Imagine That: ‘Floating Mountains,’ and More Spoken Word Matters

Several years ago, Joe Rohde retired from Walt Disney Imagineering after four decades, eventually serving as executive designer and vice president of creative. He was the lead designer for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the zoological theme park near Orlando, Florida, and led the design team for Disney Resort & Spa’s beachside complex Aulani in Oahu. He was also deeply involved in the transformation of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride into Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout at California Adventure and served as creative director for Animal Kingdom’s Pandora – The World of Avatar. 

Now a Santa Barbara resident, Rohde has authored a memoir called Floating Mountains, published by Penguin earlier this month, in which the visionary artist explores creativity, collaboration, and his career. The book has been described as offering a master class in creativity through his world-spanning journey, a powerful exploration of imagination, innovation and life lessons for turning vision into reality. Rohde dives deep into the nature, nurture, and practice of collaboration. He explains how to keep ideas true to their origins while allowing for improvisation and accident to enhance, not derail, creative endeavors.

In an event titled “Floating Mountains: The Art of Imagining the Impossible” on Friday, September 18, at the Community Arts Workshop (631 Garden Street in Santa Barbara), Rohde will offer rare insight into his own creative process and experiences. Admission includes a signed copy of the book and the wine and refreshment reception that kicks off the evening. A portion of proceeds benefit SBCAW. 

Visit www.sbcaw.org/upcoming

The L-Word: Arts & Lectures Has Lots to Lean Into and Learn

Perhaps it’s telling that the full A&L season actually opens with a speaker, rather than a dance, performance, or concert; namely prolific New York Times bestselling author Scott Galloway at the Arlington on Friday, September 25. The NYU professor of marketing and serial entrepreneur has founded nine companies and is known to millions through his Prof G and Pivot podcasts, where he offers observations on the intersection of business, technology, economics, and modern society. Following brief opening remarks, Galloway will join acclaimed Talk Easy host Sam Fragoso for an in-depth conversation about masculinity, loneliness, and purpose in modern America. 

Looking ahead, the lectures portion of the upcoming season of UCSB Arts & Lectures was already impressive before the announcement of four more events slated for the nine-month season, further broadening the array of topics and leaders with whom to engage. The new events include Rana Foroohar, Financial Times associate editor, CNN global economic analyst, and author of the forthcoming book Sea Change: America’s New Great Game in the Arctic Circle. The book discusses how the race for control of the world’s oceans is reshaping the global economy and redefining national security (Nov. 19 at Campbell Hall). Also, another major figure from the world of sports (augmenting tennis star John McEnroe’s pending A&L appearance) is Alysa Liu, figure skating’s double gold medalist at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Liu is taking a hiatus from the ice this season to publicly reflect on her initial break from competition five years ago. That decision to prioritize her mental health and well-being – her first career interlude – took place just three years after having won the U.S. National Championship at 13. Liu continues to redefine success on her own terms (Jan. 28; Arlington). 

Also new to the schedule are Dr. Mary Claire Haver, the board-certified OB-GYN and bestselling author who has transformed the conversation around menopause by bringing the latest scientific research to millions of women seeking reliable, evidence-based guidance (April 7; Granada), and MacArthur Fellow and Harvard professor Danielle Allen, author of Our Declaration and Justice by Means of Democracy who will address Academic Freedom for a Stronger Democracy – a talkmade timely by universities and democratic societies being forced to confront questions of free speech, academic freedom, and civic trust (May 11; Campbell). 

Tickets at www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu

Shout It Out

Larry David co-created the near-legendary sitcom Seinfeld, then created and starred in HBO’s 12-season wonder Curb Your Enthusiasm and the new limited HBO re-imagined history series Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness. Now David is coming to the Arlington to talk about, what else, himself and his career. The caveat? The conversation will be moderated by his daughter, Cazzie David, who wrote the bestselling essay collection No One Asked for This and the follow-up Delusions. Cazzie also co-created and starred in her own series called Eighty-Sixed. Prediction markets are taking bets on how many minutes will pass in the September 24 event at the Arlington Theatre before the elder David raises his voice.