About me...
Click here for my curriculum vitae and reprints
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 soon her short story collection) was published by Random House in 2009 (and recognized by Booklist as a best new novel of 2009). Yes, I'm proud, and did I mention her website? We live in Oak Park in an eclectically charming house with our many pets.
Some of my favorite experiences in life have 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 Bela Bartok 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, Magnolia, Adaptation, Wall-E). Zombie movies are a kick, too.
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've never lost a game of Backgammon (I'm a pip-counter)
- I've spent over $600 for an awe-inspiring dinner for two
- I helped taste-test the flavor formula for Red Bull (I requested less bull)
- I played flugelhorn in college pep-band (and just can't hate Chuck Mangione)
- I once passed out by an electrical shock, and then was 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 winning dog 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)