It Keeps Me In Line: Brenda’s Story
May 21st, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Drugs, drink and depression had caused Brenda’s life to spiral out of control. At the age of forty-seven she became homeless, and spent the next two and a half years living on the streets and in various shelters. Brenda was four months into her stay at WillBridge Santa Barbara- a supportive housing program that helps the homeless transition from life on the street back to society- when we first met. Over the next six months, she shared her story with me.
It Keeps Me In Line: Brenda’s Story was presented on May 18, 2012 at The Certificate in Documentary Arts Final Project Ceremony at the Nasher Museum at Duke University.
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Lights, camera, action!
February 9th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
The 10-10-10 Young Filmmaker and Screenwriter Competition is a very cool program that’s run by the Santa Barbara Film Festival. I did this story about it for KQED’s The California Report.
Listen: 10-10-10 Student Filmmaker Competition
ps Aaron Dalton was a winner!
Santa Barbara’s Primo Boxing Club
September 22nd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
This is a story about Jean and Joe Pommier, who have spent the past 16 years giving to others. Now the Pommiers say it’s time for others to give back. This story aired on KQED’s The California Report.
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Carol Damon: Sisters In Homelessness
August 8th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Carol Damon lives in Santa Barbara, where she spends her days at the library and her nights at the homeless shelter. Here, she reads two of her contributions to the blog Homelesss in Santa Barbara .
The first, “We Don’t Fit In”, is an essay about being unemployed and homeless.
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“Sisters In Homelessness” outlines her dream of providing shelter for homeless women.
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Thanks to Carol, and the folks at Homeless In Santa Barbara.
The Flavor of New Orleans: Mr. Okra
May 22nd, 2011 § 4 Comments
I heard him before I saw him. Tinged with island rhythm, his amplified patois drifted through the streets of the Marigny. “I have grapes, grapefruit, tangerines, plum. I have the mango…”. Like his daddy before him, Arthur J. Robinson- affectionately known as Mr. Okra- sings his songs, peddles his produce, and makes people happy. Mr. Robinson was kind enough to share his story with me, and I’d like to share it with you.
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Sings Like Hell
April 9th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Sings Like Hell, the acclaimed concert series celebrating all things singer-songwriter, recently celebrated its 200th show at Santa Barbara’s venerable Lobero Theatre. To honor the occasion I produced this piece, which aired on KQED’s The California Report.
Listen: Sings Like Hell
Doctors Without Walls/Santa Barbara Street Medicine
March 5th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Doctors Without Walls is a group of committed, compassionate volunteers who provide medical care to their friends without homes, wherever they live- in parks, at the beach, and on the sidewalks here in Santa Barbara and neighboring Isla Vista. In addition to their street medicine practice, Doctors Without Walls runs a free women’s health clinic, and collaborates with UC Santa Barbara and County Emergency Medical Services to provide education on underserved and disaster medicine.
Getting to know the group and accompanying them on their rounds was a humbling experience that profoundly changed my attitude towards homelessness. Special thanks to DWW founder Mimi Doohan, the volunteers, and the patients who so graciously shared their experiences for this story.
This piece aired on KQED’s The California Report. You can listen here: Doctors Without Walls/Santa Barbara Street Medicine
Audio Postcard: Nesting Shore Birds, Anna Maria Island
February 1st, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Feeling the need to escape the brutal winter cold? While I can’t whisk you away in a private jet, I can offer you this diversion- just close your eyes and take a listen to this audio postcard from the Sunshine State. Anna Maria Island is a special place. Located on Florida’s west coast, it’s largely escaped the blight of over-development and high rise condominiums that line most of the state’s beaches. It’s a place where the locals work hard at balancing land use with wildlife protection. The island is home to an active population of nesting sea turtles and shorebirds, who are carefully monitored by a group of dedicated volunteers known as AMI Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring. On a hot, still, brilliant morning in June 2010- as oil from the Deepwater Horizon disaster gushed unchecked into the Gulf- I met with Suzi Fox, the group’s executive director, to count nesting lease terns. This piece aired on Prime Time Postscript.
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A Cautionary Christmas Tale: The Gigantic Gingerbread Fortress
December 16th, 2010 § 1 Comment
As we enter the home stretch before the big day, I’d like to share this true story of the frustrating, teeth-gnashing, headache inducing– yet ultimately redemptive– experience of building a giant gingerbread fortress for my then 8-year-old son. This piece originally aired on The Splendid Table. Happy listening to all, and to all Feliz Navidad!
Born On The Bayou
December 5th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
