The Klezmatics
As a Jew I have a problem around Christmastime. No, it’s none of the things you probably think it is. I don’t have a problem with the focus on consumerism and materialism–not any more than many Christians do,...
Read More2012 December
Ann Arborite Jason McKnight
In his blue hoodie and jean overalls, Jason McKnight blends right in with his twenty-nine Latin One students. But though his manner is as cheerful as his style is casual, McKnight is clearly in control of this early-morning...
Read MoreNeo-Neapolitan Pizza
Joe Sheena proudly holds out a margherita pizza just out of the oven and gives it a shake. A few bubbles appear–it looks almost soupy. This is exactly the effect he’s after. It’s a “neo-Neapolitan”...
Read MoreChela’s South
Adrian Iraola is an engineer used to overseeing complex projects, most recently the new underground parking structure next to the library. His wife, Lori, runs a riding school out of their Lodi Township home. But they were...
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Michigan migration
An interactive map on Forbes magazine’s website provides a fascinating picture of American migration over the past five years–including some encouraging trends for Ann Arbor. Clicking on a county will display every...
Read MoreFood, Fiats, and Minis
Maple Miller Plaza (as it’s called, though it has no sign and no frontage on Miller) has been the site of interesting, if not always long-lived, food experiments, like the Mercado Sabor Latino. It will now be revitalized...
Read MoreAmitav Ghosh
Amitav Ghosh writes big, sprawling novels that encompass gigantic swaths of history. Characters in his books are fictional, but he is also comfortable inventing moments for historical figures; for instance, in River of Smoke,...
Read MorePleasant Aegean Holidays
We received 116 entries correctly identifying the Fake Ad for Pleasant Aegean Holidays on page 70 of the November issue.”I quickly found the Fake Ad for November 2012,” wrote Bob Hayes. “I was stationed in...
Read MoreLions in Pittsfield
“Love those lions!!” writes Joyce Mallory about November’s feature. “I’ve always found it interesting that such a regal statue was placed at a very ordinary location,” comments Ellen Abramson....
Read MoreThe Art Forger
Inspired by the 1990 robbery at the Gardner Museum in Boston that claimed three of Degas’ drawings, still at large, B.A. Shapiro’s new novel The Art Forger plunges into the seedy underworld of high art. The story...
Read MoreTim O’Brien 2012
Born in 1954 in Wheeling, West Virginia, Tim O’Brien grew up with bluegrass, the folk revival, and rock and roll–and Lawrence Welk to boot. In the late 1970s he joined a bluegrass band called Hot Rize that landed...
Read MoreClassy Consignment
Chelsea gained two new consignment shops this year. In May, Diana Rodgers relocated The Sewing Shoppe, her three-year-old alterations, repairs, and tailoring business, from a tiny 300-square-foot space near the Parts Peddler to...
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