Knowledge is never wasted except on those too lazy to use it: Augustus Saint Gaudens produced exquisite portrait reliefs throughout his career using skills he learned at age thirteen, as a cameo-cutter. One…
Why choose just one? Here's a selection of my favorite New Year's cards from New York Public Library's digital collections: a little corny, a lot sincere. Most of them probably…
I read these books in mid-2016: fiction and nonfiction, high- and low-brow, more or less in this order. Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here. HEYER, Georgette. Regency Buck.…
In honor of the 235th anniversary of the British surrender at Yorktown, here's a poem mocking Cornwallis that was originally published in Philadelphia on October 11, 1781. At that point,…
I read these early in 2016: fiction and nonfiction, high- and low-brow, more or less in this order. Part 1 is here. FLEMING, Ian. You Only Live Twice and The Spy…
My taste in poetry runs to the old and traditional, but I've found a modern poet whose work I enjoy so much that I'm making my way through her website at the rate of…
While reviewing the notes for my walking tour of sculpture at Washington Square and Sheridan Square, I was reminded of how much I love the rhythm and the surprise twist…
February 2016 Gore Vidal, Burr: A Novel. Read it for the second in my series of posts on Hamilton: An American Musical. Vidal is a great storyteller, and who tells your story really…
Did you ever wonder why the Tappan Zee Bridge was built at the Hudson River's widest point? To be as close to New York City as possible, without being within 25 miles…
Not a news flash: it's a bad idea to unilaterally disarm, and hope the bad guys will be nice enough not to attack. This was written in 1919 - just after…