IYC Women Launch with Habitat Project

IYC Women with homeowners to be John and John Jr.

Isles Yacht Club Women is a new group organized to help with various community projects on a one-off basis. A group oriented towards giving back to the community is a great addition to all the fun activities the Club offers. I missed the orientation meeting, but understand there were tons of great ideas thrown out -- from making dresses to send to Haiti to volunteering at the Dragon Boat Festival to working in the community gardens.  (Count me out for anything that has sewing involved!)

Mark, our site supervisor

The group's first project was a morning working at a Habitat for Humanity home. We had been told our job would be doing the interior painting for the home. But there was one slight problem when we arrived -- there were no interior walls.  I immediately harkened back to the chaos of the Habitat homes my friend Althea and I worked on in New Orleans post-Katrina (along with her 16 year-old daughter Maddie and three of her friends). It was so disorganized that Althea and I spent much of our week sitting around chatting. Would this day end up the same? 

Happily, Mark, our site supervisor, was totally on top of things. In his introduction, Mark shared that he lives in a Habitat home himself. All H4H homeowners have to put sweat equity into their houses while they are being built. His abundant skills and easy manner obviously impressed them enough to give him a job. 

Diana paints trim

Our first assignment was to sweep out the house, which tradesman had left filled with stray bits of insulation and sawdust and other debris. While I don't think anyone looked at him askance, he quickly noted that this would be the first job if a group of men were volunteering that day. He wanted to make sure that when his boss came by, everything was in tip top shape and ready for the next step.

A few of us grabbed the incredibly worn brooms and got to work. (This again reminded me of our work in New Orleans when Althea kept saying, as we dug holes for fence posts that would soon be filled with rain, "There are tools specifically for this purpose. Can't we just go buy some?" But then you realize that any implement used by H4H quickly becomes worn out. With approximately 20 homes going up in Charlotte County each year, anything new gets a lot of use in a short period of time. 

Debbie at work

Some of us did paint get to paint, although it was beneath the siding of the house and the trim and the steps. Mary Francis ended up with the glamorous job of raking the soil up to the foundation of the house after the paint had dried. (This is just one example of the details those of us who move into a new home don't even consider.) The weather was glorious, so it turned out to be a bonus to work outdoors. 

We got some more challenging jobs as well, such as putting up siding just underneath the roof line. Admittedly, it took a few of us for this task, leading us to adapt the old joke to, "How many IYC women does it take to put up a piece of siding?"

Sheryl & Jane ensured I didn't fall

the 2' to the ground

Each piece of siding was 12' long. The first step was to measure from the end of the home to the points where the window started and ended as the siding had to be cut a different depth to accommodate the window. Recalling my success with measuring for blinds in the past, I immediately said, "I'm not doing that." "Why am I not surprised?" Mark laughingly asked. He went on to say he's done this job a while and gets a good sense of people pretty quickly. 

Once the measurements were done, we cut the siding, Mark crimped it, and we slid it into its slot. (Trust me when I say that it didn't go quite as smoothly as that sounds.)  It was quite satisfying.

Mary Francis preps the stairs

Although we were only there for an extended morning, Mark was impressed with the amount we accomplished. He said a team of women are often more productive than a group of men. "Women can work and talk at the same time," he noted. "Men seem to have to stop working when they talk." 

He added that men can get sidetracked when something is done in a different way than they would have done themselves. His description (with accompanying visual) of one worker pointing to something he didn't like and then everyone else abandoning their posts to check it out and give their own opinions was quite hilarious.  All the wives nodded knowingly.

IYC Women's motto is, "Volunteering is more fun when you do it with friends." How true. I think I can speak for everyone when I say it was a fun day and that we left with a feeling of accomplishment.  I'm looking forward to future projects with this great group of women. 

Art and Politics

Jeff Abbott's "Trump/Hillary" heads

Art is personal.  So it's no surprise that artists use their work to comment on the world around them. Needless to say, this election cycle has provided a wealth of issues for artists to explore. Both the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers and Art Center Sarasota have politically-themed exhibits on display that reveal what some of our local artists are thinking.

The Alliance for the Arts has a walk and talk for each new exhibit which is often led by the judge for the show. Editorial cartoonist Doug McGregor was the juror for the "Politikos" exhibit on display through Nov. 5. And while McGregor shared what drew him to some pieces, he took advantage of having many of the artists on hand to explain their intent.

Aquillera's "Beyond the Division Wall"

Visitors to the gallery are greeted by "Beyond the Division Wall" by Cesar Aquillera. It would be easy to glance at the work, take it in as a message that America should be a nation that embraces people of all ethnicities, and keep moving. I have to admit that that's what I did. Shame on me.

Aquillera explained that the 11 slats in his work represent the 11 Confederate states.The flag-like fence isn't of the white picket variety. It's divided into red and white to show the way that walls separate people in "our neighborhoods, hearts and heads." The missing blue represents a lack of freedom. And what looks at first glance as stars--or perhaps missiles--are in fact little Ku Klux Klansmen. 


 Detail of Rose Young's work

Fiber artist Roseline Young continued the theme of divisiveness in her "Building a Democratic Bridge not a Wall of Lies and Pink Promises." (She said the initial title was longer.) This detail from her quilt shows a tiny overwhelmed Young on a bridge looking out onto a sea of multi-colored panels. The panels do not represent the Rainbow Coalition but the dissonant voices heard during the campaigns. Rose echoed the sentiment of everyone in the room when she said she's more than ready for this election to be over.

Detail from Turner's "Assault on Orlando"

Art Center Sarasota has two politically themed exhibits on now.  The first is Patricia Anderson Turner's "Viewpoints: All Sewn Up." I have long been a fan of Patricia's issue-oriented  fiber art.  Her "Assault on Orlando" includes images of the assault weapon and bullets used in the attack and pictures of each of the 49 victims. Bird-like creations hover above the work, which is installed on the floor of the gallery. Patricia told me the birds represent "the memories of their happier lives soaring in and out of her awareness" and that they are a way to remember the victims in a more positive manner. The wall card for the work reminds viewers that since the ban on assault weapons expired in 2004, there have been 14 mass shootings with assault weapons, including the killing of 20 elementary school children in Sandy Hook, New Jersey.

Anderson's "Humpty Trumpty"

I of course loved Anderson's "Humpty Trumpty."  Accompanying this piece was a work reminiscent of the samplers of yore that read "Humpty Trumpty wanted a Wall and he wanted our neighbors to pay for it all. He thinks we're dumb asses 'cause we pay our taxes. His opinion of women is Neanderthal. Will November bring his curtain call?" Turner provided a balanced view with other panels featuring parodies of Obama and Hillary and Bill, respectively. The related wall card notes that rhymes such as these that could be shared verbally were prevalent in repressive regimes in which dissent and criticism were cause for punishment.

The main gallery features an exhibit entitled "Swing State" that runs through Nov. 25. If you have any question about which way Sarasota artists are leaning in this election, look no further.

While there were a few unflattering portrayals of Hillary, there were lots of anti-Trump works to enjoy.  My favorite was Mike Hodges' "Trumpery." And while the definition of "trumpery" could hardly be more apt, what I like about the work is the way Trump's motto has been turned on its head. I'm not telling you anything new when I say that his campaign has revealed the dark side of America. The fact that there are so many people who are on board with his bigotry and misogyny and hatred and fear (and likely share these world views) alarms and saddens me. It's an America I don't recognize.

Thanks to these local art centers for providing artists the chance to show the role of art in the political process. 

TEDxSarasota Enlightens and Inspires, Part 2

One difference between going to a day of TED talks and watching a single talk from the comfort of your home is that you have an amazing assortment of ideas being thrown at you all day.  And that's what TED is really all about -- looking at the world differently through the cross-pollination of disciplines and ideas. Here are highlights from more speakers at TEDxSarasota whose messages are still bouncing around in my head.

Joseph Michelli

Joseph Michelli works with companies like Starbucks and Zappos to train their employees to deliver "extraordinary customer experiences." He does that by asking execs what makes their company unique. What makes them stand out amongst a sea of competitors? How do they want their customers to talk about them?

This was interesting, but not particularly relevant to my life. But he quickly brought his message down to a personal level.  At the end of our lives, most people can be summed up in one sentence.  What do you want your "legacy statement" to be? Write it now--define the message yourself--and "live into it."

Before anxiety broke out across the room, Joseph explained that your legacy statement doesn't have to be anything particularly grand. It can be something as simple as the message he and his wife crafted for their family, which had to do with living honestly and with commitment to each other. The point is to spend some time thinking about what you want your message to be and keep it in the forefront as you move through life.

Joseph was an incredible speaker -- funny, engaging and honest. You can get a sense of his (corporate) talks by exploring his website here.

Yael Katz

Dr. Yael Katz is the CEO of BrainCheck, an organization at the center of "the intersection of neuroscience, data and technology." If you think that doesn't sound like something typically of interest to me, you're right. But like the other TEDx speakers, Yael brought her talk down to a personal level. She became interested in brain science in part because of her grandfather's dementia, a situation many of us can relate to. 

BrainCheck's products enable you to establish a cognitive health baseline and track changes over time. Their application in the area of sports concussions is obvious. But the products can also be used by people like us to look at what's changing in our own brains. It's a tool that can help our doctors diagnose what's happening as we age.

Yael wasn't peddling their product from the stage, so I had to track her down to ask about costs. It's $40 a year to keep an ongoing record of your cognitive health. It seems like an awfully reasonable price for a product that can truly help you prepare for your future. For more info, click here for BrainCheck's website.

Denise Kowal

Then there was Denise Kowal, founder of the Sarasota Chalk Festival (which takes place in Venice). Now we were totally in my wheelhouse. The Chalk Festival is one of my favorite events all year. The creativity of these artists is amazing -- and even more incredible is the fact that the works of art are only there until the next hard rain. This year's festival (whose theme is Love & Peace) runs from Nov. 11-14 and is a must see for any art lover.

Denise grew up with a father who was a sculptor. They lived in artist colonies and on college campuses. The creative process was always a part of her life.

Dorrit, Janice & John at Chalk Festival

She founded the Chalk Festival as a way to make viewers "an essential part of fine art."  The event features traditional pavement artists and 3D pavement artists from around the world. (The megaladon shark from two years ago still graces the Venice Airport runway. Unlike the other artwork, the signature 3D art designed by Kurt Wenner is done with paint that will endure.) One of the fun things about the day is that many of the artists are there and happy to chat with you about their work. Seriously, if there's one event all year that you make an effort to attend, this should be it. Click here to get to their website.

And so I end my reveries about TEDxSarasota -- at least for purposes of this blog. It was a thought-provoking and fun event, and I'm already looking forward to next year. In the meantime, you can view videos of previous TEDxSarasota talks by going to YouTube and typing in "TEDxSarasota." This year's talks should be online by the end of the month. It's the next best thing to having been there. 

TEDxSarasota Enlightens and Inspires, Part 1

There are a lot of amazing people in the world. People who don't just sit around and lament the state of the world but go out and change it. At the recent TEDxSarasota event, ten people shared their stories and visions of a better world.  The day kicked off with a talk by singer-songwriter turned activist Sarah Symons.

Sarah is the founder of Made by Survivors, a non-profit that trains former victims of human trafficking crimes to make jewelry as a means of supporting themselves.They also house and educate survivors. Sarah began with a couple of stories horrifying beyond belief. Imagine a family so poor that they sell their daughter into sexual slavery. Then imagine the terror and pain that young girl experienced when she is raped by more than ten men on her first night away from home. But the next part is almost the most unimaginable of all. Once that young girl finds her way to Made by Survivors, she leaves that past behind and becomes a young woman who can laugh and have friends and support herself through newly-learned skills as a jewelry maker.

After setting the stage for her talk with this background, Sarah told us that 95% of the young women helped my Made by Survivors have recovered from their trauma. How, you might ask, is this possible? Sarah believes there are three behaviors that enable this to happen. 

First, once the girls have talked about their trauma and received counseling, they focus on what they want in the future. Sarah said they "live into that belief" rather than letting the past define them.

Second, the girls work to stay in the present. You can't heal the past by living in the past. (The education and training the girls receive and the subsequent work they do enables the girls to keep their minds busy on something other than revisiting the past.)

Third, the girls live in gratitude. They've already endured hell and are grateful for having a safe place to live and a way to make a living that they can be proud of. "Their modest expectations of life have become their superpower," Sarah said.

Sarah humbly said that Made by Survivors isn't saving these girls, but offering them the tools to realize their potential. She posited that the mindset she described could help virtually everyone lead happier and more productive lives.

To learn more about Made by Survivors and how you can help (including by buying their products), click here.

Throughout the day, videos of TED talks were shown to provide further inspiration.  Memory Banda's personal story about fighting child marriage laws and traditions in Malawi has a clear connection to Sarah's talk. Click here to watch that video. 

The day was off to an inspiring start. Stay tuned for more of my take-aways. 

A Look at Three National Book Award Nominees

Each year, the National Book Foundation selects books "celebrating the best of American literature" for consideration for its annual awards. Since the awards were instituted in 1950,the categories of prizes have varied, at times including Science, First Novel and Arts and Letters. Today the categories are just four:  Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry and Young People's Literature. Eligibility is limited to books written by an American citizen and published by an American publisher, with submissions coming from the publishers. A panel of five judges for each category reads the submissions and a long list of books is released in September. The short list of five books will be released tomorrow, with the winners announced in mid-November. To read more about the National Book Awards and to see a complete list of this year's nominees, click here.

That's a long-winded introduction into three works of fiction nominated for the National Book Award that I recently read.

Expectations can be a dangerous thing. With countless raves about Colson Whitehead's "The Underground Railroad" (including from Oprah and President Obama), I was prepared to love this book.  And while I was fascinated by Cora's journey on a physical underground railroad in her search for freedom, I kept waiting to be wowed. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book or find some of Whitehead's writing thought-provoking.

Take, for instance, Cora's revelation about stepping onto the railroad. "On one end there was who you were before you went underground, and on the other end a new person steps out into the light." The sense of hope and fear that Cora experienced on each leg of her journey was palpable. And each of her homes had its own interesting story. But still, I wasn't as taken with "The Underground Railroad" as I was with Yaa Gyasi's "Homegoing" or by Kathryn Schulz' article in The New Yorker about the underground railroad entitled "Derailed."  (Click here to read her story.)

Then there's "Imagine Me Gone" by Adam Haslett. Authors are often counseled to write about what they know. That's exactly what Haslett has done in this emotionally difficult read. In an interview with NPR, Haslett shared that both his father and his brother suffered from mental illness. He acknowledged, "I'm no stranger to those states myself."

The title comes from a game John, the father, played with his kids. While out on a rowboat, he laid down, closed his eyes, and said, "Imagine I'm gone. How would you get back to shore?" At that juncture, John is fully there if the kids flounder. But it's not long before we realize that a person can physically exist and yet be absent.

I was struck in particular by Haslett's passages in which he described the feeling of the disease. John explained, "A fog blinded me, thicker than ever before. I slept in the monster's arms." Michael, the family's oldest son, said of his struggle with anxiety, "What do you fear when you fear everything? Time passing and not passing. Death and life...This being the condition itself: the relentless need to escape a moment that never ends."

We finally come to my favorite by far: "The Association of Small Bombs" by Karan Mahajan.  From its start, I was totally into this book with its story of a "small" bomb that explodes in a Delhi market. Among the victims are the young Khurana brothers (who are killed) and their friend Monsoor Ahmed (who is injured). The book follows the story as it develops from a variety of perspectives -- the dead/injured and their families, the terrorists, and others pulled into their orbits.

"The Association of Small Bombs" is good in so many ways that it's hard to know where to start. Mahajan's use of language is compelling and at times unexpected. His description of the moments following the bombing is one example. "...people collapsed, then got up, their hands pressed to their wounds, as if they had smashed eggs against their bodies in hypnotic agreement and were unsure about what to do with the runny, bloody yolk."

Mahajan also reveals to readers some of the harsh realities of life in India. The Khuranas lie to people about what their sons were doing in the market, saying that they were picking up a watch rather than an old TV that had been repaired too many times to mention. Why would they lie in the midst of this tragedy? In a society that has a caste system to this day, "...to admit to their high-flying friends that their children had not only died among the poor, but had been sent on an errand that smacked of poverty...would have...undone the tightly laced nerves that held them together."

Sadly, the story also has a timeliness to it that's hard to ignore. I was in the midst of this book when the bomb went off in Chelsea, one of my favorite areas of New York. The terrorists in Mahajan's story compare the impact of small bombs to large terror attacks like 9/11, saying, "I think the small bombs that we hear about all the time...are worse. They concentrate the pain on the lives of a few."

I am rooting for "The Association of Small Bombs" to win the National Book Award this year. Admittedly, I haven't read all the nominees, but it's hard to imagine a better-crafted work. If you're in the area, Elaine Newton will be covering this book in her Critic's Choice lecture series at Artis Naples in December.  I am looking forward to hearing her insights.