Category: Dispatches

Goodness grashus! I look like Hitler after a three-day drunk, in this snap! (Big smile!) I still have that crusty mustache in my makeup kit, and when I see it, it conjures a funny, fond memory. During the 1981 production of “Damn Yankees, ” at the Gulfport Little Theater, I learned a valuable lesson. My […]

Greetings! For the past several weeks, I’ve been watching The Twilight Zone at night. Mercy me, what memories it conjures—Mom and Dad on the sofa and me on the floor in the living room watching the weekly installments. Mr. Serling’s brilliant, evocative screenplays still warm or chill the heart, challenge the mind, and are far […]

Hands Down The Best Post I’ve Seen Written About Nottoway Plantation From A Proud & Intelligent Black Woman’s (Felicia Johnetta Williams Gary) Perspective. It’s long but well worth reading!!! “I’ve seen a lot of comments on various social media platforms about the burning of Nottoway. I’m not on social media platforms a lot, but every […]

Today’s Bible reading was Luke 6, Verses 37-42. In these verses, Jesus taught about judging others. The commentary on these passages said: “A forgiving spirit demonstrates that a person has received God’s forgiveness. If we are critical rather than compassionate, we will also receive criticism. If we treat others generously, graciously, and compassionately, however, these […]

In the 1960s, the Mississippi Gulf Coast was suspended in time. Unlike today, there were no high-rise apartment buildings, garish casinos, ballparks, or aquariums. There were, however, magnificent houses, grand old hotels, mom-and-pop motels, full-service gas stations, sophisticated nightclubs, and a few not-so-sophisticated ones. Time wasn’t necessarily standing still, but it certainly wasn’t winning any […]

Greetings! With a bittersweet heart, I report that my dearest, sweet Miss Pete was called Home to Glory the day after Mother’s Day. Just like her to delay her departure so her dear family could have their last Mother’s Day together, she was 101 and ready to go. This dear lady was one of Mom’s […]

Micah 6:8 – “Do Justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God” was one of my dear mother’s favorite Bible verses. This verse so inspired her that she cross-stitched it as a New Year’s resolution in 1989. In her old red Bible, she wrote: “DOING justly means righting wrongs, championing the oppressed, being honest, and treating […]

The play, Kaufman and Feber’s bittersweet soufflé of the glory of The Great White Way, closed today at Center Stage, Biloxi. And by Tuesday of this week, all this theatrical elegance will be nothing more than sawdust and memories. The set design was by Chuck White, the theater’s resident director. Bruce Berry was in charge […]

Thought for the day: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” (Originally posted May 6, 2018)

Greetings! As a lover of musicals, I’m sure you’ll agree that they are a unique and powerful art form. They don’t just entertain us with their stirring music, breathtaking choreography, and attention-grabbing plots. They also educate us about historical events and help us understand our differences. Over the past hundred years, they have played a […]

Greetings! We live in a ME ME ME society, where selfishness and doing things my way are the rules of the day. But there are times when a random act of kindness reminds us of what humans are capable of. Though kindness may not be often demonstrated in our ME ME ME society, it should […]

It’s the early 1980s, a billowy summer’s day as we steamed out of Gulfport’s harbor aboard the elegant, old yacht, the Francis Fayard. It’s been so long ago, I don’t remember the young lady’s name. Watch that hand, Mister! (LOL!) However, it appears we’re having a good time, as evidenced by our smiling faces and […]

The Way We Were, many moons ago. I wonder how many dreams were shattered at the Dreamboat Inn located in Port Gibson, Mississippi, circa 1940? LOL. Later History Gaters! (Originally posted April 28, 2016)

Greetings! I am miserable today after seeing Center Stage’s production of “Misery” last night. However, I’m now the production’s “number one fan.” I am miserable because of David Slatten‘s gritty, nerve-wracking portrayal of Paul Sheldon and his “pain” as he struggles to survive the “love” shown to him by Annie Wilkes, masterfully portrayed by Daisha […]

Greetings! Today would have been dear Susan’s 70th birthday. Happy Heavenly Birthday to you, old friend. Wow! What a fun New Year’s Eve this was! It’s the late 1970s, and we are dancing it in at Biloxi’s old Sheraton Hotel to the strains of Art Sissle and his talented little team of horn and trombone […]

Greetings! It’s hard to believe that dear Jayne would have been 90 today. For those who don’t know, she has a strong connection to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, specifically Gus Steven’s Night Club. Not long ago, I visited the site of her death in that horrific auto accident, all those foggy nights ago. Sad that […]

Greetings!      The scriptures remind us that we have been bought at an extraordinary price. As the songwriter beautifully expresses, “Jesus paid it all.” This truth reveals just how deeply valued we are by Father God.      The Apostle John reminds us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, […]

Good afternoon, on this gorgeous spring day! A few snaps from our tour of the Royal Yacht, Britannia. The ship was one of the highlights of our September 2022 trip. She looked as if she could set sail right then and there; she was so well-maintained. What a wonderful time, Samuel Geoffrey Polk and I […]

In 1865, the Sultana, a Mississippi riverboat loaded with Civil War wounded, exploded and burned; over 1,500 died. In 1914, the Empress of Ireland collided with another ship; 1,012 died. In 1915, the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German submarine; 1,200 died. In 1940, the Lancastria, part of the Dunkirk evacuation, was hit by the […]

While recently waiting in line for some eye meds at the local apothecary shop, I spotted what I thought was an old friend of mine, who seemed to whisper, “Please don’t leave me here. It’s been so long since last we met.” I didn’t, and quickly picked up the reissued National Geographic magazine that initially […]

When we read about the Titanic, its first-class passengers, with their gilded wealth and posh lifestyles, are always front and center. Second-class passengers are mentioned, too, a myriad of preachers, missionaries, businessmen, teachers, and middle-class families. When third-class passengers are mentioned, most have one thing in common—the better life awaiting them in the Land of […]

Greetings! Spring is my favorite time of the year to visit New Orleans. The city’s massive oaks are crowned with spring-green leaves as magenta azaleas gather at their feet. The cacophony of city sounds, bustling people, and the delicious aroma of equally delicious food wafting through the air are a visitor’s dream. But today, there […]

Gentlemen today are as scarce as true ladies in this crass, unmannered society in which we find ourselves. Over 30 years ago, I read an article on good manners in GQ magazine. A quote from it went something like this: “In today’s society, the person who possesses good manners possesses a dazzling social asset.” Hummmm. […]

Good afternoon! I was 16 when I checked out a book from the Harrison County Library on Hwy 90 – “When London Walked in Terror.” This book is still considered one of the best books about Jack the Ripper. Imagine my thrill fifty-five years later when, on a dark, cloudy night, I actually walked the […]

Greetings! While reading the story of Christ’s birth, as recorded by St. Luke, I found it interesting that two women–Mary and Elizabeth, humble housewives–were the first to hear of the coming Savior, not men. On that first Resurrection Morning, women also discovered that Christ did exactly as He said He would–rise from the grave in […]

Like Dickens’ old curiosity shop, my little house is a repository of battered antiques, ruined finery, and dusty memories. Because less-is-best in interior design these days, when I shuffle off this mortal coil, my treasures may bring a buck-fifty at a garage sale. (Big Smile) However, my collection of Titanic memorabilia might bring a wee […]

Greetings! Goodness grashus! What a raucous, fun time was had last night at the Kalbergs’ palatial estate in the Hood. I think it is safe to say that our sides are still sore from laughing so much! Gather a gaggle of thespians together, and their stories—some true, some embellished, and some suspicious—are sure to entertain. […]

Greetings! What a fun three days it’s been! I’ve not seen Cousin Alex Baridon in over 40 years. What a grand reunion it was! To add icing to the cake and some sweet sugar, too, were my other cousins: Peggy Gunter Stone, Billy Thornton, and his beautiful wife, Sylvia. We’re incredibly proud of Billy, and […]

Greetings! In the past year, I’ve read the following books—or tried to. I’m a slow reader and don’t always retain much of what I read. I wish my tiny brain was bigger and smarter. Have you read any of these books? Marcel Proust’s “Remembrance of Things Past” – Yikes! Tried wading through this tome, but […]

Greetings! Of all the many, poignant Titanic stories, to me, this is one of the saddest, the Goodwind Family. They were an entire family looking forward to a new life in the promised land, only to die screaming in the icy-cold waters of the North Atlantic. I can’t help but think of their final moments: […]

Greetings family and friends! Question? What is the very first song–Hymn, Big Band, Opera or Operetta, Rock-In-Roll, Symphony, Musical, etc.–that you remember hearing. Me? It was the old hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” When I was a child, Dad, Mom, and I attended Biloxi’s Trinity Baptist Church. I couldn’t have been more than four or five […]

This fabulous snap of Molly Cox–portraying Cora Enochs White at the 2015 Old Biloxi Cemetery Holloween tour–reminds me of my favorite memory concerning this lovely, talented lady. It was winter, an unusually fridged winter long ago in the mid-1990s. I saw Molly enter the gilded lobby of Biloxi’s Saenger Theater. Her eyes sparkled; her radiant smile […]

Greetings! This snap brought tears to my old eyes. The caption read: “An evicted mother, a matchbox maker, with her two children. Bethnal Green. East London. 1890.” I title it: “One chair. One bundle. One lamp. One table. Two children. One mother. And no place to go.” Did she find somewhere to live? Did her […]

Greetings! Og, the leprechaun, and I wish you a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. It’s hard to believe he and I met in 1984, during the Mississippi Gulf Coast Opera’s production of “Finian’s Rainbow” at the Saenger Theater. Haven’t seen him since. I miss the old boy! But I don’t miss all that green makeup. Big […]

As many of you know, my fascination with ocean liners began in the early 1960s when I was introduced to the R.M.S. Titanic via a book and a movie. This fascination was further fueled when I watched “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” on the TV late show in the mid-70s. Released in 1955, the movie starred Jane […]

Good evening. I want to thank everyone who attended Mom’s funeral! I know she would have been humbled by the outpouring of your love and words of encouragement, as was I. A special word of thanks goes out to my dear friend, Janie Still Walters, for the humor and joy she brought to a bittersweet […]

“Many live their lives in order to gain riches, which will not last. Some seek beauty, fame, and popularity, which will soon fade away. The world will tell us that we need many things in order to make our lives complete. But a person who receives wisdom gains the insight to prioritize his life according […]

I Am Mississippi I’m the land of the Choctaw The hills of Vicksburg, and a crosscut saw Dinner on the ground and a muscadine vine I’m a longleaf pine, and Mississippi’s on my mind I’m a banjo pickin’ and all night sings Azaleas a ‘bloomin’ in Ocean Springs I’m a Gospel Singer and the old […]

I don’t remember much about that night, the night of the accident. I was only four-and-a-half years old. My father was working the night shift, and my mother and I were on our way to pick him up. As mother always did on those nights, she laid a snuggly-warm, patchwork quilt on the back floorboard […]

It is with bittersweet joy that I must inform you that God called my dear mother Home about an hour ago. I’ll post the funeral arrangements later. Thank everyone again for your prayers and kind words of encouragement! Big hug to you all! (Originally posted February 22, 2019)

One year ago today, God called my dear mother Home. The morning was foggy with rain. A dull silence filled the house. I’d slept a somewhat sleepless night, pondering what the future held for Mom and me since she was practically bedridden. When I checked on her in the wee hours of the morning, she […]

Mama’s been in Heaven for three years today. While sitting on the seawall this morning, looking out across the tawny-brown waters of the Gulf, the morning mist against my face, I thought of that rainy morning God called her Home. I remembered Mama’s low, raspy breathing, how quiet and still she was, and how warm […]

Evenin’ Gaters! Last week, I was off to see the Wizard. This week I was at the battles of Verdun, the Somme, and the Marne, along with countless nameless soldiers. I saw “They Shall Never Grow Old,” this afternoon at the picture show. Amazing piece of celluloid it is indeed! The movie’s first ten or […]

Greetings! In today’s local fish wrapper, there’s an article about Lennart Nilsson, a famed photographer. He most famously documented in photos life from conception to birth. His 1965 Life magazine story, “Drama of Life Before Birth,” sold eight million copies. The pictures revealed a 61/2-week-old embryo with “clearly visible hands.” “At 18 weeks, he captured […]

Thought for Today, Tomorrow, and the Rest of Your Life: One day, you will be a memory to someone who loved you, admired you, or looked up to you. Start now to make sure that your memory is a good one worth remembering–one that someone might write down in their book of sweet memories. Big […]

Greetings! Same bridge. Same Me. One week apart. Gotta love our winters. Big hug, y’all!

These are true words, my friends, these are true words. Big hug.

Lest we Forget! On this day, 80 years ago, the Red Army advanced toward rows of buildings looming in the shadowy distance. They didn’t know what the buildings were or their purpose, but the smell of rotting flesh told them whatever it was would be bad. IT…was the Auschwitz concentration camp. They discovered over 7,000 […]

Holocaust Remembrance Day…lest we forget. Murdered children’s bronzed shoes are a poignant reminder that we humans, as a race, can inflict untold death and misery on our fellow humans. Jesus’ words are a reminder to love as we have been loved. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I […]

DOWNTON ABBEY – After all the hoopla, I’m finally getting around to watching this series from the beginning via Netflix. How I missed it from Jump Street is a mystery to me. The time period is one of my favorites if not my favorite! I’m liking it . . . but . . . I’m […]

Greetings! I found this Letter To The Editor in Sunday’s fish wrapper of interest. The last paragraph is thought-provoking. Later Concerned Gaters! “Walls do work. The author from Carriere asserts that walls fail – Maginot Line, Hadrian’s Wall, and the Great Wall of China – is without factual merit (Jan. 6 letter: Instead of a […]

Good morning! The Good Book tells us in Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” What is a peacemaker? According to an Open Windows devotion, it’s this: “A true peacemaker seeks not only to maintain a loving attitude in the face of their enemies but […]

I have never understood why people hate! I’ve just heard on the evening news that Dillon Roof has been sentenced to death for his horrendous murders of nine innocent people just because they were a different color than he was. When I saw that one of the victims was 87, I could not help but […]

It’s funny how the sparkling bubbles in a bottle of Moet and Chandon champagne can loosen one’s memories. Looking back over the past 72 years, I don’t regret what I did for love. However, I do regret what I did searching for that which I thought was love. Youth is wasted on the young, but […]

Greetings! Lift a toast to the New Year! I pray for thee,      Dear friends of mine. That all earth’s      Happiness will be thine. And even as the      Year’s increase, That Father God will give      Thee Heavenly peace. Happy New Year to all my friends and friends! Big hug!

As Father Time shuffles off this mortal coil and awaits the arrival of the New Year Baby, I’ve come to the end of the year and the decade, amazed at how quickly 3,650 days disappeared. I’ve also pondered about the lost days that have sifted through the hourglass of my life. I can, however, remember […]

With bittersweet tears and profound sadness, I must report the passing of a dear friend, Gloria Gaines. Earlier this evening, God, in His infinite mercy and love, called dear Gloria Home. Home to Heaven. No more pain–cancer had caused her so much during the past four years. No more tears–she had shed many in private […]

Greetings! It’s been an interesting few days. Christmas Eve, there was a storm which brought with it wind and rain. Christmas morning I discovered that the storm has separated my pergola from the back of our house. Yikes! What a mess! Happy New Year, Mr. Kalberg! LOL! The Kalbergs have also had another discovery that […]

Greetings! This makes for interesting reading, but I think this man is like many others on the Left: a fearmonger. Mr. Wassermann wrote “that the entire Nazi ideology is in place and wonders how far it will go here. We can hope that our government of checks and balances will be more resistant than the […]

Greetings! Had there been no cradle in Bethlehem, there would have been no Home for us in Heaven. Merry Christmas to all my FB family and friends. Big hug, y’all!

Greetings! Ask, and ye shall receive. Thank you, Santa Baby, for sliding down the chimney and tucking a ticket under my Christmas Tree for a cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas. And even though they were naughty—very naughty in some cases —thank you for doing the same for Rhonda, Wayne, and James. Look […]

Greetings! In one of his encouraging posts, my former pastor, Dean Register, wrote, “The sting of death festers in our soul.” How true, how true. However, he reminds us that Immanuel—God with us—cures the soul and gives us hope and strength for today and all of our tomorrows. Many dear friends are experiencing their Christmas […]

      The mere mention of Christmas evokes memories of times, places, loved ones, and friends, perhaps now long gone. Remember twinkling Christmas tree lights reflecting off Shiny Brite ornaments? The smell of cinnamon sticks simmering on the stove? A gooey-delicious pecan pie? A loved one’s perfume? A dear friend’s cologne? Crisp, cold air? Crunchy snow? […]

Greetings on this windy, bleak, rainy day. While going through my ancient theater scrapbook created in 1969, I found this old KNS mailout for the 1993/1994 Coastal theatrical season—KNS THEATER, A Little Bit Of Broadway In Your Own Backyard! How true, how true! It’s hard to believe that season was almost 30 years ago. Mercy […]

Taking a bit of time off from this busy Christmas season, I decided to begin working on my Titanic Scrapbooks. Since she was discovered on Labor Day, 1985, still whispering to us from the pitch-black darkness of the chilly-cold Atlantic, I’ve clipped out newspaper and magazine articles about her that caught my eye. Since then, […]

Greetings! I first heard this song over 25 years ago while sitting in a darkened theater with friends. Christmas was just around the corner. Whenever I listen to it, I’m transported back in time to the beginning of one of the most tumultuous decades of my life, when I, too…dreamed a dream. It was not […]

Greetings! Life’s like a quilt, comprised of many pieces. Sometimes the pieces fit, sometimes they don’t. The great thing about piecing a quilt is that you can permanently remove the piece that doesn’t fit and replace it with one that does. Have a great week. Take care. Be safe. Later, Gaters! (Originally posted December 13, […]

Friends, wonderfully talented friends. But more importantly, they have the most beautiful hearts and kindest souls Happy Birthday, sweet Juliana! And I love you with my whole heart, Andy! Greetings! Thank you, Heather, for your kind words. Lovely ladies! Wonderful food! Sparkling conversation! Life is good! Big hug. (Originally posted December 13, 2021)

The snap I’ve posted shows Scrooge’s little world for the past two weeks. Neatly arranged—of course—are the accouterments of his trade, after all. The old boy did his best to entertain the audience that nightly filled the theater to overflowing. However, he was only a tiny part of the show. Had it not been for […]

Greetings! Wonder of wonders, even Bah Humbug Mr. Scrooge is in the Christmas spirit. He took his forty-year-old Christmas tree out of storage, gave it a bath, and adorned it with new and vintage ornaments. Another wonder, the old lights still worked. Big hug, y’all!

The Good Master, in His wisdom, keeps us on earth until it’s our time to go Home. How are you spending your remaining days? Sowing love, not hate? Sowing peace, not discord? Sowing right, not wrong? Sowing tranquility, not fear? Time’s a wasting. Use it wisely. Later Clocking-watching Gaters! (Originally posted December 11, 2020)

Those who know me know that I love an old saying. I think I got this from my sweet Granny from D”Lo, who had a saying for everything. Big hug, y’all! Did you know the saying “God willing and the Creek don’t rise” was about the Creek Indians and not a body of water? Benjamin […]

A little Christmas cheer from the Kalberg’s house to yours! My sweet Mama made this little tree in a ceramics class. It, like so many of my aging Christmas decorations, is what helps make Christmas, Christmas. Each year, I unwrap them from yellowing tissue paper and place them in the same spot as the previous […]

The following Sound Off is in today’s fish wrapper: “I was in the Friday night audience at the Mary C. Cultural Center for their Mary Christmas Spectacular. And that it was! Kudos to the many great performers, the director, and his crew. The young man who played Scrooge was a hoot!” The YOUNG man who […]

December 2nd to the day. Two years ago at the Lady May. How could I know you’d go away? Forever goodbye, so you say? What a sad, sad day.

One of my favorite paintings is Rest on the Flight into Egypt, 1879, by Luc-Olivier Merson. Fleeing persecution at the hands of Roman authorities, the Holy Family takes refuge in Egypt. Joseph dozes beside a dying campfire while his donkey grazes on sparse desert grass. At left sleep, Mary and infant Jesus crowned with a […]

Greetings! This is my all-time favorite version of Fitzgerald’s timeless literary masterpiece about unrequited love. I saw it at the picture show in 1974 and still have the original movie poster, which I see each time I drive in and out of my garage. Tis’ true: “Gone is the romance that was so divine.” Big […]

Greetings! And yet another review of my novel, “A Chasing of the Wind.”  My dear friend, Janie Still Walters, an international speaker, sent me her thoughts and comments about my novel. If you need a great pick-me-up type of book, I highly recommend her delightful “The Garbage Truck Comes On Tuesdays and Fridays.” She goes […]

In this race called Life, we often find ourselves dashing about, hither and yon, in search of those things we think will make a difference in our lives. And in our mad dash, we often fail to remember that in the end, a dash of another kind will be the only thing that denotes our […]

With the onslaught of a caustic election, coupled with a toxic virus, I’ve heard people say, “I have nothing to be thankful for.” Really? Let me tell you what I’m thankful for. After a good night’s sleep, I awoke this morning and planted my feet on the softness of a Persian rug. Thankfully, my feet, […]

My Dad, the Marine, often shared a poignant memory with me. When he lived in Chicago in the 1930s, he recounted that on November 11th, if it coincided with a school day, he and his classmates, along with the entire school staff, would stand in the auditorium at 11:00 in solemn silence for two minutes. […]

      Dear President Trump – Congratulations on your decisive win. Early this morning, I read a statement by NBC writer Jonathan Allen, who stated you are “The most polarizing figure in modern American politics…” He went on to say that you “now preside over a nation deeply driven by social, racial, cultural and economic hostilities,” […]

About a week or so ago, Freddie Bentley, a reality star and instagrammer, stared that teaching history, particularly about WWII, is detrimental for Millenials’ mental health. Today, we remember Kristallnacht, the NIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS, which is one of the many reasons we SHOULD teach WWII history. If you don’t know what the Night of […]

The Clown’s Lament by AWK. Laugh, and the world laughs with me! Weep, and I weep alone. For this dying old earth laughs at my mirth, But cares little if I have struggles of my own. Sic vita est! (Originally published November 9, 2022)

I’ve heard my Democratic friends say, “If Mr. Trump wins, it’s the end of our country as we know it!” My Republican friends say, “If Mrs. Clinton wins, it will be a mini-Armageddon!” Doom and gloom are all around. Some might even say that the very pallbearers who carted away the ancient Roman Empire to […]

I am thankful that the elections are over. Now, we, as a country, can begin to heal. Let us put all rancor, hate, and violence behind us and move forward. Congratulations are in order. MR. BIDEN, a majority has elected you, and the Electoral College—a wounded nation looks to you for leadership. To the Republican-controlled […]

“I’m Hothouse Rose, from God knows where…” The opening lyrics to one of Cole Poter’s lesser-known songs drifted through the air. The song may not have been famous, but the lady singing it was. Over the years, she had entertained countless audiences at Gulfport Little Theater and was one of the theater’s favorite actresses, leaving […]

Another review of A Chasing of the Wind, by Carol Szymanski, Fine Arts Chairman, Duchesne Academy, Houston, TX. “This weekend, I read A Chasing of the Wind. Move over Faulkner, Williams, Welty, and Grisham—Mississippi has a new Southern writer. I give it TWO thumbs up! When you finish, you will feel like you really know […]

Greetings! Need a good time filled with knee-slapping, belly-aching laughter, a hilarious script, and a fantastic cast? Then you don’t want to miss Biloxi Little Theatre’s production of “I Hate Hamlet!” I laughed ’til I was hoarse. Ryan Reinike and Boyce Deaton are a talented team. If they are paired in a drama, as in […]

Greetings! As a child in the 1950s, Mom, Dad, and I frequently ate lunch in the dining room of the Edgewater Gulf Hotel after church. After lunch, they would sit in comfy lawn chairs while I romped and played under the cathedral of oaks that graced the manicured lawn. In the fall, the grounds were […]

Greetings! The Times-Picayune posted an article about the Hard Rock Casino collapse. It included this about the Saenger: “Impact of a possible fall: If the cranes fall, it would likely cause major destruction to the area near Rampart and Canal streets because of the size and weight of the cranes. Both cranes are about 270 […]

Greetings! Dear Miss Gish lived to be 99. Apparently, her life’s philosophy worked. Smart lady from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Follies Of God  · “I made a decision very early in my life that I was going to be happy and successful–a winner at things. I wasn’t going to be defeated by slights and trivialities. I have always […]

“It’s hard to believe they are gone. The piers are still there. The bon voyage baskets, piled high with impractical fruits and jellies, still line the shelves of the gourmet shops. In midtown Manhattan, there’s even a postcard still for sale, showing the Queen Elizabeth, Mauretania, a Sylvania-class Cunarder, the America and the Independence lying […]

Greetings! This statement was posted on a former friend’s FB page, former being the operative word. This is a prime example of one of the many things wrong with our dear county. With the swirling rain demon approaching Florida and its terrified citizens, the only thing we, as American Citizens, should be doing is praying […]

     When it comes to acting, there are times when I find it easier to direct my energy toward the mundane than to practice the intellectual discipline and imagination that acting requires.     As I sit learning lines for the upcoming production of “Scrooge The Musical,” the demons of doubt dance in my mind. They whisper […]

Mornin’ Y’all! Thirty-three years ago, we were battening down the hatches, awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Elena. She made landfall on September 2 as a Category 3 hurricane, sashaying up Gulfport’s 25th Avenue with pounding wind and thick rain. Because the Coast had other things on its mind, we missed the announcement of one of […]

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” Poignant movie dialogue for […]

“As a student in the 1960s, I knew only the legend of Dresden because it was just about all that was ever printed. Like so many others of my age, I had learned of the city’s destruction principally through a work of fiction: Kurt Vonnegut’s acidly surreal masterpiece, “Slaughterhouse-Five.” Frederick Taylor, author of “Dresden–Tuesday, February […]

Good evening! Anne’s always been a fascination to me. She epitomizes the loss of an entire generation of Jewish teenagers in the Holocaust, who might have gone on to cure cancer, or write a world-famous novel, or paint a lasting image in oils. But her dreams, like the dreams of millions of Jews and Gentiles […]