Review of The Empty Family, by Colm Tóibín

In the spring of 2007, I attended a tribute hosted by Colm Tóibín in honor of novelist John McGahern at the Irish Film Institute in Dublin. An enthusiastic audience watched a series of clips from films either written by McGahern or based on his stories, with commentary on each provided by Tóibín. Tóibín spoke of his recently deceased friend with generosity, admiration and affection. He recalled McGahern's anguish when a director asked him to doctor some dialogue during a shoot. Tóibín said that his own background in journalism had equipped him to dash off sentences on any subject without inhibitions, but McGahern agonized over every word he ever wrote. McGahern told the director ... Full Story
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Courses & Travel
Lost and Found in Beijing

China Daily reported in 2010 that Beijing’s population had reached twenty-two million people. (Eight to nine million of these are “non-permanent residents.”) City planners hope to cap Beijing’s size at eighteen million, but that seems implausible—how do you shrink a city that’s alread Full Story

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Lifestyle
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly at the PGA Show

The PGA Show in Orlando last month illuminated what’s good as well as what’s troublesome in the golf industry.   The big players in equipment and clothing and shoes—Callaway, Ping, Titleist, Nike, FootJoy and so on—occupied prominent spots on the convention floor, sort of like anchor tenants at a m Full Story

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Equipment
The Clicgear Three Wheeled Golf Cart

The Clicgear Cart is, as its website says, “the original compact three-wheel  golf pushcart.”   The Clicgear Cart won the 2007 Best New Product Award at the PGA Merchandise Show, providing a terrific promotional boost.  The cart has great word of mouth, too.  Two of my regular playing partners swear Full Story