A Few Women to Admire..

Annie Leibovitz

I went to her solo show, a retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum around 4 years ago when I first moved to NYC. It was incredible because, despite all the chaos at that time, I was cosmically able to attend the opening. I viewed her incredible evolution as a photographer and as a woman. Her photos always tell a story, a real and honest one. And I intensely admire the ease of her subjects, its like they all trust her and in her or through her they can relax and just be. I want to be such a photographer one day. Also, she walked past me. Not with an entourage or associate, just herself. And I was by myself, loving that I could be alone at the event, I strayed away from the crowds and was just meandering. It seemed like she was looking for the bathroom or something or was just happy to get a breath to herself. My breath, however, was completely gone and I froze. Unable to understand the moment or to act or do or think anything I just looked at her and felt so grateful to know that yes, Annie Leibovitz is a real live person and aside from all her accomplishments and admirers, she probably just craves being alone sometimes.


Mariane Pearl

I saw her in Tokyo around 5 years ago. She was giving a talk about her new book 'A Mighty Heart'. I went with some friends to hear her speak. I didn't know much about her at the time, I just knew that President Ikeda shook her hand and told her he knew everything about her. I saw this on a video screen and I saw the joy in her eyes. I knew I wanted to hear what she had to say. She spoke very clearly even with her little son restless about her, the way kids do when they see their parents being serious and non-attentive. Despite her clarity she seemed exhausted and left promptly when her time was up. 'The Pearl' is SUA's student newspaper named after her husband. Emily who was an editor for the paper brought a copy with her and ran after Ms. Pearl and basically forced the copy into her hands before she disappeared from the crowd.
What I remember about her talk was the way she spoke. It was like she knew what she was made of, her strengths and weaknesses and was vividly aware of what she needed. She was very eloquent and smart.

Elizabeth Gilbert

She's a great storyteller and one thing I've learned is that everyone loves a good story. She gave a fabulous talk on the Ted Talks program about the curse of creativity. Of course she didn't explain it as a curse, only her journey to understand her own creative spirit and to even make friends with it. She's so open, not by nature, but by her own accomplishment. I understood from her that creativity comes in many forms for all people, but it can always be found in a woman.





Tali

I admire all my friends--incessantly. I learn from each of them and love them without boundary. Tal, however, has gone through what I can only describe as a monsoon of experience, seeing much more than I ever have. She's the kind of person that anyone is happy to have met in a lifetime of meeting people and she creates a memory there. Tal really helped me (and still does) to understand the value of working to help others. I could see, from her life, that it actually heals open wounds within. Supporting other women, as a woman, I flourish and continue to grow and have all my needs met.

I love you Tali!