Jun 9, 2006

From Robert De Niro to Jerry Seinfeld, stars of the entertainment field walked a new kind of red carpet: one laid down a long flight of stairs. That’s due to the venue of the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival’s Vanity Fair party: the New York State Supreme Courthouse at 60 Centre Street and Pearl Street.

Hundreds of candles lined the courthouse steps. Beneath the American flag and the architectural wonders of statues, columns and moldings, the words VANITY FAIR were carved in huge, red block letters above a sign reading, “Tribeca Film Festival.”

The award for best-looking couple goes to Ed Burns and Christy Turlington. Burns, who has a film to promote, said, “It was a no-brainer to come out tonight.” When asked what fans yell out these days when they see him on the street, Burns joked, “What fans? Have you seen the box-office returns of my last couple movies?”
Turlington laughed and then praised his new film, The Groomsmen.

Iman and David Bowie were another glamorous duo. The parade of guests included David Duchovny, Jeff Goldblum, Russell Simmons, Fran Liebowitz, Damon Dash and Harvey Weinstein.

Designers Carolina Herrera and Diane von Furstenberg joined the party, as did television stars Barbara Walters and Regis.

Tennis champion John McEnroe came to support the festival. He graciously stopped and answered questions. “De Niro is a quiet, behind-the-scenes guy who stepped up to the plate,” he said. “There’s more to [the festival] than just seeing a movie.”

Apr 1, 2006
An exploration of the controversial Miss America Scholarship Program from the perpective of a contestant. A first-person essay/editorial published in The Columbia Spectator on 2/9/01

Rehearsing for the Miss New York Preliminaries is thrilling, glamorous and hard work. I know because I compete in it.

The Miss America Program empowers women. So why do some people still disapprove of it?

Last year Miss America awarded nearly $32 million in scholarships to help educate bright young women. For this reason alone, it is much more than a starry-eyed girl’s fantasy role – it is a feminist’s dream.

The judges focus on contestants’ accomplishments in and out of the classroom. All women involved are not only students but also leaders in their communities.

Contestants are required to choose the issue most important to them and demonstrate dedication to it. For example, Harvard graduate Laura Lawless adopted a platform of mental illness. Other platforms were the prevention of eating disorders, heart disease, smoking and sexual assault.

Each woman promotes one charitable cause, and the winner uses her title to make a difference through volunteer work, speeches and fundraisers. Her “reign” can be equated to a “year of service.”

In other words, Miss America is no bimbo. She is well-spoken, well-informed, and works actively to improve society. In addition, the interview stresses career ambition. Former Miss Americas are doctors, lawyers, businesswomen, teachers, and journalists (Diane Sawyer was a scholarship pageant winner), showing that the women succeed beyond their looks. Therefore, the “ditz” stereotype is unjustified.

Contestants work hard to prepare their minds and bodies. Rehearsals require about six hours total. On our own, we practice talents of singing, dancing, monologues and gymnastics. We sing songs in cabs, on the subway, and walking down the street so it comes like second nature. We read The New York Times to be proficient in current events. Then we hit the gym, hope for the best and look forward to performance night.

The categories of evening wear and swimsuit spark controversy, but judges don’t rate one’s physical attributes. Instead, they evaluate the woman’s onstage answers to two impromptu questions and her poise while she sports a one- or two-piece bathing suit. Is this degrading? It isn’t, because the point is to encourage contestants to be comfortable with their bodies and to lead healthy lifestyles.

The swimsuit category does not promote anorexia or bulimia, nor does it prevent larger women from competing. It simply stresses the importance of regular exercise and nutrition. As exemplified by such platform issues as heart disease, extra weight puts one’s health at risk. The public also was polled: “Should swimsuit be abolished?” The majority voted “No.”

Character is another area that raises critics’ eyebrows. Popular stereotypes typecast Miss America as “Mary Sunshine” or the always smiling “girl next door.” This is not necessarily negative, but at the same time, it is not wholly accurate. Miss America deals with serious topics, visits schoolchildren to discuss education, and does not take being a role model lightly.

The idea of a fake blonde with a nose job and breast implants is quite off-base. In fact, contestants are diverse and winners include African-Americans and Asian-Americans. See for yourself when this year’s Miss America is chosen on September 22.
It’s not an old-fashioned beauty pageant but instead an opportunity for academic advancement, with a $35,000 scholarship for each winner.

But the rewards of the Miss America Program far exceed monetary value. The atmosphere is inspiring and lifelong friends are made. These are people who understand the true meaning behind the crown: character, education and overall excellence.

Dec 6, 2005
Two Sides of Vogue

There are two sides to the Vogue editor and New York icon André Leon Talley (far right).
When Naomi Campbell, Donald Trump and Vera Wang joined him at the New York Historical Society benefit on Monday night, I expected a breathtaking presence to stand before us. Often caught on camera in flamboyant fashions, Talley delivered a surprisingly subtle look, with black on black simplicity. The only hint of color peeked from his pocket in the form of a cranberry silk handkerchief.

Co-chairing the event were Pat Aschul and the pregnant Melania Trump, in a cleavage-bearing, gorgeous black gown, who stopped by with her husband en route to the premiere of King Kong. Unlike Melania, Talley looked like he wanted to blend in—but his height didn’t let him. Talley is too tall for anonymity, and too graceful to slouch.

Who is this New York icon? He studied French at Brown University, but found himself eyeing the art students at the Rhode Island School of Design. He was inspired by beauty since childhood, when he’d watch his grandmother get ready for church with her navy stilettos and matching purse.

Talley is the author of A.L.T. 365+, a book that is itself a testament of style. He scrawled his signature on the large, glossy pages that highlight his life from 2003 to 2004. Next to each photograph is a description of an A-list person he encountered, beginning with Anna Wintour. He admits he was afraid of her at first, as are most people, but their friendship solidified on her wedding day, when she stuffed her bridal bouquet into his arms.

Talley tells this tale of Diana Ross in Paris: Though she went shopping without money or credit cards, the owner of an estate jewelry store let her leave with diamonds. A.L.T. 365+ also pays homage to another star, Oscar de la Renta, featuring photographs of the manicured grounds of the designer’s Connecticut estate and showing off the private waterfall on his farm in Santo Domingo.

Talley dedicates the book to his father, who gave him his first camera at age ten. A dignified guest of honor, he showed an affinity for children as he urged the audience to stay seated and watch the kids on stage. Before Talley spoke or signed books, he arranged for the spotlight to showcase the liturgical dancers from his church in Harlem, the Abyssinian Baptist Church. During the show, Talley stood alone in a dark corner with an expression of almost paternal pride.

Step dancers from Riverside Church performed inspirational numbers, followed by Joan Faye Donovan, who delivered a beautiful rendition of “Silent Night.” The music of singer Aaron Conley and the Harlem Festival Orchestra sealed the holiday spirit. Talley compared the evening’s music to a performance he heard in St. Petersburg on a recent trip to Russia with Marc Jacobs.

Talley acted humble and selfless throughout the night, a vessel of charity. He was only comfortable reversing roles after the event, when a circle formed around him. A friend handed him an open gossip magazine. “Here you are in Brazil.”

“Look at me!” Talley laughed, thrusting the photo spread into the air. “Look at me!” He broke the quiet, dignified aura, as animated as a child at play. His eyes widened while he waved the pages in front of his friends, who leaned in to see him in a floor-length animal print coat. He’d spent the entire evening directing attention elsewhere — to the young dancers, the singers and the orchestra — making sure the night was about everyone else, not him. But now the crowd had cleared and, for the first time that evening, he let us look directly at him, albeit through the medium of a magazine. Beyond his generosity, beyond the hard work of the self-made man, the energy in his voice gave a glimpse of a youthful spirit.

The article continues here, published on Beatrice.com

Oct 5, 2005
Please Don’t Ask
A few weeks ago, I auditioned for a Post Cereal commercial. “How did you do? … “What did you do? … “Did they like you?” I barely had time to take a deep breath before my parents asked these questions, forcing me to dwell on the situation. The professional response is to put it out of mind.

Let me give you an example. Two months before the Post tryout, I auditioned for an AT&T commercial. After meeting me, the casting director announced that I “would be perfect for the role.” I received similar encouraging comments at the call-back, but I made a mistake: I relayed the casting director’s praise to friends and family. Later, I wished they had never asked because it only heightened my disappointment when I was never cast. This prompted a new batch of questions: “What happened? … Why didn’t you get it?”

Who knows why I didn’t get it? Casting agents themselves don’t know sometimes. Often they change their minds. Also, they don’t have the final say. The sponsor must approve their choice. Maybe AT&T did not agree with the casting agent’s decision.

I don’t mind so much that I make the long trip into New York City for an audition that leads to nothing. What bothers me are the well-meaning but annoying questions people persist in asking. Why do they do this? Perhaps they’re curious or drawn to potential fame. Maybe, like a cheering squad, they’re rooting for me. If I succeed, they’re on the winning team.

I try to teach my parents not to bombard me with questions, but they can’t help themselves. Like others, they probably feel they’re supporting me. They don’t realize that discussing the topic prolongs the agony. They’re not familiar with the industry or the rejections that actors face as a standard part of the job.

Mulling a booking I probably won’t get wastes energy and only sets me up for disappointment. If I keep thinking about it, I start to doubt myself. Should I have interpreted the script differently? Did I sound too sarcastic? When they took my picture, was my head tilted right?

Once, the audition was canceled. I was partly relieved, because I could dismiss all questions. “Did the like you? … Do you think you go the job?” I found satisfaction in simply explaining, “It was canceled.”

Still, my friends get so excited at the mention of a TV show or film. They don’t realize that it’s like a test in school. You don’t know how you did until the teacher grades it and tells you. Unlike a test, however, there are no right answers in auditioning. You may have the wrong color hair, be too tall, too short, too sweet-looking, too sleek. Or, for whatever reason, the casting agent does not perceive you as right for the role.

I have another audition soon. Please, don’t ask me any questions that night or the next day. If I get the job, you’ll be the first to know.

Oct 4, 2005
From Anxiety to Ashtanga
Published in Noelle Ashley’s weekly column in The Norwood Bulletin

New York’s emphasis on material things didn’t suit Inez Stein. Growing up, she found the city pace oppressive.

Stein signed up for the fast track, finishing high school by age 16. At 19, she graduated college and got married.

Cramming her school years into such a short time stressed Stein out. “I was usually a nervous wreck,” she said. That was before she discovered yoga.

When Stein first heard of yoga, the only instructors were privately hired gurus. “It was the ‘70s,” she said. “I didn’t even have aerobics classes near me.”

Stein found a calmer life in New England, where her husband attended law school. As a CPA in Norwood, Massachusetts, she feels less pressure – except during tax season.

She was an unlikely fit for a career in accounting. “I was a psychology major, but I wanted to eat,” she said. On the CPA exam, Stein received the highest mark in the state, and one of the top in the nation.

Stein, 51, never stopped challenging herself. Now a certified yoga instructor, she feels she has come full circle. As director of In The Moment Wellness Center, she has “reconnected” with the psychology of both the mind and body.

When Stein was in her 30s, a friend insisted they drive two hours each way to try yoga. “The class was worth it,” Stein said.

After leaving a high-strung accounting firm in Cambridge, Stein opened her own CPA practice, but being her own boss was not worry-free. It took Stein a full hour to relax during tax season. “Preparing taxes can be stressful in itself,” she said. Yoga served as her release.

The most interesting place Stein taught yoga is the historic mansion at Pequitside Farm where, during the Revolutionary War, people held meetings in front of the fireplace. It was a yoga room with a view: huge, glass doors and panoramic windows overlooked the wooded grounds. One day her students watched a family of skunks walk right up to the glass. Quite a different atmosphere than a gym.

One student, Babette Mortell, broke her leg and doctors told her she wouldn’t be able to walk again. “But I had good balance from years of yoga,” Mortell said. “I may have a metal plate in my leg, but I still do yoga.”

Mortell has taken classes with Stein for ten years. “I like how Inez does something different in each class and she doesn’t buy into fads, like heating the yoga room to 100 degrees.”

According to Stein, not all fitness centers understand that yoga is more than cardiovascular. To get the full effect, one must practice meditation and breathing.

Stein begins each class with a philosophical reading. She likes to wander into bookstores, like the one in Harvard Square. She often finds material in the spiritual and meditation section.

Yoga has helped Stein break habits of how she views the world. She values the power of positive thinking and nonattachment, which involves being happy even when life doesn’t turn out the way we want it to be.

Stein quoted The Sayings of the Buddha: “We are what we think. Speak or act with an impure mind and trouble will follow you as the wheel follows the ox that draws the cart. Speak or act with a pure mind and happiness will follow you as your shadow, unshakable.”

With six other instructors, Stein offers classes in Pilates and Hawaiian Hula. For her husband Andy, there are lessons in Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese exercise combining martial arts and flexibility.

“I’ve tried to convince my friends and family to do yoga, but they weren’t interested,” Stein said. “I realized that everyone has their own path. People learn and evolve in their own ways.”

One of Stein’s interests is helping those with multiple sclerosis. She runs a class for people with MS, who find that yoga relaxes them and in some cases, brings more feeling to their feet and legs.

Affirmations are another practice Stein supports. She says these short sentences should be chosen carefully and repeated often. For example: “I feel healthier and happier,” “My legs are stronger and support me” or “My body is using the medicine successfully.”

Stein’s father died fifteen years ago, and although her mother does not practice yoga, she shares similar beliefs. Stein values the principle that healing and wellness come from within. She wants to empower people to seek answers for themselves in life by raising their awareness.

Stein’s studio is decorated with chimes, the ying and the yang, leis and flowers on the wall. A unique touch is “Gymnastics Barbie,” who can demonstrate yoga poses like the forward stretch and straight back.

Of course, Stein’s students don’t aspire to be Barbie. “She’s too stiff,” Stein laughed, moving the doll’s legs. “And she fails Breathing and Meditation.”

Yet the inanimate object epitomizes peace, and the absence of anxiety, a value Stein and her students aspire to on a daily basis.

Sep 5, 2018
IvyFON Conference