The evening event started with an Introduction from the Dean of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, Dr. Jonathan Reed, followed by the President of ULV, Steve Morgan. Dr. Jolivette Mecenas, the Director of the Writing Program, provided the best introduction to Steve Lopez's talk. Her words were so accurate, and spoke volume about her own attachment to the city of Los Angeles.
Steve Lopez took to the podium and summarized his own book/experience. There is no doubt that he knows how to entertain his audience.
The Q&A that followed was quite short as Mr. Lopez had to attend another event (the opening of the L.A. Philarmonica at Disney Hall).
If this was the event you attended, please leave a comment here about this experience.
From my personal point of view I think I expected a little more out of the Steve Lopez event. For example, I wanted to hear an updated status of how Mr. Ayers is coping with his schizophrenic ways and if it is being controlled. Instead he pretty much gave a speech of the book all over again. I guess I can say was nice to finally hear the story coming out of his own words, but it would have been nicer if I got to hear an update of how Nathaniel is living life. I also wished that he gave us more of an opportunity to answer questions, instead he kept them to a minimum because he had to go to a showing at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. But overall it was nice that I got to greet and shake his hand in person. Albert Ramos
ReplyDeleteI was unable to attend due to having the stomach flu all week. So this is my post...
ReplyDeleteI think meeting Steve Lopez was a little shocking for me. After all the hype I thought that he would just be an average reporter who had stumbled along something that changed his life and then I met him and he was pretty respectable. I enjoy how he answered his questions. He obviously didn't want to speak over his friend and wanted Nathaniel for himself about things. However, he also was very terse and only did a small summary of his book which we all had already read. I felt like his summary was too long and he seemed rushed the entire time.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you couldn't make it to the lecture austin.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed listening to Steve Lopez speak on Thursday night. One highlight for me was when he talked about the relationship between him and Nathaniel. He said at first he was not looking for a friend, but out of this whole experience he has found a friend and still hangs out with Nathaniel to this day. I also enjoyed the story about their trip to San Francisco and how Nathaniel played the French horn the whole drive there and before they left he wanted to take home the hotel bed. I also like to hear that even to this day Nathaniel still stays in his apartment at LAMP. One last highlight for me was hearing that Nathaniel got to play for the president. I think that is a one in a lifetime opportunity for people and he deserved it. Overall this was a good experience, but I do wish we could have heard Nathaniel speak. I would have loved to hear about what he was thinking throughout this whole experience and also how he feels now about the book and the movie.
ReplyDeleteAttending this event was very enjoyable. Steve lopez was comedic bu very thoughtful at the same time. It was great to hear what a wonderful friendship he and nathaniel were able to form even when it was not the main aspect of their relationship. He also let us know how he got the chance to better understand mental illnesses and the people who are unfortunate enough to have them. It was really great to know that nathaniel was progressing with his music and that he wasn't giving up. It would have been a unique experience to hear from Nathaniel inperson but Steve did an excellent job of allowing us to know how Nataniel was doing and what his reactions were to the book and movie.What Steve Lopez experienced does not happen to someone very often so he is definitely fortunate to have met such a person. He stated that Nathaniel was not lucky to have met him, he was lucky to have met Nathaniel.
ReplyDeleteI thought that his lecture was entertaining, but at the same time very redundant since he told what happened in the book via speech. Other than that, you could see how much Nathaniel has impacted his life by the way he talked about him. He respects Nathaniel and only said his full name “Nathaniel Anthony Aryers,” making sure that we did not think any less of him. I also thought it was very interesting how honest he was with us by telling us how he only talked to him due to needing a column to write. I also liked how much he has done since helping Nathaniel and essentially still helping Nathaniel. -Lindsay Guerra
ReplyDeleteLauren Shepard: The event on Thursday night, of Steve Lopez speaking was a extremely entertaining and informative. I personally liked how he went over the book in his speech, it gave you a better understanding on what he was thinking, when he was writing his book. Also, when he talked about how Nathaniel is now still living in the apartment that he had refused to live in. Also, I liked how Mr. Lopez told us about, how he and Nathaniel to go to Disney Hall and listen to the music there. I had brought my friend with me to the event on Thursday, and I thought it was quite interesting how, after hearing what Mr. Lopez said about the book, she felt like she should read it because how he talked about the book, made it sound wonderful. I believe that the Thursday night event was quite successful.
ReplyDeleteMy first emotion before attending this event was sort of skeptical. I thought we were going to be listening to a reporter that had let all the media and hype of the press go to his head, just rant about how busy his life had become. I was surprised when I heard the opposite of what I expected. Steve Lopez seemed like a down-to –earth guy with an interesting story. I also found it fascinating to see that Steve’s and Nathaniel’s friendship is an actual friendship. He learns from Nathaniel just as Nathaniel learns from him.
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree with Lindsay as far as the speech being a bit redundent.I also agreed with how she noticed how Steve always refered to Nathaniel by his full name or Mr. Ayers; as well as had complete utmost repect for Nathaniel
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the event on Thursday night it was very interesting. I thought that Mr. Lopez was going to focus mainly on his side of the story and I was glad to find that I was wrong. He was quite compelling and you could really feel that he values the relationship that he has with Nathaniel. It was nice to hear about the little things he knows about him, and hear him talk about the trips that they have been on and how enjoyable those were for him. He focused on a great deal on the relationship that he shares with Nathaniel, instead of just talking solely about the book. Overall it was a great experience. Ana Esquer
ReplyDeleteI agree very much with what Terrah had to say on Mr. Lopez's speech. I also thought that he was going to be very uninteresting due to listening to him only talk of the fame that came from the success of his book. He was indeed a more personable individual and that is what made the whole lecture fun to listen to. Ana Esquer
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, having the University of La Verne host Steve Lopez was amazing. It was an honor to attend such an event and meet someone very important. I had never attended a book lecture or a book signing up until now, so it was a great experience. Steve Lopez seems like a man of his word, very humble, respectful, and passionate of what he does. Lopez demonstrated such qualities by making time from his schedule for he had to attend a concert at Disney Hall right after his lecture at La Verne. Unfortunately, the event in general seemed somewhat rushed. I saw it very short and many questions were left unanswered because of the press on time. Hearing a summary of the book from Steve Lopez himself was very inspiring, thought provoking, and vivid. However, it was nothing new we had not heard before. I was expecting something different, but it was good overall. The lecture was very entertaining and informative. I am glad to hear that Mr. Nathaniel Anthony Ayers is well and living a normal life, and his friendship with Steve Lopez still continues.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad to hear that you (Austin) were sick the whole week and were unable to attend the event. I'm sorry. It must of sucked.
ReplyDeleteJames said...
ReplyDelete"I think meeting Steve Lopez was a little shocking for me. After all the hype I thought that he would just be an average reporter who had stumbled along something that changed his life and then I met him and he was pretty respectable. I enjoy how he answered his questions. He obviously didn't want to speak over his friend and wanted Nathaniel for himself about things. However, he also was very terse and only did a small summary of his book which we all had already read. I felt like his summary was too long and he seemed rushed the entire time."
I agree that what Mr.Lopez explained in his lecture seemed to be redundant considering it was a summary of hisbook, but the most important part for me was the fact that I could feel what he felt when he explained his story in person. It was heart felt, and as many times as he must have given this lecture and probably gotten sick and tired of it, you can see his heart still lies with Nathaniel and that it has changed his life, which to me is worth all the while.
I went the lunch event, and I personally enjoyed hearing Steve Lopez talk in person more than I had expected to. He has a very charismatic personality and is able to maintain your attention very well. It was interesting to hear what Nathaniel’s current situation is and in what ways he has changed (or hasn’t changed). I also enjoyed hearing his stories about what Nathaniel experienced behind the scenes of the making of the movie. Steve Lopez gave me an even better insight into their friendship and the steps they both have taken to maintain that friendship.
ReplyDeleteThe talk given by Steve Lopez was very entertaining, hearing the story from an eye witness and learning more than what the book had to tell was great! I do wish he had had time to do more than just a retelling of their story since we didn’t hear much new information. It was interesting to learn about Mr. Ayer’s album, it shows how far he has come down the road of recovery. Unfortunately with most of the questions Mr. Lopez repeated himself over and over again, he didn’t really answer the questions directly. On a side note, the desserts were amazing! I took an apple crisp home and warmed it up….yummm!
ReplyDelete~Annunciata Williams~
Similar to what James said, Steve Lopez has always been one of my childhood heroes. I have read his article since my mom started making me in the 6th grade. What was a major dissapointment, was that he has always been labeled as a, pardon my french, "Hardass". A stingey and very unpersonable person. But what I saw in his as he told his story about a friend was compasion and love, an inspiration that made me proud to call him my litterature hero. His awe factor had me screaming like a little girl, and he did not disapoint me with hus compasure has he refred to Mr. Ayers as his "friend"
ReplyDeleteI agree with Christen, it was really cool to hear about mr Ayer's and Mr Lopez's trip to San Fransisco, i thought it was a good example of their relationship.
ReplyDelete~Annunciata Williams~
In response to Kristin:
ReplyDeleteI agree, he had a many stories to tell, and this is what I enjoyed the most about his talk. Many of the stories were funny and interesting. I found myself engaged the whole time.
I was honestly a little disappointed in Steve Lopez's lecture, and by the looks of it, it sounds like most of us were disappointed. He basically retold the book, which I was bored with, because we had already been through this (quite thoroughly in our class). Though, I must say that hearing his story in person made it feel a little more personal. I wish he'd taken less time with that, and talked more about what more he was going to do to help the homeless community. It is my personal feeling that all this cannot just be for Nathaniel: a movie, a book, studio time, etcetera. I really wish we had more time for a question and answer session, because many of us had issues we would have liked to have discussed.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Lindsay:
ReplyDelete"I thought that his lecture was entertaining, but at the same time very redundant since he told what happened in the book via speech. Other than that, you could see how much Nathaniel has impacted his life by the way he talked about him. He respects Nathaniel and only said his full name “Nathaniel Anthony Aryers,” making sure that we did not think any less of him. I also thought it was very interesting how honest he was with us by telling us how he only talked to him due to needing a column to write. I also liked how much he has done since helping Nathaniel and essentially still helping Nathaniel. -Lindsay Guerra"
I totally agree. I'm glad he was honest enough to tell us he really only spoke to Nathaniel to get his story. That makes me respect him all the more. I did not think he had this huge humanitarian plan to save the homeless, and I do not think he expected us to believe he did. I was glad.
I have to respond to what Albert Ramos said about him not updating us on Nathaniel. He did say that he is still living in the apartment and he went to the White House and he wants to go to more conventions that teaches them about mental illnesses. I agree in saying that it wasn't much of an update, but it is an on going process that, as we saw in the book, takes time. -Lindsay Guerra
ReplyDeleteIn response to William Romero,
ReplyDeleteI feel as if it was an honor to have Steve Lopez at the University of La Verne as well. I think that he is a good author and has a way with words whether he is writing words or speaking words. He was definitely funny while he reflected on his experiences with Nathaniel Ayers. His humor kept me interested during his speech just as his humor did in the book he wrote. Steve Lopez did exactly what I expected him to. Steve basically reflected his experiences by retelling the story orally. I understood his feelings more when hearing him explain the story to the audience. Although the meeting was indeed rushed, overall, I thought it went well and I enjoyed it.
I was not too impressed with Steve Lopez’s speech. I was hoping for some personal experience with Nathanial or an update to how he is doing now. Instead he just retold his book. I imagine that Steve Lopez was not aware that he was giving a speech to a room where the majority of the people that were there have already read the book because of their writing class. I did, however, liked it when in response to a question about Nathaniel’s psychological problems Steve responded by first saying that was not a trained psychological professional, but he was answering from his perspective and his own common sense.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Lindsay:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lindsay on how she described Steve Lopez's respect for Nathaniel. Just by the way that Steve talks about the experiences that he has had with Nathaniel you can honestly see the dramatic impact that Nathaniel has had on Steve's life and his perception about helping people in need.
It was a privilege seeing Steve Lopez in person and getting an inside view on his experiences with his relationship with Nathaniel Ayers. I was very dissatisfied with timing; the event should have started thirty minutes earlier in my opinion. The Q&A should have been longer and students should have had the priority to ask the questions first instead of non students. I was disappointed that I was not able to ask a question. My favorite part about the event was when Steve Lopez told the audience about his trip with Nathaniel to San Francisco. I now know that Nathaniel is also plying the French horn. Overall it was a wonderful experience.
ReplyDeleteTO JAMES: i agree with you he did seem a bit rushed while he was giving his summary on his book. i felt he needed to pause a bit and give some input about his feelings or taughts about the book. i also liked how he did not speak for Nathaniel.....I respect that :)
ReplyDeleteI walked into the lecture with minimal expectations. I know that sounds harsh but my mind usually wanders during big lectures. As the lecture went on, I actually found myself paying attention and not falling asleep. Although, I do have to agree with everyone else on the fact that the majority of the lecture was the retelling of the book. There were a couple parts that where enjoyable. For example, the story about Nathaniel wanting to take the mattress was a humorous and enjoyable one. Halfway through the lecture I started to wonder if we were going to have a surprise guest. I had it in my mind that Nathaniel would show up but alas that was not so. I will say that the lecture was still better than I expected.(Oh and the lemon squares were really good.)
ReplyDeleteResponse to Teresa (hipkitten): I would have to agree with you on saying it should have been more of a question and answer session. It would have given him more time to answer questions without being rushed and it would have given us more opportunities to ask questions. The lecture did stick a little too much to the book.
ReplyDelete(response to alvaro) AGREED! There definetly should have been more time for Steve to answer our questions. I myself had a question i wanted to ask him that was unfortunately looked over.
ReplyDeleteI had the privelage of attending the night event and overall I'd have to say I considered the experience bittersweet. Although I was pleasently suprised by Steve's candor and humor, I was upset by the fact that not much information was given about Steve or the novel that I did not already know. I attempted to raise my hand during the very brief question and answer period, but Steve was only able to answer four questions. I also did not feel as though that every question was entirely relevant. However I must admit that in listening to Steve describe the novel, I enjoyed nathaniel's story much more than I did when reading it!
ReplyDeleteWhen I went to see Steve Lopez talk to us about his book The Soloist I felt highly disappointed at what he discussed. What he ended up discussing was a summary of the entire book instead of updating us on Nathaniel Ayers status or what he has learned from his experiences on working with the homeless and mentally ill. At the least what Steve Lopez could have allowed us to ask questions about his experience. I mean he did allow us to ask questions, but we only were able to get out around four questions. This lecture was not at all in my mind as beneficial as I hoped it would be.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Teresa's post- I totally agree with what you were saying in your initial post. I would like to have heard a lot more about his work with the homeless and mentally ill. Also I feel that Steve Lopez spent way too much time retelling a story that has already been written down on paper and studied thoroughly by everyone. Also I agree that the question and answers should have been a lot longer.
ReplyDeleteto james: I also found Lopez to be respectable.
ReplyDeleteI was very skeptical while reading the book. I thought his motives for helping Nathaniel were more selfish then genuine. I was glad to see that Lopez owned up to initial motives. He plainly said that he was simply trying to get a good story out of it. I was glad to see that he and nathaniel still keep in touch and that Nathaniel is on his own living in a studio apartment. As far as the whole event was concerned, I was disappointed. I thought that he should have allowed more time for questions and if he had not planned on taking questions that he should have made that known prior to the event. I would have gladly attended the lunch event if I knew that more questions would be taken in that session.
I was extremely excited for this event as many must have been because when I arrived there entire room was filled that I had to sit on the ground in the back of the room. With that said I imagine that is why I didn’t receive the “entire experience”. It was nice to hear his voice but because I couldn’t see him very well it took away from the effect. He has a wonderful presence when speaking but I would have like to hear updates on how Nathaniel. He basically just said the story, which most of us have read already so it seemed redundant.
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree with updates but it would have been nice to be giving a little bit more time to ask questions especially as a writer/presenter he should know about leaving some time for a good amount of questions. I also see it as he can go to a Disney Concert whenever he wants because of his history but specking to us was a once in a lifetime opportunity for us.
I walked in to the Ballroom expecting to sit in on a question and answer session. Instead what I found was that Lopez spent a long amount of time talking about his experiences with Nathaniel. Although it was interesting to hear what he had to say about Nathaniel, a lot of it seemed to be repetitive and basically what was written in the book. I feel like the whole experience would have been better if I had not yet read the book just because there was a lot of time spent on what the book was about. If it could have been a question and answer session then it would have gone by a lot better.
ReplyDeleteIn response to what Travis said, I completely agree. I did not like the fact that I sat at what seemed to be a summary of a book I had just read. Although I do think it is nice that Lopez has volunteered I do not find it as fascinating as I would have found a question and answer session.
ReplyDeleteGloria, thanks for your kind words about my introduction of Steve Lopez. I agree with much of what people have commented already - wish he had cut the summary short and left more time for Q & A. I opened my Sunday paper and found his column on the LA Phil opening night - good to know he made it, even if he had to cut his time with us short. Your students have a lot of good critiques, as well as compliments, of the book, Lopez, etc. Good stuff. Also want to say I was really impressed by the Mental Health Awareness Day informative posters and that amazing video of film clips by Alex! I was sorry to miss out on the Q & A with the Counseling Center, but I heard that was a good discussion, too. Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtful comments and participation in ULV's first One Book, One University program - you've made it an engaging, and thought-provoking success.
ReplyDeleteOh that last comment was by Dr. Jolivette Mecenas (Joli).
ReplyDelete