Vicki Larson
By Jim Welte
It is the 33rd anniversary of the Milley Awards for Creative Achievement, and on Sunday, October 27, seven creative and accomplished Mill Valley citizens—a couple and five individuals—will be honored at an elegant buffet and program in the town’s Community Center Cascade Room. The honorees will receive bronze statuettes designed by the late sculptor John Libberton. Tickets are still available.
Overseeing the festivities will be emcee Erma Murphy, Executive Director of O’Hanlon Center for the Arts and a beloved community leader. Erma and her partner Daniel Patrick were honored in 2014 with a Milley Award for Contributions to the Arts Community.
There will be performances by musician honorees Ed Bogas and Désirée Goyette Bogas. The honorees were chosen by five judges from the Mill Valley community, all distinguished in the arts: musician and music teacher Joe Angiulo, writer-photographer Suz Lipman, botanical artist Kristin Jakob, film connoisseur Tom Sawyer and violinist Beni Shinohara. The volunteer judging panel changes each year.
HERE IS THE FULL LIST OF HONOREES, WITH DESCRIPTIONS.
As a former longtime journalist and colleague of one of the honorees, Vicki Larson, I wanted to share some context about what has made Vicki such a successful writer, across a wide range of mediums, for many, many years. The best place to provide that context is from within the newsroom itself, which, in my stints at the Marin IJ, started every day with a lightning bolt of excitement and a fevered pitch of diving deeply into what would become tomorrow’s news. It also brought non-stop rejoinders across the newsroom – the kind of thrill that makes the hours fly by.
“When it comes to Marin County journalists who are creative and provocative, who challenge readers to question not only their political leanings but cultural assumptions and attitudes and who offer insightful personal observations about life in Marin, only one person stands out: Mill Valley’s own Vicki Larson,” says Robert Sterling, the former longtime Managing Editor of the IJ. “I supervised Vicki in her capacity as lifestyles editor and writer. Vicki was an award–winning journalist, known for her insightful feature stories and profiles of key movers and shakers in the Marin arts community. When she approached me with a concept to broaden her scope with a biweekly column to focus on the idiosyncracies of this county, I felt certain she would nail it. She has not disappointed.”
“Vicki explores sensitive topics that others are reluctant to touch: Mill Valley’s and Marin‘s struggle with racism and racial inequities, housing disparities and NIMBY attitudes; income inequality; teen mental health; bigotry and antisemitism; the anti–vaxx movement; the hypocrisy of Marin’s approach to cannabis, and so much more. She holds up a mirror to the county and shines a bright light,” Sterling says. “At a time local newspapers struggle to not only retain readers but also talented writers, Vicki is a treasure. She not only covers the Marin arts community with limited resources and staff, but now also writes a column that is unflinching and thought–provoking. She comes at it with the keen observations of one familiar with the arts, culture and politics of life in Mill Valley and Marin.”
There are few better than the IJ’s leadership team over the years, starting with current Marin IJ Managing Editor Jennifer Upshaw Swartz, and former IJ Editor Robert Sterling, to highlight Vicki’s success and impact. “Vicki has covered the community for decades, beginning when she was a freelance writer for Mill Valley Record in the 1990s. She is a repeated prizewinner in the California News Publishers Association’s annual California Journalism Awards contest for both her writing and section editing. She is the author of several books aimed at empowering women, including Not Too Old for That: How Women are Changing the Story of Aging; and co-author of The New I Do: Reshaping Marriage for Skeptics, Realists and Rebels.
In addition to the lJ, her writing can be found in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Aeon, Medium and AARP’s The Ethel, among other publications. She has been featured on podcasts, TV and radio, including KQED Forum, and has presented at the Commonwealth Club.
“Vicki’s contributions as a literary artist over the years to the county and to the city of Mill Valley as a writer, editor, author and columnist span decades and are great, but zeroing in on her inclusivity and engagement in our community is worth a special mention,” Swartz writes. “Her work to involve readers in the lJ and engage further within their own communities is evident in features she has brought to the paper over the years, including but not limited to reader-submitted “How It Is” essays, the IJ holiday cookie contest, “Six-Word Stories” and more. Vicki’s column makes a practice of calling for equity, engagement and reform, and challenging all of us to become better citizens, parents, friends and colleagues through mindful interaction within our communities. Vicki is also a thoughtful mentor, and with great enthusiasm takes newer writers and editors under her wing, teaching them our craft so future generations will celebrate truth, literacy and knowledge.”
Fellow longtime IJ colleague Brent Ainsworth lauds Larson’s lengthy, vital influence. “I’m not sure Vicki would like to be called “an institution,” Ainsworth says. “It sounds a bit too much like she needs to be institutionalized. That’s a different and intriguing topic in its own right. What I’m getting at is that she has established herself through the decades as a qualified pulse-taker on Marin County culture and should be enshrined as a certified local hall-of-famer. Since then, Vicki’s reputation as a smart, witty, and fascinating columnist grew beyond Marin’s borders. She had not been hired as a writer; it was her content expertise, decision-making talent, copyediting skills, and deadline performance that initially were so valuable to the IJ staff. She seemed nervous about offering to write a column. Her life experiences not only helped her thrive in that role, but she became a confident and successful book author and public speaker as well.”
“Today, tens of thousands of Marin readers see her as an unofficial professor of sociology,” Ainsworth says. “Those who loved legendary and nostalgic Marin IJ columnist Beth Ashley in earlier decades may have switched their loyalty to a younger, hipper, and even racier views of Vicki Larson. Her insights have been must-reads for years. I’m incredibly proud of Vicki, and I hope the Millie Award Nomination Committee recommends that she be honored.”
Here again are the 2024 honorees:
Musical Arts: Ed Bogas and Desirée Goyette Bogas
Ed and Desirée are a magical musical team. They have composed music for countless television series, including TV specials of “Peanuts” and “Garfield” (for which they received two Grammy nominations) and feature films. An accomplished violinist and keyboardist, Ed composes, arranges, and sings, while Desirée is a singer, vocal teacher, musical director and actress.
Visual Arts: Jackie La Lanne
Generations of Mill Valley children have experienced the joy of creating art with Jackie, who taught in public schools here for 32 years and coordinated the school district’s K-8th grade visual arts program from 2000 to 2021. A talented photographer and innovative workshop facilitator, Jackie doesn’t instruct; she inspires, providing the freedom and encouragement to explore.
Literary Arts: Paola Gianturco
Paola is an internationally known photojournalist whose seven books, combining compelling photographs and text, lift up lives challenged by poverty, hardship and the dire environmental threat of climate change. Her prose is masterful and impactful, and she is an outstanding teacher and generous mentor.
Contributions to the Arts Community: Michael C. Vogel
Michael, an arts producer and volunteer with many arts organizations, has served the community behind the scenes with skill and enthusiasm. Modest, hardworking and enthusiastic, he gives generously of his time, and expertise. Among those who benefit from his knowledge and largesse are the Mill Valley Arts Commission, Mill Valley Film Festival, Mountain Play Association, and 142 Throckmorton Theatre’s Comedy Night.
Film Arts: Larry Jordan
Larry is an award-winning film, video and television director. Educated in Mill Valley schools and nurtured by the community’s surrounding natural beauty, he lends a wealth of talents to the world. A Primetime Emmy awardee and three-time nominee, he has directed top documentary and concert films for Sting, Mariah Carey, Tony Bennett, Boz Skaggs, The Who, Sir Elton John and many other musical icons.
Sali Lieberman Award: Vicki Larson
The Sali Lieberman Award is an award conferred by the Milley Executive Committee to recognize persons who through their endeavors in the arts have enriched the lives of our citizens. Tens of thousands of Marin County readers see Vicki Larson as an unofficial professor of sociology. The book author and smart and witty former Lifestyle editor/columnist at the Marin Independent Journal has focused attention on important issues of our time—poverty, race, gender inequality, housing, climate change and ageism.
The Milleys Executive Committee produce the Milley Awards with the support of the Mill Valley Arts Commission. Executive Committee members—all volunteers—are Mary Dilts, Audrey Donaldson, Roy Forest, Larry “The Hat” Lautzker, Rosemary Ishii MacConnell, Regina O’Connell, Daniel Patrick, Queenie Taylor, Bruce Tremayne and Abby Wasserman.
Tickets for the 2024 event are $100, which includes a wine reception, buffet supper, awards presentation program and musical entertainment. The event is selling fast but there some tickets are still available. Go to www.milleyawards.org.