October 2015

Austin Woman MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2015

“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” —Lewis Carroll

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Austin Thyroid & Endocrinology ENDOCRINOLOGY

is the science of hormones, substances released by glands that regulate every cell in your body, for both men and women.

Examples of endocrine diseases: thyroid disease, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome and obesity, hirsutism, menopause, pituitary and adrenal pathology, low testosterone in males, andropause and impotence, polycystic ovaries, recurrent kidney stones, irregular or lack of menstrual periods, high and low calcium, diabetes.

We provide a comprehensive assessment of your hormone balance, in-house hormone testing, thryoid ultrasound, and bone density testing.

THYROID DISEASE affects thirty million Americans, half of which do not know they have the disease. Examples: hypo and hyperthyroidism, Graves and Hashimoto disease, goiter, thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. Each person has a different genetic set point for TSH. Thyroid problems require lifelong attention.

We are the premiere thryoid clinic in Austin, and offer the latest treatment for thyroid disease, aggressive management of thyroid cancer with radioactive iodine and second opinion consults for thyroid surgery.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR TSH?

HAVE YOU SEEN AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST?

OPTIMAL HEALTH BIOLOGICAL AGE

deals with your health before disease prevention or treatment.

OSTEOPOROSIS

is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break.

Osteoporosis affects one in two women and one in four men over 50 and is generally missed.

Bone fracture is the “heart attack” of the bone. New treatments reduce the risk of fracture and build new bone. A bone density test is the only way to test for osteoporosis. We have the latest bone density testing equipment in Texas, and provide instant bone metabolism, medical consultation, and treatment options.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR BONE DENSITY?

Optimal health is the ideal, yet achievable, health of your body as you reach middle age and beyond. Your biological age is a measure of how well your body functions, compared to your actual calendar age.

Our specialized equipment allows us to measure and evaluate your biological age, a composite of your brain age, bone age, heart age, and vessel age. We help you achieve your optimal health, a major factor in the quality of your life as you age.

TEST YOUR BIOLOGICAL AGE TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL HEALTH.

DR. SIMONE SCUMPIA, FACE, FRCP BOARD CERTIFIED IN ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM Fellow American College of Endocrinology Fellow Royal College of Physicians Assciate Clinical Professor of Medicine

2200 Park Bend Drive • Building 3, Suite 300 Austin, TX 78758 • behind North Austin Medical Ctr. Mon-Fri, 7 am to 4 pm • www.austinthyroid.com

512.467.2727

IN-HOUSE

Hormone Testing Thyroid Ultrasound Bone Densitometry Total Body Fat Analysis Radioactive Iodine Treatment

Accepting New Patients

I AM A TEXAS MBA “I pursued my Texas MBA six years after I founded Amy’s Ice Creams.

The intelligence and high level of achievement by my classmates and keen perspective of my professors unlocked potential in me I’d never known. I stepped my game up in all areas of my life and found a new level of confidence. The camaraderie and support of lifelong friendships made between classmates and professors has proven to be priceless.”

AMY SIMMONS Founder, Amy’s Ice Creams, Baked By Amy’s Co-founder, Phil’s Ice House, Austinville Entrepreneurial consultant, Amy’s EDU First professional boxer in the State of Texas Mother of three Marathon runner Former Mayor Pro Tem of West Lake Hills, Texas Texas MBA 1994

TexasMBA.info

EXPAND YOUR NETWORK

Photo by Korey Howell.

Evening & Executive Programs

MAKE THE TIME. SAVE YOUR LIFE. Breast Cancer Awareness Is Every Month. Monthly self-breast exams combined with routine mammograms can detect breast abnormalities early and can lead to a greater chance of successful treatment. Make the time this month to take care of you — schedule your mammogram. Start a routine, get screened and encourage others to do the same.

Available 24 hours a day, visit stdavids.com, or call 512-478-3627 or 1-888-868-2104 to find a doctor, speak to one of our nurses, or register for upcoming seminars or events.

Baylor Scott & White Health Primary Care Clinics.

Sometimes you need primary care. And sometimes you need more care. For either, come to the nearest Baylor Scott & White clinic. It’s part of our large network of physicians, specialists and advanced medicine. So rest assured that we can care for all your everyday health needs.

Or anything else that pops up.

Find a location near you. bswdocs.com 512.509.0200

Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of those medical centers, Baylor Health Care System, Scott & White Healthcare or Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2015 Baylor Scott & White Health SWCLINIC_163_2015 CE 09.15

Christopher Brennig, MD

Austin Vein Institute State-of-the-art Varicose Vein Treatment

C h r i s t op h er W. Brennig, M.D. CERTIFIED: The American Board of General Surgery SUB-SPECIALTY CERTIFIED: The American Board of Vascular Surgery

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Dr. Brennig is Board Certified in Vascular Surgery and in General Surgery. He is recognized for his expertise in the minimally invasive treatment of varicose veins, spider veins, recurrent varicose veins, and complex venous disorders including DVT. Please call the Austin Vein Institute to schedule a comprehensive consultation.

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AUSTIN

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70

On the cover

feature

BaSHERT

2015 Texas Tribune Festival

By deborah hamilton-Lynne

Photo by Dustin Meyer.

By rachel merriman

On Marcia: Brunello Cucinelli poplin blouse, $695; Ralph Lauren Black Label Abbey skinny suede pants, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com; necklace, bracelets, ring and watch, model’s own.

On Susan: Ralph Lauren Black Label long-sleeve cashmere sweaterdress, $1,095; Eddie Borgo plume long pendulum necklace, $250; David Yurman Quatrefoil triple-drop earrings with diamonds, $1,950, available at Neiman Marcus, 3400 Palm Way, 512.719.1200, neimanmarcus.com.

Contents

Photo courtesy of The Carillon.

October

77 GOURMET

on the scene 27 KRISTY’S TOP 10 October’s To-Do List 30 Philanthropy Muse Austin

AW’s Restaurant Recommendations for Festival Season

wellness

savvy women 42 J ust Passing THrough

77 f estival food

Texas Conference

for Women

46 ARTS Entrepreneurship 50 JOb envy Liz Fudell

POP Austin

MUST LIST 52 M ust HEAR ACL Music Fest Artists 54 M ust Travel Pasadena, Calif.

style + Home 56 B Eauty Wine, Oh! 59 color trends Hello, Merlot!

84 f itness

Managing Diabetes Through Mindfulness and Yoga

86 H EALTH

The Unsettling Facts About Domestic Violence

POINT OF VIEW 90 f irst person

The Most Beautiful Woman in the World

92 memo

from JB On the Move 94 HOROSCOPES Happy Birthday, Libra!

96 L ast Word How Books Have Changed My Life

on the cover Photo by Dustin Meyer | Hair by Allison Deitiker | Makeup by Rachel Gonzales | Shot on location at Zach Theatre, zachtheatre.org On Marcia, left: Vince leather vest with shearling fur trim, $1,495; Ralph Lauren long-sleeve cotton T-shirt, $155; Hudson Barbara high-rise skinny jeans, $189.

On Susan, right: Brunello Cucinelli open-side cashmere pullover sweater, $3,140; Brunello Cucinelli chiffon-sleeve turtleneck top, $995; Escada skinny ankle jeans, $450.

12 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

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Volume 14, issue 2

Co-Founder and Publisher Melinda Maine Garvey vice president and Co-Publisher Christopher Garvey associate publisher Cynthia Guajardo Shafer Co-Founder Samantha Stevens

EDITORIAL Editor-in-chief Deborah Hamilton-Lynne copy editor Chantal Rice contributing writers

Deborah Alys Carter, Jill Case, JB Hager, Luisa Hall, Kelly E. Lindner, Rachel Merriman, Macy Moore, Victoria Mycue, Kristy Owen, Megan Russell, Olivia Sylvain, Brooke Watson

ART CREATIVE Director Niki Jones ART DIRECTOR Lucy Froemmling CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Rudy Arocha, Andrea Callo, Allison Deitiker, Jack Edinger, William Flynn, Rachel Gonzales, Robert Lerma, Dwayne Hills, Sandy Gruenberg, Chris O’Donovan, Rambo, Elon Schoenholz, Michael Blue Smith, Jessica Wetterer, Erica Wilkins, Todd Wolfson

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Katie Paschall

ADMINISTRATION COO/GenerAL MANAGER Shawnee McClanahan Operations and Marketing manager Maggie Rester

Interns

N’Kisha Heffington, Jasmina Kuenzli, Lydia McAllister, Daryl Mogilewsky, Macy Moore, Victoria Mycue, Evelyn Roberts, Grace Snively, Kristin Stockley, Olivia Sylvain, Brooke Watson

Austin Woman is a free monthly publication of AW Media Inc., and is available at more than 1,150 locations throughout Austin and in Lakeway, Cedar Park, Round Rock and Pflugerville. All rights reserved.

For submission requirements, visit awmediainc.com/contribute.

No part of the magazine may be reprinted or duplicated without permission.

Visit us online at austinwomanmagazine.com.

Email us at info@awmediainc.com.

512.328.2421 • 3921 Steck Ave., Suite A111, Austin, TX 78759

Walt Disney once said, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible,” to which Cervantes replied, “In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd.” At least that’s the way the conversation went in my imaginary dinner-table banter with two of my favorite philosophers. In reality, there are impossible dreams becoming reality throughout Austin, thanks to people who dream big and never take no for an answer. The women who grace our cover this issue are two such women.

For Susan Lubin and Marcia Levy, once they set their sights on creating a state-of-the-art breast-care center to serve all women of Central Texas, there was no hesitation. Failure was never an option and their dreams were huge. I can tell you that for this pair, doing the impossible was and is “kind of fun.”

When the Seton Breast Care Center became a reality manifested from a powerful friendship, so too, one of the most powerful and touching films I have ever seen in my life came to be. A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story was a story that would haunt Director and Producer Sara Hirsh Bordo and Executive Producer Alexis Jones until they, together with Velasquez herself, created a film not to be missed. Told with compassion and candor, the film shines a light on bullying and how to overcome the odds and thrive in spite of overwhelming challenges, such as the rare syndrome that has prevented Velasquez from gaining weight throughout her life. Never doubt the power of women coming together to get out a message in support of love and friendship, faith and belief in the inherent good; that is the secret to achieving the impossible.

October is also the month dedicated to building awareness of two issues impacting women: domestic violence and breast cancer.

We encourage you to check out the many events happening throughout the month, participate with friends and build awareness. Together, we can make the impossible possible, thanks to Austin women like Courtney Santana, founder of Survive2Thrive, and the forces behind the Stiletto Stampede and the sixth annual Be Brave Benefit concert.

As for Cervantes’ thought on attaining the impossible, one doesn’t have to look any further than the October festival season. When I came to Austin 23 years ago, if someone had told me that in the month of October, our city would host well more than a million

visitors from around the globe, beginning with 450,000 music lovers during the first two weeks of the month and culminating with 230,000 F1 race fans the last week, I would have said, “How absurd.” Or how about a book festival that attracts bibliophiles and the most accomplished authors in the nation, all for free and held on the Capitol grounds? Absurd, right? Or imagine a film festival that celebrated the most overlooked (at the time) team player in film, the screenwriter? Why do that? It’s absurd. And what about a conference for women that would leave you with the feeling that anything—simply anything—was within your reach? Or who would think that people would sign up for a festival where serious political discussion and debate on the most pressing and complex issues of our time took center stage? Seriously?

Yes, seriously, all that and more has become our reality in Austin in October, and all because visionary leaders have attempted the absurd in order to dream the impossible dream. And best of all, we get to come along for the ride each and every year. I thrive in October, soaking up as much knowledge and meeting as many people as I possibly can. The only thing that has become slightly impossible is trying to arrange a schedule that permits me to work and attend all these concerts, panels, workshops, book signings and, yes, even the race. Since cloning myself is not yet possible, I attempt the absurd while I try to juggle schedules and force myself to prioritize.

In this issue, in light of that impossible task, we have attempted to give you a preview and a taste of what is to come this month, and hope you will be encouraged to venture out and take in what the festival season has to offer. It can be a life-changing adventure or just a pleasant afternoon during which you discover a new author or meet an out-of-towner at a bar or restaurant who becomes a lifelong friend.

(Indeed, all these things have happened to me.) Check out the restaurant recommendations in the Gourmet article. You never know who just might be sitting next to you.

deborah hamilton-lynne Editor-in-Chief

Where I will be in October, soaking up the possibilities: ACL Music Festival Gary Clark Jr. Oct. 2, 7–8 p.m.

Texas Book Festival Margaret Atwood Oct. 17 House chamber

16 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

Austin Film Festival In line at the Paramount for films through the entire festival Hair of the Dog Brunch Nov. 1

Texas Conference for Women Oct. 15, all day. Everything I can fit in POP Austin Oct. 25, 10 a.m.

Illumination, international art show

Texas Tribune Festival Make 2016 Great Again Oct. 18, 9 a.m.

With Gwen Ifill on the panel, Evan Smith moderating

Jeongmoon Choi

Deborah Hamilton-Lynne photo by Korey Howell. Sara Bordo, Lizzie Velasquez and Alexis Jones photo courtesy of Lizzie Velasquez. ACL Fest photo by Jack Edinger. Illumination photo courtesy of Pop Austin International Art Show.

From the Editor

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contributors

Austin Symphony Orchestra

This month, we asked our contributors: What do you most enjoy about Austin in the fall?

dustin meyer

Cover Story photographer, “BASHERT,” Page 62 Dustin Meyer is an internationally recognized wedding, portrait and commercial photographer based in Austin, with more than 10 years of experience in the photography industry. His work has been displayed by Kodak in Times Square, featured in USA Today and on CBS. Published in numerous magazines, including Southern Weddings, Style Me Pretty, The Knot, Rangefinder Magazine and more, Dustin’s work has earned him acclaim from clients throughout the country.

“The best thing about fall is when we do all those incredible photo shoots. It’s so much easier when the weather is cooler. And who doesn’t love fall fashion? You just can’t beat all the gorgeous outdoor colors this time of year. Plus, there’s no sweating involved.”

RACHEL MERRIMAN

Writer, “2015 Texas Tribune Festival,” Page 70 Rachel Merriman is a local technical writer and freelance magazine writer. When she isn’t writing, you can probably find her in her kitchen covered in flour. She blogs about baking and making her 1970s fixer-upper a home at siftingandthrifting.com.

Perfect date nights start here.

“Any combination of outside plus food comprises most of my social calendar in the fall.”

RUDY AROCHA

photographer, “Wine, Oh!” Page 56

Upcoming events: OctOber 16 & 17, 8:00 p.m.

Masterpiece Series at Long Center’s Dell Hall In mo Yang, violin Music of Glazunov, Saint-Saëns, Brahms In Mo Yang

OctOber 24, 8:00 p.m.

Pops Series at Long Center’s Dell Hall Warner bros. presents “bugs bunny at the Symphony II”

october PoPs

S e aSon SPonS or

Tickets/Info (512) 476-6064 or austinsymphony.org

Me Di a SP o nS or S All artists, programs, and dates subject to change.

Photographer Rudy Arocha is a native Texan who moved to Austin to pursue his education in fine arts as a sculptor. He later rediscovered his passion for photography when his grandfather gave him a camera as a gift. Rudy graduated from the Art Institute of Austin and specializes in portrait photography. When not photographing, Rudy enjoys music, the outdoors and spending time with his wife, Maggie.

“My favorite thing about Austin in the fall is the weather: the warm days and the cool nights, and doing anything outside in this amazing weather.”

MEGAN RUSSELL Writer, “the 16th annual Texas conference for womEn,” Page 42 Megan Russell is an Austin-based writer and blogger who loves writing about health, fitness and leadership. “It was an inspiring opportunity to write about the Texas Conference for Women,” Megan says. “To see women overcome devastating obstacles and go on to lead happy lives has reminded me to be grateful in my own life and embrace my strengths to overcome my weaknesses.”

“Austin in the fall brings gorgeous weather. I love Saturday morning walks to the farmers market in the crisp morning air. Plus, who can pass up fresh, seasonal veggies?”

thank you sponsors

Orr Family Foundation, Sam Bassett-Trustee David B. Terk Wildlife Conservation Foundation

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Kurt and Tracie Chew Caplan Miller Events Wendee Sawran Petals + Decor Casino Knights Gallo Family Wines FILO Productions Jim Beam Suntory Jerry Hayes Photography Austin Monthly Magazine The Capture Booth AW Media Inc. Townsley Designs iHeart Media

Studio 512 Country Line Magazine Strait Music Westlake Picayune West Austin News

Connect with us! find us online at austinwomanmagazine.com.

FEATURED EVENT

EDITOR’S PICK Unplugged

Nobelity 4X4 Concert

We love it when three of our former AW cover women team up for a great cause. Join Christy Pipkin, Kelly Willis and Elizabeth McQueen as they come together to raise funds to build a preschool in Mweiga Town, Kenya. The concert features four songs by four artists: Kelly Willis with Bruce Robison, Elizabeth McQueen, Patrice Pike and Guy Forsyth. There’ll be music, food and drink, all for a $50 donation.

We’ll see you there!

Win This!

Can’t get enough of this issue?

Check out austinwomanmagazine.com

Former AW cover women Kendra Scott and Courtney Santana teamed up to create jewelry for National Domestic Awareness Month, with proceeds benefiting Survive2Thrive Foundation. Find the jewelry online at kendrascott.com and at local Kendra Scott retail stores.

➥ More festival coverage. AW will be on the scene at ACL Fest, the Texas

Tribune Festival, the Austin Film Festival, the Texas Book Festival and the Texas Conference for Women. Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

➥ More trending for the home. Gold and gold accents are everywhere this season. AW checks out the best local stores where you can find them.

➥ More style. Are you an aspiring fashionista? We’ve got the scoop from Austin native Amy Odell, author of Tales From the Back Row.

➥ More author profiles. The Texas Book Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and we’ve got the info on must-see authors and panels.

➥ Escape the festival hoards and traffic. We’ve got the best day trips designed to take you far from the maddening crowds in October.

➥ More designer drinks. Austin’s finest share their picks for fall-themed cocktails.

➥ More October-only events. While it may come back to haunt you, we

offer up some date-night ideas for events that can happen only in Austin and only in October.

➥ More breast-cancer awareness events. AW intern Breanna Williams chronicles her first Race for the Cure.

➥ More décor. We’ve got tips on how to transition your home for the fall season.

➥

More domestic-violence awareness. Support the Unity Day Celebration at The Long Center Oct. 5.

Follow us

@austinwoman

20 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

like us

In honor of our October cover women, Susan Lubin and Marcia Levy, and in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, handbag maker Zink is donating 10 percent of the proceeds from October sales of its blush-pink vegan bag to the Seton Breast Care Center. Find it at zinkcollection.com or the Zink location at Jefferson Square, 1601 W. 38th St., #11.

To win, visit facebook.com/austinwoman, and post the name of a breast-cancer survivor or domestic-violence thriver you wish to honor during the month of October.

facebook.com/austinwoman

FOLLOW us

@ austinwoman

Nobelity 4X4 Concert photo by Todd V. Wolfson. Unplugged photo courtesy of Zach Theatre. Earrings photo by Dwayne Hills. Handbag photo courtesy of Zink.

Oct. 18, 5:30 p.m.

Zach Theatre’s Topfer Theatre and Bobbi Pavilion zachtheatre.org/content/unplugged-2015 Enjoy a relaxing evening with Dave Steakley, producing artistic director, as he hosts Zach actors performing their favorite songs and sharing personal stories in a casual, laid-back style. Unwind and unplug while you wine, dine and are entertained by some of Austin’s finest, all for a good cause: to support Zach Theatre’s artists and artistic programs.

Oct. 7, 7 p.m.

Gibson Guitar Showroom 3601 S. Congress Ave., G-400 nobelity.org/4x4-concertbuilds-mweiga-preschool

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Caring for the community “Partnerships save lives and that’s exactly what Roger Beasley Mazda and the Austin Humane Society have been doing together for 10 years. Over the past 10 years, Roger Beasley Mazda has raised over $1,000,000, serving over 77,000 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens through the critical programs at AHS. With Mazda at our side we have placed animals in loving homes, served animals and people in times of crisis, prevented future homelessness through spay and neuter and engaged the community to be a part of the solution. We are so grateful to have this lifesaving partnership.”

— Frances Jonon, Executive Director, Austin Humane Society

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“At Roger Beasley Mazda it’s more than just buying a new car. It’s about local community. The importance of giving back has been part of the Roger Beasley Mazda philosophy from the start. We know it’s vital to support the community in which you live and work.”

Roger Beasley Mazda started 43 years ago in 1972 with a single location on Burnet Road. Now the group has four locations in Central Texas and is one of the largest Mazda dealer groups in the United States.

“As a locally-owned business, we know how impactful local dollars are. That’s why we pick out charities that are locally funded and we look to see that funds are spent properly to make Austin a better place. We encourage everyone to go out and get involved in the community.”

— Jim Bagan, Vice President, Roger Beasley Mazda Roger Beasley Mazda focuses on those that can’t speak for themselves such as children and animals. They proudly support the Austin Humane Society, Hand to Hold, Komen Austin and Wonders & Worries, to name a few.

The respected and fundamental driving dynamics of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata are fueled by the need to build a sports car that’s lightweight, strong and a total blast to drive. All simply because driving matters. The MX-5 inspired the holistic approach to building our vehicles with SKYACTIV® TECHNOLOGY, which makes for a lighter, stiffer and safer vehicle. It’s the foundation for a strong, lightweight platform with a powerful-yet-efficient drivetrain that maximizes driving enjoyment with every drop of fuel.

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ON THE SCENE kristy’s top 10 October’s to-do list from 365 Things To Do In Austin, Texas.

By kristy owen

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AIA Austin Home Tour

Oct. 25–26 aiahomestour.com

Photo by Andrea Callo.

Since I used to be a real-estate agent by day, having an interest in homes and architecture is in my blood. This is the 29th anniversary of the AIA tour, and it has become a nationally recognized event.

The architecture and finish-outs will captivate you. This tour showcases some of the best, most unique and interesting architecture in Austin. It’s a rare opportunity to actually go inside these homes and not wonder from the outside what they’re really like.

austinwomanmagazine.com | 27

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kristy’s top 10

Launderette

2115 Holly St. launderetteaustin.com

I can’t get enough of Launderette. It’s the perfect place for a girls’ night, date night, to take your parents or celebrate a birthday dinner. I’m convinced this place can’t make a bad dish. Everything on the menu calls my name.

Here are my recommendations for getting started: the burrata, Nonna’s Red Sauce, Brussels sprouts and frites. Sharing these dishes with a friend will more than fill you up. The Brussels sprouts are easily some of the best I’ve had. They’re served with a bacon marmalade and apples, which really create a flavor explosion. It does not matter what you eat or how full you think you are, be sure to order the birthday-cake ice-cream sandwich. It will make any day feel like your birthday. Not only is the food here delicious, the service is also outstanding.

Dinner is served Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. Weekend brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Oktoberfest at Banger’s

Oct. 15–18, 79 Rainey St.

One of the greatest things about the month of October is that countless beer venues in Austin start celebrating Oktoberfest. A festival whose focal point is beer is something most Austinites can get behind!

Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden, home to the city’s widest selection of handmade sausages and craft beer, is celebrating Oktoberfest Oct. 15 through 18 with special food, beer and live music.

With a nod to the home country of Oktoberfest, German beers—some local and some national drafts—will be featured as part of the celebration.

The featured brewery of Oktoberfest is Live Oak Brewery. Traditional stein hoists, a smoke out, gun salutes and chicken-s*** bingo will also mark the occasion. There’s no charge for admission.

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Twentieth Anniversary of the Texas Book Festival

Oct. 17–18, Texas Capitol texasbookfestival.org

This annual book-a-palooza is the brainchild of former first lady Laura Bush. The coolest thing about the festival is that it gets people excited about reading and raises tons of cash for Texas libraries. Since the fest started, it’s awarded more than $2.5 million in grant money to state libraries.

The annual Texas Book Festival features 250-plus nationally and critically recognized authors; more than 20 venues, including the Capitol; 80-plus exhibitors; live music; local food trucks; family activities and countless opportunities to meet authors and fellow book lovers.

House of Torment

Through Halloween, 523 Highland Mall Blvd. thehouseoftorment.com

The House of Torment is back for its 13th season. The Travel Channel and The Wall Street Journal rave about it. The Travel Channel named it “one of America’s scariest Halloween attractions.” It has the classic haunted-house theme: dark and scary and has creepy music and fog lights. What takes this to the next level is that the actors are phenomenal, dressed in elaborate costumes, and they go all out. Going sooner rather than later is best, as the crowds and lines get bigger closer to Halloween. Admission is $24.99.

28 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

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2. Photo courtesy of Banger’s. 3. Photo by Robert J. Lerma. 5. Photo courtesy of House of Torment.

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Twenty-ninth Annual Gruene Music & Wine Fest

Oct. 8–11, 1601 Hunter Road, New Braunfels, Texas gruenemusicandwinefest.org

Austin Zoo, 10808 Rawhide Trail austinzoo.org

Fall equals festival season in Central Texas. The Gruene Music & Wine Festival is one that any music or wine lover will enjoy.

The four-day festival celebrates everything from local to international wines. Last year, the event raised more than $140,000 for the local United Way chapter. $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

Boo at the Zoo is back! Come celebrate Halloween at the Austin Zoo and explore the grounds after dark with the light of your flashlight. Ride the haunted train, explore the haunted house and bring a picnic to enjoy in the Picnic Grove. The zoo will be illuminated and decorated for this annual occasion. For the full experience, wear a costume.

Admission is $12.50.

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6. Photo by Jim Flynn. 7. Photo by Sandy Gruneberg. 9. Photo courtesy of Austin Parks Foundation. 10. Photo courtesy of Circuit of the Americas.

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Boo at The Zoo

Oct. 9–10, 16–17, 23–24, 30

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Hocus Pocus Pub Crawl

Oct. 23, 9:30 p.m., Elysium, 705 Red River St. facebook.com/events/1642954945924974 Time to terrorize the townspeople in your scariest attire as you make our way down the dark Austin streets to accept tribute from all our local bars!

Admission is $15.

Movies in the Park

Oct. 22 and Oct. 29 austinparks.org/moviesinthepark There is something about catching a flick under the stars that’s just fun. This month, Casper and Beetlejuice will be featured.

There’s no charge for admission.

Oct. 22: Casper at Dick Nichols District Park Oct. 29: Beetlejuice at Republic Square Park

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Kristy Owen is the event mastermind and blogger behind 365 Things To Do In Austin, Texas. To stay up to date on the best Austin has to offer, visit her blog, 365thingsaustin.com.

Fan Fest

Oct. 22–24, various locations downtown circuitoftheamericas.com/events Circuit of the Americas’ Fan Fest, the race weekend’s exhilarating celebration of all that Austin has to offer, will return to downtown with exciting new additions. This celebration of music and motorsport will offer an eclectic array of activities and music at a variety of locations, including some of Austin’s favorite bars and venues: The Mohawk, the legendary Continental Club, C-Boy’s Heart & Soul, Hangar Lounge, The Market and The Belmont. Stay tuned for more information as additional Fan Fest venues, outdoor-stage locations and music schedules are rolled out.

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philanthropy

Muse Austin

Get inspired at the event of the season, all for a great cause.

By Brooke Watson

Oct. 25, the Survive2Thrive Foundation will host Muse Austin, a multimedia event of concerts and fashion to commemorate survivors of domestic violence. The night promises to be one to remember, during which some of Austin’s best local musicians are set to perform. The lineup includes artists Graham Wilkinson, Patrice Pike, The Levites, Riders Against the Storm, Courtney Santana, Cari Hutson St. Marie and Gina Chavez. The performers will perform their original works with a full orchestra conducted by Carlton Dillard, the music director for Riverbend Church.

The theme of the event is an open invitation for guests, survivors and artists to celebrate and discover individual sources of inspiration. In addition to the live concerts, Ballet Afrique will perform, and there will be live art by Marlene Jorge, directed by Robert King. As a poignant and deserving final touch, survivors of domestic violence will model purple evening gowns created by local designers and students of the Art Institute of Austin.

Whether you’re a survivor, family member or simply a community supporter, Muse Austin invites you to spend a magical evening enjoying some of the best artistic inspiration Austin has to offer.

30 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

Sponsored Events Austin Classical Guitar Society: Kazuhito Yamashita Oct. 3, 8 p.m.

AISD Performing Arts Center, 1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd. austinclassicalguitar.org

Austin Heart Association: Austin Heart Walk Oct. 17, 9 a.m.

Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Drive heartwalk.kintera.org

Walk to End Alzheimer’s Oct. 10, 9 a.m.

Camp Mabry act.alz.org

Be Brave Benefit with The Oak Ridge Boys Oct. 18, 3 p.m.

The Oasis Starlight Terrace, 6550 Comanche Trail bebravebenefit.net

Texas Conference for Women Oct. 15, 7:30 a.m.

Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez St. txconferenceforwomen.org

The Flatwater Foundation: Kristin McLain’s Get Out Girl Paddle Jam Oct. 18, 7:30 a.m.

Steiner Ranch Lake Club, 12300 River Bend Road flatwaterfoundation.org

TWIB Luncheon Oct. 16, 11 a.m.

Shoal Crossing Event Center, N. Mopac Expressway texaswomeninbusiness.org Center for Child Protection: Play Bingo Luncheon Oct. 17, 10 a.m.

Hilton Austin, 500 E. Fourth St. centerforchildprotection.org

Austin Classical Guitar Society: Flamenco Series Oct. 24, 8 p.m.

AISD Performing Arts Center, 1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd. austinclassicalguitar.org Survive2Thrive Foundation: Muse Austin Oct. 25, 7 p.m.

One World Theatre, 7701 Bee Caves Road museaustin.org

Photo by Michael Blue Smith.

Spellbinding live music, an enchanting ballet performance and captivating amethyst gowns swirling in a room that pulses with promise and celebration: You could almost mistake Muse Austin for a sumptuous ball from a bygone era, but it maintains a modern influence and benevolent twist inspired by the city that provides its namesake.

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PHOTOS ARE ACTUAL PATIENTS

www.wearegirls.org #wearegirlstx (512) 808-4044

WHAT’S INSIDE » The dish on We Are Girls, Meet our Featured Conference Speakers, and Explore our Sponsor Spotlight.

about Girls Empowerment Network

Girls empowerment network's MISSION Girls Empowerment Network’s mission is to support and guide girls to make wise choices as they navigate the unique pressures of girlhood. Growing up female has always been a challenging journey.

Friendships, social groups and self-identity move to the center of a girl’s world as she becomes a teen; meanwhile, school gets harder, her body changes and cultural messages become desperately confusing. And just when girls seem to need guidance the most, they often turn away from trusted adults, hoping to find stronger bonds with their peers. How will they learn the wisdom they need to navigate the pressures and pitfalls of being a girl in today’s world?

WE ARE GIRLS CONFERENCE overview Register at WeAreGirls.org SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2015 8am (doors open) 9am-3:00pm For girls in 3rd – 8th grades, moms, dads, educators, social workers and girl advocates of all kinds; 2,000 attendees statewide.

LOCATIONS: AUSTIN Austin High School, 1715 W. Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78703 HOUSTON Young Women's College Preparatory Academy 1906 Cleburne St. Houston, TX 77004

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8th Annual Statewide We Are Girls Conference

Scholarships are available at WeAreGirls.org

FEATURED CONFERENCE SPEAKERS: AUSTIN: r Jamia Wilson: Movement Builder & Storyteller r Maya Gonzalez: Artist, Author, Activist,

Educator r Ebony Stewart: Spoken-word

Performing Arts Poet, Author, Flyy Girl

HOUSTON: r Karen Walrond: Author, Photographer,

Traveler, Storyteller

Questions? E-mail us at wearegirls@genaustin.org Or call 512-808-4044

girlS empowerement network's PROGRAMS We Are Girls Conference

180 Program

We Are Girls is a statewide, multi-city event designed especially for girls in grades 3-8 and the adults who care about them. Featuring skill-building workshops and dynamic presentations, the We Are Girls Conference connects girls to relatable role models and encourages healthy relationships, educational discovery, and creative self-expression.

A prevention and intervention program for girls grades 6-12 working with girls who are involved or at high-risk of becoming involved with the juvenile justice system. The 180 program offers educational groups which provide girls support, helpful information, and new skills to cope with tough situations they are facing.

clubGEN ClubGEN is an after-school program for girls grades 3-8 where girls are surrounded with positive role models they can relate to for connection, inspiration, and guidance. Weekly interactive, fun sessions incorporate a research-based curriculum designed exclusively for clubGEN.

GirlConnect GirlConnect’s goal is to address the challenges girls face in their daily lives by incorporating technology and 21st century skills into an engaging and interactive curriculum. Girls who engage with GirlConnect’s curriculum will collaborate, communicate, and leave with new ideas, new technology skills, and a positive sense of self.

Pathfinder Pathfinder is a personal and professional development program aimed at giving high school girls a head start on their road to college, career, and independence. This summer program helps girls uncover their strengths, develop skills like interviewing and public speaking, explore different industries and professions, and gain access to women leaders — all with the support of like-minded peers.

Workshops and Camps GEN’s workshops & camps explore the issues of being a girl with topics such as dating, body image, communication, friendships, and parent-daughter relationships. Our workshops are offered to schools and community groups for girls in grades 3-12 yearround and our summer day camps are a resource for incoming 4-8th graders.

Austin, TX Jamia Wilson: Movement Builder & Storyteller jamiawilson.com twitter.com/jamiaw Jamia Wilson is an activist, storyteller, mediamaker, and thought leader. As Executive Director of Women, Action, & the Media, the former YTH Executive Director, TED Prize Storyteller, and former Vice President of Programs at The Women’s Media Center, Jamia has been a powerful force in the social justice movement for nearly a decade. As a leading voice on women’s rights issues, her work and words have appeared in and on several outlets such as New York Magazine, The Today Show, and The Washington Post.

She’s also a staff writer for Rookie, has contributed to several books such as Madonna and Me, and I Still Believe Anita Hill, and is currently working on a book on Beyonce and feminism. She has graced the stage at events such as TEDxYouth@Hewitt, Netroots Nation, and Facing Race, and travels across the U.S. and beyond to talk about race, feminism, spirituality, leadership, and much more.

Maya Gonzalez: Artist, Author, Activist, Educator mayagonzalez.com Maya Gonzalez is an artist, author and progressive educator who's work focuses on the use of art and story as powerful tools of reclamation and transformation. Her fine art graces the cover of Contemporary Chicano/a Art and is well documented as part of the Chicano Art Movement. She has illustrated over 20 award-winning children’s books, several of which she also wrote. Her book My Colors, My World won the prestigious Pura Belpré Award Honor from the American Library Association and her most recent picture book, Call Me Tree was listed in Kirkus’ Best Picture Books of 2014 that Celebrate Diversity. Since 1996, Maya has been providing presentations to children and educators about the importance of creativity as a tool for personal empowerment. Her work with children in public schools helped her develop several lines of curriculum that offer a holistic approach to learning and open doors to new ways of thinking and relating in the world. In 2009 she co-founded Reflection Press and in 2013, Maya co-created an online learning environment called School of the Free Mind about expanding the mind and reclaiming the creative. Maya lives and plays in San Francisco with her two powerful kids and her husband Matthew.

Ebony Stewart: Spoken-word Performing Arts Poet, Author, Flyy Girl ebpoetry.com youtube.com/user/ebonybp Ebony Stewart is a writer, spoken-word performing arts poet, and has been an active part of the Central Texas slam poetry scene and arts community for over ten years. In 2012, Ebony coached the Neo-Soul slam team finishing 1st place in Group Piece Finals. In 2013, she coached the Austin Poetry Slam team leading them to 5th place at the National Poetry Slam and coached the They Speak Poetry Slam team finishing top 8 in the world at Brave New Voices in 2014. She is the only adult female three-time Slam Champion in Austin Texas and has shared stages with Buddy Wakefield and the late Amri Baraka. As an author, Ebony Stewart published Love Letters To Balled Fists with Timber Mouse Publishing. Ebony Stewart has been featured in The Texas Observer, For Harriet, The Agenda: working for LGBT economic equality, and Perry-Castaneda Library at University of Texas. In 2011, she was voted MUST SEE and 2012 Poet of the Year. She is a former Sexual Health Educator and an aspiring comedian.

Houston, TX Karen Walrond: Author, Photographer, Traveler, Storyteller chookooloonks.com

Karen is originally from Trinidad & Tobago, but currently lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and daughter. She’s a former engineer and an attorney, holding a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston. She is an active member of the State Bar of Texas.

According to a CDC 2013 study, only 4% of high school aged girls were not actively trying to lose weight.

In a 2011 study by AAUW, 56% of girls in grades 7-12 had experienced sexual harassment.

The Dove Report on Self Esteem found that 71% of teen girls in Austin report feeling that they don’t measure up.

Of girls who attended the 2014 We Are Girls Conference…

86% reported their experience at We Are Girls would improve their attitude and behavior around other people.

96% of attendeees gave an overall rating of Excellent/Good.

91% said it will help them work better with other people.

93% Would recommend the conference to a friend.

See GenAustin.org for more information on these statistics and to find new resources.

GENaustin.org

Karen is a writer, photographer and author. Her writing, images and other projects have been featured on CNN.com, USA Today, Good Housekeeping and Wondertime magazines, among others. Her bestselling book, The Beauty of Different, is a chronicle of imagery and portraiture, combined with written essays and observations on the concept that what makes us different makes us beautiful — and may even be the source of our superpowers. Karen is also the creative mind behind the award-winning website, Chookooloonks, an inspirational source for living with intention, creativity and adventure, and featuring travel, art, food and life. She has appeared on both local & national television and other news media, including PBS, Huffington Post, CNN.com and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

WHY A CONFERENCE FOR GIRLS?

We Are Girls Featured Conference Speakers

FEATURED CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

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Sponsor Spotlight: DELL

WE ARE GIRLS 2015 SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: DELL

How Dell and the Girls Empowerment Network give Central Texas girls the skills to navigate girlhood and achieve their goals.

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8th Annual Statewide We Are Girls Conference

By Rachel Merriman

The Girls Empowerment Network is an incredible resource for Central Texas girls who need help navigating the trickier aspects of growing up; the programming covers body image, bullying, career exploration, selfconfidence, healthy relationships, substance abuse and more. In particular, GEN concentrates on helping underserved girls make good life choices by providing them with access to role models and a support network.

As a nonprofit, GEN’s mission to empower Central Texas girls is supported by the local community and corporate partners. As part of its Youth Learning initiative, Dell contributed more than $300,000 of hardware to create GEN’s online infrastructure and learning lab, called GirlConnect, which girls use to engage with interactive software designed around GEN’s curriculum. The mobile learning lab also supports the GirlConnect Codes program, through which girls learn how to create websites with girl-focused content.

“They get to conceptualize the content and think about how to lay it out for someone to engage with it, and then they actually go in and code it to bring it to life,” says

GEN Executive Director Julia Cuba Lewis. “We now have a website that the girls coded last year that is a learning tool for our girls to engage in coding education.”

“We believe that education is the basis for success and allows girls to reach their full potential,” says Loretta Fellers, a GEN board member and Dell’s executive director of global sales. “Through this engagement, we want to level the playing field. We want these young women to leverage our technology [and] enable people of all backgrounds to acquire the skills needed to compete in the global workforce.”

GEN’s learning lab allows girls to engage with technology and amass a multitude of essential skills, like technology literacy, critical thinking and creativity. But more importantly, it opens them up to career possibilities they may not yet have considered.

“It’s not just about the technology. It’s also about the emotional journey that goes with that experience,” Fellers notes. “Unfortunately, a lot of these girls don’t have the emotional infrastructure to carve their way through these difficult years, so part of the mission is to make sure they have access to technology so they can see their way to a brighter future.”

To help girls see that brighter future, Dell and GEN partnered to create the Road Trip to Dell program, which takes girls on site visits to the Dell campus in Round Rock. There, the girls take a tour of the campus and observe what it’s like to work in a high-tech corporate

Sponsor Spotlight: DELL

environment. Later in the day, they partner up with volunteer mentors, who tell them about their career journey and their role within the company.

“It’s important for us to share with them that it’s OK to go through a number of different experiences,” Fellers says. “A lot of these girls think they have to have all the answers now, which is a bit intimidating. Part of what we’re helping them understand is if they have a passion in a certain area, they should pursue that passion. Sometimes, that passion may not emerge firsthand, but eventually, they will work their way to what they really want to do.”

Through Dell’s Women In Search of Excellence employee resource group, Fellers has volunteered for GEN’s Pathfinder program, which is designed for high-school girls about to enter the workforce.

The one-week event gives girls the opportunity to discover their strengths and interests, hone their leadership skills and network with professional women.

“They told us that the most important thing they got out of that event was adults listening to what their concerns were and telling them what would be beneficial for them, and not telling them what we thought they needed to hear,” Fellers says.

Fellers says one of the main reasons she and so many other women in the WISE group continue their involvement with GEN is because they genuinely enjoy supporting GEN’s mission and the gratifying experience of serving as role models and mentors.

“As a first-time graduate in my family and a Hispanic woman, one thing that I have come to learn over the years is that you don’t know the possibilities of what you can do if you’re not exposed to them,” Fellers says. “Everybody needs role models. When I look back on my life, there were people who took an interest and showed me what could be, not what was.

It gave me a vision for what I could eventually do.”

“Dell’s employees love engaging with us because our mission is meaningful for them,” Cuba Lewis says. “They help at every level, from stuffing mailing envelopes, all the way to sitting on our strategic planning committees. They’ve had a huge impact on us, and it’s made us a bigger and better organization.”

The We Are Girls Conference will take place Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Austin at Austin High School and in Houston at Young Women's College Prep Academy. More information and tickets are available at wearegirls.org.

GENaustin.org

For more information about Dell’s Youth Learning initiative, visit: dell.com/learn/us/en/uscorp1/powerpossible-learning?s=corp.

For more information about the Girls Empowerment Network, visit: genaustin.org.

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We Are Girls Workshop Providers

girls empowerment network'S WE ARE GIRLS CONFERENCE WORKSHOP PROVIDERS Amanda McPherson As a life coach, speaker and blogger, Amanda is passionate about empowering women to live boldly and authentically. After over a decade of working in politics, Amanda pursued her dreams of helping others by completing her Masters in Counseling and launching Coaching with Amanda. Learn more at www.lifecoachamanda.com.

Con Mi Madre Con Mi MADRE is a non-profit organization in Austin, TX that focuses on strengthening the mother-daughter bond while providing The Austin Outlaws: Women's Football Team support and educational opportunities for both daughters and mothers. Con Mi MADRE's The Austin Outlaws are a women's semi-pro mission is to empower young Latinas and their football team—the longest running women's football organization in the U.S. Established in mothers through educational and support services that increase preparedness, 2000, The Outlaws are a player-run participation, and success in post-secondary organization. Learn more at education. Our vision is education and success www.austinoutlaws.com. for all Latinas! Learn more at The Art of Applying www.conmimadre.org.

The Art of Applying is an admissions Cyberstrong Kids consulting firm based in Austin that works Cyberstrong Kids is an online class parents with clients locally and across the globe on their college, graduate school, and scholarship complete with their child (ages 10-14). Kids applications. Our expert team of consultants is learn how to stay safe in today’s digital world while parents learn the best ways to protect comprised of alumni of the nation's most elite universities, and we are available to work with and guide them. Learn more at www.cyberstrongkids.com. applicants virtually or in person. Learn more at http://theartofapplying.com.

Dance Another World Austin Parks Foundation Austin Parks Foundation (APF) is a non-profit organization devoted to building partnerships to develop and maintain parks, trails, and open space in Austin since 1992. Learn more at www.austintexas.gov.

8th Annual Statewide We Are Girls Conference

Austin Therapy for Girls Austin Therapy for Girls (ATFG) provides therapy for girls and young women 5-25 and their families. Shayna Barksdale, LCSW is the owner of ATFG and has worked with children and adolescents in the Austin area for over 25 years. Learn more at www.austintherapyforgirls.com.

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with practical ideas to improve your connection with your daughter and support her in becoming a happy, self-assured young woman. Learn more at http://barbsteinberg.com/.

Ballet Austin’s Butler Community School Ballet Austin's Butler Community School engages, educates, and empowers people of all skill levels and economic and cultural backgrounds to adopt healthy lifestyles through dance and regular physical activity.

By providing quality instruction in an open and inviting atmosphere, classes for kids, teens and adults inspire confidence and encourage fun. Learn more at www.balletaustin.org/community.

Barb Steinberg, LMSW Barb Steinberg, LMSW is a teen life coach and workshop facilitator who transforms the lives of adolescent girls and the adults who care about them. Both girls and adults find her easy to relate to, warm and funny. Barb leads engaging workshops by combining research

Dance Another World is an English language immersion program taught through dance.

Working with young non-native English speaking girls, primarily from lower socioeconomic areas, the girls learn to speak English confidently through creative movement! In addition to English and dance, the program focuses on the value of respecting our bodies, minds and souls. Learn more at www.danceanotherworld.org.

Dell Wise Employee Resource Group Women In Search of Excellence (Wise) is the chartered Employee Resource Group at Dell Inc. for team members whose interest align with acquisition, retention and development of female talent, with focus on community involvement to grow initiatives focused on women in technology. Learn more at www.dell.com.

EngenderHealth EngenderHealth is the leading international reproductive health organization working to improve the quality of health care in the world’s poorest communities. In Austin, our Gender Matters program is an innovative, science-based intervention that incorporates cutting-edge research on gender-based attitudes and behaviors to prevent teen pregnancy. Learn more at www.engenderhealth.org.

Experiment and Explore Experiment and Explore is the effort of

Valentina Valé to encourage all people to remain friends with their inner artist. Through 3-D exercises, participants explore forms, relationships and functionality; each participant solves their design in a different way as they experience their own choices, taste and pace. Learn more at www.experimentandexplore.com.

Facebook Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected. Members of the Facebook Women employee group enjoy giving back to the community by helping educate on how to use Facebook responsibly and by encouraging girls to lean into their ambitions. Learn more at www.facebook.com.

Girls Above Society Girls Above Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering tweens & teens to be confident as they face the tough pressures of today’s media driven society. Lauren Galley, twenty-year-old award winning teen mentor, best selling author, actress and President of Girls Above Society blazes a trail worldwide with a passion for EVERY girl to know her self-worth and become leaders of their generation. Learn more at www.girlsabovesociety.org.

Girls Rock Austin Girls Rock Austin is a non-profit dedicated to empowering girls and women of all backgrounds and abilities through music education and performance. Learn more at www.girlsrockaustin.org.

Girlstart Girlstart's mission is to increase girls’ interest and engagement in STEM through innovative, nationally-recognized informal STEM education programs. Through its comprehensive programming, Girlstart provides a year-round, intensive suite of STEM education programs for K-12 girls. Girlstart’s core programs foster STEM skills development, an understanding of the importance of STEM as a way to solve the world’s major problems, as well as an interest in STEM electives, majors, and careers. Learn more at www.girlstart.org.

Girls with Pens Girls With Pens is a creative writing organization for girls ages 10-17. While pop culture and peer pressure are telling tweens and teenagers to be like everyone else, Girls With Pens celebrates individual voices and offbeat imaginations. Don’t just dream of a whole new world. Write one. Learn more at www.carolyncohagan.com.

Lady Papillons International, Inc. Lady Papillons International, Inc. is a grassroots, non-profit IRS 501(c)(3), organization that empowers girls to be BOLD, BRILLIANT, & BEAUTIFUL through after-school programming, summer camps, workshops, conferences, and life coaching. Learn more at www.ladypapillions.org.

Latinitas Latinitas is a non-profit organization focused on informing, entertaining, and inspiring young Latinas to grow into healthy, confident, and successful Latinas. As the largest minority population of girls in our country and as the fastest growing youth population in the nation, it is vital for us to invest in the future of young Latinas. With a variety of enriching experiences, Latinitas discover their voice and develop media skills while building a solid foundation for their future. Learn more at www.laslatinitas.org.

Liana Wheatley- Certified Sheng Zhen Gong Instructor Sheng Zhen Gong is a heart centered form of meditation. The gentle movements help calm and focus the mind, spirit and emotions, while improving overall energy.

Taught by Liana Wheatley, student and certified Sheng Zhen teacher, who incorporates the loving philosophy of Sheng Zhen into her role as an oncology nurse.

Learn more at www.shengzhenaustin.org and www.shengzhen.org.

Math for Keeps Established in 2005, Math For Keeps is an Austin based alternative math tutoring service with traveling tutors and a proven

methodology to “make math stick in your brain.” Students of all levels gain 40 skills in 21 hours, and describe their Math for Keeps tutors as “cool” and “priceless.” Learn more at www.mathforkeeps.com.

Molly Freestone, Personal Life Coach Molly’s coaching practice is designed for women who are fully invested in raising happy, healthy, well-adjusted kids. She works with moms to be more effective, while feeling less pressure and actually enjoying their family time. Confident and stress-free motherhood? Yes, please! Learn more at www.mollyfreestone.com.

Muse Stream Muse Stream is a personal branding coaching business challenging individuals to harness the infinite possibilities of their lives. Our vision is that individuals will develop a greater sense of self, recognition of their value and values, and the ability to communicate effectively. Learn more at www.musestreamconsulting.com.

Nurture Family Counseling Nurture Family Counseling in Cedar Park specializes in therapy with children as young as 3, adolescents, and families. We work through a diverse array of life issues, including grief and loss, anger management, divorce and blended families, depression and anxiety. www.NurtureFamilyCounseling.com.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas Planned Parenthood is America’s most trusted nonprofit provider of reproductive health care.

Dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable reproductive health care and teen pregnancy prevention education to more than 30,000 men, women, and teens in Austin each year.

Learn more at www.plannedparenthood.org/greater-texas/.

Renee Lopez M. ED Renee Lopez is a person with disability with a long history of advocating for the rights of people with disabilities. After retiring from the State of Texas, she became a public speaker and conference workshop presenter on issues involving persons with Disabilities. She spends her time as an active Community Advocate. For more information email reneelop218@yahoo.com.

Renée Peterson Trudeau Renée Peterson Trudeau is an internationallyrecognized life balance coach, speaker and president of Career Strategists, an awardwinning coaching/consulting firm. Trudeau has been facilitating/speaking at transformational events for more than 20 years and she’s on faculty at the prestigious Kripalu

Center for Yoga & Health and Omega Institute.

Learn more at www.CareerStrategists.net.

Texas Tuition Promise Fund/ Match the Promise The Texas Tuition Promise Fund is a prepaid saving plan that allows families to prepay public Texas undergraduate tuition and school-wide required fees at today’s rates for their child and loved one’s college education.

The Texas Match the Promise Foundation(SM) gives matching scholarships and one-time grants to 5th through 9th graders and is offered as an incentive to parents who are saving with the TTPF. Learn more at www.TuitionPromise.org and www.MatchthePromise.org.

Torie Henderson Torie Henderson is a popular speaker, blogger and life coach for devoted, hard-working parents who get exhausted from trying to do it all. She teaches parents and teenage girls how to get what they want through her goal-setting workshops and summer camps. Torie is co-owner of www.TimeforTheTalk.com an interactive sex education class for parents and kids to take together and open up communication to make parenting easier & more fun. Learn more at www.timeforthetalk.com.

Women Who Code Women Who Code is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring women to excel in technology careers by creating a global, connected community of women in technology.

Learn more at www.womenwhocode.org.

Yoga RX Yoga RX provides private consultations, which include a written practice plan & anxiety reducing breathing exercises. Some practice plans may include meditation techniques & philosophical study guides. Each practice plan is specifically tailored to meet the individual's needs. Learn more at www.yoga-rx.com.

GENaustin.org

Mariposa Pathway Mariposa Pathway is the only empowerment program specifically designed for women that provides effective tools for in-depth personal reflection, self-awareness and personal advocacy. In a safe environment led by peers, participants find their voice and learn to make courageous and authentic choices for fulfilled and prosperous lives. Participants are better able to manage personal growth, career challenges and life transitions. Learn more at www.mariposapthway.org.

We Are Girls Workshop Providers

Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center Established in 1978, the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center provides free and confidential services to victims of family violence, dating violence, sexual assault and child abuse in Hays County and Caldwell County. HCWC provides shelter, counseling and advocacy, and community education to women, children and men. Learn more at www.hcwc.org.

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presented by Sponsors:

2015 Conference Committee:

Rossana & Joe Barrios, Heather Bendes, Suzanne Deal Booth, The Casaubon Family, Laura & Shawn Catoe, Rob & Christine Reinauer, Myndi Garrett, John & Jana Grimes, Loretta & Jim Fellers, Tracy Holland & Jim Skelding, Michelle & Ruben Lopez, Kit & Alexis

Laura Catoe, Julie Fisher, Lulu Flores, Georgia Fontana, Jana Grimes, Karen Kahan, Lynn Meredith, Michelle Lopez, MariBen Ramsey, Ane Urquiola, Katherine Weaver, Mark Williams

Mellem, Lynn, Sarah, & Abby Meredith and Kate Andrade, Marcie Ramirez, MariBen Ramsey & Karan Kahan, The Stahl Family Foundation, Marc & Suzanne Winkelman

RR & S

Attorneys at Law

Austin

Independent School District

GEN thanks all of our 2015 sponsors for empowering young women in Texas!

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just passing through

The 16th Annual Texas Conference for Women

Promoting ‘The Power of Us’ by inspiring women to grow as leaders.

By Megan Russell The 16th annual Texas Conference for Women will be held on Oct. 15 at the Austin Convention Center. This year’s theme, “The Power of Us,” gears the conference toward inspiring women, encouraging professional development and personal growth, and helping facilitate networking throughout Texas. Keynote speakers for this year’s conference include broadcaster Robin Roberts and actress Patricia Arquette. Featuring more than 100

experts in their fields, breakout sessions will focus on building communication and leadership skills, as well as discussions and tools for work-life balance.

“Our keynote speakers embody the bold, creative action that we encourage and celebrate at the Texas Conference for Women,” says Johnita Jones, president of the board.

“Our attendees will receive great advice and wisdom from strong leaders looking to help all women succeed.”

Patricia Arquette In 2010, Patricia Arquette saw firsthand the devastation that was caused by the earthquake that hit the island of Haiti. It moved her to start GiveLove, a charity that helps provide sustainable housing to the victims of the disaster.

Candy Chang Senior TED fellow and cofounder of neighborland.com, Candy Chang works to make neighborhoods and communities more cooperative public spaces. This emerging urban innovator is also the creator of the Before I Die project, which started when she simply wrote, “Before I die, I want to _____,” on a chalkboard wall in an abandoned house in New Orleans. Overnight, it became a place for people to reflect and share their stories, and led to the publication of the Before I Die book in 2013.

Bert Jacobs Bert Jacobs is the cofounder and CEO (chief executive optimist) for the Life is Good Company, which works to spread optimism through inspiring art, community and nonprofit work. His recently published book, Life is Good: The Book–How to Live with Purpose and Enjoy the Ride, inspires readers to “grow the good” in their lives by choosing optimism.

Robin Roberts Robin Roberts is easily recognizable as the co-anchor of ABC’s Good Morning America.

In 2007, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and, five years later, was diagnosed with MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome), a blood and bonemarrow disease. She has won many awards through her tireless efforts to inform people of this disease and inspired hundreds to become bonemarrow donors. Roberts has also published two memoirs, From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By and Everybody’s Got Something.

42 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

Photos courtesy of Texas Conference for Women.

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must read books from the TCFW panelists It’s Not Rocket Science: 7 Game-Changing Traits for Uncommon Success

By Mary Spio Signing: 11–11:30 a.m.

It’s Not Rocket Science is a book that seeks to show readers how to follow their own uncommon path. By acting as a guide with habits and traits of the unconventional, Spio inspires readers to overcome limited thinking and beat the odds to success.

Brave Girls

By Dr. Stacey Radin Signing: 11–11:30 a.m.

Dr. Stacey Radin’s years of research as a psychologist led her to the groundbreaking realization and basis of Brave Girls: It all begins in middle school. This book is a guide for both parents and educators to learn how to inspire young girls to become confident leaders.

Go-TO panels

On Leadership Pioneering Pay Equity: Strategies to Bridge the Gap, Own Your Value and Negotiate Your Worth 10–11 a.m.

This interactive panel offers advice from senior executives who are taking public steps to put an end to the seemingly never-ending battle of equal pay.

They’ll offer up today’s most successful negotiation strategies and advice for recognizing your individual strengths and power.

Thought leader:

Leave Your Mark

By Aliza Licht Signing: 12:30–1 p.m.

Gloria Feldt, New York Times best-selling author and co-founder and president of Take the Lead

As a global fashion-communications executive, Aliza Licht leveraged her own sassy senses and unique experiences to write Leave Your Mark, a book that puts an emphasis on communication and building a personal brand for people in the working world.

Panelists:

meQuilibrium: 14 Days to Cooler, Calmer, and Happier

By Jan Bruce Signing: 12:30–1 p.m.

Jan Bruce is part of a team whose goal is to work to peacefully manage stress. With research and more than half a dozen studies, their approach through integrative medicine and positive psychology created a systematic method that attacks stress at its root and helps the reader manage it in just 14 days.

Self-Compassion

By Dr. Kristin Neff Signing: 12:30–1 p.m.

Dr. Kristin Neff, along with many psychologists, believes in a selfcompassion rather than a self-esteem approach when it comes to reaching one’s potential and feeling content and fulfilled. SelfCompassion offers advice and action plans on how to limit self-criticism.

Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family

By Anne-Marie Slaughter Signing: 2:30–3 p.m.

Drawing from personal stories, Anne-Marie Slaughter writes about what equality between men and women really means in Unfinished Business.

She seeks to uncover the missing piece of the puzzle and offers a new focus for the women’s movement when it comes to work and family.

Patty McCord, consultant and former chief talent officer at Netflix Anne-Marie Slaughter, author of Unfinished Business: Women Men Work Family, and president of the New America Foundation Elizabeth Thornton, author of The Objective Leader: How to Leverage the Power of Seeing Things As They Are

On Career Advancement No Risk, No Reward: Taking the Risk to Do What You Want With Your Career 10–11 a.m.

This session is aimed at helping women overcome their fears and take chances in their careers, emphasizing women should always remember even failure leads to growth.

Thought leader: Mary Spio, CEO of Next Galaxy Corp. and author if It’s Not Rocket Science: 7 Game-Changing Traits for Uncommon Success Panelists:

The Objective Leader: How to Leverage the Power of Seeing Things As They Are

By Elizabeth Thornton Signing: 4–4:30 p.m.

To be subjective is to be human. But it’s also something that can have negative effects on our work and lives. For Elizabeth Thornton, to succeed in life and in work means to increase our objectivity. In Objective Leader, she uses personal experience to show the importance of making decisions without letting preconceived and emotional bias get in the way.

44 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

Major M.J. Hegar, one of Foreign Policy Magazine’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers Rochelle Rae, founder of Rae Cosmetics Amie Sikes, co-founder of Junk Gypsy Jolie Sikes, co-founder of Junk Gypsy Host: Colette Pierce Burnette, president and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University

just passing through

On Transitions Branding & Perception: How to Maximize How You are Perceived

by Others 10–11 a.m.

Looking for ways to leverage social media to mold your image? This panel will teach women how to shape perception when marketing their unique brand.

Thought leader: Stephanie Carls, digital lifestyle and branding expert for My Savvy Life Panelists: Azita Ardakani, founder of Lovesocial Aliza Licht, author of Leave Your Mark and formerly known as the DKNY PR Girl Elizabeth Matthews of Dell Host: Stephanie Douglass, chief brand and culture officer, BIGAustin Reviving Your Career: Actionable Steps to Achieve a Professional Renaissance 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

It happens all the time: We change direction in our lives, so we have to change direction or take a step back from our careers. But when it’s time to get back on the path to your passion, you’re not welcomed with open arms, and instead are often shunned or frowned upon by employers. This panel of experts uses stories of real women overcoming bias and obstacles to help attendees revive their careers.

Thought leader: Kerry Hannon, best-selling author and career, retirement and personalfinance expert Panelists: Gayle Morris, vice president of Americas global customer success at Cisco Laura Simms, author of The Purpose Paradigm Wendy Wallbridge, author of Spiraling Upward: The 5 Co-Creative Powers for Women on the Rise Host: Jen Ostrich, leadership coach and brand consultant

Health and Wellness Optimize Your Stress and Improve your Overall Well-Being 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

We experience stress in all facets of our lives, but we respond to it differently. Oftentimes, though, we allow it to unintentionally affect us physically and emotionally. In this session, experts share their insights on how to manage stress through nutrition, self-compassion, mindfulness and preventative self-care.

Thought leader: Renée Trudeau, author and stress-management expert Panelists: Dawn Bazarko, founder of Moment Health, UnitedHealth Group Jan Bruce, author of meQuilibrium: 14 Days to Cooler, Calmer, and Happier Christine Durbin, mind-body therapist at Cancer Treatment Centers of America Dr. Kristin Neff, associate professor at the University of Texas and author of Self-Compassion

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avvy Women

Arts Entrepreneurship

Lana Carlson

Making Austin POP.

By Kelly E. Lindner, photo by dustin meyer Have you ever noticed a giant melting Popsicle on the corner of Congress Avenue and Cesar Chavez Street? What about a black and white painting of a lady with bright-pink lipstick on the side of a building at Fifth and Colorado streets? Or the comic-book-like action shot of the man getting punched with an extended boxing glove at Fourth Street and I-35? If you have, Lana Carlson’s eye for art has already grabbed your attention.

Carlson is the head curator and co-founder of the POP Austin International Art Show, an annual three-day art exhibition that came to Austin in 2014. The mission of POP Austin is to provide space for established and emerging international artists while showcasing local Texas artists.

“The idea is to put local and more established artists on the same field and remove the barriers,” Carlson says.

POP Austin’s show last October, with a contemporary-art theme, had more than 6,400 attendees, included art from more than 12 countries and featured artists such as Andy Warhol, Takashi Murakami, the Gao Brothers, Gérard Rancinan, Robert Indiana and Massimo Vitali, among many others, as well as Austin artists Bale Creek Allen, Jason Archer and Todd Sanders. How did Carlson gather such world-renowned art to hang next to local talent? Well, she’s been working with art since she was 19.

Carlson has been drawn to the arts since she was a child growing up in Novosibirsk, Russia. Her first impression of art was from her grandfather, Victor, who was a musician, poet and painter in his spare time. In fact, he inspired her, at the age of 16, to pursue degrees in both international business management and music from the International Banking Institute and the Voskova Musical College (both in St. Petersburg, Russia). The music side of her degree had her singing, conducting choir and playing piano, accordion and violin. But her focus shifted to art when she moved to Paris at 19 to attend the Paris-Sorbonne University, Cours de Civilisation Française and the École du Louvre, where she studied contemporary art, history of art, European history and culture and languages.

Soon, she began curating art in galleries for close friends. But within three years, she began curating major art exhibits consisting of famous artists’ works. In fact, she often flew between Moscow, Paris and St. Petersburg (where she eventually had her own exhibit space) to transport works of art for various art shows and fairs.

Carlson was curating the Rodin exhibit at The Louvre when she met her husband, POP Austin Co-founder and Creative Director Steven Carlson, at a café in 2012. He was working on a rockumentary called Different Town about his trek across Europe and the U.S. while recording an album on the road. He ended up including their love story in the film.

“We fell in love immediately,” he says.

In fact, when asked if it was anything like the Before Sunrise, Before Sunset or Before Midnight movies, he replies, “Yes, it was actually a lot like that.”

In 2013, he and Carlson moved to Ojai, Calif., together, soon married and intended to start POP LA. But in 2014, Carlson visited Austin for the first time for South By Southwest.

“Austin has such a great vibe,” Carlson says. “I’ve lived in different countries and different cities, and each city feels different. Austin just has this amazing energy. I just thought the show would stand out more here.”

As soon as Carlson returned to LA, the couple started working on POP Austin. But Carlson didn’t want to put on a typical art show in a typical format. She didn’t want it to be specifically an art fair, a gallery or a museum, but a mix of all the best from the three formats.

46 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

“Art fairs are too much about selling,” Carlson says. “Galleries can have the same issue, with sellers walking the floor trying to push the art. I love museums, so I wanted something more like a museum, where you can buy the art if you want but no one is going to push you about it.”

POP Austin’s annual exhibition takes place this month, with a satellite show during race weekend for the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix. Works for the show are being shipped from Europe, Asia, New York and Los Angeles, and will be presented next to Texas art.

If Carlson could give any advice to aspiring female curators, it would be, “Work, work and work some more. The more you work, the more opportunities that present themselves to you. But when they come, you have to be ready or they’ll pass you by.”

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

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ART OF AUSTIN

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1. Sarah in the Summertime, Tom Lea Bullock Texas State History Museum • 1800 N. Congress Ave. • thestoryoftexas.com

2. A Vast Journey is Better with Company, Graham Francoise

5. John Lennon’s Glasses, Lauren Gerson, Ladies and Gentlemen…The Beatles!

3. Willie Nelson, Scott Newton Modern Rocks Gallery • 916 Springdale Rd. • modernrocksgallery.com

6. Mother & Child, Charles Umlauf

4. Orca Was I., Jules Buck Jones Flatbed Press & Gallery • 2830 E. MLK Jr Blvd. • flatbedpress.com

7. This Is It, Todd Sanders

Austin Art Garage• 2200 S. Lamar Blvd. • austinartgarage.com

LBJ Library • 2313 Red River St. • lbjlibrary.org Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum • 605 Robert E Lee Rd. • umlaufsculpture.org Roadhouse Relics • 1720 S. First St. • roadhouserelics.com

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Arts Entrepreneurship

Shane Guffogg Nonotak

Pop Austin Satellite Show Oct. 23–25, Circuit of the Americas, 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd.

POP Austin will also host a satellite exhibit for all ticket holders of the 2015 Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix during race weekend, Oct. 23 through 25. The satellite show will feature the “glamourous pop art” of many celebrated artists, including Andy Warhol, Richard Orlinski, Micky Hoogendijk, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Desire Obtain Cherish, Shane Guffogg and several more. The showcase at the COTA is available for the enjoyment of all race goers. Learn more at circuitoftheamericas.com.

Photos courtesy of Pop Austin International Art Show.

Adela Andea

Desire Obtain Cherish

Carlo Bernardini

Illumination Oct. 22–25, Fair Market, 1100 E. Fifth St. Since 2015 has been named the International Year of Light by the United Nations, this year’s POP Austin International Art Show is titled Illumination, and will feature lightbased works by international and emerging artists, and Texas-based artists. Featured artists include Adela Andea, Alyssa Taylor Wendt, Bale Creek Allen, Carlo Bernardini, Claudia Meyer, Evan Voyles, Hans Kotter, Jeongmoon Choi, James Turrell, Jerome Morrison, Lisa Schulte, Lori Hersberger, Matthew LaPenta, Nonotak, Sharon Keshishian and Todd Sanders.

Light-based works will include projection, laser, neon, LED, hologram, ultraviolet and more. The works and installations will provide an interactive and immersive atmosphere for guests of all ages. The show includes a VIP opening party Oct. 22 from 8 to 11 p.m., and will remain open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Oct. 23 through Oct. 25. Tickets for the VIP opening-night event are $200 per person. Tickets for the regular show are $40 per person. Children 12 and younger receive free admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Purchase tickets at popaustin.com/tickets.

Gérard Rancinan

austinwomanmagazine.com | 49

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avvy Women

job envy

Austin’s Best Ambassador

Liz Fudell, the Four Seasons’ invaluable resource, on living the life of a concierge.

By Macy Moore, photo by Dustin meyer She knows the city like the back of her hand. She’s constantly up to date with the hot spots and top music venues. She has a passion for creating memorable experiences for the guests of the Four Seasons Hotel Austin, and is on a mission to make their visits to Austin better than they ever imagined.

A fourth-generation Austinite, Liz Fudell was born and raised in the Live Music Capital, and in a way known only to natives, she knows each corner and crevice of the city. That alone makes her a concierge shooin, but her love for creating memorable experiences for tourists is what truly makes her great at her job.

Following the advice of Rebecca, her friend and former coworker, Fudell first applied to be a hostess at Trio, the restaurant in the Four Seasons.

“I knew that the Four Seasons was the place for me,” Fudell says. “There is so much movement and growth in the company.”

She was a hostess for about 10 months, and in February, the

50 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

Four Seasons promoted her to the position of hotel lobby concierge.

“Becoming a concierge was always my goal,” Fudell says. “We are the hosts and hostesses of the hotel. We’re the first people you see when you walk into the lobby, before you can even see the front desk.”

The reason Fudell adores her career with the Four Seasons is simple: Her main responsibility is to help people have fun. Who wouldn’t want a career in which fun is the largest part of the job duties?

“One of my favorite parts of the job is meeting new people each day,” Fudell says. “I love helping people experience a visit or a vacation to Austin in the best way possible. Helping people have fun is my favorite thing to do, whether it’s through the dining and the restaurant scene, getting tickets to a special event or maybe going to Formula 1 or MotoGP. I love having someone come back in the morning after being out at night and saying, ‘You were so right about this place. I had a great time,’ and I get to know that I helped them enjoy Austin.”

Working for the Four Seasons, Fudell has decided, holds the best work environment for a concierge.

Gift Certificates Available “The Four Seasons itself has lots of great perks, the biggest one being the people that we work with,” Fudell says. “There’s one thing you’ll see all Four Seasons employees have in common: We’re all naturally sunny, smiley, outgoing people that love to talk and meet new friends. And so when you have over 400 of them in the building at once, everyone plays off of each other’s energy, and we’re just a fun group.”

It would seem that the life of a concierge is all fun and games, but like any other job, there are challenges.

“A challenging part of my job is staying on top of what businesses are opening and closing,” Fudell says. “The Austin restaurant scene is just booming. We put a lot of stock in reviews, so knowing someone had a good experience somewhere definitely makes us want to go try it. We have to try the new restaurants before we can send a guest to it. We wouldn’t feel right telling someone, ‘We heard this place was great. Why don’t you try it?’ ” Should a guest ask for Fudell’s opinion on a restaurant she hasn’t checked out, she often turns to other Four Seasons concierges for their two cents. But Fudell makes it a priority to experience the restaurant scene as much as possible so she can provide the best recommendations. When it comes to can’t-fail suggestions, Fudell has her list of go-to places for guests.

“For lunch downtown, I really love Second Bar + Kitchen,” she says. “But if you’re looking for a nicer, upscale suggestion, I would recommend Jeffery’s. You can really count on great service and great food and drink every time.”

Of course, restaurants and bars aren’t the only attractions in Austin.

There are always fun experiences to be had and seasonal activities throughout the year, especially during festival season.

“I love it when summertime rolls around because I’ve never had anyone come back from Barton Springs and say, ‘You know, that place wasn’t very cool,’ ” Fudell says. “In the fall and spring, when the weather is nicer, I like to have people go and poke around the Hope Outdoor Gallery, where all of the urban street art is on display in Clarksville, which is a fun neighborhood.”

Though Austin doesn’t get very many bad-weather days, it’s important for a concierge to have a handful of suggestions for when the weather doesn’t permit outdoor activities.

“For bad-weather days, I focus more on telling people to experience the museums, like the LBJ Library and Museum, or suggesting that they tour the Capitol building before telling them that it looks the same as the one in Washington, D.C., except ours is bigger,” she says.

Visitors to Austin are usually eager to experience the live-music scene, so Fudell is sure to be up to date on the live-music venues and what music genres to find in certain areas.

“I typically begin with explaining how the vast majority of Austin venues are not ticketed [in] advance; you just show up,” Fudell says. “But, depending on the guests’ favorite genre of music…I go from there. If you want straight jazz, I would recommend the Elephant Room, but if they want blues, I would recommend that they go see The Blues Specialists at the Continental Club. I have a few venues that are my personal favorites that I think show off Austin, so I’ll recommend those too.”

It’s not uncommon for guests to reach out to Fudell while dealing with the backed-up, complicated roads of Austin, and she is always there to provide an alternative route that will help guests arrive at their destinations quickly and safely. Having spent her entire life in Austin, she’s well-versed in the back roads and traffic trends of the city.

So what’s next on Fudell’s radar? She already has her dream job in her favorite city, but when it comes to the future of her career, she aspires to become a member of the prestigious society Les Clefs d’Or USA, an organization for the most talented hotel lobby concierges in the nation.

But as far as where she’ll go next as a concierge, Fudell is pretty content where she is.

“I would entertain the idea of working at a Four Seasons in a different city, but I don’t see myself leaving the company,” Fudell says. “It would take a lot of research to take on being a concierge somewhere else. I really play the local angle. Austin is such a great place. Every day, we hear about hundreds of people moving to Austin, and I’m just fortunate enough to be born here.”

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ust list

Must hear

Five ACL Artists to check out

This year’s ACL Fest lineup is full of hidden gems.

By Olivia Sylvain The Austin City Limits Music Festival is rarely one to disappoint. This year’s lineup is a fresh fusion of rap, punk, EDM, soul, rock and more—every music lover’s dream. Austinites are happy to welcome everyone, from rap headliners like Drake to beloved bands like Florence and the Machine, and The Strokes. But sometimes, we may be tempted to give all our energy to the big names and miss out on the smaller acts. So, as you plan your ACL 2015 experience, include these must-see artists on your list of favorites.

Clockwise from left:

Rhiannon Giddens

Leon Bridges

Shakey Graves

Alabama Shakes

Lion Babe

Rhiannon Giddens, formerly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, has a unique voice that folk and country fans have to hear. She isn’t new to the music scene (Her former band is Grammy Award-winning.), yet something about her opera-influenced voice takes folk music to a new frontier. After nearly a decade with the beloved string band, in which she sang and played multiple instruments, Giddens released a solo album entitled Tomorrow is My Turn last year. See her at ACL Oct. 2 and 9.

Leon Bridges makes the kind of feel-good soul music that’s reminiscent of The Temptations and Otis Redding. It’s soul, it’s gospel, it’s retro and it tells a great story.

The 26-year-old Fort Worth, Texas, native released his first album, Coming Home, in July, after his debut single of the same name proved a viral hit. After a successful appearance at South

By Southwest this year, Bridges will take on ACL Oct. 2 and 9.

Staying close to his Austin roots, Shakey Graves is a one-man band who fuses blues, country and rock ’n’ roll—and he does it effortlessly. Debuting his first album in 2011, Shakey Graves has caught the attention of alternative-music lovers throughout the country.

His voice is sultry and smooth, and he has the charm of all those bearded Austin boys who play in underground bars. Check out his latest album, And the War Came, and see him live at ACL Oct. 3 and 10.

If you aren’t already listening to Alabama Shakes, welcome to the introductory course. The band is known for its uniquely Southern style of rock ’n’ roll that combines soul, rock, rhythm and blues, and sometimes punk.

Lead singer Brittany Howard is a powerhouse who commands attention like beloved Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin. The group achieved mainstream success after its first album, Boys & Girls, was released in 2012. After a European tour and an astonishing performance at the 2013 Grammys, it became very hard to ignore this band. Listen to the latest album, Sound & Color, and don’t miss Alabama Shakes live at ACL Oct. 3.

New York-based Lion Babe is what you get when neo-soul meets a hint of pop: dancefriendly beats and lyrics with depth. Jillian Hervey, daughter of actress Vanessa Williams, is a fiery front woman with a soulful sound that transcends all genres. Her bandmate, Lucas Goodman, produces upbeat tracks that make it hard not to move. The duo is known for its 2012 single Treat Me Like Fire, which landed them a record deal and the subsequent release of the EP Lion Babe in 2014.

Fans are patiently awaiting the debut album, which is set to be released this year. In the meantime, catch Lion Babe at ACL Oct. 4 and 11.

52 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

Rhiannon Giddens photo by Dan Winters. Leon Bridges photo by Rambo. Shakey Graves photo by Nina Westervelt. Alabama Shakes photo by Brantley Gutierrez. Lion Babe photo by Chris O’Donovan.

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Beyond the Rose Bowl and the Parade of Roses, this iconic city is undergoing a very cool renaissance. Escape the hustle and bustle of LA traffic. Pasadena is close in yet so far away.

Deborah Hamilton-Lynne CLASSIC ELEGANCE Home base for your Pasadena adventure, The Langham Huntington Pasadena is the epitome of grace and elegance. Built in 1914, The Langham Huntington is truly an oasis perfect for a Southern California escape. Some 380 beautifully decorated rooms; the award-winning Chuan Spa; a traditional English afternoon tea served on signature Wedgwood china; mouthwatering cuisine, including expertly grilled steaks; poolside craft cocktails and views of the San Gabriel Mountains that go on forever: What more can you ask for?

54 |  Austin Woman |  OCTOBER 2015

Photos courtesy of their respective locations and the Pasadena Convention & Visitor Bureau. The Norton Simon Museum’s 19th-century art wing photo by Elon Schoenholz, © Norton Simon Art Foundation.

RARE BOOKS, 14,000 SPECIES OF PLANTS, ART, SCULPTURE AND FURNISHINGS TO DIE FOR THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT Built in 1917 and saved from the wrecking ball in 1985, The Pasadena Playhouse is a theatrical institution known for launching actors and playwrights. Original work, as well as classical productions, is included throughout the season.

If you want to get a glimpse of how the really rich lived, the Huntington is the place to be. Founded in 1919 by philanthropic real-estate and railroad tycoon Henry E. Huntington, this treasure-trove estate reflects his interests in books, gardens and art, as well as his devotion to education, research and beauty. He and his wife traveled the globe and spent copious amounts of their huge wealth to create and amass one of the finest research libraries in the world, in addition to an incredible art collection, amazing furnishings and a botanical garden covering 120 acres. Plan to spend the day.

SMOKING COCKTAILS Want to know a best-kept local secret? Check out the speakeasy vibe and excellent cuisine at the Raymond Restaurant and 1886 Bar. The restaurant started its journey in 1886 as the Raymond Hotel. The current incarnation is housed in the craftsman-style former caretaker’s cottage. Perfect for date night or celebrating a special occasion, the restaurant is tucked away off the busy streets and boasts an innovative yet classically inspired menu.

1886 Bar is a destination unto itself. A staple of the LA craftcocktail scene, it reportedly boasts a repertoire of more than 600 off-menu house cocktails, including the famous Smoking Jacket.

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD For an evening to remember, visit the newly opened Alexander’s Steakhouse. The third incarnation of the original from Cupertino, Calif., Alexander’s features a selection of beef, including U.S. corn-fed, 28-day, dry-aged Angus and imported wagyu, which cannot be surpassed. Every course is a true delight. Highly recommended: the Chef’s Table Experience and the Chef’s Tasting Menu, as well as hamachi shots, grilled octopus, dryaged prime and any of the wagyu beef selections, and strawberry almond cake to die for. This place is undoubtedly pricey, but if you want a meal you can dream about for the rest of your life, it’s worth it.

SEVEN CENTURIES OF EUROPEAN ART From the Renaissance to the 20th century, the Norton Simon Museum is home to one of the most remarkable private art collections ever assembled. For 30 years, industrialist Norton Simon amassed this impressive collection, which includes works by van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Rembrandt, Degas and Renoir. The museum also boasts an extensive collection of Asian art and sculpture, and a sculpture garden full of works by Rodin.

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN

EVERYTHING CRAFTSMAN

Set within Pasadena’s historic 19th century original marketplace, Old Pasadena is a hip, lively spot to shop till you drop, eat and drink or just people watch while relaxing at a street-side café.

Pasadena is known for its amazing number of classic craftsman homes, and one of the finest examples is the Gamble House. Open to visitors throughout the year, this architectural gem was commissioned by Mary and David Gamble of Proctor and Gamble fame as a winter residence. If you are an architectural aficionado, visit pasadenaheritage.org for additional info on Pasadena’s architectural legacy tours.

For more information about Pasadena, go to visitpasadena.com.

austinwomanmagazine.com | 55

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60 |  Austin Woman |  october 2015

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Bashert

A word with multiple meanings in the creation of the Seton Breast Care Center by longtime friends Marcia Levy and Susan Lubin.

Story by Deborah Hamilton-Lynne Photos by Dustin Meyer Hair by Allison Deitiker | Makeup by Rachel Gonzales Shot on location at Zach Theatre, 1510 Toomey Road, 512.476.0541, zachtheatre.org

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination and dedication. Remember, all things are possible for those who believe.” —Gail Devers As I transcribed my interview with Marcia Levy and Susan Lubin, this quote kept repeating itself as if it were on an annoying continuous loop. I couldn’t get it to stop because this quote encapsulates the story of exactly what our intrepid cover women have done in creating the Seton Breast Care Center. Since Olympian Gail Devers’ words were so succinct and true, why not just make this the shortest cover story in the history of Austin Woman? Well, it’s because, to paraphrase famous storyteller Paul Harvey, I wanted you to know the rest of the story.

austinwomanmagazine.com | 63

Photo by Lynne Peters.

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64 |  Austin Woman |  october 2015

served on the boards of Austin Moviemakers and the Let me begin by warning you that should you ask Levy and Lubin if the thought Arts Education League. ever crossed their minds that they might not succeed in their ambitious project, Through the years, their friendship and their they will look at you like you are the one who is possibly insane. Indeed, failure community involvement grew. Fate would step in was never an option, or even a thought. The need was great, the cause was noble again when Lubin received a breast-cancer diagnoand, together, they were determined to succeed. In their minds, once it was sis. What began with four words all women dread— conceived, the Seton Breast Care Center was a done deed, far before any of the “You have breast cancer.”—also put into motion a heavy lifting began. shared journey that would become a labor of love.

There is a Hebrew word that perfectly defines how the friendship that “When I was diagnosed, Marcia rushed to my resulted in a formidable pair of fundraising superstars and a state-of-the-art side and stayed with me through medical center dedicated to breast care for all Central Texas What began with three words the whole thing. It cemented our women came to be: bashert. Generally, this term refers to all women dread—“You have relationship and we are like sisters,” finding a partner for marriage or a soul mate for life, but breast cancer.”—also put into Lubin says. when Levy used it in relation to herself, Lubin and the motion a shared journey that “Susan likes to say that she was center, she explained it can also mean any fortuitous event, would become a labor of love. the friend in need and I was the something preordained or inevitable, something that was friend in deed,” Levy laughs. meant to happen.

Unlike many women who receive such a diagThis tale of bashert begins with two women born within weeks of each nosis, Lubin, being a physician’s wife, received other. Raised in Bremerton, Wash., Levy would go on to attend and receive her immediate access to doctors. She also received master’s degree in social work with postgraduate work in clinical psychology immediate treatment. When Lubin became aware of from the University of Washington. Lubin grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, a small lump, it was actually too small for concern, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and taught school in Oklahoma but as the lump grew, she sensed that something City while her husband attended medical school. Later, she would embrace was wrong and was checked immediately. Although her passion for song under the tutelage of Austinite Gina Ducloux. the lump was small, a sonogram was the first course Although their paths would take many turns before they actually met, fate of action, followed by a lumpectomy. Because of was always at work. Both are Jewish and dedicated to their faith. Both married the size of the tumor and immediacy of treatment, doctors. Both have remained passionate about their accomplishments and the Lubin was pronounced cancer-free just two weeks communities in which they’ve lived. Lubin grew up going to Palm Beach, Fla. Levy and her husband owned a home there. Acknowledging their blessings, both shared a deep commitment to giving back and making the world a better place. Both served on boards for organizations and committees for events and Get Involved! for their children’s schools.

Seton Breast Care Center (seton.net/breastcare“There were so many things about our friendship and our families that drew center) events in October are at the center, 1201 us together. It was only a matter of time before we met, and now I can’t really W. 38th St., first floor, unless otherwise noted. remember a time when we weren’t friends,” Levy says.

Eventually, the two did meet, thanks to the Junior League of Austin’s A Oct. 1: Breast Screening Lunch and Learn, Christmas Affair event. Having moved to Austin from San Francisco in 1982, noon to 1 p.m.

Lubin immediately immersed herself in the community, volunteering and serving on boards and committees for organizations such as the Helping Oct. 1: Rally behind Breast Cancer Awareness event, 6 to 8 p.m.

Hand Home for Children, Women’s Symphony League of Austin, the Austin Lyric Opera and the Junior League, through which she would eventually Oct. 13: Metastatic Breast Awareness Day: work for many years on the league’s largest annual fundraiser, A Christmas meditation by Stiletto Stampede (Check the Affair. Levy, who was living in Houston, came to Austin as a vendor selling website for the specific time.) fine crystal and decorative items at A Christmas Affair. Lubin was working the fundraiser as a volunteer. There, the two began an eternal conversation, Oct. 17: Book-signing event: Renee Sendelwhich continues to this day. bach, 3 to 5 p.m.

A few short years after that fortuitous first meeting, Levy moved to Austin, Oct. 21: Pretty in Pink event with Avenue 5, and the connection grew. Today, Levy’s husband, Bruce, a medical doctor and a 1 to 5 p.m. lawyer, manages the practice that includes Lubin’s husband, Craig, a gastroenterologist. Although their children are a few years apart, Lubin and Levy were Oct. 28: Breast Reconstruction Awareness active at both St. Andrew’s and St. Stephen’s Episcopal schools. Both were acPanel and Reception, CME and CNE credits tive in medical organizations and in the Make-A-Wish Foundation. for clinical staff, McFadden Auditorium and Lubin’s interests run toward the arts. She was active in the Austin Lyric OpSeton Breast Care Center, 4 to 7 p.m. (Check era for 17 years, serving as president of the board and performing in the chorus the website for more details.) and in individual roles. She served as president on the Seton Development Oct. 31: Benefiting the Seton Breast Care Board, as well as co-chairing and chairing the annual gala. She also served on Center: Stiletto Stampede, stilettostampede.org the board of Zach Scott Theatre, and performed in several productions, including Ragtime.

March 29, 2016: Save the date! Celebration Levy was active in the formation of the Dell Jewish Community Center, of Life Luncheon in collaboration with Zeta chaired the board of the Austin Anti-Defamation League, where she worked Tau Alpha. celebration.austin.zetataualpha.org closely with Ballet Austin on Light / The Holocaust & Humanity Project, served on the board of GEN Austin and volunteered for Mobile Loaves & Fishes, and austinwomanmagazine.com | 65

the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care and Prevention, and from diagnosis. Although her prognosis was excellent, Lubin the Evelyn Lauder Breast Center in New York, and pitched was aware she was in a group of women—Ashkenazi Jews their idea to the president of Seton Healthcare Family Hos(Jews of Eastern-European descent)—who have a higher incipitals and members of the staff and board. The pair was dence of the BRCA 1/2 gene mutation and breast cancer. She fortunate to get in front of the decision makers, due to their chose to have a double mastectomy. husbands’ positions as physicians and Lubin’s service and con“I was fortunate that I never had to have chemo or radiation,” Lubin says. “Although I would never advise anyone about nection to the Seton Development Board. Although they agonized waiting for nine months for Seton to get back with them, whether or not to have a mastectomy, I felt that, for me, it was fate once again was on their side, as the hospital group was the right thing to do. Interestingly, the data shows that the in the process of rethinking its oncology focus, and the Ann survival rate 10 years out is basically the same for women who Butler Pavilion seemed like the logical spot for such a center. choose to have a lumpectomy and for those who have mastecWhen Seton came back with the charge that in order to build tomies, but, for me, it was what I wanted to do.” the center, they would need to raise $6.5 million for construcLevy was by Lubin’s side through the entire process, includtion and equipment, Lubin and Levy sprang into action, never ing the mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, observing doubting the center would become a reality. everything firsthand. Several months following the surgery, “We developed an incredible steering committee and did at a lunch meant to boost Lubin’s spirits, the pair began disa lot of face-to-face fundraising,” Levy says. “The Hickcussing an article they had both serendipitously read in More ses opened their house to us for an introductory reception.

Magazine about a breast-care center in Philadelphia. Together, Kenichi put on an amazing dinner where Ray Benson enterthey realized there was a need for a similar state-of-the-art center in Austin. Acknowledging she was at a crossroads in her tained and it was $500 a plate, with everything going to the center. And, of course, Michael and Susan life when Lubin announced she was going to “We just kept marching and Dell honored Craig and Susan with a $1 milmake it her mission to build such a center, Levy jumped on board, and the Seton Breast never took no for an answer.” lion donation. We also built our pink army of —Marcia Levy donors, where people could support the center Care Center was conceived that day. with donations on all levels. The concept was “I looked at Marcia and said, ‘There is that everyone could participate in building the center and, in nothing like this in this community, and I am going to spend turn, it would belong to everyone. With the help of all of those my time, talents and treasures to ensure that every individual people and an amazing development director, Linda Lotz, we in Central Texas has access to the same level of care that I did,’ were on our way.” and she said, ‘I am in this with you,’ ” Lubin recalls.

In the end, Lubin and Levy raised more than $8 million, Levy also remembers that decision, determination and and in February 2014, the Seton Breast Care Center opened its commitment. doors and began providing comprehensive and personalized “Professionally, I was a clinical social worker and I had care for the women of Central Texas. From February 2014 to worked in a hospital setting, and we are both married to mediAugust 2015, 3,844 patients have received breast-imaging sercal professionals, so, we got it,” Levy says. “We recognized and vices and 5,580 patients have received total services. identified the need. We had a good sense that there needed According to Levy, failure was never an option. to be a cadre of services and programs that were multidisci“We never thought about that,” she says. “It all came toplinary. It needed to be comprehensive, to take people from gether relatively luckily. We just kept marching and never took routine mammograms all the way to survivorship and support services for lifers (Stage 4) and their family members. This was no for an answer. We said, ‘If the cause doesn’t resonate for someone that we approach, then we will find people who it our mission.” does resonate with.’ We always knew that we could do it. The “I got such incredible care that I wanted that treatment for thought didn’t occur to us that it wouldn’t work. People come everyone,” Lubin says. “Ordinarily, it would take a lot of time on board if you are committed and passionate.” from diagnosis to treatment. I could get in the next day. BeAt the end of my interview, it occurred to me that this story tween my diagnosis and my surgery, which rendered me canis bashert, preordained, inevitable, meant to be so we could cer-free, was only two weeks, and that is our goal, for everyone tell the story and some women yet to be diagnosed may read it to be provided with state-of-the-art care with state-of-the-art and benefit from the services offered at the center. Two visioncaring. That is important to us. Being diagnosed with any kind ary women determined and dedicated with faith in themselves of cancer is terrifying, but it is so emotional, as it involves so and each other, two women who never stopped believing that much of your identity as a woman. It is striking younger and all things were possible and that they were brought together to younger women. The cancer is more virulent.” make a difference: bashert. I really love the sound of that word.

Lubin and Levy toured established breast-care centers—

66 | Austin Woman | october 2015

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austinwomanmagazine.com austinwomanmagazine.com | | 67 67

The Seton Breast Care Center What if you could go to a place that more closely resembled a spa than a medical facility to receive comprehensive care, beginning with mammograms and culminating with treatment for all of your breastcare needs? How would you like to be welcomed to a place with a lobby that looks like it came out of a designer’s handbook, boasting a shining, black grand piano, beautiful artwork and comfortable furniture? Once inside, would you like to be treated to soothing tea, a warm robe and a private dressing room, then ushered to a comfortable waiting room filled with the sounds of the ocean while you rest on comfy chairs? Might that alleviate some of the anxiety you may feel, even when going in for a routine mammogram?

If you answered yes, you will be pleased to know this was all in the plan for the Seton Breast Care Center when founders Marcia Levy and Susan Lubin created this very unique atmosphere and state-of-the-art center. It definitely lives up to its motto: A place with state-of-the-art care and state-of-the-art caring. The founders also like to say the center is a place where hope takes flight, an idea symbolized by butterfly art spread throughout the center.

Services offered: • A multidisciplinary approach and personalized treatment are the hallmarks of the center.

• Imaging: Understanding that early detection helps ensure the best outcomes for treatment and survivorship, the center provides state-of-the-art imaging technology and a wide variety of imaging services, including digital 3-D mammography (Read about my personal experience at austinwomanmagazine.com.), stereotactic breast biopsies, breast sonography, bone-density scanning and breast 3T MRIs. Mammograms can be scheduled online at seton.net/mammo, by phone at 512.324.1025 or simply by walking in on weekdays.

Support services: Access to community counseling, nutrition classes, Boob Camp postoperative exercise classes Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m., dietary counseling, pre-operative education classes, patient and caregiver workshops, outreach/education and empowerment events, psychological counseling and support groups.

68 | Austin Woman | october 2015

Patient navigation and treatment services: The center offers specially trained nurse oncologists who support patients through the entire process, from diagnosis to treatment to support for recovery and survivorship. These patient navigators provide patient education and facilitate access to resources, such as physical therapy, social work, nutrition and spiritual consultations.

The center facilitates access to treatment planning provided by multidisciplinary cancer conferences held in conjunction with Seton’s Cancer Center Collaborative. This allows a wide range of professionals to collaborate on treatment plans and to review each patient’s case collaboratively. The Cancer Center Collaborative also allows access to physicians and health-care professionals for long distance/remote access collaboration via teleconferencing.

Additional services: •L ymphedema therapy. For those patients who have been surgically treated, the center offers this therapy, which includes massage, bandaging, exercise and skin care, all managed by a trained therapist.

•R esource library. This includes a wide range of materials pertaining to breast cancer and treatment, as well as information on local and national support groups and organizations.

•B outique. The center offers a recovery-garment boutique, which includes clothing and accessories created especially for breastcancer patients.

•M obile mammography. The Big Pink Bus provides mammography services to the underserved, as well as the uninsured. The Big Pink Bus also provides convenient corporate outreach and employee breast screenings.

For more information about services offered at Seton Breast Care Center, visit seton.net/medical-services-and-programs/ cancer-care/mobile-screening-mammography-services.

Clockwise from top left: 1. State-of-the-art caring reception area 2. H ope takes flight, as symbolized in the butterfly artwork placed throughout the center 3. P atient navigators provide patient education and facilitate access to resources. arm robes and private dressing rooms alleviate 4. W anxiety before an exam or consultation.

5. Soothing ocean sounds fill the light-filled lounge areas.

austinwomanmagazine.com |  69

Looking toward 2016 with the influencers of the

2015 Texas Tribune Festival Your guide to the issues.

BY RACHEL MERRIMAN Even though the 2016 election is more than a year away, it seems to be everywhere: on the news, sprinkled into Facebook feeds and popping up in casual dinner conversation. If you haven’t brought yourself up to speed on the issues yet, don’t worry! We’ve got a rundown of the big issues you’ll likely see in the upcoming debates and viewpoints from three Texas Tribune Festival panelists.

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70 | Austin Woman | october 2015

THE ISSUES The Economy Election after election, the economy is perhaps the No. 1 issue for voters, and 2016 will be no exception, as the nation recovers from the Great Recession. For Democrats, the focus is largely on income inequality, with many candidates emphasizing higher taxes for the 1 percent and increasing the minimum wage, while Republicans are likely to focus on lowering taxes for individuals and small businesses to boost economic growth.

Related Texas Tribune Festival Panels to Attend: Is the Boom Over?

Oct. 17, 8:30 a.m.

Health Care Early on in the race, we’ve already seen a focus on the Affordable Care Act from both Democratic and Republican candidates. Most Republican candidates are calling for a repeal of the ACA, or favor replacing it with a plan that encourages consumer choice and competition among insurance companies, while most Democratic candidates want to preserve and expand the ACA. Related Texas Tribune Festival Panels to Attend: A Medicaid Reality Check Oct. 17, 8:30 a.m.

After King v. Burwell, Now What?

Oct. 17, 11:10 a.m.

=

Related Texas Tribune Festival Panels to Attend:

Human Rights In April, protests lasted for weeks in Baltimore after African-American Freddie Gray died in police custody. In June, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality. In July, President Obama called for the end of solitary confinement for prisoners at the annual NAACP national convention.

Throughout the year, several states have passed laws banning abortion after 20 weeks, following Texas’ example. Given all that’s transpired in 2015, it’s difficult to imagine that conversations about police violence, race issues, the criminal-justice system and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and women’s rights wouldn’t make it to the national stage next year.

Why Pre-K Matters Oct. 17, 9:50 a.m.

Related Texas Tribune Festival Panels to Attend:

Charters, Choice and Accountability Oct. 17, 1:45 p.m.

Reform is the New Black Oct. 17, 8:30 a.m.

One on One With Glenn Hegar Oct. 17, 11:10 a.m.

Education In the first GOP debate, the Common Core State Standards Initiative was a hot issue, with many Republicans divided about the standards’ effectiveness. Early on, many Republican and Democratic candidates have highlighted the importance of improving early childhood education and school choice. The steep cost of higher education and rising student-loan debt are two big issues for both sides. Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has even proposed a plan for free tuition at all public colleges.

Immigration Reform Texans will surely pay very close attention to what the candidates are saying about immigration in 2016. All five Democratic candidates support a path to citizenship, while Republican candidates are mixed on the issue. Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are two notable party outliers who support earned legal status for undocumented people, while other Republican candidates are voicing their opposition to amnesty and calling for tighter border security.

Related Texas Tribune Festival Panels to Attend: A Border Reality Check Oct. 17, 11:10 a.m.

Hispanic Votes Matter Oct. 17, 8:30 a.m.

Gay Rights, States’ Rights Oct. 17, 4:25 p.m.

Foreign Policy The Syrian Civil War, the threat of ISIS and Iran’s nuclear program are guaranteed to be prominent topics in 2016, and candidates will have to show strong foreign-policy experience to succeed in the debates. On the Republican side, Jeb Bush will likely have to contend with his brother’s and father’s foreign-policy decisions during their presidencies, while Hillary Clinton is expected to play up her experience as former secretary of state to strengthen her platform.

The Environment Climate change was a huge issue in the last election, and it’s here to stay in 2016. We’re also likely to hear candidates voice their opinions on the Keystone XL Pipeline, which Republican candidates support for the boon it would bring to the economy. And no matter their opinions on climate change, Republican and Democratic candidates alike are sure to champion the environmental and economic benefits of innovative renewable-energy solutions.

Related Texas Tribune Festival Panels to Attend:

Related Texas Tribune Festival Panels to Attend:

One on One With Nancy Pelosi Oct. 17, 1:45 p.m.

A Water Reality Check Oct. 17, 8:30 a.m.

America’s Place in the World Oct. 17, 3:05 p.m.

The Fight Over Climate Oct. 17, 9:50 a.m. austinwomanmagazine.com | 71

Erica Grieder

Texas Monthly senior editor and author of Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right: What America Can Learn from the Strange Genius of Texas Austin Woman: What will be the most important economic issue in 2016?

Erica Grieder: We continue to be in an economic recovery that doesn’t feel like recovery for a lot of middle-class and working-class Texans. We’re seeing some job growth but stagnant wages. Meanwhile, the cost of higher education and real estate are rising out of proportion to people’s ability to invest in those things. Generally, as a country, we’re in a period where, in the last two decades, there’s been a tremendous amount of global, technological and political change, so much that the American economy and certain industries have fundamentally altered. So, for a lot of people in the country, there’s a sense that the old way of life has changed, and we don’t know what the new way is or how to achieve it.

AW: What are the issues you feel the voters will be paying the most attention to?

EG: On the Republican side, there’s a concern about illegal immigration, which I think is sort of a red herring; the actual concern is more about opportunity. On the Democratic side, we’re seeing that concern about opportunity focused on issues like wages, higher education and racial and social justice.

For everybody, the biggest issue is opportunity, an ongoing chance to believe in the American Dream.

EG: I think they like his adversarial attitude towards Washington and his known willingness to fight things like Obamacare. It’s funny because, in a way, his temperament is sort of an erudite nerd than a backslapping guy. He has a sort of eloquence when he’s speaking; you can tell he’s smart. I think they like hearing somebody who’s measured, reasoned and articulate talk about his desire to shake up the establishment in D.C. At the 2015 Texas Tribune Festival, Erica Grieder will moderate a one-on-one session with Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, Oct. 17 at 9:50 a.m.

72 | Austin Woman | october 2015

Photos courtesy of the Texas Tribine Festival.

AW: You recently wrote a lengthy profile of Ted Cruz for Texas Monthly. What do you think draws people to him?

Campbell Brown

Former TV journalist and co-founder of The Seventy Four, the74million.org Austin Woman: What are some of the problems with the educational system you think candidates should address during their campaigns?

Campbell Brown: The biggest challenge is how we ensure that education remains the path to social mobility in this country. Under the current system, if you are born in a neighborhood with a failing school, you don’t have the opportunity to use education to create a better life for yourself. There’s inequality that exists throughout the system that has to be addressed. We have to make sure every parent has a say and has a choice when it comes to their child’s education. Unfortunately, the way the current system is designed traps families and kids in failing schools and doesn’t give them a pathway out. We’ve grappled with this problem for far too long and let too many kids fall through the cracks. I hope that we hear all the candidates talk about it.

AW: During the education summit you recently hosted, what were the main talking points you heard from candidates?

CB: The summit focused solely on education and what the candidates could do at the federal level to encourage states to make children the focus of all educational decisions. For Republicans, there’s been a lot of focus on the Common Core. Many of the Republican candidates initially supported it, and have since changed their positions in response to a lot of outrage from families around standardized testing.

There’s been a push from a few of the candidates­­—Jeb Bush and John Kasich—to emphasize raising standards for all children across the country to ensure they are ready for the 21st century economy. There was also an emphasis on more school choice, and what we can do to incentivize charter schools and tax-credit programs to ensure that families get more options.

We’re holding a second summit for Democrats this month. On the Democratic side, it’s not clear where they’ll land on many of these

issues. Hillary Clinton still remains the frontrunner, and although she won the endorsement of one of the largest teachers’ unions in the country, she hasn’t actually talked about her position on K-12 education yet. President Obama was an education-reform advocate and pushed for the expansion of charter schools, but for now, it’s unclear where other Democrats will be on many of those issues.

AW: What do you think the general conversation about education will be like during the election?

CB: When you look at the polls, people say education is one of the issues they care most about, but oftentimes, when we get to the big debates, there’s hardly an education question. The 2000 campaign was the last time education was a major focus of a candidate, as it was with George W. Bush when he was pushing what led to No Child Left Behind.

I think this campaign has the ability to be unique for a couple of reasons. On the Republican side, we have Jeb Bush, who is passionate about education and has spent more time in office working on education issues than anybody else. We also have layered with that the debate around Common Core, where he’s driven most of the conversation. A lot of governors who are running really have hands-on experience trying to implement education reform in their state, and they want to talk about it.

We’re also hearing a lot about higher education, affordability and universal pre-K. I think that’s a really important conversation we need to start having in this country, and hopefully, we’ll see more focus and attention on those things in the campaign.

At the 2015 Texas Tribune Festival, Campbell Brown will moderate the Charters, Choice and Accountability panel, Oct. 17 at 1:45 p.m.

austinwomanmagazine.com | 73

AW: You have also written a lot on health-care reform. What issues will dominate the conversation about health care in the election?

KT: We’re seeing a realization here that the Affordable Care Act is here to stay. At some point, the Republicans are going to have to come forward with some ideas on how they would fix it if they don’t like it. A repeal of the ACA looks pretty unrealistic. The longer the law is in place and the longer people are signing up for it, it’s going to be harder and harder to overturn.

AW: What will be the biggest challenges for Republican and Democratic candidates?

KT: Very rarely in our history does one party get three bites of the apple in a row. It happened with George H. W. Bush, but it’s very unusual and it’s one of the biggest things the Democratic nominee would have to face. For both parties, the big challenge is that they have become the products of their extremes. The reality of politics in a situation where everything is so polarized: You don’t win by persuading people; you win by getting your base more revved up than their base. There are not a lot of voters that cross lines.

AW: You recently sent your son off to college.

Do you think the cost of higher education and student-loan debt will be a big campaign issue?

Karen Tumulty National political correspondent for The Washington Post Austin Woman: What will be the most important issues in the 2016 election?

Karen Tumulty: Certainly, Donald Trump has elevated immigration to a degree that people wouldn’t necessarily have expected. I think it will continue through the primary season, whether Trump proves to be a durable phenomenon or not.

Going into next November, this will be an election where foreign policy plays a bigger role than it has in any election since 2004.

The world is looking like such a scary place right now, and figuring out what the role of American leadership is in the whole equation is going to be very much on the minds of voters.

The state of the economy is always at the top of voter concerns, but with the economic recovery looking like it’s already there, it may not be as big of an issue as it has been in the last couple of cycles. I think all of the candidates will be looking for ways to address the question of wages, whether they frame it as income inequality or economic mobility, and that will be a bigger issue than in previous elections.

AW: You’ve covered Hillary Clinton’s email scandal extensively.

How do you think it will affect her campaign?

KT: The problem is, with the involvement of the Justice Department and specifically the FBI, she is no longer in a position where she can put this to rest. It’s going to play out on the Justice Department’s timetable and not the political calendar. For the foreseeable future, we’ve got these monthly releases of her emails coming out under a court order, and that’s because of a Freedom of Information lawsuit. What we’re seeing is that it’s taking a real toll on her poll numbers, not in the horse race, but in how people regard her in terms of her trustworthiness.

74 | Austin Woman | october 2015

KT: Absolutely, and it’s an issue that young people feel very strongly about. One challenge, particularly for the Democrats, is getting what they call the Obama coalition to the polls because there’s no evidence they vote in big numbers unless Obama is on the ticket. So they’ll have to find issues that motivate minorities and young people to get out and vote, and student debt is a huge one.

At the 2015 Texas Tribune Festival, Karen Tumulty will moderate a one-on-one session with 2016 Democratic candidate for president Lawrence Lessig, Oct. 17 at 8:30 a.m.

The 2015 Texas Tribune Festival The Texas Tribune Festival features more than 200 national and local politicians, journalists, thought leaders and advocates who are passionate about issues that affect all Texans. The festival offers more than 50 sessions on education, health care, transportation, energy, the environment, criminal justice and more, with a focus on how Texas plays a role in national politics.

Badges for the three-day festival are $300 through Oct. 8, but students and educators can attend the fest for a discounted price of just $50. Texas Tribune members get $50 off their registration fee.

The festival takes place Oct. 16 through 18 at the University of Texas.

Visit texastribune.org/festival/2015/home for information on speakers, panels and special events.

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GOURMET Festival Food

Check out AW’s restaurant recommendations for dining during festival season.

by Macy Moore Of course, your main focus will be on the panels, screenings, readings and music, but sometimes you need a break and a good meal to complement your festival experience. Austin Woman set out to sort through the many choices available to festivalgoers and townies alike, and make recommendations for gourmet dining within walking distance of each festival.

Photo by Erica Wilkins.

Juliet’s Salsicce pizze

austinwomanmagazine.com | 77

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OURMET

festival food

ACL and Barton Springs Restaurants

Drawing more than 75,000 people each day, the Austin City Limits Music Festival is possibly the most anticipated event in Austin. With so many music lovers searching for food to get them through the festival, these restaurants surrounding Zilker Park will be cooking up a storm.

Juliet Ristorante

Gemma Love

Fresh scents, cool colors and Italian vibes fill the air of Juliet Ristorante. Opened within the last year, the classy restaurant with a modern twist has won us over. The bar is a featured highlight, as it pops out upon entering the restaurant. The quaint outdoor bar is great for hanging out and getting a drink while waiting to be seated. The bar staff suggests trying the traditional Italian drink, negroni.

The Negroni Tiki has tropical elements and is even served in a painted glass in the shape of a hula girl, garnished with pineapple leaves and cherries. Don’t miss out on tasting the olive oils, cheeses and salumi (Italian cold cuts). As for entrees, there are unordinary selections like Texas quail, seared scallops and tuna conserva torchio. Of course, there are classic entrees, like pizza, pasta and ravioli. And even the traditional selections have twists and surprising elements. But whatever you do, don’t skip out on dessert. From the customary Italian delicacies, such as tiramisu and gelato, to the non-traditional selections, like the olive oil cake and chocolate ganache tart, you can’t go wrong. No matter the menu selection at Juliet, your taste buds will be unquestionably pleased.

This Jamaican cuisine spot’s Barton Springs-area location is nestled in the South Austin Social Food Park on Jessie Street. If you’re feeling confident to try food of a different culture or are a Jamaican-food junkie, head to this funloving food truck.

Chuy’s Mexican Grill Stop at the original Chuy’s for the famous salsa and spicy Mexican food. At happy hour, all drinks are offered for $1 off of the normal price, and you can snack at the complimentary queso bar, served exclusively during happy hour.

Shady Grove Aside from the homey, rustic and modern vibe here, Shady Grove has a great menu for ACL goers. Perfect for dining on American food, the eatery offers the classics, such as cheese fries, baby back ribs and various burgers, as well as selections from the TexMex section of the menu. Try the Hippie Sandwich for a healthy option that screams Austin.

Baby Acapulco’s Another classic Mexican-food eatery in Austin, Baby A’s always satisfies spicy cravings. The famous purple ’rita is $1 off during happy hour, along with the other margarita selections.

Austin Java Going to ACL requires early mornings and long days. Caffeine is absolutely necessary.

Austin Java has you covered, with lattes, iced coffees and lunch.

JuiceLand

P.Terry’s Sometimes, nothing sounds better than a juicy burger from beloved P.Terry’s. Though it’s a farther walk than some of the other restaurant choices, you can get in and out with a cheap, savory burger, complete with P.Terry’s special sauce.

78 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

Photo by Erica Wilkins.

With all the walking you’ll be doing, you’ll need some refreshing, nutritious drinks.

JuiceLand’s small establishment, located across the street from Shady Grove, will be sure to fix you up with sweet drinks and light snacks.

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festival food

Texas Tribune Festival Oct. 16-18, 2015 This year’s Texas Tribune Festival, where wonks, hopefuls and other influential figures will talk political issues affecting all Texans in a three-day event, will be again held at the University of Texas. Of course, it’s easy to grab a quick bite between sessions at the familiar strip of Guadalupe we Austinites refer to as The Drag. But we invite you to try a few of our own recommendations (although some do happen to be on The Drag). Consider these digs and dine-in options before you attend the festival!

Arturo’s Underground Cafe

The Carillon

314 W. 17th St.

1900 University Ave.

Stop by Arturo’s Underground Cafe before your first TTF session of the day for an elaborate yet economical breakfast in an ambience so quintessentially Austin—only two blocks from the conference center. We recommend the Caribbean French toast, complete with a rich rum-based sauce, and a can’t-gowrong plate of migas.

TTF’s main venue is the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, which conveniently houses The Carillon, a cool, swanky option for Texas-American cuisine. The menu boasts a wide variety of innovative plates. We recommend the chicken-fried quail, prepared in a classic Southern style—dipped in buttermilk and fried—on a bed of sauteed greens and a to-die-for maple gravy sauce. Also a standout on the menu is the crispy pork belly. The fatty factor is impeccable. It proves to be a melt-in-your-mouth sensation of a dish. Where the chefs push their culinary creativity is with the red snapper crudo: raw red snapper paired in a fold with thin peach slices topped with grilled (think popped) corn, cilantro and a chipotle sauce. The flavor combination is eccentric but enticing. If you are looking for a quiet sit-down dinner far from the maddening crowd, this is a perfect choice. The Carillon also hosts a lunch buffet from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with offerings changing daily on weekdays.

Sushi Junai 1612 Lavaca St. If you’re a sushi lover who’d rather not pay $12 for a single roll and leave with too much room than there should be in your stomach, check out Sushi Junai.

Prime time to stop in is before 3 p.m. for a $19.95 set price for all-you-can-eat (albeit made-to-order) sushi. This price also includes appetizers, dessert and pretty much the whole menu except sashimi.

The low price by no means compromises the quality; the dishes are equally as good as or better than traditional sushi places throughout town. So, when you get a hankering for sushi during a midday TTF session, walk a few blocks and check out Sushi Junai. We recommend the fishfilled, riceless Cucumber Passion Roll and the eel-topped, soft-shell-crab-filled Spider Roll.

Coco’s Cafe 1910 Guadalupe St. Coco’s Cafe is the area’s No. 1 bubble tea go-to, and we recommend it for any TTF attendees craving a sweet tapioca pearl drink. There’s a wide selection of bubble teas, and as far as food goes, the spot brags quite a few great Taiwanese dishes. We recommend the peppercorn chicken and the eel steak with rice.

Photo courtesy of The Carillon.

Clay Pit 1601 Guadalupe St. If you find yourself in the mood for an Indian lunch buffet during a day at the fest or a sit-down dinner after your last session, head to Clay Pit, downtown’s resident Indian restaurant. Be sure to order the popular jalapeno & cream cheese naan, and we recommend the tandoori chicken or tikka masala for an entree.

The Carillon’s Thai-cured hamachi

austinwomanmagazine.com | 81

Texas Book Festival

Austin Film Festival

Oct. 17 and 18

Oct. 29-Nov. 5

This year’s Texas Book Festival will feature a record 300 authors.

Texas literary geeks will converge on the Capitol and surrounding venues to celebrate literary lions and their newest tomes.

Four days of panels and eight days of film screenings, late-night parties and star-studded gatherings centered on Congress Avenue emanating from the Driskill Hotel, the Stephen F. Austin and the Paramount means that Hollywood comes to town for their favorite blowout.

You never know who you might run into at your favorite bar or restaurant. Check out our recommendations for restaurants within walking distance of both festival gatherings.

JW Marriott

Quattro Gatti

110 E. Second St. Only a few blocks from each of the downtown festival venues are two must-try spots for attendees, both a part of the J.W. Marriott. The two joints are newbies to Austin but are already receiving rave reviews.

908 Congress Ave.

Corner

906 Congress Ave.

Think gourmet street food. Three short rib tacos served on brown paper, not bedded in a disposable paper tray but, rather, on a white porcelain plate. The short rib in each of the tacos is adequately portioned, impeccably juicy and topped with crispy shallots and chimichurri sauce.

The restaurant brags a number of menus and a wide variety on each.

From the Southern-style cornbread appetizer to the slow-roasted porkshoulder sandwich, each dish is a bite of Texas. Corner has a brunch menu, a lunch menu, a dinner menu, a taco-bar menu, a late night menu, a drink menu and, of course, a dessert menu. Depending on the time of day you come, your selection will vary to some extent. We recommend the previously described braised short rib tacos and each of the other two taco choices: the pork carnitas tacos and the crispy fish tacos.

For meat-lovers, vegetarians and gluten-free eaters alike, Planet Sub has a diverse menu of subs. Order takeout and eat your sandwich on your walk down the block during the TBF, or sit down for a casual bite to satisfy your sandwich cravings, no matter what they may be. A favorite is the Super Hero, complete with salami, pepperoni, spicy capicola, provolone, red onions, lettuce, banana peppers, oregano, oil and vinegar.

Look no further than Quattro Gatti for a night of Italian cuisine, only a block from the Capitol. The spot is also a lunch favorite. The Montanara pizza is an impressive san-tomato sauce dish with mozzarella, prosciutto di parma, and wild arugula. Another must-try is the Ai Formaggi, a four-cheese pizza, also without tomato sauce, with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano and stilton.

Planet Sub

Texas Chili Parlor 1409 Lavaca St.

Burger Bar Rushing to hear your favorite author or grab the hottest film offering? Stop

by Burger Bar, a sidewalk window walk-up also located at the J.W. Marriott. The gourmet burgers are as affordable as they are appetizing— we’re big fans of the Big Mouth Burger, a double-patty beef burger topped with cheddar cheese, blistered peppers, jalapeno jam, and bacon.

Even the memory of the beautiful monstrosity is mouthwatering. Just as good is the classic cheeseburger.

And every other burger offered.

Also to die for are each of the three shakes on the menu: Oreo, strawberry shortcake, peanut butter pretzel.

The convenience and delectability of Burger Bar makes it a top-choice for TBF and AFF attendees.

82 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

Photo courtesy of JW Marriott Austin.

With a classic Texas ambiance (The wall is lined with Texas memorabilia.) and its 1976 opening, this hole-inthe-wall is a well-known spot to many. For first-time festivalgoers, Texas Chili Parlor is a must-try. It’s less than a block from Congress and has a variety of renowned chili dishes and other Texas staples. The black bean chili and the chili cheeseburgers are local favorites.

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Managing Diabetes Through Mindfulness and Yoga

Dr. Lisa B. Nelson and Annie B. Kay discuss their new book, Yoga and Diabetes: Your Guide to Safe and Effective Practice.

By Megan russell Diabetes is a metabolic disease that affects about 30 million adults and children. The idea of living with and managing this disease can seem daunting and, at times, downright devastating, causing some people with diabetes to lose their eyesight and even fingers and toes. With the staggering number of people afflicted with diabetes, and the 86 million people who are pre-diabetic, Dr. Lisa B. Nelson and Annie B. Kay knew it was their turn to help patients reverse the effects and prevent suffering.

Kay and Nelson came together with the mutual interest in helping people change, manage and prevent chronic disease through lifestyle. Kay works alongside Nelson at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, and is a registered dietician, nutritionist and yoga teacher.

“Diabetes is a condition that really terrifies people,” Kay says when talking about how to manage the disease with yoga, adding that more research is being done about yoga beyond that it’s just moderate physical activity. “There’s a real increase in the research explaining the mechanisms of how yoga can make us better choice makers.”

Both Kay and Nelson were seeing people able to reverse their pre-diabetes through their practice. These results inspired them to write Yoga and Diabetes: Your Guide to Safe and Effective Practice.

“No matter what type of diabetes you have or what medication you’re on or what symptoms you’re working with, here’s a guide that can help you start,” Kay says, describing Yoga and Diabetes as a step-by-step guide to help beginners develop their practice. “From very gentle 10-minute programs for someone working with insomnia, to a more moderate program for a woman who is pregnant and has gestational diabetes, no matter who you are on that continuum or what type of diabetes you have, there’s a program for you.”

The key to Nelson and Kay’s yoga program is laid out in the final chapter of their book, which focuses on the mental practice of yoga. Kay explains it as mindfulness.

“Mindfulness is a type of meditation and mediation is part of yoga,” she says. “Meditation is described as any way that we change our attention for a benefit, be it physical or spiritual. Mindfulness is a type of meditation where you focus on the present moment with a particular attitude.”

That attitude is non-judgmental awareness, meaning not good or not bad; it just is. Kay gives the example of mindful eating.

“An individual slows down, eats with all five senses and really does the practice of eating as meditation. And this practice has been shown to really help people turn down the external cues that tell us what and how much we should be eating,” she says. “And instead, it turns up our internal guidance system. So when people begin this, they begin to regulate themselves. They begin to become aware of when they’re physically hungry and when they’re full.”

The data shows most people struggling with obesity, a main cause of Type 2 diabetes, want to change on their own, but that they just don’t know how. Yoga and Diabetes is a way for them to start on a gentle path.

“In our book, we outline some fairly short programs and I describe how to set the stage, how to set up a nice little space and how to get started on a 10-minute program. It’s a beautiful place to start, just slowly and gently,” Kay says.

Kay goes on to point out the continuously growing number of studies conducted on the benefits of yoga throughout the years, so much so, they even have the American Diabetes Association on board with their guide.

“Since 2007, the research on the mechanisms of yoga has really exploded,” she says. “So that’s why a very scientifically based organization like the American Diabetes Association got interested.”

Kay and Nelson have seen people manage their diabetes with great success, reverse their symptoms and change their lives with yoga.

“That’s what it does: It changes you from the inside out,” Kay says.

The Science of Yoga The increased levels of stress in our culture, mixed with what registered dietician, nutritionist and yoga teacher Annie B. Kay describes as a “hyper palatable food supply,” lead to two things: 1. We become more habitual choice makers, so at the end of a long, stressful day, instead of reaching for healthy foods, we reach for comfort foods.

2. Sugar and refined carbohydrates activate the amygdala of the brain, which is the fight-or-flight area. This causes more stress and prevents us from relaxing.

So how do we fight stress eating? For Kay, the solution is through yoga and mindful meditation. These practices help reactivate our pre-frontal cortex, which is the decision-making part of the brain. This means it helps prevent us from becoming habitual choice makers and aids us in being more mindful of our decisions, more mindful of what we eat and when our bodies are full.

Breathing Kay also cites the benefits of yoga for psychological health.

“Yogic breathing and particularly a long, extended exhale that is so often cultivated in this process, tends to activate a particular nerve called the vagus nerve,” she says. “Stimulating that nerve through exhale just might be the key to the rest and recovery side of the nervous system.”

This is key because rest and recovering are important factors in eliminating our stress response to food.

Dr. Lisa B. Nelson

84 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

Annie B. Kay

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The Unsettling Facts about Domestic Violence

Learn more about this important issue during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

By Jill Case People often think domestic violence is the act of a man hitting a woman, but it’s more complicated and involved than that. Domestic violence actually encompasses physical, sexual and emotional behaviors that make one partner in an intimate relationship feel they are being coerced, manipulated, embarrassed or physically harmed by their partner.

Abusers use this behavior to gain power over the person they are harming, using their hurtful behavior to intimidate and achieve control. Domestic violence affects people of every race, religion, class and education level, young and old, heterosexual couples and people in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.

When is a Relationship Abusive?

How do people know if they are in an abusive relationship? The National Domestic Violence Hotline suggests there are red flags and warning signs.

They include your partner: 3 telling you that you can never do anything right 3 showing jealousy of your friends and time spent away 3 keeping you or discouraging you from seeing friends or family members 3 embarrassing or shaming you with put-downs 3 controlling every penny spent in the household 3 taking your money or refusing to give you money for expenses 3 acting or looking at you in ways that scare you 3 controlling who you see, where you go or what you do 3 preventing you from making your own decisions 3 telling you that you are a bad parent or threatening to harm or take away your children 3 preventing you from working or attending school 3 destroying your property or threatening to hurt or kill your pets

3 intimidating you with guns, knives or other weapons 3p ressuring you to have sex when you don’t want to or do sexual things with which you’re not comfortable 3 pressuring you to use drugs or alcohol For more information about these and other warning signs, visit thehotline.org/is-this-abuse/abuse-defined.

If you are experiencing any of these signs, call and speak to one of the counselors at the National Domestic Hotline: 800.799.7233.

Domestic Violence Statistics Domesticviolencestatistics.org provides the following stats about domestic violence:

rE very nine seconds in the United States, a woman is assaulted or beaten.

rT hroughout the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Most often, the abuser is a member of her own family.

rD omestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women, more than car accidents, muggings and rapes combined.

rS tudies suggest as many as 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.

rN early one in five teenage girls who have been in a relationship says a boyfriend threatened violence or self-harm if presented with a breakup.

rE very day in the U.S., more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends.

r Ninety-two percent of women surveyed listed reducing domestic violence and sexual assault as their top concern.

rD omestic-violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the U.S. alone—the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs. rB ased on reports from 10 countries, between 55 percent and 95 percent of women who had been physically abused by their partners never contacted non-governmental organizations, shelters or the police for help.

rT he costs of intimate-partner violence in the U.S. alone exceed $5.8 billion per year: $4.1 billion for direct medical and healthcare services, and nearly $1.8 billion accounting for productivity losses.

rM en who witnessed their parents’ domestic violence as children are twice as likely to abuse their own wives as those of nonviolent parents.

For more information about domestic-violence statistics, visit domesticviolencestatistics.org/domestic-violence-statistics.

86 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

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Austin Events for Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Where to Get Help in Central Texas

There are several events slated for October to mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

SafePlace Austin. SafePlace has helped women and families in the Austin area for more than 40 years. It provides several services, including a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, hospital accompaniment for sexual-assault exams, counseling, legal advocacy, supportive housing, deaf services, children’s services, an onsite K-12 school, disability services, community education and programs for teens, parents and schools. safeplace.org

Oct. 1: The Beta Launch of the Survive2Thrive Foundation’s S2T Platform at the Google Fiber Headquarters. The S2T Ecosystem Platform is a 24/7, 365-days-a-year resource for survivors of domestic violence. It will be accessible from any computer, smartphone or tablet, and will provide a listing of resources ranging from how to get a protective order, to how to repair your credit. It will provide lifesaving resources for survivors who have been wait-listed when trying to get into their local shelter, and for those who need continued support after they leave the shelter.

Oct. 5: National Observance of the Day of Unity. The three themes this year are: mourning those who have died due to domestic violence, celebrating those who have survived domestic violence and connecting those who work to end domestic violence.

Oct. 7: The Lauri Wright Stand Up for Safe Families Paddle Parade 2015. The Travis County Family Violence Task Force hosts Stand Up for Safe Families Paddle Parade 2015. Supporters can show their support for victims of family violence by wearing purple and getting on the water with free kayak, paddleboard and canoe rentals on Lady Bird Lake. The event is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Texas Rowing Center Dock, 1541 W. Cesar Chavez St. Oct. 22: The Survive2Thrive Foundation and the Kendra Scott Gives Back Launch Their Instagram Campaign, We Are Worthy. The Survive2Thrive Foundation, in community partnership with Kendra Scott Design Inc., is creating a public-awareness campaign called We Are Worthy. Kendra Scott Design will create a special color-bar jewelry piece featuring the color of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, purple.

Courtney Santana of the Survive2Thrive Foundation says, “The color purple represents gentleness, free spiritedness, tranquility, creativity, dignity and royalty. We at S2T Foundation wish to support the survivor community, lifting them up, supporting them in what can be a very hard reality after they leave their violent homes. What does a survivor face when they leave violence?

They face poverty, homelessness, financial devastation and loneliness.

We wish to focus energy, attention and love to this battered group of courageous, resilient people by marketing this jewelry line for the month of October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month.”

Oct. 22, Kendra Scott Design will donate 20 percent of the proceeds from the sales of this special colorbar piece at its Domain store to the Survive2Thrive Foundation. Kendra Scott store at The Domain is located at 11506 Century Oaks, suite 108.

Oct. 25: Muse Austin Concert celebrating survivors of domestic violence.

Muse Austin is a multimedia night of live music and fashion. The theme is Muse: What Inspires You? The event will include live music and fashion, featuring Austin’s Graham Wilkinson, Patrice Pike, The Levites, Riders Against the Storm, Courtney Santana, Cari Hutson St. Marie and Gina Chavez. The artists will perform original pieces with a full band and orchestra led by Carlton Dillard, music director at Riverbend Church. There will also be dance performed

by Ballet Afrique and live art by Marlene Jorge, directed by Robert King. The night will unveil purple evening gowns specially designed by local designers and the students of the Art Institute of Austin. Tickets are $75 to $125, and donations and tickets are tax-deductible. Sponsorships are available and start at $500. For more information, contact Survive2Thrive Foundation at 512.308.6028, or visit museaustin.org.

The Survive2Thrive Foundation. Survive2Thrive helps women who have been wait-listed and/or could not get into a shelter when they left their violent homes and situations. The website states, “Survive2Thrive wishes to remind victims of their own power and then to aid them in rebuilding their own lives, moving them from the day-to-day survival mindset to thriving in their new community of love and support.” It offers many resources, including legal, employment, child support, health care, continuing education, child care and more. It also offers 24/7 online counseling. survive2thrivefoundation.org Hope Alliance Williamson County Crisis Center. This organization helps women and families in Williamson County who are experiencing physical, emotional, psychological or sexual abuse.

It offers the following services: a 24-hour crisis hotline, emergency shelter, transitional housing, accompaniment services, legal advocacy, counseling, support groups, education and prevention. hopealliancetx.org Lift: An Alliance to End Abuse. In 2011, SafePlace Austin and Austin Children’s Services formed an alliance to work toward a common goal: ending violence, abuse and neglect. According to its website, “Both SafePlace and ACS are committed to ending abuse.

We recognize, and research supports, that child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault are interconnected issues, and too often the victims/survivors experience all types of violence and abuse at different points in their lives.” Lift serves children and teens who are affected by child abuse and domestic and sexual abuse. It provides residential care, support and advocacy for survivors of sexual assault, as well as educational programs, a transitional living program for young adults and more. liftalliance.org The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800.799.SAFE (7233). Since 1996, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has helped survivors of domestic violence. The hotline operates 24/7, 365 days a year and “provides lifesaving tools and immediate support to enable victims to find safety and live lives free of abuse.”

The hotline counselors receive 40 hours of extensive training so they can offer survivors crisis-intervention information and referral services. Counseling is available in more than 170 languages.

The organization also has a number for the hearing-impaired: 800.787.3224. thehotline.org

800.799.SAFE austinwomanmagazine.com | 89

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First Person

The Most Beautiful Woman in the World My sister, Lizzie Velasquez, outshines all others.

By Alexis Jones cyberbullied on YouTube. A cruel stranger posted a video of her, entitling it, “The World’s Ugliest Woman.” What was more horrifying was that his video had already had 4 million views, in addition to thousands of inhumane comments.

In spite of the mean-spirited nature of the Internet, Lizzie’s TEDx talk was all about having the courage to define ourselves, regardless of what others think or say. In the midst of this cyberbullying epidemic, Lizzie is a powerful example of what life can look like on the other side of bullying.

She is the poster girl of grace in the face of unkind people. Lizzie is a reallife rock star and a role model, not just for elementary-school, middleschool and high-school students; she is a role model for all of us.

I fell in love with Lizzie Velasquez the same way most people did: And trust me, rather than have you feel bad for her, she will remind you through a computer screen. I was organizing and hosting the first TEDxAustinWomen event in 2013, and had asked one of my best friends, that her syndrome is about as good as it gets since she’s never visited a gym and never counted a calorie—like, ever. In fact, it’s her sense of humor that Sara Bordo, and her company, Women Rising, to produce it. Sara and I had both grown up in Austin and spent a third of our lives in the big, bad caught me off guard. Clearly, she is resilient, magnanimous and faith-filled, but it’s her humor that offsets her life’s adversity, the endless doctor visits, city of Los Angeles. We were toying with the idea of moving back home the mean people she continues to encounter and any other challenges that and this event gave us a great excuse. While Sara was busy hammering come her way. Her story is everyone’s story. Her challenges may be different, out logistics for our event, my priority was curating an exceptional speaker roster. Little did I know I would stumble upon the most beautiful but we all have them, and the truth is we never really have a class in school on how to handle mean people. We think it stops after middle school or woman in the world.

Our first meeting was a Skype date, and immediately, I knew (like with high school, but bullying only becomes more sophisticated as we get older.

Lizzie’s story gives us an opportunity to talk about one of life’s most pressing Julia) that Lizzie and I would be best friends. In that hope-she-likes-mequestions: How can we be more kind to each other and to ourselves? as-much-as-I-like-her kind of way, I blurted out, “I’d love to have you Sara realized this common thread and decided to produce and direct speak at our TEDxAustinWomen event.” She responded enthusiastically, her first film. It felt appropriate since our TEDxAustinWomen’s theme and the rest is history. Her talk, which, by the way, she completely changed the day of the event, went viral, with more than 10 million views. was Brave Starts Here that our first film be entitled A Brave Heart: The Lizzie has a rare syndrome that doesn’t allow her to gain weight and was Lizzie Velasquez Story. Once again, I had the opportunity to team up with my best friend and help her tell an important story. Because the truth is there’s not a parent out there who hasn’t dealt with bullying, and cyberspace has only made it that much more ruthless, it’s something we can’t afford to avoid any longer.

This film is a beautiful tool to inspire change in schools and within legislation.

And we believe that change is possible. It’s within our reach. We’re Texas girls who had never made a movie, and teamed up with a dream team of misfits to do the impossible.

We told a Cinderella story the way it should be told, a story about a brave girl who, born out of fire, found her passion and is on a mission to remind other people everywhere that they are beautiful and capable and worthy and enough just as they are. She battled hate with love and she won.

So let me introduce you, if you haven’t met her yet, to my little sister. She’s the bravest girl I know and she also happens to be the Sara Hirsh Bordo, Lizzie Velasquez, Alexis Jones most beautiful.

90 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

Photos courtesy of Lizzie Velasquez.

The first time Lizzie and I did a sleepover at my house, I picked her up, and on our way to my house, she said, “Obviously, we are stopping to buy matching pajamas, right?” I hadn’t had an adult sleepover in so long and found myself a little embarrassed that I didn’t know protocol. My response was simply, “Yeah, obviously.” We pit stopped to snag a cute pair of matching pjs, went home and watched Pretty Woman in bed—duh!—because we are both hopelessly in love with Julia Roberts and our lives will be complete the day we meet her in person and she asks us to be her best friend.

A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story is being called ‘inspiring beyond belief.’

From the producers of the most viewed TEDxAustinWomen event of 2013 comes A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, a documentary following the inspiring journey of 26-year-old, 58-pound Velasquez, from cyberbullying victim to anti-bullying activist.

Born with a rare syndrome that prevents her from gaining weight, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Velasquez was first bullied as a child in school for looking different and later, online as a teenager, when she discovered a YouTube video labeling her “The World’s Ugliest Woman.” The film chronicles unheard stories and details of Velasquez’s physical and emotional journey, up to her TEDx Talk, viewed by millions, and follows her pursuits, from being a motivational speaker, to heading to Capitol Hill to lobby for the first federal anti-bullying bill.

With an Austin-based filmmaking team that included first-time Director and Producer Sara Hirsh Bordo, Executive Producers Velasquez and Alexis Jones, Editor Christopher Roldan and Director of Photography Ben Powell, A Brave Heart won awards at all eight film festivals it played, including winning the Audience Award at South By Southwest 2015. The film will debut in select theaters nationwide Sept. 25, and will play at Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane and Violet Crown Cinema.

From Director Sara Hirsh Bordo: Bullying is a subject that historically yields heartbreaking stories of hopelessness and, in many times, loss. Rarely is there a story of survival and inspiration that continues to crossover ages, genders and ethnicities. … Enter the brave story of Lizzie Velasquez.

Lizzie and I met when I asked her to give a talk at the first TEDxAustinWomen event, which I was producing. She was a local hero whose time, we found out shortly after, had arrived. It was clear quickly that Lizzie’s philosophy on her health and her experiences was as rare as her syndrome that mystified geneticists worldwide.

We live in a culture of tremendous meanness. And few people have experienced it more than Lizzie. Bullying first became a reality when she entered kindergarten, and the whispers and the pointing began because Lizzie looked different. At 17, discovering “The World’s Ugliest Woman” video, with its eight seconds of Lizzie’s face, its 4 million views and its thousands of comments, including, “Kill it with fire,” presented Lizzie with a choice. Lizzie chose to not give up, but to forgive and to thrive, as an author, as a speaker and now as an activist.

In September 2014, the World Health Organization published that every 40 seconds, someone takes their own life. When we arrived in Washington, D.C., to help lobby for the Safe Schools Improvement Act, the first federal bill with potential to reach the floor for a congressional vote, Lizzie asked the question repeatedly, “How many more?” How many more kids do we have to lose to being bullied and discriminated against because they look or act different? Lizzie wanted to go to Washington in hopes that her personal testimony might make a difference, to require data collection of kids being bullied in school. At the end of filming, Lizzie’s efforts helped garner a record 208 co-sponsors out of 218 needed for the bill. This was more support than over eight years of congressional efforts.

What I wanted to show is that this is Lizzie’s film, but it is everyone’s story. Our record-breaking Kickstarter campaign yielded support from 16 countries and proved that Lizzie’s message knew no limits. From 65-year-old veterans giving their retirement checks over to the campaign in California, to 12-year-old girls doing lemonade stands in the U.K., to Lizzie’s church members taking out second jobs so they could contribute at home here in Texas, we received support from around the world.

Lizzie had already proved to more than 10 million TED Talk viewers that she was worth listening to. My job was to show what Lizzie could do with more than the 18 minutes the TED rules allowed. Where does the strength and bravery in Lizzie’s fragile 58-pound body come from?

How does she battle an unknown syndrome in the hospital one morning and speak onstage to thousands that afternoon? Simply put, to Lizzie and her family, her life has never been about the start and end dates on our life, but the dash in between.

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memo from JB

On the Move

When it comes to selling a house, it’s the little things that count.

By JB Hager, photo by rudy arocha

Here we go again, getting our house ready for the next person. My wife and I have spent the last few weeks fixing every little imperfection in our home so some stranger can live a wonderful, carefree life. We have a tendency to do this, finally perfecting our home for the next family, but never for ourselves.

We have decided to downsize. For most people, that entails aging empty nesters looking for a smaller home and less to take care of. For us, and like many Austinites, it just means selling our expensive home and moving farther away from the city.

When we made the decision to sell our home, we agreed that we should fix everything needed, no matter how small, so a buyer can’t beat us up with a list of repairs, no matter how small. During this few weeks of fixing every little detail of the home, we have been laughing at the fact that we have just been living with it as is. Why did we not fix some of these things years ago, especially since we point them out on a nearly daily basis? Some items were laughable at how little time and effort they took to fix.

Here’s a list of our repairs, to give you an idea of some of the things we have been living with for years: 4 The light above the entryway door was replaced.

Years broken: two Time to fix: five minutes Cost: $15 extension pole light-bulb changer 4 We fixed the closet sock drawer that slides open and won’t remain closed.

Years broken: three Time to fix: 10 minutes Cost: $0 4 We fixed the office cabinet door, which was off its hinges.

Years broken: two Time to fix: five minutes Cost: $0 4 We fixed the damaged face of the garage door.

Years broken: two Time to fix: five-minute call to the garage-repair guy Cost: $400 Wine consumed while watching repair: one and a half glasses 4 We finally got the trees trimmed.

Years untrimmed: five Time to fix: five-minute call to the landscape crew Cost: $500 Wine consumed while watching repair: three glasses There are many more examples, and an abundance of wine was consumed during the projects that were 92 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

outsourced. Overall, none of these repairs were being ignored because of time or cost. Was it laziness? If so, you haven’t met my wife. So, purely, I was the one to blame, the consummate procrastinator. Why, then, were we content to live with leaks, creaks and broken hinges?

We are literally kicking ourselves with embarrassment about this and laughing at the same time.

Well, it’s perfect now—for someone else. Maybe this weekend, when you make your “honey do list,” you can attach this article for your spouse.

A sock drawer that closes and stays closed: I never thought I’d see the day, at least for a few weeks until we move. It’s the little things.

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horoscopes

Happy Birthday, Libra!

Sept. 23–Oct. 22

Your Month: This month, expect weird communication snafus, especially concerning partners and contracts. You want your freedom.

No, wait! You want the close connection and shared responsibilities of teamwork. No, wait!

You want to do it all by yourself. You want to bring your work home. No, wait! You want to go into the office. No, wait! You want to stay up late and work.

No, wait! You want socialization. You want to workout, but you want to sit in bed and eat ice cream at midnight too. Just wait out the conflict. It’s astrological. Your reward? Stellar friendships. Just don’t move them into your house.

a tremendous amount of energy just to be normal.” You’re feeling like no one gets you, not at work, not at home. You think people want to quash your individuality and creativity, but the truth is, you may be getting in your own way by rebelling. The secret path to your own success is a balance between your own needs and those of other people, just until the end of the year.

➺ October is a seesaw kind of month, a push-me-pull-you sort of time. It’s all yes/no, “I want to/I don’t want to,” “I’m staying/I’m out of here.” Do you know what I mean? Decisions, decisions, decisions! You’re pulled in opposite directions, but this could be a good thing. You are in no danger of standing your ground and digging in your heels because you can see the other side and the grass looks greener. Take your time, examine all options and be patient; things clear up next month.

By the way, Mercury is in retrograde until the 8th.

Aries (March 21–April 20): Do you remember that Seinfeld episode in which George noticed his instincts were off, so he decided to act in opposition to them? Suddenly, he got everything he wanted. It reminds me of you this month.

You have everything going for you: the right place at the right time, people who want to help you, the perfect partners, the right work, yet your brain keeps playing tricks on you, trying to get you to sabotage October. Don’t listen to the voices in your head. They create conflict where there should be none and cause you emotional pain at work and in your personal relationships. Resist.

Scorpio (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): Ding-dong, the wicked witch is (finally) dead! And you thought that old troublemaker Saturn was going to park in Scorpio forever. Nope. It exits your sign this month, leaving you free of its dark, heavy energy and you feel light as a feather, free to explore new ways to make money, find new groups to join, look for new projects to start.

You want to move work around, free up your schedule, get creative, but don’t, at least not yet.

Everywhere you turn and every change you make comes with it’s own set of problems and could cause you to regret your wandering soul. Save the big changes for 2016.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): OK, here goes: This month, you begin a new era, a new cycle and a new opportunity for a new adventure. The universe is in perfect alignment to utilize your past-life talents and connections, and carry them forward. There’s just one catch: To burn off some of that old karma and take on the biggest adventure of all, you have to grow up. Now, I’m not suggesting you become a boring and predictable older person, far from it. You just need to turn your hero’s quest for illumination, education and adventure into a solid, stable thing. Organize and commit. The results will be staggering.

Capricorn (Dec. 22–Jan. 20): October won’t be easy, but in magical Capricorn world, there’s no stone in your path so big it can’t be moved. You usu-

ally try to evaluate the effectiveness of your own decisions with awe-inspiring impartiality by conducting a thorough, comprehensive analysis. Your strength lies in identifying weaknesses to prevent the future recurrence of problems.

Apply that technique to everything, even yourself. Be über diplomatic. Look for the most original and unusual options, both personal and professional.

Prioritize your efforts. The most important thing is to stabilize any situation, whatever it is and however you need to do it.

Aquarius (Jan. 21–Feb. 19): Move in the direction you have defined for yourself. You guys have always been solo flyers, but this month, you need to be even more vigilant about demanding autonomy. Don’t question your gut, don’t follow anyone else’s lead, don’t second guess your instincts. The most important thing, apart from watching what you say before the 9th, is to be independent.

Be self-employed if you can, work separately from a team you’ve been connected to if you must, but be independent. It may be tempting to take someone else’s advice, especially if they are stating it loudly, but you can only truly trust yourself this month.

Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20): People don’t usually call you willful, but that’s exactly how October finds you, and it’s causing a few problems. You’re just a trifle impulsive and unpredictable, and, as Camus once said, you “have to expend

94 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

Taurus (April 21-May 21): No matter how far you travel, no matter where you may find children, friends or co-workers, everyone seems to be wounded somehow and doesn’t know it. More importantly, it feels like it’s your job to heal them. You should take this very seriously, and maybe consider healing and teaching to be your duty and your dharma this month.

Hindus accept the concept of dharma as behaviors in accordance with the order of the universe. This includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and the right way of living.

In Buddhism, dharma means “cosmic law and order.” Accept your dharma. Heal and teach when you can.

Gemini (May 22–June 20): October is tricky: On one hand, your family wants and needs more from you than you’ve been giving them. But on the other hand, work makes you crazy and that makes you a little crazy at home. Your relationship success depends on how well you manage both these parts of your life, so let me make one teensy little suggestion: Structure and organize your daily work. This acts like magic. You

have good organizational abilities, so put them to good use and schedule the heck out of your life. It’s important for you to keep the peace this month, for everyone’s sake.

Cancer (June 21-July 22): Are you planning a surprise?

You may want to rethink it.

October’s just not a good month for surprises. A brandnew phase in your career has just begun, and you’re probably champing at the bit to make a few sweeping changes, but try to postpone your plans until 2016, move them to a later date next month or adjust a few details to reduce the element of surprise. Your month needs to be stable, consistent, natural, normal and very well organized.

Extreme highs and lows will only screw things up and set your almost-certain forward advance backward. And you don’t want that, do you?

Leo (July 23–Aug. 23): No one exudes self-confidence like you, Leo. But you’ll need more than self-confidence to get you to happily ever after this month.

In fact, less would be nice. This month, all the amazing qualities that usually make you Leos so impressive can actually get in the way of your happiness.

Try adopting a few of another sign’s qualities, like Gemini’s airiness, Taurus’ slow-to-anger tendencies and gentleness, or Sagittarius’ silliness. How about imitating Cancer’s cuddliness or Virgo’s self-depreciation? Be a little more adaptable and weak willed and a little less, well, you.

You’ll discover your home is a kinder, gentler place.

Virgo (Aug. 24–Sept. 22): So much happens in that busy brain of yours, and you always feel a little stagnant if things aren’t moving in some way, either forward or even sideways.

But this month, more happens in your brain than in your life because most planned events simply won’t happen, try as you might to force them. It’s probably a good thing your work is running smoothly because you need to pull back a bit anyway and let your family and inner calm dominate career and money matters. Keeping a balance can be a challenge, but it’s your challenge this month. Slow down at work and be patient.

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oint of view

last word

How Books Have Changed My Life When the words and characters shape the person you will become, there is no choice but to keep turning the pages.

By Louisa Hall, illustration by jessica wetterer under a train, without having to cut off my arms or be faithful to an inveterate cad, the wisdom of those experiences was already within me.

Since then, of course, I have, in fact, been faithful to an inveterate cad, and I have also discarded a kind man for the sake of adventure. But in the wake of all my real experience, I’ve had the benefit of consulting a pantheon of interesting fictional women on the best way to emerge from such heartbreak with my integrity and my selfhood intact.

Imagine going through life without the luxury of practicing first in great books. Imagine having no recourse to the characters we’ve loved in literaWhen I was a sophomore in high school, I wrote an essay about that ture. I consist of a great and varied assemblage of real and imaginary women first reading experience, extolling the virtues of selflessness in true love. and men, and I am so much the better for that.

Handing the essay back after class, my English teacher sniffed that In the moments in history when people have reacted most fearfully The Giving Tree had ruined her last relationship. and angrily against books—when books are burned She suggested The Awakening. That week, I stayed See Louisa Hall at the Texas Book Festival and readers imprisoned—the fear is always that up late every night consuming the story of Edna Oct. 17, CSPAN tent, 2-2:45 p.m. books infect a reader’s mind, that Humbert HumPontellier’s quest to find self-fulfillment. With Artificial Intelligence—Fact or Fiction? bert will reach into an innocent brain and poison Edna, trapped in a loveless marriage, I began to texasbookfestival.org it to lust after children, that the novels of Thomas comprehend that a good relationship might not involve giving up crucial parts of myself so the man I’m in love with can go Hardy will tinker with the soul of even the most pious Christian, making her question if God really exists. build a nice boat. I began to feel a little offended. Was I meant to believe Those fearful people are right to imagine that books can change the way that fulfillment existed in reducing myself to a stump so some boy can we think. But that isn’t a bad thing. That’s the best thing about reading. enjoy playing captain? I’d rather, I thought, walk into the ocean myself.

We read and the words enter our minds. They change us, we who resist So there I was at 13, and already there were two women within me: change with such fervor. Reading good books, we become part The Giving that generous stump and Edna Pontellier. Then I read Anna Karenina, and I was also Dolly and Anna. I curbed my expectations of life and loved Tree and part Edna Pontellier. We titrate our generosity with the desire for self-fulfillment. We insist on knowing ourselves before the best option is a man who was unfaithful. I discarded a boring, kind man for the sake of adventure. I read War and Peace and I was Natasha, leaving the pleasures throwing ourselves in front of a train. We are larger and more multiple and more wise for the characters that reach into our brains and take over our of childhood to settle into a marriage. Before I’d had a real relationship, lives while we’re turning their pages.

I had hundreds. Without having to walk into the ocean or throw myself

Books have been changing my life since the first one I read on my own. My parents’ story is that they came home from a dinner party and found me in their bed reading Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, weeping uncontrollably. Not only had I learned that those strings of black shapes on the white page could impart significance, but I’d discovered that in order to love as nobly and as well as that admirable tree, I’d have to sacrifice fundamental parts of myself.

December’s Last Word topic will be “The Joy of Giving.”

To be considered, email a 500-word submission by Nov. 1 to submissions@awmediainc.com.

96 | Austin Woman | OCTOBER 2015

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Austin Woman MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 2015

THE ALL-NEW