Well before sunrise, the scent of October hovers over the lake. From inside, I spot the lone heron that returns to my shoreline each year. It takes flight. The geese stop in mid-crossing. They see me step onto the deck and know from experience that I do not welcome them. (The lawn maintenance crew had threatened […]

I’m always driving toward Schenectady, it seems. Last Sunday, for instance, I awoke with the realization that I was to take cast members of “Miss Saigon” to WNYT for “Live at Noon” the following day. I love to drive — except when I’m on a mission. And taking cast members to area stations is the […]

Leaving the quasi goodwill of the workweek behind, I navigate quickly through Friday traffic toward WAMC on Albany’s Central Avenue. Friend, neighbor, and volunteer coordinator Katie Horn awaits in the parking lot. She’s invited me to my first concert at Tanglewood. I am excited — about Tanglewood, my first live encounter with the Boston Symphony […]

Even as I make progress in inching my way toward Schenectady (see this space, Monday, July 17: New Heights, New Horizons: Another corner to be turned), each day brings new challenges. Roseanne Roseannadanna, a recurring “Saturday Night Live” (now “SNL”) character created by the late Gilda Radner, may have said it best: It’s always something. […]

The warped signal that carried the sounds of late-night jazz from downtown Philly lulled me to sleep each night. I kept the battery-operated radio close to my pillow: My parents arose at 5 and neither would support my nocturnal listening habit, especially if they knew it increased my longings for a world outside of tiny […]