Civil War by Other Means
“Democracy was our civil religion. The last 6 or 7 years have shaken me because I’ve seen changes in our institutions, threats to our institutions and undermining of our institutions…
Barber of Seville makes the cut in Austin
While hearing rarely-performed operas is always a treat, watching a famous opera is akin to comfort food. Austin Opera is serving up heaps of comfort food this week with two…
Columbus and the Apocalypse
The end of the world has been prophesied many times in the past centuries, but the world is still here. Thus it is appropriate that the subtitle of this book…
Epicurus in Rome
The Epicurean mantra was “avoid engaging in politics,’ which is good advice now as it was some 2,000 years ago. This book on how the philosophy of Epicurus was received…
Austin’s Next Mayor?
Will it be Celia Israel or Kirk Watson? Israel is a State Representative and Watson was mayor of Austin from 1997-2001. He then served three terms as a State Senator.…
The Wreckers: Opera in Houston
A very rarely-performed English opera from 1906, The Wreckers is making a real splash now At Houston Grand Opera. I use the word ‘splash’ as a pun, as the opera…
HALLOWEEN: Midnight Monster Contest
Oil Can Harry’s, Austin’s most famous bar, hosted the first annual Midnight Monster contest on Halloween night. It was not just people dressed in costumes getting judged, but full performance…
HALLOWEEN: Mansion on O Street
If you ever wondered what is behind a secret door in a spooky mansion, then head to Washington DC. At the Mansion on O Street, you can actually open that…
Halloween Witch Hunt
How about a good old-fashioned pumpkin horror story from Spain to get Halloween off to a fine start? “Maria de Ulibarri, married, age 36, came before an inquisition commission in…
Cold War Radio
While radio often seems nostalgic now, it had great value during the Cold War, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Writing of Radio Liberty and Voice of America in his…