Neil Sedaka
Yes, Neil Sedaka. Why not? As for the why, I was listening to the song “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” the other day. I hadn’t heard it in a gazillion years, and I got curious about him. So I … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Arts
About that “Hamilton” thing
I’m not so very interested in an incident that seems to be absorbing people so heavily this days, in which an actor in the Broadway show “Hamilton” made a condescending speech from the stage around curtain call time suggesting that … Continue reading →
The still point of the turning world
I’d never heard of ballet dancer Zenaida Yanowsky before. But I idly clicked on a video while procrastinating about something-or-other, and what I saw puzzled me. It was the “Black Swan” pas de deux, and I didn’t love her dancing. … Continue reading →
George W. Bush, portraitist
I find George Bush’s continuing dedication to painting to be quite fascinating. I like his paintings and think he’s improved since he began. Now he seems to be concentrating on portraiture; this is what an art critic has to say: … Continue reading →
Leonard Cohen: he was ready
After giving us the gift of his music for nearly fifty years, Leonard Cohen has finally gone home: His son issued this statement on his father’s death: “My father passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles with the … Continue reading →
He will speak no more: RIP, Leonard Cohen
I just heard the news that Leonard Cohen is dead at 82. I am tremendously saddened. Cohen’s music, his lugubrious voice, and his poetry are the gifts he gave to the world, and they will live on.
Continue reading →Do you watch TV news anymore?
I don’t. Ann Althouse succinctly states my take on this election: To me, the election is a horror show, and it doesn’t matter whether I go down into the cellar or jump out the window. A monster will grab me. … Continue reading →
Hello in there
Here’s a very sweet and touching story for you, amidst all the gloom. I’ve noticed, though, that between the time I first read it late last night and now, they’re eliminated one sentence in the story, which is that the … Continue reading →
The brilliant Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker
Not just O’Conner, but Stapleton too. And the script. All brilliant, I think. People remember Archie as a buffoon, and the show as a comedy. But it was much more than that, and the acting was superb:
Continue reading →Fall: past peak
The leaves aren’t quite what they were just a week ago. But although there are fewer of them, some very beautiful ones still remain. It’s windy, and you can feel a nip in the air. Here are some photos I … Continue reading →
The joys of makeup
Some people are wondering why on earth I seem so taken with makeovers. What’s the big deal? Besides the obvious desire to get away from the gloom of the election and escape into something seemingly frivolous and entertaining, that is. … Continue reading →
Yamato and Hansel and Gretel (and opera)
[NOTE: I wrote this post quite a while ago and never published it until now, so it’s not as timely as it once was. In fact, it’s not timely at all. But I think we continue to need the relief … Continue reading →