Published in the 1997 edition of ‘The Bardian’

n May 24, 1996, the day before Bard College’s one hundred thirty-sixth commencement, Bard trustee George Ball, who is chairman, president, and chief executive officer of the giant seed producer W. Atlee Burpee & Co., and poet Robert Kelly, who is Asher B. Edelman Professor of English… Continue reading

Time-tested cultivars prove to be new and exotic to those unfamiliar with them. Just as a work of Shakespeare—‘As You Like It’, for example—leaves the latest batch of bestsellers eating its dust, these classic cultivars charm even the most jaded gardeners out of the trees.

Miscanthus ‘Morning Light – Miscanthus grass

I’m not very familiar with National Public Radio. Some friends listen to it. It seems to cultivate a pre-modern image of folksy characters, early 20th century music and no irony. An American Gothic cocktail party. It leaves most of the heavy stuff to the BBC. Recently, NPR’s website home page displayed not a single story about the Middle East, out of over 30 headlined items… Continue reading

Poor magazines and newspapers! Circulation plummeting, the internet providing a million times the benefit at a fraction of the cost, unread copies stacked to warehouse ceilings. And jobs on the line. . . .

House and Garden magazine held out for about 10 years, supported by Conde Nast. Good for them. They’ve soldiered on with Vanity Fair and The New Yorker and supported great editors and writers… Continue reading

2006 saw the quiet passing away of two little-known figures of amazing accomplishment. In music, Bobby Doyle and in journalism, Oriana Fallaci. Doyle was a Texas-based composer, jazz pianist and one of the most versatile R & B singers who ever lived. David Letterman asked Kenny Rogers, then at the height of his fame in the late 80s, who his musical hero was and without hesitation… Continue reading

Three days with no water and electricity—odd how little it bothered me. In fact, it was both amusing and instructive. A psychosomatic spot quiz. The irritation lasted only a few minutes. My dad’s motto, “Expect the worst, and when the good comes, it feels better”, has become meaningful with age. However, I experience a profound sense of detachment at both ends.

Of course, the dogs and cats noticed nothing, which dawned… Continue reading