Award-winning travel writer and bestselling author, Margie Goldsmith? At 81 years old, she’s still going strong – traveling the world, boxing for sport and interviewing a long list of celebrities, chefs, athletes, musicians and more.

In her new memoir, Becoming a Badass: From Fearful to Fierce (Booklogix, September 30, 2025), Margie is a testament to the adage “no one is going to make your life for you.” Her story is one of adventure and resilience. It’s about living life on your terms and living it fearlessly. She speaks to anyone looking to overcome a sense of powerlessness in any given situation, whether that’s a dysfunctional family, a marriage/relationship, or a career, and to anyone who has ever felt “less than.” In an interview, Margie Goldsmith can talk about:

• Her move to Paris after college, living a glamorous life and marrying a blacklisted film director
• Her love of travel — becoming a travel writer and visiting 150 countries on seven continents, including Uganda, The Marquesas, South Korea, Laos, Cambodia, Oman, Cuba, Tibet, Nepal, Borneo, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Easter Island, Croatia, Namibia, the Arctic and Antarcticat
• How the Outward Bound program changed her life: Physical activity is her passion and she has completed marathons and Olympic distance triathlons, summited Mount Rainier, and climbed to Advanced Base Camp on the north face of Mount Everest
• Learning to play the harmonica and recorded two albums with America’s most award-winning blues band
• Coming from a family of suicide (her father), incest, schizophrenia (her sister Kathy), manic depression and alcoholism (both parents) and how that has shaped her life
• Surviving stage four pancreatic cancer and later, lung cancer

Becoming a Badass Book Jacket.jpg

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Margie Goldsmith is a New York City-based adventure, luxury, lifestyle and profile writer. She is a contributor to Business Jet Traveler, Wine, Dine & Travel and Food & Travel. Her articles appear in Forbes.com, Travel + Leisure, Robb Report, National Geographic Traveler, Coastal Living, Virtuoso, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, Garden and Gun, Organic Spa, Ultimate Experiences and others.

She is the author of four books: Screw-Up; Alice Dalton Browne: Nocturnes and Diurnes; Masters of the Harmonica: 30 Harmonica Masters Share Their Craft (#1 bestseller on Amazon). Her newest book is her memoir, Becoming a Badass: From Fearful to Fierce. Her essays appear in Travelers Tales, The Walker Within, In Search of Adventure, National Geographic’s Spiritual Journeys, GoNomad’s London Reader, and Chance Encounters.

Goldsmith has won 101 writing awards including the coveted Lowell Thomas SATW Gold Award, Lowell Thomas Bronze Journalist of the Year Award, four Eddie and Ozzie Folio Awards, and multiple honors from ASJA, NATJA, the Solas Award, Travel Classics Award, and OWAA. For more information, please visit https://margiegoldsmith.com/.

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/Mastersoftheharmonica

#MargieGoldsmith

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DRAGONS TO INVADE CENTRAL PARK – TODAY WED. 7/18/2018@10:30am
7/18/18 Media Contact:DAASSOCIATESPR.COM- David L. Archer- cell (914)299-0837, daassociates@aol.com www.hkdbf-ny.org
TO: ASSIGNMENT DESK
NYC MEDIA ALERT- PHOTO OPPTY-TRADITIONAL DRAGON BOAT AWAKENING CEREMONY
TODAY -WEDNESDAY, July 18th at 10:30 AM (rain or shine),
AT: NYC CENTRAL PARK-BETHESDA FOUNTAIN ADJACENT TO THE BOATHOUSE.(2 minutes south by walk to the Boathouse; just a short stroll from Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street)
FBUDDHIST MONKS, AND SHAOLIN MARTIAL ARTISTS TO PERFORM, BLESS AND UNVEIL DRAGON BOATS FOR THE 2018 HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK. THE YEAR OF THE DOG
Media, Invited Guests, Elected Officials, VIP’s, Sponsors and Traditional Chinese Shaolin Martial Artists will look on as Shi Fu Jie Tong and Shi Fu Ming Yu from World Chan Buddhist Association perform the Traditional Awakening Blessing of the Dragon Boats, the “Kick off” of the festivities leading up to the 2018 Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York. Bringing prosperity and good fortune to the area and those involved. Dignitaries and invited guests will have the opportunity to Dot the Eye of the Dragon. Two Dragon Boats will be on display, one boat will be put in the lake for a quick spin for Invited guests.
The boats were recently made in Hong Kong for the 28th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York-2016, a Free International, multi-cultural celebration and sporting event that will be held Sat, August 11th and Sun, Aug. 12th, 2018 from 9am to 5pm (rain or shine) at Meadow Lake, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY. The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York began at Battery Park in 1991.

“THE DRAGON BOAT AWAKENING CEREMONY includes brief performances from the Shaolin Masters of the Shaolin Temple Overseas headquarters.
THE 28th ANNUAL HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL IN NY TAKES PLACE ON MEADOWS LAKE, FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK SAT AUG. 11th & SUN AUG 12th from 9am-5pm rain or shine. CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF THE DOG
A FREE 2 DAY INTERNATIONAL, MULTICULTURAL SPORTING AND CULTURAL EVENT WITH 200+ TEAMS (comprising approx 2,500 competitors) FROM AROUND THE WORLD COMPETING FOR CASH & PRIZES.

SEE www.hkdbf-ny.org for directions and further information. Admission to the HKDBF-NY is Free, Events take place Rain or Shine.

Please take the MTA or car pool. Directions to the Festival by bus/subway – Again this year we’ve worked with the MTA to insure easy and safe transportation to the Festival site. Festival goers can use their MetroCard to take the #7 Train to the CitiField stop and transfer from there to special MTA shuttle buses that will take them directly to the Festival site. Parking on-site is limited, you can Park at CitiField and take the special MTA shuttle with your MetroCard or use correct change.Directions to the Festival by car – take the Long Island Expressway to Van Wyck Expressway to exit 11 south, then stay on service road to the Park. Parking is severely limited.
Downloadable photos are available at www.hkdbf-ny.org . (web designed and maintained by Fusia Communications)

This year’s Sponsors include; the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, NY, HSBC Bank USA.,N.A., Con Edison, New York Community Bank, Toyota, Nielsen,Shanghai Commercial Bank, Flushing Bank, NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, UPS, Cathay Bank, AARP, Verizon, Macy’s, ITALKBB, Tsingtao, Vallo Transportation, Ltd., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens Chamber of Commerce, Office of the Queensborough President, Melinda Katz, NYC &Co, Discover Queens.Media &Creative Partners: New York Daily News, Sing Tao Daily News, The Queens Courier, GoodNews Broadcast.com, MultiCultural Radio Broadcasting, Inc.(AM1480, Sino Television, Sinocast, M-Weekly Magazine), Fusia Communications, Inc., Inak Design, Additional support provided by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, The Times Ledger Newspaper Group and Yelp.

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The revolutionary new brand, Net Generation, will provide American tennis with one unified youth brand for children to get into the sport, making it easier for children and their parents to learn about tennis and get into the game in schools, parks and tennis clubs across the country.

The movement embraces all aspects of youth play for kids ages 5-18. The official Net Generation launch will take place at Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day on Aug. 26.

“Net Generation is a bold approach to empower kids to play the game while elevating and setting new standards on how we deliver and engage children in our sport,” said Craig Morris, General Manager, USTA Community Tennis and Youth Tennis. “These efforts will make a lasting impact to help drive youth participation throughout the country. There is no bigger and better stage than the US Open to launch the brand.”

The objective of Net Generation is to provide a safe connection to the sport, as well as a platform to celebrate individuality and self-expression. To ensure a safe environment, all Net Generation providers – including coaches, teachers, players and volunteers – must first go through a Safe Play Program, which involves a three-step process, including a background check, by registering on NetGeneration.com.

With the USTA’s focus on childhood safety, this system will be the first of its kind in the sports landscape to require all providers to submit to a comprehensive screening and education program.

“It is essential to implement the best infrastructure and environment for the current and future generation of kids,” said Katrina Adams, USTA Chairman of the Board, CEO and President. “Net Generation will help further our commitment to encouraging healthy lifestyles and bringing more children into the game by reaching kids and parents in a dynamic and easier way than ever before.”

In addition to the official launch at Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day Powered by Net Generation, the brand will have a significant presence leading up to and at this years’ US Open.

Net Generation has been integrated at US Open Series events throughout the summer, including at kids’ days, high school days, family days and festivals to encourage more kids and families to join the sport.

Net Generation will have a dedicated kids’ zone at the US Open Experience at the Seaport District NYC on Aug. 24-25, and a Net Generation Arcade near the Grandstand at the US Open aims to reinvent the retro classic 80s video arcade games with a tennis twist.

Also at the US Open, kids will receive their own Wildcard Activity Book that will serve as every child’s guide to Net Generation, including a roadmap, activities and pages for autographs, and the Fan Court at the US Open American Express Fan Experience in the Chase Center will include on-court activities, clinics and games.

In addition, the USTA will enlist 32 social media brand influencers, “Netset Ambassadors.” who are ages 5-18 with a strong social media presence, to showcase Net Generation through their views. The ambassadors will create content promoting the brand to their social media followings.

In addition to serving as Netset Ambassadors, three lucky influencers have been selected to serve as “kidcasters” who will give followers a behind-the-scenes look at the US Open.

The USTA has a longstanding commitment to encouraging healthy and active lifestyles among children. Over the last decade, youth tennis has brought hundreds of thousands of kids into the sport by using shorter courts, lower-bouncing balls and lighter racquets to allow them to play more quickly and easily.

To further evolve these efforts, the USTA will be working closely with schools and school districts by providing equipment, trainings and resources for teachers. The USTA has developed a new schools tennis curriculum and will encourage schools to have a community partner to help kids find a tennis facility to play after school in partnership with SHAPE America.

Furthermore, Net Generation will activate throughout all competitive levels including youth tennis, team tennis and junior competition. By setting new standards and collaborating with programs across the board, these efforts will help unite the tennis industry by sharing the same mission to get more kids playing tennis.

For more information, please visit NetGeneration.com

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After an official welcome from Italian Consul General Francesco Genuardi, Piemonte Tourism Manager Maria Elena Rossi took the stage to highlight the tourism trends happening in her region. Central to her message was that U.S. visitors to Piemonte are at an all time high, with a reported 270,000 arrivals from America in 2015. On another note, her presentation highlighted Piemonte’s exclusive experiences in the worlds of fashion, food and high-end tours.

Presenting about one of Piemonte’s famous foods was Mauro Carbone, Supervisor of the National Centre for the Study of Truffles. Carbone officially announced two exclusive dining experiences that will take place during the 87th International White Truffle Fair of Alba called “Ultimate Truffle Dinner”.

This new dining experience will feature Michelin-starred chefs Ugo Alciati and Flavio Costa who will pair the White Truffle of Alba with unique elements of international cuisine including: oysters, Kobe beef veal, caviar, foie gras, Champagne and Barolo wine for dinner guests on October 25th and November 20th. The proceeds of these prestigious events will go towards the “Breathe the Truffle” project— the first crowdfunding campaign to protect the natural environment of the White Truffle of Alba.

Also in attendance was Juventus Stadium and Museum Curator, Marco Albano. Making the list of Top 50 Museums in Italy, Juventus opened with the sole mission of compiling 120+ years of Bianconeri soccer history and triumphs into one unique and innovative exhibition of trophies and memorabilia. Since opening in 2012, Juventus Museum has seen more than 700,000 visitors making it a mainstay of Piemonte tourism attractions.

Stefano Mosca, director of the Biella Tourist Board since 1998, presented a new shopping tour experience called “In Biella Factory Stores”. As Biella is the undisputed leader in the manufacturing sector of high end textile products, Stefano and his teamknew the new tour would be an all access pass to this fashion world—from visits to cashmere wool mills to unprecedented factory outlet shopping—the “In Biella Factory Stores” new tour will give fashion aficionados exactly what they came for.

Summarizing the event, Ms. Maria Elena Rossi, said, ”We’re proud to make our debut in New York today and raise the profile of our region on the world’s stage: New York City. We’re honored to host this group of top media from all sectors—from food & wine to sport & fashion. Through this visit to New York, it is our aim that more U.S. travelers would visit Piemonte and enjoy our ‘Italian Lifestyle in Authentic Piemonte’.

CONTACT
For more information please contact:
Ally Stoltz LaBriola
ally@myriadmarketing.com

ABOUT PIEMONTE, ITALY
Bordering Switzerland and France, the Piemonte region of northern Italy sits at the foot of the Alps and is well regarded for its cultural offerings including historical Royal residences and fifteen UNESCO sites. The region is also famed for its alpine skiing and outdoor adventures around the surrounding lake areas. For foodies, Piemonte is home to unrivalled white truffles and fine wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco and Asti Spumante. Spanning 15,000 square miles (twice the size of Massachusetts), Piemonte is the largest region in Italy after Sicily and offers an unmatched Italian experience from culture and history to food and wine. For North American travellers, the fastest way to access the Piemonte region is to fly into Torino Airport via major US carriers. By car, Torino is a two-hour drive from the Milan International Airport. Additionally, there are daily scheduled train arrivals into Torino.

ABOUT SVILUPPO PIEMONTE TURISMO
Sviluppo Piemonte Turismo is the regional tourist board of Piemonte Region in Italy. Piemonte is an emerging tourist destination, as shown by the trend of tourist flows and the resulting economic impact assessment. This trend has been growing over recent years and in 2006, also thanks to the Winter Olympic Games, Piemonte consolidated its position on the national and international markets counting 13.5 million visitors. A very positive trend, especially for the market segments and the areas where great work has been done for the product development, the quality improvement of the accommodation facilities and a targeted marketing and tourism promotion policy, supported by market researches and studies.

For further information, please visit:
Piemonte Tourism Website http://www.piemonteitalia.eu/?lang=en
Piemonte Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/VisitPiemonte
Sviluppo Piemonte Turismo Website: www.piemonte-turismo.it/en

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Vid Sondoz is Artist in Residence at Good News.  Vid Sondoz creates art and is sharing his talents with a wonderful picture of his impression of when the Dragons Invaded Central Park

Vid SonDoz –  Was born in Connecticut.  He studied glass blowing and Neon in New York City in the late 80’s.  Vid moved to El Junque, Puerto Rico to pursue his creative expression.  Vid states”  I love to communicate with nature and then share my feeling with the world with various mediums.”  Vid has worked with mixed media, oil, sculpture, 3 Dimensional Neon, re-cyclers of the insect realm.  Vid is Artist in Residence at Good News Planet, and serves as Art  and Scenic Director.  Vid is also helping to produce the art section on www.goodnewsplanet.com.  To reach or purchase his art  go to:  paul.sladkus@goodnewsbroadcast.com or call 212.647.1212.

–TRADITIONAL DRAGON BOAT AWAKENING CEREMONY

Thursday, July 12th at 10:30 AM (rain or shine),

CENTRAL PARK-BETHESDA FOUNTAIN ADJACENT TO THE BOATHOUSE.

BUDDHIST MONKS, AND SHAOLIN MARTIAL ARTISTS TO PERFORM, BLESS AND UNVEIL DRAGON BOATS FOR THE 2012 HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK. THE YEAR OF THE WATER DRAGON

Media, Invited Guests, Elected Officials, VIP’s, Sponsors and Traditional Chinese Shaolin Martial Artists will look on as Shi Fu Jie Tong and Shi Fu Ming Yu from World Chan Buddhist Association perform the Traditional Awakening Blessing of the Dragon Boats, “Kicking off” the festivities leading up to the 2012 Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York, and bringing prosperity and good fortune to the area and those involved. Dignitaries and invited guests will have the opportunity to Dot the Eye of the Dragon.

The boats were recently made in Canada for the 22^nd  Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York-2012, a free International, multi-cultural celebration and sporting event that will be held August 4 and 5, 2012 from 9am to 5pm (rain or shine) at Meadow Lake, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY. The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York began at Battery Park in 1991.

“THE DRAGON BOAT AWAKENING CEREMONY” will be followed by brief performances from the Shaolin Masters of the Shaolin Temple Overseas headquarters.

THE 22nd ANNUAL HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL IN NY TAKES PLACE ON MEADOWS LAKE, FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK SAT AUG. 4th & SUN AUG 5th from 9am-5pm rain or shine. CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF THE WATER DRAGON

A FREE 2 DAY INTERNATIONAL, MULTICULTURAL SPORTING AND CULTURAL EVENT WITH 170+ TEAMS (comprising approx 2,500 competitors) FROM AROUND THE WORLD COMPETING FOR CASH & PRIZES.

SEE www.hkdbf-ny.org for directions and further information.

Admission to the HKDBF-NY is Free, Events take place Rain or Shine.
Directions to the Festival by car – take the Long Island Expressway to Van Wyck Expressway to exit 11 south, then stay on service road to the Park. Parking is severely limited. Please take the MTA or car pool. Directions to the Festival by bus/subway –Again this year we’ve worked with the MTA to insure easy and safe transportation to the Festival site. Festival goers can use their MetroCard to take the #7 Train to the CitiField  stop and transfer from there to special MTA shuttle buses that will take them directly to the Festival site, or they can walk from the CitiField stop (about 15 minutes) or take the colorful park trolley to the festival site. Parking on-site is limited, you can park at CitiField and take the special MTA shuttle with your MetroCard or use correct change.

Downloadable photos are available at www.hkdbf-ny.org . (web designed and maintained by Fusia Communications)

This year’s Sponsors include; the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, NY; Verizon, Time Warner Cable, Con Edison, J.P.Morgan Chase, New York Community Bank, Shanghai Commercial Bank,  Resorts World NYC, Wells Fargo, Standard Chartered Bank, CLEARWIRE, Flushing Saving Bank, New York Hospital Queens, Panda, Sheraton La Guardia East Hotel, Vallo Transportation, Ltd., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens Chamber of Commerce, Office of the Queensborough President, Helen Marshall, NYC &Co, and Discover Queens.
Media &Creative Partners: WNBC TV 4, The New York Times, Sing Tao Daily News, The Queens Courier, GoodNews Broadcast.com, RNN, MultiCultural Radio Broadcasting, Inc.(AM1480, Sino Television, Sinocast, M-Weekly Magazine), Fusia Communications, Inc., Inak Design, Time Warner Cable and RCN. Additional support provided by HSBC Bank USA, the Times Ledger Newspaper Group,Foxwoods, and the NY Daily News.

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