Message from the Associate Membership Directors

It's been another great year for Harvardwood. Angela and I feel privileged to be part of the best damn Harvard alumni group period. A big part of Harvardwood's success has been all of you: the members. In the New Year, Harvardwood will continue to offer innovative programs, inspiring forums, and meaningful networking opportunities.

This month's profile is of Marty Bowen, previously a partner at UTA and currently running a production company. The last LA Insider of the year features the hottest restaurant in LA, a legendary hangout, and a Japanese tapas-style bar.

Thanks to everyone that contributed this past month. This issue includes a Liebeslieder, a BRAZZA, and a Gass.

Message from Mia

A big thank you to all of our Harvardwood members, and special props to everyone who participated in our events and programs in 2006 -- we couldn't have done it without you! Stay tuned for more Harvardwood action in the new year, including a Sundance event in Park City with the Yalies, a mixer with the visiting Harvardwood 101 students, and much more...

Happy holidays!

-Mia

Asked if he's religious, Bowen said "yes." He's Catholic, but he describes himself as a "cafeteria Catholic" -- meaning he picks and chooses which church doctrines he follows. He sees himself as more of a cultural than a believing Catholic, "but if you ask me if I'm Christian, if I'm Catholic, if I say my prayers, the answer is yes." He was brought up in Fort Worth, Texas by Catholic parents. Being Catholic and being Texan are important parts of his identity.

When Bowen left UTA, he realized he had enough money for the next ten years and "couldn't do it as an agent anymore." He wanted to do something new, something that moved him. "I wanted to tell stories that speak to the human condition without being politicized." Favorite films of this seasoned agent and budding producer include THE NOTEBOOK, LORD OF THE RINGS, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, and SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. "Those are films I would have liked to have made," said Bowen, adding that he "loved the stories."

After graduating from Harvard, Bowen gave himself a year to move to Hollywood and see how it went. By then, he knew he wanted to be in the movie business. He explains it this way: "Like most people, I got swept up in the other life you can have going to the movies. I thought if you're going to be a salesman in life, you might as well love what you're selling. If you give me a choice between selling widgets or movies, movies are going to win every time."

Bowen thought he'd get sick of the life in a year, but as a self-described "alpha male," he loved working at the agency. "The famous people, the glamour," were all appealing. Most people, as he discovered, "don't live the sad Hollywood stories you hear about; most people aren't addicts." Bowen himself has a civilized lifestyle. On the Saturday after this reporter interviewed him, he was going to have cocktails at Harvard screenwriter (and last month's profilee) Aline Brosh McKenna's home.

Bowen's father, an investment banker, thought his son was wasting a good education and chasing after a pipe dream by going into the entertainment business. However, his dad came around, and "not one person was more supportive in this new venture," says Bowen proudly. His mom? "My mom would be supportive if I told her I wanted to be a serial killer."

Although he says he enjoyed it, Bowen's feelings about Harvard are ambivalent. He wouldn't be heartbroken if a child of his elected not to go. As far as contributing to Harvard goes, "Not until they improve the food. Give me some ice cream and a piece of meat I can actually eat!" More to the point, he asks, "Do we really need to add to the $44 billion endowment?" As Bowen sees it, at Harvard "you are surrounded by people who've been told how special they are in high school. It's hard to feel, in the annals of that school, that you were an important part of it. Harvard gets the best students and then gives them the opportunity to distinguish themselves." When Bowen's girlfriend goes back to the University of Texas at Austin, she feels it's home for her. Bowen doesn't have that feeling about Harvard; in fact, at Harvard he felt like a visitor. As he wryly observes, however, "certain places you've been, they will probably be in your obituary," and Harvard is one of them.

Stacey Collins GSE '00 wrote the Tell column for the LA Times. Check it out at http://www.calendarlive.com/dating/cl-wk-tell14dec14,0,312437.story?coll=cl-dating

Lara M Hirner '05 is spending the holiday season in festive flare with the Dickens Victorian Carollering Quartet (www.Carollers.com). She has also just booked work with the Julliard Choral Society for their February Bach concert and will be singing soprano in the Brahms Liebeslieder Quartet with the Mark Morris Dance Company in January. She also wishes everyone a Happy Holiday!

David Kowarsky '05 Hosts Weekly Online Show and Writes Reviews for Network2.tv. Network2 (http://network2.tv) is the place to find the best of "Internet Television," episodic online video content that's updated regularly, and committed to production within a genre. David Kowarsky '05 Hosts the video magazine FOCUS ( http://focus.blip.tv) which covers a few shows from Network2 every week. He also writes show reviews weekly into the Network2 blog. (http://blog.network2.tv). It's now so low cost to shoot and produce video, and with the cost barrier to entry demolished, there's been an explosion in content such that it's increasingly difficult to find the best in the world of "new media." Network2.tv is the premiere guide to this space. Check it out!

Ian Maisel, CPC '06, recently interviewed Kyle Gass from the upcoming Tenacious D movie in cartoon format for the Boston Phoenix, the big alternative weekly paper in Boston. You can pick up a free copy on local news stands or check it out online at http://www.phx.com/article_ektid27593.aspx. Additionally, Ian recently began a full-time job at JFL Media, where he is writing and producing animated kids films. He can be reached at [email protected].

Maria Petringa '80 new biography, BRAZZA, A LIFE FOR AFRICA is available on all book websites, at Barnes & Noble, and at many other bookstores. It's the first English-language biography of Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, a humanitarian 19th-century explorer for whom the city of Brazzaville, Congo was named. The work is an exciting true-life tale of Africa with a human rights theme. Maria Petringa lived in Congo-Brazzaville for several years, and in France, where she wrote the biography. For more information on the book, please visit www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail.aspx?bookid=36653.

Paul M. J. Suchecki, '76 has been writing and producing environmental and energy pieces for House Smarts TV www.housesmartstv.com a nationally syndicated television series. His features have ranged from at look at the feasibility of using wind power for residences to coverage of the record breaking solar power convention in Silicon Valley this October.

Max R. Scharf's HBS '86 web sites have been substantialy updated: the Fine Art Web Site: http://www.maxrscharf.com/ and the Consulting Web Site: www.scharfandassociates.com

Marga Vicedo GSAS '05 & Mark Solovey's "Althea, American Daughter" finished in the top 10 (out of 660 entries) in the 2006 Century City Shorts & Screenplay Fest competition. This feature film script is inspired by the true story of Althea Gibson. A poor black girl from Harlem, Althea broke the color barrier in tennis in 1950 and then went on to become the first black world champion tennis player. Mark and Marga are both professors at the University of Toronto. Mark works on the history of psychology and social sciences. Marga studies the history of biology, especially evolution and genetics. For further information, please contact Mark at [email protected] and Marga at [email protected]

For some, the anticipation for Mozza to finally open was unbearable. What with the king of New York Italian food joining forces with the doyenne of West Coast bread to reimagine the common pizza. The last time the pizza was reimagined was in the early 80's at Spago by an Austrian named Puck. He revolutionized pizza, spawned a chain of imatators, and lifted "California pizza" from oxymoron to global phenomenon. With Mozza, Mario Batali, the pony-tailed, orange-clogged New York chef, and Nancy Silverton, the baker behind incredibly successful La Brea Bakery, are trying to reinvent the California pizza once again. At a recent visit (coincidently Mario was in town overseeing the kitchen), I got a chance to try their pizza. It was delicious. I could wax rhapsodic about the amazing crust, the high-quality toppings, and the fabulous stuffed zucchini flowers, but it was, after all, only pizza.

The Grill is an institution in Los Angeles. Located near all the major talent agencies, it is a popular hang for power players, wannabes, and Pat Sajak (who, during my recent visit, was sitting at the bar). Pat, along with everyone else, seem to love The Grill because of the service and the all-American menu. The servers here are warm and friendly. They treat everyone -- the power players, wannabes, even Pat Sajak -- with the same care and concern. The menu is filled with familiar comfort foods. This is definitely a place to go when you want to go out but don't want to leave home.

By next summer, I predict, Izakayas will be all the rage in Los Angeles. Already popular with Japanese expats, Izakayas are being discovered by more and more Angelenos. Furaibo is a particularly popular Izakaya in West Los Angeles. Like most Izakayas, Furaibo has a menu as long as any delis. The items themselves are served tapas-style -- small dishes meant to be shared. Standing in for Sangria, Japanese beer is on tap and served by the pitcher. For a change from the same old pub and sports bar, bring a big group and try Furaibo.

The Tip: Since there are a lot of menu items, here is a list of few that I enjoyed: Spinach bacon, Chita (deep fried chicken leg and thigh. Don't get the wings or the breast meat. It dries out too much. Also get it extra, extra spicy. I believe they mean "flavor" when they write "spicy."), fried tofu in a dashi broth, and the Hanpen Cheese. The last item, the Hanpen cheese, is one of the most interesting things I have eaten in LA. It's like a really fancy McDonald's fish filet patty. It's totally odd, but I dare you not to love it.