Culture Crush, Week of Dec. 21

Napa

‘True North’

The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art presents its inaugural juried exhibition of North Bay art, “True North,” featuring over 40 artists from California’s North Bay counties. Family friendly, this show is on exhibit now through Jan. 15. As di Rosa’s executive director and lead curator Kate Eilertsen explains, “Our aim at di Rosa is to serve as a platform and incubator for art and artists in our region. ‘True North’ is key to this vision. A biennial exhibition of art from the North Bay, it will connect and empower artists across Napa, Sonoma, Marin and Solano counties for years to come.” In keeping with the inclusive incubator spirit of “True North,” the closing reception will be an Art Slide Slam, for artists in the North Bay to share their work in a poetry slam format, from 2:30-4pm, Saturday, Jan. 14. Submission details can be found on di Rosa’s “True North” exhibition page, dirosaart.org/true-north.

Novato

Laugh Trek

Standup comedy is back, as Novato’s Trek Wine pairs wine and wisecracks for an evening of comedy featuring Comedy Central veteran Dan St. Paul. A national headliner, St. Paul has opened for such entertainers as Ringo Starr, Natalie Cole and Vince Gill, and even the San Francisco Symphony (“I knew them when they were just a garage band,” he quips). Upon hitting 50, St. Paul pivoted his act to reflect the changes he was experiencing—“I’m a cylinder now. I can wear a belt anywhere on my body.” Special guest Ian Williams will also provide laughs. The show commences at 7:30pm, Saturday, Jan. 7 at Trek Wine, 1026 Machin Ave., Novato. Tickets start at $20 and are available via marincomedyshow.com.

Petaluma

‘The House on Liberty Street’

Petaluma’s heritage home district is the setting for Sonoma County author Frances Rivetti’s second novel, The House on Liberty Street: Home of Second Chances, now available from Fog Valley Press at local bookstores and online. Rivetti uncovers the dark side of Christmas in a taut, 24-hour-compressed timeline, a compact, deep tale of a resilient, all-female household on the brink of irreversible change. “Local readers will recognize the street that this fictional house is located on by St. Vincent’s Church,” says Rivetti. “While most of the action in the story takes place within the house, there are other familiar downtown and crosstown scenes in several chapters. The house itself, characters, names, incidents, businesses and places are the products of my imagination, or used in a fictional manner, however, and should not be interpreted as real. Certain long-standing institutions and businesses are mentioned, but the characters and action involved are entirely imaginary.” For more information, including upcoming readings, visit Francesrivetti.com.

Santa Rosa

Ice Skating

Downtown Santa Rosa is presently a winter wonderland, and not just because climate change has plunged the mercury well below freezing. “Sonoma County’s Destination for Season Long Holiday Fun” has its own spin on a favorite winter pastime—ice skating—which children of all ages are invited to do at the city of Santa Rosa’s annual Winter Lights Synthetic Ice Rink in Old Courthouse Square. Ice skates and helmet rentals are available through Dec. 31 (though wrist braces and air casts for ankles are available at the discretion of one’s healthcare provider…Just kidding, I’m having a Scrooge moment). For specific times, dates and tickets, visit downtownsantarosa.org/winterlights for links.

Free Will Astrology, Week of Dec. 21

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries author Eric G. Wilson has written a book that I might typically recommend to 40% of the Aries tribe. But in 2023, I will raise that to 80%. The title is How to Be Weird: An Off-Kilter Guide to Living a One-of-a-Kind Life. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, it will make sense for you to stop making sense on a semi-regular basis. Cheerfully rebelling against the status quo should be one of your most rewarding hobbies. The best way to educate and entertain yourself will be to ask yourself, “What is the most original and imaginative thing I can do right now?”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): One of your potential superpowers is cultivating links between the spiritual and physical worlds. If you develop this talent, you illuminate the ways that eternity permeates the everyday routine. You weave together the sacred and the mundane so they synergize each other. You understand how practical matters may be infused with archetypal energies and epic themes. I hope you will be doing a lot of this playful work in 2023, Taurus. Many of us non-Bulls would love you to teach us more about these mysteries.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Here are fun and useful projects for you to cultivate in 2023: 1. Initiate interesting trends. Don’t follow mediocre trends. 2. Exert buoyant leadership in the groups you are part of. 3. Practice the art of enhancing your concentration by relaxing. 4. Every Sunday at noon, renew your vow to not deceive or lie to yourself during the coming week. 5. Make it your goal to be a fabulous communicator, not just an average one. 6. Cultivate your ability to discern what people are hiding or pretending about.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In 2023, I hope you will refine and deepen your relationship with your gut instinct. I will be ecstatic if you learn more about the differences between your lucid intuition and the worry mongering that your pesky demons rustle up. If you attend to these matters—and life will conspire to help you if you do—your rhythm will become dramatically more secure and stable. Your guidance system will serve you better than it ever has. A caveat: Seeking perfection in honing these skills is not necessary. Just do the best you can.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Psychiatrist and author Irvin Yalom wrote, “The question of meaning in life is, as the Buddha thought, not edifying. One must immerse oneself into the river of life and let the question drift away.” But Holocaust survivor and philosopher Viktor Frankl had a radically different view. He said that a sense of meaning is the single most important thing. That’s what sustains and nourishes us through the years: the feeling that our life has a meaning and that any particular experience has a meaning. I share Frankl’s perspective, and I advise you to adopt his approach throughout 2023. You will have unprecedented opportunities to see and know the overarching plan of your destiny, which has been only partially visible to you in the past. You will be regularly blessed with insights about your purpose here on Earth.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): As a young woman, Virgo-born Ingeborg Rapoport (1912–2017) studied medicine at the University of Hamburg in Germany. But in 1938, the Nazis refused to let her defend her PhD thesis and get her medical degree because of her Jewish ancestry. Seventy-seven years later, she was finally given a chance to finish what she had started. Success! The dean of the school said, “She was absolutely brilliant. Her specific knowledge about the latest developments in medicine was unbelievable.” I expect comparable developments for you in 2023, Virgo. You will receive defining opportunities or invitations that have not been possible before. Postponed breakthroughs and resolutions will become achievable.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Of the 2,200+ humans quoted in a 21st-century edition of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 164 are women—a mere 7%! At least that’s more than the four females represented in 1855’s first edition. Let’s take this atrocious injustice as our provocation for your horoscope. In accordance with astrological omens, one of your assignments in 2023 will be to make personal efforts to equalize power among the genders. Your well-being will thrive as you work to create a misogyny-free future. Here are possible actions: If you’re a woman or nonbinary person, be extra bold and brave as you say what you genuinely think and feel and mean. If you’re a man, foster your skills at listening to women and nonbinary people. Give them abundant space and welcome to speak their truths. It will be in your ultimate interest to do so!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): To prepare you for 2023, I’m offering you wisdom from mythologist Michael Meade. Of all the signs in the zodiac, you Scorpios will be most likely to extract riches from it. Meade writes: “Becoming a genuine individual requires learning the oppositions within oneself. Those who fail or refuse to face the oppositions within have no choice but to find enemies to project upon. ‘Enemy’ simply means ‘not-friend’; unless a person deals with the not-friend within, they require enemies around them.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I will always be as difficult as necessary to achieve the best,” declared Sagittarian opera singer Maria Callas (1923–1977). Many critics say she was indeed one of the 20th century’s best. The consensus is that she was also a temperamental prima donna. Impresario Rudolf Bing said she was a trial to work with “because she was so much more intelligent. Other artists, you could get around. But Callas you could not get around. She knew exactly what she wanted and why she wanted it.” In accordance with astrological omens, Sagittarius, I authorize you, in your quest for success in 2023, to be as “difficult” as Callas was, in the sense of knowing exactly what you want. But please—so as to not undermine your success—don’t lapse into diva-like behavior.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): To inspire your self-inquiry in 2023, I have chosen a passage from Herman Hesse’s fairytale, A Dream Sequence. It will provide guidance as you dive further than ever before into the precious mysteries in your inner depths. Hesse addressed his “good ardent darkness, the warm cradle of the soul, and lost homeland.” He asked them to open up for him. He wanted them to be fully available to his conscious mind. Hesse said this to his soul: “Just feel your way, soul, just wander about, burrow into the full bath of innocent twilight drives!”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Cardiovascular surgeon Michael DeBakey lived till age 99. He almost died at 97, but was able to capitalize on an invention that he himself had created years before: a polymer resin that could repair or replace aging blood vessels. Surgeons used his technology to return him to health. I am predicting that in 2023, you, too, will derive a number of benefits from your actions in the past. Things you made, projects you nurtured and ideas you initiated will prove valuable to you as you encounter the challenges and opportunities of the future.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I decided to divine the state of your financial karma. To begin, I swirled a $10 bill through the flame rising from a green candle. Then I sought cosmic auguries in the burn patterns on the bill. The oracle provided bad news and good news. The bad news is that you live on a planet where one-fifth of the population owns much more than four-fifths of the wealth. The good news is that in 2023, you will be in decent shape to move closer to the elite one-fifth. Amazingly, the oracle also suggests that your ability to get richer quicker will increase in direct proportion to your integrity and generosity.

Wry ‘Ham’ on stage in Sebastopol

North Bay audiences seeking a little lightweight, somewhat-holiday-themed entertainment would do well to head out to Sebastopol and check out Ham for the Holidays. Written by Santa Rosa High School dropout-turned-game-show-contestant-turned-college-professor Shad Willingham, it runs at Main Stage West through Dec. 30.

It’s Christmas Eve, 1939, and the tiny hamlet of Hamlin, GA is buried in snow from an unexpected southern blizzard. Local ham magnate and radio station WHAM owner Cab Hoxton (Dodds Delzell) is in a tizzy preparing for the arrival of the great Orson Welles, who for some unfathomable reason has agreed to do a live broadcast from the station.

Postman Sam Wainwright (Keene Hudson) delivers Welles’ script, but station flunky Timmy Wilkins (Zane Walters) manages to lose it. To add insult to injury, Welles is stuck in a snowbound train, so how in the world will the show go on?

Well, blustery radio actor and playwright Dexter Armstrong (Garet Waterhouse) has an “original” play (Attack of the Space Robots from Outer Space) that with just a little tweaking can be turned into a Christmas show. As far as an actor with the stature of Welles, local Shakespearean-trained ham Dick McCann (John Craven) would be a suitable replacement, as long as he doesn’t have a narcoleptic episode in the middle of the broadcast.

Add an actress who insists on costume changes for radio (Maureen O’Neill), the station owner’s bungling daughter (Dale Leonheart) and a malfunctioning studio heater, and it’s no surprise when everything, of course, goes wrong.

Yes, it’s The (Radio) Play That Goes Wrong, which means lots of slapstick silliness. There’s no great message to be found here; in fact, no message at all. The only things being delivered are good-natured laughs via director Emily Cornelius’ hard-working cast.

They deliver those laughs on a well-detailed but somewhat anachronistically-appointed set by David Lear and in nice period costuming by Tracy Hinman. Keith Baker’s sound design also gives a big assist.

Ham for the Holidays is the type of show one doesn’t want to overthink. It’s very reminiscent of an extended sketch from one of television’s great comedy/variety shows of the ’60s and ’70s. It exists solely to elicit laughs and perhaps fond memories for some days of yore. It’s theater for the MeTV crowd.

‘Ham for the Holidays’ runs through Dec. 30 at Main Stage West, 104 N. Main St., Sebastopol. Thu-Sat at 8pm; Sun, 5pm. $20-$32. Masking required. 707.823.0177. mainstagewest.com.

Letters, Week of Dec. 21

Lesson Unlearned

This week, we mark the 10 year anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. This was done by a 19-year-old white male with an AR-15. He killed 20 first grade children and six teachers.

The question is, what have we learned from this tragic incident? The answer is absolutely nothing.

When will we learn?

Brian Donohue

Mill Valley

Friends in Wry Places

I have a friend back East whose son was elected to Congress last month. The younger man told his Republican opponent during the last debate of the campaign, “If you will stop making shit up about me, I will stop telling voters the truth about you.”

Craig J. Corsini

San Rafael

Arbitrary

Twitter banned or suspended several high-profile journalists Thursday evening, a move that further reveals the seemingly arbitrary decision-making of Elon Musk, a self-avowed “free speech absolutist.”

I will bet that Joseph Goebbels called himself and other high ranking party members “free speech absolutists” or something similar.

Gary Sciford

Santa Rosa

DeLoach Vineyards is more than just a ‘big winery’

After 20-plus years in the wine industry, I can admit how little I really knew about DeLoach Vineyards, in particular about what has been happening there over the past 10 to 15 years.

DeLoach Vineyards is a part of the Boisset winery family and has been since 2003. While I knew the winery was a part of Boisset’s portfolio of brands, I wasn’t really aware of what that meant for the brand, the quality of the wines, etc., as I hadn’t taken the time to sit down and taste the breadth of DeLoach’s menu of wines since the early 2000s.

Winemaking at DeLoach has been under the guiding hand of winemaker Brian Maloney, an avid believer in site expressive wines, the differences between Russian River Valley’s six “neighborhoods” and highlighting single vineyards, since 2007.

The wines being made are interesting, expressive and multi-dimensional. Also, most of the wines are made in small quantities from as few as 50 cases to a few hundred, in the case of their vineyard designate wines.

Here are a few more reasons to get excited about DeLoach Vineyards and DeLoach’s wines:

Certified

The winery is not just a certified sustainable and certified organic winery but is also one of just a handful of local wineries that are Demeter certified as a biodynamic vineyard and winery.

Iconic Vineyards

DeLoach makes over 20 vineyard designate wines from unique sites that include iconic vineyards such as Heintz, Stubbs, Van der Kamp and Saitone, with a large percentage of these wines coming from cool weather sites in the Green Valley, Petaluma Gap and Sonoma Coast AVAs. A couple of my personal favorites are the Hawk Hill Vineyard Chardonnay and Maboroshi Vineyard Pinot Noir.

Skin Contact

Among their offerings are a skin contact ribolla gialla and carignane that are aged in terracotta amphorae and that are phenomenal (these wines are made in very limited quantities, so they are generally sold out for part of each year).

Varietals Galore

They’ve got a diverse list of wines that includes not just pinot noir and chardonnay but pinot blanc, ribolla gialla, riesling, carignane and zinfandel.

Tasting Experience

The winery offers an appellation-focused tasting experience that draws from different Sonoma County AVAs. They also offer a self-guided tour that allows guests to explore the estate’s 20 acre organic and biodynamic farm, which includes a half-acre culinary garden, and grazing chickens, sheep and goats.

Earth-Friendly

They are actively pursuing more ways to reduce the winery’s environmental footprint, increase their biodynamic and regenerative agriculture practices, and to support their local community. One example is the winery’s “Vinthropic” line of wines that was created to help fight against hunger. One hundred percent of Vinthropic’s proceeds go to benefit Sonoma County’s Redwood Empire Food Bank.

Honey of the Heart and BrightSide Blue play as One

In this column’s continuing declaration of the too often unacknowledged musical variety of the North Bay, let us not forget world music.

While the genre has less cache than it did in the 80s and 90s, perhaps that isn’t such a bad thing. In fact, it isn’t a genre at all but a fusion of styles and musical traditions that often excels most when kept out of the corrupting influences of the mainstream music machine. Witness the newly minted combination of Northern California world-music-and-more groups Honey of the Heart and BrightSide Blue. 

Rather than drawing from the uptempo, radio-friendly sounds of early world music giants like Paul Simon and David Byrne, these two bands feel much more situated in the independent sounds of bass virtuoso and world-funk maven Laura Lova, with a dash of the Americana that we all so love in these parts.

The dreamy folk funk of Honey of the Heart blends surprisingly with the flamenco groove of BrightSide Blue in their new joint album, Live from the Center 2021. While the album features a mix of covers and originals, it can sometimes be unclear which is which, so warmly familiar do the original songs sound—not in any ordinary way but in a timeless one. 

These two groups found harmony in the dissonance of the pandemic. Every week they met safely outdoors to support one another and keep spirits high by learning each other’s tunes. Their story of resilience through hard times is a testament to the healing power of music and community. 

In listening to these hopeful tunes of easy-rocking positivity arranged and recorded through these last few years of general bleakness, I can’t help but reflect on the healing that creating art in the community had for me. I hope, dear reader, that listening to these shining songbirds will do the same for you.

Honey of the Heart and BrightSide Blue play from 7 pm to 11 pm, Friday, December 16 HopMonk Tavern, 224 Vintage Way Novato.

Giving the gift of experience

As the year winds to a close, many stress out about what gifts to buy for loved ones.

The days leading up to the end of the year are often spent rushing around with the holiday crowd, searching for that perfect gift that will express just how much one knows and cares about the recipient. But what if none of the gadgets and knickknacks seem right for that special someone this holiday season?

That’s where one gives the gift of an experience; instead of gifting a shirt that may not fit (physically or stylistically) or an item that may serve no purpose but to gather dust in the back of a closet, one may consider giving the gift of a memorable meal, a show, a class or a luxury experience that, often, is much more appreciated than a physical gift.

Marin County has no shortage of experiences to share with a loved one this holiday season, and the memories made will be just as valuable, if not more so, than any item. That said, here are some ideas about where to go in Marin County to find an exceptional experiential gift:

The Restaurant Experience

For many, the indulgence of a luxury meal at a nice restaurant is the best experience of all, especially if they’re a foodie. And, with Marin County playing host to a delectable selection of fine dining restaurants, the only difficulty is choosing where and when. One must just be sure to make a reservation, as eating out with a loved one is perhaps the most commonly gifted experience around the holidays.

In Marin County, the standout restaurants that will be sure to delight and sate one’s appetite are: Le Comptoir, located in San Rafael and known for its contemporary French-style fare, such as steak, mussels and rotisserie meats, as well as an exemplary wine selection. Tony’s Seafood in Marshall is another excellent choice for a more laid-back affair, though there’s nothing blasé about the high-quality seafood, from fresh oysters to mouthwatering cioppino.

For an Italian spin, Il Davide in San Rafael is sure to satisfy as an experiential gift, with its refined Tuscan fare and lively atmosphere. And, for a truly fine dining experience, Madcap in San Rafael offers an intimate locale serving elevated seasonal Californian and Japanese mains, plus wine, beer and sake, and they have the Michelin star stamp of approval to go along with it.

The Gift of Entertainment

This holiday season, one can take a moment to ask friends and family, “Are you not entertained?” And, if indeed they are not, one may take the necessary steps to provide that entertainment with the gift of attending a local play, dance, improv or comedy show. From open mic nights to professionally put-on ballet performances, there is no shortage of entertainment happening in Marin. One should just keep an eye out for performances at the Marin Civic Center, the Marin Theatre Company and any of the other well-known local entertainment centers.

Classes and Workshops as Gifts

Giving the gift of a membership to a class or workshop can be an excellent idea— as long as one makes sure the recipient likes the activity for which they’re being signed up before any money is put down. And, for extra points, one can always sign oneself up as well, to spend quality time together with a loved one, learning a new skill or participating in a fun shared activity!

For artistic friends and family, an art studio such as Terra Linda Ceramics in San Rafael can be found, and the gift of creativity can be given this holiday season. There’s no end to the artistic workshops and classes happening in Marin County, from dance to visual arts and everything in between—all one has to do is find the one that speaks to the giftee in mind. And, for a more physical approach, one may try gifting classes at studios such as ROC Pilates in San Rafael and Red Dragon Yoga in San Rafael and Mill Valley. Whatever a loved one enjoys, there’s bound to be a class or workshop in or close to Marin that would make the perfect gift.

Spa and Luxury Experiences

The holidays, as a general rule of thumb, can become especially stressful. That’s why the gift of a luxury experience, such as a spa day, a massage or a beauty appointment, can be just the thing someone needs (even if they don’t realize it yet). And, luckily, Marin County has a wide array of luxurious experiences to offer, starting with Evo Spa in Mill Valley. There, they provide everything a stressed-out heart could desire: massages, facials and much, much more.

Mill Valley Massage is another perfectly luxurious experience to give, especially if one knows someone who has been complaining of neck and back problems. And, for a more internally indulgent experience, a visit to Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre could make an amazing gift, maybe even one that can be given to oneself!

Gift the Experience of Adventure

For some, the best gift of all is the gift of a shared adventure where one can make memories of exciting time spent doing something new and fun together. And, in Marin, the options are abundant. For an exciting and adventurous gift, one can always rent a kayak from any of the local kayak rental shops and take a trip onto the beautiful North Bay waters. Another gift option comes from Marin Outdoor Adventure, where one can buy surf lessons at Stinson Beach to truly thrill an adventurous loved one. And, for a more landlocked experience, Point Reyes Arabian Adventures offers the most spectacular horseback trail rides and lessons.

A Holiday Getaway Gift

Last, but certainly not least, is the great gift of a holiday getaway. How many times has one wished to leave everything behind, even for just a day or two, to kick up one’s feet, sip some wine and decompress away from day-to-day responsibilities? That’s why renting out a cute Airbnb or a room in a Bed and Breakfast for a weekend is the perfect experience to give this holiday season.

The gift of an experience is one that is often overlooked, but can also be the most special and memorable. And, for anyone who still feels as though they want to give something brightly wrapped with a bow on top alongside the meal, show or horseback adventure, they may consider gifting a Polaroid camera and some film so a loved one can record not only their holiday experience, but the experiences that are sure to come after.

Picture Perfect: The 2018 Ehlers Estate Portrait Red Blend

Dorian Gray has nothing on this fine Portrait — a blend of four red Bordeaux varietals: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot hailing from the St. Helena and Napa Valley AVAs. The 2018 Ehlers Estate Portrait Red Blend arrives with delightfully broad shoulders and powerful hips with a warm mulberry color but that’s deep but not inky. (Take your favorite Prismacolor 995-garnet colored pencil and crosshatch over some indigo blots and you’re close). 

The wine is redolent with the flavors of bramble berries and English rose and arrives with a quiet cedar kiss and a pinch of anise as it rolls over the palate. The mouthfeel is brawny and kicks up a bit of forest floor and a hint of pepper and a bright acidity that adds to its overall balance. 

At around $50, the wine is appropriately priced for the value of its experience and would make a fine gift this season. If you’re going to send a portrait to your holiday card list, make it this one.

Storyteller Sam Lamott

A bestselling author tweeted to me over the summer and asked how she could get in touch. Intriguing, to say the least.

We eventually connected via email.

“My son Sam, who was on the cover of the [Pacific] Sun with me 32 years ago, grew up to be a Drake High School druggie, losing a number of friends to overdose along the way, a meth head, a teenage father, and then, in 2012, a clean and sober artist. He has a teenage son, and a very successful podcast,” Anne Lamott said.

She went on to suggest her son would be a good subject for a profile. I’d actually been thinking the same thing for a while.

As a podcast junkie, I’ve been a fan of Sam Lamott’s show, How to Human, since it hit Apple Podcasts New and Noteworthy list in 2018. While he interviews an eclectic mix of writers and experts in how to navigate life, he reveals some of his own vulnerabilities, foibles and triumphs.

I caught up with Sam Lamott at Square 1 Studio, a recording studio in San Anselmo that he opened with Reese Zecchin, his best friend and business partner. Zecchin and Lamott’s 13-year-old son, Jax Lamott, sat within earshot. Sam Lamott often called out to Zecchin to ask him to verify details, such as dates or names.

“I was high and drunk from 12 to 22,” Sam Lamott said. “There are some consequences, and one of them is I have a really bad memory.”

Over the years, Lamott has relied on Zecchin for more than simple reminders. By the time they became friends in 2015, Lamott said that he hadn’t acquired many life skills because of his drug use.

”I didn’t know how to be a good friend,” he said. “I didn’t know how to do much of anything. Reese actually taught me how to iron my shirt correctly and pay my taxes.”

While Zecchin chimed in, Lamott explained that their recording studio began during the pandemic, built inside a 10-foot by 10-foot Tuff Shed behind his home in Fairfax. Initially, the studio was used to record his podcasts, until his mother’s publisher discovered it. Authors, including Jack Kornfield, started scheduling studio time to record their audiobooks.

Demand grew and the business relocated to the larger and more professional San Anselmo space, servicing high-profile clients like the Today show and City Arts & Lectures. The studio also works on projects with regular folks to preserve their own stories—video memoirs.

“There’s a lot you can do on the cell phone, which is cool, but it means that you can go from idea to [finished] product really quickly,” Lamott said. “The problem is that you’re missing out on my favorite process, which is the refinement.”

For many people, video memoirs aren’t necessarily a creative project, but more of a calling, according to Lamott. They’re compelled to capture their story. He and Zecchin work behind the scenes to assist the storyteller.

Lamott likens their role to that of a midwife. In a recent project, the duo helped a person frame the account of tracking down their mother’s remains. Instead of unfolding as true crime, the memoir is a story of spiritual self-discovery.

People should consider chronicling their life as one of their first projects after retirement, Lamott advises. Or even sooner. Lamott, 33, is maintaining an ongoing recording of his experiences that he hopes will benefit his son in the future.

Sometimes folks in their twilight years don’t sound the same as they did when they were younger, according to Lamott. Their cadence may be different, or they may not remember events as vividly. By delaying too long, a loved one often ends up making the memoir.

“Telling your story while you’re alive, in your own words, is totally different than someone else telling it,” Lamott said. “It goes from ‘he or she was’ to ‘I am.’ Rather than someone just talking about the things you did, you get to share the inner journey as well as the moments that defined you.”

Although Lamott is relatively young, he has had a plethora of defining moments. While he grew up with a celebrated mother, life, especially as a teenager, wasn’t always easy, he said. 

“I was not receptive to anything my mom was teaching at that time,” said Lamott.

He refused to conform to the rules at Marin’s public schools and was sent to a wilderness program in West Virginia, where he eventually earned his high school diploma. Teenage fatherhood quickly followed. At age 22, Lamott became sober.

Today, he enjoys life but remains dogged by bouts of depression and suicidal ideation, which he’s at ease talking about. He remains committed to connecting with people who might find comfort by hearing about his experiences. Posts on Instagram and Twitter don’t cut it.

“I have a love-hate relationship with social media,” Lamott said. “If you just hear the upper side of the human experience, you are missing out because the truth is that life is hard. It’s hard when things are going good, and it’s really hard when things are going bad. We know that every single human is going to have existential challenges, and some more than others.”

That’s the reason he created the How to Human podcast. And he’s not only speaking to his audience, he’s meeting with them.

“They are just like me—ragtag, awesome humans trying to figure it out,” Lamott said. “They have a book club, so I hang out with some of them regularly. Now, they’re just friends.”

Some may consider him a friend and a lifesaver. He has received emails from people who were contemplating suicide, but stopped after hearing something on How to Human.

“The impact this has made on a handful of people—that’s where I know it’s worth the time,” he said.

Still, he doesn’t believe he can save anybody. Lamott said these listeners have heard something on the podcast that “met them where they were,” motivating them to seek help.

“I do think that when we express ourselves and live out loud, it sometimes reminds people of something that they knew,” he said. “It’s like when you read a book and a part hits you hard, putting a voice to something that was there already.”

The magic is difficult to define, but How to Human has made its mark. With 82 episodes available now and more on the way, Lamott and his guests will continue touching people in ways they’ll probably never know about.

Make News: David Fenton’s ‘The Activist’s Media Handbook’

In this protracted moment of media mayhem, progressive activists are hard-pressed to get their signal through the white-hot noise of partisan patter, outright falsehoods and carnival barker agitprop that has made the fourth estate the third rail of our two party system.

There’s hope, however, in the form of prominent activist David Fenton’s new book, The Activist’s Media Handbook: Lessons from 50 Years as a Progressive Agitator, published by San Rafael-based imprint Earth Aware.

As actor-activist (and sometimes Hulk) Mark Ruffalo, who worked with Fenton to win a ban on fracking in New York, observed, “Activists need to be communicators and story-tellers. David Fenton knows this at his core and has helped the environmental and climate movement reach the public for decades.”

Indeed, from rabble-rousing with Youth International Party (“Yippies”) co-founder Abbie Hoffman to collaborating with presidents and celebrities, the Berkeley-based Fenton has been the motivating force behind some of the most important and history-making activism of the past half-century.

What follows is a recent email exchange with Fenton and the Pacific Sun.

Daedalus Howell: Why do you think the left dropped the ball so dramatically (when compared to the right) when it came to its messaging?

David Fenton: People on the left usually come from studying the humanities, the law or the sciences. They are taught a view that great ideas and concepts basically “sell” themselves by their sheer intrinsic brilliance. The great Berkeley linguist George Lakoff calls this “the enlightenment fallacy.” On the right, many people come from business school. They study cognitive and marketing science and must learn to sell products and services to advance their careers. So this is their natural orientation. Also, we know from cognitive science that it is the repetition of simple messages which changes the brain—and thereby changes public opinion. In the sciences, for example, people are rewarded for complexity, not simplification, and certainly not for repeating themselves. So basically progressives tend not to like what works. Plus they see “selling” as dirty and manipulative. I hope they wake up, since perception is today’s reality to a large extent. And the left needs to please stop using inscrutable so-called “woke” language that the public just doesn’t understand.

Activist David Fenton.

DH: Given the preponderance of conspiracy theories and fake news, what are the best means of signaling credibility when interfacing with the media, especially if you’re not established as an organization or a known quantity?

DF: Building trust is key. It is truly sad how trust in the news has eroded. I blame Rupert Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg for much of that. Fox News purposely and knowingly spreads disinformation for power and profit. And Facebook has allowed even QAnon to spread on their platform. It is shameful. Tell the truth, but make it easy to understand. That’s the way to break through the noise. And find and work with allies who have the public trust.

DH: In the section regarding communication rules for activists, you advocate befriending journalists. Speaking as an accredited member of the media, I’ve witnessed an uptick in malice directed toward our profession, which keeps my colleagues and I wary of interfacing outside traditional channels (publicists, etc.). What’s your recommendation for overcoming this phenomenon?

DF: Have dinner parties and salons. Practice old-fashioned relationship building. That’s how humans work best. And really the communications people need to come out from behind their computers and meet people. I do hear what you are saying, there are malicious forces out there. But certainly not in most non-profit organizations.

DH: Who are the David Fentons and Abbie Hoffmans of today tomorrow? In your opinion, who is leveraging the media in a manner that aligns the concepts in The Activist’s Media Handbook?

DF: Greta Thunberg, the climate activist from Sweden, is a truly great communicator. She is always authentic, which is key. She’s a natural. So is Congresswoman [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortez. Her social media work is beyond brilliant. I expect she could be president someday. Adam McKay’s film, Don’t Look Up, is in the best tradition of Abbie Hoffman Yippie style agitprop. I expect we will see more climate activism from him. But I do miss Abbie! I mean, who else would go to the NY Stock Exchange and throw money down at the traders. For years, I kept trying to convince anti-corruption activists to do the same—throw bills down on the floor of the House of Representatives. I figured, like at the stock exchange, the members would stop working to pick up the bills. Of course, in Abbie’s time, a dollar bill was enough. Not now, haha.

DH: Do you think [media pranksters] like Joey Skaggs and the Yes Men are contributing to a positive cause or fomenting more chaos?

DF: Pranks are important. Humor works to communicate. Remember that The Daily Show with Jon Stewart was consistently voted the “most trusted news program in America.” Plus pranks get covered by the media, so they are part of the toolkit of modern activism. Of course, the wrong pranks can be counterproductive and cause backlash. But really, the left is too serious now. Time for some Yippie humor again, please.

For more information about David Fenton’s ‘The Activist’s Media Handbook,’ visit dhowl.com/fenton.

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