I recently posed a simple question to my friends on social media: “White Bucks after Labor Day?” And I got a assortment of responses. Etiquette maven Rachel Thomas Hale from Evangeline, Louisiana, simply replied, “Nope!” But Oscar nominated globe-trotter Pud Cusack responded, “Always!” Interior Designer and man-about-town Kirk Longmire of Houston quipped, “Yes, we live in the tropics. All bets are off!” Head of men’s talent for Kim Dawson Agency and professional stylist Gerald Frankowski of Dallas advised, “In the South it can be done until mid to late September.” While a friend from Jennings, Louisiana, Kelley Durham Carambat wondered, “My question has always been ‘Says who?’ “ Research on the subject yielded a myriad of explanations for such strict ...
Mother never allowed us to wear shoes that could be bought at a convenience store; and dad thought that open toe shoes on boys were effeminate. But while walking down the beach at Fire Island in leather soled shoes a decade back I came to accept the purpose for such footwear—and I bought a pair of expensive flip flops. Flip flops are fabulous for the beach or poolside, or as a shower shoe. But when did flip flops become acceptable everyday apparel? Sisterwoman and I determined that there are three techniques of walking in thongs: First there are the “Toe Flailers”, a group composed disproportionately of men who in order to keep the flop from flipping off the foot curl ...
Now we all know what was going on behind the curtained fence at Richmond Avenue and Mandell for the past nine months. The 1 ¼ acre Mandell Park with (Urban Harvest) Meredith Park underwent a complete renovation. For years Friends of Mandell Park worked to raise $1 million for the project. The following is an excerpt from the Manny Chronicles, a journal project that I did in 2010 while caring for the infant Evan Rosette: February 19, 2010 Evan and I had an interesting walk today. We Four Wheeled it down Bonnie Brae Boulevard to the Mandell Park. Bonnie Brae is a community in Montrose with an incongruous mix of 1930s bungalows, vintage duplexes, 1960s apartments, and strange new construction. ...
It’s no secret that Galveston Island is rich in history. The best known cultural attractions are without a doubt architectural—such as The Bishop’s Palace. And for connoisseurs of fine art there is a multitude of art galleries downtown. But I must admit that I had no idea that there is actually fine art available for viewing in a museum setting. The Rosenberg Library isn’t just a repository for books. Born in Switzerland, Henry Rosenberg immigrated to Galveston in the 1840s and got crazy rich. When he died in 1893 he left almost a million dollars to charity, including $400,000 to Galveston for a public library. With funding from his bequest, the Rosenberg Library Association was organized and the stunning Beaux-Arts ...
Artist Jeffrey Lipsky is a white Jewish man with a mustache, cap, and jeans. He has exhibited paintings in galleries and museums around the world and has been featured in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Brooklyn Rail, Art Calendar Magazine, and a string of others. Artist Filthy Fluno is a short plump black man with a mammoth afro, designer suit, sneakers, and 3D glasses whose artwork looks exactly like Lipsky’s. Surrounded by beautiful women and eccentric characters, he is founder of the esteemed art community Artropolis. He has been featured in innumerable important galleries and museums, and also had his own feature in the New York Times. Confused? Jeffrey Lipsky and Filthy Fluno are actually the same person. ...
Jake Wikifoo, whose most distinctive physical attribute is a prominent proboscis, is an artist and art gallery owner (Galerie Wikifoo & Wikifoo Art Museum “WAM”) who lives in the city of New Toulouse—in a spectacular mansion across the lane from the Governor’s mansion. Behind Wikifoo Manor’s sprawling oaks, ornamental iron gates, fluted columns, and pink brick sheath is housed a world class collection of original art. Aside from art collecting, Jake’s interests include drunken carousing, boating, travel, architectural design, and hunting zombies. Mr. Wikifoo is an avatar who lives in the world of Second Life. Second Life is an online virtual world developed by a San Francisco based company called Linden Lab. It is said that at any given time ...
So you were curious about my sketchbook? And you’re thinking about starting your own? Here is my encouragement for all skill levels, punctuated by drawings from the first six months of my 2022 sketchbook and a few quotes by some of our favorite artists. (Disclaimer: Some artistic representations herewith represent the human anatomy.) Art history began on cave walls when early humans felt an innate urge to draw. No one knows exactly why prehistoric humans made art, but it was almost certainly as spiritual as it was a form of communication–but it could have been for fun too. For decades I have carried a sketchpad and pencils in my backpack, going wherever I do. And every year I start a ...
