For East London artist RYCA, you could say all the world is his toy chest. Drawing inspiration from Pop Art and London’s street and stencil art movement, he’s managed to create a playful, light-hearted world revolving around a few of his favorite things, comic books, sci-fi movies and most importantly, Star Wars. Embracing the Digital Age’s devaluation of original works due to the easily reproduced and proliferated nature of imagery on the Internet, RYCA’s work riffs on iconic pop culture images, often combining two recognizable subjects in a single work to create what he calls “visual jokes.”

His solo exhibition REFRESH–a pun on the keyboard’s F5 key, which refreshes your web browser–borrows classic Andy Warhol imagery and “refreshes” them with subjects from Star Wars and other movies, such as Back to the Future, Aliens, and Ghostbusters. The show opens this Saturday night November 9 at Wynwood’s Robert Fontaine Gallery and runs through November 23. I caught up with RYCA as he was preparing for the show to talk pop culture, the Internet and, of course, Star Wars.

WC: What is it about pop culture icons that inspires you to create?
RYCA: I think it was sort of looking at the ethos of my favorite artists, like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstien, and the way they approach their art, and that sort of thing inspired me. When I was at school learning about art and stuff, the Internet came in, and you had this resource to a generation of artists. There hadn’t been any artists who had had that kind of tool at their disposal. For me, at a young age, using the Internet and reading about those guys and what they do, the two sort of went hand in hand. In a way, it was like images, videos, information became not only easier to obtain, but even less valuable to me.

Warhol was famous for saying, what’s the point of reading books when you can just look at pictures. The Internet is there, and it’s worse now because you can send stuff, and if you subscribe to blogs, you’re not even looking for pictures, you’re just given them.  It’s even easier. And it’s just that, it’s like what keeps reoccurring, what was the stuff I was looking for when I was at school. And it was around the time that the Star Wars films had been re-CGIed and re-released in the UK in 1996, and it all coincided. And I got into toy collecting and the Internet was like this thing, and you could go on eBay and find stuff, you didn’t have to go hunting. It was all a weird thing. It was all new. And it was just like every day you could look at this stuff. It wasn’t like you had to buy books. It didn’t cost you money to research. And its’ that thing spilling over into my work, and I remember my final years at school, all my coursework was Star Wars-related, and I’m still doing that now.

What is it about Star Wars, in particular, that you find so compelling?
The whole thing is like a fairytale and I went to a mixed faith school in East London, so it wasn’t solely learning about Christianity, and it wasn’t a Catholic school. In fact, the majority of my friends at that school were Muslim, and we had everyone of all faiths. It was very mixed. On the curriculum, we were made to learn about everything. It was good, in a way, because you’re not leaving school ignorant to what’s around you. I’m not of a faith background, and it was like Star Wars was like this story, and I just saw it all as crossing over. For me, it was like, well, Star Wars could be a valid religion, give it 1,000 years. Who’s to say it didn’t happen? So I adopted it then as, yeah, I’m going to find out about all of this stuff, all right. It’s people’s imaginations. For me, it remains now, if it’s not stronger, it’s like there’s parts to the story that sort of crossover and if it was written in a different context, it could be a Bible. You could extract it from the Bible. And it’s just nuts.

You mentioned earlier that you’re interested in the devaluation of images, as they were being reproduced and proliferated first by Warhol, and now through the Internet. What about that do you find interesting?
It brings up questions about ownership, and in a naïve way, I don’t really know who or what is owned. There’s clearly some stuff that you shouldn’t do and you can’t do, but then there’s massive grey areas. It can go back to Warhol and Lichtenstein, if you look at their work, and the way they approached their work. It was kind of like they were giving you the thumbs up or the greenlight to kind of do whatever you want, as long as you put it in an artistic context. It’s not straight bootlegging. If I was to pump out Star Wars t-shirts that were just the film posters, I’m going to get in trouble, but I try to mix it in with the stuff that I like, so obviously the Banksy street art movement. I remember getting into it in the early 2000s. I had started college, and in London it was massive, but it was very underground.

I found an old folder recently of propaganda stuff because we had a project where we had to create a world leader as an action figure. I did Stalin, so that led me down the propaganda Russian road. I found this old computer and inside that research folder was loads of Shepard Fairey work, but I was unaware it was Shepard Fairey at the time because I had just looked up propaganda. It’s really weird. That stuff has been sitting in my computer 10 years, and now I know a lot about him.

What are some of the other pop culture or historical iconography you work with, and why?
I think the point is the street art thing. I see it as a formula. And what Banksy did, he made visual equations that were jokes with political or pop references, so I just saw this stuff—a lot of it was happening. Shep was doing the same thing. There were a lot of artists in London doing that stuff, and I thought, I’ve got ideas that fit this formula. It wasn’t trying to mimic anything. It was just like, oh, I think I can do my own stuff. At the same time I was a student, and I didn’t have much money to buy art, so it was like, well if I make my own, it’s not any cheaper, but I think I can do something, so the Star Wars stuff and just messing around, like the Mona Lisa. It was inspired by Banksy’s mocking of the Mona Lisa. It was taking it another step further. Just looking at stuff that existed, and that carries over into my new work, which is an homage to Warhol and other pop artists, and then twisting them. If you think of Warhol’s whole ethos, you think, if he was still around, would he be pissed at people doing what I’m doing or would he actually think this is the product of what I did? This is the result of his actions.

Tell me about your work in the street art movement.
I was never a prolific street artist. For me, it was about street art as a formula. Street art, someone else branded it street art. Most guys who do street art don’t call it street art, they just consider it art in public space, so I’ve done stuff, quite big walls and bits and pieces. But it wasn’t really important to me because my stuff wasn’t politically driven like Bansky’s commenting on government. My stuff’s really not heavily focused in on the powers that be, it’s more focused in on the stuff that I like. It’s nothing more than these worlds colliding, but it’s just movies and comic books, and stuff that interests me.

I just thought it never needed to go on the street because it didn’t have that message. The stuff that Banksy’s done, it works on the street, and not everything needs to. I think that’s a big problem with street art today, you think, oh I’ve got to get up and put this stencil on the street. And if they don’t, it’s not valid. It’s kind of like, stop wasting your time and just do it if it’s really worth doing. If it’s a comment on Syria right now, then do that. Don’t do Ronald McDonald holding a US flag again, please don’t do that.

Tell me about the sign-making and word art side of your work.
I’ve been making art for seven years. When I first started, I was making prints and some signage, and stuff creeping over. It’s the same sort of formula, taking the aesthetics of British pub signs, and reworking them with rap lyrics or movie quotes, so it’s like pop art. It’s the same formula, but just different looks. Over the last two to three years, I’ve divided my worlds and split it down the middle. It’s almost like I’m a schizophrenic divide. So there’s the RYCA stuff, which is movies, pop art, Warhol, street art-looking, stencil stuff, easily classified. And now, the Ryan [Callanan], the stuff under my real name, is all the signage work. The feedback I was getting in the UK was keep that under your real name. It’s got more potential to be taken seriously as something, so you should disconnect them. I’ve been doing that the last three years, and it’s been working. They’re two entities, but I’ve done the shows as same person at the same time. If I come up with an idea and think that’s pretty cool, I can put it on Box A or Box B, and sometimes I even cross-reference myself. It’s really weird.

Tell me about your new show REFRESH.
REFRESH is a pun, so F5 on the keyboard is refresh your website, especially if you’re a person who’s looking on ebay and you’re trying to bid the last minute, you hit the refresh button. The other meaning is taking classic Warhol imagery and changing the subject to Star Wars or movie-related stuff. Generally, it’s kind of Star Wars heavy, but I’m trying to introduce other iconic films that stand out in my mind. I’m not really trying to tune into what I think might be popular. I think what I’ve done all the time is to just do what I like, and there’s always people going, yeah, alright, you’ve tapped into my brain and filled the gap on my wall with exactly what I wanted, which is quite humorous. Other times, it’s more of a celebration of something iconic from a film, and that’s all it needs to be, or a cross-reference. Light-hearted and humorous, I guess that’s my formula.

REFRESH opens Saturday November 9 at 5 p.m. and runs through November 23 at Robert Fontaine Gallery, 2349 NW 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 305-397-8530.

Ship marooned at the southern edge of North Bimini Island

Fifty miles due east off the coast of Miami, the islands of Bimini emerge from the turquoise-green sea. This tiny dash of the Bahamas, only 10 square miles in all, consists of two islands, North and South Bimini, and a few uninhabited cays. Its proximity to the blue waters of the warm and swiftly moving Gulf Stream current and the big game fish it attracts—bluefin tuna, sailfish and blue marlin—have drawn sports fishermen here since the 1920s, none more famous than Ernest Hemingway. He spent three consecutive fishing seasons in Bimini from 1935 to 1937, crossing the Gulf Stream from Key West aboard his fishing boat Pilar.

In Bimini, Hemingway spent his days deep sea fishing (it was here that he revolutionized the method and set records for reeling in giant tuna intact and unmolested by the sharks), drinking heavily inside dark, cool bars and provoking the occasional dockside brawl. Through the years, anglers and adventurers have come to the remote, rough-and-tumble Bimini for much of the same.

Getting Here

Once only accessible by private yacht, seaplane, or small prop plane, Bimini is poised for unprecedented tourism with the new Resorts World Bimini (888-930-8688) development and its Bimini SuperFast cruise ship, sailing roundtrip daily from the Port of Miami.

En route aboard the Bimini SuperFast. Pick your poison, Kaliks, Zombies, Bloody Marys, Mimosas, Bahama Mamas

Image courtesy Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

The 669-foot, 10-deck vessel (about half the size of a typical Norwegian Cruise Line ship) can accommodate 1,500 guests (the plan is to keep passenger counts between 400 and 500 for comfort) with 180 private cabins. It’s equipped with bars, restaurants, and a live-action casino to keep passengers entertained while whisking them to Bimini in about two and a half hours.

Billing itself as the first cruise destination resort, the ship disembarks passengers to Resorts World Bimini, a 750-acre development located at the northern edge of North Bimini Island.

The resort and ship are part of The Genting Group’s portfolio. If the name rings a bell, they’re the global resort and casino group worth $45 billion who purchased the Miami Herald building.

Originally built in 2007 as Bimini Bay Resort, the property is equipped with 480 privately owned vacation cottages ranging in size from studios to four bedrooms. Since taking over in late summer this year, The Genting Group has big plans for the development. They’ve already erected a 10,000 square-foot casino, and a 350-room ultra modern luxury hotel is set to open before the end of the year.

With these developments, Resorts World Bimini provides a variety of ways to experience Bimini like never before, including daytrip excursions and overnight stay packages. There’s also an all night party cruise into international waters without disembarking in Bimini.

In Bimini

Joe’s Conch Shack

A skinny island at only 700 feet wide and seven miles long, it’s relatively easy to get the lay of the land of North Bimini. Rent an electric golf cart with seating for eight from Resorts World Bimini and set off to explore the two-lane Kings Highway.

You’ll encounter a colorful and ramshackle town of clapboard and cement houses, some in disrepair, others halted in construction. There are conch shacks, like Joe’s and Stuart’s, set against the tranquil bay serving fresh conch salad straight from the ocean. Painted signage on buildings include don’t-worry-be-happy sayings, like “Smile More” and the ubiquitous “Just Say Please Say Thank You” with the Nike swoosh, the apparent Biminite riff on “Just Do It.”

Jesus Christ Is Still Lord

You’ll reach Bailey Town first where the Bimini Museum may or may not be open. A little further down the road in Alice Town, a small straw market shills tourist souvenirs, like tie-dye Kalik beer t-shirts shredded with fringe. A slew of bars line the road as you continue south—Big John’s, Island House, and End of the World Saloon/Sand Bar. At the end of the road, a tiny cemetery climbs up a bluff, and on the other side you’ll find the rocky coral edge of the island and the rusted bright orange hull of a long marooned vessel offset by the foamy aquamarine sea.

Where To Eat

The deck at Edith’s Pizza overlooking the bay

Aside from the conch salad, Bimini has a couple of must try delicacies specific to the island. Make your first stop at Edith’s Pizza just outside the Resorts World Bimini gates. The setting is open air and right on the bay. Feast on Edith’s famous and delicious lobster pizza made with ooey-gooey cheese and sweet Bimini bread dough. Start with an order of conch fritters and cracked conch, and if you’re with a big group, opt for the BBQ chicken and conch pizza too—and keep the Bahama Mamas coming.

The other specialty is Bimini bread, spoken of with much affection and reverence by the locals. Stop by A Taste of Heaven Bakery on The Kings Highway to sample a loaf of the light, slightly sweet and definitely addictive white bread, or opt for a sweet roll coated in guava cream.

What To Do

It would be a shame to visit Bimini’s islands in the stream, and not get offshore. If you’re not an angler, consider snorkeling with Bimini Undersea, located onsite at Resorts World Bimini. Set out for a morning trip aboard a small center console boat with captain and guide to an offshore reef and to the World War I SS Sapona wreck, which ran aground during a hurricane in 1926. Swim amongst grand triggerfish, puffer fish and blacktip sharks, and keep your eyes peeled on the sandy bottom for stingrays and an abundance of conch shells.

Make time for a little rest and relaxation at the resort’s sandy beach or venture out to the secluded Radio Beach farther south. The resort also boasts two swimming pools, tennis courts, a fitness center and open-air shopping. Dinner at its newly constructed fine dining restaurant Sabor is a must, serving fresh Caribbean fare. Go with the catch of the day.

End of the World Saloon

A night in Bimini deserves a nightcap in Alice Town. Venture out to End of the World Saloon/Sand Bar where locals and tourists alike sip rum and play dominoes inside this barely lit shack with sand floors, walls scrawled with signatures and heavy reggae music blaring from a radio. The bar opens up to the harbor with an outdoor patio overlooking a few boat slips, and nearby Browns Marina can be found where Hemingway once docked Pilar.

The Logistics

The bridge of the Bimini SuperFast

While a commercial flight from Fort Lauderdale gets you to the South Island in less than a half hour, the Bimini SuperFast gets you to the North Island at a fraction of the price. Daytrips start at $99, one-way fares for overnight stays range from $59 to $99, and accommodation packages start at $159 per person, according to their website.

While the ship departs the Port of Miami at 9 a.m. daily, you should plan to arrive by 7:30 a.m. for check-in and security clearance. Don’t forget your passport. When the ship reaches Bimini, it anchors offshore and disembarks passengers onto a series of two-deck catamaran tenders to the resort’s shore.

Future plans involve building a dock at the resort that can accommodate a vessel of this size, but in the meantime this “harbor tour” adds an additional hour of travel, getting you on land around 12:30 p.m to go through customs. The return trip departs Bimini at 3:30 p.m. and arrives in Miami around 7 p.m. Allow time to disembark and go through customs once back in the U.S.

While unnecessary for the short sojourn, private cabins are available starting at $40. There’s ample comfortable seating in the common areas of the ship, both in doors and out. You can also check your luggage for a fee of $25 per bag. To avoid the extra charge, pack light—you don’t need much in Bimini—and carry a duffle rather than a small roller board suitcase. An over the shoulder bag is easier to maneuver up and down stairs during the cruising process.

A version of this story originally appeared on Miami.com

The south of France holds a special place in my heart. As Ted mentioned in his first post, we traveled there for the first time together back in college, and we had an amazing time. These pictures only made me want to return!

By Ted Donath

What do you say about the south of France that hasn’t been said before? It’s perfection. We were fortunate enough to stay in a friend’s villa in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, a small village between Nice and the Italian border. The village is along the old Roman road and each day was like a “choose your own adventure” story navigating the twists and turns in the village… We could eat lunch in Italy, shop the markets in Menton, visit art galleries in St. Paul de Vence, stroll the streets of Nice or just relax on La Plage and EAT!

Things I ate:

1. The world’s best roast chicken
2. Cheese, wine and “chips of the ancients” by the pool
3. Croissants as a snack on a hike
4. A pigeon
5. French cherries & Italian cherries (don’t ask which were better)

View from the castle in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin overlooking the village and Mediterranean Sea.

Rose dreams! Our daily indulgence of meats, cheeses, fresh baguette and wine, of course.

Every day we would go to town and pick-up roast chicken and fresh veggies to enjoy in the garden.

La Plage! We walked 800 steps from the village down to the rocky beach.

Our hike through the village brought us past a 1,000 year old olive tree and Coco Chanel’s holiday retreat.

Day trip to San Remo, Italy for lunch.

The villa gardens overlooking Monte Carlo and the Mediterranean Sea.

For more amazing photos like these, I highly recommend you follow Ted on Instagram @bigtallted. Check out his adventures in Istanbul and sailing Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

This leg of Ted’s trip made me the most jealous. That is, until I saw his photos in the south of France (wait until tomorrow!), which also made me faint with jealousy. I love boats and sailing, and one of my dream trips is to sail through Greece. Ted’s voyage along Turkey’s coast was basically living my dream. Enjoy!

By Ted Donath

Our seven-night sailing adventure began in Fethiye, a bustling port town on the southwest coast of Turkey. We took a quick flight from Istanbul to Dalaman on Turkish Air (which is one of the nicer local airlines I have been on), and we met our captain and friends in the port. All of our food was prepared by a chef who travelled with us on board, but we did need to buy essential supplies in each town (wine, gin, beer). Our daily grueling schedule included:

1. Wake up and take a swim in the Sea before breakfast… or after breakfast… or both.
2. Breakfast: Tea, local honey, tomatoes, cucumbers, yogurt, cheeses, an egg dish, breads (sometimes we were given little red sausages which made better fish food).
3. Sail to a local port or cove for another swim, hike, ancient site tour, shopping in the local town.
4. Sun time, nap time, reading time, sailing time.
5. Tea time! It took about two days for the captain to realize we would rather have gin and tonics over hot tea on 80 degree days.
6. Dinner and impromptu dance party and/or impromptu swimming (fueled by tea time).
7. Most nights we slept on deck under the stars.

We set sail from Fethiye on a 24 meter (80′) gullet.

Looking through the porthole in our cabin. Most nights we slept on the deck under the stars.

Sunset over the Mediterranean.

Each day began with a swim and then a new adventure to a local town or port.

One day we hiked on Gemiler Island, believed to be the location of the original tomb of Saint Nicholas. #XmasinJuly

On the bow with @mensthreads.

I always love snack time. Pretzels and Coca-Cola Light in Myra.

Dramatic sculptures at the theatre in the ancient site of Myra.

Spotted minorettes and bougainvillea in Kas; the weather was perfect every day.

For more amazing photos like these, I highly recommend you follow Ted on Instagram @bigtallted. Come back tomorrow to see the final InstaJournal: Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France. To see the first installment in Istanbul, click here.

I’m beyond excited to share with you Wanderlust Chameleon’s first ever guest blog and InstaJournal. What’s an InstaJournal? A travel photo journal via Instagram, duh!

Meet one of my very best friends in the entire world, Ted Donath. Teddy and I go back to the college days. He’s one of my first and best travel companions. Our friendship was solidified while studying abroad in London together and then trekking through Europe. Since then we’ve shared many adventures, including moving to New York City together. Through all of my wanderings, I could always count on Ted to join me for some fun, and we’ve made memories in Paris, Barcelona and Key West, just to name a few.

Ted’s also extremely well traveled in his own right. He has an amazing knack for learning his way around a place, and while I toiled over maps on that first trip to London, Ted relied on his “internal GPS” to get us around with ease. He has an incredible photographic eye, too. It was also on that trip that I admired the artistic shots he captured of our surroundings, and I’ve tried to emulate him since.

This summer he embarked on an incredible adventure in Istanbul, sailing Turkey’s Mediterranean coast and luxuriating in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in the south of France. I watched his travels unfold with envy via Instagram, and asked him to share his grams and travels here on my blog. Without further adieu, here’s Ted’s take on Istanbul. Stay tuned for the rest of his journey!

By Ted Donath

This past summer I had the opportunity to escape Manhattan for a Mediterranean adventure I had been yearning to take for awhile. A few years ago, some friends of mine spent a week on the Turkish coast and completely raved about the experience. I wanted to experience Turkey and I wanted to sail. We booked a seven-night private sail with family and friends around the southern coast of Turkey… and the adventure came with our own chef and captain. We also spent some time in Istanbul, a fascinating city that I would definitely visit again.

After our Turkish delight, we visited the south of France and stayed in a gorgeous medieval villa owned by a friend. We needed to soak in more of the Mediterranean lifestyle, and I wanted to get back to the south of France since I first visited with Shayne while we were in college. It didn’t disappoint… my only regret is that the Wanderlust Chameleon could not join us!

Istanbul

I quickly realized that Istanbul was not what I expected… it was better! The city has an amazing vibe that is a complete juxtaposition. It’s a city that stretches two continents and coexists with east and west cultures, modern and ancient architecture, progressive and conservative views and major religious disparity. It was beautiful. Some Turkish revelations:

1. Why is everyone so nice here? (maybe I’m jaded after spending 10 years in NYC)
2. This Turkish coffee is amazing… and STRONG!
3. There are cats everywhere. Don’t touch them.
4. The sound of the call to prayer ringing through the city is unique, soothing and energizing.

Istanbul University and Turkish flags greeted us in the Old City.

One of our first stops was the Spice Bazaar in the Old City.  We needed to stock up on pistachios, figs and carpets for our journey.

Next stop… the hamam. It’s the perfect way to recover from jet lag, get rid of a layer of skin and trance out with a local custom.  I had no idea what I was in for, but it was worth it.

The protests in Taksim Square were fully under control. We saw more police and photographers than actual protesters.

I love local graffiti… and local mopeds.

The whirling dervish was not what I expected… it was less frantic and more trance-like in an attempt to reach “religious ecstasy.”

For more amazing photos like these, I highly recommend you follow Ted on Instagram @bigtallted. Come back tomorrow to see his InstaJournal: Sailing in Turkey, followed by Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France.

Last night Elizabeth Gilbert spoke at Miami Dade College as a stop on her book tour for her new novel The Signature of All Things. An established journalist, essayist, and novelist, she shot to fame in 2006 with her memoir Eat Pray Love, detailing her year of travel and self discovery through Italy, India, and Indonesia post-divorce.

I came across the book in 2007 at a time when I was first seriously contemplating the idea of writing as a career, and as I was getting ready to embark on my own journey to Paris for the winter. I was in search of at least one-third her adventure, and thought that one day I’d like to write about it, so why not read a travel memoir of sorts to get an idea for how it’s done. I suppose you could say that I was leaving one adventure to embark on the next, as I had just spent a year in Key West working on snorkel boats and swimming in the ocean seven miles offshore every day.

I enjoyed Eat Pray Love. I liked Gilbert, her story, her sense of adventure and the role she took on as an explorer. The movie adaptation of Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts resonated with me all over again when it was released in 2010 at a time when I was wrapping up my tenure in Key West and making plans to move to Miami. When I came across a beautifully written profile on her in T Magazine a few weeks ago, entitled “Eat, Pray, Love, Get Rich, Write A Novel No One Expects,” my affinity for her was sealed.

At last night’s reading, a prelude to the Miami Book Fair International, she began by saying, “I love this city,” and then emphatically adding, “so much.” Recounting her morning stroll on the beach, she said “Miami is the most liquidy, sexiest city in the world.”

A classic Miami “selfie” & Elizabeth Gilbert’s love for the city via Twitter

Her presence was warm, assured and easy as she spoke about her new novel, a sweeping, multi-generational epic set in the 18^th and 19^th centuries when the Age of Enlightenment was giving way to the Industrial Revolution, centered around the female heroine Alma Whittaker, a botanical explorer. She read a brief excerpt from the novel and then opened the floor to questions.

With mention of conversations with fans on her Facebook page and a kindred spirit seemingly found with members of the audience over The Artist’s Way, the auditorium felt more like a living room full of friends in conversation than a formal book talk. The questions ranged from how long it took to research and write The Signature of All Things to what it was like to see her life played out on the big screen.

An early question was asked about her writing routine, and Gilbert responded generously and specifically saying that a daily routine was absolutely necessary otherwise the work doesn’t get done, especially for new writers. She stated the three things that every writer needs in order to be successful, and by successful, she specified, just completing a project.

“You have to be talented, you have to be lucky, you have to be hardworking,” she said. “And you only have control over one of those things. I always made sure that I worked harder than anyone else.”

Later in the evening, the talk circled back to work. “You have to love the work,” she said of writing, “And not just the idea of it or the result. The only thing that comes spontaneously in life is love and inspiration, and then lots of hard work is required.”

She said that talent was something given to you at birth or at some stage in your life, and that in ancient Rome the term given to a person’s salary was talent. “Everyone’s given a certain amount of talent. How you spend your talent is up to you. You could spend it on hookers and cocaine,” she quipped. “Or you could spend it on something beautiful.”

She went onto describe her writing process today, and likened it to seasons. There’s the season of pondering when you’re turning over ideas in your head. There’s the season of researching, and then there’s the season of writing, which she called “the most beautiful season of all.” You turn off your phone and your email, and you explain to friends that they won’t be hearing much from you in the months ahead. She said that when she’s writing, she wakes up at 5 am and works until 11 am or noon. “That’s about as long as I can go for.”

Next comes the season of editing, and the season of publication, which hopefully coincides with the season of inspiration and the germ of a new idea for a new book, which she said thankfully is happening now as she’s on tour.

When asked about the research for The Signature of All Things, she said it was three and a half years of research, in which she filled five shoeboxes of index cards based on chapter, character, and theme, a strategy she learned from her ninth grade social studies teacher, which she also recounts to T Magazine. She traveled to Kew Gardens in London, Hortus Botanical Garden in Amsterdam, and to Tahiti and Philadelphia. By the time it came down to write the book she said, “It was in my bones. I had a 70 page outline charted out. The more arduous the preparation, the easier the writing.”

The question of character development in writing memoir versus fiction came up, and she explained that in memoir she tries to paint as accurate a portrait as possible of her subjects. She spoke of writers as satirists or celebrants, and said that she prefers to celebrate her subjects and paints them in an attractive light. As far as fictional characters, “they develop like the world’s slowest Polaroid picture.” For her heroine Alma Whittaker, she said that she read a number of diaries from the period, and borrowed  traits from relatives and herself.

“I talk to my characters,” she said. “I ask them what they want. I don’t care about being weird.”

At Miami Dade College

The empowering story of Eat Pray Love earned Gilbert a devoted female fan base and when asked about this she said she feels a kinship with her female readers. Of The Signature of All Things, she said, “I wanted to give them the kind of book I like to read, a sweeping epic with a female heroine that didn’t involve one of the two types of endings prescribed to female characters. They’re either rescued by a man or ruined by a man.”

Gilbert went on to explain that in real life, that’s not the story that women identify with, and that the most interesting and powerful women that she knows have different stories to tell. “I know plenty of women who thought they would be saved by a man, and that didn’t quite happen,” she said. “And I know plenty of women who thought they would be ruined by a man, but that didn’t happen either.” She also wanted to write about a woman deeply in love with her work.

Gilbert’s final remarks of the evening centered around the creative process, mentioning that she engages in magical thinking about creative work. She believes there are so many ideas swirling around the universe looking for a home in somebody, and a creative person’s job is to seize one of these ideas, otherwise it will find a home elsewhere. In regards to the idea for her next novel, she said she talks to it every day, acknowledging that while on book tour for four months, she has no time to work on a book, but she asks the idea to stay with her.

The final question was, “How lonely is the life of a writer?” And Gilbert answered that it depends on your personality, describing herself as gregarious.

“I don’t think it’s required to destroy yourself and everyone around you in order to be creative,” she said.

What she does find challenging is holding that space to write, mentioning that she and fellow author Ann Patchett joke in their letter correspondence that they became writers because it’s the only legitimate excuse not to be involved in other peoples’ lives for an extended period of time.

The evening ended with resounding applause, a standing ovation, and a book signing.

Lavanda, Bleauberry Mojito, & Mexican Fake Out available at Bleau Bar

With three signature restaurants — Hakkasan, Gotham Steak and Scarpetta — and the always buzzing Bleau Bar in its dazzling lobby, the pleasure dome that is the Fontainebleau Miami Beach is breathing new life into its cocktail program with the help of newly appointed corporate mixologist Hector Acevedo. A trio of new cocktails have been introduced to each of these establishments, highlighting a range of techniques and creative concepts from new twists on classics to the molecular avant garde.

To take a virtual taste test of these boozy libations, click here for my story on Société Perrier.

There were camels in Coconut Grove last night. I pulled up to the valet circle at The Ritz-Carlton with my friend Monica, and there they were. Flanked by two men dressed in rags who reminded me of Bedouins in the Negev Desert, the camels stood with big sad eyes, short, soft peanut-colored fur, and a funny look on their faces. I like the handsome profile the one behind me flashed for this picture.

The occasion was a media preview of the pop up restaurant Passage to India–the first pop-up at any Ritz property. Helmed by Executive Chef Ramesh Kaduru, the restaurant will highlight the recipes and flavors of his native India now through November 3. Inside the grand lobby, with vaulted ceilings and columns glittering in aquamarine, pink, and purple mosaic tiles, we were given a pink and silver scarf, and waited for a dancing girl dressed in a traditional sari bearing the same scarf to seat us.

The restaurant was decorated with colorful tents and flying parasols, and a man played the sitar all night as a muted projection of Bollywood movie medleys danced behind him. We feasted, in good company, on Dal Ke Shorba soup with crispy papadum, Mughali tandoori chicken with butter masala, Malai Kofta curry with potato and cheese dumplings and cashew fondue, and Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani with rice and crispy fried onions (and so much more!).

For dessert, we were presented with a trio of sweets, including my favorite, the Gulab Jamun warm dumplings (aka Indian doughnuts), accompanied by a comforting and creamy spiced chai tea. It was a delicious and mystical night, and if you’re looking for something different on your next dinner out, I recommend this ephemeral destination restaurant. Just make sure you make a reservation before it’s gone November 3.

3300 SW 27th Ave., Miami, FL 305-644-4680

The Fashion Poet, Annie Vazquez

Fall is here, or so they say, but in balmy Miami that means something different from the rest of the world’s fashion capitals. I talked to 10 of Miami’s top fashion bloggers (and threw in a couple of street style photographers, for good measure) and asked them how they’re interpreting fall trends. I’m hearing enthusiasm over menswear and tomboy inspired pieces, punk rock and ’90s throwbacks, and rich hues, like emerald green and grey.

Photo Boutique, Mayleen Gonzalez

For Annie Vazquez and Mayleen Gonzalez’s (both pictured above) fall style tips, as well as more pictures and forecasts from The Wordy Girl’s Maria Tettamanti, Down To Stars’ Anaïs Alexandre, Princess Martha’s Martha Dominguez, Collections + Volumes’ D’Ana Nunez, Blah Blah Blondes’ Erika Thomas, A Fashion Soirees’ Juliana Cardona, Electric Blogarella’s Ginger Harris, and Ohh Snap’s Karla Garcia, click here for my story on Société Perrier.

It was just over a week ago that I moderated the Facing Fashion Chat Series on Italian Alta Moda for the first annual Miami Fashion Film Festival at O Cinema. It was a truly enjoyable evening chatting up vintage “king” Keni Valenti and stylist Anna Chu about the exhibition they curated at the Keni Valenti Gallery. Italian Alta Moda is on display now with 23 vintage pieces dating from 1951 to 1977, featuring designers, such as Valentino, Pucci, Lancetti, and Schubert.

A big thank you to Grace M. Castro for her hard work and vision in producing such an incredible festival. Here are a few pictures from the evening courtesy of Anthony Jordan Photography.

At the Chambord lounge. Thanks for coming Betsy & Monica!

On the panel with Keni & Anna

Danny Santiago, Anna Chu, me, Keni Valenti, Grace M. Castro. Thank you!