Book spine haiku, Volume 2

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Patty

Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky,
We fell them down and turn them into paper,
That we may record our emptiness.
– Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese-American writer, poet, and artist

April is National Poetry Month and to close the month out, I’m presenting another edition of book spine haiku for my last post in April. This volume features creations by Laurel Kallenbach, a good friend, classmate at Syracuse University’s Creative Writing Program many moons ago and blogger of Laurel’s Compass, which I praised in a previous blog; Anne-Marie Pine, friend and teacher at my daughter’s school (and my son’s third-grade teacher four years ago); John Farrell, emerging screenwriter and classmate in fiction at Syracuse University’s Creative Writing Program; and two more from me.

Laurel Kallenbach’s first contribution.

Kallenbach’s 2nd contribution.

Anne-Marie Pine’s contribution.

John Farrell’s contribution.

My first contribution for this volume.

My second contribution.

As Welsh poet Dylan Thomas wrote, "Do not go gentle into that good night." Be bold with black and white, and a dash of bright color.

As Welsh poet Dylan Thomas wrote, “Do not go gentle into that good night.” Be bold with black and white, and add a dash of bright color.

This vintage Danecraft scroll bracelet and vintage multi-strand glass necklace (antique shop, Kennebunkport, Maine) are spot-on accessories for this comfortable jersey shift.

The components of the black scroll dress ensemble.

Transitions and Transformations: Heidi Werner of Lava 9

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Patty

Nothing ever succeeds which exuberant spirits have not helped to produce.
– Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher, poet, and composer

Heidi Werner spends a lot of time making sure her customers find what they need.

When Heidi Werner and her two business partners opened up Lava 9 (542 Hayes Avenue, 415.552.6468) in San Francisco in 1991, the impoverished Hayes Valley neighborhood was years away from being gentrified. The economy was down; yet, Werner pointed out, “It [the recession] always opens up opportunities, too.” Driven by youthful exuberance and cheerful indifference of economic conditions, Werner said of that time, “You just go for it!”

Werner knew the owners of Nomads on the block and was drawn to the diverse and eclectic vibe of the neighborhood. The rent was low and the storefronts were small, blank slates, which enticed not only Lava 9 to lay down stakes but other young entrepreneurs, as well. “We created that neighborhood,” Werner said. Nomads, Zonal, and Lava 9 are the original three shops from the early days that are still standing.

Amazing statement rings on display.

One of her partners, a jewelry designer, already owned a store called Volcano, which figured into the name of their new store. The three of them randomly added the “9” because Lava was too short and the number 9 “sounded good.” The other two women were jewelry designers, while Werner was a leather artisan, creating mostly jackets and bags. Conceived of as a gallery, Lava 9 comprised a showroom for their leather and metal wares and a stage that served as their workshops. They sold their creations and soon afterwards carried other wares, most of which were handmade and selected on Werner’s buying trips.

More Lava 9 jewelry to drool over.

A True entrepreneurial spirit
Werner supplemented her income by working at another leather store, but quit when her business partner called one day to inform her that someone had stolen five of her leather jackets. Convinced the theft wouldn’t have occurred on her watch, Werner told herself, “That’s it!” The spontaneous decision to quit and put all of her energies into the store did not rest on whether or not she could do it financially. “It was the true entrepreneurial spirit,” Werner said, of the drive that sprang forth from her. She had told herself back then that it had to work. “And it did!” she exclaimed. When funds were low, Werner would sell two leather jackets the day before rent was due. “Things just worked out,” she said, simply.

An ethereal dress and lots of leather purses.

A casual yet modern dress and lots of leather purses.

One partner dropped out after three months, and the other left before the end of the first year after creative differences. Although the partnership didn’t work out, starting a business with others gave her a sense of security and “more power to do it.” When they left, she carried on without hesitation. “I was fine – I was the most determined,” she said, of the business venture and the solo effort. To this day, Werner, now 54, still subscribes to the philosophy of “Just do it” and not get too caught up with issues. At the same time, she has been frugal from a business perspective. “That’s what helped me through the downturns,” she explained. Just as important, Werner invested in a lot of sweat equity. “Hard work pays off,” she said.

A Passion for sewing
When Werner was a girl in Germany, her mother enrolled her in a sewing class, which sparked her passion for sewing and led to her taking design and pattern-making classes. As a teenager, she often designed and sewed outfits a few hours before going to parties. Although she earned her degree in special education, when Werner came to the U.S., seeking adventure, she turned to making small leather goods, which she sold at small venues such as the Haight Street Fair and other neighborhood street fairs. It often took weeks to craft a leather jacket because of the custom work – Werner would make the pattern, buy the leather and findings, and then sew the garment. She eventually hired a pattern maker and tailor. She still designs some bags, which are made by her tailor.

Lava 9’s inviting storefront near the top of Solano in Berkeley.

The Rise of Lava 9 in Berkeley
Werner opened up her Berkeley shop (1797 Solano Avenue, 510.528.5336) more than four years ago at the former location of Soap Sistahs after a experiencing a midlife crisis. At that time, she wanted to do something different and had designs on becoming a dog trainer (Werner has rescue dogs). But when she heard that the owner was closing the soap store and retiring to Mexico – a scenario that also greatly appealed to her – Werner decided to convert the storefront into the second Lava 9. The new location was ideal because Werner lives in Berkeley, but more importantly, designing and setting up the compact, rectangular-shaped store renewed her passion.

Although there is some crossover, the two cities boast different clientele, which means Werner must offer different products at each store. The Hayes Valley client is younger with more disposable income, whereas the Berkeley clientele is older. Interestingly, some of the Berkeley clients used to live in the Hayes Valley neighborhood but are now mothers whose kids attend the local school around the corner from Solano Avenue. For them, finding one of their favorite San Francisco stores in the East Bay is a pleasant surprise.

A great display of purses, belts, and clothes on a ladder.

While many designers come to her to show their wares, Werner actively searches for solo artisans, both local and European, whose works are unique, eclectic, and multi-dimensional. One of her biggest challenges is offering something that isn’t carried by another local store. “It’s an ongoing struggle to be different,” she said. In addition to offering unique products, her philosophy is to be able to sell something to everybody – from 14-year-old girls to 86-year-old grandmothers. Thus, Lava 9 carries wares ranging in price from $15 headbands to $4,000 rings. While the handful of economic downturns through the years has led her to introduce more affordable items, her aesthetics and her customer service have created a large and loyal customer base. As an added personal touch and a Lava 9 trademark, purchases are carefully wrapped in high-end designer fabric – scraps supplied by a friend who works in the industry – and tied with festive ribbons.

More gorgeous jewelry beautifully displayed.

Werner and her staff spend a lot of time with their customers, providing a personal shopping experience not found in most retail clothing stores. Managing the business and running between the two stores takes her away from making it an everyday experience, but the customer interaction is the thing that always draws her back and reminds her why she is still in business. “I love the people; I love all my customers,” she exclaimed, after helping one woman find the ideal belt and short trench, and another choose between two embellished scarves. Indeed, if you’ve ever been to Lava 9 and leisurely browsed through the collections of purses, scarves, belts, clothing, and, of course, jewelry, you can always expect a smile and being drawn into a friendly conversation.

Come in and say hi to Heidi at Lava 9.

Insect love

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Patty

Checking out the insects in our backyard.

As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.
– Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis

I know how beneficial spiders are, but it doesn’t mean I have to like them. I’m okay with daddy-longlegs, but any hairy spiders in the house are destined to wind up in the vacuum cleaner bag with lots of dog hair. Spiders belong outdoors and not in my house. I’m arachnophobic; just ask my old college roommates about how much I fear spiders! All other insects are interesting when they are also outdoors and not in my house, and not in my son’s room, where a tarantula exoskeleton, which once belonged in my mother-in-law’s classroom when she was a teacher, resides. I suggested to my son that he donate it to his science teacher’s classroom. If this is how I feel about insects, how to explain my love of jewelry inspired by insects? I don’t have an answer for that.

Vintage reclaimed spider bracelet by M.E. Moore (Gorgeous & Green, Berkeley), beloved cicada necklace by Lotta & Djossou (Lava 9, Berkeley), and cicada ring (End of Century, NYC).

It all began a few years ago when I was browsing the display cases of jewelry at one of my favorite accessories shops, Lava 9 in Berkeley (1797 Solano Avenue, 510.528.5336). I came across a sterling silver cicada on a long chain. I didn’t get it then, but months later, when I returned to purchase it, the sales person informed me that it had sold. I was disappointed, even as she told me there was a chance the store could order it from the Swedish company, Lotta & Djossou, though it was from a collection from a previous season. As I turned away, I caught sight of some jewelry at eye level in a glass case on the main counter, and lo and behold, there was the cicada in all its etched glory. The necklace apparently had made its way from Lava 9’s San Francisco store to the Berkeley store. Just for me.

Jan Michaels loves insects as much as I do: bumblebee cuff (Philly) and necklace and pin (Lava 9).

Jan Michaels loves insects as much as I do! From left to right, bumblebee cuff (purchased at a Philadelphia shop on North 3rd Street) and necklace and pin (Lava 9).

There was something about it that reminded me of both the Victorian and Art Nouveau eras. It was edgy yet romantic, something Stevie Nicks would have worn back in the early 1970s. Two years ago, I met a local woman as part of a consumer group for a retail clothing and accessories company at their headquarters in Philadelphia. She was wearing a vintage Art Nouveau butterfly necklace. It was stunning – the kind of jewelry that you wear alone, and if you did wear another accessory it would be deemed fashion blasphemy. She told me she had admired the piece for a long time, and then when the vintage shop owner decided to close her business she gave the necklace to her. I stopped short of asking her to name her price, though I knew such a request would be futile. Thus began my hunt for a vintage butterfly necklace via eBay, Etsy, and antique and vintage shops – all in vain so far.

Dragonfly necklace and beetle cuff made from reclaimed metal by Alkemie of Los Angeles.

Dragonfly necklace and beetle cuff made from 100% reclaimed metal by Alkemie of Los Angeles.

Butterflies and cicadas. Soon bumblebees in earrings from Anthropologie and an ornately wrought cuff became part of my insect jewelry collection. I got the bumblebee cuff while in Philadelphia and got a good laugh when the sales person told me the artist was Jan Michaels from San Francisco and not from a local jewelry designer. Then I added a dragonfly and a beetle, both from Alkemie, to my small but growing collection. Beijo Brasil makes beautiful butterfly earrings and necklaces out of translucent resin. I found a cicada ring at End of Century in New York last fall. I was tempted by a couple of thick sterling silver cuffs with row upon row of beetles, but I didn’t succumb, at least not that visit. And then I came full circle to Lava 9, adorned with more winged insect jewelry.

Bumblebee necklace (Fossil), bumblebee and rhinestone studs (Anthropologie), translucent resin butterfly necklace by Beijo Brasil (De Young Museum, San Francisco), and winged insect necklace (Lava 9).

I’m pretty particular about the look and feel of insect jewelry. I’m drawn to both Art Nouveau and Art Deco, vintage and edgy. I’m still in search for that perfect vintage butterfly necklace. If you share a love for insect jewelry, I welcome you to share it with me and other fellow admirers. If you can’t shoo insects out of the house, adorn them on your fingers, wrists, and around your neck.

Piling on the insect jewelry!

Flamenco for building strong, confident girls and women – ole!

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Patty

To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful . . . . This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.
– Agnes De Mille, American dancer and choreographer

: My friend Tana (on the left in turquoise and black) performing her group’s flamenco dance (photo credit: Kim Schartz).

My daughter has been taking flamenco classes for the last five years – since she was in kindergarten – through our school’s after-school enrichment program, thanks to our good friend Tana Hakanson, who brought her flamenco teacher to the program. I have always admired this dance form because of its energy, rhythm, complexity, and – to paraphrase Tana’s reason for her love of flamenco – its ability to convey such strength and confidence, which is really important for girls to gain at a young age. She and her fellow classmates, and the rest of her instructor’s troupe, performed at the International House on Cal Day at UC Berkeley this past Saturday. Many other groups danced, but flamenco brought the house down. In fact, every time I’ve attended their performances as part of a multi-cultural dance program in other venues, flamenco gets the audiences clapping and smiling. It is, after all, a dance that invites and thrives on the audience’s participation. And you can’t help but admire the difficulty of the footwork and foot speed, and the guitar, which can also be frenetic, and the soulful, passionate singing – cante flamenco – which is, in fact, the heart and soul of genre.

Flamenco is both graceful and strong (photo credit: Kim Schartz).

David and I spent our honeymoon in Spain, a destination decided upon when one of our colleagues from our Madrid office – many years and jobs ago for me – offered his congratulations and his second home on the Costa del Sol for our honeymoon upon learning of our engagement. We met up with our gracious host and his wife in Madrid and got our fill of the wonderful museums, including, of course, the Prado. We drove to the Costa del Sol, enjoyed the sun in the afternoons. We relaxed in Granada, admiring the Palacio de Generalife and the Alhambra. In Barcelona, we marveled at Gaudi‘s architectural wonders, particularly the Sagrada Familia.

Plaza Espana in Parque Maria Luisa, Sevilla, Spain, September 1998.

And yet, my favorite city in Spain was and still is Sevilla. There is something other-worldly about its lush palm trees, river life, thick heat, and Moorish history and architecture. We stayed in a quaint hotel with the rooms overlooking the tiled courtyard. We got tickets to see a flamenco show and were treated to a marathon performance so intense, we could see the sweat flying off of the male dancer’s long hair. I remembered being so overwhelmed by their energy and their ability to move their feet so quickly and expertly while their faces were serene and yet passionate and in command.

On the fashion front, I love the full, swishy skirts, the bold and colorful flowers in the slicked-back and swept-up hairstyles, the long-fringed and equally colorful, floral shawls – worn with the corners pinned in front or wrapped around so that the designs are shown in front – the seductive fans, the dangling statement earrings, the castanets, and, of course, the simple but strong-silhouetted flamenco shoes. I love how the dresses and skirts can be so unique and yet together the outfits complement one another. You don’t have to be a flamenco dancer to try components of this style (just not all at once or else it comes off costumey)!

If I were going to Sevilla in the spring, I’d wear this comfortable outfit. Straw hat, colorful top, and bold sandals are required elements.

I greatly admire Tana’s commitment to flamenco, and I enjoy watching her dance and helping the girls with their form. The girls are very lucky to have such a unique dance class available to them at their age. And while I would love to take it up in the copious spare time I don’t have, I strongly recommend flamenco to women who want to be strong for themselves and for moms who wish to instill those traits in their daughters. Ole!

Bright fiesta colors are complemented by gold jewelry – earrings from Lava 9 in Berkeley and dragonfly necklace by Alkemie of Los Angeles. A golden smile, though, is always the strongest accessory.

Dallas Museum of Art: Art Matters

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Patty

Art is really about how someone else makes sense of the world and their place in it…the viewer connects with the artist in such a way that the two agree to share their humanity, their hopes, their fears.
– Robert Hoffman, art philanthropist

My Omni Hotel room with a view of downtown Dallas.

I flew into Dallas yesterday late afternoon for a morning executive roundtable event to cover and will be hopping on a plane to go back home in the afternoon – a very short business trip. It was fortuitous that I flew out on a Thursday because the Dallas Museum of Art (1717 North Harwood Street, 214.922.1200) is open until 9pm on this day of the week. It was a short walk from the Omni Hotel to the museum district, and a much-needed one after a bumpy descent and landing.

Cindy Sherman: Self-portrait of women
in society
DMA offers free general admission, which is really a gift. Admission to the two exhibits currently on display, Cindy Sherman (through June 9) and Chagall: Beyond Color (the only U.S. venue, through May 26), were $16, which is a bargain in the museum world. I will admit that I didn’t know who Cindy Sherman is, though she is “widely recognized as one of the most important contemporary artists of the last 40 years, and is arguably the most influential artist working exclusively with photography.” Throughout her career, Sherman has taken self-portraits that are a commentary on women in society. She is known for a series of black-and-white self-portraits called “Untitled Film Stills,” in which she portrays herself as various B-grade film characters – the vamp, the housewife, the actress, and so on. The exhibition included a series of recreations of her in famous paintings, as well as a series of beyond-life-size portrayals of the one-percent women in their wealthy splendor. It reminded me a little of Diane Arbus, who is famous for having taken photographs of “marginal” people in our society, because I came away from this exhibit feeling spooked and discomforted, which I’m sure Sherman would feel is a compliment to her art.

Dallas Museum of Art.

Marc Chagall: Way beyond color
I’m familiar with Marc Chagall, but seeing his paintings in person has given me a greater appreciation for his sense of color. Indeed, Picasso once said in the 1950s that when Matisse died, Chagall would be the only painter who understood what color really is. Chagall’s intense reds and blues have a life of their own. I sheepishly admit that I didn’t know Chagall did costume and set decorations for plays and ballets, both in his native Russia after the turn of the century and in New York City during WWII. I also didn’t know that he turned to pottery and collage later in his long career as another way to express himself. One quote of his was particularly moving to me: “Every artist has a homeland, a native town, and though other environments and spheres will exert their influence on him, he will remain forever marked by an essential trait: The scent of his homeland will always live in his work.” I was particularly drawn to his “Nude over Vitebsk.”

Quin Matthews and Sharon Benge share stories of their interviews at the DMA.

Art really does matter
I had the good luck to be in town on this particular Thursday. Locals Quin Matthews and Sharon Benge presented a 45-minute montage of interviews they had conducted with actors, writers, painters, sculptors, musicians, conductors, architects, dancers, and so on for their Art Matters radio show, a local show aired on WRR Classical 101, which debuted in October 1988. They are donating their more than 25,000 interviews and 100 hours of film spanning 25 years of covering the arts to DMA. One of DMA’s executives noted that it’s the single largest media gift, and DMA intends to make these available and searchable on the web so that these historic treasures are accessible to everyone. Stay tuned. (Attendees were given free CDs of interviews with various artists, which I look forward to hearing!)

Glass sculptures at the DMA.

I’ll share a few inspiring quotes that I got out of the snippets of interviews that were included in the montage. First of all, Quin Matthews is a filmmaker who devotes his life to telling stories. What I noticed right away in the interviews was that he is a good editor. He knew what to keep and what to leave on the cutting floor. It truly is an art to edit – what you leave out is just as important as what you show. How lucky for Matthews and Benge to have spent a quarter century learning about all of these artists and recording the artists’ own words for prosperity. And how lucky for their listeners through the years and now for everyone. Since college, I’ve harbored a secret desire to be a filmmaker, documentary and otherwise, as another medium for storytelling. For now, though, I’ll admire those who have really made filmmaking and storytelling an art.

Matthews and Benge didn’t just focus on local artists. They went to the ends of the world – The Czech Republic, Bolivia, China, Russia, and many other countries – to bring art to their listeners in North Texas. When I listened to the chamber choir, I was reminded of my time in choir in high school. I had forgotten how moved I could be, how my whole body responded and rejoiced when we sang Gregorian chants, Bach, even show tunes from the 1940s. I got the same shot of adrenalin and exuberance listening to classical music performed by the Dallas orchestra and other musical groups.

Happily, I was introduced to artists such as Rusty Scruby, who talked exuberantly about how math and the landscape that numbers make excited him. If you take a look at his art, you will understand how math and numbers are a part of his art. Vernon Fisher talked about how art is a way of understanding the world, how man makes maps, counts things, tries to make sense of the world, as a way to avoid death. Jean Lacey talked about how she wants people to look at art and respond. Dorothea Kelley, a musician who championed chamber music in Dallas, talked about how music can help your life by giving you joy, helping you out at times, and feeding you spiritually.

I came away from DMA nourished on a spiritual and creative level. Not a bad deal for a 36-hour business trip!

National Poetry Month: Book spine haiku, Volume 1

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Patty

Poetry is what gets lost in translation.
– Robert Frost, American poet

April is National Poetry Month and to celebrate creation and beauty (amidst destruction and sadness but also hope and humanity in and outside of Boston), I’m posting volume 1 of book spine haikus. My friend Kathy introduced me to this very fun form of poetry making. You form the three-line poem by using the titles of three books, following the 5-7-5 syllable format. It’s also fun to find out what books people have on their bookshelves.

This post features six book spine haikus, two each by friends of mine and two by me. I’ll be posting subsequent volumes, so if anyone wants to contribute, I’m happy to receive them. I have more of my own to share, as well. This is a great exercise – not unlike a puzzle – to try to make some sense of three existing lines. Some of us were also trying to see if we could make two of the book titles describe or summarize the third title. Yet other suggestions included using books by just one author or married authors.

The first two are from my friend Kathy Verschoor. The next two are from my friend Barbara Hanscome (we go way back to my first job as an editorial assistant for a business-to-business publishing company in 1991). And the last two are mine.

Send in your contributions! And “like” and “share” these book spine haikus on Facebook if you enjoy them!