Let Us Now Praise the Semi-Colon

The semicolon is underused in today’s writing; many believe, incorrectly, that it’s an archaic bit of punctuation. Mightier than the comma but less decisive than a period, semicolons deserve more respect. (Ignore Kurt Vonnegut, who once said the only reason to use a semicolon is to prove you have a higher education.) They’re especially useful […]

Future of Affordable Housing – Toronto Star renter’s column (January 26, 2013)

For my latest Toronto Star renter’s column, I asked three local experts about the state of renting & affordable housing in the city. What really matters through 2013 & beyond? This is my last Lifelong Renter column. The Star killed it today, along with a number of other columns as part of a big downsizing exercise. […]

Frank Sinatra Has A Cold

It’s an overstatement to call Gay Talese’s “Frank Sinatra Has A Cold” the greatest profile of all time. After all, there have been many wonderful profiles published since this ran in the April 1966 issue of Esquire. But it remains a sterling example of the form. When Talese arrived in Los Angeles, Sinatra was approaching […]

Welcome to my new, improved web site

Thanks to the fine site designer, Graham Scott, this is my new & improved web site. I’ll be regularly posting here — announcements, updates, events of interest, assortica. For now, this is the launch…