I’ve only met a few “living legends” during my life. William T. Fauntroy Jr., one of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen and a Congressional Gold Medal of Honor recipient, is one of them. Consequently, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to hear him speak this past February at the Sandy Spring Slave Museum. William Fauntroy is...
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“The Great Gatsby” (PG-13) ***** The novel is short, the movie is long, but the film does what it is supposed to do and more. It tells the complex story of Jay Gatsby and adds depth and context to it in unique ways. Who would have thought that a score that included hip-hop and...
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“The Sapphires” (PG-13) **** It’s the usual girl singers’ story: Get together at a local hall, be heard, get recruited for something bigger and hit the big time. The difference in this film is that the girls are all Australian aboriginal sisters and cousins, the year is 1968, and the “big time” is a...
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“Solemn.” That is the word I would use to describe the way I felt reading “Benediction” (2013), Kent Haruf’s newest novel. “Respectful,” I would call myself, of the close look he allows into the private lives of ordinary people. In his fifth novel, the acclaimed author once again displays the unique writing style readers...
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Lobio Pkhali This recipe (a cross between a salad and a relish) is from one of Gil Marks’ books, Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes From Jewish Communities Around the World (Wiley). This book showcases an authentic collection of 300 simple, enticing recipes that accentuate signature flavors of time-honored vegetarian dishes from...
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Each April I’m reminded of three events: Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and two family birthdays — my second grandson’s and my mother’s. Though I think of Walt Whitman’s “When lilacs last in the dooryard bloomed …” and the sorrow that poem conveys of Lincoln’s death, April is also a joyous time to remember my grandson’s...
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“Olympus Has Fallen” (R) *** For those of you who love the capital city, stay at home because a lot of D.C. gets destroyed in this thriller. The targets are the White House and the president of the United States, Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart). You might also see Ashley Judd’s name in the credits,...
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When Julian Barnes’ elegantly crafted novel, “The Sense of an Ending,” won England’s 2011 Man Booker Prize, I vowed to read it immediately. Yet that little book with its puzzling title by an author I’d not yet read simply remained on my list. I now see I’ve been missing something special. The narration of...
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“Dead Man Down” (R) *** Revenge is not necessarily sweet. As someone in this film remarks, “You’ve found that, when it’s over, it won’t mend your heart.” Everybody in this decent revenge film wants revenge: Victor (Colin Farrell), Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), the Albanians, Alphonse (Terrence Howard) and others, and they all try to find...
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It’s never too early to start planning your menus for Passover and Easter. Here are some recipes from new books that will add easy, delicious dishes to your holiday table. Artichoke and Lemon Spread Another delight from Carol Dearth, well known cooking teacher and author. 1 small clove garlic 1 (6.5 ounce) jar marinated...
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