“Dearheart, would you like to play on my new gay softball team?” The “heart” part sounded like it was a 5-syllable word when asked by Jack, also known as Irene, a doughy, bleach-blonde, middle-aged guy who wore his gay identity like it was a Kaftan. There was no possible way…

“Dearheart, would you like to play on my new gay softball team?” The “heart” part sounded like it was a 5-syllable word when asked by Jack, also known as Irene, a doughy, bleach-blonde, middle-aged guy who wore his gay identity like it was a Kaftan. There was no possible way…

A few days ago, I was in New York and got last minute tickets to see the new Broadway production of Company. I took my 19-year-old cousin who is studying drumming and who loves theater. It was fun for me to talk with him after the show since he had…

A few days ago, I was in New York and got last minute tickets to see the new Broadway production of Company. I took my 19-year-old cousin who is studying drumming and who loves theater. It was fun for me to talk with him after the show since he had…

I went to formal education through a Masters’ degree. In that time, I wrote countless papers. Of all the writing assignments through all those years, I only recall one essay. One. I was never focused on grades. I didn’t shy away from difficult classes or unfamiliar subjects because I was…

When I was young, I received an amazing gift that I still use. It is my Betty Crocker New Boys and Girls Cookbook for ages 5+. It is a first edition, first printing dated 1965 so I would have been 5, barely making the cut. The book has simple recipes…

I was an imaginative little boy. I still have many vivid memories of my childhood. I used to have an imaginary friend who went everywhere with me. His name was Gimme and I would often talk to him out loud. But unbeknownst to most, Gimme had a friend who was…

Through the Dark Window These are stressful times on so many levels. Between the pandemic, the election, the news, the divisiveness, the anger, and the economy, it is impossible to bring stress to previous levels. These issues hit me on big and small levels. My income is greatly reduced. I…

My grandfather, Irving Dubofsky, had a larger-than-life personality. He spoke or understood Yiddish, Russian, German, Polish, and English. He was a pretty observant Jew, attending services regularly. Normally the rabbi w,ould lead the congregation in reciting Hebrew prayers, but Irving would read faster, throwing off the tempo and making the…