Hollywood Creative Forum presented by the Walter Katz Foundation

“Creating Your Own Break: Alternative Ways of Distributing Your Content”

Los Angeles Convention Center

Petree Hall, Section C-West Hall

11:15am-12:30pm

While waiting for the opportunity to write, direct or produce a project on a cable channel, there are venues for emerging/entry level creatives to enhance and hone their skills for a nominal cost. Participants will learn not only how to enhance and hone their skills for a nominal cost. Participants will learn not only how to enhance these skills, but also how to distribute their content through various strategies, including New Media, publishing, and other non-traditional methods. In this session, participants learn how to determine the right content for the selected distribution platform, how to ensure the content looks professional even with a limited budget, and (based on the previous session), how to promote it effectively.

Moderator:

Tamara Krinsky, WGA New Media Project Manager

Session Experts:
Michael Ajakwe, Founder, LAWebFest
Mondella Jones, Owner, MJLA Media
Rafi Mamalian, Director, West Coast Sales, Blip TV – invited
Doreen Spicer, Spicerack Productions/Creator, “The Wannabees”
Ryan Stoner, Chief Strategy Officer, Hooray

Jerome David Salinger, whose 1951 classic novel THE CATCHER IN THE RYE became an adolescent literary right of passage, has died. He was 91.

Read the obituary from the New York Times here.

In the Spirit of Capri by Pamela Fiori

IN THE SPIRIT OF CAPRI

By Pamela Fiori

Assouline, September 2009, $45 ($29.70 on amazon.com)

In the Spirit of Capri by Pamela Fiori captures the glitz, glamour, heart and soul of one of the world’s most luxurious islands. From Capri’s early days as the playground of Augustus and Tiberius to its modern day allure, Fiori’s words complimented by breathtaking images of the island will easily become a favorite gift of the travelista on your holiday list. No other book will serves as greater motivation to immediately book a visit.

The book’s high quality is no less than expected from publisher Assouline (the Bentley of book publishers). In the Spirit of Capri deserves a special place on the coffee table, and in some homes, maybe its own table. Praise to Fiori, who is the editor-in-chief of Town & Country magazine, for delivering a stunning view of the Mediterranean’s star island.

BONUS BEYOND THE BOOK

Treat your favorite travelista to the good life with a bit of travel bling like this silver faux-croc passport cover and luggage tag set from zgallerie.com. Only $16.50 for the set.

Faux croc passport cover/luggage tag set, $16.50, zgallerie.com

Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy by Mary Tomer

MRS. O- THE FACE OF FASHION DEMOCRACY

by Mary Tomer

Center Street, October 2009, $25.99

All the world’s a “fashion” stage for First Lady Michelle Obama. She’s celebrated for her substance, but it’s her fashion choices that commonly make headlines. In the now crowded market of Michelle Obama style books, one title reigns supreme-MRS. O: THE FACE OF FASHION DEMOCRACY. Author Mary Tomer, founder of the Mrs.O. blog, beautifully documents Michelle Obama’s rise to fashion icon status. Tomer gets the story behind the clothes and accessories through interviews with designers who have dressed the First Lady, including Isabel Toledo, Michael Kors, Jason Wu, Kai Milla, Isaac Mizrahi, and Loree Rodkin, among others.

The coffee table book opens with a timeline of Michelle Obama’s early life, but focuses on the presidential primary trail, the 2008 Democratic National Convention, the 2009 Inauguration, and the early days in the White House. What sets this book apart from the crowd is the richly detailed photographs and illustrations that give the clothes and accessories a personality of their own. The book’s publisher received unprecedented access to several items, which were delivered to the publisher, photographed in-house, and returned to the designers. Fashionistas young and old will appreciate the attention to detail along with commentary from fashion experts and illustrations inspired by Mrs. Obama. And for $25.99, the book is recession-friendly, particularly for a coffee table offering.

Steven by Steve Madden belt, $38 at Nordstrom.com

BONUS BEYOND THE BOOK- The fashionista in your life will read about Mrs. O’s style staples, including her fondness of belts (especially her fave studded, black patent Azzedine Alaia). So how about gifting her a chic wide belt to cinch her latest looks? Check out the chain detailed stretch belt from Steven by Steve Madden (pictured at right). Available for $38 in black or turquoise from Nordstrom.com.

February 2, 2000-With author E. Lynn Harris and Howard University Bookstore Director Antwan Clinton.

Yesterday I woke up at 5:15 a.m (much earlier than my usual 6:30). When I logged onto Facebook, I read a bit of strange news. A publishing colleague had posted a message saying for everyone to “keep Lynn’s family in their prayers.” Then another message from another good friend of Lynn’s appeared. I reluctantly asked “why are we praying for Lynn’s family…what’s wrong with Lynn.” And that’s when it all started. Soon after, I searched the internet for news, but there was only one mention of his death. And it was from a source I had never heard of.

As far as I was concerned, neither CNN or The Associated Press had reported any news of Lynn’s death. So for me, he was still very much alive and well.  Then I got a call from a good friend who was also Lynn’s longtime publicist. When she confirmed his death, my heart broke. Another friend at a major national magazine called me to see if it was true. Sadly, it was and Lynn was really gone. I couldn’t believe it.

Lynn helped put me and a lot of other people on in the publishing business. Hours after I learned of Lynn’s passing, I shared my story with Essence Magazine. My friend Bridgette Bartlett (who’s also a smart, talented editor at Essence) took my ramblings and crafted them into a moving tribute. You can read the article here.

The photo that accompanies this post was taken during the first major event I hosted very early in my career. Lynn was the sole reason why it happened and I can’t thank him enough. He was truly an angel sent from heaven…even if only on loan to us for a short time. We love and miss you Lynn.