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Page 24 | April 8, 2011Frances AllenDesert RoundupWhen T.S. Eliot opined inthe Wasteland that April is thecruelest month, he sure wasn’tthinking about the CoachellaValley and the swathes ofdesert wildflowers surroundedby snow-capped peaks, or themild temperatures heraldingthe beginning of barbeque seasonand al fresco dining undera nightly canvas of stars.For the local chapter of theAmerican Cancer Society, however,April means the continuationof the more the twodecades-oldtradition of presentingDesert Spirit, the Valley’spremier food fundraisingevent.P a u lBruggemans(below),owner offashionableLe Vallaurisin PalmSprings anddean ofDesert restaurateurs reprises hisrole of host, while Dr. MeganFoster and her husband, Dr.Scott Gering, co-chair the eventfor the second year.Diane Neiderman, thebeautiful, and more important,cancer-survivor wife of bestsellingauthor Andrew Neiderman,will be receive the 2011Celebration of Life award inrecognition of her personalfight with the disease.The white-tableclothDesert restaurants participatingin this year’s event are Bellatrix,El Mirasol, Kaiser RestaurantGroup, Le Vallauris, PacificaSeafood Restaurant’ Spencer’sRestaurant, Sullivan’s Steakhouseand Wally’s Desert Turtle.This April 17 event at thePalm Springs Convention Centeris more than a “taste of,” it isthe pinnacle of gourmet diningin the Desert. For tickets andmore information, call 760-340-1597.******April is also a busy monthfor world-renowned photographerand Palm Springs resident,Michael Childers, whose workis the subject of a special exhibitionat the Rancho MiragePublic Library on April 13 from5:30 to 7:30 p.m.Childers (right) is knownfor his fine art photographs oflegendary movie stars, artistsand other luminaries, many ofwhich where first seen on thecover of Interview, a magazinefor which he was the foundingphotographer.Titled ”Author, Author,” theshow will feature more than 40intimate and original portraitstaken by Childers from the1960’s through to the present.Can’t make the opening of“Author, Author”? Childers willalso host a question and answersession about his work atthe library on May 6 from 4 to6 p.m.But, April is a busier monththan that for Childers who hasshouldered the cloak of theatricalproducer to his multi-talentedwardrobe. Once again thistornado of talent is producingthe live stage show, “One NightOnly,” at the McCallum TheatreApril 28 at 6:30 p.m. to aid JewishFamily Service of the Desert.Childers-produced “OneNight Only” has sold out thepast three years, delighting audienceswith spectacular performancesby nearly 20 top entertainerswho come together at theMcCallum to perform for justone night. This year’s showthemeis Palm Springs Legends,which will celebratetheDesert’s greatestcomposers,lyricists andperformers–noshortage tochoose from.Past year’sperformers includeLily Tomlin,Rita Moreno, Michele Lee,Polly Bergen, Sally Kellerman,Loretta Devine, Lorenzo Lamas,Susan Anton, Kaye Ballard, SamHarris, Elaine Page and CarolLawrence.Tickets for seating for thestage performance of One NightOnly range from $75 to $150,and available at the McCallumbox office at 760- 340-2787.Also, there are 125 specialVIP theater and dinner packagesavailable at $375 a ticket. Theseprovide premier seating and admissionto the after-theater partywith the cast at Acqua PazzaCalifornia Bistro at the River inRancho Mirage. However, VIPpackages are only availablethrough Jewish Family Service at760-325-4088. Proceeds fromthe evening benefit Jewish FamilyService of the Desert, a nonsectarian,non-profit providingcounseling and social servicesMARTINSON(Continued from page 22)was tolerant of Buddhists andsupported scholars of both faithsand funded both monasteries andtemples. In 1846 the Britishturned over to Gulab Singh andhis male heirs in perpetuity theJamnu and Kashmir. In 1947 thefate of Kashmir’s 4 million subjectswere in Maharaja HariSingh’s hands. After the Britishleft, two months later the Muslimpeasants refused to pay their landtaxes to the Hindu landlords, asthat their Hindu guards openedfire. The Muslims fled to Pakistanwhere they were given assurancesof help in liberating Kashmir fromHindu control. The India governmentresponded to defend PrimeMinister Pandit Nehru who consideredKashmir his home. On Jan3, 1948 India brought charges ofPakistan’s aggression to the UNSecurity council. The debate thatensued is still being debated insome form.to those in need regardless ofage, ethnicity or lifestyle.******There is more life in theDesert than those of us whowalk upright through it. Just askthe supporters of The LivingDesert who held a fundraisinggala Sunday at The RenaissanceEsmeralda in IndianWells.Titled “Zoobilee!,” the galafeaturing live and silent auctionsin addition to cocktailsand dinner, presented the 300guests in attendance with theopportunity to “feed your inneranimal” by supporting The LivingDesert’s efforts to savewildlife in our own backyardand across the globe.All proceeds fromZoobilee! go to benefit The LivingDesert’s animals, many ofwhom are endangered or can’tlive on their own in the wild.The event also supports theprotection of more than 1,200acres of desert wilderness andThe Living Desert continues tobe a major educational resourcefor teachers and studentsthroughout the Valleyand beyond. To find out moreabout how you can satisfy your“inner animal,” call 760-346-5694.******The cruelest thing aboutApril is it’s the last full month,this season, you will be able toenjoy The Fabulous PalmSprings Follies. Now finishingits 20th season, the Follies hasbeen seen by nearly 3 milliontheater-goers who leave thehistoric Plaza Theater in PalmSprings awe-struck at the music,dance and costumes of acast ranging from 56 to 81years young.From now through themid-May end-of-season close,the Follies is headlined by TheFour Preps whose harmoniesand humor still stir vivid memoriesof the 60s. You can haveThe Four Preps transport youback in time by calling the Folliesbox office at 760-327-0225.One reads this history thatis still inflammable and is remindedthat both India and Pakistanhave nuclear bombs. TheUN secretary-general has recentlystated the Kashmir questionhas existed nearly sixdecades and will not go away, itmust be resolved. In the lastchapter Wolpert advances somesuggestions for a solution. Ofcourse, as long as terroristscome into India and blow uptrains and hotels, one wonderswhat solution will satisfy bothsides.******Dr. Gary Small andGigi Vorgan have co-authoredThe Naked Lady Who Stood OnHer Head: A Psychiatrist’s StoriesOf His Most Bizarre Cases(William Morrow $25.95).Along with the bizarre cases, itis also a semi-autobiographicalhistory of Dr. Small and his family.He begins his history at age27, having completed medicalschool and a year of internalmedicineinternship. He left hishome town of Los Angeles tomove to Boston to do his firstyear residency in psychiatry atHarvard. His first supervisor wasthe team psychiatrist for theBoston Celtics, and his first patientwas a middle class marriedwoman who was feeling depressedbecause she couldn’thave children or so she said. Actuallyshe was bar-hopping andpicking up men, something shetried to do with Gary.Chapter two is the title ofthe book, which is how he sawthe patient through the windowin the door. He told her thenurse would bring a gown forher to put on. Turns out the patient,Katie, was diabetic andhad missed eating breakfast beforeher insulin shot. But therewas more to her story, includingher relationship with her mother,whom she claimed never approvedof what she did. Katiewanted to be an actress andGary notes that she actually didget a part on Broadway.BEVERLY HILLSInternational Beverly HillsFilm Festival Now UnderwayOPENING NIGHT–The International B.H. FilmFestival brought out (above, from left): StevenPaul, honoree Jon Voight, Nino Simone; Bal Ling(right); and (below, from left): Phillip Baker Hall,Hector Elizando; and Jennifer Finnigan withJonathan Silverman. Photos by GiovanniMaslin/EliteScene.comOn Wednesday, the 11th annual International Beverly HillsFilm Festival (www.beverlyhillsfilmfestival.com), founded byindependent filmmaker Nino Simone, kicked-off with the WestCoast premiere of the feature film Conception starring DavidArquette and Julie Bowen. The screening was followed by theWest Coast premiere of The Chicago 8 starring Danny Masterson,Gary Cole and Orlando Jones and the world premiere of BadPenny” starring Tom Arnold and Bai Ling.For five days, the BHFF hosts red carpet premieres, networkingevents, panel discussions and after-parties, culminating in theclosing night Gala Awards Ceremony held at the Four Seasons onSunday. Legendary actor Jon Voight is the recipient of theLegends award to be presented at the Gala. That night, the 2011Parajanov-Vartanov Institute award honoring icon of French cinema,Jean Vigo (1905-1934), will be presented to Paris-based filmcritic and his daughter Luce Vigo, who will speak at a rare 35mmprojection of her father’s masterpieces—Zero For Conduct (1933)and L’Atalante (1934)— at UCLA James Bridges Theater.Tickets are available on the fest site or by calling the BHFFoffice at 310-779-1206. Prices range from $12 per screening to$275 for the awards gala.There is a case with theman who wanted surgery somuch he kept injuring his hand.Along with the stories, Garytalks about his supervisors, theeminent and the Boston BeaconHill types. By his last year atHarvard’s Mass General he waschief resident of the consultationservice.By 1984 he was back inCalifornia at UCLA in geriatricpsychiatry which is where hehas made his reputation. Herehe writes of how he met andmarried Gigi and how a psychiatristis still a father when itcomes to teaching his teenagedaughter to drive. At turns, thebook is funny, charming and respectfulof human emotionalproblems.******www.conniemartinson.com onyoutube and aired and streamedby www.lacityview. org at 3 and11:30 p.m. E-mail: talksbooks@lycos.com