Whew! All the brouhaha about the fiftieth anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair is slip sliding away. I spent much ofAugust obsessed with trying to prove I was there with my paintings. To some extent I succeeded, but my efforts haven’t yet brought me the fame and fortune I was pining for. Nonetheless,… [Read More]
My Quaalude Confessions, Part One
Reading about Bill Cosby’s fondness for using Quaaludes to drug women he wanted to assault sexually brought back vivid memories of my life in Manhattan in the late Sixties and early Seventies. The bottom drawer of my dresser was crammed full of pharmaceutical samples, including Quaaludes, and one night at Max’s Kansas City, a movie… [Read More]
Boring in black: the me too movement and the Golden Globes
I wrote this opinion piece soon after the Golden Globes and sent it to the Albany Times Union, but since they haven’t published it, I decided to share it here. Reading it now, nearly a month later, I stand by what I said then. Awards shows are one of my guilty pleasures, and the Golden… [Read More]
The Hitman’s Bodyguard: violence as guilty pleasure
Over the years, I’ve seen more than my share of violent movies. But to lure me to the multiplex, they need some redeeming features. First and foremost, give me a gorgeous superhero, like Liam Hemsworth as Thor or Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Intriguing plots, alternative universes and mind-boggling special effects can also draw me in,… [Read More]