My Blog-Editing Philosophy

It has been suggested that I should consider altering the opening line from my recent post about a poetry reading I attended: ?Attending poetry readings seems like one of the great fringe benefits of my job, except that occasions such as last evening?s are free and open to the public at large.? The implication was …

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Sing-Along Simon, an Open Thread of Sorts

I just came from Dr. Billington?s office, where he conducted a media interview in advance of the fast-approaching Gershwin Prize and all-star concert. (I hope to link to the news story within the next few days.) What was especially interesting to me before the interview was that a few other staff members were there, each …

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Today in History: Quadricentennial Edition

“America” has a lot of birthdays. There’s that familiar one dating back to July 4, 1776. And we’ve written about one recent 500th birthday for “America.” But today’s “TIH” marks another major milestone for this country. On this date in 1607, the first permanent English settlement in North America was established at Jamestown in what …

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Today in History: North Star Edition

So I was preparing my remarks for the Asian/Pacific-American Heritage Month event coming up Monday, and I learned that yesterday?s ?TIH? is the reason APAHM is celebrated in May. (The majority of the laborers who built the transcontinental railroad were Chinese immigrants.) Sometimes I think I?m learning more here than my brain can hold! In …

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