Monthly Archives: July 2008

Writing on Writing: Permission Slip

Posted on July 18, 2008 by paul

Sooner or later, it happens: you’ve read a lot, or listened to hours upon hours of music, or seen enough paintings to fill the MoMA twice over, and a thought comes to you: I could do this. That spark, when … Continue reading →

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Dining Out: Park And Orchard

Posted on July 17, 2008 by paul

You know that old saw about not judging a book by its cover? It probably goes double for restaurants. Exhibit A could well be Park and Orchard, in East Rutherford. From the outside, it has all the charm of your … Continue reading →

Posted in Food | Tagged , | 3 Comments

The Passing of Passing Strange

Posted on July 16, 2008 by paul

This is, I think, the third time I’m writing about Passing Strange, Stew’s musical at the Belasco Theater. The first time, I was exhilarated. I’d just seen the show a few days previous on its opening weekend, and still had … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Jefferson’s Bible

Posted on July 11, 2008 by paul

I don’t remember quite how I came across this. As with so much else, I was probably looking for something else and came across it by accident. Oh, in case you were wondering what “it” is, it’s Jefferson’s Bible. A bit … Continue reading →

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The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century, by Alex Ross

Posted on July 10, 2008 by paul

Books on music are always a bit of a crapshoot. Even the best-intentioned authors can deliver works that sound flat and uninspired, struggling to bring to life on the page what would give you goosebumps if it came through a … Continue reading →

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365 Days The Music Died

Posted on July 8, 2008 by paul

If you’re one of those people for whom the obituaries are essential reading (or the first part of the paper you go for), I think I may have found you the perfect website. It’s called The Music’s Over, and if … Continue reading →

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Culinary Disasters

Posted on July 7, 2008 by paul

We’ve all bombed in the kitchen. If you haven’t yet, don’t worry, you will. Some of my favorite food writing of late has been other people’s kitchen mishaps; it’s not schadenfreude, so much as just being happy that I’m not … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Humor | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Writing on Writing/Inspiration Index 6: The Library

Posted on July 4, 2008 by paul

Last week’s assignment was to shut off the computer and get yourself to a library. I’ve had a thing for libraries for almost as long as I’ve had a thing for books, which is a long time now. I feel … Continue reading →

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Citizenship 101 (or, Are You Smarter Than An Immigrant?)

Posted on July 2, 2008 by paul

So much for “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader.” One game show I’d actually tune in to see would be “Are You Smarter Than An Immigrant?” Here’s why: immigrant bashing has never, unfortunately, gone out of style in this … Continue reading →

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Speak No Evil…?

Posted on July 1, 2008 by paul

Update: an article today (July 2) on the website of the Asbury Park Press reports that the suit against Wikimedia has been dismissed. A story hit the web last evening to that effect, but not having seen anything to corroborate it, … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Politics | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments