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| No snow yet |
Wishing you joys of
Christmas, Hanukkah, or your own tradition in this season of lights. I’m
celebrating work in poetry anthologies Polterguest (Main Street Rag), Realms of the Mothers (Dos Madres), Our Last Walk (University Professors) and Theories of HER
(Mercurial Noodle); journals Opossum Lit and St. Petersburg Review;
and next year, my second book Free Ferry (Upper Hand) that you can pre-order now, and an untitled Main
Street Rag anthology on bars.
Fall Festival of Writing
Join me at Scarsdale Library, Sunday, December 4, at 11:45am for readings by
novice and seasoned local writers. I
will be selling my books and sharing with the day’s readers and attendees about
the literary life and craft. Thanks to novelist Barbara Josselsohn and
her talented student Mary Wasacz for inviting me to this lovely event. Hope to
see you there!
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| Joe Bonamassa |
Joe Bonamassa at Westbury
Bonamassa, one
of the best blues guitarists today, gave a soulful two hour plus concert last
month. While his wide range of blues is inspired by the
Three Kings (BB, Freddie and Albert), he is rooted in the British translation of Delta blues evidenced in his Beck-like
“Going Down” and Zeppelin’s “How Many More Times.”
In trademark
gray pinstripe suit and sunglasses, Bonamassa opened with a Fender
Stratocaster which he also used in his tribute to Leon Russell. He
dazzled on a Gibson
ES-335 (like BB King’s Lucille); vintage
50s Les Paul, Explorer, Firebird, and 335 variants with and
without Bigsby vibrato. And Long Island welcomed him warmly, with one
fan exulting, “Joey Bag-o-Donuts!”
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| Bonamassa and band |
Also
impressive—drummer Anton Fig,
formerly on Letterman; keyboardist Reese
Wynans, formerly of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble; ACM 2016
Bass Player
Michael
Rhodes, trumpeter Lee
Thornberg, formerly with Tower of Power; Paulie Cerra, touring
sax with R&B greats such as Stevie Wonder; and backup singers Lisa Richards
and Susan McKinnon of Miami.
Thanks to my favorite blues
guitarist, Michael Cefola, for help with this review.
New York Botanical Garden at Night
Enjoy the Holiday Train Show, 7-10pm,
with cocktails, ice carving under starlight, pop-up acts by NYC street performers,
and live music. Inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, model trains zip over
bridges and past replicas of New York landmarks. December 2, 3, 16, 17, 23,
30; January 7, 14, $35 nonmembers/$25 members (adults 21 and over). Advance tickets recommended.
Sasha Meret at Rafael Gallery
Sasha Meret: Selected Works, an exhibit curated by Beth Gersh-Nesic,
director, New York Arts Exchange, will be at Rafael Gallery in New York from
December 2-22 and opening reception take place December 12, 6-8pm. The gallery, normally open Monday-Friday, 11:30-6:30pm, will be
closed for the holidays. Call Rafael Gallery (212-755-4888) for hours and times
after January 5.
High-energy
universe
On Friday, December 2, Westchester Amateur Astronomers will host Dr. Reshmi Mukherjee, an astrophysicist and professor of physics at
Barnard, who will speak on high-energy processes in the universe. You can look
forward to more monthly talks next year by noted astronomers and free star
parties held at Ward Pound Ridge. In the meantime, enjoy this amazing photo of the Pac Man nebula by
WAA astrophotographer Olivier Prache.
Create your own video
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| Frank Vitale |
In one weekly class for 10 weeks at the School of Visual Arts, Manhattan, you'll receive hands-on training from Frank Vitale, 30-year film instructor as you script/shoot your first promo video. Equipment
provided and 25 hours instruction is $340, which would buy a mere 45 minutes in
professional studio. Sign up at http://bit.ly/2gnpi8Z or contact Frank (vitaleproductions@me.com). Frank is a great teacher! Only a few spaces remain.
Unicorn Writers
Want to get your
writer game on next year? Attend the Unicorn Writers Conference at Manhattanville
College on March 27. If you can't wait for feedback from editors and agents,
the conference is offering a pre-conference special for $150 to have 40 pages
of writing reviewed by an expert. Send a check to PO Box 176, Redding CT
06876 and your manuscript and summary to unicorn4writers@gmail.com.
Last minute shopping?
Consider two
fantastic Nashville organizations: FashionAble for
distinctive women's jewelry, leather handbags and wallets made by craftswomen
worldwide seeking financial independence; and Thistle Farms, for
natural oils, balms and soaps made by women who have come off the street and
are building new lives in a safe community setting.Holiday Coffee Cake
This has to be the ideal breakfast cake, perfect for house guests to help themselves with a cup of tea or coffee: not too fattening, easy to make ahead, delicious. You probably have all the ingredients, save the lovely green apple.
2 cups all-purpose organic flour
2 teaspoons
baking powder
1 teaspoon
salt
1/4 cup
white sugar plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1
teaspoon cinnamon
10 tablespoons
unsalted organic butter, softened
2 eggs,
beaten
1 cup
whole organic milk
1 organic
green apple, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thin slices
Topping
4 tablespoons
brown sugar
4 tablespoons
organic flour
1/4 teaspoon
cinnamon
1
tablespoon organic butter, cut into small cubes
Preheat 375°F oven. Grease 9-inch pie or square pan. In bowl,
whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. In separate bowl, mix 2 tablespoons
sugar with cinnamon, set aside. Using electric mixer, blend butter with
remaining 1/4 cup sugar and eggs. Add flour mixture in three additions,
alternating with milk, beating until just combined. Pour half of batter in
bottom of pan, cover with apples, then cinnamon-sugar, and rest of batter. Mix
brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon; sprinkle over cake,
dot with butter, and bake 30-35 minutes.
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| Ruby Silvious, artist of 363 Days of Tea |
HVWC,
December 2, 7:30pm, Columbia, Manhattanville, Rutgers MFA poets ($10)
Zinc
Bar, December 3, 4:30pm, Natalie Diaz, t’ai freedom
ford ($5)
HVWC,
December 3, 7:30pm, Michael Cunningham ($10)
Scarsdale Library, December 4, 12 noon, Fall Writing Festival—Ann
sells her books
New York Botanical
Garden, December 10, 2pm, Billy Collins, Eamon Grennan ($25)
Zinc
Bar, December 10, 4:30pm, Chialun Chang, Cecca Austin Ochoa, Tommy
Pico, ($5)
National Arts Club,
December 15, 7pm, Natalie Diaz, Ross Gay, Aimee Nezhukumatahil
New releases
Realms of the Mothers (Dos
Madres Press)
ʼRound the
Net
Thanks and/or congratulations to the following for these links and
good news:
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| Walt Whitman, photograph by Matthew Brady |
Poet Gary Glauber for work in Third Wednesday Fall
2016 Issue, Rivulets and Tributaries, Directionless Decade, Interior
Motive, Now
You See It, Now You Don't, Lex Loci, Ghost
City Review
Poet Cindy Hochman for her latest reading at
Cornelia Street Café
DV Activist David Kroenlein for sharing this veteran's story of sexual assault
DV Activist David Kroenlein for sharing this veteran's story of sexual assault
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| The late Sir George Martin |
Music archivist Jay Shulman for noting the loss
of Mose Allison, Raoul Coutard, Leonard Cohen, Mort Okun, Leon Russell,
and Robert Vaughn
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| Linda Simone and her lovely watercolors |
Executive Coach Trish Tagle
for interviewing
Greenburgh Arts & Culture Executive Director Sarah Bracey White about
her amazing achievements in growing community art
We close this year by celebrating the strength and diversity of
our creative community, and our mandate to bring our individual gifts into the
world for healing, for joy, for wholeness.
Until next time,
