I am not one to brag about myself. But about my friends is another story. I will remember 2022 as a year of great creative development for six of my friends.
Matthew Loscalzo, whom I have known since high school, is an internationally known authority on the psychosocial aspects of cancer. Matthew has worked for the most prestigious cancer care centers in the US. His latest book on palliative care is Loss and Grief: Personal Stories of Doctors and Other Healthcare Professionals. As the subtitle suggests, the book spotlights grief from a unique perspective.
Robert Mucci, a longtime friend, has lived many lives, but for the 50 years I have known him, music and art have been common threads running through all of them. His first art exhibit, Out of Silence, at the Warner Art Gallery of the Mamaroneck Public Library, features 33 of his acrylic on canvas pieces. The two-month show runs until September 30.
Paul Cassone, a colleague during my 19 years at Lifespire, became the CEO of the Guild for Exceptional Children, and his dedication to the field of developmental disabilities won praise from numerous community and professional organizations. Since his retirement, Paul has focused on his musical career, now in its sixth decade. His YouTube channel presents heaps of originals and covers.
Deborah Greenhut and I have enjoyed a 30-year friendship. She is one of the most intelligent and tolerant people I know. Her first novel, The Hoarder's Wife, about an aspiring musician's survival of a failed marriage to a brilliant but flawed university professor, is a remarkably fast read. This book has no villains or heroes. It is an unsparing look at the reach of human dependencies and mental illness.
Keith Carne, a live and studio drummer for We Are Scientists the past nine years, as well as a writer for Modern Drummer, has been a friend for 20 years. He continues to tour throughout the world with We Are Scientists, create his own music with Communipaw, and teach music when his busy schedule allows. And there's not a thing you can't talk to Keith about.
Hayley Youngs, one of my newest friends, is an extraordinary artist and art teacher who has produced work at an amazing pace. Haley's work, which has been widely exhibited, evokes Fernand Leger, Arthur Dove, and Georgia O'Keeffe, but her creative vision is singular and inimitable. Her current exhibit, Serenity Now, is at the Mark Borghi Gallery in Sag Harbor.
My friends inspire me to keep my creative juices flowing. I am fortunate to know them.
