Hitchens
12/16/11 The great essayist and contrarian Christopher Hitchens died last night after a long battle with esophagel cancer.
He was a literate and passionate writer whom I enjoyed reading because he was quick to drop his line of argument and go straight for the ad hominem attack. He made a career out of going for the personal attack, actually.
I also think of him as being a good host. I made the above portrait of him in June 2004. He was being interviewed by a TV crew when I showed up at his huge apartment in The Wyoming that morning. I checked out his bookcases while he finished up. I remember PG Woodhouse and many books on photography and film criticism. He came over to greet me wearing socks and we immediately started talking as though we’d known each other for years.
I’d taken his picture before. Back in 1999, I was photographing red carpet arrivals for the premiere of the anti-smoking movie The Insider. It was held at DC’s art-deco movie palace, The Uptown and a lot of big wigs had been invited. Everyone was waiting around for one of the movie’s stars, Al Pacino to show up when I saw Hitchens walk into the movie house with a cigarette in his mouth. A couple minutes later, he was roughly escorted out with a goon at each elbow. It was like watching a scene from a silent movie. I told him how funny I thought it had been for him to tweak the crowd by walking into the theater smoking. He laughed but said he’d no recollection of it.
We sat down and had a whiskey. I took pictures as we chatted. His wife came in at one point and he introduced me. We talked about his forthcoming book on Jefferson and his tiff with Sidney Blumenthal and we talked about movies. We talked about a book called The Cruel Sea which I’d read because he mentioned it in one of his columns as being the best novel about the Battle of the North Atlantic. It’s 11 am and I can’t quite tell if he’s already blotto because he’s amazingly coherent on every topic we touch on. But then he lights a match and holds it in front of my face. There’s a longish pause. I don’t have a cigarette in my mouth to light. Makes me laugh. He offers me a smoke and I take it – you can see it in the ashtray above. “How did I know you smoked” he laughs. And then we drank some more.
New Work
12/14/11 Artist Kevin Paulsen installs his mural in the “speakeasy” room Monday afternoon at The Hamilton – a huge new restaurant and music venue from the Clyde’s group which is set to open next month at 14th and F Streets.
Snarked Street: Ayala In Chinatown
12/07/11 She’s not jaywalking! I caught Ayala Pavia Tuesday afternoon dashing through the rain at the special intersection at 7th & H Streets which allows you to cross in all directions. Once we were safely on the opposite corner, she happily agreed to answer some DC-centric fashion questions:
Q. Who are you wearing?
A. My favorite leather bomber jacket by D & G, a Calvin Klein dress, and Gucci heels.
Q. Does DC have a particular sense of street style?
A. Yes and No. The people who live in DC definitely do. It’s a cross between urban chic and classic conservative dressing. I don’t seem to see much in between. Tourists and commuters in the city are a bit all over the place when it comes to style; there is not really one look for them.
Q. Are there any style trends you notice all the time?
A. Leggings are definitely in. Knee high boots and fedora hats. A lot of shabby chic. Oh, and Ray Bans! Everyone seems to own a pair in the city, whichever style they prefer.
Q. Which DC neighborhood is most fashionable?
A. Well, I would have to be biased and say my neighborhood, Logan Circle. There is a balance between business sophisticated and urban chic. I love hanging out around the 14th and U Street area. There are so many cool and eclectic people. Even taking a trip to Whole Foods on P Street is fun just to watch the urban fashionable crowd. I do it all the time!
Bio:
My background is European and my father lives in Milan, so I have always had a love for fashion. I began my career in retail with an internship at Valentino, sales at Neiman Marcus and finally management at Saks Fifth Avenue which really solidified my own personal style; edgy and sophisticated. More recently I have switched career paths and work for a company called LaserShip. Shipping is a very interesting and challenging career with many exciting opportunities. Please take a look at our website www.lasership.com and contact me with any inquiries regarding your shipping needs at apavia@lasership.com.
Jackson Browne
12/05/11 Jackson Browne tunes up “backstage” before singing to Occupy Washington DC at Freedom Plaza Monday afternoon.
2011 Georgetown Gala
[Sarah and guys from the band.]
12/02/11 Images from “Winter Wonderland,” the 2011 Georgetown Gala sponsored by the Citizens Association of Georgetown held at the Embassy of Russia with music by 70s tribute band RIGHT ON!
[Honoree Franco Nuschese, owner of Cafe Milano.]
[DC Mayor Gray doing conga line to the tune of "Love Train."]
Market Tavern
11/28/11 The Market Tavern – a new chophouse in Clarendon, Va.
Road Through The Woods
11/24/11 I walked through the woods on Ryan Farm up to the fields on Thanksgiving Day and cleared away fallen trees blocking the road.
Muppet Movie Midnight Madness
11/21/11 Actor Jason Segel autographs Kermit for a fan on his way into a sold-out midnight showing of THE MUPPETS at AMC Georgetown 14 in Washington, DC on Tuesday night.
Bro Dog and Princess Nanny Schunks.
“Everybody do a muppet face!”
“Haters Gonna Hate!”
SUV departs
Gary Oldman
11/21/11 Actor Gary Oldman attends a special screening of his new movie TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD on Monday night. The film is the closing night selection of AFI’s European Union showcase 2011 edition.
From the press release . . .
SYNOPSIS
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is the long-awaited feature film version of John le Carré’s classic bestselling novel. The thriller is directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In). The screenplay adaptation is by the writing team of Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan.
The time is 1973. The Cold War of the mid-20th Century continues to damage international relations. Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), a.k.a. MI6 and code-named the Circus, is striving to keep pace with other countries’ espionage efforts and to keep the U.K. secure. The head of the Circus, known as Control (John Hurt), personally sends dedicated operative Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) into Hungary. But Jim’s mission goes bloodily awry, and Control is forced out of the Circus – as is his top lieutenant, George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a career spy with razor-sharp senses.
Estranged from his absent wife Ann, Smiley is soon called in to see undersecretary Oliver Lacon (Simon McBurney); he is to be rehired in secret at the government’s behest, as there is a gnawing fear that the Circus has long been compromised by a double agent, or mole, working for the Soviets and jeopardizing England. Supported by younger agent Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch), Smiley parses Circus activities past and present. In trying to track and identify the mole, Smiley is haunted by his decades-earlier interaction with the shadowy Russian spy master Karla.
The mole’s trail remains cold until maverick field agent Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy) unexpectedly contacts Lacon. While undercover in Turkey, Ricki has fallen for a betrayed married woman, Irina (Svetlana Khodchenkova), who claims to possess crucial intelligence. Separately, Smiley learns that Control narrowed down the list of mole suspects to five men. They are the ambitious Percy Alleline (Toby Jones), whom he had code-named Tinker; suavely confident Bill Haydon (Colin Firth), dubbed Tailor; stalwart Roy Bland (Ciarán Hinds), called Soldier; officious Toby Esterhase (David Dencik), dubbed Poor Man; and – Smiley himself.
Even before the startling truth is revealed, the emotional and physical tolls on the players enmeshed in the deadly international spy game will escalate…
http://www.focusfeatures.com/tinker_tailor_soldier_spy
TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY opens in Washington, DC on December 16, 2011
Ribbon Cutting
11/17/11 Microsoft General Counsel and Corporate Vice President Brad Smith cuts the ribbon on the new Microsoft Store at Tysons Corner Center in McLean, Va. on Thursday afternoon.
Backstage Pass
11/16/11 Backstage and rehearsals for Cirque du Soliel’s show QUIDAM at DC’s Verizon Center on Wednesday afternoon. The show runs until Sunday.
Fashion’s Fight Against MS 2011
11/14/11 Fashion’s Fight Against MS, a charity fashion runway event showcasing the latest collection from NAHM (by designers Alexandria Hilfiger and Nary Manivong) to benefit the National MS Society was held at the Liaison Capitol Hill hotel Monday night.
Jenny Fetch
11/12/11 It’s a simple game – I throw the stick in the pond and Jenny brings it back. Every time.
Elisir
11/10/11 One of the “power tables” at Chef Enzo’s new restaurant, Elsir, which is set to open in the next couple weeks.
Occupy Cava Happy Hour
11/09/11 It was a packed house at Famous DC’s “Occupy Cava” Happy Hour on Wednesday night.
Clint Eastwood
11/08/11 Director Clint Eastwood answers questions on the red carpet at the Washington, D.C. premiere of his movie J. EDGAR at the Newseum on Tuesday night.
Wild Horses
11/07/11 Opening night reception at the Embassy of Canada for the exhibit “Wild Horses of Sable Island” Photoworks by Roberto Dutesco. The exhibit is open to the public Monday to Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm until March 24, 2012
