Mountain Views News, Sierra Madre Edition [Pasadena] Saturday, January 28, 2017

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Mountain Views-News Saturday, January 28, 2017 

Jeff’s Book Pics By Jeff Brown

On the Marquee: 

Notes from the Sierra MadrePlayhouse


Israel: A Concise History of 
a Nation Reborn by Daniel 
Gordis

 Daniel Gordis, “one of the most 
respected Israel analysts” (The 
Forward) living and writing in 
Jerusalem.Israel is a tiny state, 
and yet it has captured the world’s 
attention, aroused its imagination, 
and lately, been the object of its 
opprobrium. Why does such a small 
country speak to so many global 
concerns? More pressingly: Why 
does Israel make the decisions it 
does? And what lies in its future?We 
cannot answer these questions 
until we understand Israel’s people 
and the questions and conflicts, 
the hopes and desires, that have 
animated their conversations and 
actions. Though Israel’s history is 
rife with conflict, these conflicts do 
not fully communicate the spirit of 
Israel and its people: they give short 
shrift to the dream that gave birth 
to the state, and to the vision for the 
Jewish people that was at its core. 
Guiding us through the milestones 
of Israeli history, Gordis relays the 
drama of the Jewish people’s story 
and the creation of the state. Clear-
eyed and erudite, he illustrates how 
Israel became a cultural, economic 
and military powerhouse—but also 
explains where Israel made grave 
mistakes and traces the long history 
of Israel’s deepening isolation.With 
Israel, public intellectual Daniel 
Gordis offers us a brief but thorough 
account of the cultural, economic, 
and political history of this complex 
nation, from its beginnings to the 
present. Accessible, levelheaded, and 
rigorous, Israel sheds light on the 
Israel’s past so we can understand its 
future. The result is a vivid portrait 
of a people, and a nation, reborn.

Victoria: The Heart and 
Mind of a Young Queen: 
Official Companion to the 
Masterpiece Presentation 
on PBS by Helen Rappaport 
(Author), Daisy Goodwin 
(Foreword)

 The official companion to the 
Masterpiece presentation on PBS, 
Victoria delves into the private 
writings of the young Queen 
Victoria, painting a vivid picture of 
the personal life of one of England’s 
greatest monarchs.From the 
producers of Poldark and Endeavour, 
ITV’s Victoria follows the early years 
of the young queen’s reign, based closely on Victoria’s 
own letters and journals. Now explore this extensive 
collection in greater depth, and discover who Victoria 
really was behind her upright public persona.At 
only eighteen years old, Victoria 
ascended the throne as a rebellious 
teenager and gradually grew to 
become one of the most memorable, 
unshakeable and powerful women 
in history. The extensive writings 
she left behind document this 
personal journey and show how 
she triumphed over scandal and 
corruption. Written by author 
and Victoria historical consultant, 
Helen Rappaport, and including 
a foreword by Daisy Goodwin—
acclaimed novelist and scriptwriter 
of the series—Victoria details the 
history behind the show. Revealing 
Victoria’s own thoughts about the 
love interests, family dramas and 
court scandals during her early 
reign, it also delves into the running 
of the royal household, the upstairs-
downstairs relationships, and what it 
was like to live in Victorian England.
Full of beautiful photography from 
the series and genuine imagery from 
the era, Victoria takes you behind 
the palace doors and discover the girl 
behind the queen.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik 

 Hugo award finalist • Named 
one of the best books of the year 
by| BuzzFeed | Tor.com | BookPage 
| Library Journal & Publishers 
Weekly.“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the 
girls he takes, no matter what stories 
they tell outside our valley. We hear 
them sometimes, from travelers 
passing through. They talk as though 
we were doing human sacrifice, and 
he were a real dragon. Of course that’s 
not true: he may be a wizard and 
immortal, but he’s still a man, and our 
fathers would band together and kill 
him if he wanted to eat one of us every 
ten years. He protects us against the 
Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that 
grateful.”Agnieszka loves her valley 
home, her quiet village, the forests 
and the bright shining river. But 
the corrupted Wood stands on the 
border, full of malevolent power, and 
its shadow lies over her life.Her people 
rely on the cold, driven wizard known 
only as the Dragon to keep its powers 
at bay. But he demands a terrible 
price for his help: one young woman 
handed over to serve him for ten years, 
a fate almost as terrible as falling to 
the Wood.The next choosing is fast 
approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. 
She knows—everyone knows—that 
the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, 
graceful, brave Kasia, all the things 
Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. 
And there is no way to save her.But Agnieszka fears 
the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is 
not Kasia he will choose.


All Things By Jeff Brown


INTERNATIONALLY RENOWN 
CLASSICAL PIANIST COMING 
TO THE ARCADIA PERFORMING 
ARTS CENTER SATURDAY, 
FEBRUARY 4, 2017 AT 8PM

Join Swiss-Chinese pianist Louis Schwizgebel-
Wang in concert recital. This young dynamic 
performer has won many international awards 
along with great critical acclaim. He is a rising 
star in the classical world and we are honored that 
Arcadia is the first stop on his U.S. tour.

Tickets, available online by visiting www.
arcadiapaf.org, are $10.00 - $40.00. New Year 
special discount of 35% off available with code 
RUSH35 . The theatre is located at 188 Campus 
Drive in Arcadia. The box office is open Monday-
Thursday 2:00pm-5:00pm and Saturday 10:00am-
12:00pm. For more information, please call 
626.821.1781.

A review from Schwizgebel’s recent recital in 
London had critics raving:

“[Schwizgebel] never disappoints. Let’s hope that audiences continue to be drawn in as much by 
his authoritative and stylish playing as by the intelligence and maturity of his interpretations. His 
playing has bags of personality, but it is not the sort of personality that gets in the way of the music. 
In a densely populated field, Schwizgebel’s musicianship has special depth and imagination.” 
Classical Source, December 2016

Schwizgebel has been the recipient of a number of prizes and scholarships, including second prize 
at the 2005 Concours de Genève, First Prize at the 2007 Young Concert Artists European Auditions 
in Leipzig and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York, and 2nd prize at the 
2012 Leeds International Piano Competition. He received a scholarship from Mozart.Gesellschaft 
Dortmund in 2013.2104, and was a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist in 2013.2015.

About The Arcadia Performing Arts Center

The Arcadia Performing Arts Center anchors Arcadia High School campus on the northwest 
corner. This $20 million, 40,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility includes a main performance 
hall with seating for 1,150, a stage that holds 200 musicians, tunable acoustics and professional 
lighting and sound. The Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation, a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) 
organization, is dedicated to maintaining the Performing Arts Center as a nucleus for the arts, 
education and engagement where the lives of students and the greater community are enriched.

SIERRA MADRE FOR HEALTH, WEALTH, AND 
HAPPINESS (1880’S AD FOR THE AREA)

San Gabriel Township has the best reputation of 
any part of Los Angeles County for citrus fruits and 
vineyards. Its elevation varies from eight to twenty-
five hundred feet and from one side to the other it 
is noted as a resort for consumptives.This section 
of the county contains everything that mortal man 
could desire or eye could wish to see. 

 Traversed with railroads, rivers and mountains 
with numerous villas ornamented with palm,the 
heliotrope and the rose:surrounded with orchards 
and vineyards of luxurious growth and widely 
diverse products:where almost every home has an 
altitude from one to two thousand feet:with few 
fogs or frosts;with the perpetual view if the valleys 
dotted with towns,the ocean flecked with sails, 
and the purple tinted mountains of the islands. A 
two hour tramp to the north will lead to mountain 
dells,water falls, ferns and wild flowers, or half an 
hour’s ride on the cars will leave one to the center 
of a great metropolis. Here God and man have 
thus in one superlative effort brought together all 
these features. Is it a wonder that people of wealth 
and culture are coming in great numbers to secure 
homes.

BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


DOES YOUR PARENT 
NEED HELP WITH 
FINANCES? START HERE

 

Caring for an aging parent is a common challenge 
for Baby Boomers, and now even Gen-X’ers and 
Millennials. And, stepping in to help manage your 
parents’ finances, without eroding their sense of 
independence and privacy can be a tricky endeavor.

 Many aging parents are reluctant to ask their 
children for help with their finances. It means a loss 
of control, a trading of places (from them taking care 
of you to you taking care of them), and can feel quite 
frightening for your parents.

 Nevertheless, you may be wondering what you 
can do when your parents start needing help. 

 A pile of unpaid bills, threatening calls from 
creditors or repeated instances of credit card fraud or 
financial scams are good indicators that your parent 
needs help managing his or her finances.

 Financial caregiving is easiest when you already 
have a plan in place. You may be in a good position 
to make educated decisions about their finances, but 
without the proper information and legal authority, 
your options are limited. 

 If your parent needs help, the first step is to make 
sure you know what they have, where it is, and how 
you can access it, if necessary. 

 Next, you want to make sure you know what bills 
are due, when and that their bills are being paid on 
time. 

 Unless you have the legal authority to manage 
your parents’ finances, you will need their help in 
getting access to their account and setting up auto-
bill pay for them. 

 When you are ready, the first place to start is with 
a heart to heart conversation about whether your 
parent is ready for help and what that help could 
look like.

 Then, if your parent is ready, you can ask him or 
her (or them) to legally designate you as either the 
Trustee of their trust or financial power of attorney 
holder, depending on the issues. And, be sure you 
are also designed as medical power of attorney, so 
you can make important care-giving decisions for 
your parent(s) if he, she or they cannot.

 This is also an opportune time for you to consider 
your own long-term financial planning. By helping 
your parents and getting your own affairs in order, 
you are making things as easy as possible for each 
generation in your family. What an incredible gift!

Dedicated to empowering your family, increasing 
your wealth and building your legacy,

 A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a 
mission to help parents protect what they love most. 
His office is located at 49 S. Baldwin Ave., Ste. G, 
Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an appointment 
to sit down and talk about ensuring a legacy of love 
and financial security for your family by calling 
626.587.3058 or visit www.GarlettLaw.com for more 
information.

A local attorney, father, and CASA volunteer (Court Appointed 
Special Advocate for Children), Marc Garlett is on a mission to 
help parents protect what they love most. His office is located at 
49 S. Baldwin Ave., Ste. G, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Schedule an 
appointment to sit down and talk about ensuring a legacy of love 
and financial security for your family by calling 626.355.4000 or 
visit www.GarlettLaw.com for more information.


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