Wednesday evening I went to hear Jeffrey Goldberg speak about his much-publicized article, “The Obama Doctrine,” published in the April issue of The Atlantic. The historic Sixth and I synagogue in Washington was filled to capacity. James Bennet, editor of the magazine, questioned Goldberg about his extensive interviews of President Obama. Goldberg explained that his objective was [...]
Last night I attended the final of three excellent workshops at The Writer’s Center led by Zahara Heckscher on obtaining agents for publishing fiction and memoir. Jeff Kleinman, an agent at Folio Literary Management, was kind enough to call in and give us an informal snapshot of what agents are looking for. There are a [...]
Recently I went to Strathmore Music Center in Rockville and heard Brian Ganz, an accomplished pianist, play a Chopin recital. Ganz played superbly and received a deserved ovation from the audience. As much as I enjoyed the concert, as smoothly as it all went, the few moments before the concert impressed me as well. Spontaneous generation [...]
Last week I talked about ekphrasis: the pairing of art with words. I relate to the art of pairing art with words much like like one pairs wines with food. The flavors of each enhance the other, allowing us to best savor the two. The following print, Polar Patterns, was created by my wife, Lona, to accompany a [...]
I’m knee deep in being an author and finishing up my second book on personal essays in a memoir form. What an experience to confront one’s identity and revisit one’s life – childhood, passions, dreams, efforts, disappointments – from a new perspective. Stayed tuned for this book; it’s coming. Such personal reflections bring home the [...]
A Valentine’s Story: The triumph of cosmic love Cloudlets are magnificent specimens with a subtle blend of iridescent colors populating planet Codlet in a distant galaxy. They are a beautiful sight to behold as they float gracefully in the atmosphere. Cloudlets are able to synthesize complex thoughts unhindered by (almost all) [...]
