What a NY evening! Friends and I had delicious tapas and paella at the Soccarat Paella Bar in Chelsea. The tapas were vegetarian. How about Brussel sprouts in a sweet and spicy glaze or fried artichokes with a splash of lemon caper or layered eggplant or…Followed by a delicious paella de la huerta (orchard) with eggplant, broccoli cauliflower, to name three of the nine vegetables in the Paella The wine was as good as the food. Soccarat is half a block away from the Joyce Theater. We scooted across Eighth Avenue, showed our vaccine and id stuff and then went to perfect seats in one of the loveliest theaters in town and saw the Martha Graham Dance Company. Bliss.

Next time I’ll photograph their entire heads. Promise.

Jean Montrevil was deported about three years ago, grabbed off the NYC streets by ICE, not allowed to bid good-bye to his family and forced to go to Haiti. He’s back in NYC for 90 days to face a hearing. Judson Memorial Church vowed to bring Jean home.

NYMYSTERIES.COM  Oct. 15, 2021 

“I simply do not feel it would be right for me under the present circumstances to accept a new contract with an Israeli company that does not publicly distance itself from apartheid and support the U.N.-stipulated rights of the Palestinian people,” Sally Rooney said.

NYMYSTERIES.COM  Oct. 9, 2021 

Al Carmines was hired by Rev. Howard Moody in 1963 as an assistant minister at Judson Memorial Church. For Carmines theology and theater went together. Along with other innovators, he pushed current social agenda to the forefront of his Judson Poets’ Theater productions. To name a few: Song of Songs, The Faggot, In Circles. The one I remember is Christmas Rappings from 1969. It was the annual Judson Christmas show. Mary and Joseph were played by Essie Borden and Lee Guilliatt. They owned the roles. Lee Guilliatt died two days ago. 

Lee Guilliatt in a 2019 production of Christmas Rappings

NYMYSTERIES.COM  Oct. 2, 2021 

I had a glorious week in New Mexico. Before I flash my photos and drive you mad with envy, I want to honor Doctor Willie Parker. He is a physician who goes to Mississippi every month to perform abortions in the only available clinic. I quote him: “I was not of the age of accountability during the civil rights movement. I was not born into slavery. I was not born during the labor rebellions of the ’20s,” Parker said in a recent interview. ” I’m a women’s health provider. This is my time and this is my responsibility^[3]

Please read his book, “Life’s Work: A Moral Argument for Choice.”

I met him years ago when he spoke at Judson Memorial Church. He’s fun, amusing and serious about the right of abortion. 

 New Mexico:  I attended a Women’s Fiction Writers Association annual retreat held in Albuquerque. Donald Maass gave stimulating talks for three days from 9 am to noon. Most people stayed at the hotel, Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town. Fortunately, I stayed nearby with friends. They were beyond hospitable. I flew on jetBlue because it’s the only airline that has a direct stop to Albuquerque. Flight was fine – 4? 5? hours. What was not fine was that jetBlue lost my suitcase. My friends (bless them) drove me out to the airport several times to find a jetBlue employee. Nothing. One of my friends managed to get a real live person from jetBlue on the line who said there might be a suitcase at the jetBlue counter Thursday night at 9 pm. Once again, off we went to the airport. Found! End of story but not the end of my gratitude to my friends. I got to know their adorable cats, fat, lovable twelve year old MaGee and mountain lioness, 2Too. We talked, ate and drank into the late hours reminiscing about our first meeting, different adventures we shared in Portland, Or. Jersey City and NYC. Highlights included being invited to a nephew’s birthday and meeting a delightful family and having a delicious New Mexican meal. We had a fabulous lunch in Santa Fe with my buddy, James and then back to NYC on a jetBlue Red Eye.