The Tarzana Community & Cultural Center launched their Tarzana Talks! six-part speaker series on June 30 with “Interpretation of Dreams” featuring Dream Interpreter and TV & radio personality Jefferson Harman. The TED-Talk style series features guest experts and authors speaking on a wide variety of topics. Talks are held once a month at the Tarzana Community & Cultural Center on Thursday nights from 7 to 8:15 pm. The general format is a 45-minute presentation followed by a Q & A with audience participation.
The next talk will be held on Thursday, July 21, and will feature local author and TV journalist Donna Tetreault, resident parenting expert on The Dr. Phil Show. On the heels of her award-winning debut children’s book, Dear Me, Letters to Myself for All of my Emotions, Tetreault has just published a new book for parents called The C.A.S.T.L.E. Method: Building a Family Foundation on Compassion, Acceptance, Security, Trust, Love and Expectations + Education.
Tetreault has been an LAUSD teacher in East L.A. and is the founder of Caring Counts, a non-profit dedicated to teaching kindness, compassion, self-compassion and inclusion to kids and families. She has been a guest blogger for Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common Project. As co-parent of two boys with her husband Andrew Bunnin, Tetreault practices what she preaches and understands the realities of modern-day parenting.
On August 18, the talk will focus on landscaping with native plants with guest speaker Antonio Sanchez. Sanchez is the SAMO Fund native plant nursery manager and restoration volunteer coordinator for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. He will share his 15+ years of experience growing native plants in nurseries and landscapes to help home gardeners adapt to water shortages and to hotter, drier gardens in the face of drought and climate change. In his talk he will also explain techniques for making native plant gardens adaptable to a changing culture, as well as which local plants are best suited for our Southern California landscape.
Wine aficionados will discover new wines and regions at the September 15 talk with Kevin Bening, wine industry veteran, educator and founder of Urban Liquid. This event features an insightful look into the world of wine with thoughtful food pairings to delight the senses. Attendance is limited for this event which includes a variety of wine tastings and appetizers.
On October 13 artist/author Mary Crescenzo presents a talk based on her 2021 book, The Planet Alzheimer’s Guide: 8 Ways the Arts Can Transform the Life of Your Loved One and Your Own. This talk will be of great benefit to anyone whose ability to connect and communicate with a loved one has diminished due to Alzheimer’s or dementia. Crescenzo will explain alternative ways to creatively engage and interact through arts activities so that people can still share quality time with one another despite cognitive impairment. Attendees will be guided through simple steps to be able to discover the richest relationship experience possible by acknowledging the creative spirit that is in all of us.
In the final talk of the series, TCCC welcomes the return of best-selling authors and couples counselors Charlie and Linda Bloom, who will give a talk based on two of their best-selling books, 101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married and Happily Ever After…. And 39 Other Myths about Love: Breaking Through to the Relationship of Your Dreams. The Blooms have been helping couples develop healthy, fulfilling and successful relationships since 1975.
They have lectured, led seminars and provided consultation at universities and learning institutes throughout the US as well as internationally. With humor and empathy, the Blooms will discuss the challenges inherent in managing relationships and provide tools to overcome them. Starting with the premise that “successful relationships are the cornerstone of a thriving life,” they will explain how to learn to engage in practices that promote strong and respectful connections with life partners, co-workers, friends, and others, even if one has had painful or difficult experiences in the past.
Tarzana Talks! takes place at the Tarzana Community & Cultural Center, 19130 Ventura Blvd. To reserve your tickets to any of these events, call 818.705.1286 or send an email to Info@mytarzana.org. All Tarzana Talks! are $20 except for the wine pairing event on Sept. 15.
