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 […]
Steve Szkotak has had a great run. I write this with great sadness, after hearing from Mandy his wife of nearly 40 years, that he is in hospice care. Like all of us, he’s facing the end, the only difference is that he’s painfully closer, very critical and near death. […]
Who has time? Even youngsters are all on a schedule these days, it’s time for Johnny’s playdate, oh, we gotta leave now to get to Susie’s soccer practice! Who has time to play games that take as long as 30 minutes? I read a story yesterday by Anne Marie […]
Sheryl Sandberg is famous for her line that is the title of her book: Lean In. But besides being the CEO of Facebook and a major empowerer of women, she’s someone who has suffered a great loss, and despite vast wealth and power, remains humbled by it. In today’s WSJ, […]