RED INK MAGAZINE #34 February 2022 by RED INK MAGAZINE

A NEW FLAVOR FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT

Vol. 2

I ssue 34

February 2022

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*RED INK TEAM*

CAPTIONS

A Short Reflection: * About Us: MISSION STATEMENT

CEO / Publisher:

Chief Editor

.................................................Bibi S. Khan (Naz) Editor-in-Chief:

Like a Phoenix from the ashes, RED INK

......................................................Michael Devine

Magazine has risen once more. It is here again

Contributing Editors: ...........................................................Heidy Ardon ............................................Sheldon Riley (2wist) Graphic Designer:

to deliver incredible images and stories of your

................................................Bibi S. Khan (Naz)

favorite artists, singers, bands, events and lifestyle news from the Caribbean and beyond. RED INK Magazine will always represent the people and culture of the Caribbean and West

Art Director:

Indies, but we will not hesitate to include inter-

..................................................Bibi S Khan (Naz)

esting people and culture from the rest of the

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world from time to time.

.....................................................Wayne Winston

RED INK Magazine will once again become

...........................................................Rob Herbert ..........................Raymond Taylor - 516.375.3987

the trendsetter when it comes to delivering Caribbean entertainment and lifestyle news to

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the people. We will provide updates on con-

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certs, events and music festivals. There will be

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introductions of new and upcoming artists from Reggae, Soca, R&B and other genres. And let’s

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not forget interviews and bios of all of your

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EMAIL: REDINKMAGAZINE@ YAHOO.COM INSTAGRAM: Red.Ink.Magazine

favorite performers that you know and love.

We hope you all love the new internet based format; the times have changed and so have we. You can now enjoy short video clips and

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links within the pages of our publication. Yet,

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know that even though the magazine is online, it is designed to be read like a traditional maga-

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zine, turning pages and enjoying incredible,

WEB: www.redinkmagazine.com We invite your comments regarding our issues and reserve the right to edit your response for content and space. All responses must be sent with the writers full name, address and contact number. All advertisers assume responsibility for the content of their advertisements. RED INK Magazine assume no responsibilities for any misprint images.

visually stunning spreads, and let’s not forget

grace the center spread of the magazine each month. RED INK Magazine is here to stay and we aspire to be “THE” Caribbean Entertainment Magazine providing all of our readers with the stories and interviews they crave, the beautiful imagery they desire, and the design standard

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about our beautiful centerfold models that will

that we refuse to compromise. ~Michael Devine

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MEAT LOAF

Meat Loaf one of the Best Selling Artists of All Time, Dead at 74

Loaf was born Marvin Lee Aday on September 27, 1947 in Dallas, TX. He was one of the most successful recording artists of all time. Best known for his Bat Out of Hell albums, he actually got his start on the show stage. He formed his very first band in 1967 after the death of his mother. It was called Meat Loaf Soul, they performed as opening acts for Van Morrison, the Grateful Dead, The Who and many others. Eventually Meat Loaf joined the Los Angeles production of the musical Hair. eat

The musical Hair got him discovered and he was invited alongside another Hair performer Shaun “Stoney” Murphy to record an album together on Detroit’s Motown record label. The album was titled Stoney & Meatloaf and one of its’ singles "What You See Is What You Get" reached number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. It wasn’t long before Meat Loaf returned to the stage and in 1972 he was in the original off-Broadway production of Rainbow at the Orpheum Theatre in New York. After that show tour ended he returned to the cast of Hair. Later in 1973, Meat Loaf was cast in the original L.A. Roxy cast of The Rocky Horror Show, playing the parts of Eddie and Dr. Everett Scott. The shows’ success and his great performance got him the part of Eddie in the movie production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It was during this same time that Meat Loaf and his fellow performer Jim Steinman started working on the album Bat out of Hell which took 3 years to finish, in the last year 1974, Meat Loaf decided to leave the stage and focus on music. A decision that was obviously the right one, based on the 4

1947 - 2022 fact that his Bat Out of Hell Trilogy of albums sold over 65 million copies worldwide and garnered him a spot on the list of Best Selling Music Artists of all time. Meat Loaf was taken from the world on January 20, 2022 due to complications from COVID-19. Meat Loaf, your musical genius and creative spirit will forever live on in your albums and recorded stage performances. Rest in Peace, you will never be forgotten. by Michael Devine u

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Top

SONGS this month 1- Heat Waves by Glass Animals 2- Easy On Me by Adele 3- Need To Know by Doja Cat 4- Stay by The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber 5- Shivers by Ed Sheeran 6- That’s What I Wantt by Lil Nas X 7-Ghost by Justin Bieber 8- Industry Baby by Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow 9- abcdefu by Gayle 10- Better Days by Neiked X Mae Muller X Polo G

1 0 MOVIES Top

this month

1- Spider-Man: No Way Home 2- Scream 3- Sing 2 4- The King’s Man 5- Redeeming Love 6- The 355 7-American Underdog 8- Ghostbusters: Afterlife 9- Locorice Pizza 10- West Side Story

EVENT toVISIT Everglades City Seafood Festival

Feb. 11,12,13, 2022, IN FRONT OF CITY HALL

102 Copeland Avenue Everglades City, Fl 34139 6

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NIGHTLIFE

FUN, FAMILY, FOOD, AND FIREWORKS

HOTSPOTS this month

Check

OUT Note: Because of Coronavirus concerns, many events and establishments are still closed for public safety.

he famous Everglades Seafood Festival held every February in the historic Everglades City. For over 50 years this has been a popular traditional event. People come from all over Florida to hear great live music, eat delicious seafood, and browse among the craft booths while the kiddies enjoy the carnival rides. The festival is organized by Florida Stone Crabbers Association For information, call (239) 537-9922/ The Festival location In front of City Hall on the Circle 102 Copeland Avenue, Everglades City, FL, 34139

Our coordinates are 25.85°N 81.38°W. ** From I-75 (Alligator Alley), take Exit 80 south onto SR-29. Drive about 18 miles to the intersection of US41 (Tamiami Trail). Continue south on Route-29 about 4 miles to the center of Everglades City.

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BETTY WHITE Golden Girl and an Amazing Person, Dead at 99

etty Marion White was born January 17, 1922 in Oak Park, IL. Her legal given name was actually Betty, it was not a nickname or shortened name. During the Great Depression her family moved to Los Angeles and from there a Golden Star was born. Betty White was best known for her starring role in the Golden Girls television show, and for her four renditions of The Betty White Show. She was also known for incredible philanthropic work caring for animals. She wasn’t just Golden on television but she was Golden in life; a truly good person that cared for every living thing equally. She was even voted as “The Most Trusted Celebrity Personality” in 2011. Betty caught the acting bug in High School after performing a show she wrote herself. She decided to forgo college and pursue an acting career right after graduation. Her first gigs were on radio. She started out doing whatever she could to get her name out there. Within the first year it paid off and she was given her own radio show in 1949 called The Betty White Show and later that same year she began co-hosting a televised talk/variety show with Al Jarvis called Hollywood on Television. Betty White eventually became the solo host of the show in 1952 and later that same year she co-founded her own television production studio with writer George Tibbles and producer Don Fedderson, called Bandy Productions. They worked to create new shows using existing characters from sketches shown on Hollywood on Television. They also created and produced Betty White’s first two huge successes. The first was a nationwide comedy hit called Life with Elizabeth which starred Betty White and earned her the first of many Emmy’s. The second was her own Variety show called The Betty White Show; this was the second of four shows that held the same name.

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Continued...from page 8 The Betty White Show was where White’s true personality and world focus came into the spotlight. The only thing Betty was known for as much as her acting was for her charitable nature and championing big national causes. Betty believed in equality of all living things regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or even species. She was a well-known champion for animals the world over, doing most of her charity work for the cause of animal safety and health; supporting zoos and animal shelters. However, she also supported Equal Rights and her first foray into race equality issues happened on The Betty White Show. On her variety show an act appeared and made the syndicated airing and it was of Arthur Duncan, a black tap dancer. The time was 1954 and the show was criticized and even threatened from the southern states and they called to remove his act from the shows syndicated viewings, and Betty White refused and was quoted as saying “He stays, live with it.” Beyond this, throughout her career, whenever given the opportunity or asked about issues such as race equality or gay marriage rights, her answer was always some form of the same; basically, “live your own life and mind your own business and let people be happy and live theirs how they see fit.” When it comes to the animals that Ms. White was best known for championing, her efforts spread far and wide. Betty was literally born to love animals and her love of animals started early in life with her mother reportedly taking in as many as 26 dogs at one time. White personally donated to the cause by supporting zoos and animal shelters with her own time and money. She sat on the board of the Los Angeles Zoo for decades and she donated all of the dues from her fan club called “Bets’ Pets to animal rescue charities.” In 2006, she was honored as the “City of Los Angeles Ambassador to the Animals.” She also started numerous charities, including a fund that does research on wildlife disasters, like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and 2020′s wildfires in Australia. She quietly paid for a plane to rescue penguins and sea otters who needed to be relocated from New Orleans’s zoo and aquarium during Hurricane Katrina. She also advocated for and spearheaded fundraising for new, larger habitats to be built for the gorillas and elephants. Betty White was honored by the American Humane Society in 2012 with two major awards; the National Humanitarian Medal and the 10

Legacy Award for her decades of service to the animals of the world. But I digress, the showbiz world truly lost an icon. From her incredible acting work on all her syndicated sitcoms and “made for TV” movies, to her memorable commercials and silly, zany antics that will always be what she is remembered for. The Personality of Rose Nylund, the role she played on Golden Girls truly embodied the fun loving nature of Betty White and was seen throughout a majority of her acting roles. Even in the Movie Lake Placid a movie about a deadly giant alligator eating tourists, Betty was the wacky animal lover that was feeding the giant reptile like a pet. There were TV commercials where she would say and do risqué and outlandish things in the name of entertainment and creating memorable product tags. She even created a geriatric version of the show “Punk’d” called “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers.” After The Betty White Show, Betty White earned a starring role on a sitcom called Date with the Angels. The show was not met well by critics however as fate would have it the studio was at the same location where The I Love Lucy show was being filmed and it was

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where she met her real life best friend Lucille Ball. Later in the 1960’s Betty became a regular on the gameshow Password which was where she met her 3rd husband and the love of her life Allen Ludden. Betty White became a familiar celebrity contestant on many gameshows in the 1960’s because of her amazing personality. In the 1970’s she earned a recurring role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Even with many TV shows, movies and mini-series on the agenda Betty continued to appear in Game shows throughout most of her career and even hosted her own gameshow called Just Men and in 1983 Betty White became the first Woman to win a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Game Show Host, for that gameshow. Due to the amount of work she did on them, she was deemed the "First Lady of Game Shows" Later in the 80’s she co-starred in her most recognizable role on The Golden Girls. As Betty White aged Hollywood and the world watched on in amazement at the vibrance and zest for life that a woman in her 80’s and 90’s continued to exhibit. Up until her last breath she had projects in the works and was acting and performing. In 2009 at 87 Betty White co-starred in the movie The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan

Reynolds and then in 2010 she earned another Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role hosting on Saturday Night Live. This same year Betty was given a starring role in the new sitcom Hot in Cleveland a role that earned her yet another Emmy and 2 SAG Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series in 2011 and 2012. All in all Betty White was nominated 21 Emmy’s and won 5 of them and in 2012 she even won a Grammy Award for” Best Spoken Word Recording” for her bestselling book If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't). When someone who has entertained Billions of people around the world through decades of acting and also touched the lives of so many people and animals through Philanthropic efforts dies, the world truly sheds a tear. In this case, the loss of this “Golden Girl” on New Year’s Eve, December 31st 2021 just weeks before her 100th birthday, the sunrises have certainly lost some of the brilliant golden shine that they previously had. Betty White, the world mourns you and misses you. You lived a life worthy of praise and you will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace. by Michael Devine u

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SIDNEY POITIER Oscar winner who paved the way for black actors, died at 94

idney Poitier was more than an

actor or entertainer, he was the pioneer that paved the way for Black / African American actors to hold leading roles in films and movies. During the era of the 1950’s and 1960’s, the epitome of racism in America, it was commonplace that black actors were only given limited screen time and bit parts, usually portraying a slave, beggar, poor person, two-bit criminal, or an ignorant person. And at the time there were very few movies about black people or black issues. There were no movies written for a black leading role. That is until Sidney Poitier came to the scene. In a 1988 Newsweek interview Sidney Poitier had this to say, “I made films when the

only other Black on the lot was the shoeshine boy, I was kind of the lone guy in town.” It was his incredible talent, charisma and sharp good looks that garnered him his first Hollywood role in the film No Way Out in 1950. He was picked up as a result of his strong performances on stage. He did many films and movies after this, although because of his strong left-wing political ties, he did have some challenges getting quality roles, however his acting prowess showed up huge in the film The Defiant Ones in 1958 earning him an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor, the first ever such nomination for a black man. And a few years later in 1963, he became the first black man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for the film Lilies of the Field. To put things into perspective as to why this was so ground-breaking, the civil rights movement was still in swing and the Jim Crow Segregation Laws were still in effect until 1965, so a black min winning a major award in the National spotlight was an incredible step forward for the future of black actors. Sadly, it wasn’t

until 2002 that another black actor would earn the same honor and that was Denzel Washington for Training Day and that same night Halle Berry became the first Black woman to win an Oscar for Lead actress for her role in Monster’s Ball. But the future was truly paved by Mr. Poitier, because before him, no black actor had sustained a role as a leading performer and none could get a movie produced or fill a Box Office like he did. His star power was such that during the time of such extreme racism he became one the highest paid actors of the era and he was also such a huge box office draw that he was only ranked behind Richard Burton, Paul Newman, Lee Marvin and John Wayne. That is some incredible list to have as peers. In 1967 he even became number one on that list of top box office draws. He was also the first black director to make a film that grossed more than $100 million at the box office, with his movie Stir Crazy. Continues...on page 14

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This success did come with a price however and like many of the great Black Right’s activists of the time including Martin Luther King Jr. he was often met with extreme prejudice by the ignorant white men on the wrong side of history. One time when he visited Mississippi he was actually chased and followed by Ku Klux Klan members, which was particularly frightening for him since several race related murders had recently been reported. He also had a hard time getting a place in Los Angeles because lessors were not quick to sign leases to black men regardless of whom they were. The times were definitely different and skin color was more important than merit or finances. But through all of this Sidney kept true to himself and his people and made sure he carefully selected the roles he played. He only accepted roles playing the Hero or a doctor or other person of influence in his movies. He made an oath to himself that he would never allow himself to be used by Hollywood to negatively portray a black man, and throughout his entire career he kept true to that. Unfortunately even some black people could not handle the success that he earned and started to call him an “Uncle Tom” or a sell out to the white people. But this could not be further from the truth. Sidney Poitier was born three months premature in Miami, FL while his family was visiting from the Bahamas, this gave him United States citizenship. He was raised in the Bahamas by his tomato farmer parents and he was one of seven children. So to say Mr. Poitier’s successful life was forged from humble beginnings would be the largest of understatements. He moved to Miami when he was 15, but found living in the south during Jim Crow unbearable and he moved to New York City at age 16. From there he forged his incredible career and legacy. However, it did not come easy. As a matter of fact his first attempt at acting on stage was met 14

with rejection when he was auditioning with the American Negro Theatre. It was due to his inability to fluently read the script. Thankfully while working as a dishwasher in a NYC restaurant he met an elderly Jewish waiter who sat with him every night for several weeks, helping him to improve his reading by using the newspaper. In an interview Mr. Poitier reportedly said this of that time in his life: “There was one of the waiters, a Jewish guy, elderly man, and he looked over at me, and he was looking at me for quite a while,” Poitier recalled. “I had a newspaper, it was called Journal American. And he walked over to me, and he said, ‘What’s new in the paper?’ And I looked up at this man. I said to him, ‘I can’t tell you what’s in the paper, because I can’t read very well.’ He said, ‘Let me ask you something, would you like me to read with you?’ I said to him, ‘Yes, if you like.’” They studied late at night in the restaurant, long after closing time.

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The elderly Jewish waiter – Poitier later described him as patient and bespectacled – painstakingly taught Poitier the meanings of punctuation marks and how to sound out words. Poitier later described: “He sat there with me week after week after week.” They used newspapers to sound out words. During the day, Poitier listened to the radio to expand his vocabulary and diction; at night he read with the Jewish waiter. Eventually, after about six months, Poitier was finally a fluent reader. Another roadblock that faced Sidney was his inability to sing, which was a requirement of black actors at the time, both on stage and in film, but he was tone deaf. So he focused on the eloquence of his speech which he trained himself for six months by mimicking the speech pattern of radio personality Norman Brokenshire. This is how he created his diction and learned to speak with the eloquence and confidence that he is legendary for. Mr. Sidney Poitier KBE was as Legendary off the screen as he was on the screen. Because of his carefully selected roles in film and his effort to always carry himself in a way that was becoming of a gentleman, he was an easy role model for many black youths, and he was the perfect person to speak on behalf of his own people. Reporters often changed the focus of film press events and turned the questions towards civil rights and Black matters, in attempt to take the focus off of his success but he took these conversations in stride and used the platform to speak on equality and fairness for all people. In 2009, Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama and back in 1974 he was named an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. In his memoir, “The Measure of a Man.” Sidney Poitier answered a question that had been asked of him for decades by the black community, about why he wasn’t more angry as a black man in a racist world. And he said this, implying that he was happy that he got to play roles as a great Human and was not forced to be just a black man.

”The issue boiled down to why I wasn’t more angry and confrontational, In essence, I was being taken to task for playing exemplary human beings.” Countless people have come out on social media to pay tribute to this incredible man, but one in particular stood out to me, and it was from one of his oldest friends, Harry Belafonte. He had this to say: “For over 80 years, Sidney and I laughed, cried and made as much mischief as we could,” he wrote. “He was truly my brother and partner in trying to make this world a little better. He certainly made mine a whole lot better.” To me this sums up the life and times of Mr. Sidney Poitier KBE perfectly. He was someone that through his brilliant acting career and life demonstrating how to be a good human being; made the world a better place. Sadly the world lost this visionary and pioneering actor at the age of 94, on January 6, 2022. Mr. Poitier you will be missed but your legacy will live on forever in our hearts and minds, in the place of esteem that black actors and actresses now hold and of course on the silver screen. by Michael Devine u 15

MISS FEBRUARY 2022

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BOB SAGET Comedian and 'Full House' actor, died at age 65

ob Saget, the raunchy stand-up comedian,

better known for his more wholesome roles on Full House and America’s Funniest Home Videos was found dead in his hotel room at the Ritz Carlton in Orlando, FL on January 9, 2022. He had just started his newest Comedy Tour.

He was born Robert Lane Saget, May 17,1956 in Philadelphia , PA. He was raised in a traditional and very devout Jewish family; in interviews he credited his beginning thoughts of comedy coming from being rebellious at his synagogue. And of course he credited more of his foray into comedy to his meeting of Larry Fine of The Three Stooges when his family moved to Encino, CA when he was 13. Bob Saget was the first client of, the late celebrity power

agent and producer and later CEO and Chairman of Paramount Pictures, Brad Grey. Bob Saget knew he wanted to be an entertainer early on in life. He studied filmmaking at Temple University and after graduating in 1978 went to study further, but only for a few days, at the University of Southern California film school. He recognized that he had a talent for comedy and started performing stand-up, becoming a regular at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles for 7 years. After garnering a name for himself he began

touring around the country as a stand-up comedian. He met his agent Brad Grey during this tour and Brad took his first client to New York City. After doing the comedy club circuit around NYC, Bob eventually got his first chance at television work becoming a co-host on CBS’s The Morning Program in 1987. Continues...on page 20

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sitcom, How I Met Your Mother. He continued until that shows end in 2014. All three of these However, his dirty style of comedy got him shows were comedy gold, but they also had fired after just 5 months because of an inapprosomething else in common they were all family priate joke made live on the morning show. Later friendly, primetime, wholesome shows. This was in 1987 Bob Saget starred in a slap-stick comedy a huge departure from Saget’s passion of raunchy, movie called Critical Condition, where he codirty, comedy that he loved to perform in comedy starred alongside Richard Prior and Joe clubs across America and in his Cable TV comeMantegna. dy specials. As a matter of fact, Bob only got to Near the end of 1987 Saget would get his big show his dirtier side a few times over his acting break that made him an icon. He was given the career. In the hit HBO show Entourage, he role of Danny Tanner, the wholesome, clean freak played himself and showed a darker naughtier of a dad, on Full House. Full House, was a hit sit- side. He also hosted an A&E series called Strange com that ran for 8 seasons until 1994. During the Days with Bob Saget where he travelled around 3rd season Bob Saget was given another iconic meeting up with ands experiencing life people role as the host of America’s Funniest Home from odd sub cultures, ranging from biker gangs Videos, where he hosted until 1997. Bob, with his to bigfoot hunters. And of course there was one zany antics and slick one liners, made America’s singular moment in 2005 that truly showed how Funniest Home Videos the hit that it was and still dark and raunchy and just plain wrong is even ‘til this day. Later in 2005 Bob began as “America’s favorite dad” could be. It was during the voice of the narrator on another hit comedy 20

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the documentary “The Aristocrats,” where several famous comedians including George Carlin, Chris Rock, Robin Williams and many others all had to tell the same joke which was the dirtiest joke ever written, but they all had to do the buildup of the joke in their own way but the punchline was the same. And the joke involved incest and rape and poop and blood and violence and abuse and it was the sickest thing ever spoken on television; and Bob Saget delivered the joke with incredible ease. Bob Saget was one of the raunchiest stand-up comics to ever pick up a microphone and he was also one of the most iconic sitcom dad’s to ever be seen on television. But he did have a softer side, in real life he was a loving husband and father to three daughters and he was a supporter of the Scleroderma Research Foundation, because his sister died from the illness. To bring awareness and support for the patients living with the disease Bob even made a film detailing his sister’s battle with the disease called For Hope. Mr. Saget was an incredible comedian, an iconic sitcom dad, and an incredible television host and even a contestant on the hit show The Masked Singer where he was the Squiggly Monster. His credits are many and his

fans are adoring. His biggest fans though were his family and closest friends and they paid a beautiful tribute for him at the place that started it all, The Comedy Store in LA. To honor the late comedian and everything he stood for, his wife Kelly Rizzo and best friends, John Mayer, John Stamos, and Jeff Ross put together a sold out event where comedians and stars from all over came to pay tribute by delivering comedy to the world on his behalf; comedians and actors including Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, Jackson Browne, Michael Keaton, Jon Lovitz, Seth Green and many others were featured performers. And to tie everything together his loving wife Kelly Rizzo sang one of Bob’s Raunchy songs, “My Dog Licked my Balls,” live on stage and she set it up so all proceeds of the impromptu event went to the Scleroderma Research Foundation. The passion that Bob held for his sister’s fatal condition in life was honored as his final tribute in death. Bob Saget you were an icon and the world has definitely lost your brand of comedy far too soon. I hope you Rest in Peace and know that you will always be remembered. by Michael Devine u

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André Leon Talley

Former Vogue editor who helped define American Fashion, died at 73

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alley, a long-time creative

director of U.S Vogue, died in New York on January 18, at age of 73 due to covid-19 complications. Long known to readers of Vogue magazine's American edition, André Leon Talley is one of the fashion industry's most influential stylesetters.

Famous among fashionistas for his flamboyant, often custom-made outfits that accentuate his six-feet, seven-inch frame, as well as by his booming baritone, Talley is undoubtedly the most prominent African American in the high-stakes world of designer fashion, a world which revolves around the semi-annual runway shows in New York, Paris, London, and Milan.

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The supremely confidant editor-at-large at Vogue has never been hesitant to chastise designers for not using enough women of color on the runway, and has also championed a number of young AfricanAmerican designers over the course of his long career. Born in the late 1940s, Talley was the grandson of a sharecropper. His father drove a taxi for a living, and he was raised by his grandmother, Bennie Frances Davis, whom he later wrote about extensively in his 2003 memoir, A.L.T. A domestic servant in the Durham, North Carolina, area, Davis was a tremendous influence on her grandson's life. Though she worked five days a week cleaning someone else's house, theirs was immaculate, too, despite their hardships. "We always had clothes to wear and food on the table," he wrote, "but we lived on limited means. Our roof leaked buckets of water when the snow melted, and if the pipes froze, my grandmother heated water on the wood-burning stove so I could take a 'bird bath' before school." His grandmother's life, he wrote, revolved around her family and her faith. "She worked hard at her job and kept a clean, welcoming home, so that those in her care … could all serve God. What this meant 4th Annual ICNA-MAC Conference, 2003

T RY O U R M E N U Bon Appetite

at a practical level was that every surface in our home glowed—not only through the application of soap, paste wax, or ammonia, but also through the underlying working of love. What it also meant was that my childhood was, by anyone'sPao standards, a RECIPE: Low Carb-Kung Chicken rich one." Marinade Talley's grandmother took care of him and her tsp. rice or white vinegar own 2mother, who was called China. Both women 2 Tbsp. soy sauce were hard workers and did the household laundry Hot pepper sauce the old-fashioned way—by 1 Tbsp. finely chopped freshhand. ginger He recalled watching about on this task when he was 1 greenChina onion, set chopped very little, and before she grew too old to do it. His Chicken & Vegetables great-grandmother, he wrote in A.L.T., "boiled our 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes laundry in a big black iron cauldron in the yard. She 1/3 cup peanut oil would set uppeppers, everything our into peach trees, for Broccoli, carrotsunder – chopped pieces ¾ cup sliced cabbage (or more desired) shade. Shethinly would build a good fire iffrom wood she had chopped herself." The sheets were then wrung out by hand, and hung to dry on a clothesline that was even wiped clean before the laundry went near it. Later, inside, they were ironed. "Our house was full of such simple luxuries," Talley explained in his memoir. "Until I left home, I never used a towel that hadn't been ironed—and had no idea how much I would miss them when I was out in the world."

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Continued...from page 23 Talley grew up in a pre-civil rights era South, when the lives of blacks from all classes, but especially of the poorest, were restricted. Such constraints were met with silence but also a measure of pride and dignity. Talley sat down for lengthy interview with his friend, Italian designer Miuccia Prada, for the November issue of Interview in 2003, and recalled that "for a long time my grandmother would not allow white people to come into our house. That was her rule. The only white man who ever came into the house was the coroner." Talley attended all-black schools in Durham, and remembered his junior high school French teacher as another profound influence on his life and later career. Talley gravitated toward fashion in his teens, and was a devoted reader of Vogue, which he first found in the local library. "Vogue was my hobby, and no one in my family ever had a copy of the magazine in the house until I did," he told Prada in Interview. "The big experience was on Sundays after church. I'd wash the dishes, walk to the white part of town … to the newsstand that was open on Sundays. That was my big joy." Another writer once asked Talley where he seemed to have gotten his unerring sense of style, and he credited Vogue as well as his grandmother and her world, especially Sunday services. "You couldn't open your mouth unless you were told to speak, so you just sat there and you just had to observe," he told the Houston Chronicle's Clifford Pugh. "You saw beautiful images of women, beautiful church hats and gloves. These were not people of great means and wealth, but they had the most wonderful style—especially on Sundays." On the pages of Vogue and in other fashion-centric publications, Talley's imposing frame has often been pho 24

tographed in colorful, well-made clothes, some of them custom items. He claims to have dressed somewhat eccentrically even in high school, though he did try to fit in. "When you're a teenager from a small town and you are different, you are victimized by people's criticism and the way they look at you," he told Prada in the Interview article. "That was a problem in high school, so I tried to conform a bit; but mostly I just stayed to myself." That changed when he left home for the first time and moved to Providence, Rhode Island, to attend Brown University. He had won a scholarship to the Ivy League school, and planned on a career as French teacher, just like his junior high role model. He also befriended a raft of creative types from the nearby Rhode Island School of Design, one of the most prestigious art schools in the United States. After earning his master's degree in French studies, Talley moved to New York City and began moving in a heady, fashionable, and avant-garde arty scene, whose denizens included Andy Warhol and Bianca Jagger. At the time, there were few African Americans in that crowd, and even fewer in fashion journalism, where he began as a reporter for Women's Wear Daily at the age of 28. Only at that first job, he conceded, did he encounter racism, "from the female staffers at WWD, who were very insecure about who I was," he told Constance C.R. White in an Essence interview years later. "I just kept going. I once overheard someone say, 'Why is [Chanel designer] Karl Lagerfeld writing to him? What common interest could they have?' I met Karl Lagerfeld through Andy Warhol in 1975. We became friends and still are." Talley eventually became a protégé of Diana Vreeland, the legendary editor-in-chief of Vogue from 1962 to 1971.

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Vreeland, a famous tastemaker and style icon whom Talley also writes of extensively in A.L.T., hired him to serve as her assistant in her role as director of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for which she staged lavish, trendsetting exhibitions. Talley went on to work for Interview, the New York Times, and other publications before finally landing at Vogue himself as its fashion news director in 1983. Five years later, he was named its creative director, and wielded tremendous power in the fashion world with that title. He managed to use his position to champion the work of up-and-coming African-American designers, including Stephen Burrows and Patrick Robinson, and also reminded designers that they could stand to add more black models in their runway shows and advertising campaigns. As he told Prada in the Interview piece, "sometimes when I sit and watch a fashion show I get totally wrapped up in what is in front of me, in the fantasy of it and what it might mean to the person who will be wearing the clothes. Then the show's over, and I realize there has not been one person of color on the runway!" Talley left Vogue in 1995 for W, a competitor, to serve as its Paris fashion editor and then bureau chief in the city. He returned to Vogue in 1998 with the title of editor-at-large, and began writing a well-received column called "Stylefax," which was eventually replaced by the "Life with André" monthly feature. He had been working on his memoir for some time by then, after the deaths of both his grandmother and Vreeland in 1989. A.L.T. was published by Villard Books in 2003, and earned good reviews for its candor. "Talley is the African American fashion authority; no one rise has risen to his ranks," declared Suzanne Rust in Black Issues Book Review. "The pleasant discovery here is of 4th Annual ICNA-MAC Conference, 2003

Talley the man." Two years later, Talley followed with A.L.T. 365+, a lavishly illustrated tome that chronicled one year in his life in images taken with humble disposable cameras, which he carried around and also gave out to his friends. The snapshots of his glamorous life make up the bulk of the book, but its roots run far deeper. After snapping a photo of Prada heading toward her corporate jet, he realized "I could do a book based on everything I learned from my father," Talley told CNN's Larry King on his weeknight interview program, "who was the son of a sharecropper and he was a taxi driver all of his life. And the only thing he [had] that was luxury was cameras and pictures. He took pictures of everyone. Everyone in our family. He took pictures of his customers. He took pictures of all the family occasions, the reunions, the funerals, the weddings, the parties and so this book is basically dedicated to my father, who is deceased." In 2003, Talley was honored with the Eugenia Sheppard Award for outstanding fashion journalism from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. "Personally, I think they could've given me this award earlier in my career," Talley admitted in the Interview chat with Prada. "But if you say that, then people say, 'Oh, he carries a chip on his shoulder.' But as a black person, you are aware of your position if you're the only black person in the front row of a fashion show for so long." Education: Brown University, MA French Studies. Career: Women's Wear Daily, New York City, reporter, c. 1977; Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, assistant to Diana Vreeland; freelance fashion journalist, early 1980s Vogue magazine (American edition), New York City, fashion news director, 1983–88, creative director, 1988–95, editor-at-large, 1998–; W magazine, began as Paris fashion editor, became Paris bureau chief, 1995–98. 25 25

RED INK MAGAZINE WELCOME TO ICNA-MAC 4TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE, 2003

West Coast Rapper Snoop Dogg has released a strawberry-infused GIN called INDOGGO

Calvin “Snoop Dogg” Broadus, simply put, is an icon and legend of Hip Hop. With a career spanning over 25 years, he has released hit after hit, and is an ever-constant presence in pop culture. Snoop has stayed extremely relevant and, now more than ever, has built a significant multi-cultural and cross-generational following. In 1994 he wrote "Gin & Juice:” it was about good feelings and real experiences; it just naturally became a global anthem. Snoop has always wanted to create his own spirits brand, so it was only fitting that he created the world’s best tasting gin. In his quest for flava, he remixed seven botanicals, and infused natural fruit flavors, thus creating his masterpiece. This juicy gin, with its laidback California style, is like no other gin in the world. It’s gluten free, low calorie with no sugar, and will leave you wanting more. Easy to mix, easy to drink, hard to forget. This juicy gin, with its laidback California style, is like no other gin in the world. INDOGGO™ Gin is the ultimate remix of seven premium botanicals infused with all-natural ingredients including strawberry, no sugar with a slightly sweet and fruity finish. Bottle Size: 750ml 26 26

COCKTAIL RECIPE THE REMIX INGREDIENTS 2 oz. INDOGGO™ Gin 3Muddled Strawberries 3/4 oz. Lemon 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup Top with Crushed Ice Strawberry slice.

RECIPE 1. Muddle strawberries in a cocktail shaker. 2. Add INDOGGO™ Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and ice cubes. 3. Shake, then strain into a rocks glass. Serve with crushed ice. 4. Garnish with strawberry slice. 4th Annual ICNA-MAC Conference, 2003

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www.indoggogin.com

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Louie Anderson

The larger than life Comedian, died at 68

ouie Anderson was a huge success in the StandUp Comic world. He was famous for embracing his size and over-weight stature and turning it into comedy gold. Louie had several Primetime comedy specials. But he was also an established author and a creator of an award winning animated series. Louie Anderson was born on March 24, 1953 in Saint Paul, MN. His mother Ora Zella was an actual Mayflower descendant. Louie was one of 11 children so one thing he knew was how to deal with children’s issues at home and he actually started his life as a counselor for troubled children before he got captured by the acting and comedy bug. His comedy career began after he entered and then won first place at the 1981 Midwest Comedy Competition. He was immediately hired as a comedy writer, but it wasn’t until 1984 that he got his first glint in the spotlight doing a stand-up performance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. One of his most recent and now one of his most famous roles was that of Christine Baskets on the FX comedy series Baskets where he played the mother of Zach Galifianakis’ characters. Louie Anderson received 3 consecutive nominations for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on Baskets, winning the first of the three in 2016. He held a role on both of Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America movies. He was also big in the game show scene, hosting Family Feud from 1999 to 2002 and being a recurring cast member on the Funny You Should Ask game show panel for the last five years. He had countless other appearances on comedy shows and a few shows of his own throughout the years. He also Headlined a show in Vegas called Larger Than Life for almost a decade, performing at the Union Plaza Hotel and later the Excalibur, South Point. Life with Louie was an animated series about his own childhood with 10 siblings and an abusive father. The animated show was probably the pinnacle of Louie’s success as it was created and starred in by him and it was critically acclaimed earning him two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program and also winning 3 Humanitas Prizes for Writing on a Children’s Animated Series, making him the only person to ever receive this award three times. Louie Anderson was also an esteemed author, writing books with deep meaning and powerful messages. In his best-selling book Dear Dad – Letters From an Adult Child He shared a

collection of letters written by him to his abusive, alcoholic father, he maintained a humorous and emotional tone in the messages. He wrote another best-selling book Goodbye Jumbo…Hello Cruel World which was a self-help book geared towards those people dealing with self-esteem and body image issues. Mr. Anderson died January 21, 2022 due to complications from Large B-Cell Lymphoma, a type of cancer that he was diagnosed with 10 years ago and had kept private from the outside world. He never wanted to have anyone feel anything but happiness or laughter when they thought of him. Louie Anderson, you were a favorite comedian of so many, myself included, and you lived to make people laugh. I hope you can rest assured that the laughter will continue as people remember you for the legacy that you have left behind, in your comedy shows, movie roles, books and of course your comedy specials. May you Rest in Peace, Your painful struggle is over. by Michael Devine u

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Healthy Eating AT THE HEART OF THE MATTER

T RY O U R M E N U Bon Appetite

ello again RED INK foodies! In this issue we hope you enjoy our wonderful recipe selection for the month. We are always happy to share with our readers a fun recipe for you to try. Enjoy!

Instructions:

Step 1 Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment and freeze for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the strawberry ice cream into pieces and beat in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed until smooth and spreadable but still frozen, about 30 seconds. Step 2 Sprinkle 1 cup of crushed graham crackers in the bottom of the chilled pan. Spread the softened strawberry ice cream over the crumbs and tap the pan on the counter several times to remove any air pockets. Sprinkle with another 1 cup graham cracker crumbs and pat into an even layer. Spread with the strawberry jam. Freeze the cake until firm, 1 to 2 hours. Step 3 Cut the chocolate-chip ice cream into pieces and beat in the mixer to soften. Spread on top of the strawberry jam layer, then sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup graham

RECIPE:

Strawberries and Cream Ice Cream Cake Ingredients: 4 cups (1 quart) strawberry ice cream 3 cups crushed graham crackers, plus more for topping 3/4 cup strawberry preserves or jam, warmed until spreadable 4 cups (1 quart) chocolate chip ice cream 2 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Sliced strawberries, for topping

cracker crumbs. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight. Step 4 Frost the cake: Rub the side of the springform pan with a warm kitchen towel to loosen. Remove the ring; invert or slide the cake onto a platter and freeze 15 minutes. Beat the heavy cream with the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread over the top and side of the cake. Top with sliced strawberries and graham cracker crumbs. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Enjoy! *Disclaimer: I am not a physician or medical professional. If you have any medical issues or concerns, please always consult your doctor before committing to a challenge. The challenges are intended for introducing small lifestyle changes in a fun and easy format.

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S I G N

Ch e c k Your

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F o r Yo u r P l e a s u r e Aries (Mar 21 - April 19)

Your inner life is about to get so much richer, Aries. As the guru planet, Jupiter, spends the year toggling between your twelfth house of spirituality and your first house of self, you’re starting a new cycle of growth!

What an exciting year you have in store, Taurus. In 2022, you’re about to have a meeting with your own destiny as the eclipses (solar April 30, lunar November 8) in your sign align you with a deeper Taurus sense of meaning. In a way, everyone will be aspiring to be more like you, which should make you (April 20 - May 20) feel comfortable in your own skin. The presence of Black Moon Lilith in your sign has been putting you in touch with a deeper sense of power, and this trend continues until April 14. Make the best of this sacred feminine Gemini energy by consulting astrology, tarot, and any other esoteric practices that awaken your inner (May 21 - June 21) fire. You are heading into a fabulous year! You love the Pisces energy, and the pile of planets in this watery sign pal means life could be a dream for you this year. This will be especially true around April (June 22 - July 22) 12, when the rare Jupiter-Neptune meetup could ignite your interest in learning something new.

Cancer

For you, Leo, the name of the game is transformation as this year’s focus requests that you let go of your old self so a new version of you can emerge. It will be a busy year in terms of career, which could feel overLeo whelming at times. When life gets hectic, rely on your sense of spirituality, as it is in this space where you (July 23 - Aug 22) will find a sense of grounding and joy. Get ready for a major tune-up Virgo. Next year’s intrepid energy will not only change your mindset about life, it will ask you to expand your horizons like never before. As electric Uranus and the (Aug 23 - Sep 22) Nodes of Destiny stimulate your ninth house of philosophy, your thirst for knowledge, experience, and culture will grow.

Virgo

You most likely experienced a few surprises in 2021—and in 2022, this trend will deepen as your eighth house of transformation gets activated by Uranus’ erratic influence. As the unex(Sep 23 - Oct 22) pected knocks at your door, remember that when certain doors close, others will open.

Libra

What a time to be you, Scorpio! You made a lot of changes in 2021, and in 2022, life gets even more exhilarating. As Saturn, Uranus, and the Nodes of Destiny team up to bring elec(Oct 23 - Nov 21) tricity to key areas of your chart, a completely new version of yourself starts brewing under the surface. Good thing you are a master at reinvention!

Scorpio

You’re heading into one of your best years yet, Sagittarius! With your planetary ruler, Jupiter, strongly positioned in Pisces, you have all the cosmic help you need to make something big happen. (Nov 22 - Dec 21) But regardless of what your deepest desires are, there’s one major key to manifesting them: having a clear target!

Sagittarius

This year, you’re feeling so much more confident and alive in your skin! After all, 2022 begins with Jupiter moving through Pisces, focusing all of Jupiter’s compassion and abun(Dec 22 - Jan 19) dance on you. This will bring you so many enlivening and exciting experiences, both in love and in life. Aquarius How attuned do you feel to your purpose, Aquarius? If you’re still figuring it out—not to worry, (Jan 20 - Feb 18) as help is on the way. If you’re set on your path, karmic and unexpected forces arrive to assist you in fulfilling it. With both of your rulers, Saturn and Uranus, clashing with the Nodes of Destiny, a newer and more aligned version of yourself is here to stay.

Capricorn

Pisces

(Feb 19 - Mar 20)

This is your golden year, Pisces! With both of your planetary rulers, Jupiter and Neptune, having a rare meetup in your sign, you’re about to receive all the cosmic blessings. A major window of manifestation arrives between April 6 and May 2, which is when Venus also visits your sign.

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