Celebrating Community
Review of Carpenters: The Musical Legacy, by Mike Cidoni Lennox and Chris May, with Richard Carpenter Review by Michael Quinn Two journalists approached musician Richard Carpenter to get his blessing on a book they were developing on the band that he’d he fronted in the 1970s and ’80s with his sister Karen (now deceased). Richard offered more than his approval. […]
’Tis the season—to get lots and lots of packages! Before you flatten the boxes to put out with your recycling, consider transforming them into holiday crafts. Here’s a step-by-step guide to turn empty cardboard boxes into festive gingerbread houses. Choose your box. For this project, look for boxes that already resemble the shape of a house. Think rectangular rather than […]
The idea of the “star,” a celebrated and famous performer, isn’t new in and of itself. It goes back at least to the career of pianist Franz Liszt, who in the mid-19th century caused such public sensations during his European tours that he begat a new word, “Lisztomania.” And before Lady Gaga and even Barbra Streisand, there was the first, […]
I’ve known Louie Gasparro for over forty years. We both grew up in Long Island City, Queens. In my earliest memory of Louie, he is wearing a red pinstripe baseball uniform. We were both about eleven at the time. “Who’s that kid?” I ask my best friend, Lan. Louie looked like a jock. “That’s Louie Gasparro. That kid does it […]
Art that endures is art that evolves, that speaks to us across time and experience, that fully reveals itself only when we mature into its sensibilities. As Anthony Lane wrote in 2012, “The Portrait of a Lady that I read in my late teens bears the scantest relation to The Portrait of a Lady that I read today.” A book […]
Porgy and Bess Porgy and Bess is the rare American opera which is truly American. The music was written by George Gershwin who wrote many Broadway musicals throughout the 1920s with his brother Ira as lyricist, who wrote the lyrics for the set pieces within the opera. The text is by DuBose and Dorothy Heyward who had earlier collaborated on […]
The Sunn in the cloud. It’s not difficult to make an argument in support of a new Sunn O))) album, it’s just hard to fathom to whom one is arguing. With the band’s flooding of the marketplace and the fanatical fan base waiting in earnest, it might not be so off base to imagine that 95% of the buyers for […]
Review of Fierce Love: A Bold Path to Ferocious Courage and Rule-Breaking Kindness That Can Heal the World by Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis Review by Michael Quinn My partner is a Christian. He’s been seeking a spiritual home. Prior to the pandemic, he spent many Sundays trying out different churches throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. Some, he felt, had a drowsy, […]
I met Sugandha Gupta during a weekend visit to downtown Manhattan with my friend, Steve. I became completely fascinated when Sugandha began telling me about her textile artwork and her unique niche in the industry. Sugandha is from India. But she was born with Albinism, so she is very blonde. Once I better understood her perspective, we decided to talk […]
TURANDOT The Met’s Production of Turandot opened in 1987 directed by Franco Zefferelli. The production has remained one of the most popular productions at the Met. It is easy to see why, the gorgeously detailed sets and costumes are pleasing to the eye and perfectly fits Puccini’s grand score. And it is a truly excellent evening when the singers rise […]