'Your Vitamins Are Obsolete" by Sheldon Blake Zablow, MD.

Q & A: Sheldon Blake Zablow, M.D., Author, “Your Vitamins Are Obsolete” and Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications

SJF Communications is thrilled to introduce our PR Client, Dr. Sheldon Blake Zablow, Nutritional Psychiatrist of San Diego. Dr. Zablow recently launched his new Amazon bestseller non-fiction book Your Vitamins Are Obsolete: The Vitamer Revolution: A Program for Healthy Living and Healthy Longevity (Hybrid Global Publishing).

First, some information about Dr. Zablow’s book, followed by our Q & A

Summary of “Your Vitamins Are Obsolete”

By Sheldon Blake Zablow, M.D.

Did you know the synthetic B-vitamins found in supplements cannot be absorbed well or easily converted into the bioactive forms our cells actually use? Even other vitamins can’t work well if there is not enough of the naturally occurring B forms called vitamers. For example, without B vitamers, taking vitamin D won’t prevent osteoporosis. Learn how the naturally occurring vitamers DO work and Why, and start on your pathway to healthy living and longevity today!

Your Vitamins are Obsolete explains:

Why vitamer B deficiencies make your vaccines less effective.

How taking B vitamers assists vegans and vegetarians in maximizing their dietary benefits, in some cases even increasing fertility.

Why regular use of B vitamers can decrease your appetite for red meat, promoting personal and environmental health.

How including B vitamers in your diet reduces chronic inflammation, leading to improved health and longevity.

Q & A: Susan J. Farese, MSN, RN, SJF Communications and Sheldon Blake Zablow, M.D., Nutritional Psychiatrist and Author

Sheldon B. Zablow, M.D.

SJF: Why/How did you decide to write Your Vitamins Are Obsolete?

SBZ: I prescribed the bioactive forms of B₁₂ and folate to a very sick patient and she immediately got well. I had no idea why, so I started the research to find out how her body chemistry improved.

SJF: Did you make any personal discoveries (or aha moments) while researching the book? If so, please explain.

SBZ: Two moments. First was that as physicians, we were misinformed that the body can store water soluble B vitamins. The second was that there is a connection between a deficiency of these B vitamins and the onset of chronic inflammation that leads to most illnesses.

SJF: How did you decide on the title Your Vitamins Are Obsolete and decide to find a publishing company vs self-publishing?

SBZ: I choose this title to specifically summarize the book—all our multivitamin supplements have not kept up with the changes in our processed food and the pollutants that now surround us. I actually chose a hybrid publisher so a lot of it has been self-published in the sense that I had to do all the re-writes and organizing the pictures.

SJF: Tell us about your background that led to you discovering the association with Vitamin B-12 and folate deficiencies leading to inflammation and ultimately a variety of diseases

SBZ: My background is as an adult and child psychiatrist which means I see a lot of people with mental and physical problems. When I started prescribing these vitamins, the patients started reporting a reduction in their symptoms that were consistent with a reduction in their inflammation levels.

SJF: What is your role as a Nutritional Psychiatrist?

SBZ: This is a new area of medicine. It can be defined as using food, supplements, vitamins, exercise, meditation, etc. in conjunction with standard psychiatric medications to optimize the potential of the treatment to reduce both mental and physical challenges.

SJF Tell us about your upbringing, geographically, personally etc.

SBZ: I grew up in Norfolk, Virginia and attended college and medical school at the University of Virginia. I had never really been out of Virginia until I started my medical training in Atlanta and then moved on to Boston. I had an older brother that served in the military as did my father. My mother worked as an administrator and my father ran a small furniture store.

SJF: If you had to write the book over again, would you change anything?

SBZ: I would include the information I’ve put on my website about the connection between COVID and a deficiency of the B vitamins that can worsen outcomes.

SJF: A brief history of your education, professor positions/teaching appointments published articles, etc.

SBZ: I went to the University of Virginia for undergraduate and medical school, then moved on to Emory University for an internship in pediatrics. From there I went to Boston University for Adult Psychiatry training and then onto Boston Children’s Hospital to study Child Psychiatry through Harvard Medical School. Since moving to San Diego in 1982 I have volunteered as an instructor of Child Psychiatry at UCSD and have received two teaching awards.

SJF: What are your personal pastimes/hobbies/interests/passions?

SBZ: I have always enjoyed teaching and patient education opportunities through talks and writing. Years ago, I taught judo and wrestling but the more my body complained, the more I turned toward daily walks, weight resistance training and passive stretching. My passion is science and learning about new discoveries in any field.

SJF: Anything you’d like to mention about “Your Vitamins Are Obsolete“?

SBZ: It reviews some complex biology in less complex ways. I tell people that it is hard to hit the right balance when explaining but they should approach the book with the idea that they do not have to read every word to understand the basics.

SJF: Any recommendations for us to journal or document what we are going through with Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic? Stress management tools?

SBZ: The most important action that I mention in the book is to use your entire stress reduction toolbox which consists of exercise, proper diet, proper sleep hygiene, relaxation therapy, psychotherapy (when indicated), prescribed medication (when indicated), supplements and of course B vitamins. The more stress the more you use the tools you have.

SJF: How has the Covid-19 affected you personally/professionally?

SBZ: I had a bad heart attack several years ago that puts me into a high-risk category so I have been following the basic advice of always wearing a mask, distancing and isolating as I can. I have also been trying to perfect my mother’s Toll House cookie recipe.

SJF: Role models or persons that inspire you in your life?

SBZ: My hero is Janusz Korczak (pediatrician/child psychiatrist) who was the Dr. Seuss of Europe and medical director of orphanages before he volunteered to run the orphanage in the Warsaw Ghetto. He was martyred along with all his children.

SJF: Favorite quotes

SBZ: From the book: “Homo sapiens: a tiny twig on an improbable branch of a contingent limb on a fortunate tree.” Stephen Jay Gould

SJF: Who (celebrity) would you like to have lunch or dinner with to discuss your book?

SBZ: Arianna Huffington because of her interest in natural ways to improve mental and physical performance and how this can benefit the world.

SJF: Life hurdles? Successes?

SBZ: The main hurdles for me are the same as for others with the premature loss of a loved one (my brother through medical misdiagnosis) and health challenges (a near-fatal heart attack at 59 years). My successes have been the return of mental health in my patients after long hard work by both of us.

SJF: Three significant/pivotal moments in your life?

SBZ: The first two are above and the third is missing a plane flight that ended in the death of most of its passengers.

SJF: Fears?

SBZ: The only one that comes to mind is a fear of mandolin slicers. I have to wear a cut resistance glove and insist that anyone who uses one around me needs to also.

SJF: Recurring dreams/ Usual dreams?

SBZ: I am a very heavy sleeper, so I don’t remember my dreams other than the death- resolution dreams that have occurred after the losses of a loved one.

SJF: Strongest asset? What would you like to work on/improve?

SBZ: My strongest asset is my ability to focus forward when stresses increase. I have to work harder on not letting the focus forwarding make me miss out on the here and now.

SJF: Where/how do you ‘give back’ to your community/communities?

SBZ: I give back through my work with my patients by helping them improve their communication skills with the people in their lives and by teaching and writing about science, nutritional psychiatry, and parenting.

SJF: Any regrets in life?

SBZ: I never got that screenplay produced and I have not made it to Japan yet.

SJF: What qualities should the younger generations aspire to that you think are important in this day and age?

SBZ: Life is a process and to make the most of it, try to make choices that give you more choices while keeping in mind that most choices are not right or wrong – just different directions to go.

SJF: Funny/humorous (appropriate) stories (Psychiatry? Medical stories, etc)?

SBZ: I was talking to a father about his son’s school performance and he said his son could do better because high intelligence runs in the family. He said that many of his relatives were members of that high IQ organization—Menses.

SJF: Funny! and PUNNY too!

SJF: How do you handle loss?

SBZ: I turn toward those that know me the best and love me as I am with all my limitations.

SJF: Where have you traveled and where would you like to travel once Covid-19 is OVER???

SBZ: Any place in Japan.

SJF: Many thanks Dr. Zablow.

Dr. Zablow’s WEBSITE: https://sheldonzablowmd.com/

Book Details:

Amazon: Paperback: https://www.amzn.com/dp/194818186X

ISBN-13 : 978-1948181860

Amazon eBook: https://www.amzn.com/dp/B08KWJPW7W

ASIN : B08KWJPW7W

Barnes & Noble Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/your-vitamins-are-obsolete-sheldon-zablow/1137723903?ean=9781948181860

Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781948181860

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/books/your-vitamins-are-obsolete-the-vitamer-revolution-a-program-for-healthy-living-and-healthy-longevity/9781948181860

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sheldonzablowmd

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheldon-zablow-md-b3a3911b0/

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Susan J. Farese Interviewed on ‘Love Conquers Alz’ Podcast – Episode #22

Here is the link to an inspiring, poignant and important interview that I was a guest on – the ‘Love Conquers Alz‘ #Podcast Episode #22 ‘On The Power of Art’. The incredibly compassionate, articulate and empathetic hosts were podcasters/filmmakers Susie Singer Carter and Kassi Crews. We recorded it on Mothers Day, 2020 and it was posted online on Wednesday, October 7, 2020.

I was so honored and it was such a pleasure for me to be a guest on the Love Conquers Alz Podcast! I know that my maternal grandmother and soulmate, Ann, (who suffered from early onset Alzheimer’s Disease and passed away in 1971) was listening from up above when I shared my tribute #poem to her, ‘Ann’s Zest Ends’ ! She passed away in 1971.

Besides reading Ann’s’ Zest Ends on Love Conquers Alz, I also read my poem “Caregiver” dedicated to all persons caring for family members or friends with dementia and other disabilities or diseases. Caregiving can be truly stressful, and caregivers need to take care of themselves so they can care for others.

Links to listen/watch:

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Vc2q0JqPtYuz7UMZCXSGL

Stitcher http://bit.ly/LCAStchr

Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/love-conquers-alz/id1492023291

Youtube https://youtu.be/WlBDM5WW6s8

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Q & A: Patricia Geist-Martin, Ph.D., Co-Author of ‘Falling in Love With the Process: A Stroke Survivor’s Story’

We have been so inspired by our SJF Communications client, Patricia Geist-Martin, Ph.D., Professor Emerita in the School of Communication at San Diego State University. Dr. Geist-Martin’s research examines the stories people tell in making sense of their lives, particularly in their journeys through health and illness. ‘Falling in Love with the Process: Cultivating Resilience in Health Crises: A Stroke Survivor’s Story‘ (2020), is Dr. Geist-Martin’s fifth book (which she co-authored with Sara Parsloe, Ph.D.).

Here’s a little information about ‘Falling in Love with the Process: Cultivating Resilience in Health Crises: A Stroke Survivor’s Story‘ followed by our recent Q & A.

**Patricia Geist-Martin, Ph.D., Bill Torres and Sarah Parsloe, Ph.D.**

“WHY ME?” These were the first words that Bill Torres spoke after waking up from his stroke. Like many survivors, Bill lived his first days and weeks after stroke in a dark, heavy cloud of depression. Depression creates feelings of hopelessness, guilt, helplessness, and decreased energy—all symptoms that stand in the way of a survivor’s efforts to regain mobility and speech. Yet, rather than dwelling on asking “WHY ME?” Bill’s second words were, “WHAT NOW?” He set his mind to getting better, little by little, every day. As researcher and author, Peter Levine (2013) suggests, stroke survivors must “fall in love with the process … [and] see the process of recovery as an opportunity for growth.”

Falling in Love with the Process: Cultivating Resilience in Health Crises – A Stroke Survivor’s Story tells Bill Torres’ story of recovery and advocacy. The book is structured along two different timelines—the timeline of Bill’s early life and the timeline of his life from stroke onward. Chapters are alternated between Bill’s stories of growing up in San Diego and chapters that provide accounts of Bill’s journey of stroke recovery. These two separate storylines come together near the close of the book as we explore Bill’s approach to recovery and advocacy.

‘Falling in Love with the Process: Cultivating Resilience in Health Crises – A Stroke Survivor’s Story‘ is divided into three parts:

Part One: Picking Up the Pieces; Connecting the Dots explores the aftermath of Bill’s stroke and discusses the ways in which stigma, depression, and internalized ableism shaped Bill’s initially difficult emotional response to stroke. It also offers accounts of how his communication with key health care providers reinforced Bill’s drive to work on his own rehabilitation.

Part Two: Persisting Through Recovery considers both Bill’s capacity to structure his own rehabilitation routine and the ways in which his close network of friends supported him throughout his recovery process.

Part Three: Communicating as an Advocate explores how Bill transformed his survivor narrative into a tool for advocacy. It explains the strategies Bill used to successfully work with other stroke survivors and also describes the compassion fatigue that can accompany this kind of communicative labor.

Q & A with Patricia Geist-Martin, Ph.D. and Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications

**Patricia Geist-Martin, Ph.D. & Susan J. Farese**, **SJF Communications**

SJF: Why/How did you (and Sarah) decide to write a book about Bill Torres?

PGM: After being a guest speaker in my Health Communication class at SDSU over the past 10 years, Bill suggested that I should write a book. I resisted at first with so much on my plate, but then I thought of inviting Dr. Sarah Parsloe to co-author the book. We knew the book would touch on the disabilities that come with stroke and the advocacy work that Bill engages in, and Sarah has a great deal of expertise on both of these topics.

SJF: Did you make any personal discoveries (or aha moments) while interviewing Bill for the book? If so…please explain

PGM: We made so many discoveries—too many to list here—and of course that is really what the book is all about. First, resilience isn’t something we create from scratch at the moment we need it, it is something we develop over time beginning as a young person. So cultivating resilience as a young boy served Bill well at 69 when he had his stroke. Second, resilience isn’t something we cultivate alone. People who have a network of friends and family that they can count on when they need it most can join forces with them to create resilience. It isn’t about the number of people, it is about the quality of these relationships–having people in your life that you love and they love you and will be there for you when you need them. That’s just two of the many lessons.

SJF: How did you decide on the title ‘Falling in Love with the Process: Cultivating Resilience in Health Crisis: A Stroke Survivor’s Story“?

PGM: Peter Levine wrote a book about stroke called Stronger After Stroke, which is now in its third edition. https://www.springerpub.com/stronger-after-stroke-third-edition-9780826124135.html

He used the phrase in the beginning of his book, stating that stroke survivors must “fall in love with the process . . . [and] see the process of recovery as an opportunity for growth” (p. xiv).

SJF: What made you decide on increasing the distribution of the book from academia to the masses?

PGM: Sarah and I are big believers in the power of stories. While we teach this in our college classes, we knew the general public would enjoy the stories told by Bill, his providers, and his friends. We also knew that the lessons about communication and resilience would be valuable for anyone, not just stroke survivors. Anyone who is moving through the grief of losing someone they love or recovering from an accident or any illness would find lessons in Bill’s stories that are universal.

SJF: Tell us about your passion and teaching emphasis with ‘storytelling’, especially as it pertains to health communication?

PGM: Storytelling is about connecting with other people. In telling our own stories, we put into words our joys, fears, and even our secrets. In the process of telling our story and being listened to, we can actually change the chemistry in our bodies—telling stories of pain and trauma or joy and passion can have an effect on the brain where dopamine, cortisol, oxytocin, and endorphins are released. In that release and in the chemical changes, we often feel pleasure—something that happens in hearing the story, not just the facts. I teach health communication from the point of view of stories—stories told to friends, family, providers, and even in health campaigns offer an opportunity to put into words, something that we are experiencing. As we tell stories to others, we begin to make sense of our own experience and when we listen to others tell their stories we offer them the same opportunity.

SJF: If you had to write the book over again, would you change anything?

PGM: I think the only thing I would add to the book if I were still in the process of writing it would be for Sarah and I to tell more of our own stories, especially as we feel that have evolved in the process of collaborating with Bill, his providers, and his friends. Our stories are partially there, but I think the experience of collaborating with Bill was life-changing in so many ways, but specifically reflecting on my own path and the resilience I feel I have created in difficult and dark times.

SJF: A brief history of your upbringing, education, professor positions/teaching appointments and early retirement at SDSU.

PGM: I am a first-generation college student. My dad graduated from high school and ended up as a pattern maker at John Deere Tractor Works. My mom did not graduate from high school and was a stay-at-home mom to four children. Both my parents really emphasized education and especially reading. I cannot think of one time in my life where I have not had one or more books on my night stand. My family moved around a lot-five states and seven houses by the time I was in second grade. I think my own resilience was built through that experience. I started out as a dance major at the University of Iowa in Iowa City but then switched to Literature and Writing when I discovered I wasn’t as skilled at learning and remembering choreography the way others were. My minor was Communication and I was hooked. I taught high school for two years—literature, writing, drama, and filmmaking. But then my thirst for knowledge about communication led me to gain a master’s degree in Communication at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls Iowa and a Ph.D. in Communication from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. My first position as an Assistant Professor was at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, CT, then the Department of Speech at the University of Hawaii, Manoa in Honolulu, HI. Finally, in 1990 I was hired by the School of Communication at San Diego State University. I feel blessed to have lived and worked in all three universities and to have attended strong programs for my education. I am now in my second year of a five-year early retirement program where I teach three classes only in the fall and have the spring and summer off to do whatever I want. And my joy is writing, so I will keep doing that as long as I can!

SJF: Tell us about all of the books you’ve written:

PGM: These are the title of my books:

Parsloe, S., & Geist-Martin, P. (2020). Falling in love with the process: Cultivating resilience in health crises. A stroke survivor’s story Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.

Yamasaki, J., Geist-Martin, P., & Sharf, B. F. (Eds.). (2017). Storied health and illness: Communicating personal, cultural, and political complexities. Long Grove, IL: Waveland.

Geist-Martin, P., Ray, E. B., & Sharf, B. (2003). Communicating health: Personal, cultural, and political complexities. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Perry, L. A. M., & Geist, P. (1997). Courage of conviction: Women’s words, women’s wisdom. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield.

Geist, P., & Hardesty, M. (1992). Negotiating the crisis: DRGs and the transformation of hospitals. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

I have also published over 100 journal articles and book chapters.

SJF: Anything you’d like to mention about your upcoming book The Infinite Now?

PGM: I have been working on a memoir for over 15 years. The tentative title is The Infinite Now: A Mother’s Past, A Daughter’s Future. My mom died of brain cancer when I was 17, right before Christmas in my senior year in high school. The only way I could cope with this huge loss in my life was to press down any memories of my mom. This turned out to be the worst strategy, because the pain was still there under the surface. It wasn’t until our only child, Makenna moved into her teen years that suddenly the past came rushing forward with each and every interaction—so it’s my mom’s past and my future woven with my past and my daughter’s future that form a braid of our two overlapping stories. It is a labor of love that is both traumatic and joyful. I hope to publish the book by summer 2021.

SJF: Where can we find you on the web?

PGM: My website is patriciageistmartin.com

Two Facebook pages: Patricia Geist Martin and Falling in Love with the Process

My Instagram @pgeistmartin

Find the book ‘Falling in Love with the Process at Kendall-Hunt or Amazon.com

A link to my recent interview on the U-T Community Spotlight with host Drew Schlosberg:

Stroke Survivor’s Inspirational Story Documented in Recent Book

SJF: Any recommendations for us to journal or document what we are going through with Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic?

PGM: Yes, this crisis calls on all of us to become resilient. Resilience requires us to be flexible and adapt to each new phase of the pandemic. Resilience also offers an opportunity to be creative and come up with new solutions to this experience of isolation. Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, Zoom, and other social media offer opportunities to reach out to support one another and decrease our sense of isolation. One new solution that my husband and I have been engaging in is virtual happy hours. It is fascinating to realize that we our doing this more than we did when we had the opportunity (but supposedly not the time) to be connected with friends and family. We just don’t stay on the phone as long as we do when we are telling stories, playing games, and goofing around “face-to-face” on zoom. It’s fascinating to see some of the increased sharing and intimacy that is evolving on zoom with friends and family.

SJF: Is there anything else that you’d like to mention?

PGM: I love writing and teach it in most of my communication classes. I love helping people tap into the stories they feel they must tell—about life, love, travel, pain, trauma, joy—anything. So, in addition to the memoir, I have a few other books I plan to write, one about creative female leaders and another on the process of mentoring. I also plan to develop writing workshops in San Diego and in other cities, countries. My husband will be retiring about the same time that I am and we hope to build a business together that takes advantage of the expertise that each of us could contribute.

SJF: Thank you so much, Patricia – it was such a pleasure to learn more about you and you work!

Thanks for stopping by!

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SJF Communications – ‘Creative Ideas | Dynamic Results’!

2020 by SJF Communications

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Meet Chi Varnado – Author of ‘The Dance Centre Presents Giselle’

We had a great time last week with our client Chi Varnado, Author of the newly released middle grade novel The Dance Centre Presents Giselle. Chi gave two excellent presentations at the Pine Valley Library – one with several charter school students from Pine Valley and the other combined with members of the Pine Valley community including dance teacher, Katy Gradillas and several of her dance students performing ballet and gymnastics.

But first, a little about Chi Varnado:

Ramona resident Chi Varnado is passionate about helping children view their own creativity as valuable. As a writer, former dance studio owner/teacher, choreographer, and educator, she advocates art for the sake of art – the reward being intrinsic and untethered from extrinsic reward. Varnado saw a lack in the literary market for books about dance which did not focus on competitiveness and high drama. Children want to read about what they love, so she took on the task to help fill the void to keep the story of “dance as art” alive—so began the first novel in her new series, The Dance Centre Presents Giselle, which is now available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and can be ordered at book stores.

Chi Varnado – Photo by SJF Communications

Varnado is currently a substitute teacher, a tutor, and an Airbnb host. She offers half-hour school and library presentations for second through sixth grade (including middle school for libraries) featuring an engaging power point followed by a short creative writing workshop. Students become highly motivated to write when Chi, as an author, uses her books and impromptu “popcorn stories” to foster their own spontaneous writing. She is also available to sell her books at books fairs or dance studios as a fundraiser.

Books by Chi Varnado
Photo courtesy of Chi Varnado

Miss Chi, as the kids refer to her, holds a bachelor’s degree in dance from San Diego State University, and both an elementary multiple subjects and secondary credentials. Her writing has appeared in The San Diego Reader, Patch.com and several newspapers and she’s been interviewed on television and radio. Her memoir, A CANYON TRILOGY: Life Before, During and After the Cedar Fire, was a finalist in the San Diego Book Awards and has garnered many accolades. The Tale of Broken Tail, a children’s picture book, is also available where books are sold.

Varnado knows, firsthand, that active kids need a venue to channel their energy and interests in a positive and wholesome way that they can feel good about. These issues are folded into her presentations so that everyone can feel included.

Since there was some time between Miss Chi’s presentations, we had the chance to do quick Q & A. interview:

Q & A

Author Chi Varnado & Susan J. Farese

Photos from Chi Varnado’s Presentations at the Pine Valley Library

SF: Why did you choose to write about the ballet, Giselle, in this first book of the series The Dance Centre Presents?

CV: Giselle is one of my favorite ballets of all time.

SJF: Tell us the purpose of why you wrote a book series for middle graders?

CV: I didn’t think there were enough books for kids who want to read about dance, especially a series focusing on the art and camaraderie of dance. So, I thought – why not write one myself, since I had a dance studio and taught for thirty-seven years.

SJF: How did you come up with the idea of ‘Dancespirations’ on Instagram and Facebook?

CV: It just hit me one day out of the blue. I thought it would be a fun way to offer bite-sized quips about dance.

SJF: Why did you start dancing in the first place?

CV: I had ‘ants in my pants’ so I started to dance! Well – actually, I was in constant motion as a child and, fortunately, both my Mom and Grandmother recognized this and enrolled me in ballet.

SJF: What’s different about your approach to dance?

CV: I like the idea of dance for the sake of art and expression, without the need for awards from competitions.

SJF: And the book?

CV: In The Dance Centre Presents Giselle, readers will find friends they can relate to and feel at home with, whether or not they are dancers themselves.

SJF: So, can you give us the storyline?

CV: When the prima ballerina at The Dance Centre mysteriously vanishes, Randi unexpectedly lands the lead and learns that the world of ballet is not always as glamorous as it appears onstage. She harbors severe self-doubts about her abilities to rise to the honor of her new role. And when she begins her pas de deux training with a boy, new and conflicting feelings and emotions surface which send her spiraling into panic mode. All the while, Deanne seizes opportunities to undermine her at every pirouette. Randi struggles to maintain her crucial focus, but what will happen if she doesn’t?

SJF: Where can we find you on the web and social media?

CV: My website http://dancecentrepresents.com/ and chivarnado.com

Contact Miss Chi at chivarnado@gmail.com for information or to book engagements.

On social media: FACEBOOK PAGE :

https://www.facebook.com/dancecentrepresents/ @dancecentrepresents

And INSTAGRAM PAGE @chivarnado https://www.instagram.com/chivarnado/

SJF: Thanks so much Miss Chi! It’s been a pleasure learning more about you and The Dance Centre Presents Giselle! Where can we find the book?

Susan J. Farese and Chi Varnado
Courtesy Photo

CV: The book is available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble and can be ordered through your local bookstore.

For more information, visit http://dancecentrepresents.com/

Media Contact: Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications sjfcommunications@gmail.com

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Thanks for stopping by!

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SJF Communications – ‘Creative Ideas | Dynamic Results’!

2020 by SJF Communications

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Actor, Author, Coach & Speaker Debra Wanger Announces “The Resilient Actor” Audiobook & Workbook/Planner

Debra Wanger – The Resilient Actor – Photo Credit – Ken Jacques

(SAN DIEGO, September 23, 2019) – Actor, Author, Coach and Public Speaker, Debra Wanger is an often-sought-after professional actor, well known in the San Diego region. She published her debut book The Resilient Actor: How to Kick Ass In the Business Without It Kicking Your Ass in 2017 and is thrilled to announce the upcoming The Resilient Actor Audiobook and The Resilient Actor Workbook & Planner: How to Kick Ass in the Business Without It Kicking Your Ass.

“I’ve worked with Hollywood stars and actors currently working on Broadway. I have been able to utilize the secrets of their behind-the-scenes success along with my skills as a wellness coach and my own personal experience. I’ve worked mostly in live regional theatre, but also some television, film, and radio. When I left my BFA program and started working professionally, I had to learn the hard way all the life and balance skills they didn’t teach at the conservatory. There was a lot of focus on being a triple threat, on performance skills, but nothing about how to survive the challenging life of being an actor. I fought depression, loneliness, weight gain, difficulty navigating periods of unemployment, all of it. Like most actors, I had to learn how to get the rest & recovery I needed, how to master my mindset to work with me – not against me, and how to take care of myself like a performing athlete. I had to learn all these life skills beyond my BFA.” – Debra Wanger

ABOUT THE RESILIENT ACTOR:

From The Resilient Actor: How to Kick Ass In the Business Without It Kicking Your Ass

Acting can be a crazy profession, full of uncertainty, insecurity, and unpredictability. While there are many books about technique, little has been written about how to pursue the dream without compromising your health and sanity. Pulling from her decades of experience as an actor, talent manager, and lifestyle coach, Debra Wanger filled this void in 2016 with a must-read survival guide for the acting professional.

Debra offers a positive, practical, playful, holistic approach to the art and business of acting that marries mind, body, spirit, and craft. In this essential handbook, which serves as a personal coach in a book, she covers all the bases–from exercise and nutrition to time management and setting goals to staying motivated from audition through performance. Her valuable, tried-and-true insights, gained from client successes, will enable the performing artist to balance and bolster a challenging creative career with a healthy, productive personal life.

At last there’s a clear path through the madness. The Resilient Actor will lead you to the top of your game, increase your professional staying power, and help you achieve equilibrium in all aspects of your life.

ABOUT THE RESILIENT ACTOR’S WORKBOOK AND PLANNER:

Discover some of the secrets from Broadway & Hollywood to supercharge your career and balance your life. Debra Wanger knows how difficult it can be to pursue your dream of acting without compromising your health or your sanity. She drew wisdom from decades of working as an actor, talent manager, and wellness coach to write The Resilient Actor and give emerging and experienced actors a holistic approach to their profession that marries mind, body, spirit, and craft. Sustaining a healthy and satisfying career requires more than just talent- go beyond the skills you learned in your BFA program.

The Resilient Actor’s Workbook and Planner is filled with quick & easy exercises designed to help you plot the direction for your career from the start and avoid the pitfalls that many actors face. You’ll walk through the steps to figure out what kind of actor you want to be and the lifestyle you want to have. You’ll set goals and develop habits for your career and use the specially-designed included actors’ planner to create a step-by-step action and accountability plan for achieving them. The Resilient Actor’s Workbook and Planner will unlock longevity in your career by showing you how to find happiness and health in an industry that challenges both.

Debra Wanger – Photo Credit – Ken Jacques

BIO – DEBRA WANGER

Debra studied acting at the nationally acclaimed Piven Theatre Workshop with such talents as John Cusack, Joan Cusack, and Jeremy Piven. Her vocal training began at the Northwestern University vocal department while still attending high school. She declined an opera scholarship to Oberlin Conservatory in order to study musical theatre at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM.) She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Tufts University and received a Master of Fine Arts in musical theatre from San Diego State University, where she graduated Phi Kappa Phi as a Marion Ross Scholar.

Debra is currently in rehearsals as “Liz”- the younger version of Queen Elizabeth in Handbagged at Moxie Theatre which runs October 19^th through November 17^th. She has performed in regional theatres and cabaret clubs across the country, most frequently in Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, and South Florida. In Professionally Speaking at the Off-Broadway, The Miami Herald hailed her “a comic spark plug.” Her role in Triumph of Love won a KPBS-TV Patté award. Her one-woman show My Nights With George, Kurt & Cole, (co-written and directed by comic genius, Phil Johnson) was featured at various venues throughout Southern California and won Best New Play and Best Actress at the 2003 San Diego Actors Festival, and the San Diego Playbill Billie Award for Best Actress in a musical.

She was just featured as The Angel in Cygnet Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of Angels in America, as well as A Little Night Music, On the 20th Century, Spring Awakening, My Fair Lady, Evita, Sweeney Todd and Dogfight on the Cygnet stage. At San Diego Musical Theatre has been featured in Hairspray, Billy Elliot, Footloose, Sound of Music, La Cage Aux Folles, and White Christmas. Other San Diego theatre highlights include: God of Vengeance at La Jolla Playhouse, Hamlet (Gertrude) at Intrepid; Titanic & Sunset Blvd. at Moonlight; Permanent Collection at Mo’olelo; Full Monty (Vicki) at New Village Arts; Sleeping Beauty at North Coast Rep; Anything Goes! (Reno), Oliver! (Nancy) at Lyric Opera San Diego; Carousel and Sound of Music at Lawrence Welk. Her CD, Driving My Own Heart is also available on Amazon and iTunes.

BOOK REVIEWS:

“This book is fantastic. I’m a professional actor and also teach acting, and will recommend it to all my students. It’s a topic not discussed enough! Resilience is one of the most important qualities for any working actor–if not THE most important quality. Highly recommended!”

-Amy Griffin

“The Resilient Actor by Debra Wanger is a valuable and refreshing resource for anyone in the acting profession who wants to elevate their career while attaining balance in their life. Wanger delivers a motivating, witty, and practical workbook that is bound to bring about positive and healthy change on the road to success.”

-C.K.

“I found The Resilient Actor to be very helpful to me as a musician even though the book was written for actors. It was a great reminder of how to be proactive instead of waiting for the phone to ring and how to keep active always working on your craft. It was a good reminder that even successful creative people never let up on getting their name and face out there and true artists know that their profession is always a work in progress. The book really gave me good solid tips on how to stay healthy mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually; especially when you are in between work projects. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in the business or that is thinking about getting in the business to get a reality check for the persistence needed as well as the care and feeding of the artist in you. Loved it and will continue to use it as a reference!”

-Marc Breithaupt

BOOK INFORMATION:

The Resilient Actor: How to Kick Ass In the Business (Without It Kicking Your Ass)

ISBN paperback: 978-1-61961-830-5 ISBN eBook: 978-1-61961-831-2

Audiobook: The Resilient Actor: How to Kick Ass In the Business (Without It Kicking Your Ass)

https://www.audible.com/pd/B07ZTPBWMH?qid=1572559504&sr=1-1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=VZ7R3H

ISBN: pending.

Upcoming: The Resilient Actor’s Workbook: How to Kick Ass In the Business (Without It Kicking Your Ass) ISBN: pending.

Debra is available to speak to groups about The Resilient Actor.

Debra Wanger’s Website: http://debrawanger.com/

Q & A with Debra Wanger and SJF Communications

Like, Follow and Interact with Debra on Social Media:

Facebook: @resilientactor https://www.facebook.com/resilientactor/

Twitter: @debrawanger https://twitter.com/debrawanger

Instagram: @debradiva https://www.instagram.com/debradiva/

For more information or to book Debra for interviews, speaking engagements or coaching Contact:

Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications 408-398-5940 sjfcommunications@gmail.com

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Q & A with Debra Wanger ~ The Resilient Actor & Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications

We are thrilled to introduce our new SJF Communications client – San Diego Actor, Author and Coach – Debra Wanger. Debra’s book The Resilient Actor: How to Kick Ass in the Business (Without it Kicking Your Ass) brings the behind the scenes secrets of Hollywood & Broadway to supercharge one’s career and balance one’s life. An upcoming Audiobook as well as Workbook/Planner will be available soon.

SJF: In a nutshell…tell us about your life as an actor/performer – highs, lows, ‘aha’ moments- stressors…etc.

DW: I’ve worked mostly in live regional theatre, but also some television, film, and radio. When I left my BFA program and started working professionally, I had to learn the hard way all the life and balance skills they didn’t teach at the conservatory. There was a lot of focus on being a triple threat, on performance skills, but nothing about how to survive the challenging life of being an actor. I fought depression, loneliness, weight gain, difficulty navigating periods of unemployment, all of it. Like most actors, I had to learn how to get the rest & recovery I needed, how to master my mindset to work with me – not against me, and how to take care of myself like a performing athlete. I had to learn all these life skills beyond my BFA.

SJF: What experiences and/or people (parents, role models, etc.) in your life influenced you the most and why?

DW: My brother used to attend an acting school in Chicago with some young actors – John Cusack, Joan Cusack and Jeremy Piven among them. They were all clearly phenomenally talented back then. I tagged along and was impressed. I caught the bug then & there. My brother gave it up, but I didn’t.

I also had a boss at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) who was somehow able to be an agent, a wife, a mother and a happy human all at the same time. She was able to cut through all the B.S. and find a balance that worked for her. She was an inspiration for me.

SJF: Describe your book The Resilient Actor

DW: Many of my private coaching clients are actors who stumble upon the same road blocks, and that is how The Resilient Actor was born. The Resilient Actor combines my experience as an actor, coach, and Hollywood talent manager. It is part cautionary tale, letting readers know my story and all the ways I did it wrong. It is the actors’ handbook I wish someone had handed me when I left my BFA program. It is the course that was missing from my acting school curriculum.

SJF: Describe your work as a health and wellness coach

DW: As a coach, I help my clients discover what their goals are: whether it be to lose 20 pounds, gain energy, make more money, improve relationships, whatever it is they want or need. Then I help them come up with an action plan to achieve those goals, identify and remove any obstacles they have to this action plan and help them with accountability. Every client is different, so I customize it to their needs. Many of my clients are actors who stumble upon the same roadblocks, and that is how The Resilient Actor was born. The Resilient Actor combines my experience as an actor, coach, and Hollywood talent manager.

SJF: Your time working at CAA and with the Talent Manager? Stresses? Patterns seen? High points?

DW: Creative Artists Agency in the 90’s was so exciting and crazy. I was there when super-agent Michael Ovitz still ran the place and all of Hollywood. It was like working in an emergency room, everything was high stakes and urgent and high stress, and then Tom Hanks would walk by. It was incredibly stressful, but such a fertile learning ground for how the business of the business worked. It probably took a few years off my life, but the experience was invaluable for learning how film and television work. Managing was some babysitting, some creativity and lot of phone calls, horrible scripts and hours in my car traversing LA for lunch meetings. Taking clients to Sundance or the Golden Globes was as cool as it sounds, but the grind really got to me. Ultimately, I enjoy being on the creative end more than the business side of things.

SJF: Tell us about your past year or so of musicals/shows- Describe your roles and accolades! Angels in America, etc.

DW: This year has been a breakout year for me in San Diego theatre. I was the female authority figure in Hairspray at San Diego Musical Theatre, a collection of John Waters dark-humor characters in a cracker jack cast of a huge musical comedy. I played The Angel (& several other roles) in the acclaimed production of Angels in America at Cygnet Theatre (all 7 hours of it.) It was the most challenging, most exhilarating show I have ever done. Every single element of that show came together, every single person from the director, cast, designers all brought their A game. Next, I play the Queen of England in the West Coast Premiere of the British comedy hit Handbagged at Moxie Theatre. It’s funny – I followed my own advice and had one of the best years of my career.

SJF: Tell us about the cast of Handbagged and when is the theatrical run at Moxie?

DW: The Handbagged cast is a ‘who’s who’ of San Diego theatre: Sandy Campbell, Linda Libby, Lisel Gorell-Getz and myself, with Durwood Murray and Max Macke directed by Kim Strassburger. Many of us are often up for the same roles and don’t get to all work together. It will be a diva-fest in the best way possible. So much talent. We play Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth running October 19-November 17. I can’t wait.

SJF: What do you dream about?

DW: I dream about making a difference. I dream about balance. I dream about sunny weather, hugs from my children and using my all the wisdom I have acquired to help others. And chocolate.

SJF: What are your top 3 values in life?

DW: Authenticity, love and playfulness.

SJF: What are you most proud of?

DW: I am really proud of The Resilient Actor, and upcoming The Resilient Actor Audio Book and The Resilient Actor’s Workbook and Planner, my creative babies, but I’d have to say I am really proud of my 3 kids, my human babies. They are phenomenal, loving, decent human beings.

SJF: Describe your feelings about balancing motherhood and work

DW: Balancing motherhood & work is a challenge. Acting tends to be feast or famine. I don’t take every show I am offered. I have to weigh it against tucking my kids in for those 3 months. I am pickier about what projects I do. That is one of the reasons I love writing, coaching, and public speaking – it allows me to work with actors and be creative without negatively affecting my kids. They know I love being onstage and want me happy, I just attempt to balance it as best I can.

SJF: Female issues with males (harassment) in entertainment?

DW: Ugh. This is a real thing. It is time that people shed light on bad behavior in the arts and in business. There have been some individuals abusing and taking advantage for years, many of whom were common knowledge and no one did anything. I applaud the brave souls who are willing to speak up for themselves. Of course, I hope that individuals who are breaking the law are brought to justice and that attitudes change. The whole system needs to change and awareness is the first step.

SJF: Any fears? Doubts? ever?

DW: Of Course! I’m human. Like all actors – I doubt myself. I have several exercises in the book to help with negativity and doubt so they don’t get the best of you. I get insecure and doubtful like anyone, but I have learned how to tame that beast most of the time.

SJF: Many thanks, Debra!

Debra Wanger’s Website: http://debrawanger.com/

Like, Follow and Interact with Debra on Social Media:

Facebook: @resilientactor https://www.facebook.com/resilientactor/

Twitter: @debrawanger https://twitter.com/debrawanger

Instagram: @debradiva https://www.instagram.com/debradiva/

For more information or to book Debra for interviews, speaking engagements or coaching contact

Publicist: Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications 408-398-5940 sjfcommunications@gmail.com

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Q & A with Former Astronaut Wife, JoAnn Petrie Carr ~ Author of “Keeper of the Flame” and Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications

Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications recently interviewed our client, JoAnn Petrie Carr, Author of the fiction novel, “Keeper of the Flame”. JoAnn is a former Astronaut wife and retired Attorney in the Houston area. Her answers were astute, honest and thought provoking.

Q & A with JoAnn Petrie Carr, Author, “Keeper of the Flame”

Courtesy Photo – JoAnn Petrie Carr

The Carr Family Courtesy Photo
Top Row – left to right: Jennifer, Jerry, JoAnn and Jamee;
Bottom Row – left to right: Jeff, Jessica, Joshua, John

SJF: In a nutshell…tell us about your life as a former Astronauts’ wife – a few tidbits…

JPC: My life as a former astronaut wife was in many respects business as usual with a houseful of six children. The monotony of mopping the floor was broken up with invitations to some of the River Oaks swankiendas (“swanky haciendas”) as well as invitations to the Indy 500, a week at Las Brisas in Acapulco, a week at a fabulous dude ranch in the Rocky Mountains, a trip to Cape Kennedy (now Cape Canaveral) and back in our host’s private 747 – among other less elaborate places.

This Cinderella always knew that the kitchen floor was waiting along with the other menial tasks that go with being the mother of six. We went to a lot of fabulous parties locally. Lucky for me I was an expert seamstress, so all the fancy outfits I needed were made on my handy dandy sewing machine. A simple Vogue pattern with a smashing fabric of some sort and I had a new outfit for every party! It was like being Cinderella, but one who was only too well aware that the coach was going to turn into a pumpkin sooner or later. Only the gown stayed the same.

SJF: What experiences and/or people (parents, role models etc) in your life influenced you the most and why?

JPC: My maiden aunt gave me piano lessons and saw that I was involved with the local church. I was also influenced by the fact that my mother’s cousin was a designer for Twentieth Century Fox and I always went to the movies where her wares were displayed. I think I tried to emulate her. I never got to meet her though. But she continued to be an influence on my life. My skills also came in handy when Halloween came around and my kids always had elaborate Halloween costumes.

SJF: Describe your work as an Attorney – any fascinating cases? Do you miss it?

JPC: The first case I ever worked on was one of the biggest cases Texas had seen for a while. It involved a Supreme Court Justice who had gotten elected because he had the same name as a well-known political family in the State. I didn’t have my license yet but worked as the lead attorney’s “gofer”. He had been the Attorney General when Kennedy was killed. After that I had a general practice and did a lot of family law and managed to have some interesting divorces along the way. And no, I don’t miss it.

SJF: Describe your book “Keeper of the Flame” -why? Any backlash?

JPC: I decided to write a memoir about my life as an astronaut wife for my kids but it turned out to be so boring that I decided that I could tell more truth with fiction. As I was watching my youngest son play a role in Hello Dolly it just came to me that I would write a novel and call it Keeper of the Flame. I think they were singing “Before the Parade Passes By” and I was facing retirement age. I am unaware of any backlash. A few of the wives have asked me if certain incidents in the book really happened. My reply is always “It’s fiction”. I sent every wife a copy of the book when it first came out and I got several very nice notes and a few positive phone calls. Now that I think of it there were a lot, I didn’t hear from at all. I got a very nice call from Al Bean. He was quite complimentary. He was the only man who had the guts to call. And I’m sure that at least several of the men read it too.

SJF: What do you dream about?

JPC: I dream about this book becoming a movie.

SJF: What are your top 3 values in life?

JPC: First and foremost is family. They all have each other’s back and are ready to circle the wagons at the first hint of trouble. Another is helping other less fortunate people. Christianity – but not necessarily in that order. But family is always first.

The Carr Family Courtesy Photo
Top Row – left to right: Jennifer, JoAnn and Jamee;
Bottom Row – left to right: Jeff, Jessica, Joshua, John

SJF: Did you enjoy the celebrity status? Describe…

JPC: I did enjoy the celebrity status. It was sporadic so we didn’t have the kind of attention that the first few groups had. It was just as well. I had too much else to do.

SJF: What are you most proud of?

JPC: I’m most proud that all my kids are good people. We escaped the teen years with no drugs and no scrapes with the law. They were active in their church fellowship groups and I helped lead them. It was a blast hanging around with those teenagers. They had a musical group and we played and sang for other churches.

SJF: Describe your feelings about balancing motherhood and work

JPC: Balancing motherhood and work is a team effort. My kids had chores on a rotating basis. They did their own laundry. They helped me cook meals.

SJF: Female issues with males (harassment) in law practice, etc.?

JPC: I didn’t encounter much in the way of harassment. The Texas male attorneys separated females into two categories — – lady lawyers and women lawyers. I never did figure out what was what but I guess I was whichever one was better because they all seemed to like me and didn’t harass me at all.

SJF: Any insight on the process of aging? Has it been a challenge?

JPC: Aging is a bitch. I can’t play tennis. I can’t hike. I can’t garden. My eyesight is declining. I can’t sew or do jigsaw puzzles. And if I don’t hurry up and get this book out there, I am going to lose my short term memory and giving speeches will be a challenge.

SJF: Any fears? Doubts? ever?

JPC: The only fears I had were that my ex-husband Jerry wasn’t going to get a flight. He was assigned to Apollo 19 but the last three flights (18, 19, 20) were cancelled. He was named Commander of the third and last Skylab flight – an 84-day mission in the Skylab workshop. But we sweated it out for several weeks before we knew about the Skylab flight. It was a heart-breaking time for both of us. I was just as anxious for him to get a flight as he was. So I don’t think I ever had any doubt that he was made for the exploration of space. It was something that was meant to happen. And it almost didn’t.

SJF: Many thanks, JoAnn!

Read our previous SJF Communications blog post about JoAnn Petrie Carr here : https://sjfcommunications.com/2019/08/26/joann-petrie-carr-author-keeper-of-the-flame/

“Keeper of the Flame”

By JoAnn Petrie Carr

About the Author

JoAnn Petrie Carr was born and raised in Orange County, California. She graduated from The California State University at Long Beach with a degree in elementary education. She married her high school sweetheart who was later to be named as an Apollo astronaut in the ‘60s. During her life as the wife of a marine fighter pilot, she organized and taught a private kindergarten in North Carolina. She moved to Houston where she raised her six children against the backdrop of Gemini, Apollo and Skylab. She later completed her Doctor of Jurisprudence at the Bates College of Law at the University of Houston with all six children still at home. She divorced and practiced law for 30 years. During this time, she was a sole practitioner, general counsel for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and counsel for Star Station One, a 501c-3 dedicated to space education for children. She designed a distance-learning program for primary grades.

To book JoAnn Petrie Carr for media interviews

or speaking engagements please contact her publicist:

Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications 408-398-5940

sjfcommunications@gmail.com Web: https://sjfcommunications.com

Visit Jo Ann Carr at her website: https://www.joannpetriecarr.com

Follow JoAnn Petrie Carr on Facebook

Follow JoAnn Petire Carr on Instagram (@keeperoftheflamenovel)

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Author Interview with Susan J. Farese for San Diego Writers Festival (Blog)

Below is a link to my interview on the blog of the inaugural San Diego Writers Festival which was held April 13, 2019 at the San Diego Central Library.

CLICK LINK FOR: Author Interview with Susan J. Farese

I also was thrilled to be an integral part of the talented team* that coordinated and interviewed many of the authors involved that day ~ and definitely learned so much from and about each author! Here’s the link to the BLOG with author Q & A’s as well as the San Diego Writers Festival website.

*Special shout out and thanks to the San Diego Memoir Writers Association, Marni Freedman, Tracy Jones, Erin Willard, Laura L. Engel, Kat Endries and Jeniffer Thompson at Monkey C Media.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Getting to Know NYC Illustration Artist Moonsub Shin

New York City based Korean Illustration Artist Moonsun Shin will be collaborating with Classical Pianist Jeeyoon Kim on an exciting new project: ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ Jeeyoon’s National CD Release Concert’ will be held on December 9th at the Auditorium at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego (La Jolla).

‘Over. Above. Beyond. Ticket Link’

Jeeyoon’s concert events combine dazzling technical mastery and profound musicianship with her personal commentary on stage. The ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ concert will also feature a unique collaboration with Moonsub Shin’s newly commissioned art. Each of the twelve drawings by Mr. Shin depicts a movement of Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 21, No. 1 by Johannes Brahms, nicknamed the ‘philosophical variations’.

Here is our SJF Communications Q & A Interview with Moonsub Shin and Susan J. Farese:

SJF: Please tell us a bit about your upbringing.

MS: I’d lived in Daegu, South Korea until 2007 when I came to the United States. I was a normal kid who loved drawing. When I was a high school student, I decided to go into the art-field. However, my parents didn’t allow me to enter the art major for college right away. They wanted me to study media and society first, so I choose Advertising and Publicity for my college major. After I got my Bachelor’s degree, I studied art to prepare for art school.

SJF: Where did you study visual art/ illustration?

MS: In 2009, I was admitted to the School of Visual Arts (SVA) BFA program for Illustration and Cartooning in NYC. I studied for 2 years, then prepared for the MFA program in the same school. In 2012, I started the SVA MFA Illustration as Visual Essay program and received my Masters degree in 2014.

SJF: What compelled you to collaborate with Classical Pianist Jeeyoon Kim?

Moonsub Shin’s Drawing of Classical Pianist Jeeyoon Kim, Carnegie Hall, December 14, 2017

MS: First, I love Classical Music. When I was a student, I drew musicians frequently because their playing motions and feeling are a great theme of my work. So collaborating with Music as an artist has been one of my desire projects.

SJF: How did you decide to pursue illustration (rather than other visual arts, such as painting, sculpture, photography etc.)

MS: Actually, I wanted to be a character concept designer in an Animation Company such as Pixar or Disney. When I sought the ways to be a character concept designer, I found that studying illustration was one of them. So I decided to study illustration. However, while I’d studied illustration, I fell into the enchantment of it. Illustration should contain characters, color, appearances, feeling and storytelling at the same time in an image piece. I really felt these features.

SJF: Tell us about last year when you watched and did several illustrations of Jeeyoon’s Carnegie Hall concert?

MS: Carnegie Hall where she performed was really fit with her performance. I was compelled to draw her performance. The Piano, Carnegie Hall, the microphone stand and Jeeyoon – everything delivered stories to me so I really enjoyed that drawing time.

SJF: What inspires your art?

MS: Everything. Mostly, memories are strongly working when I get the inspiration. If something may contain some sources related my memory, it would inspire me.

SJF: You seem to be doing lots of cup drawings. How did you start with your cup drawing art? Can you explain more about the process?

Follow Moonsub Shin’s Blog with his coffee cup drawings and videos on Tumbler

MS: I used to draw cafe interior sketches in my journal but I now draw them on paper-cups instead. People loved it so I’ve been doing Paper Cup Drawings since then. Every cafe has their own paper cup, which means it contains each cafe’s identity. I think every cafe’s paper cup can be a distinguished canvas to draw the cafe. I try to contain each cafe’s specialty on the cup and it is still going on.

SJF: Do you get paid/compensated with the cup project?

MS: No, It is my personal project. I just visit some cafes with researching (but sometimes visit accidentally). Sometimes, when I give the cup drawing to a cafe, they present coffee or some goods. Recently, some company gave me a brewer machine. What a kind company…

SJF: Do you give them the cup when finished or keep it for a collection?

MS: I draw two cups. One is for my collection and the other is for the cafe.

SJF: Will any of the cups illustrations be mass produced?

MS: No, but some cafes request my illustration and some items with my illustrations – like mugs, sleeves, packages or boxes…

SJF: What is your hope for this project? TV? Other recognition?

MS: Um… Actually, I just want to collect paper-cup drawings. There is no specific purpose. I love coffee and cafes and this project is a really good motivation to reach another world – coffee. Because of this project, now I know many coffee people and it opens my eyes to the other world where it is not about an illustration. So this project is not only a simple personal project anymore. It’s brought many opportunities to promote me as an illustrator and extend my work abilities.

Now I have one dream. Visiting many cafes in the world and make as many cup drawings as I can. This project will be ongoing and I want to visit the West Coast as well as other countries where coffee is popular, such as Italy, Australia, France the UK and Japan. Finally, I want to have the exhibition when I collect over the 300 cups. I wish it. I’ve visited over the 100 cafes in NYC, Portland, Seoul, Jeju, Busan, and other cities.

SJF: Do you have any role models, female or male?

MS: Jean Jacques Sempe’, French illustrator. He is my role model. His lines are dramatic and deliver all kinds of emotions and stories in a single piece of an image. He knows how to use the drawing line to present image scenes. He’s never wasted drawing lines.

SJF: What does the phrase ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ mean to you?

MS: Something, that is not Music but still is in the Music.

SJF: What are 3 values you believe in?

MS: Love, Faith and Faithfulness

SJF: What do you do for fun, hobbies, interests outside of illustrating?

MS: I love Coffee. Visiting cafes and enjoying the coffee is part of my life. Also I love to make coffee at home

SJF: How did you collaborate with Jeeyoon in the project, ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ with the Brahms’ variation Op. 21, No. 1?

MS: First, I just listened to the music over and over again. Sometimes, I really focused on the music and other times, I just turned on the music while I worked.

When some images were released from my brain, I sketched them. When I repeated these process, I got some frames of the whole images.

A few days ago, I met Jeeyoon and she played the Brahms’ variation Op 21, No. 1 in front of me in the studio. While she played the variation, I made images more clearly.

When some parts were not clear to visualize, we discussed and found the theme and image that were good for it.

SJF: Have you ever worked with performing arts and drawing art together in the past? What is your general thought in terms of this kind of collaboration?

MS: For the fashion brand “Nan Seo”, we collaborated when they had a photo shoot for their F/W campaign. The theme was “Dancing with Father” and they hired a dancer. She was dancing on the beach and I drew her and a model.

Illustrating for the performance is not just drawing the scenes. It has to contain an invisible source such as sound, feeling and atmosphere. Also, I should make one scenery image that presents movements and time. So I have to listen to my emotions while I see and hear the performance and then find out the good images from my memories. It is the simply one process with complex steps.

SJF: Thank you so much Moonshin. It was great to get to know you and I look forward to your collaboration with Jeeyoon Kim at her national CD Release Concert, ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ – December 9th at the Auditorium at The Scripps Research Institute.

TICKET LINK for Classical Pianist Jeyoon Kim’ – OVER. ABOVE. BEYOND.’ 12/9/2018 Concert

Follow Moonsub Shin Illustrator on FACEBOOK

Instagram: @Moonsub

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Q & A – Classical Pianist Jeeyoon Kim – Soaring ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’

Classical Pianist Jeeyoon Kim will celebrate the national release of her newest album ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ with a concert on Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. at the Auditorium at TSRI (The Scripps Research Institute).

Jeeyoon’s concert events combine dazzling technical mastery and profound musicianship with her personal commentary on stage. The ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ project will also feature a unique collaboration with newly commissioned visual art by NY based illustrator, Moonsub Shin. Each of the twelve drawings by Mr. Shin depicts a movement of Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 21, No. 1 by Johannes Brahms, nicknamed the ‘philosophical variations’.

Audiences will experience a new, more engaging way of listening to a classical concert with her commentary on stage. This one-hour concert without an intermission will conclude with an after-concert reception.

Getting to Know Jeeyoon Kim

Q & A Jeeyoon Kim and Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications

SJF: What has been your inspiration for your upcoming new CD/Album, ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’?

JK: I wanted to create a feeling of lightness and hope through my new album. I was imagining a bird flying over the horizon as an inspiration. Through music, we can fly together!

SJF: Please tell us about your experience recording in NYC?

JK: I came back to NYC to record the ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ album at Oktaven Studio where I recorded my previous album, ‘10 More Minutes’. I love going there, as Ryan Streber is an excellent recording engineer and their Hamburg Steinway D is fun to play! Recording is a totally different beast in itself compared to live concerts as there is no audience – yet you have to create an invisible world listening to you in that quiet space alone with microphones only. You would think it is somewhat easier to record than performing live, but it is in a way more difficult as there is another possible retake of the same piece mentally. I have to keep that live performance momentum for a longer time like 3 or 4 hours straight. In the beginning of the my recording process, I find myself wanting to have a live audience, but then I have started to enjoy this process as a completely different art form as it is; enjoying the limitless possibility I could experiment making subtle changes each time I play.

SJF: Are you happy with your new album?

JK: Haha. Yes! One said that when musicians record an album, they often get frustrated because they wish for their 20 or 30 years advanced version of them at that moment. I totally understand why they say that, we musicians are crazy in that way. But I learn to let go also. I think recording is just a slice of where I am now as a person and musician. Looking back this album in 30 years from now, I think I will be still okay with what is as I know I put everything I could during that moment. That is all I can do at any given moment.

SJF: Describe your experience ‘before, during and after’ at Carnegie Hall…

JK: It was an amazing experience. What surprised me the most was how much I could immerse myself into the music. I was at Carnegie Hall with one of the most amazing instruments and superb acoustic hall in the world, but I was in somewhere between here and heaven. Nothing mattered, nothing could even stop me going there. Before I went on stage, I was thinking as if it could be the last day of my life. When you think that way, it really liberates you. Little things didn’t matter. All I had to do is to walk on the stage with smile, putting my hands on the piano with overwhelming gratitude of that moment and the people, and being merely a cup for the music that I play.

After the Carnegie Hall concert, I was still myself. Well, I didn’t die afterwards either. Haha. Same sun, same moon, everything was same, except for the fact that I was stronger. I gained a great dose of love from the audience, a wonderful energy from the experience. I felt like I went through a bootcamp mentally and musically, and I’ve gained unreturnable strength by having to go through it.

SJF: What should an audience member expect or experience during your ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ Concert?

JK: Well…First of all, I hope all of you can make it to my ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ concert at some point! It will be somewhat familiar if you have been to my ‘10 More Minutes’ concert in the past. I will still guide you for each piece that I will be playing on stage, and yes, there will be no program at first but given out only when you leave the hall. Also there is no intermission for my concerts. I really like to keep the momentum going without a break, so please make your restroom stops before my concerts! It will run about an hour and 15 minutes or so!

And this concert will feature illustrations by a NY based artist, Moonsub Shin for Brahms’ Variation, Op. 21, No. 1. He created newly commissioned illustrations by listening to this piece. It was such a fun collaboration! When I played a piece, he also imagined some visuals in his head. Afterwards when we communicated with his visual images and what I was feeling, it was on point of what I was imagining but even better! This would be a very interesting experience for me and for the audience. I can’t wait to share my new experiment with you! I love it, and I am sure you will too.

SJF: How do you prepare for your concerts? Routines? Diet? Exercise? How many hours rehearsing?

JK: How I prepare for my concerts are exactly the same as how I have normally lived, in a way, since I was four years old. Haha. Playing piano everyday between 3 to 5 hours or so depending on the day, eating healthy, doing some variations of working out such as a workout with a trainer, swimming, yoga or simply going for a walk. I keep my morning practice routine as the first thing in the morning after a simple breakfast, and often do a mental practice when I first open my eyes in my bed. Sometimes going through the music, other times a self-affirmation in my mind. I don’t try to do anything so differently because of concerts as I feel that concerts are just an extension of my life.

SJF: What do you do for fun between concerts and appearances?

JK: I love traveling. I love the feeling of growth when you go to a new environment. I come back with a new perspective of life.

It may not sound so relaxing per se, but I do love studying other languages. That is really refreshing for me. It has been about a year since I started to study Spanish. I may not be the most fluent speaker yet, but I surely find it fun to exercise my brain while being able to communicate in a different language. Hablamos en español si puede por futuro!

SJF: Is it isolating being a solo performer?

JK: Is it? Absolutely not! We are all alone in our life journey. But we are never isolated as we are surrounded by all of our friends and family, and for me, with God. I believe the same thing on stage. I have music and you together, as I am walking with my own feet. It is full of love.

SJF: How should one listen to the new album?

JK: I wish for you to listen to it with closed-ear headphones if you can, with reading my description for each piece from my booklet. (You can find the digital version of it at www.OverAboveBeyondProject.com)

You might listen to all in one sitting or just one track at a time, but I hope you can listen to Brahms Op. 21, No. 1 from track number 4 through 15 in one sitting as it would make more sense to listen as a whole than breaking it down.

I also suggest that as you listen to any of my tracks, let your mind create a visual image in your head. And at a later time, if you find a suitable image in real time, take a photo with your phone, and share it with me through #OverAboveBeyondProject.

SJF: What are three values that you believe in?

JK: Three values I believe in are:

1. Live as if today is the last day of your life, focusing on now at any given moment

2. Always be thankful

3. Be compassionate

SJF: Many thanks Jeeyoon, and best wishes as you soar ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’!

“As a pianist, one of the most rewarding moments is when I feel that I have lifted someone’s soul with my playing and when I feel that I am deeply connected with listeners in the very moment of sharing music. It has become clear to me that it is why I make music. Through ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’, my wish is to give an audience a sense of hope, lightness, and a new beginning. These are pieces that have given me a sense of joy, weightlessness, and peace. Join me for this special flight and receive what music has given to us. Together let’s fly Over. Above. Beyond.”! –Jeeyoon

TICKET INFORMATION: Single General Admission tickets for the Classical Pianist Jeeyoon Kim’s ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ Concert are $30 and are available at:

https://jyk.ticketleap.com/over-above-beyond/

LOCATION: Auditorium at The Scripps Research Institute; 10620 Jay Hopkins Drive, San Diego, CA 92121. There will be free parking.

Map and Directions: http://auditorium.scripps.edu/directions.html

More about Jeeyoon Kim at www.jeeyoonkim.com.

More about ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ at www.overabovebeyondproject.com

“Like” on Facebook – Jeeyoon Kim, Pianist; “Follow” on Twitter @Jeeyoon_Pianist and Instagram @jeeyoonkimpianist with the hashtag #overabovebeyondproject

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Breaking Through Barriers of Communication – Q & A with Vincentia Schroeter, Ph.D.

Vincentia Schroeter, Ph.D.

Author of

‘Communication Breakthrough:

How Using Brain Science and Listening to Body Cues Can Transform Your Relationships’

Psychotherapist, professor, artist and international speaker, Vincentia Schroeter, Ph.D. is thrilled to announce her new book, Communication Breakthrough: How Using Brain Science and Listening to Body Cues Can Transform Your Relationships (Wolfheart Press). Communication Breakthrough will boost your ability to be seen and heard by offering innovative tools for better listening and handy skills for more effective expression.

Best known for her ability to present complex ideas in a clear and entertaining way, Dr. Schroeter has published in the areas of integrating somatic psychotherapy with other modalities, such as self-psychology, affect (mood) regulation and interpersonal neurobiology. Communication Breakthrough shows how the brain reacts under stress and provides powerful body techniques to easily shift moods for successful communication.

QUOTE from Dr. Schroeter:

“As the 4th of 12 children, I was intrigued by all our different personalities. By age 16, I knew I wanted to be a counselor. Coming from a working class family, I put myself through college and graduate school in order to pursue my dreams.

I had a forty-two year career as a clinical psychotherapist, focusing on body-mind psychology. I have noticed a common theme in my professional as well as personal life, which is how people suffer when they do not know how to communicate well. My current passion is to help people communicate better. My recent studies in neuroscience (mind) along with my long-term work in somatic psychotherapy (body) allow me to provide original and effective communication tools.”

– Vincentia Schroeter

Q & A

Vincentia Schroeter, Ph.D. & SJF Communications

SJF: Tell us about the book Communication Breakthrough – how you came up with the theme, how long it took to write it? Why did you write it? Where did you write it?

VS: I was teaching doctor-patient communication at PCOM (Pacific College of Oriental Medicine), when I decided that a book for the public on improving communication, both better listening and better expression, would be valuable. In my clinical practice as a psychotherapist I witnessed marriages end and families suffer partially because people did not know how to best communicate their needs and wants to each other.

I came up with the theme of combining neuroscience with somatic awareness as a lens to view communication. While there are many communication books, no one has combined these two up-to-date methods that can inform best practices. Since I am schooled in both models, I explain them in clear and accessible ways for the average person to apply in improving expression and listening.

I wrote the book over five years, often in the quiet of the library, as I find the focused stillness conducive to my concentration. I did all the sketches for my book, often in the library also.

SJF: What experiences and/or people (parents, role models etc.) in your life influenced you the most and why?

VS: My parents were both strong, faith-filled, and family-oriented stalwarts of getting along with others. They raised a big family and we were expected to help each other and enjoy our connections as siblings. We worked together in the family business and also played sports together. I think that influenced my interest in exploring how people get along with each other.

SJF: What have been your three most memorable experiences (positive or negative)?

VS: Finding the right person to marry, suffering two ectopic pregnancies, and rising from that tragedy by adopting the most beautiful child in the world.

SJF: Which job have you enjoyed the most and why (and the least and why)?

VS: I have thoroughly enjoyed my career as a psychotherapist, especially in private practice for over forty years. I like exploring with people what their defenses are, what their dreams are, and providing a compassionate ear and assortment of tools to help them reach those dreams.

The job I enjoyed the least was peeling skins off of steamed tomatoes in stultifying heat as they came down a conveyer belt in a cannery. It was the summer of 1968. Our family business had just burned down. My parents and we older siblings had to work in the local cannery to put food on the table. So I did not complain. But the monotony would make my mind wander, I would get dreamy, stare off into space and then I would get yelled at. I couldn’t wait for that summer to end so I could go away to college. Which I did.

SJF: Accomplishments/Recognitions?

VS: Professional: I received a Masters in Psychology and my license to practice at age 25. I went back to graduate school, doing research on infant-mother bonding and received a PhD at age 49. I was the Coordinating Trainer for SCIBA, a post graduate training program in Bioenergetic Analysis for many years, as well as teaching and giving workshops and keynotes on subjects related to somatic psychotherapy internationally. I have published many papers on somatic psychotherapy and some of my art and poetry have also been published. I was chief editor of the IIBA professional journal for ten years.

SJF: What are your top 3 values in life?

VS: Balanced Living, Mental Health, Spiritual Growth

SJF: If you had to do it over again…

VS: I do not like this question as it seems to invite comparisons of who I am to who I could have been. It would invite a rejection of any younger version of myself. I have learned from my mistakes, which just makes me a person richer for having swum in those waters. I can search my memory banks when someone feels shame or guilt, to see times when I may have been shackled by the bonds of shame or guilt. It helps me understand and identify with others who are suffering. But I refuse to carry shame or guilt around on a regular basis. They weigh too much. I am happy with my past and present.

SJF: What are you most proud of?

VS: Snagging a loving husband who is my best friend, raising a daughter who is a wonderful person to be around, loving two darling grandsons who own my heart and my close bond with my eleven siblings.

Vincentia Schroeter, Ph.D. and 3 of her 11 siblings!

SJF: Any difficult decisions?

VS: Nothing comes to mind. Once I make up my mind, I just do things, even if (for example having to confront someone when there is a conflict) I know it may cause suffering for me, for them or for both of us.

SJF: What’s the most difficult thing about writing?

VS: Just making the time and committing to getting going. Then maybe over obsessing on edits. I am very slow but like to be thorough on proofreading, so it takes me forever to proof other people’s work as well as my own. I go over it a million times like an ant exploring one blade of grass for a long, long time. That can be time consuming but I can’t seem to go any faster, so I have to just accept the tediousness of it.

SJF: What do you envision for the book, Communication Breakthrough?

VS: Global Dominance. Just kidding. I want it to be lifted by a strong wind and carried across the miles into homes, offices and classrooms and picked up by folks who are lonely or angry or scared or sad and need a little nudge to improve their relationships with others. They read, learn and start practicing tools for better listening and tools for clearer expression, and viola, they feel happier. (Interpersonal happiness is more satisfying than global dominance anyway).

SJF: Any fears? Doubts?

VS: Do I ever feel fear? Yes. Do I have doubts? Sometimes. I may feel anxious before a big presentation and tend to bind my anxiety by being over-prepared. But that is better than being under-prepared, so in these cases, fear is my friend as it can help me be alert to being as ready as possible. Then I usually do some centering, some self-acceptance mantra, breathe and feel the excitement right before going out on that stage!

Thanks very much, Dr. Schroeter!

More info at https://www.vincentiaschroeterphd.com

Watch this video of Dr. Schroeter’s recent

‘Communication Breakthrough’ Book Signing

Barnes & Noble, La Mesa – 9.29.2018

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SJF Communications Welcomes Client Tommy Anderson, Author of ‘Haboob Wind’

We are thrilled to welcome our new SJF Communications client, Tommy Anderson. Tommy is the author of the new military thriller Haboob Wind. Tommy is also on board as a screenwriter and producer of the optioned film “Haboob Wind” with Global Edge Pictures, currently in pre-production. IMDB Link

Read our Q & A with

Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications and Tommy Anderson Below!

Purchase Haboob Wind

About the Author – Tommy Anderson:

Tommy Anderson, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, is a retired veteran (active duty and reserves) with 23 years of experience in several military organizations including the U.S. Army, Army National Guard and Air National Guard. After his military retirement he spent 25 years in public service as a police deputy and dispatcher, firefighter and medic. Tommy has a MA in Public Administration, BS in Fire Engineering and AD in Fire Science. Anderson serves on the board of directors for US4Warriors and its offshoot, Veteran’s Publishing, Inc. He is also a life member of the American Legion, Veteran of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, 32nd Infantry Division Association, International Association of Firefighters Alumni Association, and U.S. Air Force and U.S. Air National Guard Fire Chief’s Association.

He’s also an award winning photographer and artist.

Tommy Anderson IMDB Link

Facebook Page (TM Anderson, Haboob Wind)

Haboob Wind

It’s 2021, 20 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America and celebrations to the heroes and survivors are suddenly disrupted by a long-planned terrorist attack within the U.S. An Electronic Pulse Weapon (EPW) missile attack along with a ground terrorist assault is launched at a Southern California military installation — supported by thousands of sleeper cell members, who camouflaged themselves into the fabric of American society as patriots working in trusted positions in the government, law enforcement, FBI and CIA.

The invasion, called Haboob Wind (a violent Arabic dust storm), is orchestrated by a radical jihad army formed after the U.S. pulled out of Iraq in 2011. A vintage strike force, led by veteran military officers, is called on to defeat the terrorist group. In an epic battle of good versus evil, Anderson confidently showcases the resourcefulness and patriotism of our veterans to protect our life, liberty, and freedom against all odds of modern warfare.

More About Haboob Wind and Global Edge Pictures

Purchase Haboob Wind

Q & A –

Tommy Anderson & Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications

Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications with Tommy Anderson, Author, ‘Haboob Wind’

SJF: Tell us about the book ‘Haboob Wind’– how you came up with scenario, how long it took to write it? Why did you write it? Where did you write it? Etc.

TA: I started gathering notes for my book in 2014 based off current events going on in the world. One of the last jobs I had in the military was wartime operations planning for my unit. I looked at current events and history and came up with a ‘what if’ scenario that would revolve around a current terrorist threat and applied a ‘what if’ to the story line. I wanted to write a gripping thriller that would revolve around these threats and the military and law enforcement response to them. I wrote it at home, on trips, recorded notes while driving. It took two years to write the book then approximately another to do cover design, the editing process, and marketing.

SJF: What experiences and/or people (parents, role models etc) in your life influenced you the most and why?

TA: My father with his mid-western values and his approach to his service in World War II, his business, and humbleness. Other role models are heroes I served with in the military and on the fire department.

SJF: What have been the three most memorable experiences (positive or negative) in the military or after?

TA: My first day of Basic Training at Fort Dix New, Jersey in January of 1971, being appointed to the Fire Department, and the birth of my daughters.

SJF: Which job/MOS etc. did you enjoy the most and why and the least and why?

TA: The least was my original 05B20 which was as an infantry radio telephone operator (RT0), that job was interesting, but I was sent to Fort Gordon, GA because of my test scores and ability to handle Morse code and was sent to the Cryptology Communications Course. I was confined to an office and not in the field. After getting off active duty and going into the Army National Guard I entered an Air Cavalry unit and went back on active duty to Fort Rucker Alabama and air crew flight school. I stayed in Aviation for another 10 years when I transferred to the Air Force (Air National Guard). I entered into crash rescue and enjoyed that the most, rose through the ranks to a position of a Deputy Fire Chief in the United States Air Force.

SJF: Accomplishments/Recognitions?

TA: Numerous, most proud of my Presidential Meritorious Service Medal for developing a war time operation plan for Crash Rescue Units – for Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Actually, too many to list.

SJF: What are your top 3 values in life?

TA: God, My Family, My close circle of Friends.

SJF: If you had to do it over again…

TA: Yes, on the fire department if I stayed home the day of my accident, I wasn’t scheduled to work. I would have obtained my private pilots license. Otherwise I’m happy with my life and I’m where I should be.

SJF: What are you most proud of?

Tommy Anderson and his wife, Lidia Shaw Anderson

TA: I’m extremely proud of my wife and family, I’m proud of my career on both the fire department and the military. I’m proud of this country even with it’s bumps in the road.

SJF: Any difficult decisions?

TA: Which day? To write the book – yes! In discussing it with my wife if we were to do, it would be a big commitment and financial hit.

SJF: What’s the most difficult thing about writing?

TA: Keeping focused on your story line, characters, plot, and details. I’ve developed my own way of doing that and I think each writer does. Also, not forcing a story but to let it come out naturally.

SJF: What do you envision for the Haboob Wind film?

TA: With the momentum that is moving forward from the production company, main screenwriter, veteran’s community and the fans, we must do it right and accurate. We are striving for that and I love how it has brought other veterans into supporting the movie and helping in how ever they can. I see it being a big and popular film. That is the vision that so many share with me.

SJF: Any fears? Doubts? ever?

TA: Always every day. If you don’t have any fears and doubts in your actions, you can never improve and grow in life. It all depends on how you handle it. Are you a captive to them or in control of them? I prefer to be in control. Since the start of my book until today everyday has been different and challenging.

Many thanks, Tommy!

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Sebastian Slovin – Book Signing at Barnes & Noble Grossmont 8/25/18 & Podcast Update

Sebastian Slovin

*Author of ‘Ashes in the Ocean’***

and

Co-Owner, Nature Unplugged

Will have a Book Signing

Saturday, August 25, 2018 from 1 pm – 5 pm

at

Barnes & Noble (Grossmont Center)

5500 Grossmont Ctr. Dr., Suite 331,

La Mesa, CA 91942

Author Sebastian Slovin at Podcast interview speaking about ‘Ashes in the Ocean’ and ‘Nature Unplugged’

Sebastian Slovin – Nature Unplugged

Recent Podcast Links

Giving Voice to Depression

Imagine Publicity 8/20/2018

Psych Central: Using Nature to Improve Mental Health – 8/16/18

U-T San Diego Community Spotlight

Mainstage Mavericks – 7/3/18

Cultivating a Rick Interior (Mary Goulet Show)

KPBS – 6/11/18

Yew Online – with Chris Cantore – 4/18/18

Dealing with my Grief – 4/18/18

Offshore Insights

Upcoming Podcasts

Cup of Joe with Dr. Joe – Link will be up soon!

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SJF Communications – ‘Our Mission: Your Communications’!

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Meet Devon Hadsell – the ‘Kind’ Mean Girl on Broadway

By

Susan J. Farese

SJF Communications

Devon Hadsell as Caitlyn Caussin in ‘Mean Girls’ Photo Courtesy of Devon Hadsell

We are thrilled to share this interview with equity Broadway performer Devon Hadsell, who plays Caitlyn Caussin in the ensemble of the Broadway mega hit – “Mean Girls“! Devon is also a principal role understudy (Gretchen, Mrs. Heron/Ms. Norbury/Mrs. George). She made her principal debut as Gretchen on July 24th.

I have known Devon since 2015 when she performed as Velma (and I was Director of PR/Marketing) in the regional professional production of West Side Story with San Diego Musical Theatre .

The Broadway production of Mean Girls was created by the team of Tina Fey (Book), Jeff Richmond (Music) and Nell Benjamin, (Lyrics), based on the 2004 Mean Girls film, starring Lindsay Lohan.

Female Ensemble – ‘Mean Girls’ – Courtesy Photo – Devon Hadsell

And now…enjoy our interview with Devon Hadsell

SJF: Thanks so much for this interview Devon! I know how busy you’ve been with the ‘Mean Girls‘ whirlwind of multiple nominations, awards, enduring the hectic schedule of eight performances a week, and then some! Let’s begin with you telling us about where you’re from, etc.

DH: I was born in Santa Barbara and moved to Napa when I was 5. I’m the oldest of 3 and have a younger sister and brother.

SJF: When did you first get interested in performing?

DH: My mom said I was singing before I could talk and dancing before I could walk. She put me in my first musical when I was 5 years old. I played Gretel in The Sound of Music at our community kids theatre which was called Broadway Bound Kids!

SJF: Why did you choose performing as a career?

DH: Since I was a kid, I’ve loved being on stage. There’s nothing quite like performing in front of an audience. My mom put me in dancing, singing, and acting lessons starting when I was 5 years old and I never wanted to stop. Nowadays, I do it because I love inspiring people.

SJF: Anything to mention about your college program at Cal State Fullerton ? Positives, challenges?

Devon Hadsell as Kira in ‘Xanadu’ at CSU Fullerton

Devon Hadsell as Tribe Member in ‘Hair’ at CSU Fullerton

Devon Hadsell as Understudy/Ensemble in ‘Marilyn : A New Musical’ at CSU Fullerton

DH: I’m so glad I went to college for performing and that I found Cal State Fullerton. I grew in ways I never would have been able to if it wasn’t for their Musical Theatre BFA program. Because of the showcase that the seniors got to do in New York, I found my amazing bi-coastal agent and got a taste of the city before actually moving here! The biggest challenge was managing classes, shows, rehearsals, AND homework all at once, but because I had to do all that at CSUF, I can manage any schedule thrown my way now!

SJF: What do you think your strengths are as a performer? What are you developing/strengthening?

DH: I think my biggest strengths as a performer are that I’m versatile, I’m great to work with, and I’m a fast learner. I’m constantly improving my technique and ability in all fields of performing as well as building up the proper stamina for getting through 8 shows a week for at least the next year!

SJF: Would you like to obtain Master’s degree in the future?

DH: I think a Master’s degree is something I would definitely be open to because I see myself teaching at the college level one day.

SF: Besides your Broadway debut in Mean Girls, Any National Tours? Highs and Lows of touring?

DH: Highs and Lows: I was in the national tour of The Little Mermaid a couple years ago and I absolutely LOVED it! It’s actually what got me my Equity card and gave me enough money to move to New York! What was hard was always packing and unpacking your suitcase after a week or two, but I really enjoyed visiting so many different cities around the U.S.

SJF: Explain the ‘Mean Girls’ Story in a Nutshell…

DH: Cady Heron is a homeschooled student who moves from Africa with her parents (who are biologists) to a public high school in Chicago, Illinois. She befriends the “Plastics”, the three popular, “mean girls” of the school, and quickly finds herself becoming one of them. In the end, she realizes that it’s okay not to like someone, but that we should always be kind and treat people with dignity.

Devon Hadsell ‘Mean Girls’ Courtesy Photo – Devon Hadsell

SJF: Tell us about your interview process- when/where, how competitive it was, how many callbacks? Was Tina Fey present?

Devon Hadsell Recording for “Mean Girls’

Devon Hadsell Backstage at ‘Mean Girls’

Devon Hadsell as Caitlyn Caussin in ‘Mean Girls’

DH: I went to 5 callbacks for this role. At the first audition, there were over 400 girls who attended. For the callbacks, we did a dance combination and eventually had to sing. At the fifth and final callback, they had narrowed it down to 20 girls, and Tina Fey was present. We had to do the dance combo three at a time and then come in and sing and read sides for all the creatives by ourselves. It was the craziest and most amazing experience!

SJF: I can just imagine the stress and tension with the audition and then those multiple callbacks! Wow!

SJF: Tell us about your ‘Mean Girls’ role(s), Understudying? Etc.

DH: I play Caitlyn Caussin, a high school girl in the ensemble. I also get to understudy Gretchen AND all of the roles played by the Broadway star, Kerry Butler, which are Cady’s mom, Regina’s mom, and Ms. Norbury! I actually made my Broadway principal debut as Gretchen on July 24th of this year and it was AMAZING!!! It was so incredible to get to perform in a lead role on a Broadway stage and to know that the producers and members of the company believed in me too. My family also happened to be in town so they got to see me perform in the role as well! It was one of the best experiences of my life!

SJF: That is so amazing! So thrilled that you made your Broadway principal role debut!

Devon Hadsell as Gretchen in ‘Mean Girls’

All photos courtesy of Devon Hadsell

SJF: Any advice for BA, BFA, etc. students and others?

DH: Broadway is hard and the work doesn’t stop once you get there. You have to realize that there will be pros and cons just like any other job. You also have to figure out ways to nurture your passion of performing because there are a lot of hard things you have to deal with in this business. Never give up, always push forward with your goals in mind, and never stop training.

SJF: How has it been adjusting to living in NY- roommate(s)? Safety, etc.

DH: Oh my goodness. I am NOT a fan of New York! Haha. Even with a Broadway contract, I miss California every day… It’s a VERY different way of living and it was a hard adjustment at first. When I first moved to NY, I was living deep in Brooklyn and it took me at least an hour to get into Manhattan for auditions, but it was cheap and I had my own room and a lovely roommate. Now that I’m on Broadway, I was able to move to a studio just outside the city along the water that’s only a 20 minute commute. When you move to New York, you have to get used to a different way of living. You have to deal with public transportation, insanely high prices for everything, people being stressed and in a rush most of the time, everything being dirty, and being cramped in small spaces for a lot of your day. This city is not very glamorous unless you have a lot of money haha.

SJF: Ah! But I love going to NY to see shows when I visit my family in NJ! Despite the humidity, crowds etc.!

SJF: Any pre-show rituals? Post show events?

DH: I always have a pre-show Starbucks next to me as I do my makeup. I also have a little space backstage where I always do my warm-ups. After the show, a lot of us go to a restaurant/bar across the street that just opened up called Haswell Green!

SJF: Do you have (or have you had) fears? Doubts?

DH: Yes! Even once you get to Broadway, you have fears and doubts. EVERYONE is talented so you have to continue to believe that you ALSO have something special to bring to the table with your talent.

SJF: Well said Devon! What Motivates you?

DH: I am very motivated by the fact that my performance has the ability to inspire others. Whether it makes people think about their lives, inspires them to live out their own dream, motivates them to want to change the world, or encourages them to connect with people, I think it’s a gift to have that ability.

SJF: That’s so astute! Hopefully I’ll get to see you perform on Broadway. I’m definitely inspired by your recent success!

SJF: Do you have any spare time hobbies, interests?

DH: I do! I love walks along the water, finding a new coffee shop, seeing other Broadway shows, and playing with puppies and kittens!

SJF: Cool! The last part about the puppies and kittens really brought the ‘AW” out in me!

SJF: Any particular role models in your life?

DH: I have many teachers who have been role models throughout my entire life. They have inspired me with their passion for performing and their love of their art whether it was acting, dancing, or singing. I am fortunate enough to still be in contact with most of them through Facebook and still ask for their advice when I need some guidance.

SJF: What was it like the first time with an audience for ‘Mean Girls’?

DH: It was UNREAL! My adrenaline was so high and everyone in the show was so excited! Our energy was unmatched! It was maybe even a little too heightened haha. It was a blast though. This show is so fun to share with family and friends.

SJF: Spill the beans about Tina!

DH: She’s extremely sweet! And surprisingly, she’s very quiet and reserved unlike her TV personalities. She’s so smart and kind and has such a wonderful and loving dynamic with her family.

SJF: Tell us about your Website…

DH: It’s all updated with current photos and my resume as well as a couple of videos of me singing and dancing!

SJF: Who are your Idols?

DH: Some of my idols are Michelle Obama, Rachel McAdams, Jennifer Lawrence, Jimmy Fallon, and definitely Tina Fey!

SJF: Top values in life?

DH: My top value in life is kindness. It always makes the world a better place when you can act out of love and kindness than out of fear, hate, or jealousy. It takes a strong person to be kind, but I’ve found it’s always worth the effort.

SJF: Dream Role (besides the one you have now)!

DH: I’d actually love to play the lead in Mean Girls, Cady Heron, one day. I’d also love to play Christine in Phantom of the Opera and Clara in Light in the Piazza.

Devon Hadsell

SJF: If you had to do it all over again…

DH: I honestly wouldn’t do anything different except to make sure I made a little more effort to stay in contact with friends and family. It’s so easy to get caught up in career stuff and forget about the things that really matter.

SJF: What 3 things don’t we know about you?

DH: 1) I am a cancer survivor! When I was 3 1/2 I was diagnosed with Wilm’s Tumor which is a child’s form of kidney cancer. They removed the tumor along with my right kidney and now I am deemed cancer free! 2) I am extremely organized and tidy and I weirdly think cleaning is fun. 3) I’d love to get into TV/film one day!

SJF: I am glad I asked that question. I would have never known about your surviving cancer at such a young age. Thanks for sharing that. As for the tidyness…interesting tidbit! Regarding TV/film, I have no doubt that you will pursue and be offered those creative endeavors!

SJF: Any difficult decisions throughout your life?

DH: The most difficult decision I ever made was to move to New York. I had no idea what I was doing, but just that I felt like I needed to do it. Needless to say, I am VERY glad I made that leap.

SJF: Thank you so very much Devon, it was such a pleasure to be back in touch and am so excited to hear all about Mean Girls and what’s in store for you in your future!

Devon Hadsell’s Website

Social Media for Devon: Follow @devonhadsell on Instagram and on Facebook

More Fun: Videos about ‘Mean Girls’:

Video: Journey to Broadway

Video: First Look: Mean Girls on Broadway

Video: I’d Rather be Me

Episode 1: Too Grool for School: Backstage at MEAN GIRLS with Erika Henningsen

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Interview: Nature Unplugged Owners Sebastian Slovin & Sonya Mohamed

By

Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications

When was the last time that you ‘unplugged’ from your devices and appreciated or partook in ‘nature’?

If your answer was today, this week, recently etc. – No worries…but if there’s a gap…there’s definitely hope!

In this interview, you will ‘virtually’ meet SJF Communications’ clients Sebastian Slovin and Sonya Mohamed, Owners of Nature Unplugged in Encinitas, California. We spent some great quality time ‘unplugging’ outdoors together at the beautiful San Dieguito County Park in Rancho Santa Fe for this fun photo shoot, inspiring conversation and of course, connecting with nature!

And now…without further ado..please sit back, relax and enjoy our SJF Communications interview with Sebastian and Sonya, owners of Nature Unplugged!

SJF: Welcome Sebastian and Sonya! So nice to chat with you both today. What compelled to create Nature Unplugged together?

Sebastian: The origin of Nature Unplugged began about 10 years ago, when I started by providing unique outdoor experiences around San Diego. The aim was to get people off of their devices and out into nature by combining movement and mindfulness practices. I offered a variety of outdoor experiences – such as guided hikes, outdoor yoga, surfing, stand up paddling, and snorkeling – based on my expertise and background as a professional bodyboarder (boogieboarder), yoga instructor and nature enthusiast. My time in the ocean and on the mat inspired the services/experiences that Nature Unplugged provided.

A few years later, I met Sonya. While I grew up exploring the beaches and waves of Southern California, Sonya adventured in the woods of Valley Forge National Park near her home outside of Philadelphia. It wasn’t long before we started to explore ways to combine our individual skills and passions and share them with the world. We were fortunate to enroll in the MA of Leadership Studies program at the University of San Diego. It was there that our vision for Nature Unplugged really came together.

While at USD, we began to create curriculum specifically designed to help people cultivate wellness through healthy relationships with technology and a deeper connection to nature. Our focus right now is creating momentum for this movement. We offer workshops, speaking engagements/presentations, and one-on-one coaching. Our vision is to create conscious individuals and thriving communities through healthy relationships with nature and technology.

SJF: That’s awesome! What a way for each of you to live your purpose! Sonya, please describe 3 types/groups of people that would be ideal Nature Unplugged clients

Sonya: Sure, we work with several categories:

New Professionals/Millennials

We work with new professionals and millennials who are seeking work-life balance and want to prevent or manage burnout. This group often works in jobs where tech/screen times are heavy and finding balance is critical for their success in work and happiness beyond their professional roles.

Parents, Caretakers and Educators

We work with parents, caretakers and educators who are raising and developing young people in this digital age. We offer plans/tools/tips on how to teach healthy boundaries with technology and how to reconnect youth to the outdoors and nature.

Students

We work with adolescents (middle school/high school) who may have an imbalance with their tech use/screen time. This could be due to gaming/social media/etc.

SJF: What motivates you as entrepreneurs?

Sebastian and Sonya: We are both highly creative and are energized by the process of starting something new. We feel uniquely equipped – with our personal, professional and educational backgrounds – to create and share tools and resources that can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives and communities.

SJF: Any roadblocks or challenges with Nature Unplugged along the way? Any challenges working together as partners/spouses?

Sebastian: While we’ve had some wonderful successes over the years and built great connections with individuals and communities, we’ve also had some challenges along the way. We work with people of all ages, though our formative work was primarily with adolescents ages 12-17. Often we would connect with parents who were very eager and committed to helping their children become less attached to/dependent on their smartphones, video games, or other devices. As you can imagine, that’s not the same mindset and eagerness the youngsters met us with.

As for working together as partners/spouses, there are sometimes added challenges and conflict with our dual roles. It can be hard to separate our personal and professional boundaries. Purely from a business partner standpoint, we are also quite different people. Sebastian is fueled by the larger abstract thinking and brainstorming where Sonya has more of a task and process orientation. Most often this is a useful balance that produces both the innovative ideas and the ability to implement them and bring them to life. It can also lead to misunderstandings and frustrations, as there’s a natural tension between the two.

That being said, we are grateful and feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn a lot about work and leadership dynamics through our MA in Leadership Studies program. We’ve learned (and continue to learn) how we work best individually and as partners. With styles and approaches that are very different, we have learned how to capitalize on our strengths and manage our tension points. The awareness and attention to those differences make for a great partnership.

SJF: Thank you for that incredibly astute explanation! Despite potential challenges you two work very well together!

SJF: How would you talk about Nature Unplugged to your 13 year old self(selves)

Sebastian: Great question! I’d say: “ You know 13 year old Sebastian, when I look back on my my life, do you know what stands out? It’s the relationships I’ve had, the face to face time, and the adventures of mixing it up out in the ocean and in nature. Your time is precious. Do what makes you feel alive”!

Sonya: I would say: “Never lose sight of your wild self. Run a muck outside as often as you can for as long as you can. Find some friends, get out into nature, explore and goof around. Play is not something reserved for children! You’re going to face a lot of pressure to conform and to take yourself more seriously. Stability is valuable, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of your happiness. Get in touch with what you want and don’t be afraid to go for it. It will be tempting to fill all your free time with tasks, and TV shows, and social media. Be careful there, you won’t be happier for it.

SJF: Why should we unplug?

Sebastian: Simply put: it feels better when we do. There is a growing body of research supporting the benefits – mentally, emotionally and physically – of getting off our devices and outside.

SJF: Pricing points?

Sebastian: For more information about Nature Unplugged presentations, workshops and coaching plans and pricing email: sebastian@natureunplugged.com or call: 858-775-6486

SJF: What is your Motto/Tagline and how it evolved for Nature Unplugged?

Sebastian: Our mission/motto: Cultivating consciousness in the digital age

SJF: Describe your awesome, simplistic (yet extremely effective) Nature Unplugged Logo Design

Sonya: I designed and created the logo, using the ‘N’ from Nature and ‘U’ from Unplugged to create something beautiful and relevant to our work.

SJF: Who are Role Models in the entrepreneurial, fitness, academic etc world for you both?

Terri Monroe
Zachary Green
Brene Brown
Fred Kaufman
Jack Kornfield
Michael Phelps
Jon Kabat Zinn
Byron Katie
Michael Gervais
Jim Carrey
Paulo Coelho
Thich Nhatt Hanh
Jose Stevens
David Whyte
Dr. Seuss

SJF: Wow, such a great list. We’ll need to follow up and see any connections that might ensue! If you had to do it over again, (starting a business)….

Sebastian: We would have done it sooner! It’s scary (we still feel that fear a bit) and it’s taken us some time to lean into the discomfort and just go for it.

SJF: But…if you didn’t ‘go for it’ we wouldn’t be working together! So glad you leaned in!

SJF: Describe a workshop/presentation for Nature Unplugged

Sebastian and Sonya:

TITLE: “Nature Unplugged: How to Cultivate Consciousness in the Digital Age”

Presentation:

This interactive and dynamic presentation is all about the what and the why. What are we filling our time with and why? The focus is on why balance between time we spend/spent with technology and out in nature is important, and then practically speaking, how to find balance when we’re constantly being pulled and lured into imbalance. We explore the latest research on increased tech use and the benefits of nature, sharing our own personal stories in search of balance. Also included are tools and practices offered as takeaways to inspire attendees to take action and create meaningful change in their daily lives.

SJF: How much time are the presentations?

Sebastian and Sonya:

Typically 1 hour but can range 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.

SJF: Where do you teach/provide the presentations?

Sebastian and Sonya:

We’ve presented in a wide variety of locations such as: schools (5th – 12th grade), universities, and businesses.

SJF: How about the Workshops:

Sebastian and Sonya:

Workshops are highly interactive and are a combination of content, small group work, and personal reflection and practice. More than simply delivering information, we provide opportunities for reflection, guide practices and offer tools to make immediate and impactful change.

SJF: How much time is spent in your workshops?

Sebastian and Sonya:

We offer half-day (4 hour) and full-day (8 hour) workshops.

SJF: Where do you teach/provide the presentations?

Sebastian and Sonya:

We hold workshops on site at schools (5th – 12th grade), universities, and businesses. Workshops out in nature (parks, reserves, etc.) are also available.

SJF: What are some of your Workshop Learning Outcomes?

Sebastian and Sonya:

Discover (or rediscover) the beauty and benefits of nature
Regain control of the tech/media in your life by setting healthy boundaries
Live more intentionally by developing or deepening your mindfulness practice
Reclaim a spirit of playfulness and reinsert free time into your day
Try new things, learn to lean into discomfort and push the edges of your comfort zone
Understand your values, how they inform your behaviors and attitudes, and learn how to align your goals to them
Build capacity for self-reflection and self-awareness

SJF: Anything else you’d like to mention?

Sebastian and Sonya: Thanks so much for your time Susan and SJF Communications. We really appreciate it. The only thing we’d like to share with your readers is:

“We’d love to hear from you and continue the conversation. What obstacles are you facing? What do you want to know more about? What about Nature Unplugged resonates with you? Don’t hesitate to reach out!”

SJF: Please let us know how to find Nature Unplugged

Sebastian and Sonya:

Nature Unplugged Website: https://www.natureunplugged.com

Email: Sebastian@natureunplugged.com and Sonya@natureunplugged.com

Short Video: https://vimeo.com/204711401

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatureUnplugged/

Instagram: @natureunplugged

and

https://www.instagram.com/natureunplugged/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/natureunplugged

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nature-unplugged/

Books by Sebastian Slovin:

The Adventures of Enu: https://amzn.to/2je98Bi

Ashes in the Ocean: https://amzn.to/2q4F0LC

SJF: Many thanks, Sebastian and Sonya – for sharing your purpose, goals, story and information about Nature Unplugged!

Here’s a little recap video of our time together with mindset, mindfulness and movement in mind!

SJF Communications – 'Creative Ideas | Dynamic Results

Public Relations/PR – Publicist – Podcast Host- Marketing – Virtual Assistant – Social Media – Websites – MSN-RN, LNC – Photography – Veteran – Actor – Writer – Mentor/Coach

Interviews

Meet Devon Hadsell – the ‘Kind’ Mean Girl on Broadway

By

Susan J. Farese

SJF Communications

And now…enjoy our interview with Devon Hadsell

More Fun: Videos about ‘Mean Girls’:

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Summary of “Your Vitamins Are Obsolete”

Q & A: Susan J. Farese, MSN, RN, SJF Communications and Sheldon Blake Zablow, M.D., Nutritional Psychiatrist and Author

Dr. Zablow’s WEBSITE: https://sheldonzablowmd.com/

Book Details:

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Here’s a little information about ‘Falling in Love with the Process: Cultivating Resilience in Health Crises: A Stroke Survivor’s Story‘ followed by our recent Q & A.

‘Falling in Love with the Process: Cultivating Resilience in Health Crises – A Stroke Survivor’s Story‘ is divided into three parts:

Q & A with Patricia Geist-Martin, Ph.D. and Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications

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2020 by SJF Communications

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Meet Chi Varnado – Author of ‘The Dance Centre Presents Giselle’

But first, a little about Chi Varnado:

Q & A

Author Chi Varnado & Susan J. Farese

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2020 by SJF Communications

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Here is our SJF Communications Q & A Interview with Moonsub Shin and Susan J. Farese:

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SJF Communications – ‘Our Mission: Your Communications’!

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Classical Pianist Jeeyoon Kim will celebrate the national release of her newest album ‘Over. Above. Beyond.’ with a concert on Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. at the Auditorium at TSRI (The Scripps Research Institute).

Getting to Know Jeeyoon Kim

Q & A Jeeyoon Kim and Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications

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*Author of ‘Ashes in the Ocean’***