Without much fanfare, print newspapering in Rhode Island suffered some body blows recently, and though my view on this surely dates me, I grieve the situation. In August, two community […]
Author Archives: Gerry Goldstein
Gerry Goldstein, an occasional contributor to What's Up, is a retired Providence Journal editor and columnist who has been writing for Rhode Island newspapers and magazines for 60 years
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Gerry Goldstein: When whispers metastasize, hate sinks roots
To be Jewish in America these days is disturbing, even for those of us fortunate enough to have lived mostly free of antisemitic slurs or worse. Sensitive gentile friends are […]
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Gerry Goldstein: By the book, moving to a strange new land
At a soirée 140 years ago in New York City’s Academy of Design, 1,500 people kicked off a fundraising exhibition to finance a pedestal for the aborning Statue of Liberty. According […]
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Gerry Goldstein: On this day, kiss your inhibitions goodbye
“A kiss is just a kiss,” asserted composer Herman Hupfeld in 1931 when he wrote “As Time Goes By,” the song that years later would so enhance the iconic film Casablanca. Not […]
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Gerry Goldstein: On the wing, reminders of what matters
“The world is too much with us,” wrote William Wordsworth more than two centuries ago. Wordsworth, who would later spend many years wearing the mantle of England’s poet laureate, complained […]
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‘Sage’ advice on expression, still timely after a century
Last month, police in Marion, Kan., (population 1,902), raided the community’s 154-year-old weekly newspaper, seizing computers, cell phones, and other material in what many deemed a violation of federal law […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Gerry Goldstein: Portrait of a ‘problem’ that endures
I am staunchly “woke,” and there’s a guy who has my gratitude for reminding me of it every day. This would be Norman Rockwell, the late “illustrator” once disdained by […]
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Gerry Goldstein: A pond where it’s easy being green
What goes around comes around, especially here at Shalom Acres, our little hobby farm in Greenville where an octogenarian who once caught frogs as a 12-year-old now does so again. […]
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Gerry Goldstein: Fur, feathers, squeals, hogged some of White House spotlight
The reasons Donald Trump is abhorred here at Shalom Acres, our little hobby farm in Greenville, are too many to be counted, but among them is the fact that he […]
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Gerry Goldstein: A historical brew, in one small coffee cup
For years, a tiny piece of history has resided with other memorabilia on my desk, all accrued over decades of chasing the news. But it was not until last month’s […]
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Gerry Goldstein: They said ‘I do,’ but the state moved to put them asunder
Since June is a popular month for weddings, it’s logical to review what was observed on the 12th: “National Loving Day.” And since you may have missed it, here’s a […]
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Gerry Goldstein: Seeing life from both sides and fighting on for a cause
When frail, 110-pound George W. Jorgensen turned 18 in 1944, he tried to enlist in the wartime Army, which took a peek at his wispy frame and rejected him. But […]
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Gerry Goldstein: From an oceanic disaster, links to the Ocean State
Those new and ghostly 3D scans of the Titanic, showing in remarkable detail the “unsinkable” liner more than two miles under the sea, reflect an ageless tragedy with strong links […]
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Gerry Goldstein: A new phrase is launched into the language
A few minutes after Elon Musk’s big rocket blasted off last month, momentary public befuddlement ensued when engineers from his SpaceX Corp. tweeted that the craft had experienced a “rapid unscheduled […]
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Gerry Goldstein: Lady Luck no help in this job search
Being an equal-opportunity essayist, I invite any ladies reading this to speak up if they feel insulted by what follows. Well, never mind what follows – in the eyes of […]
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Gerry Goldstein: New words – When it rains, it pours
When a routine prescription seemed slow getting filled recently, I called the pharmacy to see if a problem was at hand. Said the pharmacist: “It’s a supply chain issue.” His […]
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Gerry Goldstein: Unhurried Baseball on deck for a prod
Baseball is a languid exercise, unsuited to impatience. As the aging, legendary pitcher Satchel Paige once noted, “I never rush myself. See, they can’t start the game without me.” The […]
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Gerry Goldstein: Simple words of comfort, from high station
Tragedy was unfolding at Rhode Island’s little fishing port of Galilee, and in his second-floor office above the dockside Handrigan Seafood Co., owner Brian Handrigan was on the phone. In […]
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Gerry Goldstein: Old wisdom that resonates anew today
We’re deep into Black History Month, with culture wars continuing unabated, especially when it comes to what should be taught in the classroom. Arguments over curriculum are nothing new; the […]
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Gerry Goldstein: The highs and lows of falling in love
With Valentine’s Day approaching, we are reminded that love over the generations has had its admirers and its detractors, depending on one’s personal experience. As an optimist and a believer […]
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Gerry Goldstein: Courage, as inspired from on high
We’re just days away from an observance that usually slides by with only modest notice, so you know I’m not referring to the ballyhooed Feb. 2 appearance of a weather-predicting groundhog. A […]
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Gerry Goldstein: In this work, the nickname’s a calling-card
News outlets recently noted the death in prison of one-time Patriarca Family crime boss Francis Salemme, better known in La Cosa Nostra circles as “Cadillac Frank.” One might think the […]
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Gerry Goldstein: Spelling aside, ‘Chanukah’ brightens the season
Since I’m Jewish, you are welcome to wish me a Happy Chanukah. But if that spelling of the holiday doesn’t suit you (even though it’s my preferred one), you’re also […]
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Gerry Goldstein: Something wasn’t kosher about so many of those Santas
When I was a lad in post-war South Providence, Santa Claus faced two major hurdles as he contemplated a visit to our tenement. First off, the structure had no fireplaces, […]
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Gerry Goldstein: Historical wrinkles on aging in office
If Joe Biden and Donald Trump agree on one thing, it’s that being an octogenarian doesn’t necessarily mean one can’t get the job done. That’s to be expected, since Biden […]