Don't worry about the bruised and broken chest. Concern yourself with your head, for you have much to decide. Think about what must be done. Breathe into what you've shattered, what's come to pass, pieces, while the taste of the whole is still on your tongue. A beating, blurry vision... was that you, there, or … Continue reading Entry 61015 – Fractured Skull, Round Two
I kneeled to the glory of mushrooms growing up from cracks in the pavement. How tough must they be to choose this place to live. I looked deep into layers of rough, rain-stained bark, wondering at the strength of this skin. I climbed a tree! It was soaked and full of baby bugs. I recognized the hunger after … Continue reading Climbing Trees, Smelling Flowers: A Rainy Nature Walk
It kills me to be this way, One foot on earth. Afraid of entering the deep, Least stable in my element. The line between Flowing/firm, In/out, Here/back there. The invisibly present past waits like a snake, watching for the scent of my presence. Like a thief, he slips in and out into the here, now … Continue reading Entry 51715- The Serpent
This afternoon I filled my travel mug with coffee, laced up my snow boots and walked around Boerum Hill and Cobble Hill in Brooklyn. This is what I saw: The buildings are old and lovable with their many shades of weathered red brick, fortressed in by high, steep, often crumbling front steps and scraggly branched … Continue reading Snow Day in Brooklyn!
Yesterday the city of New York was wrapped up in a blanket of giddy cheer because almost every municipal worker, chain shop keeper, and commuter knew they were going to be home, in snow-globe like surroundings until Wednesday. Mayor De Blasio granted the first snow day of the year and since the announcement came at … Continue reading Walking Through Blizzard Juno in Central Park
I visited the Brooklyn Museum on Friday afternoon. Got some coffee and headed on in to explore the deep. I knew that I would visit Judy Chicago's Dinner Party -always do- but had no solid plans about the rest of the adventure. I found my way to the Killer Heels exhibit towards the end of … Continue reading Killer Heels at The Brooklyn Museum
You know those stories where someone finds a random object that turns out to be a key to a very usual looking door that's actually a portal which opens up into a magical land? Well, one day I was walking down Plymouth Street, past the great Brooklyn Roasting Co. and I stopped to take a … Continue reading The Art of the Art that Melts: Brooklyn Ice Sculptor Joe O’Donoghue’s Latest Exhibit
Frances, O, Frances, where are you? Brooklyn, in the era of Hipsters and post-feminist feminists, in which no twenty-something without a trust-fund can get by on just one job, one gig, or one talent. Not if she pays her own rent and wants to live. That’s where. The words “But I should save money… so … Continue reading Quiet Hipster Films / A Cinematic Whisper in Black/White: ‘Frances Ha’
The makings of a film people will watch: NEW YORK CITY + Music + The Coen Brothers made it. Not necessarily in that order, and there are indeed many other factors that can score a profit, but to be realistic (which is what I’m going for, here), not many. Location (location, location), something joyous with … Continue reading In the Life of Llewyn Davis / NYC in the 60s
'Concussion': She said “I have to do something.” Abby Ableman reads and vacuums at the same time, fixes up hole-in-the-wall apartments in Manhattan, and spends inordinate amounts of time in cycling classes, amidst the aimless, though healthy-minded chatter of other soccer moms. Most importantly, Abby violently, helplessly curses at her son when he hits her … Continue reading A Knock-out Drama: the Private World Explored in ‘Concussion’
The magnificent Jean Paul Gaultier show at the Brooklyn Museum ended with a swarming salute from the last round of art-lovers and fashion queens, who filled the lavishly adorned + spectacularly curated 5th floor gallery space last Sunday. Upon entering into the gallery, I the first thing I realized was that cameras were allowed in. … Continue reading Jean Paul Gaultier // The Brooklyn Museum
In time: art takes over, nature grows through, people forget, and Spring renews
MARGIN CALL deals with a group of corporate risk analysts struggling to survive a particularly nasty awakening in the face of an economic quake. There is a Firm carving out a large percentage of its staff. The hierarchy is presented to us amidst a bubbling chaos. If not for the structure we’re given in the … Continue reading Thoughts on ‘Margin Call’
There is no shortage of sugar in the city. Walking down any avenue, one will most-likely come into contact with at least one guy holding a tray of little cups, offering some sort of happy-tasting treat. I am usually interested in grabbing one. So, there are many, many places where a resident can get their … Continue reading Dessert Haven: Citrus Bar & Grill
During one very rough finals season in college, The Grey Dog cafe gave me memorable tummy comfort. After spending a wholly sleepless night in one of the university computer labs, I finished my work with two hours until class. Without enough time to sleep or enough energy to continue studying, I headed out into the freezing winter … Continue reading Cozy Gray Days at The Grey Dog Cafe
Not a fan of tomatoey things, myself, I know that most of the United States is obsessed with pizza. Piola, which has more than 30 locations worldwide, is (in New York, at least) a cozy little pizzeria in the village that has over 50 varieties of individually made-to-order pizza flavor combinations. They also boast a sizable … Continue reading Piola For Pizza Magic
The pro-sides of this food stop are many, including the simple facts that follow: it’s inexpensive, fast, and never tastes like fast food. The service is the same whether you stop by for table service or order-in. The servings are generous and the mainstay, namesake - the once chirping, now not so, chicken - is … Continue reading Refreshingly Fresh “Fast Food”: Chirping Chicken
*** Sadly, Palmyra closed for good in 2011. Over the summer, I happened upon a little cafe called Palmyra whilst strolling down Atlantic Avenue with a friend, waterfront bound. I smelled fresh pita bread- which is not too random in that area, but I hadn’t really explored too many cafes along the avenue and we … Continue reading Brooklyn’s Finest: Palmyra of Atlantic Avenue
Sarabeth’s Kitchen on the Westside of Manhattan is a place of extremes. For weekend brunch, it is packed to the brim from opening to close, but weekdays after 2 p.m. you can enter and take over any table you want for an indefinite period of time because it is totally barren of people (though mostly not … Continue reading Sarabeth’s West Offers Rural Fare in an Urban Setting
The food at Good Enough To Eat is well-proportioned, “All-American,” and satisfying to all senses. There’s a little extra something to each dish. Take the turkey club as one example. I have never in my life been tempted to order a turkey club. One day I went to Good Enough to Eat and was devastated when the … Continue reading American Comfort Food That’s ‘Good Enough To Eat’
Mama Mexico is consistently fun and full of good eats. It is now common to order guacamole and have someone come over to the table and prepare it before your eyes. At this place, though, the guy (I’ve never seen a woman prepping there) will actually make the activity look interesting- putting visible effort into the … Continue reading Mama Mexico Raises Delicious Food in Manhattan
Down around Union Square, there is a restaurant with a waiting area, full of chocolate. The idea is that you can support the Bald Man’s chocolate factory while waiting to consume the chef’s creative, chocolatey bounty. Max Brenner’s menu is as pricey as it is mouthwatering. The creative presentation of the food is mainly in the cookware: pressed sandwiches … Continue reading Max Brenner Presents Chocolates with Loopy Presentations
ONE: There are supposed to be as many plates on the table as possible. Start stacking. TWO: “It doesn’t really matter how you hold your chopsticks as long as you get the food in your mouth.” THREE: “Are you still hungry? Good. Because we’re going to just keep refilling your plate.” There are, as far … Continue reading Mandangsui: My Intro to Korean BBQ Delight
Magnolia Bakery is known for its cupcakes. The little cakes are beautiful, with plentiful, colorful frosting. The cake itself is quite nice, but I am not a fan of the frosting, so I often skip to the real stars of the show: the assorted muffins and the banana pudding. A fact of life that too many … Continue reading Top Picks at Magnolia Bakery
Rosa Mexicano has three locations in Manhattan- Lincoln Center, Union Square, and Midtown east. The Lincoln Center location has this gorgeous wall of falling men: art. It is grand, with blues and reds and high ceilings. While the place is visually stunning, no thing of sight can compare to what your tongue will experience if … Continue reading Ice Cream & Bliss at Rosa Mexicano
Khyber Pass is fun because you can sit in the window seats cross-legged and watch people walk down the street on the coldest, most intolerable days without feeling the chill yourself. The food is warming and the decor is inviting (though it has become a bit of a grunge-fest in the past three years). I … Continue reading Afghan Food on St. Mark’s at Khyber Pass
There are three things about Le Monde of Morningside Heights, Manhattan, that draw crowds: cream, liquor, and meat. Everything else is an accessory (no worries: there’s no shortage of excess here in the land of French flavor). I have written about their soup bowls of hot chocolate, a creamy, brain/body melting elixir, and now I feel compelled … Continue reading Le Monde of Manhattan
For tea, you need time. There should be a process of inhaling, sipping, tasting and breathing out that informs the tongue and the mind that it is time to slow down. Whether a tea shop is downright bustling or you’d startle if a pin dropped / glass clanked, the experience of tea should be physically … Continue reading Top 3: Tea for Tea Lovers
I love cupcakes so much that a couple years back, my coworkers started calling me Cupcake. It stuck (I allowed it…) and now I proudly refer to myself as “Cupcake” when I think that it is appropriate. Aside from my love of cupcakes as a creation, I have a very particular taste that few cupcakeries … Continue reading The Top 3 Cupcake Shops in NYC
Interview with Author Wally Lamb I met author Wally Lamb after his reading at Central Park SummerStage in 2008. During a phone interview later that year, Wally was kind enough to share his thoughts on his first novel, She’s Come Undone, nearly two decades after its first publication. Three books later, Wally Lamb was more … Continue reading Interview with Wally Lamb
This is a piece I recently constructed using audio from an interview I did with Master Life Coach Peter Pamela Rose back in 2008, where we talked about her philosophy, methods, and “niche” as the one and only CHIROPRACTOR FOR THE MIND®.
