Postcards
Postcard from Austin
Austin is hot in the summer. One way to escape the heat is to get in the water, especially cold water. Austin has one of the most remarkable swimming “pools”
Postcard from Los Angeles
I’ve said it before. I love LA. It has warm weather and great art. On my most recent trip, my pal Johnny and I engaged in a few hours of
Postcard from La Jolla
La Jolla has some of the best architecture in the country and some of the worst. Louis Kahn’s Salk Institute commands a cliff like few others. Irving Gill, who was
Postcard from 1972
Like a lot of folks my age I seem to receive the magazine of the American Association of Retired People. Now that I am “rewired” I occasionally open it. I
Postcard from New York
April 13, 2022 For spring break, I went to New York City with my pals David and Jay and their two kids Shayla and Jaden. First time in New York
Postcard from Carmel
Thinking About Scale Our family’s best times were in Carmel. We put aside our troubles when we went there. When I was in junior high school, my pal Cherie came
Postcard from Japantown
Stopped by Japantown the other day when I arrived early to meet some friends for dinner. Japantown is part of San Francisco’s failed redevelopment of the Western Addition. The sad
Postcard From Japan
There are many aspects of life in Japan that are radically different than the US. In San Francisco I can only think of the recent public restroom in Washington Square
Postcard from New York
New York comforts me in grief. It’s the combination of old friends, good food, and art. First art stop was the austere yet complex work of Richard Serra on view
Postcard from Hudson Yards
Hudson Yards is gray, really gray, even on a sunny day. The buildings are gray. The souvenir baseball caps are gray. Matte gray, glossy gray, in-between gray, all gray. Some
Postcard from New Orleans
New Orleans probably shouldn’t exist at all. It sits below sea level. For much of its life, it was a burden on whatever government controlled it. Now it’s a city
Postcard from Santa Cruz
Visiting Santa Cruz, California, is a childhood memory for many of us Californians. Our family took our first vacation there. It wasn’t far from home, and it was inexpensive. I
Design Postcard
When we got back home after two months away, there was a lot of snail mail. Anything that didn’t look like a real letter or that didn’t have to do
Postcard from the East Coast
June 2017 Once again, I flew Virgin across the country. Unfortunately, the Alaska merger appears to have dimmed the disco lighting and indeed the whole enterprise. The airline feels less
Postcard from Baltimore: Beauty and Struggle
Baltimore may epitomize America’s arc. Flying high during the booming industrial age and trying to reinvent itself forever afterwards—all at a great human cost. Visiting Baltimore in the middle of
Postcard from New York and London
New York New York just before Christmas is the best. It’s cold like winter but not uncomfortable. A little rain, but not too much. By February or March, it’s too
Postcard from New York
A New York summer day in the shade on weeks between rainstorms is sweet. Walk on the shady side of the street and you don’t sweat so much. Walking along
Postcard from Tucson
The palo verde and other desert plants were in bloom. As we drove up the curves of North Campbell Avenue into the foothills, the landscape obscured the less attractive buildings
Postcard from Seattle
We went to Seattle to see Ann Hamilton’s show at the University of Washington’s Henry Art Gallery. Since her art is all encompassing, and it was our first major stop
Postcard from Tucson
Tucson remains the strangest of cities. Surrounded by the Sonoran Desert, majestic mountain ranges, pockets of charming neighborhoods, and the most hideous of American boulevards. On this trip, we were
Postcard from Nassau
Paradise Lost When you fly over Nassau, just before you land, you see the most spectacular water. Beautifully clear and a tempting assortment of blue and aqua colors. You only
Postcard from the UK
Our holiday trip to the UK was cold but beautiful. We mixed a city of earthen tones punctuated by red buses with a countryside full of every shade of green.
Postcard from Disneyland
The Facebook photos do not lie. I spent a few days on vacation in Disneyland. It was my pal David’s 50th birthday, and he wanted to show his kids the
Postcard from Chicago
Chicago reminds me a little of Seattle. Visit in good weather, and you’re ready to move there. The early autumn varied between “warm” and “light sweater required.” I love the
Postcard from Houston
Everybody maligns Houston. I like it. But then, I like Los Angeles, too. Houston reminds me a lot of Los Angeles, but with more humidity, more parking, and slightly less
Postcard from New York
Although it takes five modes of transport to get from Fire Island to Manhattan, it only took us three hours. When it works, it works. But as soon as we