Community Matters

(Community Matters) One of the guests I enjoyed reconnecting with last night is Elizabeth Helman Minchilli. We met last year and were seated next to each other last night (imagine my delight to learn she’d requested this).  She’s lived in Europe on and off all her life and in Rome since college – married architect Domenico Minchilli (who’s designing the Four Seasons in Umbria) and raised her two college aged daughters in Rome & Umbria.

She’s got a blog and iPhone aps identifying the best restaurants in Rome & Florence and has written several books on the joys of Italian life.

off to meet her by the fountain in Piazza Madonna dei Monti for coffee this morning

(Community Matters) Welcome to the world Clare Jane Ulman. Congrats proud parents, Amy Grace & Doug

(Community Matters) in Rome for the American Academy in Rome’s annual McKim gala. First attended last year and Suzanne Deal Booth invited me to join her table again tonight. Embarrassed to admit I don’t know who is receiving the award tonight, last year it was Miuccia Prada who I met briefly (and apologies ahead of time: If she’s here tonight I’m begging for an invite to their Venice museum opening – see Vanity Fair)

The mission of the American Academy in Rome, founded in 1894, is to foster the pursuit of advanced research and independent study in the fine arts and humanities. It was created in 1913. It’s founders included William Kissam Venderbilt, Henry Clay Frick, John D. Rockefeller &  Andrew Carneige.

Susanne serves on their board; David was a board member previously. Highlights of the weekend include private tours of museums, homes, galleries, the Vatican and ,the capstone, an evening picnic and tour of residents’ work at the main academy mansion.

(Community Matters) Tony Kushner’s, The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures.

NYTimes photo

Second time to see the show – the first time was last month with my NY husband, Andy; last night with Steven. Not many nearly-four-hour productions merit a second visit. This is Tony Kushner; even Afghanistan merits a second – for the poetry of its monologue. Earlier in the year, Steven and I loved the Signature Theatre’s revival of his Angels in America.

Accustomed to Steven’s onions, with which even during a ninth viewing I discover new nuggets, the second viewing of  TIHGTCASWAKTTS isn’t the same, and I did grow closer to the characters. Mr. Kushner is a master character creator, if not the living master. And, dialogue . . . trying to think which other contemporary playwrights rise to Kushner’s level. I’m sure some do, I just can’t name another this morning while still hearing it in my mind. Of course, director Michael Grief deserves kudos for his dialogue choreography and staging. The actors are superb.

This NYTimes review better describes the plot and threads. I disagree with Brantley’s dismissiveness about the moral relevance of the play or its place among contemporary works. Comparing a play with the themes of faith, worker/capitalist strife and fidelity to one about our generation’s plague is a bit like comparing Guernica to the Chicago Picasso.

Obviously the struggles between workers and owners loom large. I’d like to better understand their intimacy in Mr. Kushner’s life. I met him once in Austin, even chatted a bit. Looking for mutual friends in New York – a long dinner seems appropriate.

Speaking of dance cards . . . disappointed not to have seen Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart (nominated for 5 Tony’s) this visit but will later this month. Having lunch today with my good friend and the play’s co-producer & patron, Paul Boskind.

(Community Matters) okay, I’m thinking maybe it’s time . . . or soon to be time

Charles Santos and I saw one in Chelsea last night, while late night dining outside. Steven and I attended a performance of Punchdrunk’s See No More – my second time; his first. He loved it and is eager to bring Hilary & Brent during our visit for the President’s LGBT dinner next month.

(Community Matters) What’s up with San Antonio?

Playbook: TOP STORY – N.Y. Times A1, at fold, “Big Crime Drop Over Recession Baffles Expert,” by Richard A. Oppel Jr.: “The number of violent crimes in the United States dropped significantly last year, to what appeared to be the lowest rate in nearly 40 years … The odds of being murdered or robbed are now less than half of what they were in the early 1990s, when violent crime peaked in the United States. Small towns, especially, are seeing far fewer murders … New York was the only city with more than a million people besides San Antonio with an increase in the total number of violent crimes … and the only one besides Philadelphia to see a rise in murders. … There were 2,245 murders in New York in 1990, but the total has been less than 600 for the past nine years.” http://nyti.ms/lTOBHe

(Community Matters) Excellent NYT piece this am

I can’t overemphasize the good friend analogy in Pres Obama’s approach. Think about it. With our dearest friends and family members, sometimes we’re compelled to say what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear. It’s not always easy and of course it risks fractures. Hopefully, based on unambiguous love & support, our friends or family members will trust we are speaking/acting with their best interests in mind.

With acquaintances and people you don’t even really know, of course you often just nod, sometimes even pretending to agree even when you don’t – inappropriate or unnecessary to offer an opinion or correct someone. Pres Obama is treating Israel as a very good friend, a best friend – as the country is to the USA.

First, inclusion of language about the 1967 borders is not new  – it’s just new since the last, most failed among them peace talks. Second, Pres Obama didn’t suggest the 1967 borders, he suggested these borders adjusted by land swaps. The latter is huge, huge, huge – an opportunity for both sides to accomplish objectives of security and society. I’ve traveled in the West Bank twice (the last time well within Palestinian ruled territory), there’s plenty of parcels both sides would like to swap.

Last, the State of Israel in its current form is unsustainable – its occupation of the West Bank & the millions of Palestinians (were it not to ensure its security it certainly wouldn’t be occupying these lands – it’s costly and dangerous, financially, politically and to its faith) and Arab population growth within Israel’s proper borders threaten its legitimacy as a Jewish state. Right or wrong, it risks losing the PR war around the world and even among a majority within the US electorate. It must negotiate a resolution to the West Bank to ensure its continued international legitimacy – and the Palestinians must show they unambiguously support a Jewish state as well as its right to defend its people and borders.

(Community Matters) Admittedly, I’m a Krugman groupie – not to mention an unapologetic fan of fairies

by the way, this notion that lenders shouldn’t lose money is a false assumption. It isn’t as if many of today’s lenders aren’t predatory by historical standards and that systems haven’t been exploited resulting in our ensuring them and their investors against downside without rights for any of the upside – further incentivizing risky and bad decisions. I don’t know enough about the details of Icelanders’ refusal to approve their government’s payback for their bank bail out but I do like that the citizens aren’t rolling over.

(Community Matters) Steven and I are staying at the Millenium Hilton, since his client is nearby. I haven’t stayed around Wall Street for years, so kinda enjoying this.

The network of walkways and escalators through buildings & over roads downtown & thru Battery Park remind me of Hong Kong.

pic of World Trade Center rebuild

(Community Matters) A friend emailed me about Koch’s unhappiness with Pres O b/c of middle east speech and reference to 1967 boundaries.

My response: Yeah. Lots of blowback on that one. It was the right thing to say. If folks hear the nuance about swapping parcels it’s not as challenging to those appropriately worried about Israeli security; Pres O absolutely emphasized priority of Israel’s security. Of course, nuance often lost in polispeak. ADL has endorsed the speech, J street too. He’s speaking to AIPAC today; we’re hoping for similar.

The Pres wants to be a true friend to Israel, one that speaks the truth, even when tough, with the long term best interest in mind – as opposed to a friend who just agrees to everything (in my mind w/ less regard for long term best interests).

Posted from my blackberry

update – NYT on Pres’ AIPAC speech

Huff Post on Thurs’ speech – Kirk Rudy quoted

(Community Matters) Wow, we were sitting in our living room talking, catching up after Steven being on the West Coast all week . . .

. . . always thought we would go together

(Community Matters) This is why I get so exercised by those who speak only of our need to cut spending. Some fiscally irresponsible lawmakers cut taxes and intentionally left the wars off the books so we’d be exactly here

I’m not against cutting spending – but I’m also not for placating irresponsible and hypocritical legislators who preach deficit reduction while promoting additional tax decreases, maintaining rich tax loopholes for their corporate patrons and cutting services to women, children and families.

Huff Post article