Based in Southern California, Alexandra Marlin brings a gentle warmth and a sense of imagination and creative connection to the people and events she captures with her camera. You may find her online at http://www.alexandramarlin.com or email stitchmarlin@gmail.com – she can be hired for headshots and special occasions.
In practice the gift started out years ago, in a room two sisters shared; before Hans Christian Andersen weaved magical tales before their eyes; From its inception, before its place and time in history, before its most real manifestation, the gift glistened, standing apart from all other gifts; the hair ribbons, the ruffled Christmas dresses, ringlet haired dolls and pink stuffed animals.
Mesmerized by the gift, the two sisters delighted in its velvet lining, and exquisite design. With open little arms and hearts, the gift was received with unmeasured joy and expressions of child felt gratitude. The gift was a testimonial to others; children, neighbors, young and old. Adults would nod and smile, perhaps in remembrance of their own gifts, once cherished as well…. In their midst, a gift was given, taken for its true value, and like any wonderful thing it was an inspiration.
Through passages of time, and all kinds of seasons, the gift remained untarnished but the hearts of the recipients turned colder and changed colors; from the pastel shades of trusting little girls, to murky greens and competitive reds. The gift was tested, tossed about, questioned, overshadowed, and even rejected. From a serpents shore, a fog arose, attempting to blur the indelible character of the gift giver himself, so that, the sisters would in time guard their other gifts first, shifting the placement of the gifts priority to a back closet, instead of displaying it as a thing of beauty, as a child does in the hierarchy of his ornaments and toys.
For a long season, the gift was left standing in a frozen still life mode. No one bothered to go near the dying yellowing leaves that were falling off of a flourishing green tree. At this juncture, neither invested much of themselves in this gift. Weddings, and birth announcements, filled their young lives, and May to December picnics with new friends.
Well meaning attempts were made throughout the ensuing years. Phone calls, and letters of good cheer; the resounding joy that both now shared a faith in the gift giver on a very personal note. Before the dawn of their middle years, in a feeling of Christmas, the sisters realized that time was ticking.
They would look upon the gift with a reverent gaze, and tiptoe softly past it (as a sleeping child), again lit up with the glow of that first decade of enduring memories when the gift was so new, and loved for itself; for who could forget the true glory of such a gift. One or the other would start to embrace and reawaken the gift, only to find along with the true joy, some mysterious counterfeit interior to deeper realms; places that they did not wish to visit or recreate, for different reasons; perhaps the fear of stirring up the ghost of an angry Father, or the sleeping lions of complacency.
The sisters cried out to God; one lamenting the loss of her trust, the other her full spectrum of childhood in its innocence. By the middle years, these sisters had long suffered grief, & a multitude of fools. Though thought to make one strong it was vexing to the heart. True conviction, burned silently away. After smoldering in a lake of embers, land mines would erupt randomly, & misdirected bullets from old family battles would come between each other, and the gift. This was truly a war waged in opposition to their soul’s desire.
Even so, the gift was still a gift; intact, and given from a perfect giver, the Father of lights, who spared not even the gift above all, that of his beloved son, for the benefit of his children. None could destroy a gift such as this; His beauteous gift, and plan of salvation, not made with human hands, not warranted, or earned. This gift called Jesus was not summoned by vain bids, or cajoled by promises of a return gift equal in value. He has given a multitude of gifts; among them the gift of a beautiful friendship to two sisters.
It has been sorely tested, in spirit a diamond in the fires, vibrant, and alive as ever; In the physical realm, it appears a hollowed out jigsaw of the greater treasure it once was in the splendor of early childhood years when there was no forethought, guile, or jaded perceptions.
The gift will go on. Two sisters will determine its worth to themselves, and their part in a whole-hearted pursuit of its contents, the optimum blessings thereof, and ultimately the holy purpose for which the giver intended.
With all their vices and virtues, a true yielding to their Savior, and with a willingness to go forward in renewed passion, may they place the star of this gift above some others, and let it shine once again for Christ’s sake and God’s kingdom come.
Cynthia Lamanna has over the years written a variety of short and longer pieces: essays, short stories, devotionals, and work in other genres. She’s looking for opportunities for publication – freelance or agented – and can be reached at cynthialamanna@yahoo.com She would also be interested in any feedback related to self-publishing companies and/or paid freelance writing sites.
Letting everyone know about a relatively new website, MySoiree, http://www.mysoiree.net, where people may showcase, buy and sell various kinds of artwork. What makes this place unique is the cosmopolitan warm feel to the site and the way the publicists reach out and promote people’s work and the local, physical events which occur throughout the world related to this site. Many times artists will host get-togethers at their galleries or in cafes for artists and the interested public to meet each other…all upcoming events listed on the left side of mysoiree.net and they’re really social and networking events, not just unveilings to potential buyers.
The artwork is reasonably priced here – artists set their own prices and some featured pieces are pricey, but there’s work available for every budget, classy pieces for anywhere from $10 to $3000. The focus is on community and locating and finding one’s global market and becoming accessible to them.
There are a bunch of online shopping sites, of course, and many places to showcase one’s art online. But MySoiree caught my interest because one of their publicists/artists reached out to Synchronized Chaos through our Wednesday Writers Facebook group…they have a very excited, dedicated, interesting group of people who are all part of building this project and who believe in what they are doing.
Also – as mentoring and collaboration among writers is part of Synchronized Chaos’ mission and why this magazine got started…here’s a mentorship opportunity that would be great for Christians here, but I don’t think religious faith should be a requirement simply for sharing professional advice with these folks:
Inner-city Oakland’s School of Urban Missions, a ministry training college, seeks volunteer mentors to work with their students on English composition, writing, publicity and marketing, etc. Students are all passionate and driven to communicate professionally but have not all had the opportunity for much formal education.
They would love to be in touch with writing mentors in the Bay Area or elsewhere. The school is online at www.sum.edu and here is the call for mentors:
Our Bible College specializes in training urban ministry leaders. Many of our students come from the streets. They are solidly saved and have a heart and passion for serving Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, many of our students also come from underserved and educationally challenged urban environments. Some of our students did not even finish high school – they came to us with their hard-earned GED and a calling. We do not have an English department and the teachers we have are not able to fully provide all of the English support classes and seminars our students need. We need seminar teachers, substitute teachers and mentors for our students.
Do you have a database of local Christian writers to whom we can appeal? Or perhaps a local chapter meeting or guild where we can present our needs? We are a quality, accredited Bible College with great students. With your help, we can make them better.
Please let me know if you have any ideas, have local contacts or know of any other local English resources for our college.
In His Grace,
Mark Fagerstrom
Vice President of Student Ministries
School of Urban Mission
www.sum.edu
(510) 567-6174 x120
SPJ’s Excellence in Journalism Competition
Recognizing the best work in journalism – print, online and broadcast
These awards honor the journalists whose work best reflects the SPJ ideals of initiative, integrity, talent and compassion. In addition to our regular categories, we are adding three new ones this year to reflect the ongoing evolution of the delivery of news and comment.
We also are seeking nominees for our five special Board of Directors Awards: Journalist of the Year, Career Achievement, Distinguished Service, Unsung Hero and Meritorious SPJ Service.
Stories must have been published between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2009, by a news outlet or individuals based in Northern California.
DEADLINE: Entries must be postmarked or time-stamped by Aug. 7, 2009
QUESTIONS: Contact Lisa Chung at spj.excellenceinjournalism@gmail.com or 650-906-9181.
http://NorCalSPJ.wordpress.com/contest
CONTEST CATEGORIES:
NEW! SPECIAL CATEGORY: THE ECONOMY
Honors individuals, teams or news organizations for outstanding coverage of the economy/financial crisis and its effect on American businesses and citizens. All forms of journalism (breaking news, investigative, opinion, photography, etc.) in any medium are eligible.
Entry specifications: Submit up to three samples of work, which may include stories, columns, photographs, editorials, blogs, etc.
Categories: All media.
PUBLIC SERVICE
Honors individuals, teams, or news organizations that try to improve conditions for the benefit of society. Entries will be judged on the significance of the issues, evidence of initiative, effectiveness of presentation and results obtained or pledged.
Entry specifications: May include project articles, editorials, public service announcements, cartoons, photos, graphics and online material.
Categories: All media.
NEW! BLOGS
Honors originality, stylish writing, timeliness, unique perspective and accuracy. Awards will be based on a body of work that includes at least five samples, with extra value placed on the writer’s ablity to break news as well as analyze it.
Entry specifications: Submit up to five posts.
Categories: Online.
NEW! INNOVATION / ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Honors organizations that have demonstrated new and innovative ways to present news and information. Entries will be judged not only on content but on how well they use the tools of the new media – such as webcasts, comments, interactivity, etc. – in their reports.
Entry specifications: Submit up to three samples showing creative use of new media.
Categories: Online.
EXPLANATORY JOURNALISM
Honors journalists who increase readers/viewers understanding of significant or complex issues. Entries may add understanding to issues in the news or may focus on issues largely uncovered by the media.
Entry specifications: Submit one story or series of related stories.
Categories: Print Daily, Print Non-Daily, Broadcast, Online.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Honors individuals or teams that identify important issues and demonstrate initiative, persistence and resourcefulness pursuing information that is restricted or not easily available.
Entry specifications: Submit one story or series of related stories.
Categories: Print Daily, Print Non-Daily, Broadcast, Online.
BREAKING NEWS
Honors journalists whose work demonstratesclear and accurate reporting and graceful writing on deadline. Judges will consider deadline pressure and complexity of subject.
Entry specifications: Submit up to three stories.
Categories: Print Daily, Print Non-Daily, Broadcast, Online.
FEATURE WRITING
Honors journalists for exceptional writing that demonstrates originality of approach.
Judges will consider the humor or drama evoked, style, clarity of the writing and the suitability of the writing to the subject.
Entry specifications: Submit story or series.
Categories: Print Daily, Print Non-Daily, Broadcast, Online.
OPINION
Honors individuals for exceptional writing of editorials and/or commentary. Entries may be unsigned editorials or bylined columns. Judges will consider originality of approach, clarity of writing and, in the case of an editorial, results obtained or pledged.
Entry specifications: Submit up to three samples.
Categories: All media.
CRITICISM
Honors journalists for incisive reviews of art, music, movies, theater, dance, books, restaurants, architecture or other public performance. Judges will consider quality of writing and persuasiveness of arguments.
Entry specifications: Submit up to three samples.
Categories: All media.
PHOTOJOURNALISM
Honors photojournalists whose work demonstrates exceptional skill in capturing defining moments. Judges will consider technical and aesthetic qualities.
Entry specifications: Submit up to three samples or a related series of photos.
Categories: All media.
OUTSTANDING EMERGING JOURNALIST
Honors a journalist with less than five years of professional experience whose work shows great promise.
Entry specifications: Submit resume and three samples of work.
Categories: All media.
NEW! STUDENT SPECIAL PROJECT
Honors individuals or classes of college-level students for exemplary reporting, writing, and/or photography produced by all forms of student media, including special projects that report local news no longer covered by professional media.
Entry specifications: Submit up to three samples.
Colleen Paretty
SF Bay Area AHCJ Chapter Chair
Bay.Area.AHCJ@gmail.com
For the exhibition, entitled “Number 9,” Space Gallery, curator Rand Shuler and artist Sean Ward will hand-select an extensive and thought-provoking collection of artworks, including paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, film and performance that not only explore the legacy of Beatlemania, but also trace the very evolution of present-day popular culture.
With consideration to everything from the enormity of Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s lyrics, to the complexity of Yellow Submarine director George Dunning’s artwork, each artist will be challenged to create a reflection of the youthful optimism, nihilist recoil, subversive subtext and family-friendly persona of the Fab 4.
The Number 9 exhibition opens with a reception on Wednesday, Sept 9, 2009 and runs through Monday Sept 14. Space Gallery 1141 Polk Street SF CA 94109 www.spacegallerysf.com
For Artist’s Submission please contact:
info(at)spacegallerysf.com
“Bars don’t invite activism. They invite, well, drunkenism. So repressive regimes don’t always go after the beer bars, but they do shut down the coffeehouses and teahouses.”
Tim Holmes, owner and manager of San Leandro’s Zocalo’s coffeehouse, explains the transformative cultural and social role he hopes his business and other community centers play in Northern California’s East Bay neighborhoods. We discussed this over a sweet specialty Kahlua-flavored coffee, while tickling the feet of Juliet, the nine-month-old baby for which barista Sarah Hammitt is a nanny.
To Holmes, city council and school board positions are pivotal for shaping local society and also training grounds for creating broader-scale change. For these reasons, Zocalo’s hosts candidate forums and other nonpartisan events related to local city and county elections.
Several other gathering places, such as Alameda’s Crosstown and downtown Oakland’s It’s a Grind franchise, also facilitate and encourage community involvement in ways that make sense for the local residents of their distinctive areas.
Many people associate Northern California coffeehouse culture with San Francisco’s North Beach, Beatniks, hipsters, and artists and college students either independently wealthy or living off their families’ cash. However, diverse and distinctive neighborhoods throughout the East Bay’s commuter and family/bedroom community areas feature their own versions of these gathering places, which offer unique blends of entertainment, conversation, and empowerment.
A dispute over their building lease and economic pressures may force Crosstown out of business, and they already have to vacate their current location by Friday, July 24th. Alameda has a few other independent coffeehouses, along with a Starbucks and a Peet’s, but most close earlier and are smaller than Crosstown.
Several Crosstown baristas and managers said they invite the landowners to come in and visit their place and try some coffee, see how nicely they keep it up and how many community events occur there.
Zocalo’s and It’s a Grind’s management admit to also feeling the effects of the economy – people have not necessarily stopped coming, as some are forgoing expensive out-of-town vacations, but regulars tend to buy fewer items.
Nurtured by the dreams of an innovative faith community, Crosstown replaced a run-down, vacated High Street bar with the help of dozens of local volunteers. Initially, everyone, including their upper management, was officially a part-time employee, and people put in many hours of unpaid overtime.
“We all believed in the project,” explained now-general manager Faith McRory. “It doesn’t seem like work when you really get excited about something.”
“We have two large rooms here, “ their Thursday night open mic organizer explained, pointing in turn to the locations of the coffee bar and the stage/children’s playroom/conference room. “This [the coffee] funds and fuels this [the community center.]”
While sipping a soy Sweet Awakening high-energy coffee drink, to which they had added coconut after I complimented a smoothie on the overhead menu, I asked Faith to share any special anecdotes from her time there.
“Oh! I met my husband here!” she said and smiled, showing off her wedding ring as toddlers played and clapped to old American banjo music.
Crosstown management pitches in with cleaning and serving customers when necessary, and one day when she was behind the counter he caught her attention by patiently waiting in line behind several people ordering complex specialty drinks. Once his turn finally arrived, he graciously ordered a single cup of plain black house blend. They became friends, and he asked her out, and the rest is history.
The place also hosts playgroups for parents of young children, and open mic nights attended by many people, including a high school songwriters’ club. Several people have met their neighbors of many years for the first time at Crosstown.
Holmes also intentionally designed Zocalo’s as a community gathering place first and foremost. He received an English degree from Kenyon College in Ohio, and later moved to Silicon Valley for a marketing position with Apple Computers. “After all those years, I realized that a huge part of my job was really community-building, so I decided to do that full time.” The name Zocalo is the Mexican word for the town square – people refer to ‘meeting at the Zocalo’ in many towns, and he liked that concept.
Zocalo’s management donates coffee and supplies for a wide variety of charitable fundraisers for family violence and poverty-related organizations, and seeks to buy fair-trade coffee whenever possible. The establishment also welcomes nonprofit group meetings, including the East Bay Amnesty International chapter’s regular meetings and usually their annual-write-a-thon for the release of international political prisoners.
No stranger to philanthropic efforts to improve local life, Crosstown’s management proved receptive to a broad spectrum of community and charitable efforts. Responding to requests over the years from people who just walked in the doors, they collected books for needy children and food for the county food bank. Also, they showcased a variety of Alameda artwork, everything from full-size abstract paintings on the walls behind the stage to handmade stationery to self-published books, including Harold Gower’s Watershed: A Great Basin. Epiphany Poems and Reminiscences of an Old Desert Rat.
Launched as one of Alameda’s first certified green coffeehouses, Crosstown continued its environmental awareness with bulletin boards full of signs on how to recycle and save energy at home. Some of the owners, who are practicing Christians, described this emphasis as an outgrowth of the faith’s teaching on responsible stewardship of Earth’s resources.
Zocalo’s also follows sustainable practices, composting their coffee grounds and purchasing organic beans whenever possible. In the spirit of sharing reusable resources, both Crosstown and Zocalo’s offer lending libraries stocked with donated, used books. Even on the weekday afternoons when I visited, regulars relaxed with books of various sorts, taking a break from studying, telecommuting, or job-searching.
Many people suddenly find themselves job-searching these days, and both Holmes and Mary Forte, owner of the downtown Oakland’s It’s a Grind franchise, mentioned the challenge of locating employees who mesh with the vision of their establishments.
“You’ve got to have a decent work ethic, and show up on time every day,” said Forte. “We get a lot of people where this is their first job right out of school, and they don’t know how to handle it.”
Over vegetable quiche and one of It’s a Grind’s distinctive beverages, a blend of orange juice and white chocolate, Forte pointed out how professional development had to function as a two-way street. She said she would work hard to mentor and coach the younger baristas, but expected discipline and responsibility in return.
Zocalo’s also holds its employees to high expectations, getting to know them over a three-month trial period and a whole series of interviews. Those who belong at Zocalo’s show commitment to their position, and understand that other staff members have to take time to fill in for them when they do not come in to work.
“On the other hand,” Holmes said, “once I know Zocalo’s is important to someone, once they’re a good fit, I know there’s a balance there and I work with them. No one here has to call and say they’re sick when they just need a break or want to go somewhere.”
The place did seem fairly relaxed in some ways related to their employees, as one young man behind the counter had dyed hair and an earring. Crosstown hires staff of all ages, bucking the cute young barista stereotype, and It’s a Grind’s workers casually joked with Forte and each other during slow portions of the morning.
Large red, yellow, and black art pieces featuring Louis Armstrong and other jazz singers decorate the upper walls of It’s a Grind, and Augusta Collins, who has played with dozens of well-known musicians over the decades, performs live about every other Friday.
“The manager was totally receptive. I just walked in and introduced myself about a year ago, and she said I could play,” said Collins.
Zocalo’s displays a variety of different types of art, and Holmes is open to considering all kinds of styles and media. A gentleman walked in during our conversation to offer his hand-fired ceramic pottery, and quickly received approval to put up his pieces.
A small sign above the counter’s coffee menu mourns the loss of American civil rights after the Patriot Act passed – yet the rest of the public space remains politically neutral. “We’re not here to preach at you,” Holmes said. “None of us – not me, not the baristas – will lecture you or listen in to your conversations or tell you what to think. People can come in and advertise if they want, but the goal is to help people get information to make up their own minds.”
Crosstown also intentionally steers away from proselytizing, even with the church affiliations of many of its managers. Some of the flyers for community events and local volunteer opportunities involve church programs and activities, and the Crosstown website does mention spiritual conversation as something which may spontaneously happen in the place.
Synchronized Chaos Magazine published a (completely secular, with LGBT characters) story last winter from David Mitchell, a Crosstown regular, who mentioned that he visited the coffeehouse all the time and found the place friendly and conducive to his writing.
Both Crosstown and Zocalo’s have a tan and grey color scheme from their tables, chairs, and floors, which Zocalo’s complements with greenery and artwork, and which Crosstown decorates with colorful paintings from Alameda locals.
It’s a Grind’s menu and appearance are slightly less under manager Forte’s control because the place is a national franchise, although she chooses to celebrate the United States’ and Oakland’s jazz heritage through art and performances. She’s also hosted book signings, poetry readings, and other events.
Recently spotlighted in Bay Area BusinessWoman, Forte comes from an information-technology background, having spent 30 years supervising large groups of employees at Chevron Texaco. Not a real coffee drinker herself, she was more attracted to the idea of starting a safe, local community gathering place.
There’s already a Starbucks and other places in the neighborhood, and I asked her what makes her place unique. “Well, I think the coffee’s better, for one thing. And we really emphasize friendly customer service.”
It’s a Grind is located on the bottom floor of a 21-story office building in a highly corporate downtown area, and Forte gets many customers who grab coffee on their way to work or who are attending business meetings. She also makes sure the place recycles and practices basic environmental responsibility, and makes donations to shelters and other nonprofits.
When asked what advice she had for other entrepreneurs, or would-be business owners, she advocated starting with a franchise and taking advantage of pre-existing structure and support. Also, Forte recommends that business owners prepare to work very hard and understand that they will likely have to think about their businesses every day they are open.
“Running It’s a Grind is very different from my corporate job. I have to make many more decisions, and there’s more physical work, running around checking on things. I definitely don’t sit at a desk all day!”
Crosstown’s management urges other business startups not to enter into matters blindly. “Do your research, be intentional, get the professional advice that you need. Talk to realtors, accountants, financial planners, advisers, lawyers – anyone who can help,” said Dave Kreiss, another member of the management team.
Zocalo’s Holmes says profitability is the key, and one’s business has to make sure to have a way to survive. He pointed out that entrepreneurs should count the cost before starting out, be prepared to invest hours of personal time and also quite a bit of capital.
“It also helps to sell something addicting!” he joked.
Even with the economic downturn, and even with Crosstown’s current severe challenges, no one mentioned in this article regrets having started his or her own business.
“The espresso maker, the chairs, the tables – they’re all mine. There’s a real sense of ownership here I didn’t have before,” said Forte.
Target: The government of North Korea
Sponsored by: http://www.lauraandeuna.com
Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two American journalists, were recently sentenced to 12 years of prison in North Korea.
On March 17, 2009, Laura and Euna were shooting video along the China/North Korea border for a story they were working on about the trafficking of women in the region. They were stopped by North Korean border guards and arrested immediately thereafter. Both women were transported to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, where they remained under arrest until their trial.
A verdict in their closed trial was reached on June 8, and both Laura and Euna were sentenced to 12 years of reform through labor for illegal entry and grave crimes against the North Korean state.
Since the sentencing, the families have been able to receive calls on a few occasions. During the second call received on the evening of July 7, Laura and Euna reported that they are being treated fairly and are being seen by physicians. In the most recent call, they asked for continued support from our country and its citizens for their amnesty.
Urge the government of North Korea to grant amnesty to Laura Ling and Euna Lee!