Two book sequels round out the year
Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout, Random House, 2024 Full disclosure: Other the 2014 HBO show “Olive Kitteridge,” based on the novel of that name by Elizabeth Strout, Tell Me Everything was this reviewer’s first trip to the fictional Crosby, Maine. It’s unlikely to be my last. Tell Me Everything reads like the stories that Lucy Barton shares with Olive throughout the... READ MORE
Why Yogi Berra was right about funerals
A woman we knew only slightly died one recent afternoon. The funeral was scheduled for five days later. The date and time landed hard on a previously scheduled, important meeting. Should we bail on the meeting? Would anyone miss us if we didn’t attend the funeral? Could we skip the funeral since she wasn’t a blood relative or a close friend? Or was this funeral — any... READ MORE
Signature Theatre’s lovely Sondheim riot
After the passing of Stephen Sondheim in 2021, there have been many revivals of his works. Now Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, is introducing to new audiences one of the Broadway composer and lyricist’s most ebullient works, the riotous A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. To quote one of the show’s many melodic tunes, the Signature production is “lovely, ... READ MORE
Writer uses fiction to express what’s true
While Daine Grey never aspired to be a novelist, the Columbia retiree published his second book in May. Previously a psychology professor, Grey put his teaching career behind him and began a new chapter, so to speak, just four years ago. “The transition into being a writer was made by accident,” Grey said in an interview with the Beacon. “I had no intention of doing... READ MORE
A cosmic, comic play now at Fells Point
The play On the Verge; or, the Geography of Yearning mixes science fiction, bits of American pop history, an exploration of women’s evolving societal roles, word play, and a dollop of Cool Whip (you’ll find out) into a surreally silly yet thought-provoking adventure. Playwright Eric Overmyer — award-winning writer and producer of TV staples like “The Wire,” “Law &... READ MORE
Hallmark sued for ‘ageist’ talk, behavior
Hallmark Media executive vice president of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly instructed a former employee not to cast “old people” for Hallmark roles, saying that “our leading ladies are aging out,” according to a lawsuit filed against the network last month and obtained by The Associated Press. Penny Perry, a 79-year-old casting director who filed the lawsuit Oct. 9 in Los... READ MORE
Wanting the ‘Wanted’ to be wanted again
It’s my automatic go-to throwaway line. If I meet a stranger, and he thinks he has met me previously, I will always say: “You must have been studying the Wanted posters in the Post Office. I’m up there. Interstate Flight to Avoid Responsibility.” Guffaws are never far behind. But it’s time I found some new material. We have just observed the 15th anniversary of the... READ MORE
Lifelong writer personalizes the abstract
Some people are fortunate to find their life’s work early. “I pretty much always thought that I was going to be a writer,” Maryland author Wayne Karlin said in an interview with the Beacon. “I was a reader — I love reading, and I love stories.” Now 79 years old, retired college professor Wayne Karlin has published nine novels, three nonfiction books, poetry, short stories and ... READ MORE
Three interesting nonfiction books for fall
These recently published books are perfect reads for fall. Secret Life of the Universe: An Astrobiologist's Search for the Origins and Frontiers of Life By Nathalie A. Cabrol Scribner, 320 pages This book is a primer on the search for life beyond Earth. As director of the Carl Sagan Center for Research at the SETI Institute, astrobiologist Nathalie A. Cabrol’s... READ MORE
How private can a neighbor choose to be?
She was a nice lady who lived alone and always kept to herself. She mowed her lawn regularly, shoveled snow when necessary, never played loud music, never caused any trouble. Her neighbors knew almost nothing about her. Family? Career? Birthplace? Education? She never spoke of any of that — or spoke much at all. She exchanged hellos with her neighbors when they passed... READ MORE
