May 29Playing Chopin in the Darkby Jerry Alper The story is told- (and I for one believe it) that during the night, Chopin would blow out the candles and play the piano. The keyboard was in his mind. He could not read music nor parse language, but somehow he heard things that no one else…9 min read
Mar 9From Russia, with LoveWhether he had something to say or not, he wanted to talk. He loved the sound of his own voice, the way people stopped what they were doing to listen to him when he talked. He wanted attention, wanted to command attention. He was good at that. …7 min read
Feb 17The Legacy of E.O. Wilsonby Jerry Alper “Do you know who just died?” My wife stood nervously by the open bedroom door, a morning newspaper tucked under her arm. “Who?” She had to search her memory. “Uh…. Wilson?” I sat up in bed. “Edward E.O. Wilson?” “Yes” On my nightstand were two of the…11 min read
Jan 27It’s Good to be The King:A report card for Joe Biden — Gerald Alper Growing up in Bridgeport, Connecticut, my best friend was a brash, colorful Irishman. No less brash and colorful was my worst friend, someone who would let me down when I most needed him. …15 min read
Jan 11All About Me! By Mel Brooks. By Gerald AlperIf he had needed any convincing, the glorious singing of Ethel Merman, the music of Cole Porter, a hit play called Anything Goes courtesy of a free ticket by Joe (his favorite Uncle) did the trick. When he grew up he would not work in the garment district, as his…13 min read
Dec 2, 2021Up, up and Away: Part III (Conclusion)What’s in a Name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet The Juliet Question She is so profoundly enamored of every aspect of Romeo’s magical persona she can not imagine what difference a change of name could make. She knows too well that Romeo, were he a Capulet and not…17 min read
Nov 4, 2021The Friends of Andrew CuomoIn 1973 George V. Higgins, an enterprising lawyer working in the office of a Boston District Attorney, published his first novel, the Friends of Eddie Coyle. Almost immediately the novel was hailed as a crime novel breakthrough. …14 min read
Sep 30, 2021Up, Up and Away, Part TwoSeveral months ago, by chance, I came across an old America’s Got Talent Youtube video from the 1990’s. One of the talent judges (hard to miss at 6’ 5’’) was the inimitable Howard Stern. The contestant who was being introduced was a short, stocky, very muscular, wizened, elderly man. “What…17 min read
Sep 3, 2021Up, Up and Away, Part One“It would have been unimaginable only a few years ago for an Olympian to admit to significant doubts during the games, much less to withdraw from an event. …17 min read
Jul 23, 2021Walking with Ghosts by Gabriel ByrneA Memoir You may not know his name but you are likely to recognize his face. Born in Dublin, he has starred in over eighty films for some of the cinema’s leading directors. He won a Golden Globe for his performance on HBO’s In Treatment. …Gabriel Byrne12 min read
