Words and Music

From the Vault Dept. : What the hell was I thinking with this lede? Even in 1986, when I was relatively fresh to the world of cranking out r...

Guest Blogger Dept .: More of the early verse of P. G. Wodehouse.                                                                        ...

Notable Gadgets Dept. : Here’s a horrifying reminder of where technology was taking us 17 years ago. PDAs (personal digital assistants) ha...

From the Canning Jars Dept .: As we finish up putting up that which we grew and recombobulated, how about that dream of bringing your produc...

Was it something I said that’s provoking this fuss? That we have to discuss? Can you simply remind yourself I’m an obnoxious old cuss? D...

The most horrifyingly complicated birthday cake I've ever made: a chocolate stove. 24 Jan. 2004 Photo by B. A. Nilsson

From the Vault Dept. : In its heyday, the Proctor’s Too experiment in Schenectady offered a worthy season of fringe-like shows to an audienc...

Guest Blogger Dept. : Herewith, the only Penrod story by Booth Tarkington that wasn’t collected into one of the three Penrod books. Probably...

From the Scanner Dept. : Continuing my tour of vintage Metrolands , here’s a review of a Little Night Music that I attended (and wrote abou...

From the Vault Dept .: Browsing through the pages of old Metrolands , I’ve found a trove of pieces with memories attached. This one, describ...

From the Pages of History Dept .: I’ve taken a few cracks at political reporting in Metroland , where’s there no hypocrisy about having a po...

From the Jersey Shore Dept .: Legendary guitarist Tal Farlow periodically found it expedient to shun the spotlight his career thrust upon hi...

Jollity Farm | 1 Nov. 2013 | Photo by B. A. Nilsson

Bon Appetit Dept .: Yes, this is the review that’s in the current issue of Metroland , but I’m posting it here to show you the photos I took...

Across the Boards Dept .: Amidst the summerlong festival of music, Bard College also throws in a worthy theaterical production or two. Here’...

Guest Blogger Dept .: Augustin Daly was a theatrical producer in the late 19th century, working in New York and London, known for his melodr...

I’m Telling You Dept. : Let’s wander back 23 years for a visit to Union College and a talk by Joyce Carol Oates, and an opportunity for Dr. ...

From the Tube Dept .: Ernie Kovacs essentially invented television comedy through his creative use of a medium still in its rudimentary tech...

Date and photographer unknown