Editor-at-Large

That is the question David Greenberger asked residents of the Duplex Nursing Home in Jamaica Plain, Ma. This fascinating bit of oral history is part of the Duplcex Planet series. But be careful – you might get hooked. Elderly people say the darndest things.

EDITOR AT LARGE

Back in the day, Portsmouth had as many as a dozen newspapers and lots of competition for readers and ads. Those days may be coming back. One newspaper is changing its look, another its publication time, and a third paper has appeared in the distance,

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EDITOR AT LARGE

Of all the heinous tortures perpetuated on public-spirited citizens, the worst is "jail and bail." If you don’t work in a local business or have never done a philanthropic deed or have no close friends, then you are safe. Only the good are targeted. Only the bad survive.

EDITOR AT LARGE

What do nuclear power and Rosa’s Restaurant have in common? Not a darn thing. Or at least they didn’t until last week, when the editor some wise guy mentioned that nuclear power is the energy of the future. Sometimes the future and the past collide like atomic fusion.

EDITOR AT LARGE

The sign is beginning to fade, and so are the memories. Soon thirteen colonial houses on "The Hill" will be entirely surrounded by modern hotels. They stand as the final reminder of the North End Italian neighborhood, lost to urban development in the early 1970s.

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

It’s hard out there for a mime. The world has turned downright hostile to silent comics in white-face and striped shirts. But be fair. What did a mime ever do to you? They’ve been around since Ancient Greek and Roman days, and many are highly talented actors and athletes. But be careful. Even a mime can break your heart.

REMEMBERING JUNE 1978

Long before the Internet, cell phone, laptops and iPods there was Market Square Day. Thirty years later, those who attend the annual June block party may be unaware of its humble beginnings. It was local people celebrating the revival of the city’s downtown – a revival that marked the marriage of the arts and history that continues to this day.

EDITOR AT LARGE 

Not everybody goes to the finest eateries. Not everybody loves opera. Not everybody likes historic houses, but everybody loves Gilleys. At least, that’s the way the editor sees it. For almost a century the foot has been hot, fast and cheap – just like your – no let’s not go there. But let’s definitely go to Gilley’s late-night lunch cart.