Category Archives: Uncategorized

Tribute to the New Rep

I received a message in today’s email: New Rep is closing its doors. This time for good. Forty years is a good long run for a theatre company. Still, I am so sorry to see the New Rep go. The … Continue reading

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Same Old Same Old Violence

Adrienne LaFrance’ cover story “The New Anarchy” (The Atlantic, April 2023) provides an historical perspective on the nature of violence in our country and how it cycles through history. This particular passage, centered on the early 20th century anarchist Luigi … Continue reading

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Hurray for YA!

Three of my favorite stories these days fall under the label ‘YA:’ Young Adult. Perhaps I’m regressing. Perhaps I’m catching up to a genre that did not own a label back when I was age-appropriate. Regardless, I love the exuberance, … Continue reading

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The Apple Falls Not Far from the Tree

A few years ago my sister, who is both straightforward and accurate, called me a curmudgeon. It smarted for a moment, until I realized the truth in the label. Since then, whenever I careen in the direction of being another … Continue reading

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Equity at the Expense of Empathy

Did you know that the Sierra Club has a handbook called the “Equity Language Guide?” They are not alone. The American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Psychological Association, the AMA, National Recreations and Parks Association, and University … Continue reading

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Human Evolution Begets Labor Day Travel

Humans are wanderers by nature. Our innate drive to explore—and conquer—has driven us to invade every corner of our earth, adapt to inhospitable environments, and now that we’ve run out of earth-bound frontiers, dive deep into the sea and reach … Continue reading

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TURTLES

As the world revs up to back-to-work and back-to-school, I want to share this delightful—and sage—piece written by E.B White (author of Charlotte’s Web and other books). It was first published in The New Yorker on January 31, 1953. We … Continue reading

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Adventures in Gender-Free Bathrooms

It’s August! Let’s be silly! After blogging for over a decade, I am humbled to admit that the most popular post I ever wrote was about squat toilets: Personal Hygeine Tips from the Developing World. Published in 2014—so long ago … Continue reading

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No Way to Level the Playing Field

One for the first things an aspiring civil engineer learns how to do when seeking a flat surface upon which to construct a road or a building, is to balance cut and fill. Analyze the topography in three dimensions and … Continue reading

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Everybody Loves…

A few weeks ago I watched Six by Sondheim an HBO (kind of) documentary, and (totally) kitsch love poem to the late, great Stephen Sondheim. The accolades to Mr. Sondheim’s talent were eclipsed only by the accolades—from everyone—for Stephen Sondheim … Continue reading

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