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Coffee & Books
There are few things that bring me as much pleasure as seeing lots of books and smelling the smell of coffee. I think that’s one of the greatest appeals to bookstores with coffee shops in them; the two intertwine and make you want to sip and read. It’s still early in January, and it’s not too late to make a resolution to read some good books this year. We haven’t talked about books much in a while, so this is a great place to let us know what we should read. Also, feel free to share your favorite coffees and brands. My Keurig can’t get enough of Golden French Toast,…
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Thoughts on Teaching & The Spring Semester
None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody—a parent, a teacher an Ivy League crony or a few nuns—bent down and helped us pick up our boots. ~ Thurgood Marshall This year’s winter break has been a short one. I’m still getting my ducks in order and readying myself for the spring semester. It never feels daunting to me, but rather like a breath of fresh air…spring air. Even though it’s January and we won’t see the likes of flowers blooming and making it feel spring-like anytime soon, last year is over, and we’re in a state of…
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Mitch Albom, A Time Keeper, and Popularity
After I had my teeth scraped, cleaned, flossed and gagged on my fluoride treatment this morning, I headed off to one of my favorite places on the planet: Barnes & Noble. My Mitch Albom book had arrived and was waiting for me at the front desk. When she handed me my copy of it, I stared at it. “The Time Keeper. A Novel.” I love the cover. The cover of this book is very simple, yet very cool. Most of Albom’s previous books have lacked images or drawings, but not this one. This one looks and feels nostalgic. I read the first sentence of the prologue: “A man sits alone…
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What Maggie Smith Brings To “Downton Abbey” was
There is much hype as the anticipation builds for tonight’s season premier of “Downton Abbey.” Most of that spotlight has been grabbed by Shirley MacLaine, as she will be playing the mother of Cora (played by Elizabeth McGovern), Martha Levinson. And while fans are looking forward to seeing the character come to life through MacLaine’s portrayal, this blogger desperately looks forward to Maggie Smith’s return as the Dowager Countess. The writers of “Downton Abbey” are ingenious. Maggie Smith gets all the brilliant lines, with Robert, played by Hugh Bonneville, in second place. However, I’m pretty confident MacLaine will come in to the picture with robust, enthusiastic dialogue that will make…
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Goodbye Nora Ephron, The Most Quoted Person in Our Household
Dear Readers, A strange thing happened to me last night when I heard Nora Ephron had passed away. I became incredibly melancholy. And sleepless. I wanted to cry. I wanted to say “Why did Leukemia have to take her so young, just as it did my grandfather?” She, only 71; my grandfather, only 63. Why? There are no answers to be had, unfortunately. I am blue today, and I didn’t even know her. But I did know her. I knew her through her amazing works. When people ask me which writers I admire most, Nora Ephron always tops my list. Sometimes I even have the nerve to say, “I want…
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The Perils of Being a Baseball Pitcher
There I sat, Saturday night, in some pretty fantastic seats at Camden Yards, watching the Orioles take on the Nationals at home. It’s a relatively friendly rivalry, but still, I was rooting my Birds on that evening. As the game neared the 8th and 9th innings, I got strange butterflies in my stomach, as I watched our pitcher hurl ball after ball into the catcher’s glove. I know why I got butterflies. For years, I’ve always believed that being a Major League Baseball pitcher is not only be the hardest job on the field, but also the loneliest. I don’t mind working hard, but I don’t like to be lonely.…
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My Novel—”Beneath The Mimosa Tree”—Now Available in Two Independent Stores
* * * I wanted to take a moment to thank two people—and their respective stores—for supporting my novel, and, like me, they happen to work for independent stores, just as I am an independent author. Special thanks to Nancy Russell at Greetings & Readings in Hunt Valley, Maryland. My book, “Beneath the Mimosa Tree” is on the shelves there in two spots: under “Regional/Local Interest” and under “General Fiction.” Greetings & Readings is considered one of the premier independent bookstores in Maryland, and I’m flattered that they now house my novel. Also, Karina Ferrer, owner of The Blue Door in Pasadena, Maryland, was the first person to welcome the…
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A Conversation With My Friend That I Hope You’ll Remember
* * * At one point during my girls night out last evening, I completely lost it. I ended up crying. Tears were running down my face as I tried desperately to catch my breath. The conversation that preceded my behavior went something like this: I was talking about a place—going to a place—and Jenny said, “Wait … I think I worked there.” “You did?” “I think I did. Way back when, but I’m not sure.” “You’re not sure you worked there?” “I either worked there, or I had some strange dream that I worked there. I can’t remember.” “You can’t remember if you worked at a place?” It was…
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Something You Don’t Want Your Kids to See—Or Do You?
Two weeks ago, my husband and I took the kids to Alexandria, Virginia, for the day. We walked around, shopped a little bit, ate lunch, watched some of the street performers—including an amazing magician—and generally just enjoyed a day without a sports commitment. When we hopped on the Trolley to take it up the street because the kids wanted to ride it, they were excited. At the next stop, a grey-haired man got on. He was older and red-faced, as if he’d been in the sun for seven straight days with no protective lotion. He was wearing a summer suit with a hat. My daughter was sitting next to me,…
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The Romance of Baseball
* * * I spent the entire weekend at the baseball fields. No, not Oriole Park at Camden Yards, not Fenway Park, not Nats Park. I spent my time at a little collection of fields called Kiwanis-Wallas Park in Ellicott City. We were there…parents, grandparents, siblings…all watching baseball and softball games as the kids are in the process of wrapping up the season with All-Star games and playoffs. It’s exciting, but it can also take a lot out of you. Both days, we were at the fields for hours. When we got home last night and tucked the kids in—late—my husband and I sat down and watched “Moneyball.” He…
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On Being A Dreamer
* * * DREAMS by Langston Hughes Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly.Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow. * * * I remember reading this poem as a teenager. My mother had this book of great literature and poetry that sat around the house, and I frequently looked at it. It had short stories like Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” and Edgar Allen Poe’s classic “The Raven.” And while those two are legendary in their own right, it’s been Hughes’s poem that I keep in my head and my heart. I love every word of…
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Love the One You’re With
I just finished reading Emily Giffin’s bestselling book entitled “Love the One You’re With.” It was recommended to me, and because one of my reviewers sweetly said on Amazon, “Move over Emily Giffin, Stephanie Verni’s in town,” which is very funny and flattering, I had to finally see for myself what Emily Giffin’s writing is all about. I’ve never read a thing written by her. I’m not one to chastise another writer’s writing. Seriously, I’ve written one novel, and she’s written, like … many. So who am I to judge? We all have our own styles and techniques. However, one notable was that her references to pop culture were starting…
