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My most recent single release - "My True North" - is now available on Bandcamp. Open my profile and click on "audio clip".

Friday, December 30, 2016

Best Of 2016

This is more fun when some of you join in and tell me and others what made the year that is ending a memorable one, using my categories or some of your own. I use this once a year post to emphasize positive events but, feel free to whine. I certainly do that enough here throughout the year.

Best reunionEarly in 2016, I re-connected with an old friend. Turns out, she'd saved the holiday letters and pictures I'd never stopped sending and then reached out after her son saw the pile and asked about me. We spoke at length last January and then re-united at her home in upstate NY over the summer. This one doubles as best gift I received in 2016.

Best new novel: Purity - Jonathan Franzen

Best new filmManchester By The Sea

Best teaching-related moment: Shortly after finishing a class on Paul Simon, I got an e-mail from a student that sustained me for weeks. She wrote to tell me that my passion about Simon's "American Tune" had inspired her so much that she and her family downloaded the song (with accompanying lyric) and then listened to it while eating dinner. She went on to say the ensuing family conversation was " ... one of the best they've ever had ...". If I feel great about this - being the conduit - imagine how Paul Simon must feel knowing how his work reaches people.

Best inspirational quote discovered for future blog use: "Do one thing every day that scares you" - Eleanor Roosevelt

Happy New Year!!

1 comment:

  1. -Best New Film: LaLaLand. If ever there was a bull's eye for the target audience of screen musicals, I'm it! The opening scene scored a direct hit. I'll never look at traffic quite the same way again. The discussion I had about the movie with my younger daughter later that day made me realize how grounded she is in the crazy and unpredictable world of show business.
    - Best New Music: The score from the Broadway musical "Waitress". Sara Bareilles is one of a kind!
    - Best New Novel: Impossible to pick my favorite of 2016. So here are my top seven new books in order of completion:
    "The Man Without AShadow" by Joyce Carol Oates
    "The Vegetarian" by Han Kang
    "Lab Girl" by Hope Jahren
    "The Last Painting Of Sara De Vos" by Dominic Smith
    "A Gentleman In Moscow" by Amor Towles
    "News Of The World" by Paulette Jiles
    "The Nix" by Nathan Hill
    ***I'm anxious to see what 2017 will bring to our worlds of film, music and literature. Enjoy!!!

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