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]
Super Don and Baby Donny: Battle of the malignant narcissists
I wrote this dialogue between Donald Trump’s super-ego and id soon after the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th, and I’m publishing it here for the first time on February 10th in the midst of his second impeachment trial. As more and more damning details emerge about his role in inciting violence, and the… [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]
Times Union to publish my blog next week!
On September 6, I published an essay here entitled “The Authoritarian Madness of Donald Trump.” I’ve since deleted it, because two days ago I heard from Jay Jochnowitz, the Editorial Page Editor at the Albany Times Union, that they’re going to run it sometime next week. I’d nearly given up on their publishing it, which… [Read More]
Donald, the cock of the walk: inside a twisted mind
Bashing Donald Trump is a popular pastime among the writers I know, especially the poets. Wondering what I could add to the flurry of fiery condemnations, I decided to try writing from the point of view of The Donald himself. As the author of mysteries and suspense novels, I love getting into the heads of… [Read More]
RED ALERT–a poem for the gloom-and-doom folks who think America’s never had it worse
I vowed that after the election, I’d stop writing about politics, but I’m afraid that’s a promise I’ll inevitably break. Last week I wrote this poem to read at the open mic at New World Home Cooking in Saugerties. The reading featured Therese Broderick and Alifair Skebe, both reading from their excellent new books, which… [Read More]