Bold Journey Interview

Leave a comment

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicolette Mallow. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation:

Nicolette, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

From a very young age, I was fortunate to know my life purpose: to be an artist. However, that is not always a secure or stable journey. Even in high school, when I told people I was enrolled at Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) for my undergraduate—many adults looked at me like, “Oh, that’s cute, but what are you going to do for a real job after graduation?” These remarks were constant, and it felt condescending, hurtful, and often ominous, like, “You’re just a foolish kid chasing a childish dream, and it’s only a matter of time until you fail and join the real world”… True, the arts do not always pay well. You must be open-minded to accepting jobs outside of the arts. (I discussed some of this in my first interview with Voyage Austin and my second in your Canvas Rebel series.) But I pursued my dream and didn’t let others take that vision away from me.

Do not let other people steal your light or your love for life. I’ve explored many other forms of employment to support myself financially. Regardless, I’m a published writer with over 110+ publications in the United States and Europe (including 12 national awards/scholarships based on individual or group projects). I’ve had the privilege of working with companies and media outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter, HBO Films, SXSW, Prevention Magazine, National Geographic, Texas Monthly, and more. So clearly, these naysayers weren’t totally correct. Admittingly, I wasn’t prepared for how arduous the journey would be, but I didn’t give up on my dream. Even if I sometimes felt lost at sea and as if the arts were drowning me rather than smooth sailing to exotic beaches. I remember this particular awards event many years ago, interviewing Hollywood talent as a member of the Press. Standing there waiting my turn to ask questions on the red carpet: I felt so unseen, undervalued, and disrespected by the Hollywood talent I was interviewing–I almost wanted to quit red carpet events for good. I was tired of working hard to help other famous people shine while being invisible and unappreciated. And for a while, I took a break. I only worked on my personal portfolio instead. Then I returned with an even better press gig, and I got to interview Greta Gerwig on the red carpet for the debut of her film “Lady Bird” at the Austin Film Festival. So, if you get burnt out, take a break. I personally love to seek out the water when I need to heal or decompress, which is why I recently explored San Diego, La Jolla, Del Mar, and more. It’s healthy to relax and give yourself recovery time. It’s O.K. to set boundaries and know your worth. Even if you’re an underground writer/performing artist – and nobody in Hollywood knows or cares about me – we all deserve to be treated with kindness and respect!1F14E3

Resilience is crucial to survive in the arts. As a published writer, the amount of rejections I’ve received compared to publications is startling! You must develop a tough exterior, like python snakeskin, in order to continue thriving in publishing or entertainment. I have vulnerabilities like any human, but I am resilient, fierce, and empowered. For instance, editors and critics are going to tear some of your writing projects to pieces—or simply ignore you altogether because the project wasn’t deemed worthy of their time – and you’ll need to be tough to learn from these experiences without letting them break your spirit. Ask for feedback if you’re ghosted. Ask the uncomfortable questions about why you weren’t selected or rejected – so you can work and excel at your craft to improve for the future. Accept that everyone won’t appreciate your artwork. It’s O.K. to be different. Find your tribe! But above all, stay loyal to you.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

In my previous two interviews with Voyage Austin and Canvas Rebel, I delved deeply into my artistic background, story, and purpose. It would be repetitive to rehash all that once more, but those links are still live, and my Artist Bio on my website is a great reference point.

However, I am creating a digital space for my music and dancing and to feature my publications, other than my website. My business website is strictly publications and editorial. I am in the process of launching a social media page that is more expansive and showcases all my artistic talents beyond the workplace. I’m also really anxious to partake in podcasts! That’s all I wish to say until I bring a few more loose ends together.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Self-confidence/self-love. Speaking my truth. Thriving after disappointment/ failures.

Self-confidence and self-love go hand-in-hand. Loving others is part of self-love, so the more (love) we give out, the more (love) we get in return. I know many people from all walks of life, not just artists, who possess gigantic (fragile), grandiose egos. Yet they do not truly love themselves. They just put up a good front to the world, like wearing a theatrical mask and being nice to people in public but hiding a dark persona behind closed doors.

Loving yourself isn’t the same as holding high regard for your talents, vanity, or God-given abilities. Self-love comes from within, not from awards, accolades, popularity, beauty, money and achievements. Finding that healthy balance of confidence and humility is challenging to master. On the other side of that coin toss lies fear (insecurity) and arrogance, which aren’t constructive to optimal success. Sometimes, we must learn to swallow our pride/ego and think beyond ourselves. Other times, we must use our voices to speak the truth and fight for what we believe in! Balance is an obstacle I’m still learning, like a dancer staying grounded at all times or else you’ll fall down.

Beware of never making yourself smaller or minimizing your light/skills/talents in order to suit others’ comfort levels; it’s another form of self-betrayal that will steal joy and distort your truth. Stand in your truth! Know that not everyone will like you, nor will they support you. You must accept that some people will desire to see you fail, some won’t be your advocate, and you do not want those people in your corner. Some people won’t have your back, even if they love you, whether it’s an employer, family member, friend, or lover. Because they don’t love themselves… Be your own number-one cheerleader! Quit waiting for someone to come to your rescue – quit seeking the approval of others – be the champion of your dreams! Move at your own pace. Find the people that love and support you. But most of all, be sure that you love yourself. Cliché but true because, in life, we don’t always like ourselves, but do you love yourself?

Lastly, do not be afraid to ask for help if you are struggling, whatever it may be. Keeping that burden a secret will eat you alive from the inside out. True, many employers will not hire people with disabilities or ailments. Even though it’s illegal, they lie and save face by advertising it’s a safe work environment, even when it’s not. Safeguard your private information until you can trust someone, do not overshare because manipulative people use that personal intel like ammunition to destroy you. But also make sure to have a support system where you can speak your truth! There is no shame in asking for help. Even kings/queens had people at their side to support their empires. We cannot do it all on our own. There are good, humane employers out there that are more concerned with your work ethic, work experience, and proven ability to excel – as opposed to whether or not you’re “perfect” outside work in your personal life. We all have a work persona and a personal life – don’t be fooled – everyone is facing their own inner demons, so don’t be afraid to be human. You are not a machine. Emotions are not a sign of weakness. I know athletes that are physical powerhouses but are so messed up in the head & the heart. Being healthy and whole – mind, body, and soul – is demanding, and if it were easy. We would all be healthy. Ergo, don’t be afraid to showcase the fact you’re imperfect. It doesn’t make you a failure. It means you’re human. People can relate to someone with an open, loving heart.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

Out of all these closing questions – the number one obstacle or challenge I’m facing in my present life: People often see you how they want to see you, based on their beliefs, experiences, or life perspectives (often programmed from their childhood). You cannot control this false narrative, even if it’s inaccurate. Seeing ourselves through other people’s harmful, critical eyes can be scathing and disheartening. Often, as a woman, people will not take your intellect seriously if you also partake in modeling, the arts, music, etc. People often see me and make snap judgments from afar, like my rose-colored glasses, my love of Hello Kitty, my dyslexia (grammar errors), and my tender heart for animals, and think they have me all figured out. To many outsiders, I’m just a silly, daft airhead with s*x appeal who dreams of being talented and only obtained her success through luck or privileges. But I know I’m very smart and gifted, despite being dyslexic and having colorful grammar. I worked hard for my artistic achievements because I had zero connections to the publishing world. Regardless, I’m most empowered by my inner emotional/spiritual tenacity and all the things I’ve overcome behind the curtains when no one was watching. I grew up with mostly all males and generations of family in the military, which toughened me up from the get-go. I was sent to etiquette school for three semesters as a child, only so I would embrace my femininity. At heart, I’m a wild tomboy that can hold her ground and speak her mind: I just like wearing the costume of a fashionista, girlie-girl.

Shakespeare is not my favorite writer, even if a brilliant one. Still, it’s good to remind ourselves when it feels as if society wants to demonize you, falsely portray who you are, or change your identity to suit their conformity: “To thine own self be true.”

To view the original interview please visit: https://boldjourney.com/news/meet-nicolette-mallow/.

Canvas Rebel Interview

Leave a comment

Before the end of summer, I received a letter from the editorial team at CanvasRebel to interview me a second time for their zine. “Their mission is to create a space for artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs to be able to learn from their peers through the magic and power of storytelling. The CanvasRebel series was designed to go beyond the personal story covered last time and to highlight more attention to the artists and creatives in the community.” In 2021, their team contacted me for an interview featured in VoyageAustin. So I was delighted to partake in another interview and hope you all enjoy the read!

Alright, Nicolette thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

Yes, I’m happy to be an artist. Do I wish the path were (financially) easier for artists? Yes, of course. I’m an underground artist. Not a celebrity or an icon. Outside corporate, state, publishing, or PR gigs– I’ve worked many “regular” jobs for income: a hotel, a jewelry store, a country club, bars, restaurants, fine dining, cafes, and the list goes on and on. So yeah, I’ve wished that the road was shorter and more manageable for most artists to make a living based on their creative talents. I wish it were easier for artists to thrive in the corporate world and enjoy the same financial security as someone in tech or sales. Some people get lucky with connections or Fate–but most of us have to struggle along the way and work harder to achieve financial goals. Most artists have to invest a lot of time in a series of successes, setbacks and mistakes. And the struggle or the wait isn’t always fun; it can be scary and discouraging. But in the end, hard work always pays off through the ups and downs. So long as you keep going, even when you fail. And learn from each mistake. It’s O.K. to get jaded, but don’t give up. Focus on the positive and rekindle the spark, the light, the drive, and the passion to carry on.

Emotionally, I feel blessed and fulfilled with diverse artistic talents. Thankfully, I discovered my purpose in life early on. The arts help(ed) me express my voice and identity, which gave me self-confidence and self-empowerment. Art is transcendental and can heal us, give us a safe place to display emotions and create magic in what can be a melancholy world. I would be too repressed and lost without writing, singing, and dancing to my love of music. Without art, without the freedom of imagination or daydreaming, I would be a tormented spirit. Therefore, art is essential to me, like sleep, water, nutrients, fitness, money and oxygen.

Nicolette, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My professional writing career began in 2005 at Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD). I joined the District, an award-winning student newspaper, and started to get published in my undergraduate program. The Georgia College Press Association Conference awarded an article I wrote for District newspaper 2nd place for Best News Article – Objective Reporting. I was also the first SCAD student ever selected to serve as an Editorial Intern at Savannah Magazine. After graduation, I left Georgia to begin an internship with the Editorial department at Texas Monthly magazine in ATX. Then I was hired as a contract employee to work in their Custom Publishing department for the Texas Tour & Meeting Guide Magazine. I wrote three stories for the Texas Monthly website, which was exciting!

SCAD and Texas Monthly are the launchpads of my professional journey as a writer. First, however, I began my artistic journey in performing arts, tracing back to pre-k to college. Born and raised in Texas and NYC—I’m an artist: writer, dancer, vocalist, thespian & (amateur) photographer. I’ve done a little modeling, too, and was accepted by Barbizon Modeling in the 1990s but declined their offer. As a little girl, I was fortunate to be exposed to a colorful variety of music, artwork, and cultures. A third-generation American, I’m a Latina, Lebanese girl that has always adored theatre arts, dance and music. So, it began with theatre, music/voice classes, choir, and endless dance lessons, year after year. I tried the piano, too, but enjoyed singing and dancing far more than sitting still in one place. Although, I wish I had mastered at least one instrument. Initially, I was accepted to SCAD to study Performing Arts. Halfway through my sophomore year, I switched my major to Writing. I went from a mediocre GPA to qualifying for the Dean’s List five quarters in a row. It showed on paper how much I loved writing! Which was interesting since I am dyslexic.

Internationally published in the United States and Europe, I’ve obtained 110+ publications thus far. For 17 years, I’ve interviewed an extensive list of talent and collaborated with companies, directors, and PR teams from The Hollywood Reporter, National Geographic Channel, Prevention Magazine, HBO Films, SXSW, The David Lynch Foundation, Cine Las Americas, The University of Texas at Austin and more. Presently, my portfolio entails 12 national awards or scholarships, including both individual and group projects. Obtaining two degrees from the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), I earned a Master of Arts degree in Arts Administration & a B.F.A. in Writing.

But yeah, I’ve loved performing arts and playing sports for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was always torn between the arts and athletics.  I would bounce back and forth between my two greatest loves. I played many sports, but swimming, volleyball, and dance were my favorites! My first swim team in Kindergarten was the Shavano Sharks, then West Austin Athletics, until my Master’s swim team in college at St. Stephen’s. When I finally had to choose in college, I chose the arts. A decision I do not regret; alas, it was one of the most challenging choices of my young adult life. I am still an athlete—that energy in my heart will never die. But art heals me and gives me a purpose in a way sports cannot. However, dance is a sport, too, not just a form of art. As an adult, I took belly dancing classes with Stacey Lizette and still love to dance with my finger cymbals!

It’s been a wild adventure since I devoted my heart to the arts. One of the most incredible moments of my career was in 2010 when my editors at WideWorld Magazine in London, UK, commissioned me to interview a photographer for National Geographic and a sponsored athlete for The North Face, Jimmy Chin. They flew me to Washington, DC, where I interviewed Chin before attending a banquet at National Geographic headquarters in his honor. In 2019, he won an Oscar for his Documentary, “Free Solo.” It’s amazing! This interview made me internationally published in the US and Europe, a massive step in my career. Plus, I’ve adored Nat Geo since childhood, and this was a dream come true. Mr. Chin was also very kind to me, and I remember that kindness because I was so new to the game and trying not to look or sound like a rookie. Another great day was when I got to interview Greta Gerwig on the red carpet at the Austin Film Festival about her “Lady Bird” film debut. The story was published in The Hollywood Reporter and IMDb.com. I could keep going with happy memories from freelance writing!

In hindsight, my career is diverse and transcends many industries, but the end goal is the arts. Customer service and communications are another big focus in my career as I’ve worked for companies like Nordstrom, Hotel Van Zandt (Kimpton/IHG) and Kendra Scott. I love to transcend industries and learn new skills like event planning, sales, marketing, design, and promotional publicity. I’m a great assistant, too, as I’m very organized and efficient. Alas, some companies see my desire for knowledge and change as flighty, like a butterfly, but I choose to see it: I’m adaptable to environments. I’m intelligent and skilled. And I bring excellence, kindness, and intellect to anything I set my mind to.

Lastly, I enjoy all forms of writing, but my favorite writing genres to create entail arts & entertainment, literary journalism, travel, magical realism, and nonfiction. I’m eager to rekindle my spot on stage or behind the camera! Lately, I’ve been recording music. But I have a lot of goals to achieve in the next ten years, personally and professionally. I’ve been doodling costume ideas for my voice and dance routines. Due to the pandemic and personal reasons, I’ve been quiet for the last few years, and I’m ready for some noise and to meet some new creative talent. It took me a long time to realize that it’s OK to be an introverted writer and an extroverted performing artist.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A good writer can have dyslexia. Unfortunately, there is a stigma: all dyslexic writers are destined to fail due to bad grammar and the inability to read or spell. This is a false narrative I had to rebuke. It took time and still does, considering most of society holds misguided views about dyslexia. And dyslexia doesn’t go away. Thus, my dubious and faulty grammar will follow me all my life. I wrote a story about it called “Dare to Dream with Dyslexia.”

A dyslexic writer is an oxymoron for most. Dyslexia is often associated with incompetence. It took many years, tears, and accolades to believe that I’m a writer. When it came to my writing, my confidence was intermittent and inconsistent for years. One day I felt good and knowledgeable. Another day I felt lousy, often depending on the company I kept. People can enjoy talking over me and correcting my grammar, even when they understand me. Finally, after living with dyslexia my whole life, I sought an Educational Diagnostician for an official diagnosis. I fall into the category of 2E dyslexia, which stands for twice-exceptional. According to the International Dyslexia Association, “Twice-exceptional or 2e is a term used to describe students who are both intellectually gifted (as determined by an accepted standardized assessment) and learning disabled, including students with dyslexia.” Statistics estimate that about 2-5% of the population has this form of dyslexia, maybe higher.

It’s funny because I taught myself the alphabet and how to read when I was three. With the use of Hooked on Phonics and the guidance of my parents: I was fully literate before elementary school. By the time I turned four, I was reading chapter books on my own. I asked my parents to go to the library for fun. The catchy slogan, “Hooked on Phonics worked for me!” is true. So, how can society deem someone like me as lacking intelligence when I taught myself how to read at the age of three? And yet, they do question my abilities. C’est la vie!

Flash forward to adulthood, a story I addressed in detail within my previous VoyageAustin interview. After years of success, suddenly, no company would tell me why I wasn’t selected for writing or editorial work. Each time I came in silver or bronze, I kept asking about each rejection so that I could work on the issue. But I kept getting ghosted, or sent an insincere PR note without explanation. All that time, writing samples I’d submitted to prospective employers for free—writings that took hours, days, or weeks to complete—and the editors or hiring managers didn’t even reply as to why I wasn’t hired—only a generic rejection letter.

I asked myself: Does that seem right to you, Mallow? Do you want to work for a company that asks for free work without the respect of a critique or an honest rejection? The answer is a bonafide, no. Finally, last summer, a hiring manager from a book publishing company told the recruiter to inform me. I was not selected because I made too many grammar errors for hire. Sadly, I’ve heard these words since the seventh grade: your grammar is lacking. Ain’t nothing new. I’m aware that people love to hate on my grammar. I simply didn’t know how to fix it. No one knew I was dyslexic, even me, till my AP English teacher in 11th grade. Until then, I was able to fool the system and myself into believing that I knew grammar.

Last summer, when I read the email from the recruiter about my grammar or lack thereof. For the first time during the interview process, especially since I had nothing to lose, I confessed my secret: I am dyslexic. To much surprise, the recruiter told me that dyslexia is a superpower and nothing to be ashamed of. She advised me to check out Grammarly, which I now pay for and utilize. The recruiter also advised me to be forthright with employers about dyslexia. In private, I cried because I was heard, seen, and acknowledged. And I thanked her for the kindness and professionalism. They asked if I wanted special accommodations, but I declined.

Ultimately, I’m grateful because now I can use Grammarly and overcome these challenges. Finally, I found some peace of mind and ease with Grammarly. Yes, the truth hurts to read. I’ve heard it for far too long. It’s disheartening that my grammar can overshadow my accolades. And it makes me sad for younger generations, the children, because what kind of message does that send out? “Kids, you can be anything you want to be, so long as you don’t have a learning disability.”

Fact: A good writer can have dyslexia. Unlike grammar, a heart and a voice cannot be taught in schools.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

To better support artists, creatives, and a thriving creative ecosystem–we can accept others’ uniqueness and oddities rather than rebuke them. Artists are different. Society often wants everyone to be the same because differences can make us uncomfortable, afraid, or insecure. In the animal world, we have many species, and each is created in its own design. Why does society often expect humans to all be the same? Artists are their own kind of breed. Accept us for who we are. And as we become more accepting of others, we become more accepting of ourselves. Love begets love. This idea of acceptance applies to my fellow artists as well because we need reminders to be open-minded, too.

We can also better support artists and creatives by showing monetary support. Buy a ticket to a movie, go to a live music show or donate to NPR. Share the wealth. Sadly, many corporate environments (outside the arts industries) claim they like to hire artists/creatives but do not and will not. Just like a lot of companies say they don’t discriminate because of age, gender, disability, etc., yet they do. Please be open-minded to change and give us a chance and hire more artists; those who work hard will impress you with our creative thinking, work ethic and visionary ideas. We have far more skills than paintbrushes, music and drawings. Let us showcase your companies!

Meet Nicolette Mallow

Voyage Austin Interview

Leave a comment
Imagery from VoyageAustin Magazine. Photography of Nicolette Mallow taken by Vivian’s Muse.

Last December, I received a note from an editorial team to inquire if I wanted to partake in a literary project called the “Inspiring Stories” series published by VoyageAustin Magazine. For the first time in 16 years, someone else interviewed me. It was so exciting since no one had ever asked in detail about my artistic journey. People usually only inquire about my writing career and forget about my performing arts history. I’ve conducted hundreds upon hundreds of interviews, but as far as I can recall. VoyageAustin Magazine was my first non-work-related interview where I was the subject matter instead of the interviewer. Perhaps on a few occasions, like at The University of Texas at Austin. I spoke on behalf of the company. But this was the first time anyone interviewed me. http://voyageaustin.com/interview/check-nicolette-mallows-story/

Hi Nicolette, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

My writing career began in 2005 at Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD). I joined the District, an award-winning student newspaper, and started to get published in my undergraduate program. After graduation, I left Georgia to begin an internship with the Editorial department at Texas Monthly magazine in ATX. Then I was hired as a contract employee to work in their Custom Publishing department for a different magazine. I wrote three stories for the Texas Monthly website and that was exciting! SCAD and Texas Monthly are the launchpads of my professional journey as a writer. 

Internationally published in the United States and Europe, I’ve obtained 110+ publications thus far, and counting. For 16 years, I’ve interviewed an extensive list of talent and collaborated with companies, directors, and PR teams from The Hollywood Reporter, National Geographic Channel, Prevention Magazine, HBO Films, SXSW, The David Lynch Foundation, Cine Las Americas, The University of Texas at Austin and more. Presently, my portfolio entails 12 national awards or scholarships, including both individual and group projects. Obtaining two degrees from the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), I earned a Master of Arts degree in Arts Administration and a B.F.A. in Writing. But, writing is just one of the art forms I enjoy creating. 

From childhood until college, I focused primarily on performing arts. Born and raised in Texas and NYC—I’m an artist: writer, dancer, vocalist, thespian, model & (amateur) photographer. As a little girl, I was fortunate to be exposed to a colorful variety of music, artwork, and a beautiful array of cultures. A third-generation American, I’m a Latina, Lebanese girl that has always adored theatre arts, dance and music. 

Even at three years old, I knew I wanted to be a bellydancer after seeing the dancers and their costumes. My mummy says I ran to her at Disney in Orlando and declared, “I’m going to dance like that someday, too!” A year later, when I was four, my family took me to see The Nutcracker. Immediately, I was hooked. I needed to be part of the action on stage. I needed to dance! That desire only became more intense after seeing Phantom of the Opera at The Majestic Theater. Then, I wanted to be a vocalist, too. The makeup, the lights, the costumes and the music were hypnotic to me.

Anytime I saw a film, concert, or music video that inspired and enticed me. I wanted to be in it. Life just seemed so much more enthralling within the art world. And it is, for me. Tantalized by theatre arts and the world of music, beginning in pre-K and throughout elementary school, I partook in ballet classes. I attended music and voice lessons at the Jewish Community Center, even though I’m not Jewish. I was also part of our church choir. We showcased big theatrical productions in the winter and spring, as well as hymns every Sunday. 

When I got to middle school, I hid myself away artistically, at first, overwhelmed by the culture shock and the harsh adjustment from San Antonio to Lake Travis. In private, I auditioned for Barbizon Modeling and was accepted. In private, I kept singing and dancing. But I chose to focus on volleyball, swimming and academics, instead. In high school, I came out of my shell, once again. After I quit competitive volleyball and stopped swimming at West Austin Athletics, I re-focused my energy on performing arts. I became an Honor Thespian. And I think my favorite production we showcased was Daddy’s Dyin’ Who’s Got the Will? and I got to play Marlene Turnover. 

So, it began with theatres, classes and choirs, year after year. I tried the piano, too, but enjoyed singing and dancing far more than sitting still in one place. Although, I wish I had mastered at least one instrument. Anyway, I grew up in a house of musicians and artists. I am very fortunate to have grown up with such gifted, talented and intelligent individuals. I could go on and on with praise about each member of my family. 

But yeah, as long as I can remember, I’ve loved the performing arts and playing sports. As a kid, I was always torn between the arts and athletics. My first swim team in Kindergarten was the Shavano Sharks, up until my Master’s swim team in college at St. Stephen’s. I would bounce back and forth between my two greatest loves. In college, when I finally had to choose, I chose the arts. A decision I do not regret; alas, it was one of the most challenging choices of my young adult life. True, I am still an athlete—that energy in my heart will never die—but my career and my greatest passions lie within the art world. Art heals me and gives me a purpose in a way sports cannot. However, dance is a sport, too, not just a form of art. Regardless, it’s been a wild adventure ever since I devoted my life to the arts.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

I laughed when I read this question. No, it has most certainly not been a smooth road, and it still isn’t, especially with COVID-19. Artists all over the world can relate to this struggle. First, the most obvious challenge is that I’m a dyslexic writer, an oxymoron. It took many years, tears, and many successes for me to fully believe: I’m a writer. When it came to my writing, my confidence was intermittent, inconsistent. Even if I always knew from birth, I’m an artist and an athlete. I used to doubt my writing skills. 

Writers are supposed to be flawless at grammar. My dyslexia was and is a constant challenge. For decades, there has been a harsh stigma about dyslexia: if you have dyslexia, you must be incompetent, which is far from the truth. Earlier this year, I saw an article with a video featuring a dyslexic woman, Laura Schifter, that graduated from Harvard. She spoke of her struggles with dyslexia. Right before she attended Ivy League Harvard, an older man said something to Schifter: “Well, if you’re going to Harvard, then you must not have dyslexia.” Oy! It was hard to watch, but she talks about the brutal comments and the misinformed judgments many people hold towards dyslexia. 

For years, I kept my dyslexia a secret from employers. I was advised that no one wants to hire a dyslexic writer. It was implied most editors see a dyslexic writer like a deaf musician, a colorblind photographer, or a one-legged runner. I heard from other professionals that employers see a writer like me as too much work. It’s unfair, it’s wrong, and it’s saddening—but it’s the harsh truth. So I kept my dyslexia secret, which ended up hurting me in the end. Sometimes, I still get hate mail from a reader like, “You should learn to improve your grammar if you consider yourself a writer.” Or people will stop to correct me, mid-sentence, while I’m talking. I’m often treated as incompetent by insensitive people. But, I do not see myself as disabled or having a disability. Regardless, I am blithely aware that my grammar is a bit more “colorful” than most professional writers. 

Thinking back on it, I was always writing. I even had some of my little chapter books laminated. My first research paper for this gifted and talented program was about Ramses II (Ramses The Great). Obviously, I had assistance from my parents, but I still picked the topic, read about it, and put together the project. I’ve always loved reading and writing! And no one should be able to take that away because I’m dyslexic. It makes me sad for younger generations, the children, because what kind of message does that send out. “Kids, you can be anything you want to be, so long as you don’t have a learning disability.” 

It’s funny because I learned to read at the age of three using Hooked on Phonics. So I was already reading chapter books on my own before I even got to elementary school. When I read books, I felt like I was entering this other world of daydreams and imagination. Writing, the written word, was a safe place to have a voice of my own. I loved my diaries! Art is a healthy escape for me from the real world. Through artwork, I can create, express, or alter my reality; convey my mind, heart, and soul in a safe place: light or dark. 

Sometimes it can be frustrating to create art when your mind gets the words, times, and tenses all mixed up. I advise reading aloud, helps you with pronunciation for public speaking, and catch errors or issues with chronological time waves. I hate it when I jump around from the first person to the third person in my diction. The worst! 

Nevertheless, I still struggle between writer versus performing artist: introvert versus extrovert. Initially, I was accepted to Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) to study Media & Performing Arts in my undergraduate program. In my sophomore year, I switched my B.F.A. to Writing and was amongst the first crew of SCAD Writing students to ever complete the program. I recall the exact moment I knew I’d become weary of performing arts. I remember the class and the assignment. Up until then, I loved being on stage! I loved being in the spotlight. I loved role-playing. And I was so thrilled to be centerstage: all eyes on me! 

I was always on a euphoric high each time we began something new. Suddenly, to much surprise, I dreaded playing someone else. I dreaded memorizing someone else’s lines and someone else’s voice. Because I didn’t know my voice. I felt like I’d been roleplaying my whole life and had no idea who I was. I didn’t want to wear a costume anymore. Suddenly, I didn’t want to be the center of attention. I wasn’t as extroverted any more. That’s a long story, too. 

Ultimately, writing helped me rediscover my voice and identity. Writing reminded me of my role in life. Writing helped me begin to heal from any secrets I was harboring. I could rewrite the story or not, but I had the control to make it fact or fiction. After college, I got back into dance and learned belly dancing through Stacey Lizette and Suhaila Salimpour. I performed at restaurants, nightclubs, and parties. Then I got into my Master’s, and I haven’t been on stage in a few years to sing or dance. Not including karaoke. I’ve hidden away, once again, for good and bad reasons. Of course, now I miss being on stage. So, I need to find that perfect ambivert balance of writer and performance artist.

Due to COVID, I’ll probably go digital until the pandemic clears. I do my best to keep my professional writing career separate from my performing arts interests and my nonfiction memoirs. I want employers to see the distinction and that the two are not intertwined. However, I’ve discovered that some employers dislike my modeling and dancing career. They think it’s too sexy or salacious, which saddens me because I’ve never been fired from a single job, and my credentials are pretty solid for my age. Thankfully, many employers do not feel that way and love having artists and creative types onboard. Who I am at the workplace is not who I am on stage or in a photoshoot. We all wear different masks and different costumes at work. I am grateful to everyone that believed in me along the way. I have so much work to do in the future. I am still far from where I need to be. But I am on the road. Books are my next goal.

So let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

One of the proudest moments of my career is when my editors at WideWorld Magazine in London, UK, commissioned me to interview a photographer for National Geographic and a sponsored athlete for The North Face, Jimmy Chin. They flew me out to Washington DC, where I interviewed Chin at The Madison Hotel before attending a banquet at National Geographic headquarters in his honor. The interviews were published in 2010. In 2019, he won an Oscar for his Documentary, Free Solo. It’s amazing! 

This interview made me internationally published in the US and Europe, a massive step for me in my career. Plus, I’ve adored Nat Geo since I was a child, and this was a dream come true. Mr. Chin was also very kind to me, and I remember that kindness because I was so new to the game and trying not to look or sound like a rookie.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?

Well, I’ve learned the hard way that not everyone is eager to help you. Especially if they’re competing for the same goal, you might find cold comfort from those who want to see you fail. Even if they like you, they might be disinterested in assisting you on your journey. And you may never know why. So, I advise going where you’re wanted and trusting your instincts. My advice is to seek mentorship from someone that is smarter than you, possibly older and wiser, but definitely more advanced in their career. You should not be competing with a mentor. You need someone to look up to. Seek out the “angels” of the art world that want to help aspiring artists. People that love and adore the arts and see their value. Also, be sure to remain open-minded to constructive criticism. Negative enforcement is not healthy, and you will know it when you hear it, feel it… Artists can get a little egotistical and hypersensitive when it comes to their craft, and rightfully so. But it’s imperative to be able to take advice from others that hold your best interests. 

Contact Info:


Stories from Texas Monthly

Leave a comment

Art in the time of COVID-19, it’s proven to be a quiet year for many artists, myself included. Sadly, the coronavirus is still rampaging the world and it will be sometime before things return to normal. (A word I try not to use.) During this quarantine, I realized that my Texas Monthly publications from 2009/2010 never made it to my business website. I have all three listed under publications with a link to Texas Monthly’s website, but I’d yet to repost. So, here they are for reading pleasure. Enjoy!

“The Illusionist”− Vol. 38 Issue No. 2

Born and raised along the Texas Gulf Coast, Damian Priour has a special affinity for water. And in his artwork, he uses glass to portray it. For more than thirty years, he has crafted beautiful sculptures made of limestone, metal, wood, bronze, and glass. Imagine water being trapped inside two pieces of glass, sometimes even dozens of pieces of glass. Priour either hand carves or sand blasts the glass, working to make it resemble water. Oftentimes by using different textures, shapes, and tricks, he creates the illusion that there is water inside the glass.

Fifty of Priour’s pieces were recently on display at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum in Austin. And while a majority of them depicted the water in diverse shades, hues, and tones of blue, many proved quite colorful and lively (think green, periwinkle, emerald, orange, lavender, and red). Most impressive was the way the sun hit Priour’s sculptures, light bouncing and absorbing. There were quite large pieces, some even twenty feet high, and others that could fit in the palm of a small hand. “Childhood Dreams” was a horse made of 24 to 26 pieces of thin-yet-sturdy pieces of blue glass and tilted wooden sticks. Other notables included a nineteen-foot-high arched doorway, a dragon, giant spheres, shadow boxes, and thronelike chairs.

“Water sparks my imagination, my memories,” wrote Priour. “Water sparks my ability to go places that only exist in my imagination … Water sparks wonder at life. Water sparks curiosity about death. Water sparks.“ Priour’s work has been exhibited across the United States and in Canada, Japan, and Germany. Many of his pieces are in private collections, public spaces, and local churches throughout Texas, Arizona, Florida, and California. For more information, go to damianpriour.com.

“Paper Trail” – Vol. 37 Issue 6

At a glance, Shou Ping Newcomb’s artwork appears flat and two dimensional, like a colorful still life. At some angles it resembles origami. But as you step closer to the picture frames, the fragility and detail of the paper art comes into focus, and you can clearly recognize that the art is three dimensional, mini paper sculptures of flowers, fish, hummingbirds, swans, plants, pueblos, hearts.

Shou Ping Newcomb, who was born and raised in Taiwan, started out as a cartoonist, a commercial artist, and an art teacher before moving in the nineties to the United States, where she was inspired by the landscape. Her artwork began to revolve around her love for her ecological surroundings and the splendor of the natural world. And so it is a natural fit for her work to be on display at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, in Austin, through May 31. The center, founded by the late first lady, is a testament to nature’s beauty, with a pond, wild fauna, outdoor sculpture, hiking trails, and a butterfly area.

After wandering the trails, step inside the McDermott Learning Center, where on the wall is a story by Shou Ping’s daughter Wendy describing the artist as a “paper magician with her enchanted scissors and magical brushes.” And that is how Shou Ping interprets nature—through paper, scissors, watercolors, and time. In this exhibit, Shou Ping pays homage to both Asian and Texan cultures—orchids, wildflowers, ginger lilies, magnolias, banana trees, hummingbirds, cacti, butterflies. Up close, the little pieces of her work begin to pop out: the petals of a bluebonnet, the scales of a koi. Within each piece, Shou Ping’s love of nature shines through. See for yourself.

“Toy Story” – Vol. 38 Issue No. 1

Got some last-minute holiday shopping to do? Well, remember that toys aren’t just for kids. This December we discovered three local toy stores around Austin that are unique in appearance and in merchandise. From a Magic Garden crystal kit to a plastic replica of R2D2 to stained-glass coloring books, the diverse offerings at these shops proved suitable for almost every age. In fact, we were so taken with all the fun items, that we couldn’t help ourselves and ended up buying three pocket-size metal music boxes that each play a different song. (My favorite was “Michelle” by The Beatles.) Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find. Get your wallet ready.

Terra Toys

At this spot that screams family friendly you’ll find everything from antique robots and magic kits to dinosaurs and wooden train sets. There is a variety of educational toys, including Zoob and Bilibo, and classics as well (think Madame Alexander dolls). We found ourselves drawn to the ultra-cool chemistry sets, action figures, solar system sets, and memory games. Never fear, there are lots of girlie-girl items too. The store is somewhat organized by category and has plenty of room to play. In fact, one of the sayings is, “If you can’t play with it, why bother?” Take your goodies home in white bags decorated by local kids and families. 2438 W. Anderson Ln (512-445-4489). http://www.terratoys.com

Toy Joy

Even if you aren’t in the market for toy, you must stop by this colorful spot near the University of Texas campus. This store has it all: peacock purses, Hello Kitty items, tinker toys, makeup kits, clothes, stationery, robots, sea monkeys, moleskin leather journals, music boxes, ancient Egyptian kits, 3D animal skeletons, ant farms, board games, Asian lanterns, coloring books, alphabet blocks, looming kits, and more. Custom gift wrapping is available. 2900 Guadalupe (512-320-0090). http://www.toyjoy.com

Anna’s Toy Depot

This is the spot to find classic, antique, or gently used toys. Anna’s specializes in selling and trading toys, so you can find just about anything you want here: doll houses, musical toys, action figures, stuffed animals, dinosaurs, kaleidoscopes, tray puzzles, dominoes, kitchen sets, Nerf bats, costumes, masks, cartoon memorabilia, rubber snakes and spiders, cars, airplanes, kites, puppets, books, puzzles, Legos, mosaics, tea sets, and more. In addition to the great selection of inventory, the prices are right too. 2620 South Lamar Blvd (512-447-8697). http://www.annastoydepot.com

El Amor en Tiempos de Coronavirus

Leave a comment

Fotografía de Nicolette Mallow. Pasaporte de Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1969-1976.

As the COVID-19 quarantine began all over the globe, I knew the world news would be flooding, a swarm with coronavirus headlines, stories, and coronavirus-inspired artwork. I also thought of Gabriel García Márquez and his beloved book “Love in the Time of Cholera.” There is only one Márquez, just like there can only be one Detective Poirot, and I didn’t feel qualified to write about Love in the Time of Coronavirus. For weeks, during this time of social distancing, I waited for someone else to publish a play on Márquez’s words. I just knew someone else would and the story would go viral. So I waited. And I was delighted to read a story in The New York Times by Rodrigo Garcia, Marquez’s son. Rodrigo Garcia titled the piece “A Letter to My Father, Gabriel García Márquez.” How perfect that his son wrote a letter to Márquez about love in the time of coronavirus!

Márquez is one of my favorite writers, and this book “El Amor en Tiempos de Cólera” (Love in the Time of Cholera) holds one of my most beloved quotes ever written. Because of Márquez, I started to adore the genre magical realism, a genre Marquez created by accident. Simply because the words flowed from his imagination onto paper. How could I, and millions of other Márquez lovers, not think of the word—Love in the time of Coronavirus—during this strange, obscure and melancholy time of life?

Headline from Rodrigo Garcia’s story in The New York Times.

The letter written by Garcia to Gabo (his father) was fascinating, like listening to a private conversation between father and son, artist to artist. Garcia’s voice and the imagery as he spoke to his father beyond the grave were endearing, and you can see Márquez’s influence in his writing. Yet, Garcia holds his own voice, too, so it’s interesting to see the two styles. It’s a beautiful, evocative tribute to his father since Rodrigo Garcia knew Márquez at heart and not just through the pages like I did. True, Márquez spoke to all our hearts, the readers, the lovers of magical realism. But Rodrigo Garcia spent decades growing up with him and knowing details that we didn’t. For instance, in his letter, Garcia mentions his father’s greatest fear, something that Marquez dreaded when he was alive: loneliness. You must read it all, but I believe my favorite quote is this.

“I think that if you were here now, you would, as always, be enthralled by man. The term “man” is not much in use that way anymore, but I’ll make an exception not as a nod to the patriarchy, which you detested, but because it will echo in the ears of the young man and aspiring writer you once were, with more sensibility and ideas in your head than you knew what to do with, and with a strong sense that destinies are written, even for a creature in God’s image and cursed with free will. You would pity our frailty; you would marvel at our interconnectedness, be saddened by the suffering, enraged by the callousness of some of the leaders and moved by the heroism of people on the front lines. And you would be eager to hear how lovers were braving every obstacle, including the risk of death, to be together. Most of all, you would be as endeared to humans as you ever were.” – Rodrigo Garcia

My favorite line of that paragraph is when Garcia mentions lovers braving death in coronavirus: Márquez was a die-hard romantic! He had a love for life and an even deeper appreciation for love… A few years ago, I wrote a publication for Examiner.com about an art exhibition at The University of Texas at Austin regarding Marquez.

Born the year of 1927 in Colombia, Gabriel Garcia Marquez died of pneumonia in Mexico City circa 2014. A great artist was lost that day. The New York Times ran an article soon after the writer passed that read, “Mr. García Márquez, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982, wrote fiction rooted in a mythical Latin American landscape of his own creation, but his appeal was universal. His books were translated into dozens of languages. He was among a select roster of canonical writers — Dickens, Tolstoy and Hemingway among them — who were embraced both by critics and by a mass audience. Mr. García Márquez was a master of the literary genre known as magical realism, in which the miraculous and the real converge. In his novels and stories, storms rage for years, flowers drift from the skies, tyrants survive for centuries, priests levitate and corpses fail to decompose. And, more plausibly, lovers rekindle their passion after a half-century apart.”

Gabriel Garcia Marquez was a magical realism writer that created words of mysticism, beauty, love and tragedy. Marquez, also known as Gabo, had an eternal voice that was so unique it created its own writing genre. Marquez takes readers to another dimension within reality, like magic, and he can evoke heartfelt emotions that linger like the smell of fine perfume in the air, or a tender kiss on the skin.

nicolette mallow
Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s typewriter: Smith-Corona 250.

And now for one of my favorite quotes of all-time from his novel “El Amor en Tiempos de Cólera” (Love in the Time of Cholera).

“Así termino pensando en él como nunca se hubiera imaginado que se podía pensar en alguien, presintiéndolo donde no estaba, deseándolo donde no podía estar, despertando de pronto con la sensación física de que él la contemplaba en la oscuridad mientras dormía, de modo que la tarde en que sintió sus pasos resueltos sobre el reguero de hojas amarillas en el parquecito, le costó trabajo creer que no fuera burla de su fantasía.”

English Translation: “And so she thought about him as she never could have imagined thinking about anyone, having premonitions that he would be where he was not, wanting him to be where he could not be, awakening with a start, with the physical sensation that he was looking at her in the darkness while she slept, so that on the afternoon when she heard his resolute steps on the yellow leaves in the little park it was difficult for her not to think this was yet another trick of her imagination.”

– Gabriel García Márquez

Screenshot from the original publication on Examiner.com.

Shakira & Jennifer Lopez shined bright at NFL Super Bowl 2020 in Miami

Leave a comment

Feb. 3, 2020 –Shakira and Jennifer Lopez were hotter than the summer heat in Vegas at The NFL’s Super Bowl LIV Halftime show. The two Latinas made headlines today with their saucy, sexy and salacious performance at Super Bowl LIV in Miami, Florida. Normally, I would not pick two pop stars to write about in a punk, metal, rock n roll zine like Rank & Revue – but our Editor is a huge football fan – and I’m a Latina, Lebanese girl and an artist that’s a huge fan of these two ladies. For decades, I’ve been following Shakira and J.Lo’s careers and mimicking their moves when I dance. I was addicted to watching Jennifer Lopez’s music videos before school in 8th grade. [I also danced to Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill and Ace of Base in the mornings.]

At the end of the show, I really smiled from the heart when Shakira was in gold and J.Lo was wearing silver, and they were holding hands, uplifting and complimenting each other, looking incredibly happy and vivacious. Clearly living out their dreams to the fullest. Silver and gold were colors of royalty, and I liked the way the girls ended the show together, hand in hand, rather than looking like a subtle competition for time and publicity. Each woman had a unique time to shine and relive the classic songs that made them famous. They showcased their unique dance styles. Then, the two passed the baton onto a younger generation as Jennifer Lopez’s daughter, Emme Maribel Muñiz, sang at the end while her mother danced and Shakira played the drums. There was a wide range of ages and generations performing on stage, which made me happy: to see beauty thriving at any age and how all women can be beautiful and powerful, especially in numbers, no matter your age. [Beyonce does an excellent job of showcasing black girl magic when she performs in masses, too!] So often, society is so shallow, and we idolize the youth like Greek gods and demonize women past a certain age. Seeing these women excelling and rocking it at ages 43 and 50 gives hope to all ladies that we aren’t just getting older, we’re getting better and stronger with age, like scotch. Although I doubt either of these women imbibe alcohol with abs like that. Dios mio!

Most of the coverage has been positive, but there has been quite the uproar amongst viewers and alike regarding their provocative dancing and clothing. Some of those NFL cheerleaders are wearing uniforms with a lot less coverage and a lot more makeup than what Shakira and J.Lo had on. And I’ve seen some of the cheerleaders’ dance routines, which can be pretty risqué, even at college games. Honestly, I don’t know why anyone that’s seen an NFL game is shocked by what they saw at Super Bowl 2020. Do you have to like it? No. But please don’t act surprised that sexuality has made its way into men’s professional football. We aren’t at church. Plus, male artists have performed shirtless at the Super Bowl, so, why the inequality and scrutiny towards female artists? Secondly, the NFL asked two Latina entertainers to perform the show. They didn’t ask a balloon artist, a magician, or a group of older jazz players in suits. They asked Shakira and Jennifer Lopez to perform. And these two ladies brought live entertainment. 

At our best, Latinas are a passionate, sexual, tantalizing and evocative group of females with mystical powers. No one should be surprised that two superstars like Jennifer Lopez and Shakira turned heads and seduced the crowd with their beauty, style, athleticism and artistic talent. The photo provided by Pepsi promoting the show was a bombshell of sex appeal, clearly letting the audience know: this will be provocative, times two.

Furthermore, belly dancing is hard. I would know because I am a belly dancer and have performed on stage at nightclubs. What Shakira is doing is hard work, and it’s more than just a few sexy hip thrusts: she’s showcasing cultural art, dance and music. She isolates parts of her body and her muscles to move each section, sometimes in a fluid and constant motion. I remembered years ago, one of my gay guy friends sent me a video of Shakira coming down the pole in her video “Rabiosa” with Pitbull and said, “this reminds me of you”. An ex of mine got jealous about it, which was absurd. True, the pole dancing by J.Lo in Super Bowl 2020 was pushing it a bit, considering kids were watching this event, but that is also a challenging dance form that requires strength. It’s not just for strippers, pole dancing is a great core exercise and can really make someone feel sexy and empowered. Even if you pole dance in private at home.

Ultimately, no matter where you stand on sexuality, it shouldn’t be a shock, especially since J.Lo was nominated for her role in the film “Hustlers”. Which featured a dance routine with her on the pole wearing not very much at all. Believe me, when I say, she toned it down for the Super Bowl. Mind you, I did notice there were a lot of spread-eagles and close-ups of intimate lady parts and was rather graphic. [Remember in the film “Chicago”? Catherine Zeta-Jones caught her husband and her sister doing the spread-eagle?] Either way, I noticed that Shakira and J.Lo’s dance routines and their performances were dripping with sexuality, perhaps many didn’t appreciate the sex factor. Again, why are so many people shocked? This isn’t anything new for either entertainer or The National Football League.

Today, my boyfriend played sports radio, and three men talked about the Super Bowl Halftime show. Listening to three straight Southern men speak about the performance was amusing, cringe-worthy, depressing and cliché. I love men’s sports talk! But this was quite silly to waste this much air-time on gossip. Instead of talking about the costumes, hair, makeup, and fantastic dancing or their successful careers; the focus was on the women’s sexiness, appearances, and ages. The men talked about how Shakira had an outer belly button, and “usually” that’s not sexy, but she pulled it off. One guy talked about how Jennifer was too old to be dancing like that, and so was Shakira. Other men defended the ladies right to entertain, which I appreciated.

Although I did understand some concerns from one man, speaking as a parent, because little girls are looking up to these women and we’re already under so much pressure to be sex objects. Sadly, us ladies are damned if we do and damned if we don’t. We get treated like sex objects, no matter what. We are too sexy, not sexy enough, too young or too old, too skinny, or too fat. Too confident or too submissive. It’s always something. Aesthetically, we can’t please every man, and it’s not our job to do so. It’s exhausting how women are still expected to smile and ‘be ladylike’ and never be too pushy or look like a bitch. It’s merely impossible for girls to please everyone. So, I think the message is clear, and just like Rihanna and Madonna said, we should “shine bright like a diamond!” and be “unapologetically ourselves.” J.Lo and Shakira give so much back to the community. Why didn’t the men talk about the fact Jennifer Lopez has an estimated net worth of $400 million, and Shakira has an estimated net worth of $300 million? Hips don’t lie. How about numbers don’t lie. These women are two fiery powerhouses that know how to make money, create a brand, and flourish in a man’s world.

The first thing I said to my boyfriend, Steven Mark, after we saw the Halftime show, “I loved their costumes! I want every single one for me!” Because anyone that adores fashion knows that J.Lo’s handmade Versace and Swarovski clothes were to die for! I wanted to do a photoshoot in it and I can just imagine all the people around the world about to mimic these iconic looks. Already, a local dance studio here in town is offering Super Bowl Half Time classes for dancers to replicate the routines. All in all, it was an unforgettable performance that reminded me of Las Vegas.

¡Gracias chicas! Your hard work has paid off. ¡Viva Latinas!

“There is a rose in Spanish Harlem
A red rose up in Spanish Harlem
It is a special one, it’s never seen the sun
It only comes out when the moon is on the run
And all the stars are gleaming
It’s growing in the street right up through the concrete
But soft and sweet and dreaming

There is a rose in Spanish Harlem
A red rose up in Spanish Harlem
With eyes as black as coal
That look down in my soul
And starts a fire there
And then I lose control
I have to beg your pardon. I’m going to pick that rose
And watch her as she grows in my garden.”

– Ben E. King

Note: This story was published on Rank & Revue, 2020 issue. 

Pt 2. Interview: James White & the Broken Spoke

Leave a comment

Photo of George Straight provided by Broken Spoke.

On May 1, 2019 —For the second year in a row, I interviewed James White at the Broken Spoke sitting at table B2 next to a replica of Willie Nelson’s guitar, Trigger. The same booth where Willie Nelson and his wife, Annie, used to dine in decades past. Coincidentally, one year ago, I interviewed Mr. White on the exact same day. I just so happen to notice this coincidence whilst uploading the audio files post-interview. Last year, the story was published in a local rock-n-roll zine in ATX and I titled it “James White talks 54 years at the Broken Spoke“. The first interview was a bird’s eye view of the last 54 years. Audio from the interview in 2018 is available to hear Mr. White talked to me about his quest, the dream of opening a honky-tonk and meeting his wife and falling in love with Annetta. He told me about the volunteers who made the building by hand, one of which was a man so drunk he fell off the roof. The first time they booked Willie Nelson back in 1967. Back when Willie wore short hair, clean-shaven, and wore either a turtle neck, a vest or a sports coat. White told me about the time Dolly Parton came to film “Wild Texas Nights” in the eighties. He told me about the film “Broken Arrow” featuring Jimmy Stewart and how it inspired him to name the Broken Spoke after it. The time Rowdy almost got shot by a police officer when someone stole his father’s silver saddle that is now kept in a glass case.

“A lot of people, you know, they ask me, why did you go into this kind of business? All the way down to my childhood, my parents would take me to different dance halls in this area, and that’s where I got the love of country music in my veins. When I was in the Army, I didn’t know what I was going to do when I got out of the Army. So I thought it would be kind of neat to open up a place of my own, similar to the places when I was growing up in Austin. It just became like a quest of mine the day I left the Army. And when I came out under the big ole oak tree out front (on South Lamar), I just kind of visualized a place like no other and when I got it built: I named it the Broken Spoke. The reason I thought up that name, I wanted something original. I wanted something country, I wanted something western. Texas style”.

– James White

Over the decades, Mr. White has become friends with the likes of Willie Nelson, Alvin Crow, George Strait, Garth Brooks, and the list goes on and on like a jukebox with endless vinyl’s to play. Thankfully, the Broken Spoke isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, their business is booming right now! This recent kaboom is due to a delightful visit from one of Texas’ most adored and esteemed country western musicians: George Strait.

Last winter, during a daytime walk, I noticed an entourage outside of the Broken Spoke and became very curious. True, I see photoshoots and video crews outside the building all the time. People travel from all over to photograph and film this beloved Texas classic. However, this was a larger than usual crew of people. A few nights later, Steven Mark and I trailed in for a few libations. At which point, Mr. White informed my boyfriend and I that the infamous King of Country, the one and only George Strait was at the Broken Spoke for his latest album Honky Tonk Time Machine.

Universal Records and Spotify came out to film and photograph George Strait at the Spoke and interview Mr. White. On the one hand, I was stunned that George Strait came back to the Broken Spoke for a photoshoot — the mere idea George Strait was in my hometown at a local bar right around the corner was mystifying. I’ve never seen him in person. Strait is a cowboy I’ve heard singing to me all my life through radios, stereos and televisions. All my life, his face has been all over Texas and the south, and yet, he has no bloody clue who I am. And yet, here, Mr. White is just hanging out casually with a long time friend. So, on the other hand—I was not stunned or shocked—it’s just another sunny day in the colorful story of Mr. White, his family and life at the Broken Spoke.

“You can find a chisel, I can find a stone. Folks will be reading these words, long after we’re gone. Baby, write this down, take a little note, to remind you in case you didn’t know. Tell yourself I love you and I don’t want you to go, write this down. Take my words, read ’em every day, keep ’em close by, don’t you let ’em fade away. So you’ll remember what I forgot to say, write this down.”

– George Strait

Back in the late ’70s and early ’80s, James White booked George Strait for seven years. At the time, Strait was a part of a band near San Marcos called Ace in the Hole. Once he became more and more famous, the booking fees outgrew the Broken Spoke. Decades later, true to Texas form, Mr. Strait never forgot his roots and returned to the honky-tonk dance hall in Austin. George Strait also brought his wife, Norma, and his driver, Leroy. Weeks later, Broken Spoke was featured on the front cover of George Strait’s latest album, “Honky Tonk Time Machine.” The album was released on Feb. 11, 2019. Later on, when George Strait performed at the 2019 Academy of Country Music Awards in April. The backdrop featured a photo of the Broken Spoke and by the graphic effects, it almost looked as if they were playing outside the building. The bright colors of the Texas flag blowing in the wind against the woodwork, the wagon wheels and the honky-tonk dance hall. This is excellent publicity for the Broken Spoke! Ever since more visitors from all over are flocking to the Broken Spoke. Which is fantastic news because the city of Austin treasures the local hotspots and it’s comforting to know business is alive and well at the Spoke. I liked hearing James White tell the story about when he finally informed George Strait about the ladies’ bathroom Annetta adorned with his cowboy pictures. Strait was very flattered and had a real good sense of humor about it. I was told he even kissed Annetta on the cheek!

With only five cases of beer to sell, James White opened the Broken Spoke in 1964. After he was released from the U.S. Army at the age of 25 – Mr. White decided to pursue the quest, his dream, of opening a honky-tonk in Austin, Texas, to feature live country music and a dance hall. In the beginning, Broken Spoke was a local roadhouse where beer cost .25 cents a bottle and customers could get ice and a soft drink for .30 cents to chase down their liquor. Back in those days, before the peak of craft cocktails, people could bring their own liquor bottles to the bar in Texas. Now in 2019, over 55 years later, Broken Spoke has become a worldwide famous dance hall with a full bar and restaurant. By the late ’80s, the Broken Spoke started to gain more and more fame. Featured in Texas Highways magazine, The Food Network, The New York Times, Nat Geo Traveler, CBS News, Texas Monthly, The Smithsonian and more; Broken Spoke is a historical landmark. The Broken Spoke is owned and operated by James and Annetta White. The two met at a dance hall in 1961 when she caught his eye. Married for 52 years and counting, Annetta and her husband have worked together for decades to keep the Broken Spoke running successfully. Amongst her many contributions to the Broken Spoke, I discovered that Annetta is the one responsible for the George Strait photographs covering the women’s bathroom, giving the ladies room some cowboy vibes. For which, I am grateful.

“I ain’t got a dime, but what I got is mine. I ain’t rich, but Lord I’m free. Amarillo by mornin’. Amarillo’s where I’ll be”.

– George Strait

Days before meeting Mr. White for a second interview, I felt anxious. Over the last 14 years, I’ve conducted hundreds of interviews. But I still got intimidated before interviewing James White. Even though the first interview went very well and the story was appreciated – even though I had no reason to feel anxiety because Mr. White and his entire family have been so friendly to me. Secretly, I still felt intimidated like, “What in the world am I going to ask this man that another writer hasn’t already inquired about? Is my story going to be any good at all? Where do I even start the second interview? How do I condense so much history into a few pages?” Instead of delving into my self-doubt as a Texan, I chose to chase the story. And I am glad I did.

Mr. James White is one of the kindest and most down-to-earth individuals I’ve ever interviewed. Out of all the celebrities, artists, and entrepreneurs I’ve interviewed over the last 14 years – the White family will always linger fondly in my memory for making me feel welcomed. Not everyone I interview is kind or humble, and the kindness is forever permeated into my brain. In a way, the Broken Spoke now feels like it’s become part of my own Texas history, too. I can understand wholeheartedly why people have coined the Broken Spoke as “the country-western version of Cheers.”

During the second interview, late that morning, there was some commotion in the background—people looking for a key to the walk-in freezer. Beer shipments had arrived and the freezer was locked. Throughout the interview, you can hear people coming and going, including one of his daughters, Terri White. She teaches dance lessons at the Broken Spoke. Terri was kind enough to bring me some fried okra she’d just cooked in the kitchen. Walking over to table B2, she asked me if I wanted a bite. I said yes and took only one piece, as not to feel greedy. I guess she read my mind because she reached into the basket and placed a handful of okra onto the table, and left me with a napkin. It made me smile and I thanked her again. It was a very sweet moment and reminded me that one of the many reasons why I’m grateful to be a Texas girl: southern hospitality and the love of sharing food and drinks together.

56659947_10157186459021484_8767717079521427456_o
Artwork by Kevin Geil.

Mr. White has another daughter, Ginny White Peacock. There is a fundraiser for Ginny on May 17, 2019, starting at 8 P.M. CST. Last year, I met her at the previous interview, and she was also very lovely and polite to me. She talked to me about the building’s electrical oddities and asked about my artwork. Recently, after many serious, life-changing health concerns that caused Ginny to lose both her feet and legs, below the knee, and nine fingers—as well as undergo a lot of painful surgeries she’s still recovering from—the Broken Spoke is hosting a silent and live auction to raise money for Ginny to obtain prosthetic legs. A wife and mother to two young boys, the fundraiser is a chance “to celebrate and come together to raise money so Ginny can get back on her feet.” Two Tons of Steel, Derailers, The Wagoneers w/ Monte Warden and other special guests will play music for the benefit. The auction entails over 100 items and collectibles. Including an autographed Limited Edition George Strait guitar (and an autographed cowboy hat) donated by George Strait & Tom Foote. A round of golf foursome with celebrity Ray Benson at Barton Creek Country Club. Ginny’s artwork will also be featured at the benefit. Please come on out to support the White family! If unable to attend the event, there is also a GoFundMe campaign where donations can be made to help Ginny on her road to robot legs.

Music and drinks aren’t all the Broken Spoke have to offer. Their barbecue is quite delicious and they are notorious for their chicken fried steak. On occasion, Mr. White still chops wood for the kitchen. Out at his ranch, there are some gullies and ravines that he uses a tractor to find wood for the fire. Live oak, Spanish oak and Heritage oak are the kinds of firewood he and his crew bring to the Broken Spoke to smoke meats. “It helps zap the taste in there and it’s sort of a flame-kissed smoked process,” stated White. The Spoke has had a BBQ pit from day one and way back in the day, James White and Bobby Flay used to cook together.

It would take several books to document all the history of the Broken Spoke. There is simply no way to condense it all for a literary journalism piece for the web. I hope to compile all my recordings into a short story and get it published elsewhere. Meantime, if you’d like to hear James White talk about the time Garth Brooks played a surprise show at the Broken Spoke in 2017. Booking George Strait back in the ’70s and how White was contacted for the cover of his latest album. Please stay tuned for the interview to go live!

“It’s a heart thing you feel good about. At the end of the day, I take more pictures now than I ever took in my life before now. Hell, no one wanted my picture in 1964 but now everyone does and I’ll make up for lost time. There were fun times in the 1960’s and everything was new. I just had so much fun here at the Spoke. But I think the one (press) thing we did with Texas Highways stood out the most. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving. Now we’re on every roadside park in Texas at the rest stops. I mean you come in and there’s a picture of the Broken Spoke and the Cadillac outside. And then on the left there at the state Capitol, it’s right there you know. You got music, you got Texas and then you got the Broken Spoke. It’s a very good compliment to us. Since then we’ve been voted the Best Country Dance Hall in the nation, home of the best chicken fried steak in town, a lot of metropolitan awards. We’ve won a lot of awards. I’m in the Texas Hall of Fame and the Smithsonian. I’m in the Country Music Hall of Fame… I never expected it. All I really wanted was a honky tonk dance hall. So I got what I wanted, but then I got a lot more. Which is fine, it’s fun, a hell a lot more fun to have people brag about you than bitch about you. It’s always more fun to get compliments”.

– James White
35401119_10102247407853837_2517178313827418112_o

Note: This article was published in Rank & Revue in May 2019.

Interview: Ian Moore talks psychedelic rock, the magic after midnight and decades of touring

Leave a comment

Photography by Daniel Work. Imagery provided by Western Publicity. 

Presently, Ian Moore is touring the Northeast of the U.S. and sharing his music to promote the release of his new album Toronto. A month prior, Moore cruised through Austin, Texas in Aug. 2018 to celebrate his 50th birthday at the iconic Antone’s. Moore is originally from Austin and he’s got a lot of Texas soul within his music. His birthday celebration deep-in-the-heart-of-Texas lasted two nights. Eric Tessmer was the opening act each night. These two artists are both deeply talented at playing guitar, songwriting and vocals. At times, their music, energy and style felt electric and transcendental, which is one of the many reasons why they call it psychedelic rock. 

Before the ATX birthday shows that were filled to brim with many of Moore and Tessmer’s beloved fans, friends and family inside Antone’s: I interviewed Ian Moore over the phone. Another Rank & Revue (R&R) writer interviewed him years ago, but this time it was my turn to interview him. At random, my editor sent over a pitch to me from his publicist at Western Publicity to see if I wanted to conduct the interview. Once I read Moore’s bio, even though I had not heard of him before: I knew I wanted to book it. Clearly, the man has talent to venture on national tours with the Rolling Stones, ZZ Top and Bob Dylan. 

38452378_10102289768008747_2851857966716420096_n
Photography: Nicolette Mallow

“Ian Moore, the Seattle-based, Austin, TX-born guitar player, singer and songwriter makes the proverbial renaissance man look lazy. Coming on the heels of Strange Days, his most successful record since his eponymous debut. Despite a never-ending cycle of touring, Moore offers a new record of bright, blazing rock-n-roll that combines his legendary guitar prowess with radio-friendly songs that showcase his elastic, soul-inflected vocals. As always, Ian has his eyes on the challenges faced by musicians of every stripe, having experienced the spectrum of artist successes and tribulations over a nearly 30-year career. “It’s a very different climate right now. When we hit a city, it doesn’t matter that I have 14 records, radio hits, etc. The only thing that matters is if we can really show up and leave the people feeling they saw something amazing. Its keeps me hungry, and I like the challenge,” says Moore… You might have been surprised to hear Moore’s songs popping up on major network shows on prime time television this past year; several selections were prominently being featured as performances on both American Idol and The Voice (“Satisfied” and “Blue Sky”). He also founded the artist’s healthcare alliance SMASH (Seattle Musicians Access to Sustainable Healthcare) and has joined the board of NARAS for the Pacific Northwest as governor and head of the advocacy committee. Moore’s story is often told and probably familiar to most critics; his initial record on Capricorn propelled him to national tours with the Rolling Stones, ZZ Top and Bob Dylan, acting in the acclaimed indie feature “Sling Blade,” and having Ice Cube direct the video for his track “Harlem.” Moore deviated from his initial blues-oriented guitar sound on subsequent records, touching on graceful pop songs and the psychedelic as well as British pub rock and deep Americana. The Toronto record and its 6 tracks represents those influences in such a way that they have informed his songwriting, but is likely more recognizable as a strong collection of the kind of guitar rock his core fan base would respond to immediately”. 

25438614_1926317220712040_5599809933720635409_o
Photography by Daniel Work. Imagery provided by Western Publicity. 

In advance to the interview, I was reading the information Ian Moore’s publicist sent me and researching other interviews of the past. I Google’d him to read about his older albums like Capricorn. Within the photos from then and now, I noticed that Moore had super long brunette hair in the 90’s and looked like a total rock star. Even though time has passed, he’s still strikingly handsome and very talented. I enjoyed listening to his musical style change from Capricorn to Toronto. I read a lot of lyrics. Watching his SXSW 2017 performance at Continental Club last spring in ATX: I could see Moore is in love with the guitar and the music. Texans are often known for being passionate and intense, especially the artists and athletes. 

As I read more and more, I realized that I was out of the loop, especially since I am an Austinite. Ian Moore has been around for three decades and I was shocked I’d never seen one of his shows. As a Texas girl and artista, I consider myself familiar with the local art scene. Obviously I was not up to track. Like many people, it seems the more I know, the less I know. There’s simply no way to keep track of all the great talent out there, and that’s sort of a beautiful thing: always discovering new artists and new music. I didn’t really know what angle to take the story. All of the music was new to me—I enjoyed many different songs from different albums—and I didn’t have much time to prepare for this last minute interview. Even though the story wouldn’t run on R&R until September. So, I figured since every other media outlet was going to be asking about Toronto and Antone’s—I decided to just get to know the artist, like any other stranger, and sort of assess what we called at SCAD, a character profile, a mini version of the artists career.

On the dot, all the way from Texas, I called Ian Moore on the number his publicist provided me with. Moore was sanding an old tour vehicle outdoors in Seattle. 

Nicolette Mallow: Growing up in Austin, did you always have a childhood fondness for music? I read you switched from guitar to violin. 

Ian Moore: Yes! One of the first times I kicked in the womb was at Vulcan Gas Company. Even though neither of my parents were musicians, they were both music enthusiasts. I started playing violin as a child and switched to guitar as a teenager. When I was 16 years old, unfortunately, I cut some tendons. Still makes me a little sad to think about because that ended my violin career… When I first started playing music in Austin, I had a real hard time starting a band. My peers were into other music. They were more into the punk rock culture, but I didn’t care much for it. I was more into soul music, blues and psychedelic rock – garage rock – 50’s music. Then I found a drummer from high school and we started making music. We were the first band to ever play at Black Cat Lounge. This was a biker bar and we brought in youth and kids from all walks of life to a new scene. It was cool because this was before Emo’s and there were limited music venue’s at this time. By ages 19-20, I started touring. But yeah, it’s my 50th Birthday and Austin is my hometown. My history is as deep as any musician there. Guitar lessons. Stages. Memories. Riding bikes to Antone’s on Guadalupe. I had to celebrate in Austin. 

NM: Your album Capricorn launched tours with Rolling Stones, ZZ Top & Bob Dylan. That’s really impressive! How long after the release of your first record did these tours come about. And do you recall the names of the tours?

IM: Capricorn. At the time, being a blues-influence guitar player was kind of unknown territory. There was no cool roots, rock scene. I had a difficult time finding people to put the record out. It was very hard to find a placement. The label who signed this deal had managed Otis Redding. Before that, one deal after another fell a part and took a while to find a place to put my record(s). After Capricorn was released, the radio success and decent tour numbers got past the agents. Once the agents caught notice, I began touring. I think, but am not certain, the tour name with Rolling Stones was The Blue Lounge Tour and I think with ZZ Top it was the Recycler Tour. But I’m not certain, it’s sort of a blur… My band was the biggest band of our generation in ATX for a good 10 years, 2000-3000 people a night at our shows. 

Screen Shot 2018-09-11 at 11.26.34 AM
Imagery from IanMoore.com. 

NM: In regard to your newly release album Toronto, I read the lyrics for the songs “Satellite” and “Rock n Roll”. Tell me about the bright side and the dangers of living your life in the magic of midnight.

IM: The magic of midnight and the brutal reality of harsh dawn; we are all eternal dreamers. We are prone to think the next place, town, song or etc.—we think it’s gonna be the next thing to connect us. We can continue to dream and be dreamers, but it’s intense and a lot of people cannot sustain it. A lot of people lose themselves. I’ve been doing KXP radio and I talked about pitfalls of touring and how to survive. Being focused on the music helps. You can tell where the motivation is. If you want to party—and you’re focused on the physical attention—you will wear yourself out. It’s crucial to focus on the music to sustain sanity. It’s very rewarding and spiritually fulfilling. Just gotta keep focused on the prize. Don’t lose yourself in the illusion of midnight, thinking that something greater is right around the corner… My music has been a continued manifestation of what I wanted to do. When I was young, learning how to play and sing, I did a lot of wandering. Leaving scenes and drifting into the ether, a wanderer with temporary companions. It’s been an interesting journey. Even though my most successful record (thus far) was my 1st album: I think I’ve gotten quite a bit better and become more interesting. I never chased the fame. However, I’ve become an underground artist.

NM: I read your quote about the challenge of keeping the crowd enticed and how the music culture has changed. How do you sustain such energy while touring, so that you can always give the crowd the experience they’re seeking?

IM: This is the hardest time to survive with music, it’s so challenging. But I have a deep passion for music. I do it all, simply because I love music. Music is most deeply motivated for me, the actual music, not the attention and the success, that is peripheral for me. No matter what, I always want to get better and write a better song and feel like if I could just concentrate harder, it will manifest… When I am all beat up and tired and miss my family: the music keeps me going. That’s the thing, I can be completely exhausted and always dig in to find that passion. 

NM: The transition to Seattle from ATX, over the decades, based upon your observations—what changed most within the local scene between the two cities? 

IM: A lot of what I do is between Austin and Seattle. I live in both towns. We had nothing here (in Washington) when I arrived awhile back. There’s been a lot more drastic changes in Seattle. Obviously, all cities are enduring major changes right now, any cool city with artists. They’re all being priced out. However, Austin is one of the best for artists, right now. At least in ATX you have some people working for you and trying to make it better. ATX is weathering the storm best.

NM: Do you have any favorite or newfound cities in Europe that you look forward to touring this year?

IM: Europe: I love Spain and Italy. Amsterdam. Denmark. London… I’d like to play in Portugal. It’s so cool playing in different places, but what’s cooler is playing well in the places you play.

To view upcoming tour dates, listen to music and read about Moore’s songwriting workshop in Canyon Lake, Texas: please visit his website at www.IanMoore.com. 

Note: This article was originally published on Rank & Revue in Sept. 2018.

Austin Film Festival receives $15,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

Leave a comment
AFF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Austin, TX —National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2018.  Included in this announcement is an Art Works grant of $15,000 to Austin Film Festival for the On Story® Project. The Art Works category is the NEA’s largest funding category and supports projects that focus on the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and/or the strengthening of communities through the arts.

“The variety and quality of these projects speaks to the wealth of creativity and diversity in our country,” said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. “Through the work of organizations such as Austin Film Festival in Austin, Texas, NEA funding invests in local communities, helping people celebrate the arts wherever they are.” 

Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference (AFF) was the first organization of its kind to champion the writer’s role in film and television, and has remained vigilant in its dedication to storytelling throughout its 25-year history. The organization programs a slate of year-round offerings, including panels, workshops, and film screenings, all rooted in the art and craft of narrative storytelling. Held each October, its annual Festival and Conference is renowned to be the largest screenwriters event in the world, boasting over 200 panels and panelists gathered to discuss their expertise, latest works, and the inner-workings of the industry.

AFF’s annual Festival and Conference is a unique experience, challenging standard panel and film Q&A conventions by delivering intimate, instructional, and inspiring content to its audience. The AFF and On Story teams work year-round to create a program rich with insight. Speakers have hands-on experience and the battle scars to prove it. Panels, workshops, and interviews are tactile, ranging from detailed explorations of a script’s journey from conception to completion, to discussions that feature an entire writers room staff. Each session strives to pull back the curtain on the creative process, offering an inside look at some of the most influential and inspirational projects of our time.

Since its inaugural year in 1993, AFF has recorded and preserved these distinctive events. The vast material captured at the Festival and year-round events is then curated into productions offered for free online and through public radio and television; preserved and archived at The Wittliff Collections at Texas State University; and edited into a multi-book series in partnership with The University of Texas Press. These elements make up the foundation for the On Story brand and content.

An extension of AFF’s programs, mission, and messaging, On Story offers inspiring and instructional curations from the entertainment industry’s leading writers, directors, and creatives. The process of selecting specific episodes and content to feature in On Story is meticulous. At the close of each Festival year, the On Story team conducts a robust review process. These detailed deliberations help inform the content selection for the upcoming On Story season. Along with catering to both trends in the industry and the more timeless storytelling topics, the producers consider diversity of both speakers and mediums represented; the impact of the project’s educational value; and how the human experience is highlighted through the art and craft of storytelling.

On Story’s productions – 20 half-hour television episodes; 32 one-hour-long radio episodes; and 30-50 one-hour-long podcast episodes, all selected from a pool of over 200 recorded sessions from the prior year, as well as the book series, archive, and website – exude the same vibrance as when they’re being recorded, but are more wide and democratic in scope. The productions include industry luminaries such as Mark Frost (Twin Peaks), Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad), Issa Rae (Insecure), John Singleton (Boyz n the Hood), Keenen Ivory Wayans (In Living Color), and Alan Yang (Master of None). The Project as a whole has developed organically as a way to expand AFF’s reach, giving unprecedented access to audiences who have the desire to learn more about the art, craft, and business of film, television, and new media. As it does for AFF’s attendees, who often return year after year, On Story has proven to be an integrative resource to a nationwide classroom of students who, in turn, possess the potential to become writers, filmmakers, and media creators themselves. 

“The content captured at the Festival directly reflects its reputation for being an intimate, instructive, and inspirational experience,” said AFF Executive Director, Barbara Morgan. “We couldn’t be more thrilled for this incredible opportunity given by the NEA to help us provide these resources to the general public, free to anyone with an interest in storytelling through film, television and new media.”

For more information on projects included in the NEA grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.

Screen Shot 2018-07-12 at 4.14.16 PM

ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL
Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television and new media. AFF champions the work of aspiring and established writers and filmmakers by providing unique cultural events and services, enhancing public awareness and participation, and encouraging dynamic and long-lasting community partnerships. AFF is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts. All attendees and events are based on permitting schedules and are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice. Badges and passes are available for purchase online at www.austinfilmfestival.com or by phone at 1-800-310-FEST.

Note: Official Press Release was provided to Nicolette Mallow by Sunshine Sachs. 

Interview: James White talks 54 years at the Broken Spoke

1 Comment
broken spoke

The Broken Spoke marquis. Photography by Nicolette Mallow.

With only five cases of beer to sell, James White opened the Broken Spoke in 1964. After he was released from the U.S. Army at the age of 25 – Mr. White decided to pursue the quest, his dream, of opening a honky tonk in Austin, Texas to feature live country music and a dance hall. In the beginning, Broken Spoke was a local roadhouse where beer cost .25 cents a bottle and customers could get ice and a soft drink for .30 cents to chase down their liquor. Back in those days, before the peak of craft cocktails, people could bring their own liquor bottles to the bar in Texas. Now in 2018, over 54 years later, Broken Spoke has become a worldwide famous dance hall with a full bar and restaurant. By the late 80’s the Broken Spoke started to gain more and more fame. Featured in Texas Highways magazine, The Food Network, The New York Times, CBS News, Texas Monthly, the Smithsonian and more; Broken Spoke is a historical landmark. The Spoke has showcased talent like Willie Nelson, George Strait, Garth Brooks, the Derailers, Dale Watson, Alvin Crow, Weldon Henson and the list keeps going for decades. Many artists, icons and celebrities from all over have entered the front doors including Dolly Parton, Clint Eastwood and Quentin Tarantino. Hundreds of old and modern photographs catalog the years within Broken Spoke’s Hall of Fame.

The Broken Spoke is owned and operated by James and Annetta White (his wife). The two met at a dance hall in 1961 when she caught his eye and have been married 51 years. Annetta and her husband have worked together for decades to keep the Spoke running successfully. Amongst her many contributions to the Broken Spoke, I discovered that Annetta is the one responsible for the George Strait photographs covering the women’s bathroom, giving the ladies room some cowboy vibes. 

“A lot of people ask me where I met my wife. Well, I met her at a honky tonk. There was an old dance hall in Oak Hill called the Sportsman Inn and I looked out on the dance floor and saw a pretty blonde lady dancing with a red dress on. It was a fast dance and she caught my attention. She caught me eye and I thought I’d ask that girl to dance. That’s where it all started right there.” – James White

35401119_10102247407853837_2517178313827418112_o
Photo collage of Broken Spoke photographs featuring Willie Nelson, James White, Dolly Parton, Clint Eastwood, Garth Brooks and Annetta White.

Walking into the Broken Spoke is like stepping back in time. Once you enter this classic Texas dance hall and see all of the antique photos from decades past, an intense feeling of nostalgia rushes over and fills the air. It looks exactly as it did when the doors opened in 1964. There is so much eye candy to choose from: a horse saddle, photographs, flags, neon lights, posters, woodwork and of course the dance hall. A replica of Willie Nelson’s guitar Trigger can be found at the Broken Spoke, too. As a Texas girl that’s driven by the Broken Spoke since the 1990’s and enjoyed libations as an adult, I was really excited to finally learn more about this dance hall and the reputable James White.

In May 2018, James White consented to an interview with me. I met him at the Broken Spoke on a weekday around lunch. He and I sat at table B2, which I came to found out is the same table where Willie Nelson and his wife Annie would frequent when they were regular visitors at the Spoke. I went to Lake Travis High School with Willie Nelson’s nephew, Trevor, so it was even more thrilling to be sitting in country western history.

Wearing a UT button-up shirt, a red baseball cap, gold watch and horseshoe ring made of diamonds, James White took me back to the beginning and covered as much history about the Broken Spoke as we could in one hour. Unlike most interviews, White naturally guided the majority of the dialogue exchange. I was simply a listener to keep the story on course, interjecting with questions along the way if things got off track. Before the interview began, White asked me if he could start at the beginning and then jump around in time wherever I wanted to. By listening, I could tell he had told this Texas story many times and it never gets old to tell, or to hear. [He insisted that I record the interview and I posted the audio online in a two-part segment via YouTube.]

James White: A lot of people, you know, they ask me, why did you go into this kind of business? All the way down to my childhood, my parents would take me to different dance halls in this area, and that’s where I got the love of country music in my veins… When I was in the Army, I didn’t know what I was gonna do when I got out of the Army. So I thought it would be kind of neat to open up a place of my own, similar to the places when I was growing up in Austin. It just became like a quest of mine the day I left the Army. And when I came out under the big ole oak tree out front (on South Lamar), I just kind of visualized a place like no other and when I got it built: I named it the Broken Spoke. The reason I thought up that name, I wanted something original. I wanted something country, I wanted something western. Texas style. In my mind, I had a list of different names in my head. When I got to thinking about Broken Spoke I was thinking about wagon wheels and they were kind of rolling around in my brain. And then I remembered this old Jimmy Stewart movie called “Broken Arrow” and I said hell, I’ll just find me a couple wagon wheels, I’ll knock a spoke out and I put one on each side of the door coming in and I named it the Broken Spoke. And I never looked back.

Volunteers made the Spoke by hand. A lot of heavy drinkers pitched in to build the Broken Spoke and one drunk man even fell off the roof. White had to open the doors a little early after running out of money, hence the modest five cases of beer. People even told White the business wouldn’t last six months, but he proved them wrong. It was about 20 years of hard work before the Broken Spoke became famous. Mr. White said it was many years of 16 hour days tending bar, seven days a week. The Broken Spoke is his life’s work and there is a ton of heart and soul poured into this building. 

Music, dance and cold drinks are the focus of this honky tonk, but there is also a strong sense of community and love. The Spoke has been described as “the country western version of Cheers” and it’s become part of Texas history within the arts. Many local Austinites or younger generations don’t know the intricate history of the Broken Spoke. I certainly didn’t and I’ve been here off-and-on since the 1990’s. So, after White’s introduction as to what inspired him to build and create the Broken Spoke. I asked him to tell me more about table B2: Willie Nelson’s table. Willie is one of the most notorious artists to perform at the Broken Spoke and it all starts back in the 1960’s. 

willie nelson
A replica of Willie Nelson’s guitar “Trigger” and Table B2. Photography by Nicolette Mallow.

JW: I first booked Willie Nelson in 1967. I booked Willie Nelson and The Record Men for $800. He had short hair, he was clean shaven and wore either a turtle neck, a vest or a sports coat. But he’s still the Willie Nelson you see today. His people love to see the one picture of Willie hanging on the wall, and he’s got a copy in his office too: the photo of he and I on stage at Broken Spoke when I first booked him back in the 60’s. He and I have always been friends. Willie has friends all over the world but he always remembers the Broken Spoke. He always comes back every chance he gets… Anyway, when Willie had a tax problem in 1990 and owed $16.5 million: my wife and I were sitting around and we got mad because we heard the IRS took all his pictures and they took all of his awards off the wall and put them up for auction. I didn’t think it was right to take his pictures, gold records, platinum records—and so we thought we’d take a collection and give it to Willie because they’d taken everything he owned. So I got a gallon pickle jar and put it on the bar and put a sign on it “Where there’s a Willie there’s a way”. Willie heard about it and called me up from Hawaii and thanked me. Meanwhile we had a fundraiser for Willie and I sent the money over to Hawaii by way of his daughter, Lana Nelson. His family said Willie talked about the fundraiser all day long and was very excited about it. He called me again and said “thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m gonna come home for Christmas, and I’m going to bring my band, I’m going to eat some chicken fried steak, drink a cold beer, and I wanna do a little picking (at the Broken Spoke) and I’ll bring some friends with me”. And that’s when a lot of local country artists who knew Willie wanted to get involved. Some nights you never forget. He never asked for money, I did it from the heart. And he thanked me from the heart and he came out and played all night. That was in 1990… So we raised some money and I gave him every letter I received from Associated Press, they ran the story all over the world. We started getting money from Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Birmingham jail and Indian reservations… I never got one bad letter about Willie. All of them were complimentary and even if the donation was $1, Willie autographed every check as a thank you.

After he told me about the fundraiser, James White proceeded to share a song he wrote with Gary P. Nunn called “Where there’s a Willie, there’s a way”. Their song can be heard sung a cappella by Mr. White in Part One of the interview around the 18:00 minute mark. It’s rather clever and has a Willie Nelson-esque melody to it.

Suddenly, as I intended to shift gears from Willie Nelson to Dolly Parton. Her music serendipitously came on the jukebox and you can Dolly’s voice in the background. A series of her songs played at that perfect moment like the classic “Old Flames Can’t Hold A Candle To You.” Echoing in the background, it was a most befitting and true country, western moment in Texas. Back in 1987, Dolly Parton came out to the Broken Spoke to film “Wild Texas Nights” and James White even got to utter a few lines in the filming. There is a charming photo of Dolly Parton on display at Broken Spoke that many people love to photograph.

Bouncing around in time, James White talked to me about the booking process, musicians, family and the architecture of the Broken Spoke. It’s an older building that has a lot of character and endearing oddities. However, White mentions that perhaps if he built it today there would’ve been some changes, like installing larger bathrooms. Nevertheless, there is something beautiful about keeping history locked in a time capsule. Especially in a city like Austin where it’s losing a lot of its originality with the modern times. Broken Spoke has withstood all the changes in Austin and still stands strong with many more memories of live music and dancing to come. 

Over the years, there is one character that all regulars know about and that would be Rowdy. He never leaves the Broken Spoke and has never performed on stage. He doesn’t speak either but Rowdy sits at one of the tables with his sunglasses, bandana, blue jeans and he’s quite the ladies man. Sometimes people like to dance with him, too. Wait, did I mention Rowdy is a dummy?

JW: Rowdy’s skull has a crack now because people keep dropping him on something, or some drunk wants to dance with him or move him around. His knuckles are broken off right here. One time I used to write a newsletter. I talk about Rowdy like he’s a real person, like a living thing. People ask me where I got him and I tell ’em I picked Rowdy up hitchhiking out on 620. So I gave him a ride to the Broken Spoke and now he don’t want to leave and is here at the bar 24/7. When I pulled up to stoplights back then people would look at him, and I’d never do nothing I’d just stare straight ahead, but I knew they was looking at him. Rowdy is a funny guy. When they stole my dad’s silver saddle—the only thing funny in the whole thing (was Rowdy). After it took 14 days to get the saddle back. The first cop on the scene crawled in the same window as the burglars did and he came in and he said, “I almost shot Rowdy!” And I said “I wish you would have because he’d look cool with some powder burns”. But yeah Rowdy just sat there and didn’t say nothing and let them steal the saddle. So anyway when Rowdy broke his knuckles off, we were going to glue them back on. I’m writing about it in this newsletter (for the Broken Spoke) like he’s a person. And I wrote “hell, Rowdy broke off a few of his fingers and they fell onto the floor and the waitress swept it up and thought it was a dill pickle and threw it in the dumpster. When I heard about it I had to send the waitress out to retrieve his fingers out of the dumpster so we could glue them back on”. Soon after this waitress’ sister in a different city said “What kind of place are you working where people are breaking fingers off and gluing them on?” She thought it was a real story. 

5E5C861D-A3B7-45B3-8AF2-43568262A074
Rowdy reading the newspaper at Broken Spoke. Photography by Nicolette Mallow.

At the end of our interview, I asked James White if out of all the press coverage and all the years of memories, did anything stand out most? It was a tough question to answer and he drifted in time a bit, but eventually it all came back full circle to Texas Highways.

JW: It’s a heart thing you feel good about. At the end of the day, I take more pictures now than I ever took in my life before now. Hell, no one wanted my picture in 1964 but now everyone does and I’ll make up for lost time. There were fun times in the 1960’s and everything was new. I just had so much fun here at the Spoke. But I think the one (press) thing we did with Texas Highways stood out the most. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving. Now we’re on every roadside park in Texas at the rest stops. I mean you come in and there’s a picture of the Broken Spoke and the Cadillac outside. And then on the left there at the state Capitol, it’s right there you know. You got music, you got Texas and then you got the Broken Spoke. It’s a very good compliment to us. Since then we’ve been voted the Best Country Dance Hall in the nation, home of the best chicken fried steak in town, a lot of metropolitan awards. We’ve won a lot of awards. I’m in the Texas Hall of Fame and the Smithsonian. I’m in the Country Music Hall of Fame… I never expected it. All I really wanted was a honky tonk dance hall. So I got what I wanted, but then I got a lot more. Which is fine, it’s fun, a hell a lot more fun to have people brag about you than bitch about you. It’s always more fun to get compliments.

To hear more about Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, the beer drinkers that built the Broken Spoke for free and much more, please check out the interviews in full on YouTube. https://www.brokenspokeaustintx.net

Note: This article was published in Rank & Revue in June 2018.