James Purpura is emerging as one of the most profound and uniquely talented artists of a generation
Paris -
For artists to distinguish themselves is never easy. To distinguish themselves
in Paris is an altogether bigger deal. James Purpura,
a native of Ohio, has done exactly that. Starting April 1 and ending on April
13 Purpura’s wide range of paintings, including landscapes, portraits and the
fanciful, will be exhibited in one of the City of Lights most magnificent
buildings the City Hall of Paris' 5th Arrondissement.
A cityscape by Jame Purpura. (Used by permission.)
Purpura,
who sees colors in music, an almost sixth sense called synesthesia, has also
accomplished another rare feat among artists in that he has been able to
translate this concomitant sense for the world to see. According to Purpura he
sees colors in “Beats, instruments, layering, vocals, and lyrics can evoke
certain colors and brush strokes, and pieces of music in an infinite number of
ever-changing visuals.” His musical inspirations for painting includes
classical, pop, transcendental, and remixes.
The
artist's work is innovative and spontaneous, and never scripted. He likes to
play with colors and lets them answer each other on the canvas. Often,
characters such as animals and people begin to appear magically in the story
and he will give them finishing touches to complete these characters.
A landscape by James Purpura. (Used by permission.)
“My
approach gets people involved in the canvas as they lose themselves in color
and the story on the canvas. It allows them to escape and ask ‘Why is the moon
black? Why is the sun green? Why are there two suns? Why is there one sun but
the reflection of seven?’ This is how I see. This is how
I interpret the world.” said Purpura.
Seeing the film Titanic when it was released in December
1997 proved to be pivotal moment for me. That’s because watching Mr.
Cameron’s near exact replica of the 1912 White Star ocean liner reminded me of
another ship I had adored, imagined and built (the Revel model that is!) as a
child. A ship whose very name made me feel patriotic.
The S.S. United States.
Titanic made me want to know where the S.S.
United States had gone. I went on (what we called then) the World Wide Web and
discovered (to my delighted surprise) that America’s flagship was very much
still afloat and a former passenger, Mike Alexander, had started a Website to
bring awareness to her plight.
That following January I went to visit the United States for
the first time. I could hardly sleep the night before! I felt like a little boy going
to Disneyland for the first time! I’ll never forget seeing her red, white and
blue funnels for the first time that day. Her sleek profile. Her dramatic and
cutting bow.
She was weather beaten for sure, but where others saw discouragement
and a badly decaying vessel I saw hope and a glorious restoration like the RMS
Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.
I was 33 years old and full of excitement
and possibilities. I didn’t care that the herculean task of saving this ship
would take years of my life. I didn’t care that many other interests where
vying with their own visions--and, sadly, personal self-aggrandized agendas.
I just knew I could do this.
And I began by starting an organization I named the S.S.
United States Foundation.
I’m not going delve into the details--the impossible odds of
creating and leading one of the largest all volunteer preservation non-profits
in the country--because this amazing story has been covered in many news stories and in
books.
Safe to say, the attention I sought to bring to the ship via
the SSUS Foundation, went well beyond anything I could have imagined. For the
first time since the ship won the Blue Riban for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean (and her untimely retirement in
1969) her story appeared in the New York Times, then the BBC World News Service,
then ABC World News Tonight and on and on. (Click on video below)
This constant national and international media attention
began in April 1999 and has never let up.
With success came attention and many now wanted to become
part of what had been a few, but highly devoted, Big U (her nickname) fans in varying fields of expertise
from advertising, public relations, media relation, maritime and
legislative-based professions.
The SSUS Foundation's greatest accomplish happened when we lead
the effort and succeeded in placing the S.S. United States on the National
Register of Historic Places when she was less than 50 years old. This "less than 50 years old" is
important because we had to prove the Big U met the National Register's stringent “National
Significance” criterion.
We did and the Big U was placed on the National Register in
June 1999 resulting in another round of national attention including a prime time
broadcast on CNN. (Click on video below)
But soon the reality of having to actually convince a municipality
to take her in as a Queen Mary type attraction set in. Meetings were held with
elected representatives but no one seemed to grasp (or have the vision) of what a
huge tourist attraction the SS United States could become—a classic problem in
preservation efforts.
Then the owner, who had allowed the SSUS Foundation free and near unfetter access to the ship passed away. She was sold to NCL and the Foundation’s
noble vision to see the S.S United States preserved as a monument to her splendor
(and being able to keep her on the National Register) seemed lost.
Then everything changed.
The official logo of the S.S. United States Foundation.
The Foundation's confrontational approached to NCL’s
renovation plans didn’t sit well with some members of the board of directors.
In the ensuing heightened climate of profound ideological
differences a new non-profit, the S.S. United States Conservancy, was created (or reemerged
from an existing organization as some would insist) and they succeeded in
purchasing the United States from NCL after the cruises line abandoned its
renovation plans.
Not long after the remaining board of the SSUS Foundation
voted to suspend any further activities and to not compete for our vision of
preservation.
Since that time I have maintained a social media
presence as a fascinated spectator of the SSUS Conservancy’s efforts to bring
their vision of the Big U to fruition--I even donated my last royalty proceeds from the book SS United States Fastest Ship in World (Turner) to the Conservancy. And until their recent announcement about the deal worked
out with Crystal Cruise Lines I was as unaware of their vision as anyone else.
Cover to the successful book SS United States Fastest ship in the World (Turner)
Let me be clear. I cannot begin to express my profound
disappointment in the future chosen by the SSUS Conservancy for this great
historic site.
To me the plans are an abomination of what I, and many others feel, was the epitome
of ship building. And I realize many feel differently but I very much disagree
with the argument that all that matters is that she sails again.
Sails as what?
To me it’s analogous to giving Queen Elizabeth a Hollywood-style face lift, collagen
lip injections, massive Dolly Parton-esque breast implants, a tummy tuck and a rear-end lift, put
her in a red, skin-tight beaded dress and parade her around with the Kardashian sisters.
Yes, what a comical and ridiculous site that would be and what horrid last visual memories of a great queen!
Yet, I’m
supposed to feel that what is planned for the S.S. United States is any
different?
Well, I can’t.
Now that the board of the SSUS Conservancy has made their
choice to, what I strongly feel, eviscerate the remaining historic integrity (as I
believe is clearly spelled in the requirements for historic designation by The
National Register of Historic Places), I will suspend any involvement in and
abandon my watch as a preservationist seeking to protect this amazing relic of maritime
greatness.
Who wouldn’t want a fairy
godmother? They would lavish you with gifts, of course, but more importantly
they would teach you how to be a better person by bringing out your inner
nobility. Lessons in Nobility is about how a very real fairy godmother changed the
author’s life from a self-destructive one to a life of noble aspirations and
wonderful achievements.
While
still a teenager, Robert Westover was introduced to his “fairy godmother” who,
like the plot of so many Russian novels, was a delightfully eccentric countess.
Countess Olga de Chravpovitsky was raised in the court of Tsar Nicholas II. She
was a playmate of the legendary Grand Duchess Anastasia and at one point even
encountered the mysterious Siberian monk, Rasputin.
Despite
the horrors of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, Olga’s family managed to escape.
Exiled in America, she became a relative (through marriage) to Jacqueline
Bouvier Kennedy and helped influence the former First Lady’s fascination with
imperial Russia—a fact known by few. But all these things were just the baubles
of a life of any well-born person with great connections. What made Olga
special was the nobility she expressed in nearly everything she did—and how she
taught it to Robert.
So how
did a middle class kid from LA become the “honorary godson” to such a regal and
highborn woman? That will be for the reader to decide. Some will see it as pure
luck while others will see it as fate. But, no matter the conclusion, the story
of how Robert was taught to be noble is one that everyone can gain from.
The
reader will walk away with a better understanding of what being noble is and
how they can apply these lessons in their own lives. Sometimes dramatic and
often moving, Lessons in Nobility has a timeless appeal.
Never
before Published Insight into Jackie Kennedy’s Life As an
exciting addition to the book, the author has included an article he wrote
about the relationship between Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Hugh D. “Yusha”
Auchincloss III, Olga's newphew. Step brother and sister, Yusha and Jackie
shared a love that lasted their entire lives.
Mr.
Westover had unique access to Yusha Auchincloss and interviewed him on several
occasions at Hammersmith Farm in Newport, Rhode Island. The interviews, in the
twilight of Mr. Auchincloss' life, reveal just how much love he and Jackie had
for each other.
Robert
Hudson Westover is a professional writer of articles, humorous columns, and was
the subject of many national news stories including ABC World News Tonight
(2000), The New York Times (1998/2003) and the BBC (1998/2000). His "Lord
Westover" blog was nominated to the Washington Post's "Best Blog
Award" by its readers and mentioned in the Christian Science Monitor. Mr.
Westover is co-author of the well-received “S.S. United States – Fastest Ship
in the World” (Turner). He and his husband, Gay rights activist Tom Fulton,
live in Virginia.
You know you’re part
of LGBT media history when Getty Images, the world’s largest repository of
pictures and broadcast roll media has you in their database. Tom, me and our
friend Phil Attey appear in the attached clip—note the caption! So proud to be
a “Flag waving LGBT rights” advocate!
This news clip (or
portions of it) were broadcast around the world to over 100 countries. Take
that LGBT haters!
Getty Images: Same
sex couples activists celebrate US Supreme Court decision
Caption: Flag waving
LGBT rights advocates on the packed Supreme Court forecourt some in tears
cheered danced shouted USA USA and sang The Star Spangled Banner in celebration
of the high court’s decision to make same sex marriage legal throughout the US
On our way into work this morning my husband, Tom,
was reading an article in The Atlantic about Microsoft founder Bill Gate’s
perspective on climate change when Tom abruptly turned to me and said: I hear so much about the science of climate change but I
rarely hear people tell how it has affected them...on an individual level. I
want to hear about their personal experiences.
Tom enjoying New Zealand's great outdoors (Photo credit Robert Westover)
I was astounded
that I hadn’t thought to promote this type of anecdotal climate change awareness on a
more focused level in the ten years I’ve been writing about global warming. (Full
disclosure: for many years I’ve been a “true believer” in the effects of climate
change, as a man-made phenomenon. Tom has always been a keen observer and
skeptic of political/environmental trends but he now agrees wholeheartedly with
me that climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing mankind and we
need to do something about it.)
Well, I got to work—immediately
(as in today). And here's the
start.
I’ve launched a
Facebook page called Witness to Climate Changehttps://www.facebook.com/witnesstoclimatechange/ to
capture in one location as many personal storied of how climate change has affected
You and Me—all of us on an individual level. This is how the story needs to be
told. This is how people learn. Anecdotes of this-is-what-happened-to-me have
guided humanity for millennia and I now feel this should be the focus of a
worldwide climate change awareness campaign I’m calling (like the Facebook handle) Witness to Climate
Change.
Shortly after meeting Prince Charles (Photo credit Robert Westover)
Back a few years ago, I had the opportunity to meet one of the great climate
change spokespersons (if you will) in the world. I shook hands with Prince
Charles and told him I worked on climate change issues to which he responded, “But is anyone listening?"
to which I replied, "We're making progress. They will listen..."
I hope the Witness to Climate
Change grassroots awareness campaign is an answer so that many more will start “listening”.
Please go to the
new Witness to Climate Change Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/witnesstoclimatechange/ and share your own experiences of what you've seen, lived or how
you’ve been affected by climate change. I’ll choose stories to be promoted on
this blog and my Twitter site @MrClimateChange.
“In the resurrection they neither marry nor are
given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” – Christ Jesus
Dear Pope Francis:
As a baptized and loving Catholic I have worked to thread
my Catholic upbringing into daily living as I have sought to lead a life
with integrity, dignity, and personal success as a natural gay man created by
God as Gay. I have a wonderful loving
husband named Robert who, although not Catholic (I’m working on it), loves God
with such profundity that it was one of the reasons I married him.
My often difficult but blessed personal journey has
occurred while at the same time, throughout the advanced world we all have witnessed,
as part of each generation’s spiritual revelation, a deeper understanding of same-sex
attraction within the human race, as well as the animal kingdom. And are not animals in their simplistic innocent creatures of God? If same sex attraction was not natural,
why did God instill it in a small percentage of his lessor creation?
My Husband and me after the US Supreme ruled that our marriage, our devotion and love for each other, was equal to every other married couple in America. This picture was the lead photo on the Huffington Post's website and was picked up all over the world
I, and others like me, seek to demonstrate that values
such as wholesome living, honor, love and fidelity can be lived while having a
spouse of the same-sex. Millions of us seek to live a life in Christ. As with all people, this walk is often a
challenge, but made unnecessarily difficult by unloving, uniformed, or less
spiritually developed forces which attack and demonize Gay people.
And, we as LGBT Catholics have an additional cross
put upon our shoulders by our own church.Many of us turn in despair to anti-spiritual fronts, often exemplified
by popular culture which often elevates and glorifies baser ways of living, which
many do know, through often tragic personal experience, leads to a spiritual dead end--yet even as this “front” has offered us refuge when the Church has turned against us!
Indeed, this is a challenge calling for great gifts
of discernment.
I too have a concern for the “family”, Pope Francis,
which I agree can be greatly healed by individuals committing to living lives
far more focused on self-less love, and service. Please pray to understand,
though, that physical expressions, depending upon body parts, DO NOT, Pope
Francis, change “fundamental relationships” that you expressed concern about in
the marriage covenant. Rather sexuality,
including Gay sexuality, is truly a mysterious wonder which according to God’s
plan, when property used, can lead to a deeper, richer life in every way.
With our natural sexuality intact we can develop
towards a deeper life in Christ. Many
things threaten all types of family life today, I agree: a culture which too often
degrades or ridicules wholesome values, rather than the transformational power
of love for another. Or others: worldwide economic pressures, self-centeredness,
declining discipline, delaying gratification, a changing socialization which
focuses on short-term versus long-term goals, and many many other
challenges.
This ostracized community of Gay people, especially middle-age elders, can actually offer tremendous insight into how to counter
these corrosive visions within the flock. Holy Father, you can seize this opportunity and actually help by understanding
and speaking compassionately about our rightful place within the body of
Christ! You can speak forth that our
dreams too reflect the dream that Martin Luther King Jr. had that men and women
should be judged by the content of their character, and people who are LGBT
should not in any way be discriminated within the public realm, and this must
be clearly stated in federal law, and throughout the world.
Your Holiness you are actually in concert with
another fellow Catholic, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Kennedy. Yes, in removing the splinter from the
Church’s eye, you may see symmetry, mathematical beauty. You reiterated the importance, above all, of
the richness and the beauty of family life, likewise through the movement of
the Holy Spirit, Justice Kennedy affirmed in his ruling regarding marriage
equality that no union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the
highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, and sacrifice, and FAMILY. In forming a marital union two people
(regardless of body parts which soon enough turn to dust) become something greater
than they once were.
Marriage embodies a love that may endure even beyond
death. It would misunderstand these men
and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. We in the LGBT community respect it so much
that we want to be part of it, find fulfillment in it for themselves and proclaim its great value to others.
The loving and equal affirmation of LGBT people, Holy
Father, is human dignity. It is this generation’s spiritual revelation, that I
deeply pray every night that your will ultimately proclaim during your
Papacy. I know in this life I will never meet with you, Holy Father, to sit down together and share in the spirit of Christ's Love, but in heaven when all is clearly seen, I pray we will see eye-to-eye as brothers of the faith in the most holy council of Our Lord.
I’d like to end this letter with another mention of
my husband. Holy Father you took the name of my most admired saint. Fifteen
years ago when I showed Robert, the film Brother Son, Sister Moon by Franco
Zeffirelli’s he cried. Two weeks before your ascendancy to the Throne of Saint
Peter, Robert told a friend, who had hardened their heart toward our one true and
Apostolic Church, they should watch the film because “Saint Francis of Assisi
was what being a Christian and Catholic means…”
My husband and I knew something incredibly unusual for us was unfolding after the Marriage Equality ruling was handed down last Friday by the Supreme Court. We were there, outside the imposing white marble facade of America's most iconic building of Justice with the words carved in marble above it's giant bronze doors: Equal Justice Under Law.
The general consensus was that a ruling wasn't supposed to be handed down until Monday, June 29, or the high court's last day in session for the year. This is how the other landmark Gay Rights rulings had been handled in the past (see my previous blog post on the End of DOMA ruling in 2013).
Tom and I ten minutes before the Marriage Equality Ruling.
But I had a premonition that it would happen on Friday and told Tom we needed to get to the Court in the morning, before 10 AM (the time that rulings for the day are handed down). Fortunately, we both work walking distance from the Supreme Court, so we rendezvoused at about 15 minutes before the rulings of the day would be announced.
Would I be right?
Our hearts beat rapidly in anticipation as we hoped and prayed that for the first time in our lives, the statement Equal Justice would be met out in its totality. Would this day bring us unfathomable joy by changing our lives forever and making our marriage, our love, truly equal under the law? Or would it be yet another half measure of dignity handed out to us like ravaged prisoners hoping for the full pardon that would someday open our cell doors and free us--forever--from the jail house of second class citizenship?
We knew this ruling was going to change the lives of millions...Tom and I just two of those millions.
And when that crowd shouted out LOVE HAS WON! we jumped for joy, broke into tears and just held each other.
A picture taken of US by CBS News moments after the ruling.
It took 15 years to get Equal Justice in our marriage.
Many, many more years for many others.
"What do you think of the swiftness of the change?" One reporter asked us. Tom replied "Swiftness? It's been over 50 years since WE started our fight for equality. It hasn't come fast enough... We love you Justice Kennedy!"
"Kiss your husband!" a reporter asked, so I did!
And then many other reporters started asking us questions, taking our picture and filming us. This had happened the last time a great barrier of bigotry had fallen: DOMA. In fact, the reporters were asking lots of us, lots of questions. We were more than thrilled to respond. Maybe some young person, struggling under the weight of oppression might hear our story and be inspired to love themselves, feel sorry for their persecutors and look forward to a life in a community of kindred hearts.
But, to our amazement, that day, our ripple in the pond of outreach was beyond anything we could have imagined. We knew this when a text arrived from a friend we hadn't heard from in ages telling us to look at CBS New's Twitter page. There we were, in full embrace--our devotion and love--for all the world to see.
And the world did see, read and hear from us! On six continents!
As the day unfolded, and into the night, the texts and Facebook messages kept coming: Saw you in the Huffington Post! One friend wrote from LA. Then the PBS News Hour reporter who had interview us texted to tell us we'd be featured at the top of the hour as the Network's lead story.
Three days later and we're still blown away. Think of how many millions of LGBTQ folks have seen that, "Yes, it does get better."
Tom and I are so very humbled and grateful to have been able to speak for the LGBTQ Community that historic day. There were so many of us, the quiet foot soldiers there that day, and many of our voices were not broadcast to the world. That's the price we pay for loyalty to our cause, to our community.
From the Huffington Post.
But, sometimes, like what happened for us, the spotlight turns and there you are. As Christians we believe that God does work in mysterious ways. We don't always understand it, but all things can (and often do) work together for those who have faith. So many words and expressions are timeless and this quote from Psalms really says it for us--for what happened on that momentous day "This is the Lord's work and it is marvelous in our eyes..."
***
Below are links to some of the worldwide media coverage our voice received.