ARAB TIMES, THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13

People & Places

Television

Life lessons in ‘Stillwater’ Author Chopra brings ‘mindfulness’ to kids NEW YORK, Jan 6, (AP): When the producers of the new animated children’s series “Stillwater” asked Mallika Chopra to be the show’s “mindfulness con- sultant,” the meditation expert, author and speaker said she was immediately on board. “What an amazing title to have, right?” Chopra recounted in a recent interview with The Associated Press. Children’s television has evolved since the days of Bugs Bunny and Roadrunner smashing Wile E. Coyote with a hammer. “Stillwater” - which started streaming on Apple TV+ last month - aims to teach subtle life lessons through a wise panda who forges a special friendship with the family next door. The stories are based on the character Stillwater from the beloved children’s book series “Zen Stories” by Jon J. Muth. With beautiful animation and a quiet approach, “Stillwa- ter” organically teaches kids to meet disappointment and frus- tration with patience and kind- ness. Apple hired Chopra help translate the vibe and lessons of “Zen Stories” to a television audience. Chopra has written several books geared toward children Chopra and has a new book coming out in March: “Just Be You: Ask Questions, Set Intentions, Be Your Special Self and More.” She’s also the daughter of alternative medicine and wellness expert Deepak Chopra, so meditation and wellness has dominated both her personal and profes- sional lives. She is the founder and CEO of Intent.com, a life- style website. It was created to use social media to In this May 25, 2019, file photo, Neil Young performs at the BottleRock Napa Valley Music Festival at Napa Valley Expo in Napa, Calif. Young has become the latest connect people from around the world to improve artist to strike gold with his song catalog. (AP) their own lives, their communities and the planet. Earlier in 2000, she had co-founded the dotcom my- potential.com along with her father Deepak Chopra. She is also the president of Chopra Media LLC and sits in the board of directors of Liquid Comics (previ- Music ously known as Virgin Comics). She also blogs for Beliefnet and Huffi ngton Post. She has taught at events like TedXBerkeley, Ideac- ity, Business Innovation Factory, the Green Festivals, LOHAS, The California Women’s Conference, The Shmurda to be eligible for release in February Prevention R3 Conference, and many more. Lessons Her varied background includes launching the Heal Young sells 50pct stake in his songs The World Foundation in the 1990s with Michael Jack- son, being part of the initial team to re-launch MTV in NEW YORK, Jan 6, (AP): Neil video games and advertising. Shmurda, whose legal name is India, and serving as a Health Ambassador for the Pepsi Young has become the latest mu- The latter use has been a sticking Ackquille Pollard, was sentenced to Refresh Everything Project in the US – an initiative that gave millions of dollars to individuals, non-profi ts and sician to strike gold with his song point for Young, whose 1988 song seven years after pleading guilty to companies to for projects in their communities. Mallika catalogue, selling a 50 percent stake “This Note’s For You” sharply criti- conspiracy and weapons possession is also co-founder of The Chopra Well, a YouTube chan- in his music to a British investment cized artists who leased their music charges in connection to what pros- nel she launched with her brother, Gotham Chopra, and company in a deal announced on for advertising campaigns. The ac- ecutors said was a leading role in the father, Deepak Chopra. Wednesday. companying video parodied ads that GS9 gang, The New York Times The younger Chopra helped launch the show by The Hipgnosis Songs Fund said featured Michael Jackson and Eric reported. GS9 is an offshoot of the reading scripts and offering her special expertise. it had acquired half of the copyright Clapton. Crips in the East Flatbush neigh- “They have done the most incredible job of storytell- Director Bryan Fogel, (left), and and income interests in some 1,180 In the song, Young sang: “Ain’t borhood of Brooklyn. ing and building characters and then sharing the les- Hatice Cengiz pose for a portrait to songs written by the 75-year-old singin’ for Pepsi, ain’t singin’ for Authorities arrested Shmurda in late sons in this way, which is just not kind of didactic or promote ‘The Dissident,’ a film about rock star, composer of “Heart of 2014 after he left a recording studio slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, dur- Coke. I don’t sing for nobody. ‘how-to.’ It’s joyful and really magical,” Chopra said. Gold,” “Rockin’ in the Free World” Makes me look like a joke.” near Radio City Music Hall, only days The show’s executive producer and writer Rob ing the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan 24, 2020. (AP) and “Cinnamon Girl.” In the years since, it has become after he performed “Hot Boy” for a na- Hoegee, says Chopra helps communicate the psychol- Details on Page 12 Terms were not disclosed. much more common for musicians tional television audience on “Jimmy ogy of preschool children and their needs. “One of the The deal comes a month after Bob to earn income through advertis- Kimmel Live.” Investigators found great things Mallika has been able to do for us now Dylan sold publishing rights to more ing campaigns. But at least through two handguns and a small amount of that the show has launched is be able to better contex- than 600 songs to the Universal Mu- crack cocaine in a car in which he was tualize what mindfulness is, how it’s important to us 2016, Young continued to resist hav- and how the show can fi t into that,” Hoegee said. sic Publishing Group for a reported ing his music used this way, accord- riding, authorities said. The producers incorporated coping skills like fortune of between $300 million and ing to Rolling Stone magazine. Shmurda was denied parole in breathing deeply and the sound and calmness of nature a half billion dollars. Stevie Nicks It was unclear whether the September, in part for disciplinary into the storylines, which Chopra says is a great tool to sold an 80 percent stake in her music Hipgnosis deal augers a change in actions taken against him while emphasize experience in the moment. to Primary Wave for a reported $100 that policy. incarcerated, and subsequently or- “There’s a clip where they’re outside getting a new million. In Wednesday’s announcement, dered to his maximum sentence perspective on the rain. And it’s such a beautiful clip Merck Mercuriadis, founder of Mercuriadis said that his company until Dec. 21, 2021. He is currently of changing perspective. But also, in that clip, there’s Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited, said and Young “have a common integ- incarcerated at Clinton Correctional the sound of the rain. This is the experience you can that he bought his fi rst Neil Young rity, ethos and passion born out of a Facility in Dannemora, New York, have of imagining the smell of rain,” she said. Roberts Dickey album when he was seven years old. belief in music and these important according to the Department of Cor- Aside from work on “Stillwater,” Chopra has been “’Harvest’ was my companion songs. There will never be a ‘Burger rections inmate database. busy this year trying to help others cope in the pan- and I know every note, every word, of Gold’ but we will work together A review by the Department of demic. She’s been challenging people to get comfort- every pause and silence intimately,” to make sure everyone gets to hear Corrections later restored his credit able with uncertainty. Variety he said. “Neil Young, or at least his them on Neil’s terms.” for good behavior. “What I can offer is just moments where we can music, has been my friend . . . ever Shmurda is eligible for condition- connect through breaths, be accepting of anger, frus- Young has released some 70 al- since.” bums as a solo artist and with bands al release as of Feb. 23, with the re- tration, and fear with our kids. You know, they’re feel- NEW YORK: Tanya Roberts, who ing that. But we, as parents, are feeling that as well. The businessman also said like Buffalo Springfi eld, Crazy mainder of his sentence to be served captivated James Bond in “A View to a Young’s late manager, Elliot Rob- on parole. So a lot of what I’ve been talking to groups about this Kill” and appeared in the sitcom “That Horse and Crosby, Stills, Nash & year is... accepting that it’s OK to feel angry, it’s OK erts, was equally an idol to him. Young. “I’m glad he’s coming home,” ’70s Show,” has died, several hours after In an industry where music sales said Alex Spiro, a lawyer who repre- to be fearful and sad,” Chopra said. she was mistakenly declared dead by her Also: “The other thing is we haven’t had the ritual of publicist and her partner. She was 65. have dwindled and the concert in- sented Shmurda in the criminal case. mourning and grief. And that also isn’t anchoring us Lance O’Brien, her companion of dustry is on hold due to the coro- DANNEMORA, NY: Brooklyn rapper In the years since his arrest, as a society,” she said. “That’s something we’re go- nearly two decades, told The Associ- navirus pandemic, song publishing Bobby Shmurda will be eligible for Shmurda has become something ing to have to process over time because we’re not ated Press on Tuesday that Cedars-Sinai is seen as an increasingly valuable release from prison next month, the akin to a folk hero in hip-hop; his re- processing it right now. It’s just too overwhelming.” Medical Center reached out to him on asset. The companies generally push New York State Department of Cor- lease has been highly anticipated by As the daughter of one of the most famous New Monday at 9:30 pm PST to inform him for use of an artist’s songs in movies, rections said on Monday. fans and other artists. Age leaders and meditation experts, Chopra started that Roberts had passed away. meditating when she was 9. She says Western soci- “She was my soulmate, she was my ety’s acceptance of the practice has taken decades, but best friend. We haven’t been apart for two days” in their years together, a tear- as third Angel Julie. She also played With Enemies” and dozens of other through such novels as “Sister, Sister” it’s come a long way since people thought her father comic book heroine Sheena — a female stories about contemporary Black life, and “Naughty or Nice” and through his was a “witchdoctor selling snake oil.” ful O’Brien said. Roberts’ death was related to a urinary version of the Tarzan story — in a 1984 has died at age 59. “Gideon” crime fi ction series, which Tradition tract infection, publicist Mike Pingel fi lm. Dickey’s publicist at Penguin Random included “Sleeping With Strangers” and said. He had been at the hospital Tuesday A new generation of fans saw her on House, Emily Canders, told The As- “Resurrecting Midnight.” “These are wisdom traditions which have lasted “That ’70s Show” from 1998 and 2004, sociated Press that the author died of He also worked on the screenplay for thousands of years,” Chopra said. “Those who prac- morning with O’Brien to pick up Rob- erts’ personal effects. playing Midge, mother to Laura Pre- cancer Sunday in Los Angeles. She did the 1998 movie “Cappuccino,” wrote tice these different techniques, we feel how they help Roberts collapsed at home on Dec 24 pon’s character Donna. not immediately provide other details a comic book miniseries for Marvel, us as parents when we tell our kids to take a deep after walking her dogs and was admitted Roberts, a huge animal rights activist, beyond listing four daughters among his and contributed to such anthologies as breath in and out, to stop for a moment, we see how to Cedars-Sinai. She had been reported is survived by O’Brien. (AP) survivors. “Mothers and Sons” and “Black Silk: A they can self regulate better. “ dead on Sunday, but Pingel said that was ❑ ❑ ❑ Dickey was an aspiring actor and Collection of African American ....” The long-term effects of the isolation and anxiety of based on a mistake by O’Brien, who be- stand-up comic who began writing fi ction “In comedy you learn to write with quarantining concern Chopra, but she says she’s hop- lieved Roberts had slipped away during NEW YORK: Eric Jerome Dickey, the in his mid-30s and shaped a witty, con- fl ow — segue, setup, and punch line — ing to get past this “dark time” in the mental health what was expected to be a fi nal visit. bestselling novelist who blended crime, versational and sometimes graphic prose but in a way that people won’t see or of adults, and especially children. “That’s going to be Numerous outlets, including The As- romance in “Sister, Sister,” “Waking style. It brought him a wide readership notice. And in theater you learn about a big, big hurdle that we have to continue to address sociated Press, reported Roberts’ death character,” he told BookPage in 2000. because we are seeing, sadly, increases in diagnoses Monday, based on information Pingel “You’ve got to bring something to it, and and suicide rates. It’s heartbreaking.” received from O’Brien. what you bring is the understanding of Chopra surprises people when she admits that her O’Brien, who’d been unable to see the character you get from doing your own meditation practice has been irregular, but she re- Roberts in the hospital because of homework, from understanding the little turns to it when she needs it. She’s a mom to two teen- COVID-19 restrictions, was allowed to stuff like speech patterns and the way the agers and says despite her work, she has had a “messy visit Sunday as her condition worsened. character walks, and from understanding journey” with normal family dynamics. The actor did not have the virus, he said. the big stuff — your character’s motiva- When he got the call Sunday that she tion.” Also: was failing, O’Brien said he was “emo- He wrote 29 novels in all, according to LOS ANGELES: Here’s a rerun worth revisiting: “Un- tionally shocked because I was expecting his publisher, and has more than 7 mil- derground,” which ran for two seasons on WGN and is her to come home.” lion copies in print worldwide. His fi nal being reintroduced on OWN with new material. Aldis Roberts played geologist Stacey Sut- book, “The Son of Mr Suleman,” comes Hodge and Jurnee Smollett star in the drama of Af- ton opposite Roger Moore in 1985s “A out in April. rican Americans seeking to escape slavery along the View to a Kill,” where she held a gun “I am truly saddened to hear about the Underground Railroad — a 19th-century network of on Bond after tricking him into thinking passing of Eric Jerome Dickey,” author secret “safe houses.” The series will include introduc- she was in a shower. The character later Roxane Gay tweeted Tuesday. “His tions by cast members and previously unseen footage. joined him to stop bad guys on an airship were some of the fi rst novels I ever read over San Francisco. about black people that weren’t about John Legend, who was among the series’ executive Roberts also appeared in such fantasy slavery or civil rights. He was a great producers and helped oversee its music, hosts a spe- adventure fi lms as “The Beastmaster” storyteller.” cial following its Oprah Winfrey Network debuted at and “Hearts and Armour.” She replaced Dickey was a native of Memphis, Ten- 9 p.m. EST Tuesday. Shelley Hack in “Charlie’s Angels,” This image provided by Apple TV+ shows characters Addy, (left), and Stillwater nessee, and a computer technology major joining Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd in a scene from the animated children’s series ‘Stillwater.’ (AP) at the University of Memphis. (AP)