Professor Carol 
That’s pretty much my life right now: irises and essays. Writing, writing, writing. Gazing out at the explosions of spring. And a lot of packing and unpacking. Spring 2024 is a swirl of commitments–a whirlwind I got myself into. Everything seemed “doable” when it was … Read more
Standing with a dozen others outside the main administration building, Cooke Hall, on the campus of Highlands Latin School, I watched as swaths of thick clouds chugged past, as if daring us earthlings to catch a glimpse of the eclipse. Before us, out on the … Read more
There’s going to be a party in Dallas this Saturday night—one of those festivities where a person’s life achievements are toasted and honored. It pains me not to be present, but no way exists for me to fly from an afternoon talk in Cincinnati to … Read more
Today I am presenting a post that goes back a while (well, eleven years to be exact). The post itself floated up while searching my files for prose to complement a new talk I am giving at this year’s conferences: a consideration of the critical, … Read more
What things shape our understanding of the things we ardently pursue in life? In Episode #2 of Encounters, Hank and I talk about specific events that changed our approach to music (and, in some respects, life itself). In my case, the key incident involved a … Read more
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I landed in San Luis Obispo, bumping in plenty of turbulence on the last leg from Phoenix through remnants of the torrential “Pineapple Express” that hit California. Peering at slivers of dazzling Western geography through the barely breaking clouds, I was reminded of the spectacular … Read more
We have inaugurated a podcast series called Encounters. Approached about doing podcasts for a long time, we finally took the leap! This first episode features Hank and me, sifting through the riches of Western Classical repertoire in an effort to come up with our lists … Read more
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It’s time to take down our Moravian Star. This wonderful object, with its 32 points sending light in all directions at night, has been gracing our porch since December 3rd (the beginning of Advent 2023). But its reign will end Friday the 2nd, on Candlemas. … Read more
