John Lennon’s image will appear on a commemorative coin issued in England thanks to a popular vote conducted by the Royal Mint. He joins other notable persons who have received this “honour,” including Shakespeare, Churchill, Darwin, and Florence Nightingale. If England can manage this kind of tribute for John Lennon,…
A few hundred generous donors and friends of the American Textile History Museum last night gathered to recognize the extraordinary community service and leadership contributions of Brenda Costello. At the same time, the museum marked its first 50 years in the Merrimack Valley. A good measure of the success of a…
Thanks to Globe reporters Courtney Hollands and Nicole Cammorata for suggestions for last-minute Halloween costumes in today’s Boston Globe Calendar. Unfortunately, the photo was not included online. You have to see the hard copy of the paper for the full effect—the yoga mat is worn like a serape and marked…
Today’s NYTimes includes this article about the Harlem-based Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture of the NY Public Library acquiring a massive archive of papers from author and performer Maya Angelou. The story prompted me to recall Maya Angelou’s visit to Lowell in 1989 as a guest of Middlesex Community College. Following is…
Strings of Autumn . The New England Orchestra and Lowell Youth Orchestra with the Arezzo String Trio as special guests offer a colorful palette of music that evokes the transitory beauty and color-shifting wonder of the season plus a dose of haunting Halloween mood. Kay G. Roberts conducts. Sunday, October…
Here’s the latest news about music and film producer Jim Sampas, a Lowell native and brother of our brilliant rh.com photographer-in-residence Tony Sampas.–PM (web photo courtesy of metrowestdailynews.com) Jim’s latest project is “Subterranean Homesick Blues: A Tribute to Bob Dylan’s ‘Bringing It All Back Home’,” which came out a few days ago on…
The Beat Museum in San Francisco posted a tribute to Jack Kerouac on his anniversary death day that includes great photos at Kerouac’s grave in Edson Cemetery just after the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004. Here is the link. Also, today at 6 pm, the Lowell Celebrates Kerouac!…
The whole inside back page of the NYTimes Book Review today has an essay by Lee Siegel comparing the Tea Party with the Beats (Kerouac, Ginsberg, and the other Beat Generation writers of the 1950s and ’60s). The essay is a cultural stretch in many ways, but makes for surprising…
Listen to Lowell favorite son Ted Leonsis, owner of the Washington Wizards and Capitals of professional sports, talk about leadership in a continuing series on the website of the Washington Post. Here’s the link. In the video, Ted says he blogs every day.
Tomorrow would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday if his life had not been taken away in December 1980. Recently, there’s been some talk in our community about Lowell and Liverpool, Kerouac and The Beatles, with similarities being pointed out. Lennon’s life and artistic legacy continue to generate interest and…