weekly inspiration to help you transform your life

One of my all time favorite stories comes from Stella Adler –– I conducted her last interview for my book, ACTING NOW –– although I think I heard it first in a documentary I assisted with for AMERICAN MASTERS. When Stella Adler and Harold Clurman, the great American theater director...

  The quote is neither mine, nor Oscar Wilde’s –– but from Harry Potter’s The Chamber of Secrets. You see, I’ve been informed that 8 year-old Jonah has suggested that I appear as Professor Lockhart for his Harry Potter viewing party this Friday night. A quick google revea...

There’s something a little cruel about “Spring Ahead” –– it always feels like you’re losing an hour. [There’s a funny little poster of a Native American saying, “Only the U.S. Government would believe that cutting the bottom off a blanket and sewing it back on to the top...

OK, technically one’s a David and one’s a Dave (and I respect that given that I’m an “Edward,” and while a hard-core group of college roommates and people who’ve known me since the Eisenhower administration call me “Eddie” (which I love), I’m not so kee...

Two online marketing seminars (one ridiculously inept and the other amazingly helpful and generous). One client lesson. Lunch at the Art Institute with Susan and Belle. Two great conversations with Andrea Lake. Revamped the mailing list with a major import of contacts, increasing it by 30%. Redesigned my n...

I read the rest of SAVE THE CAT last night over two glasses of Malbec at Don Pistos and I totally loved it.  (This was after watching the finale of “It’s A Brad, Brad World” with Susan and Belle which was somehow intensely moving and silly all at once –– although I had tremendous Déjà vu ...

The Universe can sometimes be too funny. Yesterday was a very intense workday, capped by a delightful dinner at Plant with Susan and Val and Belle. Perhaps the funniest moment of the day, however, was this Cosmic Wink. I got a copy of AS A MAN THINKETH by James Allen, written in 1903, from the Library beca...

My friend Julie –– who is brilliant and wise and a terrific editor –– after reading my blog about condensing the script yesterday, very enthusiastically recommended I read SAVE THE CAT! by Blake Snyder, which is one of the few screenwriting books that seems to have eluded me (althou...

Yesterday morning, I treated myself to finally visiting Taniya and Michael’s beautiful baby, Tara, prompted by Marie Carter, one of Belle’s very best friends arriving in San Francisco to do the same. Tara is a GREAT baby –– falling asleep in my arms and letting me hold her for over ...