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.

Retired Material

Considered Connoisseurs: From Feb. 24 to March 28

Overdue. A new connoisseur, yes? So, I give you two! Here I captured hairstylist Lori Huitron (on the left) with salon co-owner Dionne de la Vega, right, at the newest, most ultra-mega-über beauty salon in Long Beach, Flaunt Salon. Lori left my hair in top-notch shape after I visited her for a haircut recently, while Dionne fluttered about the salon, trying out new looks created from their new Napoleon cosmetics. Dionne later shared with me that she worked in the fine art world for 10 years before establishing Flaunt last December. I liked them both, and the salon, that I’ve put the girls here, as my most current Connoisseurs, and my honest remarks in a review of the salon published in the Feb. 21 issue of the Daily Forty-Niner.

Retired Material

Considered Connoisseur: From Feb. 4 to Feb. 21
Many of us say we’re passionate about music, fashion, film and art. But how many of us can truly call ourselves compassionate admirers? At least one CSULB student cares… It’s Melissa Tanney, the newly named arts commissioner for the Associated Student, Inc. Tanney says that her main objective is to raise the attendance of the various art events on campus this semester. This school has one of the most diverse student bodies in the US and that, says Tanney, should make things interesting. Tanney currently lives in Riverside, is an English major with a concentration in creative writing, recalls Thomas Woodruff’s show at the University Art Museum her favorite of the fall season, and she belly dances.
Photo by Barbara Navarro.