My friend Joan Curran and I were walking up State Street on a Tuesday afternoon when she called out, “Hey Nathan!” Sitting cross-legged on the curb was a casually clad guy with softly curled blonde hair and an array of beaded jewelry. As I squatted down to the pavement to behold his work, I immediately […]
“Santa Barbara has always been more of a maverick type of region,” winemaker Karen Steinwachs tells me. “And that certainly has helped female talent to flourish.” Steinwachs and I are discussing the remarkable number of women winemakers in the area, a cohort which has grown solidly over the decades. These days, female leadership drives some […]
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For Week Three of Black History Month we are blessed with a healing poem by Dr. Leonie H Mattison, EdD, MBA, President and CEO of Pacifica Graduate Institute, Carpinteria. I asked her how and when her poem came about. She said she wrote it this year, and shared, “This season has been very thick with […]
Gloria, who wishes she were as lucky as the picker who found a so-called Van Gogh, sent me a Wall Street Journal article about a small 18×16” painting at the center of a $15 million dollar battle. Is it a real Van Gogh? The world of scientific art analysis says it is a Van Gogh […]
“Take a conscious breath,” instructed Rhonda V. Magee, a professor emeritus at the University of San Francisco, during her February 13th lecture at UCSB. “And as you do so, put your feet on the floor,” she continued. Magee gestured her arms around the room as the audience breathed in and out. Magee is a mindfulness […]
This week I sat down with Eric Seale, the 2025 appointed Board Chair of SB Cottage Hospital (SBCH), to talk about his role, SBCH’s strategic plan, directives, and a new President & CEO to arrive in the spring following the retirement of Ron Werft. (My interview with Werft here) We met at the SBCH Library […]
“Not for me, thanks,” our friend told the waiter who was about to pour his favorite red wine into his glass. “I don’t drink anymore,” he shared with a somewhat smug look on his face. This wasn’t the “I’m an alcoholic” moment of old. Neither, “I am trying to cut down,” nor “I don’t drink […]
Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara is a true slice of paradise. With its Mediterranean climate, stunning coastal views, and world-class wine country, it’s no wonder this gem on the California coast is one of the most desirable places to live. From historic Spanish-style estates to contemporary architectural masterpieces, […]
A class in international politics during his first semester at Westmont inspired David Shiang to consider a career in public service. Now a senior, he serves as student body president following a prestigious summer internship at the White House. The son of Taiwanese immigrants, David grew up in Los Angeles and chose Westmont largely because […]
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It’s going to be extra festive at this year’s World of Pinot Noir event. The annual party celebrating Burgundy’s most famous red grape – a multi-day affair that has been luring industry bigwigs and thirsty consumers alike ever since it was launched along California’s Central Coast in 2001 – turns 25 this year! Fêted across […]
‘Looking at Women Looking at War’ If you read just one book, read Victoria Amelina’s Looking at Women Looking at War. When Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago this month, Amelina was a novelist living in Kyiv with her husband and son. War changed everything for the young woman who felt she had to do […]
This object that was once the rage tells delectable stories: here is an 1880s cruet stand. HU sends me a round, swiveling carousel of silver plate inset with five crystal cruets, topped by an elaborate silver figural handle featuring a nude putto. By the late 1880s every upper-middle-class and most middle-class aspirational families of the […]
“We’re not trying to put alcohol out of business,” says Vanessa Royle. “But there has been a big shift, generally, and more people are looking for non-alcoholic options in addition to alcoholic options.” Ms. Royle is a Santa Barbara entrepreneur who made the personal choice to quit drinking in May of 2020, just after COVID […]
The world knows and loves Rick Steves – our shared Global Citizen whose dispatches from the Olde World edify and ennoble. Let’s imagine Rick. His blue button-down shirt is neatly tucked into dark blue jeans, his brown leather shoes are well-worn, pliant, and have thick clod-hopper soles, his inimitably cheery baby blues smile from behind […]
