A nod to my late penny-pinching friend
Which regular human activity reveals the inner truth about a person? Some would say driving, which can uncover hostility and entitledness in surprising amounts. Some would say the telephone, which can unmask just how friendly — or unfriendly — you really are. But my vote goes to the grocery store, in memory of a friend who died a couple of months ago. He was in his late... READ MORE
Teaching brings joy to poet, art instructor
“When I teach poetry, I get more energy after the class than when I began. It’s the opposite of being drained — it’s being hydrated,” said Maryland Poet Laureate Grace Cavalieri. At age 91, Cavalieri is passionate about teaching poetry to students at different universities and schools across the country. “Younger generations are where the energy is,” she said. Cavalieri ... READ MORE
Movies remembered on the printed page
The Bibliophile The 95th Academy Awards will be presented March 12. Not up to speed on new releases? You may prefer a stroll down memory lane. These books add context to your favorites of years gone by. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of the Godfather, by Mark Seal, 448 pages, Gallery Books hardcover, 2021 Journalist Mark Seal has penned a rollicking and ... READ MORE
Shakespearean spoof amuses at Toby’s
The musical Something Rotten, currently running at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, is both thoroughly Shakespearean and completely modern. In the tradition of Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate, this madcap 2016 Broadway musical pulls names and characters from the Bard’s most famous works and turns them on their head in very amusing ways. For example, Nick Bottom, the blustering anti-hero from... READ MORE
Festival encourages writers of all stripes
“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it,” Toni Morrison, the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, said in a 1981 speech. This may well be true for how CityLit Festival, Baltimore’s annual celebration of literary arts now in its 20th year, came to be. “Honestly, it was a grassroots kind of... READ MORE
Books about the residence of presidents
The Bibliophile Learn more about the White House, also known as the Executive Mansion, in these three books. Although John Adams was the first president to live in the White House, it was George Washington who selected the site and was instrumental in planning and building the home of all his successors. The White House: An Historic Guide, by the White House Historical... READ MORE
On spoiling the grandchildren — a poll
Three things that are always true: As soon as you wash your car, it will rain. A dog will be your best friend. And grandparents exist to spoil their grandchildren. I’ve long believed the first two. But more and more, the third seems to be undergoing challenge and change. Once upon a time, grandparents were relentless, surreptitious treat providers. If their precious little... READ MORE
Local legend retires from life on the road
Johnny Castle, a Mid-Atlantic music legend, has officially retired from almost 60 years of playing rock ‘n’ roll, bluegrass, country, rockabilly, and pretty much any musical style you can imagine. He has been a member of many bands, including the Nighthawks, the Thrillbillys, Bill Kirchen and Too Much Fun, Tex Rubinowitz and the Bad Boys, Arty Hill and the Long Gone Daddys,... READ MORE
Local writer publishes new Jackie O bio
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis has occupied the mind of local author Oline Eaton since she was 12 years old, the year the former first lady passed away. Some three decades later, Eaton has published Finding Jackie: A Life Reinvented, which looks with compassion and insight into the glorious and tragic life of “Jackie O.” Although many other biographies of Jacqueline Onassis... READ MORE
Should Tom Brady hang up his cleats?
My adult children and I agree on many things, but sports is not one of them. They root for teams. I root for individuals. Asked if I watched the latest big game on TV, I will usually say yes. Then I will launch into a detailed analysis of how my favorite player performed. “But don’t you CARE who wins and loses?,” my son will typically ask. “Not really,” I will reply.... READ MORE
