"Oh, Jack, don’t be such a bloody twit. Come back to Hawthornden." That was British biographer Hilary Spurling calling in spring 2002. But twit or not, I wasn’t interested in returning to Hawthornden Castle International Writer’s Retreat. It had been 1989 when Spurling and I first met at the quiet Scottish arts colony. The stay [...]

Even as a youngster swinging to Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb at Harlem’s historic Savoy dance hall, Lucy White was convinced that jazz is integral to the history of her people. "Jazz is the one true American art form," says the Detroit native. "We must preserve it." So when she moved to Sarasota in 1984, [...]

All my arty, intellectual friends subscribe to the Sunday New York Times, but for years I resisted, knowing I’d feel guilty if I ignored that mass of required reading to pursue my usual shiftless Sunday pleasures. Finally I broke down; and though the stack of unread papers has indeed taken over my kitchen, there’s one [...]

Clear and bright: A slender glass trumpet vase becomes a graceful lamp with the addition of a sleek coffee-bean brown shade and a chrome finial. The beauty of this tall, slim table lamp is that it works in a classical room as well as a contemporary space. It measures 39 inches tall and sells for [...]

11.5 cols Feb. events Art Art Center Sarasota. Through Feb. 5, a Circus Show continues in the front and main galleries. Through Feb. 7: a mixed media and photography show featuring the works of Melody Oxarart and Judy Kramer is in the Members Gallery. Opening Feb. 15 to run through March 12: a joint show [...]

I know a column about the life of Henry James is not something you would expect to find in a magazine such as this, but he is so crucial to understanding the art of literature and the craft of writing that he’s like Elvis Presley-the master of his form. In fact, he is called the [...]

Doesn’t it feel like downtown has been closed for a year? Always those barricaded streets-it just wasn’t worth making the effort. Well, the barricades are starting to come down now; and it’s almost time for the reveal, as they say on Extreme Makeover, which is exactly what our town has been going through. We can [...]

Families of sandhill cranes can be found year-round in Florida. Normally, the parents separate their offspring for one-on-one lessons in catching food. But in this case, a parent is working with two chicks, catching insects and placing them in the water so the chicks can snatch them before they flee. Sandhill cranes live for about [...]