Zuma Beach Underpass was also a concern at the meeting, but was unrelated to the project
The Public Works Commission addressed one item during the commission meeting on July 24, the Westward Beach Road Embankment Repairs Project.
In 2019, and following the Wolsey Fire in 2018, Zuma Canyon Creek experienced an excessive stormwater runoff that damaged the existing road embankment of Westward Beach Road.
The project includes the installation of rock riprap protection of the embankment, a 24-inch stormwater pipeline to collect stormwater from the roadway, and shoulder/curb repairs to the roadway.
Associate Engineer Julia Santia presented the project and said before they begin, they have to have a biologist inspect the area and conduct a bird survey.
While the Zuma Canyon Creek was the only item on the agenda, a few commissioners and speakers asked about the Zuma Beach Underpass. While the project is near the underpass, the project was not in relation to the Westward Beach Road Embankment. The Zuma Beach underpass on Busch Drive has been closed since March 2023 due to flooding. The underpass has hindered city officials and left organizers for the annual Malibu Triathlon concerned with hosting the event. The traditional racecourse, which takes place on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, utilizes the Zuma Beach underpass. In May of this year, the Zuma Foundation canceled the triathlon slated for September and postponed it until fall of 2025.
Since it’s LA County Beaches and Harbors property, the city is unable to figure out a solution.
Public Works Director Rob DeBoux said they also need to consider the weather to make sure everything is approved in time for construction.
“We’re just going to get everything ready and time it to where we think it’s going to be best with the weather,” DeBoux said.
One speaker asked if the city is also taking a Caltrans feasibility study in consideration before making any final decisions.
DeBoux said the project is on Westward Beach and not on PCH, so the project is farther away from the highway.
The city has received a grant to complete this work from CalOES/FEMA, and has also obtained regulatory approval from the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). This project was presented to the city’s Environmental Review Board on July 17 as part of the Coastal Development Permit (CDP) process. The CDP is pending the Planning Commission’s approval on Aug. 5.
The project plans, specifications, and estimate (PS&E) are complete.
The next Public Works Commission meeting is scheduled for Aug. 28 at the Malibu City Hall Multipurpose Room.
The mother of all home fixer uppers, Kanye West’s gutted Malibu Road beach house has finally found a buyer. The house designed by Japanese architect Takao Ando was nearly demolished by the rapper/ singer with the intention of redesigning it, but that never happened. The $57 million property sat as an empty shell exposed to the elements for nearly three years before the best selling artist decided to sell it at a loss for $53 million. After no takers, West dropped the price to $53 million and finally to $39 million due to the home’s unlivable condition. The final sale price is unknown, nor is the buyer, but what is known is that a renovation will take millions to restore what is considered an architectural masterpiece.
Australian native is the third Pepperdine tennis player ever to be named for the award
Pepperdine Waves men’s tennis player Edward Winter was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southwest Regional Rookie of the Year on June 12.
Winter, from Adelaide, Australia, played at the first position in every dual match he stepped on the court. He also had six victories over ranked opponents.
Winter began the Waves’ spring campaign with victories over Michigan State’s Ronnie Hohmann III, ranked 12th in singles at the time, and UC Santa Barbara’s Pablo Masjuan, who was slotted at 20th.
Winter secured a comeback, three-set victory over Peter Alam of Pacific to win a match and help Pepperdine grab a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season championship.
The ITA announces regional award and national award winners — which includes players and coaches — at the end of every college tennis season. The honors include Wilson ITA Coach of the Year, ITA Assistant Coach of the Year, ITA Player to Watch, ITA Rookie of the Year, ITA Most Improved Senior, ITA Senior Player of the Year, ITA Community Service Award, and the Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship honor.
Winter was one of nine recipients of a Southwest Regional Award. The others were from schools including Arizona, San Diego, and UCLA.
Winter was also the WCC Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-WCC singles player and second-team all-conference doubles player.
He began his freshman campaign as one of the ITA’s Top 10 newcomers. The first-year Wave was a top 60 singles player all season and ranked as high as 23rd in the ITA singles polls. Winter was the WCC Singles Player of the Week twice and the WCC Doubles Team of the Week once.
Winter competed in the NCAA Singles Tournament in May. He was defeated in the opening round by Tennessee’sShunsuke Mitsui, an All-American.
Winter is the third Pepperdine player ever to be named the ITA Southwest Regional Rookie of the Year. Daniel De Jonge received the title in 2020, and Sebastian Fanselow was tapped for the honor a decade earlier.
Pepperdine Waves men’s tennis player Edward Winter. Pjhoto Kyle Cajero.
The group finished the championships with a 16-1 record and advanced to their 17-team division’s title game
The Malibu Volleyball Club was on the winners’ podium at the end of the USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships in Dallas on June 29.
The team of 16-year-olds finished second in the four-day event’s 16 Club division. The group finished the championships with a 16-1 record and advanced to their 17-team division’s title game.
Malibu head coach Derek Saenz said finishing as runner-up was a big deal for his team.
“It is the biggest stage these boys have ever been on,” he noted. “They were happy. We got to get on the podium and be part of a big ceremony.”
The USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships was held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
The event featured a multitude of teams composed of boys ages 12 to 18 competing in over 20 divisions.
The Malibu team is composed of players that play on the Malibu High School boys volleyball team, also coached by Saenz. Three of the players — Madeus Lupo, Alex Galen, and Timur Podgore — were named to the championships’all-tournament team.
Malibu was defeated by IMUA Universal Volleyball Club, a team from the Inland Empire, in the championship game 25-18, 25-20.
Malibu beat the squad 25-23, 20-25, 15-5 in a crossover match the day before.
Saenz said that was Malibu’s best game of the tournament.
“That match was intense because we know it was a final-match preview,” he said. “It was very close in the first two sets, and then we crushed 15-5 in the third.”
Malibu began the volleyball spectacle with a 25-17, 25-16 victory over Sidewinder, an Arizona club, on June 26. That same day Malibu also beat Rancho Valley, a San Bernardino team; Slainte, a team from San Francisco; and 808AC, a team from Hawaii.
Malibu beat West Edge, a Woodland Hills team, 25-14, 25-18 at the beginning of the second day. Malibu also beat Diablo Black, a Bay Area squad, that day.
On June 28, Malibu downed the Bay Area’s Aloha, Guam’s Guahan Boys, and then IMUA.
Malibu beat Guahan Boys 25-17, 25-18 and 808AC 25-16, 25-23 before losing in the title match on the championships’final day.
Malibu’s second-place finish in the tournament came over a month after the Malibu High boys team advanced to the semifinals of the CIF playoffs.
The success the boys had during the high school season, Saenz explained, was a partial confidence boost since not everyone from the high school team plays on the club squad.
“But it got them used to playing against older, bigger guys, compared to playing 16U,” he noted about the high school campaign.
The Malibu Volleyball Club roster includes Kane Bendler, Luca Calvo, Maxson Chiate, Lucas Galan, Martin Kurial, Sebastian Longo, Lucas Neven, and Nicolai Rainin.
The championships was the last event of the club season for Malibu.
Saenz wants his players take a break from volleyball during the summer but to also spend time getting bigger and stronger in the weight room.
“They have developed so much, he said. “You can tell by their attention to detail, how they work out, and how they are mindful of their nutrition. They want it and it shows up in more than just what they do in the hours we are together.”
The coach noted that how onlookers are sometimes surprised at seeing a Malibu group compete at national events.
“Malibu has tremendous athletic talent, and I’m glad people are starting to notice us,” Saenz stated.
Schaar also was the youngest X Games gold medalist after completing a 1080 in 2012 Asia X Games in Shanghai
If you ask Tony Hawk and Shaun White about the skateboarding acumen of Malibu’s professional skateboarder, Tom Schaar, they’ll tell you he’s extremely skilled in the sport.
“Tom is showing us the future of vertical skating with every new technique and routine,” Hawk says. “And, he is one of the few who can transfer those skills to the smaller park settings.”
White describes Schaar as, “an amazing talent!” Elaborating, he adds, “I’ve skated with Tom over the years and watched him become the competitor he is today — he continues to impress me!”
Indeed, Schaar has phenomenal street cred in the world of skateboarding. He’s the guy who first landed a “1080,” which is three revolutions. He completed the trick on a mega ramp and succeeded in doing so after four unsuccessful attempts. At the time, Schaar commented to ESPN, “It was the hardest trick I’ve ever done, but it was easier than I thought.”
Schaar also was the youngest X Games gold medalist after completing the 1080 in a competition at the 2012 Asia X Games in Shanghai. In 2019, he was named to the first-ever U.S. Skateboarding National Team. Forbes Magazine listed him in their 2020 30 under 30 Sports category, highlighting the next generation of sports talent.
Schaar is on the 3-man park skateboarding team representing the United States at the Olympics in Paris. Born and raised in Malibu, the 24-year-old athlete is the son of Nick and Regan Schaar, who own California Buildings, Inc.
So, how did a kid from Malibu ascend to an Olympic berth? It all started quite simply, mom Regan Schaar explains.
“Tom and his brother, John, took an interest in skateboarding when they were very young.” Regan said. “It was clear from the time that he was very little that Tom was good and over time, we realized he was very good!”
Over time, Tom’s career in skateboarding evolved organically and soon, he was competing and winning internationally in all genres of skating competitions: Park, big air and vert.
The Malibu Times caught up with Schaar to ask how he’s preparing to compete in the Olympics and the details about the competition. Schaar is an unassuming, affable guy who is humble and thoughtful.
“I’m looking forward to the opening of the Olympics where all of the athletes will float down the Seine River,” He said.“I compete on Aug. 7 and in the meantime, I’m skating away, working out, and trying to stay in a good headspace.”
Schaar’s main sponsors are Element Skateboards, Vans Shoes, and Monster Energy. Some of his main fans are in Malibu and they look forward to seeing him compete for the U.S., and for Malibu, on Aug. 7.
“I’m so excited to see what Tom does in the future because it’s going to be incredible!” White says.
Malibu’s Tom Schaar. Contributed photoMalibu’s Tom Schaar scales an advertiser sign on the course during the 2024 X Games in Ventura. Schaar is headed to the Paris Olympics as part of the 3-man park skateboarding team representing the United States. Contributed Photo
Hidden Nature Wood and Stone art exhibit and sale showcases the natural world’s power, resilience, and mystery
Showcasing the beauty of California’s natural lands, Arnie Rudman’s wood and stone exhibit and sale at the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center is a display of new life for weathered stone and reclaimed wood.
Running July 3-28, Rudman’s art gallery is a beautiful blend of unique stone and woodworks made from a variety of different carving and crafting practices. His work combines materials retaining their natural textures and characteristics with finely crafted and polished stone and wood, creating unique bowls, vases, sculptures, and more.
Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center Store and Events Manager Sophia Wong hosted the Meet the Artist reception and said guests were astounded by Rudman’s work. Rudman’s exhibit is the center’s first-ever wood and stone carving exhibit and Wong was excited to showcase the local artist’s work.
“Our guests have been very impressed with the exhibit and I’ve been hearing ‘I’ve never seen something quite like this, I’ve never seen anything like this wood!’” Wong said.
Rudman began creating stone sculptures over 20 years ago, finding inspiration from sculptors he met in Italy. Rudmanreturned to Southern California where he began to create his own alabaster sculptures based out of Art City Studios in Ventura.
Rudman, a now-retired dentist, called his passion for stone sculpting a “natural progression” from the small-scale sculpting he’d practiced in his dentistry.
Visitors were most captivated by Rudman’s beautifully carved and realistic-looking cowboy hats, on display now at the Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center. Photo by Emmanuel Luissi/TMT
“Depending on the look, colors, and shapes of a stone, I would take it home and begin to work on them with grinding tools, getting them in to shape, making them finer and finer and in the end I would find myself using my dental tools,” Rudman said.
Over the next decade, Rudman became very skilled in sculpting with stone-like marble, alabaster, calcite, and other stones and soon was invited to a meeting of wood carvers in Oxnard. He developed skills in a new sculpting process involving knives on smaller materials.
Rudman sought his next challenge, doing wood turning, a process of shaping wood using a lathe. This desire to continue to hone his skills led him to a class in Provo, Utah.
“I loved it. I came home immediately and ordered my own lathe,” Rudman explained, “I found that there was a moreimmediate gratification with wood turning. With stone sculpting it could take me months to get the object that I’mworking on, whereas wood shapes pretty quickly, within a couple of hours.”
He is now a master sculptor, capable of combining stone sculpting, wood carving, and wood turning into unique pieces, retaining natural shaping, grooves, and pores of wood and stones with finely carved and polished complimentary materials.
Rudman explained that when beginning a piece, often he isn’t certain what the result will be but allows the process to be a natural flow of ideas, allowing for accidents or unforeseen changes in material to be an opportunity for a change in artistic identity.
“Lots of time it’s a living thought as I’m going along. It’s rare that I’ll go from start to finish knowing exactly where I’llend up,” Rudman reflected. “The wood talks to me. I know it could sound corny and a lot of artists use that term, but it really does evolve as I’m working on it.”
Among the beautiful work displayed at the Visitor Center is a collection of work incorporating wood from the 2017 Thomas Fire. Rudman breathes new life into the singed, scorched, and blackened wood, bringing out the beautifulreddish, amber hue of it, making this work stand apart from other pieces in the gallery. Among this collection is a beautiful open-cut vase with sculpted maple leaves dancing along the sides, as well as a sculpture of a pouring water pitcher, a combination of stone and wood.
A standout among the collection is two very realistic, finely cut and polished cowboy hats that hung from a wooden stand. Wong said she has received the most comments regarding the hats.
“People really are astounded by the hats, they believe they’re real hats. People keep saying ‘I’ve never seen anything like this wood!’” Wong said.
Wong explained that she has struggled to select her favorite piece of the gallery because so many stand out to her.
“His work is exquisite and it’s very, very detailed,” she said. “Our guests admire the detail that he puts into his work. It’s true art, museum quality work.”
Rudman’s Hidden Nature of Wood and Stone art exhibit and sale will continue through July 28 and a portion of the funds from art sales will be used to support art and cultural programs in the park. For more information please contact samo@wnpa.org.
Stickney has also been the head coach of the Malibu High boys and girls tennis teams for five years
The Rev. Dr. Joy Stickney preached a message of togetherness to the congregation of St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church of Malibu on a bright and clear Sunday.
“This morning, Jesus looks at each of us. As he did at those who were sitting around him,” explained the minister of over two decades. “He reminds us and explains, ‘Here are my mothers and brothers, whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister and mother.’ So take heart and look around at each other. Here are your brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers. This is your family on way of love.”
Stickney explained chapter three of the Bible’s book of Mark in her sermon. She led the gathered church members and visitors in song, prayer, and communion during the June 9 service in St. Aidan’s worship hall. Stickney mingled with parishioners as some drank coffee and munched on snacks after the service. Her husband of 10 years, Paul Brady, and some of their nine children were also present.
Stickney, 54, is in service of people she is striving to know.
“I’m at a place of giving back and gleaning from other religions, other cultures, and trying not to be judgmental,” she said. “I’m not at a church that is conservative. Everything is about God’s grace and love.”
Preaching is one of Stickney’s major callings in life. Another involves her stepping away from the pulpit and removing her clergy wear to adorn athletic gear, pick up a tennis racket and step on the court. Yes, the minister is also a talented tennis athlete, who plays at least twice a week. Stickney has also been the head coach of the Malibu High School boys and girls tennis teams for five years.
Stickney, an avid tennis player since she was youth, coached the Sharks’ girls squad to a second-place finish in the Citrus Coast League during the fall season. She guided the Malibu boys group to a league title in the spring.
Stickney has a fluid leadership style and loves teaching high schoolers the game she enjoys.
“These kids are just the best,” she detailed. “That is really why I do it. They are open to me being a part of their lives. They love the sport. They keep at.”
Rev. Ed Mikovich, St. Aidan’s associate priest, said coaching and preaching involve being genuine and gaining trust.
“Once you do that — I think her players would agree with me — she is never condescending,” Mikovich, also a baseball coach, said of Stickney. “She builds positives while showing you your faults in technique. It’s all based in this positive attitude.”
Athena Ram, a standout singles and doubles player for the girls team during her high school years, said Stickney knows how to adjust her coaching style for individual players.
The Rev. Dr. Joy Stickney gives communion during a recent service at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church of Malibu. In addition to her work at the church, Stickney also serves as boys and girls tennis coach at Malibu High. Photo By McKenzie JacksonThe Rev. Dr. Joy Stickney (center) leads a service at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church of Malibu. In addition to heading up the church, Stickney is also a tennis player and coach. Photo by McKenzie Jackson
“I’ve always found her supportive, even when correcting, and always willing to take as much time as needed to improve our individual skills and have the team function as best as possible,” she said. “I think she cares about us asmore than players, but as people and that definitely shows in her coaching.”
Stickney was born in Boston, but lived in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Philippines as a youth because of her father Robert Stickney’s work in appropriate technology.
Her desire to help others and road to eventually donning a pastoral robe began while living in the Philippines for six years.
“I saw how I was so privileged,” Stickney said. “I had all my needs taken care of. I had parents who loved me, an amazing home, family, and a loving life. There was nothing I did to earn that.”
She, one of three siblings, worked at a settlement home in Manila, the Philippines’ capital, where she helped take care of young children and babies, whose parents didn’t have the means to raise them.
“It broke my heart,” Stickney said. “I thought, ‘Why was I born who I was instead of someone else?’”
Stickney’s dad and her mother, Lyn Stickney, played tennis, so when she was a sixth-grader, they enrolled her in tennis lessons.
“I just loved going there,” she said of her early tennis lessons on a clay court. “Ever since then I have played.”
Stickney played high school tennis at an international school and college tennis at Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio.
She studied theology in graduate school for her own personal growth and worked at church in her early 20s. An introvert, Stickney had no desires to serve and volley toward the pulpit even though fellow churchgoers urged her to go into ministry.
“People challenged me,” Stickney said. “I didn’t like speaking in public. I ran out of excuses as to why I wasn’tqualified. Eventually, the question wasn’t, why didn’t I want to do this, but why not.”
Stickney became an ordained minister in 1999. The next year, she was the rector at St. Augustine by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Santa Monica. The reverend moved north in the summer of 2005 after she interviewed for an open position in the pulpit at St. Aidan’s.
Stickney fell in love with the church’s members immediately. She recalled dining with three St. Aidan’s worshippers at a Zuma Beach restaurant.
“We saw these dolphins in the ocean,” Stickney remembered. “That is always a sign of God’s creation and positivity. It resonated with me being close to the ocean, nature. I was sold.”
The preacher brought her tennis racket to Malibu. Stickney started serving, backhanding, and smashing tennis balls at the Malibu Racquet Club around a decade ago. After two of her daughters graduated from Malibu High five years ago, Stickney missed being at the school. The school happened to be looking for a tennis coach, so Stickney was hired.
Stickney has coached the Sharks boys and girls teams to league championships and CIF tournament appearances in her years as coach. She isn’t shy about getting on the court with the Sharks to play doubles during practices.
Stickney also plays with tennis teams in Westlake Village and Calabasas.
Stickney and her husband have fostered numerous children and adopted four. She said being a mom, preacher, and tennis coach cause her to have a busy schedule, but she is meant to work hard.
“I’m called to do all I can in this life,” Stickney noted. “I don’t believe I was created to just benefit myself.”
She said her roles meld together.
“I look at the big picture as a tennis player,” Stickney said. “Who is the strongest player in doubles? How did I earn my last points? If it is not a positive experience,why am I out here?
“[It’s] The same with ministry. It needs to be about joy and working together for the betterment of everybody. It relates to family also. The thing I have gleamed more now is to stay calm and be patient and you will figure it out. Some grace or divine intervention will help you figure it out.”
Mikovich said Stickney exudes the love of Christ.
“She allows everybody to feel the welcome we proclaim on all of our signs,” she said. “We go out of our way here to make sure ‘All our welcome’ doesn’t mean, ‘All our welcome who agree with me.’ Joyce personifies the idea that inclusion is love.”
Malibu City Council members have become members of a No party. No new building that will bring in new revenue. No to ADUs to help families, no to fining a restaurant a large enough fine to protect drivers from being killed. No, to so many things, it’s hard to believe. Malibu has become a city that reminds me of those in the horse and buggy age who thought cars would just go away. We need to stop fighting against the future and not bend to those who want to keep the horse and buggy.
Ben H. Winters, sci-fi author and screenwriter for The Tracker, elicits Duchovny’s insights about his newest book, ‘The Reservoir’
In the Ukrainian language that is native to some of his ancestors — his paternal grandfather Moshe came from Berdychiv, which is in modern day Ukraine, author David Duchovny’s surname means spiritual.
In literary circles, his meaningful works, which artfully allude to spirituality and sometimes metaphorically refer to fate, intrigue enthralled readers, adroitly ensnaring them in worlds of introspective main characters who valiantly strive to overcome obstacles and to comprehend their surroundings, all the while delving in perplexing metaphysical concepts.
Duchovny strode into Malibu Village Bookstore on July 7 and sat down with Ben H. Winters, an entertaining, highly imaginative and prolific alternative history and mystery/sci-fi author, whose most recent work, “Big Time,” has received rave reviews from critics.
Although the two men had never met, their meeting with the excited group of attendees who filled the small bookstore soon morphed into one of those magical Malibu gatherings wherein everyone immediately feels camaraderie with the speakers, and they with one another.
A man of many endeavors
Where to start when conversing with Duchovny, Winters wondered aloud, noting that Duchovny is, of course, an accomplished author — he has penned six books, most recently “The Reservoir”which offers readers a riveting, yet unsettling glimpse into the mind of an isolated elderly man alone in his New York flat during the pandemic as he helplessly spirals down into an abyss of self-doubt that culminates in his insanity.
However, Duchovny is also a highly respected Golden Globe-winning actor who has appeared in “The X-Files,” “Californication,” “The Chair,” “You People,” and “What Happens Later,” and most recently, in “Reverse the Curse,” now streaming on demand.
Then, there’s the fact that he also excels at directing (“House of D” in 2004), a movie about an American artist living in Paris, and “Reverse the Curse,” among others.). Then, yet again, he’s a musician who has produced three rock albums and expects to release a new album soon — again.
No matter. Ultimately, all those assembled in the small bookstore’s standing-room-only crowd reveled in the lively colloquy that touched on all of Duchovny’s creative worlds as the jovial and affable Winters kiddingly prodded his subject to elaborate on various aspects of his prolific creative pursuits.
So, one attendee wondered, how does Duchovny decide when to write, as opposed to act, as opposed to work on an album, as opposed to direct?
Well, he essentially responded, things just happen organically and he varies his creative pursuits, if for no other reason than to assist him in navigating the vicissitudes of the movie business. That is similar to a response Duchovny once gaveto a full room of students at his alma mater, Yale, years back. There, he explained that he never meant to pursue a television acting career, “But life has a certain way of happening to you, as much as you try to steer it.”
Turning to the matter at hand — they were, of course, gathering in Malibu’s independent bookstore — Winters wondered if the author would discuss “The Reservoir,” a work centered on the main character’s high-rise apartment above Central Park’s reservoir. Did Duchovny ever live above Central Park? Indeed, the author did. Could he speak a little about the work’s central thesis. Indeed, the author could, and he did so, explaining that the book is ultimately “about our own sense of historical primacy and how we all changed in unprecedented circumstances during the pandemic.”
His main character, Duchovny divulged, “descends into the beginning of history, where the alpha makes love to the omega — although I’m not exactly sure what that means, although I wrote the phrase and the character gets subsumed into one-ness and essentially comes to realize that we only have one another in the end.”
Generous with their time, the two speakers delightedly participated in a vibrant Q&A where attendees probed into their writing processes.
Can Duchovny pursue two or more creative projects at a time, such as acting while also writing, one attendee queried.
“My acting and writing don’t overlap,” he responded. “I can’t do both. When I’m writing fiction, I get up at 5 a.m. and work until the wee hours of the next morning — it’s glorious when I’m in that process.”
Duchovny spoke about his academic career, not in order to laud his scholarly pursuits themselves, rather to characterize them as integral to his writing acumen. He attended Princeton University, where he earned an A.B. in English literature and earned a Master of Arts in English literature from Yale University, where he’s a dissertation short of a Ph.D.
“Writing is hard! Very hard!” Duchovny shared. “But writing books is my core accomplishment. It’s like a genetic code of myself — if my kids really want to know who their dad is, they should read my books. Like Neil Simon says, it’s all autobiography — even the stuff you make up!”
Gracious and humble, although concurrently somewhat sardonic and hysterically witty, Duchovny began to inquire of Winters about his creative process. What is his secret sauce for being so prolific?
“I got into time travel as a genre — it really should be its own genre.” Winters opined. “Having a great editor made all the difference!”
Then came the audience’s questions. Will “The Reservoir” become a movie, this writer wanted to know. Perhaps, Duchovny implied, emphatically noting that he had no interest in adapting the work for film. What of forthcoming works? They will come, Duchovny replied, adding, “I’m most interested in writing about the deepest part of ourselves.”
For his part, Winters notes, “at the base level, any act of creativity requires one to summon self-confidence — you have to think it’s good and nurture it long enough and believe in it and it will become so.” For him, the process begins with takingan initial creative impulse, making a rough outline, and building on that nascent concept to create a work in further detail.
Agreeing, Duchovny said, “I don’t write unless I have an idea. So, I write a very basic sketch and I often reverse engineer the first couple chapters of a book.”
As for his musical endeavors, he said, “We’re recording another album and working on vocals now. I enjoyed playing at the Latitude Festival.”
To begin working on an album, he shared, “You have to pick up the guitar before you write the chords.”
The two authors’ lighthearted colloquy really struck a chord with those in attendance and proprietor Michelle Pierce wrapped up the wonderful meeting by announcing that Malibu Village Books invites readers to attend its regular programming, including storytime for youngsters on July 27 at 10:30 a.m. On Aug. 6 at 6:15 p.m., a new book club will meet for the first time and attendees will discuss “You Are Here” by David Nicholls. The classics book club meets on Aug. 13 at 6:15 p.m. to discuss “The Last Unicorn.”
The award for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the abuse of a dog found in Malibu has risen to $25,000. The German shepherd, now called “Argon”, was found July 3 in Malibu Canyon with zip ties around his muzzle and neck. Animal rescue groups have added to the reward to find the person or persons who traumatized the dog and left it to die. Unfortunately, the animal was diagnosed with lymphoma, but is currently being treated by veterinarians in Orange County. Argon is said to be doing much better, gaining weight and taking treats from his caretakers at the German shepherd rescue of Orange County. To donate towards Argon’s care, please visit GSROC.org/donate or Venmo(@GSROC). Mailing address: GSROC 120 Tustin Ave, C-1111, Newport Beach, CA 92663. Tips can be reported anonymously or otherwise to (415) 879-6879.