Last night, Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings performed at Atlanta Symphony Hall. It was my first time seeing them live and they made a very strong impression. Performing in front of one of the most appreciative crowds I’ve ever been a part of, their music transformed the hall in every possible way. There are […]
Grateful Dead: Meet up at the Movies
Last night I conducted a little sociological experiment: I bought a ticket and went to a Grateful Dead “Meet up at the Movies” show at a local Atlanta movie theatre. I took my seat in the theatre and settled in for a screening of a Grateful Dead concert from July, 1989 (7/12/89). I thoroughly enjoyed […]
The Naivety of Hate- Tisha b’Av
Today’s Hebrew calendar date is the 9th of Av (Tisha b’Av). Tisha b’Av is a day of mourning. It commemorates the destruction of the 1st and 2nd Temples in Jerusalem. It commemorates other tragedies in Jewish history. There are many reasons given for the destruction of the 2nd Temple. There are military reasons, economic […]
Another thing Daniel Silva said
At the same book talk that I referenced in a previous post, Daniel Silva also discussed the mechanics of his writing. It’s amazing to hear the ripple of disbelief from the audience when he says that he still writes his books on legal pads and with a pencil. He explained that there’s a spaciousness […]
We’ve gotta keep the world big.
During the opening “rant” of Episode 830 of his bi-weekly WTF Podcast, Marc Maron said something that resonated with me. He said, “We’ve gotta keep the world big.” I like that. I like it because, for at least a little while, it seems like lots of people have been trying to make the world […]
Abandoned or Taken Away
Last night I heard the great novelist, Daniel Silva, give a book talk at the MJCCA. He’s a very interesting writer and speaker and I enjoyed hearing him reflect not only on his new book, but on writing and the creative process more generally. When asked if he reads his books once they’re finished he […]