First Fave Five
Little, Teresita Mexican Grill, Ari Hest, Aaron Judge, Canine Commode
Welcome to the first edition of my weekly newsletter. Thanks to Arnold Kling for suggesting this platform to me. I hope you enjoy the picks and pics.
Book Best Bet
Little by Edward Carey
My sister Joan Garfield heard Ann Patchett recommend this book, and then suggested it to my wife Barb Hayes. I ordered it for Barb, but I am reading it before she does and enjoying it very much.
From Amazon: In 1761, a tiny, odd-looking girl named Marie is born in a village in Switzerland. After the death of her parents, she is apprenticed to an eccentric wax sculptor and whisked off to the seamy streets of Paris, where they meet a domineering widow and her quiet, pale son. Together, they convert an abandoned monkey house into an exhibition hall for wax heads, and the spectacle becomes a sensation. As word of her artistic talent spreads, Marie is called to Versailles, where she tutors a princess and saves Marie Antoinette in childbirth. But outside the palace walls, Paris is roiling: The revolutionary mob is demanding heads, and . . . at the wax museum, heads are what they do. In the tradition of Gregory Maguire's Wicked and Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, Edward Carey's Little is a darkly endearing cavalcade of a novel—a story of art, class, determination, and how we hold on to what we love.
Restaurant Recommendation
Teresita Mexican Grill 56310 Grand River Ave., New Hudson, MI 48165
Barb and I try to visit a different taqueria every week for Taco Tuesday. This week we tried a place that is a 20-minute drive from our home in Northville, Michigan.
I had horchata, one chile relleno, one taco al pastor, and one beef enchilada with mole sauce. Barb had a margarita, cheese quesadilla, and taco al pastor. Chips with mild and hot salsas came with the meal. We enjoyed the food and service and will return.
Marvelous Musician
On September 23, 2022, Barb and I saw Ari perform at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion, Michigan. The previous two times he appeared there were both on our anniversary, June 6. Ari played two sets and sounded great. He played many of our favorites.
The next day our friend John Bommarito interviewed Ari for an excellent Acoustic Alternatives podcast.
On the first Cayamo cruise in 2008, I met Robin Mueller. She had researched all of the performers and recommended Ari. I checked him out and liked his music a lot. In September, 2009, my daughter Tracy and I saw Ari on a co-bill with Ellis Paul at the The Ark. She loved his set and immediately bought three of his CDs. We listened to these all the time and became huge fans.
Ari performed in our home on March 6, 2011. He made a surprise appearance in Santa Barbara at the wedding of Tracy and Matt on July 2, 2017. We have attended his shows at The Ark, Trinity House Theatre in Livonia, Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake, Weatherwax Hall in Jackson, the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, and online.
Ari and Judy Collins received a 2017 Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album for Silver Skies Blue. In 2008, Ari wrote, recorded and released a new song every Monday, and released Twelve Mondays in 2009, a collection of remixed fan favorites from the 52 songs. Many of Ari’s songs have appeared on TV and film, including The Path, The Lincoln Lawyer, Private Practice, Army Wives, and One Tree Hill.
Both Tracy and Kathy have sung “Cranberry Lake” with him. He recorded the song “Sea of Truth” with my brother David. Ari dedicated a song to Roger and Cristi at a show in DC. My friend David Westin challenged me to go through one day on Cayamo without mentioning Ari. In return, I issued a similar challenge to him for the Allman Brothers Band.
From Wikipedia: Ari Hest (born June 16, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter from the Bronx borough of New York. His father is a college music professor and his mother a cantor. He took piano lessons as a child and later taught himself to play guitar. Ari attended Cornell University and later transferred to New York University, where he received a degree in Communications in 2002. He is a member of The Jewbadours. He is also half of the Bossa Nova inspired band Bluebirds of Paradise, a collaboration with his wife Chrissi Poland. They now live in Scituate, Massachusetts.
Videos and Photos
My Playlist
Sports Star
I recall 61 years ago when Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's single-season home run record by hitting his 61st homer on October 1, 1961, when I was 8 years old. Barb and I were watching the MLB Network on October 4, 2022, when Aaron Judge hit his 62nd home run, breaking Roger's record. This is a great accomplishment by an athlete not using PEDs.
Picture Pun
To pee, or not to pee, that is the question.
