Sopranos nostalgia

It’s been so long I almost forgot how engaging the writing and acting is on The Sopranos. Been catching some of the reruns lately and keep marveling at the compelling storylines based on how seemingly conflicting values mesh, the depth of the characters, and...

America the Exceptional

Throw together some pop culture, a bit of Rick Santorum’s speech at CPAC and all this talk of American exceptionalism and you have me putting it all together in my head for some reason. This column is me working it all through. Today’s Game Plan: America...

About art

Love this story from Garrison Keillor’s Writer’s Almanac today. I mean, who would have thought Puccini experienced an opening night disaster with Madame Butterfly? Here goes: It was on this day in 1904 that Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly...

Hopeful young voices on Egypt

After sifting through the events and images and the range of opinions coming out of Egypt the last few weeks, I keep coming back to a strong feeling of hope. But when you come down to it, what do I know? That’s how today’s Game Plan begins. And so I sought...

Love

I don’t know that I have learned more about love from one Valentine’s Day to the next than in this past year. Ever, ever grateful.