As an essayist I was excited to see Other Desert Cities at Arena Stage the other night. The play concerns a young woman named Brooke who, after a serious run-in with depression, reveals to her family that she’s writing a memoir about them. Well, not is writing. Has written. And not just any American family … Continue reading »
The darkest days of February are really rough, don’t get me wrong; but after tracking my mood pretty carefully over the last few years I’ve noticed how much a toll April always takes. If you have Seasonal Affective Disorder, there’s nothing more comforting than seeing spring come around. It’s a huge relief to know a … Continue reading »
I’m a big fan of opera star Patricia Racette, who is well-known for her Puccini heroines and whose performances have been seen in movie theaters around the world as part of The Met’s Live in HD series. I recently reviewed her debut performance as Manon Lescaut here at the Kennedy Center in DC. Having really … Continue reading »
I found a new happy place during my time in Melbourne. In the interest of full disclosure, I wouldn’t have found it at all without the generous help of my housemate Jem who took me there on my first day in the city center. I can almost hear Stefan describing it on SNL: “Tucked at … Continue reading »
Say you’re a creative type with seasonal affective disorder. Say you decide to get away for the winter, so you book a flight using miles and head to Melbourne for a month. In theory, say when you get there you’re amazed by how sunny it is. Say you start spending all your free time out … Continue reading »
It was early January, and the weather had just turned dark and nasty in DC. I had a business trip scheduled down to Kansas City, and I was hoping it would be warmer than home and somewhat refreshing. I looked at the weather before I left: beautiful. A solid week of sunshine, warmth, and feeling … Continue reading »
(This is the first post in what I’m hoping will be an irregular series. …An irregular series of dialogue pieces, not of conversations with this man.) Setting A cab, driving into Melbourne Characters Cab driver: 50s; Greek-Australian accent – aka incomprehensible Me: late 20s, new to the country, not pregnant – Cab driver: So, do … Continue reading »
