The 3rd featured graduate of Southern New Hampshire University’s MFA program is Wendie Leweck. She is a proud New Hampshire native. She owns Exeter- based Spotlight Publicity, a boutique publicity firm, which specializes in working with authors and other artists.
Wendie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Business Management from Daniel Webster College. She has recently graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with an MFA in Fine Arts, Fiction. She has penned two novels and is an internationally published writer, having written articles for Antiques and Collecting Magazine, Millionaire Magazine, LA Splash(Online Entertainment News) Focus Magazine (e- magazine), and numerous other publications.
Wendie has co-owned two vintage-automobile restoration companies, both in California, where she oversaw marketing and publicity resulting in numerous international feature publications.
Wendie has volunteered for many years for numerous local, national, and international charities including Service Link NH, a state-wide charitable organization for seniors; Great Bay Services NH for disabled adults; the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Program to Sustain the Arts; the World Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; Mustard Seed Organization International, and the Exeter Theater Company. She is currently working to build a charter high school for the arts in the seacoast area of New Hampshire.
Wendie Leweck knew she wanted to write about a teenage girl. She knew that this girl was going to struggle with issues of identity and that she played the guitar, but this was about all Wendie had to go on when she began writing her novel, Second Chances. I had the good fortune to work with Wendie in her second semester and again in her final semester, and to see just how far she brought the original impetus for her book. Tenacious and determined in honing her characters and their story, Wendie has crafted a moving and compelling young adult novel. Her teenage protagonist Jo, brought to life with vivid force in these pages, comes to understand the true nature of her family and the relationships that have forged and defined her. At the end of her journey, Jo has made multiple discoveries – most importantly, what it means to forgive and to trust– and she has learned to love Vermont, a place not easy for a Southern girl to love. Wendie’s powerful rendering of a small town, the winter landscape, a complex cast of supporting characters, and a teenage girl’s search for the truth make this a book that will resonate with readers of all ages. Congratulations, Wendie.
Si, congratulations to the Wendinator and all the graduates this winter residency.
Trust ... a movie every FAMILY should see ... Friends aside, we’re David Schwimmer fans at casa stella (going back to his role in Band of Brothers et al) ... and although the boss knew of his directing, the ugly one (moi) didn’t. So it was a very pleasant surprise when we chose the movie Trust last week. This is a painful movie to watch (both of us cringed several times) and the double ending (what I’m calling it) was superb—absolutely masterful. I was sitting there angry; both Ann Marie and I were as emotional as we get ... and truth be told, I suspect I would have been guilty (for lack of a more appropriate word) of everything the Clive Owen (the father) did and felt throughout the movie, while Ann Marie would have been as smart and strong as Catherine Keener (the mother). Liana Liberato was truly wonderful as the girl lured into an Internet sexual assault by a professional predator.
I tip my hat to Schwimmer and the amazing cast he put together for this film. Like American History X, Trust is something every family should watch and watch it together. In Charlie world, both movies would have been required viewing throughout the land. So spoke Zarathustra (who is directly akin to the Chuckababe).
Men Who Stare at Goats ... a great cast and much funnier than either the wife or I had thought it might be, we did laugh out loud (LOL for yous unfamiliar with the mother tongue) quite a few times. Or maybe we just needed a laugh.
A recent death in the family precluded us from going to the opera last night. We had tickets for a Princeton McCarter theatre production of Tosca, something we’ve both seen at the MET several times, but we turned the tickets over to another opera lover at one of our jobs and let the emotions of family tragedy run their course. One of Ann Marie’s nieces, a very young woman and mother of three (an 8 year old and 4 year old twins) passed from cancer Thursday; a brutal reminder of how unfair life can often be.
Romney isn’t concerned about the poor. Yeah, no shit. Neither are either of the two parties of choice ... they’re all too busy bending over for the money that owns them ... or why do you think Wall Street has had record profits while the rest of the country has paid the price? And as far as Romney’s great concern for the middle class ... somebody smack that used car salesman in the face already ... Hello, moron, more than a year ago 28% of Americans fell OUT OF THE MIDDLE CLASS INTO POVERTY ... in other words, there is NO MIDDLE CLASS ANYMORE. Read this ...
What a putz.
Super Bowl ... they’re playing it inside the gymnasium again (I hate that shit) and although the Giants should continue to give Tom Brady nightmares for life, anything can happen ... therefore, this one may be too close to call.
NOT!
The Moonachie Blue Team in a wipeout, 41-26 (with most of the Cheatriot scoring coming late). I have the G-men in an office pool for the 1 in 41 and the Cheatriots with the 6 in the 26.
I’ve been driving the new Stellamobile back and forth to work this past week. A new Honda has replaced the hold Honda ... the neat feature in this pretty much stripped down Accord is I can play my Ipod ... so driving to and from the last few days, it was a couple of my favorites from Tosca blasting away.
Note: The Wikipedia translations are pretty friggin' fugazy, but it'll give you an idea ...
Recondita Armonia ...
Pass me the colors...
Concealed harmony of contrasting beauties!
Floria, my ardent lover, is dark haired.
And you, unknown beauty, crowned with blond hair,
You have blue eyes,
Tosca has black eyes!
Art, in its mysterious way,
blends the contrasting beauties together...
But while I'm painting her,
My only thought,
My only thought is of you,
Tosca, it is of you!
E lucevan le stelle ...
When the stars were brightly shining ...
And faint perfumes the air pervaded,
Creaked the gate of the garden ...
And footstep its precincts invaded ...
'Twas hers, the fragant creature.
In her soft arms she clasped me..
With sweetest kisses, tenderest caresses,
A thing of beauty, of matchless symmetry in form and feature!
My dream of love is now disspelled forever.
I lived uncaring and now I die despairing!
Alas I die despairing!
And never was life so dear to me, no never,
So dear, no never!
