Suprise Me

The Venice Biennale began in 1895, making it the oldest and most important art fair in the world. It showcases contemporary art from across the globe for six months every other year. Twenty nine countries like the U.S., France, Germany and Canada have Pavilions that have stood in the Giardini, once a large park, since… Read More

My message to my grandkids and their peers is to stand up for what you believe in and then to go out and make some noise. I will always be proud of you for any “good trouble” you create along the way. Read More

"My latest attempt to post a comment the normal way yielded a new error message" Read More

I hate November and I hate low-sodium lentil soup. And I wanted a goddamn drink. Is that so awful? Read More

Now I wonder though, might the consumption of that mama cow’s tongue have been the symbolic origin for a daughter’s own future developing poetic tongue? - because these days, who eats cow tongue otherwise? Read More

As a kid I loved Halloween, but grownups have co-opted it. Read More

A hippie, a priest and Henry Kissinger were in an airplane...... Read More

My sometimes vigilant parents rushed to the television button a couple of beats too late to protect me from this grim portal on life and death.  Read More

I had a Scottish nurse when I was a baby. She called me her “wee little treasure” and gave me dolls that said, “Frae Bonnie Scotland” on them. Her name was Jean James but I called her Jean-Jean. I loved the way she spoke and the way she cared for me and my brother. Because… Read More

Teacher Strike In September 1968 I was a newly minted school librarian working in a New York City public high school when my union,  the United Federation of Teachers (UFT),  then led by Al Shanker,  voted to strike.  I joined the picket line. The strike followed a confrontation between a newly established community-controlled school board… Read More