music
sounds like magic
At a time when headlines blare what once seemed inconceivable news, the cacophony is enough to send so many of us searching for the sounds of peace. Of quiet. Of simply a silence to the awful noise. On a recent evening when just one more newscast was one too many, B. and I looked at […]
playing by heart
The red piano. No, not Elton’s, mine. And not really a piano but an electronic keyboard. But yes, it’s red – bold, bright, and undeniably present – sort of like me on my good days. And it’s found a place in our home and into my heart. (Also into B.’s ear, but he’s been really […]
love notes
When asked which city I prefer, New York, where I was born and bred, or LA, where I’ve lived for the past 26 years, my answer is San Francisco. I’ve been in love with San Francisco from the first time I visited it at age six (I even grew up to write a novel that […]
listen to the music
Right off the bat, extra points if the title says Doobie Brothers to you and you’ve, well, listened to their music. Way to go. That business taken care of, and speaking of music, one thing I have truly missed over this past almost-year (aside from, first and foremost, of course, the human connection), is the […]
just seventeen
I Saw Her Standing There by the Beatles. That’s what was playing on that June day 45 years ago — at the mailboxes at Cornell — when B. and I met as high-school kids. And for all these years, whenever he hears that song on the car radio, he never turns it off until it’s […]
who’s on first
Ah, the things we do for love. Bringing home a bunch of flowers. Cooking — and cleaning up — a special dinner. Getting our partner’s car washed. Going to a concert we could never have imagined wanting tickets to — much less sitting through. For those of you who are regular readers, you might remember […]
written in the stars
If you’re hesitant to see the newest incarnation of A Star Is Born — because “Hey, I saw the 1976 version with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson and that was enough for me. Besides, who can do that story better than those two?” — I’m here to allay your doubts. Go see it. Go now. […]
bowled over
One of the joys of living in LA is the Hollywood Bowl. The acoustics are exemplary; sitting under the stars listening to great music is one of life’s pleasures; and sharing it all with 20,000 others is, while sometimes a bit overwhelming, always a thrill. Just think — 19,999 other people who know all the […]
i know it a poet
I say “poetry” and you say: a) roses are red, violets are blue, b) there once was a girl from Nantucket, c) oh, no, don’t make me read poetry — please! But how about songwriters as poets? Got your attention now, don’t I? To wit: If you have ever been to a Bruce Springsteen concert, […]
rice on your head 