About me...
Personal information
I've long been known to lick fossils and rocks. (It's a great way to clean them!) Despite this fact, I'm married to a wonderful wife, Sandra Novack, who writes fiction. Her novel Precious and her short story collection will both be published by Random House (the novel in Feb. 2009). (Yes, I'm proud, and did I mention her website?) Also, we have many pets.
Some of my favorite experiences in life involved food or music. I'm especially fond of the following:
- "Ethnic" food: Whatever that means (Is a Big Mac "ethnic" in Ghana?), but especially Indian, Ethiopian & Thai
- Fine dining: A venial sin perhaps, but I can't understand why more wouldn't give anything to eat in the presence of Günther Seeger or Sotohiro Kosugi, or shop at A Southern Season
- Microbrew beer: The hoppier the better
- Chocolate: Well blended, I like them all. But Vosges is unparalleled
- Cheese: Le pied de dieu
- Ice cream: Actually all high-fat dairy products, except milk
- Live music: The only thing better is playing in the band yourself
- Recorded music: Since John Coltrane and Igor Stravinsky aren't playing much these days, the next best thing... Click here for some recommendations
- Movies: For some reason, I like anti-heroes and eccentrics (Taxi Driver, Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, Punch-Drunk Love, Pulp Fiction, Rear Window, Fargo, Harold and Maude, This is Spinal Tap, Babe: Pig in the City)
Some nearly outright lies
Can you figure out which one actually happened to me?
- I ate a live sea cucumber at the beach to see what it tasted like (like sea urchin roe, but chewier)
- I have never lost a game of Backgammon (I'm a pip-counter)
- I have spent over $600 for an awe-inspiring dinner for two
- I helped taste-test the flavor formula for Red Bull (I requested less bull flavoring)
- I played flugelhorn in college pep-band (and just can't hate Chuck Mangione)
- I was accidentally electrically shocked and then resuscitated by the humid snout of a kindly heifer
- I was voted "best hair" in High School (It was a small school)
- I went by the childhood nickname El Socko (Don't ask)
- I won $1500 at a Greyhound Race Track in Jersey (the dog's unlikely moniker was Saint MoMo Bonaventura)
- My conception was archived at minute 83 of Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music (Thanks Ma and Pa!)
- My favorite Thanksgiving dinner involved no turkey, but guests (and food) representing more than 6 countries (and 5 continents)