Under threatening skies in a cozy and picturesque former Hudson River train station, twenty or so lovers of literature (or something) came to see the novelist DeLaune Michel and myself perform in a reading sponsored by the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center. The Center’s director, Jerri Lynn Fields, opened the evening with a discussion of the …
“Dark Horse is the story of Bob Long, the governor of California and candidate for the Democratic nomination for president. With this status he is afflicted only temporarily, since his all-but-secured nomination is swiftly undone through a tricky procedural maneuver sprung after some underhanded double-dealing by his rival. . . .Then, something unusual happens: God …
I had lunch with John Stacks, my mentor, exemplar, confessor and friend during my years at Time magazine. I was delighted to see him, and to chew over the presidential campaign, the surprising delights of visiting the east of Italy, and how coop board critics are similar to Hamas. I am thrilled to say that …
I received a nice note from an artist in California named Lisa Jonte (see http://www.Girlamatic.com, or http://www.never-done.com, or http://www.Arcanumvisual.com), who was trying to track down an article I wrote called When Disney Ran America, which appeared in the June 1991 issue of Spy. After I sent her a copy, I received a lovely note that …
Because the gang’s all here. My father always said that his only request for his funeral is that we play The Beer Barrel Polka, and I’m glad we made his last wish come true. Thanks to all of the freinds and relatives who came to Dad’s viewing and funeral, and to the party that followed. …
We may all know a person, but we may not all know the same person. And obviously, we may not know the real person, the person inside. The rare stories that my father told about his youth all involved fun—-sledding and playing soccer in the shadow of the pagoda in Patterson Park, jumping off the …
Got to spend some time with my niece Megan Malanowski, the very cool 10 year-old daughter of my brother Matt. She says she harbors thoughts of becoming a writer. Sounds like she might be a good one–she’s smart, and funny, and has some written some stories that sound very creative. One lesson she has to …
The story rocking my little town of Briarcliff is that of a senior at our high school’s graduation ceremony who marked the occasion by mooning the audience. This act would have been news enough, but then the principal–Jim Kashien, a fine and dedicated public servant known to me–revoked the young man’s diploma and summoned the …
Last week, the good folks from Orvis had a group of magazine editors up to their Sandanona hunting preserve in Milbrook. Among the group were my colleague Chip Rowe and myself, and–brace yourself, pun ahead–we had a blast. Sandanona is a terrific facility, now entering its second century as a preserve, set on 400 beautifully …
Ah, the smell of horsehide and fresh-mown grass—and that was just on the bus! Yes, it was Tuesday night at the ballpark, as about forty or so Playboy staffers headed off to Shea Stadium on an office outing to see the hapless Seattle Mariners play the even haplessier New York Mets in an inter-league struggle …