New Orleans Welcomes IPW with Zydeco, Paddle Wheelers and Beads
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 […]
New Orleans is Where Hundreds of Travel Writers Are Heading
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 […]
Loud Music Makes People Drink More, Leave Faster
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 […]
The Songbirds of the Morning Fight to Keep Their Turf
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 […]
The Water Project: Anguish Over the Forgotten Towns of the Quabbin
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 […]
Full Disclosure Festival Brings a Thinking Audience to Greenfield
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 […]
Normandy Memories with Paul Shoul from 2009
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 […]
The Green River Festival is a Year-Long Labor of Love: Jim Olsen’s Musical Highlights
“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 […]
A Great Excuse for a Party in the Backyard!
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 is Gone: The Continuum and Dull Sadness of Life is the Price for Joy
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’s Restaurant Scene is Exploding
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 […]
Houston’s a Great Place to See By Bike
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 Lived a Great Life, and Shared Much of It With Me
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. […]
Snack Toys Replace the Time-Consuming Habits of Kids
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’s Suggestion Is Good Advice at Bedtime
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, […]
Poker on a Sunday Afternoon: Nothing I’d Rather Do!
I can’t think of anything I’d rather do right now than join my five pals and play some poker. To people who don’t play, it’s hard to convey, but to those of us in my poker group, it’s a golden time for all. To a man, we all love the […]
Honoring Arts Luminaries and the Best Damn Movie Theater in the Valley
Last night I joined a crowd of about 700 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke where four luminaries and a few institutions were recognized in the 2016 NEPR Arts and Humanities Awards. The sun came out on the terrace as the many guests mingled, and as usual, I found plenty […]
WFCR Honors Arts Luminaries This Week
Every May, WFCR has held a gala event that honors members of the community in the Pioneer Valley who stand out for how they’ve helped foster the arts. The list of the 2016 recipients is impressive–Tracy Kidder, Maria Luisa Arroyo, Community Access to the Arts, and my all-time favorite movie theater, […]