“I started performing music in public during my high school years and had a successful band in Cleveland, Ohio back in the 1970s called Buckeye Biscuit,” says light classical jazz guitarist Ron Franklin. “We’re mentioned …
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
“When the world is full of butterflies and sunshine again”
Is that a skunk in your pocket?
“Holding a baby skunk is on my bucket list,” I said. Bob shot David an Is she for real? look, and David assured him of my sincerity.
July 29, 2015
Star-spangled drunk
Let us talk "Star-Spangled Banner." First, the tune is a British drinking song — people would sing this while they got drunk and nobody had a problem with making this the national anthem of the …
July 7, 2015
Boston's budget-minded spooks
With the boss heading out on a free junket with his wife to the Bavarian Alps, Scott Hinkle, legislative director for Democratic congressman Juan Vargas, took his own gratis spring-break trip to Boston. Hinkle's two-day …
May 5, 2015
Lucchino’s big crash
Larry Lucchino, famous for getting the Padres a taxpayer-subsidized downtown ballpark, is experiencing a bit of a rough patch in Boston, where he has long run the baseball team for a group of wealthy investors. …
February 25, 2015
The magic of Salem, MA
My first recollection with mystical powers was when I was 10 and my sister was attempting to cast a spell on our unsuspecting cat. The candles, chanting, and “brew” she was mixing had me intrigued. …
November 2, 2014
Dharma Travel: retreats of the Northeast
New England was founded by spiritualists escaping feudalistic persecution in Europe. Puritans, Lutherans, Jews, Quakers – even Shakers. It's hardly surprising then that personal retreats of every denomination abound, from cliffs overlooking the Atlantic to …
July 22, 2013
A Day in Provincetown, Cape Cod
Cape Cod’s most popular destination, Provincetown, is on the furthest tip of the peninsula and offers New Englanders and travelers alike a relaxing spot to refresh and recharge. A 90-minute ferry ride out to Provincetown …
February 23, 2012
Checking Out Boston
Whether you want to learn about early American history, explore art museums, watch leaves change color or sip a pint, Boston does not disappoint. The easiest way for someone unfamiliar with Boston to get around …
December 11, 2011
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is usually a sleepy seaside town, known for commercial fishing and tourism. But when my girlfriend and I visited our friends Courtney and Chris, who recently moved to the area, the town was thronged …
July 14, 2011
Salem, Massachusetts
The woman bumped into me and the first thing I noticed was the five-pointed pentagram on her necklace. I was in Salem, Massachusetts, home of the famous witch trials, and now I was face to …
June 28, 2011
Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts
“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” This thought was expressed by Henry David Thoreau over 160 years ago while living in the one-room cabin he built overlooking Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau conducted …
February 16, 2010
Rosa Jurjevics in Boston
Swing Low Tonight is melancholy, but I can't imagine why. I am coming home from a party and I smell like second-hand smoke and, in the cool air, it's not so bad, an almost comforting …
April 27, 2006
Rosa Jurjevics in Boston
Don't Call Me Muffinhead I got a call from my old friend Julia the other night. She was on her way to a triathlon swimming class and, after a short aquatics-themed chat, we lapsed onto …
April 20, 2006
Rosa Jurjevics in Boston
It's a Wrap It is one of the first sunny days in this godforsaken town. I roll up my sleeves, glance into the empty expanse of the U-Haul, and think, Finally, I am a real …
April 13, 2006