Pianist not held back by stroke
Classical pianist, teacher and composer Haskell Small has an impish sense of humor. Visitors to his home in northwest D.C. may find what appears to be a small ice cream cone melting atop his piano’s keys, dripping off onto the floor. It’s a plastic party trick, but it frequently fools people. That sense of humor helped keep Small going through arduous physical therapy after a stroke... READ MORE
Survivor and self-taught painter
Al Biegel escaped the Nazis in Vienna, where he was born, joined the U.S. Army, rose to the rank of colonel while engaging in combat during the Vietnam War, retired from the military after 25 years, then went on to serve another quarter of a century in the national intelligence community. Now 84 and an artist-teacher, Biegel is displaying several works from his “plein air” (outdoor... READ MORE
How stories help doctors, patients
In a conference room at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a group of doctors, nurses, social workers, therapists and other crucial caregivers take time out of their day to listen to a poem by W. H. Auden. The poem, “Surgical Ward,” is often recited by Lauren Small, a novelist, essayist, editor, teacher and assistant professor of pediatrics at Hopkins. The reading is part of... READ MORE
Senior Olympians go for gold
Alexandria retiree Eva Sorensen, 98, and her daughter, Peg Moyer, 76, made an athletic pilgrimage together last spring. As they’ve done for the past decade, the two traveled to the National Senior Games — held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this year — and returned home with some shiny medals. “We’re pretty modest,” said Moyer, who with her softball team, the Fairfax-based... READ MORE
Recounting a TV journalist’s life
Dear Mrs. Pagnotti, Thank you for the recent letter informing me about your son Tony who is on TV in Asheville, North Carolina. I am sure, as you stated, he is a talented, hard-working and handsome reporter. However, there are no appropriate job opportunities for him at CBS at this time. I wish him the best of luck. Regards, Walter Cronkite, September 1976 In spite... READ MORE
Lawyer works to restore Chesapeake Bay
Peggy Sanner lives “in the woods” in Henrico County, but her heart is in the Chesapeake Bay. Sanner is the executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s (CBF) Virginia operations, headquartered in Richmond. She supervises 25 employees who work in Richmond, Virginia Beach, Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and Eastern Shore. (CBF’s main office is in Annapolis,... READ MORE
Write your memoir — with help
Maryland teacher Dotty Holcomb Doherty never considered writing a book until her friend was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. “I don’t want to disappear, and I want my story to help someone else,” her friend told her. “Will you write my story?” Doherty, who had written for several area publications, started writing the story of her friend’s life and then, thanks to a... READ MORE
Volunteers in Howard County rally to help refugees
When Kathy Gross, a parishioner at St. John the Evangelist in Columbia, visited the Afghan family of seven that her church had been asked to help, she found them in a two-bedroom apartment in Elkridge with almost nothing in it except for a mattress and a crib. So Gross created a wish list of household items and sent it to friends and neighbors. “It went out the next day around noon... READ MORE
Volunteers in Baltimore rally to help refugees
In January, an Afghan family of five arrived in the Baltimore area. They had been evacuated to the United States in August and had spent months on a U.S. military base in Wisconsin. Julie Simon and seven others from Baltimore Hebrew Congregation sprang into action. They helped the family move into an apartment in Baltimore County, register their children for public school, sign up for... READ MORE
Candid and courageous conversations
Sitting around a table sharing food is an ancient ritual, one that’s at the heart of Coming to the Table (CTTT) — a national organization founded by Virginians 15 years ago to promote racial healing. Food can foster camaraderie and conversation. At the group’s dinners, everyone eats together at round tables of eight, where they share views, stories and fears on race-related topics. ... READ MORE
Cover Stories 2024
