Aram Saroyan
Richard Hell reviewed Aram Saroyan’s book Complete Minimal Poems in the April 27, 2008 edition of the Sunday New York Times Book Review: Saroyan’s play “The Evening Hour” was read at Pacific Resident Theatre on Wednesday, May 7, 2008.
Shelley Berman nominated for an Emmy
Shelley Berman is nominated for his role as Larry David's father on "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
M.G. Lord
M.G. Lord's article "The Man Who Wants Us in Outer Space" was featured in the October 2007 issue of Los Angeles Magazine.
John Rechy
John Rechy was recognized by the University of Texas El Paso as its outstanding alumnus.
Holly Prado Northup
Holly Prado Northup is a finalist in the Salem College Center for Women Writers Poetry Competition, judged this year by Naomi Shihab Nye. The competition received over 200 poetry entries.
Rita Williams was a finalist in the The PEN Center USA 2007 Literary Awards competition for If the Creek Don't Rise.
Noel Riley Fitch Grand Literary Cafés of Europe The Grand Literary Cafes of Europe was published in October in London (New Holland Press) and is being released in the US.
Noel Riley Fitch is featured in the autumn 2007 issue of USC Trojan Family Magazine for her new book The Grand Literary Cafés of Europe.
Judith Freeman
Read Judith Freeman’s review of The Bishop’s Daughter by Honor Moore in the THE LOS ANGELES TIMES on May 25, 2008.
Jason Squire LOS ANGELES TIMES: Jason Squire was quoted about automakers advertising their brands through film and TV product placements. Audiences can be put off of both the movie and the product if the placement is heavy-handed, Squire said. Sometimes they backfire, he added. It’s a real judgment call.
Austin "Rocky" Kalish & Irma Ginsburg Kalish
Congratulations to MPW instructors Austin "Rocky" Kalish and Irma Ginsburg Kalish upon receiving honorary doctorates from Syracuse University. Both Rocky and Irma were awarded Doctor of Speech and Dramatic Arts degrees at Syracuse's May 13th Commencement exercises.
Gerald Locklin
On Tuesday, May 27, 2008, NPR’s “MorningEdition” and “All Things Considered” broadcast Adolfo Guzman Lopez’s profile on the life and work of Gerald Locklin on KPCC FM 89.3. The 10th Annual Santa Barbara Book and Author Festival will honor Locklin with the Glenna Luschei Distinguished Poet Fellowship on Saturday, September 27, 2008, at the Santa Barbara Public Library Main Branch. Locklin also has been named to the Scientific Advisory Board of Centro de Estudos Interculturais of Portugal, in recognition of his contributions to intercultural studies.
Shelly Lowenkopf THE OREGONIAN: A story highlighted a list of top political novels written by
Shelly Lowenkopf of the USC College, which appeared on USC’s Election 2008
Web site. In the No. 1 slot, Lowenkopf placed The Brief Wondrous Life of
Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. Set against a backdrop of the reign of Dominican
Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo, this narrative moves between the
Dominican Republic and contemporary New Jersey to tell the story of a
family, their friends and a diaspora, Lowenkopf wrote. Remarkably
formatted with footnotes reflecting history and authorial commentary, this
novel compares growing up under a dictatorship to growing up in a minority
in America, he added.
Tristine Rainer
Tristine Rainer is giving the keynote address on “Anais Nin and the Destiny of Diaries” at The Journal Conference: The Power of Writing, presented by the University of Denver in Denver from June 19, 2008.
S.L. Stebel Sid Stebel introduced Ray Bradbury at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on April 26, 2008.
Dinah Lenney
Dinah Lenney will be the keynote speaker at the Sacramento State Summer Writers' Conference from August 16-17, 2008. Her address will be on “Memoir as Performance: The Power of Voice.” Lenney also reviewed Assisted Loving by Bob Morris in the LOS ANGELES TIMES on June 3, 2008.
Alumni Kudos and Congratulations
The Society of Professional Journalists named Stacy Davies (MPW ‘07) as a winner of its “Excellence in Journalism Award” for her review of “Girly Show” at Wignall Museum, Chaffey College in the Inland Empire Weekly.
The poem “Icarus All Grown” and a prose poem/monologue titled “An Autobiography of My Mother (Having Only to Do With Me)” by Jalondra A. Davis (MPW ‘07) were published in The Truth About the Fact: An International Journal of Literary Nonfiction, Volume IV by Loyola Marymount University. Read her piece “Daddy” that was published in Volume I.
Tom Dolby (MPW ’03) was nominated for “Author on the Brink of Fame” by Logo TV, which broadcast its “NewNowNext Awards” on June 7th.
The mini-musical “The Rightful Monarch of America” by Cynthia Lewis Ferrell (MPW ‘06) goes onstage at the Colony Theatre in Burbank on June 23-24, 2008. Developed with Disney composer Carl Johnson and Avenue Q lyricistJeff Marx,the musical comedy willbeproduced by ANMT. Ferrell’s full-length play, “Mean High Tide,” launched in Donald Freed’s class, placed 31st in the 76th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. The contest attracted some 19,000 entries across all categories. Ferrell is an adjunct professor of playwriting at Pepperdine University and oversees grantwriting at the Rubicon Theatre, the professionalEquityhouse in Ventura, California.
Catherine Zeta-Jones has become a supporting patron of the Swansea Life Film Festival in Swansea Wales, UK. The 2008 festival featured “The Swimmer Manuscript” by Joseph Kenny (MPW ‘86), nominated for the festival’s “The Dylan Thomas Award for Original Screenplay.” The festival ran at Swansea’s Dylan Thomas Centre from May 31 to June 7, 2008.
Bobby D. Lux (MPW ’05) recently published his book of short stories, The Exciting Life and Death of The Amazing Henry and Other Stories..
Jethro Nededog's (MPW 2006) thesis screenplay, "Drag," won first place at The 2006 Indie Gathering Film Festival for drama. An earlier draft was a semifinalist in the 2006 Los Angeles Outfest Screenwriting Competition. He just finished producing four episodes of "Ultimate Factories," a documentary series for the National Geographic Channel.
Emily Brauer (MPW 2005) has produced two full-length plays: "Searching for Americana" and "Hard Core: Women's Reflections on Iraq." A Composition Lecturer at University of California, Irvine, she is also Managing Director for Hunger Artists Theatre Company, which is producing a short play festival in September.
Koji Steven Sakai's (MPW 2003) first feature film "Haunted Highway," was directed by Junichi Suzuki and distributed by Lions Gate DVD in 2006. He is expecting an additional four to seven feature-length films to go into production in 2007.
Universal Pictures' "Georgia Rule" starring Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan, and Felicity Huffman was written by MPW alumnus Mark Andrus. Andrus received an Academy Award nomination for his screenplay "As Good as It Gets," wrote "Life as a House," and the adaptation for "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood."
Joni Winn Hilton's (MPW 1981) latest play, "Rock, Paper, Scissors," won the Long Beach Playhouse 2006 contest, and is scheduled for world premiere at the Manhattan Beach Community Theatre on October 26-29 and November 2-3, 2007.
