Bela and the Rats Ages ago, in 1966, I abandoned my first marriage And moved downtown to a rat-infested loft In lower Manhattan, on Broome Street. Rent was cheap. The ruthless developer Robert Moses Wanted to ram an expressway through the heart Of the historic cast iron district later known as SoHo. Living in… [Read More]
Going public with my abortion story
The Albany Times Union ran this story on Sunday, May 22, after Alito’s leaked copy of the Supreme Court’s impending decision on Roe vs. Wade made headlines. Alas, last Friday the “imminent threat” I mentioned became catastrophic reality, and the battle over abortion will be with us for a long time to come. For those… [Read More]
No turkey on my toothless Thanksgiving
I was deprived of turkey on Thanksgiving, because for the first time since infancy, I don’t have any teeth. Well, strictly speaking, I still have twelve in front—six on top and six on the bottom, but they don’t meet in anything resembling a normal bite. In the past couple of weeks, I’ve been gumming my… [Read More]
Satisfaction: Remembering Charlie Watts
Satisfaction! The Rolling Stones’ first Number 1 single was inescapable in the summer of 1965. Since the death of Charlie Watts on August 24th, I’ve been immersed in memories of the Stones’ music and what an essential role it played in my life, especially through the 1960’s and 70’s. I painted the Stones many times, but… [Read More]
Mania at Regeneron: how my temp job at the dawn of the new millennium drove me crazy
I sent this piece to the Albany Times Union a week ago in hopes they’d run it on their editorial page, but they haven’t published it. I suspect they won’t, because Trump’s never never land evolves with breakneck speed, and Regeneron is no longer front-page news. So here it is: I’m glad to see Regeneron… [Read More]
Madly for Adlai and Jack at the Democratic National Convention in 1956
Safely hunkered down at home during the Covid pandemic, watching the virtual Democratic Convention on CNN this past week, I’ve been thinking about the convention I attended in Chicago in 1956, when Jack Kennedy burst on the scene as a rising star. The Senator from Massachusetts was in a tightly contested race for Vice President…. [Read More]