Person of Interest

The other day I decided to take the M101 bus home from Harlem.  When it finally arrived, I was a little annoyed to see that it terminated at 96th Street instead of making its full route downtown, but lately inconvenience is inherent in the price of a MetroCard; I hopped on and told myself that the short walk from East 96th Street to my apartment would do me good.

When I disembarked, I ran smack into a production assistant for CBS-TV's freshman drama, "Person of Interest."   Because the series was filming that evening on Lexington Avenue, the buses were being temporarily rerouted and the PA was requesting that pedestrians go to the other side of the street to avoid walking into the shot.

As I followed the PA's direction, I couldn't help sneaking a peek at what was going on.  Seeing the filming in action was a bit of a thrill -- even for a born-and-bred New Yorker like me.  First of all, I really like the show.  The premise of a pair of unlikely characters trying to prevent crimes in New York is fascinating.  Its noir style and sophisticated plots are a cut above what's commonly on network television, and Jim Caviezel ("Reese") and Michael Emerson ("Finch") play so well off each other that it's easy to forget they're acting.  To keep things interesting, the writers have infused the plotline with an homage to "The Fugitive," having a female detective (the terrific Taraji P. Henson) on the tail of the good guys.

Part of the fun for me each week is recognizing the streets, shops and landmarks as Reese and Finch hide in plain sight.  I'm very proud of how New York is portrayed throughout the series, and I told the PA as much. Often crime shows propel the drama by making the City look frightening in lieu of crisp, compelling writing.  Jonathan Nolan, the creator and executive producer, doesn't fall into that trap.  "Person of Interest" is a quirky valentine to the Big Apple.   Like Finch's relentless surveillance machine, New York's diverse urban landscape is an integral part of the cast -- and Nolan's team treats it with the respect it deserves.

As I hurried on my way, I forgave the MTA for dumping me on 96th Street.  After all, where else but in New York could one get a backstage pass to the set of "Person of Interest" for the price of a MetroCard?

Dog Days of Summer

The “dog days of summer” have taken on a whole new meaning, thanks to my friend Judith Gwyn Brown, a renowned New York artist and illustrator. Judith has illustrated more than 40 children's books -- so many she can barely keep them all straight -- and though she absolutely adores what she does, her true love is painting animals (particularly dogs).

Knowing her passion for canines, it doesn't surprise me that Judith has decided to offer a portion of the proceeds of her commissioned pet portraits to P.A.W.S. of the Vineyard, the all-volunteer, not-for-profit Pet Adoption and Welfare Service of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Not only do pet owners have a chance to have a beautiful portrait of the creature they love that's a work of fine art, they’ll be helping to save the lives of abandoned dogs and cats who might otherwise have suffered a terrible fate. For more than two decades, P.A.W.S. also has offered an Island-wide spay/neuter program with local veterinarians; proceeds from Judith’s pet portraits can be designated to provide coupons to Martha’s Vineyard pet owners to help alleviate the ever-rising cost of spaying or neutering.

I happen to know that Judith was courted by and considered charities that are a lot more high-profile than P.A.W.S. of the Vineyard, but her generosity is not born of vanity. Judith chose P.A.W.S. of the Vineyard in honor of its founder, her dear friend AnnaBell Washburn, an animal activist and one-time "mom" to 26 cats.

I find Judith's loyalty refreshing and incredibly inspiring. I hope her days are filled with opportunities to immortalize many dogs, cats and even horses for their loving families -- so that P.A.W.S. of the Vineyard will remain as vibrant as Judith is.

Lucky

Did you know that astrologers say this is the luckiest day of the year? It's certainly been a banner day for me!

Anyway, it's been a long time since I wrote and I wanted to apologize for that -- until I realized I don't have any followers (yet), so the only person I've disappointed is myself. Luckily, I accept my apology and I'm ready to move on.

Soooooo...I'm hereby officially resurrecting my blogging career. And, I promise, the next post won't be two years from now.