Dallas Morning News. 6 Dec 2009.

02:17 AM CST on Sunday, December 6, 2009

By DEBBIE FETTERMAN / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

Scott Robinson of Santa Fe, N.M., didn’t aspire to be a sports agent. The AmeriKenyan Running Club founder sought to fill a need. Now he’s doing both. He’s bringing three Kenyan athletes to compete at next Sunday’s 40th running of the Dallas White Rock Marathon, including 2006 men’s champion Moses Kororia. The money these athletes earn helps them support their extended families in Kenya. “My job is to make sure I put them in events so they can make money,” said Robinson, 46, who is assisting Dallas officials as a consultant.

In May 2006, Robinson and his wife, Vanessa, were considering community service options when they sat by a Kenyan professional runner on their way home from Seattle. The nonstop flight gave the Robinsons three hours to learn about his plight. Within two months, the Robinsons formed their club. They’ve spent the last three years assisting runners with housing and training venues in Santa Fe. They’ve also helped contact race directors and get visas for athletes to come to the United States, and arranged for travel to races as well as housing and meals. For elite Kenyan runners, racing in America is a job. The CIA World Factbook estimated the Kenyan unemployment rate at 40 percent in 2008, but Robinson said it is more than 60 percent.

“If they can net $10,000, that’s a ton of money,” Robinson said. “The average annual income is $1,000 in Kenya.”

chasing Keino, a short film produced by Dallas native Ed Vaughan, captures the club’s essence. It was shown Wednesday at the Santa Fe Film Festival’s opening night. The title refers to Kipchoge Keino, a two-time Olympic gold medalist from Kenya who “pioneered the re-investment of time and earnings from racing back into the Kenyan community,” Vaughan reported in the film.

The Robinsons’ mission has been to facilitate their athletes’ ability to support their homeland. Robinson said they weren’t deterred when the first few athletes cost the club financially. They implemented safeguards to ensure athletes arrived from Kenya healthy and capable of running their projected times. They’ve also become more selective and limited the team. The Robinsons don’t rely on the club financially. Robinson, a mortgage lender, says it’s their way of giving back. He and Vanessa receive “a standard international fee, or commission of 15 percent of athletes’ earnings,” he said. “We pour that money back into the club after their expenses,” he added. “If we can break even, we’re delighted.”

What the Robinsons didn’t anticipate was how much of their job would revolve around things other than running. “Officially, I could be called an agent,” he said. “But our work is as much about social skills and integrity and respect as it is about athletics. I’m more of a life mentor.” Recently, 1980 U.S. Olympic triathlete Ryan Bolton joined the club as a member-coach. Bolton says he’s been amazed at how the Kenyans intuitively know their bodies. He said he agrees with the adage that American runners train too hard on the easy days and too easy on the hard days. On easy days, Bolton says, the Kenyans run painfully slow. On fast days, he struggles to keep up.

Bolton said there are similar clubs around the United States.”Being an honest agent is a pretty big deal,” Bolton said. “It’s pretty rare. A lot of times agents take advantage of athletes. Scott is honest and helps them. They recognize that, and that’s why they stick with the program.”
Dallas Morning News

Peckinpah. 5 Dec 2009.

While I was in Santa Fe – I was told this Sam Peckinpah story. The narrator said on one of Peckinpah’s later film sets – the cast and crew had been waiting for Peckinpah to show up to begin filming… One hour goes by… Then two… Then three… The phone rings and it’s Peckinpah. He told his AD that he wasn’t going to make it to the set that day to send everyone home. Peckinpah said that “his clothes were scattered all over the place. And he was in them.” Funny. Unless, you’re the producer.

Bill McHenry, NYC. 21 Nov 2009.


I caught Bill McHenry playing with Paul Motian at Village Vanguard. It was described as an octet+1. That’s what I said. What?? The band and Motian were incredible. They played re-Be-Bop from the ‘Garden of Eden’ album. Bill McHenry played with this quiet fire. He held his horn out and growled out notes – like he was steering the world with his sax. And for an hour and a half – he was… Terrific player.


This guy sits down at my table and we BS before the gig starts and then after. Most of the musicians after finishing the set – stop by to say hello to him. I was looking on iTunes for some McHenry albums. I found this one with Guillermo Klein. Second guy from the left on the album cover… The guy at my table… Six degrees of separation…

Austin, the New LA? 16 Nov 2009.


I always wondered why Austin ex-city leaders would have pointed Austin towards LA as a model city. Last week’s Financial Times Weekend had Lunch with Eli Broad. In which, Mr Broad stated he aimed to make LA a cultural capital. His most forthright notion was linking the stars to cultural events. But isn’t that a bit like buying a Casio watch because Leonardo DiCaprio does an advert for Casio? That only elevates the product on the page or on your arm for a very ‘cheap’ nanosecond… It has no transformational value… unless you’re delusional. So no thanks, Madison Avenue – I’m driving… Anyway… If LA has been in existence since 1781 but is just now shouldering the notion of being a ‘cultural center’ – that can’t bode well for Austin, can it? Napoleon brought culture to the French – but, um, culture isn’t a PR campaign.

Published: Financial Times Weekend, November 15 2009 02:00 | Last updated: November 15 2009 02:00
From Ms Elaine Wilner.

LA Has A Long Way To Go Before It Is A Cultural Capital
Sir, With all due respect to the 93rd richest man in the world, Eli Broad’s claim that Los Angeles is up there with Paris, London and New York as cultural destinations is a bit bizarre. I guess that’s why they call it La La Land.

Yes, they have a lovely drive-in/drive out concert hall (don’t try to walk up to it in scary, empty downtown LA). Yes, the LA Philharmonic sounds very good indeed. Yes, the Opera company (which has a limited schedule) is offering a ground-breaking Ring cycle, but “we’ve got more theatrical productions than New York or London – admittedly they are spread out”, as Mr Broad puts it. Is he counting San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver?

I visit Los Angeles several times a year. Although, I find that its museum offerings are always plentiful and frequently – as the Michelin guide would say – “worth a trip”, the rest of the city’s cultural life, particularly in the performing arts, is no better than you would find in most American big cities – and certainly less than New York, Chicago or even Philadelphia (my home town).

Recently, I encouraged friends to try something different from the usual Caribbean cruise at Christmas time and come to southern California. My search for classical music concerts, theatre and dance performances for them to attend turned up nothing but holiday-related fare, with almost every venue either dark or presenting some child-oriented holiday programme.

Certainly, the goal of reshaping the world capital of entertainment into a world capital of culture is a worthwhile one. But, there is a lot more work to be done. LA will not get there if the leading civic lights declare mission accomplished and explain the failure of the rest of the world to get it as just a PR problem.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0545848a-d0be-11de-af9c-00144feabdc0.html