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Beyond Holiday Blues B I G G I F T F O R C I T I Z E N S A S S O C I AT I O N G E O RG E TOW N M I N I S T RY: H E L P F O R U N S H E LT E R E D E XC LU S I V E I N T E RV I E W: P O L I C E C H I E F P E T E R N E WS H A M M A P O F O P E N G E O RG E TOW N B U S I N E S S E S G E O RG E TOW N E RS O F T H E Y E A R
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IN THIS ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE
NEWS · 6 - 7
ABOUT THE COVER
“Out With the Old, and In With the Blues” — by Beauty Editor Lauretta J. McCoy. During this time of masks and partly covered faces, see page 10 for The Georgetowner’s Eye Shadow Giveaway.
Town Topics
EDITORIAL/OPINION · 8 Georgetowners of the Year for 2020 In the Light, the Scourge of 2020 Recedes
THE VILLAGE · 9
Exclusive Interview With Departing MPD Chief Peter Newsham
Photographer: Michael R. Wilson @rackfocus Model: Hannah @jamestalentgroup Makeup and Creative Direction: Lauretta J. McCoy @beautycomestoearth Hair: Latrice Strader @latricestrader Production Assistant: Faith P Nelson @storydepot
COVER · 10 - 11 Out with the Old, And in with the Blues ‘Tis the Season What’s Out and What’s In?
HAUTE & COOL · 12 Home for the Holidays
BUSINESS · 13 Ins & Outs
IN COUNTRY · 14
Holiday Light Displays: A Cure for Cabin Fever
FOOD & WINE · 16 Cocktail of the Month
ARTS · 13
Coming in 2021: Works by Women Photographers
CLASSIFIEDS · 17 Service Directory
BOOK CLUB · 18
Kitty Kelley Book Club
Seasons Greetings and a special thanks to our stakeholders listed below. We wouldn't be here without you. Thank you and Happy New Year everyone!
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EDITORIAL PARTNER Friends of Volta Park Grayson & Company Peter Higgins Lisa Paul Koches John & Kristen Lever Penny Farthing and Andrew Miller Richard Murphy
BYLINER Robyn and Leon Andris • Carp For Success, LLC • Gertraud Hechl • Coleman Jackson • Pamla Moore • Chris Putula • Ann Randolf • Lisa Rossi • Paige and Tim Shirk • Robert Alan Stowers • St. John’s Church, Georgetown
ADVOCATE Cathleen Clinton • Nelson Cunningham • Paul and Diana Dennett • Diane Eames • Howard & Ellen Eisenberg • Elizabeth Friedman • Georgetown Village • Peter Harkness • Peter Higgins • JAB Holding Company • Jerome Libin • Mapping Geogetown • Jerry McCoy • Skip Moosher • John Rentzepis • Stephanie Bothwell Urban and Landscape Design • Christopher Wolf
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PUBLISHER Sonya Bernhardt
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robert Devaney
FEATURES EDITORS COPY EDITOR Ari Post Richard Selden FASHION & BEAUTY SENIOR DIRECTOR CORRESPONDENT Lauretta McCoy Peggy Sands GRAPHIC DESIGN Troy Riemer PHOTOGRAPHERS Philip Bermingham Jeff Malet ADVERTISING & MARKETING Danielle MartinTaylor Kate Sprague Richard Selden
CONTRIBUTORS Mary Bird Susan Bodiker Allyson Burkhardt Evan Caplan Didi Cutler Donna Evers Michelle Galler Amos Gelb Wally Greeves Kitty Kelley Rebekah Kelley Jody Kurash Shelia Moses Kate Oczypok Linda Roth Alison Schafer Mary Ann Treger
1050 30th Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 Phone: (202) 338-4833 Fax: (202) 338-4834 www.georgetowner.com The Georgetowner is published every other Wednesday. The opinions of our writers and columnists do not necessarily reflect the editorial and corporate opinions of The Georgetowner newspaper. The Georgetowner accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. The Georgetowner reserves the right to edit, rewrite or refuse material and is not responsible for errors or omissions. Copyright 2020.
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Q ST. SKELETAL REMAINS: UNANSWERED QUESTIONS B Y C H R I S TO PH ER JON ES
Assistant City Archaeologist Christine Ames records data in a Q Street basement in February. Georgetowner photo.
EDWARD LOUIS EMES JR., 1929-2020 B Y R O B E RT D EVAN EY
Businessman Ed Emes. Family photo.
WOLF TRAP’S ‘BOURBON IN BUBBLES’ B Y R O B E RT D EVAN EY
Outside the Barns at Wolf Trap last month. Courtesy Wolf Trap.
BIGGEST HIT ONLINE 1,043 VIEWS STATE OF RETAIL IN GEORGETOWN
B Y T H E G E OR GETOWN ER Storefronts boarded up for potential civil unrest at Wisconsin Avenue and M Street. Photo by Bill Starrels.
REAL ESTATE SALES SEE WHAT YOUR NEIGHBORS HOME SOLD FOR AT GEORGETOWNER.COM WHERE WE HAVE A COMPLETE LIST OF NOVEMBER HOME SALES. THANK YOU FROM WASHINGTON FINE PROPERTIES.
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TOWN TOPICS
NEWS
As Cold Weather Hits, More Help for Unsheltered
BY CH RISTOP HER J ON E S Come November, many Georgetowners are thankful for the warmth of their homes. But the cold winds of the season usher in the threat of hypothermia for the area’s unsheltered residents, many of whom are new to the streets in the wake of the pandemic. Fortunately, Georgetown Ministry Center, a multidenominational charitable organization dedicated to “ending homelessness one person at a time,” is responding with new leadership and expanded programs to meet the needs of those in danger. Following the death of an elderly homeless man named Freddie — who died of exposure in an icy phone booth on M Street — Georgetown Ministry Center was founded in 1987 by the Georgetown Clergy Association and Georgetown University. Today, with 13 member congregations and five full-time staff members, on a daily basis the organization serves between 50 and 100 persons experiencing homelessness at its Grace Episcopal Church location at 1041 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
In addition to its winter shelter program, the center offers medical and psychiatric services, employment referrals, housing and shelter assistance, mailing services, drug and alcohol treatment and referrals, phone charging, handicapped-accessible indoor bathrooms and outdoor gathering spaces. At the most recent Zoom meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, chair Rick Murphy, referring to Georgetown Ministry Center as “one of our most important neighborhood agencies,” introduced its new executive director, Kelly Andreae. Appointed just two weeks earlier, Andreae has held leadership positions with United Way’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program and local providers of homeless services. “Right now, it’s exciting,” Andreae told the commissioners as she outlined the center’s plans. “We are launching, as part of Hypothermia Season, our GMC Extends Program, which will extend our hours of operation.” Daytime services normally run from 8
Kelly Andreae, executive director of the Georgetown Ministry Center. Georgetowner photo. a.m. to 3 p.m., providing breakfast and lunch seven days a week. With extended hours to address the cold weather, however, evening operating times with dinner services will now be added from 4:30 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Andreae told The Georgetowner that the center will also be providing “warming kits for folks and additional access points to services to make sure everyone is staying warm and safe this winter.” The warming kits include backpacks, hand warmers, blankets, hats, gloves, thermal underwear, water and other essentials. Clients will also be given gift cards “so they can access grocery stores, fast food restaurants and pharmacies.”
The center’s street outreach program sends staffers out into the community to support unhoused people seeking to stay warm and find temporary relief from the cold. “We’re going out, getting to know people, letting them know where we are, so they can access our services,” Andreae said. “With love and compassion and respect, this builds trust over time.” She added that the center aims to “meet people where they are,” describing its relationships with area businesses and local police as “great” for facilitating interventions and support. To read a longer version of this story, visit georgetowner.com.
Big Gift Helps Citizens Association Move to 30th St. BY R OBERT D EVAN EY The Citizens Association of Georgetown is on the move — thanks to the biggest donation it has ever gotten. Because of a legacy gift — from the Trust of A. Michael Sullivan, Jr. — that requires CAG to purchase a building in Georgetown, the nonprofit will be taking its headquarters to 1058 30th St. NW, adjacent to C&O Canal National Park. “CAG received a significant bequest earmarking the funds to be used to purchase a new headquarters in Georgetown,” CAG President Tara Sakraida Parker told The Georgetowner. “CAG just closed [on Nov. 23] on a townhouse located along the historic C&O Canal, and we are in the process of making plans to relocate. CAG will be celebrating this legacy gift in spring of 2021 with much fanfare and excitement. This is the largest gift ever received in CAG’s 142-year history.” Added Parker: “Our new town home ... will honor Mr. Michael Sullivan and his wife, Beverly Bissell Sullivan. Their legacy gift supports CAG in an exceptional and unprecedented way. For the first time ever, we have a permanent home to gather and grow, and to build a foundation of impact and change.” 6 DECEMBER 9, 2020
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The property cost $1.02 million, according to D.C. records. Parker said that 2021 will be a big year for CAG — with more announcements about its capital campaign — as the pandemic begins to ease through the use of vaccines.
The new headquarters of the Citizens Association of Georgetown at 1058 30th St. NW. Georgetowner photo.
TOWN TOPICS
Jelleff Center Study: Déjà Vu BY PEGGY SA NDS The District Department of Parks and Recreation will conduct a feasibility study and community survey in the next few weeks to determine the best way to renovate — or perhaps completely reconstruct — the Jelleff Recreation Center into a Georgetownarea community center, according to DPR official Tommie Jones. Jones made the announcement at the Nov. 30 meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E. The project is expected to be a top priority for newly elected Ward 2 Council representative Brooke Pinto. Sound familiar? Déjà vu all over again? Yes, this is the same Jelleff Recreation Center, located at 3265 S St. NW, about which The Georgetowner wrote on Jan. 21, 2019: “They’re getting $7 million!” The money had been budgeted to bring the building into Americans with Disabilities Act and safety code compliance. That was after almost 100 Jelleff supporters met at the Georgetown public library in July of 2018 to demand input. Some had proposed extending the project to create a community center, as well as a home for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, the building’s original sponsor. In response, the ANC posted a 10-question
survey online to elicit a consensus of ideas for the project; DPR promised at least two more community meetings. But the meetings never happened. The ANC forwarded to the mayor several resolutions to incorporate community input and to put funding for Jelleff renovations in the 2020 budget. Then, in September of 2019, The Georgetowner reported that Council member Jack Evans “dropped a bomb full of money” at the Oct. 7 meeting of the Burleith Citizens Association: Mayor Muriel Bowser had budgeted $25 million to tear down and completely rebuild Jelleff the following year. “It will be reconstructed according to input from the community,” Evans said at the time. That plan was overtaken by stunning events in the months to come. In January of this year, Evans resigned his Council seat of 25 years and was replaced by Pinto. When the coronavirus pandemic closed down the District, along with the drop in revenue, some of the reserve funds the city had allocated to projects were no longer available. The new budget, passed in the spring of 2020 to replace the one passed in January, did not include the expanded project money for Jelleff.
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EDITORIAL
Send Your Feedback, Questions or Concerns, Tips and Suggestions to editorial@georgetowner.com or call 202-338-4833
Georgetowners of the Year for 2020 In this pandemic year, The Georgetowner newspaper salutes longtime residents and businesspersons who have given freely of their time, making our special neighborhood all the better for their dedication. It is our honor to name these volunteers, restaurateurs and community leaders.
Mom, but that would not be enough of a description. For such accomplishments — above and beyond — Leslie Maysak is a Georgetowner of the Year for 2020.
FRIENDS OF ROSE PARK
LESLIE MAYSAK: GEORGETOWN AT ITS BEST
JOE GIBBONS: EXEMPLARY ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSIONER
Outgoing Commissioner Joe Gibbons, formerly chair of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, which represents Georgetown, Burleith and Hillandale, is leaving the eight-member D.C. government group to spend more time with his family now that he is a grandfather. He and his wife Hilary live on Volta Place, and Joe is seen regularly walking his dog Scout and checking out the town. His work at the ANC — proclaimed by a few local politicians as the best in Washington, D.C. — has been exemplary. City officials know that the ANC’s decisions or resolutions, while not legally binding, carry “great weight.” Its purview goes beyond Old Georgetown Board agenda items, comprising public works, traffic and parking and neighborhood projects and events. Joe ran a tight ship at the monthly Monday meetings, a forum for timely community input and reports from the police department and other agencies. He has been consistently fair, firm, well-informed and a stickler for details concisely given. Joe remains friendly and accessible (even to the press). For such accomplishments — above and beyond — Joe Gibbons is a Georgetowner of the Year for 2020.
Leslie Demarest Maysak, originally from Boston, has lived in Georgetown more than 20 years. She and her husband Paul live on the west side of town on P Street with sons Jack and Liam. Leslie served as executive director of the Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission from 2014 to 2016, then as executive director of the Citizens Association of Georgetown from 2017 to 2020. She has also been involved with the Georgetown House Tour. That’s major community involvement. Ask the cheerful Leslie about Georgetown, and her knowledge is deep and wide — with friends all over town. Always ready to help, you might call her the ultimate Georgetown
Friends of Rose Park President Gail Daubert, Eleanore Lohse, Market Manager Allister Chang and Georgetown Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Gwendolyn Lohse. Courtesy FORP/David Dunning.
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Shahab and Maziar Farivar of Peacock Cafe
PEACOCK CAFE — SHAHAB AND MAZIAR FARIVAR
A neighborhood and visitor favorite, Peacock Cafe, owned by brothers Shahab and Maziar Farivar — Maziar also the chef — began in 1991 as a simple but great sandwich carryout/cafe, a few doors east of its present Prospect Street location. The restaurant has had many notable and celebrity diners, but it is personable Shahab that makes all feel like a star — and the fine cuisine of award-winning Maziar that keeps them coming back. Their family emigrated to the U.S. in the late 1970s from Iran, and today Peacock Cafe is a classic American success story. Involved in charities, the brothers have kept the restaurant open all through the pandemic; the outdoor sidewalk seating is the place to be. Next year, the restaurant will celebrate its 30th anniversary. For such accomplishments — above and beyond — Peacock Cafe is a Georgetowner of the Year for 2020.
In the Light, the Scourge of 2020 Recedes
What is your number-one resolution for 2021?
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If you want to see a dynamic neighborhood nonprofit in action, head over to Rose Park at 26th and O Streets. You can go to a farmers market, a movie, a concert, a tournament or a holiday market — or see the occasional giant artwork — as children and dogs happily play. Led by President Gail Daubert, the team includes Treasurer Russell Bridges and board members Kathryn Battle, John Donvan, past president David Dunning, Eric Dickman, David Frauenheim, Robert Hetem, Yuri Horowitz, Ricardo Jimenez, Katie Oehmen and Bill Weldon — with such supporters as Nancy Taylor Bubes, Bill Dean, Kiril Jeliazkov and Jeh Johnson. Opened in 1918, this public park has a rich Black history: sisters and tennis stars Margaret Peters and Roumania Peters Walker lived nearby and played on its tennis courts, now named for them. Friends of Rose Park started in 1997 and continues to work closely with the District Department of Parks and Recreation and the National Park Service. It is a group always striving to make the neighborhood better and more connected. For such accomplishments — above and beyond — Friends of Rose Park is a Georgetowner of the Year for 2020.
In this worst year ever — at least in our lifetimes — we are straining to look beyond our holiday blues, to see past this pandemic and the record deaths in America, to see a time when we will meet and freely embrace again. The new year shall come. “We have heroes to be grateful for today,” wrote Mayor Muriel Bowser on social media, with a shout-out to health care workers, volunteers, firefighters, police officers, first responders, teachers, government workers, business owners, neighbors and friends. D.C.’s mayor followed a cautious but moderate path of imposing and adjusting restrictions to lessen the pandemic’s impact. Our neighbor, the Rev. Timothy Cole, is “grateful to be here.” Rector of Christ Church, Georgetown, he was the first D.C. resident known to have contracted the virus. We are thankful for his inspiration, presence and faith in God and in all of us. Be not afraid. Let not your heart be
troubled. We worry about our families. We worry about those who have lost their jobs. We worry about businesses that will fail and never return. We fret about politics — local, national and international — and ask what will 2021 bring, even as we put up holiday decorations. The season to appreciate all the goodness around us — the timeless miracles of Christmas and Hanukkah, the wonder of the solstice and the hope of Kwanzaa — is here. Still, we need to wear masks, socially distance and follow the mayor’s guidelines. They work. The vaccine is coming. Above all, let the truth of science shine as the planets Jupiter and Saturn, named for Roman gods, align, revealing themselves as the Star of Bethlehem. It’s a sign, to be sure — but it’s not magic, it’s physics. Let science and justice come to the forefront. Let us rejoice in our lives. Let us begin anew.
THE VILLAGE
Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham. Courtesy MPD.
Exclusive Interview With Departing MPD Chief Peter Newsham BY C HR IS TOP HER J ON E S On Nov. 24, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office was surprised by news that the District’s chief of police, Peter Newsham, will be leaving his post by Feb. 1 to serve as chief of police in Prince William County, Virginia. Newsham has headed the Metropolitan Police Department since May of 2017. The Georgetowner recently sat down with Newsham on a Zoom call to discuss policing in the nation’s capital in the era of COVID, the Black Lives Matter protests, conflicts with the District Council and rising crime in Georgetown. Fresh out of college in 1989, Newsham joined the department just as Washington, D.C., was gaining a reputation as the nation’s “murder capital.” He quickly moved up the ranks, serving “four tours in three wards” and advancing from lieutenant to captain. In 2000, he earned a law degree from the University of Maryland and was appointed by then-Chief Charles Ramsey to serve as commander of the Second District, which includes Georgetown. By 2002, he was promoted to assistant chief in charge of the Office of Professional Responsibility, housing the Internal Affairs Division and the Civil Rights and Force Investigation Division. Newsham played a major role in nearly every high-profile MPD investigation in those years, when MPD was also challenged by massive events in the District, including the Obama inaugurations and sports championship celebrations. Looking back, however, Newsham is most proud of his work to reform the MPD from within. “We had a group of committed police executives who did a lot of work to change the culture, reduce our uses of force and improve our policies and investigative abilities,” he said.
For Newsham, few years have been as dramatic or challenging as 2020, when, by March, he said: “Life for all of us changed dramatically.” He noted with pride that the department has been fully operational since Mayor Bowser declared a public health emergency. “We have had over 350 of our officers test positive since March,” he said. “A lot of them have fully recovered and gone back to work. But we had one of our school resource officers — Senior Police Officer Keith Williams — who passed away as a result of COVID.” Then, by late spring, with COVID spiraling, mass protests over systemic racism and policing came to the District. “Fast forward to the murder of George Floyd in May and you have the unrest that followed. And I’ve got to tell you that was a trying time for all of us here policing,” Newsham said. Shortly after the Nov. 3 presidential election, MPD had to quell street clashes between pro- and anti-Trump demonstrators following the Million MAGA March. “For me, watching that, was really kind of a sign of the divisiveness that had developed in our country,” he said. Though Newsham did not wish to discuss his reasons for leaving, he did not hesitate to criticize Council members who, in his description, have taken rash steps to “defund the police” at the expense of public safety. “I have spent the better part of the last 18 years reforming this police department,” he said, commenting that new and veteran officers alike have come to see “change in a police agency [as] essential.” Newsham agrees that systemic racism exists in society, but takes issue with those who focus exclusively on the phenomenon within MPD. “If you think you’re going to resolve
systemic racism simply by doing things with your police department, then you’re really missing the mark,” he said. “Systemic racism is exactly that. It’s systemic.” MPD’s recent statistics on diversity bolster Newsham’s confidence that the issue is being addressed. “Our police department almost exactly reflects the community we serve,” he said. “The one demographic where we don’t meet our population is [on] women. We only have 22 percent of our members who are women. So that’s one we have to work on. It should be 50 percent.” Pointing out an area he believes has been unfairly targeted by activists, Newsham said: “There’s no real data to support that the folks in our community who are experiencing mental health crises are being injured or killed by the police department here in Washington, D.C. … We have mental health crises in our community every single day, where we have police respond compassionately and empathetically and are able to resolve those situations.” Calls by Council members to release the names of officers involved in violent arrests before the officers have had a chance to have their cases reviewed internally is one of Newsham’s concerns, since such publicity might put them and their families in danger. “However,” he said, any officer “who is criminally charged in the District — it’s a no-brainer — we’ll release their name.” He also expressed concern regarding the number of prisoners given early release to present the spread of COVID to them and others. When prisoners are released early, he
said, there’s a “domino effect” — crimes of retaliation rise, the victims’ trust in the justice system is damaged, witness intimidation increases and more homicides remain unsolved. “There’s a bill before the Council right now which is going to pass which will allow for the early release of about 500 of our most violent offenders. And I am very, very, concerned about that,” Newsham said. Unsurprisingly, he draws the line at slashing MPD’s budget. Given D.C.’s population increase of close to 200,000 over the last 20 years, reducing the department’s budget to what it was in the 1990s, he argued, is a “potential public safety issue and … I truly believe, in my heart of hearts, that was not well thought out.” Addressing Georgetown’s recent spate of robberies and gun crimes, Newsham cited lax penalties for gun offenses and spillovers of crime from other parts of the city during the pandemic. “In the last three years, gun violence in particular, and in this last year with COVID, stolen autos and carjackings have increased dramatically,” Newsham acknowledged. He sought to reassure Georgetowners that there’s no reason for alarm, however. “The likelihood of being a victim of a violent crime in Georgetown is very rare in comparison to the number of folks who visit there,” he said. “But it is unsettling to know that somebody has been robbed or shot in your community.” To read a longer version of this story, visit georgetowner.com.
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OUT WITH THE OLD, AND IN WITH THE BLUES BY L AURE T TA J . M C C O Y Blue is a universally popular color for both women and men. More than the color one wears, blue describes temperature, sentiments and ideologies that range from hot to cold. This element touches everyone. There is the energizing, healing blue sky and the calm of the blue sea. We are now in a period dominated by the blue of political symbolism. And let’s not forget our own music genre known as the blues, originating in America’s Deep South. Speaking of the blues, I was having a conversation with my good girlfriend and fellow makeup enthusiast the other day about the usual: makeup, music, the news and the impact that the pandemic and politics have had on our community, industries, leaders, favorite entertainers and icons. That’s when the name of a rising star, one of my favorite entertainers, came up: Melissa Viviane Jefferson, better known as Lizzo. If you’ve never heard of her, she’s a classically trained flutist, rapper, singer, songwriter, feminist, activist, humanitarian, fashionista, cover girl and all-around lover of life. As we chatted about Lizzo, I thought about her powerful and bluesy singing style and lyrics and realized that she is a modernday Ma Rainey meets Sojourner Truth and
Maya Angelou — intrepid women who were and remain creators and definers of American culture. You may have seen or heard about Lizzo’s inspirational interview with David Letterman on his Netflix series, “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.” She told Letterman that, despite events, she was “optimistic and hopeful” about the state of America. He repeated her remark, “You are hopeful.” She nodded for emphasis. Lizzo’s response sums up my attitude about the future of our great nation and the world. I feel inspired, positive and hopeful. Looking back, 2020’s political, civil rights and health crises have served as an honest, cleansing dose of “Truth Hurts,” which happens to be the title track of Lizzo’s Billboard number-one hit single this year. We can consider the blues as musical therapy. It’s a revolutionary outcry for action, originated, created and sung by Americans determined to overcome, to be free. Let’s move forward, like Lizzo, glimmering with hope.
THE GEORGETOWNER’S EYE SHADOW GIVEAWAY Let’s have some fun this holiday season. The Georgetowner is sponsoring an Eye Shadow Giveaway with me, Lauretta the Beauty Editor @beautycomestoearth! Here’s how to enter. Show me your best eye makeup look, shadow or eyeliner and mascara. No judgment. Just take a selfie and email it to editorial@georgetowner.com with the subject line: Holiday Eye Makeup Look. Write a brief description of what you used and why you wear the look. It’s that easy. We’ll pick four winners and send each winner my favorite professional eye shadow palette from Morphe cosmetics. Check out the looks at my website: laurettajmccoy.com. Entries in The Georgetowner’s Eye Shadow Giveaway will be accepted until midnight on Wednesday, Dec. 23. You should get your shadows just in time for the New Year!
SMOKEY BLUE CATEYE • PAT MCGRATH LABS EyEdols Lapis Luxury $25 @ Sephora Georgetown VIRTUE SKINFOOD • Skincare that’s good for you! www.virtueskinfood.com NARS • Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer & Liquid Blush $30 each @ Bluemercury Georgetown
10 DECEMBER 9, 2020
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’TIS THE SEASON NOT FEELING FESTIVE? SOME TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR HOLIDAY MERRY & BRIGHT … B Y S U S A N B O D I KER My favorite time of the year is Dec. 22, the day after the winter solstice, when hours of daylight slowly, imperceptibly increase. It always gives me hope. For most of us, 2020 has been one long bleak midwinter, with little to engender joy or celebration. But before you give in to the kvetching of Festivus, take a breath, light some Frankincense-scented candles (to calm stress and anxiety) and settle in for a new seasonal story.
DECK THE HALLS Nothing creates a warmer, more welcoming ambiance than lighting, says Deborah Winsor. The owner of Auguste Georges, a Georgetown home-furnishings store and interior design studio, suggests: “regardless of the weather or time of day, light a fire or a few candles. The flicker is meditative and instantly relaxes your mind and spirit.” Winsor’s also a fan of keeping things simple: “You don’t have to go for elaborate displays to create that holiday vibe.” A few artfully placed pomegranates or ornaments in a bowl, magnolia branches (sprayed silver or gold or left au naturel) in a vase or homemade wreaths can be subtle but striking accents. DIY decorating is also a great way to involve your kids or elders in your multigenerational COVID pod. Let them create a gallery wall of their favorite photos. To keep it affordable, go online for frames and swap out images later on. Or you can dip amaryllis bulbs in paraffin and place in pretty bowls around the house. It’s simple to do, you never have to water them and they last for weeks. Visit theartofdoingstuff.com to learn how. Finally, consider your tree. Or trees. This year, Winsor is dressing her front porch with a classic work-with-every-architectural-
WHAT’S OUT AND WHAT’S IN? 2020: THE YEAR THAT ‘WILL LIVE IN INFAMY’? OR THE YEAR THAT ‘WE THE PEOPLE’ OVERCAME? B Y G EO RG E TOW NE R STAF F HQ2, an impeached president, the COVID-19 pandemic, the postponed Olympic Summer Games, Dr. Fauci, PPE and PPP, essential workers, Zoom videoconferencing, streateries, from Jack Evans to Brooke Pinto, Warren, Sanders, the Green New Deal, Biden/Harris, Tiger King, Comet NEOWISE, the NBA at Disneyworld, shutdowns and shut-ins, virtual learning and learning pods, Black Lives Matter, SpaceX, TikTok, Harry and
Meghan, AOC and the Squad, from RBG to Amy Coney Barrett, superspreader events, political car rallies, Trump’s refusal to concede the election, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, vaccines and on and on and on. One day, we’ll look back and … wish we hadn’t. But, for now, here’s our highly idiosyncratic look at “What’s Out and What’s In” at the end of this exceptionally strange year.
style look: evergreens wrapped in simple white lights.
COMFORT & JOY Even in the best of times, the holidays can be stressful and wearying. Steven Epstein, psychiatrist and department chair at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, prescribes exercise as his numberone mind-body cure. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, many have discovered the joys of working out,” he says. “And, at this time of year, when it’s cold and dark and we’re tempted by rich foods we may not ordinarily eat, it’s more important than ever to keep moving.” Now that gyms have again closed their doors in D.C., Epstein recommends going outdoors to boost endorphin levels while getting the recommended daily amounts of sun — triggering vitamin D production — and fresh air. Just being outside (in the right clothes, of course) can refresh your outlook and may encourage you to discover a new activity that you’ve never tried before. It’s also a way to be with people in a safe and healthy setting. At the same time, he advises, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed during the holidays, especially during this most unusual COVID Christmas, when you may not be able to see family and friends. “Take your own ‘mood pulse,’” Epstein says. “If you notice you are having issues that are getting in the way of doing your work or participating in activities you typically enjoy, don’t hesitate to share how you feel with someone you trust. Help is available and you don’t have to meet with someone face-to-face. Teletherapy is great and very effective. And if you see a friend or family member struggling, help them find the support they need.” Epstein also suggests maintaining
connections to a larger community through weekly calls, games with friends or virtual religious services. While solitude can be salutary, feeling isolated and alone can be dangerous, especially when you ruminate about trips not taken, friends and family not seen. Reach out and touch someone by phone, Zoom or social media. If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the NAMI HelpLine, 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).
VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS As a health coach in my other life, I see clients with food issues on a regular basis. Stress eating and rich holiday fare are another cause of heartburn. My advice? Eliminate guilt and shame from the menu by eating food that makes you feel good about yourself in the moment and in the mirror later. Share and savor meals that celebrate love and the pleasures of taste. Watch your portions, drink more water and make every mouthful count. Mindfulness and meditation apps can restore your mental balance, as can basic breathing exercises. An easy one to do anytime: Breathe in to a count of four, hold for a count of seven and breathe out for a count of eight. Repeat as needed. It may be hard to find gratitude for the year gone by, but the benefits of a gratitude practice — like those of mindfulness and mediation — are endless. It can lower your blood pressure, minimize the inflammatory response to stress, improve sleep and help manage depression. It can also help us find a little light in the darkness, when optimism is in short supply.
NEW NORMAL
VISIT GEORGETOWNER.COM TO SEE THE COMPLETE LIST.
OUT
IN
FOMO Dating Masked Men Table Cloth Rubbing Elbows Where’s the Remote? Marie Kondo Zooming Around Town Party Favors Smiling Self-Improvement Plan Kvetching Safe Spaces on Campus Baronial Manors L.A.’s Wild Parties Degrees in Vague Disciplines Mints So Others Don’t Smell Our Breath
FOGO (fear of going out) Mask Mandating Plexiglass Partitions Elbow Bumping Working Remotely Room Rater Zoom Videoconferencing Hand Sanitizers Smeyesing Pandemic Puppy Counting Our Blessings No Safe Spaces on Campus Social Distancing Manners L.A.’s Wildfires Micro-Credentialing Mints So We Don’t Smell Our Own Breath
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Liquid Blue waterproof easy to use eyeliner by SEPHORA $9 to narrow your focus and vision on the challenges of the days to ahead.
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Color Splatters by KRYLON $47.50. For the entrepreneur and Art lover to celebrate your ability to embrace diversity, to see your infinite potential for greatness, and your resilience for change!
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HAUTE & COOL
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
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BY A LL Y SON B UR K H A R DT This year, we all know where we will be for the holidays. Home sweet home. Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, we’ve all earned a bit of holiday cheer. So why not celebrate the precious space that has been keeping us cozy and safe? You can transform your home into a winter wonderland with a bit of sparkle and glitz. Start with champagne and gold trimmings to cast a celebratory spirit. Then drop in unique pieces of decor, such as exquisitely handcrafted tabletop items. These elegant details will turn any holiday
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meal into a feast. Remember, festive is a feeling, so get your shine on with metallic separates and sequin accents. Celebrate in style while staying in with family or friends. You can be a goddess in glam and dazzle your way through the season. After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. From all of us at The Georgetowner: May your holidays be merry and bright! Allyson Burkhardt is the founder of Let’s Get Dressed! Image & Style Services. Visit her on the web at letsgetdresseddc.com.
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WINWARD HOME HOLIDAY JEWEL CONE TREE $650 Saks Fifth Avenue
OPEN VACANT CLOSED TEMPORARILY CLOSED Visit Georgetowner.com to see the interactive Google Map of State of retail in Georgetown We will be regularly updating the map.
250 GEORGETOWN SPOTS OPEN: SHOP LOCAL FOR THE HOLIDAYS
INS & OUTS BY RO BE RT DEVA NEY
IN: ROSEWOOD HOTEL, CUT RESTAURANT REOPEN
Rosewood Washington, D.C., located near the C&O Canal at 1050 31st St. NW, reopened Nov. 23 and unveiled its highly anticipated townhouse accommodations. Wolfgang Puck’s Cut D.C., the hotel’s signature restaurant, also reopened. Helmed by Executive Chef Andrew Skala, Cut D.C. says it reflects the culinary diversity of the Mid-Atlantic region and the historic charm of Georgetown.
IN: PACERS RUNNING ON M
There’s a new place to lace up with new running shoes: Pacers Running at 3273 M St. NW, located in the old Lucky Brand shop, next to Lululemon. Along with gear and footwear, Pacers will be hosting virtual races this winter. It will also offer a holiday shop-in-shop with Summit To Soul, open until Christmas.
IN: SAME DAY TESTING, ALSO ON M
It’s 99.9-percent accurate, claims Same Day Testing at 3237 M St. NW of its COVID19 test. It’s a rapid PCR test: “FDA Emergency Use Authorized. Nucleic Acid Amplification Test.” Adds the Same Day business: “Get results the next morning. We provide you with a full laboratory report which can be used to travel to most countries.”
SMOKED OUT: VAPORFI
The VaporFi smokeless cigarette shop at 3210 O St. NW — selling e-cigarettes, vaporizers, vape pens and custom vape juices — has closed. The empty property is the site of Billy Donahue’s longtime Antiques of Georgetown, which shuttered in 2012. PRESENTED BY
ou 2021 v r f o r m a i r t ua l ti f r e e e n c lu d e s ve join u nts. s!
NEEDS OGB APPROVAL: AVERY HOTEL RESTAURANT
The Avery at 2616 P St. NW is seeking approval from the Old Georgetown Board “to append a single-story edifice in front of one of its suites and convert the interior into a restaurant and bar.” Opened a little more than four years ago by Justin Schneck, the 15-room boutique hotel would lose a suite to create the restaurant. There is a small courtyard that opens to the sidewalk in front of the brick stairway entrance. A third floor is also contemplated. The plans were first reported by Urban Turf.
EagleBank’s Juan Rodriquez
NEW EAGLEBANK MANAGER
Juan K. Rodriquez has taken over from CJ Joyner as branch manager for EagleBank’s 3143 N St. NW location. Joining Rodriquez at the townhouse office, next to Cafe Georgetown, are Mariama Barrie and David Daraie.
january 7–10, 2021 www.washingtonwintershow.org GMG, INC.
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IN COUNTRY
Light Yards.
Holiday Light Displays: A Cure for Cabin Fever
NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE THROUGH DECEMBER THE PRESIDENT’S PARK AT THE ELLIPSE
U.S. CAPITOL CHRISTMAS TREE
THROUGH JAN. 10 THE YARDS PARK AT 355 WATER ST. SE
THROUGH THE HOLIDAY SEASON U.S. CAPITOL
theyardsdc.com
aoc.gov
Now in its fifth year, Light Yards is back at the Yards Park in Southeast D.C. Despite COVID-19, Light Yards will continue, albeit safely and socially distant. The annual holiday installation features “Stars� by Australian-based light sculptors Amigo & Amigo. The gigantic stars will feature dancing lights and festive music for a socially distanced walk-through, nightly from 6 to 10 p.m. Area restaurants are also featuring seasonal specials to pair with Light Yards.
The U.S. Capitol Christmas tree has been a tradition since 1964, when Speaker of the House John W. McCormack asked Architect of the Capitol J. George Stewart to place a Christmas tree on the grounds of the Capitol. After a wind storm in the spring of 1967 caused the tree to die the following year, it was removed. Since 1970, the Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided the tree every year.
DC HOLIDAY LIGHTS THROUGH DEC. 31 VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOODS dcholidaylights.org
BY KAT E OCZ Y P OK This year has been unlike any other in memory. It’s safe to say, as the song goes, we all “need a little Christmas.� Luckily, there are many options to get out and enjoy some fresh winter air, either socially distanced or from the comfort of your car. For a little holiday spirit, here are nine great light displays in and just outside the District.
LIGHT YARDS
While the 98th National Christmas Tree lighting was celebrated virtually this year, visitors are still welcome to visit the Ellipse (socially distanced, of course) to view the tree. There are also 56 smaller trees surrounding the National Tree, representing Washington, D.C., and every state and territory in the U.S. The smaller trees are decorated with ornaments designed by students from across the country. Also, if you don’t want to venture outdoors, the 2020 tree lighting will be available all season long to stream on demand.
A dozen neighborhoods around D.C., including Dupont Circle, Woodley Park and Cleveland Park, are offering light displays and decor for the holiday season. From now until New Year’s Eve, you can visit the neighborhoods listed on the website to check out their decorated corridors. Later, you can cast your vote for your favorite decorations. There’s also a scavenger hunt for prizes for those energetic enough to visit all the communities. DC Holiday Lights is coordinated by District Bridges, a nonprofit with a mission to enrich neighborhoods with community engagement and economic development.
thenationaltree.org
FRIENDS OF ROSE PARK PRESENT
WINTER. MARKET JOIN US FOR SOME HOLIDAY CHEER AND A SPECIAL
PERFORMANCE OF THE NUTCRACKER
WEDNESDAYS THROUGH DECEMBER 23RD
3 PM - 7 PM
26TH ST & O ST NW
IF YOU ENJOY THE MARKET AND ROSE PARK
PLEASE DONATE
ROSEPARKDC.ORG/DONATE
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO NANCY TAYLOR BUBES & MC
DEAN FOR LIGHTING OUR MARKET AND OUR COMMUNITY
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Visit georgetowner.com for a list of events in Virginia and Maryland.
The World Famous
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1819 35th St NW Washington DC between S & T Sts at Hardy Middle School (Across from the social Safeway)
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SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY+ SHOP SMALL. MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
Shop Small Georgetown is on now through December 12! Enjoy special promotions, gifts with purchase, raffles and more! STROLL through Georgetown’s Holiday Window & Streatery Competition throughout December and cast your vote for the best “Silver Linings” display, for the chance to win up to $100! SHOP our 2020 online holiday gift guides, highlighting curated items and experiences in seven categories — all from Georgetown’s best shops, services and food retailers.
Visit georgetowndc.com/holiday for all things Holidays in Georgetown, including our Holiday Window & Streatery Competition map.
Point camera at QR code to go directly to Georgetown holiday season happenings.
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FOOD & WINE
Cocktail of the Month PONCHE NAVIDEÑO BY J ODY KURA S H As the season of “All Holidays Matter” arrives in the middle of the COVID pandemic, some may rejoice in the thought of a scaled-back celebration. Twenty-twenty has a doctor-approved excuse for avoiding stressful, awkward and uncomfortable gatherings. However, for others, the thought of spending this festive time home alone after months of self-isolation may be too gloomy to deal with. Or, perhaps, after long durations of homeschooling, home working, home cooking and home entertainment, home may be the last place you want to be for the holidays. For all these conundrums, I offer a common solution: Ditch your politically correct Starbucks holiday cup and allinclusive greetings and sing along to “Feliz
Navidad!” (You know the words.) Mexico is open for U.S. tourists and has something for everyone. Extended families can isolate in their own hotel suites and gather at appropriate distances on the resort grounds, with the acceptable gap being just far enough so that under-the-breath comments are out of hearing range. Nuclear family units can rent a private villa that affords the safety of separation, as well as room to stretch your wings. And for those with the holiday blues, I suggest ordering a tequila tipple from a masked cabana boy combined with a spectacular sunset dipping into the crashing azure waves. For me, Mexico is the “happiest place on earth.” In fact, one of my favorite Decembers was spent south of the border, watching a meteor
shower on Christmas Eve while drinking rompope (a Mexican version of eggnog), trading turkey for tamales and indulging in jovial treats from the hotel owner. Even if you choose to remain stateside, you can still divert your taste buds with some Latino Xmas cheer. While tequila and margaritas bring up images of raucous summer fun, Mexico has its own traditional holiday drinks — not only rompope, but ponche Navideño, literally Christmas punch. Ponche Navideño is a hearty celebratory drink created by simmering Mexican fruits with cane sugar, cinnamon and spices. The ingredients, which vary from region to region, include fresh and dried fruits like tamarind, prunes, hibiscus, guavas, apples, pears, oranges, raisins and tejocotes (a small yellow sweet-tart fruit that resembles a crabapple). Spices can include clove, anise, chamomile and nutmeg. Nuts like walnuts and pecans are often added. Think of it as fruitcake’s delicious drunk uncle. The punch is served during the Mexican celebrations of Las Posadas, which take place every night on the nine days leading up to Christmas, from Dec. 16 to 24. The word “posada” means “inn” in Spanish. In this tradition, processions are held to reenact the biblical story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and their search for a place to stay. The celebrations are held for nine nights to symbolize the nine months that Jesus spent in Mary’s womb. What’s nice about making ponche Navideño is that you can customize it with what’s available or your own taste preferences. The most important ingredients are piloncillo, cane sugar, tamarind and cinnamon; the first three impart a unique sweetness and the cinnamon provides a seasonal essence. Jarred tejocotes and
PONCHE NAVIDEÑO
(SUGGESTED INGREDIENTS)
1 cup dried hibiscus flowers mixed with 6 quarts of water for tea 2 cups drained tejocotes from a jar 6 sticks sugarcane (more for garnish) 5 cinnamon sticks 1 cup tamarind pods or ½ cup tamarind paste 2 cups fresh or frozen guava 1 cup cane sugar (or dark brown sugar) 1 medium apple, chopped 1 medium pear, chopped 6 oz. pitted prunes 10 cloves 2 oranges 1 cup walnuts or pecans, halved ½ cup raisins
tamarind paste can be found in the Latino section of large supermarkets. It’s generally served hot like a European yule punch or mulled wine, but it’s also refreshing served over ice like a spiced sangria. Recipes vary, but there is a basic formula to follow. Start by boiling water with hibiscus leaves to make a ruby-hued tea. Strain, then add fruit, spices and cane sugar. Cook until the fruit is tender and your kitchen is filled with a heavenly holiday aroma. Fill mugs partly with tequila, brandy or rum and ladle the warm liquid and fruit over the top. Garnish each with a sugarcane stick. Serve and put some José Feliciano on your playlist.
ARTS
Coming in 2021: Works by Women Photographers BY AR I POS T With the re-closure of most museums in November, the Washington arts scene — along with everyone and everything else — has suffered another crippling blow at the hands of the pandemic. Any other year, the fall arts season would be coming to a crescendo right now, with galas and parties, major exhibition openings, fundraisers, gallery walks and the like, all of which now sound like surreal vestiges of a distant homeland. It fills me with tremendous longing, while at the same time inducing a sort of disgusted disbelief that life could ever have been that stupidly simple that I attributed such value and virtue to such trivial currents of economy and culture. To say it another way, I miss it terribly, but I’ll never be able to forget how fragile it all is. One artistic medium that seems to be doing all right through the pandemic is photography. It has been showing us footage from beyond the walls of our semiquarantined life, while also allowing us to project ourselves out into the world to our friends and families. 16 DECEMBER 9, 2020
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Photography has something of a special gift for transcending all sorts of boundaries. It can skate extraordinarily fine lines between otherwise dichotomous arenas of professional, cultural, physical and philosophical space. Photography exists in fine art and journalism. It can clarify as well as obscure information. It can bolster facts or conspire in deception and manipulation. It can also reveal areas of the world that are otherwise not given their due, both in what is in front of the camera and what is behind it. Two exhibitions I hope to visit in the winter (should the CDC allow it) feature women photographers in the 20th century. In the early part of the century, photography perhaps allowed some women to reveal their genius without the burden of gender inequity. The first exhibition, slated to open in January at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, is a retrospective of Mary Ellen Mark (1940-2015). Mark was an icon in modern photography, whose mission was to document the otherwise unknown or forgotten people of the world. From street children in Seattle to circus performers in
India, Mark captured the lives and stories of individuals with empathy, humor and candor. “Mary Ellen Mark: Girlhood” presents approximately 30 images from throughout the photographer’s career depicting girls and young women. The NMWA is still open for visitors, so go if you can. Due to open at the National Gallery of Art in February — though the museum is currently closed until further notice — “The New Woman Behind the Camera” will explore how women emerged as a driving force in modern photography from the 1920s to the 1950s. In particular, the exhibition will examine the New Woman of the 1920s, a powerful expression of modernity and a global phenomenon that embodied an ideal of female empowerment based on real women making revolutionary changes. Featuring more than 120 photographers from over 20 countries, this exhibition aims to showcase how early women photographers brought their own perspectives to artistic experimentation, studio portraiture, fashion and advertising work, scenes of urban life, ethnography and photojournalism. The signature image for the National Gallery’s exhibition, “Self-Portrait with Leica” of 1931, by German photographer Ilse Bing (1899-1998), is a masterpiece — a work of haunting psychological portraiture and formal genius. It left me thinking that a
fascinating outcome of the smartphone era, particularly in quarantine, is the obscuring of the perspective between the photographer and their subject. The conceit of photography used to be fairly straightforward: someone behind the camera photographs something within their field of vision. In a single photo, all that really used to be there is a visual transcription of something that had existed momentarily in front of a photographer’s eyes. This really isn’t the case anymore. Smartphone photographers probably spend as much time photographing themselves as anything else. The camera points back at the photographer; the lens is even built now to face the photographer, so they can compose the pictures they take of themselves the same way you would behind the lens looking out. It’s a record of us looking at a machine looking back at us. In recent years, photography has become less a tool for exhibiting our views of the outside world and more a tool for exhibiting ourselves within the world. This last sentence could also be used to describe Bing’s claustrophobic self-portrait. It is a kind of a fragmenting of her identity and interior world through a filter of technology and mirrors. The only difference between this and a smartphone selfie might just be that Bing knew it — and was a hell of a lot better at it than any of us.
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‘How to Lead: Wisdom from the World’s Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers’ R EVIEWED BY KITTY KEL L EY When Charlie Rose was summarily fired by PBS for sexual harassment, he and his table were banished, with the table replaced by two sturdy chairs for Carlyle Group co-founder David M. Rubenstein to interview the great and the good. Rubenstein is capitalizing on “The David Rubenstein Show” by publishing some of his interviews. His first book, “The American Story: Conversations with Master Historians,” published in 2019, was very good. His second, “How to Lead: Wisdom from the World’s Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers,” published last month, is okay. The book’s cover features sketches of Oprah Winfrey, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Bill Gates, Christine Lagarde, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos, Indra Nooyi, Richard Branson and Yo-Yo Ma. The contents present 30 individuals — 15 men and 15 women — Rubenstein deems as exemplifying leadership, whom he divides into different categories: visionaries, builders, transformers, commanders, decision makers and masters. In his introduction, Rubenstein presents his formula for becoming a world-class leader. Moses had 10 Commandments; Rubenstein has 12: I. Luck. II. Desire to succeed. III. Pursue something new and unique. IV. Hard work and long hours. (“Workaholism is a plus.”) V. Focus everything on mastering one skill. VI. Fail. (“My having been part of a failed White House certainly fueled my ambition to succeed,” he writes, as former deputy domestic-policy assistant to President Carter.) VII. Persistence. VIII. Persuasion. IX. Humble demeanor. X. Credit-sharing. (Here, he quotes his hero, John F. Kennedy: “Victory has a hundred fathers, and defeat is an orphan.” So, spread the glory.) XI. Ability to keep learning. (Rubenstein writes that he reads six newspapers a day, at least a dozen weekly periodicals and a minimum of one book a week, although, he adds, he often juggles three to four books simultaneously. You wonder how the man finds time to tie his shoes.) XII. Integrity, which he defines as not cutting ethical corners. Rubenstein comes to all his interviews well prepared, if a bit short on charm. He’s developed a style much like Jack Webb on “Dragnet”: “Just the facts, Ma’am.” He’s respectful to his guests, even as his questions probe. “How to Lead” begins with the best interview in the book. Its subject: Jeff Bezos, who happens to be the richest man in
the world ($173.5 billion), founder and CEO of Amazon and owner of the Washington Post. A high school valedictorian who graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton, Bezos changed his major from theoretical physics to electrical engineering and computer science when he realized he was not going to be one of the top 50 theoretical physicists in the world — an indication, perhaps, of why he prizes failure as a pathway to success. (Here, Rubenstein admits his own financial failure: selling his firm’s equity in Amazon for $80 million in 1996, which, today, would be worth “about $4 billion.”) In his interview, Bezos reveals a man devoted to his parents, and one who is committed to eight hours of sleep every night, reserving “high IQ meetings” for midmorning. He says the most important work he’s doing at present is investing in the future by putting $1 billion a year of his own money into Blue Origin, his aspirational program to make expanded human space travel a reality. Rubenstein includes his double interview with two former two-term presidents, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. But he has not interviewed his former boss, Jimmy Carter, a one-term president whom many consider a leader in humanitarian outreach. Rubenstein characterizes Carter’s term in office as a “failed White House.” Yet Carter established the Department of Energy in 1977 and the Department of Education in 1979. He cut the deficit, ended rampant inflation and managed to get more of his legislation passed than any president since World War II with the exception of Lyndon Johnson. And Carter, a Nobel laureate, is the only president since Thomas Jefferson under whom the U.S. military never fired a shot. With all due respect to this billionaire author, Carter’s presidency, while only four years, can hardly be dismissed as a failure. To read a longer version of this review, which originally appeared in the Washington Independent Review of Books, visit georgetowner.com. Georgetown resident Kitty Kelley has written several number-one New York Times best-sellers, including “The Family: The Real Story Behind the Bush Dynasty.” Her most recent books include “Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the Kennedys” and “Let Freedom Ring: Stanley Tretick’s Iconic Images of the March on Washington.” She serves on the board of Reading Is Fundamental, the nation’s largest children’s literacy nonprofit.
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GEORGETOWN $4,495,000 3317 Prospect St NW, Washington, DC Annie Stevenson 704-607-5847 Nancy Taylor Bubes Group
FOXHALL $3,900,000 4606 Kenmore Dr NW, Washington, DC Jennifer Harper Thornett 202-415-7050 Christopher R. Leary 202-243-1620
GEORGETOWN $3,700,000 1513 28th St NW, Washington, DC Jean Hanan 202-494-8157
GEORGETOWN $3,195,000 1601 35th St NW, Washington, DC Eileen McGrath 202-253-2226 Jean Hanan 202-494-8157
GEORGETOWN $2,795,000 1639 35th St NW, Washington, DC Christopher R. Leary HRL Partners 202-243-1620
SPRING VALLEY $2,590,000 4992 Warren St NW, Washington, DC Nancy Taylor Bubes Group 202-386-7813
WEST END $2,395,000 2501 Pennsylvania Ave NW #2A Washington, DC Mary Grover Ehrgood 202-274-4694
THE GODFREY ESTATE $2,300,000 40568 Hidden Hills Lane Paeonian Springs, Virginia Debbie Meighan 571-439-4027
GEORGETOWN $2,295,000 3240 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC Annie Stevenson 704-607-5847 Nancy Taylor Bubes Group
NORTH ARLINGTON $2,200,000. 2750 N. Nelson Street, Arlington, Virginia Diane Lewis 703-973-7001 The Lewis Team
MCLEAN $1,999,995 966 Bellview Rd, McLean, Virginia Jennifer Harper Thornett 202-415-7050 Micah Corder 571-271-9828
OBSERVATORY CIR $1,525,000 4000 Cathedral Ave NW #604B Washington, DC Christopher R. Leary HRL Partners 202-243-1620
GEORGETOWN $679,000 1080 Wisconsin Ave NW #2015 Washington, DC Lisa Stransky Brown 202-368-6060
BRINGING YOU THE FINEST AGENTS • PROPERTIES • EXPERIENCE
20 DECEMBER 9, 2020
GMG, INC.