On Tuesday, July 30 five writers and two musicians performed in support for Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who revealed the mass surveillance programs of the National Security Agency, at the Reader’s Quarry Bookstore in Woodstock, NY. The readers: Clark Strand, Carl Watson, James Lasdun, Violet Snow and me. The singers: Paul McMahon, Dan Sofaer. This […]
A Large Gold Nugget Found Using A Metal Detector
Commentary: I could not believe what I was hearing and seeing as I listened to the CBS News the other evening and the reporter announced an Australian prospector had found a 12-pound gold nugget in the area of the "Golden Triangle" near the town of Ballarat. The prospector took the nugget into a Mining Exchange Gold Shop in Ballarat […]
My Sister’s Death May She Rest In Peace
To My Dearest Sister Brenda, Rest In Peace. Be with God. Many people think the act of suicide to be a cowardly act, but if we stop and think about it for even just a moment, we will realize it as a moment of desperation, followed by extreme bravery. I say this because if […]
Phoenician Poetry
On August 13, four friends and I gave a poetry reading at Arts Upstairs in Phoenicia, New York. The event became an impromptu benefit for Doctors Without Borders. Below is the letter I wrote to the organization, along with a check for $50. Dear Doctors, My friend Alan Fliegel has been asking me […]
Occupying Woodstock
Last Tuesday, police attacked Zuccotti Park at 1 AM, destroying the Occupy Wall Street encampment. Two days later, protests took place in at least 30 cities around the world — plus Woodstock! When I received an invitation from MoveOn.org, I decided to attend. Immediately, I begin obsessing about the proper sign to make for this […]
In Pakistan, Bin Laden’s Death Transforms Local Coffee House
Written by Sasa Milosevic The death of Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, has benefited not only the United States and its President Barack Obama, but also some of the city’s local business owners. Coffity, a local coffee house, turned into the second hottest place in town overnight, the first one being the house […]