Archive for July 2016
BERNIE’S HOME RUN
A week ago, I watched Donald Trump’s acceptance speech from Cleveland. I would have watched more of the Republican convention, but the speakers were uninspiring. Not so the Democrats. In baseball terms, they all delivered big hits as did Independent former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. But to me, Bernie Sanders hit a critical home…
Read MoreDEFINING FAMILY
Two recent pieces in The New York Times speak to the new populism that threatens the United States. I find part of the solution within my family and my synagogue. David Brooks’ June 28 column “Revolt of the Masses” quoted David Vance, author of the book Hillbilly Elegy. Vance writes about the Kentucky and Ohio…
Read MoreSERIOUSLY FUNNY
Last Friday, I invited readers and Facebook friends to You Tube to see the stand-up comedy act I performed in 2013 at San Francisco’s Purple Onion as research for my novel The Boy Walker. I spent many hours writing that nine-minute set. Was it because I was a neophyte? Jill Maragos, a professional funny woman,…
Read More