The Jeffersonians
This book on the presidencies of Jefferson, Madison and Monroe is superb. Even though it is chocked full of detail, the prose style of the author makes it read like…
NASA-produced glass becomes beautiful art
I met glass artist Syed Ahmad at The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival. This annual festival in The Woodlands (Houston) is held in mid-April. It attracts a wide range of artists…
Nothing Human is Foreign to TIME
Do not take this book with you to the beach this summer. I thought this was going to be an easy read, and while that expectation got shot down after…
A Chat with Executive Producer and Showrunner J.J. Duncan
The 12th annual ATX TV Festival has ended, but some people leave a lasting impression and linger on. So is the case with J.J. Duncan. She’s an Executive Producer and…
The Male Gaze in Ancient Greece
The historical texts by Xenophon (430-355 BCE) are the subject of a close study here by Rosie Harman, Lecturer in Greek Historiography, University College London. But her take on Xenophon…
A Chat with Matt Selman, Executive Producer & Writer of The Simpsons
Who doesn’t love The Simpsons? America’s longest-running social satirical sitcom. I sat down with Executive Producer and Writer, Matt Selman and his wife Renee Ridgeley to discuss his long running…
Plutarch’s Cities
Born in the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius, Plutarch (46-120 CE) took great pride in being a priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi (he was born just…
CICERO and The Last Gasp of the Roman Republic
Cicero wrote several great dialogues. This book deals with two of them, and later this year I’ll be reporting on another Oxford University Press book that examines two more. The…
ATX TV Festival: The BILLY CORBEN Interview
I was fortunate to meet the film and TV director and producer Billy Corben at the ATX TV Festival. During our conversation, we both stopped for a minute, turned our…
A Roman Historian
For someone living now, the 17th century seems like a long time ago. Four hundred years have passed; only specialist historians have a good grasp on those who were once…