I’m floored by Phillip Toledano’s Days with My Father, a journal of the photographer’s ongoing relationship with his father who has lost his long-term memory. Beautiful and sometimes sad, it’s a remarkable and poignant tribute to a father-son relationship. It makes me sad that I did not share the same experiences with my own father–something […]
Elton John & Billy Joel
So, tonight we’re seeing Elton John and Billy Joel in concert. My sister Worthy says it’s a loooong concert, which is good, except that she says that the best songs are last, so wait until the 3 and 1/2 hour mark. Whew. Am I getting old or what? Liliana’s staying home with two lovely babysitters […]
Reading Like a Writer
I’ve just finished a second run-through of Francine Prose’s book Reading Like a Writer. I read it when it first came out, but this time, I gleaned much more, perhaps because I’ve written a novel in the interim…and know where my weaknesses lie. Sadly, the book left me feeling inept and incapable, especially as I […]
A Bit of Short Fiction
The Caress She is seventy-eight, a paltry cheeked widow who will some day fade away and be mourned by none. But for now, she believes her fortune has turned. She is walking through the grandest of all ballrooms, mingling with guests who are rich and elite in equal measure. Her taffeta dress swishes past tuxedoed […]
Art Mentors for Children (and Adults)
When I was in eighth grade, I learned to oil paint. Our high school’s art teacher had MS; therefore, she was unable to physically demonstrate the various hands-on techniques we needed to see. We were urged to read books, study finished paintings–which some of us did. For my first and only piece, I chose a […]