“Eat Pray Love” induces hunger

By Amy Paige Condon

Turning a beloved bestseller into a successful Hollywood film is full of the push-me-pull-you conflict of a readily built-in audience that also harbors high expectations that what they see on the screen matches the vision of the characters and story in their imaginations.

You could get the timeless “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Then again, there’s always “The Bonfire of the Vanities.”

Consider the pressure director/screenwriter Ryan Murphy (“Nip/Tuck,” “Glee”) must have felt with Elizabeth Gilbert’s seven million readers looking over his shoulder when he decided to turn “Eat Pray Love” into a summer release.

“Eat Pray Love,” the movie, is not the book, but it stands on its own. It may never achieve the timelessness of some adaptations, but it certainly won’t end up on any lost-in-translation lists.

Murphy understands that what works on the printed page doesn’t always translate onto digital film. He’s aiming for the same market of women with disposable incomes that made “Julie & Julia” and “It’s Complicated” surprise hits last year. (Note to Hollywood: the fact that women buy movie tickets should not come as a surprise.)

Murphy’s adaptation, while faithful, does take liberties.

New characters, such as Viola Davis’ agent, help move the story out of Gilbert’s mind and into the world. Julia Roberts’ Gilbert isn’t a magazine writer and novelist, but a playwright, which sets up a meet-cute moment with David (James Franco), the young stud who introduces Gilbert to his guru – the beginning of her spiritual quest. Murphy avoids the darker moments of naivety that stunned and educated Gilbert on her journey across the globe.

Gilbert’s story of dropping out of her life for a year to travel through Italy, India and Indonesia tapped into the zeitgeist of that undefinable angst of third-wave feminism that asks, “Now that I got the great job, marriage and granite counter tops, why am I still unfulfilled?” It also yanked off the veil of modern American life and exposed in a very personal way what many already know but don’t necessarily want to accept: success and stuff can anesthetize you from joyful and dangerous wonder as well as yourself.

Roberts emerges from a period in her career marked with supporting and ensemble roles that provided limited range beyond restrained coolness. She’s back in “Erin Brockovich” territory with a whole world to explore everything from quiet desperation (Manhattan) to deep awe (India). Motherhood and age have given her quirky, cute features depth and illumination. Her 1000-watt smile now seems tempered with wisdom, somehow more earned.

The viewer sees the world as her character, Liz, experiences it: the suffocating grayness of the big city; the golden light and vibrant red of Rome; the juxtaposition of bejeweled ceremony amid extreme poverty in India; the verdant hills and deep blue waters of Bali. The film reminds the viewer that we are shaped by place.

This is Roberts’s film in every way, but she gives enough room for supporting players to develop.

Hadi Subiyanto portrays the toothless Balinese medicine man, Ketut Liyer, that prophecies Liz’s journey. His happiness is contagious.

Billy Crudup’s brief appearance as Gilbert’s unfocused, jilted husband gives the film some approachable pathos. He mixes pain and sarcasm with the bewildered look of someone who doesn’t quite understand what’s happening.

Javier Bardem surprises with his turn as the unhip, mix-tape-making, emotive Brazilian, Felipe, who finally convinces Gilbert that, after everything, all you need is love. It’s a revelation that this is the same man who racked up such a body count in both “No Country for Old Men” and (of the other kind) in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.”

The real scene-stealer here is Richard Jenkins, the familiar character actor, who portrays Richard from Texas. He is one of the finest actors working in film today. Even his drawl sounds authentic. A former hippie still searching for absolution at the ashram in India, Richard from Texas challenges Gilbert to dig deeper and becomes her greatest teacher. He levitates the movie with humor and grace.

The film, as well as the book, is a story about hunger: physical, emotional and spiritual. It reinforces that life needs passion, purpose and true romance to remain in balance. Be prepared for a major pasta jonesing when you leave the theater.

Contact Amy Paige Condon.

SCAD student remembered for talent, joy

By Amy Paige Condon

On June 26, first-year illustration student Aaron Apsley posted on his Facebook wall, “Starting to pack for my week in D.C. with Vanessa Pham! I can’t wait to see you!”

Apsley was heading east in two days from his home in Ohio to visit the first-year fashion design major in Falls Church, Va. Apsley met Pham through mutual friends at Turner House. Their growing friendship had turned to dating near the end of the school year and they planned to visit each other over the summer.

Within 24 hours, though, Apsley’s postings faded into sadness and bewilderment.

“I just don’t understand anymore,” he wrote, “how cruel the world can be.”

According to The Washington Post and other news outlets, Vanessa Pham, 19, was found dead just after 3:30 p.m., June 27, behind the wheel of her white two-door 2008 Toyota Scion. Witnesses reported her car traveling the wrong way down a one-way access road before hopping a curb and crashing into a ditch on Rt. 50 in Fairfax County, Va. When rescue workers arrived, they discovered Pham had been stabbed multiple times in the chest. Fairfax County police are investigating her death as a homicide.

Investigators are honing in on the last 30 minutes of her life, when Pham was seen on surveillance cameras leaving an area salon. The Fairfax County Police Department has found no motive or suspect in the killing.

Apsley kept his travel plans. Only instead of sightseeing with the vivacious young woman who had captured his imagination, he arrived in Virginia last week in time to attend the candlelight vigil held at Pham’s alma mater, James Madison High School, in the town of Vienna, Va.

Pham’s friends—some she had known since grade school—organized the event in her honor and established a Vanessa Pham Memorial page on Facebook to help raise funds to cover the costs of her funeral. To date, the site has attracted more than 2,700 members.

Pham was her mother’s only child and, according to Apsley, had assumed loans to send her daughter to SCAD. Now her mother is struggling to pay for funeral expenses.

Apsley said by phone interview that response has been steady and strong since the page was set up. Any funds raised beyond the costs of the funeral will go toward creating a Vanessa Pham Memorial Scholarship at SCAD to assist other students just like her with the talent and drive, but not necessarily the financial means, to attend the school.

“She really loved SCAD,” said Apsley.

SCAD would have been the launching pad for the creative student, who committed early on to her dreams in the fashion industry. Pham attended a specialized fashion design program at Fairfax High School every morning then returned to James Madison High for her other classes. Also a talented painter and drawer, Pham received a Distinguished Senior Award for “outstanding achievement in fine arts” upon graduation last year.

Christopher Forster, a first-year film and television major from the same area of Virginia as Pham, struck up an easy friendship with the budding designer at the beginning of the fall quarter.

In an e-mail message, Forster wrote, “I could always find her working hard on her fashion sketches in her room. She was really dedicated to her schoolwork and always talked about her dreams as a fashion designer. She was truly one of the most genuine people I have ever met in my life.”

Pham was the last person Forster said goodbye to before he left school for the summer break.

“She had a glowing personality,” said Apsley. “She had such capacity to bring joy to people around her. Vanessa just had a gift of being able to talk to anyone.”

Pham was buried July 7 at National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Va.

Contributions to the Vanessa Pham Memorial Fund may be sent to:

Navy Federal Credit Union
Vanessa Pham Memorial Fund
P.O. Box 3100
Merrifield, VA 22119-3100

Contact Amy Paige Condon.

Editor’s Note: After this story was posted, District was informed that the administrators of the Vanessa Pham Memorial Fund had decided that any funds collected above and beyond the cost of the funeral services would go toward a scholarship for a deserving art student from James Madison High School, Pham’s alma mater.

This dark, brooding Robin Hood adds to legend

By Amy Paige Condon

The canon of films exploring the legend of the English folklore hero, Robin Hood, grows with this latest addition, scripted by Brian Helgeland (“Green Zone”) and directed by Ridley Scott (“Gladiator”).

Yet, instead of exploring the familiar wealth-distributing robber-prince of Sherwood Forest present in previous outings, this dark, brooding meditation on libertarian values seems to capture the Tea Party zeitgeist for the medieval set. It won’t be long before we see the opening passages misspelled with Sharpies on homemade poster board signs bouncing along the Washington Mall.

Russell Crowe stars as the disillusioned and battle-weary archer, Robin Longstride, on his way back to England from the Third Crusade at the end of the 12th Century. Fighting for God and country in Palestine under King Richard I, the Lionheart, has left England broke, France ready to pounce, and Longstride equal parts faithless and restless.

Asked by the king if he is brave and honest enough to answer whether God would be pleased with the Crusades, Longstride answers, “No, He won’t.”

Longstride and his merry band—Will Scarlett (Scott Grimes), Little John (Kevin Durand) and Allan A’Dayle (Alan Doyle)—end up in the stockades for their candor only to learn that a cook’s arrow has killed King Richard whilst attempting to overtake Fountainbleau on his way home. This scene showcases what Scott does best—bloated battles that illustrate men have not matured nearly as much as their weapons. Plenty of these kinds of scenes—flaming arrows, clanging metal, racing horses, raging yells—populate the film.

The archers take leave, but stumble upon and foil an ambush of the king’s men by Godfrey (Mark Strong), a two-faced English court insider with loyalties to King Phillip of France. The archers now must spirit the crown safely back to England, and Robin makes a blood promise to return a prodigal son’s sword back to his father, Walter Loxley of Nottingham. The hilt of the sword, etched with the words, “Rise and rise again until lambs become lions,” offers a clue to Longstride’s past that reappears throughout the 140-minute film in distracting flashbacks.

Longstride keeps his promise and delivers the sword to Loxley (Max von Sydow), who asks him to stay on as his “son,” which not only fends off the tax collectors and the toadying Sheriff (Matthew Macfadyen), but also provides companionship to his newly widowed daughter-in-law, Marion, ably portrayed by Cate Blanchett. It also invites the wrath of Godfrey, hell-bent on taking down Longstride, who knows of his nefarious plans to slash and burn the barons of England with the aid of 200 French soldiers.

For all its populist bravado, “Robin Hood” gives Lady Marion her due as a strong, principled heroine. The scenes between Crowe and Blanchett, two warhorses of Australian cinema, prove to be some of the best moments of this film. They possess a familiarity and lightness with one another that comes from professional respect. Their growing affection on the screen gives the movie heart and humility, rare hallmarks of Scott films.

“Robin Hood” marks the fifth collaboration between star and director, and it feels a bit like well-traveled territory: loud, decorative entertainment, with a bit—okay, a lot—of revisionist history. The film’s not likely to be berated as badly as Kevin Costner’s uneven (what was that accent anyway?) 1990s version, nor as iconoclastic as Errol Flynn’s 1938 tights-wearing bandit, nor as delightful as Sean Connery’s turn with Audrey Hepburn.

While this “Robin Hood” may add to the story of how this legend was born, it also invites the question, what was the point?

“Robin Hood,” rated PG-13, is playing at Trademark Cinemas Victory Square Stadium 9 at 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. and 9:50 p.m.

SCAD Fashion 2010 showcases imagination and skill

By Amy Paige Condon

The Hostess City morphed into the center of the fashion world on May 15 when SCAD Style 2010 opened with a 4 p.m. matinee at Trustees Theater.

“At least I think so,” said Michael Fink, Dean of SCAD’s Fashion Department, in his opening remarks.  He presented the Golden Scissors award—an honor determined by the fashion faculty—to Thomas Finney for his menswear collection and to Jeffrey Hart for women’s wear. Read District’s coverage of the award recipients here.

The opulence of the historic setting was rendered minimalist and contemporary to keep the focus squarely on the imagination, talent and skill of the student designs from both the Savannah and Atlanta campuses coming down the runway.

The 28 student designers presented a diverse mix of couture gowns, high-end sportswear, menswear and even children’s clothing that illustrated “the art you can make out of clothes,” said Lauren Monreal, a second-year fashion design major who watched from the balcony.

The show opened with the wow-factor of Yumi Lee’s opulent and ruffled shimmers in sheer blacks and neutrals. The South Korean’s handiwork featured interlocking waves as skirts and accents to evening gowns that were both defined yet floating.  Other highlights included:

• Rita Watson from Tennessee and Rebecca Formichella of Illinois combined their visions and presented integrated pieces that appeared to be modern reinventions of tried and true pieces, such as the shift, but that offered surprising details like plunging backs when they turned away.

• April Johnston’s looped fringe appeared buoyant against the re-imagined Victorian-style corset detail and structure of the bodices.

• Finney’s school boy preppiness offered a fresh playfulness with impeccable tailoring and keen attention to fine details.

• Kendall Barry from Virginia introduced the first fresh pop of color with a verdant coat over a sequined dress.

• Jessica Ashley of Kansas injected fun into sportswear with ruffles waists and blossoms at the neck, on cuffs and peaking out from the hem of a jacket.

• Grace Gietl’s novel take on mid-century lines in navy and white felt airy and light.

• Rachel Epp’s loose royal blue and orange styles were marked with stenciled text, evocative of the urban waterfronts that inspired her collection.
  Rachel Epp’s garments were inspired by urban waterfrontsPhoto by Alex Bushnell

• Emily Jahn’s graphic knitwear was bright and cool on the runway, even with the heat of a Savannah summer outside.

• Catherine Madison of Minnesota and Hannah Kerr of Dallas, Texas surprised attendees with their sweet confections for children’s clothing. It was hard to tell if the audience was enchanted by the designs or the young models or both.

• Audra Noyes’ translation of 1930s glamour looked sumptuous and elegant, while also projecting sass and fire.
  Audra Noyes’ garments translated 1930s glamour to 2010Photo by Alex Bushnell

• Hart’s dark blue gowns appeared suctioned to the models, the fit was so impeccable.

The dramatic finale showcased the textural avant garde designs of Mertet Goetschel of Switzerland, who employed brave, bold colors and sexy silhouettes defined with oversized tubes, ropes and bubbles that seemed to channel the in-your-face action of today’s 3-D movies.

The diversity of the points-of-view featured struck Lacey Nichols, a first-year photography major.

“You had sleek to high fashion to wearable and feminine,” she said

She found Noyes’ collection particularly intriguing: “It was sexy but empowering.”

“All of the designers were unique,” said Jessica Reese, whose cousin Brittany Wages was modeling for Watson and Becky Wong. “They each had something to say and nothing was simple.”

The show goes on again tonight at 8 p.m. Iconic women’s wear designer Diane von Furstenberg will be presented with the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award.

Contact Amy Paige Condon.

Finney and Hart awarded Golden Scissors by SCAD faculty

By Amy Paige Condon

Putting the cherry on top of sweet success of showing a runway collection at SCAD Fashion 2010, the fashion faculty awarded Golden Scissors to two students at the opening of the 4 p.m. show at Trustees Theater.

A rarity in the Fashion Department, menswear designer Thomas Finney was honored by the recognition.

The Troy, Mich. native started SCAD as a film major, but a friend encouraged him to take a sewing class his second quarter and he was hooked. He was asked by the professor to participate in the finale his first year.

Finney described his tailored twist on school-boy attire as “Italian cyclers going on picnics.”

In a couple of weeks, Finney will pack his bags and head north, to New York, where he’s already lined up a couple of interviews.

Jeffrey Hart of Charleston, W.Va., said he got the call that he had been honored for women’s wear while attending the student jewelry show.

“I just kept saying thank you about a thousand times,” said Hart. “He finally told me to just breathe.”

Hart’s four couture pieces were inspired by the Hollywood interpretation of Rococo France in the 1938 film “Marie Antionette” that starred Norma Shearer and Tyrone Power. They evolved over the course of his final year, however, as a “grieving collection for the death of the ancient regime.”

Of the award, said Hart, “I feel like this is vindication for all the sleepless weeks—not nights—weeks. This took my everything.”

Contact Amy Paige Condon.

Nerves, excitement rule on eve of SCAD Fashion Show 2010

By Amy Paige Condon

For their final year, senior fashion design majors at the SCAD campuses in Atlanta and Savannah conceptualize, sketch, design, cut, sew and create collections with no small amount of blood, sweat and tears.

There is no guarantee that their collections will walk the annual runway show or find their way into the juried exhibit of couture and ready-to-wear pieces on display at the River Club, a former bricked warehouse at the north end of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard that overlooks the working waterfront.

Yet, for those fortunate few who hit the sweet spot for the judges, they will get a moment in the spotlight at SCAD Fashion 2010. Those talented students will show four-pieces from their respective collections on May 15 at both 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., at Trustees Theater.

District sat down with six of the chosen designers—all a bundle of nerves and excitement—to discuss what the last year has been like for them and what lies ahead as they venture into a competitive industry.

Svea Geichgauer, from Dusseldorf, Germany, arrived in Savannah four years ago for what she thought would be a one-year English as a Second Language program. She took an Introduction to Fashion course and stayed.

“I come from a business family,” Geichgauer said, explaining that her parents were a bit skeptical at first. “But I got the okay.”

Over the summer 2009 quarter, she sketched ideas inspired by military uniforms. When she returned to school in the fall, however, she found that several other students possessed the same aesthetic.

She regrouped and looked back to the 1980s androgynous style for a bit of insight. She liked the juxtaposition of opposing elements—feminine and masculine, tailored and fluid, organic and geometric—and how she could create harmony between them.

“I like sexy without showing so much,” Geichgauer explained. After graduation, she will return to Europe for an MBA in Signs for Luxury Goods for Services.

Maria Ah traveled a short distance from Lawrenceville, Ga., to Atlanta to study her passion. She looked to the paintings of contemporary Chinese artist, Lu Hong, for her design aesthetic.

“I liked the mood, how it reflected on the role of women in modern society,” Ah said, describing how her designs play with both hard and soft lines. She isn’t sure what’s next, but she’s looking to work for a company that will give her potential for growth and development so that one day she can launch her own label.

Maken Imcha traveled from Nagaland, India, to attend SCAD’s fashion program in Atlanta. During her months of contemplation, she discovered the Dynamic Towers in Dubai designed by Israeli-Italian architect David Fisher. The building construction inspired her to take the usually hidden elements of surging and boning of garment construction and pull them forward in her designs.

“I always strive to have an educational element,” she said.

Imcha will return to Nagaland, where she hopes to develop a platform for the tribal women to market their arts, handicrafts and other wares.

Both Ah and Imcha worked throughout the year with mentor Angel Sanchez, the Venezuelan-born designer known for vibrant, contemporary ball and wedding gowns. District interviewed Sanchez about his experiences and that story can be read here.

Savannah student Emily Jahn of Annapolis, Md., fell for the colorful geometric shapes in the paintings of Sonia Delaunay, the early 20th Century orphic artist from Russia.

“I liked how the colors reacted next to one another,” Jahn said, who will head to New York for an internship with a private knitwear label.

Hailing from Hockessin, Del., Audra Noyes first researched the process of how rubber tires are made before discovering a scrapbook at a New York flea market that changed the direction of her collection.

The woman’s journal and photos described the nightlife of 1930s Paris with all its glamour, audacity and eroticism. The focus on evening wear was new for Noyes, and it helped that designer Zac Posen was there to mentor her.

“I’ve never used sequins before,” she said. “He really pushed me to look at each piece to be beautiful and unique.”

Noyes will be hunting for a place in New York, where she has interned the past two years with Ralph Lauren.

Rachel Lepp of Canton, Ohio, played to with the balance of hard and soft, but her muse came from the Savannah River and the big cargo ships that come in and out daily. Their scale, colors and materials contrasted against the softness of the water line helped shape the direction of her designs.

Lepp is looking forward to returning to the Midwest, which she didn’t necessarily appreciate until she left it. She will work for Abercrombie and Fitch in Columbus, Ohio.

“But, I’ll have to get used to the winters again,” she said, laughing.

Reflecting on what this moment at center stage means for them, Imcha said, “Satisfying. Even after all the hard work, you feel that now is the beginning of something new.”

Contact Amy Paige Condon.

Atlanta fashion students mentored by an Angel

By Amy Paige Condon

After 23 years of designing couture known for sensual silhouettes and impeccable construction, Angel Sanchez delighted in—and experienced just a little bit of nostalgia—mentoring fashion students for the past nine months at SCAD’s Atlanta campus.

“I found I came here more to learn than to teach,” said Sanchez, who trained as an architect before turning to fashion in his native Caracas, Venezuela. “It took me back to when I started my career…when you don’t know how to edit because your mind is so full of ideas.”

Sanchez arrived in Savannah for SCAD Fashion 2010—the senior fashion design runway show —after hosting his own event the evening before at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York.

Taylor Swift, Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock have worn his vibrant gowns on the red carpet. Stars like Rosalyn Sanchez (no relation) have chosen him to make their wedding dresses.

Sanchez’s training in planning, design and construction is evident in the intricate yet contemporary collections he creates for his evening, bridal and ready-to-wear labels, which are available at high-end retail stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman-Marcus.

Early on, he discovered how his architectural background informed his design aesthetic, from developing the concept to the use of materials. His mother, however, served as his strongest influence.

“She is the best dressmaker,” Sanchez said.

The designer found working with the students refreshing because it helped him rethink his own creative process.

“You help the students develop their own style. And they learn that a beautiful idea cannot be wonderful if you don’t know how to make it,” he said, describing how hard the students worked to take their sketches from the page and turn them into three-dimensional wearable works of art.

Sanchez, who has mentored at the Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, thinks the students he met and worked with in Atlanta are some of the most prepared for work in the industry.

“I feel the quality here at SCAD is strong,” he said.

Contact Amy Paige Condon.

District Quarterly gets materialistic

By Amy Paige Condon

SCAD’s student-produced magazine, District Quarterly, will host a launch party for its third issue from 3-5 p.m., April 23 in the Oglethorpe House Ballroom.

This issue marks the first under new editor-in-chief Katelan Cunningham, a third-year writing major from Arlington, Texas. Each quarter’s theme varies and this one—materialism—sparked students’ imaginations.

“It’s more abstract than the previous two and I think that really got people thinking,” she said. “People have different interpretations of materialism, good and bad, and I think the different approaches to the subject made an interesting product.”

District Quarterly publishes original creative works from students, including essays and poetry, short stories, photography, paintings, graphic designs and drawings. All of the artists’ works appearing in the spring issue will be exhibited during the launch party.

Said Cunningham, “I hope everyone will come out and support art of their peers and the publication. It’s exciting to see all of the submissions come in, and I hope we get more and more each quarter.”

Contact Amy Paige Condon.

Lovett sworn in as Savannah’s new police chief

By Amy Paige Condon

A standing ovation by more than 400 well wishers greeted Willie Lovett after he took the oath of office to become the next chief of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department on April 16.

Lovett, 60, stood tall and proud as daughters and his wife of almost 40 years pinned four stars to each of his shoulders. The standing-room-only crowd of officers past and present, community activists and family and friends gathered in the Savannah Civic Center ballroom to show their support and to mark this moment in the city’s history: Lovett is the first African-American to serve as the 218-year-old department’s chief.

In his characteristic humility, Lovett honored those who came before him, pointing to retired Lt. John A. White, who was among the first nine black officers hired in 1947. A sergeant in 1973, White served as Lovett’s commanding officer when he came to the department that same year.

“If it were not for him,” said Lovett, “I do not think I would be here today.”

Willie Clinton Lovett’s 37 years on the police force began soon after he returned from a tour with the 23rd Infantry in Vietnam. At that time, Savannah’s population hovered around 200,000, the city’s economy was stagnant because of white flight to the suburbs and bigger cities, and the Savannah College of Art and Design wouldn’t appear on the scene for another six years. The native son tried selling insurance for a time but found it “as boring as all outdoors.” He went to Georgia Pacific for a shorter while. Then a neighbor, who served as an officer, encouraged Lovett to apply.

At the time, Lovett recalled, there were six police officers on the street for the entire city. “There was not as much crime either.”

In 1980, Lovett was promoted to sergeant. “Thought I was hot stuff then,” he said, laughing at himself.

He enjoyed patrol and helped to establish the mini-stations built within Savannah’s public housing areas, where opinion of the police ranked low and crime was escalating.

“You couldn’t get emergency services to go into [public housing] without an escort,” he said. In time, the police officers came to know all the families, communication opened up both ways and ambulances and fire trucks no longer needed protection.

As he rose through the ranks, Lovett earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s in public administration. He also distinguished himself as a leader with a steady hand. By the time Lovett reached captain, he expressed to then-chief David Gellatly, now a Chatham County Commissioner that he would like to be chief one day.

That day would be a long time coming.

Lovett is the first chief hired from within the ranks in more than 35 years. He waited patiently, serving under others who sought the spotlight but not the respect of officers or the greater community. He served twice as interim chief, in 2006 and again from 2009 until now, and both times serious crime fell.

Geena Moore, the department’s public information officer, credits Lovett’s faith in his commanding officers.

“Each captain is allowed to do what they need to do,” she said.  “I’m high strung. He calms me.”

Lovett said that if you micromanage you send the message that you don’t need them. He recognizes that each precinct presents different challenges.

“You let them figure out how to do it,” he said. “You allow failure to a certain degree. No one comes here knowing everything.”

Training and education will be priorities of his administration, he said. He wants to create both good leaders and good managers so that there will never be a question again whether or not someone within the department is capable of serving as chief.

Lovett’s management style has earned the support of the 635 officers now serving on the combined Savannah-Chatham County police force as well as community activists who long felt their public safety concerns went unanswered.

Chief Lovett acknowledged at the swearing-in ceremony that his honeymoon period will be short-lived. The joint city-county policy committee that conducted the chief search outlined a five-point work program that starts immediately.

Among those points: staff development, hiring more civilians to serve in support roles, reducing the levels of drugs, gangs and guns in the community and reducing the number of crimes committed by repeat offenders through greater cooperation among federal, state and local agencies.

The work plan and the new chief acknowledge that the key to success, though, is the fifth point: community engagement.

“We can’t be everywhere,” said Chief Lovett, “But there are people everywhere. We’ve got to find the right person and have faith we will do the right thing.”

Lovett wants to involve the community more formally in all aspects of public safety, and that includes the SCAD community. “SCAD students are unique in a good way,” said Lovett. “They are all over the place.”

Because they travel most often on foot and by bike, students offer a natural system of surveillance and should keep their eyes and ears open for any suspicious activity. But, he encourages students to be smart: make sure doors are locked, don’t leave valuables in plain sight in cars, and never walk alone.

Lovett continued, “It’s important to understand [students] are an important part of the community. Any good or frustrations – we want to hear from them.”
Contact Amy Paige Condon.

Local authors in literary death match

By Amy Page Condon

It may not be a word duel to the death, but only one local author will stand victorious on March 11, when Opium Magazine brings its Literary Death Match series to Savannah.

Savannah College of Art and Design graduate writing student J. Charlotte Jarrett joins award-winning author Adam Davies (“Mine All Mine”), Emmy Award winner Zach Powers and Maryann Stahl (“Forgive the Moon”) in a reading event that combines the spoken-word energy of a poetry jam with the maniacal competition of “Dancing with the Stars.” Each writer has seven minutes to read from their works to impress the judges, including slam poet Clinton Powell and radio personality Shawn “J. Chris” Christopher.

The top two will compete in a finale that could range from “muzakal chairs” to a plastic farm animal toss, if any of the previous competitions are any indication.

Jarrett, who has been published in the Brushing Literary Journal, Document and South magazine, isn’t sure what she’s reading just yet.

“I do stand-up at the kitchen sink, maybe I’ll just write it down,” she said.

Terrified of public speaking, Jarrett said she’s “equally terrified of publicly making a fool out of myself, so it should be quite a night.”

Opium Magazine, an on-line and print humor publication for the literary set, has hosted more than 70 such events in 18 cities worldwide, including Chicago, Denver and Dublin. Literary Death Match is hosted monthly in New York City and San Francisco.

Literary Death Match will take place at Blowin’ Smoke Barbecue, 514 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Doors open at 7:30 pm and the event starts at 8:30 p.m. For more information visit their Web site.

Contact Amy Page Condon.

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