I arrived in New Orleans last night and it did not take long to feel very much at home. I settled into my somewhat ‘rustic’ AirBNB, located in a poor part of the city, and my next stop was the fabulous and legendary Broussard’s Restaurant. Here, in a delightful back […]
I’m waiting at the airport to fly to New Orleans, where I will attend my first IPW conference. This is a meeting that’s called ‘Bringing America to the World, that brings hundreds of foreign travel writers here to show them all of the great attractions, destinations and places in the […]
I enjoy reading a newsletter sent out by Terry Braverman, an LA-based speaker and consultant. He provided some fascinating reasons why the music in bars and restaurants is so often do dreadfully loud…it makes economic sense, in a sick kind of way. Here is a snip from his report: SAY […]
Every morning there is a cacaphony outside our windows, as the avian wonderland that is South Deerfield begins making itself heard again. At 4:45, it will be a shrieking madhouse. I wondered about these songbirds and then found a lot to ponder. It seems that the birds are singing to […]
Emma Ayres crafted an impressive staging of her play, The Water Project, that was the highlight of Eggtooth Productions‘ Full Disclosure Festival over the weekend. The show was performed on the fourth floor of the Arts Block, to a packed house. Centered around the anguish of just one of the […]
At the alleyway next to the Arts Block last night, there sat who else but Linda McInerney, with her familiar broad smile, selling tickets for another impressive festival in her adopted hometown of Greenfield. I knew there would be surprises, and thoughtful presentations, and my mind was open as it […]
The best thing about a blog is being able to look back and remember the places you went and the people you met. I love to randomly search through this blog’s archives and find old posts and recall distant memories. Recently I was looking at some posts from a week […]
“It pretty much never ends,” said Jim Olsen, in an interview in his office at Signature Sounds last week, when I asked about the planning and details for this year’s Green River Festival, the 30th since 1986. This will be the third time it’s all being handled by Signature Sounds, who […]
It’s a rainy Sunday and a rare moment to have a truly relaxing day doing very little. I just don’t give myself enough of these days where I do little or nothing, leaving chores and work in the dust. We had a great time last night getting to know two […]
Steve Szkotak died today at 3:01 pm. I am doing my good work, keeping busy, meeting new people, as my pen-pal has died, slipping away . We have been sharing emails between us for a decade; it’s hard for me to look at email the same way now that Steve […]
Houston, I’ve been told, is the most diverse city in the United States. More than 170 languages are spoken here, beating even Astoria, Queens as the biggest challenge for translators. This vast city is full of so many immigrants, that naturally, it would also be a top food destination. Last […]
There is really no better way to explore a new city than by bicycle. I joined Phil Butcher, owner of Bayou City Bike Tours this morning for a trip around part of downtown Houston, and I was impressed. Before I took off on our ride, some of the people at […]