Tag: People of St Pete

Random Rants, tutto e niente

People of St Pete: Terrance Brown

Tina Stewart Brakebill

This week I’ve been messing around with my categories and other sundry items. Trying to make this blog better as I’m slowly figuring out how things work and how I’m really using it. And during that process I realized that I’ve totally forgotten to post links to my “People” pieces for the last few months. I think it’s old age brain catching up to my old age knees!

Anyway … I may be changing how I’m going to link to them in the future. Again … this blog is definitely a work in progress but in the meantime I’ll play catch up with some of the ones I’ve missed. I feel really lucky that I get to write these pieces. I have met some truly wonderful people in the process.

Terrance is one of those people. I had never met him but he graciously agreed to be interviewed for this story.  I’m usually pretty good at putting people at ease, but I think we were both a little surprised by how well we got on. Ultimately we spent well over two hours talking that day. And it seemed like we talked about EVERYTHING from family and favorite restaurants to the things that relative strangers (and sometimes relatives!) are not “supposed” to talk about including race, religion, and politics.

Luckily, we continue to cross paths pretty regularly and every time I see him his optimism lifts my spirits. I truly am lucky to have met him. Find out more about what makes Terrance and St. Pete special here: Green Bench Monthly’s People of St Pete

Cover Photo: Tina and Terrance on board The Looper (author photo)

 

Random Rants, tutto e niente

People of St Pete: Deneen Wyman

Tina Stewart Brakebill

In a stroke of random good luck, Deneen Wyman’s name was passed onto me by a reader. They thought that Deneen was an interesting woman doing some fantastic things to help empower young girls and maybe the Green Bench Monthly would like to talk with her.  And boy oh boy they were right! She was a perfect subject for our September back-to-school time issue.

I loved sitting down with Deneen. We talked so much that I think both of our Central Coffee Shoppe breakfasts got a bit cold. I know my bacon did 😉 As usual my word count didn’t leave room for me to cover everything. So here’s just a few things I couldn’t fit in.

We bonded over our shared belief that young girls need to know more about the strong, fierce, and fabulous women that came before. The study of History too often sidelines the important roles played by women, especially women of color. Black women have been on the forefront of every major progressive change in history and a brighter light needs to be shined on that reality. We both know that it’s easier to imagine a path if you’ve seen someone that looks like you doing it! And Deneen is definitely doing her part!

When she and her girls visited Bethune-Cookman University, the girls wore t-shirts that stated: I Am a Black Child. I Am the Future.

She initiated a pen pal program between her 4th and 5th grade girls and girls in the Gibbs High School program.

She has a very strong faith that God has a plan for her.

Deneen is also an accomplished singer. Her voice is absolutely beautiful!

She has impeccable style.

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Her smile lights up a room.

She is the kind of person that makes you think I should be more like her!

She is a delight.

Read more about her in my Green Bench Monthly column People of St Pete

 

Random Rants, tutto e niente

People of St Pete: Bob Devin Jones

Tina Stewart Brakebill

Oops! Time got away from me and I almost forgot to post this. My “day job” (which I love) once again gave me the opportunity to spend some time with an interesting, passionate, smart, and funny person. And I loved it.

My People of St. Pete column for July focused on the absolutely fabulous Bob Devin Jones. We met for coffee (me) and tea (Bob Devin) at the wonderful downtown Craft Kafe on Central Ave and squeezed every second out of our hour-long chat. Bob Devin is a fascinating guy and arguably one of the main reasons St. Pete is enjoying such a cultural renaissance. He makes me smile and think! And that’s a perfect combo in my book. Read more about him and The Studio @620 at Green Bench Monthly’s July POSP, Bob Devin Jones

Cover Photo by Denzel JG.

Author Photo of Tina and Bob Devin at a recent Art Opening at The Studio@620. (Taken on phone in low light–sorry for the poor quality.)

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Random Rants, tutto e niente

People of St Pete: Jon Arterton

Tina Stewart Brakebill

Interviewing Jon was easy. Weaning our chat into 500 words was hard! Plus we were so busy gabbing that I also failed to get a picture of the two of us because he had to run to his car when his parking meter expired. So you just have to imagine the two of us sitting at an outside table at the Kahwa Coffee on 2nd and 2nd South. It was a windy but beautiful sunny St Pete morning. We talked about choirs and activism and Broadway and what it was like to meet Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathon Demme. (Where you wonder? You’ve got to read the piece to find out.) He lavished praise on his husband James Mack (“the wind beneath my wings”) and spoke about his newest social justice project “One City Chorus” with humor and great affection. (It’s a bit like herding cats.” But worth it.) All in all, it was a great way to spend a morning. Read more about Jon in my June People of St Pete column at Green Bench Monthly People of St Pete

Random Rants, tutto e niente

People of St Pete: Dawn Wilder

Tina Stewart Brakebill

Joyful! That’s the word that comes to mind when I think of the moment captured in this picture (below) of me and Dawn Wilder (my “People of St Pete” person for the May issue of Green Bench Monthly). Just before this hug, she shared some of the positive feedback she has gotten since the issue came out. And she isn’t the only one! Barb and Carl (from the March and April issues) also enjoyed their time in the spotlight. This news makes me HAPPY! So many fantastic people never get their day in the sun (or spotlight). I’m glad I can make it happen for some.

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Interviewing Dawn for this piece was a blast. She is such a warm and funny person. I could have easily written twice as much. Some interesting things just couldn’t get squeezed into the word limit. For example, rain, shine, or blistering heat, she biked to work for two years after her divorce until she could save money for a car. She’s part Native American. Reading to the kids in her son’s grade school class is the favorite part of her week. She can do seven (seven!!!) pull-ups! She speaks nearly fluent French. She’s run marathons. And she loves red wine.

Check out the rest of the story in the May issue of Green Bench Monthly at People of St Pete: Dawn Wilder