# Elise Krentzel

> Ghostwriter, Book Coach, Editor & Author


## Posts

- [Every Day You Eat Like a God](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/12/02/every-day-you-eat-like-a-god/): The Quiet Resurrection of Austin’s First True Chinese Banquet House When the old New Fortune banquet hall in Chinatown on North Lamar shuttered during the uneasy stillness of the COVID years, a kind of cultural oxygen drained from North Austin. The once-bustling room, a sprawling cathedral of red carpets and round tables, fell silent. For two years, no clattering dim sum carts circled the aisles, no wedding toasts bounced off the high ceilings, and no families gathered beneath its lantern lights. The place felt as though it had lost its purpose. It waited—empty, cavernous, and almost mourning itself. In February […]
- [From Bricklayer to Eclector: Sir John Soane](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/11/19/from-bricklayer-to-eclector-sir-john-soane/): Entering the Soane’s, you’re immediately engulfed by a visual tempest — a staggering accumulation of art, artifacts, and plaster casts squeezed into three adjoining London townhouses. There’s not a patch of bare wall or a breath of empty space. From floor to ceiling, every crevice groans under the weight of some ancient whisper: Roman fragments, Egyptian relics, architectural renderings, models, and sculptures in glass, bronze, and plaster. Sir John Soane wasn’t just an eclectic collector — or, as a friend of mine once dubbed him more precisely, an eclector. He was a visionary architect who reshaped the very language of space […]
- [I Traded My ABBA Tickets for a Kitchen Table — then this show changed everything](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/11/15/i-traded-my-abba-tickets-for-a-kitchen-table-then-this-show-changed-everything/): Once a Eurovision cynic, I walked out of ABBA Voyage stunned, converted, and grateful for the wake-up call. About 49 years ago, in Tokyo, I first heard ABBA. I wasn’t impressed. Eurovision pop felt too sugary for my taste — bubble‑gum melodies piped into elevators or blasted in arenas where people stomped in flat one‑four time with zero nuance. Meanwhile, the Swiss guy I was dating worshipped them. I was in the music business then, getting stacks of LPs, branded jackets, and three tickets to almost every show that came through town. One day he made me an offer: “If […]
- [Other Desert Cities](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/11/14/other-desert-cities/): Continuing its 20th Anniversary Season, City Theatre Austin proudly presents Other Desert Cities, a searing family saga by Pulitzer Prize finalist, playwright, and screenwriter Jon Robin Baitz. Family pride proves thicker than blood in this award-winning play that lays bare the secrets, loyalties, and lies within a privileged American family. “Honey, news flash. You’re not a Texan, you’re a Jew!” – Silda That line struck me as funny and true. So many other acerbic and cutting quips came from Polly Wyeth, the mother, played brilliantly by Maureen Klein Slabaugh. Polly is all about keeping up appearances, avoiding uncomfortable truths, and standing firm as a […]
- [From Tokyo to You (Unofficial KISS Fan-Film Documentary)](https://youtu.be/eHiAsTSI6tE)
- [Rocks Back Pages: The World’s Largest Archive of Music Journalism](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/11/08/rocks-back-pages-the-worlds-largest-archive-of-music-journalism/): There was an instant camaraderie — that rare, unspoken recognition between two people who’ve lived on the same frequency of backstage chaos, late-night interviews, and too many deadline coffees. I admired the view from Britannia House, where Rocks Back Pages quietly operates above the hum of West London. “Yeah,” said founder Barney Hoskyns, with a dry half-smile. “It’s a view — but of rooftops.” That was my introduction to the man who has built the world’s most comprehensive digital library of music journalism — an archive that stretches across seven decades of sound, style, and storytelling. No exaggeration: Rocks Back Pages is where the DNA […]
- [The Secret Geometry of London: My Visit to the Museum of Freemasonry](https://sixtyandme.com/museum-of-freemasonry):  I am a lone traveler and have been my entire life. When the opportunity arose to return to London after a hiatus of two decades (way too long), I jumped on it. The main reason for going was to attend the world premiere of The Hunger Games stage adaptation – I’m a longtime fan of both the books and the films. But as the show wasn’t until later in the week, toward the tail end of my eight-day trip, I started where I always do in a new city: with its museums and galleries. After all, when you average nearly 20,000 steps […]
- [Symbols, Secrets & the Builders of Light: Inside the World of the Freemasons](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/11/05/symbols-secrets-the-builders-of-light-inside-the-world-of-the-freemasons/): I’ve always been drawn to the hidden language behind the visible — the carved sign above a doorway, the ceremony that marks a passage from one state of being to another, the geometry that claims to hold the key to order in a chaotic world. My lifelong fascination with symbology and rites of passage has led me to monasteries, temples, ashrams, and psychedelic art studios. So when one of my clients quietly mentioned he was a Freemason, the idea clicked like a code unlocking itself. I had to see the source. On my recent trip to London, that curiosity guided […]
- [Jugemu – The Limitless Life of Sushi](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/11/03/jugemu-the-limitless-life-of-sushi/): In a Soho alleyway close to the massage parlors and other establishments of ill repute and hidden behind an inconspicuous door sits a small rustic Japanese sushi (and more) Michelin-starred restaurant. Jugemu is its name, sounding not unlike the game or film Jumangi, except here characters and forms appear in the shape and taste of fish and vegetables carved from the knife of its master chef. While writing this feature I looked up the meaning of Jugemu, because my Japanese language skills are decent after forty years but not that fluent. What I found made me chuckle. Jūgenmu (寿限無) literally translates to limitless life or endless […]
- [Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/11/02/ronnie-scotts-jazz-club-london/): I just returned from nine glorious days in London, a city I have always meant to live in, but didn’t. For whatever reason, life took me elsewhere on the Continent and in Asia. So I revisited in October, the so-called worst month (I am a veteran of dreary, dank, rainy days, having survived Amsterdam for thirteen years) and relished the wind and chilliness. This feature is the first in my London travel series. Anyone in the jazz world knows of the famous club Ronnie Scott’s, which has been in business since 1959. Located in Soho at 47 Frith Street, London […]
- [The Anatomy of “’night, Mother” — When Words Become the Stage](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/10/18/the-anatomy-of-night-mother-when-words-become-the-stage/): The making of a great play, or novel, or any art form that is based on words contains several elements: character development; what is said and what is not; expression and movement in three dimensions (in the case of live theatre); and the precision with which the words are delivered. The stage props and setting must also matter — do they inform, distract, contribute, or detract from the actors onstage? And finally, there’s the audience: does each audience member go away with their own interpretation of the characters’ psychology, motivations, actions, and intentions? When dialogue, space, and background converge, a […]
- [A Marriage of Mystery and Memory: Jarrott Productions’ “Mirror Lake” Reflects the Dark Side of Ritual](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/10/17/a-marriage-of-mystery-and-memory-jarrott-productions-mirror-lake-reflects-the-dark-side-of-ritual/): It begins deceptively simply — a minimalist stage, shadows stretching across an almost bare room, the air charged with unease. The absence of clutter sets the tone: something tense, intimate, and faintly dangerous is about to unfold. Mirror Lake opens like a slow shiver, its stillness daring you to look closer. For the first several minutes, the stripped-down setting works perfectly — a psychological mirror that reflects what the characters refuse to confront. Those characters, Dinah (Juliet Robb) and Phil (Bryan Bradford), are a married couple in a setting somewhere north of Madison, Wisconsin — that kind of remote terrain […]
- [The Writer’s Job](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/10/16/the-writers-job/): The writer’s job is to become human through the stories he / she / they tell. It is a task not meant to transcend one’s position or thought process; it is to act as a transmitter. I embody the divine through my humanness as I transmit stories, like a radio, and frequency signals. Whoever I choose to meet, or place I travel to, I induce compassion rather than trying to control the outcome of the situation I find myself in. Yet because of, or despite our humanity, duality exists. But why does it exist and plague the spirit? I think […]
- [From the Keys of the Culinary World to Piano Man: Mark Roaquin’s Path from NYC Dining Rooms to Austin’s Steinway](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/10/16/from-the-keys-of-the-culinary-world-to-piano-man-mark-roaquins-path-from-nyc-dining-rooms-to-austins-steinway/): New York: Where Service Became a Craft Ask Mark  what shaped him most and he’ll take you back to New York City—where hospitality is a contact sport and excellence a daily discipline. He grew up in Glendale, Queens, a subway ride from the old-school dining rooms that taught him how a team moves in lockstep and how a single gesture can turn dinner into a memory. “I’ve never worked for a bad boss,” he tells me—an unusual confession in an industry that runs on heat and friction. “Hard, sure. Demanding, yes. But not bad.” That distinction matters to him. It […]
- [Ralph Yznaga: Austin’s Creative Bridge Between Old School and New Tech](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/10/07/ralph-yznaga-austins-creative-bridge-between-old-school-and-new-tech/): Ralph Yznaga never seems to lose his sense of curiosity. When he talks about creativity, it’s with the spark of a lifelong experimenter, someone who still believes imagination is the best business plan. Sitting in his Austin office surrounded by Edible Austin back issues and glowing laptop screens, he laughs at the notion of slowing down. At sixty-five, Yznaga is not retired — he’s reinventing. After decades in marketing, publishing, and storytelling, he has turned his attention to the next big frontier: helping others, especially older professionals and small business owners, understand and embrace artificial intelligence. ““People are terrified of […]
- [To Kill a Mockingbird — Maycomb’s Mirror of Injustice](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/10/04/to-kill-a-mockingbird-maycombs-mirror-of-injustice/): Opening night of City Theatre’s 20th anniversary season was To Kill a Mockingbird. Adapted from Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, this is the story and riveting stage production of the seminal American classic about childhood innocence, social inequality, and racial injustice. Racism, rot, superiority complexes, and good ol’ boy network still haunt the American South, and the new Austin production of To Kill a Mockingbird makes this clear with a fury that feels contemporary. The atmosphere on stage is rigged and rigged again,  because it is not merely a historical artifact but a mirror of the present, where such injustices are man-made today by […]
- [The Heat of the Soul: Tennessee Williams’s Summer and Smoke in Austin](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/09/30/the-heat-of-the-soul-tennessee-williamss-summer-and-smoke-in-austin/): The air in New Orleans hangs heavy, the kind of muggy heat that clings to your skin and thoughts alike. Tennessee Williams felt oppressed by that weight — the suffocating weather, the stifling codes of Southern propriety, and the grinding atmosphere of a mind caught between purity and desire. Out of that crucible came Summer and Smoke (1948), a play of aching restraint. In the Filigree Theatre’s rendition, directed by Elizabeth V. Newman, lead actor Alma Winemiller, who plays the minister’s daughter, wrestles with the collision of spirit and flesh. Williams was writing in the long shadow of his own oppressions: guilt […]
- [GRISHA – Opening Act of Austin Classical Guitar’s 35th Season](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/09/28/grisha-opening-act-of-austin-classical-guitars-35th-season/): Robert Rodriguez, the legendary Austin filmmaker, opened his Troublemaker Studios for ACG’s 35th Season. They filmed Alita: Battle Angel there. At the open-air set, I felt as if I was roaming the streets and alleyways of a fading, long-forgotten town in Spain. We savored complimentary sangria and paella from Flavor Co. and saw live performances by the Austin Flamenco Academy (see photo below) and ‌music by Mariachi de Oro from Crockett High School’s band before the main act: Grisha. As ACG traditionally does, we heard from the youth first. The ACG Youth Orchestra, directed by Alex Lew strummed in unison […]
- [What Is Your Nightmare? Mine Is a Dream Come True](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/09/27/what-is-your-nightmare-mine-is-a-dream-come-true/): What is your nightmare? Mine is a dream come true: stepping into the 3D immersive set of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmasat the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Thanks to Texas Performing Arts and the Wildflower Center, Austin audiences now have a chance to enter the fantastical world of Jack Skellington, Sally, Zero, and their spectral companions. What a treat it was—no trickery involved. From the moment dusk descended, the familiar native landscape of the Wildflower Center was transformed into a high-level production set: spooky trees pulsed with intelligent LED lights, whimsical pumpkins glowed with sinister delight, and a cast […]
- [“A Safe Place to Be Seen”: The Portraits—and Path—of Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/09/27/a-safe-place-to-be-seen-the-portraits-and-path-of-jorge-sanhueza-lyon/): On an afternoon inside a small East Austin space—half studio, half neighborhood hangout—photographer and filmmaker Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon waved a passerby in from the sidewalk. Ten minutes later, the man—Rick, a local gatekeeper with a complicated past—was telling his life story and posing for a portrait that feels equal parts confession and coronation. “My favorite thing,” Lyon tells me, “is creating a space where someone can be a little vulnerable. If I’m lucky, I can press the button at the right moment, and the picture is really just the document of that moment we share.” Lyon’s latest series—shot over two and […]
- [Duelling Piano Hands: Sohee Kwon and Shelley Ng](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/09/23/dueling-piano-hands-sohee-kwon-and-shelley-ng/): Tucked just off Research Boulevard, north of Great Hills Trail, rests a cultural gem: Austin’s only Steinway Piano Gallery. A temple to the legendary hand-crafted instrument, Steinway is to the piano what Rolls Royce is to the automobile—uncompromising, timeless, and revered. The flagship in New York, around the corner from Carnegie Hall, has seen countless greats choose their companion instrument. On this particular evening, Austin’s gallery became its own sanctum of sound, hosting a rare four-hands recital by local virtuoso Sohee Kwon and renowned guest pianist Shelley Ng based in New York City. For me, it was a first. Four […]
- [A Resplendent Night of Orchestration & Operatic Singing](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/09/21/a-resplendent-night-of-orchestration-operatic-singing/): What do you get when you mix one of the most original living conductors (our ‌own Farkhad Khudyev, Associate of Music in Orchestral Studies & Music Director of the UT Symphony Orchestra) with a world-renowned opera singer, Rebecca Davis? Answer: you get what only Khudyev brings to this town: dynamic and unforgettable musical experiences to last a lifetime. Thank you Maestro. This program was the first of the season for UT Symphony Orchestra. Starting the evening off with bombastic dissonance, Khudyev brought his expansiveness on the podium to Richard Strauss, Don Juan, Trv 156, op/ 20. He’s a big conductor, […]
- [A Toast to Texas](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/09/14/a-toast-to-texas/): ATX Chamber and Jazz Music keeps blurring the line between concert and experience, pairing world-class artists with crafted culinary and cocktail moments. A Toast to Texas was another example of lyrical strings and piano from a powerhouse roster of musicians wafted through Assembly Hall as virtuoso violinists  — Alexander Sitkovetsky, Geoffrey Herd (founder of ATX Chamber Music and Jazz), Milena Parajo van de Stadt on viola, Camden Shaw on cello, and Anna Petrova (co-Artistic Director of ATX) on piano enchanted a full-house dressed for the occasion. This season, the audience appears to understand “cocktail attire” better than last. I noticed a man […]
- [Jeff Goldblum & the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra: A Jazz Surprise in Austin](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/09/14/jeff-goldblum-the-mildred-snitzer-orchestra-a-jazz-surprise-in-austin/): I had not heard about Jeff Goldblum’s involvement with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra until recently, and the discovery came as a surprise. After all, I used to spend Monday nights at Michael’s Pub in Manhattan listening to Woody Allen play his clarinet, so I thought I had a handle on the unexpected musical passions of famous actors. Goldblum, it turns out, has been carrying on his own parallel career in jazz for decades. To me, actors who possess musical chops tread on rarified ground. That kind of double artistry feels like a heavenly gift. So when I heard he was […]
- [The Pairing Project: How a Chef, a Storyteller, and a Wine Nerd Turned Austin’s Homes into Tasting Rooms](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/09/14/the-pairing-project-how-a-chef-a-storyteller-and-a-wine-nerd-turned-austins-homes-into-tasting-rooms/): When Alexander and Carlotta “Loti” first locked eyes 32 years ago at a lunch on the outskirts of Mexico City, neither imagined that a decades-long love story would eventually set a table for Austinites in their own homes. “We saw each other eight times in two years,” Alexander laughs. “The eighth time was our wedding.” Their path wound through Los Angeles and back to Mexico—two kids, a move to Guadalajara, and a thriving after-school English academy that Alexander jokes had him on track to be “czar of English teaching.” Then COVID shut the doors. “We lost everything,” he says, matter-of-factly. […]
- [Time Passes: Tsai Ming-Liang Brings His Meditative Cinema to Texas for the First Time](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/08/25/time-passes-tsai-ming-liang-brings-his-meditative-cinema-to-texas-for-the-first-time/): The lights were low inside the AFS Cinema. The theater was empty, its rows of seats waiting for the audience that would soon arrive. Onstage, under the glow of a single spotlight, sat Tsai Ming-liang, one of world cinema’s most revered auteurs, alongside his longtime actor and muse, Lee Kang-sheng. I stood on the steps of the stage, recorder in hand, preparing to speak with a filmmaker whose work has defined what many call slow cinema. For Tsai and Lee, this was their first visit to Texas. Their presence marked the centerpiece of Time Passes: Thirty-Five Years with Tsai Ming-liang, a four-day retrospective presented […]
- [Beat 4 Beat: Ten Years of Transforming Lives Through Music](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/08/18/beat-4-beat-ten-years-of-transforming-lives-through-music/): Austin music education nonprofit Beat 4 Beat celebrated a decade of empowering youth through the transformative power of music at its 10-Year Anniversary Party this past weekend at Meanwhile Brewing. The free event featured live performances by local Austin artists Nakia, Deer Fellow, and DJ Marc Fort (KUTX 98.9, KOOP Radio). Guests also browsed a silent auction that included enviable items: a vintage American-made Gretsch drum kit from the early 1980s (finished in the same brilliant yellow as Tony Williams’ iconic setup with Miles Davis), a Martin acoustic guitar, tickets to the Pixies live at Moody Amphitheater, and trips to […]
- [Bye Bye Birdie Revisited](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/07/31/bye-bye-birdie-revisited/): Tex-Arts.org, the theatrical company that put on the Bye Bye Birdie show has outdone itself. I heard about their move to Lakeway, and while others may be hesitant to drive the mere 30 minutes from central Austin, I am not one of them. The adventurer in me seeks variety and a damn good theatrical performance. And I’m so glad I did. I went to the last show of the season in their pristine new intimate theatre, with an excellent surround sound system and perfect viewing from any seat in the house. Before getting into this review, I want to give […]
- [W;T and the Weaponry of Words](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/07/31/wt-and-the-weaponry-of-words/): This one act 90 minute show could’ve gone on for another hour. I was glued to my seat. As a scribe, words are my life. And tools. A scholar wrote this play. One of the many lines that gutted me: “The acquisition of vocabulary was her only defense.” That—*that*—was me as a child. And later, as a teenager. I used words like knives. Vocabulary was my weapon, my armor, my only damn shield in a family of chaos, disappointment, and broken silences. I could—yes—cut my sworn enemies: family members—with a single, slicing sentence. Like Vivian Bearing in *W;T*, the main […]
- [Why Travel Opens Your Creative Mind](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-travel-opens-your-creative-mind-elise-krentzel-fvnwc/?trackingId=8FW7i%2FX%2BR%2FaiM%2FxTJbidwA%3D%3D): “This world is but a canvas to our imagination. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude… I am alarmed when it happens that I have walked a mile into the woods bodily, without getting there in spirit.”—Henry David Thoreau, Walden Hydra is one of the few places in the world where silence still reigns and I find that magical. Just like during the Covid years—while many were flipping out—I loved the stillness and lack of vehicles, noise, and people. I walked the streets and breathed in the unpolluted air, listened to […]
- [Meet Eddie Witz and the Most High](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/03/15/meet-eddie-witz-and-the-most-high/): Picture yourself on a sun-soaked beach in Malibu, a margarita in hand, as waves crash rhythmically to a reggae-infused beat. If any musician could embody that feeling, it’s LA-born artist and musical innovator, Eddie Witz. But don’t mistake him for just another reggae or island rock artist—his sound is an effortless fusion of world music, folk, Americana, pop, and, of course, reggae. You don’t need to be high, or even in California, to get hooked on Witz’s clever genre-blending and magnetic storytelling. His latest single, In California, captures both the beauty and fleeting nature of the Golden State. Released on Febrary […]
- [The Gift of the Guitar with William Kanengiser](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/02/14/the-gift-of-the-guitar-with-william-kanengiser/): Austin Classical Guitar outdid itself, yet again. This time, Austin audiences had the extreme delight of hearing the modest William Kanengiser, one of the world’s most dynamic and influential classical guitar figures. A virtuoso performer, a visionary arranger, and a dedicated educator, he has shaped the landscape of the instrument both as a soloist and as a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (LAGQ). His artistry is marked by an effortless blend of technical brilliance, interpretive depth, and an insatiable curiosity that has led him to explore a vast array of styles, from traditional classical repertoire to […]
- [Conversations with Elise Krentzel](https://voyageaustin.com/interview/conversations-with-elise-krentzel/)
- [Con Men, Couture, and Capitalism](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/04/23/con-men-couture-and-capitalism/): Austin Playhouse’s production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, hits home. A shimmering French Riviera provides the backdrop for a tale that might seem like harmless musical comedy—until you start listening closely. Because this isn’t just a playful send-up of two rival swindlers. It’s a glittering scalpel carving through the soft flesh of American greed, gender politics, and social hypocrisy. Adapted from the 1988 film starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin—and not to be confused with the 1964 Marlon Brando/David Niven vehicle Bedtime Story on which the film is loosely based—the stage version features music and lyrics by David Yazbek with a book by Jeffrey […]
- [Soundscapes & Steel Strings](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/04/23/soundscapes-steel-strings/): Graham Reynolds’ “Mountain” LP Listening Party In the soundproofed sanctuary of The Equipment Room — a hidden audiophile’s paradise tucked inside downtown Austin’s M Hotel — composer, musician, bandleader, and performer Graham Reynolds hosted a vinyl listening party for his latest release, Mountain. It was less an event than a sonic immersion: Hans Zimmer meets a Murakami weekend lost in translation. Only two years old, The Equipment Room is already the city’s best-kept hi-fi secret. Cozy and acoustically decadent (equipment built in Arkansas by an audiophile), the venue features a front room with a sleek mini-bar and lounge seating. But the real magic lies in […]
- [That’s A Wrap!](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/03/21/thats-a-wrap/): Roxstar’s Cinema Center Pop-Up Completes Annual Journey to Austin to Support SXSW Film Premieres Photos and Captions (ALL photos credit Lu Chau, Photagonist) Roxstar’s Cinema Center, a long-time film festival favorite, was back in Austin for its annual four-day SXSW pop-up, which concluded at Higbie’s bar this past weekend. With support from Bloom Nutrition, Peroni, Hendrick’s Gin, and Rendezvous Films, the popup successfully hosted eight red-carpet premieres at SXSW for highly anticipated films.  In addition, Collider, a media property, set up an interview and portrait studio on-site for celebrity and filmmaker interviews. 1. Ruby Cruz (above) loves Peroni at the premiere […]
- [What the Constitution Means to Me](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/04/20/what-the-constitution-means-to-me/): A Raw Reminder of How Far We Still Have to Go ZACH Theatre’s staging of What the Constitution Means to Me (April 16–May 11, 2025) is not simply a performance — it’s a mirror held up to America’s unfinished business. Written by Heidi Schreck and directed with emotional precision by Jenny Lavery, this Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony®-nominated play dares to tackle the contradictions, failings, and potential of the document that governs our lives — and often ignores our humanity. At the center of this true story is Heidi, portrayed by Nisi Sturgis, who at 15 traveled the country winning debate competitions […]
- [The Illusionary Games of Edward Rye: Magic, Mind Control & the Moral Cost of Illusion](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/04/20/the-illusionary-games-of-edwin-rye-magic-mind-control-the-moral-cost-of-illusion/): The Filigree Theatre presented the world premiere of The Illusionary Games of Edward Rye, directed by the inimitable Elizabeth V. Newman, and I am petitioning for this show to tour the country. Exquisitely written by Ashley Griffin, who also played the lead, Claire Fox, this production pierces the philosophical veil with the play’s central question: What is truth? And how do you know it is so—or what is a lie? Ashley, a bicoastal talent, is an intellectual with a sharp mind and witty tongue. She delivers a performance that’s both emotionally raw and mentally electric. World-famous psychological illusionist Edward Rye (played by […]
- [Oliver Rajamani Brings Flamenco and Romani Music to Austin](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/04/17/oliver-rajamani-brings-flamenco-and-romani-music-to-austin/): Flamenco India is not something one hears about every day. In fact, it is so uncommon that this writer wondered why she hadn’t ever heard about the origins of Gypsy music. I thought incorrectly, the Romani, otherwise known as Gypsies or Roma (especially in Europe) came from Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia and the like. Nope! It turns out the Romani are an indigenous people of the Indian subcontinent around 1,000 to 1,500 years ago. Oliver Rajamani, is extremely passionate about his art and the team he assembles which change from season to season. Unique to the multi-lingual performance I […]
- [From Esther to Unveiled: The Making of a Modern Musical](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/04/10/from-esther-to-unveiled-the-making-of-a-modern-musical/): Unveiled: A Musical is a stirring reimagining of the biblical story of Queen Esther, brought to the stage with a fresh, modern sensibility. Austinite Glenna Bowman wrote the lyrics and composition, while Dr. Ellie Jarrett Shattles provided additional composition and arrangements. Glenna Bowman and fellow Austinine Matthew Shead wrote the book. This original production explores enduring themes of courage, identity, and purpose. Directed by former JCC Director Mark A. Lit (and the owner of the kolache-craft beer pub meets live stage Batch), the show blends historical drama with contemporary resonance—offering audiences not just entertainment, but reflection. Jon Renee, who plays King […]
- [A Night of Living Genius: Musical Mixology with Stephen Hough & Ensemble ATX](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/04/04/a-night-of-living-genius-musical-mixology-with-stephen-hough-ensemble-atx/): ATX Chamber Music & Jazz has outdone themselves! The organization is less than three years old and has successfully wooed and wowed Austin’s classical (and jazz) music lovers to broaden their engagement by participating in the experience ATX Chamber creates: one of music + food + drinks + conversation. A well-appointed, standing-room-only crowd, including some of Austin’s leading arts philanthropists, experienced a mesmerizing evening of chamber music as the illustrious Sir Stephen Hough returned to Austin in collaboration with the dynamic Ensemble ATX. This extraordinary performance opened with the Texas premiere of Hough’s own String Quartet No. 1, Les Six Rencontres — […]
- [The Cover of Life](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/03/25/the-cover-of-life/): What an incredible and moving play! The playwright, R.T. Robinson, is nothing short of a genius, blending wit, culture, and the profound complexities of life in the 1940s with stunning precision. The way he weaves humor into the heartache and hope of his characters is nothing less than masterful. The portrayal of the three brides from rural Louisiana during World War II, each married to a Cliffert brother and living under their mother-in-law’s (Aunt Ola) roof while their husbands are off fighting, is brilliantly told. The dichotomy of the three sisters against their bleak home life is touching. This story […]
- [Uncle Jens – A Kurdish-Norwegian Film](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/03/15/uncle-jens-a-kurdish-norwegian-film/): My top five films at SXSW this year included Uncle Jens, a standout from the hundreds shown at the Film and TV Festival. Director Brwa Vahabpour debuted the film internationally; it opens in Norway next week. It played at AFS Cinema, the town’s last indie movie theatre inside the Linc Shopping Mall by ACC. it was difficult for out-of-town festival attendees to reach as SXSW didn’t offer any buses or transportation to the venue. Sitting to the left of me was a film critic from Atlanta and to my right a British woman, both complained about this. Maybe next year they’ll […]
- [The Science of Longevity: How Measurement and Discipline Can Reverse Aging](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/03/15/the-science-of-longevity-how-measurement-and-discipline-can-reverse-aging/): Insights from Bryan Johnson’s SXSW Talk on Longevity Imagine waking up every morning feeling refreshed, full of energy, and ready to take on the world—not just in your 20s or 30s, but well into your 60s, 70s, and beyond. Sounds too good to be true? Not if you take a data-driven approach to longevity. At SXSW, Johnson’s message was obvious: aging is a process we can measure, control, and, to some extent, reverse. His talk laid out key strategies that anyone—without millions in the bank—can use to improve their health and longevity. That was the message Bryan Johnson, tech entrepreneur-turned-longevity […]
- [Alice Bibette’s Ethereal Videography](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/03/14/alice-bibettes-ethereal-videography/): I’m here with Alice Bibette, of DeepSheep Studio. I bet, if you are a follower, you will be in deep sheep. And if you’re not, uh you’re going to see one of the most creative uses of animation in a music video that might just wow your socks off. The influence of Studio Ghibli on modern animation is undeniable. Its whimsical storytelling and breathtaking visuals have left a lasting imprint on the industry. But for French animator Bibette inspiration isn’t always so clear-cut. “Well, yeah, of course, Studio Ghibli is so ingrained in our overall consciousness,” she admits with a […]
- [Justice Vigilante: An Interview with Filmmaker Roe Moore](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/03/14/justice-vigilante-an-interview-with-filmmaker-roe-moore/): Some films grab you instantly. That’s exactly what happened when I saw the opening moments of short, Undercover Wrestler. I didn’t even need to watch the full screener to know—it had me hooked within seconds. Like hearing the first few notes of a song that you instantly love, this film’s humor landed perfectly, making me crack up right from the start. “That’s exactly what we wanted!” director Roe Moore (pictured) exclaims when I tell her this.    Moore, a filmmaker originally from Denver and based in Los Angeles, has been in the entertainment industry for over 20 years. While she’s worn […]
- [Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson Live at SXSW](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/03/13/michelle-obama-craig-robinson-live-at-sxsw/): This was their first live podcast of the show IMO featuring Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson. They will for most podcasts invite a guest. Today the special guest was Dr. Laurie Santos of Yale University Psychology department and host of The Happiness Lab. The topic was transforming despair into hope. Michelle and Craig took a question in advance from an audience member. How that happened is a mystery as there was no form or indication that audience members could submit a question for the taping of this show. A 28 year old who lives in LA asked this […]
- [Surviving Earth](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/03/13/surviving-earth/): The Slavic film Surviving Earth, written and directed by Thea Gajić and featuring Belgrade actor Slavko Sobin, premiered at SXSW to critical acclaim. It’s captivating dramatization biopic unravels the life of an addict and how the fallout effects loved ones on all levels. It takes place in Bristol, England, where the main character lives, having emigrated after leaving the horrors of war in the former Yugoslavia. Slavko, an addict in real life who took his life when the going got too tough plays Thea’s father, Vlad. Slavko played the role with aplomb and musical integrity. He learned the harmonica within months […]
- [The Intersection of Music, Politics, and Working-Class Identity: An In-Depth Conversation with Dr. Keith Gildart](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/03/11/the-intersection-of-music-politics-and-working-class-identity-an-in-depth-conversation-with-dr-keith-gildart/): During SXSW, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Keith Gildart, a leading authority on the UK working class and the role of music in its culture. Gildart is professor of Labour and Social History at the University of Wolverhampton. Our discussion at the UK House on 6th Street in Austin centered around his book, Images of England Through Popular Music: Class, Youth and Rock ‘n’ Roll, 1955-1976, which is one of his many works on the intersection of coal miners and music subcultures.  This book draws on archival materials and oral histories, and explores how popular music has influenced and […]
- [2025 Texas Film Awards: Celebrating 25 Years of Texas Filmmaking Excellence](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/03/08/2025-texas-film-awards-celebrating-25-years-of-texas-filmmaking-excellence/): Photo: Jay Duplass and Richard Linklater For 25 years, the Texas Film Awards have honored the creative visionaries who put Texas on the cinematic map. Hosted by the Austin Film Society (AFS), the annual event recognizes filmmakers, actors, and industry pioneers who have shaped the state’s dynamic film scene.trailblazers, actors, and other important figures in the film industry who have influenced the state’s vibrant film scene. This year’s milestone celebration promised to be an unforgettable evening, bringing together legendary Texas-born and Texas-based talent. Heralded into a small red carpet area providing limited access to the stars, the media, myself included, could catch glimpses […]
- [An African American Homage to Divine Song](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/03/06/an-african-american-homage-to-divine-song/): It is disheartening to learn that Spectrum Theatre Company, one of Austin’s most significant and vibrant theatrical organizations, has remained a hidden gem for over twenty years. This could be because the company produces only one or two shows annually. I find it puzzling how they manage to keep their non-profit running with such limited activity, which may also explain why I might not be familiar with them. This situation is unfortunate, as Austin would surely benefit from stronger African American representation in the arts, especially given its overall population decline. For one night at The Sterling Stage, Spectrum hosted […]
- [Tango Reimagined with JP Jofre](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/02/25/tango-reimagined-with-jp-jofre/): What comes to mind when you hear the word tango? Tango music has been closely linked to its traditional forms, characterized by dramatic rhythms, distinctive melodies, and an unmistakable longing that captures the passionate, often melancholic culture of Buenos Aires. Audiences generally expect to hear the iconic orchestration of the bandoneón, violins, and piano, driving rhythms with syncopated bass lines, and harmonies that combine sadness and sensuality. The structure of the music is often predictable, featuring defined sections and emotional arcs that reflect the passionate, dramatic themes rooted in the dance floor origins of tango. I’m not an expert on […]
- [Austin Shakespeare: Keeping the Bard (and More) Alive in the Heart of Texas](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/02/14/austin-shakespeare-keeping-the-bard-and-more-alive-in-the-heart-of-texas/): Austin Shakespeare has been a cornerstone of the city’s performing arts scene for nearly four decades, offering audiences a mix of classical works and bold, contemporary productions. What began as a modest endeavor—a free Shakespeare in the Park series—has blossomed into a dynamic and eclectic theater company with year-round performances, community engagement initiatives, and a reputation for bringing world-class productions to Central Texas. Anne Ciccolella, the full-time artistic director of Austin Shakespeare, has been leading this creative powerhouse for the past 18 years. Under her leadership, Austin Shakespeare has expanded its reach, attracting a diverse audience and undertaking ambitious productions […]
- [A Sinister Waltz of Science and Madness: Jekyll & Hyde on Stage](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/02/11/a-sinister-waltz-of-science-and-madness-jekyll-hyde-on-stage/): On the opening night of the Filigree Theatre’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the audience was tense with anticipation. Smoke filled the small space, and as the audience padded to their seats, which were set in a semicircle with a row in between for the actors to make a path through, they were questioning what this was while delighting in their suspense. The set design captured the cobbled London streets of the19th century thatglistened under the dim glow of gas lamps shrouded in a mist thick enough to conceal the city’s darkest secrets. And in this fog, something lurks—something unnatural, something terrifying. […]
- [Returning Classical Music to Its Roots](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2025/01/30/returning-classical-music-to-its-roots/): Classical music has long been perceived as a domain of quiet, formal concert halls, where hushed reverence and stiff seating dominate the experience. But a groundbreaking approach in Austin is challenging these norms, weaving high artistic quality with social connection to create a vibrant, engaging atmosphere for a new generation of listeners. “Usually, when you go to a concert where there’s drinking and socializing, you sacrifice the quality of the music,” says Geoffrey Herd, director of the Austin-based classical music organization ATX Chamber & Jazz Music. “You’re not going to have the right piano, the right acoustics, or the classical […]
- [WOMEN IN JAZZ](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/12/13/women-in-jazz/): Pamela and Kevin Hart, an iconic couple empowering jazz vocalists by entertaining Austin audiences with the best female jazz musicians, have done it again. The holiday concert that took place on December 8 at Chez Zee featured Swanda Birch has graced the stage with Kris Kristofferson, amongst others), Pamela Hart, and Silvie Rider Young (who originally hails from Switzerland). Each woman did two sets of three songs each. Swanda took the lead during the first set, and the song Better than Anything was a tribute to the City of Austin, so near and dear to us all. Pamela sang Carol of the Bells while […]
- [How to Ruin the Holidays, Graham Reynolds Style](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/12/13/how-to-ruin-the-holidays-graham-reynolds-style/): I’ve written about Graham Reynolds, the virtuoso pianist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, bandleader, arranger, and jokester. That last bit is new to me as I discovered his wit as a raconteur at his show How to Ruin the Holidays, performed at the Rollins Center for a two-night engagement. Now in its 7th year, this untraditional show has become somewhat of a tradition, and you would be amiss not to see it next year. Mark your calendars for 2025! Now on with the show! A ten-piece orchestra of some of Austin’s stellar musicians whooped up some brand new renditions (while others were new to […]
- [Suzette Emberton – A Fascinating Look into Synesthesia – A Composer Who Attributes Colors to Musical Notes](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/11/11/suzette-emberton-a-fascinating-look-into-synesthesia-a-composer-who-attributes-colors-to-musical-notes/): By definition a synesthete experiences synesthesia, a condition in which usually separate senses are intertwined. For instance, a person with synesthesia might see colors when they hear music, associate specific tastes with certain words, or perceive numbers and letters as having distinct colors or personalities. This blending of senses is involuntary and varies widely in form and intensity among individuals. Synesthesia can make for a richly textured perceptual experience. Musicians, artists, and writers with synesthesia sometimes draw inspiration from their unique sensory crossovers. Although rare, synesthesia is a fascinating and benign condition that provides unique insights into how the human brain […]
- [A Serenade of Support: Swan Songs’ Sold-Out Event and Silent Auction to Benefit Musical Last Wishes](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/11/08/a-serenade-of-support-swan-songs-sold-out-event-and-silent-auction-to-benefit-musical-last-wishes/): This year’s Swan Songs Serenade, in its 14th year, was a testament to the power of community. Held at the Four Seasons, a crowd of over two hundred and fifty donors, friends, supporters, and musicians showed up, each playing a crucial role in raising funds to provide musical last wishes to those nearing the end of their lives. The event was officially sold out, reflecting its collective commitment and the abiding belief amongst Austin’s music community that musicians matter! One exceptional auction item is a rare concert by renowned Texas songwriter Jimmie Dale Gilmore and an all-star band at Donn’s Depot, […]
- [Guns and Moses Opening Film at the Austin Jewish Film Festival (AJFF)](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/11/02/guns-and-mosesopening-film-at-the-austin-jewish-film-festival-ajff/): Austin Jewish Film Festival’s 22nd Season Opens with the film directed by Sal Litvak, Guns and Moses, FADE IN: A CHILEAN CITYSCAPE TRANSFORMS INTO NEW YORK CITY. NARRATOR (V.O.)Sal Litvak’s journey from Santiago, Chile, to New York City began when he was just five. His path was marked by prestigious institutions, starting with Harvard, where he completed his undergraduate studies, followed by NYU Law and then UCLA Film School, setting the stage for a life in storytelling. CUT TO: STILL SHOTS FROM THE PASSOVER COMEDY “WHEN DO WE EAT?” NARRATOR (V.O.)Litvak’s breakthrough came with the comedy When Do We Eat?, a Passover […]
- [Inversion Ensemble](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/10/30/inversion-ensemble/): As part of KMFA 89.5 Classical radio’s Offbeat series, Inversion Ensemble performed Fire, Water, and The Air We Breathe for two days at the Navasota Street studio. Inversion is a professional choir who perform unconventional new works by local musicians and U.S. composers. Art, visuals, dance, — in other words multimedia is incorporated into the performances. Conductor Trevor F. Shaw is also a poet who collaborated with Juhi Bansal, an award-winning composer, conductor, and teacher, who was commissioned to write pieces in this show. Before the performance, Juhi, Trevor, and Guillermo Delgado (radio host and singer in the Inversion choir) […]
- [ATX Theatre invites Austinites to its Halloween Costume & Thrift Sale](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/10/13/atx-theatre-invites-austinites-to-its-halloween-costume-thrift-sale/): Since the beloved Lucy in Disguise costume store closed its doors in 2022, Austinites have struggled to find unique Halloween outfits. ATX Theatre is stepping in to save locals from lackluster online shopping and overpriced pop-up Halloween stores this year. The organization brings together Austin’s eighty-plus theatre companies and hosts a two-day public costume sale with five local theatrical groups. “This sale has a distinct Austin vibe, just like Lucy’s, but the prices are much kinder on the wallet,” says Sharron Anderson, Austin native and Founding Executive Director of ATX Theatre. Reminiscing about past Halloweens spent at Lucy’s, she laughs, recalling how […]
- [MJ – The Musical](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/10/10/mj-the-musical/): Since relocating to Austin, I’ve visited my hometown, NYC, for the past thirteen years to see any Broadway musical featuring a pop, rock, or jazz musician or group. For over a decade, my life as a former music critic and reporter for luminary publications such as Billboard, Circus, Record Week, and Performance revolved around music making and the artists behind the labels. Music is the lifeblood of creativity and, in my humble opinion (IMHO), the sounds of the heavens brought down to earth. No one was better than Michael Jackson, who embodied the universality of the language of music. Across the globe, millions of […]
- [Suddenly Last Summer at the Filigree](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/10/06/suddenly-last-summer-at-the-filigree/): Season 6 at the Filigree Theatre opened with the powerful Tennessee Williams play Suddenly Last Summer. Perhaps it cannot be helped that with such a brilliant script as only the inimitable Williams has written, there could be no possible way to ruin a performance. That theory proved somewhat false. Accolades belong to the Director, Elizabeth V. Newman, whose masterful direction nurtured the actors, allowing them to evolve and flourish in their roles. Their individual and collective interpretation glued me to my seat throughout the performance. Coupled with Newman’s laser-focused direction, this season’s cast brought an evolutionary performance to their roles, jumping […]
- [Bokyung Byun Debuts at ACG](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/10/06/bokyung-byun-debuts-at-acg/): Bokyung Byun, born in Seoul, Korea, was a child prodigy who began playing guitar at six and quickly gained recognition in Korea. At twelve, she moved to study under various master classical guitar players, first in China and then at fourteen, in the U.S., to study at The Juilliard School. Later, she earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California. Living alone at such a young age gave her a sense of isolation. Questioning her identity and the meaning of what home meant for many years, she embraced music as her global language, embodying all […]
- [Sunny Days at the Vortex](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/09/22/sunny-days-at-the-vortex/): The Vortex Theater is a small, innovative theatre company located on Manor Road in East Austin that continually pushes the boundaries of experimental theatre. In business for three decades (a long time for a city that only became a known entity to the rest of the world a few years ago), this regional theater puts on unabashed performances, not for the faint of heart. Although some of these performances are not the caliber one would expect from indie theater, credit must be given to the unique theater landscape here in Austin. There are over 80, yes, that’s right, eight zero, […]
- [Funny, Like an Abortion](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/09/27/funny-like-an-abortion/): The title ‘Funny, Like an Abortion’ is provocative and thought-provoking, encapsulating the play’s dark humor and serious subject matter. It’s a play that uses humor to shed light on the dire state of women’s health and the issues surrounding abortion rights. Playwright Rachel Bublitz was visiting Austin on the Opening Night of her play about the dire state of women’s health across the bleeding red states. These states, which have denied women the right to an abortion, are causing devastating aftereffects. The play’s relevance to current social issues is striking, engaging the audience in a vital conversation. The play features […]
- [1001 Nights with Antonio Ajero](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/09/19/1001-nights-with-antonio-ajero/): The Central Texas Philharmonic outdid themselves yet again. Stefan Sanders, Music Director for his 6th season, is a tremendous gift to this region in the state. He formerly assisted as conductor of the New York Philharmonic and has guest conducted the world over from Poland to Mexico. His exuberance and thoughtful (read easy to understand) explanations to an audience who might have a) never been to a symphony, b) did not know the story behind each performance, or c) had perhaps seen a performance long ago and forgot the theme and storyline, is accessible to all without being condescending. The […]
- [Calm Your T!ts](https://sunnewsaustin.com/2024/09/04/calm-your-tts/): A Bittersweet Satire on the State of Texas Law Against Women Nature abhors a vacuum. The theme of Calm Your T!ts, a 50-minute comedy, reflects on what is happening in the Texas legislative cult-like body that has reversed women’s/human rights to their bodies and health. The show is singing to the choir through entertaining and bittersweet songs, dances, and routines. The 90% female audience came here to applaud and see onstage that which they already know and loathe: the Texas government’s invasion of women’s freedom, aka The Handmaid’s Tale. Presented by The Weird Sisters, a women’s theater collaborative, the show was […]
- [Cape Cod – Seafood, Sand, And More Seafood!](https://sixtyandme.com/cape-cod-experience/)
- [Trying Out Spa Therapy For Mind, Body And Soul](https://sixtyandme.com/spa-therapy-kuya/): Before I even get into this article, I’d like to share with all the readers that I am a New Yorker who has lived in five different countries for 30 years. I now reside in Austin, Texas, and have called it home for 13 years. None of my stories or features involve politics, religion, or ideology. I write about life and culture and share experiences I believe women our age will appreciate.
- [Aloneness Is Not Loneliness](https://sixtyandme.com/aloneness-vs-loneliness/): A common misconception amongst people, especially those of us approaching the last third of our lives, is that aloneness equals loneliness. Well, I’m here to debunk this tale; to set it to restful peace.
- [Interview with Seth Goldstein](https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/entrepreneurs-enigma/id1585247468?i=1000649703097)
- [Exploring Life & Business](https://voyageaustin.com/interview/exploring-life-business-with-elise-krentzel-of-ek-editorial-coaching/): with Elise Krentzel of EK Editorial & Coaching
- [Becoming a Rebel Writer](https://www.readersmagnet.club/becoming-a-rebel-writer/)
- [EK Editorial and Coaching](https://dotcommagazine.com/2023/07/ek-editorial-and-coaching/): on DotCom Magazine

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- [Books](https://elisekrentzel.com/books/): Write Like a Rebel is not just another writing guide. It’s a practical workbook paired with a series of short video lessons that walk you step-by-step through the process of writing your book. Inside you’ll find: 12 Weeks of Guided Exercises — from shaping your concept to creating character profiles, themes, and chapter outlines. Direct Video Links — scan the QR codes to access exclusive training videos that expand on each week’s lesson. Simple, Action-Based Tasks — designed for busy creatives who want results, not theory. Order your copy now! Here’s What People Say This is THE course for you!Shannon […]
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- [Books](https://elisekrentzel.com/books-old/): Coming soon! Following Elise’s best selling book, number one in her memoir trilogy “Under My Skin”, here comes book number two: In Elise’s continuing memoir saga, her second book explores how she carved out an extraordinary life as a fearless businesswoman and adventurer in Japan, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Defying expectations in a world rarely seeing women as entrepreneurs—especially in foreign lands—Elise built businesses, navigated cultures, and reinvented herself through bold moves and boundless determination. PRE-Order your copy now! Here’s What People Say Becoming The Next Big ThingDebora Ewing, poet/artist/songwriter I couldn’t wait to find out what that sassy Elise […]
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- [Contact](https://elisekrentzel.com/contact/): Contact BOOK A UQIA SESSION (You Question I Answer) Do you have a question that needs answering right now? Let me tackle your writing problem. Whatever it is, let’s meet on Zoom and go straight to the heart of the matter. I’ll share proven solutions that have worked with individuals and companies like yours. WHAT TO EXPECT at your UQIA session We’ll work on your personal or professional writing challenge for 60 minutes focusing on a specific problem you determine in advance. If you have a prepared list of questions, I will answer as many as time allows. BOOK AN […]
- [Testimonials](https://elisekrentzel.com/testimonials/): I can’t thank Elise enough for her professionalism and dedication. She took the time to truly understand my needs, guiding me through my debut book on the complex Supply Chain Management industry and turning it into an accessible, engaging read. Elise also brought invaluable ideas, management skills, and branding expertise to enhance my brand. Her keen eye and unwavering commitment make her an incredible asset to anyone lucky to work with her. Kerim Kfuri 
Global Supply Chain Expert | Public Speaker | Author of Supply Chain Ups and Downs | CEO I had the pleasure of working with Elise for […]
- [Media old](https://elisekrentzel.com/media-old/): MEDIA NOVEMBER 11, 2025 From Tokyo to You (Unofficial KISS Fan-Film Documentary) JUNE 3, 2025 CONVERSATIONS WITH ELISE KRENTZEL MARCH 3, 2024 INTERVIEW WITH Seth Goldstein August 1, 2023 BECOMING A REBEL WRITER By Elise Krentzel SEPTEMBER 12, 2023 EXPLORING LIFE & BUSINESS with Elise Krentzel of EK Editorial & Coaching JULY 5, 2023 EK EDITORIAL AND COACHING on DotCom Magazine
- [Services old](https://elisekrentzel.com/services-old/): Editorial & Coaching Ghostwriting Too busy to write your book? BOOK COACHING Need a muse to write effortlessly? Editing Need to pull it all together? Publishing Ready to launch your book and shine? Ghostwriting With over four decades of experience, I specialize in writing in your voice, and capturing your unique perspective with precision and authenticity. Think of me as your ghostwriter and muse—a collaborative partner who makes the writing process seamless and stress-free, who brings your innate talents to the page, making your book a page-turner! People often ask if I’m an expert in their field. The truth is, […]
- [About](https://elisekrentzel.com/about/): Hi, I’m Elise Krentzel The Rebel Writer Elise Krentzel is an author, ghostwriter, and editor whose work is rooted in memoir, cultural journalism, and literary nonfiction. Her career began in Tokyo, where she founded a talent and booking agency and worked as a DJ and music journalist. She later served as Tokyo Bureau Chief for Billboard Magazine, introducing Western audiences to pioneering Japanese innovations including the Sony Walkman and the Laserdisc. After decades working across global media and creative industries in five countries, she returned to the work that matters most: writing that demands precision, structural integrity, and emotional honesty. […]


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