Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London
I just returned from nine glorious days in London, a city I have always meant to live in, but didn’t. For whatever reason, life took me elsewhere on the Continent…
21st Century Take Back: a poem
Where will you be in 2035? Still protesting your victimhood on college campuses Or claiming an indignity based on your inability to be kind. While turning that around- pushing, shoving,…
The Anatomy of “’night, Mother” — When Words Become the Stage
The making of a great play, or novel, or any art form that is based on words contains several elements: character development; what is said and what is not; expression…
A Marriage of Mystery and Memory: Jarrott Productions’ “Mirror Lake” Reflects the Dark Side of Ritual
It begins deceptively simply — a minimalist stage, shadows stretching across an almost bare room, the air charged with unease. The absence of clutter sets the tone: something tense, intimate,…
From the Keys of the Culinary World to Piano Man: Mark Roaquin’s Path from NYC Dining Rooms to Austin’s Steinway
New York: Where Service Became a Craft Ask Mark what shaped him most and he’ll take you back to New York City—where hospitality is a contact sport and excellence a…
The Writer’s Job
The writer’s job is to become human through the stories he / she / they tell. It is a task not meant to transcend one’s position or thought process; it…
Missing Thread: Apprehension
The world premiere of Apprehension, dares to explore the slippery terrain between perception and madness. Even its title carries multiple meanings — fear, comprehension, or the act of being seized…
Alexis Buffum: The Multi-Genre Crossover Gal of Austin
When I first met violinist Alexis Buffum, she appeared calm, grounded, and quietly radiant—the kind of musician whose artistry doesn’t shout but hums with depth. Behind that calm exterior lies…
Ralph Yznaga: Austin’s Creative Bridge Between Old School and New Tech
Ralph Yznaga never seems to lose his sense of curiosity. When he talks about creativity, it’s with the spark of a lifelong experimenter, someone who still believes imagination is the…
Riding High: Saltillo’s Rodeo Spirit Saddles Up in Austin
At the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Austin, the air carried a hint of mesquite and melody—Mexico’s northern soul had arrived. The Governor of Coahuila, Manolo Jiménez Salinas, stood before…