readers

Please note: the interviews that appear here originally appeared at one of my other blogs: marjorie-digest.blogspot.com

Please go there to read all of the interviews. The few that appear here are just a small sample of the rich and wonderful interviews that I am gathering and building at that blog.

"Big Fan" opens Friday

Good luck and congratulations to Robert Siegel on the opening of "Big Fan," a film he wrote and directed. My interview with Robert appears below.

Dana Parish, singer/songwriter

I met with Dana on a rainy Monday afternoon, and she arrived for the interview looking impeccable and gorgeous. Since Dana was a little girl, she has been fascinated with music. She grew up outside Philadelphia and as a young girl she listened to the music of Earth, Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, and Regina Belle. She was 10 years old when she began singing lessons. She studied with the opera singer, Paul Adkins, from whom she received a great eclectic musical experience. She went on to the New England Conservatory of Music and then transferred to the Manhattan School of Music, from where she was graduated.

Dana is an accomplished songwriter and I asked about her inspirations. She explained that she listens to people's conversations and stories and draws from her own life and experiences. Her late night anxieties are layered and infused with her feelings about her personal loves, breakups, and agonies. The result is a message in music about togetherness, pain, and the joy of life. Her songs come from a very personal and private place. Dana explained that she takes time to live with her songs and because they are so personal they take some time to be revealed.

Dana has received a beautiful response from her fans. Her songs have helped them get through some of life's difficulties... and she feels very gratified when she can help listeners with her music. "Helping somebody is a beautiful thing," she feels.
The artists that Dana admires are Danny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Sheryl Crowe, Patty Griffen, and Damien Rice.

Dana's goals are to touch as many people as possible. She hopes to create timely music in songs which evolve from an artistic and organic path to reach a consciousness.

Dana's CD is called "Uncrushed." I adore and am moved by so many of the songs, but a personal favorite is "Let It Go By."
Dana's sound is pure and focused and grounded. And, like the artist... impeccable.

Thank-you, Dana, for sharing a part of the rainy Monday afternoon. Dana Parish on MySpace

Brian Gari, songwriter/performer/author

I first saw Brian Gari on October 24, 2008 at the Friends of Old Time Radio Convention held in Newark, NJ. He moderated a very interesting panel discussion with guests such as Lucie Arnaz, Betty Rose, and Ervin Drake. Joe Franklin was there, too. Brian presented a loving tribute to his father, Roberto Gari, who passed away in January 2008. I was very impressed with Brian's participation, so I went to the Drama Book Shop and I bought his book, "We Bombed In New London," to learn more about him and his career.

I sent this on April 15, 2009:
Brian:
I am almost finished reading "We Bombed In New London," and I am loving it so much I am not wanting it to end. This is a fascinating story of a true journey... and I think what is so amazing is how the narrative is factually presented with visual memorabilia and is also written with layers of extemely dark wit and humor. It is hilarious! I am just astounded by so many parts. And it is so well presented that I feel as if I am actually watching the "vignettes" unfold.
The book has sort of Larry David "Curb Your Enthusiasm" moments:
p. 47: "(David Susskind) wasn't on the phone more than ten seconds when he screamed, "I'll never get involved in musicals again!" I guess he was right; he died a very short time after my phone call."
p. 115: "He didn't give a shit. He would report me. Imagine continuing to ride with this obstinate jerk."
p. 116 "I was flattered. My songs being bootlegged? What fun!"
p. 182 "Gee. I was shaking in my boots. I had incurred the wrath of the great Cindy Adams."
I think you did a great job showing in subtle ways how people interact and relate to each other. Brian, your book is just wonderful. Let me put it this way: it's a book that is the best independent film I have ever read.
Marjorie

Shortly after I sent the above E-mail to Brian, I wrote to him again and asked if he would be interviewed for this blog. He immediately replied, "sure," and we met on Thursday, April 30th, at noon... in the Key West Diner on upper Broadway. We started to talk, and right away I was impressed with Brian's straightforward, honest, and down-to-earth manner. He spoke about his musical, "Late Nite Comic," and he said he realized the show's "time (on Broadway) was short." He discussed, in a very forthright manner, how the last few days of the show turned into a "free-for-all" because the perfomers were not getting the response they expected. He wrote "Late Nite Comic" based on his relationship with his girlfriend at the time, named Janet. Janet never saw the show. Brian says in his book she blocked all communication with him. This was a huge disappointment to him that he lives with to this day.

We then discussed Brian's "Love Online," which is based on his real-life experience about finding love on the internet. He met a woman on AOL who answered his written ad. They had many E-mail exchanges and telephone conversations... and he fell in love with her "through her words." He fell in love with her phrasing, the depth of her conversations, and her life story. And after they finally met, the romantic relationship lasted two and a half years. He was strongly emotionally involved and their connection was deep. Brian insists it is possible to fall in love before meeting because... he "lived it."

Brian has an extensive list of accomplishments. He has a salute to Brian Wilson, which he will be performing at Don't Tell Mama and he has done a Christmas album as well as a Brazilian album. He did a salute to the music of Roger Nichols and Paul Wiilliams. Brian is still writing songs and doing speeches with his mother about his grandfather, Eddie Cantor. He is also working on a musical about his grandfather.
This was an enjoyable interview for me and I thank Brian very much for sharing his insights and pieces of his personal experiences. He is an extremely talented man and he is as heartfelt in person as he is in his writing.

my own personal anonymous coward weighs in...

LMAO. The president of my fan club crawls out from under her rock and makes a guest appearance:

Anonymous said...
Sh*t or get off the pot already. If there was any way you could determine my identity you would have done so by now.
Liskula's case in no way resembles yours. She's a successful model who did nothing to encourage the online attacks against her. You're a pathetic old loon who has begged me -- over and over again -- to continue commenting because it is the only attention you receive in your miserable lonely life.
August 24, 2009 7:59 PM

Marjorie said...
I would have done so by now? Darling, I don't give a sh*t. You are not worth the legal fees. You are just some internet schmuck. You sweat me and refuse to take a hike, even when I have told you to blow your dopey comments out of your ass. You are so stupid you cannot even realize I am being tongue-in-cheek. You think I care who a pisher like you is? I wipe my fat ass with your dopey comments, LOL.
Your comments are not the only attention I receive. Obviously you have not read marjorie-digest. LMAO.
You are better than a valium. Some things never change, jerky jerk. LOL.
Your insults would not even be appreciated on The Gong Show. Not even a Howard Stern roast would hire you.
But glad to see I still have you fixated... I am honored.
August 24, 2009 8:38 PM

Marjorie said...
Yes, I do adore your comments. Because it validates that somehow someway I got to you. I did something to incur your wrath. And I believe it was my letters to TWoP that got you so angry.
And it does give me some sense of satisfaction to know my letters did not go unnoticed and that my actions somehow impacted that site.
Your anger that appears in childish insults speaks volumes.
I missed ya darlin'. Glad to see ya back. But, be careful; ya head may explode from all that anger. LOL.
Awwww, only Google bloggers comments allowed. Thwarted much?
August 24, 2009 8:39 PM

added: This stupid fool who surfaces in cameo appearances has some obtuse form of sick logic going on. I agree: I am pathetic and I am a loon who begs for attention. So this gives this idiot the green light to go ahead and attempt to insult me. I think the one who actually has no life is this anonymous coward. What person in their right mind would engage in such activity? Only a person who got real real mad at something I did. All paths lead to THE BANS!

And idiot? I do NOT want to know who you are. Seriously. I think you are one major asshole. And I don't suffer fools. So actually not knowing who you are suits me just fine.

my anonymous commenter, be warned!

I printed every one of the E-mails when I received a notification that a comment arrived for moderation. Each one contains your IP address in an internet path, buddy-boy!

So you too can be exposed... if I gave a hoot.

Liskula rules!

Now tell me about your great love for TWoP and narrow down my short list of suspects. How did your association with TWoP impact your life? Did my ban and subsequent rant about TWoP spoil your fun?????? Rip off your mask, cyber-coward... Crawl back out from under that rock.

bravo, Liskula!

Well, well, well, it seems my anonymous commenter may soon be unmasked. My own personal coward has been revealed to be TWoP connected. Perhaps a mod or a little TWoP fan who needs the mods' approval. Take a hike, anonymous jerk. Even Rosemary Port laughs at you, lmao.

hey, my anonymous commenter?

Did you read about Liskula Cohen's court victory? Keep off my blog, you idiotic cowardly freak! Or I will pull a Liskula Cohen. You are tracked through your IP address, idiot... and I print the "internet path" every time I receive an E-mail for comment moderation.

Go read marjorie-digest. It sorta-kinda negates the personality profile you drew for me. Jerk, lmaoooooooooooooooooooo
I OWNED YOU!

You go, girl! Liskula rules!

to my own personal internet commenter

Well, well, well, congratulations are in order for Liskula Cohen. You go, girl!

Liskula wins!

"Model can unmask blog boor":

"A Manhattan judge ruled yesterday that a blogger can't hide behind a web of anonymity while flinging the ugly words "skank" and "ho" at somebody online. The sternly worded ruling orders Google to give up the identity of an anonymous blogger-assailant who inexplicably devoted an entire blog -- titled "Skanks in NYC" -- to maligning beautiful blond model Liskula Cohen."

I am thrilled for Liskula. I had my own personal anonymous internet boor. I say "had" because he crawled back under his rock. The stupid fool should realize I printed out every E-mail announcement I received telling me a comment was made at my blog and needed comment moderation. Each E-mail contained the logged internet path from which the comment came. I suppose I could find out my anonymous commenter's identity too.

But there is one major difference. i don't give a shit. I miss my own personal freak. Waaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Sniff, sniff!