Museums & Historic Sites
A Wistful Walk in the Garden
A reflection on one’s personal relationship with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
The Empty Chair
This past spring, I traveled to London for the very first time. I approached the trip not as a getaway or a vacation but as a pilgrimage to the epicenter of the English-speaking world. For a writer and a humanist such as myself, London represents literature, art, history, architecture, and learning—the foundation of my creative…
Halloween Fun: Lovecraft and King Manor
Autumn has arrived, and Halloween is approaching. An upcoming talk at the King Manor Museum will detail the relationship between H. P. Lovecraft and New York City.
Providence: Walking with H. P. Lovecraft
A research trip to Providence, Rhode Island allows this biographer to immerse himself in the the world of his subject — weird fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft
Statues for Whom?
Statues stand as markers or symbols of how we publicly view history. They sit in our parks and and in front of our public buildings. Before the protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd, few of us likely paid much attention to them as we walked to work, returned a library book, or reported…
Charles Burchfield: Nature & the City
A Christmas or two ago, my wife gave me a copy of Blistering Visions: Charles E. Burchfield’s Sublime American Landscape, a catalog accompanying a 2016 exhibition commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the Burchfield Penny Art Center in Buffalo, New York.
A Booklover’s Paradise
My friend and I enjoyed a recent Friday evening at the Morgan Library & Museum. We approached our visit with a seriousness and devotion associated with a religious pilgrimage.
Dyspeptic Observations
During the past year, I have experienced the luxury of conducting research at the New York Public Library, one of the world’s great collections. When I need a break from my work, I wander through the library’s halls, marveling at the architecture, the art, the exhibits–the sheer wonder of the institution.