Fans of Bret Easton Ellis will be thrilled with The Shards, his first book in 13 years. Bret (fictional Bret) is 17 years old, attending a preppy academy, taking massive quantities of drugs, and obsessing over Robert, the new kid in school – handsome and a threat – and a serial killer roaming around Los […]

Walking through the Santa Barbara farmers market this week, I keep coming back to the carrot. This often-overlooked vegetable is one that when at its peak, is so utterly sweet and delicious that it can be eaten without adornment.  I love the colors of the heirloom carrots – bright purple with an orange center, radiant […]

One of the most memorable aspects of dining out is a well-made dessert that sets the tone for a night on the town.  On the heels of the awards season, the world’s fashion designers are preparing to roll out their latest luxury creations. Similarly, local pastry chefs have added to their menus a smörgåsbord of […]

“Each person that comes to me has something to teach me, to this day that is the truth, I keep learning.” Astrid de Wild brought Pilates instruction to Santa Barbara in 1992. Since then, she has helped thousands of people attain their fitness and healing goals. She is one of those extraordinary professionals who bring […]

Dear Montecito, I took a walk on Miramar Beach on January 6, about 20 hours after the first of the storm system had left our local area. Now in general I find writing about the beach to be a tricky thing. Perhaps because it is well-worn territory or simply too easy to become sentimental. Perhaps […]

It is always a pleasure to host artists in the Dear Montecito column. I feel that their stories and reflections help ground us, particularly when the current event landscape feels so urgent and so claustrophobic. As the opening to our 2023 column, I wanted to invite a young writer to use this space to reflect […]

Jacqueline Duran knows money – but more than helping you make cash – she wants to help her clients plan for their futures with confidence and integrity. “I didn’t start out wanting to be in finance,” Duran explains, “I went to college for biology and pre-med and was on track to go to med school. […]

Montecito hedge fund titan Graham Duncan is the new owner of the late Pierre Lafond’s Wine Bistro in the Upper Village. Duncan, co-founder of East Rock Capital, a multi-family investment office, bought the former Montecito home of Lisa Hearst Hagerman, granddaughter of legendary publisher William Randolph Hearst, for $19.4 million in March 2021. The property, […]

Karen Folsom is a Santa Barbara-based illustrator and commissioned portrait artist. Her work includes children’s books and promotional material. She illustrates book and music covers as well as posters and murals. She wrote and illustrated The President’s Pet. Her concept and editorial work has been featured for clients in entertainment, hospitality, foundations, and private ventures. […]

Early career singer-songwriter Makena Tate attributes her confidence on stage to her Santa Barbara upbringing. The Crane School alumna says: “Being at Crane really gave me this great foundation for what I love now. It felt like there was no judgment, that everyone there wanted you to succeed. But having supportive teachers like Shana Arthurs […]