows when I realized I had not seen any animal print. This was a huge trend for many seasons for both spring and fall, but the cats have apparently gone in
46 Austin Woman OCTOBER 2 0 1 3
to hibernation. But don’t be fooled; this trend will likely wake up in a few seasons. The print of the upcoming spring season is geometric, colorful and done much like an abstract painting: very random but pretty. Color blocking was also prominent. Remember that trend from the ’90s? The big trend for color, again moving from spring and fall 2013, is black and white. But this wasn’t just a little black and white; it was a ton of black and white. Shoes, bags, dresses, eveningwear, it was everywhere. A classic pairing and every girl’s go-to for traveling in style, classic black and white was certainly not the only color combo on the runway. There was a strong showing of color featuring Pantone’s top colors: cayenne red, dazzling blue, violet tulip, celosia orange, sand, paloma gray, hemlock green, radiant orchid and freesia yellow. Hands down, placid blue (in the aquamarine blue family) was my personal favorite, and you can use the sister colors from last spring and not look out of place. New York Fashion Week brings out not only the best street-style outfits, but also the best shoes. On the streets, fashionistas wore the latest trends in super strappy heels with ankle accents. That trend was also seen on the runway, with the tons of details on the vamps of the shows, in geometrics, sparkle and buckles. I only saw a handful of shows that showed wedges, so they may be easing out as a trend for now.
Lace and feminine touches have been trending for a while, but for spring 2014, definitely add lace to your wardrobe, then add some more and layer it some more. Nearly every collection had a look with some type of lacy feminine detail. There was also an interesting detail at Hervé Léger. Fringe, like the kind you put on the bottom of drapes, was shown on sheath dresses at Hervé Léger, and in other collections, was long and beaded on opulent gowns, as seen in the Badgley Mischka collection. As chiffon fabrics floated down the runway in daywear detailed with sparkle and printed chiffon evening gowns in florals, it was a sign that spring is near. Whenever you have the lace trend strong, you also have the sheer cutout trend. Designers got creative and used interesting details to show some skin in a classy way. This trend gives you the coverage and adds that interesting illusion and detail that you’ll love. For hair trends, soft, loose, wavy updos were accented with braids at Rebecca Minkoff and at the Sherri Hill show. Side-swept hair cascaded down one shoulder with a clean side bang. Gorgeous! Happy shopping for an amazing spring 2014 season! For more on the trends and runway videos, visit fashionablyaustin.com.
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f in e din ing
Mon Ideal Arro has composed a classic French soundtrack that leaves you humming ooh la la. By Matt McGinnis Every night is a dinner party at Arro. A good soundtrack can really make a road trip more memorable. There is nothing like drumming on the steering wheel to a string of excellent songs to make the miles tick by that much faster. The same thing can be true at a restaurant where the service, the atmosphere, the food and the drinks come together in an alchemy that leaves an indelible impression. That’s what the new French restaurant, Arro, is striving for.
48 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
“When people come to Arro, we want them to feel like they are at a dinner party in our backyard,” Andrew Curren says. “When people come to our house, they know the food is going to be delicious without being pretentious. The way we do that at Arro is with a great team that pays attention to detail and brings a high level of hospitality.” The Arro family is made up of handpicked talent. Staff comes not only from the other two ELM restaurants, 24 Diner and Easy Tiger Bake Shop & Beer Garden, but also from the pool of top food and wine pros in Austin. The general manager and director of operations have been with the Currens since the early days of 24 Diner. The sous chef attended culinary school with the Currens. Acclaimed Cheesemonger John Antonelli of Antonelli’s Cheese Shop runs the cheese program. Master Sommelier Craig Collins oversees the beverage program, and recently crowned Texas’ Best Sommelier, Scott Ota manages the floor. College roommates Curren and Collins have been dreaming about working together since they both fell in love with food and wine while study-
ing in Italy in 2001. The bonds of friendship color the approach to building the staff. “Our biggest asset is our people,” Curren says. “They pour their hearts in to making the experience at Arro feel like a dinner party. People want to be waited on and that’s what we love to do. Are we a wine restaurant because we have a Master Sommelier? No. Are we a foodie restaurant because we have a pastry chef? No. We are a hospitality restaurant.” The next song that makes the playlist come together is the smart and thoughtful interior design, which gives Arro a relaxed yet refined atmosphere. Designer Veronica Koltuniak of VeroKoltis, who also designed 24 Diner and Easy Tiger, created a rustic, approachable and highly functional space using reclaimed objects liked cloth mailbags on the ceiling and a wovenmetallic wall.
Photos by Julie Cope, provided by Arro.
gourmet /
WHO WILL GO HOME WITH THE FAMOUS MIRROR BALL TROPHY THIS YEAR? December 8th, 2013 at Hilton Austin www.centerforchildprotection.org #DWTSA2013
benefiting CENTER FOR CHILD PROTECTION
a children’s advocacy center
austinwomanmagazine.com 49
des Aubuisières Vouvray Cuvée de Silex Vouvray by the glass. What would a French meal be without sweetbreads? Arro serves medallions of these delicious thymus glands and pancreas treats alternating with medallions of lamb cooked medium rare on a bed of lentils. It’s divine. The Deux Montille Bourgogne Rouge pinot noir tickles the right spots to bring out the best in the delicate, rich and fatty sweetbreads coupled with the meaty lamb.
Mary Catherine and Andrew Curren
Classically French Cuisine
pects of the menu, starting with a completely French wine list and through to classic French desserts. There are six cheeses served à la carte, The standout track in the mix is the food. The with five one-ounce wedges for $4, and always seed of the idea for Arro was sown 10 years ago a cheese on the bottom of the list that is a full when Andrew and Mary Catherine Curren met six-ounce, cave-aged wheel of cheese served while studying classical French cooking at the with house-made bread and crackers. Arro is the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New only restaurant in town that serves a full wheel, York. Since then, the French approach with farm- and brings in unique and special cheeses from to-table ingredients has been the basis for how small producers. It’s possible to make a meal of they have created menus. They felt that relaxed, just bread, cheese and wine and feel completely flavorful, approachable, bistro-style food is a content. natural fit for Austin, where people want good If you make it past the cheese course, you may food without much fuss. linger for a long time on the starter selections. From “We want to demystify French food as just light and healthy morsels like an herb salad and vegheavy cream and butter and show that it can be etable tart to lobster bisque and frog legs, there are 11 fresh and approachable,” Andrew Curren says. mouth-watering dishes to choose from. Don’t miss the “We use fresh, local ingredients that are delivered bone marrow. It’s not a gooey, gelatinous ectoplasmic four to five times a day because people care about residue in the middle of a donut-shaped dog bone. the freshness and where food comes from.” Nope. Arro serves it in a hollowed-out canoe bone “We touch every plate and make sure everymixed with herbs and roasted to give it a crispy crust. thing is right,” Mary Catherine Curren adds. “I’m The nutty flavor pairs well with the Guigal Crozesproud to put out food that I think is gorgeous and Hermitage syrah wine. I’m excited for customers to eat it. It’s fun to do Grab a plate of grilled baby octopus while it’s this with my husband.” still on the menu. The smokiness and brine of the The French influence is evident in all asbitty swimmers is balanced with creamy white beans and sweet roasted carrots. Nibble off each French Connection leg, one at a time. It’s fantastic with a glass of Arro is open Sunday through Arro only seats 100 guests at a Cinsault de la Sanglière Wednesday, 5 p.m. to midnight, time, so call ahead for reservations. 2011 Cuvée Spéciale rosé. and Thursday through Saturday, On to the main courses. 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. If you prefer a simplified menu, The seafood stew is Arro’s they offer a three-course meal version of bouillabaisse, The dinner crowd packs the for $25. with hefty hunks of grouplace Wednesday through Saturper canoodling with clams day from 7 to 9 p.m. The full menu is served late night. and mussels in a broth with tomatoes, saffron and The busiest night of the week is The Midnight Special, a salted cayenne. The stew begs for Friday, when you’ll find three people chocolate chip cookie sandwich a slab of fresh bread to sop deep at the bar and up to a twowith Cognac ice cream, is only it up. Its complex flavors and-a-half-hour wait for a table. available after midnight. love the crisp acidity and tangerine bite of Domaine
50 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
Fifty Percent of Guests Order Dessert
The Currens agree that no matter how good the main dinner items are, the hidden gems are the desserts. The cookie plate is easily overlooked, but it can be the best dessert to share. It has a little bit of everything, including fruit, chocolate and buttery goodness that goes perfect with French press coffee or a cordial. Cordials? That’s right, It’s not just the sweets. Arro has a full cart of insanely tempting cordials—what, a choice of green or yellow Chartreuse?!?!—and a respectable list of dessert wines. There are some matches made in heaven, like the crème fraîche hazelnut panna cotta served with a petite glass of Les Clos de Paulilles Banyuls. The port-like wine brings out the coffee notes in the chocolate that might be otherwise overlooked. The Baumard Quarts de Chaume dessert wine is delectable with the lemon goat-cheese tart. It’s so good, it didn’t matter that it wasn’t chocolate.
Drawing a Crowd
The service, the atmosphere and the delightful food and wine menu are drawing a crowd that is a cross section of Austin, with T-shirt-clad hipsters elbowed up to the bar next to gorgeous socialites decked out for a charity event alongside retirees out on a date. Any given night, you’re likely to see a who’s who of local luminaries, like Austin City Limits Producer Terry Lickona, or celebrated chefs like Paul Qui and Shawn Cirkiel. Recently, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, the New Zealand-based comedy duo known as Flight of the Conchords, spent the evening cracking jokes in the kitchen after performing in town with Dave Chappelle. “We want to create fantastic restaurants that people can come to multiple times a week and not fuss about it,” Andrew Curren says. “We love to eat out. It’s by far our favorite thing to do after cooking. And we want to run restaurants that we would want to go to. We think we’ve done that.” The cohesive, family-like staff is orchestrating a fantastic playlist of hospitality, casual atmosphere, excellent food and a masterfully curated wine list to create a memorable dining experience.
gourmet /
Venison Chil i F r i to P i e
f o o d f e s t i va l
Yields 15 servings Ingredients:
Food, Wine, Action! An exclusive look at the 24th annual La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival with three recipes to try at home. By Courtney Bell La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival is back for its 24th year to celebrate the educational contributions of art organization The Contemporary Austin. More than 50 of Texas’ best culinary minds and wineries come together on the gorgeous lawns of Laguna Gloria to raise money for the many visual arts programs that reach more than 11,000 students annually through The Contemporary’s programs and services. Enjoy the sweet life with $150 general admission tickets. For $200, gain access to the VIP cocktail lounge curated by the Tipsy Texan, showcasing some of Austin’s hottest and most innovative mixologists. Tickets can be purchased at thecontemporaryaustin.org.
A Sneak Peek Behind the Scenes: Kevin Williamson, Head Chef and Owner of Ranch 616 “La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival is the best party of the season every year! I’ve participated since the beginning and I’ve held the titles of honorary chef and chairman of La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival and Ranch 616. I plan on continuing to participate, promote and support La Dolce Vita every year,” Williamson says. This West Sixth Street entrepreneur, responsible for Ranch 616, Star Bar and The Rattle Inn, is back for his second run as chairman of the event. Born in Little Rock, Ark., and raised in Austin, Williamson has a background in real estate and finance, and a passion for music, fun and food. Ranch 616 opened its doors 15 years ago as a South Texas-style icehouse featuring gulf coast cooking with hints of Mexican influence. Fresh fish, gulf coast oysters and Texas prime beef can be found on his seasonal menu. For this year’s La Dolce Vita Festival, Williamson will be creating a venison chili Frito pie for your festival pleasure.
1 pound dried, soaked black beans 1 pound dried, soaked navy beans 1 pound dried, soaked garbanzo beans 2 pounds ground venison 2 pounds ground pork 2 pounds ground beef 1 large diced onion 1 seeded, diced jalapeño 1 bunch cilantro, chopped 1 cup garlic, chopped 1/2 cup dark chili powder 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper 1/4 cup paprika 1 tablespoon comino 1 1/2 cup flour 1 quart cold water Salt and pepper as needed Corn chips as needed Directions:
Cook all the beans until they are tender. Let cool and set aside. Combine venison, pork and beef in a large pot with onion, jalapeño, cilantro and garlic and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes or until all meats are cooked. Add chili powder, cayenne, paprika, comino, salt and pepper and stir well. Add cooked beans to meat mixture. Combine flour and water in separate bowl and mix well. Add to chili as needed to thicken, pouring through strainer and stirring vigorously to prevent lumps. Bring chili to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with corn chips.
An evening of extraordinary art from around the world benefiting Ten Thousand Villages, Austin’s only 100% fair trade shop.
Friday, October 25, 7 – 10 pm
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Crispy Fried Gu lf Oys ter s Yields 7 oysters Ingredients:
More than 50 food and wine vendors gather on the expansive grounds of Laguna Gloria to bring La Dolce Vita Festival attendees the taste of Austin’s finest culinary gurus
Parsnip chips Rio grapefruit Celery leaves Whole horseradish 7 buttermilk-soaked oysters 2 cups flour 1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper Habanero Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons chopped habanero peppers 1/2 cup canola oil 1 tablespoon sugar 2 vanilla beans 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon honey 1/4 cup Champagne vinegar Directions:
Preheat frying oil to 375 degrees. Mix the flour, paprika, salt and pepper for the oyster batter together in a mixing bowl. Dredge the buttermilk-soaked oysters in the flower mixture and fry until golden brown. In a separate pan, simmer the chopped habaneros in canola oil over very low heat for five minutes. Remove from heat. As the oil cools, in a separate bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, salt, honey and Champagne vinegar. Strain the habeneros from the oil. Once the oil is cool, slowly add the oil to sugar mixture to emulsify. Place the fried oysters on top of the parsnip chips. In a small bowl, mix the grapefruit segments and celery leaves with the habanero vinaigrette. Place on top of the oyster. Finish with freshly grated horseradish.
Rebecca Meeker, Chef of Jeffrey’s and Josephine House “Jeffrey’s and Josephine House are delighted to be part of the Austin dining community supporting arts education at La Dolce Vita,” Rebecca Meeker says. From an early age, Meeker knew she would make a splash in the culinary world. At the tender age of 18, she began her studies under Chef David Bull at the Driskill Grill, went on to attend the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and began traveling with the Four Seasons upon graduation. Afforded the opportunity to cook in Santa Barbara, Calif.; Austin; San Francisco; New York and Taiwan, Meeker credits the core of her culinary philosophy to Chef Yosuke Suga. Meeker returned to Austin and reunited with Bull at Congress until joining McGuire Moorman Hospitality in April 2013, where she now creatively oversees all new projects and assists in the kitchen at Jeffrey’s and Josephine House. This year, Meeker is presenting crispy fried gulf oysters at La Dolce Vita, a creative spin on a Texas classic.
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P r o s ci u t t o a n d M i s sio n F ig Pizza Yields 1 pizza Ingredients:
1 (7-ounce) prepared pizza dough 1 ounce pomace oil 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese 3 ounces mozzarella cheese 2 ounces mission figs 3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese 1 ounce arugula 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon virgin olive oil 2 ounces prosciutto 1 teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon chili flakes Directions:
Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 550 degrees for one hour. Alternately, the pizza can be baked on a piece of parchment paper placed directly on the rack or on a cookie sheet. Stretch the dough to about 10 or 12 inches wide. Brush the pizza dough with pomace oil and sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the top. Place the mozzarella cheese and mission figs on the dough and cook until dough is crisp. Once cooked, remove the pizza from the oven and immediately sprinkle Gorgonzola cheese on top of pizza. While pizza is resting, in separate bowl, toss arugula with virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Place prosciutto pieces on top of pizza along with arugula mix. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle chili flakes over it all as final garnish.
George Thomas, Head Chef of Umami Mia Pizzeria “La Dolce Vita Festival attendees love food and appreciate the way flavors combine to satisfy cravings. This is exactly what Umami Mia Pizzeria is all about. We are thrilled to participate in La Dolce Vita Festival and share our signature prosciutto and mission fig pizza with guests,” Thomas says. Thomas has long graduated from making sandwiches for $4 an hour like he did at age 13. He now has more than 20 years of experience cooking in New York, Miami, Jacksonville, Fla., and Austin. Following the successful opening of his first restaurant at age 23, he sold his Japanese tapas bar and moved to Austin. Thomas made his home in Austin favorites, such as Paggi House, Kenichi, Imperia and Soleil before bringing gourmet pizza to the hip Barton Springs neighborhood. Umami Mia Pizzeria features “the fifth taste” in all of its dishes. Described as rounded, rich and savory, umami is a flavor found in foods such as ripe tomatoes, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese, as well as Thomas’ prosciutto and mission fig pizza, to be served at La Dolce Vita.
Eat, Be Merry…Oh Yes, Drink! Pedernales Cellars Winemaker David Kuhlken of Pedernales Cellars will be hanging out and pouring glasses of the 2010 Texas High Plains tempranillo. Pedernales Cellars harvests the grapes used for this wine from the Reddy and Bingham vineyards of the High Plains, where sandy soils and cool evenings help characterize the rich, award-winning wine. The 2010 High Plains tempranillo has notes of classic cherry and earthiness with a silky finish. This wine pairs well with rack of lamb and other grilled meats.
56 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
Duchman Family Winery The Duchman Family Winery plans to showcase the 2012 vermentino and 2011 tempranillo at Laguna Gloria. The 2012 vermentino offers notes of delicate white flowers and citrus blossoms on the nose while complex flavors of pear, grapefruit and lime zest dance on the palate. This white varietal is widely planted in Sardinia but grows in the Texas High Plains to produce a light acidic wine. This wine naturally pairs well with seafood, in particular gulf coast oysters (perfect for Chef Meeker’s recipe!). Blue fruit and hints of leather emphasize the 2011 tempranillo. With solid tannins and food-friendly acidity, this wine pairs well at home with a nice marbled steak or pork chop, cutting through the fats and opening up the flavors of the meat.
Wines Provided by and available at Twin Liquors: Cono Sur Reserva sauvignon blanc, Chile This is a gorgeous representation of Chilean sauvignon blanc, with notes of citrus and grapefruit, green apples and white peaches. It’s crisp yet balanced with good acidity and mouth feel. It’s perfect for pairing with shellfish, citrus vinaigrettes and sushi. Andezon Cotes du Rhone, France This is a blockbuster syrah-based wine, offering opaque violet color and super concentrated black fruits. It drinks like a Northern Rhone at a fraction of the price. Firm tannins and a voluptuous quality make this a perfect pairing with roasted meats.
la do lc e vita’ s Cast List:
Eat
Benji’s Cantina Con’ Olio Oils & Vinegars Dolce Neve Dude Sweet Chocolate Eddie V’s Prime Seafood El Monumento Eleven Plates & Wine Fleming’s Steakhouse Food Fanatics Foreign & Domestic H-E-B Café Mueller Jasper’s Jeffrey’s & Josephine House Komé: Sushi Kitchen laV Malaga Maudie’s MAX’s Wine Dive Megg’s Café and Hamilton Bread Co. Parkside Projects Pinkberry Ramen Tatsuya Ranch 616 Roaring Fork Salty Sow SATAY Restaurant Searsucker Siena Ristorante Toscana Sugar Circus Swift’s Attic Tacodeli Taj Palace Indian Restaurant Texas Coffee Traders The Bonneville The Seedling Truck TRACE Umami Mia Pizzeria Whole Foods Winflo Osteria Drink
4.0 Cellars Becker Vineyards Duchman Family Winery Llano Estacado Winery McPherson Cellars Brennan Vineyards Lost Oak Pedernales Cellars Pleasant Hill Winery Cuvée Coffee additional domestic & international wines by twin liquors
IT’S YOur NIghT OuT at the Austin Symphony
It’s date night every month with the Austin Symphony! The ASO has concerts every month for any occasion. Enjoy a beverage, a beautiful view of downtown, and then listen to some live classical music performed by your Austin Symphony!
2013–2014 Season PETEr BAY, MuSIc DIrEcTOr
Ask about group rates!
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Ready for the Holidays? A workout guaranteed to ramp up your fitness routine. By Georgia Nixon, Photos by Rudy Arocha The holiday season is ramping up. So should your workout routine! Treats and special events will invade your social life in the season ahead, so it is essential to have a plan of attack to not only keep the pounds down, but to actually get leaner and more toned. Shed the fluff and build lean muscle with highintensity interval training and CrossFit moves you can do anywhere. In this workout, you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is taken before repeating. Your goal is three rounds. Scale to one or two rounds based on your fitness level.
Sumo Deadlift High Pull, aka “put the suitcase in the trunk.” Take a wide plie stance with feet turned out at a 45-degree angle. Hold the weight with a narrow grip and look straight ahead. Keep a slight curve in your lumbar spine, chest up, shoulder blades pinched together in back. Driving through the heels, stand up and powerfully shrug the shoulders to the ears. Allow your hands to travel just below the chin with elbows up high and out. Hips will be fully extended. Follow the same path to the beginning stance.
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Lunge with Rotation. Keep your upper body straight with shoulders back and chin up. Engage your core. Holding a weight, extend your arms straight ahead, parallel to the floor. Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle, not pushed out too far, and make sure your other knee doesn’t touch the floor. With arms extended, rotate toward your front leg, across the body. Return to center. Keep the weight in your heels as you push back up to the starting position. Repeat on the other leg.
Hanging Tucks. Hang from a bar with an overhand grip, legs fully extended. Lean back slightly and pull the shoulder blades down and together to engage your back muscles. Doing so will protect your shoulders from unnecessary stress. Pull the navel to the spine and raise your knees up toward your chest in a tucked position. Return to the start position. Again, raise knees in a tucked position, this time aiming knees toward the right. Return to start and repeat on the left. Continue alternating left, middle and right until time is up.
Ring Rows. The ring row is essentially a push-up in reverse. Keep a tight, rigid body by pulling the navel toward the spine and squeezing the glutes. Next, draw the shoulder blades together and the shoulders back. Continue the movement by driving the elbows back, brushing them past the ribcage, and pull with the arms until the chest passes through the rings. Return to full extension at the bottom position, maintaining a straight body. Push Press, or “get it on the top shelf.” Feet are directly underneath the hips and weight is resting on the shoulders with elbows forward, parallel to the ground. Initiate the dip by bending the hips and knees into a one-quarter squat. With no pause at the bottom of the dip, forcefully extend the hips and legs to generate upward momentum and push the weight overhead. At the top of the movement, arms are directly overhead, glutes are squeezed tight and abs are pulled into a hollow body position. Return weight to the shoulders and begin the next rep with the dip. Georgia Nixon is a coach at Fit & Finish, a femalefocused CrossFit training facility and skin-care studio in Austin. More information at fitandfinishaustin.com.
Show your spirit Austinites love to make it known that they are, in fact, hailing from the great city of Austin. So it’s no surprise we adore The Austin Bra from Swinn, a local company that is giving sports bras a lot more personality. The Austin Bra comes in seven color combinations, including the classic burnt orange. A few of our other favorites feature sayings like “Me Eat Paleo” and “What Up.” $32, available at iloveswinn.com.
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Mammograms At The Austin Diagnostic Clinic our doctors and staff are always looking to improve care and screenings for our patients. This includes our Women’s Imaging Center which recently applied for and became a Diagnostic Breast Center Certified Participant or, step one on our way to becoming a Breast Center of Excellence. What does this mean for you? It means we will improve your mammogram screening expereience by meeting and exceeding guidelines set by the National Quality Measures for Breast Centers. For more information ask your ADC Ob/Gyn or call us
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Breast Cancer Detection The latest information on mammograms and breast-imaging procedures. By Jill Case In 2009, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released new guidelines about when and how often women should get mammograms. They recommend that women who are not at high risk (women who do not have the BCRA 1 or 2 gene and/or who do not have a family history of breast cancer) begin routine screening at age 50 and get routine screening every two years. The American Cancer Society continues to recommend that women begin annual routine screening at age 40. When asked for her recommendations, Dr. Elizabeth Moorehead, medical director of Imaging at The Breast Center at St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, told Austin Woman, “I think that every radiologist, along with the American College of Radiology, recommends screening beginning at 40 and every year.” As you can see, there is some debate about when to begin screening, and how often to get it, but there is no debate about the fact that mammograms save lives by detecting breast cancer before it can be seen or felt by a woman or her doctor, and early detection is very important to a woman’s treatment plan.
Screening Mammogram Mammograms are X-rays that are taken while your breast is compressed between two plates. The two most commonly used types are film-screen mammography (the X-ray appears on film) and digital mammography (the images are recorded directly on a computer). Both tests are performed the same way, and they produce two-dimensional images. Studies have shown that digital mammography has advantages over film-screen mammography because the images can be moved and manipulated, providing better views. In addition, digital mammography produces less radiation.
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wellness A new kind of mammogram, the 3-D mammogram, is providing even more views—clearer and more defined. It is available now in Austin at the Breast Center at St. David’s Medical Center. Mammograms are excellent screening tools because they can detect calcifications (small mineral deposits in breast tissues, which may or may not indicate cancer), masses and cysts (which may also be benign). If the radiologist sees anything suspicious on your mammogram, you will be called back for further imaging. These tests are called diagnostic mammograms.
Diagnostic Mammograms If you are called back due to a suspicious image on your mammogram, or if you are having symptoms (such as a lump in your breast, discharge from your breasts), you will probably get a diagnostic mammogram. This test will be performed in exactly the same manner as your screening mammogram, but during this exam, the technologist will take more views, perhaps focusing on and/or magnifying a certain area to get a better view. A call back should not necessarily alarm you
3-D Mammography 3-D Mammography, also known as breast tomosynthesis (pronounced toh-moh-SIN-thah-sis) is another form of mammography, used for screening and diagnostic purposes. The Breast Center at St. David’s Medical Center is the first facility in Austin to offer this type of mammogram. This new technology provides the radiologist with a clear picture of breast tissue, especially of overlapping breast tissue, which is caused when the breast is compressed to take the images. In traditional 2-D mammography, the breast is compressed between the plates and X-ray images are taken of each breast from top to bottom and side to side. In 3-D mammography, the breast is also compressed, but multiple pictures are taken from different angles. A computer uses these images to produce 3-dimensional images of the breast, providing clearer, more focused views. This has been shown to lead to fewer women being called back for further testing.
because the American Cancer Society notes that approximately 10 percent of women who receive a screening mammogram will be called back, and of those, only eight to 10 percent will go on to need a biopsy. In addition, 80 percent of the biopsies are benign. As mammogram technology improves, fewer women may be called back or receive false positive results.
Additional Imaging Procedures Mammograms are not the only imaging procedures that are used to diagnose breast cancer. Doctors also rely on ultrasound and MRIs. There has been some concern about the fact that 3-D mammography produces more radiation than digital mammography, but, according to Dr. Moorehead, it actually produces the same amount of radiation as the traditional analog film mammography, which is the test that everyone was getting prior to the advent of digital mammography. The American Cancer Society also says that the radiation dose is…“still below the maximum dose allowed by the Mammography Quality Standards Act.” This new technology may be the perfect screening tool for you, especially if you are younger than age 50, have dense breast tissue or are preor peri-menopausal. You should discuss this test with your doctor. Also, you should check with your own insurance company to find out if they cover 3-D mammography. For more information about 3-D mammography or any of the services at St. David’s, call 512. 544.8800 or go to stdavids.com/thebreastcenter.cs
Breast Biopsies If your doctor has found anything suspicious during your screening or diagnostic tests, he or she may recommend a biopsy to determine whether you have a malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous) area in your breast tissue. During a biopsy, cells or tissue are removed from the suspicious area, and then the cells or tissue is examined microscopically. Your doctor will determine which type of biopsy is most suited to your situation. Here are some of the types of biopsies you might expect: Ultrasound-Guided Biopsy. This procedure is done in an ultrasound room. You lie on your back, and you receive a local anesthesia. The physician inserts a needle into the area that has been identified as suspicious to obtain a tissue sample. Stereotactic Biopsy. During this procedure, you lie face down on a padded table with your breast resting in an opening in the table. The breast that is being examined is then compressed and examined using digital mammography. The mammogram helps the physician locate the suspicious area so he or she can insert a needle into the area to obtain a tissue sample. Surgical Biopsy. You will receive general anesthesia (or local anesthesia, along with a medication to make you drowsy). The surgeon will make a small incision and remove suspicious tissue for further examination. For more information about biopsies, go to: cancer.org/treatment/ understandingyourdiagnosis/examsandtestdescriptions/forwomenfacingabreastbiopsy/breast-biopsybiopsy-types
Ultrasound is a non-invasive exam (which produces no radiation) that helps radiologists evaluate masses in breast tissue, as well as cysts. It is also sometimes used during needle biopsies to help guide the doctor. MRIs are usually used to help with further evaluation when a mammogram or ultrasound has not turned up conclusive results. They are particularly helpful in evaluating palpable masses (masses that you can feel), evaluating lesions in dense breast tissue (particularly in young women), in determining if the breast cancer is involved in more than one area (multicentric), and in other special circumstances. If none of these imaging procedures are conclusive, your doctor may recommend a biopsy.
The Importance of Screening According to breastcancer.org, “…mammograms have been shown to lower the risk of dying from breast cancer by 35 percent in women over the age of 50.” In addition, The American Cancer Society cites a study that showed that the death rate was 29 percent lower in women ages 40 to 49 when they received mammograms. Mammography allows for early treatment, which not only leads to better outcomes for women, but also can catch the cancer before it spreads. Mammograms are often available at low or no cost as well, so every woman should be able to get this valuable screening.
Dr. Elizabeth Moorehead, a board-certified radiologist with Austin Radiological Association, is the medical director of imaging at The Breast Center at St. David’s Medical Center in Austin. In March 2013, The Breast Center was designated as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology.
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Navigating a Cancer Diagnosis Strategies for maintaining emotional wellness. By Ginny Grimsley Unlike many of the most important events in one’s life—graduation, marriage, having a child—almost no one anticipates a cancer diagnosis. This year, nearly 239,000 U.S. men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and more than 232,000 women will learn they have breast cancer, according the American Cancer Society. During their lifetimes, nearly half of all men can expect a cancer diagnosis, and more than a third of women.* “Thankfully, we now have many tools for detecting cancers early and treating them successfully. But learning you have cancer remains one of life’s most frightening and stressful experiences,” says cancer psychotherapist Dr. Niki Barr, author of Emotional Wellness, The Other Half of Treating Cancer (canceremotionalwellbeing.com). “Developing ways to help patients address their emotional well-being throughout their medical journey still lag behind medical advances, but physicians and psychologists recognize that healing improves when both the physical and emotional needs of patients are served.” In her years of clinical practice working exclusively with cancer patients and their loved ones, Barr developed an Emotional Wellness Toolbox that patients stock with what Barr has found to
be the most effective tools. Here are some of her tools for managing anxiety—a normal and emotionally healthy response to a cancer diagnosis, but one that can spiral out of control. Catch your anxious thoughts. Stop anxious thoughts, thoughts about fear, unease and worry before they lead to anxiety. Start by writing your thoughts down on individual note cards and identifying the first one that’s leading to you feeling anxious. Then the next one. When you’ve identified all of your anxious thoughts, go back to the first one and write a new thought that will not make you feel anxious. It should be a thought that is confident and empowering. Continue down the list and do the same for each anxious thought.
Other helpful tools include: Meditation CDs that use guided imagery, favorite music CDs and a journal to record your thoughts and feelings. “Being able to manage your anxiety enables you to move forward through cancer whether patient, caregiver or family member,” Barr says. “Don’t tell yourself you can’t handle whatever you’re going through. Yes, you can, five minutes at a time.”
Erase “what if” thinking. What if the cancer has spread? What if the treatment doesn’t work? One what if leads to another and often spirals into anxiety. Be aware when you start asking what if, and instead ask yourself, “Is this thought helping me or hurting me?” and “Is this thought moving me forward or backward?” Ground yourself. Interrupt a chain of anxious thoughts by focusing on details around you. Look at the color of the walls in the room you’re in; take in the pictures on the walls, the books on the shelves and the titles on their spines; look at the person you’re talking to, the color of their eyes, the clothes she’s wearing. Being very focused on external details can derail anxious thoughts. Use distraction. Choose a favorite place and visit it. Absorb everything about it: the colors, smells, any people involved, the sounds, tastes, how it feels. Build it up very clearly in your mind, going over and over it so it can become a distraction tool. When you’re waiting for a medical test or procedure, undergoing a procedure or any other time you need to “be” somewhere else, call up your distraction and visit. *The data does not include non-melanoma skin cancers, the most common diagnosis.
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Christy Casey-Moore
The executive director of Komen Austin on the truth about the organization and the fight to improve the lives of everyone affected by breast cancer. As told to: Deborah Hamilton-Lynne Photo by Elizabeth Shear In January 2011, the national organization of Susan G. Komen announced a change in the way grant funds would be made locally, including a plan to exclude funds to Planned Parenthood. When the announcement went viral through social media, women and sponsors throughout the country withdrew their support of the organization. Although the decision was rescinded three days later, the damage was done and many local affiliates lost support and funding, including Komen Austin. Komen Austin plays a vital role in providing breast health services for uninsured and underinsured women in the five Central Texas counties of Bastrop, Caldwell, Hayes, Travis and Williamson. AW sat down with the executive director of Komen Austin, Christy Casey-Moore, to get the facts about the organization and the services it provides. I came to Komen in 1997 as part of my job at GSD&M, where I started working on the operations part of the race. Eight years in to it, Komen became personal for me when one of the volunteers that was working with me was diagnosed with breast cancer at 28 years old. Within two years, she lost her life and it was devastating for me. It was my first step to understanding the impact of the Komen journey. In 2008, my partner, Bonnie, was diagnosed with aplastic anemia bone marrow disease and as we fought that battle and the uncertain outcome (Bonnie received a bone mar-
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B r e a s t H e a lt h row transplant that returned her to health), it was a wake-up call for me to do something more with my life. The more I learned about Komen Austin and the impact it had, the more I realized that once I was offered the position of executive director, it was something I had to do. I am passionate about what the organization does and I want everyone to know exactly who we are and what we do. Each local affiliate is its own independent 501(c)3. We have our own governing board, our own revenue sources and our own expense line. The local board is responsible for the organization in Austin and we receive no operating funds from the national organization. People see the big pink ribbon and think we are a huge organization, but the truth is we have six full-time employees and one part-time employee that are responsible for raising every dime that goes back in to our Central Texas communities. We are part of a national organization, but Komen Austin is as local as an organization can be. Over the years, Komen Austin has raised over $13.9 million. Seventy-five percent of those funds raised are dedicated to local organizations and granted out in to the community. The remaining 25 percent goes to the national organization and is solely dedicated to research. When you donate to Komen Austin, you are not only making a local impact, but you are also making a global impact. The funds that go back in to the community help your mother, your sister, your best friend and your neighbor. The other 25 percent of funds raised are dedicated to research to find a cure. Komen funds breast health resources for uninsured and underinsured women. We pay for yearly screenings, yearly clinical breast exams, mammograms, surgery and follow-up after surgery, patient navigation, support groups and transportation services. We fund these services through community partners who receive funds through an annual granting process. After the grant is given, Komen has a stringent management process for accountability with each recipient organization. We are incredible stewards of the money that has been
entrusted to us by the community and want to see every dollar stretched as far as it can possibly go. In January of 2011, the national organization made a decision to make a change in the way local grants were to be granted. The controversial decision went viral. At the time the decision was made, Austin was one of the handful of affiliates that funded through Planned Parenthood and we funded for education, clinical breast exams and vouchers for screening mammograms. At no time did Komen Austin ever pull funds from any of our local organizations, including Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood receives funds for clinical breast exams, education and vouchers for screening mammograms. The decision was reversed within three days and the national organization gave back control to the local affiliates and founded an Affiliate Leadership Council made up of regional representatives from both large affiliates and small affiliates, giving us a voice in future decisions that affect the affiliates. I am the elected representative for the Southwest region, which gives me an opportunity to have a voice at the table when national decisions are being made. The national organization also has a new CEO, Dr. Judy Salerno.
As a result of the controversy, we saw a significant dip in participation and funding last year. The sad thing about that was that our community lost about $400,000 in critical funds. I am so fortunate to work with six committed women who are passionate about the mission and the women we serve. This year, we are continuing and hope to do more than we have ever done. The numbers are looking great for the race this year. We have to keep going! Headquarters makes their money from The National Race for the Cure held annually in Washington and from cause related marketing the Susan G. Komen pink ribbon for products. However, there are a lot of different organizations that use different versions of the pink ribbon so you need to read the fine print for each product to know where the funds donated are going. Some products, like Yoplait yogurt and the Ford Warriors incentive, for example, donate funds locally as well. Our mission is to envision a world without breast cancer. We know that there are many women who have to be served. All of the organizations we fund play an important role in the continuum of care. This model begins with breast health
awareness and screening, then progresses through the cycle of diagnosis, treatment and follow-up for survivors and their families. We make sure that all women have access to these critical services. Komen Austin is like no other breast-cancer organization in that all of the organizations we fund provide these services for the women who need them free of charge. If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, through Susan G. Komen, you will know that there are other women who are out there and have gone through the same thing. You have a safe haven in your local affiliate. There are resources for support groups not only for survivors, but also for their co-survivors, spouses, partners and children. We have educated people and made it OK to talk about the disease. We have helped increase breast health selfawareness. Through the number of dollars that we have invested in research, we are driving the mortality rates down. My mission is to help the community know who we are, what we do and make the biggest impact to serving our community that Komen Austin possibly can. For a list of community partners and services offered, go to komenaustin.org.
Breast Self-Awareness Tips from Susan G. Komen 1. Know your risk. Talk to your family to learn your health history. Talk to your doctor about your personal risk of breast cancer. 2. Get screened. Ask your doctor which screening tests are right for you. Have a mammogram every year starting at age 40. Have a clinical breast exam at least every three years starting at age 20, and every year after age 40. 3. Know what is normal for you. See your healthcare provider if you notice any of these breast changes: Lump, hard knot or thickening inside the breast Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening of the breast Change in size or shape of the breast Dimpling or puckering of the skin Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple Pulling in of the nipple or other parts of the breast Nipple discharge that starts suddenly New pain in one spot that doesn’t go away 4. Make healthy lifestyle choices. Maintain a healthy weight. Add exercise to your routine. Limit alcohol intake. Limit post-menopausal hormone use. Breastfeed if you can.
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Close Up
with Barbara Morgan and the Austin Film Festival By Julie Tereshchuk Photos by Shannon McIntyre Styling by Ashley Hargrove, dtkaustinstyling.com; makeup by Lauren Lumsden, Rae Cosmetics, 1206 W. 38th St., 512.320.8732, raecosmetics.com; hair by April Downs, Avant Salon, 507 Pressler St. #800, 512.472.6357, avantsalon.com. Shot on location at the Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., austintheatre.org., and the Intercontinental Stephen F. Austin, 701 Congress Ave., Austin. intercontinental.com.
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he always intended to go home. Yet she fell in love. (With the city.) Then she got bored. (With her job.) Life was never the same again. Today, Barbara Morgan has 20 years as executive director of the Austin Film Festival under her belt— an event she co-founded in 1993 with Marsha Milam. These days, Morgan has zero time to be bored. As well as heading up the ever-growing nonprofit, which has changed the landscape of an entire industry, Morgan is the mother to a beautiful daughter. Hannah was born just six weeks before the 2005 festival. “We had a staff meeting in the hospital,” Morgan says. “Then she went everywhere that first festival, and has pretty much every year since.” With Austin’s Driskill Hotel acting as base camp for AFF’s eight days of movies, conference happenings and parties every October, the hotel is Hannah’s stomping ground. “She’s Hannah at the Driskill, like Eloise at the Plaza,” Morgan laughs. The Driskill is a jewel in the crown of today’s Austin, a city with a buzzing downtown filled with restaurants, shopping and visitors. Twenty years ago, Austin was a different town, and launching an upstart film festival might have been seen as a risky venture. But with zero film-festival experience and a limited budget, Morgan knew no better. That’s right. Zero film-festival experience. Morgan, who had graduated with a major in math, was working a busy day job for a commercial financing company. She came to Austin for the first time with her mother in 1979, when they arrived from Philadelphia to tour the University of Texas campus. Although Morgan intended going home after graduating, her mother correctly predicted the 17-year-old would never move back East. “She knew immediately that I’d fallen in love,” Morgan recalls. How this transplanted math major went on to start a first-of-its-kind organization has somewhat to do with fate—or kismet, as Morgan says. One of the things Morgan loved about Austin was its creative vibe, fueled by the live music scene, with its plethora of clubs and musicians. “Everybody was either a musician or a budding filmmaker or a writer,” Morgan says. After agreeing in the early ’90s to manage a musician friend in her spare
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time, she soon found herself putting on a nationwide tour for a several bands—with no intention of quitting her day job. That was her introduction to the “Disneyland ride” of event planning. She loved it. “It was wonderful, satisfying and fulfilling.” Morgan comes from a very close family. Growing up, her father encouraged her to look for a job doing something she enjoyed. Her mother shared her love of movies with her daughter. The two would head into Philadelphia together, often to see classic movies in the big one-screen theaters that still dominated downtowns. The Austin of the early ’90s was a town without a large film festival to its name. Until a friend of Morgan’s suggested she start one. “I was always a jumper, so I thought it was a great idea,” Morgan says of what others might have regarded as a daunting prospect to be dismissed as too big an undertaking. Not Morgan. Instead, she found herself at home one night writing a business plan to request funding from the Texas Film Commission. In a kismet moment, she’d been at dinner earlier that evening with the then head of the film The Director’s Cut: commission, Marlene Highlights from 20 Saritzky. years of memories, “I told her I was movies and more. thinking about starting By Barbara Morgan a film festival. It was a 2006, Sydney Pollack totally ludicrous thing to One of the staff spotsay,” Morgan says with ted him in line at the a self-deprecating shake salad bar. He joined of her head. us for lunch and reRidiculous or not, galed us with stories Morgan’s proposal— of his recent travels honed from the skills to Southeast Asia. of her day job—was Every year, there is accepted. A phone call someone who makes to Milam, another movie all the toil and drama fan and also a profesof running an event sional event planner, disappear. Sydney brought her friend into was that person in the adventure. With 2006, but he was news spreading, an also a man of great article appeared in the stature and humanity. newspaper. Kismet, take It was a true pleasure two. to be in his company. The producer Fred
Miller called. He had two simple suggestions. Firstly, make the festival about the writers. Secondly, don’t rope the boldface names off from the rest of the attendees. Those two fateful thoughts have gone on to be the touchstones of the organization. For the first years, it was proudly called the Heart of Film Festival and Screenwriters Conference, and even though it has now expanded to include all who use film to tell a story, the primary and unique focus is still on the writer’s creative contribution to film. Buoyed by a combination of her natural drive and abject ignorance of the industry, Morgan began picking up the telephone. “I would love to say it was because I was ballsy,” she grimaces. “But I was just that ignorant.” With hindsight, she believes her early lack of filmindustry knowledge was a blessing. Two of the first friends she called were screenwriters Al Reinert (who was working on Apollo 13 at the time) and Bill Witliff (his credits include The Perfect Storm and Lonesome Dove). Soon, the festival had a life of its own.
2006, Harold Ramis I have always been a big fan of Harold Ramis’ comedies, and we were lucky to get to honor him in 2005. We showed Ghostbusters with him and Ernie Hudson presenting at the Paramount Theatre that year. You could feel the vibration of the laughter and clapping through the floor. 1999, Slapshot at the Paramount The local hockey players came out in droves and the Paramount said it was the most beer they had ever sold!
1998, Blood Simple at the Paramount The Coen Brothers and much of the cast and crew were here. They were releasing a special edition of the film on DVD. The production didn’t have the funds to do a cast and crew event when the film first came out, so they figured dong it in Austin was a great way to finally say thank you to a lot of their team, as the film was shot here. The Paramount was sold out, Anne Richards introduced the film and Bud Shrake moderated the Q&A. What a night!
Spin-Offs AFF: Not Just for October Anymore. On Story TV series Created and produced by Barbara Morgan. Watch On Story on Austin’s PBS station, KLRU, and online at onstory. tv. Now in season three, LA Times film critic Kenneth Turan says, “On Story is film school in a box, a lifetime’s worth of filmmaking knowledge squeezed into half-hour packages.” Books As with the On Story television series, Morgan and longtime former conference director Maya Perez have compiled excerpts from recordings of the many big names that have graced the festival in the past 20 years into a series of books. Young Filmmakers Program “Everything we do has story as the focus. It is not just about kids getting a camera and becoming a director.” —Barbara Morgan YFP introduces the arts of screenwriting and filmmaking to ages 9 through 18, and provides them with venues for developing their storytelling talents. The program offers kids opportunities to share their creative work with peers, the public and professional filmmakers and screenwriters and aims to provide them new mediums to express their creativity and improve their communication skills. Programs include: Digital Storytelling: An arts education program launched in 2005 that has served more than 1,500 AISD students. With a curriculum developed by Austin Film Festival and AISD English teachers, Digital Storytelling has been implemented in high schools where a disproportionate number of the student body is economically disadvantaged and considered at-risk. Festival and Conference Scholarship Program: Grants access to more than 300 scholarships for students and teachers in middle and high school to attend the annual Austin Film Festival & Conference. Summer Film Camp Young Filmmakers Competition Year-round Programming A wealth of often-free events dedicated to celebrating the art and impact of storytelling, including opportunities to attend conversations with industry pros, advance screenings, special retrospectives, filmmaker Q&As and parties.
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“That tumbleweed started rolling,” Morgan says. Some funding came from the Academy of Motion Pictures. Pulitzer Prize winner Horton Foote (yes, he who wrote the screenplay for To Kill a Mockingbird) returned her call. (In those pre-Google days, she got his number by calling Information.) By October 1994, there were five Academy Awardwinning screenwriters at the inaugural event, held at the Austin Opera House, which did not live up to the sophistication of its name and was a far cry from the glamor of Hollywood’s Oscar ceremonies, yet fit the shoestring budget. It rained all weekend, the roof leaked and the only phones were in the bathrooms, Morgan recalls, thankful that much of the detail has faded from her memory. Some scenes are unforgettable, however, including Barry Josephson, then president of production at Columbia Pictures, using the bathroom payphone. Yes, the upstart film festival—run out of a corner of Morgan’s day-job office—had snagged a major studio executive, thanks to Morgan’s cold calling. Josephson, who this year receives AFF’s inaugural Heart of Film award, bought and made a movie of the winning screenplay that first year. That put the event on the map, Morgan says, bringing producers, agents
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and screenwriters together, fostering the sale of many more screenplays and launching countless long-term successful careers. David Valdes, producer of Clint Eastwood’s movies, judged that first competition. He too had received a call from Morgan, who only later learned that “nobody in LA reads anybody’s scripts.” “If I’d known that, I never would have called him,” she says, noting that those first couple of years taught her an invaluable lesson. “Call anybody because they may take your call.” Despite Morgan’s fears, exhaustion and major second-guessing during the event, the attendees loved it. For the writers, it was a unique experience to be made the star of the show. Josephson even offered to be on the festival board, which was rapidly formed after his offer. “We were so lucky to have such generous and accomplished people here at that pivotal event,” Morgan says. She’s still a tad incredulous as she recalls the immediate positive response from the screenwriting industry. “We had six weeks to market that first competition. We got lists of people, we mailed out to them and we got 1,600 entries.”
Yes, mailed out. Hard as it is to fathom, in the early 1990s, there was mail—as in snail mail—and fax. No mass email campaigns, no Skype, no Facebook. Josephson returned the following year with Shane Black. “At the time, Shane was the king of the screenwriting world, having written Lethal Weapon and just having sold the most expensive spec script ever,” Morgan says. “A man at the top of his game.” One day, she noticed him sitting on the floor of the Driskill’s mezzanine, chatting with some registrants and readily accepting their invitation to grab lunch. “I had always had the picture of a film festival being a stratified place where the filmmakers were separated from the wannabes,” Morgan says. “So it was an incredibly heartening moment to know we had created a place where everyone was sharing and encouraging both personally and creatively.” By the late ’90s, TV writers were added to the rich conference mix, opening the door for the likes of Paul Feig, who has become an AFF regular. One of today’s hottest movie directors (think Bridesmaids and Heat), Feig came up through television; he’s the creator of Freaks and Geeks. It is ironic, comments Morgan as she
discusses the evolution by the eloquence and The Morgan Movies of AFF and the industry passion of the people The event-planning and crisis-management skills that, “all the film guys behind the shows and that have helped Barbara Morgan create the presnow want to be in televimovies they love. tigious Austin Film Festival also ideally equip this sion” because of the Morgan cites longtime cinephile as a producer of films. Here is a greater creative control moviemaker Frank brief summary of her filmmaking career. afforded to the small Darabont’s inspirascreen versus scriptwrittional Saturday story. Natural Selection ers. Darabont worked crew Developed and produced the film, which has been Industry historians on movies but aspired on Showtime and the Sci-Fi channel, and was and theologians may to be involved with released internationally. demur and debate, screenplays. He wrote however, AFF’s impact Stephen King a letter, Antone’s: Home of The Blues on the movie and TV and King gave him Co-produced the feature documentary, which was business is borne out by permission to adapt released internationally. the facts. It has inspired one of his short stories. a generation. The long That opened the door. Portrait of Wally list of moviemakers who Darabont went on to Produced the documentary feature, which have attended either as make The Green Mile screened in selected theaters throughout the guests or conference parand The Shawshank country. ticipants is an industry Redemption. A-to-Z roll call, ranging “If anything, our Spring Eddy from indie breakouts to place is just to be a Produced the narrative feature, which was filmed Hollywood A-listers. place where people can on location in Austin. This year, AFF refeel for a little while, ‘I ceived a record number can do that!’ ” Morgan of submissions for its says. 20th annual Screenplay and Teleplay Competition, From the start, and despite the tightest of budgets, with a total of 8,648 entries across all categories and the conference sessions have been recorded. Now, un6,236 individual script submissions. And, as iconic der the guidance of Morgan, the kinds of stories Frank director and producer Ron Howard said, AFF “is really Darabont and so many other moviemakers have told to about creativity, about trying to help people find their AFF attendees, and that have sat for years in the AFF voice. You sense it. There’s a spirit of camaraderie archives, are being made widely available. On Story that’s palpable.” is now in its third season as a television and online Camaraderie and inspiration, agrees Morgan. The show. It airs on PBS stations throughout the country, spur to take action from hearing others talk can be uni- including Austin’s KLRU, which gave the show its versal, not just for those who want to be writers. That’s start. A series of On Story books is also in the works, in why the festival introduced the Saturday badge, so the collaboration with UT Press. general public could attend panels and be inspired It’s that kind of innovation, combined with the
articulate industry insiders who give so generously of their time to share their passion and enthusiasm with others eager to learn from them that has motivated Morgan more than 20 years. Things have changed from the early days of no employees. (And no pay, at least in year one.) Today, there’s a full-time staff of 11, supplemented by about 600 volunteers. Although the event is held for eight days in October, the staff works year-round creating a marketing plan not just for the conference itself, but also for each individual movie that shows in the AFF film competition. No filmmaker wants their movie to be shown to an empty theater, Morgan explains. “It takes hard work to get the word out in Austin,” Morgan says. “There are always so many other things for people to go and do.” Throughout the years, AFF has built its filmviewing audience through savvy marketing, close collaboration and partnerships with local organizations such as the Texas Book Festival, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Travis County Sherriff’s Office and many more local arts organizations and businesses. All that hard work has paid off. “Now we have a large contingency from the entertainment industry that comes in for the festival looking for writers, looking for connections, looking for projects,” Morgan explains. “That is what Marsha and I intended when we started it: an industry event. We became that because of the writers. That’s been our secret weapon forever.” The willingness to jump on an idea, a dash of kismet and a heck of a lot of hard work. That’s the script Barbara Morgan has followed for 20 years. It’s led to a grand anniversary for the Austin Film Festival. Yet neither Morgan nor AFF are resting on their laurels. Mark your calendars for this coming attraction: The Austin Film Festival and Conference 2014—and beyond.
AFF XX: The Trailer As we sat down to compile this roundup of 2013 must-sees, AFF’s Erin Hallagan, who as conference director oversees all programming of the festival, echoed our thoughts: “It’s a difficult task. They are all exciting!”
Vince Gilligan—AFF’s 2013 Outstanding Television Writer award recipient—discusses creating his hit television show Breaking Bad. Golden Globe Award winner Gilligan is also the writer behind The X-Files.
Shane Black. The Iron Man III writer and director returns to present a script-to-screen of his 2005 critically acclaimed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. With script in hand and film clips on the screen, Black discusses his writing process: what worked, what didn’t, what needed to be changed for film production and why. Sure to be a sell-out session.
Jonathan Demme presents a handful of films that have influenced his versatile career, as well as a premiere of his latest film, Fear of Falling. Demme started out as a writer and producer in 1971. His films, which have been nominated for 20 Academy Awards, include Silence of the Lambs, for which he won the Oscar for Best Director.
Callie Khouri (2013 Distinguished Screenwriter) has received the Oscar, the Golden Globe, the Writers Guild of America Award and a PEN Literary Award for Best Original Screenplay. Her work includes Thelma and Louise and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. See the creator of the television series Nashville at the awards luncheon.
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HONORARY CHAIR
SHANE BLACK
WRITER/DIRECTOR, KISS KISS BANG BANG, IRON MAN 3; WRITER, LETHAL WEAPON, THE LAST BOY SCOUT, LAST ACTION HERO, THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013 DRISKILL HOTEL • 604 BRAZOS 710 PM • BENEFITING THE YOUNG FILMMAKERS PROGRAM
TICKETS $100 / $125 WALK UP
• $80 FOR AFF MEMBERS
GET TICKETS AT WWW.AUSTINFILMFESTIVAL.COM, AT 1800310FEST OR AT THE DOOR
8 DAYS OF FILMS, PANELS, PARTIES, AND SO MUCH MORE
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about genaustin
GENAUSTIN'S MISSION GENaustin’s mission is to support and guide girls to make wise choices as they navigate the unique pressures of girlhood. Growing up female has always been a challenging journey. Friendships, social groups and self-identity move to the center of a girl’s world as she becomes a teen; meanwhile, school gets harder, her body changes and cultural messages become desperately confusing. And just when girls seem to need guidance the most, they often turn away from trusted adults, hoping to find stronger bonds with their peers. How will they learn the wisdom they need to navigate the pressures and pitfalls of being a girl in today’s world?
GENAUSTIN'S PROGRAMS WE ARE GIRLS CONFERENCE REGISTRATION Register at WeAreGirls.org Saturday, November 9, 2013 8am (doors open) 9am-330pm breakout sessions Location Austin High School, 1715 W. Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78703 Group discounts and scholarships are available at WeAreGirls.org. Keynote Speaker Marlen Esparza- Olympian and US Boxing Champ For girls in 5th – 12th grades, moms, dads, educators, social workers and girl advocates of all kinds; 1,600 attendees. Questions? E-mail us at wearegirls@genaustin.org
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We Are Girls Conference
GENaustin’s We Are Girls Conference is a statewide annual event that helps girls explore the issues of bullying, body image and being a girl. Skill-building workshops and dynamic presentations are offered on topics including creating healthy relationships, building financial and media literacy, enhancing parent-daughter communication, and increasing positive body image, health, and wellness. Designed especially for girls in grades 5-12 and the adults who care about them, the We Are Girls Conference connects individuals with questions to experts who have the answers.
clubGEN
relationships. There are also Girl Talk Workshops that are designed for adults who work with girls or are interested in girl issues; the topics include body image, bullying and social media. These sessions are designed for 4th-12th grade girls, parents, and educators. Sessions utilize group facilitation and hands-on activities that are designed to address the complex issues girls face today.
180 Program
The 180 Program is a prevention and intervention program designed to reach middle and high school girls involved in or at high risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system. The program goals are to decrease rates of juvenile delinquency and increase in-school functioning, critical thinking skills and self-sufficiency for program participants. 180 reaches many girls after a first offense and helps them get back on track, preventing them from entering or re-entering the juvenile justice system.
clubGEN is an after school program for girls in grades 4-8. At clubGEN, girls are surrounded with positive role models they can relate to for connection, inspiration, and guidance. Weekly interactive, fun sessions incorporate a research-based curriculum designed exclusively for clubGEN. With support from their club leaders, peers and high school role models, clubGEN equips girls with the skills and awareness they need GirlConnect GirlConnect has been selected as a Dell to navigate the pressures of the teen years. Powering the Possible partner! TechnolMost of all, it’s fun! ogy has a major impact on the lives of girls today, influencing their choices and Girl Talks Workshops relationships. GirlConnect’s goal is to Girl Talk Workshops explore being a girl address the challenges girls face in their with topics such healthy relationships, daily lives by incorporating technology communication, social media, body image, and 21st century skills into an engaging media literacy, and parent-daughter and interactive curriculum.
6th Annual Statewide We Are Girls Conference
We Are Girls Conference Speakers
FEATURED CONFERENCE SPEAKERS DELL- IT is Not Just for Geeks – Stephanie Mims, Dell Executive Director of Global Support & Development- www.dell.com Sponsored by Dell’s Women In Search of Excellence (Wise) Group and led by Dell Executive Director of Global Support & Development Stephanie Mims, the ‘IT is Not Just for Geeks’ program is designed to help young girls think differently about careers in Information Technology. Finding technology skill sets in the market continues to be a challenge and finding female candidates remains an even bigger challenge. In this program, Stephanie encourages girls to consider a career in IT by bringing awareness to the job diversity available in technology, exploring the basic behaviors and attitudes critical to being successful in the work environment, and showing what they can do to better prepare themselves for the workforce. The program includes a presentation and an interactive panel discussion with professional women currently working in technology at Dell. This program focuses on the importance of science, technology, engineering and math studies and stresses the value of collaboration, follow-through, communication, and a positive “can-do” attitude! DELL joins the We Are Girls Conference for the 3rd year, this time to motivate and inspire young girls to become part of the IT Industry.
Dr. Stephanie Reich- www.wpih.net Stephanie Reich, M.D., has been practicing Obstetrics and Gynecology since 1992 and has been in Austin since 1995. Dr. Reich earned a BA in Biology from The University of Texas. She attended medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and completed her residency in OB/ GYN at the same institution in 1992. Board certified by ABOG in 1994, Dr. Reich has a special interest in adolescent gynecology and minimally invasive surgery. She provides women with gynecological and obstetrical care of all types, including high-risk obstetrics. Dr. Reich is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas. Dr. Reich is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a member of the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, a member of the Texas Medical Association and the Travis County Medical Society, and an active member of the Perinatal Council at Seton Medical Center-Austin. She has been named one of “Austin’s Best Doctors” multiple times by Austin Monthly magazine. She has provided care for those less fortunate through Project Access and the Seton Community Clinics for many years. Dr. Reich is an active supporter of women’s rights and reproductive options. Dr. Reich enjoys running and has completed eleven half-marathons so far!! She has two wonderful children named Quinn and Micah. She loves live music, cooking, reading, Star Trek, and cowboy boots. She joins the We Are Girls Conference to answer the most simple and complicated questions about young girls health.
Tameca Jones- www.reverbnation.com/tamecajones Coined the "Tina Turner of jazz" due to her long legs, fierce hair, and aggressive vocal stylings, Tameca Jones is a rare creature--an Austin, TX musician actually born and raised in the musical city. Since embarking on her mission to put her unique and soulful spin on covers in 2008, she has taken the local scene by storm with her potpourri of jazz, blues, rock, and soul. She opened for Gary Clark Jr., BB King, Smokey Robinson, David Sanborn and Joey Defrancesco, Oleta Adams, Take 6, Al Di Meola, Robert Cray, Ruben Studdard, and many other notable artists. In the summer of 2010, she won a prestigious contest that allowed her to open for Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, and Mint Condition. At one of her shows, you can hear her refreshing takes on a wide range of artists from Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix to Talking Heads and Bob Marley. Her band are regulars at established Austin venues like The Elephant Room, Z Tejas, Central Market, One World Theatre, One2One Bar and the Continental Club Gallery. In San Antonio, she plays often at Carmen de la Calle. She joins the We Are Girls Conference to share her story of success and ensure that all attendees know that anything is possible.
WHY A CONFERENCE FOR GIRLS? Nationally, 83% of middle- and highschool girls report being bullied. 1 out of 3 teen girls in the U.S. suffer from depression. Nationally, girls are the fastest growing population in the juvenile justice system. 81% of U.S. 10-yearold girls have been or are currently on a diet. 71% of teen girls in Austin report feeling they don’t measure up. 43% of girls in Austin say they act out negatively when feeling badly about themselves through bullying, binge drinking, disordered eating, smoking and self-mutilation. See GenAustin.org for more information on these statistics and to find new resources.
GENaustin.org
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Embrace Your Inner Strength
EMBRACE YOUR INNER STRENGTH The Olympian and keynote speaker of GENaustin’s We Are Girls Conference talks about her dedication to boxing, femininity and the importance of loving yourself. By Rachel Merriman Marlen Esparza’s incredible boxing career—the highlights of which are seven national championships, one bronze medal at the world championships and a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics—began when she was just 12 years old. She grew up watching boxing with her brothers and her father for as long as she can remember, and it wasn’t long before she wanted to pursue the sport herself. “I didn’t realize boxing was a male sport until I started. …It didn’t register as anything important,” Esparza says. Her father was reluctant to let Esparza go to the gym and train at first, but soon gave in after both her brothers lost interest in going to the gym. Her trainer initially refused to take her on because she was a girl, but in the end, Esparza’s persistence won. Just shy of 12 years old at the time, she soon recognized the difficulty of navigating being a young woman in a male-dominated sport.
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6th Annual Statewide We Are Girls Conference
“I remember I used to be really nervous every single day driving to the gym because I didn’t know what was going to happen that day,” Esparza says. “I didn’t know if anybody would try to talk to me or be rude. I didn’t know how hard the workouts were going to be. … It was frustrating because it felt like I didn’t just have to give 100 percent every time; I had to give 200 percent to be a little bit less than even [with the men]. “I still have a bad habit of not talking to people in the gym,” Esparza continues. “If I went around and said hi to everybody, they would say that I was flirting or not really taking [training] seriously.” Esparza says female athletes face a different set of challenges than their male counterparts, especially when it comes to their appearance and maintaining their credibility as athletes. “We’re expected to be athletic and feminine at the same time, [and] if you want to be appreciated for what you do, then you also have to be attractive and feminine,” Esparza says. “You have to watch what you do [in your personal life] more than a male athlete would. If a female athlete does whatever she wants, it takes credibility away from her athleticism because of what she does in her personal life. “As a female athlete, you’re always trying to keep up with
also currently working on an inspirational book for young women. “I had to go for a long time encouraging myself, and I wish there would have been someone to tell me what I can tell someone,” Esparza explains. When prompted for the advice she’d give to girls, self-assured Esparza doesn’t skip a beat before answering. “You really have to love and appreciate yourself, no matter what anybody has to say. Once you become comfortable with yourself in your own skin with your own opinions, when you actually genuinely love yourself, that’s when everything becomes a lot easier to deal with—when it comes to decision making, having a hard time, bullying or anything,” Esparza says. “It all comes from appreciating yourself before anything else.”
Photos by bryananderson.net
Marlen Esparza Women’s boxing champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza is the keynote speaker at the 2013 GENaustin We Are Girls Conference, an interactive experience designed for girls in fifth through 12th grade to learn about bullying, body image and everything else that’s tough about being a girl. Esparza began her career when she was just 12 years old, and her dedication to boxing hasn’t wavered since. The accomplished boxer won seven national championships and a bronze medal in the world championships before becoming the first American female boxer to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, where she won a bronze medal. Esparza has also appeared in advertisements for Covergirl and plans to launch her own beauty and fashion line within the next few years. In between training for the Rio Olympics, she is working on an inspirational book for young women based on her motivational speeches, and helping organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs. She has also been featured in {Vogue} and {ESPN’s Body Issue}, and has appeared in an anti-animal cruelty ad for PETA. To attend Esparza’s keynote speech Nov. 9, register at wearegirls.org.
GENaustin.org
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Embrace Your Inner Strength
the men,” Esparza adds. “I think we’re not measured by what we do, but by how we compare to the men—in every sport.” Before she took up boxing, Esparza experienced bullying off and on when she was in elementary school from the ages of about 7 to 10 years old. When she started to train seriously, she discovered that having something to focus on made her more confident. “I think once you find something you like, whether it’s sports or a hobby that really intrigues you, that’s when you start to become more secure and find out about who you are,” Esparza says. “I started to learn about myself, what I wanted, what I liked, what decisions to make and what decisions not to make.” Esparza had her first fight about nine months in to her training, and the accomplished athlete has been going non-stop ever since. After winning seven national championships and earning a bronze medal in the world championships, she became the first American female boxer to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, where she won a bronze medal. “I was upset about not winning [the gold medal], but after I realized what I did, I was happy,” Esparza says. “I appreciate my wins a lot more now.” In her typical fashion, Esparza hasn’t slowed down at all since her Olympic win. The 24-year-old is currently training for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in between speaking engagements, traveling for sponsors and working with organizations such as PETA and the Boys & Girls Clubs. The former Covergirl wants to launch her own beauty and fashion line within the next few years, and is
We Are Girls Workshop Providers
GENAUSTIN'S WE ARE GIRLS CONFERENCE WORKSHOP PROVIDERS Austin Public Library Friends Foundation The Austin Public Library Friends Foundation supports the Austin Public Library by increasing public awareness about the library and its importance to the community, and by raising funds to enhance library collections, programs, and facilities. Through its Badgerdog program, APLFF offers creative writing workshops in schools and libraries. For more information, email us at info@ austinlibrary.org. Austin Therapy for Girls Shayna Feldman Barksdale, LCSW, has practiced for the last twenty years. Shayna currently is focused on empowering and connecting young girls and women in her private practice Austin Therapy for Girls (ATFG). Currently, ATFG has several groups running for all ages of girls and young women addressing issues of shame and vulnerability. Based on Brene Brown’s work, Shayna has developed strategies for dealing with the feelings of never being “enough”. For more information visit www. austintherapyforgirls.com. Ballet Austin’s Butler Community School Ballet Austin’s Butler Community School engages, educates, and empowers people of all skill levels and economic and cultural backgrounds to adopt healthy lifestyles through dance and regular physical activity. By providing quality instruction in an open and inviting atmosphere classes for kids, teens and adults inspire confidence and encourage fun. For more information call (512) 501-8704 or visit www.balletaustin.org/community. Barbara Steinberg Presents, LLC. Barb Steinberg is a teen life coach and workshop facilitator who transforms the lives of adolescent girls and the adults who care about them with practical strategies, insight, compassion and humor. Barb has a knack for quickly getting to the core of the problem and guiding girls and parents toward a solution. Both girls and adults find her extremely easy to relate to, open, warm and funny. Barb is gifted at balancing emotion and intellect and serving as a catalyst for long-lasting change. For more information visit www.barbsteinberg.com. Candace Avila Candace Avila, founder of Smart Cookies, leads workshops, classes and summer camps that provide girls with the skills, tools and knowledge they need to successfully navigate girl world and get off the drama coaster. Learn more at www.SmartCookiesSchoolforGirls.com. Cardea Services Cardea envisions communities in which all people, especially those who have been most underserved, have equitable access to quality health and human services. We are on a mission to improve organizations’ abilities to deliver accessible, high quality, culturally proficient, and compassionate services to
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their clients. For more information visit www. cardeaservices.org. Circle of Health International Circle of Health International (COHI) is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) founded in 2004 with the mission to work with women and their communities in times of crisis and disaster to ensure access to quality reproductive, maternal and newborn care. COHI has responded to 10 humanitarian emergencies and served over three million women, both domestically and internationally. For more information visit www. cohintl.org. Clearly Classy Events Johnell graduated from Texas Tech University with a degree in Marketing and is currently the Owner of Clearly Classy Events. Her resume of events includes golf tournaments, galas, reunions, pageants, weddings and many more. She was a finalist in the Austin Business Journal “Women of Influence- Profiles in Power” and in 2009 was named the Volunteer of the Year by the Kyle Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information visit www.clearlyclassyevents.com. Con Mi Madre Con Mi Madre, founded as The Junior League’s Hispanic Mother-Daughter Program, increases the Hispanic representation of women in post-secondary educational institutions through a focus on education and social support services to girls and their mothers. We break the cultural barriers that prevent Hispanic girls from reaching their educational dreams. For more information visit www.conmimadre.org.
Valé to encourage all people to remain friends with their inner artist. Through 3-D exercises, participants explore forms, relationships and functionality; each participant solves their design in a different way as they experience their own choices, taste and pace. When one attends a Jewelry Design Workshop, fulfillment of the need to express one’s individuality can occur. For more information visit www.experimentandexplore.com. Fran Harris Enterprises, LLC. Fran Harris Enterprises, LLC is a professional development, event marketing and production company that helps companies and organizations explode their businesses through team building, sales, marketing and social media training. FHE also produces large scale events including seminars, conferences and television events. FHE founded Girls Who Mean Business, a leadership and entrepreneurship initiative for girls. For more information visit www.FranHarris.com and www. GirlsWhoMeanBusiness.com. Fun Financial Facts Fun Financial Facts is a program designed to help young girls understand free enterprise concepts. The goal of the program is to introduce a basic understanding of how our financial system works. This will empower young girls by looking at our financial system as a tool to help build their knowledge base and feel confident about their credit history, the stock markets, and other important financial facts. For additional information about the program please contact Koreena Malone at korymalone@austin.rr.com.
Dell DELL Wise Employee Resource Group Women in Search of Excellence (Wise) is the chartered Employee Resource Group at Dell for team members whose interest align with women’s issues. Dell Wise is dedicated to the acquisition, retention and development of female talent, with a focus on community involvement to grow initiatives focused on women in technology.
Girl Scouts Today’s Girl Scouts are tomorrow’s leaders and with our 100 years of experience, we are the premier leadership organization that builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts engages girls through evidence-informed STEM, outdoor, performing and visual arts, financial literacy, and girl leadership programs. Girls may not always be thinking about their future, but we are. For more information visit www.gsctx.org.
Engender Health EngenderHealth is a leading global women’s health organization committed to ensuring that every pregnancy is planned, every child is wanted, and every mother has the best chance at survival. Our Gender Matters initiative is an innovative, science-based intervention that incorporates cutting-edge research on gender-based attitudes and behaviors to address how gender norms impact sexual and reproductive health behavior and to prevent unintended teen pregnancies in Austin, Texas. For more information visit www.engenderhealth.org.
Girls Incorporated of Greater Austin Girls Incorporated of Greater Austin, Inc. (GIGA) provides intentional and compensatory programming & advocacy projects to girls ages 6-18. At GIGA we have a vision of a world where every girl values her whole self and her inherent strengths; has opportunities to develop her potential; breaks past serious obstacles; and leads a healthy, educated, and successful life. Our mission is empowering girls to realize their full potential through gender specific programming that inspires them to be STRONG, SMART, & BOLD. For more information visit www. girlsincgreateraustin.org
Experiment and Explore Experiment and Explore is the effort of Valentina
Girlstart Girlstart is the only community-based informal
6th Annual Statewide We Are Girls Conference
Angela Funke, MA, LMFTA Angela Funke, MA, LMFTA, provides marriage and family therapy specializing in adolescent treatment of anxiety, depression, social and self-esteem issues, self-harm, trauma, and the promotion of a healthy family support system, through creative and cognitive therapies. During sessions, Ms. Funke encourages clients to develop self-confidence and independence, and focus on the present. For more information visit www.rallycadence.com. Tammy Hickman For Tammy Hickman Zumba® Fitness started with a weight loss journey. She weighed over 220lbs and decided to try Zumba® Fitness at a nearby facility. Every class was a party! Soon she became a licensed Zumba® Instructor and has lost lost 74lbs! Tammy became an instructor to share her story and love for Zumba® Fitness with YOU! For more information visit www.tammyhickman.zumba.com. IBM IBM works with clients around the world to help them grow “smarter” as the planet becomes more digitally interconnected. Through IBM’s business consulting, technology and R&D expertise, the company is working with governments and companies to build systems that create less traffic, safer food, cleaner water, and healthier populations. Read more at www.ibm.com. KidpowerAustin Kidpower teaches practical, personal safety skills to protect people of all ages and abilities from bullying, molestation, abduction, and other violence. We use positive, age appropriate and relevant role playing to make it fun to learn how to be safe. Our confidence building skills help people to develop positive, nurturing relationships that enrich their lives. For more information visit www.kidpoweraustin.org. erlee Anderson is an Empowerment Coach Specializing in Discovering, Creating and Living the Life of your Dreams. Living the life we think we should live rather than the life we desire, can make us feel dis-empowered, unfulfilled, lose touch with our inner voice and forget who we are. I am passionate about empowering individuals to rediscover their voice, step into their power, remember their passion and discover how to dream. Latinitas Latinitas empowers young Latinas to achieve personal and academic success through media and
technology. We publish Latinitas Magazine, the first digital magazine made for and by Latina youth, and host media enrichment programs to help girls learn how to build confidence and discover their voice. For more information visit www.latinitasmagazine.com. Moody Me & Creative Discovery Workshops Elizabeth Decker, workshop leader, published author, artist and public speaker has been in private and community practice leading creative workshops for teens and adults for the past 6 years in Austin and Los Angeles. She guides people through the creative process in non-traditional art and writing classes, where people are invited to explore, identify, share and embrace their unique creative selves, artistically, with style and a whole lot of fun! Find out more about Elizabeth’s projects and events at www. melancholygirls.com or http://elizabethdeckerproductions.blogspot.com. Moolah U Moolah U, where kids get to Be Great, With Money! We are committed to inspiring young people to establish habits that build a life of financial stability and independence. Through our Summer Camp and afterschool programs they develop skills in leadership, teamwork, and integrity. We began franchising so kids everywhere could get this important experiential education. The National Dating Abuse Helpline The National Dating Abuse Helpline is a 24-hour resource specifically designed for teens and young adults. It is a service accessible by text, chat or phone with real-time, one-on-one support from peer advocates who answer questions about healthy relationships and dating abuse. For more information visit www.loveisrespect.org. Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood is America’s most trusted nonprofit provider of reproductive health care. Dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable reproductive health care and teen pregnancy prevention education to more than 30,000 men, women, and teens in Austin each year. For more information visit www.plannedparenthood.org/ greater-texas/ Brenda Riviera When Brenda Riviera became a member of Lifetime Fitness and began to participate in Zumba® Fitness classes. After several classes her confidence grew, and she found herself in the front row, screaming and shouting.Having noticed the physical changes as well as the euphoric impact that Zumba® Fitness had on its participants, Brenda soon became licensed to teach Zumba® Fitness in April of 2012. She now leads 4 Zumba® classes a week! Sarah Green Sarah Green and her siblings were raised by a single mother who struggled with substance abuse. As a young girl she decided that she wanted a different
life and made the choice to change her circumstances. At 15 she took on the role of family provider, put herself through college at 18, and graduated in four years, while working full-time. She now is a GM for Dairy Queen and uses her experiences to help her employees prepare for everything from taking their driver’s license test to submitting FAFSA applications for college. The Smart Girls Group The Smart Girls Group unites the next generation of superstar women in our unique sisterhood environment while redefining what it means to be smart. Our motto, “Be Smart. Share Smarts.” continues to encourage Smart Girls from middle school to college-age across the globe to utilize their intelligence to live fully and change the world. WING WING (Women’s Independence Networking Group) is an organization in the Austin area founded by and for young, independent and creativity oriented businesswomen. Established in 2009, WING focuses on valued networking, connection, motivation and education through programs, meetings and philanthropy events that help empower women to grow their businesses and make life-long connections. For more information visit www.wingofaustin.wordpress.com/. Yoga RX Yoga RX provides private consultations, which include a written practice plan & anxiety reducing breathing exercises. Some practice plans may include meditation techniques & philosophical study guides, depending on the individual’s goals. Each practice plan is specifically tailored to meet the individual’s needs, in order to achieve the most consistent, positive results possible. The YWCA Greater Austin The YWCA is the largest women’s organization working for social and economic change around the world and in local communities. For more than 100 years, the YWCA Greater Austin has been dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women through its various programs and services. Today, the YWCA Greater Austin focuses on providing specialized mental health counseling for every woman and her family and prevention services for high risk youth. For more information visit www.ywca.org.
GENaustin.org
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We Are Girls Workshop Providers
STEM education nonprofit in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM through year-round educational programming. Since 1997, we have reached more than 40,000 girls and 6,000 teachers and families with school-based programs, summer camps, college-based workshops, educator training, and community STEM education outreach programs.
WE ARE GIRLS
CONFERENCE
EMBRACE YOUR INNER STRENGTH
GENAUSTIN - GIRLS EMPOWERMENT NEWWORK 6TH ANNUAL
STATEWIDE
CONFERENCE
FOR
GIRLS IN GRADES SATURDAY 5 -12
NOVEMBER H IGH @AUSTIN
9TH
WWW.WEAREGIRLS.COM Sponsors:
2013 Conference Committee:
Linda Benge, The James R. Dougherty Foundation, John & Jana Grimes, Darcy Kurtz, Ruben & Michelle Lopez, Diane Land & Steve Adler, Kate Ludeman & Eddie Erlandson, Liz Matthews, Julie Mathis, Lynn, Sarah & Abby Meredith and Kate Andrade, Bettye Nowlin, The Office of the Governor, Rebecca Powers, Cathy & Dwight Thompson
Anita Perry, Honorary Chair, Bettye Nowlin, Honorary Advisor, Linda Benge, Julie Fisher, Jana Grimes, Lori Knowlton, Darcy Kurtz, Diane Land, CJ Legare, Leigh Ann Lindsey, Julie Mathis, Lynn Meredith, Karen Potter, Rebecca Powers, Sara Rodell, Cathy Thompson, Ane Urquiola, Theresa Woodiel
FOR GIRLS AND THE ADULTS WHO CARE ABOUT THEM
aw AUSTIN WOMAN MAGAZINE
Austin
Independent School District
Read the Credits T he women beh i nd t he s cene s i n f i l m .
Starting in the late 1800s, women fought for their spot at the cinematic table to create, craft and influence film projects. It took almost 100 years for the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. That woman was Julia Phillips in 1973. She wrote and co-produced The Sting. It took another 35 years for a female to win the coveted Best Director statue (Kathryn Bigelow in 2008 for The Hurt Locker). While beautiful starlets will always grace the screen, women behind the scenes still struggle to be a present and driving force in film. However, the budding movie scene in Austin is growing at an exponential rate, and female cinematographers, screenwriters, film editors, production designers, costume designers and makeup and hair artists are impacting and strengthening the city’s productions. Austin Woman sat down with the women behind the scenes: Sandra Adair, Stephanie Hunt, Jenny Lin and Andrea Doyle. Each one fills a specialized and vital role for a film’s final product. Each helps to achieve the overall vision of a project in her own unique way, exemplifying the many moving pieces that comprise a film. They don’t do it for the fame; they do it for the love of their work and with a great appreciation for the world of film. Reading their stories may just give you a whole new appreciation for their contributions as the end credits roll along.
By Molly McManus Photos by Rudy Arocha & Robert Kerian
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Sandra Adair, Editor
But Linklater films aren’t the only projects Adair is involved with. She’s also edited some noteworthy documentaries, such as Sushi: A Global Catch, and Shepard and Dark, which won Best Feature Documentary at the 2012 Woodstock Film Festival. She’s currently editing the documentary A Single Frame with Austin director Brandon Dickerson, who is most known for his music videos with Demi Lovato, Switchfoot and Selena Gomez. “I love working on a documentary to create a film essentially out of thin air. I mean, there’s footage and a seed of a story, but actually creating it to be a cohesive piece—I love that part of the process,” Adair says. Her advice for aspiring film editors? Get in the cutting room! Work with an experienced editor as an assistant and get your hands on any project you can— paid or unpaid. “It takes experience to learn how to pick performance, tell a story, create the pace, problem solve to fix things that are not working, creatively address style,” she says. And you can’t learn overnight. Even after 36 years, Adair admits that it’s a lifelong process of learning and growing. “I’ve learned to trust my instinct because it’s really easy to second-guess your choices and decision-making process. In the end, I always have to come back to what do I like, what works for me? I’ve learned to trust my gut and to create a scene to unfold in a way that feels right to me. And if it feels right to me, in my experience, it feels right to other people too,” she says while acknowledging that the process takes practice. “I’m still learning it daily. It’s something that I re-learn every day when I get to work. I am constantly continuing to develop as an editor as I move forward with each new project.”
With more than 36 years of experience in editing film and more than 30 films to her name, Sandra Adair is a cutting-room queen. A film is like one giant puzzle, with Adair meticulously putting together the thousands of pieces so it translates to viewers in a cohesive, flawless manner. Adair is a member of the American Cinema Editors (ACE), an honorary society of film editors that are elected and recognized by the society based on their professional achievements and dedication to editing. The majority of her work can be found in local director Richard Linklater’s films, such as Before Sunset, Fast Food Nation, Bernie and A Scanner Darkly, to name a few. In 2004, Adair was nominated for an Eddie, an award selected by ACE, recognizing her for Best Edited Feature Film—Comedy or Musical—for The School of Rock. Breathing life into a project, Adair’s skilled ability lies in taking hours of footage, manipulating a movie to attain the desired effect, deconstructing and reconstructing it to become the final cut viewed in theaters. “You pick up little tricks about how to fix a performance,” she explains. “You take the beginning of one line from the first take and the end of another line from a second take. You cover up the first half of the line, put the second half on camera and suddenly you have a great performance and it’s all manufactured.” Adair’s favorite film she has been a part of is Linklater’s coming-of-age stoner cult-classic, Dazed and Confused. “It was the first film I did in Austin, the first film I did with Linklater and the first film that I had the solo credit as editor on a studio film,” Adair says. “There was a lot riding on it for me, to really put down my stakes in Austin and show what I could do. And it was really, really fun. We just totally had a blast doing it.” Barbara Garza Collaboration ultimately embodies Adair’s passion for her work, recognizing the fact that it takes multiple bodies and creative minds to develop the final product. “Films are not made alone; [you have to] pull all the threads together. It’s like stitching a bunch of random threads together in a weaving,” she explains, noting that each department contributes an essential strand. Although Adair primarily loves editing comedy and drama, she’s really found her niche in Linklater’s films. “I always end up loving the films he makes,” she says. “There’s a certain originality that he has in the projects he chooses to do. It’s always exciting to figure out what’s next and how he can top the last one.” The next Linklater and Adair collaboration is the Untitled 12-Year Project, slated to come out in 2015. The film has been “under construction” for more than 12 years, with shooting beginning in the summer of 2002. Adair and the rest of the crew get together annually to film Linklater's script. The story line follows a boy from adolescence to freshman year in college.
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Sandra Adair photo by Rudy Arocha. Stephanie Hunt photo by Robert Kerian.
Stephanie Hunt, Writer, Actress, Composer You might recognize rising local talent Stephanie Hunt from her acting work in Friday Night Lights, Californication or How to Live with Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life. Beyond acting, Hunt writes screenplays, poems and songs. She also composed the music for her “documentary-ish” film, Love & Tambourines, collaborating with childhood friend and director Jeremy Cohen on the writing as well. Cohen and Hunt also worked together on Dalai Lama this year, a short film currently making its way through the festival circuit about a woman who
becomes too good at meditating and begins to make people disappear. “[Jeremy and I] are both in to surreal stuff: [Frederico] Fellini, the Woody Allen-esque style of making a metaphor an actuality,” she says. Hunt helped Cohen to achieve a dreamlike story with Dalai Lama, developing the characters and aiding in the rewrite of the script before filming began. A journalism major at University of Texas Austin, Hunt dropped out after a year to pursue acting on the set of Friday Night Lights. While she excels in being in front of a camera with her dry humor and quick wit, she’s also had some success behind the scenes as well, discussing her take on effective filmmaking. “A great film takes spontaneity and freedom to be able to form,” she says, admiring directors who try to capture some of the organic creativity that comes from being on set with the cast, further explaining that the freedom, spontaneity and organic delivery of lines is what inspires her to create film, especially film embedded with subtle and obscure comedy. We caught up with Hunt while she was touring with her honky-tonk indie group, Nancy and Beth, the wild duo that is completed with actress Megan Mullally (Will & Grace, Children’s Hospital, Party Down). Opening on the tour for Mullally’s husband, Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreation star and comedian, or “humorist” as he’d prefer to be called, Hunt met Mullally while filming Somebody Up There Likes Me, and immediately hit it off personally and musically. While her primary focus is currently on the Nancy and Beth tour, Hunt continues to learn and grow, fulfilling her many creative passions of singing, dancing, making movies and writing. She jokes that her next goal is to become an astrophysicist, but in seriousness, wishes to continually maintain the diversity within her work. “I couldn’t ever choose one thing because I’d get bored,” she laughs. “Each thing brings a different color or shade of inspiration. “With making stuff that you believe in, can get behind, or think is interesting, it feels satisfying, and in some way you’re giving something that you care about to other people. It feels like a good release,” she says of the rewards of her labor, sharing her thoughts with the public through a film or music medium. However, challenges arise as well, but might not be what you’d expect. “The challenges [for me] are being able to balance being relaxed and energized at the same time. When you’re making something or performing, it takes full focus and I try to be peaceful and creative, not freaking out and always seeing something to be grateful for,” she says. Her No. 1 piece of advice for aspiring filmmakers and the creative-at-heart is, “Do it for yourself. Otherwise it’s going to be really unsatisfying. Especially when you are starting out,” she guides. “I think that is important for the state of art in the world these days. If people can start to look inside rather than outside for inspiration, it’d be a lot more interesting.”
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Jenny Lin, Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist
Jenny Lin got her start with only the slightest interest in makeup. Attending UT to be a dietitian, she took a job at a makeup counter, essentially to learn how to do her own makeup and without a clue that she had stumbled upon her life’s passion. Fast forward 10 years and you can find Lin’s work in every corner of Austin’s media and entertainment scene. From commercials, music videos, magazines and motion pictures, to prepping the faces and hair of high-profile politicians, Lin lives and breathes her job. “I love that [my work] is so diverse and that my skills can encompass all of it,” Lin says of her broad makeup clientele base. “There’s never a dull moment. … I’m always learning something new, picking up different things working with other makeup artists and hair stylists. The learning process never stops.” Although it can be difficult to tap in to the film world, cementing your place in film eases with the right connections and proving you can keep up with the long hours and fast pace. Like Adair joined forces with Linklater, Lin received an opportunity to work with Robert Rodriguez on Machete Kills, hitting theaters Oct. 11. From this project, she landed a spot working on the set of Rodriguez’s Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For, set for release in the summer of 2014. In addition to the Rodriguez films, Lin has worked in makeup on more than 20 films, contributing a specific purpose and intent within her department, her expertise helping to achieve the bigger picture of a film—the story. “You want to tell a story with the makeup too. ‘Why is the hair the way it is?’ ‘Why is the makeup the way it is?’ ” Lin ponders. “I work with the directors and the storyline and break it down. It’s a lot of homework.” In addition to being able to tell a story with a face and hairstyle alone, Lin has also had to refine her makeup application while technology advances in film. “With an HD camera, you see everything—sharper than your eye or my eye can see it. Makeup can’t have any texture; it’s a very detailed process,” she explains, noting that she’s always looking to build her kit with the best makeup on the market for quality and price. Gathering inspiration from vibrant colors at the Blanton Museum and the natural beauty of the Hill Country, Lin hopes to stay in Austin. She moved a lot as a child, and hopes to stay in the city she calls home as long as the work continues. Although the film community is small, the industry is exploding. “There’s a lot of work and everyone is working hard. It’s really great to see,” Lin says, her admiration for her fellow behind-the-scenes filmmakers shining through. Working in film and television, Lin is very much a part of the fabric of the scene, growing with the tight-knit group.
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“When you’ve worked with these people for several years, you see them grow and it’s one supportive love circle. We can reminisce on other projects we’ve worked on together. It’s a big family,” she says. Lin was able to reunite with many people through the television series Revolution, based in Austin, which will continue filming in to 2014. In typical film and television fashion, the crew works long hours to bring entertainment to viewers’ homes. Lin discussed the 12 to 15 hour days, noting that her longest time on a set was a full 24 hours. “It can be really long days. We have a lot of coffee supplied on set. Whenever there’s no coffee, people get cranky,” she smiles. “You’re always on high alert so there’s a lot of adrenaline too.” But the long days don’t faze her, only fueling her fire, seducing her to take on more projects, more clients and more film. “I know I’ve been working on a crazy project when my mom calls and says, ‘Jenny? Are you alive?’ ” she says, only half joking. It is with this work ethic that we can expect to find Jenny Lin behind the biggest film and television projects coming out of Austin, telling a story with her art before the first line is ever delivered.
Andrea Doyle, Production Designer
Jenny Lin and Andrea Doyle photos by Rudy Arocha. Doyle Makeup by Katey Stoye, Nordstrom Beauty Stylist
A director has a vision for a film, but it is the job of the production designer to make it a reality. The setting has to be just right to create continuity and believability: the right curtains for the kitchen scene, the right cocktail glass for the bar scene, the right armoire for the bedroom scene. All of the minute details that go in to the setting’s design are extremely important to complete the artistic vision. Andrea Doyle does just this. From gathering dirty mattresses to simulate a sleazy hotel room, or planting fake flowers to achieve a vibrantly kitschy garden, Doyle has an eye for design, completing the artistic intention for a film through selecting props and fabricating a set, practically out of thin air. “You work with a director and cinematographer to get the feel of the piece; building the world,” Doyle says. “You’re looking for very specific items for a specific scene.” So when a visit to a taxidermist or a call for multiple high-powered rifles arise,
Doyle tracks down the items, tackling all obstacles so she can get her hands on the prop. With a background in architecture and interior design, Doyle is an admitted pack rat, discovering useful objects from garage and yard sales, building her collection and passing items along to her architecture, interior design and film clients. In fact, her architecture and interior design company, Three Chairs Design, got its name from a stumbled-upon bargain. “I found three chairs on the side of the road that I liked, and then it became like crack,” she jokes. “My garage just filled with chairs. My kids were like, ‘Mommy, no more chairs!’ ” Here, Doyle pats her arm for her intravenous chair fix. “I have friends who also work in the [film] business, and will ask, ‘Hey, do you have a cooler from the ’70s?’ ‘Yeah, I have two!’ ” she exclaims. It is this light humor and ability to poke fun at herself that not only makes Doyle someone you want to be around, but also makes her a great addition to a film set. With the long days and demanding changes that require flexibility and a positive attitude, humor is key, but Doyle notes a few other important aspects to know prior to entering the film world. “Never let them see you cry,” she says, explaining her first film experience. She had hung a giant fish net and right before the call for “Action!” the net fell down. Doyle had 30 seconds to get it back up, was exhausted and cold, on the brink of either leaving or crying. “I took a deep breath and I didn’t cry. After it was over, the assistant director came up to me and said, ‘You’re one of us,’ ” she reminisces. “You can’t cry. And you can’t leave. Usually, you want to do both at some point. If you can’t handle somebody breathing down your neck, and the whole production standing there staring at you—‘Are you going to get this together?’— then you should just stay home. There’s a lot of pressure, but you thrive on it too.” She notes that the pressure is alleviated with the support of the crew. “If someone is having a disaster, everyone jumps in; it becomes everyone’s disaster. It’s just a family and I love that,” she gushes. Her favorite film she’s worked on is local director David Gordon Green’s Joe, starring Nicolas Cage, playing in theaters by the end of this year. Keep an eye out for soon-to-be released End Game and Monster Tails, two of Doyle’s latest projects, the former recently wrapping and the latter still in production. From set mishaps, to even going in to anaphylactic shock, Doyle hasn’t shied away from film, continuing to add her creative touches to a set. “I want moviegoers to recognize that this book of mirrors that makes a movie beautiful are the people behind the scenes who work 16 hours a day. It’s pretty brutal work but you do it because you love it,” she says. “When you’re sitting in a theater and you’re seeing this awesome movie, it’s not just the actor/actress, or the director who did it. It’s a family. There are a lot of unsung heroes.”
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four FAB FASHIONISTAS
O n Fa l l T rend s, Au st i n- St yle It’s that time of year when we are desperate to pull out our favorite sweaters, boots and jackets, but to get in the spirit of fall clothing, Mother Nature needs to be a little more cooperative and drop the temperature a bit. That’s OK. We will just have to wait a bit before we’ll be ready for our limited fall season come October—or whenever the first cold front blows through. In February, I braved the winter elements at New York Fashion Week and got a peek at the fall looks from all the top designers. In my Runway Report in the April issue of Austin Woman, I mentioned shades of pink, decorative opera-style coat dresses and black with tons of texture were the trends to watch. While it’s easy to interpret this fall season’s looks from your favorite magazine (or from your roving fashion reporter), I asked four Austin designers who have very different fashion tastes to let us know their takes on what to have in your closet and what they find challenging with our rather relaxed Austin fashion vibe. Enjoy their candid answers, and get an update on these busy fashion designers.
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By Cheryl Bemis Photos by JoJo Marion
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Ross Bennett Designer Ross Bennett is on the fast track—literally—partnering again with Circuit of the Americas and F1, and will keep the beautiful ambassadors fashionable while working the events at the track. He also has launched an eco-friendly luggage and food-on-the-go line with Austin-based BlueAvocado and those items are available on Amazon. As an avid hunter and outdoorsman, Bennett has landed the head designer gig for Maven Fly. Bennett’s colorful fishing and outdoor clothing line will have you wading in the water up to your elbows and reeling in your catch in style. And if that is not enough, there are plans for a downtown Austin tailor shop for a real RB experience. Favorite Trend: My favorite fall trend this year is all the leather and furs (real and faux) that are showing up in everyone’s collections. They have always been an important part of fall, but this year, I feel like all the big houses really took it to the next level with incorporating more leather and fur in to their collections. I feel everyone is letting their animal side out and I’m loving all of it. Favorite Fall Color: Cobalt blue and all the shades of fuchsia. I am a man who loves to design with color, and seeing the bold jewel tones makes me smile. Trend You Need This Fall: Chunky knits and big collared sweaters. Every woman has jeans and cute shoes all year round, but ladies, glam up your wrist game and throw on that oversized sweater and a sexy felt bucket hat or fedora to top off some skinnies for that perfect downtown chic look. What to Buy for Austin’s Fall Season: A new 3/4-length khaki trench coat. You just can’t go wrong with this piece and can wear it all year round, season after season. Fashion Look You Would Like to See Go Away in Austin: Boring, plain Jane corporate looks. What About ATX Fashion in General? I think the culture is getting smarter, the economy is rising and there seems to be a more affluent crowd coming to Austin and they know fashion. It trickles down from the top. I feel that in Austin, what makes us great is that even with bad fashion, it’s all fashion and all about individuality.
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Daniel Esquivel In February, at New York Fashion Week, season 11 of Project Runway was only in its sixth week and an under-my-radar Austin designer popped up in the lineup of cast members competing for designer bragging rights on the popular reality show. With much anticipation, Esquivel’s collection was certainly one I enjoyed, even though I was not 100 percent sure they were his designs because this finale had a little twist. Heidi Klum announced that we would not know which collection belonged to which designer! In the end, Esquivel was asked to pack up his work area after making it to the final four. He made himself and Austin proud by being true to what he loves, and we enjoyed watching his “no drama Daniel” personality come out on camera. Esquivel continues to pursue his custom-made business for the chic girl who wants to dress fab from morning to night. He currently has a manufacturing deal in the works. The big news is that Esquivel was selected to compete again as a member of the third season of Project Runway All Stars, which will begin airing Oct. 24 on the Lifetime network. The competition is fierce but we will be cheering for our hometown designer. Favorite Fall Trend: I love the punk trend. I like it because everyone can put together this look without it looking dated. You could wear a distressed jacket or it can be updated with a pair of earrings or a neon shoe. It doesn’t have to be a head-to-toe look, or you can go punk with hair and makeup. A cool purse with spikes on it would be a fun way to capture this trend. Favorite Fall Color: Red! I am inspired by the red and I really consider it a neutral. When I was working as a personal shopper, whenever I put anyone in red, they instantly felt fabulous. It’s just an empowering color. What Do You Recommend Gals Keep in Their Closets for Fall: Tall boots because a pair of black, flat riding-style boots will never go out of style. Use them as an investment piece and keep them forever. A pair of stiletto pumps is also something every woman needs. Now, I can’t stand platform pumps because I think they are clunky and unattractive. These have been played out and I just want to see something different. What to Buy for Fall: I love the idea of a red pencil skirt. It continues with the red trend for me as a neutral and, again, it’s sexy, classic and sleek. 90 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
Gail Chovan Consider Gail Chovan the matriarch of the Austin fashion scene. Her boutique, Blackmail, has been an Austin fashion landmark for more years than I can count and stocks simple and eclectic fashions for the woman who wears her clothes and doesn’t let them wear her. Her customer is independent, smart and opinionated. If that sounds like Chovan, you’re right. Every summer for the past three years, Chovan has changed her address from Austin to Paris—and that’s not Paris, Texas. She teaches a fashion design class to international high school students through the Sorbonne. Chovan sketches, buys fabric, commutes and gets fashionably inspired by the culture while living the Parisian lifestyle. Chovan now has three stores carrying her collection and will unveil her spring 2014 line soon in fine style here in Austin. Chovan’s designs are carried at the Church boutique in Los Angeles, Cicada Collection in Dallas and Santa Fe, N.M., and, of course, Blackmail in Austin. Her spring 2014 collection will be presented in Austin Oct. 16 at a secret location. Check her website for details: gailchovan.com. Favorite Fall Trend: I am not one for trends. I do, however, believe in the emphasis shown this season on the button-up men’s-style shirt for women. Palmer/Harding of London does it best. Worn with jeans, leggings, a skirt, layered or not, the look is all over Paris and in every shop window. Favorite Fall Color: I don’t even need to apologize that there is black, black and more black everywhere. What Do You Recommend Gals Keep in Their Closets for Fall: A beautiful silk scarf, preferably Hermes. What Do You Recommend to Buy for Austin’s Fall Season: Buy something you love that is special to you. Adhere to “slow fashion” and reject disposable trends. A piece that is artisanal, with thought given to it by both the creator and the wearer of the garment, is timeless. Fashion Look You Would Like to See Go Away in Austin: Gold studs on shoes, antlers and flip-flops.
Christi Craven Christi Craven’s designs have an understated elegance to them, and when you see the craftsmanship used with each piece, you immediately know this is something special. She patented a fiber made out of bamboo for her Lilly Lorraine collection, which makes her quite a trendsetter. Recently, Craven has branched out with her newest venture, called SALT Athletica. The collection, inspired by a friend, is made of high-tech, four-way stretch fabrics, perfect for the active Austinite. She will also continue working one-on-one with individual clients for custom designs. Favorite Fall Trend: When it comes to Austin’s fall trends, I do like that folks are mixing the more sportswear looks with high fashion: sweaters, jackets, leggings. These can all look fashionably sporty, especially when they are layered together. I love the beanies too, and the wonderful thing is the new ones are more modern and can be styled. A beanie can become a real conversational piece. Favorite Fall Color: My favorite fall color for Austin is always burnt orange (need I say more). It is iconic, nostalgic and always in style in Austin. What Do You Recommend Gals Keep in Their Closets for Fall: Classic pieces you can always pull out of your closet make it easy to look great no matter the season. I just bought an amazing python belt and I’ll have it forever. I dress pretty simple, so I recommend a simple white shirt, jeans, pair it with some clunky jewelry and go. Fashion Look You Would Like to See Go Away in Austin: The Austin woman is very independent and dresses in her own way for her own reasons. It’s what I love about her and what makes us diverse and fascinating, so I would say wear what you like.
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A Can of Pabst and a Hooker on Roller Skates Halloween 1978, and we lived to tell the tale. By JB Hager, Photo by Rudy Arocha She was a hooker on roller skates. I was a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. It was Oct. 31, 1978. Although my now wife and I did not know each other—we were ages 11 and 9 in different parts of the country—we trolled the streets all evening, offending no one and rounding up as much candy, talking to as many strangers as possible with no parent in sight. It’s amazing we’re alive. I am referring to how Halloween used to be, as my wife and I compare notes. Child Protective Services must have had an unlisted number then, or at least failed to advertise. Halloween 1978, my father and artistically inclined stepmother made for me and my sisters Pabst Blue Ribbon costumes. Yes, we were beer cans and went door to door begging for a trick-or-treat. It was quite common for a household to offer the trick option. This usually entailed a creepy guy with inappropriately cut-off jeans and a porn ’stache inviting children into his home for some sort of festivities. It was sometimes a spooky soundtrack on the turntable, feeling peeled grapes (eyeballs) or cooked spaghetti (brains) while wearing a blindfold. Sometimes it was just a group of burly neighborhood men who enjoyed cross-dressing and getting odd looks from children. Regardless, I shouldn’t have been dressed as a beer can, and strange men shouldn’t have been inviting me into their homes. For whatever reason, we trusted people then and we managed to survive. This was in the Midwest. My sisters and I wish we still had those costumes, although we’re pretty sure we haven’t finished the candy collected that year. It not only was miraculous we survived the neighborhood creepers, but equally amazing, we survived covering as much of the neighborhood as possible by jumping in and out of the back of a pickup driven by a pimply faced 16-year-old, stoned and listening to Zeppelin. Only three kids from my class went miss-
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ing that year, so it was considered a successful Halloween. My future wife, on that very same eve, was 9 years old and navigating poverty-stricken areas of Houston with the intention of dressing as a “disco queen,” but really coming across as a whore on roller skates. (She applied her own makeup and padded her bra to mimic Dolly Parton.) No need to worry about her safety; she had her 3-year-old brother, the hobo, in tow. She has equal tales of neighborhood creepers, inviting them into their homes for perhaps a homemade popcorn ball or some fondue and a tour of the basement. We somehow managed to survive. We laugh that it’s amazing we are alive and how politically incorrect we were. A can of Pabst, a hooker on wheels and a hobo, all of which would be completely inappropriate today. Our costumes may not have been appropriate and offensive to some, but at least they were highly flammable. What could have possibly gone wrong? Fast forward to 2013 and we are your typical overprotective parents, helicoptering our 11year-old daughter down the street on Halloween with so many reflectors she looks like a moving disco ball. Her costume was carefully chosen as not to offend any particular party. There will be no beer products, slutty costumes or even hobos, as that’s inappropriate now. Her costume will not be homemade and we will not turn her loose in to the night to interact with creepers. After all, they are registered now and we know where they are. We don’t even go to the store to choose a costume anymore. It is carefully chosen well in advance from an online catalog, making sure it’s offensive to no group whatsoever. Indian? No, offensive to Native Americans. Football player? No, too many concussions. Did you hear about the lawsuit? Doctor? Hmmm, malpractice is expensive. We agree that what’s fun and safe is a bottle of organic ketchup (gluten-free). We can’t think of one group (other than salsa makers) that would take offense to this selection. Child Protective Services won’t be knocking on our door, as we’ll be carefully
“ We laugh that it’s amazing we are alive and how politically incorrect we were.” escorting her out on Halloween eve. We only visit people we know, who hand out protein bars and “real” fruit chews. There are no tricks offered, as the fear of a lawsuit sets in. Anyone with any real money refuses to allow people on their doorstep for this very reason. We end up taking our organic ketchup to Grandma’s and call it a night. Grandma gives her the entire bowl of candy because she had no trick-or-treaters that eve and says, “What happened to Halloween? It used to be so much more fun!” If you are brave enough to knock on a stranger’s door this Halloween, and a can of beer and a hooker on skates answer the door, come on in for a trick. We’re not weird, just a tad nostalgic. Need ketchup for that? JB Hager can be heard as part of the JB and Sandy Morning Show on Mix 94.7 Austin, weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m.
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What Men Consider Wife Material The real winners in the game of love. By Eric Leech Relationship experts say a good marriage requires a mixture of communication, intimacy, generosity and compatibility. The problem with this advice is most men did not get this memo. In other words, many men still focus on the same prehistoric guidelines as his Sasquatch brethren. This month, we ponder the question: Who are the real winners in the game of catch and keep? Thinning the Herd It doesn’t take a study to convince women that men are focused on attractiveness. However, when it comes to choosing a mate, what these studies also suggest is that most men don’t know they are doing this. Indiana University researchers asked a group of men what they were looking for in a mate, collecting an assortment of answers, such as “nurturing,” “intelligent” and “like personality.” Sounded pretty noble up until the point when these guys were confronted with a group of women, and their so-called requirements flew out the window and beauty became their principal “herd-thinning” factor. Does this mean men are particularly choosey in the appearance of their mate? Hardly. According to studies, most men do not appear to be picky at all. In fact, one out of every two girls became a candidate for a second date. Women, on the other hand, are decidedly more choosy, agreeing to see only one-third of the guys they go out with a second time. This study suggests men may not always know what is good for them, but the majority of women do (or at least I hope you do). So if you want to become the marrying type, perfect the art of seeking the men worth marrying!
Ladies' Choice A woman’s requirements for men are based on leveraging her looks against how much man she thinks she can have without risking the possibility of losing him to a challenging female. In other words, she won’t strive for any guy who is either higher or lower than her own rating. In a sense, a woman’s confidence in her appearance appears to be the real deciding factor in who a man will end up with. Men, more or less, take what they can get, all the way from the very cream of the crop down to the bottom of the penitentiary barrel. Considering that men do not limit themselves by their own level of attractiveness, I would highly suggest that you don’t either. Wearing Your Heart on Your Face Studies suggest that men who are looking for a long-term relationship may pay particular attention to a woman’s facial features (suggesting personality). However, when looking for a shortterm fling, it is her body that becomes his primary focus. This is nothing you probably don’t already know. What’s really important here is the fact that a guy contemplating marriage does consider personality, at least as much as the subtle cues of her face can offer (happy, sad, laid-back, crazy, etc.). So don’t wear your heart on your sleeve; wear it on your face! Brunettes Have More Marriage Potential While certainly not the gospel, the results of a 3,000-participant study in Britain suggests the majority of men prefer brunettes to blondes when wedding bells are ringing in their ears. The study was conducted by a popular beauty salon, and not surprisingly, the majority of men pinpointed blondes as being more fun, but all other hair colors were more sensible and dependable (better long-term mates). It would thus appear that society (and the media) has had a fair amount of influence on how a man sees the woman he will marry. However, before you pop open a tube of hair dye, consider that science has yet to understand what a soul mate really is. There is overwhelming evidence that love exists between a man and a woman and it has been pinpointed in the brain, located in the same gray area as where reward and pleasure derive. It is with this idea that I leave you with these final words: Beauty may be in the eyes of the beholder, but true love is found in the depths of the human spirit. When all else fails, be yourself, and let fate land you where it may.
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Lights, Camera, Action The Austin Film Society is keeping the reels rolling. By Andy East, Photo by Elizabeth Shear The Austin Film Society (AFS) has teamed up with the Marchesa Hall and Theatre to increase its film offerings. After raising more than $120,000 to upgrade the theater’s facilities, AFS at the Marchesa is set to regale Austin cinephiles for years to come. Austin Woman sat down with AFS Executive Director Rebecca Campbell as she weighed in on the revamped venue and what it means for Austin’s thriving movie scene. “It’s a great feeling. It’s been a goal of ours for so long to have our own place,” Campbell says. “The fact that the Marchesa would be amenable to us in such a short amount of time is just very exciting. “We’ll be able to show twice as many films as we have been showing,” Campbell continues. “Whether historical or new releases, these are movies that would otherwise not be coming to Austin.” Located behind Highland Mall, the Marchesa has nearly 280 seats, ample parking and, thanks to more than 400 supporters raising more than $120,000, the theater will now be equipped with DCP digital projection, 35mm projection, a new screen, a Dolby sound system and a redesigned lobby. In addition to showcasing a spellbinding mélange of screenings, AFS at the Marchesa is poised to include the whole community in ways other venues cannot. “When not being used, the theater’s equipment can be rented, giving community groups an affordable alternative for fundraising,” Campbell
The Austin Film Society Founded in 1985 by filmmaker Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Slacker), the Austin Film Society began as a small group of friends that wanted to indulge in films that were not readily circulated among the public. More than 25 years later, with the efforts of its staff, numerous filmmakers, community organizations and countless volunteers, AFS has blossomed in to an extensive nonprofit organization with more than 1,900 members and more than 40,000 people attending its events annually. Besides showing films, AFS teaches children and adults about filmmaking; awards grants to filmmakers; manages Austin Studios, a 100,000-square-foot studio in Austin; and much more to share a passion for cinema with the community. Visit austinfilm.org for more information on AFS, becoming a member or to receive email updates on AFS events.
says. “We also have such a strong indigenous film community [in Austin]. These filmmakers will be able to book the Marchesa to showcase their work and connect to their audience.” Although AFS is excited about the Marchesa, Campbell is quick to point out that AFS will maintain its programming at the Alamo Drafthouse, the Paramount Theatre and Violet Crown Cinema. “It’s not replacing anything; it’s adding,” Campbell says. “It’s an addition to the scene that
already existed.” Campbell, who has been the executive director of AFS since 1998, was first drawn to cinema as a communication medium, citing its “power to reach large numbers of people, touch them and get messages out.” Upon relocating to Austin in the 1990s, Campbell received a master's degree in video and film production from the University of Texas Austin, and ever since, she has been fomenting the synergy between cinema and audience in Austin.
Upcoming AFS Screenings Brides of Dracula (1960)
Women’s Day (2012)
Directed by Terence Fisher
Directed by Maria Sadowska Co-sponsored presentation with the Austin Polish Film Festival
Oct. 18, 8 p.m. and Oct. 20, TBA
98 Austin Woman o c t o b e r 2 0 1 3
Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.
Essential Cinema: 3 Japanese Masters, Utamaro and his Five Women (1946) Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
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Women of the Texas Book Festival Executive Director Lois Kim and Literary Director Steph Optiz take the reins at the Texas Book Festival. By Rachel Merriman, Photo by Elizabeth Shear Founded by first lady Laura Bush in 1995, the Texas Book Festival provides free fun for readers of all ages and promotes literacy through programs and Texas public library grants. More than 40,000 people and 250 authors from throughout the world attend the festival each year. Now in its 17th year, the festival is going strong with two newcomers at the helm. Austin Woman caught up with the new executive director, Lois Kim, and the new literary director, Steph Optiz, to see what they’re planning for this year’s festival.
Lois Kim Executive Director, Texas Book Festival Reading was a big part of Lois Kim’s childhood— her family emigrated from Korea when she was just 2 years old—and to learn English, she read. “I had two older sisters, and my parents didn’t speak English that well, [so] we spent a lot of time in the library,” Kim says. After getting her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan, Kim relocated to Austin to attend graduate school at the University of Texas. She loved the academic atmosphere and planned to become an English professor, but instead chose to work at the University Extension at the University of Texas after she finished her doctorate. “I loved everything about graduate school, but I struggled through my dissertation,” Kim says. “It was so isolating. I think that’s when I realized
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Steph Ortiz (left) with Lois Kim
it wasn’t for me.” As the executive director of the festival, Kim works with the board of directors, staff and vol-
unteers to coordinate the two-day annual festival and the festival’s year-round programs. Funds raised at the Texas Book Festival each year support
Lois’ Must-Reads For kids: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate “This book, which won the Newberry this year, is about a gorilla living in captivity in a mall. Kids, parents and any aspiring MFA student should read Applegate. Her economy with language makes for a powerful, poignant read.”
For young adults: Relic: the Books of Eva by Heather Terrell “As a mom of a 9-year-old and 12-year-old who love adventure and fantasy-oriented book series (and what kid doesn’t?), this is an exciting first book in a series that is Hunger Games meets age-appropriate Game of Thrones.”
For adults: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter “This was my favorite read this past summer. Walter transports you to the Italian coast of the 1960s, modern-day Hollywood, the 19th-century Donner party tragedy, all the while making you laugh (and cry) at the state of our very American culture. The characters are wonderful and the writing is unbelievably sharp."
Texas public library grants, which total more than $2.5 million raised by the nonprofit organization since 1996. The festival also supports year-round programs such as the Reading Rockstars program, which brings authors into economically disadvantaged schools to give presentations, and gives each child a copy of the author’s book. “You have to get books into kids’ hands,” Kim says. “It’s something I think we take for granted, but for low-income families and families that are struggling, the more we can do to help put a book into a child’s hands, it’s really going to make a difference.” In addition to continuing the organization’s programs and the tradition of the Texas Book Festival, Kim says she wants to work to increase the organization’s frequency of year-round literary events throughout Texas. “We are a nonprofit that isn’t just a two-day festival. We have goals to increase our reach, both year-round and across the state,” Kim says. Kim’s goals for the organization no doubt have a strong foundation in her passion for reading
and advocating for literacy. “It’s so personally rewarding when you experience that engagement with what a writer has created,” Kim says. “Going back to my personal experience, if I had not been planted in a library and exposed to books as an immigrant kid who didn’t speak English, I would not have had the educational pathways that I did. I want to provide [the festival and programs] because it makes such a difference.”
Steph’s Must-Reads For kids: Marisol Mcdonald and the Clash Bash/Marisol Mcdonald Y La Fiesta Sin Igual by Monica Brown “This bilingual book has everything modern kids deal with, or know a kid who deals with: the struggle to fit in (especially when your parents have different backgrounds) and to feel loved when your family members are spread out across the globe.”
Steph Optiz Literary Director, Texas Book Festival As the literary director for the Texas Book Festival, Steph Optiz thinks about books and authors every single day. She hasn’t always been book-crazy, though. “My mom hates when I say this, but when I was younger, she used to pay me to read. … I would start tearing through books because I wanted candy money,” Optiz says. “Now I’m a really fast reader and enjoy reading a lot.” Optiz studied English at the University of Minnesota before getting her master’s degree in English at California State University in Los Angeles. After completing graduate school, Optiz wanted to become a teacher, but discovered she loved doing the work at a small publishing company she interned for. “I realized there was another way to talk about books without as much pretention,” Optiz says. After graduate school, Optiz moved from Los Angeles to New York, where she worked as a consultant for small presses and literary magazines. Optiz also became involved with the Brooklyn Book Festival, where she remains the fiction co-chair. As literary director for the Texas Book Festival, Optiz is responsible for inviting all the authors to the festival and makes programming
For young adults: The President Has Been Shot by James Swanson “This year is the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination. Best-selling historian James Swanson's young-adult book on the event that rocked Texas and the nation is sure to strike a chord at this year's festival.”
For adults: Drinking with Men by Rosie Schaap “A hilarious and compassionate collection of essays about great loves, great friendships and great drinks. Rosie encompasses the spirit of Cheers. It really is nice to be at a place where everyone knows your name.”
Optiz says she hopes to continue the legacy of the previous literary directors before her, but also develop new ways for readers and authors to connect at events and curate a diverse selection of featured books and authors. “I’m hoping to have an author go kayaking with some of his fans because he has a book about whitewater rafting; or get some authors who are bicycle enthusiasts to do a bicycle ride around the city,” Optiz says. Diversifying the selection at the festival and growing the number of authors who attend each year are two of Optiz’s goals for future festivals. “It’s important to me that readers aren’t seeing the same books and the same authors … I want people to know about the variety and all the different voices that are out there,” Optiz says. “This town has a great thriving literary community, and I’m hoping to grow this festival to whatever size Austin wants it to be.” Texas Book Festival, Oct. 26–27, Capitol building. Free. texasbookfestival.org
the more we can do to help put a book into a child’s hands, it’s really going to make a difference. decisions about the schedule of events, from book readings to panels. “I’m always thinking about how to get readers engaged with books in different ways, whether through an activity or book signing,” Optiz says. “There are a lot of different readers out there, so we want to make sure we have something for everyone.”
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The Wicked Humor of Margaret Cho The unapologetic comedian may leave you squirming in your seat. By Molly McManus
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on tou r
With an unflinching attitude toward life, Margaret Cho is one of the funniest comedians alive. Edgy, 100 percent authentic, raw and totally inappropriate, Cho’s standup is not for the faint of heart, leaving you squirming in your seat uncomfortably because yes, she goes there. Way down there. Lower than there. But that’s what it’s about, right? Airing all the dirty laundry, including her own? Her stand-up comedy is defined by her characteristic facial expressions and her experience growing up as a Korean-American of immigrant parents, oftentimes her mother being the brunt of her jokes, as well as her identifying as bisexual and her struggles with drugs, alcohol and anorexia. Cho somehow masterfully adds an intelligently comedic twist to it all.
I recently watched a bit Cho did about her take on John Travolta being in the closet. As you watch, you cringe, half thinking, “Stop! No more!” But the other half of you thinks, “How much further will she go with this?” You root her on. “Keep going! This surely can’t get any worse.” And then it does. It’s like that scab you can’t stop picking on your knee but know you should. That is the beauty of what Cho does. She addresses topics people only talk about behind closed doors—and unapologetically so—only quitting after that knee is freshly bloodied. She got her start opening for Jerry Seinfeld, but these days, you can find Cho on Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva, with new episodes returning Oct. 6. She also recently hosted The View (Can she please get a permanent spot already?), having a very enlightening discussion with Whoopi Goldberg on mari-
juana and its history of improved quality. But what you may not know about Cho is that she is also a singer-songwriter, working in collaboration with Patty Griffin and David Garza, as well as Andrew Bird for the song I’m Sorry, in which Cho sings, “I’m sorry I shot you in the face.” Oct. 23, Cho will hit the stage at the Paramount Theatre in Austin as part of her Mother Tour, accosting the audience with her relevant and honest humor. Austin Woman spoke with Cho about her thoughts on Austin, the Mother Tour and Vietnamese iced coffee.
Left: Courtesy of Pixie Vision Productions; Right: Austin Young
Austin Woman: Have you been to Austin before? Margaret Cho: I love Austin. I spent a lot of time there recently. I made a record at the Churchhouse Studios with David Garza, who is a wonderful Austin musician singer-songwriter. He re-introduced me to the town, which I had known before mostly through South By Southwest. It’s very different when you go there for that festival…but just to work and be there for a while, there’s so much great music. It’s definitely much calmer than South By Southwest. I’ll be in town for a few days because I’m going to meet up with David again and make more music, which is a wonderful side project for me, but also it’s a lovely place to be. I really enjoy the city. AW: What can people expect from your Mother show at the Paramount? MC: It’s a show about a lot of different things. It’s all about being at this age where people perceive me as a mother figure. … It’s about my own mother, so motherhood through her and through my experience with her. It’s about gay rights. Bisexuality is a big part of it. When you are defining sexuality and you’re in the gay community but you’re like, “I’m not sure of my role here.” The bisexual community is so silent within the larger majority of the gay community. It’s about all of those different things and more. AW: Why do you feel there’s silence among the bisexual community? MC: It’s a really scary thing because once you decide to be gay, or you identify as gay, then there is this idea that [bisexuality is] to go backward, sort of a defiance of your own coming out, and there’s little room for variance, or degrees of being. You either identify as gay or straight. It’s certainly something that people are having to do to define them. But for me, I’ve never really fit in anywhere, and I’ve never really had a chance to talk about [bisexuality], but it’s something that
people are very curious about and I’m asked about a lot, so I thought it would be fun to do material about it.
AW: It seems you are breaking down these types of boundaries in all that you do. MC: I hope so, I would like to, but it’s also just offering up my own experience with it and a way to tell jokes, which is fun too. AW: You’ve received hate mail for who you are and the work you do, ranging from racist to homophobic comments. What do you say to people who are experiencing discrimination in their own lives? MC: I think it’s important that we understand that we all experience it at some point in our lives; we all experience some kind of difficulty. Just to know that you’re not alone in it, and to know that it’s something that happens to everybody; nobody is exempt from it. AW: Who would you like to collaborate with in the future? MC: There are lots of different people I’d like to collaborate with musically. I really want to do something with the band Wilco. I love the band Spoon, Austin royalty of course. I love Charlie Sexton, wonderful Austin guy who I’ve admired for a long time. I wrote in Austin with Patty Griffin, which was really exciting. I’ve done things in Austin that I’m really proud of. AW: How do you find home on tour? MC: It’s difficult moving around, being on the road, being away from home and finding home wherever you are. That’s a challenge. I’ve done it for so long, there’s all my stuff around that I carry with me, whether it’s my books—I’ve gone from having a stack of books
to a Kindle—to keeping in contact with people by phone. The only constant is the inconstant. The inability to define home because that’s the place I’m at the least. Home is when you cease moving. That’s coming home to me now. It’s pretty wild.
AW: What’s the first thing you do when you’re off tour? MC: I usually go to downtown LA, probably have iced coffee with boba in it [Vietnamese coffee], which to me is the most indulgent thing, and happens to be really good in LA. AW: Do you have a preference between standup, acting and singing? MC: To me, it’s all stand-up comedy. It serves the same purpose. That’s my dream, my role in life, what I love to do and what I will always do. Margaret Cho’s Mother Tour, Oct. 23, 8 p.m., Paramount Theatre. Tickets are limited. austintheatre.org.
savvy woman /
t h e l a st wor d
There Are Worse Things I Could Do Life Lessons from Grease. By today’s standards, and probably even the standards at the time, Grease was a corny movie. The humor borders on childish, yet it’s too risqué for children. I remember not being allowed to watch it when it first came out (I think I was probably in junior high at the time) because my mother had heard that it was nasty. So, of course, I watched it at a friend’s house on cable that year, and I laughed repeatedly at the off-color jokes that I was able to catch. And none of us could understand the words to Greased Lightning anyway. But the movie lingered with me. When I smoked my first cigarette, I thought of Sandy coughing at the slumber party and realized how ridiculous I looked. When my teenage love made his move, I thought of Danny saying, “Don’t worry about it. Nobody’s watching,” and I realized where, like Sandy, I drew the line. I wanted to be a free spirit like Rizzo, but I didn’t want a hickey from Kenickie, and I didn’t want to feel like a broken typewriter at the drive-in because I skipped a period. As an adult, I’ve seen the movie several times. I like the lessons that become more apparent as I get older. Like knowing who you are when you’re with your girlfriend at the beach versus who you are when you’re with your buddies on the bleachers. Like choosing your friends wisely because you may not want to
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be involved in what they find themselves doing. Danny was not an athlete, but he was able to letter in track while his friends were out stealing car parts. I also learned about motivations for decisions. Danny only got involved in sports because he knew cheerleader Sandy didn’t want to date a criminal. Sandy reached out to Rizzo because she was her friend, not because she wanted to gossip about her like the other girls. The boys were disrespectful to their teachers when they were showing off to their peers, and they were rude to their girlfriends because they thought they were simply being cool. So when Sandy showed up at the carnival in teased hair and hot pants, we couldn’t help but notice she was trying to be someone else in order to seem attractive to Danny. And that’s really the theme of the movie: knowing who you are, who your friends want and expect you to be and whether your decisions line up with who you want yourself to be. Any movie that reminds you not to pretend to be someone else in order to make people like you deserves to be a memorable film.
— Cyndi Samford
December’s Last Word topic will be “Living My Bucket List.” To be considered, email a 500-word submission by Nov. 1 to submissions@awmediainc.com.
Illustration by Sarah Quatrano.