They Left Us, With Memories, in 2017
• December 28, 2017

Here for one more time are some of those who one way or another have finagled their time on earth into the memories of those who cherish (or, in one case or two, deplore) them.

Did Christmas Need Saving?
• December 20, 2017

In case you forgot, the omniscient, the omnipresent, the great and powerful you-know-who has claimed that he saved Christmas. Was that really necessary? Christmas needs many things — some sprucing […]

Carol Schwartz’s ‘Quite a Life!’
• December 11, 2017

If there are people that don’t know Schwartz, that omission has been taken care of with the coming of her book “Quite a Life! From Defeat to Defeat … and Back.”

The Mighty Have Fallen — Some of Them
• November 30, 2017

The sheer numbers of accused and accusers and the strength of the sexual harassment scandals — launching a #metoo wave on social media — seem to be having a hopeful and surprising result.

The Passing of 4 Musical Luminaries
• November 24, 2017

Think: Mel Tellis, David Cassidy, Della Reese, Jon Hendricks and listen to what sounds or lyrics, what lament or blues riffs emerge in your head, like road stops for a musical pony express.  

Anne Stewart, Designer Known as Wendy Pepper (1964-2017)
• November 20, 2017

The designer, who died Nov. 12 at the age of 53, was a member of the first group of contestants on “Project Runway,” one of a then growing number of reality shows.

A Monster Is Finally Dead
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Sometimes, monsters really do die. They are not deathless,  they stop visiting in the night, unbidden, they are, at long last, bidden to disappear into the future as past. They […]

The Age of Trump: Right Here, Right Now
• November 18, 2017

Historians like to sum up their sphere of interest in terms of ages as in “the Age of Napoleon” or “the Age of Revolution” or “The Age of Roosevelt.” Will […]

No Rumor: Liz Smith Dies at 94
• November 16, 2017

Smith, who died Nov. 12, was known for many things and by many names, notably the “Grande Dame of Dish.” The title “New Yorker” would have pleased her (a Fort Worth, Texan) too.

A Chat With Mezzo-Soprano Elizabeth DeShong
• November 9, 2017

DeShong — the words “important” and “rising star” keep appearing in her notices — is currently playing the “pants” or “trouser” role of the heroic knight Ruggiero in Washington National Opera’s first-ever production of Handel’s “Alcina.”