Ivy Dorset Taylor

August 11, 2013
My daughter arrived on August 11, 2013 at 7:24pm at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn, NY as she and her mother performed the most unbelievably amazing act I have ever witnessed. This is all I am capable of putting into words at this point as I try to process what happened in Labor and Delivery Room 3 from 9am to 9pm today. Maybe with some time and perspective I could describe the event in greater detail, but I will never be able to communicate any real sense of what I experienced there. Love is Born!

More Summer Shows

August 7, 2013
This baby is late! The due date was July 29 and we are now into August and patiently awaiting the arrival. We are anxious to meet our new friend, but also focused on enjoying our final days as a couple without the enormous responsibility that will come with this child. One benefit to holding out: when I looked at the Celebrate Brooklyn schedule earlier this summer, I noticed many shows I might not get to see... Philip Glass and his ensemble performed his score to the original Dracula, which I have been waiting to see again for years. I saw…

Debt: The First 5000 Years

July 31, 2013
Since Introduction to Macroeconomics with Professor Michael Claudon in my Freshman year, I have been passionately infatuated with the study of money and its profound effects on every aspect of our civilization and society. It is one of life's greatest marvels that something so ephemeral, dependent completely on a communal belief in its power, could be responsible for almost everything that man has ever made. How could we be so motivated by scraps of metal and paper that we would organize our entire lifestyle and human existence around it? I have always been both fascinated and repulsed by our obsession…

Vermont Land

July 15, 2013
Since leaving Middlebury, I have had a insatiable need to return to Vermont as often as possible. It is a beautiful and inspiring place to be and absolutely necessary as a counterbalance to my life in the city. I have always dreamed of owning some raw and natural Land somewhere and recently the dream became reality with the purchase of 11.5 acres in Chester for $7,500. It is cheap and steep. A brook runs through the bottom of the property and the hillside shoots up a few hundred feet to a gentler slope that could have nice views with some…

Summer Swing

July 8, 2013
And then it was Summer! Hot and sunny with a two-day-a-week work schedule, the shift is quick and extreme and I am thoroughly enjoying it. One of my favorite aspects of the city at this time is the wealth of free outdoor cultural events. Concerts in Prospect Park have been supremely fun, with Amadou and Mariam, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Os Mutantes and Javelin providing the early season entertainment in my backyard. The venue is perfect and free events promote attendance, so bringing a group of friends to see a show by a band few have heard is easy; everyone has…

Lobster Roll Rumble

June 11, 2013
When I think about the food I enjoyed 20 years ago, I feel sorry for myself; I didn't know what I was missing out on because it didn't exist yet. Modern Food Culture was in its infancy, before Top Chef and Michael Pollans, where good food was a classic dish done well. Variety was Chinese or Indian. As awareness grew, old traditions evolved and new food was born in a burst of communal creativity. Today, I enjoy a vastly greater selection of high quality food everywhere from the market to restaurant. I still love burgers and wings but nothing is…

Daft Punk

May 29, 2013
I had a siesta today and spent it in the recliner on the balcony in the blazing sun listening to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories. I listened to it on my drive up and back from Cape Cod this weekend and it gets better every time; so funkin' funky and sonically diverse, it's from the past and the future simultaneously. As usual, their beats are powerful and the tones are electric, but they have added new flavors with many interesting collaborations for wild variety. It just sounds great all the way through and I can't stop listening to it. The…

Here Lies Love

April 24, 2013
I am pretty sure my wife is the greatest stage manager in the history of stage management. Every show she works on is amazing and everyone she works with loves working with her. I am always impressed by her dedication to the process and I always enjoy the product. Her latest, Here Lies Love, is probably her best work yet! An Imelda Marcos-inspired dance party with music by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim and directed by Alex Timbers stretches the boundaries of theater; the audience stands while platforms shift and spin around, with actors dancing tight choreography and singing beautiful…

Boston 4.15.13

April 16, 2013
I was born in Boston, raised in Newton, and although I have displaced myself geographically, my heart will always beat Bostonian and right now I feel more love than I have ever felt for that city. Patriots Day is a holiday and tradition celebrated exclusively in the region and consists of a morning game at Fenway and a night game at The Garden while the Marathon pours people into the heart of the city. It is a day of pride for Boston's unique and important history in our nation's independence and a day to enjoy family, friends and springtime in…

Welcome Spring!

April 9, 2013
After a two-week vacation in which I logged 7 ski days (@Wildcat, Black, Burke, Stowe and Magic!) I am ready to spring into some warm weather, and today was the first T-shirt day of the year. The windows are wide open and I hope I don't have to close them until October (early Spring naïveté). While I worship the winter and its white alpine bounty, I might have a harder time appreciating it without the warmth of summer. Being outside can be beautiful or miserable, depending on surroundings and weather, so anytime the factors align pleasantly, I am sure to…