Non-Obvious Thinking
One aspect of the Featured Sessions at SXSW this year has been the description of trends. For each of the sessions I have attended in the first three days, rooms…
T. S. Eliot and the Nucleus of Modernism
Ask a group of poetry experts what the most consequential poem of the 20th century was. The majority vote will most likely be The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot. Written…
An Overnight Trip to Mineral Wells, TX
Lou Reed sang in his song “A Small Town” that he wanted nothing to do with the one he grew up in and had to ‘get outta there’ as fast…
Trail of Lights
The big annual event of the Holiday Season in Austin, the Trail of Lights, proved to be delightful again. I went on a rather warm December evening to enjoy the…
The Wildflower Annual Luminations Show
The Wildflower Center is a non-profit organization loosely affiliated with UT but not funded by the university. This lovely arboretum in south Austin is a perfect getaway all year round.…
The Path Ahead for Sen. Joe Manchin
On Nov. 9, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin announced he will not seek another term for the Senate. It now seems likely he will announce a third-party candidacy for the presidency.…
The Little Star Ranch
City slickers like myself tend to romanticize the “country,” so when I have a staycation, as I’m doing now at The Little Star Ranch in Somerville, I am somewhat surprised…
Mayor Watson of Austin
During a recent appearance at the Texas Tribune Festival, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson outlined his agenda for the future, and his take on politics. He pushed back against the recent…
French High Tea in Austin
Wait what? I thought High Tea was an English specialty! Indeed it is. However, two enterprising Mexican sisters brought a French version of the famed in-between dish the English invented…
Austin Oita Festival – Where Japanese Culture Thrives
Each year, around August or September, the Austin-Oita Sister City Committee (AOSCC) holds its annual Japan Festival at the Austin Asian Cultural Center. And each year, it is packed to…