Leslie Wilcox Blogs

SHE's a Matador...

Picture a Spanish matador.

Chances are a woman doesn’t come to mind. Traditionally, Spaniards like their matadors fiercely masculine. Next week on P.O.V. (Tues., Sept. 1, 2009m 10 pm) we get to know two female matadors currently in the arena in “Ella Es el Matador (She is the Matador." You'll find out what motivates them to fight both bias and bulls.

Among other new national programs coming up this week on PBS Hawaii:

--GREAT PERFORMANCES (Mon., Aug. 31, 2009, 10 pm) presents “Herbert von Karajan: Beauty as I See It,” profiling one of the 20th-century’s most influential figures in classical music. He was a conductor by profession, a dictator in leadership style.

 --NOVA scienceNOW (Tues., Sept. 1, 2009,  9 pm) pokes around in a river bed and checks out cave stalagmites to understand why earthquakes strike the heartland.

--AMERICAN MASTERS (Wed., Sept. 2, 2009,  8 pm) has a good piece for movie and history buffs. Dalton Trumbo wrote the anti-war novel “Johnny Got His Gun” and became a top Hollywood writer. But in the “Red Scare” of 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee blackballed him. After serving almost a year in prison, he returned to his craft under the cover of pseudonyms. As a writer, he won an Oscar under the name Robert Reich for “The Brave One” in 1956, and in 1993 was given a posthumous Academy Award for 1953’s “Roman Holiday.”

--WIDE ANGLE (Wed., Sept. 2, 2009, 10 pm) continues its look at classrooms in seven countries with a focus on the frequently rocky transition to middle school.

--GLOBE TREKKER (Thurs., Sept. 3,  2009, 10 pm) is a skier’s delight, following the snow on the legendary Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt. Watch out for avalanches! And pick up pointers on how to extricate yourself from a deep crevasse.

--GREAT PERFORMANCES AT THE MET (Sat., Sept. 5, 2009, 7:30 pm): “Madama Butterfly,” anyone? The classic tale of betrayal and heartbreak is an Anthony Minghella production, with Patricia Racette back in the title role.

Another Healthcare Forum on PBS Hawaii

     If you judge by cable news, healthcare-reform public meetings are synonymous with shouting and punctuated with scuffles.

     In fact, in today's New York Times, Matt Bai writes..."the town hall itself has probably reached the end of its usefulness in the internet age; if you're looking for thoughtful dialogue, you might as well hold your next meeting on the stern of a Somali pirate ship." www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/magazine/30FOB-wwln-t.html

    We had more light than heat in recent coverage of the issue on PBS Hawaii's weekly public affairs show. Our phone bank was very busy and commentary was heavy on our live blog. Statewide conversation was vigorous but nobody employed the tactic of outyelling opposing thought. Insights at PBS Hawaii, live and interactive, will focus again this week on healthcare reform, at 7:30 pm Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009.

    Moderator Dan Boylan's guests will be U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, Honolulu City Council Member Charles Djou, and Stuart Ho of the Hawaii chapter of AARP, formerly known as American Association of Retired Persons. Phone, email, Twitter, blog questions and comments welcome.

Unique Tradition at Maui Volunteers Event

When a lot of dedicated volunteers are in the same room for the same reason, the place  turns into a haven of personal warmth, good will, and fresh air. That's what I felt, greeting 350 Maui seniors who help others in the RSVP program.

Director Dana Acosta and the gang at RSVP have a fun tradition, one that I haven't seen anywhere else. And that is--they design the stage to reflect the values or the interests of the keynote speaker at their annual volunteer recogniton event.

In my case, RSVP made the stage in Spreckelsville, Maui, look like an island living room, with a comfortable rattan seating area, very much like what you see on my weekly conversation program, PBS Hawaii "Long Story Short." The attention to detail was impressive.  They even checked ahead of time to find out what I'd be wearing so that the colors wouldn't clash!

Here's an account of the event by Melissa Tanji of the Maui News: http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/522455.html?nav=10

RSVP staff and volunteers, including Mana'o Radio co-founder/DJ  Kathy Collins and her mother, were delightful. These are folks who fill in so many vital community gaps--they take patients to doctors' appointments, tutor children, deliver meals to shut-ins, and provide myriad other free services.  Mayor Charmaine Tavares hailed the volunteers as community "treasures." Maui County Council Chair Danny Mateo and other Council members also attended.

Before, during and after the lovely aloha-filled event, I met Maui residents who made indelible impressions upon me in a short time.

And like most volunteers,  I came away feeling that I got more than I gave.

Thank you, RSVP and everyone involved!

Comments about Statehood? Plenty!

    Our phone lines were consistently lit up last night throughout the live discussion following our broadcast of "State of Aloha," the provocative documentary about Hawaii statehood by the University of Hawaii's Academy for Creative Media.

    Viewers Twittered, emailed and wrote in on our live moderated blog at www.pbshawaii.org/ourproductions/insights.php

    Former Gov. Waihee, speaking live on Insights on PBS Hawaii, said there's a form of "schizophrenia" here, that the same people are of two minds about Hawaii's history. He said that just because one believes Statehood was good for Hawaii, as he does, doesn't mean that it was legal for American interests to overthrow Hawaii's monarchy in 1893.

    The documentary by Anne Misawa showed a wide range of current opinion about Statehood, and explained how Hawaii obtained statehood.  And in their commentary, viewers weighed in with a spectrum of viewpoints.

    As panelists spoke in our studio, college students in our media training program and volunteers took the avalanche of calls and the online commentary. Staffers passed questions and comments to show moderator Dan Boylan. And friends of the panelists watched the presentation on a big HD screen in our lobby.

     "State of Aloha" will air again tonight (Fri., Aug. 28, 2009) and again at 3 pm Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009.

Marlene Sai Packs the Online House

   Hawaii singer Marlene Sai attracted full houses when she performed at Waikiki showrooms in the heyday of live Hawaiian music in the 1960s and 1970s.

   And now she's pulling in lots of comment from the online community with her appearances on PBS Hawaii's Long Story  Short. Watch Part 2 of two parts at 7:30 tonight (Tues., Aug. 25, 2009).

   Here's an account by entertainment columnist and blogger Wayne Harada, who's known Marlene and her work for decades:  http://showandtellhawaii.honadvblogs.com

   From Hawaii Island, a viewer emailed: "I..called a bunch of...friends--"TURN ON PBS!!!..gosh, she looks wonderful...thanks for putting her on...she's just one of the best."

   J., another emailer, wrote: "Wow, what a riveting story about her uncle Andy Cummings, his help and Don Ho at Honey's. I was attending Kamehameha in 1959 (10th grade) and I remember Marlene, very talented, beautiful voice. Can't wait for the 2nd interview." (The 2nd interview will encore tomorrow, Wed., Aug. 26, 2009, at 11 pm.)

     Of course, you don't see people posting their comments on my blog for all to see. Is it a PBS Hawaii thing? You all figure how to get email to me or to have someone else forward it. You have opinions, but you apparently prefer to give your name and share your thoughts on a one-on-one basis. No problem.

      Hawaii ex-pats are asking how to take in the Long Story Short shows. Written transcripts are available on our website. To listen to the audio on your computer, Ipod or other MP3 player, just click on the link to the Long Story Short page below and select either the Audio link or the Itunes link to get the version that works best for you:

     http://www.pbshawaii.org/ourproductions/longstory.php

  

Makaloa's Golden Retirement

    The golden dog lying on the porch of the old Kalaupapa Store looked familiar. I looked around but didn't see anyone with him. He had no collar, no leash--just a beatific expression on his doggie face.

    I asked around the store--and it turns out, the dog deserves his relaxation. A Kalaupapa nurse picking up picnic fare told me she was thrilled to take in the dog after he  "retired" following a career as a seeing-eye dog in Honolulu. They're a happy pair, tootling around town in her truck, the dog riding shotgun.

     The golden dog is Makaloa, once the constant companion of the award-winning storyteller from Kalaupapa, Elroy Makia Malo.

     Makia, now 74, went blind when he was 30 as a complication of Hansen's Disease. I'd attended a number of community events on Oahu where I heard Makia speak. He did a great deal to educate people about the history of the isolated settlement at Kalaupapa and the experience of those like him who were once banished there. He's a dramatic, funny, poignant storyteller. When he retired from his job in Honolulu, so did Makaloa.

     Living unfettered in Kalaupapa is a great life for a dog. For Makaloa, today, it's not banishment--it's heaven.  And just when Golden Boy thinks life can't get any better, there's Makia, coming over from Honolulu and visiting his old buddy and former assistant.

Inspector Lewis Calls It

       Wish I had the quick, self-disparaging wit of a Brit detective on PBS' Masterpiece Theater.

       Tonight, Inspector Lewis arrived at the scene of an apparent suicide and told his sidekick he didn't think the victim killed herself:

       "I'd bet the crumbling remains of my career on it!"

        Inspector Lewis was right about the case. Hold that crumble.

Everybody but the Camel

       When you walk into the PBS Hawaii lobby, there's a bench to your immediate right that's crammed full of seated, life-sized Sesame Street characters, all of them in full color just like they are in their show.

        Sometimes there's even a real live little Hawaii kid squished into the characters' midst, usually next to Elmo, and grinning like crazy. We have just about every resident of Sesame Street  on the bench except a Muppet camel.

        I didn't know there was a Muppet camel until I read this:

  http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/08/13/generation.islam.gaza.muppets/index.html

        Sesame Street, designed for the American audience in the 1960s, has wide appeal--as  in worldwide appeal. Some variation of it is seen in 120 countries.

Hawaii Statehood Show and More

      You've probably already seen a good bit of local coverage and special features marking 50 years of Hawaii Statehood.

     Coming up in the next week on Hawaii's only public television station, you’ll have an opportunity to see something new: the broadcast premiere of "State of Aloha," a documentary prepared by the University of Hawaii's Academy for Creative Media. It reflects a remarkable gamut of perspectives—thoughtful, emotional, sometimes provocative--on what Statehood has meant for Hawaii.

      Please join us for a special two-hour edition of PBS HAWAII PRESENTS (Thurs., Aug. 27, 2009, 7:30 pm) that includes the one-hour film by the Academy. The evening begins with an interview with film producer Anne Misawa, followed by the documentary, and concludes with a live discussion about the film and Statehood. Guests will be: veteran Honolulu Star-Bulletin journalist Helen Altonn (who covered Hawaii’s admission as a State); Hawaiian sovereignty activist Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell; former Hawaii Gov. John Waihee; and UH Prof. of Ethnic Studies, Jon Okamura.

     Many of you have written or called to say that you enjoyed entertainer Marlene Sai on PBS Hawaii's LONG STORY SHORT. That was just Part One. In our second and final part on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009 at 7:30 pm, Marlene shares the unlikely place she recorded an album—in the old Alapa’i Street “bus barn”! And she discusses playing Queen Lili’uokalani in an acclaimed Hawaii Public Television production.

     GLOBE TREKKER (Thurs., Aug. 27, 2009, 10 pm) features some of the country’s most memorable paddling trips and includes Kauai’s beautiful and rugged Na Pali coastline. (I once kayaked to Kalalau, Na Pali, and camped in a place where nene were my pleasant alarm clock; they came padding around in the morning, making soft cooing sounds.) Other water treks on this show: Alaska’s Prince William Sound, the Rio Grande through the Big Bend of Texas and Gauley River rapids in West Virginia.

   Other shows you may especially enjoy in the week ahead on PBS Hawaii:

--P.O.V. (Tues., Aug. 25, 2009,  10 pm) offers “This Way Up,” a surprisingly uplifting documentary about a wall being constructed on Israel’s West bank to separate people in the conflict over Palestine. The film offers the perspective of feisty residents facing old age and other physical barriers in a nursing home outside Jerusalem.

 --GREAT PERFORMANCES (Wed., Aug. 26, 2009, 8 pm) brings us rare archival footage in “Harlem in Montmartre,” taking us back to the jazz age in Paris before World War II. African-Americans who fought in the first World War stayed in Europe rather than return to segregation in the U.S. and they created a creative community of expatriate artists and entrepreneurs.

 --WIDE ANGLE (Wed., Aug. 26, 2009, 10 pm) tells of “Once Upon a Coup,” about the mysterious goings-on surrounding a rich underwater oil reserve in a tiny West African nation that the world’s major powers. It’s a resource that each of the world’s major powers would love to get their hands on.

--TIME TEAM SPECIAL EDITION (Sat., Aug. 29, 2009, 8 pm) is a two-hour presentation from this (literally) groundbreaking archaeology series. See what secrets lie buried, when British archaeologists dig up gardens at several famous English estates, including Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. Hint: Think 14th-century, Edward III, and Arthur’s legendary knights.

--SOUNDSTAGE (Sat., Aug. 29,  2009, 10 pm) spotlights Chicago-based pop punk quartet, Fall Out Boy. You gotta love the drum solos.

This nonprofit television/educational media organization is proud to take you to places in Hawaii and the world that you might otherwise not go. We’re grateful for viewer support, which makes this possible. www.pbshawaii.org/support

Kalaupapa Aloha

   Just got back from Kalaupapa, Molokai, where our PBS Hawaii team shot three Long Story Short programs with remaining Hansen's Disease patients in the isolated settlement. The number of patients has dwindled from hundreds to 19, in this year that their hero, Father Damien, will be canonized.

    Our short stay was a powerful, even transformative, experience. All of our TV crew grew up in Hawaii--but we found in Kalaupapa that there was more to learn about the power and the depth of aloha.

    More about the visit later.

    For now--the memorable ending:  Three of four patients with whom we'd spoken individually, in detail, surprised us by showing up at the airport to wish us good-bye. We'd only met them the day before. They'd shared stories of both pain and joy, isolation and community.

    One, Meli, gave us lei and sea salt hand-gathered from the black-rock coastline.

    As we took our seats in the plane, the patients zeroed in on our faces in the windows and waved. We waved back as the plane taxied away, and marveled that the residents had been so kind. A few minutes passed before take-off. Then the plane gathered speed down the runway.

     As we took a last look at the airport, what should we see but the patients! Instead of leaving, they'd stayed right where they were. Their eyes found us again in the plane windows. And they stood there, beaming and waving as we lifted off.

   * The fourth patient we'd interviewed in depth--a bright, playful man who'd helped us by telling his friends that we could be trusted and who even stopped by our cabins with a delectable cake he'd baked--experienced a health problem and was getting treatment as we left the Hansen's Disease settlement.