In 1640, the British colonies of North America published its first book, commonly referred to as “The Bay Psalm Book,” and quietly the groundwork was laid for what would become a national identity. Just twenty years after the Pilgrims’ landing at Plymouth Rock, the occupants of the Massachusetts Bay Colony saw themselves as separate from … Read more
Have we reached a juncture where the medium of music is consumed in a way that was never intended by the composer? I’m fascinated by this question because it informs not only why I do what I do,but also what I hope transpires in the hearts of listeners. I believe that the vast majority of … Read more
When I was 52, I checked myself into the Emergency Room thinking I was having a heart attack. I didn’t have chest pains, per se, but I definitely felt “off” with that dreaded “sense of impending doom.” This was exactly the age my grandfather was when he dropped dead from an unknown heart condition. I … Read more
One of my great fears in life is an absence of stimulation. And so I subconsciously fill every day with a multitude of plans and goals as a way to hold at bay any existential realities of life’s brevity and of my small place in the grand scheme of things. I don’t think I have … Read more
When I set up my itinerary for this 8-day trip, it was immediately clear that the city of Moissac should be a destination, that there was too much to see here in the few waking hours one has while walking every day, and that this should be the place to take my day of rest … Read more
Terroir, a word which Californians love to toss around to refer to the specific effects of a region’s soil on its production of wine, is of course a French word referring to the land (“terre”). But as we use it today, it refers to the characteristics unique to something, uniquely influenced by multiple aspects of … Read more
History is full of heart-ache. I walked to Lauzerte, famous as being one of the “plus belles villes de France,” where people have been living at least since 1000 BCE. This afternoon I walked around this exceptionally lovely city, high on a hill, with sweeping views down verdant valleys all around, stately medieval houses everywhere … Read more
