Helen Hunt Shares Philosophies and Secrets on the Final Night of the Smart Talk Season in Des Moines

A review by David Borzo

Helen Hunt (image by Jack Guy/Corbis Outline)

They don’t get much bigger than Helen Hunt in Hollywood. The Academy Award-winning Actress, Director and Writer has seen huge success and acceptance with both critics and the public. From her earliest work as a child actor and high profile television jobs in the 1970’s, to Broadway and then the heights of prime time television and Hollywood, Hunt has been the consummate artist. On the final night of the 2010 Smart Talk Connected Conversation in Des Moines, Helen Hunt–artist and mom–shared some secrets behind the public face.

For many, Hunt’s fame began in the early ‘90’s with her starring role in Mad About You, opposite actor Paul Reiser. The show was a great success, playing for seven years while earning Hunt four Emmy wins and four Golden Globes. But greater fame was yet to come, as Hunt appeared some of the biggest movies of the ‘90’s, and in to 2000, including Twister, Cast Away, What Women Want, and As Good as It Gets, earning Hunt the Academy Award for Best Actress. (Fascinating to learn that she put together that powerful performance while also filming the regular season of Mad About You, working day and night).

And the roles are still coming; Hunt just finished filming the movie Soul Surfer in Oahu, Hawaii, set for release in 2011. Add to this stellar career: motherhood at age 40, and successful screenwriting and directing by 46.

Unlike many Hollywood superstars, you don’t see her name splashed across the
tabloids. She is a private person who keeps her life personal. “I haven’t done anything controversial. I just live my life as if it’s private,” Hunt said in a recent interview with the Des Moines Register. During her well prepared Connected Conversation, Hunt shared that she’s not much for the Hollywood gatherings and wrap parties either, impersonal events where she gets “…bored after 45 minutes.” If she is going to spend time with people, she wants to “…be with those who know secret things.” Otherwise, she would just rather spend time alone.

So, determined to make the evening interesting, Hunt shared some “secret things”
by connecting them to her acting roles over the years. In reflecting on the vibrant and complex characters she has portrayed, she revealed touching aspects of her personality and values. Career, life, family and work are all parts of the authentic characters that she has portrayed, giving us insight into the deeply emotional, yet exacting, Helen Hunt. The unassuming star spoke poignantly of what she brought to those characters, and what they in fact brought to her. That just may be the vital definition of art.

Speaking of her directorial debut in the film “Then She Found Me,” Hunt clearly
takes to the director’s role naturally. Her courageous direction, writing and acting in that 2007 film may be a sign of things to come–Helen Hunt may ultimately find the most acclaim and success as a director. It’s the demanding levels of control over the process (and sharing secret things) that a consummate professional like Hunt craves. Wrapping up the 2010 Smart Talk Series in Des Moines on a professional and affecting high note, Helen Hunt displayed talent and integrity. There’s no doubt that we’ll be hearing from her again soon.

One step Back, and Keep Moving Forward: Smart Talk with Alison Levine at Des Moines Civic Center

A review by David Borzo

The Smart Talk Series crowd at the Des Moines Civic Center was treated to something a little different on Wednesday night, March 3rd. Alison Levine may not have the same household name recognition as many of the Smart Talk Series speakers, but she more than held her own with her powerful message of doing whatever it takes to conquer complacency. She began her captivating presentation explaining her notion of a circle of experiences and enlightenment: from her early difficulties she gained the motivation and fortitude that drove her, eventually, to scale mountains; and those ascents to the top of the world in turn provide e her with the insight and wisdom needed to help her navigate her life.
We should all have such drive. Ms. Levine’s accomplishments show that she has the right stuff: the right stuff in mountain climbing, the right stuff in business, and the right stuff as a motivational medium for us.

Ms. Levine shared her story as a health survivor – not with an illness as an adult, but one that she was born with – a heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. This life-threatening heart condition was so serious and unstable, that she was not even allowed to walk up a flight of stairs. Surgery as a teen then changed her life – conquering her physical ailment and energizing dreams that were as big as mountains. She encourages all of us to act on our own dreams. Ms. Levine’s advice, as reported in a recent Des Moines Register interview, is “If you have ever wondered about something — a sport, an activity, a hobby, a talent — don’t just read about it or talk about it or watch movies about it. Go out and do it.”

With her mantra of doing whatever it takes, Ms. Levine recounted experiences as the team captain of the first American Women’s Everest Expedition, a history-making climb that put her health and spirit to the test. In 2008 she also made history as the first American to complete a 600 mile ski-crossing in western Antarctica, all the way to the South Pole. In these adventures, Ms. Levine’s personal adversities included overcoming fears, as well as continued heath issues; she was at higher risk of frostbite, due to Raynaud’s Disease, which causes the arteries that feed her fingers and toes to collapse when experiencing cold weather and severe stress. Cold weather and stress! Naturally she took up mountain climbing…perhaps because it seemed an impossible task.

She recounted those extraordinary experiences and fears to the Smart Talk audience with well ordered clarity, and riveting images. How do you climb the highest peak in the world? How does your body become accustomed to the altitude and lack of oxygen? Ms. Levine recounted the arduous and exacting tasks, including a return to base camp every night, even as you get further and further up the face of Everest every day. Calling this “Climb high, and sleep low”, the process helps your body acclimate to the oxygen levels, and she used it to point out that there are times that you need to move back one step, in order to make it one step closer to your goal.  As her team advanced on Everest, they eventually had to pause between each stoic step–needing to breathe in and out several times, before being able to even take another step.

“Fortitude” and “determination” just scratches the surface of what makes a woman like Alison Levine tick. As a successful businesswoman on Wall Street, she found that her hard work and dedication was applicable to the business world. And as a woman dedicated to helping others achieve, Ms. Levine founded the Climb High Foundation in 2005, a charitable organization dedicated to improving the lives of jobless women in third-world countries. Her drive and relentless pursuits keep her busy all over the world.  Smart Talk is all about taking the lessons of others and applying them to your own life. Well, even if you are not setting out to climb mountains and conquer the poles, Levine’s advice is intrepid and poignant: “Fear and Risk will never kill you, but complacency will.”

Image Via Smart Talk

Des Moines and San Francisco: a subjective view

Last month I visited family in the Bay Area of California – plenty of time to see some differences between Polk County in Central Iowa and San Mateo County just south of San Francisco. In the earlier post, more objective, quantifiable data were compared.

While some of the differences can be easily compared, it is harder to quantify other differences, such as

• food, gardening
• travel, commuting
• baseball, activities
• stress

Grocery shopping? California may have a big edge here.

• CA has New Leaf, Whole Foods, and Andronico’s, natural food stores where you can get everything you need; while the prices are a little higher on some items (especially the meat), the produce is ripe and fresh – likely because it doesn’t travel far.
• The only places like that in IA are the farmers’ markets: Des Moines Farmer’s Market, and other local markets; Iowa City’s New Pioneer Food Coop; Ames’ Wheatsfield Grocery. In contrast to CA, Des Moines-based New City Market and Campbell’s Nutrition are quite small by comparison.
• When it comes to the commercial chains (except for the produce) IA’s Hy-Vee and Dahl’s compare favorably with Safeway in CA.

Home gardening? This will get your attention! There is a wait of 4 to 7 years to get a 100 sq ft garden plot in the Fort Mason Community Garden. That is a plot about the size of a very small bedroom. We’ve had picnics at Fort Mason more than once, and it is a beautiful spot as you can see on the right; but it’s easier to find a spot to garden in Iowa.

Food, in general? My impression is that

• Iowa wins on beef and pork
• California wins on fruits and vegetables

Driving? I find it easier to drive in the Bay Area, but enough said about that.

Cars? This is a strange experience. I drove my sister’s hot rod Lincoln for 4 weeks, and you wouldn’t believe what I have seen and have not seen.

• I saw only ten 2009 Chevrolet Impalas in 20 days
• instead? Toyota, Mercedes, Lexus, Hyundai, BMW, Acura, Honda, Volvo and a few Ford cars and Chevy trucks

Public Transit? The Purple Wren and I stayed in a coastal California community about the size of Grinnell, Iowa and took lots of public transit too.

• twice to San Francisco and back (SamTrans bus and CalTrain)
• once to Oakland and part way back (walked a block to SamTrans buses then BART right to the Coliseum)
• around San Francisco (Muni)

Baseball? Definitely a lot of winners here! Whether you live in the Bay Area or Des Moines, you can see good professional baseball: San Francisco Giants; Oakland A’s; Iowa Cubs. I saw the A’s and the Tigers and my favorite Tiger Curtis Granderson (shown left), but the best part was spending the afternoon with my nephew John who rode BART from Berkeley. We had great seats, but you know, it’s hard to beat an afternoon in Principal Park right here in Des Moines!

Activities? There is more to do in both places than I can ever get to.

Stress? I am not sure that stress is the right word – intensity might be better. The pace is faster, and the crowd is larger in CA. It is a line-up kind of place, and longer lines – at the movies, banks, grocery stores, restaurants, traffic, bus/CalTrain/BART stops. It’s all exciting and intense, but it creates a little more stress. When the Purple Wren and I moved back after a year in CA 10 years ago, I said, “I could live in CA, but I wouldn’t live as long.” I’ll stand by that.

Well, you win some, you lose some, and sometimes you tie. I’m happy to be here; I was happy to be there.

Des Moines and San Francisco: factual differences

Go see the eagles

No matter where you live in Des Moines, it’s a short trip to see eagles. They live year round on the Des Moines River just east of Principal Park.

You can park south of the Des Moines River near S. E. Livingston and E. 6th and walk onto the E. 6th bridge. Then look east toward S. E. 14th or look up. They are in the trees, they fish, and they soar (like eagles should). It’s always good to get outside, even or maybe even especially in the winter. It’s your big chance. They are bald eagles.

If you are looking for a bald eagle with a white head, you may or may not see one. Many are immature. (Note: you may not want to call a bald eagle immature to its face. Even the immature subadults make a crow look small.) Wikipedia has a pretty nice article with several more photos.

You won’t see an eagle as close as in the photo on the right (taken by Timothy K. Hamilton in Alaska), but they are still impressive.

• really big, even from a great distance (Adults have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet.)
• a very slow and powerful flapping of the wings

Eagles are known for their keen vision (as in eagle eye), dive speed (would you believe 200 mph?), and sharp, strong talons. It doesn’t even have to reach up to adjust its binocular vision. Bald eagles don’t like to be in populated areas so we are lucky to have them close enough to watch. And when you check ‘em out, remember that they can see you a lot better than you can see them.

photos by Flickr by Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton and by James G. Lindberg

One Hundred Wins

A great coach, a hot team, and 100 wins for Drake women’s basketball coach Amy Stephens.

The Bulldogs are playing well. They’ve won 10 of their last 11 games with a hard-nosed defense, a balanced offense (with a lot of players who can score quickly), and a roster full of players who love the game. There were many highlights in the afternoon game on February 14:

• hot pink jerseys as part of Drake’s support of Hoops 4 Hope
• solid contributions by every member of their balanced 8 player rotation
• a defense that made me happy to be in the stands and not on the floor
• free pink Hoops 4 Hope t-shirts to all the fans

and best of all

• Coach Stephens won her 100th game at Drake.

I’m sure there is bark and bite in practice and the locker room, but judging by the player reaction at the end of the game, this team loves its coach. In the photo to the left you can see Coach Stephens acknowledging the crowd of 3900 while assistant Todd Voss holds the 100th win game ball and the team looks on.

Looking on besides Monique’ Jones (#45) of Lee’s Summitt, MO and Amber Wollschlager (#34) of Milbank, SD, there is local celebrity Kristin Turk (#23) of Des Moines Lincoln.

This is a Drake team with at least 10 stars and potentially more. The only reason they use an 8 player rotation is a couple of injuries. They are worth watching and you’ve got two more chances to see them here in town – Thursday March 5 at 7:05pm against Illinois State and Saturday March 7 at 2:05 pm against Indiana State.

photos by James G. Lindberg

Apples: Take Your Pick

If you’re looking for something to do this Saturday – and the weather is supposed to be wonderful – head on over to Woodbine, Iowa, for the 20th Annual Applefest. We had the pleasure of meeting three Woodbine residents who were staffing the Main Street Iowa Program booth at the Iowa State Fair. That’s how we found out about this event.

Patt Kneen, Patty Reisz, and Roger Kenkel of Woodbine

Here’s just a few of the activities, starting with a pancake breakfast at 6:30 a.m. in the REC building.

• Classic Car Show
• Quilt Show
• Tractor Show
• Doll Show
• Merry Brook School & Geneological Society Tours
• Depot & Caboose Tours
• Flea Market
• Craft Show
• Archery 3-D & Fun Shoot
• Children’s Activities
• Apple Bake-Off
• Entertainment

If you like to eat, how about apple pie, cider slush, chicken noodle dinner, onion blossoms, grilled ribeye sandwiches, homemade ice cream, and caramel apples? There will be apple vendors there, too. And there’s NO admission fee. (Flier)

Just for fun, here’s an apple picking guide for Woodbine.

Call 712-647-3434 for more information.

Facing Des Moines: Meet Randy Torgeson

Randy Torgeson, the King of Cubes (as in cubic inches) is known around the world for building cylinders and other parts for the biggest American-made, V-twin motorcycle engines on the planet. His project last week was a 167 cubic inch engine that is heading to Australia. When I visited on 8/2, an engine had just arrived from a customer in South Africa. Hyperformance in Pleasant Hill is not the place you will find someone to work on just any bike, but if you want a complete, Hyperformance long block engine, cylinders machined from ductile iron (an iron-magnesium alloy), titanium connecting rods, or other specialty parts, you’ve come to the right place. You’ll find Randy Torgeson working in his shop 65-70 hours a week. His specialty cylinders and an engine he built are in a 205 called Woody (styled after a California Woodie) built for Doc Hopkins, a Harley dealer in WI who likes to ride with Jay Leno. Another set of cylinders is going into the world’s largest custom motorcycle engine, a 260 being assembled in Des Moines by Radical Cycle and Randy’s business partner Kent Croskey. You can see the bike on You Tube. You will also find Randy answering technical questions at his website or at the V-Twin Forum.

A New Look for AroundDesMoines.com

You might have noticed – we’re working on a facelift for AroundDesMoines.com!

We have a new look that features six tabs across the top so that we can highlight posts.

And there are four main categories just below that:

• Facing Des Moines: Putting faces on everyday people and telling some of their story
• Life is Political: What’s happening in our lives that intersects politics
• Community: Events and services around Des Moines that you might want to discover
• The City: History, architecture, museums, parks, and places

Note the featured photo and video to the right in the site. We’ll change those from time to time. Maybe bi-weekly, weekly, maybe more. We’ll see. It depends on you.

Do you have something to submit? We’d be happy to find guest writers and contributors who want to write about the city, events, politics, or their favorite cause. Write about what you love. (Submission guidelines)

It’s a great way to show off your writing or photography skills and reach a wider audience.

Contact us at 515.745.9978 or life@arounddesmoines.com

Thanks to Jesse Petersen at Perfectly Petersen for updating WordPress and tweaking our new Revolution City template. Click here to view more details

Note: If you’re keeping up with us in a feed reader you might notice that we’re republishing some of our posts so they work in our new categories. (Sorry about that. We’ll be done with our housekeeping soon.)

Grits in Iowa?

Sunday brunch at my friend Martha’s included grits made by a real Southern boy. What a treat! Growing up in Michigan I was deprived, and when I first saw grits at age 12, they looked like Cream of Wheat. Now I know better.

Here is Tim’s recipe, but don’t expect instant success. He has been doing this for a long time.

Tim says it’s important to start with a heavy pot and to use a metal whisk to stir; he also suggests a non-stick spray.

Cream Grits
2 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
½ stick of butter
1 teaspoon salt

Bring the cream and water to a boil. Add the butter and salt.
Slowly add 1 cup of instant grits with stirring and reduce the heat.
Cook 7 to 9 minutes being careful not to scorch the mixture. (I noticed that he didn’t walk away as he was doing this.)

My advice to you: Practice. Then call me.

photo by Flickr by iirraa

Guest Writer: James G. Lindberg (Jim) is the Purple Wren’s sweetie and is a visiting chemistry professor at Grinnell College and retired from Drake University.

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