The Obama campaign asked why I'm excited about the inauguration (in a few words.)
As a Jewish 14 year-old from San Francisco, I flew 3000 miles to attend prep school in New Hampshire on an academic scholarship. I was in a dorm with 33 other girls from all over. The girls I became closest with were all African-American girls from New York City. We understood each other as products of urban, not-so-wealthy neighborhoods. We all took a trip down to Boston to see "Fires in the Mirror" by Anna Deveare Smith. I wished at that moment that race relations in our country could improve, and that we could begin to move on from our past, not by ignoring it, but by changing the future. So I have been so excited about President Obama's potential to begin our healing as a nation. He has many, many gifts, not least of which is his ability to bring people together. Togetherness and dialogue will be our strength.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Latest Projects
Tomorrow I'll be shooting a short film called "Shortened." I play the main character's boss. Ed Magalong is producing.
I'll also be shooting the pilot of "America's Best Cheerleader" with Apple Cart Productions. Let's hope it gets picked up so you can see me kicking, cheering, cartwheeling and doing the splits!
Visit Apple Cart Productions to see other projects they've done.
On Tuesday I'll be doing a comedic photo shoot of "Strangeness in Suburbia" with Jesse Strigler. I play a dominatrix, people. What could be more fun?
Visit Jesse Strigler's site to see his beautiful photos!
I'll also be shooting the pilot of "America's Best Cheerleader" with Apple Cart Productions. Let's hope it gets picked up so you can see me kicking, cheering, cartwheeling and doing the splits!
Visit Apple Cart Productions to see other projects they've done.
On Tuesday I'll be doing a comedic photo shoot of "Strangeness in Suburbia" with Jesse Strigler. I play a dominatrix, people. What could be more fun?
Visit Jesse Strigler's site to see his beautiful photos!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Remembering Papa on World AIDS Day
I called him Papa.
He was born Floyd Edward Engle in Mount Holly, New Jersey on a dairy farm. That really didn't suit him, so despite being the eldest son, he packed up his stuff at the end of high school and made the trek to New England to enroll at Harvard. Class of '58. The Class. (Erich Segal novel...)
He had a lot of adventures in life before I came along - intelligence work in the Air Force, stationed in Taiwan listening to Chinese radio, traveling the world. He was married before he met my mother.
The truth is, I don't know my father that well. It has been 14 years since he died, and I was only 15 when it happened. I loved him and had a lot in common with him. But one day while I was home on break from Exeter, I got a call from a friend of his. He was very ill in the hospital after an experimental medication. He had AIDS.
What a blow. We had no idea. The questions. If I ever dare to tell anyone that Papa had AIDS, without fail, the first question is "How did he get it?" I have to say, it really pisses me off. Does it matter? I actually don't know the answer. He was a very private person, very steeped in his Presbyterian church dignified ways. So I may never know.
What I do know is that AIDS tears families apart. Losing the father I loved, then growing up without a father is not easy. I still struggle with the feeling that I don't have a real family. (And of course losing Hannah has compounded that problem.) AIDS needs to be stopped.
He was born Floyd Edward Engle in Mount Holly, New Jersey on a dairy farm. That really didn't suit him, so despite being the eldest son, he packed up his stuff at the end of high school and made the trek to New England to enroll at Harvard. Class of '58. The Class. (Erich Segal novel...)
He had a lot of adventures in life before I came along - intelligence work in the Air Force, stationed in Taiwan listening to Chinese radio, traveling the world. He was married before he met my mother.
The truth is, I don't know my father that well. It has been 14 years since he died, and I was only 15 when it happened. I loved him and had a lot in common with him. But one day while I was home on break from Exeter, I got a call from a friend of his. He was very ill in the hospital after an experimental medication. He had AIDS.
What a blow. We had no idea. The questions. If I ever dare to tell anyone that Papa had AIDS, without fail, the first question is "How did he get it?" I have to say, it really pisses me off. Does it matter? I actually don't know the answer. He was a very private person, very steeped in his Presbyterian church dignified ways. So I may never know.
What I do know is that AIDS tears families apart. Losing the father I loved, then growing up without a father is not easy. I still struggle with the feeling that I don't have a real family. (And of course losing Hannah has compounded that problem.) AIDS needs to be stopped.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
