Ojai: Talk of the Town

Dr. Vander was well on his way to a career in as a medical doctor, when a random encounter with a series of physiology experiments about kidneys intrigued him, and led him into a half century of scientific studies and authoring books at the University of Michigan.

He became a leading expert on kidney function and much more, literally writing the textbook. He is still keeping up-to-date with the latest findings in his well-earned Ojai retirement, where he's been for more than a decade with his wife Judy, an esteemed expert and musicologist in her own right. We talked about recent research that shows activity in patients with no brain activity, the enormous growth and elasticity of snake stomach and hearts and its implications for cardiovascular disease, social science and the replication crisis in experiments and much more.

We did not talk about baseball, the Laurentian Shield and Shoshone dances. You can learn more about Dr. Vander through his extensive publications on Amazon.

David Odorisio, an Ojai resident and Pacifica Graduate Institute professor, recently compiled a collection of essays from Thomas Merton, the mystic, monk, philosopher and author, titled, "Merton in California: The Redwood Conferences & Letters." He was featured by Kit Stolz in the Summer issue of Ojai Quarterly.

Odorisio talked about his lifelong fascination with Merton, the Trappist monk who burst into fame with his book, "The Seven Storey Mountain," written while he was a monk at Gethsemani Monastery near Bardstown, Kentucky. Odorisio has had quite a journey himself, from growing up in Philadelphia, to seminary school to teaching at Pacifica, a leading center for the the study of depth psychology and mythology.

We talked about why Merton has remained so relevant to the modern age, his struggles with this faith, his untimely death not longer after his California sojourn, and his political activism.

We did not talk about Netflix quarterly earnings, the Great Fire of London in 1666 or wild mushroom foraging in Ojai.

You can check out Odorisio's work and other titles at https://www.ahomeforsoul.com/

Rainer F. Buschmann is a professor of history at California State University, Channel Islands, and has just published "Hoarding New Guinea," about the German obsession for collecting through their Pacific imperialist years in 1880s to World War I.

We talked about the European and U.S. desires for overseas empires, and the subsequent carving up large swathes of the globe. The Germans helped themselves to Namibia, Togo, Cameroon, Ghana, Burundi, Rwanda in Africa as well as large portions of New Guinea and the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific. From the beginning, the Germans amassed huge amounts of artifacts and art from these territories for their museums, as well as from and through private traders. The reckoning for these appropriations continues to this day.

We also talked about the great Polynesian navigators, Buschmann's own journey on a traditional sailing vessel, his youth in Barcelona and elsewhere in Catalonia, coming to America and life in Ojai.

We did not talk about Ohtani's progress on returning to the mound for the Dodgers, Olympic water ballet or copper production in southeast Arizona.

He has also written "Iberian Visions of the Pacific Ocean," and "Anthropology's Global Histories." You can find out more about him at https://ciapps.csuci.edu/FacultyBios/FacultyBiography/Details/613

Executive Director Jeremy Cohen returns to the podcast to talk about this year's Ojai Playwrights Conference, in which 8 playwrights are selected from among hundreds of submissions to develop their work with a dedicated crew of dramaturgs, theater directors, actors and fellow writers in an intensive two-week workshop, which culminates in a weekend of live public readings (August 1 - 4).

This year five new playwrights - Christine Pumariega, Libby Carr, Lee Cataluna, Alex Lin and Mfoniso Udofia - join three artists in residence: Jacklyn Backhaus, Steve Yockey and Ojai veteran Stephen Aidly Guirgis. The Ojai Youth Theater Workshop is another important opportunity for high school students to immerse themselves in theater for those two weeks.

Cohen talks about the relevance and critical mission of the theater during uncertain times, how our empathy is developed on stage, and creating during the isolation of the pandemic. We also talked about how Ojai has assumed a central role in new play development with its open hospitality and dozens of volunteers, the importance of diversity in expanding our humanity and what's next for this renowned festival as it nears its third decade.

Cohen also discussed making the move from Minneapolis, where he was the producing artistic director at the Playwrights Center, to Los Angeles, and how we came to find himself working with writers, actors and producers.

We did not talk about Thomas Merton's final trip to Asia, casual vacancy elections in England or the scamsmanship that surrounds Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies.

For more information, check out OjaiPlays.org.

Alexander "Sandy" Treadwell found Ojai when his wife Libby took out a compass and drew a circle around a map, looking for a new home within 90 miles of Los Angeles, close enough for their LA grandchildren, rural for their farm animals, and with a thriving arts community.

Treadwell's varied career included covering college football at Sports Illustrated, state GOP Chair in New York, and 10 years as New York's Secretary of State, working for the three-term Republican governor George Pataki. He is now an acclaimed pen-and-ink portraitist and member of the Ojai Studio Artists.

We talked about how the modern iteration of the Republican Party has lost its bearings in the age of Donald Trump, why Ojai's allure is so strong, the political process of running campaigns, including his own quixotic bid for congress against now-U.S. Senator Kristen Gillibrand, and sports.

We did not talk about emerald ash borer beetles killing off the wood baseball bat industry, the wildfire mosaic of the chaparral or Dolly Varden fisheries in British Columbia.

Learn more about Treadwell at SandyTreadwell.com or OjaiStudioArtists.org

Author Ivor Davis has written seven books, "The Devil in my Friend" is the latest, co-written with his late wife, Sally. It's a stirring account of his neighbor in Malibu in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Fred Roehler, who worked as a diver and engineer for the U.S. Navy.

When Roehler survived a boating accident that claimed the life of his wife, Verna, and step-son, Doug, people became suspicious, especially when it was learned that Roehler's first wife had died by drowning in their backyard pool. The murders literally hit home for Davis, they lived in the same neighborhood and Davis coached Doug's soccer team, and Fred was his assistant coach.

Davis follows the investigation and trial through every gripping twist and turn, diving deep into the complexities of human nature, of how psychopaths fool us despite their cold-blooded nature. Davis and his wife investigated Roehler's childhood in Indiana, where they discovered the family roots of his sociopathy.

His other books include his first-person account of being embedded with The Beatles on their triumphant tour of America in 1964, with a recent 60th anniversary edition expanded with more photos and a Q&A section. He also wrote extensively about Charles Manson, and his eyewitness account covering the notorious cult leader and murderer.

We talk about Ivor's love of Ojai and its arts community, his fascinating career covering America for the London Daily Express, Times of London, New York Times Syndicate and Los Angeles Magazine. He has also written a children's book, "Ladies and Gentlemen ... the Penguins!"

We did not talk about Ulysses Grant's second term, the Gunpowder Plot or the rise of Sabrina Carpenter.

You can check out Davis' books at IvorDavisBooks.com or through his media contact, Kathleen Kaiser, at [email protected].

With Mesa Farms opening to its first residents this month, it's a good time to re-post our interview with Dan Parziale from 2022.

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Dan Parziale and co-founder Kyle Thompson came together early in the pandemic around the idea that young adults aging out of the foster care system are basically thrown out on their own with few resources or information. No wonder so many end up homeless, perpetuating the cycles of poverty and trauma.

Dan, a veteran nonprofit leader, and Kyle, a veteran entrepreneur (co-founder Topa Topa Brewing Co.) bring their special skills and talents to this transitional housing enterprise. They purchased a 10-acre regenerative farm on the East End, brought in tiny homes, and are ready for their first clients. The idea is to take a holistic approach to the differing needs of each of the youth they host, help them build strong relationships with each and within the community, and to use the hard work of regenerative farming as therapy, binding them closer with nature and teaching them useful life skills.

The youth come from referrals from social service agencies around Ventura County, and is open to those in need between the ages of 18 and 24. Each client will have their own room, and an individualized plan that includes work training, wellness, therapy and education.

The needs are stark. Between 2020 and 2022 homelessness in Ventura County rose more than 25 percent, many of those kids from the foster care system who are ill prepared for the outside world. We also talked about social service agencies, Dan's experiences growing up in Ojai, his education and raising his own children. We did not talk about the pitchers using spitballs, lost technologies in shipbuilding or the Real Housewives of Atlanta.

For more information check out www.mesafarm.org

Ojai author and playwright Robin Gerber recently returned from New York City where her play about Katherine Graham's tumultuous and consequential life was performed by the inimitable Sharon Lawrence. Afterwards, Robin hosted a panel discussion about domestic violence with Gloria Steinem.

It's been quite a journey for Gerber, whose one-woman work about Graham was developed at the Ojai Playwrights Conference in 2017. It's been performed several times since with Lawrence on stage and Michelle Joyner directing.

Graham's husband Phil, publisher of the Washington Post, was a confidante and close personal friends to JFK and other men of power. He was also abusive toward Katherine; he was mentally ill and ended his life with a shotgun blast.

Graham, despite efforts by Washington Post board members to sideline her, went on to become a formidable publisher herself, publishing the Pentagon Papers and Watergate investigations. The deeply personal play bears witness to the tortured inner life of this remarkable woman, who went from abused spouse to become one the leading lights of the 20th century.

We talked about Robin's biography of Ruth Handler, the inventor of Barbie, her inspiring book on Eleanor Roosevelt's leadership wisdom, and her next project, about caretaking her husband through his Parkinson's experience. We also talked our shared experience with Cary Odes' standup comedy class.

We did not talk about Amazonian bio-char, Adelaide penguins or ancient flint-knapping technologies.

You can check out more about Robin and her impressive body of work at her publishers' - HarperCollins.com and on Facebook. Robin is a professional public speaker and her website is RobinGerber.com.

Artist & illustrator Daren Thomas Magee has seen his career explode since moving to Ojai, and it all started with a simple postcard that he created and started passing around. He has since amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram where he delves into life's big question while moving merchandise.

The conversation ranged around many topics, beginning with his making a move into the world of fine art, the changing nature of social media as it moves into a "pay to play" model, war and other disasters and the effects on social cohesion and much more. We also go into recent changes in Ojai and what it might mean for the future.

We did not talk about Fernando Valenzuela's auspicious major league baseball debut, the comedic stylings of Paul Mooney or the recent Starlink launches from Space X.

You can check out Daren's work at realfunwow.com. He also co-hosts with Jaymee Carpenter the "Mystical/Cynical" podcast.