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Peter Heller is on the verge of something big. His first novel, The Dog Stars, is coming out in August and it’s one of Knopf’s big books for the season. The book’s been called The Road meets a River Runs Through It, it’s a post apocalyptic story set in a […]

I’m in that state that only comes when you’ve just gotten home from a trip and another looms tomorrow morning, starting at 4 am. Ugh. An early flight made a little easier because Bradley is so easy vs. Boston or New York. Tomorrow’s destination is Denver, and on Thursday I’ll […]

Chick Stapleton was born on the island, and thirteen years ago she started her business renting kayaks and guiding, when she was just 21. Today, Island Spirit Kayak boasts a fleet of 50 boats that can accommodate 64 paddlers, and she also rents out paddleboards. She’s successful enough to spend […]

There is nothing quite as satisfying as plunking down in a seat at the top of the MV Martha’s Vineyard on a sunny Saturday bound for a weekend on the island. You’ve managed to park the car, taken the seven-mile bus, and now the it’s just you the happy crowd […]

This weekend I’m headed for a destination that once was a big part of my life. For forty-five years, Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard was where our family spent their vacations, then for the last eight years or so it became my workplace. I used to go to the island about […]

In Massachusetts, we have a distinction that we all can be proud of. Of all the US states, we have the highest number of citizens with health insurance. And the individual mandate, requiring us all to buy it or face a tax penalty, raises nary a peep among us. Go […]

Have you put the Mutton and Mead Medieval Festival on your June calendar? Last year I wrote enthusiastically about the experience of removing one’s watch and stowing the cellphone in order to fully immerse myself in England during the 1200s. Last June more than 2000 people made their way from […]

Screens, screens, never have their been so many screens all around us. Last week a story in the WSJ explained a new use for screens, to order food and keep kids entertained while their parents wait for food at restaurants. Now at some Chili’s Grill and Bar and Applebee’s locations […]

I took a trip back in time last night–it was the 1930s and the huge cast of Arthur Miller’s “The American Clock” sang and spoke in the manner of this faraway decade when the country faced the Great Depression. The show continues Saturday night June 2 at the Ashfield Town […]

While the world may be going to hell, last night inside the warm confines of the packed Calvin Theater, all was well–not just well, but jumping up and down fantastic. Michael Franti brought a love for his audience right down front, up into the balcony, and dragged dozens of his […]

“What is a closing like?” my daughter asked me. Today she and Francisco have their momentous occasion, when they sign the papers to take over a new house from the bank. It’s a seminal moment in every young couple’s life; but it doesn’t seem as common as it once was. […]

If I were a sporting goods store that sold kayaks, I’d try to get as many people to borrow them and take them out for an afternoon as I could. I guarantee most people would return them and then want to own one for themselves.  Today we borrowed a friend’s […]