Wander Away

It’s a good thing for the mind to wander, especially for a writer.

The other day my mind was wandering and—I have no idea why, perhaps because it’s summer or I was pondering pasta with red sauce for dinner—I thought of a summer job in high school, as a busboy at Il Sorrento, an Italian restaurant in Dallas, Texas, now long gone. Every night I’d come home bone-tired, my pockets stuffed with one-dollar bills (my share of the tips doled out by the mostly Persian waiters).  Continue reading “Wander Away”

Play It, Maestro

A writer should worship words the way a maestro worships Mahler and play them with the same kind of fervor those maestros show on the podium. Using a different metaphor, I discussed this in one of my recent videos (released on our social media channels every Thursday morning). I’d like to say (or show) a few more words on this.

Playwrights tend to be especially gifted with language. Here’s a passage from Peter Shaffer’s play Amadeus, in which a composer, a jealous rival of Mozart, discusses the importance of his profession:

Continue reading “Play It, Maestro”

The Masks We Wear

We’ve been wearing masks all along. It’s just that now many of us are wearing obvious masks when we venture outside our homes.

It’s good that we wear those masks, whether nicely designed or hospital-functional. Sure, go out, contribute to the economy, but why not protect yourself and those around you from a frightening infection? (Okay, I guess we can argue about herd immunity or personal freedom, but that’s not my main point today.)

Continue reading “The Masks We Wear”