Second Acts: Don’t Wait for a Curtain Call

As F. Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote, “There are no second acts in American lives.” But…

Most self-help gurus say we do have more, maybe even three, with additional modules available for download.

The melancholy Jacques in Shakespeare’s As You Like It counts seven acts. If we’re to go with Fitzgerald’s take, that would leave us Americans, per Jacques’ monologue, perpetually “mewling and puking.” That generally ends in college, but I’ve met some lifetime learners as well.

So, who do we trust in this regard, Fitzgerald or Shakespeare? The latter’s been at it 400 years longer than Fitzgerald, so let’s go with him. Besides, unlike Shakespeare, Fitzgerald never had a hit in his lifetime. The Great Gatsby, for example, only became one after its author’s death, when it was issued as a paperback Armed Services edition, read by GIs when not getting shot at.

Notably, Fitzgerald died before finishing The Last Tycoon, the novel in which his second act supposition appears. At least two subsequent writers “finished” the book for him 50 years apart, not to mention the film and TV adaptations, which also, miraculously, had not just second acts but endings too. 

That said, the titular tycoon’s inspiration, film producer Irving Thalberg, only made it to 37—Fitzgerald a scant bit longer. Broke, drunk and dead at 44—naturally, when his career really took off.

As a dead American, Fitzgerald’s second act has seen his literary star posthumously rise into the canon, with Gatsby alone selling 500,000 copies a year.

American lives and/or deaths are all about second acts. I submit to you that second acts are perhaps the most defining feature of American lives, our knack for reinvention, pivots, redos. It seems the best way to fail in America is not to try again. The whole place is one big second chance waiting to happen. Why, one can even wash out as a reality TV star and become president of the United States—twice.

Pro tip: Start your second act before you’re dead. If the question is when, the answer is now. Most of us are too old to die young as phenoms and too green in our accomplishments to rest on our laurels (besides laurels, wreaths are made to wear on your head, not cushion your ass). 

Your second act should be uniquely your own, a projection of your own wild heart, because I can guarantee, like Shakespeare’s Jacques, that the finale is the same for all of us: “second childishness and mere oblivion, sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”

And then maybe you’ll have a bestseller.

Daedalus Howell is editor of this paper, host of ‘The Drive’ on 95.5 FM, and has a second act as the director of ‘Werewolf Serenade’ and a newsletterist at dhowell.com.

Earth Day at the Sonoma Coast

There are many ways to observe Earth Day. One can post a leafy infographic, shop with reusable bags or make bold declarations about composting, then maybe do it. Or one can do something vastly more superior: Head to the Sonoma Coast, where Earth Day, simply put, is every day. 

At the Sonoma Coast, the elements remain in constant flux—the wind arrives sideways, the fog is both mercurial and bone-chilling, and the seagulls openly speculate on how to share in one’s picnic. None of this, however, distracts from the fact that there are front row seats to the largest body of water on the planet free for the taking. With Earth Day on the horizon, here’s a veritable carnival of coastal events to celebrate.

UC Davis Marine Institute

A worthy first stop is the Public Tour of Bodega Marine Laboratory on Thursday, April 24. Operated by UC Davis, the research facility offers docent-led tours introducing visitors to marine science, coastal ecology and the strange, charismatic creatures living just offshore. It is one of the few outings where hanging with invertebrates is socially acceptable. bit.ly/ucd-bodega-tour

Easy Sonoma Coast Wildflower Walk

If one’s Earth Day inclines toward flowers rather than fisheries, they may consider the Easy Sonoma Coast Wildflower Walk on Saturday, April 25, led by Dr. Laura Morgan and beginning in Bodega Bay. Spring on the bluffs can be spectacular as colorful blooms appear in defiance of wind, salt and precipitous cliffsides—a useful reminder that beauty often thrives in inhospitable conditions. bit.ly/easy-wildflower-walk

Sauna by the Sea

Should one’s environmental consciousness require becoming drenched in sweat, there is Sauna by the Sea at Doran Regional Park in Bodega Bay on April 25, from 9am to 4pm. This community wood-fired sauna project pairs restorative heat with bracing ocean air with a sauna that’s literally on wheels. Community sessions are listed at $25. thesaunabythesea.com

Bodega Head Audio Tour

For solo wanderers, the “Bodega Head: Spectacular Wild Surf, Ancient Wanderers, Whales and Wonders” audio tour offers a self-guided route via one’s ears along the “untamed stretch of California’s north coast at the edge of the continent.” Diverse wildlife, dramatic overlooks and wildflowers abound. It’s remarkable to think that local citizens had to stop plans for a nuclear power plant here in the 1960s. Sigh. bit.ly/bodega-tour-audio

The Meaning of ‘100%’ Certainty

This is what I learned from a bartender named Timmy that made me doubt that kid behind the counter when he said, “100%.” 

Timmy wasn’t a bad guy. It’s just that Timmy liked to make things up. Maybe that is overstating it a bit. He didn’t make up important facts. He was honest about things like his name, his employment and his relationship status. And when one is talking about the people who work in bars, none of those are a given.

I once worked with a cocktail waitress at a Mexican restaurant named Marguerite. Her name was a wonderful conversation starter, considering that Marguerite is the French version of Margarita, which of course is Spanish for Daisy. And margaritas are actually a daisy, which is a type of drink featuring a liquor, a citrus juice and a fruit syrup. It would be nearly two years before I learned that her name wasn’t Marguerite, or Margarita, or even Daisy. It was Rose, which seemed weird for a variety of reasons. But things like that come with the territory.

But Timmy wasn’t like that. Timmy just didn’t understand statistics. He was a good bartender; he just had a problem with certainty. Or rather uncertainty. His two favorite phrases were “100%” and “absolutely.”

“Is this gluten free?” somebody would ask, as somebody always does.

“100%,” Timmy would say.

“Uh, Timmy, that has Worcestershire sauce in it,” I or someone else would have to interject.

“So?” he asked.

“Our Worcestershire sauce isn’t gluten free,” I had to remind him.

“It isn’t?” Timmy responded.

“It has malt vinegar in it, and malt vinegar has gluten,” I said.

It wasn’t that Timmy was malicious. He was just lazy. Not in the usual physical way, but more in the intellectual way. And surety is certainly easier than checking.

English philosopher Bertrand Russell once posited that, “The fundamental cause of the trouble in the modern world is that the stupid are cocksure, while the intelligent are full of doubt.”

And Timmy was certainly cocksure.

“All bourbon is made in Kentucky,” Timmy once said.

“Are you sure?” asked the customer.

“Absolutely,” he responded.

“Uh, Timmy, bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States,” I said, quietly, so as not to embarrass him.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Pretty sure,” I said.

Sometimes the best answer is, “I don’t know; let me find out.” Because nothing shatters trust like speaking in absolutes and then being wrong. And that goes as equally for English philosophers as it does for American bartenders.

“100%,” said the receptionist at the radiology lab.

“You’re sure?” I asked.

“Absolutely,” she said.

Well, that was certainly certain. I turned and walked out the door. But for some reason, the memory of Timmy popped into my head. So, I turned around and went back into the office.

“Hi,” I said to the same receptionist. “I’m not trying to be a pest here, but could you just humor me and double check on that?”

“I said I was certain,” she said.

“I know, but if you don’t mind,” I replied.

Ten minutes later, the receptionist’s certainty had given way to uncertainty.

“What was your name again?” she asked.

Some vigorous typing on the computer in front of her ensued.

“I guess they don’t have your x-rays,” she said.

“Huh,” I said.

Which is exactly what I said to the kid at the coffee counter too. Right before I made him double check.

Leaving me with these thoughts:

• The more you learn, the less certain you become.

• ”Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd,” once opined Voltaire.

• The chances of being killed by a squirrel are infinitesimally tiny, but they are never 100%.

• A rose by another name can actually smell just as sweet. Especially if that name happens to be daisy.

Jeff Burkhart hosts ‘The Barfly Podcast.’ More at jeffburkhart.net.

Why the U.S.-Iran Talks Failed

0

The first face-to-face high-level talks between the U.S. and Iran since 1979 have ended without agreement. Hardly surprising; both sides put forward positions not subject to actual bargaining. 

On the U.S. side, JD Vance’s message to Iran was that no uranium enrichment for any purpose would be acceptable to the U.S., which is a non-starter for Iran.

And on the Iranian side, the insistence on sovereign control of the Strait, with ship movement subject to Iran’s military and a toll, is unacceptable to the U.S., the Gulf states and most other countries. Iran’s second demand, that Israel must stop bombing Lebanon, is reasonable, but as a test of U.S. influence over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it is unlikely to work.

What does seem negotiable are Iran’s demand for an end to sanctions, a permanent peace with the U.S. and Iran’s pledge (with resumed international inspections) not to seek a nuclear weapon. That would take us back to Barack Obama’s nuclear deal, which Donald Trump tore up. We’re now paying the price for that stupidity.

Some observers thought Vance’s termination of talks might be a negotiating tactic. But Trump showed otherwise when he announced a U.S. blockade of the Strait, saying “Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL.” 

Sounds more like the death knell for the cease-fire. Iran, on the other hand, says it hopes talks will continue. Pakistan’s prime minister, host of the talks, said on Face the Nation that, “The talks are not dead. There’s a stalemate.” 

He needs to talk to Trump. As often happens with this president, his thoughts stray from the hard work of finding a way to get out of this costly and unnecessary war to personal pique. 

Talking to reporters recently, he spent most of his time denouncing the news media’s coverage of the war—with specific reference to CNN and The New York Times—as “almost treasonous.” 

He should look in the mirror.

Mel Gurtov is professor emeritus of political science at Portland State University.

The Slice Census: Celebrating Pizza Week, North Bay Style

Punk pioneer Henry Rollins perhaps said it best: “Pizza makes me think that anything is possible.”

Rollins has every reason to be optimistic, especially this week, as the North Bay’s annual observation of Pizza Week returns with 26 pie-making participants in the tri-county area alone.

From Wednesday, April 22 through Sunday, May 3, the region pauses for pizza. And thanks to a minor miracle of chronometry, the week is 12 days long. You’re right, Rollins; anything is possible.

For North Bay fans, Bay Area Pizza Week turns Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties into one sprawling tasting trail—waterfront patios, old-school pizzarias, artisan obsessives, cocktail bars dabbling in dough and family institutions that have fed generations. 

Below is a county-by-county roundup of currently listed and regionally promoted North Bay participants, alphabetized and organized for your ease.

Consider it a roadmap to a Nirvana by way of Old Napoli, and visit their individual sites for special offers.

Marin County

Bar Bocce

Sausalito’s waterfront answer to the eternal question: What if pizza came with bocce courts and postcard views? Wood-fired pies, bayside lounging and sunlight as a side dish.

1250 Bridgeway, Sausalito. barbocce.com

Gaspare’s Pizzeria Ristorante & Bar

A San Rafael comfort-food veteran where booths, garlic and red sauce remain pillars of  authority. Classic Italian-American energy and family friendly.

200 Merrydale Rd., San Rafael gasparespizzeria.com

Mulberry Street Pizzeria

East Coast spirit by way of San Rafael. Foldable slices meet neighborhood charm.

101 Smith Ranch Rd., Ste. C, San Rafael mulberrystreetpizzasanrafael.com

For those headed to the south side of the Golden Gate Bridge, consider visiting some of these highly recommended locations:

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana

Founded by 13-time world pizza champion Tony Gemignani, this landmark draws inspiration from a traditional pizzeria in Naples, Italy.

570 Stockton St., San Francisco. tonyspizzanapoletana.com

Capo’s

Celebrating authentic Detroit and Chicago pizza with a focus on quality ingredients and tradition. 641 Vallejo St., San Francisco. sfcapos.com

Slice House

Another creation by Tony Gemignani offering an unparalleled pizza experience, blending artisan craftsmanship with fast-casual dining in two participating locations. 

357 El Camino Real, Millbrae & 1000 El Camino Real C, Belmont. slicehouse.com

Napa County

A16 Napa

The Napa outpost of the acclaimed Southern Italian restaurant, bringing polished Neapolitan pedigree to downtown. And a serious wine list too.

821 Coombs St., Napa. a16pizza.com

Mary’s Pizza Shack

A North Bay institution doing what institutions are meant to do: feed generations dependably. Pizza, pasta and consensus—everyone loves Mary’s.

3085 Jefferson St., Napa. maryspizzashack.com

The Fink

Known more for cocktails than crust, which makes its Pizza Week presence intriguing. Stylish downtown Napa stop for those who prefer nightlife with their mozzarella.

530 Main St., Napa. thefinknapa.com

Sonoma County

Ausiello’s Homeslice

Rincon Valley favorite known for hearty pies and local loyalty.

5755 Mountain Hawk Dr., Santa Rosa ausielloshomeslice.com

Brixx Pizzeria

Downtown Petaluma mainstay turning out brick-oven pies in the heart of the Lan Mart building. A dependable and delicious prelude or finale to any evening.

16 Kentucky St., Petaluma brixxpizzeria.com

Gabacool Provisions

A playful, East Coast-leaning operation where sandwich culture and pizza culture happily collide in a van—popping up throughout the county. 

Follow on Instagram for location updates @gabacool_provisions

Huria’s

A family-run, mobile wood-fired catering vendor, offering wood-fired pizza and Mediterranean influences.

1400 Hwy. 1, Bodega Bay. hurias.com

L’Oro di Napoli — Petaluma

Elegant Neapolitan specialist bringing Naples energy to downtown Petaluma. Serious crust, no gimmicks.

208 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma lorodinapoli.com

L’Oro di Napoli — Santa Rosa

One of Sonoma County’s most respected pizza names. Blistered pies, classic technique and deserved confidence.

629 4th St., Santa Rosa. lorodinapoli.com

Mama J’s Pizzeria

A favorite, family-owned and run pizzeria going on a quarter century in downtown Penngrove.

10101 Main St., Penngrove. eatatmamajs.com

Mary’s Pizza Shack — Boyes Hot Springs

The geothermal branch of the family empire, still delivering familiar comforts.
18636 Sonoma Hwy., Sonoma. maryspizzashack.com

Mary’s Pizza Shack — Petaluma

The practical answer—something for everyone.

423 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma. maryspizzashack.com

Mary’s Pizza Shack — Rohnert Park

Suburban classic with proven pies.

101 Golf Course Dr., Rohnert Park. maryspizzashack.com

Mary’s Pizza Shack — Sonoma Plaza

Right on the historic square—sight of the Bear Flag Revolt.

8 W. Spain St., Sonoma. maryspizzashack.com

Mary’s Pizza Shack — Windsor

Dependable refuge after games, errands or modern life in general.

9010 Brooks Rd., Windsor. maryspizzashack.com

NY Pie Pizzeria

Santa Rosa’s New York-style standard bearer: foldable slices, straightforward attitude and enduring local loyalty.

65 Brookwood Ave., Santa Rosa. nypie.pizza

PizzaLeah

Windsor’s acclaimed artisan favorite from Leah Scurto, a true pizza-lover’s paradise.

9240 Old Redwood Hwy., Ste. 116, Windsor. pizzaleah.com

Slow Co. Pizza

Cotati entrant with a name that suggests proper fermentation, patience and values.
8197 La Plaza, Cotati. slowcopizza.com

Sonoma Pizza Co.

Forestville’s elevated pie house, built around artisan dough, local ingredients and Wine Country composure.

6615 Front St., Forestville. sonomapizzaco.com

Russian River Brewing Co.

Home of world famous brew Pliny the Younger and beloved local institution with downtown Santa Rosa and Windsor locations.

725 4th St., Santa Rosa and 700 Mitchell Ln., Windsor. russianriverbrewing.com

Rosso Pizzeria & Wine Bar

Authentic Italian dining with premium ingredients, artisanal craftsmanship and exceptional wine pairings. 53 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa. rossopizzeria.com

Slice Advice

Our recommendation—divide and conquer. Marin for views, Napa for refinement, Sonoma for depth of bench. Order one classic pie and one reckless one. Take notes if that helps justify the behavior. And remember, there are worse ways to spend late spring than driving around the North Bay in pursuit of pizza. 

Download the Bay Area Pizza Week app at the Apple App Store or via Google Play.

Free Will Astrology, April 22-28

0

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The visible lightning bolt we see is actually the return stroke. It’s electricity racing back up from the ground to the cloud after an invisible leader stroke has created a path. So the spectacular display is actually the Earth talking back to the sky. I’d love to see you adopt this phenomenon as your power symbol, Aries. In every way you can imagine, be like the Earth conversing with the sky. When a hopeful sign crackles overhead, send out a bold message that you’re ready to act on it. If your ideals are vague and wispy, flying high above you, take a brave practical step to anchor them in reality. Proclaim your bright intentions to the clouds and the stars.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You’re finished with energy-draining indulgences. No more seductive perils or cute ailments, either. Once you wriggle free from the tangles that have been hobbling your style, I suspect you will also renounce anything that resembles joyless restraint, naive certainties, pointless cravings, numbing comforts or misplaced bravery. May it be so. Abracadabra. The emancipations that materialize after these escapes will likely stoke your holy appetite to shine more fiercely than it has in ages.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In music theory, the tritone is an interval exactly halfway between octaves. In old church music, it was considered diabolical because of its unstable, unresolved quality. But this “devil interval” is now essential to blues, jazz and rock. The precariousness that once made it seem outrageous became the source of its potency. What was taboo became foundational. I believe you’re entering into a metaphorical tritone phase, Gemini. Lots of interesting and valuable stuff may be a bit wobbly, irregular, hectic or ruffled.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A treasure you have long yearned for has morphed since the day you first set out to claim it. Either it has genuinely altered its shape and flavor, or it has remained exactly what it always was while you have changed. In either case, the relationship between you and this prize is no longer the same. Its meaning and value have shifted. The strategies you’ve been using to pursue it aren’t entirely relevant. So I suggest you pause and reconsider. Decide whether you need to formulate a revised approach or identify a different version of the treasure altogether.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): My radical predictions: You will soon discern truths that have been hidden and unravel mysteries that have resisted your understanding. A limiting belief that has dulled your mind will fade away, and a so-called ally who has confused your sense of self will drift out of your orbit. And that’s just part of the renewal ahead. I foresee that you will emerge from a weird emotional haze, regaining access to feelings you’ve needed to highlight. And with that awakening, you will be blessed with beautiful realizations that until now have lingered just beyond definition.  

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In theater, “blocking” refers to the carefully choreographed movement of actors on stage. Every step is intentional, designed to create meaning and flow. But if an actor forgets the blocking and moves spontaneously in response to what’s happening, sometimes the scene becomes more alive. Let’s apply this idea to your life, Virgo. It may be that you have been following the blocking carefully. You know your role well. But now you’ve been authorized to forget the blocking. You can respond to what’s really happening instead of what’s scripted. I invite you to speak from your heart rather than parroting what’s expected of you. Yes, you might mess up the scene. But on the other hand, you might make it extra real and vibrant.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the future I envision for us all, the prizes that truly matter won’t be the wealth we’ve gathered or the impressive names on our contact list. They won’t be the clever deals we’ve made or the attractiveness of those who walk beside us. What will count most is our ability to transform the messy, selfish, frightened parts of ourselves into strengths. That’s hard to do. Each of us carries a share of that leaden dross, of course, but some of us are more tirelessly ingenious in our efforts to transmute it into gold. And the coming weeks will be prime time for you, Libra, to make dynamic progress in harnessing this magic.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Is it possible there’s something you really need but you don’t know what it is? Sometimes the soul sends up subtle hints long before it sends clear demands: a vague restlessness, a mysterious sadness or a boredom that doesn’t match your circumstances. These are often clues that an unnamed or unacknowledged need is summoning your attention. My advice to you: PAY ATTENTION. Ask your deep, sweet, sensitive self to provide unambiguous clues. To expedite the process, say the following sentence out loud, filling in the blank at the end: “I suspect I might be starving for ________.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You have arrived at the Glorious Grunting Season, my dear Sagittarius. I hope you’re poised to sweat freely and trust the intelligence of strenuous physical effort. Your wise body, more than your fine mind, can best align you with cosmic rhythms. Whenever you throw yourself into work or play that makes you grunt—hauling, scrubbing, digging, lifting, dancing, running, making love—you will harmonize with the deeper pulse of life. I predict that you will invigorate your instinctual vitality as you clear emotional sediment and ground your energy in the Earth’s rich rhythms. You will metabolize frustration into focus, inertia into momentum and abstraction into embodiment.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What might motivate you to become an extraordinary lover? I’m not suggesting that your romantic and erotic talents are lacking, only that there is delightful room to grow. And the coming weeks will be prime time for you to have fun with this noble experiment. I suggest you follow the clues that life and intuition will drop in your path. Keep this in mind, too: What makes a person a superb lover has a little to do with sheer technique, but is mostly due to emotional intelligence, imaginative responsiveness and tender ingenuity.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): This horoscope isn’t composed by me. It’s coming from you. I’m channeling it straight out of your own deep mind. Why now? Because your conscious ego has been so swept up in the constant swirl of tasks and distractions that it has been tuning out crucial communications from your still, small voice. And now that precious Spirit Whisperer has conscripted me as its messenger. Here’s what it wants to say: “Hey you. Remember me? Your inner guide? Also known as your higher self and the voice of your soul? You urgently need to turn your attention back in my direction. I have a backlog of messages for you, starting with how we can and should intensify our devotion to creative self-care.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In 1967, Piscean biologist Lynn Margulis proposed a revolutionary idea about life’s evolution: that many of its great leaps occurred through symbiosis. She theorized that distinct organisms have sometimes merged their identities to form entirely new beings. One example is the mitochondrion, the powerhouse within our cells. It began its existence as a free-living bacterium that later entered into partnership with the ancestral cell. Margulis’ formerly controversial idea is now mainstream science. (She was called “science’s unruly earth mother.”) With this as our guide, Pisces, let’s contemplate what separate elements of your life might merge into unprecedented blends. I invite you to consider bold experiments in merging and mixing. Hybrids might be more beautiful and valuable than the sum of their parts.

Homework: What secret have you hidden so well you’ve almost forgotten it yourself? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Stirring the Pot: Chef Michael Reyes Does What he Loves

Two decades ago, Bruce Hill and Bill Higgins first opened Picco in Larkspur, which has become one of Marin’s most enduring culinary landmarks. 

For the past six years, executive chef Michael Reyes has carried that legacy forward. A Culinary Institute of America graduate who grew up on California’s Central Coast, he ascended through some of the nation’s most celebrated kitchens, such as The French Laundry, Gotham Bar and Grill, Lazy Bear, Commis, Aqua and Mourad. But it was closer to home at San Luis Obispo’s beloved Café Roma that his Italian cooking was really solidified. 

In 2020, after extensive work across the Bay Area and wine country, he landed at Restaurant Picco.

“I look forward to being here every single day,” says Reyes, who credits a devoted team he says would “walk through walls and fire” for him.

His reverence for seasonal ingredients shines throughout the menu. A signature example: Picco’s risotto, prepared fresh every 30 minutes. Reyes builds a savory broth using umami-rich Parmigiano Reggiano rinds, combined with arborio rice and mesquite-grilled artichoke hearts, then folds in a mascarpone, Grana Padano and Meyer lemon zest, and finishes it with orange oil. 

It’s no wonder that Reyes loves a simple gin gimlet, the purity of which is sometimes elevated by a hint of cucumber. Perhaps this could be one’s next off-menu order at the Picco bar. Or they could opt for any of their inventive cocktails, like the Grandaddy Purple with gin and huckleberry yuzu liquor or the Canned Heat with reposado tequila, ancho chile, passionfruit and a firewater tincture. But if wine is more one’s thing, they may visit on a Monday when every bottle on the extensive Picco wine list is half price. 

Amber Turpin: How did you get into this work?

Michael Reyes: I have always loved eating, especially culturally different and unique foods. When I was in college, there was a great Italian restaurant I fell in love with. My friend was a server there, and I begged him for a job in the kitchen because I wanted to learn how to cook the potatoes they had on their chicken set. I begged the chef to give me a shot, and eventually he caved in and hired me. I haven’t stopped since.

Did you ever have an ‘aha’ moment with a certain beverage? If so, tell us about it.

The first time I had a mind-blowing gimlet with cucumbers.

What is your favorite thing to drink at home?

Water or kombucha.

Where do you like to go out for a drink?

Silver Peso (in Larkspur) for shots and beers.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you want to be drinking (besides fresh water)?

When life gives you coconuts, make pina coladas.

Restaurant Picco, 320 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur, 415.924.0300, restaurantpicco.com.

Visionary Art Director, Richard T. Powell

Richard T. Powell is a big man of mild mien with a banker’s name. But that’s just a trick of the eye. 

And as I sat with him at his slick black computer work station, he described another optical illusion of his creation. That of two columns flanking a trash-fashion runway. The context was NIMBASH, the (in)famous annual art party that raises funds for Napa community arts org Nimbus. 

Across the 10 minute trash runway, the illuminated stone columns gave the appearance of slowly, almost imperceptibly, degrading—cracking, flaking, to expose a glittering metallic under-layer which began to spin—slowly at first, and then faster and faster until blinding at the timed climax of the fashion show. 

According to tipsy guests, the illusion was entirely convincing. It was achieved by projection mapping (shape-tailored projection) of Powell’s 3-D digital art onto a column.

As we talked, Powell pulled more random items from his project portfolio. And as he spun out his yarns, this mild-mannered man gave forth a new impression—that of a slowly revolving galaxy of ideas—some realized, some burning to burst forth. Simply put, Richard T. Powell is one of the most potentiated artists I have met in our locality. That is the impression I hope to put across with my slight 600 words legerdemain. Review his website for images: rtpowelldesign.com.

Cincinnatus Hibbard: What is an art director?

Richard T. Powell: Somebody that makes creative decisions. Manages expectations of how to achieve those. Hires and manages people with complementary skillsets. And gets that project vehicle to the end point.

What are your skillsets?

I studied intaglio print making [etching] at SRJC. But I also studied IT at Empire College.

So my skillset includes things like networking protocols, painting, drawing, building servers, server management, 3D animation, 3D art, graphic design and web design. 

What’s your bread and butter work?

Web design—for small businesses.

Name another art project.

I made a six-minute animated music video on Blender for Samvega’s song, ‘Watermills.’ It’s on his YouTube. In it, I was inspired by vintage sci-fi. Think Flash Gordon oil-scape backdrops and the underworld, end time art of Zdzisław Beksiński.

It’s trippy a.f. And as beautiful as any Hollywood fx. What’s a third project?

Pre-pandemic, I was doing all of the show posters for The Mystic and Cornerstone—in Berkeley. Hundreds of posters over two years.

I love the poster you did for Spice World (see this week’s cover story).

I have been collaborating—with my neighbor, actually—on interactive projection mapping. An example I can give is that you project an image—like a galaxy on a wall—and if you step in front of it and wave your hands, you push the stars around. 

What’s something unexpected about you?

I love to scuba-dive. It’s like being in space.

What would be a dream assignment ?

I would love to do special effects for a film—or music video—I think of the music videos collaborations of French dark synth wave artist Carpenter Brut. Probably a horror film. Horror is really the most experimental American commercial genre.

Learn more: Connect with Richard T. Powell on instagram @richardtpowell. It is a portfolio too. His website is rtpowelldesign.com. Tickets for NIMBASH 2026 are on sale now, from $250. The event is May 9 at Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena.

Your Letters, April 22

Republic of Tourism

I write today from behind a barricade of empty wine bottles and emotional fatigue to sound the alarm: The tourism invasion is no longer coming. It is here, sipping a lavender oat milk cortado and TikToking themselves into bit-rated oblivion.

Our quaint small towns in Sonoma County and Marin County—once havens of modest weirdness, manageable parking and citizens who knew how to parallel park without consulting astrology—are being overrun by roving battalions of leisure seekers with their filtered social media faces and purported appetite for “authenticity.”

Napa County is already a goner. Marin is slipping. But Sonoma County is the darling du jour. Let us speak plainly. The lines are too long, the parking is nonexistent, the prices are skyrocketing, and the “local color” that once made small towns special is draining out into a soul-sucking sepia of future nostalgia for the way things were.

I recently attempted to buy a loaf of bread in a neighboring town and found myself eighth in line behind six bachelorette parties and a dude photographing a croissant from three angles. The cashier wore the thousand-yard stare of someone who has explained compostable cutlery policies too many times.

We must ask ourselves, what happens when every diner becomes “elevated comfort cuisine”?

I do not oppose visitors. Let them come. Let them spend freely. Let them marvel at our preserved architecture and artisanal condiments. But let there be limits. Let there be permits. Let there be a seasonal cap on beardos. Let there be one parking space reserved in every town for actual residents who simply need to pick up some paper towels and another bottle of wine. 

If we don’t act fast, we’ll just be in the way.

Cassady Caution
Petaluma

We appreciate your letters, which you can send to le*****@********un.com or le*****@******an.com.

Joyful Billie Holiday, Marin City Flea Market and Sculpture Days

0

Larkspur
A Joyful Billie Holiday

San Francisco vocalist Kim Nalley brings her formidable voice and stage presence to the Lark Theater with A Joyful Billie Holiday, a 90-minute tribute to the jazz legend. Nalley, celebrated for a style that blends sass, soul and intelligence, developed the performance after portraying the young Holiday in the stage production Lady Day in Love. Rather than imitation, Nalley offers something richer: an artist meeting another artist across time. With dramatic command and a voice capable of both power and velvet intimacy, she revisits Holiday’s songbook through reverence, swing and lived-in feeling. Presented by Marin Jazz, the concert also supports kids’ after school theater programs in Marin schools, adding a grace note to an already elegant afternoon. 3pm, Sunday, April 26, Lark Theater, 549 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur. $65 general admission; $75 VIP.

Marin City

Flea Market Returns

A beloved community institution gets a fresh chapter when the Marin City Flea Market returns under the stewardship of the newly forming Rotary Club of Marin City. Beginning this month and continuing every fourth Saturday, the parking lot of Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church will transform into an open-air bazaar filled with arts, crafts, food, vintage finds, collectibles, furniture, home goods and the timeless category known simply as “stuff.” Long remembered as both a market space and gathering place, the flea market aims to uplift local vendors, celebrate cultural diversity and create an accessible space where entrepreneurship and neighborhood connection can flourish. In other words: commerce with soul. For bargain hunters, browsers and lovers of community color, it’s a welcome revival of one of Marin’s most distinctive grassroots traditions. 8am–2pm, Saturday, April 25, and every fourth Saturday of the month, Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church parking lot, 101 Donahue St., Marin City. Free admission.

Healdsburg
We The Sculptors

Sculpture has a way of making itself unavoidable. It occupies space, casts shadows and often declines to be mere background décor. That spirit animates We The Sculptors, a weekend gathering at T Barny Gallery & Sculpture Gardens celebrating International Sculpture Days with the work of 10 Sonoma County artists. The materials alone suggest range and attitude: ceramics, stone, steel and even zip ties. But the deeper theme is what organizers call “defiant dissidence”—the idea that art can provoke, question and stand visibly in the public square. In that sense, the exhibition joins a long tradition of artists using form and presence to challenge norms and imagine other possibilities. Set amid the gardens of the Pine Flat Road venue, the event invites visitors to wander among works that speak loudly or quietly, but rarely politely. Consider it a free weekend of three-dimensional resistance, or simply a fine excuse to look at interesting things in a beautiful place. 11am–4pm, Saturday–Sunday, April 25–26, T Barny Gallery & Sculpture Gardens, 4370 Pine Flat Rd., Healdsburg. Free.

Napa

Cello ShotsNapa will get a sonorous supernova of sound when virtuoso cellist Rebecca Roudman brings Dirty Cello’s high-octane blend of blues, rock and Americana to the Native Sons of the Golden West Grand Hall in Napa. A classically trained symphony player who long ago traded formal restraint for amplified swagger, Roudman fronts a group that treats the cello less like an orchestral instrument and more like a lead guitar with better manners. Dirty Cello’s sets can veer from Jimi Hendrix to Charlie Daniels, alongside originals delivered with improvisational energy shaped by the room. Expect virtuosity, irreverence and the kind of musical detour best experienced live. 7pm, Friday, May 1, at Native Sons of the Golden West, 937 Coombs St., Napa. $25. More information at dirtycellonapa.eventbrite.com.

Second Acts: Don’t Wait for a Curtain Call

Your second act should be uniquely your own, a projection of your own wild heart.
As F. Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote, “There are no second acts in American lives.” But… Most self-help gurus say we do have more, maybe even three, with additional modules available for download. The melancholy Jacques in Shakespeare’s As You Like It counts seven acts. If we’re to go with Fitzgerald’s take, that would leave us Americans, per Jacques’ monologue, perpetually “mewling...

Earth Day at the Sonoma Coast

There are many ways to observe Earth Day. Head to the Sonoma Coast, where Earth Day, simply put, is every day.
There are many ways to observe Earth Day. One can post a leafy infographic, shop with reusable bags or make bold declarations about composting, then maybe do it. Or one can do something vastly more superior: Head to the Sonoma Coast, where Earth Day, simply put, is every day.  At the Sonoma Coast, the elements remain in constant flux—the wind...

The Meaning of ‘100%’ Certainty

Timmy was a good bartender; he just had a problem with certainty. Or rather uncertainty. His two favorite phrases were “100%” and “absolutely.”
This is what I learned from a bartender named Timmy that made me doubt that kid behind the counter when he said, “100%.”  Timmy wasn’t a bad guy. It’s just that Timmy liked to make things up. Maybe that is overstating it a bit. He didn’t make up important facts. He was honest about things like his name, his employment...

Why the U.S.-Iran Talks Failed

The first face-to-face high-level talks between the U.S. and Iran since 1979 have ended without agreement.
The first face-to-face high-level talks between the U.S. and Iran since 1979 have ended without agreement. Hardly surprising; both sides put forward positions not subject to actual bargaining.  On the U.S. side, JD Vance’s message to Iran was that no uranium enrichment for any purpose would be acceptable to the U.S., which is a non-starter for Iran. And on the Iranian...

The Slice Census: Celebrating Pizza Week, North Bay Style

The North Bay’s annual observation of Pizza Week returns with 26 pie-making participants in the tri-county area alone.
Punk pioneer Henry Rollins perhaps said it best: “Pizza makes me think that anything is possible.” Rollins has every reason to be optimistic, especially this week, as the North Bay’s annual observation of Pizza Week returns with 26 pie-making participants in the tri-county area alone. From Wednesday, April 22 through Sunday, May 3, the region pauses for pizza. And thanks to...

Free Will Astrology, April 22-28

Free Will Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The visible lightning bolt we see is actually the return stroke. It’s electricity racing back up from the ground to the cloud after an invisible leader stroke has created a path. So the spectacular display is actually the Earth talking back to the sky. I’d love to see you adopt this phenomenon as your power...

Stirring the Pot: Chef Michael Reyes Does What he Loves

Restauarnt Picco chef Michael Reyes' reverence for seasonal ingredients shines throughout the menu.
Two decades ago, Bruce Hill and Bill Higgins first opened Picco in Larkspur, which has become one of Marin’s most enduring culinary landmarks.  For the past six years, executive chef Michael Reyes has carried that legacy forward. A Culinary Institute of America graduate who grew up on California’s Central Coast, he ascended through some of the nation’s most celebrated kitchens,...

Visionary Art Director, Richard T. Powell

Simply put, Richard T. Powell is one of the most potentiated artists I have met in our locality, says columnist Cincinnatus Hibbard.
Richard T. Powell is a big man of mild mien with a banker’s name. But that’s just a trick of the eye.  And as I sat with him at his slick black computer work station, he described another optical illusion of his creation. That of two columns flanking a trash-fashion runway. The context was NIMBASH, the (in)famous annual art party...

Your Letters, April 22

Republic of Tourism I write today from behind a barricade of empty wine bottles and emotional fatigue to sound the alarm: The tourism invasion is no longer coming. It is here, sipping a lavender oat milk cortado and TikToking themselves into bit-rated oblivion. Our quaint small towns in Sonoma County and Marin County—once havens of modest weirdness, manageable parking and citizens...

Joyful Billie Holiday, Marin City Flea Market and Sculpture Days

With dramatic command and a voice capable of both power and velvet intimacy, Kim Nalley revisits Billie Holiday’s songbook through reverence, swing and lived-in feeling.
Larkspur A Joyful Billie Holiday San Francisco vocalist Kim Nalley brings her formidable voice and stage presence to the Lark Theater with A Joyful Billie Holiday, a 90-minute tribute to the jazz legend. Nalley, celebrated for a style that blends sass, soul and intelligence, developed the performance after portraying the young Holiday in the stage production Lady Day in Love....
11,084FansLike
4,606FollowersFollow
6,928FollowersFollow