Author Archive
SSC Sister of the Month: Kati Katsaros
What’s in a name? Tell us the story behind your first and surname.
I was named after a famous singer. Her name was also Kati.
Do you like your surname?
Yeah, I like being Greek! I love the food. It’s really good. The colors of the flag are two of my favorites: blue and white.
Describe a fond memory growing up of your parents.
Being at the Summer of Sonic (SOS) Convention with my mom was really cool. I liked when my parents told me I was a beautiful child. When they were taking care of me at the hospital when I was really young. They were there for me.
What is your passion?
Writing music for Shadow the Hedgehog. When I first wrote the song for the SOS, I thought of the melody and all of the sudden the words popped into my head. I kept thinking what would I write about if I was to help Shadown reach his goal. That’s how the song “Come on, Shadow” came to be. I recorded it in my dad’s studio. He added the drums, bass and lead guitar. Then, he sent it to the people at the SOS and they went nuts over it. The song became this project that they played for everyone at the convention. Now I’m writing the songs for next years convention and am going to perform in London in front of thousands of sonic fans.
When did you realize how important your passion is to you and why, as a whole, it is so important to you?
It runs in the family. My mom and dad are both musicians. They inspire me. It’s important because writing music makes me feel confident and happy.
If you could change the world with this passion, what would you do?
I would show everyone that someone whose really young can go somewhere. People with autism, like myself, should be loved for who he or she is.
Do you feel in today’s society that modern women are able to voice their opinion?
Yes, actually. Women are very confident and sophisticated and should be treated the same as men, even though we are different. We should all find love someday no matter what kind of woman you are.
Who is your role model and why?
Temple Grandin. She’s an autistic lady who became a professor at Colorado State University. She was really gently with animals and we both have the same spectrum of autism.
If you could ask Ms. Grandin one thing, what would it be?
How do you feel about living with autism?
If she was to ask you that same question, what would you say?
I’ve been doing pretty well. I’ve fought the autism out of my brain. I really have been cured.
Where do you see women as a whole in the arts in the next five years?
On Broadway. Successful.
Do you have any advice for the feminine gene pool?
Make sure that no matter what society you live in, don’t let people say that me are better than women. Don’t change who you are on the inside. You’re perfect just the way you are.
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Sister of the Month: Debbie Lieberman
What’s in a name? Tell us the story behind your first and surname.
My parents both loved the name Deborah which is how I got my first name. I actually have two middle names…named after my great grandparents. Maxine for my great grandfather, Max, and Rose for my great grandmother, Rose. I have four names…one first, two middle and one surname…which makes it fun for signing legal documents. Regarding my surname, Lieberman is German. My father’s father comes from an area in Germany close to Munich. Lieberman in German means loverman.
How cool is that?
It’s awesome!
Describe a fond memory growing up of your parents.
From age three to seven, the family moved to Mexico, so my dad could attend med school. I learned the language at a very young age just from living there and became bilingual. One of my fondest memories is of the entire family camping on the beach in Mexico.
What is your passion?
Baking. Food, in general, but with a concentration in sweetness.
When did you realize how important your passion is to you and why, as a whole, it is so important to you?
Taking my first batch of chocolate chip cookies, that I had made with my mom, to a friend’s birthday party and seeing their expressions. I live for that. The moment of yum. My great grandparents immigrated from Russia to the United States in the late 1800s and started their own bakery in Norfolk, Virginia. Baking gives me the pleasure, to give other people pleasure.
What’s your opinion on the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man?
I love that movie! It’s funny because once they killed him (sorry, spoiler alert) I could smell the cooked marshmallows the way it was shot. Awesome. Also, Bill Murray makes it even better. For the record, my favorite baked good is the chocolate chip cookie. I can’t reveal the ingredients, as they are a secret. I will say they are never made the same way twice.
If you could change the world with this passion, what would you do?
I would love to impart the love of baking to others. Kids, adults, etc.
Do you feel in today’s society that modern women are able to voice their opinion?
It depends on what part of society. Working in a male-dominated business in finance, I often feel hesitant expressing my opinion. I think we’re wired differently, men and women. Very often what we have to say is not taken seriously.
Who is your role model and why?
My mom…for all of the obvious reasons. Natalie (June Sister of the Month) and you, Kris. Both of you for having Joie de Vivre! My Aunt Glenda. She’s amazing. After not having a college degree, she recently went back to school in Texas, got her masters in teaching and teaches kids in Special Education. Once her husband, my uncle died, she re-married and brought a whole new family into the mix. I feel so lucky to have them as a part of our lives.
Where do you see women as a whole in the arts in the next five years?
There’s so much of an improvement, in particular for women in their 40s and above. Now, these women have more of an amazing career than when they ever had in their 20s. I think this is inspiring for women across the board. Writers are writing more women of substance and that’s exciting, you know. Even romantic comedies are getting more sophisticated. The real world is difficult…hard. I still want to see the girl riding with her man on the back of a white horse…however she’s got a briefcase…she’s a working woman.
Do you have any advice for the feminine gene pool?
Be true to yourself. That’s the only thing to do.
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Sister of the Month: Sofia Jones
What’s in a name? Tell us the story behind your first and surname.
My father was in love with Sophia Loren. That’s the long and short of it. My mom wanted to name me either Rachel or Rebecca, but dad got to the nurses first. Keep in mind…he completely mis-spelled the name. Sofia Lorraine is what reads on my birth certificate. I had been calling myself Sophia Loren my entire life. Even my high school diploma has the wrong name on it. It wasn’t until I was applying for college that I realized I had been using the actress name and not the one that is stated on my birth certificate.
Describe a fond memory growing up of your parents.
Mom and dad got divorced early. Dad would take all of us kids fishing every summer and I always loved that. My mom helped me go to Belgium for a summer study abroad program during high school. It was a challenge for a single mom raising four other kids.
What is your passion?
My toolbox. I love to decorate, saw, build things. I would love the opportunity to work in a situation where I can make things and just create. I can look at a house and see the possibilities. I see landscaping in my head…colors, lighting. Real Estate, but not in the traditional sense. What I really want to do is own luxury properties, one on each continent, decorate them and offer these properties to corporate travellers.
When did you realize how important your passion is to you and why, as a whole, it is so important to you?
My father was a construction worker and always took me everywhere with him. I loved doing construction. When I moved to my current apartment, I started sewing and turned my bed into a four poster masterpiece. My skills have evolved over the years. I would have loved the opportunity in college to combine construction management with my love for foreign language and traveling and somehow marry the three together. I’ve taken French, Spanish and Japanese but haven’t been able to use either over the years as much as I would have liked.
If you could change the world with this passion, what would you do?
Build really nice quality low-income housing. That would be the payback.
Do you feel in today’s society that modern women are able to voice their opinion?
Yes in regards to actually voicing what they have to say, however the repercussions are the same. There are different expectations of working women versus men as to the amount of work to achieve the same level. When a woman and a man are in the same level job, the woman is paid $.80 on the dollar and we have to do three times the work. You have to become a senior executive just to make a comparable salary as to your male counterpart with a director title. The number of women in senior levels are contracting. There are more women in the workforce, but not at senior levels and within P&L. There are more women entrepreneurs, but the imbalance is that only a tiny percentage of government contracts actually reach women and minority-owned companies. Same is true of venture capital funding.
Who is your role model and why?
Whenever I have a decision to make, I think what would Jay Z do? He came from the Marcy projects and now is partial owner of the NJ Nets, owns six clubs around the world, and is actively involved in other real estate deals too boot. There’s a guy that knows how to navigate. If I were to pick one, it would be him.
Where do you see women as a whole in the arts in the next five years?
More Kathryn Bigelows…more Kris Lundbergs. More women are needed behind the scenes where the money is controlling the purse strings.
Do you have any advice for the feminine gene pool?
Margaret Thatcher said that there is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women – so HELP OTHER WOMEN. Ask lots of questions. Find mentors, early on, of all kinds, careers, levels, ages, races, genres. I love the diversity of the people that influence my life. Never stop learning. Be fearless. Oh, and congrats to my girl, Krissy, on her success!
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Sister of the Month: Nathalia Perozo
What’s in a name? Tell us the story behind your first and surname.
Nathalia is my legal name, which my dad picked for me. It means Christmas Child. However, my mom liked Natalie after my mom’s best friend who tragically was hit by a car. Mom vowed her first child would be named Natalie…so, here I am.
Describe a fond memory growing up of your parents.
My parents got divorced when I was two. Mom was seventeen and dad was twenty-three when they had me. I remember walking into the bedroom…it’s not what you think. I remember being young and walking in their bedroom with my monkey bottle and seeing them just lying on the bed. I smiled to myself and said, “There’s my mom and dad.”
What is your passion?
Life. I know it sounds cliche. Love the moment. Love music. Words. Poetry heightens my awareness for life.
When did you realize how important your passion is to you and why, as a whole, it is so important to you?
Adolescence. I always wrote in my diary. When I was fifteen, my words became less sentences and more random image blurbs. That’s how the beast was born and it saved my life. It showed me my purpose. This Fall I’ll be attending the New School for an MFA in Creative Writing for poetry.
If you could change the world with this passion, what would you do?
If I could make one person in the pits of hell feel less alone or re-invigorated finding the spark in life, a phrase, words, images…then mission accomplished.
Do you feel in today’s society that modern women are able to voice their opinion?
Absolutely. Some social constructs have become so removed, I think modern women can experiment more outwardly and not be ostracized or marginalized for it.
Who is your role model and why?
I have so many. My two strongest are my parents…individually, not as a unit. My father for being charming, intelligent, sense of humor, having a deep respect for life and other people…very romantic. My mom for her strength and sassiness, appreciation for gay subculture, great energy. She’s a feisty one.
Where do you see women as a whole in the arts in the next five years?
Everywhere and anywhere. No limits. I do think there is a degree of sexism in a lot of mediums, but the possibilities are endless.
Do you have any advice for the feminine gene pool?
Enjoy being a woman. I think women feel they have to emulate men in power and that’s not the case. Our instincts are different. The way we go about things are different. Follow your intuition and appreciate every moment in the present. Love your fellow man. We are all a part of the same collective energy.
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Sister of the Month: Molly McDowell
What’s in a name? Tell us the story behind your first and maiden name.
My legal name is Mary. I was named for my grandmother who was nicknamed Molly. I was called Molly as a child by my father. Up to about 10 years ago, I was Mary. In doing theater, it occurred to me I should consider taking Molly back. A few years ago, I took a theater class and registered as Mary, but when asked if I went by another name, I mentioned Molly. The entire class voted and Molly was chosen. I feel like my most true self is when I walk into an audition and tell them I’m Molly McDowell. Mary is formally distant. I love my name and it’s a name that has built into it fun, affection and happiness for me. It’s important for me that I did that…to re-claim my original self. When I was married, I took my husband’s name for 20 years and when we divorced I took back my maiden name. McDowell is a full scottish name. Never been to Scotland.
Describe a fond memory growing up of your parents.
I grew up in a small town in Texas. My father was the town lawyer and mother was the piano teacher. One day, an art show was in our house. There were paintings and parties. I realized my parents were interesting people…they were artsy and fun. There was a level of unpredictability and intrigue going on in my house. Individually, my father gave me my first true in experience in reading. He tossed out my “Fun with Dick and Jane” books and took out the “Complete Works of William Shakespeare.” I’ve seen productions of “Romeo and Juliet” close to twenty times and the balcony scene brings such memories and sadness. Learning the language with my father was such a huge gift. My mother taught piano. We were always gearing up for art and performance in the household. It’s in my bone marrow.
Did you ever study with your mother?
No. I had a lot of talent in art and writing and got reinforcement for that. She was a Julliard pianist and she decided to let me explore my own talent. I wasn’t interested and so good at the regimented underlying practicing that goes with music and piano. Being a musician requires such a dedicated practice. Scales and I were not very friendly. I don’t work well in a framework of music. There’s a lot more freedom in text and character work. If I had to be a musician, I’d be an improvising jazz musician.
What is your passion?
Personally I’m very passionate about my son and daughter…making sure they are okay and happy. As an individual person in the world, I’m passionate about the arts. I earned my living as a freelance writer for about 25 years as an idea person. I did concepts and development writing for clients. I was largely called in when no one could come up with a good idea. It came with short deadlines, intense pressure and finding the hook to make the company successful. During that time, I was doing a lot of painting and getting back into theater. At that point, I made the decision to go full force into the theater. Acting is my driving force. Every action revolves around the arts.
When did you realize how important the arts are to you and why, as a whole, it is so important to you?
I was about 4 years old and my parents took me to see “Our Town“. At the top of Act III was the graveyard scene. Once Emily came out and sat down, it was a visual shot and I was screaming inside “No, that can’t be!”. After the play, I said to my parents, I was so sad Emily was dead. I knew it was theater and not real, but I was devastated. That was magic and that is when I knew that this is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I ended up living in New Hampshire on High Street which Thorton Wilder wrote about which is fascinating. “Our Town” is a wonderful play with a great message. My daughter is named Emily after Emily in “Our Town“…with a smidge of Emily Dickinson. Even during the years when I hadn’t done much acting, I had been to a ton of theater. Whenever the curtain goes up, I am there. I had it in the back of my mind, at some point, I would become the actress.
If you could change the world as an actress and artist, what would you do?
So much. I could write a 400 page book. Particularly now, people are losing a grip of how much the arts can form, inspire, comfort and renew us. Life is not about material possessions or bank accounts. It’s about how we are as human beings and how we choose to live. Theater and film have a power that is enormous. Children’s lives are saved by the arts. One of the most important things as a culture is to offer children having access to the arts. In hard times, people need to laugh and be inspired. The cost of theater and movies are cut out of budgets and schedules. If I could wave a magic wand, I’d make the arts a part of everyone’s lives. In times of great stress, things of most nourishing get overlooked. As a playwright, I always think about what I can write to give people the opportunity to laugh and live more in the moment. All of those things plays really do. No one remembers who the accountants are in the Renaissance era, it’s the artists!
Do you feel in today’s society that modern women are able to voice their opinion?
More so than ever before, but not enough. I think at the same time there are some dangers. Feminism has silenced some men. I think the world needs both good strong masculine energy and good strong feminine energy. There is a real difference between men and women. What’s to be avoided is oppression. Women are people and people deserve human dignity.
Who is your role model and why?
I admire many actresses…who made a life in the theater and are generous artists and are not about the celebrity life. Marian Seldes is a great example. I have a file on my computer with 500 names of role models of these women actresses. I use this role model list to find material.
Where do you see women as a whole in the arts in the next five years?
Playing a tremendous role. As a culture, we are getting further…people are more interested in who can get the job done versus “we’ve never had a woman director.” Women will have done a substantial amount. Creating more, initiating more, generating more. Women feel more empowered than 20 years ago. During this delicate economic time, women are not as likely to sit in the background. It’s a tough time, but a good time for women to rise up to the challenge.
Do you have any advice for the feminine gene pool?
Allow each other to be who you are. Don’t ever think you can get ahead by stepping on another woman. Be good to each other. Women have capacity to be so compassionate. Do it! Don’t get caught up in circus stuff…petty jealousy. We have so much more to offer the world if we can come from abundance. Know that everytime someone does something wonderful, the world will be all the more welcoming with opportunities for you.
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Sister of the Month: Maria Lundberg
Tell us the story behind your first name?
My name is Maria Constance and it was given to me in the Greek tradition of many Greek families. In the traditional Greek family, your first name comes from your father’s mother and your middle name after your mother’s mother. Since my grandmother was no longer living, my first name (Maria) was after my father’s mother and my middle name (Constance) came from the feminine form of my father’s name, Constantine.
There is also a fascinating story about your maiden name. Please share.
Many immigrants were not understood by the immigration authority when coming through Ellis Island. When approached by the official, my father’s father told him his name was “Vasilios Morrou“, good Greek name. The official anglicized his name and registered him under the name “William Morris“. So it sounded like he came from England, rather than from Greece. When people ask me my maiden name, they expect some long drawn-out name and are shocked when I tell them it’s Morris since it sounds nothing like Greek!
What is a fond memory you have of your parents when you were a child?
My favorite is being out at my father’s parents house in Birmingham, Alabama. We’d put on the Greek records, play music and dance around the room. The entire family would cheer and clap. It was so much fun!
Is this where you learned Greek dancing?
Yes and my family would attend events at the Greek church. We would all dance and celebrate our culture. Music was always in my family growing up. I have wonderful memories of singing with my mother and as my sisters got older, we all sang together in harmony. A fond memory I have of my father specifically is he was such the football fanatic! Because he didn’t have any sons and I was the oldest, I was the one who did all the football stuff with him.
Was he hoping at some point for a boy?
When my mother was pregnant for the first time, dad got all excited and he went out a bought these huge model train cars. Then, I was born. She got pregnant a second time and he went out and bought more model trains…my sister, Elise, was born. Finally, when she was pregnant a third time, he thought this was the time and went out and bought more model trains. My sister, Vicki, was born. Dad had this massive train set which he always set up on the floor for us every Christmas. He eventually sold it. He told me the first time he got a boy is when I married my husband who, funny enough, is a huge train collector himself.
What would you say is your passion? Your reason for getting up in the morning?
Writing. I’ve always loved writing. I’m very creative and am a strong writer. Having two different paths as a journalist and professor…the combination of writing and storytelling became important to me. I’d love to write fiction. It’s a completely different genre than what I’ve been working in.
When did you realize how important writing was to you and why did it become so important?
There wasn’t really one time. In high school, I developed a love for writing and enjoyed it. My original career field was French. I loved reading works by French authors, so it was still connected even though it was in another language. When I when to Grad school, I re-discovered my love of writing. I took courses in broadcast journalism at the University of Oklahoma…a very specific style of writing. The challenge was tell a story in the most memorable way making sure words and video work together to tell a compelling story.
Did any of these particular teachers have an influence on you and how?
Some of my teachers were published authors so I had the opportunity to study with strong authors. Carolyn Hart, particularly, is a well-known mystery writer. We’ve kept our friendship going for twenty years now. Everytime we get together she keeps cheering me on “You need to write a fiction book!”
If there was one way you could change the world with your writing, how would you do that?
I would use it to help people worldwide understand how alike we really are. Hopefully, it would help eliminate some of the tension, conflict, wars, etc…to live more peacefully in the world.
Do you feel in today’s society that women are able to voice their expression?
I do, but unfortunately it depends where you live. In the United States we have a lot of freedom of expression. Women in other countries don’t have the same luxury, specifically those in male-dominated societies. Still today, they are struggling to get their voices heard.
Who is your role model and why?
My mother, but not for the reasons most people think. There was no money for her to attend college. To meet her…she’s probably the most educated person I know. She read like crazy and continued to learn her entire life. She was amazing and knew all kinds of things. She was an incredible musician, wrote poetry and loved to learn. Her inspiration is the fact that she believed you can do anything you put your mind to. If she had the benefit of going to college, she could have easily become a doctor or business woman. She didn’t have that opportunity, but I don’t think I ever saw her without a book in her hand.
Where do you see women influence in the arts over the next several years?
I think women will continue to have an increased presence. In film and television, which are familiar to me, some of the most influential people are women. Women bring a different perspective from men. More variety.
Do you have any advice for the feminine gene pool?
Embrace that you are a woman. That you have something different to bring to the table. There are so many opportunities available today which is very exciting! All levels, all fields of interest. Little girls today can do what they want to because there are so many doors open to them. My advice is to be determined, work hard and have great goals to shoot for. You can reach them.
Any parting thoughts?
For me personally, my career has been very important in terms of doing something creative, but I’ve been very fortunate to balance that with a wonderful family life. Being a mom, as well as a working professional, has been a wonderful opportunity. I feel very lucky that I’ve been able to do both!
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