Ojai: Talk of the Town

Howard "Hawk" Koch is a true son of  Hollywood, the son of legendary producer Howard Koch Sr. In fact, they are the only father-son team to chair the Academy of Motion Picture Academy of Arts & Sciences, hosts of the Oscars. But he went his own route to make his own mark, leaving for England while still in his teens to join the music business as an assistant to the legendary Harold Davison, where he helped manage acts such as the Dave Clark Five.

When he returned to Hollywood, he began his steady ascent up the success ladder, eventually producing such classics as "Chinatown," "The Way We Were," "Rosemary's Baby," and even "Wayne's World." Known by colleagues as the "iron fist in the velvet glove," Koch was famous for bringing in his films on time and under budget, all the while creating a fun and creative work environment.

Koch talks candidly about his bouts of depression, anxiety and the struggle to find purpose. In fact, he took his Bar Mitzvah at age 50, choosing "Hawk" as his name on his rabbi's recommendation for its ability to see from horizon to horizon, and yet in the most minute detail. He moved to Ojai six years, yet continues to juggle many different projects. Besides the Academy, he was a key member of the Producers Guild of America, credited with professionalizing the craft, and increasing membership exponentially. (Look for the little p.g.a. "bug" on screen credits - that's Koch's innovation).

He's confident that the communal experience of going out to watch movies and other forms of entertainment will return as soon as the Covid vaccines are widely distributed, and said that producers have figured out how to create safe workspace through social distances, mask and frequent disinfection. While more difficult for smaller productions, the pace of projects is beginning to pick up again.

Married to Molly Jordan, who has her own show business backstory as the granddaughter of the iconic radio show creators "Fibber McGee & Molly," they co-wrote Hawk's memoir, "Magic Time: My Life in Hollywood." Hawk recommended a few shows, "Queen's Gambit," "Hillbilly Elegy," and

We did not get around to talking about Warren Beatty, Mike Myers or on-set nightmare scenarios. Next time ...

James Morrison is a familiar presence on the stage and screen, having had key roles in the hyper-kinetic "24" where he played the head of the counter-terrorism unit, and the prison warden in David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" (co-written by his friend and fellow Ojai resident Mark Frost.

Having looked forward to this conversation for ages, he did not disappoint. Besides sharing that we were both the fifth of six children, he talked about hitchhiking the  length of the Alcan Highway (look it up), being a problem child at Anchorage, Alaska's West High School, where he found salvation in the footlights, and his struggles with addiction and his finding strength through his yoga practice, which he learned from the renowned Ganga White.

We talked about his pandemic routine, the ways in which the entertainment industry is adapting and to all those struggling through this covid-era. He talked candidly about his issues as an up-and-coming actor who would often show up at rehearsals hung over until a mentor noticed and said, "'It's going to kill you and just your luck it's going to take you 50 years to die.'" His wise words to those who are feeling the strain of loneliness and pressure in this covid-era? "There’s any easier, softer way. Just please keep in mind ... You are not alone."

He has produced and directed films, including the well-received documentary “Showing Up,” about the audition process with 50 well-known actors. He and his wife Riad Galayini co-directed and produced the doc which featured luminaries like Kristin Chenoweth, Nathan Lane and Sam Rockwell. As a singer-songwriter, he has also written and performed two albums.

He talked about his pride in his son Seamus, now a student at UC-Santa Barbara and a published writer (in Ojai's own OQ magazine), who survived brain cancer at age 10. Morrison developed the experience into a one-person play that was selected for the workshop process through the prestigious Ojai Playwrights Conference with (former podcast guest) Robert Egan.

And yet, Morrison wants us to know that's just he's another Ojai friend and neighbor. He quoted  Oscar Wilde: “We are not a noun, we’re human beings."

Check out his profile on IMDB.com — you’ll get finger fatigue from all the scrolling. You are also encouraged to check out his website, jpmorrison.com.

We talk with Dr. Pops about the promising vaccines in human trial, one from Pfizer and the other from Moderna. Both companies said they will file for an emergency use authorization with the Food and Drug Administration in the coming weeks. One or the other vaccine could be ready as early as January, and would likely go to front-line workers in the medical field. The Pfizer vaccine will be a two-stage process and requires extremely cold temperatures - minus 70 celcius, making the rollout a challenge since few facilities are equipped with the cold technology. The Moderna vaccine also requires cold storage, but can handle 20 degrees warmer, putting in the reach of traditional freezers.

Dr. Pops explains that the vaccines use an entirely new approach to unlocking the body's immune system, using messenger RNA (mRNA) that trigger the creation of a coronavirus protein which then kicks off an immune response. The Pfizer vaccine appeared to be 90 percent effective, the Moderna at 94.5 percent. It appears likely that this will be by far the fastest rollout of a vaccine - with the next closest being the mumps vaccine that took four-and-half years.

At the center of effort is the CDC's director Dr. Anthony Fauci, with whom Dr. Pops worked closely with back in the 1980s tracking a strange outbreak of immune-deficiency cases in the Los Angeles area. That outbreak turned out to be AIDS. Dr. Fauci has been the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984.

We also talk with Dr. Pops about the importance of proper exercise and nutrition to fighting off infections, the stellar yet strange championship seasons of the Lakers and the Dodgers, and what a boost it has been for a beleaguered city. He shared a few of his covid haikus, which he writes every day, including coronavirus / be sure to stay away / from people you like.

We did not talk about Chumash basket weavers, the uneven results of Beyoncé and Jay-Z collaborations or the maple syrup industry.

Alexander "Sandy" Treadwell had an illustrious career in New York State as a Republican County activist and close associate and friend of three-term Gov. George Pataki. He also spent six years as the Secretary of State of New York, one of Pataki's key cabinet members. He is also a  "Never Trumper" who fears America's authoritarian turn during the past four years.

He was born in England, where his father was a general officer in the British Army and where his parents met during World War II. Treadwell is the grandson of a founding executive of General Electric, and a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He split his time between Manhattan and upstate New York's rural Essex County where his family farmed. After college he went into journalism, figuring if he couldn't become a sports hero like Mickey Mantle, he could write about them. He met his wife while working at Sports Illustrated, covering college football among other sports. Although a Republican, Treadwell was inspired to get into politics by the example of John F. Kennedy and the idealism of civic service. 

Treadwell is also steady contributor to the New Yorker magazine's cartoon caption contest, which he won several years from amid more than 6,000 selections; he has also been one of three finalists another time, a nearly unprecedented feat. Treadwell, known as an inclusive moderate, made friends across the political aisle as he worked his way through the state party jobs such as county chairman and joined Pataki on the GOP's platform committee. After moving to Ojai 10 years ago, his wife prompted him to find something to do, so at age 70, he took a charcoal drawing class with well-regarded local artist Dan Shultz, where he discovered a previously unknown talent as a portraitist. He has exhibited widely and is available for private commissions at https://www.sandytreadwell.com/

A few other links to learn more about this fascinating Ojai resident ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Treadwell

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/10/nyregion/nice-guy-tough-gop-job-new-state-chairman-takes-challenge-uniting-party-stride.html

We did not get around to talking about Chester A. Arthur's correspondence with Julia Sand, the UNC v. Duke rivalry or Lake Champlain's Champy monster.

For 25 years now, Kim Maxwell, a performer herself, has taught Ojai people on how to tell their stories and how to perform them, and how to grow in the process. For the past three years, she and her crew, which includes her daughter Lily, have produced "The Townies" podcast, which includes only-in-Ojai conversations, music, performances, our own "Prairie Home Companion."

Kim, a native of Canada's Prairie Provinces, escaped the bitter cold for the bright lights of Los Angeles in her teens and has only looked back occasionally, just to be sure nothing was gaining on her. We learn about how she crafted her identify, from a lonely, misfit teen to one of the most distinguished acting coaches in Southern California. Along the way, she started Theater 150, was among the founders of the Ojai Playwrights Conference and now owns Kim Maxwell Studio. She is a Living Treasure of Ojai, a winner of the Ojai Chamber of Commerce's Spirit Award and as kind and empathetic a soul as you are likely to meet.

If you want to hear a brilliant and talented person talk about a life well-lived, you have come to the right place.

We did not talk about Wayne Gretzky, rainforests or cargo containers.

Check out kimmaxwellstudio.com

It's a real treat to check in with the vivacious and witty Krista Kim & Katherine McClelland of the popular Holy F*ck Podcast. The two Ojai women — coaches, counselors (Katherine is also a minister) and authors began their podcast, now in its third season, after a serendipitous encounter at a local watering hole.  Their overlapping yet distinct practices give them the insights into themselves, each other and their clients. Krista describes her practice as focusing on people going through "big, sexy, spiritual changes," and Katherine's as for "people in partnership opening to each other in a really powerful way."

Krista and Katherine both have  Masters Degrees in Spiritual Psychology,  which, as they say, "gives them the fancy credentials to talk health, healing, and the mind/body/spirit connection, and their wildly varied personal histories give them the unofficial street smarts to talk about sex, love, and well, anything they want!"

Given the specific conversations about the people in their lives, the two often run into people who know them and their relationships and their journeys. "As you know, Ojai is a small town," but the people they are in relationship with are in on the game. They describe their podcast talks as a back-and-forth that enhances their value to their clients, and also helps them grow personally with insight and compassion.

The conversation ranges widely from the dynamics of feminine and masculine, the changing gender roles of this modern world, and the idea of bringing presence and spirit to the everyday life. We also talk about how men are stupid and women are crazy; we talk about men coming out of their caves and opening themselves the vulnerabilities of growth, as well as women finding their way to loving their selves and their partnerships. How do we love each other without compromising the essence of who we are? Come on in and find out.

As the ladies say, "if you are a regular, open-minded person stumbling through dating, relationships, parenting, and everyday life, then this podcast will tickle your taint."

Check it out at twogalsoulschool.com.

We didn't get around the talking about the transcontinental railroad, glassmaking or the Lakers' return to Lebron-inspired glory.

Through a demoralizing Spring,  Summer and now Fall of cancellations - from the Tennis Tournament to Ojai Day -  one prestigious event is still happening. With its inventive and innovative lineup of virtual, and even a few select few in-person activities Taste of Ojai is coming this Sunday, October 25th at 5 p.m.

This issue of the podcast we speak with event organizer Tara Saylor, who is uniquely qualified to make this happen, so that sponsoring organization, the Rotary Club of Ojai, can continue to make possible college scholarships for worthy high school seniors as well as dozens of community grants to worthy local projects.

Saylor, raised in Ojai and now teaching and organizing back in her hometown, has found an interesting way of making a living, one that has given her a wide range of tools to meet the present moment. The "human multi-purpose tool," Saylor was raised in Ojai and has traveled widely to festivals around the country, building incredible exhibits and art installations, including at Burning Man, South By Southwest as well as the Lightning in a Bottle Festival.

Taste of Ojai is organized a little differently this year - with half of the $80 price going to support participating restaurants, with a busy lineup including cooking demonstration with Suzanne Tracht of Los Angeles destination restaurant JAR, plus short films featuring Ojai's chefs and brewers, plus a silent and live auction, all to support worthy community projects. See below for a list of associated links.

TasteofOjai.org

thejar.com/suzanne-tracht

Interior Design: studiounltd.com/

Montana Project(video): taft-nicholson.utah.edu/about/index.php

Lighting in a Bottle: thedolab.com

EDC Caterpillar(Video): vimeo.com/116514951

Special Bonus Episode: Ojai's first directly elected Mayor, Johnny Johnston, is nearing the end of his second and final term. It seemed a good time to catch up with what's going in the city with the pandemic, the coming election and what he hopes for Ojai's future. The lawsuit that forced the city and school district to divide into proportionally populated districts - designed to increase minority participation but likely to have the opposite effect - comes in for a critical analysis of its effects.

We talk about the what works with the city, what doesn't, and how to nurture and encouragement young people and people of color to get involved with civic affairs. We also talk about threats to Ojai, past, present and future, and the way forward toward a sustainable, prosperous community.

We did not get around to talking about the Lakers' title, Tom Brady's durability or the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

Lucy Bellwood, adventure cartoonist and artist extraordinaire, has accomplished significant feats for someone still so young, including developing a loyal and devoted fan base. She is currently working on a book project with Kate Milford about a seafaring adventure graphic novel series with kind and cuddly capybaras. 

We talk about the eternal artistic hustle, about Kant's admonition "to not number voices, but instead weigh them." Lucy talks about the famous blog post from Kevin Kelley's "1,000 True Fans," and how to develop and sustain enough people who will stick with an artist through thick and thin and allow them to achieve artistic freedom. We talk about earlier pre-Patreon and Kickstarter artists, Robert Musil and Harry Partch, who were free to create as they chose through the patronage of a small but dedicated group of fans.

Featured in a prior issue of the Ojai Quarterly by Kit Stolz for her "100 Demon Dialogues" book, Bellwood has just signed a contract for 750 pages of drawings over the next six years.

An Ojai native, Lucy talks about connectedness and being known through several generations, an experience rarely duplicated outside your hometown, even as she's been in Portland, Oregon for the past decade. Always innovative and forward-thinking, one of Lucy's news projects is the "Right Number," an anonymous confessional phone line where callers can leave messages and know that only one person will hear them. Her experience at Reed College was formative and unusual, prompted by an influential teacher in Ojai, and which has led to her prolific and unusual career path.

We conclude with Lucy's perceptive insights into the social unrest in Portland, and how it does not line up with right-wing narratives, because the protests are limited to a small, six-block downtown zone and whatever rare acts of violence happens can be laid at the feet of police overreach.

We did not get around to talking about the 1908 Tunguska explosion, Sumerian cuneiform or the Antarctic expeditions of Ernest Shackleton.

A partial list of references is herein ...

- 100 Demon Dialogues (100demondialogues.com)

- PostSecret (https://postsecret.com)

John Broesamle and his wife Kathy moved to Ojai more than 40 years ago, where they both rolled up their sleeves and got involved, especially on environmental issues. They have been at the forefront of fights against uranium and gypsum mines, freeways criss-crossing the valley, landfills, double-trailer trucks laden with gravel rumbling past our public schools, and, more recently, fracking permits in upper Ojai.

A retired history professor, John's deep context for current challenges gives him insight and understanding that makes him a formidable activist. When he noticed that Ojai faced an existential threat about every decade, John and a few others banded together to form the Ojai Valley Defense Fund, which just published a hard-bound art book of photographs and essays about Ojai's startling natural beauty. With the help of professionals like Heather Stobo and Lisa Casoni, Misty and Logan Hall and dozens of Ojai's finest photos from its finest photographers, the book is a celebration as well as a persuasive argument for preservation. It's available at Porch Gallery or online at ovdf.org.

We also talked about the birth, growth and future of the environment, of FDR's visits to Yosemite, and how the forming of the Civilian Conservation Corps, with its ethos of teamwork and camaraderie, prepared a generation of young people for the twin challenges of the Great Depression and World War II. The tragic election of 1876 and the end of Reconstruction was also discussed, and how it led us to this fraught present era.

We did not talk about the Westminster dog show, the lethal Zulu assegai swords or octopuses.