April Issue

In times like these, it's refreshing to see such a thick issue.

The Gowns in our Towns
A round-up of profiles of local college students: "Q: When the election happened, and Sarah Palin was picked as a VP candidate, did everybody look to you as a representative of Alaska? A: Absolutely. People were always asking me about Alaska and cracking jokes about her. When I first came here, I would get questions like, ‘Do you live in an igloo?’ or ‘Are you an Eskimo?’ During the election, people were finally asking me actual questions about Alaska."

Laid Off...Now What? & Open..Now?

In a special look at the economy, we profiled residents who have recently been laid of as well as new businesses opening in a tough climate. (I profiled Jules C., the seventh person included, for the first item, and Five Corners, the sixth business, for the second article.) "Q: Is there an upside to being unemployed? A: I can do small improvements around the house. I always have a home-cooked meal prepared. I also work on my art. I do commission artwork, but no one is paying me to do that now."

Better Than Epcot

A look at the county's cultural centers: "India Center president Ralph D’Souza says the India Center of Westchester includes 'Indian Americans from all regions of India and really represents its many cultures and religions.' It makes sense, then, to offer classes in a slew of languages, including Telgu, Kannada, Sanskrit, Tamil, and Hindi. Languages at the India Center aren’t just spoken, they’re sung, too, with classes available for Carnatic, Hindustani, and other classical or semi-classical vocal styles. (You can also learn to back up these singers on the sitar and tabla, or with Bharata Natyam or Kathak dance.)"

Pure Poetry

Celebrating National Poetry Month: "D
o you think that you will never see a poem as lovely as Westchester County? Since April is National Poetry Month, we figured we'd try to capture the county in verse. Here, we asked the local Longfellows at the Hudson Valley Writers' Center in Sleepy Hollow to write haikus inspired by Westchester."

He Talk Pretty

A blurb about David Sedaris: "'I haven’t the slightest idea how to change people,' author and humorist David Sedaris wrote in his book, Naked, 'but still I keep a long list of prospective candidates just in case I should ever figure it out.' Hopefully, he doesn’t include himself on that list—we like him the way he is."

Culture, Etc.

This month's highlights: Earth Day, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, and more.

Fall Arts!


As promised, the September issue came in today with my big, fat Fall Arts Preview eating up some of the feature well (15 pages, plus more after the jump). This is my favorite kind of package: the kind where I get to tell people what to do with their free time, like see Andrew Bird or Burn After Reading.

The Fall Arts Preview package has many components, including:

Fall Events

Everything from the county-wide clay arts exhibitions to Dar Williams' concert: "This fall, almost every local art institution is going to have one thing on its mind: clay. Sure, you played with it when you were a kid and giggle when you think of the pot-throwing scene from Ghost (all that wasted clay!) but when was the last time you really gave clay any thought as a medium?"

Fall Movies

From Burn After Reading to Benjamin Button: "We’ve seen lots of disasters in films: earthquakes, volcanoes, diseases, The Happening. But what about an epidemic of blindness? Fernando Meirelles’ film, based on the 1995 novel by the Nobel Prize-winning José Saramago, imagines just that, with Julianne Moore starring as the one woman in town with immunity. Blindness was chosen to open this year’s Cannes Film Festival—but left with mixed reception (September 26)."

Fall TV

What's coming up on the networks: "You know that old sitcom formula in which two seemingly incompatible personalities are forced to live together? My Own Worst Enemy ups the ante by having those two personalities share a body. Taking a page from Fight Club’s book, one man is torn between his two identities: one is a suburban father, the other an operative trained to kill (10:00, NBC)."

...and Fall Books, which I didn't write but I assigned. And that's all in addition to my normal arts-related pages and front-of-book matter:

Mysterious Master

A short item about a church that found a master painting hiding in plain sight: “'When he started to work on the painting, parts that looked like they should be gold started to turn into silver,' Monsignor Corrigan says. 'That made me very nervous. I said a prayer. But when I saw it restored, it was totally spectacular.'"

Home Theater

September DVDs, including The Godfather, The Great Pumpkin, and The Fall: "Even though Halloween isn’t for another month, we all have days—no matter what time of year it is—when we can relate to poor little Linus, waiting for the Great Pumpkin that may never arrive."

Arts & Entertainment

Paula Cole, Mavis Staples, and more.

In addition to the Fall Arts Preview, this month was our "Sex Issue." Though I didn't write anything for it, I did assign this piece about the 12 things a sex writer has learned throughout her career and this piece about where to find love in the county.

June Issue


Our first summer issue: summer vacations, summer books, and more.

Summer Reading

A round-up of the buzz books for summer, including new works by David Guterson and Alan Furst.

Take a Few Days Off

Our huge feature on weekend getaways includes my contribution about The Villa at Saugerties in the Catskills: "Say goodbye to the chintz, the brocade, and the stuffy Victorian furniture. Just because you want to get away for the weekend doesn’t mean you want to leave your sense of style behind with the babysitter." (About three-quarters of the way down the page.)

Grilling the Experts

Grill tips from the pros: "McGrath says that natural wood chips are the best source of fuel, but if you’re using charcoal, 'you want it to be white-hot, not red-hot. That’s the best way to grill something.'" (Second item down)

The Director's Cut

An article about Bruce David Klein, director of Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise: "Klein, Meat Loaf says, 'is a pesky little thing and he manages to wiggle and squeeze himself into places that I didn’t necessarily like all of the time.'" (The link to this story is being repaired.)

Culture, Etc.

A new art exhibition about space exploration, Chuck Mangione, and more.

February Issue

Mmmmm...all about food.

Parti Mardi

How to throw a real Mardi Gras party: "Looking to celebrate without buying a ticket to Nawlins? Consult our no-fuss, do-it-yourself guide to all the beads, booze, and beignets you’ll need. Just try to keep your shirt on."

Book Group

Advice for mid-winter reading: "From Russell Banks, the writer who previously brought us such memorable downers as Affliction and The Sweet Hereafter, comes a tale about life in the Adirondacks during—how fitting—the Great Depression." (It's the fourth item.)


Great Places, New Faces

A round-up of new players in the local culture scene, including local maestro Itzhak Perlman. (It's the ninth item.)


Arts & Entertainment

Flamenco dancing, Eaglefest, and more.

Catching Up

I only just started compiling my clips, but I've been a professional writer since 2003. If you'd like to see anything else, I certainly can provide you with more. Highlights include "No More Empty Nest," about the social and economic reasons why young adults choose to live with their parents longer (no link available but I have the PDF), and "Cosmetics 101," about my personal foray into the world of beauty.