from the publisher “Today, I am a fountain pen and my father is full of ink.” These were the opening comments of my bar mitzvah speech given at a luncheon at the Glen Country Club, Cape Town, South Africa. Beyond the miracle of my memory, (given the 50-plus years since,) I marvel at the degree to which things are immune to change. The only difference, as I see it, is that I now play the role of the old codger with the tall tale, the one my deceased uncle Hymie played with such gusto as he enthralled us with his clandestine activities. We never challenged the improbability of the CIA employing a South African used car salesman. He assured us he could kill, “so silent they would never hear me coming.” The Baron Munchausen had nothing on Uncle Hymie – but that’s a story for another time. In Lowering the Bar – Mitzvah, pages 26-29, Corey Levitan channels some serious nostalgia. Patent leather Italian loafers, bell-bottoms and wide lapels abound at his 1970s Long Island bar mitzvah soirée. The whole world was strut walking into an uncertain future, Saturday nights were feverish, while 13-year-old Jewish boys and girls were stuffing their pockets with bar/bat mitzvah gelt (money). This month a scion of DAVID contributes, the one who thankfully looks like his mother. Formerly from Vegas, Adam Friedland now resides in the borough of Brooklyn, New York, where he writes and performs comedy. In his profile piece, Standing Up, pages 30-31, he explores the intersection of pain and humor. Stand-up comedian Tig Notaro courageously confronted her own breast cancer diagnosis in an on-stage rant that has become epic. She continues to inspire legions of women (and, yes, men) who wrestle with the emotional impact of this disease. What could be better than buttery rich pâte feuilletée (flaky pastry) filled with crème anglaise (custard) as a companion to your morning double espresso? E.C. Gladstone and Dr. Michael Uzmann invite us along as they tour several new bakeries; we eavesdrop on their conversations with Valley pâtissiers. Their roundup, Rising Above, pages 36-40 is a must read for all Sin City carboholics. Fashion’s Three C’s, pages 42-45 reviews the efforts under way to make Las Vegas a global fashion center. The three C’s referred to in the story’s headline represent mover and shaker Carrie Carter-Cooper, founder of the Las Vegas Fashion Council and owner of BESTAgency. Her philanthropic spirit and community-oriented endeavors are well known. Created on a whim, following no recognized set of historical principles, Las Vegas continues to invent its own paradigm. This iconic city rewrites the cityscape rulebook, painting the torrid Mojave Desert in brilliant neon that blurs day and night. Last June, we ran a cover story on art in Las Vegas; it soon became evident that it was a big subject, resulting in the need to break off an element for future publication. This month we present An Urban Canvas, pages 46-51, which covers Las Vegas’ signature street art scene, encompassing sculpture, murals and graffiti. “Holy Bagels, Batman!” we revisit the subject of nerdy Jews and their comic book superhero creations. With their anglicized names, created to avoid an ever-present immigrant stigma, these writers and artists blazed a path. They had an impact on the very culture they hoped to disappear into, whilst proving that the goldene medina’s (golden country) streets were truly paved with gold. It’s been a pleasure, as always, working on this month’s issue. I’ll see you in the racks.
Max Friedland max@davidlv.com
12 OCTOBER 2015 | www.davidlv.com
03_12_FOB.indd 12
9/25/15 4:34 PM