misc layouts by shannon casey

Top 10 Countries With Illegal Immigrants Coming to the U.S.

El Salvador Total Salvadoran immigrants in the U.S.: 817,000 Number unautho rized: 300,000 Narciso Ramirez, who had no govern ing experience, recently became mayor of a small town in El Salvador based on his reputa tion for helping people sneak into the U.S.

Mexico Total Mexican immigrants in the U.S.: 9.2 million Number unautho rized: 5.9 million The majority of immigrants (legal and illegal) live in California,Texas, Illinois, and Arizona, but the fastestgrowing population is in the South.

7 5

Dominican Republic Total Dominican immigrants in the U.S.: 688,000 Number unautho rized: 91,000 The Dominican Republic is the largest exporter of legal immigrants to New York City. Dominicans repre sent 10 percent of the 1.1 million students in the New York City publicschool system.

China Total Chinese immigrants in the U.S.: 1.5 million Number unautho rized: 500,000 South Carolina and Arkansas nearly tripled their Chinese-immigrant populations between 1990 and 2000.

Philippines Total Filipino immi grants in the U.S.: 1.4 million Number unautho rized: 85,000 One fourth of all foreign-born in the U.S. armed forces were born in the Philippines.

Guatemala Total Guatemalan immigrants in the U.S.: 481,000 Number unautho rized: 144,000 In Arizona, Guate malans now make up the majority of roofers, a dangerous occupation previ ously dominated by Mexicans.

Colombia Total Colombian immigrants in the U.S.: 510,000 Number unautho rized: 141,000 Every year, Colombia’s ongoing conflict drives more than half a million of its citizens from their homes. Over the past five years, 1.2 million Colom bians have fled their country.

Ecuador Total Ecuadorian immigrants in the U.S.: 299,000 Number unautho rized: 108,000 Transparency International ranked Ecuador as the 20th most corrupt coun try out of 133. More than 60 percent of the population lives in poverty and only 40 percent has access to safe drink ing water.

Honduras Total Honduran immigrants in the U.S.: 283,000 Number unautho rized: 138,000 In June 2006, the U.S. halted the issue of all new visas to Hondurans.The U.S. claims that thirdparty countries, par ticularly Cubans, easily obtain visas from Honduras for travel to the U.S.

Brazil Total Brazilian immigrants in the U.S.: 212,000 Number unautho rized: 77,000 After centuries of taking in immigrants from other conti nents, Brazil’s poor economy and high unemployment turned it into a country of net emi gration in the 1980s. Today, around 2 per cent of the national population are living abroad, and the United States is the biggest magnet.

horoscope

L LIBRA

(September 23-October 22) Will you, won’t you? Should you, shouldn’t you? Any chance you’ll decide? Not this month, my unbalanced friend. But all is not lost. Nothing less than presidential campaigns have been sunk by flip-flopping, but with your ruler, Venus, on your side nearly all month, you can charm your way to victory—if only you could pick your opponent.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) It’s OK to be a player—and you’ll need your poker face, after all, when that snoop in the next office steals one of your ideas again. An outburst won’t solve anything; looks like measured revenge (oh well!) is your only option. But be sure to keep your bubble small, or it could burst around the 24th, when Mars’s havocmaking influence looms.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) Look, it won’t fool anyone, but it’s a plan: Blissfully ignore the fact that everyone has some bone to pick or stone to throw after your double-crossing spree last month (What? It’s not like their relationship was that serious . . .), and you’ll be just fine. With a bunch of planets in your 12th house in the fourth week, you’ll be craving R&R. Vacation’s not such a bad idea—might as well lay low until the bad karma blows over.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) Do you believe—truly, madly, deeply—in the power of astrology? Knowing you, probably not, but listen up anyway. You’re tighter than a pair of skinny jeans, and if you don’t loosen up, you’ll drive your friends and coworkers crazy. An old friend may pop into the present around the 28th, when Mercury goes retrograde. Prove you’re not too sensible to have fun. (At least try!)

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) Congratulations: You’ll 000 Marie Claire / Month 2007

have a burst of wanderlust with a new moon in your ninth house around the 22nd. How you use it is up to you, but may we suggest a vacation for two—or, if your iBook’s the one you love, a trip to a wi-fi Starbucks? Your quirks are what make you better than everyone else—spread that self-fulfilling prophecy.

PISCES (February 19-March 20) Major change is on the horizon, as you’re about to find out on the 29th, when your planetary ruler, Neptune, stops retrograding. So put down that copy of High Times and pay attention. Seriously, just focus for a minute. Be on the lookout for a sign, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be sharp enough to make a move on it.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Creating problems just to solve them can get oh-somonotonous. Now you can save yourself the trouble— actual drama is on the way. (What luck!) Get your Condi Rice School of Diplomacy game ready around the 6th, when the full moon shines in your sign. Be at your best— ballsy, bitchy, brassy (yes, that’s your best)—and you’ll achieve closure.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) It’s a miracle you can get anything done right now, what with Mercury going retrograde in your seventh house toward the end of the month. You’ll be pining for past loves—which is all fun and games until your current partner gets hurt. Do

try your best to prevent that, little horned one, OK? Turn your amorous thoughts to the present, and the rest of the month will be just fine.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) So much to do, so little . . . motivation. If you want to get anything accomplished, clear your calendar for the next three weeks. After that, with a new moon in your fifth house, it’ll be a miracle if you can do anything more taxing than accept invites. Which, come to think of it, could make you an accomplished party girl—and that has its own rewards.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Usually, you run through cycles: hole yourself up, then complain that you’ve been deserted. But good news: Mars has done some swinging, too—into your house of love affairs. It’ll be safe for your rare flirtatious side to come out and play, so peel off that shell around the 12th. Come on . . . yup, almost there.

LEO (July 23-August 22)

We know your type. With the full moon in your fifth house on the 6th, you’ll get all creative on us. You’ll start that novel you always talk about, write a song, go gallery-hopping . . . But don’t talk about your awesomeness too much, Braggy McBragglestein, or no one will stick around to.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22) It’s all about the Benjamins. If you’re looking to score a by LUNA C.

The Cardigans (with singer Nina Persson, left) unzip their first studio album since ’03.

or is this shaping up to be a pretty freaky month? The fleshy bits will fly over at the cineplex, what with cover girl SMG’s The Grudge 2 premiering, along with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning and Saw III . (Let’s hope someone at Craftsman had good product-placement foresight.) All of which makes Tim Burton’s phantas magoric The Nightmare Before Christmas, released in 3-D this month, seem downright sugary. Perhaps better seen in 2-D, Fast Food Nation also hits theaters—an appetizer for Thanksgiving gluttony. If only turkey could be Kentucky fried… ** Fitting in with the gore-themed month, The Killers drop their sophomore effort, Sam’s Town. It’s been called “one of the best albums of the past 20 years”—by their own lead singer, unfortunately. Former supposed indie heroes The Decemberists made the major-label leap for The Crane Wife, while white Brit Lady Sovereign, the most unlikely rapper to be handpicked by Jay-Z, jumps the pond to give us the insanely catchy Public Warning—suggesting one should never bet against Beyoncé’s boyfriend. ** If star-gazing’s your thing, check out A Photographer’s Life: 1990-2005 and its companion exhibition by celeb snapper Annie Leibovitz at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. Up in Boston, another 40-pounder (not Nicole Richie) accompanies Fashion Show: Paris Collections 2006 at the Museum of Fine Arts, an exhibition devoted to current runway fashion. Strappy shirts, corsets . . . scary—and perfect for opening night of Philly’s Terror Film Festival and the Atlanta Horror Fest at the end of October. Back in Manhattan, West Coast designer Trina Turk will open her first East Coast store (time for our favorite sidewalk game: pregnant? or just wearing a flowy dress?). And finally, the documentary

Ola bergengren

s it just us,

CULTURE

T h e F i lt e r

What all your friends will be (or should be) talking about this month

Wrestling with Angels: Playwright Tony Kushner

premieres in theaters this month, reminding us that halo wearers can be super-freaky, too. Paging Rick James! —Kelly Marages

nov 2006 / Marie Claire

culture music

What we won’t be covering this month:

Dear John, by Nicholas Sparks; Sister Hazel’s Absolutely; Marie Antoinette . . .

Two-Minute Date: TONY HAJJAR and not unlike that of a nerdy-cool high-school chemistry teacher—perhaps because he used to be one. But as beatkeeper for the rock band Sparta—set to release its third full-length album, aptly named Threes, in late October—Hajjar, 32, would rather sit behind a drum set than a periodic table. Blame a fourth-grade obsession with Mötley Crüe’s Shout at the Devil. “A lot of people try to hide what they listened to as a kid, and I don’t,” he laughs. “I would just sit there and air drum.” Air drum? “Yeah, it’s amazing. I was a great air drummer.” Substitute real drums, and the rest—first with alt-punk cult favorite At the Drive-In, then with Sparta—is history. But there was another reason for his deafening pursuit—the need to block out everything happening around him. As a 5-year-old in 1979, he and his family fled their home in war-torn Beirut for El Paso, TX—an event Hajjar chronicles in a 15minute short film, Eme Nakia, to be released with a special edition of Threes. Begun nearly a year ago, the film wasn’t intended to coincide with Lebanese current events. “I was hoping it would never be relevant again. And now, it’s already happening,” Hajjar says. Though set against a political backdrop, the short, which Hajjar executive-produced, is a personal story (eme means “mother” in Arabic; Nakia was his mother’s name). In the movie, as in real life, a young Hajjar watches his mother die of cancer in their Texas home, his father abandon the family, and his 18-year-old brother assume legal responsibility for him and his sister. Hajjar, who can’t abide complainers and has never before talked publicly about his own experiences, implies that making the film was an even bigger challenge than his childhood. “I have never been that stressed in my whole life. It’s almost funny looking back at it,” he says. “I was trying to sort all this stuff out onto a huge canvas. It became a very big therapy session, and I feel a

Once Again (Sony Urban)

Everybody’s favorite choirboy, John Legend, is back at it. After garnering three Grammys for his 2004 debut disc, Get Lifted, the talented crooner hits us with a ’70s-soul-tinged album full of modern classics. Legend’s lyricheavy ballads, featuring multi textured production by Kanye West and Will.i.am, leave listeners yearning for every change in key and break in his voice. We know what soul food tastes like. This is how it sounds. Download now: “Save Room”

Shine On (Atlantic) Spin Jet’s

second full-length album, and all signs indicate that, yes, they are gonna be our band. Our favorite Aussie rockers haven’t lost their brash, straight-up rock-and-roll style or the kind of catchy riffs that are made for iPod commercials. But now their songs are tinted with more Joe Cocker-coversthe-Beatles than the Beatles (in a good way), more sincerity (in a decent way), and more cowbell (that one’s up to you). Download now: “Stand Up” Super Extra Gravity (Nettwerk) Oh, how

we love all things Swedish: fish, Ikea, the revisit: playful vocals, chick singer The Cardigans. As in, the band that brought us backed by men. might explain our urge to hear No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom (1995). “Lovefool” in the late ’90s. Well, now they’re back—sans sugar coating.Their sixth album features Nina Persson’s seductive vocals woven through a smorgasbord of melodies, serving lyrics you can sink your teeth into. Yep, they’ve got grown-up taste now, too. Salivating yet? Download now: “Drip Drop Teardrop” Born in the UK (Astralwerks)

lot stronger from it.” Hajjar hopes people will watch the film and recognize that, in war, innocent people die every day. “News channels pick a good guy and pick a bad guy,” he says. “And sometimes there is a definite good and bad guy. But in this one, there isn’t.” —Kelly Marages

Marie Claire / nov 2006

the revisit: vague ’60s vibe, all this talk of bells: download “My Doorbell” off The White Stripes’ Get Behind Me Satan (2005).

Prediction: Badly Drawn Boy will never have his own ring tone. Nor will he become one of those singer-songwriters who inexplicably becomes your mom’s favorite (cough, James Blunt, cough). He is, excuse our earnestness, too good for that, and his newest collection reminds us why: warm lyrics free of clichés, complex arrangements that sound effortless, and a smooth voice that’s scruffier than it is sweet. Sound nauseating? It’s not. Download now: “Degrees of Separation”

hajjar: christopher wray-mccann. cds: jeff harris. legend: Courtesy of Sony bmg

ony Hajjar’s voice is clear, warm,

The Indie: Driving Lessons (starring Rupert

culture film

Grint, Julie Walters, Laura Linney) If

Rupert Grint looks familiar, then you’ve seen Harry Potter, in which he plays Harry’s sidekick, Ronald Weasley. If you already knew that, you’ve seen Harry Potter one time too many. Regardless, this Brit flick about a young man trying to slip from his conservative mother’s grasp has a few tender moments that border on cheesy. But the well-delivered one-liners from Julie Walters (who plays an eccentric hasbeen actress) make it worth the $10.

The Blockbuster: Babel (starring Brad Pitt,

Cruz, Carmen Maura)

A funny movie about incest? Don’t blame us, blame director Pedro Almodóvar, who brings both drama and a light touch to this story of three generations of women finding their way through the delicate mother/ daughter relationship. Check it out, but leave the boyfriend at home—it’s definitely a chick flick, and it’s subtitled to boot.

What we won’t be covering this month:

Rod Stewart’s Still the Same; Evanescence’s The Open Door; The Santa Clause 3

At church with the directors of Jesus Camp

Sunday morning at 10:45, I find myself at the Neighborhood Church of Greenwich Village sandwiched between Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, the brains behind Jesus Camp—an eye-opening, politically charged documentary about three American kids growing up within the evangelical-Christian movement. “I have to call my mother this afternoon,” Ewing whispers to me as the preacher is welcoming everyone. “She’s been trying to get me to go to church every Sunday for 15 years. She’ll never believe I’m actually here. And not filming.” Grady leans into my other ear and asks, nodding toward the preacher, “Did he just say, ‘and for God to end abortion?’” It’s possible, although none of us can be sure. One seemingly endless sermon later (during which Ewing and Grady entertain themselves by pointing out Bible scripture that evangelicals base their beliefs on), the girls forgive me for making them get up early on a Sunday morning as we sit down for coffee. n a sunny

Marie Claire / nov 2006

Were you raised in a religion? Ewing: Yeah, Catholicism. But I’m not practicing now. I don’t practice anything. Grady: [to Ewing] You know you like the Wicca. [laughing] I’m Jewish, but I was never bat mitzvahed or anything. MC: What gave you the idea for Jesus Camp? Grady: In our last documentary, Boys of Baraka, one of the characters was a child preacher. He was so full of charisma and devotion that it gave us the idea to make a film about children’s faith.Then it turned into something completely different . . . MC: Are you trying to make a political statement with the film? Grady: We’re not necessarily trying to change people’s political thinking, but it became clear early on that the politics of the evangelicals are so closely intertwined with their theology that it would be impossible to cut it out. MC: How are these kids different than non-evangelical kids? Ewing: Every single thing in their Marie Claire:

lives is tinged with religion. One of the scenes we cut out is a dance class [11-year-old] Tory attends. Before they dance, they pray.When they dance, it’s to religious music. During the class, the teacher talks to them about feeling what God wants, not dancing for the “flesh.” It’s like a

Jesus Camp directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady make a rare appearance at church. parallel universe. It looks the same, it feels the same, but it all comes back to the Lord. The kids also speak in absolutes.They always know the answer. Grady: It’s amazing never to see a 9- or 10-year-old ever doubting. That’s what struck me the most

when we were filming. It’s almost unnerving. MC: Did you go to summer camp, growing up? Grady: Yep, Jewish camp. Mountain Lake. Ewing: For five summers in a row I went to Black River Farm and Ranch, a horseback-riding camp. MC: How was your camp experience different than the Jesus camp kids’? Grady: [laughing] They have nothing in common. Ewing: Wait, ours had kayaking. I guess they have kayaking at Jesus camp, too. Grady: Oh wait, we had go-carts, too. But the big difference was that my camp was about boys and girls . . . um . . . learning about . . . each other. MC: Speaking of puberty, what do you think will happen to these kids as they go through high school? Grady: I don’t know. It will be interesting to see if they rebel. MC: Will we find out in Jesus Camp II? Ewing: [laughing] That would be great. Stay tuned . . . —Colleen Oakley

babel: murray close/paramount classics (2), driving lessons: courtesy of sony pictures classic, volver: courtesy of sony pictures classic

Cate Blanchett) What did the deaf girl write in the letter to the policeman? If you figure it out, let us know. We’ve never been good at the decipheringthe-deep-meaning-behind-the-obscure-metaphors game. (While you’re at it, can you tell us what’s in the briefcase in Pulp Fiction?) Still and all, Babel is a great pick for a first date—you’ll have plenty to dissect over coffee afterward.

The foreign film: Volver (starring Penélope

radar

1>> The Real Housewives Quit pretending you don’t watch. 2>> EliSABETH Moss Mad Men

4>> Taylor Swift

clockwise from top left: bravo photo, l. jackson/reuters/corbis, apparition, m. blinch/reuters/corbis, c. baer/fox, K. brown/courtesy sony pictures, dreamworks pictures/everett collection, j. althaus/showtime, l. gallo/disney, paramount/courtesy everett, courtesy amc, F. Bensch/reuters/corbis, p.j. sutton/pcn/corbis, weinstein company/courtesy everett collection, A.M. Fox

3>> Saoirse Ronan The Lovely Bones

>>The

5>> Zoe Saldana Sci-fi gets sexy with Saldana in Star Trek and Avatar. 7>> Melanie Oudin

essential

6>> Abbie Cornish The Australian beauty establishes her bona fides in Bright Star.

movies, TV shows, books, albums, plus 15 women to watch and 15 men to date

9>> Amanda Seyfried Big Love

8>> MÉlanie Laurent Inglourious Basterds

10>> Mia Wasikowska She’ll slide down the rabbit hole in Tim Burton’s eye-popping Alice in Wonderland. 12>> Merritt Wever Nurse Jackie

13>> Anna Kendrick Up in the Air

11>> Gabourey Sidibe Precious 14>> Carey Mulligan In An Education, Shia LaBeouf’s real-life GF had audiences swooning.

15>> Lea Michele Glee’s diva has pipes and guts to spare, even when she’s dripping in slushie.

december 2009 / marie claire 125

>>15 to watch

Mindy Kaling, the ferociously funny Kelly Kapoor on NBC’sThe Office, TiVo’s her top 15 favorite TV shows

>> 15 to

1. The West Wing For the opening theme music alone.

download

2. THE Sopranos Every character, no matter how tiny the part, was perfect. If there was an Artie Bucco show, I’d watch it.

The Gossip’s Beth Ditto picks her top 15 albums. Listen and learn

3. The State A totally groundbreaking, hilarious, and weird sketch show on MTV.

1. DA Real World/Missy Elliott. My number-one album of all time. “She’s a Bitch” is a great song—she flips the word “bitch” to mean strong women.

4. Mad Men Am I cool enough to watch this, the most stylish and sophisticated show ever? Shhh, no one say anything!

2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill/Lauryn Hill. It’s really about coming of age and questioning what you’ve learned. 3. InCESTICIDE/Nirvana. Everything, even the title and cover art, were groundbreaking. And yet it’s not just droney experimental music. It’s amazing how catchy it all is. 4. Tapestry/Carole King. What strikes me most is that King is such a natural woman—this album is so raw and honest. 5. Private Dancer/Tina Turner. A comeback in her 40s, when she looked and sounded better than ever, this record is a hit machine.

“If there was an Artie Bucco show, I’d watch it.”

5. Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist Jonathan Katz was the perfect animated therapist, with his sweet and slightly anesthetizing voice. 6. The Wire Each somber, brilliant season was like a brand-new show. If I could, I’d put it on this list five times for each season.

7. Either/Or/Elliott Smith. Pure intimacy. Smith was such a sensitive songwriter. He makes listeners feel vulnerable.

7. 30 Rock Sometimes I pretend Tina Fey went to my high school, and she lets me hang out with her and her cool boyfriend (Stephen Colbert), and they give me rides to school.

8. Call the Doctor/Sleater-Kinney. When I see mediocre rock dudes imitating that “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” idea, I close my eyes and sing “Anonymous” off this album.

8. THE X FILES Mulder and Scully were like Ross and Rachel, but gloomier and sexier.

9. 77/Talking Heads. Pure nerd empowerment: This makes me want to read comics hidden behind intellectual books.

9. Saturday Night Live As a kid, I kept a list of all my favorite sketches in my wallet, in case— in my crazy kid brain—anyone ever asked me what they were.

6. The Need/The Need. Rachel Carns sang lead, played the drums while standing up, and her eyebrows were Sharpied on. Go find this album.

10. NunSexMonkRock/Nina Hagen Band. Think of picture day in fourth grade, with that one kid whose mom let her wear galoshes, a muumuu, a candy necklace, and orange sunglasses. This is the audio version. 11. GermFree Adolescents/X-Ray Spex. Made in 1978 and written by the first riot grrrls, it could have been recorded yesterday. The lyrics were so far ahead of their time, questioning gender, misogyny, and consumer culture. 12. Bubble Gum, Lemonade & Something for Mama/ Cass Elliot. Filled with hope and camp, this album is sweettalking and melancholy all at once. 13. Hatful of Hollow/The Smiths. It’s the soundtrack to hate your father to. 14. Nevermind/Nirvana. For those of us secluded in middle America in 1991, hearing this album for the first time made us realize that there were options beyond cow pastures and breeding. 15. I wanna say Pussy Whipped by Bikini Kill, but also First TAKE by Roberta Flack or My Way by Usher. It’s too hard to choose! 126 marie claire / december 2009

10. The Cosby Show God, how I wanted to be Rudy. 11. Late Night with Conan O’Brien Some performers are electric when they’re onstage— Conan’s interviews were like that. 12. Seinfeld ’Nuff said. 13. Showtime at The Apollo It’s probably my favorite variety show, because performers can get yanked from the stage. 14. The Office (U.K.) If you haven’t seen it, I wish I were you so I could watch it for the first time. 15. The Office (U.S.) A good show, except when I don’t look pretty or get cut out of a scene. Then, whatever.

clockwise from top lefT: l. bromley, m. sullivan/wireimage, hbo/everett collection, 20th century fox/courtesy everett collection, everett collection (2)

Ditto strikes a pose.

1. What About Bob? (1991) When I was 22, I quit drugs, moved, and could only watch comedies. That’s when I adopted hypochondriac Bob’s mantra: Baby steps—baby steps out the door, baby steps to the elevator. 2. Nights of Cabiria (1957) In one scene, when a woman is at her darkest moment, a parade marches through. There are just these unexpected moments of grace and life that you might call Fellini-esque. 3. Frances (1982) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest for girls. 4. Fame (1980) People always assume that I like dark, weird movies, but Fame had a huge impact on me.

Lewis has great taste in unitards and movies.

Actress/singer and oddball savant Juliette Lewis, the fireball from Whip It, gives us her 15 favorite films

5. The Deer Hunter (1978) I loved it for the relationship between Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro—and Christopher Walken is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever looked at.

6. La Vie En Rose (2007) You don’t need to know anything about Edith Piaf or her music to appreciate this.

11. Being Julia (2004) It’s set in 1930s London, and I love the male-female dynamic—there are similarities to the games men and women still play today. 12. Adaptation. (2002) It’s hilarious and bittersweet and breaks the mold of conventional moviemaking. Plus, it made me want to grow orchids!

7. Being There (1979) Sellers’ comedy is so physical and fascinating—I could watch him just eat an apple. 8. The Piano (1993) When Harvey Keitel put his finger through a teensy-weensy hole in Holly Hunter’s stocking, it was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.

13. The Other Sister (1999) Yeah, I’m in it, but playing a mentally handicapped woman was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. 14. Babel (2006) With four different story lines from around the globe, it shows how we’re all connected.

9. All that Jazz (1979) It’s very dark—about the implosion of an artist—but set against these brilliant song-and-dance sequences. It’s so fucking good. 10. High Plains Drifter (1973) It’s a Clint Eastwood Western with a classic score— I can’t get enough of that aesthetic. My dad, Geoffrey Lewis, is in this.

15. The Insider (1999) Russell Crowe should’ve won an Oscar for this, not Gladiator. It shows what a person can do to affect change. And if that sounds boring, there’s also Al Pacino. 11

15 Men We Want to Date MC spotlights the breakout stars we’d most like to kiss good night (and good morning) 1

5-8 2

1 Bradley Cooper, The Hangover 2 Mr Hudson 3 Aziz Ansari, Parks and Recreation 4 Taylor Kitsch, Friday Night Lights, Wolverine

5-8 Kings of Leon 9 Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer 10 Zach Galifianakis, Bored to Death 11 Kid Cudi

12 Ty Burrell, Modern Family 13 Chris Pine, Star Trek 14 Alexander Skarsgard, True Blood 15 Dug the talking dog, Up

lewis: stuart pettican; la vie en rose: picturehouse/everett collection; babel: paramount classics/everett collection; the deer hunter: universal/everett collection. men we want to date, in numerical order: d. cerone/everett, mirrorpix/everett, nbc, j. atoa/everett, d. chalkey, everett (2), r. tamarra/getty images, d. feld/abc via getty images, photoshot/everett, hbo/everett, everett

>>15 to see

Take a page from Vida.

>>15 to read

Indie-lit darling Vendela Vida, author of the upcoming novel The Lovers, selects the 15 books every MC girl should have on the shelf 1. DISGRACE/J.M. Coetzee. I read this Booker prize–winning novel every year. 2. THE LOVER/Marguerite Duras. What makes the book so rich is its perspective: It’s told from the point of view of an old woman looking back on her life. 3. A FINE BALANCE/Rohinton Mistry. Set in India in the ’70s, this is a harrowing story of friendship, hardship, and the inequities of the caste system. It’s a long book but a fast read, and guaranteed to make you cry.

4. DON’T LET’S GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT/Alexandra Fuller. I read this with my book group eight years ago, and it remains one of the most discussionprovoking memoirs we’ve read together.

9. SLOUCHING TOWARDS BETHLEHEM/Joan Didion. This collection of essays about California in the ’60s is essential reading for anyone who wants to write a memoir.

5. LEAVING ATLANTA/Tayari Jones. Full disclosure: Tayari and I were once roommates, and I never wanted to go to bed because her daily anecdotes were so entertaining. Her same storytelling powers are at work in this novel, based on the Atlanta child murders of 1979.

10. THE FARTHER SHORE/Matthew Eck. Eck, who was a soldier in Somalia, gives the reader an eerie sense of the uncertainties of modern (and confounding) warfare. 11. NO ONE BELONGS HERE MORE THAN YOU/Miranda July. I love the people who live in these stories. They’re dreamy, awkward, unconventional, and in love with love. 12. WHITE NOISE/Don DeLillo. Part academic satire, part meditation on mortality.

6. THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE/Haruki Murakami. His novels are bizarre, humane, rich, and beautifully written. This one reads like a fairy tale crossed with The Odyssey.

13. POPULAR MUSIC FROM VITTULA/Mikael Niemi. A funny and well-crafted coming-of-age novel in which Niemi describes smells, tastes, and music like someone who’s just discovered his senses.

7. LAST NIGHT/James Salter. The sparely written collection focuses primarily on the complex relationships between lovers. 8. SIAM: OR THE WOMAN WHO SHOT A MAN/Lily Tuck. On the day the U.S. starts bombing North Vietnam, Claire, a Boston newlywed, arrives in Bangkok. The subtitle gives you a good sense of what happens (but I’m not going to say who shoots whom).

14. LOOK AT ME/Jennifer Egan. Egan gives her readers an in-depth (and, at times, hilarious) exploration of identity. 15. WHY DID I EVER/Mary Robison. Few writers possess as much dry wit as Robison.

The culture pyramid>>

(partake sparingly)

Your entertainment diet for DECEMBER

In the new novel Nanny Returns, the boy our Nanny Diaries heroine cared for pulls a Lohan and resurfaces as a drunk teen.

SJP and Hugh Grant howdy-do in the witness protection rom-com Did You Hear About the Morgans?

savory snacks (2–3 servings)

Simon Cowell– approved Susan Boyle debuts her CD stateside on I Dreamed a Dream.

nourishment (3–5 servings)

Diva-in-training Leona Lewis unveils her latest ballad-busting CD, Echo…cho…cho.

sustenance (6–11 servings)

Put your jazz hands together for Rob Marshall’s Oscar chum Nine, in theaters.

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Wally Lamb’s Christmas chestnut Wishin’ and Hopin’, about pissing off nuns while coming of age in the ’60s. Corporate downsizer George Clooney snags a conscience in the Jason Reitman charmer Up in the Air.

A Christmas Story 24-hour marathon on TBS. We’ll marry whichever programming virtuoso thought of this. Morgan Freeman plays Nelson Mandela in Invictus, the true story of South Africa’s 1995 champion rugby team. The Glass House (Sundance Channel, Dec. 14), Throw some the can’t-miss doc about butter on top exiled Iranian women. of your takeout and watch the fine foodie treat Julie & Julia, now on DVD.

photos, clockwise from top left: Chloe Aftel/Contour by Getty Images, Barry Wetcher, tbs, k. bernstein, h. rahmanian, d. robinette, Weinstein Company/Everett Collection, Courtesy RCA, courtesy of america’s got talent

GUILTY PLEASURES

Health 1

fter multiple seasons of avidly watching Dancing With the Stars and America’s Best Dance Crew— and some botched samba steps in front of my bathroom mirror—I was ready for professional help. I wanted to tango like Tia Carrere in True Lies. I wanted Sarah Jessica Parker’s strong yet slim School of American Ballet body. I wanted—no, needed—dance classes. But first I had to muster up the courage to enroll. My initial attempt was years ago, when my friend Aimee and I decided it would be fun to take jazz lessons to tone up for 234 marie claire / march 2010

her wedding. But we didn’t even make it to the registration office. Walking into the Peridance Center in New York City’s East Village was like entering a casting call for a Flashdance remake. Wearing slashed sweatshirts and woolly leg warmers, the students splayed in the musty hallways, holding their legs up by their ears. Never mind standing splits, my clumsy legs can’t even stretch open to a 90-degree angle! Aimee and I looked at each other, mouthed “No way,” and ran out of there. Thinking that I’d fit in better at one of Crunch’s 60 dance-inspired classes,

I signed up for the gym’s Ballet Body, only to discover a crowd as scary as the one at Peridance—just with looser chignons and flashier leotards. Like the pros, they bounded up to the front of the class for their rotating solos. How does a beginner— who hasn’t strapped on her dancing shoes since grade school—keep up? “Nobody really cares what you’re doing in class,” Jin Lee, director of operations at the Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles (home to MTV’s Dancelife reality show), assures me. And the reason that the students in the beginner section are

still lifes: ben goldstein/studio d, styled by kristy vant at mark edward inc.

So You Think You

five minutes of floor-sweeping jumps— the last part of class is my favorite: floor stretches. I can’t remember the last time I did classic calisthenics, and just sitting for a couple of minutes—attempting to keep my back and legs straight—makes my thighs shake. My glutes are already sore, my hamstrings are stretched to the limit, and now my lower back wants to collapse. Who knew the basics would be such hard work? “Perfection in ballet Onstage Staples is like Waiting for 1. Top, $44.50, Roxy. 2. Skirt, $18, Capezio. Godot: You’ll never 3. Leotard, $40, Danskin. achieve it. Even 4. Shoes, $260, Repetto. professional ballerinas 5. Leg warmers, $23, Harmonie. 6. Shoes, $31, constantly have to Bloch. 7. Band-Aid Blister practice,” says Baek, Block Stick, $7.49. who opts for private sessions because she doesn’t want to deal with group class drama. “I used to get so frustrated, but then my husband said, ‘Don’t forget, you’re doing this for fun.’” The payoff for the tough discipline? “Dancers have flat stomachs, insane arms, and a little bubble butt. Because of ballet, I finally have an ass,” she brags. After two-and-a-half years of lessons, Baek admits she still gets nervous in front of other dancers. “When I went to get my pointe shoes fitted, it was the fanciest experience, but there were all these crazy bunheads there, and I could barely stand up. Ballet is really intimidating, but it shouldn’t be an ego competition. You can’t give up.” A few more classes, and my shoulders aren’t a problem. (Now it’s my stomach, which I can’t suck in far enough.) And my new stance has improved my poise overall. I start check-

Can Dance? leg warmers & blister block: jeffrey westbrook/ studio d. photos: folio-id.com

Eternal klutz Ning Chao heads to the ballet studio in search of grace and a girlish figure

so good is because they’re not really amateurs. “Pros take basics classes to refine their technique. But dancers are vain and so focused on themselves, they’re not looking at you,” explains Lee. “They have tunnel vision. They don’t want to be distracted and mess up, so they just stare at themselves in the mirror.” Confidence restored, I resolve to try again. I decide immediately that choreography-focused classes aren’t for me. Anything with a “five, six, seven, eight” count and solos makes me panic. Tunnel vision or not, no one can ignore me when I collide into her during my ill-spotted turns. Fortunately, New York City’s Joffrey Ballet School has a true basics class that spends most of the time at the barre, where I can discreetly blend in with the other beginners. Prepping for my official entrance into the ballet world, I’m tempted by all the accoutrements, from leotards to leg warmers. And then there’s all the trendy dance fashion, like Marc Jacobs’ Martha Graham–inspired spring collection (see “Beauty Moment” on p. 96). Drop-in classes may cost only $15 a pop, but all the chiffon skirts could seriously add up. “I didn’t know what to wear the first time, so I went to American Apparel and bought their dance collection with the thong bodysuit. I looked ridiculous,” admits Rescue Beauty Lounge owner and adult ballet devotee Ji Baek, who suggests I stick with Capezio. At my first class, I immediately spot the young Madonna look-alike who could challenge Cirque du Soleil contortionists

in flexibility. But, as Lee promised, she spends the hour admiring herself in the mirror. Instead of obsessing over the other students, I quickly learn I have a bigger problem. Apparently, I stand completely wrong. I usually lean my rib cage back and lead with my hips, but for ballet, I must stick out my chest and roll my shoulders backward. Sucking in the stomach is just a side effect of holding this new posture in place. No wonder dancers have washboard abs. After 45 minutes of pliés and port de bras at the barre—and a mercifully brief

5 6

ing my posture when I walk by reflective surfaces. But when I go in for my usual pilates workout, my back is more sore than usual. “Your body is so tight, the last thing you should be doing is ballet, with all the stiff positions,” explains my instructor Judy, who taught dance at Joffrey before joining Power Pilates. “What you need to take is jazz. That’ll loosen you up.” As I look at her willowy physique, I understand why dancers often dabble in multiple genres at the same time. Time to go shopping for jazz shoes.

For information on where to buy, see Shopping Directory.

march 2010 / marie claire 235

Health 1

still lifes: ben goldstein/studio d, styled by kristy vant at mark edward inc.

So You Think You

Can Dance? leg warmers & blister block: jeffrey westbrook/ studio d. photos: folio-id.com

Eternal klutz Ning Chao heads to the ballet studio in search of grace and a girlish figure

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For information on where to buy, see Shopping Directory.

march 2010 / marie claire 235

Desperately Seeking

Shut-Eye Raging insomniac Patricia Morrisroe tried everything to get to sleep—then found a solution steps from home

’d always considered myself a

high-functioning insomniac, someone who didn’t let sleep issues control her. For years, I’d wake up in the middle of the night and take hours to doze off again. Sometimes I even enjoyed it. From 3 a.m. to 5 a.m., I’d think about my dreams, knowing I’d be slumbering again soon. Three years ago, that changed. My husband, Lee, and I were living in a sedate family neighborhood in Manhattan when our neighbors started an eight-month renovation, eventually breaking a hole in our bedroom ceiling. It pushed me over the edge: I was routinely waking up at 2:30 a.m. and not falling asleep again. My insomnia had been a problem since

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childhood, when I obsessively checked the room for monsters before bed. Now, sleeping just four hours a night, I was exhausted. Shortly after the renovation started, I flew to London with Lee. He was going for business, and I hoped changing time zones would shake some sense into my biological clock. Standing in the Tate Britain for an exhibit appropriately titled “Gothic Nightmares,” I stared at Mad Kate, a painting of a woman insane with grief over her lover’s death. Caught in a tempest, the wind whipping her cloak, she looked at me with the glazed eyes of someone who hadn’t slept in weeks. Drunk with sleeplessness, I fled the museum, crying for Kate and for myself. If this

went on, I feared my lack of sleep would drive me insane. When I got back to New York, I plunged into the subject of sleep, turning myself into an accidental expert. Over the next three years, I devoured every piece of sleep science, literature, and legend I could find. I studied how societies slept, from ancient Greece onward, and interviewed leading experts. I banished TV and books from my bedroom and stockpiled goose-down pillows and 600-thread-count sheets. I traveled to the end of the world and played guinea pig to a host of therapies and pills—antianxiety medications, herbal remedies, a 13th-century sleeping potion the Medici family had used. I tried biofeedback, fellow insomniac Barbra Streisand’s masseur, an acupuncturist, and psychopharmacologists. I even visited Las Vegas—sleep’s Village of the Damned—for a five-day sleep course. Nothing seemed to work. The journey to a cure began at a Manhattan sleep disorders clinic. My doctor recommended I try a sleep study. I was game, if skeptical. No one knew my sleep better than I did, but maybe a study would determine what was keeping me awake. I let a technician wire me up with electrodes and sensors to capture brain waves, eye and leg movements, muscle tone, respiration, heart rhythm, and blood oxygen. I slept badly that night. But the study proved I had a problem: sleep maintenance insomnia with organic, psychological, psychophysiological, and behavioral factors. My EEG showed irregular brain waves, three to seven seconds long—possible insomnia culprits. The doctor prescribed a lowdose doxepin, a tricyclic antidepressant, but it gave me weird, LSD dreams. Over the next year came Lunesta, Sonata, Ambien, Wellbutrin, Serzone, and a slew of other pills. Each one left me groggy, headachy, or hallucinating, never rested. Next, the doctor who sent me to the sleep clinic recommended cognitive behavioral therapy. This was supposed to teach me how to fall back asleep

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Health

I settled into class on a winter night as our instructor, Jan, introduced himself, adding that he worked at Con Ed, our notoriously awful power company. I almost left. There had to be a middle ground between meditating with an Indian guru and with a guy who worked in electricity. But Jan was already explaining the goal: to become fully present in the moment and ignore distracting thoughts. We sat cross-legged, hands on knees, palms up, forefingers on thumbs. Jan told us to breathe deeply and repeat the mantra “om.” Then he had us silently say “so” as we inhaled, “hum” as we exhaled. When our attenoon after,

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‘‘

Drunk with sleeplessness, I fled the museum, crying. If this went on, I feared my lack of sleep would drive me insane.”

tion wandered, he said we should let thoughts come and go without judgment. Walking home after the hour-long class, I felt relaxed and happy. I embraced meditation right away, and for the next month nothing disrupted my routine. For a disciplined person like me, this was a form of relaxation I could control, and I knew I’d get results. Sitting atop a pillow, I focused on my breath for 10 minutes each morning, but I was bombarded with distracting thoughts and feelings. About three weeks after the first class, after a barrage of unpleasant thoughts, I beat myself up for letting my mind wander. I called myself names; I pictured myself at my own throat. I felt like I was drowning, my brain waves crashing over my head. Then suddenly a voice said, Be kinder to yourself. The voice came from deep inside me, from a place I didn’t even know existed. Tears sprung to my eyes. Realizing the voice was mine, I cried harder. When Lee came home, he was worried. “Did

something bad happen?” he asked. “Something good happened,” I said, describing the voice. “I hope I can hear it again.” That night, I slept better than I had in a year, not waking once. Now, I meditate every day. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself; I usually sleep more than seven hours a night. When I can’t, I don’t panic. One night in our new weekend house, in upstate New York, I got up for a glass of water and worried I’d left the porch light on. It was bright as day outside. Looking through the window as I went downstairs, I saw a full moon shining on the pond. In Manhattan, I had forgotten how dazzling one could be. I threw on a coat and sat on the swing in our screened-in porch. It was 4 a.m. and I wasn’t asleep, but so what? Sometimes even the moon is wide awake, and it’s splendid company. Excerpted and adapted from Wide Awake: A Memoir of Insomnia by Patricia Morrisroe (Spiegel & Grau, a division of Random House, Inc.), in stores May 4.

» Share this story on Facebook and Twitter at marieclaire.com/sleep.

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after late-night wake-ups. I liked the psychotherapist—she was warm and explained “sleep hygiene,” a set of behaviors that prepare you for sleep, including skipping exercise, food, caffeine, and alcohol right before bed. She told me to do something relaxing, out of bed, when I awoke in the wee hours. The next night, I woke up, ventured out of bed, and chased a cockroach around the kitchen. Hardly relaxing. My psychotherapist recommended a hypnotist next, a man who also specialized in psychosomatic and sleep disorders. His voice was so monotonous that I immediately felt sleepy. He recorded soothing tapes of calming stories for me to take home that worked, for a while. But then he ran out of good scenarios and gave me a tape about flying to outer space. Somehow he wove in Alice in Wonderland. All I could think about was the rabbit hole I’d fallen down. More desperate than ever, one afternoon I passed the 92nd Street Y, a local community center, and picked up their new brochure, where I spotted a meditation course. Friends had pushed me to meditate for years. I’d wanted to learn from an expert in India, but realized I wouldn’t be there anytime soon. In the meantime, I wasn’t sleeping. So I brought the brochure home and, taking a deep breath, signed up.

Beach Boot Camp In search of a challenge for her buffest triathlete clients, Wendy Larkin, a personal trainer with Crunch Fitness in San Francisco, created this seaside workout that strengthens, tones, and zaps 300 calories in 30 minutes:

Health Monıtor

Warm up with 50 jumping jacks in dry sand. Sprint barefoot from shoreline into sea until you’re waist-deep. Sprint back. Repeat 10 times. Return to dry sand for 20 walking lunges. Head back into water with a beach ball. Hold ball between the knees and swim with arms only: 30 strokes freestyle, 30 strokes backstroke, 30 strokes breaststroke. Repeat steps 1 through 3 until half-hour is up.

RETAIL THERAPY

Roxy Athletix Pace Setter, $48 (roxy.com/athletix) What it is: A fierce, functional board short that moves with you in surf and on turf. what we love: No more chafing and riding up, thanks to the comfy and flattering fit. The secret: A sweat-wicking, soft-seamed two-ply fabric that stays cool in the heat.

MENTAL GETAWAY

Country Walkers Denali National Park tour (countrywalkers.com) The scoop: A six-day expedition of Alaska’s otherwise inaccessible backcountry ($3998). The view: Only on foot could you get this immersed in the wild—complete with grizzly sightings and surreal round-the-clock views of Mount McKinley. Cold comfort: Summertime highs in America’s Last Frontier hover around 70. Bonus: Long walks and hike-and-bike excursions pretty much guarantee that you won’t return home with post-vacation bloat.

Your monthly Rx for eating, thinking, and living strong By Joanne Chen

Food Fright

One minute you’re happily munching; the next, your snack is all over the news. Don Schaffner, Ph.D., professor of food science at Rutgers University, offers the lowdown on food recalls: If you consume food that’s just been recalled, check the batch info on the label and call the product’s toll-free number or contact the shop manager. Recalls cast a wide net, and you may not be affected. If your batch is involved, don’t schedule anything strenuous for the next 24 to 72 hours, when symptoms (nausea, diarrhea) may arise. Drink lots of fluids, and have your doc’s number handy just in case. Be wary of hidden ingredients, like sliced pistachios in biscotti. Check fda.gov for updates.

Burger by body type Depending on your figure, says the American Dietetic Association’s Angela Ginn-Meadow, R.D., the ideal patty isn’t necessarily the ever-virtuous veggie.

Your shape: Apple—you gain weight around your midsection. EAT: Soy patties. The protein lowers the risk of heart disease, a concern for your shape. tip: Boost flavor with vitamin-rich onions or mushrooms. Your shape: Pear—extra weight lands mainly on your hips. EAT: Veggie patties, the ideal low-cal, no-fat choice. tip: A side salad with beans ups protein and fiber intake. Your shape: Banana—you’re naturally thin. EAT: Turkey patties. High protein repairs muscles and fuels up active, slim types. tip: These patties

are often mixed with skin and dark meat. Swap half the bun for nutritious veggies to keep flab in check.

YOUR SHAPE: Avocado—extra pounds spread evenly over your curvy figure. eat: Lean-beef patties. Relatively high fat and protein content keeps you full and energetic longer. tip: Pile on tomatoes— the vitamin C helps absorb the iron in beef.

Advanced Notice The FDA recently approved a pair of ultrasensitive pre–cervical cancer screens for women over 30: the Cervista HPV HR test detects high-risk strains of human papillomavirus—with fewer false negatives; the Cervista HPV 16/18 zeroes in on your DNA to spot the presence of potentially dangerous HPV types 16 and 18. 154 marie claire / july 2009

clockwise from top left: donja pitsch/figaro/gmaimages, ben goldstein/studio d, courtesy of country walkers, folio-id.com, getty images

Body&Soul

Things that make us love

November

Rebecca Minkoff’s leather bracelets, inspired by the straps on her handbags. Biker meets Barneys.

Karaoke Revolution for Xbox 360, with songs by Lady Gaga, among others. Break out the disco stick!

Melvita’s (edible!) Orange Blossom Water toner. Warning: Strangers may attempt to lick your face.

Taschen’s Design for Obama, a 184-page coffee-table collection of campaign posters. Michelle uses it for biceps curls.

Leo DiCaprio turning 35. Celebrates by seeing how many supermodels he can fit in a Prius.

An edgy new scrapbook from fashion photographer Ben Watts, called Lickshot. Sounds like something we did in Cancun in the late ’90s. 178 marie claire / november 2009

Mark & James, the new priceconscious collection from celeb dressers Badgley Mischka. We’re waiting for the affordable wedding line. And a fiancé.

20th anniversary of the first official presidential pardon for a turkey (Thanksgiving Day). Just what Washington needs, one more turkey.

still lifes: jesus ayala/studio d, except dress: ben goldstein/studio d. photos, clockwise from top left: everett collection, m. ochs archive/getty images, m. cardy/getty images, corbis (2), lickshot by ben watts for princeton architectural press 2009, c. perry/corbis

40th anniversary of Sesame Street. Mr. Snuffleupagus goes for a prostate screening.

U.S. Open Swing Dance Championship held in Anaheim, CA (November 26–29). Finally, a swingers’ convention we can get behind.