Articles
The One with Space Mountain
Sometimes people don't know how to stay out of trouble until they get a swift reality check by, say, ending up in jail. Enter my high school friend Toby. He was a pimply, freckle-faced kid with hair leaning more toward strawberry than blond, prompting a lot of...
The One with the Goddess Pele, Part 2
DAY 1, cont'd. a.k.a Angering the Goddess Pele We last left our plucky but determined heroine riding down the Haleakalā volcano on a small bicycle while wearing a large helmet. (Cue dramatic music.) We'd watched a serene, breathtaking sunrise from the top of Haleakalā...
The One with the Peanuts Wisdom
I must interrupt part two of the harrowing and riveting tale of my encounter with the Goddess Pele to tell you about A Tale of Two Comments. The first was what I'll call the Worst of Comments. A few weeks ago, a negative (and anonymous) remark came from a student in...
The One with the Goddess Pele
Last weekend, I was moving some things around in my closet and found this business card on the floor tucked behind some storage bins. Somehow it survived a move, several closet reorganizations and the actual camera, which was the reason I had it in the first...
Fourth Annual Great Books to Give and Get
Got a long list of people to buy for this holiday season and no idea what to get them? In no particular order, here are a few suggestions of books I've loved this year. For those who want to be swept away into a story: TransAtlantic, by Colum McCann. Brilliant. One of...
The One with the Taboo Topics
With the holiday season in full swing, chances are you have a party or two on your calendar. Maybe an office get-together. A neighborhood potluck. An industry association event (yawn). Some people shine at these kinds of gatherings, able to tear through small talk...
The One with All the Christmas Lights
Instead of shopping on "black Friday," I'll be taking in the sights and sounds of the season right here in Brooklyn. Come along with me to the neighborhood of Dyker Heights. Bet your neighbors don't do Christmas like this... If Rockefeller Center is the dignified...
The One with the Orangutan
Last weekend I left cold New York City and headed for the perpetually sunny climes of San Diego. (Seriously, the cushiest gig around must be that of meteorologist in San Diego.) I went to visit dear friends who had the good sense to Escape from New York some years ago...
The One with the Simple Gifts
When I say Las Vegas, you might think: Elvis Casinos Britney Spears The Rat Pack But when I say Las Vegas, I think: Aaron Copland Simple Gifts Martha Graham Not what you'd expect, I know. But it was in Sin City that I was introduced to the most beautiful song that...
The One with the Guitar
During my senior year of college, I had a space to fill on my course card to maintain status as a full-time student. I'd already taken all the classes required for my degree, so I decided to do something radical: take a class for the fun of it. Which was how I ended...
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