WILLIAM SHATNER at SXSW: Go Be a Scientist!!
Captain Kirk beamed down to Austin to attend SXSW. In addition to his appearance as a keynote speaker, he also was in attendance later that day for the premiere of…
THE ANGELS ARE WEEPING for Virginia Zeani
I had the privilege of meeting the great opera singer Virginia Zeani in Fort Lauderdale in 2013. She died a few days ago at age 97. Zeani made her debut…
Orpheus in Macedonia
Can a mythical figure have a real grave? That is the provocative question posed by Tomasz Mojsik in this book about Orpheus. Mojsik is associate professor at the University of…
Mr. Spock’s Vincent
If after-play questions are any indication, some people in the audience at the play Vincent had no idea it was developed by none other than Leonard Nimoy. His Star Trek…
Hopfields – Slightly French and a Little Extra
It’s been over five years since I ate at Hopfields. Located on Guadalupe bordering on the northern part of the UT area, sits a cozy little restaurant one can easily…
World Premiere: The Sounds of Eternity
The symphony orchestral performance featuring the Turkememi conductor Farhkad Hudiyev and his extraordinary guest Mugham singer Alim Hamza Qasimov, a national living treasure of Azerbaijan, was sold out on March…
A Night of Mahler
Leonard Bernstein recorded it three times. Several distinguished critics have concluded it is a failure. Whichever side of the fence you are on (and few indeed can be found sitting…
ASTEROIDS at SXSW
In January this year an asteroid passed closer to Earth than some satellites in orbit. Dr. Paul Chodas said that when asteroids are predicted to get really close to Earth…
Xenophon’s Irony
Xenophon (430-354 BCE) is best remembered as a great military leader, but he was also a prolific author. Fortunately, many of his works still survive. A fresh look at these…
Hope and Eternity – Elements of Steven Lavaggi’s Art
For over fifty years, artist and jewelry designer Steven Lavaggi has pondered these questions. What is hope? What is eternity? Do angels answer prayers? His moniker is the ‘Artist of…