Claps for the Boston Sunday Globe's photojournalism spread by Mary Beth Meehan showing the pattern of violence in New Bedford against Mayan Guatemalans. They fled the war in Guatamela and came here for peace and opportunity, but they're being beaten and robbed by African-Americans and Puerto Ricans. They live in constant fear. Seems there's no end of viciousness that …
Category: Media
Does moral turpitude negate high art or sports accomplishment?
No mistake about it. Woody Allen's latest movie, Blue Jasmine, was deserving of an Oscar nomination, especially for Cate Blanchett's performance. Allen also recently won lifetime achievement recognition in the Golden Globes. This is more troubling. Allen is prolific and creative, but what does lifetime achievement really mean? NY Times' Nick Kristof last weekend published an open letter …
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More remembrances of Chet
The media have taken the measure of the man: Chet Curtis was a prince. Smart, caring, funny, calm and comfortable. No argument there. Chet had many "princely" trappings - a huge salary for the time, what seemed to be an ideal family, a boat, a plane, a Nantucket vacation home. He and Nat were rich and …
Catching up on movies
For much of the year, my husband and I debate whether a movie is worth seeing on a big screen or relegated to Netflix. But our winter holiday tradition is to binge on in-theater movies during the last 10 days of the year. Friends have asked me what I liked, and so here goes. We believe what …
Headlines to hope for in 2014
Each year, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial page editor Tom Waseleski prepares for the New Year an aspirational list of headlines. For several years, I have shamelessly borrowed the idea and herewith present my own suggestions, with precious little expectation that we will see them atop newspapers, magazines or teasing newscasts in 2014. Please send your own in the …
Hubie: 80 and going strong!
The marquee of the Citi Center for the Performing Arts, still known as the Wang, was lit up on Wednesday evening. In bold colors and a dominating photo it read "Hubie80!" For years now, Boston has known that "Hubie" is Hubie Jones, a man who has made an incomparable impact on this city. He came …
Remembering where we were
Fifty years ago today, the woman was not yet a journalist. She was barely 24, a Wellesley College graduate, living in a thoroughly domestic life in a garden apartment in Norwood, getting used to days and weeks totally different from what she might have experienced were she born a generation later. She was surrounded by other, …
Bullpen cop not a picture-perfect image
Local writers (e.g., Dan Shaughnessy) have reveled in the image of Boston Police Officer Steve Horgan raising his arms in a celebratory pose as Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter fell over the bullpen wall chasing David Ortiz' grand-slam homer. It was certainly a joyous moment for all of us Red Sox fans in an extraordinary moment …
End-of-summer blues darken musings
Don't tell me the end of summer isn't until the third week in September. Virtually everyone understands summer ends on Labor Day (or the Friday before for those who want to beat the rush.) The leaves are beginning to turn. Crickets are making a racket at night. Returning college students are clogging the streets with …
Whitey withdrawal symptoms?
At first I thought a verdict in the trial of Boston gangster Whitey Bulger would spur profound withdrawal symptoms. I'd be missing the daily, nay, hourly updates on the grizzly testimony given about the murderous career of the Hub's most notorious and despicable psychopath. Despite having followed Whitey as a journalist, despite having covered his ever-loyal brother, …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 