Our family is full of artists and creative types and our lovely Aunt Corinne Hudson is one of them. Corinne has been designing and making her beautiful and unique floorcloths for years. We asked Corinne some questions about her work!

To see more and shop the store check out Corinne’s website!
www.hudsonfloorscapes.com

How did you come about creating your floorcloths and what inspires your creations?
Like so many others, I had no idea what a floorcloth was.  In 1995, I was shopping in Mac-Kenzie-Childs, a unique store for handcrafted home furnishings when I noticed what looked to be a design painted on the floor.  On closer inspection it was something placed on top of the floor. I went to a corner and lifted its edge. It felt like leather but it was, in fact, made from heavy canvas. I was fascinated. There were so many people walking across it. How did they get canvas to feel like leather and hold up to all this foot traffic?   So, my first experience with a floorcloth and I was in love and couldn't wait to get home and figure out how to make one. I haven't stopped making them since that day.

For most of my life I have studied the healing arts of the native Americas.  Their healing rituals are always so graceful and beautiful. Art, music and dance are integral to their ceremonies. Most indigenous cultures know that beauty and well-being go hand and hand. I look for patterns in nature. I use symbols and designs that can give the feeling of the wind, a bird in flight or a storm. My use of earth tones enhances those images. The beauty, power and grace of the natural world are what inspire my designs.

What kind of materials do you use to make your floorcloths and what is the process involved making one?
My floorcloths are made from heavy weight canvas.  I shrink the canvas with hot water and once dry it is primed on both sides. After hemming the edges a few coats of latex paint are used for the background colors and designs.  When the design is complete, 4 coats of satin poly-crylic are applied for protection.  There is a shine to the finished floorcloth that will disappear once the rug has been walked on.  Floorcloths that are hung on the wall do not need the protective coating.

What are some of the pros of having a floorcloth vs. a throw rug or carpeting?
The floorcloths I make are more than artwork for your floor.  Though they enhance any room for which they are made, they are an incredibly practical alternative.  Durable, stain and water resistant, hypo-allergenic (unlike wool rugs that collect dust and pet hair which get deeply lodged) a great way to protect wood floors and easy to maintain (clean with soap and water).  In the kitchen work areas wood floors are protected from oil and water spills. Entryways, where wood floors will show more wear, are also a great place for a floor cloth.  With double backed rug tape they lay flat, will not get kicked up or move. My floorcloths are customized to the colors and sizes that are right for your home.

What kind or art or artists inspire you creatively?
I am inspired by all kind of art but particularly art that gives me a feeling of a natural place. I love the landscapes of the Hudson River artists such as Thomas Cole. I also love the work of the pantheist Charles Burchfield. His watercolors portray an energy or aliveness emanating form every object. Like indigenous artists we are reminded through their art of our deep relationship with nature.

Where are your favorite places to shop for home décor/home goods?
My favorite places to shop are flea markets, antique shops and those small shops that sell the work of local artists.

We all know that dining out in New York can be nothing short of an event! The hustle and bustle to get you and your date, or group of friends, into your favorite table, at your favorite place, for that special occasion, is truly an art form. So how about bringing the special occasion to you? One of the most personal, intimate and truly unique ways to entertain - and make your guests feel at home - is to hire the beautiful, hospitable and incredibly talented personal chefs of bigLITTLE Get Together - Flannery Klette-Kolton and Lauren Gerrie. I've never tasted anything short of amazing, or felt anything less than totally at home during one of their incredible dinner parties. They also happen to be two of my closest friends. Read how they started their company, what it's like to be a personal chef in New York and their recommendations for hot spots in NYC!!!
http://www.biglittlenyc.com/

How was the idea for bigLITTLE Get Together created?
It all began with a spontaneous Great Gatsby themed birthday party that we put together for a friend of ours. We wanted it to be unique and edgy and decided that utilizing a theme would create more buzz and excitement amongst our friends. Centering the party around a theme ensured that our guests would dress up as well as providing us with inspiration for building a menu. We had such a blast cooking and organizing this party that on that very evening, on a whim (or more accurately a lot of wine), we decided that we should do this.. for real. And we did!

What's are some of your favorite aspects of your careers as personal chefs?
Challenge & Creativity.  The food and beverage industry is such a rich, inspiring, and ever changing world to be a part of, particularly now. The perception of food and consumption has changed drastically in the last 20 years. Due to this increased awareness, our food and ingredient market is hugely diverse comparatively. We love discovering and learning about ingredients and/or techniques and then challenging ourselves to be creative with our application and presentation.  

What do clients get out of hiring a personal chef company versus a bigger catering company?
Intimacy, plane and simple. We specialize in tailoring our menus and concepts specifically for our clients so that they can have exactly what they envision or desire. We provide them with a unique experience - one that is theirs - and they can feel the difference. We often view our work with our clients as a collaboration, which allows the relationship more reciprocity and fluidity. There is no greater reward than creating a concept or menu item, seeing it come to fruition, and sharing in the enjoyment of the final product. We have finessed our approach so that the client feels more connected and hence can share in the appreciation of the process. This knowledge and awareness is what makes the food more meaningful. It's also what fosters long term client relationships. We provide them with the tools, knowledge and confidence to do it themselves...but they always come back to us!

What are some of your signature dishes?
Ha! No such thing! Unlike a restaurant, we are not making the same dishes/menus all the time. And being that we live in the greatest most diverse city in the universe and are avid food students, our dishes and skills are constantly evolving.

Where do you like to go for food and drinks in NYC?
Right now we are LOVING Mas (La Grillade).  We would never say no to 15 East either!  For drinks we enjoy Tequila & Mezcal at Mayuel, Hot Toddies / Spiked Cider / & Delerium at Shoolbreds.  For wine and snacks we tend to haunt the bars at Osteria Morini and Bar Jamon. If we just want to pig out on chips, salsa and Spicy Margaritas you can find us at Cafe Portal. For the perfect brunch that is well priced and NEVER disappointing Cafe Orlin is where it's at. We also just gave Puddin' a taste test and not only did it pass with flying colors, but the owner is a cute-as-button little lady whom we are happy to support!

How does NYC play a role in bigLITTLE Get Together?
There is no way in which NYC does NOT play a role in our business. In one word we could say, accessibility. We live in a melting pot and have so much right at our fingertips. We are surrounded by architecture, art, culture, diversity, nature, desire, and drive.  All we have to do is open our eyes and aim for the stars.  We are hugely supportive of each others' alternate passions and interests as they are means to further enrich our creative beings. With this openness and understanding, we are each able to bring more to the table for the other.

Where would you like to see your company in the future?
Where wouldn't we like to see our company in the future?! Some of our big goals are to have our own food show, travel the world and taste EVERYTHING, cook all over the world, write a book, create a product that we can market, hopefully have an employee or two one day, and mostly make a difference.. one belly at a time!

I have just returned from my second adventure with Brian McCutcheon, founder of ROAM. Many years ago, Brian created a business based on what he loved. He is a smart, sassy, and extremely funny thrill seeker. His company, ROAM (Rivers, Oceans & Mountains) offers experiences of many different kinds. From white water rafting to safari and all the hiking, swimming, skiing, surfing, exploring and learning you can possibly handle in between. On my first adventure we rafted the Klinaklini river in BC. It was a white water rafting expedition that definitely altered this city girl's outlook on life. This recent trip was to The Galapagos Islands where we sailed from one magical spot to the next on an 80 foot catamaran. Although both trips with Brian have been on opposite ends of the outdoor adventure scale, each has made an unforgettable lasting impression that leaves you numb for a few days after, still trying to absorb the thrilling moments and unbelievably rare situations experienced.

The thing about Brian is, he's been doing it a long time and is great at what he does. He does all the work for you, and makes you laugh a lot along the way. All you have to do is show up and have fun. You get the perfect mix of decadent pampering and thrilling white knuckle moments. Whether you're seeing your life flash before your eyes crashing through a class five rapid, or hoping the school of sharks you're suddenly snorkeling with doesn't want you for lunch, at one point or another you question your sanity. These moments are nicely balanced by delicious meals made for you, and sights that you will simply never forget. All of which, makes these amazing vacations so memorable. Especially for someone like me, born and raised in the streets of Manhattan, to be completely separate from the 'real world' and feel a part of the grandeur of nature is unbelievable. You leave feeling changed, bringing home a new appreciation for yourself and the world around you.

It's hard to find words to describe the Galapagos Islands trip I have just enjoyed to the fullest. I will take it day by day. The trip begins with flying to Quito, Ecuador and meeting up with Brian and the rest of the group. All together we totaled twelve. We traveled to Baltra Island the next morning and moved onto the boat. The 80'X40' catamaran came with a wonderful crew of 6 and we were met by a naturalist who guided us through the different islands and educated us on the  specifics of each. With a comfortable living area surrounded by the seven bedrooms and a gorgeous top deck with chaise lounges, the boat is intimate and luxurious. We set sail immediately after settling in and head to our first destination for a hike on Seymour Island. You step onto a wet rock and are greeted by  so many animals and strange sights it seems totally fake. Maybe I'm a jaded New Yorker or have worked in an industry of make believe for too long but it was all so unreal. One of our jokes along the way became, "cue the ----"; insert one of the rare exotic animals that walks right in front of you at any given moment. First it was sea lions, everywhere. At your feet. With the cutest baby pups nursing not 3 feet from you. Then, it was land and sea iguana's that you have to be careful not to step on because they blend into their surroundings so well. Not to mention the onslaught of interesting and different birds; Blue and Red Footed Boobies, Flightless Cormorants, Frigate birds, and tons of Darwin’s finches, to name a few. At a certain point there were just too many special, unique, highly evolved birds to keep track of. With beautiful colors, some 10 foot wing spans, and no fear of you at all. Amazing.

Day two we go the Butterfly Ranch on Santa Cruz Island. Its actually a tortoise ranch. We see and learn all about giant tortoises in the morning and swim at one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen in the afternoon. This was our last day of civilization. We were able to walk around the Porta Ayora and do a bit of shopping, etc. From here on out, we barely saw another soul. Overnight we sailed to Isabela Island. At Punta Moreno we walked across a massive lava field. The terrain felt like being on the moon. That afternoon we snorkeled with large sea turtles among the plethora of brightly colored sea life of all kinds. Several beautiful kinds of sea stars, so many amazing fish I couldn’t begin to list. Day 4 began with Tagus Cove where Darwin spent 5 weeks collecting specimens and studying. The mountainous landscape gave us breathtaking vistas of the volcanos and the bays surrounding us. Sailing next around Fernandina Island, we landed at Punta Espinoza and explored the pristine beaches covered in marine iguanas, hiked lava fields, and finished the day by snorkeling with the most playful pair of sea lions yet. The more you dive under and roll around with them,  the more they want to play with you. They put on an underwater circus for me, seeming to like the silver shine of my underwater camera. It’s as though they new they were on camera and totally hamming it up. That night while sailing to our next location, we crossed the equator into the northern hemisphere. We had a celebratory cheers up on deck after the stunning sunset just for the event. 

On the fifth day, we landed on a beautiful black sand beach of Puerto Egas on James Island. The volcano ash creates incredible shapes in the landscape. Lava fields eroded by the waters edge made lots of  caves, tunnels and overhangs where the sea lions basked in the sun and frolicked in the crevasses below. At Buccaneer Cove we snorkeled against a cliff wall where seemed to be no bottom. Day 6 we went to Rabida Island. We walked along a fine red sand beach made from the lava ash. As we hiked across the terrain, we came to a white sand beach formed from coral and shells, and finally to a golden sand beach made from a combination of ash, shells, and lava rocks. The lava fields here was visually spectacular. So many different textures and craters formed a floor that felt like another planet. Our snorkel adventure of the day included an area where sharks nurse and clean themselves. We swam above a group of 7 white tipped Galapagos sharks ranging in size, the largest approximately 7 feet long. The first day we swam with sharks was a little uncomfortable and nervous making, but somehow a few days later we were hunting them down. Following them in the boat and jumping in when we were close. The fear transformed into excitement in this magical place where being one with the wild life around you felt so natural. Sadly our last day arrived. We hiked Prince Phillips steps on Genovesa Island. Here we saw hundreds of nesting birds. Their lack of fear still startles us, especially around their eggs. On our snorkel, we finally got to see a hammer head shark. Phew! Then spent the last afternoon hanging out together swimming and lounging on the beach at Darwin’s Bay.  

Returning home I’m wondering if it was all a dream. I long for the quiet, peaceful mornings waking to a magnificent sunrise surrounded by these remote islands, in the middle of the pacific ocean. I miss our evening hang outs on the deck of the boat, going over the days events, drinking a ‘Raul special’, coined by me for our fantastic bartender. I will cherish all the knowledge shared with us by our warm and wonderful naturalist, Morris Garcia, who taught us amazing things every day. His own passion about the place he lives and the unique species that inhabit the islands filled us all with new understanding and great respect for our natural world. Besides all the sites and sounds, spending such an intense week with new friends creates bonds with people that will hopefully continue on for years to come. I thank Brian and ROAM for this incredible experience. Burned into our hearts and minds, it will never be forgotten. 
www.iroamtheworld.com

MY STUFF !    
Well, I’m in my new study and the final picture has been hung on the wall above my desk. There’s actually one more really heavy boy but I need a stud detector, molly anchors, etc… But the feeling of settled satisfaction is there.
            The point is that I have landed with my STUFF. I moved at the end of October and began to pack up all my stuff in the middle of that month. I was moving only six buildings down the street so I personally shoved, pushed, pulled, hauled and shuffled all my stuff down the block in batches of five to seven boxes; about twenty trips. A lot of stuff. A couple of true friends came over for the few heavy pieces of stuff which I couldn’t manage alone and that, partially because of the 1.3 inch, mini-blizzard, was its own ordeal. One flight walk-up, ‘nuff said.
            As soon as all that stuff landed, and before I could fully unpack, it was time to get stuff for all of you, for the multitude of annual holiday festivities. I went out among the throngs of other holiday shoppers all gathering up their stuffs. I got some stuff into the mail, carried some on the plane and left some stuff under the tree. I left for Christmas and gave away all that new stuff and got in return an even greater bounty of STUFF. Packing all of this stuff to carry-on the airplane was a challenge, successfully met.
            I got home from the airport and dumped my newest stuff near the pile of stuff remaining from the holidays, across from the last pile of stuff to be put away from the move. What a ton of stuff. Am I renting an apartment or living in a cable ready storage locker?
            All of this stuff has got to be reprioritized. I have hoarders in my family so I can understand the feeling of, “If I throw that out and need it in two years, I’ll never forgive myself.” And therein lies the crux: forgiveness. We need self-forgiveness. We need to learn to forgive ourselves, to let go of things material and emotional and to travel lean into the future. I hope to adopt and live this motto, as soon as I can find a good place for all of this STUFF!

By James Wolf

We've made it to our second year! Stop & Style NYC would like to send out a heart felt THANK YOU to all the wonderful people who contributed to our magazine and helped make it happen.
With a new year ahead, we hope to grow bigger and better in 2012! 

First and foremost, I want to thank my wonderful sisters, Meredith and Ashley. Thank you for joining me in this venture and sticking it out with me through it's highs and lows. Thank you for you're individual creativity, devotion and commitment. I truly love working with you both and look forward to another year and more fun ladies!

Next-to our contributors, we would like to Thank:  Ty Ross, James Wolf, Erin Murray, Evo Love, DJ Mighty Mi, TJ English, Danny O'Connor, Rachel Zaretsky, John Keating, Zach Henderson, Chris Lopata, Casey Wohl, Russell Hudson, Romy Itzigsohn, Merav Holtzman, Georgia Newman, Jessica Dolan, Patrick Quinn, Liusuke Nagayoshi, Jill Blakeway, Noah Rubinstein, Michele Lieblich, Andrew Auwerda, Cristina Bornstein, Justin Blair, Stephanie Rosenblatt, Randi Cohen, Mary Kelly, Julia Turshen, Aleksa Palladino, Mark Greene, Scott Campbell, Romain Gateau, Greg Haberny, Brett Lindell, Dave Tree, Rob Servo, Sergio Coyote, Victor Cox, Clown Soldier, and to our dear friend Liz Wong who we sadly lost this year.

Lastly, a special thanks to some loyal and beloved fans for their continued support and inspiration: Myra Wexler, Mike Malfettone, and Charlotte Weber. 
Happy New Year to all! May 2012 bring us our dreams.

“Post Basel Blues” is a syndrome that you can’t help but catch after you’ve done Basel Miami. The week long high is over, the friends move on, the events close and the party train stops. Besides the constant stimulation of intaking the world’s best art, the Art Basel Miami experience as a whole leaves an aftermath of withdrawl.  For me, it is like art camp. I go as a thirsty and curious new artist to see the very best art, learn as much as I can, and enjoy the ride. 

My experience begins with my hosts Evo Love and Romain Gatueau of Stash Gallery. Friends that are more like family, they take me in whenever I need to be taken. They are truly two of the most generous and loving people on the planet and everyone who knows them agrees. I have written about Evo Love before, a year ago, she was my first interview for this magazine. She exhibited with Fountain this year for Basel and has shown with them in NY and LA as well. My opinion is totally biased but I think her work is genius. This year her pieces gained scale and grandeur giving her some well deserved recognition from the press. Her booth 'This Ain’t My First Rodeo’ made an undeniable impact when compared to the more regularly seen static and cold gallery style displays that are common at the fair. With the expert rigging by fiance and business partner Romain Gateau, the effect was impressive. Romain is a widely recognized Miami street artist, a talented film maker, and a real life MacGuyver. The pair make a formidable team that are surely growing into two of Miami’s best known gallery owners and respected collectors. 
www.evoloveunlimited.com
www.stashgallery.com

In their gracious manner, they also housed 6 artists from NY showing at Basel. The first two, Greg Haberny (this year showed with Aqua), accompanied by assistant and portrait photographer Brett Lindell. Greg Haberny is one of my new favorite people. His art is smart, rough, political and often very entertaining. He is a wonderfully twisted and all around gorgeous person. Brett Lindell has been blowing me away with his dramatic portraits for a while now. He has a way of getting New Yorkers to show him their souls. Both possess the inate style gene. Effortlessly stylish at all times, so up my alley.  
www.suckerchump.com
www.brettlindellphotography.com

The next four artists are from the collective Murder Lounge. I list them in order of my general awareness and aquaintance. Dave Tree, out of Boston, has an extremely magnetic personality. He charms the pants off of anyone that crosses his path, man, woman young and old.  His work at the fair was peppered with images of space ships, space shuttles, some skulls and seemingly architectural plans. All a very heady kind of experience much like Dave. Rob Servo caught my attention with his two american flag pieces in which he used film strips for the flag stripes. I suppose I’m partial to pieces with film in them but then he gave me a strip of light blue film that I had never seen before and I’ve seen a LOT of film. His general sweetness continued all week with dish doing, lots of helpful cleaning and hauling of all sorts of things, and to top it off cat loving. Stop it. His sculptural pieces are my favorites, incorporating paintings and drawings that are equally whimsy and weird. 
www.davetree.com
www.robservo.com

Sergio Coyote is the quiet one. You have to put some time and work into getting to know him. It was worth the wait. He calls his style, vomit style. It states on his website, ‘the more you look the more you see’, and it’s true of his art and himself. He has well timed dry humor. He showed me a film he made and acted in the lead roll. I wouldn’t be surprised if he became a break out character actor in the Benicio Del Toro vein. I’m anxious to see what I will discover next. Last but certainly not least Victor Cox. The thing about Victor is when you look him in the eyes, you feel calm, like home. His energy is even and inviting. At one point during a rushed morning’s activities, he noticed that I was a little shakey. He took my arms in his and just looked at me gently rubbing my hands, it was possible the most centered moment I had the whole week. His pieces contain characters that are dark but somehow innocent. 
www.vomitstyle.com
www.coxeyed.com

And then there was the Clown Soldier sleeping in the bus outside. He was allergic to cats and couldn't stay with us in the house. I'm not sure if it was the allergies, or the separateness of the bus but somehow he was humorously out of sync with the rest of us the whole time. With his quirky way and odd timing, I couldn't really get a beat on him but by the end his personality and art work won me over.
www.clownsoldier.com

The experience of living with working, experienced artists during a event of this scale has been priceless. From start to finish, unpack and repack, I was impressed with the warmth, humor, and respect they showed each other at all times.  Moments can get intense. There is a lot of heavy competition here. All artists hope to sell work at the fair. They were humble and compassionate about whatever the outcome respectively. During our highs of late night -high art shit talking, to the disappointments and disbelief of creative ideas stolen, this group managed to stick together and support one another. I can't thank all of these people enough for being so great. I have been inspired and learned a little something from each of you. All of which has filled me with a restored belief in the open soul of the artist. 

Art Basel Miami Beach 2011 opens today December 1st! Stop & Style NYC has been lucky enough to be invited to see some VIP previews of this incredible art fair celebrating it's 10th year. For those who don't know, Art Basel Miami is the 2nd largest international art fair in the world, sister show to the main annual fair in Basel Switzerland. Miami gets flooded with art lovers. The crowd is amazing. I can honestly say that yesterday during the VIP viewing, I was in a convention hall with a few thousand of the best dressed, greatest looking people I have ever seen. From the top collectors in the world, to Naomi Campell and her entourage, to me and my camera, it was an event to behold. Funny fashion fact, Sean Combs and Naomi Campbell..both wearing animal print this year. Love it!

Miami as a city loves it's art community. It paints fresh white walls on continuous blocks of warehouses to be painted new each year for the fair. Street artists from across the globe come to make their mark. Galleries compete for the top artists to adorn the exteriors of their buildings. It's an artists haven. 

The energy is intense. In the days before the opening, the nervous scramble to install pieces and present a tight show fills the air. Today, the group anxiety of opening day is palpable. In the shot above, Shark Toof paints a mural in Wynwood. From LA, he is laid back, friendly and very talented. He has been commissioned for 2 walls in the area. Below, Kobra from Brazil paints a block long wall. Not yet completed, it is visually stunning and the process is slow and steady. With two assistants he'll work for about a week on this piece. 

Friend Greg Haberny had his opening party last night. With satirical work inspired by current politics, his show rocked Aqua! 

Below check out my favorite pieces from the main fair...

I recently had a chat with my good friend Andrew Auwerda who was the founder and President of Tony & Tina cosmetic company. Andrew has switched gears and is taking over the world of “Spirits” one bottle at a time as the President of Philadelphia Distilling. With four incredible spirits currently on the market, Bluecoat American Dry Gin, Penn 1681 Vodka, Vieux Carre Absinthe Superiure, and XXX Shine White Whiskey. Bluecoat Gin is made from certified organic botanicals and is craft distilled in a custom built cooper pot still. They use a one batch at a time distilling process that brings out the highest quality of their special ingredients for a clean smooth finish. Bluecoat Gin has been featured in The New York Times, GQ, Maxim, and made Food And Wine’s Top 10 list of “New Spirits”. Bluecoat Gin is distilled in Philadelphia, Pa that’s right made in the USA!
www.bluecoatgin.com
www.philadelphiadistilling.com

How did you and your partners start Bluecoat Gin?
It was really Robert John Cassell’s idea to start the distillery.  Robert is my nephew and approached me with the idea of a craft distillery. Bluecoat American Dry Gin was our first spirit we distilled. I had just finished reading “John Adams” by David McCullough when we began the brand development. On occasion, the continental army is referred to in the book as the Bluecoats! Given we were creating an “American gin” in a sea of “British gins”…. And we were doing it in Philadelphia…. It just felt right…  We will now win the gin war!!

Besides, Blue Coat Gin what other spirits have you created? And what can we look forward to in the future?
We now have four spirits on the market.  Penn 1681 Rye Vodka, our handcrafted vodka, distilled from local organic rye grains. Vieux Carre Absinthe Superieure, a magical authentic absinthe distilled and macerated with the finest ingredients sourced worldwide.  We have just shipped our first batches of XXX SHINE White Whiskey.  A three times pot distilled whiskey using three types of corn. This stuff Rocks!The future will include more high quality small batch spirits.

What is your favorite Bluecoat Gin concoction?
I go for refreshment and nothing beats an old stand by… Bluecoat and Tonic for me! 

What is your favorite bar/lounge in NYC?
It’s impossible to pick a favorite.  My job gives me the incredible luxury to enjoy amazing cocktails in NYC and beyond.
If they pour Bluecoat, they are on the favorite list!

What is your favorite NYC restaurant?  
Tough call also, but let’s just say that Dell’ Anima in the west village is my newest favorite.

Bluecoat Stateside Martini!
3/4 oz Bluecoat American Dry Gin
3/4 oz Fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 oz Cointreau
3/4 oz Lillet Blanc

Combine all ingredients over ice in a tumbler and shake. Strain into a chilled Martini glass and garnish with a twist of lemon or orange peel. This makes for a great Holiday cocktail. Yummy!!

The Haunted Place  by Edgar Allen Poe 1839

In the greenest of our valleys     
  By good angels tenanted, 
 Once a fair and stately palace- 
  Radiant palace- reared its head. 
 
In the monarch Thought's dominion- 
  It stood there! 
Never seraph spread a pinion 
  Over fabric half so fair! 
 
Banners yellow, glorious, golden, 
  On its roof did float and flow, 
(This- all this- was in the olden 
Time long ago,) 

And every gentle air that dallied, 
 In that sweet day, 
Along the ramparts plumed and pallid, 
 A winged odor went away. 

Wanderers in that happy valley, 
  Through two luminous windows, saw 
Spirits moving musically, 
 To a lute's well-tuned law, 

Round about a throne where, sitting 
 (Porphyrogene!) 
In state his glory well-befitting, 
 The ruler of the realm was seen. 

And all with pearl and ruby glowing 
 Was the fair palace door, 
 Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing, 
 And sparkling evermore, 
 
A troop of Echoes, whose sweet duty 
 Was but to sing, 
In voices of surpassing beauty, 
 The wit and wisdom of their king. 

But evil things, in robes of sorrow, 
  Assailed the monarch's high estate. 
(Ah, let us mourn!- for never morrow 
 Shall dawn upon him desolate!) 
 
And round about his home the glory 
 That blushed and bloomed, 
Is but a dim-remembered story 
 Of the old time entombed. 

And travellers, now, within that valley, 
 Through the red-litten windows see 
Vast forms, that move fantastically 
 To a discordant melody, 

While, like a ghastly rapid river, 
 Through the pale door 
A hideous throng rush out forever 
 And laugh- but smile no more. 

I recently had my first experience with acupuncture at The YinOva Center, a family health center specializing in acupuncture, herbal medicines, and massage therapies. Co-founded by husband and wife team Jill Blakeway and Noah Rubinstein, the center aims to heal from the inside out using a combination of eastern and western medical practices giving patients a total approach to wellness.  I pulled my back out while moving, was immobile for almost two weeks and had started to panic. The vibe at The YinOva Center is somewhere between a doctors office and a day spa with a friendly and helpful staff. For a first timer who has a tendency to be a hypochondriac, I was happy for the spa like atmosphere, minimal and relaxing. My appointment began with questions about my injury and a more in depth discussion of my general health; specifically diet, digestion, menstruation, and mood. My practitioner Laurel was friendly and knowledgeable. Not only that, she was a New Yorker. I felt immediately comfortable talking with her about my health concerns and bad habits. 

The needle insertion was quick and painless. When finished placing the needles, Laurel left the room for me to relax with dimmed lights and new age soothing sounds. At first my mind can’t help but jump through images of the needles sticking out of my skin, but I couldn’t feel them at all and therefore convinced my brain to relax into it. Several feelings came and went during this time, specifically a warmth and a coolness that seemed to trade places. After my time was up, I received a brief but strong back massage with a refreshing peppermint oil. I left feeling relaxed and refreshed but still feeling some pain. I thought for a moment that maybe this whole thing wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.  In a few hours though, for the first time in weeks, I actually forgot about my back injury. The pain had disappeared. As the evening progressed and I was able to freely enjoy myself without the constant fear of intense pain, I regretted my moment of disbelief. This stuff is magic. 

During her very busy schedule Jill took the time to sit and talk with me about the center and the practices offered. She is a lovely person. Warm and open, she shared stories about her interests in Eastern Medical practices, working with her husband, and her devotion to healing. While working on her second book about libido, Jill juggles the tasks of a growing business and the deadlines of an anticipated publication with grace. The couple spend half their time in NYC at the center, and the other half upstate where Noah has a second practice offering treatment to local towns people, ranging from farmers to Veterans still suffering from old injuries. 

My follow up visit was with Noah. I had a second batch of acupuncture. Noah spoke with me about my long term work related ailments and concerns. He works with people in the theatre world helping them get through show after physically demanding show. I couldn’t have gone back to work without being fixed by these wonderful people. The life on set doesn’t slow for injuries, pain, or inability of any kind. You can only work if you can do the job, and I am back at work with no worries and no pain. Having had such a fast effective recovery, I will continue to keep up with regular treatments knowing that the thin long wire-looking needle that Noah showed me made it all the way to my reset button giving me my smile back. 

Stop & Style NYC would like to give a special thanks to Michele Lieblich, the communications director at The YinOva Center, for making this all happen. She, like all the personnel I encountered there, have been warm and gracious to me during this experience. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to meet the team at YinOva and learn about the amazing things they do. 
yinovacenter.com

What was the inspiration behind opening The YinOva Center?
Back in 1999,  I founded the YinOva Center because I wanted to draw on the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine but adapt it to meet modern ailments and concerns. Noah joined the practice as it grew and added his own experience making it a full family medical center.

How did you become interested in acupuncture?
Like a lot of people, I became interested in Chinese medicine because I experienced acupuncture and was surprised and impressed by how well it worked. I'd been suffering from a long-term health issue which was solved by an acupuncturist. This initiated a journey, which culminated in me moving to California to attend one of the best Chinese medical schools in the country. 

What's the best part of working with your spouse?
I think we recognize and play to each others unique strengths. We each bring different skills to the YinOva Center which makes us stronger as a team, and relieves each of us of the burden of doing something that might not come to us as naturally as to the other.  This is true both as practitioners and as business people. 
Also, Chinese medicine, like any job really, has a language all it’s own. Being able to share our experiences, with all their shorthand and context is something we both feel really comfortable with. It’s also great to have another person to speak with about medicine and business, without being formal or setting up a meeting every time. So the intimacy of working together is actually less of a pressure cooker than you might expect and really very satisfying. 

With lives so immersed in health and wellness, how do you indulge yourselves when needed?
Name it! One of the things that we have in common is the belief that we are not perfect, we do like to indulge and believe in the old Chinese saying that 80% is perfection. We like the occasional glass of wine and we sometimes eat steak frites. We don’t hide this from our patients and I think that they appreciate knowing that we are just like them: trying to be better, improving our health but allowing ourselves our indulgences. 

What are the main elements of Eastern Medicine that you think are missing from traditional Western medical practices? 
Both have their strengths and we are happy to refer our patients to their conventional medical doctors because we appreciate the precision of Western medical testing and diagnosis. Likewise doctors often refer patients to us because Chinese medicine has a way of identifying patterns in the body that give insight into how symptoms relate to each other. Chinese medicine takes a truly holistic view which we find our patients appreciate.

What is your favorite restaurant in NY?
I like Pure Food and Wine. People find this surprising because raw food gets a bit of a bad rap in Chinese medicine. But moderation is the key to everything and I enjoy the clean tastes and beautiful presentation.

Where do you shop for produce when in town?
We try to hit the Farmers’ Market here in Union Square. The produce is super fresh but most of all, it’s local. We very much try to support our local and regional growers. 

What's your favorite thing about spending half your time in the country?
Chinese medicine is all about balancing yin and yang and for us dividing our time accomplishes this. We love New York City and enjoy the activity and bustle of city life. This is our yang time and we meet with people and pack a lot in. Our pace in the country is more yin. We love our garden which keeps us in touch with the cycle of the seasons. This is really important to us. From the vegetables we grow, to food that we eat, the wood that we chop to the sweaters we knit, it all has a seasonal rhythm that seems to get a little lost in the big city. 

What do you see for the future at YinOva?
What started as a small practice has grown into one of the largest alternative medical centers in the country and it gives us great pleasure to work with many other talented practitioners. We see ourselves continuing to grow as more and more people discover the benefits of Chinese medicine and we look forward to continuing to support New York families.

This fall Stop & Style NYC will be hitting the streets to ask real New Yorkers about their lifestyle secrets. It can be overwhelming day to day in the big apple, how you live your life makes all the difference! Between everyday expenses and paying rent, it's sometimes hard to keep your style up to date. We've kicked things off with a few of our style conscious friends  finding out how they go about living well in their neighborhoods.

Living in Kensington Brooklyn, Patrick has extremely good taste. He loves to shop and buys well made items for his wardrobe and home with a modern natural style. He likes classic cuts with a modern edge. Paul Smith is one of his favorite clothing stores. He supports fellow Emerson alumni at Threadless.com who make original designed t-shirts. For chic and elegant home decor, he'll stop into John Derian, knowing he can always find something beautiful. In local hood Kensington, Winebar is the favorite hang out. A little wine and a few friends makes for good living! Being by Prospect Park is a major asset to living in Kensington, we love to BBQ and play a game of croquet on those crisp  fall days right around the corner.

Jessica comes from a family of educators and has followed suit teaching in the Bronx where she grew up. She can usually be spotted carrying a Louis Vuitton handbag and some killer shades. In her area, she loves The Arthur Ave Market. Upon strolling in, she stops by the meat counter and Mike offers her a lovely paper thin piece of prosciutto which gives her the strength to continue down the isle of breads and oils and yumminess. You can't beat that kind of local market hospitality. For shopping, Jessica hits Soho. LF is her favorite of all time, wishing it was her own walk in closet. Second stop, Olive and Bettes always saves her in a wardrobe crisis. After a good day of shopping, we like to get a strong caipirinha at Bar 89. Comes with a pink rock candy stir stick! SO good.

A native to the Cobble Hill neighborhood, Georgia is a design student. She is a fashion maven and has fantastic style. She combines new cuts with a feminine whimsy, and she does sexy very well too. Georgia is a sample sale and vintage store veteran. She knows where to be and when to get high end clothes at sale prices. Some of her go to sites for sales, etc. are: madison ave spy, editors closet, and gilt. When in BK, the local spot is Cafe Pedlar for breakfast treats and great sandwiches. And although not in Cobble Hill, Georgia and my favorite dinner place is in Tribeca called TriBeCafe which will be changing their menu this month for the new season. We hope a few of our favorites remain like the side of Mac & Cheese which was to die for! Their Japanese fusion menu is wonderful and the staff is top notch. Love it!

Maia Merav Holtzman creates beautiful and dynamic jewelry. Because she makes all her pieces, she is incredibly dedicated to all the details. She knows what truly makes a piece special and unique. She produces all her pieces locally, and makes them by hand. Maia shares with us her process, inspirations and craft.

http://www.maiameravholtzman.com/
http://www.facebook.com/maiameravholtzmanjewelry







What is the benefit of buying one-of-a-kind pieces?
Well, if you’re anything like me, you kind of cringe when you see someone else wearing the same item of clothing or bag or pair of shoes. One-of-a-kind pieces allow you to have a signature jewel, something that’s completely your own, that represents you and your taste perfectly. And then there’s also a smaller group of people who are really into the craftsmanship aspect—the idea that each piece is made entirely by hand for the wearer appeals in the same way that couture fashion does. 

People think of jewelry as glamorous & delicate. However, making jewelry is a craft that involves metal work & soldering irons. What is your process?
Sometimes it’s very Zen, and at others it involves a lot of profanity …

But really, first, there needs to be a moment of inspiration. For me, that usually comes from nature in one way or another. I start with a sketch, then determine the dimensions that I want for the piece using a caliper. Sometimes I do a mechanical drafting of the piece on the computer, but most often I just do the layout directly on the material and start carving.   

The actual process is very messy and unglamorous, and it involves acid baths and toxic chemicals and lots of dust and burnt fingers. The basic idea is to carve and build the elements of the piece and then polish and finish them as perfectly as possible. When they are finally joined together, there should be very little left to do. In my work I consider it incredibly important that even the unseen parts of the pieces are clean and polished—it comes from my time working at Bulgari, coupled with a mild case of OCD.    

What do you enjoy about working with your hands and creating something out of raw material?
Everything. It’s a challenge, for one. Every piece has this “oh shit” moment when you’re about done and you almost destroy it or (occasionally) do destroy it. So many things can go wrong (especially when your boyfriend decides to remind you to put beets on the grocery list at a critical soldering moment). But when you’re done, you’re really done. You can put the piece down, step back, and feel the satisfaction of having finished a tangible project. Plus, I’m one of those people who just loves building things. I could spend like $10,000 in an hour at the Home Depot, on tools and stuff. I recently finished putting subway tile up in my bathroom. 

What are you're favorite pieces?
My favorite piece of my own jewelry is my “Mace” ring. It’s basically my signature jewel. I love the fact that it’s really a mini weapon--I wear it when I walk my dogs at 4AM. I’m also really into the “Bump” pendant that I’m offering on Kickstarter. As for the work of other artists, I’m madly in love with the bespoke pieces created by Shaun Leane, the jeweler who collaborated with Alexander McQueen on all of his metalwork, and the one-of-a-kind rings designed by Sevan Bicakci.

Your starting a 2nd line, Merav, to make jewelry that is more affordable and is less labor. What is the inspiration behind it?
I haven’t put my second line into production yet, it’s still theoretical, which is why I’m doing Kickstarter and speaking with investors. I do however, have a solid concept and the designs done for the initial collection. 

I was inspired by the idea that jewelry could be made from materials of very little intrinsic value, but with such care and attention to detail that it could still be considered high-fashion. It’s a fine line, and it means stepping away from traditional jewelry-making and moving into the realm of fashion, where cut and construction play important roles in giving value to cloth. I’m taking this idea and applying it to jewelry--my designs will be the selling point, not the fact that the material has a certain value. I’m less and less interested in making jewelry that indicates how much money the wearer has, although I’m really into layering fine jewelry and fashion jewelry. 

So many people outsource outside of the US. What are the benefits of local production?
There are so many. For one, reducing the waste involved when flying items back and forth from the US to China, India, or Southeast Asia. One small company like mine doesn’t make a huge dent, but when you look at all of the fashion and jewelry companies shuttling pieces around the globe, it’s pretty staggering. Plus, there’s very little ability to ensure that pieces are being produced in an ethical way when you’re 6 or 7 thousand miles away from the production site. And it’s really hard to maintain quality control and ownership of the work. My pieces will always be made, at least in part, by hand, either by me or with my oversight.

What are your favorite NYC spots? 
I love Greek food, so for a regular dinner my favorite spot is Pylos—best taramosalata, even better than in a lot of restaurants in Greece, and my favorite octopus in NYC. For dinner parties, I love the private rooms at Bacaro, where you can sit at a farm style table with 20 friends in a vaulted cellar and enjoy amazing food and wine all night. For entertainment--The Box or Public Assembly-also Gypsy Jazz at Bar Tabac on Thursdays. I also love the Washington Heights nightclubs for dancing—so much fun, and like a mini-adventure right in Manhattan. My favorites are Umbrella and Mamajuana.     

Where do you see your jewelry lines in 5 years?
I have the feeling that I’m going to be really busy—my five year plan includes opening stores on three continents!  

One of my best friends Romy Itzigsohn started MobShop Underground a few years back. I have been lucky enough to acquire some great pieces from them. Romy is an incredibly creative and talented person with an excellent eye for style. Mob Shop works with different local designers to sell pieces that are affordable and made in the US. Romy talks with Stop & Style about personal style, fashion do's and dont's and creating a economy-friendly business. 
http://www.shopmobshop.com/
http://mobshopblog.wordpress.com/

What was your idea / inspiration behind Mob Shop?
MobShop came about as a reaction to the difference in price and quality between American made brands and those made abroad. Having worked in production in China and in LA, we saw first-hand the sad reality of both a dying industry and economic awareness on the part of shoppers. Keeping our overhead minimal by working on a consignment basis with designers and going with the pop-up trend we have been able to reach girls up and down the state of California.

As well as your online store, you also do pop-up shops all over California. How are the two different? What are the pluses/minuses of each?
I am a huge online shopper. The drawbacks for girls buying online are simple - you cannot try the styles on. Our initial marketing plan focused on connecting with style bloggers from around the country. It was through these pockets and communities that we decided to take the pop-ups on the road so we could bring our current collections to the shoppers for 2 day sales from San Diego to Sacramento.

Who are the main designers you feature? How do you find them?
Our favorite designers are Whitley Kros, Suh-Tahn, Streets Ahead, Mike and Chris, Scrapbook Originals and all sorts of vintage. All made in America, highest quality materials and styles and at really low prices. We really work with each designer/company to select amazing pieces, while staying true to our price point... Nothing over $60 (and that would probably be a leather piece).

Describe your personnel style?
I wear a lot of vintage...Dresses! I have always been a dress girl. Prints and patterns of all kinds are appealing to me too. In the last couple of years I've also started wearing black (so long as I can sneak some neon elements in with it).

Obviously dress for your body, don't be afraid to change the length of a piece - from a thrift store find to a boutique item. And if possible, buy USA-made, it lasts a lot longer and you can always reach out to the store you bought it from or the designer directly to address any problems you have down the road.

What do you most enjoy from Mob Shop? What is the most gratifying aspect of the business?
At first I thought the pop-ups would be really challenging - but they are usually mellow... we've met some amazing people and been to so many great cities. I love working with new people and it always feels really great when you can count on a community to help pursue a project like MobShop.

Where do you see Mob Shop in the future?
Ultimately MobShop will be a producer of American-made garments. It is really amazing to see the various styles that people buy. I see it as a perfect way to understand our market.

When you come to NYC, what are favorite spots?
Whenever I come to NYC I am with you! I have been to Pravda, the Russian place with the caviar pizza, we rented bikes, went to the Spotted Pig for black olive martinis and to The Ear in.

We are lucky to have been blessed with a great family. Our uncle Russell is one of the coolest uncles anyone could have. Growing up, Russ and aunt Corr were laid back hippy types. They ate macrobiotic before it was something anyone had heard of. They went on hikes to commune with nature and animals. They sang in a circle and weren't uncomfortable. In other words, from a small city kid's point of view, they were weird. Who knew that now I'd be writing about how they were years ahead of the game when it comes to a healthy self? They are healthier today than I will probably ever be and almost 25 years older than I am. 

Although they always seemed to have a lifestyle that worked, I see that Russell seems happier now than ever. In creating his own successful business with his two sons, Hudson Cabinet Making has made an impact on the family unit as a whole. It has brought them closer, increased their pride and shown us all that a family that works well together certainly stays together. I believe that this quality is what makes their business a success. It's the sense that a beautiful piece made by a loving family belongs in a home. Their pieces are not sterile, seen in a catalogue and placed against a wall. They are crafted for the customer, designed for the space and installed by hand. They become the details in a home that make it personal and unique. I can only hope that some day I will have a home in which I can display a special piece created by fellow Hudsons of my very own.
Check out their website for more information, photos and video clips that spot light their beautiful work.
www.hudsoncabinetmaking.com

What was the inspiration behind starting Hudson Cabinet Making?
I wasn't always a cabinetmaker. Most of my family was in television advertising. I had a good job producing TV spots, but I always found myself engaged with hobbies that involved working with my hands on my off hours. For a dozen years or so I became somewhat proficient at a number of skills, one of which was woodworking. At the local gym where my wife (Corinne) and I used to work out, I was asked by the owner, to build a good sized bar for health drinks, etc. It turned out well enough that when our town's supervisor happen to see it, he asked to have one built in his home. Satisfied, he in turn, told someone else, etc., etc. So I began doing woodworking projects on the side. As fate would have it, I met a furniture maker from Pennsylvania who became a friend and teacher. By the time I met him, I was anxious to learn the finer points of this noble craft. He taught me the right way to build cabinetry as he had attended school on the subject and had a shop for a number of years. 

One evening when I was complaining about the number of unqualified individuals having to approve a particular TV spot, my wife (with her uncanny ability to cut to the heart of a problem) asked me to make a list of all the things I enjoyed about film making and another, likewise, about cabinetmaking. I never seriously considered making a living from woodworking, but I can't tell you what a revelation it was to see a list virtually twice as long in favor of my hobby. In the next three years, as requests for woodworking increased, I allowed myself to phase-out of TV production (I was free lancing by then). I really enjoyed my new vocation and, to this day, derive a good deal of satisfaction from designing and fabricating something 'concrete' ...with my hands. 

What is the best part about running a family business?
On more than one occasion, I've received looks of incredulity when I've mentioned that both my sons work with me. And though it can be challenging at times, I am enjoying it more than I ever thought possible. I'm more of a father now than I ever was when I was commuting to midtown with all kinds of crazy hours or shooting on the west coast and gone for weeks at a time. I also find myself in the enviable position of passing the torch to my sons of what I've come to know. I'm learning more and more about their own particular talents and trying to give them projects that encourage their own strengths and enthusiasm. As the business grows, they are taking on more responsibility and I'm learning to soften my grip. Not unlike switching careers, it's been another revelation to let go of the steering wheel from time to time. It won't be long before we are equal partners. My wife finds herself reminding me of the old adage "you don't have to do it alone".  

What has been your biggest challenge so far?
The last three years. Now the web site is receiving enough traffic to offset the economy having gone to shit!

What do you enjoy most about building and creating things with your hands?
We have quite a number of clients who completely place themselves in our hands.  I think it is true of all artisans/craftsmen that the trust and support of patrons creates the incentive for us to show the world what we can do. It seems inherent that we work the hardest to create a thing of beauty when trusted to do so. The simple answer is furniture and high-end cabinetry.

In what ways is your company 'green'?
For those who wish it, environmentally safe materials are available for construction. There are two aspects of 'going green'. 1) materials manufactured without hurting the environment and 2) the completed project is safe for the occupants (benign adhesives, etc.)  As well, unlike larger scale cabinet factories, we are a small shop and so very little waste takes place here. We save all but the smallest left over material. These pieces all get used in subsequent projects. Simply put, less trees get cut down. As well, for projects that require an 'antique' look, we actually purchase hundred year old reclaimed lumber (old barns torn down, etc.) from a yard that specializes in that. A number of our trestle tables and counter tops are made this way.

What's next for Hudson Cabinet Making?
What we are striving for here is to have so many interested clients, that it affords us the option to select those projects that give us the most esthetic satisfaction and/or challenges us with something new. Designing and building something we've never done before contains a level of uncertainty that invariably pleases us when finished. We have always tried to position ourselves as a company that produces higher-end work simply because work satisfaction is so important to us.
Towards that end, I've been redesigning our website including a large gallery of photos and videos. We are also learning how to drive more traffic to our website. I've been writing pieces for our blog page, for several different woodworking and design forums to which we belong and, of late, we've been asked to write articles for on-line e-zines. The phone is ringing more often now and I'm happy to report, we usually come up on the first page when you google cabinetmakers now. We now receive inquiries from Manhattanites, not from word-of-mouth, but from their internet searches.  I have really enjoyed writing about our craft. It's dawning on me that the company is given more opportunity by simply following our bliss than all my previous attempts to make it happen. Quite frankly, I'm incapable of spending 40 hours a week doing something that doesn't turn me on anyway. My sons and I love to make beautiful things that will be around for a long time to come. Wouldn't anyone?

Your family has always been ahead of the trend when it comes to eating well, what does your family do to stay healthy?
My mother was a health nut. This was back in the 1950s and 60s when it was almost unheard of. There was no soda or white bread in the house in which I grew up. Interesting enough, I fell in love with a woman of the same mind-set. My family has been eating consciously for so long now, that it seems we've developed educated palettes. Overly rich, salty, or sweet foods just do not taste good any longer. It's as if your body comes to recognize the inherent value of certain foods and enjoys it or rejects it accordingly. 

Corinne and I exercise 2 to 3 times a week. You have to work out regularly. For a million years, we've performed physical tasks everyday and we did so well into our late years. Our bodies are, as a result, geared to do so. Our bodies have not evolved to spend hours sitting at an office desk. The NY Times recently published an article whose title was  (to paraphrase) "'Sitting Found to be as Detrimental to Our Health as Smoking". If I am to be completely honest here, I still daydream of having a cigarette  and too much chocolate ice cream still makes it's way past the sleeping guards (my brain) at the front gate.

Another key to being healthy that must be mentioned here is my wife's and my ongoing interest in learning about what makes us tick! We are forever reading about the philosophy of different cultures, the paradigms (world views) of indigenous peoples, etc.  Way too much to discuss here, but it is interesting to note that there is an inscription on the entrance to the temple of Apollo from The Oracle of Delphi (4th century BC) of two aphorisms. These were the only two things they felt were worthy enough to carve into stone. 1) 'Know Thyself' and 2) 'Nothing in Excess'. I think if you want to remain healthy and happy follow those two suggestions. Personally, I'm still working on it.   

What are your favorite places in your neighborhood?
Five minutes down the road from us is the Nimham Mountain State Park. With over a thousand acres of forest, this woodland is a place I go to a lot when I wish to be where there isn't another soul nor any evidence of anything man-made... cement or otherwise. There is, however, a fire tower at the top of the tallest hill where, on a clear day, you can see the Manhattan skyline and we are an hour and a half drive from mid-town.  There is also, 10 mins down the road from us, the Chuang Yen Monastery (Zen Buddhism). Within the large central temple, is the largest sculpture of the Buddha in North America, almost three stories high. Visiting the monastery is like visiting another country. There are lectures and studies you can do there. We've gone there to meditate a number of times and attend a few classes. Very cool place. We have a Dicicco Food Market close by. Their reputation for quality is above reproach. Your sister, Ashley and your cousin recently prepared an exquisite dinner of fresh, baby octopus for us.

There must be a half dozen golf courses within 15 minutess drive, enough high-end shopping malls (Danbury) to keep you in debt forever and last but not least, we just happen to live within a hundred yards of two of NYC's reservoirs (West Branch and Lake Glenida). On one of them we have a rowboat. On a summer evening, Cor and I take a bottle of wine, row around for an hour or so, catch a few bass and return home with our prize. If you've never eaten fish that was cooked in less than an hour after it was caught, you have no idea how delicious a fish can taste. Can't do it justice here, much less convince anyone. Just ask those who make it a point to buy from a boat that has just returned to the dock. They understand. If I could just convince the Metropolitan Museum of Art to relocate up here, I'd have no reason to travel at all.

Why were you inspired to start The Girls Getaway Guide? 
After a devastating divorce and getting fired from my job within a few months of each other, I was at a very low point in my life and extremely depressed. Fortunately, I have some amazing girlfriends who didn’t let me sit at home and cry.  We started traveling (via Girlfriend Getaways) and I came back to life as we created new memories, had new adventures and felt completely rejuvenated.  As we planned more of these trips, I would look for city-specific travel guides for women and could not find any online or in bookstores, so I decided to write one for Orlando.  It was more of a bucket list idea (I had always wanted to write a book).  I wrote the book, got another job and moved on with my life.  Two months later, Barnes & Noble called me.  They said they loved the book, wanted to carry it and asked if I planned to write more.  People in the book world said that doesn’t often happen and I should pursue this venture more seriously.  So I did.  Since then, I have been developing a business, which includes more than just books, based on travel and Girlfriend Getaways.  In addition to the books, I’m also a travel correspondent for several TV and radio shows and have a strong online presence through my website, social media and blog.

Where has been the most interesting travel experience you've had since starting your research for the Guide?
For 2010, my friend and I thought it would be fun to do a Girls Getaway to London during Christmas.  We were both single and looking for some adventure this holiday season (think the movie, "The Holiday" with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet).  With the departure date a month away, my friend and I had a falling out.  Alone in London is not at all bad, but alone in a foreign country during Christmas was something I had never experienced before. While the cold weather and ruined friendship  initially put a damper on the trip, I found London to be a magnificent place during the holidays!  Not only is it a beautiful city, but the warmth and hospitality from Londoners more than made up for the frigidness I experienced prior to the trip.  Although I was apprehensive about this trip due to the unfortunate circumstances that happened before I left, I could not have asked for a better trip to a more hospitable city with some of the warmest people I've ever met.  It is true - you learn a lot about yourself when you travel alone.  In hindsight, I wouldn't have done the trip any differently. 

What is your ultimate goal for The Girls Getaway Guide? 
While there are many things I still have planned for the Girls Getaway Guide business, my ultimate goal has been and will always be to help (and remind women to) plan and take those all-important “girls getaways.”  I can attest to the importance of my girlfriends in good times and bad, and we must remember to maintain and nurture those crucial relationships, no matter how crazy our everyday lives may be.

What are you finding the most rewarding part of having your own travel business? 
There are, of course, the obvious perks of jet setting all over the world, exploring new lands and cultures and seeing places most people don’t get to enjoy during their lifetime.  But there are also the not-so-obvious perks.  I love meeting new people and have had the best time meeting people from all over the world and all walks of life.  It helps put your own life into perspective when you interact with different types of people.  I think it has made me a more well-rounded person.  I also love some of the feedback I get from my fans who feel as though they get to travel through my experiences and the fact that I share these experiences in a very honest manner via my website, blog, photos and videos.

What are the top 5 destinations you would recommend to friends? 
Geez....only five?  That’s tough!!  Some of my faves are: NYC, Napa Valley, Prague, Barcelona and Nashville, TN.

You get to NY a few times a year, what are your favorite thing about NY?
I’m in love with Central Park.  I think it is the of the most beautiful places.  I also love the phenomenal restaurants and shopping.  But the best thing to me about New York City is the excitement that you feel in the air when you are in the city; like busy lives are happening here.  Just like the song, “...concrete jungle where dreams are made of.”

Name a favorite restaurant or shop in NY that you love and have to get to when you're in town.
Wow...it’s hard to name just a few.  For shopping, Big Drop and Purdy Girl are must-stop boutiques.  I usually always pop into an Intermix too, as well as the big name stores like Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, etc.  Everyone should check out the Young Designers Market too.  For food, Le Bilboquet and Pastis are both faves.  

With all the places you get to, have your travels influenced your style in any way? 
Yes, my travels have influenced my style in that I now shop for clothes that pack and travel well, coordinate well with staple pieces I already have, and that are versatile (day to night).  Packing is an art, and having the right clothes to start with is key.

As you travel all over, what cities have you visited that give off a great style vibe and why?
Berlin is considered to be what NYC was in the 1980s.  It is relatively inexpensive to live in Berlin, which is why artists and other creative types are opting to move there.  Although it is a city with a lot of wounds, many people say the city is “poor but sexy”, as it is tied with Barcelona for the European city with the most artists and home to more than 450 art galleries.  And where you find art, you also find fashion.  Many Berlin labels are popping up as designers recognize the opportunities in this emerging city.  Berlin has three fashion fairs (including Mercedes Benz Fashion Week), six fashion schools and many young labels, which make the style vibe and shopping there unique, new and fun.

What's next on your Getaway schedule?
Next on my schedule is taping a pilot for a TV show about Girlfriend Getaways, which will take place in mid-June.  I have a trip to Alaska planned for August, which has been on my bucket list for a few years.  I’d also like to start The Getaway Girl Foundation this year, which will help women who cannot afford a getaway to travel and realize the importance of a strong friendship base and empowerment through travel.  Follow our adventures at  Girls Getaway Guide online!

Our sister Trista met Chris Lopata in her early 20's. 18 years and three kids later, he has been a part of our family for a long time. Smart, funny and handsome, we all fell in love with him instantly. As in many family circles, we followed in the footsteps before us and all worked together in our early days of the film business. Each of us wearing different hats at times, we came up in the biz together. When Tris and Chris (the name we've come to call them as a couple) started their beautiful family, their film business dreams had to take a backseat to the priorities that family life brings. Like all of us, they hoped eventually it would come back to the forefront and be a part of their new life. In some ways, Chris' story is a dream come true.

Though the years, while raising a family, working a nine to five, and moving across country to afford his family a better quality of life, Chris has always kept up with his cinematic dreams. Continuing to write and stay involved in as many projects as he could during life's many changes, Chris has kept his goals in sight. Most recently, he was asked to write the screenplay based on a true story that came to the directing team of Adam and Mark Kassen who are old friends. The film Puncture just premiered at The Tribeca Film Festival. A well made piece, Puncture tells the story of two small time lawyers, played by Chris Evans and Mark Kassen, that take on a case that proves to be much bigger than them. The two meet with a woman who has contracted AIDS through an accidental puncture wound while working as a nurse at a hospital. Through her, they learn some ugly truths about the health care industry. They take on a client, played by Marshall Bell, who makes a needle that can prevent accidental punctures, a nation wide epidemic that claims approximately 800,000 cases per year. In their mission to get their voices heard up against the big money forces that monopolize the industry, the team struggle with their own personal dramas. The real story behind this film makes it all the more poignant and heart felt. 

Keep an eye out for Puncture, it's a story that should not be missed. Check out Chris' panel discussion about the film. 
www.tribecafilm.com
www.zimbio.com

How did you become involved with the film Puncture? 
I had worked with the producers/co-directors (Mark Kassen and Adam Kassen) on a few projects and when they were approached about the story of PUNCTURE, they called me up.  They like my style of writing which is heavily influenced by crime fiction and film noir and thought I could bring something different to the project, add more guts and mystery to what might've been a straight up legal drama.

What was it like watching the finished product after being so closely involved with the script/words?
It was great to see it finished, I really liked working with all the people that were involved, so it was a good night. 

What kind of research did you put into developing this true story?
 Since this is a true story but no book or real source material, I had to rely a lot on conversations with some of the real people.  Because this involved a real legal case there's a lot about it online and was able to find tons of articles about  the people I was writing about, and the struggle to get the safety needle into hospitals.  60 minutes had done a piece on it and there's a documentary that I watched which is what brought in the whole global aspect to the cause.

What was the overall effect of being a part of The Tribeca Film festival? 
That was pretty awesome, and ironic, or more accurately - poetic.  I lived in Tribeca for almost four years and have had close friends in Tribeca for fifteen years.  I actually wrote Puncture while living on Warren Street in Tribeca.  So after moving to LA and the first time I came back with a project to be the Tribeca Film Festival was just great.  And to share it with my wife Trista made it even better.  Plus since we have so many friends and family there, it made for great parties.

Being that this story is important and socially relevant, what would you like to see happen through exposure from this film for the families involved and the medical industry itself?
I've always felt that what moved me and what an audience would be attracted to was more human than political, but having said that, there is a larger issue at play.  I hope that people respond to the movie and then a discussion can be launched about how the health care industry deals with safety needles as well as any other product they use.

What is next for you creatively?
I wrote an original script after Puncture and hooked up with actor Michael Keaton who is going to direct it.  We've been working together for a while now, just finished up his pass so we can figure out what the next step will be towards getting it made.

What do you miss most about living in NYC?
Biggest thing would be family and friends followed by walking, pizza, bagels, and Autumn.

You, your amazing wife, and your three children are all very stylish. Where do you guys usually shop to maintain such NY style out in LA?
Back in NYC!!!!

I love discovering new sides to people. When working with people in the film business, through the long hours spent close together in the trenches, it's easy to befriend people one might not have become friendly with in their own social circles. This is one of the good things about working in crews in the movie biz. There's nothing like standing next to someone 14 hours a day for 9 months at a time, to fuse a bond. It's almost inevitable. These are the conditions under which I met John Keating and Zachary Henderson.  We worked together every day for 2 seasons, each lasting about 9 months on a TV series now canceled. I've come to know them to be extremely well humored, quick witted, smart, and interesting. 

Recently I learned of a project they've collaborated on to feed their creative passions. Passions I didn't know they had, let alone found the time to fuel during an average 70 hour work week.  Together they've created a production company, researched and filmed over 400 hours of documentary footage on the computer gaming world. Specifically, the top players of The World Of Warcraft. Their documentary, now in the final editing stages is called Race to World First. In the film, the viewer is taken into a community 12 million people deep, that is intensely devoted to a common goal, winning, like in any game. They've concentrated their story on the people who are at the very highest playing level of the game. The best of the best. In watching the trailer they put together in their early stages of development, I was profoundly effected in two ways. First, I was immediately impressed with the piece they'd created. I was delighted to see the artistry in their product. I was taken in by a story that I, admittedly, had no interest in. Second, I was shocked by the intensity of the world they showed me. Honestly, I saw the people involved as freaks. I had no capacity to accept this seemingly alternative lifestyle. I was overwhelmed by the grandeur of my ignorance in such an international phenomenon.

When first contacting John & Zach for an interview, my main concern was how to "cool up" this whole story, which then seemed far too odd and outcast for my sisters' and my stylish publication. In the days leading up to the interview, I tried to open myself up to the idea of computer gaming. Unsuccessful, I forced myself to look deeper into my every day life to find ties that I could go with. Then, one day while on set, I suddenly saw the obvious connection all around the room. Almost everyone had their phone out. No one was talking, because granted, we were rolling sound, but most people occupied their few moments of spare time transfixed in their own little hand held world of technology. My co-worker was playing a game called, Angry Birds. An inter-departmental scrabble game was ongoing between an electric and a grip. A hair stylist played Super Solitaire. Another person was on FB doing some crop trading on Farmville. It was everywhere. How had I missed this until right now? Immediate satisfaction has become a byproduct of our forever advancing technological world. Even the oldest and simplest games from childhood; such as Scrabble or Solitaire, now take on a whole new life. The internet has made our lives international and instant. Playing Scrabble with players from around the globe instead of with your relatives on lame family vacations is the new norm. 

Upon finally meeting up for the interview,  we talked for hours about their project, old times, work, relationships, you name it. I learned a lot. What I loved most was seeing the confidence and inner joy which has been ignited through this undertaking. Feeling the benefits of working together on a creative and challenging project has been their greatest reward. Their lives have been enriched by this experience, and changed forever through the process. Bravo gentlemen, bravo. I was also touched by the respect they'd found for the people they've been documenting. The people I callously looked upon as freaks. People who spend 8 to 10 hours a day playing a computer game. Through the eyes of my friends who had spent so many hours immersing themselves their world, I too began to see them in a new light. When seen as an outlet that makes one happy, it's harder to judge. In a general sense, the top players of World of Warcraft are intelligent people who have an intense  mind hungry for stimulation. The level of complexity involved in being a champion of this game is truly staggering. In terms of  everyday phone and other gaming, these people are at the head of their class. They are at the forefront of a world wide trend that only continues to expand. Trail blazers in their own rite. 

I share with you my interview with two warm and wonderful film makers. I look forward to seeing their final project, and encourage you to take a look at what they've been doing.  Check out the trailer for their upcoming film, Race To World First.

www.lfgproductions.com

S&S:What's your favorite thing about NY,  where are you from and why did you wind up here? Cause.. you two ain't no New Yorkers.

Zach: I've been here 8 years, and.. it's changed.

S&S: It has.

Zach: It started with rock shows. I first moved here for the music.

S&S: What kind of music do you like? (Name) Three shows..

Zach: Leonard Cohen. I went to see Leonard Cohen with my mom at Radio City Music Hall. That one musical moment crowned all other musical moments.  Leonard Cohen.. live.. at RC.. with my mom.. on her birthday. But.. I came to NY to get into film, and make films.

S&S: Did you go to school for film?

Zach: No, acting. 

John (chimes in): And before that?

Zach: A, uh.. flight attendant. (Pause) No, I wasn't a flight attendant..

John: A mascot..

 Zach: Yes.. I was a mascot..

John: He was a mascot for The (FL) Gators.

S&S: Thats right, you're from Florida.

John: He was the guy running around in the gator outfit. 

S&S: No way.

Zach: Yeah, UF, the University of Florida.. So, I came here and wanted to get into film. I wanted to make films and didn't want to do the acting thing. Then found my way into crews, and actually found a bunch of people that were really into music. They helped me get into the grip and electric world, and that paid the bills. [Some food arrives at our table..] Food and music. Those are definitely my favorite things about New York.

S&S: Those are good things.

John: New York is where everything happens.  I come from a small town, Rockford, IL., where there's nothing. Nothing going on. And when you come to New York and step out of the subway for the first time.. you're surrounded by buildings.. and you know that everything that matters happens through here. It happens here or it comes through here. And..why be anywhere else? 

S&S: Did you want to make movies?

John: Yes, I came here for film school.

S&S: What school?

John: New York Film Academy. I took the short course. I've never been one for class, or school so.. there, they give you a camera, they send you out with a crew, and it's great.. you go in and you shoot. Thats all there is to that course. It was great.

Zach: That's the way to do it.

S&S: You live in Astoria (John) and you in Park Slope (Zach), what are your favorite neighborhood spots?

Zach: I live on 21st street..out by Greenwood Cemetery. My favorite places are, Southside, for coffee.. Quarter Bar for cocktails and Toby's for pizza..Lot 2 and Applewood for dinner. 

John: In Astoria, there's pretty much only one place to go.. The highest rated place outside Manhattan is this place called Trattoria L'incontro. It's an italian place, run by this guy named Rocky and it's the best restaurant you could ever find yourself in. It's got a little wine bar and it's reasonably priced.  If you look at Zagat, or Yelp, there's nothing better outside of Manhattan.. this little place. It's great. It's like 2 blocks away from me, if you're ever in Astoria and you want the best food in the neighborhood, it's not Greek food, it's this little italian joint.. 31st and Ditmars. 

S&S: What about the Greek food? I love a good Greek salad with amazing feta.

John: Amazing greek salad that's like crack.. Telly's Taverna, that's the greek salad. It's delicious.

S&S: How did this all happen? What was the inspiration for this documentary? Did the production company come about because of this project?

Zach: John and I have worked together for five years. We both wanted to be creators not just technicians. We have a similar sensibility and sense of humor, etc. We met on Jan. 2009 to have a couple beers on the lower east side somewhere and talked about the idea of making a documentary together.. we pitched a few ideas back and forth and landed on video games. We thought it would be something we're into and is relevant. It was very important to us that it be a fun story, light and positive. Something that wasn't going to need us to travel to India, or spend tons of money. 

John: That's what we thought.

Zach: It started as..let's collaborate, create something as friends..

John: We had a number of ideas we pitched back and forth. One of my favorites was Butlers. I would love to know about Butlers. What the f*ck does a Butler do? Just follow Butlers around. Are they like personal assistants? No, it's even more exclusive. But.. the problem of access became an issue. 

Zach: Both of us played video games growing up. Our interests and experiences overlapped in that sense.

S&S: Tell me about World of Warcraft. What have you learned about the people who play it?

John: Let me put it to you this way.. you have this world that exists, that you can go into and, in it you can be whoever you want.. you have an anonymity and you have an objective to accomplish. So, that's what these players are engaged in. As part of our research, we spent about 8 months playing the game. I got as good as I could possible get at it to understand what they're going through. There's a community there. I think what will help you understand all this, is to explain what The Race to World First is.. The Race to World First is the very best World of Warcraft (WoW) players in the world competing to be first place. There's only an elite group that can be first in the world. To be first in the world in this game, you have to put in 8 to 10 hrs a day for three months on end. Then it ends and you have a break for.. lets say, seven months, and then it will start again. 

S&S: What kind of people play? 

Zach: From the start we decided we wanted to do a project with a fun and uplifting story. After interviewing hundreds of people, we decided early on that we wanted to focus on the people that were the best at the game. 

S&S: They're adults?

John: Very, very smart people.

Zach: Very smart people, very well organized.. young adults.

S&S: Smart in what way exactly?

John: If you're going to measure intelligence in terms of solving problems, these kids are all extremely intelligent. They are all at the end of a long involved puzzle. In the same way that in the Olympics, you're dealing with the most elite in their fields, these people have proven their status by getting to the end. What's fascinating to us at this point.. we've met people that qualify as nerds and geeks.. we've been down that road. These people are really a step above that. They're really above all of that looking down. So, you're talking about super intelligence. 

Zach: They're well read. They understand what's going on with music, food, culture..

S&S: It comes off as something like a drug. The high you must get from the inter-activeness and the level of intensity of  what's going on must attract minds that are needy for stimulation. 

John: Right. And that is exactly right. What we are always getting from these kids is that they want fulfillment. Fulfillment is the key word in every interview.

Zach: They're thirsty. 

John: We've come to respect the people involved in the project very much. We have a lawyer, a chef on a TV show..

Zach: They all work, they're all smart..

S&S: That's what I like about it, just as you both did, they're taking time out from their daily lives to create something that makes them happy. How were you able to make this film when you're working average 14 hour days?

Zach: We have three more months of editing before it's done. We want to be done by summer. 

John: We work together 70 hours a week on Boardwalk Empire for HBO, and then we work on the weekends together on the film. So, we're looking at 100 hours a week together trying to push this thing out the door. The best thing that I've gotten from this is that you should always be working on something that's your own.  If you're not working on something like that then you are stuck. You are in a rut. And when you get out of that and you start creating something, you're going to blossom into something, another version of yourself that's better. All those things in your life that are negative, that feeling of being stuck in a place, they disappear.  They're just a means to an end until you can make something of your career. 

S&S: What kind of response are you getting from the gaming community?

John: Everybody that takes an unbiased look loves what we're doing. We've done the due diligence. We're embracing the community as it is, done as much work as possibly do to get this right and they know that. So, when you see the film.. we're recreating and giving you exactly what happens at the very highest of levels. Take a film like Born Rich, a documentary by one of the heirs to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, and you see all these interviews with these extremely wealthy people.. we're giving you access to people that you don't have access to.

 Zach: Let me put it in a different way. It's just the two of us involved in this whole operation. This is a story about people all around the world. We'd love to go to Australia, Taiwan, Scotland, and Milan to meet all the people we've talked to. But, it's not happening. So, we're finding creative ways to solve those problems. When we first started, the people who contacted us were American, they were the ones in the trailer, but since then and all around this, it has shifted. The people who are the best are all over the planet. 

John: To make this all work, we're utilizing footage from iphones, web cams, and things of that nature. So, what we can show you is people all over , participating in this worldwide event.  Using all the current day technologies available, we're very fashion current so to speak.

S&S: You are. Online chatting, flip cams..did you use all your own money?

John: Just us, yea, we're paying for everything but it's all worth it.

S&S: Of course. Out of the 12 million users, what's the male/female ratio?

Zach: I don't know that.

John: For us, it's about 2 in every 60..

Zach: No, I think it's more than that. I'd say there are 2 women in each guild, so.. 2 in 30.

S&S: And what about.. hot people? 

John: Yes.

Zach: Yea, absolutely. 

John: We have 2 of them in our film.. gorgeous. 

S&S: Ok, that's women though, what about the guys?

John: Yes, there's this one guy you would definitely consider an A plus squirrel.

S&S: What other documentarians do you admire?

John: We got to do about a week with Errol Morris while he interviewed people from IBM for  a hundredth anniversary thing right before we went to do our big interviews. That was awesome. Errol Morris is the epitome of documentaries. The Thin Blue Line is one of my favorites. We spent 6 days listening to Errol Morris interview people, his style of interview..

Zach: And he interviewed people about 'the mother board', he interviewed computer people. Here we are working on our own project, a documentary about a computer world, and we get the chance to sit in on our favorite documentarian doing a series of interviews right before our own were coming up. 

S&S: Which of his is your favorite?

Zach: Fast, Cheap & Out of control. 

S&S: Do your wives shop for you, or do you shop much?

Zach: I'd shop at Ted Baker all the time if I could. 

John: My wife is a make up artist. She works on Saturday Night Live and is on a pilot right now.. she gets a lot of free sh*t. I have to say, Kiehl's makes great products. 

Zach: We have a lot of Fresh in our house. 

John: I think this is the future, in a way. Even my wife, who no one would think plays computer games, plays Farmville. What we're showing is really just an advanced version of that. The virtual world is all around us now. It's expanding faster than we can keep up. The World of Warcraft is at the forefront of that future. It's very fashion forward in that way.

S&S: It is. It's everywhere. My sister plays Farmville too. It's not just for nerds anymore.. and I mean that in the nicest way. 

John: You're right though. These players are highly advanced participants in the wave of the future. They're on the cusp of the new technology and immersed in a trend growing by the millions. I have read that as many as 200 million people world wide that play some sort of online game.

S&S: Where do you want this project to go?

Zach: We want as many people to see it as possible. Period.

John: We'll probably have an online release of some sort. But with so many people interested already, we think we've walked into success, in that way. A lot of viewers is a success, to me. So.. we're lucky to have such a huge fan base already in place. 

S&S: What's next for you guys?

John: We have a few ideas for the travel channel, and food network. We're not sure what will be next.

Zach: All butlers, all the time.

John: Yes, all butlers, serving up delicious anecdotes all the time.. We found through this that we'd like to do another documentary that involves a little more of an investigative nature.  Something we could get very involved in where we wouldn't have to worry about travel and stuff like that. 

Zach: I, personally, love people.  It would be nice to get more deeply involved in something locally.

One night I walked into an art show in Miami and was approached by a lovely young woman named Rachel Zaretsky. She was the curator of the show and began to tell me about the space and the art being shown. Her show included a performance piece, an installation, as well as the more traditional forms of hanging artworks. With the support of other friends and her family, she started a non-profit exhibit space for young artists called The Catch Collective. The only space of its kind. I was immediately impressed by what an interesting and confident person she was. We spoke for a few minutes and parted ways as she hosted the show. I left knowing I wanted to know more and sent her an email the following day. 

Upon talking with her further, I was inspired by her drive and courage. Rachel is a senior at a prestigious art high school in downtown Miami. With a family from New York, she has always thought NYC would be a part of her life. Arriving this summer to attend SVA in the fall, she feels like it's meant to be. This past summer, Rachel attended a pre-college program at SMFA in Boston with some friends. The experience expanded their minds and their artwork. When returning home for their senior year, the students now felt limited by their current creative environment. Being high school students, they could mainly show their work only through school shows, with a relatively narrow audience. Rachel decided to do something about it. She started an innovative and unique place where young artists can create their art, free from the constraints of their situation.

The Catch Collective has now had two successful shows, the first opening during Art Basel 2010, and a third coming up. With the energy and heart behind this venture, I look forward to seeing where Rachel will take herself when she hits the New York art scene. Look out city, we've got a new girl in town!

www.thecatchcollective.org
www.facebook.com/pages/The-Catch-A-Young-Artists-Collective/
www.cargocollective.com/rachelzaretsky

Are you an artist? What do you do?
Yes. I go to DASH, the Design Architecture Senior High school. I'm a senior there. Primarily I do drawing with a fine pen. I originally went to this school for the fashion program, but immediately realized it wasn't for me. I'm horrible at sewing, but I have to suffer through it. This summer, I went to The School of The Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA), for the Pre-College program there. There you do painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, video and sound performance. 

It was so eye opening for me to see that I could use all the same ideas I've had, but translate them into different materials. I learned that sometimes [my ideas] would work stronger in different mediums, and I can take them further than I'd originally thought. So this year, I can take an idea and think about it in terms of video or sound or installation. I went [to SMFA] with a bunch of friends from my school, and we all went through an awakening period. When we returned to school, we all felt that the structure was strict in terms of what we could create artistically. It was disappointing. That was the main reason I began to think the unthinkable.

Why curating? Are your parents artists?
My dad is a real estate attorney and my mom worked mainly with Caribbean economics - but they're big supporters of museums. My two younger brothers are really into science, and they've had their own curatorial exhibits at The Miami Children's Museum for dinosaurs. So I've always been into museums. Although I'm mainly a fine artist, I'm really interested in the way a show is put together, with different materials and mediums - but a unifying idea or concept, and how it's presented to the public. 

Was there a venue to show art for your age group?
No, only through school exhibits - but there are so many things you can't put in. A good friend of mine had a piece that was really strong and nominated for a competition, but since it had someone topless in it, the school asked her to make a paper bra for it. I believe someone should be able to make pieces that they feel strongly about without restrictions. 

How did The Catch Collective start and what was the inspiration?
Going to SMFA was definitely a turning point. When I came back to school, the performance class we had was cut. In the sculpture class, you had to make a sculpture every week, you couldn't work on anything big, you couldn't do an installation. Also, friends had ideas for shows and no where to do it. 

I interned at Locus Projects - a teacher of mine founded it. Being there has been a great influence. Last year I was the editor of the MOCA Museum's magazine. I also interned for my college advisor at school and just got really tired of doing paperwork. I looked at my frustrations, and those of my friends, and wondered why we didn't have a place where we could do what we wanted. I asked my mom why we didn't have a place to do it and she said, 'why don't you?' and it set me off. There was no turning back. 

The first thing I did was write a mission statement, with what my idea was and how it would be carried through. I did all the paperwork for the non-profit, dealt with the banking, all while applying to colleges and finishing high school. It was a lot of work, but I'm passionate about it. I used my Bat Mitzvah money to start it. I wanted to do something non-profit, with contemporary artists and our own space, like I'm doing now. I want to stay true to making art for art sake and not for the gallery's sake. I feel really strongly about that. 

You have scouts at different high schools that look for talented students to show at a gallery. How do you find them? Are they friends? 
There's The New World School of the Arts downtown and Dreyfus School of the Arts in West Palm Beach - and through friends of friends or through other programs that I've done, I find one person at each school and talk to them about what I'm doing and how important I think it is. It's interesting to have different artists see things and approach things in so many great, new ways. They've really helped with spreading the word. 

Facebook has been a really good tool as well. I've already made great connections and friendships that I wouldn't have had. I've been happy all the way through. It's great to get students together and be involved in a safe environment to create. The original idea wasn't about exhibiting, it was about there being a space where we could be free to create whatever we want. Both our shows have been packed and we're getting a lot of positive feedback which is a really great feeling. It's very rewarding. 

Was it intimidating to open on the eyes of Art Basel 2010?
It was, but it was great. Our location has been an important thing. I think we're refreshing in comparison to the other places  around us. We're showcasing all local artists from many different backgrounds - and it's not a typical show. 

You're moving to New York this summer and starting at SVA (The School of Visual Arts) in the fall. Are you interested in the art scene in NYC?
I've been raised think it has the best of everything. The best coffee, newspapers, public transportation....I feel like I've been raised to finally get there. For what I want to do though, there is no other place. I have to be there. I have the support of my family, so I'm really excited about it.

If you had a to choose a style icon, who would it be?
There's a fashion blog [The Style Rookie] by a high school student that started when she was 13. Her name is Tavi, and she has a really innovative style. She's been invited to fashion shows everywhere. I like her style.

Why SVA? 
I only applied to one school. I applied early admission. The major they offer is really specific. Originally I thought I wanted to apply to a fine arts school, but also a school that had a good writing program. I didn't want to be confined to studying a single thing like many fine arts programs. Like a painting major, only take painting. Through the program I'm going to take, I can take any fine art courses I want, and also take things that would build up to curating, like 'Art Critic Writing'. It's a new major. 

What music do you like?
Billy Holiday 'Forever' and Flying Lotus.

Who's your favorite artist?
I like Cindy Sherman's photography. She does self portrait photography. She puts herself in the role of other women. I think being her intern and help [her] play dress up all day would be fun. Also, Mathew Barney, his video pieces are profound and inspiring. 

If you had unlimited funding for The Catch Collective, where would you like to take it?
I would like to be able to say 'yes' to everyone's idea. If someone wants to flood the place, I want to be able to do that. To have no limitations on an idea. Our space is our blank canvas. 

What do you see in your future?
I say curating, but I'm very happy with the major I've chosen, Visual Critical Studies. It's fairly open to study all visual cultures, so I can see myself going towards installation art, or maybe an art publication.

"This is the House of Pain, and pain is one thing we're not, cause we know we've got style and fashion…."
- “Danny Boy, Danny Boy,” from House of Pain’s self-titled debut album
 
Who better to sit down with for the February love issue than my first crush, Danny Boy O'Connor? The year was 1992. I was a 15 year old sophomore attending an all girls Catholic high school on New York’s Upper East Side. Saint Patrick's Day was a holiday for us, so I went to the parade religiously. While watching on Fifth Avenue, a group of  boys with a camera approached me and asked if I wanted to appear in an Irish rap video. The rest is history....

House of Pain dropped the single “Jump Around” in June and it soon attacked the world. Radio airplay was overwhelming, but the video that was shot on March 17th proved iconic. It broke barriers, and not just because of my three second close up at the end (wink).  Labeled as the “Louie Louie” of the ’90s, it dominated MTV, BET and Video Music Box. Meanwhile, House of Pain’s  first album went multi-platinum, resulting in a Grammy nomination, worldwide tours and instant, massive fame. Everlast, Danny Boy and DJ Lethal released two more albums before parting ways in 1996, but got back together in 2005 to form La Coka Nostra with Slaine and Ill Bill. Then, thanks to Danny’s vision and determination, House of Pain reunited last summer. “Jump Around", now nearly 20 years after its release, is permanently ingrained in sports culture, played constantly in arenas and stadiums nationwide.
        
Danny is a lover of all art forms. He's an established graphic designer with a passion for art. He created the original House of Pain logo and has crafted a jewelry line. His unique individual style is influenced by music but dipped in the sublime touches of designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Tom Ford. He has a keen business sense and an eye for merchandising.  A real trailblazer who isn't afraid to take risks, Danny has bleached his hair platinum blonde, saturated his body with beautiful art and successfully merged his punk style with hip-hop. He has expressed himself as a musician, director, photographer, MC and designer, as well as executive producer of the 2005 documentary "Just for Kicks".
        
I personally believe there is nothing that my cherished friend cannot do and that his best is yet to come. "Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling..."

You've had a very interesting journey:  born in Brooklyn but raised in LA.  Still, you have a major love affair with New York City. How did this affect your taste in hip hop? Would you consider yourself a East coast or West coast guy? Biggie or Tupac?
I consider my self a East coast guy at heart. I love NY - The Yankees, The Jets, and million other great things about the city so nice they had to name it twice. I'm in love with Brooklyn most, and the style that seems indelibly stamped on it's residents. I was born in Brooklyn and only lived there as a small child. It has and will forever influence my attitude and style. Oh, and BIGGIE OVER TUPAC!

Not many can say at twenty-three they were on top of the world. How would you describe it?
Intoxicating! There is no better way to describe it. It was the ride of a lifetime and the ride continues today - except it's at a more manageable pace.

Your taste in music is across the board. What is your favorite song, and who would you consider the most talented singer to emerge in the last ten years?
I really have to say my boy Slaine. Hands down the complete package. Now he's acting too! We got a new project were working on together "Pain Gang 2011!" You heard it here first.

What inspires you musically, and in fashion? How would you describe your personal style?
I'm a B-Boy with a touch of Greaser. I draw a lot from the 70's - even though when the 70's were going on I couldn't wait for them to be over...  Yeah, late 70's early 80's. Things like; Warhol and Basquiat, The Clash and Futura 2000, Sex Pistols and Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm Mclaren and Afrika Bambaataa, and so on. So much to draw from, its endless.

I consider you a very fashionable guy. What is the ultimate fashion staple for you that has remained a fixture in your wardrobe all these years?
Levi's 501s, 13 hole Dr Martens, White T-shirts, Yankees Fitted, Champion Hoodies. Persols, and a good leather jacket.

The book The 48 Laws of Power, written by Robert Greene, is very close to your heart. Why would you recommend it to others, and how has it affected your life?
48 laws is a good read. My man Kaves put me on to it 10 years ago. I have incorporated little to none of the laws into my life. Laws 4,5,6,10 and 25 are the ones that I like the most. I like the idea of brandishing the book as a weapon more than a philosophy, if that makes sense.

Can you remember the moment you fell in love with NYC? What are some of your favorite spots?
The only thing not to like  is the weather. Ive been through so many eras of NYC that I could fill a book. Next trip, I want to shoot photos of Archie Bunkers house in queens.  The Chelsea Hotel, 96 and 98 St. Marks Place, Led Zeppelin physical graffiti building. Weirdo shit like that.

I find your mother incredibly interesting; a real dynamo and fashionista. What was it like being raised by a single mother with such a progressive, forward mentality?
My mom is an amazing woman. Who always told me "Do what you love and the money will follow." So far so good. Thanks Ma!

Your mother gave you the book "The Westies" written by your old friend T.J English when you were first founding House of Pain. What made you connect so strongly to his words?
T.J. is an amazing person and incredible author. His book, The Westies, was the gospel for us Irish American kids! The movie State Of Grace was a bite of his book, but was [still] the look we adopted in the early days of House of Pain. The Brim hat and 3/5 length jackets. I walked around with a strait edge razor and rocking the rosary beads daily. I still love the whole look of that era. Good Times!

What's next for La Coka and for you, both personally and professionally?
House of Pain reunion and record this year. Hell Fire Canyon Club, my Motorcycle club/brand is my passion and hopefully a Pain Gang E.P. and a new LCN record. That's 2011 so far.
DANNY BOY O'CONNOR
LA COKA NOSTRA TM.
LOVE MACHINE-H.F.C.C.
HOUSE OF PAIN

By Erin Murray

Its challenging to sit and write about an established writer such as T.J. English. The only thing saving me is that he was such an easy person to meet. My first impression was that he was the kind of guy you could talk to about anything and never get bored. He has a way with words. A way that comes from having a love and respect for them. His sentences are formed carefully, words chosen specifically, even in casual speech. He believes in the art of building ideas with beautiful language. An art we need to cherish these days before it all goes the way of the antiquated hard covers.

Arriving in New York at twenty three and staying does not make you a New Yorker in my eyes. Although, there are certain time periods and circumstances that a person can go through where I'll give a pass. In T.J.'s case, it was these two things; driving a cab in the 80's, and being the author of 'The Westies', a book legendary to film industry employees in New York. First, the whole idea of a young white cabbie brings me back to another time, when I  loved sitting on the jump seats. And 'The Westies' tells a history of the Irish mob that ruled the west side neighborhood Hells Kitchen. In my world though,  these were the tall tales about guys I worked with; teamsters to be exact. In some cases, the kinds of guys I really couldn't imagine sitting down with and asking about their personal affairs. So, T.J. surely gets my pass, at this point he's more of a local than me.

In his most recent work "Narco Americano" which he wrote for this month's Playboy magazine, he tells about the drug war that has taken over the town of Juarez, Mexico. He gives an in-depth look into what's really going on and who is being affected. All of which becomes that much more real when you google map the city of Juarez and realize its proximity to El Paso, Texas. The story he tells sounds like it takes place in the old west, with people being gunned down in the middle of the street in broad daylight. Except it's happening today, not far from the southwest border of Texas, and the people being shot are American government employees. Oh. This is a reaction I've gotten several times now having subsequently read other works by T.J.  A somewhat shocked discovery of an abhorrent situation I had no idea existed. His tone is honest and even  but somehow I'm left with the feeling of an underdog fighting for justice.

I'm a new fan. Become one too. Check out his Playboy article out now!  Watch his adorable interview with John Stewart on The Daily Show. Also, coming out next month his new novel 'The Savage City'.
www.tj-english.com

How do you choose topics for your work? Where do the ideas come from?
Ideas come from everywhere. I tend to draw my subject matter from real life, so ideas often come from reading newspapers, magazines, books, etc. Ideas also come from my travels. For instance, the current article I did for Playboy on the narco war in Mexico likely would not have happened had I not spent time in Mexico a few years ago at a Spanish-language institute learning Spanish. Yes, I knew about the narco war from reading about it and keeping up on the news, but there’s nothing like being right there in the country where its happening, experiencing it from inside the culture as opposed to viewing it from afar. Many of my books and journalism are initiated by a general cultural fascination with the topic, and then I try to think of ways to apply it to my own writerly point-of-view, which invariably leads me to the criminal underworld, organized crime and criminal justice issues.

Many of the subjects you focus on are relatively dark: mobsters, wars, human injustice, etc. Why do you think you are drawn to such genres?
It’s interesting, because my general interest in these topics usually has nothing to do with the so-called dark side. Years ago, for instance – in the mid-1990s – I did an article about a Jamaican drug posse based in Brooklyn that had roots in Kingston, Jamaica. I became interested in that because I had a deep affection for reggae music, which led me to make a trip to Jamaica. This led to a fascination with Jamaican culture. Okay, so you want to explore Jamaican culture and history, you’re going to find yourself reading about some horrible shit like colonialism, political exploitation, extreme poverty the likes of which sometimes leads to sociopathic or even psychopathic behavior. The truth is, writing about the human condition invariably, in my opinion, leads you to writing about the dark side, because the human social process is one of war, exploitation, violence, and death. The way cities, countries and nation-states are formed usually involves a group of people killing or forcibly dominating another group of people and then imposing rules and laws to keep them in their place. To me, writing about the human social process requires writing about the dark side, although, in some ways, I don’t even think of it as writing about the dark side. I think of it as writing about the world as it really is, not about how we like to pretend it is.

Is there any unattainable topic or subject that you wish you could gain access to and write about? A dream project perhaps?
I don’t think there is an “unattainable topic,” although there are many topics that I’m interested in that, to write about them in any kind of in-depth way or from an insider point-of-view, are so fraught with complications and dangers that the risks and difficulties outweigh the likelihood of getting the story. But this is all relative. In fact, many of the articles and books I have written are on subjects that others might have considered to be “unattainable.” Writing about the Westies gang from the point of view of an insider in the gang was considered somewhat unattainable. Thinking I could get inside Mickey Featherstone’s head – I was told by cops and other writers that it was crazy for me to even think I could do that. I wrote a book, Born to Kill, about a Vietnamese gang based in Chinatown that I think, as you’re reading it, will make you feel as though you are a member of that gang, because I tell the story from the subjective perspective of a gang member who was right there in the middle of things. I’m not mentioning this to brag about it; I’m just saying that one person’s “unattainable” is another person’s “challenge.” I suppose I could have failed at the challenge, but it seemed to me like a challenge worth taking on. I was driven by the belief that these unattainable subjects were, in fact, attainable.

I will give you an interesting example, however, of the only story in my career I was not able to get. I shouldn’t be telling you this, because it makes me look bad, but the truth is any journalist or writer who takes chances will have an occasion where they are not able to get the story they are trying to get. In the mid-1990s I was sent by Rolling Stone magazine to New Orleans to do a story on the New Orleans police department. The police in New Orleans had been wracked by a series of outrageous scandals that had shocked the whole city, and it’s not easy to shock people in New Orleans. A female cop had killed her partner and executed an entire Vietnamese family while moonlighting as a security guard at a restaurant in town. Another cop had ordered a hit on a women who had taken out a brutality complaint against him; he brazenly ordered the hit over the police radio frequency. A whole bunch of cops – something like twenty – had been running a cocaine operation just like a criminal gang. It was incredible. Anyway, I go down there and set about getting people to talk with me, as I always do in these situations. I got some interesting stuff. Interviewed the new police chief, went into the infamous Desire Housing Project, which I think has since been torn down. But I could not get anyone from within the criminal culture of the NOPD to talk with me. I could not get any of the victims of crimes perpetrated by the NOPD to talk with me. In New Orleans, people were afraid to talk about police corruption. They were afraid they would wind up buried in a swamp somewhere and never be heard from again. There was no tradition of talking to a writer or journalist about this stuff. It was a criminal conspiracy I could not penetrate. I have written about all kinds of criminal gangs, written about them from an insider perspective that many people did not think was possible, but I could not penetrate the fear and long-standing tradition of silence surrounding the criminal conspiracy known as the New Orleans police department.

How do you get people to open up to you? Especially in your early days, before you had any best sellers backing you up. Do you think it has anything to do with your general demeanor?
Generally speaking, every person who talks to you does so for their own unique set of reasons, either they want to get out their version of events, from their perspective, or they want to get something off their chest, or they trust you, and when a person trusts you, sometimes you can’t get them to shut up. Believe me, I go through periods in my life when I am getting calls and correspondences from criminals, gangsters, calls from prison – its one of the reasons I sometimes have problems maintaining relationships with significant others. Not everyone is charmed by the idea of killers and gangsters calling at all hours of the day and night.

As for demeanor, yes, this is an interesting point. I recently had an interesting conversation with a group of retired FBI agents here in New York. Generally speaking, I get along better with criminals than I do law enforcement people, but I was invited to speak to a group of retired agents. It turned out to be very instructive, because we got on to this subject of how do you get people – criminals – to talk to you. Granted, it’s somewhat easier for a journalist or writer, because I’m not going to bust them and have them prosecuted, but still, it all has do with trust. And the only way that kind of trust can be established is if the person you are dealing with feels as though you are listening to them free of judgment. You are not judging them. This sounds like a simple thing, but in truth most cops or journalists or even most human beings are not able to do this. The average person feels as though they represent goodness and virtue. Cops, journalists, they are usually there as representatives of the system. They represent “the right side of the law.” Therefore, the person who they are dealing with is viewed as reprehensible, a criminal, a killer, a drug dealer, a scumbag. How could you even sit in the same room with this scumbag and listen to them tell their version of why they do what they do? Well, I find it fascinating. And the fact that a person feels like I’m listening to them without judgment makes them open up. And the truth is, I’m not judging them. I want to hear their version, and then I push them and probe and ask questions that maybe gets them to tell things they never thought they would. But it all starts with a genuine level of trust.

Have you ever gotten yourself into a bad situation while investigating a story or suddenly crossed a line where you felt like you might not make it out?
I’ve been in a few potentially perilous situations that made me sweat. In Hong Kong, doing a story on the Triads, secret criminal societies, I was in the Walled City, a hermetically sealed criminal enclave in a part of the city known as Kowloon. The Walled City was later torn down, after China took over control of Hong Kong in 1997. I was there in 1992. As I was getting ready to enter the place one afternoon, a taxi driver saw me; he stopped his taxi and said, “Do not go in there. It’s not safe. You will not come out alive.” Or something like that. It was a little unnerving. Because duty called, and I knew I had to go in there. The taxi driver drove away and I entered. Man, that place was wild. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was all closed in, like an underground city, with cables and dripping pipes overhead, and a maze of narrow walkways, dark and damp. Along these walkways were little stalls with all kinds of illegal businesses. There might be a guy selling illegal animals, snakes and other reptiles, and right next to that stall would be a stall with an illegal dentist. There was prostitution in there, women beckoning from the shadows, and little, old Chinese men selling opium and heroin. All kinds of counterfeit goods and illegal shit. It was like an underworld bizarre for vice and illegal goods. And the whole visual look of the place was designed to blow your mind. It was subterranean and spooky and dangerous-looking, like something out of Dante’s Inferno. I’m glad I had a chance to see it before it was obliterated.

I’ve been in some other situations that could have turned bad, I guess. I was in Denham Town, a shantytown in central Kingston that is probably as dangerous for an outsider as anything can be. For the Mexico narco piece I recently did I was in Ciudad Juárez, which is now thought of as the most dangerous city in the world. I was in Felipe Angeles, a colonia, or slum, in Juárez that is the home of the Barrio Azteca gang. I do not go into these places out of any sense of adventure or thrill-seeking. I am not a thrill seeker. I do not bungee jump or cliff dive or any of that silly shit. I have no desire to jump out of an airplane and skydive. I go into these situations because it is my job to do so. And whenever I do something like this, I take great pride in doing it the most intelligent way I can. I do my homework. I never wander into a situation unprepared. I try to set it up so I am never walking into an uncontrolled situation; I set things up beforehand. I usually have a guide or a specific reason for being there. And the idea is to get in there and get the fuck out. Although, yeah, I do sometimes get waylaid by a woman or the exotic nature of a place. But I try not to be stupid about these things.

When or how did you realize writing was your passion?
 I guess grade school was when I first started to get positive feedback about things that I was writing. When you’re young, you tend to go in the direction from which you get the most ego gratification. If it had been a musical instrument I was good at, or singing, or gymnastics, maybe I would have gone in one of those directions instead. By the time I got to high school, I realized journalism was a great way to get out of the house, experience life around you, and sometimes stir things up. 

At the Catholic high school I went to in Tacoma, Washington, where I was born and raised, my senior year I did an expose for the school newspaper about Pacific Avenue, which was the Red Light district in town. I interviewed street prostitutes and what were called “winos” back then; I went into Elmo’s Bookstore, a porn shop, and described in great detail what was in there. I’m pretty sure it was the first time – and maybe the last – that the word “dildo” appeared in the school newspaper. It caused quite a controversy, and I loved every minute of it.

 How long have you lived in NY and what do you miss most about the way the city used to be when you first came here?
I arrived in NYC in 1981; I was 23 years old. I came here to experience life and, hopefully, become some sort of professional writer. I hustled for work as a freelance journalist, writing for an Irish American magazine and weekly newspaper, for the Village Voice, wherever I could get stuff published. In the evenings I drove a taxi, three, four nights a week, sometimes more, to pay my rent and living expenses, which I always kept lean and minimal as I could. In those years, I remember being like a feral animal, hungry, hyper alert, my aspirations as a writer deeply intertwined with the environment I was living in, which, since I was driving a cab, touched on all neighborhoods of the city, all economic classes and races.

That lifestyle of an aspiring artist, if I can use that term, the pursuit of a non-traditional career, living close to the bone, hustling – I don’t think that even exists any more in New York. I mean, having to have a computer and a fancy iphone alone would have wiped me out back then, and you can barely function without those things in the marketplace today. Starting somewhere in the mid-1980s, New York City completely gave itself over to the business class, cutting back on city services, giving sweet tax deals for businesses and real estate entities. Smarter people than me have chronicled this; I’m not saying anything particularly insightful. But I watched the city I came here to be a part of become less and less interesting. Manhattan, in particular, is now a place for professional business people, lawyers, brokers, etc. The neighborhood where I have lived for 20 years, the Village -- you don’t want to go anywhere around there on a Friday or Saturday night. They say there’s a recession, but you’d hardly notice it in that neighborhood. Swarms of 20-somethings with credit cards, expendable incomes, auditioning for their own reality shows.

What's your favorite thing about living in New York City these days? Do you have a favorite neighborhood/ restaurant/bar?
The one thing I like most about NYC hasn’t changed, and that is – pounding the pavement. I haven’t owned a car since I came here thirty years ago, pretty much my entire adult life. I walk most everywhere I go, if I can. The energy and diversity of the street life is still the best thing about the city. And no amount of gentrification can wipe that out. Because they still need immigrants (i.e. cheap labor) to feed the beast, and the city regenerating itself through waves of immigration is still the central narrative of life in NYC; its what makes walking the streets so beautiful and distinctive. Also, in the last four or five years I’ve also really gotten into biking. It is one of the new things about the city that I really enjoy. Thirty years ago, even if you’d wanted to, there was no way to bike around the city like there is now. Making the city more biker friendly has made it accessible in new and exciting ways, and it’s a great way to stay in shape. Because if you wanna survive in NYC, you still need to stay lean and strong and ready to run like hell at a moment’s notice. I don’t have a favorite neighborhood, but I do have a favorite eating establishment – La Taza de Oro, the venerable Puerto Rican diner at 8th Avenue and 15th Street, and a bar, the Distinguished Wakamba Cocktail Lounge, at 37th street and 8th Avenue.

Who are your favorite writers? What kinds of things do you like to read?
 Well, the ones that led me in the direction of non-fiction writing, writers I read in college, were Hunter S. Thompson, Norman Mailer and Joan Didion. I’ve gone through phases: the existentialists like Camus and Genet. Dostoyevsky probably shaped my consciousness more than any other single writer, particularly Crime and Punishment, but also Notes from Underground. I went through the classic American hardboiled phase – Hammett, Chandler, James M. Cain, and, most notably, Jim Thompson. I read fiction and nonfiction equally. Right now I’m reading an incredible novel, 2666, by the late-Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño. It is an absolute masterpiece. Overall, much of my reading is dominated by whatever subject I am researching at any given moment. If you look at the last three books I’ve published – Paddy Whacked, Havana Nocturne and The Savage City – go to the bibliography section and you will see dozens and dozens of books I’ve had to read as research for those books. I hardly have time for anything else.

Besides your new book The Savage City coming out next month, what is next for you?
I hope to do a second article on the narco war in Mexico for Playboy. What’s happening in Mexico right now is the organized crime story of our time. And the United States is directly effected in ways that most people don’t think about or realize. I’m also getting together a collection of my crime journalism over the past twenty-plus years that I hope to publish in one volume, under the title, Season of El Diablo: And Other True Tales from the American Underworld. I’m also working on a movie project and have an idea for my next non-fiction book, but I have a policy of not talking about major works in progress until they are a definite thing. Nothing worse than talking up a project, or making a public proclamation, and then, months later, having people ask you, “Hey, what happened with that such-and-such project you were working on…” Then you have to go into a long explanation of why it didn’t come to fruition, how it didn’t pan out for one reason or another. Makes you look like – and feel like – a douche bag.

(The Savage City: Race, Murder and a Generation on the Edge by T.J. English will be published by HarperCollins in March 2011)

New York City in the mid 90’s was alive; thrusting with a constant flow of East coast hip hop. Radio waves were dominated by local artists, dropping album after album. As hip hop soared, the nightlife scene pulsed right along with it. It was a golden era. Every night of the week, our clubs were packed with a meshing of artists, models and politicians - the New York City way. In the midst of all this action, my boy Mighty killed it every time he was behind the wheels. Milo Berger, a.k.a. DJ Mighty Mi and I go way back, seventeen years to be exact. We first met while I was a hostess at a Chinese restaurant on the upper east side, and later became friends in the downtown party scene. It was a very different NYC then; the underground hip hop nightlife world was thriving. This scene became a foundation for a tremendous amount of future talent, dominated by the likes of Mark Ronson, Funkmaster Flex, and Stretch & Bob, to name a few. Mighty was at the center of it all. My favorite DJ.

His twenty plus year career is fueled by passion and vibrant, creative energy. He formed his own group, 'The High & the Mighty'. Milo followed that by launching his own record label, Eastern Conference Records. He produced multiple acts, including Mary J Bleige, Eminem, Mobb Deep and KRS ONE. He provided the score to Danny Masterson’s film, 'The Heist', toured with Eminem, and currently holds down a Vegas residency - quite the portfolio. Music and fashion walk hand and hand feeding off each other, and Milo's sense of style is living proof. Stylish, creative, successful, and a most interesting personality. Here goes my first interview with Mr. Mighty himself.

What gives you inspiration?
Hmm. Getting inspiration musically ain't as easy as it used to be. I try and go out to see other DJ's in the local Vegas scene, and other bigger names that we book at my club in Vegas. Sometimes seeing another DJ that I admire gives me inspiration. I also try and really keep up with all the new music coming out to make sure there's nothing that gets past me.

If you had to choose a style icon, who would it be and why?
KRS-ONE in the "My Philosophy"video. BDP sweatshirt, khaki pants, and black Jordan III's = all you need!!!

What is it about you that makes you stylish?
Not sure I consider myself stylish. Especially 'cause I'm color blind. I think I know a nice pair of kicks though. I think as you get older you realize what works for you and what doesn't. When you're young you see something on the clothing rack and just decide to buy it if you like it. As you get older though, you realize what may look good on the shelf may not look good on you. For example, I always loved orange; then I started to realize orange didn’t look good on me...

What do you love about New York? Places to shop? Eat?
Well I used to love NY a lot more in the 70's, 80's, and 90's. I don't think its been the same since the death of B.I.G and 911. However, I still feel there's no place like it in the world. It's still such a melting pot and cultural capitol of the world. There's no other city in the world where people have to be for certain jobs and such. That's probably why the rent's are so high. My favorite place to eat is Mon Petit Cafe. My favorite place to shop is The Flight Club.

Tell me about being a white boy growing up in Philly and loving hip hop?
In 1986 I went to a Beastie Boys concert and they made me feel like I could not just be a fan, but actually be an artist. I went to the same high school as Jon Shecter; he was five years older, and he was starting the Source at Harvard. He would send me new hip hop every month. Me & EON started recording demo's in 1989, and continued throughout college. In 1994, Bobitto (of the Stretch & Bob Show) came to Boston University to host a party. It was at that time he heard EON rhyme and invited him to come on the show. That really gave EON and myself confidence to start really recording hard. My grandfather lent me money to buy an ADAT (recording equipment), and in 1996 we came out with our first record, 'Hands On Experience'.

What trends have you connected to in hip hop?
I was always inspired by hip hop and basketball styles. Growing up in the mid to late 80's happened to be the golden era for both basketball & hip hop culture. I was into tennis suits; Fila, Lacoste. The Beastie boys taking off the Mercedes logo and attaching it to a chain also was a brief trend we emulated.

What is the current state of the music business and what has happened in the last five years?
There is no music business today. The only money is in touring & publishing. The most valuable thing you can have is a back catalogue of releases. For example, my label - Eastern Conference Records put out twenty albums between 2000-2005. With close to no record stores left, the only place to get them is on iTunes. This can be profitable if you have a bunch of songs available for fans of old and new to download legally. Currently, everything is going back to uptempo dance music. I don't know how long it will last, but for now everything I'm playing is 120bpm and faster. I feel very blessed to have chosen to be a DJ as a teenager. It seems like the predominant art form that continues to thrive in the real world.

What was it like touring with Eminem in 2000?
It was the best experience of my life, touring-wise. [In Europe] we opened up for him every night at bigger venues then we were used to playing in the States. [At] one specific festival in Munich I can remember there being tons of 'High & Mighty' fans, almost equaling his fans. Amsterdam was memorable as well - all our peeps from New York came out for the show. It was three weeks and it ended short because he wanted to go home after a bad mushroom trip.

What was the most inspiring album that came out in the 90's, in your opinion?
'Amerikkka's Most Wanted' [by] Ice Cube. The first fusion of a west coast MC with east coast production, and I still consider it the best produced album of all time.

It's been two years since you decided to live a completely sober life. What inspired this huge life change?
I used to drink every night I DJ'd, thinking I needed it to get through the night. Then I went to see a Native American healer of sorts, who told me I was puffy from drinking. He challenged me to stop for 30 days. I just decided to keep it going. People think you come to Vegas and just fall into that way of life - drinking and partying. I found that Vegas actually made me sober. Being in the club every night, you see the way people act when they drink. I decided that wasn't for me.

What's next for DJ Mighty Mi in 2011?
Hopefully returning to the city I belong in - NYC.

I met Evo in the spring of 2008. I walked into her home unaware that my life was about to change. I was enveloped by the vibrant colors and abundance of beautiful art work covering the walls. Immediately I felt the serene energy of her space. Upon meeting her and listening to her talk about herself, her art, the art in her home and the friends that had made it, I was quickly taken in by her spell.  Evo lives and breathes art. Every inch of space in her home is covered with special pieces collected with love. Most of the people she spends time with are artists. She runs with her peers. Genuine and generous, she constantly encourages and promotes new artists she comes across. Networking, advising, and even housing a dozen artist friends in her home during collaborative shows. This open heart is guarded by a sassy NeoRican edge that remains from her NY upbringing. A laid back, been-there and done-that confidence, balanced by a almost childlike dreams-do-come-true vulnerability makes for an intreguing combination. 

Her art speaks of the spiritual symbolisms of Day of the Dead, Voodoo, Santoria, with an added surfer, graffiti, street art chic. The 3D altars take the viewer on a journey. The longer you look, the more you find. Small pieces of a puzzle come together to form a rich pattern of memories and emotion. 
Her commissioned pieces begin with a list of questions geared to finding out many specific things about the individual. She asks for personal items, collectables from childhood, any memorable keep sakes, and includes them into the piece. In the end, you are given a piece that not only beautifully displays your personal memories, but validates and honors them. Vintage toys, dice, and dominos combine to create a patina that is both visually stimulating and emotionally thought provoking. In the piece she lovingly made for me, she included a storm trooper, a NY taxi cab, a statue of liberty, a panda, and letters representing the names of those closest to me. So wonderful. 

Visit her site for more images and upcoming art shows. This spring she'll be showing with Brooklyn based collective Fountain. Keep your eyes out for her, she's about to blow up.
http://evoloveunlimited.com

If you had to choose a style icon, who would it be and why? 
I don't think I could ever choose just one. Women like Sophia or Marilyn with classic style, tailored looks, women that were curvy, voluptuous. Then came Cher and what I loved about her was she wasn't afraid to take a risk. Her show allowed her to be a Native American Indian Goddess one day and a Hippy Chic the next day... But my favorite designer has been Tom Ford. I didn't really pay attention to Gucci until he came along. He knows women and he knows sexy...     

What is your favorite NY restaurant, and favorite place to shop? 
My favorite places to eat in new York are places were the chef cooks with love and the service is exceptional. ( But I'll say Delicatessen, because good friend Quevz did the mural  downstairs). My favorite place to shop in New York ... Every Where and Any Where... Lower east side... Street Vendors, China Town,  comic book stores... Basket ball court Flea Markets. Theres not one store that I'm afraid of or won't walk into.  What I love most is popping into a boutique that carries local unknown designers.  For example,  students who are trying to take it to the next level and do something different.  Most of all,  my favorite stores are places you walk in to get a vintage top and end up walking out with a brand new cuff and a set of thrift shop plates and glasses. You see these a lot in NYC. Georgia,  & LA. Anthropology and Urban outfitters try to do this, but it's just not the same... There's a certain type of feeling you get in NY when you find one of these stores on the fly and you feel like no one knows about it and you hit a gold mine. It's more authentic, not mass produced.   

What is it about you that makes you stylish? 
First I think you need to appreciate style to have it. You have to have a long love affair with fashion to really have a knowledge of it's vocabulary and expression. Once you have that, you incorporate your own vibe. My style comes from my mood, if I feel like being fifties, I dress fifties, if I want to feel tough, I put on some biker boots, if I feel punk rock I throw on spiked bracelets...  I also pay attention to detail, cut, lines, what works for me.     

What do you like the most about NY? And the least? 
 The most - it has everything. The museums are by far my favorite... 
 The least - cold weather... 

What's your current favorite song, and book?
 I'm listening to Guru...RIP.  As far as current, anything by MF Doom.
For books, always a self help, I'm reading a lot about makeup, from makeup artist Jemma kid. I'm  also reading The Pocket Stylist by Kendall Farr. I'm about to go back and read some Jim Thompson books and I'm searching for a really good Duchamp biography... 

Who or what inspires you? 
I'm inspired by life and the vibe of the world. It's vibration in regards to everything from fashion, music, tv, movies, plays, architecture,  popular culture, experience, you name it. I think all artists, entertainers, musicians, fashion designers and makeup artists, etc are inspired by all the same things. An example - I used stage curtains to present my art pieces in a installation. This then inspired me to make an art piece with stage curtains. So a week ago, red velvet stage curtains inspired me. Tomorrow it could be a Haitian kid wearing an aqua blue shirt, and next thing you know, my art piece begins with a blue background... 
My Fiance inspires me a lot... He's like McGyver... His crazy sense of humor and they way he looks at the world are constant inspirations.    

How did you discover your artistic style? 
I really didn't know I had one until someone told me. It came natural to me. I think your family has the first shot at introducing you to style, your mom usually is your first wardrobe stylist. I was fortunate that I grew up around a lot of uncle and aunts who were into all different types of music and their style reflected that. When you hit fourteen is when you start putting your spin on things. From age 9 - 15 I grew up in a surf town from with a lot of pro skaters & surfers... Also, I'm Latin, so there's a huge Latin influence in my style as well. Paying attention to the details of different cultures... Paying attention to details period...I'm passionate and soulful, I reflect and analyze a lot. I feel that kind of defined my style. 

What about making art makes you happiest? 
Everything... The whole process, having an idea and executing it... My most favorite is selling it... Lol no really ... My work usually sells to the person it was meant for. There is a certain magic in them... I'm using a lot of symbolism, numerology, energy. I'm in a great meditative state when I make them... When you are totally focused and centered your breath changes... You get in this state of mind and that's where the magic happens... This goes for artists, fashion designers, engineers, etc... It's good to know that the person who invests in you really connects with you, with the piece...  

If you could obtain an unobtainable object to center a piece on, what would it be?  
The Holy Grail ...

What's next? 
More performance pieces... More surfing, more love, more fun... More art...