For Joanna Gaines, designing a home is less about style rules and more about telling a story. A home can be curated for perfection, but it can also be designed to tell the story of the people who inhabit it – their lives, travels, interests, personality, and more. That narrative is what turns a building into a place that people want to live in and love instead of being a modern version of the “nice room” at grandma’s house that was only for special company. Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave is tailored to help […]
Blowing His Own…Jazz trumpeter Chris Botti Nov. 23rd to 25th
“I’ve always loved the challenge of playing the trumpet,” says Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter Chris Botti. Over the past three decades, Botti has become the largest-selling American instrumental artist with four number one jazz albums and has performed with musical legends like Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Josh Groban, Lady Gaga, and others. On November 23rd to 25th, he will return to the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall as part of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s SuperPops series. Botti’s love for the trumpet is obvious to anyone who has listened to his albums or performances, but he is quick to mention the obstacles […]
Better Together: Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos
The best things come in pairs on November 9th to 11th with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Lead by conductor Kwamé Ryan, the BSO will perform two Mendelssohn symphonies and have the pleasure of performing with Christina and Michelle Naughton, twins and duo-pianists, on Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos. “Given the fact that we are doing not one but two Mendelssohn symphonies, this concert is obviously going to be a treat for fans of his music,” says conductor Ryan. “I would imagine that even those familiar with his Symphony No. 5 (“Reformation”) will likely never have heard his String Symphony No. […]
A Health Resort from Hell Nine Perfect Strangers – a novel about health-seekers at a sanitorium
Health resorts sound delicious. Days of pampering, exercise, rest, and meditation would bring a “Hell yes, sign me up today!” out of anyone. The cast of characters in Nine Perfect Strangers certainly thought a ten-day trip to a health resort would help make them healthier and happier while they transformed into their best selves. However, in true Liane Moriarty fashion, the solution isn’t always that easy. Moriarty, author of Big Little Lies and The Husband’s Secret, explores the obsession with “fixing” oneself in her new book, Nine Perfect Strangers. Nine people – a romance author, a family of three, a […]
RuPaul is This Fall’s GuRu
Add some fierce to your shelves this fall with the wit, wisdom, and beauty that is RuPaul. Fans of the Glamazon are familiar with his sharp tongue and fearless nature, and his new book, GuRu, does not disappoint. Full of 80 stunning never-before-seen photos, RuPaul shares the insights and philosophies that have guided him through his life and career. For over 35 years, RuPaul has broken down barriers and helped shape the drag culture as we know it. As Jane Fonda says in the foreword of this book, “He has done this by being who he really is, but finding […]
Don’t Be Dull Jack
Living in a highly connected world can be both exciting and stressful. There are so many fun and unique ways to communicate with people, learn and explore topics, stay informed on events, and more. On the other hand, it is difficult to “turn off” the constant messages, news updates, unfiltered opinions of loved ones and strangers, and work. Discovering the balance between being connected and being a person is becoming more and more crucial with every new app. Author and artist, Marlee Grace is here to help those who have difficulty striking that balance. Her new book, How to Not […]
BSO: ‘I Love a Piano’: A Night with Tony DeSare
For award-winning composer, Tony DeSare, partnering with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) for his upcoming concert “I Love a Piano” is a walk down memory lane. “The show is made up of the songs, artists, and styles that I loved when I was ten years old and just beginning to learn the piano,” says DeSare. “It was artists like Billy Joel, Elton John, and Ray Charles that kept me motivated to keep practicing and playing until I could play the song like they did.” Fans of DeSare and the BSO will enjoy an evening of music honoring pop music’s greatest […]
Paging READERS! Baltimore Book Festival features bisexual memoirist Anthony Moll, Sept. 29th & 30th
The 23rd annual Baltimore Book Festival returns to the Inner Harbor on Friday, September 28th through Sunday, September 30th. Produced by the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, the festival features local, regional and national authors. This year’s lineup includes White House correspondent April Ryan, New York Times bestselling author A.J. Jacobs, Hurston / Wright Legacy Award recipient Tayari Jones, and many others. Baltimore author Anthony Moll is excited to be included in the festival. His book, Out of Step: A Memoir, is about a bisexual boy that enlists in the army during the era of “Don’t ask, don’t […]
BSO’s Upcoming 2018-19 Season
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) has a long history of delivering an interesting symphonic season for audiences to enjoy. The upcoming 2018-19 season is no different. With beautiful classical performances, family programs, and fan favorites like “Off the Cuff” and “BSO Pulse,” the BSO will have something for everyone to enjoy this year. “In the 2018-19 season, there is something for every music lover in Baltimore,” says BSO artistic planner Ab Sengupta. “From all the masterworks you would expect to hear from one of the best orchestras in the country to rarely performed gems, such as French composer Olivier Messiaen’s […]
Picking Up the Pieces
Actors in general are brave souls. If it were easy to deliver a performance – an interpretation of a script or character – in front of a camera or on stage for an audience to critique, then more people would do it. It takes more than bravery to embrace the art of the memoir. Opening yourself and your perspective to the world takes grit and resolve. In her memoir, In Pieces, Sally Field demonstrates that she not only has bravery from being an actor, but the grit to be a true memoirist. In Pieces is different from most Hollywood memoirs. […]