An Evening of Hartford History

An Evening of Hartford History

During a recent visit to the Infinity Music Hall & Bistro in Hartford, Connecticut, to see and hear Marc Cohn perform, I ran into a friend, who happens to be an architect. That led to a later discussion with Anne Bjorkland* about the depressed market for...
Circling the Wagons

Circling the Wagons

The airing of the current television series, The People v. O.J. Simpson, brought back a mixed emotional torrent — ambivalence and disgust, anger and confusion, bitterness and disbelief, despair and hope. I was in a gym the afternoon the O.J. verdict was announced:...
Oh, Look! An Ambulance!

Oh, Look! An Ambulance!

This was quite the morning. First, I read this, from my horoscope: How exactly do you hold onto your ideals in a world where it seems like the whole game is rigged for greed, competition, and conformity? Then I read this — “John Edwards (yes, that one) looks to...
You Won’t See Innovation

You Won’t See Innovation

Why in the world do we think we’ll see, perceive, or even recognize innovation? That question leapt to mind, yet again, when I read this: “Why Real Innovation Will Not Come From Within Your Own Industry”. Outside your own industry? If real innovation...
A Seasonal Meditation

A Seasonal Meditation

Bearing in mind that The Hero With a Thousand Faces, From Ritual to Romance, and The Golden Bough are among the most influential books in my life, I offer this reflection, with apologies to real poets everywhere: The venerable holidays are fast upon us now. The...
To Each Generation Its Own

To Each Generation Its Own

irony (noun): incongruity between what is expected to be and what actually is, or a situation or result showing such incongruity When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I...