Tune in to your local classical radio station anywhere in North America, and it won’t take long for someone to mention the name Itzhak Perlman. It is rare for a musician in the classical genre to become the rock star that Perlman has become. Known for the tremendous emotion he exudes through each string he caresses, he has taken ... Read more
Share this issue:
Itzhak Perlman Issue
Articles Itzhak Perlman; Ashley Fiolek; Humor; Geri Jewell; China Art; Long Haul Paul-Battling MS; Loreen Arbus; ‘Born This Way’-Cast A&E; Chris Fonseca
Laureate Address — Itzhak Perlman
When I was growing up in Tel Aviv, my parents were poor, and to get enough food was a constant challenge. I remember care packages arriving from an aunt in Toronto: home-made chicken soup in a jar, a can of Del Monte fruit cocktail with that red cherry, and a check for a few dollars. We were recipients ... Read more
Fonseca — Comedy & The Million Gimp March
Comedian Chris Fonseca knows a thing or two about adversity. Born with cerebral palsy, Fonseca not only laughs at his own condition, he’ll get you laughing as well. A stand up, sit-down comedian with the added fun of a speech impediment, he’s rolled his way through the comedy circuit for decades and was the ... Read more
“Born This Way” — The Cast
On a beautiful summer afternoon in Los Angeles at John Paizis’ Performing Arts Studio West, the cast of TV’s Born This Way met up with David S. Zimmerman, an ABILITY contributor and founder of Meet The Biz, and actress Jamie Brewer of American Horror Story. Later in the conversation, the cast’s families joined them as they talked about life, love, and the ... Read more
Loreen Arbus — Fighting for the Marginalized
Entering the home of Loreen Arbus, almost all senses are tickled at once. A never-ending color palette of combinations not typically seen under the same roof, and yet reds, pinks, gold, turquoise, patterns, polka dots all living in perfect harmony. Her love for vibrant energy shows in the pieces of art and sculptures she has chosen to display throughout each room, ... Read more
Battling MS Symptoms
It’s been four years since I concocted this million-mile motorcycle journey for multiple sclerosis (MS), and I thought it might be a good time to review and evaluate my mission. I know I’ve missed some original goals and opportunities, but like fighting the disease itself, I charge forward with determination daily while continuing to chase the cure. I may have fallen ... Read more
Art Sets Us Free
We would never have thought to look for the town of Shuangxi on a map if it were not the home of the International Art Education Center for the Disabled. What kind of resources allowed the Center to use the terms International and Disabled? What beliefs does its founder, Zhenglu Lin, hold? It was with these questions in mind that ... Read more
Tick Tock
I woke up recently startled by the fact that my deadline to write my next column for ABILITY was that day! First I spent about 30 minutes or so eyeing a blank Word document on my computer. Then, unable to think of anything to write about I thought, Hey! How about some peanut butter toast! So I shut my computer ... Read more
Beach Day – Humor Therapy
When people want to take a vacation, the most common place is the beach. They rarely say, “I’m going to take the family to the jungle,” or “we’re going to kick it for a few weeks in Damascus”(that’s where the terrorists are hanging out.) So, the beach is the place to go. But is it the best place to go? ... Read more
Mini-Vacay and Biking!
Recently, I have been catching up on some much needed rest from my travels. I have been going through all of my emails for class requests and setting up a new schedule for my AFMX schools. Actually, right now as I write this, I am headed out to Washington for an MX school. It will be the biggest AFMX ... Read more
