When you think of great writers from our state, Mark Twain is undoubtedly the first name to come to mind. But the "father of American literature" is just the first page in the story of Connecticut writers, a canon which is much wider, more diverse and yes, more revolutionary than many of us are aware. Also in this issue: If you're dreading the coming snow, start planning a respite now with a Caribbean island getaway; and an essay by a Vietnam veteran who, a half century after dropping out of college, fulfilled a promise to himself to return and finish his degree.
In This Issue:
In September 1772, a man looked out at a large crowd gathered on the New Haven Green and gave a sermon that placed him among the Colonies’ most notable literary voices.
When we were off duty in Vietnam, Al Rose and I, along with a handful of others, all of us part of an aviation rescue crew, gathered together at night. We sat on top of sandbag bunkers, drinking warm beer, passing a joint, sometimes more than one. We laughed, hurled insults at each other wit…
Like it or not, winter is coming. For chilly New Englanders, few things beat a body- and soul-warming trip to the Caribbean. But choosing the perfect island destination can send shivers down anyone’s spine. Whenever I search for a rejuvenating island getaway, a set of travel-tested criteria …
Growing up on Long Island, John Post remembers road trips to visit White Flower Farm in Morris with his mother, an avid gardener. While a spectacular place all on its own, the sprawling nursery was situated among rolling hills, beautiful architecture and a lot of open space. Upon retiring an…
This & That
It was a brush with death paired with a dog’s surefootedness that inspired the now-classic piece of footwear: the boat shoe.
Connecticut produced arguably “the greatest female athlete in sports history,” but you might not even know her name.
Where & When
At an Early Man site discovered in Avon just this year, archaeologists produced the oldest radiocarbon date ever — 12,500 years ago — for human settlement in what is now Connecticut. New research at another Early Man site in the town of Washington has resulted in significant discoveries abou…
Collecting the art of Indigenous peoples is not without controversy. Yale University’s own history has been complicated since its earliest acquisitions through the then-common practice of “salvage anthropology,” or the gathering of artifacts to preserve remnants of what was believed to be th…
Our top picks for events happening around the state this month.
It was the day before Carolee Carmello was to take over the national tour of Hello, Dolly! and be in front of an audience for the first time in the title role. And what was most on her mind? “Don’t trip, don’t trip, don’t trip,” she says, laughing on the phone from Kansas City where the late…
Eat & Drink
Fresh. Healthy. Real. That’s the tagline at Ajamo in Hartford. “We make fresh food prepared in a healthy, flavorful way so it plays well together. I enjoy using local, in-season offerings to create different taste combinations,” says Jennifer Miller, co-owner with her husband, Chris.
Tribus means “three” in Latin — or at least that’s what the three friends who cofounded Tribus Beer Co. think. “We looked it up on Wikipedia,” says Sean O’Neill, one of the three co-owners of the Milford brewery, which opened in August 2018.
As you drive up, the valet is waiting to take your keys. Up a flight of stairs is a lively bar and restaurant area with exposed beam and large windows and tables on a patio overlooking the Silvermine River. Halfway through your meal, a server may climb into the garden beside the outdoor dini…