Mountain Views News          Saturday, March 23, 2013

10

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

 Mountain Views News Saturday, March 23, 2013 

SEAN’S SHAMELESS 

REVIEWS: 

JASMINE’S CORNER

Book Reviews by Jasmine Kelsey Williams 


MARLEY & ME By John Grogan

This next selection is perfect for all you pet-lovers 
out there, especially to those of you who enjoy the 
love and companionship of your dogs. “Marley 
& Me” by John Grogan is a #1 New York Times 
Bestseller, copyrighted in 2005 but still holds its 
appeal and charm to this day. Grogan brings forth 
a story perfectly told as a walkthrough of snapshots 
of his life, which takes a significant turn for the 
better when he and his wife bring home Marley, the 
energetic Labrador retriever puppy. 

Energetic may be considered a stretch for both the 
reader and Grogan, considering when Grogan recalls 
his experiences of Marley not just being an energetic 
and lovable pup, but one that knows no bounds. 
Marley never stops moving, his outlook on life never 
ceasing, and causing quite the ruckus while he’s at it; 
running and crashing through screen doors, chewing 
on furniture, and eating bags of kibble are just a few 
of the hilarious antics that Marley pulls. Josh Grogan 
shines with his words when he delves into the life 
of Marley, but without completely overshadowing 
any other aspects of his life or his wife. The pacing 
flows at a leisurely pace and the tone matches it as 
well; the history of how Marley came to be, Grogan’s 
life before and after Marley came into their lives, and 
how Marley affects the course of all lives included 
when Grogan and his wife start a family. Readers will 
be delighted at not just how smoothly the story flows out, but also the color photographs of him 
and Marley and how he interacted in real life. Even when the story starts to turn somber as Marley 
nears old age, readers can still comprehend the joys of a life well-spent from a loyal creature that 
is classically viewed as “man’s best friend”.

 “Marley & Me” is an excellent and lovely selection for all readers and should make you appreciate 
the companionship of any pets that you have, wish to have, or even if you do not have one. And 
to add to its appeal, “Marley & Me” has also been adapted and released as a major motion picture 
which stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston.

DUCKTAILS 

Matt Mondanile of the indie rock outfit Real Estate has been making 
solo albums under the moniker Ducktails for sometime now. With his 
latest endeavor, “The Flower Lane,” Mondanile takes a tangential turn by 
including the band Big Troubles to back him as well as a few other musicians 
lending a hand. This new collaborative approach has Ducktails veering into a new soundscape, 
one that isn’t all lo-fi with fuzzy guitars and echo-y vocals. Instead the “studio” like resonance feels 
more professional than ever before with saxophones, synths, pianos and clearer vocals to boot. 
If anything, the sound of Ducktails is on a much larger scale, but loses some of its intimate and 
tight sound. “The Flower Lane” is an easy listening pop record that is much more expressive and 
expansive than previous efforts have proven to be. 
With the combination of soft rock, pop, and jazz 
this new foray of a shared band experience has 
benefited Ducktails in many ways, but has also 
taken away their certain, distinctive charm. 

“Ivy Covered House” floats gently along in a 
breezy sort of way. There is a hazy feel to it, but 
never does it develop into anything much greater. As of most the songs do here, they’re all very 
pleasant, but Ducktails dare to take any bold risks. The title track has a nice feel to it. It moves along 
very smoothly and is the ideal song while sitting outside on your porch enjoying the springtime. 
Everything on “The Flower Lane” is structured differently than previous Ducktails’ material. There’s 
more songwriting to go along with the songs, but don’t expect anything remotely deep or insightful. 
The lyrics play a minor role as their meanings seem either vague or inessential. However, the album 
is a lot fuller, more polished and easily more accessible than Ducktails’ last three albums. There’s 
more to grasp you here with the arrangements even if the lyrics merely play second fiddle. 

Mondanile draws influences from 60s pop to psychedelic rock. Each song is sonically pleasing and 
there are no noticeable mishaps along the way. In the end, “The Flower Lane” is a departure for 
Ducktails, but a rather safe bet for one to take. The music is both easy going and pleasing, but the 
album lacks a heartbeat. There’s no soul behind it. It’s a bunch of songs that have no interconnection 
to one another. While the production was boosted quite noticeably, the songwriting deeply suffers 
as well as little risk was taken. It’s difficult to ignore “The Flower Lane” and while it surely isn’t what 
many fans may have been looking for, the change in course may serve those looking for something 
different. Too bad different doesn’t always correlate to memorable. 

Grade: 6.9 out of 10 

Key Tracks: “Under Cover,” “Assistant Director,” “Academy Avenue” 


Artist: Ducktails 

Album: The Flower Lane

Label: Domino Records

Release Date: January 29th, 2013

 
“GOD’S 
MAN IN 
TEXAS”

Written by: DAVID RAMBO

Directed by: NANCY 
YOUNGBLUT

Presented by:

 SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE

Starring: TED HEYCK, 

 CHRISTIANLEBANO 

 and PAUL PERRI

FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2013 AT 8 P.M.

SATURDAY, APRIL 13 AT 8 P.M.

AT

SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE

87 W. SIERRA MADRE BLVD.

SIERRA MADRE, CA 91024

Reception follows Friday 
performance.

Ample free parking behind theatre.

Tickets are available online at www.sierramadreplayhouse.org or by calling 626-355-4318

AUTHORS TOURS USA - Launch & Inaugural Book Signing

www.AuthorsTourUSA.com www.Facebook.com/AuthorsTourUSA


Pasadena-based organized, co-founded by 
Wendy Anderson and La Quetta Shamblee 
was created to provide marketing, 
networking and promotional support for 
published authors, with a focus on self-
published authors small, independent 
publishing companies.

According to Anderson: Authors Tour 
US™, developed as a natural expansion of 
the Authors’ Corner section of The Artisan 
Faire held at historic Santa Anita Race Track 
in November 2012, Authors Tour USA™ 
is a vehicle for authors to promote their 
published works.” 

“What is exciting,” says Shamblee, “Authors 
Tour USA™ has already attracted authors 
from coast to coast in California, Nevada, 
Massachusetts, Virginia, Texas, and also 
Puerto Rico.”

Webster’s Fine Stationery, an 
independently-owned family business with 
a reputation for supporting local artisans 
and authors, is the host venue for this 
event. The official launch Authors Tour 
USA™ will feature four authors who reside 
in the Greater Pasadena area, including. 

ADRIANNE HALL, (Monrovia native): 
In her first novel, Thresholds, the 
underlying message is, “Everyone has a 
secret” and some of those secrets cross 
over the threshold to being outright lies. 
Winter Bernard and Carley DeVries are 
two college co-eds who, while harboring 
their own deep dark secrets, befriend each 
other and through a series of heroic events 
find themselves embroiled in unfolding the 
life-altering truth about another co-ed’s 
tragic death. Throughout the twists and 
turns that their lives take, the characters 
in THRESHOLDS come face to face with 
the realization that nobody really knows 
the impact that secrets and lies will have, 
whether or not they are discovered. 
(Fiction)

KOJI STEVEN SAKAI, (Pasadena native) 
has four screenplays, which became 
feature films: Haunted Highway (2006), 
The People I’ve Slept With (2009),Monster 
& Me (2012), and Chink (2012). He also 
served as a producer on The People I’ve 
Slept With and Chink . Most recently, his 
feature length screenplay, Romeo, Juliet, & 
Rosaline, was optioned by Amazon Studios. 
(Screenplay). His project, My Imaginary 
Boyfriend, that he wrote with Emily Brauer 
Rogers was accepted to Project Catalyst at 
the 2013 29th Annual Los Angeles Asian 
Pacific Film Festival!

Although he doesn’t have a book, he will 
be providing invaluable information about 
his process and success in having his 
screenplays produced as feature films. 

CHRISTINA HAMLETT, (Pasadena). 

Screenwriting for Teens is the second film 
book Hamlett has written specifically for 
the high school market. Her fondness for 
this age group, however, goes back much 
farther. Since 1980, she has been mentoring 
aspiring young writers nationwide as well 
as penning over 150 plays for them to 
perform at their schools and in community 
theaters. This particular book gives teens 
-who go to the movies more than any age 
group in the world - the tools to do more 
than just watch those movies. It gives 
them the tools to write their own films. 
Don’t let the title fool you, though - just as 
many young-at-heart adults have plucked 
it off the shelves to learn the tricks of the 
trade and master their own screenwriting 
journeys. 

ELLEN SNORTLAND (Altadena). Beauty 
Bites Beast is a clarion call for women and 
girls to learn how to physically defend 
themselves as a birth right or human right. 
Women are not biologically helpless, but 
just like swimming must be taught, so too 
can personal safety skills that can save a 
woman’s life. Featured on NBC’s Dateline 
program, Beauty Bites Beast is considered 
a classic in the violence prevention field. 
Snortland is currently completing her 
documentary, also called Beauty Bites 
Beast, which chronicles women in a 
Mexican factory who learn how to defend 
themselves. Stirring, revolutionary and 
controversial, it poses the question, “What 
happens when the sleeping giant of women 
in Latin America wake up and take back 
their power?”

Other Authors Tour USA™ members 
to be showcased in the future include: 
Emmy-award™ winning children’s author 
John Lanza; Award-winning author and 
activist, Ifalade Ta’shia Asanti, Actor, 
Giovanni Ortega; documentary producer 
and military historian, Jay Wertz; 
hypnotherapist and Reiki Master, Carol 
Woodliff. Other talented authors include: 
from California: Me’Cael “Fly Boi” Baez, 
Brigitte Benchimol, Abdul Chappel, Randy 
Jurado Ertll, Kinji Inomata, Azaan Kamau, 
Jessie Karen, Roberta Martinez, Jan 
McInnis, Carol McKibben, Stacy Nelson, 
Poetic Old Soul, La Quetta Shamblee, Kira 
Solomatova. Also Marvie Ellis, Texas; 
Mark Sonder, Virginia; Roseann Benson, 
Massachusetts; Janet Dunnagan, Nevada 
and Yolanda Aroyyo-Pizarro of Puerto 
Rico.

If you are a writer or author and would like 
to become a member, complete the online 
application at www.AuthorsTourUSA.com 

WEBSTER’S FINE STATIONER – 
Webster’s is a third-generation Altadena 
small business. They are the first and 
only Altadena Lifestyle retailer with a 
long history of family and community. 
Webster’s is a local, sustainable, socially 
responsible store with gifts and stationary 
presented to their community with their 
lifestyle sensibilities in mind.

In addition to being the first and only 
Lifestyle store in Altadena, they host 
monthly “Eccentric Poets Open Mic”, 
book signings and showcase local artists. 
Webster’s provide retail distribution 
opportunities for products created by 
individual artisans and musicians. They 
also carry an inventory of fine art, artisan 
food products, body care products, 
stationery and jewelry from manufacturers 
throughout the U.S. Part of their mission 
is to educate residents about the value 
of shopping locally. According to Lori 
Webster: “I feel that the only way our 
economy is going to turn around is if we 
all make a concentrated effort to avoid 
shopping at corporate stores. If most of 
our retail store owners brought from more 
local sources, our local economies would 
be strengthened. Chasing the lowest price 
isn’t good for anyone.”

In addition, Webster’s has opened its 
store to local non-profits, showcasing 
merchandise year round for Altadena’s 
Christmas Tree Lane, giving 75% f net 
proceeds to the nonprofits. They sell 
t-shirts from the Altadena Library, giving 
100% of the proceeds to them.