Books translated from esoteric languages
The Bibliophile See the world through the perspective of other cultures. Experience the lives and emotions of natives thanks to these three translations. They run the gamut from first-person stories to Russian interwar history to contemporary humor originally in Catalan, Yiddish and Swedish. The Art of Wearing a Trench Coat: Stories, by Sergi Pàmies, translated by Adrian Nathan West,... READ MORE
Remember when clothes made the man?
It’s midnight blue. It’s still in pretty good repair. It has done lots of duty over the years — at weddings, public appearances, business meetings. Until early last year, it was my go-to suit. But then came the pandemic, and all the adjustments that we have come to know so well. For me, that meant growing a beard (I shaved after three months — I looked like a sheep). It... READ MORE
Guerilla gardeners pitch in to beautify city
Fifteen years ago, D.C. resident Jim Guckert saw the potential for beauty. He would pass by the pocket park at the corners of 8th and I streets, near the Marine Corps barracks, and imagine transforming it from an eyesore to lush garden. So Guckert “recruited some neighbors to help me maintain the park and plant liriope and daylilies in the tree boxes,” he said. “The garden was... READ MORE
Local author gives back with each book
Last November, Maryland children’s book author Zoe Michal received an unexpected and very exciting email. Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, had chosen Michal’s second book, Mission: Protect Bear, to read on her YouTube channel, “Storytime with Fergie and Friends.” Ferguson, the former wife of Prince Andrew, who has written four children’s books, started the channel during... READ MORE
Made in Baltimore with love
A few years ago, Teresa Stephens was working in a community garden in West Baltimore when a disheveled man stumbled in from a nearby alley, alcohol on his breath. The man, who told her he had grown up on a North Carolina farm, seemed interested in her work. Stephens, now 52, offered him a plot of his own. “I provided everything: a shovel, a hoe, the seeds he said he wanted,” she... READ MORE
Mentors help students grow
Two decades ago, pediatric social worker Chaya Kaplan met an 8-year-old boy who became a lifelong friend. “T.B.” was a student she tutored through a program for disadvantaged children run by the Howard County Public School System and the Department of Social Services. He was one of eight children being raised by his grandmother. “I tutored/mentored T.B. weekly for about five years, ... READ MORE
How plants communicate with pollinators
Since between 75 to 90% of flowering plants require pollinators for reproduction, and since they’re clearly immobile, they must have strategies for attracting pollinators to themselves. Pollinator syndrome describes the way plants have developed over time to attract specific pollinators. The more we learn about a flower’s appearance as well as its food rewards of nectar and pollen,... READ MORE
A virtual violin competition and festival
In 1983, Joji Hattori, now 52, participated in the first-ever Menuhin Competition — a musical contest started by Yehudi Menuhin, one of the 20th century’s greatest violinists. This year Hattori is one of the judges of the international competition for violinists under age 22. Known as the “Olympics of the Violin,” the Menuhin competition is typically held every two years, but, as ... READ MORE
Reasons to pay one’s taxes cheerfully
At my advanced (and advancing) age, it’s not smart to ruin friendships. They are harder than ever to repair and replace. But I fear I may have just blown things up with an equally ancient pal. You be the judge as to which of us is at fault. This friend and I were talking on the phone about taxes. He was bemoaning the burden they place on him, a single man in his 70s who lives mostly ... READ MORE
Recent anthologies can open our minds
The Bibliophile In the digital age, shorter attention spans have made anthologies an ideal format for readers. Feel a sense of accomplishment as you complete each self-contained entry. Happy Half-Hours: Selected Writings, by A.A. Milne, 180 pages, Notting Hill Editions hardcover, 2020 A. A. Milne, the renowned author of Winnie the Pooh, was a prolific writer of novels, plays, poems... READ MORE
Arts 2024
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