Words and Music

Guest Blogger Dept .: We welcome Rudyard Kipling to these e-pages with a piece of doggerel inspired by the architectural work of his cousin....

What’s for Dinner? Dept .: A trip to Washington County’s Dancing Ewe Farm for dinner rewards you with both figurative and literal tastes of ...

6 June 2014 | Photo by B. A. Nilsson

The State of the Stage Dept .: Shakespeare in the French Quarter? Based on my interview with actor Johnny Lee Davenport and director Tony Si...

From the Tech Vault Dept .: Back when I covered technology for a number of Ziff-Davis magazines, I also filed a piece or two with the local ...

THE RENAISSANCE LUTE is a feather-light instrument, its lack of weight a surprising contrast to its complexity of construction. It sports a ...

Guest Blogger Dept .: H. L. Mencken was an unabashed curmudgeon who laced his rants with wisdom. Although rarely recognized as a writer abou...

Valentine's Day 2014 at Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, NY.

What’s for Dinner? Dept .: Tiny place; big flavors. It’s one of the more hidden gems of the Saratoga dining scene, well worth the effort t...

18 June 2014 | Photo by B. A. Nilsson

From the Stage Dept .: Clint Eastwood’s film of “Jersey Boys” is here, and the touring company of the Broadway show returns to Proctors in S...

From the Fridge Dept .: I get more writing down in coffeeshops than I do at home, a state of affairs that will prevail until I have to mow l...

Guest Blogger Dept .: Another trip through Stephen Leacock land, this time as the essayist ponders the fate of the reluctant visitor.     ...

From the Tech Vault Dept .: Nineteen years later, that CD burner not only became standard computer equipment, but also proved unnecessary in...

Epistolary Novelists Dept .: During the time when Salinger’s characters were having crises of faith and Updike’s were pursuing affairs, Jack...

What’s for Dinner? Dept. : Hudson, NY, has become something of a dining destination over the past few years, which is why I’m only to happy ...

6 June 2014 | Photo by B. A. Nilsson

From the Vault Dept .: I’m a huge fan of the works of Gilbert & Sullivan. Thus it is I rarely find satisfaction with the productions I s...

From the Vault Dept .: Today’s Metroland review is about a food truck in nearby Hudson. Operating such a truck closer to home is a costly pr...

Guest Blogger Dept .: We turn again to Harry Graham, whose thoughtful volumes of slim verse proved somewhat scandalous in his oh-so-innocent...