On Monday, August 21, 2017, America will witness one of nature’s grandest spectacles. The “Great American Eclipse,” as it is being called, will be the first total solar eclipse visible from the continental United States since 1979, when a massive … Continue reading →
I think you’ll see why. It’s from the Czech author Milan Kundera’s The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, which he wrote in the late 1970s: Circle dancing is magic. It speaks to us through the millennia from the depths of … Continue reading →
…and lit that fire. Who’s the “he” who described himself as having put on his Bach hat? Ray Manzarek, who was the inspired and superlative keyboardist for The Doors, and co-founder of the group with Jim Morrison. Recently it was … Continue reading →
I stopped to eat my sandwich at a rest stop on the western Massachusetts Turnpike one recent weekend. It was a lovely day and the Berkshires a fine place for my little picnic, although I didn’t have time to leave … Continue reading →
It occurs to me that Trump has brought “The Apprentice” to the White House. I’m a bit handicapped in making the analogy because I never watched the show, but I’ve seen small clips from it, and the description fits, too: … Continue reading →
Commenter “Stan McQueen” wrote on the Conrad Aiken thread: I was especially touched by the inscription of “Cosmos Mariner-Destination Unknown” on his tombstone, which is in the shape of a bench.. He saw a ship by that name and looked … Continue reading →
Sometimes random associations lead to a post. Earlier today I wrote about a story that’s big in the news: the legal, medical, ethical, and human issues involved in the case of Charlie Gard. While writing it, I noticed that the … Continue reading →
Of course it does. This is indescribable, so I’m not going to attempt to describe it. I’ll just sit back and let you watch and listen:
Continue reading →To tell you the truth, I can’t say I blame him. What a difficult job it must be: White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer resigned Friday in a move apparently tied to the hiring of a new top communications aide, … Continue reading →
Such as yesterday, when I was wearing a silk blouse and eating something with salad dressing on it, and a couple of drops of oil dripped on my blouse. I’d had that blouse for many years and had nursed it … Continue reading →
I sent this video to a friend of mine and he commented, “I hear a brilliant treble singing with an okay but nothing-special baritone.” And I basically agree. But I think it’s almost unbearably poignant to hear the two versions … Continue reading →
I am often amazed at the singing skills demonstrated by youngsters on those talent reality shows. They seem to be genuinely nice kids, too, full of energy and drive. After all, think how much work it takes—and how much confidence—to … Continue reading →