Mystery novels by prolific older authors
The Bibliophile This summer, enjoy these mysteries, which run the gamut from suspense to adventure to whimsy. The Therapist: A Novel, You’re Going to Need to Talk to Someone, by B. A. Paris, 298 pages, St. Martin’s Press hardcover, 2021 This thriller has all the elements of a classic Hitchcock movie: murder most horrid, a haunted house, forgery, rumor and gossip run amok,... READ MORE
Stand-up meets acting at Theater J show
Brad Zimmerman describes himself as being a late bloomer. With “My Son the Waiter: A Jewish Tragedy,” however, he appears to have at last come into his own: His one-man show is now on national tour, and visitors to Theater J at the Edlavitch Jewish Community Center of Washington, D.C., can enjoy his autobiographical performance, which runs through August 21. In his 81-minute show,... READ MORE
SpongeBob musical is great for families
Okay, full disclosure: Before I stepped into Toby’s Dinner Theatre to see the current production of The SpongeBob Musical, I didn’t know anything about the wildly popular animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. Not one thing. I figured I’d learn about it soon enough. And so I did. One thing is for sure: I am now better able to answer the question posed to me many times... READ MORE
You know your marriage is strong when…
When you (mis)spend your life as a writer, as I have, and when you’ve perpetrated millions of words, as I have, other writers always ask you the same question. Do you need silence when you work, or could you work in the middle of the Beltway at rush hour? I always answer Option Two, but for a very unusual reason. I share a study with my spouse. Our click-and-counterclick has... READ MORE
Summer fiction for escape and enjoyment
The Bibliophile Relax and enjoy these novels featuring older and relatable protagonists. The Return of the Pharaoh: From the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D., by Nicholas Meyer, 272 pages, Minotaur Books hardcover, 2021 Septuagenarian author, screenwriter and film director Nicholas Meyer imagines this caper as a long-lost manuscript by Dr. Watson. In this novel, Watson is... READ MORE
Outdoor Shakespeare classic set in WWII
If you’re a fan of comedian Jerry Seinfeld and his eponymous 90s TV “show about nothing,” chances are you’ll enjoy William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, performed by the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (CSC) outdoors among the ruins at PFI Historic Park in Ellicott City, Maryland. Viewed from a 21st century perspective, Much Ado offers inspiration for many a Seinfeldian... READ MORE
Betty White shines in coffee table book
A photo of the late Betty White, with dimpled smile and guileless gaze, filled the cover of a coffee table book that was published a month before her 100th birthday, just days before her death on Dec. 31, 2021. The image on the cover of Betty White: 100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary Life (becker&mayer! Books) evokes the genuine White, according to the book’s author, Ray... READ MORE
Stories of loss and survival come to life
Millions of Ukrainians have fled their homes seeking safety from Russia’s February 24 invasion, and many have huddled underground across the country. Their experience reminds us that the Virginia Holocaust Museum’s core exhibit is especially relevant during these troubled times. Located in Shockoe Bottom, the museum opened in an unadorned former tobacco warehouse in 2003. Its main... READ MORE
Sixty years since high school? Can’t be!
The letter was so upbeat, it almost chirped. “Come back!” it urged. “Relive All Those Great Memories! Bask in the Glow!” It was an invitation to my 60th high school reunion. Gulp. Wince. Run fingers through white hair. Have 60 years really passed? They have. Are most of my classmates still alive? They are. Are most of them planning to attend? They are. Am I... READ MORE
Honoring lifelong volunteers for service
Since 1998, Montgomery County, Maryland, has bestowed the Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award on selected older adults, honored for their lifelong commitment to volunteer work. The awards, named after former County Executive Neal Potter, are co-sponsored by the Montgomery County Commission on Aging and the Beacon Newspapers. This year’s winners are Judge Chung K. Pak and Charlotte... READ MORE
