FROM BASQUIAT TO BOQUERONES »
There's an excellent exhibit of graffiti artist-turned-mainstream-painter, Jean Michel Basquiat, in downtown Manhattan. The artist died at 28 of an overdose; his works are sobering. It would have been a hard transition from this intense show to our ultimate destination, the Little Spain eatery, (thought-provoking art makes us hungry), but the High Line was nearby. Little Spain has a magnificent selection of Spanish food. The diner prides itself on being purely Spanish but the Latin-American waiter did not know what a "pincho" was and they played Mexican music. Small complaints. We enjoyed every morsel, raised our "thimbles" and toasted Basquiat!
We Are All Ukrainian—And Me Just a Little More »
See the amazing things going on in NYC's East Village in these times of global anguish and solidarity.
A NOSTALGIC LOOK AT MADRID’S CAFES OF OLD »
All that is most typical of Madrid is fast disappearing and only a few powerless die-hard madrileños seem to care. Among the fatalities are the old-time cafés, those congenial meeting-places where you could go, meet friends, talk art and politics and pleasantly idle away the hours sipping black coffee and cognac.
THE CHILDLIKE MAGIC OF JOAN MIRÓ »
Miró: "I try to apply colors like words that shape poems, like notes that shape music"
ISLAND HOPPING IN THE TIME OF COVID »
The Guidepost Galloping Gourmets were getting restless. Summer was waning and the travel possibilities were ever slimmer as Covid variants reared their ugly heads. "Delta, Smelta," I said, " enough worrying about variants. Let's go Island hopping." Just as the crew scrambled to find passports, I told them all they needed was their metro pass.
A STATESIDE STORY: FEDERAL AGENTS QUELL RIOTS IN PORTLAND, OREGON; CONSIDERED FOR OTHER CITIES »
After nearly 3 months of nightly protests and rioting in the streets of Portland, Oregon, President Donald Trump dispatched Federal Agents to guard the Federal Court House in Portland, and has considered sending agents to other US cities suffering from rioting, although the Democrat-run cities have protested the “authoritarian” move.The protests which started with the police-instigated death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement has devolved into nightly mass hysteria and mayhem, with Federal Agents using pepper spray and tear gas liberally, and the arrest of many. And Portland is normally a quiet, backwater town.
Noche Flamenca’s “Antigona” in the Time of Corona: At Home with Soledad Barrio and Martín Santangelo »
Bessie Award-winning bailaora/choreographer Soledad Barrio is an intuitive and internal performer who possesses a preternatural connection to her character. She identifies with Antigona, “one of [whose] character traits is to love more than herself. She’s very passionate, and her objective is to take care of her family. It’s related to my life to be connected with family. One part of flamenco is love, passion and concern about the family unit. I connect with that a lot, too.” Noche Flamenca’s production of “Antigona” at La MaMa in Manhattan, scheduled for March 19-April 5, was cancelled due to the corona virus travel restrictions from Europe in March. Then all of New York went into lockdown. Shut in with husband choreographer/producer Martín Santangelo, Barios says “I’m diving into the abyss so I can resuscitate when this is over.”
A Second Opinion: Coronavirus Takes its Toll! »
Be kind to each other while you can. You never know when it will be your last chance.
IT’S A SIN TO MISS THESE TWO SPECTACULAR SHOWS: OPERA LIVE from THE MET & the GAME OF THRONES Official Exhibition »
♦ Big hit since its first season, “+ QUE CINE” has been bringing operas from the Metropolitan Opera in New York live via satellite to Spain’s select movie theaters. ♦ THE GAME OF THRONES OFFICIAL EXHIBITION features a unique mix of immersive environments, interactives, and multimedia content. On hand to dazzle fans are breathtaking images and enthralling artifacts — authentic props, costumes and set decorations — from this most awarded TV show in history.
NEW YORK: A TREAT FOR MOVIE BUFFS »
The fifth annual Ecuadorian Film Festival is on from October 18 to 20 in New York. It’s a lively festival that always surprises, what with its riveting themes. Some of the films have already won Latin American film awards. All are in Spanish with English subtitles. This year’s festival will have two venues: The Queens Museum and the Syndicated Bar Theater Kitchen in Brooklyn. The Queens location is excellent because it also offers a walk through Flushing Meadow park if you choose to get there by the famed 7 train. The multi-faceted Bushwick, Brooklyn location, in an old factory building, is an experience in itself.
