Saturday, May 10, 2008

LB author, poet Paul G. Maziar tells me his secrets!



Barbara is on Pacific Time: 8 p.m., San Pedro. Feeling spy-like, password: Mommy.

That's almost a line from Paul G. Maziar's book "What It Is: What It Is." I found it at {Open} Bookstore in Long Beach in late March, right after visiting Matt Maust's teeny art show going on inside. Maust, being 1/4 of the Cold War Kids, as well as an extraordinary graphic artist, collaborated with the prose writer that is Maziar and voila: "What It Is: What It Is."

In preparing a book review of Maziar's latest, I got in touch with the author where he revealed more on his book's title, his friendship with Maust and his relationship with Long Beach (and what it means to come back). You'll be able to find my review of "What It Is: What It Is" in Monday's paper. For now, here are a few excerpts taken from our correspondence:

On his relationship with Long Beach...
My relationship with Long Beach has been on an elevator. The place stirs my mind and all my senses, (and) so far has been the place where I’ve been the most productive as a writer.

Where he hangs out in Long Beach...
My favorite place to get a burrito is La Taqueria, I think it’s the best.


On the title of the book, "What It Is: What It Is"...
The title of the book is partly nonsense jive, which we wanted to be something fun that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Plus Maust and I have long been saying “What it is?” as a greeting to each other and friends.

On meeting Matt Maust...
The first time Maust and I met, we hit it off— talking about music and art and books. When he began showing me some things he has been inspired by as an artist— I realized it would make perfect sense to collaborate on our own project. Two years, and a few versions of WHAT IT IS later, here we are.

On Matt Maust...
Maust is an immense talent, someone who’s so true to what he does he is at all times a creative soul— in various ways, whether it is in speech, comradery, travel, or interpreting music/art/literature.


Mingle with Paul G. Maziar and his special musical guests, along with Matt Maust, at the {Open} Bookstore tonight in Long Beach.

Visit Maziar's MySpace page for the complete 411 and flyer. The event is free and truly one of a kind. (http://www.myspace.com/whatitisbook)

Book cover by Matt Maust, courtesy of Paul G. Maziar. Other photos by Barbara Navarro.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

ISM: In Long Beach, they're totally an IN-ism



Juicy bits of those ISM magazines do a good job of catching my eye whenever I shop at my favorite local bookstores. How I wish every bookstore anywhere carried these 8-by-6-inch, colorful things. The magazine stands for something interesting, coming from an official non-profit organization and all, and it’s got even more interesting content, always pushing forward local artistes (writers, photographers, painters and the like) into the limelight with interviews and full-colored spreads.

But looking beyond the soft matte finish of the magazine, and looking beyond the simple ISM logo stamped across every one of their covers, I found an even greater community that simply calls itself ISM. Altogether they are, in fact, “ISM: A Community Project.”

What do they do as a community? Party and celebrate their fabulous existence, for one. To embellish the atmosphere, they do a good deed of hanging their even more fabulous collectibles—photography art and such. Everybody who contributes to the magazine, and those people whose names we see on the masthead, gather their things and shower them into various local art galleries, leaving their mark as ISM: Gallery.

And the parade doesn’t stop there, they have their own place online, too—ISM: Online, a place outside the random, every-now-and-then ISM: Gallery gatherings or the even rarer two-times-a-year business of the ISM: Magazine.


During spring break, I had the happy chance of joining the fun at the ISM: Gallery, taking residence inside Long Beach’s Koo’s Art Center on Broadway. Apparently, the two—Koo’s and ISM—have been sharing space for the last two exhibits heard of out of this place (“Hello, My Name Is” and “Shudder,” the one that kicked off my weekend of spring break), so it’d be healthy speculation if eventually Koo’s turned into ISM’s.


ISM’s relentless affection of breaking into Long Beach art scene seems to be working for them, especially with their latest exhibit, the fashionable-looking “Prelude,” which will open on Sunday at Koo’s Art Center, or the ISM: Gallery. So, if you’re into fashion, and the fashion shows of late on campus aren’t cutting it for you, then perhaps this will satisfy your fashionista appetite and should also quench your curiosity of who or what exactly ISM is all about.

Kevin Staniec, founder and executive creative director of ISM, will be in full swing on the 11th, catering to all Long Beach art darlings. He’ll be presenting new artists to the ISM: Wall (something described as an ISM ritual), and the night will be lit up by the fashions created by UCLA students for their fashion show FAST.

ISM says they’re promising that everybody will be sharing oohs and ahhs over the original sketches on display, the runway shows, over-the-top accessories, the one of a kind wearable masterpieces... All of which will be lovingly showcased. But if this event will turn out to be as fun as “Shudder’s” opening, I’ll come prepared with my best face for all the fun photo booth action and my dancing shoes for the hot DJ music.

RSVP for Sunday night's opening of "Prelude" like a VIP at ISM: Online. (www.ISMcommunity.org/)



All photos were taken by Barbara Navarro at the opening of "Shudder" on Saturday, March 29.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

The yummy Frosted Cupkery: Minutes from CSULB, seconds from Cindo de Mayo!



Yummy! Frosted Cupcakery, found minutes away from Cal State Long Beach, tucked along a street cruising off the ever-popular Belmont Shore strand (at Second Street and Claremont Avenue), you can find this tasty cupcake (yeah, the one in the picture), lovingly dubbed the Flavor of the Month.

I stopped in today to try it. The cupcake's fluffy white cake is frosted with a rich, "Mexican-inspired" frosting (officially "Mexican chocolate buttercream"), flecks sprinkled around. There's even a miniature paper Mexican flag swinging on top. But, don't be scared that you'll miss out. The cupcakery worker assured me that the cupcake would be around well past the Cinco de Mayo holiday. (Durrr... Flavor of the Month, Barbara.)

As soon as I bit into this cupcake, anyway, I immediately identified this taste. My mom has used this chocolate at home countless times, I was sure. And, yes, if I had to describe the taste of this chocolate, I'd tell you to try Nestle's Abuelita, a rock hard dark chocolate that's laced with cinnamon and covered in coarse sugar.

Stop by Frosted Cupcakery to try it! (And, by the way, they also blog.) In the meantime, I'm curious...

How are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo?

Photos by Barbara Navarro.

Retired Material

Considered Connoisseur: From April 8 to May 4

Did I hear right? WILL SWAIM: The Marxist who wanted to be a priest after high school, but who was also in a punk band and then ended up editing business magazines after college? That’s what I think I heard Will Swaim (the editor in chief at the District Weekly, thankyouverymuch) say over the weekend at a journalism conference. And thank the divine superpowers for leading him into the writing world, or the alternative press more precisely, or else…? Or else! I’m not sure Long Beach would be as cool a place without this colorful little thing, the District Weekly. We all have Swaim to thank for starting it all about a year ago. Lets all help them celebrate the occasions this
Friday! (More details on that at thedistrictweekly.com/.) Congratulations!



Photos taken by Barbara Navarro at JACC in Downtown LA, Saturday, April 5.