By Richard Vincente
Watching the U.S. presidential debate the other night, I was (like so many others) horrified by the steady stream of half-truths, exaggerations, misquoted promises, outdated arguments and other hyperbolic rhetorical devices used by both candidates to slyly smear each other.
I’m Canadian, and while we have our own brand of political gamesmanship up here, the utter mendaciousness of the U.S. campaign is both foreign and reprehensible to us Canucks.
And I’m familiar … Read More
The slight shift in the weather this week had me thinking. I used to go to France every September to shop the stores and attend the fabric shows. Mandatory on my agenda was a trip to the Marché Aux Puces, the celebratory Paris flea market, where inspiration can jump out from the rambling assemblage of eccentric, elegant and engaging shops. This shopping mecca is a crossroads of art, steeped in history, and ratified by the … Read More
The first time I saw David Blaine perform his Street Magic, I must admit I was somewhat wary. I am not a fan of tricks, sleight of hand or wizardry. But it did not take too much scrutiny for me to realize that what I was observing was a form of extraordinary art. In Blaine’s space, reality shifts, perception intercedes, and astonishment results. What you see is what you get. It does not matter that … Read More
I wrote my senior thesis in college on Vincent Van Gogh. The major theme was the impact of vivid color and the intensity of his brushstroke. Was he mad as the pundits claimed? Or did he, in fact possess a confident audacity to defy the artistic traditions of his time and risk acceptance in order to make his own personal statement. My obsession with Van Gogh began in 1970 at The Philadelphia Museum of Art… Read More
What makes a horse such an intoxicating animal is the combination of extreme sensitivity, majestic beauty and soft love. This 1000 pound animal can feel the touch of a tiny insect, hear the sound of an acorn on a barn roof, smell an animal cloaked by trees and see the flicker of a tiny movement in the distance. To ride a horse with grace, you must partner with his breath in a delicate dance. Ears … Read More
I am fascinated by the ongoing obsession of popular culture with vampires. In my parent’s generation, the classic tale of quiet evil was elegantly personified by Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Later, when my generation was tuning up, Anne Rice captivated our fantasy of perpetual youth and mysterious romance in her Vampire Chronicles. And today, no author better serves the quest for the fabulous forbidden other world than Stephenie Meyer’s handsome and captivating teen hero, … Read More