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What does it mean to be truly alive in L.A.? Martine Syms is using film to figure out

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What does it mean to be truly alive in L.A.? Martine Syms is using film to figure out

Martine Syms is a conductor of a “Black spatial imaginary.” A choreographer of neighborhood, mutuality and democratic imaginations, Syms encapsulates this synergy of Black geographical issues in her use of screens and their capacity to determine area. For Syms, screens have been outfitted as directorial instruments for her function and shorter-length movies; specializing in the gestures and actions of Black ladies/femmes inside their very own our bodies (“Notes on Gesture”), as touring all through the U.S. (“Incense Sweaters and Ice”), and inside a digital scape (“Black Field”). In her newest function, “The African Determined,” Syms lands us in 2017, on the final day of an MFA program for the movie’s protagonist Palace Bryant (performed by Diamond Stingily). Right here, the display journeys us with Palace as they transfer by way of the predominately white establishment’s (PWI) campus, college critiques and lots of events. The lone Black lady, Syms captures the humor-filled pleasure and horror scape of artwork faculty.

Screens are additionally foundational to Syms’ most up-to-date set up “HelLA World,” a two-day-long occasion that took over the native L.A. hang-out Genghis Cohen on Fairfax and Melrose. Introduced by way of Prada Mode, the touring social membership throughout Frieze L.A. was reimagined by Syms as a kosher Chinese language meals restaurant turned multisensory social website. Panel discussions, DJs, dinners and an array of CCTV screens and digital banners swelled crowds of company towards one another in a sea of purple. Screens hosted strangers with one another, forwarded DM conversations right into a public scrawl and response, and projected excerpts from Sam Cooke’s 1963 efficiency on the Harlem Sq. Membership in Miami. With “HelLA World,” Syms continued her discursive consideration to placemaking, threading collectively folks, meals, music and conversations throughout time in her visionary architectural wonderland in central Los Angeles.

On the event of the premiere of “The African Determined” and “HelLA World,” Syms and I chatted in her studio in Leimert Park.

Essence Harden: There’s this high quality in your work that presumes a borderless expanse; the way in which the mediums, pathways and narrative units are instruments free of a fugitive state. Partly, this feels associated to your individual academic background, house life and navigation of area. Are you able to converse extra on to the way in which that training, specifically punk ethics and home-schooling, grounded your apply? And if this sense of DIY ethics speaks to your apply?

Martine Syms: This high quality is extra pronounced to others. It’s merely the air I breathe. All the pieces has at all times been related to me. Maybe it comes from rising up in church, home-schooling, being a punk, with neighborhood activist union member dad and mom. I don’t know. In my expertise, if you’d like one thing carried out you do it. [It’s] extra enjoyable to “do it” with others. I like studying. I like looking for a type for my concepts. That power propels me. It’s how I contact the world. That is what has drawn me to publishing. I don’t really feel happy until my concepts are public, and in flip, that there’s a public round my concepts.

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EH: I like the way in which that in your work collaboration is a principal. It reveals up endlessly with you. And I like that you simply set up a relationship with the folks you’ve labored with. It’s fairly profound to try this in a public setting. It’s actually lovely.

Screens are foundational to Martine Syms’ set up “HelLA World,” on the Genghis Cohen on Fairfax and Melrose.

(Philip Cheung / For The Occasions)

MS: My artwork making has at all times been actually supported by neighborhood, whether or not that was bands I used to be in rising up, my friends or my scene. The Echo Park movie stream was one of many locations I first took movie. I had gone to CalArts’ pre-college program. One among my academics taught at Echo Park Movie Middle. So I began to go there — I used to be a “pupil” however I additionally taught workshops, labored the co-op and arranged screenings.

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So lots of my favourite experiences in my life have been with my buddies. I’m at all times, actually, calling anyone. Diamond Stingily is an effective good friend of mine who performs Palace within the film. One among my closest buddies. We’ve collaborated earlier than, she’s been in different works of mine. We’ve got working jokes, tales that we inform one another. Typically we’ve these lengthy telephone calls that we name our podcast — it’s simply us speaking. Simply being aunties. It’s a part of what’s simply so good about our friendship. Except for her, Liam, who’s within the film, is certainly one of my greatest buddies. Brent Freaney did all of the design, all of the titles and all of the costumes. All people has like three credit. Natalie was post-producer and did music supervision. There [are] issues I love to do by myself, however, generally you need assistance. Typically you want different folks. I simply love working with good folks and spending time with [them] as a result of that’s most of it — the making, the method. Taking pictures was psychotic, let me be clear. We totally opened up one other dimension to get every part carried out. However we have been additionally all dancing and having enjoyable.

EH: In a current interview, you mentioned, “Black folks personal the web.” I do know this to be the reality; there’s additionally a confounding relationship on this afterlife of slavery existence whereby possession is a slippery slope for Black folks. May you speak extra about the way you discover Black cultural productions as a expertise and what this notion of dis/possession has seemed like as you examine it inside your individual apply?

MS: I spoke about this at size in 2013 at a SXSW speak known as “Black Vernacular.” My paintings is commonly targeted on Black Individuals, however I’ve discovered this to be true throughout completely different cultures: Black speech is a hypertext language. The constructing block of the web is a referential, signifying, mimetic, poetics. Take into consideration drum machines! We’ve got an extended custom of FREEQing expertise.

Lil Nas X is a patron saint of the shape. Always remember he used to run a Barb meme account! I’ve made a couple of artworks — a drawing, a collection remaking of his TikToks — over the previous few years that invoke him.

Some are hopeful that crypto, NFTs, DAOs are the start of addressing the wealth disparity between the “creators” and tech overseers. I’ve my doubts. I’m nonetheless salty I pay for Adobe Artistic Suite now. I had a cracked copy for years.

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I like noise. I want distortion. Gimme artifacts. I like a low hum. In apply, my studio appears like an eBay retailer with cameras, displays, scanners, mics, samplers, pedals and cables in every single place.

EH: Your short-form and long-form movies are these black geographical surveys, overlaying the motion of our bodies onto themselves and all through area. Are you able to say a bit extra concerning the topic of place inside your work and the narrator of alternative usually being Black ladies/femmes?

MS: I work with transferring pictures as a result of it permits me to bend spacetime. The transatlantic slave commerce(s) and the good migration nonetheless affect my every day life. In his essay, “Notes on Gesture,” [Giorgio] Agamben factors to cinema because the container for the actions, gestures we misplaced whereas gaining modernity.

I made a video in 2015 of the identical identify the place artist Diamond Stingily performs Black femininity. I additionally made a efficiency that yr known as “Misdirected Kiss” that begins with a discovered picture of a younger, Black lady a customer mistook for me and ends with a narrative of my household telling me to not go on a solo highway journey across the time of Sandra Bland’s demise.

I’m a Black lady and my life is inextricably tied up with those that appear to be me. One among my animating questions is how the physique is a website of wrestle and the way that wrestle evolves because the physique itself shape-shifts from flesh and blood to vaporous ghost or unattainable information set.

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I’ve to be repeatedly thrown towards death-ness to be alive. No matter occurs to a s—y JPEG or GIF has penalties on my physique. It’s known as compression. The picture is now a part of our flesh.

Martine Syms poses for a portrait at the Genghis Cohen restaurant in Los Angeles.

“I like noise. I want distortion. Gimme artifacts. I like a low hum. In apply, my studio appears like an eBay retailer with cameras, displays, scanners, mics, samplers, pedals and cables in every single place,” says Martine Syms.

(Philip Cheung / For The Occasions)

EH: You talked some about “social choreography” in relationship to cameras and surveillance and I questioned for those who may converse extra on to your needs as a director with movie and with “HelLA World,” specifically?

MS: My movies are about the way in which routine experiences of spectacular and mundane violence create madness and despair. The place humor kisses ache. How s— occurs and then you definately dwell, as a result of I’m curious how folks proceed to discover a manner.

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I exploit movie to determine what it means to be alive. What does it imply to be an unruly, respiration, s—ing, f—ing, fleshy factor in a world stuffed with screens? Over the previous few years, I work from the idea that something that occurs when somebody is watching is a efficiency.

In my installations, akin to “HelLA World,” the cinema is ambient and ever-present. It’s made in collaboration with me and the viewers. I construct the “story” round how we socialize and behave in public. I do know the story of a celebration (fairly properly!) and I wished to make use of each textual content and picture to inform it.

In my movies I get to be extra particular, extra bold, extra considerate, extra rigorous. “The African Determined” can also be a couple of get together. I get to concentrate on the stranger, funnier, complicated and disappointing elements.

I constructed the world with my co-writer Rocket Caleshu, and in a while set with my DP Daisy Zhou and star Diamond Stingily. We may stretch out one second and skip over one other. We may linger in an ungainly parting or make a meal out of a toast.

I may’ve carried out that at Genghis Cohen too however I might’ve been caught within the A/V closet and I wished to get together.

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EH: I like L.A. websites and the way structure is a fluid enterprise right here. Why Genghis Cohen and why “HelLa World” for the title?

MS: Genghis Cohen has been a locals-only spot for years. It’s Kosher HK-Model (not N.Y. type!) Chinese language. I lived close by for years and had a standing Sunday dinner there with some buddies, a hangover from an ex’s household custom. I’ve gone to some enjoyable events there and after I was a younger buck they didn’t card. Plus, you could possibly sneak by way of the kitchen. It’s L.A., child.

All the pieces turns into funnier if you simply remind your self you’re in Hell. Site visitors is Hell. Late summer time warmth is Hell. No-sun, fire-season Hell. Being caught at a celebration of boring celebs within the hills someplace Hell! Looking for parking in Ktown HELL! West “Hell”-ywood!!!

Los Angeles is a hellscape, but it surely’s my hellscape. I like it right here and I’m by no means going to depart.

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YouTube rabbit holes that are great distractions : Pop Culture Happy Hour

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YouTube rabbit holes that are great distractions : Pop Culture Happy Hour
Elections can be pretty stressful. And it never hurts to have some emergency distractions on hand if you just need to shut down for a while. One of our favorites is YouTube: a place for the good, the bad, the bizarrely detailed, and the wildly specialized. Today, we’re talking about our favorite YouTube rabbit holes that are great distractions.
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15 gifts for L.A. gardeners and plant parents of all levels

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15 gifts for L.A. gardeners and plant parents of all levels

Plant people are easy to buy for — and hard too — because the really die-hard gardeners usually want nothing more than their favorite battered clippers and an old table knife for weeding.

The truth is, many of those cutesy have-to-have garden gifts look pretty at the store but serve little purpose in the real world. The other truth is that gardeners enjoy more than just planting and pulling weeds — they like visiting other gardens for inspiration (and joy!). They love art that reminds them of nature’s extraordinary beauty, workshops that help them learn and, of course, useful tools that make their work easier.

The suggestions below have all been tested by a real gardener (yours truly), and I can vouch for the delight-ability of every one. I tried to find useful and/or beautiful items that won’t break the bank. And for bonus points: Almost all of these items come from artists or companies based in Southern California so no matter what you choose, you’ll be supporting our local economy.

If you make a purchase using some of our links, the L.A. Times may be compensated.

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Sally Jacobs "Turban Squash" botanical art

(Los Angeles Times photo illustration; photos from Sally Jacobs; Getty Images)

Sally Jacobs’ botanical art

L.A. botanical artist Sally Jacobs does exacting, exquisite renderings of all things botanical, from gorgeous flowers to the gnarly details of a celery root to the rich Renaissance-style details of a turban squash (above). She does her own printing in her Mid-Wilshire studio, using archival ink on acid-free fine-art paper, and signs every print. She also thoughtfully chooses sizes (8 by 10 inches or 11 by 14 inches) that easily fit into standard frames, so you can actually afford to present your recipient a complete gift. If you can’t decide on a print, buy one of Jacobs’ card sets ($18) and frame a few of the original watercolor art cards. And watch for her next show at the Artists Gallery next spring.

$25 to $35 at Sally Jacobs Studio

Corona Tools Pocket Pruner

Hand pruners are to gardeners what shoes are to fashionistas — you can never have too many — but I’ve come to realize that most days when I’m roaming the garden, all I really need is a small hand pruner to keep things tidy. The problem is, my sturdy 1-inch pruners are bulky in my pocket and tiring to use. Corona Tools, a Corona, Calif., business for nearly 100 years, introduced its pocket pruner last year. The device — small and light enough to slip easily into my pocket, but strong enough to cut through branches up to a ½-inch diameter — has become my favorite for garden chores. You can order it from the Corona website, but the shipping will double your cost unless you’re ordering $100 worth of goods. You can also check out your local hardware store for Corona Tools’ BP13630, a.k.a. the Yard Essentials pocket pruner.

$15 at Lowe’s

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The Corona Tools ErgoCut Dead Header snips

Remember what I said above about gardeners never having enough pruners? Well, there’s a different issue for houseplant parents who must wander their indoor jungles with watering cans, misters, fertilizers and pruners and then find a place to store them. I had my doubts about Corona-based Corona Tools’ new Dead Header Snips, but the minute I tried them I was hooked. They’re lightweight, attach to your forefinger and fit comfortably in your palm, so you can carry other items and nearly forget they’re there until you need them. I used mine to cut a bouquet outside, deftly harvest some green beans, lemons and eggplants, and even cut finger-sized branches with ease. I have nothing but raves about these small but sturdy clippers. They’re an indispensable, easy-to-store tool for tending potted plants as well as harvesting flowers and veggies from the garden.

$16 at Lowe’s

Chaparral Studio, "Don't Tread on Me" California poppies enamel pin

Chaparral Studio ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ California poppies pin

L.A. artist and landscape designer Bianca D’Amico’s clever enamel pin perfectly captures Southern California’s love for our local wildflowers along with our concern about not destroying those flowers with too much love. Enamel pins are sometimes too heavy to use on clothes, but this cheerful design featuring the state flower — the California poppy — and the words, “Don’t Tread on Me,” is large enough (1.5 inches-by-1 inch) to get its message across without overwhelming a lapel. Consider this a small-but-thoughtful gift for wildflower lovers or any plant aficionados who want to make a statement stylishly on a jacket, hat or bag. Final selling point: You don’t even have to wrap this gift, because it comes so beautifully decorated, complete with sprigs of pressed but still fragrant blooms of Cleveland sage, which, like the golden poppies, are California native plants.

$12 at Chaparral Studio

Ambrosia Linen Long-Life Leaf Greens refrigerator bag

Ambrosia linen produce bags

Jan Rem of Ojai is a gardener who felt uneasy about storing her produce in plastic bags. She grew up wrapping damp greens in linen tea towels to keep them crisp but was frustrated when her salad makings fell out of the towels. Then she added a zipper to one of her linen towels, and Ambrosia Produce Bags was born. These handy, reusable linen bags are designed to keep veggies and leafy greens crisp for longer and to prevent them from dissolving into brownish-green smears of goo in a plastic bag. Rem uses a heavier-weight linen to keep berries firm and mushrooms from turning to slime. One tip: Wash your greens and veggies and store them wet in their bags in the crisper drawer; keep your mushrooms and berries unwashed and dry in their bags until you use them. Softer berries like raspberries and blackberries should stay in the bottom of their clamshell containers (recycle the tops) when you put them in the bag, unless you want a tie-dyed bag, Rem said. An effective, easy-to-use way to reduce plastics in the home, the bags are sized for their intended items, color-coded and clearly labeled, so you can see at a glance which one holds the lettuce.

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$26-$30; $110 for all four at Ambrosia Produce Bags

A pink package containing cannabis seeds

Fig Earth Supply’s cannabis gardening bundle

If you have a cannabis user on your list (and who doesn’t these days?), Fig Earth Supply is offering a great package for people who want to stop worrying about the possible pesticides in their product. The Mount Washington–based nursery is offering two classes for beginning gardeners starting in February — one explaining how to grow cannabis at home and the other how to harvest it; both are taught by educator Emily Gogol, chief executive of Grow It From Home, an Oregon-based company that sells mail-order cannabis seeds and plants the same way other nurseries sell veggie starts. Gogol’s classes sold out quickly in Los Angeles this year so go ahead and book early to give your gift recipient a head start on growing their own in 2025. The bundle includes the two classes along with a package of six cannabis seeds and a copy of the book “The Cannabis Gardener” by San Francisco Bay-area cannabis educator Penny Barthel.

$100 at Fig Earth Supply

Farmers Defense Protection sleeves

Farmers Defense protection sleeves

After a day in the garden, my arms usually are crisscrossed with scratches, sunburn, a few punctures from thorns and more often than not, a low-grade rash. Then I tried a pair of Farmers Defense protection sleeves: Think long, fingerless gloves that extend to just under the armpits, in a silky-feeling “eco-dynamic” fabric known as Repreve, made from recycled plastic bottles and recycled fabrics. To my surprise, they actually stayed up and kept my arms protected as I whacked scratchy shrubs for several hours. During the process, they didn’t even feel hot; afterward, the sleeves seemed untouched. If they do get dirty, they’re machine washable, and they come in myriad colors and designs, from camo to monarch butterflies. This is a useful and thoughtful gift for gardeners tired of sporting itchy scars after a day in the yard.

$27 at Farmers Defense

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A green business card with a red bow on top.

(Theodore Payne Foundation)

Theodore Payne Foundation gift cards

Native plant gardens are a new way of thinking about landscaping in Southern California, but the Theodore Payne Foundation has a wealth of knowledge on the subject, having been focused on California native plants for 64 years. The foundation offers an array of conservation and education programs as well as its popular Native Plant Garden Tour, which takes place April 5-6, 2025. A great gift, then, is a gift card, which would let its recipient purchase a ticket to the 2025 Native Plant Garden Tour (it was $55 this year) or take a class to learn more about landscaping with California’s indigenous plants. Feeling extra-generous? A $100 gift card would let them do both and also help create more habitats for our threatened pollinators and wildlife.

$100 at Theodore Payne Foundation Store

Tree of Life Nursery Wildflower seed mixes

Tree of Life Nursery wildflower seed mixes

Native wildflowers are one of California’s superpowers. Even when their blooms are middling, they impress, and when they’re great — as in superblooms that cover entire hillsides like colorful quilts — they bring us to our knees. No wonder people try to re-create a little of that magic in their yards. The Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano has been selling native plants and seeds for nearly 50 years. (Its wildflower seeds are collected exclusively by S & S Seeds in Carpinteria for Southern California gardens.) Choose from 10 different seed mixes, which include instructions on the best way to plant them for maximum blooms. Three ounces of seed will cover 400 square feet, a nice start to a beginning habitat garden. And the beauty of this gift is that once they bloom, these wildflowers will reseed to create new blooms year after year.

$4 to $8.50 an ounce at Tree of Life Nursery

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The Bauer Pottery Gallon crock

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Bauer Pottery orange swirl pot

Bauer Pottery is like a candy shop of ceramics, with pots and dishes in so many brilliant colors that shopping at the store feels like a party. John Andrew Bauer began making brown-glazed pottery in Paducah, Ky., in 1885 and moved his business and family to Los Angeles in 1910. By 1930, Bauer Pottery was creating pottery and tableware in many bold colors. The company closed in 1962, but was resurrected in 2000 by collector Janek Boniecki, who bought the rights to Bauer in 1998 and re-created Bauer pots in shapes and colors from the 1930s and 1940s. Today you can get a handsome 9-inch swirl pot, for instance, in nine colors (from Bauer orange to Federalist blue), with the distinctive Bauer Pottery stamp. These particular pots don’t have drain holes (although Bauer will drill holes for free on request), which makes them good for indoor plants. Just slip a potted houseplant — still in its original plastic container — into the pot; remove the plant from the Bauer pot easily for watering without worrying about leaks. It’s a gift as practical as it is fashionable. Shown here, it’s paired with an 8-inch Dieffenbachia ‘Tropic Snow’ plant from Creature’s Plants & Coffee.

$99 at Bauer Pottery

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

(Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Annual membership to a botanic garden

Southern California is blessed with an abundance of brilliant weather for gardening along with a plethora of botanic gardens to help us decide what to grow — or to soothe our souls when we need some plant time outdoors. Annual memberships are the gift that keeps on giving throughout the year, with free entry into the gardens, plus discounts on special events and classes and even free passes for friends! Most dual memberships for two named adults cost $100 or less (although the renowned Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens will run you $175 for two adults in the same household). Search for gardens close to your recipient’s home so they can make frequent use of your generous gift. A few suggestions: California Botanic Garden and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (for native plant lovers), Descanso Gardens, Los Angeles County Arboretum, South Coast Botanic Garden, San Diego Botanic Garden and Ventura Botanical Gardens.

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Prices vary; check out 16 options here.

The CoolJob bamboo touchscreen gardening gloves

CoolJob bamboo touchscreen gardening gloves

I’ve tried lots of gardening gloves, but they all had the same problem: I had to peel them off to use my smartphone, which isn’t easy when they’re wet or crusted with dirt. Then I discovered Ontario-based CoolJob’s touchscreen gardening gloves, which protect my hands while keeping them cool and allowing me to work my phone. These gloves come in six sizes and are made from a bamboo-nylon fiber with a foamed nitrile covering on the thumb, fingers and palm, making them tough enough to withstand a year’s worth of heavy use (the average lifespan of my garden gloves), before I have to replace them. Best of all is the cost: just $9 for two pairs. At that price, you can fill the holiday stocking of every gardener on your list, or add a pair to a gift basket for a beginning gardener. Just think: Your gardening pals will be able to answer when you call!

$11.99 at CoolJob

The cover of "Medicinal Herbs of California, a Field Guide to Common Healing Plants" by Lanny Kaufer

‘Medicinal Herbs of California’ field guide by Lanny Kaufer

Lanny Kaufer is based in Ojai, but he’s been conducting Herb Walks through the wilds of Southern California for nearly five decades, pointing out the names and many uses of the region’s native and invasive plants. It’s a fun and informative way to get some history about the uses of these plants, from culinary and medicinal to making musical instruments or weaving baskets. His book, “Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants,” dives deep into that history as well, with photos to help with plant identification. I took one of Kaufer’s Herb Walks in Ventura and came away enlightened on several points. For instance, alcohol is an effective way to wash off poison oak if you apply it within 30 minutes, he said; otherwise, use juice from the ground-up native mugwort plant to treat the soon-to-follow blistering rash. Interesting side note: Mugwort tends to grow next to poison oak. The book and gift certificates for Herb Walks ($25-$45) are all available on Kaufer’s website; be sure to include a link with your gift so your recipients can pick their walks.

$27 at Herb Walks With Lanny Kaufer

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Hardy Californians, LA Plants cap

Hardy Californian LA Plants Mom & Dad Hat

Parker Davis of Hardy Californians is a landscape designer and native plant fanatic, but he also has a flair for fashion. Just check out the terrific L.A. Plants cap he designed in Dodgers blue, which fades to a nice sky blue over time. Every time I wear this comfortable, washable cap, someone stops to ask me where they can buy one. It’s kind of like being a celebrity! These well-made hats come in several colors; the faded vintage blue (shown above) is a recent offering because, Davis said, so many people tried to buy his faded royal blue cap off his head. If you opt for the royal blue, another note is that it will fade naturally after many washes and exposure to the sun (for all you purists out there).

$35 at Hardy Californians

The Plant Good Seed Co. packets of seed in a theme, sunflowers or vegetables or herbs

(The Plant Good Seed Co.)

The Plant Good Seed Co.’s Culinary Basil seed collection

The Plant Good Seed Co. is based in Ojai, with growers up and down the West Coast (including several around this small Ventura County city), and even in the eastern United States. The seeds, hand-packaged in Ojai, are neither genetically modified nor chemically treated, and most are certified organic. What I really appreciate is the wide selection available online and at many local retailers, especially with its seed collections — like the Culinary Basil option, which offers six types of basil for gardeners who love to cook. Other collections run the gamut, from a mix of poppies to culinary herbs, or easy-to-grow vegetable seeds for the beginning gardener. There’s something comforting about knowing there’s a company in Southern California providing such a wide selection of seeds for growing food and flowering plants.

$24 at the Plant Good Seed Co.

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Prices and availability of experiences in the Gift Guide and on latimes.com are subject to change.

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A look at the life of the singular Quincy Jones : Consider This from NPR

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A look at the life of the singular Quincy Jones : Consider This from NPR

Music producer and Ahmet Ertegun Award recipient Quincy Jones attends the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2013 Inductees announcement at Nokia Theatre L.A.

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Music producer and Ahmet Ertegun Award recipient Quincy Jones attends the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2013 Inductees announcement at Nokia Theatre L.A.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Quincy Jones, the famed music producer who helped artists dominate popular music for half a century, has died.

His publicist says he passed away peacefully at his home in California. He was 91 years old.

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NPR’s Walter Ray Watson described Jones’ talent as one that produced music that hooked ears, warmed hearts and moved feet to dance.

Along with Michael Jackson, he broke open the pop music world with production on songs like Bad, Billie Jean, and Rock with You. His contributions had more than a hundred million records sold, including Thriller, the best selling album of all time.

It might be hard to imagine now, but record execs doubted whether Quincy Jones was the right fit to produce Michael Jackson’s debut as a solo adult artist.

An unlikely success story

Born Quincy Delight Jones Jr., he was the son of a Chicago carpenter and a housewife mother, who sang church songs at home.

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Jones faced gang violence as a child of the Great Depression. And at age 10, his family moved to Seattle, where his dad joined the war effort, working in a shipyard.

“Gangsters. Lot of them are gangsters. Back in the thirties, it was all I ever saw with machine guns,” was how he described his Chicago neighborhood growing up in a 2008 interview with NPR’s Michele Norris.

As a kid, he was a ringleader of mischief. And one day with a bunch of boys, he targeted a roomful of freshly baked pies at a rec center. They broke in, ate all the pies. Then Jones opened a door.

“And I saw – in the shadows, I saw a piano. Then I almost closed the door, and then something deep inside me said, ‘Open the door again.’ And I went back into the room and slowly went over to that piano, and I felt the goose bumps and everything.”

That changed his life, he said. By high school, Jones picked up the trumpet. Soon after, he gained a lifelong friend in a blind 16-year-old pianist named Ray Charles.

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You’re reading the Consider This newsletter, which unpacks one major news story each day. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to more from the Consider This podcast.

A musical superpower

Jones was still a teenager when he was hired by legendary vibraphonist and band leader Lionel Hampton. His talents opened the door, and his skills took him everywhere.

After producing and scouting for some of the biggest talent in the industry, Mercury Records promoted Quincy Jones to an executive, a first for a Black man at a major record label. His tastes and instincts led him to cultivate some of the biggest hits and artists of the past decades.

Listen to the full episode of Consider This to hear Watson detail the extraordinary life and accomplishments of Jones.

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This episode was produced by Marc Rivers and Noah Caldwell. It was edited by Courtney Dorning and Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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